Nov 14, 2022 Animal Advisory Commission

AGENDA IS PUBLIC COMMUNICATION.

UM, SO, UH, THE FIRST THING ON THE

[PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL]

UH, WE HAVE, UH, LET'S START WITH THE PEOPLE ONLINE.

UM, SO THE FIRST PERSON IS EILEEN MCFALL.

HI.

UM, I AM SPEAKING TO YOU AGAIN.

UM, IN SUPPORT AND DEFENSE OF NO KILL ANIMAL SHELTERING IN AUSTIN, SOMEONE RECENTLY ASKED IF ALL THE STRAYS RUNNING LOOSE IN AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY ARE A RESULT OF NO KILL SHELTERING.

AND MY ANSWER IS NO.

NO.

KILL MEANS THERE IS A CULTURE OF RESPECT FOR LIFE.

IT MEANS EUTHANASIA IS ONLY USED IN ITS TRUE SENSE TO END HOPELESS SUFFERING.

IT MEANS KILLING IS TRULY A LAST RESORT IN THE CASE OF DOGS WHO CANNOT SAFELY HAVE QUALITY OF LIFE.

AUSTIN'S PROBLEMS DON'T COME FROM NO KILL, BUT FROM THE DELIBERATE UNDERMINING OF NO KILL PROBLEMS COME FROM SHELTER AND CITY LEADERSHIP THAT DOES NOT HAVE A RESPECT FOR LIFE, AND THAT THEREFORE USES OR APPROVES UNETHICAL TACTICS TO ACHIEVE NO KILL NUMBERS WITHOUT REGARD FOR THE VALUES BEHIND THE COMMITMENT.

WHEN AAC UNDER DON BLAND ACHIEVES A 97% LIVE RELEASE RATE BY REFUSING TO IMPOUND STRAYS AND ANIMALS WHOSE OWNERS CANNOT OR WILL NOT TAKE CARE OF THEM, THAT IS NOT NO KILL WHEN AAC CLOSES ON EVERY HOLIDAY AND CLOSES ON SUNDAYS FOR MONTHS AT A TIME SO THAT FEWER AND FEWER PEOPLE SEE THE SHELTER AS PART OF THE COMMUNITY AND A PLACE TO ADOPT A PET THAT'S NOT NO KILL.

WHEN AAC REFUSES TO WORK WITH VOLUNTEERS AND TRAINERS AND RESCUES, UNLESS THOSE GROUPS GO ALONG WITH THE DICTATES OF MANAGEMENT THAT IS NOT NO KILL, AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS ARE HAPPENING.

I BELIEVE THE PROBLEMS IN AUSTIN COME FROM A REJECTION OF NO KILL AND A FAILURE TO IMPLEMENT IT PROPERLY, NOT FROM NO KILL ITSELF.

AND THE LONGER DON BLAND REMAINS IN CHARGE, THE MORE PEOPLE WHO BELIEVE IN NO KILL STAFF WHO BELIEVE IN IT, AND WHO WORK TO SUPPORT AND HELP EVERY ANIMAL STAFF LIKE ASHLEY NEIL LEAVE, AND THE MORE EMPLOYEES COME IN WHO DO NOT BELIEVE IN NO KILL, AND WHO RIDICULE AND ATTACK THOSE WHO DO WE NEED A CHANGE IN AUSTIN, WE NEED TO REPLACE DON LAND AS MANAGER AND REPLACE THE TOP MANAGEMENT TEAM.

AND I KNOW THIS IS NOT WITHIN YOUR PURVIEW, BUT I WANNA SAY IT PUBLICLY AND HAVE IT ON THE RECORD OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN.

NO KILL IS BEING ERODED BY THE FAILURE TO REPLACE DON BLAND AS LEADER.

THANK YOU, EILEEN.

UH, THE NEXT, UH, ONLINE COMMENTER IS PAT VALS.

UM, THANK YOU.

UH, CHAIR NASER.

UH, CAN YOU HEAR ME OKAY? YES.

OKAY, GREAT.

HAD ISSUES DISCUSSED IN THE PAST.

SO, UH, FIRST I WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK TO A CONCERN I HAVE OF AN ITEM THAT IS NOT ON THE AGENDA, AND THAT IS I HAVE A CONCERN THAT, UM, THE ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION IN, IN RECENT MEETINGS HAS HAD A BRIEFING ON BATS, AND THAT'S GOOD.

AND ALSO SOMETHING ON BIRDS.

AND I ALSO SUPPORT THAT THERE BE ATTENTION TO BATS AND BIRDS AND THAT COMMISSION MEMBERS KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON IN THOSE AREAS.

BUT I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO BRING YOUR ATTENTION TO, UM, DEER COYOTES AND OTHER WILDLIFE THAT HAVE

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AND NOTHING HAS BEEN DISCUSSED RECENTLY.

SO MY REQUEST IS THAT THERE BE AN AGENDA ITEM AT THE NEXT MONTH'S ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION MEETING TO HAVE A BRIEFING FROM WILDLIFE RESCUE AND ALSO FROM THE WILDLIFE ANIMAL PROTECTION OFFICER THAT WAS FUNDED WHEN THE CITY AND COUNTY REMOVED THE $60,000 THAT, UM, THE COUNTY WAS USING, AND THE $10,000 THAT THE CITY WAS USING OUT OF TAX DOLLARS TO FUND VERY CRUEL PRACTICES OF TRAPPING COYOTES WITH STEEL LEGHOLD TRAPS OR LEGHOLD TRAPS.

I'M NOT SURE IF THEY WERE STEEL OR NOT.

AND THEN, UM, ALSO LAKEWAY HAS HAD AN ISSUE WITH DEER THAT WAS RECENTLY RESOLVED WHEN, UM, A DEER ADVOCATE OUT IN LAKEWAY NAMED RITA CROSS, UH, DID SOME EXCELLENT WORK ALONG WITH HER COLLEAGUES TO ADDRESS THE DEER ISSUE.

BUT I WAS RECENTLY IN DISTRICT 10 AND I SAW DEER ALL OVER THE PLACE, AND I HAVEN'T HEARD ANYBODY DISCUSSING THIS.

SO WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS HEAR FROM THE WILDLIFE ANIMAL PROTECTION OFFICER THAT WAS FUNDED WITH THE CITY AND COUNTY MONEY THAT WAS REMOVED FROM TEXAS WILDLIFE SERVICES TO HIRE SOMEBODY AT ANIMAL SERVICES AND HEAR WHAT ARE THE DEER AND OTHER WILDLIFE ISSUES FACING AUSTIN.

WHAT IS CURRENTLY BEING DONE TO ADDRESS THOSE ISSUES AND WHAT IS NOT BEING DONE THAT NEEDS ATTENTION? I'D, I'D LIKE THIS TO BE A, A BRIEFING AT THE NEXT MEETING AND A POSSIBLE AGENDA ITEM TO CONSIDER HAVING A WILDLIFE ADVOCATE ON THE ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION AND HAVE, UM, A CONSISTENT ISSUE ON, ON WILDLIFE THAT, THAT I THINK IS A, IS A GOOD ISSUE FOR THE ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION TO TAKE ON.

GIVEN THAT YOUR NAME IS THE ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION AND NOT, YOU KNOW, THE DOG AND CAT, AN ADVISORY COMMISSION, I, I WOULD REALLY REQUEST RESPECTFULLY REQUEST THAT YOU CONSIDER THAT.

UM, NOW IN RESPONSE TO EILEEN MCFALL, I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT I AGREE THAT NO KILL CAN BE EITHER DONE CORRECTLY OR DONE INCORRECTLY.

HOWEVER, THE CURRENT GROUP THAT IS ATTACKING BROWN, BLAND AT YOUR THREE MINUTES IS UP.

SORRY, THAT'S, I JUST DON'T IGNORE THE FACT THAT CLOSED INTAKE HAPPENED BEFORE THE, SORRY ABOUT THAT.

UH, GOTTA STICK TO THREE MINUTES.

UM, OKAY.

SO, UH, GENERAL COMMUNICATION, LESLIE, IS THAT EVERYBODY ON THE PHONE? I THINK THAT'S EVERYBODY ON THE PHONE.

SO WE HAVE A ROCHELLE, A VICTORY.

THERE YOU GO.

UH, WE SAW EACH OTHER LAST THURSDAY AND, UH, YOU KNOW HOW I KIND OF FEEL ABOUT THE ANIMALS, UH, TOO BIG AND THEY'RE NOT BEING ADOPTED.

I'M NOT GONNA ATTACK APA , BUT I TALKED TO, UM, DR.

JEFFERSON LAST, LAST THURSDAY, AND, UH, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT WE CAN GET SOMETHING DONE IN THE SPADE AND NEUTER, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT'S WHAT THE THING IS TODAY.

AND, UM, JEN THAT WORKS ON THE CAP PROGRAM AT, UH, A, UH, ASKED DR.

JEFF, UH, UH, DR.

HER HOW, UH, HARDESTY OVER THERE AT SOUTH CONGRESS, IF HE COULD HELP WITH THE SPAY AND NE WOULD HE DO THE VOUCHERS? HE SAID, YES, THURSDAY BEFORE LAST, THEY DO BOXER RESCUE, AND THEY DID FIVE ON THAT THURSDAY.

AND THAT GAVE ME AN IDEA, CUZ Y'ALL HAVE MORE POWER THAN I DO.

I'M JUST IN THE TRENCHES THAT THAT IF WE COULD GET 10 VETS AND IF THEY WOULD TAKE FIVE ANIMALS A WEEK, I DON'T CARE IF THEY'RE MALES OR FEMALES AND SPAYED AND NEW TO THEM ON THE VOUCHER PROGRAM, THAT WOULD BE 200 A MONTH BECAUSE EPAT IS BACKED UP TO, TO MARCH, TAKING ANY VOUCHERS, AND THAT'S HURTING OUR SHELTER BECAUSE THAT THE DOGS ARE BREEDING.

EVEN DOGS THAT ARE BROUGHT IN AND RECLAIMED, IF THEY, YOU KNOW, WANNA GET 'EM SPAYED AND NEUTERED, THEY GOTTA WAIT UNTIL MARCH, APRIL, AND I'VE GOT THREE IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD THAT

[00:10:01]

NEED TO BE DONE.

AND THEY'RE, IT'S MARCH.

AND I THOUGHT IF WE, WE COULD GET SOME VETS IN THIS TOWN BECAUSE THEY CAN TAKE IT OFF THEIR TAXES.

THEY CAN, YOU KNOW, AND, AND THAT'S HELPING OUR CITY, AND THAT'S HELPING OUR SHELTER FROM HAVING MORE PUPPIES BROUGHT INTO THE, AND BEING GIVEN AWAY.

AND THEN THEIR BREEDING IS JUST LIKE A CHAIN, JUST IT'S ONGOING, JUST LIKE IT IS WITH THE CATS.

IT'S ONGOING.

AND, AND IF WE COULD GET, YOU KNOW, SOME VETS TO GO OUT THERE AND SAY, YEAH, WE'LL DO FIVE FOR THE WEEK.

I DON'T CARE WHAT SEX THEY ARE, JUST LONG AS THEY GET DONE, I'D DO SOME PEOPLE , YOU KNOW, BUT I THINK THAT WOULD HELP OUR SHELTER, THAT WOULD HELP IT MOVE IT, MOVE FURTHER.

IF WE COULD GET MORE THAN 10 VETS, THAT'D BE HAPPY TO ME.

YOU KNOW, AND I THINK IT'D BE HAPPY TO THE SHELTER TOO, BECAUSE WE'RE, WE'RE GETTING PUPPIES.

I, YOU KNOW, AND I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW ANY OTHER WAY OF, UH, HOW WE CAN SOLVE THIS BECAUSE DOGS ARE BEING DUMPED OUT WHERE I LIVE.

CATS ARE BEING DUMPED OUT.

I LIVE OFF OUT THERE WITH A POWER PLANT OFF OF FALWELL LANE.

WE GOT TWO DOGS AND, YOU KNOW, THAT'S NOT FAIR, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THEY CAN'T GET'EM INTO THE SHELTER.

AND, UH, THE LAST GENERAL COMMENTER IS ELLEN JEFFERSON.

HI, I'M ELLEN JEFFERSON, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF AUSTIN PETS ALIVE.

AND I WANNA READ THIS SO THAT I CAN STAY THREE MINUTES.

UM, I WANNA START BY SAYING THAT I BELIEVE THAT EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM AND IN ALL THE ROOMS FOR THE AUDIT MEETINGS AND PREVIOUS COMMISSION MEETINGS WANT THE SAME THING, THAT ANIMALS INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE SHELTER AND AUSTIN ARE SAFE, CARED FOR HUMANELY, AND DON'T LOSE THEIR LIVES UNLESS IT IS TRULY THE END OF THEIR LIFE, AND THAT THEY'RE TREATED IN OUR TEMPORARY SYSTEM AS IF THEY ARE OUR OWN PETS.

THE 95% NO-KILL RESOLUTION IS A BLUNT INSTRUMENT TO LEAD US THERE.

IT IS NOT AN ARBITRARY NUMBER, BUT WAS CHOSEN BECAUSE AAC HAD SEVERAL YEARS OF HIGHER THAN 95% LIVE RELEASE RATES WITH MUCH HIGHER INTAKE NUMBERS BEFORE IT WAS MADE INTO A MANDATE.

IT IS INTENDED TO SET A DIFFICULT THRESHOLD IN PLACE THAT FORCES INNOVATION AND CREATIVITY YEAR AFTER YEAR.

HOWEVER, THE MEASUREMENT BY ITSELF DOES NOT MEASURE CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION.

IT ONLY MEASURES THE OUTCOME.

IT TURNS OUT THAT 95% IS STILL ACHIEVABLE WITHOUT INNOVATION AND CREATIVITY.

WE ARE SEEING THAT HOW THAT CAN HAPPEN NOW, WHERE ANIMALS ARE HOARDED AND NOT CARED FOR OR TRANSPORTED TO LESS SAFE COMMUNITIES IN AN EFFORT TO NOT BE COUNTED AS DEAD, OR ANIMALS ARE SIMPLY TURNED AWAY IN AN EFFORT TO NOT BE COUNTED AT ALL.

I BELIEVE THIS IS CALLED CAMPBELL'S LAW AND PHILOSOPHY.

IT SAYS THAT ONCE A MEASUREMENT IS PUT UP AS A GOAL, PEOPLE WILL GO TO GREAT LENGTHS TO ACHIEVE IT WITHOUT DOING THE HARD WORK THAT IS INTENDED.

BECAUSE OF THAT, ANY METRIC SHOULD BE A TOOL AND ONLY A TOOL THAT HELPS US GET RESULTS.

MEASUREMENTS CAN BE EFFECTIVE IF THEY FORCE YOU TO DO A DEEPER DIVE INTO WHAT YOU ARE ACTUALLY TRYING TO DO AND HOLD YOU ACCOUNTABLE TO IT.

RIGHT NOW, AUSTIN IS AT A PIVOTAL POINT IN ITS NO-KILL HISTORY.

WE ARE BY FAR THE MOST SUCCESSFUL NO-KILL CITY IN THE US, BUT WE ARE ACHIEVING A NUMBER WITHOUT USING THE CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS NECESSARY TO TRULY BE SUCCESSFUL AS THE SAFEST CITY FOR PETS IN THE US WE SHOULD BE THE BEST IN THE COUNTRY, NOT ONLY IN REACHING 95%, BUT IN REACHING THE INTENTION.

WE SHOULD NOT BE QUIBBLING OVER A DEBATE TO KILL OR NOT TO KILL.

THAT WAS SETTLED MORE THAN A DECADE AGO BY CITY COUNCIL.

THE CONVERSATIONS TODAY SHOULD BE FOCUSED ON IMPROVING THE NO KILL SYSTEM AND THE QUALITY OF THOSE LIVE OUTCOMES.

