Board of Supervisors

Chambers

County of El Dorado

330 Fair Lane

Placerville, CA 95667

Minutes - Final

Veterans Affairs Commission

Todd Smith, Vice Chair, District I - Alternate Robert Fischer

Roger Reynolds, District II - Alternate Donna Mullens-Becker

Seth Culver, Chair, District III - Alternate Lenny "Mac" McAdams

Ken Welch, District IV - Alternate Tim Thompson

Gary Norton, District V - Alternate Thomas Millham

Jon Brown, VSO, Secretary Ex-Officio

Courtney Frame, Recording Clerk of Veteran Affairs

Commission

Thursday, January 8, 2026

12:00 PM

https://edcgov-us.zoom.us/j/86378230395

PUBLIC PARTICIPATION INSTRUCTIONS: The Commission meeting room will be open to the

public. The meeting will continue to be live-streamed via Zoom. By participating in this meeting,

you acknowledge that you are being recorded.

To observe the live stream of the Commission meeting go to

https://edcgov-us.zoom.us/j/86378230395. Members of the public may address the Commission

in-person or via Zoom to make a public comment. The public should call into 530-621-7603 or

530-621-7610. The Meeting ID is 863 7823 0395. Please note you will not be able to join the

live-stream until the posted meeting start time. If you are joining the meeting via zoom and wish to

make a comment on an item, press the "raise hand" button. If you are joining the meeting by

phone, press *9 to indicate a desire to make a comment. Speakers will be limited to 3 minutes.

Although the County strives to offer remote participation, be advised that remote Zoom

participation is provided for convenience only. In the event of a technological malfunction, the only

assurance of live comments being received by the Commission is to attend in person. Except for

a noticed teleconference meeting, the Commission reserves the right to conduct the meeting

without remote access if there is a malfunction.

If you choose not to observe the Commission meeting but wish to make a comment on a specific

agenda item, please submit your comment in writing. You are encouraged to submit your

comment in writing by 4:00 PM on the Tuesday before the meeting to ensure the Commission

has adequate time to review. Please submit your comment to the Clerk of the Board at

edc.cob@edcgov.us. Your comment will be placed into the record and forwarded to Commission

members.

PROTOCOLS FOR PUBLIC COMMENT

Public comment will be received at designated periods as called by the Commission Chair.

Individuals will have three minutes to address the Commission. Except with the consent of the

Commission, individuals shall be allowed to speak to an item only once.

Individual Commission members may ask clarifying questions but will not engage in substantive

dialogue with persons providing input to the Commission.

If a person providing input to the Commission creates a disruption by refusing to follow

Commission guidelines, the Commission Chair may take the following actions:

Step 1. Request the person adhere to Commission guidelines. If the person refuses, the

Commission Chair may turn off the speaker’s microphone.

Step 2. If the disruption continues, the Commission Chair may order a recess of the Commission

meeting.

Step 3. If the disruption continues, the Commission Chair may order the removal of the person

from the Commission meeting.

CALL TO ORDER - PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG - 12:00 PM

ROLL CALL

7 -

Present:

Absent:

Commissioner Norton, Commissioner Millham, Alternate Fischer, Commissioner

Reynolds, Chair Culver, Vice Chair Smith and Alternate "Mac" McAdams

3 - Alternate Thompson, Commissioner Welch and Alternate Mullens-Becker

Commissioner Millham attended the meeting via Zoom. Commissioner McAdams arrived

at 12:45 PM.

INTRODUCTORY REMARKS AND WELCOME

ADOPTION OF AGENDA AND APPROVAL OF CONSENT CALENDAR

All items on the Consent Calendar are to be approved by one motion unless a Commission

member requests separate action on a specific item including moving items to or from the

Consent Calendar and adopt the Agenda and the Consent Calendar for discussion. At the

appropriate time as called by the Chair, members of the public may make a comment on matters

on the Consent Calendar prior to Commission action.

CONSENT CALENDAR

26-0057

Commission to review and approve mileage reimbursement for Veterans

Affairs Commissioners for the month of December 2025.

Attachments: December 2025 MILEAGE REIMBURSEMENT

26-0058

Commission to review and approve Veterans Affairs Commission

December 11, 2025 meeting minutes.

Attachments: Draft Minutes Veteran Affairs Commission 12-11-25

A motion was made by Commissioner Reynolds, seconded by Commissioner

Smith to adopt the agenda and approve the consent calendar.

