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CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER I'M CRAIG NASER COMMISSIONED CHAIR
[CALL TO ORDER]
CALLING THE ME TOO, MEETING TO ORDER AT 6:04 PM.THIS IS ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION MEETING MAY 9TH, 2022, VIRTUAL AND TELECONFERENCING.
UH, SO NOW WE NEED, UH, UH, FIRST OF ALL, BEFORE WE DO THE ROLE, I WANT TO WELCOME DR.
PAIGE NELSON TO THE COMMISSION.
SHE IS CHEETO VALLAS, APPOINTEE, AND SHE IS OUR VET, WHICH WE ARE REQUIRED TO HAVE BY STATE LAWS.
SO IT'S NICE TO HAVE A DOCTOR HERE.
SO, UH, LET ME CALL THE ROLE, UH, CRAIG LASERS HERE, RYAN CLINTON, NANCY NEMER, LISA MITCHELL, EAR EAR, UH, KATIE YARROW HERE, CHARLE ACTUALLY IN HISTORY FOR UDACITY, UH, PALMER NEW HOUSE HERE.
LOT OF SMACK ULA HERE, LOUISE HARA BEATRICE.
SO THE FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS
[PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL]
IS PUBLIC COMMUNICATION.UH, SO LET'S START WITH, UM, EMILY STEINBERG, ZIMMERLI STEINBERG HERE.
I AS A NEWER VOLUNTEER AND SOMEONE WHO LOVES THE CENTER AND OUR ANIMALS, PARTICULARLY THE LARGE DOGS, MORE THAN ANYTHING.
AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER HAS BECOME MY HAPPY PLACE OVER THE PAST SIX MONTHS SOMEWHERE, I LOOK FORWARD TO COMING EVERY WEEK TO HELP WITH ADOPTION EVENTS, LARGE DOG WALKING, FOSTER MATCHMAKING, AND RUNNING DOGS TO AND FROM PLAYGROUP.
I'VE ADOPTED TWO DOGS MYSELF FROM AAC IN THE PAST AND AM PROUD TO HAVE SUCCESSFULLY FOSTERED MY FIRST.
SO I WANTED TO START TONIGHT'S MEETING WITH BOTH SOME GOOD AND BAD NEWS FROM MY PERSPECTIVE FIRST, THE GOOD, THE VOLUNTEER PROGRAM IS AMAZING AND ONE OF THE BEST I'VE EVER SEEN THE VOLUNTEER ROLES ARE VITAL, MEANINGFUL, AND WELL-ORGANIZED, AND THE VOLUNTEER TRAININGS AND COORDINATORS ARE TOP NOTCH.
IN FACT, BECAUSE OF THIS, I NOMINATED AAC VOLUNTEER PROGRAM FOR THE AUSTIN CHRONICLES, BEST OF AUSTIN AWARDS FOR BEST VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE.
WE MUST KEEP INVESTING IN AND EXPANDING OUR VOLUNTEER PROGRAMMING.
SECOND, THE BOOTS ON THE GROUND STAFF HERE ARE SOME OF THE MOST HARDWORKING, DEDICATED PEOPLE I'VE EVER MET FROM ANIMAL CARE TO CUSTOMER SERVICE.
THESE STAFF ARE BUSTING THEIR BUTTS EVERY DAY AND DOING DOUBLE OR SOMETIMES TRIPLE DUTY TO KEEP THE SHELTER AFLOAT.
THEY DESERVE ALL THE RESPECT AND RECOGNITION IN THE WORLD.
AND THREE, THE BEHAVIOR TEAM IS LITERALLY WORKING MIRACLES WITH THESE ANIMALS.
AND ONLY MY FIRST SIX MONTHS AS A VOLUNTEER, I'VE WITNESSED THE BEHAVIOR IMPROVEMENTS OF NUMEROUS DOGS IN OUR CARE FROM BEING SHY, STRESSED, FEARFUL, AND POTENTIALLY AGGRESSIVE TO TRANSFORMING INTO THE ADOPTABLE, LOVING, SOCIALIZED, AND PLAYFUL PUP.
THEY WERE MEANT TO BE, THIS IS DONE THROUGH DAILY PLAYGROUPS, ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES, REAL LIFE ROOM INTERACTIONS, VOLUNTEER OUTINGS, AND OVERNIGHT FRIENDS OF AAC, SPONSORED TRAINERS AND INTENSIVE SUPPORT FROM THE ORANGE DOT CREW IN CLASSIC CANINE.
THIS BEHAVIOR WORK IS ABSOLUTELY IMPERATIVE AND SHOULD BE INVESTED IN HEAVILY TO ENSURE THAT OUR DOGS CAN BE ADOPTED INTO GOOD AND LOVING HOMES THAT WILL FIT NOW FOR THE BAD FIRST.
THE CHRONIC UNDER STAFFING SITUATION RIGHT NOW IS JUST PLAIN UNACCEPTABLE.
NO EXCUSES RELATED TO COVID ARE REALLY ACCEPTABLE ANY LONGER.
YOU MUST MAKE IT EASIER TO APPLY FOR THESE JOBS.
PAY MORE, OFFER BETTER BENEFITS AND SIGN ON PERKS AND LIMIT STAFF HOURS TO NOT OVERWORK THEM TO ENSURE A LONG-TERM SUSTAINABLE STAFF PIPELINE.
RIGHT NOW, SOME STAFF ARE WORKING 12 HOUR DAYS DOING BACKBREAKING WORK EXHAUSTED AND HAVE NO SUPPORT FROM LEADERSHIP WHEN VACANCIES OR SICKNESS RELATED ABSENCES OCCUR.
LEADERSHIP MUST BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE AND SHOULD BE STEPPING IN TO FILL BASIC SHELTER FUNCTIONS.
IF THEY CANNOT KEEP ADEQUATE STAFF ONSITE, SERIOUS CHANGES NEED TO BE MADE IN THE CITY'S HIRING PROCESS AND PAY SCALES TO PREVENT THE CURRENT STAFFING CRISIS FROM BECOMING FATAL TO OUR ANIMALS.
AND IN ADDITION, RECENT DECISIONS BY LEADERSHIP TO PRIORITIZE COSMETIC IMPROVEMENTS OVER SAFETY NEEDS ARE TRULY BIZARRE AND BAFFLING.
THE RECENT PUSH TO INSTALL $200,000 OF ARTIFICIAL TURF, WHICH PHYSICALLY BURNED DOG PAWS IN THE SUMMER SEAT RATHER THAN INSTALLING THE SHADE COVERINGS THAT HAVE BEEN SITTING UNUSED FOR OVER A YEAR MAKES ZERO SENSE TO ME.
I MYSELF HAVE SUFFERED HEAT STROKE WHILE VOLUNTEERING DUE TO LACK OF SHADE IN THE PLAY YARD.
THIS IS A SERIOUS LIABILITY AND HEALTH HAZARD FOR THOSE WHO DO NOT HAVE THE LUXURY OF SITTING IN AN AIR CONDITIONED BUILDING.
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I'M OUT OF TIME, BUT THERE ARE MORE VOLUNTEERS AND STAFF HERE.AND I WANT TO REMIND OUR OTHER COMMENTERS THAT WE ARE LIMITED TO THREE MINUTES.
IT SEEMS DRACONIAN, BUT NOWADAYS AT THE CITY HALL, THEY LIMIT YOU TO ONE MINUTE.
SO THREE MINUTES IS, IS PRETTY GOOD.
NEXT IS EILEEN MCFALL, UH, FINAL SECOND-YEAR RESCUE PROJECT, WHICH IS EILEEN.
YOU STARTED PLEASE RESTART, SORRY.
UM, MY NAME IS EILEEN MCFALL AND THE DIRECTOR OF FINAL FRONTIER RESCUE PROJECT, WHICH IS THE MAIN RESCUE THAT HAS COLD DOGS THAT WERE IN DANGER OF BEING KILLED BY AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER.
AFTER DECLINED BY AUSTIN PETS ALIVE, WE'VE RECENTLY CEASED TO BE A PARTNER AND WILL NOT BE A PARTNER.
AS LONG AS DON BLAND REMAINS IN CHARGE.
UM, AS THE PREVIOUS COMMENT OR SAID, WE HAVE THE GREATEST RESPECT AND ADMIRATION FOR THE BOOTS ON THE GROUND, STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS WHO ARE WORKING INCREDIBLY HARD TO HELP THE ANIMALS.
LEADERSHIP IS NOT TRUSTWORTHY.
UM, AN EXCUSE IS JUST NOT AS GOOD AS THEIR RESULT.
AND ALL WE GET FROM DON BLAND IS EXCUSES.
WE NEED RELIABLE DATA AND DECISIONS NEED TO BE MADE TO, UM, AND OUTCOMES TRACKED.
THE TRANSPORT PROGRAM HAS NOT HELPED AS I TALKED TO YOU, A C IS ONCE AGAIN SAYING THEY'RE IN A SPACE CRISIS, IT'S JUST UNACCEPTABLE.
STANDBY, PLEASE PROJECT, PLEASE.
MY NAME IS STEPHANIE FRITZ AND I'M ONE OF THE CO-FOUNDERS OF FINAL CENTER RESCUE PROJECT.
SINCE OUR FORMATION IN 20 18 5 FRONTIER HAS BEEN OUR KEY RESCUE PARTNER OF AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER, AND WE'VE RESCUED IN PLACE.
MANY OF AUSTIN'S DOGS WITH BEHAVIOR ISSUES WITHOUT COMPROMISING PUBLIC SAFETY.
WHILE IT'S NEVER BEEN EASY TO WORK WITH AAC, IT HAS BECOME IMPOSSIBLE FOR US TO CONTINUE DOING SO.
UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF DON BLAND, WE HAVE ASKED TO WORK COOPERATIVELY WITH AAC SEVERAL TIMES SINCE MR. BLAND HIRING AND OUR REQUESTS WERE IGNORED.
WE HAVE BEEN AN INTEGRAL PART OF AUSTIN'S PROGRESS AS A NO-KILL COMMUNITY.
AND YET THE ANNOUNCEMENT THAT WE WERE DISCONTINUING, OUR PARTNERSHIP WENT UNANSWERED AS WELL.
OUR SMALL VOLUNTEER LED RESCUE CANNOT AND SHOULD NOT BE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TO COMPENSATE FOR THE FAILURES OF AUSTIN PUBLIC SHELTER.
AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER NEEDS COMPASSIONATE AND COLLABORATIVE LEADERSHIP.
HELLO, MY NAME IS ZACHARY LUWISER AND I'M AN EIGHTH GRADER AT LAKE TRAVIS MIDDLE SCHOOL.
I HAVE BEEN HELPING MY MOM, STEPHANIE FRITZ WITH DOG RESCUE THROUGH FOSTERING AND VOLUNTEERING SINCE I WAS AROUND SEVEN YEARS OLD, FOSTERING DOGS HAS TAUGHT ME A LOT, BUT IF MY MOM WASN'T INVOLVED WITH DOG RESCUE, I WOULDN'T HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY.
IT WOULD BE GREAT IF AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER COULD REACH OUT TO FAMILIES SO THAT THEY ARE AWARE OF THE BENEFITS OF FOSTERING.
UH, NEXT WE HAVE IN-PERSON SPEAKERS.
YOU CAN GIVE ME THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE HERE.
I DON'T WANT TO DO ONE PICK UP.
WE, WE DON'T, WE HAVE LESS THAN 10.
I'M WITH AUSTIN LOST AND FOUND PETS.
UM, I TEND TO BRING UP THE SAME ISSUES OVER AND OVER BECAUSE THEY DON'T TEND TO BE RESOLVED.
UM, WE HAVE ISSUES THAT WOULD HELP THE SHELTER AS WELL.
REDUCE THE NUMBER OF DOGS THAT HAVE TO GO TO THE SHELTER.
A SIGNIFICANT ISSUE IS WITH 24 PET WATCH.
AND I HAD BROUGHT UP THIS ISSUE OVER THE
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PAST COUPLE OF YEARS, REPEATEDLY TO MR. SLOAT.AND I THINK AT ONE POINT TO DON BLAND AS WELL, ALL OF THE MICROCHIPS THAT GO TO, UM, 24 PET WATCH TO BE REGISTERED ALL OF THE SHELTER DOGS, UM, THEY'RE LISTED AS HAVING PRIVACY HOLDS ON THEM.
WELL, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU NORMALLY DO.
IF YOU HAVE A WOMAN WHO'S A VICTIM OR MAN OF DOMESTIC ABUSE, AND THEY DON'T WANT SOMEONE TO BE ABLE TO FIND THEM THROUGH THE MICROCHIP.
SO WHAT HAPPENS IS THAT IF I FIND MY NEIGHBOR'S DOG, THE MICROCHIP COMPANY WILL ONLY GIVE ME A FIRST NAME.
LAST INITIAL, SOMETIMES A PHONE NUMBER.
I CAN'T TELL IT TO MY NEIGHBOR.
I TAKE THE DOG TO THE SHELTER.
THE TELEPHONE IS PROBABLY CHANGED.
THEN THE BURDEN IS ON THE SHELTER.
IF THEY HAVE TIME TO DO IT, TO ACTUALLY GO TO THE HOME.
AND I HEAR THEY DON'T DO THAT VERY OFTEN TO GET THE DOG HOME SO THAT, YOU KNOW, IT SEEMS LIKE AN EASY FIX JUST TO TELL 24 HOUR PET WATCH TO STOP AUTOMATICALLY PUTTING PRIVACY HOLDS ON ALL THE MICROCHIPS.
WE ALSO HAVE ISSUES WITH THREE.
ONE, ONE IS STILL CONSISTENTLY TELLING PEOPLE TO LET DOGS GO.
AND, UM, PEOPLE WERE LETTING DOGS GO.
IT'S A DANGER TO THE, TO THE ANIMAL, BUT THAT'S IT.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, BEVERLY UH, OKAY, SO WE HAVE ASHLEY NOT NEIL'S.
I'M THE BEHAVIOR TEAM SUPERVISOR, AND I'VE WORKED AT THE AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER FOR JUST OVER EIGHT YEARS.
DURING THAT TIME I'VE BEEN UNDER SIX DIFFERENT CHIEFS AND HAVE EXPERIENCED THAN MY FAIR SHARE OF HEARTBREAK, BUT NEVER HAVE I WORKED IN SUCH A TOXIC WORK ENVIRONMENT.
AS I DO NOW, INDIVIDUALLY, THE MEMBERS OF THE CURRENT LEADERSHIP TEAM ARE GOOD PEOPLE, BUT AS A GROUP, THEY RULE THROUGH FEAR OF RETALIATION.
AND BY KEEPING US ALL SO LOW AND EXHAUSTED THAT WE DON'T HAVE THE STRENGTH TO STAND UP AGAINST THEM ANYMORE.
IT IS COMMON PRACTICE FOR DAWN AND OTHERS ON LEADERSHIP TO DISPARAGE OUR RESCUE PARTNERS, OUR NASTY VOLUNTEERS, AND, UH, ANY STAFF WHO DARES TO SPEAK OUT ABOUT ANYTHING.
I HAVE WATCHED AS SOME OF THE PEOPLE THAT I CONSIDER MY CLOSEST SHELTER, FAMILY BECOME INCREASINGLY ANGRY AND SPITEFUL, AND I HAVE HAD MY OWN SPIRIT AND WILL SO BAD AT IT AND BROKEN THAT I NEARLY GAVE UP.
WHEN I OFFERED TO COME TALK TO THE COMMISSION ABOUT SOME RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WERE ACTUALLY HARMING OUR SPACE CRISIS.
I WAS TOLD POINT BLANK THAT YOU WOULDN'T CARE WHAT I HAD TO SAY.
WELL, HERE'S YOUR CHANCE TO PROVE THEM WRONG.
HERE'S YOUR CHANCE TO STAND UP FOR BOOTS ON THE GROUND STAFF AND TELL US THAT WE MET HER AND TO TELL AUSTIN THAT WE ARE STILL COMMITTED TO BEING THE LARGEST NO-KILL COMMUNITY IN THE NATION LIST OF FIXES AT AAC NEEDS TO TRULY THRIVE AS LONG.
BUT TONIGHT I WILL START WITH THE THREE MOST PRESSING REQUESTS THAT WE NEED THE ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION TO PUSH CITY COUNCIL AND CITY HALL FORCE SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE FUNCTIONING.
I ASKED THAT AN IMMEDIATE MORATORIUM BE PLACED ON THE KILLING OF LONG STAY DOGS UNDER THE GUISE OF BEHAVIORAL CONCERNS.
THIS IS NOTHING MORE THAN EMOTIONAL BLACKMAIL AND NOT ONLY DOESN'T HELP WITH OUR SPACE CRISIS, BUT IN FACT USES UP A RIDICULOUS AMOUNT OF RESOURCES THAT COULD BE BETTER SPENT ELSEWHERE TOO.
I ASKED FOR BOTH AN INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL HR, UH, INVESTIGATION INTO THE TOP-DOWN TOXIC WORKPLACE CULTURE, AS THAT WILL BE INCREDIBLY REVEALING OF THE OTHER MAJOR PROBLEMS AT AAC.
AND THREE, I WOULD LIKE AN EXPLANATION FROM CITY HALL AS TO WHY THE ALARMING DATA, RED FLAGS AND CRIES FOR HELP GIVEN OVER AND OVER IN THE LISTENING TO THE WORKFORCE SURVEYS AND EXIT INTERVIEWS HAVE BEEN IGNORED.
THEY HAVE ALLOWED THIS TOXIC ENVIRONMENT TO FESTER FOR FAR TOO LONG, AND AAC STAFF DESERVES BETTER.
I KNOW THE RISKS I'M TAKING BY SPEAKING TO YOU TODAY.
I KNOW HOW UNCOMFORTABLE IT WOULD BE TO WALK INTO WORK AGAIN, BUT TRYING TO CHANGE THINGS FROM THE INSIDE HAS BEEN ENTIRELY INEFFECTIVE.
WE'RE AT THE POINT OF NO RETURN EITHER WE REINSTATE AUSTIN'S COMMITMENT TO ANIMAL WELFARE OR THE MASS EXODUS OF ANYONE WHO CARES WE'LL CONTINUE AND EVERYTHING WE'VE BUILT OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS WILL CONTINUE TO CRUMBLE.
SO PLEASE, I'M ASKING YOU TO STAND UP FOR US AND TO STAND UP WITH US TO HELP US RECLAIM OUR SHELTER.
UM, BUT WE ARE ALLOWED TO ASK FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS.
AND I WAS WONDERING IF WE COULD ASK THE LAST SPEAKER TO JUST PROVIDE DETAILS ON WHAT SHE MEANT BY, UH, THE PLACEMENT OF LONG STAY BEHAVIOR DOGS ON THE KILL LIST AS, UM,
[00:15:01]
UH, ACTUALLY MAKING IT HARDER RATHER THAN HELPING WITH THE SPACE CRISIS.WHEN THESE LONG STAYS ARE PLACED ON THE LIST, IT IS TO GET THEM OUT.
BUT THE PROBLEM IS THAT WE ARE UNDER SO MUCH PRESSURE TO SAVE THE LIVES OF THE DOGS THAT WE CARE ABOUT, THAT WE ARE SPENDING SO MUCH OVER YOUR EMOTIONAL ENERGY, OUR PERSONAL TIME AT HOME.
UM, AND EVEN AT WORK, LIKE HAVING TO INTRODUCE DOGS TO MULTIPLE PEOPLE, BECAUSE WE'RE TRYING TO FIND THE CORRECT PLACEMENT.
WE ARE SPENDING SO MUCH TIME DOING THAT, THAT WE'RE NOT ABLE TO PUT OUR FULL ATTENTION TOWARDS GETTING THE BULK OF THE DOGS OUT, WHICH IS THE ACTUAL PROBLEM.
WE'RE NOT ALLOWED TO GO BACK AND FORTH, BUT I APPRECIATE YOU ANSWERING.
JUST WHAT RYAN IS SAYING IS CORRECT.
UH, ON PUBLIC COMMENT, UH, UH, WE DON'T, YOU KNOW, WE CAN ASK MAYBE FIVE QUESTION OR TWO, BUT OKAY.
UH, WE HAVE A FEW MORE, WE HAVE SHELLY LEE HAM.
I'M ACTUALLY FOR AN AGENDA ITEM.
WE'LL SAVE THEM FOR THE ITEMS. OKAY.
SO THAT'S EVERYBODY, IF WE DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER INVERSE, WE CAN DO THE GEN ITEMS. OKAY.
IT'S THREE HOUR OR THREE MINUTE LIMIT STILL.
I'M AN ACTIVE CAT VOLUNTEER AT AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER.
I ALSO MENTOR NEW CAT VOLUNTEERS AND I'VE BEEN DOING A LOT OF MENTORING LATELY.
I WANT TO ADDRESS THE DATA PRESENTED BY COMMISSIONER HUSSON AS BACKUP TO AGENDA ITEM FOUR, A REGARDING THE VOLUNTEER PROGRAM, AS IT RELATES TO THE CURRENT SPACE CRISIS.
FIRST COMPARING PRE PANDEMIC DATA TO NOT EVEN YET POSTPONE DEMIC DATA.
PODESTA DATA IS LIKE COMPARING APPLES TO ORANGES.
PRE PANDEMIC VOLUNTEERS WERE ALLOWED TO BE ONSITE FROM 7:00 AM TO 10:00 PM, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.
WHEN THE PANDEMIC HIT, WE WEREN'T ALLOWED ON SITE FOR A FEW MONTHS AND THE HOURS WERE VERY RESTRICTED.
TODAY WE CAN GO FROM 7:00 AM TO 8:00 PM EVERY DAY, APPLES TO ORANGES, PRE PANDEMIC LIFE WAS DIFFERENT PEOPLE WEREN'T CONCERNED ABOUT CATCHING A POTENTIALLY DEADLY VIRUS.
THE PRIORITIES OF MANY PEOPLE HAVE CHANGED SINCE LIVING THROUGH A PRODUCT, A PANDEMIC WORK, FAMILY, VOLUNTEERING, APPLES TO ORANGES.
SECOND ONE IMPORTANT FACT IN THE DOCUMENT IS JUST SIMPLY UNTRUE.
THE BACKUP DOCUMENTS STATES THAT CHANGE TO COUNTING FOSTERS AS VOLUNTEER HOURS HAPPENED IN 2020 FOR THE FIRST TIME, AAC HAS INSTRUCTED FOSTERS TO RECUR RECORD TWO HOURS PER DAY FOR FOSTERING, SINCE AT LEAST 2016 AS REFLECTED BY THE GIFT PULSE GUIDE PROVIDED TO VOLUNTEERS AND FOSTERS.
AT THAT TIME, I REALIZE I'M NOT PART OF THE WORKING GROUP ON THE SPACE CRISIS.
AND I'M LOOKING AT THIS BACKUP DOCUMENTS STANDING ALONE.
I CAN'T IMAGINE THE ONGOING SPACE CRISIS IS THE FIRST TIME THE SHELTER HAS BEEN IN CRISIS MODE.
AND WHILE I APPRECIATE THE WORK GOING INTO TRYING TO SOLVE THE SPACE CRISIS, I CANNOT STAY SILENT WHEN THE VOLUNTEER PROGRAM IS UNDER REVIEW.
MAYBE I DON'T HAVE THE FULL PICTURE, BUT I THINK IT WOULD BE BETTER IF WE CAN AT LEAST COMPARE APPLES TO APPLES AND USE ACCURATE INFORMATION ON WHAT TO BASE RECOMMENDATIONS.
MANY VOLUNTEERS CHOSE NOT TO RETURN SINCE THE PANDEMIC HIT.
SO FINDING A NEW POOL OF VOLUNTEERS WHEN WE ARE COMPETING WITH MANY OTHER NONPROFITS MEANS THAT WE'LL TAKE SOME TIME.
WHEN I DECIDED TO VOLUNTEER AT THE AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER, MY DECISION WAS BASED IN PART ON MY BELIEF THAT AS A MUNICIPAL SHELTER, THEY PROBABLY NEEDED MORE HELP THAN OTHER WELL-KNOWN NONPROFITS.
AND MY EXPERIENCE HAS PROVEN THAT BELIEF TO BE TRUE.
MANY PEOPLE STILL DON'T KNOW THAT AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER IS THE MUNICIPAL SHELTER.
PERHAPS MORE MARKETING DOLLARS COULD HELP ATTRACT NEW VOLUNTEERS.
I WAS FORCED TO TAKE A BREAK FROM VOLUNTEERING DURING MOST OF 2020 AND ALL OF 2021, MAINLY BECAUSE THE BUSINESS I OWN AND OPERATED WAS HEAVILY IMPACTED BY THE PANDEMIC.
AND WHEN BUSINESS FINALLY STARTED TO RETURN THE JOB MARKET CHANGED, I COULDN'T FIND STUFF OR I COULDN'T AFFORD TO PAY WHAT THEY NEEDED.
THERE'S A STAFFING SHORTAGE AND ALMOST EVERY TYPE OF ORGANIZATION IN THE AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER IS INCLUDED.
WHILE I BELIEVE THE VOLUNTEER PROGRAM IS AN ESSENTIAL PIECE OF THE PUZZLE.
LET'S NOT PLACE AN INORDINATELY HIGH EXPECTATION ON UNPAID VOLUNTEERS.
VOLUNTEERS ARE HERE TO HELP SUPPLEMENT STUFF, NOT REPLACE IT.
THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK.
UM, THE NEXT PERSON WOULD BE RHONDA PICKENS ALSO, UH, SPEAKING TO ITEM FOUR, A I JUST WANT TO CHECK, CAN I GIVE MY TIME TO SOMEONE ELSE? UH, OR WOULD YOU LIKE ME OR DO I NEED TO, WOW.
USUALLY YOU SHOULD USE YOUR TIME.
THEY DO THAT AT CITY COUNCIL, BUT WE DON'T USE IT.
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OKAY.UM, MY NAME IS RHONDA PICKENS AND I'M SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS REGARDING SPACE, CRISIS RECOMMENDATIONS.
ONE OF THE REASONS BEING THAT THE BOOTS ON THE GROUND ARE NOT LISTENED TO BY MANAGEMENT.
THEREFORE THESE IDEAS AREN'T GETTING THERE.
UM, ONE, THEY NEED TO LAY SPAY AND NEUTER UNTIL AFTER THE BEHAVIOR TEAM HAS EVALUATED THE DOGS.
THE CURRENT SYSTEM MEANS IT'S USUALLY A MONTH BEFORE DOGS CAN BE BROUGHT INTO PLAY GRAP FOR EVE PLAYGROUP FOR EVIL THAT'S BECAUSE THEY GO THROUGH THE SPAY AND NEUTER.
THEY TEND TO GET SICK AFTER SPAY AND NEUTER.
SO 30 DAYS OF A STRESSED ANIMAL BEFORE THERE, THEY CAN RECEIVE THEIR BEHAVIOR, UM, EVALUATION.
UM, AND BECAUSE THEY ARE SO STRESSED BY THAT POINT, THEIR BA BARRIER REACTIVITY IS WORSE AND IT MAKES THEM SEEM LESS ADOPTABLE.
SO STEPPING IN EARLIER WOULD HELP MAKE THE DOGS MORE ADOPTABLE TO AAC, DESPERATELY NEEDS A BEHAVIOR FOSTER COORDINATOR AND A SPACE MANAGEMENT COORDINATOR.
IF THE CITY CANNOT PROVIDE FUNDS AND NEEDS TO APPLY TO MADDIE'S FUND OR SOME OTHER ORGANIZATION FOR GRANTS, BECAUSE THIS IS DESPERATELY NEEDED, THREE, NO MORE WASTING MONEY ON FRIVOLOUS AESTHETIC IMPROVEMENTS LIKE ARTIFICIAL GRASS MANAGEMENT WAS INFORMED WELL IN ADVANCE THAT IT ACTUALLY HURTS THE DOGS IN AN AUSTIN SUMMER TO BE ON ARTIFICIAL GRASS.
UM, AND THEY WERE JUS AS USUAL, THE BOOTS ON THE GROUND WERE IGNORED.
UM, THREE, NO MORE WASTING, I'M SORRY.
THE MONEY SHOULD BE SPENT ON THINGS THAT ACTUALLY REDUCE THE DOG STRESS, THEREBY REDUCING THEIR LENGTH OF STAY STRESS DOGS, UM, LOOK LESS ADAPTABLE.
THEY NEED VISUAL BARRIERS IN THE KENNELS.
THEY NEED SOUNDPROOFING, ESPECIALLY IN THE
THEY NEED TO FIX THE OUTSIDE OF THE SUITE SO THAT THE DOGS CAN'T FENCE FIGHT.
ALL OF THIS COULD HAVE BEEN DONE WITH THE MONEY SPENT ON ARTIFICIAL GRASS, HAVE TRANSPORT AND RESCUE PARTNERS, PULL DOGS THAT HAVE BEEN IN THE SHELTER GREATER THAN 30 DAYS, INSTEAD OF ALLOWING THEM TO PICK AND CHOOSE THE MOST ADOPTABLE DOGS.
CURRENT, THE CURRENT MODEL IS UNSUSTAINABLE.
IF ALL THE BET ALL THE EASIEST TO ADOPT DOGS ARE TAKEN AWAY.
THEN THE MOST DIFFICULT DOGS ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO BUILD A NUMBER AT AAC.
UM, AND THEN JUST PERSONALLY, I'D LIKE TO SAY YOU HAVE VOLUNTEERS AND A, UM, STAFF OF BOOTS ON THE GROUND.
PEOPLE THAT DO THIS FROM PASSION AND THAT ARE EXPERIENCING HUGE STRESS AND COMPASSION, FATIGUE, AND YOU'RE CHASING THEM AWAY.
AND IT'S A LOST TREASURE TO AUSTIN.
UH, THE LAST, UH, PUBLIC SPEAKERS, UH, WELL, NO, THIS IS ON FORAY.
JOANNE MO Y'ALL ANYONE THAT ATTEMPTS TO SAY MY LAST NAME GETS A THUMBS UP FROM ME.
UM, MITRE, I JUST WANTED TO OFFER A FEW DIFFERENT, UH, OR FIRST MY NAME'S JOANNE MALAWI, AND I'VE BEEN VOLUNTEERING AT THE SHELTER FOR FIVE YEARS.
UM, I JUST HAVE SOME SUGGESTIONS HELP WITH THE SPACE CRISIS.
THEY MIGHT BE SMALL, BUT LIKE AT THIS POINT LITTLE THINGS ADD UP, YOU KNOW, TOGETHER TO MAKE BIG THINGS.
UM, MY BIGGEST QUESTION, UM, AND I HAVE, UM, ASKED VOLUNTEER COORDINATORS ABOUT THIS BEFORE IS, UM, THE ADOPTION BUS.
IT'S BASICALLY A HUGE BILLBOARD AND IT CARRIES DOGS.
I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY, UM, BEFORE THE PANDEMIC I ATTENDED TWO OFF-SITE ADOPTION EVENTS AND THEY WERE MODERATELY SUCCESSFUL.
EVEN IF WE DON'T ADOPT ONE DOG FROM THERE, WHICH I DON'T THINK IS POSSIBLE.
SO THE LAST TIME, ONE OF THE BIG ONES THAT WAS THAT I WAS AD WAS THAT, UM, PETSMART AND B CAVE, AND IT WAS GREAT.
AND THAT'S AN AREA THAT I THINK WE NEED TO BE REACHING OUT TO.
I KNOW IT'S A LITTLE FAR FROM THE SHELTER, BUT ADOPTIONS ARE DOWN AND WE NEED TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN.
UM, AND PLEASE, I ASK YOU TO INVITE VOLUNTEERS FOR THAT.
UM, AND I ALSO SAW ON OUR INTERNAL FACEBOOK PAGE THAT, UM, THERE WAS AN EVENT I THINK, LAST WEEKEND.
AND THERE WAS A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC THAT SAID I'VE NEVER HEARD OF YOUR, UH, PLACE BEFORE, LIKE AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER.
WHAT DOES THAT, UM, ANOTHER SMALL SUGGESTION.
WHAT ABOUT A NEW LOGO, A NEW SLOGAN, EVEN A SONG.
I DON'T KNOW, SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
[00:25:01]
AN AMAZING JOB AT MARKETING.I DON'T THINK ANYONE CAN DENY THAT.
CAN WE CONTACT THEM, TAKE TIPS FROM THEM? THEY, I FOLLOW A FEW PEOPLE ON, UH, SOCIAL MEDIA AND APA IS EVERYWHERE AND THERE'S ROOM FOR ALL OF US AT THE TABLE.
YOU JUST TWEETED OUT SOMETHING FROM APA.
I BELIEVE LIKE FOUR OR FIVE DAYS AGO ABOUT THE PETS AND HEAT THEY WERE ON THERE.
I'VE NEVER SEEN ANIMALS CENTER, AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER ON THERE.
THEY HA THEY RAISE MONEY FOR APA.
UM, BE LIKE JOSH FOUNDATION, WHICH IS NOT COMMONLY KNOWN.
WELL, I THOUGHT IT WAS, THEY WERE AT A, THEY WERE HAVING A NATIONAL TOUR AND APA WAS THERE.
SO I THINK, UM, WE CAN TAKE TIPS FROM THEM.
WE'VE GOT TO GET OURSELVES OUT THERE.
PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW WE ARE THE CITY'S SHELTER.
UM, I WOULD LOVE FOR THE SHELTER TO BE OPEN AGAIN ON SUNDAYS.