WE ARE SURROUNDED BY AN INNOVATION, BY INNOVATION IN THIS CITY.

IT WOULD BE MOST WELCOME IF THIS COMMISSION HOSTED COMPANIES AND ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE FIGURED OUT HOW TO SOLVE THE SAME PROBLEMS OUR INDUSTRY IS FACING.

BUT IN OTHER INDUSTRIES, LIKE PEOPLE FIGURING OUT HOW TO PREVENT FOOD WASTE, I SAY ALL THAT BECAUSE I RECOGNIZE THAT THERE IS NOT A, THERE IS A NOT SO QUIET PUSH TO KILL SHELTERED AUSTIN ANIMALS THAT ARE NOT TRULY AT THE END OF THEIR NATURAL LIFE, SIMPLY BECAUSE THE NECESSARY INNOVATION IS LACKING.

I, FOR ONE, STILL BELIEVE IN AUSTIN.

I BELIEVE WE ARE ON THE MORAL AND RIGHT PATH, BUT WE NEED TO LEAN INTO IT AND SOLVE FOR AND MEASURE THE PARTS THAT AREN'T WORKING.

I BELIEVE WE CAN SOLVE FOR THOSE PROBLEMS WHILE STAYING TRUE TO THE CITY MANDATE.

AND I ENCOURAGE YOU AS A COMMISSION TO HOLD EACH OTHER ACCOUNTABLE TO THE COMMISSION'S MISSION BY BRINGING POSITIVE MANDATE AFFIRMING INNOVATIONS TO THE TABLE AND PUT THE 100 YEAR OLD SOLUTION OF KILLING TO BED ONCE AND FOR ALL.

TO APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES, THE MINUTES HAVE BEEN POSTED.

UH, THAT IS ALL OF THE GENERAL COMMUNICATION.

SO WE ARE GOING TO MOVE ON

[1. Approve the minutes of the Animal Advisory Commission Regular Meeting on October 10, 2022.]

UH, I HOPE EVERYBODY HAS A CHANCE TO READ 'EM AND I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION.

SO MOVE MOTION

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TO APPROVE MINUTES.

UH, OKAY.

WHO'S, WHO IS THAT? I HEARD BEATRICE, WHO, WHO, WHO MOVED ON TELEVISION.

I THINK IT WAS NANCY.

NANCY NEER AND YOUI AND JOANNE NORTON.

SECONDS.

UH, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? OKAY, SEEING NONE, UH, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION APPROVAL OF AMEND RYAN.

OH, SO I GET IT.

UH, SO I THINK THAT'S EVERYBODY PRESENT EXCEPT RYAN ABSTAIN AND KATIE ABSTAIN BECAUSE THEY WEREN'T THERE, THEY WEREN'T AT THE MEETING.

ANIMAL SERVICES MONTH OF REPORT.

UH, LET'S GO ON, UH, OAM CENTERED

[2. Austin Animal Center and Animal Services Monthly Report.]

WE HAVE ONE ONLINE.

IS THERE SOMEONE FROM THE SHELTER TO GIVE US A REPORT? GOOD EVENING EVERYONE.

I'M MARIN RIOS.

UM, THE CITY CLERK.

UM, AS YOU CAN SEE, STAFF ARE NOT HERE.

WE WILL BE COVERING THE MEETINGS FOR SOME TIME, BUT THE REPORT, UM, IS ATTACHED AS BACKUPS.

SO IF YOU NEED ANY OR YOU HAVE ANY CLARIFICATION QUESTIONS, YOU CAN SEND THOSE OUR WAY OR YOU CAN DISCUSS THEM NOW AND WE WILL TAKE NOTE AND GET THOSE RESPONSES FROM STAFF.

UH, CHAIR HAVE A QUESTION? YES, RYAN, IS STEPH, UM, IS STAFF NO LONGER COMING TO THE MEETINGS OR IS IT JUST TODAY THAT THEY'RE NOT COMING? UM, NO, THEY WON'T, THEY'LL BE AVAILABLE IF, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE QUESTIONS RIGHT NOW.

UM, THE DIRECTOR IS NOT, HE'S OUT OF TOWN.

UM, BUT THEY WILL LIKELY NOT BE HERE IN PERSON.

UM, IF NOT, IT'LL, THEY'LL BE HERE VIRTUALLY.

UM, SO ANY COMMUNICATIONS, WE CAN RELAY THOSE TO THEM AND PROVIDE YOU WITH THE RESPONSES.

, SO, YES.

SO I HAVE A, CAN I CLARIFY, ARE WE, DO WE SEND OUR QUESTIONS TO YOU OR CAN WE SEND THEM DIRECTLY TO THE STAFF? IF YOU CAN SEND THEM TO US AND WE WILL RELATE.

YES, WE ARE.

STEPHANIE AND I ARE NOW FACILITATING THESE MEETINGS UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.

MANAGER'S OFFICE AND SOME COUNCIL OFFICES, SO THEY ARE AWARE THAT WE ARE HERE AND WE'LL BE COVERING THESE MEETINGS UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.

DO YOU KNOW HOW LONG THAT STAFF IS NO LONGER GONNA COME TO THESE MEETINGS? UM, I DO NOT.

ALL I KNOW IS THAT STEPHANIE AND I WILL BE ATTENDING, WILL BE THE LIAISONS POSTING THE, UM, AGENDAS AND, UH, PROVIDING YOU ALL WITH, UM, MEETING MANAGEMENT DURING ALL YOUR COMMISSION MEETINGS.

UM, AGAIN, IF THERE ARE ITEMS, YOU KNOW, POSTED ON THE AGENDA THAT REQUIRE STAFF TO BE HERE, THEN YOU KNOW, THEY MAY CALL IN AND DO THE PRESENTATION OR ATTEND IN PERSON.

BUT UNTIL THEN, UM, WE ARE HERE.

AND, UM, AGAIN, YOU CAN ASK THOSE QUESTIONS RIGHT NOW AND YOU KNOW, FOR EVERYONE TO HEAR.

AND, UM, WE WILL GET THOSE RESPONSES TO YOU.

ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR ME? THE COMMISSIONERS? YES.

THIS IS INTEREST TO RESIDE THIS COMMISSION.

DEL ZITI? YES.

SO, UH, YOU SAID THAT THEY WILL MIGHT ATTEND VIRTUALLY, SO IF THEY'RE ATTENDING VIRTUALLY, WE WOULD BE ABLE TO SEE THEM.

LIKE RIGHT NOW I'M ATTENDING VIRTUALLY.

I CAN SEE MY CO COMMISSIONER CORRECT.

IF THEY'RE, THEY WON'T BE, THEY WON'T TAKE UP A TILE.

BUT IF THERE IS A QUESTION, BECAUSE AGAIN, STEPHANIE AIR AND I ARE NOT THE TOPIC EXPERTS, SO WE ARE HERE AGAIN, JUST TO MANAGE, UM, PROVIDE MEETING MANAGEMENT.

AND SO IF THERE ARE QUESTIONS AND THOSE STAFF ARE AVAILABLE, THEN WE CAN MOVE THEM OVER SO THEY CAN RESPOND TO SOME QUESTIONS.

UH, COMMISSIONER YARO COYLE? YES.

MY QUESTION IS, IS THIS UM, NORMAL ACROSS THE BOARD IN AUSTIN? ARE THERE OTHER, UM, CITY OF AUSTIN COMMISSIONS THAT DO NOT HAVE, UM, STAFF FROM THAT DEPARTMENT PRESENT? OR ARE WE, ARE, ARE WE, UH, KIND OF A GUINEA PIG HERE? NO, UM, THERE ARE, WELL, SO TO BE HONEST, WE ARE HERE, UM, AS YOU ALL ARE AWARE, UM, WE ARE HERE TO PROVIDE SUPPORT TO HELP MITIGATE, UH, THE RECENT INCREASE IN COMPLAINTS, UM, AND CONCERNS BEING, YOU KNOW, RECEIVED THROUGH OUR OFFICE AND COUNCIL OFFICES AND THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE WITH REGARD TO THIS COMMISSION.

AND SO WE, UM, WE VOLUNTEERED TO BE HERE AND ASSIST WITH THE MEETING MANAGEMENT BECAUSE WE DO WATCH THESE MEETINGS.

STEPHANIE AND I DO HOP ON AND, UM, WHILE WE'RE AT HOME AND, AND WE SEE THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT SOME DIRECTION CAN BE PROVIDED AND THAT IS THE REASON WHY WE ARE HERE.

WE WERE ASKED BY THE CITY

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AND, UM, OUR OFFICE HAS ALSO RECEIVED, UM, SOME THREE, SOME VACANCIES, FTES AND WE ARE HOPING TO, UM, THIS ISN'T ON THE AGENDA TO DISCUSS, BUT, UM, WE CAN PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION TO YOU AT SOME POINT.

UM, WE'RE, WE'RE HOPING TO CENTRALIZE, UM, THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS PROCESS.

SO OUR OFFICE WILL BE HANDLING A LOT OF THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS' LIAISON DUTIES.

UM, BUT THIS WON'T TAKE PLACE UNTIL MID-SUMMER, MAYBE, UM, A LITTLE LATER.

BUT WE CAN, WE'LL ADD AN ITEM ON THE AGENDA IF YOU'D LIKE TO DISCUSS THAT FURTHER FOR THE NEXT MEETING.

OR WE CAN EMAIL EVERYONE THAT INFORMATION.

UH, COMMISSIONER NEWHOUSE? YES.

I HAVE TWO QUESTIONS.

UM, YOU SAID THAT, UM, COUNSEL AND THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE ASKED FOR Y'ALL TO BE HERE, WHICH I THINK IS GREAT, BUT I HAVE A QUESTION.

DID THEY ASK FOR Y'ALL TO ATTEND IN PLACE OF STAFF OR IN ADDITION TO? UNFORTUNATELY WE'RE GETTING OFF COURSE.

UM, THIS ISN'T AN ITEM THAT IS POSTED ON THE AGENDA, SO RIGHT NOW I'M HAPPY TO EMAIL EVERYONE WITH INFORMATION, UM, SO THAT EVERYONE RECEIVES THE, THE, THE SAME INFORMATION.

BUT, UM, RIGHT NOW WE NEED TO FOCUS ON ITEM TWO AND THAT'S AT THE REPORT.

SO IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, IF YOU ARE ABLE TO REVIEW THAT REPORT THAT IS CURRENTLY ATTACHED AS BACKUP AND YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR REQUIRE, UM, CLARIFICATION, JUST EMAIL US OR YOU CAN DISCUSS THOSE NOW AND, AND WE'LL BE HAPPY TO RELAY THAT MESSAGE TO STEPH.

COMMISSIONER NEWHOUSE GOT ANOTHER QUESTION? YEAH, I DIDN'T, I DIDN'T HAVE ONE OF MY SECOND QUESTION WAS CAN WE EMAIL YOU BEFORE THE MEETING IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT WE USUALLY ASK IF THE MEETING, CAN WE EMAIL YOU BEFORE THE MEETING SO THAT IT CAN BE PROVIDED AT THE MEETING? OR DOES IT NEED TO COME AF THAT WE EMAIL YOU AFTER THE MEETING FOR AN ANSWER? UM, I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT IT BE BROUGHT UP DURING THE MEETING JUST FOR TRANSPARENCY PURPOSES AND NOT BEFORE.

, ARE THERE ANY MORE? UH, UH, COMMISSIONER CLINTON? UH, TWO QUESTIONS.

THE FIRST IS, THIS IS LISTED UNDER STAFF BRIEFINGS, SO, UH, WE WERE NOT EXPECTING JUST TO HAVE A PHYSICAL REPORT.

WE WERE EXPECTED TO HAVE, EXPECTING TO HAVE A STAFF BRIEFING.

IS THAT, IS MY UNDERSTANDING CORRECT, THAT WE'RE JUST NOT GONNA HAVE A STAFF BRIEFING FROM HERE ON OUT? I THINK THAT'S A LITTLE BIT OF THE TIMING OF THIS SPECIFIC AGENDA.

THERE'S NOT GONNA BE A BRIEFING TODAY.

THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THERE'S NOT GONNA BE A BRIEFING IN THE FUTURE.

I THINK THE OTHER POINT OF CLARIFICATION IS THERE'S TWO ROLES THAT A STAFF PROVIDES.

SO STAFF ARE AT EVERY BOARDING COMMISSION MEETING TO MANAGE THE MEETING, BUT STAFF ARE NOT ALWAYS PRESENT IN EVERY BOARD OF COMMISSION MEETING TO MAKE A PRESENTATION.

SO THERE'S LOTS OR A STAFF BRIEFING, THERE'S LOTS OF BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS WHERE STAFF ARE NOT PROVIDING BRIEFINGS.

SO IF A BRIEFING IS NEEDED FOR A SPECIFIC REASON, WE WILL DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO HAVE STAFF AVAILABLE FOR SOMETHING SPECIFIC AND REQUESTED.

THIS ONE I BELIEVE WAS JUST A TIMING ISSUE.

UM, AND WE DECIDED TO POST THE REPORTS AS BACKUP FOR, FOR REFERENCE.

AND THEN WE WILL FOLLOW UP WITH STAFF AS WE CAN CUZ WE ARE HERE, BUT WE CAN'T REALLY BRIEF YOU ON THIS CAUSE WE'RE JUST NOT FAMILIAR WITH THIS MATERIAL.

YEAH, WE'RE NOT, I DON'T THINK ANYONE IS EXPECTING YOU GUYS TO GIVE THE ANIMAL SERVICES BRIEFING THAT WE'RE JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND.

THIS IS A SHOCK TO AT LEAST THOSE OF US WHO DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THIS IN ADVANCE, UH, THAT THEY'RE NOT HERE.

IS SOMEONE AVAILABLE TO THE EXTENT THAT, THAT A COMMISSIONER HAS QUESTIONS ABOUT THE BRIEFING TODAY? IS SOMEONE AVAILABLE TODAY TO BE BROUGHT OVER TO ANSWER QUESTIONS ABOUT THE BRIEFING? I THINK THIS DEPENDS ON WHAT KIND OF QUESTIONS THAT WE HAVE THAT ARISE.

SO WE WOULD LIKE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS ITEM AND THEN WE'LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS AND WE ARE IN CONTACT WITH STAFF AND WE'LL BE ABLE TO MAKE THAT AVAILABLE AS WE CAN.

ARE INCLUDED IN THEIR TOTAL OF 853 ANIMALS THAT WERE BROUGHT TO THE SHELTER, OR IS THAT IN ADDITION TO THOSE 853 ANIMALS? UM, AND MY SECOND QUESTION FALLS UNDER THE VOLUNTEER FOSTER AND RESCUE PROGRAM, IT STATES THAT 78 NEW FOSTER APPLICATIONS WERE PROCESSED.

SO I GUESS YOU SHOULD CALL FOR QUESTIONS AND IF PEOPLE HAVE QUESTIONS LIKE THEY NORMALLY DO, THEN THEY CAN DECIDE WHETHER THEY WANT TO ANSWER THEM.

UH, WELL YEAH, I BUT RIGHT NOW, SO IF ANYBODY HAS ANY MORE QUESTIONS, YOU ASK OR YOU, UH, WRITE AN EMAIL.

IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT WE CAN ASK THE QUESTION AND THEN THEY'LL DECIDE WHETHER THEY'RE GOING TO ANSWER IT.

THAT'S ALWAYS THE TRUTH, RIGHT? SO IF ANYONE HAS QUESTIONS ABOUT THE REPORT AS THEY NORMALLY DO, YEAH, JUST ASK.

THEY CAN ASK THEM.

ASK JUST ASK IF YOU'S WHAT'S I WAS SAYING, TOSS IT OUT FOR QUESTIONS TO THE, TO COMMISSION HAS QUESTIONS.

