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THIS IS A MEETING OF THE OSS ANIMAL MISSION.
UH, KATIE YARROW HERE, UH, PALMER NEW HOUSE PALMER.
LOT OF SMAGHI ULA LOUISE HERRERA.
CAN YOU HEAR ME? YEAH, I CAN HEAR YOU.
I'M LOOKING FOR, OH, THERE YOU ARE.
SO, UH, THAT'S NINE, I THINK 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.
[PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL]
OKAY, SO WE HAVE ONE REGISTERED SPEAKER.ARE YOU HERE? EILEEN? COLLEEN, THIS IS DAVID TAKEN HARRIS.
YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES EILEEN.
I'M A WILLIAMSON COUNTY RESIDENT WHO HAS GIVEN ENORMOUS AMOUNTS OF MY TIME, ENERGY AND MONEY TO THE SHELTER, DOGS OF AUSTIN, BECAUSE I BELIEVED IN AUSTIN'S POTENTIAL AS A NO KILL COMMUNITY.
AND I WANTED TO BE PART OF A COMMUNITY THAT RESPECTS THE LIVES AND QUALITY OF LIFE OF ANIMALS IN ITS CARE.
AND THEN AS A RESCUE DIRECTOR, I HAVE ADVOCATED FOR AUSTIN TO LIVE UP TO ITS POTENTIAL AS A NO KILL MODEL.
I RUN FINAL FRIENDS HERE, RESCUE PROJECT, THE MAIN RESCUE SAVING DOGS THAT AAC AACS MANAGEMENT INTENDS TO KILL.
WE HAVE LONG ADVOCATED FOR AAC TO DEVELOP THE CAPACITY TO HELP THESE DOGS.
AND IT HAS ALWAYS REFUSED, BUT UNDER DON BLAND'S LEADERSHIP, THE SITUATION HAS BECOME COMPLETELY UNTENABLE.
I EMAILED YOU EARLIER AND ATTACHED TWO CHARTS, SHOWING AACS INTAKES AND OUTCOMES OVERTIME GENERATED BY MY HUSBAND, CHRISTOPHER MCFALL USING OPEN DATA.
THE CHARTS SHOWED THAT THE CURRENT SPACE CRISIS IS NOT DUE TO HIGH INTAKE OR LOW OUTCOMES.
THE CHRONIC SPACE CRISIS IS DUE TO DON BLAND AND HIS TEAM'S MISMANAGEMENT.
RECENTLY, A CE SENT OUT AN EMAIL, THE RESCUE SAYING THAT THE SHELTER WAS HOUSING ABOUT A HUNDRED LONG STAY DOGS WITH BEHAVIOR ISSUES THAT AAC WAS NOT HELPING.
THE IMPLICATION OF THAT MESSAGE WAS THAT THE ONLY LIVE OUTCOME FOR THOSE DOGS WOULD BE THROUGH RESCUE.
MY RESCUE CANNOT COMPENSATE FOR GLANDS IN HIS TEAM'S REFUSAL TO TAKE EFFECTIVE ACTION, TO HELP THE LONG-STAY DOGS WHO ARE KEEPING KENNELS OCCUPIED.
SHORTLY AFTER THAT MESSAGE A C SENDS OUT A NEW RESCUE PARTNER AGREEMENT SAYING THAT DOGS TRANSFERRED TO RESCUE WOULD BE TRANSFERRED AS IS INCLUDING POSSIBLY NOT SPAYED OR NEUTERED.
AND THAT RESCUES WOULD NOT RECEIVE ANY SUPPORT AT ALL.
DISAGREEMENT MAKES CLEAR, THERE IS NO PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN AAC AND RESCUES.
AND WHILE WE KNEW THAT FROM MANAGEMENT'S BEHAVIOR, SEEING IT IN WRITING WAS THE CATALYST FOR OUR DECISION.
AS LONG AS DON BLAND AND HIS TEAM REMAINED IN CHARGE AT AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER, FINAL FRONTIER RESCUE PART PROJECTS WILL NO LONGER BE A RESCUE PARTNER OF AAC.
I HATE TO MAKE THIS DECISION BECAUSE I KNOW IT MEANS THAT MANAGEMENT WILL KILL MORE DOGS, BUT WE CANNOT COMPENSATE FOR HIS AND HIS TEAM'S REFUSAL TO IMPLEMENT NEEDED PROGRAMS. TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE OF LONG-STAY DOGS.
COMPLETE RELIANCE ON A SMALL VOLUNTEER RUN RESCUE IS NOT THE ANSWER.
AAC NEEDS EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP TO FULLY IMPLEMENT THE NO KILL EQUATION, INCLUDING BEHAVIOR PROGRAMS AND A FOSTER ADOPTER RECRUITMENT TRAINING AND SUPPORT PROGRAM.
THIS IS NOT ABOUT NOT ENOUGH RESOURCES.
IT'S ABOUT ALLOCATION OF RESOURCES AND THE ATTITUDE BEHIND DECISIONS ABOUT RESOURCES.
AUSTIN NEEDS COMPETENT, EFFECTIVE NO-KILL LEADERSHIP AND DON GLAND AND HIS TEAM ARE UNABLE AND UNWILLING TO PROVIDE IT.
AND I WOULD ADD THAT I AM THE ONLY ONE SPEAKING TONIGHT BECAUSE AS OTHERS HAVE TOLD ME, THEY'VE GIVEN UP, IT'S NOT BECAUSE WE'RE HAPPY WITH LEADERSHIP IT'S BECAUSE WE DON'T SEE ANYTHING CHANGING NO MATTER WHAT WE DO.
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NEXT, SINCE WE HAVE NO OTHER SPEAKERS SIGNED UP TO SPEAK, UH, I'M SORRY, DO WE? THAT'S MY FAULT WE HAVE ONE IS INSIDE HIT IN PERSON, SARAH.I'M THE SENIOR DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS AT AUSTIN PETS ALIVE.
AND I'M HERE, UM, JUST TO PROVIDE AN UPDATE ON OUR MONTHLY REPORT REGARDING OUR LICENSE AGREEMENT WITH THE CITY.
UM, IN THE MONTH OF MARCH, 187 ANIMALS WERE TRANSFERRED OUT OF AAC TO 29 PARTNERS.
82 OF THEM CAME TO AUSTIN PETS ALIVE, AND THERE WAS AN ADDITIONAL SEVEN THAT WERE BORN IN CARE THAT WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN BORN IF WE HAD NOT TAKEN THEM.
UM, AUSTIN PETS ALIVE TOOK IN 5,472 PETS DURING THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY AND AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER TOOK IN 5,506.
UM, WE ARE HOUSING CURRENTLY AT THE END OF THE MONTH, WE WERE HOUSING, UH, OVER A THOUSAND PETS AND FOSTER AND CONDUCTED, UH, ALMOST 900 ADOPTIONS DURING THE MONTH.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE TO BE REPORTING ON IS OUR PERCENTAGE OF INTAKE COMPARED TO PRIOR FISCAL YEAR.
I'M IN THIS REPORT WHERE I DO INCLUDE BOTH PRIOR AND CURRENT FISCAL YEAR, JUST FOR, UM, JUST TRANSPARENCY PURPOSES.
UM, SO THROUGH, UM, FROM OCTOBER, 2020 THROUGH MARCH 21, A C HAD TAKEN IN 3,627 PETS IN THIS YEAR.
UM, OCTOBER 21 THROUGH MARCH 22, UM, APA TOOK IN 607 FROM AAC, WHICH IS 17%, UM, OF PRIOR YEAR FOR THIS CURRENT FISCAL YEAR THOUGH.
UM, AACS INTAKE IS SLIGHTLY HIGHER AT 5,506 PETS OF WHICH EIGHT APA TOOK IN 607 IS ABOUT 12% OF THEIR CURRENT FISCAL YEAR INTAKE.
UM, ONE OF THE OTHER PIECES THAT WE'VE ADDED TO REPORT ON IS THE SURVIVAL RATE OF, UH, MEDICAL TRANSFER PETS FROM AAC TO APA.
AND THIS INCLUDES MEDICAL URGENT MEDICAL ATTENTION, UH, PARVO AND PANLEUK PETS IN THIS CURRENT MONTH REPORT.
UM, 27 WERE TRANSFERRED TO US OF WHICH 16 WERE ADOPTED FIVERR AND FOSTER AND THE SURVIVAL RATE OF 85%.
UM, I WAS CORRECTED THAT THESE PETS WOULD NOT NECESSARILY HAVE BEEN EUTHANIZED.
UM, IF APA HAD NOT TAKEN THEM, ALTHOUGH THEY, WE ARE GIVEN A DEADLINE, UM, WITH WHICH TO PULL THEM.
UM, AND THEN THE LAST PAGE OF THE REPORT IS JUST OUR SHELTER, ANIMALS COUNT, UH, MATRIX, WHICH IS REPORTED, UM, THROUGH THEIR SITE AND AS PART OF OUR REQUIREMENT FOR OUR REPORT.
UH, A SPEAKER, TECHNICALLY, WE'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO ASK QUESTIONS.
[1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES ]
UH, APPROVAL OF MINUTES.UH, BELINDA SENT THE MINUTES OUT TODAY.
I HOPE YOU GOT A CHANCE TO SEE HIM.
SO I'M ENTERTAINING A MOTION TO ACCEPT THE MINUTES.
JOANNE MOVES TO ACCEPT THE MINUTES.
DO I HEAR A SECOND SECOND BY KRISTEN HANSEN? IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? OKAY.
IS ANYBODY OPPOSED TO ACCEPTING THESE MINUTES? SEEING, KNOWING THAT IT'S UNANIMOUS, HE SAYS JOINED US.
[2a. Austin Animal Center and Animal Services Reports. ]
NEXT BRIEFING, THIS US ANIMAL CENTER AND ANIMAL SERVICE REPORT, DON BLAND, GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS TO JASON GARZA, DEPUTY CHIEF.UH, SO FOR MARCH THE LIVE OUTCOME PERCENTAGE WAS 96.7%.
WE HAD A TOTAL OF NINE, EIGHT HUNDRED AND NINETY EIGHT ANIMALS BROUGHT TO THE SHELTER AND THAT INCLUDED DOGS, CATS, UM, SOME WILDLIFE FOUL, GUINEA PIGS.
WE HAD A TOTAL OF 432 ANIMALS THAT WERE ADOPTED AND, AND WE HAD A TOTAL OF A, ACTUALLY 122 DOGS AND CATS THAT WERE RETURNED TO THEIR OWNER.
UH, APS WERE ABLE TO RETURN 46 ANIMALS IN THE FIELD.
WE DID HAND OUT 18 FENCING ASSISTANT APPLICATIONS AND PROVIDE A FENCING SUPPLIES, UH, TO TWO OF THE APPLICANTS.
UM, WE RE IMPOUNDED 154 INJURED ANIMALS AND DELIVERED 95 ANIMALS TO WILDLIFE RESCUE.
WE HAD A TOTAL OF 260 VOLUNTEERS DONATE A LITTLE OVER 3,200 HOURS OF VOLUNTEER SERVICE.
UH, THE COORDINATORS WERE ABLE TO HOLD SIX
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ORIENTATIONS FOR NEW VOLUNTEERS IN MARCH.THEY INTRODUCED 187 PEOPLE TO THE SHELTER AND 77 NEW VOLUNTEERS ATTENDED THEIR FIRST TRAINING OR MENTORSHIPS IN, IN MARCH.
UH, WE HAD 71 ANIMALS ADOPTED DIRECTLY FROM FOSTER CARE.
WE HAD MORE THAN 140 DIFFERENT PEOPLE, FAMILIES THAT, UH, WERE FOSTERING FOR US AND 112 NEW FOSTER APPLICATIONS WERE PROCESSED.
AS OF, AS OF APRIL 1ST, THERE WERE A HUNDRED NIGHTS OF ANIMALS IN FOSTER CARE.
UM, THERE WERE 181 DOGS, CATS, GUINEA, PIGS, RABBITS THAT WERE TRANSFERRED TO OUR 23 OF OUR LOCAL AREA RESCUE PARTNERS.
UM, 32 DOGS WERE TRANSPORTED TO SEVEN OUT-OF-STATE AAC RESCUE PARTNERS.
UM, 210 CATS WENT THROUGH THE TNR PROGRAM AND 15 WENT THROUGH SNR, UH, WITHIN VET SERVICES.
OUR VETS WERE ABLE TO PERFORM 764 EXAMS. THEY SPAYED 410 ANIMALS.
UM, THEY RE THEY, UH, RESPONDED TO 50 EMERGENCY CASES, TREATED AT AAC AND 30 OF THOSE CASES WERE TRANSFERRED FROM THE EMERGENCY CLINIC.
UH, WE'RE STILL FINALIZING THE BILL, BUT THE EMERGENCY, UH, CLINIC BILL WILL PROBABLY BE OVER $30,000.
UM, WE ALSO, EMANCIPET ALSO CONDUCTED 359 SPAY AND NEUTER SURGERIES WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.
DURING MARCH, WE WERE ABLE TO PRC WAS ABLE TO HAND OUT OVER 1500 BASIC PET ITEMS TO AREA RESIDENTS.
ABOUT 320 PEOPLE WERE ABLE TO GET ITEMS FROM US.
UM, OUR STAFF WAS ALSO ABLE TO WORK WITH INDIVIDUALS THAT, UM, TO DEFER $21 WITH BEHAVIOR ISSUES, UM, FROM HAVING TO COME INTO THE SHELTER, WE HAD 180, 190 FOUND ANIMAL REPORTS AND 301 LOST ANIMAL REPORTS, UM, BY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ALSO WITHIN THE, UM, INFORMATION FOR ANIMALS THAT, UH, WE EITHER WERE ADOPTED INTACT OR OUR RTO, UM, IN THE REPORTS THAT SAID THAT THERE WERE SEVEN, THE ADOPTED OF THOSE FIVE HAD URI ONE HAD OCULAR DISEASE AND YOUR EYE ONE HAD A LOW BODY COUNT.
AND SO, BUT ALL WERE GIVEN MEDICAL FORMS ARE SPAY NEUTER AGREEMENTS SO THAT THEY COULD GET SPAYED AND NEUTERED SOMETIME IN THE FUTURE AND CHARGE $50, UH, FEE.
UH, USUALLY WITH THE RCS THAT WE SEE, WE SEE THAT EITHER THEIR FIRST IMPOUNDMENT OR, YOU KNOW, INDIVIDUALS DON'T WANT TO SIGN SURGERY, CONSENT FORMS, THEY JUST WANT THEIR, THEIR PET BACK.
UM, SO WE HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS CONTINUE TO EDUCATE, BUT YEAH.
UM, AND THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO REPORT.
I WOULD LIKE TO REPORT THAT, UH, UH, W WE MET LAST WEEK WITH THE, UH, PERSON THAT ASSIGNED TO OUR IT SUPPORT AND RE REPORTING CAPABILITIES.
AND HE REPORTED THAT THE, UH, OF THE 16 MANDATED REPORTS BY COUNCIL, THAT BY THE END OF THE WEEK ON MAY 30TH, HE EXPECTS TO HAVE THE REASON OF DEATH AND THE SPAY NEUTER NOT PERFORMED WORKING COMPLETELY.
AND WHAT WILL BE REMAINING ARE THE SHELTER NUMBERS AND MEDICAL BILLING INFORMATION THAT HE'S RELYING ON OTHERS FAR.
AND HE EXPECTS THOSE TO BE FINISHED BY THE END OF JUNE.
SO HE'S GIVING US A, UH, A DATE THAT THEY MIGHT ALL BE COMPLETED, AND THEN HE CAN START WORKING ON ANY CHANGES OR MODIFICATIONS, BUT HE'S GOT TO GET THOSE COMPLETED AS WRITTEN BURST.
SO WANTING TO PASS THAT ON, UH, WANTED TO GO AHEAD AND, YOU KNOW, IF, IF YOU WEREN'T PAYING ATTENTION, SOME OF THE WORK THAT Y'ALL DID, UH, PASSED LAST WEEK, UH, THE BULL HOOK ORDINANCE DEFINITION EXPANSION, UH, WAS PASSED BY COUNCIL.
SO THAT WAS ACCEPTED LAST WEEK.
UH, SO THAT, THAT YOU CAN CHECK THAT OFF OF YOUR LIST.
AND YOU'LL SEE, UH, ON THE NEXT COUNCIL MEETING, YOU'LL SEE AN AGENDA ITEM FOR ANIMAL SERVICES.
IT'S TO ACCEPT A GRANT OF 65,000 AND WHAT THAT IS FAR OUT.
YOU'VE HEARD ME EXPLAIN IT BEFORE, BUT, UH, THE COUNCIL OF STATE AND TERRITORY EPIDEMIOLOGIST IS GOING TO DO A SARS COVID STUDY ON, UH, OUTDOOR CATS.
AND SO THAT FUNDS WILL BE JUST PASSED THROUGH BECAUSE A S A H S WILL, UH, TNR THE CATS AND PULL THE BLOOD TO SEND TO A AND M.
AND OF COURSE, WE'LL JUST BE PAYING THEM FOR THE SERVICES.
SO, UH, IT'S REALLY NOT FUNDS THAT WE'RE GONNA USE FOR ANYTHING, EXCEPT FOR THAT, THAT, THAT WILL BE ON THE AGENDA NEXT.
SO THERE, THEY'RE GOING TO TEST CATS FOR CORONAVIRUS, CORRECT? IT'S THE, THE, THE STATE, UH, AND TERRITORY EPIDEMIOLOGISTS, THEY'RE GOING, THEY'RE DOING A STUDY FOR ANIMALS IN THE WILD THAT, UH, THAT HAVE KIND OF ADMIRE US.
AND THEY'RE LOOKING AT THE, YOU KNOW, THE POPULATION OF CATS THAT LIVE OUTDOORS, COMMUNITY CATS, RIGHT? CAUSE I KNOW THERE'S DEER AND THERE'S WEASEL FAMILY AND CATS.
SO THEY'RE LOOKING AT CATS AND THEY WILL BE, UH, YOU KNOW, A AND M WILL BE ACTUALLY PROCESSING THE TEST AND PROVIDING THE INFORMATION BACK TO THE ORGANIZATION.
SO, UH, THEY'LL SEE WHAT THEY COME.
WE WERE, WE WERE ONE OF THE ONES THAT WAS SELECTED TO DO IT IN THE STATE.
UH, AS YOU, YOU KNOW, THAT NOW THE CITY IS NOT REQUIRED AS, AS THE COVID UPDATE.
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WE'RE NOT REQUIRED TO WEAR A MASK IN THE CITY BUILDINGS AT THIS TIME.UH, WE STILL ARE HAVING A FEW PEOPLE THAT, YOU KNOW, ARE OUT BECAUSE OF IT.
UH, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I THINK IS EXCITING FROM OUR POINT OF VIEW, UH, WE ARE DOWN TO 17 OPEN POSITIONS.
UH, NINE ARE POSTED FOUR IN BACKGROUND CHECKS.
UH, ONE IS SCHEDULED TO START, BUT UNTIL THEY START, WE CAN'T TICK THEM OFF YET.
AND THEN WE HAVE THREE INACTIVE INTERVIEW PANELS.
SO, SO WE'RE MAKING SOME GREAT PROGRESS AND WE'RE, WE'RE REALLY HAPPY TO SEE THAT PEOPLE ARE STARTING TO COME IN.
SOMETIMES IT'S IT'S, WE, YOU KNOW, WE HAD ONE SCHEDULED INTERVIEW SET UP AND ALL THE PEOPLE THAT WERE SUPPOSED TO SHOW UP FOR IT DIDN'T SO THEY WENT THROUGH THE WHOLE PROCESS AND DIDN'T SHOW UP FOR IT.
SO ANYWAY, WE'RE STILL STRUGGLING WITH THAT, BUT WE'RE MAKING PROGRESS.
THE OTHER THING, UH, WANTED TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT, UM, IS ONE OF THE THINGS, YOU KNOW, WE, WE CAN'T, WE CAN'T TALK ABOUT THE CITY BUDGET OR ANYTHING UNTIL IT'S RELEASED, BUT I JUST WANT TO TELL YOU WHAT NUMBERS WE'RE GOING TO BE ASKING FOR.
AND HOPEFULLY YOU CAN GIVE YOUR SUPPORT FOR US.
UH, WE'RE GOING TO BE ASKING FOR, UH, TWO APO OFFICERS.
WE'RE ALSO GOING TO BE ASKING FOR, FOR, FOR OUR PRC.
WE ARE GOING TO ASK FOR A CERTIFIED BEHAVIORIST, WE ARE GOING TO ASK FOR OUR CONVERTING FOR TEMPORARY PART-TIME ENRICHMENT SPECIALIST TO, TO FULL-TIME ENRICHMENT SPECIALIST, BECAUSE WE'VE FOUND, YOU KNOW, THESE PART-TIME TEMPORARY JOBS, THEY DON'T STAY VERY LONG.
