David.

Yes.

Welcome everyone to the special commission of veterans affairs for Tuesday, July 21st, 2026.

Time the suit is 508.

Madam Clerk, please call the road.

Chair Picardo.

Present.

Vice Chair Yanuchi is absent.

Commissioner Alves present.

Commissioner Yarn.

Commissioner Cruz del Valle is absent.

Three present, two absent.

We have quorum.

Thank you.

And seeing that we have a quorum, welcome everyone.

We want to make sure that today we cover the items that uh appear before us.

Sure.

Item number one discussion regarding the city's incoming veterans' affairs staffer.

Item number two, discussion regarding Veterans Day 2026.

And item number three, discussion regarding the planning of a Providence sponsored veterans parade in May 2027.

Thank you very much.

And then we'll also have some questions and answers and uh on each item and discuss uh our next meeting, possibly at the next meeting and other items that we'll make a break.

We have present with us Isaac from our office and uh our great staff and team.

Thank you for joining us and uh legal services.

Uh solicitor, right?

You're part of the solicitors uh yes, thank you.

Um so just a conversational discussion regarding the city's incoming uh veterans affairs that for uh just a quick uh update on uh our last conversation which uh took place in April.

Uh we were in the middle of uh uh budget and projection, and uh we had a discussion and uh uh regarding the potential of having a full-time veterans affair staffer added to uh the city province so that way at the municipal level uh we can have uh services and also coordinate with uh uh the state and also be also part of uh this commission and uh work with us, especially um as we continue to service not only the veterans but also families and uh the external um support network.

Uh the uh the veteran affairs staffer uh was recommended by myself and uh also uh the mayor agreed and uh we included it in the budget.

So it is a uh full-time person that's coming in.

Uh the role right now is uh is going to be uh in the job description uh is under development.

So with your experiences, uh we'd love to hear uh some suggestions from this commission, but also at one point in the next meeting, we will have uh the direct immediate supervisor uh who will be uh heading uh that department or that uh uh staff work and and what that role responsibility is going to be.

Um with that said, uh just uh a brief from my perspective uh and as we discussed it before.

The ideal is uh is uh a person that is a veteran, hopefully uh person that's uh bilingual, trilingual.

You know, veterans are a very multi-talented, would you agree?

Um and uh uh that's uh a person that uh really gets it and and and uh is willing to work hard, uh not only within within the city and has the connection to different organizations, of course.

Uh the director is gonna be fully available to help us out uh and bring full use of this building here too, uh the 444 Westminster Street, where uh this person is gonna be housed.

So it's gonna be a new era, a new time for uh veteran services uh for the municipal level in the city of Providence, uh Capital City, and uh really appreciate uh your insights and uh we'd love to uh get your feedback as we continue to develop this position, and this person is gonna be working with us.

Any uh questions or any uh feedback?

So I was thinking um what's what's your view on uh timeline for this?

Um are we like um yeah, three months out, six months out, or you know, to be able to actually um hire higher?

What's your thoughts?

Because I mean we still gotta you know obviously work on the job description.

I mean, going through the hiring process from a city standpoint is not a difficult one, um, you know, as far as uh um posting it and everything else.

So I I think most of the work right now is gonna be in the job description, and I mean, assuming we can put something together.

I mean the other half of it's not difficult process.

Yeah, uh the way I uh uh the vision is uh I would love to uh have the the process as fast as possible as you know, especially coming uh up to November where we have the celebration of the event uh for veterans, and that would be uh an added bonus to uh have a staff member and a person that uh we can present uh, but also work with our team in the city council in the city of Providence and also the commission.

Um the ideal is that uh is that we get that job description so uh as soon as possible, or anything that uh any templates or any feedback that you uh have.

I'm going to be working with the uh director of uh HHS, Emily Freeman.

You think that's uh she's the one that's uh going to be seeing that and uh help with that process along with uh with the uh the HR to ensure that we have qualified and and uh uh responsible uh veteran applicants and people in general you can't just say just veteran, but the ideal would be a person that that is a veteran um for this uh police uh position or a family member, you know, that uh um some has some uh experience with uh servicing veterans and then I think that will be key in the next couple of uh weeks.

If you do have uh some recommendations, please feel free to email it to me.