SO, UH, UH, COMMISSIONER MAGULA.

YEAH, SO I HAVE A, A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.

I HAD ONE I GOT ANSWERED AHEAD OF TIME, UH, IN THAT A WILD SPEAK FOR COYOTES IS JUST, YOU HEAR THEM HOWLING.

SO GOT THAT DONE.

UM, THE QUESTION I HAD WAS, UNDER THE ANIMAL PROTECTION IT SAYS THAT THEY IMPOUNDED 143 INJURED ANIMALS AND I'M WONDERING IF THOSE 143 INJURED ANIMALS

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UH, AND THEN IT SAYS IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY INCLUDE WALK-IN IN-PERSON APPLICATIONS THAT WERE PROCESSED.

UM, AND I'M JUST QUESTIONING WHY IT DOESN'T INCLUDE THOSE NUMBERS FOR WHY YES, WHY THOSE, WHY THE WALK-INS OR IN PERSON APPLICATIONS FOR FOSTERS ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THE NUMBER OF NEW FOSTER APPLICATIONS.

ARE THERE ANY MORE QUESTIONS? YES.

UH, IT'S, YES.

UH, COMMISSIONER DS? YES.

SO I SENT THE CHANGES, UH, IN QUICK QUESTION.

I NOTICED THAT FOR TODAY'S MEETING, I GUESS BECAUSE OF THE CHANGES, THE REPORTS WERE NOT POSTED UNTIL TO DATE IN THE AFTERNOON.

SO TYPICALLY THOSE ARE POSTED ON FRIDAY.

SO THERE WAS VERY LITTLE TIME GIVEN TO REVIEW THOSE REPORTS.

A LOT OF US HAVE OTHER JOBS AND I MEAN IT'S, I'M HOPING THAT IN NEXT MEETINGS WE DO GET THOSE IN ADVANCE.

AND, UH, I, ONE QUICK QUESTION.

I KNOW STEPHANIE, YOU'RE GONNA TAKE THAT TO, UM, AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER.

I DID.

LOOK, I DID SEE THE ANIMALS TRANSFER TO OTHER GROUPS FOR THIS MONTH OR LAST MONTH COMPARED TO OTHERS SHOWED THAT FOR, IT'S ALWAYS OFTEN PETS ALIVE AS NUMBER ONE.

BUT IT WAS VERY INTERESTING THAT, UH, THE NUMBER OF LARGE DOCS WAS VERY SMALL FOR TO THE PATH AND THE NUMBER DOGS THAT SMALL WITH A MUCH BIGGER NUMBER.

AND I'M WONDERING WHY THAT, THAT THEY HAVE TO DO, BECAUSE, UM, THE SH AUSTIN ANIMALS HAS RESTRICTED THE NUMBER OF ANIMALS THAT CAN TAKE IN IS, IS INTERESTING.

BUT ANYWAY, THE, THE KEY POINT HERE IS THAT WE NEED TO SEE THOSE STATS MUCH EARLIER THAN A COUPLE OR THREE HOURS BEFORE THIS MEETING.

UH, COMMISSIONER NEWHOUSE.

GO AHEAD, CHAIR.

UH, YES, THIS WAS A TIMING SITUATION AND THEN WITH THE HOLIDAY ON FRIDAY, THIS WOULD NOT BE THE STANDARD.

WE WOULD DEFINITELY HAVE THE BACKUP AS SOON AS WE CAN GET THAT UP THERE WITH THE AGENDA.

SO I UNDERSTAND THAT AND WE APOLOGIZE FOR THE SHORT NOTICE ON THAT.

WE TRIED TO UPLOAD IT AS SOON AS WE CAN.

AND JUST SO YOU KNOW, IN CASE THAT YOU DIDN'T, THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE PUBLISHES BACKUP DOCUMENTATION TWICE A DAY.

SO IT'LL APPEAR EITHER AFTER 10:00 AM OR AFTER 3:00 PM MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY.

THANK YOU STEPHANIE.

I WAS WONDERING WITH THE NUMBER OF, UM, IMPOUNDED INJURED ANIMALS, WHETHER OR NOT THAT NUMBER, HOW IT COMPARES TO PREVIOUS MONTHS AND THEN PREVIOUS YEARS .

SO, UH, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? DOES THIS, UH, , SO WHAT I HEARD IS THAT, UM, YOU'RE GOING TO TAKE THIS TO THE AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER, OUR PROFESSIONS, AND IN A MONTH TIME, UM, THEY'LL GET BACK TO US.

WILL WE SEE A LIST OF THE QUESTIONS THAT YOU WILL BE TAKING BACK TO THEM CHAIR? MAY I? YES, WE WILL COMPILE A LIST OF THE QUESTIONS AND RESPONSES.

I AM GETTING SOME REAL TIME RESPONSES, SO I WILL READ THEM AS I'M, I'M GETTING THEM TO YOU.

I HAVE TWO ALREADY.

UM, I THINK THIS WAS IN REFERENCE TO YOUR QUESTION, COMMISSIONER.

THE IMPOUND IN THE FIELD IS INCLUDED IN THE OVERALL INTAKE NUMBER.

SO THAT'S THE RESPONSE THERE.

UH, THE SECOND ONE IS THAT WE NEED TO GET BACK ON THE FOSTER APPLICATIONS.

THE ONLY THING THAT MIGHT BE THE CASE IS THAT THEY, FOSTER APPLICATIONS CAME IN AS WALK-IN RATHER THAN THROUGH THE ONLINE PROCESS.

THEY WERE NOT YET RECORDED ELECTRONICALLY.

UM, AND THEN THEY, WE DO NEED TO GET BACK AND COMPILE THE DATA FOR INJURED ANIMALS OVER THE LAST SEVERAL

[00:30:01]

MONTHS AND YEARS.

SO THOSE ARE THE ANSWERS THAT I HAVE RIGHT NOW.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? YES, COMMISSIONAL SMUGGLER.

SO DOES THE, UM, WE RECEIVED THIS, WAS IT VACANCY, THE VACANT POSITIONS THAT ARE THERE? UM, AND MY, MY QUESTION ON THIS IS, IN OCTOBER OF 2022, THE REPORT SHOWED 10 VACANT REGULAR POSITIONS AND 21 VACANT, 10 TEMPORARY POSITIONS.

UM, AND THEN THIS MONTH, I GUESS THEY'RE LIKE 19 OR SOMETHING.

UM, MY, I GUESS MY QUESTION IS ARE THOSE 21, ARE THESE 19 POSITIONS ALL REGULAR POSITIONS OR ARE THESE PART OF THE TEMPORARY POSITIONS? CUZ I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW THAT I SEE THE ANYTHING ON THOSE TEMPORARY POSITIONS LISTED ON THIS REPORT.

UH, YES, UH, COMMISSIONER NORTON.

UM, I JUST HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT REQUESTING DATA.

UM, IN THE CASE OF SAY, WANTING PAST INFORMATION ABOUT SAY THE INJURED ANIMALS, THE ONES WERE INTAKING, DOES STAFF JUST AUTOMATICALLY PROVIDE THAT? CUZ LIKE I HAD A QUESTION ABOUT SOMETHING THAT CAME UP AND I HAD TO DO A PUBLIC INFORMATION REQUEST AND NOW I MAY HAVE TO PAY FOR IT.

SO, AND MAYBE THIS IS OFF TOPIC AND WE HAVE TO TALK ABOUT NEXT WEEK, BUT WHAT'S THE LINE? I KNOW WE'RE, I KNOW THE CITY IS REQUIRED TO GIVE US CERTAIN INFORMATION THAT'S IN, UM, THAT'S IN THE CODE OF ORDINANCES, BUT IF IT'S OUTSIDE OF THAT AND IT'S A LOT OF WORK OR CAN WE ASK THEM TO DO IT? OR DO WE HAVE TO FILE A PUBLIC INFORMATION REQUEST? I THINK THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.

WE DO GET ASKED THAT A LOT.

UM, I I, THIS COMMISSION IN PARTICULAR, I DO KNOW, I DON'T KNOW THE SPECIFICS, BUT I KNOW THERE ARE SPECIFIC OUTLINES FOR WHAT SHOULD BE IN THE REPORT AND WHAT THE ANIMAL SERVICE CENTER IS SUPPOSED TO PROVIDE.

THOSE THEY WOULD NEED TO PROVIDE TO YOU.

UM, AND THEN ANYTHING ADDITIONAL, YOU MAY CERTAINLY ASK, AND I, WE, I KNOW WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS BEFORE, YOU MAY CERTAINLY ASK THEM AND THEY WILL LET YOU KNOW IF THIS IS SOMETHING THEY CAN DO AND THEY ARE ABLE TO CONSIDER.

DO I HAVE THE RE DO THEY HAVE THE RESOURCES? DO THEY HAVE THE TIME TO COMPILE AND RESPOND? IT MAY INVOLVE A COST IF IT TURNS INTO SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE NORMALLY A PUBLIC INFORMATION REQUEST.

SO IF A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC WERE ASKING SOMETHING, THEY WOULD RESPOND IN A SIMILAR MANNER.

SO IT WOULD JUST BE WHAT THE STAFF COULD MANAGE.

BUT THAT IS STANDARD ACROSS ALL DEPARTMENTS THAT MANAGE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.

I HOPE THAT ANSWERED YOUR QUESTION.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? OKAY, WELL, IF NOT, LET'S HEAR.

EXCUSE ME.

STEPHANIE OVER HERE.

I DID GET A QUESTION.

I DID GET A RESPONSE TO THE LAST QUESTION FROM THE COMMISSIONER AND THE ANSWER IS THAT THEY ARE FULL-TIME REGULARS.

DOES THAT ANSWER THE QUESTION? YES.

ALL THE PEOPLE ON THE LIST ARE FULL-TIME.

YES, THEY ARE FULL-TIME REGULARS.

UH, DISCUSSION ITEM PRESENTATION

SO THAT ANSWERS THAT THOSE, THE 19 CURRENT VACANT POSITIONS ARE FULL-TIME REGULARS.

BUT WHAT OF THE 21 TEMPORARY VACANCIES THEY REPORTED LAST MONTH.

OKAY, WE'LL ASK FOR THAT CLARIFICATION.

IF I GET IT, I'LL LET YOU KNOW.

OKAY, THANK YOU.

OKAY, SO LET'S MOVE ALONG.

[3. Presentation of the Monthly Report by Austin Pets Alive!]

OF THE MONTH OF REPORT, UH, BY AUSTIN PETS ALIVE.

GOOD EVENING, COMMISSIONERS.

MY NAME IS STEPHANIE BIBER.

I'M THE DIRECTOR OF LIFESAVING OPERATIONS AT APA.

AND I'M NEIL.

HEY, I'M THE SENIOR DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS AT APA.

IT'S NICE TO BE HERE IN PERSON.

UM, SO I DON'T KNOW IF EVERYONE HAS HAD A CHANCE TO LOOK AT THIS.

I UNDERSTAND THERE WAS THE DELAY IN GETTING ALL THIS POSTED BECAUSE OF THE HOLIDAY.

UM, SO IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DIG INTO HERE FOR YOU, WE'RE HAPPY TO CLARIFY ANYTHING, UM, WE'LL JUST DO A QUICK REVIEW THOUGH.

SO ON THE FIRST PAGE HERE, AS ALWAYS IS OUR BREAKDOWN OF OUR TRANSFERS FROM APA FOR THE MONTH OF OC OR FROM AAC FOR THE MONTH OF OCTOBER.

UM, INCLUDING ANIMALS BORN IN CARE TO ANIMALS THAT CAME FROM AAC AND INCLUDING ANY INTAKES WE TOOK FROM TRAVIS COUNTY THROUGH OUR PAST PROGRAM .

UM, ONE THING OF NOTE, UM, IS THAT WE DID NOTICE AN INCREASE IN OUR PARVO TRANSFERS FROM THE SHELTER.

UM, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S JUST A SEASONALITY THING OR WHAT THE ISSUE IS, BUT WE DID NOTICE A, A PRETTY BIG INCREASE, UM, FROM A COUPLE MONTHS PRIOR.

UM, ON THE NEXT PAGES ARE,

[00:35:01]

UH, COMPARISON NUMBERS.

UM, SO THIS SHOWS OUR INTAKES, BAY NEERS, FOSTER POPULATIONS AND ADOPTION NUMBERS ACROSS BOTH ORGANIZATIONS.

UM, WE ALSO INCLUDED ON HERE, I CHANGED THE FORMAT OF OUR TRANSFER AS A PERCENT OF INTAKES A LITTLE BIT SINCE IT IS THE START OF A NEW FISCAL YEAR.

UM, AND THE CALCULATION IS SUPPOSED TO BE 12% OF THE TOTAL YEAR'S INTAKE AT THE END OF THE TERM.

SO, UM, WE REALIZED IT DIDN'T REALLY MAKE SENSE TO BE KEEPING ACCOUNTING MONTH TO MONTH BECAUSE IT'S NOT A MONTH TO MONTH STAT, IT'S A YEAR END STAT ESSENTIALLY.

SO, UM, I DID INCLUDE ON THERE WHAT OUR TOTAL LIKE INTAKE SHOULD BE, UM, AT THE END OF THIS FISCAL YEAR.

UM, SO THAT'S ON THERE.

UM, AND THEN I INCLUDED OUR 12 MONTH ROLLING AVERAGE JUST TO KIND OF KEEP ON TOP OF THAT.

THE NEXT SECTION IS THE SURVIVAL RATES OF, UM, ANIMALS THAT WE TOOK IN AS MEDICAL TRANSFERS.

SO THIS WOULD'VE BEEN ANIMALS THAT WE BROUGHT IN IN SEPTEMBER, UM, AND THEIR CURRENT STATUS AS OF, UM, NOVEMBER 10TH.

UM, AND SO AS YOU CAN SEE THERE, WE HAD ABOUT AN 89% SURVIVAL RATE OF ALL MEDICAL TRANSFERS FROM AAC.

UM, WE ALSO DID A LITTLE BIT OF A DEEP DIVE INTO EARLIER IN THE YEAR CUZ THERE WERE SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, LOOKING PAST THE 30 DAY TIMEFRAME.

UM, SO YOU CAN SEE THERE THAT ALL THE MEDICAL TRANSFERS WE TOOK IN QUARTER ONE IN QUARTER TWO OF THIS YEAR ALSO HAD, UM, AN ABOVE 80% SURVIVAL RATE EVEN AS OF NOVEMBER.

SO WHAT WE'RE SEEING, AND WE GET, WE HAVE TO DO SOME MORE DIGGING, BUT WHAT WE'RE SEEING IS FOR THE MOST PART, IF THEY'RE MAKING IT PAST THAT FIRST 30 DAYS, THEY ARE STILL ALIVE MONTHS LATER AS WELL.

SO, UM, AND THEN THE NEXT PAGE IS OUR STANDARD SHELTER ANIMALS COUNT MATRIX, UM, WHICH SHOWS ALL OF OUR INTAKES AND OUTCOMES FOR THE MONTH OF OCTOBER.

AND THEN THE LAST COUPLE PAGES HERE, UM, WERE INCLUDED AT THE REQUEST OF DR.

JEFFERSON.

UM, JUST TALKING ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF OF DATA IN, IN HELPING MAKE DECISIONS AND KIND OF WHAT APA USES AS A, AS A BENCHMARK FOR THAT.

I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANYTHING YOU WANNA ADD, SO WE'RE HAPPY TO CLARIFY ANYTHING, ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS? YES, ANY QUESTIONS? YES, COMMISSIONER ORTON.

THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE AT YOUR FIRST MEETING.

, UM, REGARDING, UM, THE FIVE, UH, BEHAVIOR DOGS PER MONTH.

