[00:00:10]
SO, WELL, I'M GONNA MAKE SURE THAT WE GOT ONE.
[CALL TO ORDER]
I'M CRAIG NASER COMMISSION SHARE CALLING THE MEETING TO ORDER AT 6:02 PM.THIS IS THE ANIMAL PFIZER COMMISSION MEETING, JUNE 14TH VIA TELECONFERENCE.
UH, WE NEED AN AUTO CALL ROLL CALL OF COMMISSIONERS.
YOU COULD TELL ME, IS IT IF YOU'RE HERE, CRAIG NASER IS HERE.
HASN'T ANTSY NAME OR HERE? LISA MITCHELL HERE.
80 YARROW PALMER, NEW HOUSE PALMER HERE.
AH, EDWARD FLORIS IS NOT HERE.
JOANNE NORTON BADASS MACULA AND UGANDA RODRIGUEZ.
[CITIZEN COMMUNICATION: GENERAL]
FIRST THING IS, UH, REGISTERED SPEAKERS AND WE ACTUALLY, UH, PAT VOWS THREE IS, WAS SIGNED UP, BUT SHE, UH, SENT ME AN EMAIL SAYING THAT SHE DIDN'T WANT TO SPEAK THIS TIME, SO WE DON'T HAVE ANY REGISTERED SPEAKERS BECAUSE, OKAY, SO NOW LET'S, UH, GO TO THE AGENDA AND LET'S SEE.[1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
THE FIRST AGENDA ITEM IS APPROVAL.WHAT? I MOVE THAT THE MINUTES ARE APPROVED.
DO I HEAR A SECOND? OKAY, KATIE, SECOND SET.
UM, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, SAY AYE.
[2A. Austin Animal Center and Animal Services Reports]
AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER, ANIMAL SERVICES REPORTS.LINDA SENT YOU THE SPREADSHEET, THE STATISTICAL REPORT.
I THINK I, WITH THIS MONTH, I CAPTURED ALL THE REQUESTS FROM THE, THAT Y'ALL HAD LAST MONTH, INCLUDING THE OTHER SPECIES AND WHATNOT.
UM, ON THE ANIMAL SERVICES REPORT, THE NARRATIVE, THERE ARE SOME CHANGES ON THERE.
SO WE'LL MAKE THOSE CHANGES TOMORROW AND GET THE CORRECTED VERSION POSTED.
SO OVERALL THE LIVE OUTCOME FOR MAY WAS 96.6%.
WE HAD A TOTAL OF 1045 ANIMALS WERE BROUGHT TO THE SHELTER, WHICH INCLUDED DOGS, CATS, WILD ANIMALS, AND BIRDS AND LIVESTOCK.
UM, WE HAD 473 ANIMALS THAT WERE ADOPTED 283 WERE DOGS, 180 WERE CATS, ONE BIRD AND NINE SMALL PETS.
AND WE HAD A TOTAL OF A HUNDRED DOGS AND CATS RETURNED TO THEIR OWNERS EITHER THROUGH RTOS OR RTO ADOPT, UM, APS WHILE IN THE FIELD, WE'RE ABLE TO RETURN 49 ANIMALS TO THEIR OWNERS.
UH, WE ALSO WERE ABLE TO HAND OUT 26 FENCING APPLICATIONS AND IMPLANTED THREE MICROCHIPS AND, AND IMPOUNDED 253 INJURED ANIMALS.
UM, WE ALSO DELIVERED 157 ANIMALS TO WILDLIFE RESCUE.
UM, A TOTAL OF 79 VOLUNTEERS DONATED, UH, 1,291 HOURS TO THE SHELTER DURING MAY.
UH, WE ALSO HAD 12 VOLUNTEERS ASSIST WITH TWO ADOPTION EVENTS THAT WE HAD IN MAY.
ONE FEATURING THAT WAS REALLY FOCUSED ON OUR LONGER STAY DOGS.
UM, BOTH EVENTS RESULTED IN 20 DOG ADOPTIONS, INCLUDING ONE WHO HAD BEEN WITH US FOR NEARLY SEVEN MONTHS.
UM, WE HAD 200 FAMILIES PROVIDE FOSTER CARE AND A TOTAL OF 119 ANIMALS WERE ADOPTED DIRECTLY FROM THAT FOSTER CARE.
UH, CURRENTLY THERE'S 381 ANIMALS IN OUR FOSTER IN FOSTER HOMES.
UM, TRANSFERS, WE SAW 246 ANIMALS WERE TRANSFERRED TO 25 OF OUR RESCUE PARTNERS.
UM, THIS INCLUDED 157 CATS AND 80 DOGS.
UM, WITH VET SERVICES, WE SAW ABOUT 200,
[00:05:01]
A LITTLE OVER 240 CASES, EMERGENCY CASES THAT WERE BROUGHT OVER TO AAC.UM, ALSO DURING THAT TIME, OUR VET TEAM, UH, WAS ABLE TO HANDLE OUR, UH, CONDUCT 322 SPAY NEUTER SURGERIES.
UM, ON TOP OF THOSE SURGERIES, WE ALSO HAD SEVEN ORTHOPEDIC SURGERIES AND OTHER IN 26 OTHER SPECIALTY SURGERIES, WHICH INCLUDED ENUCLEATIONS AMPUTATIONS HERNIA REPAIR, UM, LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES ASKED US TO PERFORM EIGHT CRUELTY CASE EXAMS, UM, AND OVERALL ALL THE VET EXAMS DONE THROUGH THE MONTH OF MAY.
SO RIGHT NOW I'LL KICK IT OVER TO DON TO, TO FINISH UP WITH THE UPDATE.
WE'RE GETTING MORE ANIMALS IN.
SO WE WENT TO THE HEALTH AUTHORITY AND TO THE LEGAL TEAM AND THEY LOOKED AT IT AND THEY ALLOWED US TO OPEN 100% FOR PEOPLE TO COME IN IN OUR FACILITY TO HELP MOVE ANIMALS OUT SINCE WE WERE IN, IN, YOU KNOW, UH, DIRE STRAIGHTS.
AND WE HAD A GREAT OPENING WEEKEND AND WE MOVED, OUR GOAL WAS TO MOVE A HUNDRED ANIMALS THAT WEEKEND AND WE MOVED TO 117, BUT THAT SAME WEEKEND, WE GOT 105 IN.
SO, UH, WHILE WE MADE SPACE, WE'RE STILL, YOU KNOW, GETTING THEM IN AT A RECORD PRE PANDEMIC NUMBER.
[2B. COVID Update]
AND SO, YOU KNOW, SOME OF OUR OTHER PROTOCOLS THAT, UH, OF COURSE THERE'S NO MASS REQUIRED IN THE BUILDING ANYMORE AND WE'VE ELIMINATED CHECK TEMPERATURE CHECKS AT ENTRY.SO THOSE ARE SOME THINGS THAT, SO AS FAR AS CUSTOMERS COMING BACK INTO THE CENTER, UH, THAT'S, THAT'S BACK TO NORMAL AT THIS POINT.
UM, SEE WHAT ELSE? THAT'S ALL I HAD FOR THE COVID UPDATE.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS I HAVE, UH, I HAVE A QUESTION FOR DON.
SO THE, UM, THE ANIMAL CENTER IS OPEN TO A HUNDRED PERCENT CAPACITY FOR CUSTOMERS.
UM, ARE THE HOURS GOING TO RETURN TO PRE COVID AND WILL INTAKE BE CHANGED BACK TO PRE COVID AS WELL TO WHERE IT WILL NOT BE CLOSED ON THE WEEKENDS.
WE'RE TRYING TO HIRE STAFFING FOR THE PRC AND WE JUST CAN'T GET JUST LIKE EVERY OTHER EMPLOYER AROUND YOU.
IT'S HARD FINDING STAFFING RIGHT NOW.
W PEOPLE AREN'T WILLING TO COME TO WORK AND OUR PRC IS EVEN TEMPORARY.
SO, UH, WE'RE TRYING TO HIRE STAFFING SO THAT WE CAN DO MORE ON THE WEEKENDS.
AND, UH, WE WILL LOOK AT OURS AS OUR STAFFING ACCORDINGLY, YOU KNOW, SO IF WE CAN'T OPEN UP A LOT LATER, IF WE DON'T HAVE THE STAFFING TO SUPPORT THAT QUESTION.
COULD YOU, THERE'VE BEEN A LOT OF DISCUSSION OVER THE PAST FEW DAYS ABOUT HOW DURING COVID AND DURING THE TIME THAT THE, THE PUBLIC HAS BEEN, UM, I GUESS STEPPING UP AND HOUSING MORE OR TAKING CARE OF TRYING TO RELOCATE OWNERS OF SOME OF THE STRAYS THAT HAVE BEEN FOUND IN THE COMMUNITY.
THERE'S BEEN QUESTIONS THAT HAVE COME UP THAT I'VE HEARD REGARDING HOW THE STRAYS ARE HANDLED AND DOCUMENTED ON THE CITY WEBSITE.
AND WHEN, UH, A FINDER TURNS AN ANIMAL OVER TO THE CITY, IS IT ALWAYS CONSIDERED A STRAY OR AFTER WHAT POINT WOULD IT BE CONSIDERED A THAT IT'S BEING SURRENDERED BY THE FINDER THAT THEY'VE ACCEPTED OWNERSHIP OF THE ANIMAL? CAN YOU EXPLAIN HOW THAT'S WORKING DURING COVID? IF SOMEONE FINDS AN ANIMAL, IT'S GOING TO BE CONSIDERED A STRAY, AND WE'RE GOING TO PUT IT UP ON THE WEBSITE AS, YOU KNOW, A FOUND ANIMAL TO GIVE THE OWNERS TIME TO COME AND RECLAIM THAT.
UH, SO, YOU KNOW, IF, IF THEY'VE FOUND THE STRAY NOW, IF THEY FOUND A STRAY AND THEY'VE HOUSED IT FOR SIX MONTHS UNDER STATE LAW, AFTER 72 HOURS, THAT ACTUALLY IS PHYSICALLY THEIRS, BUT WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO FIND THE OWNERS, YOU KNOW, FOR A SHORTER PERIOD OF TIME, BUT, YOU KNOW, SO I'D HAVE TO RELY ON MARK TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION.
BUT, UM, AT THIS POINT, YOU KNOW, IF IT'S A STRAY AND IT'S A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME, IT'S STILL GOING TO GO UP ON OUR LOST AND FOUND SO THAT THE OWNERS HAVE A CHANCE TO RECLAIM IT.
[00:10:01]
IT'S FIGURED OUT BY A CASE BY CASE BASIS, WHETHER OR NOT IT'S STILL CONTINUED TO BE INTAKED AND HOUSED AS A STRAY WITH THE CITY OR WHETHER IT'S, UM, OWNERSHIP'S BEEN CLAIMED BY THE FINDER, I GUESS I'M, I'M NOT CLEAR STILL.THIS IS JAY I'LL, I'LL VERIFY WITH MARK, BUT I, I THOUGHT WE WERE STILL TAKING THOSE AS STRAYS.
UM, ONLY BECAUSE THAT, AND WE WERE TRYING TO GET AS MUCH INFORMATION FROM THE FINDER AS POSSIBLE, CLEAN THE PICTURE.
SO THAT WAY WE COULD PUT IT UP AS A, ON OUR LOST AND FOUND WEBSITE.
SO THAT WAY, YOU KNOW, THESE WERE JUST RECENTLY WITHIN THE PAST YEAR BECAUSE OF POMO, WE RECENTLY RECENTLY LAUNCHED THOSE.
SO THAT WAY IT DID GIVE A CHANCE FOR US TO, TO PUT THE ANIMAL ON A WEBSITE.
SO ANYBODY LOOKING FOR THE ANIMAL, THEY COULD GET IT.
AND IF THEY HAD A SOLID ANIMAL THAT COULD POTENTIALLY BE THEIRS, THEN THEY WERE ABLE TO CONTACT US.
AND THEN WE COULD POTENTIALLY, HOPEFULLY REUNION REUNION, REGINA UNITE, THE ANIMALS GIVES ME, UM, EITHER AFTER VERIFYING THAT IT WAS THEIR, THEIR PET.
SO MOST OF THE CASES THEN MOST OF THE CASES, THEN IT WOULD STILL BE CONSIDERED A STRAY.
I THINK IN, IN CERTAIN CASES WHERE IT'S LIKE, OKAY, WE THINK IT'S THE STRAY WE MICROCHIP, AND THEN WE FIND THAT MICROCHIPS, YOU KNOW, CONNECT THE BACK TO THE FINDER AND THEY'RE LIKE, WELL, IS THIS YOUR ANIMAL OR NOT? AND IF YOU'RE GOING TO OWNER SURRENDER IT.
BUT YEAH, I THINK FOR THE, FOR THE MAJORITY OF THE CASES, WE'VE BEEN TREATING THEM AS A STRAY.
DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS AFTER I GOT OUT OF A COUPLE? GO AHEAD.
UM, TWO QUICK QUESTIONS ON THE ANIMAL SERVICES REPORT AND THEN ONE ON THE, UM, DATA THAT CAME IN A SEPARATE PDF JUST, AND THIS IS JUST TO MAKE SURE I'M UNDERSTANDING UNDER ANIMAL SERVICES NEWS.
THE LAST BULLET SAYS, I KNOW IT'S GOING TO BE CHANGED TO A HUNDRED DOGS AND CATS WERE RETURNED TO OWNER.