Um, and then we'll convey the recommendations to uh the director.

Um so considering uh it's uh position of fall under HHS.

I believe they're on a third floor.

So uh some point soon we can start looking.

Well, you know, I can start looking for space available space.

Um prior to us getting a space building.

Yeah, but I think it's also uh important to recognize the fact that uh uh the uh the mayors uh uh in the administration, Emily, uh, to sit down at the table and uh continue to describe and also uh create that vision of what uh this position is going to um be responsible for and to rule and and and what sort of resources are gonna be available.

Um, I've had the opportunity to over the years to be among not only here in Rhode Island but also outside uh different uh organizations that uh will have uh different uh resources at hand to us.

And so uh we'd love to have someone that really also has that that uh network already built and uh overwhelm us with resources uh to our veterans and also their families.

Yeah, so timeline.

Uh we'd love to have this, you know, by November 1st, just to have somebody on on uh on board.

Yeah, I can't imagine it's gonna be take too long.

So that's all I got.

Yeah, director or no, all right.

I'm surprised you have not done that's the time.

All right, come on now.

That's it.

Yes, so uh as far as the timeline, so feel free to uh uh send me some of those recommendations and also uh we will be engaging.

We already reached out to Emily and the director, the director uh to have those discussions, and where we're going to be uh uh providing uh and planning uh some of the things that were uh coming uh in the next couple of months.

And speaking of that, um we spoke about uh in uh believe last meeting of the prior to that, that uh uh we were going to have a uh veterans event.

Uh, this will be our third one, right?

Uh I believe it's the fourth, yeah.

And uh it was set for um November 5th.

And uh it was set for um November 5th, and uh on the calendar we had agreed that uh that would be the veterans event uh at City Hall, and the idea again is to uh coordinate it uh better than uh last year.

Um we'll be looking to get uh greater participation and getting the word out once we uh also create a uh notification off flyer who disseminated to uh to our commission members and also uh uh usually our delegation delegation is present and a keynote speaker or someone that we recognize.

What I like to uh entertain is also uh for the next meeting.

If you uh make recommendations that of uh a couple of veterans uh that we can highlight uh that are Providence residents, I would certainly appreciate it.

There's many veterans who serve in different departments uh well uh throughout the city, but also uh there are veterans out there that um that work in uh in our city but also live in our city, and if you know of anyone that uh merits uh these type of uh um recognition or at least uh accolades, or at least uh recognize the fact that uh they're one of us.

Uh please feel free to uh send those names uh and recommendations to me and uh in our office.

Um discussion or question on that.

So we're good for November 5th, as we agreed.

November 5th is uh Thursday Thursday, same time um that we did last time, uh last year.

So let's put it on our account.

Uh the item number three, uh discussion regarding the planning of a province sponsored veteran parade in May 2027.

So this item, I put it on the on the agenda to discuss.

Previously, we had discussed uh uh in the goal of this commission.

One of the goals of this commission was to eventually have a parade uh here in the city province.

Uh people can remember the last time we had a parade, and we had agreed that uh it was going to be this year, and we also wanted to the following, um, that it was also trying to see if we do it in November.

Um what I'm recommending is that uh have a discussion is to have uh a veteran uh parade during the May during the month of May.

During the month of May, the rector can speak a little bit about all this all the uh recognition that takes place during during the month of May as it's the military uh armed forces month, and it it also finishes with the uh correct me if I'm wrong, it also finishes with uh the uh uh memorial veterans memorial weekend.

And so I'm looking to see how we can plan or uh have a parade uh during the month of May.

Well that there's uh plenty of uh parades uh and in uh the the uh memorial weekend, but also in uh during uh veterans uh weekend and and so wanted to see if uh there was some thoughts around that, uh any suggestions and uh so when I I just I ended up looking on my phone.

So for the month of May, established items that you know is I mean, uh we got Mother's Day, second Sunday of May, that people are gonna be at home with families and stuff.

Uh Memorial Day is the last Monday of May.

And there's also Armed Forces Day, which is um active duty um service members, which is the third Saturday of May.

So things to kind of potentially May or in June.

May in May.

Yeah, might be June.

So May Mira.

So my recommendation that we talked about this, we have the decouple of two.