, UM, WHAT I CAN GATHER, YOU'RE STILL KIND OF SHORT TWO FROM LIKE IN MAY YOU DIDN'T TAKE FIVE AND IN UM, SEPTEMBER YOU TOOK FOUR.

SO, UH, AUGUST YOU TOOK SIX.

SO I THINK THAT AVERAGES OUT TO LIKE YOU STILL ARE SHORT TO BASED ON AN AVERAGE OF FIVE PER MONTH.

UM, HOW IS THAT GONNA BE MADE UP? UM, WE ARE GOING MONTH TO MONTH.

I DON'T KNOW THAT, I MEAN IT'S A NEW FISCAL YEAR SO I DON'T KNOW, YOU KNOW, WE HAVEN'T BEEN TOLD SPECIFICALLY THAT WE NEED TO MAKE UP THE DIFFERENCE FROM PRIOR YEARS.

UM, BUT I CAN TELL YOU THAT WE'RE ON TRACK TO PULL PROBABLY SEVEN OR EIGHT THIS MONTH, POTENTIALLY MORE.

SO I THINK THAT WE'LL FIND BY THE END OF THE YEAR THAT WE'LL BE ON TRACK.

YEAH, THAT IT SAYS FIVE PER FIVE PER MONTH IN THE LICENSE AGREEMENT.

AND WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT THE, THAT LAST MONTH, UM, YOU HAD MENTIONED THAT UM, THERE WERE SOME MONTHS THAT YOU DIDN'T GET, UM, FIVE DOGS OFFERED TO YOU MM-HMM.

, UM, DOES THAT, ALL THAT CORRESPONDENCE THROUGH UM, EMAIL? YEAH, EVERYTHING HAPPENS THROUGH EMAIL.

UM, AND WHEN YOU, UM, HAVE A, A MONTH WHERE YOU SAID LIKE LAST MONTH FOR YOUR SORT STAFFED AND SO YOU COULDN'T TAKE THE ANIMALS SO THE SHELTER HAD TO ABSORB THE ANIMALS, UM, THAT'S ALSO COMMUNICATED THROUGH EMAIL? CORRECT.

OKAY, THANKS CUZ UM, I TALKED TO AAC AND THEY SAID THAT, UM, THERE WAS NO MONTH WHERE THEY DIDN'T OFFER YOU FIVE ANIMALS AND HAD A LITTLE DIFFERENT FEEL FOR THAT.

SO I DID FOLLOW PUBLIC INFORMATION REQUEST AND BEFORE I PAY A LOT FOR IT, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT'S HOW YOU, I HAD ALL THE RIGHT INFORMATION SO I'LL GET ALL THE EMAILS FIGURE OUT THERE PROBABLY WASN'T IN 2022, BUT THERE WOULD'VE BEEN IN LIKE QUARTER FOUR OF 2021, BUT YEAH, I MEAN, WE'RE HAPPY TOO.

YEAH, I DID THE WHOLE, THE WHOLE RANGE.

SO, UM, ALSO FOR THE DOGS THAT DIED IN, UH, IN CARE, WERE ANY OF THE DEATHS RESULT RESULTING FROM ANY ISSUES WITH VACCINES? UM, FOR OUR TOTAL DIETING CARE? NOT THAT I'M AWARE OF.

UM, I DON'T HAVE ALL OF THE CASES IN FRONT OF ME, BUT FOR THE MOST PART, UM, THEY'RE USUALLY EITHER NEONATES OR LIKE EM OR PARVO DEATHS FOR THE MOST PART.

SO NOTHING, UM, I HAD SOMEONE WHO ASKED ME, THAT'S WHY I'M ASKING YOU.

SO I DON'T WANNA SPREAD RUMORS.

, I'D JUST RATHER GET THE INFORMATION OUT THAT THERE WAS SOME CONCERN ABOUT SOME STAFF WHO WERE VET TECHS SPECIFICALLY WHO WERE, UM, SUPPOSED TO VACCIN WHO WROTE, WROTE DOWN THAT THEY VACCINATED ANIMALS WHEN THEY DIDN'T AND THEN THE ANIMALS GOT THOSE DISEASES

[00:40:01]

AND DIED.

SO YOU'RE NOT AWARE OF THAT.

WE'D HAVE TO TALK TO OUR MEDICAL DIRECTOR TO FIGURE OUT, I MEAN, WE, I DON'T HAVE, LIKE I SAID, I DON'T HAVE THE LIST RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME, SO I COULDN'T TELL YOU WHAT WE ATTRIBUTED THOSE TO, BUT, AND YOU KNOW WHAT ANIMALS THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT, WE CAN PULL UP RECORDS.

IT WAS JUST A QUESTION AND I DON'T WANT TO, I'D RATHER GO TO YOU AND FIND OUT IF IT'S THE CORRECT INFORMATION.

AND THERE WAS ALSO A REFRIGERATION PROBLEM THAT CAUSED A PROBLEM WITH SOME VACCINES THAT WAS REPORTED.

SO, UM, IF YOU SAY, I GUESS YOU CAN GET BACK TO ME IF YOU DON'T KNOW.

I WAS HOPING YOU COULD JUST SAY NO, THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN.

YEAH, WE CAN LOOK INTO IT.

WE DID A FEW MONTHS AGO WE WERE HAVING SOME ISSUES WITH SOME OF OUR REFRIGERATORS, UM, BUT WE'D, YOU KNOW, GOT RID OF ALL OF THOSE VACCINES AND HAD THEM REPLACED AND, UM, SO YEAH, I, LIKE I SAID, WE CAN FOLLOW UP WITH OUR MEDICAL DIRECTOR AND SEE IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT, YEAH, THERE IS A CONCERN ABOUT RISE AND DIS TEMPER BECAUSE OF VACCINE ISSUES.

SO, AND IF THERE IS A SPECIFIC ANIMAL THEN PLEASE FEEL FREE TO REACH OUT TO US AND WE CAN SPECIFICALLY TREAT THAT ANIMAL.

OH, I APPRECIATE IT.

UH, YES, UH, COMMISSIONER HERRERA.

HELLO.

GOOD NIGHT.

HI.

HEY, QUESTION I DIDN'T RECEIVE, SORRY I DIDN'T RECEIVE MY, THE NUMBERS FROM Y'ALL.

HOW MANY SPARE NEERS DID Y'ALL PERFORM LAST MONTH? UH, WE HAVE 608.

CONGRATULATIONS, .

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? YES, DR.

NIELSEN, ONE I NOTICED IN THE, IN THE AAC DATA AT, I THINK IT ONLY REFERENCED ONE PREGNANT ANIMAL BEING SENT TO YOU.

AND SO I'M ASSUMING THAT ONE DIDN'T GIVE BIRTH TO ALL 17 OF THOSE BORN IN CARE.

WERE THERE ANY THAT WERE SENT THAT WE DIDN'T REALIZE WERE PREGNANT OR DO YOU KNOW HOW WELL THEY COULD HAVE BEEN SENT THE MONTH BEFORE AND WERE JUST BORN IN OCTOBER.

I SEE.

I THINK THOUGH, OUT OF THE 13 DOG, OUT OF THE 13 MATERNITY DOGS, I THINK THREE OF THOSE WERE PREGNANT AND 10 OF THEM WERE THE ACTUAL PUPPIES.

SO I THINK WE TOOK THREE PREGNANT DOGS IN OCTOBER.

I'D HAVE TO DOUBLE CHECK THAT, BUT I REMEMBER THAT FROM THE DIVE.

I'D BE CURIOUS WHY THERE WAS THAT DISCREPANCY AND YEAH, I'M NOT SURE.

YOU THINK SO YOU THINK WE COULD COME AAC SENT YOU THREE PREGNANT ANIMALS IN OCTOBER, CORRECT? TO YOUR RECOLLECTION? YEAH.

, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ACTUALLY, I'M SORRY.

I THINK ONE, UM, CAME WITH HER PUPPIES ALREADY.

SO THREE MOMS AND THEN ONE ALREADY HAD PUPPIES WITH HER.

OKAY, THANK YOU.

I, YES.

UH, SO IF I CAN, IF I CAN JUST CLARIFY THAT, CAUSE I SURE.

I ASSUMED, UH, WHEN I SEE AAC DOG MATERNITY THAT IT WAS 13 PREGNANT DOGS THAT WERE SENT TO YOU GUYS, BUT NO, YOU'RE SAYING THAT IT WAS THREE ADULT FEMALE DOGS CORRECT.

THAT WERE PREGNANT, ONE CAME WITH PUPPIES, RIGHT.

AND TWO THAT WERE PREGNANT.

THOSE PUPPIES ARE COUNTING IN DOG MATERNITY.

AND NOT IN DOG BOTTLE BABY, THOSE ARE SOMETHING DIFFERENT.

BOTTLE BABIES WOULD'VE BEEN, UM, ORPHANS, PUPPIES WITHOUT MOMS. YEAH.

SORRY.

IT'S, IT'S A WEIRD QUIRK IN THE WAY WE DO OUR RECORDS.

, I I WAS THINKING THAT THERE WAS LITTLE BABY BOOM GOING ON HERE.

NO, THANK YOU.

DID YOU SEEM TO COME IN WAVES BUT NO.

YEAH, .

ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? UH, YES.

COMMISSIONER ZITI? YES.

UH, I'M NOT FIRST ON THE AGREEMENT BETWEEN UM, THE CITY AND AUSTIN PETS ALIVE.

I JUST HEARD COMMISSIONER NORTON TALKING ABOUT THERE'S AN AGREEMENT, MAYBE I MISUNDERSTOOD.

APA SHOULD TAKE, IS SUPPOSED TO TAKE FIVE BEHAVIORAL DOGS PER MONTH.

DID I GET THAT INCORRECTLY? THAT'S CORRECT.

FIVE LARGE, MEDIUM AND LARGE BEHAVIOR DOGS A MONTH.

AND WHAT ELSE BESIDES THAT, WHAT ELSE IS IN THE AGREEMENT? UM, PARVO DOGS, UH, BOTTLE BABY KITTENS.

IT'S NOT A NUMBER.

NO, IT'S JUST ANY PARVO DOG THAT IS PLEA TO US.

UM, SAME THING WITH BOTTLE BABY KITTENS, UM, AND ALL SMALL BEHAVIOR DOGS, THEY DON'T COUNT TOWARDS THE FIVE.

SO ANY SMALL DOG THAT'S LISTED AS BEHAVIOR, UM, I'M MISSING SOMETHING.

PREGNANT DOGS TOO, RIGHT? PREGNANT, PREGNANT DOG PUT TO US DOGS AND CAT SUITS.

I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S LISTED IN THE LICENSE AGREEMENT SPECIFICALLY, BUT THEY'RE OFTEN PUT AS MEDICAL ATTENTION DOGS AND SO YEAH, THEY USUALLY END UP WITH US ANYWAYS.

WELL NOW THE ONLY ONE THAT HAS A, A QUANTITY ATTACHED TO ARE THE BEHAVIORAL DOGS.

CORRECT? THE BEHAVIORAL DOGS? YES.

AND THE OVERALL LIKE END OF YEAR NUMBER.

AND UH, SO IF THE FISCAL YEAR THAT YOU HAVE, WELL 12 MONTHS IS A FISCAL YEAR, THAT WOULD BE WHAT? 60 DOCS? BEHAVIORAL

[00:45:01]

DOCS.

SO THE PAST YEAR APA HAS HAD 60 TOTAL BEHAVIOR DOGS TAKEN FROM IN THE AUSTIN HOME CENTER IN THE PRIOR FISCAL YEAR.

I DON'T REMEMBER THE NUMBER THAT WOULD'VE BEEN LAST MONTH'S REPORT CUZ THIS IS NOW A NEW FISCAL YEAR.

UM, BUT IN THE PRIOR FISCAL YEAR, I THINK WE ENDED UP WITH 46 OR SOMETHING LARGE, OR SORRY, 50.

WE WERE SHORT BY FOUR OR FIVE DOGS.

I THINK OVER THE COURSE OF THE YEAR.

I, I WONDER IF THAT NUMBER, MAYBE THAT BENCHMARK NEEDS TO BE REVISED.

MAYBE THAT 60 WAS BASED IN THE PAST.

I, I DON'T KNOW.

UM, I'M JUST TO FIGURE OUT HOW THE, THAT NUMBER COME UP TO BE FIVE PER MONTH.

I THINK THAT WAS IN THE VERY ORIGINAL VERSION OF THE AGREEMENT FROM SEVEN YEARS AGO.

SO YEAH, I'M NOT SURE IT WAS, SO LIKE EVERYTHING, EVERYTHING CHANGES.

SO I'M JUST I WAS JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND.

ITEM NUMBER FOUR, APPROVE A RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL CONCERNING THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S UPCOMING FIVE YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN.

YEP.

YEAH, I DON'T THINK THAT NUMBER'S EVER CHANGED.

UH, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? OKAY, WELL THERE'S NO OTHER QUESTIONS.

LET'S MOVE ON TO THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR REPORT.

UH, DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS.

[4. Approve a Recommendation to Council concerning the City of Austin's upcoming Five-Year Strategic Plan. ]

UH, NOW WHAT, UH, STEPHANIE HALL'S GONNA TALK ABOUT THAT SHE POSTED SOMETHING JUST RECENTLY.

HOW DID YOU DO THAT? ACTUALLY I WASN'T GONNA DO THAT, BUT IF YOU NEED ME TO ANSWER SOMETHING, I WILL.

I WAS JUST GONNA LET YOU KNOW THAT I THINK THERE'S SOMEONE WHO REGISTERED TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM.

UM, AND CHAIR, I'M NOT SURE HOW THE ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION NORMALLY HANDLES THIS, BUT THERE IS SOMEONE WHO REGISTERED TO SPEAK ON THREE ITEMS. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU ALLOW THEM TO SPEAK ON EACH ITEM OR IF YOU GIVE THEM THREE MINUTES ALTOGETHER, CUZ THAT VARIES FROM COMMISSION TO COMMISSION.

SO WHAT I I, IN THE PAST WE'VE ALWAYS DONE YOU GET ONE SHOT TO TALK ABOUT ANYTHING, BUT WE CAN CHANGE THAT IF WE WANT TO.

NO, WHAT WE, UH, I I THINK TONIGHT WE CAN HAVE EACH EACH PERSON'S SPEECH TALKING THE ITEM THEY WANNA SPEAK ON.

I WOULD ONLY BE CONCERNED ABOUT SETTING PRECEDENT.

SO IF YOU NORMALLY, UM, JUST HAVE THEM SPEAK AT THE BEGINNING OF YOUR ACTION ITEMS, I MIGHT CALL ALL OF THE SPEAKERS NOW BEFORE YOU GET INTO YOUR ACTION.

IT.

THAT, THAT'S PROBABLY A GOOD IDEA CUZ THEN THEY'RE NOT ONLINE.

SO LET'S DO THAT.

LET'S DO THAT.

SO WE'RE GONNA CALL, UM, UH, SO THIS IS NOW SPEAKERS FOR ALL THE ITEMS. THIS IS HOW CITY COUNCIL DOES IT NOW TOO FOR ALL THE ITEMS FROM HERE ON OUT.

4, 5, 6, AND SEVEN.

UH, WE HAVE ON ITEM, UM, FIVE WE HAVE READ ACROSS.

IS SHE HERE OR IS SHE ON LINE? SHE ON THE PHONE.

IT LOOKS LIKE YOU ONLY HAVE ONE CALL.

UH, SO THE NEXT ONE WOULD BE WENDY MURPHY.

ITEM FIVE.

NOPE.

OKAY, SO THEN WE HAVE PAT VALS ITEMS FOUR, FIVE, AND SIX.

UM, CHAIR NASER, CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, GO AHEAD.

OKAY, GREAT.

