[*A portion of this meeting is without audio.*]
[CALL TO ORDER]
[PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL]
[00:01:17]
AND 10, 10 PEOPLE HERE FOR SAYS COMMUNICATION.
UH, SOME ARE VIRTUAL AND SOME ARE PRESENT.
AND LET'S SEE, I GOTTA GET TO MY CLOCK.
CAUSE IT'S YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES EACH.
SO LET'S BEGIN WITH KELL BARLOW.
THEN LET'S GO WITH JEAN WHO? BREATH AND 10 PEOPLE HERE.
GREETINGS, I'M THE DIRECTOR OF CLASSIC CANINES, A SENIOR DOG.
FSBC OUR VOLUNTEER BASED PROGRAM HAS OPERATED INSIDE THE SHELTER FOR 10 YEARS, SUPPORTING IN PLACING SENIOR DOGS.
AND I WANT TO GIVE A BRIEFING ON CURRENT SERVICING.
I FIRST WANT TO ESTABLISH CONTEXT OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS, AUSTIN'S ANIMAL PARTNERS AND COMMUNITY HAVE BEEN ISOLATED FROM AWARENESS AND INPUTS INTO POLICY AND PROCEDURE CHANGES.
WE ASKED THE COMMISSION NOW TO ASK TO ACT ON THEIR CITY CODE PRINCIPLES, TO PROMOTE COLLABORATION AND FACILITATE COMMUNICATION BY ENSURING THE FUTURE OF NO KILLS IS PRESERVED BY ENGAGING ALL AGENCIES, WORKING TOGETHER WITHOUT BIAS AND WITHOUT CONFLICT AND WITHOUT A COMPETITIVE MISSION.
SOME FACTS THAT WE FEEL ARE NOT GETTING ATTENTION, ANIMALS REUNITED AND READ HOME BY THE PUBLIC ARE BYPASSING CITY CODE REQUIREMENTS FOR SPAY, NEUTER AND MICROCHIPPING.
IN ADDITION TO MANSA PETS NOT RESTARTED THEIR FREE MOBILE CLINICS.
THIS IS DEFERRING PROBLEMS FOR YEARS TO COME CITY COUNCIL'S APPROVAL TO ALLOW APA TO SERVICE ANIMALS FROM ALL OVER THE STATE OF TEXAS AT TOWN LAKE SHELTER IMMEDIATELY PLACED AUSTIN'S ANIMALS INTO A COMPETITIVE SITUATION FOR RESOURCES.
THE ADJUSTMENTS THAT AAC MADE UNCHECKED BY OTHERS LED TO SOME UNDESIRABLE CIRCUMSTANCES.
WE DON'T FEEL THE COUNCIL UNDERSTOOD THE IMPLICATIONS.
DOG INTAKE IS DOWN 30% OVER THIS TIMEFRAME IN 2018.
HOWEVER, FINDING ADOPTERS FOSTERS AND LOCAL RESCUES THAT ARE WILLING TO HELP IS A CHALLENGE.
SINCE THE START OF RESCUE TRANSPORTS, 25% OF AUSTRALIA DOGS ARE NOW CLASSIFIED AS TWO YEAR OLDS FOR STRAYS.
THE AGED FLAG IS NO LONGER USED TO SIGNAL A PRIORITY INTAKE NEED, AND THAT'S A RED FLAG.
AND ALTHOUGH INTAKE IS DOWN 30% SENIOR DOG INTAKE IS DOWN 60%.
THANKS LARGELY TO OUR FOCUSED ON SENIORS.
LESS THAN 5% OF THE SHELTER, KENNELS ARE OCCUPIED BY SENIOR DOGS.
THEY ARE NOT THE SPACE PROBLEM, AND MOST DO NOT GET PREMIUM KENNELS.
OVER 5% OF SENIOR DOGS INTAKE THIS YEAR WERE EUTHANIZED OR DIE TO HEALTHY UPON ARRIVAL.
SENIORS LOST THEIR LIVES AT THE SHELTER THIS YEAR IN THE FIRST FEW DAYS OF THEIR STAY.
ANOTHER RED FLAG, SENIOR DOGS ARE NOT ASSURED OF SUITABLE SAFE CLIMATE CONTROLLED KENNEL IN AUSTIN.
SENIOR MEDICAL CASES ARE PUSHED TO APA INTO THE MOST DISADVANTAGED KENNELS IN THE CITY WHILE WE'RE STILL SEEKING A FOSTER PROVIDER AND REQUEST TO ABSTAIN FROM THIS ARE CONTINUALLY DENIED BY BOTH AAC AND APA.
AND WE PRESENTED ON THIS BEFORE TO THIS COMMISSION.
TEN-YEAR-OLD ROCKY SPENT THE LAST 30 DAYS OF HIS LIFE IN A TOWN LIKE KENNEL RECENTLY, AND IT WAS UNNECESSARY,
[00:05:02]
REASONABLE TEMPORARY HOUSING FOR SENIOR DOGS.AWAITING FOSTERS SHOULD BE A STANDARD IN A NO KILL SHELTER.
AND LASTLY, 27 SENIOR DOGS WERE PUT ON RECIPES TRANSPORTS WITH 40% OF THEM BEING 10 OR OLDER.
WE DON'T FEEL THAT AUSTIN NEEDS TO BE THE AMAZON SHIPPER WITH A FULLY OPEN INVENTORY BOOK, BUT THE MODEL SHOULD BE BALANCED AND THOUGHTFUL SUPPORTING UNDERSERVED DOGS AND PRESERVING DOGS THAT CAN ACHIEVE GOOD LOCAL OUTCOMES.
UH, WE HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE TONIGHT, SO IF YOU COULD LIMIT YOUR COMMENTS TO THREE MINUTES, I KNOW IT'S TRICKY, BUT IT CAN BE DONE.
UH, LET'S HAVE, WELL, IF YOU GO OUT AND GET THEM, I WILL GO THROUGH THESE NAMES AGAIN, BUT WE GOT TO KEEP MOVING HERE.
I, CAN YOU HEAR ME MISS MR. NAME, SIR? YES, I CAN HEAR YOU.
AS I SAID, MY NAME IS LESLIE
I'M A FORMER VOLUNTEER AT APA N AAC.
I'M HERE TONIGHT SIMPLY TO STATE THAT THE ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION IS NOT A FORCE FOR GOOD FOR AUSTIN'S ANIMALS.
STATE LAW REQUIRES TEXAS COUNTIES TO HAVE ANIMAL ADVISORY.
COMMISSION IS SECTION 8 23 0 0 5 OF THE HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE.
WHY TO ENSURE THAT ANIMAL SHELTERS COMPLY WITH STATE LAW ON SHELTER CONDITION AND IN COUNTIES OF OVER 75,000 PEOPLE.
THIS APPLIES TO PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SHELTERS.
YET WHEN I ASKED THE COMMISSION SEVERAL YEARS AGO TO PLEASE FULFILL ITS LEGAL OBLIGATION AND EXERCISE OVERSIGHT OVER THE PRIVATE SHELTERS IN TRAVIS COUNTY, A MAJORITY OF THIS BODY REFUSED TO DO THAT.
THE COMMISSION IS FAILING TO DO WHAT STATE LAW REQUIRES.
INSTEAD, THE COMMISSION HAS SPENT COUNTLESS HOURS OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS, MICROMANAGING AAC QUESTIONING THE DECISIONS OF SHELTER VETERINARIANS FOR RATING STAFF, ASKING FOR EVERY TYPE OF DATA POINT IMAGINABLE AND NOT TO MENTION HAVING FIGHTS WITH EACH OTHER THAT RESULTED IN ONE COMMISSIONER ABRUPTLY, LEAVING A MEETING.
I HOPE THE PERSON SPEAKING ON DECORUM AND COMMISSION MEETINGS REMEMBERS THAT INCIDENT, THE COMMISSION ISN'T EVEN SUPPOSED TO INVOLVE ITSELF IN THE ADMINISTRATION OF AAC.
BUT CITY ORDINANCE CLEARLY SAID THAT THE COMMISSION IS TO QUOTE, ADVISED THE CITY COUNCIL ON ANIMAL WELFARE POLICIES AND ON BUDGET PRIORITIES IDENTIFIED BY THE COMMISSION AND THE COMMUNITY COMMENT EXCEPT ON ISSUES RELATED TO THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE ANIMAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT.
SO I DON'T BELIEVE IT'S WITHIN THE COMMISSION'S AUTHORITY TO EVEN CONSIDER THE NO-CONFIDENCE RESOLUTION.
WHAT COULD BE MORE RELATED TO ADMINISTRATION THAN TO EXPRESSING YOUR GRIEVANCES ABOUT SHELTER MANAGEMENT? YOU CAN DO THAT ON YOUR OWN TIME.
I ALSO WANT TO MENTION AACS BUDGET WHEN APA WAS CAMPAIGNING LAST FALL TO BE ALLOWED TO DO LESS FOR THE CITY OF BOSTON, APA PUT A LONG RATIONALE ON ITS WEBSITE, WHICH INCLUDED THE STATEMENT THAT AAC HAS QUOTE, THE LARGEST BUDGET PER CAPITA AND PER ANIMAL OF ANY GOVERNMENT ANIMAL SHELTER IN THE NATION.
I THINK SOME COMMISSIONERS HAVE REPEATED THIS FALL.
SO THE COMMISSIONER MEETINGS, HOW DO I KNOW THIS? ISN'T TRUE BECAUSE I NOW LIVE IN ALBUQUERQUE NEW MEXICO.
AND WHEN ALBUQUERQUE CITY BUDGET RECENTLY PASSED, I NOTICED THAT THE BUDGET FOR ANIMAL WELFARE WAS PRETTY CLOSE TO AUSTIN, $16 MILLION.
IN FACT, THE COMBINED CITY COUNTY ANIMAL WELFARE BUDGET HERE IS 17.5 MILLION.
THERE'S TWO SHELTERS CITY, AND THE CITY COUNTY POPULATION HAS LESS THAN $700,000 COMPARED TO TRAVIS.
I DO MISS SOME THINGS ABOUT AUSTIN, BUT ONE THING I DON'T MISS IS HOW PERVERTED THINGS HAVE GOTTEN BECAUSE OF NO KILL POLICIES IN AUSTIN AND THE BEHAVIOR OF THE MAJORITY OF THIS COMMISSION.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND APPRECIATE YOUR TIME.
SOMETHING I NEED TO DO REAL QUICK HERE.
I NEEDED AN AUDIBLE ROLL CALL OF THE COMMISSION.
WE'LL GET BACK TO THAT CITIZENS COMMUNICATION.
[00:10:02]
HERE.THANK YOU THAT WE GOT THAT DONE.
UM, SO NOW WE GO ONTO THE NEXT PUBLIC COMMUNICATION, WHICH WOULD BE, UH, LET'S SEE.
SARAH AGUILAR, GOOD EVENING COMMISSION MEMBERS.
I'M THE SENIOR DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS AT APA.
I'M HERE TONIGHT JUST TO PRESENT ON OUR LICENSE AGREEMENT.
UM, THIS REPORT IS SENT OUT MONTHLY TO THE ADVISORY COMMISSION AND TO THE DIRECTOR AND DEPUTY OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN ANIMAL SHELTER.
I'M IN AGREEMENT WITH THE TERMS OUTLINED IN THE CURRENT LICENSE AGREEMENT.
UM, THERE'S A HANDFUL OF THINGS THAT WE NEED TO REPORT ON.
UM, AND THERE'S SOME ADDITIONAL DATA THAT IS IN THIS REPORT.
I DON'T BELIEVE THE REPORT MADE IT INTO THE BACKUPS.
I DIDN'T POST IT BEFORE THEY SAY CLERK'S DEADLINES.
SO IT'D BE, SHOULD BE UP THERE TOMORROW MORNING.
JASON'S JUGGLING A LOT OF RULES RIGHT NOW FOR THOSE THAT DON'T KNOW WITH BLEND OUT.
UM, ANYWAY, UH, JUST SOME HIGHLIGHTS OF THE MONTHLY REPORT, UM, COMBINED BETWEEN AAC AND APA.
WE TOOK IN OVER 2,400 ANIMALS COMPLETED NEARLY A THOUSAND SPAN NEUTERS SURGERIES WITHIN THE SHELTERS, UM, HAVE OVER 1600 ANIMALS IN FOSTER AND OVER 1300 COMBINED BETWEEN THE TWO ORGANIZATIONS, UM, THIS IMPACT ON NOT ONLY AUSTIN, UM, BUT TRAVIS COUNTY AND SURROUNDING AREAS IS MASSIVE.
THE LICENSE AGREEMENT DOES REQUIRE US TO TAKE A LEAVEN PERCENT OF THE PRIOR FISCAL YEARS INTAKE, WHICH IS A LITTLE BIT CONFUSING.
SO IN THE REPORT WE REPORT ON BOTH THIS YEAR'S TRANSFERS AS A PERCENTAGE OF PRIOR FISCAL YEAR, BUT ALSO OF THIS FISCAL YEAR, UM, JUST FOR COMPARISON AND INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES.
UM, THIS MONTH FOR THE FIRST TIME, WE HAD A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT DISCREPANCY BETWEEN TRANSFER NUMBERS, UH, BETWEEN APA AND AAC AND JASON AND I ARE WORKING ON TRYING TO SORT THAT OUT RIGHT NOW.
UNFORTUNATELY IT WASN'T DONE BEFORE FRIDAY.
UM, BUT YOU CAN SEE IN THE REPORT, UM, NOT ONLY THE DIFFERENCES IN, IN THOSE NUMBERS, BUT THERE'S ALSO SUPPORTING DATA OF ALL OF THE ANIMALS.
UM, AS WE TRY TO WORK OUT THE EIGHT NUMBERS, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S BEEN AN ONGOING CONTESTED, UH, REPORTING POINT IS THAT, UM, APA DOES NOT COUNT OR SORRY.
AAC DOES NOT COUNT ANIMALS THAT ARE BORN IN CARE TO APA AS PART OF TRANSFERS.
ALTHOUGH, UM, THE UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THEY WOULD BE BORN AT AAC.
UM, IF THE MOTHERS WERE TO HAVE STAYED THERE.
SO, UM, WE ALSO REPORT SEPARATELY ON THE ANIMALS THAT ARE BORN IN CARE, UM, BECAUSE WE BELIEVE THAT THEY SHOULD BE INCLUDED, UM, IN LIVES THAT ARE SAVED.
UM, THE LAST, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT WAS.
OH, THE LAST PIECE IS THAT THE, UM, WE REPORT ON SURVIVAL RATES OF PETS THAT WERE TRANSFERRED TO ACE, TO APA FOR MEDICAL PURPOSES.
THIS INCLUDES MED URGENT MED ATTENTION, PARVO, UH, NEONATAL IS PANLEUK.
UM, THOSE ARE ALL PART OF OUR AGREEMENT AND IT'S IMPORTANT TO LOOK AT THE SURVIVAL RATES.
SO WE LOOK AT THOSE FROM THE MONTH PRIOR.
UM, THIS IS THE APA REPORT, WHICH SHOULD BE UNDER BRIEFINGS, THE AAC REPORT OR THE WHAT OR THE, I'M SORRY, THE APA REPORT.
WE DIDN'T PUT IT ON THE AGENDA.
SO IF IT'S, IF IT'S NOT ON THE AGENDA, IT'S NOT IN A BRIEFINGS, WE CAN'T ASK YOU QUESTIONS CAUSE YOU'VE DONE IN OUR CITY COMMUNICATIONS, BUT IN THE FUTURE, WE NEED TO DO IT.
AND I UNDERSTOOD THAT THOSE WERE QUARTERLY REPORTS.
I THINK, I THOUGHT THEY WERE JUST SUPPOSED TO SEND THE REPORT TO THE COMMISSION MONTHLY, AND THEN WE POST THIS BACKUP, BUT NOT NECESSARILY HAVE A BRIEFING ON IT.
THEY'RE ONLY REQUIRED TO BE QUARTERLY.
I DO KNOW THAT THAT'S THE COMMISSION REPORTS, NOT THE LICENSE AGREEMENT REPORTS.
NOT, NOT FOR TONIGHT, NOT QUARTERLY.
SO MY QUESTION IS IT GOES, IT DOESN'T GO IN AND SEE, IT'S
[00:15:01]
NOT STAFF BRIEFINGS ANYMORE.THEY'VE CHANGED IT TO BRIEFINGS AND IT GOES UNDER BRIEFINGS.
IT THAT'S WHERE IT SHOULD GO QUARTERLY.
I KNOW, BUT SHE'S SPEAKING WHEN IT'S NOT QUARTERLY, SHE'S SPEAKING MONTHLY.
SO CAN THE MONTHLY REPORT ALSO GO UNDER STAFF BRIEFINGS? I'LL HAVE TO CHECK THAT.
COULD YOU CHECK THAT? YEAH, I'LL CHECK THAT.
SO, UH, NEXT IS, UH, RHONDA PICKENS.
IS IT POSSIBLE TO BE LATER? UH, IF YOU'RE NOT COMMENTING ON ANYTHING ON THE AGENDA, THEN WE HAVE TO DO IT NOW.
HI, MY NAME IS RHONDA PICKENS AND I'M A CITIZEN, BUT I COME TO SUPPORT THE EMPLOYEES AND VOLUNTEERS AT THE AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER.
UM, CAUSE I THINK Y'ALL SHOULD KNOW, UM, THAT THEY DESERVE SOME MORE ATTENTION THAN THEY'RE GETTING.
UM, PEOPLE TEND TO THINK OF THE PEOPLE THAT WORK THERE IS HAVING THESE EASY JOBS WHERE THEY GET TO PLAY WITH PUPPIES ALL DAY LONG AND THAT'S NOT WHAT THEIR JOB ENTAILS.
UM, THEY DEAL WITH BEHAVIOR ISSUES WITH, UM, SO MUCH STRESS, UM, COMPASSION, FATIGUE, AND THEY NEED SUPPORT, NOT JUST, UM, IN TERMS OF, YES, THEY NEED TO BE PAID AND PAID WELL AND ALL OF THAT, BUT THEY NEED SOME KINDNESS TO THEM TOO.
UM, AND THEN, BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT POINT THAT I WANT TO MAKE IS THAT I THINK IT'S CRIMINALLY NEGLIGENT OF THE CITY, THAT THERE IS NO SHADE ON HIM AT THE, AT AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER.
AND THAT THE PEOPLE THAT WORK THE PLAYGROUP WHEN IT'S 107 DEGREES, DON'T HAVE SHADE.
UM, AND THE, THE, UM, THE AWNING IS BOUGHT, BUT NOBODY IS MAKING IT GET PUT UP.
IT'S BEEN HERE FOR A YEAR AND IT'S STILL ROLLED UP SOMEWHERE.
WOULD YOU WANT TO GO OUT IN 107 DEGREE WEATHER AND NOT HAVE ANY SHADE TO GET INTO? AND THAT'S ON TOP.
THEY HAVE, I MEAN, THE, THE ARTIFICIAL GRASS THAT WAS PUT DOWN AGAINST ALL ADVICE IS GETTING VERY, VERY HOT.
SOME OTHER PEOPLE WILL TALK TO YOU ABOUT HOW HOT, UM, AND IT, AT SOME POINT YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE SOME OF THESE VALUABLE EMPLOYEES PASSING OUT AT WORK.
AND I KNOW IT'S PARTLY THE BUILDING COMMISSION OR SOMETHING THAT, BUT THERE'S EXCUSES, EXCUSES, EXCUSES.
THERE'S NO REASON WHY IN AUSTIN, TEXAS, SOMEBODY CAN'T GET THAT SHAPE PUT UP.
I'M A FORMER AAC VOLUNTEER FOR NEARLY TWO WEEKS.
I'VE HAD A STATEMENT PREPARED FOR TONIGHT ABOUT A DOG NAMED CHIEF AND THE HORRENDOUS DECISIONS THIS MANAGEMENT TEAM HAS MADE ON CHIEF'S BEHALF.
BUT AS I WAS PREPARING EARLIER TODAY, WHAT I KEPT COMING BACK TO WHERE THE COUNTLESS CONVERSATIONS I HAVE HAD WITH CURRENT VOLUNTEERS AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS WHO HAVE EVERYTHING TO LOSE BY SPEAKING TO YOU TONIGHT OVER AND OVER AGAIN, FEAR OF BEING FIRED BY THIS MANAGEMENT TEAM HAS COME UP AS PEOPLE DEBATE, WHETHER OR NOT TO VOICE WHAT ARE EXTREMELY VALID CONCERNS.
THIS MANAGEMENT TEAM HAS NOT ONLY THREATENED TO FIRE VOLUNTEERS.
THEY HAVE FOLLOWED THROUGH ON THOSE THREATS FOR A MANAGEMENT TEAM THAT REGULARLY CLAIMS THEY DON'T HAVE ENOUGH RESOURCES.
THEY SURE GET QUICK TO FIRE, GET RID OF THE FREE LABOR THAT SHOWS UP EVERY DAY AND FILLS GAPS BY CLEANING KENNELS, FEEDING ANIMALS, WALKING DOGS, PROVIDING ENRICHMENT COUNSELING, FOSTERS, AND ADOPTERS.
I RECOGNIZE THAT TO MANY AND LIKELY TO THIS MANAGEMENT TEAM, IT SEEMS DRAMATIC TO CALL BEING FIRED FROM AN UNPAID VOLUNTEER ROLE, OR YOU OFTEN LEAVE COVERED IN POOP, EXHAUSTED AND SWEATY, LOSING EVERYTHING.
BUT WHAT THEY CAN'T GRASP IS THAT FOR MANY VOLUNTEERS, ALL OF YOUR FREE TIME IS SPENT WITH THE ANIMALS, BOTH LITERALLY AND FIGURATIVELY.
IF YOU'RE NOT PHYSICALLY WITH THEM, YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT WHAT THEIR IDEAL HOME IS.
YOU'RE AGONIZING OVER WHETHER OR NOT THERE'LL BE TRANSFERRED.
DID THEY DESTROY THE NEW BED YOU JUST PUT IN THEIR KENNEL? DOES THAT MEAN THEY'RE SLEEPING ON HARD CONCRETE AND FOR VOLUNTEERS WHO SERVE THE MOST VULNERABLE POPULATIONS IN THE SHELTER BEHAVIOR AND SENIOR ANIMALS, ALL OF THOSE CONCERNS ARE AMPLIFIED WORRYING.
IF THEY WILL RECEIVE THE MEDICAL CARE THEY NEED, OR IF THAT NEED WE'LL GET THEM TRANSFERRED BEFORE YOU
[00:20:01]
CAN HELP.IF ALL OF A SUDDEN A BITE FROM MONTHS AGO WILL BE RE-EXAMINED AND MEAN YOU'LL ULTIMATELY BE IN A FIGHT WITH YOUR BACK AGAINST THE WALL TO SAVE THAT ANIMAL'S LIFE.
THIS MANAGEMENT TEAM HAS CREATED A CULTURE OF FEAR AND FOR YEARS IT HAS WORKED, BUT BASED ON THE ROOM TONIGHT AND THOSE OUTSIDE, SOME EXTREMELY BRAVE PEOPLE HAVE DECIDED TO STAND UP.
AS YOU LISTEN TO PEOPLE'S TESTIMONIES, PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT TO IMAGINE WHAT IT IS LIKE TO BE IN THEIR SHOES TO IMAGINE EXACTLY WHAT IT IS THEY'RE RISKING BY BEING HERE TO FIGHT FOR AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER AND ALL THE ANIMALS THEY KNOW AND LOVE.
UH, LET'S HAVE THIS WILL, UH, LET'S HAVE ASHLEY NEILS.
UM, FIRST I WANT TO START OFF BY KIND OF HEARKENING BACK TO WHEN I SPOKE LAST TIME.
UH, NOTHING HAS HAPPENED BEYOND HAVING A ONE-ON-ONE CONVERSATION WITH OUR HR REPRESENTATIVE, UM, REGARDING OUR TOXIC WORK PLACE CULTURE.
AND SO I WANT TO SAY THAT IF CITY HALL, SPENCER CRONK AND THE REST OF Y'ALL, UH, REALLY WANT AUSTIN, I USED TO BELIEVE THAT YOU CARE ABOUT US.
YOU DEFINITELY NEED TO REACH OUT.
UM, AND LET US TALK ABOUT THE STRESS AND PAIN THAT WE ARE UNDER, UM, BECAUSE YOU SHOULD SIT WITH CARE ABOUT THE CITY EMPLOYEES.
UH, NEXT IS WHAT IS NEAREST AND DEAREST TO MY HEART FOR ANYBODY THAT KNOWS ME, UH, BEHAVIOR AND ENRICHMENT BEHAVIOR AND ENRICHMENT IS NECESSARY.
IT'S NOT AN EXTRA BONUS THAT WE GIVE TO THE DOGS THAT MAKES US LIKE COOL AND EXCITING.
LIKE THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THEY ABSOLUTELY MUST HAVE FOR THEIR HEALTH AND WELLNESS, AND IT NEEDS TO BE TREATED LIKE IT IS ESSENTIAL.
THE BEHAVIOR TEAM IS ESSENTIAL.
UM, AS FAR AS SOMETHING THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, MAYBE OTHER PEOPLE MIGHT NOT WANT TO SAY, UM, WE DO NEED TO WORK AS ONE LARGE SHELTER.
THE CITY IS NOT FIVE DIFFERENT, LITTLE RESCUES AND SHELTERS AND EVERYTHING.
WE ARE ONE CITY THAT NEEDS TO WORK TOGETHER.
WE NEED TO PLAY TO THE STRENGTHS THAT EACH PLACE HAS.
WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT WHAT PROGRAMS WORK BEST FOR WHAT DOGS.
AND WE NEED TO SHIFT THOSE DOGS THERE AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE SO THAT THEY CAN MOVE THROUGH THE SYSTEM AND THEY CAN GET OUT OF HERE IN THAT SAME VEIN, VERY UNPOPULAR OPINION UNTIL OUR DOGS CAN BE ADOPTED IN A TIMELY MANNER.
AND AUSTIN, I AM GOING TO SUPPORT TRANSPORT.
OUR DOGS DESERVE BETTER THAN TO SIT IN THEIR KENNELS FOR MONTHS AND MONTHS AND MONTHS WHEN THERE'S ABSOLUTELY NOTHING WRONG WITH THEM.
AND I HAVE SEEN MY KIDS LEAVE, GO SOMEWHERE AND GET ADOPTED IMMEDIATELY BECAUSE THEY ARE A NICE, SMALLER, BETTER ENVIRONMENT.
IF WE CAN'T TAKE CARE OF HER DOGS, WE NEED TO SEND THEM TO SOMEPLACE THAT WILL.
AND, UH, LASTLY, UM, SINCE WE DIDN'T GET TO SPEAK ABOUT CHIEF, UM, WHAT WE DID WITH CHIEF WAS WRONG.
I KNOW THAT IT CAME FROM A GOOD PLACE THAT WE ARE TRYING TO HELP DOGS, BUT WE CANNOT LET GO OF OUR VALUES IN ORDER TO QUOTE UNQUOTE PROTECT DOGS.
WE HAVE TO STICK TO HUMANELY TREATING OUR ANIMALS AND FINDING THE PROPER PLACEMENTS FOR THEM, NOT JUST STICKING THEM SOMEWHERE SO WE CAN SAY WE DID SOMETHING.
DID WE GET HIM BACK RON COMO OR WENDY MURPHY.
[1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
SO WE NEED APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.DO I HEAR A MOTION? KRISTIN MOVES TO PROVE MR. I HAVE A SECOND PAGE SECONDS.
ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR, ANYONE OPPOSED PASSES UNANIMOUSLY WITH, UM, THAT'S 12? CAUSE WE HAVE SOMEONE CRAIG, I WANT TO POINT OUT I WASN'T HERE LAST MONTH, SO I CAN'T VOTE ON THEM.
I, I'M NOT SURE THAT'S A RULE, BUT IF YOU WANT TO ABSTAIN, SO HAVE STAINS.
[2a. Austin Animal Center and Animal Services Reports]
LET'S SEE.[00:25:01]
OSS ANIMAL CENTER AND ANIMAL SERVICES REPORTS.THE LIVE EXIT RATE FOR MAY WAS 96.7%.
WE HAD A TOTAL OF 1,395 ANIMALS COME INTO THE SHELTER.
UH, 473 WERE ADOPTED AND WE HAD 108 THAT WERE RETURNED TO THEIR OWNERS.
UH, I'M NOT GOING TO READ ALL THIS TO YOU BECAUSE IT WAS IN YOUR BACKUP, BUT UH, ANIMAL PROTECTION OFFICERS RETURNED 53 OUT IN THE FIELD.
WE DID GIVE OUT 32 FENCING APPLICATIONS AND, UH, THEY ALSO IMPLIED IT IMPLANTED SIX MICROCHIPS OUT IN THE FIELD AS WELL.
YOU CAN SEE ALL OUR WILDLIFE, UH, POSITIONS HAVE BEEN FILLED AND STARTED.
AND THEY'RE REPORTING, UH, THE COYOTE ENCOUNTERS IN YOUR PACKET.
[2b. AAC Staffing and Services]
WE HAD 313 VOLUNTEERS WHO DONATED 4,399 HOURS TO THE CENTER LAST MONTH.AND LAST MONTH, IF YOU DIDN'T SEE IT, UH, THE AUSTIN CHRONICLE DID VOTE THE AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER AS THE BEST VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE OF THE YEAR.
THE COORDINATORS HAVE HELD FIVE ORIENTATIONS, UH, FOR VOLUNTEERS IN MAY AND WE HAD 140 ANIMALS DIRECTED, DIRECTLY ADOPTED FROM FOSTER CARE.
WE PROCESSED 220 NEW APPLICATIONS AND CURRENTLY 916 MEMBERS IN THE FOSTER PROGRAM.
WE HAD 254 ANIMALS THAT WERE TRANSFERRED TO 17 INSTATE PARTNERS.
AND WE HAD 83 DOGS THAT WERE TRANSPORTED TO 11 OUT OF STATE PARTNERS.
I'M GOING TO GO INTO, UH, WELL, LET ME FINISH THIS, THE VET SERVICES, UH, THEY WERE QUITE BUSY AS USUAL AND DID, UH, 1,228 EXAMS. THEY DID 81 EMERGENCY CASES THAT WERE TREATED AT AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER.
AND 85 EMERGENCIES WERE TRANSFERRED TO US FROM THE EMERGENCY CLINIC.
UH, EIGHT ANIMALS RECEIVED SPECIAL ORTHOPEDIC SURGERY AND 178 ANIMALS WERE PULLED BY AUSTIN PETS ALIVE.
WE HAD FIVE MINUTE URGENTS, 21 MEDICAL ATTENTION, 1 31 NEONATES, 19 PANLEUK, 19 PARVO AND TWO THAT WERE PREGNANT.
THE PET RESOURCE CENTER, UM, THE 193 FOUND ANIMAL REPORTS AND 243 LAST ANNUAL REPORTS ARE FILED BY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC.
AND WE HAD, UM, OVER 247 FOLKS THAT WE HELPED WITH BASIC PET ITEMS, INCLUDING FOOD LEASHES, CRATES, UM, AND THE SUCH AND MOST OF THAT WAS DONE FROM THE FIELD MEETING THEM WHERE THEY WERE, BECAUSE MOST OF THOSE FOLKS AREN'T ABLE TO GET TO US TRANSPORTATION ISSUES.
I'M GOING TO GO INTO STAFFING AND SERVICES, UH, STAFFING.
UH, WE CURRENTLY HAVE 33 OPEN POSITIONS BETWEEN A FULL-TIME AND TEMPORARY OF THAT 24 ARE IN THE HIRING PROCESS CURRENTLY, WHICH, YOU KNOW, THEY COULD BE IN A BACKGROUND CHECKS.
THEY COULD BE IN INTERVIEW PROCESS AND WE HAVE NINE POSTS THAT ARE STILL LOOKING FOR FOLKS.
WE HAD 12 EMPLOYEES OUT IN MAY DUE TO COVID AND FRIDAY THE CITY MOVED THE COVID TO MEDIUM RISK LEVEL.
SO, UH, IT IS MOVING UPWARDS AND WE DID NOTICE IT LAST MONTH AMONG OUR EMPLOYEES
[2c. AAC Public Communications on Services]
IN COMMUNICATIONS.UH, THE MONTH OF MAY WAS WE PROMOTED THE NATIONAL DOG RESCUE DAY ON MAY 20TH.
