Apr 10, 2023 Animal Advisory Commission

WE APPRECIATE IT.

SO IT SOUNDS LIKE REBECCA IS NOT PRESENT, IS THAT CORRECT? THAT IS CORRECT.

OF BUSINESS IS APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.

UM, I THINK THAT IS THE GENERAL, UM, CITIZEN COMMUNICATION.

WAS THERE ANYONE ELSE HERE THAT WAS FOR GENERAL COMMUNICATION? SO IN CASE I READ THIS WRONG? NO.

OKAY, GREAT.

UM, THE NE FIRST ITEM

[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]

UM, NUMBER ONE, APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE ANNUAL ANNUAL ADVISORY COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING ON MARCH 13TH, 2023.

I WILL CONFESS TO YOU THAT I DID NOT, UM, SEE THEM THE, UH, ON THE BACKUP.

UM, SO I'M NOT SURE IF SOMEONE ELSE GOT TO READ THEM CLOSELY.

UH, IF NOT, WE CAN DO IT FOR NEXT MONTH.

I DID SEE THEM THERE.

THERE WAS A TYPO THAT SAID PER COMMISSIONER NORTON'S YK, BUT I BELIEVE IT MEANT COMMISSIONER NORTON'S SEE IN THERE ABOUT, ABOUT THE, UM, THE SPAY NEUTER WORKING GROUP AGENDA ITEM, RIGHT.

UHHUH, YOU WAS, IT WAS THE ONE ABOUT, UM, I BELIEVE IT WAS UNDER THE UPDATE.

WELL, IT WAS WHEN COMMISSIONER NORTON MADE A MOTION ALLOWING THE WORKING GROUP, AND I THEN IT WAS SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER YARO.

[00:05:02]

I DON'T HAVE ANY PROBLEM.

I'LL MAKE NOTE OF THAT THOUGH.

THE CORRECT, IT SHOULD BE CORRECTED TO, I THINK IT SHOULD SAY COMMISSIONER NORTON'S MOTION INSTEAD OF COMMISSIONER NORTON'S YA .

THANK YOU, DOCTOR.

DO YOU WANT TO MOVE TO, UH, PAST THE MINUTES IF I'M THE ONLY ONE WHO'S SEEN IT? SHALL WE WAIT TILL NEXT? UH, I'M FINE WITH THAT.

I WILL.

SECOND ITEM, WHICH IS STAFF BRIEFINGS.

I, I DO WANNA MENTION THAT, UM, WE'VE HAD CHANGE IN THE CLERK'S OFFICE AND, AND THE STAFF TAKING OVER THIS MONTH.

SO IT WAS NOT, UM, IT WAS NOT, UH, UH, SOMETHING THAT WAS DONE INCORRECTLY FOR, FOR, UM, WHEN THE CLERK'S OFFICE WAS HERE, MELINDA, THEY HAVE, UM, THEY BEGAN POSTING THE MINUTES.

UH, AS WITH THE BACKUP MATERIALS, THE PROPOSED MINUTES, THE DRAFT MINUTES WITH THE BACKUP MATERIALS, I THINK THAT'S PROBABLY A BETTER, UM, POLICY MOVING FORWARD.

UM, I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY HAS ANY COMMENT ON THAT.

UM, I THINK THAT'S A GOOD POLICY MOVING FORWARD TO, TO, SO THAT THE PUBLIC CAN SEE THEM AND IT'S NOT JUST US.

UM, I'M HAPPY TO, YEAH, I'M HAPPY TO WAIT.

OR IF YOU WANNA MOVE TO APPROVE THE MINUTES, I TRUST YOU HAVING READ THEM.

UM, WE CAN WAIT.

I, I'LL, I JUST, I LIKE THAT ONLY APPROVED MINUTES WOULD BE POSTED IN PUBLIC FOR THE BACKUP.

OTHERWISE THEY, IT MIGHT BE CONFUSING.

IT SAYS DRAFTS ACROSS THEM.

SORRY, I THINK THAT'S PROBABLY OKAY.

NO DRAFT BE POSTED.

AND NOW THAT'S APPARENTLY THE POLICY OF THE CITY.

IT'S CONFUSING THOUGH.

I AGREE.

SO I SEE IT'S ON WORKING GROUP RECOMMENDATION SIX, AND I'M GONNA CHANGE IT FOR YOU.

I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION IF THERE ISN'T ONE, WE CAN PUT IT ON THE NEXT MEETING.

ANY MOTION? OKAY.

WE'LL GO TO THE

[2. Overview of monthly report provided by the Animal Service Center.]

NUMBER TWO, OVERVIEW OF MONTHLY REPORT PROVIDED BY AUSTIN'S, I SHOULD SAY, ANIMAL CENTER.

GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS.

UM, ON YOUR BACKUP REPORT FOR OUR NARRATIVE, THAT, UH, STARTED OFF WITH THE LIVE OUTCOME FROM FEBRUARY, THAT WAS AN ERROR.

UH, THE REPORT WAS DONE WAITING FOR THE CHANGE, AND IT GOT POSTED BEFORE IT GOT CHANGED.

ALL THE NUMBERS AFTER THAT POINT ARE CORRECT, AND THEY ARE FAR MARCH, BUT THE LIVE OUTCOME RATE FOR OUR MARCH WAS 97.54%.

UM, OUR TOTAL VOLUNTEER HOURS FOR MARCH 5,953, WE HELD FOUR ORIENTATIONS FOR NEW VOLUNTEERS AND 140 NEW VOLUNTEERS ATTENDED THEIR FIRST TRAINING, UH, SHIFTS IN MARCH.

WE HAD 131 NEW FOSTERS APPLICATIONS PROCESSED.

AND, UM, WE HAVE CURRENTLY, AS OF THIS MORNING, WE HAVE 15 OPEN FULL-TIME REGULAR POSITIONS.

FOUR ARE STILL IN THE POSTING PROCESS.

ALL THE OTHERS ARE RECRUITMENTS IN PROCESS.

AND HOPEFULLY WE'LL HAVE THOSE, UH, VERY QUICKLY PUT IN PLACE.

UH, FOUR OF THOSE ARE NEW APO OFFICERS.

UH, WE STILL HAVE TWO THAT ARE IN THE POSTING PHASE THAT END ON THE 24TH.

BUT, UM, SO THAT'S, THAT'S SOME GOOD NEWS, MAKING SOME GREAT PROGRESS.

AND OF OUR, UH, TEMPORARY POSITIONS, THERE'S FOUR OPEN POSITIONS AND THREE ARE STILL POSTED, ENDING ON THE 19TH FOR TWO OF 'EM, THE 27TH, AND ONE IS IN THE, UH, RECRUITMENT FINALIZING PROCESS AT THIS POINT.

LET'S SEE.

THERE'S SOMETHING ELSE.

UH, ONE OF THE THINGS I, I WANTED TO MAKE Y'ALL AWARE OF THAT, UH, SOME OF Y'ALL THAT HAVE BEEN ON THE COMMISSION FOR MANY YEARS KNOW THAT ONE OF THE, THE PROCESSES FOR, UH, AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER TO MOVE TO THE LA VANDER LOOP LOCATION WAS FOR PART OF THE PROPERTY OUT THERE TO BE USED FOR PUBLIC HOUSING.

AND GROUND IS BEING BROKE ON THAT ON, UH, APRIL THE 26TH AT 10:00 AM.

UH, THEY, UH, HAVE ALREADY UN UNBEKNOWNST TO US OR ANYONE ELSE, LAST WEEK, THEY REMOVED OUR FENCING ON THAT ONE SIDE.

SO WE HAD TO GET SOME SECURITY OUT THERE AND THROW UP SOME TEMPORARY FENCING VERY QUICKLY.

AND THEY, THEY COVERED IT ALL.

BUT, UH, HOPEFULLY GOING FORWARD, WE WON'T, WE HAVE SOME GOOD LINES OF COMMUNICATION GOING, BUT THEY ARE GONNA HAVE THE GROUNDBREAKING, UH, THAT, UH, YOU'RE MORE THAN WELCOME TO ATTEND.

IT'LL BE APRIL 26TH TO 10:00 AM SO THAT PROJECT IS STARTED, THE FIRST PHASE OF, IT'S CALLED THE LIBERTAD.

SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT'LL BE HAPPENING ON OUR CAMPUS.

THE OTHER THING THAT I WANTED JUST TO

[00:10:01]

BRING UP, UH, LAST MONTH, UM, THERE WAS A CITIZEN THAT CAME IN AND TALKED ABOUT, UH, A DOG THAT WE PUT A NOTIFICATION OUT ON MARY.

AND, UM, I JUST KIND OF WANTED TO GIVE AN UPDATE ON THAT.

AND, YOU KNOW, WE HAD, UH, PUT A NOTIFICATION OUT BECAUSE IT, WE FELT IT WAS A PUBLIC SAFETY HAZARD, AND SHE CAME IN SPEAKING HOW WE WERE WRONG AND HOW THE DOG WAS JUST A SAINT.

AND, UH, ANYWAY, IT WAS PULLED BY RESCUE.

UH, SHE ACTUALLY ENDED UP FOSTERING THE DOG FOR THAT RESCUE.

UH, IT, UH, ON A COUPLE DAYS LATER IT OUT IN PUBLIC SPACE AND PARK, IT ATTACKED HER.

AND, UH, THEN IT PROCEEDED TO ATTACK THREE ADDITIONAL PEOPLE, UH, BEFORE THE LAST ONE WAS A SEVERE, UH, INCIDENT, AND THEY ENDED UP EUTHANIZING THE DOG.

BUT, SO, YOU KNOW, WHILE YOU DON'T GET IT RIGHT ALL THE TIME, I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO ERR ON THE SIDE OF PUBLIC SAFETY, AND THAT'S WHAT WE WERE DOING.

AND WE GET A LOT OF, UH, HEAT FOR THAT SOMETIMES.

BUT THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS DOG DID GET OUT IN THE COMMUNITY AND INJURED FOR ADDITIONAL PEOPLE.

I JUST WANTED TO GIVE AN UPDATE ON THAT.

DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? I, I, I HAVE A QUESTION.

UM, WHEN YOU GIVE NOTIFICATION ON THESE ANIMALS, THE ONLY PEOPLE WHO CAN PULL THEM ARE RESCUES, IS THAT RIGHT? WELL, WE, WE, WE DIDN'T HAVE IT UP FOR ADOPTION.

IT HAD TO BE A, A RESCUE, UH, THAT WAS PULLING THE ANIMAL.

AND, AND DOES IT HAVE TO BE LIKE A RESCUE YOU HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH OR COULD IT, COULD ANYBODY? WELL, THEY HAVE TO HAVE A PARTNERSHIP WITH US.

SO IF A RESCUE IS NOT A PARTNER WITH US, WANTED TO, THEY'D HAVE TO FILL OUT THE PARTNERSHIP PAPERWORK.

DOES, DOES ANY OF THAT INCLUDE, UM, LIKE REQUIREMENTS FOR DISCLOSURE ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THE, OF THE ANIMAL TO ANYBODY WHO MIGHT BE FOSTERING FOR THAT ORGANIZATION? THAT WOULD BE BETWEEN THE RESCUE THAT PULLED IT AND, AND THEM? I WOULDN'T KNOW THAT INFORMATION, BUT WE DISCLOSE EVERYTHING.

WE GIVE ALL THE RECORDS THAT WE HAVE.

I DON'T KNOW IF THERE WAS A TRANSLATOR OR NOT.

UH, ALL THE MEDICAL RECORDS, ALL OF THE NOTES, THEY, THEY, THEY GET EVERYTHING THAT WE HAVE.

THE RESCUE GETS IT, THE RESCUE DOES, BUT NOT NECESSARILY A FOSTER.

I WOULDN'T KNOW THAT, BECAUSE WHEN I ASKED THE FOLLOW-UP QUESTIONS OF THAT PERSON WHO SPOKE LAST MONTH, THEY SEEM TO NOT BE TOTALLY CLEAR ON THE HISTORY OF THE DOG AND THAT, SO I'LL JUST, THEY MIGHT NOT KNOW.

WONDERING ABOUT THAT COMMISSIONER JO Z? YES.

UM, DIRECTOR BLAND.

UM, THANK YOU FOR THE UPDATE ON, ON THAT.

UH, PAT, UH, THAT'S ALL VERY UNFORTUNATE, THAT SITUATION.

UM, I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT, UM, THE, THIS PAST WEEK, UM, THERE WAS, UM, A CONSTITUENT THAT, UM, WROTE TO MY COUNCIL MEMBER AND ALSO COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, JOSE BEEZ, MAYBE I'M GETTING WRONG, HIS LAST NAME.

AND IT WAS ABOUT A DOG WHOSE NAME ALSO.

AND THAT DOG WAS, UM, UH, APPARENTLY HAD BEEN LOOSE MULTIPLE TIMES AND HAD BEEN BROUGHT BACK TO THE OWNER, UH, A SPANISH SPEAKER.

AND APPARENTLY THE LAST TIME, WHICH WAS IN MID-MARCH, IT, UM, ENDED UP IN THE, UH, YARD OF ONE OF THE NEIGHBORS.

AND THE NEIGHBOR HAS THREE DOGS.

AND, UH, THE, SO THEY GOT INTO A FIVE OLDER DOGS AND THAT PARTICULAR DOG ALSO APPARENTLY BIT WHILE TRYING THE DONOR OF THE OTHER DOGS TRYING TO PULL THEM AWAY, BIT THE FINGER OF THE GENTLEMAN.

SO, UM, THE DOG WAS, FIRST OF ALL, UH, AND I, I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THIS ONE.

UM, IT WAS REPORTED THAT, UH, ALSO THE OWNER IS LOW INCOME AND HE COULDN'T AFFORD TO FIX THE FENCE OR MAKE THE FENCE SAFE.

AND I KNOW THAT YOU HAVE MENTIONED, HAS BEEN, BEEN MENTIONED THAT THE CITY PROVIDES HELP WITH DEFENSES.

UM, THE SECOND THING, IT'S, UM, WHEN 9 1 1 OR THREE 11 CAME, THEY, THEY, THE OWNER SIGNED PAPERS TO RELINQUISH THE DOG.

BUT THAT SOUNDS LIKE,

[00:15:01]

I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW IF HE KNEW THAT HE WAS RELINQUISHING HIS DOG.

AND, UM, THE DOG WAS HELD FOR, OH, TYPICALLY, I GUESS THE POLICIES THAT IT IS SUPPOSED TO BE 10 DAYS AND THE RESCUES, AND PEOPLE WERE ASKING FOR, FOR THE DOG AFTER 15 DAYS.

AND THERE WAS NO, NO CERTIFICATION INFORMATION.

AFTER ONE OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, STAFF CONTINUED TO CONTACT, THEY CAME BACK WITH THE INFORMATION AND ALSO THE REPORT.

UM, SO A RESCUE TOOK THE DOG.

AND WHAT, WHAT'S VERY STRANGE IS THAT THE DOG, LIKE THE PERSON WHO GOT BITS AND SAID, AND ALSO A LOT OF PEOPLE EVEN PREVIOUSLY SHOWED THAT THIS DOG WAS FRIENDLY, BUT THE REPORT WRITTEN FOR THE BIKE DIDN'T SHOW THAT.

SO I, I KNOW I'M GOING THROUGH A LOT OF THINGS, BUT THE MAIN THING IS, I'M, I'M JUST WONDERING ABOUT FIRST FENCING.

DON'T WE HELP THE CITY HELP PROVIDE FENCING FOR LOW INCOME? NUMBER TWO, DO WE PROVIDE, UH, CONSTITUENTS THAT ARE SPANISH SPEAKERS WHEN THEY'RE IN A DIFFICULT SITUATION, SOMEBODY WHO CAN REALLY TRANSLATE TO THEM, INTERPRET WHAT IS HAPPENING? UH, TYPICALLY A LOW INCOME SPANISH SPEAKER IS NOT GONNA GO BACK AFTER THEY, THEY SIGN PAPERS TO SEE WHAT HAPPENED.

THE THIRD THING, THE WHOLE THING ABOUT 10 DAYS, 15 DAYS, NOBODY KNEW WHAT, WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THE DOG.

AND LASTLY, UM, I DID READ THE REPORT.

THAT REPORT WAS VERY CLINICAL.

IT DIDN'T GIVE A PICTURE OF THE ANIMAL.

AND I, I KNOW THAT WE TALK ABOUT THE ONE MARY, I, I GUESS THAT'S THE NAME OF THE DOG THAT YOU HA HAD TO USE TONIGHT.

UM, BUT, UM, AND THAT YOU TRIALED THIS RECORDS, BUT WHAT I SAW FOR THE RECORD OF THIS OTHER ONE DIDN'T GIVE A GOOD PICTURE.

IT JUST SAID BYE.

VERY.

SO I HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS HERE.

I KNOW THAT YOU PROBABLY ARE GONNA HAVE TO GO AND INVESTIGATE THIS, BUT I, I, IT'S, UM, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE PUBLIC SAFETY IS NUMBER ONE, BUT IT IS ALSO, I MEAN, WE ARE A COMMUNITY THAT CARE FOR ANIMALS AND WE WANNA DO THE RIGHT THING.

ALL OF US, ABSOLUTELY.

COMMISSIONER.

AND, UH, WHEN, UH, I DON'T KNOW IF WHAT TRANSPIRED LAST WEEK, UH, BECAUSE I WAS NOT IN THE OFFICE LAST WEEK, BUT, UH, BEFORE I LEFT, I DID ASK, UH, ANIMAL CONTROL ABOUT THAT.

AND THEY DID TELL ME THAT, UH, THEY HAD NO PROBLEM COMMUNICATING WITH THE INDIVIDUAL WHEN THEY WERE, UH, SIGNING THEIR DOG OVER.

