Mendocino County Board of Supervisors
501 Low Gap Road, Room 1070
Ukiah, CA. 95482
Opposition to the Relocation of the Mendocino County Veterans Services Office (VSO)
to S. Dora
Dear Members of the Board:
Since the BOS meeting on January 9, 2024, we the public/veterans are still awaiting the cost analysis for moving the VSO from 405 Observatory to 1120 S. Dora, and the reason Air Quality moved to Observatory rather than another building. When requested, our 5th District Supervisor was unable to provide sufficient information or cost analysis, so we request the BOS address this subject as an agenda item for the next BOS meeting on February 27th. By a simple show of hands, who on the Board will place this relocation issue on the February 27th agenda?
The BOS must address at least the following questions, resolve this debacle and honor our veterans’ request:
1) Why relocation for the VSO was not an agenda item for veterans/public awareness prior to the move?
2) What services, aside from VSO and Air Quality, were moved to another County location within the past 12 months as a “cost savings” measure?
3) Who compiled, reviewed and approved a cost analysis (if there was one) to move the VSO from Observatory to S. Dora?
4) Are any County buildings for sale or in the process of being sold? If so, what, when, where, why and for how much? Is the Air Quality District planning to purchase 405 Observatory?
5) Who on the BOS will work with us in support of our veterans to move the VSO back to their home at 405 Observatory and relocate Air Quality?
We ask the Board again to take responsibility, amend this dishonorable decision and support our veterans.
TO: Honorable Board of Supervisors, County of Mendocino
CC: Darcie Antle, CEO, Mendocino County
FROM: Don Shanley, Philo, CA 95466
RE: (1) Opposition to VSO relocation from Observatory to Dora; (2) Request move discussion be placed on February 27, 2024 BOS Agenda
My name is Don Shanley. I am a 50+ year resident of Mendocino County and a combat wounded, infantry Marine veteran of the Vietnam War. It has been 28 days since January 9, 2024 when I, along with many veterans and County citizens, addressed this Board requesting this VSO eviction be placed as a future agenda item for a full discussion with both the veteran constituency as well as the general public.
During the past 28 days I have witnessed and documented this Board and County staff, evade, dodge, weave and parry simple direct questions regarding a County cost analysis presented to the Board to approve this relocation without an agenda item for public discussion. I have read two Board members addressing this egregious decision with a public letter to local newspapers agreeing they made a poor decision but now let’s all just get behind them! “We’ll put up posters, install a couch, provide a receptionist and a third large office for the VSO representative---oh, yes, there is a courtyard and, of course, we’ll change the signage and install Purple Heart parking spaces!” These tone deaf, after the fact “mitigations” are absurd and to date have not been initiated. 28 days and counting. Moving the VSO back to 405 Observatory is the only solution for the numerous obvious and previously documented facts. One doesn’t need a Harvard MBA in intra-organizational network analysis to locate lines on a spread sheet. This process is as simple as Accounting 101. 28 days and not a single supervisor can provide any numbers, new or old. What did this Board review? Veteran constituents and the public have a legal right to review the analysis that was provided to the Board and County CEO prior to the relocation approval--- not, possibly fabricated, cooked numbers to slip in the back door, cooked numbers to tell whatever story this Board, under orders, agrees to spin.
The Respect, Welfare and Dignity for Mendocino County veterans remain the fundamental issue. The Dora Street location is 100% unacceptable-- at best a rude, unsafe, thoughtless alternative. Were veterans given an opportunity to purchase the Observatory location? Why wasn’t Air Quality moved to the cubicles of the South Dora location? 90% of the Air Quality work is completed online with no public face to face interaction. The lame, inaccurate published apology and warm fuzzy “let’s all get behind this move and make the best of it…” addresses neither this decision’s detailed origin nor the consequences and the public’s right to know. “The people in delegating authority do not give their public servants the right to decide what is good for the People to know and what is not good for them to know….” (From the Brown Act intent). 28 days & counting. . .