UM, EVEN IF FIVE ANIMALS GET ADOPTED ONLY THAT'S FIVE DOGS, NOT IN CRATES RIGHT NOW.
UM, WE'VE GOT DOGS BASICALLY IN A CRATE IN SMALLVILLE.
WE'VE GOT CATS BASICALLY IN CRATES.
AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, I KNOW THERE'S A BIG PUSH FOR FOSTERS, BUT LIKE WE'VE GOT DOGS IN CRATES.
HOPEFULLY NOT THE EXACT MOMENT RIGHT NOW THAT THOSE ARE OUR EASIEST DOGS.
UM, AND THEY SPEND LITERALLY 23 HOURS IN A CRATE EVERY SINGLE DAY.
IT'S NOT HUMANE, NO KILL NEEDS TO BE HUMANE AND IT NEEDS TO BE A PRIORITY.
AND I KNOW I'M NOT ALONE IN THAT, BUT I JUST FEELS GOOD TO SAY IT BECAUSE IT'S NOT SAID ENOUGH.
SO I KNOW WE LOVE OUR ANIMALS, PLEASE LET'S SAVE THEM AND ALSO MAKE SURE WE'RE TAKING CARE OF THEM.
[1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
THING WE HAVE IS THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.UH, SO BELINDA SENT THOSE OUT.
ARE THERE ANY COMMENTS ON APPROVAL FOR THE MINUTES? I HAVE A MOTION TO DO WE HERE A SECOND.
SO, UH, ANY OTHER COMMENTS? SORRY.
I MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES.
UH, ALL IN FAVOR, ANY OPPOSED MINUTES ARE APPROVED.
[2a. Austin Animal Center and Animal Services Reports.]
I'M A CENTER ANIMAL SERVICES REPORTS.GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS, JASON GARZA, ANIMAL SERVICES.
SO FOR APRIL, THE LIVE OUTCOME PERCENTAGE WAS 97.4%.
WE HAD A TOTAL OF 1067 ANIMALS BROUGHT TO THE SHELTER.
WE HAD A TOTAL OF 419 ANIMALS THAT WERE ADOPTED AND A TOTAL OF 132.
UH, CATS, BIRDS DOGS ARE RETURNED TO THE OWNERS THROUGH EITHER STRAIGHT UP OR RTO OR THROUGH RTO ADOPT WITHIN ANIMAL PROTECTION.
THEY WERE ABLE TO RETURN 38 ANIMALS TO THEIR OWNERS IN THE FIELD.
UM, THEY DID IMPOUND 158 INJURED ANIMALS AND DELIVERED 95 WILDLIFE ANIMALS TO AUSTIN WILDLIFE RESCUE.
UM, FOR VOLUNTEERS, WE HAD A TOTAL OF 278 VOLUNTEERS.
THERE'S A, THERE'S A CHANGE IN THE REPORT DONATED 3,331, UH, HOURS FOR VOLUNTEER SERVICE.
OUR COORDINATORS HAVE HELD THREE ORIENTATIONS FOR NEW VOLUNTEERS IN APRIL, WHERE WE INTRODUCED 87 PEOPLE TO SHELTER PROGRAMS. AND 114 NEW VOLUNTEERS ATTENDED THEIR FIRST TRAINING.
UM, AS WE MENTIONED, THE, BEFORE THE FORKLIFT DANCE WORKS EVENT INTRODUCED AROUND A THOUSAND PEOPLE TO VOLUNTEERING AND FOSTERING FOR THE SHELTER.
UM, WE HAD 83 ANIMALS THAT WERE ADOPTED DIRECTLY FROM OUR FOSTER CARE.
AND THROUGH THE MONTH WE HAD 150 DIFFERENT PEOPLE, FAMILIES THAT FOSTERED FOR US.
UH, WE ARE ALSO ABLE TO PROCESS 108 NEW FOSTER APPLICATIONS AND WITHIN GIVE PULSE, WE CURRENTLY HAVE 810 APPROVED FOSTERS WITHIN THE SYSTEM.
UM, 234 DOGS, CATS, GUINEA PIGS, RABBITS WERE TRANSFERRED TO 21 OF OUR LOCAL, UH, AAC PARTNERS.
AND 93 DOGS WERE TRANSPORTED TO THREE OUT-OF-STATE RESCUE PARTNERS.
UM, TWO OWNERS RENDER APPOINTMENTS WERE POSTED LOCAL AC RESCUE PARTNERS FOR INTAKE REFERRAL OPTIONS.
OUR VETS WERE ABLE TO PERFORM SEVEN OVER 700 EXAMS. WE SPAYED, UH, 367 ANIMALS.
UM, THERE'S 99% OF AVAILABLE ANIMALS HAVE BEEN STERILIZED.
UH, NO VISIBLY PREGNANT ANIMALS WERE, WERE SPAYED.
UM, WE TREATED 30, UH, 64 EMERGENCY CASES AND 56 EMERGENCY CASES WERE TRANSFERRED TO US FROM THE EDC.
UM, WE HAD AN ESTIMATE FROM THE EMERGENCY CLINIC AT 25,000, BUT WE ACTUALLY GOT THE, THE, THE CORRECT BILL AND IT WAS, OH, WE SPENT OVER $38,000 WITH ECU THIS PAST MONTH.
UM, WE HAD 27 ANIMALS RECEIVED ORTHOPEDIC SURGERIES WITH ANOTHER 23 RECEIVING SPECIALTY SURGERIES, UH, NUCLEATION AMPUTATIONS, MASTER REMOVAL, UH, APA
[00:30:01]
WAS ABLE TO PULL 111 ANIMALS FROM US.UM, AND WITHIN PRC, WE WERE ABLE TO HAND OUT OVER 1600 BASIC PET ITEMS TO, TO FOLKS THAT NEEDED IT.
UM, WE WERE ABLE TO DEFER $13 TO BEHAVIOR ISSUES AND WITHIN OUR LOST AND FOUND, UH, SYSTEMS 200 FOUND ANIMAL REPORTS TO REPORT IT.
AND 261 LOST ANIMALS WERE REPORTED.
I'LL KICK IT OVER TO DON FOR ANY ADDITIONAL AS WITH, WITH, UH, APRIL IN MARCH, WE SAW OUR INVENTORY GROW BY 69 ANIMALS.
UH, AND FOR THE MONTH OF APRIL, IT GREW BY 166 THAT'S, YOU KNOW, HOW MANY CAME IN VERSUS WHAT WE COULD GET OUT.
SO, UH, THAT IS THE TREND PRETTY MUCH ACROSS THE COUNTRY RIGHT NOW.
SO STAFF'S DONE REAL WELL TO GET THEM OUT.
UH, I'M LOOKING AT THE SPAY AND NEUTER, WHERE WAS IT? UH, SAID THAT, UH, 99% OF AVAILABLE ANIMALS HAVE BEEN STERILIZED? WHAT IS AVAILABLE ANIMALS MEAN THAT ARE ANIMALS THAT ARE AVAILABLE FOR SURGERY? THEY'RE NOT ON STRAY HOLD.
THEY ARE NOT MEDICALLY COMPROMISED.
UH, SO I HAVE A QUESTION BECAUSE THIS HAS COME UP IN FRONT OF THE COMMISSION OVER THE YEARS, UH, IS, UH, I THINK A POLICY THAT WE VOTED ON AT ONE POINT WAS TO SPAY OR NEUTER, UH, UH, AFTER SECOND IMPOUNDMENT.
DOES ANYBODY REMEMBER THE SEEM TO REMEMBER THAT THAT IS, THAT IS TRUE.
SO ARE YOU DOING THAT NOW? OKAY.
IF WE WILL DO IT, IF THEY WILL SIGN THE SPAY NEUTER FORM THAT ALLOWS US TO DO IT, BUT, UH, BECAUSE I FOUGHT, I MIGHT BE WRONG, BUT I HAD THOUGHT THAT WE PASS THAT MEANT YOU COULD SAY NEW TO THEM WITHOUT THE CONSENT FORM.
LUND IS ON OUR, UH, ON THE, UH, CITY OF AUSTIN STAFF.
AND SHE CAN ANSWER THAT FOR US.
THE VETERINARY BOARD DISAGREES WITH THAT, THE VETERINARY BOARD DISAGREES WITH THAT.
AND IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE OWNER'S CONSENT, WE DO NOT, YOU DO NOT SPAY AND NEUTER THE ANIMAL.
WHICH MEANS WE NEED TO CHECK THAT WITH A CAUSE THAT'S AN ORDINANCE THAT WE PASSED, BUT YOU KNOW, THAT'S A DISCREPANCY.
CAUSE I REMEMBER AT ONE TIME THE DISCUSSION WAS SPARING NEUTER AFTER FIRST IMPOUNDMENT.
AND WE VOTED ON THAT IN A, DID NOT PASS.
AND OUR LEGAL DEPARTMENT BACKS WHAT DR.
LEN SAID, AND WON'T LET US DO IT WITHOUT A CONSENT FORM.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT INFORMATION.
I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS ON, UM, THE RTOS ON THE GRAPH FOR THAT THEY SHOWED 137 ANIMALS RETURNED TO OWNER THIS MONTH.
AND THEN THESE 38 THAT WERE RETURNED BY ANIMAL PROTECTION IN THE FIELD.
THOSE ARE NOT PART OF THAT 1 37 ERA ADDITION TO CORRECT.
IN FACT, CAUSE WE DON'T ACTUALLY, WHEN THEY'RE ON THE TRUCK, WE DON'T ACTUALLY OFFICIALLY IMPOUND THE ANIMAL.
THEY JUST FIND THE OWNERS AND THEY CATEGORIZE AS AN ACTIVITY FOR OUR APS.
UM, MY SECOND QUESTION IS ON OWNER SURRENDER APPOINTMENTS.
UM, WHAT IS THE CURRENT WAIT PERIOD FOR AN OWNER SURRENDER APPOINTMENT AT AAC? I BELIEVE IT'S THREE WEEKS, BUT I'LL NEED TO VERIFY THAT.
SO THAT HAS NOT IMPROVED AT ALL BECAUSE I THINK A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO THAT WAS THE SAME ANSWER.
SO THERE'S BEEN NO IMPROVEMENT.
YOU'RE NOT GETTING TO THESE APPOINTMENTS ANY QUICKER.
IN FACT, WHEN WE'RE REALLY A SPACE CRISIS, WHEN WE CALL FOLKS UP AND TRY TO DELAY IT BECAUSE KNOW THAT WAY WE CAN TRY TO MANAGE THE INTAKE.
DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? QUESTION PALMER? YES.
UH, JASON, I HAVE A QUICK QUESTION FOR YOU ON THE END.
I'VE BEEN MEANING TO ASK THIS ON THE PRC, THE ASSISTANCE ITEMS YOU PUT IN 1600, I BELIEVE.
COULD YOU LET US KNOW WHAT THAT, WHAT, WHAT MAKES UP THAT 1600? YEAH.
SO IT'S, UM, WE PROVIDE FOOD CRATES, ANY, ANY SORT OF SUPPLIES THAT INDIVIDUALS MAY NEED, YOU KNOW, WHEN THEY HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH FOLKS AND THEY SAY, WE, WE WERE LOOKING AT SURRENDER TO HIS DOG BECAUSE WE CAN'T FEED IT.
THEN WE'LL PROVIDE, WE'LL PROVIDE WHATEVER THEY NEED IN ORDER TO TRY TO KEEP THAT FAMILY TOGETHER.
[00:35:02]
SO WE'VE PROVIDED 1600 NEW UNIQUE ITEMS IN THE PAST MONTH OR BASIC YEAH.WITH INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE, THAT ARE COMING TO US FOR SUPPORT, WHATEVER SERVICE THAT THEY MAY NEED IN ORDER TO, COULD YOU LIKE, GIVE ME JUST KIND OF A LIKE GENERAL BREAKDOWN, LIKE PERCENTAGE WISE? WHAT, LIKE WHAT, WHAT THE BULK OF THAT IS KIND OF, THAT'S A LOT OF ITEMS IN A MONTH.
BUT I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IT IS.
I CAN WORK WITH STAFF ON TRYING TO BUILD THAT OUT.
WELL, I MEAN, RIGHT NOW, I MEAN, IS THAT MAJORITY OF IT FOOD IS THE MAJORITY OF IT.
DO WE KNOW WHAT THE MAJORITY ARE? THE TOP LIKE THREE OR FOUR ITEMS ARE IT'S THE MAJORITY IS FOOD.
I'M THE PROGRAM MANAGER, REMARKETING COMMUNICATION.
I WAS PET RESOURCE CENTER SUPERVISOR.
UM, SO THE MAJORITY IS FOOD, UH, AND IT INCLUDES ITEMS GIVEN OUT BY OUR HOMELESSNESS FOR OUR OUTREACH PERSONNEL.
SO I WOULD SAY FOOD TREATS, UH, STUFF THAT'S DONATED.
SO IT'S NOT NECESSARILY THINGS THAT WE WERE BUYING.
UM, IT'S DONATED THINGS THAT WE WERE GIVING OUT.
I'D BE INTERESTED AS JUST, UH, TO SEE MORE SPECIFICS ON THAT IF POSSIBLE.
AND, UM, JUST TO UNDERSTAND THAT THE NUMBER AND HOW THAT'S COUNTED AND HOW IT'S QUANTIFIED AND THEN JASON, ON YOUR MONTHLY REPORT, IT'S STILL REALLY DIFFICULT TO GAUGE WHEN YOU SAY WE DID X NUMBER OF SURGERIES THIS MONTH, IS THAT BETTER OR WORSE THAN LAST MONTH? IS THAT BETTER OR WORSE THAN LAST THAN THIS SAME MONTH? LAST YEAR? CAN WE START GETTING SOME OF THAT INFORMATION? SO WHEN YOU GIVE US THIS, UH, WHEN YOU GIVE US YOUR VERBAL REPORT, WE HAVE SOME COMPARISONS FOR US TO BE ABLE TO DRAW SOME CONCLUSIONS ABOUT WHAT EXACTLY THAT MEANS.
I CAN TRY TO WORK THAT INTO THE OVERALL NARRATIVE JUST TO BUILD THAT CONTEXT OF IF IT WAS AN IMPROVEMENT OR IF IT'S AN IMPROVEMENT OVER THE NEXT MONTH, I'D EITHER PERCENTAGE OR JUST OVERALL HARD NUMBERS.
I MEAN, IT'D BE NICE TO KNOW IF WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE LOWER IN SOMETHING OR HIGHER IN SOMETHING AND WHY, AND CAN WE DO MORE OF TO INCREASE THAT OR WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO MORE OF? AND I JUST THINK SOME CONTEXT OF THE INFORMATION THAT'S BEING.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? YEAH, I HAVE A COUPLE.
UM, SO I WAS TRYING TO UNDERSTAND ONE OF THE COMMENTERS HAD JUST TALKED ABOUT THE NEED FOR MORE FOSTERS AND IN YOUR REPORT, IT SAYS THERE ARE 235 ANIMALS IN FOSTER CARE AND THERE ARE 810 APPROVED FOSTERS.
SO IS ANYTHING BEING DONE TO KIND OF TRY TO, YOU KNOW, GET THOSE THE OTHER 600 OR SO MORE ENGAGED AND, AND TAKING ANIMALS? CAUSE I'M GUESSING THAT IF THERE'S 235 ANIMALS IN FOSTER, THAT'S PROBABLY NOT EVEN 235 INDIVIDUAL FOSTERS THAT SOUNDS LIKE MAYBE HAVE SOME ROOM TO ENGAGE THOSE ADDITIONAL FOSTERS.
WE, UH, WE SEND PLEASE ON A REGULAR BASIS TO, TO EVERYONE IN OUR SYSTEM, JUST TO HELP OUT WITH ANY SPACE OR, OR PULL ANY ANIMALS, YOU KNOW, JUST TO REMIND THEM TOO, THAT, YOU KNOW, OUR INVENTORY HAS CHANGED.
SO THERE'S ANYTHING THAT THEY MAY BE INTERESTED IN OR ARE HELPING US OUT WITH.
SO YES, WE REGULARLY SEND THEM MESSAGES TO, TO GAUGE THEIR INTEREST, SOME OF THE 810, JUST NEWER TOO.
AND MAYBE THAT'S WHY THEY HAVEN'T JOINED IN YET.
UM, GO AHEAD A LITTLE BIT ABOUT A LITTLE BIT.
WE, WE, WE KEEP THEM ON, ON THE LIST.
THEY'VE, THEY'VE, YOU KNOW, IN THE APPLICATION PROCESS, YOU KNOW, WE, WE, THEY LIST OUT WHAT THEY MAY BE INTERESTED OR WHAT THEY COULD ACCOMMODATE IN WHATEVER HOUSEHOLD SITUATION THEY HAVE.
UM, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, IT COULD WORK OUT FOR US WHERE WE'RE STRUGGLING WITH, WITH A POPULATION ISSUE.
UM, YOU KNOW, BUT YEAH, WE, WE, WE HOPE WE HOPE AND SEND OUT WHATEVER WE CAN, YOU KNOW, AND IF THEY CHANGE THEIR MIND ON, ON TAKING A MEDIUM TO LARGE DOG THAT YEAH, WE'LL, WE'LL TRY TO PROCESS IT AND GET IT DONE.
UM, AND THEN I HAVE QUESTION ABOUT THE 93 DOGS TRANSPORTED TO THREE OUT-OF-STATE RESCUE PARTNERS.
UM, SO WE SENT A GROUP OF DOGS TO NORTHWOODS AND THEN FOR THIS MONTH, THAT'S ALL RIGHT.
SO MIDWEST ANIMAL RESCUE AND SERVICES IN MINNESOTA, UH, NORTHWOODS AND CATKINS ANIMAL RESCUE BOTH IN WISCONSIN.
I DON'T THINK I HAVE ONE OTHER QUESTION.
[00:40:01]
QUICK QUESTION.THE PET RESOURCE CENTER IS STILL ONLY OPEN MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY.
IS THAT RIGHT? THAT IS CORRECT.
DID BIA HAVE SOME QUESTIONS? YES.
OH, HAPPY, UH, COMMON, UH, COMMENT.
UM, THAT WHAT PALMER SHARED ABOUT THE REPORTING.
I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT THIS TYPE OF REPORT THAT WE GOT FOR APRIL, I MEAN, YOU PROVIDE ALL THOSE STATS.
I UNDERSTAND THAT TAKE PINE AND ANSWERED.
UH, BUT WE NEED TO PUT IT IN PERSPECTIVE BECAUSE YOU'RE JUST GETTING THE APP.
YOU'RE NOT SAYING, IS IT BETTER THAN LAST MONTH OR NOT, OR WORDS OR, OR IF IT'S THE SAME AND ALSO PUT A LITTLE BIT OF COLOR.
WHY? SO I JUST WANTED TO REEMPHASIZE THAT, THAT THAT WILL BE REALLY KEY TO BE ABLE TO HELP HELP YOU.
DO WE HAVE ANY MORE QUESTIONS? UH, UH, RYAN? YEAH, I HAD QUESTIONS ON, UM, AND AGAIN, I KNOW THAT SOCIAL MEDIA CAN BE WRONG, BUT ON SOCIAL MEDIA THERE'S BEEN REPORTS OF, UM, DOG DEATHS IN THE SHELTER AND ALSO DEATHS ON THE TRANSPORTS, BUT NONE OF THOSE ARE REPORTED, UH, IN THE DATA.
AND SO I WAS WONDERING IF, UH, IF THAT, IF THOSE SOCIAL MEDIA REPORTS WERE TRUE, UH, AND IF SO, WHY THEN IT BEING REPORTED? YEAH.
AND ON THE REPORT, WE HAD, UH, TWO CATS THAT DIED IN APRIL AND ONE PIT BULL, UM, AND ONE DOG, UH, AS NOT SURE IF IT WAS MAYBE A CERTAIN TIME PERIOD, I CAN INVESTIGATE MORE.
AM I, AM I LOOKING AT THE WRONG PAGE? BECAUSE THE PAGE THAT I'M LOOKING AT SAYS ANIMAL DEATHS AND SHELTER FOSTER CARE HAS JUST TWO KITTENS.
YES, THERE WAS IT'S DIFFERENT ON, UM, AND I WORKED WITH IT BECAUSE THE ORDINANCE HAS SAID FOR ANIMALS TO BE DONE AND IT DIDN'T INCLUDE CERTAIN THEM.
IT DIDN'T INCLUDE ANYTHING THAT WASN'T A CAT OR A DOG.
SO THE OVERALL DEATHS WE HAD OF OVERALL ANIMALS WAS SEVEN.
AND THEN WE FOUND A PIT BULL THAT WAS MISSING FROM THE DATA, BUT THEY HAD FIXED IT.
SO IT NEEDS, I HAVE IT ON, ON MY INTERNAL REPORT.
AND SO, YES, I, I COMPLETELY FORGOT THAT THAT HAPPENED.
SO I CHECKED THE HICKEY ON THAT ONE.
AND THEN WHAT ABOUT, WHAT ABOUT DEATHS AND TRANSPORT? UM, ARE YOU AWARE OF DEATHS OF AAC, ANIMALS AND TRANSPORT? OKAY.
PAGE, I AM THERE I'LL HAVE TO EXCUSE MY INEXPERIENCE IF I DO THIS INCORRECTLY, BUT, UM, I, I AGREE WITH THE COMMISSIONERS COMMENT THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE ASK FOR DATA, WE'RE ASKING FOR A LOT OF TIME AND EFFORT AND, UM, AND SO I'M, I'M ALSO WONDERING AS I'VE, AS I'VE WATCHED SOME OF THE MEETINGS, UM, IT MIGHT BE HELPFUL IF THE COMMISSIONERS, UM, SHARE A RATIONALE FOR IT.
THE DATA THEY'RE REQUESTING, FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN, UM, PALMER WAS, UH, WAS DISCUSSING THE NUMBERS OF SURGERY AND WANTING IT TO BE ABLE TO INTERPRET IT IN TERMS OF BETTER ROARS, WELL, IS MORE SURGERIES BETTER, OR IS FEWER SURGERIES BETTER? I MEAN, IF THERE'S A GREATER NEED IN THE CITY FOR SURGERIES, YES.
DOING MORE SURGERIES IS BETTER.
HOWEVER, IF WE'VE DONE A GOOD JOB OF SUPPORTING OUR COMMUNITIES SO THAT THEY CAN TAKE CARE OF THEIR OWN PETS, THEN NEEDING TO DO FEWER SURGERIES IS BETTER.
SO I JUST WONDER IF, IF AS COMMISSIONERS, WE COULD THINK, THINK MORE ABOUT THE QUESTIONS WE NEED TO ANSWER AND, AND WHAT THE DATA REALLY NEEDS TO BE TO GET TO GET THAT RATHER THAN, YOU KNOW, JUST, JUST A GUT FEELING OF, I WANT TO KNOW THESE NUMBERS.
SO, BUT THAT WE, UH, PALMER'S RIGHT HERE AND WE ASK HER YEAH.
THAT EXAMPLE THAT I GAVE, I MEAN, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW OUR, WITH THE SHORTAGES THAT HAVE TAKEN PLACE THAT WE'VE DISCUSSED WITH COVID WITH THE S THE, UH, SPACE CRISIS.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW, UM, IF, IF WE WERE REPORTING THAT OUR SPAIN NEUTERS HAVE DECREASED, UH, ANNUALLY OR MONTHLY, THAT DOESN'T MEAN IT'S A BAD THING, BUT WHY IS IT DECREASED BECAUSE THEY'RE FEWER ANIMALS
[00:45:01]
GOING IN AND OUT OF THE SHELTER? HAS IT DECREASED BECAUSE WE ARE SHORT-STAFFED HAS IT DECREASED BECAUSE THERE ARE MORE ANIMALS COMING THROUGH THE SHELTER THAT ARE ALREADY SPAYED OR NEUTERED.SO I THINK THAT THE INFORMATION IS IMPORTANT AND THEN LOOKING AT THE TREND MAY HELP GUIDE US INTO WHAT THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS WOULD BE REGARDING THAT TREND.
DOES THAT HELP EXPLAIN IT A LITTLE BIT? UH, YES.
I'M NOT SAYING THAT THERE'S NO RATIONALE FOR NEEDING THE DATA, BUT I'M JUST WONDERING IF WE COULD MAKE IT, TRY TO MAKE IT CLEARER, WHAT OUR RATIONALE IS.
TH THAT IS, THAT'S A SUGGESTION WE CAN TAKE AND, AND TRY TO BE CLEAR ON THAT.
UM, WHAT IS THE CURRENT INVENTORY OF ANIMALS? BOTH IN FOSTER AND SHELTER? I DON'T, I DIDN'T SEE THAT, UH, CATS AND DOGS.
I GET, I MEAN, NOT WHILE, NOT INCLUDING WILDLIFE, I GUESS.
AND IF I COULD JUST JUMP IN REAL QUICK THAT THANK YOU FOR ASKING THAT, BECAUSE THAT WAS MY QUESTION TO YOU, BECAUSE WHAT I SAW, THE ONLY THING I SAW WAS ON YOUR REPORT, PAGE NINE OF 36, IT LOOKED LIKE IT SAID THE INVENTORY WAS 360 7, BUT I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT THE DATE WAS, SORRY TO JUMP IN, BUT I JUST THOUGHT THAT MIGHT HELP CLARIFY.
AND THAT PARTICULAR NUMBER WILL BE THE DAY OF WHEN THE DATA REFRESHES.
SO IT COULD POSSIBLY BE AS A, YESTERDAY, IT WAS 367, BUT YEAH, I THINK IT'S JUST ALL ANIMALS AND NOT A BREAKDOWN BETWEEN CATS OR DOG OR SO THERE'S APPROXIMATELY 700 ANIMALS TOTAL IN INVENTORY BETWEEN FOSTER AND THE SHELTER.
IT'S JUST PULLING UP OUR INVENTORY REPORT.
UM, AND, AND AT SITE, IF THERE ARE 367 IN SHELTER AND 235 AND FOSTER THERE'S 539 IN SHELTER
SO THERE'S APPROXIMATELY 274 ANIMALS, OR I'M SORRY, 774 ANIMALS TOTAL IN CUSTODY.
UH, I'M JUST LOOKING AT OUR AUTOMATIC INVENTORY REPORT AND IT SAYS THERE'S 818 ANIMALS TOTAL.
UM, AND THEN 539 THAT ARE AT THE SHELTER 277 THAT ARE, UM, NOT AT THE SHELTER.
UM, AND OTHER 56 EMERGENCIES THAT WERE SENT TO AN OFFSITE CLINIC THIS MONTH, ARE THOSE COUNTED IN INTAKES? YES.
WE'LL COUNT THOSE INTAKES CAUSE THEY GET TRANSFERRED TO US FROM THE EMERGENCY CLINIC AND THEN WE'LL OFFICIALLY IMPOUND THEM WITH A NUMBERS.
DO WE KNOW THE LIVE OUTCOME RATE OF THOSE ANIMALS? UH, I ACTUALLY DON'T BUT OFF TO GET WITH DR.
SO IF THEY'RE DIE, IF THEY DIE IN, THEY'RE NOT TRANSFERRED TO THE SHELTER, THEY'RE NOT COUNTED INTO THE LIVE OUTCOME RATE.
UH, NO, CAUSE THEY WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN IMPOUNDED BY THE SHELTER.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? YEAH.
I HAVE ONE MORE JUST BASED ON WHAT WE JUST HEARD THEN.
SO I GUESS, JASON, WHAT AM I LOOKING AT THEN WHEN I SEE 367 ON PAGE NINE OF 36 OF THAT REPORT OF NUMBER OF DOG OR EXCUSE ME, NUMBER OF ANIMALS THAT ARE AT THE SHELTER AND NOW TODAY WHERE YOU THINK THAT MIGHT BE YESTERDAY'S NUMBER, BUT THEN TODAY'S NUMBER IS 5 39.
SO I'M JUST, I'M JUST TRYING TO GET MY ARMS AROUND WHAT DATA IS CORRECT.
AND YOU KNOW, IF IT CAN ACTUALLY CHANGE THAT QUICKLY, I KIND OF DOUBT IT.
SO I'M JUST KIND OF WONDERING HOW DO I ASSESS THIS DATA WHEN IT'S KIND OF WILDLY DIFFERENT IF IT'S ONLY 24 HOURS DIFFERENCE IN THAT NUMBER? OH, HOLD ON.
I'M TRYING TO SEE THE REPORT THAT WE HAD.
BUT IF IT'S COUNTY AND LOSS, THE COUNTY AND LAST
[00:50:01]
ON HERE YEAH.SO SPADE NUDE NEUTERED AT SHELTER.
SO MAYBE THAT'S THE DISTINCTION.
YES, BECAUSE THAT, FOR THAT NUMBER, THAT 360 7 IS HOW MANY SPINNERS WE DID FOR THE MONTH OF APRIL.
UM, NOT NECESSARILY INVENTORY.
AND WE'RE TRYING TO PULL UP, UM, A REPORT THAT IS RUN THROUGH CHAMELEON, UM, ABOUT THE OVERALL ACTUAL INVENTORY.
ALRIGHT, LET ME SEE IF I CAN JUST RUN THAT MYSELF REAL QUICK.
I JUST, I'M TRYING TO GET MY ARMS AROUND.
WHAT'S REALLY AT THE SHELTER SLASH MAYBE NOT AT THE SHELTER AND TOTAL INVENTORY, LIKE CHRISTINA'S OKAY.
DID SOMEONE, UH, KATIE HAD A QUESTION? YES.
IT WAS JUST RELATED TO YOUR QUESTION EARLIER ABOUT THE SPAY AND NEUTER ON SECOND IMPOUNDMENT.
UM, I KNOW THAT WE'LL PROBABLY HAVE TO DIG INTO THAT A LITTLE BIT TO FIND OUT THE LEGALITIES OF IT.
AND I WAS HOPING THAT THE OPINION FROM THE VETERINARY BOARD COULD BE SHARED WITH US, THE WRITTEN OPINION THAT DR.
LON GOT FROM THE VET BOARD ABOUT THAT WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL IF YOU SHARED IT WITH US WHILE WE'RE DOING A LITTLE DIGGING AND INVESTIGATIVE WORK, IS IT POSSIBLE TO EMAIL IT AFTER? AND IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE THIS TODAY AND WE'LL ALSO GET WHAT WELL AS THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT, IF WE CAN SHARE WHAT THEIR RESPONSE WAS, AS WELL AS THAT.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? OKAY, WELL, LET'S MOVE ON.
[2b. COVID Update]
UH, THE COVID UPDATE.WE STILL HAVE STAFF MEMBERS THAT ARE GETTING ILL AND TAKING OFF, BUT NOT AS MUCH AS WE DID, UH, YOU KNOW, PRIOR TO THE RATE IN OUR COMMUNITY DROPPING, UH, OUR MAIN ISSUE IS NOT AS ILLNESS RIGHT NOW, BUT AS, UH, BEING ABLE TO GET STAFF TO ONBOARDING, YOU KNOW, WE WILL FILL THE POSITIONS, GO THROUGH ALL THE PROCESS.
THEY WORK ONE DAY AND IT'S NOT FOR THEM.
SO, UH, TEMPORARY IS OF COURSE WAS THE HARDEST TO FAIL BECAUSE, UH, THEY WILL FIND A, YOU KNOW, A FULL-TIME PERMANENT JOB.
SOME WITH OUR STAFFING ISSUES, A LITTLE LIGHTER, UH, AT, WITH DO WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO REPORT ON COVID SINCE IT'S KIND OF LIKE A THING THAT'S GOING AWAY.
I MEAN, JUST IT, IT WAS ON HERE.
SO JUST TO MENTION, I DO HAVE ONE QUESTION ABOUT THOSE JOBS THOUGH.
UH, HOWARD, THE HIRING FOR THOSE JOBS GOING WELL, WE'VE GOT, UH, LOTS OF JOBS IN INTERVIEWS RIGHT NOW.
WE'VE GOT A LOT IN BACKGROUND CHECKS.
WE HAVE SEVERAL THAT ARE OFFERS THAT ARE OUT.
UH, THERE WAS, UH, ALL OUR POSTINGS CLOSED AND THEN WE GO THROUGH A PROCESS OF PUTTING MORE POSTINGS OUT THERE FOR SOME THAT, YOU KNOW, HAVE CAME AVAILABLE.
AND SO I KNOW OUR HR DEPARTMENT IS, UH, WORKING FRANTICALLY, BUT IT'S, UH, YOU KNOW, A PROCESS TO GET THE FULL-TIME JOBS FILLED BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IT JUST TAKES SO LONG WITH IT WHEN THE CITY WITH THE CITY PROCESS.
BUT, UH, THE TEMPORARIES ARE THE, WHAT WE'RE REALLY HAVING THE HARDEST WITH BECAUSE, UH, YOU OFFERING A WAGE THAT'S NOW, UH, COMPETITIVE AND THEY WANT SOMETHING THAT'S MORE FULL-TIME THAN JUST A PART-TIME TEMPORARY.
SO DO YOU HAVE A, A NUMBER OF HOW MANY FULL-TIME JOBS ARE STILL ARE, ARE, ARE STILL NOT FILLED? APPROXIMATE WOULD BE, UH, I, I WANT TO SAY THAT IT'S AROUND FOUR TO SIX THAT ARE FULL-TIME, THAT ARE OUT THERE THAT ARE IN THE PROCESS.