SO WE'RE HOPING TO HAVE A BETTER RETENTION RATE.
AND IN ANIMAL CARE, WE'RE ALSO ASKING TO CONVERT FOUR PART-TIME TO TWO FULL-TIME.
WE'RE ALSO GOING TO ASK OUR IT ANALYSTS, BATHROOM, PUBLIC HEALTH, WITH THE DOLLARS TO SUPPORT IT.
AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO ASK FOR THREE FOR OUR FOSTER RESCUE.
SO THAT WILL BE A TOTAL OF 15 FULL-TIME POSITIONS.
UH, I DO WANT TO SAY I WENT TO A COUPLE CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS OVER THE PAST FEW WEEKS, AND EVERY CITY DEPARTMENT I SAW IS STRUGGLING WITH FILLING POSITIONS AND HAVING PEOPLE TO FILL THE POSITIONS.
SO, UH, IT'S NOT UNCOMMON HERE IN THE CITY.
UH, ANY QUESTIONS FOR DON? I HAD QUESTIONS, RIGHT.
UM, DON, I HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS, I GUESS I'LL START WITH YOUR MOST WITH THE POSITIONS THAT YOU'RE ASKING FOR.
WHAT WOULD CHANGE AS FAR AS THE SERVICES OFFERED BY THE SHELTER? WELL, WE'RE HOPING TO, UH, KEEP MORE ANIMALS OUT OF THE SHELTER WITH THE APS HELP.
UH, SO GOING IN, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE SPREAD REALLY THIN AND SOMETIMES BY THE TIME THEY GET A CALL AND GET THEIR SITUATIONS AND SOLVED.
SO WE HOPEFULLY WILL BE ABLE TO HAVE MORE COVERAGE AND KEEP MORE ANIMALS OUT AND SUPPORT THOSE FOLKS IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS.
UH, THE PRC, UH, THE STAFFING TO HELP, YOU KNOW, MANAGE IT PROPERLY, TO DO, UH, MORE INTERACTION WITH THE PEOPLE WHEN THEY CALL IN, UH, WHEN THEY SHOW UP TO HAVE MORE TIME WITH THEM, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S REALLY DIFFICULT, UH, WITH A SMALL NUMBER OF STAFF TO HANDLE THE VOLUME THAT'S COMING IN.
AND SOME, SOMETIMES FOLKS JUST HAVE TO WAIT AWHILE AND WE HOPE TO ELIMINATE AND BE ABLE TO SPEED THAT PROCESS UP, UH, BEHAVIOR, UH, HAVING A CERTIFIED BEHAVIORIST AND MORE PERMANENT STAFF THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY DO SOME MORE WORK WITH US, YOU KNOW, HAVING MORE AND MORE ISSUES WITH, UM, ANIMALS THAT HAD BEEN LONG STAYS.
AND A LOT OF THEM HAVE BEHAVIOR ISSUES.
THAT'LL GIVE US SOME OPPORTUNITY TO DO SOME MORE WORK WITH THOSE ANIMALS THAT WE DON'T HAVE THE, YOU KNOW, AND DO MORE ENRICHMENT THAT WE DON'T HAVE THE OPTION NOW BECAUSE WE JUST DON'T HAVE ENOUGH STAFF.
UM, SO OPEN, WOULD YOU BE OPEN, UH, THE REGULAR HOURS? DOES THAT YOUR ANTICIPATION OR YOU THINK YOU'LL ACCOMPLISH THAT WITHOUT HIRING THESE NEW POSITIONS? THAT I, I DON'T, I CAN'T ANSWER THAT QUESTION BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW, UH, WHEN WE WILL BE FULLY STAFFED AGAIN, BUT WITH, WITH THE STAFFING THAT WE HAVE NOW, I DON'T KNOW THAT WHEN, WHEN THEY ALL COME BACK, WHEN WE GET THE PEOPLE BACK AND WE CAN FULLY STAFF UP, WE WILL, BUT THIS IS GOING TO INCREASE ONCE WE DO OPEN UP, EVEN IF WE'RE OPEN UP, YOU KNOW, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK, THIS IS GOING TO GIVE US THE EXTRA DEPTH TO BE ABLE TO HELP THESE FOLKS WHEN THEY DO COME IN AND SPEND MORE TIME WITH HIM.
UH, ANIMAL CARE IS ALWAYS, YOU KNOW, SHORT AND THESE TEMPORARY
[00:20:01]
POSITIONS, TEMPORARY PART-TIME TURNOVER VERY QUICKLY.SO WE'RE HOPING TO CONVERT THESE TO FULL-TIME SO THAT WE CAN HAVE MORE STABLE WORKFORCE AND, UH, HAVE THE PEOPLE THERE.
AND OF COURSE OUR IT ANALYST, IF WE HAVE THAT PERSON FULL-TIME, WE CAN GET OUR REPORTING AND THINGS DONE MUCH QUICKER AND HELP WITH THE ANALYSIS.
WHEREAS WE HAVE TO RELY ON THEM, UH, WHEN APA CAN, YOU KNOW, FREE THEM UP AND THEN FOSTER RESCUE WITH THE, IT, UH, YOU MENTIONED THAT THE REPORTS ARE EXPECTED TO BE BY MAY 30TH.
DO YOU HAVE THE MANUAL REPORTS AVAILABLE FOR, WHAT'S NOT BEING PROVIDED, UM, IN, UM, IN REPORT FORMAT, WHAT'S NOT BEEN CREATED BY IT.
AND I THINK JASON PROVIDED THOSE WELL.
AND THEN ONE MORE QUESTION IS ON THE COVID, UH, PROGRAM THAT YOU MENTIONED ON TESTING THE CATS, WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN TO THE CATS, THAT TEST POSITIVE.
WHAT'S THE PLAN ON, ON THAT, BUT THE PROGRAM THAT'S GOING TO BE ROLLED OUT, THEY WILL BE RELEASED JUST LIKE THEY WERE, ARE NOW RELEASED NO FURTHER MONITORING, NO NEEDING TO STAY AT THE SHELTER LONGER.
IT WILL JUST BE A BLOOD DRAW AND THEN RELEASED.
AND WE WON'T KNOW THE RESULTS IF THEY TEST POSITIVE OR NOT UNTIL AFTER THE FACT.
UM, SO, UM, CONGRATULATIONS ON BEING ABOVE 95% AND THEN BEING FROM HOME FOR TOO LONG.
UH IT'S WHEN IT'S RED, I THOUGHT MIGHT HAPPEN.
ANYWAY, THANK YOU FOR MAINTAINING NO-KILL AND TRYING TIMES WHEN THE SHELTER IS BUSY.
UM, THANK YOU TO VET SERVICES, ESPECIALLY FOR ALL YOU DO.
I'M GETTING ANOTHER ONE OF YOUR FOSTERS TOMORROW, UM, WHO HAD A BUNCH OF STEAK BITES AND DIDN'T SOUND VERY GOOD.
AND I'M AMAZED AT EVERYTHING THAT YOU AND THE EMERGENCY CLINIC DID TO SAVE THIS DOG.
UM, THE, UM, ON PET RESOURCE, THE 21 DOGS WITH BEHAVIOR ISSUES THAT WERE DEFERRED, UM, DO WE GIVE, UM, TRAINING FACTORS FOR THOSE DOGS TOO? UM, IS THAT SOMETHING WE COULD DO THAT I KNOW FRIENDS OF US IN ANIMAL CENTER HAS TRAINING VOUCHERS SOMETIMES FOR BEHAVIOR ANIMALS.
IS THAT SOMETHING WE OFFER? THEY DO OFFER OKAY.
AND IT'S W IT'S LIKE TWO SESSIONS OR ONE SESSION? UH, IT WAS ONE SESSION, BUT THEN I READ IT WAS TWO SESSIONS.
I'M NOT SURE, BUT I THOUGHT IT WAS ONE SESSION, BUT, BUT THAT'S GOOD.
UM, THE LONG STAYS ARE JUST FOR, ARE WE CONSIDERING LONG STAYS 30 DAYS ON, OVER OR LONGER THAN THAT, BECAUSE IT WAS 30 DAYS.
I'D PROBABLY EVEN BE MORE SO 30 DAYS, THERE'S A NEW DOG.
I MEAN, IT SEEMS, I'M GLAD WE GET BEHAVIOR.
I'M GLAD YOU'RE GETTING A BEHAVIOR PERSON.
I'M GLAD THAT THERE'S SOME BEHAVIOR TRAINING AND THERE'S A PERSON NOW WHO I THINK DOES TRAINING FOR US TO, UH, TRAINING FOR VOLUNTEERS IF THEY WANT.
BUT, UM, DO YOU KNOW WHAT PERCENT OF LONG STAYS HAVE BITES ON THEIR RECORDS? OKAY.
UH, AS, UH, 1ST OF MARCH, I BELIEVE IT, WHEN WE DID IT MARCH, 1ST OF MARCH, 12% OF OUR POPULATION ON S IN OUR ESCALATION HAD 12% AND WE FIND THOSE MORE CHALLENGING TO GET ADOPTED BECAUSE OUR RD EVEN, I MEAN, THESE ARE A LOT OF DOGS THAT APA EVEN TURNS DOWN.
SO IS IT MORE CHALLENGING BECAUSE THEY HAVE BITES ON THEIR RECORDS? CORRECT.
AND THOSE TEND TO SHOW UP TO BE THE LONG STAYS MOST OF THE TIME.
I'M GLAD WE'RE, YOU KNOW, MAKING PROGRESS ON THAT.
I JUST IT'S, MAYBE WE CAN TRY TO HAVE SOMETHING TO SHARE IDEAS OF HOW WE GET ADOPTERS FOR THOSE DOGS.
CAUSE IT SEEMS THE LONG STAY, THE DOGS THAT BITES ON THEIR RECORDS AND THE DOGS WHO ARE, UM, SINGLE DOG ONLY ARE PROBABLY THE HARDEST TO GET OUT THE OUT THE DOOR.
UM, I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS AND, UH, THE AP REPORT, UM, IF YOU DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE OR CAN'T ANSWER THEM, THAT'S FINE.
BUT, UM, THEY SAID THAT THEY'RE THE LARGEST SUBSIDIZER OF THE CITY'S BUDGET TO SERVE AUSTIN ANIMALS.
I CAN'T MAKE THE MATH WORK ON THAT.
DO YOU AGREE WITH THAT STATEMENT THAT THEY'RE THE LARGEST SUBSIDIZER OF THE CITY'S BUDGET TO SERVE AUSTIN ANIMALS? THEY HAVE BEEN THE LARGEST RESCUE THAT HAS PULLED, RIGHT? CORRECT.
BUT IF THE LAND IS WORTH OVER $2 MILLION IN IT, AND DR.
JEFFERSON SAID IN HER DECEMBER 3RD, UH, EMAIL TO YOU THAT IT COSTS THEM 1600 ANIMALS COST $1.5 MILLION AND THEY'RE PULLING AROUND THAT.
IT JUST DOESN'T SEEM THAT THAT IS SUBSIDIZING THE CITY'S BUDGET.
I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THE LINE, BUT MAYBE I SHOULD WAIT UNTIL THEY COME AND TALK AND ASK THEM,
[00:25:01]
ASK HIM WHAT I GOT IT.AND IN THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF ANIMALS THEY'RE REQUIRED TO PULL, UM, HIS TRAP.
DOES TRAVIS COUNTY COUNT TOWARD THAT OR JUST SPECIFICALLY CITY OF AUSTIN, LIKE ON THE FRONT WHERE IT SAYS TRAVIS PASS OR TRAVIS PARVO PASS, DO THOSE COUNT TOWARD THE NUMBER THAT THEY'RE REQUIRED TO PULL FROM? UM, AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER IN A FISCAL YEAR FROM MY UNDERSTANDING IT'S THE ANIMALS THAT THEY PULL FROM AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER.
SO THAT'S JUST PROVIDING IT FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES.
AND THEN, AND SO NOW IT SEEMED LIKE APA WAS REPORTING CALENDAR YEAR AND THE CITY REPORTS FISCAL YEAR.
UM, SO, AND THE FISCAL YEAR WOULD BE OCTOBER 1ST OF ONE YEAR TO SEPTEMBER 30.
SO, UM, ON THE REPORT THEY PROVIDED WHERE THEY SAID, UM, UH, SO THE PRIOR FISCAL YEAR APA INTAKES FOR ME, AAC WAS 607.
SO THAT WOULD BE FROM OCTOBER 1ST, 2020 TO TEMPER FIRST OF 2021.
THAT'S IT SEEMED KIND OF LOW, BUT I COULD BE WRONG, BUT I'M SORRY, YOU DON'T HAVE IT IN FRONT OF YOU.
SO IT'S NOT FAIR FOR ME TO ASK YOU.
SO ANYWAY, I'LL GO THROUGH IT AND ASK IT AS GOT A DIFFERENT MEETING, BUT, UM, OKAY.
UH, KRISTEN, LOTTA, OH, GO AHEAD.
UM, MOST, WE CANNOT HEAR A LOT OF BETTER.
SO I'M ON THE FENCING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM THAT YOU HAVE, YOU SAID 18 APPLICATIONS WERE HANDED OUT AND TWO WERE RECEIVED SUPPLIES.
D HOW MANY OF THE APPLICATIONS THAT WERE HANDED OUT WERE ACTUALLY RETURNED? WAS IT JUST THOSE TWO? YEAH, IT WAS JUST THOSE TWO BEFORE.
AND WE'RE TRACKING THAT BECAUSE WHEN WE, AND WE'RE TRACKING THAT ONLY BECAUSE WHEN WE PROCESS IT THROUGH, YOU KNOW, GOING TO BUY THE SUPPLIES AND THEN LEAVING IT WITH THE INDIVIDUALS.
SO I'LL HAVE TO FOLLOW UP AND THEN WE CAN, WE CAN COMMUNICATE BY EMAIL OR JUST AS FOLLOW UP JUST ON THE, SORT OF THE STEPS WE TAKE IN SUCH FOR FOLLOWUP.
LIKE, HEY, WE LEFT THE APPLICATION.
ARE YOU STILL INTERESTED? SO ON AND SO FORTH, WE HAVE ONE APO WHO'S DEDICATED TO WORKING THAT.
UM, AND THEN THE OTHER QUESTION I HAVE IS, UM, IS THERE ANY KIND OF A STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE THAT YOU HAVE IN PLACE AND FOLLOW AS FAR AS SPAYING AND NEUTERING? HOW, HOW LONG DO YOU HAVE AN ANIMAL THERE UNTIL YOU SPARE NEUTER? IT? UM, AND THE REASON I'M ASKING THIS IS BECAUSE A DOG RECENTLY WENT TO RESCUE AND IT WAS THERE FOR OVER APPROXIMATELY FIVE MONTHS, AND IT WAS NOT NEUTERED UNTIL THE DAY BEFORE IT WENT TO RESCUE.
NOW, I'M WONDERING IF THAT'S NORMAL PROTOCOL OR WHY THAT ANIMAL WAS THERE SO LONG WITHOUT BEING SPAYED OR NEUTERED.
AND IS THAT HAPPENING TO ALL THE DOGS THAT ARE BACK THERE IN THE SIX HUNDREDS THAT ARE OUT OF PUBLIC VIEW? THE LAST TIME I LOOKED A FEW DAYS AGO, UH, W IT DOGS THAT STAY FOR QUITE A LONG TIME AND AREN'T SPAYED OR NEUTERED, IT'S NORMALLY A MEDICAL ISSUE THAT THEY'RE NOT CLEARED NORMALLY AFTER SOMETHING COMES OFF STRAY HOLD, UNLESS IT'S TOO YOUNG OR IT'S, UH, MEDICALLY COMPROMISED, IT'S GET SPAYED AND NEUTERED.
THE OTHER DAY, WE HAD FOUR THAT WERE ELIGIBLE TO GET SPAYED AND NEUTERED, AND THEY WERE DONE THE NEXT DAY.
SO, UH, THAT'S, THAT'S PRETTY MUCH PROCEDURE.
SHE, SHE GOT A COMMENT SAYS TRUE.
UM, IT WAS A DOG WITH SEVERE BEHAVIOR ISSUES.
AND SO WE HAD TO, WE WERE WAITING UNTIL THERE WAS AN OUTCOME BECAUSE FOR THE SAFETY OF OUR EMPLOYEES.
AND IF YOU COULD JUST STAY UP HERE DR.
LINE, CAUSE I HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION IN REFERENCE TO, TO THE APA REPORT.
AND IT SAYS THAT, UM, THEY, UM, THEY SAID THAT THEY HAD SEVEN WARNING CARE THAT OTHERWISE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN BORN, BUT, AND THAT THE ANIMAL SERVICES REPORT SAYS NO SPACE AT THIS TIME, NO SPACE ARE PERFORMED ON PREGNANT ANIMALS.
SO, UM, KNOWINGLY, KNOWINGLY, RIGHT.
SO THOSE, IF THOSE, IF APA HAD NOT PULLED THAT PREGNANT ANIMAL, THOSE KITTENS OR PUPPIES OR WHATEVER WOULD HAVE BEEN BORN AT AAC, IS THAT CORRECT? CORRECT.
BY OUR COMPLIANCE WITH THEM, IF WE KNOW IT'S PREGNANT, WE SEND IT TO APA.
HOWEVER, HAD THEY CHOSEN FOR WHATEVER RANDOM REASON NOT TO TAKE THAT ANIMAL, EVEN IF IT WAS PREGNANT? NO, WE WOULD NOT WITH
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OUR AGREEMENT WITH THEM.IF WE KNOW IT'S PREGNANT, WE HAVE TO SEND IT TO THEM.
I'M JUST, I'M JUST TRYING, BECAUSE I DIDN'T, I DIDN'T THINK THAT THAT WAS AN ACCURATE STATEMENT.
AND I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT.
UM, AND THEN THE APA, UH, SARAH ALREADY SAID THAT THE OTHER, DO YOU EVER WANT, MAY NOT NECESSARILY HAVE BEEN TRUE ABOUT THE PARVO BEING USED IN EYES, SO THAT WAS ALREADY ANSWERED BY HER.
UH, I HAVE A FOLLOW-UP ON THAT.
UH, I'M REALLY CURIOUS ABOUT, UM, NEUTERING, A MALE DOG.
UH, ISN'T THERE A WAY, IF A DOG HAS A BEHAVIORAL ISSUE TO, TO LIKE DART HIM OR SOMETHING WHERE YOU COULD ACTUALLY, UH, NEUTER HIM AND NOT BE A DANGER TO, TO YOUR STAFF, UM, WE DO HAVE DARTS THE ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICERS DO THE DARTING.
WE TYPICALLY HAVE TO PUT THEM IN ROLLING CAGES OR A SQUEEGEE PAIGE AND SEDATE THEM, UM, DO THIS DOG WAS, UM, PRETTY DANGEROUS AND HAD A PRETTY DANGEROUS HISTORY.
AND SO WE WAITED UNTIL THERE WAS AN OUTCOME BEFORE WE PUT OUR THEM AT RISK, OUR STAFF AT RISK TO NEUTRON.
SO AN OUTCOME, SOMEONE WHO WANTED HIM SOMEWHAT, YES.
UH, BECAUSE I'M NOT A VET, BUT I HAVE HAD ENOUGH EXPERIENCE TO DOGS KNOW THAT IF YOU PARTICULARLY MALE DOGS, IF YOU NEUTER THEM, THEIR BEHAVIOR CHANGES PRETTY SUBSTANTIALLY.
THAT'S A FALSE STATEMENT WHEN THEY'RE OLDER AND IT TAKES A LONG TIME.
SOME OF THOSE BEHAVIORS ARE ENTRENCHED IN THEM.
SO AN OLDER DOG DOES THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN SO MUCH, TYPICALLY NOT.
I'M JUST, I, I DON'T KNOW A LOT ABOUT THIS.
I'M TRYING TO LEARN, SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
UH, KRISTEN, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
UM, THANK YOU FOR SHARING THIS REPORT.
I HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS ON DIFFERENT ITEMS ON IT, BUT BEFORE I WANT TO JUST SEE IT'S ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICER APPRECIATION WEEK AND, UH, OUR OFFICERS, AND THEY'RE ALL PART THERE'S, THERE'S SEVERAL NOTABLE THINGS THAT I JUST WANTED TO COMMEND THEM FOR THEIR RETURN AND FIELD WORK.
UM, THE FACT THAT THEY'RE TALKING TO THE COMMUNITY ABOUT FENCING AND, UM, THE FACT THAT THEY'RE HANDLING WILDLIFE, WHICH SO MANY UNITS DON'T, UM, AND SAVING WILDLIFE EVERY MONTH.
