VAGLAHS utilize GovDelivery, an existing and open enrollment platform for receiving e-mail updates with approximately 8,000 subscribers, as the primary method of distributing Master Plan public notices and event details to stakeholders; and GovDelivery e-mail notification to stakeholders regarding Master Plan public notices occur in a timely manner and Master Plan event information occur at least fourteen (14) days prior to the event.
VA Response: Concur. VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System (VAGLAHS) acknowledges that VCOEB adopted a comprehensive communications recommendation on April 17, 2019, on which the Secretary concurred on October 10, 2019. This recommendation included the use of GovDelivery to distribute public notices and event information related to the Draft Master Plan. Due to a change in VAGLAHS leadership and other office personnel involved in the oversight of the Draft Master Plan and Office of Communications, failure to use GovDelivery was an oversight that has been corrected and standardized in communications operating procedures.
For the statutorily-required July 23, 2020, Enhanced Use Leasing (EUL) public hearing, VAGLAHS hosted and jointly conducted the hearing with the Office of Asset Enterprise Management. VAGLAHS exceeded the legal requirement of providing timely public notice by advertising the meeting in The Los Angeles Times on three separate occasions: June 23, June 28 and July 9, 2020. In addition, notices were posted a month in advance on the West Los Angeles Draft Master Plan website at www.westladraftmasterplan.org and to VAGLAHS’s website at www.losangeles.va.gov, as well as on VAGLAHS’s Facebook and Twitter accounts multiple times. Furthermore, the VAGLAHS Public Affairs Office sent out multiple email communications to stakeholder lists, including Veterans stakeholder groups, Congressional stakeholders, the Federal Advisory Board and the Community Veteran Engagement Board. VAGLAHS also conducted multiple rounds of advertising via robocalls to GLA-enrolled Veterans in the VAGLAHS catchment area. Through these actions, VAGLAHS was able to connect to a wide range of individuals and groups including VCOEB, Veterans Service Organizations, Veterans, elected officials and other key stakeholders.
The cumulative notice resulted in a high level of participation before, during and after the public hearing. Overall, approximately 80 questions and roughly 80 comments were received via email before and after the event or via Adobe Connect Pod during the event. Of the total number of questions received, 45 were directly addressed or answered live during the public hearing. The EUL public hearing itself, as well as questions and answers submitted and raised during the hearing are available for review at https://www.westladraftmasterplan.org/documentation/public-meetings.
VAGLAHS acknowledges that the use of GovDelivery would have been an additional tool to promote public awareness and that it was inadvertently overlooked. VA welcomes VCOEB’s recommendation and will continue to utilize GovDelivery to disseminate information related to the Draft Master Plan.
