At the Sept 21 Town Council meeting, Councilmember Eric Knight asked for an agenda item to support a discussion for an Ad hoc Committee for the Vet’s Home. Outreach, support, and communication have been tried in the past. Previous outreach to the Allied Council for monthly updates has resulted in the Town getting its hand slapped and told to stay out of State business from the administration at the Vet’s Home. There was concern voiced from the dias that this committee might be viewed as over steeping when giving input at the Vet’s Home. To be clear, the Town does not have jurisdiction at the Vet’s Home.
Are there concerns of members at the Home who feel they have nowhere they can turn based on past experiences? Fair to answer yes. There are avenues for the Vets to utilize: CalVet meetings, Little Hoover Commission, administrators, and many of those avenues have yielded no action. The last administrator got terminated, possibly for advocating for the Vets. This is still playing out in the courts. As the Home transitions to a skilled nursing facility, what does that mean to the current occupants who are non-disabled and want to participate in the process of their day-to-day life?
The residents of the Vet’s Home are renters, and the State of California is their landlord. The property sits on state land in the boundaries of the Town of Yountville. There is also federal funding involved. Possibly, this is the ultimate bureaucracy.
No one at the Yountville Town Council says that the Vets should not be heard and have representation in their Town, and Councilmembers Knight’s suggestion looks good on paper. Unfortunately, the reality has already played out in the past for us to know that this will most likely lead to the town having its other hand slapped.