Veterans Service Commission - Regular Meeting — Agenda Packet

Chippewa County Veterans Service Commission Regular Meeting September 14, 2026 Chippewa County Courthouse, Room 302 8:00 AM Lee Hennick, Chair District 15 David Kelly, Vice-Chair District 14 Citizen Rep Phillip Sarazen Citizen Rep CW King Citizen Rep Richard VanderMolen Chippewa County Veterans Service Commission Regular Meeting September 14, 2026 Chippewa County Courthouse, Room 302 8:00 AM 1. Call to Order 2. Roll Call 3. Members of the Public Wishing to Be Heard (Comments will be limited to 5 minutes per speaker.) 4. Consent Agenda (Unless separation of an item is requested, all items will be adopted under one motion.) 1. Approve the Agenda 2. Approve the Minutes - July 13, 2026 3. Schedule Next Meeting Date - January 11, 2027 5. Reports 1. Discuss the process for veterans to request funds- Peter Johnston 2. Discuss the requested number of veterans served in Dunn, Eau Claire, and Chippewa Counties, along with the amount of money spent by the VA per veteran - Peter Johnston 3. Discuss items on Burial Flags - Peter Johnston 6. Business Items 7. Agenda Items for Future Consideration 8. Adjourn Chippewa County shall attempt to provide reasonable special accommodations to the public for access to its public meetings, provided reasonable notice of special need is given. If special accommodations for a meeting are desired, contact the County Clerk’s Office at 715-726- 7980. Members of the Chippewa County Board of Supervisors who are not members of this committee are entitled to attend this meeting. It is possible that the attendance of one or more such nonmember Supervisors may create a quorum of some other county board committee, board or commission. Such a quorum is unintended and the nonmember Supervisors are not meeting for the purpose of exercising the responsibility, authority, power, or duties of any other committee, board or commission. Published: 9/14/2026 Chippewa County Veterans Service Commission Regular Meeting July 13, 2026 Chippewa County Courthouse, Room 302 8:00 AM 1. Call to Order The Chair called the meeting to order at 08:00 AM 2. Roll Call Members Present: David Kelly, Philip Sarazen, CW King, Richard VanderMolen Members Absent: Lee Hennick Others Present: Andy Albarado, Peter Johnston, Wendy Krumenauer, Jaclyn Sadler 3. Members of the Public Wishing to Be Heard (Comments will be limited to 5 minutes per speaker.) There were no members of the public wishing to be heard. 4. Consent Agenda (Unless separation of an item is requested, all items will be adopted under one motion.) Motion: Approved Result: Passed (4 - 0) Mover: Richard VanderMolen Seconder: CW King Ayes: David Kelly, Philip Sarazen, CW King, Richard VanderMolen Nayes: None Absent: Lee Hennick 1. Approve the Agenda 2. Approve the Minutes — May 18, 2026 3. Schedule Next Meeting Date - September 14, 2026 5. Reports 1. Discuss Wisconsin Veteran's Home @ Chippewa Falls - Phil Sarazen Prior to this report everyone present introduced themselves. Phil Sarazen, Director of Maintenance at the Wisconsin Veteran's Home informed the committee that the facility has 72 beds and over the weekend had 3 beds open up after the passing of 3 residents. All is going well at the Veteran's Home. 2. Discuss Veterans Department procedure regarding veterans requesting funds review - Peter Johnston Veteran's Service Officer, Peter Johnston, explained the process the department uses when a request for funding is received. If a request is over $500 the VSO reaches out to the Committee Chair for approval within 24 hours. 3. Discuss requested number of veterans served in Dunn, Eau Claire, and Chippewa Counties, along with the amount of money spent by the VA per veteran - Peter Johnston The VSO will bring this information back to the next meeting. 4. Discuss review of Soldiers' and Sailors' Relief Fund for purchasing flags - Peter Johnston The VSO will check with Dunn County on how they are budgeting or where they are receiving the funds to purchase flags each year. He will also check with Mike Haley to see if anything was done differently in the past. Mr. Vandermolen will find out how many flags Chippewa County puts out and would need to purchase. 6. Business Items There were no members of the public wishing to be heard. 7. Agenda Items for Future Consideration VSO will bring the process for requesting funds back as a business item for the committee to review. VSO will bring back the data from report 5.3 to the next meeting. 8. Adjourn Motion: Approved Result: Passed (4 - 0) Mover: Richard VanderMolen Seconder: CW King Ayes: David Kelly, Philip Sarazen, CW King, Richard VanderMolen Nayes: None Absent: Lee Hennick VETERANS SERVICE OFFICE 711 N Bridge St, Room 113, Chippewa Falls WI 54729 Phone: 715-726-7990 ~ Fax: 715-726-7821 Email: veterans@chippewacountywi.gov Peter Johnston ~ Service Officer Wendy Krumenauer ~ Veterans Services Specialist September 14, 2026 Reports 1. Discuss Process for Requesting Funds, Continued a. Questions about Commission Relief i. How many times can someone request funds? ii. What can/cannot be used for? iii. Is there an income requirement? iv. Should there be a clause for emergencies v. If a grant is issued more than once a year, require proof of budgeting class vi. Is there a max amount that can be used b. Review Template County Relief Fund Application Policies c. Review the “How Relief Funds are processed” document 2. Requested number of veterans served in Dunn, Eau Claire, and Chippewa Counties, along with the amount of money spent by the VA per veteran. 