ON, ON ITEM FOUR, I DID ASK TO SPEAK ON THAT ITEM, BUT SINCE THERE IS NO BACKUP POSTED, I AM NOT GONNA SPEAK OTHER THAN TO SAY IN THE FUTURE, I THINK WHEN THERE IS GOING TO BE A DECISION ITEM, I REQUEST THAT YOU POST WHAT THE DECISION IS GONNA BE OR WHAT WHAT IS BEING PROPOSED SO THAT PEOPLE CAN SPEAK TO IT.

BUT I I, OTHER THAN SAYING THAT I WILL NOT, I WILL NOT SPEAK TO THAT ITEM BECAUSE I, I DIDN'T SEE ANY BACKUP POSTED.

HOWEVER, ON FIVE AND SIX, THOSE ARE VERY STRAIGHTFORWARD ITEMS AND ALTHOUGH THERE IS NO BACKUP POSTED, I WANNA SPEAK IN FAVOR OF BOTH CREATING A WORKING GROUP REGARDING SPAY NEUTER EFFORTS WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.

AND I ALSO SUPPORT CREATING A WORKING GROUP TO EVALUATE AND DISCUSS THE CURRENT STATE OF REPORTS AND PUBLISHED LITERATURE RELATED TO THE HOUSING OF DOGS AND IN TRAVIS COUNTY ANIMAL SHELTERS.

I THINK THOSE ARE BOTH GOOD WORKING GROUPS TO HAVE AND I SUPPORT THAT YOU ARE INTERESTED IN CREATING THEM.

AND I JUST WANNA SAY THAT, UM, THOSE ARE GOOD ITEMS. THANK YOU FOR, UM, DISCUSSING THE CREATION OF THOSE WORKING GROUPS AND I LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING THEM BE CREATED AND THEN POSSIBLY PARTICIPATING IN ONE OR BOTH OF THOSE DISCUSSIONS

[00:50:01]

IN THE FUTURE.

OKAY, THANK YOU PAT.

OKAY, SO ITEM FOUR, THE WAY I HAD ACTUALLY TURNED SOMETHING IN THAT GOT LOST IN THE EMAIL, SO TO SPEAK.

UM, IT, IT'S SUPPOSED, I JUST PULLED IT UP.

IT'S POSTED NOW.

YEAH, IT GOT POSTED AT THE LAST MINUTE.

WHAT, WHAT, WHAT THIS ITEM IS IS IT WAS ON THE COMMISSION LAST TIME AND WE HAD SOMEONE WHO SPOKE, AND I FORGET WHO IT WAS, BUT THEY, THEY, THEY MENTIONED THEY HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE UM, UH, THE FIVE YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN AND SAID IF YOU LOOK AT THE STRATEGIC PLAN, THEY DON'T MENTION ANY DEPARTMENT.

THEY DON'T ACTUALLY MENTION A DEPARTMENT BY NAME THAT THAT'S SOMETHING THEY DIDN'T DO.

AND I LOOKED AT WHAT I HAD WRITTEN AND IT WAS EDGING TOWARDS THAT, ASK HIM TO DO THAT.

SO WE HAD A DISCUSSION AND UH, WE SAID WE COULD REWRITE THIS.

AND SO I REWROTE IT IN SUCH A WAY THAT IT DOESN'T ASK THEM TO MENTION THE DEPARTMENT BY NAME IF YOU'LL READ IT.

IT JUST MEANS TO MENTION, UH, ALL THE PROGRAMS WE HAVE AND WHAT WE DO.

SO WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO IS JUST, I THINK WE WERE READY TO PROVE THAT LAST TIME, EXCEPT THAT CAME UP AND IT WAS A GOOD POINT TO COME UP BECAUSE YEAH, THAT IT'S TRUE THEY DON'T MENTION ANY DEPARTMENT BY NAME.

SO IF YOU WANNA READ THAT REAL QUICK AND THEN WE CAN ENTERTAIN A MOTION.

MR. CHAIR, THE, OKAY, THAT ONE IS NOT POSTED, IS THAT RIGHT? THAT ONE IS POSTED, BUT THAT DOES MENTION THE AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER.

NO, IT, IT DOESN'T ASK THEM TO MENTION IT IN THE DOCUMENT.

THAT'S IT SAYS WE RECOMMEND THE CITY OF AUSTIN INCLUDE INFORMATION ABOUT OUR MANY PROGRAMS FOR AUSTIN CITIZENS AND THE COMPANION ANIMALS.

UH, IT DOESN'T ASK THEM TO MENTION THE AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER OR ANY SPECIFICALLY BY NAME JUST TO MENTION ALL THE PROGRAMS WE HAVE BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS WE'RE DOING.

THEY'RE MENTIONING ALL THE GREAT PROGRAMS WE HAVE IN OUR CITY FOR THIS, THAT, AND THE OTHER WITHOUT MENTIONING THE DEPARTMENT NAME.

AND I LOOKED AT IT AND THAT'S TRUE.

THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT THEY DO, WHICH I FOUND VERY INTERESTING.

ARE WE DISCUSSING IT OR? YEAH.

WELL FIRST OF ALL I WOULD LIKE HAVE A MOTION TO, OKAY.

I MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION.

AND THEY NEED A SECOND AND LOUIS SECONDS.

SO IT'S COMMISSIONER NORTON FIRST AND HERRERA SECOND.

DISCUSSION.

WELL, YEAH, I'M NOT SURE WITHOUT MENTIONING ANIMAL SERVICES OR AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER, UH, SPECIFICALLY, UM, I, I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH DISCUSSION THAT I CAN PARTICIPATE IN.

WELL IF YOU READ THE PLAN, THAT'S WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO TO GET YOUR HEAD AROUND IT.

YOU HAVE TO, AND IT'S A BIG THICK PLAN.

AND IT WAS SENT TO US ACTUALLY BY SHELTER STAFF SENT IT TO US.

AND SO THAT'S WHAT I DID.

I READ IT AND THEY TALK ABOUT ALL THESE GREAT PROGRAMS THE CITY HAS, BUT THEY DON'T TALK ABOUT THE NAMES OF THE DEPARTMENTS WHO HAS THIS PROGRAMS. THEY JUST TALK ABOUT THE PROGRAMS. UH, THEY DID NOT MENTION ANY OF THE GREAT PROGRAMS WE HAVE FOR ANIMALS IN AUSTIN.

AND WE GOT A LOT OF GOOD PROGRAMS. AND SO, UH, AND, AND I THINK JASON WAS THE ONE WHO SUGGESTED THIS WAS SUGGESTED.

WELL WHY DON'T THEY MENTION THOSE PROGRAMS CUZ THEY'RE GOOD PROGRAMS. YES.

SO BY MENTIONING THE PROGRAMS, WE WOULD JUST LET THE CITIZENS KNOW WHAT'S OFFERED.

LIKE THERE'S SPAY NEUTER PROGRAMS, THERE'S MICROCHIP PROGRAMS, THERE'S FREE RABIES CLINICS, THERE'S THAT IS NOT IN THERE.

ON AND ON AND ON AND ON AND ON.

YES, YES.

YES, YES.

SO THEY GET MENTIONED IN THE FIVE YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN.

TO PUT IN THE STRATEGIC PLAN BECAUSE OF IF, IF IT, IT MEANS THE PEOPLE WHO ARE DRAWING THIS DOCUMENT UP HAVE TO THINK ABOUT WHAT'S GONNA BE OFFERED IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.

THIS, THIS IS TO FIND MORE FUNDING TO FOLLOW WITH THAT PROGRAMS. RIGHT.

IT'S, IT IS NOT LIKE IT'S THE PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE NOW, RIGHT? YES.

THE AND AND, AND THIS IS WHERE WHY IT'S IMPORTANT

[00:55:01]

FOR EXAMPLE, IF WE PUT IT, WE HAVE A FANTASTIC PROGRAM FOR SPARE NEUTER.

IF WE DON'T PUT IT THE AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER THAT THE NAME OF, OF THE PARTNER IS GONNA BE THE CONTRACTOR THAT WE ARE GONNA HIRE.

NO, THEY, NO, THEY PUT NO NAME IN THERE.

IT'S JUST THE CITY OF AUSTIN HAS THIS GREAT PROGRAM FOR SPAY NEUTER IN AUSTIN.

FANTASTIC.

SEE, I MEAN THAT'S THAT WHEN YOU READ THE PLAN, YOU GOTTA ACTUALLY READ THE PLAN AND SOMEONE TOLD US THAT THIS IS, AND SO I ACTUALLY WENT BACK AND READ IT AND I WAS RATHER SURPRISED THIS IS HOW THEY DO IT, YOU KNOW, AND IF, IF AT SOME POINT IN TIME THEY WANNA CHANGE THAT AND PUT THE NAMES, WELL THEN WERE ALREADY IN THERE.

THEY JUST PUT THE NAME, YOU KNOW, SEE WHAT I'M SAYING? QUESTION, DID YOU REMEMBER SOME KIND OF WORDING OR ANY OTHER DEPARTMENT? I, I CAN'T IMAGINE AUSTIN ENERGY SAYING SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, LIKE I, IF IF YOU GIVE US AN IDEA, MAYBE WE CAN DISCUSS AND HAVE A BETTER WORDING TO ADD THIS FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.

UH, WHAT THEY MAKE THE DECISION ABOUT EXACTLY WHAT THEY'RE GONNA HAVE FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.

THIS IS A DECISION MADE ABOVE OUR COMMISSION.

THIS IS JUST MENTION US , MENTION THE IDEAS AND THE PLANS YOU HAVE BECAUSE YOU SPEND A GOOD CHUNK OF MONEY ON THIS AND IT IS A REAL SERVICE TO THE PEOPLE OF AUSTIN AND THE PEOPLE OF AUSTIN LIKE THESE SERVICES.

SO MENTION IT.

THAT'S BASICALLY WHAT THIS SAID.

SO YES.

SORRY, I HAVE A FOLLOW UP QUESTION THEN.

SO IN THE LETTER IT SPEAKS TO THE PROGRAMS THAT ARE AVAILABLE.

DO WE NEED TO BE DETAILED ABOUT THESE PROGRAMS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT OR ARE WE JUST STAYING WITH THE GENERALIZATION? I I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO GET TOO DETAILED WITH IT BECAUSE WHEN YOU READ, I JUST READ WHAT THE OTHER BLURB SAID ABOUT, YOU KNOW, PAGE ON THIS OR PAGE, UH, I JUST MENTIONED, UH, IN GENERAL, IF YOU'RE GONNA STICK IT IN THERE.

AND I HAVE HEARD THAT SOME OTHER PEOPLE, SOME CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS HAD BROUGHT THIS UP TOO WITH A STRATEGIC PLAN.

SO THIS IS JUST LIKE ANOTHER, YOU KNOW, WEIGHT ON THE TEETER-TOTTER TO MAKE 'EM PUT SOMETHING IN.

I DON'T THINK, UH, IT, THE SPECIFICNESS IS GOING TO CHANGE IT MUCH.

I MEAN THAT WAS JUST MY FEELING ABOUT IT.

KHA CLINTON, IT, IT PROBABLY DOESN'T REALLY MATTER BECAUSE I THINK YOUR LETTER AT LEAST JUST HIGHLIGHTS THE ISSUE THAT, THAT THAT ANIMALS ARE NOT MENTIONED.

BUT IT'S NOT SO MUCH A SERVICE, IT'S NOT SO MUCH THAT PROGRAMS ARE MENTIONED.

IT'S MORE ABOUT, UM, GOALS.

AND, UH, AND SO FOR EXAMPLE, I JUST PULLED IT UP.

THE FIRST THING IS, UH, ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY AND AFFORDABILITY, MOBILITY, SAFETY, HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT.

CULTURE AND LIFELONG LEARNING GOVERNMENT THAT WORKS FOR ALL.

UM, THAT THOSE AREN'T, THAT'S MOBILITY ISN'T A PROGRAM.

IT'S MORE OF A, OF A TOPIC.

WONDER HEALTH AND RIGHT.

SO I WOULD THINK THAT ANIMAL SERVICES WOULD BE A PERFECTLY APPROPRIATE TOPIC TO INCLUDE.

UH, AGAIN, IT PROBABLY DOESN'T MATTER.

THE, YOUR LETTER PROBABLY DOES WHAT, WHAT WE NEED IT TO DO.

BUT I THINK IT'S, IT'S NOT SO MUCH THAT WE NEED THEM TO LIST THE CURRENT PROGRAMS AS WE WANTED ANIMAL SERVICES TO BE INCLUDED IN THE STRATEGIC RIGHT VISION.

CUZ MY, MY GUESS IS WE WANT THEM TO HAVE SOME INPUT ON WHAT ANIMAL SERVICES SHOULD LOOK LIKE OVER THE NEXT FIVE TO 10 YEARS.

NOT JUST HERE IT LISTS THE PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE.

IT IT, IT, IT'S A VISION FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.

AND UM, IT'S VERY INTERESTING THOUGH YOU READ THROUGH THERE, IT DOES NOT MENTION ANY DEPARTMENT BY NAME .

THAT'S WHAT I WAS TOLD AND I LOOKED THROUGH IT AND I WAS SURPRISED THE, THE MOST PET FRIENDLY CITY IN AMERICA THAT WOULD WORK MAYBE.

BUT ANYWAY, SO IS THERE ANY MORE DISCUSSION? SO LET'S VOTE.

SO HOW MANY VOTE? SO HOW MANY, UH, UM, UH, CHAIR.

YES, STEPHANIE, AGAIN, UM, I THINK THE MOTION ON THE TABLE IS THE DRAFT THAT YOU HAD SENT AND I KNOW EVERYONE GOT THAT LATE SO WE COULD, WE, WOULD YOU MIND PUTTING THAT BACK UP AND HOPEFULLY EVERYONE'S BEEN ABLE TO KIND OF TAKE A LOOK AT IT.

BUT IF THERE ARE ANY CHANGES TO THAT, WE NEED TO DO AN AMENDMENT.

IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE MIGHT, THERE WAS AT LEAST ONE SUGGESTION THAT WE MAYBE WANNA INCORPORATE.

SO IF WE COULD DO A MOTION TO AMEND, MAKE AN AMENDMENT AND ADD THAT LINE, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.

THIS IS, IF YOU WANNA DO THAT, I'M JUST, YES.

AND THEN THAT WAY WE CAN DRAFT UP THE RECOMMENDATION.

I'LL WORK WITH YOU DIRECTLY CHAIR ON DRAFTING THE RECOMMENDATION BEFORE WE POST IT.

BUT IF WE COULD GET THOSE AMENDMENT MOTIONS, THAT'D BE GREAT.

SO IF ANYBODY HAS A, A PARTICULAR CHANGE THEY'D LIKE TO MAKE IF MAYBE PUT IT REALLY THE MOST PET FRIENDLY CITY IN AMERICA INSTEAD OF, UH, THE BEST NO KILL SHELTER IN THE WORLD, MAYBE.

CUZ YOU CAN MAKE MOTIONS TO AMEND EMOTION.

[01:00:01]

SO YOU WOULD PRESS THE MOST PET FRIENDLY CITY IN THE WORLD AS OPPOSED TO THE BEST NO KILL SHELTER IN THE WORLD.

THAT WOULD, OKAY.

SO IF YOU WANNA MAKE THAT AMENDMENT, YOU MOVE THAT AMENDMENT AND THEN WE GET A SECOND AND THEN WE DEBATE THE AMENDMENT AND THEN WE VOTE ON THE AMENDMENT.

SO DO YOU MAKE THE MOTION I THINK INCLUDE A NO KILL SHELTER IN THE WORLD? IT'S, IT'S, I I I DON'T SEE AS, AS A PROGRESSIVE OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN.

I THINK IF, IF WE JUST GO AS THE MOST PET FRIENDLY CITY IN AMERICA, IT'S, IT'S THE BEST WAY TO, TO SELL GOOD POINTS.