If it's May, it's Memorial Day.

Okay.

If it's yeah, Thursday in May.

If it's Venom is November, and then we're going for Vectors.

Yeah, we talked about so you say that's going to be with Memorial Day.

We know that Memorial Days for our fall.

Right.

So my recommendation would be to if it was be in May, it has to be aligned with Memorial Day.

Because it syncs up to everybody else's, we'll get to and it sets the right time.

Yeah.

The one you're referring to, that was in May, but it folks lean towards flag daddy.

In that regard along those lines.

So if it is in terms of summarize here, if it's in terms of looking for raid, and that is the wish of this committee, then it needs to be if it's in May, then it should be aligned closer to memorial day.

Then again, if it's going for veterans, if we're talking about veterans, then it's easier for us to do that in the November time.

Um forces day, that uh that's for discussion in a sense in uh that being well that aligns with act of duty, right?

Act of duty, right?

Yeah, it doesn't align align with those.

That's why we got to understand.

Yeah, yeah.

So that's why it's send the wrong, it sends the wrong message in that regard, but the dude that's three different three distinct cohorts, right?

So that's uh so then if uh with those points in mind having uh memorial day closer to memorial day or a memorial day question.

I think that uh asked this to you, uh, and having your expertise here and knowing how many other cities and towns have parades in memorial.

You guys can you elaborate on that with um water fire, yeah.

So that's that's that's in November.

So that's why I said you you we can do all these things, but you gotta put it in the right context.

Right, right.

So around May, Memorial Day, we do our event on Memorial Day proper at one o'clock because we're very mindful of all the other municipalities doing their events in the morning time frame.

That gives us plenty of time, I guess they want plenty of time to go celebrate in your municipality, and then at the end of the one, so before the end of the day, come celebrate with us at the Venus Cemetery, and that'll be like the bold, the official pick out the summer, but it separates all our municipalities to celebrate, then we can transition over to Riley.

Hello, we're able to transition over to our state program later on that day.

In terms of the memorial, the prior aids that again they happen either Saturday, Sunday, or Monday.

So it's really up to the municipality.

But knowing that 39, there are potential 36th about you have to compete against each other.

Right.

And the question is also there are cities and towns that uh have them at the same time.

Correct.

Correct.

Correct.

So if we were to consider having it in May, or at the end of May, we just we would just have to look at when we're at the out of alignment, especially with your college.

You don't need to support and obviously public safety.

So what they and it was easier for them to support because some of those same members they participate in other town parade, they may form a color guard detail province color guard, they always ask to participate in other communities as a color guard.

So that's the impact their participation.

Obviously, you want province on the guard to participate in yours, but they may have seen where they are in their schedule, they may have something both.

Um just for the record, I would you'd like to recognize Commissioner Cruz, uh that has joined us.

So now thank you.

Welcome, thank you.

Um there are comments or discussion.

So we're discussing uh the possibility of having a parade in May, or looking at what is uh the discussion around when is the appropriate time.

Um looking to see if we can do it uh early on in May.

I know in Providence, we have the water fire, and uh it becomes very challenging, or at least uh towards the end.

But I just want to have a conversation on that.

So Veterans Day is the 10th, and that could 11th.

And that could fall on uh you know a Monday or Tuesday or a Wednesday.

So but uh the water fire, and I know the event have first Sunday, every Sunday, first Sunday and every November.

November Sunday.

So that's something to also not necessarily perform on the veterans we can.

Well, it is the veteran, it does accept it's well well the first it's close separate days from the first Sunday in November, our first Saturday in November is Water Friday, wherever they end up choosing.

Wherever they end up choosing, it's gonna be before the 11th, obviously.

Yeah, but just how to schedule Lanta.

Um so for consideration, just for or at least the discussion.

Um, so that way we know uh from uh May, the end of May to now is shorter period of time, and for planning purposes, uh and then going into November, it's longer planning purposes uh time frame.

What uh for discussion purposes, what do you think about having May or in November?

Because of the LC to create less confusion and how you explain to the coal hurt because we can't have a parade in essence for armed forces day.

I agree.

I mean, I think we have to separate it.

If we're truly looking for a veterans parade, we should probably have it in the month of November.

