[00:00:03]
[CALL TO ORDER]
IS THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION ON AUGUST 14TH AT 2023, UH, AUGUST 14TH, 2023 AT 6:00 PM AND I'LL CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER.LET'S GO AHEAD AND DO A ROLL CALL.
WHY DON'T YOU START OVER HERE AND WE'LL GO AROUND AND THEN GO ON MINE.
YOU CAN JUST GO AROUND AND SAY, SAY YOUR NAME.
D FIVE HERE, PAGE NELSON, DISTRICT FOUR.
AND WE HAVE, UH, THREE ONLINE.
YOU GUYS MIND, YOU PROBABLY CAN'T SEE EACH OTHER.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN, BUT JUST GO AHEAD AND INTRODUCE YOURSELVES.
LA ULA, DISTRICT ONE COMMISSIONER.
I KNOW LAUREN LOY, UH, REPRESENTING THE MAYOR'S OFFICE.
SORRY, COMMISSIONER HASSAN, WE STILL CANNOT HEAR YOU.
I DIDN'T SAY WHICH DISTRICT I REPRESENTED.
YOU WANNA INTRODUCE YOURSELF? YES.
UM, ANN LINDA REPRESENTING DISTRICT THREE.
COMMISSIONER HASSEN, DO YOU HAVE YOUR AUDIO WORKING YET? YES.
UM, AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE A NEW COMMISSIONER TODAY, UH, COMMISSIONER WHITNEY HOLT.
AND I'VE ASKED, UH, COMMISSIONER HOLT TO INTRODUCE HERSELF.
I WAS TOLD I HAD 90 SECONDS, AND THAT'S, UH, ABOUT 75 MORE THAN I ACTUALLY NEED.
UM, I HAVE BEEN IN AUSTIN FOR JUST OVER A YEAR NOW.
UH, I CUT MY TEETH ON ANIMAL ADVOCACY IN THE HOUSTON AREA, UM, WHICH IS WOEFULLY
UM, I SPENT TWO YEARS, UH, AS A, UM, DIRECTOR FOR THE S P C A IN BRAZORIA COUNTY, UH, INCLUDING OUR SPAY NEUTER CLINIC THAT WE RAN DOWN THERE.
UM, AND PRIOR TO THAT, SPENT, UH, TWO YEARS RUNNING, THREE LITTLE PITIES RESCUE.
IT WAS THE SECOND LARGEST TRANSPORT RESCUE OUT OF HOUSTON.
UM, SO I'M REALLY EXCITED TO BE HERE.
MOST OF MY, UH, ANIMAL EXPERIENCE DOES CENTER AROUND DOGS AND CATS, BUT I LOVE ALL THE ANIMALS, SO I'M VERY EXCITED, UH, TO SEE THAT MORE THAN JUST OUR FOUR LEGGED FRIENDS.
[PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL]
UM, THE PUBLIC COMMUNICATION.UH, DO WE HAVE ANY ONLINE BY THE WAY? NO.
YOU THINK I'M FI FIGURING THIS OUT? ALL RIGHT.
UH, AN ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION.
UM, I FIRST WANNA THANK YOU FOR YOUR CAREFUL CONSIDERATION OF INFORMING ANY FUTURE ZILKER PARK PLANS.
UH, THE MAY DRAFT VERSION OF THE ZILKER PARK VISION PLAN WAS SLOPPY AND IT DID NOT FOCUS ON THE NEEDS OF ANY LIVING BEINGS.
THE CARBON EMISSION NUMBERS WERE WRONG, THE TREE COUNT WAS WRONG.
THE IMPERVIOUS NUMBER COVER NUMBERS WERE, UH, CONSTANTLY CHANGING AND OFTEN CONTAINED BA BASIC MATH ERRORS, JUST ARI ARITHMETIC.
AND OF COURSE, THOSE ERRORS WERE ALWAYS IN THE FAVOR OF THE PLAN, AND IT ALSO PROPOSED TO BUILD LARGE CONCRETE STRUCTURES WHERE DOGS PLAY AND ENDANGERED SALAMANDERS HABITAT.
AND SO I WANTED TO OFFER FOR A MINUTE IF IT'S HELPFUL TO, UH, GO OVER THE MAP THAT I GAVE YOU LAST TIME.
I DON'T, I KNOW IT'S NOT SUPER EASY TO READ AND YOU CAN TELL ME.
SO, UM, WHAT I'D LIKE TO POINT OUT TO YOU IS THAT THE RED INDICATES LARGE CONSTRUCTION ITEMS. SO YOU CAN SEE AN UNDERGROUND PARKING GARAGE, A LAND BRIDGE, AS WELL AS AN AMPHITHEATER AND A WELCOME CENTER.
AND THE BIG BLUE LINE AROUND THERE IS THAT SALAMANDER HABITAT.
THE LITTLE BLUE, UH, CIRCLES ARE SPRINGS.
AND, UM, TO ORIENT YOU, YOU CAN SEE BARTON SPRINGS ROAD,
[00:05:01]
OF TIME.AND THEN WE HAVE MOPAC UP THERE.
AND THEN AZ MORTON IS DOWN IN THE BOTTOM CORNER TO KIND OF ORIENT YOU TO WHERE ALL THIS CONSTRUCTION IS.
AND THEN, UH, IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, GO AHEAD AND PLEASE FEEL FREE TO ASK.
UM, ANYWAY, UH, I'D LIKE TO ASK YOU TO PLEASE CONSIDER, UH, I WOULD LIKE YOU TO ASK THE CITY TO PLEASE CONSIDER LIVING THINGS IN ANY NEW PLAN OF ZILKER PARK.
AND, UM, I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR KINDNESS.
I'VE BEEN SAYING THAT YOU ARE THE MOST HUMANE, UH, COMMISSION IN AUSTIN.
I APPRECIATE
I, I GET A LOT OF THINGS WRONG.
I I HAPPEN TO REMEMBER THAT ONE.
I WANT TO THANK THE ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION FOR CONSIDERING THE ZILKER PARK VISION PLAN AND FOR UNDERSTANDING THAT ALTHOUGH THE DRAFT PLAN HAS BEEN SHELVED, THE WORK TO HEAL AND CONSERVE THE PARK WILL AND MUST GO ON RE WHILE ZILKER WILL CONTINUE TO ADVOCATE FOR A NATURE AND RECREATION BASED PARK FOR THIS PARK, AND FOR A GREENER CITY OVERALL, ESSENTIAL COMPONENTS OF A NEW VISION ARE A PLAN THAT ONE IS CENTERED ON THE PROTECTION OF BARTON SPRINGS AND THE TWO ENDANGERED SPECIES, RATHER THAN ON THE DEVELOPMENT AND COMMERCIALIZATION OF THE GREAT LAWN.
A PLAN THAT COMMITS TO RE-WILDING MORE AREAS OF THE PARK, NOT TO EXCLUDE PEOPLE, BUT TO CREATE MORE WILDLIFE HABITAT TO SHARE WITH OTHER ANIMALS.
AND THIRD, AMIDST THE LARGE CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS THAT WOULD CREATE A LANDSCAPED ENTERTAINMENT ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT AT THE EXPENSE OF THE GREEN SPACE NEEDED BY PEOPLE AND ANIMALS AND NOT LEASED FOR CLIMATE MITIGATION.
I DON'T REALLY HAVE ANYTHING PREPARED.
UM, I JUST REALLY WANTED TO COME AND SAY THANK YOU FOR LISTENING TO US.
UH, I CAME LAST MONTH AND, UM, AND IT JUST AFTERWARD THERE WAS A LOT OF CONCERN OVER WHAT WE BROUGHT UP ABOUT THE VISION PLAN AND HOW IT WOULD AFFECT THE OTHER SPECIES OF THE PARK.
AND, UH, WASN'T EXPECTING ANYTHING.
UM, ESPECIALLY AT THE, COMPARED TO THE, THE, THE PARKS BOARD MEETING, UM, THAT WAS REALLY AMAZING TO ME THAT THEY, UM, LISTENED TO TO US FOR HOURS AND THEN WENT AHEAD AND VOTED IT THROUGH.
SO WHEN YOU ALL LISTENED TO US, UM, I WAS, WOW.
I THOUGHT, WELL, IF THEY SEEMED TO NOT CARE ABOUT PARKS, THEN MAYBE THE ANIMAL COMMISSION WOULDN'T CARE ABOUT ANIMALS.
BUT THAT IS NOT THE CASE, AND I'M SO GRATEFUL FOR THAT.
UM, I DO WANNA SAY, LIKE, I THINK A LOT ABOUT THE, THE WILDLIFE THAT LIVE IN THE NATURE CENTER.
UM, I REALLY WISH THAT THEY WEREN'T IN THE CITY LIMITS.
UM, EVEN THE ONES THAT ARE BONDED TO HUMANS.
UM, BUT SINCE THEY ARE, I WANNA, I WANT US TO PROTECT THEM AND LOOK OUT FOR THEM.
AND THEY ALREADY PUT UP WITH SO MUCH MOPAC IS RIGHT THERE.
UM, A C L, UM, TRAIL OF LIGHTS, ALL OF THE LIGHTS, NIGHT AND DAY, AND THE NOISES, NIGHT AND DAY.
UM, I'D LIKE TO ELEVATE THEM AS A CONCERN AND THINK ABOUT WHAT WE COULD DO ABOUT THAT IN THE FUTURE.
I SAW THE RESOLUTION AND IT WAS JUST, IT'S OUTSTANDING.
MY NAME IS ROBERT CORBIN, RESIDENT OF AUSTIN SINCE 1971.
AND FOR 25 YEARS, I WAS A DIRECTOR ON THE SAVE OUR SPRINGS BOARD.
I'VE CONTRIBUTED MONIES TO AUDUBON, NATIONAL WILDLIFE HAT FEDERATION, REDWOOD LEAGUE, AND MANY, MANY MORE ORGANIZATIONS.
I HAVE WORKED HARD TO PROTECT ANIMALS.
EXAMPLE ALONE AT LASALLE DELREY NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE IN SOUTH TEXAS.
OVER SEVERAL RECENT VISITS, I SPENT AT LEAST 200 HOURS PICKING UP 5,000 POUNDS OF TRASH, OF WHICH 1000 POUNDS WAS VERY SHARP, BROKEN GLASS, OFTEN PROTRUDING LIKE SABERS FROM THE ONE SQUARE MILE SANDY DRY LAKE BED AREAS.
[00:10:01]
ALL ACROSS THE LAKE BED IN JUST ONE CORRIDOR, THEY HOPED WOULD BE SAFE.NOW WILDLIFE CROSSES SAFELY EVERYWHERE AS I CAN WITH ELATION, SEE FOOTPRINTS EVERYWHERE.
I HAVE SAVED HUNDREDS OF ANIMALS FROM MAIMING INJURIES.
AND LIKE MOST EVERYBODY, I HAVE MY RANGE OF PREFERENCES TODAY.
HOWEVER, I WANT TO TALK ABOUT DOG OWNERS IN OUR CITY, BUT NOT TO CHASTISE THEM FOR ILLEGALLY INVADING AUSTIN'S FEW PRECIOUS WILDLIFE PRESERVES OR ALLOWING THEIR DOGS TO CHASE DEER OR RIP APART AND POLLUTE RIPARIAN AREAS OF OUR SENSITIVE STREAMS. NOT EVEN CHASTISE THEM FOR RUNNING KIDS AND OLD PEOPLE, OR THE VULNERABLE OUT OF OUR PARKS, NOR TO EXPRESS MY ANGER AT THE THOUSANDS OF INJURIES, INCLUDING A PERMANENT ONE.
I HAVE THEIR DOGS PERPE PERPETRATE ON HUMANS AND OTHER DOGS IN OUR ENVIRONMENT EVERY YEAR.
NO, I AM HERE TO SUPPORT DOG OWNERS AND CAT OWNERS TOO, BECAUSE I BELIEVE THEM TO BE VERY TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF BY AMONG OTHERS.
IF YOU VISITED A VET, YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT I MEAN.
TO ILLUSTRATE DOG TEETH CLEANING COSTS TODAY BY PHONE.
I WAS TOLD THAT I KNEW THIS IN THE PAST, ACTUALLY.
360 TO $840 FOR SIMPLE CLEAN THAT TAKES 30 TO 60 MINUTES.
BUT THE COST CAN EASILY GO OVER $900, WHICH I BET IT DOES ALL THE TIME.
I'M PROPOSING THAT ANYONE WITH ONE YEAR TRAINING EXPERIENCE AT AC A C C COULD JUST AS GOOD OR ALMOST AS GOOD AS A VET AT 30% THE PRICE, DO THE CLEANING.
AND I MEAN, REALLY, IF AT LEAST AS OF AUGUST 14TH, 23, I CAN LEGALLY HAVE MY DOG PUT DOWN, I SHOULD LEGALLY BE ABLE TO CHOOSE ANYONE I WANT TO CLEAN MY DOG'S TEETH VET OR NO VET.
AND I SHOULD BE ABLE TO HAVE ANYONE.
I WANT TO DO A LOT OF OTHER DOGGY PROBLEMS TOO.
AND YOU KNOW WHY IT IS, IS IT POSSIBLE THAT VETS WILL DO EVERYTHING IN THEIR POWER, LIKE PUT OUT OBFUSCATE, OBFUSCATING SILLINESS TO PREVENT IT SO THAT MONIES SHOULD, THAT SHOULD STAY IN PET OWNERS' POCKETS FLOW INTO THE VET'S POCKETS? SO YOU GUYS AND EVERY PET ORGANIZATION SHOULD ADVOCATE TO OPEN UP THE BUSINESS MODEL.
SO LOTS MORE PEOPLE CAN HAVE THEIR OWN PET VET BUSINESS AND SIMULTANEOUSLY SAVE PET OWNERS LOTS OF MONEY.
UH, DOROTHY LOPEZ BARNETT, THANK YOU.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS.
I HAVE BEEN TO SEVERAL COMMITTEE COMMITTEES AND COMMISSIONS, UH, DURING THIS FIGHT OF THE VISION PLAN.
AND YOUR RECOMMENDATION RESPONSE WAS OUTSTANDING.
I REALLY, REALLY ENJOYED READING IT.
I WAS SURPRISED AFTER LAST MONTH'S MEETING, YOU GUYS WERE QUICK LEARNERS.
YOU SAID YOU DIDN'T KNOW THAT MUCH ABOUT THE VISION PLAN AND TO FEED YOU INFORMATION AND YOU REALLY STEPPED UP.
I HAVE, I DO HAVE A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT I'D LIKE TO SAY ABOUT YOUR, UH, RECOMMENDATION.
UH, ONE OF THE PLUSES I HAVE NOT, YOU ARE THE FIRST GROUP THAT HAS ASKED FOR ANY CON CONSULTATION WITH THE INDIGENOUS TRIBES THAT USED TO LIVE HERE, THAT HAS BEEN BANDIED ABOUT.
BUT I'M REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT THAT, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT YOU, YOU HAVE THAT IN THERE GOING FORWARD.
UM, THE OTHER THING THAT I REALLY LIKED WAS THAT YOUR VISION IS NATURE OR RECREATION BASED, THAT, THAT PRIORITIZE DAILY USAGE.
MY DAUGHTER'S IN THE PARK EVERY MORNING.
MY HUSBAND'S IN THE PARK WITH EVERY, EVERY MORNING WITH, WITH OUR DOGS.
WE HAVE A PITY, BY THE WAY, UH, AND AN AUSTRALIAN SHEPHERD.
AND IT IS A WONDERFUL PLACE, WONDERFUL PLACE.
I WOULD ASK THAT YOU ALTER YOUR RECOMMENDATION AND YOU ARE RECOMMENDING TWO OF THE THREE GARAGES BE, UH, ELIMINATED.
I WOULD ASK THAT YOU ELIMINATE ALL THREE.
AND THAT'S ALL THAT I, I THINK THAT, THAT, UH, YOU HAVE DONE A WONDERFUL JOB HERE, AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
I WANTED TO PUT TOGETHER AN ELEGANT SPEECH WITH DATA OF HOW MANY DUMP DOGS SLASH PUPPIES BORN ON
[00:15:01]
THE STREETS ARE CURRENTLY OVERWHELMING AUSTIN, BUT I DON'T HAVE TIME.AND THE TRUTH IS, YOU JUST NEED TO LOOK AT AUSTIN LOST AND FOUND PETS, OR PASS, OR NEXTDOOR OR THE RING APP OR NEIGHBORHOOD PAGES TO KNOW THE CITY IS FLOODED WITH LOOSE DOGS AND PEOPLE TRYING TO DO THE RIGHT THING WITH NO FUNCTIONING SHELTER.
I DID NOT HAVE TIME BECAUSE I'M CURRENTLY FOSTERING THREE STREETS DOGS, A FERAL CAT, AND HELPING TEND TO THE COMMUN CATS ON THE EAST SIDE.
ON TOP OF MY OWN FOUR ANIMALS ALL ADOPTED FROM THE SHELTER, AS WELL AS WORKING FULL-TIME, TENDING TO A LARGE FAMILY.
ALL OF MY FOSTERS ARE ABOUT ONE YEAR OLD, MOST LIKELY BORN ON THE STREETS, BECAUSE IF YOU LEAVE INTACT ANIMALS ON THE STREETS WITH NO SHELTER TO BRING THEM TO, THEY WILL CONTINUE TO BREED AND BREED AND BREED.
WHY AM I TELLING YOU THIS? BECAUSE I AM ONE OF YOUR AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER FOSTERS, AND THIS IS THE SAME POSITION MANY ANIMAL LOVERS IN AUSTIN ARE IN RIGHT NOW.
WE ARE IN DRAINAGE PIPES AND UNDER HOUSES AND ON BUSY STREETS AND ADVISING PEOPLE WHO DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH THE ANIMAL.
I'M CURRENTLY FOSTERING FOUR STREET ANIMALS THAT HAD NO SHELTER TO GO TO.
I HAVE ALSO HAD, I HAVE HAD SIX STREET DOGS TOTAL SINCE FEBRUARY, AS WELL AS THANKFULLY RETURNING FIVE ADDITIONAL ANIMALS TO THEIR OWNERS.
EVERY ANIMAL UNDER MY CARE HAS BEEN SPAYED, NEUTERED, VACCINATED, GIVEN PREVENTATIVES, REGISTERED, MADE, COMFORTABLE, ENRICHED, 95% OUTTA MY POCKET.
EVEN STILL, I FEEL LIKE I AM AT THE BOTTOM OF THE BARREL COMPARED TO WHAT MANY, MANY INDIVIDUALS ARE DOING.
THE FACT I CAN COME HERE TONIGHT IS A LUXURY MANY DON'T HAVE WITH HOW MUCH THEY ARE DOING.
SO WHEN A DISTEMPER BREAKS OUT AT THE SHELTER, WHICH I HOPE YOU REALLY LOOK INTO AND YOU DON'T GET THE FOSTER RESPONSE YOU WANTED, I HOPE YOU REALLY LOOK INTO WHAT AUSTIN FOSTERS ARE DOING WITH DOGS IN THIS COMMUNITY RIGHT NOW, INSTEAD OF ASSUMING THEY DON'T CARE OR ARE ON VACATION.
I'M GLAD SO MANY PEOPLE HAVE SO MANY THINGS, NICE THINGS TO SAY ABOUT Y'ALL.
UM, MY NAME IS GARY PEREZ AND, UM, I AM THE, UH, FORMER CUSTODIAN OF THE NATIVE AMERICAN CHURCH LAND TRUST IN MIRANDA CITY, TEXAS, WHERE THE PILGRIMAGE IS FROM, AS FAR AWAY AS CANADA, CANADA WOULD COME TO MY GRANDMOTHER'S HOUSE AND HAVE THEIR CEREMONIES ON THEIR PROPERTY.
I'M VERY FAMILIAR WITH ALL THE TRIBES AND THEIR PRACTICES, THEIR CEREMONIAL PRACTICES, YOU KNOW, WHERE THEY COME FROM, HOW FAR THEY HAVE TO TRAVEL, EVEN TO THE EXTENT TO HOW THEY GOT THEIR CEREMONIAL RIGHTS AS PART OF MY JOB.
AND TO SOME OF THE INFORMATION THAT I HAVE IN MY POSITION WAS TO ALSO, UH, HELP THEIR CEREMONIES BECOME MORE ACCURATE SO THAT THEY'RE BONAFIDE AND SO THAT PEOPLE AREN'T RUNNING CEREMONIES.
UM, UH, WHILE BACK I DISCOVERED THE FOUR FOUNTAIN SPRINGS ALONG I 35, UH, SAN ANTONIO AND AL AND, AND, UH, SAN MARCUS AND BARTON SPRINGS ON A 2000 YEAR OLD PIECE OF ROCK ART.
AND MYSELF AND MY SCIENCE TEAM PUBLISHED IN THE BULLETIN FOR TEXAS ARCHEOLOGICAL SOCIETY LAST YEAR.
UM, CURRENTLY, UM, I AM THE PRINCIPAL CHIEF OF THE PAUA PEOPLES OF GUILA IJA, BOTH IN GUILA AND THE STATE OF TEXAS.
I SERVE AS THE CULTURAL PRESERVATION OFFICER FOR THE INDIGENOUS GOVERNOR FOR THE STATE OF GUILA, MEXICO.
AND JUST TO, UM, TOOT MY HORN A LITTLE BIT BACK IN 1998, MYSELF, US FISH AND WILDLIFE, THE CITY OF AUSTIN, AND A CONTRACTOR, UH, OUT OF FLORIDA, HELPED TURN THINGS AROUND FOR BARTON SPRINGS WHEN WE INTRODUCED TECHNOLOGY, UNDERWATER TECHNOLOGY WE WERE USING AT SEAWORLD TO HELP REDUCE THE INCIDENTAL TAKE THAT WAS TAKING PLACE HERE AT BARTON SPRINGS WITH THE BARTON SPRINGS SALAMANDER.
SO, ANYTHING I CAN DO TO HELP ANYONE I CAN INTRODUCE YOU TO, UH, PLEASE JUST LET ME KNOW.
UM, BILL BUNCH, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF SAVE OUR SPRINGS ALLIANCE.
UM, THANK Y'ALL SO MUCH FOR, UH, SERVING OUR COMMUNITY AND, UH, FOR, UH, MOVING FORWARD WITH THE RESOLUTION YOU HAVE.
UH, IT'S VERY EXCITING TO SEE THAT HUGELY AN IMPORTANT AND POSITIVE STEP.
UM, I'M REALLY JUST HERE AS A RESOURCE IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT BARDEN SPRING SALAMANDER THAT I MIGHT BE ABLE TO ASK.
[00:20:01]
INSTRUMENTAL IN MULTIPLE ROUNDS OF LITIGATION TO GET THE SPECIES RECOGNIZED AS ENDANGERED AND PLACED ON ENDANGERED SPECIES LIST.UM, AND, UM, JUST WANTED TO UNDERSCORE THAT, YOUR HONOR, TO HAVE GARY HERE.
HE REALLY IS AN INCREDIBLE, UH, FIGURE IN THE NATIVE AMERICAN COMMUNITY OF CENTRAL AND SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS.
UM, CONNECTING THE, YOU KNOW, THE FOUR FOUNTAIN SPRINGS, AS HE MENTIONED, TO THE NATIVE AMERICAN ROCK ART AND SOME OF THE TRADITIONAL ORAL TRADITIONS IN COSMOLOGY OF, OF THE TRIBES THAT WERE HERE BEFORE WE, UH, YOU KNOW, GET CHASED OFF MOST OF THEM, UNFORTUNATELY.
UH, SO IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR 'EM, PLEASE, PLEASE DO, UH, CALL 'EM BACK UP, AND I'M SURE YOU'D BE, UH, WILLING TO, TO ADDRESS THEM.
AND THEN I JUST WANTED TO INVITE YOU TO BARTON SPRINGS UNIVERSITY THIS YEAR.
IT'S TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19TH AT THE SPRINGS.
UH, I BELIEVE, UH, AS HE'S DONE BEFORE AND PREVIOUS ROUNDS OF BARTON SPRINGS UNIVERSITY, THAT GARY WILL BE TEACHING A SESSION, UH, THERE, UM, THAT, THAT DAY.
THAT IS THE PUBLIC PARTICIPATION.
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
THE MINUTES.UH, ITEM NUMBER ONE, APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING ON JULY 10TH, 2023.
UH, I DON'T KNOW, UH, IF ANYBODY GETS THOSE OTHER THAN ME, BUT I DID LOOK AT THEM.