AND OF COURSE ALSO WANT TO COMMEND THE, UH, MEDICAL TEAM.
THIS IS A TIME OF YEAR WHEN THINGS GET REALLY CHALLENGING, UM, AND THOSE CASES ARISE.
SO I JUST WANTED TO MENTION THOSE TWO THINGS.
UM, AND MY QUESTION, MY FIRST QUESTION IS HOW MANY ANIMALS WILL YOU? YOU TOLD US THERE'S ABOUT 192 IN FOSTER TODAY, BUT HOW MANY ARE IN THE SHELTER TODAY? FORGIVE ME ONE SECOND.
I JUST LOOKED AT, AND THEN I CLOSED IT.
SO OF COURSE I KNOW THERE'S 292 BIG DOGS.
I LOOKED AT THAT JUST BEFORE I WALKED IN, BUT YOU'LL HAVE TO PROVIDE THE REST OF IT.
I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU FIRST WHAT WE HAVE, UH, ALTOGETHER WITH WHAT'S IN FOSTER, WE HAVE 431 WITHIN THE AAC OR IN FOSTER.
LET ME TAKE OUT EVERYTHING THAT'S IN FOSTER AND THEN WE HAVE 333 THAT ARE ON-SITE TOTAL ANIMALS, TOTAL DOGS, JUST DOGS.
AND, AND THAT NUMBER FOUR CATS.
UM, SO THE 192 ANIMALS IN FOSTER IS DOGS AND FOSTER OR TOTAL ANIMALS IN FOSTER, TOTAL ANIMALS IN FOSTER.
DO YOU OKAY IF WE COULD KNOW HOW MANY CATS ARE ALSO IN SHELTER, JUST I'M TRYING TO GET AN OVERALL IDEA OF HOW MANY ANIMALS ARE IN THE CUSTODY OF, UH, AAC RIGHT NOW.
WELL, AND I CAN'T, NO, THAT ONLY JUST SAYS HOW MANY KENNELS WE HAVE SO MANY CATS.
I CAN'T CONNECT TO A CHAMELEON FOR SOME REASON IT'S NOT WORKING BECAUSE WE HAD 55 CANDLES OPEN FOR CATS, BUT I'M TRYING TO FIND THE ACTUAL NUMBER OF CATS THAT WE HAVE.
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AND IN FOSTER, WE HAD 217 OF THAT.
76 WERE KITTENS, 44 WERE CATS AND THE REST ARE DOGS.
UM, SO THAT PUTS THE TOTAL, I BELIEVE AROUND 600.
UM, AND I'M I'M, THAT WOULD BE IT AROUND 600 TOTAL IN CUSTODY, I BELIEVE.
AND IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO KNOW THIS, UM, AS PART OF THE REPORT.
AND I THINK THIS WAS IN THE SPACE CRISIS RECOMMENDATIONS AS WELL, BUT WHEN, IF WE COULD LOOK AT THAT NUMBER, THAT TOTAL NUMBER OF ANIMALS IN CUSTODY BROKEN UP BY CAT AND DOG, WHICH I THINK PRINTS OUT ON THE DAILY REPORT.
ANYWAY, IT'S HELPFUL TO LOOK AT HISTORIC DATA BECAUSE IT HELPS US KNOW IF THERE'S AN OVERALL SPACE CRISIS RELATIVE TO OTHER YEARS, THAT INVENTORY SEEMS, UM, AND I KNOW IT DOESN'T FEEL THAT WAY, BUT IT SEEMS REMARKABLY LOW.
UH, IN FOSTER, THE MANY SHELTERS AROUND THE COUNTRY HAVE INVENTORIES OF 500 TO 1500 ANIMALS IN FOSTER AND BIG DOGS.
THE MOST SUCCESSFUL STRATEGY RIGHT NOW FOR BIG DOGS IS DEDICATED FOSTER ASSISTANCE.
SO THAT'S MY SECOND QUESTION IS, I KNOW YOU MENTIONED IN THE REPORT THAT YOU WERE LOOKING AT THREE FOSTER AND RESCUE STAFF.
ARE THERE ANY STAFF PLANNED THAT WILL BE DEDICATED TO ADULT DOG FOSTERING IN PARTICULAR, GIVEN THAT THAT'S THE BIG, BIGGEST CHALLENGE WE FACE? WE CURRENTLY HAVE SOMEONE THAT IS WORK THAT WORKS PART-TIME, UH, SHE JUST GOT MOVED PROMOTED, SO WE'LL BE REPLACING HER, BUT, UH, SHE WAS WORKING FULL TIME ON, UH, LARGE DOGS AND, UH, LONG STAY DOGS AND BEHAVIOR ISSUE DOG.
SO SHE WAS WORKING ON THE BIG DOGS AND, UH, SHE, YOU KNOW, WAS MAKING SOME PROGRESS AND, UH, GOT PROMOTED.
SO WE WILL BE REPLACING HER POSITION AND THAT'S NOT HER FULL-TIME POSITION, BUT THAT'S ONE OF THE TASKS THAT SHE WAS TASKED WITH.
AND AS I HEARD, THAT JOB IS POSTED CURRENTLY.
AND WHEN, IF WE GET ANY ADDITIONALS, YES, THAT WOULD BE A FULL TIME, NOT JUST A PART-TIME POSITION.
ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE THINGS WE SEE HAPPENING AROUND THE COUNTRY, OUR SHELTERS HIRING ADULT DOG FOSTER COORDINATORS, AND THEY'RE PLACING ANYWHERE FROM 50 TO A HUNDRED BIG DOGS IN FOSTER EACH MONTH.
SO THAT NUMBER REALLY DID STAND OUT TO ME AS QUITE LOW.
UM, THE OTHER, ANOTHER QUESTION I HAD IS WHEN I WAS LOOKING AT THE DATA RELATED TO THE REPORT, I NOTICED THAT A NUMBER OF ANIMALS THAT USED TO ENTER ON SUNDAYS WERE BEING EUTHANIZED AS RABIES CONCERNS, OR THEY WERE BEING EUTHANIZED FOR SUFFERING.
AND I'M WONDERING WHAT IS HAPPENING NOW, IF A TAXPAYER TO THE SICK OR INJURED PET ON A SUNDAY, DARREN RATLIFF, UH, WE HAVE VET STAFF THERE ON SUNDAYS, AND MOST OF THE THINGS YOU'RE SEEING OR BEING A RABIES THAT IS WILDLIFE, THAT IS NOT DOGS AND CATS, THAT'S THAT'S WILDLIFE.
AND, UM, SO WE, WE HAVE THAT STAFF THERE ON SUNDAYS.
SO THEY WOULD TREAT IT JUST LIKE ANY OTHER DAY OF THE WEEK.
IT BECOMES AN INJURY I WAS ASKING BECAUSE I MEAN, PARTLY I NOTICED IN THE REPORT THAT THE, THE NUMBER OF ANIMALS THERE AREN'T ANY ANIMALS REALLY ENTERING ON ON SUNDAYS.
AND I GUESS I WAS, WAS CONTACTED BY SOMEONE WHO FOUND A DOG THAT WAS INJURED, UM, SPENT FIVE HOURS TRYING TO GET HELP FROM AAC, CALLING 3, 1, 1, AND WASN'T ABLE TO, AND ENDED UP, SHE WAS DRIVING THROUGH TOWN AND ENDED UP HAVING TO TAKE THE DOG BACK TO KANSAS CITY WHERE SHE LIVED.
UM, AND THE, THE OWNER OF THE DOG WHO IS A RESIDENT, UH, DID ATTEMPT TO RECLAIM THE DOG.
AND IT, IT REALLY POINTED TO THE FACT THAT I I'M WONDERING IS SUNDAY, EVEN THOUGH THOSE SERVICES EXIST, IS THERE A CLEAR COMMUNICATION FOR THE PUBLIC TO, UM, GET, FIND OUT ABOUT THOSE SERVICES? CAUSE IT SOUNDED LIKE IN THIS CASE, IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE FOR THE PERSON TO FIND OUT THAT THAT HELP EXISTED.
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3, 1, 1 HAS NOT CHANGED.AND SO THEY WOULD STILL TRY AND DISPATCH AN OFFICER, UH, THAT THAT HAS NOT CHANGED AT ALL.
AND WE HAVE A PROCESS IF SOMEONE NEEDS TO RECLAIM THEIR ANIMAL OR FOSTER OR RESCUE OR FOSTER NEEDS TO PICK UP ANIMALS ON SUNDAY, THERE'S A PROCESS FOR THAT ALSO, AND THAT'S WORKING.
SO I DON'T KNOW WHY, YOU KNOW, WE CAN LOOK INTO THAT SITUATION.
I WAS GOING TO SAY, IF YOU COULD SHARE WITH US THE SPECIFIC CALL, WE CAN FOLLOW UP WITH 3, 1, 1 TO SEE WHAT THEIR, WHERE THEY BREAK DOWN THE COMMUNICATION THERE, BECAUSE YOU HAVE WE'VE AS YOU KNOW, I MEAN, WE WORKED WITH THREE ON ONE ON TRYING TO ENSURE THAT IF THERE ARE ANY ISSUES THAT WE DO IMMEDIATE PROCESS IMPROVEMENTS, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES WITH, UH, INJURED ANIMALS OR WHATNOT.
SO YEAH, IF WE HAD ANY INFORMATION YOU SHARED, LIKE THE INITIAL CALL, THAT WAY WE CAN FOLLOW UP WITH ARE OUR CONTACTS.
I LOOKED ON THE WEBSITE AND IT IS NOT APPARENT ON THE WEBSITE, HOW TO GET, UM, HELP.
UH, SO, AND THEN THE LAST QUESTION I HAD IS I WAS LOOKING THROUGH SOME HISTORIC INFORMATION AND I CANNOT FIND ANY EVIDENCE THAT THE VACANCY NUMBER AT AAC HAS EVER FALLEN BELOW 10 POSITIONS IN MY TIME.
I DON'T BELIEVE WE EVER FELL BELOW 10 VACANCIES.
AND SO I'M WONDERING IF WE HAVE 17 CURRENT VACANCIES THAT DOESN'T SOUND LIKE ANYBODY KNEW STARTED IN MARCH.
WHAT IS THE NUMBER THAT YOU'RE HOPING TO GET TO? IS IT JUST THAT 10 VACANCY NUMBER THAT'S PRETTY COMMON FOR THE SHELTER OR IS IT ZERO VACANCIES IN ORDER TO, UM, PROVIDE, UH, SERVICES TO TAXPAYERS AND PETS ON SUNDAYS, WE HAVE 115 APPROVED POSITIONS AND THAT'S WHAT WE'D LIKE TO GET TO.
UH, THIS IS THE HIGHEST SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE IN OVER TWO AND A HALF YEARS WHEN I FIRST CAME IN, IT WAS A NINE AND IT WENT TO SEVEN AND WE DOWN TO THREE.
SO, UH, I, I'VE NOT EXPERIENCED THAT.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? IS THIS STAFF A COUPLE OF QUICK QUESTIONS? YEAH.
SO THANK YOU FOR PROVIDING US WITH THE LIST OF POSITIONS YOU'LL BE REQUESTING DURING THE BUDGET PROCESS.
UM, OUT OF CURIOSITY, IF THE CITY DOES NOT APPROVE ALL OF THOSE, I CAN'T REMEMBER 15 OR 17 POSITIONS, HAVE YOU PRIORITIZED, UM, OR CREATED A PRIORITY LIST IN TERMS OF WHICH POSITIONS YOU WOULD CHOOSE, UM, AS MAYBE YOUR TOP FIVE OR SO? UM, IF GIVEN THE BUDGET, WE ACTUALLY, A WEEK AFTER NEXT HAVE, UH, A MEETING WITH EVERYONE THAT REPORTS TO OUR ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER AND WE WILL BE PRIORITIZING OUR ASK AS WELL AS, UH, COMPETING AGAINST OTHER DEPARTMENTS AND, YOU KNOW, MAKING OVERALL DECISIONS ON WHAT IN THE CITY TAKES PRIORITY.
SO YES, THAT IS PART OF OUR PROCESS.
WHEN YOU DO PRIORITIZE THOSE POSITIONS, WAS THAT SOMETHING YOU'LL BE ABLE TO SHARE WITH THE COMMISSION WHEN, WHEN WE, WHEN THE CITY MANAGER RELEASES EVERYTHING, WE CAN SHARE ANYTHING WE CAN WITH YOU, UH, DOLLAR WISE, BUT YES, WE WILL BE ABLE TO SHARE THAT AFTER IT'S PRESENTED.
AND THEN MY FINAL, MY FINAL COMMENT IS MORE OF JUST A CLARIFICATION EARLIER.
I BELIEVE ONE OF THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS WAS ASKING ABOUT PREGNANT FEMALES AT AAC.
SO JUST TO CONFIRM IF A PREGNANT FEMALE STAYS AT AAC, YOU WOULD NOT, UH, SPADE THAT FEMALE WHILE PREGNANT, YOU WOULD ALLOW THAT FEMALE TO HAVE BABIES AT AAC, CORRECT? CORRECT.
SO PREGNANT FEMALES AT AAC WOULD GIVE BIRTH AT AAC.
IF IT, IF YOU KNOW, IT'S VISIBLY PREGNANT, WE WILL NOT SPY IT.
THAT'S PART OF OUR AGREEMENT WITH OUR RESCUE PARTNER.
AND FURTHERMORE, IT'S ACTUALLY WRITTEN IN THE CITY CODE.
WE HAVE TO PUT IT OUT FOR RESCUES TOO, TO TAKE, BUT LIKE, HAS IT BEEN MENTIONED? WE DO HAVE THAT AGREEMENT WITH APA THAT ANYTHING THAT IT'S VISIBLY PREGNANT, WE, WE PROVIDED TO THEM.
BUT IF, FOR ANY REASON IT DID STAY AT AAC, IT WOULD GIVE BIRTH THERE.
AND THOSE PUPPIES WOULD BE UP FOR ADOPTION OR KITTENS WOULD BE UP FOR ADOPTION AT AAC.
WE HAVE HAD ANIMALS THAT HAVE BEEN BROUGHT IN ON STRAY HOLD OR SHORTLY THEREAFTER THAT HAVE GIVEN BIRTH.
JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY, I CAN ALSO MENTION THAT THEY ALSO, UM, THEN THE, THE FOSTER GROUP WILL BE ASKED TO TAKE THE MOM AND THE, AND THE BABIES OR SAME THING WITH A DOG AND PUPPY.
SO WE ROUTINELY, UM, CAUSE I'M ON THE FOSTER LIST.
I ROUTINELY GET REQUESTS, UH, TAKE THOSE ANIMALS.
UH, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? YEAH, YEAH.
SO I WANTED TO MAKE SURE IT WAS ME THAT YOU WERE, YOU WERE ANSWERING, UM, JUST A QUICK FOLLOWUP TO ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT I THINK KRISTEN HAD ASKED, WHICH WAS ABOUT THE SUNDAY SITUATION AND CLEAR COMMUNICATION TO THE PUBLIC.
AND TAXPAYER'S CONSTITUENTS, ALL THE FOLKS LIVING HERE IN THE
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CAMP.WELL, AND REALLY ANYBODY WHO'S SEEKING OUT SERVICES RIGHT NOW FROM THE SHELTER.
UM, IF YOU CALL 3, 1, 1, IT SOUNDS LIKE JASON, I THINK YOU MENTIONED THAT THERE'S PROTOCOL AND THAT PERHAPS IN THIS CASE, IT JUST DIDN'T.
SO THERE WAS A COMMUNICATION BREAKDOWN.
WHAT IF SOMEBODY ACTUALLY COMES TO THE SHELTER ITSELF SINCE IT'S CLOSED, BUT YOU WILL INTAKE, I GUESS, INJURED ANIMALS ON SUNDAYS.
THERE'S SOMETHING POSTED AS A WAY TO REACH THE FOLKS INSIDE THAT WE'LL BE DOING THAT TYPE OF INTAKE, OR I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IT'S ALSO POSTED THE SHELTER AND IT'S NOT JUST A THREE ONE-ON-ONE CALL SITUATION.
I'LL HAVE TO CHECK AND FOLLOW UP.
BUT I KNOW, UH, ORIGINALLY WHEN WE PUT OUT OUR STATEMENT, IT WAS LISTED WHAT TO DO AND I THOUGHT THAT WAS ON OUR WEBSITE.
I'LL HAVE TO GO BACK AND CHECK BECAUSE IT WAS, IT TOLD FOLKS IF YOU NEEDED IMMEDIATE ASSISTANCE, UH, WHAT TO ASK FOR WHEN YOU CALL 3, 1, 1.
BUT I, I GUESS WHAT I'M ASKING IS IF SOMEBODY JUST PHYSICALLY COMES TO THE SHELTER, LIKE THEY HAPPENED TO BE OVER IN THAT AREA, THEY SEE THE SIGN THAT SAYS CITY SHELTER, WHATEVER.
IF THEY JUST COME TO THE SHELTER, IS THERE SOMETHING POSTED THERE THAT SAYS, YEAH, CALL 3, 1, 1, OR HERE'S HOW YOU REACH THE PEOPLE INSIDE ON A SUNDAY THAT WILL ASSIST YOU.
I JUST, I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT SOMEBODY DOESN'T COME OVER PHYSICALLY TO THE SHELTER AND DOESN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO.
I DO BELIEVE IT'S ON THE OUTSIDE.
UH, BUT I'LL CHECK TO MAKE SURE.
AND I GUESS MY ONLY OTHER QUESTION WAS IF THERE, IF THE PERSON IS STILL THERE FROM APA WHO DELIVERED, I GUESS THEIR REMARKS AT THE BEGINNING, CAUSE IT SOUNDED LIKE SOME OF THE COMMISSIONERS HAD QUESTIONS SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THE APA REPORTS, BUT WE'RE ASKING CITY STAFF AND I THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE BEST COMING FROM THE FOLKS THAT WROTE THE REPORT.
THEY MIGHT HAVE THE BEST ANSWERS RATHER THAN US PUTTING PRESSURE ON THE CITY TO ANSWER FOR APH BEFORE, ARE WE ALLOWED TO DO THAT? IF THE PERSON WAS JUST HERE AS A SPEAKER, THE THE WAY WE SHOULD DO THIS IS, AND SO APA KNOWS THAT IF YOU ARE GOING TO GIVE US A REPORT, CALL ME THE CHAIR AND WE'LL PUT IT ON AS ANOTHER ITEM, BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN TOLD THAT YOU CAN'T PUT THE APA UNDER STAFF REPORTS.
AND WHEN IT'S, IT WAS JUST A THREE MINUTE, WE'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO ASK QUESTIONS OF THOSE.
AND THAT'S PARTLY BECAUSE OF, OF TOME, I THINK, WELL, HOWEVER IT NEEDS TO HAPPEN.
I GUESS WE NEED TO MAKE IT HAPPEN THAT WAY, BECAUSE I DON'T THINK IT'S THE BEST PROTOCOL FOR SOMEBODY TO BE ASKING SOMEONE WHO DIDN'T WRITE THE REPORT, WHAT WAS MEANT BY IT KIND OF PUTS PEOPLE ON THE SPOT.
AND THAT'S, I THINK WHAT SARAH WAS TRYING TO DO, SARAH CAME, I THINK, UH, IF I CAN READ HER MIND TO GIVE A MONTHLY REPORT, BUT SHE DOES COME UNDER BRIEFINGS, BUT WE CHANGED THAT FROM STAFF BRIEFING SO THAT SHE COULD BE INCLUDED UNDER BRIEFING.
SO, UH, NORMALLY, TYPICALLY SHE HAS COME TO GIVE THE QUARTERLY REPORT.
I THINK SHE WAS DOING US A FAVOR PERHAPS TODAY BY JUST GIVING US THE MONTHLY REPORT, BUT YOU'RE CORRECT CRAIG.
AND THAT IN ORDER FOR HER TO BE QUESTIONED, SHE SHOULD HAVE COME UNDER BRIEFING.
SO THAT'S JUST A MISCOMMUNICATION.
AND IF YOU WANT TO DO THAT, CONTACT ME CAUSE WE CAN PUT, YOU KNOW, WE CAN PUT IT ON, WE CAN MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
IT'S JUST THE WAY THE RULES WORK.
ONE THING ON THAT, UM, APA IS STILL REQUIRED UNDER THE NEW LIGHT LICENSE AGREEMENT TO PROVIDE A QUARTERLY UPDATE.
WHICH SHOULD HAVE BEEN THIS MONTH.
AND I CERTAINLY DIDN'T MEAN TO PUT DR.