AND THAT WAS ONE OF OUR LARGE EVENTS.
UH, WE DID, UH, FOR OFFSITE EVENTS THAT, UH, RESULTED IN 12 ADOPTIONS OFFSITE.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THEY WERE EXCITED ABOUT IS, UH, ONE OF OUR ANIMALS AND HIS FAVORITE BUCKET WAS SHARED ON THE DODO AND DOGS OF INSTAGRAM, WHICH KIND OF WAS A BIG
[00:30:01]
DEAL.AND, UH, YOU KNOW, IT WAS A VERY CUTE AND IT WAS VERY WELL RECEIVED AND IT WENT A LONG WAY, BUT STILL NO ADOPTION AT THIS POINT.
UM, WE HAD A LOT OF POST, 132 POSTS THAT WERE TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, LONG STAYS HIRING FOSTER PLEAS, VOLUNTARY RECRUITMENT, UH, DOGS IN CRATES NEEDED HELP.
UM, NUMBER OF PETS FEATURED AND MENTIONED, UH, AND WE TALKED ABOUT HOME TO HOME AND SELF-SUPPORTING AND REHOMING, AND THEN WE ALSO POSTED, FOUND PETS AS THEY CAME IN SEVERAL TIMES WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT NEEDING ASSISTANCE.
UH, OUR, SOME OF OUR POSTS WENT TO HIGH NUMBER ABOUT 160,000 FOLKS ON INSTAGRAM AND FACEBOOK AND MOST IN SOME OF THEM WERE SHARED BY 19 ORGANIZATIONS.
SO WE, WE DID GET QUITE A BIT OF TRACTION WITH THAT.
DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME? COOL.
WELL, THANKS FOR THE GOOD LIFE OUTCOME AGAIN.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF, UM, I FELLOW COMMISSIONERS ARE, I HAVE SEEN IT, BUT ON JUNE 9TH, THE HOUSTON CHRONICLE PUBLISHED AN ARTICLE THAT SAID TEXAS IS ONCE AGAIN, THE NUMBER ONE STATE IN THE COUNTRY FOR ANIMAL SHELTER DEATHS FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS WITH, UH, THE AVERAGE SAVE RATE IS 80.8% IN 2021, UH, WHICH IS AWFUL.
AND CATS ARE DYING AT A RATE OF TWO TO ONE OVER DOGS.
AND WE, I THINK AS A COMMISSION OFTEN TALK ABOUT DOG ISSUES, BUT I THINK WE HAVE A GOOD CAT.
YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY THE CATS ARE BEING SAVED, BUT WE NEED TO MAYBE LOOK AT THE CAT PROGRAM A LITTLE BIT AND SEE IF THERE'S ANYTHING WE CAN DO TO TWEAK THAT.
SO WE'RE CLEARLY DOING BETTER THAN THE REST OF THE STATE BY A LOT, BUT IT'S JUST SAD THAT THESE NUMBERS ARE SO HIGH WITHIN THE STATE.
UM, IT WASN'T OUR MICROCHIP CLINIC IN MAY WE CANCELED THE MICROCHIP CLINIC.
SO THE MICROCHIP CLINIC ISN'T ON HERE.
SO I JUST WANTED TO TALK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT.
UM, WE DID A MICROCHIP CLINIC IN DISTRICT THREE AND IT WAS REALLY TERRIFIC AND IT WAS A BREATH OF FRESH AIR TO HAVE SUCH A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT IN THE MICROCHIP CLINIC.
THANKS TO, UM, UH, CHRIS CHRISNER COMMISSIONER HERRERA, UM, WHEN THE CITIZENS PULLED UP AND I WOULD SAY MAYBE THERE WERE LIKE A THIRD CATS TOO.
THEY WOULD PULL UP IN THEIR CAR AND THEY FELT THEIR FARM THEY'D COME OVER.
AND, UM, I WAS THERE ALSO, UH, ANIMAL PROTECTION WOULD TAKE THE CAT OR DOGS INTO BE MICROCHIP.
UM, CONSTABLES WERE THERE FROM THE AREA TO COME IN AND MEET THE PEOPLE AND TALK TO THEM.
THEY HAD A BUNCH OF GIVEAWAYS AND, UM, REALLY ENGAGED THE COMMUNITY.
AND THEN THEY WENT FROM THERE TO, AND THEN I TALKED TO HIM ON THE AUSTIN PETS ALIVE PAST PROGRAM, BROUGHT AN ENTIRE VAN FULL OF FOOD.
SO WE TELL THEM THAT THERE WAS SOME FOOD THERE.
UH, MUCH, MANY OF THEM SAID WE DON'T NEED IT, BUT OUR NEIGHBORS DO SO, BUT THEY WENT FROM THERE TO THE NEXT STATION, WHICH WAS A MANSA PET.
SO THEY COULD MAKE APPOINTMENTS FOR SPAY, NEUTER AND SHOTS LIKE RIGHT THERE.
THEN THEY JUST DROVE THEIR CAR A LITTLE BIT FARTHER AND PICKED UP FOOD FROM, UH, THE PAST PROGRAM, WHICH RAN OUT BEFORE WE WERE DONE WITH THE MICROCHIP CLINIC.
AND I THINK WE DID MAYBE 60 CHIPS OR SO 48 OR 48.
SO THERE WAS THAT, BUT IT'S STILL GOOD.
80 INVOLVE THE COMMUNITY AND INVITE EVERYBODY.
THE SOLUTION NEEDS TO NOT ONLY THE AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER, THE SOLUTION IS NOT ONLY ON US.
I THINK WE NEED TO INVOLVE EVERYBODY.
UH, WE'RE PLANNING TWO MORE ONE WITH DISTRICT SIX, ONE MORE WITH THESE THREE, FOUR, AND GIVE, KEEP WORKING ON THESE ONES.
THE LAST ONE LAST WEEK WAS CANCELED.
UH, THE AUSTIN ANNUAL CENTER, WE HAVE THUNDER AND LIGHTNING AND WE DON'T WANT TO PUT IT IN ANY DANGER, ANY HUMAN OR ANY PET.
YES, THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE A STAFF BRIEFING.
AND SO THIS SHOULD BE A TIME, NOT FOR A COMMENT, BUT FOR QUESTIONS.
UM, AND JUST A REMINDER, I'M GOING TO TALK MORE ABOUT THE ROBERT'S RULES, BUT, UM, THE CHAIR SHOULD RECOGNIZE, UH, EVERYONE TO SPEAK.
SO, BECAUSE THIS IS TOUGH BRIEFING, WE SHOULD STICK TO QUESTIONS.
WHAT A BETTER WAY TO DO THIS AS IS TO BEAT, PUT IT AS A PART OF THE STAFF BRIEFING.
YOU KNOW, I'M A GLAD TO HEAR ABOUT IT, BUT YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO, OKAY.
SO IF I HAD ASKED HIM AND SAID, OH, THE MICROCHIP CLINIC WASN'T
[00:35:01]
ON HERE, COULD YOU TALK ABOUT IT? YEAH, THAT WOULD BE WORK OR, OR HE COULD, HE COULD SAY, JOANNE, WHY DON'T YOU TALK ABOUT THE MICROCHIP CLINIC? OKAY.IT WAS, SINCE IT, SINCE THAT COMMITTEE WAS TAKEN OFF, IT JUST GOT OVER AND THAT'S THAT'S OKAY.
UH, WE GOT THE NEXT THING, WHICH IS A PARLIAMENTARIAN.
99% FOR THE ANIMAL AVAILABLE ANIMALS BEING SPAYED, NEUTERED DROPPED TO 93%.
IS THAT BECAUSE OF THE STAFF BEING OUT SHORTAGES.
I'D LIKE TO MAKE ONE MORE COMMENT.
UH, EMANCIPATE, YOU HEARD IT EARLIER THAT, THAT THEY WEREN'T DOING MOBILE.
THEY'RE JUST NOT DOING THE SURGERIES THERE.
THEY WILL SHOW UP THAT WILL DO THE VOUCHERS AND THE PEOPLE WILL COME TO THE BRICK AND MORTAR AND THEY'RE DOING THE ASSIGNMENT.
THEY'RE DOING THE NUMBER OF SURGERIES THAT THEY WOULD BE DOING IF THEY WERE DOING THEM THERE FOR US.
AND SO THEY ARE MEETING THEIR PERFORMANCE STANDARDS WITH US CURRENTLY, BUT THEY'RE DOING THEM ALL AT THEIR BRICK AND MORTAR RATHER THAN IN THEIR MOBILE CLINICS.
UH, THANK YOU, DIRECTOR BLAND.
UH, YOU SAID THAT THERE ARE 34 CURRENT VACANCIES AT 33 33 33.
AND I BELIEVE LAST MONTH YOU DID YOU SAY THERE WERE SEVEN VACANCIES LAST MONTH? I THINK LAST MINUTE, I THINK THAT WAS TWO MONTHS BEFORE THERE WAS A 13 LAST MONTH.
IT WAS 13 FROM, FROM THE LAST REPORT THAT YOU GAVE US.
IS THAT, IS THAT ACCURATE? THERE W THERE WAS A REPORT WHERE YOU SAID THERE WERE SEVEN VACANCIES AND NOW WE'RE AT 33.
IS THAT I THINK I MIGHT'VE JUST GIVEN YOU THE VACANCIES THAT WERE IN THE PROCESS THAT WERE OPEN AND NOT IN THE PROCESS.
THIS IS HOW MANY TOTAL OPEN VACANCIES, HOW MANY WERE IN PROCESS OR IN THE PROCESS OF BEING HIRED AND HOW MANY, SO WE ONLY HAVE NINE POSITIONS THAT AREN'T BEING FILLED AT THIS TIME.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? OKAY, WELL THEN LET'S MOVE ON TO, UH,
[2b. Parliamentarian Presentation on Meeting Decorum]
THE PARLIAMENTARIAN PRESENTATION.UH, WE'RE TRYING TO TIGHTEN UP, UH, THE WAY WE USE THE RULES WE'RE SUPPOSED TO USE.
THERE'S A LOT OF THEM, SO, HELLO.
UH, SO THE LAST MEETING WAS, UM, AN ENTHUSIASTIC, UH, ONE ON EVERYONE'S PART, AND WE HAD SOME HEART RATES GETTING A RAISED, NO SURPRISE WHEREVER TOOLS WAS WRITTEN, BECAUSE THIS OFTEN HAPPENS WHEN PEOPLE HAVE SPIRITED, DISAGREEMENT AND FEEL STRONGLY ABOUT THINGS INTO, UM, IT IS A REALLY LENGTHY BOOK AND WE'RE NOT GOING TO GOING TO A LOT TONIGHT.
WE KNOW WE HAVE A BUSY AGENDA, BUT I JUST WANT TO LAY OUT A FEW THINGS THAT ARE HELPFUL FOR ALL OF US.
AND THE GOAL IS REALLY THAT WE FOCUS ON THE ISSUES AND ITEMS AT HAND, NOT THE PEOPLE.
SO I'M GONNA, UM, I WAS GOING TO DO A POWERPOINT, ALTHOUGH, UH, WE, I THINK IT'S MORE HELPFUL JUST TO WALK THROUGH A FEW KEY RULES AND, UM, I'LL ASK THAT THIS STAYS ON THE AGENDA SO I CAN SHARE MORE NEXT MEETING.
UM, THE FIRST ONE IS THAT THE RULE OF OUR PRESIDING OFFICER OR CHAIR, UM, IS, UH, MULTIFACETED.
SO HE IS TO, UM, INTRODUCE BUSINESS TO, UM, RE TAKE US THROUGH THE AGENDA TO INTRODUCE BUSINESS IN A PROPER ORDER TO RECOGNIZE SPEAKERS, TO DETERMINE IF THE MOTION IS IN ORDER TO KEEP DISCUSSION, TO REMAIN TO THE PENDING MOTION AND TO MAINTAIN ORDER IMPORTANTLY, FOR ANY OF US TO SPEAK.
THE APPROPRIATE THING TO DO IS TO RAISE OUR HAND OR INDICATE THAT WE'D LIKE TO SPEAK.
UM, AND WE ADDRESS HIM AS CHAIR.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS ROBERT SCHOOLS TALKS ABOUT IS THAT WHEN YOU ADDRESS EACH OTHER, UH, IN AN INFORMAL FIRST NAME BASIS, IT CAN MAKE THINGS FEEL REALLY PERSONAL QUICKLY.
SO ROBERT TROLLS RECOMMENDS THAT YOU DON'T USE PEOPLE'S NAMES, BUT FOR OUR SAKE, A MORE FORMAL APPROACH IS TO REFER TO EACH OTHER AS COMMISSIONER.
SO I WOULD SAY COMMISSIONER NELSON OR COMMISSIONER HERRERA, UM, BUT WE'RE ACTUALLY NOT SUPPOSED TO DEBATE EACH OTHER BACK AND FORTH.
WE'RE ACTUALLY SUPPOSED TO ADDRESS ALL OF OUR COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS TO THE CHAIR, AND HE CAN THEN, UH, UH, HE CAN THEN GUIDE THE CONVERSATION OR CALLING THE NEXT PERSON.
AND HIS JOB IS REALLY, IF THERE IS A SPIRITED DEBATE TO CALL ON ONE PERSON WHO IS ON ONE SIDE OF THAT, AND THEN ONE PERSON WHO'S ON THE OTHER SIDE AND EACH PERSON IS AFFORDED TWO TIMES TO SPEAK, BUT WE ARE MEANT TO INTRODUCE THE CHAIR AND IT'S REALLY TO CREATE A MORE PRODUCTIVE, UM, CONVERSATION
[00:40:01]
THAT IS GOING TO FOCUS ON THE ISSUES.UM, IF THERE ARE PEOPLE INTERRUPTING MULTIPLE TIMES, MULTIPLE TIMES, AND THINGS DO GET TOO SPIRITED AND THE CHAIR, UM, CANNOT GET THE MEETING BACK TO ORDER, UH, BECAUSE OF A PARTICULAR COMMISSIONERS, UM, REFUSAL TO COMPLY.
UH, THERE ARE ACTIONS HE CAN TAKE, BUT WE DON'T THINK, WELL, THOSE WILL BE NECESSARY OR WE'LL GET THERE.
UM, AND REALLY THE MAIN THING THAT I WANT TO SHARE TONIGHT IS THAT, UH, WE HAVE THOSE EXPECTATIONS.
AND THEN AS FAR AS DIRECTOR BLAND, UM, HE WILL BE CALLED ON TO SPEAK.
UM, JUST LIKE A COMMISSIONER WILL BE.
AND IF HE WOULD LIKE HIS SCOTT TO SPEAK, THEN HE CAN REFER TO THEM.
UM, BUT THEY'RE NOT TO JUST SPEAK OUT OF TURN WITHOUT BEING INDICATED BY DIRECTOR BLAND TO SPEAK.
UM, SO THEY SHOULD WAIT TO BE CALLED ON BY HIM TO SPEAK.
UM, SO I'M GOING TO STOP THERE TONIGHT BECAUSE I THINK THOSE ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS FOR OUR MEETING.
AND OF COURSE THIS ONE IS GOING TO HAVE MORE SPIRITED DISCUSSION.
UM, AND SO REALLY ROBERT'S RULES JUST EMPHASIZES THAT SLOWING DOWN, TAKING A BREATH DEPERSONALIZING, AND TRYING TO REALLY STICK TO THE ISSUE WHILE PUTTING THE CHAIR AT THE CENTER OF THE MEETING AS THE PERSON REALLY LEADING IT, UM, CONTINUOUSLY WILL HELP US HAVE A MORE PRODUCTIVE MEETING AND HELP SOME OF THE STUFF THAT FELT LIKE COMPLEX THE NEXT TIME.
UH, SEE IF I HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OF ANYTHING, BUT I THINK YOU HEARD WE'LL, WE'LL CONTINUE THERE.
AND IF YOU FOLLOW IT, THE MEETINGS RUN, I THINK MORE SMOOTHLY.
SO MONTHLY REPORTING OF DATA THAT IS OLD BUSINESS A YES.
ARE WE NOT GETTING THE STAFFING AND SERVICES BRIEFINGS AND THE AAC PUBLIC COMMUNICATION ON SERVICES BRIEFINGS, HE WENT THROUGH ALL THOSE.
YEAH, HE WENT BANG, BANG, BANG.
WHAT WERE ALL THOSE SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS WITH THE GRAPHS AND THE FLOW CHARTS THREE? WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN THERE YET, SO THAT WASN'T PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS, UH, W UH, THE, THE FLOW CHART.
WHERE IS THAT? IT'S UH, DO WE HAVE IT ON HERE? I DON'T KNOW.
WE HAD ASKED FOR THOSE THOUGH.
YOU RECOGNIZE ME? JUST MAKING SURE.
AT THE LAST MEETING, IT WAS REQUESTED THAT WE PRODUCED THE ARE ASKED 301 TO PROVIDE FLOW CHARTS.
AND THE FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS THAT ARE ASKED OF US.
UM, WE PUT THEM UNDER THE PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS IS THAT'S WHAT, WHAT 3, 1, 1 DOES WHEN PUBLIC CONTACTS THEM ON WHAT THEY NEED TO DO WITH, WITH SPECIFIC ANIMALS.
SO WE PUT THEM ON THERE FOR, FOR Y'ALL'S REVIEW.
AND IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS OR, AND IF ANY QUESTIONS THAT WE CAN ANSWER, WE'LL, WE'LL GLADLY SEND THOSE THE 3, 1, 1, AND WORK WITH THEM, BUT THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO FOLLOW THOSE SCRIPTS THAT THEY DON'T FOLLOW THE SCRIPTS.
AND WE ARE MADE AWARE, THEN WE WORK WITH 3, 1, 1 TO TRY TO CORRECT THAT, BUT IT'S WHAT EACH OF THEIR AMBASSADORS ARE SUPPOSED TO FOLLOW WITHIN THEIR SYSTEMS. SO IF WE GET A CHANCE TO GO OVER THAT, WE CAN ACTUALLY PUT THAT AS AN ITEM ON NEXT MONTH'S AGENDA.
IF YOU HAVEN'T A CHANCE TO, WE, I THINK THAT'D BE THE BEST WAY TO DEAL WITH IT BECAUSE THERE WAS A LOT OF INFORMATION THAT CAME BACK, YOU KNOW, RIGHT BEFORE THE MEETING.
I MEAN, I WAS, WENT THROUGH THEM MYSELF.
[3a. Monthly Reporting of Data]
LET'S MOVE ON THEN MONTHLY REPORTING OF DATA.IS THERE ANYTHING TO SAY ABOUT MONTHS OR THERE SOMEONE WHILE WE'RE PALMER PALMER? GO AHEAD, PALMER.
I HAVE ONE, IF I HAD A QUESTION ABOUT THE FLOW CHARTS, UM, I DID HAVE A CHANCE TO LOOK OVER, I'M GET ASKED NOW OR AT THE NEXT MEETING.
I THINK WE SHOULD PUT THAT AS A, AN AGENDA ITEM ON THE NEXT MEETING YOU THINK, UH, WOULD, UH, THERE, WE HAVE A LOT ON THIS AGENDA AND THERE'S MAYBE A LOT TO SAY ABOUT THOSE AS I WAS LOOKING AT IT.
UM, WHAT W WHATEVER YOU THINK.
LET'S, LET'S PUT IT ON THE NEXT MONTH'S AGENDA.
SO, UH, MONTHLY REPORTING OF DATA.
DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY ABOUT MONTHLY REPORTING OF DATA? OKAY.
THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, THE ON BLEND, UH, I DON'T KNOW.
SO WHAT, WHAT, THIS IS ONE OF OUR AGENDA ITEMS. SO W W UH, WHAT, WHAT ARE YOUR GENERAL QUESTIONS? WHAT WERE THEY? SO I WENT THROUGH THE WHOLE RECORD IN IT AND DID AN ANALYSIS, AND I APPRECIATED THAT YOU SHARED A 20 22, 20 21, 20 20 FOR ME, THOSE DATA POINTS.
AND, UM, THE FIRST SLIDE IS ABOUT INTAKES BY ANIMAL.
[00:45:01]
UH, I JUST NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE THINGS THAT I SAW THAT AT A HIGH LEVEL YOU SHOWED, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, THAT INTAKES TOTAL MAY FOR ANIMALS, WHAT'S ONE DOTHAN, 395 ANIMALS.AND THEN YOU HAVE YOU BREAK IT DOWN BY TYPE OF ANIMALS, DOGS, CATS, AND AUGUR.
AND WHEN YOU ADD UP THAT, THE BREAKDOWN BETWEEN THE TOTAL AND THE BREAKDOWN OF THE TOTAL, THEY'RE NOT THE SAME AT ALL.
EVERY YEAR FROM 2020 TO 2021 IN 2020, YOU MAY, THEY DON'T ADD UP.
SO I AM TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHY IS THAT AND WHAT HAPPENED TO THOSE ANIMALS, NOT THIS, THAT THEN, FOR EXAMPLE, IN 2022, THE DIFFERENCES FOR ANIMALS IN 20 21, 5 IN 20, 20, 26.
SO IF YOU DON'T HAPPEN TO ANSWER, IT IS OKAY.
I WOULD LIKE, AND IT CAN COME BACK.
WHY DON'T WE ASK JASON, JASON, DO YOU HAVE A, UM, I'M DOING THE MATH RIGHT NOW ON THE BREAKDOWN.
AND I, I COME UP WITH 1395, SO, I MEAN, I'LL ASK THEM, OKAY, GO AHEAD.
JUST SO I GET, BUT JASON, WHEN YOU GO TO THE SLIDE THAT SHOWS THE PIE CHART, AND THEN YOU DO BY BREAKDOWN OF ANIMAL, YOU HAVE DOGS, CATS, AND AUGER, FOR EXAMPLE, 2022.
IF YOU LOOK AT DOGS, IT'S 587 DOGS, CATS, 748 SAID, AND ALL HER 58, WHEN YOU ADD UP THAT IS 1,391.
SO THERE ARE SEVEN AREAS THEY'RE UP FOR 1395 COMPARED TO 1391.
AND YOU SEE THAT IN EVERY YEAR, WE ALSO TOOK IN FOUR BIRDS.
2021, YOU HAVE FIVE DIFFERENT IN 20, 20, 26, THE DIFFERENT IS A 26 BIRDS OR SOMETHING.
WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE? SHOULDN'T THE NUMBERS ADD UP? I, I I'LL HAVE TO LOOK UP THAT ONE SPECIFICALLY AND MAKE SURE ADDING AND WHY IT'S NOT COMING UP BECAUSE I, I MEAN, UH, YEAH, I WILL PULL THAT UP RIGHT NOW AND SEE WHAT THE ISSUE IS.
WELL, I MEAN, IF IT'S GOING TO TAKE YOU A LITTLE TIME, WE CAN, YOU CAN REPORT ON THAT MAYBE NEXT TIME AND YEAH.
AND THEN I CAN SEND AN EMAIL WITH THE FOLLOW-UP.
YOU CAN SEND A FOLLOW UP EMAIL.
SO, EH, AND I LOOK AT SEVERAL THINGS.
I STUDIED VERY CLOSELY THE REPORT.
SO ANIMALS ADOPTED A FOUR YEAR 20, 22 MAY 468, 20 21, 4 78, 20 2189.
WHEN DID A N OPTIMAL ANIMAL SERVICES START CLOSING ON SUNDAYS, JANUARY, JANUARY OF THIS YEAR.
SO JANUARY 23RD TO BE EXACTLY CORRECT.
BUT WASN'T THERE A PERIOD OF TIME WHERE YOU WERE CLOSED, LIKE IN 20, 20 BIG DO THE PANDEMIC? YES.
UM, YEAH, WE WERE CLOSED FROM MARCH 16TH FOR ABOUT A WEEK AND A HALF.
AND, UM, THEN WE WERE OPENING IT UP VERY SLOWLY AND WE WERE DOING FOSTER APPOINTMENTS.
THEN WE HAD ADAPTED THAT TO, UH, ADOPTION APPOINTMENTS, TO VIRTUAL ADOPTION APPOINTMENTS, AND THEN HAVING INDIVIDUALS DRIVE UP, YOU KNOW, CURBSIDE TYPE DEAL, BUT ACTUALLY FALL ONTO THE PUBLIC.
I DON'T THINK WE OPENED TILL THE JUNE, TILL JUNE, JUNE 1ST.
SO, YOU KNOW, I HAD BEEN THINKING ABOUT THIS THE YEAR HAS 52 WEEKS.
SO WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT, 52 WEEKS IS ALMOST 60 DAYS, WHICH IS TWO MONTHS.
AND I'M JUST MAKING A COMMENT HERE.
SO 60 DAYS, AND YOU ADD UP THE HOLIDAYS, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT 60 DAYS, TWO MONTHS THAT PEOPLE ARE, DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO GO AND LOOK AT POTENTIALLY ADOPTING.
SO, UM, ANOTHER QUESTION I HAVE FOR YOU, JASON, I WAS LOOKING AT ADOPTIONS BY OUTCOME IN AGE, MAKE TWO DOTS IN 22.
[00:50:01]
UM, WELL, I DON'T HAVE IT SET IN YOUR FLAG.IT'S VERY INTERESTING TO ME BECAUSE THE BREAKDOWN, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE AGE GROUP, YOU, YOU LOOK AT THE AGE GROUP, YOU TAKE NEONATAL KITTEN, KITTENS, AND ADULT CATS.
FOR ME THAT IT'S A TOTAL OF 239.
AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE OLDER FIGURE THAT YOU PROVIDE US OUTCOME IN MANY ADOPTION, IT'S 113 CATS.
AND IT'S THE SAME THING WITH THE DOG DOGS.
BY OUTCOME AGE, YOU SHOW PUPPIES AND ADULT BACKS AT 229, BUT THEN YOU GO OUT, COUNT IT ME 355.
SO TOTAL NUMBER OF ADOPTIONS FOR BOATS, 468, BUT THERE'S SOMETHING THE NUMBERS ARE NOT MATCHING.
SO MY CONCERN HERE IS WE'RE LOOKING AT THIS STATISTICS AND THEY'RE NOT ACCURATE, AND I'M NOT SURE WHY, AND EVERYONE IS MAKING A DECISION BASED ON THIS DATA.
SO I, I'M PRETTY SURE THAT YOU DON'T HAVE AN ANSWER FOR THIS RIGHT NOW, BUT I THINK YOU NEED TO LOOK AT THAT.
I MEAN, I'D BE HAPPY TO LOOK AT IT.
I MEAN, I'M LOOKING AT IT AND IT'S ADDING UP.
SO I'D LIKE TO, IF WE CAN DO IT OFFLINE, BUT I'LL REACH OUT TO YOU ON SETTING UP A SEPARATE MEETING SO WE CAN GO OVER IT.
AND IF THAT WOULD WORK OUT, I'M NOT SURE.
AND THAT'S, I'M APPRECIATING JASON.
CAUSE ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS I WAS GOING TO OFFER, AND I DON'T MEAN TO INTERRUPT.
SO LET'S, LET'S YOU GUYS MEET AND GO OVER THIS INQUIRY REPORT BACK UNDER THIS ITEM NEXT MONTH.
CAN I DO ONE MORE BECAUSE I, I JUST SPENT A LOT OF TIME DURING A QUICKLY, QUICKLY.
YEAH, I WON'T TAKE MUCH SO, AND I DON'T WANT TO SAY, UM, THERE WERE POSITIVE THINGS THAT I SAW, FOR EXAMPLE, ANYWAY, NO VACCINATIONS.
WHAT ARE YOU? 2,403 ANIMALS, 20 21, 865, 20 22, 1,840 PACKS.
AND YOU ALSO SEE THAT IN A SPAY NEUTER AT SHELTER FRONT A HUNDRED SIXTEEN, TWENTY, TWENTY, AND 20 22, 400 CINDY A AND, BUT ONE LAST QUESTION THAT I, I NOTICED IN THE DATA YOU GAVE US ANIMALS AND FOSTERS IN ME.
YOU GAVE PAUSE FOR TWENTY TWENTY TWO, THREE HUNDRED AND NINETY EIGHT FOR 2021 NOISE STATISTICS, 2020
SO I'M WONDERING WHY IS THAT THERE WERE NO ANIMALS IN FOSTER THOSE TWO YEARS.
UM, UNFORTUNATELY WE DON'T HAVE THE DATA.
THAT'S ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT OUR IT LIAISON IS STILL WORKING ON GETTING THAT POINT IN TYPE DATA FROM A PREVIOUS YEAR.
SO, YOU KNOW, I'VE SCOURED OTHER SORT OF REPORTS THAT WAY WE COULD TRY TO GET IT WE'VE REACHED OUT TO HLP, OR HE HAS TO BUILD SORT OF REPORTS THAT COULD TRY TO PULL THAT DATA FOR US.
UM, WHAT I WAS GOING TO OFFER BEFORE IS, YOU KNOW, TO SORT OF GET A BETTER SENSE OF SORT OF THE, THE CHALLENGES THAT WE'VE BEEN FACING, LIKE HE WAS WILLING TO OFFER, TO MEET WITH, WITH ANYBODY WHO'S INTERESTED IN TALKING ABOUT DATA WITH HIM AND, AND, AND GETTING HIS, YOUR THOUGHTS AND PERSPECTIVE SO WE CAN TRY TO IMPROVE, UH, WHAT WE HAVE OUT THERE.
SO, UM, BUT THAT'S FOR ANOTHER TIME AND PEOPLE CAN REACH OUT TO ME FOR THAT.
SO WE CAN POSSIBLY SET THAT UP, BUT THAT'S SORT OF THE STRUGGLE WHY WE DON'T INCLUDE FOR PREVIOUS YEARS, BECAUSE YEAH, WE CAN'T PULL THAT DATA FOR SOME REASON HOW TO CHAMELEON.
WHY DON'T YOU GET TOGETHER WITH HIM? BECAUSE, UH, I DO AGREE WITH BIA THAT IT BECOMES VERY HARD FOR US TO SEE WHERE WE'RE GOING OR WHERE WE'VE BEEN.
AND I KNOW THERE'S BEEN A PANDEMIC AND YOU'VE CHANGED ALL THIS STUFF, BUT IT'S STILL AS HARD FOR US AS THE COMMISSION.
AND I GUESS WE MAY HAVE GOTTEN USED TO THAT IN YEARS PAST WHERE THERE WEREN'T THESE DIFFICULTIES.
UM, UH, NEXT, UH, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS ON MONTHLY REPORTING OF DATA.
[3b. Transferring Austin Animal Center Animals to Other Communities]
OKAY.LET'S MOVE ON TO, UH, TRANSFERRING AWESOME ANIMAL CENTER ANIMALS TO OTHER COMMUNITIES AS THERE ANY, UH, WE HAD SOME DISCUSSION ABOUT THIS.
HOW DO YOU DECIDE WHICH ANIMALS YOU'RE GOING TO TRANSPORT TO ANOTHER COMMUNITY?
[00:55:04]
W WE, UH, WORK WITH THEM AND THAT WE SEND THEM THEIR INVENTORY AND THEY LOOK AT WHAT THEY HAVE OPENINGS FAR, THAT'LL MATCH WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR.SO THEY GO THROUGH OUR INVENTORY LIST AND SELECT ANIMALS, AS WELL AS, UM, THERE'S SOME NEGOTIATION SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, THEY MIGHT WANT THIS ONE ANIMAL, BUT WE WANT THEM TO TAKE, UH, A DIFFERENT ANIMAL.
SO WE'LL, YOU KNOW, YOU TAKE THESE TWO AND WE'LL LET YOU HAVE THAT ONE TOO.
SO WE IT'S A, UH, A NEGOTIATION, I THINK, UH, THAT THEY GET TO SELECT THE ANIMALS.
NOW, THERE IS, THERE WAS ONE RESCUE THAT DOES ALLOW US TO SELECT THE ANIMALS TO SEND TO THEM, BUT THAT IS THE EXCEPTION.
UH, DO THEY MAKE MONEY OFF THESE ANIMALS? DO SOME OF THE RESCUES MAKE MONEY OFF THE ANIMALS THEY GET FROM YOU? UH, ALL ANIMALS THAT WE SEND TO RESCUE, UH, THEY HAVE ADOPTION FEES THAT ARE SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER THAN MOST OF OURS.