SO YOUR MOTION IS TO REPLACE, UH, THE GOAL OF THE BEST NO KILL SHELTER IN THE WORLD TO THE GOAL OF THE BE THE BEST, THE, THE MOST PET FRIENDLY CITY IN THE WORLD.

IN AMERICA.

IN AMERICA, YES.

PARIS IS GOING A LITTLE BIT AHEAD OF FALSE .

SORRY.

SO, UM, OKAY.

SO, UH, UH, COMMISSIONER RES UM, MOTION IS TO CHANGE BEST NO KILL SHELTON WORLD TO MOST PET FRIENDLY CITY IN THE WORLD.

DO I HAVE A SECOND FOR THAT? A SECOND.

SECOND.

AMANDA, UM, WHAT'S YOUR LAST NAME? AMANDA.

SO, UH, NOW IS DISCUSSION.

BUT OKAY.

I THOUGHT THE AMENDMENT WAS TO CHANGE IT TO THE PET FRIENDLY, MOST PET FRIENDLY CITY IN THE NATION.

NOT IN AMERICA.

IN AMERICA.

NOT THE WORLD, RIGHT? YEAH.

ANY DISCUSSION ON THAT? UH, YES.

UH, I'M AGAINST THE AMENDMENT BECAUSE IT DOESN'T ADDRESS THE THING THAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT EARLIER ABOUT, UH, WANTING IT TO BE A A, A PROGRAM AND GOAL OF THE CITY, I GUESS DOES A LITTLE BIT.

UH, I'M ALSO AGAINST REMOVING NO KILLERS, THE ONE OF THE CENTRAL GOALS OF OUR COMMUNITY.

ANY OTHER COMMENTS? YES, THERE'S TWO.

SIDERS, BEATRICE TOOL SIDE.

DISEASE.

FIRST OF ALL, AMERICA IS NOT, IT'S NOT THE UNITED STATES.

IF WE'RE GONNA PUT AMERICA, IT SHOULD BE UNITED STATES, AMERICA'S THE WHOLE HEMISPHERE.

UH, THE SECOND THING IS MAYBE WE DO, I AGREE WITH COMMISSIONER FEISER CLINTON, WE SHOULD REMOVE THE NO KILL.

MAYBE IT SHOULD BE NO KILL AND PET FRIENDLY.

THE US HAVE THOSE TWO, BUT I, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO KEEP THE NO KILL.

THAT'S WHAT MAKES, UM, THE WORD PROGRESSIVE IS, IS NOT A, A GOOD WORD CUZ PEOPLE TAKE IT EXTREME.

BUT IS, IS BEYOND, IS SPECIAL.

SO LIVES MATTER.

I WOULD KEEP THE NO KILL AND THAT'S NO KILL.

AND THAT'S FRIENDLY, PET FRIENDLY IN THE UNITED STATES.

UH, SO THANK YOU.

COMMISSIONER DTIS MAKES ANOTHER INTERESTING, UH, MOTION.

A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT TO THE MOTION, WHICH IS CHANGE IN AMERICA TO IN THE US IN THE NATION.

IN THE NATION.

SOUNDS GOOD.

UH, WOULD THAT BE AGREEABLE TO, UH, COMMISSION DOS IN IN THE NATION THE BEST YES.

THE NATION.

I, I WOULD AGREE TO.

SO THAT'S A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT TO THE MOTION, BUT AS FOR THE MOTION AT LARGE, IT SOUNDS TO ME LIKE COMMISSION DOTI IS SAYING SHE WANTS TO MENTION NO KILL.

IS THAT CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT.

I JUST TALK ABOUT THE, THE NO KILL BECAUSE I HAVE 10 YEARS WORKING WITH, WITH A SHELTER.

SO I GET IT RIGHT? YES.

[01:05:01]

AND I UNDERSTAND NO KILL, BUT FOR ANY OTHER PERSON, NO KILL.

IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND.

AND I THINK WE ARE PAYING SOME OF THAT MEANS WORDING, IF YOU PUT IT IN SPANISH.

SOUNDS LIKE WE DON'T EUTHANIZE ANYTHING.

AND PEOPLE IS ONE OF THE REASONS THAT WHEN THEY FEEL ON THE FIRST STRUGGLE WITH OUR PETS, THEY SURRENDER.

I THINK NOKI, IT'S A FANTASTIC IDEA, BUT THE TRUTH, IT'S SOME KILL IN THE BACK.

COMMISSION NELSON? UM, I AGREE WITH, UM, COMMISSIONER HERRERA AND I, I I WOULD SUPPORT HIS AMENDMENT AS HE PROPOSED.

I THINK, I THINK THE PHRASE NO KILL MEANS A DIFFERENT THING TO EVERYONE, FRANKLY.

I THINK IT'S A, IT'S A DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND PHRASE AND, YOU KNOW, AS COMMISSIONER HERRERA POINTED OUT, UM, AND SO I THINK WHAT IS MORE CLEAR IS PET FRIENDLY.

ANY OTHER COMMENTS? CORRECT? UH, YES.

COMMISSIONER NORTON.

UM, I, I WOULD SUPPORT IT AMENDMENT TOO.

I THINK, UM, NOKI IS A VALUABLE PROGRAM THAT COULD BE LISTED ON THERE, BUT I THINK JUST TO PASS THIS, I THINK PET FRIENDLY IS MORE UNDERSTANDABLE TO MO TO MORE PEOPLE.

ANY OTHER COMMENTS? OKAY.

UM, YES.

WISH.

SO, UM, I THINK THE, I WOULD SUPPORT THE, THE FRIENDLY AMENDMENT BY COMMISSIONER, UM, DEL THAT AUSTIN HAS BEEN, I DON'T KNOW, TOUTED OR ADVERTISED, HOWEVER YOU WANNA SAY IT.

WE'VE BEEN SPREAD ABOUT AS, AS THE NO KILL CITY TO EMULATE WHATEVER YOUR OPINION OR WHATEVER, WHATEVER YOUR DEFINITION OF NO KILL, WHATEVER.

I MEAN THAT EVERYBODY'S DEFINITION IS DIFFERENT, BUT AUSTIN IS KNOWN AS A NO-KILL CITY.

SO I, I THINK THAT THAT SHOULD STAY IN THERE.

WHATEVER YOUR DEFINITION OF NO KILL IS, I THINK IT NEEDS TO STAY IN THERE.

COMMISSIONER NELSON.

UM, WELL FIRST EVERYBODY GETS TO SPEAK ONCE.

DOES ANYBODY WANNA SPEAK? WHO HAS NOT SPOKEN? WANT TO SPEAK? PALMER? PALMER.

THEN WE'LL GO TO YOUR SECOND ROUND.

UH, COMMISSIONER PALMER.

I'D LIKE TO, UH, JUST SPEAK AND SAY IN SUPPORT OF EITHER COMMISSIONER CLINTON OR, UH, COMMISSIONER DOS ON KEEPING THE WORDS NO KILL.

I THINK THAT THEY'RE VERY IMPORTANT TO AUSTIN AND TO THE TAXPAYERS IN THE COMMUNITY OF AUSTIN.

AUSTIN'S WORKED VERY HARD, UM, TO ACHIEVE WHAT IT HAS FOR THE ANIMALS, AND I THINK THAT KEEPING THAT AS PART, I THINK IT WOULD BE A SHAME TO TAKE IT OUT.

I DON'T, I DON'T THINK THAT'S WHAT THE MAJORITY OF AUSTIN IS, IS WANTING.

SO HAS EVERY COMMISSIONER SPOKEN TO WANNA SPEAK ONE TIME? SO WE GO AROUND THE SECOND TIME.

SO COMMISSIONER NIEN.

SO I GUESS MY FOLLOW UP THAT TOO WOULD BE, UM, AUSTIN HAS WORKED VERY HARD, BUT HAVE WE WORKED HARD TO BRAND OURSELF WITH A SPECIFIC PHRASE, OR HAVE WE WORKED HARD TO DO THE BEST THING FOR ANIMALS AND PETS IN AUSTIN? I THINK GIVEN THAT THE PHRASE NO KILL CAN BE INTERPRETED SO MANY VARIOUS WAYS, AND SOME OF THOSE INTERPRETATIONS ARE NEGATIVE, I DON'T THINK THAT THERE'S AS MUCH ROOM TO INTERPRET PET FRIENDLY IN A NEGATIVE WAY AS THERE IS TO INTERPRET NO KILL IN A NEGATIVE WAY.

IT'S EFFECTIVELY MEANINGLESS.

KAY.

ANYBODY ELSE WANT TO SPEAK? YES.

AS, AS A PERSON WHO WORK AT THE SHELTER, I CAN SEE THAT THE BEST APPROACH IN ALL THESE YEARS.

NO KILL SOUNDS VERY, VERY GOOD.

UH, BUT THE TRUTH IS A LOW RISK, NO KILL SOUNDS VERY GOOD.

BUT THE TRUTH, UH, THE SHELTER AND THIS CITY, IT'S A LOW RISK FOR EUTHANASIA.

UH, OKAY.

UH, ANY OTHER COMMENTS? YES, COMMISS CLINTON? I WOULD JUST SAY THAT PET FRIENDLY HAS NO, UH, MEASUREMENT

[01:10:01]

TOOL.

SO I WOULD DEFINITELY NOT, UH, WANT TO REPLACE NO KILL WITH PET FRIENDLY POINT OF INFORMATION.

IS ARE YOU OPEN TO A QUESTION ABOUT ASK ME WHATEVER YOU WANT.

SO YOU JUST SAID THAT, UM, PET FRIENDLY, IT DOESN'T HAVE A MEASUREMENT.

IS THAT, WHAT IS THAT, AM I REMEMBERING THAT CORRECTLY? YOU'RE REMEMBERING THAT CORRECTLY.

UM, WHAT IS THE MEASUREMENT FOR NO KILL THE CURRENT MEASUREMENT IN THE ORDINANCES, AT LEAST 90% LIVE AL OUTCOME RATE AS DEFINED BY THE ORDINANCE UHHUH.

AND DO YOU THINK THAT'S THE PEOPLE'S GENERAL UNDERSTANDING OF NO KILL? SURE.

HOW MANY QUE I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS ALL NIGHT.

IS THERE, I MEAN, IS THIS WHAT YOU WANT? THIS IS MY LAST QUESTION.

IF YOU JUST WANTS TO ANSWER, IT'S UP TO YOU.

DO I BELIEVE THAT MOST AUSTINITES A HUNDRED PERCENT SUPPORT OUR NO KILL GOALS? YES, ABSOLUTELY.

NO, MY QUESTION WAS, DO YOU THINK THE GENERAL UNDERSTANDING OF THE PHRASE NO KILL IS A 95% LIVE OUTCOME RATE FROM SHELTERS FOR ANYBODY THAT KNOWS HOW TO READ THE ORDINANCE? YES.

OH.

SO DO YOU THINK THE GENERAL PUBLIC READS THE CITY'S OR HOW MANY QUE I THOUGHT THREE QUESTIONS AGO WAS YOUR LAST QUESTION.

THINK YOU HAD ANSWERED THE QUESTION.

IT WOULD'VE BEEN THE LAST TIME.

I HAVE NINE TIMES.

I'M GONNA STOP THIS CONVERSATION CHAIR.

YES, GO AHEAD.

NO, THAT'S WHAT I WAS GONNA ASK YOU TO CLOSE THE DISCUSSION.

BECAUSE WE'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE ARGUING BACK AND FORTH, THAT'S NOT ALLOWED IN ROBERT'S RULES.

UM, ANY OTHER COMMENTS? UH, SURE.

SHERMAN? YES.

THIS IS, SORRY, THIS AGAIN, AND, AND I, I UNDERSTAND WHAT I HEAR THAT NO KILL AND PET FRIENDLY AND, OH, WHAT IS THE DEFINITION? I, I THINK, UM, AND I HEARD WHAT, UH, COMMISSIONER CLINTON AND COMMISSIONER DR.

PAGE WE'RE GOING BACK AND FORTH AND, UM, IT'S ALL ABOUT EDUCATION.

I KNOW BRANDING, AND YOU HAVE SOUNDBITES.

DO YOU SAY ONE, TWO WORDS AND IT STICKS TO PEOPLE'S MIND.

AND ALSO IT'S ABOUT EDUCATION.

SO, UM, WHEN THINKING ABOUT KEEPING THE STRATEGIC PLAN OR PART OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN, WHEN YOU, UH, KEEP THE NO KILL AND PET FRIENDLY, WE CAN DO EDUCATION BEYOND JUST THE STRATEGIC PLAN.

ANY OTHER COMMENTS? OKAY.

WELL THEN I CALL THE QUESTION HOW MANY, UH, WE GOTTA DO THE MOTION FIRST.

SO FIRST WE VOTE ON, ON, UH, UH, COMMISSION HERRERA'S MOTION, UH, TO REPLACE THE PHRASE, NO KILL WITH MOST PET FRIENDLY CITY IN THE, IN THE NATION.

UH, HOW MANY SUPPORT THE MOTION? ALL IN FAVOR? RAISE YOUR HAND.

WE HAVE FOUR.

HOW MANY OPPOSE THE MOTION? SEVEN.

SO THE FOUR WHO POSE THE MOTION WERE COMMISSIONER NI NORTON, COMMISSIONER HERRERA, AND, UH, IN FAVOR.

THEY SUPPORT IT.

THEY SUPPORT THE MOTION.

SUPPORT THE MOTION.

UH, AND THE REST OF THE COMMISSIONER'S PRESENT.

OPPOSE THE MOTION.

SO NOW WE FALL BACK TO THE ORIGINAL, UH, THE ORIGINAL MOTION, WHICH IS, UH, WHAT I HAD WRITTEN AND WHAT WAS POST UP THERE THAT SAYS NO KILL.

UM, DID IT SAY IN THE WORLD I WOULD ACCEPT A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT IN THE NATION? YES, I WOULD, UH, DO I HEAR A SECOND SUPPORT THAT? DO I HEAR A SECOND? I SECOND IT.

SO, SO, UH, COMMISSIONER GULLA, AND, WELL, I ACTUALLY COMMISSIONER NORTON, SO IT SAYS IN THE NATION.

AND, OKAY.

SO NOW, UM, ANY DISCUSSION ON THE MOTION? WE GOTTA GO BACK TO THE MOTION, RIGHT? I'M SORRY, CHAIR.

COULD YOU CLARIFY THAT? COULD CLARIFY THAT ONE MORE TIME.

WHO MADE THE, UH, COMMISSIONER MAGULA AND THEN NORTON.

SECOND.

SORRY.

I THOUGHT I SAW SOMEONE ONLINE SECOND.

NO, THAT'S IMPORTANT.

IT, SOMETIMES IT DOESN'T GET CUT.

OKAY, SO NOW, SO NOW WE'RE AT THE ORIGINAL MOTION.

UH, I, YOU ACTUALLY SUPPOSED TO HAVE DISCUSSION ON THAT, THE ORIGINAL MOTION, CUZ WE NEVER REALLY DID THAT YET.

WE HAD A YOUR MOTION.

SO IS THERE IS UP.

SO, SO THIS THE ORIGINAL MOTION.

DOES ANYBODY WANNA DISCUSS IT? OKAY.

SO I'LL CALL THE VOTE.

HOW MANY SUPPORT THE ORIGINAL MOTION WITH THE FRIENDLY AMENDMENT? AND THAT IS, UH, UH, THE EVERYONE.

OKAY, SO THERE ARE TWO ABSTENTIONS.

HOW MANY OPPOSE IT?

[01:15:01]

THERE'S COMMISSIONER NELSON AND COMMISSION HERRERA AND EVERYBODY ELSE PRESENT SUPPORTED IT.

OH, OH, DO.