I WAS JUST, WE HAD A REPORT LESS THAN THREE MONTHS AGO.
I DO HAVE A, UH, THE BIGGEST, UM, COMPLAINT I HEAR FROM CONSTITUENTS AND ON SOCIAL MEDIA IS PEOPLE COMPLAIN ABOUT NOT BEING ABLE TO TAKE ANIMALS TO THE SHELTER ON THE WEEKENDS.
AND I UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, I, I LISTENED TO THE RULES, THINGS GOING ON AND THE INFORMATION AND I GET IT.
I MEAN, I UNDERSTAND WHY THAT IS THAT WAY, BUT UH, WE'RE WE GOT, IT SEEMS TO ME THAT WE, THAT WE COULD WORK ON THAT TO MAKE IT CLEARER SOMEHOW.
CAUSE SOMEHOW STUFF GETS THIS, LIKE THIS THING THAT KRISTIN MENTIONED, I HAD HEARD SOME OF THE SAME STUFF ABOUT, AND, AND MAYBE THESE PEOPLE AREN'T DOING IT THE RIGHT WAY, YOU KNOW? I MEAN, I UNDERSTAND ALL THAT, BUT IN THE END IT'S UM, THAT'S WHAT WE GET, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHY I THINK JASON WANTS TO KNOW SPECIFICS SO THAT WE CAN GO BACK AND SEE IF THERE IS A FLAW IN OUR PROCESS WITH 3, 1, 1, A LOT OF TIMES PEOPLE TELL US THEY HAVE CALLED 3, 1, 1, NOT SAYING THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED IN ANY OF THESE CASES TODAY, BUT WE FIND OUT THAT FREE ONE, ONE HAS NO ACTIVITY REGARDING THAT PARTICULAR COLOR.
SO IT'S TOUGH TO TRACK THESE DOWN.
RIGHT? SO LET ME ASK YOU A QUESTION IT AS THESE HAPPEN,
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IS THERE SOMEONE I COULD CALL TO CHECK THEM OUT ON LIKE BELINDA, COULD I CALL YOU? AND, AND, AND, AND BECAUSE IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THAT MIGHT HELP US GET NAIL IT DOWN QUICKER BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW THAT I WOULD, I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT.IT WOULD DEPEND ON THE CIRCUMSTANCES.
IF IT WAS AT 3:00 AM, PROBABLY I'D BE ASLEEP.
NO, I'M NOT CALLING YOU THREE.
I'LL BE SLED, UH, ON THE, UH, I DON'T KNOW THAT I CAN MAKE THINGS HAPPEN ANY QUICKER.
I MEAN, WE DO HAVE PEOPLE THERE AND WE DO HAVE PEOPLE WHO KNOCK ON THE DOOR AND GET SERVICE.
DO YOU GET A STAT OR REPORT? WHY PEOPLE CALL THROUGH ONE-ON-ONE IN REGARDS TO ANIMALS? DO YOU KNOW? 3, 1, 1 THAT'S MY DAUGHTER 3, 1, 1 DOES PRODUCE REPORTS THAT TALK ABOUT THEIR CALL VOLUMES AND WHAT THE REASONING ARE.
AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT IF THEY PUT THEM OUT QUARTERLY OR YEARLY.
WELL, AND, AND IT'S, IT'S THE CITY THAT HAS US USED 3, 1, 1.
I WOULD RATHER ANSWER THE PHONE, FRANKLY, MYSELF PERSONALLY, BECAUSE I HATE CALLING THINGS WITH MENUS AND THREE ONES, ONES, BUT IT'S THE CITY PROCESS FOR ALL DEPARTMENTS GO THROUGH 3, 1, 1.
WELL, WHAT I'LL DO IS I'LL CALL YOU THE NEXT TIME SOMETHING I HAPPENED TO SEE IF YOU CAN HELP ME.
MAYBE YOU CAN'T DURING THE WEEK, DURING THIS TIME.
UH, I'LL JUST LIKE GREG THAT, UM, 3, 1, 1 JUST WENT THROUGH AN AUDIT AND, UH, WE ARE MEETING WITH THEM, UH IT'S LATER THIS WEEK OR THE FIRST OF NEXT WEEK, UH, TO GO OVER RESULTS.
AND SO I'M HOPING THAT, UH, WE CAN, UH, REINFORCE, UH, OUR PRIORITIES AND THEY'RE ALL FOLLOWING THE PROCESSES THAT WE'VE PUT IN PLACE.
I, IF I MIGHT CREATE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE HAVING, IT'S DUE TO STAFFING.
WHEN YOU HAVE SOME, A 3, 1, 1 PERSON ALL TRAINED UP AND THEN THEY MOVE SOMEPLACE ELSE TO MAKE MORE MONEY, OR BECAUSE THEY CAN'T AFFORD TO LIVE IN AUSTIN ANYMORE.
ONE OF THE THINGS WE'RE HEARING THAT, OF COURSE THE WHOLE CITY IS FACED WITH THIS STAFFING ISSUE.
AUSTIN HAS BECOME TOO EXPENSIVE FOR OUR CITY SALARIES.
WE CANNOT ATTRACT PEOPLE WHO WANT TO WORK IN ANIMAL WELFARE HERE BECAUSE THE CITY HAS BECOME TOO EXPENSIVE.
SO THAT'S A MAJOR ISSUE RIGHT NOW WITH ALL OF OUR, UH, YES, I HEARD WHEN OUR WATER SYSTEM WENT OUT, THAT WAS BECAUSE THEY WERE LOW ON STAFF AND THEY HIRED PEOPLE.
THEY KNOW WHAT THEY WERE DOING, WHICH, UH, THAT REALLY DIDN'T GET OUT IN THE NEWS, MAYBE LIKE THAT.
BUT THAT'S WHAT I WAS HEARING.
SO YEAH, I, WE JUST NEED TO KEEP ON TOP OF IT THOUGH.
UH, I HAVE ONE OTHER QUESTION THOUGH, CAUSE WE GOTTA MOVE ON.
IF SO BEHAVIORAL DOGS BEING, UH, SPAYED OR NEUTERED, IS THERE A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MALE AND FEMALE AND WHEN THEY GET SPAYED AND NEUTERED OR THERE IS, OR IS IT JUST SORT OF BEHAVIOR DOGS OR JUST BEHAVIOR DOGS? NO, WE DON'T DISCRIMINATE.
NO, I MEAN THIS ONE PARTICULAR DOG THAT YOU'RE ASKING ABOUT IT, ISN'T JUST KNOCKING THEM DOWN.
IT'S RECOVERING THEM AND, AND THE AFTERCARE AND WHATEVER, AND JUST KEEPING STAFF SAFE.
THIS WAS JUST OUR PRETTY BAD DOG.
UH, CAUSE I'M JUST CURIOUS, WHATEVER WE CAN DO.
I MEAN, WHATEVER WE CAN DO TO KEEP THESE BEHAVIOR DOGS FROM BEING SUCH A, A PROBLEM, YOU KNOW, AND I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW.
I KNOW ANECDOTALLY AND THROUGH PERSONAL EXPERIENCE ABOUT DOGS IN GENERAL BEING SPAYED OR NEUTERED BEHAVE MORE DORSALLY, BUT THAT'S JUST A GENERAL THAT TAKES A LONG TIME TO, TO HAPPEN.
AND IF THAT STUFF IS ALREADY IN THERE AND THEY'RE SEVERAL YEARS OLD, THAT IS NOT A TRUE STATEMENT.
SO THEY'RE JUST AS A BEHAVIORAL PROBLEM AT THAT POINT THAT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE, IT HAS NOTHING TO DO.
THOSE BEHAVIORS ARE IN THEIR BRAIN AND IT'S DONE IF THEY'RE YOUNG.
IF THEY'RE OLDER THAT DOESN'T REALLY, IT'S NOT A TRUE STATEMENT.
I'M NOT SAYING THAT GO ACROSS THE BOARD.
THAT'S WHY IT WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE A DOG BEHAVIORALIST ON STAFF TO DEAL WITH THE SPECIFICS.
UH, I, YOU KNOW, I WOULD THINK, YOU KNOW, SOMEONE WOULD BE MORE ADEPT AT UNDERSTANDING THE DETAILS OF THAT, BUT I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW.
I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER.
IS THERE CRAIG? I HAVE, I HAVE ONE FOLLOW ON QUESTION FROM A COUPLE OF MEETINGS AGO, NOT READ UP ON YOUR BED.
SO BACK IN, IN FEBRUARY WHEN YOU FIRST OR WHENEVER IT WAS WHEN WE WERE FIRST INFORMED ABOUT THE SHELTER CLOSING ON SUNDAYS, HE SAID, THERE'S DONE
[00:55:01]
A REPORT, STUDIED FIVE YEARS OF DATA, ASKED FOR THE REPORT.I ASKED AGAIN, YOU SAID, THANK YOU FOR REMINDING ME THE REPORT THAT WE GOT ONLY HAD FISCAL YEAR 2021.
SO DO YOU, UM, I'M STILL WAITING ON THE FIVE YEARS OF DATA THAT YOU SAID YOU HAD, THAT YOU WOULD SEND TO SUPPORT SUNDAY BEING LOWEST OUTTAKE OR ADOPTION DAY OUTCOME DAY.
WHEN WE PULL OUT ALL OUR DATA FROM, UM, THE ADOPTIVE PET SOFTWARE, IT HAS, UH, I THINK IT WAS EIGHT MONTHS OF DATA THAT, THAT WILL PROVIDE US THE DAY THAT THEY SIGNED UP TO BE ADOPTED VERSUS THE DAY THEY WERE OUTCOMES.
EVERYTHING ELSE WAS DONE BY A MANUAL SURVEY.
AND THEY DID SAMPLING OF THE SAME MONTH FOR, YOU KNOW, THE SAME MONTHS FOR THE EACH YEAR.
AND I ASKED FOR THAT AND I THOUGHT THAT IT WAS SENT TO YOU.
NO, THE ONLY THING THAT WE GOT WAS FYI 20, 21.
AND THEY HAD THE LITTLE CHART AND GRAPH AND EVERYTHING AND IT, AND IT SHOWED THAT THE NUMBERS WERE DOWN IN 2021 ON SUNDAYS, BUT I HAVE NOTHING TO COMPARE IT TO PREVIOUS YEARS TO SEE IF IT'S, IF THAT'S THE CASE.
I KNOW THAT, UM, THE, UM, POWER BI DATA THAT'S OUT THERE ON THE DASHBOARD RIGHT NOW, IF YOU PULL IT FROM 2016 TO 2022, IT DOES SHOW YOU, YOU KNOW, THE LOWEST DAY IS ON SUNDAY AT 37.
SO THAT'S AVAILABLE THROUGH THE FILTERS, THOSE REPORTS, IF YOU GO TO OUR DASHBOARD AND LOOK AT OUTCOMES, THE ADOPTION OUTCOMES, AND YOU CAN DO IT AND PUT YOUR YEAR RIGHT IN JUNE.
AND, UH, JUST, UH, THE AVERAGE FROM 2016 TO 2022, MONDAY IS 40 TUESDAY, 45, WEDNESDAY 38 TO THURSDAY, 37, FRIDAY 39, 7 SATURDAY 44 IN SUNDAYS 37.
AND THAT SAME TIME PERIOD WITH THE S ON INTAKES ON MONDAY WAS 44, TUESDAYS 43, WEDNESDAY 43, THURSDAYS 41 FRIDAY 41, SATURDAY 38.
[3a. Monthly Reporting of Data. ]
THAT MOVES US TO THREE OLD BUSINESS, MONTHLY REPORTING OF DATA.UM, DON ON THE, DO YOU HAVE DATA REGARDING THE LENGTH OF PROCESSING AND ADOPTION? HOW MANY ANIMALS, WHAT PERCENTAGE IS AVAILABLE TO GO HOME THE SAME DAY THEY'RE APPLIED? WELL, WE HAD, UH, LIKE I SAID, WE HAD LAST ON MARCH, THE 1ST OF MARCH WHEN WE DID THE DATA, THERE WAS ONLY FOUR THAT WERE ELIGIBLE, EVERYTHING THAT WAS SPAYED AND NEUTERED, THAT IT WAS 317 ANIMALS.
I HAVE TO GO BACK AND LOOK NOW.
BUT, UM, IT, THE ONLY THING THAT WASN'T SPIDER NEUTERED, EXCEPT FOR THOSE FOUR THAT JUST CAME AVAILABLE THAT MORNING WERE EITHER SICK, INJURED, OR TOO YOUNG.
SO EVERYTHING ELSE WAS AVAILABLE.
SO OVER 75% OF OUR POPULATION WAS AVAILABLE TO WALK OUT THE DOOR AT THAT POINT.
OR DO WE HAVE LIKE, DO WE HAVE MONTHS OF THAT DATA? WE HAVE THAT, THAT IS ON THE DASHBOARD AND CAN BE PULLED UP AT, AT ANY POINT.
THAT WAS JUST THE LAST DAY I LOOKED AT IT.
DO YOU THINK THAT WE COULD START GETTING THAT TO SEE ON A MONTHLY BASIS, UM, ON EACH GIVEN DAY, HOW MANY ANIMALS ARE AVAILABLE, UH, THAT ARE AVAILABLE ARE NOT YET SPAYED OR NEUTERED? I THINK THAT IS, UH, LET ME, LET ME LOOK AT CHRIS'S REPORT TIMELINE REAL QUICK.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S THE ONE THAT HE'S GOT TO GET SOME MORE DATA ON.
UM, NO, UH, WE SH THAT'S AVAILABLE ON THE DASHBOARD CURRENTLY, SO YOU COULD GO OUT THERE TO THE DASHBOARD AND LOOK AT THAT DATA AT ANY POINT.
UH, WE JUST WON'T BE ABLE TO ADD THE WHY I SPAYED IN NEUTER WASN'T FORMED UNTIL THE END OF MAY, BUT THE, ALL THE ONES THAT ARE AVAILABLE THAT ARE, UH, THAT ARE SPAYED AND NEUTERED ALREADY OUT THERE ON THE DASHBOARD.
AND, BUT, BUT THERE'S NO, LIKE YOU DON'T HAVE THE REPORT AVAILABLE FOR US THAT SHOWS LIKE STATISTICALLY SPEAKING THE NUMBER OF DAYS TO PROCESS AND THE PERCENTAGE.
NO, NOT UNTIL HE GETS THE REASONS PUT IN WHY THEY WEREN'T AVAILABLE.
WE'D ALL IT, IT WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, HOW MANY AVAILABLE IN OUR SYSTEM RIGHT NOW ARE SPAYED AND NEUTERED THAT THAT
[01:00:01]
IS AVAILABLE.WHEN SOMEONE APPLIES FOR AN ANIMAL, IS THAT DATE CAPTURED ON THE RECORD OF OUTCOME? I DIDN'T, I MISSED THE FIRST PART OF YOUR QUESTION.
IF SOMEONE, IF SOMEONE WALKS INTO THE SHELTER ON SATURDAY AND APPLIES FOR AN ANIMAL, BUT FOR ONE REASON OR ANOTHER, CAN'T TAKE IT HOME.
IS THAT SATURDAY DATE CAPTURED ON THE RECORD BEFORE ACTUALLY THE OUTCOME DATE? NO, IT ACTUALLY WOULDN'T EXITS IS THE OUTCOME SO THAT WHEN SOMEONE COMES IN, THERE'S NO MEMO OR NO TIMESTAMP, NO DATE.
IT, IT IS IN OUR, A PET SOFTWARE IF SOMEONE ADOPTS THE ANIMAL, BUT DOESN'T TAKE IT HOME UNTIL LATER THAT IS CAPTURED THE DIFFERENCE IN THAT.
BUT LIKE I SAID, WE ONLY HAVE EIGHT MONTHS OF THAT DATA BECAUSE THAT'S NEW SOFTWARE IN CHAMELEON.
UM, I HAVE, UH, UH, UH, JASON LEFT, BUT DID HE DO THE REPORT WITH THE COLORED CIRCLES AND EVERYTHING? YES, HE DID.
AND HE HAD AN EMERGENCY, SO HE HAD TO LEAVE BECAUSE YOU KNOW, IT, I KINDA WANTED TO THANK HIM FOR TRYING TO DO THAT, THAT THAT'S NOT EASY TO DO.
THAT TAKES A LOT OF, I KNOW, AND, AND CAUSE SOMETIMES THE COLORS HE REFERRED TO WHAT THE COLORS MEANT, BUT THEN HE DIDN'T, UM, THAT MADE A LITTLE TRICKY.
ALSO THERE, THERE WAS A, A, A, A WINDOW WHERE ALL THE ANIMALS WENT TO AND HAD THE TRANSFER OF PEOPLE DOWN THERE AND IT HAD A LITTLE SLIDE, BUT HE PRINTED THE WINDOW AND THE SLIDE DIDN'T WORK.
THAT'S ALL HE DID WAS PRINTED THE SCREENS THAT THE DATA THAT'S ALREADY AVAILABLE ON THE DASHBOARD.
SO YOU CAN GO TO THE DASHBOARD, THAT REPORT IS THERE AND THEN YOU CAN MANIPULATE IT ANY WAY YOU WANT ACTIVE ON THE DASHBOARD.
SO HE PRINTED WHAT WAS ON THE DASHBOARD? EXACTLY.
BECAUSE Y'ALL HAD ASKED FOR THREE MONTHS OF COMPARISON DATA AND THERE'S NO WAY THAT THERE'S A REPORT THAT DOES THAT.
SO HE JUST PRINTED EACH YEAR A SCREENSHOT OF IT BECAUSE SOMEONE ASKS THAT THEY DIDN'T WANT TO HAVE TO LOOK AT IT, THEN, YOU KNOW, THEY WANTED IT DELIVERED TO THEM IN A, IN A, YOU KNOW, VIEWED FORM AND NOT HAVE TO GO AND DO THE WORK TO PULL UP EACH ONE.
OKAY UM, SO, UM, SO ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON MONTHLY REPORTING OF DATA? BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT NOW.
[3b. Working Group on Off-Leash Dogs. ]
OKAY.WELL, LET'S MOVE ON THEN TO THREE B WORKING GROUP ON OFF-LEASH DOGS.
THAT'S JOANNE NORTON UM, DIRECTOR MCNEELY IS CALLING.
THIS IS THE AB TECH AND YOURS.
ANY QUESTIONS? COULD YOU PLEASE, I CANNOT HEAR DURAN.
AND YOU ASKED THEM TO MOVE ME OVER IN CASE THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS.
NEELY, DID YOU WANT TO SAY ANYTHING AT THE BEGINNING OR JUST BE HERE FOR QUESTIONS? NO, I'LL JUST BE HERE FOR QUESTIONS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.
UM, SO FOR ABOUT A YEAR OR MORE, UM, CRAIG AND I HAVE, UH, BEEN PART OF AN OFF-LEASH, UH, DOGS WORKING GROUP.
UM, AND WE, UM, AND KRISTIN AND BAY, I DON'T KNOW, UM, YOU WEREN'T HERE AT THE BEGINNING, BUT WE HAD OUR OWN WORKING GROUP.
AND THEN WE JOINED WITH THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD BECAUSE THEY WERE ALSO LOOKING AT THIS ISSUE FROM THEIR PERSPECTIVE OF STRICTLY PARKLAND.
AND SO WE'VE COME UP WITH A SUMMARY OF WHAT WE'VE DONE AND WE'RE KIND OF AT THE END OF THE ROAD OF WHAT WE FEEL WE CAN DO.
SO WE WANTED TO UPDATE THE, UM, COMMISSION ON, UH, WHERE WE ARE.
SO THE, UM, DO YOU MOVE THE SLIDES
[01:05:01]
FORWARD? OKAY.SO OUR WORKING GROUP MEMBERS WERE, UM, FROM THE, OUR COMMISSION, UM, CRAIG AND I, UM, FROM THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD, UM, PARKS, BOARD CHAIR, DON LEWIS AND NANCY BERNARD.
UM, WE'RE FORTUNATE TO HAVE DIRECTORS, MCNEELY BLEND JOIN US ALONG WITH, UH, JASON GARZA, MARK SLOPE, KELSEY, UM, BELINDA WHO DID A LOT OF WORK FOR US.
AND ALSO, UM, WE HAD A PERSON, UH, SAMMY CURTLESS FROM PARKS AND REC WHO, UM, DID A LOT OF WORK FOR US, BUT THEN, UM, SHE WAS PROMOTED.
SO, UM, WE HAVE A NEW PERSON, TIM, BUT HE'S, HE WAS IN ONE MEETING WITH US.
SO WHEN WE STARTED, WE STARTED SEEING, WE HAD A SPEAKER COME AND SPEAK TO THE ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION, ASKING FOR THIS WORKING GROUP BEFORE I JOINED.
