Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Veterans Services topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board supports AB 571 and staff reports progress on veterans cemetery site work
Summary
Board members and veterans' advocates pressed for and won board support for AB 571; county staff reported the site has been listed as eligible for VA grants and said CalVet documentation is being finalized for summer filing.
Veterans' advocates told the Board of Supervisors that Assembly Bill 571 would help the county move forward on a state veteran cemetery by exempting the project from litigation delays. The board voted unanimously to support the legislative position.
Public speakers described long advocacy for a veterans cemetery and asked the board to back state legislation preventing litigation from delaying construction. Nick Berardino of the Veterans Alliance of Orange County and other veterans' advocates urged swift legislative action and described a history of opposition and litigation that has stalled site grading and construction.
County staff updated the board: the site was listed as eligible for VA grants in October and currently requires a site plan and additional CalVet documentation. Staff said they expect to finalize the site plan in time for a July filing deadline to be considered for VA funding in the fall, and that, if approved, a coordinated transfer to CalVet and potential grading plans could follow.
What happens next: The board's unanimous vote supports AB 571 and staff will continue coordinating with CalVet and the cemetery district to meet grant application deadlines and move the project toward construction.
