[00:00:01]
[CALL TO ORDER]
I WOULD LIKE TO CALL TO ORDER THE MEETING OF THE ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION MEETING.IT'S 6:04 PM AND, UH, WE'LL DO ROLL CALL RIGHT NOW.
IT'S ALSO ON, WE'LL COME BACK.
JUST SO Y'ALL KNOW, LUIS HAD A CAR ACCIDENT THIS AFTERNOON.
UH, WAS PLANNING ON BEING HERE.
SO LARRY, WE WE WILL OFTEN HAVE TO DEAL WITH THIS PARTICULAR AGENDA ITEM.
WE'LL COME BACK TO RYAN CLINTON.
UH, AND KRISTEN HASSEN IS HAVING TROUBLE LOGGING IN.
UH, COMMISSIONER CLINTON, ARE YOU ABLE TO GO ON VIDEO? YEAH.
LET ME MAKE SURE MY SETTINGS ARE CORRECT.
WE HAVE A QUORUM AND WE HAVE 20
[PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL]
SPEAKERS SIGNED UP ON VARIOUS ITEMS. SOME ARE, UM, CITIZEN COMMUNICATIONS, SOME ARE ON IT ON SPECIFIC AGENDA ITEMS. BECAUSE THE NUMBER OF SPEAKERS, WE PROBABLY AS A COMMISSION NEED TO MAKE A DECISION ON HOW WE WANT TO HANDLE THOSE NUMBERS.TRADITIONALLY, UM, EACH SPEAKER GETS THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK AND YOU SPEAK DIRECTLY BEFORE AN AGENDA ITEM, OR IF THERE'S NO AGENDA ITEM AND YOU WISH TO SPEAK ON SOMETHING GENERAL THAT'S NOT ON THE AGENDA, THEN YOU SPEAK DURING CITIZEN COMMUNICATIONS.
SO ONE OF THE SUGGESTIONS IS TO HAVE ALL SPEAKERS SPEAK AT THE BEGINNING.
UH, THAT'S WHAT WE'VE HAVE DONE IN THE PAST.
WE'VE ALSO, UH, SO THE SPEAKERS AREN'T WAITING TILL THE LAST, THE LAST, UH, UM, ITEM TO, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S NOT BURIED AT THE END OF THE, THE MEETING.
UH, SO WE COULD, WE COULD DO IT THAT WAY.
WE COULD ALSO, UH, LIMIT THE NUMBER OF SPEAKERS AND WE COULD LIMIT THE NUM THE AMOUNT OF TIME EACH SPEAKER GETS.
SO, UH, I'LL OPEN IT UP TO DISCUSSION, HOWEVER YOU WANT TO HANDLE THAT.
WE MIGHT WANT TO, I, I MAY MAKE THE FIRST SUGGESTION THAT WE HAVE EACH SPEAKER LIMIT THE AMOUNT OF SPEAKING TIME TO TWO MINUTES, AND, UH, LET ALL 20 SPEAK AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING.
I'M OKAY WITH IF SOMEBODY WANTS TO DO DIFFERENTLY.
DID YOU SAY YOU WERE GONNA LIMIT THE TIME TO TWO MINUTES? THAT'S AN OPTION.
I WOULD BE OPPOSED TO LIMITING TIME, GIVEN THAT PEOPLE HAVE PROBABLY PREPARED THREE MINUTES AND IF AT ALL POSSIBLE, UM, WOULD WANT THEM TO HAVE THEIR, THE, THE FULL-TIME AVAILABLE.
UM, SO LET'S, UH, ANY OTHER COMMENTS THERE? I WAS GONNA AGREE WITH YOU ON JUST HAVING EVERYBODY SPEAK AT THE BEGINNING.
SO IF THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE TIME SENSITIVE, THEY AREN'T HERE FOR HOURS POTENTIALLY.
UH, I WOULD SUGGEST THAT IF WE ARE GOING TO ALLOW PEOPLE TO SPEAK THREE MINUTES ON THEIR 20 SPEAKERS, THAT THEY KNOW THAT THAT IS A FULL HOUR BEFORE WE WILL GET TO ANYTHING ELSE.
AND THAT I WOULD ASK THAT YOU ASK THE SPEAKERS IF, IF THEY HEAR THEIR POINT ALREADY MADE THAT THEY CAN REFERENCE IT, BUT NOT, BUT TRY NOT TO REPEAT THE SAME POINTS AGAIN, BECAUSE WE'RE ALL HUMAN TOO, AND MANY OF US PROBABLY CAN'T BE HERE FOR THREE HOURS TONIGHT.
WOULD SOMEONE LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION? I DON'T THINK YOU NEED TO MAKE A MOTION TO DO WHAT WE'VE ALREADY, IF, IF THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE'VE ALWAYS DONE.
SO HERE'S THE WAY I UNDERSTAND IT.
WE'RE GOING TO ALLOW EACH SPEAKER THREE MINUTES
[00:05:01]
AND WE WILL TAKE SPEAKERS IN ORDER THAT THEY'VE SIGNED UP.FIRST, TAKING THE VIRTUAL SPEAKERS, WE HAVE, SOME PEOPLE HAVE SIGNED UP THAT ARE GOING TO BE JOINING ONLINE, WILL ALLOW THEM THREE MINUTES EACH.
THEN WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE LIST THAT PEOPLE SIGNED UP FOR IN PERSON.
AND, UM, IF YOU HEAR SOMEONE HAS ALREADY MADE, MADE THE POINT THAT YOU WANNA MAKE, UH, IF YOU COULD MAYBE, UM, YIELD YOUR TIME OR, OR, OR, OR NOT SPEAK, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE PROPER TERM IS, NOT YIELD, BUT, UH, UH, THAT WOULD BE APPRECIATED.
SO, YES, I SHARED TWO OF OUR FOLKS SIGNED UP AND THEY THOUGHT THEY WERE SIGNING UP TO ATTEND THE MEETING, SO WE CAN TAKE TWO OF THOSE PEOPLE OFF.
AND DO YOU WHAT? BOB? GREGORY AND REBECCA KATIE.
I'M GLAD TO KNOW Y'ALL ARE HERE.
LET ME FIND, LET ME FIND YOU REAL QUICK ON THE LIST.
SO OUR FIRST SPEAKER IS MICHELLE SINNOT, S I N N O T T.
IF I MISPRONOUNCE YOUR NAME, I APOLOGIZE.
I AM THE DIRECTOR OF CAPTIVE ANIMAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AT THE PITA FOUNDATION.
I'M TESTIFYING TONIGHT IN SUPPORT OF AGENDA ITEM SEVEN, THE PROPOSAL TO RECOMMEND A BAN ON PUBLIC CONTACT WITH WILD ANIMALS AT UNACCREDITED FOR-PROFIT ZOOS AND AQUARIUMS. UH, PUBLIC CONTACTS WITH WILD ANIMALS IS INHERENTLY DANGEROUS.
HUMAN HANDLING IS A SIGNIFICANT STRESSOR FOR WILD ANIMALS.
AND PUBLIC CONTACT IS PARTICULARLY STRESSFUL BECAUSE IT FORCES THESE ANIMALS INTO INTERACTIONS WITH UNFAMILIAR INDIVIDUALS, CAUSING THEM TO FEEL UNSAFE.
IN ADDITION TO THE RISK OF PHYSICAL INJURY, CONTACT WITH WILD ANIMALS RISKS TRANSMISSION OF NUMEROUS OROTIC DISEASES, INCLUDING RABIES CAPTIVITY AND TRAINING DON'T TAKE AWAY A WILD ANIMAL'S POTENTIAL TO INFLICT HARM.
AND WHILE THE RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH PUBLIC CONTACT WITH WILD ANIMALS ARE INEXTINGUISHABLE, THOSE RISKS ARE AMPLIFIED AT UNACCREDITED FOR-PROFIT FACILITIES WHERE STAFF HAVE MINIMAL EXPERIENCE OR TRAINING, AND THERE ARE LIMITED, IF ANY SAFETY POLICIES IN PLACE.
AN ANIMAL WELFARE IS INEXTRICABLY LINKED TO THE INCREASED RISKS POSED BY DIRECT CONTACT ENCOUNTERS AT ROADSIDE DUES.
BECAUSE FAILING TO MEET A WILD ANIMAL'S NEEDS IN A CAPTIVE SETTING CAN CAUSE PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS.
WILD ANIMALS AT FOR-PROFIT, UNACCREDITED FACILITIES TYPICALLY LIVE IN A STATE OF CHRONIC STRESS DUE TO POOR WELFARE AND CHRONIC STRESS CAN RESULT IN INJURIOUS OR AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR.
THE AUSTIN AQUARIUM EPITOMIZES THE MYRIAD OF PUBLIC SAFETY HAZARDS AND ANIMAL WELFARE CONCERNS ASSOCIATED WITH DIRECT CONTACT ENCOUNTERS.
IN 2022, A, A INVESTIGATOR WORKED UNDERCOVER AT AUSTIN AQUARIUM AND DOCUMENTED WIDESPREAD SUFFERING AND NEGLECT.
PETER'S EYEWITNESS ALSO DOCUMENTED 34 INCIDENTS OF ANIMALS ATTACKING PEOPLE DURING THAT FOUR MONTH PERIOD.
AND ACCORDING TO PUBLIC RECORDS, ONLY ONE OF THOSE 34 INCIDENTS WAS REPORTED TO ANIMAL SERVICES.
THAT ONE REPORTED INCIDENT WAS A JUNE 13TH LEMER BITE, WHERE A LEMER NAMED WALLY, THAT A 10 YEAR OLD CHILD DURING AN ENCOUNTER AND THE CHILD REQUIRED EMERGENCY MEDICAL TREATMENT FOR THREE PUNCTURE WOUNDS.
PETER'S EYEWITNESS DOCUMENTED THAT WALLY HAD A HISTORY OF BITING GUESTS AND EMPLOYEES, INCLUDING BITING TWO CHILDREN THE DAY BEFORE THAT INCIDENT.
THESE WERE NOT REPORTED, AND THE FACILITY CONTINUED TO FORCE THIS ANIMAL INTO PUBLIC ENCOUNTERS, EVEN THOUGH IT KNEW WALLY WAS STARTING TO GO AFTER KIDS' FACES.
AUSTIN AQUARIUM EXEMPLIFIES THE CRITICAL NEED FOR AN EASILY ENFORCEABLE, STRAIGHTFORWARD PROHIBITION ON PUBLIC CONTACT WITH WILD ANIMALS, AND I'D URGED THE COMMISSION TO APPROVE THIS PROPOSAL AND RECOMMEND A COMMON SENSE SOLUTION TO A GRAVE PUBLIC SAFETY AND ANIMAL WELFARE HAZARD.
[00:10:09]
HI, MY NAME'S CARLA BELS, AND AS AN AUSTIN RESIDENT, I SUPPORT THE PROPOSAL TO PROHIBIT PUBLIC CONTACT WITH WILD ANIMALS AT FOR-PROFIT ZOOS AND AQUARIUMS. THE AUSTIN AQUARIUM IN PARTICULAR, IS BASICALLY A PETTING VIEW, JUST USING WILD ANIMALS WHO HAVE NO BUSINESS INTERACTING WITH HUMANS.THESE ARE NOT DOMESTICATED ANIMALS.
THEY WILL BITE AND SCRATCH WHEN THEY'RE SCARED, LIKE MICHELLE SAID.
AND THIS HAPPENS REGULARLY THERE, AND STAFF IS APPARENTLY TOLD NOT TO REPORT IT, AND IT'S ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE SOMEBODY IS SERIOUSLY INJURED, AND WE ESPECIALLY SHOULDN'T BE TEACHING KIDS TO PLAY AROUND WITH WILDLIFE.
ALSO, GIVEN THE RECENT PANDEMIC, WE'VE SEEN HOW DEVASTATING ZOONOTIC DISEASES CAN BE.
SO WE SHOULDN'T BE GIVING VIRUSES ANY OPPORTUNITY TO JUMP FROM ANIMALS TO HUMANS.
AND THIS PROPOSAL IS TO PROHIBIT THIS TYPE OF CONTACT IS THE RIGHT MOVE FOR AUSTIN.
IT HELPS ENSURE THE SAFETY OF THE PUBLIC AND THE ANIMALS.
UH, THE NEXT SPEAKER IS DEBBIE GOODRICH.
UH, LET'S GO TO THE NEXT SPEAKER.
HELLO? AM I COMING THROUGH? AM I COMING THROUGH? YES, YES, WE CAN HEAR YOU.
SORRY, I, WE HAD TO UNMUTE OURSELVES, SO IT MAY TAKE A MINUTE WHEN YOU CALL ON SPEAKERS ON THE PHONE.
I AM PHIL GOSS, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES ASSOCIATION OF REPTILE KEEPERS.
AND WHILE WE DEAL MAINLY WITH REPTILE AND AMPHIBIAN ISSUES, WE'RE CALLING AT TODAY TO KIND OF SPEAK ON BEHALF OF, OF EVERYONE.
AND AS WE HEARD FROM THE FIRST TWO SPEAKERS, IT SOUNDS LIKE THIS IS TARGETED AT, AT ONE BUSINESS.
AND I HATE TO SEE, YOU KNOW, COLLECTIVE PUNISHMENT HAPPEN IN THIS.
IF THERE IS ONE BUSINESS, I WOULD HOPE THAT, UH, ANY NEW LAW ESPECIALLY COULD BE TAILORED TO, YOU KNOW, ADDRESS THAT ONE ISSUE.
UH, YOU KNOW, IF SOMEONE IS A BAD DRIVER, YOU DON'T BAN DRIVING, OR IF SOMEONE IS A BAD PARENT, YOU DON'T BAN PEOPLE FROM HAVING CHILDREN, UH, BECAUSE ONE PERSON DOES IT WRONG.
SO, AGAIN, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE A BAILEY VERY TAILORED AND FOCUSED ORDINANCE WRITTEN, UH, TO JUST ADDRESS THIS ONE ISSUE.
AND I WOULD ASSUME THERE WERE, THERE WOULD BE SOME LAWS, CURRENT LAWS IN PLACE ALREADY TO DO THAT.
UH, SO CERTAINLY NOT DEFENDING SOMEONE WHO IS A BAD APPLE, BUT AGAIN, AS THIS IS WRITTEN, IT'S KIND OF WRITTEN TO SAY THAT ANYONE WHO IS NOT IN AN AVA FACILITY, YOU KNOW, CANNOT DO THESE AND THAT THEY'RE ALL BAD ACTORS.
AND IF YOU'RE NOT FAMILIAR WITH AZA, THOSE ARE ONLY THE LARGEST, YOU KNOW, ZOOLOGICAL INSTITUTIONS IN THE UNITED STATES THAT COST MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.
SO OBVIOUSLY THERE'S NOT A WHOLE LOT OF THOSE AROUND.
AND THE DEFINITIONS ALSO ARE DRAWING SOME, SOME ISSUES IN MY EYES.
UH, THE DEFINITION OF FOR PROFIT ZERO AQUARIUM COULD EVEN BE APPLIED TO PET STORES, FOR EXAMPLE.
SO A PET STORE CANNOT TAKE SOMETHING LIKE A LEOPARD GECO OUT OF A CAGE TO SHOW TO A CUSTOMER.
UH, THAT SEEMS LIKE THAT WOULD BE ILLEGAL AS THIS ORDINANCE IS CURRENTLY DRAFTED.
AND ALSO, IT'S NOT CLEAR IF THOSE BUSINESSES HAVE TO BE BRICK AND MORTAR.
SO, MYSELF, FOR EXAMPLE, HAVE GIVEN HUNDREDS OF PRESENTATIONS TO SCHOOLS AND PUBLIC LIBRARIES ON REPTILES, UM, AND NEVER WAS THERE ANY OCCURRENCE TO.
SO TO SAY THAT THESE PROGRAMS ARE INHERENTLY DANGEROUS IS AN OUTRIGHT LIE.
UM, BUT ANYWAY, UH, SO IF I WOULD'VE TAKEN SOME MONEY FOR ANY OF THOSE, I MAY QUALIFY AS A BUSINESS UNDER THE CURRENT DEFINITION OF FOR-PROFIT, ZOO AND AQUARIUM.
SO AGAIN, I THINK THERE'S, THOSE DEFINITIONS NEED TO BE LOOKED AT BECAUSE WE'RE NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, BIG ANIMALS THAT COULD POSSIBLY AFFECT HARM.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE DEFINITION OF WILD ANIMAL INCLUDES TORTOISES AND TREE FROGS AND GECKOS AND SMALL BIRDS.
YOU KNOW, THIS IS APPLYING TO ALL ANIMALS.
SO AGAIN, I THINK THE, THE DEFINITION CAN HOPEFULLY BE LOOKED AT.
AND AGAIN, IF THERE'S ONE BUSINESS THAT'S CAUSING A PROBLEM, WE NEED TO FOCUS ON THAT ONE BUSINESS AND NOT APPLY THIS TO EVERYBODY IN AUSTIN.
NEXT SPEAKER IS LESLIE PADILLA.
[00:15:01]
MY NAME IS LESLIE PADILLA.I'M A FORMER FIVE-YEAR VOLUNTEER AT AUSTIN PET LIVE AND A TWO-YEAR PUBLIC DOG WALKER AT AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER.
I WANT TO WELCOME THE NEWER MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION.
YOUR PUBLIC SERVICE IS GREATLY APPRECIATED.
I HOPE YOU CAN PLAY A ROLE IN REFORMING THIS COMMISSION SO THAT IT ACTUALLY FOCUSES ON ANIMAL WELFARE ACROSS TRAVIS COUNTY AND STOPPED SPENDING SO MUCH TIME ATTACKING AAC AND DIVIDING THE COMMUNITY.
I WANNA SPEAK ON AGENDA ITEM SIX.
UM, AND HAD ACTUALLY REQUESTED SEPARATE THREE MINUTES ON THAT, BUT I'LL COMBINE THEM.
BUT, BUT FIRST I WANTED TO MAKE SOME GENERAL COMMENTS ABOUT THE ROLE OF THIS COMMISSION.
THE APRIL, 2023 REPORT BY THE CITY AUDITOR CALLED OUT THE COMMISSION AS THE WORST PERFORMING IN TERMS OF COMPLYING WITH ITS BYLAWS.
THE AUDITOR FOUND THREE INCONCLUSIVE INSTANCES OF THE COMMISSION POTENTIALLY CONTRADICTING ITS BYLAWS AND ONE CONCLUSIVE INSTANCE.
NO OTHER BOARD OR COMMISSION PERFORMED AS POORLY ON THIS MEASURE.
THE CONCLUSIVE FINDING WAS RELATED TO THE COMMISSION'S RECOMMENDATION THAT CITY COUNCIL EXPRESSED NO CONFIDENCE IN AAC LEADERSHIP.
