[CALL TO ORDER ]
[00:00:03]
I'M THE VICE CHAIR OF THE AUSTIN ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION AND ACTING AS CHAIR TODAY BECAUSE OUR CHAIR DRAG NASER IS UNDER THE WEATHER TODAY.
HE'S ABLE TO PARTICIPATE, BUT WAS NOT ABLE TO ATTEND IN PERSON AND CRAIG.
WE HOPE YOU FEEL BETTER VERY, VERY SOON.
UM, I WOULD REMIND EVERYONE THAT, UM, TO SPEAK UP, IF YOU HAVE A CONFLICT OF INTEREST ON ANY ITEM, UH, AND THEN WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE LIST OF SPEAKERS.
TODAY IS FEBRUARY 14TH, 2022, AND IT IS 6:00 PM.
SO LET'S GO DOWN THE LIST REAL QUICK.
IT LOOKS LIKE MONICA FRIEND AND IS ABSENT JOANNE NORTON HERE.
UM, SOMEONE WHO'S WATCHING MESSAGED ME AND SAID THEY COULDN'T HEAR ANYTHING.
SO I JUST WANTED TO LET THE IT GROUP KNOW.
UM, BUT WE'LL LET THEM KNOW THEY'RE HERE.
I'LL JUST GO ON AND THEN WE'LL, WE'LL STOP TO SEE IF WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING.
A LOT OF SMUGGLER, LUIS HERRERA, AND BAYER TO LIST THOSE ITEMS HERE.
DO WE NEED TO DO ANYTHING WITH THE FACT THAT SOME PEOPLE CAN'T HEAR US OR SHOULD WE JUST MOVE ON? CAN YOU STAND BY REAL QUICK, PLEASE? READY.
HE SAID THEY CAN, I'VE HEARD EVERY PART OF THE MEETING SO FAR.
I HEARD THE FACEBOOK PEOPLE CAN'T HEAR IT.
CAN YOU HEAR THIS CHECK 1, 1, 2.
I'M NOT A MEMBER OF ANY MORE, BUT YEAH, I COULD SEE IT.
I CAN SEE IT ON THE VIEW HERE.
OH, I'D LIKE IT, IT COMES UP THE WORDS.
I JUST TEXTED A COUPLE PEOPLE THAT I KNEW WERE LISTENING AND THEY ALL SAID THEY CAN HEAR EVERYTHING FINE.
THANKS VERY MUCH FOR HANDLING THAT.
UM, WE HAVE A NUMBER OF REGISTERED SPEAKERS BEFORE, UM, BEFORE WE DO THAT THOUGH, I'D LIKE TO WELCOME OUR NEWEST COMMISSIONER.
UM, BAYER, AS I UNDERSTAND, UH, YOU, YOU PREFER TO BE CALLED, UM, IF YOU'D LIKE, WOULD YOU LIKE TO INTRODUCE YOURSELF QUICKLY? YES.
UM, I'M HONORED AND FLATTERED TO BE PART OF THIS COMMISSION, UH, HAVE BEEN AUSTIN FOR ALMOST 30 YEARS, CAME TO UT AND, UH, I LOVED THE CITY.
I LOVE WHAT THE CITY, UH, HOW WE HAVE BECOME A NO KILL CITY.
AND, UM, I HOPE TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE CONVERSATION AND CONTINUED THE RIGHT PATH TO TAKE CARE OF THE ANIMALS.
WE APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE AND BEING A PART OF THE COMMISSION.
[CITIZEN COMMUNICATION: GENERAL ]
SO WE HAVE A NUMBER OF SPEAKERS, UH, REGISTERED.THE SPEAKERS WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES.
UM, AS A REMINDER, IF YOU'RE ON THE PHONE, WE DON'T HAVE ANY POWER HERE, UH, TO CUT OFF THAT MIC, UH, THAT HAPPENS, UH, NOT IN THIS ROOM.
SO YOU WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES AND, UH, AT LEAST IN MY PAST EXPERIENCE THAT THAT'S ALL YOU'LL GET.
UM, THE FIRST SPEAKER IS JOANNE
[00:05:06]
THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN CRAIG DOESN'T SHOW UP TO BE IN CHARGE ALL HECK BREAKS, LOOSE.I'M A CURRENT VOLUNTEER AT THE AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER AND I WALKED DOGS FOR FOUR HOURS TWICE A WEEK.
I'VE BEEN AT THE SHELTER FOR ALMOST FIVE YEARS.
UM, I HELPED DO OTHER VARIOUS THINGS, MAKING SURE ALL THE DOGS GET KURANDA BEDS AND HOPEFULLY IN THE FUTURE, WHEN IT'S SAFE, I WILL CONTINUE LEADING ONE-TIME PUBLIC GROUPS.
UM, THE REASON I'M SPEAKING TODAY IS TO REQUEST THAT AN ITEM BE PUT ON MARCH'S AGENDA.
THE ITEM WILL BE TO FORM A WORKING GROUP THAT WILL HAVE COMMUNITY INPUT ABOUT THE ANIMAL SERVICES BUDGET, BEING AT THE SHELTER, AS MUCH AS I AM.
I SEE A NEED EACH AND EVERY TIME OVER EVERY SINGLE YEAR, WHETHER IT'S CORONAVIRUS TIME OR NOT, UM, FOR NEED FOR MORE STAFF IN VARIOUS AREAS, SUCH AS ANIMAL CARE DOG, WALKING BEHAVIOR, TEAM MEMBERS, TO HELP WITH BEHAVIOR ISSUES AND DEFINITELY PLAYGROUP.
UM, WE'RE OFTEN ALSO SHORT ON KENNELS.
SO THE POSSIBILITY OF HAVING A SATELLITE LOCATION, WHICH I KNOW HAS BEEN IN TALKS FOR YEARS AND YEARS, UM, IS ONE THAT I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE DISCUSSED IN THIS WORKING GROUP.
UM, IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE COMMUNITY TO HAVE INPUT AND FOR US TO ADVOCATE FOR OUR SHELTER AND THIS WORKING GROUP WILL BE JUST THAT.
IT'D BE PUT ON MARCH'S AGENDA AND THANKS SO MUCH.
I'VE BEEN A RESIDENT OF NORTH AUSTIN FOR 30 YEARS.
AND FOR MOST OF THAT 30 YEARS I'VE BEEN WORKING IN ONE CAPACITY OR ANOTHER TO ADVOCATE FOR THE WELFARE OF ANIMALS.
30 YEARS IS A LONG TIME AND I'VE SEEN MANY, MANY CHANGES IN AUSTIN, BUT ONE THING REALLY HASN'T CHANGED OVERALL.
THERE ARE TOO MANY UNWANTED DOGS AND CATS AND THEY ARE SUFFERING.
THE SHELTER RIGHT NOW IS AGAIN, FILLED TO CAPACITY AND BEGGING AUSTINITES TO EITHER FOSTER OR ADOPT FOR FREE GIVING AWAY ANIMALS VERY QUICKLY.
AND FOR FREE IS A VERY, VERY UNDESIRABLE WAY OF DEALING WITH THIS ISSUE.
EVEN IF IT'S A TEMPORARY ONCE IN AWHILE TYPE OF THING.
UM, THE CITY IS FULL OF, UH, TNR, TRAPPERS, VOLUNTEERS, SHELTER WORKERS, RESCUE GROUPS, AGENCIES, EVERYBODY IS WANTS TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM.
REALLY HARDWORKING, DEDICATED PEOPLE WHO REALLY CARE ABOUT ANIMALS, BUT IT NEVER QUITE HAPPENS.
IT NEVER QUITE COMES TOGETHER.
AND THAT'S BECAUSE THERE'S A GIANT PIECE OF THE PUZZLE MISSING.
AND THAT PIECE IS SPAY NEUTER OR SPAY.
NEUTER IS SOMETIMES DISMISSED AS NOT THAT IT'S NOT THAT IMPORTANT, WHICH IS TOTALLY BAFFLING.
UM, OTHER TIMES IT IS ACKNOWLEDGED, BUT IT'S NOT GIVEN QUITE ENOUGH MONEY OR RESOURCES OR TIME OR ATTENTION TO MAKE A REAL DENT IN THE PROBLEM FIXING THIS IS GOING TO TAKE EVERYBODY COMING TOGETHER.
EVERY PERSON, EVERY SHELTER, EVERY WELFARE GROUP TO TRULY FIX THIS AND NOT JUST PUT TEMPORARY BAND-AIDS ON IT.
THEY NEUTER NEEDS TO BE PROMOTED THROUGH EDUCATION.
IT NEEDS TO BE WIDELY AVAILABLE AND IT NEEDS TO BE PROPERLY FUNDED.
I'M ASKING THE ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION TO TAKE ON TO FORM A WORKING GROUP ON SPAY NEUTER TO FIND OUT IF THE FUNDING IS ADEQUATE, FIND OUT IF THE SHELTER IS GETTING WHAT THEY NEED SPECIFICALLY FOR SPAY-NEUTER.
AND IS IT GOING SPECIFIC SPECIFICALLY TO SPAY NEUTER ALSO, HOW CAN WE MAKE IT MORE AVAILABLE AND AFFORDABLE TO EVERYONE IN EVERY PART OF TOWN? YOU KNOW, THERE WAS A TIME WHEN PEOPLE WERE VERY RELUCTANT TO HAVE THEIR ANIMALS FIXED.
EVEN I WAS ONCE BECAUSE I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND THE PROBLEM AND HOW I WAS CONTRIBUTING TO IT.
IF I THINK NOWADAYS MOST PEOPLE UNDERSTAND AND THEY REALLY DO WANT TO GET THEIR PETS FIXED, BUT IT'S DIFFICULT.
IT'S MUCH MORE DIFFICULT THAN IT NEEDS TO BE OR SHOULD BE.
WE NEED TO MAKE IT AVAILABLE AND AFFORDABLE.
IF WE DO, I THINK MOST PEOPLE WILL DO THE RIGHT THING.
AND THE HELPFUL THING I KNOW SPAY-NEUTER, ISN'T THE MOST EXCITING TOPIC IN THE WORLD AND IT OFTEN FAILS TO CAPTURE PEOPLE'S INTEREST OR ATTENTION, BUT IT IS THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT THING WE CAN DO TO HELP SOLVE THE SEEMINGLY NEVER ENDING PROBLEM OF STRAY ANIMALS, OVERCROWDED SHELTER, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, THE SUFFERING OF
[00:10:01]
UNWANTED ANIMALS.SO I, I W ASK ONCE AGAIN, IF THE ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION COULD PLEASE CONSIDER FORMING A WORKING GROUP TO DEAL WITH THE ISSUE OF SPAY-NEUTER.
THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME SPEAK.
UM, I WAS ACTUALLY WONDERING IF I SHOULD BE TIMING, SO I'M GLAD THAT'S BEING TAKEN CARE OF.
NEXT ON THE LIST IS BEVERLEY LUNA.
ARE YOU THERE? BEVERLY? WE COULD NOT LOCATE YOU IF YOU ARE LISTENING.
UM, YOU MAY WANT TO ATTEMPT TO CALL BACK IN.
HELLO, RON, CAN YOU HEAR US? YES, I CAN HEAR YOU.
CAN YOU HEAR ME? WE CAN PLEASE GO AHEAD.
DO YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES? HI, I'M FROM EL PASO, TEXAS.
AND I WANTED TO GIVE YOU GUYS A IDEA OF WHAT ACTUALLY IS HAPPENING IN EL PASO.
OUR SHELTER, WE WENT TO THE AUSTIN PETS ALIVE HAAS PROGRAM HAS BECOME A COMPLETE DISASTER.
WE HAD PETS, STRAYS RUNNING LOOSE EVERYWHERE.
OUR SHELTER IS A COMPLETE DISASTER.
OUR SHELTER IS AVERAGING A LITTLE OVER 550 LESS ADOPTIONS A MONTH BECAUSE THE COMMUNITY OF EL PASO IS FED UP WITH EVERYTHING THAT'S GOING ON WITH OUR SHELTER.
OUR RESCUES ARE ABOUT 1800 DOWN.
UH, FOR 10 MONTHS, 2021 ARE RETURNED TO OWNER.
ACCORDING TO OUR DIRECTOR IS 38%, WHICH IS A PRETTY COMMON NUMBER FOR HAAS PROGRAM, UH, SHELTERS.
HOWEVER, OURS IS NOT EVER ACHIEVED IT, EVEN THOUGH THEY'VE ACTUALLY SAID THEY HAVE, UM, ONE OF OUR BIGGEST PROBLEMS IS THE DISHONESTY THAT'S COMING FROM OUR SHELTER.
AND THE COMMENTS THAT ARE MADE ARE NOT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIATED.
BY FACT, OUR, UH, ONE OF OUR MANAGERS SAID TO OUR MAYOR THE OTHER DAY, OUR REASON WHY OUR SHELTER ADOPTIONS ARE LOW IS BECAUSE THERE'S A 60% DECREASE IN ADOPTIONS NATIONWIDE.
UM, IF YOU CHECK, YOU WILL FIND OUT THERE'S A 21% DECREASE IN ADOPTIONS AND TEXAS IS ACTUALLY ABOVE THE AVERAGE.
SO I, I, I, AGAIN, WE HAVE FALSE INFORMATION COMING FROM OUR SHELTER, WHICH IS FED THROUGH AUSTIN, PETS ALIVE.
WE GOT ELLEN JEFFERSON TRYING TO TAKE CREDIT FOR OUR REALLY GOOD LIVE RELEASE RATES IN 2017 AND AUSTIN PETS ALIVE.
AND, AND, UH, MS. JEFFERSON HAD ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO DO WITH EL PASO ANIMAL SERVICES.
IT'S TIME, YOU GUYS UNDERSTAND WHAT'S REALLY HAPPENING IN THESE CITIES THAT HAVE THIS PROGRAM AND KNOW WHAT'S TRUE, AND WHAT'S NOT TRUE.
THE COMMENTS THAT ARE BEING MADE BY PAULA POWELL AND RAMON HERRERA ARE FALSE, COMPLETELY FALSE.
IF YOU'D LIKE TO SEE THE FACTS CHECK WITH OUR CITY SHELTER REPORTS, IT WILL EXPLAIN EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW.
AND IT SHOWS IN DETAIL WHAT A FAILURE EL PASO ANIMAL SERVICES AND THE HAAS PROGRAM HAS BEEN.
IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, MY PHONE NUMBER IS (915) 694-6411.
I WOULD LOVE TO GO INTO GREAT DETAIL AT WHAT KIND OF A PROBLEM WE ARE HAVING IN THIS CITY BECAUSE OF AUSTIN PETS, ALIVE HAAS PROGRAM.
HELLO? HELLO, PAT, CAN YOU HEAR US? YES, I, CAN YOU HEAR ME? WE CAN PLEASE GO AHEAD.
I AM A LONG-TERM CITY OF AUSTIN RESIDENTS AND FROM 1992, UNTIL 2008, I WAS ON THE ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION.
I CURRENTLY LIVE IN DISTRICT NINE, EXCEPT THAT WAS, UM, REDISTRICTING.
I HAVE BEEN MOVED INTO DISTRICT THREE.
I AM HERE TO SPEAK IN FAVOR OF THE ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION, PUTTING AN ITEM ON THE MARCH AGENDA TO CREATE A WORKING GROUP,
[00:15:01]
TO DISCUSS THE ANIMAL SERVICES BUDGET.I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT ANIMAL SERVICES BUDGET, UM, LOOK AT THE SPAY-NEUTER FUNDING AND SEE IF WE ARE FUNDING SPENDING ADEQUATELY.
THERE HAS BEEN A TREMENDOUS GROWTH IN POPULATION IN AUSTIN, AND I DON'T THINK THAT THE SPAY-NEUTER FUNDING HAS KEPT UP WITH THE GROWTH IN POPULATION.
SIMILARLY, THE ANIMAL PROTECTION OFFICERS HAVE NOT KEPT UP WITH THE GROWTH IN POPULATION AND ANIMAL PROTECTION OFFICERS HAVE STAYED ABOUT THE SAME FOR MANY, MANY YEARS, EVEN THOUGH I THINK AS FAR BACK AS FIVE OR SIX YEARS AGO, MAYBE SEVEN YEARS AGO, THERE WAS A STUDY THAT WE WERE UNDER BY 17 AND ACCORDING TO NATIONAL STANDARDS OF HOW MANY ANIMAL PROTECTION OFFICERS THEY SHOULD HAVE PER POPULATION, IT HAS BEEN BROUGHT UP BEFORE THE ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION.
I'VE HEARD, YOU KNOW, THE CHAIR SAY IT, I'VE HEARD VARIOUS PEOPLE DISCUSS IT, BUT NOTHING GETS DONE.
AND THE COMMISSION DOESN'T DISCUSS HOW MANY ANIMAL PROTECTION OFFICERS AND HOW MUCH THEY KNEW THEIR FUNDING WE SHOULD HAVE FOR A CITY THIS SIZE AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, I WANT TO SUPPORT WHAT JOANNE MOLINA.
WE SAID ABOUT, UM, THE ANIMAL CARE BUDGET AND THE, AND THE ANIMAL SHELTER BUDGET, WHICH IS ALSO UNDERFUNDED.
IT DOES NOT MATTER TO ME THAT WE ARE BETTER FUNDED THAN EL PASO, BECAUSE AS YOU JUST HEARD FROM RON EL PASO IS NOT DOING VERY WELL.
IT DOESN'T MATTER THAT WE'RE BETTER FUNDED THAN ANY OTHER CITY IN, IN TEXAS BECAUSE OUR CITIES IN TEXAS ARE NOT DOING VERY WELL.
WHEN IT COMES TO ANIMAL SERVICES.
WE HAVE BEEN A LEADER IN THE PAST.
I WANT US TO CONTINUE TO BE A LEADER AND TO BE A LEADER IN ANIMAL SERVICES.
AND THAT'S WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE WORKING GROUP ON ANIMAL SHELTER, BUDGETING TO LOOK AT AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO CITY COUNCIL IN JULY AND AUGUST OR PRO PREFERABLY IN JUNE.
SO THAT BY JULY AND AUGUST, WE HAVE THE RECOMMENDATIONS WELL-PUBLICIZED AND THE COMMUNITY CAN GET BEHIND IT.
I HEAR GREAT WORK BEING DONE BY VOLUNTEERS.
LET'S APPRECIATE THE VOLUNTEERS, BUT GIVING THEM A VOICE, HAVING A WORKING GROUP THAT THEY CAN COME AND SPEAK TO ABOUT THE NEEDS THAT THEY SEE.
AND IF YOU NEED ANY MORE INFORMATION, I SUGGEST THAT YOU CONTACT AND SPEAK TO MORE VOLUNTEERS.
UM, DEFINITELY THE TWO THAT ARE ON THE ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION AND DEFINITELY JOANNE, SINCE SHE HAS TAKEN THE TIME TO SPEAK.
BUT THERE ARE ALSO MANY, MANY OTHER VOLUNTEERS WHO CAN GIVE YOU A LOT OF GOOD INFORMATION.
AND THEN YOU CAN PUT THAT INTO THE, UM, DISCUSSION OF THE WORK AND GROUP, MAKE A RECOMMENDATION, AND HOPEFULLY WE'LL, WE'LL COME TOGETHER AS A COMMUNITY AND ASK FOR ADEQUATELY FUNDED ANIMAL SHELTERS.
SANDRA, CAN YOU HEAR ME? WE CAN HEAR YOU.
UH, GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS.
I THINK THAT'S GOING TO CHANGE SOON.
I'M CALLING IN REGARDING SENIOR ANIMAL TRANSFERS TO RELAX.
SO A FEW MONTHS AGO THERE WAS A TRAGEDY THAT I HOPE WITH GUIDANCE FROM THIS COMMISSION OF SIMPLE POLICY CHANGE AND A COLLABORATION BETWEEN AAC AND APA.
SO AT THE END OF NOVEMBER, AAC TRANSFERRED A TEN-YEAR-OLD DOG NAMED YEGOR WITH A BLEEDING TUMOR TO APA.
HIS NAME CHANGED TO HERSCHEL AND HE WENT TO PLAY GROUPS, BUT HE WASN'T PLED FOR FOSTER.
ABOUT TWO WEEKS LATER, HE DIED IN TILA KENNEL NUMBER 2 46 A MONTH LATER, ANOTHER YEAR OLD DOG NAMED LANGSTON WHO HAS POOR USE OF HIS RIGHT FRONT LEG.
CAUSE IT NEEDS AMPUTATION WAS TRANSFERRED TO APA KENNEL.
NUMBER 22, AFTER A JANUARY 24 POSTS ON THE APA SENIOR CLASS FACEBOOK PAGE, HE WAS PRE-ADOPTIVE THAT'S GREAT NEWS.
BUT DURING HIS 25 DAYS AND A TILA KENNEL, THERE WERE SIX OVERNIGHT FREEZES AND APA PUT APPROXIMATELY 75 OTHER DOGS INTO FOSTER DURING THAT TIME.
SO AUSTIN IS SUPPOSED TO BE ACTING IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE DENTAL WORLD, ESPECIALLY AS THIS LEADER IN, IN NO-KILL AND THEIR HOUSING SHOULD BE CONSISTENT WITH THEIR MEDICAL AND HEALTH NEEDS.
SO I'M ASKING YOU, PLEASE GET TOGETHER AND ONLY ALLOW SENIOR DOGS TO TRANSFER DIRECTLY TO FOSTER HOMES.
JUST LIKE THEY, THE POPULATION OF SENIORS IS REALLY SMALL.
SO I THINK YOU CAN EASILY MAKE THIS HAPPEN.
AND I'D LIKE TO SEE ALL WORK TOGETHER.
AND ON TOP OF IT, AS SOME OF THIS PROBABLY STEMS FROM BUDGET AND STAFFING ISSUES,
[00:20:01]
I'D LIKE TO ALSO SUGGEST CREATING A WORKING GROUP TO ASSIST IN GETTING MORE FUNDING FOR THIS CITY'S ANIMAL SERVICES BUDGET, AND APPRECIATE Y'ALL BEING HERE TONIGHT.THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.
OH, AND I'D ALSO LIKE TO CONGRATULATE MONICA FRIENDS IN ON HER NEW POSITION AS CHIEF INNOVATIVE OFFICER AT CINCINNATI ANIMAL CARE.
AND THEN IN PERSON, WE HAVE AMBER ROUND.
HOW ABOUT RIGHT HERE? AMBER? YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES.
CAN EVERYBODY HEAR ME THROUGH MY MASK OR DO I NEED TO PUSH THIS TEST TEST? MY NAME IS AMBER ROLAND RESIDENT OF DISTRICT ONE.
I'M PRETTY SURE MEMBER OF MEMBERS OF THIS COMMISSION UNDERSTAND THAT A FEW KEY STATISTICS CAN PROVIDE IMPORTANT INSIGHTS INTO THE OPERATIONS OF AN ANIMAL SHELTER, LIVE INTAKE NUMBERS, AND THEN LIVE OUTCOME EUTHANASIA AND DIED IN CARE.
RATES ARE ESPECIALLY INFORMATIVE.
AND ANYONE WHO RUNS A SHELTER KNOWS THIS.
THAT'S WHY IT WAS ESPECIALLY DISHEARTENING TO HEAR DR.
ELLEN JEFFERSON GROSSLY MISREPRESENT THE CITY SHELTER DURING A PRESS CONFERENCE ON FEBRUARY 8TH IN FRONT OF A CROWD OF SUPPORTERS AND MEMBERS OF THE MEDIA WHILE STANDING ALONGSIDE COUNCIL MEMBERS TOBO AND POOL.
SHE STATED THAT WHEN APA WAS GETTING STARTED AS A RESCUE ORGANIZATION IN 2009, THE CITY SHELTERS DEATH RATE WAS 85%.
IT SOUNDED LIKE SHE SAID THIS MANY TIMES I WAS A MEMBER OF THE STAFF AT THE CITY SHELTER IN 2009.
AND I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT OUR DEATH RATE WAS NOWHERE NEAR 85%.
IN FACT, THE FIGURE SHE GAVE WAS MORE THAN TWO AND A HALF TIMES.
THE ACTUAL FIGURE IN FISCAL YEAR, 2009, AUSTIN ANIMAL SERVICES TOOK IN 20,507 LIVE ANIMALS.
APA TOOK 145 OF THOSE ANIMALS.
THE CITY SHELTER HAD A 67.5 LIVE RELEASE RATE THAT YEAR, MEANING THAT THE DEATH RATE FOR THAT YEAR WAS 32.5%, NOT 85%.
THIS IS NO MINOR ERROR OR SIMPLE MISTAKE.
THE CITY SHELTER WAS OPEN AND TRANSPARENT WITH THESE STATISTICS AT THE TIME THEY'RE PART OF PUBLIC RECORD.
AND IN FACT, THEY WERE PRESENTED TO THIS BODY.
SOME MEMBERS HERE TODAY HAD SEATS ON THE COMMISSION AT THAT TIME, MY HOPE AND SPEAKING TO YOU TODAY AS THE MEMBERS OF THIS BODY AND PERHAPS CURRENT ANIMAL SERVICES OR CITY LEADERSHIP WILL MAKE A PUBLIC CALL FOR DR.
JEFFERSON TO MAKE A PUBLIC CORRECTION AND APOLOGY FOR HER MISSTATEMENT, IF THEY HAVE NOT ALREADY DONE.
SO TO ALLOW HER STATEMENT TO STAND AS TO ALLOW TO STAND AN UNFAIR AND HIGHLY INACCURATE PORTRAYAL OF A MUNICIPAL PROGRAM, EFFORT AND INTENTIONS, IT MIS-CHARACTERIZES A LARGE GROUP OF CITY STAFF, VOLUNTEERS, AND CITY OFFICIALS WHO HAD WORKED DILIGENTLY AND RESPONSIBLY TO REDUCE THE CITY'S EUTHANASIA RATE FROM 58% IN 2002, UNDER 33% IN 2009, WITHOUT SIGNIFICANT HELP FROM APA AS A RESCUE ORGANIZATION.
I HOPE THAT MY BRINGING THIS TO YOUR ATTENTION WILL ALSO CAUSE YOU TO CONSIDER TWO QUESTIONS.