2024 figures (latest national data). Pop C&P EC 5638 32,542,545$ 5,772.00$ Dunn 2329 19,306,095$ 8,289.44$ Chippewa 4658 29,117,382$ 6,251.05$ Buffalo 937 7,755,702$ 8,277.16$ Dane 23073 114,663,437$ 4,969.59$ Milwaukee 37933 202,637,240$ 5,341.98$ 3. Discuss items on Burial Flags a. Reached out to Dunn County i. They use their “Soldiers and Sailors” Fund, which we call the Relief Commission Fund. They Budget for flags and have a line item for them; we do not. 1 CHIPPEWA COUNTY VETERAN SERVICE COMMISSION POLICIES INTENT The Chippewa County Veteran Service Commission is a body mandated by state statute (Chapter 45.81) to exist in each Wisconsin county. The purpose of the Veteran Service Commission is to provide EMERGENCY assistance to veterans of Chippewa County and to family members of deceased veterans who reside in Chippewa County. Family members in this policy are defined as the un-remarried spouse and/or dependent children of the deceased veteran who are under the age of 18 AND living at home. Applicant must be a permanent resident of Chippewa County for a minimum of thirty (30) days prior to application. If office does not have military discharge record on file, applicant MUST provide proof of military service (DD 214) at time of application with character of discharge of other than dishonorable. Applications for Veteran Service Commission assistance are obtained and reviewed by the Veteran Service Officer who also serves as the secretary of the Commissio n. Application for assistance is made by completing the attached application form in its entirety. Each application will be inv estigated by the Veteran Service officer for accuracy and to reveal other sources of assistance that may be available from other governmen t agencies or service organizations. Each application will be adjudicated on its own merits and on a case -by-case basis. The amount of assistance provided is at the discretion of the Veteran Service Officer according to the guidelines set fort h in these policies. If the Veteran Service Officer encounters a conflict of interest, the Veteran Service Officer will defer adjudication to the Veteran Service Commission. LIMITATIONS OF COMMISSION ASSISTANCE Applicant is limited to TWO applications and no more than $500 in any Calendar Year (January through December). Applicant must complete a new application each time he/she needs Commission assistance. Application does NOT guarantee assistance and amount is at discretion of Veteran Service Officer. Proof of an emergency situation must be presented at time of application. ANY exceptions to this policy must be made through the Veteran Service Officer to the Veteran Service Commission and can take up to 30 Business days (6 weeks) before decision is final. ALL decisions made by Veteran Service Commission are final. WHAT IS ELIGIBLE AND NOT ELIGIBLE FOR ASSISTANCE 1. Eligible Emergency Assistance for: a. Food Gift card b. Gas Gift card c. Payment of portion of rent (Rent-Taxable). d. Payment of portion of utilities (Electric and/or heat). Must present original bill at time of request. e. Payment of portion of unforeseen medical expenses (Urgent Care/Emergency Room /prescription). 2. IF PAYMENT SCHEDULES ARE AVAILABLE WITH DEBTORS, THEN APPLICANT MUST ATTEMPT TO RESOLVE DEBT IN THIS FASHION FIRST. (Medical and utilities generally have the capability of setting up payment plans.) 3. NOT Eligible for assistance: a. Payment of Phone bills b. Purchase of alcohol, tobacco, soda, bottled water, candy, gum, chips or other snack items , pet food or pet products. c. Payment of gambling debts or payment of bills because gambling debts prevent payment of bills. d. Payment of federal, state, or local taxes. e. Payment of any loans (except emergency mortgage payment), especially any type of payday or auto title loan . DEFINITIONS AND/OR UNDERSTANDING OF EMERGENCY An emergency for purposes of Veteran Service Commission assistance is an unforeseen circumstance that creates a shortage of assets for the use of basic subsistence and shelter. Examples of this would be a sudden loss of income, medical emergency, or breakdown of vehicle needed for transportation to and from work when public transportation is otherwise not available. DO NOT WAIT UNTIL YOU ARE TWO OR THREE MONTHS PAST DUE ON BILLS. IF YOU HAVE RECEIVED EVICTION/DISCONNECT NOTICES, THE COMMISSION MAY NOT COMPLETELY SOLVE YOUR ISSUES. COMMISSION IS TO BE A SOLUTION TO A PROBLEM, NOT A BANDAID. 