UM, I HAVE A COUPLE OF JUST SMALL NETS THAT I WOULD PROPOSE, UM, ON APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM LAST MEETING.
UH, IT HAS COMMISSIONER HASSAN AS BEING EXCLUDED.
AND I HAD, UH, WE, WHAT WE HAD PASSED WAS PRESENT, BUT EXCLUDED.
UH, I THOUGHT THAT WAS AN IMPORTANT, UH, PART OF THE, OF WHAT WE PASSED ON.
UM, AND THEN ITEM NUMBER, UH, AND THEN FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. THERE WAS JUST A LITTLE BIT OF AMBIGUITY.
IT SAYS, UM, COMMISSIONER HERRERA ASKED THAT THE AGENDA ITEM BE MOVED FORWARD.
UM, AND I JUST WANTED TO MAKE THAT TO THE NEXT MEETING SO IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE WE PASSED IT AT THAT STAGE.
'CAUSE MOVE FORWARD WAS A LITTLE AMBIGUOUS AS TO WHETHER WE PASSED IT OR WHETHER, UH, HE WAS ASKING THAT IT BE POSTPONED.
SO IF WE COULD JUST SAY, MOVED FORWARD TO THE NEXT MEETING OR POSTPONED.
UH, SAME THING WITH, UM, FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. IT SAYS WE, THE, THE COMMISSIONERS AGREED TO MOVE FORWARD THE AGENDA ITEMS, AND I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WAS TO THE NEXT MEETING.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS? COULD I GET A, UM, MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES WITH THOSE CHANGES? SO, SO MOVED.
COMMISSIONER HUDDLESTON? UH, ALL, UH, IS THERE ANY, UH, DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE ARE IN FAVOR? ANY OPPOSED? THAT IS UNANIMOUS.
[2. Staff Briefing on FY2023-2024 Animal Services Budget. ]
IS ITEM NUMBER TWO AND STAFF BREEDING, BRIEFING STAFF BRIEFING ON, UH, FISCAL YEAR 20 23, 20 24 ANIMAL SERVICES BUDGET.UH, DON BLANC, CHIEF ANIMAL SERVICES OFFICER.
I'LL BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO PROVIDE YOU WITH WHAT WE CAN TELL YOU.
UH, WE HAD FOUR PHYSICIANS, UH, THAT WERE TEMPORARIES THAT ARE GOING TO BE, WE'VE ASKED TO BE PERMANENT PHYSICIANS FOR ANIMAL CARE.
AND THESE, THESE ARE ITEMS THAT, UH, ARE ON THE CITY, IN THE CITY BUDGET CURRENTLY, AND THAT WE HOPE TO GET APPROVED.
WE HAVE ONE POSITION, UH, THAT WAS MOVING FORWARD FOR, UH, A DATA ANALYSIS WITH IT.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN ASKING FOR, FOR QUITE A FEW YEARS, AND THAT ACTUALLY MADE IT OUT OF THE BUDGET OFFICE.
SO WE'RE HOPEFUL THAT WE'LL GET THAT AS WELL, WHICH IS GOING TO SAY, SOLVE A LOT OF OUR ISSUES.
WE ALSO, UH, RECEIVED FUNDING OR COULD POSSIBLY GET FUNDING A ONE-TIME FUNDING TO CONTRACT WITH AN ANIMAL BEHAVIORIST.
UH, THEY KNOW THAT, UH, FULL-TIME ANIMAL BEHAVIORIST ARE FAR AND FEW BETWEEN, AND THIS WOULD BE A GOOD STOP GAP UNTIL WE COULD FIND SOMEONE THAT WE COULD TAP INTO SOME OF THE, MAYBE THE, THE LOCAL ONES AND GET A LITTLE OF THEIR TIME HERE AND THERE.
AND I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S A GOOD STEP FORWARD.
UH, WE ALSO WERE GIVEN FUNDING TO CONTINUE THIS PAST YEAR.
WE HAVE HAD A CONTRACTED SECURITY OFFICER DURING OPEN HOURS AT THE SHELTER, AND WE WERE GIVEN FUNDING TO CONTINUE WITH
[00:25:01]
THAT AS WELL.ONE OTHER THING THAT IS NOT ON THIS PAGE, THAT THE BUILDING SERVICES DEPARTMENT IN THEIR BUDGET, UH, THEY WERE GIVEN, COULD BE GIVEN A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS TO HELP US WITH DEVELOPING, UH, SOMETHING FOR SMALL DOGS.
WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS A BUILT ON SITE OR PRE-BUILT BUILDING THAT WE COULD PUT RAISED KENNELS IN THAT COULD BE SANITIZED, HOSED OUT, HAVE A DRAINAGE SYSTEM RATHER THAN A, A CAT, A CRATE THAT WAS BUILT FOR A CAT.
SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT, UH, WE HAD ASKED FOR LAST YEAR.
AND BUILDING SERVICES HAS THAT IN THEIR BUDGET FOR OUR USE THIS YEAR.
IF IT GOES THROUGH ALSO FROM, UH, COUNCIL, COUNCIL MEMBER VELAS OFFICE IS ASKING FOR ONGOING FUNDING OF 1.2 MILLION TO BE APPLIED TOWARDS OUR CONTRACTED SPAY AND NEUTERING IN THE COMMUNITY FOR FREE DAYS.
SO THOSE ARE THE ITEMS THAT ARE CURRENTLY IN OUR BUDGET.
AND DO YOU MIND TELLING US WHERE, WHERE IT IS IN THE PROCESS? UH, THEY'VE HAD PUBLIC MEETINGS, THEY'VE HAD COUNCIL DELIBERATIONS AND STARTING, UH, THE 16TH IS THE FIRST DAY THAT THE BUDGET WILL, UH, COULD BE APPROVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL.
SO THE DELIBERATIONS IN COUNCIL START ON THE 16TH, AND THEN THEY HAVE THE 17TH AND 18TH IF THEY NEED THOSE ADDITIONAL DAYS.
DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONER BRUCE? DR.
BRUCE, SORRY, FOR THE SPAY NEUTER FUNDING, IS THAT FUNDING THAT THEN YOU WOULD DIRECT THE CONTRACTING OF IT WOULDN'T BE ASSIGNED AT THE TIME IT WAS GIVEN, WOULD IT? IT IF, IF I'M, I'D HAVE TO REMEMBER HOW THE, HOW HIS ORDINANCE WAS OUT HERE, HOW HIS DIRECTION WAS WRITTEN, BUT I THINK IT'S JUST, UH, ONGOING FUNDING, UH, FAR AS SPAYING AND NEUTERING IN THE COMMUNITY.
SO THAT WOULD ALLOW A THIRD VENDOR POTENTIALLY IT, IT COULD, BUT I THINK THE REASON, THE WAY THAT THEY FORMULATED THEIR NUMBERS IS THEY DID HAVE A, A MEETING WITH, UH, OUR CONTRACTED DEMANDS A PET PROVIDER.
AND THEY SAID THAT IN WHAT THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE PURCHASING A DIFFERENT, ANOTHER ADDITIONAL MOBILE UNIT.
AND IN 2024, THEY'LL BE ABLE TO HAVE, UH, SERVICES AND FACILITIES STAFFING FOR SIX DAYS A WEEK.
THAT STILL DOESN'T ADDRESS THE LARGE DOG ISSUE THOUGH, RIGHT? 'CAUSE THEIR MOBILE UNITS DON'T HAVE CAPACITY FOR LARGE BREED DOGS.
I'LL SHARE WITH YOU SOMETHING, I DON'T KNOW IF I'M SUPPOSED TO, BUT I, IN, IN CONVERSATIONS WITH EMANCIPATE, THEY HAVE, UH, APPARENTLY A BRICK AND MORTAR CLINIC, UH, ON I 35 AND 180 3.
AND, UH, THEY HAVE OBTAINED THE ADDITIONAL SPACE NEXT TO THEIR CLINIC.
AND THEY ARE PLANNING ON, UH, DOING SURGERIES THERE, LARGE DOG SURGERIES, PERMANENT LARGE DOG SURGERY, KENNEL, A FACILITY.
AND SO THAT IS, UH, ONE OF THE WAYS THAT THEY'RE PLANNING ON, UH, HELPING THAT LOAD.
I, UM, SOMEONE SENT ME THE ADDENDUM.
I, YOU MAY OR MAY NOT BE ABLE TO TELL ME IF THIS IS INCORRECT OR CORRECT, BUT WHAT I READ, WHAT I WAS SENT WAS ALLOCATE 1.2 MILLION TO THE ANIMAL SERVICES OFFICES TO FUND INCREASED NO COST SPAY NEUTER FOR PETS IN AUSTIN.
THIS AMOUNT SHOULD ENABLE OUR NONPROFIT PARTNER TO ADD TWO MORE FREE SPAY NEUTER DAYS PER WEEK, IMPROVING OUR ABILITY TO MEET COMMUNITY DEMAND.
IS THAT CONSISTENT WITH WHAT YOU UNDERSTAND? I THINK THAT'S THE WAY IT WAS WRITTEN.
COMMISSIONER ES OUT OF CURIOSITY, THE TOTAL REVENUE IS 2 MILLION FOR FISCAL YEAR 2024.
UH, WHAT PERCENT COMES FROM ANIMAL ADOPTION FEES AND WHAT PERCENT? TRAVIS COUNTY? 50 50 OR, AND NO, THE, THE TRAVIS COUNTY.
UM, I'D HAVE, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THIS NEXT YEAR'S TOTAL'S GONNA BE.
I THINK LAST YEAR'S TOTAL WAS 1.2 MILLION.
SO I THINK OUR, OUR ADOPTION FEES AND, AND REVENUES FROM, UM, CITATION, NOT CITATIONS, UM, DANGEROUS DOG FEES AND THINGS LIKE THAT, UH, I THINK THAT'S RIGHT AROUND, UH, 300,000.
SO MOST OF THE REVENUE ACCOUNTS FROM TRAVIS COUNTY? THAT'S CORRECT.
TYPICALLY AROUND 2 MILLION PER YEAR.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I, KRISTEN, COMMISSIONER HASSEN.
UM, WHEN YOU SAY A CONTRACTED VETERINARY BEHAVIOR OR A CONTRACTED BEHAVIORIST, ARE YOU REFERRING TO A VETERINARY BEHAVIORIST OR, UM, ARE THERE ANY CREDENTIALS TIED TO THAT, UH, FUNDING ITEM? I THINK IT SAID CERTIFIED BEHAVIORIST.
IT DID NOT HAVE TO BE A VETERINARIAN
[00:30:01]
CERTIFIED BEHAVIORIST.SO THAT COULD BE BY ANY CERTIFYING BODY OF IT OF ANY KIND.
IT, IT DIDN'T STATE, IT JUST SAID CERTIFIED BEHAVIORIST.
I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THAT AS WELL.
UM, JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU SAID CORRECTLY.
SO IT'S CONTRACT FOR THE FIRST YEAR, BUT THE GOAL IS TO BRING SOMEONE ON FULL-TIME FOR THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR? WELL, THAT IS WHAT, UH, I'VE BEEN LED TO BELIEVE.
UH, WE, WE WERE GIVEN DIRECTION FROM THE DIOCESE LAST YEAR.
ONE OF THE COUNCIL OFFICES PUT IN THAT THIS YEAR THEY NEEDED TO FUND A POSITION AND THIS WAS THE BUDGET'S OFFICE, UH, LOOKING AT ALL THE PARAMETERS AND, AND WHAT IT WOULD TAKE.
AND THIS WAS THEIR SUGGESTION.
AND I, I HAD ONE MORE QUESTION RELATED TO THE, UM, CARE EMPLOYEES.
YOU SAID THAT THERE WERE FOUR TEMPS WHO WERE MOVING TO FULL-TIME.
DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY TEMPS WILL STAY TEMPS? UH, WE HAVE ABOUT 47 TEMPS THROUGHOUT THE SYSTEM CURRENTLY.
AND I DON'T KNOW THE BREAKDOWN OF HOW MANY ARE DIRECTLY IN ANIMAL CARE.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? NOT ABOUT THE BUDGET PORTION? ABOUT BUDGET? YEAH, I DO HAVE A QUESTION.
UM, WHAT, UH, WHAT, HOW MUCH OF AN INCREASE IS THE 20.2, ASSUMING THAT THE SPAY NEUTER IS NOT PUT IN OVER THE CURRENT BUDGET? DO YOU KNOW THE, OVER THE FISCAL YEAR 23? YEAH, JUST HOW MUCH OF AN INCREASE IS IT? IT, IT'S, IT WAS, I THINK, UH, 1918 POINT.
IT'S ALMOST JUST MIGHT AS SAY 19 MILLION LAST YEAR.
SO IT'S ABOUT A MILLION DOLLARS DIFFERENCE.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON THIS ITEM? OKAY.
[3. Overview of Monthly Reports provided by Animal Services Office.]
MOVE TO OVERVIEW OF THE MONTHLY REPORTS.UM, I THINK JASON GARZA IS ONLINE AND I THINK HE'LL TALK ABOUT THE STATISTICS IF HE CAN.
JA, JASON, IF YOU'RE THERE, WE CANNOT HEAR YOU.
OKAY, WELL, I WILL TRUDGE FORWARD.
UM, THE LIVE OUTCOME RATE FOR JULY WAS 97.69%.
UH, 859 ANIMALS WERE BROUGHT TO THE SHELTER.
AND YOU CAN SEE THE BREAKDOWN ON THE REPORT THAT YOU WERE GIVEN.
61 ANIMALS WERE RETURNED TO THEIR OWNERS.
LET'S SEE, FOR THE MONTH OF JULY, WE HELD SIX NEW VOLUNTEER ORIENTATIONS, INTRODUCING 151 ADDITIONAL PEOPLE TO THE SHELTER PROGRAMS. UH, TOTAL VOLUNTEER SERVICE HOURS FOR JULY WAS 7,186.
WE HAVE, UM, 10 OPEN FULL-TIME POSITIONS.
TWO ARE ALREADY HIRED, WAITING ON START DATES.
THREE ARE IN PROCESS OF BEING HIRED.
AND THERE'S THREE POSITIONS THAT ARE IN THE PROCESS OF BEING POSTED FOR TEMPORARIES.
WE HAVE FOUR TEMPORARY POSITIONS THAT WERE OPEN AND THEY'RE IN THE PROCESS OF BEING, UH, INTERVIEWED AND HIRED AT THIS POINT.
DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OVER OUR REPORT? COMMISSIONER HASSEN.
I JUST HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS I SORT OF SEE IT ALLUDED TO IN THIS REPORT AND OTHERS, BUT, UM, I WAS LOOKING AT THE INTAKE DOG INTAKE NUMBERS ARE DOWN THERE WERE SO FAR THIS YEAR, THE SECOND LOWEST IN AACS HISTORY FOR DOG INTAKE.
UM, IS THAT, IS THAT REFLECTED ANYWHERE IN THE REPORT THAT WE ARE SEEING HISTORICALLY LOW INTAKES OF DOGS? I THOUGHT THAT, UM, MR. GARZA PROVIDED Y'ALL WITH A SUMMARY YEAR TO DATE THAT SHOWS, UH, YEAR TO DATE ANIMALS THAT CAME IN.
SO THAT'S NOT IN THE, UH, REPORT THIS MONTH.
UM, AND THEN THE ONLY OTHER QUESTION I HAVE IS I UNDERSTAND THERE'S A DISTEMPER OUTBREAK, UM, AND IT IS,
[00:35:01]
UH, HOW MANY ANIMALS ARE SICK RIGHT NOW? ARE YOU GONNA ADDRESS THAT IN A SEPARATE ITEM? UH, NO, I WAS NOT.UM, WE STARTED, WE, WE HAD SIX POSITIVE CASES AND WE IMMEDIATELY STARTED WORKING WITH SOME OF OUR PARTNERS AND THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN.
AND, UH, WE HAD 58 ANIMALS TESTED AND 18 OF THOSE CAME BACK POSITIVE.
UH, SO THAT IS WHERE WE'RE AT TODAY, AND WE'RE CONTINUING TO WORK, UH, WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN AND SOME OF OUR PARTNERS IN, UH, SAVING ALL THESE LIVES.
AND JUST ONE MORE QUESTION, UM, ON THAT ARE HOW MANY, UM, SO THAT WOULD BE 18 PLUS SIX, BUT HOW MANY ARE SYMPTOMATIC OR SHOWING ANY SYMPTOMS? BECAUSE WITH THAT MANY DECEMBER CHASES, WE CAN PRESUME A WIDESPREAD OUTBREAK.
WELL, THOSE ARE ALL THAT TESTED POSITIVE, WHETHER THEY, UH, WERE SHOWING SYMPTOMS OR NOT, THEY DID, UH, TESTING AND SENT THAT ALL TO THE UNIVERSITY, AND THOSE WERE THE ONES THAT CAME BACK POSITIVE.
AND SOME OF THESE ANIMALS HAD BEEN IN THE SHELTER FOR, UH, MANY, MANY MONTHS.
SO THERE ARE NO MORE SYMPTOMATIC DOGS? NO, THERE ARE SYMPTOMATIC DOGS.
I CAN'T TELL YOU THE BREAKDOWN ON HOW MANY WERE POSITIVE THAT ARE SHOWING SYMPTOMS VERSUS HOW MANY WERE POSITIVE THAT WEREN'T SHOWING SYMPTOMS AT THIS TIME.
BEYOND THE ONES THAT HAVE BEEN TESTED THOUGH, ARE THERE ANY OTHER SYMPTOMATIC DOGS BEYOND THE 58 THAT WERE TESTED? UH, THEY DID PULL SOME ADDITIONAL TESTS TODAY.
I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY THEY ENDED UP PULLING OF DOGS THAT, UH, MIGHT'VE SHOWED SOME SIGNS.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? CAN YOU TELL US, UM, ABOUT THE TREATMENT OF THE DOGS, UM, THAT HAVE TESTED POSITIVE OR ARE SHOWING SYMPTOMS? I KNOW THAT, UH, NO, I, I CAN'T TELL YOU EXACTLY WHAT ALL THE BETTS ARE DOING, UH, THE PROTOCOLS THAT THEY'RE USING.
I JUST MEAN LIKE, WHO'S, WHO'S DOING IT OR IS IT HAPPENING? WELL, WE, WE HAVE SENT, UH, AS MANY AS, UH, ONE OF OUR RESCUE PARTNERS HERE LOCALLY COULD TAKE.
AND WE FILLED UP THEM WITH AS MANY AS THEY THEY CAN TAKE.
AND WE'RE TRYING TO, UH, THAT'S WHY WE'RE PUTTING OUT A FOSTER PLEA.
WE ARE ISOLATING THOSE THAT ARE SHOWING, UH, OR TESTED POSITIVE SO THAT WE CAN ISOLATE AND TREAT.
UH, SO, UH, THEY'RE FOLLOWING ALL THE PROTOCOLS THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, THE UNIVERSITY IS SUGGESTING, I ASSUME THAT'S AUSTIN PETS ALIVE, IS THAT RIGHT? OR IS THAT SOMEONE ELSE? YES, THAT'S CORRECT.
AND HOW MANY, DO YOU KNOW ROUGHLY THAT THEY TOOK THE LAST I HEARD IT WAS 17, I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY SINCE THEN.
ARE THERE ANY THAT THEY DIDN'T TAKE? WELL, THEY HAVE TAKEN EVERYTHING THEY COULD TAKE UNTIL THEY GOT FULL.
RIGHT? ARE THERE ANY THAT THEY DIDN'T HAVE? THEY SAID, NO, WE CAN'T TAKE ANYMORE.
I DON'T THINK THEY HAVE AT THIS POINT THAT I'M AWARE OF.
UM, HOW DO SHELTERS, ARE SHELTERS ABLE TO, UM, UM, D DON'T CHECK, NOT DON'T CHECK A FILTER.
OR BEFORE WHEN ANIMALS COME IN, CAN THEY SHELTER TO FIGURE OUT IF A, A DOG HAS TO STUPER? THEY CAN.
UH, BUT I'M NOT, WE HAVE SEVERAL VETS HERE AND I'M GONNA LET THEM ASK THE ANSWER THAT QUESTION BECAUSE THEY, THEY CAN PROBABLY GIVE YOU MORE CLINICAL INFORMATION THAN I COULD.
ARE YOU ASKING IF THERE'S A SIMPLE SCREENING TEST FOR ASYMPTOMATIC DOGS FOR DISTEMPER? NO, I, I'M, MAYBE I'M NOT ASKING MY QUESTION CORRECTLY.
SO THERE'S A DISTEMPER OUTBREAK.
WHY DID THAT HAPPEN? OH, BECAUSE THERE'S DISTEMPER IN THE COMMUNITY AND WHEN THE ANIMALS ARE BROUGHT INTO THE SHELTER YES.
UH, SHELTERS, AND I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER, BUT DO SHELTERS TYPICALLY HAVE A WAY, DO THEY CHECK FOR DISTEMPER TYPICALLY? I DON'T KNOW.
I IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT EASILY TESTED FOR, ESPECIALLY IN AN ASYMPTOMATIC ANIMAL.
SO IT, YEAH, IT'S NOT LIKE A EASY, QUICK, UH, TABLETOP FECAL SAMPLE PARVO TEST.
BUT EVEN THEN, YOU KNOW, AND THEN WHENEVER YOU'RE INTERPRETING A SINGLE TEST FROM AN ANIMAL, YOU HAVE TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THAT ONE ANIMAL'S HISTORY, WHICH WE USUALLY DON'T KNOW IF IT'S SYMPTOMATIC OR NOT.
IT IS NOT SOMETHING THAT CAN BE EASILY, EASILY SCREENED FOR, FOR, IT CAN BE MUCH MORE EASILY PREVENTED IN THE COMMUNITY WITH WIDESPREAD VACCINATION.
AND SO HEADING IT OFF AT THE PAST IS, I THINK PREVENTATIVE MEASURES IS WHAT YOU'RE GETTING AT.
[00:40:01]
AND I THINK THE MAIN PREVENTATIVE MEASURE IS DRAMATIC VACCINATION IN THE COMMUNITY.UM, I'M DEALING WITH A DISTEMPER OUTBREAK AT ANOTHER SHELTER IN CENTRAL TEXAS.
UM, AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER IS NOT UNIQUE RIGHT NOW.
UM, SAN MARCOS HAS A CURRENT OUTBREAK GOING ON.
UH, BASTROP COUNTY CLOSED EARLIER THIS SUMMER.
LIKE I SAID, I'M DEALING WITH AN OUTBREAK RIGHT NOW.
IN MY INSTANCE, THE DOGS WERE TRANSFERRED IN AT THE END OF MAY AND DIDN'T START SHOWING CLINICAL SIGNS UNTIL JULY.
SO THEY WERE HEALTHY NORMAL DOGS PART OF OUR MAIN POPULATION UNTIL THEY STARTED SHOWING SIGNS MID-JULY.
AT THAT POINT, THEY START ROUTINE UPPER RESPIRATORY QUARANTINE.
UM, AND WE DON'T ACTUALLY DIS CHECK FOR DISTEMPER UNTIL THEY'RE NOT RESPONDING TO TYPICAL THERAPY.
SO THOSE DOGS TYPICALLY SPEND A WEEK OR MORE IN ISOLATION WITH OTHER DOGS BEFORE WE WOULD EVEN THINK TO TEST THEM, BECAUSE THERE IS A HUGE LIST OF VIRUSES AND BACTERIA THAT CAUSE UPPER RESPIRATORY SIGNS IN DOGS.
AND SO ONCE YOU DO TEST, YOU SEND THOSE SWABS FROM THE NASAL SWABS OUT.
UM, AND THOSE TAKE ABOUT FIVE DAYS TO COME BACK.
AND SO THERE'S ALWAYS A DELAY IN THE INFORMATION THAT YOU GET.
UM, AND SO AGAIN, I'LL REITERATE KIND OF WHAT AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER IS SEEING, WE'RE SEEING THROUGHOUT CENTRAL TEXAS RIGHT NOW IS WE HAVE HAD, UH, DISEASE CROP UP IN ADULT DOGS THAT HAVE THEIR TWO VACCINES ON BOARD.
SO THOSE DOGS AREN'T DYING OF DISTEMPER TYPICALLY, BUT THEY DO HAVE, HAVE QUITE PROLONGED UPPER RESPIRATORY SIGNS WITHIN THE SHELTER.
SO YEAH, IT'S OFTEN QUITE DELAYED BETWEEN THE TIME AN ANIMAL COMES IN AND WHEN SIGNS ARE SEEN.