JEFFERSON CHOOSE TO MAKE SUCH A SIGNIFICANT MISSTATEMENT? IS SHE TRYING TO MAKE APA LOOK BETTER? IS SHE TRYING TO MAKE THE CITY SHELTER LOOK WORSE TO HAVING SUCH MISSTATEMENTS OF FACT, ESPECIALLY WHEN MADE BY THOSE, THE PUBLIC AND THE MEDIA THINK THEY CAN TRUST AS AUTHORITIES POTENTIALLY IMPACT ATTITUDES, BEHAVIORS, AND EVEN POLICY AND OPERATIONAL DECISIONS THAT MIGHT BE MADE BY THOSE WHO HEAR THEM.
I HAVE NO INTEREST IN DISPARAGING, THE WORK OF APA OR OF DR.
THEY DO HARD AND IMPORTANT WORK, AND THEY'VE ABSOLUTELY BEEN IMPACTFUL IN THE WORLD OF SHELTERING, BUT I DO HAVE A VERY STRONG INTEREST IN THE INTEGRITY OF THE CITY'S PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS.
AND IT IS BAFFLING TO ME THAT DR.
JEFFERSON APA AND MEMBERS OF THIS COMMISSION, MOST OF WHOM HAVE DIRECT TIES TO APA ARE ALLOWED TO CALL THEMSELVES PARTNERS OF AUSTIN ANIMAL SERVICES WHILE THEY CONTINUE YEAR AFTER YEAR TO MISREPRESENT MULLEIN AND OVER SCRUTINIZE, A CITY PROGRAM THAT HAS A DEFINITIVE 20 PLUS YEAR HISTORY OF STEADY, EFFECTIVE, RESPONSIBLE, AND DEEPLY COMPASSIONATE WORK AND PROGRESS.
THIS IS AN ONGOING AND TOXIC PATTERN AND IT NEEDS TO BE CALLED OUT AND STOPPED.
[1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES ]
FIRST MOVE TO APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FOR REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF MINUTES FROM THE OCTOBER 11TH, 2021, AN ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION MEETING.UH, DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES LEASE? WE HAVE, WE HAVE A MOTION.
LUIS, DO WE HAVE A SECOND, SECOND, LOTTA SECOND.
DO WE HAVE ANY DISCUSSION SEEING NONE, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THAT, PROVING THE MINUTES.
PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND OR SAY AYE.
ANY OPPOSED THAT PASSED UNANIMOUSLY AS FAR AS I CAN TELL WE'LL MOVE
[2a. Austin Animal Center and Animal Services Reports. ]
ON TO STAFF BRIEFINGS, UH, INTO A IS AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER AND ANIMAL SERVICES REPORTS.UM, UH, I'LL TRY TO BE AS EFFICIENT AS
[00:25:01]
POSSIBLE SINCE WE GOT TO GO OVER A FEW REPORTS.SO I'LL START OFF WITH SOME HIGHLIGHTS FOR OCTOBER.
THE LIVE PERCENTAGE WAS 97.8%.
WE HAD A TOTAL OF 1,249 ANIMALS THAT WERE BROUGHT TO THE SHELTER.
734 ANIMALS WERE ADOPTED AND A TOTAL OF 139 DOGS AND CATS ARE RETURNED TO THEIR OWNERS, UM, THROUGH EITHER RTO OR RTO ADOPTS.
UM, WE HAD APS RETURNED 35 ANIMALS TO THEIR OWNERS IN THE FIELD.
UM, WE WERE ABLE TO HAND OUT 42, UH, FENCING ASSISTANT APPLICATIONS.
WE HAD A TOTAL OF 166 VOLUNTEERS DONATE 1500 OVER 1500 HOURS, UH, TO THE SHELTER.
UM, THERE WERE CURRENT, THEY WERE AT THE TIME 273 ANIMALS IN FOSTER HOMES AND 251 ANIMALS WERE TRANSFERRED TO OUR PARTNERS.
UM, AND FOR WITHIN VET SERVICES, WE TREATED 59 CASES THAT MONTH WE CONDUCTED 565, UH, SPAY AND NEUTER EACH ONSITE.
WE HAD 19 CATS GO THROUGH SNR AND LET ME GET, HOLD ON ONE SECOND.
WHILE I PUT UP THE FIGURE FROM EMANCIPET, THEY HAD 595, A SPAY AND NEUTERS ALSO ON, ON THAT MONTH, UH, THROUGH THE SUBSIDIZED CONTRACTS THAT WE HAVE WITH THEM.
UM, SO THAT'S A QUICK OVERVIEW OVER AT LEAST, UH, OH, SORRY.
LET ME HIT UP ON WHAT PRC DID PET RESOURCE CENTER.
THEY HANDED OUT OVER 1800 BASIC ITEMS, FOODS, BEDS, LEASHES TO MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC.
UH, WE HAD 193 FOUND ANIMAL REPORTS AND 270 LOST ANIMAL REPORTS THAT WERE FILED.
AND WE HAD 165 NEW SUBSCRIBERS TO THE ATX, UH, PROGRAM, THE TX PROGRAM, SORRY.
UM, IN NOVEMBER, UH, ON THE REPORT, THERE WAS A LITTLE BIT OF DISCREPANCY.
UH, WE, WE DIDN'T, UH, PULL OUT THE DIED FROM THE LIVE OUTCOME PERCENTAGE.
SO IT'S ACTUALLY THE LIVE ALCOR PRESENT FOR NOVEMBER WAS 98.
AND THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF ANIMALS THAT WERE BROUGHT IN WAS ACTUALLY 1020.
UH, WE, WE WERE STILL COUNTING THE ANIMALS THAT WERE LOST IN THE WEB AND WE FORGOT TO TAKE THOSE OUT.
SO IT'S ACTUALLY 1020 ANIMALS WERE BROUGHT TO THE SHELTER.
634 ANIMALS WERE ADOPTED AND TOTAL OF 119 DOGS AND CATS WERE RETURNED TO THEIR OWNERS.
UH, APLS WERE ABLE TO RETURN 41 ANIMALS IN THE FIELD TO THEIR OWNERS.
UM, 142 VOLUNTEERS ADDED, UH, DONATED 17 OVER 1700 HOURS TO THE SHELTER IN NOVEMBER.
UM, AT THE TIME WE HAD 268 ANIMALS IN FOSTERS AND WE HAD 175 ANIMALS THAT WERE TRANSFERRED TO OUR DIFFERENT PARTNERS.
UH, FOR THAT MONTH WE PERFORMED 474 SPAY NEWS SURGERIES ON SITE 14.
UH, CATS WENT THROUGH SNR 122 WENT THROUGH CNR.
WE HAD 330 GO THROUGH AS A SPAY NEW SURGERIES THROUGH AMANTHA PET.
AND THEN, UH, STAFF AND PRC WAS ABLE TO GIVE OUT 1900 ITEMS TO ER, UH, MEMBERS, RESIDENTS OF THE COMMUNITY.
WE HAD 191 FOUND REPORTS AND 239 LOST ANIMAL REPORTS AND 124 NEW SUBSCRIBERS TO OUR TEST PROGRAM, UH, DECEMBER, EXCUSE ME, UH, OUR LIVE OUTCOME, WHAT PERCENT FOR THE DECEMBER WAS 97.3.
WE HAD A TOTAL OF 992 ANIMALS BROUGHT TO THE SHELTER.
A TOTAL OF 673 ANIMALS WERE ADOPTED AND 148,000 CATS ARE RETURNED TO THEIR OWNERS.
UH, APO SAW A SLIGHT INCREASE WHERE THEY WERE ABLE TO GET, UH, RETURNED HOME 55 ANIMALS TO, UH, TO, UH, OWNERS.
WE HAD ABOUT 165 VOLUNTEERS DONATE OVER 1900 HOURS TO THE SHELTER.
UM, WE DID GET, UH, HOLD ON ONE SECOND.
THAT WAS MY FACE THERE A LITTLE BIT.
UM, HE HAD 111 ANIMALS THAT WERE DIRECTLY, UH, ADOPTED FROM FOSTER CARE AND THERE WAS, WE HAD 191 ANIMALS THAT WERE, UH, PEOPLES THAT WERE FOSTERING.
UH, WE HAD 158 DOGS, CATS, GUINEA, PIGS THAT WERE TRANSFERRED TO OUR DIFFERENT PARTNERS, UM, VET SERVICES.
THEY HAD 570 SPAY NEUTER SURGERIES PERFORMED.
UM, THEY ALSO CONDUCTED 12 ORTHOPEDIC SURGERIES.
UH, THE AMOUNT OF WAS THAT REAL QUICK, THE AMOUNT OF SPAY NEUTER SURGERY DONE AT EMANCIPET FOR NOVEMBER WAS 436 OVERALL FOR NOVEMBER.
OUR, THIS I'M SORRY, DECEMBER WAS ACTUALLY, I GOTTA DO MORE MATH, UH, 496.
NOW, FINALLY IN JANUARY, UH, THE LIVE OUT HERBICIDES WAS 97%.
WE HAD A TOTAL OF 934 ANIMALS THAT WERE BROUGHT TO THE SHELTER.
647 ANIMALS WERE ADOPTED AND 125 DOGS AND CATS ARE RETURNED TO THEIR OWNER.
[00:30:01]
UM, APO IS RETURNED 44 ANIMALS OUT IN THE FIELD.THEY DID HAND OUT 26 FENCING APPLICATIONS.
UH, WE HAD SLIGHT INCREASE WITH 223 VOLUNTEERS DONATE, UH, OVER 2,400 HOURS TO THE SHELTER.
UM, HE HAD, UH, 218 ANIMALS IN FOSTER CARE FOR THAT MONTH.
UH, WE HAD 144 ANIMALS THAT WERE TRANSFERRED TO, UH, UH, RESCUE PARTNERS.
AND 38 DOGS WERE TRANSPORTED TO SIX OUT OF STATE RESCUE PARTNERS, UM, VET SERVICES.
THEY WERE ABLE TO DO, UH, 52 EMERGENCY CASES.
THEY DID 508 ANIMALS SPAYED AND NEUTERED.
THE EMERGENCY BILL FOR JANUARY WAS 44,000.
I THOUGHT WE HAD THAT IN ONE OF THE DRAFTS OF THE PREVIOUS REPORT.
SO I'LL ENSURE THAT THOSE ARE AMENDED TO INCLUDE THAT, THAT EMERGENCY BILL FOR THOSE PREVIOUS MONTHS.
SO THAT WAY Y'ALL HAVE THAT INFORMATION.
UH, PRC HANDED OUT OVER 2,600 ITEMS TO, UH, AREA RESIDENTS.
UM, WE HAD 11 DOGS THAT HAD BEHAVIOR ISSUES THAT WERE PROBABLY GOING TO BE OWNER SURRENDERED.
WE WERE ABLE TO DEFER THEM AND GIVE, UH, THOSE, THOSE INDIVIDUALS SERVICES, UH, THAT THEY COULD KEEP ON OTHER PETS.
AND WE HAD 238 POUND ANIMAL REPORTS AND 311 LOS ANIMAL REPORTS.
SO, UM, WITHOUT TAKING ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMISSION, JASON, DID YOU SAY THE NUMBER OF SPAY AND NEUTERS THAT WERE FORMED AT A MASSIVE PET FOR JANUARY? OH, I'M SORRY.
I DIDN'T SWITCH TO MY EMAIL REAL QUICK AND JANUARY WAS 216, GREG.
I HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS, UH, IN, IN, I THINK IT WAS, UH, NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER.
YOU HAVE, UM, NINE INJURED COYOTES.
DO YOU KNOW THE NATURE OF THOSE INJURIES? UH, NO I DO NOT, BUT I CAN FIND THAT OUT FOR YOU.
UH, ALSO THERE WAS, UM, UH, THERE ARE, UH, INCIDENTS COMING OUT OF, UM, OH, WHAT A GREAT HILLS NEIGHBORHOOD ABOUT DEER BEING SHOT WITH A CROSSBOW.
AND I WAS JUST WONDERING IF I KNOW THAT THERE IS A GAME WARDEN WHO'S LOOKING INTO THAT.
I JUST WONDERED IF, IF, IF ANY APS HAD ANY, UH, THAT DID WORK WITH THAT, MR. NIGER? NO, UH, THAT IS STRICTLY BEING HANDLED BY THE TEXAS WILDLIFE.
SO THAT'S ALL BEING HANDLED BY THE TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE SERVICE? CORRECT.
AND THEN THE OTHER THING IS, UM, I HEARD THAT WE'RE LOSING OUR, OUR DEDICATED WILDLIFE APO, AND I WAS WONDERING IF WE'RE GOING TO, IF FIRST OF ALL, IF THAT WAS TRUE, I HEARD THAT SHE'S RESIGNING.
AND, AND IF THAT'S TRUE, ARE WE GOING TO GET A NEW ONE ANYTIME SOON, I CAN TELL YOU WE HAVE TWO DEDICATED WILDLIFE OFFICERS.
UH, WE ADDED, YOU KNOW, THE, WE HA WE HAD THE AUTHORITY TO ADD IT.
WE HAD THE AUTHORITY TO CHANGE WHEN TEMPORARY TO FULL-TIME.
UM, WHEN WE IN THE NEW COUNTY ILA AND, UH, WHILE THAT POSITION WAS CREATED, WE COULD NOT ADD THAT POSITION UNTIL THE ILA WAS SIGNED.
SO, UH, THE ILA WAS SIGNED ON, UH, DECEMBER THE 21ST AND HR RELEASED THE POSITION ON J JANUARY THE THIRD, AND IT HAS BEEN POSTED, AND WE'RE CURRENTLY IN THE PROCESS OF FILLING THAT PERMANENT POSITION.
AND THE ONE IS BEING RESIGNED IS ALSO BEING FILLED.
WE HAVE NOT, UH, SLACK ON ANY OF THE SERVICES FOR CALLS.
WE HAVE OUR OTHER APO OFFICERS HAVE TAKEN UP THOSE CALLS.
THE ONLY THING THAT WE HAVE NOT DONE SINCE LOSING THIS LAST APO OFFICER WAS, UH, FOR A WILDLIFE, WAS THE EDUCATION COMPONENT.
WE WEREN'T OUT IN THE COMMUNITY DOING PRESENTATIONS ON WHAT TO DO FOR WILDLIFE, YOU KNOW, TO MASS HOS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO THAT'S THE ONLY THING THAT WASN'T DONE ALL INJURED ANIMALS.
OUR ISSUES WITH ANIMALS HAS, HAS BEEN ADDRESSED.
UH, AND ONE OF THE REASONS I ASKED IS, UM, 12 YEARS AGO, WE HAD A WORKING GROUP THAT DEALT WITH DEERE ISSUES IN GREAT HILLS.
I MEAN, SPECIFICALLY, UH, THE NEIGHBORHOOD IS RIGHT NEXT TO THE BALCONIES CANADA AND PRESERVE THERE.
A LOT OF DEER OUT THERE AND WE
[00:35:01]
PASSED AND THE CITY PASSED AN ORDINANCE TO MAKE IT AGAINST THE ORDINANCE, TO FEED DEER.IN OTHER WORDS, TO HELP KEEP THEM OUT OF THE NEIGHBORHOODS BECAUSE THEY COME INTO NEIGHBORHOODS.
PEOPLE GET, SOME PEOPLE GET UPSET BECAUSE THEY EAT THEIR PLANTS AND EVERYTHING.
AND MY CONCERN IS THAT THIS PROBLEM WITH THE DEER BEING SHOT OUT THERE, WHICH I UNDERSTAND TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE IS THE BEST OR THE BEST PEOPLE TO DEAL WITH THAT.
UH, BUT THAT'S HAPPENING BECAUSE, UM, MAYBE BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE SOMEONE WHO CAN GO OUT THERE AND GIVE PRESENTATIONS ABOUT IMPORTANT IS NOT TO FEED THE DEER.
SO ANYWAY, THAT WAS KINDA MY CONCERN WITH THIS WHOLE THING, BUT I JUST WANTED TO ASK YOU WHAT'S GOING ON.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT INFORMATION.
UM, BUT FIRST I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU GUYS FOR ALWAYS BEING ABOVE 95%.
UM, IT'S NOT EASY, I'VE MONITORED OTHER CITIES IN TEXAS, LIKE DALLAS ANIMAL SERVICES AND PALM VALLEY AND EL PASO FROM THE SPEAKER.
AND, UM, EVERYBODY'S STRUGGLING.
AND, UM, I APPRECIATE THE WORK OF THE STAFF AND THE VOLUNTEERS, UM, TO KEEP, UH, THE NUMBERS HIGH.
UM, I DID HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT, UM, THE COMMENTS ABOUT, UH, WHERE AAC WAS AND THE DEATH RATE, UM, THAT WAS BROUGHT UP IN THAT THE SPEAKER BROUGHT UP, UM, BASED ON, UH, AN EMAIL I RECEIVED FROM THE CITIZEN AND FROM WHAT I COULD RESEARCH, IT DOES SEEM LIKE, UH, THE, UH, WE WERE, UH, AROUND 32% OF THE ANIMALS THAT, THAT WERE KILLED NOT 85%.
AND I WAS WONDERING IF ANYONE AT THE CITY HAS BEEN ABLE TO LOOK AT THAT TO CONFIRM WHAT THE NUMBERS WERE OR ARE.
UM, WE CAN CONFIRM THAT THROUGH OLD BUDGET DOCUMENTS, THOSE ARE PERFORMANCE MEASURES THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN REPORTED IN OLD DOG WINS.
THAT'S, THAT'S ONE OF THE WAYS THAT I KNOW THAT WE COULD REPORT IT.
UM, UM, I'LL SEE, AT LEAST, CAUSE I HAVE, UH, YOU KNOW, THE PRESENTATION THAT BACK IN SEPTEMBER WHERE THEY HAD THE IT FOLKS GIVE IT.
SO I HAVE THE SCREEN UP AND AT LEAST WITH THE DATA THAT THEY'RE, IT'S FILTERING OUT THROUGH, UM, UH, CHAMELEON, WHEN I PUT FOR 2009, LET ME MAKE SURE I'M GONNA MAKE SURE ALL THINGS ARE CHECKED.
UH, WE HAD A 67.2, FOUR, UH, LIVE OUTCOME RATE AT THAT TIME, ACCORDING TO ACCORDING TO THESE NUMBERS.
SO THE CITIZEN WHO WROTE TO ME WAS CLOSER TO CORRECT.
THANK YOU, JASON, ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS I HAVE, I HAVE A COUPLE, BUT I WILL, I WILL COMMENT ON THAT.
UH, I, UH, I HEARD THAT STATEMENT AS WELL AND, UH, IT WAS EQUALLY JARRING.
UM, BUT BECAUSE I'VE HEARD DR.
JEFFERSON GIVE HER PRESENTATION ON MANY OCCASIONS, I, UM, FEEL CONFIDENT, UH, AT LEAST AS SOMEONE WHO'S HEARD THE PRESENTATION MANY TIMES THAT, UH, THAT SHE MUST HAVE MISSPOKE BECAUSE APA DID NOT START IN 2009.
AND AROUND THAT TIME, THAT WAS ROUGHLY THE LIVE RELEASE RATE OR THE DEATH RATE, THE 19 88, 19 98 OR 1999.
SO, UM, I ASSUME THAT'S WHAT SHE MEANT.
UH, IF SHE DIDN'T, THEN THAT WAS A VERY BAD ERROR, UM, BECAUSE WE WERE ALL WELL, MANY OF US, UM, PALMER, I, LISA, UM, NANCY, UH, MANY OF US WERE WORKING VERY, VERY HARD AT THE TIME.
UH, AND WE WOULD HAVE, AND ALONG WITH ELLEN AND MANY OTHERS, AND, UM, THAT APA DID NOT START IN 2009.
IT DIDN'T EVEN START RESCUING IN 2009 AND STARTED RESCUING 2008.
SO, UM, SHE MUST'VE MET 1999 AND NOT 2009.
UM, I DO HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS AND MOST OF THESE, THESE ARE FROM, UM, YOU KNOW, THINGS THAT THE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC I'VE EITHER SEEN ON PUBLIC FACE GROUP GROUPS OR, OR PEOPLE HAVE, HAVE TALKED TO ME ABOUT.
AND I JUST KINDA WANTED TO CHECK IN ON A COUPLE OF THINGS.
THE FIRST IS, DO YOU KNOW HOW QUICKLY AN INTAKE ANIMAL SHOWS UP ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE, THE PHOTO, UH, IF IT SHOULD SHOW UP AS SOON AS IT'S UPLOADED INTO CHAMELEON, THE PHOTO ITSELF AND ATTACHED TO THAT EIGHT NUMBER THAT'S, UH, UM, AND ATTACHED TO THAT EIGHT NUMBER THAT'S CONNECTED TO THAT ANIMAL.
UM, THERE ARE TIMES WHERE WE'VE SEEN WHERE THERE'S A DELAY AND WE USUALLY HAVE TO CONTACT OUR IT DEPARTMENT TO MAKE SURE THINGS ARE REFRESHING AND THINGS ARE WORKING FOR THAT NATURE.
CAUSE WE'VE GOTTEN EMAILS FROM MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC, SOME OF OUR PARTNER GROUPS OUT THERE WHO SAY, HEY, IT'S NOT REFRESHING.
SO WE USUALLY WILL HAVE TO CONTACT OUR IT FOLKS AND BE LIKE, HEY, THIS THINGS AREN'T WORKING, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO REFRESH THE SYSTEM
[00:40:01]
ESSENTIALLY.IS IT NORMALLY SAME DAY OR IS IT NORMALLY, YOU KNOW, A DATA LAKE? DO YOU KNOW WHAT AN EARLY SAME DAY? CAUSE YEAH.
CAUSE WITHIN PRC WHEN THEY GET THE ANIMAL THERE, I MEAN, WHEN THEY TAKE THE PHOTO OF THE ANIMAL, IT'S USUALLY RIGHT WHEN THEY'RE EITHER DOING VACCINATIONS AT THE POINT WHERE THE ANIMAL IS, IS, YOU KNOW, THEY'LL HAVE IT ON THE WALL JUST SO THAT THEY COULD, THEY COULD GET A, A BETTER SHOT SOMETIMES.
UM, YOU KNOW, AND THIS IS WHERE WE'VE ALSO TRIED TO FIND PROCESS IMPROVEMENTS.
YOU KNOW, IF AN ANIMAL HAS TO BE PUT INTO LIKE A ROLLING CAGE FOR, FOR WHATNOT, WE'LL HAVE, WE'LL HAVE TO TAKE THE PICTURE IN THE ROLLING CAGE AND THEN MAKE SURE THAT WE FOLLOW UP WITH THE PROPER PICTURE LATER AND THEN APLS DO IT AS WELL OUT IN THE FIELD.
CAUSE HE ASKED, THERE WAS PLENTY OF PHOTOS WHERE WE HAVE LIKE IN THE TRUCK, KNOW THEIR HEADS, THEY CAN OUT AND WHATNOT.
SO, UH, THE PERSON THAT I SAW COMPLAINING, AND AGAIN, THIS IS ANECDOTAL.
SO I MEAN, WE'RE JUST, I'M JUST TRYING TO HAVE THE DISCUSSION SO THAT IT'S OUT THERE SO PEOPLE CAN HEAR IT.
UM, AND IT MAY BE A PROBLEM WITH JUST THE WAY THAT THE WEBSITE REPORTS IT AND IT MAY JUST HAVE BEEN CONFUSING, BUT THE, THE, THE ANIMAL HAD COME IN IN DECEMBER AROUND CHRISTMAS AND IT WAS EARLY JANUARY AND THE PERSON SAID, JUST FOUND MY ANIMAL ON THE WEBSITE AND SHE TOOK A SCREENSHOT AND IT SAID, AND THE WEBSITE SAID UPLOADED ONE HOUR AGO OR, OR, OR UPDATED ONE HOUR AGO.
IS IT POSSIBLE THAT THAT UPDATED ONE HOUR AGO DID NOT MEAN THAT'S WHEN IT WENT INTO THE SYSTEM, BUT SOMETHING ELSE CHANGED AN HOUR AGO.
YEAH, THAT MIGHT'VE BEEN, THAT MIGHT'VE BEEN THE CASE BECAUSE YEAH.
SO I MEAN, I THINK IF I'M AND I MADE A MISTAKE IS NOT THE VERIFIED, BUT I THINK IF THERE'S LIKE A REFRESHER OF LIKE EVERY FOUR HOURS, JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT WHAT'S COMING IN IS, IS BEING PROCESSED AND THAT THE, UH, IT'S, IT STAYS UP TO DATE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
BUT I'LL VERIFY THAT, YES, I JUST TERRIFIED THE CHAMELEON UPDATES EVERY HOUR WITHIN EVERY HOUR.
SO THAT UPDATED WAS JUST A MATTER OF THE SYSTEM BEING UPDATED, NOT THAT ANIMALS SHOWING UP FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE SYSTEM, IF THEY MADE A CHANGE, CHANGE THE PHOTOS, IT COULD HAVE UPDATED IT, RIGHT.
AND THAT MAY, HEY, THAT VOLUNTEER MAY HAVE SAVED THAT ANIMAL'S LIFE, YOU KNOW? UM, CAUSE THAT'S THE WAY THAT THE PERSON FOUND THAT WAS, UH, WAS AN UPDATED PHOTO.
I GUESS SECOND QUESTION IS, IS THAT, UM, UH, SOME PEOPLE HAVE ARE SAYING THAT THE CITY HAS GONE BACK TO, UH, DEBUNKED, PLASTIC, HAND TEMPERAMENT, TEMPERAMENT TESTING, UM, IS THAT TRUE? PEOPLE ARE SAYING THAT THE CITY HAS GONE BACK TO, THEY HAD DEBUNKED PLASTIC, HAND TEMPERAMENT, TEMPERAMENT TESTING.
IS THAT HAPPENING AT ALL AT THE CITY? I HAVE NOT SEEN THAT.
I'M NOT AWARE THAT WE'VE GONE BACK TO THAT, UH, OR, YOU KNOW YEAH.
IS THERE ANY TEMPERAMENT TESTING HAPPENING? SO I THINK THE PERSON SAID IT WAS HAPPENING WITH THE TRANSFERS.
I KNOW NOT, NOT WITHIN, WITHIN, UH, OUR GROUP OF ANIMALS.
LIKE WE, WHEN WE HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH OUR TRANSFER PARTNERS, WE'LL, YOU KNOW, THEY ASK US TO MAKE SURE, AND THEN WE SHARE THEM LIKE, THIS IS HOW OUR, OUR TEAM EVALUATE STUFF, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'VE BEEN USING FOR, FOR OUR OVERALL BEHAVIOR EVALUATION.