BUT THIS WAS HARDLY THE ONLY INSTANCE WHEN THE COMMISSION EXPRESSED HOSTILITY TO AAC.
IT HAS HAPPENED REPEATEDLY WITH AGGRESSIVE QUESTIONING OF STAFF.
FOR EXAMPLE, THE TRAFFIC THE TRANSPORT PROGRAM SEVERAL YEARS AGO, REPEATED DEMANDS FOR DATA, DATA AND REPORTING OF ALL KINDS HOSTILE QUESTIONING OF AACS VETERINARY STAFF ABOUT THE DIFFICULT DECISIONS THEY HAVE TO MAKE, ET CETERA, ET CETERA.
THE COMMISSION, OR AT LEAST A MAJORITY OF ITS PAST MEMBERS, HAVE ALSO DONE THE FOLLOWING.
THEY APPROVED CONSEQUENTIAL ACTIONS WITHOUT HAVING ANYTHING IN WRITING IN FRONT OF THEM.
AND WITHOUT ALLOWING PUBLIC COMMENT, THEY OUTRIGHT DISMISSED, WELL-RESEARCHED PROPOSALS ON SPAY AND NEUTER.
THEY IGNORED PLEAS TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THE COMMISSION CONDITIONS AT THE AUSTIN ZOO AND THE AQUARIUM.
AND THEY ALLOWED PRIVATE SHELTERS IN TRAVIS COUNTY, WHICH ARE THE HUMANE SOCIETY IN APA TO IMPROPERLY ESCAPE SCRUTINY.
UNDER CHAPTER 8 23 OF THE TEXAS HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE, A RECENTLY DEPARTED COMMISSIONER ADMITTED THAT SHE LOBBIED CITY COUNCIL ON BEHALF OF APA, SOMETHING THAT'S NOT ALLOWED PER AUSTIN ORDINANCE.
SHE CLAIMED THAT SHE DIDN'T MEET THE MINIMUM HOUR REQUIREMENT.
THERE'S ALSO BEEN A STARTLING LACK OF COLLEGIALITY, AND I WON'T EMBARRASS ANYONE HERE WITH DETAILS.
MEMBERS WITH ADMITTED CONFLICTS OF INTEREST HAVE NOT ALWAYS LIMITED THEIR ACTIONS ON THE COMMISSION AND RECOGNITIONS OF THESE CONFLICTS.
I COULD GO ON, BUT HOPEFULLY YOU GET THE POINT.
PLEASE IMPROVE THE WAY THIS COMMISSION BEHAVES AND OPERATE.
AS TO AGENDA ITEM SIX, I WANTED TO NOTE THAT IF THE COMMISSION WANTS TO BE ABLE TO WEIGH IN ON ISSUES RELATED TO ADMINISTRATION OF AAC, IT'S NOT SIMPLY A MATTER OF AMENDING THE BYLAWS.
CITY COUNCIL WOULD HAVE TO AMEND THE CITY ORDINANCE THAT CREATED THE COMMISSION, BECAUSE THAT ORDINANCE ALSO CONTAINS THAT LIMITING LANGUAGE.
AND I WOULD ENCOURAGE THE NEW COMMISSIONERS, ESPECIALLY TO LOOK AT CHAPTER 1 8 23 OF THE TEXAS HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE, BECAUSE THAT ACTUALLY SAYS WHAT THE PRINCIPLE, THE PRINCIPLE ROLE OF THE ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION IS TO HELP THE COUNTY AND THE CITY COMPLY WITH CHAPTER 8 23 AT ON ANIMAL SHELTERS.
CHAPTER 8 23 APPLIES, THANK YOU, NOT ONLY TO AAC, BUT TO THE PRIVATE SHELTERS IN TRAVIS COUNTY, AUSTIN PET, LIVE, AND O MAIN SOCIETY.
NEXT SPEAKER IS, I DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH TIME, ERIC, AND IF I, I CORRIDOR? YES, THANK YOU.
UH, YOU'RE MORE THAN WELCOME TO COME UP HERE.
I CURRENTLY RUN AN ORGANIZATION CALLED THE WILD CENTER OF TEXAS THAT OPERATES HERE IN AUSTIN.
UH, IT IS A FOR-PROFIT ENTITY.
CURRENTLY, UH, OUR LONG-TERM AIM IS TO SET UP A NON-PROFIT, UH, THAT SAID, UH, I THINK THE GENTLEMAN FROM US ARC, UH, MADE ONE OF MY POINTS.
AND SO I'M NOT GONNA, I'M, I'M GONNA SAY I SUPPORT HIM.
UH, AND I DO BELIEVE THAT THE INITIAL STATEMENTS BY THE PITA LADY WERE VERY BLANKETS.
UH, I BROUGHT 20 PLUS YEARS OF EXPERIENCE WORKING IN AZA ACCREDITED FACILITIES, INCLUDING SEAWORLD, SAN ANTONIO, DALLAS ZOO, HOUSTON ZOO, AS A SUPERVISOR OF BIRDS AND A, UH, DEGREE IN ZOOLOGY BEFORE I STARTED MY ORGANIZATION.
UH, SO I'M VERY WELL VERSED IN PROTOCOLS AT LARGE FACILITIES.
I WOULD SAY THAT AT THOSE LARGE FACILITIES AS WELL, THAT INCLUDES, YOU KNOW, DALLAS ZOO, WHICH IS A NON-PROFIT.
AND EVEN THOUGH SEAWORLD IS A FOR-PROFIT, IT IS AN ACA FACILITY, UH, THEY WERE NOT IMMUNE TO BAD MANAGEMENT DECISIONS BY HAVING PEOPLE PLACED IN POSITIONS OF LEADERSHIP THAT HAD LITTLE EXPERIENCE WITH, UM, ANIMALS.
UH, I HAD WITNESSED AT A LARGE FACILITY AT SEAWORLD, UH, YOU KNOW, JUST BAD MANAGEMENT DECISIONS BEING MADE THAT RESULTED IN THE DEATHS OF BIRDS OR CUSTOMERS GETTING ATTACKED BY ANIMALS THAT, ANIMALS THAT SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN IN THOSE PARTICULAR WALKTHROUGH AVIARIES.
SO TO SAY THAT, UH, ONLY FOR-PROFIT UNACCREDITED INSTITUTIONS,
[00:20:01]
UH, OUR SUSPECT IS JUST BLATANTLY FALSE.UM, SO I JUST URGE YOU TO CONSIDER THAT AND TO ALSO CONSIDER SOME OF THE LANGUAGE OR AREN'T MANY GRAY AREAS IN THAT REGULATION, UH, THAT DON'T COVER BUSINESSES LIKE OURS.
UH, WE ONLY TAKE ANIMALS TO SCHOOLS AND PARKS AND EDUCATIONS.
WE ARE NOT A COME TO US FACILITY.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, I FOCUS ON ANIMALS THAT I BELIEVE ARE NOT GONNA BE INJURIOUS AND I WEED OUT ANIMALS THAT I FEEL HAVE POTENTIAL SHOULD THERE BE CONTACT.
UH, SO THERE ARE THOSE OF US HERE IN AUSTIN THAT ARE TRYING TO OPERATE A SAFE AND, UH, BENEFICIAL BUSINESS.
UM, YOU KNOW, WITHOUT TRYING TO BE EGREGIOUS LIKE SOME OF THE OTHER TARGETED INSTITUTIONS.
UM, GAIL ROTH, DID I GET YOUR LAST NAME RIGHT? NO, CLOSE.
WE ARE A GROUP OF NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS, ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS, AND OTHERS DEEPLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE FUTURE OF ZER PARK RE WILD ZER ADVOCATES FOR A NATURE AND RECREATION BASED PARK.
RATHER THAN A PARK DEVELOPED TO SUPPORT EVER LARGER EVENTS, WE ADVOCATE FOR REWILDING MORE OF THE PARK, WHICH SIMPLY MEANS RESTORING THE LAND AND RIPARIAN ZONES BY NURTURING AND GUIDING THE NATURAL REGENERATIVE REGENERATIVE PROCESSES RATHER THAN FORMAL LANDSCAPING.
REWILDING DOES NOT EXCLUDE PEOPLE.
RATHER IT CREATES AND PRIORITIZES THE NATURAL AREAS THAT ARE SO IMPORTANT TO PEOPLE IN A NATURAL SETTING.
OUR CITY'S PARKS DEPARTMENT HAS SPENT THE LAST TWO YEARS DEVELOPING A DRAFT ZILKER METROPOLITAN PARK VISION PLAN.
THE VISION PLAN IS SCHEDULED TO GO BEFORE COUNCIL IN JULY 20TH.
YOUR INPUT TO COUNCIL PRIOR TO THEIR DECISION TO APPROVE ALL OR PART OF THE PLAN IS CRITICAL.
FOR THIS REASON, I AM REQUESTING THAT THIS COMMISSION ADD THE DRAFT VISION PLAN TO YOUR JULY AGENDA AND DEVELOP A RESOLUTION TO COUNCIL THAT REFLECTS THE VALUES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THIS COMMISSION.
PRIOR TO COUNCIL DECISION, THE DESIGN PROCESS FOR THE PLAN HAS BEEN ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY FOCUSED ON HUMAN USES OF THE PARK.
WITH THE BULK OF THE PROPOSED BUDGET DEVOTED TO SUPPORTING EVENTS AND ENTERTAINMENT AS CURRENTLY WRITTEN, THE PLAN WOULD DEVELOP AND EXPAND THE PARK INFRASTRUCTURE FOR MORE AND LARGER EVENTS AND ENTERTAINMENT TO INCLUDE THREE PARKING GARAGES IN THE PARK, AND EXPANDED HILLSIDE THEATER ON THE GREAT LAWN, AN UNNECESSARY WELCOME CENTER AND MULTIPLE BRIDGES ACROSS BARTON CREEK AND LADY BIRD LAKE.
BUT THE VISION PLAN HAS SIGNIFICANT IMPLICATIONS FOR ANIMALS TOO, FOR PETS, FOR BIRDS, FOR OTHER WILDLIFE, AND ESPECIALLY FOR THE FEDERALLY PROTECTED SALAMANDER.
TWO OF THE THREE PARKING GARAGES, ONE OF THEM UNDERGROUND, ARE LOCATED O OVER THE SUBSURFACE HABITAT OF THE FEDERALLY PROTECTED SALAMANDERS.
AND THAT'S WHAT THIS MAP SHOWS YOU.
THE CROSSHATCH IS SUPERIMPOSED ON THE PLAN AS IT EXISTS, UM, AND THAT CROSSHATCHING REPRESENTS THE SUBSURFACE HABITAT, THE FEDERALLY PROTECTED SUBSURFACE HABITAT OF THE AUSTIN BLIND SALAMANDER.
UH, ONE OF THE GARAGES WOULD BE, UH, ABOUT A HUNDRED YARDS FROM, UM, UH, SUNKEN GARDENS, WHICH IS ONE OF THE SPRINGS WHERE THE SALAMANDER, THE SALAMANDER LIVES.
UH, ANOTHER WOULD BE ABOUT 300 YARDS FROM THE POOL AND THE SPRINGS OUTLETS THERE.
SO THESE ARE MASSIVE CONSTRUCTION, ONE OF THEM UNDERGROUND IN THIS PROPOSED FOR THIS FEDERALLY PROTECTED.
I'D SUGGEST YOU RUN THE THREE MINUTE CLOCK, SO I WOULD KNOW HOW MUCH TIME I HAD.
DOES THAT NOT WORK?
ANYWAY, PLEASE PUT THIS ON YOUR JULY AGENDA.
UM, MY NAME IS LUCY FERNANDEZ.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK TODAY.
UM, I AM THE, UM, THE POSITIVE ALTERNATIVES TO SHELTER SURRENDER PROGRAM MANAGER FOR AUSTIN PETS LIVE.
UM, AND I WENT AHEAD AND SENT OVER THE MAID REPORT, UM, AND IT SHOULD BE ATTACHED ON THE WEBSITE, AND YOU MIGHT HAVE IT WITH YOU NOW.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO GO AHEAD AND CLARIFY.
WE STARTED COLLECTING DATA, UM, THROUGH THIS PROGRAM IN FEBRUARY.
[00:25:01]
SO, UM, AND I KNOW THAT THE PAST INTAKES, UM, AT EPA ARE CALCULATED ON OUR REPORTING.UM, I JUST WANTED TO KIND OF GIVE A LITTLE BIT OF INSIGHT AND BEHIND THE SCENES AS TO LIKE, WHAT THAT ACTUALLY MEANS, UM, AND THE TYPES OF CASES THAT WE WORK ON IN THE PROGRAM.
UM, IN, UH, FOR MAY, UH, WE HAD ABOUT 575 CASES.
226 OF THOSE WERE IN TRAVIS COUNTY.
UM, AND WE, UH, FOCUS ON INTAKE DIVERSION, UM, PET SUPPORT SERVICES, COMMUNITY OUTREACH, THAT KIND OF THING.
SO PEOPLE CAN REACH OUT TO US, UM, ASK QUESTIONS, UM, ASK FOR GUIDANCE ON, YOU KNOW, SPAY AND NEUTER, REHOMING SUPPORT, YOU KNOW, UH, VET ASSISTANCE, ALL THOSE TYPES OF THINGS.
AND, UH, THE PROGRAM ACTUALLY COLLABORATES WITH NOT ONLY, UM, AAC TRAPPERS, AUSTIN LAWSON FOUND PETS, ET CETERA, UM, TO KIND OF BRING SERVICES TO, UM, MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY FOR, UM, A NEED FOR THEIR PETS.
UM, THERE'S ALSO A 50,000 MEMBER FACEBOOK GROUP AND COMMUNITY WHERE, UH, WE HAVE ABOUT, I THINK IT'S 17,000 MEMBERS FROM AUSTIN.
UM, AND SO WE JUST WANTED TO GO AHEAD AND ELABORATE ON BASICALLY, UM, THE COLLABORATION IS KEY, UM, IN VILIFYING ONE ANOTHER IS BASICALLY HURTING THE ANIMALS AND NOTHING ELSE.
SO, UM, YEAH, UH, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT ANY OF THAT STUFF, YOU CAN ALWAYS REACH OUT TO ME AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
I ACTUALLY WANT A LITTLE BIT OF CLARIFICATION ON SOME OF THIS.
UM, SO WHEN YOU SAY MEDICAL ASSISTANT SUPPORT REQUESTS MM-HMM.
UM, UH, MYSELF, UM, AND, UH, AND THE OTHER VOLUNTEERS WILL GO AHEAD AND TRIAGE.
I USUALLY DEAL WITH THE CREDIT, UH, CRITICAL MEDICAL CASES.
SO WE'LL TRIAGE DEPENDING ON THEIR CITY, COUNTY, UM, MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE, UM, EVALUATED FOR CARE CREDIT, YOU KNOW, KIND OF GIVE 'EM THOSE SUGGESTIONS AND THINGS LIKE THAT FIRST.
UM, AND THEN IF IT IS, YOU KNOW, IF, IF THERE IS SUSPECTED PARVO, WE'LL ROUTE THEM TO OUR CLINIC, GIVE THEM A HEADS UP THAT SOMEBODY'S GONNA COME IN.
AND, UH, WE ALSO HAVE AT-HOME TREATMENT AND THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT WE PROVIDE FOR THE PUBLIC.
SO I'M ASKING BECAUSE I DO WORK A FAIR NUMBER OF EMERGENCY CASES.
SO YOUR PARVO, PUPPIES, YOUR BLOCKED CATS, I MEAN, YOU HAVE POTENTIAL TREATMENT OPTIONS FOR THOSE FOLKS IF THEY CAN MAKE IT TO MONDAY BUSINESS HOURS.
WELL, WE'RE OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK, SO SEVEN DAYS.
SO, UM, IF THERE IS, UM, IF THERE IS, UH, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT THINGS, LIKE I SAID, IT DEPENDS ON SPECIFICALLY WITH THE CASES BECAUSE LOCATION, THE CRITICAL NATURE OF THE THING, WE GET THE MEDICAL RECORDS AND ALL THE HOOPLA, UM, THAT GOES INTO IT.
AND WE WORK WITH OUR CLINIC TEAM IN OUR VET, UM, TO, YOU KNOW, KIND OF TRIAGE WHAT, WHAT, UM, ASSISTANCE WE CAN DO.
WE ALSO DO LOTS OF FUNDRAISERS AND THINGS LIKE THAT AS WELL.
SO YOUR IN-HOUSE VETERINARIANS WOULD BE THE ONES PROVIDING MEDICAL SERVICES IF NEEDED.
MOST OF THE TIME, IF IT BECOMES CRITICAL ENOUGH, OUR, OUR MEDICAL DIRECTOR MAKES THAT DECISION TO DO A SURRENDER FOR CRITICAL CARE.
UM, THAT IS, IF IT'S OUTSIDE OF A JURISDICTION BECAUSE OF THE CENTRAL TEXAS, UM, UH, THE CT, UH, S E H WHAT IS IT? CENTRAL TEXT, UH, CENTRAL TEXAS VETERINARY, UH, EMERGENCY, UH, THAT THEY'LL, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE THEIR CONTRACT, THE AC AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
BUT IF IT'S OUTSIDE OF THAT JURISDICTION WILL WORK WITH OTHER, UM, OTHER OPTIONS.
BUT A LOT OF TIMES I WORK WITH THE PRC TO FIGURE OUT OTHER SOLUTIONS AS WELL, IF THEY'RE IN AUSTIN.
UH, PAT BORES, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK.
MY NAME IS PAT ES AND I AM HERE TO SPEAK ABOUT ALD ZILKER.
I'D LIKE TO, UM, ASK THE COMMISSION TO PLACE AN ITEM ON THE JULY AGENDA TO HEAR ABOUT THE ZER VISION PLAN AND CONSIDER TAKING A VOTE THAT CITY COUNCIL NOT VOTE ON THE ZILKER PLAN UNTIL A THOROUGH REVIEW OF THE IMPACT ON WILDLIFE AND PEOPLE WALKING THEIR PETS HAS BEEN CONDUCTED.
UM, MY SECOND ISSUE, MY, THE SECOND THING I'D LIKE TO SAY THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SUPPORT AN ORDINANCE, UM, PROPOSED BY ITEM SEVEN.
YOU HAVE HEARD SOME SPEAKERS, UM, BRING UP SOME ISSUES THAT IF YOU NEED TO DISCUSS THEM, I HOPE YOU WILL FIGURE OUT A WAY TO, UM, ADDRESS THEM.
BUT I DO THINK THAT, UM, ITEM SEVEN IS, IS A, IS A WORTHWHILE THING AND, AND I SUPPORT IT.