AND THEN THE FIRST BULLET UNDER ANIMAL PROTECTION TALKS ABOUT THE APS RETURNING, TURNING 49 ANIMALS TO THEIR OWNERS IN THE FIELD.
SO THE DIFFERENCE THERE IS JUST THAT VERSUS SHELTER BEING IN THE SHELTER VERSUS IN THE FIELD.
AND SO IT WAS 149 TOTAL RETURN TO OWNERS IF YOU COMBINE THE TWO.
UH, YEAH, BECAUSE WITH 40 WITH HOW CAN YOU LET ME BACK UP JUST LIKE, IT'S THE, THE ANIMALS THAT ARE RETURNED OUT IN THE FIELD.
WE DON'T ACTUALLY, SINCE WE DIDN'T OFFICIALLY IMPOUND THEM, IT'S REALLY JUST AN ACTIVITY THAT APO RUNS.
AND SO WE'LL COUNT THOSE AS, AS RETURNED IN THE FIELD.
SO WE SAY RTO BECAUSE IT GETS BACK TO THEIR OWNER.
SO EVERYTHING IN THE FIRST BULLET, THE 100 IS STUFF IS ANIMALS THAT WERE PHYSICALLY PRESENT AT THE SHELTER.
AND THEN THE 49 WORDS WAS EVERYTHING IN THE FIELD.
AND THEN THIS IS ANOTHER, JUST REAL DUMB QUESTION UNDER THE COYOTE RELATED ACTIVITIES.
FOURTH BULLET DOWN SAYS FOR WILD SPEAKS.
DOES THAT MEAN SOMEBODY JUST HEARD HER COYOTES SOMEWHERE? IS THAT WHAT THAT MEANS? I BELIEVE SO.
IT, I DON'T THINK IT'S JUST HEARING IT, KNOWING THAT THEY'RE PRESENT.
SO THAT WAY IT'S DOCUMENTED TO THERE THERE MIGHT BE A DAN OR JUST ACTIVITY WITHIN THE, WITHIN THAT AREA.
I JUST WASN'T SURE IF THAT'S WHAT THAT MEANT.
AND THEN ON THE, ON THE CHARTS THAT WERE SENT WITH THE DATA FOR MAY OF 21 MAY OF 20 MAY OF 19 ON THE OUTCOMES PAGE FOR MAY OF 21, THERE'S, YOU KNOW, THE FIRST CHART THAT SHOWS THE TOTAL OUTCOMES, SECOND CHART THAT SHOWS LIVE OUTCOME PERCENTAGE.
WHAT EXACTLY IS THIS THIRD ONE? IS THIS JUST A FURTHER BREAKDOWN OF, I, I'M NOT SURE WHAT IT IS.
I'M TRYING TO PULL IT UP ON MY PHONE CAUSE I FORGOT MY COPY.
SO, YES, THE, THE THIRD ONE WAS JUST A FURTHER BREAKDOWN OF THE PERCENTAGES OF EACH OF THOSE PARTICULAR, UM, AGE GROUPS AT THE LAST MEETING.
UM, IT WAS REQUESTED THAT WE ALSO PROVIDE THOSE PERCENTAGES FOR THE AGE GROUPS AS WELL.
AND SO, UM, I, I ALSO SHOULD'VE PUT IN MY REPORT THAT, UH, WE HAVE TALKED WITH APH AND IT LOOKS LIKE WE WILL FINALLY GET THAT IT SUPPORT.
SO HOPEFULLY THIS WILL BE THE LAST THING Y'ALL WILL HAVE TO DEAL WITH MY CONFUSING SPREADSHEETS.
UM, AND WE CAN GET THAT SUPPORT AND GET Y'ALL, UH, SOMETHING THAT EXPLAINS IT AND THERE'S A LITTLE BIT EASIER TO READ, BUT YEAH, THAT, THAT LAST CHART SECTION WAS TO SHOW THE PERCENTAGE OF EACH OF THE ANIMALS BY AGE AND THE BREAKDOWN OF HOW, IF THEY DIED, YOUTH ARE EUTHANIZED OR WERE MISSING.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I HAVE A QUESTION PLEASE, UM, TO FOLLOW ON PALMER'S QUESTION TO MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND THIS CORRECTLY.
SO IF, UH, A CITIZEN FINDS AN ANIMAL AND ATTEMPTS TO FIND ITS OWNER ON ITS OWN
[00:15:01]
HAS THE AML FOR 30 DAYS OR HOWEVER LONG, UM, AND CANNOT FIND AN OWNER.THOSE ARE BEING TAGGED STILL AS STRAYS ON THE SITE, OR IS THAT CONSIDERED AN OWNER SURRENDER BECAUSE THAT CITIZEN HAD THE ANIMAL FOR 30 DAYS OR HOWEVER LONG, THE CITY DEEMS OWNERSHIP TO TAKE PLACE THAT IS CONSIDERED A STRAY UNDER TEXAS LAW.
WE COULD MAKE THAT THEIR ANIMAL, BUT UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES THEY'RE TRYING TO HELP US.
SO WE ARE TAKING, UH, THAT INTO EFFECT AND TREATING IT AS A STRAY AND POSTING IT AS A STRIKE.
I JUST HAVE A COMMENT ON THAT.
I'VE LOOKED AT THIS LAW, UH, I'VE LOOKED INTO THIS EXTENSIVELY BECAUSE I'VE BEEN ASKED THIS QUESTION FOR ABOUT 15 YEARS OR 20 YEARS IN TEXAS, WHICH IS, UH, WHAT'S THE LAW ON WHETHER, UH, WHEN A PET BECOMES YOURS AND I HAVE NOT FOUND ANY, UM, I'VE NOT FOUND ANY LAW IN TEXAS, UH, HAVING TO DO WITH THAT WOULD, THAT WOULD AUTOMATICALLY TRANSFER OWNERSHIP TO A FINDER.
UM, I'VE LOOKED AT, UH, UNCLAIMED PROPERTY LAW, AND THOSE OF COURSE ARE THE THINGS WHERE YOU HAVE TO, IF SOMEBODY DOESN'T HAVE A BANK ACCOUNT OR SOMEBODY LEAVES MONEY IN A BANK ACCOUNT AND THEN JUST NEVER DEALS WITH IT FOREVER, THEY HAVE TO TURN IT OVER TO THE STATE.
UM, I'VE LOOKED AT ABANDONMENT LAW AND ABANDONMENT LAW REQUIRES AN ATTEMPT TO DEMAND TO ABANDON.
UM, WHICH OF COURSE DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE, IF IT'S A STRAY, YOU DON'T KNOW IF THAT PERSON HAS INTENT TO ABANDON.
I HAVEN'T FOUND ANYTHING THAT SUGGESTS THAT THERE'S A 72 HOUR, UM, TRANSFER OF PROPERTY.
UM, SO, AND IT DOESN'T REALLY MATTER.
IT SOUNDS LIKE THE CITY IS GOING TO TREAT THAT AS A STRAY ANYWAY, BUT JUST FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES, I'VE SPENT A GREAT DEAL OF TIME TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THE LAW IN TEXAS IS WITH TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION.
AND I HAVE NOT FOUND AN ANSWER ANYWHERE.
UH, IT DOES ANYBODY KNOW MORE ABOUT THAT QUESTION? SEEMS LIKE, UH, SOMETHING WE'D WANT TO KNOW, CORRECT.
MY CONCLUSION IS THERE, ISN'T AN ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION.
I MEAN, THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING.
NO, I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANYBODY IN THE STATE OF TEXAS WHO HAS SPENT MORE TIME TRYING TO ANSWER THAT.
UM, AND SO MY GUESS IS THERE, THERE ISN'T ANY ANSWER TO WHEN A TRANSFER YOU'RE A FINDER HAPPENS, UM, IN THE ABSENCE OF I'VE KNOWN IN 10 FROM THE, ON THE PERSON WHO LOST IT.
WELL, THAT'S GOOD INFORMATION.
I THINK WHEN WE LOOKED AT THIS IS JASON, SORRY.
I THINK WHEN WE LOOKED AT IT, UM, INITIALLY AT THE START OF THE PANDEMIC, WE, WE, WE, WE SAW THAT THE STATE SAYS IT'S LIKE A 72 HOUR IMPOUNDMENT, BUT THAT DEALT WITH SHELTER.
SO AS IF WE, WE PHYSICALLY DON'T IMPOUND IT, THEN, UM, THAT'S WHEN THE STRAIGHT HOLD AND BY OUR LOCAL ORDINANCE SORT OF BEGINS.
AND THEN IT BECOMES THE OWNERSHIP OF THE CITY.
SO WITH THIS ROUTE, YES, IT'S WITH A PARTICULAR PERSON WHO'S CARING AND FEEDING FOR THE ANIMAL, BUT, YOU KNOW, ONCE WE SORT OF MAKE AN APPOINTMENT FOR THEM TO LIKE, OKAY, IF YOU CAN DO THIS FOR A FEW WEEKS AND YOU'VE EXHAUSTED ALL OPTIONS, THEN YOU CAN BRING THE ANIMAL BACK TO US OR TO US THEN WE'LL, WE'LL, WE'LL, WE'LL START THAT 72 HOUR PERIOD FOR, FOR IT TO BE A STRAY AND TRY TO GET THAT PET BACK TO A DONOR.
SO KATIE MIGHT KNOW IF THEY'RE THERE, THERE'S NO STATE STRAY HOLD PERIOD.
UM, UNLESS IT WAS PAST THE SESSION, THERE IS NO STATE SCRAMBLED PERIOD OF 72 HOURS.
AS FAR AS I KNOW, UH, ANY MORE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS.
THEN I GUESS, UM, I GUESS WE NEED TO MOVE ON, UH, WHICH WOULD BRING US TO
[2C. Dr. Brent Bellinger, Senior Environmental Scientist, Austin Watershed Protection, "Blue-green Algae and Dogs" (Part 1 of 2)]
DR.WHO'S A SENIOR ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENTIST, AWESOME WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPARTMENT.
AND BRENT, UH, HAD BEEN DOING RESEARCH ON THE BLUE-GREEN ALGAE AND IN, IN, UH, YOU KNOW, THE HIGHLAND LAKES AND PARTICULARLY
[00:20:01]
AT RED, BUT ISLE AND ITS NEGATIVE EFFECT ON DOGS.AND HE'S COME UP WITH A LOT OF REALLY GOOD INFORMATION AND I THINK THEY'RE ACTUALLY COME UP WITH A WAY TO TRY AND TREAT THAT SITUATION.
SO LET ME INTRODUCE YOU TO BRENT BELLINGER.
UM, WELL THE, UH, CITY HALL TECH IS GIVEN ME PERMISSION SO I CAN GET MY TALK UP.
UH, LET ME JUST SAY THAT, UH, ME AND MY WIFE REALLY APPRECIATE, UH, ALL THAT Y'ALL DO.
UM, WE, UH, RESCUED A SENIOR FROM AAC THAT WAS ON HER LAST DAYS THERE.
WE HAD HER FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS.
UM, WE'VE, WE'RE FAILED FOSTERS FOUR TIMES OVER, UH, CURRENTLY HAVE THREE DOGS.
I WAS OUT IN THE FIELD ACTUALLY TODAY, A RED, BUT I'LL, UH, SAMPLING HAD A QUICK RUN HOME BEFORE THIS PRESENTATION TO WALK OUR THREE DOGS.
UM, SO THIS IS, YOU KNOW, UH, SOMETHING NEAR AND DEAR, UH, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S GOING ON OUT THERE TRYING TO UNDERSTAND IT AND TRYING TO MITIGATE, UM, YOU KNOW, THESE, THESE ISSUES.
UH, SO I'LL PULL UP MY PRESENTATION, UH, AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR THE INVITE FOR HAVING ME, UM, SCREEN TWO.
ARE YOU SEEING THE PRESENTATION FULL SCREEN? YEAH, THAT'S GOOD.
SO I'M GOING TO GIVE, UH, JUST SOME VERY GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE CRITTER IN QUESTION AND CYANOBACTERIA.
I'LL GO IN JUST A LITTLE BIT, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE IMPACTS OF THIS ARE GLOBALLY.
UM, OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE, UH, LOCAL IMPACTS ARE KNOWN, UH, SOME, YOU KNOW, JUST REAL BASIC, UH, INFORMATION AND DATA WE'VE COLLECTED OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS.
AND THEN AS CRAIG MENTIONED, UM, I WILL INTRODUCE THE, UH, THE PILOT MITIGATION PROJECT THAT, UH, IS WHY I WAS OUT TODAY, UH, KICKING THAT OFF.
UH, SO THE ORGANISM IN QUESTION CYANOBACTERIA, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY YOU'LL SEE IN THE PRESS COMMONLY REFERRED TO AS BLUE-GREEN ALGAE BECAUSE OF THEIR COLORATION.
UM, THEY ARE NOT TECHNICALLY ALGAE LGR.
UH, YOU CARRY ARCTIC ORGANISMS. THESE ARE TRULY PROKARYOTES, THAT'S WHY THEY'RE BACTERIA.
UM, SO YOU GOT YOUR SCHEMATIC THERE FOR THOSE THAT ARE TRYING TO DREDGE UP THEIR BIO 1 0 1, UH, WHAT ALL THAT MEANS THE MOST INTERESTING THING PROBABLY ABOUT THE CYANOBACTERIA IS IF YOU LOOK AT ALL OTHER ALGAE AND EVEN ALL THE PRETTY PLANTS WE HAVE OUTSIDE, YOU CAN STILL FIND THE GENETIC MATERIAL OF THE ASTOUNDED BACTERIA, UM, IN THE CHLOROPLAST OF ALL THE HIGHER PLANTS.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, JUST SOMETHING SUPER COOL.