UM, AND WE STARTED NOTICING, UM, A LOT OF MISINFORMATION ON NEXT DOOR AND OTHER SOURCES.
SO I STARTED TO DOCUMENT EVERYTHING IN A SPREADSHEET, AND WE REALLY KIND OF LOOKED AT THE MAIN ISSUES, WHICH WERE MISINFORMATION ABOUT EXISTING LAWS, NEW AUSTINITES, WHO DON'T EVEN KNOW EXISTING LAWS OF ARE THAT WE HAVE LAWS, OFF-LEASE DOGS AND PARKLAND THAT IS ON LEASH ONLY WHERE CITIZENS CANNOT SAFELY ENJOY A CITY PARKLAND OFF-LEASE DOGS IN NEIGHBORHOODS, WHICH OUR OWN DOGS, WHICH CITIZENS CANNOT SAFELY WALK AROUND THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD CITIZENS.
THE ABILITY TO REQUEST AN OFFICIAL OFF-LEASH AREA, BE ADDED OUR CITY CITIES, EXPANDING, AND WE'VE HAD THE SAME NUMBER FOR QUITE A WHILE.
OUR GROWTH IS OUTPACING THE OFF-LEASH AREAS AND OPTIONS FOR CITIZENS TO REPORT ISSUES.
WHAT DO THEY DO? THEY'RE VERY FRUSTRATED WITH THE SITUATION NEXT SLIDE.
SO WE LOOKED AT, UM, W WHAT THE LAWS ARE, AND BASICALLY THEY'RE AT, UH, IN CITY ORDINANCES.
YOU KEEP DOGS ON A LEASH AND UNDER, UM, UH, CONTROL IN ALL AREAS THAT ARE NOT DESIGNATED AS OFF-LEASH.
UM, THAT'S MOST OF THE PARKLAND WITHIN THE CITY, YOU PICK UP IN SANITARY, DISPOSE OF PET WASTE, LEFT ON PUBLIC OR PRIVATE PROPERTY PROVIDE ADEQUATE SHELTER.
AND SURE THE PETS HAVE RABIES VACCINATIONS, CONFINED PETS, TRANSPORTED, AND UNCLEAR.
UM, UNENCLOSED VEHICLES IN A MANNER THAT PREVENTS THE DOG FROM FALLING OR JUMPING OUT OF THE VEHICLE OR BEING INJURED.
THOSE ARE THE DOGS THAT ARE IN THE BACK OF A TRUCK LOOSE RUNNING AROUND.
DON'T LEAVE YOUR PET ON CHAIN OR TETHER, AND IT'S UNLAWFUL TO SELL A PUPPY OR KITTEN THAT IS NOT SPAYED OR NEUTERED, VACCINATED, AND MICROCHIP.
SO ENFORCEMENT OF THE CURRENT ORDINANCES AND LAWS ARE EFFECTED BY STAFFING.
THERE ARE CURRENTLY 21 ANIMAL PROTECTION OFFICER POSITIONS.
THEY WORK SEVEN DAYS A WEEK, 7:00 AM TO MIDNIGHT SERVICING 900 SQUARE MILES OF TRAVIS COUNTY.
THEY HANDLE A MULTITUDE OF ANIMAL RELATED ISSUES, INCLUDING WILDLIFE, AND THEY CAN WRITE CITATIONS FOR OFF-LEASE DOG VIOLATIONS.
AND THIS IS A BIG THING THAT CITIZENS, THEY THINK THAT THE PROBLEM WOULD BE SOLVED BY WRITING CITATIONS, BUT THE, AND THAT THEY'RE $500 AND THEY'RE NOT, THEY'RE 200 SOMETHING PLUS A LITTLE COURT FEE, BUT THE JUDGE CAN INCREASE IT TO A MAX OF 500 OR THEY COULD DISMISS IT ENTIRELY, WHICH IS OFTEN WE UNDERSTAND WHAT HAPPENS.
THERE ARE 25 PARK RANGERS TO WORK SEVEN DAYS A WEEK TO SERVICE THE CITY'S 330 PARKS, 19,000 ACRES OF PARKLAND.
THEY HANDLE ALL KINDS OF ISSUES, UH, GLASS BOTTLES IN PARKS, HOMELESS, AND THEY CANNOT WRITE TICKETS FOR OFF-LEASE DOG VIOLATIONS.
THEY CAN ONLY WRITE CITATIONS FOR, UM, PARKING ISSUES NEXT.
SO, AS I SAID, WE LOOKED AT, UM, THE DIFFERENT CITIZEN CONCERNS AND, AND TALK TO PEOPLE.
AND WE RECEIVED EMAILS FROM PEOPLE.
AND A LOT OF THE, A LOT OF THE CON CONCERNS ARE WHAT YOU'D EXPECT DOGS, LOOSE DOGS, CHASING BIKES ON CITY STREETS, CAUSING ACCIDENTS, UM, DOGS RUNNING UP TO SOL TWO STROLLERS OR CITIZENS WITH WALKING AIDS LIKE CANES.
SO THEY'RE AFRAID TO WALK AROUND THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS, POOP, NOT BEING SCOOPED BECAUSE OWNERS ARE ON THEIR PHONES OR TALKING TO OTHER PEOPLE AND JUST NOT PAYING ATTENTION.
UM, THEY CERTAINLY FEEL NOT ENOUGH.
TICKETS ARE BEING WRITTEN FOR VIOLATIONS.
UH, DOGS RUN UP TO RANDOM ADULTS AND CHILDREN.
UM, PEOPLE WILL SAY, OH, HE'S FRIENDLY, HE'S FRIENDLY, BUT THAT DOESN'T HELP US.
AND AS A PERSON, WHO'S BEEN A DOG WALKER FOR SIX YEARS AT A SHELTER.
IT DOESN'T EVEN HELP ME IF THERE'S A LOOSE DOG AND IT RUNS UP AND I DON'T KNOW IT.
AND ONE OF THE BIGGEST ISSUES, AND I THINK IT'S FAIR IS THAT DOG OWNERS ARE NOT TRAINED TO BREAK UP DOG FIGHTS.
AND WHEN DOGS ARE GETTING INTO DOG FIGHTS, THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO, AND THE SITUATIONS OFTEN BECOME WORSE.
SO WE LOOKED AT WHAT WE COULD DO TO TRY TO HELP THE SITUATION.
AND ONE IS WHAT WE CALL MUSICAL MESSAGING WITH THE, WE HAVE A TARGET COMPLETION TO THAT AT 5 30, 1 22.
WE, UM, UH, THE PARKS, UM, UH, SUPPORTERS PROVIDED,
[01:10:01]
UH, TO LOCAL MUSICIANS WHO CREATED SONGS FOR US.UM, THE PARKS TEAM NOW IS WORKING WITH THEM ON VIDEOS.
UM, THERE'LL BE LAUNCHED ON VARIOUS SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS AND WE EXPECT, UM, UH, SOME TYPE OF LAUNCH EVENT MAYBE BY THE END OF MAY.
SO WE'RE JUST TRYING TO GET THE WORD OUT, ESPECIALLY TO THE NEW PEOPLE THAT, HEY, WE HAVE ONLY STOCK.
WE HAVE LAWS THAT PROTECT DOGS, PRINT MEDIA, UM, WE'VE POSTED MORE ON THE AAC AND PARD SITES.
UM, WE TRIED TO ADDRESS THE LAWS.
COMMON QUESTIONS WERE AWFULLY SHERRY IS, ARE LOCATED, INTERACTING WITH WILDLIFE, TALKING ABOUT DOG PARK ETIQUETTE.
SO WE'VE TRIED TO UP THOSE THINGS.
WE EXPLORED A UTILITY BILL INSERT, BUT CONCLUDED.
IT WAS TOO COSTLY AND NOT FAR REACHING ENOUGH.
UM, THAT WAS VERY EXPENSIVE BUILDING TO DO A LOT OF WORK ON THIS PLUS, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO GET THEIR UTILITY BILLS AND SEE THE INSERTS ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO GET THEIR BILLS ELECTRONICALLY AND PROBABLY DON'T EVEN REALIZE THERE'S AN ELECTRONIC INSERT THERE, SO THAT DIDN'T TURN OUT TO BE THE BEST OPTION FOR US.
NEXT SLIDE, UH, THE OTHER WAY.
AND IT'S ALSO FOR RAISING AWARENESS AND WE DID DO SOME WEBSITE ENHANCEMENTS, AAC, ENHANCE THEIR WEBSITE TO MAKE INFORMATION EASIER TO FIND.
UM, CRAIG AND I, AND ANOTHER PERSON WHO IS ON OUR WORKING GROUP FOR AWHILE, UM, WENT THROUGH ALL THE DIFFERENT PAGES OF THE WEBSITE AND MADE SUGGESTIONS.
AND I APPRECIATE, UM, AAC BEING, UM, SUPPORTIVE OF, UM, MAKING SOME OF THE INFORMATION EASIER TO FIND THEY ALSO ADDED OFF-LEASH ISSUES TO THEIR CHAT BOX.
UM, WE'RE TRYING TO EDUCATE PEOPLE AND EVENTS LIKE THE ZILKER KITE FESTIVAL LAST WEEKEND.
UM, THAT WAS SURPRISINGLY REALLY GOOD.
UM, WE, UM, AAC, UH, WAS ASKED TO JOIN.
SO THEY HAD A TRUCK THERE, UM, DOING TAGS AND FREE MICROCHIPS AND THE PARKS FOLKS, UM, PROVIDED SOME GIVEAWAYS LIKE LEASHES AND THINGS WITH, UM, OUR, OUR SLOGAN ON THERE.
UM, WE HAD SOME OF OUR BROCHURES ABOUT, UM, OFTEN I WAS THERE TO TALK ABOUT OFF-LEASH IF ANYBODY WANTED AND WERE REALLY, REALLY BUSY.
AND THEY'LL TALK ABOUT THE NUMBERS OF, UH, NEXT WEEK, BUT WE HAD LINES OF PEOPLE TO GET MICROCHIP.
AND WE HAD PEOPLE WHO JUST SAT IN THE TRUCK DOING TAG AFTER TAG, AFTER TAG FOR DOGS.
SO WE WERE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
WE ALSO HAD A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO CAME AND TOOK OUR MAPS OF WHERE THE, UM, OFFICIAL OFF-LEASH DOG AREAS ARE.
SO THAT WAS, UM, REALLY NICE FOR US.
UM, UH, UH, PARKSBOROUGH TARA, UH, DON LEWIS JOINED US FOR A LITTLE OVER AN HOUR, HOUR AND A HALF, AND, UH, REALLY GOT A FEEL FOR THE QUESTIONS.
PEOPLE WERE ASKING A LOT OF PEOPLE ASKING ABOUT FOSTERING ADOPTING, UM, AND, UH, SOMEBODY ASKED ABOUT A JOB WHICH WAS REALLY GOOD.
SO, UM, OVERALL I THINK IT WAS REALLY GOOD OUTREACH FOR ON THE AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER AND FOR THE COMMUNITY.
AND WE VERY, VERY BUSY, UM, AAC HIRED A NEW PUBLIC HEALTH EDUCATOR.
WHO'S A FORMER, UM, ANIMAL PROTECTION OFFICER.
UM, WHO'S GOING TO CREATE A VIDEO ABOUT LEASH LAWS AND OTHER ANIMAL ISSUES THAT CAN BE SEEN ONLINE OR CAN BE SHOWN AT MAYBE A COMMUNITY MEETING.
IF WE CAN'T GET SOMEONE THERE, YOU COULD AT LEAST BROADCAST THAT.
UM, AND THE PARK RANGERS ARE GOING TO LOOK AT DOING CITIZEN EDUCATION OUT LOCATIONS WITH HIGH, UM, CALLS TO 3, 1, 1 NEXT SLIDE.
SO THE PARKS DEPARTMENT HAD A DOCUMENT THAT THEY DREW UP CALLED ON AN AWFULLY SHERRY GUIDELINES, AND THEY WANTED A GROUP OF CITIZENS TO LOOK AT IT AND GIVE THEIR OPINION OF IT AND THE PERSON, UM, WHO WAS, UH, GOT PROMOTED AND WASN'T ABLE TO DO IT.
SO I STEPPED IN AND SAID THAT I WOULD DO IT.
SO I WAS ABLE TO GATHER, UM, JUST A REALLY REMARKABLE GROUP OF CITIZENS WHO GOT THIS DOCUMENT, THIS 25 PAGE DOCUMENT AND READ THROUGH IT.
IT'S A COMMUNITY DRIVEN PROCESS DEVELOPED BY PARKS AND REC AND IT'S ALL THE GUIDELINES AND POLICIES TO REQUEST A NEW OFF-LEASH AREA.
UH, OVERALL, THE PARTICIPANTS FELT THAT THE DOCUMENT WAS REALLY SOLID, THAT IT WAS A REALLY GOOD DOCUMENT.
UM, WE ALSO, AND ALL, EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED IN THE FOCUS GROUP MEETING I DOCUMENTED AND SENT ON TO THE MEMBERS OF THE WORKING GROUP.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU SOME HIGHLIGHTS.
UM, WE DISCUSSED PARKLAND AND PUBLIC SPACES BEING USED AS OFF-LEASH AREAS, AND THERE'S A LOT OF EXAMPLES, LIKE LITTLE ZILKER MABEL DAVIS, BRENTWOOD, GRACIE WOODS, LONG VIEW STACEY PARK.
UM, THESE ARE JUST A FEW AROUND, UH, WHERE FAMILIES CANNOT ENJOY PARKLAND.
AND THERE WAS ALSO A LEASHED DOG THAT WAS ATTACKED RECENTLY IN FRONT OF THE FAMILY.
THE FAMILY WAS JUST WALKING IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD, NEAR THE PARK WHERE PEOPLE TAKE IT OVER AS AN AWFULLY SHERIA AND, UM, THE DOG LOST ITS EYE AND IT WAS JUST A HORRIBLE THING FOR THE CHILDREN TO SEE.
AND SO, UM, THAT WAS A LITTLE DISAPPOINTING TO HEAR, BUT THAT'S THE TYPE
[01:15:01]
OF THINGS THAT'S HAPPENING AROUND AUSTIN.UM, NEXT SLIDE, WE TALKED ABOUT THE, WE SEE AN UPTICK IN REPORTS OF CITIZENS USING DETERRENT, SUCH AS PEPPER SPRAY ON AWFULLY STALKS WHO APPROACHED THEM.
UM, I'VE MENTIONED THIS IN ONE OF MY UPDATES THAT PEPPER SPRAY IS NOT ILLEGAL AND PROTECTING YOURSELF IS NOT ILLEGAL.
SO THERE'S REALLY NOTHING WE CAN DO.
BUT THERE WAS ALSO REPORTS OF A DOG THAT WAS SHOT AND KILLED, UH, NEAR THE PALMER EVENTS CENTER.
THAT WAS OFF-LEASH THAT WAS ATTACKING A DOG AND THEY DID NOT SEE AN OWNER AROUND IT, BUT THAT WAS THE ONLY WAY TO GET THE DOG OFF.
UM, WE DISCUSSED A HYBRID APPROACH TO OFF-LEASH AREAS.
WHAT IF IT'S PARKLAND SOME DAYS AND AWFULLY SHERRY IS THE OTHER DAY IS, AND THE BASIC CONSENSUS WAS IF WE COULD DO IT, WHERE, YOU KNOW, TUESDAY AND THURSDAY, OUR DOGS GET TO BE AWFULLY STAYS.
AND THE OTHER DAYS THEY HAVE TO BE ON LEASH THAT MIGHT WORK.
BUT IF YOU SAY FIVE TO SEVEN, EVEN NOW THERE'S IN SAY LITTLE ZILKER HAS THIS DEFACTO, FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, FIVE TO SEVEN TIME, OR EVERYBODY CAN COME TO LET THEIR DOGS OFF LEASH.
THERE'S STILL PEOPLE WHO COME BEFORE FIVE AND PEOPLE WHO COME, WHO STAY AFTER SEVEN.
SO IT DOESN'T REALLY WORK AND THERE'S NO ONE TO REALLY POLICE IT.
UM, SO THAT THEIR RECOMMENDATION WAS TO DO DIFFERENT DAYS.
UM, WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT PRIVATE LAND PARTNERSHIPS.
UM, AGAIN, NEAR THE LITTLE ZILKER AREA, THERE WAS A CHURCH ABOUT TWO BLOCKS DOWN, BUT I UNDERSTAND SAID, HEY, YOU CAN DO YOUR OFF-LEASH THING HERE.
AND THEY PUT UP SIGNS AND THEY PUT UP FOOD BAGS AND NO ONE USED IT AND SOMEBODY VANDALIZED THE SIGNS.
SO, UM, HOPEFULLY, MAYBE THAT IS STILL SOMETHING WE CAN PURSUE.
AND WE TALKED ABOUT SIGNAGE AND THEY FELT THE SIGNAGE FOR THE MOST PART WAS VISIBLE AND ADEQUATE.
THEY LIKE THE NEW Q CODES THAT ARE GOING ON THE SIGN.
SO IT WASN'T A MATTER OF PEOPLE DIDN'T KNOW, IT'S JUST A MATTER OF PEOPLE DIDN'T DO IT.
AND THEY ALSO FELT THE INFORMATION WAS HARD TO FIND ON THE AAC SITE WHEN THEY WOULD GO TO THE SITE AND TRY TO LOOK UP SEARCH SOMETHING LIKE OFF-LEASH DOGS OR SOMETHING.
SO WHAT ARE THE NEXT STEPS? UM, THE PARKS PLANNING TEAM WILL TAKE THE LEAD ON FUTURE.
UM, AWFULLY OFF-LEASH IS ON THE FOCUS GROUP MEMBERS HAVE ALL BEEN SENT TO DIRECTOR MCNEILLY, UM, SO THEY CAN STAY, CONTINUE TO PARTICIPATE.
UM, IF WE WANT, IF THERE'S A BOAT, IF THEY'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO PURSUE ADDING OFF-LEASH AREAS AND USING THE GUIDELINES OR PRESENTATION THERE'LL BE MAKING TO THE PARKS AND REC BOARD.
AND THEN IF APPROVED, UM, PARKS WILL CREATE A CAMPAIGN TO INCREASE OFF-LEASH DOG AREAS, UM, AND AAC CONTINUES TO IMPROVE THEIR WEBSITE AND CHAT BOX AND ALSO HAVE MORE THINGS IN, IN THE CHAT BOX.
SO WHAT ELSE CAN WE DO? I WISH WE COULD HAVE DONE MORE THAN MAKE SUGGESTIONS TO CITIZENS, BUT I THINK WE'RE AT THE POINT THAT THIS IS WHAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DO.
ONE IS ADVISORY COUNCIL MEMBERS, UM, PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD MEMBER, OR YOUR ANNUAL ADVISORY COMMISSIONER THAT VOLUNTARY COMPLIANCE WITH CITY OFF-LEASE ORDINANCES IS NOT EFFECTIVE AND REQUEST MORE RESOURCES FOR PUBLIC SPACE MANAGEMENT.
UM, IT'S PART OF IT'S A RESOURCE ISSUE.
WE'RE GOING TO TRY, BUT WE JUST, WE JUST CAN'T.
UM, FOR EXAMPLE, I CAN READ YOU PART OF A LETTER THAT WAS COPIED.
I WAS COPIED ON THAT WAS SENT TO, UM, UH, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHEN.
IT SAYS I LIVE NEAR LITTLE ZILKER PARK AND PURR PURR PERSONALLY WITNESSED THIS PROBLEM ON A DAILY BASIS.
MY DAUGHTER HAS BEEN CHARGED AND THREATENED BY DOGS, WALKING TO SCHOOL JUST THIS WEEK.
I'VE WITNESSED MULTIPLE INSTANCES OF DOGS CHASING TERRIFIED, CHILDREN AND ADULTS YELLING AT EACH OTHER.
ONE OF THE NEIGHBORS DOGS HAD ITS EYE RIPPED OUT BY AN AWFULLY STOCK THAT ATTACKED IT IN FRONT OF HER KIDS.
THE PRINCIPAL AT ZILKER ELEMENTARY REFUSES TO LET ALLOW THE STUDENTS TO USE THE ADJACENT PARK FOR ANY SCHOOL ACTIVITIES DUE TO THE OFF-LEASH DOGS.
THOSE KIDS WHO HAVE USED THAT PARK FOR 70 YEARS, AND NOW THEY'RE STUCK INSIDE A FENCE WITH A DIRT PATCH AND NOT EVEN A SINGLE SWING SWING.
AND SO IT, I THINK TOO, I CAN'T TELL YOU WHAT TO DO, BUT I THINK IT'S A GOOD ACCOUNTING OF WHAT IS GOING ON.
