Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Guam senators press GOVA on cemetery staffing, headstone backlog and grant timetable
Summary
Lawmakers pressed the Guam Office of Veterans Affairs about staffing shortfalls at the veterans cemetery, 19 uninstalled head markers, equipment inventories, and the status of a Veterans Cemetery Grants pre‑application that GOVA said could total about $13.6 million but remains contingent on federal award.
Guam senators and veterans groups used a Nov. 13 oversight hearing to press the Guam Office of Veterans Affairs (GOVA) for concrete progress on cemetery operations and the status of a large federal grant application.
OPA auditors and GOVA officials described persistent workforce shortages at the Guam Veterans Cemetery that limit maintenance and installation of head markers. OPA noted that at the time of the audit 19 head markers remained uninstalled; Director Jose 'Joe' Saint Augustine told the committee he had ordered cemetery staff to install as many markers as possible and estimated roughly 10 large ground markers and about 10 columbarium markers still required placement.
Senators raised concerns about job‑spec requirements that had limited applicant pools. Administrative officer Joe Meno explained current…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