THEY'RE THERE IN INTERVIEWS ARE BACKGROUND CHECKS.
UH, THE MAJORITY OF OUR OPENINGS RIGHT NOW ARE TEMPORARIES.
UH, ANY, YES, KRISTEN, YOU STATED AT A PREVIOUS MEETING THAT YOU WERE TRYING TO GET STOPPING LEVELS UP FROM THE LOW OF SEVEN, I THINK THE HIGH YOU HAD 17 VACANCIES.
ARE YOU PLANNING ON REOPENING ON SUNDAYS GIVEN THAT THE VACANCY RATE IS NORMAL OR BETTER THAN NORMAL? IF IT'S FOUR TO SIX, NOT AT THIS POINT, BECAUSE MOST OF THOSE JOBS OR TEMPORARIES, THE MAJORITY OF OUR PUBLIC RESOURCE CENTER WAS TEMPORARY STAFF.
AND THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAD ONE THAT SHOWED UP, WORKED ONE DAY AND SAID, THIS IS TOO DIFFICULT AND I'M OUT OF HERE.
SO WE'RE STILL TRYING TO FILL THOSE
[00:55:01]
POSITIONS.ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? OH, WHO DO YOU HAVE? ONE ON THE SCREEN? YES.
I I'M CURIOUS, DO YOU, YOU MENTIONED THAT, UM, THERE, THERE ARE THREE NEW OPENINGS OR BECAME OPEN THE DROPS OPEN, SO THAT'S TURNOVER IS APPARENT OR, UH, COULD YOU REPEAT YOUR QUESTION? OH, OKAY.
SO I HEARD THAT THERE WERE THREE JOBS THAT PHONE WHEN YOU BECAME OPEN, SO THAT, THAT THEY BECOME OPEN BECAUSE OF TURNOVER.
IS IT HARD TO RETAIN PEOPLE? UH, THE, SOME OF THE FULL-TIME JOBS HAVE TAKEN OTHER JOBS WITHIN THE CITY.
UH, WE'VE HAD, WE, I KNOW WE LOST ONE TO THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, UH, TO PUBLIC HEALTH.
SO I KNOW, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE, THEY'RE GOING TO OTHER POSITIONS THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, IT'S AN INCREASE FOR THEM, UM, WHO PALMER PALMER.
UM, I GUESS DON, YOU WERE MENTIONING IS THAT IT FOR COVID, ARE WE MEANING UPDATE TODAY OR ON KEEPING THIS AS A REGULAR ITEM TO REPORT ON THE LADDER, KEEPING IT ON THE REGULAR AGENDA? BECAUSE I THINK THAT ONE ITEM THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT REGULARLY UNDER THIS ITEM, WHICH IS THE S UM, STILL MEAT, I'D STILL LIKE TO HAVE THAT AS AN ITEM THAT'S DISCUSSED.
AND I WAS WONDERING, COULD WE VISIT ABOUT THAT SINCE WE'VE HAD IT UNDER THIS ITEM PREVIOUSLY, UM, NOW YOU HAD PROVIDED SOME DATA, UM, UH, REGARDING THE SPACE CRISIS ON THE SUNDAY CLOSURES AND THE DATA AND THE INFORMATION THAT WAS PROVIDED IS DIFFERENT.
FROM WHAT WE HAD BEEN TOLD, I WENT THROUGH THE PAST THREE MEETINGS, FOUR MEETINGS, AND REGARDING THE TRANSCRIPTS AND THE INFORMATION WE WERE GIVEN ON WHY SUNDAY WAS CHOSEN.
AND NOW WE'VE BEEN PROVIDED WITH SOME DATA THAT, THAT CHANGES THE REASONING A LITTLE BIT.
AND I WAS WONDERING IF YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO EXPLAIN THAT TO US.
UH, I DIDN'T KNOW, THE DATA CHANGED THE, THE RE THE REPORT THAT YOU GOT WERE THE FIRST ONES THAT WE TALKED ABOUT WHEN WE RAN THE DATA AND SHOWED THAT SUNDAY WAS ONE OF THE LOWEST INTAKE AND NEXT TO THE LOWEST, UH, FAR ADOPTION.
SO THAT, THAT DATA THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT HAS ALWAYS BEEN THAT SAME.
SO OTHER PEOPLE HAVE TALKED ABOUT THE DATA AND SAID THAT IT WASN'T THE SITE THAT DIDN'T AGREE WITH WHAT WE WERE SAYING.
WHAT I WAS UNABLE TO FIND IN PAST DISCUSSION OF THIS WAS WHAT YOU JUST QUOTED, WHICH WAS THAT THE REASON WAS IT WAS THE LOWEST DAY FOR INTAKE AND ONE OF THE LOWEST DAYS FOR ADOPTION, EVERY PLACE THAT I WENT THROUGH IT, AND IT TALKED ABOUT THAT WE WERE QUOTED AND GIVEN INFORMATION THAT IT WAS THE LOWEST STATE FOR ADOPTIONS.
AND SO I WAS WONDERING, UM, WHEN THAT CHANGED AND WHEN WE WERE ORIGINALLY GIVEN THAT INFORMATION, WE WERE TOLD THAT THAT WAS DATA SUPPORTED.
SO I'M WONDERING, ARE WE LOOKING AT A DIFFERENT SET OF DATA OR KIND OF WHAT'S CHANGED ON, UM, THE REPORT THAT WE'RE NOW BEING GIVEN? AND I DID SEE ON THE DATA THAT WAS RUN ON THE MOST RECENT EXPLANATION THAT YOU DID NOT INCLUDE, UM, 2022, BECAUSE YOU SAID IT WOULD SKEW THE NUMBERS DUE TO THE SUNDAY CLOSURES.
I'D LIKE TO ASK THAT WE ALSO RECEIVED THE DATA EXCLUDING COVID, BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE THAT SKEWS THE NUMBERS.
IF YOU MAYBE COULD PROVIDE US WITH THE INFORMATION FROM 2016 TO 2019 REGARDING SUNDAY'S, WE CAN, AND THAT IS THE READILY AVAILABLE, UH, ON THE PUBLIC DASHBOARD.
SO, UM, WE CAN, WE CAN RUN IT, ARE YOU, YOU CAN TOO, UH, IT'S, IT'S AVAILABLE THERE.
AND I THINK, UH, WHEN IT WAS LOOKED AT A FEW MEETINGS AGO, I THINK IT WAS SOMEONE ADDED, UH, UH, ALL ANIMALS.
AND WE'RE JUST LOOKING AT CATS AND DOGS.
WE'RE NOT LOOKING AT ALL THE OTHER WILDLIFE THAT COMES IN OR EXITS OR ANYTHING THAT, THAT, BUT I, I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT WHAT'S CHANGED FROM THE PAST MEETINGS WAS WE'RE TALKING INTAKE NOW.
AND IN THE PAST MEETINGS, WE WERE TALKING OUTCOMES.
WELL, I DON'T, WE WERE ALWAYS TALKING BOTH.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF WE DIDN'T EXPLAIN THAT CORRECTLY, BUT WE WERE ALWAYS TALKING INCOMING OUTCOME BECAUSE THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE WE WERE LOOKING AT OUR NUMBERS, THE LOWEST DAYS, FAR OUTCOMES AND INCOMES, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE LOOKING AT WHAT DAY WOULD AFFECT THE PUBLIC THE LEAST.
[01:00:01]
HAVE INFORMATION, UH, AVAILABLE ON WHEN PEOPLE APPLY FOR ANIMALS SINCE WE'VE DISCUSSED THE OUTCOMES ARE NOT NECESSARILY THE DAY THAT THE PEOPLE COME TO THE SHELTER THAT IS ONLY AVAILABLE THROUGH OUR ADOPTIVE PET STATUS THAT STARTED, UH, WE ONLY HAVE A YEAR'S WORTH OF DATA ON THAT.AND WHAT DOES THAT DATA SUPPORT? IT SUPPORTS THIS DATA THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IT SUPPORTS, I'M SORRY, WHAT IT SUPPORTS.
IT SUPPORTS SUNDAY BEING THE LOWEST IT'S SUPPORTS SUNDAY, BEING THE LOWEST ON, ON FIRST OR SECOND MOMENTS.
YEAH, I THINK THERE WAS ONE NUMBER DIFFERENCE 38 TO 39.
UH, SO IT'S SECOND LOWEST ON, UH, OUTCOMES, BUT LOWEST ON INCOMES.
UH, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? YES, RYAN.
I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT I'M UNDERSTANDING CORRECTLY.
SO THE SUNDAY CLOSURES, THE INITIAL REASON WE WERE TOLD IS BECAUSE IT WAS COVID SO COVID IS NOT A REASON ANYMORE, RIGHT? IT WAS STAFFING, UH, FOR THAT IT WAS STAFFING.
WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH STAFF TO KEEP SUNDAYS OPEN, AND IT WAS THROUGH COVID EXPOSURES.
IT WAS THROUGH ILLNESS AND AS WELL AS OPEN POSITIONS, THAT COVID IS NO LONGER, THE REASON WE'RE CLOSED ON SUNDAY.
THAT IS NOT THE MAJORITY OF IT IS STAFFING ISSUES.
AND SO MY UNDERSTANDING FROM YOUR CONVERSATION WITH COMMISSIONER HASSON WAS THAT WE HAVE NOW FILLED MOST OF THOSE POSITIONS.
WE HAVE NOT, I THOUGHT THERE WERE FOR SHORT AND THAT MOST OF THOSE WERE THE S THE, THE PRC HAS HISTORICALLY BEEN RUN.
BUT THE PRC IS NOT THE ONLY THING OPEN, RIGHT OPEN ON THE WEEKENDS.
WE HAVE ANY, UH, ANY NUMBER OF THINGS OPEN ON WEEKENDS.
THAT'S BEEN TO THE SHELTER, DOZENS AND DOZENS, AND DOZENS OF TIMES ON WEEKENDS.
SO ARE THE, ARE THE, DO WE, DO WE NOT HAVE PEOPLE FILLING THE POSITIONS OF PEOPLE WHO WOULD NORMALLY ADOPT OUT ANIMALS OR PROVIDE ANIMAL CARE, OR ANY OF THOSE OTHER THINGS ON SUNDAY, WE'RE SIGNIFICANTLY SHORTHANDED ON ALL OF OUR TEMPORARY STAFF THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE SHELTER.
UH, THERE'S A LOT OF HIM IN BACKGROUND CHECKS, A LOT OF OFFERINGS, A LOT OF IN, UH, INTERVIEW PROCESSING RIGHT NOW.
BUT AT THIS POINT, UH, THIS MORNING WE HAD EIGHT ANIMAL CARE WORKERS, AND I THINK IT WAS SUNDAY.
SO WE ARE STILL HAVING SIGNIFICANT SHORTAGES OVER A SEVEN DAY PERIOD.
THE SHORTAGES YOU'RE SAYING ARE FROM PRIMARILY FROM TEMPORARY WORKERS, TEMPORARY, AND SOME OF THE PERMANENT ONES THAT ARE IN THE PROCESS IN THE PAST.
DID YOU ONLY SERVE, SERVE WEEKENDS WITH TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES? NO.
SO THEN WHY IS THE TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES THE PROBLEM WITH NOT BEING OPEN ON SUNDAYS? YOU HAVE THE STAFF.
WE HAVE, WE HAVE TO SPREAD OVER A SEVEN DAY PERIOD.
AND IF YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T HAVE HIM WORKED SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.
SO THE STAFF THAT WE HAVE TO MOVE THEM AROUND, YOU HAVE TO GET COVERAGE.
WHEN WE HAVE NEEDED THE MOST ON, YOU KNOW, SPROUTY SATURDAYS.
WE HAD TO GIVE UP SOME DAY, SOMEWHERE, AND SUNDAY WAS THE ONE WE PICKED.
AND SUNDAY ALSO IT ALLOWS US ALL THE GATES ARE SHUT.
THERE'S NO OTHER OPENINGS ON OUR CAMPUS.
SO IT, IT DOES HELP, UH, WITH THE SURRENDERS AND COMING TO THE CAMPUS, MEANING THAT IT REDUCES SURRENDERS.
IT DOES BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS WE WERE TOLD VERY EARLY ON WAS THAT WAS NOT TRUE.
IT WAS NOT REDUCING TRENT SURRENDERS WHEN WE'RE PICKING THE DAY TO JUST CLOSE, THAT DOES AFFECT US.
THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THAT IT'S EASIER FOR US TO CLOSE ON A DAY WHEN THE WHOLE CAMPUS IS CLOSED VERSUS ON A S YOU KNOW, MONDAY OR TUESDAY, OR WHEN THE CAMPUS IS OPEN ON, UM, ON THE SUNDAY CLOSURES.
UM, HOW ARE YOU CALCULATING IN THE DATA TO DETERMINE HOLD PERIODS? HOW ARE YOU CALCULATING, UH, NOT COUNTING SUNDAY IN THE HOLD PERIOD OF AN ANIMAL? I DIDN'T HEAR ALL THAT.
ARE YOU SAYING THAT, ARE WE ADDING AN EXTRA DAY FOR THE WHOLE PERIOD WHO HAS WE'RE CLOSED ON SUNDAYS? CORRECT? WE ARE.
WE'RE NOT, WE'RE NOT, WE'RE NOT, WE INSTITUTED A PROCESS FOR RECLAIMS ON, SO THAT WITH 3, 1, 1, AND OUR ANIMAL PRODUCTION OFFICERS, THAT RECLAIM IS READILY AVAILABLE
[01:05:01]
ON THAT DAY.SO MY QUESTION IS, UM, ARE YOU COUNTING SUNDAY IN THE WHOLE PERIOD OF AN ANIMAL? YES.
SO THE HOLD PERIOD ORDINANCE SAYS THAT YOU CAN ONLY COUNT DAYS THAT, THAT THE SHELTER IS OPEN FOR ADOPTIONS.
OUR STRAY HOLD PERIOD IS, IS FOR THREE DAYS, BUT WE GO FOUR DAYS AUTOMATICALLY.
SO IF WE DIDN'T, IF WE ARE NOT, IF WE'RE SKIPPING SATURDAY, SUNDAY AND NOT COUNTING IT, IT STILL BE WITHIN THE THREE DAYS, BECAUSE WE'RE ALL WE'VE ADDED A FOURTH DAY.
WE ADD A FOUR DAYS TO ALL OF OUR STRUGGLES, SO IT'S AUTOMATICALLY FOUR DAYS.
UH, WHO IS THAT? PALMER? GO AHEAD.
SO WITH THAT INFORMATION ON THAT, THE STRAY HOLD IS FOUR DAYS.
DOES THAT MEAN THAT STRAIGHT ANIMALS ARE AVAILABLE ON THE CITY WEBSITE FOR FOUR DAYS? ARE YOU SAYING THAT, ARE THEY AVAILABLE FOR PEOPLE TO REVIEW FOR FOUR DAYS WHILE ONLINE? ARE THERE PICTURES AVAILABLE? YES, OUR OFFICES, WE TAKE THE PICTURES AND UPLOAD THEM THERE.
ARE THEY FOR FOUR DAYS? ALL, ALL OF THEM? YES.
AND SO IF, UH, IF AN ANIMAL IS TAGGED BY AN OUT-OF-STATE RESCUE GROUP, UH, IS IT BEING TAGGED? IS IT BEING REMOVED FROM THE WEBSITE AND THE SHELTER SYSTEM ON DAY FOUR? UM, DAY FIVE DAY FIVE.
UH, ARE WE WAITING TO MOVE ALONG? OH, NO QUESTION.
YEAH, I, GOING BACK TO MY, THIS MIGHT BE MY HILL.
UM, BUT BACK TO RATIONALE, I'M CURIOUS ABOUT THE SUGGESTION THAT, UM, THE DATA FROM 2016 TO 2019 WOULD BE MORE RELEVANT REGARDING THE BEST DAY TO CLOSE.
UM, BECAUSE I THINK WE ALL AGREE THAT KIND OF WORLD CHANGED IN 2020.
AND I, FOR ONE, CERTAINLY HAVEN'T GONE BACK TO LIVING LIKE I DID IN 2016 AND 2019.
AND MY OUTLOOK ON THE WORLD IS NOT BACK TO THAT AT THIS POINT.
SO, SO I FEEL LIKE MORE RELEVANT DATA WOULD COME FROM COVID TIMES.
SO DURING COVID, AND IT MAY BE THAT YOU'RE NOT AWARE DURING COVID, THEY WEREN'T NECESSARILY OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK, NOR HAVE THEY BEEN CONSISTENTLY OPEN SIX DAYS A WEEK.
SO IF WE'VE BEEN CLOSED SOME OF THE WEEKEND DAYS OR SOME OF THE SUNDAYS, I DON'T FEEL LIKE CAPTURING A CLEAR PICTURE TO DETERMINE WHAT THE COMPARISON FOR THE SEVEN DAYS A WEEK ARE AS FAR AS OUTCOMES AND INMATES, UH, IF WE'RE CLOSED ON THAT DAY, NOT GOING TO CONTRIBUTE.
SO THAT'S WHY I WAS ASKING IF WE CAN SEE THE DATA FROM WENT BEFORE, NOT NECESSARILY PRE COVID, BUT WHEN WE WERE OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK CONSISTENTLY, CAN I RESPOND? YES, GO AHEAD.
WELL, YOU ASKED FOR DATA FROM 2016 TO 2019, WHICH WOULD BE PRE COVID AND, AND SO THAT STILL DOESN'T SEEM LIKE IT WOULD BE ACCURATE FOR NOW.
AND YOU KNOW, AND WE'RE STILL IN A BIT OF A MIX-UP.
I MEAN, WE, WE DON'T HAVE, I MEAN, IT SEEMS LIKE THE RATIONALE FOR, UH, CHOOSING A DAY TO CLOSE ALL ALONG WAS STAFFING AND THE STAFFING WAS LOW BECAUSE OF COVID AND IT'S, AND IT'S STILL LOW.
AND IT SEEMS LIKE WE HAVE THE SAME ISSUE.
I GO, DO YOU WANT TO RESPOND PALMER? NO, THANK YOU.
YES, DON, WE WERE CLOSED AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PANDEMIC, UH, TO THE PUBLIC FOR MO FOR THE MIDDLE TO LAST OF MARCH.
AND THEN WE WERE OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK FOR PEOPLE NOT TO COME IN PHYSICALLY, BUT TO DO VIRTUAL ADOPTIONS AND, AND DROP-OFFS AND BY APPOINTMENT.
SO THE ONLY TIME WE CLOSED ON SUNDAYS WAS RECENTLY WHEN WE ACTUALLY STARTED CLOSING.
SO, UH, DURING THAT 2019 AND 2020 AND 21 20 21, 20 21 IN 2020, THAT WOULD BE SEVEN DAY A WEEK.
UH, ANY OTHER COMMENTS? YES, KRISTEN,
[01:10:01]
I HAVE A BRIEF QUESTION.I REVIEWED EIGHT WEEKS OF RECENT DATA FOR RETURNED TO OWNERS ON SUNDAY, AND I WAS ABLE TO FIND ONE ANIMAL TOTAL THAT WAS RETURNED TO ITS OWNER ON A SUNDAY.
DO YOU CONSIDER THAT ACCESSIBLE? IS THAT, IS THAT A NORMAL NUMBER OF ANIMALS TO BE RETURNED TO OWNER ON A SUNDAY? IF WE WERE OPEN, WE CAN LOOK IN THAT DATA, BUT THERE IS INSTRUCTIONS ON OUR WEBSITE THAT, UH, AND I'VE SEEN SEVERAL GO OUT MORE THAN ONE.
SINCE WE CLOSING ON SUNDAYS, THEY CALL 3, 1, 1, UH, THEY HAVE A NUMBER THEY CALL IN AND, UH, WE WILL COMMUNICATE WITH THEM, THE APO OFFICER ON DUTY, AND THEY WILL MAKE ARRANGEMENTS FOR THEM TO COME ON CAMPUS AND GET THAT ANIMAL IF IT'S THEIRS.
SO THEY WOULD HAVE TO COMMUNICATE WITH AN ANIMAL PROTECTION OFFICER VIA PHONE.
DOES THAT PERSON CALL THEM BACK OR ARE THEY ABLE TO REACH THEM LIVE? IS IT A LARGE NUMBER? THEY CALL THEM BACK THREE, THREE, ONE, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? OKAY.
[2c. Austin Pets Alive! Quarterly Report]
TO AUSTIN PETS, ALIVE REPORT.GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS, UH, SARAH AGUILAR, SENIOR DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS FOR US AND PET PENNSYLVANIA.
HI, I'M ELLEN JEFFERSON, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF AUSTIN PETS ALIVE.
AND I'M, UH, SARAH'S GOING TO DO THE REPORT AND I'LL BE HERE FOR QUESTIONS IF NEEDED.
SO WE ACTUALLY HAVE TWO REPORTS THAT WERE SUBMITTED.
UM, WE HAVE THE QUARTERLY REPORT AS WELL AS THE MONTHLY REPORT FOR APRIL.
UM, PREVIOUSLY THE QUARTERLY REPORTS WERE GIVEN THE MONTH.
TWO MONTHS AFTER THE QUARTER ENDED BECAUSE OF THE TIMING OF THE REPORTING, UM, GOING FORWARD, THERE'LL BE DONE, UH, THE MONTH FOLLOWING.
SO THE NEXT ONE WILL BE THE SEVENTH.
UM, SO, UH, DURING THE FIRST QUARTER OF CALENDAR YEAR 2022, UM, AUSTIN PETS ALIVE TOOK IN A TOTAL OF 218 PETS, 206 OF THOSE WERE DIRECT TRANSFERS.
UM, AND THE REMAINING WERE BORN IN CARE.
UM, WE ALSO TOOK AN 80 PETS DIRECTLY FROM OWNERS IN TRAVIS COUNTY, THUS, UM, KEEPING THOSE ANIMALS FROM NEEDING TO GO TO AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER.
UM, THE AAC TRANSFERRED OUT 520 PETS DURING THAT TIME TO 47 PARTNERS.
UM, WE TOOK ABOUT 40% OF THOSE TRANSFERS.
UM, YOU ALSO HAVE IN THE REPORT, THE BREAKDOWN BY MONTH OF, OF ALL OF THE TRANSFERS, UM, AND A LOVELY GRAPH OF THE REASONS.
UM, WE DO HAVE A COMPARISON CHART ON PAGE FOUR OF THE QUARTERLY REPORT THAT SHOWS INTAKES, UM, FROM QUARTER ONE LAST YEAR IN QUARTER ONE THIS YEAR, WHAT IT DOES NOT SHOW IS THE, UM, THE ACTUAL INTAKE AT AEC DURING THOSE TIMES, THE CHART ON THE BOTTOM OF PAGE FOUR IS ANY OUTCOMES DURING THE QUARTER OF ANY PETS THAT EVER CAME FROM AEC.
SO, UM, ANY PETS THAT HAVE BEEN RETURNED AND READOPTED, UM, RETURNED TO OWNERS, ET CETERA, DURING THE MONTH, UH, DURING THE QUARTER, THERE WAS 34 DOGS THAT WERE PLED TO APA FOR BEHAVIOR OF WHICH 23 WERE POLLED.
AND THERE IS STILL A HANDFUL OF OTHERS THAT ARE IN THE EVALUATION PROCESS.
WE ALSO TRANSFERRED A CAT FOR BEHAVIORAL REASONS.
IT HAS SINCE BEEN PLACED INTO AN ADOPTIVE HOME, AND THERE'S SOME CHALLENGES THAT WE'VE BEEN FACING IN COMMUNICATIONS WITH AAC REGARDING, UM, POTENTIAL OTHER OUTCOMES.
UH, WE'VE BEEN NOTIFIED THAT, UH, THE TEAM AT AAC CAN NO LONGER NOTIFY US IF THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOSTER OR ADOPTER FOR A DOG THAT IS ON A BEHAVIOR, UH, ATTENTION, DEADLINE, OR MEDICAL.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT, UH, STAFF CAN NO LONGER LET US KNOW IF THEY INTEND, IF THEY'RE NOT COMFORTABLE HANDLING A DOG WITH A REGULAR LEASH AND TEND TO CATCH POLE, UM, THAT'S NOT GIVING US THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME OVER AND ASSIST WITH, UM, UH, MINIMAL MINIMIZING THE STRESS ON THE DOG DURING THAT TRANSPORT.
UH, WE DID HAVE ONE BEHAVIORAL EUTHANASIA OF A, AN AAC DOG DURING THE QUARTER.
UM, AND WE COMMUNICATED THAT WITH, UM, HIS,
[01:15:01]
HIS FANS AND SUPPORTERS AT AAC, AS WELL AS, UM, THROUGH APA, ALL OTHER EUTHANASIA'S OF AP ANIMALS DURING THE MONTH WHERE FOR MEDICAL REASONS, UM, THERE WAS SOME NOTABLE MEDICAL CASES OF PETS THAT WERE, UM, PLACED INTO HOMES IN A VERY SHORT TIME AFTER COMING TO APA AND, UH, PER DR.LUND, SHE HAD ASKED THAT WE CORRECT THE STATEMENT AT THE BOTTOM OF PAGE FIVE, UM, ABOUT PARVO.
AND I THINK WHAT HAD HAPPENED IS THERE'S OFTEN, UM, MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WILL COME TO AAC WITH DOGS THAT HAVE PARVO AND THEY'LL BE SENT OVER TO APA WITHOUT BEING IMPOUNDED.
AND I THINK THAT WAS WHERE THE CONFUSION WAS THAT THOSE ANIMALS WEREN'T NECESSARILY RECEIVING ANY KIND OF MEDICAL CARE BEFORE COMING TO US.
AND SO THE EXPLANATION WOULD BE THAT THEY WEREN'T ACTUALLY EVER, UH, AAC ANIMALS PAGE SIX.
SEE, OKAY, WE HAVE LIVE RELEASE RATE CALCULATIONS, UM, FOR, UH, THE FIRST QUARTER, UH, WE HAVE A CALCULATION OF AACS LIVE RELEASE RATE AT 96.9.
AND IF YOU BACKED OUT ALL OF THE PETS THAT WERE TAKEN TO APA, THAT NUMBER DROPS TO 88.1.
UM, THIS OBVIOUSLY IS NOT A SCIENCE.
WE DON'T KNOW WHAT MAY HAVE HAPPENED TO THOSE PETS IF THEY WERE NOT TRANSFERRED TO APA, BUT THEY WERE, UH, THE MAJORITY OF THEM DID COME TO US ON A DEADLINE TO EXIT THE SHELTER.
UM, IF YOU COMBINE THE LIVE RELEASE RATES, UH, THE COMMUNITY IS AT 96.5 ON PAGE SEVEN, YOU'LL HAVE THE, UH, ANIMAL MATRIX.
IT DOES SAY AT THE TOP Q4 OF 2021, THAT IS INCORRECT.
THAT'S WHAT I GET FOR DOING A REPORT AT 10 O'CLOCK AT NIGHT.
IT IS QUARTER ONE OF 2022, BUT THE NUMBERS ARE CORRECT.
UM, THE NUMBERS THAT ARE LISTED ARE CORRECT, JUST THE TITLE OF THAT CHART IS NOT.
UM, SO THIS IS ALL ANIMALS THAT ENTERED AND EXITED APA DURING THE QUARTER.
UM, BEFORE I GO TO THE MONTH, ROUGHLY, I MEAN, I GUESS IT'S REALLY UP TO YOU GUYS.
DO YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT QUARTERLY FIRST OR SHOULD I JUST, I HAVE, I HAVE ONE QUESTION.
THIS IS A SMALL QUESTION, BUT I'M CURIOUS THE BEHAVIORAL CAT WAS, WAS IT DECLAWED? OH, I DON'T KNOW.
I DON'T KNOW EITHER WE CAN LOOK IT UP.
I HAD A, UM, IT HAD A TAIL INJURY THAT THEY HAD TREATED AT AAC, UM, AND ENDED UP AMPUTATING, BUT IT WAS, UH, UM, DEEMED TO BE A FERAL CAT AND IT HAD IT, YOUR TIP.
AND SO I IMAGINE IT WASN'T DECLAWED IF IT WAS A COMMUNITY CAT, BUT I, I WILL FIND OUT OKAY.
I'M JUST CURIOUS BECAUSE, UH, WE, WE HAD PASSED, UH, A PROPOSAL FOR AN ORDINANCE TO, TO STOP DECLAWING AND THE CITY OF AUSTIN, THE COMMISSION HAD THAT THE CITY COUNCIL DIDN'T DO ANYTHING WITH IT.
UH, BUT I'M STILL HAVE SOME CURIOSITY OVER, YOU KNOW, DECLAWED CATS HAVING BEHAVIORAL ISSUES.
CAUSE I THINK LOVELY ONE NAMED BORIS WHO IS DECLAWED AND NOT.
I, I, I JUST WONDER, I'VE HEARD COMMENTS ABOUT THAT.
SOMETHING, I, I JUST, YOU KNOW, WE, WE WENT THROUGH THAT ONCE.
THE CITY COUNCIL DID PASS THE DECLAW CALL ORDINANCE.
SO IT IS PROHIBITED IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN TO DECLAWED CATS.
THEY DID, THEY DID DO, THEY DID, IT WAS IN JANUARY OF 2021, I BELIEVE.
SO THEY DIDN'T PASS IT RIGHT AWAY.
I WAS JUST CURIOUS ABOUT THAT, CAUSE YOU ALWAYS WONDER ABOUT BEHAVIORAL CAT.
AND I ASK A QUICK QUESTION BEFORE YOU MOVE ON TO THE MONTHLY, UM, I, I JUST WANTED TO ASK YOU ABOUT THE, THE NOTE THAT YOU TOLD US ABOUT WHERE YOU CAN NO LONGER BE NOTIFIED BY THE SHELTER, IF THERE'S A POTENTIAL FOSTER ADOPTER FOR A DOG ON ATTENTION OR MEDICAL.
I MEAN, WHAT'S THE PRACTICAL IMPLICATION OF THAT FOR APH AND TO MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND IT, UM, IF I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE ASKING ME, THE PURPOSE IT'S USEFUL FOR APA, AND THAT IF WE DO PULL AN ANIMAL THAT HAS A POTENTIAL FOSTER OR ADOPTER, WE CAN CONNECT WITH THEM, UM, FOR A QUICKER PLACEMENT OUT OF THE SHELTER.
UM, THE FLIP SIDE OF THAT IS THAT IF THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOSTER OR ADOPTER, DO THEY NEED TO BE TRANSFERRED.
AND, AND WHAT WERE YOU GIVEN A REASON? LIKE WHAT THE LOGIC IS BEHIND THAT? UM, I WAS NOT.
AND, UH, BECAUSE, UH, IF WE HAVE SOMEONE THAT IT COULD STAY
[01:20:01]
IN THE NOTES AS A POTENTIAL FOSTER, IF, IF THEY'RE LOOKING AT IT IN THE FOSTER STEPS, UPSET, I'LL TAKE IT.WE'LL LET THEM KNOW, LIKE THERE'S A LOT OF ANIMALS THAT ARE PUT ON THEIR ATTENTION LIST.
THEY GET ADOPTED AND WE LET THEM KNOW THAT WE CAN TAKE THEM OFF THE LIST CAUSE THEY GET ADOPTED.
SO, UH, WE'LL HAVE TO TRACE THIS BACK, UH, IF YOU COULD TELL US WHERE IT CAME FROM, BECAUSE THAT, THAT IS NEWS TO ALL THE PEOPLE THAT DEAL WITH THAT IF YOU WANT TO, IF IT HOLDS MY PEOPLE.
CAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE IF YOU'RE FACING A SPACE CRISIS, THAT WOULD CERTAINLY BE SOMETHING YOU'D WANT TO WORK OUT.
UH, THE QUESTION WAS JUST WONDERING IF WE COULD HAVE THE SAME CONVERSATION ABOUT THE CATCHPOLE THING.
AND I WASN'T AWARE THAT, UH, WE WOULDN'T TELL THEM TO COME PICK UP ANY ANIMAL THAT WE FELT BASED ON OUR SOP THAT WE'D HAVE TO MOVE.
UH, I KNOW THAT THE ONE THAT, UM, PEP PEP, THAT THEY ENDED UP BITING OF THERE AND EUTHANIZING, WE DID MOVE IT ON A CATCH POLE AND THAT APO MANAGER MOVED IT AND SAID IT WAS VERY EASY.
THERE WAS NO ISSUE WITH IT WHEN THEY LOADED IT UP, WE'LL ALWAYS GIVE THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME PICK UP ANYTHING THEY WANT WITHOUT US USING THE CATCH-UP.
IT SEEMS THAT WOULD SAVE YOU TIME, YOU KNOW? UM, SO OKAY.
THAT'S COMING FROM, BUT WE WOULD LOVE FOR THEM TO PICK UP EVERYTHING THEY WANT TO.
UM, SO, UM, LOOKING AT YOUR, THE BREAKDOWNS INTAKE, SO ALL YOUR LITTLE, UM, THE BORN AND CARES, THESE ARE PREGNANT ANIMALS THAT YOU GOT FROM AAC.
THEY HAD PUPPIES OR KITTENS WHILE AT APA OR IN FOSTER, CORRECT? WITH APA.
AND THEN YEAH, NO, I WAS GOING TO SECOND, THE QUESTIONS THAT WERE JUST ASKED ABOUT WHY THE CHANGE.
UM, SO I GUESS YOU'LL GET YOUR ANSWERS ON THAT.
DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION? GO AHEAD.
DID I, I'M CURIOUS ABOUT, UM, THAT'S AWESOME THAT YOU PULLED, YOU PULLED 23 FOR BEHAVIOR FROM ACA OR DURING THE QUARTER.
AND THEN YOU STILL HAVE SOME THAT YOU'RE EVALUATING AS YOU WORK WITH THE CITY SHELTER ON THAT.
DO YOU GUYS HAVE A TIMELINE THAT YOU WORK WITH? YEAH, SO, UM, WHAT THE PROCESS IS IS OUR TEAM, UM, GETS NOTIFIED AND WE GET FORWARDED ANY INFORMATION THAT AAC HAS, UM, WITHIN, AS LONG AS IT'S NOT A PHOTO THAT'S IDENTIFYING, UH, LIKE DOESN'T HAVE A FACE ON IT.
UM, SO IF THERE'S A BITE AND THERE'S PICTURES OF THE BITES, THINGS LIKE THAT, UM, AND WHAT OUR TEAM DOES NEXT IS WE DO RESEARCH INTO THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF ANY HISTORY WE REACH OUT TO ANY PRIOR OWNERS PRIOR FOSTERS PRIOR, UM, UH, FINDERS, ANYBODY WHO WE CAN CONTACT THROUGH THE RECORDS THAT ARE PROVIDED AND TRY TO VERIFY ANY NOTES THAT ARE WRITTEN DOWN INVESTIGATIONS.
UM, WE OFTEN GET ADDITIONAL PICTURES, INFORMATION, UM, THINGS THAT, THAT PROVIDE SOME CONTEXT AROUND SOME OF THE POLICE REPORTS, POLICE, YEAH, POLICE REPORTS AND THINGS THAT PROVIDE CONTEXT AROUND THE SITUATION WHERE A BITE MAY HAVE OCCURRED.
AND THAT TAKES SOME TIME CONNECTING WITH PEOPLE.
AND SO WE, WE OFTEN ARE ABLE TO, LIKE I SAID, UNCOVER ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND SO IT'S, IT'S WORTH IT.
AND WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN A TWO WEEK TIMELINE TO DECIDE IF, UH, WELL, THIS CHANGED A LITTLE BIT.
WE WERE ORIGINALLY THERE WASN'T A TIMELINE.
THEN WE WERE GIVEN A TWO WEEK TIMELINE TO MAKE A DECISION, UM, AS TO WHETHER WE ARE GOING TO PULL A DOG OVER FOR EVALUATION OR NOT.
AND THEN, UH, AFTER SOME DISCUSSION THAT GOT CHANGED AS WELL.
AND SO NOW THERE'S NOT A TIMELINE, BUT THERE ARE, UM, DOGS THAT ARE INDICATED AS PRIORITY OVER OTHERS.
DOES THAT ANSWER? IT'S, IT'S KIND OF MESSY.
SO YOU, SO IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE'S NO TIMELINE AND THERE'S JUST A TWO WEEK WHEN AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER REQUESTS IT FOR A BEHAVIOR POLL THAT YOU HAVE TO DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT YOU'RE GOING TO EVALUATE IT.
AND THE, AND WE ACTUALLY, IT WAS, THAT ONLY WAS SHORT-LIVED AND THEN IT WENT AWAY.
SO, SO NOW THERE'S NO TIMELINE WHATSOEVER, CORRECT.
DO WE KNOW HOW LONG THE LONGEST DOG THAT'S BEEN WAITING FOR? UH, EVALUATION AND POTENTIAL POOL HAS BEEN WAITING? UM, IT SHOULD BE LESS THAN 30 DAYS.
AND JUST FOR CONTEXT, OUR CONTRACT STATES THAT WE PULL FIVE BEHAVIORAL DOGS A MONTH.
AND SO THIS, THIS, UH, SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF REQUESTS HAS A BACKLOG IN OUR SYSTEM.
FOR MOST OF 21, UM, WE WERE GETTING TWO TO FOUR REQUESTS A MONTH AND THEN IN DECEMBER IT POPPED
[01:25:01]
UP TO LIKE A DOZEN OR SO.UM, SO RIGHT NOW THE LONGEST REQUEST, UM, IS FROM MARCH.
SO MARCH 21ST IS WHEN AUSTIN PETS ALIVE AGREED TO EVALUATE IT MARCH 21ST, WE HAVE ONE DOG THAT WAS PUT ON ATTENTION MARCH 21ST THAT WE HAVE NOT AGREED TO EVALUATE YET.
UM, SO THAT EVALUATION HAS BELONGED PROCESS.
WE HAVE, UM, CONTACTED VICTIMS AND GOTTEN SOME INFORMATION FROM THEM.
UM, BUT BECAUSE THE DOGS WOULD BE ETQ, WE WERE ASKED TO PRIORITIZE
AND SO THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF, UM, THE TIMELINE MOVES DEPENDING ON THE PRIORITY LEVEL.
IT'S SUPER FLUID FOR, IF WE GET A DOG THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, HAS A, A CHALLENGING HISTORY THAN WHAT WE MAY PUSH IT UP TO THEM WITH B3 AND ABIGAIL WAS LETTING ME KNOW, WE HAVE, WE GIVE THEM TWO WEEKS TO DECIDE IF THEY'RE GOING TO EVALUATE OR NOT.
AND THEN, BUT THEN SOMETHING MAY HAPPEN AND THEN WE PUT ANOTHER DOG AND IT ALL DEPENDS.
SO IS THAT WHY THERE MIGHT BE SOME EVALUATION GOING ON FOR DOGS THAT YOU HAVEN'T OFFICIALLY AGREED TO EVALUATE? IS THAT STILL LIKE A, AN OFFICIAL ACTIVITY THAT TAKES PLACE, YOUR AGREEMENT TO EVALUATE IT? IS THAT STILL A THING OR IS IT ALL JUST KIND OF LIKE YOU'RE RESPONDING TO THE, TO THE SHELTER'S NEEDS AS THEY COME UP? I'M NOT A HUNDRED PERCENT CLEAR WHAT YOU'RE ASKING ARE RESPONDING TO THE NEEDS AS THEY COME UP.
OBVIOUSLY YOU'RE DOING YOUR BEST TO RESPOND TO THE NEEDS.
UM, BUT LIKE, I DON'T KNOW, I GUESS, IS THAT, IS THIS SHELTER NOTIFIED AT ALL? LIKE W WE'VE D LIKE W WHERE YOU SAY WE'VE DECIDED TO OFFICIALLY EVALUATE THIS DOG, THAT'S STILL SOMETHING YOU DO BECAUSE THERE'S SOME EVALUATION THAT MAY HAVE STARTED EVEN BEFORE YOU OFFICIALLY.
AS SOON AS WE ARE NOTIFIED, WE START THE PROCESS OF REACHING OUT AND DOING RESOURCE SHEET.
AND SO, UM, AS WHEN WE DECIDE THAT WE EITHER DON'T HAVE ENOUGH INFORMATION TO REALLY MAKE A DECISION, OR WE FEEL LIKE THERE'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN HELP WITH, UM, OR EVEN IF WE'RE NOT SURE.
AND WE, WE JUST WANT TO GET A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN WE REACH OUT TO AC AND WE SET A DATE TO BRING THE DOG OVER TO APA, TO DO LIKE PLAYGROUPS AND HANDLING EVALUATIONS AND THINGS.
THERE ARE OCCASIONS WHEN WE WILL DO THOSE AT A C.
UM, BUT THEY'RE PRETTY RARE GIVEN, UM, SPACE.
THEY PROVIDE US A WEEKLY UPDATE OKAY.
ON, ON ALL OF THE ONES THAT HAVE BEEN REQUESTED.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I JUST HAVE ONE FOLLOW-UP QUESTION ON ALL THIS.
SO PRIOR, PRIOR TO YOU GUYS ACTUALLY, UM, AGREEING TO EVALUATE THE DOG, IT'S STILL HOUSED AT THE ANIMAL CENTER, CORRECT? CORRECT.
THEN WHEN YOU ACTUALLY AGREE TO EVALUATE IT, THAT'S WHEN IT IS TRANSFERRED TO TILA PHYSICALLY, PHYSICALLY TRANSFERRED.
BUT YOU'VE ALREADY BEEN WORKING BEHIND THE SCENES ON THE VICTIM BY CORRECT ERRORS.
JUST SOME CLARIFICATION ON THAT.
SO YOUR EVALUATION IS A PHYSICAL IN-PERSON BEHAVIORAL EVALUATION, NOT, OR NOT THE REVIEW OF THE RECORD.
AND IT'S, IT'S NOT, UH, LIKE A STRUCTURED, UM, I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU CALL THOSE.
LIKE, IT'S NOT LIKE THE CLASSIC HAND AND, RIGHT, RIGHT, RIGHT.
BUT WHEN YOU, BUT WHEN AUSTIN PETS ALIVE AGREES TO EVALUATE A DOG, IT'S, IT'S NO LONGER HOUSED AT CORRECT.
UM, IT'S NOT OFFICIALLY TRANSFERRED UNTIL WE EITHER AGREE OR DECLINE TO TAKE THE DOG.
SO THAT THAT'S, UM, IF YOU GO BACK THROUGH SOME OF THE MONTHLY REPORTING, THERE WAS SOME, UM, TIMES WHEN THERE WAS LIKE, IT WAS CONFUSING BECAUSE YOU'RE LOOKING AT ONE REPORT, TELLS US THAT DAY THEY CAME OVER AND THEY WERE PHYSICALLY IN OUR CARE AND SOMEWHERE ELSE, IT'S THE DAY THEY WERE ACTUALLY TRANSFERRED.
AND SO WE'VE CLEANED THAT UP AND IT'S NOW BASED ON THE DAY THAT THEY'RE ACTUALLY COMPUTER TRANSFERRED.
AND JUST TO CLARIFY, UM, THEY, THE DAY THAT THEY SAY THEY'RE GIVEN THE TWO WEEK DEADLINE FOR THE HIGHER LEVEL,
AND THEN IT DOES TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF TIME FOR THEM TO COORDINATE, UH, GETTING THAT DOG OVER TO HE LACK, UM, OBVIOUSLY THEY'RE HAVING ISSUES WITH SPACE AS WELL, UM, AND RESOURCES.
UM, AND I, I DON'T KNOW OBVIOUSLY WHERE THE, SOME OF THE STATEMENTS THAT YOU HAVE RECENTLY CAME FROM.
UH, BUT I KNOW THAT PART OF WHAT HIS HELD THAT UP SOMETIMES IS THE COORDINATION OF, UM, YOU KNOW, HAVING
[01:30:01]
A TRANSFER DOG THAT WE DON'T HANDLE FOR SAFETY REASONS.AND IT MAKES IT MUCH HARDER TO COORDINATE WHEN WE HAVE TO HAVE TWO TEAMS AVAILABLE TO WORK TOGETHER, AS OPPOSED TO USING A CATCHPOLE.
UM, SO, UH, THAT CAN HAVE THE DOGS BE, UM, AT AAC FOR LONGER, UM, WHILE WE'RE WAITING FOR EVERYBODY TO HAVE THE STAFF AVAILABLE TO DO THAT.
SO REALLY APPRECIATE ALL THAT CLARIFICATION.
SO RIGHT NOW THERE'S 11 DOGS THAT ARE, WE'RE STILL LIKE INVESTIGATING.
UM, UH, ONE, ONE IS AT APA, UM, BEING EVALUATED AND THE OTHERS ARE NOT YET.
UM, BUT WE'VE ALSO DURING THAT TIME, WE'VE ALSO PULLED DOGS THAT WERE PUT ON TO ATTENTION SINCE THEN AS WELL.
AND, UH, WE GO ON TO THE, UH, WHAT THAT WAS A QUARTERLY.
SO NOW THAT WAS THE QUARTERLY, UM,
[3a. Monthly Reporting of Data]
FOR MONTHLY, A 292 ANIMALS ARE TRANSFERRED OUT OF, AACN HOLDING IT UP.IF YOU WANT TO WEIGHT 136 WERE TRANSFERRED TO APA.
UM, AND THEN, UH, DURING THE MONTH OF APRIL, THERE WAS AN ADDITIONAL 20 THAT WERE BORN IN CARE.
AND 38 THAT WERE TAKEN IN FROM, UH, OWNERS IN TRAVIS COUNTY.
ON PAGE TWO, WE HAVE THE COMBINATION OF THE WORK THAT BOTH ORGANIZATIONS ARE DOING BETWEEN INTAKE, SPAY, NEUTER AT THE SHELTER, FOSTER PLACEMENTS AND ADOPTIONS.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UH, IS REALLY IMPORTANT I THINK IS TO SEE THE IMPACT OF BOTH ORGANIZATIONS TOGETHER, UM, WITH ANIMAL OWNERS AND CARETAKERS THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY, UH, THE LICENSE AGREEMENT REQUIRES US TO PULL A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE OF DOGS BASED ON THE PRIOR FISCAL, YOUR INTAKE, WHICH IS A LITTLE CONFUSING.
SO I'VE PROVIDE ON PAGE TWO, BOTH, UM, ARE THIS YEAR POLLS FROM AAC BASED ON 2021 FISCAL YEAR INTAKE.
AND THEN ALSO FOR THIS CURRENT FISCAL YEAR, BECAUSE IT SEEMS A LITTLE BIT MORE, UH, USEFUL.
SO WE'VE PULLED, UM, 14.5% OF LAST YEAR'S INTAKE AND 10.2% OF THIS YEAR'S INTAKE, UH, SURVIVAL RATES OF AAC, MEDICAL TRANSFER, PETS THERE'S HAS BEEN PREVIOUSLY SOME CONCERN ABOUT, UM, PETS BEING TRANSFERRED FROM AAC TO APA AND, UM, NOT RECEIVING CARE OR NOT SURVIVING.
AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE STARTED INCLUDING IS WHAT, UM, THE OUTCOMES WERE THE SURVIVAL RATE OF PETS THAT WERE TRANSFERRED THE MONTH PRIOR TO THIS REPORT.
SO THAT THEY'VE MADE IT AT LEAST 30 DAYS BEFORE WE'RE REPORTING ON THEIR OUTCOME AND OF THE 37 THAT WERE TRANSFERRED.
UM, 92% OF THEM, UH, SURVIVED, UM, THROUGH THAT 30 DAYS WITH A LITTLE OVER HALF HAVING BEEN ADOPTED SINCE THEN, PAGE THREE, THIS IS, UM, JUST OUR, ALL THE INS AND OUTS OF APA FOR THE MONTH WITH A LIVE RELEASE RATE OF 95.3.
ANY QUESTIONS ON THE MONTHLY DATA FROM APA? YES.
JUST A STATEMENT AGAIN, YOU SAY ON YOUR INTAKES TRANSFERRED 20 BORN AND CARE THAT WOULD OTHERWISE NOT HAVE BEEN BORN.
I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT AS FACTUAL, THOSE ANIMALS WOULD HAVE BEEN BORN.
THEY MAY HAVE BEEN BORN IN A FOSTER HOME.
IT MAY HAVE BEEN BORN IN THE SHELTER, UM, BUT AAC DOES NOT STAY VISIBLY PREGNANT ANIMALS.
SO, UM, I, I'M NOT SURE WHY I RESPECTFULLY DISAGREE.
THE, UM, THE REASON THAT THE ORDINANCE IS IN PLACE IS BECAUSE OF THE PREGNANT SPACE THAT WERE HAPPENING AT AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER.
AND SO THAT ORDINANCE IS THERE TO ALLOW US TO HAVE THE ABILITY TO PULL THEM.
THE REASON THEY'RE NOT CURRENTLY HAPPENING IS BECAUSE WE PULL EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM.
SO THERE'S NOT AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM TO BE SPAYED WHILE PREGNANT, BUT IF WE WERE NOT HERE, THEY WOULD BE INTERESTING.
UM, BECAUSE I'M A FOSTER FOR AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER AND I HAVE FOSTERED MANY PREGNANT DOGS.
SO I KNOW THAT THEY WERE NOT SPAYED AT AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER.
THERE ARE OTHER PREGNANT DOGS THAT ARE SENT TO FOSTER.
THERE ARE MORE THAN LIKELY PREGNANT CATS THAT ARE SENT TO FOSTER THROUGH AAC.
I MEAN, THAT'S A BIG CHANGE IN POLICY THAT HAS HAPPENED IN THE LAST THREE YEARS IN 2019.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WERE HERE WHEN THERE WAS A BIG
[01:35:01]
HOOPLA ABOUT ALL THAT.I WAS FOSTERING PREGNANT ANIMALS IN 2019 FOR THE ASKED ANIMAL CENTER.
WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR REPORT AND WE NEED TO MOVE ON TO OLD BUSINESS.
SO THE FIRST THING, AND WE'VE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT THIS A BIT IS MONTHLY REPORTING OF DATA.
UH, DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY COMMENTS ABOUT THIS? I MEAN, I, I DO WANT TO SAY ONE THING IS THAT I DON'T THINK THERE IS ANY WAY TO COMPARE APPLES TO APPLES WITH COVID AND WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN THE PAST THREE YEARS.
BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN WE, WE, WE QUIT COMPARING THINGS BECAUSE THERE'S THINGS ARE GOING TO CHANGE.
THE CITY'S GOING TO OPEN UP COVID IS EVENTUALLY GOING TO SUBSIDE ONE WAY OR ANOTHER.
WE DON'T KNOW VIRUSES ARE WEIRD.
AND THE CITY HAS TO BE PREPARED.
I THINK OUR SHELTER SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR WHAT'S TO COME.
SO I THINK EVEN THOUGH MAYBE WE CAN'T COMPARE APPLES TO APPLES, BUT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO PICK, COMPARE APPLES TO QUINCES OR SOMETHING, A LITTLE SIMILAR AND COME UP WITH SOMETHING THAT'S NOT TOO BITTER.
MIGHT I SAY SO, UM, I DO WANT TO POINT THAT OUT THAT THIS IS A VALID THING TO CONSIDER, I THINK, BUT I TH WE HAVE TO CONSIDER ANY WAY IN MY OPINION.
[3b. Working Group on How to Increase Microchipping in the City of Austin]
MOVE ON TO WORKING GROUP ON HOW TO INCREASE, RECORD SHIPPING IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.I'D LIKE TO HAVE, UH, COMMISSIONER HERRERA SPEAK ABOUT OUR AT PIM CLINICS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BE AROUND HERE.
UH, WE ARE GOING TO COVER A MICROCHIP CLINIC ON MAY 15 FROM 8:00 AM TO 11:00 AM.
IT'S A SUNDAY, EH, THIS IS ON GEORGE MORALES, UH, DOVE SPRINGS RECREATION CENTER BEHIND WITHIN ELEMENTARY.
UH, SOME OF THE PEOPLE WHO IS HELPING US ON THESE MICROCHIP CLINIC IS THESE THREE, TWO WITH THE COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES, UH, DOBIE SPRINGS, PROUD.
WE IT'S A NONPROFIT IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
GEORGE MORALE IS PRO FROM PRESSING NUMBER FOUR, PARKS AND RECREATION.
AND OF COURSE, EMANCIPATE IS GOING TO GIVE APPOINTMENTS FOR SPARE NOODLE IS VERY IMPORTANT.
I SEND INFORMATION TO BELINDA AND BELINDA SHARE WITH ALL THE COMMISSIONERS.
LET'S GO TO SHARE WITH ALL THE SOCIAL MEDIA, WITH ALL THE PEOPLE LET'S GO TO HAVE MORE PETS, MICROCHIP.
I NEED SOMETHING VERY IMPORTANT.
WE HAVE AN EVENT AT THE SHELTER AND I WAS A PERSON IN CHARGE.
IT'S SCANNING DOGS AND OFFERING FREE MICROCHIPS.
I WAS COMING WITH A OWNERS AND I SAY, CAN I, CAN I SCAN YOUR, YOUR PET? AND OF COURSE THE PET WALK A LITTLE BIT BEHIND AND SAY, OKAY, DO YOU KIND OF SCAN IT AND JUST SAY ME, HOW WOULD YOU DO IT? SO YOU JUST PUSH THESE BUTTONS, YOU SCAN IT.
I THINK IF WE WORK AS A COMMUNITY, WE CAN ACHIEVE MORE.
I HOPE WE HAVE SOME BUDGET FOR FOUR MICROCHIPS AND LET'S GO TO WORK TOGETHER.
I THINK THE MORE PETS WITH MICROCHIPS, THE MORE RESPONSIBLE OWNERS WE ARE GOING TO HAVE.
AT THIS POINT, THE AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER IS GOING TO CONTINUE TO WORK TO TRY TO HAVE MICROCHIP CLINICS AS OFTEN AS WE CAN.
AND ON EVERY, UH, IN EVERY DISTRICT AND ESPECIALLY THE HIGH INCOME AREAS, I INTAKE AREAS FIRST.
UH, I THINK THAT AT THIS POINT, THE WORK GROUP PROBABLY NEEDS TO JUST, UH, BE PUT TO BED AND THEN WE'VE CONTINUED TO JUST WORK IT FROM THE ANIMAL CENTER SIDE.
THE WAY WORK GROUPS USUALLY DO, WE HAVE A FINAL REPORT AND WE GAVE THAT A FEW MONTHS AGO AND WE GAVE OUR RECOMMENDATION AND OKAY.
SO, SO WE WILL DISSOLVE THE MICROCHIPPING WORDING.
ONE THING I WOULD LIKE TO SUGGEST, UM, YOU KNOW, THIS IS ONE OF THOSE THINGS WHERE IT SOUNDS LIKE A REALLY GOOD IDEA.
I THINK IT SOUNDS LIKE A REALLY GOOD IDEA, BUT THAT'S JUST ME.
AND IF WANT TO CONVINCE PEOPLE, WE NEED TO CAPTURE DATA.
SO I HOPE THAT YOU'RE CAPTURING THE DATA OF THE CHIPS YOU INSERT.
SO THAT SOMEDAY WE CAN SAY THE CHIPS WE INSERTED THROUGH THIS PROGRAM HAD THIS EFFECT ON PETS, GETTING BACK TO THEIR OWNERS.
AND I'M NOT SURE THAT THAT IS GOING TO BE REAL EASY
[01:40:01]
TO DO BECAUSE DATA CAN BE VERY DECEPTIVE THAT WAY, HOW YOU CATCH IT, HOW YOU WRITE IT DOWN.BUT I HOPE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU REALLY CONSIDER BECAUSE IN, WHEN WE GO TO CITY COUNCIL SAY, THIS IS A GREAT IDEA.
CAN WE CONTINUE DOING IT? WE HAVE A VERY GOOD ARGUMENT.
SO THAT WOULD JUST BE MY SUGGESTION.
IT'S, IT'S A REFLECT THAT THEY'LL SEE IN AN EMAIL CENTER, THE MORE ANIMALS CAME WITH MICROCHIPS THEN WAS RETURNED TO THE OWNER.
THAT IT'S, THAT IT'S A REAL NUMBER.
THE MORE, UH, RETURNED TO THE OWNERS ON THE FIELD WITH ANYONE AS HE OWES.
WELL, WE WANT TO DO IS CONNECT THAT NUMBER TWO MONEY THAT THE CITY COUNCIL GIVES FOR THE, TO SPEND ON THE, THE, THE PROCESS.
I JUST THINK THAT THAT'S A NUTS AND BOLTS THING THAT, THAT IF WE WANT TO BUILD A GOOD, WITH GOOD SERVICES, WE SAY, LOOK, THIS GETS THAT.
HOW CAN YOU ARGUE WITH IT? AND WE DO KEEP DATA FROM THE NUMBER THAT WE IMPLANT, RABIES VACCINATIONS AND ALL THAT DATA FROM EACH OF OUR CLINICS.
AND, AND IN AN EASY WAY WHERE WE CAN MAKE THE COMPARISON, SOMEONE COMMENTING, UH, I WOULD LIKE IT TO MAKE TIME.
SO, UM, I'M ASSUMING THAT, UH, AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER HAS THE PLAN A ONE YEAR PLAN UP TO FIVE-YEAR PLAN OF HOW MANY PETS YOU'RE PLANNING TO MICRO SHIFTS AND ALSO FOR THE NEXT 12 MONTHS OR WHATEVER EIGHT MONTHS LEFT UP THE YEAR.
UM, W WHERE ARE YOU HAVING SPECIFICALLY THOSE EVENTS HAVE TO BE VERY PRESCRIBED, UH, TO REALLY SEE THAT YOU ARE PERFORMING, BEING SUCCESSFUL, IMPLEMENTING THE PLAN.
AND THE TRACKING IS VERY IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND IF YOU'RE BEING SUCCESSFUL OR YOU NEED TO CHANGE YOUR PLAN OF HOW TO, UM, CONTINUE WITH THIS PROGRAM.
WE ALL AGREE THAT IT'S A WONDERFUL THING, BUT YOU KNOW, YOU, UH, MY RECOMMENDATION IS BEING VERY PRESCRIPTIVE AND HAVE A PLAN OUT WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO DO, AND AT THAT AS NEEDED.
THE PLANETS DO ONCE PER MONTH, SORRY.
EVERY TWO MONTHS A MICROCHIP, UM, RABIES VACCINATION CLINIC, OR THEY'LL SEE AN ANIMAL CENTER, UH, TO BE MORE PROACTIVE AND INVITING THE PEOPLE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT, UH, OR SHELTER IT'S, UM, SOME POPULATION THAT IS STILL HAVE THE, UH, IF HE'D SORT OF SHELTER, NO, AND EVERY TWO MONTHS HE'S GOING TO BE IN EACH OF THE DISTRICTS, THE IDEA IS TO DO AT LEAST 2000 MICROCHIPS PER YEAR.
I LOVE THE IDEA TO DO 20,000, RIGHT.
UH, BUT I THINK WITH 2000 MICROCHIPS IN AREAS QUEETS NEED, IT CAN BE, UH, THE FIRST, A VERY GOOD RESPONSE.
SOME OF THE DATA THAT, THAT WE JUMP DURING COVID, I DRIVE IN THE DISTRICT TO SPECIFICALLY, SPECIFICALLY ON 7, 8, 7, 4, 4.
IT'S A HOT, IT'S A HOT SEAT, COLD FOR, FOR, UH, STRAYS.
AND MOST OF THE DOGS WHO ARE TAGGED WITH THAT SEEP CODE, YOU DON'T SEE IT IN, IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD.
IT LOOKS LIKE THESE DOGS ARE COMING FROM OTHER PLACES.
THE IMPORTANT THING HERE WITH THE MICROCHIPS, WE ARE GOING TO HAVE THE CONTACT OF THE PEOPLE THAT WE, WE, SORRY.
WE ARE GOING TO HAVE THE CONTACT OF THE, AND THE PEOPLE WHO IT'S, THE OWNERS AND THE SAME TIME, THE LOCATION THAT THEY, IF THEY CHANGE THE PHONE NUMBER OR THE ADDRESS THEY NEED TO UPDATE WITH US.
DO YOU HAVE A DETAILED PLAN? THANK YOU.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? OKAY.
AND SO THAT'S NOT GOING TO BE ON THE NEW AGENDA.
[3c. Austin Pets Alive!’s Future at the Town Lake Animal Center and the Maintenance of No Kill in Austin]
SO NUMBER C IS THREE C AUSTIN PETS ALIVE, FUTURE THE TOWN LIKE ANIMALS CENTER AND THE MAINTENANCE OF NO KILL IN AUSTIN.THAT WAS A COUPLE ISSUES WRAPPED INTO ONE, I GUESS.
IS THERE ANY THING TO REPORT ABOUT THE NEGOTIATION, UH, GOING ON WITH T LACK? OKAY.
NOW WE HAVE SIGNED A YEAR EXTENSION AND WE'VE AGREED TO THE TERMS FOR THE NEXT YEAR, AND IT'S BASICALLY IT, THE BALL WILL BE AN APH COURT TO DETERMINE WHAT THEY WANT TO DO ON THAT PIECE OF PROPERTY AND GET THEIR SITE
[01:45:01]
PLANS AND ALL OF THE BUILDING ASPECT OF IT.SO THAT WILL BE THEIR NEXT, I GUESS, BIG HURDLE IS TO DETERMINE AND GET ALL THE JUMP THROUGH ALL THE HOOPS THAT A BUILDING SOMETHING HAS TO GO THROUGH AND GET THE APPROVALS AND ALL OF THAT.
SO THE PROCESS IS, THE NEXT STEP IS, IS APA IS GOING TO GIVE, UH, THE CITY OF AUSTIN A, A PLAN ABOUT WHAT THEY WANT TO DO WITH A PROPERTY.
THAT'LL HAVE, THAT'LL HAVE TO BE THE NEXT STEP.
[3d. Transferring Austin Animal Center Animals to Other Communities]
D TRANSFERRING AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER ANIMALS TO OTHER COMMUNITIES.AND I DO HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THIS.
I, YOU KNOW, I MONITOR SOCIAL MEDIA A LOT, WHICH SOMETIMES I THINK MAY BE A MISTAKE, BUT I THINK YOU KIND OF HAVE TO DO IT NOWADAYS.
UH, THERE WAS A REPORT ON FACEBOOK THAT SAID F FIVE DOGS TRANSFERRED FROM THE AUSTIN ANIMAL SHELTER DIED AT A, UH, UH, A TRANSFER PERSON, SOMEONE WHO CAN CARRY THE DOGS IN A VAN WHO SAID, HE'D BOARD THE DOGS, AND THEY DIED OF EITHER PARVO OR DISTEMPER.
AND IT WASN'T CLEAR, WHICH IS WHAT, AND I JUST WONDER IT'S SOCIAL MEDIA, RIGHT? SO I'M ASKING YOU IF YOU CAN SUPPLY ANY FURTHER INFORMATION ABOUT THIS, WE CAN THE LAST NICOLE TO COME UP AND GIVE THE DETAILS.
ALL, YOU KNOW, ALL AND ANIMALS THAT ARE TRANSFERRED OUT OF STATE.
THEY HAVE TO HAVE A HEALTH CERTIFICATE DONE ON THEM PRIOR TO TRANSPORT.
AND, UH, ALL ANIMALS THAT WE SEND ARE SOME, SOME DON'T PASS SOME, SOME GET PULLED OFF BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT HEALTHY AT THAT POINT, UH, FROM THE TIME THAT THEY WERE TAGGED AT THE TIME THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S GETTING READY TO BE LOADED, BUT, UH, NICOLE, WOULD YOU LIKE TO ANSWER THIS? SURE.
THE INFORMATION ON THAT POST WAS INCORRECT.
UM, WE HAVE VERY GOOD RELATIONSHIPS WITH THEIR, OF STATE PARTNERS, UM, AND THEY FEEL FREE TO CONTACT US AND LET US KNOW INFORMATION.
UH, WE DID HAVE A RESCUE THAT HAD TWO ADULT DOGS THAT SEEMED TO HAVE SOME SORT OF UPPER RESPIRATORY INFECTION THAT THEY COULDN'T KNOCK OUT.
UM, EXCUSE, EXCUSE MY IGNORANCE.
BUT THEY SAID IT WASN'T DISTEMPER, BUT IT WAS A SISTER VIRUS OF IT.
I'M NOT SURE WHAT THAT IS OR WHAT THAT MEANS.
UM, BUT THE DOGS COULD NOT RECOVER APPROPRIATELY.
UM, SO THEY WERE HUMANELY EUTHANIZED BECAUSE THEY BASICALLY COULD NOT COME THROUGH.
THEY SPENT, THEY SPARE NO EXPENSE FOR THESE KIDDOS.
UM, AND WE WERE ON THE PHONE WITH THEM 100% OF THE TIME CAUSE WE SUPPORT THEM IN EVERY WAY.
UM, BUT AS FAR AS THE OTHER INFORMATION ON THE POST, IT WAS NOT CORRECT.
UM, AND WE DO, UM, ASK OUR PARTNERS TO COMMUNICATE IF THERE'S ANY ISSUES, IF THEY FEEL APPROPRIATELY.
SO, UH, IF, IF YOU PUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS IMPLIED ON THIS POST WAS THAT THE PERSON WHO WAS TRANSFERRING THE DOGS HAD A BORING FACILITY AND WAS BOARDING THEM THERE UNTIL THE TRANSPORT FOR COULD TAKE PLACE.
DOES THAT HAPPEN? OR, I MEAN, UH, YOU KNOW, IDEALLY YOU THINK OF TRANSFERRING TO COME PICK THEM UP, CARRY THEM THEY'RE OFF.
DO THEY GET PICKED UP, CARRIED SOMEONE ELSE BOARDED FOR AWHILE SOMEWHERE ELSE? I MEAN, WHAT'S THE PROCESS LIKE IF WE ARE, UH, HAVING SPACE RESTRICTIONS AND WHEN, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HEARD IN THESE MEETINGS THAT YOU TALKED ABOUT ANIMALS BEING TIMED FOR RESCUE AND THEN SITTING IN THE SHELTER UNTIL THEY GET PULLED.
IF WE HAVE SPACE AND WE NEED SPACE, UH, WE WILL SEND THEM OFF CAMPUS TO BOARD UNTIL THEY GET PICKED UP FOR TRANSFER.
AND, AND WILL YOU SEND THEM OFF CAMPUS? UH, IN, UH, I THINK THERE'S RULES ABOUT BOARDING FACILITIES IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.
IT JUST DOESN'T GO TO SOME GUY WITH A VAN.
WHO'S GOT SOME CAGES OUT BACK.