AND SO AS PART OF THAT INITIAL CHECK FOR DISTEMPER, YOU'RE SENDING OFF AN UPPER RESPIRATORY PANEL THAT'S LOOKING FOR CANINE INFLUENZA, A BOARD, ATELLA, MYCOPLASMA, LIKE A LONG LIST OF THINGS EACH WITH, ITS KIND OF DISTINCT TREATMENT.
SO IT'S, IT REITERATES THE IMPORTANCE CERTAINLY OF HAVING GOOD VACCINE PROTOCOLS IN PLACE, VACCINATING ON INTAKE, MAKING SURE YOUR STAFF ARE TRAINED, HOLDING COMMUNITY VACCINATION EVENTS.
I MEAN, YOUR MEDICINE IS PUT TO THE TEST.
AND THEN ALSO THE IMPORTANCE OF NOT KEEPING PUPPIES IN THE SHELTER.
LIKE ANYTHING YOU CAN DO TO GET PUPPIES OUT INTO FOSTER IS ALWAYS IMPORTANT, BUT PARTICULARLY NOW.
I WANNA JUST GET BACK TO THE DIRECTOR AND APPRECIATE THE VETERINARY INFORMATION.
UM, BUT CURRENTLY THAT'S A REALLY BIG CONCERNING OUTBREAK.
UM, AND I'M WONDERING, UH, ABOUT IF THE DOGS IN THE SHELTER WERE ALL UP TO DATE ON VACCINES.
SOME OF THEM HAVE BEEN THERE MORE THAN A YEAR.
UM, AND GIVEN THAT THEY WERE THERE A LONG TIME AND GETTING SICK IF THEY WERE UP TO DATE.
AND DIRECTOR BLAND, IF YOU KNOW THAT THE DOGS ARE BOTH BEING VACCINATED ON INTAKE AND ARE BEING KEPT UP TO DATE, UM, PARTICULARLY THE ONES THAT ARE TESTING POSITIVE, YES, THEY ARE VACCINATED AND THE VACCINATIONS ARE UP TO DATE, UH, AND HAD, YOU KNOW, MULTIPLE VACCINATIONS AND THEY'RE STILL SHOWING SYMPTOMS. UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ARE DOING IS ACTUALLY, IF SOMEONE FINDS AN ANIMAL, UH, AND IS WILLING TO HOLD ONTO IT, WE WILL VACCINATE, UH, OUTSIDE THE SHELTER UNTIL THOSE, UH, VACCINATIONS TAKE, TAKE HOLD, BUT, AND, AND JUST ARE, SO ARE I NOTICED SAN MARCOS DOING A LOT OF MEDIA ABOUT IT, BUT I HAVEN'T SEEN MUCH FROM THE SHELTER ALL OTHER THAN SAYING SIX DOGS WERE SICK.
ARE YOU PLANNING ADDITIONAL MEDIA AND PLEAS TO THE PUBLIC IN THE NEXT DAY? UH, WE SENT OUT A PRESS RELEASE, UH, LAST WEEK AND WE HAVE, UH, KEPT UP WITH, YOU KNOW, THE SOCIAL MEDIA SINCE THEN.
UH, WE, AFTER THE WEEKEND, WE TALKED ABOUT HOW MANY ANIMALS WERE, UH, LEFT THE SHELTER THROUGH FOSTER AND ADOPTION AND HOW MANY MORE WE NEEDED TO HELP WITH AS WELL.
BUT YOU DID THAT RELEASE WHEN THERE WERE SIX SICK SIX, I THINK SIX SICK DOGS.
AND IT SOUNDS LIKE, DO, ARE YOU CONFIDENT THERE IS NO WIDESPREAD OUTBREAK BEYOND THE DOGS THAT HAVE TESTED POSITIVE? BECAUSE IF IT'S A LARGER ISSUE, IT SEEMS IMPERATIVE THAT YOU ALL QUICKLY DO MORE MEDIA? WE ARE TESTING CONTINUALLY, UH, OUR TEST, WE, WE TEST ONE DAY.
WE SEND THE SAMPLES OFF, THEY REVIEW THEM THE NEXT, AND ON DAY THREE WE HAVE THE RESULTS BACK.
SO WE DID ANOTHER ROUND OF TESTING OF ANIMALS TODAY THAT WILL GET THE RESULTS BACK ON WEDNESDAY.
SO WE, WE ARE DOING, UH, EVERYTHING WE CAN TO STAY ON TOP OF IT AND SOLICIT THE PUBLIC'S HELP.
COMMISSIONER HOLT, MY QUESTIONS IS ACTUALLY FOR THE VET AND THEN I MIGHT HAVE A FOLLOW UP QUESTION FOR YOU BASED OFF WHAT THEY SAY.
UM, HOW LONG AFTER, I KNOW FOR PUPPIES IT'S A TWO VACCINE PROTOCOL FOR AN ADULT DOG.
IS IT A ONE ON INTAKE AT THE SHELTER
[00:45:01]
THAT'S, I GUESS FOR YOU? UH, IS IT ONE VACCINE WHEN THEY, IF AN ADULT DOG COMES IN, DO THEY JUST GET ONE VACCINE OR DO THEY GET A TWO, TWO WEEKS APART? UM, THEY GET TWO, YEAH.I BELIEVE IT'S TWO, TWO WEEKS APART FOR ADULTS.
THEY DO AS WELL AS PUPPIES? YES.
HOW SOME OF THESE ANIMALS, WE DON'T KNOW THEIR VACCINATION HISTORY, SO THIS COULD BE THEIR FIRST ONE.
SO WE DO VACCINATE ON INTAKE AND THEN TWO WEEKS LATER.
UM, HOW LONG AFTER THAT SECOND VACCINE, BEFORE THEY WOULD BE, I KNOW YOU'RE SAYING IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE'S SOME LIKE OUTLIERS, BUT LIKE TYPICALLY HOW LONG WOULD IT TAKE FOR A DOG TO BE PROTECTED AFTER THAT SECOND VACCINE? YOU KNOW, THERE IS, I THINK A PAPER THAT SAYS IT CAN BE WITHIN HOURS.
I DON'T BELIEVE THAT TO BE TRUE.
AND I'D SAY TWO WEEKS WOULD BE KIND OF STANDARD FOR IMMUNITY.
UM, BUT YEAH, AFTER THE SECOND ONE THERE, THERE IS, WELL, UM, EVEN AFTER THE FIRST ONE, IF YOU'RE USING A MODIFIED LIVE VIRUS, THERE SHOULD BE PRETTY GOOD PROTECTION.
BUT YEAH, IT, IT IS UNIQUE THIS YEAR BECAUSE WE ARE SEEING ADULT DOGS WITH TWO VACCINES COMING DOWN.
AND SO I THINK THAT'S ALSO AN IMPORTANT THING TO REMEMBER OF ABOUT VACCINATION.
WE ARE PREVENTING MORBIDITY IN THE VAST MAJORITY OF THESE DOGS, BUT WE ARE SEEING SOME ILLNESS AND SOME UPPER RESPIRATORY SIGNS.
AND THEN MY LAST QUESTION, SO JUST WANNA MAKE SURE Y'ALL VACCINE.
YOU, YOU SAID YOU VACCINATE ON INTAKE NOT AFTER THE THREE DAY RULE, BUT SOME SHELTERS YOU MM-HMM.
AND WE'RE ACTUALLY VACCINATING BEFORE THEY EVEN WALK IN THE DOOR.
WE DON'T PUT THEM IN HOLDING AND THEN PULL 'EM OUT OF HOLDING TO VACCINATE.
WE'RE VACCINATING 'EM BEFORE THEY EVEN GO INTO THE HOLDING KENNEL.
AND JUST TO FOLLOW UP ON THAT, 'CAUSE I THINK COMMISSIONER, UH, DR.
SO I JUST WANNA CONFIRM THAT OF THESE ANIMALS THAT ARE EITHER POSITIVE OR SUSPECTED, IF WE WERE TO GO BACK INTO THE RECORDS, CAN WE CONFIRM THAT A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THEM WERE VACCINATED ON INTAKE? WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO, YES.
UH, THE ONLY THING THAT I WOULD SAY, IF ONE WAS, UH, YOU KNOW, HIT BY A CAR AND THERE'S DOING LIFE SAVING AND CAN'T VACCINATE FOR SOME REASON, THAT WOULD BE THE ONLY EXCEPTION IT SHOULD BE.
UM, SO THEY, THE INTAKE, UH, TECHNICIANS HAVE PARAMETERS IN WHICH THEY WILL NOT VACCINATE.
AND IT DOES INCLUDE EMERGENCIES THAT ARE RUNNING A FEVER.
SO IF THE ANIMAL'S SHOWING ILLNESS ON INTAKE, THEY'LL HOLD UNTIL THAT ANIMAL'S NOT FEBRILE ANYMORE.
IF SOMETHING CAME IN AFTER SIX O'CLOCK AT NIGHT, IT WOULDN'T BE VACCINATED TILL THE NEXT MORNING.
BUT ANIMALS ARE VACCINATED ON INTAKE.
UM, AND THOSE VACCINES ARE HELD CORRECTLY FROM ANYTHING I'VE EVER WITNESSED.
AND WE ACTUALLY STARTED, UH, IF, IF THERE IS A FEVER IN ANIMAL SINCE WE STARTED SEEING DISTEMPER, WE ARE VACCINATING.
THAT IS, EVEN THOUGH THEY HAVE FEVER, WE, THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN SUGGESTED WE DO THAT.
BUT THE FEVER ANIMAL WOULD BE SEGREGATED FROM THE PUBLIC.
UH, IN THE EVENT THAT IT WASN'T VACCINATED.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, 'CAUSE WE'VE HAD THIS, UH, LARRY, WHEN WAS IT, 2018? NO, WE HAD A REALLY BAD ONE IN 2011.
WELL, WE HAD THE, THE GREAT DEBATE OVER VACCINATING 2, 3, 4 DAYS AFTER INTAKE.
AND IT WAS DETERMINED IMMEDIATELY ON INTAKE AS SOON AS THEY, EVEN BEFORE THEY, THEY'RE IN THE DOOR, TO YOUR POINT, LIKE WHAT YOU'RE DOING NOW OR, OR BEFORE THEY GO BACK INTO THE, THE HOLDING AREA, THEY'RE VACCINATED.
AND THERE WAS A, UM, INFORMAL TEST THAT WAS PERFORMED, UH, WITHOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, YEARS AGO, WHAT, IN 2000, I THINK IT WAS 1111, WHERE THE THEN CHIEF ANIMAL SERVICES OFFICER WITHHELD VACCINATIONS AS A, AS AN EXPERIMENT
UM, WHICH FAILED MISERABLY OBVIOUSLY.
SO THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF DISCUSSION ABOUT IT.
AND THE, I'M GLAD TO HEAR THAT YOU'RE VACCINATE THAT WE'RE VACCINATING IMMEDIATELY ON INTAKE BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WAS DECIDED AT THAT TIME.
THAT THE, THE EFFICACY OF THE VACCINATION GOES DOWN SIGNIFICANTLY HOUR AFTER HOUR.
UM, AND THEN THAT'S, IT'S, YOU KNOW, OF COURSE THE WORST PLACE TO BE IS, YOU KNOW, IN A, IN, IN A MASS SHELTER LIKE THAT WITH LOTS OF ANIMALS OR A PERSON WENT IN A HOSPITAL.
AND, UH, I THINK MY RECOLLECTION IS THE OTHER THING THAT WE LEARNED IN 2011 IS EVEN THOUGH THERE WAS A POLICY AT SOME POINT OF VACCINATING UNDERTAKE THAT WHEN WE WENT BACK TO LOOK AT THE RECORDS, IT WASN'T, IT WASN'T HAPPENING.
UM, SO THAT'S MY, THAT'S MY BIGGEST CONCERN IS TO JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT, UH, THAT THERE'S A PROTOCOL, BUT TO MAKE SURE THE PROTOCOL'S ACTUALLY HAPPENING.
AND SO MAYBE WE CAN FIND, UH, YOU THINK IT'S 19 OR 20 TOTAL ANIMALS RIGHT NOW THAT HAVE IT, IT WAS 18
[00:50:01]
FROM THE 58 TESTED.I WONDER IF WE CAN GO BACK AND, UH, LOOK AT THOSE 18 TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY WERE VACCINATED ON INTAKE.
IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU GUYS COULD, WE THAT AND IT SHOWS THE DATE THEY WERE VACCINATED AND HOW LONG THEY'VE BEEN THERE.
I THINK THAT WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL.
IF I CAN'T, I KNOW I'M NOT ASKING YOU TO PRODUCE THE INFORMATION HERE, BUT NO, WE, WE, WE ALREADY HAVE IT AND WE'VE LOOKED OH, YOU'VE ALREADY CHECKED.
AND I'LL JUST SAY AS AN ASIDE TOO, JUST AS A COMMUNITY MEMBER, REMEMBER DISTEMPER IS COMING FROM THE WILDLIFE, SO IT'S COMING FROM RACCOONS.
AND IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD ON MY CUL-DE-SAC, WE HAVE SIX RACCOONS.
WE'RE SEEING ON A DAILY BASIS, THAT'S NOT TYPICAL BEHAVIOR FOR WILDLIFE.
SO I HAVE A THEORY THAT WE'RE SEEING SO MUCH DISTEMPER BECAUSE EVERYTHING IS SEEKING WATER.
AND SO I THINK WE'RE SEEING WILDLIFE AND DOG FOOD, BO UH, DOG WATER BOWLS BEING COMMUNAL.
JUST FROM MY LITTLE MICRO COMMUNITY, I'M SEEING SO MUCH WILDLIFE IN OUR YARDS THAT WE WOULD NEVER SEE AND THEY ARE SEEKING WATER.
SO I WOULD JUST, YOU KNOW, CAUTION PEOPLE MAYBE BLEACH OUT YOUR DOG BOWLS, PUT EXTRA WATER OUT UP HIGH FOR THE ANIMALS.
'CAUSE THEY'RE WATER SEEKING AND THEY'RE STRUGGLING IN THIS TOO RIGHT NOW.
UH, THAT'S A REALLY EXCELLENT POINT AND MIGHT BE ANOTHER GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR SOME SOCIAL MEDIA PRESENCE FROM THE SHELTER TO, UM, OFFER SOME BEST PRACTICES ABOUT REDUCING THAT INTERACTION BETWEEN WILDLIFE AND DOMESTIC ANIMALS IN THE CITY.
UM, BUT I, IF, UH, IT'S OKAY, I HAD A QUESTION THAT'S RELATED, BUT SLIGHTLY OFF THE, THE CURRENT, UH, TOPIC AND DIRECTOR BLAND, I'M REALLY HAPPY TO HEAR ABOUT, UM, THE SUPPORT THAT Y'ALL ARE PROVIDING TO THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO FIND DOGS AND OFFERING TO VACCINATE THEM WITHOUT DOING DIRECT INTAKE INTO THE SHELTER FIRST.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT THAT'S A REALLY IMPORTANT BEST PRACTICE IS TO OFFER THOSE SORTS OF SERVICES TO THE COMMUNITY.
UM, ESPECIALLY AS WE'RE ASKING FOLKS TO HANG ON TO DOGS AND CATS THAT THEY FIND.
UM, I'M WONDERING HOW THAT IS GOING.
ARE YOU HAVING, UH, IS YOUR TEAM HAVING A LOT OF PEOPLE TAKING YOU UP ON THAT SUPPORT OR ARE YOU FINDING IT TO BE A, A SUCCESSFUL RESOURCE IN TERMS OF PROVIDING PEOPLE WITH THE SUPPORT THEY NEED TO, TO KEEP THOSE PETS OUT OF THE SHELTER? IT'S, IT'S, UH, I THINK MORE PEOPLE ARE, ARE WILLING TO ASSIST UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES THAT WE HAVE NOW CURRENTLY, UH, VERSUS JUST IF YOU FIND AN ANIMAL, HEY, WE TALK YOU INTO HELPING US OUT AND KEEPING IT UNTIL WE CAN FIND THE OWNER OR MAKE SPACE FOR IT.
UH, ONE OF THE THINGS I DO WANNA POINT OUT IS THIS IS AN EMERGENCY PROCEDURE.
SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE ARE DOING UNDER AN EMERGENCY ORDER THAT WE CAN GO OUT AND, AND VACCINATE, UH, FOUND ANIMALS, OR IF SOMEONE'S WILLING TO HOLD IT, WE CAN ACTUALLY MAKE AN APPOINTMENT AND GO TO THEIR HOUSE AND DO THAT.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, UH, WE'RE STEPPING OUTSIDE OF THE BOX TO DO.
UM, IT WOULD IT, IN ORDER TO LIKE BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THOSE SORTS OF SERVICES, WHETHER IT'S ACCESS TO SPAY, NEUTER, VACCINATION, YOU KNOW, CRATES, LEASHES, COLLARS, FOOD, ANYTHING LIKE THAT, IT ARE YOU DO, IS THE SHELTER ABLE TO DO THAT WORK OUTSIDE OF THE EMERGENCY SITUATION OR WOULD THAT SORT OF PROGRAM DO YOU THINK REQUIRE A CHANGE IN, IN ORDINANCE AND NO, NO WORRIES IF THAT'S, IF YOU CAN'T ANSWER THAT QUESTION RIGHT OFF THE BAT.
WELL, UM, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE THAT'S SOMETHING Y'ALL SHOULD BE ABLE TO DO
WE, WE CURRENTLY, UM, PROVIDE INFOR, UH, RESOURCES TO FOLKS THAT NEED SPAN AND NEUTERING.
WE USE A VOUCHER SYSTEM THAT, UH, WE CAN SEND THEM OUT WITH THAT TO HELP THEM OUT AND ASSIST.
UH, IF THEY CAN'T GET TO FRONT OF OUR FREE DAYS, WE CAN GIVE THEM A VOUCHER TO GO TO ONE OF THE BRICK AND MORTAR CLINICS.
UH, LAST, LAST, UH, MONTH IN JULY, WE GAVE OVER A THOUSAND, UH, PET ITEMS OUT INCLUDING CRATES, LEASHES, FOOD.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE DO TRACK AND WE DO ON A REGULAR BASIS BECAUSE WE, WHATEVER WE CAN DO, UH, THAT'S, UH, AND, AND A LOT OF THIS STUFF, YOU KNOW, IS STUFF THAT WE ASK FOR ON OUR DONATION LIST AS WELL THAT MIGHT NOT BE IN OUR DIRECT BUDGET.
UH, BECAUSE WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS, IS KEEP THOSE ANIMALS IN THE HOMES WITH THEIR LOVED AND CARED FOR.
AND IF WE CAN DO THAT BY HELPING THEM, UH, SPAY AND NEUTER OR VACCINATING OR SOMETHING, WE'RE GONNA GO THAT ROUTE AND ARE VACCINATIONS.
TY, ARE VACCINATIONS ALSO INCLUDED IN LIKE YOUR VOUCHER PROGRAM AND, AND THINGS LIKE THAT WHEN THEY, WHEN THEY GO TO, UH, GET THEIR SPAY AND NEUTERING, THAT IS PART OF IT.
IF IT'S NOT MICROCHIPPED, UH, VACCINATED AS WELL.
I'D LOVE TO SEE, UM, IF YOU NEXT MONTH HAPPEN, IF Y'ALL ARE TRACKING THIS AND HAVE NUMBERS, I'D LOVE TO SEE HOW MANY, UM, IF THERE IS A CHANGE FROM, UH, THIS MONTH COMPARED TO PRIOR MONTHS, UM, HOW MANY FOLKS HAVE BEEN MORE WILLING TO KEEP ANIMALS THAT THEY'VE FOUND.
[00:55:01]
UM, YEAH, JUST HEAR YOUR Y'ALL'S INSIGHT ON WHETHER YOU THINK THAT THAT ADDITIONAL SUPPORT THROUGH THE VACCINATIONS, UM, HAS BEEN A, A USEFUL TOOL.I CAN GET, UH, SOME INFORMATION FROM OUR, UH, CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVES THAT ARE HANDLING THAT AND WE CAN SURELY PROVIDE THAT.
I WAS JUST HOPING FOR SOME CLARITY.
SO THE, UM, SO A PERSON WHO FINDS A, FINDS AN ANIMAL, SO NOT, NOT UNDER THE EMERGENCY SITUATION.
A PERSON WHO FINDS AN ANIMAL AND AGREES TO FIND OR FOSTER, I BELIEVE IS THE TERM, THEY, THEY GET VACCINES, VOUCHERS AND ANY SUPPLIES THEY WANT, AND EVEN PET OWNERS CAN, CAN NORMALLY COME AND GET EMERGENCY SUPPLIES FOR THEIR PET OWNER CAN.
UH, WE DON'T DO FIND FINDER TO FOSTER.
UH, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE OUR LEGAL TEAM LOOKING AT HOW WE CAN ACCOMPLISH THAT.
BUT UNDER THIS EMERGENCY SITUATION, IF SOMEONE'S WILLING TO, WE WILL GIVE THEM THE VACCINATIONS AND OKAY.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S NOT YOU, IT'S NOT JUST THE GOING TO THEIR HOUSE TO GIVE IT TO THEM.
IT'S THE PROVIDING IT AT ALL THAT'S DIFFERENT IN THE, IN THE EMERGENCY SITUATION.
WE, WE NORMALLY DO NOT GIVE VACCINATIONS TO SOMEONE THAT, UH, UNDER NORMAL CIRCUMSTANCES, THAT'S NOT PART OF IT.
WE DO NOT SAY, HEY, LET US VACCINATE AND SEND IT BACK AND YOU KEEP IT.
THAT'S PART OF, NOT PART OF IT.
BUT, UH, BUT THE SUPPLIES WOULD BE POTENTIALLY YES.
I HAVE A QUESTION RELATED TO THAT.
WHAT WOULD IT TAKE TO DO THAT? BECAUSE IF THERE ARE ANIMALS PRESUMABLY BYPASSING THE SHELTER AND GOING TO SOMEONE'S HOUSE WITH THEIR OWN PETS, THEN THEY'RE PUTTING THEIR OWN PETS AT RISK.
SO I, I GUESS I'M JUST WONDERING HOW COULD WE INCORPORATE SOMETHING LIKE THAT? WE HAVE LEGAL LOOKING AT THAT BECAUSE WITH THE STATE OF TEXAS, THEIR, THEIR LAWS, IT, UH, IT WOULD REQUIRE, AND WE'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE ACTUALLY LOOKING AT OTHER CITIES THAT HAVE STARTED DOING THIS AND, AND HOW THEY'RE ACCOMPLISHING THAT.
SO WE'VE ASKED THAT QUESTION AND WE, 'CAUSE WE WOULD LIKE TO BE ABLE TO DO, UH, YOU KNOW, FIND HER TO FOSTER, UH, SUCCESSFULLY.
THEY'RE ALREADY GOING IN OUR SYSTEM AND SHOWING ONLINE WHEN SOMEONE FINDS ONE.
SO IT IS OUT THERE AND AVAILABLE AND IT'S JUST A WAY OF, CURRENTLY OUR CODE SAYS THAT IT TO BE CONSIDERED IMPOUNDED FOR THE 72 HOURS IT HAS TO PHYSICALLY BE IN THE SHELTER, AND THAT'S GONNA HAVE TO BE CHANGED.
I THINK ON THAT NOTE, IT DOESN'T SAY EITHER WAY.
UM, SO I THINK THERE'S JUST CONFUSION ON, IT JUST SAYS IMPOUNDED.
IT DOESN'T, IT DOESN'T DEFINE WELL, THAT'S LIKE INTERPRETING IT.
UM, AND THEN OF COURSE THE, THE, THE STATE LAW, JUST IF ANYBODY'S CURIOUS, THE STATE LAW IS, UM, THE VETERINARY PRACTICE ACT, WHICH, UH, LIMITS WHAT VETERINARIANS CAN DO FOR ANIMALS THAT ARE NEITHER OWNED NOR IN A, IN THE, IN THE CARE OF A DESIGNATED CARETAKER.
AND SO THE, UM, THE CITY CODE WOULD HAVE TO, UH, COMPLY WITH STATE LAW TO ALLOW IT TO REACH ANOTHER GROUP.
AND THAT'S NOT SAYING THAT IT COULDN'T BE, BUT, UM, THAT'S NOT CERTAINLY SOMETHING THAT WE CONTEMPLATED AT THE TIME THAT THE LAST ROUND OF AMENDMENTS WERE PASSED, WHICH WAS FOUR OR FIVE YEARS AGO NOW.