BUT THAT, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES THEY MIGHT BE TAKING AN ANIMAL THAT IS, UH, MEDICALLY CHALLENGED OR BEHAVIORAL CHALLENGED, AND IS GOING TO TAKE SOME ADDITIONAL DOLLARS FOR THEM TO, TO GET THAT ANIMAL ADOPTED.
SO TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, AND SOMETIMES THEY DO, SOMETIMES THEY DON'T.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? LOUISE IS THE SAME PROCESS, UH, WITH APA AND CONVINCE SOCIETY, RIGHT.
THEY CAME AND CHOOSE THE ANIMALS, SQUEEZING YOUR INVENTORY.
YOU'RE GOING TO CHOOSE WHICH ANIMALS YOU WANT TO SEND.
ALTHOUGH APA DOES HAVE A, A SPECIFIC NUMBER THEY MUST TAKE, THERE IS A DIFFERENCE.
I MEAN, THEIR APA IS, IS GOING TO TAKE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF A CERTAIN KIND AND THAT'S PART OF THEIR CONTRACT.
BUT AT THE END THEY CHOOSE WHICH ONES THEY PULL.
BUT THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO TAKE A CERTAIN AMOUNT.
AND SO, UM, MY QUESTION DIRECTOR BLAND IS, IS THERE A WAY WHEN INQUIRY SUBMITTED BECAUSE, UM, THE DISCUSSION HAS BEEN AROUND AND THE MEETING WE HAD LAST FRIDAY AROUND THE SAME SUBJECT ANIMALS GOING OUT BEFORE THE STRAY HOLD IS OVER.
SO IS THERE A WAY FOR THE SHELTER WHEN YOU SEND OUT YOUR INVENTORY LIST TO FILTER IT BY ANIMALS THAT HAVE BEEN THERE, LIKE A MINIMUM OF 14 DAYS TO TRY TO PREVENT ANIMALS GOING OUT TOO SOON, IS THERE A WAY TO, TO FILTER YOUR DATA AND SAY, YOU CAN CHOOSE FROM ANY OF THESE ANIMALS.
THEY'VE ALL BEEN HERE LONGER THAN TWO WEEKS.
AND WE, WE DO SOME OF THAT, BUT AS WE GO BACK TO LAST FRIDAY, THOSE ANIMALS THAT WENT TO TRANSPORT EARLY WERE MEDICAL REASONS.
AND THOSE WERE ALL LOCAL TRANSPORT.
I SHOULD HAVE EXCLUDED MEDICAL AND LIFESAVING.
WE HAD NO OUT-OF-STATE TRANSPORTS THAT LEFT DURING THAT TIME EARLY.
BUT IN THE FUTURE, IS THAT POSSIBLE FOR YOU GUYS TO DO, IS MY QUESTION, IS IT POSSIBLE FOR THE ANIMAL CENTER TO FILTER AND SEND THE AVAILABLE ANIMALS THAT HAVE BEEN THERE 14 DAYS AND LONGER SO THAT IT GIVES PEOPLE IF THEY'RE OUT OF TOWN AND DIDN'T KNOW THEIR ANIMALS, WE CURRENTLY DO THAT.
I'D HAVE TO DEFER TO SOMEONE ELSE ON THE DATE THAT WE DO THAT IT IS IT 14 DAYS.
SO, UM, I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS ON THE MEDICAL AND BEHAVIORAL.
WHAT PERCENTAGE WOULD YOU SAY THAT THE TRANSPORTS ARE MEDICAL OR BEHAVIORAL? I'LL DEFER TO ONE OF THE STAFF THAT DOES THAT.
UH, I WOULD NOT HAVE A PERCENTAGE.
AND THEN, UH, ONE OTHER QUESTION, IF THEY LEAVE PRIOR TO THE STREET HOLD, UM, I BELIEVE THE ORDINANCE READS THAT IT'S FOR LIFESAVING REASONS.
UM, AND SO THE MEDICAL CASES THAT ARE LEAVING PRIOR TO THE STRENGTH HOLD, PASSING THE LIFESAVING, OR WOULD THEY BE, UM, NOT AS URGENT MEDICAL NEEDS? I'M SORRY.
I DON'T UNDERSTAND YOUR QUESTION.
WE WERE TOLD THAT SOME OF THE ANIMALS LEFT PRIOR TO THE STRAY HOLD BECAUSE THEY NEEDED MEDICAL TREATMENT.
AND I BELIEVE THE ORDINANCE READS THAT IT WOULD BE FOR LIFE-SAVING REASONS THAT AN ANIMAL COULD BE TRANSFERRED PRIOR TO, UH, THE STRAY
[01:00:01]
HOLD PASSING.AND THEY WOULD BE UNDER RESCUE FOSTER AT THAT TIME.
BUT I BELIEVE IT WAS FOR LIKE SIGNIFICANT MEDICAL NEEDS.
AND I'M WONDERING IF THAT'S, IF THAT'S THE CASE, WHERE AM I MISINTERPRETING THAT? UH, YES, THAT WAS GO TO APA.
THEY'RE USUALLY PARVO PANLEUK MEDICAL, URGENT DOGS AND, UH, URGENT CATS, NEONATAL AND NEONATAL.
I THOUGHT THAT MAYBE THERE WAS A REFERENCE EARLIER, UM, FROM, UH, CHIEF BLAND THAT MAYBE SOME OTHER ANIMALS WERE TRANSFERRED EARLY DUE TO MEDICAL ON A TRANSPORT, THE ONES TRANSPORTED ON A TRANSPORT.
WE'RE NOT EARLY, THEY WERE ANIMALS THAT HAD HAD AN ORTHOPEDIC SURGERIES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
THAT HAD BEEN THERE SEVERAL WEEKS.
SO THE, SORRY, MY UNDERSTANDING IT, IF THEY'RE TRANS TRANSFERRED BEFORE THE STRAY HOLD, IT WOULD BE FOR URGENT LIFE-SAVING MEDICAL NEEDS.
THOSE WERE THE ONLY ONES THAT WENT OUT EARLY.
UM, THEN LET'S GO ON TO, UM, UH, LET'S SEE.
[3c. Austin Animal Center Space Crisis and Recommendations from the Space Crisis Working Group]
OSS AML CENTER SPACE, CRISIS, AND RECOMMENDATION FROM THE SPACE WORKING GROUP SPACE, WORKING GROUP, READY TO MAKE ANY RECOMMENDATIONS YET? UH, SO THE SPACE WORKING GROUP HAS BEEN MEETING EVERY TUESDAY FOR 45 MINUTES TO AN HOUR.AND, UH, WE ARE PREPARING A, UH, SERIES OF FINDINGS, UH, AND COMMISSIONER NELSON.
UM, I, IN SOME OF THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS WHO ARE ON THE GROUP MAY HAVE MORE TO ADD, BUT, UM, CURRENTLY WE ARE IN THE HOMEWORK PHASE AND ARE JUST GATHERING A NUMBER OF IDEAS FROM VOLUNTEERS, FROM STAFF, UM, AND REVIEWING ALL OF THE DATA TO TRY TO GET A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE SITUATION.
ANY QUESTIONS FOR, UH, LET'S START WITH PAGE? WELL, YEAH, I SUPPOSE I CAN GIVE A BIT OF A SUMMARY MINDS HAVE MAINLY RELATED TO THE BUDGET.
DO YOU WANT ME TO SAVE THAT TILL THE NEXT ITEM? UH, YEAH, THE NEXT LET'S LET'S WAIT TILL THE NEXT ITEM TO TALK ABOUT ANY, WHAT, WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING IS, IS DOING SOME BUDGET DISCUSSION ON THE SPACE CRISIS BECAUSE THEY ARE RELATED, BUT WE PUT THEM DOWN HERE AS TWO, TWO SEPARATE THINGS.
SO LET'S SAY THAT ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON THIS? OKAY, WELL THEN LET'S GO ON TO, UH,
[3d. Austin Animal Center Staffing Request for Budget FY 23]
AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER, STAFFING REQUESTS FOR BUDGET, UH, PHYSICAL, UH, PHYSICAL YEAR 23, 20 23.UH, THE LAST INFORMATION WE HAD WAS DON GAVE US A LIST OF, OF, OF JOBS HE WAS HOPING TO ADD.
AND SOME OF THESE WERE REPLACING PART-TIME JOBS, LIKE TWO PART-TIME JOBS WITH A FULL-TIME JOB, AND HE GAVE US LISTS OF THAT.
SO, UH, DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON THAT AT THE MOMENT? YES.
WELL, I, UM, I WROTE UP A LITTLE BIT OF A SUMMARY AND THEN, YOU KNOW, MY TIME DEDICATED TO THIS SPACE, CRISIS AND BUDGET WORKING GROUP OVER THE PAST SEVERAL WEEKS, UM, MAINLY WENT INTO CONVINCING SOME OF THE OTHER COMMISSIONER MEMBERS THAT THERE WAS A SPACE CRISIS, HOW BAD IT WAS AND HOW VALIANTLY THE STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS AT THE SHELTER WORK TO IMPROVISE HOUSING AND KEEP ANIMALS CLEAN, FED, WATERED, AND EXERCISED UNDER THESE EXTREME AND UNSUSTAINABLE CONDITIONS.
AND LIKE, FELT LIKE I FINALLY GOT LESS PUSHBACK ONCE I SENT SOME PHOTOGRAPHS.
AND THAT MAKES SENSE BECAUSE PICTURES ARE WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS.
UM, IT IS EXTRAORDINARILY TIME CONSUMING TO CARE FOR ANIMALS IN THIS IMPROVISED HOUSING.
AND THIS MEANS THAT STAFF FROM VARIOUS POTENTIALLY ALREADY UNDERSTAFFED PROGRAMS AT THE SHELTER ARE BEING PULLED FROM THEIR NORMAL DUTIES, JUST TO HELP COORDINATE AND CARRY OUT THE DAY-TO-DAY HUSBANDRY OF THE SURFEIT OF ANIMALS AT THE SHELTER.
AND THAT THIS ISSUE COULD BE ALLEVIATED BY THE SECOND PRIORITY THAT DON BLAND LISTED ON HIS STAFFING REQUEST, WHICH WAS MORE FULL-TIME ANIMAL CARE WORKERS.
THIS WOULD BE TREMENDOUSLY BENEFICIAL, NOT ONLY DURING THE SPACE CRISIS, BUT IN PREVENTING HIS PRIESTS CRISIS, BY HOW DRAMATICALLY IT AFFECTS THE CLEANLINESS AND GENERAL WELLBEING OF THE SHELTER AND ITS OCCUPANTS ENSURING THAT THE SHELTER IS A PLACE THE PUBLIC FEELS COMFORTABLE COMING AND WHERE THEY WILL NOT HAVE TROUBLE ENVISIONING THE ANIMALS AS THEIR NEWEST MEMBER OF THEIR FAMILY.
UM, SO I DON'T FEEL THAT I FIT, YOU KNOW, AS CHAIRMAN HAS SINCE SAID, WE'RE STILL DOING SOME WORK.
[01:05:01]
FEEL THAT THE GROUP TO THIS POINT HAS PERFORMED A THOROUGH EVALUATION OF ALL THE FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THE CRISIS.DATA PROVIDED BY THE SHELTER SEEMED TO BE A LITTLE BIT MISHANDLED AND POTENTIALLY DISMISSED.
AND, UM, I SENT SEVERAL TRYING TO WORK WITH PEOPLE ABOUT THAT.
UM, THE WORKING GROUP HAS COME UP WITH SOME REALLY GOOD SUGGESTIONS ABOUT IMPROVING, IMPROVING MARKETING AND VARIOUS THINGS.
AND WHEN THESE RECOMMENDATIONS WERE BEING DISCUSSED WITH VARIOUS STAFF AT THE SHELTER, YOU KNOW, WE WERE, WHEN WE WERE TOLD WAS THAT, UM, THERE ARE MANY INQUIRIES, I ASSUME ABOUT FINDING, LOST PETS, ADOPTING ANIMALS, AND WANTING TO RELINQUISH ANIMALS THAT COME INTO THE SHELTER.
BUT AREN'T RESPONDED TO SIMPLY BECAUSE OF A DEARTH OF MANPOWER, THIS PROBLEM WOULD BE ADDRESSED BY DON BLAND'S FIRST PRIORITY IN HIS STAFFING REQUEST, WHICH WAS MORE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVES.
THESE STAFF MEMBERS ARE CRITICAL NOT ONLY FOR REUNITING STRAY ANIMALS AND THEIR FAMILIES, BUT ALSO FOR WORKING WITH FAMILIES WHO FEEL THEY NEED TO RELINQUISH THEIR PET TO FIND SOLUTIONS THAT DO NOT INVOLVE BRINGING THEIR PETS TO THE SHELTER.
AND THIS DRAMATICALLY DECREASES THE ADMISSIONS TO THE SHELTER AND THE FUNCTION OF THOSE PEOPLE COULD NOT BE MORE IMPORTANT.
AND THEN INCREASING THE SHELTERS, FOSTER CAPACITY AND AUGMENTING RELATIONSHIPS WITH RESCUES IN THEIR POLES FROM THE SHELTER WERE ALSO ISSUES BRIEFLY DISCUSSED BY THE WORKING GROUP.
AND THESE IMPROVEMENTS WOULD BE THE PURVIEW OF THE FOSTER RESCUE COORDINATORS THAT ARE THE FOURTH PRIORITY OF DAWN BLAND STAFFING REQUESTS.
UM, AND THEN FINALLY, MY EXPERIENCE ON THE WORKING GROUP DROVE HOME, HOW CRITICALLY THE SHELTER NEEDS AN IT ANALYST IN ORDER FOR THE SHELTER, THE COMMISSION, OR THE PUBLIC TO UNDERSTAND WHY THE SHELTER IS WHERE IT IS COME UP WITH CHANGES THAT WOULD HELP GET US WHERE WE WANT TO BE AND ASSESS IF THOSE CHANGES ARE ACTUALLY WORKING, UM, THEN ACCURATE, COMPLEX AND DYNAMIC DATA NEEDS TO BE COLLECTED AND ACCESSIBLE, UM, REGARDING ANIMALS OF DIFFERENT CATEGORIES IN THEIR LINKS OF STAY IN THE SHELTER AMONG MANY OTHER THINGS.
AND DON BLAND HAS PUT THIS AS HIS THIRD PRIORITY IN A STAFFING REQUEST.
AND, YOU KNOW, IT CAN READ WHAT HE SAID ABOUT THAT.
AND THEN AS FAR AS FURTHER INCREASING BEHAVIOR PROGRAM AT THE CITY SHELTER CERTIFIED BEHAVIORS WAS ALSO LISTED AMONG THE NUMBER TWO PRIORITIES OF HIS STAFFING REQUESTS.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, I, I, I, I HAD A LITTLE BIT OF A BAFFLING STRUGGLE GETTING, GETTING ANY DISCUSSION OF THE BUDGET, UM, TO HAPPEN DURING THE WORKING GROUP.
UM, AND THERE SEEMS TO BE A CONFUSING HISTORY ON THE COMMISSION OF AVOIDING DISCUSSION OF THE BUDGETARY NEEDS OF THE SHELTER, AND CERTAINLY A LACK OF ADVOCATING FOR THESE NEEDS AND IT, UH, PAGE, I WOULD SUGGEST YOU DON'T MISCHARACTERIZE OTHER PEOPLE'S EFFORTS BECAUSE YOU HAVE NOT BEEN ON THE COMMISSION VERY LONG.
AND I THINK YOU MAY NOT BE AWARE OF SOME EFFORTS ME, CAN I, AM I ALLOWED TO FINISH, PLEASE FINISH.
SO, YOU KNOW, IT FEELS AS THOUGH THE SHELTER HAS BEEN STARVED OF THE FULL RESOURCES IT NEEDS.
AND NOW THAT WE'RE EXPERIENCING THE FALLOUT OF THAT, THE MANAGEMENT OF THE SHELTER IS BEING SCAPEGOATED.
AND, AND I'M CERTAIN THAT NOBODY ON HERE WANTS THAT TO BE HOW THE COMMISSION WORKS.
WE ALSO HAVE SOME PEOPLE WHO WANTED TO SPEAK ON 3D.
UH, WE HAVE, UH, JULIE MARQUEE.
CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, GO AHEAD.
I AM A FORMER VOLUNTEER AT THE AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER AND I'M A CONCERNED CITIZEN.
THE CENTER NEEDS MORE FUNDING TO ENSURE IT IS HELPING THE MOST ANIMALS POSSIBLE HUMANELY AND SERVING THE COMMUNITY FULLY, RATHER THAN LIST ALL THE AREAS NEEDED FOR MORE FUNDING TODAY, I AM FOCUSING ON THE STAFFING SHORTAGE.
THE CENTER IS CURRENTLY UNDERSTAFFED.
PLEASE SUPPORT THE INCREASES IN SHELTER.
STAFF REQUESTED BY DIRECTOR DON BLAND, THE 2015 AUDIT BY THE CITY.
AUDITOR FOUND THAT THE SHELTER WAS UNDERSTAFFED TO MEET THE 90% LIFE OUTCOME GOAL.
THE LIVE OUTCOME GOAL IS NOW HIGHER AND THE AUSTIN POPULATION HAS INCREASED DRAMATICALLY, WHICH MEANS THE CENTER IS EVEN NEEDING MORE STAFF.
I SUPPORT A HIGH LIGHT OUTCOME GOAL, BUT IT MUST BE ADEQUATELY FUNDED TO BE REACHED.
IF YOU EXAMPLES FOR THE REASON TO HIRE MORE STAFF OR THE FOLLOWING ONE, THE CENTER NEEDS TO BE OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.
EVERY DAY, THE CENTER IS CLOSED.
[01:10:01]
AFFORD.IT CANNOT AFFORD TO CONTINUE BEING CLOSED ON SUNDAYS.
TWO MORE STAFF IS NEEDED AT THE CENTER TO PROCESS AND CARE FOR IN A TIMELY AND HUMANE FASHION.
THE INCREASING NUMBER OF ANIMALS COMING TO THE CENTER, THREE AUSTINITES ARE CALLING FOR HELP REGARDING LOOSE DOGS, DOGS TIED UP, ET CETERA, BUT THERE ISN'T ENOUGH STAFF TO ADDRESS ALL THE CALLS.
FOR EXAMPLE, A FEW DAYS AGO, A WOMAN ON NEXTDOOR.COM POSTED THAT TWO DOGS WERE TIED UP AT HER APARTMENT COMPLEX AND LEFT ALL DAY WITH NO SHADE OR WATER SHE'S REACHED OUT FOR HELP.
ON BEHALF OF THESE DOGS, A NUMBER OF TIMES AND A NUMEROUS WAYS YET NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE ABOUT IT.
THAT IS UNACCEPTABLE FOR THESE REASONS.
AND MANY MORE PLEASE SUPPORT THE STAFFING INCREASES NECESSARY TO ACHIEVE THE 95% LIVE OUTCOME GOAL HUMANELY.
NOW, COULD WE HAVE READ ACROSS READ ACROSS AS NOT ONLINE? OKAY.
AND WE HAVE ONE MORE WHO'S HERE, WHICH HAS PAT VAL'S REYES.
AND, AND WHAT ADVISORY COMMISSION MEMBERS? UM, I AM PAT
I SERVED FROM 1992 WHEN THE COMMISSION WAS FIRST CREATED UNTIL 2008 WHEN I RESIGNED.
UM, AND I HAVE REMAINED INVOLVED IN ANIMAL WELFARE SINCE 2008 HERE IN AUSTIN AND THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF TEXAS IN 2015, THE CITY OF AUSTIN AUDITOR PUBLISHED A REPORT ON ANIMAL SERVICES THAT STATED THE ANIMAL SERVICES OFFICE CONTINUES TO MEET THE CITY'S 90% LIVE OUTCOME GOAL.
HOWEVER, ANIMAL SERVICES DOES NOT HAVE SUFFICIENT FACILITIES AND RESOURCES ALLOCATED TO MEET THE GOAL AND REMAIN IN LINE WITH STATE REQUIREMENTS AND INDUSTRY BEST PRACTICES.
THAT WAS IN 19, THAT WAS IN 2015.
WE HAVE A HIGHER LIVE RELEASE RATE OF 95.
WE SOMETIMES SAVE MANY MORE THAN 95% AND YET WE REALLY HAVE NOT ADEQUATELY ADDRESSED WHAT THE CITY AUDITOR FOUND IN 2015, WHICH WAS THE SHELTER WAS INADEQUATELY FUNDED TO MEET SUCH A HIGH GOAL.
I WANT US TO HAVE A HIGH GOAL AND I WANT US TO SAVE EVERY ANIMAL POSSIBLE, BUT WE NEED, NEED TO ADEQUATELY FUND THE SHELTER.
AND WE HAVE NOT DONE THAT AS A RESULT.
THE CITY'S ANIMAL SHELTERS ARE OVERCROWDED.
ANIMALS ARE NOT CONSISTENTLY RECEIVING THE RECOMMENDED LEVEL OF CARE AND RESPONSE TIMES TO CALLS FOR ASSISTANCE ARE UNTIMELY.
IN ADDITION, ANIMAL SERVICES DOES NOT HAVE SUFFICIENT PROCESSES TO RECORD AND PRIORITIZE CALLS, REDUCING THEIR ABILITY TO MANAGE THEIR FIELD OPERATIONS.
THAT EXCEPT FOR A LITTLE PART THAT I INTERJECTED WAS FROM THE CITY AUDITOR'S REPORT.
AND I'VE SENT YOU THAT IN A LINK.
SO YOU CAN READ THE FULL REPORT AS, AS I'VE ALREADY STATED.
ANIMAL SERVICES CONTINUES TO BE UNDERFUNDED.
THE CITY'S ANIMAL SHELTER CONTINUES TO BE OVERCROWDED.
ANIMALS ARE STILL NOT RECEIVING THE RECOMMENDED LEVEL OF CARE AND CALLS TO 3, 1 11.
CONTINUE NOT TO BE ANSWERED IN A TIMELY MANNER.
THE ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION TO DATE HAS NOT MADE TIME TO DISCUSS THE REQUEST BY ANIMAL SERVICES FOR ADDITIONAL STAFF THIS YEAR, THIS YEAR FOR THE COMING FISCAL YEAR.
I HOPE THAT TONIGHT YOU WILL RECOMMEND THE ADDITIONAL STAFF NEEDED FOR ANIMAL SERVICES THAT HAVE BEEN REQUESTED AND THAT YOU WILL SUPPORT FULLY SUPPORT THE FUNDING REQUEST.
AS YOU KNOW, THE PARKS BOARD HAS SUPPORTED THEIR, UM, THEIR, THEIR DEPARTMENT.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF THE OTHER, UH, COMMISSIONS HAVE, BUT I BET QUITE A FEW OF THEM HAVE.
AND HERE WE HAVEN'T EVEN BEGUN TO ADDRESS THIS AND IT'S ALREADY JUNE AND WE ONLY HAVE ONE MORE MONTH TO DO THIS.
A MORE COMMON SIGN THIS FROM THE COMMISSIONERS.
[01:15:01]
ONE OF THE ATTACHMENTS OR TODAY WAS, UH, ANIMAL REGULAR POSITION, JUNE 7TH, 2022.I, I, I WAS LOOKING AT THAT AND I, I SEE IT.
THAT'S BILL PHIL BACON, BACON SLOW.
CAN YOU EXPLAIN TO ME, ARE THE BACON, THE ONES THAT WE'RE REQUESTING FOR THE CITY TO ADD IN THE BUDGET FOR AS AUSTIN ANIMALS SERVICES? IT'S NOT VERY CLEAR FROM THAT REPORT, DON, THE CURRENT VACANT POSITIONS THAT IS WHAT'S IN OUR BUDGET.
NOW THE, THE DATA THAT I SENT YOU ASKING THAT WE SENT TO THE BUDGET OFFICE THAT HAD THE DESCRIPTION OF WHAT WE WERE OPENING, THAT THOSE, THOSE 19 POSITIONS ARE WHAT WE WERE ASKING TO ADD TO IT.
SO THAT THAT'S THAT PER FROM THIS, CORRECT? CORRECT.
AND THAT'S GOOD TO UNDERSTAND.
UM, SO JUST LOOKING AT IT IT'S, I MEAN, YOU DON'T WANT TO TAKE CARE OF THE ANIMALS.
AND, UH, JUST HERE IN FRONT OF THE PAST FEW MEETINGS, HEARING ABOUT ANIMALS, MEAN CRATES AND THE, AND THE HALLWAYS, ET CETERA.
UM, YOU WANT TO TAKE CARE OF THEM.
AND TO ME, WHAT'S VERY INTERESTING LOOKING AT THE ANIMAL SERVICE RAILER POSITION, THAT PASSION, BECAUSE, UM, TO ME, IT LOOKED LIKE MOST OF THE BIG POSITIONS ARE RELATED TO THE ONCE A PEOPLE WHO TAKE HER UP THAT ANIMALS DIRECTLY.
AND I'M NOT SURE IF THOSE ARE BACON BECAUSE, UH, THE PAY SCALE, I KNOW WE'RE ASKING FOR A $22 RATES, WHICH IT WILL BE AWESOME.
UM, OR, OR WHY ARE THOSE OPEN COMPARED TO THOSE OTHER AREAS? I, I CAN SEE THE ADMINISTRATION'S PRETTY WELL STAFFED, NOT VACANCY, ET CETERA, A COUPLE, AND ALSO, UH, THE CUSTOMER SERVICE ALSO AT THE SAME IT'S PEOPLE NOT DEALING AS MUCH DIRECTLY WITH ANIMALS.
I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S, YOU CAN COMMENT ON THAT.
I'M GOING TO DEFER TO, UH, ABBY, SHE IS OVER ANIMAL CARE AND SHE CAN GIVE YOU THE LATEST ON THAT.
THAT IS A MAJOR ISSUE THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH EVERY DAY.
OUR, UM, ANIMAL CARE SUPERVISORS ARE UNFORTUNATELY DEALING WITH HIRING NEW PEOPLE, AS WELL AS OUR HR COORDINATOR ON A WEEKLY BASIS.
WHAT WE FIND IS THE ISSUE IS AS YOU MENTIONED, PAY, UM, WHICH IS WHY WE'VE PROPOSED TO SWITCH A LOT OF THOSE, UH, PART-TIME TEMPORARY POSITIONS INTO REG, UH, FULL-TIME POSITIONS THAT WAY, THESE PEOPLE AREN'T BEING ASKED TO DO BACKBREAKING WORK IN THE HEAT AND THE COLD, UM, FOR $15 AN HOUR WITH NO BENEFITS.
BECAUSE AT THAT RATE, YOU CAN'T EXPECT SOMEBODY TO WORK THERE CONTINUOUSLY AND NOT MOVE ON TO A JOB THAT AT LEAST HAS BENEFITS.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, IT IS A, AS I MENTIONED, A BACKBREAKING JOB, IT'S EMOTIONALLY TAXING, IT'S PHYSICALLY TAXING.
AND WHEN YOU CONTINUE TO HAVE A DEPARTMENT THAT IS SHORT STAFFED, BECAUSE OF THE REASONS LISTED THOSE PEOPLE THAT ARE STILL BEHIND GET BURNT OUT, THEY GET COMPASSION, FATIGUE.
AND SO IT'S A VICIOUS CIRCLE OF, YOU KNOW, REVOLVING DOOR BECAUSE WE CAN'T GET IT TO BE, UM, STABLE AND THE, UH, PAY FOR THESE ANIMAL CARE WORKERS.
THE ANIMAL CARE STAFF HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED BY COMPARING THE PAY OF ANIMAL, UH, KENNEL WORKERS ACROSS THE BOARD.
WHEN IN REALITY, THESE PEOPLE DO MUCH MORE THAN A REGULAR KENNEL TECH.
THEY DO CUSTOMER SERVICE, THEY DO, UH, THEY GO IN WITH BEHAVIORALLY CHALLENGING DOGS AND THE LIST GOES ON, WHEREAS A, A KENNEL CARE WORKER, UM, DOES NOT DO THAT STUFF.
SO WE'RE ASKING THEM TO GO ABOVE AND BEYOND AND TO CARE FOR MORE ANIMALS THAN THEY HAVE THE CAPACITY TO DO TO CLEAN TWO OR THREE BUILDINGS A DAY.
UM, WHEN WE SHOULD HAVE ONE PERSON WORKING, ONE BUILDING, UM, AND WE'RE ASKING THEM TO KEEP SHOWING UP TO WORK AND THEY DO UNTIL THEY CAN'T ANYMORE.
YOU HAVE ANY, AND THEY FOUND TO ME LIKE HEROES, AND WE DEFINITELY NEED TO COMPENSATE THEM THE CITY TO SUPPORT.
DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION, A COMMENT.
UH, DID ANYONE ELSE, OH, PALMER PALMER.
I NOTICED YOUR HAND OVER THERE.
WHEN PEOPLE LEAVE EMPLOYMENT THERE, ARE THEY CITING
[01:20:01]
LACK OF BENEFITS AND PAY AS THE NUMBER ONE REASON FOR LEAVING? IS THERE LIKE AN EXIT INTERVIEW WHERE WE'RE ABLE TO KIND OF DETERMINE, LIKE, WHAT EXACTLY IS GOING ON WITH THE INABILITY FOR PEOPLE TO STAY? THE HIGH TURNOVER IN TEMPORARIES IS THEY FIND A FULL-TIME JOB WITH PERMANENT BENEFITS AND, UH, ALL OF THE ANIMAL AND ALL THE WORKERS THAT WE'VE RECENTLY LEFT.WE'VE LOST A LOT TO OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS FOR HIGHER PAY.
UH, UH, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS I NEED TO MAKE A COMMENT HERE, WHICH IS THAT EVERY YEAR I HAVE ASKED MY CITY COUNCIL FOR MORE MONEY FOR THE SHELTER, AND I'VE ALSO TALKED TO OTHER CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS.
ONE OF WHOM SAID THAT WE DON'T SPEND ENOUGH MONEY ON THE PEOPLE IN AUSTIN UNTIL WE SPEND ENOUGH MONEY ON THE PEOPLE, AUSTIN, THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBER, WASN'T WILLING TO PUT ANY MORE MONEY INTO THE ANIMALS BECAUSE PEOPLE WERE MORE IMPORTANT THAN ANIMALS TO THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBER.
SO WHAT IT GETS DOWN TO IS AN ARGUMENT ABOUT MONEY.
IT'S A BUDGET, THERE'S A NUMBER IT'S GOT.
UH, UH, AND I AM WORRIED ABOUT MAKING A RECOMMENDATION AND I HAVEN'T LOOKED AT WHATEVER RECOMMENDATION, UH, UH, THE PARK BOARD HAS DONE YET.
I DON'T KNOW IF THEY RECOMMENDED A NUMBER, BUT TO ME, IT'S GOING TO BE HARD FOR ME TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION WITHOUT A NUMBER ON IT.
UH, DON HAS TOLD US THAT HE CAN'T GIVE US THIS NUMBER.
UH, ACTUALLY WE HAVE OUR, UH, UM, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER.
MAYBE YOU COULD GIVE US SOME CLARITY ON THAT.
STEPHANIE HAYDEN, HOWARD ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, UM, BASICALLY, UM, EVEN AT THE OTHER COMMISSIONS HAVE RECEIVED THOSE NUMBERS BY DOING A PUBLIC INFORMATION REQUEST.
AND SO THAT IS TYPICALLY HOW THE OTHER COMMISSIONS, UM, HAVE RECEIVED THAT INFORMATION BY GETTING ALL OF THE BACKUP DOCUMENTATION FROM, FROM THAT PROCESS.
SO WHAT, THIS IS NEW NEWS TO ME.
SO IF WE WANT THESE NUMBERS, WE HAVE TO MAKE A PUBLIC INFORMATION REQUEST TO GET THE NUMBERS OF WHAT DONNA IS ASKING FOR IN THE BUDGET.
BECAUSE BASICALLY THAT INFORMATION, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY WILL PRESENT THE INFORMATION.
THEY WILL SHARE THAT INFORMATION IN INTERNAL MEETINGS.
IT'S PUBLIC INFORMATION BECAUSE AS YOU KNOW HOW THE CITY OPERATES, UNLESS PUT A DRAFT ON THE DOCUMENT IS PUBLIC INFORMATION.