That way where you know we don't want to take away from the properness of Memorial Day, yeah.

Um so it seems fitting to do it in November.

Yeah, yeah.

Um for our purposes, uh PVB fest takes place the 18th, usually the windows, uh second week of of September.

So back to back.

Right.

Thoughts since you're uh oh I'm uh uh just reveling around.

So I mean, yeah, because there's there's obviously a lot of planning that's gonna be involved, then you know, the potential need for money, um, because we're gonna have to get security, uh Providence Police, uh, you know, the fire department should be involved.

Um we gotta butt.

Yeah, right.

But you know, with that being said, we also we have to figure out the route because then we have to look at potential road closures, uh things of that nature with uh DPW and traffic.

Um there's many factors that go into it.

So it's we're like there's gonna be quite a bit of planning involved in this.

Yeah, and already there's uh planning from the state uh uh for water fire event downtown.

That's just on the sub that's on the that's easy.

That's right, so that's a small block of time, right?

Right.

But they they also have done this 30 however many times, you know, 20 times already.

Right, right.

So they got their process down packed of how they run the show, right?

So this is yeah, we're kind of gotta figure figure some stuff out.

Right, right.

Um yeah, so I think uh any other we would say uh taking it in taking it in.

I agree with that, yeah.

Yeah, so uh I I think that's where we have to uh uh continue to plan for uh the November.

Uh ideally uh how I was uh to bring it to that conversation was because uh you know uh more so more alerted to the dates and celebrations that were made, um, and visiting uh Rhode Island Day at the US Capitol, and uh also visit uh having uh participated in the conference out in um in Washington DC.

Uh uh thought that in essence uh you know that uh May would have been uh a time uh appropriate because there's so many uh recognition, whether it's uh uh roostar um there's a lot of uh recognition in most time.

Well however, I understand that uh the explanation that you just uh also highlighted that I think and also for planning purposes, I think November uh it's well for us and not confuse our veterans over because I I actually wrote down when I was taking some notes prior to the meeting because hypothetically, you know, if we were looking at uh uh a May parade, I mean, you know, I I wrote down earlier as a veterans day, call it a different name question mark.

I mean, if we put it in May, we can't necessarily call it veterans day for you.

We have to find another type of term for it.

So it kind of it's hard to put that spur peg in the round hole.

Yeah, yeah.

Yeah.

Um, at the local level, looking at schools, we get more bank for your park engaging the schools in November as opposed to May Time.

Yeah, that's true.

Because they're trying to finish out we're getting out of it.

We're trying to turn the lights off.

Yeah.

Whereas in November, everybody's doing something in the local schools, be it gift cards, you're doing they're doing some type of program in the school level.

Let's utilize that that energy and build something here from student problems.

All right.

I think that uh commissioner cruise uh agrees too, right?

And we would um I'm not sure if we're ready to also uh uh designate uh a date for that for 2027.

If you all want to just uh you think we need uh public safety meeting and public safety to be read in on that what's they were they support because it'll be a Saturday and Sunday about I think we have to figure some things out before we but the public safety folks need to have it early on engaged, yeah.

Would it be a sign right?

Who's that?

Like I said, I would recommend one of those.

Yeah, it could be either right.

Six thirteenth, seven months.

I mean, so like looking at that's 20 2027 is the sixth, the seventh, or the thirteenth, and I feel it's well the sixth and the seventh.

We would I mean uh the water fire is on the sixth, the sixth, yeah.

And so Veterans Day is on the uh Thursday.

So you got that Saturday or heading into it.

So if you want to do it before, so it'd be that six or that seven.

So what time does you uh the event start on uh that Saturday?

Uh four or four thirty.

Everybody set them at three.

So the water power folks be at three.

So you could do you could do a morning, we could do a morning prior to uh prior to starts at 10.

Yeah, I mean depending on the prey route, it'd be gonna be more than a mile or two, right?

Exactly.

Yeah, so usually the yeah, so modify the modify the pride route and then go for that.

That gives us uh uh timing, which is planning and meeting with uh so many people and it will also go into a fiscal year 2028.

So you have the discussion of that.

So uh uh moving forward with this is that uh preliminary.

We'll have some discussion uh with uh the proper authorities within the uh administrations in province to look at uh the potential of having the parade uh November 6th or 7th of 2027.