AND FINALLY, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF STAFF FROM AUSTIN HUMANE SOCIETY AND APA ARE HERE TO SPEAK TO THE LONGS STAY DOGS.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF, UH, COMMISSIONER ER'S
[00:30:01]
ABSENCE WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE, BUT IF AHS STAFF AND APA STAFF HAVE MADE TIME TO COME HERE, I HOPE YOU'LL MOVE THAT ITEM UP BEFORE THE, UM, LONG ITEM THAT I THINK IS GONNA BE ITEM FOUR, SO THAT THEY DON'T HAVE TO STAY HERE AS, AS, AS LONG AS WOULD BE NECESSARY IF THEY ONLY GOT, THEY'RE ON ITEM FIVE AND ITEM ITEM FOUR LOOKS LIKE A LONG ITEM, SO I HOPE THAT THEY DON'T HAVE TO STAY HERE FOR, FOR THAT LONG.AND SIMILARLY, UH, IF YOU WOULD CONSIDER MOVING ITEM SEVEN UP SO THAT, AGAIN, THE PEOPLE HERE IN SUPPORT OF ITEM SEVEN DON'T HAVE TO STAY TO LISTEN TO ITEM FOUR, THAT WOULD BE APPRECIATED AS WELL.
AND I, YOUR LAST NAME IS WRITTEN DOWN, BUT I, I CAN'T READ IT SO I, I KNOW I DON'T THINK YOU WROTE IT.
IT UH, LOOKS LIKE A ABOUT SEVEN HANDWRITING, EXACTLY THE SAME.
KAYLA, WHAT'S YOUR LAST NAME? IT'S LAHAM.
HI, I'M AV VOLUNTEER AAC AND I JUST HAVE BULLET POINTS TO TALK ABOUT TODAY UNDER GENERAL COMMUNICATION.
UM, FOR ONE, IT UM, I WANNA TELL YOU ABOUT THE EUTHANIZATION LIST.
IT SEEMS LIKE WE ARE GETTING EUTHANIZED DOGS, FIVE DOGS A WEEK.
AND I KNOW WE ARE OVER CAPACITY.
SO RIGHT NOW IT JUST SEEMS LIKE WE ARE KILLING FOR SPACE AND I'M NOT OKAY WITH THAT BECAUSE THE FACT IS THAT SOME OF THESE DOGS ON THE EUTHANIZATION LIST ONLY HAS BITES BEFORE THEY GOT HERE, BUT THEY HAVE NO OTHER BEHAVIOR SINCE THEY GOT TO AAC.
AND I THINK THESE DOGS SHOULD GET A SECOND CHANCE.
UM, THEN I WANNA TALK ABOUT HOW, UM, WE HAVE AAC HAS FUNDS FOR OD DOGS, ORANGE DOT DOGS, THE HIGHER ENERGY DOGS.
AND WE THINK THOSE FUNDS SHOULD BE LIKE PROCESSED FOR ALL DOGS, NOT JUST ODS FAVORITE OR THE OD DOGS.
WE HAVE MULTIPLE DOGS THAT NEEDS HELP WITH FUNDINGS AND IT JUST FEELS LIKE THAT GROUP ONLY HAS FUNDS FOR THEIR DOGS AND WHATEVER DOGS.
BUT WE ALSO NEED HELP WITH THE GREEN DOT DOGS OR THE BLUE DOT DOGS, NO MATTER WHAT DOT COLOR, THEY SHOULD HAVE A SEPARATE FUNDS FOR THOSE DOGS.
UM, ALSO WE HAVE CONSTANTLY LONG STAY DOGS GETTING OVERLOOKED, AND I THINK IF WE HAVE A OD CREW, WE SHOULD ALSO HAVE A LONG STATE CREW JUST WORKING ON THOSE LONG STATE DOGS JUST BECAUSE SOME OF THEM ARE OVERLOOKED CONSTANTLY AND CONSTANTLY AND WE FEEL BAD FOR THEM JUST BECAUSE THE FACT THAT THEY DON'T GET A LOT OF LOVE, THEY'RE JUST IN A KENNEL AND SOME OF THEM DON'T EVEN GET WALK.
SO PUTTING A LOT OF STRESS ON THESE DOGS IS NOT OKAY AT ALL.
I THINK THERE SHOULD BE A SEPARATE FUNDS NOT JUST TOWARDS, YOU KNOW, THE OD OR THE HIGH FUNCTION DOGS.
ALL DOGS IN OUR AAC NEEDS SOME KIND OF HELP, ESPECIALLY IF FOR FOSTER, IT'S LIKE WE ALSO NEED HELP WITH OUR BLUE DOG DOGS PUTTING 'EM IN FOSTER.
UM, BUT WE DON'T HAVE ANY HELP AT ALL ACTUALLY.
UM, WE ARE DOING THIS ON CONSTANTLY AND THEN OD IS LIKE HAVING FUNDS TO PUT THESE DOGS IN FOSTER.
WE HAVE COMPLICATE DOGS THAT'S OUTSIDE OF THE BLUE, UH, ORANGE DOT.
AND I THINK THEY SHOULD HELP THOSE DOGS THAT ARE NEED TO IT.
IT'S ONLY LIKE SO MANY VOLUNTEERS THAT GO THERE EVERY DAY.
AND I'M ONLY ONE PERSON, SO I CAN'T PUT EVERY DOG INTO FOSSIL, EVERY DOG TO GET DOCKED.
WE NEED SOMEBODY THAT'S THERE TO HELP THESE LONG STAY DOGS.
SO I RECOMMEND PUTTING TO GET A LONG STAY CREW, JUST FOCUS ON THOSE DOGS.
I TRIED TO MAKE IT SOUND FANCY.
UM, I'M A VOLUNTEER AT AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER AND I HAVE JUST A FEW THINGS TO DISCUSS, NO AGENDAS, BUT, UM, I WANTED TO BRING UP THAT I FEEL THE ADOPTION TEAM COULD REALLY, UM, DO MORE AS FAR AS
[00:35:01]
HELPING GET DOGS ADOPTED.UM, I DON'T KNOW THAT THEY'RE COUNSELING DOGS.
UM, I FEEL LIKE THEY'RE THE ONE DEPARTMENT AS A VOLUNTEER THAT I DON'T EVER SEE INTERACTING WITH THE DOGS OR CATS TO SEEING IF THEY'RE EVEN A GOOD MATCH FOR ANIMALS.
I KNOW THERE'S THIS NEW MATCH, MEET YOUR MATCH PROGRAM THAT'S JUST GOT RULED OUT AND UM, MAYBE THAT WILL HELP, BUT IT WOULD BE NICE TO SEE THE FRONT DESK ADOPTION TEAM WALKING THE KENNELS, UM, INTERACTING WITH ALL THE DIFFERENT DOGS SO THEY CAN SEE WHAT DOGS ARE LIKE.
CUZ THEY JUST SIT UP AT THE FRONT.
I MEAN, I WOULDN'T SAY ALL OF THEM, THEM, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE THE MAJORITY JUST SIT UP AT THE FRONT DESK.
UM, WHEN THEY COULD BE OUT THERE WALKING, PART OF THEIR JOB COULD BE, YOU KNOW, WALKING THE KENNELS, GETTING TO KNOW DOGS.
UM, ANOTHER ITEM SEEMS LIKE IF EVERY STAFF AT AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER COULD WALK ONE DOG, SO WE HAVE SUCH A SURPLUS OF DOGS LIVING IN CRATES IN THE TRUCK PORT.
UM, POP-UP CRATES JUST KIND OF ALL OVER THE PLACE.
ROLLING KENNEL, UM, ROLLING CRATES, YOU KNOW, ALL ALONG HALLWAYS IN THE BACK BY VET SERVICES.
IT JUST SEEMS LIKE NOT ONLY JUST ANIMAL CARE STAFF COULD BE WALKING IN OR JUST, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, UM, ANIMAL DOG WALKER STAFF, BUT LIKE, MAYBE, YOU KNOW, THE ADOPTION STAFF SINCE THEY'RE JUST SITTING UP THERE, I'M KIND OF PICKING ON THEM I GUESS.
BUT I JUST FEEL LIKE THEY COULD BE A LITTLE MORE PROACTIVE IN WALKING CREATED DOGS AND JUST INTERACTING WITH THE DOGS AS A WHOLE, BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN GETTING A LOT OF DOGS RETURNED LATELY, UM, THAT ARE LONG STAY DOGS, YOU KNOW, AND THEY'RE GETTING RETURNED AND IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S BECAUSE IT'S NOT BEING, MAYBE WHOEVER'S ADOPTING THEM ISN'T REALLY BEING EDUCATED ENOUGH ABOUT THAT DOG TO MAKE IT A GOOD MATCH.
UM, AND I KNOW THERE'S NOW, YOU KNOW, CLOSING THE SHELTER WEDNESDAYS AND THURSDAYS FOR A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TIME, WHICH THAT'S GREAT.
UM, IT JUST WOULD BE GOOD TO AGAIN, JUST HAVE THEM OUT, UM, INTERACTING WITH THE DOGS AND, UM, I, I REALLY LAUGH ON A TANGENT ON THAT ONE, BUT, UM, I GUESS A FEW OTHER ITEMS WERE JUST, UM, PLAY YARDS.
I FEEL LIKE THEY COULD BE UPDATED FOR THE SUMMERTIME.
SO FAR THERE'S JUST SOME TARPS THAT HAVE BEEN SORT OF HAHA HAPHAZARDLY THROWN UP ON THE FENCES, BUT IT'D BE NICE IF THE, THE PLAY YARDS COULD BE RETROFITTED OR SOMETHING FOR SUMMER.
SO WHERE IT'S NOT LIKE ASTROTURF THAT GETS REALLY HOT AND BURNS THE DOGS PAW.
UM, WE'RE ALSO DOWN TO JUST THREE REAL LIFE ROOMS NOW FOR THE DOGS WHEN WE HAD FOUR.
UM, AND ESPECIALLY DURING THE SUMMER, THE REAL LIFE ROOMS GET USED A LOT BY THE VOLUNTEERS BECAUSE THERE'S REALLY NOWHERE ELSE TO TAKE THE DOGS WHEN IT'S SO HOT.
THERE'S ONE PLAY YARD THAT WE KIND OF ALL FIGHT OVER.
IT'S THE PLAY YARD FIVE THAT STILL HAS LIKE MULCH AND DIRT AND NOT THAT HOT ASTROTURF.
SO WE JUST NEED MORE BETTER ENRICHMENT SPACES FOR THE DOGS DURING THE SUMMER.
THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK TONIGHT.
MY NAME IS ERIN MITCHELL AND I'M HERE TO SPEAK IN SUPPORT OF THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE TO BAN FOR-PROFIT BUSINESSES FROM ALLOWING PUBLIC CONTACT WITH WILD ANIMALS.
UM, WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE ISSUES WITH AZA ACCREDITED ORGANIZATIONS, AND TO BE HONEST, I THINK THERE SHOULD BE ORDINANCE AGAINST THEM, BUT THIS IS A SMALL STEP FOR ANIMALS AND FOR PUBLIC SAFETY.
UM, I'VE SPOKEN HERE BEFORE ABOUT CONCERNS REGARDING THE AUSTIN AQUARIUM, BUT THIS ORDINANCE ISN'T JUST FOR THAT AQUARIUM.
WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE ISSUES WITH MULTIPLE, MULTIPLE BUSINESSES THAT PROFIT FROM EXPLOITING ANIMALS.
AS WE KNOW THE AUSTIN AQUARIUM, UM, THE WILD ANIMALS THERE ARE FORCED TO BE TOUCHED, HELD PRODDED CONSTANTLY WITHOUT REGULATION, AND IT POSES A DANGER TO BOTH THE ANIMALS AND THE PUBLIC.
WHEN THE WILD ANIMALS ARE FORCED TO BE HANDLED, THIS IS NOT NATURAL FOR THEM.
WE ARE NOT LETTING THEM LIVE THEIR LIVES AND THEY SUFFER SEVERE PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS.
THEY'RE FRIGHTENED, AND A NATURAL REACTION IS FOR THEM TO ATTACK PEOPLE.
THIS HAS LED TO MANY VISITORS AND STAFF AT THE AUSTIN AQUARIUM IN PARTICULAR, BEING ATTACKED AND INJURED.
I'M ASKING YOU TO PLEASE PUT YOURSELF IN THE POSITION OF THE ANIMALS.
WHY FORCE THEM TO BE USED AS A SPECTACLE FOR ENTERTAINMENT? AND WHY CONTINUE TO ALLOW PEOPLE AND ANIMALS BE IN DANGER? PLEASE DO THE RIGHT THING IN SUPPORT PASSING THIS ORDINANCE.
[00:40:06]
HELLO, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.AS A PROUD RESIDENT OF AUSTIN, I STAND BEFORE YOU TODAY.
I SIT BEFORE YOU TODAY IN FIRM SUPPORT OF AN IMPORTANT PROPOSAL THAT AIMS TO SAFEGUARD THE WELLBEING OF BOTH WILD ANIMALS AND THE PUBLIC.
LET US REMEMBER THAT WILD ANIMALS DO NOT DESIRE HUMAN INTERACTION.
THEY THRIVE IN THEIR NATURAL HABITATS AWAY FROM THE PETTING, POKING, AND PRODDING THAT COME WITH PUBLIC ENCOUNTERS, SUBJECTING THEM TO IRREGULAR SLEEP PATTERNS, MISHANDLING LOUD NOISES, AND LARGE CROWDS OF STRANGERS ONLY CAUSES EVENT STRESS, PUTTING BOTH THE ANIMALS AND THE PUBLIC AT RISK OF HARM.
IT IS PARTICULARLY DISTRESSING TO WITNESS THE EXPLOITATION OF VULNERABLE BABY ANIMALS TORN AWAY PREMATURELY FROM THEIR MOTHERS.
FOR THE SAKE OF PROFIT, THESE INNOCENT CREATURES ARE SUBJECTED TO A LIFE OF STRESS AND EXPLOITATION IN PROFIT DRIVEN FACILITIES.
WE CANNOT TURN A BLIND EYE AT THIS CRUELTY.
FURTHERMORE, PUBLIC INTERACTIONS WITH WILD ANIMALS CARRY SIGNIFICANT HEALTH RISKS, BITES AND SCRATCHES CAN LEAD TO INFECTIONS.
AND THERE IS ALSO THE ALARMING POTENTIAL FOR ZOONOTIC DISEASE.
AND THIS IS WHETHER OR NOT THERE'S, THERE'S BITES OR SCRATCHES IN THE FIRST PLACE.
AND THIS IS JUST BY REGULAR CONTACT.
UM, SADLY, THE PROLIFERATION OF FACILITIES OFFERING PUBLIC ENCOUNTERS WITH WILD ANIMALS HAS BROUGHT ABOUT COUNTLESS INCIDENTS OF INJURIES INFLICTED UPON UNSUSPECTING CUSTOMERS, ONE SUCH AS ESTABLISHMENT.
THE AUSTIN AQUARIUM HAS A DISTURBING HISTORY OF VISITOR INJURIES.
DURING THESE ENCOUNTERS, THE AUSTIN AQUARIUM HAS REPEATEDLY DRAWN THE ATTENTION OF REGULATORY AUTHORITIES.
THE U S D A HAS CITED THE FACILITY FOR VARIOUS VIOLATIONS, INCLUDING FAILING TO SEEK VETERINARY CARE FOR ANIMALS, EXHIBITING SIGNS OF SEVERE PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS, INADEQUATE HOUSING CONDITIONS, AND FAILURE TO ESTABLISH, UH, SUFFICIENT BARRIERS BETWEEN ANIMALS AND VISITORS.
DESPITE THESE WARNINGS, THE AQUARIUM PERSISTS IN ALLOWING DIRECT CONTACT WITH WILD ANIMALS, INCLUDING SOME SPECIES THAT ARE NOT PROPERLY MONITORED.
SUCH PRACTICES ENDANGERED BOTH ANIMALS AND VISITORS.
THE GROWING PUBLIC AWARENESS AND CONCERN FOR ANIMAL WELFARE ARE UNDENIABLE.
WE RECENTLY WITNESSED THE ENACTMENT OF THE BIG CAT PUBLIC SAFETY ACT, WHICH RIGHTLY PROHIBITS PUBLIC CONTACT WITH BIG CATS.
THE CRUCIAL LEGISLATION ACKNOWLEDGES THE RISKS AND STRESS EXPERIENCE BY THESE ANIMALS.
IT IS NOW OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO EXTEND THIS PROTE PROTECTION TO ALL SPECIES AND ESTABLISH AUSTIN AS A COMPASSIONATE LEADER IN PREVENTING SUCH CRUELTY.
IN CLOSING, I URGE EACH OF YOU TO PLEASE REFLECT UPON THE NUMEROUS INCIDENTS OF INJURIES, DEATHS AND VIOLATIONS DOCUMENTED AT THE AUSTIN AQUARIUM.
LET US PRIORITIZE ANIMAL WELFARE AND PUBLIC SAFETY OVER PROFIT DRIVEN EXPLOITATION.
IT IS TIME TO TAKE A STAND AND SUPPORT THE PROPOSAL TO PROHIBIT PUBLIC CONTACT WITH WILD ANIMALS AT FOR-PROFIT ZOOS AND AQUARIUMS. TOGETHER WE CAN SEND A RESOUNDING MESSAGE THAT AUSTIN STANDS AGAINST CRUELTY AND PRIORITIZES THE WELLBEING OF ALL LIVING BEINGS.
HELLO, MY NAME IS CHRISTIAN CANTONS AND I'M A RESIDENT OF AUSTIN GRADUATE STUDENT AND AN EDUCATOR.
AND I'VE COME OUT AND TO SPEAK IN FAVOR OF THE ORDINANCE TO PROHIBIT PUBLIC CONTACT WITH WILD ANIMALS.
AT FOR-PROFIT ZOOS AN AQUARIUM, I WILL BE ARGUING THAT WE SHOULD OPPOSE THEM BECAUSE THEY PROVIDE NOTHING OF VALUE TO OUR COMMUNITY.
AND BECAUSE THEY'RE DETRIMENT AND BECAUSE THEY'RE AN ACTIVE DETRIMENT TO IT.
ZOOS IN AQUARIUM, ZOOS IN AQUARIUMS OFTEN CLAIM TO BE EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS.
AND WHILE IT'S TRUE THAT THERE'S SOMETHING THEY TEACH, THE LESSON IS BOTH FALSE AND I THINK DANGEROUS.
WHAT REALLY CAN BE LEARNED FROM AN WHAT REALLY CAN BE LEARNED FROM AN ANIMAL, TAKEN FROM THEIR NATURAL ENVIRONMENT, KEPT IN AN ENCLOSURE AND PREVENTED FROM EXHIBITING THE BEHAVIORS THAT COME NATURAL TO THEM.
WHEN WE LOOK AT THEM ACROSS THE BARS OR GLASS OF THEIR ENCLOSURES, WE SEE ONLY A REFLECTION OF OUR OWN POWER AND PRESUMED DOMINANCE FROM THESE ENCOUNTERS.