AND ONE OF THE THINGS WE DO OFFER IS FENCING, BECAUSE WE, WE DON'T WANT ANIMALS TO COME TO THE SHELTER.

WE WANT 'EM STAY IN THE HOMES WHERE THEY'RE LOVED AND CARED FOR.

AND, UH, BUT IT HAD TO COME INTO THE SHELTER BECAUSE IT WAS A BITE.

SO WE HAD TO DO A 10 DAY RABIES QUARANTINE OBSERVATION.

AND IMMEDIATELY, UH, WHEN WE PICKED UP THE DOG, WE WERE NOTIFIED BY A RESCUE ORGANIZATION THAT THEY WANTED TO PULL THE DOG.

AND SO, UH, THEY HAD ALREADY TOLD US, I THINK IN DAY THREE, THAT THEY WERE WILLING TO PULL THE DOG WHEN HE CAME OFF OF QUARANTINE.

UH, SO ANYTHING, AND, AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT RECORDS YOU SAW, IF YOU JUST SAW THE BITE REPORT, UH, BECAUSE THE, THE FULL RECORDS WOULD HAVE THE ANIMAL'S PHOTOGRAPH ON THERE, BECAUSE IT HAS BEEN, IT, IT WAS A REPEAT OFFENDER IT HAD BEEN IN BEFORE, SO WE DEFINITELY HAD PHOTOGRAPHS OF IT.

I, YOU MEAN I'VE, AL ALSO, I CAN FORWARD TO YOU WHAT WAS PROVIDED TO YOU.

SO YOU, YOU, YOU WERE PROBABLY JUST SOMEONE ASKED FOR THE BITE REPORT AND DIDN'T ACTUALLY ASK FOR ALL THE RECORDS? NO, IT ACTUALLY, IT ACTUALLY SHOWED WHEN THAT ANIMAL WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT IT CAME IN, IT WAS 2022, AND THEN IT, IT WAS REPORTED AS FRIENDLY DOG AND GREEN COLLAR.

AND THEN THIS GENTLEMAN, THE HISPANIC SPANISH SPEAKER, UM, UH, ADOPTED THE, THE DOG.

AND I'M, I'M SURPRISED, UM, I DON'T KNOW WHAT IS THE PROTOCOL IN THIS, IN ASTON ANIMAL CENTER OF OFFERING PEOPLE IF THEY NEED, UM, HELP WITH FENCING? I, I DON'T KNOW WHAT IS THE PROTOCOL FOR THAT, BUT, UM, THE PERSON LOVED THEIR DOG.

[00:20:01]

AND THEN, UH, AFTER THAT, UM, LATER ON, EVEN WHEN THEY PICKED HIM UP, IT, IT SAID GREEN, UH, NOT SCARED.

AND THEN YOU HAVE LIKE TWO LINES ABOUT THE DIVIDE AND, AND WHAT WAS SAID ABOUT THE DIVIDE.

IT DIDN'T MESH SO MUCH WITH WHAT THE PERSON GOT BIT AND SAID AND WROTE AND THE DIFFERENT THINGS.

I MEAN, THERE'S, I, WE CAN DEFINITELY LOOK INTO IT, BUT LAST MONTH WE, UM, TOOK 26 FENCING APPLICATIONS.

SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE DO ON A REGULAR BASIS.

I, BUT YOU OFFER IT TO PEOPLE WHO ADOPT.

I WAS, UH, ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS YOU, YOU, YOU MENTIONED AT, WHILE MARY, YOU, YOU MENTIONED SHE WAS EUTHANIZED.

SHE, SHE WAS NOT EUTHANIZED BY AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER.

SHE WAS EUTHANIZED BY THE RESCUE THAT PULLED HER AFTER HER LAST INCIDENT.

AND, UH, WHEN I SAY EUTHANIZED, I, I, I DIDN'T MEAN IT WAS TO YOU.

OH.

UM, BUT I CAN DEFINITELY LOOK IN THAT AND, UH, IF YOU WANT THE FULL RECORDS, WE CAN DEFINITELY GIVE THEM TO YOU.

I DON'T KNOW.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU RECEIVED, BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU PROBABLY DIDN'T GET EVERYTHING.

OH, OH, AND THAT'S, AND THAT'S WHAT WAS GIVEN TO THE RESCUE.

SO, UH, I, I THOUGHT I HEARD THAT.

TYPICALLY YOU, UH, GIVE EVERYTHING THAT YOU HAVE TO THE RESCUE, BUT THANK YOU COMMISSIONER HASSAN.

UM, DIRECTOR OF LAND, I, JUST AS AN ASIDE, YOU SAID THAT, UH, I HAVE MY OWN QUESTIONS, BUT YOU SAID THAT THE DOG WAS A REPEAT OFFENDER, WHICH I THINK IS A TERM USUALLY DESCRIBING A PERSON WHO'S COMMITTED A CRIME AND THEN COMMITS ANOTHER.

AND WAS THIS DOG A DEEMED DANGEROUS DOG OR HAD IT BEEN INVOLVED IN ANY KIND OF DANGEROUS OR VICIOUS HEARING PRIOR? IS THAT WHAT YOU WERE MEANING WHEN YOU SAID THAT? NO, I MEAN, IT JUST, IT, IT'D BEEN, UH, PICKED UP AS, AS STRAY PRIOR AND, AND CAME IN AS A LOOSE ANIMAL.

UM, I, IN READING THE REPORTS, UM, WHICH ARE STILL REALLY DIFFICULT TO READ, UM, I WAS GOING BACK THROUGH THE OLD REPORT FORMAT, AND I, I'M WONDERING, ARE, ARE YOU STILL, IS THE SHELTER STILL USING CHAMELEON SOFTWARE? WE ARE.

SO IN 20 OCTOBER OF 2020 WAS THE LAST REPORT THAT WAS IN A FORMAT THAT I THINK ALLOWED US TO SEE COMPARATIVE DATA.

AND I KNOW MANY OF US HAVE ASKED OVER MANY MONTHS IF THAT MORE READABLE, USABLE REPORT WITH MORE INFORMATION WILL BE COMING BACK.

AND IT LOOKS LIKE THE LAST TIME ONE WAS CREATED WAS OCTOBER, 2020.

AND THAT, UH, MAY, 2021, THERE WAS A CHANGE.

AND SO WE'RE GOING ON TWO YEARS OF NOT HAVING REPORTS THAT ALLOW US TO SEE COMPARATIVE SIDE BY SIDE DATA, BUT WE'RE STILL USING CHAMELEON.

AND SO I'M WONDERING, CAN WE GO BACK TO THAT FORMAT, GIVEN THAT THE SOFTWARE IS THE SAME? AND THOSE REPORTS WERE MUCH MORE USEFUL.

AND, AND I KNOW YOU WEREN'T HERE WHEN THE IT PEOPLE THAT DO OUR REPORTS CAME IN AND ACTUALLY SPOKE, UH, BUT THEY INFORMED US THAT TO GET THE INFORMATION THAT IS REQUIRED NOW, THEY CANNOT GET THAT FROM CHAMELEON.

AND SO WE WON'T BE ABLE TO GET THE DATA THAT IS REQUIRED STRAIGHT FROM CHAMELEON WITH A COMPARATIVE, IT'S, IT'S THE, OKAY.

IT'S THE SAME DATA.

I THINK THAT, UM, I MAYBE IT WOULD BE HELPFUL IF WE COULD LOOK AT ONE OF THOSE OLD REPORTS, UM, BECAUSE I COULD RECREATE IT, BUT IT WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL IF AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER WOULD JUST DO IT.

IT REALLY HELPS US SEE THE YEAR TO YEAR VARIANCE, UM, WHICH IT'S HARD TO TELL VERY MUCH JUST BY LOOKING AT THE NUMBERS AS THEY'RE PRESENTED NOW.

I UNDERSTAND.

COMMISSIONERS MAGULA? YES.

ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMISSIONER? UM, I'M SORRY.

YEAH, SO, HI.

UM, GOOD AFTERNOON OR GOOD EVENING.

UM, MY QUESTION IS IN THE, IN YOUR LITTLE, THE ANIMAL SERVICES REPORT, UM, YOU SAY THAT THERE WERE 101 WILD ANIMALS WERE BROUGHT TO THE SHELTER.

SO IS THAT, THAT'S BY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC THAT STOPPED BY THE APOS ALONG WITH THE DOGS, CATS, HERDS, RABBIT, GUINEA, AND PIG AND SNAKE.

THAT WOULD'VE BEEN, UM, BY CITIZENS OR BY ANIMAL PROTECTION.

SO, SO EITHER.

THAT WAS MY, THAT WAS ALL MY OTHER QUESTIONS.

MONTH, HOW MANY ANIMALS OVERALL THE OFTEN ANIMAL CENTER HAS, AND HOW IN RELATION AT THE AFTERMATH, WHAT IS THE TOTAL, I KNOW YOU MENTIONED LAST TIME THAT, UM, THERE'S THE REPORTING AND ALL THAT IS, THERE'S ALL DATA, BUT I, I'M, WHAT I'M GETTING AT IS IN ORDER TO BE AFFECTED MANAGING AN ORGANIZATION AND, YOU KNOW, UH, DO USING YOUR RESOURCES, HOW MUCH YOU'RE GONNA SPEND HERE, HOW MUCH FOOD YOU NEED TO BUY, HOW MUCH LITTER OR WHATEVER CAT LITTER OR TOYS OR PAY, UH, YOU NEED TO UNDERSTAND HOW MANY ANIMALS YOU HAVE AT THE BEGINNING, AT THE END OF THE MONTH OR AT BEGINNING OF THE QUARTER.

ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? YES, COMMISSIONER EZ? YES.

I, I WANNA REVISIT ALL, UM, WHAT WE HAVE BEEN DISCUSSING FOR THE PAST THREE, OR NOW IT'S THE FOURTH MONTHS.

UM, ANY PROGRESS IN GETTING INFORMATION, UH, THE BEGINNING WHEN WE START THE

[00:25:01]

OR THE END OF THE QUARTER.

SO IS THERE ANY PROGRESS IN UNDERSTANDING THAT WE, UM, HAVE THOSE REPORTS THAT ARE ON OUR WEBPAGE THAT, UH, WE CAN LOOK AT, BUT, UH, I DID THE REPORT THAT I MENTIONED LAST MONTH.

I DID TURN THAT OVER TO, UH, THE IT RESOURCE THAT WE UTILIZE AND ASK HIM TO LOOK AT IT BECAUSE IT LOOKS LIKE THE BEGINNING ENDING INVENTORIES ARE CORRECT, BUT IT'S THE DATA IN THE MIDDLE THAT'S QUESTIONABLE AND HE'S GONNA BE CHECKING ON THAT.

I WAS HOPING HE WOULD HAVE AN ANSWER BEFORE THIS MEETING, BUT HE HAS NOT YET.

SO AS SOON AS I GET THE ANSWER, THEN UH, I'LL BE ABLE TO SHARE THAT.

SO YOU'LL BE ABLE TO GIVE US HOW EACH MONTH, HOW MANY ANIMALS YOU START WITH.

AND AT THE END OF THE MONTH, HOW MANY DO YOU END UP? YES, I FOUND A REPORT THAT IS, IS AVAILABLE.

UH, AND HE'S, HE'S VERIFYING THE DATA IN THE MIDDLE AND MM-HMM.

, WE MIGHT HAVE TO SAY, YOU KNOW, THE BEGINNING IN INVENTORIES, ENDING INVENTORIES ARE CORRECT THAT SOME OF THIS STUFF IN THE MIDDLE, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO RELY ON OTHER REPORTS FAR, UH, BECAUSE IT KIND OF COMPRESSES EVERYTHING TO ONE REPORT.

BUT IT'S, IT'S QUESTIONABLE.

SO I'M HAVING HIM CHECK ON IT.

THE, THE, THE PART THAT'S IN THE MIDDLE.

AND I THINK IF I GAVE THAT TO YOU, YOU'RE GONNA QUESTION IT.

CAUSE WHY DIDN'T THIS MATCH THIS? YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT HE'S TRYING TO, TO, TO GET IT.

WHAT CAN YOU DO WITH IT? OKAY.

ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I DO HAVE ONE FOLLOW UP QUESTION ON THE, UM, THE FENCING ISSUE.

UM, I'M ASSUMING THE ANSWER TO THE FIRST QUESTION IS YOU DON'T KNOW, BUT YOU CAN LOOK INTO IT.

BUT THE SECOND QUESTION IS MORE OF A POLICY QUESTION.

THE FIRST IS, DO WE KNOW IF THIS PARTICULAR OWNER WAS OFFERED, UH, UH, FENCING ASSISTANCE IN LIEU OF SURRENDERING THE ANIMAL AT THAT MOMENT? UH, AND THE SECOND IS, IS, IS THAT WHEN FENCING IS OFFERED? OR IS THERE A DIFFERENT PROCESS AND A DIFFERENT POINT IN, UM, IN, IN TOUCHING HUMANS WHERE THAT IS OFFERED? IF, IF WHEN, UH, THERE IS A ANIMAL THAT IS FOUND LOOSE AND IT, THE OWNER, IT'S REUNITED WITH THE OWNER AND THEY HAVE A ISSUE WITH THEIR FENCE AND THEY SAY, WELL, YOU KNOW, IT KEEPS GETTING OUT CAUSE I HAVE THIS ISSUE AND I CAN'T FIX IT.

THAT'S WHEN WE MAKE THAT INITIAL OFFER.

AND I KNOW THAT, UH, HE DID, AND I, I'LL HAVE TO FOLLOW UP WITH IT, BUT OF COURSE, BUT I KNOW THAT THE ANIMAL PROTECTION DEPARTMENT DID TELL ME THAT, UH, THE ANIMAL KEPT GETTING OUT OF ITS FENCE.

AND, UH, SO I WOULD ASSUME THAT THEY DID HAVE THAT CONVERSATION WITH HIM BECAUSE WE, WE WANT TO HELP THOSE PEOPLE AND NOT BRING THE ANIMALS INTO THE SHELTER WHEN WE CAN.

AND THANK YOU, AND I'D APPRECIATE IF YOU, IF YOU ARE ABLE TO GET THAT INFORMATION TO SHARE THAT WITH US, UM, NEXT TIME ON WHETHER THIS, UH, OWNER WAS ABLE TO, UH, WAS OFFERED THAT IN LIEU OF, UH, SURRENDER.

THE OTHER QUESTION I HAD WAS ON THE REPORT THERE WERE, UM, DEFERRED, UM, I THINK THEY WERE CALLED, UH, ANIMALS DEFERRED TO, UH, PARTNER ORGANIZATION.

AND I WAS WONDERING, UH, HOW THOSE ANIMALS, IT SAYS 11 OWNER SURRENDER REQUESTS WERE DEFERRED TO AAC PARTNERS.

I WAS WONDERING HOW THOSE ANIMALS ARE, UM, HOW ARE THEY TRAPPED IN THE SYSTEM? ARE, ARE THEY CONSIDERED INTAKE, UM, EVEN THOUGH THEY HAVEN'T GONE THROUGH OUR SYSTEM? OR ARE THEY COMPLETELY, UH, NOT CONSIDERED INTAKE AND AREN'T PART OF OUR INTAKE PROCESS? UH, THEY WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN IN OUR INTAKE PROCESS.

SO, UH, UH, IT PROBABLY STARTED WITH SOMEONE REACHING OUT TO US WANTING TO SURRENDER THE ANIMAL, AND WE HAD THOSE CONVERSATIONS WITH THEM AND THEN WE FIND, OH, THIS IS AN ANIMAL THAT ONE OF OUR RESCUED PARTNERS, MAYBE IT'S BREED SPECIFIC, WOULD BE INTERESTED IN, AND WE CAN CONTACT AND MAKE THE CONNECTION AND SEE IF THEY'LL TAKE THE ANIMAL DIRECT.

GOT IT.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? HAVE A QUESTION.

ONE, I THINK THAT WAS, UH, COMMISSIONER NEHOUSE.

[00:30:02]

YEAH, I HAVE A QUESTION.

UM, DIRECTOR BLAND, ON THE REPORTING, YOU KNOW, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE COMPARISON OF, UH, UM, DATA BEING REPORTED ON THE REPORT, THE WRITTEN REPORT FOR THE SHELTER CONSISTENTLY, UM, ON THE LINE ITEM THAT LISTS HOW MANY ANIMALS OTHER SHELTERS AND RESCUES TOOK OR WERE TRANSFERRED OUT, THERE'S A LINE THAT, UH, COMPARES THAT DATA TO WHAT HAPPENED THE YEAR PRIOR.

UM, SO WE'RE CAPTURING A LITTLE COMPARISON FOR THAT ONE LINE ITEM.

AND I WAS WONDERING IF IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE TO CAPTURE THE SAME COMPARISON FOR ALL THE LINE ITEMS. I WOULD, UH, HAVE TO ASK JASON WHO PREPARES IT, BUT, UH, MY ASSUMPTION IS THAT HE'S LOOKING AT THIS NARRATIVE REPORT FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR, AND THAT'S WHERE HE IS GETTING THAT INFORMATION.

BUT I CAN CHECK WITH HIM ON THAT.

AND I WOULD, IF THAT WOULD BE MY GUESS TOO IS HE'S LOOKING AT THE PREVIOUS YEAR AND IF WE'RE ADDING THE DATA FOR THAT ONE LINE ITEM FROM THE REPORT FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR, I'M WONDERING IF WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO ALSO ADD THE DATA FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR FOR THE OTHER LINE ITEMS THAT INVOLVE THE SHELTER REPORTING.

AND, AND THAT'S WHAT I THINK HE'S TRYING TO DO WHEN HE'S ACTUALLY GIVING YOU THESE, UH, MANUALLY DONE STATISTICAL REPORTS THAT SHOW THE PAST THREE YEARS ON EVERY ITEM.