OH, 3 3 3 ABS ABSTENTIONS.

THE CREATION OF A WORKING GROUP REGARDING SPAY NEUTER EFFORTS WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.

ALL RIGHT.

SO LET'S MOVE ALONG TO THE NEXT ITEM, WHICH IS APPROVE

[5. Approve the creation of a working group regarding spay/neuter efforts within the community. ]

UH, UH, WHOSE AMENDMENT WAS THIS? WHOSE EMOTION WAS THIS? OKAY, SO, HI, UH, WE NEED, WE NEED TO MAKE, UH, EXPAND A PRIORITY AGAIN.

I THINK, UH, FEW YEARS AGO WAS A LITTLE BIT MORE RELEVANT.

LATER COVID HAPPENED.

WE ARE NOT THE ONLY CITY WHO ARE STRUGGLING WITH VETERINARIANS, BUT YES, UH, I KNOW ROEL BAKER FOR LONG, LONG TIME WITH FEW CATS AROUND TOWN.

AND MY LAST CALL TO EMAN PET WAS FOR A LARGE FEMALE, UH, AT THE END OF JUNE AN APPOINTMENT.

AND THAT WE AS A, IF WE WANT TO BE THE BEST NOKI CITY IN THE NATION, THAT IS UNACCEPTABLE.

WE NEED TO HAVE MORE, MORE OPTIONS FOR, UH, FREE AND LOW.

WE ARE WORKING WITH THE VOUCHERS, AND I RECEIVE A QUOTE TODAY FROM ONE, UH, VETERINARIANS THAT THEY ASK, I THINK 550 FOR PAY.

AND IF THE ANIMAL IS PREGNANT, $700, THEN IT'S A LOT OF MONEY.

WE NEED TO HAVE MORE RESOURCES FOR ALL OUR COMMUNITY.

FOR EXAMPLES, UH, DALLAS HAS, UH, MANDATORY SPARE AND THEY HAVE A CLINIC, AN OPEN, UH, A SPOT FOR A LARGE FEMALE DOG IN ONE WEEK.

AND WE CAN GO LIKE THAT IN, IN, IN OTHER CITIES.

AND THEY ARE A LITTLE BIT MORE PROACTIVE THAN US.

UH, IT'S, IT'S AMAZING.

AND CONGRATULATIONS TO THE TEAM OF APA WITH THAT 608.

I LOVE THE IDEA TO, TO JUST PUT IT HERE ON THE TABLE FOR EVERYBODY.

THAT BECAUSE WE'RE THE COMMUNITY, MAYBE WE CAN INCLUDE APA, UH, HUMAN SOCIETY, , MAYBE BRING ANIMAL BALANCE, UH, I DON'T KNOW.

WE NEED, WE NEED BETTER NUMBERS WITH SPARE.

WE, WE ARE NOT GIVING THE RESULT THAT THIS COMMUNITY NEEDS.

SO THE MOTION IS TO CREATE A WORKING GROUP TO LOOK INTO WHAT MORE WE CAN DO FOR SPAY NEUTER IN AUSTIN.

AND, AND IT'S NOT, NOT ONLY THE CITY I LET'S GO TO, TO SEE ALL THE COMMUNITY.

SO I, I WOULD, UH, MAKE A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT AND THIS EMOTION APPROVE THE CREATION OF A GROUP, WORKING GROUP REGARDING INCREASING, REGARDING INCREASING SPAY NEUTER EFFORTS WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.

SO IT'S CLEAR THAT THE GROUP IS, IS, IS FOCUSED ON INCREASING.

ALL RIGHT.

SO THERE'S A MOTION IS FIRST, DO I, HERE A SECOND.

SECOND, YES.

UH, DO WE WANT ANY DISCUSSION ON THIS? GUESS I TOTALLY SUPPORT IT AND I THINK WE'VE GOTTA GET CREATIVE WITH IDEAS LIKE, YOU KNOW, WORKING WITH PRIVATE VETS, IF THAT'S THE CASE.

CUZ EMAN PET IS REALLY FAR OUT FOR THESE SERVICES.

UM, BUT, UM, DO WE SAY COMMUNITY OR SINCE WE'RE KIND OF AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY, DO WE HAVE TO SAY LIKE WITHIN THE COUNTY OR WERE YOU THINKING OF WORKING WITH LIKE WILLIAMSON COUNTY AND HAYES COUNTY? SINCE IT'S A MORE COMMUNITY? I MEAN, IF WE CAN USE COMMUNITY, THAT'S FINE.

I'M JUST WONDERING IF WE HAVE TO.

TECHNICALLY WE ONLY HAVE JURISDICTION OVER THE COUNTY.

THE, THE, THE, THE ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSIONS BY THE STATE WHO CREATES 'EM.

WE ADVISE AGAINST CONSENT OVER THE COUNTY MM-HMM.

SO I THINK, BUT IF YOU PUT COMMUNITY THAT LEAVE IT LOOSE ENOUGH, MAYBE SO THAT, YOU KNOW, IF I LIKE IT, IF WE COULD DO IT, I'M JUST ASKING IF WE COULD DO IT.

CHAIR, DO YOU, WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO WEIGH IN? I THINK COMMUNITY IS ACCEPTABLE, ESPECIALLY SINCE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A WORKING GROUP.

SO IF THAT'S THE GENERAL VIBE YEAH.

WE SUPPORT.

SO COM WELL, I THINK THAT'S GOOD ENOUGH.

YEAH, I KNOW.

I LIKE IT.

UH, ANYBODY ELSE WANNA COMMENT ON THIS? OKAY, SO THEN THE OTHER THING OF COURSE, WILL, WE HAVE TO HAVE PEOPLE WHO WANNA SIT ON THE COMMISSION ON THE, ON THE WORKING GROUP.

AND OF COURSE YOU CAN'T HAVE A, YOU CAN'T HAVE A A

[01:20:01]

A, UH, QUORUM.

GO AHEAD.

WHAT I'M STRUGGLING WITH THIS BUTTON.

BUTTON.

I WAS GONNA SAY, IF TA, COULD YOU TAKE THE VOTE TO CREATE THE WORKING GROUP FIRST? YES.

AND THEN YOU CAN GO AHEAD AND ASSIGN MEMBERS.

AND, AND JUST SO EVERYBODY KNOWS, UH, UH, UH, STEPHANIE HALL SENT OUT VERY NICE, UH, UH, EMAIL ABOUT THIS NOT LONG AGO SAYING THAT PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT ON THE COMMISSION CAN ALSO BE ON A WORKING GROUP LIKE THAT, JUST SO YOU KNOW YOU CAN, OKAY.

SO, UH, YES.

SO ONE COMMENT AND, AND THAT IS THAT, UH, WE SHOULD DO OUR BEST TO BE DRIVEN BY DATA.

SO, UH, IF, YOU KNOW, IF, UM, DALLAS, FOR EXAMPLE, HAS AN OPENING NEXT WEEK, THAT DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN THEY'VE PROVIDED MORE, UH, SPAIN ERS PER CAPITA THAN WE HAVE.

SO I WOULD SAY THAT TO THE EXTENT WE CAN, LET'S TRY TO BE DATA DRIVEN AND FIGURE OUT WHAT THE MEASUREMENT OF SUCCESS IS AND WHAT IT IS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO GET TO, RATHER THAN JUST SAYING MORE BECAUSE THEY HAVE AN OPENING.

IS THAT AGREEABLE? WELL, IT, IT'S JUST A COMMENT.

NO, IT'S NOT PART OF THE, I'M NOT SAYING, UH, IT'S DISCUSSION.

I'M NOT PROPOSING AN AMENDMENT.

IT'S JUST DISCUSSION.

THAT, AND ANYTHING THAT WE DO, WE SHOULD TRY TO PROVIDE, BE DATA DRIVEN AND PROVIDE A MEASUREMENT FOR WHAT IT IS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH.

ANY OTHER COMMENTS? OKAY, THEN YES, IT, JUST FOR CLARIFICATION, I DIDN'T BRING THAT NUMBERS BECAUSE ALREADY WE WAS HAVING A LOT OF NUMBERS.

BUT FOR NEXT, UH, MEETING IF YOU ALL WANT, OR FOR THE WORKING GROUP, I CAN PROVIDE THE NUMBERS NECESSARY WITH OTHER CITIES PER CAPITA WHO CAN GIVE US A VERY GOOD, UH, IDEA WHERE TO GO ON, HOW TO COUNT, RIGHT.

THAT SPANS.

AND, AND, AND THE WAY THAT WORKS IS THE WORKING GROUP, UH, YOU PRESENT ONCE YOUR FINDINGS.

IS THAT CORRECT? AT CHAIR, ACTUALLY THE WORKING GROUP CAN PRESENT TO THE COMMISSION AS MUCH AS THEY WOULD LIKE AS UPDATES.

ONCE THEY PRESENT THEIR FINAL FOR A RECOMMENDATION.

OKAY, THEN THAT'S WHEN THEY'RE DISSOLVED.

SO YOU GET THAT TOGETHER FOR YOUR WORKING GROUP AND THEN DO PRESENTATIONS.

SO LET THEN LET'S CALL THE VOTE.

HOW MANY SUPPORT, UH, UM, CREATING THIS WORKING GROUP? AND THAT APPEARS UNANIMOUS.

IS KATIE VOTING? NO, I'M GONNA ABSTAIN ON THIS ONE.

THANKS.

OKAY, SO KATIE'S ABSTAINING, BUT EVERYBODY ELSE VOTED.

ALL RIGHT.

UH, THEN LET'S MOVE ALONG TO SIX.

APPROVE THE CHAIR.

PARDON ME? I'M SORRY FOR INTERRUPTING, BUT IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO ASSIGN MEMBERS TO THE OR YOU CAN DO THAT.

SO, UH, LOUISE, WHO, WHO WANTS TO BE ON THIS WITH LOUISE? UH, DR.

BRUCE.

WHO ELSE? UH, COMMISSIONER GULLA.

SO THAT'S GOOD FOR NOW.

IF YOU WANT TO, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO JOIN IN ON THAT, YOU CAN, AS LONG AS WE DON'T HAVE A QUO AND YOU CAN BRING PEOPLE ON BOARD WHO ARE NOT COMMISSIONERS WHO ARE INTERESTED IN HAVING.

STEPHANIE, JUST TO CLARIFY, QUAR MEETS 5, 7, 7, I THINK YOUR QUO.

SO YOU'VE GOT A LITTLE MORE FLEXIBILITY.

YEAH, YEAH, BECAUSE, OKAY, SO ANYWAY, SO LET'S

[6. Approve the creation of a working group to evaluate and discuss the current state of reports and published literature related to the housing of dogs in Travis County animal shelters.]

MOVE ON TO ITEM SIX.

APPROVE THE CREATION OF A WORKING GROUP TO EVALUATE AND DISCUSS THE CURRENT STATE OF REPORTS AND PUBLISH LITERATURE RELATED TO THE HOUSING OF DOGS AND TRAVIS COUNTY ANIMAL SHELTERS.

AND THIS IS, UH, IF I'M CORRECT, IS, UH, COMMISSION OF NISSEN'S ITEM.

SO PRESENT IT, UM, SO OH YEAH.

BEFORE WE CAN TAKE COMMENT ON THIS, RIGHT? I SIGNED UP FOR PUBLIC.

YEAH, YOU DID, YOU DID SIGN UP TO SPEAK AND WE DIDN'T GET YOU ANOTHER ONE.

SO LET'S HAVE HER SPEAK FIRST.

YEAH, COME ON UP.

YEAH, COME ON UP CUZ WE GOTTA GET THAT IN THERE.

UM, UH, I'M A JEFFERSON PRESIDENT AND CEO OF AUSTIN PETS ALIVE, AND, UM, I'M EXCITED TO SEE THIS ON HERE.

I, UM, I WANTED TO POINT OUT THAT THE MOST, UM, RECENT, UM, AND SPECIFIC ITEM THAT COULD BE USED TO EVALUATE AND DISCUSS THE CURRENT STATE OF REPORTS AND PUBLISHED LITERATURE RELATED TO THE HOUSING OF DOGS IN TRAVIS COUNTY IS THE TASK FORCE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WERE, UH, CREATED BY THIS COMMISSION.

AND SO I HOPE THAT THOSE WILL BE THE, UM, CENTER OF THE, THE TASK FORCE WORK.

THE SECOND THING I WAS GONNA SAY IS THAT, UM, AS I SAID BEFORE, RESEARCH IS REALLY LACKING IN OUR INDUSTRY.

AND SO MY GUESS IS THAT IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT OTHER RESEARCH THAT EXISTS, YOU'RE GONNA FIND, UM, BIG HOLES.

AND I THINK THAT THAT IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US AS THE ANIMAL WELFARE COMMUNITY

[01:25:01]

TO INVEST.

AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT AUSTIN PETS ALIVE HAS BEEN TRYING TO DO, IS INVEST IN TRYING TO FIND DATA AND, UM, AND INVESTIGATE AND LEARN SO THAT WE CAN USE DATA CENTER DATA IN DECISION MAKING.

UM, AND THE THIRD THING THAT I WOULD SAY IS THAT, UM, THERE ARE LOTS OF COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE DONE NON PEER-REVIEWED RESEARCH AND, UM, I THINK IT'S RELEVANT STUDIES LIKE THE ONE IN SAN ANTONIO THAT WAS DONE A FEW YEARS AGO THAT, UM, A GROUP OF RESEARCHERS FOLLOWED THE LOOSE DOGS.

THEY HAVE A MASSIVE STRAY DOG PROBLEM IN SAN ANTONIO.

AND, UM, THEY FOLLOWED THE DOGS AND FOUND THAT 96% OF THEM WERE ACTUALLY CARED FOR AND, UM, AND BEING FED BY SOMEBODY.

AND SO ONLY 4% WERE DOGS THAT WERE BEING NEGLECTED AND STARVING TO DEATH ON THE STREETS.

THINK, THINK THAT'S REALLY FASCINATING.

AND IF WE HAD MORE RESEARCH LIKE THAT, IT COULD BE HELPING TO DRIVE DECISIONS, UM, LIKE LOST AND FOUND AND HOW WE'RE HELPING COMMUNITIES LIKE WHAT LOUIS DOES.

UM, AND THEN THE LAST THING I'LL SAY IS THAT, THAT I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT THIS WORKING GROUP HAS A FOCUS ON NO KILL IMPROVEMENTS TO STAY IN LINE WITH THE MISSION OF THE COMMISSION.

UM, AND, AND THAT ANY, UM, DISCUSSION AND RESEARCH AROUND LITERATURE AND UNDERSTANDING THE GAPS THAT EXIST ARE ACTUALLY USED TO MAKE IMPROVEMENTS TO OUR LIVE OUTCOME RATE AS A CITY.

UM, AND I THINK THAT'S IT.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

AT RECENT COMMISSION MEETINGS.

SO, UM, UH, GO AHEAD.

NOW COMMISSION NELSON.

SO I'LL JUST MAKE THE MOTION FIRST.

HMM.

SO I'LL JUST MAKE THE MOTION FIRST.

UH, YEAH.

DESCRIBE, YEAH, DESCRIBE THE IDEA.

WASN'T THAT PART OF THE DISCUSSION? NO.

THAT YOU'RE, YOU'RE YOU'RE PRESENTING THE IDEA AND, AND THEN MAKE THE MOTION, BUT YOU GET TO, YOU GET TO SAY LITTLE SOMETHING ABOUT THAT.

IT'S NOT LIKE, OKAY.

SO PART OF THE PURPOSE OF THE ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION IS TO ADVISE CITY COUNCIL AND TRAVIS COUNTY COMMISSIONER'S COURT ON ANIMAL WELFARE POLICIES.

I BELIEVE WE ALL AGREE THAT WE WOULD BEST CARRY OUT THAT PURPOSE BY ADVISING BASED ON ACCURATE DATA AND THE MOST CURRENT SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH.