CHILDREN ARE TAUGHT NOT RESPECT FOR THE WIDER WORLD, BUT A BELIEF THAT THESE, UH, THAT OTHER ANIMALS EXIST ONLY TO ENTERTAIN AND AMUSE TO BE TREATED AND PLAYED WITH AS WE SEE FITTING.
WE, UH, WE CAN CALL THIS ATTITUDE HUMAN EXCEPTIONALISM, AND I THINK IT HAS NO PLACE IN A PROGRESSIVE CITY LIKE AUSTIN.
OF COURSE, MUCH OF THIS CONVERSATION HAS ALREADY BEEN MADE CLEAR, UH, IS REALLY ABOUT AUSTIN AQUARIUM.
AND SO I'LL SAY A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS FACILITY AND MAYBE I, SOME OF THIS WILL BE A LITTLE BIT REPETITION, BUT I'LL TRY TO SKIM OVER AS MUCH AS I CAN FIRST.
SO FIRST IT'S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT A SANCTUARY.
WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT A WILDLIFE REHABIL REHABILITATION FACILITY, OR EVEN AN INSTITUTION THAT DOES ANYTHING, HOWEVER SMALL TO SUPPORT CONSERVATION EFFORTS.
FOR INSTANCE, AUSTIN AQUARIUM IS JUST A ROADSIDE ATTRACTION, TRYING TO MAKE MONEY BY EXPLOITING VULNERABLE ANIMALS.
[00:45:01]
THIS DISTINCTION, YOU KNOW, THE FACT THAT THESE ARE, UH, FOR-PROFIT INSTITUTIONS, I THINK THAT THAT IS A REALLY IMPORTANT, UH, POINT TO EMPHASIZE.SO, BECAUSE PROFIT IS THE PRIORITY FOR AUSTIN AQUARIUM, THEIR ANIMALS AREN'T GIVEN EVEN THE MINIMUM OF CARE THAT THEY REQUIRE.
AUSTIN AQUARIUM HAS ALREADY BEEN CITED, AS HAS BEEN MENTIONED, UH, BY THE U S D A.
SO, FOR INSTANCE, WE'RE FAILING TO CONSULT A VET VETERINARIAN WHEN OTTERS WERE EXHIBITING ABNORMAL BEHAVIORS THAT WERE SIGNED OF SEVERE PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS FOR FAILING TO HOUSE ANIMALS IN APPROPRIATE AND CLEAN ENCLOSURES, INCLUDING FOR NOT CLEANING THE CAP'S POOL THAT HAD PCS FLOATING IN IT, AND FOR FAILING TO ESTABLISH ADEQUATE BARRIERS BETWEEN ANIMALS AND CUSTOMERS.
IT HAS, IT HAS ALSO BEEN MADE ABUNDANTLY CLEAR THAT THE KEY CARE, EVEN THEY CARE A LITTLE EVEN ABOUT THEIR CUSTOMERS.
THERE HAVE BEEN MOST MULTIPLE INCIDENTS THAT THE AUSTIN AQUARIUM WHERE VISITORS, INCLUDING CHILDREN, HAVE BEEN INJURED DURING ENCOUNTERS A LIMMER BIT, A TEENAGER, ANOTHER, AND ANOTHER GUEST DURING A SEP SEPARATE INTERACTIONS, PROMPTING EACH TO SEEK MEDICAL TREATMENT AS THE FACILITY ALSO RECEIVED CRITICAL CITATIONS, UH, FROM THE U S D A OVER ANOTHER INCIDENT WHEN A LIMMER BIT, A CHILD'S, UH, HAND, AND WHEN, UH,
THESE CITATIONS LED TO AN OFFICIAL WARNING FOR ALLEGED VIOLATIONS OF THE FEDERAL WE, UH, ANIMAL WELFARE ACT.
AND SO, AS A FINAL CLOSING REMARK, I I JUST WANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT THIS IS A DECISION THAT WE'RE GONNA BE MAKING THAT'S GOING TO REFLECT THE KIND OF CITY THAT AUSTIN WANTS TO BE.
ARE WE A CITY THAT'S ALIGNED WITH VALUES SUCH AS LIKE, YOU KNOW, DEFENDING WILDLIFE AND STANDING FOR LIKE HUMANITY? OR ARE WE, ARE WE GONNA BE SIDING WITH THE, UH, FOR-PROFIT INSTITUTIONS THAT EXPLOIT ANIMALS? THANK YOU.
HI, UM, I'M ACTUALLY MARK ON MAY.
UM, SO I WANT TO BE HERE TO, UH, SUPPORT THE CONCEPT THAT, UH, YOU GUYS HEAR THE, UH, ZER, UH, VISION PLAN.
I THINK IT WOULD BE REALLY, UH, CRITICAL FOR YOU GUYS TO ADVOCATE FOR THE DOGS THAT USE, UH, THE PARK.
UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK AS YOU MAY OR MAY NOT KNOW, UH, THE PLANT WAS ACTUALLY, UH, DEVELOPED, UH, PRIMARILY BY LIKE THE NON, UH, PROFITS AND, UH, YOU KNOW, THE BUSINESSES THAT USED THE PARK FOR, YOU KNOW, THEIR OWN GOALS.
THERE WAS PRACTICALLY NO THOUGHT, UH, GIVEN TO ANY OTHER GROUPS, INCLUDING THE FOLKS THAT USE THE, UH, USE, USE THE PARK, UH, TO WALK, WALK THEIR DOGS.
AND SO YOU REALLY HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO ACTUALLY, UH, REPRESENT THOSE GROUPS AND THEIR VIEWS THAT HAVE BEEN, UH, PRETTY MUCH LEFT OUT OF THE PLAN.
SO IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT FROM LIKE A DOG WALKER POINT OF VIEW, NOW YOU CAN PARK ON LU NEPH ROAD.
YOU CAN OPEN YOUR CAR, CAR DOOR AND YOUR, YOU KNOW, YOUR DOG CAN RUN AROUND IN A LITTLE QUIET, UH, CORNER OF A PARK.
BUT AS IT'S ACTUALLY PROPOSED, UH, LUNA IS ACTUALLY TOTALLY CLOSED.
AND SO YOU'LL BE FORCED TO PARK IN AN UNDERGROUND, UH, GARAGE ON LIKE THE, UH, POLO FIELDS.
AND YOU'LL BE CHANNELED ACROSS A NARROW LAND, UH, BRIDGE WITH ALL THE OTHER FOLKS THAT ARE GOING TO USE THE PARK.
YOU'LL SORT OF SQUEEZE BY THE HILL HILLSIDE THEATER WITH YOUR DOG.
I HAVE NO IDEA HOW, HOW THAT'LL WORK WHEN THERE'S A SHOW AT HILL HILLSIDE THEATER, AND THEN YOU'LL GET TO THE GREAT GREAT LAWN.
THIS IS A HUGE STEP BACKWARDS, AND THERE'S NO ONE THAT'S ACTUALLY ADVOCATING FOR THEM, FOR THE DOGS OR THE FOLKS THAT OWN, OWN THE DOGS.
AND SO I THINK YOU GUYS REALLY HAVE A, A, A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO WEIGH IN FOR THOSE FOLKS, AND I HOPE THAT YOU WILL TAKE IT.
I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE AUSTIN AQUARIUM AND THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE TO BAN PUBLIC CONTACT WITH WILD ANIMALS, SPECIFICALLY FOR FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE NOT ACCREDITED UNDER THE ASSOCIATION OF ZOOS AND AQUARIUMS. I BELIEVE THAT IF THIS ORDINANCE IS RECOMMENDED TO CITY COUNCIL AND ACTUALLY PASSED, IT WILL SOLVE THE WORST ISSUES FOUND INSIDE THE AUSTIN AQUARIUM.
IT'LL ACTUALLY CONTINUE TO ALLOW REPUTABLE ANIMAL CARE FACILITIES IN OUR CITY TO CONTINUE OPERATING.
AND TO CLARIFY THE SCOPE OF THIS ORDINANCE, IT, IT SEEMS TO ME AT LEAST, LIKE IT IS A TAILORED AND FOCUSED ORDINANCE IN THE SENSE THAT IT, IT DOESN'T PROHIBIT FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS FROM DISPLAYING OR EXHIBITING OR SHOWING THESE ANIMALS.
IT, IT JUST PROHIBITS PUBLIC INTERACTION WITH THOSE ANIMALS THEMSELVES.
IT, IT DOESN'T PROHIBIT ORGANIZATIONS FROM TEACHING KIDS HOW ANIMALS LIVES ARE, IT JUST PROHIBITS THE KIDS FROM TOUCHING THEM AND POTENTIALLY BEING HARMED FROM THOSE INTERACTIONS THEMSELVES.
AND THE REASON I THINK THAT THIS ORDINANCE, THIS PROPOSED ORDINANCE IS AN OVERREACHING
[00:50:01]
OR JUST BENEFICIAL, BUT ACTUALLY NECESSARY IS BECAUSE ALL OF THE ALTERNATIVE MEASURES THE AUSTIN AQUARIUM HAS ATTEMPTED TO TAKE TO REDUCE HARM HAVE NOT WORKED SO FAR.THE AUSTIN AQUARIUM HAS TRIED TO IMPOSE AGE LIMITS SO THAT PEOPLE WHO ARE 14 YEARS OLD OR OLDER CAN ONLY INTERACT WITH LEMURS.
BUT A MONTH AGO, THERE WAS A 30 YEAR OLD WOMAN WHO WALKED INSIDE THE LEMUR EXHIBIT AND WAS IMMEDIATELY SCRATCHED AND BITTEN IN THE FACE.
SHE STARTED BLEEDING, SHE WENT TO THE HOSPITAL, SHE REPORTED THIS INCIDENT TO LOCAL NEWS, AND SHE ASKED THE AQUARIUM, THIS HAD HAPPENED BEFORE.
AND THEY LIED TO HER AND SAID, NO, THEY'VE TRIED TO INCREASE SUPERVISION INSIDE THE AQUARIUM ITSELF.
BUT WHEN I WENT, I SAW THAT THERE WAS ONE SUPERVISOR INSIDE THE BIRD EXHIBIT, AND STILL THREE KIDS WERE BITTEN AND SCRATCHED BY THREE DIFFERENT BIRDS.
THESE MEASURES HAVE AT LEAST NOT PROVEN TO WORK AND TO ACTUALLY REDUCE THE HARM THAT REGULARLY OCCURS AT THIS AQUARIUM.
SO IT SEEMS TO BE THE CASE IS THAT AS LONG AS THIS POLICY IS ALLOWED, AS LONG AS PUBLIC INTERACTION WITH WILD ANIMALS IS ALLOWED INSIDE THIS AQUARIUM HARM IS INEVITABLE.
AND TO ME, IT FEELS LIKE THIS IS WHAT AUSTIN ACTUALLY WANTS.
A COUPLE MONTHS AGO I STARTED A PETITION CALLED SHUT DOWN THE AUSTIN AQUARIUM, AND I EXPECTED TO GET, TO GET LIKE A DOZEN OR HUNDREDS OF SIGNATURES, BUT IN LESS THAN THREE MONTHS IT GOT 56,000 SIGNATURES.
TO ME, THAT MEANS THAT THE PEOPLE OF AUSTIN DO NOT WANT THIS ACCORDING TO CONTINUE OPERATING, AT A VERY LEAST, DO NOT WANT THIS POLICY TO CONTINUE BEING IN PLACE.
AND FOR THIS REASON, I'M ASKING Y'ALL TO RECOMMEND THIS ORDINANCE TO CITY COUNCIL AND RECOMMEND FOR THEM TO PASS THIS AT COUNCIL ITSELF.
OKAY, LET'S MOVE ON TO, UM, OH, I, SOMEBODY WROTE THIS REALLY FAST.
UH, LOOKS LIKE MAYBE HEIDI, UM, I, SOMEBODY ELSE WANT TO TRY TO INTERPRET THIS.
IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE WHO SIGNED UP TO SPEAK THAT I, HI.
MAYBE YOU'RE
UH, I HAVE, WE HAVE TWO MORE THAT SIGNED UP.
FORD SANDERS AND, UH, LOOKS LIKE HAKEY.
THAT CONCLUDES ALL OF OUR SPEAKERS.
SO, UM, THE FIRST THAT, THAT WE'VE MAY WANT TO CONSIDER AS A COMMISSION.
I WAS GONNA MAKE A MOTION YES.
HOW ABOUT THIS ZOOM? DO YOU WANT EXPAND ON THAT, WHERE EXACTLY YOU'D LIKE TO MOVE THAT ITEM, UH, AS PART OF YOUR MOTION? UM, I DON'T HAVE THE AGENDA IN FRONT.
I KNOW THAT THERE'S THE, UM, DONLAN, SORRY, HERE.
OKAY, SO THE MOTION WOULD BE TO MOVE ITEM NUMBER SEVEN TO WHERE ITEM NUMBER THREE UNDER DISCUSSION ITEMS IS CURRENTLY.
UM, AND IT WOULD BECOME A DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS. SO WE WOULD ACTUALLY, IT WOULD, IT WOULD BE AN ACTION ITEM SO THE WHOLE, EVERYBODY CLEAR ON THAT MOTION? IT WOULDN'T BECOME JUST DISCUSSION.
WAS IT BEFORE OR AFTER THREE? BEFORE.
SO IT WOULD BECOME, UM, DIRECTLY AFTER STAFF BRIEFINGS NUMBER TWO.
IS IT CAN NUMBER TWO? IT'S PRECEDING THE NUMBER TWO ITEM.
WHICH IS IT? IT WOULD PROCEED NUMBER THREE.
ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
OKAY, WE HAVE, KEEP YOUR HANDS UP PLEASE.
SO IT LOOKS LIKE CLINTON AND NOW ALL AGAINST OR OPPOSED? OH, THERE WE GO.
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
[00:55:05]
OKAY, NEXT AGENDA ITEM IS APPROVAL OF MINUTES.APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION, REGULAR MEETINGS ON MAY 8TH, 2023.
I MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING ON MAY 8TH.
IS THERE A SECOND? AYE SECOND? AYE SECOND.
ALL IN FAVOR? RAISE YOUR HAND UNANIMOUS.
[2. Overview of monthly reports provided by the Animal Service Office]
STAFF BRIEFINGS.NUMBER TWO, OVERVIEW OF MONTHLY REPORTS PROVIDED BY THE ANIMAL SERVICES OFFICE.
I KNOW WE HAVE A PACKED AGENDA, SO I'M GONNA MAKE THIS BRIEF.
THE REPORTS Y'ALL, Y'ALL DID RECEIVE THOSE.
I'M GONNA MAKE A COUPLE OF HIGHLIGHTS AND THEN ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE FROM THOSE, UH, REPORTS, I'D BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO ASK, ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
THE LIVE EXIT RATE FOR MAY WAS 97.53%.
IN MAY, WE HAD, UM, SIX NEW VOLUNTEER ORIENTATIONS INTRODUCING 123 NEW PEOPLE THAT 125 OF THEM STARTED THEIR FIRST TRAINING SHIFTS IN MAY.
IF YOU LOOK AT ALL VOLUNTEER HOURS, WE HAD A TOTAL OF 535 TOTAL INDIVIDUALS, UH, OFFER 7,205 TOTAL VOLUNTEER HOURS.
AND WHEN YOU COMPARE THAT TO MAY OF 2019, WE HAD BACK THEN 391 VOLUNTEERS WITH 5,411 HOURS.
SO WE'VE EXPANDED OUR, UH, VOLUNTEER HOURS CONSIDERABLY AND WE COULDN'T DO WHAT WE DO WITHOUT THOSE VOLUNTEERS.
SO WE TRULY APPRECIATE ALL THE ASSISTANCE STAFFING.
WE CURRENTLY HAVE TWO STAFF ANIMAL CARE STAFF POSITIONS POSTED.
ONE IS A TEMPORARY AND ONE IS A FULL-TIME.
AND WE HAVE 10 FULL-TIME POSITIONS AND SIX TEMPORARY POSITIONS THAT ARE CURRENTLY IN THE PROCESS OF ONBOARDING FROM EITHER INTERVIEWING TO OFFERS MADE TO WAITING, UH, FOR THEIR NEW START DATE.
SO THOSE ARE ALREADY, UH, IN, IN THE PIPELINE, SO WE'RE VERY PLEASED WITH THAT.
UH, BEFORE I PROCEED, DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON ANY OF THE REPORTS? IF NOT, I WOULD LIKE TO TURN, UH, THE MIC OVER TO ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, STEPHANIE, HAYDEN.
I AM STEPHANIE HAYDEN HOWARD, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER.
I HAD SENT AT BELINDA, UM, THANK YOU FOR SENDING OUT A CORRESPONDENCE FROM MY OFFICE ON FRIDAY, UM, ABOUT AN, UM, A RETREAT THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE, UM, WITH THE COMMISSION.
AND, UM, WE HAVE A CONSULTANT, UM, THAT WE HAVE HIRED, UH, TO ASSIST US WITH SNAP MANAGEMENT.
AND, UM, WE'RE, WE'RE WORKING ON A FACILITATED DISCUSSION.
AND SO, UM, OUR THOUGHTS IS, IS IS WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO HEAR, UM, FROM EACH, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, UM, EACH, EACH COMMISSIONER INDIVIDUALLY.
UM, WE WANT YOU TO BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE.
WE WANT YOU TO PROVIDE INFORMATION TO US.
UM, BECAUSE OUR GOAL IS, IS THAT WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO INCREASE THE, UM, COMMUNICATION AND COLLABORATION, UM, THAT WE ARE SEEING BETWEEN THE COMMISSION AND OUR STAFF.
UM, IN, IN CONVERSATIONS THAT, UM, I HAD WITH, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER POOL'S OFFICE, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE TALKED WITH HER AS WELL AS THE CITY CLERK ABOUT IS THAT NOW THAT WE HAVE NEW, UM, COMMISSIONERS AS WELL AS RETURNING COMMISSIONERS, THIS WOULD ALLOW US THE OPPORTUNITY, UM, TO BE ABLE TO COME TOGETHER AND REALLY START TO USE THAT RETREAT FOR US TO START TO PLAN AS WE START TO LOOK AT YEARS OUT.
AND SO THAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE RETREAT.
UM, I HAVE ASKED, UM, DARRELL, UH, PIERCE, HE IS HERE THIS EVENING AS WELL IN THE EVENT YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, BUT WE REALLY, REALLY WOULD LOVE A HUNDRED PERCENT PARTICIPATION, UM, FROM THE COMMISSION.
WE FEEL LIKE THAT THIS WOULD BE VERY ADVANTAGEOUS TO OUR COMMISSION, TO OUR STAFF AND TO THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE.
