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.