MINUTES for 2026-02-25 FINAL - Laserfiche WebLink

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Veterans Advisory Committee February 25, 2026 Page 7 e. Committee review/discussion of information flyer on Veterans Advisory Committee. Chair M Doolittle: No public information out there about Veterans Advisory Committee. What we talk about, what we advocate for. Need to have wider participation. Committee is limited on power to create programs, ours is more advisory and advocacy. M Samura: if committee creates an informational flyer, would be happy to get distributed/posted. NEW BUSINESS a. Discussion regarding improving membership participation and leadership in the veterans community. Chair M Doolittle: just covered that. REPORT ON CEMETERIES – STATE VETERANS ADVISORY BOARD a. Hawai‘i Island – Department of Defense, Office of Veterans Services, East Hawai‘i Representative – Kelcie Figueira. Kelcie Figueira no longer present. Nothing to report. T Wojszynski: we were offered a four million dollar grant from the veterans cemetery board at the State level, to improve West Hawai‘i Veterans Cemetery, and it was turned away by John Alamodin because he said that we (meaning the State and the County) were not ready for it. J Dempsey: county does not have anything to do with that because we do not have anything to do with construction. T Wojszynski: but county was involved in the process. J Dempsey: it was determined that they were not going to be able to meet the deadline for the grant. T Wojszynski: what do we need to do to make sure that does not happen again? J Dempsey: my understanding is they are going to start preparing all that stuff to be prepared to accept a grant the following year. Made sure they understand all of our concerns. Next step will be bringing Veterans Expansion Committee in to the planning process and get prepared so this does not happen again. M Hanato: don’t think have 10 years for ground burials.