THEY'VE BEEN AROUND FOR 3 BILLION YEARS.
UH, THEY WERE THE FIRST PHOTOSYNTHETIC ORGANISMS ON EARTH, UH, PRIOR TO THEIR EVOLUTION.
UH, THERE WAS NO OXYGEN ON EARTH.
UM, THEY FIGURED OUT A WAY TO PRODUCE SUGAR, UH, FROM WHAT WAS AROUND THEM THROUGH PHOTOSYNTHESIS.
UM, UNFORTUNATELY THE VERY TOXIC BY-PRODUCT OF PHOTOSYNTHESIS IS OXYGEN.
WE OF COURSE STILL FIND A TOXIC, UH, BUT FOR EVERYTHING THAT HAD BEEN LIVING A HUNDRED AT THIS TIME, AND FOR ANAEROBIC BACTERIA THAT ARE STILL AROUND, THEY DON'T HAVE A WAY TO DEAL WITH OXYGEN.
AND SO A LOT OF THINGS DIED AT THAT TIME.
AND THEY'RE ALSO VERY SPECIES RICH.
UM, WHEN YOU, UH, HEAR ABOUT CYANOBACTERIA AND THEIR BLOOMS, UM, IN THE PRESS, UH, THERE'S TWO REALLY MAIN GROWTH FORUMS THAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT.
UH, THE ONE THAT REALLY GETS THE MOST PRESS AND KIND OF, UH, IS THE MOST INFAMOUS ARE THE PLINK TONIC BLOOMS. UH, THESE ARE, YOU KNOW, YOU LOOK AT THAT JAR AND THAT PICTURE THERE, SINGLE CELLS, A SIGN OF BACTERIA THAT ARE FLOATING IN THE WATER COLUMN, AND IT AFFLICTS TENS TO HUNDREDS OF SQUARE MILES.
YOU KNOW, THE, THE PICTURE ON THE TOP, RIGHT THERE, UH, LAKE EERIE, YOU KNOW, THIS COULD BE ANY, UH, BIG LAKE, UM, UH, GLOBALLY.
AND SO YOU SEE JUST KIND OF THE MAGNITUDE OF WHAT THE IMPACT, THE OTHER TYPE OF GROWTH FORM THAT'S OUT THERE, UH, LESS COMMON, LESS WELL STUDIED, UNFORTUNATELY, BUT, UM, THE BECOMING MORE RECOGNIZED, UH, THEIR, UH, DISTRIBUTION GLOBALLY IS INCREASING, AND THESE ARE THE COHESIVE MATS.
UM, YOU KNOW, SO YOU LOOK AT THOSE GLOBS, YOU KNOW, THIS IS ALMOST LIKE, UH, PICKING UP A RUNNY EGG THAT'S THE CYANOBACTERIA FILAMENTS ARE GROWING TOGETHER IN A MATRIX, UM, FOR KIND OF A COMPARISON.
WHEN YOU WAKE UP IN THE MORNING BEFORE YOU BRUSH YOUR TEETH, YOUR TEETH KIND OF FEEL FUZZY THAT'S BACTERIA THAT HAVE CREATED THEIR OWN LITTLE BIOFILM ON YOUR TEETH, UH, BY SECRETING, UM, EXTRACELLULAR POLYMERS.
NOW THESE, UH, THIS GROWTH FORM, THEY GENERALLY GROW ON ROCKS, ROCK, BOTTOM SEDIMENTS, UH, THROUGH PHOTOSYNTHESIS, THEY BECOME BUOYANT AS OXYGEN IS TRAPPED IN THE MATS.
UH, THEY FLOAT UP TO THE SURFACE AND THEN THAT'S WHEN YOU GET, UM, YOU KNOW, AGGREGATIONS OF ALL THESE MATS
[00:25:02]
IN DIFFERENT AREAS DUE TO CURRENTS OR WIND MOVEMENT, UM, SET OF TOXINS, OF COURSE, UH, WE'RE WELL AWARE, UNFORTUNATELY, UM, HOW THEY CAN IMPACT, UH, PETS, UH, DOGS.UM, BUT THERE'S A SUITE OF SIDE OF TOXINS, UH, NEUROTOXINS, HEPATIC TOXINS THAT, UH, IMPACT VARIOUS INTERNAL ORGANS AND EXTERNAL SKIN, UH, RESPIRATORY OREGONS, ET CETERA.
I MEAN, THESE THINGS IS THAT THEY'RE PRETTY NASTY.
UH, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY CAN LEAD TO CANCER.
UM, THEY CAN LEAD TO A VARIETY OF BENIGN TO VARIOUS SERIOUS ISSUES DEPENDING ON YOUR ACUTE OR CHRONIC EXPOSURE.
UM, OBVIOUSLY, UM, THIS IS GOING TO HAVE A LOT OF ECONOMIC, UH, IMPACTS, UH, WHETHER IT'S A PERCEPTION, YOU KNOW, IF, IF YOU HAVE THESE BLOOMS OR PROLIFERATION IS OCCURRING, PEOPLE ARE NOT GONNA WANT TO UTILIZE THAT WATER BODY FOR RECREATION.
UM, IF IT, IN TERMS OF DRINKING WATER SUPPLY, YOU'D HAVE TO DO, UH, EXTRA TREATMENT TO ENSURE THAT YOU'RE PROVIDING, UM, A SAFE RESOURCE, UH, FOR PEOPLE.
SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT, UH, HAS, HAS TOP TO BOTTOM IMPACTS, UM, YOU KNOW, FOR, FOR THE COMMUNITY.
UH, AND AGAIN, THIS ISN'T JUST AN AUSTIN PROBLEM.
UH, PLANKTONIC BLOOMS, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, THESE ARE THE MOST WELL-STUDIED, UM, TEND TO IMPACT, UH, DRINKING WATER SUPPLIES.
WE'VE, YOU'VE PROBABLY HEARD ABOUT TOLEDO HAVING TO SHUT DOWN THEIR, UH, INTAKES A FEW YEARS AGO, YOU KNOW, SO THIS IS HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE THAT HAD TO GO WITHOUT DRINKING WATER BECAUSE, UM, FEDERAL CRITERIA WERE, WERE BEING EXCEEDED.
UM, LAST YEAR IN DES MOINES, IOWA, UH, THEIR ENTIRE WATER SUPPLY WAS AFFECTED, UH, BY PLANKTONIC BLOOMS. UH, SO THIS IS, YOU KNOW, A SERIOUS THREAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THESE PLANKTONIC BALLOONS BECAUSE OF THE, THE SCALE AND MAGNITUDE OF THEIR GROWTH AND HOW THEY CAN IMPACT AN ECOSYSTEM, UM, WHEN THERE'S A LARGE DIE-OFF OF ALL THAT MATERIAL, UH, YOU LOSE OXYGEN IN THE WATER COLUMN, THIS LEADS TO FISH KILLS, UH, DEATH OF OTHER INVERTEBRATES.
UH, SO THIS IS GOING TO IMPACT, UM, YOUR, YOUR FISHERIES OF COURSE, UH, LOSS OF OXYGEN.
THE RELEASE OF TOXINS INTO THE WATER IS GOING TO IMPACT RECREATIONAL USE, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, ASSOCIATED WITH THE, UH, WITH THE PLANKTONIC BLOOMS, THE BENTHIC GROWTH FORMS, YOU KNOW, AGAIN LIKE IN, UM, UH, ROUND ROCK, BUT I'LL OR AUDITORIUM SHORES, UH, LAKE TRAVIS, UH, THE OTHER HIGHLAND LAKES, UM, UNFORTUNATELY, UM, YOU KNOW, WHERE YOU HAVE DOGS INTERACTING WITH THE ALGAE, YOU HAVE A HIGHER RISK OF, OF INCIDENTS, UH, WHICH IS NO GOOD.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, PROBABLY THE, UH, THE MOST SHOCKING KIND OF, UH, RECENT ANIMAL DEATHS WAS, WERE REPORTED IN, UH, IN AFRICA LAST YEAR IN BOTSWANA.
UM, THERE WAS A HERD OF ELEPHANTS, UH, THAT DIED AFTER INGESTING TOO MUCH TOXIN LATE IN WATER.
AND SO THIS IS, AGAIN A SERIOUS THING, GLOBAL CONCERN, UM, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF TIES TO CLIMATE CHANGE AND TO ANTHROPOGENIC DRIVERS, HUMAN DEVELOPMENT, LAND CONVERSION, UM, AND THE IMPACTS DOWNSTREAM AND THE RECEIVING WATERS, UH, LITERALLY IN THE HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS, IF NOT MORE.
SO WHAT ARE KIND OF THE, UH, TRIGGERS, UH, TO SEE A SPIKE IN THE GROWTH OF CYANOBACTERIA, AND REALLY THE LITERATURE HAS IDENTIFIED THREE PRIMARY DRIVERS, UH, WHEN THEY COME TOGETHER, IT SAYS LOW FLOWS.
YOU KNOW, THIS IS, CAN BE RELATED TO WHEN RAIN HYDROLOGY, BUT REALLY WHAT THIS MEANS IS A STABLE WATER COLUMN.
DON'T LIKE A LOT OF TURBULENCE.
THEY DON'T LIKE BEING FLUSHED OUT.
THEY LIKE NICE STAGNANT WATERS.
UH, THEY LIKE A LOT OF NUTRIENTS AND THEY LIKE WARMER WATERS WHEN THAT OCCURS.
UH, THIS IS JUST A GRAPH THAT YOU CAN STARE AT LATER, UH, WHEN I SEND THIS PRESENTATION AROUND.
UH, BUT BASICALLY WHAT YOU HAVE ON THE X AXIS IS DAY OF THE YEAR FROM JANUARY 1ST, THROUGH DECEMBER 31ST, UH, BEING DAYS, UH, ONE IN 365 RESPECTIVELY.
AND AS YOU GO THROUGH THE SEASON, YOU GET A SHIFT FROM DIATOMS EARLY, UH, IN THE SPRING, INTO THE SUMMER, THEY, UH, DIE BACK.
THEY RUN OUT OF SILICA FOR THEIR, FOR THE FRESH WILLS CONDITIONS THAT ARE NO LONGER FAVORABLE.
AND IT SAID YOU GET A RISE IN CYANOBACTERIA ABUNDANCES.
UM, BUT AT A CAVEAT TO THAT IS JUST BECAUSE YOU HAVE A LOT OF SET OF BACTERIA GROWING PRESENT DOESN'T MEAN THAT YOU NECESSARILY HAVE TOXINS.
UH, IT'S ADDITIONAL CIRCUMSTANCES THAT HAVE TO COME TOGETHER, REALLY THESE GOLDILOCKS CONDITIONS, UM, FOR THE, UH, S CERTAIN SPECIES THAT CAN PRODUCE TOXINS TO GO TOXIC, WHICH BRINGS US TO WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED IN LADY BIRD LAKE IN 2019.
[00:30:03]
UM, UNFORTUNATELY IN, UH, JULY, UH, A NUMBER OF DOGS, UH, PASSED AWAY AFTER SWIMMING AND INTERACTING WITH ALGAE AROUND RED BLOOD AISLE.UM, THESE PICTURES, UH, SHOW, UH, KIND OF THE, UH, THE AMOUNT OF MATERIAL THAT WAS, UM, AROUND RED, BUT I'LL, UH, CLOSEUPS OF WHAT THE ALGEBRA TUTORIAL LOOKED LIKE, YOU KNOW, FOR THESE DOGS, THEY WERE, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY HAIRED SPECIES, UM, AS THEY WERE IN THE WATER, GETTING THE ALGAE IN THERE FOR WHEN THEY GOT OUT AND STARTED GROUPING THEMSELVES WAS LIKELY A PATHWAY FOR INGESTION.
AND I MEAN, THIS JUST KIND OF STINKY NASTY STUFF.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW THAT DOGS LIKE TO CHOMP ON THAT TYPE OF MATERIAL.
SO, YOU KNOW, VERY UNFORTUNATE EVENT, UM, IN 2019 RED BLOOD AISLE AND THE OTHER, UH, DOG LAUNCHES WERE, UM, SHUT DOWN FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE SUMMER, SO WE COULD GET A HANDLE ON IT, UNDERSTAND WHAT WAS OUT THERE, WHAT WAS GOING ON, GET SOME SIGNAGE AND MORE INFORMATION OUT THERE.
UH, SO WHAT WE FOUND IN 2019 AND IN 2020, UM, BASICALLY IT'S A SIGN OF BACTERIA THAT ARE WELL KNOWN FOR PRODUCING TOXINS AS WELL.
I CHECKED IN EVERYBODY STILL HEAR ME.
BY SCREEN HAD A VIDEO HAD FROZEN UP ON MY END, SO I WASN'T WANTING TO BE SURE.
UM, SO THIS IS A NOTORIOUS GROUP FOR THEIR PROCLIVITY TO PRODUCE TOXINS.
THE PARTICULAR TOXIN THAT WAS FOUND HERE IS ACTUALLY A PRETTY RARE ONE.
UM, THIS IS A CONDITIONER, BASICALLY A DERIVATIVE OF ANTI-TOXIN A ANTITOXIN IS A VERY WELL KNOWN AND STUDIED, UH, NEUROTOXIN.