LIKE, ARE YOU, ARE YOU GOOD WITH THAT? CAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE PREFER.
WE HAVE, YEAH, WE HAVE HAD A RESCUE THAT DID ASK US TO UTILIZE THEIR TESTING METHODS.
AND WE, LIKE JASON SAID PROVIDED TO THEM WITH HERE'S WHAT WE'RE DOING IS THIS SUFFICIENT AND OKAY.
SO OUR CHAIN, OUR S OUR TEMPERAMENT TESTING HASN'T CHANGED IN THE LAST SIX MONTHS A YEAR.
UM, THE NEXT THING THAT, THAT SOMEONE, AND I'M SORRY, WE'VE BEEN BUILDING UP CAUSE WE HAVEN'T MET.
UM, THE NEXT THING THAT, THAT SOMEONE WAS VERY CONCERNED ABOUT WAS, UM, THE PEOPLE, UH, AUSTIN RESIDENTS TRYING TO ADOPT AN ANIMAL THAT HAD RBD HAD ALREADY BEEN TAGGED FOR RESCUE EVEN BEFORE THE ANIMAL HAD COME OFF THE STREET.
HOLD LAST TIME I WAS THERE, THERE WERE SIGNS UP THAT SAID, YOU KNOW, ANIMAL NOT YET AVAILABLE.
UM, AND I, AND I ASSUMED THAT WHAT, AT LEAST THE MESSAGE I GOT FROM THAT WAS THAT I COULDN'T LIKE ASK TO GET ON A PRE ADOPT.
UM, IS THERE A PRE ADOPT PROCESS OR A RESERVATION PROCESS? IF A, IF A RESIDENT WANTS TO ADOPT AN ANIMAL THAT IS ON THE STRAY HOLD THERE, THERE HAS NOT.
I MEAN, I MEAN, WHAT I SAID TH THERE, THERE IS NOT A PROCESS, UH, EVER SINCE I HAVE BEEN THERE ANY ANIMAL THAT'S ON STRAY HOLD THAT IS TAGGED BY A RESCUE ORGANIZATION, EVEN LOCAL ONES.
UM, IF IT COMES OFF AND THE OWNER DOES NOT RECLAIM IT, IT GOES TO THAT RESCUE PARTNER.
UH, CAUSE YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THESE RESCUE PARTNERS, WHEN THEY HAVE TAGGED AN ANIMAL, THEY HAVE ALREADY, UH, FOUND A FOSTER HOME FOR IT TO GO INTO AND THEY'VE DONE ALL THIS WORK.
AND IF YOU START ELIMINATING WHAT THEY'RE SELECTING, THEN YOU RISK LOSING THOSE PARTNERS.
AND SO THAT HAS ALWAYS BEEN A PROCESS, UH, THINK THAT DID NOT, UH, THE MANAGER OVER THAT SAY
[00:45:01]
THAT THEY WERE GOING TO LOOK AT DOING SOME PRE ADOPTIONS WE'RE GOING TO RE-INVESTIGATE THAT.SO WE USED TO ALLOW PRE ADOPTS, BUT WE DON'T ALLOW THEM ANYMORE.
WE USED TO DO PRE ADOPTS BEFORE.
UM, BUT YEAH, WE, WE, WE, WE, UH, STOPPED THAT PROCESS ABOUT SIX, EIGHT MONTHS AGO.
UM, BECAUSE JUST TO, UH, YEAH, JUST TO SEE THAT, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE HAD A FAIR CHANCE OF TRYING TO, TO, TO, YOU KNOW, ADOPT AN ANIMAL OUT NOW WITH TRANSFERS.
LIKE DON WAS SAYING, IF IT'S ON STRAIGHT HOME, THEY CAN TAG IT.
BUT, UM, BUT IF NO ONE HAS ADOPTED THAT ANIMAL, THEN, THEN WE'LL, WE'LL PROVIDE A TWO TRANSFERS.
UM, AND THEN IF SOMEBODY DOES COME, WE HAVE TO EXPLAIN THE PROCESS WHILE THIS HAS ALREADY BEEN TAGGED FOR TRANSFER OR, UM, OR, OR TO OUR RESCUE GROUP.
UM, YOU KNOW, UNFORTUNATELY IT'S NOT AVAILABLE FOR ADOPTION.
WE DO THEN TRY TO HOOK THEM UP.
LIKE, HEY, IF YOU DO, IF YOU ARE REALLY THEATER THERE, IT IS GOING TO, YOU KNOW, HE MADE, DECIDED HE'S GOING TO FUZZY FRIENDS AND YOU CAN FOLLOW UP WITH THEM TO TRY TO GET THE SAMPLE FROM THEM.
AND JUST TO, TO KIND OF COMMUNICATE THE CONCERN IS THAT AUSTIN RESIDENTS FEEL LIKE THEY'RE GOING TO OUR ANIMAL SHELTER, YOU KNOW, THAT THEY'RE PAYING FOR, WITH THEIR TAX DOLLARS.
AND THEY SEE AN ANIMAL ON THE WEBSITE THAT THEY FALL IN LOVE WITH, OR A PUPPY THAT COMES IN THAT THEY FALL IN LOVE WITH THEY'RE REALLY WANT A PUPPY.
THEY DON'T WANT TO GO OVER TO BUY, BUY FROM A BREEDER.
AND, UH, THEY'RE TOLD YOU GOT TO WAIT UNTIL IT'S STRAIGHT, HOLD IS UP.
AND THEN THEY GO, UM, I'M TOLD THIS HAS HAPPENED ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS WHERE PEOPLE WILL GET THERE AT 8:00 AM OR WHATEVER THE TIME THE SHELTER OPENS OFF WHEN THAT ANIMAL ROLLS OFF STRAY HOLD.
AND THEN THEY'RE TOLD, NOPE, YOU CAN'T HAVE IT.
YOU KNOW, IT'S ON ITS WAY TO MICHIGAN OR CAL, YOU KNOW, COLORADO OR CALIFORNIA.
AND IT, THE CONCERN OF THE PUBLIC, AT LEAST THAT, YOU KNOW, I FEEL LIKE IT'S OUR JOB TO COMMUNICATE IS THAT, HEY, THOSE ARE OUR TAX DOLLARS.
UM, WE'RE THE ONE PAYING FOR THAT PUPPY.
WE WERE THE ONES PAYING FOR THAT PUPPY TO BE THERE.
AND THEREFORE, UM, IT'S NOT FAIR.
IT'S INHERENTLY UNFAIR FOR OUR CITIZENS TO, YOU KNOW, KIND OF GET A BACK SEAT TO, YOU KNOW, A COLORADO RESCUE GROUP OR A CALIFORNIA RESCUE GROUP OR A MICHIGAN RESCUE GROUP.
SO, AND JUST GIVE YOU HISTORICAL DATA.
THE AVERAGE IS 14 DAYS IS THE AVERAGE TIME OF LENGTH OF STAY THAT ANIMALS ON OUR LAST TRANSPORT.
SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, VERY SMALL NUMBER OF INCIDENTS OF THE ONES AND TWOS THAT YOU HEAR ABOUT, OF COURSE, BUT THE MAJORITY OF OUR ANIMALS HAVE SPENT A LOT OF TIME THERE AND AT JUST BASIC CARE, NOT ANY OVERHEAD, BUT JUST BASIC, YOU KNOW, FEED WATER AND THE PERSON TO CLEAN THEIR KENNEL IS $43 A DAY.
SO, YOU KNOW, IF THE LONGER IT STAYS, THE MORE TAXPAYER DOLLARS, IT DOES COST THE TAXPAYERS.
SO, BUT THE AVERAGE LENGTH OF STAY FOR THE LAST TRANSPORT WAS 14 DAYS.
AND I THINK THAT NO ONE WOULD HAVE THE RIGHT TO COMPLAIN IN THAT SCENARIO.
UM, A LOT OF FOLLOW UP QUESTION ON THAT, BECAUSE I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT I DIDN'T MISS HERE, WHAT YOU SAID, JASON, AND THAT TRANS OR TRANSFER ORGANIZATIONS, RESCUE ORGANIZATIONS ARE ALLOWED TO TAG AN ANIMAL WHILE IT'S ON STRAY HOLD, BUT INDIVIDUAL FROM THE PUBLIC CANNOT.
THEY CAN NOW WE'RE WORKING ON THAT.
SO IF IT WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, BASICALLY IF THERE'S AN ANIMAL THAT'S ON STRONGHOLD AND A CITIZEN IS INTERESTED IN IT BEFORE THE RESCUE, THEN THE CITIZEN WOULDN'T GET THAT OPPORTUNITY BEFORE THE RESCUE.
BUT IF THE RESCUE BEATS THEM TO IT, YOU KNOW, IT'S KIND OF LIKE FIRST COME FIRST SERVE.
BUT AT THIS MOMENT, RESCUES CAN TAG AN ANIMAL ON STRAY HOLD, AN INDIVIDUAL CAN NOT WORKING ON CORRECTING THAT SHE'S WORKING, WORKING ON IT SO THAT THEY CAN, BECAUSE I KNOW, LIKE YOU SAID, BACK IN THE DAY YOU USED THE PUBLIC WAS ABLE TO DO THAT.
I HAD ADOPTED ONE OF MY ANIMALS AS A PRE-ADOPTIVE WHEN IT WASN'T RECLAIMED, SO I KNOW IT USED TO BE DONE, SO.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? DO I, I JUST WANTED TO COMMENT ON THE PRE-ADOPTIVE.
UM, I HAD HEARD THAT ONE OF THE REASONS IT WAS STOPPED IS THAT, UM, CITIZENS WERE ANGRY AND DISAPPOINTED WHEN THEY PRE ADOPT AND THEN THE DOG WAS RECLAIMED AND THAT KIND OF BECAME AN ISSUE FOR STAFF.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S TRUE OR NOT, BUT HOPEFULLY IF WE CAN RESOLVE THAT, THEN BOTH CITIZENS AND RESCUES WILL GET A FAIR SHOT AT PRE ADOPTING ANIMALS.
I BELIEVE THAT THERE WERE A FEW INSTANCES WHERE THAT HAPPENED AS WELL.
I THINK EVEN WITH THE LAW IN PLACE THAT NOW PROTECTS ADOPTERS FROM SORT OF PUBLIC INFORMATION REQUESTS AND WHATNOT, AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S A GOOD TIME TO RE-LOOK AT THE FRONT, THE OVERALL POLICY AND SEE IF WE CAN IMPLEMENT SOMETHING.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, CRAIG? UM,
[00:50:01]
YES, JUST OUT OF CURIOSITY BECAUSE I'M NOT EXACTLY SURE HOW THIS WORKS.UH, IF SO, UH, UH, YOU INTAKE AN ANIMAL INTO THE SHELTER AND THEN THE STRAIGHTAWAY PERIOD IS THREE DAYS.
NOW LET'S SAY THAT SOMEONE'S LOOKING FOR THAT ANIMAL.
SO I ASSUME THAT AS SOON AS IT IS INTAKING INTO THE SHELTER IS PUT UP ON THE WEBSITE.
SO HOW LONG IS THE MINIMUM PERIOD OF TIME THAT, THAT ANY ANIMAL AT INTAKE IS, IS THE MINIMUM PERIOD OF TIME THREE DAYS, FOUR DAYS, FOUR DAYS.
UH, AND WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THAT FOUR DAY PERIOD? LET'S SAY, UH, UM, PROBABLY IT GETS TAKEN BY A PARTNER ORGANIZATION OR TO TRANSFER WHATEVER.
SO WHAT HAPPENS TO THE, THE INFORMATION ON THE WEBSITE? IF IT IS ADOPTED ANY OUTCOME TAKE REMOVES THE ANIMAL FROM THE WEBSITE.
UH, SO LET'S SAY SOMEONE, UH, HYPOTHETICALLY, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY WERE OUT OF TOWN AND, AND THERE SOMEONE WAS TAKING CARE OF THE ANIMAL, AN ANIMAL GETS AWAY AND WHOEVER WAS TAKING CARE OF THEM, DIDN'T TELL THEM RIGHT AWAY AND THEY GET BACK IN TOWN.
AND LET'S SAY THAT FOUR DAY PERIOD IS UP.
DO THEY HAVE ANY WAY TO KNOW WHAT MAY HAVE HAPPENED TO THEIR ANIMAL FROM THE CITY THROUGH THE, THROUGH THE CITY, UH, INFORMATION? NO, IF THAT ANIMAL WAS OF COURSE MICROCHIP, THEN IT WOULD GO BACK TO THEM AND WE'D HAVE A WAY TO TRACE IT, BUT IF IT'S NOT MICROCHIPPED AND IT'S REMOVED AND IF THEY DESCRIBE, YOU KNOW, THIS ANIMAL TO US, WHAT THEY THINK IT IS AND WHAT IT, WHAT WE THINK IT IS, MIGHT BE TWO DIFFERENT THINGS.
I'VE HEARD PEOPLE CALL A POODLE AS NAILS OR, YOU KNOW, THE WAY THEY HAD IT CUT.
SO YOU JUST THERE DANCE YOUR QUESTION? THERE'S NOT UNLESS IT'S MICROCHIPPED.
IT'S IT'S FOR THAT IMPORTANCE TO, TO MOVE FORWARD AND DO MORE MICROCHIPS IN YOUR CITY AND YOUR COUNTY, BECAUSE IT'S THE ONLY TECHNOLOGY TO ATTACH A HUMAN AND A PET ALREADY.
WE HAVE SOME CASES ABOUT PEOPLE WHO CAME TO THE SHELTER 10 DAYS LATER, AND THE ANIMAL ALREADY IS, IS TRANSFEREES ADOPTED IT'S FOR THAT IMPORTANCE.
I THINK WE, AS A TEAM AND WE AS A COMMUNITY, WE NEED TO MOVE FORWARD AND LET KNOW THE PEOPLE THAT IT'S ONLY FOUR DAYS AND FOUR DAYS SEATS, ANYTHING.
SOME PEOPLE WAS WORRIED BECAUSE WE WAS TRANSFERRING IN ANIMALS FOR OTHER PLACES.
WE TRANSFERRED TO A LOCAL PARTNERS IN FOUR DAYS.
CAN'T HAPPEN, BUT YES, LET'S GO TO MOVE WITH MICROCHIPS.
I THINK IT'S, IT'S THE CHEAPEST WAY TO MAINTAIN THE RELATION BETWEEN PETS AND OWNERS.
YOU DECIDE WHICH ANIMALS BECOME AVAILABLE FOR THOSE, THE PARTNERS OR MOST, MOST RESCUE ORGANIZATIONS, UH, MOST FOR, I THINK SOMEONE NEEDS TO MUTE.
UH, AND FIRST OF ALL, WELCOME TO THE NEW COMMISSIONER.
AND I, I WANNA SAY, UM, MOST OF THE RESCUE ORGANIZATIONS, EVEN ALL OUR LOCAL RESCUE ORGANIZATIONS, THEY SELECT THE ANIMALS AND LET US KNOW WHAT THEY'RE INTERESTED IN.
UH, WE DO HAVE A RESCUE ORGANIZATION THAT IS ALLOWING US TO SELECT THOSE ANIMALS, WHICH IS A BENEFIT BECAUSE WE ARE ABLE TO SELECT ANIMALS THAT HAVE HAD LONG STAYS, UH, ANIMALS THAT MIGHT HAVE A MEDICAL ISSUE, OR IT CAUSES ALONG THE SPACE.
SOME ARE JUST, IT'S A DOG THAT THIS COMMUNITY IS NOT INTERESTED IN.
AND IT HAS, YOU KNOW, BEEN HERE, YOU KNOW, OVER A THOUSAND DAYS.
SO, UH, BUT THE MAJORITY OF OUR TRANSFER PARTNERS, THEY SELECT THE ANIMALS THAT THEY'RE INTERESTED IN.
SO THEY USED TO, IN OTHER WORDS, IT IS WIDE OPEN FOR THEM.
IT DOESN'T MATTER IF IT'S HEALTH OR, OR CORRECT.
[00:55:01]
THEY, THEY SEE ALL OUR ANIMALS, THEY'RE THERE, THEY'RE AVAILABLE JUST TO THEM, JUST LIKE THEY ARE THE PUBLIC.AND A LOT OF THE RESCUE ORGANIZATIONS OPT IN TO GET, UH, RE INVENTORY REPORTS ON WHAT CAME IN THE PREVIOUS DAY.
SO THEY CAN ACTUALLY SEE IN REAL TIME WHAT'S COMING IN A FOLLOW-UP ON THAT.
UH, IF AN ANIMAL IS, UM, OFF THE STRAY HOLD AND TAGGED FOR A GROUP IN MICHIGAN OR MONTANA OR WHATEVER, UM, BUT STILL IN YOUR CARE, UH, CAUSE THEY'RE NOT GOING TO PICK IT UP FOR A WEEK OR TWO OR WHATEVER IT IS.
IS IT STILL ON THE WEBSITE WHILE IT'S STILL IN YOUR CUSTODY? IT IS ON OUR WEBSITE UNTIL IT BECOMES OUTCOME.
IT'S AN OUTCOME, A TRANSFER ADOPTION.
UH, IF IT DIES, THOSE ARE THE OUTCOMES.
UH, UNTIL THAT OUTCOME HAPPENS, IT IS STILL IN OUR SYSTEM.
SO IF IT IS STILL IN YOUR CUSTODY, BUT THEY'VE SAID WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE TAGGING IT.
LIKE WE WANT IT, WE'RE GOING TO PICK IT UP.
AND HOWEVER MANY DAYS, DOES IT STAY ON THE WEBSITE BETWEEN THE TIME THAT THEY SAID THEY WANTED IT AND THE TIME THEY PICK IT UP OR IS IT REMOVED FROM THE WEBSITE AT THE MOMENT? THEY SAY, THEY WANT IT'S REMOVED AFTER IT'S A STRAY HOLD PERIOD.
IF THEY TAGGED IT AND IT, IT, THEY SELECT THAT ANIMAL.
THEN AT THE END OF THAT STRAY HOLD PERIOD, IT CAN BECOME UNAVAILABLE.
SO JUST TO CLARIFY, IF A, IF AN OWNED ANIMAL THAT ROLLS OFF THE STRAY HOLD, IS THAT A RESCUE IN MONTANA OR WHEREVER WANTS, BUT THEY CAN'T COME GET IT FOR A WEEK OR TWO.
YOU'RE TAKING IT OFF OF THE CITY'S WEBSITE, EVEN THOUGH IT'S STILL IN EITHER AT THE SHELTER OR IN THE SHELTERS FOSTER PROGRAM.
I THINK IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, IT STAYS ON THE LOSS SIDE.
RIGHT? I THINK I'LL HAVE TO CHECK ON THAT, BUT I THINK IT STAYS ON THE LOSS SIDE UNDER LOST.
CAN WE FIND OUT BECAUSE THAT'S ANOTHER THING THAT WE'LL FIND APPARENTLY PEOPLE ARE, ARE, ARE VERY UPSET ABOUT AS THE POSSIBILITY OF AGAIN, THEIR, YOU KNOW, THEIR, THEIR TAXES, THEIR SHELTER, HAVING THE ANIMAL IN THEIR CUSTODY.
UM, AND THEY CAN'T FIND IT ON THE WEBSITE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IT'S BEEN TAGGED FOR SOMEBODY ELSE, EVEN THOUGH OUR TAXPAYERS, YOU KNOW, MONEY IS STILL BEING PAID FOR IT.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ALL
[2b. COVID Update. ]
RIGHT, LET'S MOVE ON TO, TO, UH, B COVID UPDATE.I'VE ALREADY SPOKEN, BUT GOOD EVENING TO THE REST OF Y'ALL COMMISSIONERS.
UM, OUR COVID UPDATE, YOU KNOW, THE CITY SEES STILL IN STAGE FIVE AND, UH, WE, SINCE OUR LAST PHYSICAL MEETING, WE HAVE HAD TO ELIMINATE SUNDAYS TO BEING OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.
WE STILL ARE MAINTAINING OUR FULL OPERATIONAL HOURS FOR THE REST OF THE SIX DAYS OF THE WEEK, BUT DUE TO OUR STAFF WITH COVID, UH, YOU KNOW, THEIR FAMILY MOVERS WITH COVID, UH, THE DIFFICULTY IT IS TO FIND EMPLOYEES.
WHEN YOU HAVE POSITIONS OPEN, AS EVERYBODY'S EXPERIENCING RIGHT NOW, WE JUST COULDN'T KEEP OPEN TO THE PUBLIC AND MAINTAIN, UH, WHAT WE NEEDED TO DO.
AND SO WE, UNTIL WE CAN GET SOME STAFF HIRED AND GET SOME, UH, FOLKS BACK, UH, WE'RE EVALUATING IT, YOU KNOW, EVERY WEEK.
AND AS SOON AS WE CAN, WE'LL OPEN BACK UP ON SUNDAYS, BUT THIS IS AN ONGOING ISSUE THAT I THINK YOU'LL SEE THAT, YOU KNOW, OTHER CITIES AND RESCUES HAVE DEALT WITH IN OUR OWN AREA.
UH, I JUST SAW SOMEONE SENT ME SOMETHING TODAY THAT, UH, DALLAS HAS CLOSED ONE DAY A WEEK, AND THEY'RE ONLY OPEN FROM ONE TO SIX, THE REST OF THE TIME.
SO IT'S, IT'S SOMETHING THAT EVERYONE IS EXPERIENCING AND IT, WE PUT IT OFF FOR A LONG TIME, YOU KNOW, ALMOST THREE YEARS DURING THIS PANDEMIC.
AND IT'S FINALLY, YOU KNOW, GOT TO THE POINT WITH THIS LAST BARRIER THAT, UH, I GUESS IT WAS MORE CONTAGIOUS AND IT CAUSED US TO HAVE A LOT MORE STAFF OUTAGES.
SO THAT'S THE BIG CHANGE ON OUR COVID AT THIS POINT.
BUT, UM, WE ARE TRYING TO FILL EVERY POSITION AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S, I GUESS KIND OF DISHEARTENING WHEN YOU USED TO PUT A POSITION OUT AND YOU'D HAVE HUNDREDS OF APPLICANTS AND WE PUT A POSITION OUT AND YOU GET TO, AND REALLY NEITHER ONE HAVE ANY QUALIFICATIONS THAT YOU'RE NEEDING.
SO IT IS A DIFFICULT SITUATION.
I KNOW EVERYBODY IN THE COUNTRY'S EXPERIENCING.
I HAVE A QUESTION ON THAT, DAWN, HOW DID YOU SELECT CLOSING ON A WEEKEND DAY AS OPPOSED TO A WEEKDAY? WHEN IT WOULD SEEM TO ME THAT THE WEEKENDS ARE WHEN MORE PEOPLE ARE ABLE TO COME TO THE SHELTER TO LOOK FOR A WELL THAT'S, WE, WE WENT BACK AND LOOKED AT A HISTORICAL DATA FOR THE PAST FIVE YEARS AND WE LOOKED AT THE NUMBER OF INCOMES AND OUTCOMES, AND SUNDAY IS OUR LOWEST DAY OF ALL THE WEEK IN THOSE FIVE-YEAR PERIOD.
SO THAT'S HOW IT WAS SELECTED THAT, OKAY,
[01:00:01]
SO THAT IS STILL FOLLOWING UP.SO, SO YOU WENT BACK FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS, SO THAT'S, THAT'S INCLUDING THE COVID YEARS, RIGHT.
SO, SO THOSE WERE INCLUDED EVEN WHEN, WHEN THE SHELTER WAS CLOSE TO THE PUBLIC.
SO WOULDN'T THAT SKEW THE DATA? WELL, THE SHELTER WAS ONLY CLOSED FAR THE PUBLIC FOR WALK-INS FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME.
WE WERE DOING, UH, AT ONLY WHAT'S THREE WEEKS.
WE WERE ACTUALLY CLOSED BEFORE WE STARTED DOING CURBSIDE ADOPTIONS.
SO, SO IT WASN'T CLOSE TO THE PUBLIC THAT ENTIRE, JUST, YOU WERE JUST DOING LIKE APPOINTMENTS OR SOMETHING.
BUT WE HAD THE DATA WHEN WE'VE BEEN OPENED FOR THE LAST TWO AND A HALF YEARS.
AND IT WAS SIGNIFICANTLY NUMBERS SIGNIFICANTLY LESS.
COULD YOU SUPPLY THAT TO US? I CAN.
SO DAN, THANKS FOR THAT INFORMATION.
I HAVE A QUESTION REGARDING, UM, IF YOU'RE JUST LOOKING AT OUT ROOMS, ARE YOU TRACKING ANY DATA TO COME UP WITH THAT SUNDAY TO BE CLOSED BASED ON WHEN PEOPLE ARE APPLYING TO ABOUT AN ANIMAL, BECAUSE COULDN'T SUNDAY HAVE A LOWER OUTCOME RATE BECAUSE SURGERY IS NOT DONE OVER THE WEEKEND, OR, AND WE LOOKED AT HOW MANY SURGERIES WERE BEING DONE AND WHAT DAYS, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'VE ACTUALLY, UNTIL THIS LAST GO AROUND, WE HAD A HIGH-SPEED SPAY NEUTER SURGERY, SURGERY, UH, TEAM COME IN ON SATURDAYS, EVEN.
SO I DON'T THINK THAT WAS, UH, ENOUGH TO EFFECT IT, BUT IT WAS, YOU KNOW, EVERYONE LOOKED AT THE DATA AND BASED ON, UH, ALL THE POINTS THAT WE LOOKED AT THAT WAS THE LOWEST DAY.
THE ONE THING THAT, UM, OUR VERSION OF CHAMELEON DOESN'T HAVE THAT A LOT OF THE NEWER VERSIONS DO, OR, OR WE DON'T HAVE THAT PART IN OUR SYSTEM.
BUT, UM, IT TRACKS HOW MANY, UH, ADOPTIONS HAPPEN AT ONE TIME OF THE DAY.
AND SO I WISHED WE HAD THAT CAPABILITY, BUT IT WOULD BE A PHYSICAL PERSON, YOU KNOW, SETTING THERE AND COUNTING IT ALL AND LOOKING AT THE CLOCK EVERY TIME SOMEBODY CAME OUT AND AS YOU KNOW, WE JUST DON'T HAVE THE STAFF TO KIND OF GET THAT DOWN.
AND I'M SORRY, I, THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL TOO, TO CAPTURE WHEN AN ANIMAL'S ADOPTED.