UM, AND SO WHAT HAS TYPICALLY BEEN THE PRACTICE IS THAT, UM, DIRECTORS HAVE TYPICALLY NOT RELEASED THAT INFORMATION, BUT HAVE KIND OF TALKED ABOUT WHAT THEY NEED FROM A PERSPECTIVE OF POSITIONS.
NOW, SOME DIRECTORS HAVE, AFTER THE BUDGET PROCESS HAS PASSED, THEY HAVE PROVIDED THAT INFORMATION KIND OF PUBLICLY.
SO GOING INTO THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR THAT'S INFORMATION THAT THEY TYPICALLY PROVIDE, BUT MOST BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS WILL DO A PEER REQUEST.
EVEN COMMUNITY GROUPS THAT ADVOCATE ON THEIR BEHALF, THEY WILL DO A PUBLIC INFORMATION REQUEST.
UM, IF THIS INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE BY A PUBLIC INFORMATION REQUEST, WHY CAN'T THE CITY JUST GIVE IT TO THE COMMISSIONS WHO ARE TRYING TO GET MORE MONEY FOR, FOR THE SHELTER THAT HAS BEEN, THAT HAS TYPICALLY BEEN THE PROCESS.
I MEAN, EVEN WHEN I WAS A DIRECTOR OF AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH, UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAD FOLKS THAT WERE MAKING THOSE REQUESTS AND BASICALLY, YOU KNOW, KIND OF WHAT THE PRACTICE HAS BEEN, UM, IS TO BE ABLE TO SHARE THAT INFORMATION THAT WAY TYPICALLY, UM, YOU, AS A, AS A DIRECTOR, YOU TYPICALLY DON'T WANT TO GET AHEAD OF THE PROCESS THAT THE CITY MANAGER IS PUTTING FORWARD AND YOU DEFINITELY DON'T WANT TO KIND OF CONFLICT ONCE THE CITY MANAGER HAS MADE HIS PRESENTATION, UM, WHICH TYPICALLY FOR US WILL HAPPEN IN JULY ON THE 15TH.
WELL, THAT'S GOOD INFORMATION, SOME OF WHICH I DIDN'T KNOW.
[01:25:01]
ANYBODY HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON THIS? UH, UH, WHO IS IT? SOMEONE HAVE A QUESTION ONLINE THERE, RYAN.YOUR HAND IS BLENDING INTO YOUR PICTURE.
UH, I GUESS MY QUESTION ON THAT LAST COMMENT WAS, UM, IF, UH, THE INFORMATION HAS BEEN REQUESTED IN AN EMAIL, WOULDN'T THAT BE A PUBLIC INFORMATION REQUEST AND FOLLOW UP TO THAT IS AS THE WORKING GROUP REQUESTED THE INFORMATION IN AN EMAIL THAT IS NOT CONSIDERED A PUBLIC INFORMATION REQUEST, UM, YOU, YOU, I MEAN, YOU, YOU CAN MAKE IT THAT WAY, BUT THE CITY NOW HAS A SYSTEM WHERE YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO PUT THE INFORMATION IN.
SO IF YOU MADE THE REQUEST OF THE DEPARTMENT, THEY NEED TO SEND YOU THE LINK, UM, WHERE YOU'RE ABLE TO PUT THAT INFORMATION IN THE SYSTEM.
UM, AND YOU'RE ABLE TO GET IT PRETTY QUICKLY.
IT DOESN'T TAKE A LOT OF TIME, UM, BECAUSE WE HAVE FOLKS THAT ARE, ARE PRETTY QUICK ABOUT TURNING THE INFORMATION AROUND, BUT THERE IS A PUBLIC INFORMATION REQUEST SYSTEM THAT THE CITY HAS NOW.
YOU GOT ANOTHER QUESTION, RYAN? YEAH, I'M JUST FOLLOWING UP ON THAT.
SO THE, THE PROCESS WOULD BE IF THE INFORMATION WENT TO A CITY, UH, EMPLOYEE, THE CITY EMPLOYEE, UH, NOT ANSWER THE REQUEST, BUT DOES PROVIDE THE LINK TO REQUEST THAT INFORMATION.
I GUESS MY QUESTION THEN WOULD BE IF, UH, A WORKING GROUP WAS PROVIDED A WING WHEN THEY WERE TOLD THEY COULDN'T HAVE THE INFORMATION AND DID SO IF IT WAS SENT TO AN INDIVIDUAL, LET'S SAY TO YOU, AND, UM, YOU WOULD HAVE TO PUT THE INFORMATION INTO THE PEER SYSTEM TO MAKE THE REQUEST.
ONCE YOU HAVE PUT THAT IN THERE, THEN THAT STARTS THE TIME CLOCK FOR YOU TO BE ABLE TO RECEIVE THAT INFORMATION.
MY UNDERSTANDING, MY UNDERSTANDING FROM YOUR PRIOR PREVIOUS STATEMENT WAS THAT WHEN A AND M WAY OR DIRECTOR GETS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION, THAT THE RESPONSE SHOULD BE, UH, WE DON'T PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION.
HOWEVER, HERE'S A LINK TO THE TWO REQUESTED UNDER THE PUBLIC INFORMATION ACT.
SO MY QUESTION IS FOR THE WORKING GROUP, UM, WHEN YOU WERE DENIED THE INFORMATION, DID YOU, WERE YOU PROVIDED A LINK TO THAT INTO THE PUBLIC INFORMATION ACT? WAS ANYBODY HERE EVER PROVIDED BY LINK BY DON TO WHERE TO MAKE A PUBLIC INFORMATION REQUEST TO GET THIS INFORMATION PAGE? WELL, WASN'T IT ONLY CHAIRMAN HASSON, UM, AND CHAIRMAN NEW HOUSE WHO REQUESTED THE INFORMATION.
DID YOU GET A LINK THERE? UM, I DON'T RECALL THAT WE DID, BUT I'LL HAVE TO GO AND REVIEW, UM, THE MANY EMAILS BACK THAT THAT WAS SO I CAN DO THAT.
I DO NOT RECALL THAT WE RECEIVED THE LINK.
UH, I, I WILL SAY THAT I HAVE REQUESTED THAT THE INFORMATION OF DON AND DON NEVER GAVE ME A LINK TO MAKE A PUBLIC INFORMATION PLAN.
I DIDN'T KNOW, UH, UNTIL TODAY OR FRIDAY THAT, UM, THAT'S HOW THEY GOT THAT INFORMATION.
THROUGH A PR I DIDN'T KNOW THAT INFORMATION.
WELL, MAYBE WE CAN, WE CAN, UH, GET SOME MOVEMENT FORWARD ON THIS, UH, UH, AS A WAY TO GET THE INFORMATION THAT BELIEVE I NEED TO MAKE A GOOD RECOMMENDATION.
UM, WE WILL MAKE SURE THAT STAFF DOES SEND THAT LINK OUT TOMORROW, UM, TO THE CHAIRS ON THAT COMMISSION.
UM, AND LIKE I SAID, IT SHOULD BE A PRETTY QUICK PROCESS BECAUSE IT'S NOT LIKE, UH, VOLUMES OF INFORMATION.
UH, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON THIS ISSUE? UH, THIS ITEM I SHOULD SAY.
[3e. Resubmission of Vicious Dog Recommendation to Correct Language Error]
THREE E OLD BUSINESS RESUBMISSION, A VICIOUS DOG RECOMMENDATION TO GRA TO CORRECT LANGUAGE ERROR.WE POSTPONE THIS BECAUSE JOANNE WHO'S OUR EXPERT ON THIS WAS NOT, UH, HERE AT THE LAST MEETING.
SO JOANNE, WOULD YOU LIKE TO, UH, UH, RESTATE WHY THIS IS A GOOD IDEA?
[01:30:01]
YEP.UM, THIS WAS PASSED, UM, BY EVERYONE ON THE COMMISSION THE LAST TIME IT CAME UP, BUT WE HAVE TO RESUBMIT IT AGAIN.
AND I KNOW THERE ARE SEVERAL NEW COMMISSIONERS ON HERE, SO I'M GONNA KIND OF EXPLAIN, UM, UH, WHY WE DID IT AND WHAT HAPPENED.
AND, UM, WHAT'S IN WHAT'S INVOLVED.
UM, IT WAS A DOCUMENT THAT I DID, UM, IN CONJUNCTION WITH COMMISSIONER CLINTON AND ALSO THE AASB STAFF, UM, ESPECIALLY MARK SLOAT.
UM, WHEN I VOLUNTEERED AT A DIFFERENT SHELTER, UH, THERE WAS THIS CUTE LITTLE DOG THAT EVERYONE WANTED TO DO ADOPT.
AND THAT'S WHEN I LEARNED ABOUT THE VICIOUS DOG ORDINANCE AND THE CASE WITH THIS DOG IS IT HAD A WOOD FENCE AND IT WAS WALKING AROUND ONE DAY WITH ITS ONE EYE AND BROKE THROUGH THE FENCE AND WENT IN THE YARD NEXT DOOR AND KILLED A DOG.
AND IT MIGHT'VE THOUGHT IT WAS A SQUIRREL.
AND, UM, THE DOG, THE OWNER PURSUED AND VICIOUS DOG, THE DOG WAS DOING AMBITIOUS AND THE DOG COULD NOT LIVE IN AUSTIN.
IT COULD LIVE IN WESTERVILLE OR PFLUGERVILLE OR ANYWHERE ELSE.
IT JUST COULDN'T LIVE IN AUSTIN.
AND THE OWNERS WANTED TO, UM, PUT UP A FENCE.
UH, I HEARD, UH, A METAL FENCE.
IT DIDN'T MATTER THAT IT'S A CUT AND DRY THING THAT HAPPENED.
UM, AND OH, I ALSO WANT TO SAY AT THE BEGINNING, SORRY.
UM, JUST FOR FULL DISCLOSURE, MY HUSBAND IS ONE OF THE TWO CITY HEARING OFFICERS WHO DOES THE VICIOUS AND DANGEROUS DOG HEARINGS.
UM, I DID TALK TO THE ETHICS GROUP BEFORE I PURSUED THIS THE LAST TIME AND ASKED IF I COULD DO IT.
AND THEY SAID, YES, BECAUSE HE IS NOT INVOLVED WITH THE OUTCOME OF THE DOG.
HE DEEMS THE DOG VICIOUS OR DANGEROUS, BUT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THAT.
AND THEN I'M FROM THE TIME THAT IT'S DONE OVER.
SO, UM, SO I DID SOME DIGGING AND FOUND OUT THAT FROM 1908 TO 2002, A VICIOUS DOG COULD REMAIN IN THE CITY.
AND IN 2002, THE CITY DID A NON-SUBSTANTIVE CHANGE TO, UM, THE CITY CODE, WHICH WAS APPROVED BY COUNCIL.
AND I BELIEVE I ACTUALLY WORKED IN THE LAW DEPARTMENT AT THAT TIME, BUT, UM, INSTEAD CITY LEGAL MADE SUBSTANTIVE CHANGES AND THOSE CHANGES WERE THAT VICIOUS DOGS COULD NO LONGER REMAIN WITH THEIR FAMILIES IN THE CITY.
AND THIS WAS NEVER APPROVED BY THE COMMISSION AND IT WAS NEVER APPROVED BY COUNCIL, BUT IT'S IN THE CITY CODE, UM, DUE TO THE CODIFICATION.
UM, SO THIS REALLY DOESN'T HELP THE OWNERS WHO MAY HAVE AN ACCIDENT AND ARE WILLING TO PUT IN THE WORK TO KEEP THE DOG SAFE AND KEEP THE NEIGHBORS SAFE.
IT DOESN'T HELP FOR, UM, A DOG WHO REALLY HAS A PROBLEM TO JUST GO TO PFLUGERVILLE, UM, WITH NO CONDITIONS.
AND I SHOULD SAY, UM, A DOG THAT'S DEEMED DANGEROUS UNDER THE DANGEROUS DOG STATUTE, WHICH IS A STATE STATUTE, HAS A LOT OF RULES AROUND IT, BUT IT'S CAN STAY WITH ITS OWNER.
SO, UM, WE ALSO FOUND, AND BY THE WAY, A VICIOUS DOG IS A DOG THAT HAS KILLED OR SEVERELY INJURED.
UM, A DOG CAT, OTHER DOMESTIC PET, LIKE A FERRET OR A RABBIT, MAYBE THE RABBIT HUTCH IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, UM, A FOUL LIKE CHICKENS OR LIVESTOCK.
SO WE SEEING THAT THIS WAS AN ERROR AND THERE WERE ALSO SOME OTHER PARTS OF THIS THAT WERE NO LONGER BEING FOLLOWED BECAUSE THE CITY WAS FOLLOWING THE STATE DANGEROUS DOG STATUTE.
UM, WE WANTED TO CORRECT THE ERROR SO THAT A DOG DEEMED VICIOUS HAS THE OPTION TO REMAIN IN THE CITY WITH HIS FAMILY.
UM, BUT PUT IN SOME RESTRICTIONS SO THAT THE DOGS JUST SNAPPED OUT AT A DOG PARK AND, AND, UH, AND BE FAIR.
AND WE, UM, RYAN AND I LOOKED AT, UM, WHAT, UH, WAS BEING DONE IN CITIES THROUGHOUT TEXAS, UM, FOR SIMILAR ISSUES AND CAME UP WITH WHAT WE THOUGHT WAS A FAIR PROCESS.
AND, UM, MARK SLOWED ALSO AND, UH, UH, DIRECTOR BLAND LIKE THAT.
SO, UM, THAT'S WHAT CAME UP HERE.
SO WHAT THIS DOES IS IT CORRECTS THE LANGUAGE.
UM, IT FOLLOWS THE CURRENT POLICY PRACTICE AND IT ALLOWS AN OWNER TO, UM, RE HAVE THE OPTION TO RETAIN THE DOG WITH RESTRICTIONS.
FOR EXAMPLE, IF THEY GO OUTSIDE THEIR HOME WITH THE DOG OR A SECURELY ENCLOSED, IT HAS TO BE IN A SCHOLARLY ENCLOSED AREA.
OR IF THEY'RE OUTSIDE, THEY HAVE TO KEEP IT LEASH.
IF THEY WANT TO TAKE THE DOG TO A DOG PARK, UH, TO, UH, LIKE A BOARDING FACILITY OR SOMETHING, THEY HAVE TO TELL THEM THAT THE DOG HAD BEEN DOING DISHES VICIOUS, BUT AT LEAST THE DOG, THEY HAVE THE OPTION TO KEEP THE DOG, UM, AND THEY HAVE TO PUT INTO MICROCHIP AND THEY HAVE TO UP ON THE RABIES VACCINES.
[01:35:01]
SO ANY QUESTIONS FROM ANYONE WHO READ IT, RIGHT? OH, SORRY.IT JUST, JUST A BRIEF LOOK, I WANT TO ADD TO THAT IS THE FACT THAT WE HAD PASSED THIS ALREADY A YEAR OR SO AGO AND THE CITY COUNCIL JUST DIDN'T DO ANYTHING, YOU KNOW, JUST LIKE, SO, UH, WE STILL THINK IT'S A GOOD IDEA.
UH, WE, IT'S NOT POSTED THIS TIME, BUT IT WAS POSTED FOR LAST TIME.
SO IF YOU WANT TO READ IT, GO BACK.
IF YOU GOT YOUR COMPUTER OR SOMETHING OR YOUR PHONE, YOU CAN GO BACK TO, UH, LAST MONTH'S MEETING CAUSE IT'S POSTED THERE.
ANY OTHER, ANY QUESTIONS, RYAN, RYAN? YES.
UM, UH, MY ONLY QUESTION AND I'M BELIEVING, I KNOW THE ANSWER TO THIS, BUT I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE, AND THEN I HAVE A COMMENT, BUT MY QUESTION IS, UH, TO COMMISSIONER NORTON, HAVE ANY CHANGES BEEN MADE TO THIS DRAFT AS THE LAST MINUTE THE COMMISSION PASSED IT? NO.
AND THEN, UM, MY COMMENT IS, UH, THAT COMMISSIONER NORTON, UH, SPENT AN INORDINATE AMOUNT OF TIME ON THIS.
I SAID THIS LAST TIME, AND I JUST WANT TO SAY IT AGAIN.
UM, WORKED WITH A LOT OF STAKE HOLDERS WITH A LOT OF DIFFERENT OPINIONS ON IT AND, UM, AND REACHED A CONSENSUS AMONG THEM, WHICH I THINK IS A RARE THESE DAYS.
SO I JUST WANT TO COMMEND THE PROCESS THAT COMMISSIONER NORTON TOOK, UM, PUT THIS TOGETHER AND, UH, AND, AND HOPE THAT IT, THAT IT CAN CONTINUE TO SERVE AS AN EXAMPLE FOR US.
UH, SO ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR, UH, I'M A TEACHER? I ALWAYS USE PEOPLE'S FIRST NAME FOR COMMISSIONER NORTON.
SO THEN I CALL THE QUESTION, UH, THE, THE, THE MO UH, DO YOU HAVE EMOTION? UH, I MOTION THAT WE MOVE TO APPROVE THE CHANGES TO THE VICIOUS DOG ORDINANCE AND TO REPOST REPOST THE REPOST THIS TO THE CITY COUNCIL.
SO MAYBE THEY'LL TAKE ACTION ON IT.
DO I HEAR A SECOND LOUISE? OKAY.
UH, THEN ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THIS.
I THINK IT'S UNANIMOUS WITH ONE PERSON ON APPOINTED.
GOING ON TO THE NEXT ITEM, UH, YOU CAN MAKE, OKAY.
WHAT W MAKE YOUR MOTION? I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO MOVE, UH, AGENDA ITEM FOUR E TO THE TOP OF NEW BUSINESS, BECAUSE WE HAVE A NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT ARE HERE TO SPEAK ON THAT, AND THAT WILL ALLOW THEM TO DO THAT.
AND, UH, SO THERE'S A MOTION TO MOVE ITEM FOUR E TO THE BEGINNING OF NEW BUSINESS.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? CAN SORRY, CAN I'M IS IT TOO LATE FOR ME TO MAKE A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT? PARDON? IS IT TOO LATE FOR ME TO MAKE A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT? UH, YEAH, I CALLED THE QUESTION.
I THINK THAT ALL THOSE OPPOSED.
SO WE HAVE ONE OPPOSED AT BEATRICE.
DID YOU VOTE? YEAH, SHE, SHE VOTED IN FAVOR, I THINK.
SO NOW FOUR E BECOMES FOUR, EH, UH, NOW LET'S SEE, WE GOT TO GET TO 1, 1, 1, 1 SPEAKER ONLINE.
[4E. State of the Shelter Resolution.]
TO THE SPEAKERS FIRST.LET'S DO THE SPEAKER ONLINE FIRST.
UH, AND THAT SPEAKER ONLINE IS SANDRA MUELLER.
UH, GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS.
UM, SO I, I'M HERE TO OPPOSE ITEM FOUR EAT.
I LIKE TO TELL THE AUTHORS OF THIS RESOLUTION THAT IT'S POISON.
IT'S POISON TO STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS IN AUSTIN.
SO MONTHLY, THIS COMMISSION, INTERROGATES AAC AND THEIR EMPLOYEES, AND SOMETIMES GUESTS, UM,
[01:40:01]
STAFF AT AAC WORK LONG HOURS, LONG DAYS IN A WORLD WHERE PEOPLE DUMP ANIMALS EVERY SINGLE DAY, THEY WORK IN ALL KINDS OF WEATHER FOR LOW PAY.THEY WORK WITH INJURED, SCARED, AND STRESSED ANIMALS OF ALL VARIETIES, WHO EACH HAVE A DIFFERENT DISPOSITION.
SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE LIVES OF HUMANS AND ANIMALS WHO HAVE FEELINGS.
SO PLEASE, I HOPE YOU VOLUNTEER FOR A FEW HOURS EVERY WEEK TO UNDERSTAND THIS AND IS ANIMAL WELFARE ADVOCATES.
YOU GUYS SHOULD ALREADY KNOW THAT SHELTERS EVERYWHERE ARE CURRENTLY IN A SPACE CRISIS.
YOU CAN LOOK TO DALLAS, HOUSTON, EL PASO, KHAIMAH CHICAGO.
AND I DON'T NEED TO REMIND YOU GUYS THAT AAC IS THE ONLY OPEN INTAKE MUNICIPAL SHELTER.
FOR 1.3 MILLION PEOPLE COVERING 900 MILES.
WE ALL KNOW THIS AT AAC IS A MUNICIPAL SHELTER.
SO IN RESPONSE TO THIS LIST OF WHERE I'VE CLAUSES, I HAVE A FEW SIMPLE QUESTIONS.
SO DOES AAC REPORT MONTHLY TO THIS COMMISSION AND THE PUBLIC? YES, THEY DO.
IS AAC ALWAYS MEET THE LIVE RELEASE RATE? YES, THEY DO.
THEY SEE IS ALWAYS ACHIEVED AND CONTINUES TO SUSTAIN THE NO KILL POLICY.
AND THIS COMMISSION SHOULD RECOGNIZE THE WORK BEING DONE ALL OVER IN AN ONGOING PANDEMIC, HIGH COST OF LIVING AND RISING INFLATION.
SO THIS COMMISSION SHOULD BE COOPERATING WITH THE AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER AND WORKING TO INCREASE THE ANIMAL SERVICES BUDGET.
YOU GUYS HAVE SUPPRESSED THIS TONIGHT AND I'M HAPPY TO HEAR IT.
THEY NEED FULL STAFFING AND THEY NEED TO BE OPEN ON SUNDAYS.
SO ASK MS. HAYDEN HOWARD TO DECLINE THIS ITEM AS WRITTEN AND SUPPORT A LARGER BUDGET FOR AAC.
THANKS TO ALL THE SPEAKERS WHO WERE BEFORE AND EVERYBODY WHO'S THERE TONIGHT.
AND, UH, PLEASE WORK FOR THE CITY INSTEAD OF AGAINST IT.
UH, NEXT WE HAVE KRISTEN SKILLING.
I'VE BEEN A VOLUNTEER AT AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER FOR THREE AND A HALF YEARS.
I'M AN ORANGE SHAW CREW COORDINATOR AND REGULARLY VOLUNTEER 20 TO 25 HOURS PER WEEK.
I'M UP THERE ENOUGH TO KNOW THAT THERE ARE THREE BIG PROBLEMS GOING ON HERE.
NUMBER ONE, CURRENT LIVING CONDITION CONDITIONS AT THE SHELTER IN HUMANE.
AS YOU KNOW, WE HAVE DOGS LIVING IN CRATES, BUT WE ALSO HAVE SEWAGE DRAINS BACKING UP INTO KENNELS.
THERE'S A BUG INFESTATION AND OUR LARGEST RUN FEEDING AND CLEANING SCHEDULES ARE INCONSISTENT AND EXTREME WEATHER PROTOCOLS AND SAFETY PRACTICES ARE NON-EXISTENT.
THERE ARE SOME UNSAVORY PRACTICES HAPPENING WITHIN THE SHELTER.
WHEN A GOOD SAMARITAN BRINGS ANY SMALL, LOST, EASY TO PLACE DOG, THEY ARE BEING SWEPT OUT OF BOSTON.
AS FAST AS THEIR LITTLE FEET WILL CARRY THEM.
EVEN IF THE SH SHELTERS OPERATING WITHIN THE LETTER OF THE LAW, WHICH WE HEARD LAST WEEK IS NOT THE CASE.
WHAT ABOUT THE SPIRIT OF THE LAW? FOUR DAYS IN YOUR BELOVED FAMILY MEMBER IS GONE.
NUMBER THREE, OUR NO-KILL STATUS IS AT RISK.
THE REALITY IS THAT ANY DOG THAT HAS BEEN CLASSIFIED AS A BEHAVIOR DOG CAN BE KILLED THE WAY THIS PLACE IS BEING RUN.
IT IS STRESSFUL PLACE TO LIVE.
IF A DOG DOESN'T HAVE A BEHAVIOR PROBLEM UPON ENTERING THE SYSTEM, GIVE IT A MONTH OR TWO BEFORE LONG, EVERY SINGLE DOG IN THAT SHELTER CAN BE CLASSIFIED AS BEHAVIOR DOG.
IF WE ARE SETTING THESE ANIMALS UP TO FAIL, OR WE REALLY KNOW KILL SOMETHING HAS TO CHANGE, I AM SURE MANAGEMENT CAN GIVE YOU A DOZEN REASONS.
THESE PROBLEMS EXIST, BUT IT IS THEIR JOB TO FIGURE OUT AND TRY TO FIND INNOVATIVE WAYS TO FIX THESE PROBLEMS. THE QUESTION IS, CAN THIS MANAGEMENT RISE TO THE SO FAR? THEY HAVE NOT.
NOW IT IS YOUR TURN TO DECIDE ON A MORE PERSONAL NOTE REMAINING.
A DEDICATED VOLUNTEER AT THE SHELTER HAS BECOME EMOTIONALLY AND PHYSICALLY DRAINING MORE OFTEN THAN NOT.
I COME HOME FEELING HELPLESS AND BREAK DOWN INTO TEARS.
WHEN THE SHELTER CLOSED FOR THE PANDEMIC, I DECIDED TO FOSTER AND HAVE SINCE ADOPTED A LONG STAY BEHAVIOR DOG.
HE'S TURNED OUT TO BE MY BEST LITTLE BUDDY IN FEBRUARY, ANOTHER VOLUNTEER.
AND I DROVE A LONG STAY BEHAVIOR DOG TO AN ADOPTER IN KENTUCKY ON OUR OWN DIME.
I SPEND HOURS TALKING TO AND WORKING WITH ORANGE.CRUISE FOSTERS AND ADOPTERS TO ENSURE OUR LONG STATE BEHAVIOR DOGS SUCCESSFULLY TRANSITION AND STAY IN THEIR NEW HOMES.
ON TOP OF MY REGULARLY SCHEDULED TIME ON CAMPUS, I HAVE MADE IT MY MISSION TO REMIND OUR LONG STAY BEHAVIOR DOGS THAT THEY HAVE HAPPY LIVES WAITING FOR THEM ON THE OUTSIDE, BY TAKING THEM ON WEEKLY GREENBELT OUTINGS.
IT IS MY HOPE THAT THEY RETURN TO THEIR KENNELS FEELING LOVED REGARDLESS OF THEIR DAY IN KENNEL.
I STAND BEFORE YOU TONIGHT, NOT AS A NASTY VOLUNTEER, BUT RATHER SOMEONE WHO LOVES THESE LONG STAY BEHAVIOR DOGS.
AND I WILL DO ANYTHING TO HELP THEM.
[01:45:02]
THANK YOU, KRISTIN, MELISSA GERVASI.HI, MY NAME IS MELISSA
I HAVE WITNESSED A STEADY DECLINE IN ANIMAL CARE AND SHELTER OPERATIONS.
SINCE THE CURRENT MANAGEMENT WAS PUT INTO PLACE.
THE REASON FOR THIS DECLINE IS A CONSISTENT LACK OF ACCOUNTABILITY AND OWNERSHIP.
NO ONE FROM THE MANAGEMENT TEAM WILL ROLL UP THEIR SLEEVES AND SAY, I TAKE RESPONSIBILITY AND I WILL FIX IT TO THE WIDESPREAD PROBLEMS WE SEE AT AAC.
EARLIER THIS YEAR, HALF OF THE LARGE DOG CAMEL RUN BUILDINGS WERE LOCKED FOR OVER A MONTH.
FRONTLINE STAFF WITH KEY CARD ACCESS WOULD PROP OPEN THE DOORS WITH WHATEVER WAS LAYING AROUND NEARBY A DOG TOY, A STICK OR A ROCK.
AND WHEN THAT WOULD, WHEN THAT ITEM WAS INEVITABLY MOVED, THE BUILDING WAS ONCE AGAIN IN ACCESSIBLE, I OBSERVED CUSTOMERS TUG ON THE DOOR, FIND IT LOCKED, SHRUG, AND MOVE ON.
WHEN THEY WERE UNABLE TO OPEN IT.
I CONSISTENTLY SEE DOGS LOCKED IN THE OUTER PART OF THEIR KENNEL, LEAVING THEM OUTSIDE TO DEAL WITH THE FREEZING FEBRUARY SNOW OR THE CURRENT TRIPLE DIGIT TEMPERATURES.
AND YET NO ONE IN A MANAGEMENT CAPACITY ENSURES ANIMAL CARE PROTOCOL IS FOLLOWED.
THERE IS NO COMPREHENSIVE STRATEGY THAT I'M AWARE OF TO HELP OUR AMAZINGLY RESILIENT LONG-STAY DOGS FIND A WAY OUT OF THE SHELTER, DUCKY AND B BOY AND JOSH WHO ARE THREE OF MY FAVORITES.
ALL FAIRLY STRAIGHTFORWARD PLACEMENTS, CONTINUE TO LANGUISH WHILE WAITING FOR A HOME.
THERE ARE DOGS LIVING IN POP-UP CRATES.
AS WE KNOW WITH NO PLAN TO ROTATE THEM INTO A LARGER KENNEL.
ON SOME DAYS, NO STAFF IS ASSIGNED TO CLEAN CRATES AND FEED THESE DOGS.
I AM WORRIED THAT VOICING MY CONCERNS WILL RESULT IN MANAGEMENT FIRING ME AS A VOLUNTEER, BUT STAYING SILENT AS THE ANIMALS SUFFER HAS BECOME INTOLERABLE.
SO MANY OF US HAVE TRIED TO INFLUENCE CHANGE AND ADVOCATE FOR OUR SHELTER ANIMALS THROUGH THE PROPER CHANNELS ONLY TO HAVE OUR CONCERNS IGNORED OR DISMISSED.
I HOPE THAT THE COMMISSION AND THE CITY WILL LISTEN TO THE LARGE NUMBER OF SHELTER STAKEHOLDERS WHO HAVE SHARED THEIR STORIES TONIGHT.
AND I SINCERELY ASK THAT YOU CAREFULLY CONSIDER THE RESOLUTION OF NO CONFIDENCE.
DAN DIANNE, IS IT SIGN? I'VE NEVER BEEN HERE BEFORE.
I'VE BEEN A VOLUNTEER SINCE 2016 AND I'M A FOUNDING MEMBER OF THE ORANGE DOT CREW.
I NEVER IMAGINED MYSELF SPEAKING TO YOU ALL TODAY, BUT WITH THE CURRENT STATE OF AFFAIRS AT AAC, I KNEW I HAD TO.
WHEN DON BLAND TOOK OVER ALL COMMUNICATION AND COLLABORATION BETWEEN ODC AND THE AAC BEHAVIOR TEAM STOP, WE HAVE BEEN INTENTIONALLY CUT OUT OF THE DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THE DOGS.
THIS MANAGEMENT TEAM HAS NOT ONLY HANDICAPPED COMMUNICATIONS.
THEY HAVE CUT OFF FOSTERS AND ADOPTERS OF OTC DOGS FROM RESOURCES, WHICH WE PROVIDE AT NO COST TO THE CITY.
THERE ARE MANY ACTIONS DON BLAND, AND THIS LEADERSHIP TEAM HAVE TAKEN THAT HAVE DIRECTLY PUT ANIMALS IN HARM'S WAY.
JUST ONE OF THESE IS THE CONSTANT IN ORGANIZATION AND LACK OF PREPARATION FOR OPERATING DAYS CLOSED HOLIDAYS OR EMERGENCY SITUATIONS FROM THE WEEK RESPONSE DURING COVID SHUT DOWN THE SPRING, SNOW STORM TO HOLIDAYS THAT ARE NOW CLOSED.
IT IS STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS THAT COME TOGETHER TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO HELP ANIMALS AT AAC.
EMPLOYEES ARE NOW TOLD THEY ARE ONLY ALLOWED TO COME IN TO CLEAN KENNELS AND FEED ANIMALS.
NO DOG-WALKING KNOWN RICHMOND, NO PLAYGROUP ALLOWED.
EVEN IF THAT IS THEIR JOB DUTY.
DURING THE MOST RECENT HOLIDAY, WHEN A VOLUNTEER ASKED IF A BUILDING HAD BEEN FED AN ANIMAL CARE WORKER RESPONDED, THAT'S NOT MY BUILDING.
DOGS NOT BEING FED IS UNACCEPTABLE AND INHUMANE.
THIS IS THE SORT OF MENTALITY THAT IS TRICKLING DOWN TO OVERRIDE WORK.
STAFF MEMBERS UNDER STAFFING SEEMS TO BE ONE OF THE MAIN EXCUSES.