UH, IT HAS THE HORRIFYING NICKNAME OF FAST ACTING DEATH FACTOR, AND AS MORE, UH, STUDIES AND WORK IS BEING DONE INTO DIHYDRO ANTITOXIN, UM, IT'S POTENTIALLY, AND THIS IS BASED ON, YOU KNOW, KIND OF ONE STUDY WITH, I THINK WE MAY HAVE LOST HIM.
IT STILL SHOWS THE SCREEN BEING SHARED.
SHARE THIS, YOU TAKE A LOOK OUT FOR RED VILLAGER TO COME BACK ON, BUT FOR, UM, I GUESS I MIGHT SUGGEST MOVING ON TO SOMETHING ELSE IT'S UP TO YOU, BUT JUST A FRIENDLY SUGGESTION ON DEFINITELY LOOK OUT FOR HIM.
WE'LL, WE'LL WAIT AND SEE IF HE COMES BACK BECAUSE HE HAD, HE'S GETTING THE VERY INTERESTING PART.
SO, UH, LET'S MOVE TO OLD BUSINESS
[3A. Update, Discussion and Possible Action on Comparative Evaluations of Monthly Release Rates]
UPDATE, DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS OF MONTHLY RELEASE RATES.WHO'S GOING TO TAKE THAT ONE, UH, WHO WAS WORKING ON THAT, UH, IS, UH HUH.
THERE MAY HAVE BEEN, MONICA IS, I'M NOT SURE TARA, UH, BELINDA JUST CONFIRMED IT'S MONICA, SO IT MAY HAVE TO BE POSTPONED TO THE NEXT MEETING.
SO YEAH, CAUSE MONICA WON'T BE HERE, SO WE'LL POSTPONE THAT.
[3B. Update, Discussion and Possible Action on Monthly Reporting of Data]
WE HAVE B UPDATE DISCUSSION OF POSSIBLE ACTION ON MONTHLY REPORTING OF DATA.UH, DOES ANYBODY KNOW WHO IS WORKING ON THAT? THAT'S PART ME.
AND I THINK THAT JASON, YOU'RE STILL, I MEAN, I CAN TELL, THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE, BECAUSE I CAN SEE THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF CHANGES AND MOVING PIECES RIGHT NOW, BUT I'M GUESSING WE SHOULD BE EXPECTING THIS TO CONTINUE AS THIS IS FINALLY GETTING FINALIZED, WHAT THE NEW DATA, UM, THE MEANS OF SHARING THE NEW DATA IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE, IS THAT CORRECT? YEAH.
WE'VE BEEN MEETING WITH, WITH APH.
I T UH, AS COVID, UM, EFFORTS AROUND THE CITY ARE SORT OF RAMPING DOWN AND, AND WE, WE SHOULD BE GETTING THAT INDIVIDUAL BACK TO US ON A MORE REGULAR ON A REGULAR BASIS.
SO WE'VE MET WITH HIM, HE'S MET WITH LEADERSHIP TEAM, WE'VE GONE OVER SOME PRELIMINARY, UH, SCREENSHOTS OF WHAT THE DATA WILL LOOK LIKE, BUT, YOU KNOW, NOT TO GIVE TOO MUCH AWAY.
BUT WHAT I MENTIONED LAST WEEK, LAST MONTH, WE WERE TRYING TO WORK ON SORT OF DASHBOARDS THAT ARE, ARE IN REAL TIME.
SO THAT WAY WE WOULD PROVIDE A WEBSITE THAT ANYBODY FROM THE PUBLIC, THE COMMUNITY CAN, CAN ACCESS THIS
[00:35:01]
DATA.UM, WE'VE BEEN GOING THROUGH DIFFERENT ITERATIONS, UH, SEEN TO ENSURE THAT IT'S PULLING FROM CHAMELEON, ALL THE CORRECT DATA.
UH, WE HAVE ANOTHER BRIEFING, I THINK, IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS WITH HIM, UM, BECAUSE HE TOOK OUR FEEDBACK AND HE'S GOING TO TAKE IT TO SOME ADDITIONAL ENGINEERS FROM CORPORATE, UH, CTM, WHICH IS OUR, I R OUR CORPORATE IT DEPARTMENT.
AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN GET THAT RELATIVELY SOON.
SO, YOU KNOW, FINGERS CROSSED MAYBE NEXT MONTH, I WILL PROBABLY HAVE TO PUT TOGETHER ANOTHER SPREADSHEET, BUT HOPEFULLY BY THE END OF THIS SUMMER, WE'LL, WE'LL DEFINITELY HAVE SOMETHING MORE TANGIBLE THAT WILL ADDRESS ALL THE, THE DIRECTORS AND THE COUNCIL RESOLUTIONS.
ANYBODY THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS SO IMPORTANT THAT IT'S SO COMPLICATED.
I'M GLAD YOU GUYS ARE WORKING ON IT.
IT'S AN IMPORTANT THING FOR US TO GET A HANDLE ON ANY OTHER QUESTIONS.
WELL THEN LET'S MOVE ALONG TO THE NEXT ITEM, WHICH IS, UH, UM,
[3C. Update, Discussion and Possible Action from Working Group on Off-Leash Dogs]
UPDATE, DISCUSSION POSSIBLE ACTION FROM WORKING GROUP ON OFF-LEASH DOGS.WELL, WE'RE STILL IN THE PROCESS.
UM, WE WERE GETTING THE PRICES FOR THE, THE MAIN THRUST OF THIS IS GOING TO HAVE TO BE EDUCATING THE PUBLIC.
THAT'S, THAT'S THE, THE, WHERE WE THINK WE CAN HAVE THE BIGGEST IMPACT.
AND ONE IDEA WE HAD WAS A MAIL OUT IN THE, UM, UH, UTILITY BILLS.
AND WE'RE GETTING THE PRICES ON THAT, BUT THOSE PRICES LOOK KIND OF HIGH FOR THE KIND OF CIRCULATION WE MIGHT GET OUT.
UH, WE'VE ALSO ARE LOOKING INTO SOME KIND OF PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT FROM MAYBE A MUSICIAN, MAYBE A FAMOUS MUSICIAN OR A WELL-KNOWN PERSON THAT WE COULD THEN, UH, W UH, MUSIC WITH A VIDEO THAT WE CAN THEN PUT OUT POSSIBLY ON TELEVISION, BUT, BUT A LOT OF SOCIAL MEDIA, UM, KIND OF HIGHLIGHTING THE ISSUE ABOUT OFF-LEASH DOGS.
UH, WE ARE ALSO LOOKING AT, UM, WE HAVE A CHART OF WHERE THE MOST FALLS COME IN, REPORTING OFF-LEASH DOGS, SO THAT WE GOT THESE HOTSPOTS.
AND WE'RE ALSO LOOKING INTO PUTTING ON EVENTS WITH IPO'S, UH, PARK RANGERS AND MAY, AND MAYBE EVEN SOME COMMISSIONERS SQUARE.
WE GO TO THESE PLACES AND WE'RE NOT THERE TO ARREST ANYBODY WHERE WE'RE THERE TO LET PEOPLE KNOW WHAT THE LAWS ARE, WHAT THE RULES ARE MORE OF AN EDUCATIONAL EVENT.
SO WE'RE GOING TO MEET AGAIN ON WEDNESDAY AND I'LL KEEP THE WEIGHT.
WE SHOULD KEEP DOING THIS EVERY MONTH BECAUSE WE ARE MOVING FORWARD AND WE'RE ZEROING IN ON WHAT WE THINK WOULD HAVE THE MOST IMPACT FOR THE AMOUNT OF RESOURCES WE HAVE AVAILABLE TO US.
ANY QUESTIONS? OKAY, WELL THEN, UH, LET'S SEE, WE STILL DON'T HAVE BRANDS, SO LET'S HAVE
[3D. Update, Discussion and Possible Action from Working Group on How to Increase Microchipping in the City of Austin]
UPDATE DISCUSSION OF POSSIBLE ACTION FROM WORKING GROUP ON HOW TO INCREASE MICROCHIPPING AND CITY OF AUSTIN.THIS IS DON AND WE HAVE CONTINUED TO DO COMMUNITY EVENTS WHERE WE'RE INVITED OUT, UH, AND OUR NEXT, UM, DRIVE THROUGH CLINIC IS THIS COMING SATURDAY AT THE AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER, AND THEY CAN MAKE AN APPOINTMENT AND HAVE A TIME FRAME TO DRIVE THROUGH, AND IT'S ALL VEHICLE BASED.
AND, UM, SO THEY DON'T EVEN HAVE TO GET OUT OF THEIR CAR AND IT'S WORKED REAL WELL.
AND THOSE ARE, YOU KNOW, BEING BOOKED TO CAPACITY.
EVERY TIME WE DO THOSE, UH, WE ARE FINALIZING, UH, INTERVIEWS ON ACTUALLY TELEVISION SHOW TIME, AS WELL AS RADIO TIME IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH.
AND, UH, WE CONTINUE TO MAKE PROGRESS AND TRY TO, YOU KNOW, GET THE PUBLIC INVOLVED AND NEED TO DO RESEARCH ON OTHER COMMUNITIES AND WHAT HAS WORKED, UH, IN THOSE AREAS TO IMPROVE THEIR RETURN TO OWNER RIGHTS.
ONCE ANIMALS DO ACTUALLY COME INTO THE SHELTER.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE STILL WORKING AWAY AND MAKING PROGRESS AND WE'RE CONTINUE TO CHIP AWAY AT IT.
ANY QUESTIONS, COCAINE, ONCE AGAIN, THIS IS A REALLY, UH, POTENTIALLY HIGH-IMPACT THING.
SO THANKS FOR WORKING ON THIS.
IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT, I THINK.
SO NOW LET'S GO ON TO NEW BUSINESS AND WE
[4A. Update, Discussion on Partner Transfer Agreement]
HAVE ONE ITEM UPDATE DISCUSSION ON PARTNER TRANSFER AGREEMENT.AND LET ME JUST GIVE THIS A LITTLE, UM, BACKGROUND IS, UM, UH, THE COMMISSIONER AT
[00:40:01]
WELL, I'M FIGURING OUT MYSELF, CAUSE I'M NOT SURE WHAT ALL EMAILS EVERYBODY GETS, BUT, UH, WE RECEIVED IN MAY, UH, EMAILS FROM, UH, WELL, THERE WAS ONE EMAIL THAT WENT TO ALL THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS FROM NATHAN WINOGRAD, UH, ABOUT A CHANGE IN THE PARTNER AGREEMENTS THAT THE CITY HAS WITH ALL OUR PARTNERS.AND, UM, IT, YOU KNOW, IT WAS A LITTLE BIT OVER THE TOP, REALLY FOR, UM, FOR SOME, IF WE HADN'T HEARD ABOUT, I HADN'T HEARD ABOUT THE CHANGE IN THE AGREEMENTS.
AND SO, UH, APPARENTLY WHAT'S HAPPENING IS THESE, THE WHATEVER HAPPENED, THE AGREEMENTS ARE GETTING REWRITTEN AND WE ARE GOING TO SEE THE NEW AGREEMENTS IN JULY.
SO THIS WILL BE ON THE AGENDA AGAIN.
UH, BUT WHAT MY CURIOSITY WAS, AND SOME OF THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS IS, CAUSE WE HEARD ABOUT THIS FROM JUST ONE SIDE, YOU KNOW, WE HEARD ABOUT THE COMPLAINTS.
AND SO MY QUESTION FOR YOU, DON, IS WHAT ARE THE ISSUES THAT LED UP TO YOU DOING A REWRITE WITH A PARTNER AGREEMENTS, JUST OUT OF CURIOSITY, WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT, THAT NEED THAT NEEDED TO BE ADDRESSED TO CAUSE THERE? OKAY, WELL, ONE OF THE THINGS WE WERE TRYING TO WAS STREAMLINE OUR FORMS AND, UM, THE FORM WE WERE USING WAS OVER THREE PAGES LONG, AND WE WERE TRYING TO REDUCE IT DOWN TO A ONE PAGER AND THERE WAS A LOT OF INFORMATION IN THERE THAT WAS DUPLICATE.
AND SO WE WERE JUST TRYING TO CLEAN IT UP.
AND I JUST WANT TO MAKE PREFERENCE THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE LOOKED AT THIS, WHEN WE, ANYTHING THAT WE DO EVEN, YOU KNOW, IF IT'S AN INTERNAL FORM, WE SEND IT TO LEGAL.
SO THE FORM THAT WE SENT OUT WAS APPROVED BY THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT BEFORE WE SENT IT OUT INITIALLY, UM, WHY WE WERE DOING THINGS LIKE THAT IS, UM, YOU KNOW, AND, AND LET ME JUST SAY THAT WE SENT THAT OUT AND WE HAD NO PARTNER CONTACT US DIRECTLY.
WE HAD 40 SOMETHING IMMEDIATELY THE NEXT DAY, SIGN IT AND SEND IT BACK.
AND, UH, TO THIS DATE, NO PARTNER HAS REACHED OUT TO US TO DISCUSS IT.
AND, UH, WE HAD ONE PARTNER THAT THEY POSTED US, UH, ON THEIR WEBSITE AND THAT'S WHAT LED TO THIS.
AND THAT WAS PART OF THE REASON THAT, THAT WE PUT THAT IN THERE.