BUT MY QUESTION IS REGARDING WHEN AN ANIMAL IS APPLIED FOR, BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE THERE'S STILL MANY ANIMALS THAT PEOPLE COME IN, FILL OUT AN APPLICATION TO ADOPT AND THE ANIMALS NOT READY TO GO HOME.
AND SO IF WE'RE NOT LOOKING AT THE FOOT TRAFFIC AND THE ACTUAL APPLICATIONS AND WHAT DAYS OF THE WEEK, THOSE TAKE PLACE, I'M CONCERNED THAT WE COULD BE THAT THE, THE, THE DATA FOR SUNDAY BEING LOW FOR OUTCOMES, BUT, AND THERE'S NO SURGERY, OR THERE'S LIMITED SURGERY OVER THE WEEKEND MAY BE SKEWED OR CREATING A FALSE IMPRESSION BECAUSE IT'S NOT CAPTURING THE ACTUAL PEOPLE THAT COME SIT DOWN AND FILL OUT AN APPLICATION AND SAY, THEY WANT AN ANIMAL.
ACTUALLY, THE TEAM THAT LOOKED AT IT, WE ACTUALLY LOOKED AT THE ADOPTIONS WHEN THEY WERE CONFIRMED, NOT WHEN THEY WERE OUTCOMES.
AND THAT DIDN'T MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
SUNDAY WAS STILL THE LOWEST DAYS.
SO THAT WAS CONFIRMED AND APPLIED FOR WOULD BE THE SAME THING WHEN, WHEN WE ACTUALLY PROCESSED IT VERSUS OUTCOME PROCESS PROCESSES, WHEN THEY DO THE ADOPTION AND THEN OUTCOME IS WHEN ACTUALLY THEY PICK IT UP AND LEAVE WITH IT.
WELL, WOULDN'T YOU PROCESS IT AFTER IT'S HAD SURGERY? IS THAT NOT? NO, THAT'S THE OUTCOME.
THEY, WE LOOKED AT THE DATA WHEN THEY ADOPTED AS WELL AS WHEN THEY OUTCOMES.
SO IF I CAME IN ON A FRIDAY AND I ADOPTED IT, BUT I DIDN'T PICK IT UP UNTIL TUESDAY, THAT'S THE OUTCOME.
AND WE, AND YOU CAPTURED THE, THE ADOPTION.
YOU HAVE THE DATA FOR ADOPTIONS AND OUTCOMES.
IS THAT CORRECT? DATA IS THE OUTCOMES.
AND THE TEAM THAT LOOKED AT IT, DID THE DATA FOR ADOPTIONS ALSO, AND SUNDAY WAS STILL THE LOWEST ON BOTH.
SO THEN THAT WE HAVE TWO SETS AND THAT, THAT, THAT DATA THAT WAS COLLECTED FOR ADOPTIONS WENT BACK FIVE YEARS TO, YES.
COULD YOU SHARE THAT DATA WITH US? I WILL ASK THEM TO SHARE.
I HAVE ONE COVID RELATED QUESTION ON THE SUNDAY THING.
[01:05:01]
I LOOK AT THE COVID NUMBERS DAILY, CAUSE MY WIFE AND I ARE VERY RISK AVERSE BECAUSE WE HAVE TWO CHILDREN UNDER FIVE WHO CANNOT BE VACCINATED.UM, AND THE NUMBERS FOR TODAY ARE REALLY LOW.
AND, UM, MY GUESS IS THAT AUSTIN WILL NOT BE AT STAGE FIVE.
UM, WELL THIS WEEK PROBABLY IT'LL BE BELOW.
UM, IF WE GO BACK DOWN TO THE STAGE THREE OR EVEN TWO AS EXPECTED WITHIN A WEEK OR TWO, UM, WILL YOU GO BACK TO YOUR NORMAL, UH, WORKING HOURS? IT WILL DEPEND UPON OUR STAFFING ISSUES.
UH, IF WE CAN, WE, IF WE CAN STAY AT STAGE FIVE, IF WE CAN GET THE STAFFING BACK UP, THEN WE'LL OPEN BACK UP ON SUNDAYS, BUT IT'S, IT'S NOT THE STAGE FIVE OR FOUR.
CAUSE WE'VE BEEN UNDER STAGE FIVE FOR A LONG TIME AND WE'VE BEEN OPEN ON SUNDAYS.
IT'S JUST, WE'VE HAD HIGH NUMBERS OF STAFF.
I, AND I, I PROBABLY DIDN'T STRING THAT TOGETHER WELL ENOUGH, BUT I JUST MEANT BECAUSE OF THE NUMBERS ARE SO LOW, I'M ASSUMING THAT THE, THE PEOPLE CALLING IN SICK WILL ALSO DECLINE PRETTY RAPIDLY.
BUT YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO LOOK AT TOO IS IS THAT WITH THE CITY, IF YOU ARE TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID, YOU CAN HAVE 80 HOURS OFF WITH PAY SO THAT YOU KNOW IT, IF YOU'RE VACCINATED.
SO IT, THAT IS MAKING DIFFERENCE TOO.
SO WE, THEY MIGHT STAY OUT LONGER.
SO WE, ONCE WE GET OUR NUMBERS BACK IN SEEING, YOU KNOW, WE'LL OPEN BACK UP.
SO IT'S MOSTLY A STAFFING THING AT THIS POINT THEN IS HOPEFULLY EVEN IF YOU BUILT IN TWO WEEKS TIME, MAYBE AFTER THAT TWO WEEKS FROM NOW, WHEN THE NUMBERS ARE A LOT LOWER, AS I THINK EVERYONE EXPECTS THEM TO BE THAT THAT WOULD BE RE REVISIT.
WELL, YOU KNOW, MOMENT BY MOMENT WE HAVE THE STAFFING TO OPEN BACK UP ON SUNDAYS.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? UM, I JUST HAVE ONE QUICK ONE, RYAN.
UM, I'M JUST WONDERING, SO HOW LONG HAS THE SHELTER THEN BEEN CLOSED ON SUNDAY? BECAUSE THE PET RESOURCE CENTER WAS CLOSED.
WASN'T IT? SO I'M JUST TRYING TO DISTINGUISH WHAT ALL HAS BEEN CLOSED ON SUNDAY AND FOR HOW LONG, AND MAYBE THAT'S GOING TO BE SUPPLIED IN THE DATA THAT I BELIEVE LADA ASKED FOR.
UM, I'M TRYING TO PIECE IT TOGETHER.
CAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE THE SUNDAY CLOSURE HAS BEEN AN ISSUE FOR AT LEAST A YEAR.
THE CLOSING FOR THE PUBLIC, UH, FOR ADOPTIONS AND IS ONLY BEEN, THIS IS THIS PAST SUNDAY WAS THE THIRD SUNDAY, THE PUBLIC RESOURCE CENTER.
IF OUR INTAKE HAS BEEN CLOSED SIGNIFICANTLY LONGER.
AND SO LIKE SATURDAYS AND SUNDAY, AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT HAS NOT SLOWED DOWN INTAKE, UH, BECAUSE OTHER STAFF MEMBERS ARE DOING THAT INTAKE.
UH, SO IF YOU LOOK BACK AT OUR NUMBERS, OUR INTAKE NUMBERS ON SATURDAYS AND SUNDAYS, UH, THEY STILL REMAIN HIGH EVEN WHEN THE PRC WAS CLOSED.
UH, THE LAST THREE SUNDAYS, OF COURSE IT IS DROPPED BECAUSE, UM, THE WHOLE FACILITIES HAVE BEEN CLOSED.
SO THEY CAN'T WALK IN TO THE ADOPTION SIDE WITH AN ANIMAL.
IF THE BRC IS CLOSED, THEY, THEY JUST, YOU KNOW, IF WERE STILL TAKING ANIMALS OUT IN THE FIELD AND WHEN THERE'S EMERGENCIES, WE'RE STILL HANDLING THOSE.
AND ALL OF OUR, IF SOMEONE NEEDS TO RECLAIM THEIR ANIMAL, WE HAD THEM CONTACT THE APO OFFICER ON DUTY.
WE MAKE ARRANGEMENTS TO MEET THEM AND THEY'RE GETTING THEIR ANIMALS BACK.
AND IS THE PRC JUST, THIS IS A FINAL QUESTION.
IS THE PRC ALSO CLOSED AS A RESULT OF WAS THAT AS A COVID DRIVEN DECISION AS WELL.
UH, THE PRC HAS BEEN CLOSED FOR A LONG TIME BECAUSE OF STAFFING ISSUES.
UH, JUST NOT THE STAFF, UH, MAINTAIN THAT FACILITY FOR SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.
WAS IT DUE TO COVID I FEEL LIKE THAT STARTED LIKE IN, DURING THE PANDEMIC, IS THAT NOT RIGHT? I MEAN, YEAH.
IT STARTED AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PANDEMIC.
UH, WHEN WE LOST A LOT OF OUR TEMPORARY STAFF.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? THANK YOU, DON.
LET'S MOVE ON TO, TO SEE THE AUSTIN PETS ALIVE, QUARTERLY REPORT, PLEASE INTRODUCE YOURSELF.
I'M THE SENIOR DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS AT AUSTIN PETS ALIVE AND, UH, COMING TO JOIN YOU FOR MY VERY FIRST
[2c. Austin Pets Alive! Quarterly Report ]
ACTUAL SPEAKING ATTENDANCE TO ONE OF THESE MEETINGS.SO, UH, THANK YOU FOR HAVING US.
UM, FIRST OF ALL, I DID WANT TO TOUCH BASE REAL BRIEFLY ABOUT THE 85% AND THAT OUR TEAMS ARE ALREADY GOING BACK AND VERIFYING AND, UH, WE WILL MAKE CORRECTIONS AND APOLOGIZE AS NEEDED.
UH, ONCE THAT'S VERIFIED, UM, THE, UH, IN THE FOURTH QUARTER OF 2021, OCTOBER, NOVEMBER, DECEMBER, UH,
[01:10:01]
FROM WHAT I CAN SEE ON THE BI DASHBOARD THAT, UH, AAC USES 523 PETS WERE TRANSFERRED OUT TO 38 PARTNERS OF WHICH AUSTIN PETS ALIVE TOOK NEARLY 70% OF THOSE, UM, TAKING 360, UH, WITH AN ADDITIONAL 214 BOARDING CARE.WE ALSO, UH, NOTED IN DECEMBER, THERE WAS A CHANGE TO THE BEHAVIOR, PLEASE, THE BEHAVIOR ATTENTION LIST.
UM, IN OCTOBER, NOVEMBER, AND A COUPLE OF MONTHS PRIOR, THERE WAS FOUR, FOUR TO FIVE DOGS PUT ON THE BEHAVIOR ATTENTION LIST.
AND IN THE MONTH OF DECEMBER, THERE WAS 16 PLACED.
UM, AND THE TEAM WAS AT AAC WAS REALLY GOOD ABOUT COMMUNICATING WHAT THAT CHANGE WAS AND ENABLING US, UH, SOME EXTRA TIME TO REALLY CATCH UP AND UNDERSTAND THAT.
UH, THE LAST THING THAT I WANTED TO SPECIFICALLY CALL OUT WAS, UH, DID NOT HAPPEN IN THE FOURTH, BUT JUST IN THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS, AAC HAS BEGUN DOING SOME OPEN FOSTER MATCHING HOURS THAT, UH, HAS BEEN REALLY SUCCESSFUL AS MY UNDERSTANDING AND INCLUDING OVER THIS WEEKEND.
SO ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? YEP.
UM, SO I'M LOOKING AT THE REPORT AND YOU SAID ON THE REPORT, IT SAYS THAT THE PORTAL DOESN'T INDICATE WHICH PARTNERS PETS ARE TRANSFERRED TO, BUT THEN THE VERY NEXT COUPLE OF BULLETS, IT SAYS FUZZY FRIENDS TOOK THE SECOND AND HS TOOK THE THIRD MOST.
SO WHERE DO YOU GET THOSE NUMBERS? IF THE IS NOT SHOWING IT? I HAVE TO GO BACK AND DOUBLE-CHECK, I BELIEVE, I BELIEVE THAT THEY CAME OUT OF THE MONTHLY REPORTS.
UM, AND THEN THE OTHER THING, THE ONLY OTHER THING I HAD A QUESTION ON IS THIS IS THE BEHAVIOR ISSUE THAT YOU MENTIONED.
UM, THE, THE CHART ON THE DETAILED BREAKDOWN SHOWS THAT YOU TOOK 13 BEHAVIOR DOGS FROM AAC, UH, 12 LARGE AND ONE SMALL, BUT THEN ON THE, UH, TOO MANY NOTES, BUT THEN ON THE, ON THE OUTCOMES IT SHOWS, OR EXCUSE ME, UM, ON THE NOTES ON BEHAVIOR, IT SAYS THAT YOU TOOK 11 DOGS IN QUARTER FOUR.
DO YOU KNOW, WAS IT THE 11 OR THE 13? CAN YOU TELL ME WHERE YOU SAW THE 13? YES.
SO ON YOUR INTAKES ON THAT CHART, RIGHT UNDER THIS ONE CIRCLE, NOPE.
THIS ONE HERE, PAGE TWO, IT SHOWS AAC, DOG BEHAVIOR, LARGE AND SMALL.
AND YOU HAVE A TOTAL THERE OF 13 DOGS THAT WERE INTAKES FROM AAC.
AND THEN ON PAGE FIVE, YOU SAY 11 DAYS YOUR DOGS WERE PULLED.
UM, I BELIEVE THAT THERE WAS 11 OF THE F OF THE ONES THAT WERE PLED DURING THAT QUARTER.
UH, THERE'S SOME OVERLAP THAT HAPPENS LIKE A DELAY BECAUSE THERE, THERE WAS 16 PLED IN DECEMBER.
AND SO NOT ALL OF THOSE GET PULLED AND SOME CARRY OVER TO THE NEXT QUARTER.
SO THE PRIOR QUARTER THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN SOME ALSO.
UM, AND THEN MY FINAL QUESTION IS ON, YOU'RE ON THE SAME PAGE HERE, PAGE FIVE, YOU HAVE YOUR OUTCOMES IN THE QUARTER OF THE ANIMALS THAT YOU TOOK FROM AAC, AND IT SHOWS THAT YOU TRANSFERRED 14 ANIMALS THAT YOU TOOK FROM AEC OUT.
SO WERE THOSE TRANSFERRED TO OTHER RESCUES IN TEXAS OR WERE THEY ALSO OUT OF STATE TRANSFERS? UM, I CAN GET THAT ANSWER FOR YOU.
TYPICALLY, WE DON'T TRANSFER PETS DIRECTLY THAT WE PULL DIRECTLY FROM AAC.
IF WE DO IT, SOMETIMES IT WOULD BE AFTER THEY'RE RETURNED TO US FOR SOME REASON.
UM, AND WE DO DO SOME, UH, TEMPORARY TRANSFERS OF BEHAVIOR DOGS TO A FACILITY IN FLORIDA.
UM, BUT THEY ALWAYS COME BACK TO US, BUT WE DO COUNT THEM AS TRANSFERS DURING THE TIME THAT THEY'RE GONE.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR AUSTIN PETS ALIVE? UM, FOLLOWING UP ON THE TRANSFERS OF THE AAC ANIMALS TO OUT OF THAT WENT FROM A C TO APA, UM, OUT OF, UH, OUT OF THE AREA OR THEY ALL TRANSFERRED TO NO KILL SHELTERS.
I CAN GET THE INFORMATION FOR AND GET BACK TO YOU WITH EXACTLY WHERE THEY WENT.
I'D LIKE TO KNOW IF THERE ARE NO KILL SHELTERS AND
[01:15:01]
WHAT PERCENTAGE, UM, UH, SAY HOW, AND THIS IS KIND OF CONFUSING IN THE WORLD.UM, HOW LONG DOES IT HAVE TO BE NO KILL TO BE NO KILL.
IS IT A MONTH? IS IT A YEAR? UM, HOW DOES APA DETERMINED THAT IT'S, UH, CLEARLY A NO KILL SHELTER.
OH, AND WALK THEM THROUGH YOUR FIRST MEETING.
THANK YOU FOR BEING, UM, I KNOW IT'S NOT EASY.
UM, I'VE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS ON THE FIRST PAGE.
UM, SO APA WROTE, UM, YOU WROTE THAT YOU CONTRIBUTED TO SUBSIDIZE THE CITY'S BUDGET BY, UM, TAKING ANIMALS AND THE AMOUNT OF CARE THAT WAS, UM, USED FOR THEM AND CALCULATED, BUT TILA PROPERTY.
HOWEVER, UM, AND JANUARY 12TH, 2022, THEY APPRAISAL THAT WAS DONE SPECIFICALLY ON THE TWO LACK PROPERTY, UM, LISTS THE ANNUAL LICENSE FEE AT $2,565,000.
THAT'S UP FROM THE 2.38 MILLION THAT I BELIEVE WAS ENFORCED IN 2021.
SO BY MY MATH, UM, THE ANIMAL CARE FOR THE ANIMALS, EVEN AT THE HIGH SIDE OF 1.9 MILLION IS STILL LESS THAN THE PROPERTY VALUE, WHICH WAS 2.3, 8 MILLION.
SO I DON'T UNDERSTAND THE SUBSIDIZING TO THE CITY BUDGET.
SO CAN YOU EXPLAIN THAT? SORRY.
MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THE APPRAISAL VALUE AND THE ACTUAL VALUE OF USE, UM, WHAT YOU COULD GET FOR THAT PROPERTY, UH, VARIES BECAUSE THE PROPERTY IS ONLY, UH, WHAT'S THE WORD NOT CODED ZONE.
THERE'S ONLY A ZONE FOR A CERTAIN USE.
UM, LIKE YOU COULDN'T BUILD HIGH RISE APARTMENTS THERE AND SELL THEM FOR A GOOD JILLION DOLLARS.
WELL, IT MAY STIPULATE WHAT IT WOULD COST, BUT THIS DOCUMENT STILL SEEMS TO SAY THAT THAT'S WHAT THE, WHAT IT WOULD, THAT THE RANGE OF VALUE WOULD BE BETWEEN 2.4 MILLION AND 2.636, 9 MILLION.
SO THEY KIND OF SETTLED ON 2.5, BUT, UM, DARKER BLIND.
DO YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS ON THAT OR CAUSE THEY SEEM TO BE CON DIFFERENT NUMBERS.
IF THE CITY IS SAYING THE ANNUAL LICENSE FEE WOULD BE 2.5, 6 MILLION, IS THAT WHAT A PROPERTY GOES FOR? WHEN A NONPROFIT GETS A LICENSE AGREEMENT TO BE ON THE LAND? OKAY.
FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, THE LICENSE FEE IS FIGURED OFF OF THE TAX ROLL VALUE OF THE PROPERTY, NOT MARKET VALUE, UH, YOU KNOW, WITH MARKET VALUE, IT'S GOING TO BE SIGNIFICANTLY MORE.
SO WITH ANY OTHER NON-PROFIT, IT'S GOING TO BE THE PERCENTAGE OF THE TAX ROLL VALUE IS WHAT THE CITY WOULD DETERMINE THEIR LICENSE FEE ON.
OH, IF I, IF APA WASN'T THERE AND I HAD A NONPROFIT AND I WANTED TO GET THIS LAND FROM THE CITY, I WOULD BE CHARGED AN ANNUAL LICENSE FEE OF 2.5, $6 MILLION UNLESS IT WAS WAIVED BY THE COUNCIL.
SO THAT SEEMS LIKE A FAIR NUMBER.
UM, MY SECOND QUESTION IS THE PERCENT OF ANIMALS TAKEN.
UM, THE RESOLUTION THAT PASSED ON NOVEMBER 4TH STILL KEPT IN PLACE.
THE GREATER OF 3000 ANIMALS ARE 12%, WHICH FOR 2021 WOULD HAVE BEEN 3000 ANIMALS.
SO I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY, UM, THERE WAS ANY DECISION TO TAKE.
UM, I BELIEVE FOR 2021, THE TOTAL NUMBER WAS 1,606, WHICH IS ABOUT 1400 BELOW A LICENSE AGREEMENT.
SO ANY EXPLANATION, AND THE REASON I'M ASKING IS THAT'S A LOT MORE ANIMALS FOR A C TO TAKE, TO KEEP AND TAKE CARE OF WHEN IN THE LICENSE AGREEMENT THEY WERE DUE TO GO TO ANOTHER PLACE.
I DO NOT HAVE AN ANSWER FOR THAT.
AND I DID, I DID CHECK AND I'VE, UH, DID SEARCHES JUST IN CASE I MISSED A MEETING WHERE THAT NUMBER WAS CHANGED BY COUNCIL.
SO YEAH, NO, I WAS, I WAS NOT PART OF THE DISCUSSIONS DURING THAT TIME.
UM, SO I WOULDN'T HAVE INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT WAS, OR WASN'T AGREED UPON DURING THAT, BUT IT'S,
[01:20:01]
IT'S, I'M JUST CONFUSED BECAUSE IT'S IN HERE AS THOUGH IT WAS OKAY TO TAKE LESS ANIMALS.IT'S NOT WHAT'S IN THE LICENSE, IT AND D DIRECTOR BLEND THE LICENSE AGREEMENT.
THAT IS OUR CURRENT AGREEMENT.
IT'S THERE HASN'T BEEN A CHANGE.
I WANT TO FOLLOW UP ON THE, UH, DON, YOU HAD SAID THAT IT'S BASED ON THE COUNTY APPRAISAL VALUE, IS THAT RIGHT? THAT'S THE WAY I UNDERSTAND IT.
SO YOUR UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THE COUNTY PROVIDES A RENTAL VALUE OF PROPERTY.
IF YOU GO TO TRAVIS COUNTY CENTRAL PRICING DISTRICT, YOU KNOW, THE VALUE OF THAT PROPERTY, UH, THAT IS ON THE TAX ROLLS.
THAT IS WHAT THEY USE FOR DETERMINING THE LICENSE.
AND SO YOUR UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THE PROPERTY TAX RULE AT T CAD THEN IS 2.5 MILLION, THEN PORTION OF THAT ANCHORAGE, THAT WHOLE BLOCK OF LAND IS $369 MILLION ON THE TAX ROLLS.
SO UNDER JOANNE'S ARGUMENT, THEN APA WOULD HAVE TO BUY IT EVERY SINGLE YEAR FOR FULL VALUE.
NO, I JUST, THE LICENSE FEE, THE CITY COUNCIL HAS WAIVED.
SO THEY DON'T HAVE TO TAKING ANIMALS FOR THAT LICENSE.
IF THE FEE, IF THE VALUE IS 2.5, JOANNE SAYING THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO BUY IT EVERY SINGLE YEAR OVER AND OVER AGAIN, FOR 2.5 MILLION IN ORDER FOR THOSE NUMBERS TO BE NEGATIVE.
I'M SAYING THAT IF THAT IT, TO ME, IT SHOULD BE, IT KIND OF SEEMS IT WOULD BE A WASH.
SO IF THEY, IF IT'S 2.5 AND APA TAKES A CERTAIN OR ANYBODY WHO'S ON THE LAND, UH, BUT IT'S APA TAKES A CERTAIN NUMBER OF ANIMALS THAT GETS CLOSE TO 2.5, THEN IT'S KIND OF A WASH AND THEN WHATEVER ANIMALS THEY TAKE ABOVE THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S FINE.
BUT WHAT I'M SAYING IS APA ON THIS DOCUMENT THAT SAID THEY WERE SUBSIDIZING THE CITY BUDGET BECAUSE THEY VALUE THE LAND LESS THAN THE CITY, OR I GUESS THE COUNTY VALUES THE LAND.
AND THAT'S WHAT I DON'T UNDERSTAND.
WHAT SHOULD WE GO BY? SHOULD WE GO BY WHAT APA THINKS IT IS? OR SHOULD WE GO BY WHAT THE CITY, UM, SAYS THAT AN A LICENSE AGREEMENT WOULD BE? I THINK WE CAN GET FURTHER CLARIFICATION, BUT I STRONGLY SUSPECT THAT THE VALUE OF THE LAND THAT T CAT IS NOT PROVIDING A VALUE TO CITY PARKLAND.
UH, IF IT IS, THAT'S THE VALUE OF THE PARKLAND, THAT WOULD BE THE PURCHASE PRICE AND NOT THE RENTAL PRICE.
I SUSPECT THAT'S NOT, I THINK THAT'S IN THERE.
THAT'S LIKE MORE, UM, THERE WAS A, I THINK THERE WAS A PURCHASE PRICE.
AT SOME POINT I CAN SEND YOU THE DOCUMENT.
RYAN T CAT DOES NOT PROVIDE RENTAL VALUES.
THEY PROVIDE FAIR MARKET VALUES, RIGHT? I LIVE, I LITIGATE, I LITIGATE SOME OF THESE CASES T T CAT DOES NOT PROVIDE RENTAL VALUES.
THEY PROVIDE MARKET VALUES, NOT RENTAL, SORRY.
THEY PROVIDE APPRAISED VALUES, MARKET VALUES, DIFFERENT MARKET VALUE.
THAT COULD BE VERY DIFFERENT BECAUSE JOANNE, FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOUR HOUSE WAS WORTH $500,000 IN T CAD, WE ALL KNOW THAT LAST YEAR YOU COULD HAVE SOLD IT FOR A LOT MORE THAN THAT.
THAT'S WHAT FAIR MARKET VALUE IS.
SO, I MEAN, IT'S, THAT'S A VERY BASIC EXPLANATION AND I DON'T WANT TO GO FURTHER THAN THAT, BUT THAT'S, THERE IS A DISTINCTION TO BE DRAWN.
AND THEN WHEN YOU GET INTO RENTALS, I DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW THAT, HOW THAT PLAYS IN, BUT THERE ARE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT HAVE TO BE WEIGHED.
I'M SAYING I ACTUALLY HAVE AN APPRAISAL REPORT ISSUED BY THE CITY ON THAT PROPERTY, AND THAT'S WHY I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND.
UM, AND THE ANSWER, THE ANSWER THAT THAT WAS GIVEN WAS THAT THAT THAT PROVIDES A, A T CAT AND IT DOES ATTEMPT TO PROVIDE THE FAIR MARKET VALUE.
IT'S OFTEN INACCURATE AND MOSTLY ON THE LOW SIDE, BUT THEY ARE ATTEMPTING TO PROVIDE A FAIR MARKET VALUE, UH, UNDER THE STATUTE.