UM, SO I THINK THAT IT WOULD JUST, IT'D HAVE TO, IT PROBABLY WOULD REQUIRE A DEFINITION OF DESIGNATED CARETAKER OR A DESIGNATIONS OF CARETAKER, UH, TO BE ABLE TO COMPLY WITH THE VETERINARY PRACTICE ACT, WHICH IS, WHICH ALLOWS, UH, VETERINARIANS TO REACH OUTSIDE OF AN OWNER BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO ESTABLISH AN OWNER RELATIONSHIP, UM, WITH, TO BE ABLE TO PRACTICE MEDICINE ESSENTIALLY JUST LIKE A DOCTOR HAS TO ESTABLISH A RELATIONSHIP.
I JUST LIKE IF AN ANIMAL GOES DIRECTLY INTO FOSTER CARE, THAT IS STILL CONSIDERED UNDER THE CARE OF AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER.
SO IS THE HOLDUP JUST LIKE WHETHER OR NOT WE ARE DEFINING THESE FINDERS AS FOSTERS UNLESS, LIKE I, UNLESS IT, UNLESS IT'S A, A NEONATAL KITTEN, UHHUH, UH, ANIMAL, YOU KNOW, ANIMALS HAVE TO SPEND 72 HOURS AT THE SHELTER BEFORE THEY GO INTO FOSTER CARE.
SO EVEN LIKE HIGH MEDICAL RISK, YOU'RE OKAY.
THERE'S A MEDICAL RISK EXCEPTION AND THAT'S THE ONLY ONE.
AS, AS NEEDED TO PROTECT, UH, TO PREVENT EUTHANASIA.
THAT ALLOWS THE ANIMAL TO GO INTO A, TO ACTUALLY TO, THEY CAN, THERE'S NOTHING THAT PREVENTS THEM TO GOING INTO, TO FOSTER IMMEDIATELY THAT ALLOWS THEM TO GO TO A THIRD PARTY, UH, DURING THE HOLD PERIOD.
THE HOLD PERIOD STILL APPLIES DURING THAT PERIOD.
UM, AN OWNER COULD STILL RECLAIM THEM DURING THAT PERIOD, BUT IF IT'S NEEDED TO, TO
[01:00:01]
PREVENT EUTHANASIA, THEY CAN GO TO A THIRD PARTY DURING THAT PERIOD.I THINK YOUR QUESTION MORE SPECIFICALLY WENT TO, WHY CAN'T WE JUST CALL THEM A DESIGNATED CARETAKER UNDER THE FOSTER PROGRAM? IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THEY SIMPLY DON'T HAVE A DIRECT TO FINDER PROGRAM, DIRECT TO FOSTER PROGRAM AT THIS POINT.
AND THAT, SO IT'S NOT THE LABELING THE FINDER AS A FOSTER, IT IS THE NEEDING TO SPEND THREE DAYS IN THE SHELTER THAT, NO, THEY WOULDN'T HAVE TO SPEND THREE DAYS IN THE SHELTER IF THEY WERE IN THE, IN THE CUSTODY OF THE, OF THE SHELTER.
BUT AGAIN, IT'S NOT, THAT IS NOT CLEAR.
IT SAYS UPON A POUND IMPOUNDMENT.
SO IT DEPENDS ON HOW YOU, HOW ONE WOULD DEFINE IMPOUNDMENT.
SO IT SEEMS LIKE WE'RE JUST UP AGAINST LIKE DEFINITIONS HERE AND NOT ACTUALLY THE INABILITY TO DO THIS IN A WAY THAT IS, SOUNDS LIKE WE'RE UP AGAINST CAUTIOUS LAWYERS.
BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE COULD WEIGH IN ON AND PROPOSE, UM, EITHER A PROGRAM, PROGRAMMATIC PROGRAMMATIC SOLUTION OR A LEGAL SOLUTION AND AN ORDINANCE CHANGE.
IS THIS SOMETHING THAT THIS COMMISSION HAS, UH, EXPLORED OR DISCUSSED MAKING A RECOMMENDATION ON IN THE PAST, A FINDER TO FOSTER LEGAL SOLUTION? IF THAT IS THE HOLDUP.
I DON'T BELIEVE WE'VE EVER TACKLED THIS SPECIFIC ISSUE OF WHAT CONSTITUTES IMPOUNDMENT AND HOW TO, UM, MAKE SURE THAT ANIMALS CAN GET CARE OUTSIDE OF THE SHELTER SITUATION IF THEY'RE WITHIN THE CUSTODY OF THE SHELTER.
I MEAN, FINDER TO FOSTER PROGRAMS ARE REALLY COMMON ALL OVER THE COUNTRY.
SO I THINK THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT MAYBE WE SHOULD PUT ON A FUTURE AGENDA, UM, BECAUSE THERE ARE DEFINITELY WAYS TO, UM, MAKE THESE PROGRAMS VIABLE FROM A, FROM A LEGAL PERSPECTIVE.
UM, AND I THINK THAT THEY'RE AN IMPORTANT PART OF BEST PRACTICES AND SHELTERING, UM, ESPECIALLY AS SHELTERS CONTINUE TO GET OVERCROWDED AND, UM, WE WANNA OFFER OUR COMMUNITY THE SUPPORT THAT THEY NEED TO BE PART OF THESE EFFORTS.
UM, SO I DON'T KNOW IF WE'RE AT THE POINT YET WHERE WE'RE TAKING FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS.
BUT YOU'RE WELCOME TO THROW 'EM OUT.
UH, AND I WOULD SAY WE HAVE A, A HISTORICALLY AGGRESSIVE TEXAS BOARD OF VETERINARY MEDICAL EXAMINERS.
AND SO THAT IS PROBABLY WHAT, UM, BREEDS CAUTION IN THE EYES OF THE, UM, LAWYERS AT THE CITY.
CAN WE, CAN WE SEE THEY'RE WORKING ON IT NOW?
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT HAS CHANGED SINCE WHOEVER THIS BOARD OF MEDICAL ADVISORS HAS COME IN AS, BUT, UH, IT IS THE ONLY THING THAT ALLOWS THEM TO KEEP THEIR HEAD ABOVE WATER.
UM, AND I'M JUST SUPER ENCOURAGING OF ANYTHING THAT ALLOWS US TO GET AHEAD OF THIS PROACTIVELY, UH, AND NOT WAITING UNTIL WE GET TO A FULL ON EMERGENCY STATE, EITHER WITH AN OUTBREAK OR WITH WHAT HOUSTON HAS GOING ON.
SO, SO LET'S, LET'S GET IT ON THE AGENDA.
THAT WAY IT CAN BE OFFICIALLY PROPOSED AND DEBATED.
AND THEN, UM, WE CAN MOVE ON TO THAT.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FOR THIS TOPIC? ONE LAST, UH, I HAVE ONE LAST ONE, WHICH IS, WHAT IS THE CURRENT WAIT TIME? IF SOMEONE WANTS TO, UH, SURRENDER EITHER A STRAY OR AN OWNED ANIMAL, WHAT IS THE CURRENT WAIT TIME? TWO WEEKS.
SHE SAID TWO WEEKS FOR, UH, ANYTHING UNDER FIVE MONTHS.
FOR, FOR ANYTHING UNDER FIVE MONTHS.
AND THEN WHAT WOULD IT BE FOR IT IF WE'RE, WE'RE DEFERRING ALL LARGE INTAKE CURRENTLY, UNLESS IT'S AN EMERGENCY SITUATION, AND THEN IF SOMEONE HAS AN EMERGENCY, WE TAKE THOSE.
SO ALL, SO IT'S PER IS LIKE POSTPONED IS, IT IS NOT HAPPENING UNLESS IT'S AN EMERGENCY AND THEY'RE OVER FIVE MONTHS.
WE'RE RESTRICTING INTAKE UNLESS THERE'S, YOU KNOW, IF, IF IT'S, IF, IF THEY, YOU KNOW, HAVE AN EMERGENCY, IT'S AN EVICTION.
THOSE THAT ABSOLUTELY, TRULY HAVE TO HAVE OUR SERVICES RIGHT THEN.
AND THEN WE TAKE THOSE AND THERE'S NO WAIT PERIOD FOR THAT.
AND IS THAT DUE TO THE OUTBREAK? NO, THAT'S, THAT'S JUST POLICY.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ALRIGHT, LET'S MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER FOUR.
PRESENTATION OF MONTHLY REPORT BY AUSTIN PETZ ALIVE? NO.
DID I SKIP SOMETHING? COMMISSIONER EZ? I GUESS I'M A LITTLE BIT CONFUSED THAT, UM, WE'RE GOING, YOU KNOW, THAT MICROPHONE.
I KNOW THAT WE, WE HAVE GONE, UH, THROUGH THE NARRATIVE AND, BUT WE DIDN'T GO THROUGH THE, THE
[01:05:02]
FISCAL YEAR FROM OCTOBER 1ST, 2022 THROUGH JULY 31ST, 2023.THAT WAS THROUGH THE REPORT THAT JASON PUT TOGETHER THAT HE REFERRED TO EARLIER.
BUT I, I, I THOUGHT WE WERE GONNA GO, SO I HAD A COUPLE QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT.
WE CAN HOLD BACK ON AUSTIN PET'S LIFE FIRST.
YOU, YOU'RE WELCOME TO NOT MOVE.
YOU DON'T MIND, DO YOU? BUT YEAH, GO AHEAD.
WE'LL GO BACK TO ITEM NUMBER THREE MOMENTARILY.
AND I'M SORRY, FEEL FREE TO ASK QUESTIONS.
I'M SORRY THAT I DIDN'T GIVE YOU THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT BEFORE I MOVED ON.
SO, UH, AND I SEE IT SAYS, HERE'S INTAKE FISCAL YEAR.
I, I GUESS THAT'S FROM JANUARY, 2023 THROUGH JULY 31ST, 2010, 23.
SO I, I DO SEE, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, YOU DO SHOW, UH, FOUR DOCS, TOTAL INTAKE, 45 95, 4,595 DOCS.
OUTCOMES FOR THE DOCS WAS 4,453.
AND THEN THE DIFFERENT OUTCOMES AND, AND INTAKE IS 142 DOGS, TOTAL OF DOGS.
UH, SO THAT WOULD MEAN A HUNDRED.
AND I KNOW IT'S, IT'S CUMULATIVE.
I UNDERSTAND THAT, THAT IT LOOKS DIFFERENT EACH MONTH, WHICH IS FINE.
SO WHAT THAT WOULD MEAN THAT YOU HAVE 142 DOGS THAT EITHER THEY WERE IN THE SHELTER OR IN THE FOSTER CARE, CORRECT.
THE WE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THAT THEY'RE, THEY'RE IN FOSTER CARE STILL THE SHELTER.
AND, UH, MY OTHER QUESTION, I I IN MY MEMORY MIGHT NOT BE GOOD, BUT I KNOW THAT THE AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER, UH, IT WAS BUILT ON A TIME THAT DIDN'T HAVE A LOT OF, NOT ENOUGH KENNELS FOR HOW THE CITY HAS EXPLODED WITH POPULATION.
SO HOW MANY KENNELS DO YOU, HOW MANY DOCKS CAN YOU ACCOMMODATE IN KENNELS AT THE ANIMALS? IS IT 40? MAYBE? I'M LIKE TOTALLY OFF.
WELL, I'LL JUST TELL YOU WHEN, WHEN, UH, THEY LEFT THE TOWN LAKE ANIMAL CENTER, UH, AND MOVED OVER THERE, THEY HAD 60 LESS KENNELS.
THEN THEY HAD, THEY LEFT FROM TOWN LAKE.
AND THAT'S WHY THEY, UH, FOR A WHILE THERE, THEY KEPT 60 ANIMALS OVER AT TOWN LAKE.
AND THEN WHEN THEY BUILT THE, UH, TRIPLE ZEROS, THE OTTS, UH, THEY BUILT 44 ADDITIONAL KENNELS.
SO WE STILL HAVE 16 LESS KENNELS THAN WE HAD AT THE OLD LOCATION.
SO IN TOTAL, HOW MANY KENNELS DO WE HAVE? I'D HAVE TO ADD IT UP.
WE HAVE, WE CAN HOLD, UH, 270, UH, TWO LARGE DOGS, 37 SMALL DOGS, 165 CATS.
UM, AND THAT IS PUTTING, UH, TWO DOGS IN EACH OF OUR SUITES AND TWO DOGS IN EACH OF OUR FOUR LOBBY KENNELS.
SO, UH, THE, SO THAT HERE, THE DIFFERENCE OF 142 FOR THE FISCAL YEAR, YEAR TO DATE, UH, I I GUESS THAT MEANS THAT THERE WERE MONTHS WHERE, UM, IT WAS MUCH HIGHER CORRECT.
BECAUSE YOU WERE NOT ABLE TO ADMIT DOGS OR, NOT THAT ADMIT, BUT, YOU KNOW, THE INTAKE WAS LOWERED MM-HMM.
I WANTED TO ADD JUST A LITTLE HISTORICAL CONTEXT TO THAT TOO.
UM, WHEN, UH, THE CITY WAS BUILDING THE NEW, OR PROPOSING TO BUILD THE NEW CAMPUS, UH, IN EAST AUSTIN, UH, COMMISSIONER TUCKER, I THINK WAS THE HEAD OF THE ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION.
UM, YOU WERE THE CHAIR AT THAT TIME, RIGHT? YEAH.
AND, UM, THE ADVOCATES, UH, THE ANIMAL ADVOCATES, UH, WERE VERY UPSET THAT THE, UH, SHELTER MANAGEMENT AT THE TIME HAD DETERMINED HOW MANY CAGES THAT THEY WANTED.
AND IT DID APPEAR ON PAPER TO BE LESS, UH, THAN THEY HAD AT TOWN LAKE ANIMAL CENTER.
AND I, I ACTUALLY STILL HAVE THE MEMO, UM, THAT THEY SENT TO COUNCIL SAYING THAT WE WERE WRONG, UH, THAT BECAUSE THE, THE, UH, KENNELS ARE BIGGER, THAT IT ALLOWS FOR MORE ANIMALS TO GO IN THEM, AND THAT THE CAPACITY WAS ACTUALLY INCREASED AND THAT WE HAD IT COMPLETELY DEAD WRONG.
UM, I THINK TIME HAS PROVEN THAT WE WERE RIGHT AND THAT CONCERN.
UM, AND THE OTHER THING IS THAT INTAKE IS A LOT LESS NOW THAN IT WAS THEN.
SO IT'S NOT LIKE, UH, IT'S NOT LIKE, YEAH, IT WASN'T BUILT FOR THIS EXPANSION OF INTAKE.
PRESENTLY, INTAKE CURRENTLY IS A LOT LESS THAN IT WAS AT THE TIME.
UH, SO AGAIN, WE IS, WE ARE YEAR TO DATE AND
[01:10:01]
IT VARIES MONTH TO MONTH.AND THAT'S, THAT'S VERY UNDERSTANDABLE.
SO, UM, IT, IT, AND WE HAVE TALKED A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THIS, AND I KNOW IT'S NOT BLACK AND WHITE.
IT'S VERY, UH, IT IS, IT'S NOT A EASY THING.
UH, BUT, UM, IT, IT MAKES ME
IF WE HAVE A FINFIN AMOUNT OF SPACES IN THE, IN THE SHELTER, THEN YOU HAVE THE OPTION OF FOSTERS.
SO IF FOSTERING, I MEAN, IT IS ALSO PUTTING A LOT OF MORE RESOURCES TOWARDS FO FOSTERING OR, I DON'T KNOW, INVESTMENT.
IT'S WOULD HELP TO TAKE THAT AMOUNT OF DOGS THAT NEED OR ANIMALS AT THE SHELTER THAT HAS A FINITE SPACE.
I KNOW I WAS A LITTLE BIT WORDY.
ANYTHING ELSE? OR DO YOU WANNA RESPOND OR YOU GOOD? WE, IN THE LAST FEW YEARS, WE HAVE, UH, ADDED ADDITIONAL TEMPORARIES TO OUR FOSTER PROGRAM TO HELP BECAUSE, UH, WHEN I GOT THERE, THERE WAS, THERE WAS ONE AND A HALF PEOPLE TO DO THAT.
AND SO WE HAVE ADDED SOME ADDITIONAL TEMPORARY STAFF TO HELP THEM IN THE LAST FEW YEARS.
UH, SO THAT, UH, IS STILL PROBABLY NOT ENOUGH THAT WE NEED, BUT WE HAVE TO DO WITH WHAT WE HAVE.
AND I WON'T HIJACK ANYMORE THE CONVERSATION.
SO, AND LIKE WE ALL KNOW, UH, AND IT'S GOOD TO KNOW THAT, UH, WE ALL KNOW THAT, UH, WHEN YOU GET THOSE ANIMALS OUT OF THE SHELTER, IT, THEY'RE, THEY THRIVE AND THEY, I MEAN, THEIR PERSONALITIES OR BEHAVIOR ISSUES, YOU, YOU DON'T HAVE TO DEAL AS MUCH WITH THAT AND YOU HELP THEM TO BE SUCCESSFUL.
UH, I HAVE A QUESTION FOR DIRECTOR BLAND.
SO YOU INDICATED THAT YOU ARE ONLY TAKING EMERGENCY ADULT DOG CASES.
IS THAT CORRECT? WE ARE TAKING, UM, EMERGENCIES, YES.
UH, ANYTHING IF IT'S, IT'S FIVE MONTHS OR LESS THAT THEY TELL ME THAT WE'RE, YOU KNOW, WORKING IN MAKING APPOINTMENTS TO GET THEM IN, IN TWO WEEKS, UH, ANYTHING THAT, UNLESS IT'S AN EMERGENCY AFTER THAT, YES, WE ARE TAKING EMERGENCIES, EVICTIONS, THOSE TYPE OF THINGS.
SO YOU'RE STILL ADOPTING OUT MEDIUM TO LARGE DOGS AND OR SENDING THEM TO FOSTER, IS THAT CORRECT? THAT IS CORRECT.
SO WITHOUT BRINGING ANY MEDIUM TO LARGE DOGS IN, YOU'RE ADOPTING OUT, DO YOU HAVE OPEN KENNELS AT THIS POINT? WE DO NOT.
AND WE'RE STILL TAKING IN THOSE LARGE AND MEDIUM DOGS IN EMERGENCY SITUATIONS THROUGH EVICTIONS AND INJURIES AND THOSE THINGS.
SO WE'RE STILL TAKING THEM IN, EVEN THOUGH THAT'S THE ONLY WAY WE'RE TAKING IN THEM IN.
SO YOU'RE, SO YOU'RE, SO THEN YOU'RE, YOU'RE TAKING IN AS MANY AS YOU'RE ADOPTING OUT OR GOING OUT TO FOSTER? YES.
WE, WE ARE, WE DID MAKE THE LAST, THE LAST TWO WEEKS.
HOW MANY DOGS DO YOU CURRENTLY CRATE IN THE ANIMAL CENTER? UH, THERE WAS SIX IN THERE THIS MORNING THAT WE, WE DID MAKE PROGRESS, UH, GETTING ACTUALLY MORE ANIMALS OUT, UH, THE LAST TWO WEEKS THAN WE DID GET IN.
AND A LOT OF THOSE WERE CATS, OF COURSE, WITH OUR KITTY PALOOZA AND THAT THINGS.
BUT OVERALL, WE DID MAKE SOME PROGRESS BECAUSE WE DID SEND QUITE A FEW TO INTO FOSTER.
SO THE LAST TWO WEEKS HAVE, HAVE BEEN ENCOURAGING.
SO OF THESE SIX DOGS THAT YOU HAVE IN CRATES IN THE MULTIPURPOSE ROOM, UM, ARE THESE THAT HAVE CONTINUOUSLY BEEN IN THOSE CRATES, OR ARE YOU ROTATING THESE DOGS OUT OF THOSE CRATES AND INTO SHELTER, INTO KENNEL SPACES SO THEY HAVE MORE ROOM? UM, OR ARE YOU STARTING TO NOTICE INCREASED BEHAVIOR ISSUES IF DOGS ARE BEING HELD LONG-TERM IN THOSE CRATES? THEIR GOAL IS TO GET EVERYTHING OUT INTO A PERMANENT KENNEL AS SOON AS THEY POSSIBLY CAN.
AND SOME OF THE ANIMALS COMING IN, UH, WE'RE, WE'RE HAVING TO SWITCH THINGS THE WAY WE'RE LOOKING AT 'EM NOW BECAUSE OF THE, THE INTAKE PROTOCOLS AND DISEASE MITIGATION.
UH, SO NOTHING'S GOING STRAIGHT INTO A CRATE IF IT LOOKS SICK OR ILL, UH, SO THEY'RE, THEY'RE WORKING ON SETTING ALL THAT UP.
BUT, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S NOT ONLY CAN THE ANIMAL STAY IN A CRATE, WILL THE ANIMAL STAY IN A CRATE.
[01:15:01]
ANIMAL IS, IS NOT A CRATE CANDIDATE, THAT'S WHEN WE HAVE TO FIND A KENNEL FAR.SO THEY, THEY WORK WITH THOSE THAT, UM, WILL ACCOMMODATE A CRATE, AND WE TRY TO KEEP THEM IN THERE AS MINIMUM AS WE POSSIBLY CAN.
MY RECOLLECTION WAS THAT, UM, THE, THE KENNELS THAT HAVE INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR SPACE IN THEM, THAT THEY WERE DESIGNED FOR, THAT THEY, THAT STAFF AT THE TIME SAID THOSE WOULD HAVE TWO IN THEM.
DO THEY CURRENTLY HAVE TWO IN THEM? ONLY THOSE IN THE SUITES.
UH, THOSE LARGER KENNELS IN THE 100, 200 BUILDINGS, UH, ALL THE OTHER KENNELS DO NOT HAVE TWO ANIMALS IN THEM.
UH, IT'S, IT WOULD BE TIGHT AND WE WON'T PUT AN ANIMAL ON THE OUTSIDE AND THEN ONE ON THE INSIDE, OF COURSE, ESPECIALLY DURING THIS HEAT.
CAN YOU, AND JUST TO BE CLEAR SURE.
ALL THE, ALL THE KENNELS IN THE THREE HUNDREDS, FOUR HUNDREDS, 500, SIX HUNDREDS WERE NOT ORIGINALLY DESIGNED TO BE FOR PUBLIC, FOR, FOR AVAILABLE DOGS, BUT THAT, THAT QUICKLY CHANGED.
AND THOSE, THOSE DO ALL HAVE INDOOR AND OUTDOOR PORTIONS.
UH, IT'S ONLY THE SMALL DOGS IN B AND D THAT DON'T HAVE INDOOR AND OUTDOOR PORTIONS, BUT THEY'RE MUCH SMALLER THAN THE SUITES AND WOULDN'T ACCOMMODATE TWO DOGS THE WAY THE SUITES DO.
BUT THEY DO HAVE AN INDOOR AND OUTDOOR PORTION.
COMMISSIONER HOLT ABOUT THE, UM, TURNING AWAY PEOPLE WHO FIND, UM, DOGS OR CATS OVER FIVE MONTHS, I WORRY THAT, UM, BASICALLY WHAT WE ARE TEACHING PEOPLE IS IF THEY FIND AN ANIMAL AND WANT TO SEEK HELP FOR IT, UM, AND THEN THEY RECEIVE DONE FROM THE CITY, THEN THE LESSON THEY INTERNALIZE IS, NEXT TIME I SEE AN ANIMAL, I CAN'T HELP IT.
UH, AND THAT'S HOW WE END UP WITH STREETS OVERRUN WITH STRAYS.
SO, UM, HOW, HOW LONG DO YOU ANTICIPATE THIS BEING THE CASE? AND WHAT RESOURCES ARE YOU GIVING THEM AS FAR AS LIKE LOCAL RESCUES THAT THEY CAN, UM, PARTNER WITH IN THE MEANTIME? UM, SO THAT THEY DON'T LEARN THAT THE PUNISHMENT FOR BEING A GOOD SAMARITAN IS FIGURING OUT HOW TO NAVIGATE THIS ALL ON THEIR OWN? WELL, WE ARE DOING THIS AS A LIFESAVING MEASURE TO TRY TO, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE IT, IT, WE, WE HAVE NO KENNEL SPACE.
WHAT WE, WHAT WOULD WE DO WITH THEM? WE DON'T WANT TO EUTHANIZE ANY ANIMALS.