LEADERSHIP KEEPS GIVING YOU OUT ABOUT THESE ISSUES WHILE I AGREE THAT THE SHELTERS UNDERSTAFFED A MISSING PIECE TO THIS PUZZLE IS HOW LEADERSHIP HAS CREATED AT AAC HAS CREATED A CESSPOOL FOR RETALIATION GOSSIP, UNETHICAL CONDUCT TOWARDS STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS.
THE SECOND I FINISHED SPEAKING TO YOU, I WILL IMMEDIATELY BEGIN RUNNING THROUGH THE DOGS I AM MOST ATTACHED TO NOW TERRIFIED OF WHAT MANAGEMENT WILL DO TO THEM, TO RETALIATE AGAINST ME FOR SPEAKING.
AND EVERY VOLUNTEER SPEAKING TONIGHT FACES THE POTENTIAL W FIRED THIS MANAGEMENT TEAM HAS FIRED VOLUNTEERS FOR VIOLATING THE WORKPLACE AGREEMENT.
THE SAME AGREEMENT THAT MANAGEMENT VIOLATES REGULARLY IN THE RECENT MONTHS, MEMBERS OF THE MANAGEMENT TEAM HAVE BLAMED NASTY VOLUNTEERS FOR OUR TRANSPORT FAILURE, SPOKEN DISPARAGINGLY TO ANOTHER VOLUNTEER AND A MEMBER OF STAFF ABOUT MYSELF AND A CREDENTIAL TRAINER WHO WORKS WITH THE OTC DOGS AND SHELTER WEEKLY CLAIM THAT VOLUNTEERS AREN'T NEEDING NEEDED, WHICH IS SURPRISING BECAUSE WE FILL IN EVERY DAY TO HELP WITH FEEDING, CLEANING, WALKING IN ENRICHMENT, ONE MEMBER STONE, THE LEADERSHIP TEAM OF YOUR YEARS AGO, EVEN ALLUDED.
[01:50:01]
DOGS AND STILL BE AT 95%, MAKING IT CLEAR.WE SHOULD BE THANKFUL THAT WE ARE EVEN ALLOWED TO WORK WITH THESE DOGS.
SO HOW DARE WE BRING UP CONCERN? THIS IS A TOXIC ENVIRONMENT.
THIS MANAGEMENT TEAM HAS HAD, HAS CREATED IN A JOB THAT IS ALREADY EMOTIONALLY DEMANDING.
THE ACTIONS OR LACK THEREOF FROM THIS LEADERSHIP TEAM HAVE RESULTED IN THE DEPARTURE OF VITAL EMPLOYEES, EXPERIENCED VOLUNTEERS, AND WORST OF ALL HAVE BEEN HARMFUL TO THE ANIMALS THAT AAC IS SUPPOSED TO TAKE CARE OF IN THE MEETING ON FRIDAY NIGHT, THERE WERE MENTIONS OF MOVING FORWARD.
I JUST DON'T KNOW IF THAT WE CAN DO THAT WITH DON BLAND IN THIS MANAGEMENT TEAM.
I FEAR FOR THE FUTURE OF NOT ONLY THE ANIMALS AT AAC, BUT FOR THE PEOPLE WHO WORK SO HARD TO CARE FOR THESE ANIMALS.
THEY ARE LIVING CREATURES WHO FEEL JOY AND FEAR, ELATION AND GRIEF, AND SHOULD BE TREATED AS SUCH, BUT YES, TO THE NOTE, COMPETENCE RESOLUTION URGE CITY COUNCIL FOR A LEADERSHIP TEAM THAT IS READY AND WILLING TO WORK WITH THE MOST HARDWORKING BOOTS ON THE GROUND, STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS.
THIS IS HOW WE MOVE FORWARD AND BEGIN TO REPAIR THE DAMAGE THAT HAS BEEN DONE THE PAST FEW YEARS.
UH, MY NAME IS SHELLY LIBRA AND I'M AN ACTIVE CAT VOLUNTEER AT AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER.
AND I FIRST LIKE TO THANK COMMISSIONER MITCHELL FOR INVITING HER CAT TO THIS MEETING BECAUSE WE'RE SO OVERLOOKED.
BUT I'M SPEAKING BECAUSE I CANNOT SUPPORT A AGENDA ITEM FOUR, AS IT IS WRITTEN, I DON'T KNOW WHO DRAFTED THE PROPOSED RESOLUTION, BUT AFTER READING AND I GOT TO THINKING ABOUT THIS COMMISSION, WHY IT EXISTS AND ITS PURPOSE.
OF COURSE IT EXISTS BECAUSE IT'S REQUIRED BY STATE LAW, BUT ITS BYLAWS STATE ONE OF ITS PURPOSES IS TO PROMOTE COLLABORATION.
BUT INSTEAD OF PROMOTING
EVERY TIME YOU CHASTISE AAC, IT FLOWS DOWN TO US, TO THE STAFF AND THE VOLUNTEER.
SO PLEASE CONSIDER HOW, WHAT YOU SAY AND DO AFFECT STAFF VOLUNTEERS.
I'M TALKING ABOUT THE TINY STAFF WHO WORKS HARD MARKETING OUR ANIMALS ONLY TO BE GREETED ON SOCIAL MEDIA, BY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ASKING FOR SUPPORT FOR THIS NO-CONFIDENCE RESOLUTION, THAT SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS WAS MEANT TO THANK VOLUNTEERS.
SPEAKING OF VOLUNTEERS, WHAT ABOUT THE THOUSANDS OF HOURS WE DEVOTE TO HELP ANIMALS AT AAC? WE CLEARLY SEE THESE ARE SPACE CRISIS, BUT WHEN A MEMBER OF THIS COMMISSION SAYS ONE DOES NOT EXIST, IT JUST MAKES NO SENSE.
WE ARE NOT THE ONLY SHELTER DEALING WITH SPACE CRISIS.
ALSO I GOT TO THINKING OF IS WORTH MY TIME.
PARTICIPATING IN THIS MEETINGS.
I SPOKE LAST MONTH ABOUT HOW DATA PRESENTED ABOUT THE VOLUNTEER PROGRAM WAS FLOODED YET TO SEE THE VOLUNTEER PROGRAM INCLUDED IN THE NO-CONFIDENCE RESOLUTION.
AS STATED EARLIER, WE WERE AT 4,400 HOURS LAST MONTH.
I'M NOT SAYING THERE AREN'T LEGITIMATE CONCERNS ABOUT SHELTER LEADERSHIP, BUT I CANNOT SUPPORT A RESOLUTION THAT FOR A WHOLESALE FIRING OF AN UNDEFINED MANAGEMENT TEAM, HONESTLY, I'M NOT SURE IF THE SHELTER WILL EVER GET A FAIR SHAKE BY THIS COMMISSION, UNLESS THERE IS A TRULY DIVERSE REPRESENTATION THAT INCLUDES OTHER ANIMAL WELFARE ORGANIZATIONS AND ADVOCATES 10 YEARS HAS PASSED SINCE NO-KILL BEGAN IN AUSTIN.
SOME THINGS ARE WORKING SOME THINGS AREN'T WHY CAN'T WE TRULY COLLABORATE TO MAKE THINGS BETTER RATHER THAN SUGGESTING WE FIRE AN ENTIRE MANAGEMENT TEAM.
IN MY OPINION, THIS RESOLUTION IS SIMPLY A SMOKE SCREEN USE AS BEING USED TO FURTHER PURPOSE.
SOME WILL NOT ADMIT TO IN PUBLIC, IN THE END, IT'S AN HR ISSUE IS TO BE ADDRESSED BY ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, HAYDEN HOWARD.
I HOPE SHE SEES THROUGH THE SMOKE AND I HOPE YOU GUYS UNDERSTAND THAT EVERYTHING EVERYBODY SAID IS TRUE.
IT'S JUST, THIS IS NOT THE PROPER FORUM TO DEAL WITH IT.
UH, LET'S HAVE NEXT KELLY PATRICK HI, MY NAME IS KELLY PATRICK, AND I'VE BEEN A VOLUNTEER AND FOSTER FOR A C FOR ALMOST 12 YEARS.
UM, AS A MATTER OF FACT, I WAS THE VERY FIRST FOSTER TO TAKE HOME A, UH, A MOM WHO HAD GIVEN BIRTH TO SEVEN PUPPIES AT THE SHELTER.
I HAVE BEEN HERE FROM IAN HALLETT TO DON PLAN AND I WITNESSED SOME GREAT LEADERSHIP, SOME FAIR AND SOME THAT HAVE BEEN PRETTY DISMAL.
I HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH THE MORE CHALLENGING DOGS AT THE SHELTER, PRETTY MUCH FROM THE START WITH TERRA, STORMER DOGS OUT LOUD, UH, BECOMING A COORDINATOR AT ORANGE DOT CREW AND WORKING WITH DOGS POSSIBLE.
THE VOLUNTEERS ORANGE STOP VOLUNTEERS ARE ALMOST SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE TRAINING MARKETING CUSTOMER MEET AND GREETS.
FOLLOW UP WITH ADOPTERS AND EVEN HELPING HANDLE ORANGE DOT DOGS FOR NEEDED VET CARE.
WE ARE DAMN GOOD AT WHAT WE DO IN THE SHELTER IS LUCKY TO HAVE US.
I REMEMBER STARTING OUT AS A NEW VOLUNTEER, SO EXCITED TO BE AT THE FOREFRONT OF THE NO-KILL MOVEMENT, VOLUNTEERING AT A BRAND NEW SHELTER, FULL OF HOPE AND A SHINING EXAMPLE FOR OTHER CITIES TO FOLLOW.
NOW, I FEEL BEAT DOWN EXHAUSTED, DISCOURAGED, AND HOPELESS.
I KEEP TRUDGING, BUT IT'S DIFFICULT CURRENTLY.
[01:55:01]
THE SHELTER FEELS AS IF IT'S OPERATING ON A REACTIVE INSTEAD OF PROACTIVE MODE, ALWAYS SCRAMBLING, ALWAYS TWO STEPS BEHIND.WE HAVE SO MANY LONG STAY DOGS AT THE SHELTER.
YET THERE SEEMS TO BE NO PLAN OF ACTION FROM LEADERSHIP FOR THESE DOGS.
AND THEY JUST CONTINUE TO DETERIORATE AND KENNEL STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS FEEL OVERWORKED AND UNDERAPPRECIATED.
THE SHELTER AND HIS CURRENT STATE SEEMS UNSUSTAINABLE.
THE SHELTER APPEARS TO BE AT A CROSSROADS, EITHER CONTINUE TO SWIM AGAINST THE TIDE, HOPING THINGS WILL IMPROVE OR BRING TOGETHER THE INNOVATORS THAT ARE WILLING TO WORK WITH THE STAKEHOLDERS IN THE ANIMAL COMMUNITY AND HAVE THE COURAGE TO BUCK THE SYSTEM FOR REAL CHANGE.
IF WE CONTINUE DOWN THE PATH WE ARE ON, I FEAR FOR THE HOMELESS ANIMALS OF BOSTON, THE SAME OLD, SAME OLD CANNOT CONTINUE.
I'M ASKING THE COMMISSION TO PASS THE NO-CONFIDENCE RESOLUTION PRESENTED TODAY.
I WAS AT THE MEET AND GREET FOR TWO, THE TWO CANDIDATES FOR THE CURRENT DIRECTOR POSITION AFTER THE Q AND A, THERE WAS A NOTICEABLE AIR OF DISBELIEF IN THE ROOM THAT THESE WERE OUR CHOICES.
THEN SOMEONE IN THE AUDIENCE SAID WHAT WE WERE ALL THINKING WHEN CITY MANAGER CRONK ASKED FOR FEEDBACK, SHE SAID, THESE ARE OUR CHOICES.
CAN WE START OVER? AND NOW HERE WE ARE.
THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME SPEAK.
ISN'T MY NAME IS DAVID LIGNIN AND I'VE BEEN A VOLUNTEER AT ASTA ANIMAL CENTER FOR EIGHT YEARS.
WE'VE ALL HEARD ABOUT AACS SPACE CRISIS.
UNFORTUNATELY IT'S NOT THE WORST CRISIS THAT AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER.
THE WORST CRISIS IS A CRISIS OF FAITH IN THE SHELTER DIRECTOR AND HIS SENIOR MANAGEMENT TEAM.
LAST WEEK, I WALKED INTO AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER AND REALIZED SOMETHING TERRIBLE.
I DON'T LIKE BEING THERE ANYMORE AFTER EIGHT YEARS.
I JUST DON'T WHY, BECAUSE IT'S REALLY HARD TO KEEP GIVING SO MUCH TIME, EFFORT AND ENERGY TO A PLACE WHERE SENIOR MANAGEMENT TREATS YOU WITH DISDAIN AND CONTEMPT.
SOME PEOPLE WATCHING THIS MAY BE THINKING, HERE WE GO AGAIN.
HERE'S ANOTHER ONE OF THOSE OVERLY SENSITIVE ANIMAL PEOPLE WHO IS NEVER HAPPY WITH SHELTER MANAGEMENT, BUT MANY OF YOU KNOW, THAT'S JUST NOT THE TRUTH FOR EIGHT YEARS, I'VE PUT THOUGHTFUL AND CONSTRUCTIVE EFFORT INTO IMPROVING THE LIVES OF BOTH ANIMALS AND PEOPLE AT AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER.
I'M ONE OF THE FOUNDING MEMBERS OF ORANGE DOT CREW.
THAT'S AN ALL VOLUNTEER TEAM THAT WORKS WITH AACS MOST COMPLICATED DOGS.
WE'VE TAUGHT COUNTLESS VOLUNTEERS AND STAFF, HOW TO SAFELY HANDLE AND ENRICH THE LIVES OF THESE DOGS.
WE'VE MARKETED AND PERSONALLY HELPED PLACE.
MANY OF THESE DOGS OVER THE LAST SIX YEARS, WE'VE BEEN THERE, MAKING SURE NEW FOSTERS AND ADOPTERS HAD HANDS-ON SUPPORT.
EVEN AFTER THESE DOGS WENT HOME, WE SPENT NOT JUST OUR OWN TIME, BUT OUR OWN MONEY ON OUR OWN TRAINING AND EDUCATION, EARNING NUMEROUS BEHAVIOR CERTIFICATIONS.
DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY CITY SHELTERS AROUND THE COUNTRY WOULD BE THRILLED TO HAVE A PROGRAM LIKE THIS? THAT COSTS THEM NOTHING.
I THINK YOU DO THIS MANAGEMENT TEAM WOULD PREFER.
PRIOR TO DON BLAND BEING NAMED SHELTER DIRECTOR, ORANGE DOT CREW HAD REGULAR MEETINGS WITH MANAGEMENT, INCLUDING THE DIRECTORS.
IN FACT, THE PREVIOUS INTERIM DIRECTOR MADE A POINT OF INCLUDING DAWN IN HER LAST MEETING WITH US.
THAT WAS OUR FIRST MEETING WITH DON.
OUR SECOND MEETING WAS DAWN WAS AN EFFORT TO START A DIALOGUE AND EXPLAIN WHAT WE WERE VOICING CONCERNS ABOUT THE SHELTER'S POLICY AND DIRECTION.
AFTER THAT MEETING, WE RECEIVED AN EMAIL TELLING US TO KEEP QUIET OR BE FIRED.
THAT WAS OUR LAST MEETING WITH DON, THE ACS LEADERSHIP REPEATEDLY STATES.
THEY DON'T HAVE A BEHAVIOR PROGRAM.
IT'S A FREE ONE AND WERE TREATED WITH DISDAIN AND CONTEMPT.
PLEASE ASK YOURSELF WHY NO MEMBER OF ORANGE DOT CREW HAD EVER PUBLICLY CALLED OUT AC PRIOR TO CURRENT MANAGEMENT.
ASK YOURSELF WHY NO ORANGE DOT VOLUNTEER HAD EVER BEEN FIRED BY AC PRIOR TO THIS MANAGEMENT TEAM, SINCE DON STARTED THREE HAD BEEN FIRED.
THAT'S A WHOLE OTHER STORY THAT EVERY ONE OF YOU SHOULD KNOW THE FACTS ON.
ASK YOURSELF WHY AN EIGHT YEAR EMPLOYEE SUPERVISOR WITH EVERYTHING TO LOSE WOULD WALK UP HERE AND SHARE THE CONCERNS YOU'VE HEARD AT THE LAST MEETING.
WHO'VE PUT THEIR HEART AND SOUL INTO SOMETHING AS DIFFICULT AS SHELTERING.
DON'T JUST SUDDENLY ALL DECIDE TO BECOME OVERLY SENSITIVE ANIMAL PEOPLE.
ALL AT THE SAME TIME, SOMETHING HAS TO HAPPEN.
AC IS HEMORRHAGING, GOOD PEOPLE WHO CARE, BOTH STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS.
AND SO I ASK YOU TO PLEASE PASS THIS REBEL RESOLUTION.
IF SOMETHING DOESN'T CHANGE, WE'RE ALL GOING TO BE GONE AND ALL US, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
MARIE GOOD EVENING, CHAIRMAN AND COMMISSIONERS.
I WAS A VOLUNTEER AND FOSTER AT AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER FOR SIX YEARS, AS WELL AS A FOUNDING MEMBER OF THE ORANGE DOT CREW.
I'VE SPOKEN BEFORE THIS COMMISSION.
ONCE BEFORE IN JULY, 2020 TO EXPRESS CONCERNS I HAD ABOUT DON BLAND AND HIS MANAGEMENT TEAM.
I'M SPEAKING AGAIN TONIGHT BECAUSE MY CONCERNS HAVE ONLY INCREASED SINCE THEN.
THE SHELTER HAS BEEN ON A DANGEROUS DOWNWARD SPIRALS AND STEIN WAS HIRED AND CRIES FOR HELP HAD BEEN LARGELY IGNORED.
LAST MONTH I LISTENED AS ASHLEY NEAL'S AACS BEHAVIOR TEAM SUPERVISOR EXPLAINED TO YOU ALL THAT AAC IS A TOXIC
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WORK ENVIRONMENT UNDER DON BLAINE AND HIS MANAGEMENT TEAM.AND THAT STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS ARE DESPERATE FOR Y'ALL'S INTERVENTION AND EFFECTIVE LEADER WOULD WANT TO COLLABORATE WITH THE STAFF ON PROBLEM SOLVING.
HE WOULD WANT TO GATHER A TEAM OF THE BRIGHTEST MINDS TO COME UP WITH VIABLE STRATEGIES AND SOLUTIONS.
HE WOULD WANT TO INVOLVE THE COMMUNITY, MAKING AAC, THE OUTSTANDING SHELTER THAT WE ALL KNOW IT IS CAPABLE OF BEING.
SO WHAT ACTION HAS DAWN TAKEN SINCE THAT MEETING HAS HE MET WITH ASHLEY AND OTHER BOOTS ON THE GROUND STAFF? HAS HE MET WITH STAKEHOLDERS? HAS HE REACHED OUT TO CITY LEADERS FOR GUIDANCE, FOR FEEDBACK, FOR ASSISTANCE? I THINK IT'S A PRETTY SAFE ASSUMPTION THAT NO DON BLAND HAS NOT DONE ANY OF THESE THINGS.
Y'ALL AT THIS POINT, THE ONUS IS NO LONGER ON DON BLAND.
HE HAS SHOWN TIME AND TIME AGAIN THROUGH BOTH HIS ACTIONS AND HIS ACTIONS THAT WE CAN NOT DEPEND ON HIM TO DO RIGHT BY THE ANIMALS UNDER HIS CARE OR DO RIGHT BY THE STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS.
WE CAN NOT DEPEND ON DAWN TO BE A COMPETENT SHELTER DIRECTOR.
THE ONUS IS NOW ON YOU, THIS COMMISSION, AS WELL AS ON OUR ELECTED LEADERS, THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE UTTER DISASTER THAT AAC HAS BECOME.
IT'S THE SAYING GOES, IF YOU'RE NOT ANGRY, IT'S BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT PAYING ATTENTION.
AND AS I, AND THE REST OF THE AUSTIN RESCUE COMMUNITY WATCHED THE ANIMALS TODAY, SEE LANGUISH AND SUFFER.
AND WE OBSERVED THE DESPAIR AND DEFEAT THE SHELTER, VOLUNTEERS AND BOOTS ON THE GROUND STAFF.
I'M CALLING ON THIS COMMISSION TO PASS THE PROPOSED NO COMPETENCE RESOLUTION.
AND THEN I'M URGING Y'ALL TO ADVISE MAYOR ADLER CITY COUNCIL AND DON SUPERVISOR ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, STEPHANIE HAYDEN HOWARD, TO TAKE ACTION AND REMOVED ON BLAND.
AND HIS ENTIRE MANAGEMENT TEAM ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.
WE'RE DONE WITH OUR CITY LEADERS, DISMISSING THE PLIGHT AND THE TURMOIL OF OUR BELOVED CITY SHELTER.
DON BLAINE AND HIS MANAGEMENT TEAM HAD PRACTICALLY RUN AAC TO THE GROUND.
THEY HAVE BEEN LIFTED THEIR OWN LEFT TO THEIR OWN DEVICES WITH NO BUY-IN FROM COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS OR CITY OVERSIGHT FOR FAR TOO LONG.
THE DAYS OF AACS ISSUES BEING SWEPT UNDER THE RUG MUST COME TO AN END.
AND THE DAYS OF AACS DAILY CRISIS MODE BEING IGNORED BY THE CITY MUST COME TO AN END.
THE PROBLEMS AT AAC CERTAINLY START WITH DON BLAND, BUT THE EVEN BIGGER PROBLEM NOW IS THAT NOBODY WITH ANY AUTHORITY OVER HIM HAS TAKEN ACTION TODAY THAT CAN CHANGE WITH THE PASSING OF THE NO-CONFIDENCE RESOLUTION.
THE CITIZENS OF AUSTIN HAVE SPOKEN, AND I TRULY HOPE Y'ALL ARE LISTENING.
WE ARE NOT GOING TO GO QUIETLY.
LET'S HAVE JEAN OF THE STEPHANIE.
GINA DOES STEPHANIE MY NAME IS GINA TO STEPHANIE AND I'M A LONG TIME AAC VOLUNTEER AND AN ORANGE TRUCK CREW COORDINATOR.
ONE INCREDIBLY BRAVE EMPLOYEE SAT BEFORE Y'ALL LAST MONTH.
AND AGAIN, TONIGHT VOICING HER CONCERNS ABOUT THE TOXIC ENVIRONMENT AT AAC.
AND SINCE THEN YOU'VE RECEIVED COUNTLESS EMAILS AND CALLS FROM PEOPLE EXPRESSING THEIR CONCERNS ABOUT THE STATE OF THE SHELTER.
AND IN PARTICULAR, THEIR CONCERNS ABOUT THIS MANAGEMENT TEAM.
I'VE BEEN A COORDINATOR FOR THE ORANGE DUCK CREW, THE ALL VOLUNTEER GROUP THAT WORKS WITH HIGH LEVEL BEHAVIOR DOGS FOR FOUR YEARS.
NOW, OUR MISSION IS TO IMPROVE THE DOG'S QUALITY OF LIFE WHILE IN SHELTER, HELP MANAGE AND MODIFY THEIR BEHAVIORS AND HELP FIND THEM APPROPRIATE PLACEMENT JUST AMONG THE ORANGE DOT COORDINATORS.
WE HAVE TWO CERTIFIED DOG BEHAVIOR PROFESSIONALS, AS WELL AS A COMBINED 28 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN SHELTERING, OUR CREW REGULARLY CONSULTS WITH ONE OF THE MOST HIGHLY QUALIFIED BEHAVIOR PROFESSIONALS IN THE REGION TO IMPROVE OUR HANDLING BETTER OUR SKILLS AND GET GUIDANCE ON HOW WE CAN BEST HELP THE DOGS.
WE MANAGE THE ORANGE.SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS TO MARKET THE DOGS.
WE KNOW THESE DOGS, THOSE WHO HAVE CONSISTENTLY SPENT THEIR TIME WORKING WITH SHELTER.
DOGS KNOW HOW PHYSICALLY EXHAUSTING IT CAN BE, BUT THAT'S NOT THE HARD PART.
THE DOGS DESPITE THEIR WILD WAYS ARE THE BEST PART.
THE HARDEST PART IS THAT THIS MANAGEMENT TEAM CONSISTENTLY REFUSES TO WORK WITH US AND ACTIVELY WORKS AGAINST US, WHICH ONLY HURTS THE DOGS WE'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO COLLABORATE.
AND WITH PREVIOUS TEAMS, WE DID, WE USED TO MEET QUARTERLY SOMETIMES MORE OFTEN WITH THE BEHAVIOR TEAM AND THEIR MANAGER, DISCUSSING PARTICULAR DOGS, PROCESSES, TRAININGS, AND MORE SOMETHING.
THIS MANAGEMENT TEAM HAS REFUSED TO DO.
WE INVITE STAFF TO JOIN OUR INTERNAL FACEBOOK PAGE, WHICH HAS A WEALTH OF INFORMATION ON INDIVIDUAL DOGS AND HANDLING BEST PRACTICES.
AGAIN, SOMETHING THIS MANAGEMENT TEAM HAS REFUSED TO DO.
WE DEVELOPED A PROTOCOL WITH DR.
LUN TO HELP THAT SERVICES AND HANDLING ORANGE DOTS, MEETING MEDICAL TREATMENT.
WE USED TO LEAD TRAININGS FOR ANIMAL CARE ON HOW TO APPROPRIATELY HANDLE DOG BEHAVIORS.
AND WE USED TO LEAD TRAINING AND INFO SESSIONS FOR INTERESTED VOLUNTEERS.
AND WE INVITE STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS TO OUR HIKES AND OUTINGS TO GET TO KNOW THE DOGS AND OUR CREW BETTER.
WE HAVE ASKED SO MANY TIMES IN SO MANY WAYS OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS TO GET BACK TO THAT COLLABORATION, THAT SAVES LIVES TO BE THAT EXTENSION OF THE BEHAVIOR TEAM WE WERE PREVIOUSLY CONSIDERED TO BE.
WE SHOULD BE WORKING TOGETHER.
MANAGEMENT SHOULD BE WORKING WITH ALL OF THEIR STAKEHOLDERS, BUT
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INSTEAD STAKEHOLDERS ARE DISMISSED, IGNORED AND THREATENED WITH FIRING WE'VE LONG, STAYED SILENT FOR FEAR THAT THE DOGS WE LOVE WOULD BE LEFT WITHOUT THEIR ADVOCATES, BUT STAYING SILENT HAS JUST LED TO INCREASED HARM.I PROVIDED COPIES OF A FEW EMAIL THREADS BETWEEN THE ORANGE STOCK CREW AND ABBY, JOHN AND JASON THAT I ENCOURAGE YOU TO READ IN THEIR ENTIRETY.
SO YOU CAN SEE THE TONE, LACK OF COMMUNICATION, LACK OF BEHAVIOR, KNOWLEDGE, AND DISMISSIVE ATTITUDE.
THIS IS A REGRESSIVE LEADERSHIP TEAM THAT HAS GOTTEN AWAY WITH COUNTLESS MISDEEDS FOR FAR TOO LONG.
IT'S TIME THAT THEY'RE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE TOXIC ENVIRONMENT THEY'VE CREATED.
LET'S HAVE SOPHIE SOOO HI, I'M SOPHIE.
I'VE BEEN VOLUNTEERING WITH AAC AND THE ORANGE DOT CREW SINCE 2019.
I EVEN ADOPTED A BEHAVIOR DOG WHO HAD BEEN AT AAC FOR OVER A YEAR WHO WAS ONLY FEATURED ONCE ON THEIR SOCIAL MEDIA AT MY REQUEST, DESPITE BEING ONE OF THE TOP FIVE LONG-STAY DOGS.
I THINK THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE HERE SPEAKING TODAY SAYS A LOT ABOUT HOW THE VOLUNTEERS FEEL ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCE WITH AAC.
DESPITE WHAT THE AUSTIN CHRONICLE MIGHT HAVE SAID.
A COUPLE OF YEARS INTO VOLUNTEERING.
I NOTICED THAT I WOULD LEAVE EVERY SHIFT, UPSET, FRUSTRATED, AND DEMORALIZED.
I HAVE SINCE TAKEN AN EXTENDED BREAK FROM VOLUNTEERING IN LARGE PART DUE TO THE MISMANAGEMENT.
I'VE SEEN THE UNDER-APPRECIATION OF VOLUNTEERS AND THE FACT THAT THE DOGS I LOVED WERE SUFFERING AT THE HANDS OF THE PEOPLE WHO WERE ENTRUSTED WITH THEIR LIVES.
I'VE REPEATEDLY SECOND GUESSED DECISIONS TO SPEAK OUT FOR FEAR OF BEING FIRED.
I'D LIKE TO BRING UP TWO GLARING EXAMPLES OF THE FAILURE OF MANAGER OF THIS CURRENT MANAGEMENT TEAM.
ONE, UM, WAS THIS DOG BLUE THAT I WORKED WITH, ONE OF MY FAVORITE DOGS I HAVE EVER WORKED WITH AT AAC, WHO IS A BEHAVIOR DOG WHO HAS PUT ON BEHAVIOR LOCK AFTER AN UNFORTUNATE BITE.
HE WAS THEN OVERLOOKED FOR WEEKS BY AAC.
STAFF FORGOTTEN ABOUT SITTING AND WALKED IN A PADLOCKED KENNEL FOR WEEKS UNTIL VOLUNTEERS BROUGHT HIM TO THE ATTENTION OF THE OTHER IS THE 2021 FREEZE THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN A LONG TIME AGO, BUT I STILL REMEMBER IT CLEARLY, THE FACT THAT THERE WAS NO PLAN PUT IN PLACE, DESPITE KNOWING THAT THE FREEZE WAS A LARGE POSSIBILITY AND THE FACT THAT THE HANDFUL OF STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS WHO RISKED THEIR SAFETY AND THEIR LIVES TO DRIVE ON ICY ROADS TO THE SHELTER, OR THE ONLY REASON ANY ANIMALS GOT FED THAT DAY OR THAT WEEK, THESE INSTANCES ARE NOTHING SHORT OF NEGLECT AND A FAILURE OF THEIR DUTY TO CARE FOR THE HOMELESS ANIMALS OF AUSTIN.
YET, SOMEHOW THE SAME MANAGEMENT TEAM IS STILL IN PLACE.
IN MY OPINION, THEY HAVE FAILED AT THE MISSION TO BE NO KILL, REGARDLESS OF WHAT THE NUMBERS AND THE STATS MAY SAY.
AND THEY HAVE LOST SIGHT OF WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING.
THE WELFARE OF ANIMALS, VOLUNTEERS, THE PEOPLE OF AUSTIN ARE HERE IN SPEAKING TODAY.
AND WE WERE SAYING THAT THINGS NEED TO CHANGE UNTIL THERE IS AN OVERHAUL OF THE CURRENT MANAGEMENT TEAM.
THE SHELTER WILL BE OVERCROWDED.
ADOPTABLE ANIMALS WILL SUFFER AND BE EUTHANIZED AND STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS WILL CONTINUE TO LEAVE DUE TO THE TOXIC AND UNSUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT.
I HOPE THAT TODAY MARKS THE BEGINNING OF A BETTER AAC, AN AAC THAT AUSTIN CAN BE PROUD OF.
HELLO AGAIN, I'M A LARGE DOG VOLUNTEER AT A SCENE, UM, WHO SPOKE TO YOU LAST MONTH, REMOTELY BY PHONE ABOUT MY CONCERNS REGARDING THE LACK OF LEADERSHIP SUPPORT DURING THE CURRENT STAFFING CRISIS, AS WELL AS THE DANGEROUS DECISION MAKING THAT IS PRIORITIZING COSMETIC ONES OVER CRITICAL SAFETY NEEDS.
THIS IS DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE RESOLUTION BEFORE YOU, WHICH I SUPPORT AS IT STATES THAT LEADERSHIP REFUSES TO PRIORITIZE THE USE OF TAXPAYER FUNDS TO ADDRESS THE MOST URGENT NEEDS OF THE SHELTER.
UM, FIRST I WANT TO SAY THOUGH, THAT I SUPPORT THE CITY SHELTER.
I AM AN ADOPTER, A FOSTER, A VOLUNTEER AND A DONOR.