AND, UH, THEY DON'T PROVIDE RENTAL VALUES.
IS NOT IN THE BUSINESS OF PROVIDING RENTAL VALUES.
SO IF IT WERE A TEAK HAD PROVIDED VALUE, IT WOULD BE, UH, A PURCHASE PRICE, NOT A PURCHASE VALUE, NOT A RENTAL VALUE.
SO I SUSPECT THAT THAT NUMBER COMES FROM A DIFFERENT SOURCE AS A PERCENTAGE TO THE PROPERTY TAX ROLL VALUE.
AND THAT'S WHERE THE LICENSE FEES COME FROM.
AND THAT'S HOW THEY DETERMINE LOSS IN BASE.
AND THE CITY HAS LICENSE FEES FOR A LOT OF PROPERTIES.
UM, I MEAN, I WANT TO BE FAIR TO THE TAXPAYERS AND, AND MAKE SURE THAT WHAT'S BEING PRESENTED, ESPECIALLY IN A, IN A RECAP DOCUMENT AND STUFF IS CORRECT, AND
[01:25:01]
THAT IT WE'RE BEING FAIR TO THE TAXPAYERS WITH WHAT THAT LAND WOULD LICENSE FOR.IF COUNCIL DIDN'T WAIVE THE FEE.
SO IF IT WASN'T WAIVED, THE CITY WOULD COME BACK IN THE FEE AGREEMENT AND SAY, THIS IS WHAT IT IS.
AND THERE ARE A LOT OF DIFFERENT FEES THAT THE CITY APPLIES TO DIFFERENT PROBLEMS. IT'S THE ONLY ONE THEY DO.
UH, IN FACT, I THINK MOST OF THE TIME THEY WEIGHED THEM, UH, BUT UH, EITHER WAY TEEKA DOES NOT PROVIDE RENTAL VALUES.
SO THAT NUMBER IS NOT IF IT'S, IF IT'S A TEEKAT VALUE, IT IS NOT A RENTAL VALUE.
[3a. Comparative Evaluations of Monthly Release Rates. ]
I DO THINK MAYBE IT WOULD HELP TO GET AN EXPLANATION FROM WHOMEVER, PROBABLY FROM THE CITY, FROM WHEREVER THAT NUMBER COMES FROM.I SUSPECT IT IS NOT A FAIR MARKET VALUE TO PURCHASE IT, UM, WHICH WOULD COME FROM TICA.
MAYBE THEY EXTRAPOLATE FROM THE PURCHASE PRICE, A RENTAL, A FAIR MARKET RENTAL PRICE, WHICH THAT WOULD PROBABLY MAKE MORE SENSE, ESPECIALLY IF JOANNE IS SAYING THERE'S A DIFFERENCE IN THE DOCUMENT BETWEEN THE PURCHASE PRICE AND THE RENTAL PRICE.
THEY MUST BE EXTRAPOLATING THE RENTAL PRICE FROM THE PURCHASE PRICE FROM THE FAIR MARKET PRICE.
UM, IT'S $140 A SQUARE FOOT OF LAND VALUE FOR A TOTAL ROUNDED OF 25 MILLION, $650,000.
SO EITHER WAY I CAN GUARANTEE YOU THAT THERE IS NOT ANOTHER NON-PROFIT, THAT'S GOING TO PAY TWO AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS TO, UH, OCCUPY THAT SPACE.
SO THAT IS A MAGIC NUMBER THAT HAS NO BASIS IN REALITY.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT.
LET'S MOVE ON TO OLD BUSINESS.
THREE A IS COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS, A MONTHLY RELEASE RATES.
DOES ANYBODY WANT TO SPEAK ON THIS? SEEING NONE? WE WILL MOVE TO THREE
[3b. Monthly Reporting of Data. ]
B MONTHLY REPORTING OF DATA.DOES ANYBODY WANT TO SPEAK, SPEAK ON MONTHLY REPORTING OF DATA? I DO HAVE A QUESTION ON THE MONTHLY REPORTING.
I PROBABLY SHOULD'VE ASKED IT EARLIER, BUT IT'S TOPICAL NOW IS, IS THIS DOCUMENT WHAT WE'RE GOING TO GET FOR ATTEMPTING TO, UH, COMPLY WITH, UH, CITY ORDINANCE ON REPORTING? IS THAT, IS THAT WHAT THIS DOCUMENT DOES NARRATIVE HAS BEEN AROUND FOR A WHILE, WHILE I THINK IT'S JUST TO GIVE YOU ALL A SNAPSHOT OF OTHER THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING.
UM, THE, THE LINK THAT BELINDA SENT TO THE PUBLIC DASHBOARD WILL SUFFICE THE MAJORITY OF THE 16 REPORTS.
THERE WAS ALSO A DATA PIECE THAT SHE ALSO SENT OUT WAS LIKE A SPREADSHEET, AND THAT WAS ENCOMPASSING THOSE THINGS THAT IT, AND WE HAVEN'T FIGURED OUT HOW TO PUT ON THE PUBLIC DASHBOARD.
AND THEN SOME OF THE NARRATIVE IS WHERE I'M ANNOUNCING LIKE THE THINGS OF, YOU KNOW, HOW MUCH WE'RE WE'RE UM, NOW, BECAUSE WE HAVE SNR.
SO I ADDED IT TO THE, BUT WE DO HAVE AN SNR SLIDE IF YOU WILL, ON A PUBLIC DASHBOARD, BUT THINGS LIKE, YOU KNOW, THE REASONS WHY AN ANIMAL DIED OR AN ANIMAL WAS EUTHANIZED, I'M STILL PROVIDING THAT SPREADSHEET UNTIL WE CAN GET IT SOMEHOW FIGURED OUT ON THE, ON THE ACTUAL PUBLIC DASHBOARD.
AND WE CAN SLOWLY SORT OF MOVE AWAY FROM PRINTING OUT PAPER OR SENDING OUT PAPER COPIES AND JUST REALLY RELY ON THAT.
IS THERE A WAY FOR THE REPORT TO KIND OF BE PUT INTO A PDF SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO GO TO A LINK AND LIKE CLICK HERE AND THEN CLICK HERE AND THEN CLICK OVER HERE? UM, IS I THINK THAT'S WHAT THE GOVERNMENT HAS IN MIND WHEN THEY SAY A MONTHLY REPORT.
I DON'T THINK THEY MEAN LIKE A LINK TO CLICK A BUNCH OF STUFF.
I CAN ASK TO SEE HOW WE CAN DO THAT.
UM, I GOT A MEETING WITH, WITH OUR IT FOLKS.
I MEAN, THEY'RE STILL DEALING WITH SOME COVID STUFF I'M HOPING TO HAVE AT THE END OF THIS WEEK, IF NOT EARLY NEXT.
SO I CAN ASK THEM FOR THAT JUST BECAUSE I THINK PALMER HAS THEIR HAND UP OCS, GO AHEAD AND PULL ME ON THIS TOPIC WAS GOING TO ASK THE SAME THING ABOUT A PDF BECAUSE I'M BEING WHERE THE DOCUMENTS ARE ON THE CITY WEBSITE FOR EACH MEETING IT'S NOT CAPTURED AND DOES NOT HAVE AVAILABLE.
UM, THESE REPORTS THAT ARE MANDATED AS BE AN ATTACK METHODS, MONK CAN OPEN.
AND IF THAT'S NOT GOING TO BE PROVIDED AS BACKUP DOCUMENTATION, THAT'S SET TO THIS LINK FOR THE BB.
AND IT SEEMS TO ME EACH MONTH, SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE POSTED IN A PDF AND INSTRUCT SOMEONE THAT DOESN'T KNOW GO TO THE DASHBOARD WHERE THE REST OF THE REPORTS ARE.
SO IF ANYBODY GOES AND CLICKS ON A LINK TO LOOKING AT ALL THE MEETINGS THAT THEY MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE ACCESS EVERYTHING THAT WAS PROVIDED FOR HER MOM.
BECAUSE THERE'S INDIVIDUAL WAYS, I'M LOOKING AT THE, AT LEAST THE INTERNAL ONE, UM, TO EXPORT IT AND PUT IT TOGETHER, ALL THE DIFFERENT DOCUMENTS.
AND THEN WE COULD PROBABLY ATTACH IT THAT WAY.
[01:30:01]
HAVE TO PLAY AROUND WITH IT, BUT THEN I'LL ALSO ASK OUR IT FOLKS LIKE, YOU KNOW, UM, WHAT'S THE BEST WAY.SO THAT WAY WE'RE IN CAPTURING EVERYTHING.
AND, UM, YEAH, CAUSE IT SHOULD JUST BE A SWITCHER OF THE CURSORS TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE ON THE PROPER MONTH.
SO THAT REPORTING THAT, THAT SPECIFIC MONTH THAT I'LL TALK WITH THEM ABOUT IT.
WAS THERE ANOTHER HAND UP? NOPE.
[3c. Working Group on Off-Leash Dogs. ]
OKAY.WE'LL MOVE ON TO THREE C WORKING GROUP ON OFF-LEASH DOGS.
WE CAN MAYBE WRAP UP, UM, AROUND APRIL.
UM, A BIG PART OF WHAT WE REALIZED THAT WE HAVE TO DO IS GET THE WORD OUT, ESPECIALLY TO A LOT OF THE NEW PEOPLE IN AUSTIN, UM, ABOUT THE OFF-LEASH AREAS AND THE NON OFF-LEASH AREAS.
UM, SO, UM, ONE SECTION WE'RE WORKING ON IS, UH, MESSAGING AND OUR MUSICAL MESSAGING, UM, SHOULD LAUNCH AT THE END OF APRIL.
UM, WE HAVE TWO LOCAL MUSICIANS WHO HAVE A REALLY GOOD SOCIAL MEDIA FOLLOWING WHO ARE, UM, UH, CREATING VIDEOS FOR US IN SONGS AND WE'VE LISTENED TO SOME OF THEM AND IT'LL BE POSTED ON THE PART AND THE AAC SITES AND TRYING TO GET THE WORD OUT THROUGH OTHER SOCIAL MEDIA AND OUR PRINT MESSAGING, UM, WILL BE POSTED ALSO TO PART IN AAC.
UM, I COULD, WE CAN USE YOUR HELP.
UM, CRAIG AND I ARE BOTH ON THIS COMMITTEE TRYING TO GET MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO WANT TO BE ON A FOCUS GROUP FOR, UM, LOOKING INTO HOW CITIZENS CAN REQUEST A NEW, UM, OFF-LEASH DOG AREA.
UM, WE'RE UM, IF ANYONE'S INTERESTED OR IF YOU KNOW OF ANYONE, IF YOU CAN, UM, HAVE THEM EMAIL, UH, MY COMMISSION EMAIL AND WE'RE HOPING TO GET AT LEAST SEVEN PEOPLE, UM, PARKS HAS SOME GUIDELINES THAT WERE DEVELOPED THAT, UM, WERE NEVER IMPLEMENTED.
SO WE HAVE A STARTING POINT FOR THAT.
WE'RE HOPING IT'S MAYBE TWO OR THREE MEETINGS THAT WE CAN, UH, MEET.
I KNOW IT'S A BIG ISSUE FOR PEOPLE, UM, AND ESPECIALLY PEOPLE WHO ARE LIVING AROUND THESE LITTLE POCKET PARKS THAT BECOME AWFULLY PARKS, EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE NOT ATHLETES PARKS.
UM, THEY MIGHT HAVE SOME FEEDBACK OF WHY THEY DO OR DO NOT WANT ONE IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD.
THE PEOPLE WHO USE THEM PROBABLY HAVE DIFFERENT FEEDBACK, AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE INCORPORATE THAT INTO THE GUIDELINES.
SO IF YOU KNOW ANYONE, UM, PLEASE, UH, LET THEM CONTACT ME.
UM, WE'RE FINISHING UP MESSAGING FOR SOME OTHER, UM, OFF-LEASH ISSUES THAT, UM, THE PUBLIC HAS.
AND I HOPE I CAN SHARE THOSE WITH EVERYONE NEXT MONTH.
UM, AND WE WANT TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO REPORT TO 3, 1, 1.
I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T LIKE TO DO IT BECAUSE THEY FEEL NOTHING HAPPENS, BUT IT DOES CREATE A DATABASE THAT WE LOOK AT FOR SERVICES AND THE MORE LEGITIMATE CALLS WE HAVE IN THERE, THAT'S HOW SERVICES ARE, ARE, UH, GIVEN AROUND THE CITY.
SO IT'S IMPORTANT THAT THEY DO IT.
UM, WE ALSO, I ALSO GOT SOME REPORTS FROM A CITIZEN ABOUT, UM, DOGS BEING PEPPER SPRAYED IN, UM, AREAS THAT, UH, WHERE THE DOGS ARE OFF LEASH IN AREAS THAT WERE NOT DESIGNATED AS AWFULLY SHERRY IS, UM, I HEARD FROM ANOTHER CITIZEN THAT WAS CORRECT, UM, THAT THEY ARE BEING PEPPER SPRAYED, UM, ON OCCASION.
UM, THE LAST TIME THE CITY STAFF WAS NICE ENOUGH TO CHECK FOR ME.
THERE WERE NO REPORTED 3, 1, 1 CALLS.
HOWEVER, UM, CITIZENS DO HAVE THE RIGHT TO PROTECT THEMSELVES AND PEPPER SPRAYS, UH, LEGAL.
SO, UM, AT THIS POINT WE'RE NOT TAKING A POSITION ON THAT, BUT I WANT TO DO ALL TO KNOW THAT THAT IS HAPPENING, IT'S BEING REPORTED.
UM, IF YOU HEAR OF IT, YOU CAN ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO CALL 3, 1, 1 TO TALK ABOUT IT.
AND, UM, HOPEFULLY IT WON'T ESCALATE BEYOND THAT.
ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU.
ANYTHING ELSE ON THE WORK GROUP? ALL RIGHT, WE'LL
[3d. Working Group on How to Increase Microchipping in the City of Austin. ]
MOVE ON TO THREE D WORKING GROUP ON HOW TO INCREASE MICROCHIPPING.OUR WORK GROUP HAS LOOKED AT A LOT OF DIFFERENT DATA AND THE DATA THAT WE'VE SEEN, AND I'M GOING TO TALK TO THIS PRIOR TO COVID IN 2019.
UH, SO WE CAN LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, NUMBERS ACROSS THE SPECTRUM FROM EVERYONE.
AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT OUR MICROCHIPPED ANIMALS, UH, AND ARE THE NUMBERS THAT GET RETURNED PRIOR TO THE COVID, THE ANIMAL CENTER WAS AT AN 18% RETURN RATE FOR 2019.
IF YOU LOOK AT SOME OF THE CITIES THAT HAVE A MANDATORY MICROCHIPPING AND THE DIFFERENCES IT'S MADE, UM, DALLAS IMPLEMENTED MICROCHIPPING IN 2017.
PRIOR TO THAT, THEY WERE AVERAGING 196 ANIMALS RETURNED A MONTH.
[01:35:01]
THEY IMPLEMENTED THAT BY 2019, THEY WERE AVERAGING 938 ANIMALS PER MONTH RETURNED.UM, IF LOOK AT SOME OF THE OTHER CITY CITIES AND ACROSS THE UNITED STATES, UH, PORTLAND, CHIA, FLORIDA, THEY WERE AT A 70.3% RETURNED TO RATE BECAUSE THEY MIGHT HAVE BEEN VERY MICROCHIP.
UH, RENO, NEVADA HAS CONSISTENTLY BEEN IN 37 TO 38% LADAKH RETURN, RIGHT WITH ANIMALS MICROCHIPPING.
AND WE HAD A INDEPENDENT GROUP COME IN AND LOOK, UH, FROM UT CONSULTING AND THEY, WE DIDN'T GIVE THEM ANY DIRECTION.
AND WE SAID, YOU KNOW WHAT, HERE HERE'S, HERE'S, YOU KNOW, INTAKE AND WHAT COMES IN, LOOK AT WHAT GOES OUT, MAKE SOME RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND I THINK THAT WAS INCLUDED IN YOUR PACKET.
AND THEY SAW THAT, UH, ANIMALS THAT CAME TO THE CENTER MICROCHIPPED HAD A TWO TIMES GREATER RECLAIM RATE THAN THOSE THAT DIDN'T HAVE MICROCHIPPING.
AND SO THEY, THEIR RECOMMENDATION WAS A MANDATORY MICROCHIPPING.
AND I THINK THAT ALL THE DATA LEADS TO, YOU KNOW, ANIMALS GETTING HOME.
AND THERE'S NO REALLY EXCUSE PARTS, IT'S THE CITY OF MICROCHIPS FOR FREE.
AND WE, UM, ALSO ALL OUR SPAY AND NEUTER SURGERIES THAT WE'RE DOING, WE'RE PAYING FOR MICROCHIPPING THERE TOO.
SO OUR RECOMMENDATION WE'D LIKE TO PUT IT ON THE COUNCIL AGENDA FOR Y'ALL TO DISCUSS AND MAKE A RECOMMENDATION COUNCIL FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN TO BECOME MANDATORY MICROCHIPPING OUR ANIMALS.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE CITIES THAT ARE DOING THIS, THEY'RE NOT USING PUNITIVE MEASURES.
IF IT'S NOT IT, YOU KNOW, JUST BECAUSE IT'S NOT MICROCHIP, THEY'LL MICROCHIP, IT LET'S MOVE FORWARD.
AND IT, IF IT COMES IN COMBINATION, I'VE NOTICED WITH, WITH OTHER THINGS, THERE ARE FINES THAT RANGE FROM 50 TO $150 BASED ON EACH CITY, BUT THEY GIVE THEM THAT OPTION ALWAYS TO GET IN COMPLIANCE WITH MICROCHIP, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THE GOAL IS TO GET ANIMALS IN MICROCHIP AND GET THEM BACK HOME.
SO OUR WORK GROUP, WE'D LIKE TO END OUR WORK GROUP WITH THE RECOMMENDATION.
AND I WANT TO SAY, WE WERE DOING ALL THESE DROP THROUGH MICROCHIP CLINICS, AND THEY'RE VERY SUCCESSFUL.
WE ALWAYS HAVE LOTS OF PEOPLE COME IN THERE.
THERE'S STILL PEOPLE THAT WANT TO DO IT.
AND, UH, THEY CAN COME TO THE SHELTER ANYTIME WE'RE OPEN TO GET A MICROCHIP.
AND THEY'LL ACTUALLY, UH, MICROCHIP IN THE FIELD, SOME OF THE APO OFFICERS.
SO OUR RECOMMENDATION IS, OR THE COMMISSION TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL, TO MANDATORY PUT MANDATORY MICROCHIPPING IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
ANY QUESTIONS I KNEW, I WENT THROUGH THE PORT, WHAT IS A FALSE STRAY RATE? I WASN'T THERE FOR THEIR PRESENTATION WHEN THEY GAVE IT.
SO WHAT THEY FOUND WAS, UH, THE STRAY TAG WAS GIVEN TO THOSE ANIMALS THAT CAME IN THAT ACTUALLY BELONGED TO A HOMEOWNER OR A NEIGHBOR.
AND WE WERE LATER FOUND, BUT THEY WERE NOT MICROCHIPPED.
SO THEY CALLED THAT A FALSE STRAY.
AND THAT THE, IT WAS A CASE OF LIKE ME BRINGING A NEIGHBOR'S DOG IN THINKING IT WAS A STRAY WHEN IT ACTUALLY BELONGED TO THE NEIGHBOR TWO DOORS DOWN, THEY CALL THAT A FALSE TRAY.
SO A RECLAIMED, NON MICROCHIPPED ANIMAL ON OWNER RECLAIMED NON MICROCHIPPED ANIMAL, IT'S THE STRAY ITSELF.
BUT IT'S AN OWNER, RECLAIMED NON MICROCHIPPED.
THE OWNER MAY NOT HAVE RECLAIMED IT, BUT THAT'S THE DOG ITSELF WE FOUND TO HAVE BELONGED.
I, IT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE RECLAIM RATE REALLY, BUT WE FOUND THAT THE, UH, THE ANIMALS THAT THEY LOOKED AT OVER SOME, I DON'T KNOW THE PERCENTAGE BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE THE REPORT IN FRONT OF ME, BUT THAT A LOT OF THOSE ANIMALS CAME IN BELONGED TO HOMES.
AND I THINK THEY LOOKED AT THE RETURN RATE AND, YOU KNOW, THOSE THAT WERE MICROCHIPPED WERE RETURNED, YOU KNOW, TWICE AS OFTEN AS THOSE THAT WEREN'T MICROCHIPPED.
UM, SO, UM, THE REASON I'M TRYING TO, I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THERE, THERE'S TWO SLIDES IN HERE THAT DO A LOT OF THE WORK BEHIND THE CONCLUSION THAT WAS DRAWN AND THEY ARE A LOW FALSE STRAY RATE AT AREAS AND HIGH, FALSE STRAY RATE AREAS.
AND, UH, THEY, BUT IT'S NOT DEFINED IN HERE AT LEAST WHAT EXACTLY A FALSE STRAIT IS.
AND, UM, I STILL DON'T UNDERSTAND, AND I'M SORRY IF I'M BEING DENSE, BUT THEY, THEY, THEY, UH, LAY THAT OVER THE AVERAGE HOUSEHOLD INCOME FROM, FROM THE AREAS.
UM, SO I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THE ANALYSIS THAT THEY DID, TO BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND THE CONCLUSIONS THAT THEY REACHED.
I STILL DON'T KNOW WHAT A FALSE STRAY IS.
IS IT AN ANIMAL THAT SOMEONE TURNED IN THAT YOU THINK BELONG TO SOMEONE ELSE? UM, WHAT IS IT? OKAY,
[01:40:01]
SO THE IT'S A, IT'S AN ANIMAL THAT SOMEONE BROUGHT IN THAT EITHER HAD A MICROCHIP OR SOME OTHER INDICIA OF OWNERSHIP.UM, WHAT WERE YOUR FAT, WHAT WE WOULD BE HAPPY TO HAVE THE GROUP COME IN? I CAN'T EXPLAIN ALL OF IT ANALYSIS.
UM, BUT IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS OF THE GROUP, I WOULD BE HAPPY TO HAVE THEM COME IN OR SEE IF THEY CAN.
UM, THIS IS A NON-PROFIT CONSULTING GROUP AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS, UH, THAT HAVE FAR MORE SMARTER PEOPLE THAN I CERTAINLY DOING THINGS ON DATA ANALYSIS.
AND, UH, THEY DID THIS FOR FREE AND THEY'RE NOT YOUNGSTERS.
THESE ARE YOUNG STUDENTS, THESE AREN'T PROFESSIONALS, THIS IS, UH, ONCE AGAIN, THEY HAVE A WONDERFUL REPUTATION, BUT ANYWAY, THIS WAS A PARTNERSHIP THEY WANTED TO COME IN AND SEE TO SEE HOW THEY COULD HELP US BY ANALYZING OUR DATA.
AND WHAT WE WANTED TO SEE IS THAT NOT ONLY ARE OUTCOMES OF COURSE IMPORTANT, BUT WE HAVE TO STOP THE FLOW OF INTAKE.
SO FOR THEM AN ANIMAL THAT IS BROUGHT TO THE SHELTER, BUT HAS AN OWNER, WHETHER THEY OWNER RECLAIMED IT OR NOT, BUT THEY, I DON'T KNOW HOW THEY DETERMINE THAT, BUT IT'S NOT MY REPORT, BUT, UM, THAT'S WHAT THEY CALLED A FALSE STRAY.
AND THAT THE DOG DOES HAVE A HOME.
YOU CAN SEE THAT AT APA, WHEN YOU SEE A LITTLE MOUSE TEASE OR SOMETHING COME IN AND THEY'RE PERFECTLY QUAFFED.
UH, SOMETIMES THAT'S A GOOD AN EXAMPLE, BUT THAT DOG PROBABLY HAS A HOME, NOT ALWAYS, BUT PRETTY GOOD EXAMPLE OF PERHAPS IT DOES.
AND I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT, THAT OUR AISLE LOOKING AT ALL THE OTHER CITIES DATA AND THEIR SUCCESS RATES WITH MICROCHIPPING AND THEIR RECLAIM RATES, THIS WAS JUST KIND OF LIKE THE ICING ON THE CAKE.
SO IF YOU THROW THAT OUT, WE'RE STILL GONNA MAKE THE RECOMMENDATION BASED ON ALL THE DATA THAT WE RECEIVED FROM THE OTHER CITIES AFTER THEY IMPLEMENTED MICROCHIPPING AND THE SUCCESS RATES, IF THEY'VE HAD, UH, I HAVE ONE QUESTION, UM, DAWN ON THE MANDATORY MICROCHIPPING, THE SEEDS THAT YOU MENTIONED, ARE THEY COMPARABLE IN SIZE TO AUSTIN? WELL, THEY'RE REALLY COMPARABLE TO THE INTAKE.
UM, DALLAS HAS A SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER INTAKE.
UH, THEY USED TO HAVE A HIGHER INTAKE THERE.
THEY, THEY, THEY'RE HAVING A DIFFICULT TIME RIGHT NOW.
UH, AND THEIR INTAKE IS NOT MUCH DIFFERENT THAN OURS.
UH, I DON'T KNOW THE POPULATION OF RENO, NEVADA, OR PORTLAND JIA, FLORIDA.
THEY'RE PROBABLY SIGNIFICANTLY SMALLER THAN AUSTIN.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS ON THREE C? SORRY, 3D CRAIG, GREG.
UM, WELL GO, GO, LET LOUIS GO.
UH, MR. BLAND, TO MAKE THE RECOMMENDATION.
I AM RUNNING THE FREE MICROCHIP CLINICS FROM THE LAST FIVE YEARS.
EVERY TIME IT'S MORE SUCCESSFUL AND EVERY TIME MORE PEOPLE LEADS ARE AWARE OF THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS TECHNOLOGY, I CAN SEE WITH DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES THAT THEY ARE MORE RECEPTIVE EVERY TIME.
AND I THINK IF WE AS COMMUNITY IN, BY THE PARTNERS AS AUSTIN PETS, ALIVE OR HUMAN SOCIETY, FOR EXAMPLE, AND THEY PROVIDE FREE MICROCHIPS TO AS A, AS, AS THE ALLSTATE ANIMAL CENTER, WE CAN MAKE THAT CIRCLE EVERY, EVERY TIME MORE, MORE TINY, AND WE CAN BE MORE, UH, MORE EFFICIENT.