4 - Commissioner Norton, Commissioner Reynolds, Chair Culver and Vice Chair Smith

Yes:

END OF CONSENT CALENDAR

EX-OFFICIO REPORT - RECEIVE AND FILE (Brown)

26-0163

Veterans Service Officer (VSO) Brown reported that the Veteran Services

Office is now accepting applications for bricks and stones to be placed at

the El Dorado County Veterans Monument. The application is available on

the El Dorado County Veteran Services Office website and in the Veteran

Services Office lobby. Brown hopes to add more locations where

applications can be picked up. Next, Brown reported that he and Lynette

Stott, Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) Deputy Director, met

with Ted Gaines, Member of the California State Board of Equalization,

and his Chief of Staff, Matt Cox, to discuss the El Dorado County veteran

community. Gaines was interested in learning how many veterans live in

the county and how many veteran-owned businesses operate there. Next,

Brown reported that he and Tisha Holy, Veterans Service Representative

(VSR) II, will be attending the California Association of County Veterans

Service Officers (CACVSO) Winter Training Conference from February

9-13 at the Hard Rock Hotel in Wheatland. Next, Brown reported that the

Veteran Services Office is working on plans for a new office to be built

within the current building’s footprint. The proposal is expected to go

before the Board of Supervisors in late January or early February. Brown

also reported that Senate Bill (SB) 694 will be heard by the Senate in late

January 2026. He urged veterans and their families to contact their

representatives regarding SB 694. Brown noted that opposition groups

are paying veterans and their families to travel to the Capitol to express

dissatisfaction with County Veteran Service Offices. He hopes veterans

and their families will be able to come to the Capitol on January 20th to

show their support. Next, Brown reported that for the month of December

2025, the Veteran Services Office reported 164 walk-in clients, 95

scheduled appointments, and 283 incoming phone calls. He also noted

that in 2025, the office received 1,514 new clients seeking assistance

with veteran benefits. Lastly, Brown reported that there were no changes

in services provided in South Lake Tahoe.

Attachments: Veterans Services Ex-officio Report January 2026

COMMITTEE REPORTS - RECEIVE AND FILE

•

TOT (Transient Occupancy Tax) (Reynolds) - Commissioner Reynolds stated there was

nothing to report.

•

RULES (Culver/Smith) - Commissioner Smith stated there was nothing to report.

HOUSING (Welch) - Commissioner Welch was not available to provide a report.

LEGISLATIVE (Smith) - Commissioner Smith stated there was nothing to report.

TRANSPORTATION (Thompson/Whalen) - Tim Whalen reported that they receive three to

four calls a week requesting rides to and from appointments. Whalen reported that El Dorado

Veteran Resources (EDVR) currently has only a handful of volunteer drivers. Occasionally, no

driver is available, and EDVR must decline the ride request from the veteran. Whalen reported

that EDVR has been receiving many mobility-related donations, such as electric wheelchairs and

scooters. Next, Whalen reported that EDVR has a good number of bus passes available for

veterans to use for transportation. Next, Zelinsky reported that an email was sent out requesting

more information from volunteer drivers, including their driving records, which would require going

online and paying a $2 fee to access. Zelinsky stated that he has been in contact with several

potential drivers, but many were uncomfortable with the requirement to obtain their driving

records. Zelinsky reported that he has liability coverage through his personal auto insurance as a

volunteer driver and asked whether this was a requirement for all volunteers, as he had assumed

it was an insurance necessity. Zelinsky expressed concern that these requirements were

discouraging to potential new drivers. Whalen agreed, noting that the process can be

discouraging for individuals who simply want to help and do a good deed.

•

BUDGET (Reynolds/Mullens-Becker) - Commssioner Reynolds reported that FY 23/24 TOT

funds have been distributed as well as most of the FY 24/25.

EDUCATION & EMPLOYMENT (Mullens-Becker/Fischer) - Commissioner Culver stated

•

Education and Employment had been discussed previously and would move their agenda item to

the February VAC meeting.

•

OUTREACH (Reynolds) - Commissioner Reynolds reported that he was able to connect with

Bill Scrivani, who originally created the VAC Facebook page. When Scrivani left the VAC, he

turned over the login information to the Veteran Services Office and HHSA Multimedia

Department. However, that information has since been lost due to multiple departmental changes

since Scivani’s departure in 2020. Scrivani told Reynolds he would search through old hard

drives to locate the information Reynolds needs. Reynolds stated if he is unable to retrieve the

on Instagram. Commissioner Culver asked whether Reynolds could delete the existing Facebook

account and create a new one. Reynolds was hesitant to delete the current page which has a

strong follower base and starting over would mean losing that progress. Culver suggested

creating a new Facebook account with a slightly different name and notifying followers from the

original page about the new profile. Lynette Stott, HHSA Deputy Director, offered to schedule a

meeting with Reynolds to help determine how to connect the two social media accounts.