AND IT WASN'T JUST SOMETHING WE MADE UP THERE'S OTHER ORGANIZATIONS, YOU KNOW, UH, BEST FRIENDS AND THE INTERNATIONAL MUNICIPAL LAWYER'S ASSOCIATION PUT OUT A DOCUMENT, TALKING ABOUT PETS, PEOPLE AND POLICIES.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THEY MENTIONED IN AREA, THEY TALKED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, NEGATIVE POST ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND HOW THAT NOT TO BE TOLERATED AND PUT THAT STUFF INTO, YOU KNOW, YOUR, YOUR THINGS.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE, WE EXPERIENCED IS WE, WE HAVE HAVE, JUST TO GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE, WE HAD A PARTNER THAT REACHED OUT TO US BECAUSE WHEN WE WERE PUT A NOTIFICATION OUT OF, YOU KNOW, SEVEN TO 14 DAYS, THEY FELT THAT THAT WASN'T ENOUGH TIME FOR THEM TO DO THEIR DUE DILIGENCE AND LOOK AT STUFF, AND THAT WE NEEDED TO GIVE THEM PLENTY OF TIME TO DO THINGS.
SO WE LISTENED TO THAT AND WE PUT OUT A LIST TO THEM THAT SAID, YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT BE TWO HOURS, TWO DAYS, TWO WEEKS, TWO MONTHS, TWO YEARS, THESE ARE THE ANIMALS THAT ARE THE HIGHEST AT RISK AT, IN THE SHELTER AT THIS TIME.
AND WE WERE DOING WHAT THEY WANTED TO DO.
AND THEN THEY TWIST THAT INFORMATION, BLASTED IT ON FACEBOOK, THAT WE'RE PUTTING OUT A LIST AND WE'RE GOING TO KILL ALL THESE DOGS.
AND WE, YEAH, YOU DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY D TO GO BACK AND, YOU KNOW, GET INTO A CALM, UH, CONVERSATION AND, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO DEFEND OURSELVES IN SOCIAL MEDIA.
SO, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE GET TO SAY THINGS TO US, BUT WE DON'T HAVE ANY RECOURSE SO THEY CAN TWIST THINGS.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE KIND OF LEFT OUT THERE TO TAKE IT AS IT IS.
AND SO WE THOUGHT, WELL, WE'LL TAKE THEIR ADVICE AND WE'LL PUT SOMETHING IN THERE ABOUT, YOU KNOW, SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, IF, IF YOUR TRUE PARTNER IS GONNA REACH OUT TO US, DISCUSS IT, WE'RE GOING TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM AND MOVE ON.
BUT THOSE THAT CONTINUE TO USE INFORMATION IN A, IN A, THAT IS NOT NECESSARILY LEGITIMATE, UM, OR TWISTED.
WE WERE JUST TRYING TO FIND A WAY THAT WE COULD HELP MAYBE CONTROL THAT.
AND THAT'S WHAT OUR WHOLE INTENT WAS.
AND, UH, OBVIOUSLY THERE'S PEOPLE THAT DIDN'T LIKE THAT.
AND INSTEAD OF REACHING OUT TO US, THEY BLASTED IT AND IT GOT TO NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS.
AND THEN THAT'S WHERE IT IS THAT FROM NOW.
SO WE SENT IT BACK TO LEGAL FOR THEM TO LOOK AT AND THEY'RE WORKING ON IT.
UH, DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR DON?
[00:45:04]
UH, I HAVE AN OBSERVATION, WHICH IS, AS LONG AS I'VE BEEN DOING THIS WITH ANIMALS, I AGREE.THERE'S A LOT OF MISINFORMATION OUT THERE AND THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO GET UPSET AND THEY SAY OUTRAGEOUS THINGS.
AND I MEAN, I, FOR ONE, I, I, I LIVE A LITTLE FURTHER FROM THE SHELTER.
CAN'T GET THERE VERY OFTEN, BUT I DO GET ON THE SOCIAL MEDIA AND I TRY AND RESPOND IN A SANE WAY BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND THAT THAT, THAT YOU GUYS ARE UNDERSTAFFED, PARTICULARLY FOR DEALING WITH SOCIAL MEDIA.
I MEAN, THAT'S A FULL-TIME JOB RIGHT THERE.
UH, SO I ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROBLEM.
UH, CERTAINLY DOES, IF I HAVE ANY OTHER COMMENTS ON THIS? YES, RYAN.
I WANTED TO SAY A COUPLE THINGS.
THE FIRST IS THAT, UM, UH, CITY LEGAL DID TELL US THAT THEY ARE TELLING ME THAT THEY'RE WORKING ON IT.
AND, UM, AND SO I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU TO THE CITY FOR, TO, TO, FOR REVISITING IT AND LOOKING BACK AT IT.
UM, AND ALSO JUST TO CLARIFY, I, I DID WANT TO ALSO SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER DAWN'S COMMUNICATIONS ARE WITH CITY LEGAL OR IN MY OPINION, ATTORNEY, CLIENT PRIVILEGE CONVERSATIONS.
AND SO I DON'T THINK THAT ANY OF US SHOULD, YOU KNOW, QUESTION DAWN ON WHAT HE HAS, OR HASN'T SAID TO CITY LEGAL OR WHAT THEY HAVEN'T HAD, OR HAVEN'T SAID TO HIM, CAUSE I DON'T THINK THAT'S FAIR, UH, TO EITHER OF THEM.
SO I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT, UM, WITH RESPECT TO, UM, THE, UH, THE CONTENT, UM, I DID HAVE TO, UH, RESCUE GROUPS, UH, IMMEDIATELY REACH OUT TO ME ABOUT IT.
UM, AND, UH, I IMMEDIATELY REACHED OUT TO, UM, TO THE SHELTER AND I DON'T, I STILL DON'T THINK I'VE GOTTEN A RESPONSE.
SO, UM, I DON'T, I DON'T THINK IT'S NECESSARILY FAIR TO SAY NOBODY REACHED OUT.
UM, SECONDLY, UM, YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN ON THIS COMMISSION FOR ABOUT, UM, I GUESS IT'S BEEN OR THREE YEARS NOW, AND THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THAT THERE HASN'T BEEN, UH, AN ISSUE WITH RESPECT TO FREE SPEECH.
UH, THE FIRST TIME WAS WITH ME, UM, WHEN THERE WAS A, YOU KNOW, AN EFFORT MADE TO SAY THAT I COULDN'T ASK QUESTIONS OR COULDN'T ASK FOR INFORMATION AND WE HAD TO GO TO CITY LEGAL AND THEY SAID, NO, OF COURSE YOU CAN ASK QUESTIONS AND ASK FOR INFORMATION.
UM, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I I'VE READ THE CASES THAT HAVE GONE AROUND AND IT IS, IT IS VERY CLEAR IN MY OPINION, IN MY LEGAL OPINION.
AND I PRACTICED IN THIS ARENA, UH, I HAVE FREE SPEECH CASES.
UM, BUT IT'S, IT'S VERY CLEAR TO ME THAT A GOVERNMENT ENTITY CANNOT CONDITION, UH, THE RECEIPT OF A GOVERNANCE, GOVERNMENTAL BENEFIT ON WAIVING A CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT, THAT THAT IS JUST BLACK LETTER CONSTITUTIONAL LAW.
AND SO, UM, I'M GLAD IT'S BEING REVISITED.
I'M GLAD THAT THEY ARE LOOKING AT IT AND I'M GLAD, UM, THAT, THAT, THAT PART WAS ALREADY TAKEN OUT.
UM, AND, AND, UH, THAT, THAT ISN'T SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE HAVE TO CONTEND WITH IN THE FUTURE.
AND I THINK IT'S UNSURPRISING THAT THEY REACHED OUT TO US, MAYBE SOME OF US, RATHER THAN THE SHELTER, BECAUSE THEY FELT LIKE THEIR FREE SPEECH RIGHTS WERE GOING TO BE VIOLATED IF THEY REACHED OUT TO THE SHELTER.
I MEAN, THAT'S ESSENTIALLY WHAT THE POLICY SAID.
SO IT MAKES SENSE THAT THEY WOULDN'T HAVE REACHED OUT TO THE PARTY THAT THEY THOUGHT WAS TAKING AWAY THEIR RIGHTS.
UM, AND THEN, UH, THE ONLY OTHER THING THAT I WANTED TO MENTION WAS THAT THERE WERE A COUPLE OF OTHER THINGS, UM, THE CITY LEGAL DID REACH OUT TO BE.
SO I, I DID ALSO LET THEM KNOW THAT, UM, THAT THERE'S A PROVISION OF IT THAT SAYS THE ANIMAL AUTOMATICALLY BECOMES THE PROPERTY OF A RESCUE GROUP IN THE FIRST, AFTER THE FIRST 72 HOURS.
AND THAT IS NOT CONSISTENT WITH OUR HOLD PERIOD ORDINANCE, WHICH ALLOWS RESCUE GROUPS TO GET, UH, TO PULL DURING THE HOLD PERIOD.
UM, AND IF THEY PULLED DURING THE HOLD PERIOD FOR AN ANIMAL THAT'S PARTICULARLY SICK OR ILL, THEN THEY ARE NOT THE OWNER OF THE ANIMAL IMMEDIATELY UPON A TRANSFER.
THEY WOULD BE THE OWNER OF THE ANIMAL ONLY AFTER THE EXPIRATION OF THE 72 DAYS FROM INBOUND.
UM, AND THEN, UM, THERE WAS ONE OTHER THING I THINK THERE WAS A STATEMENT AT THE END THAT SAYS THAT WE COULD, UH, WE COULD, DID NOT DENY A TRANSFER IN A, IN ANIMAL
[00:50:01]
FOR ANY REASON AT ANY TIME.AND OBVIOUSLY THAT'S, THAT'S NOT TRUE.
YOU COULDN'T PUNISH BASED ON EXERCISE OF FREE SPEECH.
YOU COULDN'T, UM, DENY AN ANIMAL TO A RESCUE GROUP ON ACCOUNT OF RACE OR GENDER.
UM, THERE ALL KINDS OF REASONS YOU COULDN'T DO THAT.
YOU COULDN'T VIOLATE THEIR RESCUE ACCESS PROVISION OF OUR, UM, OF OUR HOLD PERIOD ORDINANCE.
SO I DO THINK THERE ARE ALL KINDS OF ISSUES WITH IT.
UM, I DO APPRECIATE THE RESCUERS THAT DID REACH OUT TO ME.
AND I DO ALSO APPRECIATE THE CITY FOR TAKING BOTH THE SECOND AND THIRD LOOK AT IT.
AND AT IT, I DO THINK THAT THEY'RE TRYING TO MAKE IT, GET IT RIGHT.
UM, AND I APPRECIATE THE CITY FROM, FOR WORKING ON IT TO GET IT RIGHT.
AND, UM, THE REASON THAT WE TOOK IT OFF, UH, CRAIG AND I RECOMMENDED ACTUALLY, WE DIDN'T TAKE IT OFF.
IT WAS, IT WAS PLACED ON BY TWO OTHER COMMISSIONERS AND, AND WE, UM, ASKED THE COMMISSIONERS TO TAKE OFF, UH, UM, IF THEY'D BE WILLING TO TAKE OFF THE, UH, TAKE ACTION TODAY BECAUSE IT'S THE LEGAL ONE AND MORE TIME TO WORK ON IT.
AND WE THOUGHT, AND CRAIG, AND I BOTH THOUGHT THAT WAS FAIR.
A FAIR THING TO ASK THAT THE, UM, UH, ASK THE TWO COMMISSIONERS WHO ASKED FOR IT TO BE ON, UM, WE THOUGHT IT WAS FAIR TO ASK THEM IF THEY WOULD TAKE OFF THE TAKE ACTION BECAUSE THE CITY IS NOT, UM, IS NOT, IT'S NOT A FINISHED DOCUMENT, IS MY UNDERSTANDING FROM CITY LEGAL IS THIS IS NOT A FINISHED DOCUMENT.
UM, AND THEY'RE LOOKING AT IT.
AND SO THAT'S WHY, UM, I WAS VERY COMFORTABLE IN, IN, UM, RECOMMENDING TO THE, THE COMMISSIONERS, ASKED IT TO BE ON, UH, THAT WE NOT TAKE THE ACTION TODAY, GIVEN THAT IT'S NOT A FINAL DOCUMENT.
SO IF THERE'S ANYBODY COMPLAINING THAT WE'RE NOT TAKING ACTION TODAY, YOU CAN, I'LL TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THAT.
CAUSE I THOUGHT THAT WAS A FAIR, UM, COMPROMISE THAT PEOPLE STILL GET TO ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT IT.
PEOPLE CAN STILL TALK ABOUT IT.
WE DON'T HAVE ANY SPEAKERS TODAY.
I'M A LITTLE SURPRISED GIVEN HOW MANY EMAILS WE GOT ABOUT IT AND HOW MUCH TRAFFIC THERE WAS ABOUT IT, BUT THAT'S HOW IT GOES.
UM, BUT IT IS, UH, BUT I DO APPRECIATE, I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO THE CITY FOR, FOR TAKING A SECOND LOOK AT IT.
I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO THE REST OF YOUR TEAM FOR LETTING US KNOW.
AND I THINK THAT WE'RE GOING TO GET THIS DOCUMENT, RIGHT.
UM, AND I'VE BEEN EVEN BEEN TOLD BY CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, THIS DOCUMENT'S GOING TO GET RIGHT.
UM, WE WANNA MAKE SURE IT'S RIGHT.
AND, UM, I THINK, I THINK WE WILL.
AND SO I THINK THIS WILL ULTIMATELY BE RESOLVED IN A WAY THAT, THAT EVERYBODY'S HAPPY WITH.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? OKAY.