UM, THE BOARDING FACILITY WE CURRENTLY USE, WE ACTUALLY VISITED, UM, WE WERE IN GOOD CONTACT AND GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM.
UM, THE DOGS ARE VERY HAPPY AND THEY'RE ACTUALLY VERY RELAXED VARIES, AND THEY DON'T, THEY GENERALLY DON'T WANT TO LEAVE THE BOARDING FACILITY WHEN WE PICK THEM UP.
UM, BUT IN AN EXTREME EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES, WE DO SEND THEM TO BOARDING, TO MAKE SPACE.
UM, AND IT'S, WE CONSIDERED A SPA WEEKEND FOR THEM.
UM, AND THEN THE TRANSPORT COMPANY WILL PICK THEM UP FROM THAT BOARDING FACILITY AND THEN COME TO US AND PICK UP ANY REMAINING KIDDOS THAT HAVEN'T BEEN LOADED.
I'M ASKING THESE QUESTIONS OF COURSE, BECAUSE I GET ASKED THEM AND PEOPLE WATCH THESE MEETINGS.
SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR ANSWERS.
UM, UH, HOW MUCH IS THE BOARDING? HOW MUCH DOES IT
[01:50:01]
COST? UM, IT IS $35 PER NIGHT PER ANIMAL.AND ON AVERAGE, HOW MANY NIGHTS ARE WE PUTTING THEM THERE? UM, IN AVERAGE, ABOUT SIX NIGHTS, WE TRY TO KEEP IT UNDERNEATH EIGHT FOR HEALTH CERTIFICATE AND TRAVEL STATE REASONS.
ANOTHER COUPLE OF HUNDRED DOLLARS WE'RE ADDING ON.
IS THAT A COUPLE HUNDRED DOLLARS BASICALLY? WHAT IS THE COST THAT THE AVERAGE COST THAT WE'RE PAYING TO BOARD THESE ANIMALS BEFORE WE SHIP THEM? YEAH.
SO IT'S $35 PER DOG PER NIGHT.
CAN I MAKE A COMMENT ABOUT THAT OR DO I NEED TO WAIT? YES.
W WELL, BOARDING THEM AT THE SHELTERS, NOT FREE.
ISN'T THE DAILY COST PER DOG AT THE SHELTER.
SO IT'S LESS EXPENSIVE TO SEND THEM TO BOARDING IT.
IT'S, IT'S GONE UP TO ACTUALLY ABOUT 41 51 NOW.
UM, BUT THAT, IT, IT IS, UH, AND THAT'S BASIC CARE.
THAT'S NOT WITH ANY SERVICES OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, THAT GETS ADDED OVER BASIC RABIES, VACCINATION AND ALL YOUR OTHER VACCINATIONS.
WHEN WE'RE, YOU'RE SAYING, WHEN WE COME UP WITH THAT $51 THAT, THAT AVERAGING OUT MEDICAL CARE THAT THEY ALSO GET AT THE CITY SHELTER, IS THAT CORRECT? THAT'S THAT'S BASIC MEDICAL CARE.
IF YOU HAVE TO DO ANYTHING THAT WAS, YOU KNOW, A MAJOR, YOU KNOW, RIGHT.
AMPUTATION OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, THAT'S NOT INCLUDED IN THAT.
DO WE KNOW HOW MUCH IT COSTS TO KEEP A DOG AT THE SHELTER FOR 24 HOURS THAT DOESN'T NEED SPECIAL MEDICAL CARE? $1.
SO IT IS LESS EXPENSIVE FOR THEM TO GO TO BOARDING.
I WASN'T GOING TO REMOTELY DONE, BUT OKAY, GO AHEAD.
UM, SO, UH, WAS I RIGHT? THAT IT WAS APPROXIMATELY, YOU SAID APPROXIMATELY SIX DAYS ON AVERAGE.
SO A COUPLE HUNDRED DOLLARS PER ANIMAL.
IF I HAD A CALCULATOR, I WOULD ASSUME THAT'S CORRECT.
AND THEN WE ADD THE PRICE OF SHIPPING, WHICH IS WHAT $150 PER ANIMAL.
IT DEPENDS ON THE LOCATION AND THE STATE THAT THEY'RE SHIPPED TO.
UH, FOR EXAMPLE, IF WE GO FAR UP NORTH, UM, WEST IT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE, BUT ON AVERAGE, ABOUT 1 45, 1 50 PER ANIMAL.
ON THE, UH, JUST TRYING TO, TRYING TO CLARIFY THE, UH, HOLD PERIOD QUESTION THAT I HEARD EARLIER, UM, YOU HAD SAID THAT YOU AUTOMATICALLY HOLD THEM FOR DAYS.
ARE YOU COUNTING? WHICH DAYS ARE YOU COUNTING? THE DAY THEY COME IN? YEAH, THE DAY THEY COME IN, WHENEVER ARE TIMES STEPPING IN TIME, IMPOUNDED INTO THIS COMMUNITY AND THE CENTRAL.
SO IF THEY COME IN AT NOON ON MONDAY, YOU'RE COUNTING THAT AS DAY ONE.
AND SO DAY FOUR WOULD BE TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY, YOU'RE SAYING IT WOULD BE A DAY FOUR.
AND THAT'S THE DAY THAT YOU ARE GIVE IT, LETTING THEM BE PULLED.
SO THE HOLD PERIOD ORDINANCE, I PULLED IT UP WHILE WE WERE HERE, SAYS THAT YOU DO NOT COUNT THE DAY ONE, WHICH MEANS YOU ARE NOT HOLDING FOR FOUR DAYS.
YOU'RE HOLDING FOR THREE DAYS.
AND IF ONE OF THOSE DAYS IS A SUNDAY, THEN YOU'RE VIOLATING THE WHOLE PERIOD FOR ANY ANIMAL THAT WAS HERE DURING A SUNDAY.
SO, UH, WE'LL JUST PUT IT ON THE NEXT AGENDA.
WELL, WE, THAT ON THE AGENDA FOR NEXT, KRISTEN, WHEN YOU STATED THAT THE COST OF A CARE OF A DOG AND THE SHELTER IS $51 A NIGHT, AND THE COSTUME BOARDING IS 35, BUT DO YOU DEDUCT THE $51 SOMEHOW? DO YOU, ARE THOSE FIXED COSTS THAT YOU PAY, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER THE ANIMALS ARE NOT THAT THAT IS CALCULATED BY THE ACCOUNTING DEPARTMENT AND THEY LOOK AT THE LENGTH OF STAY THE NUMBER OF ANIMALS AND THE TOTAL COST.
SO I CAN'T TELL YOU THEIR FORMULA, HOW THEY DO THAT, BUT WHEN YOU BOARD A DOG, YOU'RE NOT DEDUCTING $51 FROM EXPENSES IN THE BUDGET, CORRECT.
WE'RE NOT SPENDING IT, BUT YOU'RE NOT SAVING IT.
YOU'RE NOT TELLING THAT STAFF MEMBER, THEY DON'T NEED TO COME IN THAT DAY TO CLEAN THAT KENNEL, RIGHT.
THAT STAFF MEMBER IS STILL BEING PAID.
UH, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? YES, LADIES FIRST, THE STAFF MEMBERS WORK OVERTIME EVER OVERTIME.
SO IF THEY HAD FEWER DOGS THAT THEY NEEDED TO CARE FOR, THEY MIGHT NOT NEED TO WORK OVERTIME AND WE'RE NOT SPENDING MONEY ON FOOD.
WE ALSO, WHEN WE HAVE EIGHT PEOPLE STAFFED ON A DAY, OH, SORRY.
UM, ABBY VARELLA PROGRAM MANAGER OVER ANIMAL CARE AND BEHAVIOR TEAM, UM, ON A DAY LIKE TODAY WHEN WE HAD EIGHT PEOPLE SCHEDULED,
[01:55:01]
UM, BECAUSE OF STAFFING REASONS AND TO KIND OF ADDRESS YOUR QUESTION EARLIER.UM, NO, WE DO NOT HAVE JUST TEMPORARY EMPLOYEE STAFFING, UM, ANY ONE DAY.
AND THAT'S NOT WHY WE'RE SHORT.
WE HAVE TO COME UP WITH STAFFING MIX BETWEEN FULL-TIME PEOPLE AND, AND TEMPORARY PEOPLE.
UM, AND WE ARE, UM, IN THE PROCESS OF INTERVIEWING FOR THREE FULL-TIME POSITIONS.
UM, AND THAT SECOND INTERVIEW WILL BE ON WEDNESDAY, WHICH MEANS IT'LL PROBABLY TAKE ANOTHER MONTH TO GET THOSE PEOPLE ACTUALLY IN, UH, INTO THE CENTER BASED OFF OF CITY, YOU KNOW, HIRING AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
UM, BUT WHEN YOU HAVE EIGHT PEOPLE SCHEDULED, LIKE WE DID TODAY BEFORE, UM, ANYBODY MIGHT BE SICK OR SOMETHING LIKE, UM, AND YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO REALLY HAVE 15 TO COVER ALL THE ANIMAL AREAS.
UM, YES, THOSE PEOPLE ARE STILL GETTING PAID.
UM, EVEN IF THOSE DOGS AREN'T THERE, BUT THAT MEANS THAT, YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE MAYBE 10 LESS DOGS THAT THEY HAVE TO COVER WHEN THEY'RE COVERING, YOU KNOW, AT LEAST THREE AREAS.
IN ADDITION TO OUR SUPERVISORS AND OUR BEHAVIOR TEAM, DOING ANIMAL CARE, AS WELL AS VET SERVICES AND EVEN CUSTOMER SERVICE WAS HELPING TODAY.
I HELP ON SUNDAYS WHEN I CAN, UH, WITH, WITH JUST CLEANING, UM, AND BEING ABLE TO PROVIDE BETTER CUSTOMER SERVICE AND, AND THAT SORT OF THING.
SO, UM, AND TRYING TO TRY TO KEEP OUR, OUR STAFF THAT WE DO HAVE BY NOT BURNING THEM OUT FURTHER, MAYBE THE, THIS IS NOT EXACTLY ON TRANSPORTS, BUT AS YOU SAY THAT THE DOGS FEELS VERY HAPPY ON THE, ON THE BOARDING FACILITY.
ANY CHANCE A AAC CAN HAVE SOME MONEY AND HELP THE DOGS, THE LONG STAY DOGS OR THE BEHAVIOR DOGS JUST TO DECOMPRESS FROM DAYS.
SOMETHING THAT, THAT MAYBE I CAN SEE SOME VOLUNTEERS AND EMPLOYEES THAT, THAT MAYBE CAN BE ABLE TO, TO GO TO THAT BOARDING FACILITIES AND HELP A LITTLE BIT MORE THE DOGS, BECAUSE IT'S THE REST OF THE SHELTER WE KNOW IS VERY, VERY HIGH.
I'M ACTUALLY IN THE PROCESS RIGHT NOW OF REACHING OUT TO BOARD AND TRAINS TO SEE IF WE CAN GET, UH, VARIOUS, UH, DIFFERENT FACILITIES THAT ARE WILLING TO WORK WITH US, UM, TO GET SOME DOGS OUT OF THE SHELTER FOR A LITTLE BIT, UM, YOU KNOW, TO GET ANYWHERE FROM LIKE SOME, YOU KNOW, FUN TIME OUT, BUT ALSO, UH, SOME BASICS, SOME BASIC OBEDIENCE, OR, YOU KNOW, MORE ON THE, YOU KNOW, YOU ARE JUMPY MELDY, SO YOU'RE GONNA NEED A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN JUST THE BASIC STUFF.
UM, BUT AS I'M SURE, YOU KNOW, AS A, AS A TRAINER YOURSELF, THERE ARE NOT A TON OF PLACES THAT WILL DO, UM, BORDEN TRAIN, WHERE YOU DON'T HAVE A HOME FOR THE DOG TO GO AND AFTERWARDS, OR, UM, YOU KNOW, BOARD AND TRAIN IN HOME AND THAT SORT OF THING.
BUT WE ARE WORKING, I AM WORKING ON IT RIGHT NOW.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ABOUT TRANSFER PROGRAM? YES.
THE TWO DOGS THAT NEEDED TO BE USED IN ICE FROM THE INTRACTABLE RESPIRATORY WAS THAT WAS ONCE THEY REACHED THE FINAL, UM, RESCUE.
THAT WAS ABOUT TWO AND A HALF WEEKS AFTER THEY HAD ALREADY BEEN THERE.
UM, SO THEY DIDN'T SHOW SYMPTOMS UNTIL I WANT TO SAY THREE TO FOUR DAYS AFTER THEY ARRIVED.
UM, AND THEY IMMEDIATELY DID THEY HAVE THAT FACILITIES THAT THEY CAN TAKE THEM TO.
UM, AND THEY JUST SAID THAT THEY JUST ESCALATED THE MEDICATIONS AND NOTHING WAS SEEMING TO WORK.
UM, AND THEY JUST COULD NOT BREAK WHATEVER THEY HAD.
AND ARE, ARE THERE MEDICAL RECORDS, RECORDS THAT WE CAN REVIEW? IS THAT A THING THAT WE DO JUST, JUST FOR, WE CAN REACH OUT TO THE RESCUE AND ASK KEISHA, OKAY.
SO IF THEY'RE BOARDING ON AVERAGE, BUT I THINK YOU SAID SIX DAYS, I WAS WONDERING FOR THE CATEGORY OF ANIMAL THAT IS BEING BOARDED BETTER, LIKE, UH, ADOPTABILITY OR AGE OR DIFFICULTY IN HANDLING KIND OF DOT COLOR, WHAT WOULD BE THE AVERAGE LENGTH OF STAY? IF THAT ANIMAL WERE TO STAY IN THE SHELTER AND HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE ADOPTED FROM THE SHELTER? WAS IT 28 DAYS? JASON PUT TOGETHER THE DATA FOR, UM, EVER SINCE WE STARTED OUT A STATE TRANSPORTS AND THE AVERAGE LENGTH OF STAY IS 29 DAYS.
AND CURRENTLY OUR LENGTH OF STAY IN THE SHELTER IS RIGHT AT 90 DAYS.
AND, UM, IF YOU TAKE THAT DIFFERENCE, UH, THAT 66 DAYS.
AND SO WE CALCULATE, WE SPENT AROUND $50,000 COMPLETELY ON THIS TRANSPORT PROGRAM, BUT IT, THOSE ANIMALS HAD STAYED THOSE EXTRA 66 DAYS.
[02:00:01]
WOULD HAVE BEEN OVER A MILLION THAT WE WOULD HAVE SPENT IN THAT KEEPING THOSE ANIMALS THERE.AND ARE THESE NUMBERS JUST LOOKING AT THE TYPE OF POPULATION AND THE EASY TO ADOPT, EASY TO TRANSPORT ANIMALS, OR ARE THEY LIVING THEM? I HAVEN'T HEARD ENTIRE POPULATION OF ABORIGINAL WELL, THE ENTIRE POPULATION OF WHAT'S BEEN SENT TO, TO TRANSPORT.
AND FOR THE AVERAGE, NO, I'M IN THE AVERAGE LENGTH OF STAY THAT DON JUST QUOTED AS FAR AS THE ANIMALS AND THE SHELTER, IS THAT INFORMATION BEING GATHERED ON ANIMALS THAT MEET THE TRANSPORT KIND OF CRITERIA AS FAR AS AGE AND ADOPTABILITY, OR IS THAT DATA BEING CAPTURED ON THE FULL POPULATION OF THE SHELTER, INCLUDING THE BEHAVIOR AND LONG STADIUMS? THE DATA I QUOTED WAS THE ACTUAL ANIMALS THAT WERE TRANSPORTED, BUT IF THEY WERE TRANSPORTED, THEN YOU DON'T HAVE THE LENGTH OF STAY AVERAGE LENGTH OF STAY BEFORE THEY WERE ADOPTED AT THE SHELTER.
THAT'S WHAT THAT REPORT IS, IS THAT BEFORE THEY WERE TRANSPORTED, THAT AVERAGE WAS 28, 28 DAYS.
THAT WAS THE AVERAGE BEFORE THEY WERE TRANSPORTED.
THEY WERE THERE FOR AN AVERAGE OF 28 DAYS BEFORE THEY LEFT, BEFORE THEY WERE TRANSFERRED UPON ALL OF THE ONES THAT HAVE GONE.
DO YOU THINK THAT WE COULD START TO, THERE'S BEEN A WHOLE LOT OF CONFUSION REGARDING THE TRANSFER PROGRAM AND A LOT OF LIKE BEING ABLE TO SEE AND UNDERSTAND WHAT'S TAKING PLACE.
DO YOU THINK THAT WE CAN START GETTING DATA SUPPORTING, UM, KIND OF, SO TO HELP US GET A CLEARER PICTURE AND EXPLAIN THIS TO THE PUBLIC, WE CAN PUT THAT ON THE, FOR THE IT PERSON TO LOOK AT AND WORK IN.
WELL, I GUESS I MEANT LIKE THE DATA YOU'VE ALREADY QUOTED IN YOUR MENTIONING YOU THE DATA THAT YOU ALREADY HAVE COMPILED, COULD THAT BE SHARED? WE SEE WHAT THE DATA THAT I JUST PROVIDED YOU.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS? I JUST HAVE ONE QUICK QUESTION TO KIND OF FOLLOW UP ON THE SUMMER.
UM, I JUST WAS CURIOUS, AND I THINK WE MAY HAVE TALKED ABOUT THIS AT A PRIOR MEETING, BUT IS THERE ANY KIND OF ANALYSIS DONE ABOUT, OR COST COMPARISON ABOUT WHAT IT'S COSTING TO DO IT THE WAY THAT IT'S BEING DONE, WHERE IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S ABOUT 350 PER ANIMAL BASED ON A SIX TO EIGHT DAY BOARDING FOR THE TRANSPORTS OF OUT-OF-STATE VERSUS, YOU KNOW, MAYBE GIVING A HUNDRED DOLLARS VOUCHER TO A LOCAL PARTNER TO TAKE THESE DOGS.
HAS THERE BEEN ANY ANALYSIS PERFORMED AS TO WHY THAT WOULDN'T WORK? AND IF SO, COULD WE MAYBE SEE WHAT THAT DATA LOOKED LIKE OR ANALYSIS? NOT EVERY NIGHT HE'S GOING TO BOARDING THIS LADY.
IT'S A SMALL, IT'S A SMALL POPULATION THAT GOES TO BOARDING.
IT'S A VERY SMALL POPULATION GOES TO BOARDING VERY SMALL AND BAT HAS.
I MEAN, HAVE YOU BEEN, DO YOU, HAVE YOU DONE ANY KIND OF ANALYSIS ABOUT WHY IT MIGHT NOT BE BETTER TO JUST TRY TO TAKE SOME OF THAT POPULATION THAT YOU'RE TRANSPORTING UPSTATE AND WORKING WITH A LOCAL RESCUE GROUP AND PERHAPS GIVING THEM SOME SORT OF INCENTIVE, YOU KNOW, 50 OR A HUNDRED BUCKS TO TAKE ON THAT ANIMAL? I MEAN, I FEEL LIKE WE TALKED ABOUT THIS MONTHS AGO AND SO I'M NOT RECALLING, SO THAT'S WHY I'M ASKING AFTER THAT TALK, WAS THERE ANY KIND OF ANALYSIS DONE? CAUSE I THINK THAT QUESTION HAD BEEN RAISED PREVIOUSLY, UH, ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF OR TWO YEARS AGO, WE OFFERED, UH, UH, A GROUP OF OUR LONG-STAY DOGS AND WE OFFERED A THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR ANYONE THAT WOULD TAKE ONE OF THOSE ANIMALS TO PROVIDE THE ADDITIONAL TRAINING NEEDED, TO HELP REHABILITATE THAT DOG AND GET IT ADOPTABLE.
WE HAD TWO TAKERS, TWO DOGS LEFT, AND THAT WAS AT A THOUSAND DOLLARS.
SO IT'S NOT BEEN OFFERED UP AGAIN.
AND NOW WE'RE JUST KIND OF DOING THE OUT-OF-STATE FOR ROUGHLY 350 PER ANIMAL.
IF THEY'RE BOARDED, I RECOGNIZE YOU SAID THAT NOT ALL OF THEM ARE CORRECT.
AND JUST ASK FOR CLARIFICATION.
CAUSE I HAD SAID ON AVERAGE, HOW LONG ARE THEY BOARDED? AND YOU SAID SIX DAYS, BUT YOU MEAN OF THE ANIMALS THAT ARE BOARDED, RIGHT? YOU DON'T MEAN ON AVERAGE, IS THAT RIGHT OF THE ANIMALS THAT ARE BOARDED THERE ON AVERAGE SIX DAYS, BUT MOST ANIMALS ARE NOT BOARDED.
UM, SO WHEN WE COMPILE A TRANSPORT LIST, UM, I WOULD SAY MAYBE, MAYBE 10% OF THAT TRANSPORT LIST GOES TO BOARDING.
UM, AND IT DOESN'T HAPPEN EVERY TIME.
UM, BUT IT WOULD BE ABOUT SIX DAYS.
IS THERE A BETTER AVERAGE RIGHT NOW? COULD THIS, IS IT FEEL FREE TO SAY NO.
CAN YOU GUESS AS TO WHAT THE AVERAGE BOARDING COST PER ANIMAL AND YOUR IN THE TRANSPORT PROGRAM IS, MEANING FOR ALL THE ONES THAT NEVER GOT SENT TO BOARDING, YOU WOULD PUT A ZERO THERE.
[02:05:02]
IT I'M CURIOUS BECAUSE THE, THE STATES YOU MENTIONED THAT THEY'RE SENT TO HER OR MUCH COOLER CLIMATES OVERALL THAN, THAN THIS ONE IS ANY, UM, IS ANY THOUGHT GIVEN TO WHICH ANIMALS MIGHT DO BETTER IN THAT CLIMATE OR IS THAT CONSIDERED INAPPROPRIATELY PREJUDICIAL? I DON'T, I DON'T ABSOLUTELY.UM, OUR GOAL HAS ALWAYS BEEN TO MAKE SURE THAT WE PLAY SUCCESSFUL DOGS INTO SUCCESSFUL RESCUES.
UM, WE WANT THE RESCUES TO BE SUCCESSFUL ON THE DOGS TO BE SUCCESSFUL AS WELL.
UM, IF WE HAVE A DOG THAT WE KNOW IS NOT GOING TO BE DOING GOOD IN A SHELTER CLIMATE, WE'RE NOT GOING TO TRANSFER TO ANOTHER SHELTER THAT THAT'S NOT FAIR TO THAT DOG, EVEN THOUGH THE ADOPTION RATE WOULD BE MUCH FASTER AND THE NORTHERN STATE IS STILL NOT FAIR.
SO WE TRY TO MAKE SURE WE TRANSFER TO FOSTER BASED RESCUES.
UM, BUT FOR EXAMPLE, OUR MISSION, MINNESOTA GROUPS LOVE OUR PARENTEES, BUT THE PEER NEEDS LOVE THE SNOW.
THEY LOVE THE COOL WEATHER THEY'RE DESIGNED FOR IT.
UM, SO WE DO METICULOUSLY MAKE DECISIONS ON WHO GOES WHERE, UM, BECAUSE AGAIN, WE, WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE WE'RE SETTING THE ANIMAL UP FOR SUCCESS AND THAT RESCUE GROUP AS WELL, IT'S, IT'S A FAILURE ON OUR PART IF WE DON'T, UM, DO THAT RESEARCH AND THAT HOMEWORK BEFOREHAND, AND NICOLE HAS BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL IN GETTING, UH, SOME OF OUR LONG-STAY DOGS THAT HAVE SAT HERE FOR 200, 300, 1,002 DAYS AND NOT BEEN ADOPTED OR NO ONE HAS TAKEN THEM INTO FOSTER AND, UH, GETTING THOSE, THOSE ANIMALS INTO SOME OF THESE OTHER RESCUES THAT HAVE TAKEN THEM AND THEY HAVE TURNED THEM AND ADOPTED THEM VERY QUICKLY.
IT'S JUST A DIFFERENT LOCATION MARKETING, I GUESS.
AND SOME OF THOSE, YOU KNOW, YOU THINK $51 A DAY AND IF IT STAYS HERE A THOUSAND DAYS, YOU KNOW, IT'S $50,000 THAT WE SPENT WITH THIS HOUSING, THAT DOG.
UM, SO I WAS WONDERING, SO SINCE THE, SINCE THERE'S A COST TO THE TRANSFER PROGRAM, I WAS WONDERING, WE GET DATA AND REPORTS BACK FROM APA REGARDING THE OUTCOMES OF ANIMALS AND SURVIVAL OF ANIMALS THAT HAVE BEEN TRANSFERRED TO THEIR CARE.
AND I'M WONDERING SINCE WE'RE SPENDING MONEY ON THE TRANSPORT PROGRAM, WHICH WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, THE BOARDING WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WE ALSO HAVE STAFF SUPPORTING IT.
WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE TRANSFER FEE.
I'M WONDERING IF THERE'S ANY REPORTING BACK TO THE SHELTER REGARDING THE OUTCOME OF THESE ANIMALS THAT ARE TRANSFERRED.
THEY DO POST THAT SO-AND-SO GETS DOTTED, OPTED, AND YOU KNOW, THEY MAKE SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS AND NOTIFY US ON SOME OF THE DOGS THAT MIGHT'VE, YOU KNOW, BEEN CHALLENGED DOWN HERE, BUT WE DO NOT REQUIRE THEM TO SEND US ANY DATA BECAUSE THIS THEY'RE PULLING FROM US.
THEY HAVE NO TIE TO US OTHER THAN JUST NORMAL RESCUES, LIKE ANY OTHER RESCUE ORGANIZATION IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT, UH, DOESN'T HAVE A AGREEMENT WITH US, A LICENSE AGREEMENT, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? OKAY, WELL, LET'S MOVE ON,
[4a. Austin Animal Center Space Crisis and Recommendations from the Space Crisis Working Group]
UH, NEW BUSINESS.UH, THE FIRST ITEM IS OSS AML CENTER SPACE, CRISIS RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE SPACE CRISIS WORKING GROUP.
DO YOU WANT TO ADD ANYTHING BEFORE I SHARE THE DATA I BROUGHT, UM, GO AHEAD.
UM, AND I'LL JUST GIVE A BRIEF RECAP FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT WEREN'T HERE.
UM, FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO JUST ACKNOWLEDGE ALL THE AMAZING PEOPLE IN THE AUDIENCE.
SO MANY VOLUNTEERS HERE AND SARA LUCE HAS BEEN RUNNING THAT VOLUNTEER PROGRAM FOR, I DON'T KNOW HOW LONG AND IT'S ONE OF THE KINDEST, MOST PATIENT PEOPLE I KNOW.
AND ASHLEY NEIL'S, THERE'S LITERALLY NO ONE THAT RUNS A PLAYGROUP BETTER IN THE ENTIRE WORLD.
UH, AND ALL OF YOU VOLUNTEERS, SOME I KNOW IN SOME I DON'T, I THINK THAT, UH, WE ARE, I CAME LAST MONTH TO SAY THAT THIS AGENCY IS IN A CRISIS, BUT IT IS NOT A SPACE CRISIS.
IN FACT, AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTERS, INVENTORY IS ALMOST A LOWEST THAT IT HAS BEEN, UH, AND WE KEEP TALKING ABOUT THE MYRIAD PROBLEMS, BUT THE BIG PROBLEMS ARE BIG AND THE CRISIS HAS WORSENING.
UH, LAST MONTH THERE WERE 604 ANIMALS IN CUSTODY OF AAC.
ON THE DAY OF THIS MEETING AND AAC WAS CLAIMING A DANGEROUS, CRITICAL SPACE CRISIS.
THIS MONTH, THERE ARE EITHER 774 OR 818 ANIMALS IN CUSTODY.
AND AAC IS, UH, CLAIMING TO BE IN A SPACE CRISIS IN 2016, THERE WERE 1200 OR MORE ANIMALS IN CUSTODY.
AND THAT WAS A TRUE CHALLENGING SITUATION.
BUT WHAT WE KNOW HISTORICALLY IS THAT AAC
[02:10:01]
IS CAPABLE.IT IS A CONTAINER THAT CAN HOLD MORE THAN 1200 ANIMALS AT ANY ONE TIME, AND IT CAN DO IT WITH FEWER STAFF AND IT CAN DO IT WITH LESS MONEY THAN IT MAKES NOW.
SO WE KNOW THESE THINGS ARE TRUE, AND WE ALSO KNOW THAT AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER CAN HOLD FIVE TO 6,000 VOLUNTEER HOURS PER MONTH.
UM, IT'S DONE SO IN THE PAST, I THINK THE VOLUNTEER PROGRAM PROBABLY HAD MORE STAFFING AT THAT POINT.
UH, AND WE ALSO KNOW THAT AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER CAN HOUSE THREE TIMES AS MANY ANIMALS IN FOSTER AS IT IS NOW.
SO WE'RE NOT IN A SPACE CRISIS.
AND I DON'T TAKE PLEASURE IN WRITING DATA REPORTS FOR AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER, BUT SOMEONE NEEDS TO DO IT BECAUSE THE COMPARATIVE DATA DOES MATTER, REGARDLESS OF COVID THE CITY'S GROWING, THE VOLUNTEERS ARE GROWING AND THE NUMBER OF AVAILABLE FOSTERS IS GROWING.
SO WHAT I TRIED TO DO THIS LAST MONTH, UM, I DID JUST RECEIVE THE REPORT RESPONSE TO MY REPORT FROM MARCH.
AND I THINK OTHER THAN THE, I WAS GLAD TO SEE THAT WE GOT SOME ACTUAL COMPARATIVE DATA ON THE EUTHANASIA NUMBERS.
OTHER THAN THAT, I DON'T BELIEVE ANYTHING IN THAT REPORT CONTRADICTS ANYTHING THAT WAS IN MY REPORT.
UM, IT MORE IS A NARRATIVE TO EXPLAIN WHY, UH, THE TWO REPORTS I COMPLETED THIS MONTH, UM, ONE WAS JUST TO SHARE COMPARATIVE DATA AGAIN, YEAR OVER YEAR.
AND THE SECOND ONE WAS REALLY TO FOCUS ON THE VOLUNTEER AND FOSTER PROGRAMS. UM, THE VOLUNTEER PROGRAM USED TO HAVE, I BELIEVE THREE STAFF DEDICATED TO IT, MAYBE MORE THAN THAT, UM, TO RUN MULTIPLE VOLUNTEER PROGRAMS THAT ALL ADDED UP.
UM, I CAN'T REALLY EMPHASIZE HOW MUCH THAT PROGRAM WAS AT THE HEART AND SOUL OF WHAT AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER DID.
AND OVER THE YEARS WE'VE SEEN A DECREASE IN VOLUNTEER HOURS, ACCORDING TO AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER.
THIS YEAR, WE'RE GETTING ABOUT 2000 TO 2,500 HOURS PER MONTH, WHICH IS HALF OR LESS OF WHAT WE KNOW AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER CAN DO.
AND I WANTED TO MAKE SURE TO CITE ALL OF THIS, IT'S ALL CONTAINED IN PUBLIC REPORTS.
SO YOU CAN BE ANYBODY JUST LIKE ME PUTTING THESE TOGETHER.
SO I WENT MONTH BY MONTH JUST TO SHOW WHAT DATA WE DO HAVE.
UM, AND I TRIED TO SHOW THE TRENDS IN THE PROGRAMS. UM, AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER DESPERATELY NEEDS VOLUNTEERS AND FOSTER CAREGIVERS NOW.
UM, AND THOSE PROGRAMS NEED TO INCREASE.
THEY NEED THE SUPPORT, THEY NEED THE STAFFING, UM, TO BE ABLE TO USE THAT CONTAINER THAT WE HAVE.
SO I JUST WANT TO REPEAT AGAIN, AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER CAN SERVE 1200 OR MORE ANIMALS, BUT WE'RE BEING TOLD AND THE COMMUNITY IS BEING TOLD.
WE ARE IN A CRITICAL SPACE CRISIS.
WE HAVE A LENGTH OF STAY ACCORDING TO THE AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER TONIGHT OF 90 DAYS PER DOGS.
THAT IS SIGNIFICANTLY ABOVE THE NATIONAL AVERAGE, EVEN IN THE WORST, UH, WORST TIME WE'VE SEEN IN A NUMBER OF YEARS.
SO, UH, ON THE DATA REPORT OF NOTE THAT I PROVIDED FOR APRIL OF NOTE, ONE THING I WANT TO POINT OUT IS THAT THE RETURN TO OWNER RATE CONTINUES TO BE VERY, VERY LOW RELATIVE TO PREVIOUS YEARS.
AND THAT RETURNED TO OWNER RATE, UM, OR I'M SORRY, THAT RETURNED OWNER NUMBER IS, UH, DIRECTLY, DIRECTLY IMPACTED BY BEING CLOSED ON SUNDAYS IN THE PET RESOURCE CENTER BEING CLOSED ON WEEKENDS ENTIRELY, UH, WORKING FOLKS CANNOT COME DURING THE WEEK DURING BUSINESS HOURS.
SO FOR WORKING PEOPLE, THEY OFTEN CANNOT COME AND WE'RE SEEING THAT REFLECTED IN THOSE NUMBERS.
