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Oldsmar council requires Veterans Advisory Board members be veterans and city residents
Summary
The Oldsmar City Council voted to amend Resolution 2024-24 to require Veterans Advisory Board members to be veterans and residents of Oldsmar; the boardand public speakers described the change as clarifying membership rules, not eligibility for the veterans wall.
The Oldsmar City Council on a unanimous voice vote revised Resolution 2024-24 to require that members of the Veterans Advisory Board be both veterans and residents of Oldsmar.
Council action came after a lengthy discussion with current and former Veterans Advisory Board members who described the board's origins, its ceremonial and community work and concerns about inconsistent application forms. Mark Bridal, an original board member, said the board's rules "were only meant to keep the ones that shouldn't be on that wall off the wall." Frank Ciccolo, another founding member, told the council the board had grown beyond selecting names for the memorial wall and now coordinates events and services for veterans.
The change narrows who may serve on the advisory board, not who may be honored on the city's veterans wall. City officials and board members clarified repeatedly that eligibility for placement on the memorial wall remains: an honoree must be a veteran and a resident of Oldsmar. City Manager Felicia explained the council's action was intended to resolve an administrative ambiguity after staff found the standard appointment application lacked the residency/lifetime veteran preference the board had long followed.
Public commenters supported the board and the change. Peggy Allison, who said she had organized Quilts of Valor presentations and submitted names to the city, urged council to preserve the board's work and said she planned to attend future meetings.
Councilmember discussion emphasized two operational points: (1) the resolution change governs membership on the Veterans Advisory Board, and (2) the board retains responsibility for reviewing and recommending names for the memorial wall. Vice Mayor Steve Graber and councilors noted the council can reverse the membership requirement later if it becomes impossible to fill vacancies under the new rule.
The motion to revise the resolution passed by voice vote. The city clerk and city attorney will update the application form and the resolution language to reflect the new membership requirement and post the changes online.