SO, WELL, THIS IS THE ITEM UNDER THE, IT'S THE LINE ITEM THAT READS 180 ANIMALS ARE TRANSFERRED TO 19 IN-STATE AAC RESCUE PARTNERS.

AND THEN IT SAYS IN, IN PARENTHESES, COMPARED TO 187 ANIMALS TO 28 PARTNERS FOR MARCH OF 2022.

SO IT ALLOWS US TO SEE THAT THERE'S A DROP, UH, IN THAT PARTICULAR LINE ITEM, BUT WE DON'T HAVE SIMILAR INFORMATION FOR THE OTHER LINE ITEMS. OKAY.

UH, UH, UM, AND I KNOW THAT WAS THE, THE NARRATIVE THAT IS DONE FROM THE REPORTS THAT SHOW, UM, THE LAST THREE YEARS OF EVERY ANIMAL THAT WAS TRANSFERRED AND WHERE THEY WENT TO.

SO THAT'S WHERE THAT GETTING THAT INFORMATION FROM.

AND SO HE DID GIVE YOU THREE YEARS WORTH OF THAT.

UM, BUT THE, THE ACTUAL NARRATIVE REPORT IS DONE WHEN BY, UH, SOMEONE DIFFERENT.

SO I WILL SEE IF WE'LL TRY TO GET THEM TOGETHER AND SEE WHAT WE CAN COME UP WITH.

THANK YOU COMMISSION MS. MCGOO.

UM, THE TRANSFER PROGRAM AT AAC, I KNOW YOU WERE WORKING ON HIRING NEW PERSONNEL FOR THAT.

IS THAT STILL ONGOING OR NO? UH, A THE POSITION WAS POSTED AND IT WAS FILLED, AND THEY'RE, UH, IN THE LEARNING PHASE RIGHT NOW.

AND, UM, I KNOW THAT THEY DID A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO SEND THEIR FIRST TRANSPORT OUT.

AND, AND I MEANT TRANSPORT, NOT TRANSFER.

SORRY ABOUT THAT.

MOVE TO NUMBER THREE, DISCUSSION ITEMS. PRESENTATION OF MONTHLY REPORT BY AUSTIN PETS LIFE.

ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? OKAY, LET'S

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

GOOD EVENING.

NEIL HAY AND STEPHANIE BOROUGH FROM AUSTIN PETS LIVE.

UM, JUST BRIEF COMMENTS ON THE REPORT THAT WAS CIRCULATED IN THE PAPERS ON FRIDAY.

UM, THE REPORT CONTINUES TO SHOW THAT WE MEET OUR OBLIGATIONS UNDER THE LICENSE AGREEMENT.

UM, YOU WILL SEE AN UPTICK IN THE NUMBER OF TRANSFERS TO AUSTIN PETS LIVE, AND THAT IS OUR REFLECTION OF THE START OF THE KITTEN SEASON, AND WE WOULD EXPECT THAT INCREASED RATE OF TRANSFER TO CONTINUE THROUGH APRIL AND MAY AS THE FIRST SURGE OF THE SEASON TAKES PLACE.

UM, WE SAW A MATERIAL INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF DOG, UM, MEDICAL URGENT REQUESTS.

UM, DURING LAST MONTH.

WE PREVIOUSLY HELPED THE CITY, UM, OR PREVIOUSLY WE'VE HELPED TO SIT DOWN AVERAGE 14 TIMES, UM, WITH MEDICAL REQUESTS.

UM, OUR PREVIOUS HIGH IN A MONTH WAS 21 AND WE HAD 31 IN MARCH, AND IT WAS GOOD TO BE ABLE TO HELP THE CITY THAT WAY.

UM, GIVEN THE INCREASE IN NUMBERS THAT WE'RE SEEING, I THINK IT'S PROBABLY WORTHWHILE JUST TO TALK ABOUT OUR, OUR OWN SITUATION, UM, AND OUR ABILITY TO ACCEPT THESE ANIMALS FROM AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER.

WE NOW HAVE OVER 1200 ANIMALS IN FOSTER AT THE MOMENT.

UM, BOTTLE BABIES ARE A GREAT EXAMPLE WHERE, UM, ALL THE BOTTLE BABIES THAT COME FROM US AND ANIMAL CENTER ARE PLACED INTO FOSTER SAME DAY.

[00:35:01]

UM, WE WENT FROM HAVING 48 ACTIVE, UM, FOSTER HOMES ON MARCH 1ST TO 98 ON MARCH 31ST, AND UP TO 112 AT CLOSE OF BUSINESS TODAY.

UM, I THINK JUST SHOWING THE COMMUNITY SUPPORT FOR HELPING TO PLACE ANIMALS THAT COME TO US FROM THE CENTER.

THE PAST PROGRAM ALSO CONTINUES TO SHOW STRONG COMMUNITY SUPPORT.

YOU'LL SEE WE, UH, MENTIONED OVER 200 ANIMALS THAT WE DIVERTED, AND THAT'S A COMBINATION OF FIND OUT FOSTER, TEMPORARY FOSTER AND, UM, REHOUSING REQUESTS FROM THE COMMUNITY.

SO JUST SOME HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE REPORT.

IF ANYONE HAS QUESTIONS, WE'RE HAPPY TO ANSWER.

HELLO.

JUST AT ANY QUESTION YES.

JUST AT ANY QUESTION ON FOSTERS, YOU HAVE 1200 ANIMALS? YES.

HOW MANY OF THAT ONES ARE ALREADY SPAN ORDER? UM, GOSH, I COULD FIND OUT THE EXACT NUMBER FOR YOU.

I MEAN, IT'S, IT KIND OF DEPENDS.

IT DEPENDS ON CLEARLY WHAT'S COME TO US AND WHAT WE'VE, WHAT WE'VE BEEN CATCHING UP DURING THE MONTH AND THE AGE OF THE ANIMALS.

SO A LOT OF THE ANIMALS THAT WE HAVE IN FOSTER ARE BELOW THE AGE THAT WOULD BE SPAYED OR NEUTERED.

SO THEY'RE TYPICALLY CAUGHT UP EITHER ONCE THEY'RE ADOPTED OR ONCE THEY REACH THE AGE THAT THEY'RE ABLE TO BE ADOPTED.

SO I HAVE A QUESTION ON, UM, PAGE FOUR OF YOUR REPORT.

UM, RIGHT ABOUT THE MIDDLE, THE MIDDLE OF THE PAGE, IF YOU TALK ABOUT THE CURRENT TLAC C SHELTER POPULATION.

UM, AND THEN IN THERE YOU SAY THERE ARE ABOUT 250 AAC ANIMALS CURRENTLY IN APA FOSTER HOMES ARE, THAT MEANS ANIMALS THAT ORIGINALLY CAME FROM AAC.

SO THESE ARE ANIMALS THAT WERE TRANSFERRED TO APA.

CORRECT? THEY'RE NOT, THEY DON'T BELONG TO AAC AND YOU'RE JUST FINDING FOSTER HOMES .

IF WE FIND FOSTER HOMES FOR THEM, THEN WE KEEP THEM.

SO THEY'VE BEEN, SO THEY'RE, THEY'RE ACTUALLY TRANSFERS FROM AAC? CORRECT.

ORIGINAL SOURCE.

SORRY FOR THE CONFUSION.

ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONER NIELSEN? SO I'M, I'M JUST SEEING NOW, SO MAY HAVE THIS A LITTLE BIT WRONG, BUT DID YOU, YOU HAD 47 ANIMALS DIE WITH IN CARE WITHOUT BEING EUTHANIZED IN THE LAST MONTH.

THAT, IF THAT IS WHAT IS IN HERE.

SO TYPICALLY A MAJORITY OF THOSE ARE NEONATES.

, UN THRIFTY KITTENS, PUPPIES OR JUST UNDERAGE.

THAT PASS AWAY FOR VARIOUS REASONS.

I SEE.

AND WHAT WOULD YOU CONSIDER A NEONATE? ANYTHING UNDER SIX WEEKS, BUT TYPICALLY WHEN THEY'RE, WELL, I DON'T WANNA SAY THE SO THAT NUMBERS, BUT TYPICALLY WHEN THEY'RE DYING, IT'S, THEY'RE MUCH YOUNGER THAN THAT THREE WEEKS AND UNDER.

SO MAYBE SO, AND, AND I KNOW THE NUMBER FROM THAT IS GENERALLY MUCH HIGHER FOR CATS THAN DOGS.

, SO, BUT WE STILL HAD 17 UNDER FIVE MONTHS DIE WITHOUT BEING EUTHANIZED.

OFTEN THERE ARE PARVO CASES ALSO PARVO OR DISTEMPER.

UM, YEAH, I GUESS IT WOULD, IT WOULD JUST BE INTERESTING TO HAVE THOSE AGES BROKE UP EVEN IN A MORE FINE WAY, BUT YEAH, I I DO, I DO AGREE THERE'S A BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A THREE WEEK OLD DYING AND A FOUR AND A HALF MONTH OLD DYING.

I DUNNO IF THAT'S A REQUIRE IT IS.

PUT THAT INFORMATION IN THE REPORT GOING FORWARD AS A LINE ITEM.

AND WE DO LOOK AT ALL THOSE CASES, BUT SO TYPICALLY THEY'RE UNDERAGE.

COMMISSIONER HERRERA.

IT'S ANY CHANCE THAT WE CAN SEE IF THAT CATS AND DOGS ARE BORN IN, IN CARE OF AUSTIN PETS ALIVE, THE TINY ONES WHO ARE DYING, UM OH, I SEE.

VERSUS COMING FROM SOMEWHERE ELSE.

UH, WE COULD BREAK THAT DOWN.

AWESOME.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? OKAY.

WE'LL MOVE

[4. Discussion and possible action to approve a recommendation to Council regarding spay and neuter in Austin.]

TO THANK YOU.

ITEM NUMBER FOUR.

THANK YOU FOR COMING.

ITEM NUMBER FOUR, UH, DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO APPROVE A RECOMMENDATION TO COUNSEL REGARDING SPAY AND NEUTER IN AUSTIN.

AND WE HAVE, UM, A NUMBER OF SPEAKERS ON THIS ITEM.

UH, YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES EACH.

THE FIRST IS REMOTE AND THAT IS WENDY MURPHY.

I'M SORRY TO HAVE TO BE HERE AGAIN ABOUT THE SAME SUBJECT, SPADE AND NEUTER.

THEN WE'LL MOVE TO SPEAKERS WHO ARE PRESENT.

UH, ROCHELLE VICARY.

[00:40:04]

AND, UH, I'VE ASKED LOUISE FOR VOUCHERS AND I CAN'T GET VOUCHERS OUTTA HIM.

UH, ADRIAN DID GIVE ME SOME VOUCHERS AND UH, THEY GO TO SOUTH CONGRESS VET TO HELP DO THE NEUTERING, I MEAN, SPADING OF, UH, FEMALE LARGER DOGS.

BUT THAT'S NOT ONLY WHAT I'M REAL UPSET.

I STILL SAY SHAME ON AUSTIN PETS ALIVE.

I KNOW YOU DON'T LIKE THAT, BUT I JUST LEARNED TODAY, LAST WEEK, SOMEBODY HAD ADOPTED LAST YEAR FROM AUSTIN PETS ALIVE, A DOG.

AND THEY WAS HANDED A VOUCHER.

THEY'D NEVER GOT THE DOG SPAY SPAYED.

IN TURN IT.

THEY, THEY GAVE IT UP, TOOK IT OVER TO THEIR HUMANE SOCIETY LAST WEEK, THEY TOOK THE DOG IN.

IT'S FIXED NOW AND IT'S GONNA GO UP FOR ADOPTION, BUT IT CAME FROM AUSTIN PETS ALIVE, THIS VOUCHER THING, PEOPLE ARE NOT FOLLOWING UP.

I DON'T, YOU KNOW, AND I KNOW IT'S HARD TO GET INTO EMANCIPATE AND THAT'S WHY I ASKED Y'ALL SEVERAL MONTHS BACK, CAN'T WE GET SOME VETS HERE IN TOWN THAT WILL KIND OF TAKE HELP WITH THIS? A FEW EACH WEEK AND EVERYTHING.

BUT THEN THERE'S ANOTHER THING THAT UPSETS ME.

I GET A LOTS OF LAUNDRY, GOOD STUFF, CLEAN STUFF, AND I TAKE IT OVER TO THE AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER FROM THE HUMANE SOCIETY.

I'M LIKE THEIR LITTLE TRANSPORTER.

AND, UH, WAY BEFORE LAST I WAS, HAD A CAR LOAD FULL AND I CALLED, UH, ROBERT AT, AT, AT THE, ON HIS DESK PHONE AND ASKED FOR HIM AND HE DIDN'T ANSWER A GIRL COME OUT THE BACK DOOR OF THE BACK WITH THE BACK IS, AND I SAYS, CAN YOU GO ASK HIM TO COME OUT HERE? I HAVE A BUNCH OF LAUNDRY CUZ THEY, THEY DON'T HAVE TO WASH IT.

IT'S ALREADY CLEAN AND THEY NEED IT TERRIBLY OVER THERE.

AND SHE SAID, YES.

SHE WENT AND GOT HIM AND HE, HE THOUGHT MAYBE IT WAS JUST GONNA BE A SMALL AMOUNT.

HE HAD TO OPEN UP THE DOOR AND WE DRIVE IN THERE.

THIS IS WHEN IT WAS THE THIRD WEEK OF MARCH, AND THEY HAD THE, UH, CAGES CRATES LINED UP IN TWO ROWS.

THE GIRL CAME OUT THE BACK, CAME OUT ANOTHER DOOR.

THIS MAKES ME WANNA CRY, BUT THE, THE DOG WAS HAPPY, JUST LIKE YOUR DOG IS HAPPY, MR. CLINTON.

AND KATIE WAS HAPPY WHEN SHE WALKED HIM DOWN THE ROW AND OPENED THE DOOR.

HE FLEW OVER OVER THE OTHER CAGES.

I WOULDN'T WANNA SEE YOUR DOG DONE THAT WAY.

I DON'T WANNA SEE ANYBODY'S DOG THAT WAY.

I THINK AUSTIN PETS ALIVE SHOULD COME GET THESE DOGS.

THEY'RE OVERFLOWED.

THAT WAS THE AGREEMENT, NOT PUPPIES.

THEY COME THERE AND GET SIX PUPPIES AND THEY THINK THEY'VE GOT THE, THEY THINK THEY'VE DONE THEIR DEAL AND THEN THEY'RE GIVING 'EM AWAY.

WE'VE GOT DOG.

THIS WAS A, A HUSKY TYPE MIX.

AND WHENEVER I LEFT OUT OF THERE AND WENT OUT THE GATE, I CRIED BECAUSE I'M A DOG LOVER.

I'VE RAISED FOUR ROTT WALLERS FROM PUPPIES AND, AND HEALERS.

SO I LOVE DOGS.

AND I DID NOT LIKE SEEING THAT DOG, NOT WANTING TO GO IN THAT CRATE AND MAYBE SIT IN HIS FECES MAYBE SOMETIME DURING THE TIME OR IN HIS URINE, OR HIS WATER OR HIS FOOD.

THAT'S NOT, THAT'S NOT WHAT WE WE'RE ABOUT.

I DON'T THINK OUR CITY IS ABOUT THAT.

WE'RE, WE'RE, WE WANT TO LOVE OUR ANIMALS AND TAKE CARE OF THEM.

AND IF WE DON'T STOP NOT SPADING AND NEUTERING, WE WE'RE GONNA BE SO OVERFLOWED.

NOW THEY'RE OVER, THEY'RE IN THE CAR CARPORT NOW.

SO I'M JUST ASKING YOU, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE GET SOMEBODY TO HELP US WITH THIS, THIS SPADE AND NEUTER OF THE DOGS.

I'M NOT AS WORRIED ABOUT THE FUFU DOGS.

I'M WORRIED ABOUT THESE BIGGER DOGS BECAUSE IT WAS A BIGGER DOG AND IT WAS, HE, HE DIDN'T WANNA GO IN THAT BOX AND NOT BE ABLE TO SEE OUT EXCEPT WHAT WAS IN FRONT OF HIM, WHICH WAS ANOTHER GREAT, AND I'M JUST ASKING YOU IF YOU WILL PLEASE DO SOMETHING FOR US.

ANY OF YOU.

I WISH SOME OF Y'ALL WOULD COME THERE AND SEE IT.

I SAW IT AND I, AND, AND I DON'T LIKE IT AND I'M ASHAMED OF MY CITY, BUT THEY CAN'T HELP IT.

THEY DON'T HAVE SOMEBODY THAT WILL COME, COME GET THESE DOGS AND, AND GET 'EM A NEW HOME THAT, THAT AUSTIN PETS ALIVE, THAT SHELTER WE'RE PAYING FOR IT.

AND NOW THEY'VE TAKEN OVER SAN MARCO.

THEY'RE GONNA BE BRINGING ANIMALS FROM THERE.

AND THEN IN TURN THOUGH, SOME OF THOSE ANIMALS ARE COMING FROM SANTON.

SO WE ARE PAYING FOR ALL OF THIS AND WE JUST NEED TO, WE NEED TO PUT A STOP TO IT.

AND I, I WOULD APPRECIATE YOU REALLY PUSHING FOR THAT MORE, YOU KNOW, SPADE AND NEUTER OF OUR DOGS SO THEY DON'T

[00:45:01]

HURT.

THEY'RE HURTING IN THAT SHELTER.

NEXT WE HAVE CHELSEA KLA.

HI, MY NAME IS CHELSEA KTLA.

I'M A VOLUNTEER TRAPPER WITH AAC AND FERAL CAT COLONY CARETAKER.