I WILL TALK WITH MY COUNCIL THREE.
YOU KNOW, WHEN, WHEN, IF WE'RE GOING TO REQUIRE SOMETHING, MAKE IT MANDATORY.
UH, THE DEVIL'S ALWAYS GOING TO BE IN THE DETAILS BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A BUNCH OF MANDATORY LAWS RIGHT NOW THAT RELATE TO, TO PETS OFF LEASH LAWS, ALL KINDS OF THINGS THAT, THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE ORDINANCES, BUT THEY DON'T WORK THE WAY THAT WE THINK THEY DO OR THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO DO, OR THE WAY THE SOCIETY THINKS THEY DO BECAUSE OF PROBLEMS WITH ENFORCEMENT.
AND SO I THINK THIS IS AN INTERESTING TO DISCUSS, I THINK IT'S, IT'S, IT, IT, THERE IS TREMENDOUS POTENTIAL IN MICROCHIPPING, BUT I JUST LIKE TO THROW OUT HERE RIGHT NOW THAT THE DEVIL TO ME IS GOING TO BE IN THE DETAILS IS HOW IT ACTUALLY IS EXECUTED, HOW IT ACTUALLY IS ROLLED OUT, BECAUSE I CAN SEE SOME BIG, SIGNIFICANT PROBLEMS WITH THIS.
WHEN YOU SAY SOMETHING'S MANDATORY.
[01:45:01]
WELL, WHAT DO YOU DO TO PEOPLE WHO DON'T, YOU KNOW, WHAT DO YOU DO TO PEOPLE WHO, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, BUT ANYWAY, I JUST WANT TO THROW THAT OUT THERE.I THINK THERE'S, UH, MORE SAID HERE, UH, THAT WE HAVEN'T SAID YET, AND WE NEED TO HAVE THAT DISCUSSION.
HEY LEWIS, UH, ARE THERE, DO YOU FIND THAT YOU HAVE TROUBLE GIVING OUT THE MICROCHIPS? NO, NOT THAT NOBODY WANTS THEM.
MOST OF THE PEOPLE IT'S, IT'S VERY RECEPTIVE.
UH, THE ONLY THING IS, UH, THE WAY THAT WE CAN, NOT MORE GOALS.
AND, AND I THINK AS THESE PHONE OR MY CAR, WE HAVE A REGISTRATION AND WE, I DON'T KNOW IF THEY, IF THAT APD IS GOING TO GIVE ME A TICKET, IF I DON'T GET MY REGISTRATION, BUT I DO IT.
AND THE OTHER POINT, VERY IMPORTANT POINT THAT I CAN SEE WITH THE MICROCHIP CLINICS AIDS OR THE COMMUNITY BEGIN TO HELP THE COMMUNITY.
WHEN, WHEN PEOPLE MICROCHIP THEIR PETS, THE NEXT TIME THEY SEEN AN, A STRAY DOG INSTEAD OF TAKING TO THE SHELTER, THEY THINK THAT MAYBE THIS DOG IS MICROCHIP AND THEY GO TO A VET CLINIC OR TO THE FIRE DEPARTMENT OR TO THE SHELTER TO SCAN IT.
THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE CAN BE VERY, VERY ACTIVE WITH THE COMMUNITY.
AND OF COURSE, IN BALTIMORE, THE COMMUNITY, FOR EXAMPLE, THE LAST MICROCHIP CLINIC BEFORE THE STAGE FIVE WAS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH, UH, THE OFFICE OF PARENT AREA FROM B3 TO NO, I'M SORRY, THESE THREE AND WAS GOING TO BE VERY SUCCESSFUL, THE WEATHER DURING CARE.
BUT I THINK MORE PEOPLE LEADS, IT'S AWARE AND MORE PEOPLE, I THINK MORE PEOPLE CAN, CAN BE HAPPY FOR THAT BECAUSE AT THE END, THE PET IS APPROPRIATELY, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, IT'S PART OF OUR FAMILY AND, UH, PALMER.
UH, I QUIT ON THE WORKING GROUP.
DID Y'ALL DISCUSS, SINCE IT SEEMS LIKE THE PEOPLE ARE TAKING YOU UP ON THE WORKSHOP WHERE YOU'RE, YOU'RE HANDING OUT THE MICROCHIPS THAT Y'ALL DISCUSSED, LIKE PROVIDING MICROCHIPS TO THE PRIVATE VET CLINICS IN LA, ALLOWING THEM TO OFFER THEM TO THE ANIMALS COMING IN AT ORANGE AND DIFFERENT WAYS TO PROVIDE MORE FREE MICROCHIPPING WITHOUT MANDATING IT YET.
I MEAN, IF THEY'RE TAKING IT AND WANTING IT, WHY ARE, WHY ARE WE NOT FOCUSING ON MAKING IT MORE AVAILABLE FIRST? AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT IF, IF WE GET OUR BUDGET EXPANDED TO DO ADDITIONAL MICROCHIPPING MORE THAN WE ALREADY HAVE, I GUESS WE COULD LOOK AT THAT.
BUT, UM, I THINK THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S THE CITY, WE, WE DON'T SPAY AND NEUTER EVERYTHING THAT IS WANTED.
WE S WE HAVE A BUDGET AND WE HAVE TO STICK WITHIN THAT BUDGET.
SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WOULD HAVE TO LOOK AT.
AND I DO WANT TO SAY TO COMMISSIONER, NIZER THAT, YOU KNOW, WE WOULDN'T HAVE TO BE RECREATING THE WHEEL ON THIS BECAUSE THERE'S SO MANY CITIES THAT HAVE BEEN DOING THIS FOR SO MANY YEARS AND THEY ALREADY HAVE IN THEIR ORDINANCES, HOW THEY DEAL WITH NONCOMPLIANCE.
AND I TELL YOU WHAT MOST OF THEM THAT WE'VE LOOKED I'VE LOOKED AT IT'S THEY DON'T MAKE IT PUNITIVE.
IT'S, YOU KNOW, JUST LIKE IF YOU GO TO A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, COURTS WITH MINOR FRACTIONS, IF YOU GET IN COMPLIANCE IN A CERTAIN TIME PERIOD, THEY'LL THROW IT OUT.
SO THAT'S, YOU KNOW, KIND OF THEIR THING THAT THEY DO IS IF IT'S NOT MICROCHIP, AND THAT'S THE ONLY THING THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU GET MICROCHIPPED AND WILL, BUT THEY'RE NOT GOING AND KNOCKING ON DOORS.
THEY'RE NOT WALKING DOWN THE STREET, SCANNING ANIMALS TO SAVE AS MICROCHIP IT'S.
IF IT COMES IN FOR SOME OTHER REASON, AND IT DOESN'T HAVE A MICROCHIP, THEN THEY'LL SAY, HEY, WE NEED TO GET THIS ANIMAL MICROCHIPPED.
AND THEY OFFERED AT THAT POINT, UH, UH, PALMER, GO AHEAD.
SO WITH THE THOUGHT, YOU YOU'VE TALKED ABOUT HOW YOU CAN LOOK AT THESE OTHER CITIES, HOW MUCH INCREASED THE RETURN TO OWNER, AND WE'VE TALKED ABOUT HOW MUCH IT COSTS TO CARE FOR AN ANIMAL EACH DAY HAS BEEN NUMBERED AND RAGGING ON PROVIDING MORE FREE ACCESSIBILITY TO NON-MANDATED MICROCHIPS AND HOW THAT MIGHT THEN SAVE THE SHELTER MONEY.
IF MORE ANIMALS ARE TURNED UP OWNERS, AT LEAST, UH, ON A MORE, UH, LESS DAYS IN THE SHELTER.
I DON'T, WE DID NOT LOOK AT IT IN THAT PERSPECTIVE.
WE JUST KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN THE CITY'S IMPLEMENTED MANDATORY MICROCHIPPING THEIR NUMBERS, WHEN IT'S SIGNIFICANTLY TO RETURN TO OWNER, AND THAT'S WHAT, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE WERE LOOKING AT.
UM, AND I THINK EVERYBODY'S GOAL IS TO
[01:50:01]
GET AN ANIMAL BACK TO THE HOME WHERE IT'S LOVED DAN.AND SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, WE CAN DEFINITELY LOOK AT.
I, UM, I WANT WANNA, I JUST WANT TO FOLLOW UP ON THAT.
AND THE REASON I ASKED ABOUT TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THESE CHARTS AND, AND, AND IT, IT SEGUE STRAIGHT FROM THE CONVERSATION ABOUT, WELL, WE DON'T HAVE ANY MORE BUDGET TO GIVE OUT FREE ONES.
SO WE HAVE TO MAKE IT MANDATORY WHEN YOU CRIMINALIZE SOMETHING.
UH, THERE ARE ENORMOUS COSTS TO THE COMMUNITY AND THOSE, THOSE COSTS ARE, UM, HAVE BEEN PROVEN OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN, THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES TO BE, UH, TO OVERBURDEN THE POOR AND THE PEOPLE OF COLOR.
AND IT HAPPENS OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN, EVERY TIME SOMETHING IS CRIMINALIZED.
AND IF THE, IF THE PROBLEM IS THERE'S SO MUCH DEMAND OUT THERE AND WE CAN'T, WE DON'T HAVE A BUDGET TO GIVE IT TO SUPPLY IT.
WE DON'T SOLVE THAT PROBLEM BY MAKING IT MANDATORY, MOSTLY FOR PEOPLE WHO CAN'T AFFORD IT ANYWAY.
AND THESE CHARTS SHOW THAT THESE CHARTS SHOW THAT THE AVERAGE HOUSEHOLD INCOME, WHERE WE DON'T HAVE THIS PROBLEM OF NON-MICROSOFT PETS OR WHATEVER, WE DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THEY MEAN, BUT THE AVERAGE HOUSEHOLD INCOME, WHERE WE DON'T HAVE THE PROBLEM IS 375,000.
THE AVERAGE HOUSEHOLD INCOME, WHERE WE DO HAVE THE PROBLEM IS 60,000.
AND WE KNOW BECAUSE WE HAVE PEOPLE THERE THAT WE DO NOT HAVE A DEMAND PROBLEM, EVEN IN UNDER-RESOURCED COMMUNITIES, THAT THEY ARE HAPPY AND, AND WANT THEM ARE N.
AND WHAT WE'RE SAYING, OUR PROBLEM IS AS A CITY, IS THAT WE CAN'T SUPPLY ENOUGH OF THEM BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE A BUDGET TO SUPPLY THEM FOR FREE.
YOU DON'T SOLVE THE PROBLEM THAT IS CAUSED BY INCOME, THE LACK OF INCOME YOU DON'T SOLVE THAT PROBLEM BY MAKING SOMETHING ILLEGAL BY MAKING PET OWNERSHIP ILLEGAL, UNLESS THEY PAY MORE MONEY TO DO SOMETHING.
THE PROBLEM WE HAVE IS WE, WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH FREE ONES.
THE SOLUTION THAT WE'RE OFFERING IS TO MAKE IT ILLEGAL, NOT TO HAVE THEM.
THE PROBLEM DOESN'T MATCH THE SOLUTION.
IF THE PROBLEM IS PEOPLE IN LOW INCOME COMMUNITIES ARE NOT GETTING ENOUGH OF THEM, EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE ASKING FOR THEM, THEN THE SOLUTION IS TO GIVE THEM MORE.
IT IS NOT TO CRIMINALIZE PET OWNERSHIPS OR ANYTHING THAT TIME AND TIME AGAIN, WE KNOW AS A MATTER OF LAW AND A MATTER OF PUBLIC POLICY, WHEN YOU MAKE THINGS ILLEGAL, PEOPLE OF COLOR AND, AND, AND PEOPLE IN POVERTY ARE OVERBURDENED.
AND, AND DON, YOU SAID, YOU KNOW, IN COURTS, THEY, THEY LET THINGS GO.
THERE ARE DOCUMENTARY AFTER DOCUMENTARY AND DOC, AFTER DOCUMENTARY IN AMERICA, WHERE PEOPLE GET THROWN IN JAIL FOR SMALL FINES, BECAUSE THEY CAN'T AFFORD IT BECAUSE THE DAY THEY HAVE THEIR COURT DATE, THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE WORKING.
THEN THEY GET ARRESTED FOR MISSING THEIR COURT DATE.
THEN THEY GO TO JAIL AND THEY LOSE THEIR JOB.
IT IS A CYCLE OF POVERTY IN AMERICA OF WHEN THE GOVERNMENT CRIMINALIZES SMALL STUFF.
AND I WAS TALKING ABOUT WHAT I'VE SEEN IN DEALT WITH WITH AMMO RELATED ISSUES.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS YOU BROUGHT UP IS, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE THE BUDGET, ANY ONE IN THOSE COMMUNITIES THAT WE GO TO THAT, YOU KNOW, EMANCIPATE GOES TO, UH, WE, WE TARGET THOSE AREAS WHERE WE HAVE HIGH INTAKE FROM, AND WE DO PROVIDE THOSE MICROCHIPS FOR FREE, BUT GIVING, PROVIDING ALL OF THE VETS FREE MICROCHIPPING, MOST OF THOSE PEOPLE IN THOSE COMMUNITIES ARE NOT GOING TO, I A HUNDRED PERCENT AGREE, WHICH MAKES THE, UH, THE PROPOSAL EVEN MORE ABSURD.
SO THEY CAN COME TO THE SHELTER AND GET A FREE MICROCHIP AND WE'LL HOLD FREE MICROCHIP CLINICS IN THEIR COMMUNITY LIKE WE'RE DOING NOW.
BUT IF YOU'RE ALREADY MAXED OUT, IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE BUDGET TO OFFER MORE, IT DOESN'T DO ANY GOOD.
TO MAKE IT ILLEGAL AND SAY, WE DIDN'T HAVE THE BUDGET FOR, FOR MORE.
I SAID, WE DON'T HAVE THE BUDGET TO GIVE TO ALL THE VET CLINICS FOR ALL THEIR CLIENT EARLIER, BEFORE THE VET SUGGESTION WAS MADE, YOU SAID THAT WE DON'T HAVE AN UNLIMITED BUDGET.
WE CAN'T, WE DON'T HAVE MORE MONEY FOR THIS OR GIVING THEM TO ALL OF IT.
NO, THAT WAS BEFORE THE VETS, THAT SUGGESTION WAS MADE.
I MEAN, IF THERE IS A MILLION MORE BUCKS OR HALF A MILLION, MORE BUCKS, OR A HUNDRED THOUSAND MORE BUCKS TO, TO, UH, TO SPEND ON FREE MICROCHIPPING AND THE DEMAND IS THERE, WHICH IS WHAT LEWIS IS SAYING, THE DOMAINS IS THERE AND YOU DON'T CRIMINALIZE IT.
UM, ANYWAY, THAT'S WHERE I'M GOING TO, I MEAN, THE, THE CHART SHOWS THAT THE UT STUDENTS, SOME OF THIS STUFF DOESN'T MAKE SENSE.
I AM CERTAIN THAT THEY DIDN'T DO REGRESSION ANALYSIS, WHICH IS THE ONLY WAY TO SHOW, UM, CAUSATION RATHER THAN ASSOCIATION, BECAUSE YOU WOULD HAVE TO BACK OUT INCOME
[01:55:01]
TO DO A REGRESSION ANALYSIS AND THEY DIDN'T BACK OUT INCOME.IN FACT, THEY'RE BASING THEIR ANALYSIS ON INCOME.
SO I HAVE A COMMENT, A BA BAIL BAIL IS, SORRY, SORRY, BAIL, YOUR NEXT.
THEY USED THE INCOME AND THEY ALSO WENT BY TO ZIP CODES.
AND TO PROVE CAUSATION, YOU'D HAVE TO BACK OUT THAT STUFF.
UM, I'M VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT THE MICROCHIP.
AND, AND BECAUSE WHEN I WAS A STUDENT, UM, HERE IN AUSTIN, I HAD TWO DOGS AND I BOUGHT BOTH, GOT THEM FROM THE AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER.
AND I DON'T KNOW, I DON'T KNOW WHO WAS OFFERING A CLINIC, ONE OF THOSE, UH, MULTIPLE CLINICS AND FREE MICROCHIP IN IT.
THERE I WENT, I WAS A POOR STUDENT.
AND, UM, I, I DO BELIEVE THAT THERE NEEDS TO BE A LOT OF EDUCATION OR AROUND NOT SO MUCH THE HIGHER INCOME, BUT I THINK A LOWER INCOME OF WHAT THE MICROCHIP THOUGHTS FOR THEM, UH, FOR PEOPLE WITH LOWER INCOME OR BECAUSE I DON'T THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE ALL THEIR THINGS ON THEIR PLATE THAT MAYBE, YOU KNOW, LIKE FEED THE FAMILY, PAY FOR EDUCATION OF THEIR KIDS AND THEY LOVE THEIR PETS.
BUT I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE THEY DON'T FOR THEM TO MICROCHIP IS LIKE, UM, OKAY.
AND I SEE, I DON'T KNOW IF THE ANSWER AT THE MANDATORY OR NOT, I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, CRIMINALIZED AND ALL THAT.
UH, I, I DO THINK WHEN YOU SAY MANDATORY, IT JUST SUDDENLY PEOPLE PAY ATTENTION.
I'M NOT SAYING THAT'S THE RIGHT WAY, BUT THEN SUDDENLY BECOMES LIKE, OOH, I NEED TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS.
THAT'S BUT, AND I KNOW THAT THAT CRACKED THAT TALK ABOUT, UM, THE DEVIL'S IN THE DETAILS, THE EXECUTION, I MEAN, YOU CAN SAY ALL THIS, BUT IF THERE IS NO EXECUTION, SOME THOUGHTS, CRAIG.
I MEAN, UH, I THINK THIS IS A VERY INTERESTING PROBLEM AND I THINK THAT MICROCHIPPING IS THE BEST WAY TO GET PEOPLE'S PETS BACK.
I MEAN, I THINK WE CAN ALL AGREE THAT THAT THAT IS A GOOD GOAL.
BUT THE THING IS HOW THERE IS A OF COST AND WHO BEARS THE COST.
WELL, IF YOU COULD FIGURE OUT HOW MANY ANIMALS IN AUSTIN NEED MICROCHIPS, IS THERE SOME WAY TO DO THAT WITH, WITH ALL THE DATA AT THE SHELTER, COULD WE MAKE SOME EXTRAPOLATION ABOUT HOW MANY ANIMALS ARE OUT THERE THAT ARE NOT MICROCHIPPED, THAT, THAT DO NEED MICROCHIPS AND THEN FIGURE OUT THE COST OF THAT, THAT THERE THERE'S SOME BIG, TOTAL LITTLE SAY AND THEN FIGURE OUT HOW WE'RE GOING TO PAY FOR IT.
I MEAN, THAT, THAT IS, UH, WOULD BE A USEFUL PIECE OF INFORMATION IN THIS DISCUSSION.
SO I HAVE TWO QUESTIONS, RYAN, YOU SAID THE PEOPLE OF COLOR AND LOWER INCOME ARE THE ONES THAT ARE GOING TO HAVE TO PAY FOR THIS.
IF THE MICROCHIPPING IS BEING OFFERED FREE, WHAT IS IT COSTING THEM TO DO IT? AND WHAT I SAID WAS WHEN YOU CRIMINALIZE LOWER LEVEL ACTIVITY, THAT PEOPLE OF COLOR AND PEOPLE OF POVERTY ARE ALWAYS OVERBURDENED BY THAT PROCESS.
BUT YOU SAID THAT THE COST OF IT, THEY COULDN'T AFFORD THE COST OF IT.
WHAT I SAID WAS THERE, OH, THEY BEAR THE BURDEN.
SO THEY'RE THE ONES WHO END UP GETTING TICKETS.
THEY'RE THE ONES WHO OVER AND OVER AGAIN, THE, THE, THE ADMINISTRATIVE PROCESS UNFAIRLY AND OVER BURDENS PEOPLE HAVE COVERED.
AND PEOPLE, I HAVE NO ARGUMENT WITH THAT.
UM, AND THEN SECONDLY, UH, TO WHAT CRAIG JUST SAID, I SEE NO WAY OF FIGURING OUT HOW MANY ANIMALS ARE, ARE, BUT ANIMALS THAT COME IN AS STRAYS, THE ANIMAL CENTER, IS THERE A WAY THAT YOU CAPTURE, IF THEY ARE, OR ARE NOT MICROCHIPPED, IS THAT DONE? SO, SO COULD WE GET LIKE A OUT OF A HUNDRED ANIMALS THAT CAME IN 20% MORE MICROCHIPPED? SO WE HAVE KIND OF A, POSSIBLY A STARTING
[02:00:02]
NUMBER.AND THAT'S WHAT I'M KIND OF LOOK AT.
I'M PULLED UP CHAMELEON RIGHT NOW WHERE WE, I THINK THOSE MICROCHIP NUMBERS ARE USUALLY CAPTURED IN A MEMO FIELD.
AND SO IT'S NOT ANYTHING THAT'S SEARCHABLE.
YOU WOULD PROBABLY JUST HAVE TO GO AND GET A SAMPLE OF RTOS THAT HAPPEN.
AND WE'LL PROBABLY HAVE TO GO THROUGH EACH INDIVIDUAL RECORD AND FIND OUT, OKAY, WHICH ONE OF THESE WAS ACTUALLY MICROCHIP VERSUS WHICH ONE OF THESE WAS WASN'T? UM, YEAH, I WAS LOOKING RIGHT NOW AND AGAIN, I'M STILL VERY NOVICE TO HIM.
THERE'S PROBABLY STAFF WHO ARE SMARTER THAN ME, WHO KNOWS GENIUS LEADS.
THAT'S WHAT, THIS IS THE WAY TO DO IT.
SO I WILL HAVE TO FOLLOW UP WITH THAT.
ONE OF THE COUNTIES THAT I LOOKED AT THAT IMPLEMENTED THIS, THE CITY UP FRONT, THEY HAD THESE BIG MICROCHIP CLINICS WHERE THEY GAVE HUNDREDS OF MICROCHIPS AWAY OVER A CERTAIN PERIOD OF TIME.
AND THEY GAVE A, UH, SIX OR NINE MONTH GRACE PERIOD BEFORE THEY EVEN WRITE A TICKET, IF IT WAS ANYTHING, BUT THEY NEVER DID, YOU KNOW, CAUSE THEY WEREN'T LOOKING FOR OUR ANIMALS, NOT MICROCHIPPING, BUT THEN A NONPROFIT STEPPED UP AND SAID, WE'RE, WE'RE PAYING $5 FOR A MICROCHIP.
SO ANYBODY THAT WANTS A MICROCHIP, THAT IF THEY USE UP ALL THEIR FREE ONES, THEY CAN COME TO US AND WE'LL SELL TO THEM AT COST.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE WE MIGHT, COULD LOOK AT IS BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IF WE GIVE AWAY, YOU KNOW, A MILLION DOLLARS WORTH OF MICROCHIPS AND THERE'S STILL A NEED AND WE DON'T HAVE ANY MORE BUDGET FOR IT, YOU KNOW, OUR MICROCHIPS COST US A LITTLE OVER $3.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S A POSSIBILITY TO HELP PAY FOR IT.
I CAN TELL YOU, I PAID A LOT MORE THAN $3 TO GET MY DOG MICROCHIP PRIVATE BED.
AND JUST FOLLOWING UP ON THAT TOO, YOU KNOW, UM, AUSTIN PREVIOUSLY HAD A REGISTRATION, A PET REGISTRATION FEE AND A MANDATORY PET REGISTRATION.
UM, AND THIS WAS BACK IN 2005 DURING THE END OF THE PROGRAM.
UM, BECAUSE IT WAS SUCH A COLOSSAL FAILURE, UH, BECAUSE IT DIDN'T WORK AND BECAUSE THE VETS WERE BEING ASKED TO, UM, ESSENTIALLY BE ENFORCERS AND THEY HATED IT.
UM, SO ANYWAY, THERE ARE ALL KINDS OF PROBLEMS WITH THIS IN MY OPINION, BUT WE'LL LEAVE IT AT THAT UNLESS ANYBODY ELSE WANTS TO CHIME IN, ON A WORKING GROUP ON HOW TO INCREASE MICROCHIPPING.
[3e. Austin Pets Alive!’s Future at the Town Lake Animal Center and the Maintenance of No Kill in Austin. ]
ALL RIGHT.SO LET'S GO TO THREE E AUSTIN PETS ALIVE FUTURE AT TOWN LAKE ANIMAL CENTER.
UM, DOES ANYBODY WANT TO PRESENT ON THIS, DON? DO YOU WANT TO GIVE US A BRIEF UPDATE? IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR PRESENTERS, BUT IF YOU CAN GIVE US A BRIEF UPDATE FROM YOUR END, THERE WILL BE ANOTHER EXTENSION THAT GOES BEFORE COUNCIL, UH, ON FEBRUARY 17TH, IT'S ON THE AGENDA TO EXTEND THE EXTENSION WHILE WE CONTINUE NEGOTIATIONS.
ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? NOPE.
[3f. Transferring Austin Animal Center Animals to Other Communities. ]
ALL RIGHT.LET'S GO ON TO THREE F TRANSFERRING AUSTIN ANIMALS, AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER, ANIMALS TO OTHER COMMUNITIES.
THIS WAS MY ITEM, BUT I'M NOT ALLOWED TO PROPOSE ANYTHING AS THE CHAIR.
UM, DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY COMMENTS OR WANT TO SPEAK TO TRANSFERRING AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER ANIMALS TO OTHER COMMUNITIES? UH, WE WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS AND THE CONCERN OF COURSE THAT I HEAR, AND THIS IS NOT JUST MINE.
I'VE HEARD IT FROM CONSTITUENTS IS TRANSFERRING ANIMALS FROM OUR NO KILL SHELTER TO A SHELTERS THAT HAVE A HIGHER KILL RATE.
AND THEY'RE THERE, THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE WHO DON'T LIKE THIS, THERE ARE SOME WHO THINK THAT THIS UNDERMINES OUR NO KILL AND OKAY.
SO WHAT YOU WOULD NEED THOUGH, IS YOU WOULD NEED SOME DATA TO SEE WHAT'S ACTUALLY HAPPENING.
SO YOU CAN MAKE AN ARGUMENT WHILE WE WERE THE OTHER.
AND SO FAR WE HAVE NO DATA ON THIS, UH, THAT I KNOW OF.
