Morano asks Dalton about top complaints and library portrait
Morano asks the three most serious complaints from the Borden listening session; Dalton says food, showers, and security, and says ICL held a house meeting and is working on improvements; Morano then asks about the library portrait, and Hudson says staff identified him as someone who funded the library.
But my last question for Commissioner Dalton.
You testified that you personally participated in a listening session with about 20 Borden Avenue residents and received mixed or negative feedback about building conditions, food, security, services, a lot of the things that you've referred to.
What were the three most serious complaints that you heard directly most from those veterans?
And I'm wondering, have there been any concrete changes that have been made in response?
I know you mentioned the possibility of bringing in military.
chefs to address the food issue.
Has there been any specific changes that have already been made as a result of that listening session?
Yeah, thank you.
Thank you for the question.
I think the complaint we heard the most about was the issue of the food.
And so as I testified, we're working with ICL, thinking about what we might do with the existing
provider and informing meal planning and talking more with the veterans.
And we're looking at other options too, which I testified would include procurement that could allow us to use the commercial kitchen that is right there in front of folks.
And I didn't participate, but I know that the ICL leadership had a house meeting with the veterans
last evening and reported back some of the things that we heard and the changes that were being made.
I mean, it shouldn't have taken a lot of discussion to fix the shower issue, particularly if that has been raised for a long time.
But we are absolutely taking action on that.
I think that's an important step.
And then something that we haven't touched on all that much, but we are looking at, is just the issues around security and DHS.
working in partnership with IACL to ensure that we have the most up-to-date trainings, that DHS police support as necessary,
and so that we can ensure that there's, even though I am pleased to see all of the 911 calls down and the incidents down and complaints down, there's always more we can do to ensure that folks are safe.
My final question is, when I visited Borden Avenue in the library, there was a portrait of somebody on the wall.
At the time, nobody knew who that person was.
Has anyone figured out who's on the wall of the library at Borden Avenue?
Library.
No?
No?
No?
Yes, there was.
There's a staff at the facility who identified the gentleman, though I don't recall.
But the gentleman has been identified.
We'll be sure to report back.
We're going to find out the identity of that person so everybody knows.
He was somebody who funded...
He funded the library or something like that.
Yeah.
Commissioners, thank you very much for your testimony.
Deputy Commissioners and Chief of Staff Orlando, certainly.
Thank you all very, very much.
All right.
Mm-hmm.