SO THIS, THIS IS A MEASURE THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT, UH, DURING THE PANDEMIC THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S ORGANIZATIONS THAT TAUGHT THIS MODEL, AND EVERYONE IN OUR LOCAL AREA IS TO, YOU KNOW, TELLING PEOPLE, IF YOU FIND AN ANIMAL, HERE'S WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP IT.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO OFFER IS WE, UH, ON OUR WEBSITE, WE HAVE A REUNIFICATION GUIDE THAT IF THEY, THEY CAN TEXT AND IT'LL TEXT TO THEM OR THEY CAN GET IT OFFLINE.
AND IT'S STEP BY STEP ON WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP FIND THIS ANIMAL.
AND WE DID DO SURVEYS AND SHOW THAT, UH, 60% OF THE ANIMALS THAT ARE FOUND, UH, OR CLOSE TO THEIR HOME AND WITHIN, UH, THE FIRST DAY, UH, YOU KNOW, HIGH PERCENTAGE OF THOSE GET HOME IF YOU FOLLOW THESE STEPS.
AND SO, UH, WE'VE SEEN THAT, YOU KNOW, COMMUNITIES THAT, UH, THE, THE, THE PEOPLE, UH, THEY, THEY HAVE AVID AGGRESSIVE MICROCHIP IN THEIR COMMUNITY MM-HMM.
AND THEN WE HAVE THOSE PEOPLE THAT KNOW THAT THE SHELTER'S THE LAST PLACE.
THEY WANNA TAKE AN ANIMAL, THEY WANT TO TRY TO FIND A HOME.
THEY'RE VERY SUCCESSFUL IN DOING THAT.
AND SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE, WE'RE DOING, JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE IS TRYING TO, UH, WOULD IT BE WONDERFUL THAT WE COULD, UH, HAVE ANIMALS THAT, THAT FLOWED THROUGH AND, AND DIDN'T, UH, HAVE LONG STAYS? ABSOLUTELY.
WE'D ALL LIKE TO SEE THAT, AND WE COULD TAKE EVERY ANIMAL, BUT IT'S, IT'S THE BEST WE COULD DO RIGHT NOW WITH THE RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE AND TRYING TO SAVE AS MANY LIVES AS WE CAN.
SO IT SOUNDS LIKE THEY ARE GETTING REUNIFICATION RESOURCES.
WE, WE, WE WORK WITH THEM ON, UH, STEPS ON THAT YOU CAN TAKE TO TRY TO FIND THE ANIMALS' BODIES.
ARE THEY GETTING ANY SORT OF RESOURCES ON OTHER PARTNERS WHO CAN HELP THEM GET THAT ANIMAL ADOPTED OUT? UH, ONE OF OUR PARTNERS, A P A, THEY RUN A PASS PROGRAM.
AND SO, UH, THEY TAKE AND HELP A LOT OF ANIMALS.
AND I THINK IN HER REPORT SHE GIVES EACH MONTH HOW MANY ANIMALS COME THROUGH WITH THEIR PASS PROGRAM.
UH, THERE'S OWNER SURRENDERS THAT ALSO THAT GO STRAIGHT TO SOME OF OUR RESCUE PARTNERS.
AND THAT IS A RESOURCE THAT BENEFITS US TREMENDOUSLY AS WELL.
THANK YOU COMMISSIONER LINDER? UM, YES.
I GUESS JUST SORT OF FOLLOWING UP ON, UM, COMMISSIONER HOLT'S POINT THERE, UM, I KNOW OBVIOUSLY WE WANNA REDUCE EUTHANASIA AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
I THINK EVERYONE'S VERY MUCH ON THE SAME TEAM ABOUT THAT.
UM, BUT I GUESS ONE, ONE DATA POINT I WONDER ABOUT IN, UM, IN THIS NEW MODEL IS WHETHER WE MIGHT BE SUBSTITUTING SOME OF THOSE EUTHANASIA DEATHS FOR, SAY, HIT BY CAR DEATHS IF THESE ANIMALS ARE RUNNING LOOSE IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND I'M WONDERING WHETHER YOU'VE SEEN ANY UPTAKE IN,
[01:20:01]
IN SHELTER DATA, UM, AROUND THAT SINCE THIS POLICY'S BEEN IMPLEMENTED? AND, AND WHAT COULD BE DONE TO REDUCE THAT, IF THAT'S THE CASE? OR, OR IF NOT, YOU KNOW, WHO ELSE MIGHT HAVE THAT DATA? I KNOW MANY OF THOSE ANIMALS MIGHT GO TO A VET AND YOU WOULD NEVER SEE THEM, AND WE WOULD NEVER KNOW.SO I'M WONDERING IF THERE'S ANY WAY WE COULD SORT OF GET AT THAT ANGLE OF THE PROBLEM.
IF, IF IT IS PART OF THE PROBLEM.
I HAVE NOT LOOKED LATELY, UH, AND I, BUT I CAN, UH, AUSTIN RESOURCE RECOVERY HANDLES, UH, DEAD ANIMAL PICKUP AND THEY KEEP THE STATISTICS.
AND THE LAST TIME WE LOOKED, WE HAVE NOT SEEN AN UPTICK IN ANIMALS BEING HIT BY CARS THAT HAVE BEEN LEFT TO DIE.
I JUST WANNA UNDERSTAND YOUR, UM, CLAIMS THAT AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER IS DOING WHAT EVERYONE ELSE IS DOING BECAUSE THOUGH AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER HAS THE SECOND LOWEST INTAKE OF DOGS THIS YEAR OF ANY YEAR ON RECORD, UM, THAT IS NOT TRUE FOR ANY OF THE OTHER SURROUNDING AGENCIES THAT I CAN FIND.
AND I DON'T KNOW OF ANY THAT HAVE AS LONG OF WAIT TIMES TO GET ANIMALS IN.
UM, I THINK WHAT YOU WERE SAYING WAS THAT ALL AGENCIES ARE, UM, ASKING THE PUBLIC FOR HELP, WHICH I WOULD AGREE WITH, BUT I JUST WANNA BE CAREFUL TO UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHAT YOU MEAN WHEN YOU SAY AUSTIN IS SORT OF LIKE THE OTHER SHELTERS SINCE THE DATA'S SO VERY DIFFERENT.
THAT IS WHAT I MEANT IS WE ARE FOLLOWING THE SAME PROTOCOLS IN TERMS OF ASKING THE PUBLIC FOR ASSISTANCE.
AUSTIN IS DIFFERENT THAN ALL THE OTHER, UH, COMMUNITIES.
YOU KNOW, WE, WE STILL HAVE 98%, 97% LIVE EXIT RATE, WHERE A LOT OF OUR LARGER CITIES IN THE STATE ARE DOWN INTO THE SEVENTIES.
SO WE'RE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TRYING TO, TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO SAVE AS MANY LIVES.
AND, AND JUST TO THAT POINT, WILLIAMSON COUNTY REGIONAL ANIMAL SERVICES HAS COME TO THE COMMISSION MEETING.
THEY HAVE, UM, NEARLY THE SAME LIVE RELEASE RATE AND I THINK DON'T HAVE THE CLOSED POLICY.
UM, THEY ARE NORTH OF THE CITY, BUT THEY'RE ALSO, UH, IN LINE WITH THE ROUGHLY THE SAME LIFESAVING RATES.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMISSIONER LOANING? UM, I REALLY WANT TO STRIVE TO KEEP THIS CONVERSATION SOLUTION BASED, UH, OR FOCUSED ON SOLUTIONS.
AND SO I'M NOT SAYING THIS, UM, AS, UM, YOU KNOW, I DON'T, I I DON'T REALLY WANT TO SPEND MY TIME CRITICIZING, BUT I, AS SOMEBODY WHO WORKS IN SORT OF THE LOCAL ANIMAL WELFARE SPACE, I GET SOCIAL MEDIA MESSAGES, PHONE CALLS, TEXT MESSAGES ON A WEEKLY BASIS FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE FOUND PETS IN THE, ON THE STREETS IN AUSTIN AND HAVE NOT FOUND RESOURCES FROM THE CITY FOR WHAT TO DO WITH THOSE PETS.
UM, THEY MOSTLY GET POINTED TO THE WEBSITE THAT HAS THE LIST OF, YOU KNOW, STEPS YOU TAKE IF YOU FIND A PET.
BUT IN TERMS OF DIRECT SUPPORT FROM THE CITY AND FROM STAFF BEYOND WHOEVER IS ANSWERING THE PHONE AT THREE ONE ONE, I THINK THAT PROBABLY ALL OF US HERE HAVE ANECDOTAL EVIDENCE OF THAT SYSTEM NOT REALLY WORKING VERY WELL.
AND SO, UM, THIS SORT OF GOES BACK TO THE CONVERSATION ABOUT, UM, WHAT SOLUTION DO WE NEED TO PUT INTO PLACE TO HAVE AN EFFECTIVE FINDER TO FOSTER PROGRAM? BUT I, I JUST WANT TO OFFER FEEDBACK THAT, UM, I DON'T THINK THAT OUR CITY'S SOLUTIONS FOR FOLKS WHO ARE FINDING DOGS IN THE STREET IS, IS REALLY, UM, IS, IS VERY EFFECTIVE AT THE MOMENT.
AND I THINK WE HEAR A LOT OF FEEDBACK ABOUT THAT FROM THE PEOPLE WHO COME IN AND, AND OFFER THEIR TESTIMONY AND SUPPORT.
SO, UM, PERHAPS THE, THE, THERE'S A, A LEGAL INABILITY TO PROVIDE A LOT OF THAT MORE INTENSE, UH, SUPPORT FOR OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO, WHO WOULD BE INTERESTED IN KEEPING PETS.
BUT I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF FRUSTRATION IN THE COMMUNITY, AND I JUST WANNA NOT LET, UM, LET US GET BY THIS CONVERSATION WITHOUT AT LEAST HAVING ON THE TABLE AT SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE, A DEEPER DIVE INTO WHAT THOSE, YOU KNOW, FINDER RESOURCES ACTUALLY ARE AND WHAT THEY LOOK LIKE BEYOND WHAT'S ON THE WEBSITE.
UM, 'CAUSE UNFORTUNATELY, I THINK IT'S NOT, UM, BEING EFFECTIVE FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE CITY.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? YES, DR.
NELSON? WELL, UM, DON, UH, DIRECTOR BLAND IS THE CURRENT STATE OF NEEDING TO TURN EVERYONE AWAY
[01:25:01]
THE GOAL OF YOUR MANAGEMENT OF THE SHELTER? NO, THAT'S NOT OUR GOAL.WHAT, WHAT'S CONTRIBUTING TO IT? OUR GOAL SPACE ISSUES.
AND THAT'S THE REASON WE'RE HAVING TO, UH, BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO EUTHANIZE FOR SPACE.
AND HOW, HOW MANY FULL-TIME FOSTER STAFF DO YOU HAVE CURRENTLY? UH, ONE AND A HALF.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? ALRIGHTYY? UH, WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ITEM WITHOUT OBJECTION.
[4. Presentation of the Monthly Report by Austin Pets Alive!]
WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ITEM, WHICH IS, UM, PRESENTATION OF MONTHLY REPORT BY AUSTIN PETS ALIVE.HI, UH, MY NAME IS STEPHANIE BROW.
I'M THE DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS AT A P A.
UM, I WILL BE BRIEF, HOPEFULLY EVERYONE GOT A COPY OF OUR MONTHLY REPORT, UM, WITH THE BACKUP.
UM, I'LL JUST REVIEW IT QUICKLY AND THEN HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
UM, SO THE FIRST PAGE HERE SHOWS OUR OVERALL INTAKE FROM AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER, UH, IN THE MONTH OF JULY.
UM, IT INCLUDES ANIMALS THAT WERE BORN IN CARE TO MOMS THAT CAME FROM AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER, AND IT ALSO INCLUDES OUR INTAKES VIA OUR PAST PROGRAM, UH, WHICH IS OUR INTAKE, UM, SHELTER DIVERSION PROGRAM.
SO THOSE ARE, UM, BOTH STANDARD PASS CASES, JUST STANDARD RE-HOMING CASES, AND THEN ALSO PARVO CASES THAT ARE JUST REFERRED DIRECTLY TO US INSTEAD OF GOING THROUGH AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER FIRST.
UM, SO THOSE ALL CONTRIBUTE TO OUR OVERALL, UM, COMMUNITY INTAKE THERE.
UH, THE SECOND PAGE HAS A BREAKDOWN, UM, OF SOME OF OUR OPERATIONS AND SOME OF AACS OPERATIONS SO THAT YOU CAN SORT OF SEE TOGETHER, UH, WHAT WE'RE PROVIDING IN THE COMMUNITY.
SO THAT'S INTAKE, THAT'S, UM, SPAN NEUTER SERVICES AT BOTH SHELTERS, UM, OUR FOSTER POPULATIONS AND OUR ADOPTION NUMBERS.
AND THEN THERE'S A SECTION THERE.
SO AS PART OF OUR, UH, LICENSE AGREEMENT, WE DO, UM, HAVE TO TAKE AT LEAST 12% OF AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER'S INTAKE, UM, IN THE PRIOR FISCAL YEAR.
UM, AND WE, UM, WITH JUST TWO MONTHS LEFT IN THE FISCAL YEAR, WE ARE GOING TO MORE THAN MEET THAT NUMBER.
UM, WE'RE ALMOST AT THAT NUMBER NOW, SO WE FEEL, UM, WE FEEL PRETTY GOOD ABOUT THAT.
UM, THE NEXT SECTION THERE SHOWS, UH, THE IMPACT OF OUR TRANSFERS ON THE LIVE RELEASE RATES.
AND THEN THE NEXT SECTION DOWN SHOWS THE SURVIVAL RATES, UM, THE 30 DAY SURVIVAL RATE OF ALL OF THE MEDICAL TRANSFERS FROM AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER.
UM, AND YOU'LL SEE THAT OF MOST OF THE ONES THAT CAME IN IN JUNE.
UM, THE 30 DAY RATE, THE VAST MAJORITY ARE ALREADY BACK OUTTA THE SHELTER, EITHER ADOPTED OR IN FOSTER.
UM, SO THAT KINDA SHOWS THE FLOW THROUGH OF ANIMALS THERE.
PAGE THREE IS OUR OVERALL SHELTER ANIMALS COUNT STATISTICS.
SO THAT'S JUST OUR TOTAL INTAKES AND OUTCOMES.
UM, AND THEN THE LAST TWO PAGES ARE, UH, FURTHER BREAKDOWN THAT IN PAST, UH, MEETINGS THE COMMISSION HAS ASKED FOR.
SO A 12 MONTH ROLLING BREAKDOWN OF ALL OF OUR, UM, AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER TRANSFERS.
AND THEN ALSO A MORE DETAILED BREAKDOWN OF OUR, UM, DEATHS IN CARE FOR THE MONTH OF JULY, UM, INCLUDING THE ANIMALS WHO ORIGINATED AT AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER, UM, PULLED OUT THERE AT THE BOTTOM.
SO HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONER ZAES? THANK YOU FOR PRESENTING.
SO ON PAGE TWO, YOU HAVE THE, UM, YOU SHOWED FOR JULY 879 ADOPTIONS.
DO YOU KNOW WHAT PERCENT CAME FROM THE FOSTERS VERSUS I GUESS YOUR FACILITY? I DON'T OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.
OH, DO, IS IT HIGHER? MUCH HIGHER.
WHICH ONE'S HIGHER ADOPTION? I MEAN, FROM THE FOSTER ADOPTIONS OUTTA FOSTER ARE HIGHER? YES.
'CAUSE THE MAJORITY OF OUR, UM, POPULATION IS IN FOSTER.
AND THAT, I GUESS IT'S ALSO FOR THE CATS, CORRECT? CORRECT.
JUST TO ASK YOU THE SAME QUESTION, HOW MANY FULL-TIME STAFF DO YOU HAVE DEALING WITH FOSTER ANIMALS? UH, WE HAVE ABOUT 18 STAFF DEDICATED TO FINDING SUPPORTING FOSTERS.
AND IS THAT, UH, IS THAT A DECISION YOU MADE TO MAKE THAT IMPORTANT AND A PRIORITY FOR THE ORGANIZATION? CORRECT.
WHAT, UM, WHAT, UH, THE NUMBER WE GOT, I THINK WAS 18, BUT WE WEREN'T SURE HOW MANY, UM, WERE, UM, SUSPECTED.
CAN YOU GIVE US THE NUMBER OF HOW MANY, UH, POSITIVE DISTEMPER, UH, DOGS THAT YOU GUYS TOOK FROM THIS LATEST
[01:30:01]
OUTBREAK? AND THEN HOW MANY YOU SUSPECTED ON TOP OF THAT, ROUGHLY? I DON'T HAVE THE NUMBERS OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.UM, JUST TODAY WE TOOK FIVE, I THINK, UM, ON TOP, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WAS INCLUDED.
I DON'T THINK THAT'S INCLUDED IN THAT ORIGINAL NUMBER.
WE'VE ALSO HAD SOME TRANSFERRED OVER THAT WERE TRANSFERRED, UM, AS SUSPECTED OF HAVING DISTEMPER, BUT THEN THAT'S NOT, THEY EITHER TESTED NEGATIVE LATER OR HAD SOMETHING ELSE LIKE TETANUS OR SOMETHING.
SO, UM, THEY'RE NOT ALL NECESSARILY, UM, ULTIMATELY BEING DIAGNOSED WITH DISTEMPER, BUT IT IS A LARGE NUMBER.
AND I HAVE, UH, I HAVE SEEN YOUR DISTEMPER UNIT FROM A DISTANCE.
SO WE DO HAVE A VERY SMALL ISOLATION BUILDING ON OUR CAMPUS, UM, THAT PULLS, KEEPS THOSE CASES OUT OF OUR GENERAL POPULATION AND ALSO OUT OF OUR CLINIC.
UM, AND IT'S, I MEAN, IT'S REALLY INTENSIVE TREATMENT.
I'M SURE THE VETS AT AAC C KNOW AS WELL.
UM, UH, YOU KNOW, ROUND THE CLOCK CARE.
WE DO HAVE STAFF ON SITE 24 7, SO THEY CAN WATCH THOSE ANIMALS AS WELL.
UM, THEY'RE GETTING IV FLUIDS, THEY'RE ALSO, THEY'RE OFTEN GETTING FORCE FED, ALL OF THOSE THINGS.
UM, WHEN THEY MOVE TO A LESS CRITICAL STATE, UM, WE TRY TO PUT THEM IN FOSTER AT THAT POINT WITH MEDICAL FOSTERS.
UM, AND WE DO HAVE A FEW, WE ACTUALLY HAVE A FEW DEDICATED FOSTERS WHO WILL TREAT IN THEIR HOME AS WELL.
UM, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S OUR GOAL IS JUST TO GET THEM STABLE ENOUGH TO GET THEM OUT OF THE FACILITY SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SPACE FOR WHAT MIGHT BE COMING IN.
AND DO YOU KNOW HOW, ROUGHLY HOW MUCH IT COSTS FOR A P A TO TREAT A DISTEMPER? I DON'T KNOW OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.
UM, AS A PRIVATE ORGANIZATION, IF YOU DECIDE IT'S A PRIORITY TO ADD STAFF SOMEWHERE, DO YOU NEED TO ASK THE CITY TO ADD THAT TO THE BUDGET AND GET THE OKAY FROM CITY COUNCIL TO ADD THOSE POSITIONS? WE DON'T NEED TO ASK THE CITY, NO.
BUT WE DO NEED TO FIND THE FUNDING FROM OUR DONORS.
OH, BUT NOT FROM THE CITY BUDGET.
SO, UM, YOU TALKED ABOUT YOUR ISOLATION WARD AND A A C UH, DIRECTOR.
BLAND MENTIONED THAT THEY SENT OVER AS MANY AS YOU GUYS COULD TAKE.
UM, JUST OUT OF CURIOSITY, WHAT, DO YOU KNOW WHAT THE CAPACITY IS OF YOUR ISOLATION MORE? THAT'S A DIFFICULT QUESTION TO ANSWER.
UM, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN ALWAYS PUT ANOTHER POP-UP CRATE SOMEWHERE.
UM, THAT'S OBVIOUSLY NOT IDEAL FOR TRYING TO
UM, BUT IT'S, I MEAN, IT'S A RELATIVELY SMALL BUILDING.
UM, AND THEN IT DOES HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF ROOM FOR ADDITIONAL CRATES.
IF WE HAVE LITTERS OF PUPPIES, THEY MIGHT BE KEPT TOGETHER, YOU KNOW, SO YOU CAN SORT OF FLEX THAT SPACE AS NEEDED.
BUT IT'S PRETTY MUCH AT CAPACITY RIGHT NOW WITH THIS EMAL OUTBREAK AND OTHER IT IS THAT PRETTY MUCH ALL THAT'S IN THERE NOW? IT'S A DISTEMPER SPECIFIC ISOLATION.
WHICH IS SEPARATE FROM OUR PARVO ISOLATION AND SEPARATE FROM OTHER AREAS AS WELL.
AND MAYBE YOU DON'T HAVE TO QUESTION MAYBE, UM, DIRECTOR BLAND, HOW WAS THE DISPEN DIS DISTEMPER? UM, LAST YEAR, THE PAST TWO YEARS COMPARED TO THIS YEAR? IS IT THIS YEAR? IT LOOKED LIKE IT'S WORSE, OR, I THINK IT'S COME ON MORE ACUTELY PROBABLY THIS YEAR.
UM, AND I, SO WHEN I FIRST STARTED HERE IN 2018, WE WERE IN THE MIDDLE OF A LITTLE BIT OF AN OUTBREAK AT THAT TIME TOO.
THAT'S WHAT I TOO, I CAME IN RIGHT AT THE TAIL END OF IT, AND THEN IT FELT LIKE IT SORT OF DIED OFF A LITTLE.
BUT THIS, THIS SUMMER IS, IS WORSE THAN IN RECENT HISTORY.
AND I WOULD SAY, BECAUSE WE ALSO SEE THE REQUESTS COMING FROM OTHER SHELTERS IN THE AREA.
SO, SO IT IS WORSE THAN FIVE YEARS AGO THEN.
I DON'T KNOW THAT IT'S WORSE THAN FIVE YEARS AGO, BUT IN IT'S COMPARED THAT PAST THREE YEARS, IT FEELS LIKE IT.
COMMISSIONER HOLT, UM, I HAVE A QUESTION RELATED TO YOUR MM-HMM.
SO DO YOU FIND THAT THE UPPER LIMIT OF THE ABILITY TO EXPAND YOUR FOSTER PROGRAM IS A MATTER OF WILLINGNESS OF THE COMMUNITY TO ALLOW THESE ANIMALS UNDER THEIR HOME? OR IS IT AN INFRASTRUCTURE? SO LIKE, HAVING ENOUGH STAFFING AND THE ABILITY TO LIKE, BUILD IT UP INTERNALLY? LIKE WHERE'S THE, WHAT'S THE HOLD UP THERE? YEAH.
UM, I, WHAT WE ALWAYS CONSIDER IS THAT THERE ARE MANY, MANY, MANY AREAS OF AUSTIN THAT WE KNOW WE ARE NOT REACHING, UM, AS WELL AS WE COULD BE.
SO WE HAVE NOT, WE DON'T BELIEVE THAT WE'VE HIT THE UPPER LIMIT YET.
UM, WE JUST HAVE TO FIGURE OUT DIFFERENT WAYS TO GET INTO THOSE OTHER PARTS OF THE COMMUNITY AND WHETHER THAT'S DIFFERENT WHAT SUPPORT LOOKING DIFFERENTLY.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT OUR HEAT MAP, FOR EXAMPLE, OUR VIS, OUR FOSTERS ARE CENTERED PRIMARILY AROUND OUR DOWNTOWN LOCATION MM-HMM.
[01:35:01]
SO, YOU KNOW, WHEN IT TRICKLES OFF, THE MORE YOU SORT OF GET INTO THE OUTER AREAS.
SO, UM, A LOT OF OUR, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT A POSITION DEDICATED TO RECRUITMENT AND TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN GET INTO THOSE OTHER AREAS THAT WE HAVEN'T REACHED YET.
SO, UM, AND SOMETIMES THAT IS DIFFERENT SUPPORT, RIGHT? FOSTERS THAT ARE FARTHER AWAY, MAYBE DON'T, ARE WORRIED TO TAKE MEDICAL DOGS BECAUSE THEY'RE FAR FROM OUR CLINIC, OR THEY HAVE TO DRIVE IN TO GET SUPPLIES ONCE A WEEK OR WHATEVER THAT MIGHT BE.
SO WE'RE LOOKING AT OTHER WAYS THAT WE CAN SUPPORT THOSE, THOSE DIFFERENT FOSTER POPULATIONS SO THAT, UM, EVERYBODY CAN HELP IN THE WAY THAT THEY CAN.
