June 10, 2021 at 1:12 p.m.
County Board to interview six candidates for Veterans Service Officer
The county board Tuesday voted to proceed with interviewing the six applicants who met all the eligibility requirements for veterans service officer, with the intent to select one veterans service officer.
The assistant position would not be filled if a qualified veterans service officer is chosen.
Health, Human and Veterans Services (HHVS) Director Reno Wells reported to the board on actions taken since a delegation of veterans appeared before the board in April. He said Cass has an estimated 3,406 veterans.
Land Commissioner Joshua Stevenson is in the process of acquiring new building signage that would be visible from the street to identify which county offices are in the county building at Backus, Wells said.
The parking lot for the building is being expanded.
The county has provided a quick link on the county website to the veterans services page where veterans services satellite hours for Pillager, Cass Lake, Walker and Remer are posted, he said.
Jeff Woodford, who started in the county's existing assistant veterans services officer position in Feb. 4, has completed a state training course. He currently is certified to complete all Minnesota Veterans Affairs paperwork. He will attend the National Association of County Veterans Service officers annual training conference June 2 through 8, which is the earliest training available, Wells reported.
Woodford was hired with the condition he complete training within one year to become a certified veterans service officer. The county's current goal is to have two certified veterans services officers.
Lynnette Emery, who retired from the county veterans services office in 2011, has returned to work on a temporary basis until a new veterans service officer can be selected, Wells noted, adding he has not received any citizen complaints that the existing staff has been unable to resolve.
The delegation of veterans who came to Tuesday's board meeting said they still have a concern about the potential decline in services from what they have been receiving.
Jerry Chizek and Bill Taylor made lengthy presentations to the board, calling for the county to remove veterans services from HHVS and to make it a stand-alone county department.
Taylor read a resolution passed by Backus American Legion where he is post commander.
That resolution and Chizek's presentation cite the veterans' impression that the former veterans service officer who resigned earlier this year, Kathy Ramos, did so under pressure from Wells and Administrator Robert Yochum.
Ramos, who Taylor said lives in Bemidji, objected to Well's decision to move the veterans' main office from Walker to Backus this spring, he said. Taylor questioned why the decision was made to move the main office when veterans were happy with having it in Walker.
Commissioner Jim Dowson noted the decision to move the office was based on the fact more veterans were visiting the county's satellite office at Pine River than the main office at Walker. Backus is the center of a 120-mile long county, he reminded the vets.
Wells cited April figures that show more veterans visited the main office now located at Backus than the office in Walker, despite the fact both are currently staffed.
When contacted after Tuesday's meeting, neither Yochum nor board Chair Dick Downham would comment on circumstances surrounding Ramos' resignation, citing privacy laws concerning personnel.
Don Stehr said he would likely use the once every other month satellite site at Remer in the future, because there is nowhere to shop on the same trip like there was when he went to the main office when it was in Walker.
A board motion to remove the veterans services from HHVS died Tuesday on a split vote with Commissioners Jeff Peterson and Bob Kangas voting in favor and Commissioners Jim Dowson and Dick Downham voting against. Commissioner Neal Gaalswyk was absent from the meeting.
Downham suggested that the full board should be present before making any changes to the county's departmental structure.
Second publication rights after Brainerd Dispatch.
[[In-content Ad]]
Comments:
You must login to comment.