CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) RESOURCE CENTER Read More
Add To Favorites

Veterans office move sparks tensions in Maury County

Daily Herald - 2/21/2019

Feb. 21-- Feb. 21--Tensions were high at the Maury County Commission's monthly meeting this week after a recent decision to move the county's Veteran's Service Office from the Memorial Building to the county square.

County Mayor Andy Ogles was criticized by a group of vocal service members and county commissioners.

After the move from the Memorial Building on West 7th Street to the courthouse square's county offices at 5 Public Square, Ogles, commissioners and concerned citizens discussed the decision. They endured a weekend of heated comments and misinformation on social media.

As the meeting began, Ogles explained the office's location inside the Memorial Building was in violation of three federal laws.

"Veterans are very important to me," Ogles said. "They are a very high priority for me. I will go above and beyond for our veterans in this community. Period."

Ogles said the condition of the Veteran's Service Office came to his attention after learning that a veteran fell while visiting the organization, located in the basement of the Memorial Building.

The mayor said the office, whose food pantry is not accessible by wheelchair, violates the Americans with Disabilities Act. He also said its small office space and lack of private meeting area are also in violation the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.

"If we have a veteran who falls in this building because we are not compliant with the ADA law, we are looking at least $100,000 in penalties, if not more," Ogles said. "We know it is a problem."

Ogles also said that the current food storage room for the veterans' food pantry is contaminated with asbestos.

"That is unacceptable," Ogles said. "I will not stand by and watch our veterans be treated like second-class citizens. I personally think that our veterans deserve better. This move will give veterans an ADA accessible building."

After consulting with the City of Columbia, Ogles said parking will not be an issue, as specific spots dedicated for those visiting Veteran's Service will be designated near the new location, along with two disabled parking lots located at the entrance building and a third that will be specifically designated for disabled veterans.

Veterans will also be allowed to use the county's employee parking lot, located behind the county's public square complex.

During the meeting, the commission unanimously approved a resolution to change the classification of the Veteran's Office secretary position from a Grade 5 Veteran Service Officer to a Grade 7 position, effectively doubling the number of employees who can process veterans' medical records.

The mayor said the approval will allow the office to process twice as many veterans using the same number of employees, improving the services available to the county's servicemen and women.

Inside the close quarters of the Memorial Building, the office would not allow for two veterans to be processed simultaneously without violating HIPAA guidelines.

"This was avoidable," Ogles told commissioners. "You could have reached out to me. I don't think it is necessary for me to send an email every time I make a decision. However, I answer my phone regularly."

Some members of the commission shot back, saying the mayor should have let the commission know of the change.

"There is no reason that a county commission has to find out that veteran's services has been moved downtown by a angry veteran calling, saying that the county commission has moved veteran's services," said Debbie Turner, District 8 Commissioner. "You don't get the complaints. We do.

"You had five opportunities to advise us on this. We see that as you keeping us in the dark. This legislative body needs to be informed so we can explain to the people why it happened to begin with."

Last week, Turner shared a theory on her Facebook page that she thought the office was being moved to make way for an office for U.S. Rep. Scott DesJarlais, R-Tenn.

In a later post dated Feb. 16, she said her theory was incorrect.

"So...the question and 'real issue' here still remains. Why is our Veteran's Service Office being moved to the downtown square?" Turner said in the post. "A move that will only add more stress and hardships to those Veterans seeking assistance. I would think and hope as a county we would take steps to ensure our home to Veteran's Services has easy access and proper amenities."

District 10 Commissioner Tommy Wolaver also directly addressed Ogles with concerns for the recent change during the meeting.

"Mr. Mayor, communication is the key to success, and you don't have it," Wolaver said.

State codes outline the responsibility of assigning offices as the business of the county's legislative body, and Maury County's charter outlines the management of those offices as the mayor's responsibility.

"This is the mayor's business," said Scott Sumners, District 5 Commissioner, during the meeting. "The county mayor controls the day-to-day operations of this county. We just legislate, and that is what this county commission needs to learn."

Sumners said he was thankful for all of the Maury County veterans who have served, and was again thankful for their attendees to hear "the real story."

Maury County Veterans Service Director James Patterson was not present at Tuesday's meeting, but the mayor said he was supportive of the move.

Paterson's predecessor, Calvin Cheek, did speak in opposition to the move, stating that the officer belongs in the Memorial Building and recommending the office be moved to a room on the first floor of the memorial building.

The room in question, located near the building's large banquet hall, is currently being rented out to a local church, Ogles said.

"(The Memorial Building) is much more accessible," Cheek said. "What is more important? Our veterans, or a few dollars rent? The veterans' office is supposed to be in this building."

Cheek added that when the Memorial Building was acquired for the county's use, it was determined that the building would be used for the men and women of Maury County who served in the armed forces.

The Memorial Building was built in 1907 and 1908 as the Columbia Post Office, according to the county's website. When a new post office was constructed in 1940s, the building was given to the community as a memorial to its veterans and for use as an assembly hall.

The historic building has been home to the Maury County Public Library, the Chamber of Commerce and Maury County Historical Society and the Veteran's Service Office.

"It is what it was originally set up for," Cheek said. "Maury County takes care of its veterans. If the people don't feel like that, their votes can decide."

Ogles said he sees the move as an opportunity to move the office into a space owned by the county, while moving into the additional room at the Memorial Building would affect leases on county property, including rentals of the building's large meeting hall.

"Three federal laws," Ogles said. "I can sit on my hands and do nothing. As mayor of this county, I essentially serve as the CEO. I probably should get us compliant with federal law."

He said that if the violations were recognized by state agencies, they could also affect state funding for the county.

"I am quite frankly baffled by all of this," Ogles said.

Spring Hill veteran Robert Bates also took to the podium, supporting the need for safety to come first, but expressing concern for the behavior of his elected officials.

"We don't need to put people in danger," Bates said. "I think what we need to do tonight is communicate."

___

(c)2019 The Daily Herald (Columbia, Tenn.)

Visit The Daily Herald (Columbia, Tenn.) at www.columbiadailyherald.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.