SO, UM, I BELIEVE YOU MENTIONED LAST TIME THAT SOMETIMES WHAT YOU DO IS YOU, YOU FIND AN ANIMAL IN NEED SOMEWHERE IN TEXAS AND YOU PUT OUT A PLEA AND YOU SEE IF YOU CAN FIND A FOSS FOSTER FOR IT, AND THEN A P A TAKES IT AND PUTS IT IN THAT FOSTER AND YOU HAVE CONTROL OVER.
YOU'RE NOT AN OPEN INTAKE SHELTER, ARE YOU? CORRECT.
SO YOU HAVE CONTROL OVER THE POPULATION OF ANIMALS THAT YOU TAKE IN AND THEREFORE THE POPULATION THAT YOU'RE ASKING THE COMMUNITY TO FOSTER.
SO IS YOUR POPULATION POTENTIALLY DIFFERENT FROM WHAT IT WOULD BE IF IT WERE AN OPEN INTAKE SHELTER? IT LIKELY IS.
UM, IT'S PROBABLY MORE DIFFICULT BECAUSE TYPICALLY WE'RE TAKING IN ANIMALS FROM OTHER COMMUNITIES THAT THEIR SHELTERS DON'T WANT EITHER.
UH, MORE, MORE, MORE DIFFICULT.
LIKE BEHAVIOR CASES, NOT SO MUCH.
UH, LET'S, LET'S NOT INTERRUPT EACH OTHER.
NELSON, IF YOU COULD LET HER ANSWER THE QUESTION, I WOULD SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, IN OTHER SHELTERS, FOR EXAMPLE, A DOG SHOWING BARRIER REACTIVITY MIGHT BE CONSIDERED FOR EUTHANASIA.
FOR US, THAT'S JUST A STANDARD SHELTER BEHAVIOR.
IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT ANYMORE DRAIN ON OUR RESOURCES.
IT'S NOT NECESSARILY HARDER TO, TO GET ADOPTED.
IT'S JUST IN THAT SHELTER WHERE IT CAME FROM, IT'S NOT NECESSARILY CONSIDERED ADOPTABLE.
SO DO YOU TAKE EVERY DOG THAT, UH, KILL SHELTERS IN TEXAS TELL YOU IS BARRIER REACTIVE? NO.
WHAT OTHER DECISIONS GO INTO WHETHER OR NOT YOU'RE GONNA TAKE THAT DOG IN? UH, THERE'S A LOT OF FACTORS THAT GO INTO IT.
SO YOU DON'T JUST HAVE TO TAKE HIM.
CAN WE JUST, JUST BE RESPECTFUL AND LET HER FINISH YOUR ANSWER BEFORE WE INTERRUPT AND ASK THE NEXT ONE? I'LL ALSO ADD THAT WE DON'T GO LOOK FOR THEM
SO DO YOU THINK THAT THOSE SHELTERS MIGHT BE REACHING OUT WITH ANIMALS THAT THEY THINK ARE EMINENTLY ADOPTABLE, BUT THEY JUST DO NOT HAVE THE RESOURCES TO KEEP THEM POTENTIALLY, YES.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR AUSTIN PETS LIVE? I DON'T SEE ANY.
SO WE CAN GO ON TO THE NEXT ITEM.
ABSENT ANY OBJECTION, LET'S GO TO THE NEXT ITEM.
YES, I WOULD MOVE THAT WE MOVE ON TO ITEM SIX.
WE HAVE SEVERAL EXPERTS IN THE AUDIENCE THAT HAVE BEEN SITTING HERE FOR AN HOUR AND 40 MINUTES, AND I WOULD, AND THEY, WE MAY VERY WELL WANT TO REACH OUT TO THEM ON INPUT FOR AGENDA ITEM NUMBER SIX.
SO I'D LOVE TO MOVE TO DO THAT NOW, SO THAT IF WE HAVE QUESTIONS FOR THOSE EXPERTS, WE CAN ASK THEM AND WE CAN DO AGENDA ITEM FIVE RIGHT AFTER.
SO THERE IS A MOTION ON THE TABLE TO, UH, SUSPEND THE RULES AND MOVE TO ITEM NUMBER SIX.
IS THERE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? OKAY.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.
ALL THOSE OPPOSED? SO THAT FAILED OR THAT PASSES EIGHT TO TWO.
[6. Discuss and Possible Action to Approve a Recommendation to City Council regarding the Zilker Park Vision Plan]
TO ITEM NUMBER SIX, DISCUSSION AND ACTION.ITEM ITEM NUMBER SIX, DISCUSS AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO APPROVE A RECOMMENDATION TO CITY COUNCIL REGARDING THE ZILKER PARK VISION PLAN.
NELSON? UM, YEAH, I WOULD, I WOULD LOVE TO MOVE TO PASS.
I, I, I, I KNOW THAT THIS DRAFT RECOMMENDATION WASN'T SENT OUT TO EVERYBODY UNTIL 10:00 AM THIS MORNING.
SO I KNOW THAT'S NOT A TON OF TIME FOR THE COMMISSIONERS TO REVIEW IT, BUT I THINK SO FAR ALL THE FEEDBACK, FEEDBACK THAT I'VE SEEN FROM THE PUBLIC HAS BEEN VERY POSITIVE.
I, I, I STRONGLY SUPPORT THIS RECOMMENDATION.
AND IF THERE'S ANY, UH, I, I WOULD MOVE FOR PASSAGE, BUT OBVIOUSLY THERE'LL BE A DISCUSSION IS THERE.
SO IF YOU WANT TO MOVE TO, UM, TO RECOMMEND THAT CITY COUNCIL YOU WANNA MOVE TO, UM, PROVIDE THE BACKUP DRAFT, UH, RECOMMENDATION.
UM, THAT WAS, I GUESS IT'S 2 0 2 3 8 4 6 IN THE BACKEND MATERIALS.
IS THERE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND.
DO YOU WANNA INTRODUCE IT OR DO
[01:40:01]
YOU WANNA JUST HAVE PEOPLE DISCUSS? UM, YOU'RE WELCOME TO TALK ABOUT IT IF YOU'D LIKE TO.UH, NO, I, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY THAT I THINK I, I THINK THAT THIS IS EXACTLY THE SORT OF PRODUCTIVE, POSITIVE THING THIS COMMISSION COULD BE DOING, BEING VERY, VERY RESPONSIVE TO, UM, UH, VERY WELL INFORMED PUBLIC OUTREACH AND, AND AMPLIFYING IMPORTANT VOICES.
UM, I, I AM ESPECIALLY SUPPORTIVE OF THE PORTION THAT RECOMMENDS THAT ANY FUTURE PLANS, UM, ARE, ARE ONLY DEVELOPED IN CONSUL CONSULTATION WITH THE NATIVE PEOPLE OF THE AREA THAT ARE STILL HERE.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE NOT HERE THE WAY THEY SHOULD BE, BUT THEY'RE STILL HERE.
AND, UM, AND I DO THINK THEY, THEY NEED TO BE CONSULTED.
UM, AND I THINK THIS IS EXACTLY THE SORT OF POSITIVE THING WE, UH, AN IMPORTANT ISSUE WE CAN BE ADDRESSING ON THIS COMMISSION.
AND HAPPY TO DIRECT ANY QUESTIONS TO THE APPROPRIATE EXPERTS WHO ARE HERE? ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? COMMISSIONER HOLT? UM, I HAVE A QUESTION IN GENERAL, AND IT'S MOSTLY PROMPTED BY THE PUBLIC COMMENT, RECOMMENDING WE MOVE, ASK THEM TO NOT DO ANY PARKING GARAGES RATHER THAN TWO.
I'M CURIOUS WHAT THE RATIONALE WAS FOR TWO VERSUS THREE, OR, I'M JUST TRYING TO GET A CHECK ON WHAT WAS GOING ON WITH THAT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR MENTIONING THAT.
I, I, I WOULD ALSO HAVE THEM ALL REMOVED.
I MEAN, I KNOW THAT THESE ARE VERY DIFFERENT CITIES, BUT I WAS JUST CURIOUS AND I LOOKED IT UP AND I BELIEVE CENTRAL PARK IS NEARLY THREE TIMES AS BIG AS ZILKER PARK AND, UM, DOESN'T HAVE A SINGLE PARKING STRUCTURE IN IT WHATSOEVER.
IS IT ON? OH, UH, IT'S A STORY OF NOT BEING TOO GREEDY.
UH, DO YOU WANT TO DIRECT THAT QUESTION TO THE PUBLIC OR WERE YOU TRYING TO DIRECT THAT QUESTION? I WAS DIRECTING IT TO ANYONE WHO COULD ANSWER, SO I, NO, I, THAT WAS EXACTLY WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR.
I AM A FIRM BELIEVER THAT YOU DON'T NEGOTIATE AGAINST YOURSELF, SO, UM, I SAY GO GREEDY.
SO I GUESS, UM, I WILL, UH, I, I THINK WHAT YOU'RE PROPOSING IS A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT TO, TO CHANGE, UM, ITEM NINE A TO ALL THREE PARKING GARAGES.
AND IS THAT ACCEPT, IS THAT RIGHT? IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE PROPOSING? I AM, YES.
I WOULD LIKE TO PROPOSE ONE CHANGE TO THAT.
I WOULD SAY EMIT FROM A FUTURE PLAN, ANY PARKING STRUCTURES, JUST IN CASE THEY COMPLETELY START OVER AND THEY'RE LIKE, OH, WELL THESE AREN'T ANY OF THOSE THREE PARKING STRUCTURES.
THESE ARE DIFFERENT PARKING STRUCTURES.
SO WOULD YOU LIKE TO, TO CHANGE YOUR FRIENDLY AMENDMENT TO ANY, THE NINE A STRIKING THE WORDS TO OF THE THREE AND REPLACING THEM WITH THE WORDS ANY YES.
AND WOULD YOU ACCEPT THAT FRIENDLY AMENDMENT? ABSOLUTELY.
IS THERE ANY OTHER DISCUSSION OR, YES.
I WAS WONDERING IF, UM, THE PERSON WHO WAS GOING TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION COULD POSSIBLY COME BACK UP AND PROVIDE THE, UM, THE EXPLANATION IF SHE'S STILL HERE.
I JUST, THE OTHER TWO, THE TWO THAT ARE CURRENTLY REMOVED SITE BECAUSE OF THEIR PROXIMITY TO ENDANGERED SPECIES HABITAT.
AND I'M WONDERING, WAS THAT THIRD ONE THAT YOU, UH, OR THAT WASN'T PROPOSED TO BE CUT OUT? DID, DOES THAT HAVE JUST LIKE A, LIKE A, IT'S NOT AS PROXIMATE TO THE ENDANGERED SPECIES HABITAT.
JUST CURIOUS ABOUT YOUR, YOUR, UH, THINKING THERE, AND PLEASE INTRODUCE YOURSELF.
AND, UM, YES, THAT THIRD PARKING GARAGE WAS GOING TO GO UNDER THE MOPAC BRIDGE, AND SO IT WASN'T IN THE DANGEROUS, UM, HABITAT AREA.
AND SO WE DO BELIEVE AND AGREE
BUT, UH, AS FAR AS THE ARGUMENT FOR, UH, THE ANIMAL COMMISSION WE HAD, UH, LAST, WE, UH, LAST TIME PRESENTED THAT, UH, WE WERE FOCUSING ON THE TWO THAT WERE IN THE HABITAT OR ADJACENT TO THE HABITAT MM-HMM.
I, I, I WOULD SUPPORT THE FRIENDLY AMENDMENT.
I MEAN, I DO, I, UM, IN THIS INSTANCE WOULD PROBABLY TAKE A, MAYBE THE MORE MODERATED APPROACH THAT IS IN THE ORIGINAL, JUST BECAUSE THE FIRST TWO DO HAVE THAT DIRECT JUSTIFICATION TO ENDANGERED SPECIES HABITAT.
UM, BUT YEAH, I, I WOULD SUPPORT IT EITHER WAY, BUT I JUST WAS CURIOUS ABOUT THE JUSTIFICATION.
I THINK, I THINK IT'S BEEN ACCEPTED AS OF NOW, UNLESS YOU WANNA CHANGE YOUR MIND.
[01:45:01]
ANY OTHER DISCUSSION OR COMMENTS, COMMISSIONER LINDER? UM, SO I'D LIKE TO JUST TALK REALLY BRIEFLY ABOUT THE, UM, THE SALAMANDER PIECE OF THIS.THAT WAS, UM, THE PART I, I DID NOT WORK ON, UM, THIS WITH, WITH DR.
NIELSEN, BUT I DID, UM, MEET WITH GAIL AND, UM, TANYA REGARDING THE LANGUAGE AS IT RELATES TO THE SALAMANDERS AND, UM, AND THEIR PROTECTED STATUS.
SO JUST TO GIVE YOU ALL SORT OF, UM, A, A BRIEF CRASH COURSE IN SALAMANDERS THAT I HAD TO GIVE MYSELF.
UM, THERE'S TWO ENDANGERED SPECIES, UM, IN THE PARK.
UM, ONE THAT'S FOUND ONLY IN CENTRAL TEXAS, THAT'S THE AUSTIN BLIND SALAMANDER, AND A SECOND ONE, THE BARTON SPRING SALAMANDER.
AND THAT'S FOUND JUST IN THESE SPRINGS IN ZILKER PARK AND NOWHERE ELSE IN THE WORLD.
UM, WE DON'T HAVE GOOD NUMBERS ON HOW MANY OF, UM, THESE SPECIES THERE ARE, BUT SUFFICE TO SAY, THEY'RE AMONG THE MOST ENDANGERED, UM, SPECIES IN THE US.
UM, AND SO FOR THEIR CRITICAL HABITAT, THE AUSTIN BLIND SALAMANDER, IT'S A LITTLE COMPLICATED BECAUSE THEY HAVE BOTH SUB SPEED SUBSURFACE CRITICAL HABITAT AS WELL AS SURFACE CRITICAL HABITAT BECAUSE THEY INHABIT THE POOLS, BUT ALSO SORT OF THE UNDERGROUND, UM, UNDERWATER NETWORKS, UM, UNDERNEATH THE PARK.
UM, AND SO I'M PARTICULARLY CONCERNED THEN ABOUT THIS, UM, UNDERGROUND PARKING GARAGE, WHICH WOULD SORT OF BE MORE INVASIVE THAN THE THE SURFACE STRUCTURE, UM, IN PARTICULAR.
UM, AND THEN, UH, JUST, JUST AS BACKGROUND, UM, FROM MY READING, UM, THESE SALAMANDERS ARE AMPHIBIANS AND THEY'RE SORT OF KNOWN AS BEING REALLY ACUTELY SENSITIVE TO, UM, TO ANY KIND OF, UM, POLLUTION OR IMPURITIES IN THEIR HABITAT.
UM, MORE SO THAN MANY OTHER TYPES OF SPECIES GROUPS, UM, FROM THE LISTING DECISIONS FROM FISH AND WILDLIFE, UM, THE DOMINANT SORT OF DRIVER OF RISK TO THESE ANIMALS, UM, IS ADVERSE MODIFICATION OF THEIR HABITAT IN VARIOUS WAYS, UM, THROUGH POLLUTION.
UM, AND THEN ALSO IN PARTICULARLY THROUGH, UM, FACILITATION OR DEPOSITING OF SEDIMENT, UM, IN THEIR HABITAT, WHICH CAN, UM, CLOG THEIR GILLS OR SORT OF, UM, COVER THEIR EGGS, REDUCE WATER FLOW AND OXYGENATION.
UM, AND SO, UH, FROM THAT LISTENING DECISION, THEY CITE, IN PARTICULAR, ONE OF THE MOST IMMEDIATE THREATS TO BARTON SPRING SALAMANDERS IS THE SALTATION OF ITS HABITAT OWING PRIMARILY TO CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITIES IN THE BARTON CREEK WATERSHED.
UM, SO THAT'S REALLY SORT OF EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE IS PART AND PARCEL TO, UM, TO THEIR SURVIVAL.
SO I JUST WANTED TO SORT OF SHARE, UM, WHAT I LEARNED FROM MY RESEARCH VERY BRIEFLY WITH ALL OF YOU, AND I'LL SPARE YOU MY FUN SALAMANDER FACTS.
UM, BUT I HAVE THEM AND THEY'RE READY IF, IF ANYONE IS INTERESTED.
UM, AND LASTLY, I JUST WANNA SAY, AS I WAS RESEARCHING THIS, UM, THE SCIENTIFIC NAME FOR ONE OF THESE SALAMANDERS WAS ACTUALLY, UM, NAMED IN HONOR OF, UM, A COMMUNITY GROUP HERE IN AUSTIN THAT WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN LISTING THEM, UM, GETTING THEM THESE ENDANGERED SPECIES PROTECTIONS.
UM, SO THEY QUITE LITERALLY EXIST TODAY, SORT OF BECAUSE OF THIS KIND OF GRASSROOTS EFFORT AND ACTIVISM.
UM, AND IT GIVES ME REALLY GOOD FEELS TO KNOW THAT THEY WILL HOPEFULLY CONTINUE TO EXIST AND PERSIST BECAUSE OF THESE SAME THOUGHTFUL AND STEADY EFFORTS.
SO I JUST THOUGHT THAT WAS POWERFUL FOR ME.
AND I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO CAME HERE TODAY WHO PLAYED A PART IN THAT.
UM, WE REALLY OWE ALL THESE COMPLIMENTS TO ALL OF YOU, SO THANKS.
ANY OTHER DISCUSSION OR QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONER HUDDLESON? YEAH.
UH, SO SIMILAR TO THE PARKING GARAGE ISSUE, UH, IS NINE C IS THERE A REASON THAT ONE OF THE, UH, BRIDGES PROPOSED IS LESS RISKY OR DO WE HAVE ANY, UM, INFORMATION ON THAT? DO YOU, DO YOU WANNA ASK THE MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC? YES.
MAY I ASK WHOEVER IN THE PUBLIC KNOWS THE ANSWER?
AND SO WE TRIED TO KEEP AN OPEN MIND ABOUT THAT AND THINK THAT WE COULD BUILD A BRIDGE THAT WOULD NOT DAMAGE THE ENVIRONMENT, THE RIPARIAN ZONE.
UH, AS PART OF ALL THIS, THE ORIGINAL, UH, PLAN OR AN EARLY DRAFT OF THE PLAN HAD COST FOR SOME OF THOSE BRIDGES.
[01:50:01]
IT WAS VERY LOW.I DON'T REMEMBER THE EXACT NUMBER.
AND I DID INQUIRE ABOUT THAT WITH, UH, THE PARKS DEPARTMENT AND THEY, WE DID A LITTLE INVESTIGATION AND INDEED IT WAS ABOUT 10 TIMES MORE
SO IT WAS A DELICATE BALANCE BETWEEN WANTING TO CONNECT THOSE PARTS OF THE PARK, WANTING AND HOPING IT WOULD BE DONE IN AN ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE WAY.
UH, I GUESS THERE'S NO GUARANTEE OF THAT.
AND I, UH, AGAIN, I GUESS I GO BACK TO THE, MAYBE WE NEGOTIATE AGAINST OURSELVES.
DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? YES.
COMMISSIONER HUDDLESTON, DID YOU WANNA ADD FURTHER ABOUT THAT? I'M THINKING MAYBE A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT TO, UH, RECOMMEND THAT WE DO THAT CONSTRUCTION OF THAT ONE BRIDGE IN AN ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY WAY, OR AGAIN, POTENTIALLY ANY BRIDGE.
ANY BRIDGE JUST IN CASE THEY'RE LIKE, ABSOLUTELY.
SO DO YOU WANNA ADD, ARE YOU PROPOSING THAT WE ADD THE WORDS AND THAT ANY BRIDGE BE CONSTRUCTED, YOU SAID IN AN ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY WAY? WE'RE SAYING IN A WAY TO, TO MITIGATE ANY ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE IN A WAY THAT MITIGATES ANY ENVIRON AS BEST AS POSSIBLE.
SO I HAVE AT THE END OF NINE C AND ANY BRIDGE BE CONSTRUCTED IN A WAY THAT MITIGATES AS BEST AS POSSIBLE ANY ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE.
IS THAT A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT? YES.
IS THAT ONE THAT YOU'LL ACCEPT? UM, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO ASK, UM, MR. BUNCH, IF THERE'S ANY SPECIFIC WORDING ABOUT THE SAL SALAMANDERS OR, OR, UM, AND COMMISSIONER LINDER IF IN HER RESEARCH ABOUT IT, BECAUSE, 'CAUSE WE JUST HEARD FROM, FROM HER THE, YOU KNOW, THESE BEING AMPHIBIANS AND, AND THEIR SKIN AND THEIR EGGS BEING, BEING POTENTIALLY EXQUISITELY SENSITIVE TO CONSTRUCTION OF ANY SORT.
UM, WOULD YOU, WOULD YOU HAVE ANY INPUT ON, ON FURTHER RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE COULD MAKE TO CITY COUNCIL IF THEY THINK ABOUT BUILDING ANY BRIDGE? WELL, I, UM, I CAN GO AHEAD AND INTRODUCE YOURSELF AGAIN.
UH, BILL BUNCH, EXECUTIVE BILL BUNCH, UH, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR WITH SAVERS SPRINGS ALLIANCE.
THE, UH, AND I'M NOT, I DON'T HAVE THE LANGUAGE OF THE RESOLUTION RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME, BUT THAT, I THINK THAT'S OKAY.
SO THE, THE BRIDGE THAT'S OF GREATEST CONCERN IS THE ONE THAT'S PROPOSED TO LINK TO THE PARKING GARAGE NEXT TO UNWELL SCULPTURE GARDEN AND GO ACROSS THE CREEK.
I MEAN, LITERALLY WITHIN A FEW DOZEN FEET OF SUNKEN GARDEN SPRINGS, WHICH IS WHERE THE AUSTIN BLINDS SALAMANDER HAS BEEN FOUND.
UM, SO THAT ONE JUST SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED AT ALL.
UH, THE NEXT ONE OF CONCERN IS PROPOSED FOR JUST UPSTREAM OF THE SPRINGS, AND THAT'S WHERE THERE WAS SOME DEBATE OVER WHETHER WE SHOULD JUST SAY, ABSOLUTELY DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT THAT.
AND THAT'S RIGHT WHERE THE OLD HISTORIC REMNANT OF THE BRIDGE IS.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE SEEN THAT, BUT THERE WAS A, UH, A BRIDGE THAT WAS, UH, BLOWN OUT BY A FLOOD IN 1900.
AND THAT FLOOD WAS NOT COMING DOWN BARTON CREEK, IT WAS ACTUALLY BLOWING BACK UP BARTON CREEK AFTER COMING DOWN THE RIVER.
BUT THERE'S A HISTORIC REMNANT THAT'S A PART OF THE CONTRIBUTING FEATURES TO THE NATIONAL REGISTER HISTORIC DISTRICT THERE.
BUT THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF INTEREST AMONG, ESPECIALLY THE BICYCLE COMMUNITY, THAT THERE'D BE SOME WAY TO CROSS THE CREEK THERE, UH, JUST ABOVE THE POOL.
AND SO, UM, THE DISCUSSION WAS MAYBE THERE COULD BE SORT OF A LOW WATER CROSSING THING THAT COULD BE BUILT WITHOUT, YOU KNOW, DIGGING INTO THE, THE CREEK BED BED OR HAVING TO SINK LARGE PILINGS AND, AND BE SORT OF VERY CAREFUL ABOUT PLACING THAT THERE.
SO I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT GAIL WAS AFTER PERSONALLY.
I THINK WE SHOULD LEAVE IT ALONE.
BUT
SO THE ONE BRIDGE WE WERE ACCEPTING IS EITHER EXPANDING
[01:55:01]
THE FOOTBRIDGE THAT'S THERE, THAT'S PART OF THE HIKE AND BIKE TRAIL THAT'S DOWNSTREAM OF THE BARTON SPRINGS ROAD BRIDGE.UM, AND, UM, UH, OR, UH, THEY'VE PROPOSED A POTENTIAL EXTENSION OF TOMI THAT WOULD NOT BE A STREET FOR CARS, BUT YOU WOULD JUST EXTEND TOMI ACROSS THE CREEK THERE, AND IT WOULD BE A BIKE EXPANDED AND SAFER BIKE PED BRIDGE.