UH, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY THAT, THAT IN A SITUATION LIKE THAT, THIS AS, YOU KNOW, BEING ON THE COMMISSION AS SOMETHING LIKE THAT BLOWS UP, UM, UH, I HAD NO IDEA WHAT THE SHELTER OR THE CITY WAS DOING IN THIS CASE.
UH, AND THAT'S WHY IT'S NICE FOR US TO DISCUSS IT WITH YOU, DON.
SO WE CAN SUPPORT YOU, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE HEAR THAT SOMETHING'S HAPPENING, THAT THAT MAYBE PEOPLE DON'T LIKE.
UH, BUT ANYWAY, UH, WE'RE GOING TO, UH, WE'LL PUT THIS ON THE AGENDA AGAIN, IT'LL BE OLD BUSINESS, UH, IN JULY WHERE WE'LL HAVE A COMPLETE DOCUMENT AND WE CAN LOOK THIS OVER AND, UH, I THINK THAT'LL KIND OF COMPLETE, UH, THE ITEM, BUT ANYWAY, ANYBODY ELSE, IS THAT IN, IS THAT GOOD FOR THIS ISSUE? I THINK IT PROBABLY IS.
UH, IF NOBODY ELSE HAS ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS,
[2C. Dr. Brent Bellinger, Senior Environmental Scientist, Austin Watershed Protection, "Blue-green Algae and Dogs" (Part 2 of 2)]
LET'S GO BACK TO BRENT BECAUSE BRENT'S BACK ON NOW.I DON'T KNOW WHAT, UM, WHAT'S GOING ON IF THAT'S ON MY END, I'M AT OTC RIGHT NOW, SO I'M NOT SURE WHY I'M HAVING ISSUES THAT HASN'T HAPPENED BEFORE.
UH, WHAT WAS THE LAST SLIDE THAT Y'ALL SAW? UH, THE LAST SLIDES I REMEMBER SEEING WAS THE, THE GRAPHS WITH THE LITTLE BUBBLES GOING UP.
YOU DID, YOU DID KEEP TALKING AFTER THAT SLIDE.
YOU REFERENCED SLIDES AFTER IT.
SO I WILL PULL THOSE BACK UP AND MOVE THROUGH THEM, I GUESS, QUICKLY, UH, AND HOPE THAT IT DOESN'T FREEZE AGAIN, MAYBE WITH MY VIDEO OFF THAT THAT'LL HELP.
SO AGAIN, JUST REALLY QUICKLY REVISITING THESE SLIDES BECAUSE THE THREE PILLARS I THINK IS IMPORTANT TO, YOU KNOW, HISTORICALLY WHAT HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED AS BLUME DRIVERS FOR CYANOBACTERIA, JUST CAUSE YOU HAVE A LOT OF SIGN OF BACTERIA DOESN'T MEAN THAT THEY'RE GROWING A LOT.
UM, YOU KNOW, SO AGAIN, TO QUICKLY REVISIT, UH, YOU KNOW, THESE PICTURES ARE FROM RED BUD AISLE.
UH, THERE WAS JUST A LARGE CONGREGATION OF CYANOBACTERIA MATS.
UM, UNFORTUNATELY IN AREAS WHERE DOGS, YOU KNOW, TEND TO GET INTO THE WATER, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS LONG, LONG, LONG HAIR TO PCS.
[00:55:01]
WELL, I THINK WE'RE ALL OF THEM THAT PASS AWAY.UM, YOU KNOW, SO THIS IS MATERIAL, I MEAN, DESERT SWIMMING AND LAPPING UP WATER.
UH, THEY'RE ALSO GOING TO INADVERTENTLY INGEST SOME OF THE BATS AND IF THEY GET THE MATS IN THERE FOR, UM, THEY'RE GOING TO, UH, WHEN THEY'RE GROOMING ARE GOING TO INGEST IT, NOT THROUGH ANY FAULT OF THEIR OWN, THAT'S WHY IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR, UH, FOR DOG OWNERS, YOU KNOW, AVOID ALLERGY AT ALL COSTS.
AND AFTER ANY TIME IN THE WATER, MAKE SURE YOU RINSE THEM OFF REALLY WELL, JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S NO, NONE OF THAT ALGEBRA CEREAL IN THERE FOR REMAINING, UM, THE ALGAE THAT'S THERE, THE SPECIES, THESE ARE WELL-KNOWN TOXIC PRODUCERS.
UM, IT'S A VERY NASTY, UH, NEUROTOXIN.
UH, THAT'S WHY THE DOGS SAID GENERALLY, UH, WERE AFFECTED AND WENT DOWN WITHIN AN HOUR.
UM, YOU KNOW, AFTER COMING OUT OF REDWOOD AISLE, UH, ANTITOXIN AID IS KNOWN AS FAST ACTING DEATH FACTOR.
UH, IF YOU HEARD THAT BEFORE, I STILL, I THINK THAT'S STILL WORTH REPEATING, UH, THE PARTICULAR TOXIN THAT WAS IDENTIFIED DIHYDRO ANTITOXIN POTENTIALLY, UH, ACCORDING TO ONE STUDY IS FOUR TIMES MORE TOXIC.
UM, YOU KNOW, SO WE HAVE A LOT OF ALGAE OUT THERE AND THIS IS A REALLY POTENT THING THAT CAN REALLY IMPACT THE DOGS AFTER INGESTION.
UH, BUT THAT'S AN IMPORTANT THING TO NOTE.
UM, YOU HAVE TO ADJUST THE ALGAE FOR EXPOSURE TO THE TOXIN.
UH, WE REALLY HAVE YET, AND, AND, AND LCRA ALSO, UH, ESSENTIALLY, UM, YOU JUST DON'T SEE MUCH OF IT IN THE WATER, UH, IT'S BELOW ANY, UH, STATE OR FEDERAL CRITERIA.
SO IT REALLY COMES DOWN TO EXPOSURE TO THE ALGAE ITSELF.
AND THEN UNFORTUNATELY AMONGST ALL THE SITES IN LADY BIRD, LAKE REDBUD, UM, WE'VE FOUND IS THE MOST TOXIC, UH, OF THE MONITORED SITES.
UM, SO WE ARE, WE DO HAVE, UH, MONITORING LONG-TERM MONITORING AND SHORT-TERM MONITORING.
UM, AND THIS GIVES US CONTEXT FOR THE DATA THAT WE'RE SEEING, UH, YOU KNOW, W WE'RE ABLE TO COMPARE 20 YEARS OF PAST MONITORING DATA WITH WHAT WE'VE BEEN COLLECTING 20 19 20 20, AND CONTINUING IN 2021, UH, BECAUSE OF THE UNFORTUNATE DOG DEATHS, UH, THIS WINTER IN LAKE TRAVIS, UH, THE IDENTIFICATION TO TOXINS THAT A NUMBER OF HIGHLAND LAKES AND IN LIKE BELTON, UH, WE'VE ADDED LAKE AUSTIN, UH, TO OUR MONITORING PLAN AND PROGRAM.
WE'RE CONTINUING OUR COLLABORATION WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS, UH, TRACKING WATER QUALITY, UH, TRACKING OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL ATTRIBUTES, UH, SO THAT WE CAN REFINE AND BETTER DEVELOP MODELS TO PREDICT, UH, WHEN THESE THINGS MIGHT OCCUR, UH, W WHERE IT'S LIKELY TO BE THE MOST TOXIC, ET CETERA.
SO WE'RE, WE HAVE SOME PRETTY GOOD MODELS RIGHT NOW THAT ARE STARTING TO, UH, GIVE SOME INSIGHT INTO WHY RED, BLUE DIAL, UH, IS THE MOST TOXIC.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, REAL BRIEFLY, YOU KNOW, WHY DID THIS OCCUR IN 2019? WHY HASN'T THIS HAPPENED PREVIOUSLY, UH, YOU KNOW, AUSTIN, UH, MORE AND MORE PEOPLE HERE, MORE AND MORE PEOPLE IN DOGS USING THE PARKS.
SO YOUR CHANCE OF EXPOSURE IS OBVIOUSLY HIGHER, UH, WITH, WITH MORE PEOPLE, UH, BEING OUT THERE.
I MEAN, IF YOU THINK ABOUT HOW MANY PEOPLE USE RED BUD AISLE ON ANY GIVEN DAY, UH, TO ME, IT'S QUITE SHOCKING THAT THERE WEREN'T MORE DOG DEATHS, AND I'M VERY GLAD THAT THERE WERE NOT.
UM, SO YOU HAVE THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT, YOU KNOW, IN AUSTIN, IT'S ALWAYS HOT PLATE IN SUMMER, THERE'S ALWAYS RELATIVELY LOW FLOWS.
UM, SO THAT COMING BACK TO THE THREE PILLARS, YOU KNOW, KIND OF SUGGEST, YOU KNOW, THERE MUST BE SOMETHING DIFFERENT IN THE NUTRIENTS STORY, UH, IT LADY BIRD LAKE, AND, UM, WHAT WE FOUND IN OUR MONITORING IT'S 2019 AND 2020 RELATIVE TO THE PREVIOUS KIND OF FIVE-YEAR PERIOD WAS A LOT MORE AMMONIA AT AGE THREE AND PHOSPHOROUS, UH, BEING OUT IN THE WATER.
SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WAS, UH, QUITE SURPRISING, UM, FOR US, EXCEPT WHEN WE STARTED LOOKING AT WELL, WHAT ELSE HAD CHANGED IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS IN LADY BIRD LAKE, AND REALLY THERE'S TWO BIG EVENTS THAT WE THINK HAVE CAUSED THIS SHIFT IN THE NUTRIENTS, UH, DYNAMICS OUT THERE THAT ZEBRA MUSSELS, UM, AND LARGE SEDIMENT DEPOSITION EVENTS.
IF WE REMEMBER THE 2018 EVENT, UH, WHICH TURNED THE HIGHLIGHTS INTO CHOCOLATE MILK, THIS IS A LOT OF NEW ORGANIC MATTER AND NUTRIENTS COMING INTO THE SYSTEM, ZEBRA MUSSELS, WELL-DOCUMENTED WELL-KNOWN FOR CLARIFYING THE WATER COLUMN.
TRANSLOCATING ALL OF THAT NUTRIENTS TO THE BOTTOM, UH, WHERE THIS ALGAE IS GROWING.
UM, AND THEY IN PARTICULAR RECYCLE AMMONIA AND PHOSPHORUS.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF NON COINCIDENTAL LINKAGES THERE, THE RISES, THEY WERE MUSCLES AND THE HIGH LAKES IN 20 17, 20 18, AND THEN THE
[01:00:01]
FLIPPING OF THESE RESERVOIRS TO PRODUCING, UH, TO HAVING AND SUPPORTING TOXIC ALGAE LAKE TRAVIS LAKE BELT, AND THE OTHER HIGHLAND LAKES ARE ALL, UH, QUITE INFESTED WITH ZEBRA MUSCLES.SO THAT GETS US TO, UH, THE, THE MITIGATION PILOT PROJECT THAT WE'RE STARTING STARTED TECHNICALLY TODAY, UM, WHILE I WAS OUT.
AND WE REALLY CAN'T DO A BUNCH OF CONTROLLED ZEBRA MUSSELS, UNFORTUNATELY, AND JUST KILLING, UH, THE CYANOBACTERIA WITH ALGAE SALADS WHILE VERY EASY.
IT DOESN'T GET AT THE DRIVERS OF WHY THEY'RE GROWING.
THEY'RE JUST GONNA BOUNCE RIGHT BACK.
SO WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS WE WANT TO REDUCE THE NUTRIENTS, UH, THAT ARE OUT THERE, HOPEFULLY REDUCE THEIR GROWTH, UH, MAKE IT SO THAT IT'S TOO METABOLICALLY EXPENSIVE FOR THEM TO PRODUCE, UH, THE TOXINS.
AND TO DO THAT, WE'RE GOING TO GO AFTER THE PHOSPHOROUS AND NITROGEN, UH, NUTRIENTS THAT ARE OUT THERE, UH, THE WAY THAT WE'RE GOING TO DO THAT IS, AGAIN, A TWO-STEP, UH, KIND OF A TWO-PRONGED APPROACH.
UH, WE HAVE A CONTRACT IN PLACE NOW WITH SEA PRO EUTROPHICATION AND WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO BE DOING NEXT WEEK, STARTING NEXT WEEK, MONDAY IS THEY'RE GOING TO BE LAYING DOWN THIS REALLY FINE LAYER OF BENTONITE, UH, LANTHANUM MODIFIED BENTONITE.
SO THIS IS ESSENTIALLY CLAY, UH, THAT HAS BEEN IONICALLY MODIFIED WITH LANTHANUM.
LANTHANUM IS A WELL-KNOWN FOR BINDING PHOSPHATE, UM, OUT THERE, UH, IN OUR, UH, LOOKING AT THE DATA, LOOKING AT ALL THE POTENTIAL, UH, TREATMENT AND MITIGATION OPTIONS.
WE WANTED TO GO WITH SOMETHING THAT WAS ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY, A NERD, UH, WAS GOING TO HAVE LOW TO NO IMPACT ON, ON ANY OF THE, UH, UH, BIOTA WILDLIFE CRITTERS, UH, IN THE WATER OR THE RECREATIONAL USE OF LADY BIRD LAKE.