SO, UM, I WANTED TO JUST PROVIDE AS MUCH DATA IN HOPES THAT AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER, IF, IF I'M WRONG, IF THOSE PUBLIC REPORTS AREN'T ACCURATE, PLEASE SHOW ME BECAUSE, UH, WE REALLY, I KNOW I NEED THESE REPORTS BECAUSE I NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT CAN WE DO? WHAT IS THE REALITY? ARE WE ACTUALLY IN A SPACE CRISIS OR ARE WE IN JUST A MANAGEMENT CRISIS? UM, AND THIS DATA DOES NOT INDICATE THAT WE ARE IN ANY KIND OF A SPACE CRISIS OTHER THAN THERE ARE TOO MANY ANIMALS AT THE SHELTER THAT DON'T NEED TO BE THERE.
HI, WELL, UM, WE WERE ALL VERY MOVED BY THE IMPASSIONED STATEMENTS BY THE, BY THE VOLUNTEERS THAT ARE HERE TODAY.
AND I, I HAVE TO FEEL LIKE IT HAS TO BE SOMETHING OF AN AFFRONT TO THEM TO TELL THEM THAT THERE'S NOT AS SPACE CRISIS AND WHEN THEY'RE TRYING TO WORK WITH IT EVERY DAY.
AND, AND I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW HOW WE CAN WORK AS A TEAM TO SOLVE THE CRISIS.
IF PART OF THE COMMISSION IS GOING TO DENY THAT THERE'S A CRISIS IN THE FIRST PLACE.
WOULD IT BE FAIR TO SAY THAT THE MAJORITY OF THIS SPACE CRISIS HAS REGARDING LARGE DOGS? YES.
SO YOU CAN'T PULL DATA THAT INCLUDES KITTENS
[02:15:01]
AND, AND SOMETIMES THEY'RE THEIR QUEEN WHO COULD ALL BE HOUSED TOGETHER IN A VERY APPROPRIATE, UM, CAT ONE OR TWO CAT KENNELS.AND YOU CAN, AND YOU'RE HOUSING NINE, 10 ANIMALS IN THERE.
AND COMPARE THAT TO IF, AND SAY THAT'S THE SAME THING AS IF THE POPULATION INCREASED BY 10 LARGE DOGS.
THAT'S ABSOLUTELY, UH, UH, INAPPROPRIATE USE OF THE DATA AS CHAIRMAN NASER SAID DURING, DURING THE MEETING EARLIER DATA CAN BE DECEIVING.
AND I THINK IT'S BEING USED TO BE VERY DECEIVING HERE.
AND, YOU KNOW, I, I DON'T KNOW THE LAST TIME YOU WERE AT THE SHELTER, I HAVEN'T BEEN THERE FOR ABOUT TWO WEEKS, BUT THE LAST TIME I WAS THERE, YOU KNOW, IF YOU, IF YOU WALK THROUGH THE CAT ORDS AND THE, AND THE NURSERY AND THE KID WARDS, I'VE NEVER SEEN IT SO EMPTY.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN GOING THERE SINCE 2016 AND, AND IT'S WONDERFUL TO SEE ALL THAT SPACE THERE.
BUT THEN FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER, I'M SEEING LARGE DOGS IN A REGULAR, YOU KNOW, CRATE, LIKE MY DOG SLEEPS IN OVERNIGHT AND GOES IN BY HERSELF.
AND THEY'RE BEING KEPT THERE FOR 23 HOURS.
THERE'S A DOG CRATE IN THE FOOD STORAGE AREA.
IT, YOU KNOW, BETWEEN THE TWO SECTIONS OF THE 300 BUILDING, POOR DOG IS IN THERE WITH A TOWEL WITH A BLANKET OVER IT.
AND IT'S SPENDING 23 HOURS IN THERE.
SO TO, TO KNOW THAT THAT DOG HAS BEEN THERE, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT THE SAME DOG.
IT WAS TWO WEEKS AGO AND THIS AND THE SHELTER WORKS VERY HARD TO GET THEM MOVED OUT OF THERE AS FAST AS THEY CAN.
AND THEY WOULD NEVER PUT A DOG IN THAT SITUATION UNLESS THERE WAS A CRISIS.
AND SO TO THINK OF THAT DOG, WHILE YOU SIT HERE AND SAY, THERE'S NO CRISIS, FRANKLY, THAT SEEMS CRUEL.
LIKE IT GIVES ME SUCH A BAD FEELING ABOUT THAT.
THERE'S, THERE'S TONS OF THAT.
LIKE, WE'RE, WE'RE NOT THE HEIGHT OF KITTEN SEASON YET.
THE NUMBERS ARE GOING TO LOOK LOWER.
HOW WHAT'S THE CAPACITY OF THE CAT NURSERY LIKE AT MAX CAPACITY? I DON'T KNOW, A HUNDRED ANIMALS COULD POTENTIALLY GO IN THERE AND YOU CAN'T PRETEND THAT INCREASING THE NUMBER BY A HUNDRED BY FILLING THE CAT NURSERY WOULD BE THE SAME THING AS FILLING A HUNDRED MORE DOGS THAT NEED TO GO IN THE, IN THE, IN THE 100 BUILDING LIKE THIS.
THIS SEEMS LIKE A, A GROSS MISREPRESENTATION OF THE DATA.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO SAY, UM, I DON'T REALLY WANT TO LISA, LISA, LISA, WAIT A SECOND.
UM, JUST TO ADD ONTO THAT, I APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS, DR.
UM, I GUESS I'M A LITTLE CONFUSED BECAUSE IN THE BEGINNING OF THE, THE STATEMENT THAT AAC IS NOT DOING ENOUGH AND WE HAVE, THERE'S NOT A SPACE CRISIS, BUT THERE'S SAYING THERE'S NOT A SPACE CRISIS.
THERE'S JUST TOO MANY ANIMALS AT THE SHELTER.
SEEMS LIKE THE SAME THING TO ME.
I JUST WANT TO CLARIFY WHAT I WAS SAYING.
CAUSE I DON'T, I DO BELIEVE THERE'S A CRISIS.
I WANT, I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU MATH, LIKE REALLY SIMPLE MATH.
IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING THAT HOLDS 1200 THINGS AND YOU HAVE 600 THINGS IN THAT, AND YOU SAY THIS THING IS OVERFLOWING, IT IS BY DEFINITION, NOT OVERFLOWING.
SO I, I KNOW EVERYBODY FEELS, I KNOW EVERY BIT.
I'M ALSO THE, WHAT'S IT CALLED? YES.
SO PLEASE WAIT, HOLD ON ONE SECOND.
LET'S LET, LET, LET, LET'S LET HER GO FIRST AND THEN WE'LL LET YOU RESPOND.
UM, ALSO TO SAY THAT, UM, STAFFING CAN HANDLE EVERYTHING THAT THEY ARE DOING.
BUT YOU HEARD FROM ASHLEY NILS, UH, SUPERVISOR OF THE BEHAVIOR TEAM, THEY ARE DOING AN AMAZING JOB.
EVERYBODY AT THE SHELTER IS DOING AN AMAZING JOB AND THEY ARE KILLING THEMSELVES EVERY DAY.
THEY ARE PHYSICALLY, EMOTIONALLY, MENTALLY DRAINED.
AND JUST BECAUSE THEY CAN TECHNICALLY DO IT, DOES IT MEAN THAT WE SHOULD BE MAKING THEM DO IT? THEY'RE DOING IT BECAUSE NONE OF US HAVE ANY OTHER CHOICE.
WE CAN'T FIND THE STAFFING BECAUSE WE CAN'T OFFER BENEFITS TO ALL OF OUR TEMP EMPLOYEES.
WE HAVE SIX OR SEVEN TEMP EMPLOYEES THAT MAKE UP THE MAJORITY OF OUR BEHAVIOR TEAM.
WE CAN'T KEEP THEM ON STAFF, SAME THING FOR ANIMAL CARE.
UM, SO IS THAT BAD? IS THAT BAD MANAGEMENT SOUNDS LIKE AN ISSUE WITH NOT HAVING THE RIGHT KIND OF STAFFING THAT WE NEED.
WE SHOULDN'T BE DEPENDING ON TEMPORARY STAFF TO MAKE UP SO MUCH OF OUR STAFFING.
[02:20:01]
UM, AS FAR AS FINDING FOSTERS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, I HAVE SPECIFICALLY REACHED OUT TO APA BECAUSE THEY HAVE SUCH A STRONG FOSTER PROGRAM.THEY'RE SO GOOD AT DOING WHAT THEY DO, UM, WITH RECRUITING VOLUNTEERS AND FOSTERS AND, AND ALL THAT STUFF.
AND I KNOW THAT WE ALL HAVE TO BE ABLE TO KEEP OUR OWN RESOURCES, SO I DON'T WANT TO STEAL FROM THEM, BUT I'VE ASKED FOR HELP ON LIKE, HOW DO YOU DO THIS? LIKE, CAN YOU JUST SHARE SOME KNOWLEDGE WAS TOLD? NO.
SO, UM, I KNOW THAT SOMEBODY MENTIONED LIKE, YOU KNOW, W APA DOES ALL THIS AMAZING STUFF.
WHY, WHY CAN'T WE ALL COME TO THE TABLE AND WHY CAN'T AAC GET SOME ADVICE FROM THEM? LIKE, WHY AREN'T WE DOING THAT? IT, THIS WAS BEFORE SARAH'S TIME.
SO I HAVEN'T, I HAVEN'T TRIED RECENTLY, BUT I HAVE TRIED.
AND, YOU KNOW, NOT THAT I HAVE TALKED TO EVERYBODY AT APA AT THAT TIME.
UM, BUT I WAS TOLD THAT NO, I WOULD NOT BE HELPED BY THEM, SO, OKAY.
LET'S HAVE CHRIS TO RESPOND TO THAT.
CAN I SAY, LET ME REALLY QUICKLY, UM, I THINK THAT IT'S APPROPRIATE FOR THE COMMISSIONERS TO DISCUSS THE TOPIC THAT IS ON THE AGENDA.
AND THEN IF THERE'S A OPPORTUNITY THAT THE COMMISSION WANTS TO ASK STAFF AT THE END, I THINK THAT'S APPROPRIATE, BUT WE'VE NEVER DONE THIS BEFORE, WHERE STAFF JUMPED IN AND ARGUED WITH COMMISSIONERS AND COMMISSIONERS, ARGUING WITH STAFF.
I THINK, I THINK IT SETS UP A TENSION THAT IS PROBABLY NOT HEALTHY.
I AGREE THEY SHOULD HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO RESPOND, BUT NOT IN THIS KIND OF BACK AND FORTH IN THE MIDDLE OF AN ART HEATED.
UH, WE ARE AN EXCEPTIONAL CASE WHERE, FROM WHAT I CAN TELL, THERE IS A LOT OF TENSION AND IT SOUNDS TO ME FROM WHAT YOU SAID, THERE, THERE IS A TENSION BETWEEN APA AND THE SHELTER.
AND I DON'T KNOW, I, YOU KNOW, I, I DON'T VOLUNTEER AT THE SHELTER.
I DON'T VOLUNTEER AT APA, UH, AND IT'S NOT USEFUL.
AND I DON'T THINK, UM, UH, GOING AFTER ONE ANOTHER IS APPROPRIATE.
SO, AND IT HAD A LITTLE BIT OF THAT HAS HAPPENED.
UH, THERE'S A LOT OF IT HAPPENING OUT OF THE MEETING AND SOCIAL MEDIA AND EVERYTHING.
AND I THINK IT'S GOING TO GET US INTO EVEN WORSE TROUBLE, SO LESS KEEP LESS, LESS KEEP APA OUT OF IT FOR NOW.
UH, KRISTEN WORKS FOR APA, BUT EVERYBODY WORKS FOR SOMEONE.
AND WE, WHAT WE HAVE TO ASSUME IS GOOD FAITH.
IF YOU CAN ASSUME GOOD FAITH, THEN IT'S GOING TO BE VERY DIFFICULT AS FOR MAKING A DECISION.
SO OTHER WORDS, WE NEED TO ASSUME THAT KRISTIN HAS WHAT SHE CONSIDERS THE BEST INTEREST OF THE SHELTER IN MIND.
WE ALSO MUST CONSIDER THAT DON AND JASON AND, AND EVERYBODY FROM MICHELLE, YOU HAVE THE BEST INTERESTS OF THE SHELTER IN MIND.
WE HAVE TO DO THAT ON BOTH SIDES, AND WE REALLY HAVE TO DO THAT NOW, OTHERWISE, WHERE THINGS ARE GOING TO BLOW UP.
SO, UH, LET'S TRY AND DO THAT.
I JUST WANT TO COMPLETE MY REPORT.
I, FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO SAY, I KNOW THAT THESE ARE REALLY HARD CONVERSATIONS AND I WANT TO JUST ACKNOWLEDGE THAT NONE OF THIS IS EASY.
UM, AND I DO THINK THAT I WANTED TO SHARE DATA BECAUSE I THINK IT'S THE ONLY WAY TO KIND OF PULL BACK FROM OUR FEELINGS.
I KNOW THAT THAT I, HAVING WORKED AT AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER, I KNOW IT'S A CHALLENGING SHELTER, AND I KNOW HOW HARD ALL THE VOLUNTEERS AND STAFF WORK TO.
UM, I DO THINK THAT THE DATA, HOWEVER, TELLS US A LITTLE BIT OF THE STORY, AND IT'S THE PART THAT WE HAVE TO FOCUS ON AS A COMMISSION, BECAUSE I DON'T FEEL AS A TAXPAYER THAT, UH, I'M BEING GIVEN HONEST INFORMATION WHEN WE ARE AT HALF CAPACITY, WHAT WE WERE WHEN WE WERE PREVIOUSLY IN HIS FACE CRISIS.
SO I WANTED TO SHARE THE DATA TODAY TO TRY TO PULL BACK FROM ANY INDIVIDUAL PERSONALITY OR POLY POLICY DECISION, UM, TO REALLY GIVE A FAR AWAY VIEW AND DR.
NELSON, TO YOUR POINT, UM, THE COMMISSION'S BEEN ASKING FOR DETAILED DATA FOR AS MANY MONTHS AS I CAN REMEMBER, AND HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO GET IT FROM AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER.
AND SO THESE REPORTS ARE REALLY ANY, ANY MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC, ANYONE WHO CAN ACCESS THE REPORTS CAN, UH, MAKE THE EXACT SAME REPORT I DID.
AND I ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO DO THAT BECAUSE IN, IN THESE SITUATIONS, IT IS THE ANIMALS.
AND IN CLOSING, I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT WE'RE AT ANYWHERE BETWEEN 774 AND 818 ANIMALS TODAY, AND AAC IS SAYING
[02:25:01]
THAT IT ISN'T A CRITICAL CRISIS.WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THAT NUMBER GOES BACK UP TO 12, BECAUSE LIKELY WELL THIS SUMMER, UM, AND THAT'S REALLY MY CONCERN.
LIKE WE'RE IN A CRISIS NOW WITH ANIMALS AT RISK, WE HAVE THE STAFF, UM, ALMOST IN TEARS LOOKING COMPLETELY EXHAUSTED TO SHARING THEIR STORIES.
NOW WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE'RE BACK AT 1200 ANIMALS, UM, AND REALLY THAT, THAT DOES BECOME A LIFE DEATH SITUATION FOR THE ANIMALS OF AUSTIN.
THANKS FOR LETTING ME SHARE THESE.
AND, UM, AGAIN, I PLEASE END BY AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER TO PROVIDE COMPARATIVE REPORTS TO, OKAY, SO NOW WE GO ON TO LISA.
THE ONLY THING I WAS GONNA ADD IS AN, MAYBE I MISHEARD THIS AND I DON'T KNOW IF ASHLEY NEILS IS STILL THERE, BUT I THOUGHT WHAT SHE SAID WHEN SHE LISTED HER THREE COMMENTS, I THOUGHT SHE STARTED OUT WITH REQUESTING AN IMMEDIATE MORATORIUM ON STATE DOGS UNDER FOR LACK OF A BETTER TERM.
AND I DON'T THINK THIS WAS HER PHRASE, BUT, YOU KNOW, SORT OF FALSE PRETENSES AND WHAT I THOUGHT SHE SAID THEN WAS AS SPACE BEING NEEDED.
SO THAT'S THE ONLY THING I WOULD SAY WITH RESPECT TO THE VOLUNTEERS MAY THINK THERE IS A SPACE CRISIS.
AND SO REGARDLESS, I'M WITH KRISTEN ON TERMS OF, I THINK THE DATA IS WHAT SHE SPEAK.
I DON'T CARE WHAT ORGANIZATION IT IS.
IF WE HAVE CLEAR DATA, WE CAN MAKE GOOD RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL.
WE'VE BEEN ASKING FOR DATA FOR OVER A YEAR.
I'LL ONLY STATE TO LAST MAY BECAUSE THAT'S, AS FAR BACK AS I CAN FIND EMAILS TO MY COUNCIL MEMBER ABOUT THIS ISSUE, BUT WE HAVE BEEN TRYING TO GET DATA SO THAT WE CAN MAKE THE RIGHT DETERMINATION.
SO ANYBODY WHO'S BRINGING IN DATA AND CAN TELL US WHERE THEY GOT IT, YOU KNOW, I WOULD HOPE THAT ALL THE COMMISSIONERS WILL CONSIDER THAT AND, YOU KNOW, MAKE THEIR OWN DETERMINATIONS THAT WAY.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS, RYAN? YEAH, I, UH, DR.
NELSON, I WANT TO RESPOND TO SOMETHING THAT YOU'VE SAID, UM, ABOUT HOW KRISTEN'S ANALYSIS IS OFFENSIVE.
UM, I, UH, STARTED COMING TO COMMISSION MEETINGS IN 2005, UM, AND, UH, ANY TIME, AND IT WAS MOSTLY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WOULD COME AND SUGGEST THAT THINGS COULD BE DONE DIFFERENTLY.
AND WE WERE KILLING BY THE WAY, UM, 14,000 ANIMALS A YEAR.
IT WAS 38, A DAY, 35 A DAY, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
AND THAT INCLUDED NIGHTS OR WEEKENDS AND HOLIDAYS.
AND, UH, THOSE OF US WHO, WHO THOUGHT THAT THINGS SHOULD BE DIFFERENT.
UH, WE WOULD ACTUALLY GO ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND TRY TO FIND PEOPLE WHO KNEW THINGS BETTER THAN WE DID.
AND WE WOULD, UH, CONSULT WITH ANY EXPERT THAT WE COULD FIND.
AND WE WOULD RUN ANY DATA ANALYSIS THAT WE COULD FIND AND WE'D DO ANYTHING WE POSSIBLY COULD TO TRY TO MAKE THE SHELTER A BETTER PLACE.
AND ON A DAILY DAY BASIS, WE WERE TOLD EXACTLY WHAT YOU JUST TOLD.
KRISTIN, HOW DARE YOU? I DIDN'T SAY THAT.
DON'T PUT WORDS IN MY MOUTH, SIR.
THAT'S WHAT I DIDN'T SAY THAT EITHER.
YOU'RE BA YOU'RE F YOU'RE MAKING ME FEEL CRUEL.
UM, WE EITHER, WE'RE EITHER HERE TO TRY TO LIKE MAKE IMPROVEMENTS, UM, IN WHICH CASE WE SOMETIMES HAVE TO LOOK AT TOUGH THINGS.
I MEAN, I WANT TO KNOW, UH, LISA MENTIONED, UM, UH, ASHLEY'S COMMENTS.
I MEAN, I WANT TO KNOW SHE SAID, UH, THAT, THAT THERE WERE RED FLAGS AND DATA THAT WAS BEING IGNORED.
I WANT, I MEAN, I WROTE ALL, I WRITE DOWN NOTES EVERY TIME SOMEONE SPEAKS.
I MEAN, IS IT, IS IT, IS IT CRUEL TO WANT TO KNOW? I MEAN, WE HAVE AN EMPLOYEE SAYING THAT THERE'S A TOXIC WORKPLACE CULTURE SPECIFICALLY.
I SAID IT WAS CRUEL THAT SHE WAS DENYING, THERE'S A SPACE CRISIS.
THAT IS SPECIFICALLY WHAT I'VE REFERRED TO AS THAT IT WAS CRUEL.
THAT'S NOT WHAT YOU REPRESENTED.
SO IF YOU UNDERSTAND, PLEASE REPRESENT MORE ACCURATELY WHAT YOU UNDERSTAND.
WELL, WHAT, WE'RE BOTH DOING, WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE AT WAYSIDE, WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE IS WE'RE BOTH TRYING TO INTERPRET WHAT THE THIRD PERSON SAID.
NO, NO, I'M JUST, I I'M MAKING A DIFFERENT POINT.
WELL, I'M MAKING A POINT THAT, UH, THESE ARE HARD CONVERSATIONS AND, UH, WE HAVE TO BE
[02:30:01]
WILLING TO HAVE HARD CONVERSATIONS.WE, THE, I DON'T THINK, UH, AND I DIDN'T TAKE IT AS, UM, THE STAFF ARE NOT, UH, UNDER IMMENSE PRESSURE BECAUSE I THINK WE ALL KNOW THAT THEY ARE, UM, THE WAY I TOOK IT IS WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO BE BETTER.
AND EVERY TIME WE EVER DID THAT IN 2005, ALL THE WAY TO 2011, WHEN WE FINALLY GOT SOMETHING PASSED AGAINST THE WISHES OF THE SHELTER, IT WAS AGAINST EVERY SINGLE PROPOSAL WE MADE.
WE WERE TOLD THINGS SIMILAR TO WHAT YOU SAID, NOT THE SAME THING SIMILAR.
AND SO, UM, IF WE, IF WE DIDN'T HAVE HARD CONVERSATIONS ABOUT ALL THOSE THINGS THAT WE WORKED ON, AND I SEE YOU ROLLING YOUR EYES AT ME, I MEAN, YOU GOT TO TRY TO PLAY.
WE HAD HARD CONVERSATIONS FROM 2005 UNTIL 2011, WE STILL HAVE HARD CONVERSATIONS.
AND THERE ARE PLENTY OF PEOPLE WHO SAY, YOU KNOW, Y'ALL, YOU OUGHT TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT WITH YOUR TIME.
UM, OR, OR, YOU KNOW, I DON'T LIKE THE WAY THAT MAKES ME FEEL OR IT'S OFFENSIVE OR WHATEVER.
I'M, I'M, I'M SAYING GENERALLY NOT THAT YOU SAID THOSE WORDS THAT WE GOT TO HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS.
IF WE DIDN'T HAVE THESE SAME CONVERSATIONS, THEN WE WOULD STILL BE KILLING 14,000 ANIMALS A YEAR.
I'M ASSUMING, BECAUSE YOU KEEP ON ROLLING YOUR EYES AS IF SOMETHING, AS IF THIS WAS EASY, YOU KNOW, AS IF I DIDN'T SPEND, LET'S KEEP THE 10,000 HOURS A YEAR WORKING ON THIS, AT LEAST LET'S KEEP TALKING ABOUT THE POINT, WHICH IS A GOOD ONE, I THINK.
AND IF SOMEONE WANTS TO ROLL THEIR EYES, JUST IGNORE IT.
OR IF SOMEONE, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, HUMANS MAKE GESTURE.
SOMETIMES WE GOT TO HAVE HARD CONVERSATIONS AND THEY, THEY ARE HARD AND YOU, WE WON'T SOLVE THESE PROBLEMS IF WE DON'T HAVE HARD CONVERSATIONS.
UM, THE MESSAGE THAT IS BEING PUT OUT BY AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER IS THAT WE'RE IN A SPACE CRISIS.
UM, WE ARE IN AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER, I BELIEVE IS IN A SPACE CRISIS FOR MEDIUM TO LARGE DOGS.
THEY ARE NOT IN A SPACE CRISIS FOR CATS, SMALL DOGS, RABBITS, BIRDS, WHATEVER, ANY OTHER ANIMAL THAT THEY INTAKE.
SO I THINK YOU NEED TO CLARIFY YOUR MESSAGING TO THE PUBLIC, THAT YOU ARE IN A SPACE CRISIS FOR THESE ANIMALS.
THESE ARE WHAT WE NEED HELP GETTING HOMES FOR.
BECAUSE AS KRISTEN SAID, WHEN YOU SAY YOU'RE IN A SPACE CRISIS, AND YOU ONLY HAVE HALF THE ANIMALS FEELING KENNELS, EVEN THOUGH IT'S CATS AND DOGS, THE GENERAL MESSAGE IS THAT WE ARE OVERFLOWING WITH ANIMALS WHEN YOU ARE ACTUALLY OVERFLOWING WITH MEDIUM AND LARGE DOGS.
IS THAT, IS THAT A FAIR AND ACCURATE STATEMENT? IT IS.
AND IF YOU'LL LOOK AT ART, SOME OF OUR POSTS, WE WE'VE ADDRESSED THAT IT'S, YOU KNOW, MEDIUM TO LARGE DOGS THAT WE NEED HELP.
AND THEN MY OTHER, MY ONLY QUESTION ON THIS IS, IS THERE A WAY FOR YOU TO BREAK DOWN THE KENNEL SPACE BY MEDIUM TO LARGE DOGS? HOW MUCH COUNT SPACE DO YOU HAVE AT THE SHELTER? REGULAR COWS, NOT TEMPORARY CRATES IN RESOURCE ROOMS, NOT, NOT ROLLING CAGES, WHEREVER THE TEMPORARY ONES ON THE TRUCK PORT, BUT ACTUAL PHYSICAL KENNELS FOR DOGS.
AND THEN THE SAME THING FOR CATS AND SMALL DOGS.
AND I HAVE ALL THAT DATA AT THE OFFICE.
WE DID BREAK IT DOWN AND WE TOOK, PUT TWO DOGS PER SUITE, AND WE TOOK HALF OF THE 600 KENNELS THAT IS FOR RABIES QUARANTINE.
AND WE CAME UP WITH KINDLE SPACE FOR 272 LARGE KENNELS FOR DOGS.
UH, AND THE REST OF THE NUMBERS WERE SMALL.
I'D HAVE TO GO BACK TO GET THAT.
BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, AND THAT'S, YOU KNOW, WE HAD 272 WITH, UH, WE WERE AT 114% OVER CAPACITY ON THOSE THIS MORNING.
'CAUSE, YOU KNOW, I, I SEE THE EMAILS OR THE FACEBOOK SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS FROM THE ANIMAL CENTER ABOUT CODE RED AND EVERYTHING ELSE.
[02:35:01]
CODE RED.I DON'T SEE LARGE AND MEDIUM DOGS.
SO I THINK YOU NEED TO ADJUST YOUR MESSAGING POSSIBLY TO MORE ACCURATELY REFLECT THAT.
AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO GO TO TWO ON THE LET'S DO LOUISE NEXT LADIES.
HE WANTS POWER GO FIRST POWER.
UM, SO I WANTED TO, SINCE THIS IS A SPACE, WE PUT THIS TOPIC BACK ON TO REVISIT THE SPACE WORKING GROUP RECOMMENDATIONS, JUST TO KIND OF CIRCLE BACK FROM WHERE WE STARTED.
WE FORMED THE SPACE WORKING GROUP IN RESPONSE TO, UM, WHEN DON SPOKE AT CITY COUNCIL AND SAID THAT HE WAS IN CRISIS AND EUTHANASIA WAS MENTIONED.
UM, HOWEVER, THE COURT MENTIONED, AND AT THAT SAME TIME, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, IT WAS DISCUSSED THAT HE HAD NOT RECEIVED HELP FROM THE COMMISSION REGARDING THIS ISSUE.
SO WE FORMED THE SPACE WORKING GROUP THAT WAS ACTUALLY MADE UP OF A NUMBER OF AAC, VOLUNTEERS THAT HAD PUT IN A NORMAL AMOUNT OF EFFORT AND HOURS TO TRY TO EVALUATE WHAT WAS GOING ON.
TRY TO UNDERSTAND WHAT WAS HAPPENING WHEN WE WERE HAVING TROUBLE GETTING DATA AND TO TRY TO PUT TOGETHER SOME RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND THE THOUGHT WAS WE, WE DID HAVE A BROAD SPECTRUM LOOK AT WHERE WE THOUGHT WE COULD MAKE THE BIGGEST IMPACT.
AND THEN THE PLAN WAS TO THEN DRILL DOWN FURTHER ONTO THE LARGE DOG POPULATION.
THE FIRST GROUP OF, UH, FIRST RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE CAME OUT WITH, UM, WERE PRETTY MUCH DISMISSED AND THAT WE DID NOT HAVE ANY ENGAGEMENT OR PARTICIPATION FROM AAC STAFF.
UH, IF THIS IS SUCH A BIG CONCERN AND CRISIS, WHY ARE WE NOT WORKING TOGETHER? THE LAST WEEK? WE FOLDED THIS WORKING GROUP WHEN WE WERE TOLD THAT THE SPICE, THE SPACE CRISIS WAS UNDER CONTROL.
AND I BELIEVE AT THAT POINT, I ASKED IF YOU WOULD LET US KNOW IF IT BECAME A PROBLEM AGAIN, AND PERHAPS WE COULD FORM ANOTHER WORKING GROUP TO TRY TO ASSIST OR REVISIT THE RECOMMENDATIONS.
BUT I FEEL LIKE THAT AAC DOESN'T WANT ANY HELP OR ANY SUGGESTIONS.
I FEEL LIKE THE STAFF WORKS ON MICROSOFT TRIP CLINICS.
THEY WORK ON, UH, PARKS AND RECS, LOOSE DOGS AT DOG PARKS, BUT THEY'VE NOT HAD ANY ENGAGEMENT WITH THE COMMISSION REGARDING THE SPACE CRISIS.
AND I WANT TO KNOW WHY, WHAT, WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE WITH THIS? IF WE'RE TRYING TO, WE NEED TO ALL WORK TOGETHER, BUT IT IT'S NOT HAPPENING.
I THINK THAT WE NEED TO SEND IT OUR RECOMMENDATIONS BACK TO COUNCIL, AND WE NEED TO, TO CONTINUE, UH, TO REOPEN ANOTHER WORKING GROUP, TO CONTINUE ON THIS TOPIC WHERE, UM, FIGURE OUT REALLY WHAT THE TRUE PROBLEM IS FOR THIS CRISIS, WHETHER IT'S SPACE OR NOT.
UH, AND I HAVE A COMMENT TO MAKE, I HAVE A COMMENT TO MAKE ON THAT LINE, WHICH IS, WE NOW HAVE A COMMITTEE.
WE HAVE A, A, UM, UH, UH, MAINTAINING, NO KILL COMMITTEE, WHICH THE SPACE CRISIS IS DIRECTLY A PART OF, BECAUSE IF YOU HAVE TOO BIG OF SPACE CRISIS, YOU FALL BELOW NO-KILL.
UH, THESE COMMITTEES OF THE COMMITTEE, UH, COMMISSION HAVE TO MEET THREE TIMES A YEAR.
WE NEED A STAFF LIAISON TO BE ASSIGNED FROM THE SHELTER FOR THAT COMMITTEE.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S HAPPENED YET.
ARE YOU GOING TO BE THE LIAISON TO BOTH UNTIL MAY 24? OKAY.
YOU, YOU TOLD, YOU TOLD ME THAT.
SO PALMER, WE HAVE TO MEET BEFORE MAY 24TH AT PEERS.
UH, BUT WE NEEDED LIAISON WITH THAT'S REQUIRED FROM, FROM STAFF.
AND IF SHE CAN'T DO IT AND NEEDS TO BE SOMEONE ELSE COULD BE JASON, UH, JASON HAS BEEN VERY GOOD WITH GIVING US FIGURES.
UM, AND THEN THIS COMMITTEE WILL MEET AND MOVE ON.
AND I UNDERSTAND IN THE PAST WE MADE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT IT SEEMED TO THE COMMISSION THAT THESE RECOMMENDATIONS WERE IGNORED.
BUT I THINK IT'S, IT'S NOT REALLY FAIR TO CHARACTERIZE HOW DON FELT ABOUT THAT BECAUSE DON'S RIGHT HERE AND WE COULD ASK HIM, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? UH, YOU KNOW, SO, UH, I GUESS WE NEED TO GO ON TO LOUISE, BUT, BUT, UM, UH, ESSENTIALLY I, WHAT I HEAR PALMER SAYING IS THAT WE'VE DONE SOME WORK ON THIS AND SHOWED OUR CONCERN ABOUT THIS AND SORT OF, UH,
[02:40:01]
GOT LITTLE RESPONSE.UM, AND WE CARE THIS COMMISSION CARES.
I GUARANTEE YOU, THE PEOPLE ON THIS COMMISSION CARE, AND I KNOW THE SHELTER CARES.
UH, LOUISE, LET'S GO ON WITH LOUISE.
UH, LET'S GO TO PLAY AS A TEAM.
IN SOME MOMENTS, EVERYTHING CAN FEEL A LITTLE BIT TENSE.
WE ARE HERE SITTING DOWN TO GIVE BETTER OPTIONS AND TAKE BETTER DECISIONS.
UH, I REMEMBER THE TIMES WHEN WE HAVE A LOT OF MORE ANIMALS AND WHAT'S A LOT, BUT I NEVER SEEN THE 200 KENNELS WITH MULTIPLE DOGS.
I DON'T REMEMBER EXACTLY THE NAME OF THESE THREE, UH, REV, HEALERS.
THEY ARE LEAVING FOUR MONTHS, I THINK ONE MONTH ALREADY.
AND I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE VERY DIFFICULT TO ADOPT.