UM, ANOTHER PERSON WROTE, UM, TO THEIR COUNCIL MEMBERS, SOME RESIDENTS HAVE ADVISED THE DOG OWNERS VIOLATING THE EMILY'S ORDINANCE, THAT IT IS ONLY AN UNLEASHED PARK ONLY TO BE TREATED WITH DISREGARD OR SPOKEN TO RUDELY.
SO AGAIN, IT'S UNFAIR TO HAVE CITIZENS TRYING TO IMPLEMENT, UM, AWFULLY STOCK, UH, ORDINANCES.
OTHER THINGS YOU COULD DO CALL 3, 1, 1 TO REPORT INSISTENCE, SUCH AS AWFULLY STALKS IN PUBLIC SPACES, NOT DESIGNATED AS AN AWFULLY SHERIA INCLUDED DETAILED LOCATION, LIKE ZILKER PARK DOESN'T HELP, UM, OR LONG VIEW PARK.
UM, IT, YOU WANT TO SAY, YOU KNOW, ZILKER PARK IN FRONT OF THE HILLSIDE THEATER STAGE, UM, CITIZENS ARE RELUCTANT TO DO IT CAUSE THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENS TO THE DATA.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO GET THE WORD OUT THAT THIS IS COLLECTED.
[01:20:01]
IT DOES A SUPPORT ENHANCEMENTS TO CITY SERVICES.WHEN WE LOOK AT WHERE ARE THE MOST CALLED, WHERE ARE THE MOST OFF-LEASH DOGS? WE CITY STAFF CAN GO TO THIS DATA AND RUN A MAP AND SAY, OH, HERE, HERE, AND HERE WE GET THE MOST CALLS.
IF WE WANT TO EDUCATE, HAVE THE PARK RANGERS COME OUT FOR EDUCATION, WHERE DO WE GO? WELL, HERE ARE THE AREAS THAT WE GET THE MOST CALLS ON.
SO THE DATA IS USED FOR THOSE PEOPLE IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS FOR HIBBETT, WHAT WE CALL HABITUAL STRAYS.
THESE ARE THE NEIGHBORS WHO OPEN THEIR DOG DOOR AND LET THE DOGS AROUND OUT THERE.
I HAD A NEIGHBOR WHO DID IT TODAY.
UM, YOU WANT TO GIVE THE OWNER'S ADDRESS.
UM, AND ANIMAL PROTECTION HAS A PROCESS TO ENGAGE YOUR NEIGHBOR.
THEY DON'T HAVE TO KNOW IT WAS YOU.
IT'S JUST, THERE IS A PROCESS IN PLACE.
SO IF YOU HAVE THAT, YOU CAN CALL BECAUSE IT I'VE SEEN THIS DOG BEFORE, BUT EVEN I'M WORRIED ABOUT THE DOG.
AND I WALK WITH PET CORRECTOR AND I HAVE SOME EXPERIENCE BREAKING UP DOG FIGHTS, AND I STILL GET NERVOUS AND JUST TRY TO CAREFULLY WALK AWAY WITH MY DOG WHEN THAT HAPPENS.
YOU WANT TO CALL 3, 1, 1 FOR DOGS HARASSING WILDLIFE, AGAIN, GIVE THE LOCATION BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE DOING THAT EITHER.
UM, AND I ALSO WANT TO SAY IF A DOG DOESN'T SEEM TO HAVE A HOME, IF IT COMES TO YOU AND IT'S SKINNY OR IT'S INTACT, IT LOOKS LOST OR SCARED.
UM, YOU CAN STILL ALSO CALL 3 1, 1 FOR THAT AND REPORT THAT DOG AND ANIMAL PROTECTION CAN COME OUT AND CHECK IT.
UM, THAT'S IMPORTANT YOU, UH, FOR THAT TOO, UM, YOU WANT TO CALL IF A DOG SCARES OR INJURES A HUMAN, OBVIOUSLY IF IT'S BAD, YOU WANT TO CALL 9 1, 1, BUT ANIMAL PROTECTION WILL CONTACT YOU.
AND THERE IS A DANGEROUS DOG STATUTE THAT CAN PUT SOME, IF THE DOG IS DEEMED DANGEROUS, UM, CAN PUT SOME THINGS IN PLACE SO THAT TO HELP THAT NOT HAPPEN AGAIN.
UM, SO THE DOG WOULD HAVE TO STAY ON A LEASH AND IT COULDN'T GO TO AN OFF-LEASH PARK, UM, DOG INJURES TO, UH, A DOG, A CAT OR FALL, UM, THAT CAN ALSO BE CALLED INTO 3 1, 1 AND ANIMAL PROTECTION OFFICER WILL CONTACT THE CITY.
AND THAT WOULD BE, UM, COVERED UNDER THE, UM, VICIOUS DOG ORDINANCE, LESS LIGHT FOR PRIVATE PROPERTY BECAUSE THIS COMES UP A LOT.
UM, IF IT'S PRIVATE PROPERTY LIKE AISD LAND BUSINESSES OR CHURCH YARDS, YOU CAN CONTACT THE RESPONSIBLE PARTIES SUCH AS THE ASD POLICE, UM, THE BUSINESS OWNER OR THE CHURCH ADMINISTRATION.
AND YOU CAN ALSO ASK FOR A SPEAKER AT NEIGHBORHOOD MEETINGS.
UM, WE'LL HAVE A PROCESS UP OF HOW TO DO THAT.
UM, LIKE I SAID, WE JUST HIRED SOMEONE AND WE'RE GETTING SOME THINGS TOGETHER AND THERE MIGHT BE SOMEONE FROM PARKS WHO CAN COME OUT AND TALK.
SO, UM, SO IT WAS A LONG PROCESS.
UM, I HOPE THAT HAVING SOME COURSES OF ACTION FOR CITIZENS WILL HELP THEM, UM, AND FEEL LIKE THEY CAN DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.
UM, BUT, UM, THAT'S WHERE WE ARE TODAY.
UM, CRAIG, DID YOU WANT TO ADD ANYTHING? UM, NO.
UH, WELL JUST THAT ONE OF THE PROBLEMS WITH ENFORCING THE LAWS AND THIS HAS BEEN TRUE FOR A WHILE IS ONLY THE POLICE ARE ALLOWED TO DEMAND YOUR NAME AND YOUR ADDRESS AND IDENTIFICATION.
AND PARK RANGERS CAN'T DO THAT.
THAT MEANS IF EVEN AN APO WRITES A TICKET FOR A LEASH VIOLATION, THE PERSON CAN JUST TELL THEM THEIR NAMES, CHARLIE BROWN, AND THEY LIVE AT 1, 1, 2, 3 STAR LANE DRIVE, YOU KNOW, AND, AND, AND SO IT, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT MAKES IT DIFFICULT.
AND THEN THE OTHER THING IS THAT THE JUDGES HAVE A LOT OF, UH, WAS THIS MISDEMEANOR, WHAT'S THE COURT CALLED? YEAH.
IT'S LIKE, UM, YOU'RE, THERE'S NOT JAIL TIME INVOLVED IS JUST TO FIND, SO ACTUALLY THE PERSON WHO COMMITS THE, THE INFRACTION DOESN'T EVEN HAVE TO SHOW UP IF THEY HIRE A LAWYER AND THEN THE JUDGE CAN DISMISS IT OR HE CAN LOWER THE FINE, OR YOU CAN RAISE A FINE.
SO, UH, AND I THINK THE OFFICER HAS TO SHOW UP OR, OR, YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S A TRIAL, THEY, I THINK THAT YOU HAVE TO HAVE A WITNESS, WHICH TAKES A LOT OF TIME.
SO IF THERE'S REALLY A WHOLE LOT SET UP AGAINST DOING WHAT EVERYBODY ASSUMES SHOULD BE DONE, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A PERSON THAT BREAKING THE LAW WELL, YOU KNOW, FIND THEM.
UM, SO THIS IS A TOUGH PROBLEM AND IT'S BEEN THIS WAY FOR A LONG TIME.
UH, I THOUGHT IT WAS INTERESTING TO KNOW THAT THAT APS DO HAVE A PROCESS FOR GETTING, IF YOU KNOW, SOMEONE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE LETTING THEIR DOG OUT, UH, CALL UP, YOU KNOW, YOU GET IN TOUCH WITH, UH, THE SHELTER APS.
DO YOU HAVE A PROCESS WHERE THEY CAN HELP YOU GET IN TOUCH WITH THAT PERSON? MAYBE RESOLVE IT?
[01:25:01]
UM, THAT WAS NEW TO ME.SO ANYWAY, OPEN IT UP FOR QUESTIONS.
WELL, IF THERE'S NO LOOSE SET OF QUESTIONS.
THANK YOU FOR MUCH FOR THE GROUP FOR DO THAT.
UH, THE SAY OF THE COMMUNITY AND THE SAFER FOR PETS, IT'S A, PROBABLY A PRIORITY AND WE NEED TO REEDUCATE HUMANS ABOUT BE RESPONSIBLE WITH OUR PETS.
I HAVE A CONVERSATION FOR THE LAST WEEKS WITH ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICERS AND WITH THE SUPERVISOR FROM ANIMAL PROTECTION.
AND WE WERE THINKING ABOUT IT TO DEVELOP SOME CLASSES.
SO SOME KIND OF CLASS ONLINE CLASS, LIKE THE RESPONSIBLE PET OWNERSHIP THAT WE HAVE ALREADY, BUT SOMETHING ONLINE TO THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE, UH, THEIR DOGS OFF-LEASH BECAUSE NORMALLY THE ONLY THINGS THAT PROTECTION OFFICERS CAN DO, IT'S DO A VERBAL WARNING.
AND MAYBE ONE MINUTE LATER, THEY TAKE THE LEASH OFF AGAIN, UH, MAYBE SIGN FOR THIS, UH, RPO CLASS AND MAYBE WITH THESE RESPONSIBLE PET OWNERSHIP CLASS, WE CAN RELOCATE MORE HUMANS AND INVITE TO BE PART OF THE SOLUTION.
AND IT STOPPED BEING PART OF THE PROBLEM.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THANK YOU SO MUCH, KIMBERLY MCNEALY FOR, WE HEAR SOMETHING THAT MAYBE WE CAN PLAY AS A TEAM WITH THE AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER AND PARKS AND RECREATION, EATS THE SIGNS AND PUT IT EXACTLY THE BOUNDARIES WHEN BEGIN THE AWFULLY STARK.
AND WHEN IT'S A LEASH AND FORCE, I CAN COUNT MULTIPLE BEAUTIFUL PARTS THAT WE HAVE IN THIS CITY.
WHEN, WHEN IS IT THE EVENING? WHEN IS THE END? UH, ANYTHING I CAN HELP? JOEL, LET ME KNOW.
UH, JOANNE, I HAVE THIS CONVERSATION AND MAYBE WE CAN, WE CAN BEGIN TO DO THIS CLASS ONLINE AND BE ACCESSIBLE FOR ALL THE PEOPLE, ENGLISH, SPEAKERS, SPANISH SPEAKERS, PORTUGUESE SPEAKERS FOR EVERYBODY.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? OKAY.
WELL, THIS WORKING GROUP IS NOW DISSOLVED AND, UH, UNTIL WE PUT ANOTHER WORKING GROUP ON, IN THE FUTURE ABOUT AWFULLY STALKS AS SEEMS HOW IT GOES, BUT HOPEFULLY WE'LL GET THINGS TO WORK A LITTLE BETTER.
[3c. Working Group on How to Increase Microchipping in the City of Austin. ]
OKAY.SO LET'S GO TO SEE WORKING ON HOW TO INCREASE MICROCHIPPING IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN, WHICH WE'RE ALWAYS DOING AT THE KITE FESTIVAL.
I THINK WE DID 57 MICROCHIPS AND 196 TAGS.
SO, YOU KNOW, THERE THERE'S, THERE'S DEMANDS STILL OUT THERE.
UH, WE DO HAVE, LIKE JOANNE MENTIONED, WE DO HAVE A NEW EMPLOYEE THAT, UH, IS WORKING OUT IN THE FIELD AND IS WORKING ON SOME, SOME IDEAS TO ANY WOULD LIKE TO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO MEET WITH OUR COMMITTEE ONE MORE TIME, UH, TO TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE SUGGESTIONS THAT, THAT HE'S BRINGING FORWARD.
AND ONCE THE COMMITTEE DOES THAT, THEN WE'LL BE ABLE TO PUT OUR RECOMMENDATIONS TO BED AND, UH, HOPEFULLY WE'LL GET THAT ACCOMPLISHED IN THE NEXT MONTH OR SHAPE.
UH, ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT? OKAY, WELL, LET'S GO ON TO AUSTIN PETS ALIVE FUTURE AT THE TOWN LAKE.
I JUST WANT TO ADD THAT TODAY.
WE CONFIRM TO HAVE A MICROCHIP CLINIC AT THE DAVA SPRINGS RECREATION CENTER ON MAY 15.
I WANT TO INVITE ALL THE PEOPLE TO PROMOTE.
THESE EVENTS IS GOING TO BE A FREE MICROCHIP FROM 8:00 AM TO 11:00 AM AT THE DOVER SPRINGS RECREATION CENTER.
UH, I SUGGEST THAT YOU SEND THAT INFORMATION TO BELINDA AND SHE CAN SEND IT OUT TO ALL OF US ON AN EMAIL.
SO WE'LL HAVE HER WRITTEN DOWN.
THAT'S THE BEST WAY TO DO THAT.
[3d. Austin Pets Alive!’s Future at the Town Lake Animal Center and the Maintenance of No Kill in Austin.]
OKAY.SO NOW AUSTIN PETS ALIVE FUTURE AT THE TOWN LIKE ANIMAL CENTER MAINTENANCE OF NO KILLING AUSTIN, BASICALLY.
UH, WE'RE JUST ASKING FOR ANY REPORTS ABOUT HOW THE, THE NEGOTIATIONS ARE GOING.
IF YOU CAN SAY ANYTHING, NOTHING HAS CHANGED SINCE LAST MONTH.
UH, WE'RE STILL WAITING, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, APA.
THEY HAVE TO PUT TOGETHER IN THE, IN THE FINAL AGREEMENT, THEY HAVE TO PUT TOGETHER THEIR PLANS TO WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO DO WITH THAT FACILITY AND HAVE ALL THAT IRONED OUT AS WELL AS, YOU KNOW, NEGOTIATE THE NUMBER THAT THEY'D PULL FROM
[01:30:01]
US.SO IT'S THE SAME AS LAST MONTH.
WE HAVEN'T HAD ANY ADDITIONAL MEETINGS AT THIS POINT.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT? ANY COMMENTS? OKAY.
[3e. Transferring Austin Animal Center Animals to Other Communities. ]
TRANSFERRING US ANIMAL CENTER ANIMALS TO OTHER COMMUNITIES.UM, UH, YOU, YOU SAY THAT THE COMMUNITIES YOU TRANSFER THEM TO IS ON THE DASHBOARD, THIS OKAY.
SO EVERY, EVERY RESCUE THAT IS ANIMALS GO TO EACH MONTH IS LISTED THERE.
DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS ISSUE? OKAY, WELL THEN LET'S GO FOR DO BUSINESS DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION.
[4a. Election of Officers ]
SO WE HAVE AN ELECTION OF OFFICERS MEAN TO ELECT A PRESIDENT AND A VICE-PRESIDENT WHO BASICALLY TAKES OVER THE PRESIDENTS JOB WITH THE VICE PRESIDENT HAS GONE AND, AND SHARES A MEETING.AND THEN WE HAVE, UM, A PARLIAMENTARIAN WHO BASICALLY MAKES SURE THE MEETINGS ARE RUNNING ACCORDING TO ROBERT'S RULES AND OUR, UH, BYLAWS, WHICH ARE, YOU CAN GET THEM ONLINE.
SO LET'S START, UM, EVERYBODY'S ALLOWED TO SERVE, YOU CAN SERVE FOR UP TO FOUR YEARS.
UH, SO IS, DO WE HEAR ANY NOMINATIONS FOR PRESIDENT? YES.
UM, I NOMINATED CRAIG NAZER FOR PRESIDENT.
AND I WOULD HAPPILY DO ANOTHER YEAR AND IT'S BEEN SECONDED.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER NOMINATIONS FOR PRESIDENT? OKAY.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF PRINT? UH, W WELL, LET'S, WE COULD DO A WHOLE SLATE.
I SAY SO, UH, DO I HEAR ANY NOMINATIONS FOR VICE PRESIDENT? I NOMINATE RYAN CLINTON.
UM, DO I HEAR ANY OTHER NOMINATIONS FOR VICE PRESIDENT? OKAY.
AND THEN PARLIAMENTARIAN SO FAR, NANCY NEEMAR HAS DONE A WONDERFUL JOB.
SHE DOESN'T WANT TO BE PARLIAMENTARIAN ANYMORE, SO NO, SHE DOESN'T WANT IT.
SO DOES ANY, WOULD ANYBODY LIKE TO, UH, UM, UH, I, I WOULD NOMINATE KRISTIN FOR PARLIAMENTARIAN, IF SHE WANTS TO DO IT, DO YOU WANT TO BE PARLIAMENTARIAN? DO I HEAR A SECOND? NANCY NAMER HAS SECONDED.
DO I HAVE ANY OTHER NOMINATIONS FOR PARLIAMENTARIAN? OKAY.
SO WE HAVE A SLATE IS, UM, IS ANYONE OPPOSED TO THE SLATE OF OFFICERS OF THE THREE OFFICERS, CRAIG NATIVE PRESIDENT? UH, RYAN CLINTON'S VICE-PRESIDENT AND CHRIS HAD HOSSAN AS PARLIAMENTARIAN, IS ANYONE OPPOSED TO THAT SLATE? OKAY.
SO IT'S VOTED UNANIMOUSLY, SO THANK YOU.
[4b. Funding to Support Equitable Microchipping of Austin Pets ]
NOW FUNDING TO SUPPORT EQUITABLE MICRO TRIPPING OF PETS IN AUSTIN.NOW, YOU KNOW, THE BUDGET PROCESS IS ON US AND THERE'S CERTAIN THINGS WE CAN AND CAN'T TALK ABOUT.
AND, AND WHAT I'M HOPING IS WE'LL PUT A STAFF, UM, A NEW BUSINESS, SO WE CAN DISCUSS THE STAFF PROPOSALS THAT DON HAS, UH, TALKED TO US ABOUT ON THE NEXT, UH, MEETING.
BUT I PUT THIS ON HERE BECAUSE YOU KNOW, THIS MICROCHIPPING, I'M NOT A HUNDRED PERCENT CONVINCED HOW MUCH IT WILL HELP, BUT I'M CONVINCED THAT IT'S GOING TO HELP, YOU KNOW, AND BECAUSE I KNOW IT'S GOING TO HELP THAT IT'S GOING TO GET PEOPLE BACK.
I REALLY FEEL AS STRONGLY, I THINK IT WOULD BE REALLY GOOD TO.
UM, AND THEN THE OTHER WORRY IN OUR DISCUSSION WAS, UH, EQUITY.
YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU HAVE W YOU MAKE A REQUIREMENT OR A COST MONEY, CAUSE IT DOES COST CERTAIN AMOUNT OF MONEY FOR THE CHIPS AND THE PEOPLE TO DO IT.
UM, WHAT I TRIED TO DO AND WE HAVE BACKUP, I THERE'S SOME WORDING THERE, AND I'M JUST TOSSING THIS OUT THERE RIGHT NOW FOR SOME DISCUSSION, UM, IS THAT WE REQUEST AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT IS, THAT'S NOT GOING TO BREAK THE BUDGET THAT WE THINK WE CAN GET THAT CAN GO IN TO HELP THIS MICROCHIPPING MAKE IT A REALLY EQUITABLE PROCESS.
SO WE CAN DO A WHOLE BUNCH OF MICROCHIPS FOR FREE AND JUST GET PEOPLE INVOLVED IN DOING IT.
AND I THINK THAT MIGHT BE A GOOD WAY TO DO THAT.
AND, AND I ALSO FOUND OUT JUST LAST WEEK, THERE'S A GROUP OF ORGANIZATIONS,
[01:35:02]
UH, INCLUDING ENVIRONMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS AND, AND, UH, ANIMAL ORGANIZATIONS AND, AND A WHOLE BUNCH OF ORGANIZATIONS THAT THEY'RE PUTTING THESE PROPOSALS FOR THE BUDGET THAT ARE NOT EXPENSIVE.THINGS THAT THEY THINK THE BUDGET, EVEN THOUGH WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A TOUGH BUDGET YEAR.
AND I WAS SURPRISED AND VERY PLEASED TO SEE THAT THEY PUT MONEY FOR MICROCHIPPING ON THAT, WHICH SO IT'S GOING TO BE COMING FROM ANOTHER SOURCE.
