December 9, 2009 > Council creates veterans' commission Council creates veterans' commission By Dustin Findley Milpitas City Council approved the creation of a veterans' commission. In a memo to City Council, Mayor Livengood suggested a seven-member body, with two additional alternates, serving three-year terms and meeting quarterly. Staff is preparing a veterans commissioner application. This will be similar to other commissioner applications but will include a section where the applicant can provide details of his/her military service. The City will advertise the commission vacancies in January 2010. The Mayor is scheduled to make appointments in February followed by the commission's first meeting in March 2010. The rules adopted by Council require appointees to either be serving members of any branch of the U.S. military or honorably discharged. One of the Veterans Commission's first tasks will be to draft its by-laws. The City will provide the commission with a framework and the by-laws will be presented to City Council. "We have more and more of these young men and women returning from war and settling back into our community. We need to make sure their needs are being met," concluded Mayor Livengood.