Commissioner uses call logs as ammunition against VA administrator

The administrator of Jasper County Veterans Affairs was driven to tears and had to excuse herself from a meeting last week after a commissioner accosted her for not returning the calls of an undetermined number of veterans, even though she and several local veterans have said she is overworked and needs assistance.

Ed Spangenburg, a member of the Jasper County Veterans Affairs Commission, looked at the unspecific phone data included in the department’s monthly activity report for May 2024 and determined that administrator Alyssa Wilson and shared benefits coordinator Josh Price had not returned the calls of 86 veterans.

“You guys work for the Jasper County veterans,” Spangenburg said. “…I don’t care what it takes, you call your 86 people back. It doesn’t matter. I don’t want to hear an excuse. Not a one. If you can’t call back 86 people in 30 days, we might need to look at something else. I’m upset about that.”

From the data shared, it is impossible to know if it is 86 veterans. According to the latest administrator’s activity report, veterans affairs answered 62 incoming calls and made 109 outgoing calls in May. But there are also 195 missed calls. Spangenburg subtracted 109 outgoing calls from 195 missed calls to get to 86.

Veterans affairs commissioners Fred Chabot and Marta Ford argued it may not be 86 individual veterans and that a single person could have called multiple times. Price later recalled an experience in which a spouse of a veteran called up to 35 times in one day, but staff was preoccupied with walk-in customers.

Some of the calls may not even be for veterans affairs either. On occasion, the veterans affairs department will receive phone calls originally meant for general assistance. Price’s role as the shared benefits coordinator means he splits his time evenly with veterans affairs and general assistance, so he gets both calls.

Still, Spangenburg was unrelenting in his critiques against the administrator, suggesting that even if it was just 10 veterans who didn’t get a call back it would still be unacceptable. He then placed responsibility on Wilson if veterans decide to kill themselves after having no one at veterans affairs answer the phone.

“So 10 out of 22 a day. Remember that. Twenty-two a day,” Spangenburg said to Wilson, referencing the Suicide Prevention Resource Center’s estimate that 22 veterans may die by suicide each day. “You might be that phone call that they need to talk to. Twenty-two a day.”

Later on, the subject of phone calls was brought up again.

Spangenburg said, “I’m just worried we’re missing a lot of people getting a phone call back.”

Wilson responded, “I’m missing a lot of things right now and I’m aware of your frustrations. I feel them, too.”

Afterwards, Wilson excused herself from the meeting briefly. She could be seen crying as she exited the conference room.

None of the commissioners acknowledged her leave.

CALL LOGS SHOW VA GETS 11th MOST TOTAL CALLS IN COUNTY

Newton News obtained the call logs from every county department from April 1 until May 31 in an open records request to Jasper County. The two months of data show Wilson’s office phone has the 11th most total calls (incoming and outgoing) out of 113 phone extensions included in the user activity summary.

Department calls are usually answered by a group of one to eight users.

Of those 10 phone lines before Wilson, four are for the jail, three are for dispatch, two are for the treasurer’s office and one is for the attorney’s office, all of which are departments that have more than one-and-a-half employees. On average, Wilson is also on the phone much longer than all of these lines.

Here is the two-month phone data for the departments with the top 10 total calls:

• Dispatch Channel 1 — 3,407 total calls (3,407 inbound, 0 outbound) averaging 1:28 minutes.

• Dispatch Channel 4 — 1,407 total calls (24 inbound, 1,383 outbound) averaging 1:23 minutes.

• Jail Control — 1,023 total calls (785 inbound, 238 outbound) averaging 1:22 minutes.

• Kelley Meyer of the attorney’s office — 629 total calls (532 inbound, 97 outbound) averaging 1:41 minutes.

• Maria Penton of the treasurer’s office — 608 total calls (486 inbound, 122 outbound) averaging 2:17 minutes.

• East Booking — 569 total calls (80 inbound, 489 outbound) averaging 2:43 minutes.

• West Booking — 521 total calls (52 inbound, 469 outbound) averaging 2:30 minutes.

• Finger Print Desk — 434 total calls (178 inbound, 256 outbound) averaging 1:35 minutes.

• Lisa Richardson of the treasurer’s office — 371 total calls (314 inbound, 57 outbound) averaging 1:57 minutes.

• Dispatch Channel 2 — 335 total calls (335 inbound, 0 outbound) averaging 1:40 minutes.

Here is the two-month call log volume for veterans affairs staff:

• Alyssa Wilson — 329 total (133 inbound, 196 outbound) averaging 4:09 minutes.

• Josh Price — 230 total (95 inbound, 135 outbound) averaging 2:47 minutes.