UM, AND THEN I WILL JUST MENTION VERY QUICKLY, UM, IT WAS IN MY VIEW, SORT OF NEFARIOUSLY EXCLUDED FROM THE PLAN, BUT THERE'S A PARALLEL EFFORT THAT'S WAS MOVING FORWARD TO, UH, DEMOLISH THE BARTON, THE HISTORIC BARTON SPRINGS ROAD BRIDGE OVER THE CREEK.
AND THAT WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE PLAN.
SO THE PLAN WAS SAYING, OH, WE'RE PROTECTING ALL THE CONTRIBUTING HISTORIC FEATURES, UH, IN THE NATIONAL REGISTERED DISTRICT.
UM, BUT IN MY VIEW, THAT WAS VERY MISLEADING BECAUSE THAT BRIDGE IS ONE OF THE CONTRIBUTING FEATURES, IT'S IN THE PARK, BUT SOMEHOW THEY DECIDED THAT IT WASN'T PART OF THE PARK PLAN, EVEN THOUGH THE, UH, PUBLIC WORKS IS PURSUING THAT RIGHT NOW.
UM, AND WE'RE VERY MUCH AGAINST THAT 'CAUSE THEY WERE SAYING IT WAS CHEAPER TO COMPLETELY DEMOLISH THE HISTORIC BRIDGE AND BUILD AN ENTIRELY NEW BIG GIANT UGLY HIGHWAY BRIDGE AND SOME STRUCTURAL ENGINEER THAT WE, WE WE WORKED WITH WHO HAS ACTUALLY BUILT BRIDGES FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN, JUST SAID THAT ANALYSIS WAS COMPLETELY FALSE AS A 200 YEAR BRIDGE, AND IT COULD BE PATCHED UP FOR A FRACTION OF THE COST OF BUILDING A, YOU KNOW, TEARING IT DOWN AND BUILDING A WHOLE NEW BRIDGE.
AND OF COURSE ALL OF THAT WOULD BE WAY MORE ENVIRONMENTALLY DESTRUCTIVE THAN JUST TAKING CARE OF THE BEAUTIFUL HISTORIC BRIDGE THAT WE HAVE.
OH NO, YOU'RE PROBABLY, AND THEY'RE ALSO, UH, THEY'RE ALSO CONSIDERING MAKING BARTON SPRINGS ONE LANE, WHICH DOESN'T MAKE A WHOLE LOT OF SENSE TO BUILD A HIGHWAY BRIDGE, UH, WHEN YOU'RE REDUCING TRAFFIC TO ONE LANE.
UH, COMMISSIONER LONEY, UM, BILL, WHILE YOU'RE HERE, UM, CAN I JUST ASK, I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE FUNDING SOURCES THAT, UM, WILL BE USED TO DO ANY OF THESE CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS, BRIDGES, PARKING GARAGES, ET CETERA.
UM, ARE THESE PROJECTS GOING TO BE SUBJECT TO NEPA OR ANY OF ANYTHING RELATED TO FEDERAL FUNDING, OR IS IT ALL EXPECTED TO BE LOCAL FUNDING? WELL, I, I BELIEVE THEY WERE PLANNING TO DO ALL OF THE FUNDING LOCAL.
UM, THERE WAS BOND MONEY TO DO THE, SOME PLANNING AROUND THE, THE BARTON SPRINGS ROAD BRIDGE THAT I WAS JUST SPEAKING OF, BUT NOT TO ACTUALLY BUILD ANYTHING.
SO THE CITY WAS ANTICIPATING A FUTURE BOND PACKAGE TO PAY FOR SOME OF THIS.
NOW, THEY HADN'T TALKED ABOUT IT EXPLICITLY, BUT I BELIEVE THEY WERE ALSO LOOKING AT DOING A TAX INCREMENT REINVESTMENT ZONE LIKE THEY DID JUST TO THE, TO THE WE, THE EAST, THE SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT TAX INCREMENT REINVESTMENT ZONE.
UM, IF THEY DID A SITE, A PARALLEL ONE MOVING, YOU KNOW, WEST AND IN INCORPORATING ZILKER PARK, THEY COULD DO THAT BOND FINANCING IF THEY CREATED SUCH A ZONE WITHOUT TAKING IT TO THE VOTERS.
AND THAT WAS PARTICULARLY CONCERNING FOR US.
AND SO IF ANY OF THESE PROJECTS DO EVENTUALLY MOVE FORWARD IN TERMS OF, UM, YOU KNOW, IF, IF IF, FOR EXAMPLE, THERE WAS LANGUAGE ADDED TO THE PLAN THAT SAID SOMETHING ALONG THE LINES OF, YOU KNOW, WE'LL CONSTRUCT THIS BRIDGE, UH, IN THE MOST ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY WAY POSSIBLE, OR, YOU KNOW, WITH THE LEAST ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION, WHAT OVERSIGHT MECHANISMS ARE THERE? ARE THERE ANY OVERSIGHT MECHANISM MECHANISMS OUTSIDE OF LOCAL OVERSIGHT, LIKE BASICALLY CITIZEN OVERSIGHT OVER THE DETAILS OF THE PLAN? UNLIKE, YOU KNOW, IN FEDERAL FEDERALLY FUNDED PROJECTS, THERE'S A PROCESS BY WHICH ALL OF THESE PLANS HAVE TO GO THROUGH, UM, THROUGH NEPA OR OTHERWISE.
DOES THAT QUESTION MAKE SENSE? WELL, I THINK FOR THE, LIKE THE UNDERGROUND PARKING GARAGE, THE OTHER ONE NEXT TO ALT THAT WOULD BE CLOSE ENOUGH TO IMPLICATE SOME POTENTIAL FOR INCIDENTAL TAKE OF ENDANGERED SPECIES.
SO THERE, THERE WOULD BE SOME FISH AND WILDLIFE OVERSIGHT, WHETHER THERE WAS FEDERAL INVOLVEMENT OR NOT.
I THINK AS YOU GO, UH, TO THE OTHER SIDE OF BARTON SPRINGS ROAD, YOU KNOW, TOWARDS THE LAKE, YOU KNOW, THAT MIGHT BE LESS, UH, OF AN ISSUE.
ONE WAY YOU COULD BE MORE SPECIFIC ABOUT ANY BRIDGES IS JUST SAY THAT YOU RECOMMEND THAT NOT THERE BE NO, UH, DESTRUCTION OF ANY
[02:00:01]
SIGNIFICANTLY SIZED TREES.SO THAT WOULD FORCE THEM TO CHOOSE A CROSSING FOR PADE BIKE PED BRIDGE, UH, OR EXPANSION OF THE EXISTING BIKE PED BRIDGE, UM, IN A VERY CAREFUL WAY.
SO YOU'RE LITERALLY LOOKING FOR THE, THE, THE MO, YOU KNOW, LEAST HARMFUL PLACE TO PLACE A BRIDGE.
WE SHOULD BE TRYING TO SAVE EVERY SINGLE SIGNIFICANT TREE IN THE PARK.
AND, YOU KNOW, THE, THE PLAN OBVIOUSLY DID NOT DO THAT.
IS THERE A DEFINITION OF WHAT IS CONSIDERED A SIGNIFICANT SIZE TREE OR IS THAT LIKE THE SPIRIT
GAIL, DO YOU KNOW WHAT IT'S, THERE'S A, THERE'S LIKE A INCH, UH, YOU, RIGHT, LIKE, LIKE A DIAMETER TER OR BIT LARGER AND I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS WHAT THE 12 INCHES OR MORE, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? UM, I AM GOING TO SPEAK MY MIND BRIEFLY.
UM, I, UH, I WAS PERSONALLY AGAINST THE ZILKER PARK VISION PLAN, UM, FOR A LOT OF REASONS.
UH, IN ADDITION TO THOSE LISTED, I HAPPEN TO LIVE CLOSE BY AND CAN HEAR IN MY FRONT YARD ACTUALLY INSIDE MY HOUSE EVERY TIME, UH, THERE'S A CONCERT AT THE PARK, UM, ALL OF THE CONSTRUCTION WOULD DEFINITELY BE, UH, NEGATIVE FOR ME TOO.
UM, MY, I HAVE A CONCERN, I ACTUALLY HOPE THIS PASSES, SO I HOPE IT PASSES OVER MY OBJECTION.
BUT I HAVE A CONCERN THAT THIS IS MO THAT A HUGE PORTION OF THIS IS NOT WITHIN OUR ANIMAL WELFARE MISSION.
UM, I WOULD A HUNDRED PERCENT VOTE FOR EVERYTHING ON HERE THAT'S WITHIN ANIMAL WELFARE.
UM, THERE'S A LOT OF THIS THAT'S NOT AN ANIMAL WELFARE, AND I FEEL LIKE WE'RE GETTING INTO PARKS AND WE'RE GETTING INTO THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION AND, UM, SO I HOPE IT PASSES.
I THINK I'M GONNA ABSTAIN BECAUSE I'M NOT AGAINST IT.
I JUST THINK THAT IT'S NOT RELATED TO, A HUGE PERCENTAGE OF IT IS NOT RELATED TO ANIMAL WELFARE, AND I JUST THINK THAT, UH, IT'S BEYOND OUR ANIMAL WELFARE SCOPE.
CAN I ASK A QUESTION THAT'S KIND OF RELATED TO THAT? SO IF THE BRIDGE THAT EVERYBODY WAS OKAY WITH POTENTIALLY, UM, IF WE TRIED TO DO, I DON'T KNOW THE TECHNICAL TERM FOR IT, BUT YOU KNOW, THOSE LAND BRIDGES THEY HAVE IN NORWAY WHERE IT'S ALL GRASS, A WILDLIFE CAN ACTUALLY ENJOY IT TOO.
AND IT'S NOT JUST BRIDGES FOR HUMAN USE, IT ALLOWS ANIMALS TO GET AROUND MORE.
WOULD THAT PUT THAT KIND OF MORE BACK IN OUR SCOPE? UM, OR IS THAT STILL LIKE, I THINK THE OBJECTION TO THE BRIDGE IS NOT SO MUCH THAT ANIMALS COULDN'T CROSS IT, IT'S THAT IT WOULD, UM, DIG INTO, UM, UH, LANDS THAT THEY WANT TO PROTECT FOR THE SALAMANDER FROM.
UM, AND I, I AGREE WITH ALL OF THAT AND I THINK THAT IS WITHIN OUR SCOPE ALREADY.
UM, SO I WOULD VOTE FOR THOSE THINGS.
I'M JUST CONCERNED WHEN WE TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, EQUITY, ENVIRONMENTAL INTERESTS, UM, REC, YOU KNOW, ADOPT A RECREATION BASED PARK, PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH, UH, RATHER THAN A VISION FOR ENHANCED EVENTS AND ENTERTAINMENT.
I JUST THINK THAT'S WAY OUT OF ANIMAL WELFARE TERRITORY.
SO LIKE I SAID, I HOPE IT PASSES, BUT I THINK I HAVE TO ABSTAIN FOR THAT REASON.
COMMISSIONER LOANING, UM, JUST ONE QUICK RESPONSE BECAUSE I COMPLETELY HEAR WHERE YOU'RE COMING FROM.
I DO ALSO JUST WANT TO POINT OUT THAT IF YOU THINK ABOUT ANIMAL WELFARE FROM A ONE HEALTH PERSPECTIVE, WHERE THE HEALTH OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND THE HEALTH OF THE COMMUNITY AND THE HEALTH OF OUR ANIMALS ARE ALL INTERCONNECTED, THEN I THINK THIS IS ACTUALLY A REALLY BEAUTIFUL EXAMPLE OF REALLY TAKING THAT ONE HEALTH APPROACH AND OUR POLICY MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS AND TRYING TO, UH, WORK OUT NOT OUTSIDE.
AND WE'RE TRYING TO REDUCE SOME OF THE SILOING THAT HAS HISTORICALLY HAPPENED BETWEEN ANIMAL WELFARE AND OTHER ISSUES.
AND I THINK IT'S, UM, A REALLY EXCELLENT OPPORTUNITY TO RECOGNIZE THAT ALL OF THIS HEALTH AND ALL OF THESE RELATIONSHIPS, COMPANION ANIMAL WELFARE, WILDLIFE, HUMAN HEALTH, ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH, ARE ALL REALLY DEEPLY INTERCONNECTED.
UM, AND SO I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND, UH, DEFINITELY WHERE YOU'RE COMING FROM AND, UM, BUT I'LL, I THINK THAT THE ONE HEALTH APPROACH, UM, IS, IS SOMETHING THAT'S STRONGLY JUSTIFIED IN, IN PROGRAMMATIC AND SCIENCE, AND I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE START TO TAKE THAT ONE HEALTH APPROACH IN POLICY MAKING AS WELL.
SO I'M VERY EXCITED TO VOTE, UM, IN FAVOR OF THIS RESOLUTION.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS, QUESTIONS? I GUESS WE JUST NEED TO FINALIZE THAT ONE POTENTIAL AMENDMENT FOR THE NINE C.
WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE THE BRIDGE AMENDMENT TO BE? UH, I THINK, CAN WE ADD SOMETHING TO THE
[02:05:01]
EFFECT OF, UH, WITH PROFOUND CONSIDERATION FOR SENSITIVE WILDLIFE IN THE AREA, ANYBODY FROM THE PUBLIC HAVE A FEEDBACK AND PROTECTION OF ALL SIGNIFICANT TREES AND PROTECTION OF ALL SIGNIFICANT TREES.I GUESS ALL OF THAT IS MY NEW FRIENDLY AMENDMENT.
I THINK THIS IS YOU COMMISSIONER HUDDLESTON.
SO I'M GONNA ASK IF YOU ARE OKAY PROPOSING THIS AS A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT AT THE END OF NINE C AND ANY BRIDGE BE CONSTRUCTED IN A WAY THAT MITIGATES AS BEST AS POSSIBLE ANY ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE WITH PROFOUND CONSIDERATION FOR SENSITIVE WILDLIFE IN THE AREA AND PROTECTION FOR ALL SIGNIFICANT TREES.
DO YOU ACCEPT THAT FRIENDLY AMENDMENT WITH PLEASURE? ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? YES.
MY LAST THING WOULD JUST BE TO, UM, INVITE, UH, GARY PEREZ IF HE HAD ANY ADDITIONAL, DO YOU, CAN I ASK, HAVE YOU SEEN THE WORDING OF THIS? YES.
DO YOU HAVE ANY FEEDBACK AS ON ANY PART, BUT SPECIFICALLY WHERE IT REFERENCES THE NATIVE PEOPLE OF THE AREA? THANK YOU.
ONCE AGAIN, MY NAME IS GARRETT PEREZ.
UM, THE, THE, THE, UM, AMOUNT OF THINGS THAT ARE GOING INTO PROTECTING THE, THE, UM, THE SALAMANDER IS CRITICALS, CERTAINLY BECAUSE I WAS A PART OF IT SHORT NOT TOO LONG AGO, BUT IT'S A COSMOLOGICAL THING THAT YOU'RE PROTECTING.
IT'S A STORYTELLING AND, UH, THE, UM, THE, THE SALAMANDER IN, IN THE AWA LANGUAGE IS CALLED AOT.
AND THAT THAT'S THE, THE WATER DOG IS RELATED TO THE, THE CONSTELLATION OF SIRIUS, THE, THE, THE DOG, THE, THE, THE DOG THAT PROTECTS THE WARRIOR, THE CONSTELLATION OF ORION.
AND SO YOU, WHAT YOU'RE DOING IS YOU'RE SHORING UP BY GUARANTEEING THAT THE, THAT THE SALAMANDER'S GONNA BE ALL RIGHT.
YOU'RE ALSO PROTECTING ITS RELATIONSHIP COSMOLOGICALLY TO A STAR IN THE SKY, YOU KNOW, WHICH IS THE WAY OUR, OUR PEOPLE SEE THE WORLD.
AND I THINK, AND, AND IF YOU INCLUDE THE INDIGENOUS PART OF IT, WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT YOU UNDERSTAND THIS RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN, YOU KNOW, UH, THE STAR SERIES IN THE SKY, SHO AND IT'S BROTHER ON EARTH.
A AND SO THAT'S REALLY WHAT I HAVE TO SAY.
JUST TO ADD A LITTLE COLOR COSMOLOGICAL COLOR TO YOUR ATTEMPT TO PROTECT THE BAR SPRINGS SALAMANDER.
MR. PEREZ, YOU, UH, USED THE WORD INDIGENOUS AND THE, UM, RESOLUTION USES THE WORD, UH, NATIVE.
WOULD YOU STRIKE NATIVE AND REPLACE IT WITH INDIGENOUS? I WOULD STRIKE IT BECAUSE NATIVE AMERICAN IS ONLY APPLIED TO FEDERALLY RECOGNIZED TRIBES.
AMERICAN YEN IS, INDIAN IS A WATERED DOWN VERSION OF THAT SAME WORD, BUT THAT IT DOES NOT APPLY TO A FEDERALLY RECOGNIZED INSTITUTION LIKE A TRIBE.
BUT INDIGENOUS OVERALL COVERS EVERYTHING ELSE.
CAN I GET A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT FROM SOMEONE TO PROPOSE TO ADD, TO STRIKE THE WORD NATIVE AND ADD THE WORD INDIGENOUS? SURE.
COMMISSIONER HOLT, UH, MOVES FOR A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT.
DO YOU ACCEPT THAT? ABSOLUTELY.
CAN I ADD A SECOND POSSIBLE FRIENDLY AMENDMENT? THANK YOU FOR SHARING THAT, BY THE WAY.
I THINK THAT WAS REALLY BEAUTIFUL WHAT YOU SHARED ABOUT THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE SALAMANDER.
CAN WE ADD JUST LIKE A, AND DUE TO THE CULTURAL AND SPIRITUAL SIGNIFICANCE FOR THESE PEOPLE, I, I JUST, THAT FEELS LIKE WE'RE NOT, WE'RE NOT JUST HERE BECAUSE WE LOVE THE SALAMANDER.
IT IS ALSO SPIRITUALLY SIGNIFICANT, AND IT IS NOT JUST BECAUSE WE LOVE ANIMALS.
DO YOU WANT, YOU WANNA ADD TO THAT PART? UM, IT WASN'T THAT PART, IT WAS THE PART AT THE BOTTOM WHERE IT TALKED ABOUT, UM, THE SALAMANDERS, BUT IT'S ALSO, IT'S MORE LIKE A, IT'S OKAY IF IT DOESN'T FIT THE LANGUAGE TO LIKE ADD IT IN.
DID YOU PICK UP SOMETHING MORE SPECIFIC? I, I WROTE DOWN DUE TO THE CULTURAL AND SPIRITUAL SIGNIFICANCE, BUT I'M NOT SURE WHERE IT WOULD GO.
[02:10:01]
RE PULL THIS BACK.WELL, LET ME, IF I JUST MAKE A COMMENT ABOUT THAT PLEASE.
WHERE THE QUALTEC AND CREATION STORY IS, IS DEFINITELY A PART OF THE SPRINGS.
THE SALAMANDER ITSELF IS SPECIFIC TO THIS REGION AND DOESN'T NECESSARILY APPLY TO THE QUALTEC AND, UH, CREATION STORY.
IT'S, UH, LIKE EVEN IN SAN ANTONIO, IT HAS ITS OWN LITTLE CREATION NARRATIVE.
ALL ALL OF THESE LITTLE PLACES DO, DO, AND, AND THAT DON'T EVEN HAVE TO DO WITH, UH, OUR, OUR CREATION STORY.
THE NARRATIVE, THE NARRATIVE IN SAN ANTONIO DOESN'T APPLY TO OUR CREATION STORY.
THE NARRATIVE OF AUSTIN DOES NOT APPLY.
IT'S JUST A LITTLE CORNER THERE LOCALLY WHERE PEOPLE HOLD ONE ANOTHER TOGETHER.
WE HAVE OUR LITTLE CREATION STORY.
Y'ALL HAVE A LITTLE CREATIVE STORY AND THAT'S, YEAH, THEY'RE SEPARATE FROM THE, THE, THE, THE, THE GREATER COSMOLOGICAL WORLDVIEW OF QUAL TECH AND PEOPLE, I, I THINK I'M PICKING UP THAT, LIKE, THE PART THAT POINTS OUT BARTON SPRINGS ISN'T, ISN'T, UM, GIVING VOICE TO THE CULTURAL AND SPIRITUAL SIGNIFICANCE OF THE SALAMANDER SPECIFICALLY.
AND YOU WANNA ADD SOMETHING TO THAT PART WHERE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE SALAMANDER? YES.
JUST GIVE US JUST A MINUTE, OR IF YOU, WOULD YOU LIKE A WRITTEN COPY OF THIS SO YOU CAN LOOK AT IT OR? SURE.
SO IN UM, FOUR, IT SAYS, CENTERING A FUTURE PLAN ON THE PROTECTION OF BARTON SPRINGS AND THE TWO ENDANGERED SPECIES YOU COULD ADD.
AND DUE TO THE CULTURAL AND SIGN SPIRITUAL SIGNIFICANCE OF THE SPECIES, RECOGNIZING THAT THE ARY, DO YOU WANNA DO THAT? YES.
SO THE FRIENDLY AMENDMENT IS ADDING, UH, TO THE SECOND, ADDING A CLAUSE BEYOND THE FIRST CLAUSE OF FOUR.
UH, SO THAT FOUR WOULD READ CENTERING A FUTURE PLAN ON THE PROTECTION OF BARTON SPRINGS AND THE TWO ENDANGERED SPECIES.
AND DUE TO THE CULTURAL AND, UH, SPIRITUAL SIGNIFICANCE OF THE SPECIES.
BUT IS IT THE SALAMANDER SPECIES? IS THAT WHAT IT NEEDS TO SAY OF SALAMANDER? WHAT DO YOU WANT IT TO SAY? THE SPECIES.
RECOGNIZING THAT THE SALAMANDER IS AN ICONIC IS AS ICONIC TO THE SPRINGS AS THE SPRINGS ARE TO ZILKER PARK AND ZILKER PARK IS TO AUSTIN.
IS THAT YOUR FRIENDLY AMENDMENT? DO YOU ACCEPT THAT FRIENDLY AMENDMENT? YES.
ALRIGHT, IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE, COMMISSIONER LINDER? UM, JUST REALLY QUICKLY, AND, AND I DON'T WANNA HARP ON THIS, BUT, UM, I, I DO, UH, WANNA JUST COME BACK TO SOME OF THE CONCERNS YOU EXPRESSED ABOUT SORT OF EXCEEDING OUR, OUR MANDATE HERE, BECAUSE I DO HEAR THOSE CONCERNS.
UM, AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE PLACES WHERE THIS WORDING COULD BE MORE CLOSELY TETHERED.
UM, AND I THOUGHT, YOU KNOW, COMMISSIONER LOAN'S RESPONSE TO THAT REALLY TO ME SPOKE TO, UM, KIND OF THE EXACT, UM, ISSUE, WHICH IS THAT, THAT ALL OF THESE, UM, ENVIRONMENTAL ANIMAL, UM, SORT OF HUMAN DYNAMICS ARE SO DEEPLY INTERCONNECTED.
SO, I, I JUST WANTED TO TO PAUSE TO SEE WHETHER YOU THINK THERE MAY BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO INCLUDE EVEN JUST A SENTENCE OR SOMETHING THAT WOULD ANCHOR US BACK TO, UM, TO KIND OF THAT ONE HEALTH, UM, PRINCIPLE THAT MIGHT HELP ASSUAGE SOME OF YOUR CONCERNS.
AND IF IT WOULD TAKE TOO LONG, OR IF YOU'D PREFER JUST TO ABSTAIN, UM, RATHER THAN SORT OF GOING LINE BY LINE THROUGH THE DOCUMENT, I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND.
I JUST WANTED TO, UM, TO OFFER, UM, WHETHER THAT MIGHT BE SOMETHING THAT, UM, WOULD BE OF, OF BENEFIT.
IT, IT APPEARS THAT YOU HAVE THE VOTES WITHOUT ME.
UH, AND IF YOU DO, THEN WE DON'T NEED TO, UM, GO LINE BY LINE AND, AND ADDRESS IT.
SO, UH, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR, UM, WELL, WHY DON'T WE DO THIS.
LET'S FIND OUT, UM, WHY DON'T WE HAVE PEOPLE WALK, UH, JUST KIND OF GO THROUGH THE ROOM AND, UM, EXPRESS WHERE YOU ARE RIGHT NOW, UM, AND THEN, 'CAUSE WE HAVEN'T HEARD FROM THE VAST MAJORITY OF PEOPLE HERE.
UH, AND THAT WOULD LET US KNOW WHETHER WE NEED TO WORK ON IT SOME MORE.