February 6, 2024
Mendocino County Board of Supervisors
501 Low Gap Road, Room 1070
Ukiah, CA. 95482
Opposition to the Relocation of the Mendocino County Veterans Services Office (VSO)
to S. Dora
Dear Members of the Board:
Since the BOS meeting on January 9, 2024, we the public/veterans are still awaiting the cost analysis for moving the VSO from 405 Observatory to 1120 S. Dora, and the reason Air Quality moved to Observatory rather than another building. When requested, our 5th District Supervisor was unable to provide sufficient information or cost analysis, so we request the BOS address this subject as an agenda item for the next BOS meeting on February 27th. By a simple show of hands, who on the Board will place this relocation issue on the February 27th agenda?
The BOS must address at least the following questions, resolve this debacle and honor our veterans’ request:
1) Why relocation for the VSO was not an agenda item for veterans/public awareness prior to the move?
2) What services, aside from VSO and Air Quality, were moved to another County location within the past 12 months as a “cost savings” measure?
3) Who compiled, reviewed and approved a cost analysis (if there was one) to move the VSO from Observatory to S. Dora?
4) Are any County buildings for sale or in the process of being sold? If so, what, when, where, why and for how much? Is the Air Quality District planning to purchase 405 Observatory?
5) Who on the BOS will work with us in support of our veterans to move the VSO back to their home at 405 Observatory and relocate Air Quality?
We ask the Board again to take responsibility, amend this dishonorable decision and support our veterans.
Thank you,
Laura Quatrochi
Philo, CA 95466
February 6, 2024
TO: Honorable Board of Supervisors, County of Mendocino
CC: Darcie Antle, CEO, Mendocino County
FROM: Don Shanley, Philo, CA 95466
RE: (1) Opposition to VSO relocation from Observatory to Dora; (2) Request move discussion be placed on February 27, 2024 BOS Agenda
My name is Don Shanley. I am a 50+ year resident of Mendocino County and a combat wounded, infantry Marine veteran of the Vietnam War. It has been 28 days since January 9, 2024 when I, along with many veterans and County citizens, addressed this Board requesting this VSO eviction be placed as a future agenda item for a full discussion with both the veteran constituency as well as the general public.
During the past 28 days I have witnessed and documented this Board and County staff, evade, dodge, weave and parry simple direct questions regarding a County cost analysis presented to the Board to approve this relocation without an agenda item for public discussion. I have read two Board members addressing this egregious decision with a public letter to local newspapers agreeing they made a poor decision but now let’s all just get behind them! “We’ll put up posters, install a couch, provide a receptionist and a third large office for the VSO representative---oh, yes, there is a courtyard and, of course, we’ll change the signage and install Purple Heart parking spaces!” These tone deaf, after the fact “mitigations” are absurd and to date have not been initiated. 28 days and counting. Moving the VSO back to 405 Observatory is the only solution for the numerous obvious and previously documented facts. One doesn’t need a Harvard MBA in intra-organizational network analysis to locate lines on a spread sheet. This process is as simple as Accounting 101. 28 days and not a single supervisor can provide any numbers, new or old. What did this Board review? Veteran constituents and the public have a legal right to review the analysis that was provided to the Board and County CEO prior to the relocation approval--- not, possibly fabricated, cooked numbers to slip in the back door, cooked numbers to tell whatever story this Board, under orders, agrees to spin.
The Respect, Welfare and Dignity for Mendocino County veterans remain the fundamental issue. The Dora Street location is 100% unacceptable-- at best a rude, unsafe, thoughtless alternative. Were veterans given an opportunity to purchase the Observatory location? Why wasn’t Air Quality moved to the cubicles of the South Dora location? 90% of the Air Quality work is completed online with no public face to face interaction. The lame, inaccurate published apology and warm fuzzy “let’s all get behind this move and make the best of it…” addresses neither this decision’s detailed origin nor the consequences and the public’s right to know. “The people in delegating authority do not give their public servants the right to decide what is good for the People to know and what is not good for them to know….” (From the Brown Act intent). 28 days & counting. . .