Public Comment: T. Whalen

COMMUNICATIONS' REPORTS - RECEIVE AND FILE

VETERANS MEMORIAL BUILDING – VETERANS HOUSE COUNCIL (Reynolds) -

•

Commissioner Reynolds reported the Veterans Memorial Building (VMB) House Council would

meet that night, Thursday, January 8th at 6 PM.

•

AMERICAN LEGION SERVICE OFFICER (Zelinsky) - David Zelinsky reported that he has

been working with Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 10165 to assist several veterans in

need, including helping one with rent and supporting another whose family member was

hospitalized by providing groceries and essential items in coordination with Only Kindness and

EDVR. Zelinsky reported that a veteran was referred to him for a criminal matter. Next, Zelinsky

reported he spoken with the mother of a veteran who died due to mental illness that he had been

assisting. Next, Zelinsky reported that he had secured hospice care for a homeless veteran with

serious medical issues. Next, Zelinksy reported that the Public Defender’s Office continues its

outreach efforts and recently discussed challenges maintaining coverage in South Lake Tahoe

and the possible need for another grant. Zelinsky stated that he is also working closely with

Commissioner Millham and Dan Brown to assist a veteran in the South Lake Tahoe area who

was recently released and may qualify for Unemployability and 100% Service Connection. Next,

Zelinsky reported the he is working with Commissioner Norton and his wife, Linda, on ways to

contact Adult Protective Services and the Public Guardian to help a homeless veteran suffering

from mental illness. Zelinsky reported that it is very difficult to get someone conserved, and this

was one of the topics discussed at the meeting with the Public Defender’s Office. Next,

Commissioner Culver reported that he reached out to the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Homeless

Outreach Team (HOT Team) about changing their questionnaire from “Are you a veteran?” to

“Have you ever served in the United States Military?” Culver is also working with the El Dorado

County Jail to update their intake question as well. Many veterans do not consider themselves

veterans if they were not deployed or in combat. Zelinsky stated that changing the question would

be helpful, as he is currently identifying only a small number of incarcerated veterans who need

assistance. Lastly, Commissioner Millham reported that American Legion Post 795 helped a

veteran with housing and assisted three other veterans with fuel and groceries. Millham added

that a homeless veteran arrived during an event, and they were able to provide food and supplies

while the veteran waited to begin a job at Heavenly Ski Resort.

•

EDC VETERANS ALLIANCE - Commissioner Culver reported that he spoke with Jack

Babbitt from the El Dorado County Veterans Alliance earlier that morning. The Veterans

Alliance’s January meeting had been moved to February, but a date and time had not yet been

set. Babbitt stated that the Veteran Services Office would be handling the applications for the El

Dorado County Veterans Monument. The Veterans Alliance is working on streamlining the

process with Pool Place, the business that engraves the bricks and stones. Zelinsky reported that

there is a John Hidahl Fund within the EDC Veterans Alliance designated for use by the Veterans

Alliance. Commissioner Smith shared that Gary Campbell reached out to him regarding the

Patriots Tribute Fund, which Smith and Chris Cockrell established some time ago. Smith

suggested transferring the funds from the Patriots Tribute Fund to the John Hidahl Fund. He

emphasized that he wanted to ensure the funds were being used to support veterans or their

families who may need assistance.

•

VA VET CENTER/MILITARY FAMILY SUPPORT GROUP/EL DORADO VETERAN

RESOURCES (Whalen) - Whalen was not available to provide a report.

REGIONAL VETERAN EVENTS - Commissioner Culver stated there was nothing to report.

•

GOOD OF THE ORDER (COMMISSIONER ANNOUNCEMENTS)

Commissioner Fischer reported that he has continued volunteering at the Food Bank of

El Dorado County and would be going out into the field to help deliver food. He stated that

he would report back at the February VAC meeting on how many veterans he was able to

serve.

Commissioner Norton reported that Bel Air and Raley’s grocery stores offer a veteran

discount on the first Tuesday of each month. Veterans need to sign up to receive 10%

off their total purchase.

Commissioner Norton also shared that his local TV station, Foothill Television Channel

12, contacted him for a brief interview to introduce himself and discuss his work on

behalf of the El Dorado County veteran community.

OPEN FORUM

Open Forum is an opportunity for members of the public to address the Veteran Affairs

Commission on subject matter that is not on their meeting agenda and within their jurisdiction.

Public comments during Open Forum are limited to three minutes per person. The Commission

Chair may limit public comment during Open Forum.

Public Comment: L. Stott, D. Zelinsky, J. Wassner, L. McAdams

26-0164

Attachments: Public Comment VAC Rcvd 1-8-26

NEXT MEETING LOCATION, DATE & TIME

February 12, 2026 at 12 PM

330 Fair Lane, Building A

Board of Supervisors Chamber

Placerville, CA 95667

ADJOURNMENT - 12:51 PM