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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES for 2026-02-25 FINAL VETERANS ADVISORY COMMITTEE Wednesday, February 25, 2026, 10:00 a.m. Zoom Video Conferencing and Kona Department of Parks and Recreation Office Members in attendance (via zoom) Michael Doolittle, Chair Birk Billingsley, Member John Hiduchick-Nakayama, Member (joined 11:37 a.m.) Isaac Nahakuelua, Member Wayne Nishijima, Member Joshua Sze, Member Members in attendance at Department of Parks and Recreation Kona office (Via zoom) Marcia Brinkley, Vice-Chair Antonio Gaspar, Member Minoru Hanato, Member Tom Wojszynski, Member Melisa Samura, Department of Parks and Recreation Deputy Director (Ex-Officio) Guests Jaye Dempsey, Department of Parks and Recreation Dorit Raymond Kelcie Figueira, OVS Edith Garcia Also in attendance (via zoom) Amy Bautista, Veterans Advisory Committee Secretary J Yoshimoto, Department of Parks and Recreation Corporation Counsel Absent Debra Lewis, Member George Sheridan, Member Chair M Doolittle: Confirmed have quorum. Call to Order Chair M Doolittle: Called meeting to order at 10:07 a.m. // // // Veterans Advisory Committee February 25, 2026 Page 2 STATEMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC J Sze: after last meeting spoke with younger veterans and feedback was they were not aware of actions being done by this committee. Most of efforts are for veteran’s events. Do we have anything we’re doing for issues local veterans are facing? Discussion ensued. J Yoshimoto advised should agendize this if this something that is going to be discussed in detail because the public need to have notice. As a statement it is fine but if going to go into discussion or details, recommendation that this should be agendized for a future agenda item. Chair Doolittle: advocate as an agenda item. E Garcia: supports agendizing J Sze questions for next agenda. As a member of this community, don’t see anything coming from this board. Would love to know, specifically, what this board is capable of doing? Read minutes from past two years and have not seen any action from committee. Committee does excellent job with recognition but living veterans are suffering. ACCEPTANCE OF MINUTES Chair M Doolittle: Introduced November 19, 2025 minutes. M Hanato moved to accept minutes. Vice-Chair M Brinkley seconded the motion. J Yoshimoto: Page 4, section B, missing an “r” should say “importance” for doing this… T Wojszynski moved to amend the minutes. W Nishijima seconded the motion to amend the minutes. All stated aye. All in favor of accepting minutes of previous meeting (as amended). All stated aye. Motion carries. ELECTION OF CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR Chair M Doolittle: anyone interested in these positions? Going to submit my name to continue as Chair throughout rest of term. Will seek a third term. M Brinkley are you continuing to be vice chair? Vice-Chair M Brinkley: could if no one else is interested but would be happy to step aside. Veterans Advisory Committee February 25, 2026 Page 3 Chair M Doolittle: need to have members that are active and have a little bit of passion for what we’re trying to doing. J Sze: would like to put name in the hat for Chair. Chair M Doolittle: two candidates for Chair. T Wojszynski made motion to nominate Michael Doolittle for Chair. Seconded by Vice-Chair M Brinkley. No comments or discussion. Roll call vote. Chair M Doolittle Aye Vice-Chair M Brinkley Aye M Hanato Aye I Nahakuelua Aye A Gaspar Aye T Wojszynski Aye B Billingsley Aye J Sze No W Nishijima Aye Absent: Debra Lewis, George Sheridan and John Hiduchick-Nakayama Chair M Doolittle: Motion passes. Any candidates for Vice-Chair? T Wojszynski nominated Josh for Vice-Chair. J Sze: declined. Don’t view this board as being aligned with me. T Wojszynski nominated M Brinkley for Vice-Chair. Seconded by Chair M Doolittle. Collective ayes. Chair M Doolittle: Unanimous. No opposition. // // // // Veterans Advisory Committee February 25, 2026 Page 4 OLD BUSINESS a. Update by Chair Doolittle on information for veteran homelessness and veteran suicide in Hawai‘i County. Chair M Doolittle: been in contact with VA trying to understand demographics on suicide and homeless numbers. They continually refuse to answer the question. Not making progress on suicide. VA taking position, going to deal with problems through attrition. J Sze: don’t see VA taking action. Causing harm at community level by