AND I HOPE THAT ALL OF YOU ARE TOO, BUT THAT DOES NOT MEAN THAT I SUPPORT 100% OF LEADERSHIP DECISIONS AND THEIR POLICY
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MISTAKES.AND I HOPE THAT THE COMMISSION WILL HOLD THIS LEADERSHIP TEAM ACCOUNTABLE FOR THOSE MISTAKES.
I'M HERE TONIGHT, SPECIFICALLY TO FOLLOW UP REGARDING THE ASTROTURF INSTALLATION PROJECT AND THE ONGOING NEED FOR PERMANENT SUBSTANTIAL SHADE COVERING AS SUBMITTED TO YOU IN MY WRITTEN STATEMENT EARLIER THIS AFTERNOON, I HAVE NEW RESEARCH AND DATA TO SHARE WITH YOU INDICATING JUST HOW DANGEROUS AND LIFE-THREATENING THE CANINE SPECIAL GRASS IS THAT IS SCHEDULED TO BE INSTALLED UNDER THE GUISE OF A LIFE-SAVING MADDIE'S FUND GRANT.
THE CANINE IS ALREADY INSTALLED IN THREE PLAY YARDS, WHICH I FREQUENT, UM, AND TWICE OVER THE PAST WEEK, I AND OTHER VOLUNTEERS TOOK IT UPON OURSELVES TO TEST THE TEMPERATURES OF THE TURF, AS WELL AS THE OTHER COMMON SURFACES AROUND CAMPUS USING AN INFRARED THERMOMETER GUN FOR CONTEXT, THE AKC, HIS POSITION IS THAT ANY SURFACE TEMPERATURE OVER 125 DEGREES WILL CAUSE SKIN DESCRIBED DESTRUCTION.
THAT'S THEIR PHRASE TO DOG PAWS IN ONLY 60 SECONDS OF EXPOSURE AND AN EGG WILL FRY IN FIVE SECONDS ON SURFACES OF 131 DEGREES.
I'VE SUBMITTED AN INFOGRAPHIC TO YOU FROM AKC REGARDING THAT.
BUT WHAT WE FOUND WHILE TESTING SURFACE TEMPERATURES THIS PAST WEEK WAS ASTOUNDING.
THE CANINE GRASS IS THE HOTTEST SURFACE ON CAMPUS AND IS 52 DEGREES HOTTER THAN NATURAL GRASS IN FULL SUN TAKEN AT THE SAME TIME.
AND ON THE SAME DATE BELOW ARE THE FOLLOWING TEMPERATURES OBSERVED OF EACH SURFACE AS OF THIS PAST FRIDAY, JUNE 10TH, JUST A FEW DAYS AGO AT APPROXIMATELY 1230 IN THE AFTERNOON.
WHEN THE AIR TEMPERATURE WAS ONLY 93 DEGREES.
AND WE ARE NOW AT ABOVE 100 DEGREE TEMPERATURES, THE CANINE GRASS WAS 178 DEGREES.
I'M GOING TO REPEAT THAT 178 DEGREES.
I HAVE SUBMITTED PHOTOGRAPHIC DATE AND TIMESTAMPED EVIDENCE TO YOU SHOWING THIS, UM, IT IS UNDENIABLE THAT THIS IS UNSAFE CONDITIONS AND THAT NO MATTER HOW NICE IT LOOKS OR HOW NICE IT FEELS UNDER OUR FEET, IT IS ABSOLUTELY UNSAFE AND INHUMANE TO INSTALL THIS IN ANY TEXAS ENVIRONMENT, THE RED BRICK SIDEWALK WAS 144 DEGREES.
THE BROWN GRAVEL WAS 130 DEGREES AND NATURAL GRASS WAS THE ONLY SURFACE THAT WAS EVEN REMOTELY ACCEPTABLE AT 126 DEGREES.
I HOPE YOU WILL TAKE A LOOK AT IT.
AND AGAIN, COSMETICS DO NOT MATTER MORE THAN SAFETY.
UM, MY NAME IS ANDREA SCHWARTZ.
I'VE BEEN A VOLUNTEER FOR 11 YEARS AT AAC AND M FORMER MEMBER OF THIS COMMISSION.
I'D LIKE TO SPEAK BRIEFLY ON TWO TOPICS.
UH, THE FIRST ONE IS GOING TO SUPPORT EMILY, UM, ABOUT THE ASTROTURF.
UM, THE RECENT ASTROTURF INSTALLATION WAS A VERY POOR USE OF FUNDS, ESPECIALLY WHEN THERE ARE FAR MORE URGENT SHELTER NEEDS.
ADDITIONALLY, WITHOUT PROPER SHADING, ASTROTURF IS ACTUALLY HARMFUL.
UM, VOLUNTEER, EMILY STEINBERG JUST RELAYED TO YOU THE DATA THAT SHE GATHERED ON JUNE 10TH.
UM, WELL, EMILY AND I TOGETHER TOOK SOME OTHER READINGS TEMPERATURE READINGS ON JUNE 4TH, AND WE FOUND THAT IN FULL SUN, THE TEMPERATURE OF THE ASTROTURF IS OVER 50 DEGREES THAN THE NEARBY SOIL.
UM, EMILY HAS TIME AND DATE STAMP PICTURES OF THESE READINGS TO PROVE THIS.
AND SHE ALSO SENT A TIME AND DATE STAMPED PHOTOS OF THE JUNE 10TH READINGS.
UM, SO I'M ASKING THAT THERE'D BE A MORATORIUM ON INSTALLING ANY MORE ASTROTURF AND THAT MORE SHADE BE INSTALLED OVER THE CURRENT TURF AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
AND THEN THE OTHER TOPIC IS JUST BROAD IN NATURE.
PERHAPS IT WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER UNDER GENERAL COMMENTS, BUT HERE I AM.
UM, IN MY 11 YEARS OF VOLUNTEERING, I HAVE CONSISTENTLY SEEN QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUES, TAKE A BACK SEAT TO LIVE RELEASE, RELATE RATES AND NUMBERS, AND WE ALL CARE ABOUT SAVING LIVES.
UM, AND CARING FOR THE ANIMALS SHOULD BE CONSIDERED EQUALLY IMPORTANT.
THEY DON'T HAVE TO NOT BE IN HARMONY.
WE CAN SAVE LIVES AND TAKE CARE OF ANIMALS.
AND I'VE SEEN MANY VOLUNTEERS, INCLUDING MYSELF, CONTINUALLY BECOME DISILLUSIONED WITH NO KILL DUE TO THE POOR QUALITY OF LIFE ENDURED BY SHELTER ANIMALS.
AND TO THIS END, I WOULD LIKE TO ASK THE COMMISSION TO PLEASE CONSIDER ADDING SIGNIFICANTLY MORE QUALITY OF LIFE DATA TO YOUR REPORT.
BECAUSE RIGHT NOW IT'S MORE ABOUT NUMBERS AND QUALITY OF LIFE.
FOR EXAMPLE, DATA COULD REFLECT HOW
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MANY DOGS DON'T EVEN GET ONE POTTY BREAK A DAY.HOW, UM, HOW MANY DOGS ARE LIVING CRATES? HOW LONG ARE THEY LIVING IN THESE CRATES? UM, WHAT IS THE AVERAGE LENGTH OF STAY? HOW MANY DOGS DO WE FIND LOCKED OUT? I MEAN, THAT'S A PROBLEM THAT MELISSA MENTIONED, WHICH IS REAL, AND I SEE IT ALL THE TIME.
UM, SO THESE ARE JUST SOME EXAMPLES OF QUALITY OF LIFE AND QUALITY OF LIFE MATTERS AND QUALITY OF LIFE DATA MATTERS.
AND NOW LET'S HAVE ROONEY DRUMMOND.
IS THERE A PARTY OUT THERE? THEY WOULDN'T LET US ALL COME IN.
THIS IS MY FIRST TIME TALKING HERE.
SO BEAR WITH ME CAUSE I'M A LITTLE NERVOUS.
I'M THE PRESIDENT OF A RESCUE HERE IN AUSTIN THAT PULLS DOGS FROM THE SHELTER INCLUDING LONG STAYS.
I ALSO VOLUNTEERED AT THE SHELTER FOR QUITE A FEW YEARS BEFORE RUNNING MY OWN RESCUE.
I HAVE BEEN A TAX PAYING MEMBER OF AUSTIN, TEXAS, AND TRAVIS COUNTY FOR THE PAST 23 YEARS.
I'M HERE TO SHARE MY SUPPORT FOR REMOVING THE CURRENT LEADERSHIP OF AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER TO A LEADERSHIP THAT IS MORE PROACTIVE, COMPASSIONATE, AND FORWARD-THINKING IN ORDER TO PROTECT THE WELFARE OF THE ANIMALS IN OUR CITY.
I JOINED A LARGE GROUP OF CONCERNED CITIZENS THAT BELIEVE OUR ANIMALS AND OUR CITY DESERVE BETTER.
WE SHOULDN'T BE GRADING ON A CURVE BASED ON EVEN WORSE, TEXAS SHELTERS, EVERY SINGLE TAXPAYER IN OUR CITY DESERVES TO DEMAND BETTER FOR OUR CITY.
I'M A STRONG BELIEVER THAT ANIMAL WELFARE SHOULD BE LED BY PEOPLE WHO DO NOT SIMPLY HOLD JOBS AND POSITIONS FOR A GOOD PENSION AT THE END OF THEIR TENURE.
BUT INSTEAD BY PEOPLE WHO TRULY CARE ABOUT THE WELFARE OF THAT LIVING CREATURES THAT ARE ENTRUSTED IN THEIR CARE, THE LEADERSHIP OF AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER RIGHT NOW DO NOT LEAD BY EXAMPLE AND HAVE CREATED A HOSTILE AND DIFFICULT SPACE FOR VOLUNTEERS AND STAFF.
I UNDERSTAND THAT MANAGING A SHELTER IS NOT EASY AND THERE'S ALWAYS PUSHBACK AT SOME LEVEL BECAUSE IT'S BASED ON PASSION AND CARING FOR ANIMALS.
BUT WHERE WE ARE TODAY GOES FAR BEYOND, SIMPLY NOT BEING A POPULAR SHELTER LEADER.
IT'S ABOUT BEING A BETTER EXAMPLE IN ANIMAL WELFARE AS A SHELTER.
AND THAT GOES ALL THE WAY TO THE TOP AS A COMMUNITY.
SO MANY OF US HAVE FULL-TIME JOBS AND SPEND OUR SPARE TIME FIGHTING FOR THE ANIMALS IN OUR COMMUNITY AND IN TEXAS ANIMAL LOVERS.
AND AUSTIN WANT A LEADERSHIP THAT KNOWS THE ANIMALS IN THE SHELTER AND ADVOCATES FOR THEM.
WITHOUT THAT BEING ONLY TO TALK ABOUT WHAT ANIMALS THEY WANT TO HAVE KILLED LAST WEEK AND INJURED BULLDOG WAS PUT ON A CROSS COUNTRY.
BOTH DOGS ARE BRACKETS OF PHALLIC AND TRANSPORT FOR BULLDOGS IS EXTREMELY UNSAFE.
STILL THE DOG WAS PUT ON TRANSPORT IN THE SUMMER.
AND MY RESCUE DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THAT THE DOG WAS THERE UNTIL IT WAS TOO LATE.
AND WE WERE LEFT JUST HOPING THAT THE DOG SURVIVED THE TRANSPORT.
THIS LEADERSHIP IS ALLOWING CARELESS DECISIONS FOR THE SAKE OF NUMBERS, SICK DOGS, SENIOR DOGS AND DOGS THAT SUFFER FROM EXTREME TRANSPORT ANXIETY ARE BEING PUT INTO TRANSPORT BUSES WITH LITTLE TO NO REGARD FOR THEIR WELLBEING.
I'M NOT AGAINST TRANSPORT, I'M AGAINST CARELESS AND INDIFFERENT WORK.
I WOULD LIKE TO SEE A CHANGE TO OUR CITY SHELTER LEADERSHIP, A CHANGE TO THE BUDGET STRUCTURING.
SO EMPLOYEES ARE PAID BETTER AND GIVEN THE ABILITY TO RECEIVE BENEFITS AND THEREBY GIVING AN OPPORTUNITY TO KEEP STAFF WHILE ALSO ADDING NEEDED EMPLOYEES CHANGE IN THE OVERINFLATED SALARIES OF LEADERSHIP AND A CHANGE TO OPEN SHELTER HOURS TO INCLUDE SUNDAY AND AFTER WORK HOURS.
I HOPE THE CITIZENS ARE HEARD AND I HOPE WE HAVE THAT CHANGE MADE IMMEDIATELY.
NOW, UH, UH, WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN? I THINK BECAUSE WE DECIDE WHAT ACTION WE'RE GOING TO TAKE.
UH, I'M GOING TO, BECAUSE I'M THE CHAIR I'M GOING TO READ INTO THE RECORD, THE, UM, RESOLUTION TO PROPOSE RESOLUTION.
WHEREAS THE AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER IS OPERATED BY CHIEF ANIMAL SERVICES, OFFICER AND MANAGEMENT TEAM.
AND WHEREAS LEADERSHIP HAS CONSISTENTLY FAILED TO PROVIDE THE ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION WITH THE DATA NECESSARY TO MONITOR THE ONGOING STATUS OF THE AUSTIN'S OF THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL MANDATED NO KILL POLICY.
AND WHEREAS LEADERSHIP HAS DISREGARDED THE GUIDANCE OF THE COMMISSION AND VIOLATE THE CITY OF AUSTIN HOLD ORDINANCE, WHICH HAS EXPOSED THE CITY TO LEGAL LIABILITY AND CAUSE A PLACEMENT OF ANIMALS.
THE CITY DID NOT YET OWN AND SHOULD HAVE HELD FOR POSSIBLE REUNIFICATION WITH THEIR OWNERS.
AND WHEREAS LEADERSHIP'S MONTHLY REPORTS ARE CONFUSING, MISLEADING, AND COMPLETE AND LACK TRANSPARENCY TO THE COMMISSION AND TO THE PUBLIC.
AND WHEREAS LEADERSHIP HAS ALIENATED PARTNERSHIP, ORGANIZATIONS, VOLUNTEERS, AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS, WHICH HAS CONTRIBUTED TO SHELTER, OVERCROWDING AND LACK OF ANA VOLUNTEER SUPPORT FOR
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SHELTER, PET CARE AND ADOPTIONS.AND WHEREAS LEADERSHIP HAS FAILED TO ADEQUATELY MANAGE OR SUPPORT LIFE-SAVING FOSTER VOLUNTEER PROGRAMS AND TO ENGAGE THE WILLING PUBLIC TO HELP.
AND WHEREAS LEADERSHIP HAS FAILED TO PROVIDE ADEQUATE SERVICES, TO HELP REUNITE OR ASSIST TAXPAYERS WITH LOST OR FOUND ANIMALS.
AND WHEREAS LEADERSHIP HAS CEASED TO PROVIDE OR SUBSTANTIALLY REDUCED ANIMAL RELATED SERVICES TO THE PUBLIC ON SUNDAYS CITING AND ACCURATE AND INCOMPLETE INFORMATION TO SUPPORT THE RATIONALE.
AND WHEREAS LEADERSHIP HAS STOPPED PROVIDING INTAKE AND PET OWNERS SUPPORT SERVICES ON WEEKENDS WHEN THEY ARE GENERALLY MOST NEEDED BY AUSTIN RESIDENTS.
AND WHEREAS LEADERSHIP HAS NOT INDICATED THEY PLAN TO RE-INSTITUTE ANIMAL SERVICES PREVIOUSLY PROVIDED TO AUSTIN RESIDENTS AND WHEREAS LEADERSHIP REFUSES TO IMPLEMENT DATA-DRIVEN BEST PRACTICES TO ALLEVIATE THE ONGOING SPACE CRISIS.
AND WHEREAS LEADERSHIP REFUSES TO PRIORITIZE THE USE OF TAXPAYER FUNDS TO ADDRESS THE MOST URGENT NEEDS OF THE SHELTER.
AND WHEREAS LEADERSHIP HAS CONSISTENTLY FAILED TO TELL THE PUBLIC ABOUT OR MARKET THE LONG STAY DOGS, DESPITE LINKS OF STAY IN EXCESS OF ONE YEAR.
AND WHEREAS LEADERSHIP'S OUT-OF-STATE TRANSPORT PROGRAM CONTRIBUTES TO THE SPACE CRISIS, DENIES TAXPAYERS, A SELECTION OF HIGHLY ADOPTABLE PETS AND MOVES ANIMALS TO KILL COMMUNITIES, WHICH IS INCOMPATIBLE WITH A COUNCIL MANDATED NO KILL POLICY.
AND WHEREAS LEADERSHIP HAS NOT RESPONDED TO THE COMMISSIONER'S REQUEST FOR DATA ON THE OUT OF STATE TRANSPORT PROGRAM.
AND WHEREAS LEADERSHIP REFUSES TO COLLABORATE WITH A VOLUNTEER DOG BEHAVIOR SUPPORT GROUP WHO UTILIZES REWARDS-BASED TRAINING AND IS NOW SENDING AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER DOGS TO A TRAINER KNOWN TO USE SHOCK AND PRONG COLLARS.
AND WHEREAS LEADERSHIP HAS REPEATEDLY REFUSED TO ACCEPT HELP FROM OR COLLABORATE WITH AUSTIN ANIMAL STAKEHOLDERS THAT COULD PROVIDE IMMEDIATE FREE HELP TO SOLVE THE PROBLEMS THE SHELTERS FACING.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT THE AUSTIN ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION DOES NOT HAVE CONFIDENCE THAT AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTERED LEADERSHIP HAS OR WILL DEMONSTRATE THAT IT CAN ACHIEVE AND SUSTAIN THE COUNCIL MANDATED GOALS OF AUSTIN'S NO KILL POLICY OR PROVIDE THE SERVICES AND TAXPAYERS THE SERVICES THE TAXPAYER SHOULD RECEIVE FROM THEIR MUNICIPAL SHELTER.
UH, NOW IF WE'RE GOING TO DO THIS RIGHT, WHAT WE DO IS WE FIRST GET A MOTION AND A SECOND, AND THEN WE DEBATE THE QUESTION.
SO DO I HEAR A MOTION POLYMER? YES.
PALMER, UM, THE RESOLUTION THAT YOU'VE JUST READ.
IT'S PALM REMOVED TO, TO PASS THIS AND NANCY SECOND AT IT THAT I GOT THAT RIGHT? YEP.
SO NOW WE'RE GOING TO DEBATE THE ISSUE, UH, WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK, JOANNE, THANK YOU.
UM, I HAVE COMMENTS AND I HAVE QUESTIONS.
IF I DON'T FOLLOW THE RULES, LET ME KNOW WHAT RULE EXACTLY.
UM, I'M ALARMED BY THIS DOCUMENT.
IT SEE LEADERSHIP IS A TEAM, NOT A PERSON TO THOSE ON THE GROUND.
IT INCLUDES SUPERVISORS AND TEAM LEADERS AND INCLUDES VET SERVICES AND VET TECHS WHO ARE TEAM LEADERS IN THOSE AREAS.
I WAS ASKED THREE TIMES LAST WEEK BEFORE THIS DOCUMENT WAS POSTED, WHY THE ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION HATES THEM WHEN THEY ALL WORKED SO HARD TO KEEP THEIR PET, TO KEEP PETS HEALTHY MENTALLY WELL WITH WALKS, TRANSPORT THEM PROVIDE ENRICHMENT AND STIMULATION WORKED SO HARD TO MARKET THEM AND REARRANGE THEIR PERSONAL SCHEDULES TO WORK WITH VOLUNTEERS, TO GET CRATED DOGS OUT MULTIPLE TIMES A DAY.
THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THEIR LEADERSHIP IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH, WHY THEIR TEAMWORK IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH.
THEY RECOGNIZE THAT VOLUNTEERS APPRECIATE THEM AND REWARDED THEM BY VOTING AAC IS THE BEST PLACE TO VOLUNTEER IN AUSTIN.
IN 2022 IN THE CHRONICLE READER'S POLL, I'M GOING TO GO THROUGH THE DIFFERENT ITEMS. NOW REGARDING DATA AAC HAS PROVIDED CRITICAL LIVE RELEASE DATE AND EXPLAINED MONTHLY TO OUR COMMISSION THAT IT RESOURCES WERE FOCUSED ON COVID RELATED PROGRAMMING AS CONFIRMED BY IT, PUTTING UP THE NEW DATA PORTAL.
WHEN COVID NUMBERS WENT DOWN, WE KNEW THAT WAS GOING TO COME, UM, LIABILITY,
[02:25:01]
UM, ISSUES.AND THE SECOND THING CONCLUSION, UM, WAS NOT SHARED EXACTLY BY CITY LEGAL.
THE LEGAL MEMO SENT TO THE COMMISSION SAYS WHETHER THE CITY SHOULD BE LIABLE IN A PARTICULAR INSTANCE IS A FACT SENSITIVE INQUIRY.
MOREOVER, THIS IS NOT, THIS WOULD NOT BE AN OFFENSE UNDER CITY CODE SECTION 1, 9, 9, 9 OFFENSES GENERAL.
ALSO THE ERROR OF MANUALLY CALCULATING THE STRAY HOLD HAS BEEN THERE SINCE AT LEAST 2017.
YET THE COMMISSION HAS NEVER SPOKEN OUT ABOUT THIS IN ANY OF THE PREVIOUS DIRECTORS.
AND I THINK THERE ARE THREE AND POSSIBLY FOUR FOR THE REPORT FORMAT.
MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THE SHELTER STAFF SHOULD HAS TO PROVIDE WHAT'S REQUIRED IN THE CODE.
UM, AND IF THEY DO THAT AND WE WANTED IN A BETTER FORMAT, A BETTER WAY OF SAYING WE DON'T, INSTEAD OF SAYING, WE DON'T HAVE CONFIDENCE IS WHY DON'T WE, WHY DON'T WE AS A COMMISSION, BE PROACTIVE AND SAY, THIS IS THE FORMAT WE WOULD LIKE.
UM, IF WE LOOK AT THE AUSTIN PETS, ALIVE LICENSE AGREEMENT, ONE OF THEIR EXHIBITS IS HERE'S THE FORMAT OF THE DATA WE WANT AND THE DATA IS PROVIDED IN THAT FORMAT.
SO I THINK WE COULD DO THE SAME TYPE OF THING.
AND I DON'T REMEMBER ONE EVER BEING PROPOSED, UM, FOR, UM, ITEM, LET'S SEE, NUMBER FOUR, UH, ALIENATED PARTNERSHIP ORGANIZATIONS.
I THINK A RECENT PARTNERSHIP RENEWAL WAS SENT OUT.
UM, HOW MANY, UM, RESCUES SENT IT BACK VERSUS DIDN'T SEND IT BACK.
UH, NO, THE ONLY ONE THAT DECLINED IT ONLY ONE.
SO EVERYONE ELSE CONTINUED TO WORK WITH US TO WORK WITH THE SHELTER.
I'D HAVE TO GET THE SPECIFIC NUMBERS, BUT I KNOW ONLY ONE DECLINED.
SO IT DOESN'T REALLY LOOK LIKE ALIENATING.
SO WHOEVER WROTE THIS, CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT YOU MEANT BY THAT? UM, COMMISSIONER NORTON QUESTIONS SHOULD BE ADDRESSED TO COMMISSIONER CHRIS.
IF YOU, IF YOU CAN LIST OUT YOUR QUESTIONS, YOU EACH, EACH COMMISSIONER GETS TWO OPPORTUNITIES TO SPEAK.
AND SO IF YOU CAN COMPLETE YOUR SPEAKING OKAY.
WITH YOUR QUESTIONS AND THEN, UH, THEN THE CHAIR CAN CALL AND OTHERS TO RESPOND.
SO IF YOU CAN JUST COMPLETE WHAT YOU'RE PLANNING TO SAY.
UM, FOR FOSTERING AAC HAS 1.5 MEMBERS ON THE FOSTER TEAM.
WE'RE ON TRACK, I THINK TO HAVE 15,000 ANIMALS THIS YEAR.
THAT'S NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE TO HELP WITH FOSTERS.
WE COULD HAVE, AS A COMMISSION, DONE SOMETHING ABOUT IT IN 2019 COMMISSIONER, NEW HOUSE, CHAIRED A BUDGET AND PRIORITIES WORKING GROUP THAT I REQUIRED THAT COULD HAVE REQUESTED ADDITIONAL SUPPORT, BUT WE NEVER EVEN HAD A MEETING.
AND I OFFERED TO BE ON THAT WORKING GROUP.
UM, AND A BUDGET WORKING GROUP MOTION IN 2022 ALSO DID NOT PASS THIS COMMISSION.
THE COMMISSION HAS NOT SUPPORTED THE BUDGET NEEDS AND ONE OF THE BUDGET NEEDS WOULD HAVE BEEN ADDITIONAL FOSTER STAFF FOR REUNITING.
I'M ONE OF THE PEOPLE WHO, UM, MARK DOWN, WHETHER A DOG HAS LIVED WITH KIDS, CATS, OR DOGS TO MAKE THEM MORE MARKETABLE, AAC, STAFF CALLS AND FOLLOWS UP WHEN THE DOGS ARE MICROCHIPPED.
THINK THIS SAYS THEY KIND OF FAILED TO PROVIDE SERVICES TO REUNITE.
I, I JUST DON'T GET IT BECAUSE I READ THIS STUFF.
UM, THEY, UH, THEY REQUESTED, UM, THEY PUT PO PICTURES UP RIGHT AWAY.
SOME OF THEM I THINK COULD BE BETTER.
SO THOSE ON THE PETS TEAM, UM, POST FOR BETTER PHOTOS AND ASK VOLUNTEERS TO GIVE BETTER PHOTOS SO WE CAN GET THOSE UPDATED RIGHT AWAY.
UM, I JOINED AUSTIN LOST AND FOUND PETS SO THAT I COULD, IF I SEE A NEW PHOTO, I COULD GO AND SEE IF ANY ANIMAL LOOKS SIMILAR AND THROW THE PHOTO UP THERE TO TRY TO REUNITE THE PEOPLE.
UM, AND, UH, AND, AND THEY ALSO POST ON NEXT DOOR.
SO I SEE THE NOTES TO SAY THAT IT'S NOT DONE IS THEY DO FOLLOW UP AND THEY FOLLOW UP MULTIPLE TIMES.
AND WHAT HAPPENS WITH MICROCHIPS IS EITHER THE PERSON JUST DOESN'T RESPOND OR THEY SAY THEY DON'T WANT THE ANIMAL BACK, OR IT WAS MY BOYFRIEND'S ANIMAL OR MY GIRLFRIEND'S ANIMAL.
AND THEY LEFT AND I WANT THE ANIMAL BACK.
SO, UM, THERE'S A LOT OF THAT.
UM, FOR STAFFING, I DON'T THINK THE STAFFING IS OUT OF LINE WITH OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS THAT, UM, DUE TO THE HIRING PROCESS, THE HIRING PROCESS WITH THE CITY, YOU KNOW, I'M S FORMER CITY PERSON IS VERY LENGTHY, TOO LENGTHY.
UM, BUT I MEAN, WE SEE WHAT HAPPENS WITH PARKS.
WE DON'T HAVE LIFEGUARDS, WE'VE GOT CITY WHERE WE'RE NOT PROVIDING SERVICES TO THE CITY BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE LIFEGUARDS.
THIS ISN'T JUST THE ANIMAL CENTER BEING CLOSED ON SUNDAY.
I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHY IT'S THERE.
THE WEEKEND IS FRIDAY TO SUNDAY NIGHT.
IT'S NOT, IT'S, WE'RE JUST CLOSED
[02:30:01]
ON SUNDAY, UM, REINSTITUTING SERVICES.UM, WE, UH, THE AAC HAS BEEN PROVIDING THE COMMISSION WITH A STATUS OF JOBS AND DISCUSS JOB CRISIS IS DURING THE MEETING, AAC HAS KEPT THE COMMISSION FORMED ABOUT THE HIRING STRUGGLES, PLACING PLAGUING OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, THEY'VE BEEN PARTICIPATING IN JOB FAIRS AND ACTUALLY TOOK STAFF TO THE JOB FAIRS.
DATA-DRIVEN PAT PRACTICES ARE PART OF THE EQUATION, BUT POLICIES CHANGE.
LIKE WE WERE SENT, WE WERE GIVEN DATA, UM, A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO THAT SAID PETS, EUTHANIZED, BUT IT INCLUDED WILDLIFE.
THE NUMBER WAS REALLY HIGH BECAUSE A POLICY HAD CHANGED.
SO YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT THE DATA, BUT YOU ALSO HAVE TO LOOK AT WHAT'S ACTUALLY GOING ON IN THE SHELTER.
YOU KNOW, A COMMENT WAS MADE ABOUT, WELL, ALL THE SMALL DOGS ARE LEAVING.
WELL, A LOT OF THESE SMALL DOGS, WHEN YOU SEE THE PICTURES POSTED ARE NOT IN GOOD SHAPE.
I MEAN, THERE ARE POODLES THAT REALLY NEED A LOT OF WORK AND THESE RESCUES PULL THOSE DOGS AND THEY DO THAT WORK AND SAVING THE TAXPAYERS MONEY.
AND I THINK THAT'S A REALLY GOOD THING.
UM, THE, UH, AND THE OTHER THING THAT DATA-DRIVEN, THIS SHELTER HAS PUT IN MOST OF THE ISSUES, THE SPACE WORKING GROUP, AND I WOULD THINK THOSE WOULD BE DATA-DRIVEN, BUT IF THEY'RE NOT DATA-DRIVEN THEN I DON'T, I'M JUST EVEN CONFUSED BY THAT.
SO I'LL ASK A QUESTION ABOUT THAT.
UM, I ALSO, UM, DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT WAS REFERRING TO.
UM, I KNOW THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF CONTROVERSY ABOUT THE, UM, THE PENS.
UM, I LIKED THEM, BUT I'M THERE IN THE MORNING.
UM, I BELIEVE THAT IT WAS, IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT IT WAS IMPLEMENTED THAT THE MONEY CAME THROUGH BUILDING.
SO THE BUILDING SERVICES DEPARTMENT, UM, IT WAS A GRANT THROUGH BUILDING SERVICES THAT THE PERMITS HAVE BEEN, UM, ARE IN PLACE FOR THE NEW CANOPIES OR JUST WAITING FOR THE VENDORS TO COME IN AND DO THEM.
UM, I'VE NEVER HAD A PROBLEM WHEN ISSUES COME UP TALKING DIRECTOR BLAND.
I HAD SOME, UM, PEOPLE CONTACT ME FROM THE SHELTER WHO HAD SOME ISSUES AND QUESTIONS.
I HAD A MEETING WITH HIM, HE ANSWERED EVERYTHING, FOLLOWED UP WITH ME, WENT OUT WITH ME TO LOOK AT SOME THINGS.
AND, UM, UH, IT'S MY EXPERIENCE THAT IF YOU ASKED TO MEET WITH THEM, HE WILL, UM, LONG STAYS ARE AN ISSUE.
I MEAN, YOU NEED UNICORN, UH, DOCTORS.
UH, I LIKE THE NEW PROGRAM WE HAVE OF TAKING THE FABULOUS PHOTOS OF SARAH AND PUTTING AND MARKETING THEM MORE.
UM, I THINK WE COULD GET THEM OUT MORE ON THE FRONT PAGE.
I'M GLAD THAT WE USED A LOT OF THE PHOTOS THAT CAME FROM THE ORANGE DOT CREW IN THEIR OUTINGS, UM, WITH THE DOGS.
IF SOMEONE WHO DOES ADDED PETS, WHEN I SEE THEM, I ALWAYS UPDATE THOSE.
CAUSE I THINK CITIZENS WOULD LIKE THEM BETTER.
UM, UH, BUT I THINK THAT AS A COMMISSION, WE COULD HAVE A WORKING GROUP ON QUALITY OF LIFE.
I HAD HOPED THAT THAT WOULD BE PART OF AN EXPECTED THAT TO BE PART OF THE LAST SPACE WORKING GROUP, BUT IT WASN'T, UM, UH, AND SEE WHAT WE CAN DO TO KIND OF GET SOME OF THE STRESS OFF OF THESE DOGS.
UM, UM, I'M SORRY, COMMISSIONER.
I JUST, I FAILED TO MENTION THIS, BUT THE, UH, ROBERT'S RULES ALSO STATES THAT EACH SPEAKER, UH, COMMENT CAN BE NO MORE THAN 10 MINUTES.