I UNDERSTAND THE MESSAGE OF SPACE CRISIS, BECAUSE I JUST PUT IT HERE.
I THINK IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO ADVERTISE.
WE HAVE CRISIS WITH LONG-STAY MIRIAM LARGE PITBULL MIX, MAYBE WITH BITE HISTORY AND BEHAVIORAL CHALLENGES, RIGHT? THAT PEOPLE IS NOT GOING TO APPROACH.
WE ARE NOT, IS GOING TO BE VERY, VERY CHALLENGING TO, TO MOVE WITHOUT DOGS.
I THINK SPACE CRISIS IS A GOOD DEFINITION.
I THINK US AS LAURA SAY, IF, IF THE SHELTER I KNOW ALREADY, YOU HAVE TOO MANY REPORTS, BUT MAYBE THE REPORT OF MIRIAM, LARGE DOGS, BUT HISTORIES READY, READY TO ADOPT.
WHEN WE WAS WITH PALMER PALMER DOING THIS WORKING GROUP, WE SEEN THAT MOST OF THESE DOGS, THE LONG STEAKS ARE READY TO ADOPT.
WE HAVE SURGERIES, THEY HAVE EVERYTHING.
THE ONLY THING IS A MARKETING.
UH, WE CAN MAKE THESE DOGS GET ADOPTED.
I UNDERSTAND THE SPACE CRISIS BECAUSE I SPEND A LOT OF TIME AT THE SHELTER.
AND I THINK WE, AS A TEAM, WE CAN GIVE A VERY RESULTS.
DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER UP BELINDA, JUST A REMINDER, THE SPACE GROUP SPACE CRISIS WORKING GROUP RECOMMENDATION WAS PRESENTED AS ALL RECOMMENDATIONS ARE AND THE COUNCIL CHOSE NOT TO PICK IT UP.
SO JUST TO REMIND NO, TH THAT, THAT, THAT IS INDEED WHAT HAPPENED.
UM, I THINK THAT THE PROBLEM AT AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER AS LOTTA AND LUIS AND ANYONE WHO'S BEEN THERE, UH, OVER MULTIPLE YEARS, AND THIS HAS ALWAYS BEEN MEDIUM AND LARGE DOGS, AND THAT'S TRUE IN MOST OF THE COUNTRY.
UM, AND IT IS CHALLENGING TO GET MEDIUM AND LARGE DOGS OUT.
NOT BECAUSE OF ANYTHING ABOUT THE DOGS, BUT BECAUSE WE KNOW HOUSING, HOUSING RESTRICTIONS ARE INTENSIFYING.
WE KNOW THAT THE PRESSURES ON PEOPLE'S LIVES ARE INTENSIFYING.
AND THIS IS A HARD MOMENT, I THINK, NATIONALLY FOR MEDIUM AND LARGE DOGS.
SO I THINK ALL OF THAT IS VERY TRUE.
UM, I CAME FROM A SHELTER WHERE WE HAD 1000 TO 1200 LARGE DOGS IN CUSTODY ON ANY GIVEN DAY IN A SMALLER COMMUNITY WITH LESS MONEY.
AND THEY ALSO KNOW THAT I PRINTED OUT A STATISTIC THAT REALLY A METRIC THAT REALLY DOES MATTER, WHICH IS THAT THERE ARE ONLY 200 PLUS ANIMALS IN FOSTER CARE RIGHT NOW, THE FOSTER PROGRAM IS VASTLY, UM, IS, IS, IS UNDER, UM, OPERATING.
IT COULD BE DOING MUCH BETTER IF WE HAD SIX TO 800 ANIMALS IN FOSTER CARE, UM, THINGS WOULD LOOK REALLY DIFFERENT AND YOU DON'T NEED TO CALL AUSTIN PETS ALIVE.
UH, THERE ARE SO DARN MANY RESOURCES ONLINE.
I HAVE DEDICATED MY WHOLE CAREER TO BIG DOG FOSTER CARE.
UM, WE COULD SOLVE THIS PROBABLY IN THE NEXT MONTH.
AND I WANT TO BE CLEAR ABOUT THAT.
WE CAN FIX THIS, BUT THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS AS BEST PRACTICES HAVE TO BE FOLLOWED.
WE KNOW LIFELINE ANIMAL PROJECT AND ATLANTA, GEORGIA, WHICH IS ALL PIT BULL DOGS SINCE 7,000 ANIMALS TO FOSTER CARE.
THE YEAR AFTER THE PANDEMIC, THIS IS NOT IMPOSSIBLE.
WE ARE NOT STUCK, BUT THINGS HAVE TO CHANGE.
AND THE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE SPACE WORKING GROUP IS EVERYTHING THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN.
IT'S FOSTER CARE AND IT'S SPECIFIC DATA ON BIG DOGS.
NELSON, I TRIED, BUT I'M JUST A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC.
WE NEED THE AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER TO GIVE US THAT.
SO THIS IS NOT, UH, IT IS NOT ROCKET SCIENCE.
IT'S BEEN DONE IN COMMUNITIES THAT ARE NOW SENDING FIVE TO 7,000 ANIMALS A YEAR TO FOSTER CARE.
UM, BUT THESE THINGS HAVE TO BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY BY AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER.
AND I THINK THE FRUSTRATION OF THE FOLKS WHO SIT IN THIS ROOM MONTH AFTER MONTH, THIS IS ONLY MY THIRD.
AND I'M FRUSTRATED IS THAT THOSE THINGS WE KNOW HOW TO DO, WE KNOW WORK ARE NOT BEING DONE.
[02:45:01]
HAS TO CHANGE.MAY I SAY IT AGAIN? THE RECOMMENDATION FROM THE SPACE CRISIS WORKING GROUP WENT TO THE COUNCIL AND THE COUNCIL CHOSE NOT YET.
AND, AND, AND THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE, UM, GET TO STOP ADDRESSING SOMETHING WE SEE AS A PROBLEM, UH, WHAT THE COUNCIL DID DO AND HELPED US DO WAS GET A COMMITTEE.
AND SO I SUGGEST WE HAVE OTHER THINGS TO GET TO SOME IMPORTANT THINGS TO GET TO IT'S GETTING KIND OF LATE.
MY SUGGESTION WOULD BE THAT WE GET THIS COMMITTEE GOING AND MEET, AND WE DISCUSS EXACTLY ABOUT THIS ISSUE, THESE ISSUES.
UH, WE HAVE A COMMITTEE WHO HAVE WE SAID IS ON THE COMMITTEE.
UM, IT'S, IT'S NANCY MI PALMER, LOTTA AND MONICA WHO'S.
UH, SO WE CAN APPOINT KRISTEN TO THAT COMMITTEE SO SHE CAN BRING THIS.
UH, SHE, SHE HAS, UH, A FLAIR FOR LOOKING UP THIS INFORMATION.
UM, AND WE SHOULD MEET AND WE SHOULD THEN BRING IT UP AT THE NEXT MEETING AND CONTINUE A CONVERSATION ABOUT THIS, YOU KNOW, CAUSE I, YOU KNOW, I HAPPEN TO AGREE WITH KRISTEN THAT I THINK WE CAN SOLVE THIS PROBLEM.
UH, IF WE WORK TOGETHER, UM, THE, YOU KNOW, THE CITY WE, CAUSE WE GOT OTHER PROBLEMS COMING UP THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THIS AND ONE OF THE, UH, AND THAT'S OUR NEXT ITEM.
SO IF YOU DON'T MIND LESS MOVE TO THE NEXT ITEM FOR B WELL, OH, WELL THERE, YES, THERE WAS ONE MOTION, BUT IT HAS NOT BEEN SECONDED.
SHE DIDN'T SAY IT WAS A MOTION, BUT IT IS A MOTION PALMER SAID THAT WE SHOULD RESUBMIT OUR SPACE CRISIS RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE CITY COUNCIL AND WHO SECONDED IT.
NANCY SAYS, SHE SAID AND REFORM A WORK GROUP FOR THIS.
DO YOU MIND? OKAY, SO NOW WE GET TO DISCUSS THIS.
DO YOU REALLY THINK WE NEED A RE WORK GROUP WHEN WE HAVE A COMMITTEE? YES.
I THINK WE DO NEED A WORKING GROUP BECAUSE THAT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE FLEXIBLE AS FAR AS HOW OFTEN THEY CAN MEET.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE A CITY STAFF THAT WORKING GROUP CAN THEN REPORT TO A COMMITTEE OR CAN REPORT BACK TO THE COMMISSION THAT I DO THINK THIS IS AN IMPORTANT MATTER AND WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO MEET ON A REGULAR BASIS AGAIN, AS WE DID IN THE PAST AND HAVE AS MANY PEOPLE JOIN THEM, LIKE TO JOIN WITHOUT MEETING A QUORUM.
SO I DO THINK IT NEEDS TO BE WORKING.
SO, SO WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND TO RESUBMIT AND THEN YOU AND RE LESS DIVIDE.
CAN WE DIVIDE THAT UP INTO TWO, TWO THINGS? SO ONE IS A MOTION, A SECOND TO RESUBMIT THE, THE SPACE CRISIS, A WORKING GROUP ARE OUR LAST WORK RECOMMENDATION.
AND THEN THE NEXT ONE WOULD BE A MOTION AND WE NEED A SECOND TO REFORM A WORKING GROUP.
THAT WOULD BE A SMALLER GROUP THAT COULD GET GOING NOW AND REPORT TO THE SPACE COMMITTEE WHEN WE HAVE OUR FIRST MEETING.
SO, ALL RIGHT, SO WE HAVE TWO MOTIONS, TWO SECONDS.
UH, SO ON THE FIRST ONE, RESUBMITTING, THE, THAT MATERIAL TO THE CITY COUNCIL, IS THERE ANY MORE DISCUSSION ON THAT? OKAY.
HOW MANY WOULD LIKE TO RESUBMIT THAT MATERIAL TO THE CITY COUNCIL? UH, OKAY.
EVERYBODY PRESENT VOTED FORD EXCEPT FOR DR.
EVERYBODY VOTE ON SCREEN B, JUST AN AND, AND SHE ABSTAINED BECAUSE SHE DOESN'T KNOW THE INFORMATION AND I DON'T BELIEVE COMMISSIONER, DID YOU GO FORWARD? NO.
LOUISE DIDN'T VOTE FOR IT EITHER.
HE VOTED AGAINST SHE ABSTAINED.
IS THAT RIGHT? YOU GOT TO GET THE VOTE, RIGHT.
NOW THE SECOND ONE IS A MOTION AND A SECOND TO REFORM THE SPACE WORKING GROUP.
UH, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION ON THAT? YES.
[02:50:01]
WE HAVE, IT'S BEEN YEARS SINCE WE'VE HAD THIS MUCH, UH, MANY PEOPLE ATTENDING OUR MEETINGS AND I WOULD LOVE TO INVITE ANYBODY WHO IS SITTING IN THE AUDIENCE OR LISTENING, OR WAS LISTENING OR CALLED IN, BUT COULDN'T MAKE IT OR CALLED IN.BUT I WOULD LOVE FOR YOU GUYS TO PLEASE REACH OUT TO PALMER AND KRISTEN AND THE CHAIR AND WHOMEVER WAS, IS ON GOING TO BE ON THE WORKING GROUP, UH, BECAUSE WE WOULD, WE NEED TO HEAR FROM YOU OBVIOUSLY THREE MINUTES IS NOT ENOUGH TIME.
UM, WE COULDN'T EVEN ASK ENOUGH FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS TO KNOW.
UM, BUT I, I, IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU GUYS HAVE A LOT OF, UH, OF INPUT TO GIVE US.
AND, UM, ALSO I WOULD JUST SAY THIS, WE GET HOME, WE GET ALMOST ZERO EMAILS VIRTUALLY ZERO, UH, SOMETIMES ONE A MONTH.
UM, SO IF YOU HAVE IDEAS, PLEASE SEND THEM TO US.
WE WOULD GREATLY, WE APPRECIATE THEM.
BUT THE OTHER THING TO ADD TO THAT IS THAT THE, A COMMITTEE, YOU CAN ALSO COME TO COMMITTEE MEETINGS AND THEY ARE A LITTLE LESS TIGHTLY STRUCTURED.
WE'VE NEVER HAD A COMMITTEE IN THIS GROUP, BUT I'VE BEEN TO NUMEROUS COMMITTEE MEETINGS OF OTHER COMMISSIONS.
I'VE BEEN TO THE, THE, THE FORESTRY COMMITTEE OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION ON A NUMBER OF TIMES.
UH, WHAT I'M WONDERING THOUGH, AND I DON'T KNOW IF OUR PARLIAMENTARIAN CAN ANSWER THIS, UM, AND HONOR SPACE WORKING GROUP, IF WE'RE ALLOWED TO HAVE A QUORUM OF THE COMMITTEE PRESENT.
SO I AM LIKE 28 PAGES INTO THE 295 PAGE ROBERT'S RULES OF ORDER, ALTHOUGH I AM SPENDING.
AND I THINK THE ANSWER, UM, IN LISA'S GOING TO HAVE TO TELL ME YES OR NO.
I THINK THE ANSWER IS NO, WE CANNOT HAVE A QUORUM IN THE SPACE WORKING GROUP.
AND I SUGGEST I SHOULD JUST ROBERT'S RULES FOR DUMMIES.
IT'S VERY LONG AND HARD ROBERT'S RULES FOR DUMMIES IS A PRETTY GOOD LITTLE SHORT SYNOPSIS ANYWAY, WHICH MEANS I DON'T LIKE BOOKS THAT CALL ME STUPID, BUT OKAY.
UM, SO PALMER LESS GET, OH, UH, UH, SO WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS VOTE ON IF WE WANT THIS REALIZING THE WORKING GROUP CAN'T HAVE A QUORUM OF THE, OF THE, THE, UH, COMMITTEE.
UM, AND SO LET'S VOTE IF WE WANT TO SET UP THAT WORKING GROUP OR NOT.
IS THERE ANY MORE DISCUSSION? OKAY.
HOW MANY WANT TO SET UP THIS WORKING GROUP? OKAY.
UH, WELL, UH, TWO NAYS, THE REST A'S.
OKAY, SO NOW THE QUESTION BECOMES, WHO'S GOING TO BE ON THE WORKING GROUP.
SO HE ABSTAINED ON THE SECOND ONE.
UH, SO, UH, NOW WHO'S GOING TO BE ON THE COMMITTEE IS GOING TO BE PALMER AND WE COULD HAVE PALMER AND KRISTEN, BUT THEN WE NEED, ARE WE TALKING COMMITTEE OR WORKING GROUP? WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE WORKING GROUP.
SO WE HAD A PALMER AND KRISTIN, AND THEN IT IS, WOULD ANYBODY ELSE? HUH.
PAGE NIELSEN WANTS TO BE ON IT AND, UH, SHE CAN COME UP TO SPEED ON OUR RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND THE PUBLIC ON A WORKING GROUP, A WORKING GROUP CAN INCLUDE PEOPLE FROM THE PUBLIC THE FIRST TIME EVER DID ANYTHING FOR THIS COMMISSION WAS I WAS PART OF THE COYOTE WORKING GROUP.
I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY REMEMBERS THAT.
MAYBE SOMEBODY REMEMBERS THAT, BUT, UH, SO ANYWAY, UH, YOU GET IN TOUCH WITH PALMER ON THIS.
IS THAT GOOD? OKAY, SO LET'S MOVE ON.
CAN I MAKE ONE LAST STATEMENT? YES.
WHAT? I JUST HOPE PEOPLE, UM, EXCUSE MY EXCITEMENT AND ENTHUSIASM ABOUT BEING A COMMISSIONER AS YOU.
I HAVE NOTICED I'M VERY EAGER TO WORK AS A TEAM TO IMPROVE THE CITY SHELTER.
UM, AND I WANT TO, I ACKNOWLEDGE, UH, MISS HASSAN.
I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU ACKNOWLEDGING THAT THERE IS IN A LARGE, UH, MEDIUM AND LARGE DOG CRISIS.
CAUSE IT'S, IT'S BAD FOR THE DOGS.
WHO'S WORKING HARD TO DO THEIR BEST FOR THEM.
AND, AND, AND SO, YOU KNOW, CAUSE SO I WAS A LITTLE DISHEARTENED WHEN I HEARD ON THE COMMISSION, THERE BEING A DENIAL THAT THERE, THAT THERE WAS A CRISIS.
[02:55:01]
I CAN'T BE PART OF WORKING TOWARDS THE SHELTER BETTER IF WE CAN'T AGREE ON WHAT THE PROBLEMS ARE AND IF THERE IS A CRISIS OR NOT, AND IT, AND IT MAKES ME AND LIKELY OTHERS FEEL A LITTLE BIT HELPLESS IF WE DENY THAT THERE'S A LARGER MEDIUM DOG CRISIS.SO I JUST REALLY APPRECIATE THAT ACKNOWLEDGEMENT THAT THERE IS IN FACT, A BIG PROBLEM AS THE CHAIR OF THE COMMISSION.
I HAVE TO SAY THAT I NEVER FELT THAT THERE WAS A DENIAL OF, OF THERE BEING A CRISIS AT THE SHELTER.
I WAS TOLD ONCE BY A CITY COUNCIL MEMBER, WHEN I WAS VERY PROUD, I WANT TO ASK AUSTIN AN ADVISORY COMMISSION.
AND I WAS TOLD, WHY ARE YOU ON THAT COMMISSION? THEY JUST FIGHT ALL THE TIME.
AND I HAD BEEN ON LONG ENOUGH TO KNOW, NO, BECAUSE EVERYBODY'S PASSIONATE ABOUT THE SUBJECT NOW I'VE BEEN MADE FUN OF BY SAYING THIS IN THE COMMISSION MEETING, BUT I DON'T CARE BECAUSE THAT'S TRUE.
AND PEOPLE'S EMOTIONS COME OUT A LITTLE MORE, WHICH IS WHY AS, AS A CHAIR, I'VE TRIED TO LET PEOPLE TALK A LITTLE BIT SO WE CAN GET THROUGH TO THE THINGS THAT REALLY MATTER.
I MEAN MAYBE, YOU KNOW, BUT ANYWAY, SO WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, I THINK A LOT OF US UNDERSTAND ALREADY, SO THANK YOU FOR BEING PART OF IT.
SO WHEN THEY SAY THERE'S NOT A CRISIS, THERE'S NOT A CRISIS, BUT MAYBE, BUT I'LL GET THE HANG OF, UH, MY FATHER IS A LAWYER ARI'S TOLD ME WORDS DON'T MEAN WHAT THEY LAWYERS BELIEVE THAT THOUGH.
UH, CHAIRMAN, I, WHEN JUST ONE QUESTION BEFORE WE MOVE OFF THAT I KNOW, UH, ASHLEY NEIL'S BROUGHT SOME SERIOUS CONCERNS FORWARD AND ASKED THAT WE ADDRESS THEM.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF THAT SORT OF, THOSE CONCERNS WILL BE WRAPPED INTO THE SPACE WORKING OR THOSE SPACE WORKING GROUP, BUT I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT SHE AND THE PUBLIC KNOW WE HEARD THOSE AND THAT, YOU KNOW, THOSE, IF IT, IF IT, THEY CAN WORK INTO THAT GROUP, IF IT DOESN'T WORK DIRECTLY INTO THAT, WE CAN TAKE IT UP.
AND THE 40 NO KILL COMMITTEE, BECAUSE ALL, I THINK ALL THOSE, UH, SUGGESTIONS WERE ABOUT KEEPING OUR SHELTER, NO KILL.
LET'S MOVE ON BECAUSE THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT
[4b. Austin Animal Center Staffing Request for FY 23]
ISSUE.AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER, STAFFING REQUESTS FOR, UH, PHYSICAL YEAR 2023, UH, THERE'S BACKUP ON THIS.
UH, IT'S, IT'S VERY RELATIVELY SHORT AND SUCCINCT.
UM, YOU WILL SEE THE NUMBER OF STAFF THAT WE HAD ARE ASKING FOR TO THE BUDGET OFFICE.
AND WE WON'T KNOW WHAT GOES FROM THE BUDGET, YOU KNOW, ON FORWARD TO LATER.
UM, BUT WE ASKED FOR 27 POSITIONS AND YOU CAN SEE WHERE, SEE WHERE THERE ARE AT SEVERAL OF THESE POSITIONS.
WE'RE CONVERTING THE PART-TIME TEMPORARY TO FULL-TIME STAFF BECAUSE AS YOU'VE HEARD US SAY THAT THE TEMPORARY STAFF THAT ARE PART-TIME, UH, THERE'S HIGH TURNOVER IN THAT POSITIONS AND BEING ABLE TO OFFER SOMEONE A FULL-TIME POSITION WITH BENEFITS AND BETTER STARTING SALARIES WOULD DEFINITELY HELP RETAIN THOSE.
UM, WE TOOK THE TOP FOUR PRIORITIES.
UH, WE ASKED, I ASKED THE MANAGERS, UH, OVER ALL THESE AREAS TO LOOK AT THE STAFF THAT WE NEEDED AND TO DEVELOP THE TOP FOUR PRIORITIES THAT THEY FELT WERE NEEDED, UH, THE MOST.
AND THESE WERE THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT THEY CAME FORWARD WITH ARE THE, THE TOP FOUR.
SO WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO ASK IS IF Y'ALL WOULD, UH, ADVOCATE FOR US ON, UM, SOME OF THESE STAFF MEMBERS AND, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT IT CAN BE SUCCESSFUL.
UM, EVEN AFTER IT'S PRESENTED TO THE COUNCIL, YOU KNOW, LAST YEAR, THE PARKS BOARD, UH, WENT BEFORE THE COUNCIL AND ASKED DIRECTLY FOR 20 PARK RANGERS IN MAY GAVE THEM 10, EVEN AFTER, YOU KNOW, IT WAS DENIED IN THE BUDGET PROCESS.
SO WE APPRECIATE SOME SUPPORT ON TRYING TO GET US SOME ADDITIONAL STAFF.
UH, WE CAN OPEN UP TO COMMENTS.
I DO HAVE ONE QUESTION ON YOUR PRIORITIES, WHICH IS WHY, WHY DON'T WE, YOU PUT NUMBER THREE, NUMBER ONE, SINCE IT'S NO ADDITIONAL COST OR MAYBE PUT IT AS PART OF ANOTHER, ANOTHER ASKS, IS THIS NOT REALLY A BUDGET? YOU SEE WHAT I MEAN? WE COULD ACTUALLY SEPARATE THAT AS A, DO IT AS A SEPARATE ISSUE.
IT WOULDN'T BE A COST FOR US, BUT THEN ALSO PUBLIC HEALTH IS GOING TO HAVE TO REPLACE THAT.
SO IT WILL BE A COST DOWN THE LINE.
[03:00:01]
ANY OTHER COMMENTS? OKAY, GO AHEAD.I ZONED OUT AND MISSED IT THERE.
SO ON THESE PRIORITIES, UM, THE NUMBERS THAT YOU'RE ASKING ARE THESE ALL FULL-TIME PERMANENT POSITIONS YOU WERE ASKING FOR? CORRECT.
SO THE SHELTER USED TO BE OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK FOR ALL SERVICES WITHOUT THESE POSITIONS AND THE INTAKE WAS HIGHER.
IT WAS 12,000 LAST YEAR, AND I THINK IT WAS, UM, 17 AND 18 BEFORE THE PANDEMIC.
I'M WONDERING WHAT HAVE YOU WRITTEN THE JUSTIFICATION FOR ASKING FOR THESE? AND I'M A LITTLE CONCERNED BECAUSE IT SAYS CUSTOMER SERVICE REPS SLASH PRC ARE THESE DEFINITELY GEARED TOWARDS THE PET RESOURCE CENTER AND THE FOLLOW-UP TO THAT IS, WILL THE SHELTER, IF YOU GET THESE POSITIONS RETURN OR RESUME THE SERVICES THAT PREVIOUSLY OFFERED TO THE PUBLIC, CORRECT.
AND THE PRC POSITIONS ARE CALLED CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVES THAT SURFICIAL TITLE.
SO THAT'S WHY IT SAYS CUSTOMER SERVICE REP SLASH PRC BECAUSE THEY ARE LOCATED IN THE PRC.
YEAH, JUST TO FOLLOW UP IN WHAT, JUST ASK, UM, SO YOU'RE, ARE YOU SAYING DON THAT TH THAT ALL FOUR CUSTOMER SERVICE REP POSITIONS ARE GOING TO PRC? SORRY IF I MISSED THAT? CORRECT.
AND THEN SHE HAD ASKED ALSO IF, THEN YOU'RE GOING TO GO BACK TO OFFERING THE PREVIOUS SERVICES AND JUST TO REALLY PUT A FINE POINT ON IT, I GUESS, DOES THAT MEAN THAT THE PRC WILL THEN REOPEN ON SATURDAY, SUNDAY? THAT WOULD BE OUR GOAL.
UH, I HAVE A COMMENT THAT IS MAYBE A BIT OF A CAN OF WORMS, BUT, UH, THE, THE, THE PARK, THE, UH, THE PARKS AND REC DEPARTMENT IS BY FAR THE LARGEST DEPARTMENT IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN, AS FAR AS EMPLOYEES GO, IT'S HUGE.
MAYBE I, I THINK THAT'S EXCLUDING POLICE FROM WHAT I, THE COMMON I HEARD WILLIAM POSITIONS AND THEN WITH THE SEASONAL EMPLOYEES OF PARTEX ON A GOOD, PRETTY BIG.
AND, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'RE RELATIVELY SMALL.
ALSO THE ARGUMENT THAT YOU HEAR FOR THAT IS HOW MANY TENS OF THOUSANDS OF ACRES OF PARK THIS CITY HAS, YOU KNOW, UH, THOSE MAKE REALLY GOOD ARGUMENTS.
UH, WHAT THE PARK BOARD HAS ASKED THIS YEAR IS TO RAISE THE MINIMUM WAGE OF ALL PARK EMPLOYEES FROM $15 TO $22 AN HOUR, AFS CME IS PUSHED THAT, AND THEY HAVE SENT A LETTER TO EVERY ONE OF YOU ASKING US TO DO THE SAME.
THE TH THE THING IS, THOUGH, IF OUR PROBLEM IS FILLING POSITIONS THAT AREN'T FILLED NOW, THAT'S GOING TO HELP THAT AND GETTING QUALITY PEOPLE FOR THESE NEW POSITIONS.
YOU ADVERTISE, YOU, YOU COULD PUT A, NOT A LOT OF NEW POSITIONS ON HERE, AND SUDDENLY YOU WOULDN'T GET MANY APPLICATIONS, HAVE A HARD TIME FILLING THEM.
I THINK THIS NEEDS TO BE A PART OF THE CONSIDERATION.
I MEAN, AS I READ THIS, IT SOUNDS GOOD TO ME.
I MEAN, UH, I AM ONE OF THESE PEOPLE, NOT EVERYBODY AGREES WITH ME WHO BELIEVES THAT ANIMAL PROTECTION OFFICERS, THEY'RE THE FIRST PEOPLE OUT IN THE FIELD.
THEY'RE THE PEOPLE WHO CAN GET THE PET BACK TO THE HUMAN WITHOUT GOING TO THE SHELTER.
BUT THEY'RE KIND OF EXPENSIVE.
ALTHOUGH I FOUND OUT THAT THE AVERAGE PAY FOR A, AN APO IN TRAVIS COUNTY IS $33,000 A YEAR.
AND THAT, THAT INCLUDES IN TRAVIS COUNTY, NOT JUST THE SHELTER.
SO THERE ARE SOME I KNOW, BUT, UM, AND THE SERVICE REP CERTAINLY MAKES SENSE.
IT'S HOW DO YOU ARGUE FOR THE MONEY? ARE WE GOING TO INCLUDE A RAISE IN MINIMUM WAGE? UH, IT'S JUSTIFYING IT.
I MEAN, I CERTAINLY THINK WE COULD USE IT, BUT JUST ME SAYING, I THINK WE USE IT VOTE FOR IT DOESN'T MEAN TO SAY COUNCIL APPROVE IT.
I JUST HAVE, I JUST HAVE ONE COMMENT AND, UM, IT'S, IT'S THAT
[03:05:01]
IF WE WANT TO, UM, ASK THE CITY COUNCIL FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR THE ANIMAL SHELTER, I THINK THAT WE SHOULD DO OUR BEST TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WE THINK THE BIGGEST PROBLEMS ARE, UH, TRY TO DEVELOP SOME METRICS FOR HOW WE WOULD SOLVE THEM AND THEN PROPOSE THE THINGS THAT WE WOULD THINK WOULD SOLVE THE BIGGEST PROBLEMS WE HAVE.AND SO I'M DEFINITELY NOT, I MEAN, I, I WASN'T HERE LAST MONTH, BUT I WOULD HAVE VOTED FOR THE, THE MICROCHIPS CAUSE IT WAS PRESENTED TO US AS THE MOST PRESSING, UH, NEED.
AND, UM, SO THAT, THAT'S JUST MY ONLY, MY ONLY POINT IS THAT I DON'T LIKE NECESSARILY, I ACTUALLY COMPLETELY AGREE WITH WHAT BEYA SAID AT THE BEGINNING.
AND I THINK YOU'VE SAID IT TOO, IS LET'S LET'S MEASURE THE THINGS THAT WE'RE SPENDING MONEY ON AND FIGURING OUT HOW TO, UH, HOW THEY AFFECT THE OUTCOMES.
AND SO THAT'S MY ONLY COMMENT IS THAT FOR ME, IT'S IMPORTANT.
IT WOULD BE IMPORTANT TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT HOW, HOW TO MEASURE, NOT JUST THROW MONEY AT POSITIONS, BUT LIKE WHAT POSITION IS IT? DO WE NEED TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM? AND HOW CAN WE SHOW THAT THAT POSITION WOULD SOLVE THE PROBLEM? BECAUSE THAT IS AN ASK.
WE CAN MAKE THE COUNCIL VERY EASILY.
WE CAN SAY, OKAY, KRISTEN, YOU HAD SUGGESTED WE DESPERATELY NEED MORE FOSTER COORDINATORS.
THAT'S AN E WE COULD SAY THE FOSTER PROGRAM USED TO HAVE THIS MANY COORDINATORS.
THIS IS HOW MANY ANIMALS ARE IN IT.
NOW, IF WE HAD TWICE AS MANY OR THREE TIMES AS MANY, WE COULD PUT TWICE OR THREE TIMES AS MANY ANIMALS IN THE FOSTER, AND THAT WOULD IMMEDIATELY SOLVE THE SPACE CRISIS, THAT'S ALL.
THAT'S MY ONLY STATEMENT IS THAT WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IT IS THAT OUR PROBLEM IS.
OUR BIGGEST PROBLEM IS WHAT OUR METRIC FOR DEFINING HOW TO SOLVE IT IS AND HOW CAN, AND THEN GO TO COUNCIL WITH, WITH OUR SUGGESTIONS FOR W WHAT WE THINK IS GOING TO SOLVE THOSE PROBLEMS. WHAT DID HE BUY, LIKE TO RESPOND TO THAT? GO AHEAD.
LOTTA HAD SUGGESTED THIS ACTUALLY, UM, A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO, AND I DON'T THINK WE WERE READY.
I DIDN'T FEEL YOU WERE READY BECAUSE WE JUST DIDN'T HAVE THE DATA, BUT I THINK WE HAVE ENOUGH NOW.
UM, LOTTA, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT TO SORT OF RE ARTICULATE WHAT YOU HAD SUGGESTED THAT I, I THINK IT WAS KIND OF IN LINE WITH WHAT RYAN WAS SUGGESTING.
YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT WHEN I RECOMMENDED THE WORKING GROUPS FOR THE BUDGET.
UM, I DON'T HAVE THAT WORDING THAT I HAD THEM, BUT BASICALLY I WAS A WORKING GROUP TO LOOK OVER AND MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL ON WHAT IS REQUIRED OR WHAT WOULD BENEFIT AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER IN HELPING TO AVOID A CONTINUAL SPACE CRISIS.
UM, WHAT, WHAT CAN WE LOOK AT AS A COMMISSION IN THE BUDGET TO, TO INCREASE WHICH AREAS WHICH WOULD HELP REDUCE THE NUMBER OF INTAKES THROUGH THE ANIMAL CENTER? SO WE HAD A VOTE ON, UH, ON PUTTING TOGETHER WORKING GROUP FOR THE BREAD BUDGET AND IT DIDN'T PASS.
I WOULD SAY THAT WE JUST PASSED ONE ON THE WORKING GROUP FOR THE SPACE CRISIS, AND THIS WOULD BE EASILY ROLLED INTO IT BECAUSE BUDGET, WE COULD COME UP AS A TOPIC AS HOW WE WOULD SOLVE THESE PRICES.
SO I WOULD, I WOULD LOVE IF A LOT OF, IF YOU HAVE IDEAS ON THAT, IF YOU WOULD WORK WITH THAT, W ARE YOU ON THE COMMITTEE THOUGH? WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE WE DON'T HAVE SHE'S SHE'S ON THE COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE.
SO I DID NOT, I AM NOT ON THE WORKING GROUP.
UH, SO WHAT WE COULD DO IS PUT TOGETHER A SEPARATE WORKING GROUP ON RECOMMENDATION TO THE BUDGET, AND IT COULD BE LIKE KRISTEN AND LADA.
AND THEN CHRIS COULD TAKE THAT.
ALL RIGHT THERE, LOOK AT JASON.