AND I'M HERE TODAY TO IMPLORE YOU TO VOTE FOR SPAY AND NEUTER, NOT JUST WHAT WE HAVE, BUT TO EXPAND THE SERVICES.

SPAYING AND NEUTERING ANIMALS IS MASSIVELY IMPORTANT TO KEEP OUR SHELTERS AND RESCUES FROM BEING OVERCROWDED AND OVERWHELMED.

I'VE HEARD IT SAID HERE IN THIS COMMISSION THAT THERE AREN'T ENOUGH MA ANIMALS TO MEET THE DEMAND FOR PEOPLE WHO WANT TO ADOPT.

AND I SAY, GOOD, THAT'S A GOOD THING.

IS THAT NOT WHAT WE WANT? DO WE NOT WANT THE SHELTER TO BE EMPTY? SHOULDN'T WE WANT THE SHELTER TO NOT BE FULL OF ANIMALS? THE GOAL SHOULD NOT BE TO HAVE CAGES AND CRATES CONSTANTLY FULL OF ANIMALS THAT NEED TO BE ADOPTED.

THE GOAL SHOULD BE THAT THE SHELTER IS A PLACE FOR OWNERS AND PETS WHO ARE SEPARATED TO BE REUNITED.

FOR OWNERS WHO HAVE ABSOLUTELY NOWHERE ELSE TO TURN TO BE ABLE TO SAFELY SURRENDER A PET FOR THE COMMUNITY TO HAVE ACCESS TO SERVICES LIKE MICRO SHIPPING AND TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC ABOUT RESPONSIBLE PET OWNERSHIP.

THE SHELTER IS NOT AND SHOULD NOT BE A MILL THROUGH WHICH THERE IS A CONSTANT STREAM OF ANIMALS WAITING FOR ADOPTION.

IT SHOULD NOT BE NEVER ENDING, NOT EXPANDING.

SPAY AND NEUTER SERVICES IS ABSOLUTELY ABSURD.

AND SHELLY LABUM.

HI, MY NAME IS SHELLY LIBA.

I'VE BEEN A CAT VOLUNTEER AT AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER FOR SINCE 2018.

I'M REQUESTING THIS COMMISSION VOTE IN FAVOR OF EXPANDING FREE AND LOW-COST BAYER OPTIONS IN AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY.

I'M A HUGE TAYLOR SWIFT FAN AND I'M GUESSING A LOT OF, YOU'RE PROBABLY NOT IN MY CAMP, BUT SHE LOVES CATS AND I LOVE HER SONGS, ESPECIALLY THE LYRICS TO HER SONG ANTI HERO.

THEY RING TRUE TO ME IN HOW I THINK SOME MEMBERS OF THIS COMMISSION SEE AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER AS THE ANTI-HERO.

AND I'M HERE TO TELL YOU THAT IT TRULY IS EXHAUSTING, ALWAYS ROOTING FOR THE ANTI-HERO.

I CAN'T UNDERSTAND HOW SOME MEMBERS OF THIS COMMISSION REPEATEDLY SAY WE SHOULD RELY ON THE DATA.

YET WHEN DATA IS PRESENTED THAT'S VALID.

IT WILL HELP THE ANIMAL CENTER.

IT'S EITHER IGNORED OR NOT ACCEPTED.

AND I THINK TO MYSELF IN TAYLOR SWIFT TERMS, IT'S ME.

I'M THE PROBLEM.

IT'S ME.

IF I SUPPORT THE CENTER, AM I PART OF THE PROBLEM? THE DATA I'M REFERRING TO IS A THREE YEAR COMPREHENSIVE PUBLISHED STUDY FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA THAT REVIEWED DATA FROM OVER 200 SPAY NEUTER CLINICS.

AND THEY CONCLUDED AT THE PANDEMIC LED TO A DRASTIC REDUCTION IN SPAY NEUTER SURGERIES.

THE HIGH LEVEL OF SPAY NEUTER ACHIEVED OVER THE LAST 50 YEARS IS THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT DRIVER IN REDUCING PET OVERPOPULATION AND EUTHANASIA IN ANIMAL SHELTERS.

AND THAT VETERINARIANS AND ANIMAL WELFARE ORGANIZATIONS THAT COLLABORATE TO PRIORITIZE RECOVERY OF SPAY NEUTER CAPACITY, MAYBE THOSE WHO DON'T WANT TO RECOGNIZE THIS DATA ARE CLINGING TO SOME STUDIES THAT SUPPOSEDLY SAY WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH SHELTER PETS TO FILL THE DEMAND.

AS I ASKED IN THE LAST MEETING, IS THERE SOME PLAN TO HAVE MORE AND MORE KITTENS FLOWING INTO THE SHELTERS AND THEY ARE FLOWING INTO THE SHELTERS.

I LOVE KITTENS AND PUPPIES WHO DOESN'T LOVE KITTENS AND PUPPIES, BUT OUR PRIMARY CONCERN SHOULD BE AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER, THE MUNICIPAL SHELTER IN ITS CAPACITY TO HOUSE AND CARE FOR THESE ANIMALS WHEN THEY ARE KITTENS AND PUPPIES AND WHEN THEY'RE GROWN UP UNTIL THEY GET ADOPTED.

WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT IF A NONPROFIT WANTS TO TAKE IN AS MANY PITTEN UH, KITTENS AND PUPPIES AS THEY WANT TO.

A FACEBOOK POST RECENTLY SHOWED THAT ONE AUSTIN NONPROFIT HAD OVER A 100 PUPPIES ADOPTED DURING A RECENT ADOPTION EVENT.

IN THAT SAME POST, THEY STATED THEY WERE RUNNING LOW ON KENNEL SPACE AND NEEDED MORE HELP GETTING ANIMALS OUT OF THEIR SHELTER.

DO WE REALLY HAVE A SHORTAGE OF SHELTER ANIMALS? WHAT WE NEED AS A UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA DATA CLEARLY SHOWS IS MORE SPAIN UNDER OPTIONS.

WELL, UNLIKE TAYLOR SWIFT, I DON'T WANT TO HAVE THIS THING WHERE I GET OLDER BUT JUST NEVER WISER.

THE DATA IS CLEAR AND WE NEED TO HAVE MORE ACCESSIBLE SPAIN INTERRUPT OPTIONS.

I AM GETTING OLDER AND WISER BASED ON VALID DATA AND I HOPE THIS COMMISSION AND CITY COUNCIL GET WISER TOO.

THE SPAY NERE WORKING GROUP.

UM, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE HAVE A, I KNOW WE HAVE SOME BACKUP MATERIALS ON THIS ITEM, BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT WE HAVE A POSTED, UM, PROPOSAL, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF SOMEONE WANTS TO, UM, TALK ABOUT ONE.

YEAH, I, I, UM, COMMISSIONER BRUCE, OH, I'M SORRY.

UM, I WAS TASKED WITH GETTING MORE INFORMATION THE LAST TIME THAT I WAS PRESENT.

WE DISCUSSED THESE ITEMS SO, UM, AND I MAY NOT HAVE BEEN THIS TO YOU.

SO THIS WAS POSTED LATE, UM, AS A EXPANSION OF OUR ORIGINAL, UM, DISCUSSION ITEM FROM

[00:50:01]

UM, SO MUCH OF IT IS UNCHANGED, BUT I DID ADD A BIT MORE INFORMATION THAT WAS REQUESTED AS FAR AS FURTHER RESEARCH INTO ZIP CODES WERE ANIMALS WERE COMING FROM.

UM, AND JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE INFORMATION FROM FURTHER STUDIES ABOUT THE VETERINARY SHORTAGE.

SO JUST AS AN OVERVIEW OF WHAT WE HAD PRESENTED LAST TIME, UM, TO ECHO WHAT WAS JUST SAID, YOU KNOW, WE DO HAVE A BACKLOG OF APPROXIMATELY 3 MILLION PETS AWAITING SPAIN NES IN THE COUNTRY RIGHT NOW DIRECTLY AS A RESULT OF THE PANDEMIC.

UM, AND UM, ONE OTHER THING THAT I POSTED AS BACKUP, IF YOU TURN TO THE LAST PAGE OF, AND I APOLOGIZE THIS WAS HANDED OUT TO FOLKS HERE, UM, IS THE PERFORMANCE MEASURES POSTED BY THE CITY OF AUSTIN.

SO YOU CAN SEE THAT THE TARGET TYPICALLY FLUCTUATES BETWEEN 10 AND 11,000 ANIMALS THAT WE'RE STRIVING TO SPAY AND NEUTER IN 2020.

AGAIN.

UM, JUST TO RECAP, WE DID JUST SHY OF 6,021.

WE DID JUST SI JUST SHY OF 5,000 AND THEN JUST SHY OF 4,800 FOR 2022 FOR FISCAL YEAR 20 22 3.

EMAN PET HAS ONLY RECENTLY GOTTEN BACK UP TO FULL CAPACITY.

SO THE MOBILE UNITS WERE NOT GOING OUT.

UM, CAN I ASK DR.

UH, DIRECTOR LANTA WEIGH IN ON THIS? CUZ I DON'T ACTUALLY KNOW IF EMANCIPET IS OUT FOUR DAYS A WEEK DELIVERING SPAY NEUTER AT THE MOMENT.

DO YOU I HAVE NOT HEARD IF THEY HAVE GOTTEN STAFF TO DO THAT.

THEY SAID THEY WERE GOING TO TRY TO ACCOMPLISH THAT IN APRIL AND THEY HAVE NOT LET ME KNOW.

SO THEY WERE AT TWO THEN THREE AND TRYING TO GET BACK UP TO, TO FOUR DAYS.

THAT'S CORRECT.

SO AGAIN, FOR THIS FISCAL YEAR WE HAVE FUNDS THAT HAVE BEEN ALLOCATED FOR SPAY AND NEUTER THAT ARE GOING TO BE LEFT UNSPENT.

ONE OF THE THINGS I WAS TASKED WITH WAS ALSO COMING UP WITH MORE BUDGETARY INFORMATION TO PRE PREVENT PRESENT TO THIS COUNCIL.

AND SO EMANCIPET HAS NOT BEEN DELIVERING SPAY NEUTER SERVICES THROUGH THE MOBILE UNIT FOUR DAYS A WEEK AS WE'VE CONTRACTED WITH THEM.

WE ARE NOW SIX MONTHS INTO THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR.

AND SO WE'VE HAD TWO DAYS, THREE DAYS AND HOPEFULLY IN APRIL THEY'LL BE UP TO TO FOUR DAYS OF SERVICE.

AND SO I WOULD LIKE TO, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE CAN READ THROUGH THIS, BUT I REALLY, REALLY FEEL THAT COMING OUT OF COVID, WE NEED TO DIVERSIFY THE SERVICES THAT WE HAVE FOR SPAY NEUTER.

WE HAVE AUSTIN HUMANE SOCIETY, THEY HAVE DONE THE VAST MAJORITY OF FREE ROAMING, UH, COMMUNITY CATS IN THE COMMUNITY.

EMANCIPET HAS HAD THEIR MOBILE UNITS THAT GO OUT TO THE AREAS MOST IN NEED IN AUSTIN.

AND YOU KNOW, THEY WERE AT BETWEEN THE CITY PARKS BEING DISRUPTED, THE STAFFING SHORTAGES.

I INCLUDED MORE INFORMATION HERE ON THAT.

WE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO SPACE STAFFING SHORTAGES IN THE COMING DECADES, NOT ONLY OF VETERINARIANS BUT ALSO OF SUPPORT STAFF.

AND SO WE CAN'T RELY ON EMANCIPATE IN THE LONG TERM POTENTIALLY.

I KNOW IT'S THEIR GOAL TO BE OUT THERE FOUR DAYS A WEEK FOR US, BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT THEY WILL ALWAYS HAVE THE STAFFING TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT.

YOU KNOW, AUSTIN HUMANE SOCIETY HAS HAD TO PUMP THE BRAKES ON THEIR VOLUME THROUGHOUT COVID BECAUSE OF THEIR STAFFING.

AND SO I THINK AS A SMART CITY WE NEED TO DIVERSIFY OUR OPTIONS.

AND SO WHAT I WOULD PROPOSE, AND I WILL PUT FORTH MY RECOMMENDATION IN JUST A MOMENT, BUT I THINK WE NEED TO POTENTIALLY TAKE THOSE UNUSED FUNDS FROM THIS ALLOCATION THAT WE'VE ALREADY EARMARKED FOR SPAY NEUTER AND LOOK AT A THIRD VENDOR, DO ONE OR TWO EVENTS IN THE COMMUNITIES MOST AT RISK LIMIT ACCESS INITIALLY TO THOSE COMMUNITIES BECAUSE THEY ARE WHERE THAT DOGS AND CATS ARE FLOWING INTO THE SHELTER FROM.

AND SEE IF IT WORKS FOR US TO HAVE A THIRD VENDOR TO DIVERSIFY THE OPTIONS FOR OUR COMMUNITY.

ANOTHER PIECE OF DATA THAT I DIDN'T EVEN PUT IN HERE IS WE CANNOT EXPECT DAY WORKERS FROM OUR LOW INCOME COMMUNITIES TO SHOW UP FOR AN APPOINTMENT NINE MONTHS OUT.

THAT'S RIDICULOUS.

JUST LIKE WE CAN'T GET HOMELESS PEOPLE TO AN APPOINTMENT BOOKED NINE MONTHS OUT, WE NEED TO HAVE THREE OR FOUR DAY EVENTS WHERE WE CAN HAVE PEOPLE SHOW UP IN A VERY LARGE WINDOW TO GET THEIR PET SPAYED.

YOU KNOW, WE NOT ONLY HAVE TO PROVIDE MORE ACCESS, BUT WE HAVE TO LOOK AT WHO WE'RE SERVING AND FIND WAYS TO SERVE THEM BETTER.

YOU KNOW, WE CAN TALK DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION, BUT WE HAVE TO START MANIFESTING THAT IN THE WAY THAT WE DELIVER THESE SERVICES ALSO.

AND, AND I DON'T, I'LL STOP GOING ON AND ON CUZ I COULD GO ON AND ON FOREVER.

SO LET ME PUT FORTH MY MOTION AND HAPPY TO HAVE A DISCUSSION.

UM, AND I'M ALSO HAPPY TO HEAR FOR PEOPLE WHO AREN'T WILLING TO VOTE ON THIS TONIGHT, WHAT'S HOLDING YOU BACK BECAUSE I WOULD REALLY LIKE FOR AUSTIN TO LEAD IN THIS, UH, MOVING FORWARD.

AND IF THERE'S SOMETHING

[00:55:01]

THAT'S HOLDING YOU BACK, I WANNA HEAR WHAT IT IS AND SEE IF WE CAN, WE CAN COME TO RESOLUTION WITH IT.

UM, SO MY MOTION THAT I WOULD LIKE TO PUT FORTH TONIGHT IS I MOVE THAT THE AUSTIN ADVISORY COMMISSION RECOMMEND THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN PURSUE AN ADDITIONAL VENDOR FOR SPAY AND NEUTER SERVICES FOR THIS FISCAL YEAR.

UM, WHICH BEGAN OCTOBER 1ST, 22 AND ENDS SEPTEMBER 30TH OF 23 USING CITY OF AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY FUNDS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN ALLOCATED, BUT AS YET, UNEX EXPENDED FOR SPAY NEUTER SECOND.

SO WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND, DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSION? COMMISSIONER HASSEN, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.

I I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.

I, SO I AGREE COMPLETELY THAT DIVERSIFYING VENDORS IS REALLY IMPORTANT, ESPECIALLY AS WE'RE TRYING TO TARGET, AND I'M LOOKING AT THIS DATA THAT IS FROM THE CITY OF AUSTIN.

AND I GUESS MY FIRST QUESTION IS, ARE YOU SATISFIED WITH THE REPORTING THAT IS CURRENTLY BEING DONE? UM, LIKE WOULD, IS THIS ENOUGH INFORMATION DO YOU THINK, TO GO ON, UH, FROM THE CITY? ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THE INTAKE DATA OR THE, UM, NUMBER OF SPAY NEUTER PERFORMANCE? IT'S THIS PERFORMANCE MEASURES DOCUMENT SEEMS LIKE VERY BLANK.

I HAVE HAD A REALLY HARD TIME GETTING HARD BUDGET INFORMATION WHEN I SEARCH FOR IT.

AND ALSO, UM, I BELIEVE THERE'S A HUGE, BECAUSE YES, THE LAST SPAY NEUTER NUMBER WAS UPDATED IN OCTOBER OF 23 FOR THIS FISCAL YEAR, OR EXCUSE ME, OCTOBER OF 22.

UM, AND MAYBE DIRECTOR BLAND CAN SPEAK TO THIS BETTER, BUT MY UNDERSTANDING IS THERE IS A HUGE DELAY IN BILLING AND THEN HOW IT'S ACTUALLY THEN DELIVERED TO THIS REPORT.

SO I DON'T KNOW WHERE THE CITY IS CURRENTLY CAUGHT UP AS FAR AS NUMBERS COMING IN FROM VENDORS.

THANK, THANK YOU.

IS THAT YOUR QUESTION? THAT WAS RANDOM.

CAN I, CAN I ASK ONE MORE QUESTION? YES.

WOULD IT BE ALL RIGHT IF WE A ALLOW DR.

BLA OR MR. BLAND TO ANSWER IF HE HAS INFORMATION ON THAT? YOU'RE CORRECT, DR.

BRUCE.

UH, WE DO HAVE, THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT TIME LAG FROM THE TIME OF SURGERY IS ACTUALLY DONE AND WE GET THE INVOICE AND ONCE THOSE INVOICES, UH, ARE RECEIVED, THEN IT GOES INTO THE SYSTEM.

UH, THE IT DEPARTMENT HAS PUT IT IN A FORMAT THAT CAN BE CAPTURED AND LOADED IN.