SO I WOULD JUST SAY THAT IF, IF WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO TALK ABOUT THIS, I REALLY LIKE TO SEE SOME DATA SO WE CAN TALK ABOUT IT INTELLIGENTLY PALMER.
I WAS GOING TO SAY SOMETHING ALONG THE SAME LINES IS I THINK THAT LIKE TRANSPARENCY ON THIS PROGRAM, THIS TRANSPORT PROGRAM, IT'S HARD TO UNDERSTAND.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, I HAD TRIED TO GET SOME DATA THROUGH A, UH, PUBLIC INFORMATION REQUEST AND COULDN'T GET IT WITHOUT A LARGE CHARGE, UH, PERSONALLY.
AND SO I WAS KIND OF WONDERING REGARDING THIS, UM, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A PROPOSAL TO SEE IF WE COULD PASS A RESOLUTION REQUESTING MONTHLY REPORTS ON THE TRANSPORT.
AND I WOULD, UM, I'VE GOT SOME WORDING IF ANYBODY WANTS ME TO SHARE THAT.
[02:05:01]
CAN I ASK YOU A COUPLE CLARIFICATION QUESTIONS BEFORE YOU DO THAT PALMER? UM, IS THERE A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TRANSPORTING OUT-OF-STATE AND HERE? I MEAN, CAUSE IT SEEMS WE'RE AT OVER 95%.UM, I BELIEVE APA WAS 91% LAST YEAR, SO WE'RE TRANSFERRING LOCALLY TO A LOWER SHELTER AND THEN THEY'RE TRANSPORTING TO, WE DON'T KNOW YET WHAT WE'LL FIND OUT, UM, HOPEFULLY NEXT MONTH.
UM, SO ARE WE LOOKING AT THIS AS JUST OUT OF STATE TRANSFERS OR ARE WE LOOKING AT LOCAL ALSO? UH, MY THOUGHT WOULD BE OUT OF STATE TRANSFERS, JOANNE, BECAUSE I MEAN, WE'RE RECEIVING QUARTERLY REPORTING FROM AGA YOU'RE HAVING THE ABILITY TO VISIT WITH APA ASKS QUESTIONS.
WE CAN HAVE THEM COME DO A PRESENTATION.
THAT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT, BUT THE INFORMATION WE ALREADY HAVE, I'M OPEN.
IF SOMEONE WANTS TO REQUEST THIS SAME INFORMATION AND I'LL LET YOU KNOW KIND OF MY THOUGHTS, I THINK THIS COULD BE PROVIDED FOR ANY TRANSFER.
AND I WAS THINKING OF PROPOSAL THAT WE PASSED THE RESOLUTION TO REQUEST MONTHLY REPORTS ON ALL ANIMALS TRANSPORTED OUT OF BOSTON.
THAT'S NEGOTIABLE REPORTS TO INCLUDE COMPLETE ANIMAL RECORDS FOR EACH THAT WAS TRANSPORTED INFORMATION, INCLUDING THE LIVE RELEASE RATE FOR EACH RECEIVING RESCUE OR SHELTER AND THE LIVE RELEASE RATE OF CLOSE TO, I SUPPOSE, SHOW AND THE COST OF EACH TRANSPORT.
IF YOU'D LIKE TO ADD IN THERE THAT IT'S ALSO NOT ONLY TRANSPORT, BUT TRANSFERENCE RESCUE I'M OPEN TO THAT.
UM, AGAIN, UM, SO THE CALCULATION IS, AND AGAIN, THIS KIND OF CAME UP BEFORE, WHEN WE LOOK AT NO KILL OR WHAT THE LIBRARY LEAST SPREAD IS THAT WE WOULD BE COMFORTABLE WITH FOR TRANSPORT? ARE WE LOOKING AT A CALCULATION THAT IS THE SAME THAT AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER HAS TO USE THAT'S IN THE CITY ORDINANCE? WELL, SO I CAN'T SEE ALL THE DATA, SO I DON'T REALLY HAVE AN OPINION ON ALL OF IT.
SO WHAT I'M TRYING TO ASK FOR IS THAT WE RECEIVED THE DATA BECAUSE I THINK THAT IN ORDER TO HAVE OVERSIGHT AND THOUGHTS OR COMMENTS, OR JUST TRANSPARENCY ON WHAT'S HAPPENING, I CAN'T SEE IT.
JOANNE'S, I'M ASKING THAT I'D BE ABLE TO SEE IT.
AND, AND I, I AGREE WITH IT, BUT WHEN WE SEE IT IS THE GOAL THAT WE WOULD USE THAT SAME CALCULATION THAT AAC USES IS THAT THE DATA WE WANT, SO WE CAN USE THE CALCULATION MORE, PROVIDING A DEFINITION OF HOW THEY CALCULATED.
I DON'T THINK WE CAN MAKE ANOTHER FOOD OR ANOTHER SHELF OR PROVIDE DATA, UM, TO MATCH OUR CALCULATION.
IF THEY'RE NOT ALREADY CAPTURING THAT, PERHAPS ON THOSE TYPES OF SITUATIONS, THEY GIVE US THE, HOW THEY WOULD CALCULATE THE NUMBER AND, AND WHAT COMP, I DON'T KNOW, IT'S NOT GOING TO ALL BE IDENTICAL.
WE CAN'T MAKE THEM REPORT THE WAY WE REPORT.
WHAT'S OUT THERE IS WHY I'M ASKING FOR CLARIFICATION ON IT.
AND WOULD, UM, UH, SO IT'S THE DATA.
AND WHAT ABOUT THE ONE THING WE COULD SAY IS THE LENGTH OF TIME.
IF SOMEONE SAYS, WELL, YOU KNOW, WE ARE, WE'RE NO KILL.
WE ARE 91%, BUT IT WAS ONLY FOR LAST MONTH.
UM, DO WE WANT SOME STABILITY AND HOW LONG THEY'VE BEEN, THEY'VE ACHIEVED A NO-KILL NUMBER NUMBER IF WE'RE ASKING FOR THIS REPORT ON A MONTHLY BASIS.
UM, I'M SURE THAT AS EACH OF THESE TRANSPORT LOCATIONS, WHETHER IT'S A SHELTER OR RESCUE HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED, THAT AHC HAS GATHERED INFORMATION TO DETERMINE WHAT THEIR LIVE RELEASE RATE IS AND THEIR NO RELEASE RATE IS.
SO I THINK WE'D START WITH, WHAT'S ALREADY BEEN DECIDED WHEN THEY'VE BEEN CHOSEN TO PARTNER WITH AAC AND AT LEAST HAVE THAT INFORMATION SHARED SO EVERYBODY CAN SEE IT.
I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER THAT I DON'T KNOW WHAT WE'RE WORKING WITH.
WHAT'S WHAT'S ALREADY BEEN CAPTURED.
IT'S JUST, I SEE REPORT, I THINK, SEE THINGS ONLINE.
IT'S ALWAYS SAYS, OH, WE'RE NO-KILL YAY.
AND IT WAS LIKE ONLY A MONTH OF THE LAST THREE YEARS OF REPORTING.
SO I DON'T THINK THAT'S WHAT WE WOULD CONSIDER THAT, BUT I SEE YOUR POINT AND GETTING THE DATA.
UM, UH, ALSO I HAVE, OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S DATA AND THERE'S RUMORS AND A LOT OF, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, THE COMMISSIONERS, WE, WE HEAR RUMORS CAUSE PEOPLE CALL US UP OR THEY EMAIL US AND THEY'RE UPSET OR WHATEVER.
I HAVE HEARD THAT WE HAVE TRANSFERRED DOGS UP ALBERTA, CANADA.
SO WE'VE ACTUALLY TRANSFERRED DOGS OUT OF THE COUNTRY.
I HAVE NO IDEA, NOT YET, BUT WE DO HAVE A RESCUE ORGANIZATION THAT WILL BE PULLING DOGS AT THE END OF THIS MONTH FROM US.
[02:10:01]
UH, THEY ARE ALL FOSTER BASED.THEY GO STRAIGHT INTO FOSTER HOMES.
UH, THEY HAVE EXCELLENT RESOURCES.
THEY'LL EVEN TAKE HEARTWORM POSITIVE AND MEDICAL CASES IF NECESSARY.
AND, UH, THEY, UH, HAVE THE, UH, HIGH NEED IN THAT AREA.
AND THEY THEY'RE TAKING DOGS THAT THEY'RE, THEY'RE THE ORGANIZATION THAT ALLOWS US TO SELECT THE DOGS, TO SEND TO THEM.
AND, UM, I CAN SAY THEY ALL GO INTO, INTO HOMES AND NOT INTO KENNELS.
AND, UH, JUST SOMETHING ELSE THAT, UH, I WANT TO ADDRESS HERE.
I ALREADY ON OUR REPORTING, IT SHOWS HOW MANY ANIMALS WERE TRANSFERRED OUT INTO WHAT ORGANIZATION, UH, THEY, WHAT WE COULD DO IS TO JUST PROVIDE YOU WHEN WE BULLET BRING A NEW RESCUE ON, WE COULD TELL THE, WHAT THEIR PERCENTAGE LIVE EXIT RATE IS LIKE.
UH, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE PULLED INTO NEW MEXICO, UH, THAT'S THE LARGEST NO-KILL, UH, FACILITY IN THE STATE AND THEY'RE 97 TO 98%.
SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE CAN GIVE YOU THOSE NUMBERS AND IF WE ALREADY SHOW HOW MANY ANIMALS ARE GOING TO OTHER ORGANIZATIONS AND WHO THEY'RE GOING TO, WHERE IS THAT ON THE REPORT THAT'S IN FRONT OF US, IT'S ONE OF THE 16 REPORTS OFF THE DASHBOARD, ACTUALLY HOLD ON.
I HAVE TO REPORT THAT ONE OUT IN THE NARRATIVE BECAUSE IT ISN'T, THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'M TOUCHING BASE WITH THE IT FOLKS.
SO WHEN THEY BUILT THE TRANSFER REPORT, IT'S ONLY INCLUDING OUR REGULAR PARTNERS, BUT IT'S INCLUDED IN THE OVERALL MONTHLY OUTCOMES.
SO WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A PART IN, OR, YOU KNOW, A REGULAR PARTNER AND I MEAN, AND OUT OF STATE PARTNER ESSENTIALLY.
SO THAT WAY, SO THAT'S WHY I WOULD JANUARY.
I HAD ANNOUNCED THAT THERE WERE 38 THAT WENT OUT, UH, OUT OF THE STATES FOR THAT MONTH.
SORRY, DO WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO FIND OUT RIGHT NOW, HOW MANY ANIMALS FROM AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER WENT TO EACH OUT-OF-STATE RESCUE WHAT THEIR NAME IS AND HOW MANY WENT TO THEM? IS THAT EITHER IN THIS DOCUMENT, IN FRONT OF US OR ANYTHING THAT WE CAN ACCESS ON THE WEBSITE LISTED OUT PALMER HAD SUGGESTED RIGHT NOW, I JUST HAVE A, I MEAN, WE HAVE THAT DATA, OF COURSE, BUT AS A REPORT.
UH, AND THAT COULD BE JUST A THING WHERE, BECAUSE THE WAY THE TRANSFERS SET UP THE TRANSFER AD DATA IS THOSE PARTNERS.
WE HAVE EVERYONE LISTED THAT PULLS FROM US.
IT'S JUST NOT INCLUDING THOSE OUT-OF-STATE PARTNERS RIGHT NOW.
SO I'LL HAVE THAT WORK WITH THEM LIKE THOSE OUT OF STATE PARTNERS OR ANYBODY THAT PULLS, CAN THAT NAME BE LISTED, UM, AND JUST SEE WHAT THE, WHAT THE BANDWIDTH OF WHAT THE PAGE HAS, LIKE WHAT WE CAN, WHAT WE CAN DO WITH IT.
UM, BUT AS FAR AS SORT OF LISTING, EVERYONE'S NO FILL PERCENTAGE OR, OR LIVE OUTCOME PERCENTAGE, THAT'S GOING TO BE TRICKY BECAUSE WE HAVE TO MAINTAIN THAT SOMEWHERE.
AND SO THAT WAY POWER BI COULD THEN PULL IT, UM, BECAUSE IF WE WERE GOING TO DO IT FOR A STATE, I MEAN, WE MIGHT AS WELL DO IT FOR ALL PARTNERS.
WELL, I MEAN, COULDN'T THAT BE INFORMATION THAT YOU FORESEEN WHEN YOU MAKE THE DECISION TO PARTNER WITH THEM? YEAH.
AND I THINK WE GET THAT, BUT THE PROBLEM IS THEY MAY CHANGE MONTH TO MONTH.
WELL, BUT IF, IF THAT'S PROVIDED TO US ON A SIX MONTH BASIS OR SOMETHING, WE HAVE NOTHING.
AND SO LIKE IF WE COULD MAYBE RECEIVE THE PROFILE AWARE OF WHO YOU'RE PARTNERING WITH AND KIND OF A PROFILE ABOUT THEM, AND THEN, UH, EACH TIME YOU ADD A NEW ONE RECEIVED THE PROFILE AND THEN MONTHLY RECEIVE THE INFORMATION ON THE ANIMALS AND WHERE THEY GO TH TO JOANNE'S POINT, I THINK IT DOES MAKE SENSE TO GET LIKE THE ANNUAL LIVE RELEASE RATE RATHER THAN A MONTH.
CAUSE YOU KNOW, DECEMBER MIGHT LOOK REALLY GREAT IN JANUARY, MIGHT LOOK TERRIBLE.
UM, SO I THINK THE ANNUAL LIVE RELEASE RATE, BUT I THINK THE, AS I UNDERSTOOD PALMER, YOU WANTED FROM THE PARTICULAR RESCUE, BUT ALSO THE COMMUNITY NUMBER, WHICH IS WHAT MATTERS TO ME, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW WHAT CITY IN, IN NEW MEXICO DID WE SEND THEM TO IT'S I THINK IT'S RIO RANCHO IT'S OUTSIDE OF ALBUQUERQUE.
THEY HAVE A 40 ACRE FACILITY AND THEY DO ADOPTIONS FROM THERE.
THEY HAVE TWO SATELLITE ADOPTION CENTERS WITHIN THE CITY OF ALBUQUERQUE.
AND SO I, SO IN THAT SENSE, I WOULD WANT TO KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, THE CITY OF ALBUQUERQUE LIVE RELEASE RATE TOO.
CAUSE I MEAN, I KNOW RESCUES THEY'RE DYING AND WANT AS MUCH HELP AS THEY COULD GET.
I WAS PRETTY SURPRISED THAT WE WERE SENDING ANIMALS TO ALBUQUERQUE GIVEN HOW MUCH STRESS THEY SAY THERE, THEY'RE HAVING OVER THERE.
AND I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE ALBUQUERQUE, UH, CITY OF ELK OR CURVY OR THAT COUNTY, IF IT'S THE COUNTY THAT HAS THEIR ANIMAL SHELTER IS, BUT THAT'S THE KIND OF THING I WOULD WANT TO KNOW TO JUST TO BACK UP PALMER AT ONE,
[02:15:01]
I WANT TO ALSO SAY THAT I DID A OPEN RECORDS REQUEST TO TRY TO GET THIS INFORMATION TOO.AND I THINK IT WAS A $450 THAT THEY WANTED, UM, TO RUN THE REQUEST.
UM, SO I WOULD SUPPORT, UH, ALTHOUGH WE, UH, TH THERE'S A MOTION ON THE FLOOR, SO LET'S BACK UP.
THERE'S A MOTION ON THE FLOOR.
SORRY, THAT, THAT WAS ALL I WANTED TO ASK.
IS THERE EMOTIONAL BEFORE? BECAUSE I WAS STILL TRYING TO CLARIFY THAT, CAUSE I GUESS WE SHOULD HAVE A SECOND, IF THAT WAS THE CASE.
THIS IS WHY CRAIG SHOULD BE IN CHARGE.
UM, SO PALMER HAD A EMOTION AND I SHOULD'VE GOTTEN A SECOND.
SO THE MOTION WAS THAT WE REQUEST THE ANIMALS FILE, THE LIVE RELEASE RATE, UH, OF THE COMMUNITY, THE LIVE RELEASE RATE OF THE RESCUE GROUP OR SHELTER THAT WE'RE SENDING TO.
WAS THERE MORE INFORMATION? YEAH.
THE LIVE RELEASE RATE FOR THE CLOSEST MUNICIPAL SHOPPER.
I THINK I SAID THAT THE COMMUNITY, THE COST OF EACH TRENCH.
SO THOSE FOUR THINGS, I HAVE A QUESTION IS THIS FOR TRANSPORTS ONLY, JUST FOR ANY TRANSFERS AND TRANSPORT, LET'S GET A SECOND AND THEN WE'LL DO CLARIFICATION.
SO LOTTA HAS A QUESTION FOR YOU, PAUL.
SO ARE WE, ARE WE JUST TALKING ABOUT OUT OF STATE TRANSPORT THAT YOU WANT THIS INFORMATION FOR? ARE WE TALKING ABOUT ALL ANIMALS TRANSFERRED FROM AAC TO OTHER RESCUE ORGANIZATIONS? BECAUSE THERE'S A LARGE LIST OF RESCUE PARTNERS? NOT ALL OF THEM ARE IN AUSTIN.
SO IF WE'RE TRANSFERRING AN ANIMAL TO BUDA, DO WE WANT TO KNOW WHAT BUTTE IS LIVE RELEASE RATE IS? I MEAN, WHERE, WHERE IS THIS PALMER, UH, IT'S YOUR MOTION? DO YOU WANT IT IS YOUR MOTION TO BE OUT OF STATE OR OUT OF COUNTY? OR WHAT DO YOU HAVE IN MIND? UM, I'D, I'D SAY WE DO THEN OUT OF COUNTY, WE CAN DECIDE TO PULL IT BACK IF IT'S TOO MUCH INFORMATION.
BUT I MEAN, I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE ALL SEEN THE RESCUE PARTNER AGREEMENT.
I HAVE, I DUNNO, THERE'S NOT AS MUCH SPECIFIC FOR IT.
I HAVEN'T SEEN EVERYTHING THAT'S BEING USED AND COMPILE AND APPROVAL FOR A TRANSPORT, UM, PARTNER.
SO I THINK THAT IT'S JUST THOUGH RIGHT NOW, I DON'T KNOW.
I THINK THAT WE SHOULD START THEM WITH ANYTHING OUT OF, OUT OF THE COUNTY.
SO THE PROPOSAL IS THAT WE REQUEST A MONTHLY REPORTING ON THE, THE ANIMALS FILES LIVE RELEASE RATE OF THE RESCUE OR SHELTER THAT IS SENT TO THE RE LIVE RELEASE RATE OF THE COMMUNITY, THE CLOSEST MUNICIPAL SHELTER AND THE COST OF THE TRANSPORT MONTHLY FOR OUT OF COUNTY OUT OF TRAVIS COUNTY TRANSFERS.
THAT'S THE MOTION ON THE FLOOR.
IS THERE ANY MORE, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION THERE'S NO MORE DISCUSSION.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION, ALL THOSE OPPOSED TO WE HAVE A SEVEN, UH, LOUIS, ARE YOU OPPOSED? OR IN FAVOR? CAN YOU, OH, THOSE OPPOSED? CAN YOU PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND AGAIN SO WE CAN GET A COUNT? JOANNE, ARE YOU FOR OR AGAINST? I CAN'T AND AGAINST.
SO WE HAVE TWO AGAINST, DOES IT ANY OTHER THAN LADA AND JOANNE AGAINST DID ANYBODY ABSTAIN? OKAY.
SO THEN IT'S, UH, NANCY, ARE YOU FOR OR AGAINST, ARE YOU FOR OR AGAINST? UH, FOR, FOR, I AM NOT, YES.
SO, UM, THERE WERE TWO OPPOSED AND THE REST IN FAVOR, THAT MOTION PASSED QUESTION.
IF I COULD PLEASE, WHO SECONDED THE MOTION? I SAW TWO HANDS GO UP.
THANK YOU FOR FOLLOWING UP ON THAT.
THIS IS WHY CRAIG SHOULD BE IN CHARGE.
IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE ON THAT ITEM? ARE THERE ANYWHERE? NO.
[3g. Fire Code Requirements for Nonprofit and Commercial Animal Shelters and Boarding Facilities in Austin ]
NEXT IS FIRE CODE REQUIREMENTS FOR NON-PROFIT AND COMMERCIAL ANIMAL SHELTERS.UM, SO I PUT UP, UH, THERE'S TWO THINGS ON THE BACKUP.
ONE GOES TO THE VERY COMPLICATED FIRE CODE, YOU KNOW, NATIONAL FIRE CODE, WHICH YOU NEED TO KNOW MORE ABOUT FIRE CODE THAN I DO TO REALLY BE ABLE TO, TO FIGURE THAT ONE OUT.
THERE'S ALSO A LINK THAT BELINDA PUT UP FOR ME, UH, WHICH GOES TO THE DECISION THAT THE CITY OF GEORGETOWN MADE ABOUT, UH, ABOUT REQUIREMENTS FOR SHELTERS THAT DON'T HAVE SOMEONE LIVING IN PLACE.
[02:20:01]
THINK THAT THOSE ARE REALLY GOOD FROM WHAT I CAN READ, WHAT I CAN HEAR.AND IT'S CERTAINLY BETTER THAN WHAT WE HAVE.
I'VE ALSO TRIED TO GET TO SEE IF THERE'S ANOTHER, ANOTHER COMMISSION THAT COULD TAKE THIS ON A COMMISSION THAT ACTUALLY LOOKS AT FIRE CODE, YOU KNOW, THAT WOULD TELL PEOPLE, UM, YOU KNOW, GET OUT TO, TO FIRE PEOPLE WHO WOULD BE INTERESTED, BUT I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO FIND A COMMISSION THAT ACTUALLY DOES THAT.
SO MY RECOMMENDATION HERE IS THAT WE WRITE A RECOMMENDATION TO CITY COUNCIL TO LOOK AT WHAT THE CITY OF GEORGETOWN HAS DONE AND TO ASK THEM TO DO SOMETHING SIMILAR TO THAT FOR OUR, UH, SHELTERS ARE, ARE THAT ARE OUR PUBLIC SHELTERS, UH, THAT SERVE THE PUBLIC THAT DON'T HAVE SOMEONE ACTUALLY LIVING AT THE SHELTER.
THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT THE GEORGETOWN WANTS SAYS.
SO AS I UNDERSTAND YOUR MOTION IS TO RECOMMEND THAT THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL REVIEW ANALYZE AND TAKE ACTION RELATED TO, UM, FIRE REQUIREMENTS FOR NON-PROFITS AND COMMERCIAL ANIMAL SHELTERS.
UH, IS THERE A SECOND? UH, NANCY NEMER IS THE SECOND.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? A LOT LOTTA.
SO THE, THE LINK I THOUGHT, AND WHEN I READ THE ARTICLE ABOUT GEORGETOWN, IT INCLUDED BOARDING FACILITIES.
SO ARE WE GOING TO INCLUDE THAT IN OUR MOTION? CAUSE I HAVEN'T HEARD THAT MENTIONED.
I, I WOULD SAY ABSOLUTELY, UH, AT THE, BECAUSE IT'S IT'S ANYTHING THAT SHELTERS, AN ANIMAL FOR SOMEONE ELSE WHERE PEOPLE COME IN AND FOR WHATEVER REASON, UH, THEY'RE SHELTERING, THE ANIMAL BOARDING FACILITIES.
SO THE MOTION INCLUDES FOR, UH, ANIMAL SHELTERS AND BOARDING FACILITIES.
THERE ARE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS.
LET'S HAVE A SHOW OF HANDS, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR.
UH, ANY OPPOSED THAT RESOLUTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY, ANYTHING ELSE ON FIRE CODE REQUIREMENTS THAT ANYONE WANTS TO DISCUSS?
[4a. Adoption of Bylaw Amendment for Creation of No Kill Committee as Approved by City Council. ]
ALL RIGHT.LET'S GO TO NEW BUSINESS, NEW BUSINESS FOR A ADOPTION OF BYLAW AMENDMENT FOR CREATION OF NO-KILL COMMITTEE, AS PROVED BY CITY COUNCIL.
SO THE CITY COUNCIL HAS, UM, APPROVED OUR REQUEST TO THE CHANGE FROM THE BYLAWS.
SO WHAT WE NEED TO DO HERE IS WE NEED TO VOTE TO SET UP THE COMMITTEE, AS IT'S STATED IN THE ITEM.
UH, WE VOTE TO SET UP THAT COMMITTEE AND THEN WE PICK, UM, W WE WE'VE, WE'VE DISCUSSED AMONG MEMBERS.
WHAT WE, WE, WE SET UP FIVE MEMBERS FOR THAT COMMITTEE.
SO FIRST OF ALL, I THINK, UM, UH, THE PEOPLE WHO I HAVE TALKED TO AND, AND WHO'VE SHOWN AN INCLINATION TO BE ON HERE WOULD BE, UM, UH, UH, LET'S SEE, THERE'D BE NANCY.
AND IT'S MOSTLY THE PEOPLE WHO ARE ON THE COMMITTEE BEFORE.
IT WOULD BE, UM, UH, WHO ELSE WOULD THE ME THERE'S BE RYAN, UH, UH, RYAN, WHO ELSE DO WE GOT TWO MORE? LISA, I THINK YOU TOLD ME PALMER AND PALMER.
AND WHO'S THE FIFTH, WASN'T IT? WASN'T IT W LISA, IT WAS LEASED.
I THINK LISA'S RAISING HER HANDS.
IF, IF SHE WASN'T, I HAVE A QUESTION BECAUSE I WAS NEVER CONTACTED BY ANYBODY ON THIS COMMISSION ABOUT THIS BEING AN OLD, I AM INTERESTED IN BEING ON THE COMMITTEE.
NANCY CRAIG, LOTTA PALMER, LISA.
AS THAT IS, THAT IS THAT, UH, SO I GUESS WE WOULD VOTE FOR THE WHOLE THING TO FORM THE COMMITTEE AND YES, CRAIG, CAN I READ THIS INTO THE RECORD? JUST SO THAT, UM, IT'S IN THE RECORD.
THIS SAYS, UM, AMENDMENT TO THE ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION, BYLAWS.
THIS IS IN THE BACKUP MATERIALS.
UM, I ASSUME THIS CAME FROM CITY LAW.