SO DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY THOUGHTS OR FEELINGS ON THAT? I GOT SOME WORDING IN THERE THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO KEEP THAT WORDING.
I JUST THREW THIS OUT THERE TO SEE IF THERE'S SOME INTEREST IN MAKING A RECOMMENDATION TO CITY COUNCIL.
UM, I THINK IT'S A GOOD RECOMMENDATION.
UM, AT THE KITE FESTIVAL, I WAS REALLY SURPRISED AT THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO CAME WITH LEASH DOGS WHO, UM, CLEARLY SEEM TO HAVE GOTTEN THEM NOT FROM RESCUES, UH, BECAUSE THEY WEREN'T MICROCHIP TO, UM, REALLY NEEDED TO GET THEIR DOGS MICROCHIPPED AND GET HOME.
AND, UM, THEY SAW THE FREE SIGN AND WALKED OVER AND SOME PEOPLE WERE GOING TO HAVE THEIR DOGS SPAYED OR NEUTERED AND MICROCHIP AT THE SAME TIME, BUT IT WAS WEEKS LATER.
AND WE SAID, YOU KNOW, WHY NOT JUST DO THIS PART NOW? AND I THINK BRINGING THE SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY MAKES A BIG DIFFERENCE IN HAVING THE MONEY TO DO THAT, NOT JUST TO BUY THE LITTLE MICROCHIPS.
CAUSE I DON'T THINK THEY'RE THAT MUCH, ALTHOUGH IN BULK THERE, BUT, UM, JUST BEING ABLE TO TAKE THE VAN AND GET THE STAFF TO GET OUT AND GET THAT DONE.
UM, WE REALLY DIDN'T EXPECT IT TO BE, UM, QUITE AS BUSY AS IT WAS, UH, EVEN THERE.
OH, AND THAT MICROCHIP EVENT WE DID, I MEAN AT 10 30 WE HAD A TWO HOUR WAIT AND WE WERE HOPING TO HAVE IT LATER.
PEOPLE ARE LINED UP AT SIX IN THE MORNING AND I'M BECAUSE I WAS HELPING WITH LUIS.
I MEAN, THERE WERE PEOPLE WHO HAD THREE DOGS, TWO CATS, AND A COUPLE KIDS ALL IN THE CAR WAITING TO GET THE WHOLE GROUP OF THEM MICROCHIPPED.
AND WE ALSO, SORRY, ONE LAST SERVICE IS WE, UM, WE DON'T TALK ABOUT IS WE ALSO DID A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF SCANS OF PEOPLE.
UH PEOPLE'S DOGS TO SEE IF THEY HAD MICROCHIPS.
CAUSE THEY HAD GOTTEN THEM FROM VARIOUS SOURCES, GAVE THEM THE CHIP NUMBER AND SO THAT THEY CAN GO AND UPDATE THEIR CHIP INFORMATION.
SO THAT'S ANOTHER SERVICE THAT IS PROVIDED THAT WE DIDN'T TALK ABOUT.
DID YOU MICROCHIP THE CHILDREN? PEOPLE, THERE ARE A COUPLE OF PEOPLE WHO ASKED.
OH, SO THAT'S VERY GOOD TO HEAR IT.
SO I HAVE A QUESTION I'M READING THE STATEMENT THAT YOU PUT TOGETHER OR WOULD IT MAKE SENSE ALSO OR REQUEST ABOUT A 50 K WOULD IT MAKE SENSE ALSO TO ADD MAYBE A SHORT SENTENCE? WHAT IS THE BENEFIT OF, WHAT DOES THIS DO FOR THE COMMUNITY? YEAH, YEAH.
TH THEY DO THAT SOMETIMES AND PARTICULARLY A REQUEST, UH, UH, WE COULD, UH, ADD SOMETHING LIKE MICROCHIPPING IS A VERY EFFICIENT WAY, AN INEXPENSIVE WAY TO GET PEOPLE BACK TOGETHER WHEN THEIR PETS, WHEN THEY BECOME SEPARATED.
THAT WOULD, THAT'D BE FINE WITH ME.
DON, DID YOU HAVE A COMMENT? I DID.
UH, YOU, YOU TALKED ABOUT SPENDING $50,000 ON MICROCHIPS.
UH, I WOULD MAKE THE RECOMMENDATION THAT WE HAVE NEVER GIVEN AWAY ALL THE MICROCHIPS THAT WE PURCHASE EVERY YEAR.
WHAT WOULD BENEFIT US WOULD BE USING THAT MONEY TO MAYBE HIRE TWO PART-TIME PEOPLE, TEMPORARIES THAT COULD GO OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY AND IMPLANT THEM ON A REGULAR BASIS.
SO WHAT I PUT IN HERE, THE CITY COUNCIL APPROVED $50,000 IN F Y 23 BUDGET TO BE USED TO MAKE MICRO-CHIPPING OF PETS FREE, WHICH UNDERMINE INTERPRETATION COULD BE USED TO GET GAS FOR THE VAN AND PAY SOME, YEAH.
SOME PEOPLE WHO WOULD FOCUS ON THAT, THAT WOULD WORK.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS? YES, LOUISE, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
EH, MONEY FOR MICROCHIPS IS NOT ONLY NECESSARY.
UH, PEOPLE, EVERY TIME HE IS VERY HAPPY WHEN THEY COME AND HAVE THEIR MICROCHIPS.
AND SOMETIMES IT'S DIFFICULT TO ORGANIZE THESE MICROCHIP CLEANS WHEN HE'S NOT MONEY AROUND
[01:40:02]
FOR THE LAST MAYBE FIVE YEARS, I AM TRYING TO MAKE MORE MICROCHIP CLINICS AND THE ONLY PROBLEM NEEDS, WE DON'T HAVE THAT BUDGET OR THAT MONEY.AND DON'T ASK FOR 50 ASK FOR 100 BECAUSE WE CAN SPEND IT WITH NOT A BIG DEAL.
UH, WE CAN INCREASE THAT TO 100,000.
I DON'T WANT TO MAKE IT SO HIGH THAT IT'S JUST DISMISSED OUT OF HAND, BUT WHAT NUMBER THAT WOULD BE? I HAVE NO IDEA.
I, A HUNDRED THOUSAND IS STILL IN THE CITY.
SO THERE IS, UH, ANOTHER IDEA.
SO, SO HERE IS THE PROPOSAL, UM, LET'S SAY A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS AND WE'RE GOING TO ADD ANOTHER SENTENCE ABOUT EXPLAINING WHY MICROCHIPPING IS, IS IMPORTANT.
UH, UH, WHICH WOULD BE, UH, WHAT'D I SAY MICROCHIPPING IS A VERY EXPENSIVE AND AN EFFICIENT WAY TO GET PEOPLE BACK TOGETHER WITH THEIR PETS IF THEY BECOME SEPARATED THAT STATEMENT.
IS IT ONLY TECHNOLOGY TO LINK A PET? WHETHER IT HUMAN.
LOUISE, UH, MOVES THAT WE, UH, VOTE ON THIS.
[4c. Reported Space Crisis at Austin Animal Center ]
UM, NOW THE LAST THING IS THE, UH, SOME DISCUSSION ON THE RISK REPORTED SPACE CRISIS AT THE SHELTER.UH, YOU KNOW, IT'S ALWAYS DIRE FOR ME.
I MEAN, I DON'T GO TO THE SHELTER MUCH OF THE WAY NORTH AUSTIN.
IT'S A LITTLE HARD TO GET DOWN THERE BESIDES VERY DIRE TO HEAR THAT OUR SHELTER IS CROWDED AND PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, UM, IT, IT CHANGES THE WAY THE SHELTER REACTS WITH PEOPLE WHO BRING PETS TO IT.
SO THIS IS, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT, THAT I KNOW ALL THE COMMISSIONERS ARE CONCERNED ABOUT.
SO, UH, LESSEE, KRISTIN HAD SOME INFORMATION SHE WANTED TO SHARE WITH US.
UM, SO I WANT TO TAKE YOU BACK TO, UH, 2016 IN JUNE, WHERE THERE WAS A MULTI-WEEK SPACE CRISIS.
AND BEFORE I DO THAT, I JUST WANT TO SEE THAT I KNOW EVERYBODY ON THIS COMMISSION AND EVERYBODY ON ANIMAL WELFARE, WE HAVE STRONG OPINIONS ABOUT THE RIGHT WAY AND WRONG WAY TO DO THINGS AND WHO THE BEST ORGANIZATIONS ARE, ET CETERA, ET CETERA.
AND I'M JUST ASKING EVERYONE TO PUT THAT ASIDE, JUST TO HEAR ME OUT FOR ABOUT THREE MINUTES, UM, AND MAKE A COUPLE OF REALLY IMPORTANT POINTS THAT THE DATA TELLS US, UH, THAT ARE TRUE AND DATA DOESN'T LIE.
AND I THINK THAT THEY OFFER A PICTURE THAT WE NEED TO REALLY TAKE SERIOUSLY.
SO IN JUNE OF 2016, UH, WHEN I WAS WORKING AT AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER WITH A SMALLER TEAM AND A LOWER BUDGET, WE WERE IN A TRUE SPACE CRISIS.
IF WE WROTE AN ARTICLE, THERE'S A HUFFINGTON POST ARTICLE THAT YOU CAN FIND CALLED WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH, NO KILL GETS GOING.
AND AT THE TIME WE HAD 1,200 ANIMALS OR MORE IN CUSTODY OF THE SHELTER FOR WEEKS AT A TIME.
AND WHY THAT NUMBER MATTERS IS THAT, UH, WHEN JASON GAVE ME THE NUMBER TODAY, THE TOTAL NUMBER IN CUSTODY TODAY IS 620.
AND THE PROBLEM IS THAT WE ARE SEEING POSTS ON THE AAC FACEBOOK PAGE SAYING THE SHELTER IS CRITICALLY DANGEROUSLY FULL.
WE ARE SEEING POSTS THAT INDICATE THAT ANIMALS COULD BE AT RISK.
AND THIS SYSTEM IS BUILT TO SERVE A MUCH LARGER VOLUME OF ANIMALS CONSISTENT WITH OTHER LARGE CITIES.
BUT IF WE ARE CLAIMING THAT WE ARE IN A SPACE CRISIS AT HALF THE CAPACITY WITH A LARGER STAFF WITH MORE RESOURCES, WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN IN MAY, JUNE AND JULY TO ANIMALS AND TO OUR TAXPAYERS WHO REALLY TRULY NEED ANIMAL SERVICES, I'M NOT GOING TO WALK YOU THROUGH THIS WHOLE REPORT THOUGH.
I WAS ABLE TO ASSEMBLE IT IN ABOUT THREE HOURS JUST BY GOING THROUGH OPEN DATA AND PUBLIC RECORDS, PORTALS.
UM, AND IT, IT, IT, IT PRESENTS THIS SIMPLE, CLEAR DATA THAT WE AS A COMMISSION NEED TO UNDERSTAND THE PROBLEM.
AND WHAT I FOUND IS THAT LIKE ALMOST EVERY LARGE OPEN ADMISSION SHELTER,
[01:45:01]
SATURDAYS AND SUNDAYS ACCOUNT FOR THE VAST MAJORITY OF TRAFFIC INTO THE BUILDING, THIS IS JUST COMMON SENSE AT AAC.HISTORICALLY 44% OF ADOPTIONS WERE COMPLETED ON SUNDAYS BEING SPLIT ROUGHLY EVENLY BETWEEN THE TWO DAYS.
AND BY GOING THROUGH THE OPEN DATA PORTAL, ONE ANIMAL AT A TIME COUNTING ANIMAL BY ANIMAL, I WAS ABLE TO SHOW THAT WE ARE LOSING THE OPPORTUNITY TO OUTCOME ANYWHERE BETWEEN 60 AND 200 ANIMALS A MONTH BY BEING CLOSED ON SUNDAYS.
THESE AREN'T PERSONAL, THESE ARE JUST FACTS.
AND FINALLY, WHEN I REVIEWED THE SOCIAL MEDIA AND THE MARKETING OF THE SHELTER, I FOUND THAT ONLY TWO URGENT OR LONG STATE DOGS WERE REALLY MENTIONED ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
THERE WAS ONLY ONE DEDICATED FOSTER RECRUITMENT POSTS.
YET THE SHELTER MADE PLEASE ABOUT BEING FULL AND OVER CAPACITY ON FOUR DIFFERENT OCCASIONS.
UM, THERE WAS A LOT OF MARKETING KUDOS ABOUT LOST PETS BEING RETURNED HOME, BUT VERY LITTLE ON THE GROUP THAT IS MOST AT NEED FOR HELP AND PLACEMENT.
IT WAS ALMOST AS IF THEY WERE INVISIBLE.
YOU CAN'T REALLY LEARN OR SEE ANYTHING ABOUT THEM, EITHER IN NEWSREEL LACES OR IN SOCIAL MEDIA, WE HAVE A PROBLEM.
OUR VOLUNTEER HOURS ARE HALF TO MAYBE TWO THIRDS OF WHAT THEY WERE PRE PANDEMIC.
OUR FOSTER NUMBERS ARE A THIRD OR LESS WHAT THEY COULD BE MANY SHELTERS CURRENTLY IN THE US THAT ARE SIMILAR SIZE ARE SENDING FIVE TO 7,000 ANIMALS TO FOSTER A YEAR.
WE HAVE TO GET SERIOUS ABOUT ADDRESSING THE IDEA THAT 600 ANIMALS IS A SPACE CRISIS.
AND AS WE GO INTO SPRING AND SUMMER, WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO DO BETTER.
AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO HAVE OBJECTIVE IN PLACE TO DETERMINE WHAT A SPACE CRISIS REALLY IS.
SO, UM, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO SHARE THIS DATA AND I APPRECIATE THE WORK OF EVERY ANIMAL SERVICES DIRECTOR.
UM, I TAKE IT SERIOUSLY, AND I KNOW THAT THAT IS A HARD PLACE TO RUN, BUT WE NEED TO BE HONEST ABOUT WHAT THE PROBLEM IS IN THIS PARTICULAR MOMENT AND WHAT THE POSSIBILITIES ARE FOR SOLVING IT AND REALLY SERIOUSLY PURSUE THOSE.
DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR KRISTEN? THIS IS A, I HOPE YOU WERE ABLE TO LOOK THROUGH THIS DATA MAYBE BEFORE THE MEETING, BECAUSE THERE'S A BIT OF IT IT'S, UH, TO GO THROUGH IT ANYWAY, DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR KRISTEN? YES, KRISTEN, THANK YOU FOR PULLING THIS TOGETHER.
SO ALL OF THIS DATA WAS WHAT'S AVAILABLE ON THE THAT'S, CORRECT.
EXCEPT FOR THE, UM, THE 20, I DID INCLUDE SOME HISTORICAL NUMBERS FROM 2014 AND 2015 OF THE MOST BUSY DOT ADOPTION OF DAYS.
UM, AND THAT WAS FROM A PREVIOUS EFFORT WHEN I WORKED AT AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER WHEN WE WERE ACTUALLY CONSIDERING, UM, CLOSING ON WEDNESDAYS BECAUSE IT WAS ACTUALLY THE SLOWEST DAYS.
WE DID NOT EVEN MOVE THAT FORWARD TO COMMISSION.
IT WAS JUST A CONVERSATION, BUT I WAS ABLE TO ATTRACT ON THIS DATA, OTHER THAN THAT, EVERYTHING HERE IS FROM THE OPEN DATA PORTAL, UM, OR OTHER PUBLIC RECORDS.
AND DID I READ, OR DO YOU KNOW WITH OTHER SHELTERS THAT THEY'RE HAVING TO CLOSE ONE DAY A WEEK? IS IT COMMON TO CLOSE ON A WEEKEND IT'S HAPPENING? YOU KNOW, IT DEPENDS.
I MEAN, AS, AS WE'VE HEARD, THERE ARE TIMES WHEN STAFF ARE GOING OUT FOR COVID FOR WEEKS AT A TIME UNDER STAFFING IS AN ISSUE.
UM, WHAT SHELTERS ARE TYPICALLY DOING IS CLOSING VERY TEMPORARILY.
SO FOR A TWO WEEK PERIOD, UM, I HAVE NOT SEEN ANY CLOSE ON WEEKENDS.
I HAVE SEEN THEM CLOSING ON A WEDNESDAY IS THE ONLY DATE I'VE ACTUALLY THAT WE'VE ACTUALLY SEEN.
THERE PROBABLY ARE OTHER DAYS.
UM, BUT DALLAS ANIMAL SERVICES, FOR EXAMPLE, THEY CLOSED FOR A VERY SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME ON WEDNESDAYS AND THEY'VE REOPENED SERVICES SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.
SO IT'S TYPICALLY A MUCH SHORTER TIMEFRAME AND IT'S TO DEAL WITH A REAL CRISIS, EVEN WITH THE CURRENT SHORT STOPPING ARE STILL MORE STAFF WORKING IN THAT SHELTER THAN WHEN I USED TO WORK THERE.
SO THERE ARE ENOUGH STAFF TO SCALE UP IN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.
UM, AND IF WE WERE GOING TO NEED TO CLOSE, I WOULD THINK WEDNESDAY WOULD BE THE LEAST IMPACTFUL DAY FOR TAXPAYERS, FOR ANIMALS AND THE PUBLIC.
SO WITH THE LOWER HEAD COUNT OF HOW MANY ANIMALS ARE IN INVENTORY RIGHT NOW, FROM WHAT YOU REMEMBER WOULD BE POSSIBLE TO, OH, I'M SORRY.
PALMER, COULD YOU REPEAT THAT? YEAH.
FROM, FROM THE NUMBER YOU SAID THAT WHEN YOU WERE WORKING, IT WAS LIKE YOU GOT TO INVENTORIES AS HIGH AS 1200 HIGHER.
[01:50:01]
IN JUNE OF 2016, THERE WERE A BUNCH OF WEATHER EVENTS.YOU MAY REMEMBER THERE WAS FLOODING.
AND WE HAD, UM, SEVERAL WEEKS WHERE THE INVENTORY WAS 1200 OR HIGHER ON ANY GIVEN DAY WITH 60 TO 100 PETS ENTERING DAILY.
UM, AND WE CONSIDERED THAT TO BE A REAL SPACE CRISIS.
AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IT AT COMMISSION THEN.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? YES, THIS IS BAD.
UM, THANK YOU FOR, UH, THE ANALYSIS AND IT'S, UM, I THINK THE AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER, THE THUMP LAND, YOUR GROUP WILL NEED TO ALSO WHAT YOUR GROUP TO LOOK AT THAT ANALYSIS, THE CHRISTMAN, THE, AND JUST CONFIRM.
I THINK WE, AS A COMMISSION, UM, NEED TO WORK TOGETHER WITH THE AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER TO FIGURE THIS OUT.
AND WE CANNOT JUST GO MEETING BY MEETING ONCE A MONTH.
UM, THE SUMMER IT'S ALMOST THERE.
AND, UM, IT WOULD BE REALLY RESPONSIBLE FRONT OFFICE JUST TO LET THIS HAPPEN.
WE NEED TO COME UP WITH A PLAN.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? UH, LISA.
I JUST WANTED TO THANK CHRISTIAN FOR PUTTING TOGETHER THIS DATA, BECAUSE LIKE SHE SAID, YOU KNOW, REGARDLESS OF, UH, YOU KNOW, PUTTING EVERYTHING ASIDE, WHAT EVERYBODY THINKS FEELS ABOUT WHOEVER'S INVOLVED AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE NUMBERS DON'T LIE.
AND KRISTEN, DID YOU SAY THAT IT TOOK YOU THREE HOURS ROUGHLY TO PUT THIS TOGETHER? YES.
I MEAN, I JUST, I THINK IT'S, I ECHO MY LAST COMMISSIONER WHO SPOKE IT IS EXTREMELY COMPELLING.
AND THE FACT THAT YOU WERE ABLE TO DO IT IN THREE HOURS WHEN WE'VE BEEN ASKING THESE QUESTIONS FOR QUITE SOME TIME, UH, I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU GOING TO THAT EFFORT SINCE WE'VE NOW GOT JUST SOME HARD NUMBERS IN FRONT OF US.
UM, UH, SO I GUESS THE NUMBERS CAME OUT LATE TODAY.
I WAS LOGGED ON THIS AFTERNOON AND I DIDN'T GET A REPORT UNTIL LATE TODAY.
THE REPORT WAS NOT SUBMITTED UNTIL FRIDAY AND FRIDAY IS OUR LAST, UH, UPDATE UNTIL OUR UPLOAD UNTIL MONDAY.
THERE IS NO UPLOAD ON SATURDAY OR SUNDAY.