SO THAT'S WHY WE CHOSE THIS APPROACH, UH, VERY WELL, UH, STUDY THERE'S, UH, SOMETHING LIKE 70 OR 80 PEER REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS, UM, WHERE PHOS LOCK HAS BEEN APPLIED, DOCUMENTING HOW IT SHIFTS, UH, PHOSPHOROUS DYNAMICS IN A WATER BODY, AND ESSENTIALLY, UH, FROM THE INITIAL APPLICATION, AS IT'S SELLING THROUGH THE WATER COLUMN, IT'S BINDING PHOSPHOROUS.
AND THEN THE IMPORTANT PART, BECAUSE AGAIN, THIS WAS ALGAE THAT'S GROWING AT THE SEDIMENT WATER INTERFACE IS THAT THIS PHOS LOCK, UH, UH, CREATES A FINE LAYER, UH, INTO SURFACE SEDIMENTS AND COMPETES FOR ALL THAT PHOSPHOROUS AND ESSENTIALLY CREATES A CAP ON THE SEDIMENTS PREVENTING THAT EXCESS PHOSPHOROUS THAT IS LIBERATED IN SEDIMENTS WITH NO OXYGEN FROM BEING AVAILABLE TO THE CYANOBACTERIA.
UH, SO THAT'S, THAT'S A VERY IMPORTANT THING THAT WE'RE LOOKING TO TRACK AND DOCUMENT UP HERE.
UM, YOU CAN SEE THIS, UH, THIS PICTURE WHERE PHOS LOCK IS, HAS BEEN APPLIED, UH, ON THE LEFT, IN THAT POND.
UH, CLEARWATER, ESSENTIALLY, NO PLANKTONIC ALGAE GROWTH BECAUSE OF THAT LOSS OF, OF EXCESS PHOSPHORUS FOR GROWTH.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HOPING TO SEE OUT HERE.
THE OTHER APPROACH THOUGH, AGAIN, EVERY DAY, TOM MILLER DAM IS RELEASING A LITTLE BIT OF WATER, LOT OF NUTRIENTS IN THAT WATER, UH, COMING FROM THE BOTTOM OF, UH, OF LAKE AUSTIN.
UH, SO WE'RE PUTTING OUT BIO CHAR SOCKS, AND THIS IS ESSENTIALLY JUST ACTIVATED CHARCOAL, SAME THING YOU MIGHT HAVE IN A POOL FILTER IN YOUR BRITA FILTER OR SOMETHING ELSE LIKE THAT.
THIS IS WELL KNOWN MATERIAL FOR FILTERING OUT FINE, ORGANIC MATTER, AND FOR BINDING, UH, NUTRIENTS, UH, THE, THE MICROPORE STRUCTURE AND THE ABUNDANCE OF AVAILABLE IONIC SURFACES MAKES BIO CHAR REALLY GOOD AT SEQUESTERING TAKING UP BINDING NUTRIENTS.
SO IT'S NO LONGER AVAILABLE IN THE WATER FOR ALGAE GROWTH.
AND SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GOING FOR.
SO WE'RE GOING TO, UH, PUT IN A RAY OF 50 OF THESE BIO CHAR SOCKS AROUND ONE SIDE OF RED BUD AISLE.
UM, SO THAT, AND THAT'S KIND OF OUR TREATMENT SIDE SO THAT WE CAN LOOK AT WATER, NUTRIENT DYNAMICS, UH, KIND OF IN THE FLOW PATH, GOING THROUGH THE BIO CHAR VERSUS THE OTHER SIDE OF RIGHT BY THE AISLE, UH, WHERE THAT WATER IS NOT BEING FILTERED.
SO WE'RE TRACKING PHOSPHOROUS DYNAMICS IN THE SEDIMENT AND IN THE WATER, UH, OVER THE COURSE OF THE SUMMER TO HOPEFULLY SEE A REDUCTION THAT WAS AN IMPORTANT KIND OF CAVEATS TO THIS.
THIS IS NOT A SMOKING GUN CURE ALL.
UM, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A PILOT PROJECT.
UH, THE, THIS, THESE APPROACHES HAVE BEEN USED IN SMALLER PONDS OR DIFFERENT TYPES OF WATER BODIES GLOBALLY.
UM, HOW EFFECTIVELY IT WILL BE IN THIS TYPE OF RESERVOIR SYSTEM IS, YOU KNOW, KIND OF AN UNKNOWN THAT'S PART OF THE SCIENCE AND THE RESEARCH THAT'S GOING ON.
UM, YOU KNOW, SO WHEN WE DO OUR FIRST APPLICATION NEXT MONDAY, THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT REDBUD IS NOW SAFE FOR ALL DOGS TO START GOING INTO THE WATER.
OTHER PARTS OF THE RESERVOIR, YOU KNOW, ALL ALLERGIES ARE STILL BE TREATED AS TOXIC, BUT
[01:05:01]
IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO MONITOR, UPDATE ON OUR WEBSITE ON OUR DASHBOARD, ALGAE, TEXAS.GOV, BACKSLASH ALGAE.UH, SO WE WILL PROVIDE UPDATES HOW THE PILOT PROJECT IS GOING AND WHAT WE'RE FINDING WITH OUR ROUTINE MONITORING, UH, SO THAT PEOPLE, UM, HAVE AN IDEA OF, OF, OF WHAT WE'RE SEEING AND, YOU KNOW, JUST KIND OF KEEPING TRACK OF THE RESULTS OUT THERE.
SO WITH THAT, I WILL OPEN IT UP TO QUESTIONS.
HOPEFULLY EVERYONE SAW THOSE LAST SLIDES THAT TIME.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT PRESENTATION.
AND IT WAS REALLY INTERESTING AND DEFINITELY TOOK ME BACK TO HIGH SCHOOL BIOLOGY.
SO I DID MY BEST TO KEEP UP, BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT.
I GUESS, FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE, YOU KNOW, I HAVE FRIENDS AND FAMILY AND ALL OVER AUSTIN, THAT THE CONSTANT QUESTION IS, IS IT SAFE? IS IT SAFE FOR MY DOG TO GO IN THE WATER? AND SO FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE, UM, WHAT, WHAT IS THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION RIGHT NOW? I MEAN, IS IT PROCEED WITH CAUTION? THERE ARE NEVER A HUNDRED PERCENT SURE.
SO, UM, I WOULD ACT AS THOUGH THERE IS ALWAYS A POSSIBILITY, UM, IS THAT THE, IS THAT THE BEST RESPONSE FOR PET OWNERS OR IS THIS SOMETHING WHERE WE REALLY DO THINK 2019 WAS SORT OF A, A FREAK ACCIDENT AND, YOU KNOW, THE CITY IS DOING SUCH A GOOD JOB OF MONITORING IT NOW THAT THE CHANCES ARE, ARE SLIM TO NONE.
THERE'S A LOT IN THERE, UM, TO, TO TEASE APART, YOU KNOW, WHERE THE, THE, THE KIND OF MESSAGING THAT WE'RE GOING TOWARDS, YOU KNOW, IN LIGHT OF, UH, WHAT HAPPENED IN THE OTHER HIGHLAND LAKES AND, AND JUST FOR CLARIFICATION, YOU KNOW, LCRA IS MONITORING EVERYTHING, UH, ABOVE MANSFIELD DAM, YOU KNOW, SO MORE INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND ON THEIR WEBSITE, WHAT THEY'RE SEEING IN THE OTHER HIGHLAND LAKES, BUT IN LIGHT OF, YOU KNOW, THAT EVENT, THIS WINTER, YOU KNOW, IT REALLY SHOWS THAT THIS TYPE OF ALGAE, THIS, THIS TYPE OF GROWTH, WELL, THEY'RE NOT GROWING AS ABUNDANTLY IN THE WINTER.
IT WAS COOLER TEMPERATURES, BUT THEY CAN STILL BE PRESENT AND POTENTIALLY TOXIC ENOUGH.
SO REALLY IF YOU SEE ALGAE, YOU JUST KIND OF MINIMIZE, UH, YOUR INTERACTION WITH IT.
YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE, IF YOU SEE, YOU KNOW, AND THIS IS MOST LIKELY GOING TO BE IN, IN LARGER WATER BODY SYSTEMS, YOU KNOW, UH, THE CREEKS, THE URBAN CREEKS, UM, YOU KNOW, ALWAYS PROCEED WITH CAUTION E-COLI, UM, OTHER PARASITES AND OTHER ISSUES, YOU KNOW, THAT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, PART OF THE URBAN CREEK SYNDROME.
UH, YOU KNOW, YOU GO OUT TO PLACES THOUGH, UH, YOU KNOW, OUT WEST, UH, WHERE YOU HAVE A LOT CLEARER WATER, CLEANER WATER, LOW NUTRIENTS, YOU KNOW, THESE, THESE TYPICAL HILL COUNTRY, UH, RIVERS AND CREEKS, YOU KNOW, MUCH, MUCH LOWER RISK.
UM, AGAIN, YOU DON'T WANT YOUR DOG EATING STRAY ALGAE, BUT GETTING INTO THE WATER, UH, PROBABLY MUCH LOWER RISK, BUT IF YOU'RE GOING TO BE INTERACTING WITH THE RESERVOIRS, DEFINITELY DO YOUR BEST TO AVOID ANY ALGAE.
UH, SO THAT'S, THAT'S, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'RE GETTING TO WITH THAT, YOU KNOW, THE 2019, UM, AGAIN, THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS, UH, GLOBALLY, UH, YOU KNOW, JUST NOT A COMMON OCCURRENCE.
IT IS UNFORTUNATELY OCCURRING MORE OFTEN.
UM, AND WE WERE HOPING IT WAS GOING TO BE AN ISOLATED INCIDENT, UH, BUT IN 2020, YOU KNOW, WE, WE SAW THE SAME TOXIN, THE SAME SPECIES PRESENT, UM, OUT THROUGHOUT THE RESERVOIR.
AND TO YOUR POINT, UH, YOU KNOW, WE DID NOT HAVE ANY REPORTED DOG DEATHS LAST YEAR, AND WE BELIEVE THAT THAT WAS DUE TO EFFECTIVE MESSAGING, EDUCATIONS, SIGNAGE, UH, THE DASHBOARD, EVERYTHING, JUST GETTING THE WORD OUT THERE AND MAKING PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, REALLY KIND OF HYPER AWARE OF THEIR SURROUNDINGS, UM, AND, AND TAKING THE NECESSARY PRECAUTIONS IS, IS REALLY WHAT HELPED KEEP, UH, ALL THE DOGGOS SAFE.
SO, YOU KNOW, 20, 21, NOW WE'RE LOOKING AT, AT THAT, WE ASSUME IT'S GOING TO BE BACK.
IT WAS A LOT OF ALGAE CRANKING.
UM, IT'S REALLY HOT OUT THERE, UH, FLOWS DISCHARGES THROUGH THE HIGH LAKES.
I'VE HAD LOWER, UH, IN MAY THAN TYPICAL, UH, BECAUSE WE'VE ACTUALLY HAD SO MUCH RAIN SO THAT DONALD RIVER NEEDS ARE BASICALLY BEING MET BY BASE LOW.
SO UNFORTUNATELY WHAT THAT'S PROBABLY DONE IS SHIFTED THE TIMELINE, MAKING THE POTENTIAL FOR TOXIC ALGEBRA AND PRESENT EARLIER EVEN THAN LAST YEAR.
SO YES, DEFINITELY BE CAUTIOUS, ESPECIALLY AT RED BLOOD AISLE.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? YEAH, I HAVE A QUESTION.
SO, UM, WITH THESE, THESE TWO, UM, MITIGATING FACTOR THAT THE CHARCOAL THINGS AND THE CLAY-LIKE SUBSTANCE, THEY'RE BOTH BEING DEPLOYED AROUND RED BUD, OR IS IT THE CHARCOAL AROUND RED BUD? THE IS GOING SOMEWHERE ELSE WHERE WE'RE DOING BOTH APPROACHES AT REDBUD, UM, YOU KNOW, FOR THE,
[01:10:01]
UH, FOR THE BIO CHAR, UH, WE'RE TARGETING A SMALLER AREA, UM, YOU KNOW, JUST TO KIND OF GET A FEEL FOR HOW EFFECTIVE THAT MIGHT BE FOR THE FOSS LOCK.UH, WE'RE GOING TO DO, UH, WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO GET BASICALLY AS CLOSE TO, UH, THE DAM AS LCRA WILL BE COMFORTABLE WITH, UM, AND, YOU KNOW, KIND OF THE 20 OR SO ACRES AROUND RED BUD, UH, GETTING BOTH SIDES EAST AND WEST SIDES AND, UH, YOU KNOW, MAYBE A HUNDRED METERS DOWN RIVER FROM RED, BUT I'LL SHORELINE TO SHORELINE.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE TARGETING A PRETTY, UH, WIDE SWAT THERE.
UM, BUT YEAH, SO THERE'S THAT, BUT THAT IS THE FOCUS OF OUR PILOT PROJECT.
UH, NOT ONLY IS IT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE MOST TOXIC SITE, BUT WE FELT, YOU KNOW, KIND OF THE BEST PLACE TO, TO TEST THIS OUT.
UM, BEFORE WE, WE TRY TO DO SOME OF THIS, UH, YOU KNOW, LARGER SCALE.
AND THEN MY UP QUESTION IS, UM, WHEN DO YOU EXPECT THAT SOME INITIAL RESULTS WILL BE AVAILABLE? YEAH.
UH, GREAT QUESTION, OBVIOUSLY, UH, EVERYBODY'S CHOMPING AT THE BIT I, MYSELF INCLUDED.