AND SO I WILL PAUSE JUST IN CASE ANYONE HAS ANY QUESTIONS,
[01:00:01]
BUT MY HOPE THAT YOU ALL RECEIVED THIS MEMO THAT WAS SENT OUT ON FRIDAY.YES, COMMISSIONER, SO ARE YOU, THANK YOU FOR I, I DID GET THE MEMO AND THANK YOU FOR COMING TO THE MEETING.
SO IS THIS BEING TRI STORM FOR THIS PARTICULAR COMMISSION? IS THIS SOMETHING THAT'S GONNA BE ROLLED OUT TO OTHER COMMISSIONS? I'M, I'M JUST CURIOUS.
WELL, WELL WE'RE, WE ARE STARTING HERE.
UM, AND SO, UM, WE ARE ANTICIPATING THAT THERE WILL BE SOME OTHER COMMISSION, COMMISSION THAT WILL GO THROUGH SOMETHING SIMILAR.
UM, IF AS A, AS THE FOLKS COME TOGETHER AND START LOOKING AT HOW DO WE PLAN OUT, HOW DO WE START TO LOOK AHEAD, HOW DO WE WORK MORE COLLABORATIVELY TOGETHER, HOW DO WE INCREASE THE COMMUNICATION? AND SO YOU WILL, YOU WILL PROBABLY SEE OTHER ONES, BUT THIS IS WHERE WE'RE STARTING.
SO YOU'RE STARTING WITH, WITH THIS GROUP AND THEN, UH MM-HMM.
UM, IS THERE A TIMELINE FOR THIS? IT'S, I KNOW COMING ON SUMMER, A LOT OF US HAVE PLANS TO BE OUT OF TOWN FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME.
SO IS THERE A TIMELINE PROJECTED FOR THIS? WELL, WE ARE GONNA, UM, I HAVE THE CONSULTANT HERE, BUT WE ARE GOING TO TAILOR THIS TO YOU ALL SCHEDULE CUZ WE UNDERSTAND SUMMER AND UNDERSTAND HOW, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE TRAVEL, THEY'VE ALREADY MADE ARRANGEMENTS TO TRAVEL.
AND SO WE ARE DEFINITELY GOING TO TAILOR THIS AROUND, UM, AROUND Y'ALL'S SCHEDULE BECAUSE WE DO WANT MAXIMUM PARTICIPATION.
SO IS THIS GOING TO BE LIKE A ONE-ON-ONE CONSULTING INITIALLY AND THEN WE COME TOGETHER AS A GROUP? AND THEN I GUESS MY OTHER QUESTION IS, UM, IS THERE SOME SORT OF TRAINING FOR COMMISSIONERS INVOLVED IN THIS TOO? I MEAN, TONIGHT I WAS GONNA HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT CITY BUDGET, COUNTY BUDGET, YOU KNOW, IS THERE SOME SORT OF TRAINING INVOLVED IN THIS IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PLANNING AS FAR AS HOW SOME OF THE BACKEND OF CITY GOVERNMENT WORKS? SO A COUPLE OF THINGS.
UM, AND THEN I'LL, I'LL TRANSITION OVER.
UM, THE, THE CLERK'S OFFICE IS GOING TO PARTICIPATE.
UM, SHE'S PROBABLY JOINING US HERE VIRTUALLY, UM, AND KIND OF LOOKING AT KIND OF THE ROLE THAT THEY WILL PLAY, UM, AS WE'RE, AS WE'RE PUTTING TOGETHER THE AGENDA.
BUT WE DON'T WANT TO COME WITH A SET AGENDA.
THE AGENDA IS GOING TO BE BASED UPON WHAT WE HEAR FROM, FROM YOU AS WHAT YOU WANT TO WORK ON AND WHAT YOU FEEL LIKE IS GONNA BE BENEFICIAL.
AND SO THAT'S HOW THAT AGENDA IS GOING TO BE CREATED BASED UPON Y'ALL'S FEEDBACK.
NOW, IF THERE'S SOME KIND OF ADDITIONAL THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, SUPPORT THAT WE CAN PROVIDE, UM, TO YOU INDIVIDUALLY, IF THAT'S KIND OF NOT THE GENERAL CONSENSUS, WE'LL DEFINITELY PROVIDE THAT TO YOU AS WELL.
UH, I'M GONNA BUILD ON A FEW QUESTIONS THAT HAVE BEEN ASKED AND A FEW POINTS MADE BY, UH, THE ACM.
UH, ONE, UH, OUR FIRM HAS BEEN IN EXISTENCE FOR 21 YEARS.
WE'VE WORKED WITH DEPARTMENTS AND, UH, COMMISSIONS THROUGHOUT, UH, THE STATE.
SO WE LOOK FORWARD TO THIS OPPORTUNITY TO FACILITATE DISCUSSIONS WITH YOU ALL.
AND I ALSO HAVE SERVED ON BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, UH, AT THE CITY.
UH, SO I'VE, I HAVE A FEW STRIPES, UH, THERE FROM A COMMUNITY SERVICE PERSPECTIVE, BUT AS IT RELATES TO THIS PARTICULAR INITIATIVE, UH, THE GOAL HAS KIND OF BEEN FRAMED AND SO I'LL BE INTERESTED IF YOU ALL HAVE ANY FEEDBACK ON THE GOALS.
SO THAT'S KIND OF THE OUTCOME OF WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR, THE PROCESS.
UH, WE WANT YOUR HAND PRINTS TO BE ON THE PROCESS.
AND SO OUR ROLE IS GONNA BE JUST TO KIND OF NAVIGATE AND FACILITATE.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS WE WOULD LIKE TO DO IS THAT WE WOULD SEND OUT A QUESTIONNAIRE TO YOU ALL, ONE, IDENTIFYING WHAT YOU IDENTIFY AS SOME OF THE CHALLENGES, SOME OF THE OPPORTUNITIES, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE, FROM A, FROM A DATE PERSPECTIVE, WHAT ARE BEST DATES THAT WORK FOR YOU? UH, WHAT ARE SOME OTHER OUTCOMES YOU WOULD LIKE TO ACCOMPLISH IN ALIGNMENT WITH WHAT HAS HAS ALREADY BEEN FRAMED.
SO WE WANT YOUR INPUT, UH, AND IF THERE'S OTHER ISSUES THAT WILL RETHINK OTHER RESOURCES WILL BE APPROPRIATE TO HAVE THEM PRESENT BECAUSE IT'LL BE OF SOME ASSISTANCE AS FAR AS INCREASING YOUR KNOWLEDGE BASE.
WE WANNA BE ABLE TO DO THAT AS WELL.
SO ONCE WE COLLECT ALL THE FEEDBACK FROM YOU ALL, WE'LL BE PREPARED AT THAT POINT IN TIME TO HAVE A PROPOSED AGENDA AND APPROACH.
UM, IDEALLY WOULD BE TO, UH, AT A MINIMUM HAVE A HALF DAY RETREAT UP TO A FULL DAY.
BUT WE WANT THAT TO BE DRIVEN BASED ON, UH, HOW MUCH HEAVY LIFTING YOU ALL WANT TO DO.
AND SO WE WANT THAT TO BE COMMISSION DRIVEN AT THE COMMISSION LEVEL.
UH, THAT WOULD BE, UH, THE IDEAL.
AND SO THE DATES WOULD BE DRIVEN BY YOUR FEEDBACK.
WE WOULD COME BACK WITH SEVERAL COMMON DATES THAT HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED AND ENSURE THAT WE HAVE BUY-IN FROM EVERYONE ON THE COMMISSION, THAT THAT
[01:05:01]
IS A DATE THAT WE WANNA LAND ON.I THINK THE OTHER KEY THING TOO, WE'LL BE ASKING FEEDBACK FROM YOU Y'ALL, IS ABOUT LOCATION.
UH, WHERE WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE IT HELD.
WE HAVE SOME FLEXIBILITY, UH, KNOW THAT THERE ARE BUDGET CONSTRAINTS, SO WE HAVE TO RELY ON ACM, ON WHATEVER YOU SELECT THAT WE CAN MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
BUT WE WANTED TO BE IN A CREATIVE SPACE AND A SPACE THAT YOU ALL FEEL LIKE WE CAN DO SOME REAL GOOD WORK, UH, IN THAT SPACE.
SO THAT WOULD BE THE APPROACH.
UM, I THINK THE SOONER THE BETTER, BUT WE HAVE TO HAVE THAT TIMELINE IN ORDER TO SOLICIT THE FEEDBACK FOR THE FEEDBACK, RECEIVE IT, UH, PUT TOGETHER, UH, COMMON THEMES AS A RESULT OF WHAT YOU'VE IDENTIFIED.
AND THEN LET'S LAND ON THE DATE AS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
I THOUGHT YOU WERE GONNA SAY J W MARRIOT IN SAN ANTONIO
SO IF THAT IS A RECOMMENDATION THAT YOU HAVE, SURE WE WILL LEAST, WE WILL LEAST PASS IT FORWARD.
MY ROLE IS TO FACILITATE THE PROCESS.
BUT I HAVE, I HAVE A QUESTION.
SO YOU COLLECT THE FEEDBACK FROM THE DIFFERENT, UM, THE COMMISSIONERS AND I'M ASSUMING ALSO, UH, CHIEF DON BLAND IN HIS OFFICE, CORRECT? YES.
AND YOU GET ALL THAT FEEDBACK.
SO WHO REVIEWS ALL THIS AND WHO'S GOING TO LOOK INTO THIS BESIDES YOU MM-HMM.
SO, SO I WOULD SAY OUR STAFF WOULD HAVE A RECOMMENDED RECOMMENDATION FOR THE ACM.
UH, AND THEN THAT'LL BE DISTRIBUTED TO YOU ALL FOR YOUR FEEDBACK TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE A CONSENSUS THAT, THAT THAT WOULD BE THE APPROACH.
WE'RE NOT GONNA MOVE FORWARD WITH A, WITH A FINAL AGENDA AND SURPRISE YOU ON THE DAY THAT YOU ARRIVE, UH, WITH WHAT IS BEING RECOMMENDED.
SO YOU WILL SEE THAT BEFOREHAND.
AND IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT RAISES A, A YELLOW FLAG OF CONCERN, WE WANNA DISCUSS THAT GOING INTO, I MEAN, IDEALLY, LET'S GO INTO THE RETREAT WITH AN OPEN MIND, OPEN HEART THAT WHATEVER'S BEING CREATED, YOU ALL HAVE DONE AS A COLLABORATIVE.
UM, THAT WOULD BE THE BEST WAY TO SET THE FOUNDATION FOR A HEALTHY DIALOGUE AND HEALTHY CONVERSATION.
COMMISSIONER CLINTON? YEAH, THANK YOU, CHAIR.
UM, I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT, UH, QUORUM, HOW THAT WORKS WITH US.
UH, IS IT GONNA BE A POSTED MEETING? IS THE PUBLIC, UM, GOING TO BE PRESENT FOR IT TO BE A POSTED MEETING GIVEN MEDICAL FORUM ISSUES? AND THEN I GUESS I, IF THE ANSWER IS YES TO THAT, THEN I ASSUME, AND PLEASE CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, THAT IF, UH, IF SOMEONE WAS UNABLE TO ATTEND THAT, THAT WOULD COUNT AGAINST THEIR ATTENDANCE, UM, FOR PURPOSES OF COMMISSION MEETINGS.
SO WE WILL POST, UM, THE, THE MEETING AND, UM, AND THEN IT, IT CAN BE ATTENDED BY THE PUBLIC, YOU KNOW, CUZ THAT'S JUST KIND OF HOW WE DO WITH RE RETREATS AND, YOU KNOW, KIND OF ADHERING TO THAT AS WELL.
UM, THE OTHER THING IS, IS THAT WHAT, UM, WHAT DARRELL WILL BE ASKING YOU, WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO HAVE US TO MEET IN PERSON, BUT IF WE LOOK AT AND WE NEED TO HAVE A HYBRID MEETING, YOU KNOW, THAT IS AN OPTION TOO.
SO WE'LL BE ABLE TO HEAR THAT FROM YOU AS WELL.
SO IT AT LEAST WOULD ALLOW A LITTLE BIT MORE, UM, FLEXIBILITY BECAUSE WE DO UNDERSTAND YOU ARE VOLUNTEERS AND YOU ALL ARE REALLY HELPING US A LOT.
AND SO WE WANNA BE AS FLEXIBLE AS WE CAN BE.
ANY QUESTIONS OTHER THAN WHAT WE'VE ASKED ANY, ANY, UH, COMMENTS? WELL, THANK YOU.
WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS, SO STAY TUNED.
UM, SO COMMISSIONER HA, UM, HASSAN SAYS THAT SHE WAS NOT ABLE TO SIGN THE FORM, BUT SHE, SHE SENT AN EMAIL CONFIRMATION OF 4 27 THAT SHE COULDN'T SIGN IT.
I HAVE BEEN TOLD SHE NEEDS TO, SHE DID NOT COM COMMUNICATE BACK TO ME THAT SHE WOULD BE ATTENDING REMOTELY, NOR DID SHE SUBMIT HER RECRUIT RECAL BEFORE THE MEETING.
OKAY, LET'S, UM, MOVE ON TO, WE'VE MOVED THE, THE NEXT AGENDA ITEM
[7. Discussion and possible action to approve a recommendation, based on the findings of the Aquarium Working Group, to City Council regarding animal welfare in privatelyowned aquariums within the City.]
UP.SO UNDER DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS, WE'LL TAKE ON, UH, WHAT USED TO BE NUMBER SEVEN, DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO APPROVE A, A RECOMMENDATION BASED ON THE FINDINGS OF THE AQUARIUM WORKING GROUP TO CITY COUNCIL REGARDING ANIMAL WELFARE AND PRIVATELY OWNED AQUARIUMS WITHIN THE CITY.
WHO WOULD LIKE TO START US OFF? I'LL DO
[01:10:01]
THAT.SO THE, I THINK THE HUMAN STORY BEHIND ANYTHING IS, IS INTERESTING AND INFORMATIVE TO WHY IT'S HAPPENING.
SO I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SHARE A LITTLE BIT OF, UM, MINE.
SO THE AUSTIN AQUARIUM WAS NOT ON MY RADAR UNTIL A CONCERNED MEMBER OF THE COMMUNITY CAME AND SPOKE ABOUT SOME OF THEIR CONCERNS ABOUT THE AUSTIN AQUARIUM.
AT THE FEBRUARY, UM, ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION MEETING IN 2023, I WAS VERY SHOCKED BY THE CONCERNS THAT WERE BROUGHT UP, WHICH MAINLY CENTERED AROUND PUBLIC INTERACTIONS WITH ANIMALS, INCLUDING MAMMALS, MANY OF WHICH, UM, ARE PRIMATES, UM, THAT IS ALLOWED AT THE AUSTIN AQUARIUM AND THE INJURIES TO PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY CHILDREN THAT HAVE PREDICTED THE RESULTED FROM THIS PUBLIC CONTACT.
I WAS SURPRISED TO HEAR THIS BECAUSE I HAD BEEN TO AUSTIN AQUARIUM BACK IN 2018.
LIKE MANY PARENTS, I FOUND MYSELF NEEDING TO PASS ABOUT AN HOUR WITH MY TWO YEAR OLD IN THE VICINITY OF AUSTIN AQUARIUM.
I WAS HOPEFUL THAT A PLACE CALLED AUSTIN AQUARIUM WOULD HAVE THE SAME INTEREST IN ANIMALS AND ANIMAL WELFARE THAT I CONSIDERED THE CITY OF AUSTIN TO HAVE GENERALLY.
SO WE WENT IN, UM, AS A VETERINARIAN WHO HAS WANTED TO BECOME A VETERINARIAN EVER SINCE I CAN REMEMBER.
UM, MY ADULT LIFE HAS ACTUALLY BEEN A PROCESS OF UNLEARNING MANY OF THE EARLIEST LESSONS.
I WAS TAUGHT ABOUT ANIMALS BY EXPERIENCING THEM IN CAPTIVITY WITHOUT REALIZING IT.
I HAD INTERNALIZED THE ANIMALS BELONG IN ENCLOSURES, THAT THEY DON'T HAVE COMPLEX NATURAL BEHAVIORS OR SOCIAL, INTELLECTUAL, OR EMOTIONAL NEEDS.
I'M VERY GRATEFUL FOR THE UNLEARNING I HAVE DONE IN THESE AREAS.
AND SO I'M MINDFUL OF NOT ALLOWING THE SAME IT MISEDUCATION OF MY DAUGHTER.
SO AS WE WALKED THROUGH THE AUSTIN AQUARIUM BACK IN 2018, I ASKED HER A LOT OF QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT WE WERE SEE SEEING, AND BY THE TIME WE LEFT, SHE WAS SAYING, THESE FISH BELONG IN OCEAN WITH THEIR FRIENDS.
SO I WAS SHOCKED TO LEARN THAT AUSTIN AQUARIUM HAD EXPANDED THE ANIMALS.
IT KEEPS IN ITS SMALL FACILITIES TO MAMMALS, INCLUDING PRIMATES, AS I MENTIONED, AND WAS ALLOWING PUBLIC CONTACT NOT ONLY ALLOWING, BUT ENCOURAGING IT.
SO I WAS VERY CURIOUS TO LEARN THE FACTS AROUND THIS ISSUE AND GET COMMUNITY INPUT.
AND I AGREED TO HEAD THE AUSTIN AQUARIUM WORKING GROUP.
THIS COMMISSION VOTED TO FORM AT THE MARCH MEETING OF THIS YEAR FOR THIS WORKING GROUP.
I ALLOWED ANY MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC WHO EXPRESSED INTEREST TO ME TO BE ON THE WORKING GROUP.
THE ONLY PERSON I REACHED OUT TO REGARDING BEING ON THE WORKING GROUP WAS COMMISSIONER HERRERA.
AFTER FIGURING OUT THAT THE AUSTIN AQUARIUM IS LOCATED IN HIS APPOINTING DISTRICT ON THE WORKING GROUP, WE LEARNED ABOUT A LONG HISTORY OF CONCERNS ABOUT ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND PUBLIC SAFETY AT AUSTIN AQUARIUM.
MANY HAVE BEEN BROUGHT UP IN PUBLIC COMMENTS, SO I WON'T REHASH ALL OF THEM.
BUT THESE CONCERNS WENT BACK TO THE OPENING OF THE AQUARIUM WHEN, AS FAR AS I COULD DISCERN, CITY COUNCIL ACTUALLY REQUESTED THE ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION MAKE A WORKING GROUP LOOKING INTO AUSTIN AQUARIUM AT THAT TIME.
AND, UM, ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION DID MAKE SUCH A WORKING GROUP, BUT I WAS UNABLE TO FIND A WORK PRODUCT FROM THAT WORKING GROUP.
AND I HOPE WE CAN RECTIFY THAT AND MAKE A RE RECOMMENDATION TO CITY COUNCIL THAT WILL MAKE A POSITIVE CHANGE, UM, FOR OUR CITY GOING FORWARD, WANTING TO BE AS INFORMED ON THIS ISSUE AS POSSIBLE.