SO IT'S, ONCE IT GETS TO US, IT'S VERY QUICK PROCESS.

IT'S, YOU KNOW, ALMOST INSTANTANEOUS, BUT IT'S JUST GETTING THOSE IN OUR SYSTEM, UH, AND DELIVERED TO US.

UH, QUESTION.

DOGS WHO ARE GONNA MATURE OVER 40 POUNDS, THAT WOULD BE MY DREAM SPAY NEUTER CLINIC.

UH, SO I GUESS LIKE I, WHAT I'M WONDERING AND SORT OF WHAT I WAS ALLUDING TO AT THE LAST MEETING WAS THAT I REALLY APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK YOU ALL HAVE PUT INTO THIS AND UM, I THINK THAT GIVEN THAT WE'VE BEEN UNABLE TO GET REALLY MEANINGFUL, UH, ADEQUATE REPORTS ABOUT ANYTHING FROM AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER FOR THE TIME I'VE BEEN ON THE COMMISSION, I'M REALLY CONCERNED THAT WE NEED TO SET UP PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENTS THAT, THAT ARE SET UP AHEAD OF TIME TO REALLY UNDERSTAND THE IMPACT THAT STERILIZATION IS HAVING, WHAT ANIMALS ARE STERILIZED, AND TO YOUR POINT, WHAT ZIP CODES ARE BEING TARGETED AND WHY.

UM, AND THESE CONTRACTS HISTORICALLY HAVE FALLEN UNDER THE, THE PURVIEW OF ANIMAL SERVICES WHO ISN'T, UH, HAS NOT SHOWN THEY CAN PROVIDE REPORTS OR TRACK THIS DATA ADEQUATELY.

AND THAT'S MY MAIN CONCERN.

AND I'M WONDERING DOES THE WORKING GROUP ENVISION A SITUATION IN WHICH YOU ALL THERE WOULD BE AN RFP PROCESS AND THAT EVERYTHING WOULD BE SPELLED OUT IN THAT RFP PROCESS SO THAT THE VENDOR WOULD JUST BE ESSENTIALLY, UM, COMING IN TO FULFILL A VERY SPECIFIC SET OF SERVICES? I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE PURVIEW OF THE COMMISSION WOULD BE VERSUS THAT OF UM, YOU KNOW, THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, BUT WE CERTAIN THAT IS, I THINK SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE GREAT AS FAR AS DISCUSSION.

I MEAN, I DIDN'T GO INTO EXTREME DEPTH WITH THIS, BUT YOU CAN'T GET AS MANY ANIMALS DONE.

BUT I THINK, YOU KNOW, IF WE WANTED TO TARGET DOGS THAT WERE GOING TO MATURE TO BE OVER 40 POUNDS AS THEY WERE ADULTS AND COMMUNITY CATS AND THESE ZIP CODES, I THINK THAT IS SOMETHING.

SO MY INTEREST TONIGHT IS HONESTLY TO GET THIS APPROVED TO START MARCHING FORWARD WITH LOOKING TO SEE IF THERE ARE VENDORS THAT WOULD BE AMENABLE TO THIS.

I THINK THAT THERE ARE, AND IF THE CITY IS AMENABLE TO REDIRECTING THESE FUNDS AND THEN WORKING OUT THE GRANULARITY OF IT LATER, BECAUSE I THINK THERE IS GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE GREAT STRIDES IN DECREASING SHELTER POPULATIONS.

UM, YEAH, IF WE COULD DO COMMUNITY CATS AND

[01:00:01]

UM, SO I LEAVE THAT OPEN AND I DON'T KNOW WHO HAS PURVIEW OVER MAKING THAT DECISION.

COMMISSIONER TUCKER? WELL, I I COULD GO ON AND ON ABOUT THIS BECAUSE, UH, FREE AND LOW COST PAY NEUTER, AS EVERYBODY PROBABLY REALIZES, IS A MAIN COMPONENT OF NO-KILL AND ONE OF THE MAIN PIECES OF THE NO-KILL IMPLEMENTATION PLAN.

AND I CRINGE WHEN I HEAR, UH, RESCUERS TRAPPERS, UM, LIKE MS. VICARY THAT ARE STRUGGLING TO GET FREE AND LOW COST PAY NEUTER SERVICES.

I THINK THEY SHOULD ALWAYS BE SUPPLIED WITH AN ENDLESS AMOUNT OF FOOD, ENDLESS AMOUNT OF SUPPORT, ENDLESS AMOUNT OF SPAY NEUTER, AS MANY SPAY NEUTER AS SHE WANTS, SHE SHOULD HAVE.

I MEAN, THAT'S, THAT'S THE WAY IT SHOULD BE LIKE.

SO, UM, I DON'T THINK IT'S THE END ALL BE ALL BE TO EVERYTHING.

I THINK IT'S REDUCING ANIMAL INTAKE, INCREASING LIVE ANIMAL OUTCOMES AND WORKING TOGETHER.

AND THAT'S BEEN PROVEN IN THE OTHER CITIES WHEN WE CREATED THE NO-KILL PLAN.

THERE ARE ONLY CITIES, SEVEN CITIES AT THAT TIME.

UM, SO IF YOU'RE ON THIS COMMISSION AND YOU DON'T BELIEVE IN FREE AND LOW COST BAY NERE, YOU'RE PROBABLY ON THE WRONG COMMISSION BECAUSE IT'S A BIG PIECE OF NO-KILL.

WHAT I AGREE WITH, WITH, UH, COMMISSIONER HASSAN, IS THAT WE NEED TO HOLD PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE.

IF A MANS HEAD IS NOT FULFILLING THEIR CONTRACT, THEY NEED TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE.

WE NEED TO SEE NUMBERS, UH, OF, AND I I THINK FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU FOR THIS.

THIS IS FANTASTIC.

WHOEVER DID, IF YOU WORKED ON THIS OR WHOEVER WORKED ON THIS GREAT JOB, UM, I WASN'T SURE EXACTLY WHAT, WHAT THE ASK WAS.

AND UM, I THINK A COUPLE OF THINGS YOU ASKED SPECIFICALLY WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE OR WHAT I'D LIKE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT, AND MAYBE YOU CAN ANSWER THESE, BUT WHAT IS, IF, IF EMAN PET AND AUSTIN HUMANE SOCIETY ARE THE TWO THAT HAVE LED THE, BEEN THE TIP OF THE SPEAR TO DATE, WHAT IS THE IDEAS FOR A THIRD? AND I I, I LIKE THE IDEA OF THE FUNDS ARE ALREADY THERE USING THE FUNDS, I'M JUST NOT SURE WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.

UM, AND THEN THE NUMBERS, I, I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THE NUMBERS AND HOLDING IF PEOPLE ARE NOT FULFILLING THEIR CONTRACT.

IF AMAN PEN IS NOT FULFILLING THEIR CONTRACT, THEN THEY NEED TO TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR FULFILLING.

AND IF THEY CAN'T FULFILL IT, THEN IT'S, IT NEEDS TO BE, UM, REEXAMINED MY 2 CENTS.

THANKS COMMISSIONER HERRA.

UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH EVERYBODY.

UH, YOUR LAW JOEL KNOW THAT I LOVE SPARE U AND I I AM GOING TO SUPPORTPAY NURE UNTIL THE END OF MY DAYS.

UH, IT'S ONLY NOT FOR REDUCE THE INTAKE AT THE SHELTER.

IT'S A RESOURCE FOR ALL THE COMMUNITY BECAUSE AFTER COVID, UH, BECAUSE OF LIVING IN AUSTIN, IT'S VERY DIFFICULT AND WE ARE ON THE EDGE OR SWIMMING IN A RECESSION.

A SPENDER NEEDS TO BE FOR EVERYONE AND FOR EVERY PET IN THIS TOWN AND IN THIS COUNTY, AND ANY WAY THAT WE COMMISSIONERS CAN HELP TO BRING THIS RESOURCE, THIS FREE RESOURCE TO THE COMMUNITY IS THE BEST OF THE GIFTS THAT WE CAN GIVE TO THIS COMMUNITY.

COMMISSIONER NEELS, THANKS.

I'D JUST LIKE TO, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU FOR THE INFORMATION, BUT I'D ALSO LIKE TO ADD AS FAR AS CAPTURING THE DATA AND RECEIVING REPORTS BACK ON THIS, THIS ISSUE OF NOT BEING ABLE TO KIND OF CLEARLY SEE WHAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN IS RECEIVING AS FAR AS TARGETING AREAS AND HOW THOSE AREAS MIGHT BE BENEFITING OR LACKING IN SERVICES HAS BEEN KIND OF AN ISSUE THAT'S COME UP, UH, MULTIPLE DIFFERENT YEARS, UM, ON THE ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION.

SO I THINK THAT AS WE'RE LOOKING AT REDIRECTING FUNDS AT THIS MOMENT, THAT I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE DO PUT INTO PLACE PARAMETERS FOR REPORTING FOR THIS NEW P UH, UH, CONTRACT THAT MIGHT BE CREATED, BUT ALSO THE CONTRACTS THAT ARE ALREADY EXISTING BECAUSE IT'D BE A LOT EASIER TO ALLOCATE ADDITIONAL MONEY AND DISCUSS ADDITIONAL MONEY AT BUDGET CYCLES IF WE HAVE DATA THAT HAS BEEN SUPPLIED AND WE'RE TRACKING REGARDING THE, THE, WHAT THE RESULTS ARE FROM WHAT WE'RE ALREADY SPENDING AND WHAT THE FURTHER NEEDS ARE, WHICH I THINK WE ALL KNOW THEY'RE THERE, BUT WE NEED TO CREATE A REAL CLEAR PICTURE.

UH, SO WE KNOW WHAT'S NEEDED AND WHAT WE CAN GO FORWARD, UH, AND TRY TO ACHIEVE IN, IN, IN YEARS TO COME.

COMMISSIONER DOZE HAD TO MUTE.

SO, UM, UH,

[01:05:01]

DR.

BRIGHT AND THE TEAM WHO THAT HAVE BEEN WORKING AND, UH, SPAIN NEUTER AND LUIS, UM, UH, I MEAN IT'S GREAT WORK WHAT YOU'RE DOING.

I'M SUPPORTIVE.

UH, WHAT, WHAT I SEE AND I'M HEARING THE WHOLE THING, THE DATA AND DATA AND I, I, AND I JUST, I MEAN, A LOT OF THE REPORTS, AND I'M NOT, IT'S NOT RELATED TO YOU BECAUSE A LOT OF THINGS JUST GOT POSTED AND I DIDN'T SEE THEM TILL NOW.

UH, I MEAN, AND UM, I'M HOPING, AND I'M NOT, THIS IS NOT AGAINST THE WORKING GROUP AT ALL, BUT I'M TALKING, UH, ALSO FROM THE AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER IN THE PAST WE HAVE GOTTEN THIS LIKE ON A FRIDAY, OR EVEN SATURDAY OR SUNDAY, BUT ON MONDAY, RIGHT, LIKE AN HOUR OR JUST BEFORE THE MEETING STARTS IT, WE MEET ONCE A A MONTH AND WE WANNA BE EFFECTIVE.

BUT PUSHING THAT ASIDE, UM, I, I HEAR THAT ABOUT PARAMETERS AND I, WE, WE DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW MUCH MONEY ARE, ARE AVAILABLE.

DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH MONEY COULD BE TRANSFERRED TO WHAT FROM THE ASTON ANIMAL CENTER TO THE THIRD PARTY? AND, UM, ONE THING THAT I RECOMMEND THAT WOULD HELP AND UH, IT TO, IS TO PUT A BUSINESS PLAN.

BECAUSE EVERYTHING THAT I'M HEARING OF WHAT PEOPLE ARE RECOMMENDING IS BASICALLY A BUSINESS PLAN.

AND I MEAN, UH, THAT'S MY RECOMMENDATION.

BUT, UH, THANK YOU.

ARE THERE OTHER COMMENTS? UH, COMMISSIONER BRUCE? YEAH, I JUST WENT TO ROUND BACK ABOUT EMANCIPATE AND MAKING SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T ARE LEAVING HERE WITH A BAD TASTE IN OUR MOUTH ABOUT EMANCIPATE BECAUSE MANY OF THE THINGS THAT CAUSED DISRUPTION IN THEIR SERVICE, UH, THROUGH COVID WERE COMPLETELY OUTSIDE OF THEIR CONTROL.

SO THEY, UM, IN THEIR CONTRACT HAVE THAT THEY ARE PARTNERED WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN.

THE CITY OF AUSTIN HAS TO PROVIDE A, A LOCATION FOR THEM WITH, UM, TOILETS AND A COMMUNITY CENTER.

AND MANY OF THE CITY PARKS THAT THEY TYPICALLY USED WERE USED AS COVID TESTING SITES.

THEY WEREN'T ALLOWED AT THEM.

AND THEN THOSE PUBLIC FACILITIES WERE ACTUALLY CLOSED FOR QUITE A BIT OF TIME DURING COVID.

AND SO THAT WAS ONE OF THE REASONS THAT, UM, THEIR CAPACITY FELL SHORT.

AND THEN THEY WERE DEFINITELY HIT BY PEOPLE JUST LEAVING THE FIELD, BECAUSE WHEN YOU'RE WORKING IN VETERINARY MEDICINE, PARTICULARLY IN THOSE MOBILE UNITS, YOU'RE FACE TO FACE WITH PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, OFTENTIMES A FOOT OR TWO BREATHING ON EACH OTHER, AND WHEN YOU'RE PERFORMING THE TASKS THAT ARE REQUIRED OF YOUR JOB.

AND SO THEY DID HAVE A MASS EXODUS OF STAFF, AND SO THEY HAVE BEEN BUILDING UP CAPACITY AND ARE LOOKING TO GET BACK TO THAT CAPACITY.

UM, SO I, I, LIKE I SAID, I'M, I'M HESITANT TO, TO GET DOWN ON THEM TOO MUCH CUZ THEY JUST HAD A LOT OF THINGS THAT WERE, UM, AGAINST, AGAINST THEM THROUGHOUT COVID AND THEY'RE MAKING EFFORTS TO GET BACK.

AND SO REALLY THIS IS NOT ONLY TO DIVERSIFY IT, BUT TO, TO, TO KIND OF, TO PICK UP THAT THOSE ANIMALS, SOME OF THOSE ANIMALS WERE LOST IN THAT.

UM, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M NOT QUITE SURE HOW TO TAKE THIS.

AT ONE MEETING I'M TOLD, YOU KNOW, THAT THIS COMMISSION DOESN'T HAVE ANY CONTROL OVER BUDGETARY MEASURES AND WE SHOULD BE CAREFUL WHAT WE'RE ASKING OF THE COM OF OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS.

AND THEN AT THE NEXT MEETING, I'M BEING ASKED TO PUT TOGETHER A BUSINESS PLAN.

AND SO I DON'T THINK I'M GOING TO PUT TOGETHER A BUSINESS PLAN.

I THINK THAT'S COMPLETELY OUTSIDE OF, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT WE'RE OUR ROLE IS HERE, YOU KNOW, AND I, IT'S NOT MY JOB TO COME UP WITH THE BUDGET.

IT'S NOT MY JOB TO, TO CHOOSE THE VENDOR.

IT'S, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE IDENTIFIED AN AREA THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BASED ON THE WORK OF THE WORKING GROUP.

WE WENT BACK AND PUT IN THE WORK TO FIGURE OUT WHICH ZIP CODES ARE MOST AT NEED.

AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I'M HAPPY TO, TO BE INVOLVED IF ASKED, UM, YOU KNOW, FOR COMING UP WITH THE, WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE.

UM, BUT I THINK THAT'S OUTSIDE THE SCOPE.

UM, AND CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, COMMISS TUCKER.

SORRY, NOW I HAVE MORE QUESTIONS.

, UM, IS THE ASK OF THE WORKING GROUP, IS THE ASK TO ASK TO DRAFT A LETTER TO HAVE COUNSEL TAKE ACTION ON SOMETHING? OR ARE WE ASKING STAFF TO REALLOCATE WHAT'S ALREADY BUDGETED? WHAT IS THE ASK? MY ASK WOULD BE FOR RECOMMEND TO CITY COUNCIL THAT THEY PURSUE AN ADDITIONAL VENDOR FOR SPAY AND NEUTER SERVICES.

IF, AND AGAIN,

[01:10:03]

THOSE UNSPENT FUNDS, I'M HAVING A HARD TIME FIGURING OUT IF THOSE ARE, YOU KNOW, MY ASK IS HOW DO WE MAKE THOSE UNSPENT FUNDS FIRST? FAY NEUTER AVAILABLE FOR A THIRD VENDOR.

SORRY, SORRY.

NO, COMMISSIONER.

SO I JUST THINK THAT'S A QUESTION THAT HOPEFULLY STAFF CAN ANSWER, BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT WOULD GO TO COUNSEL IF IT WOULD THEN I I DON'T, I THINK, UH, IT'S APPROPRIATE TO ASK STAFF IF THEY KNOW, UH, I, MY MIND, I'VE BEEN WONDERING THIS QUESTION THE ENTIRE TIME, IS, UH, IS THIS EVEN PLAUSIBLE TO TAKE MONEY THAT HAS BEEN CONTRACTED TO COMMAND EMANCIPATE? IS IS IT IN FACT UNSPENT OR IS IT COMMITTED TO EMANCIPATE? UH, AND IS, IS THERE UNSPENT MONEY THAT IS EVEN LEGALLY AVAILABLE? IF YOU HAVE ANY ABILITY TO ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS, THERE IS A PURCHASING CONTRACT DONE WITH A PURCHASING DEPARTMENT WITH EMAN A PET, AND THOSE FUNDS ARE ALLOCATED TO THAT PURCHASING CONTRACT.