I'M VERY EXCITED TO SEE HOW THIS PANS OUT.
UM, SO, UH, UH, I, UH, THE FIRST FOSS LOCK TREATMENT IS, UH, NEXT WEEK, MONDAY, UM, I WILL BE COLLECTING, UH, SUBSEQUENT SAMPLES, UM, I BELIEVE TWO WEEKS AFTER THAT TREATMENT.
SO KIND OF LETTING EVERYTHING SETTLE, UH, GET MIXED IN, LET IT DO ITS THING.
UM, S AND, YOU KNOW, I, I'M NOT QUITE SURE WHAT THE TURNAROUND, THE LAB TURNAROUND TIME IS FROM, UM, C PRO, UH, BUT FOR THE ROUTINE MONITORING, UH, THE WEBSITE AND THE DASHBOARD SHOULD BE GOING LIVE, HOPEFULLY THIS WEEK WITH THE INFORMATION.
SO WE'LL, THERE'LL BE SOME UPDATES ON THERE.
AND AS SOON AS WE GET INFORMATION AND DATA, UH, YOU KNOW, WE WILL UPDATE, THAT'S KIND OF VAGUE, BUT THE BEST I CAN DO RIGHT NOW IS, YOU KNOW, IT'S ALL REALLY DEPENDENT ON LAB TURNAROUND TIMES, UT UH, YOU KNOW, WE'RE STILL KIND OF, UH, BEHIND THE EIGHT BALL BECAUSE OF COVID TESTING.
THEIR EQUIPMENT IS STILL IN HIGH DEMAND FOR THAT.
UM, YOU KNOW, SO THE TURNAROUND TIME HASN'T BEEN AS QUICK AS, UH, AS 2020, UM, WHICH WAS SLOWER THAN 2019, BUT, YOU KNOW, UH, UH, THOSE THINGS TAKE PRECEDENT, OBVIOUSLY.
UM, WE'RE DOING THE BEST WE CAN, I HAVE A QUESTION, UH, SORT OF A FOLLOWUP TO THAT.
ONE IS WHAT IS THE TOTAL COST OF THIS TREATMENT, DO YOU THINK, AND WHERE'S THAT MONEY COMING FROM? UH, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
UH, THE CONTRACT, UH, FOR THIS YEAR, UM, IS, UH, JUST UNDER $300,000, UH, THAT INCLUDES PURCHASING THE PHOS LOC, UH, GETTING A CONTRACTOR TO APPLY IT.
WE'RE GOING TO DO THREE APPLICATIONS OF THAT, 120,000 POUNDS.
SO IT'S NOT ALL GOING IN AT ONE TIME, UH, BUT IT'S GOING TO BE SPREAD OUT OVER A, THROUGH THREE WEEKS BETWEEN EACH TREATMENT.
UM, AND THEN THERE'S ALSO, UH, THAT, THAT INCLUDES, UH, WATER QUALITY ANALYSIS, SEDIMENT ANALYSIS, AND WE'RE DOING A BENCHTOP, UH, PILOT PROJECT TO LOOK AT WAYS THAT WE CAN CONTROL THE ALGAE, UH, ITSELF.
THIS MONEY IS COMING FROM, UH, THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECT FUNDS, CIP FUNDING.
UH, THIS WAS KIND OF LOOKED AT HOW IT FIT WITHIN THAT FRAMEWORK OF A BOOTS ON THE GROUND, YOU KNOW, NOT QUITE ENGINEERING, BUT, UH, PROACTIVE, UH, MANAGEMENT, UH, TECHNIQUE AND, AND APPROACH TO ADDRESSING A WATER QUALITY ISSUE.
UM, YOU KNOW, SO THESE ARE THINGS THAT A WATERSHED PROTECTION, UH, PART OF OUR MANDATE IS TRYING TO ENSURE THAT OUR CREEKS AND OUR WATERWAYS ARE, UH, SWIMMABLE, FISHABLE, RECREATION, SUPPORT ALL THESE ECOSYSTEM SERVICES, NOT JUST FOR HUMANS, BUT ALSO FOR OTHER BIOTA.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE THE BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES THAT WE CAN BRING, UH, TO ENSURE, UH, THE MOST ECOSYSTEM SERVICES ARE BEING PROVIDED? UM, SO THAT'S, THAT'S THE FUNDING SOURCE, UH, FOR, FOR THIS YEAR, FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE FOR THE NEXT FOUR YEARS.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? UM, LET'S SEE, UH, BELINDA HAD PROVIDED ME WITH A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS BEFORE THE PRESENTATION, SO I'LL JUST REVISIT THOSE REALLY QUICKLY, UH, KIND OF VERY SIMILAR TO THE FIRST QUESTION OF, YOU KNOW, WHERE IS THIS SAFE TO TAKE YOUR DOG, UM, YOU KNOW, PLAY IT BY EAR, HAVE A LOOK AT WHERE THE WATER IS COLD, GOOD FLOW AFTER A RAINFALL, YOU PRETTY MUCH WANT TO AVOID MOST WATER BODIES, UH, FOR AT LEAST, YOU KNOW, 48 HOURS, UH, JUST BECAUSE OF THE COLA AND OTHER ISSUES, UH, YOU KNOW, THINGS THAT ARE RUNNING OFF INTO THE WATERWAYS, UM, WITH
[01:15:01]
A REALLY BIG RAIN OR FLUSHING OF THE RIVERS HELP THE ISSUE.UH, IT HAS A VERY SHORT-TERM EFFECT.
UM, THE ALGAE HAVE, UH, THERE ARE SPORES THERE, THERE ARE CELLS IN THE SEDIMENTS.
SO WHILE YOU MAY FLUSH AWAY THE STUFF, THAT'S AT THE SURFACE, AND YOU'RE JUST GOING TO GET A RESURGENCE OF A GROWTH FROM THE BOTTOM.
AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE TAKING THIS APPROACH OF TRYING TO GO AFTER THE NUTRIENTS TO TRY TO SLOW OR INHIBIT THAT GROWTH INSTEAD OF JUST KILLING THE ALGAE, WHICH, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, IT'S JUST, SO YOU TALK ABOUT A SMALL BANDAID, SHORT TERM SOLUTION, VERY EXPENSIVE.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, WE, WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO BE MINDFUL, UH, TO, TO KIND OF CRAIG'S POINT, YOU KNOW, HOW WE UTILIZE, UH, TAXPAYER FUNDS TO TRY TO GET THE MOST BANG FOR OUR BUCK OUT THERE.
UM, AND THEN, UH, THE LAST QUESTION, UH, IN ADDITION TO KEEPING PETS OUT OF HOTSPOTS, WHAT ELSE CAN CITIZENS DO TO MITIGATE THE ISSUE? UM, AND THIS THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION, PROBABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT THING WITH THIS, WITH THIS TYPE OF MITIGATION APPROACH, AND THIS IS KNOWN, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, NOT LIKE A BIG SECRET IF YOU'RE NOT TAKING MEASURES AND APPROACHES AT THE WATERSHED SCALE, UM, BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES, HAVING BUFFER STRIPS, UH, DEALING WITH LEAKY INFRASTRUCTURE WASTEWATER, UM, YOU KNOW, KEEP MAINTAINING BANDS ON WASTEWATER DISCHARGE, IF YOU DON'T HAVE, OR IMPROVE THOSE ATTRIBUTES IN THE WATERSHED.
YOU'RE JUST GOING TO ESSENTIALLY RESET THE SYSTEM WITH THE NUTRIENTS.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE FOSSIL, I CAN ONLY BIND SO MUCH, THE BIO CHAR CAN ONLY BIND SO MUCH, SO YOU NEED TO REDUCE THOSE INPUTS, UH, THOSE EXTERNAL INPUTS TO, UH, FULLY GET THE ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION AND REHABILITATION THAT YOU WANT.
UM, YOU KNOW, SO FOR, TO THOSE THAT ARE LIVING IN THE LADY, BIRD, LAKE WATERSHED, UH, YOU KNOW, USING NATIVE LANDSCAPING, GETTING RID OF YOUR LAWNS THAT REQUIRE FERTILIZERS, UM, PUTTING IN RAIN GARDENS, PUTTING IN CISTERNS, YOU KNOW, FOR THOSE THAT ARE, UH, FURTHER, YOU KNOW, UH, NOT, NOT LANDSCAPING, NOT HAVING LAWNS RIGHT UP TO YOUR CREEK, LEAVING BUFFER STRIPS, MAKING SURE YOUR SEPTIC IS WORKING WELL AND BEING PROACTIVE, UM, TO PREVENT, UH, WASTEWATER DISCHARGES FROM BEING PERMITTED AND ALLOWED, UM, IN THE BASIN, YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE EDUCATIONAL APPROACHES THAT US AND OUR PARTNERS PROFIT NON-PROFIT GOVERNMENT ARE TRYING TO REALLY TRY TO PUSH AND PROMOTE, UM, AT A LARGE SCALE TO, TO HELP WITH THIS ISSUE.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR BRANT? WELL, I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU, BRENT, FOR COMING HERE AND GIVING US THIS PRESENTATION, APOLOGIES THAT IT WAS CHOPPED UP.
AND I JUST WANT TO TELL EVERYBODY THAT, THAT WHEN YOU PAY THAT DRAINAGE FEE ON YOUR UTILITY BILL, THE DRAINAGE FEE IS WHAT GOES TO PAY FOR THESE REALLY GOOD SCIENTISTS WE HAVE AND THE WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPARTMENT.
SO I GET ON TOP OF SOMETHING LIKE THIS, CAUSE THIS, YOU KNOW, OUR WORLD IS GETTING MORE COMPLICATED AND WE NEED TO GET ON TOP OF IT BECAUSE THESE ARE IMPORTANT.
I THINK THIS IS AN IMPORTANT ISSUE, AND I'M GLAD WE HAVE SOMEONE OF BRAND'S CALIBER TO DEAL WITH IT, BUT I, I APPRECIATE, UM, AND I MEAN, AUSTIN, UH, I'VE, I'VE WORKED AT THE STATE AND FEDERAL LEVEL AND THE, THE PROGRAMS THAT AUSTIN HAS IN PLACE ARE, ARE ABSOLUTELY AMAZING.
UM, YOU KNOW, LIKE I SAID, THE, THE DATA THAT I'M ABLE TO, UH, DRAW FROM AND REFERENCE, UH, FOR CONTEXT OF WHAT I'M SEEING NOW, YOU KNOW, SEEING 2025 YEARS OF MONITORING DATA IS, IS ABSOLUTELY STAGGERING.
AND, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE STATES THAT THAT ARE NOWHERE NEAR AS WELL, STUDIED, EQUIPPED, AND, UH, DATA FORWARD AS AUSTIN.
SO, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A PLACE THAT LOVES US, OUTDOORS HAS RESOURCES, UM, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, HAVING WATERSHED PROTECTION, THOSE FUNDING, UH, AVENUES AVAILABLE REALLY GIVE US THAT OPPORTUNITY TO TRY TO PROTECT THESE AS BEST WE CAN AND, YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY ENHANCE THESE WATER BODIES.
SO, YOU KNOW, I'M GRATEFUL FOR ALL Y'ALL THAT ALSO PAY YOUR TAXES AND THOSE TYPES OF FEES TOO.
SO WE SHOULD TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UH, THE AGENDA, WHICH I THINK, UM, WE SHOULD, ALL THE OLD BUSINESS COMES FORWARD AND ITEM FOUR A CAN BECOME OLD BUSINESS AND WE CAN GET AN UPDATE ON THE, THE REWRITTEN AGREEMENT.
[5. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY OTHER AGENDA ITEMS THEY'D LIKE TO PUT ON?[01:20:02]
SORRY, CRAIG, THIS IS RYAN DIDN'T.YOU WANT TO ADD, UM, UH, AN ITEM TO GET MORE INFORMATION ON THE EMAIL THAT WE GOT FROM THE POLICE DEPARTMENT ABOUT THE, UM, THAT'S EXACTLY.
I THINK YOU ALL GOT THIS EMAIL, UH, FROM THE APD WHO'S WHO, BECAUSE OF, UM, OF, UH, UH, LOWERED FUNDING LEVEL FOR THE POLICE, THERE'S SEARCHING FOR INPUT AS TO WHETHER THEY SHOULD CUT, UH, THE ANIMAL CRUELTY PROGRAM.
AND I THINK WE MIGHT WANT TO DISCUSS THIS AND WEIGH IN ON THIS AND, AND, AND ADVISE WHO WE CAN.
I THINK IT'S PRETTY MUCH THE CITY COUNCIL THAT WE, UH, WHAT WE THINK ABOUT THAT.
THANK YOU FOR REMINDING ME, RYAN.
UH, ANYTHING ELSE ANYBODY CAN THINK OF? WELL, IF YOU COME UP WITH ANY ISSUES DURING THE MONTH, YOU KNOW, TWO, TWO COMMISSIONERS WANT SOMETHING ON THE AGENDA.
WE WERE, WILL WE PUT IT ON THE AGENDA? UH, CAUSE THAT'S HOW THIS WORKS.
THAT'S HOW WE'RE TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, KEEP THE DISCUSSION GOING, WHICH I THINK IS IMPORTANT.
WELL THEN IF THERE'S NOTHING ELSE, UH, WHAT I WANT TO DO IS I WANT TO ANNOUNCE THE ADJOURNMENT OF, UH, THE ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION MEETING AT 7 22