I DID RETURN TO AUSTIN AQUARIUM FOR A VISIT AT THE BEGINNING OF APRIL OF THIS YEAR.
IT WAS VERY DIFFERENT FROM THE PLACE I HAD VISITED IN 2018 AND HAD NOT CHANGED FOR THE BETTER.
IT MAY BE THE CASE THAT THERE ARE EXISTING LAWS THAT HAVE APPLIED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE SPIRIT OF THOSE LAWS, UM, THAT THINGS WOULD BE DIFFERENT AT, AT AUSTIN AQUARIUM.
UM, BUT THROUGH MY RESEARCH ON THE WORKING GROUP, IT SEEMS TO ME CLEAR THAT EFFECTIVELY ENFORCING THE LAWS THAT ARE IN PLACE, UM, WOULD REQUIRE THERE'S STILL MUCH TOO MU THERE'S STILL TOO MUCH SUBJECTIVITY INVOLVED IN THE, IN THE IMPLEMENTING OF THOSE LAWS.
AND THEY WOULD REQUIRE TOO MUCH SPECIFIED KNOWLEDGE ON THE PART OF OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT.
FOR EXAMPLE, WHAT IS THE APPROPRIATE HOUSING AND HUSBAND TREE FOR VARIOUS EXOTIC SPECIES.
LIKE THAT JUST CAN'T BE THE KIND OF SPECIALIZED KNOWLEDGE THAT WE REQUIRE ALL OF OUR LAW
[01:15:01]
ENFORCEMENT TO HAVE.UM, IT'S EXTREMELY COMPLICATED.
UM, SO THAT'S WHY THE DRAFT ORDINANCE SIMPLY REQUIRES ANSWERS TO MORE BASICALLY UNDERSTOOD BINARY QUESTIONS.
IS THIS A BUSINESS? IS IT TAX EXEMPT? IS IT ACCREDITED BY AZA? IS IT ALLOWING PUBLIC CONTACT? UM, AND THEN I WILL ALSO MENTION THAT AZA IS THE, IS THE PREEMINENT ACCREDITING ORGANIZATION, AND THERE ARE AT LEAST THREE EXAMPLES OF STATE LAWS THAT DEFER SPECIFICALLY AND ONLY TO AZA UM, ACCREDITATION, UM, IN THE APPLICATION OF THEIR LAWS.
SO, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE WHAT QUESTIONS ARE COMING UP, UM, FROM THE VARIOUS COMMISSIONERS ABOUT THIS.
I'M CURIOUS HOW MUCH INFORMATION YOU HAVE ABOUT WHAT IT TAKES TO BE ACCREDITED BY AZA.
IS IT A TIME COMMITMENT? IS IT A DOLLAR COMMITMENT? UH, IS IT A SIZE OF THE FACILITY? CAN A PET STORE BE ACCREDITED BY AZA? LIKE WHAT SORT OF INFORMATION DO YOU HAVE ON THAT? DON'T HAVE THE DETAILS ON THAT.
WHAT I DO KNOW IS THAT IT, IT'S A VERY MEANINGFUL ACCREDITATION THAT THEY DO, UM, ANNUAL VISITS TO FACILITIES AS OPPOSED TO TAKING FACILITIES WORD.
UM, AND THAT THEY DO OF THE ACCREDITING FACILITIES, THEY DO HAVE THE HIGHEST STANDARD FOR, FOR HUSBANDRY AND ANIMAL WELFARE.
I'M JUST CURIOUS IF WE HAVE ANYBODY IN THE CROWD THAT WE COULD ASK, LIKE, WHAT WOULD BE INVOLVED IN ACCREDITING A BUSINESS? IS THAT APPROPRIATE OR NOT? IF YES, I WOULD THINK SO.
UM, IS THERE A, AN SOMEONE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK TO THAT, IF YOU COULD RAISE YOUR HAND? YEAH.
UH, COULD YOU COME UP PLEASE? YEAH.
AND, UH, IF YOU COULD WAIT AND TURN ON THE MICROPHONE AND SO WE CAN CAPTURE THROUGH THE RECORDING.
UH, AZA ACCREDITATION, TYPICALLY, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE LATEST DOLLAR FIGURE IS, BUT IT'S PRETTY EXPENSIVE FOR AN INSTITUTION TO APPLY FOR ACCREDITATION, UH, IN THE MILLIONS.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, I'M SURE A PET STORE COULD BUT WOULDN'T, UH, IT'S KIND OF RULED OUT FOR THAT.
AS FAR AS, UM, I GUESS THIS GOES BACK TO MY POINT, I HEARD A LOT OF FOLKS JUMPING ON THE, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE A FOR-PROFIT, YOU HAVE BAD INTENTIONS FOR ANIMALS BANDWAGON THOUGHT THREAD.
UH, IN MY TIME WORKING IN AZA ACCREDITED FACILITIES, I'VE SEEN PLENTY OF INSPECTORS LOOK THE OTHER WAY AT THE BIGGEST FACILITIES AND ANIMALS IN VERY POOR CONDITIONS FOR WHAT THEY ARE.
UH, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE GROUPS LIKE THE MINNESOTA RAPTOR CENTER, WHICH, SO ARE, ARE WE ALLOWING GENERAL COMMENT AS A, AS A THANK SPECIALIST IN THIS, OR JUST THANK YOU.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR THE SPEAKER? OKAY.
BRUCE, I GUESS I'M, I'M STRUGGLING TO UNDERSTAND, SO I HAVE A GOOD UNDERSTANDING OF LIKE, IF YOU WANNA BE DR.
ARE, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR THE SPEAKER? I GUESS IS AZA ACCREDITATION BASED ON, IS IT PROTOCOL DRIVEN? LIKE YOU HAVE PROTOCOLS FOR HOUSING ANIMALS? DO YOU HAVE PROTOCOLS FOR FEEDING ANIMALS, OR PARTLY THAT AND PARTLY SHOWING THAT YOU ALSO DO HAVE, UH, FINANCES IN PLACE OVER THE NEXT FIVE TO 10 YEARS FOR, UH, UM, DEVELOPMENT OF YOUR, YOU KNOW, REDEVELOPMENT OF HABITATS, REFURBISHING OF BUILDINGS, UH, THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
SO IT IS PRETTY INVOLVED AND COMPLICATED AS WELL AS EXPENSIVE.
UH, SO THERE ARE MULTIPLE LEVELS.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR THE SPEAKER? OKAY, THANK YOU.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS? DISCUSSION? IS THERE ANY OTHER, UM, ANY OTHER MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC THAT WOULD HAVE EXPERTISE ON THAT? ANYBODY WHO HAD CALLED IN, UH, COMMISSIONERS MAGULA? YEAH, SO, UH, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'VE BEEN ON THE COMMISSION A LITTLE OVER TWO YEARS NOW.
I DON'T THINK ON A SINGLE ITEM I HAVE EVER RECEIVED, UM, THIS MANY EMAILS FROM BOTH SIDES.
UM, AS WE ALL HAVE, CUZ I'M SURE IT WENT TO ALL COMMISSIONERS.
UM, THE ONE THAT STRUCK OUT TO ME THE MOST IS, UH, I HAVE IT HERE FROM THE, UH, ZOOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA, WHICH EVIDENTLY IS ANOTHER ACCREDITING ORGANIZATION THAT IS NOT AZA.
[01:20:02]
AND SO I'M LOOKING AT THEIR LIST HERE.AND OF COURSE, NO SURPRISE TO ME AFTER ALL OF THIS CONVERSATION THAT AUSTIN, AUSTIN AQUARIUM IS NOT ON THEIR LIST.
UM, AUSTIN ZOO IS ON HERE, THE FORT WORTH ZOO, NATURAL BRIDGE WILDLIFE CENTER, SAN ANTONIO ZOO, THE PRESERVE.
SO THERE ARE MANY OTHER ORGANIZATIONS HERE IN TEXAS THAT ARE ACCREDITED BY THIS, UM, ZOOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA.
SO I THINK FOR WHAT I CAN SEE THAT FACILITIES ACCREDITED BY THE ACA, THEY MAY NOT NECESSARILY BE THE ONLY ACCREDITING ORGANIZATION THAT THAT COULD BE ACCREDITING THIS, THESE PLACES.
SO IS IT POSSIBLE THAT WE MAY BE ABLE TO LOOK AT THIS AND AMEND TO ADD, ADD OTHER ACCREDITING, RECOGNIZE ACCREDITING ORGANIZATIONS? ONE MORE.
I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW OF ANY OTHER ACCREDITING ORGANIZATION THAT HAS BEEN CITED IN OTHER LAWS AS BEING AN, AN APPROPRIATE RESOURCE FOR, YOU KNOW, FOR THE, THE STAND IN E EXPERTISE ON ISSUES, UM, TO, YOU KNOW, TO HANG OUR HAT ON OUR LAW LAW ENFORCEMENT BASED ON THEIR ACCREDITATION.
WHEREAS, UM, THE AZA, LIKE I SAID, AS TO MY KNOWLEDGE, THREE OTHER STATE LAWS THAT CITE THEIR ACCREDITATION AS BEING APPROPRIATE FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT.
UH, COMMISSIONER LINDER, CAN YOU ALL HEAR ME OKAY? YES.
UM, SO I GUESS I JUST WANTED TO SPEAK TO SOME OF THE QUESTIONS THAT ARE COMING UP A LITTLE BIT GIVEN SORT OF, YOU KNOW, UM, THE LIMITED KNOWLEDGE BASE I HAVE ON THIS.
BUT, UM, AS FAR AS THE Z A A VERSUS A Z A ACCREDITATION, UM, I THINK GENERALLY THE A Z A A IS REGARDED AS SORT OF THE GOLD STANDARD ACCREDITATION, UM, ORGANIZATION.
AND THAT'S BECAUSE OF SOME OF THE, THE REASONS THAT WERE LISTED HERE TODAY AS FAR AS THEIR REQUIREMENTS OF, UM, YOU KNOW, ANNUAL INSPECTIONS.
UM, THEY SURVEY SORT OF THE, THE VETERINARY, UM, OVERSIGHT AT THE FACILITY YOU'RE REQUIRED TO HAVE MEET CERTAIN EDUCATIONAL AND CONSERVATION, UM, REQUIREMENTS.
SO THERE'S SORT OF A WHOLE HOST OF, UM, FACTORS THAT GO INTO THE AZA ACCREDITATION, UM, PROCESS.
UM, AND THEN THERE'S OTHER ACCREDITATION GROUPS, THE LARGEST OF WHICH, UM, IS THE ZIA A, UM, AND THE ZIA A, UH, IS MUCH LARGER AND CAPTURES A LOT OF ORGANIZATIONS THAT DON'T MEET THE STANDARD FOR AZA ACCREDITATION FOR ANY OF THOSE REASONS I JUST LISTED OR, OR OTHERS.
UM, I THINK WITHIN THIS FIELD, UM, MANY SORT OF CRITICIZE THE Z A A AS BEING, YOU KNOW, UM, SORT OF A RUBBER STAMP IN THAT WAY, THAT THEIR STANDARDS ARE, UM, YOU KNOW, SORT OF SO LOW AS, AS TO NOT BE, UM, TRULY MEANINGFUL.
THERE'S LOTS OF, UM, Z A A ACCREDITATION OR ACCREDITED ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE HAD, UM, DOZENS OF ANIMAL WELFARE ACT VIOLATIONS BY THE U S D A.
UM, AND I DON'T THINK ANY ZIA A ORGANIZATION HAS EVER LOST THEIR ACCREDITATION STATUS.
SO THERE'S A HUGE RANGE AS ALL I'M TRYING TO SAY AS FAR AS THESE DIFFERENT ACCREDITATION ORGANIZATIONS GO.
UM, TO ME THOUGH, I DON'T KNOW THAT THIS, UM, DISTINCTION IS, IS MAYBE THE MOST IMPORTANT ONE OR, OR ONE TO GET STUCK ON.
I'M NOT SURE THAT THERE ARE ANY AZA ACCREDITED ORGANIZATIONS WITHIN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
UM, IT'S POSSIBLE THERE ARE, UM, BUT I'D BE OPEN TO, TO STRIKING LIST LANGUAGE IF WE FEEL LIKE WE WANNA BE SORT OF MORE EVEN HANDED TO, UM, TO ALL ACCREDITATION ORGANIZATIONS.
UM, I THINK, UH, ONE OF THE PRIMARY DIFFERENCES USUALLY BETWEEN AZA AND NON AZA FACILITIES IS THAT AZA FACILITIES, UM, REALLY LIMIT, UM, AND CLOSELY REGULATE INTERACTION BETWEEN THE PUBLIC AND ANIMALS.
SO LIKELY, UM, AN AZA ACCREDITED ORGANIZATION WOULD NOT BE ENGAGING IN THE KINDS OF BEHAVIORS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UM, AT THAT ARE AT, AT ISSUE IN THIS ORDINANCE.
UM, SO IN, IN SOME WAYS, I, I DON'T THINK IT SO MUCH MATTERS WHETHER OR NOT WE INCLUDE, UM, AZA ORGANIZATIONS OR NOT.
I THINK THE FOR-PROFIT VERSUS DISTINCTION, UM, MAYBE CARRIES MORE WEIGHT IN THAT SENSE.
[01:25:05]
ANY OTHER COMMENTS, QUESTIONS? IS THERE A MOTION? SORRY.I, I WOULD MOVE THAT, UM, THE ANIMAL ADVISORY, OH, I'M SORRY.
WAS IT BASED ON, I GUESS, I GUESS COMMISSIONER LINDER DIDN'T MAKE A MOTION.
CAN I, WE WERE JUST WORKING A MORE DEBATE, UH, LET'S, UH, SUSPEND THE MOTION FOR A MOMENT.
SOUNDS LIKE THERE'S MORE DISCUSSION.
YEAH, I, I GUESS I HAVE MORE DISCUSSION TOO ABOUT, UM, HOW FACILITIES THAT HAVE REPTILES FOR SALE WOULD BE AFFECTED.
I MEAN, JUST LOOKING AT THIS FROM BUSINESSES THAT ARE ALREADY IN TOWN, THEY CAN HAVE ANIMALS ON DISPLAY AND FOR SALE, BUT PUBLIC CAN'T HOLD THEM PRIOR TO PURCHASE.
OR I GUESS, WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? I'M NOT CLEAR ON THAT.
UM, I, I THINK THERE WOULD BE, I MEAN, THE, I DON'T THINK THAT THE CLASSIC UNDERSTANDING OF DISPLAY TO THE PUBLIC WOULD IMPINGE ON A PET STORE.
UM, BUT WE CERTAINLY WOULDN'T WANNA CREATE A LOOPHOLE WHERE SOMEONE COULD SAY THEY WERE A STORE AND, UM, AND AROUND THE ISSUE.
BUT WE DON'T NEED TO DEFI DECIDE THESE LEGAL, THESE NUANCED LEGAL ISSUES IF WE MAKE A RECOMMENDATION.
I THINK COMMISSIONER LINDER ALSO HAS SOMETHING TOO.
GO AHEAD, COMMISSIONER LINDER, IF THAT'S OKAY.
UM, AND I'M, I'M SORRY TO, UM, TO TAKE UP, UM, MORE TIME HERE, I GUESS, UM, JUST SORT OF AS A MORE GENERAL THOUGHT, I THINK THERE'S, UM, A REAL ISSUE AT THE HEART OF THIS AND HOW, UM, MOVING ON TO ADJUST OR, OR POTENTIALLY TINKER WITH A LANGUAGE IS SOMETHING THAT, THAT WE CAN CONSIDER.
UM, BUT IN MY DAY JOB, UM, I'M A RESEARCHER WHO'S BEEN STUDYING ZOONOTIC DISEASE, UM, AND, UH, THE INTERSECTION BETWEEN ZOONOTIC DISEASE AND ANIMAL COMMERCE FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS.
UM, AND AMONG SORT OF THE, THE MOST HIGHEST RISK TAXONOMIC GROUPS, UM, ARE BATS, UH, RODENTS AND PRIMATES.
AND SO, UM, SORT OF UNMONITORED INTERACTIONS BETWEEN, UM, THE PUBLIC, PARTICULARLY CHILDREN AND PRIMATES, I THINK DOES PRESENT A REAL SORT OF, UM, PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY THREAT THAT, THAT WE NEED TO LOOK AT MORE CLOSELY.
I THINK LOTS OF QUESTIONS HAVE BEEN RAISED ABOUT HOW WE WANNA CLOSELY DEFINE AND TAILOR THAT TO, UM, TO REGULATE ONLY ONLY THE BEHAVIOR THAT WE FIND SORT OF MOST PROBLEMATIC.
AND I WOULD BE, UM, INTERESTED AND OPEN TO WORKING WITH, UM, WITH ANYONE ELSE ON THIS COMMISSION TO, TO LOOK FURTHER AT THAT LANGUAGE IF, UM, THAT SEEMS TO BE SORT OF A STUMBLING BLOCK THAT, UM, THAT WE RUN INTO HERE.
UM, AND I GUESS THE LAST THING I WANNA, UH, SAY, AND THEN, UM, I WON'T SAY ANYMORE, I PROMISE.
UM, IT'S JUST THAT I THINK AS FAR AS, UM, WE'VE ALLUDED TO ALL THE EMAILS THAT WE'VE ALL GOTTEN, UM, ON, ON THIS ISSUE.
AND I THINK, UM, I AM CONCERNED ABOUT SORT OF OUTSIDE GROUPS HAVING AN OUTSIZED INFLUENCE ON MATTERS THAT ARE AND SHOULD BE, UM, THE PROVINCE OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT.
I HAVE COMPLETE FAITH IN EVERYONE ON THIS COMMISSION TO, UM, TO MAKE THOSE DECISIONS, UH, THAT REFLECT THE VALUES OF OUR COMMUNITY, UM, AND, AND TO SORT OF IN THAT WAY GUARD, UM, THE PUBLIC INTEREST AGAINST, UM, PRIVATE ONES.
BUT WHEN I SORT OF JUST DID A SPOT CHECK OUT OF THE EMAILS WE RECEIVED, UM, MOST OF THE FORM EMAILS AND, AND ALL OF THEM, IN FACT THAT I CHECKED WERE FROM PEOPLE WHO HAD NO RELATION TO AUSTIN OR THE STATE OF TEXAS AT ALL.
UM, THE INDIVIDUALIZED ONES WE GOT FROM MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY, UM, WERE FROM AUSTIN RESIDENTS, AND THEY WERE OVERWHELMINGLY SORT OF IN SUPPORT OF THIS.
SO I, I'M INTERESTED IN, UM, I GUESS LOOKING AT THIS FURTHER IN, IN WAYS, UM, THAT, YOU KNOW, HOWEVER WE DECIDE TO MOVE FORWARD.