SO IF IT'S NOT THERE, IT WAS NOT UPLOADED AT 3:00 PM ON SECOND FRIDAY.
UM, YOU MENTIONED DALLAS ANIMAL SERVICES.
UM, ARE THEY STILL A KILL SHELTER? THEY WERE THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS.
I'VE LOOKED AT THEM, BUT I DIDN'T LOOK LAST MONTH.
WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY COLD THEY'RE BELOW 90% LIVE OUTCOME.
I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW THEY'RE ALIVE OUTCOME CURRENTLY.
UM, BUT THERE ARE SHELTER THAT AIMS TO BE AT ABOUT 90%.
YEAH, THEY JUST HAVEN'T BEEN, UM, FROM WHAT I SAW, UM, I WAS TRACKING IT EARLIER THIS YEAR.
I WAS LOOKING AT A LOT OF THE SHELTERS AROUND THE, AROUND THE STATE AND, UM, PALM VALLEY HAD FALLEN OFF OF BEING NO-KILL AND EL PASO WAS CERTAINLY, UM, NOT NO KILL.
UM, SAME THING WITH DALLAS ANIMAL SERVICES.
SO ARE YOU FINDING THAT AS WELL? SO YOU DIDN'T LOOK AT OUR LIVE OUTCOME AT ALL.
YOU KNOW, I CAN USE THE EXAMPLE OF MY FORMER SHELTER IN TUCSON, ARIZONA WITH WHERE WE HAD A 20,000 PER YEAR INTAKE AND A 92% LIVE RELEASE RATE.
AND OUR CUSTODY WOULD TYPICALLY INCLUDE ANYWHERE FROM 1200 TO 2000 ANIMALS AT ANY TIME, BIG SHELTERS, HOW BIG NUMBERS.
AND WE DID ACHIEVE OVER 90% EVERY MONTH.
AND I THINK WHAT, WHAT IS STRIKING ABOUT THE DATA FROM AAC IS JUST HOW FEW TOTAL ANIMALS ARE INVENTORY.
IF YOU PUT IT UP AGAINST, UM, SHELTERS OF HIGH LIVE RELEASE RATES, UH, WITH SIMILAR POPULATIONS, YOU'D SEE THAT THE NUMBER IN CUSTODY HERE IS ACTUALLY VERY LOW, WHICH INDICATES THAT OUR COMMUNITY IS DOING A LOT.
UM, AND ACTUALLY THE IS WORKING PRETTY WELL THAT WE'RE, WE'RE NOT ACTUALLY IN A CRISIS, BUT YEAH, IT'S CURIOUS THAT P I MEAN, I DO, I DO KNOW I LOOKED AT PIMA TOO, AND THEY DO MAINTAIN A NO-KILL STATUS, BUT THEY ALSO ASKED AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER TO TAKE SOME OF THEIR ANIMALS LAST YEAR, BECAUSE THEY WERE IN SUCH A SPACE CRISIS.
UM, IF YOU WEREN'T AWARE, THEY SENT A LETTER IN AND ASKED IF THEY COULD TRANSFER ANIMALS HERE.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY'S DOING WHAT THEY CAN TO GET THE ANIMALS OUT, BUT I LOOK AT THE DATA.
I, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS WITH LOUISE? DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION OR COMMENT? YES.
[01:55:01]
SO, UM, THIS IS, I WISH I HAD THE TECHNOLOGY SKILLS TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS.CAUSE I TRIED GETTING INFORMATION FROM THE PORTAL AND I'M ABSOLUTELY POSITIVE WHAT WAS USER ERROR, BUT I HAD A DIFFICULT TIME MANIPULATING IT.
UM, AND SO, AND I LOOKED ALL THIS OVER AND THIS IS FOR MARCH OF EVERY YEAR, RIGHT? SO IS IT, UM, I GUESS MY QUESTION IS, IS THAT LOOKING AT THE GRAPHS AND THIS CHART, IT, IT DOESN'T SEEM THAT THE NUMBERS HAVE FLUCTUATED VERY MUCH IN THAT TIME.
UM, AND I, IT DOES NOT APPEAR BY LOOKING AT THIS, THAT INTAKE HAS INCREASED TO THE POINT THAT WE SHOULD BE IN A SPACE CRISIS.
AND IT DOESN'T SEEM THAT OUTCOMES HAVE DROPPED SO LOW THAT WE SHOULD BE IN A SPACE CRISIS.
SO, YEAH, I'M, I'M A LITTLE CONFUSED AS TO WHY, WHY, WHY IT'S BEEN CALLED A SPACE CRISIS AS WELL.
AND WHAT WE COULD INFER FROM THIS IS THAT THE NUMBERS OF IN FOSTER WERE VASTLY HIGHER AND THE 200 ANIMALS IN FOSTER AT ANY TIME FOR LARGE HOPE AND AMBITION SHELTER AT THIS POINT IS QUITE LOW.
UM, AND SO THAT WAS THE DIFFERENCE THAT WE WOULD, I THINK IN THE SHELTER 600 IN SHELTER WOULD HAVE BEEN CONSIDERED A LOT.
AND THEN ANOTHER 600 IN FOSTER WOULD HAVE BEEN THE DIFFERENCE IN THE DATA.
UM, SOME OF THIS IS ALSO CALLED JUST OUT OF OLD REPORTS AND THE OLDER REPORTS GAVE A LOT MORE INFORMATION THAN THAT CURRENT ONES DO.
AND SO I WAS ABLE TO PIECE TOGETHER OLDER DATA THROUGH SOME OF THOSE REPORTS AS WELL.
AND I CAN SHOW YOU IT'S SO EASY AND EXCEL, ANY MORE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? UH, OKAY.
SO, UH, THIS IS AN INTERESTING PORT.
SO THE QUESTION IS NOW, UM, WHAT CAN WE DO WITH THIS INFORMATION? ALL I'LL SAY IS THAT I, I REVIEWED THE SPACE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE WORKING GROUP AND THE WORKING GROUP DID AN AWESOME JOB.
I, THERE'S NOT A LOT ON THERE THAT I WOULDN'T ALSO HAVE CONCURRED WITH WITH MAYBE A COUPLE OF IT THAT SHOULDN'T, BUT IT DOESN'T APPEAR THAT ANY OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THIS SPACE WORKING GROUP WERE IMPLEMENTED AND I WAS NOT ON COMMISSION.
SO IT MIGHT BE HELPFUL IF SOMEONE FROM THAT SPACE WORKING GROUP WANTED TO JUST TOUCH ON WHAT THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS WERE.
UM, WELL, THE SORT OF THE SPACE WORKING GROUP GOT FOLDED INTO THE COMMITTEE ON SUSTAINING, NO KILL AT AS FAR HAVE, HAS THAT COMMITTEE BEEN, BEEN MEETING YET? DO WE HAVE A STAFF LIAISON FOR THAT COMMITTEE YET? WE HAVEN'T BEEN ASKED TO THE COMMITTEE'S NOT MET YET.
I HAVEN'T BEEN ASKED TO SCHEDULE A MEETING YET, BUT WE WILL BE HAPPY TO DO SO.
SO COULD WE FOLD THIS INFORMATION INTO THAT COMMITTEE? WOULD THAT BE POSSIBLE? SO WE CAN, WE CAN FOLD THIS INFORMATION THERE AND THE COMMITTEE CAN CONTINUE TO LOOK AT THIS AND REPORT ON THIS.
PALMER? WELL, I HAVE A QUESTION.
I MEAN, FROM THIS, THE, THE INFORMATION THAT THE SPACE WORKING GROUP PULLED TOGETHER, WHEN WE FOLDED THAT WORKING GROUP, WE WERE TOLD THAT SPACE WAS UNDER CONTROL.
AND THERE WEREN'T ANY PROBLEMS. NOW THAT IT'S CLEAR THAT THERE STILL ARE REPORTED PROBLEMS. I'D LIKE TO SUGGEST THAT WE RESUBMIT THE RECOMMENDATION FROM THE SPACE WORKING GROUP BACK TO COUNCIL.
UH, OKAY, SO WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND THAT'S YEAH, THAT'S RIGHT.
THAT, YEAH, THAT, YES, THAT IS NOT ON THE AGENDA.
SO WHAT WE CAN DO, IF W IF WE COULD HAVE OUR COMMITTEE MEET BEFORE THE NEXT MEETING, WE CAN HAVE A COMMITTEE REPORT AND THEN WOULD THAT WORK? YES.
THE DISCUSSION PHASE I'D LIKE TO OFFER A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT.
HOW ABOUT WE BASICALLY TAKE WHAT WAS JUST PROPOSED AND INSTEAD FOLDED INTO THE NEXT AGENDA.
WE PUT THIS BACK ON AND WE SAY, YOU KNOW, CONSIDERATION OF, AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON RESUBMITTAL OF SPACE COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL OR SOMETHING ALONG THOSE LINES.
SO WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO IS PUT IT ON, I GUESS IT'D BE NEW BUSINESS.
[02:00:01]
I JUST DO WANT TO SAY THAT WE, WE NEED TO GET THIS COMMITTEE WORKING BECAUSE I THINK THIS WOULD EVENTUALLY FOLD INTO THAT COMMITTEE RISK KIND OF, I DON'T DISAGREE ON THAT, BUT THE WORK'S BEEN DONE ON THIS ONE.I THINK THAT THE IT'S, I MEAN, I JUST THINK IT NEEDS TO BE BROUGHT BACK UP AND ATTENTION TO IT.
WELL, SO I GUESS, UNLESS THERE'S ANY MORE REPORT, A SPACE CRISIS IN AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER, WE'RE NOW WE'VE MOVED INTO FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. AND SO WE CAN START UP IF I COULD, JUST IN CLOSING BEFORE WE MOVED TO A FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS, IF I COULD JUST SAY THAT WE HAVE AMPLE EVIDENCE TO SUGGEST THAT ADULT DOGS GOING TO FOSTER NEED DEDICATED RESOURCES.
AND I DO BELIEVE THIS IS AN EMERGENCY FOR BIG DOGS AND OUR, OUR SHELTERS.
SO, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S SPECIFICALLY MENTIONED, BUT I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT WAS PARTICULARLY CALLED OUT AS WE'RE LOOKING AT, THIS IS LIFE AND DEATH STARTING NEXT WEEK, IF THIS SPACE SITUATION WORSENS FOR ANIMALS.
SO BY THAT YOU MEAN LIKE FOOD, LIKE HEALTH TO FIND IT'S SITTING ON GETTING JUST DEDICATED RESOURCES TO GETTING BIG DOGS TO FOSTER HOMES.
UH, IT IS YOUR DAWN IS YOUR REQUEST FOR FOUR STAFF.
AND THEN WE TALKED ABOUT THAT INCLUDES A FOSTER THREE.
SO LET'S PUT, OKAY, SO LET'S GO OVER, OVER OLD BUSINESS, MONTHLY REPORTING OF DATA.
UH, WE SHOULD PROBABLY LEAVE THAT ON THERE UNTIL WE GET THIS RESOLVED.
LOOKS LIKE IT MAY BE GETTING RESOLVED WORKING GROUP ON AWFULLY STALKS.
THAT'S OFF, THAT'S DONE WORKING GROUP ON HOW TO INCREASE MICROCHIPPING IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
DO YOU WANT TO KEEP THAT ON THERE? OKAY.
AUSTIN PETS ALIVE, HUGE TOWN LIKE ANIMALS THERE.
SO WE CAN JUST ASK DON IF THERE'S ANY UPDATE, THAT'S A BRIEF THING.
TRANSFERRING US ANIMALS, CENTER ANIMALS TO OTHER COMMUNITIES.
DO WE WANT TO LEAVE THAT ON THERE? YES.
I'D LIKE TO LEAVE THAT ON THERE.
SO THEN, UH, UNDER NEW BUSINESS, WE'VE DONE A, WE'VE DONE B SO C BECOMES OLD BUSINESS.
WHAT, AND WHAT, WHAT, WHAT DO WE SAY? IT WAS A REPORT, A SPACE CRISIS AT AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER.
AND WHAT WAS THAT LISA? WELL, I THINK WE JUST FRAME IT MORE AS DISCUSS OR WHATEVER OUR NORMAL LANGUAGES THAT I KNOW BELINDA CAN HELP US WITH, BUT SOMETHING LIKE CONSIDER CONSIDERATION OF POSSIBLE ACTION ON AS YOUR PREFATORY LANGUAGE ON REPORTED SPACE, CRISIS AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER.
WHERE DID THE SAME? AND, UH, OKAY.
AND ARE THERE, SO ARE THERE ANY NEW, I HAVE A QUESTION.
IF THAT'S WORDED THE SAME, HOW IS IT POSSIBLE THAT WE COULD MAKE A RECOMMENDATION ON THE OLD SPACE? RIGHT, RIGHT.
REPORT IS SPACE CRISIS, THE US ANIMAL CENTER AND RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE SPRAYS CRISIS WORKING GROUP.
JUST PUT THAT, JUST PUT AN RECOMMENDATION OF SPACE, PRACTICE WORKING GROUP.
THAT'S WHAT IT NEEDED TO CAPTURE.
SORRY, I FORGOT WHAT I HAD SAID DURING.
JUST PUT THE TWO TOGETHER BECAUSE THEY'RE RELATED AND THEN IT'S ON THE AGENDA.
AND A NEW ITEM, NEW ITEM FROM DON.
WELL, AND I, WE S I SUPPORT IT IS OUR REQUESTS FOR STAFF, FOR THE F FOR F Y 23 BUDGET REQUESTS FOR MORE SHELTER STAFF FROM THE F Y 23 BUDGET.
AND THAT WOULD BE NEW BUSINESS.
FORESEE AND ADDING THAT WE KEEP ADDING THE, WE JUST TAKE REPORT A SPACE CRISIS ANIMAL CENTER.
AND, BUT I'M SAYING IS THAT SINCE WE'VE CHANGED IT, SHOULD WE MAKE IT NEW, BUT YES.
ANY, ANY OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS HERE?
[5. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS ]
OKAY.NOW JUST, I JUST WANT TO ANNOUNCE THIS BECAUSE WE DO HAVE SOME NEW PEOPLE.
[02:05:01]
ON THE AGENDA, TWO COMMISSIONERS NEED TO ASK FOR SOMETHING ON THE AGENDA AND I CAN BE ONE OF THEM, OR YOU CAN GET SOMEONE ELSE AND YOU CONTACT ME AND YOU LET ME KNOW.YOU WANT TO PUT THAT ON THE AGENDA.
NOW IT'S SUBJECT TO AUSTIN LEGAL AND, AND, YOU KNOW, TO MAKE THE WORDING RIGHT.
THERE IS, THERE'S A FEW CAVEATS, BUT THAT'S HOW THAT HAPPENS.
UH, YOU KNOW, I, I I'LL PROBABLY HAVE SOME COMMENTS TO SAY ABOUT AGENDA ITEMS, BUT BASICALLY THE IDEA OF THIS COMMISSION IS WE TAKE THE IDEAS TO COME TO US.
WE DISCUSS THEM AND COME UP WITH GOOD RECOMMENDATIONS AS A GROUP.
IT'S NOT ABOUT ME OR CHRISTINE OR ANYONE WE AS A GROUP.
SO THAT'S THE PROCESS BECAUSE KRISTEN HAD A QUESTION ABOUT THAT, ACTUALLY, AND THEN WE GOT TWO NEW COMMISSIONERS.
WE HAVE ONE, UH, UH, YOU, YOU CAN LOOK UP ON THE, UH, ON, ON THE, UH, WEBPAGE.
SHE'S NOT HERE YET, BUT WE WILL HAVE A NEW COMMISSIONER NEXT MONTH.
I HOPE COUNCIL MEMBER CHEETO VIA HAS NOMINATED DR.
PAGE NILSSON FOR DISTRICT FOUR.
UM, WHAT WE ARE WAITING NOW IS THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE, BEING ABLE TO TRAIN HER AND FINALIZE HER PAPERWORK SO THAT SHE'S READY TO SERVE.
WE NEED A VETERINARIAN ON THE COMMITTEE, AND THEN WE HAVE, I THINK COUNCIL MEMBER ALTAR WILL NEED TO APPOINT SOME, RIGHT.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING LOOK FORWARD TO, SORRY, CRAIG, DO WE, FOR THE VICIOUS DOG ORDINANCE THAT STILL HAS NOT GONE BEFORE COUNCIL THAT WE NANA MOSTLY VOTED ON THE CHANGES.
UM, WHAT CAN WE DO TO GET THAT ON A COUNCIL AGENDA? DO WE HAVE TO BRING IT UP PEER AGAIN, AS A NEW BUSINESS, I DON'T THINK IT'S EVER GONE BEFORE.
SO WHAT HAPPENS IS STUFF WILL GO TO COUNCIL.
THIS HAPPENED WITH THE BULL HOOK BAN.
THE STUFF GOES TO COUNCIL AND THEN PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, THEY COULDN'T CONVINCE A, A, THE COMMISSION TO VOTE AGAINST IT, I GUESS.
SO THEY GO TO THE CITY COUNCIL AND TRY TO GET THE CITY COUNCIL NOT TO SUPPORT IT BECAUSE IT'S ANOTHER LAYER.
AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED ON THAT.
THERE'S SOME QUITE ENOUGH QUESTIONS TO RAISE AND THEN IT GETS OUT OF THEIR SIGHT.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF WE, I GUESS WE COULD PUT IT ON HERE AGAIN AND WE COULD, WE COULD IT AGAIN AND SEND IT TO THEM AGAIN.
CITY CLERK CLERK'S OFFICE HAS ALSO SUGGESTED HAVING A COUNCIL MEMBER SPONSORS SUCH A THING BECAUSE, UH, THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE YOU'RE GOING TO GET THE BEST TRACTION.
WELL, AND I ASKED MY COUNCIL MEMBER AND THEY SAID, THEY THOUGHT IT SHOULD BE A STAFF.
IT SHOULD BE PRESENTED BY STAFF.
SO, UM, LIKE, UH, I FORGET THE OTHER ONE, BUT THERE WAS ANOTHER ONE THAT WAS PRESENTED BY STAFF.
SO THEY, THEY FELT IT SHOULD GO LIKE THAT, BUT THERE WAS JUST, AND THE REASON I BROUGHT IT UP IS THERE WAS JUST A DISCUSSION ON ONE OF THE FACEBOOK POSTS FROM ONE OF THE RESCUES ABOUT A DOG WHO, UM, WOULD PROBABLY DECLARE VICIOUS.
SO THE OWNER WAS GOING TO PUT IT DOWN BECAUSE IT WOULD HAVE TO LEAVE THE CITY LIMITS AND SHE COULDN'T FIND ANYONE OUTSIDE THE CITY TO TAKE IT AND HAD THE CHANGE BEEN PUT IN THE PERSON THE OWNER COULD HAVE KEPT THE PET, UM, JUST FOLLOW THE RESTRICTIONS THAT WERE ON THERE, WHICH ARE MORE SIMILAR TO DANGEROUS DOG STATUTE.
SO, UM, IT WOULD BE NICE IF WE COULD GET IT CHANGED.
SO SHOULD WE JUST ADD THAT AS A, ANOTHER ITEM? YEAH.
WE'LL JUST ADD IT, UH, UH, WHAT WE COULD SAY.
JOANNE, ONE OF THE REASONS IS BECAUSE IT'S NOT AN ASO DRIVEN RECOMMENDATION AND WE JUST DIDN'T THINK THAT WOULD BE THE APPROPRIATE THING TO HAVE THE ASO OFFICE SPONSORING SOMETHING THAT CAME THROUGH THE COMMISSION.
AND IF KRISTEN OR BAYER, SINCE YOU WEREN'T HERE, WHEN WE DID IT, IF YOU WANTED ANY OF THE BACKGROUND CONTACT ME AND I CAN SHOW YOU, I CAN SHOW YOU WHAT IT IS.
IT WAS AN ERROR THAT SHOULDN'T HAVE HAPPENED AS A LANGUAGE LEARNER.
IT'S, IT'S A GOOD, IT'S A GOOD RECOMMENDATION.
AND I WORKED ON IT AND, UM, AND I HAVE A LOT OF BACKUP DATA, BUT I CAN SEND YOU THE SLIDE SHOW OR SOMETHING IF YOU WANT TO SEE IT.
SO WHY DON'T YOU GET TOGETHER WITH, WITH BELINDA FOR WORDING ON THAT? OKAY.
IS THAT IT WELL, UH, WAS VERY SUBSTANTIAL MEETING.
WE TALKED ABOUT A LOT OF STUFF AND YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO DO.
AND IT WAS JUST A LITTLE OVER TWO HOURS, WHICH ISN'T BAD.
UH, I ADJOURN THE MEETING AT EIGHT, 10:00 PM.