IS THAT RIGHT? CRAIG RECOMMEND AMENDING SECTION A, OF ARTICLE EIGHT OF THE ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION BYLAWS TO READ AS FOLLOWS ARTICLE EIGHT COMMITTEES WORKING GROUP, SECTION A IS HEREBY AMENDED AS FOLLOWS A, THE ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION.
[02:25:01]
AND THIS IS WHERE THE CHANGE IT USED TO SAY, WE'LL HAVE NO COMMITTEES.AND NOW SAYS, HAS THE FOLLOWING STANDING COMMITTEES ONE, THE COMMITTEE TO SUSTAIN AND ADVANCED NO-KILL SHALL SERVE IN AN ADVISORY CAPACITY TO THE FULL BOARD ON ISSUES RELATING TO MONITORING MAINTENANCE AND ADVANCEMENT OF CITY COUNCILS, NO KILL ANIMAL SHELTERING POLICY.
SO THIS IS ESSENTIALLY THE ITEM THAT WE HAD ALREADY PASSED ONCE, BUT IT'S COME BACK TO US IN, IN, IN FULL FORM.
UH, SO THAT IS CRAIG'S, UM, RESOLUTION.
DO WE HAVE A SECOND? UH, PALMER IS OUR SECOND.
DO WE HAVE ANY DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR.
ARE THERE ANY ABSTENTIONS FOR IT? OKAY.
LOUIS, ARE YOU ABSTAINING THE, ARE YOU FOR OR AGAINST OR ABSTAINING? I, I WANT TO CLARIFY BY THE WAY, MY INTERNET IS NOT GETTING VERY, VERY GOOD, BUT WHEN WE BOTH TO DO THAT, COMEDY WAS, WAS TO GIVE MORE CHANCE TO THE COMMUNITY TO BE INVOLVED.
I THINK THE FIVE PERSONS THAT IS CHOOSING ALREADY WERE WORKING ON IT, I THINK CAN BE MORE FAIR TO GIVE THE CHANCE TO MORE PEOPLE BE ON BOARD.
I WANT TO SEE PEOPLE WHO WORK WITH, WITH FERAL CATS WITH MORE PROGRAMS, FOR A SPARE NEUTER WAY TECHNOLOGY.
I THINK DON'T, DON'T TAKE ME BAD, BUT I WAS BORING FOR THAT COVERING THAT MOMENT TO GIVE MORE, MORE CHANCE TO YOUR COMMUNITY TO INVOLVE.
SO I JUST TO CLARIFY, A COMMITTEE HAS TO BE MADE UP OF COMMISSION MEMBERS.
SO, UM, THIS WAS FOR A COMMITTEE WHICH HAS TO BE MEMBERS OF THE ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION.
UH, IF YOU WANT TO BE AGAINST IT NOW, YOU CAN, WE JUST NEED A VOTE.
SO WE HAVE, UM, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 9 IN FAVOR, AND ONE, I THINK THAT'S RIGHT.
ONE AGAINST, IS THAT RIGHT? DO WE HAVE 10? NO, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9.
WAIT, THERE ARE PEOPLE NOT HERE.
[4b. Proposed Animal Advisory Commission Meeting Schedule 2022 ]
ALL RIGHT.UH, PROPOSED ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION MEETING SCHEDULE.
UM, THIS IS AN IMPORTANT ITEM THAT I SHOULD HAVE MOVED UP TO THE FRONT, BUT I'M GLAD WE'RE HERE.
UH, IN THE BACKUP MATERIAL, UH, BELINDA PREPARED FOR US THE ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION PROPOSED MEETING SCHEDULED FOR 2022.
AND IT IS THE SECOND MONDAY OF EVERY MONTH AT 6:00 PM.
UM, I BELIEVE AT CRAIG'S REQUEST NO MONTH IS EXCLUDED.
UM, AT THIS POINT, UH, SOMETIMES IN THE PAST THAT CHAIR HAS REQUESTED THAT SOME MONTHS BE TAKEN OFF, BUT AS I READ IT, THEY'RE ALL HERE.
SO THAT IS THE PROPOSED SCHEDULE.
UM, I GUESS CRAIG, YOU NEED TO MAKE THE MOTION.
WE ACCEPT THE SCHEDULE AS PRESENTED.
IS THERE A SECOND? UH, SECOND, UH, DO WE HAVE ANY DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR.
THAT WAS PROBABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT THING WE DID TONIGHT BECAUSE OTHERWISE WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO MEET EVERY QUARTER IN EMERGENCY MEETINGS.
[4c. Disposition of the dedicated wildlife Animal Protection Officer (APO) ]
ALL RIGHT.LAST, A DISPOSITION OF DEDICATED WILDLIFE ANIMAL PROTECTION ORDER OFFICER AGAIN, CRAIG, THIS IS YOUR ITEM.
SO I PUT THIS ON HERE WITHOUT HAVING COMPLETE INFORMATION.
CAUSE I HADN'T BEEN ABLE TO TALK TO DON ABOUT THIS AND HE GAVE US SOME GOOD INFORMATION ABOUT THIS, BUT I JUST WANTED TO FILL EVERYBODY IN.
I TALKED TO A FEW COMMISSIONERS ABOUT THIS AND UH, THE GREAT HILLS NEIGHBORHOOD LAST FALL AND INTO DECEMBER SIX DEER WERE SHOT WITH A CROSSBOW AND, UH, NONE OF THEM WERE KILLED IMMEDIATELY.
AND ALL SIX OF THEM RAN AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD FOR VARIOUS LENGTHS OF TIME UNTIL AT LEAST FOUR DIE.
THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO THE OTHER TWO.
UH, THIS, UH, WAS BEING LOOKED INTO BY TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE.
AND I ACTUALLY CALLED UP THE, THE, UH, TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE PERSON WHO WAS LOOKING AT WHAT TO SAY TO SEE IF YOU WANT TO FILL US IN ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON.
[02:30:01]
HAS NOT RETURNED MY CALL.HE HAS NOT RETURNED MY EMAIL AND MAYBE THIS HAS TO DO WITH ON ONGOING INVESTIGATION, WHATEVER, BUT THE REASON I BRING THIS UP AND THIS REASON, THIS IS ALL IMPORTANT IS THIS IS THE AREA.
AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, WHERE WE WERE HAVING DEAR, UH, HUMAN CONFLICT AND WE DID, WE HAD A WORKING GROUP AND WE MET WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD GROUPS FOR MONTHS AND CAME UP WITH AN ORDINANCE, NOT THE FEED, THE DEER.
THIS WAS ALSO THE NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE THEY WERE TRAPPING COYOTES WITH WILDLIFE SERVICES.
THEY HAD, THEY HAD ASKED WILDLIFE SERVICES TO TRAP CODYS.
UH, AND YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU HAVE A LOT OF DEER FAT DEER RUNNING THROUGH THE NEIGHBORHOOD, EATING ALL YOUR PLANTS UP, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE GOATEES BECAUSE THE COUNTIES ARE GOING TO PICK OUT THE OLD ONES, THE YOUNG ONES.
I MEAN, THAT'S WHAT COYOTES DO, YOU KNOW? UH, AND SEE.
SO THEN WE HAD ANOTHER LAW WORKING GROUP AND A LONG FIGHT, BOTH AT THE COUNTY AND, AND THE CITY LEVEL TO GET A BETTER PROGRAM, TO MANAGE COYOTES, WHICH WE DID AND WHICH WAS WORKING WELL.
UH, BUT THEN, YOU KNOW, I'VE MONITORED.
THIS, THIS NEIGHBORHOOD IS NEXT TO MINE.
AND WHAT HAS COME TO LIGHT ALSO IS, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE A PRIVATE GOLF COURSE UP THERE AND OF COURSE THERE'S DEER ON THE GOLF COURSE AND PEOPLE TAKE THEIR DOGS AND LET THEM OFF LEASH ON THE GOLF COURSE.
AND THERE'VE BEEN INCIDENTS OF DOGS ATTACKING DEER ON THE GOLF COURSE.
AND I HAVEN'T HEARD ANY OF THOSE REPORTS OR MAY POS, BUT THERE WERE REPORTS WITHIN, WITHIN THE NEIGHBORHOOD ABOUT THAT PEOPLE GOT UPSET AND PEOPLE WERE VERY UPSET ABOUT THE DEER.
THEY'VE RAISED OVER $5,000 REWARD MONEY.
AND THEN JUST AFTER ALL THOSE SHOT, DEER WERE RUNNING THROUGH THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
SOMEONE SPOTTED A MOUNTAIN LION IN GREAT.
NOW, GREAT HILLS IS OUT THERE BY THE BALCONIES CANYON LAND PRESERVE THE BALCONY'S CANYON LAND PRESERVE NEEDS DEER, BUT IT NEEDS DEER PREDATORS.
THEY, AND I'VE TALKED TO THE PRESERVE MANAGERS.
THEY CAME AND TALKED TO US AT ONE POINT, UH, YOU KNOW, THEY DON'T MIND THE MOUNTAIN LIONS.
THEY DON'T MIND THE COYOTES, BUT IF A NEIGHBOR AND THAT'S ALSO THE PRESERVE WHERE THE WILD HOGS COME OUT OF, AND THEY HAVE, UH, WHERE WE NEED TO MANAGE OUR WILDLIFE CONFLICTS AS AUSTIN GROWS.
CAUSE THAT PRESERVE IS WHAT LETS AUSTIN GROW BECAUSE IT PREDICTS IN JANE INJURED SPECIES, OTHERWISE THEY WOULDN'T HAVE ALLOWED DEVELOPMENT.
SO THE REASON I BROUGHT THIS UP IS I JUST WANTED TO LET EVERYBODY KNOW AND I'M GLAD DON IS GOING TO BE ABLE TO HIRE A NEW WILDLIFE OFFICER.
WE REALLY, REALLY, REALLY NEED A WILDLIFE OFFICER IN AUSTIN RIGHT NOW SERIOUSLY NEEDED BECAUSE BACK IN THE DAY WHEN THEY WERE TRAPPING COYOTES, THEY WERE CATCHING CATS AND DOGS WHO WERE COMING TO THE SHELTER AND HAVING THEIR LEGS AND FEET AMPUTATED AT THE CITY'S EXPENSE.
AND THEN WE HAD TO TRY AND ADOPT THEM OUT.
SO THIS IS AN IMPORTANT ISSUE.
AND ONCE AGAIN, I WANT TO THANK DON FOR ALL HE'S DOING TOO, TO KEEP THIS JOB IT'S IMPORTANT.
IT'S IMPORTANT TO THE PRESERVE PEOPLE.
SO THAT'S THE WATER UTILITY IS IMPORTANT TO THE WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPARTMENT SUPPORT TO A LOT OF CITY DEPARTMENT.
SO THAT'S, I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO TAKE ANY ACTION AT THIS POINT.
CAUSE IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE GOING TO GET AN OFFICER HIRED AND I JUST PUT IT THERE.
CAUSE I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT W WHAT WE WERE GOING TO FIND OUT.
ANY QUESTIONS OR ANYTHING, ANY COMMENTS ANYMORE.
I JUST LIKE TO SAY, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE POSITION IS CURRENTLY POSTED ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE.
SO IF YOU KNOW OF ANYONE WHO IS INTERESTED OR WHATNOT, JUST GO TO AUSTIN, UH, CITY JOBS.ORG AND UNDER ANIMAL SERVICES, IT'LL BE THERE.
SO WE HAD TO GIVE THAT SHOUT OUT.
ANY MORE COMMENTS ON THAT? OKAY.
[5. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS ]
MOVE ON TO FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. ARE THERE ANY NEW AGENDA ITEMS I WANT TO REMIND EVERYONE THAT IT ONLY TAKES TWO, UH, PERSONS TO PUT SOMETHING ON THE AGENDA EVEN AFTER THE MEETING.UM, SO I SEE AN OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE A BETTER QUALITY OF LIFE FOR ANIMALS AND SORT OF THE CITIZENS WHO WANT TO ADOPT, BUT HAVE TROUBLE COMING TO THE AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER AND HOPEFULLY IMPACTING THE AMOUNT OF ANIMALS THAT WE NEED TO, UH, TRANSFER OR TRANSPORT BY, UM, HAVING SATELLITE, UM, ADOPTION CENTERS THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO EXPLORE ADDING AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER, SATELLITE LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
WOULD YOU LIKE A WORKING GROUP OR DO YOU JUST WANT IT TO BE ON THE AGENDA
[02:35:01]
FOR NOW? FOR NOW? I'D LIKE IT JUST ON THE AGENDA.SO SATELLITE ADOPTION OF GROUPS.
IS THERE A SECOND, CRAIG? SO WE HAVE TO, WE HAVE TO, TO PUT THAT ON THERE.
UM, I WOULD ALSO, THIS KIND OF TIES INTO, YOU KNOW, WE HAVEN'T HAD A NUMBER OF SPEAKERS AND I'VE HAD SOME EMAILS ABOUT TALKING ABOUT THE BUDGET BECAUSE A SATELLITE ADOPTION CENTERS ARE GOING TO, IT'S GOING TO TAKE SOME BUDGET ACTION.
WE DIDN'T, WE JUST GOT AN EMAIL THEN BELINDA, YOU JUST SENT US AN EMAIL TODAY ABOUT, ABOUT THE CITY'S REQUESTING NOW FROM US BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS.
OR IF THAT'S SOMETHING YOU WANT TO PARTICIPATE IN A BUDGETARY RECOMMENDATION, YOU'D PROBABLY HAVE TO HAVE IT ON THE AGENDA FOR NEXT MONTH.
I FAILED TO BRING THIS UP EARLIER.
I WANTED TO ASK IF Y'ALL WOULD PUT THAT ON THE AGENDA.
WHAT I WANT TO DO IS, UH, PROVIDE Y'ALL WITH OUR MINIMUM STAFF THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST AND SEE IF Y'ALL WOULD SEND SOMETHING STRAIGHT TO THE COUNCIL, UH, TO HELP US GET SOME STAFF.
UH, CAUSE WE KNOW THAT GOING THROUGH THE FIRST ROUND OF FORECASTS WOULD PROBABLY GET TURNED DOWN AND, UH, IT WAS VERY SUCCESSFUL FOR THE PARKS DEPARTMENT LAST YEAR.
UH, THEY HAD ASKED FOR STAFF AND THEY GOT TURNED DOWN AND THEIR COMMISSION SUBMITTED THAT THEY WANTED STRAIGHT TO THE COUNCIL, WHICH YOU HAVE THAT AUTHORITY AND YOUR DEADLINE IS MARCH 31ST TO DO THAT, BY THE WAY.
SO, UH, THEY SUBMITTED, UH, A RECOMMENDATION FOR 20 PARKS RANGERS, AND, UH, THEY WERE AWARDED HALF OF THOSE AT 10.
SO IT DOES MAKE A DIFFERENCE IF Y'ALL WILL MAKE SUGGESTIONS.
SO WE WILL SEND Y'ALL OUT OUR, UH, RECOMMENDED STAFF REQUIREMENTS, OUR MINIMUM NUMBER, NOT THE PINE AND SCOTT THAT WE'D REALLY LIKE TO HAVE.
AND, UH, THEN Y'ALL CAN TALK ABOUT THAT AT OUR NEXT MEETING AND MAY MAKE A RECOMMENDATION IF YOU CHOOSE TO.
SO DO WE HAVE A SECOND? UM, IT IS PROPOSED BY CRAIG.
DO WE HAVE A SECOND TO PUT THAT ON THE AGENDA? BAH, WE HAVE A SECOND.
SO THAT WILL GO ON THE AGENDA.
I DO WANT TO REITERATE WHAT I THINK BELINDA SAID.
I THINK DON, YOU ALSO SAID IT, WHICH WAS THAT EMAIL SAID THAT THEY WANTED OUR, OUR COMMENTS BY MARCH 30TH, WHICH MEANS THAT WE HAVE ONE MONTH THIS MONTH COMING UP, UH, TO, TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE PROCESS AS THEY WANT US TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE PROCESS.
NOW WE CAN CONTRIBUTE LATER IF WE WANT TO, WHETHER OR NOT THEY WANT TO LISTEN TO IT IS COMPLETELY UP TO THEM.
BUT IN THE PAST WE, WE HAVE, UM, WANTED TO PARTICIPATE EARLY IN NEXT MONTH IS OUR CHANCE A LOT OF, YES, SIR.
I AGREE WITH THE NUMBER OF CITIZENS THAT CALLED IN WITH SAYING, WE SHOULD ASK FOR INCREASES IN THE BUDGET VERSUS STAY IN NEUTER FOR THE TRANSFERRING SENIORS, APA FOR THE APS AND EVERYTHING ELSE.
I THINK THAT, UM, IT THEN WITH THE EMAIL THAT BELINDA SENT OUT TODAY THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE THIS SUBMITTED BY 30 MARCH TO THE BUDGET OFFICE.
UM, CAN WE FORM A WORKING GROUP SO THAT WE CAN HAVE THIS DISCUSSED, HAVE COMMUNITY INPUT AS WELL AS THE INFORMATION FROM THE ANIMAL CENTER, WHAT THEY'RE REQUESTING SO THAT WE CAN HAVE RECOMMENDATIONS AT OUR MARCH MEETING BECAUSE THAT'S THE ONLY TIME WE HAVE TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS BEFORE THAT 30 MARCH DEADLINE, WE MAY NEED A RULING FROM NANCY ON THAT.
BUT MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT SINCE IT'S NOT ON THIS AGENDA, WE CAN NOT TAKE AN ACTION, LIKE FORMING A WORKING GROUP, NANCY.
NO, WE CAN'T BECAUSE IT'S NOT ON THE AGENDA.
SO WE HAVE TO HAVE IT ON AS A NEW ITEM, THEN WE CAN FORM A WORKING GROUP.
THE OTHER THING IS, IS INDIVIDUAL COMMISSIONERS THOUGH.
WE CAN CIRCULATE TO PEOPLE WHO CONTACT US, WHICH IS WHAT I PLAN ON DOING, SAYING, HEY, LOOK, THIS ITEMS ON THE AGENDA, WHAT'S YOUR IDEAS, EMAIL ME YOUR IDEAS.
AND, AND WE, IF THE COMMISSIONERS DO THAT, WE CAN BEGIN TO PASTE THEM TOGETHER AT THE MEETING.
AND I, I, YOU KNOW, I'M BACKING THAT UP.
I I'M, I'M ALWAYS, I READ ALL OF OUR EMAILS AND AS YOU KNOW, WE DON'T GET MANY AT ALL, VERY, VERY FEW OR AT LEAST I GET VERY, VERY FEW.
UM, AND SO I WOULD IMPLORE THE PUBLIC WHO WANTS TO PARTICIPATE IN A WORKING GROUP TO PLEASE JUST PLEASE EMAIL US BECAUSE WE CAN GET THAT IMMEDIATELY.
WE DON'T HAVE TO WAIT ANOTHER MONTH OR ANOTHER MONTH AFTER THAT, THE RECOMMENDATION WOULD PROBABLY MOST LIKELY HAVE TO BE MADE AT THE NEXT MONTH.
SO ARE WE GOING TO BE ABLE TO DO ALL OF NO.
SO I THINK THAT THIS, THE, THE DECISION THAT WAS MADE WAS WE'RE PUTTING IT ON NEXT MONTH'S AGENDA AS YOU KNOW, BUDGET.
UH, I GUESS IT WILL SAY, UM, DISCUSS AND TAKE POTENTIAL ACTION ON BUDGET.
UM, AND THEN, UH, IF AT THAT POINT, A LOT OF WANTS TO MAKE AS ONE OF THE RESOLUTIONS AT THAT POINT, A WORKING
[02:40:01]
GROUP, UH, SHE MAY THAT THAT'S HER PURVIEW AND IT WOULD, WE WOULD NOT HAVE A REPORT BACK IN TIME TO MEET THE MARCH 30TH DEADLINE, HOWEVER WE CAN PROVIDE AND PUT LATER, UH, IT JUST MAY NOT BE ACCEPTED IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, THE PARKS BOARD MADE THEIR PRESENTATION TO THE COUNCIL RIGHT PRIOR TO THE BUDGET BEING ACCEPTED.SO IT COULD BE DONE AFTER THAT.
YOU JUST HAS TO COME STRAIGHT FROM YOU TO THE COUNCIL.
AND I BELIEVE WE HAVE DONE THAT IN THE PAST WHERE WE'VE MISSED THE DEADLINE, BECAUSE WE DIDN'T EVEN KNOW WHAT HAPPENED.
AND WE DID MAKE SOME SUGGESTIONS, BUT AGAIN, IT'S UP TO THE CITY MANAGER, YOU KNOW, AND THE COUNCIL, WHAT, WHAT THEY DO, THIS IS THE CITY MANAGER ASKING US TO PARTICIPATE AT THIS LEVEL.
AND SO THIS IS OUR OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN THE CITY MANAGER'S DECISIONS.
IF WE WANT TO MAKE A DECISION LATER TO REQUEST ACTION FROM COUNCIL, I THINK THAT'S A DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT STEP.
ARE THERE ANY, UH, OH, SHOULD WE, BELINDA, DO YOU WANT US TO GO THROUGH THESE AND TAKE STUFF OFF OR ADD STUFF? WE, DAVID USUALLY DOES THAT USUALLY DID THAT.
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS OF MONTHLY RELEASE RATES.
DOES ANYBODY WANT TO KEEP THAT ON OR CAN IT ROLL OFF? I SEE NO ONE WANTING TO KEEP THAT ON MONTHLY REPORTING OF DATA.
IT SEEMED LIKE WE HAD A LOT OF DISCUSSION.
SO LET'S KEEP THAT ON WORKING GROUP ON OFF-LEASH DOGS.
ARE YOU GUYS DONE OR DO YOU WANT IT? UM, WE NEED TO KEEP IT ON.
WE'RE HOPING TO, TO WRAP UP IN APRIL.
SO THAT'S GOING TO STAY ON A WORKING GROUP ON MICROCHIPPING.
UH, DON, YOU WANT THAT ON? YOU WANT A MICROCHIPPING ITEM, RIGHT? YES.
UH, SO DO WE HAVE, UH, TWO, UH, COMMISSIONERS WHO WANT MICROCHIPPING ON? WE HAVE LOTTA CRAIG.
SO THAT WILL BE ON, UH, AUSTIN PETS, ALIVE FUTURE AT TOWN, LIKE ANIMAL CENTER.
DOES ANYBODY WANT THAT TO STAY ON? I KIND OF LIKE HEARING THE UPDATE, EVEN IF IT'S NOTHING.
SO THAT'S TO FILL THAT THAT'LL STAY ON TRANSFERRING AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTERS TO OTHER COMMUNITIES.
WE'RE GOOD ON THAT FIRE CODE REQUIREMENTS, UH, IS THAT GONE NOW? THAT'S OVER AND OVER.
SO NOW WE HAVE A NO KILL COMMITTEE.
UH, UH, THEY USUALLY THE COMMITTEE'S REPORT, UH, AT LEAST FOUR TIMES A YEAR.
UH, SO WE, I DON'T THINK WE HAVE TO PUT THAT ON THE NEXT ONE.
WE GOT A COMMITTEE NOW AND THEN THE COMMITTEE MEETS AND DECIDES WHEN WE'RE GOING TO REPORT.
UM, HOW DOES THE COMMITTEE, UH, IS, IS THERE, HOW DOES THE COMMITTEE DECIDE WHEN TO MEET IT'S B IT'S AMONG THEMSELVES? I MEAN, THOUGH, I'M FAMILIAR WITH THIS FROM THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION THAT HAS A NUMBER OF STANDING COMMITTEES AND THEY HAVE, YOU KNOW, THEY'LL PUT ON THEIR AGENDA REPORTS FROM THE COMMITTEES, BUT THEY DON'T ALWAYS GET TO THEM BECAUSE THE COMMITTEE DOESN'T HAVE ANYTHING TO REPORT AND IT DOESN'T HAVE, I'M ASKING A MORE TECHNICAL QUESTION.
HOW DOES THE COMMITTEE DECIDE WHEN IT'S FIRST MEETING? IS IT GOING TO BE, SINCE IT HAS TO BE POSTED AND THEY CAN'T VIOLATE THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT RIGHT OUTSIDE OF IT, THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS GET TOGETHER, WE DECIDE WE'RE GOING TO MEET.
AND THEN WE, UM, WE, UH, WHO'S GO THROUGH OUR LIAISON.
WHAT? YEAH, I THINK YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH YOUR LIAISON FIRST BECAUSE TECHNICALLY AS A COMMITTEE, YOU CAN'T, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WOULD BE ARGUED THAT.
SO IT SEEMS LIKE WE DON'T SHARE GREG.
I ASSUME YOU'RE THE CHAIR OF THE COMMITTEE, AT LEAST FOR NOW.
WHY DON'T YOU TALK WITH BELINDA ABOUT SETTING THAT UP? CAUSE I KIND OF AGREE THAT WE PROBABLY SHOULDN'T HAVE NON PUBLIC TRAFFIC CONVERSATION ABOUT IT.
BUT THAT'S GOING TO ROLL OFF, RIGHT? THAT DOES NOT NEED TO BE ON THE AGENDA.
UM, PROPOSED COMMISSION MEETINGS SCHEDULED DOES NOT NEED TO BE ON THE AGENDA.
DISPOSITION OF WILDLIFE ANIMAL PROTECTION.
OFFICER CRAIG CAN NOT BE OFF THE AGENDA.
WE CAN JUST ASK DON FOR AN UPDATE AT THE STAFF REPORT, WE HAVE TWO, UH, ADDITIONS, BUDGET AND SATELLITE ADOPTION CENTERS.
ARE THERE ANY MORE REQUESTS AT THIS TIME? ALL RIGHT.
UH, I'LL TAKE A MOTION TO ADJOURN.
OH, THE ONE THAT PALMER, UM, REQUESTED ABOUT WAS THAT, WAS THAT A WORKING GROUP? I'M SORRY ABOUT THE, UH, THE DATA FOR THE TRANSPORTS THAT ARE COUNTER.
WE PASS A RESOLUTION TO REQUEST THAT INFORMATION, WHICH WE DID.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER ITEMS THAT ANYONE WANTS AT THIS TIME TO ADD? NO.
I WILL TAKE A MOTION TO ADJOURN.
[02:45:01]
SECOND, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR.ANYONE OPPOSED THAT MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.
WE'RE NOT SAYING IN THE CHOIR, SHE STILL LOVES ME.
EVERY TIME MY BACKS MASS STRAIGHTENS OUT .