inaction. The goal is not to change the VA, the goal is to create community programs to navigate with the veteran. Most basic thing we can do is provide community, that can be the difference. T Wojszynski: have you asked your peers about their feelings about existing veterans organizations? Majority of those organizations have veterans services. At a grassroots level many of those organizations are doing community outreach. Outreach opportunities exist on island. As an advisory committee its our role to help promote those grassroots levels. J Sze: most of the VFW age group is the older generation and they are unwilling to target the younger generation. There needs to be a change in how they operate. Brought what I am doing to both VFW and American Legion and neither organization wanted to get involved. T Wojszynski: as an American Legion post, we see the younger generation as part of our survival. Trying to figure out why doesn’t the younger generation want to reach out to the American Legion? J Sze: because hurting. Went to war, came home with PTSD, depression, anxiety and no one takes generation seriously. Did a study over the last six months and the data supports what I have been telling you guys. T Wojszynski: not disagreeing. Would love to see the data. Seems to be a hesitancy of the younger generation to reach out and struggling with, are we giving the perception that you’re not wanted? We want to fix that. J Sze: through the lense of trauma, if you’ve gone through something and your really struggling and you reach out to an organization that’s supposed to be there to help you and not only do you get turned away but you get gaslit, we no longer want to reach out to anyone. Not reaching out anymore, because it hurts. A lot of people are so hurt by what the VA or vet center has done to them that they don’t want to reach out for help again. Chair M Doolittle: one of the things about VFW, DAV, American Legion, if you don’t get into being a member them you don’t really have any advocacy power within the group. You’ve gotta have membership. You can’t change anything unless your on the inside. Will talk to Denise Link at vet center about concerns Josh raised. J Sze: employee at vet center was stealing from veterans. He was fired because of it. Veterans Advisory Committee February 25, 2026 Page 5 b. Update on proposed amendment to Section 15-61, Hawai‘i County Code. i. Council Member Hustace, at the request of the Veterans Advisory Committee, introduced the proposed Code Amendment at the October 21, 2025 Policy Committee on Health, Safety, and Well-being. Second reading happened in November 2025. J Yoshimoto: was agendized November 19, 2025 for second reading. Bill 96 passed second reading. Already been enacted into county code. Completed. c. Update by Tom Wojszynski on Creation of Display Case for Artifacts from Camp Tarawa to be displayed at Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport at Keāhole. T Wojszynski: Nothing new to report. Lost funding. Last meeting took an action to draft a letter to the Mayor to ask the Mayor to support this initiative out of the Mayor’s office. Will do that. Chair M Doolittle: have had a few discussions with Mayor regarding veterans awareness. Trying to promote veterans issues. d. Continued discussion on future meeting location. Chair M Doolittle: what have we determined on that? Are we going to continue online meetings or are we still looking to go back to in person? M Samura: decision from Parks admin is in person. A Bautista: decision was in person, alternating locations, Hilo and Kona. When it was brought up at the last meeting, discussion resulted in it being tabled for further discussion. Chair M Doolittle: was sympathetic to fact that does present difficulty for members. M Samura: also have another option, in Waimea. Going to defer that decision to Director. Chair M Doolittle: does put a burden on membership. T Wojszynski: is this higher level issue, across the county, are they forcing all committees into a physical location? If that’s not the case, would like to continue doing what we’re doing. M Samura: don’t think it’s a matter of forcing. It’s a matter of other committees being bombed, we weren’t the only one. Veterans Advisory Committee February 25, 2026 Page 6 T Wojszynski: are they meeting in person all the time now? I don’t’ want to be the only committee doing that. Want to know what the other committees are doing. I understand the background and understand the solution