IT'S, YOU KNOW, SO MUCH, UH, OVER A NORMALLY, YOU KNOW, A FIVE YEAR PERIOD AND, UM, YOU KNOW, SO MUCH A YEAR FOR FIVE YEARS.

IF THOSE FUNDS ARE NOT SPENT, THAT IS, UH, YOU KNOW, NOT SOMETHING I CAN SAY, WELL WE'RE YOU'RE NOT SPENDING THAT THIS YEAR.

I CAN TAKE AND PAY IT SOMEONE ELSE THAT'S, THOSE FUNDS ARE, UM, EARMARKED SPECIFICALLY FOR THAT CONTRACT.

SO WE WOULD HAVE TO GET OUT OF THAT CONTRACT, RENEGOTIATE THAT CONTRACT FOR A LESSER AMOUNT.

AND THEN THOSE FUNDS THAT HAVE TO BE ALLOCATED, I CAN TELL YOU FROM, UH, WHAT WE AS AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER ARE DOING, WHETHER WE ARE SUCCESSFUL OR NOT, UM, THERE, UH, ARE, THERE'S A NATIONAL ORGANIZATION THAT COMES IN AND WE LOOKED AT HAVING THEM COME IN ONCE A QUARTER, UH, TO HELP WITH OUR SPAY NEUTERS IN OUR COMMUNITY BECAUSE THERE'S ABOUT 15,000 ANIMALS THAT DURING THIS TIME, UH, FROM THE PANDEMIC THAT THAT GOT MISSED.

AND SO TO HELP MAKE UP FOR THAT AND, UH, WE PUT THAT MONEY IN OUR FORECAST FOR OUR BUDGET REQUEST.

NOW WHETHER IT GETS TO THE BUDGET DEPARTMENT, YOU KNOW, BUT WE, WE, WE DID MAKE AN ASK OUTSIDE OF THIS, IT'S EASIER, YOU KNOW, FOR US TO ASK FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDS RATHER THAN TRY TO CANCEL A CONTRACTOR AND RENEGOTIATE.

CAN I ASK ONE FOLLOW UP AND IT'S OKAY IF YOU DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER.

UH, IS THE MONEY THAT IS CONTRACTED TO EMANCIPATE GIVEN TO THEM REGARDLESS OF THE NUMBER OF SPAY NEUTERS THEY PERFORM? MM-HMM.

IT IS NOT.

SO IS THERE REIMBURSEMENT PER ANIMAL? DO WE KNOW? IT IS.

SO THEN THERE POTENTIALLY WOULD BE SOME LEFTOVER IF WE HAVE, LET'S SAY I, WHAT'S THE NUMBER MONTHLY THAT, YOU KNOW WHAT THAT IS, DR.

BRUCE.

SO LIKE I SAID, WE DON'T HAVE UPDATED DATA FROM THEM, BUT 600 WAS THE MONTHLY FOR, SO THIS IS NOT JUST EMANCIPATE IN THIS 600 NUMBER.

NO, THIS IS EVERYBODY PROVIDING OUTSIDE SERVICES.

I, I APOLOGIZE.

I WAS WONDERING HOW MUCH MONEY MONTHLY, IS IT ONE POINT, DO WE, ON A MONTHLY BASIS, DO WE, IS IT 1.4 PER YEAR? DIRECTOR BLAND, THAT'S THE ANNUAL TOTAL? YES.

YEAH, SO, UM, A HUNDRED AND JUST SHY OF 120,000.

AND DO WE KNOW, UH, ORDINARILY IN OUR, IN OUR DATA IN THE, IN THE PAST MONTHS, I, I RECALL THAT THERE CUZ IT WAS, IT'S ONE OF THE DATA POINTS THAT THAT IS, UM, IN THE STATUTE WAS HOW MANY, UH, SPAY NEUTER HAVE BEEN CONTRACTED FOR IT.

AND I SEE THAT IT'S NOT HERE AND I PRESUMABLY THAT'S BECAUSE YOU GUYS OR I CAN'T FIND IT IN DOING IT.

AND PRESUMABLY IT'S BECAUSE YOU HAVEN'T GOTTEN IT.

DO YOU HAPPEN TO KNOW THE LAST TIME THAT IT USED TO BE? I THINK IT WAS A 60 DAY THAT WE WERE GETTING THE INFORMATION, AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT I REMEMBER.

UM, JASON GARZA SAYING THAT IT WAS ABOUT A 60 DAY, UH, AND THE, THE LAST, ONE OF THE LAST INVOICES I I SAW, I'VE SEEN TWO RECENTLY.

UH, THEY WERE, ONE WAS FOR LIKE 60 AND ONE WAS FOR LIKE 80,000.

SO, YOU KNOW, IT JUST VARIES WHAT WE'RE GONNA GET IN.

UH, BUT THOSE, ANY IN IN THE CONTRACT, ANY OF THOSE UNENDED FUNDS GO BACK TO THE GENERAL FUND.

THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT I HAVE CONTROL OVER.

IS, CAN THE CITY MANAGER MAKE, CAN THAT BE AMENDED IN A WAY THAT IF THOSE FUNDS HAVE ALREADY BEEN ALLOCATED FOR SPAY NEUTER, THEY'RE GOING TO BE LEFT UNSPENT.

WE GET, I THINK WE, WE UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S NOT LIKE YOU COULD JUST SIMPLY DO THIS ON YOUR OWN, WHICH IS I THINK WHY THE WELL THAT'S, WELL, THE SUGGESTION WOULD BE, YES.

SO MY QUESTION

[01:15:01]

IS THERE SOMEBODY WHO CAN OVERRIDE THAT? THEY GO BACK TO THE GENERAL FUND.

CAN WE, CAN WE PUT THIS MOTION FORTH TO THE CITY MANAGER? THIS WOULD HAVE TO BE A PURCHASING QUESTION BECAUSE THEY'RE THE ONES THAT DO THE CONTRACT AND HAVE, THEY'LL, THEY WILL HAVE TO GET OUT OF THAT CONTRACT, UM, AND USE THOSE FUNDS SOMEWHERE ELSE.

YOU KNOW, SO IT'S, IT'S ALL THEY'RE CONTRACT ARE EARMARKED WHETHER THEY USE 'EM OR NOT.

SO IT'S GONNA BE SOMEONE AT THE PURCHASING DEPARTMENT THAT I HAVE TO ASK FIRST HOW IT'S GONNA HAP HAPPEN.

COMMISSIONER HASSEN? UM, I, I THINK THAT, SO WHAT WOULD BE EASIEST FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE CITY IS IF THAT MONEY CAN BE SPENT BY ONE OF THE EXISTING VENDORS DURING THE CONTRACT PERIOD.

AND WHAT I'M WONDERING IF A LOGICAL NEXT STEP WOULD BE FOR THE WORKING GROUP, AND I'M HAPPY TO JOIN AND HELP FACILITATE THIS TO MEET WITHIN THE NEXT 30 DAYS WITH THE EXISTING VENDORS, UM, IT WOULD BE HELPFUL, I THINK TO HAVE THEM BOTH COME AND JUST PRE PRESENT A BRIEF REPORT ON WHERE THEY'RE AT AND WHAT THEY THINK IS POSSIBLE.

ANYTHING ELSE WILL BE CHALLENGING THOUGH.

THE CITY COULD ROLL THAT FUNDING OVER TO THE NEXT YEAR WITH THE EXISTING VENDORS.

BUT, UH, ANY NEW VENDOR WOULD BE A NEW CONTRACT PROCESS, WHICH PROBABLY WOULDN'T RELATE TO THE UNSPENT FUNDS.

BUT I THINK WE'RE ALL, WHAT I'M HEARING DR.

BRUCE IS THAT WE'RE ALL PRETTY MUCH ON THE SAME PAGE WANTING TO GET THAT FULFILLED.

AND I THINK YOU BROUGHT UP ANOTHER IMPORTANT POINT, WHICH YOU ALL BROUGHT TO THE LAST MEETING.

WE TALKED ABOUT THIS, WHICH IS THE NEED FOR ACTUALLY INCREASED TARGETED SPAY NEUTER FOR CERTAIN POPULATIONS, WHICH I THINK IS ALSO A REALLY IMPORTANT ISSUE TO TALK ABOUT.

BUT MAYBE HAVING THOSE VENDORS COME HERE AND TALK WITH US.

I MEAN, AUSTIN PET'S LIVES HERE EVERY MONTH.

MAYBE INSTEAD OF THEM NEXT MONTH, WE COULD HAVE ONE OR BOTH THE VENDORS COME AND SHARE WITH US AND WHAT THEY THINK IS POSSIBLE.

COMMISSIONER NELSON, THANK YOU.

UM, YES, WE, THE WORKING GROUP DID MEET WITH EACH OF THOSE VENDORS AND WE KIND OF GOT THAT PRESENTATION THAT YOU'RE SAYING WOULD BE HELPFUL AND IT WAS INDEED VERY HELPFUL.

AND SO I AM JUST, I'M JUST WONDERING, YOU KNOW, WE'VE NEVER DEMANDED THIS MUCH GRANULARITY OR DETAIL FOR, FOR RECOMMENDATIONS TO CITY COUNCIL ON ANYTHING ELSE IN THE YEAR SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE.

UM, SO, SO I'M WONDERING IF THERE'S A WAY TO JUST DO A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT WHERE THIS LETTER DOES GO TO CITY COUNCIL AND SAYS, YOU GUYS FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET THE MONEY SO THAT WE CAN GET AN OUTSIDE VENDOR THAT CAN DO, THAT, CAN DO THESE QUARTERLY SPAY OR NEUTER TO MAKE UP FOR THIS, FOR THIS DEFICIT THAT HAS ACCRUED DURING, DURING COVID AND MAKE SURE, MAKE SURE IT HAPPENS.

AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S FEELING LIKE INSISTING THAT WE FIGURE OUT ALL OF THOSE DETAILS, UM, SEEMS DISINGENUOUS AND A WAY TO KIND OF AVOID VOTING ON IT PERHAPS.

UM, BECAUSE, BECAUSE WE'VE GOT CLEAR PUBLIC SUPPORT OF IT AND I THANK THE, THE, THE PUBLIC SPEAKERS FOR COMING AND SPEAKING ON IT THIS EVENING.

UM, AND I JUST WANNA SAY I'M DELIGHTED TO HEAR THAT, UM, THE COMMISSIONER FROM COUNCIL MEMBER POOL'S OFFICE IS, UM, SO SUPPORTIVE OF SPAY NEUTER.

THAT'S REALLY GOOD TO HEAR BECAUSE I KNOW THAT YOU HAVE IN, YOU INITIALLY PRESENTED SOME OF THE ORDINANCES THAT HAVE MADE SPAY NEUTER HARDER OR IMPOSSIBLE IN SOME CASES AT THE CITY SHELTER.

SO I'M REALLY EXCITED TO HEAR YOUR SUPPORT FOR SPAN NEUTER.

AND I SEE THE PASSION AND, AND IT IS WONDERFUL, BUT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S DOLLAR PART THAT KNOCKS AND BOLTS, AND THAT'S WHERE I THINK THERE NEEDS A LITTLE BIT OF HELP.

I THINK WE, AS A GENERAL RULE SHOULD TRY NOT TO CAST ASPERSIONS ON OTHER COMMISSIONERS.

UM, COMMISSIONER DOZE, I JUST, I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE, SORRY, THAT, UM, IT, IT WAS REQUESTED WHAT IS HOLDING PEOPLE BACK FROM A VOTING FOR IT AND OR IT, AND REALLY I THINK WHAT THE, THIS IS MY PERCEPTION.

I KNOW WHERE I CAME FROM WHEN I SET A BUSINESS PLAN.

I WASN'T ASKING YOU, I KNOW THAT'S BEYOND SCOPE, BUT I, I WAS COMING FROM THE PERSPECTIVE, HOW CAN YOU CONVINCE A, A GROUP BEYOND THE COMMI, THE COMMISSION, CITY COUNCIL OR WHATEVER OTHER ORGANIZATIONS? THAT'S WHY I SUGGESTED THE BUSINESS PLAN.

IT WASN'T BECAUSE I WAS SAYING, OH, THIS IS BAD, WHAT YOU'RE DOING.

I I WANT TO HELP TO MAKE SU THIS SUCCESSFUL.

[01:20:02]

AND WE'RE ALL TRYING TO FIGURE THIS OUT WITH YOU.

SO, UM, WE JUST DON'T WANNA SAY, OH, OKAY.

AND THEN IT GOES UP IN THE AIR.

LIKE, WE WANT TO MAKE THIS SUCCESSFUL.

AND, AND I'LL NOTE THAT IN MANY, IN THE YEARS THAT I'VE BEEN ON IT, MANY TIMES THERE HAVE BEEN VERY, VERY, VERY SPECIFIC POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS.

AND THEY'RE NOT ALWAYS, BUT MANY, MANY TIMES THERE ARE.

UM, WHAT'S THAT? I'D LOVE TO, I, I WOULD JUST BE CURIOUS TO SEE SOME REFERENCES.

LIKE I'D LOVE A DATE.

I'D, I'D LOVE TO GO BACK AND WATCH THE VIDEOS.

I'VE GONE BACK AND WATCHED MANY VIDEOS OF MANY COMMISSIONED MEETINGS AND I'VE JUST, I'VE NEVER SEEN IT.

SO I WOULD LOVE A SPECIFIC REFERENCE OF, OF A MEETING THAT I, SO FOR EXAMPLE, ALL OF THE, THE LAST AMENDMENTS TO THE CODE WERE ALL WRITTEN IN TEXT AND, AND CIRCULATED.

OH, WAS THIS IN JUNE OF 2018? JUNE, JULY, 2018? I DON'T KNOW, BUT THEY WERE LITERALLY WRITTEN IN TEXT.

I I HAVE THOSE HERE.

I WAS APPALLED BY THAT MEETING, BUT THANK YOU.

UM, COMMISSIONER TUCKER.

YEAH, I JUST WANTED TO ADD THAT AS, AS I POINTED OUT IN THE BEGINNING, SPAIN NEUTER IS A FREE AND LOW COST.

BAY NEUTER IS A BIG, UM, UH, PASSION OF MINE.

I FOUGHT HARD FOR FUNDING, UH, FOR MANY YEARS TO INCREASE FUNDING.

BUT WHAT I LEARNED TOO IS, UH, AND AS BEING 12 YEARS ON THE COMMISSION, THAT WHEN YOU THROW EXIT PEOPLE, YOU CAN'T GET THEM ON YOUR SIDE.

AND SO OFTENTIMES IT MAKES PEOPLE VOTE AGAINST YOU, EVEN WHEN THE ISSUE IS IN FAVOR, YOU'RE IN FAVOR OF THE ISSUE.

SO, UM, I, I AGREE THAT, YOU KNOW, UM, NOT CASTING VERSIONS ON PEOPLE AND, UM, PEOPLE THAT ARE TRYING TO FIGURE IT OUT ARE SIMPLY HERE TRYING TO FIGURE IT OUT.

AND I WOULD TAKE THEIR BEST INTEREST AT HEART.

DR.

BRUCE? DR.

BRUCE? YEAH.

I ACTUALLY THANK EVERYBODY FOR YOUR INPUT TONIGHT.

THAT WAS HELPFUL.

UM, I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE FURTHER CONVERSATION WITH PURCHASING, AND I ACTUALLY REALLY LIKE THE IDEA OF HAVING AN ADDITIONAL 30 DAYS TO ROUND BACK WITH EMANCIPET.

I DON'T WANNA SIT HERE AND PUT ANY WORDS IN THEIR MOUTH.

UM, BUT IT WOULD BE INTERESTING IF THERE IS A RELATIONSHIP WITH A POTENTIAL THIRD PARTY VENDOR THAT WE COULD USE THAT MONEY FOR THIS YEAR AND LOOK AT BUDGETING DIFFERENTLY IN THE FUTURE.

UM, SO I THINK THERE WERE SOME GOOD IDEAS.

I WOULD LIKE TO, TO ACTUALLY TABLE.

CAN I MAKE A MOTION TO THAT, TO TABLE A MOTION? YOU CAN, OR WE CAN JUST TABLE THE MOTION.

YOU CAN PULL DOWN YOUR MOTION.

BUT IF BEFORE YOU DO, I I DO HAVE A COUPLE OF THOUGHTS.

YES, PLEASE.

UM, THE FIRST FOR ME IS, UM, WHETHER THIS IS LEGALLY PLAUSIBLE IS IMPORTANT TO ME.

UM, AND, AND I DON'T THINK THAT, UH, IF IT'S NOT LEGALLY PLAUSIBLE AND WE JUST PASS IT, IT WILL, IT WILL GO NOWHERE.

SO, UM, I THINK THAT WE SHOULD AT LEAST MAKE AN ATTEMPT TO FIGURE OUT WHETHER, I KNOW, I KNOW THERE'S A, THERE'S A TERM FOR IT IN FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WHEN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT DOESN'T SPEND MONEY THAT'S BEEN ALLOCATED.

I DON'T REMEMBER THE TERM, IT'S BEEN TOO LONG SINCE I'VE BEEN IN COLLEGE.

UM, BUT THERE IMPOUNDMENT, HUH? GOT IT.

I THINK THAT'S RIGHT ANYWAY, WHERE THERE'S THIS MONEY THAT WAS, UM, ALLOCATED BUT NOT SPENT.

AND I THINK A LEGITIMATE QUESTION, BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S THE EASIEST SOURCE OF FUNDING BECAUSE IT DOESN'T ASK FOR AN INCREASE IN FUNDING IN ANY WAY, UM, IS IS THERE A MECHANISM, AT LEAST IN THE PAST MONTHS GOING BACKWARDS, RIGHT? BECAUSE WE'RE HOW MANY MONTHS INTO THIS FISCAL YEAR? SIX ALREADY MM-HMM.