It is also important to note that the number of missed calls are not included in the report Newton News received in the open records request from Jasper County; nor do the total number of calls align with the calls included in the veteran affairs administrator’s activities report, which are higher.

In April, the administrator’s activities report says there was a total of 437 calls (incoming, outgoing and missed). In May, there were a total of 366 calls. Added together, that is 803 calls. Call records show if all of Price’s calls were directed to veterans affairs work, that would equate to a total of 559 calls.

ARGUMENTS OVER TRAININGS LEADS TO THREATS OF FIRING

Commissioners have been pressuring Wilson to compile data in the form of a work log or a work study to track her hours doing specific day-to-day tasks. With this data, they argue they can take it to the board of supervisors and have a better chance of convincing them of adding another position in veterans affairs.

Chabot has doubts about administering a work log for Wilson. At the veterans affairs commission meeting in May, he noted the department had collected Wilson’s overtime hours but he was not sure that data ever got to the county supervisors when they made the decision to make a split-department employee.

At the June meeting, shortly after it was suggested Wilson think about veteran suicide rates the next time she decides to not answer the phone or call someone back, the conversation pivoted to Price’s spit-department position. Wilson said she wants to have him trained and to be involved in talks regarding that position.

Spangenburg said, “Well that’s perfect. I am glad you brought that up. Because there is training coming up in — Albia?”

“That’s June 25,” Wilson said.

Spangenburg pointed to Price. “You will be there. You will enroll yourself. Is that understood? I’d make a motion that Josh will enroll himself into that class.”

The commission voted in favor of requiring Price to enroll in the class, but after the matter was voted on it was revealed that Wilson had already planned for him to take the course. He was already enrolled. Spangenburg said another class is to be held in September and he was about to make a motion to sign him up

While it is not often I speak out of order at public meetings, I voiced my concerns that because it is not on the agenda the commission could not take action on Spangenburg’s motion. The meeting was already taking a questionable turn for how often the commissioners were getting off topic and skipping agenda items.

Later, I sought the guidance from the Iowa Freedom of Information Council who upheld that government boards are venturing onto thin ice by taking up a matter that is not on the agenda. Although veterans affairs commissioner Jerry Nelson would acknowledge my concern, Spangenburg hinted at a future motion.

“In one year, I will make a motion to fire you for not being on trainings,” he said.

DISAGREEMENTS OVER STAFF USE, STATE CODE, ACCREDITATION

Spangenburg and Wilson went on to disagree over the legislative changes made by House File 259, which affect veterans affairs laws in state code. Wilson argued the guidance received from other veterans affairs agencies contradicts with what Spangenburg says. But he insisted he is right about state code.

Specifically, they argued over how Price needs certain certifications to truly assist Wilson in the office. Price said he primarily goes through and scans paperwork, and then he helps veterans with financial assistance. But Wilson said he is oftentimes pulled away by general assistance. They also argued over duties.

“A lot of demand on the office is either pertaining to claims and permission about claims statuses,” Wilson said. “Without the training accreditation from OGC (Office of General Counsel) … the accreditation is what is crucial to get your PIV card, which is how you access inside of the system and that runs through OGC.”

Spangenburg said, “So could we not make up some packets and paperwork that a new guy comes in, or gal, that we can hand over to them and say, ‘Look, we need to fill out these paperwork,’ because you’re busy. Fill this out, that’s one step down ahead of you. You can’t hand them the paperwork?”

Wilson claimed Price cannot hand the 21-22 form to veterans. Spangenburg was skeptical whether that was true, and he later told Wilson that she is not properly using Price and that she is doing all the work. He said the supervisors will see that, too, which will work against the department getting another full-time worker.

But Wilson suggested there are countless times Price has been busy with general assistance and was unable to help her.

Nelson eventually intervened, telling them to settle down.

“Enough discussion on that,” Nelson said before turning to Wilson. “Keep in mind, your office works for us.”

VETERAN ACCUSES COMMISSIONER OF THREATENING PRICE’S JOB

Paul Padilla, a veteran who had previously shown up in support of Wilson in the May veterans affairs commission meeting, spoke out against Spangenburg’s comments against Wilson. He accused Spangenburg of raising his voice and then threatening to fire Price in one year.

Spangenburg said, “Iowa Code states that he has to be terminated if he is not certified within 12 months of employment. So that’s not threatening.”

Padilla added, “That’s not threatening? Your tone of voice? You don’t think that was threatening? As a commissioner?”

“Maybe. He might have taken it that way.”

Nelson defended Spangenburg, saying he and every commissioner is very passionate about veterans affairs.

“But all he did today was find fault with Alyssa,” Padilla said.

Spangenburg said, “No, I didn’t find fault. I’m pointing out the problems in the office that we have.”