but this has worked well except for that one instance. Very easy to defeat bombers in zoom meetings, it’s a proven solution that the rest of the world has solved. Adamantly opposed to in person meetings rotating between locations. Chair M Doolittle: would also advocate for continuation of online meetings. It is a significant burden for everyone involved to have to travel to alternating meeting locations. J Sze: would advocate for in person. Could bring more veterans to voice their concerns. Feel like in person is more effective and meaningful. Would love for in person to be an offering once a year. Vice-Chair M Brinkley: last meeting Birk brought up a couple of thoughts and wonder if he could talk about that. I too am concerned about being able to reach quorum. J Sze: would it be possible to do a hybrid? Where you give the zoom option and in person option? Vice-Chair M Brinkley: used to do it every time, a place to meeting in Hilo and Kona. That was in my opinion, ideal. Chair M Doolittle: that would be advocating for the continuation of the two open in person sites as well as online. A Bautista: want to go on record that it would be strenuous on our staffing to run two in person sites and an online meeting. Chair M Doolittle: definitely have a difference of opinion between membership and the County. M Hanato: when members from far locations cannot make the meetings, would travel and then cannot make quorum. Think we should just continue what we’re doing now. M Samura: not fixed (on in person). Ears are open and listening. Agree once a year in person would be a great place to start. B Billingsley: have covered the challenges, travel, quorum. Potential challenges in administrating the zoom meeting. Easy fix from a technology standpoint, restrict control of the system. Happy to do whatever we can do to help administer that. 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. Veterans Advisory Committee February 25, 2026 Page 8 T Wojszynski: for the record, it was a three million dollar grant, not a four million dollar grant. J Dempsey: concern raised about the water well. No permits being granted in that area. Undersecretary attended audit. Unlocked grant monies for East Hawai‘i II. Helping address issues have not been able to address. b. Cemetery Audit Update – Parks & Recreation Director, Deputy Director or authorized designee. J Dempsey: was direct representative for County at all three sites. Shared findings from audit done in January based on audit from three years ago. NCA have criteria that was not previously shared. 2016 was very first audit. Revealed we did not have SOPs in place, now in place. Have 44 calendar days from the day we got the final determinations to do the corrective action plans. Believes we will be able to address all critical areas. Undersecretary had staff stay back to provide on the ground training. ANNOUNCEMENTS A Gaspar: free income tax assistance being offered at Hale Halawai. T Wojszynski: sit on state commission for Hawai‘i America 250. One of the things we’re trying to do for Kailua Kona parade is to get 250 military related people to lead the parade. Trying to come up with something for Hilo side and trying to do something similar at Waimea rodeo, all on thth July 4. VFW 3480 also hosting a 7a (July 4). Will also have fly overs and fly bys. M Hanato: Konawaena students are building a Vietnam memorial @ Konawaena school. Students went to Vietnam. th W Nishijima: March 29 is National Vietnam War Veterans Day. Big Island National Guard th Retirees Association will be having a memorial service on Friday, March 27, 11:00 a.m. at Keaukaha Military Reservation in honor of 10 guardsmen who lost their lives in 1968 call out. Keynote speaker is Brigadier General Tyson Tahara, Hawai‘i Army Guard Commander. th T Wojszynski: on March 29 (for National Vietnam War Veterans Day) docents will open up the West Hawai‘i Veterans Cemetery from 9-4p. Will have docents on duty. Will have mini wall that heals on display. th A Gaspar: Americal Legion Post 20 will do adopt a highway on March 14. Post 3 will do community service around column monument and Vietnam monument in Wailoa State Park. Veterans Advisory Committee February 25, 2026 Page 9 NEXT MEETING – May 27, 2026 ADJOURNMENT Motion to adjourn by W Nishijima. Seconded by T Wojszynski. No discussion. Collective ayes. Meeting adjourned 11:53 a.m. Summary of Veterans Advisory Committee meeting prepared by: Amy Bautista Veterans Advisory Committee, Secretary