UM, IS THERE A MECHANISM FOR TAKING THE UNALLOCATED FUNDS? CAUSE WE KNOW IN TWO MONTHS, HALF OF IT WAS NOT SPENT IN A THIRD OF NO, WAS NOT SPENT FROM THE NUMBERS THAT, UH, MR. BLAND QUOTED.

IS THERE A MECHANISM FOR, FOR SPENDING THAT MONEY QUICKLY? UM, AND MAYBE THERE'S NOT, MAYBE THIS WHOLE PROCESS TAKES TOO LONG, BUT I THINK IT'S A, IT'S A REALLY GOOD QUESTION.

AND ALSO I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IT GOING FORWARD BECAUSE IF, IF WE'RE HERE AGAIN IN SIX MONTHS AND WE HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM, I'D LIKE US NOT TO BE SO FAR BEHIND THE EIGHT BALL IN BEING ABLE TO RECOMMEND, UM, TO COUNCIL BECAUSE I THINK, UH, UN OR ALLOCATED, BUT UNSPENT FUNDS ARE A REALLY EASY ASK.

THE CITY TO LOOK INTO, UH, SPENDING ALLOCATED, BUT UNSPENT SPAY NEUTER FUNDS ON ADDITIONAL SPAY NEUTER.

IF THAT IS LEGALLY PLAUSIBLE, UH, I WOULD, UH, IF IF YOU ARE GOING TO PULL IT DOWN, I WOULD ASK THAT YOU CONSIDER, UM, COMMISSIONER HASSAN'S RECOMMENDATION THAT THERE BE SOME REPORTING MECHANISM IN WHATEVER IT IS THAT WE ASK.

UM, CAUSE I DO THINK THAT'S PART OF OUR PROBLEM IS THAT WE, WE SIMPLY DON'T KNOW WHAT THESE MONTHLY, UM, NUMBERS ARE.

AND IF THE CITY STAFF IS NOT GETTING THEM AND THERE'S NO MECHANISM FOR THE CITY STAFF TO FORCE, UH, THE VENDOR TO GIVE THEM, UH, THEN WE'RE JUST ALL OUT OF LUCK IN KNOWING THESE PAST MONTHS.

UM, I WOULD A HUNDRED PERCENT SUPPORT, UM, ASKING

[01:25:01]

UM, THE ONLY QUESTION I HAVE FOR YOU BEFORE YOU PULL IT DOWN IS, UM, I KEEP HEARING THAT THE PROBLEM IS THERE AREN'T ENOUGH VETS AND STAFF.

AND SO HOW WOULD TAKING THAT MONEY, UM, AND REALLOCATING IT, SOLVE THE PROBLEM IF, IF THE PROBLEM ISN'T THAT EMANCIPATES NOT TRYING TO SPEND THE MONEY MM-HMM.

, BUT THEY'RE TRYING TO UN UNABLE TO, GIVEN THEY'RE THE EXPERTS IN THIS.

HOW, HOW, HOW DOES IT HAPPEN THAT WE CAN EXPAND PRO PROVIDERS IF OUR NUMBER ONE PROVIDER IS TELLING US THEY CAN'T PROVIDE? WELL, I THINK THAT THE THIRD VENDOR WOULD STAFF DIFFERENTLY THAN EMANCIPATE DOES.

SO IF WE LOOK AT HOUSTON, WHO IS DOING SOMETHING SIMILAR TO THIS, THEY ACTUALLY HAVE VETERINARIANS WHO TRAVEL FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY TO DO THE EVENTS THERE.

AND SO A LOT OF THESE, WHAT I CALL MASH STYLE CAMPAIGNS, WHERE YOU'RE BUILDING A CLINIC AND PEOPLE ARE COMING TO STAFF, IT ARE, UM, STAFFED BY PEOPLE WHO ARE TRAVELING TO BE THERE.

UM, AND SO THEY ARE MAYBE PEOPLE WHO ARE RELIEF VETERINARIANS WORKING IN SPAY NEUTER OR, UM, YOU KNOW, NOT WORKING EMPLOYED FULL-TIME AT AN ORGANIZATION LIKE EMAN PET, BUT ACTUALLY MAKE MONEY AS A, THEIR CAREER TRAVELING AROUND DOING RELIEF, SPAY NEUTER WORK.

AND SO IT'S A DIFFERENT POOL OF EMPLOYEES THEY'RE PULLING FROM.

SO NOT THAT THEY, THEY COULDN'T ALWAYS FULFILL THE CONTRACT TO THE CONTRACTED NUMBER, BUT WE WOULD BE DIVERSIFYING THE POOL OF EMPLOYEES THAT ARE BEING DRAWN FROM AS WELL.

THANK YOU FOR THAT ANSWER.

COMMISSIONER LINDER.

HI.

UM, FIRST THANKS FOR THIS.

IT'S SO HELPFUL TO HAVE IT ALL LAID OUT, UM, FOR US AS YOU HAVE HERE.

UM, I HAVE TWO QUESTIONS AND I'M NOT SURE WHO THEY'RE FOR, IF THEY'RE FOR, UM, FOR YOU OR IF THEY'RE FOR DIRECTOR BLAND, BUT, UM, THE FIRST ONE IS, IS FAIRLY TECHNICAL.

SO WE'RE THREE YEARS INTO BOTH OF THESE CONTRACTS AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE UNSPENT FUNDS THAT THEY'RE NOT ABLE TO USE.

RIGHT.

UM, SO FOR 20 20, 20 21, WHEN DO THOSE FUNDS RETURN BACK TO THE GENERAL FUNDS? IS THAT AT THE END OF EACH FISCAL YEAR OR IS IT AT THE END OF THE CONTRACT PERIOD? IT'S THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR.

SO THE CONTRACTS MAY START IN MAY, BUT THEN THEY'RE PUT ON A FISCAL YEAR PLAN.

UM, AND SO IT, AND CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT THEY, SO THEY RUN OCTOBER ONE TO THE END OF SEPTEMBER.

SO AND SO IF YOU HAVE A FIVE YEAR CONTRACT FOR FIVE POINT SOME MILLION DOLLARS, IT'S DIVIDED OUT BY FIVE AND THEN EACH YEAR GETS THAT DIVISION AND THEN AT THE END OF THAT FISCAL YEAR, IT'S NO LONGER AVAILABLE.

AND SO THEN HAVE WE LOST OR WAS THERE EXTRA FROM THOSE PREVIOUS YEARS THAT'S ALREADY BEEN RETURNED? SO LIKE LAST YEAR FOR EXAMPLE, MONEY WENT BACK TO THE GENERAL FUND.

IT ALL WENT BACK TO THE GENERAL FUND.

UM, AND THEN MY SECOND QUESTION THEN IS ABOUT, UM, I UNDERSTAND THE DIFFICULTY OF RENEGOTIATING THESE CONTRACTS, UM, THAT HAVE BEEN PUT IN PLACE, BUT I WONDER WHETHER IN THOSE CONTRACTS THERE'S A PROVISION THAT WOULD PREVENT EMANCIPATE FROM CONTRACTING WITH A THIRD PARTY VENDOR IN SOME CAPACITY.

UM, SO THAT IF THEY, UH, CAN'T FULFILL THEIR QUOTA, UH, THEY DON'T WANNA SEE THE MONEY GO UNSPENT, THAT THEY COULD THEN BE THE ONES TO FIND A VENDOR WHO COULD CARRY OUT THOSE ADDITIONAL SPAY NEUTER.

SO THE MONEY'S NOT LOST.

THERE'S NOTHING IN THERE THAT STOPS THEM FROM DOING THAT.

IF AS LONG AS THE SURGERIES ARE BEING DONE AND WE GET BILLED FOR THE SURGERY, UH, BUT IT'D HAVE TO BE AT THE RATE THAT WE'RE PAYING EMANCIPATE.

UM, SO WOULD THAT THEN, I GUESS, MAYBE RESOLVE SOME OF THESE OR AT LEAST BE A POSSIBLE ROUTE, UM, FOR RESOLVING WHAT, WHAT WE SEE AS THESE KIND OF GRAY ISSUES ABOUT OUR AUTHORITY AND THEIRS? THANK YOU COMMISSIONER LINDER.

UH, I ALSO WANT TO, TO TO SAY NOT THAT ALL THAT IS VERY GOOD, UM, THAT IN THE TIME THAT I'VE BEEN WATCHING AND AND ATTENDING ON THE COMMISSION, UH, THE THINGS THAT GET PASSED BY COUNCIL, ULTIMATELY THE VAST MAJORITY OF THINGS THAT WE PASS DON'T GET PASSED BY COUNCIL.

UM, THE VAST MAJORITY AND THE THINGS THAT DO GET PASSED ARE THINGS THAT HAVE CONSENSUS, WHICH I GREATLY APPRECIATE THAT YOU ARE WORKING TO ACHIEVE.

AND THINGS THAT ARE CLEAR AS WHAT THE ASK IS, IS VERY, VERY CLEAR.

AND SO I THINK THAT, AND I I I WILL SUPPORT YOU AS IS, BUT IF YOU WANT TO PULL IT AND, AND PUT IT IN A, IN A, IN A AND I WOULD ASK THAT YOU, UH, PUT IT, GET IT AND PUT IT ON BACKUP MATERIALS.

CUZ UH, CUZ I THINK THAT HELPS AND HELPS THE PUBLIC KNOW WHAT IT IS THAT WE'RE, UM, WHAT WE'RE ARGUING ABOUT OR ADVOCATING ABOUT.

BUT, UM, I PERSONALLY THINK THAT IF IT'S A VERY CLEAR ASK OF, OF YOU, WE CAN TAKE IT TO A COUNCIL

[01:30:01]

MEMBER'S OFFICE.

CAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE TO DO.

FOR THOSE OF YOU HAVEN'T, WE, WE HAVE TO THEN TAKE SOME OF US, PROBABLY YOU, UH, AS THIS IS YOUR BABY, HAVE TO THEN GO WALK THE HALLS AND IT'S REALLY HARD AND IT'S TAKES A LOT OF TIME AND IT'S A FAIRLY MISERABLE EXPERIENCE.

BUT YOU GO AND YOU GO AND YOU GO AND YOU GO.

AND IF IT'S NOT A CLEAR ASK, BUT IT JUST SIMPLY, IT, IT WILL GET LOST AND SOMEONE, SOMETHING ELSE WILL, UM, BE MORE IMPORTANT.

UM, FREQUENTLY ANIMAL ISSUES UNFORTUNATELY ARE DOWN ON THE LIST OF THE CITY COUNCIL'S PRIORITIES.

SO THAT, THAT WOULD BE MY ONLY ADVICE TO YOU, THAT IF YOU DO DECIDE IF IT'S YOUR, YOUR CALL, WHETHER YOU PULL IT DOWN TODAY, BUT IF YOU DO PULL IT DOWN TODAY, UM, THAT THE ASK BE VERY, VERY CLEAR AS TO WHAT SPECIFICALLY WE WANT THE COUNCIL TO.

AND I DO THINK THAT OUR, BY OUR BYLAWS ARE, AND BY THE STATUTE, OUR REQUESTS TO GO TO COUNCIL, NOT TO THE CITY STAFF MM-HMM.

SO IT WOULD GO TO COUNCIL OF, WE WANT COUNSEL TO, AND IT COULD BE AS SIMPLE AS, UM, UH, PUT OUT AN RFP FOR ADDITIONAL SPAY NEUTER SERVICES USING THE UNSPENT FUNDS.

I MEAN, I THINK THAT'S A VERY CLEAR ASK.

UM, SO IT COULD BE AS SIMPLE AS THAT WITH, WITH 60 DAY REPORTING REQUIREMENTS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT MM-HMM.

, UM, I THINK THAT WOULD PROBABLY GET THE CONSENSUS OF THE COMMISSION FROM WHAT I'M HEARING.

UM, BUT IT'S UP TO YOU WHETHER YOU WANT TO DO THAT TODAY OR, OR DO IT ANOTHER TIME.

I WOULD LIKE TO PULL IT TODAY HONESTLY, AND, AND EXPLORE A COUPLE OF THESE OPTIONS THAT WERE BROUGHT UP TONIGHT AND REPORT BACK WITH AN ASK NEXT MONTH.

RIGHT.

BEFORE YOU DO THAT, ARE THERE ANY MORE COMMENTS AND CONCERNS? UH, COMMISSIONER HUDDLESON.

IT, WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE TO SEE THE CONTRACT BETWEEN, UH, AMAN, PAT AND, UH, THE CITY? I HAVE NEVER SEEN IT.

THAT IS A GOOD QUESTION.

UH, BECAUSE I THINK THERE'S A LOT, A LOT OF, TO YOUR SUBCONTRACTING POINT, I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF MAYBE OTHER MECHANISMS WE CAN DO TO GET THIS MONEY SPENT THAT KIND OF DON'T INVOLVE, YOU KNOW, THAT WALKING THE HALLS, TALKING TO COUNSEL.

UH, MR. GLENN, I SAW THAT YOU TURNED YOUR MICROPHONE ON THAT QUESTION.

I'LL HAVE TO ASK MYSELF BECAUSE I I NO ONE'S ASKED AND I DON'T KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, PURCHASING THAT'S, YOU KNOW, IS THAT GONNA GET UNFAIR? I KNOW DURING A BID PROCESS, THEY WILL NOT PROVIDE ANY CONTRACTS BECAUSE THAT, YOU KNOW, IS COMPETITIVE.

SO, UM, IT'S NOT IN THE BID PROCESS RIGHT NOW.

SO I I'M SURE IT'S PUBLIC INFORMATION AT THIS POINT.

THEY, THEY ARE ON THE WEBSITE.

I, I HAVE COPY.

SO WE, UM, LOOKED AT THEM, THE WORKING GROUP WORK, LOOKED AT THE EMANCIPATE CONTRACT AND THE AUSTIN HUMANE SOCIETY CONTRACT.

SO I'M HAPPY TO FORWARD THOSE TO EVERYBODY.

WOULD YOU MIND TO BELINDA SENDING THEM TO BELINDA? YEAH.

AND THEN SHE CAN FORWARD THEM TO ALL OF US.

GOOD QUESTION.

AND THANK YOU FOR DOING THAT.

WE APPRECIATE IT.

ARE THERE ANY OTHER DISCUSSION OR QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? COMMISSIONER LINDER? OKAY.

MY LAST ONE IS JUST A CURIOSITY QUESTION.

UM, AS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE, UM, SHORTAGE OF VETERINARIANS AND VETERINARY SUPPORT STAFF, UM, AND THIS SORT OF IMMENSE NEED AND BUILT UP NEED, UM, THAT'S ACCRUED DURING COVID.

I'M CURIOUS WHETHER IN YOUR RESEARCH YOU CAME ACROSS, UM, ANY MUNICIPALITIES OR, OR, UM, OTHER ENTITIES THAT HAVE PARTNERED WITH, UM, VETERINARY SCHOOLS, UM, AND USED STUDENTS WHO NEED TO LEARN HOW TO PERFORM SPAY NEUTERS, UM, AND THOSE KINDS OF PROCEDURES TO HELP FILL THIS UNMET NEED.

UM, THE PROBLEM WITH STUDENTS IS THEY'RE NOT FAST .

UM, SO DOING THIS SORT OF LIKE LARGE MASH CAMPAIGN WOULD NOT BE IDEAL IF WE WERE LIKE LOOKING TO GET NUMBERS DONE.

UM, EMANCIPATE DOES A LOT OF, UM, STUDENT TRAINING, UM, LOCALLY, AND ACTUALLY AUSTIN HUMANE SOCIETY IS PARTNERED WITH, I BELIEVE IT'S CALLED LINCOLN MEMORIAL.

SO THEY'RE PARTNERED WITH A VET SCHOOL AND THEY HAVE TWO VET STUDENTS MOVING THROUGH THEIR PROGRAM EVERY MONTH YEAR ROUND.

AND SO, UM, THERE ARE, THERE IS A LOT OF VETERINARY SCHOOL OUTREACH EXPOSING STUDENTS TO HIGH VOLUME SPAY NEUTER IN THE AUSTIN AREA.

THANKS SO MUCH.

ANYTHING ELSE? OKAY.

SO DO YOU WANNA OFFICIALLY CLOSE THE CLOSE THE DISCUSSION BY PULLING DOWN? YES, IT'S UP TO YOU.

SO I WILL PULL DOWN MY MOTION, UM, AND GATHER MORE INFORMATION.

DO I HAVE TO MOVE TO PULL DOWN MY MOTION? NO, IT'S YOUR CALL TO PULL DOWN YOUR OWN MOTION.

I'LL PULL DOWN MY MOTION.

TAKING ONE AT A TIME OF THOSE POSITIONS OR WHAT ARE, WHAT IS THE, IT'S UP TO THE MOVEMENT.

ARE THERE ANY OTHER MOTIONS ON ITEM NUMBER FOUR? NO.

ALL

[5. Discussion and possible action regarding election of officers ]

RIGHT.

WE WILL GO TO ITEM NUMBER FIVE, WHICH IS DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION REGARDING ELECTION OF OFFICERS.

UM, IN APRIL, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVEN'T BEEN ON BEFORE, IS THE MONTH THAT WE ELECT A CHAIR, A VICE CHAIR AND PARLIAMENTARIAN.

AND, UM, I GUESS I WILL, UH, OPEN IT UP FOR ANY MOTIONS.

COMMISSIONER TUCKER, ARE WE

[01:35:01]

OH, OKAY.

UM, THE OFFICER, JUST A QUESTION FIRST.

THE, THE OFFICES ARE WHERE THE, THE POSITIONS, IF YOU WILL, ARE CHAIR, VICE CHAIR AND PARLIAMENTARIAN.

THAT'S MY UNDERSTANDING.

UM, MS. HA, IS THAT CORRECT? ARE THERE ANY OTHERS? CORRECT.