I would also put a line on it.

What's the cost to do this?

What is the cost for the tax base?

Absolutely.

Yeah, do we know what a prior period costs?

What's it cost to take the cost city?

I do not know so landing for it up.

I recommend highly regularly finding what that's always uh that's a ballpark number, but that's a that's a thumb that we go engage with the expert on the added to the potential do it right.

And that's the line item, that's a budgetal line item.

Exactly.

And it's also then uh how do we find other resources to what'd be easy?

That's the start, the starting part is the cost again.

Obviously, public safe safety centric will be the driver's set cost in there from that from the peripherals because we have grade models already with the first parade books, vessel, everybody's shipping away anytime.

Everybody line up in order to obviously participate in that type of parade.

This is essentially what you're creating here in the city, right?

A modified virtual parade life because it's better than focused.

All right, thank you.

Uh, with that uh conversation.

The next item uh we will uh just uh go over pretty much is that uh our next meeting or any other uh other business that we'd like to bring.

So yeah, uh I don't think that aligns.

Uh I was um thinking about uh what you were uh your um uh the coffee uh um coffee hour coffee coffee hour.

Um maybe we should at some point have a discussion about uh doing something like that.

Also in my room will pay, I think if we get the veterans fair staffer, him or her and provide some work that has been that work data to that, that uh that'll be the next step.

uh what you uh your um uh the coffee uh um coffee hour coffee coffee hour yeah um maybe we should at some point have a discussion about uh doing something like that also yeah my room will pay i think if we get the veterans fair staffer em or her can provide some work that has been work data to them that uh that'll be the next step so i think that'd be a great idea uh for us of uh province veterans so we're already planning on doing a in my office separately aside from that but we know it was assessed last year that we are doing a similar I'll forget the day on we're all planning one to do that here already in the state of the interest in the city property yes this is uh second one right this week actually third well your office we have my office my office second yeah yeah and the first one we did it uh at the community at the community center uh at uh trinity square so we initiated that with uh we have some wheels and and now the uh the rector and uh uh ribbons is doing it statewide and he's landing doing another one here so at a certain point we could also uh uh these are the partners in collaboration that uh we don't have to duplicate certain things uh each other so uh and by then I think usually is by uh usually towards the end of September that you have somewhere the night of September yeah that's right I I don't have it in front of me it is somewhere later on this week so hopefully we have uh a staffer during during that time is that really represent as well and we'll we will encourage other veterans from Providence and and continue to uh increase the numbers there because we've seen the increase we'll bring you more awareness and uh that's what we're gonna be doing with this uh decision and our office here perfect right um any uh updates that you would like to provide uh to us leading up to uh november veterans day 2026 uh just the date was taking place in downtown province the seven the Saturday yeah all right that's it that's all starting at uh 430 but you also do the touch for session here there's same same part same waterfire profile but just for the for the public and also for notification often also uh do a water fire uh partnership is also we'll also look for uh veterans to carry yeah that's already with our motion that's already the motion that's already passed the social media yeah yeah so we want to make sure that we encourage other providence veterans if they see this or just uh articulating the the need uh for that day to participate if they would like to social media yeah it's on social media it's uh it's on but it's on instagram facebook it's on our stage web it's also on our website as well my what follow my web page that'll be there okay instagram social media or what is your web page that's that's the R I V-E-T-S.R I dot G O P very good and we have a community calendar page there that is all of our events and then these are listed on there as well very good and you follow water if you go to one of our websites already posted there as well it's already just in another class after that any other uh announcements updates that you'd like to see all right so we have some homework to do uh and uh also following up because uh as a summary I'll be following up with uh HHS uh the record Emily and also uh looking at uh working with uh colleague the commissioner uh to look at uh planning out some discussion for the possible of having that parade uh next year November 6 and 7 2027 uh and uh finding out uh cost and and uh what the many volunteers and people that we need for that parade um so we have some uh work to do and by then we would also hopefully have a a staffer that can really help us out putting these things uh together seeing no further business any uh is there a motion to adjourn moved second has been uh moved by commissioner owes second by uh commissioner yarn uh all those in favor uh the ace avant uh no abstention meeting adjourned