By Kim Siebert MacPhail
Responding to a personnel-sharing concept introduced in November that would form a two-town Veterans’ Services District, the Selectmen approved an inter-municipal agreement with Lexington at their meeting on Monday night. Under the new arrangement, Ryan Lennon—Lexington’s current Veterans’ Service Officer (VSO)—will become the full-time director, supervising a part-time staff member as yet to be hired. Both Lennon and the new hire will be employees of Lexington but serve Bedford’s veterans as well. Bedford would periodically be invoiced by Lexington for the agreed-upon percentage of salary costs.
The inter-municipal agreement concept was developed following the sudden death in August of Bedford’s most recent VSO, Fred Gordon.
[To read about Fred Gordon, visit: https://thebedfordcitizen.org/2012/08/21/fred-gordon-veterans-agent-for-bedford-mourned/ ]
In a memo from Town Manager Rick Reed, the advantages of the inter-municipal agreement were detailed.
“A benefit of forming a VSO is that instead of both communities being required to have a full-time position under current state rules, the district would only need a full-time and a part-time position; thus, it is more cost-effective. In addition, the veterans’ community would be better served by having two VSO Officers to assist veterans in both communities. When one VSO is on vacation or on sick leave, the other VSO can respond. In addition, if there are ever any employment transitions taking place, there would be coverage available to each community, providing consistency during the transition period.”
The new agreement will be reviewed by the State after the first year to assure that all parties are satisfied with how services are being rendered. Reed said that the Department of Veteran’s Services has reviewed the terms of the inter-municipal agreement and is pleased by the cooperative venture.
In remarks, Lennon reported that younger veterans now coming back from active duty are applying for benefits immediately following service in greater numbers than the generation before them did. They also are turning to the State in more often for benefits because of the weak economy and lack of job opportunities, Lennon said.
Additionally, Viet Nam era veterans are now “returning to veteran’s health care” and World War II veterans require “more traditional medical services.”
“Generally, we’re seeing an increase [in demand],” Lennon reported.
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