HE'S LIKE,
A, UH SO-SO UM, ALL RIGHT, SO WE CAN HAVE TWO, JUST TWO SEPARATE GROUPS.
WE GOT A WORKING GROUP ON, CAN WE, WE CAN ROLL IN THE ISSUE OF THE BUDGET INTO THE SPACE BECAUSE YES.
THE BUDGET IS PART OF WHY IT IS PART OF THE SPACE CRISIS.
AND THERE'S NOTHING THAT STOPS, STOPS A LOT OF FROM SENDING EMAILS TO THE WORKING GROUP AND COMMUNICATING WITH THEM.
SHE JUST CAN'T BE AT A MEETING WHERE SHE IS PART OF THE GROUP.
IS THAT OKAY WITH OUR, OUR PARLIAMENTARIAN? OKAY.
OH, BY THE WAY, I JUST SAVED YOU FROM A JAIL FROM A JAIL TERM.
THAT'S WHY IT'S GOOD TO HAVE LAWYERS AROUND.
SO, SO WHAT, WHAT, WHAT THIS MEANS IS THOUGH, IS YOU GOT TO WORK QUICK BECAUSE THIS HAS TO BE GO TO CITY COUNCIL QUAKE.
[03:10:03]
JUNE IS.SO THIS COMES UP AT THE NEXT, AT THE NEXT MEETING.
IF WE HAVE A NO-KILL COMMITTEE MEETING BEFOREHAND, NOTHING PREVENTS THE WORKING GROUP FROM PRESENTING AT THAT MEETING TO THE EXTENT THAT'S POSTED.
SO, UH, SO, SO TAKE THIS SUGGESTION FROM THE SHELTER AS A STARTING POINT AND, OKAY.
SO WE'RE GOING TO THIS, THE SPACE CRISIS WORKING GROUP IS GOING TO TAKE THIS ON.
AND LOTTA IS GOING TO COMMUNICATE WITH KRISTEN ABOUT HER IDEAS AND THE SPACE CRISIS, WORKING GROUPS THAT COME ON, IT'S GOING TO COME UP THE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE COUNTY.
SO THE RECOMMENDATIONS, THIS IS A VERY GOOD WAY TO DO IT.
SO THE, THE WORKING GROUP PRESENTS THESE BUDGET ASKS AS A WAY TO ADDRESS THE SPACE CRISIS, WHICH GIVES US, YOU KNOW, A GOOD WAY TO APPROACH IT WITH THE CITY COUNCIL.
I THINK THAT'S A VERY GOOD IDEA, EXCUSE ME, BUT IT'S NOT TWO DIFFERENT THINGS.
SPACE, CRISIS IS A REACTIVE MOVE AND BUDGET.
IT'S A COMPLETELY PROACTIVE WELL, YEAH, BUT SOMETIMES YOU HAVE A CRISIS.
AND SO YOU ASKED FOR MORE MONEY IN THE BUDGET TO ADDRESS, UH, AN ONGOING CRISIS.
THIS IS A PROACTIVE SOLUTION TO, UH, TO A REACTIVE PROBLEM.
AS I, I SEEN, WE HAVE A, UH, CRISIS AT THE SHELTER AND WE HAVE A LOT OF MEDIUM AND LARGE DOGS, BUT AT THE SAME TIME I SEE ON THE BUDGET THAT WE NEED A LOT MORE, UH, ANIMAL PROTECTION OFFICERS.
AND THEY'RE PART OF A SPACE CRISIS.
AS WE TALKED ABOUT THE ANIMAL PROTECTION OFFICERS, ONE OF THE THINGS THEY DO IS GET DOGS BACK TO PEOPLE IN THE FIELD.
THEY HAVE THE EQUIPMENT TO DO THAT.
YOU KNOW, HOW MANY TIMES DO YOU SEE A, UH, BEVERLY LUNA BACK THERE? HOW MANY TIMES DO YOU SEE THAT? CAN SOMEONE READ A CHIP ON THIS DOG? YOU KNOW, AND THEY CAN GET THE INFORMATION RIGHT AWAY.
THE APS CAN GET THE CHIP INFORMATION RIGHT AWAY.
UH, IF WE COULD CONTINUE TO USE LANGUAGE OF REPORTED SPACE, CRISIS, I FEEL LIKE THAT TERM MIGHT MEAN DIFFERENT THINGS TO DIFFERENT PEOPLE.
AND FOR ME, IT MEANS THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF DOGS IN NOT ENOUGH KENNELS, BUT I DON'T ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THERE'S AN OVERALL CRISIS IN THE COMMUNITY.
UM, AGAIN, SO I, I, WE WERE USING REPORTED SPACE CRISIS, UH, BECAUSE WE ARE ALL RESPONDING TO AACS CLAIM THAT THERE IS A SPACE CRISIS, BUT RELATIVE TO PREVIOUS TIMES THIS IS, WOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED A CRISIS.
SO THAT WORD IS SO SUBJECTIVE THAT I'D PREFER.
WE CONTINUE TO DEFINE IT, UM, AS A REACTION TO THE, THE ASSERTIONS OF AAC, UH, I THINK THE WORKING GROUP COULD, COULD DO THAT TO GREET OR DEFINE IT.
UM, SO, SO YOU DO NOT FEEL THERE'S A LARGER MEDIUM DOGS FACE CRISIS AT THE SHELTER.
TH THIS MEETING REALLY ISN'T ABOUT MY FEELINGS.
UM, IT'S ABOUT THE, UH, REPORTED SPACE CRISIS AT AAC THAT WE'RE ALL REACTING TO.
AND THAT WAS THE ORIGINAL NAME THAT PALMER PUT ON THE AGENDA.
AND I'M ASKING THAT WE CONTINUE TO REFER TO IT AS THE REPORTED SPACE CRISIS.
I, I MEAN, I, I, I CAN GO ALONG WITH THAT.
I MEAN, WE DON'T HAVE TO, SO LET'S MOVE ALONG.
IS THAT OKAY? IS EVERYBODY GOOD WITH WHAT WE GOT? SO, NO, NO.
OTHER THAN ROLLING THIS INTO THE REPORT, HIS FACE CRISIS WORKING GROUPS, WHY DON'T WE HAVE SOMEBODY PROPOSE THAT? I THINK SHE'S RIGHT.
LET'S HAVE THEM, LET'S HAVE A MOTION TO REQUEST THAT THE WORKING GROUP PREPARE BUDGET.
I WOULD LIKE TO MOVE THAT WE REQUEST THAT THE WORKING GROUP ON THE SPACE CRISIS PROVIDE, UM, UH, BUDGETARY ANALYSIS AND PROPOSAL FOR THE NEXT AND FOR THE, FOR JUNE SO THAT WE CAN HAVE IT AT JUNE.
I HEAR A SECOND LOT OF SECONDS.
[03:15:01]
IT'S UH, IS THAT AN ABSTAIN AS ABSTENTION? YEAH.EVERYBODY GOT, HE VOTED FOR IT.
CAN I, CAN I JUST ADD SOMETHING FOR THAT? ANY CHANCE WE CAN, WE CAN SEE IF WE CAN, UH, FIND MORE MONEY FOR SPAY NEUTER.
THAT, THAT COULD BE PART OF IT.
[4c. Resubmission of Vicious Dog Recommendation to Correct Language Error]
OKAY.SO NOW, UH, THIS IS POSTED ON THE BACKUP, UH, JOANNE ISN'T HERE TONIGHT, BUT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT SHE WORKED ON WITH RYAN CLINTON.
THERE, THERE WAS, UH, AND THE WAY THIS IS WORDED IS A LITTLE ODD.
UH, THERE WAS A LANGUAGE AIR IN THE ORIGINAL, UH, VICIOUS DOG ORDINANCE THAT WAS IDENTIFIED AND THEY WORKED ON THIS.
AND I THINK, UH, MARK SLOWED HAD SOME INPUT ON THIS AND WE, WE SENT IT TO THE CITY COUNCIL.
THE CITY COUNCIL DID NOT TAKE ANY ACTION.
SO THIS IS THE EXACT SAME WORDING.
UH, I'VE BEEN TOLD THAT THIS IMPROVES, UH, MARK SLOAT AT APPROVED OF THIS.
UH, SO WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO BECAUSE THE CITY COUNCIL DIDN'T TAKE ACTION ON IT.
WE'RE NOT SURE WHY THEY DIDN'T.
WE'RE GOING TO RESUBMIT THIS BY VOTING ON IT AGAIN.
SO DO, AS, UH, DO I HEAR A MOTION? WE CAN MOVE IN SECOND AND THEN DISCUSS AND INVOKE.
SO WE NEED A MOTION IN ORDER TO HAVE ANY DISCUSSION.
THAT'S HOW IT'S SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN.
I WILL, I WILL MOVE, BUT JUST TO LET EVERYBODY KNOW, I HAVE NO INTENTION OF DOING THIS WITHOUT BEING TOLD WHY WERE, WHAT THE CHANGES WERE.
SO, BUT I JUST WANT TO GIVE EVERYBODY THE OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS IT.
IF ANYBODY WANTS TO SECOND, IT, WE CAN AT LEAST HAVE SOME DISCUSSION.
IF NOT, WE CAN JUST DROP IT TO THE NEXT MEETING.
THE, THE CHANGES ARE MARKED ON THE, ON WHAT SHE PUT AT LEAST SOME OF THEM THEY'RE MARKED THROUGH.
SO WE CAN KEEP THAT LINE GOING.
AND I WAS SAYING IS I DON'T, I UNDERSTOOD FOR YOU YOU'D HAVE SAID THAT MARK SLOAT HAD REVIEWED IT AND THEY'VE MADE SOME CHANGES.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE CHANGES ARE FROM THE LAST TIME THAT IT CAME HERE OR WHY THOSE CHANGES WERE MADE.
AND WITHOUT THAT, I CAN'T, THIS IS, THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT THEY PASSED.
THERE HAVE NOT BEEN ANY CHANGES MADE SINCE WE PASSED THIS LAST TIME.
AND WHY ARE WE DOING THIS BEAT TO RESUBMIT IT TO COUNCIL? BECAUSE IT WAS RESUBMITTED ONCE AND THEY DIDN'T DO ANYTHING ON IT.
AND I'VE BEEN TOLD THAT ONE WAY TO, TO DO THIS IS THE COMMISSION.
JUST RESUBMITS, IT YOU'RE RE VOTE ON IT, RESUBMIT IT.
AND THIS TIME WE, WE SPEND A LITTLE MORE TIME CALLING OUR CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS.
OH, WELL, I, AS THE, AS THE, UH, PROPOSER, I DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE WITHOUT HEARING FROM JOANNE SINCE, SINCE IT'S HER MOTION.
UH, IF, IF THE, IF THE GROUP WANTS TO PASS IT, I WILL NOT WITHDRAW MY MOTION AND I'LL LET PEOPLE PASS IT, BUT I WOULD FEEL MUCH MORE COMFORTABLE HEARING FROM DOING IT BEFORE WE DID THAT.
IS THERE, CAN WE, CAN WE, YEAH.
CAN WE MOVE BASICALLY, JUST MOVE THIS UP TO OLD BUSINESS FOR NEXT MONTH AND HOPE THAT JOANNE IS HERE.
WE CAN POSTPONE THIS TO THE NEXT MEETING, BUT IT'S JUST TO THE NEXT MEETING.
SO THIS IS POSTPONED TO THE NEXT MEETING.
[4d. Revision to Fowl Enclosure Ordinance by Austin Public Health]
LAST THING, HOPEFULLY THIS'LL BE EASY.UH, THIS, IF YOU'VE READ THIS, THIS IS A SLIGHT REVISION IN THE FOUL ORDINANCE.
UH, UH, THE IDEA IS TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR PEOPLE IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN TO OWN BACKYARD CHICKENS.
NOW, THIS SEEMS A LITTLE SILLY, BUT THERE'S REALLY A VERY GOOD POINT TO THIS.
SO WE HAVE SOMEONE TO PRESENT TONIGHT FROM THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
AND GOOD EVENING, CHAIRMAN NASER AND COMMISSION MEMBERS.
THIS ACTUALLY WON'T TAKE VERY LONG.
AND ACTUALLY I'VE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH COUNCIL MEMBER POOL'S OFFICE SINCE DECEMBER, AND THEY THOUGHT IT'D BE A GOOD IDEA TO GO IN AND RUN IT BY THIS COMMISSION, EVEN THOUGH IT'S ABOUT ENCLOSURES, NOT NECESSARILY ABOUT, UM, DOGS OR CATS IS WHAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS EVENING.
I WAS TOLD IT WON'T FIT UP ON THE SCREEN.
OR IS IT RAINING? THERE'S NO NEED, THEY GOT EVERY FIVE AND THERE'S
[03:20:01]
A PRESENTATION, BUT I'M JUST GOING TO TALK THROUGH IT.SO, UH, CURRENTLY CITY ORDINANCE STATES THAT FOND CLOSES MAYBE NO CLOSING IN 50 FEET TO A NEIGHBORING RESIDENTIAL OR BUSINESS STRUCTURE, NOT INCLUDING THE FOUL OWNERS HOME.
SO CURRENTLY OUR EXPECTATIONS AT AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH ARE THAT THE OWNERS ARE GOING TO CLEAN AND MAINTAIN THE FALLEN CLOSURES.
THAT WAY THAT CAN MINIMIZE THE POSSIBILITY OF OBJECTIONABLE ORDERS CONTAIN CONTAINMENT IN ORDER TO ELIMINATE THE POSSIBILITY OF POTENTIAL FECAL CONTAMINATION ON NEIGHBORING PROPERTIES, MINIMIZING THE PRESENCE OF SANITARY NUISANCES THAT CAN ATTRACT DISEASE, CARRYING INSECTS, LIKE FLIES AND OTHER VECTORS, AND THEN MINIMIZING OVERCROWDING AND OVERPOPULATION INSIDE THE ENCLOSURES, THUS RESULTING IN BETTER SANITARY AND LIVING CONDITIONS FOR THE FOUL.
SOME OF THE CURRENT CHALLENGES OF MAINTAINING FA AND THE TYPES OF RESIDENT COMPLAINTS THAT MY DEPARTMENT RECEIVES AND INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO A FILE RUNNING AT LARGE AT ESCAPE, THE PROPERTY FENCING ON THE FOUL OWNER, FOLLOWED DAMAGING NEIGHBORING PROPERTIES, LEAVING FECAL MATTER BEHIND UNPLEASANT OFFENSIVE ODORS THAT COME FROM IMPROPERLY MAINTAINED ENCLOSURES, LOUD NOISES THAT DISTURBED THE SENSIBILITIES OF NEIGHBORING RESIDENTS.
SO PREVIOUSLY THE LAST TIME COUNSEL ADDRESSED THIS PARTICULAR TOPIC, WASN'T IN NOVEMBER OF 2013, THEY SIMPLY APPROVED THE ADDITION OF THE WORD STRUCTURE BEHIND, UH, THE WORDS RESIDENTS IN BUSINESS, JUST TO FURTHER DEFINE WHAT AREAS OF A RESIDENCE OR BUSINESS A FILE CAN BE AT.
SO HERE'S WHAT WE WANNA ACCOMPLISH AS OUR GOAL APH RECOGNIZES THAT SOME OF AUSTIN'S RESIDENTS ONE EXPAND THEIR SUSTAINABILITY OPTIONS WITH RESPECT TO FOOD SOURCES, APA, TO SEEK, AND TO COMPROMISE THOSE DESIRES OF THE SUSTAINABILITY MINDED INDIVIDUALS WITH NON-FAT OWNERS, BY KEEPING AN ASSET BACK DISTANCE VERSUS COMPLETELY ELIMINATING IT THROUGH THIS COMPROMISE.
AND WITH THE SETBACK DISTANCE, MORE RESIDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO KEEP MORE FOWL, ESPECIALLY ON SMALLER ACREAGE PROPERTIES.
WE HAVE A PROBLEM, ESPECIALLY ON ANY STOCKS IN YOUR ROLE, A LOT OF SMALL PROPERTY ACREAGE AREAS, WHERE IF I WANTED TO KEEP A CHICKEN, I CAN'T DO THAT RIGHT NOW.
SO WE WILL DO THIS COMPROMISE AND WE'LL BE ABLE TO KEEP MORE FOUL.
SO APH IS SEEKING TO ASSIST ALL AUSTIN RESIDENTS THROUGH THIS OUTREACH MEDIUMS, LIKE SOCIAL MEDIA, EMAIL, ABH OUTREACH EVENTS AND NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, NEWSLETTERS.
SO IN THIS OUTREACH, WE WILL SHARE THE BEST PRACTICES TO KEEP ENCLOSURES IN A SANITARY CONDITION AND EXPLAINING.
AND IN ADDITION TO EXPLAIN THE CODE CHANGE.
SO HERE'S A PROPOSAL, OUR FORMER EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP, UH, FOR APH ASSIGNED STAFF TO RESEARCH BEST PRACTICES ACROSS THE STATE OF TEXAS.
AND WE FOUND THAT 30 FEET WAS ABOUT THE MINIMUM.
THIS IS PERMITTED BY SEVERAL MUNICIPALITIES AND THROUGH THIS RESEARCH, WE'RE NOW SEEKING TO REDUCE THAT FOUL DISTANCE SET BACK FROM 50 TO 30 LAST APH IS SEEKING SUPPORT FROM THIS COMMISSION, AND NEXT I'M GOING TO TAKE IT TO THE PUBLIC HEALTH COMMITTEE AND THEN HAVE GAINED.
THEN I'LL PRESENT THIS CH COACHING'S ACCOUNTS UP FOR APPROVAL.
ANY QUESTIONS? I HAVE ONE, FIRST OF ALL, THANKS FOR STICKING WITH US THROUGH THIS WHOLE MEETING.
UM, SECOND OF ALL, WHAT IS THE ENFORCEMENT MECHANISM? I MEAN, IS IT PUBLIC HEALTH DIVISION THAT GOES OUT AND INSPECT THE ENCLOSURES TO MEET ALL OF THOSE THINGS? THIS IS, YEAH, THIS IS THE ONLY PART OF ANIMALS THAT WERE APA GETS INVOLVED WHEN IT'S GOING TO BE A SETBACK AND ENCLOSURES FOR SETBACK, FOR DOGS, FOR HORSES, FOR ANY TYPE OF ANIMAL THAT ISN'T GOING TO BE SET IN AN ENCLOSURE AND FOWL IS JUST ONE OF THE, UH, ANIMALS WOULD LIKE TO TAKE GOATS.
FOR EXAMPLE, THEY HAVE A 20 FOOT SETBACK THAT WAS A PASS UP FOR THOSE.
IF YOU'VE BEEN AROUND FOR A FEW YEARS, UH, NICK, THE GOAT, I REMEMBER HIM FROM BACK IN THE MID TWO THOUSANDS.
UH, WE CHANGED IT TO 20 FEET, BUT THIS IS SPECIFICALLY REFERRING TO FOUL.
UH, IT WAS A ISSUE THAT'S BEEN BROUGHT UP, I BELIEVE IN 2019 BY, UH, CITY COUNCIL AT FIRST STAFF TO ADDRESS IT AND LOOK INTO IT.
FINALLY, WE WERE ABLE TO LOOK INTO IT LAST SUMMER THROUGH OUR RESEARCH AND CAME UP WITH THAT 30 WAS A GOOD, COMPROMISE IT AGAIN BETWEEN THE 50 THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE AND JUST COMPLETELY ELIMINATING THE SETBACK DISTANCE.
BUT IN TERMS OF LIKE ENFORCING THAT SETBACK AND STUFF, THOSE ARE FOLKS FROM YOUR DEPARTMENT, CORRECT? THOSE ARE ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH OFFICERS FROM THE ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH DIVISION OF AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH.
UM, AND ARE THOSE JUST WHEN YOU GET, WHEN YOU DO SEND SOMEBODY OUT TO LOOK AT ONE OF THOSE PREDOMINANTLY LIKE COMPLAINT DRIVEN THAT COMES TO YOUR DEPRESSION PREDOMINANTLY COMPLAINT, CORRECT.
SO THEY GO OUT THERE AND WE ISSUE A NOTICE.
WHAT'S CALLED A NOTICE OF VIOLATION THAT WE DON'T ISSUE CITATIONS, A NOTICE OF VIOLATION AND SAY, HEY, PLEASE, CAN YOU PLEASE PLEASE TAKE CARE OF THIS WITHIN 14 DAYS? AND WE CAME BACK OUT AND 99% OF THE TIME IT'S TAKEN CARE OF.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? I HAVE A QUESTION, RIGHT? I WAS JUST WONDERING IF YOU COULD EXPLAIN, UM, YOU HAD MENTIONED THAT THERE WERE SOME COMMUNITIES WHERE THE LOT SIZE, UM, KIND OF PREDETERMINED THEM TO BE UNABLE TO DO THAT.
CAN YOU SPEAK A LITTLE BIT MORE TO THAT? BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS I CARE ABOUT IS WHEN THINGS ARE SYSTEMIC AND HAVE A SYSTEMIC EFFECT ON A CERTAIN COMMUNITY, DEFINITELY.
I THINK THING THAT'S REALLY IMPACTS A LOT OF YOUR,
[03:25:01]
AH, WHAT'S A NEIGHBORHOOD AND RIGHT NEAR A MOPAC AND IT SAYS A JARVIS AREA, BUT YOU HAVE PROPERTIES AND I HAVE SMALL GATORS, LOTS.SO IF YOU AND I HAVE A HOME RIGHT NEXT TO EACH OTHER, AND OUR LOTS ARE LESS THAN A 10TH OF A 10TH OF AN ACRE, THEN IT'S GOING TO BE REALLY DIFFICULT IF I WANT TO KEEP IT CHICKEN IN MY BACKYARD TO KEEP IT 50 FEET AWAY FROM THE BACK OF YOUR, UH, HOUSE.
SO THIS WE'RE HOPEFULLY HELP COMPROMISE SOME OF THOSE SITUATIONS THAT NOT ALL OF THEM TO ALLOW THAT TO HAPPEN.
VERSUS RIGHT NOW WE HAVE TO GO BACK OUT THERE AND ISSUE THESE NOTICES SAYING, SORRY, I KNOW YOU WANT A CHICKEN, BUT YOU HAVE TO GET RID OF THEM BECAUSE YOU JUST PHYSICALLY CANNOT MEET THAT SETBACK DISTANCE.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? I DO WANT TO MAKE A LITTLE COMMENT HERE.
THIS ISSUE IS ACTUALLY IN MY MIND, MORE IMPORTANT THAN IT SEEMS RIGHT NOW.
WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF, UM, TRYING TO EXPAND COMPOSTING IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN, BECAUSE WE'RE TRYING TO GET DOWN TO ZERO WAYS BECAUSE WE'RE TRYING TO KEEP MORE LANDFILLS FROM BEING FILLED BECAUSE THEY PRODUCE METHANE ON AND ON AND ON YARD SCRAPS, GO TO KITCHENS, CHICKENS REAL EASILY, AND THEY'RE TURNED INTO EDIBLE FOOD IN A CHEAP WAY AND A MORE HEALTHY WAY THAN, YOU KNOW, UH, YOUR BACKYARD EGG.
IT'S REAL HARD TO GO OUT AND BUY AN EGG AS GOOD, A QUALITY AS THE EGG YOU'LL RAISE IN YOUR BACKYARD.
SO I THINK THAT THERE IS A, UH, UH, A REALLY INTERESTING UNDERLYING REASON TO SUPPORT THIS.
I, I JUST, I FEEL LIKE MAYBE I'M MISSING SOMETHING HERE, BUT I, HOW IS THIS PART OF OUR CHARGE? THIS ISN'T PART OF CHAPTER 8, 23 OF THE HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE.
AND I RECOGNIZE THAT OUR PURVIEW IS WIDER, MAYBE THE METAL A LITTLE BIT, BUT I JUST, I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND HOW THIS REALLY IS SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO, TO VOTE ON.
THE PURPOSE OF THE BOARD IS TO ADVISE CITY POLICY, UH, PROMOTE COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE CITY AND MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS AND AGENCIES INTERESTED IN, OR CONDUCTING ACTIVITIES RELATING TO ANIMAL WELFARE IN THE CITY, IDENTIFY PROACTIVE CREATIVE APPROACHES TO ENGAGE AND FACILITATE COMMUNICATION WITH AN ANIMAL WELFARE COMMUNITY AND FOSTER CYST DEVELOPMENT OF ANIMAL WELFARE PROGRAMS IN THE COMMUNITY.
I MEAN, IF PEOPLE WANT TO HAVE CHICKENS, I, THIS SHELTER TAKES IN CHICKENS, RIGHT? UH, WE'RE, WE'RE CONCERNED WITH THE WELFARE OF THE CHICKEN.
YOU DON'T WANT A HOMELESS CHICKEN.
YOU'VE GOT TO GET RID OF YOUR CHICKEN.
YOU KNOW, I MEAN, WHAT ARE THEY GOING TO MAKE IT IN THE SOUP? I MEAN, THIS WAY THEY GET TO KEEP THE CHICKEN MAYBE FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH.
I THINK THAT IT'S SQUARELY WITHIN OUR, UH, JURISDICTION BECAUSE IT HAS TO DO WITH ANIMAL WELFARE.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS? QUESTIONS? DO I HEAR MOTION? I WILL MOVE FOR YOUR MOTION, YOUR, YOUR, UH, PROPOSED ORDINANCE TO BE SO, SO RISE MOVING FOR THIS PROPOSAL TO SECOND.
SO, UH, THERE'S ANY MORE DISCUSSION.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, ANYBODY OPPOSED? LISA, ARE YOU ABSTAINING, ABSTAINING? SORRY.
[5. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
AGENDA ITEMS, AGENDA ITEMS. I'D LIKE VERY MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.I'D LIKE TO ADD THE HOLD PERIOD ORDINANCE ISSUE THAT I MENTIONED EARLIER.
SO JUST HOLD PERIOD ORDINANCE.
I GOT, I GOT MY PAPERS CONFUSED HERE.
SO, UH, BRIEFINGS, WE CAN TAKE OFF THE COVID UPDATE.
UH, WE DON'T NEED ANY AUSTIN PETS ALIVE REPORTS NEXT MONTH.
I DON'T THINK, DO WE DO, ARE WE GETTING MONTHLY REPORTS? OKAY.
UM, IF YOU WOULD LIKE APA TO BE ON THE AGENDA MONTHLY, WE CAN BE, UH, WE'RE ONLY BE SPEAKING TO THE SUPPORT OF AAC DURING THAT TIME.
UH, I THINK, I THINK THEY'RE ONLY REQUIRED TO BE HERE QUARTERLY IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY.
SO DO WE WANT TO ASK THEM TO COME NEXT
[03:30:01]
MONTH? THERE'S QUARTERLY, OFTEN ENOUGH QUARTERLY.WE DON'T NEED APA ON OUR NEXT MONTH.
UH, OLD BUSINESS, MONTHLY REPORTING OF DATA.
WORKING GROUP ON HOW TO INCREASE MICROCHIPPING, KNOW WHERE THAT'S DONE.
AUSTIN PETS, ALIVE FUTURE IN THE TOWN LAKE ANIMAL CENTER.
MAINTENANCE OF NO KILLING AUSTIN.
TRANSFERRING OSS ANIMALS, SIR.
DO YOU WANT TO KEEP THAT ON HERE OR NOT? OKAY.
WE'LL LEAVE THAT ON FOR NEW BIT.
DOS ANIMALS, SENATOR REPORTED SPACE, CRISIS RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE REPORT IS SPACE CRISIS WORKING GROUP.
WE'LL MOVE THAT TO OLD BUSINESS, UH, AND, AND BE AS BEING FOLDED INTO THAT, BECAUSE THAT, THAT WILL ADDRESS THE STAFFING REQUESTS TO AVOID THE REPORT, A SPACE CRISIS, TO THE EXTENT THAT STAFF WOULD LIKE TO PRESENT.
AGAIN, WE MIGHT COULD JUST LEAVE IT ON THERE AS A SEPARATE ITEM, TO THE EXTENT THEY WANT TO.
WHAT MIGHT YOU WANT TO PRESENT SOMETHING NEW NEXT MONTH ON THIS DON, UH, AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER STAFFING REQUESTS FOR, UH, I GUESS IF THE COMMITTEE ASKS SOMETHING, WE CAN GIVE THEM DATA TO PRESENT, BUT OKAY.
JUST IN CASE WE CAN ALWAYS PASS IT BY LET'S, LET'S JUST DO IT CAUSE IT'S IMPORTANT.
UH, WE, AND THEN WE, WE POSTPONED RESUBMISSION OF HIS STOCK RECOMMENDATION TILL NEXT MONTH AND THEN FOUR DAYS OFF.
THE WHOLE PERIOD ORDINANCE ISSUE THAT I DID THAT I DISCUSSED EARLIER.
THAT'S A VERY GOOD, UM, THE HOLD PERIOD ORDINANCE.
UM, UH, WE NEED TO LOOK INTO THAT AND ALSO WE SHOULD LOOK INTO THE, THE, UM, CAUSE THEY'RE GOING TO BRING INFORMATION NEXT WEEK INTO THE SPAY NEUTER ON SECOND IMPOUNDMENT.
WE NEEDED TO BE ABLE TO DISCUSS THAT AND THEY'RE GOING TO BRING US YOU, THEN YOU CAN TAKE SOME TIME AND GET THE, UH, LEGAL RECOMMENDATION AND, UH, VETERINARY RECOMMENDATION.
DO I HAVE A MOTION TO ADJOURN ITEMS? YEAH.
SO WHO DOES, WHO IS THIS PALMER? WHAT DO YOU GOT? SO SINCE WE'RE REMOVING THE COVID BRIEFING, I'D LIKE TO ADD A BRIEFING FROM STAFF REGARDING, UH, THE SHELTER CLOSURE AND REDUCTION IN SERVICES.
SO WHAT DOES THAT SAY THAT ITEM AGAIN? I'D LIKE, SINCE WE'RE REMOVING THE COVID BRIEFING, I'D LIKE TO ADD STAFF BRIEFING ON SHELTER, CLOSURE AND REDUCED SERVICES.
CAN, CAN WE MAYBE REWORD THAT AND SAY, UM, UH, SHELTER HOURS OR LIKE, UM, IS THERE SOME WAY, UM, SHIT, SO UPDATE ON REDUCED SERVICES? YES.
AND WE'D PUT IT ON OUR BRIEFINGS.
WE JUST WANT TO REPORT ABOUT WHAT THE, WHAT THE SHELTER HOURS ARE ESSENTIALLY.
I MEAN, THE, THE INTAKE, I MEAN, THERE'S MORE TO, TO THE REDUCED SERVICES THAN JUST THE HOURS.
SO I'D LIKE TO JUST GET A BRIEFING ON THAT.
THEY'LL HAVE PRC CLOSED LIMITED.
I MEAN, I, I I'D LIKE FOR IT TO BE MORE INCLUSIVE THAN JUST RIGHT.
I'M JUST TRYING TO FIND A WAY TO PHRASE THAT I THINK REDUCTION IN SERVICES, UH, OR LIMITED SERVICES IS ACCURATE BECAUSE AS WE'RE SEEING IN THE DATA THOUGH, AAC CLAIMS TO BE OPEN ON SUNDAYS FOR RECLAIM VIRTUALLY NO ANIMALS ARE BEING RECLAIMED.
SO IT'S, IT'S REALLY NOT JUST THE OPEN HOURS CLOSED HOURS.
IT'S REALLY THE SERVICES IN GENERAL.
SO SOMETHING ABOUT REDUCED OR RESTRICTED SERVICES DOES MAKE SENSE.
I THINK HOW ABOUT, UH, STAFFING AND SERVICES? YEAH, THAT'S GOOD.
UH, CURRENT STAFFING IS SERVICES AT THE US ANIMAL
[03:35:01]
CENTER.IS THAT GOOD? WHY NOT UNDER BRIEFING SO WE CAN ASK WHAT'S GOING ON AND BE TOLD.
ANYTHING ELSE? PALMER? YEAH, I HAD ONE OTHER ONE IS, UM, I WANTED TO SEE IF WE COULD GET A STAFF PRESENTATION ON THE MESSAGING TO THE PUBLIC REGARDING THE SERVICES PROVIDED WE'VE.
WE SEEM TO CONTINUE TO HAVE, UM, CON CONFUSION ON WHAT THE PUBLIC'S BEING TOLD THROUGH 3, 1, 1 THROUGH THE WEBSITE, THROUGH DIFFERENT THINGS.
AND I THINK IT'D BE HELPFUL IF WE HAD A PRESENTATION ON EXACTLY WHAT IS OUT THERE.
WHAT'S BEING SAID EXACTLY WHAT THE SCRIPT IS SUPPOSED TO BE.
AND JUST TO TRY TO KIND OF PUT THIS AT THIS CLARIFIED.
SO THAT WOULD BE BRIEFING ON AVAILABLE SERVICE, SHELTER SERVICES, COMMUNICATION, COMMUNICATION, COMMUNICATION BRIEFING ON PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS REGARDING SHELTER.
THAT'S GOOD BRIEFING ON PUBLIC COMMUNICATION ON AVAILABLE SHELTER SERVICES.
W IS THAT IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND GIVING US A BRIEFING ON THAT, WOULD YOU? OKAY.
SO DO I HEAR A MOTION? RYAN MOVES TO A JURY.
DO I HEAR A SECOND KATIE SECONDS? IT WE'RE ADJOURNED TILL NEXT MONTH.