THANK YOU, UH, COMMISSIONER CLINTON.
UM, I JUST, I WANNA SAY A FEW THINGS, AND I'M NOT NEARLY AS INFORMED AS THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS ON THIS, SO I DEFINITELY DEFER TO THE, TO THE KNOWLEDGE BASE OF THE OTHERS.
BUT, UM, ONE, I WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU TO DR.
NELSON AND THANK YOU TO THE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO, UM, THIS MATTERS SO MUCH TO AND
[01:30:01]
WHO HAVE TAKEN THE TIME TO COME TO THESE MEETINGS TO RELENTLESSLY ADVOCATE FOR THE THINGS THAT THEY BELIEVE IN.NOTHING EVER GOOD HAPPENS, UM, WITHOUT SOMEONE PUTTING IT ON THEMSELVES TO, UM, KIND OF SET ASIDE OTHER PRIORITIES IN THEIR LIFE AND, UH, AND TAKE SOMETHING ON THAT'S REALLY HARD.
UH, AND I, I DEEPLY, TRULY THANK THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY THAT HAVE DONE THAT.
IT'S REALLY HARD AND YOUR, YOUR JOURNEY DOES NOT END TODAY, REGARDLESS OF WHAT HAPPENS.
AND THIS YOU HAVE BARELY BEGUN.
UM, BUT I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO KEEP FIGHTING FOR THE THINGS THAT YOU BELIEVE IN AND KEEP, UM, PUSHING FOR THE THINGS THAT YOU BELIEVE IN, UM, RELATED TO THE FACILITY THAT WE'VE, WE'VE, THAT HAS MOSTLY, UH, BEEN THE TARGET OF THE DISCUSSION HERE.
UH, BUT I DID ATTEND AND IT IS, UH, A PRETTY, IN, IN MY VIEW, IN MY EXPERIENCE, A A PRETTY UPSETTING PLACE TO BE.
I KNOW THAT A LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE, UM, ARE FINE WITH IT AND HAVE NO ISSUES, BUT FOR ME, UH, IT WAS, IT WAS A, IT WAS KIND OF A HARD PLACE TO BE.
AND MY, UM, OH, I HAVE A, I HAVE A FAMILY MEMBER THAT JUST JOINED ME, SORRY.
UM, MY, UH, MY EXPERIENCE THERE WAS NOT GOOD, AND IT WASN'T, IT WASN'T NOT GOOD, UH, ONLY BECAUSE OF THE, UM, EXHIBITING, UH, AND THE, THE CONTACT THAT PEOPLE HAD WITH THE ANIMALS, ALTHOUGH THAT WAS, UM, THAT WAS PRETTY TOUGH TO SEE TOO.
UM, I, I, I'VE HAD A HARD TIME BELIEVING THAT, THAT PRIMATES SHOULD BE IN, IN THE SIZE OF CAGES THAT THEY WERE IN.
AND, UH, AND THEY WERE IN, IN MY NON-EXPERT OPINION, UH, AROUSED TO AN EXTENT THAT WAS NOT HEALTHY FOR THEM OR FOR THE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC.
UM, I DID WITNESS, UH, SOME INTERACTIONS BETWEEN KIDS AND ANIMALS THAT, UH, PROBABLY WASN'T AS SAFE AS I MIGHT HAVE LIKED IT TO BE.
UM, AND THEN THERE OF COURSE, ARE SOME INTERACTIONS THAT MAYBE MOST PEOPLE WOULDN'T HAVE ANY TROUBLE WITH, LIKE FEEDING FISH, UM, AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, AND I DON'T KNOW HOW, HOW THIS AFFECTS THOSE THINGS.
I THINK, I THINK A LOT OF MEMBERS OF THE PELVIC WOULDN'T HAVE ANY TROUBLE WITH, WITH KIDS DROPPING A LITTLE FISH FOOD ON TOP OF A, AN AQUARIUM.
UM, SO I'M KIND OF MIXED ON ALL OF THIS.
I, IN, IN SOME WAYS I'LL TOTALLY, TO BE HONEST, THAT I WOULD WANT, UH, I WANT, WOULD WANT TO DO MORE, UM, BECAUSE I, IT, THERE WERE MORE THINGS ABOUT IT THAT, UH, IMPACTED ME NEGATIVELY.
UM, BUT ALSO I WANT TO BE CAREFUL NOT TO, UH, I, I DO THINK THAT DISPLAY, UH, AND IF THE, IF THE SENTENCE SAYS SOMETHING LIKE, DISPLAYING ANIMALS TO THE PUBLIC, ABSOLUTELY.
A AN ANIMAL, A PET STORE DOES DISPLAY ANIMALS TO THE PUBLIC, IT'S OKAY IF WE DECIDE THAT WE WANNA LIMIT THOSE INTERACTIONS TO, UH, I JUST THINK WE JUST NEED TO BE MINDFUL OF THE FACT THAT OUR, WHATEVER LANGUAGE WE CHOOSE, SHOULD IT DO SO, WOULD DO SO.
WE COULD, WE COULD CHOOSE THAT.
I THINK IT WOULD BE HARD, UH, FOR SOMEONE TO PURCHASE A BIRD OR A, OR, OR A TURTLE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, THAT WITHOUT HAVING ANY INTERACTION WITH IT.
I ALSO WANNA MENTION THAT, UM, THERE ARE A LOT OF, UM, UH, PETTING ZOOS THAT COME TO KIDS' BIRTHDAY PARTIES AND TO CHURCH EVENTS.
AND SOME OF THEM DO HAVE ANIMALS THAT MIGHT FALL UNDER THE CATEGORY OF THIS.
AND AGAIN, THAT MIGHT BE OKAY, MAYBE WE'RE SAYING WE DON'T WANT TO, WE WANNA LIMIT THINGS LIKE TURTLES OR, UM, OR, UM, LIZARDS OR THINGS LIKE THAT.
MAYBE, MAYBE WE'RE SAYING THAT'S OKAY, WE WANNA PREVENT THOSE FROM BEING IN PETTING ZOOS.
BUT THAT, THOSE ARE KIND OF WHERE I LANDED ON ALL OF THIS, WHICH IS THAT I, I DO WANT TO SUPPORT DOING SOMETHING.
UH, I DO THINK IT'S A PLACE THAT NEEDS, UM, THAT OUR, THE PEOPLE OF OUR COMMUNITY ARE, ARE, IN MY OPINION, CORRECTLY, UM, DISTURBED BY AND UPSET BY, UH, AND I'M NOT SURE EXACTLY WHAT THE RIGHT THING TO DO IS.
NELSON AND THE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC FOR, UM, STARTING US OFF HERE AND GETTING US TO WHERE WE ARE, WHERE WE CAN HAVE THIS CONVERSATION, UM, MEANINGFUL CONVERSATION ON BOTH SIDES OF THE ISSUE.
UH, I THINK THAT, I DON'T KNOW THAT I HEARD A SINGLE PERSON EITHER IN PERSON OR ONLINE SAY THAT THE THINGS THAT WE SAW ARE, OKAY, THE THINGS THAT I SAW ARE OKAY, OR THE INTERACTIONS THAT PEOPLE ARE NAMING ARE, ARE, OKAY.
SO HOW CAN WE, UM, LEGISLATE THE BEST WE CAN TO PREVENT THOSE INTERACTIONS THAT ARE IN FACT, NEGATIVE AND AT RISK? AND, AND I WOULD BE IN FAVOR OF THINGS LIKE HAVING TO HAVE ENORMOUS SIGNS PUT UP THAT SAY THIS, YOU KNOW, THIS ANIMAL HAS BIT THIS MANY PEOPLE, UM, OR, UH, ENORMOUS FINES FOR AN ANIMAL BITE AT ONE OF THESE PLACES.
I MEAN, THERE, THERE ARE ADDITIONAL THINGS THAT WE COULD, WE COULD POTENTIALLY DO TO, UM,
[01:35:01]
TO IMPACT THEM.BUT ANYWAY, THANK YOU FOR EVERYBODY.
UH, I'M GONNA STOP TALKING NOW.
I'M NOT AS, UM, KNOWLEDGEABLE AS THOSE ON THE COMMISSION, BUT THOSE ARE MY COMMENTS.
SO I THINK THE LANGUAGE UNDER THE DEFINITION OF WILD ANIMAL, UH, COULD, COULD YOU, WOULD YOU MIND JUST MOVING? THERE YOU GO.
SO I THINK, I THINK IT'S THE LANGUAGE UNDER THE DEFINITION OF WILD ANIMAL THAT WE CAN SORT OF TWEAK A LITTLE BIT TO GET OVER SOME OF THOSE CONCERNS.
LIKE, WHAT IS ORDINARILY DOMESTICATED WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT A LIZARD OR AN IGUANA? I, I WOULD THINK THAT THEY WOULD, IS IS THAT, I DON'T KNOW THE DEFINITION.
SO, SO I GUESS THAT, THAT'S KINDA MY, MY OPEN QUESTION.
WHAT, WHAT DO WE CONSIDER ORDINARILY DOMESTICATED? IS IT SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, HAS BEEN BR BY HUMANS FOR SO MANY YEARS THAT IT CAN NO LONGER SURVIVE IN THE WILD ON ITS OWN? OR ARE WE LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, PEOPLE HAVE BEEN KEEPING IGUANAS AND FRANCES FOR YEARS, YOU KNOW, SO WHAT, WHERE'S THE, WHERE DOES THAT FALL? THAT LANGUAGE CAME FROM THE, UM, THE STATE LAW AROUND, AROUND THE DEFINITION OF WILD, UM, AND SO HAS BEEN, UM, APPROVED BY OUR TEXAS STATE LEGISLATOR TO BE, TO BE MEANINGFUL IN THE DEFINITION OF WILD ANIMALS.
I WILL SAY, UM, IN THE, IN THE VETERINARY COMMUNITY, YOU COME BACK ME UP OR NOT, DR.
BRUCE, THAT DOMESTICATED ORDINARILY THAT DOMESTIC ANIMALS REFER TO CATS, DOGS, CHICKENS, PIGS, SHEEP, COWS, HORSES, GOATS, RABBITS, WHAT AM I FORGETTING? TERRIBLE.
I DON'T THINK THEY WOULD BE CONSIDERED DOMESTIC.
AND, AND IT'S GENUINELY, IT'S GENUINELY SOMETHING THAT DOES, THAT IS, THAT IS PRETTY WELL DEFINED IN, UM, IN VETERINARY MEDICINE, BECAUSE WE ARE ONLY OUR STATE, OUR BOARD'S EXAMS ONLY COVER, LIKE, WELL, NOT ONLY COVER DOMESTIC ANIMALS, BUT IT, IT, IT'S NOT AS WISHY WASHY OF A DEFINITION, DEFINITION AS ONE MIGHT TRY TO MAKE IT.
SO, SO THEN PERHAPS WE COULD ADD, YOU KNOW, NOT ORDINARILY DOMESTICATED OR KEPT AS A PET ONTO IT.
WELL, AND THAT MIGHT, IF YOU SAY THAT IN TEXAS, ANYTHING'S KEPT AS A PET IN TEXAS.
I MEAN, NOT LITERALLY, BUT I THINK THAT'D BE VERY PROBLEMATIC.
SO THAT WOULD THE LEMS AND THE, YEAH.
UM, CAN WE GO TO COMMISSIONER LO LONEY PLACE AND THEN, UH, WE'LL COME BACK.
I JUST WANTED TO, UM, CLARIFY THAT, YEAH, THERE ARE PARTS OF THIS STATE WHERE YOU CAN KEEP A TIGER AS A PET
UH, SO I THINK THAT WE DO NEED TO BE CAREFUL ABOUT HOW WE USE THAT TERM.
BUT I JUST ALSO WANTED TO ADD, SORT OF FROM A NATIONAL PERSPECTIVE, THERE ARE LOTS OF EXAMPLES OF STATE LEVEL SORT OF PUBLIC CONTACT WITH DANGEROUS WILD ANIMAL, UH, LEGISLATION THAT HAS PASSED, UM, IN TEXAS HOUSE BILL 37 10 WAS INTRODUCED IN 2021.
THAT, UM, UH, GIVES IT A LOT OF, I THINK WHAT'S GOING ON OR WHAT Y'ALL ARE TALKING ABOUT IN THIS CONVERSATION, ALTHOUGH IT'S THE LIST OF ANIMALS IS MORE NARROWLY TAILORED, WAS MORE NARROWLY TAILORED TO INCLUDE THOSE, UM, ANIMALS THAT ARE LISTED AS DANGEROUS WILD ANIMALS UNDER TEXAS STATUTE, BUT EXPANDED FROM EXISTING LAW TO INCLUDE NON-HUMAN PRIMATES.
SO THAT GETS AT A LOT OF THOSE, UM, SPECIES THAT COMMISSIONER LINDER WAS TALKING ABOUT EARLIER, WHERE YOU HAVE A LOT OF THE, UM, REALLY WELL DOCUMENTED DANGER IN THE PUBLIC CONTACT WITH THOSE ANIMALS, EITHER FROM A DISEASE PERSPECTIVE OR FROM AN INJURY PERSPECTIVE.
BUT, SO I JUST WANNA, I MEAN, I'M SURE THAT Y'ALL HAVE SEEN THAT STATUE BEFORE, BUT IT'S NOT AS EXPANSIVE AS I THINK WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE, WHICH WOULD COVER REPTILES, MAYBE EVEN BIRDS.
SO IT IS, IT IS MORE LIMITED IN ITS APPLICATION, BUT I THINK DOES COVER A LOT OF THE SPECIES IS THAT I THINK WE SEE THE MOST SIGNIFICANT INJURIES AND THE MOST SIGNIFICANT ANIMAL WELFARE CONCERNS.
SO I, UM, I GUESS MY QUESTION IS, UM, UH, HAVE IN, IN THE PROCESS OF THIS WORKING GROUP, HAVE WE REFERENCED SORT OF THE EXISTING LEGISLATION, UM, AT THE STATE LEVELS, ESPECIALLY WHERE WE'VE SEEN, YOU KNOW, THIS EFFORT ACROSS THE COUNTRY? WERE YOU REFERRING TO THE, UM, TO THE HOUSE BILL THAT DIDN'T PASS IN 2021? YEAH, I, UH, LIKE, AND THERE'S LOTS OF OTHERS FROM OTHER STATES THAT HAVE PASSED, UM, BUT THAT, THAT WAS
[01:40:01]
JUST ONE THAT HAPPENED IN TEXAS.YEAH, HE, YOU, YOU'RE STILL TALKING.
WELL, YEAH, I THINK COMMISSIONER SEN, GO AHEAD AND IF YOU COULD ANSWER THAT.
AND THEN WE'LL GO TO COMMISSIONER GOZA.
YEAH, I MEAN, CER CERTAINLY I WOULDN'T WANT TO RELY ON WHAT TEXAS IS DOING BROADLY, BECAUSE I DON'T THINK THAT REPRESENTS WHAT, WHAT THE MAJORITY OF THE PUBLIC WANTS TO HAVE DONE IN, IN AUSTIN.
UM, A AND I, I HAVEN'T LOOKED AT OTHER STATEWIDE STATEWIDE LAWS IN OTHER STATES.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE REALLY CAME AT THIS FROM WHAT'S GOING ON IN OUR AUSTIN COMMUNITY AND OUR SENSE OF WHAT WE THINK THE PEOPLE OF AUSTIN WOULD WANT TO BE THE STANDARD FOR, FOR, FOR OUR COMMUNITY HERE.
AND I, AND I WILL SAY, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT AS, AS, UM, YOU KNOW, THESE, THESE KIND OF DRESSED UP ROAD ROADSIDE ZOOS, UM, EXPAND ACROSS THE NATION THE MOST, MY UNDERSTANDING IS IT COULD BE WRONG, BUT MY, THE, THE MOST PROFITABLE PORTION OF THAT FOR THEM IS, IS ADVERTISING AND BRINGING PEOPLE IN FOR PUBLIC INTERACTION.
AND SO I THINK IN THE INTEREST OF, OF DRAWING A NARROW LAW THAT GETS AT SOME OF THE MOST DANGEROUS TO THE PUBLIC AND, AND HARMFUL TO THE ANIMALS PRACTICES OF, OF PUBLIC INTERACTION, THAT THAT WILL DISSUADE PEOPLE WHO ARE INTERESTED IN THE PROPHET AND NOT INTERESTED IN THE ANIMAL'S WELFARE EDUCATION CONSERVATION.
SO IT'S, IT'S REALLY APPRECIATED ALL THE GREAT WORK YOU HAVE BEEN DOING AND ALSO ALL THE PUBLIC THAT HAS COME IN AND WRITTEN.
I, I THINK EVERYBODY CARES IN THE COMMISSION ABOUT THIS.
WHAT I'M HEARING FROM THE GROUP IS THAT, UM, MAYBE TO GO BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD A LITTLE BIT, TO TWEAK YOUR, THIS PROPOSAL, ONE THING THAT I'M THINKING, AND I I, I HEARD WHEN RYAN SAID SOMETHING ABOUT, UM, UM, YOU HAVE TO DO SOMETHING DRASTIC FOR, I'M NOT SAYING TO DO THAT IN THE PROPOSAL, BUT LIKE TO SOMETIMES TO GET, UH, THOSE TYPE OF BUSINESSES TO LISTEN, HAVE SOME TYPE OF DRASTIC PENALTY.
AND I'M NOT SAYING TO DO THAT, BUT I WAS JUST LOOKING HERE IN, UH, MINIMUM FINE, FOUR INCH OVENS UNDER THE CODE IS $200.
I CAN SEE AN AQUARIUM, THAT AQUARIUM FOR $200 AND WHO PROBABLY DON'T CARE, AND WHO'S GOING TO POLICE THIS.
SO NOTHING JUST TO THINK ABOUT.
I I'M NOT SAYING THAT I HAVE RIGHT ANSWER, I'M JUST THINKING, HOW CAN WE MAKE THIS TO, TO PASS? AND, AND IT'S JUST SUGGESTIONS, THAT'S ALL.
AND I THINK WE ALL WANT THE SAME THING.
SO IF I COULD, UH, JUST CLARIFY, I THINK WHAT YOU'RE ASKING IS TO PUT SOME TEETH INTO IT.
SORRY, KEITH, LIKE SOME, SOME SEVERE MORE SEVERE PENALTIES.
SO, SO IN RESPONSE TO THAT, I WOULD, I WOULD JUST CLARIFY THAT THAT $200 FEE IS PER INCIDENCE OF VIOLATION, WHICH WOULD BE PER INCIDENCE OF PUBLIC INTERACTION FOR, FOR A FACILITY THAT WAS NOT ACCREDITED.