2 Chippewa County Veteran Service Commission Policies, cont. An emergency is NOT the ongoing mismanagement of income or other funds available to the applicant. Repeated use of the Commission constitutes abuse and an attempt to supplement one’s income with the Commission. This not only hurts you, but it also hurts those who truly do have an emergency and the Commission funds are used up prior to the end of the current fiscal year. All applicants must apply for and exhaust all other aspects of aid available to them prior to making application to the Veteran S ervice Commission. IF IT IS DETERMINED THAT AN APPLICANT HAS ONGOING FINANCIAL ISSUES, APPLICANT MAY BE REQUIRED TO PROVIDE PROOF THAT HE/SHE HAS SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED BUDGET MANAGEMENT INSTRUCTION BY THE UW-EXTENSION, WHICH PROVIDES BUDGET MANAGEMENT CLASSES FREE OF CHARGE, WITH A CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION AT THE END OF INSTRUCTION PRIOR TO RECEIVING AID OR FUTURE AID. IF AN APPLICANT ATTENDS AND SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETES A BUDGET MANAGEMENT CLASS FROM ANOTHER ACCREDITED AGENCY, THIS CAN BE USED IN SUBSTITUTION OF THE UW -EXTENSION CLASS. Note: If applicant has outstanding payday or auto title type loans, application will automatically be denied and no assistance will be given until applicant has completed budget counseling and can show no activity with these types of loan agencies for at least 6 consecutive months. ADDITIONAL LIMITATIONS and INFORMATION 1. Veteran Service Officer is required to verify claim of emergency situation. Additionally, Veteran Service Officer will verif y that all other means of assistance have been exhausted and that information provided on application is correct. ANY FALSIFICATION OF APPLICATION WILL RESULT IN AUTOMATIC DENIAL OF ASSISTANCE AND APPLICANT WILL NOT BE ELIGIBLE FOR APPLICATION FOR AT LEAST ONE YEAR FROM DATE OF APPLICATION AND A NEW EMERGENCY SITUATION EXISTS DEMONSTRATING NEED. 2. Veteran Service Officer and Commission DO NOT USE CASH for payment of any assistance. 3. Payment of assistance and/or aid will be made through the county by check directly to the landlord, mortgager, utility, or other vender in question. Landlord, mortgager, utility, etc. must either have an account already established with Fond du Lac County or complete and submit to the county an IRS Form W-9 before any payment will be made. Payment will NOT be made directly to the applicant. 4. For food, personal hygiene, or automobile fuel needs, a voucher will be provided to the veteran to be used at specific locati on of assistance. Voucher in and of itself has no cash value and veteran cannot receive cash back from any balance left over from purchases. REPAYMENT OF COMMISSION FUNDS If I am financially able to, I agree to repay the Commission the amount of assistance received. This is not mandatory, BUT b y doing so, I help the Commission to be able serve more veterans in Fond du Lac County, keeping in mind that the Commission has a finite amount of funds available each year and once gone, we can no longer serve the veterans of the county until a new calendar year begins. I certify that I have read, or have had read to me, all policies established here with the Chippewa County Veteran Service Commission. I understand that the Chippewa County Veteran Service Officer will verify the information provided on my application to determine my eligibility for a grant from the Chippewa County Veteran Service Commission. When filling out an application, I agree to all the terms and conditions set forth in these policies, and I authorize the Chippewa County Veteran Service Office to access and/or release any information needed to assist in the determination of application for assistance. Signature of applicant:_______________________________________ Date:______________________ VETERANS SERVICE OFFICE 711 N Bridge St, Room 113, Chippewa Falls WI 54729 Phone: 715-726-7990 ~ Fax: 715-726-7821 Email: veterans@chippewacountywi.gov Peter Johnston ~ Service Officer Wendy Krumenauer ~ Veterans Services Specialist How Relief Funds are processed RELIEF FUNDS 1. Someone asks for money. We do the following: a. Ask whether the applicant has applied for assistance through ESS and/or Housing Services. If they have not, they should apply for those benefits first, as our program is intended to serve as a last resort after other available resources have been exhausted. b. We need: i. DD214 – honorable, general ii. Eviction and/or shut off notice iii. Completed applications c. They need to complete and return our application as well as one for VORP and SSVF d. Resident of Chippewa County for at least 30 days e. Anything $501 or more needs authorization from the chair of the Veterans Commission. f. Any financial assistance provided should have a meaningful impact on the applicant's situation. For example, if an applicant requests $3,000, we may not be able to provide the full amount, but a $500 grant should still help move them toward stability rather than simply delaying the same financial hardship. g. Applicants requesting gas or grocery gift cards are generally asked to complete an application, particularly if they have received assistance previously or are making repeat requests. h. Applications: 1. VORP Referral 2. VORP brochure 3. SSVF Referral ii. All three can be sent to: 1. Karla.peterson@dva.wisconsin.gov 2. Angela.friend@cvivet.org iii. Once we receive a response from the agency regarding the assistance they are able to provide, we determine what additional support is needed. We work closely with the agency to coordinate assistance and help address any remaining unmet needs..