AND YOU, WHAT RULE IS THAT NUMBER? UH, I WILL FIND IT FOR YOU.
WELL, I MEAN, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN NICE TO KNOW THIS BEFORE WE WERE HERE TO HAVE A DISCUSSION.
SO, BUT IF WE'RE GOING AND I, I CAN SEE THAT KRISTIN, BUT THIS IS A HUGE ISSUE AND IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE AS A WORKING.
OKAY, WAIT, WAIT, SO LET'S STOP A MINUTE.
KRISTEN'S ACTING IN THE INTEREST OF A PARLIAMENTARIAN ADDRESS, THE CHAIR.
SO TWO YEARS OF THE OTHER THING, SO CORRECT.
THIS IS A VERY, VERY SERIOUS DOCUMENT.
AND TO PUT IT OUT HERE WITH VAGUE INFORMATION, NO EXAMPLES WANTED APPROVED IS JUST WRONG.
IT, THESE ARE ADMINISTRATIVE THINGS THAT AREN'T EVEN ALLOWED IN OUR BYLAWS FROM WHAT I COULD READ.
AND IT'S NOT THAT THEY'RE NOT IMPORTANT.
IT'S JUST, WE NEED DISCUSSION ON THEM AND TO GET A DOCUMENT OF THIS LENGTH AND THIS IMPORTANCE AND BE TOLD, I HAVE 10 MINUTES TO COMMENT ON THEM IS THE, THE 10 MINUTES COMES FROM ROBERT'S RULES.
IF, IF PEOPLE TAKE MORE TIME THAN THAT, WE'LL BE HERE VERY LATE.
NOT EVERYBODY WILL BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE MAYBE AND PEOPLE GO HOME.
SO I THINK 10 MINUTES IS PRETTY LENIENT.
[02:35:01]
PEOPLE RARELY SPEAK 10 MINUTES, BUT THIS IS A TWO PAGE SINGLE REALLY TINY DOCUMENT THAT HAS A LOT OF IMPACT ON THE S ON THE SHELTER.AND WE'RE G WE'RE JOANNE, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A 10 MINUTE LIMIT.
SO, AND WHY WASN'T THIS DONE IN A WORKING GROUP? YOU, YOU GET TO SPEAK TWICE.
THIS WAS NOT DONE AT WORK WORKING GROUP BECAUSE TO PUT AN ITEM ON AN AGENDA TO AT LEAST TWO COMMISSIONERS, COME TO ME AND SAY, THEY WANT TO PUT AN ITEM ON THE AGENDA.
AND IF THERE'S A MOTION THAT WANTS TO GO WITH THIS ITEM, THEY PUT THE MOTION ON THE BACKUP FOR THE AGENDA.
AND WHICH TWO COMMISSIONERS REQUESTED IT? UM, I'M NOT SURE.
UH, I MEAN, I I'M, I'M NOT SURE I'M SOMEONE I'M NOT SURE ABOUT, ABOUT THAT.
UH
I DON'T, IT, IT MIGHT'VE BEEN COMMISSIONER NEMER COMMISSIONER CLINTON.
SO, UH, SO LET'S GO ON TO THE NEXT SPEAKER.
SO, AND EVERYBODY GETS TO SPEAK TWICE BY THE WAY.
SO YOU'D GET 10 MINUTES AND 10 MINUTES IF YOU WANT, UH, NANCY NEMER, I'M A LITTLE BIT CONCERNED.
UM, CHAIRS, THANK YOU FOR RECOGNIZING ME.
I'M A LITTLE CONCERNED WHEN COMMISSIONER NORTON WAS SPEAKING, THAT SHE SHOULD NOT BE RECUSED FROM THIS DISCUSSION IN EVERY POINT AND EVERY TURN THAT SHE WAS COMMENTING ABOUT, SHE WASN'T TALKING ABOUT THE, THE MANAGEMENT OF THE SHELTER.
SHE WASN'T TALKING ABOUT DAWN BLAND.
SHE KEPT USING THE TERM QUOTE, UNQUOTE WE, AND BY USING, SHE TENDS TO ALIGN HERSELF WITH THE AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER.
AND IN THAT CASE MUCH LIKE COMMISSIONER NEILSON AND COMMISSIONER HERRERA, WHO WOULD PROBABLY BE RECUSING THEMSELVES BECAUSE THEY WORK THERE.
IT SOUNDS TO ME LIKE COMMISSIONER NORTON WOULD ALSO HAVE TO RECUSE HERSELF CONSIDERING SHE KEEPS USING THE TERM.
WE INSTEAD OF THE AUSTIN ANIMALS.
UH, WE ARE NOT, WE BEING THE COMMISSION ARE NOT THE RECUSAL POLICE AND THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, I'VE, I'VE RESEARCHED THIS.
PEOPLE CHOOSE PERSONALLY CHOOSE TO WHETHER TO RECUSE OF CELLS OR NOT.
AND THAT'S THE, THAT'S THE DECISION THEY MAKE THE LIVE WITH THAT THEY HAVE TO LIVE WITH.
AND BECAUSE THINGS CAN BE CHALLENGED LATER ON VOTES CAN BE CHALLENGED BY PEOPLE WHO MAY NOT HAVE RECUSED THEMSELVES PROPERLY.
AND SO LET'S NOT, LET'S JUST NOT GO THERE LESS TALK ABOUT LET'S ADDRESS THE, UH, UH, THE, THE ISSUE AT HAND, WHICH IS THIS DOCUMENT.
AND, UH, I MEAN, JOANNE ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, MENTIONED THINGS IN THIS DOCUMENT THAT SHE DISAGREED WITH, WHICH IS LEGITIMATE.
UH, IF YOU WANT TO MENTION THINGS IN THIS DOCUMENT, YOU DO AGREE WITH THAT WOULD BE LEGITIMATE OR, UH, YOUR SUPPORT OR NOT SUPPORT.
LET'S KEEP IT FOCUSED ON THE ISSUE.
I'M JUST AFRAID THAT THE BOAT WILL BE DETRIMENTAL IF THAT'S THE CASE, BUT I AM IN FULL SUPPORT OF THIS AMENDMENT OR THIS OF THIS PROPOSAL.
UH, SO WHAT WE, UH, DOES ANYBODY ELSE WANT, WHO, YEAH.
WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO FIND BOTH SIDES OF BIA.
I, WE ARE ALL HERE BECAUSE WE CARE ABOUT ANIMALS, WELFARE, ALL BOUNDS.
THERE'S A LOT OF PASSION AND, UM, HAIR DONE.
THE WHOLE THING ABOUT ASKING FOR MORE STAFF, I UNDERSTAND THAT.
AND ALSO THE BOTTOM LINE YOU CAN ASK FOR MORE STAFF AND MORE DIFFERENT THINGS, GOOD THINGS FOR THE ANIMALS.
AT THE SAME TIME, YOU HAVE TO HAVE GOOD AND EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT.
YOU CAN ASK FOR A LOT OF THINGS, BUT IF YOU DON'T HAVE A GOOD MANAGEMENT, IF IT WON'T MATTER, IF YOU GET A LOT OF ALL THIS OTHER THINGS.
[02:40:02]
IN MY SHORT TIME BEING AT THE COMMISSION, I, I HAVE BEEN LISTENING A LOT.I HAVE BEEN READING AND, UH, HAVE TO SAY THE RESOLUTION STATES A LOT OF THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN SEEN AND, UH, THIS MEETINGS.
ANYBODY ELSE WANT TO SPEAK A LOT OF, THANK YOU, CHAIRMAN NASER, UH, COMMISSIONER SMUGGLER.
I REALLY HAVE GOT THAT SO HARD FOR ME.
UM, SO FIRST I'LL SAY THAT I AM A CURRENT VOLUNTEER AT AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER AS A VOLUNTEER.
I AM PRONE TO SUPPORT THIS RESOLUTION BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT THIS MANAGEMENT TEAM DOES DISREGARD MANY OF ITS LAY LEVEL STAFF AND EMPLOYEES AND VOLUNTEERS AS A COMMISSIONER, I AM CONCERNED THAT WE HAVE STEPPED OUTSIDE OF OUR ROLE WITH THIS BASED ON A COUPLE OF THE COMMENTS FOR IT.
SO MY QUESTION ON THIS FOR RIGHT NOW IS, IS THIS LEGALLY IN OUR PURVIEW AS THE COMMISSION TO PROPOSE THIS RESOLUTION, UH, THE WAY I UNDERSTAND THIS, AND I HAVE BEEN, YOU KNOW, I'VE, I'VE TALKED TO SOME CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS IS THAT THE, THE, THE BIG DEAL IN AUSTIN WAS NO KILL.
AND THAT WAS A COUNCIL MANDATED POLICY.
AND ONE OF THE JOBS, UH, OF THE COMMISSION, I MEAN, WE HAD PEOPLE, UH, TALK ABOUT THIS EARLIER.
ONE OF THE JOBS IS THE COMMISSION, WE'RE THE EYES AND THE EARS OF OUR APPOINTEE, UH, POINTERS ON THE COMMISSION.
AND WE REPORT BACK TO THE CITY COUNCIL, HOW THEIR POLICY IS BEING EXECUTED.
AND, UM, IF, IF WE BEGIN TO GET NERVOUS THAT THAT NO KILL IS IN DANGER OR THE WAY, UH, SOME, SOME OF THE, UH, SPEAKERS TODAY TALK ABOUT NO KILL MOVING FORWARD.
UH, THE WAY I ALWAYS SAW IT IS THAT NO KILL IS A MOVING TARGET BECAUSE IT HASN'T BEEN FIGURED OUT YET.
IT HASN'T BEEN TOTALLY FIGURED OUT YET.
AND IT'S, AND THERE ARE ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE EXPERIMENTING AND TRYING NEW THINGS AND TRYING TO SEE HOW THIS WORKS.
AND, UH, SO NO KILL TO ME HAS TO BE MOVING FORWARD AS WELL AS BECAUSE THERE WILL ALWAYS BE THE PROBLEM WE TALKED ABOUT, THE STAY, HOW TO FUND IT, YOU KNOW, AT EACH ONE OF THESE DOGS DESERVES A GOOD LIFE WHO PAYS FOR IT.
UH, VOLUNTEERS CAN'T PROVIDE ALL THAT.
THERE'S JUST NOT ENOUGH VOLUNTEERS.
SO HOW DO WE DO IT? SO THAT'S WHAT THE QUESTION BECOMES TO ME.
AND I THINK IT IS A LEGITIMATE QUESTION TO ASK.
AND IT'S A LEGITIMATE QUESTION BECAUSE WE'RE NOT TELLING CITY COUNCIL WHAT TO DO AT NORWOOD.
I, YOU KNOW, I, WE ARE TELLING IF YOU VOTE FOR THIS, I WOULD SAY YOU'RE TELLING CITY COUNCIL, WE HAVE A PROBLEM.
WE HAVE A BIG PROBLEM, AND THIS IS WHAT WE'RE CONCERNED ABOUT.
SO THAT'S A KIND OF A BETTER WAY TO, TO, TO PHRASE THIS, I THINK MAYBE TO THINK ABOUT IT.
DO YOU WANT TO GO ON OR YES, I DO.
UM, SO TO FOLLOW ON THAT, UM, ONE OF THE POINTS THAT COMMISSIONER NORTON BROUGHT UP IS THAT THERE ARE VARIOUS FORMS OF LEADERSHIP.
SO I WOULD REQUEST IF THIS IS GOING TO GO FORWARD.
I DON'T KNOW, A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT THAT WE DEFINE SPECIFICALLY WHAT LEADERSHIP WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THE FRONTLINE LEADERS? ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THE SALARY LEADERS? I THINK THAT NEEDS TO BE DEFINED WELL SINCE, UH, THE MOTION IS PALMER'S, UH, IF IT'S A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT, AMR WOULD HAVE TO AGREE TO THAT.
I UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHAT, WHAT, UM, A LOT OF SAYING, I GUESS, WHAT ABOUT, HOW WOULD YOU SUGGEST WORDING? CAN WE LIKE THROW SOME WORDING OUT AND HAVE A DISCUSSION? YEAH, I THINK, UM, WHAT I JUST SAID, UM, THAT THERE IS, UM, A VOTE OF NO CONFIDENCE
[02:45:01]
IN THE SALARIED LEADERSHIP OF AAC.UM, I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT FRONTLINE SUPERVISORS THAT LEADS ARE SALARIED.
UH, IF I AM WRONG, THEN, UH, I CAN BE CORRECTED.
UM, AND AS A FORMER ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, KRISTEN MIGHT HAVE SOME INPUT ON THAT.
I, UH, I, IT IS NO PLEASURE SITTING HERE AS A COMMISSIONER TONIGHT, AND I, I WANT TO FIRST SAY THAT I, I SPENT ALL WEEKEND REALLY THINKING ABOUT OUR ROLE AS THE COMMISSION AND WHAT WE'RE HERE TO DO.
AND I THINK THAT WE, WE DO NEED TO THINK ABOUT WHAT LEADERSHIP MEANS BECAUSE TO ME, UM, HAVING WORKED WITH MANY OF THE FOLKS WHO SIT IN THE LEADERSHIP SEAT AND KNOWING WHAT GREAT WORK THEY'RE CAPABLE OF, UM, I DO THINK THAT WE HAVE AN ISSUE AT THE VERY TOP.
AND I SAY THAT FOR VERY THOUGHTFULLY AND HAVING THOUGHT THROUGH THIS DEEPLY, THAT THREE THINGS STAND OUT TO ME.
ONE, I THINK WE'VE GONE ASTRAY AS A COMMUNITY.
I THINK AUSTIN HAS LOST ITS WAY.
AND I SAY THAT BECAUSE WE HAVE ALWAYS RELIED ON PEOPLE.
WE HAVE ALWAYS RELIED ON THOUSANDS OF HOURS OF VOLUNTEERS OR MONTH.
WE HAVE RELIED ON HUNDREDS OF FOSTER HOMES.
RIGHT? LAST MONTH WE HAD 75 BIG DOGS IN FOSTER HOMES.
WHEN BIG SHELTERS AROUND THE COUNTRY HAD 5, 6, 700, WE HAVE RELIED ON RESCUE GROUPS, AND IT IS NO ACCIDENT THAT CLASSIC CANINES, FINAL FRONTIER, AN ORANGE DOT CREW AND OTHERS THAT WORK WITH MEDIUM, LARGE DOGS OR WHO YOU'RE HEARING FROM.
THEY'RE VERY CHALLENGING SITUATIONS THAT WE HAVE.
AND I THINK THAT WHAT WE OWE AUSTIN, WHAT OUR TOP LEADERSHIP OWES AUSTIN IS COMING TO THE TABLE TO LISTEN TO PEOPLE WHO WANT TO HELP.
I REMEMBER IN 2016, WE CALCULATED THE NUMBER OF HOURS THAT VOLUNTEERS GAVE TO THE SHELTER.
AND IT WAS MORE THAN A MILLION DOLLARS OF PRO OF FREE SUPPORT TO THIS COMMUNITY.
AND I DON'T THINK ANY OF US COME HERE OUT OF A PLACE OF DISRESPECT OF THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE BROUGHT AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER TO WHERE IT IS, BUT TURNING HER BACK ON THOSE HARD CONVERSATIONS.
ISN'T ACCEPTABLE IN THIS COMMUNITY, CLOSING THE SHELTER ON SATURDAYS AND SUNDAYS TO PEOPLE WHO TRULY NEED HELP.
THOSE ARE PEOPLE THAT GO TO WORK EVERY DAY DURING THE WEEK.
THOSE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE LOW INCOME, WHO ARE UNDER-RESOURCED, WHO NEED THOSE SERVICES ON THE WEEKEND AND CLOSING THE SHELTER TO GETTING PETS HOME ON SUNDAYS IS KEEPING MORE ANIMALS IN THE SHELTER.
AND I'VE SAT HERE MONTH AFTER MONTH, FIRST WATCHING.
AND THEN AS A COMMISSIONER, SEEING THAT, LIKE THERE JUST ISN'T THE ENGAGEMENT WE NEED.
THERE IS NOT THE URGENCY OF CONCERN FOR THESE ANIMALS.
AND WHEN I WENT THROUGH THE LIST OF ALL THE ANIMALS THAT HAVE BEEN SITTING THERE A YEAR, THERE ARE ANIMALS WITH VIRTUALLY NO BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS THAT HAVE BEEN SITTING A YEAR OR MORE WITH NO MARKETING AT ALL.
AND THESE THINGS ARE HAPPENING BECAUSE OF THIS LACK OF ENGAGEMENT WITH THE COMMUNITY.
AND I DON'T WANT TO BE SITTING HERE TODAY.
I DON'T KNOW DIRECTOR BLAND PERSONALLY, BUT I KNOW THAT THIS COMMUNITY CAN DO BETTER.
AND WE DO ALL HAVE TO COLLABORATE AND COME TOGETHER.
PEOPLE ARE GETTING POORER PEOPLE WHEN PEOPLE STRUGGLED, THEIR PETS STRUGGLE, AND WE HAVE A REAL TIDAL WAVE COMING UP, EVICTIONS OF HOUSING, LOSS OF JOBS FOR, AND WE BETTER FIGURE THIS OUT BEFORE THAT HAPPENS, BECAUSE THE ONLY PATH FORWARD, IF THINGS DON'T CHANGE IS EUTHANASIA OF WAY MORE ANIMALS.
AND SO I THINK TODAY, WE HAVE TO CONSIDER THIS SERIOUSLY.
I AGREE WITH LADA THAT WE HAVE TO CONSIDER.
WHAT DO WE MEAN WHEN WE SAY LEADERSHIP, EVEN IF THAT'S A VERY UNCOMFORTABLE THING TO ASK.
AND THEN LASTLY, I'LL SAY THAT I THINK THAT WE CAN ONLY SAY WHAT WE BELIEVE IS BEST FOR ANIMALS AND PEOPLE.
AND I KNOW OUR ANIMALS AND OUR PEOPLE DESERVE BETTER, AND I KNOW THAT WE CAN DO BETTER, BUT I DO THINK THAT THIS RESOLUTION RESOLUTION IS IMPORTANT AND WE'LL SUPPORT IT AND CONCUR WITH LADA ON DEFINING LEADERSHIP.
UH, WELL BE, UH, YOU COMMENTED ONCE EVERYBODY GETS A COMMENT TWICE, SO IT IS ANYBODY ELSE WHO HASN'T COMMENTED WANT TO COMMENT.
SO EVEN IF WE WANT TO TELL THE CITY COUNCIL, WE HAVE A BIG PROBLEM, WE BETTER BE EXTREMELY CAREFUL IN OUR WORDS, LIKE EXTREMELY CAREFUL.
WE WANT TO BE BELIEVED AND WE WANT TO BE ACCURATE.
UM, AND THIS RESOLUTION SHOULD HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE VETTED FAR MORE THOROUGHLY AND DISCUSSED WITH MAJOR BACK AND FORTH, MAJOR LOOKING INTO THE POINTS.
I CAN SEE THERE, THERE ARE MULTIPLE INACCURACIES IN IT.
[02:50:01]
MEAN THAT THERE, THAT WE DON'T NEED TO TELL CITY COUNCIL, THERE'S A BIG PROBLEM, BUT WE WANT TO BE ACCURATE.WOULD WE DO THAT? AND SO WE JUST NEED THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO BACK AND FORTH, DISCUSS, COME UP WITH A DRAFT THAT THAT MIGHT BE MORE APPROPRIATE AND, AND TRUE.
UM, BEFORE WE HAVE A VOTE ON THIS, UH, WITH THE THING ABOUT ROBERT'S RULES IS WHEN THE QUESTION IS CALLED, WHEN IT'S IT'S, UM, WE'RE, WE, WE CALL THE QUESTION, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A VOTE ON THIS TONIGHT, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS WHEN, WHEN YOU, UH, SOMEONE MAKES A PROPOSAL ON SOMEONE EMOTIONS AND SECONDS.
CAUSE AT THE END OF THE DISCUSSION, YOU CALL THE QUESTION.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S HOW IT WORKS.
UM, UH, YOU WANT TO GO ON, GO AHEAD.
WELL, SO HOW DOES ONE SHOULD CALL FOR A VOTE TO BE TABLED? YOU CAN MAKE A MOTION TO TABLE IT AND IT NEEDS TO BE SECONDED.
AND THEN THAT WOULD HAVE TO PASS BY A MAJORITY.
WHAT IS STABLE MEANS? WE PUT IT ASIDE TO SPEND MORE TIME ON IT BEFORE WE HAVE A FINAL VOTE, CORRECT? YEAH.
SO ARE YOU MAKING A MOTION TO TABLE THAT WELL, IN ORDER TO POTENTIALLY HAVE THE BOAT, THE HIGHEST PROBABILITY OF THAT PASSING I'D LIKE THERE TO POTENTIALLY POTENTIALLY BE MORE COMMENT ON IT OR DO I NEED TO DO THE POINT AT WHICH YOU NEED TO, YOU NEED TO MOTION TO TABLE IT, THEN IT NEEDS TO BE SECONDED.
AND THEN I SUPPOSE WE CAN HAVE SOME DISCUSSION ON TABLING IT, BUT THEN WE'LL HAVE TO TAKE A VOTE.
THIS IS THERE A SECOND TO TABLE THIS, OKAY.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION ABOUT TABLING THIS? I HAVE A QUESTION.
WE HAVEN'T ALL GOTTEN THE CHANCE TO COMMENT YET.
UH, WELL NOW IT'S GONE TO IT NOW HAS GONE TO COMMENTING ON TABLING.
SO WE GOT TO GO THROUGH, WE GOT TO GO THROUGH THE TABLING THING AND THEN WE COME BACK TO THE, OKAY.
THIS IS WHERE, UH, SOMEONE COULD MAKE, I HAVE NOT READ THAT CHAPTER.
UM, BUT I THINK THAT, UH, COMMISSIONER CLINTON HAS HIS HAND RAISED.
AND MY GUESS IS THAT HE HAS THE ANSWER FOR THIS ONE, RYAN.
I, I, I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE QUESTION THE QUESTION IS, BUT, UM, I WAS GOING TO, UM, SPEAK AS TO THE EMOTION ON THE TABLE, WHICH IS THE MOTION TO TABLE.
AND, UH, I AM AGAINST THE MOTION, THE TYPICAL, UH, I THINK THAT ALSO AT THE VERY LEAST ALL, UM, PERSONS WHO WISHES TO SPEAK ON THE MOTION SHOULD BE ABLE TO GIVEN AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK, UH, UH, FOR, UH, THERE'S A MOTION TO TABLE THE ITEM.
UM, I ALSO THINK THAT IF ANYBODY WANTS TO POINT OUT, UH, WHAT THEY BELIEVE TO BE INACCURACIES AND, UH, WELL IN THE PROPOSAL THAT THIS IS THEIR OPPORTUNITY TO DO SO, UH, IF THEY WISH TO PREP PROVIDE, UM, A LITTLE FOR A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT TO CHANGE THE WORDING, UH, THE, UM, PROPOSAL IS THERE OPPORTUNITY TO DO SO, BUT I AM AGAINST THE TABLE, ESPECIALLY BEFORE PERSONS HAVE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK.
OKAY, THIS IS CALLED A POINT OF ORDER CALLED PROVO.
SOMEBODY CALLED A POINT OF ORDER.
THE MOTION AS EXPLAINED EARLIER IS UNDEBATABLE AND CANNOT BE QUALIFIED ANYWAY.
AND MOVING IT, A MEMBER CAN MENTION AS A 10 DID PURPOSE OR NAME A TIME WHEN SHE PLANS.
BUT THAT, THAT DOESN'T MATTER.
SO WE'RE NOT GOING TO DEBATE TABLING IT WE'VE HAD MOVED TO SECOND AND WE'RE GOING TO TAKE A VOTE.
THAT'S WHAT ROBERT'S RULES SAID.
SO ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF TABLING, THE MOTION, ALL THOSE OPPOSED.
SO THE MOTION WILL NOT BE TABLED.
SO WHO WOULD LIKE, UH, LISA, DID YOU WANT TO ADDRESS THE MO UH, THE ORIGINAL MOTION? YEAH, I'LL BE BRIEF.
I JUST WANTED TO TAG ONTO WHAT COMMISSIONER WHO SAW HER HOUSE AND SAID, UM, YOU KNOW, THIS BRINGS NO ONE, I THINK, ANY PLEASURE TO EVEN BE DISCUSSING THIS TONIGHT.
I'VE BEEN ON THE COMMISSION SINCE THE DAWN OF MAN, AS WE ALL KNOW.
AND PROBABLY EVERYBODY WOULD BE THRILLED WHEN I'M OFF, BUT THIS, THIS IS NOT THE KIND OF THING THAT MAKES ANYBODY HAPPY, BUT BEING
[02:55:01]
ON THE COMMISSION, AS LONG AS I HAVE WAS HERE, WHEN DORINDA RAN THE SHELTER.AND I DON'T WANT TO SEE US GO BACK TO THAT AND TO ACT KIND OF SURPRISED BY THIS RIGHT NOW.
IF ANYBODY IS SURPRISED BY THIS TYPE OF RESOLUTION BEING SUGGESTED, BUT YOU KNOW, I'M LOOKING BACK AT AN EMAIL THAT I SENT TO MY COUNCIL MEMBER'S OFFICE IN AUGUST OF LAST YEAR, TALKING ABOUT THE MEETING WE HAD ON AUGUST THE NINTH AND THE FACT THAT WE'VE HAD PROBLEMS SINCE THEN, AND THAT WASN'T THE FIRST TIME WE'D EVEN DISCUSS THEM.
AND IT WAS LOOK, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD PET RESOURCE CENTER CLOSED DOWN ON SUNDAYS.
AGAIN, WE'VE HAD PEOPLE TESTIFY TO THE COMMISSION THAT HEY, 80% OF THE PEOPLE IN THE UNITED STATES WORK MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY.
THERE'S A REASON WE NEED THESE FACILITIES AND SERVICES AVAILABLE TO FOLKS ON SUNDAYS.
SO I, I'M SORRY IF ANYBODY FEELS BLINDSIDED OR SURPRISED, BUT THIS HAS BEEN, I THINK, A LONG TIME COMING AND THIS FAILURE TO GET DATA AND, YOU KNOW, TO BE GETTING INFORMATION THAT WE NEED TO MAKE THESE CRUCIAL DECISIONS ABOUT BUDGET.
AND OTHERWISE, I JUST, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE WAY FORWARD IS AT THIS POINT.
WE'VE, WE'VE TRIED AND TRIED FOR A YEAR, YEAR AND A HALF TO GET GOOD INFORMATION AND WE JUST CAN'T GET THERE.
SO AGAIN, IT BRINGS ME NO GREAT JOY TO BE EVEN HAVING THIS DISCUSSION, BUT I APPRECIATE EVERYBODY'S THOUGHTFULNESS ON THIS.
THANK YOU, LISA LOUISE, DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY, LOUISE? YES.
I THINK I AM GOING TO BE 11 YEARS IN SIX MONTHS WITH A SHELTER WITH ALLSTATE, ANYONE CENTER.
I AM GOING TO TALK FIRST AS AN EMPLOYEE.
UH, I SEEN A LOT OF ADMINISTRATION.
I SEEN THAT ALL ONES HAVE A VERY GOOD THINGS AND THE OTHER ONES HAVE A REALLY BAD THINGS.
WHAT MADE ME FEEL VERY NERVOUS RIGHT NOW? IT'S WHAT IS GOING TO BE NEXT AND WHAT IS GOING TO BE NEXT FOR ALL THE COMMUNITY, FOR THE, THE GOOD THINGS THAT WE ARE DOING.
AND OF COURSE, IF, IF IT'S BAD THINGS AROUND, WE CAN FIX IT.
UH, THESE TECHNIQUES FOR SURPRISE, I WAS NOT EXPECTING THESE, THESE DOCUMENT.
UH, WHEN I READ IT, I SAY, IS THESE, WHO'D WRITE THESE RIGHT.
UH, I LOVE THE IDEA TO HAVE MORE DISCUSSION AND, AND GET TO THE BEST OF THE POINTS.
I THINK THAT MAYBE THE SHELTER DIDN'T DO FANTASTIC THINGS ON SUNDAYS.
I THINK AS THE MUSEUMS OR THE COUNTRY CLUBS CLOSED ON MONDAYS.
UH, BUT WE CAN COME BACK TO STAFF.
UH, IF YOU HAVE MORE STAFF AT THE SHELTER AND I THINK, UH, I DON'T KNOW.
I THINK THESE LEADERSHIP IS DOING GOOD THINGS, UH, IN MY PERSONAL, IN MY PERSONAL OPINION, BUT WE CAN DO BETTER, I THINK.
YES, BUT WE CAN DO BETTER AS A COMMUNITY.
NOT ONLY AS A LEADERSHIP, UH, WHEN THEY WERE SAYING SALARY AS LEADERSHIP, I AM SALARY TOO, WITH THE SHELTER.
IF WE ARE GOING TO HAVE ANOTHER RETREAT, WE CAN JUMP.
LET'S GO TO PUT THE BEST PEOPLE WHO CAN WORK THERE, BOTH COPIED IT'S BASED CRISIS.
IT'S COMING ENOUGH, FINANCIAL PROBLEMS SOON AND CHANGING DIRECTORS, CHANGING LEADERSHIP.
I DON'T KNOW WHERE THESE BOATS IS GOING.
I BELIEVE IN THE PEOPLE THAT I WORK.
I LOVE THE ANIMALS WHO ARE THERE.
I LOVE THE IDEA TODAY, HAVE HOMES, BUT HE'S GOING TO BE VERY CHALLENGING.
I THINK FOR, FOR THAT REASON, I LOVE THE IDEA TO, TO THINK MORE.
AND, AND WE, I THINK WE ARE BEING REACTIVE AND I KNOW, UH, SOME DATA SOUNDS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT WELCOME ONE DAY TO JUMP TO CHAMELEON.
AND
I HOPE THE BEST FOR THE PEOPLE AND FOR THE PETS AND FOR THE COMMUNITY.
UH, ANYONE ELSE WANT TO SPEAK? UH, LET'S SEE, IS ANYBODY ELSE WHO HASN'T SPOKEN? OKAY.
HEY, RYAN, RYAN WANTS TO SPEAK.
I DON'T UM, I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING BIG PLAN TO SAY.
[03:00:01]
PERSONS, UH, UH, NOT ON THE COMMISSION HAVE BEEN, UM, ASKING ME TO, TO PROPOSE SOMETHING LIKE THIS OR, UH, FOR AWHILE, HONESTLY, UH, MORE THAN A YEAR.AND I'VE ALWAYS SAID THAT I DIDN'T BELIEVE THAT IT WAS THE RIGHT THING TO DO BECAUSE I THOUGHT THAT WE NEEDED TO CONTINUE TO GIVE THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR THINGS TO BE DONE.
AND MY, MY INSTINCT IS, IS, IS DOESN'T DOESN'T WANT TO DO IT.
UM, MY PROBLEM IS, GOES TO A FEW THINGS.
ONE, UM, ONE I'M I HAVE FEEL LIKE I DO FEEL LIKE THAT THE CURRENT LEADERSHIP HAS MADE IT, YEAH, NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE FOR US TO DO OUR, UH, AS A COMMISSIONING.
UH, I'VE I'VE ONLY BEEN ON IT FOR FOUR YEARS, BUT I'VE BEEN ATTENDING FOR 17 AND I'VE NEVER SEEN, UH, A SHELTER LEADERSHIP.
SO, UH, OBVIOUSLY INTENT ON NOT PROVIDING INFORMATION THAT IS REQUESTED AT MEETINGS.
UM, I'M STILL, I'M STILL SHOCKED THAT WE, AS A COMMISSION AND ASKED FOR INFORMATION ABOUT TRANSFERS, WE WEREN'T GIVING IT.
AND WHEN I ASKED FOR IT THROUGH PUBLIC RECORDS, WHICH IS THE ONLY WAY TO GET IT OTHER WAY TO GET IT, I WAS TOLD IT WAS GOING TO BE OVER $400.
AND THAT, THAT TO ME IS JUST COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE FOR A COMMISSION, NOT TO BE ABLE TO BE GIVEN INFORMATION THAT THE COMMISSION REQUESTS.
