The meeting commenced with Bill Weber, a BVMB Board Member, reciting our mission statement: "May we persist in our solemn responsibility to consecrate this Memorial Hall as a monument to all the veterans who have made the ultimate sacrifice, to pay tribute to the legacies of those who came before us, and to support those who will follow."
Mike Clement, our former Building Manager, initiated the meeting by leading the Pledge of Allegiance and facilitating introductions. Following this, Mike shared some introductory remarks, delving into the historical role of the hall in serving community veterans and their families.
Mr. Weber addressed the reason for our community meeting. He detailed recent events, particularly those from 2022 to the present, emphasizing that our concerns are not directed against the firefighters or the necessity for a fire station. Rather, our contention is with the county's chosen location for the fire station.
Following Mr. Weber, Donald Hester delivered a comprehensive presentation on the history of the hall, starting from the initial legislative act in 1921, which granted counties the authority to collect a special tax for veterans' memorials and meeting places. He proceeded to outline the tax authorization and the establishment of a special fund for Veteran meeting places by the County board of supervisors in 1922. The presentation extended to the purchase of the land using funds from the taxes in 1923 and the subsequent construction of the veterans' building in 1925. Hester's presentation also covered the initial appropriation of property from veterans for the first fire station in 1937, the subsequent expansion, and the ongoing appropriation of more property over the past 86 years, culminating in the current proposed appropriation for the new fire station.
Mr. Weber proceeded to discuss the invitations that had been dispatched to county leaders on September 27th. These invitations were extended to Eric Angstadt, Monica Nino, Aaron McAlister, and Diane Burgis. You can review the sent email by visiting this link: https://www.bvmb.org/post/invite-to-community-meeting. During the meeting, Mr. Weber inquired if any of these individuals were in attendance, yet there was no response.
Note Teresa Gerringer, Chief of Staff for Supervisor Diane Burgis did call Donald Hester on that morning to say they did not feel they were invited (from the original email Bill sent) to the meeting and Supervisor Burgis has other commitments. They did not know they were invited until the email Mr. Hester sent last week. https://www.bvmb.org/post/letter-and-community-meeting-10-10-2023-7-00-pm
Terry Murphy, VFW District 10 representative and former board member of the Lafayette Veterans Memorial Building, delivered a presentation on the challenges they encountered with both the County and City of Lafayette. He shared a strikingly similar experience where they were kept unaware of the County's and City's intentions, only learning about their plans when surveyors arrived on the hall property. Mr. Murphy emphasized how the City and County relentlessly pursued their agendas, mirroring the current situation faced by the Brentwood Veterans Memorial Building.
Mr. Murphy also recounted the broader issue of Veterans halls being repurposed across the state and shared an impactful anecdote about meeting with then-Governor Deukmejian. This meeting played a pivotal role in the creation of the current California Military and Veterans Code § 1266, which was enacted to safeguard veterans' memorials and meeting places.
He concluded his presentation by highlighting the necessity of involving an attorney to safeguard veterans' interests and compel the County and City to adhere to the law. Furthermore, he generously offered to connect the BVMB Board with the attorney he engaged and provide information on legal cases that have resulted in victories against local governments attempting to repurpose property dedicated to veterans' meeting places and memorials.
The meeting then provided an opportunity for community members to share their comments and pose questions, during which several individuals actively participated.
A community member who is also a local business owner expressed concerns about the proposed fire station's location and highlighted that the County had not conducted an assessment regarding its potential impact on local businesses and the downtown area. As a proactive measure, an offer was extended to the BVMB, suggesting their involvement in speaking at both a Brentwood Chamber of Commerce meeting and a Downtown Brentwood Coalition meeting.
Summary of Top Concerns
Source of funds for the purchase of property and construction of the building
A special tax levied specifically for Veterans Meeting places, it cannot be used for other purposes
The first misappropriation of the property happened in 1937 with the construction of the first fire station
The current county administration did not make the mistake but they have the opportunity to correct a 86 year wrong
Alternative Sites
The County did not evaluate other sites that would better serve the community
Impact to Parking – both local businesses and Hall
Alleyway (Diablo Way)
Impact to Loading Zones – for local businesses that use
Impact on the road – can it handle the weight of a fire truck full of water?
Impact to special Events and Street closures
Impact to Downtown
Character of downtown
Ambiance of downtown
Impact on Traffic
Delays in emergency response during high traffic times (Liberty High, etc)
Narrow turn radius on 1st and Oak Street
Impact on pedestrian traffic downtown
California Military and Veterans Code § 1266
The meeting closed and people continued to talk for about 45 minutes. A write for the Brentwood press interviewed a number of attendees.
Slides from the meeting:
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