SO TO USE AUSTIN AQUARIUM AS AN EXAMPLE, IF THEY HAD NOT OBTAINED AZA ACCREDITATION AND WERE ALLOWING PUBLIC INTERACTION, IF THEY HAD, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE, WHAT WOULD BE AN ESTIMATE OF HOW MANY PUBLIC INTERACTIONS THEY HAVE IN A DAY, I WOULD THINK A LOW ONE WOULD BE 50 PER DAY.
[01:45:01]
200 TIMES 50 PER DAY WOULD BE THE FINE UNDER THIS ORDINANCE.SO IT'S NOT, IT WOULDN'T BE $200 PERIOD, IT WOULD BE SUBSTANTIALLY MORE IF WE COULD GO, UH, TO COMMISSIONER MAGULA.
THE FIRST IS, UM, ON WANNA THANK COMMISSIONER LINDER FOR THE EXPLANATION ONTO AZA AND Z A, BECAUSE I WAS NOT AWARE OF THE, OF THE ALL DIFFERENCES.
SO, UM, I, I ABSOLUTELY WOULD WITHDRAW MY EARLIER REQUEST ABOUT THAT NOW THAT I HAVE, UM, BEEN EDUCATED.
UM, AND THE SECOND THING IS TO FOLLOW ON THIS TOPIC WE WERE JUST DISCUSSING, UM, THIS SAYS THAT EACH INCIDENCE IS A MINIMUM OF 200.
THERE IS, I, I SEE NO MAXIMUM IN HERE.
SO WHO, WHO, WHO, MY QUESTION IS, MY QUESTIONS ARE WHO SETS THAT FINE AND HOW IS IT IN FORCE IF, IF THEY WOULD HAVE TO BE, YEAH.
SO WHO DOES THE ENFORCING? WHO SETS THE FINE, IS IT THE CITY OF AUSTIN? UM, COMMISSIONER LINDER, I'M NOT SURE IF YOU WANT TO AN ANSWER THIS.
I KNOW THAT YOU WERE WANTING TO SPEAK CORRECT OR NO, MAYBE, UM, THERE WAS NOT.
WOULD BE THAT IT WOULD BE THE CITY OF AUSTIN THAT WOULD, WOULD BE ABLE TO, UM, ASSIGN THOSE PENALTIES.
NIELSEN, WHAT DO, WHAT DO YOU THINK? YEAH, THAT IT WOULD, IT WOULD BE WHATEVER'S CURRENTLY DONE FOR ORDINANCES WE HAVE IN PLACE.
UM, AND THE, AND THE IMPOSED PENALTIES, IT WOULD JUST MAKE IT A LOT CLEANER AND LESS COMPLICATED AND LESS TIME INTENSIVE FOR THEM TO TRY TO GET TO THE BOTTOM OF WHETHER OR NOT THERE WAS ACTUALLY A VIOLATION.
RIGHT? BECAUSE IF THEY ARE NOT A Z A ACCREDITED, THEN THEY, BY THIS PASSING THIS, OR BY US RECOMMENDING THIS TO CITY COUNCIL, UM, THEN ANY PUBLIC INTERACTION, UNLESS THEY'RE AZA ACCREDITED, THEY'LL BE FINED FOR THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT.
THANK YOU COMMISSIONER LENDER.
NIELSEN, I KNOW THAT YOU HAVE PUT IN A TON OF WORK ON THIS, UM, AND I'M REALLY GRATEFUL TO EVERYTHING YOU'VE DONE TO, TO GET IT TO THIS POINT, AND I KNOW, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE ANXIOUS TO, TO GET THIS TO A VOTE.
UM, WITH THAT BEING SAID, I THINK THERE'VE BEEN SORT OF SOME FAIR POINTS THAT HAVE BEEN RAISED BOTH BY THE PUBLIC AND OTHER, UM, MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION TONIGHT AS FAR AS, UM, POSSIBLE TWEAKS AND MODIFICATIONS WE MIGHT WANNA MAKE, UM, THAT LANGUAGE.
SO I WAS CURIOUS WHETHER YOU WOULD BE OPEN TO, UM, SAY A GROUP OF US WHO ARE INTERESTED IN THIS WOULD LIKE TO SEE IT PASSED WITH THE GREATEST LIKELIHOOD OF SUCCESS, UM, WORKING TOGETHER TO SEE IF WE CAN SORT OF, UM, MORE CLOSELY TAILOR THAT LANGUAGE TO RESOLVE ANY OF THESE OUTSTANDING DISCREPANCIES.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, THE PET STORE, UM, ISSUE, I THINK WE COULD RESOLVE THAT BY INCLUDING LANGUAGE, UM, SAYING IT APPLIES TO PEOPLE WHO ARE DEFINED AS AN EXHIBITOR UNDER THE ANIMAL WELFARE ACT.
THERE'S KIND OF OTHER, UM, EXISTING REGULATION AS COMMISSIONER, UM, LONEY MENTIONED THAT WE COULD REFERENCE AND INCORPORATE THAT IS VERY CLEARLY DEFINED AND WOULD DO SOME OF THAT WORK FOR US.
SO AS SOMEONE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SEE THIS PAST, UM, I, I WOULD BE HAPPY TO GET TOGETHER WITH, UM, JEREMY CLINTON OR COMMISSIONER LONEY, OR COMMISSIONER HUDDLESTON OR WHOEVER ELSE SORT OF HAS THOUGHTS ABOUT HOW WE, WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO TAKE, UM, THE GOOD WORK YOU'VE DONE AND, UM, POTENTIALLY MAKE IT EVEN, EVEN CLEANER AND BETTER.
SO I'M WONDERING IF THAT'S SOMETHING YOU'D BE OPEN TO.
YEAH, I'M OPEN TO ANYTHING THAT IMPROVES THE SITUATION HERE IN AUSTIN.
UM, YEAH, THAT, THAT DOESN'T VIOLATE QUORUM
BUT, UM, I GUESS I WOULD MAKE A MOTION, UM, TO CONVENE A SECONDARY WORKING GROUP THAT COULD, UM, CLOSELY EXAMINE THE LANGUAGE OF THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE AND, UH, REPRESENT IT FOR, UM, DECISION AND POSSIBLE ACTION AT THE, UM, OUR NEXT, UM, FUTURE MEETING.
IS THERE A SECOND? AYE SECOND DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
I'M SORRY, AS FAR AS DISCUSSION, OH, I THOUGHT THERE WAS NO DISCUSSION.
[01:50:01]
WHO WILL BE ON THE WORKING GROUP? WHO WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE ON THE WORKING GROUP?OR COMMISSIONER NELSON ON YOUR WORKING GROUP? OKAY, GREAT.
YOU'RE ON YOUR WORK ON THE WORKING GROUP.
ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR, RAISE YOUR HAND.
AND IF ANYONE ELSE WOULD LIKE TO JOIN OUT, I CAN, UM, YOU KNOW, REACH OUT TO FOLKS AFTER.
BUT, UM, I WOULD LOVE INPUT FROM MANY OF THE GREAT MINDS, UM, ON THIS SCREEN, SO THANK YOU.
UH, WHAT, UM, WHAT THE, THE AGENDA ITEM THAT WE MOVED UP.
[3. Presentation of the Monthly Report by Austin Pets Alive!]
AGENDA ITEM UNDER DISCUSSION ITEMS IS NUMBER THREE, PRESENTATION OF THE MONTHLY REPORT BY AUSTIN PETS ALIVE.UH, NEIL HAY, SENIOR DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS AUSTIN PETS LIVE.
I WILL KEEP THIS VERY BRIEF SO WE CAN KEEP MOVING FORWARD.
UM, WE'VE SUBMITTED OUR APPROACH CONTINUES TO DEMONSTRATE OUR PERFORMANCE IN MEETING OUR LICENSE AGREEMENT REQUIREMENTS.
OF THE 256 AND 62 ADDITIONAL KITTENS AND PUPPIES BORN IN CARE 45 HAVE BEEN ADOPTED 154 IN FOSTER SINCE THEY ARRIVED AT APA.
UM, WE'VE ADDED AN ADDITIONAL PAGE OF INFORMATION ON DEATHS AND CARE TO MEET COMMISSIONER MEMBER REQUESTS.
FOLLOWING UP FROM LAST MONTH, UM, OUR DEATHS AND CARE REPRESENTED 3.7% OF ALL OF OUR ANIMALS IN CARE.
AND I'VE HIGHLIGHTED WHERE THOSE BREAKDOWN BY SOURCE AGE AND CAUSE.
UM, I PUT THE LIMITING, THE LIMITING THE QUALIFYING FACTOR IS MORE THAN, UM, FIVE CASES, UM, THAT WE EXPERIENCE FOR MEDICAL OTHER, WHICH THEN BECOMES A LITTLE BIT OF A LARGER GROUP.
NO SINGLE CAUSE WAS MORE THAN TWO OF THOSE ANIMALS.
HAPPY TO FIT QUESTIONS? ANY QUESTIONS? OKAY.
[4. Presentation on Austin Animal Center Data and Reporting]
FOUR, PRESENTATION ON AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER DATA AND REPORTING.DO WE HAVE A SOMEONE TO PRESENT THAT HERE? YES.
UH, IT WAS, UM, AGENDA ITEM NUMBER FOUR, PRESENTATION ON AUSTIN AND ANIMAL CENTER DATA AND REPORTING.
I WANNA MAKE A MOTION TO, TO POSTPONE MOVE IT TO THE NEXT, OKAY.
IS THERE A SEC? YOU CANNOT, IS THERE A SECOND? I SECOND.
SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER MAGULA.
ANY DISCUSSION? UH OH, I THINK IT JUST MOVES FORWARD.
[5. Discussion with Austin Animal Center, Austin Humane Society and Austin Pets Alive! regarding plans for Longstay Dogs]
FIVE.DISCUSSION WITH OS OH, I'M SORRY.
I JUST WANTED TO NOTE THAT, UH, COMMISSIONER HASSEN, I THINK WAS, UH, INTENDING TO PARTICIPATE OR TO PRESENT AND THAT SHE WAS IN FACT ON LINE TODAY TO PARTICIPATE.
BUT IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT, UH, STAFF HAS MADE THE DETERMINATION THAT SHE DIDN'T SEND IN A FORM ON TIME OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
SO SHE WAS NOT PERMITTED TO PARTICIPATE, BUT I JUST WANTED ON RECORD THAT SHE WAS PRESENT AND INTENDING TO PARTICIPATE.
UH, DISCUSSION WITH AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER, AUSTIN HUMANE SOCIETY AND AUSTIN PET LIVE REGARDING PLANS FOR LONG STAY DOGS.
UM, I BELIEVE THIS WAS, UH, COMMISSIONER HERRERA'S ITEM, SO I'M NOT SURE THAT WE, THAT MAY BE A, UM, ONE THAT WE MOVE TO THE NEXT MEETING SINCE I SECOND, UH, WELL, SOMEBODY YOU MAKE A MOTION.
COULD YOU MAKE A MOTION, PLEASE? I MAKE A MOTION TO, TO MOVE THIS ONE FOR THE NEXT MEETING.
[6. Discussion regarding amending Commission bylaws to remove the exclusion of advising City Council on "issues related to the administration of the Animal Services Department"]
SIX.DISCUSSION REGARDING AMENDING COMMISSION BYLAWS TO REMOVE THE EXCLUSION OF ADVISING CITY COUNCIL ON ISSUES RELATED TO THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE ANIMAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT.
SO, SO I, UM, RECEIVED THE, OR SAW THE CITY AUDITOR'S APRIL, 2023 REPORT, UM, BASICALLY RIGHT BEFORE OUR LAST MONTH'S MEETING AND DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO REALLY, UM, READ THROUGH IT ALL BEFORE THE MEETING.
SO WHEN I DID GO THROUGH IT, UM, I WAS,
[01:55:04]
IT SURPRISED ME THAT OF ALL THE COMMISSIONS AND BOARDS IN AUSTIN, THAT THE ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION, ACCORDING TO THE AUDIT, IS THE ONLY ONE THAT HAS IT IN THE BYLAWS THAT SPECIFICALLY SAYS IT EXCLUDES US FROM ADVISING ON ISSUES RELATED TO ADMINISTRATION OF A DEPARTMENT.UM, EVIDENTLY ACCORDING TO THE AUDIT, NO OTHER COMMISSIONER BOARD HAS THAT EXCLUSION IN THEIR BYLAWS.
SO I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE GOOD TO DISCUSS IT.
DO WE, I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW THE HISTORY OF WHO IMPLEMENTED THE BYLAWS, HOW THEY WERE IMPLEMENTED, WHY THIS WAS PUT IN THERE, AND IT'S ONLY EFFECTIVE, YOU KNOW, FOR US.
UM, HOWEVER, I HAVE ALSO BEEN INFORMED SINCE I BROUGHT THIS UP TO COME ON TO THE AGENDA THAT IT IS ALSO IN CITY CODE.
AND AGAIN, EVEN IN CITY CODE, WE ARE THE ONLY COMMISSION THAT HAS THAT EXCLUSION THAT I COULD FIND AFTER READING THROUGH THE PURPOSE OF ALL THE OTHER 87 OR SO BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS THAT THE CITY HAS.
SO I, I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY WE HAVE AN EXCLUSION THAT NO OTHER BOARD COMMISSION DOES.
AND IF ANYBODY DOES HAVE THAT ANSWER, I'D LOVE TO HEAR IT.
WELL, I CAN'T ANSWER THAT QUESTION SPECIFICALLY, BUT I CAN SAY THAT THE COMMISSION USED TO BE RESTRICTED TO ONLY CHAPTER 8 23 OF THE TEXAS HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE YEARS AND YEARS AGO.
AND WE WERE, IT, WE, THAT WAS, WE WERE VERY NARROWLY.
OUR, OUR, OUR MISSION WAS VERY, UH, OR OUR PURPOSE WAS VERY NARROWLY DEFINED.
AND THEN WE WENT BACK TO THE, UM, COUNCIL AND, AND ADDED ADVISE, UM, ON ANIMAL WELFARE ISSUES WITHIN THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY.
I GUESS I BRING THAT UP BECAUSE THERE IS A PRECEDENT THAT WE'VE EXPANDED OUR SCOPE IN THAT INSTANT INSTANCE.
AND, UH, SO IT SOUNDS LIKE, UH, IT'S DOABLE.
WE JUST, UM, I I, I DON'T KNOW.
IT WAS PROBABLY PREDATED ME AND I'M PRETTY OLD.
SO, UM, BEEN ON HERE FOR A WHILE IN RESPONSE TO THIS AGENDA ITEM, I DID COMMUNICATE WITH OUR FORMER CHAIRS.
DAVID LUSTED SAID IT PRECEDED HIM.
PAT BALLS CELLIS DOES NOT RECALL WHY THIS HAPPENED.
SO WE MAY HAVE TO GO TO THE AUSTIN HISTORY MUSEUM AND LOOK THROUGH THE ARCHIVES TO FIND OUT HOW THIS CAME ABOUT
YEAH, I'M SURE THERE WAS A REASON BACK THEN.
AND, UH, SO, SO THE GOOD NEWS IS THE PRECEDENT IS VET SET TO AMEND.
AND SO, UM, I THINK IT, IT IS A LITTLE BIT ODD AND IF WE'RE, UM, DOING IT IN PRACTICE ANYWAY, UM, THEN, UH, MAYBE WE MOVE THIS BACK ONTO THE NEXT, UM, NEXT MEETING'S AGENDA AND, UH, MAKE IT DISCUSSION AND, AND, UM, POSSIBLE ACTION.
I JUST, YOU KNOW, WE'RE AN ADVISORY BOARD, I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT IF WE CAN'T ADVISE THE ADMINISTRATION OF, OF THE MAJOR DEPARTMENT THAT HANDLES ANIMAL WELFARE FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN, I THINK IT SEVERELY HINDERS US.
AND SO THAT, THAT'S, THAT'S JUST MY WHOLE POINT.
AND AGAIN, YOU KNOW, WE'RE SIMPLY AN ADVISORY BOARD.
IT'S NOT THAT WE HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO MAKE THEM DO ANYTHING, BUT AT LEAST GIVE THE, YOU KNOW, ADVICE ON WHAT SHOULD OR COULD HAPPEN.
THE ONLY OTHER TIME THAT I CAN THINK OF THAT IN RECENT MEMORY THAT WE WERE, UM, DIRECTED WAS A COUNCIL ACTION THAT, THAT DIRECTED THE COMMISSION AND CITY STAFF TO WORK TOGETHER TO CREATE THE NOCAL PLAN.
SO THAT WAS, THAT WAS THE OTHER, UM, INSTANCE THAT I THOUGHT OF.
SO I, I, I THOUGHT IT WAS VERY INTERESTING THE REPORT.
AND WHEN YOU COMPARED THIS COMMISSION TO OTHER ONES, THIS IS A PRETTY ACTIVE COMMISSION, VERY INVOLVED.
SO THAT MEANS THE, THE GROUP REALLY CARES.
UM, I MOVE THAT WE, UM, MOVE THE AGENDA ITEM, UH, NUMBER SIX, DISC DISCUSSION REGARDING AMENDING COMMISSION BYLAWS TO REMOVE THE EXCLUSION OF ADVISING CITY COUNCIL ON ISSUES RELATED TO THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE ANIMAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT.
SORRY,
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
ARE THERE ANY OTHER AGENDA[02:00:01]
ITEMS FOR NEXT MONTH? I'M NOT SURE.I'M NOT SURE HOW TO WORD THIS, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO PUT, UM, SOMETHING ON PERHAPS JUST DISCUSSION REGARDING ZIL PLAN.
OH, THIS WAS BROUGHT UP BY A PUBLIC COMMENT AND I, I HAD THAT ALL WRITTEN OUT AND MY COMPUTER WENT DEAD
CAN, IS THAT ENOUGH TO GO ON, TROOPER, THIS DISCUSSION ITEM DISCUSSION REGARDING ZILKER VISION PLAN? YES.
JUST A REMINDER TO ALL THE COMMISSIONERS, WE HAVE DEADLINES.
I AM UNABLE TO POST ANYTHING ON WEEKENDS, SO ANYTHING SUBMITTED TO ME AFTERNOON ON FRIDAY PROBABLY ISN'T GONNA GET POSTED PUBLICLY UNTIL MONDAY.
ANOTHER REC ANOTHER REMINDER TOO IS THAT YOU NEED TO SUBMIT YOUR RECUSAL FORM BEFORE THE MEETING.
AND, UM, I DID NOT HEAR FROM COMMISSIONER HASSEN AT ALL IN THAT REGARD, SO I'M SORRY.
I'VE BEEN TOLD BY THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE THAT WITHOUT THAT FORM, I CAN'T, THEY CAN'T PARTICIPATE IN THE MEETING, SO I JUST WANTED TO PUT THAT ON THE RECORD AS WELL.
UM, I, UH, MAKE A MOTION THAT WE ADJOURNED.
ADJOURNED, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER NIELSEN.