YOU DO NOT HAVE TO HAVE CHAIR.

SO I THINK I GOT THIS RIGHT.

I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO NOMINATE RYAN KI CLINTON, WHO'S CURRENTLY THE INTERIM CHAIR AS THE CHAIR.

THERE'S A MOTION.

IS THERE A SECOND? I SECOND.

I SECOND.

WE HAVE A COUPLE OF SECONDS.

UM, ARE, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION COMMISSIONER NIELSEN? YEAH, I JUST, I FEEL THAT IT'S, UM, NOT A, NOT A GOOD CHOICE.

NOT, NOT THE WISEST MOVE, NOT A GOOD LOOK FOR THIS CITY, FOR THE ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION TO HAVE AS ITS CHAIR SOMEONE WHO THE BULK OF THEIR PROFESSION IS ADVOCATING FOR OIL COMPANIES.

BECAUSE I FEEL THAT OIL COMPANIES OFTEN, UM, ARE, HAVE, HAVE INTERESTS THAT DO NOT ALIGN WITH ANIMAL WELFARE.

AND, AND I THINK AS A COMMISSION, WE ARE, WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BRING FORWARD ISSUES RELATED TO ANIMAL WELFARE, FOSTER, UM, YOU KNOW, ISSUES BETWEEN THE PUBLIC, UM, AROUND ANIMAL WELFARE BETWEEN THE PUBLIC AND THE CITY AROUND ANIMAL WELFARE.

AND I THINK OIL COMPANIES OFTEN DO NOT HAVE THE SAME INTEREST AS ANIMAL WELFARE INTERESTS.

AND SO, AS THE PERSON WHO SETS THE TONE, UM, AND OFTEN THE, THE DISCUSSION AND LIMITS DISCUSSION ON THIS COMMISSION, I, I DON'T THINK IT SHOULD BE SOMEBODY AFFILIATED SO CLOSELY WITH OIL COMPANIES.

ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR DISCUSSION? CAN I MAKE A MOTION TO NOMINATE, UH, COMMISSIONERS MAGULA AS CHAIR? I THINK SO.

UM, THAT'S FINE WITH ME.

IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND.

CONTINUALLY HOW THE CITY REPORTS DATA, EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE MEETING THE ORDINANCE FOR HOW THEY NEED TO REPORT DATA.

SO DO WE HAVE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? OKAY, SO WE HAVE TWO NOMINATIONS.

ARE THERE ANY ADDITIONAL NOMINATIONS? ALL RIGHT, SO I GUESS LET'S VOTE.

SO THE FIRST NOMINEE WAS MYSELF.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF MYSELF AS CHAIR.

ARE YOU VOTING? NO, I AM JUST COUNSEL.

SO THAT IS SEVEN.

UH, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF, UM, COMMISSIONER MAGULA FOUR.

SO THAT IS SEVEN TO FOUR.

SO, UH, I APPRECIATE THE VOTES.

SO WE NEED A NOMINATION FOR VICE CHAIR.

I NOMINATE, UH, LATIS MAGULA FOR VICE CHAIR.

UH, I GUESS I SHOULD DID THIS WRONG LAST TIME.

LET'S TAKE NOMINATIONS AND THEN WE'LL HAVE ANY DISCUSSION.

ARE THERE ANY ADDITIONAL NOMINATIONS? COMMISSIONER HASSEN? UH, I WOULD LIKE TO NOMINATE COMMISSIONER TUCKER FOR VICE CHAIR.

IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? COMMISSIONER NELSON? I, I, I FEEL WHEN I, WHEN I'VE GONE BACK AND, AND, UM, LOOKED AT MANY OF THE HISTORICAL MEETINGS AND, AND SOME OF THE MOST, UM, IMPACTFUL WERE JUNE AND JULY OF 2018 WHEN, UM, COMMISSIONER TUCKER AND COMMISSIONER CLINTON SORT OF TAGGED TEAM TO GET, UM, A LOT OF ORDINANCES PASSED THAT I THINK HAVE HAD, UM, NEGATIVE OUTCOMES AND THAT THE COMMISSION EVER SINCE HAS BEEN PUSHED BY THE SAME INTEREST.

AND SO MANY OF THOSE NEGATIVE OUTCOMES ARE NOT ALLOWED TO BE DISCUSSED OR BROUGHT UP IN THIS COMMISSION.

FOR EXAMPLE, AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS MEETING, WE HAD 30 MINUTES OF DISCUSSION ABOUT

[01:40:02]

WE SPENT 30 MINUTES ON THAT AND DID WAS SOMEBODY OFFERED A, A FENCE AND WE SHOULD LOOK INTO THIS, UM, BUT IT COULD HAVE GONE MUCH FASTER.

AND THERE WAS ZERO DISCUSSION ABOUT HOW THE RIGHT TO RESCUE ORDINANCE LED DIRECTLY TO FOUR ADDITIONAL MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY BEING HARMED BY A DOG THAT HAD ALREADY BITTEN THREE PEOPLE WHO WERE, WHO, WHO ARE WELL EXPERIENCED IN, IN, IN A DOG HANDLING.

UM, AND THAT MAY VERY WELL HAVE BEEN A DOG THAT, THAT THE SHELTER WOULD HAVE FELT IT WAS APPROPRIATE TO EUTHANIZE, BUT WERE UNABLE TO DO SO BECAUSE OF THOSE RIGHT TO RESCUE ORDINANCE.

AND THIS DOG THEN WENT IN OUT INTO THE PUBLIC AND INJURED MORE PEOPLE.

AND THERE WAS ZERO FURTHER DISCUSSION ABOUT THIS TODAY.

THIS RE THIS REQUIRED MUCH MORE DISCUSSION AND I WOULD SAY IT DIDN'T GET THE DISCUSSION IT DESERVES BECAUSE OF THE INFLUENCE OF THE INTERESTS BEHIND COMMISSIONER TUCKER AND COMMISSIONER CLINTON.

AND I THINK HAVING THEM AS ONE AND TWO AS THE CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR OF THIS COMMISSION WILL CONTINUE TO PUSH US IN THE WRONG DIRECTION WHERE WE DON'T GET TO EVALUATE OBJECTIVELY HOW OUR POLICIES ARE IMPACTING THE ANIMALS AND PEOPLE OF OUR COMMUNITY.

IS THERE ANY ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION? OKAY, UM, COMMISSIONER MAGULA WAS NOMINATED FIRST.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF COMMISSIONER MAGULA AS VICE CHAIR? SO THAT'S FIVE.

COMMISSIONER TUCKER, NOT SEVEN.

SO THAT'S PARDON ME, BUT WOULD YOU MIND CALLING OUT, IT'S DIFFICULT FOR ME TO GET ALL OF THE VOTES.

IF YOU WOULD JUST MIND, I'M SAYING VOTING, YAY WAS COMMISSIONER, BLAH BLAH BLAH.

THAT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL.

SURE.

DO YOU WANT ME TO GO BACK ON IT WOULD BE HELPFUL CUZ I'M TRYING TO WRITE DOWN WHO'S ON THE SCREEN AND WHO'S HERE.

AND SOME PEOPLE AREN'T VOTING.

WERE COMMISSIONER MAGULA.

SO COMMISSIONER MAG'S VOTES.

COMMISSIONER BRUCE.

COMMISSIONER HERRERA.

COMMISSIONER NIELSEN.

COMMISSIONER HOLSTON.

AND COMMISSIONER TUCKER'S VOTES WERE COMMISSIONER TUCKER, COMMISSIONER CLINTON, COMMISSIONER HASSEN, COMMISSIONER JAR, COMMISSIONER NEMER, COMMISSIONER DES AND COMMISSIONER NEHOUSE.

YOU BET.

UM, THE NEXT, UH, OFFICER IS PARLIAMENTARIAN.

DO WE HAVE A NOMINATION FOR PARLIAMENTARIAN? CAN I MOVE THAT? WE DON'T HAVE A PARLIAMENTARIAN.

IT WAS NOT HELPFUL.

LAST WHEN WE HAD A PARLIAMENTARIAN AND, AND IN FACT IT, THE CITY HAD TO STEP IN AND GIVE US THE CITY CLERK AS A BABYSITTER BECAUSE OF ISSUES COMING UP WITH THE PARLIAMENTARIAN.

I DON'T THINK THAT IT'S A ROLE THAT, UH, PEOPLE ON THIS COMMISSION HAVE SHOWN THEY HAVE THE ABILITY TO FILL APPROPRIATELY.

SO THERE IS A MOTION TO NOT HAVE A PARLIAMENTARIAN.

IS THERE A SECOND? I WOULD SECOND.

SO THERE IS A MOTION TO NOT HAVE A PARLIAMENTARIAN THAT HAS A MOTION.

AND A SECOND.

UH, IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION OF THE MOTION TO NOT HAVE A PARLIAMENTARIAN? OKAY.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION TO NOT HAVE A PARLIAMENTARIAN COMMISSIONER, LINDER COMMISSIONER.

NAULA COMMISSIONER BARU.

COMMISSIONER HERRERA.

COMMISSIONER SEN.

COMMISSIONER HUDDLESON.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.

ALL THOSE OPPOSED? WELL, WHILE THOSE OPPOSED TO THE MOTION TO NOT HAVE A PARLIAMENTARIAN ARY COMMISSIONER TUCKER, COMMISSIONER CLINTON.

COMMISSIONER NEHOUSE.

THERE OTHER NOMINATIONS FOR PARLIAMENTARIAN? OKAY, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF COMMISSIONER NEMER AS PARLIAMENTARIAN COMMISSIONER TUCKER, COMMISSIONER LINDER, COMMISSIONER SAG COMMISSIONER CLINTON, COMMISSIONER HASSEN, COMMISSIONER HUDDLESON, COMMISSIONER JAR COMMISSIONER NEHOUSE, COMMISSIONER DITIS AND COMMISSIONER NEER.

MS HA, THE MICROPHONE.

IT DOESN'T WORK.

OH, THERE HE GOES.

I WILL REMIND Y'ALL THAT THIS, I CAN'T SPEAK FOR THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE, BUT THEY HAD TOLD US IN THIS, IN THIS BODY THAT THEY WERE GOING TO BE HIRING SOMEBODY THAT WAS GOING TO SERVE IN SORT OF THAT KIND OF ROLE.

SO I JUST WANTED TO TOSS THAT OUT THERE.

I SHOULD HAVE TOSSED THAT OUT THERE BEFORE YOU TOOK A VOTE.

BUT, UH, WE DON'T KNOW WHERE THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE IS WITH THAT, BUT THAT WAS ALSO PROPOSED BY THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE.

GOT IT.

UH, IS THERE A MOTION TO NOMINATE A PARLIAMENTARIAN COMMISSIONER TUCKER? I NOMINATE, UH, COMMISSIONER NEMER.

ARE

[01:45:01]

SO THAT ENDS OUR ELECTION OF OFFICERS.

NOW WE

[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]

GO TO FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. DO WE HAVE ANY FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS? CAN I RECOMMEND ONE? ABSOLUTELY.

I WANT TO RECOMMEND, UH, GATHERING WITH OSINK HUMANE SOCIETY AND THE O ANIMAL CENTER.

WHAT IS THE PLAN FOR LONG STATE DOGS? OKAY, SO, UM, IS THE, DO YOU WANT TO ASK THEM TO PRESENT AT THE NEXT AGENDA? YES.

WHAT IS THE PLAN FOR LONG STAY DOGS? OKAY.

AND RECOGNIZING THAT WE DON'T HAVE ANY POWER TO MAKE THEM COME, BUT THAT'S WHAT YOU WANNA DO.

YOU WANNA SEND AN INVITATION TO HAVE THEM SPEAK WITH RESPECT TO LONG STAY DOGS? EXACTLY.

JUST TO PLACE COMMUNITY AND SEE WHAT IS GOING TO, WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN IN THE NEXT ONE, THREE, AND FIVE YEARS WITH LONG STAYS.

IS THERE A SECOND FOR THE AGENDA ITEM TO ASK THOSE THREE COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS TO SPEAK ABOUT LONG STAY DOGS? I'LL SECOND COMMISSIONER.

SO THAT IS ON THE AGENDA.

ARE THERE OTHER AGENDA ITEMS? UM, I WOULD LIKE TO PUT THE DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION, UH, FOR A SPAY NEUTER RECOMMENDATION.

BACK ON, IS THERE A SECOND? COMMISSIONER TUCKER THAT'S SECONDING THE MOTION TO PUT THE SPAY NEUTER ITEM.

DO YOU WANT TO MAKE ANY CHANGES TO THE, UM, ITEM DESCRIPTION? UM, I, I MIGHT RECOMMEND THAT YOU MAKE IT CLEAR, MAKE IT SPECIFIC TO, TO A THIRD VENDOR, THIRD PARTY VENDOR AND, AND UNSPENT FUNDS.

I THINK THAT TELLS THE PUBLIC IF YOU WANNA LIMIT IT TO THAT, YOU MAY DECIDE YOU DON'T WANT TO.

SO IT'S UP TO YOU.

NO, I WOULD LIKE TO, UM, INCLUDE THE THIRD PARTY VENDOR AND THE UNSPENT FUNDS.

SO THE DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO PROVE HER RECOMMENDATION TO COUNSEL REGARDING, UH, THE RECOMMENDATION TO HIRE A THIRD PARTY VENDOR AND TO SPEND CURRENTLY UNSPENT SPAY FUNDS.

IS, AND THERE IS A SECOND BY COMMISSIONER TUCKER.

SO THAT GOES ON.

ARE THERE ADDITIONAL, UH, ITEMS FOR THE AGENDA? COMMISSIONER NELSON? I WOULD LIKE TO PUT ON, UM, DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION REGARDING, UM, THE WORKING GROUP OF AUSTIN AQUARIUM.

SO, UH, AND YOU, HAVE YOU GUYS MET YET? SEVERAL TIMES.

OKAY, GREAT.

SO, UM, A REPORT, DO YOU WANT A REPORT AND A POSSIBLE RECOMMENDATION OR DO YOU JUST WANT, HOW DO YOU WANT IT? I SAID, UM, UPDATE AND POSSIBLE ACTION.

IS THAT APPROPRIATE? Y WELL, SO THE, WHAT WE, WE'VE BEEN TOLD BY CITY STAFF BY IS THAT WHAT, ONCE YOU MAKE A RECOMMENDATION DISSOLVES, IT DISSOLVES.

SO I WOULD SUGGEST POINT, ITS ONLY ME.

SO , WELL, IT WOULDN'T REALLY MATTER.

DO YOU WANT, DO YOU WANT TO, UH, JUST GIVE AN UPDATE SO THAT THE, SO THAT THE WORKING GROUP DISSOLVES? OR DO YOU WANT TO PUT UH, UH, AN ITEM ON THE AGENDA TO DISCUSS AND TO TAKE POTENTIAL ACTION ON THE AQUARIUM ISSUE? THE LATTER, PLEASE.

DO WE HAVE A SECOND? AYE SECOND.

COMMISSIONER HARRIS.

SO THAT WILL GO ON.

IT'S A DISCUSS AND PO TAKE POTENTIAL ACTION ON AQUARIUM REGULATION.

I WOULD PREFER FOR IT NOT TO BE RELATED TO A SPECIFIC ENTITY.

THAT IS WHAT THE WORKING GROUP WAS, BUT, OKAY.

WELL IT'S UP TO YOU IF THAT DOESN'T TIE US TO IT.

UM, THE FACT THAT THAT WAS WHAT THE WORKING GROUP WAS.

WELL, LET'S JUST, IF DOESN'T PUT IT, IF OKAY.

IF SOMEONE HAS AN ISSUE THEY HAVE, THEY CAN SPEAK TO IT THEN.

SO DISCUSS AND TAKE PO POTENTIAL ACTION ON, I COULD JUST SAY REGARDING WORK THE REGARDING AUSTIN AQUARIUM WORKING GROUP.

THERE YOU GO.

OKAY, PERFECT.

AND WE HAVE A SECOND.

WE HAVE A SECOND.

APPRECIATES IF WE GET AGENDA ITEMS AND BACKUP MATERIAL TO THEM AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

SECOND.

UM, ARE THERE ANY OTHER ADDITIONAL, UM, ITEMS FOR THE AGENDA? I WILL SAY AS ALWAYS, THAT IT ONLY TAKES TWO TO PUT AN ITEM ON THE AGENDA.

IF ANYONE WANTS AN ITEM FOR THE AGENDA, THEY DON'T HAVE TO PUT IT ON HERE.

THEY CAN EMAIL, UH, STAFF AND MYSELF AT ANY TIME.

IF YOU NEED A SECOND, JUST ASK.

YOU'RE VERY LIKELY GONNA GET ONE ON ANY ITEM THAT YOU GUYS WANT TO PUT ON THE AGENDA.

REMINDER, PLEASE.

THAT MONDAY, THE MONDAY BEFORE OUR COMMISSION MEETING IS REALLY THE DEADLINE FOR SUBMITTING NEW AGENDA ITEMS. YEAH.

SO, UM, THE, THE CITY STAFF GREATLY

[01:50:01]

UM, AGENDA ITEMS CANNOT GO.

THEY, THEY MUST GET 72 HOURS, UM, POSTING AND THE, THE CITY WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A POLICY OF SEVEN DAYS.

SO LET'S GET THEM IN AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.

BUT ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS EMAIL.

IS THERE A MOTION TO ADJOURN? COMMISSIONER LINDER? YAY.

IS THERE A SECOND? COMMISSIONER TUCKER? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? ANY OPPOSED? OKAY.

IT WAS UNANIMOUS.

HOPEFULLY YOU'RE NOT GONNA MAKE ME SAY ALL OF THOSE.

MS. HA.

AND THAT ADJOURNS THE MEETING.