AT RECENT COMMISSION MEETINGS, A THEORY HAS BEEN PRESENTED THAT THERE IS AN OVERABUNDANCE OF HOMES IN AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY FOR ALL OF THE DOGS IN THE SHELTERS IN AUSTIN.

AND AS EVIDENCE, THIS CLAIM PURPORTED TO REFERENCE SEVERAL STUDIES, IF THERE ARE ACTUAL STUDIES THAT SHOW THERE IS AN OVERABUNDANCE OF HOMES FOR ALL THE ANIMALS, INCLUDING THE LARGE DOGS AT THE THREE AUSTIN ANIMAL SHELTERS, IT WOULD BE CRITICAL FOR THIS COMMISSION TO BE VERY FAMILIAR WITH THESE STUDIES, THEIR METHODS, THE, THE DATA, AND THE APPROPRIATENESS AND RELEVANCE OF THEIR, THEIR CONCLUSIONS.

A REVIEW OF THE CURRENT RESEARCH ON THIS TOPIC WILL NOT BE INCLUDED IN THE AUDIT OF AAC CURRENTLY BEING UNDERTAKEN BY THE CITY.

HOWEVER, THE RESULTS OF THE CITY AUDIT, WHICH WILL TELL US A LOT ABOUT HOW THINGS ARE GOING INSIDE THE SHELTER, COMBINED WITH AN IN DEPTH UNDERSTANDING OF THE CURRENT LITERATURE OF, OF THE CURRENT LITERATURE REGARDING THE POTENTIAL TO PLACE ANIMALS IN OUR COMMUNITY, WILL PUT THIS COMMISSION IN THE BEST POSITION POSSIBLE TO APPROPRIATELY ADVISE CITY COUNCIL AND TRAVIS COUNTY COMMISSIONER'S COURT ON ANIMAL WELFARE POLICIES.

THEREFORE, I MOVE THAT WE FORM A WORKING GROUP THAT I WOULD SHARE AND I WOULD INVITE COMMUNITY MEMBERS, DR.

ELLEN JEFFERSON, DR.

HERA, ANYONE ELSE AT APA AAC AUSTIN HUMANE SOCIETY, ANYONE WHO SPECIALIZES IN STATISTICS AND SOCIOLOGY, RESEARCH, ET CETERA, ANYONE INVOLVED IN CARRYING OUT SUCH RESEARCH OR INTERESTED IN THIS SORT OF RESEARCH.

I WOULD WANNA TALK TO ALL THOSE PEOPLE.

AND THE WORKING GROUP WOULD PRESENT A REPORT, ESSENTIALLY A REVIEW ARTICLE IN THE SECOND QUARTER OF 2023.

SO THERE'S THE MOTION.

UM, IS THERE A SECOND? OKAY.

COMMISSIONER HERRERA.

OKAY, SO NOW IT STARTS DISCUSSION.

DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANYTHING THEY WANNA SAY ABOUT THIS? I, I DO HAVE ONE COMMENT I'D LIKE TO MAKE, WHICH IS, I'M A LITTLE WORRIED ABOUT THIS MOTION BEING A LITTLE TOO BROAD.

UM, THE, THE QUESTION MIGHT BE HOW CAN WE FOCUS IT? I MEAN, I LIKE WHAT YOU SAID IN LENGTH, BUT I'M NOT SURE THAT THAT IS CARRIED ACROSS IN THE MOTION ITSELF.

SO, UM, I DO HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF WORDING THAT I WOULD, VERY MINOR WORDING I WOULD CHANGE TO ASK.

WORKING GROUP TO EVALUATE AND DISCUSS THE CURRENT STATE OF REPORTS AND PUBLISHED LITERATURE RE RELATED TO THE POTENTIAL HOUSING FOR DOGS IN TRAVIS COUNTY ANIMAL SHELTERS.

SO WHAT, WHAT, WHAT DO YOU THINK I WOULD SAY, UM,

[01:30:01]

THAT THAT'S BETTER.

THAT'S BETTER.

THE, OR OR, OR, YEAH.

THE POTENTIAL FOR HOUSING OR WHAT DID YOU SAY? YOU DIDN'T SAY? I WOULD, OH, I WOULD TAKE OUT THE PHRASE HOUSING FOR DOGS IN SHELTERS BECAUSE THAT, THAT SOUNDS LIKE HOUSING IN SHELTERS.

AND SO TO MAKE THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE CLEAR WOULD BE TO THE POTENTIAL FOR FINDING HOMES, IF THAT'S AN APPROPRIATE TERM FOR HOUSING OR FINDING HOMES FOR DOGS IN, IN TRAVIS COUNTY.

ANIMAL SHELTERS.

TO FINDING HOMES FOR DOGS.

FOR DOGS.

AND TRAVIS KAYAM.

SHES OKAY.

SO THAT, THAT CLEARS UP A LITTLE BIT.

ANY OTHER COMMENTS ABOUT THIS? OKAY.

COMMISSION DOS.

SO THIS MOTION FROM DR.

NIELSENS TO REPLACE THE OTHER MOTION, I MEAN THE OTHER WORKING GROUP THAT YEAH, THAT'S ESSENTIALLY, NO, THIS IS JUST A WORKING GROUP OF ITS OWN.

SO, AND UH, YES, COMMISSIONER? UM, I JUST WANNA SAY I SUPPORT THE ORDINANCE.

UM, I THINK A LOT OF WHAT, UM, BOTH, UH, UH, DR.

NELSON AND DR.

JEFFERSON SAID ARE VALID.

UM, IF WE'RE GONNA BE LEADERS IN NO KILL AND BEING PET FRIENDLY, WE SHOULD HAVE STATISTICS TO BACK UP OUR DATA OF WHAT WE CAN AND CANNOT HANDLE.

AND SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT AND, UM, I'M GLAD YOU BROUGHT IT UP AND ARE DOING IT.

AND I, AND I THINK DECISIONS ARE MADE BASED ON THE DATA AND IT'S, IT'LL BE GOOD TO HAVE GOOD SOLID DATA AND IF SAN ANTONIO CAN DO IT, WE CAN CERTAINLY DO IT.

UH, ANY OTHER COMMENTS? OKAY.

WELL IF THERE ARE NO OTHER COMMENTS, THEN I CALL THE VOTE.

SO HOW MANY SUPPORT THE CREATION OF THIS WORKING GROUP? UH, SO THAT'S 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.

SO THE MOTION FAILS.

HOW MANY OPPOSE? LET'S GO POSE FIVE.

UH, OKAY.

BUT THEN THERE'S SOME ABSTENTIONS CUZ THERE ARE MORE THERE.

10 HERE.

SO, BUT THE MOTION FAILS CUZ IT NEEDS TO BE SEVEN TO PASS CUZ YOU HAVE TO HAVE A QUORUM.

NO.

BUT I WOULD LIKE TO CLARIFY IF COMMISSIONER ZA WAS ABSTAINING OR WERE ABSTAINING.

OKAY, SO, UH, OKAY, O

[7. Approve Commission Annual Meeting Schedule for 2023.]

ON TO NUMBER SEVEN.

APPROVED COMMISSION MEETING SCHEDULE FOR 2023.

UH, THIS WAS POSTED ONLINE AND I THINK IT'S JUST VERY STRAIGHTFORWARD.

IT'S JUST, AND ONE OF THE DAYS IS INDIGENOUS AMERICAN DAY, BUT WE DID THAT THIS YEAR, DIDN'T WE? WE ALL DID TOO.

UM, BUT THAT'S OKAY WITH ME CUZ THIS IS THE EVENING THING.

SO, UH, I'M, IT'S, UH, IT'S IN THE BACKUP.

WHAT'S THE TITLE? UH, LET'S SEE.

UH, UH, IT'S THE SECOND ONE.

IT'S THE BACKUP 13TH TRAP PROPOSED COMMISSION MEETING SCHEDULED FOR 2023.

MONDAY, JANUARY 9TH, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 13TH, MONDAY, MARCH 13TH, MONDAY, APRIL 10TH, MONDAY, MAY 8TH, MONDAY JUNE 12TH.

I BELIEVE THE ITEM NUMBER CHANGED THAT WAS CAUSING INFUSION, BUT SHE JUST PULLED IT UP.

YEAH, IT'S THE FIRST BACKUP.

AND SO, I MEAN, I'LL READ 'EM REAL QUICK.

MONDAY, JULY 10TH.

MONDAY, AUGUST 14TH.

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 11TH.

MONDAY OCTOBER 9TH, WHICH IS INDIGENOUS PEOPLE'S DAY.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 13TH

[01:35:01]

AND MONDAY DECEMBER 11TH.

IS EVERYBODY OKAY WITH THOSE DATES? I MEAN, OF COURSE YOU KNOW, A YEAR AHEAD WHAT YOU'RE GONNA BE DOING, RIGHT? YES.

UH, SO MOVED.

SO, UH, UH, COMMISSIONER CLINTON MOVES, WE ACCEPT THESE DATES AND ONCE AGAIN WE HAVE TO HAVE THESE TO RESERVE THE ROOM.

YOU DON'T WANNA WAIT SECOND.

SO FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS? YES, I HAVE ONE ITEM AND I DON'T HAVE A PROPOSAL FOR IT, BUT, UM, I THINK IT'S WORTH US SETTING IN CASE WE HAVEN'T MADE CLEAR WHAT OUR POLICY IS WHEN PEOPLE CAN SPEAK.

I ANY SECOND? I SECOND.

ALL IN FAVOR? ALL OPPOSED.

SO IT LOOKS LIKE HUMAN UNANIMOUS.

OKAY,

[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]

UH, CUZ I THINK WE DID HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF A CHANGE FROM COVID PRE COVID DAYS TO COVID DAYS, MAYBE SINCE COVID DAYS.

SO, SO, SO THIS, I DON'T WANT THERE TO BE ANY CONFUSION.

I WANT IT TO BE FAIR TO EVERYBODY.

SO, NO, I THINK THAT'S VERY CLEAR.

SO, SO THE ITEM IS TO DE DISCUSS UH, OUR, UM, OUR SPEAKER'S POLICY, SPEAKER POLICY FOR THIS COMMISSION.

BECAUSE THERE'S A COUPLE DIFFERENT WAYS IT'S DONE.

IT'S BEEN CHANGED, SO YEAH.

I AGREE.

SO THAT'S A GOOD ITEM.

UM, I ALSO, I DON'T KNOW WE'LL BE ABLE TO DO IT, BUT AS A DISCUSSION ITEM, I MEAN YOU COULD CALL IT A STAFF BRIEFING, BUT WE DO HAVE NOW ON STAFF, I NOTICED, YOU KNOW, THESE TWO WILDLIFE OFFICERS THAT WE HAD FOUGHT HARD TO GET YEARS AGO.

AND I THINK WILDLIFE ISSUES ARE AT LEAST INTERESTING.

THE IDEA WOULD BE TO INVITE THEM TO COME AND TELL US ABOUT WHAT THEY DO.

ALL GOOD.

THAT I THINK THAT WOULD BE GOOD JUST TO GIVE US AN IDEA OF, CUZ I MEAN I FEEL COMMENTS ABOUT RAYS AND STUFF ALL THE TIME AND THEY'RE SORT OF, THEY'RE SORT OF THE PEOPLE WHO ARE, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF RABID DOGS OR CATS.

WE HAVE WILD ANIMALS AND THAT'S PART OF WHAT THEY DO WHEN THEY, SO, SO THAT WOULD BE NICE.

WE CAN MAKE A REQUEST TO THE SHELTER THAT THESE TWO STAFF MEMBERS COULD COME AND TELL US WHAT THEY DO.

YES, WE CAN DO THAT.

I JUST WANNA MAKE THERE WAS, THERE IS SUPPORT FOR THAT.

UH, ANY OTHER ITEMS UH, WE WANT TO HAVE ON THE AGENDA? YES.

SO, UM, THANK YOU.

A FEW MONTHS AGO I HAD QUESTIONED ABOUT THE, UH, THE CITY'S POLICY ON COOLING CENTERS.

UM, AND THAT GOT TAKEN OFF THIS MONTH.

UM, AND I, I HAD RECEIVED AN ANSWER FROM, UM, BILL WILSON, THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S HOMELAND SECURITY AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT, UM, THAT I WAS SATISFIED WITH AND IT WAS SHARED AS A BACKUP DOCUMENT FOR HERE.

UM, EVIDENTLY THERE WAS NOT REALLY AN ISSUE WITH ANIMALS, COMPANION ANIMALS WHILE THEIR OWNERS WERE, YOU KNOW, TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE COOLING CENTERS.

UM, I HAVE SINCE SENT A FOLLOW UP AND AT THIS PO MOMENT, I DON'T KNOW THAT THEY, THE AUDIT AND FINANCE COMMITTEE IS MEETING ON NOVEMBER 21ST AND THERE'S AN ITEM UP FOR DISCUSSION THERE ON THE WARMING CENTERS.

UM, SO I, BASED ON THE PRESENTATION AT THAT COMMISSION MEETING, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I WANT, I WILL ATTEND TO SEE IF THERE IS A PLAN IN PLACE BECAUSE NOW WE'RE HITTING THE COOLER WEATHER, RIGHT? SO, UM, MY CONCERN AGAIN IS COMPANION ANIMALS BEING SEPARATED FROM THEIR OWNERS IN THE CITY WARMING CENTERS.

HOWEVER, IF THE WARMING CENTER IS THE SAME AS THE COOLING CENTER AND THEY ONLY OPERATE DURING THE DAY, THEN THAT ISN'T AN ISSUE.

SO IT MIGHT POSSIBLY BE THAT, WHAT I'M TRYING TO FIND OUT IS MORE OF AN EMERGENCY SHELTER IN THE COLD WEATHER THAN A WARMING CENTER.

DIDN'T THEY MENTION EMERGENCY SHELTERS AND THAT THEY SAID THERE WAS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN EMERGENCY SHELTERS AND COOLING CENTERS? MM-HMM.

WELL ONE THING YOU CAN DO IS WHEN YOU FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THIS, I WOULD CERTAINLY SECOND SOMETHING LIKE THAT FOR A LITTLE PRESENTATION.

YOU CAN CALL ME UP AND IF YOU WANNA PUT IT ON WE CAN PUT IT ON AT THAT TIME.

RIGHT.

SO I THINK PENDING THE PENDING THE AUDIT AND FINANCE COMMITTEE PRESENTATION YES.

UM, WILL DETERMINE IF I REQUEST TO HAVE IT ADDED AS A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM.

THAT'D BE FINE.

THAT'D BE GREAT.

YOU MIGHT WANNA JUST PUT IT ON AND THEN YOU CAN TAKE IT OFF IF YOU'D LIKE TO TAKE IT OFF THAT WAY IT'S PUBLICLY OUT THERE.

WE CAN DO IT THAT WAY TOO.

I WOULD REQUEST THAT, UM, THAT BE A DISCUSSION ITEM.

THE COMPANION ANIMALS ATTENDING THEIR OWNERS OR STAYING WITH THEIR OWNERS IN EMERGENCY SHELTER OR WARMING CENTERS.

UH, DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER ITEMS WE WANNA PUT ON THERE? ? UH, YES.

SECOND THAT, YEAH, UH, I

[01:40:01]

SECOND THAT.

UH, AND, BUT WE'RE GONNA LEAVE IT UP TO HER TO WITHDRAW IT IF SHE WANTS.

ANOTHER ITEM.

DID I NEED TO HAVE A PRESENTATION FOR THIS PAIR NEUTER OR NO? NO, YOU DON'T HAVE TO.

IF YOU GOT ENOUGH WE CAN PUT IT ON, GET IN TOUCH WITH ME.

WORKING GROUP CAN MAKE A REPORT, SO THANK YOU.