AND AS WE ALSO KNOW, IT'S, IT'S BEEN YEARS THAT THE DEATH, UH, EVEN THE, THE DATA THAT THE CITY COUNCIL ASKED FOR, IT TOOK A YEAR, UH, TO BEGIN AND TO ANT TO PROVIDE THE OUNCE WELL ORDERED TRANSPARENCY INFORMATION.
SO TO ME, UH, I, I SHARE THE FEELING OF SOME OF THE VOLUNTEERS.
UM, I, I DON'T LIKE PARTICIPATING IN THIS ANYMORE.
IT'S NOT PRODUCTIVE TO COME TO THESE MEETINGS BECAUSE WE DON'T GET THE INFORMATION THAT WE NEED TO HAVE A, A, A REAL DEBATE ABOUT THE ISSUES.
AND I THINK IT'S, THAT'S NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE, AND THERE'S NO EXPLANATION FOR IT.
OTHER THAN THAT, IT'S A TOP-DOWN ORDER.
DON'T PROVIDE THE INFORMATION THAT THEY ASK FOR.
THE SECOND PART FOR ME, WHY, UH, ALL THIS IS SO HARD IS BECAUSE I HEAR THE EMPLOYEES AND I, I HOPE THAT THEY'RE WATCHING BECAUSE NONE OF WHAT WE'RE DISCUSSING HAS ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE EMPLOYEES.
I'M VERY SORRY THAT SOME OF THE EMPLOYEES ARE ASKING, WHAT ARE WE DOING WRONG BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT MY KNOWLEDGE DOING ANYTHING WRONG.
AND I HAVEN'T HEARD ANYBODY ON THIS COMMISSION SAYING THAT THE EMPLOYEES ARE DOING ANYTHING WRONG.
AND I'VE BEEN VERY CLEAR THAT WHEN I GO TO THE SHELTER, I'VE HAD NOTHING BUT VERY, VERY POSITIVE EXPERIENCE, THE EMPLOYEES AND WITH THE VOLUNTEERS.
AND I, AND I'VE NEVER HEARD ANYBODY ON THIS COMMISSION SAY OTHER ONES THAT THEY'VE HAD A BAD EXPERIENCE WITH THE EMPLOYEES VOLUNTEERED THAT WASN'T ALWAYS THE CASE I'VE IN YEARS PAST, I HAVE HAD, YOU KNOW, BAD, BAD EXPERIENCES WITH EMPLOYEES, BUT NOT RECENTLY.
AND SO I HEAR THE EMPLOYEES AND I ALSO HEAR THE VOLUNTEERS.
UM, I, YOU KNOW, I DISAGREE WITH THE CHAIR THAT, THAT, THAT VIEW THAT, YOU KNOW, VOLUNTEERS CAN'T BE RELIED UPON.
I MEAN, I TRULY BELIEVE THAT PART OF DOING NO PILLOWS, HAVING, UH, A ROBUST VOLUNTEER PROGRAM AND EMPOWERING VOLUNTEERS TO DO THE STUFF THAT IS THE HARDEST.
AND I THINK THAT WHAT THE FORUMS DOCTOR DOES, COMMISSIONER CLINTON, I DON'T BELIEVE THAT VOLUNTEERS CAN'T BE RELIED UPON.
I THOUGHT THAT I HEARD YOU SAY WHEN YOU WERE SPEAKING ABOUT THE BUDGET, THAT WE CAN'T RELY ON THE VOLUNTEERS TO DO EVERYTHING, UH, OR DO A LOT BECAUSE THEY'RE JUST VOLUNTEERS AND WE HAVE TO HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT YOU SAID.
WHAT I MEANT, WHAT I MEANT WAS WE CAN'T REVISE A LIE ON THE VOLUNTEERS ALONE TO SAVE NO KILL.
THEY CAN'T DO IT BY THEMSELVES.
AND I JUST WANT TO SPEAK TO THE VOLUNTEERS THAT THEY HAVE BEEN THE HEART AND SOUL OF NO-KILL.
AND I THINK THEY'VE DONE COMPARTMENT.
SO ESPECIALLY OF THE HEART ARTISTS, DOGS, UM, TO WORK WITH.
[03:05:01]
I, I DON'T WANT TO SUPPORT THIS.I, I, I HAVE ROUTINELY SAID THAT I DON'T BELIEVE THAT WE SHOULD BE DOING ANYTHING LIKE THIS, BUT I, I LIKE MY, LIKE SOME WORDS OF VOLUNTEERS, UM, IN THAT MY WITS END ON HOW WE CAN EVEN OPERATE AS A BOARD WITH A MANAGEMENT THAT SO DESPERATELY DOESN'T WANT US TO DO ANYTHING.
AND I HAVE PERSONAL, I HAVE PERSONAL EXPERIENCE TOO, UM, WITH MANAGEMENT, UH, ATTEMPTING TO, UM, KEEP ME OFF OF VICTORY MISSION.
UM, SO, SO, UH, I'M GOING TO SUPPORT THE RESOLUTION WITH, WITH, WITH GREAT REGRET, BECAUSE I DON'T THINK THAT WE SHOULD EVER HAVE TO DO THIS.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER CLINTON.
ANYONE ELSE WANT TO, WHO IS NOT ADDRESSED YET? UH, B A HAS, HAS ANYBODY NOT ADDRESSED? OKAY, SO WE'RE GOING TO GO DOWN THE SECOND ROUND.
I WAS MAKING SURE EVERYBODY ELSE HAD A CHANCE TO GO.
UM, I, I JUST WANTED TO SAY TO CHAIR NASER AND COMMISSIONER NEEMAR'S POINT EARLIER ABOUT, UM, ABSTAINING.
UM, I AM PLANNING TO ABSTAIN FROM THE VOTE THIS EVENING.
I WANT TO MAKE IT VERY CLEAR THAT IT IS NOT BECAUSE I HAVE NOT HEARD FROM THE COMMUNITY THAT I HAVEN'T READ THE EMAILS THAT HAVE COME INTO OUR COMMISSIONER'S EMAIL INBOXES, THAT I DIDN'T HEAR THE VOLUNTEERS TONIGHT.
I HEAR YOU LOUD AND CLEAR, AND I'VE SERVED ON THIS COMMISSION FOR APPROXIMATELY FIVE YEARS.
UM, BUT AS MANY OF, YOU KNOW, PROBABLY A YEAR AND A HALF AGO, MY PROFESSIONAL CAPACITY CHANGED.
AND PART OF MY ROLE IN THAT PROFESSIONAL CAPACITY IS TO WORK DIRECTLY WITH, UM, DIRECTOR BLAND, UM, AND CITY MANAGEMENT STAFF TO NEGOTIATE LAND USE TERMS FOR T LACK.
AND FOR THAT REASON, I WOULD NEVER WANT THIS VOTE TO BE CALLED INTO QUESTION LATER ON.
AND FOR THAT REASON I AM GOING TO ABSTAIN, BUT I, I WANTED TO THANK ALL OF THE VOLUNTEERS AND THE STAFF AND EVERYONE THAT HAVE POURED SO MUCH INTO THIS, UH, OVER THE LAST YEAR HAVE COME TO US REPEATEDLY AND SHARED THEIR CONCERNS.
AND I, UM, I ALSO VERY MUCH REGRET THAT WE ARE IN THIS POSITION TONIGHT.
UM, BUT I JUST WANTED TO OFFER A BRIEF EXPLANATION AS TO WHY I FEEL IT'S IMPORTANT.
I ABSTAIN, UM, AND JUST PROVIDE THAT EXPLANATION.
UH, SO NOW WE'RE GOING AROUND THE SECOND TIME, SO, UH, LET'S GO TO NANCY FIRST BECAUSE SHE WAS SHORTER.
UM, OR CHAIR NASER, I'D LIKE, I, I, I'M TRYING TO GET A CORRECT.
UM, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT.
SO, UH, IN TO CHANGE SHARE, UH, TWO TO TWO MINUTES TO COMMISSIONER, UH, SMALL LISTS, UH, REQUEST AND TO SOME OF THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS WHO WERE TALKING ABOUT NARROWING THIS DOWN A LITTLE BIT, UM, I THINK WE SHOULD NARROW IT DOWN TO THE CHIEF ANIMAL SERVICES OFFICER AM AND MAKE IT, UH, JUST RELATE TO THAT, THAT POSITION.
AND THEN WE CAN VOTE ON IT FROM THERE.
AND I'M, I'M TENDERING THAT FRIENDLY AMENDMENT TO PERMISSION OR A NEW HOUSE, AND TO SEE IF THAT'S SOMETHING SHE IS, UH, WANTING TO DO COMMISSIONER NEW HOUSE, SHE ACCEPTS.
WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IS WHERE IT SAYS LEADERSHIP GETS CHANGED TO, UH, WHAT DO YOU WANT THAT CHANGE TO CHIEF ANIMAL SERVICES? OPPOSITE.
THERE IT IS SO CHEAP ANIMAL SERVICES OFFICER.
SO WE TAKE OUT MANAGEMENT TEAM AND LEADERSHIP AND WE JUST PUT CHIEF ANIMAL SERVICES OFFICER, WHEREVER IT SAYS LEADERSHIP.
AND THAT'S ACCEPTABLE TO A PALMER TO COMMISSIONER NEW HOUSE? YES.
I JUST WANT TO SAY IT, CAUSE THIS IS SO DETAILED THAT, UM, I REALLY HOPE THE NO-KILL COMMITTEE THAT HAS
[03:10:01]
NOT HAD A MEETING YET, UM, CAN REALLY DELVE IN TO THE VAGUE ISSUES THAT ARE IN HERE.UM, I THINK COMMUNICATION IS REALLY NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BOTH INTERNALLY AND WITH, UM, A COMMUNITY ASPECT OF WORKING WITH OTHER SHELTERS IN THE AREA.
AND I THINK THAT'S WHERE A LOT OF THIS BELONGS AND I REALLY HOPE IT GOES THERE BECAUSE WE CAN SOLVE THE PROBLEMS. UM, I THINK WE CAN WORK TOGETHER.
UM, THE MICROCHIP CLINIC I WASN'T SUPPOSED TO BRING UP, UM, IS AN EXAMPLE OF THAT.
UH, THE PAST WOMAN WAS FABULOUS.
UM, I KNOW THE ORANGE DOT CREW.
THEY ARE THE MOST INCREDIBLE HARDWORKING GROUP OF PEOPLE.
UM, AND THEY DESERVE TO GET HEARD.
UM, I DON'T KNOW THAT THIS IS GOING TO CHANGE THAT AS MUCH AS REALLY LOOKING AT THE ISSUES AND ADDRESSING THEM IN THE NO KILL COMMITTEE AND QUALITY OF LIFE REALLY HAS TO BE AT THE TOP OF THAT.
UM, WE CAN'T HAVE A DOG WHO'S IN A KENNEL FOR A YEAR OR THREE, NOT AT AEC.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS? LISA COMMISSIONER MITCHELL.
I DIDN'T REALIZE HE HAD CALLED YOU SO SORRY.
I THINK IT CUT OUT ON THE VIDEO FEED.
MY MS. MY NAME NOT BEING CALLED.
UM, ANYWAY, I WANTED TO JUST TAG ON REALLY QUICKLY TO WHAT COMMISSIONER CLINTON SAID, AND THAT IS TO THE VOLUNTEERS AND TO THE STAFF BOOTS ON THE GROUND AS EVERYONE'S REFERRING TO THEM.
UM, I ALSO HEAR YOU, I JUST WANT TO ECHO WHAT COMMISSIONER CLINTON SAID AND SO THAT EVERYONE KNOWS BECAUSE THERE'VE BEEN A LOT OF FOLKS THAT HAVE COME IN AND OUT OF TOWN AND HAVE COME IN AND OUT OF VOLUNTEER SERVICE AND BOOTS ON THE GROUND STAFF OVER AT THE SHELTER.
I MEAN, A LOT OF THESE COMMISSIONERS HAVE VOLUNTEERED.
THERE HAVE FOSTERED, THERE HAVE BEEN IN THE SHOES OF A LOT OF THE VOLUNTEERS.
AND SO I DON'T WANT ANYBODY TO GET THE IMPRESSION THAT NECESSARILY THIS IS JUST THIS GROUP THAT MEETS ONCE A MONTH AND WE DON'T EVER GO TO THE SHELTER, THAT KIND OF THING THAT WE HAVEN'T IN THE PAST.
UM, I, I JUST WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND THAT WE, WE HEAR YOU AND WE'VE, WE'VE BEEN THERE.
AND SO WE'RE JUST TRYING TO DO WHAT'S BEST BY ALL OF Y'ALL AMIE ANIMALS, BECAUSE WE'VE, WE'VE KIND OF ALL LIVED AND BREATHED THE SHELTER FOR MANY, MANY YEARS IN SEVERAL CASES.
ANYONE ELSE WANT TO SPEAK? UH, OKAY.
UH, UH, COMMISSION COMMISSION DOES CDS GET YET? SO, UM, I'M GLAD THAT NANCY, UM, PROPOSED THAT AMENDMENT OR CHANGE THE RESOLUTION THROUGH MY PROFESSIONAL YEARS OF EXPERIENCE.
WHEN YOU HAVE THE LEADERS, THE LEADER SETS THE TONE FOR THE ORGANIZATION.
AND MY OBSERVATION IS THAT THERE'S A LOT OF TALENTED PEOPLE AT THE AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER.
AND AT THE SAME TIME, IF YOU HAVE A LEADER THAT HAS THIS STYLE, THAT'S THAT IT'S BASED ON WHAT WE'RE HEARING, SEEING GRACE, THAT ATMOSPHERE THAT IS NOT VERY GOOD.
SO THE PEOPLE FOLLOW THE LEADER AND, UM, THAT'S PROBABLY IT.
UH, ANY OTHER ONE ELSE WANT TO COMMENT? OKAY.
WELL THERE'S NO ONE ELSE THAT WANTS TO COMMENT THAT I CALL THE QUESTION.
THE QUESTION IS, UH, WITH THE CHANGES MADE TO THIS, UH, WHO WAS, WHO VOTES? YES.
TO PASS THIS RESOLUTION, SEND IT TO THE CITY COUNCIL.
AND ARE YOU ABSTAINING OR ARE, I KNOW KATIE'S ABSTAINING.
SO LET'S GO ON, WE HAVE A FEW MORE THINGS TO GET TO, UH, UH, LET'S
[03:15:01]
SEE,[4a. Regarding Members of the Commission’s No Kill Committee]
REGARDING MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION'S NO KILL COMMITTEE.SO BY THE BYLAWS, WE HAVE TO DO THIS OFFICIALLY BY THE BYLAWS.
UH, I CHOOSE A COMMITTEE AND I THINK I'VE TALKED TO EVERYBODY.
UH, UH, SO THAT WOULD BE PALMER.
THAT WOULD BE, UH, COMMISSIONER NAMER AND COMMISSIONER SMAGHI ULA SMUGGLER.
UM, AND UH, WE NEED TO GET, WE NEED A DESIGNATED CHAIR.
IS PALMER, DO YOU WANT TO BE THE CHAIR? NO.
DO YOU WANT TO BE THE CHAIR, KRISTIN? SO KRISTIN WILL BE THE CHAIR, SO THAT NEEDS TO BE POSTED AND MADE OFFICIAL.
[4b. Hold Period Ordinance]
B THE WHOLE PERIOD ORDINANCE.WE DISCUSSED THIS AT LENGTH ON FRIDAY, UM, IS WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE EVALUATING AS FAR AS I UNDERSTAND, WE'RE EVALUATING INFORMATION PALMER, DO YOU WANT, WANT TO MAKE A COMMENT? UM, I WAS READING OVER SOME DOCUMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN SUBCOMMITTEE OR PIR, AND I WANTED TO ASK THAT WE LOOK INTO A SECOND GROUP OF HOMES AND THAT WOULD BE ANIMALS THAT HAD BEEN LISTED AS RESCUE FOSTER, LEFT THE SHELTER AND NOT OUTCOMES UNTIL AFTER THE STRAY HOLD WAS UP.
SO THE REPORTS THAT WERE DISCUSSED LAST WEEK WOULD NOT CAPTURE THESE ANIMALS.
WHAT I SAW ON SOME OF THE REPORTS THAT I RECEIVED WAS THAT ANIMALS WERE BEING RELEASED UNDER RESCUE FOSTER PRIOR TO THE RESTRAINT HOLD BEING UP.
UM, THERE WAS NOT ANY MEDICAL NOTES, NO MEDICAL CONCERNS.
AND AS I UNDERSTAND IT, THAT WOULD BE IN VIOLATION OF THE ORDINANCE.
AND SO I WOULD LIKE TO INCLUDE IN OUR LETTER TO COUNSEL THAT WE DO SOME, UH, RESEARCH AND, UM, IDENTIFYING ANOTHER POSSIBLE GROUP OF ANIMALS THAT MAY HAVE LEFT THE SHELTER EARLY, THAT WE DIDN'T CATCH ON THE FIRST REPORT.
DID YOU CATCH THAT, JASON? OKAY.
SO, CAUSE I WOULD AGREE WITH THAT BECAUSE AFTER TALKING TO RYAN, UH, AND SOME OTHER PEOPLE THAT THERE MAY BE MORE ANIMALS AND WE'RE GOING TO LOOK THROUGH THIS, YOU MIGHT AS WELL GET THEM ALL, YOU KNOW, JUST MIGHT AS WELL GET THEM ALL.
I JUST WANTED THE, WE WENT TO THE NEXT ITEM BEFORE I COULD GET YOUR ATTENTION.
AND I WANTED TO ASK IF, UH, COMMISSIONER SMUGGLER COULD CO-CHAIR THE, UH, NO KILL COMMITTEE.
[4c. Spay/Neuter on Second Impoundment]
SPAY NEUTER ON SECOND IMPOUNDMENT.I HAD A COMMENT AND THE WHOLE PERIOD ORDINANCE ISSUE HOLD PERIOD ORDINANCE.
SO I VOTED FOR THE MOTION AT THE SPECIAL CALLED MEETING ON FRIDAY TO AUTHORIZE CHAIRMAN NASER TO WRITE A LETTER TO CITY COUNCIL EXPLAINING THE POSSIBILITY THE ANIMALS MAY HAVE BEEN RELEASED FROM THE SHELTER A DAY BEFORE THE END OF THE HOLD PERIOD, DURING A RECENT PERIOD OF TIME AND OUTLINED REASONABLE EFFORTS, THE SHELTER PLANS TO UNDERTAKE, TO INFORM EFFECTED PARTIES IF THERE ARE ANY.
AND SO I VOTED FOR THIS UNDER THE ASSUMPTION THAT IT WAS A GOOD FAITH EFFORT TO ACKNOWLEDGE A MISTAKE AND MITIGATE RESULTING ISSUES.
HOWEVER, IT SEEMS, YOU KNOW, WHAT WAS INCLUDED IN THE, IN THE RESOLUTION THAT WAS JUST PASSED.
UM, AND SO, UM, IT SEEMS THAT INSTEAD IT'S BEING USED AS A CUDGEL TO PUNISH THIS IS EXTREMELY TOXIC.
WE NEED TO BE A FREE TO, TO ACKNOWLEDGE MISTAKES AND AMELIORATE THEM WHEN PEOPLE ARE PUNISHED FOR THIS, IT IS TOXIC AND DESTRUCTIVE.
UH, I, THAT USING THESE TERMS LIKE TOXIC AND, YOU KNOW, DESTRUCTIVE, FIRST OF ALL, JUST SO YOU KNOW, THE, I HAVE THE, THE THING I'M WRITING, I'M NOT MENTIONING ANY, TH THESE ARE TWO SEPARATE ISSUES.
THIS ISSUE ABOUT THIS I'M HAVING, I AM IN THE PROCESS OF WRITING IT.
UM, IF YOU'RE CONCERNED ABOUT IT, I WILL SEND YOU A COPY AND TAKE YOUR COMMENTS ON IT.
UM, UH, BECAUSE THAT'S NOT GONNA BE THERE.
THE REASON I HAVEN'T COMPLETED THIS YET IS BECAUSE OVER THE WEEKEND, THIS NEW THING CAME UP.
THE PALMER'S TELLING ME ABOUT IT.
AND I WANT TO INCLUDE THAT IN HERE.
[03:20:01]
IF INDEED WE NEED TO INCLUDE THAT.I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT WITH, WITH THIS COUNSEL TALK ABOUT OUR LAST FRIDAY, IT'S ABOUT DOING THE RIGHT THING AND BEING TRANSPARENT WITH THE PUBLIC AND ALLOWING THE PUBLIC THAT MAY STILL BE LOOKING FOR A LOST ANIMAL, OR HAVE WE FAILED TO REUNITE TO MAKING SURE THAT THAT INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE? I THINK IT WOULD BE WRONG TO IDENTIFY THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED AND NOT SHARE IT WITH THE PUBLIC OR THOSE PEOPLE THAT MIGHT BE THE LAST FENCE.
AND SO THAT'S WHY I'VE ASKED FOR ATTENTION ON THIS MATTER IS I THINK THE PUBLIC DESERVES FULL TRANSPARENCY ON THIS ISSUE.
IT'S NOT AN AND, UH, NEEDED FOR A PUNISHMENT OR TWO OR ANYTHING ELSE.
IT'S THE PUBLIC DESERVES TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED AND WE NEED TO PROVIDE THEM WITH THE INFORMATION.
CAN WE MOVE ON? CAUSE WE'VE, WE'RE, WE'RE ON A, UH, WE'VE MOVED ON TO A NEW PIECE OF BUSINESS UNLESS IS THERE SOMETHING YOU AND I CAN TALK ABOUT LATER? UM, SURE.
I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT I, I, WHAT, UH, COMMISSIONER NEW HOUSE SAID I DON'T DISAGREE WITH AT ALL.
IT WAS THE INCLUSION OF IT IN THE NO CONFIDENCE I WAS HAVING ISSUES.
THERE ARE TWO SEPARATE ISSUES.
SO I WILL, WE'LL TALK TO YOU ABOUT THAT LETTER.
SO, UH, SPAY NEUTER ON SECOND IMPOUNDMENT.
AND THE REASON WE PUT THIS ON HERE IS BECAUSE THIS WAS, UM, SOMETHING THAT WE PASSED HERE AT THE COMMISSION YEARS AGO.
UH, AND THE THING IS I'VE BEEN, WE'VE BEEN TOLD THAT IT'S NOT HAPPENING BECAUSE AUSTIN LEGAL SAYS, YEAH, YOU COULD FILL US IN ON THAT.
AND, UH, ALSO ILLEGAL SAID THAT WE ARE NOT, WE CAN'T MANDATORY HAVE THEM DO THAT UNLESS THEY SIGN OFF ON IT.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN'T ENFORCE.
BUT AS THAT THEY MEANING THE OWNER, THE OWNER OWNER, AND THEN THE VET BOARD, IF WE DON'T GET IT, IF THEY DON'T AGREE TO IT AND DON'T SIGN OUR DOCUMENTATION, IT PUTS OUR VETS LICENSE IN JEOPARDY.
AND I HAVEN'T GOT THE LEGAL RULING BACK FROM LEGAL.
WE ASKED THEM TO RESCIND THAT, UH, SO THAT WE COULD PROVIDE THAT WITH YOU.
UH, AND THEN, BUT WE DID GET A RULING FROM THE TEXAS VET BOARD ATTORNEYS.
AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT THEY SAID.
AND IF YOU DON'T SIGN OFF ON IT, YOU CAN'T DO IT.
AND SO WHY WOULDN'T THEY SIGN OFF ON IT IF THE OWNER DOESN'T WANT THEM SPAYED OR NEUTERED? OKAY.
SO IF THE, THE ANIMALS THERE BEYOND THE STRAY HOLD PERIOD, THEN YOU HAVE OWNERSHIP.
LUN, YOU CAN ANSWER THAT, PLEASE.
IF WE OWN IT, WE DO SPAY AND NEUTER.
YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT SPAYING AND NEUTERING ANIMALS THAT ARE STILL IN THEIR STRAY HOLD THAT ARE ON SECOND IMPOUND.
WE DON'T OWN THEM AT THAT POINT.
THIS IS A VERY, YOU KNOW, THIS KEEPS GETTING BROUGHT UP.
IT'S A VERY FEW NUMBERS, ANIMALS.
I MEAN, THIS YEAR, I THINK IT'S ONLY COME UP TWICE.
TYPICALLY WE SELL IT AT THE FRONT THAT YOU NEED TO SPAIN, YOU KNOW, TO THE PERSON THAT'S RECLAIMING.
IF THE ANIMAL THAT YOU GET A FREE SPAY NEUTER AND THEY BUY IT.
SO IT'S NOT, IT DOESN'T HAPPEN OFTEN.
BUT I, I GAVE THIS, UH, RULING FROM THE ATTORNEY AT THE VET BOARD TO BELINDA AND SHE WAS SUPPOSED TO SEND IT ON TO YOU.
I DON'T KNOW IF SHE DID NO, I DIDN'T GET IT, BUT THAT'S OKAY.
THE ONLY REASON WE BROUGHT THIS UP IS BECAUSE WE HAD PASSED IT.
IT WAS KIND OF A BIG DEAL AND IT'S NOT HAPPENING.
AND SO I JUST, PERSONALLY, I WANTED TO HEAR AN EXPLANATION.
WHAT YOU'RE SAYING MAKES SENSE.
SO EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS WHEN WE OWN THEM.
AFTER THE STRIKE TIME WE DO IT ALL THE TIME.
ANYBODY HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTION ON THIS TOPIC? OKAY, THAT'S GOOD.
[4d. Proposed Increase in Living Wage to $22/hour]
PROPOSED INCREASE IN LIVING WAGE TO $22 AN HOUR.THIS HAS BEEN PROPOSED BY THE PARK BOARD.
IT'S, UH, IT'S GOING AROUND AUSTIN.
UH, IT WOULD, UH, IT WOULD INCREASE THE BUDGET, BUT IT WOULD ALSO HELP YOU RETAIN, RETAIN AND RECRUIT FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES.
UM, WOULD ANYBODY LIKE, UH, SO DO I HEAR A MOTION DO THIS, RIGHT? YES.
I MOVED TO INCREASE THE COST OF LIVING WAGE TO $22
[03:25:01]
AN HOUR, FIRST CITY EMPLOYEES.DO I HEAR A SECOND LOUISE SECOND SET? UH, OKAY.
UH, YES, KATIE, THE QUESTION, DO WE HAVE THE ABILITY AS A COMMISSION TO DO SOMETHING THAT INVOLVES ALL CITY EMPLOYEES OR WOULD IT JUST BE EMPLOYEES OF THE OFFICE? IT'S JUST EMPLOYEES OF THE OSS ANIMAL SHELTER.
I MEAN THAT, I MEAN, WE COULD, WE COULD MAKE IT FOR EVERYBODY, BUT I, I ASSUME, YEAH, THIS IS FOR CITY EMPLOYEES.
SO I WANTED TO CLARIFY, RIGHT? YES.
UH, SO, UH, RAISE THE, THE, THE MINIMUM WAGE OF SHELTER, FULL-TIME SHELTER OR SHELTER EMPLOYEES TO $22 AN HOUR.
WOULD ANYBODY LIKE TO ADDRESS THAT MOTION? YES.
I JUST WANT TO VERIFY WE'RE SUPPORTING, UH, WHAT'S GOING TO BE TAKEN TO COUNCIL TO INCREASE IT.
WE CAN'T DIRECT THEM TO INCREASE IT FOR YES, WE ARE.
SO THE MOTION IS TO SUPPORT, TO SUPPORT THE INCREASE.
UH, ANY OTHER COMMENTS ANYBODY WANT TO MAKE? YEAH.
CAN I JUST LIKE, WHAT IS NOW? WHAT IS THE WORDING OF THE MOTION? THE AUSTIN ADVISORY COMMISSION SUPPORTS RAISING THE MINIMUM WAGE TO AUSTIN SHELTER WORKERS TO $22 AN HOUR.
THAT'S IT? THAT'S GOOD AND SIMPLE.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS? I'M HAPPY TO SAY SOMETHING ABOUT IT IF NEEDED, BUT IT'S LIKE, OKAY, IT'S LATE.
I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT, LIKE I'VE BEEN IN THE NON-PROFIT BUSINESS ALL MY LIFE, A MUSICIAN, AND I IT'S RIDICULOUS THAT WE CAN'T PAY.
THEY THINK THAT BECAUSE YOU'RE DOING SOMETHING YOU LOVE, THAT'S PAYMENT ENOUGH AND YOU'RE WORKING HARD.
SO I SUPPORT THIS A HUNDRED PERCENT ANYBODY.
SO LET'S CALL THE QUESTION, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR.
SO, UH, NOW WE HAVE, UH, STUFF
[5. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
FOR NEXT MONTH'S MEETING THE AGENDA STUFF.UH, THE BRIEFINGS, WE'RE GOING TO KEEP ON PARLIAMENTARIAN ISSUES.
WE CAN TALK A LITTLE MORE ABOUT THAT.
UH, DO WE WANT TO KEEP ON MONTHLY REPORTING OF DATA? ANYBODY? YES.
TRANSFERRING ANIMALS TO OTHER COMMUNITIES.
DO WE WANT TO KEEP THAT ON? I THINK, YES.
UM, UH, UH, AND THE SPACE CRISIS WORKING GROUP.
WE KEEP THAT ON BECAUSE MAYBE THEY'LL HAVE A REPORT BY NEXT TIME.
UM, OSS ANIMAL CENTER, STAFFING REQUESTS.
LET'S KEEP THAT ON BECAUSE WE CAN DO A PAR AND MAYBE WE CAN SPLIT THIS OFF INTO ANOTHER ITEM.
UH, E WE REMOVE, UH, AND, UH, THE NO KILL COMMITTEES OFF THE HOLD PERIOD ORDINANCE.
WE WANT TO MOVE THAT TO OLD BUSINESS BECAUSE WE STILL HAVE SOME QUESTIONS ON THAT.
AND SPAY NEUTER IS OFF AND PROPOSED, INCREASED LIVING WAGES OFF.
AND IF ANYBODY ELSE, I REMIND YOU, IF YOU WANT SOMETHING ON THE AGENDA, TWO OF YOU, IT'S A, IT'S YOU YOUR MOTION AND YOUR SECOND, AND YOU GET IT TO ME.
AND THEN IT GOES TO AUSTIN LEGAL, BUT THAT'S HOW YOU GET ANYTHING ON THE AGENDA.
MAKE A MOTION, UM, TO ADD AN AGENDA ITEM, UH, REGARDING THE CITY, UH, FINANCE PLAN, UM, AND DEPUTY CHIEF CARTER.
SO IF YOU CAN HELP ME WITH THE LANGUAGE ON THIS, IT'S THE STRATEGIC DIRECTION, 23, IT'S THE FIVE-YEAR PLAN THAT THE CITY HAS IMPLEMENTED IN THERE.
NOW WE'RE COMING UP TO OUR FINAL YEAR, NEXT YEAR.
AND SO I BELIEVE THIS, IT BECOMES A LITTLE HAVING DISCUSSIONS ON WHAT THE FUNDING PRIORITIES FOR THE CITIES FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS OF THE CITY WILL BE.
SO I THINK THE MOTION WOULD BE TO ADD AN AGENDA ITEM THAT WOULD BE UPDATE FROM, UM, CITY STAFF AND DISCUSSION ON THE FIVE-YEAR STRATEGIC FINANCE PLAN FOR THE CITY, AS IT RELATES TO, UH, THE AUSTIN ANIMALS.
[03:30:01]
THAT? I W I'D SECOND THAT I THINK THAT'S AN IMPORTANT ISSUE.UM, IS IT POSSIBLE TO ADD, TO BRIEFINGS THE MONTHLY APA LICENSING THAT SHE DID DURING CITIZEN COMMUNICATION? IF WE WILL CALL THEM, IF, IF, IF WE WANT IT, THEY'RE NOT REQUIRED TO MORE THAN IF THEY WANT TO DO IT MONTHLY AND WE'LL ASK THEM, THEN WE CAN DO THAT.
I WOULD JUST RATHER THAT WAY, IF THERE IS A QUESTION BY A COMMISSIONER, WE AN ASK IT WHERE WE CAN'T DO THAT.
WE CAN DO THAT IF THEY'RE AGREEABLE.
ANYTHING ELSE? IS THAT IT? OKAY.
DO I HEAR A MOTION TO ADJOURN? MOVE TO ADJOURN OUR SECOND.