UM, I AGREE THAT THIS IS, I THINK, A GREAT EXAMPLE OF THE ONE HEALTH INITIATIVE AND I, UM, SUPPORT AS WRITTEN SAME SUPPORT AS WRITTEN.
I AMPORT SUPPORT WITH AMENDMENTS,
[02:15:01]
WITH THE STATED AMENDMENTS, YES.UM, IS THERE ANY MORE DISCUSSION OR COMMENTS? OKAY.
SO, UM, WE HAVE THE MOTION, UH, UH, THAT HAS BEEN IN THE BACKUP MATERIALS AS AMENDED BY A SERIES OF FRIENDLY AMENDMENTS TODAY, WHICH I WROTE DOWN, BUT WE'LL HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THEM CORRECT FOR STAFF AFTERWARDS, UM, PROBABLY IN THE NEXT DAY OR TWO FOR STAFF.
UM, UH, LET'S GO AHEAD AND HAVE A VOTE.
SO WE HAVE A 9 0 0 VOTE OR 9 0 1 VOTE.
[5. Third Party Presentation on Austin Animal Center Data and Reporting provided by Commissioner Kristen Hassen.]
IS ITEM NUMBER FIVE.UM, I SEE THAT COMMISSIONER HASSAN HAS LEFT.
UM, COMMISSIONER ES, DO YOU WANT TO PRESENT COMM UH, NUMBER FIVE OR DO YOU WANT TO TABLE THAT? POSTPONE THAT TO THE NEXT MONTH? POSTPONE TO THE NEXT OKAY.
SO IS THERE ANY OBJECTION TO POSTPONING ITEM NUMBER FIVE TO THE NEXT MEETING? DOES ANYBODY WEIGH WANNA WEIGH IN ON IT BEFORE WE POSTPONE IT? UH, YES.
UH, WILL THERE BE DOCUMENTATION FOR US TO REVIEW BEFORE THIS IS PRESENTED? BECAUSE I SAW NOTHING IN THE DOC OR BACKUP DOCUMENTS ABOUT THIS.
I DON'T THINK THAT, I, I THINK THAT, UH, COMMISSIONER HASSEN WAS DEALING WITH THE MAUI FIRES.
UM, SO I THINK THAT SHE DID NOT PROVIDE BACKUP FOR THIS MONTH.
ANY OTHER DISCUSSION OR COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS BEFORE WE, UM, POSTPONE? ALL RIGHT, SO WE'LL GO TO ITEM
[7. Discuss and potential action setting date and time for Commission Retreat.]
NUMBER SEVEN, WHICH IS DISCUSSED AND POT TAKE POTENTIAL ACTION SETTING A DATE AND TIMELINE FOR THE COMMISSION RETREAT.SO, UM, DARRELL PIERCE, UH, I CAN'T MAKE A MOTION, BUT I'M GONNA TELL YOU WHAT I KNOW.
UH, AND THEN I'LL ASK, UH, COMMISSIONER TUCKER TO MAKE A MOTION AND THEN ANYONE CAN SPEAK ABOUT IT HOWEVER YOU FEEL.
UM, DARRELL PIERCE, UH, IS A CONSULTANT WHO WAS HIRED BY THE CITY TO, UH, RUN A RETREAT, UM, FOR US.
UH, AND I'M GOING TO, UH, AND I THINK, AND HE, HE'S PROBABLY NOT ON THE LINE ANYMORE, IS HE? OKAY.
SO HE'S HERE, UH, IF WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, BUT HE DIDN'T WANNA SPEAK UNLESS WE HAD QUESTIONS.
AND, AND MR. PIERCE, FEEL FREE TO INTERRUPT ME IF I'M SAYING SOMETHING INCORRECTLY.
UM, BUT MR. PIERCE, UH, WAS HIRED TO HAVE A RETREAT TO HOST A RETREAT FOR US.
UM, AND, UH, THE IDEA BEING TO FIND, UM, WAYS FOR US TO, UM, FIND COMMON GROUND AND TO, UM, TO, UH, FIGURE OUT IF THERE ARE THINGS THAT WE, UM, CAN, CAN AGREE ON, UM, UH, AS, AS A GROUP.
UH, AND, AND IF THERE ARE WAYS THAT WE CAN, POSITIVE THINGS THAT WE CAN DO TO FIND A WAY TO POSITIVELY, UM, MOVE TOGE MOVE FORWARD TOGETHER.
UM, THE, UH, THERE, THE FEEDBACK WAS MIXED ON WHEN WE WOULD HAVE THAT RETREAT, IF WE HAVE A RETREAT.
UM, THE, MY SUGGESTION, UH, TO MR. PIERCE IS THAT, UH, WE ASK THE COM THAT WE HAVE 12, UM, UH, A, A C MEETINGS THAT ARE ALREADY ON OUR CALENDARS.
UH, IN THE PAST, I BELIEVE THERE'VE BEEN AN EIGHT A YEAR.
SO WE HAVE ABOUT FOUR EXTRA MEETINGS, UM, ON OUR CALENDARS THAT WE ORDINARILY DO NOT HAVE, OR AT LEAST HAVEN'T BEEN TRADITIONALLY BEEN IN THE LAST COUPLE YEARS, BUT NOT EXTENSIVELY, UH, IN, IN THE PAST.
UM, MY SUGGESTION TO MR. PIERCE WAS THAT WE, UM, THAT IF THIS COMMISSION WANTS TO HAVE IT, AND THAT IS THE QUESTION FOR THE COMMISSION TO TALK ABOUT TODAY.
UM, 'CAUSE WE CAN'T BE FORCED TO DO ANYTHING.
WE'RE VOLUNTEERS AND WE HAVE OUR, UM, CALENDAR SET.
UM, BUT THAT IF THE COMMISSION WANTS TO DO IT, MY SUGGESTION WAS THAT IT BE ON, UH, THAT IT REPLACE A COMMISSION MEETING THAT WE WERE ALREADY GOING TO HAVE THAT WE ALREADY AGREED TO.
IT DOESN'T ADD ANY MORE TIME OR, UH, DATES TO, UM, TO OUR, UH, MEETINGS.
UM, MR. UH, PIERCE ASKED THAT, UH, WE SET ASIDE FOUR AND A HALF TO FIVE HOURS FOR THAT.
AND, UM, I TOLD HIM THAT MY OPINION WAS THAT I WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO PERSONALLY GIVE HIM FOUR AND A HALF TO FIVE HOURS, UM, FOR A RETREAT.
UH, I THOUGHT THREE SOUNDED LIKE PROBABLY THE MAXIMUM THAT, UM, I WOULD PERSONALLY GIVE.
UM, THAT SEEMED LIKE A FAIR, UH, AMOUNT, AMOUNT TO GIVE.
[02:20:01]
ASKED THAT WE, UH, IF WE, IF WE, HE WAS, HE WAS FINE WITH US HAVING IT AT A, AS A FUTURE COMMISSION MEETING INSTEAD OF ON A SATURDAY OR SUNDAY, WHICH I THINK WAS THE ORIGINAL FLOATED CONCEPT.UM, AND UH, HE IS AVAILABLE IN SEPTEMBER, IN NOVEMBER AND, AND THEN DECEMBER.
SO EITHER OF THOSE MEETINGS, HE WOULD BE, UH, WILLING TO COME FOR, UH, HOLD ON JUST A SEC.
HE ALSO ASKED, UH, IF IT WAS, UH, POSSIBLE THAT WE COULD START AT FIVE, UM, INSTEAD OF SIX.
AND WE DID RUN IT THROUGH THE CITY, UM, UH, CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE OR CLERK'S OFFICE.
AND THIS ROOM IS AVAILABLE AT FIVE.
UM, IF PEOPLE WANT TO START AT FIVE, UM, I BELIEVE IN MY LAST COMMUNICATIONS WITH HIM IS THAT HE REALLY WANTS THREE AND A HALF TO FOUR HOURS.
UM, THAT, AGAIN, THAT'S NOT MY, UH, VIEW, BUT IT'S UP TO THE COMMISSION OF WHAT, HOW MUCH TIME WE ALL GIVE HIM TOGETHER.
UM, I THINK I HAVE COVERED THE TERRITORY THERE.
I, I'LL JUST LET, UM, MR. PIERCE, I SEE THAT YOU'RE ON THERE.
DO YOU WANNA ADD, AM AM I MISSING ANY COLOR TO THAT? UH, DO YOU WANNA ADD ANY TO THAT, MR. CHAIR? CAN YOU HEAR ME FINE? YES, SIR.
GOOD, GOOD EVENING TO ALL, UH, TO THE CHAIR AND TO THE, THE, THE, UH, COMMISSIONERS THAT ARE PRESENT.
UH, ONLY THING THAT I WOULD ADD, I DID OFFER, JUST AS YOU ALL ARE HAVING YOUR CONVERSATION, UH, THAT IF WE DECIDED TO TRY TO DO THE RETREAT IN ONE EVENING, UH, WE ARE EXPLORING WITH THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE SINCE WE'RE ASKING YOU ALL TO INVEST YOUR TIME AND HAVING A RETREAT WOULD BE, WOULD BE TO SEE IF WE COULD HAVE SOME DINNER BROUGHT IN.
BUT THAT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT WE'RE EXPLORING.
IF WE WERE DECIDE TO COME IN AND DO FIVE TO NINE AND PUT IN, YOU KNOW, SOME HEAVY WORK, I THINK THAT WOULD BE A NICE REWARD FOR YOU ALL WILLING TO, UM, INVEST THAT TIME IN YOUR CREATIVE ENERGY.
SO THAT'S JUST SOMETHING WE'RE EXPLORING.
THE OTHER ALTERNATIVE I OFFER WOULD BE POTENTIALLY, IF WE WANT TO TRY TO KEEP IT TIGHTER THAN THAT, WE COULD MAYBE BREAK IT UP OVER TWO MEETINGS.
THE IDEAL IS THAT IT, IT'LL BE YOUR TIME AND WE'LL, WE MEAN, WE'LL, WE'LL MAKE IT AS TIGHT AS YOU WOULD LIKE FOR US TO, BUT I THINK FOR IT TO BE HEALTHY, I ALWAYS LIKE TO SET A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME.
AND IF I'M ABLE TO GIVE YOU, SEND ME YOUR TIME BACK, THEN YOU ALL GIMME A HIGH FIVE.
AND SO TO STRETCH IT IN, IN THREE HOURS WOULD BE A STRETCH.
SO THAT'S WHY WE REALLY WOULD LIKE TO HAVE FOUR.
NORMALLY WE DO HALF DAY OR FULL DAY RETREATS, BUT AGAIN, WE'LL TRY TO BE AS ACCOMMODATING AS POSSIBLE AND SENSITIVE TO YOUR TIME AND TO YOUR SCHEDULE.
SO THE, THE TWO PROPOSALS, AND I FORGOT TO MENTION THAT, THAT HE HAD EMAILED ME TODAY WAS THE IDEA OF HAVING TWO OF OUR COMMISSION MEETINGS DO IT.
AND SO IT WOULD BE TWO HOURS AND TWO HOURS OR HE, AGAIN, THE IDEA OF GOING FOUR HOURS, UH, TO, TO POTENTIALLY HAVE, UH, DINNER DELIVERED.
UM, AGAIN, I WAS PRETTY CLEAR TO MR. PIERCE, I, I'M, I'M TRANSPARENT IF NOTHING, AND THAT I, I, I GOTTA GET BACK TO MY KIDS.
I'M A TWO, A THREE YEAR OLD, A SIX YEAR OLD, AND AN EIGHT YEAR OLD.
AND, UM, I'M NOT WILLING TO GIVE MORE THAN THREE, BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THE MEETING COULDN'T HAPPEN WITHOUT ME, UH, BEYOND THOSE THREE HOURS IF OTHERS, UH, WANTED TO DO THAT.
DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION? I, I SECOND TO THREE HOURS.
I, I MEAN, I, I HAVE A MEETING FOR WORK AT 5:00 PM I COVERED THE WEST COAST AND I ALSO TRAVEL A LOT.
SO LET'S, LET'S GET A MOTION ON THE TABLE.
AND THEN HONESTLY, I WANT TO THROW IT WIDE OPEN 'CAUSE I DON'T WANNA SPEAK FOR EVERYBODY.
I, WE DON'T HAVE A A WE DON'T HAVE A BACKUP.
SO LARRY, WOULD YOU PLEASE MOVE, UM, THAT WE GIVE THE NOVEMBER MEETING, UH, TO MR. PIERCE FOR THREE HOURS.
I MAKE A MOTION THAT WE HAVE A BOARD RETREAT ON NOVEMBER 13TH, 2023, STARTING AT 6:00 PM AND ENDING AT 9:00 PM NOVEMBER.
WHAT, WHAT DID YOU HAVE? NOVEMBER 13TH.
13TH, 6:00 PM TO 9:00 PM ON NOVEMBER 13TH.
SO THE MOTION ON THE FLOOR IS TO GIVE UP OUR NOVEMBER MEETING, UM, AND TO HAVE A, UH, RETREAT, UH, ON, AND IT STILL HAS TO BE, BY THE WAY, PUBLIC NOTICE THE PUBLIC CAN ATTEND.
IT'S STILL, I, WE, I DON'T KNOW WHAT, WE MIGHT EVEN HAVE TO HEAR PUBLIC PARTICIPATION.
UM, THAT MIGHT BE A STATE LAW.
UM, BUT, UH, THAT'S THE MOTION ON THE FLOOR, SIX TO 9:00 PM ON NOVEMBER 13TH.
UH, IS THERE A SECOND SO THAT WE CAN AT LEAST DISCUSS IT? CAN WE, I SECOND JUST, OKAY, WE HAVE A SECOND.
UH, COMMISSIONER LINDER HAS SECONDED.
SO, OR I THINK THAT WAS YOU, WAS THAT COMMISSIONER LINDER? YES.
[02:25:01]
MOTION.AND THE SECOND I'M OPENING IT WIDE OPEN TO DISCUSSION, COMMISSIONER ZAES.
I, I ACTUALLY LIKE THE IDEA OF DURING, UM, WHILE WE HAVE OUR OR USUAL MONTH MONTHLY SESSION AND AT THE, I UNDERSTAND THAT THE DYNAMICS OF THE COMMISSION PROBABLY, I DON'T KNOW THE PAST YEAR OR IT HA IT HAS, THE DYNAMICS HAS IMPROVED A LOT.
I THINK THE ENVIRONMENT OVERALL, IT SEEMS MUCH MORE PRODUCTIVE.
UM, I, I, I SEE IT, THERE'S A LOT OF NEW MEMBERS, BUT I, I SEE A HUGE DIFFERENCE.
SO IT'S ALWAYS GOOD TO GROW AND DO WORKSHOPS, BUT I, I, I'M NOT SURE THIS IS NEEDED RIGHT NOW BECAUSE THE, I SEE THAT THE COMMISSION IS MUCH IN A MUCH BETTER PLACE AND I FEEL LIKE WE'RE GONNA GIVE AWAY THAT SESSION THAT IT'S ONLY ONCE A MONTH RELATED TO ALL THE DIFFERENT THINGS WE'RE DEALING WITH THE ANIMALS.
BUT, YOU KNOW, I'LL BE ON BOARD IF THE REST OF THE COMMISSION FEELS THAT WE NEED TO GO HAVE THIS ON NOVEMBER 13TH.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS, DR.
BRUCE? UM, I GUESS MY PREFERENCE WOULD STILL BE TO START AT FIVE.
AND I GUESS I REALLY ENJOY THIS SORT OF THING AND I WOULD LIKE IT TO BE FOUR HOURS WITH PEOPLE TO HAVE THE OPTION TO STEP AWAY AT THREE.
UM, AS A NEWARK COMMISSION MEMBER, I REALLY THINK THERE'S OPPORTUNITY FOR DIGGING IN AND SETTING SOME THOUGHT PROCESSES OUT FOR THE UPCOMING YEAR POTENTIALLY.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD SOME GREAT DISCUSSION AS FAR AS LIKE THE VETERINARY PRACTICE ACT AND MAYBE SHARING SOME REALLY BROAD IDEAS.
I THINK SOME REALLY GOOD THINGS COULD COME FROM IT, BUT I GUESS IF WE COULD AMEND IT TO START AT FIVE VERSUS SIX, SO THAT IF IT DID RUN LATE, WE WEREN'T HERE.
SO THERE'S A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT, FRIENDLY FRIENDLY AMENDMENT TO START AT FIVE, UH, FIVE START.
LARRY, DO YOU ACCEPT THE FRIENDLY AMENDMENT? NO.
UM, IS IT THAT YOU WANT FOUR HOURS OR YOU WANT TO START AT FIVE? 'CAUSE I WOULD RATHER DO SIX TO 10 TO, SO IT DOESN'T HAVE AN IMPACT ON MY COMPANY.
I MEAN, I ALSO HAVE KIDS, SO IT ALWAYS LIKE IS MORE APPEALING TO GET OUT AT NINE VERSUS 10.
BUT WITH A NOVEMBER TIMEFRAME, I CAN SORT THAT ALL OUT.
SO I WOULD BE OPEN TO SIX TO 10 IF PEOPLE WERE OPEN FOR FOUR HOURS.
SO, UH, DO YOU WANNA CHANGE YOUR FRIENDLY AMENDMENT TO SIX TO 10? YES, PLEASE.
IS THAT ONE THAT YOU ACCEPT? YES.
CAN I ASK A QUESTION ABOUT THE CONTENT OF THIS? ANY UM, ANY DISCUSSION OR QUESTIONS ARE PERFECTLY FINE RIGHT NOW.
COMMISSIONER HOLT? UM, SO IS THIS GONNA BE LIKE TRUST FALLS OR IS THIS GONNA BE LIKE VISION BUILDING? SO LIKE, WHAT'S THIS LOOKING LIKE? THE, THE, UH, I'LL LET MR. PEARCY ANSWER IN A SECOND, BUT I ASKED THAT QUESTION AND, UM, THERE WAS AN INDEED A TEAM BUILDING EXERCISE SCHEDULED TO THE BEGINNING OF IT, AND I TOLD HIM THAT I DIDN'T LIKE GIMMICKS AND THAT I DIDN'T, AND THAT I WOULDN'T SUPPORT THAT USE OF OUR TIME.
BUT, UM, I'LL LET HIM ANSWER THAT QUESTION.
YEAH, SO, SO MAJORITY OF IT WILL BE FOCUSED ON, 'CAUSE WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF TIME.
SO IT'S REALLY GONNA BE AROUND IDENTIFYING COMMON GROUND, COMMON GOALS, TALKING ABOUT ACTIONS THAT COULD BE TAKEN IN ORDER TO DRIVE THOSE TO SUCCESS.
THAT'S GONNA BE THE, THE, THE, THE PRIMARY FOCUS OF IT.
BUT I WILL, I WILL SHARE WITH YOU ALL.
UM, AND AGAIN, IT'S, IT'S YOUR RETREAT AND WE WANT TO TAILOR IT.
I MEAN, WORDS LIKE TRUST, UH, CAME UP CONSISTENTLY, UH, FROM YOUR VARIOUS VOICES BASED ON THOSE OF YOU ALL COMPLETED THE SURVEY.
UM, LACK OF TEAMING, UM, LACK OF ALIGNMENT, THE TYPE OF THINGS THAT, AND I'M GLAD TO HEAR ONE OF THE COMMISSIONERS MENTIONED TONIGHT THAT CLEARLY THERE'S BEEN SOME GROWTH THAT'S BEEN POSITIVE, SO THAT'S FANTASTIC.
SO WHATEVER YOU ALL ARE DRINKING IN THAT WATER, KEEP DRINKING IT.
UM, BUT I WILL SAY THAT SOME OF THOSE CONCERNS ARE THINGS THAT YOU ALL RAISED.
SO WHETHER WE WANT TO SPEND TIME BASED ON THE TIMING PERSPECTIVE ON, ON DOING ANY TYPE OF MINOR TEAM BUILDING, UM, I I CONSIDER IT HEALTHY.
UM, AND, AND AGAIN, IT'S, IT'S WHAT WHAT YOU THINK YOU DESIRE MOST IS WHAT WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE GIVE YOU.
DARYL, HOW MANY PEOPLE COMPLETED THE SURVEY? UH, IF, DON'T, DON'T HOLD IT TO MY, MY MEMORY, BUT I THINK IT WAS CLOSE TO EIGHT IS WHAT I BELIEVE WAS THE NUMBER.
AND OF COURSE, I THINK Y'ALL HAVE A NEW COMMISSIONER, SO THAT PERSON WOULD NOT HAVE RECEIVED IT.
I DIDN'T COMPLETE IT, I MISSED IT.
I, I WAS OUTTA TOWN WHEN IT CAME THROUGH AND SO I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW IT EXISTED.
DIDN'T UNTIL MR. PIERCE UM, MENTIONED IT TO ME.
[02:30:01]
TO 10:00 PM I'M GONNA NEED SOME COFFEE IN ADDITION TO DINNER 'CAUSE THAT IS WAY PAST MY BEDTIMEUM, BUT IN, IN, UH, ON A MORE SERIOUS NOTE, I THINK THAT NOVEMBER 13TH SOUNDS GOOD.
I THINK THAT THE ONE THING THAT I WOULD REQUEST IS THAT WE JUST KIND OF GO INTO THIS BEING LIKE REALLY STRAIGHT TO THE POINT.
LIKE TONIGHT REALLY SHOWED US, I THINK OUR WORK AND THE VOTE THAT I REALLY SADLY MISSED ABOUT THE AUSTIN AQUARIUM SHOWED US THAT AS A COMMISSION ON BASICALLY EVERY ISSUE OTHER THAN WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH DOGS AND CATS IN OUR ANIMAL SHELTERS IN THE CITY, WE ARE REALLY GOOD AT COMING TOGETHER, WORKING TOGETHER, PUTTING TOGETHER GREAT LANGUAGE, ACCEPTING FRIENDLY AMENDMENTS.
YOU KNOW, WE, WE DO, WE ARE CAPABLE OF DOING A LOT OF REALLY GREAT WORK.
AND IT JUST SEEMS TO BE THIS ONE ISSUE AT LEAST SINCE IN THE FEW MONTHS THAT I'VE BEEN ON AND IN THE TIMES THAT I'VE ATTENDED AND WATCHED THE COMMISSION IN THE PAST, THAT IS, IS WHERE ALL OF OUR HOLDUP IS.
AND SO WHAT MY CONCERN IS, I DON'T WANNA SPEND THREE HOURS TALKING ABOUT LIKE, OR FOUR HOURS TALKING ABOUT GENERAL TRUST BUILDING THINGS.
BUT I'D RATHER DO IS HAVE LIKE A VERY POINTED CONVERSATION ABOUT, OKAY, WE KNOW WE HAVE THESE DISAGREEMENTS AND WE HAVE CRITICISMS OF ALL THE PLAYERS, BUT LIKE, HOW CAN WE BE SOLUTIONS BASED MOVING FORWARD? SO THAT WOULD BE MY ONLY FEEDBACK IF WE ARE GONNA DEDICATE THIS AMOUNT OF TIME TO THIS TYPE OF ACTIVITY THAT WE HAVE REALLY SOLID GOALS OF COMING OUT, ABLE TO WORK TOGETHER ON THAT SPECIFIC ISSUE OF HOW WE'RE INTERACTING AROUND ESSENTIALLY COMPANION ANIMAL WELFARE IN OUR CITY.
BECAUSE THAT SEEMS TO BE WHERE WE COMPLETELY FALL APART
COMMISSIONER, CAN PEOPLE ATTEND REMOTELY? I DON'T KNOW.
UM, MR. BLAND, DO YOU KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT? I THINK MR. PIERCE WANTED EVERYBODY THAT COULD BE IN PERSON, BUT IT REMOTE IT WOULD NOT BE OFF THE TABLE, ESPECIALLY IF IT'S A NORMAL SCHEDULED MEETING.
MR. PIERCE, IS THAT RIGHT? THAT, THAT IS CORRECT.
I MEAN, I MEAN, JUST WATCHING Y'ALL'S MEETING TONIGHT TO TRY TO CONDUCT A RETREAT WHERE EVERYONE COULD REALLY PARTICIPATE IT, IT WOULD BE VERY CHALLENGING TO DO SO.
IS THAT WHAT YOU MEAN? THAT IS CORRECT.
TO TRY TO DO THAT VIRTUALLY AND MAKE SURE THAT, THAT THEY HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THEIR VOICE TO BE HEARD AND REALLY PARTICIPATE IN THE DIALOGUE AND THE BREAKOUTS THAT WE WOULD HAVE POSTED SET UP, UH, IT, IT, IT, IT, IT WOULD NOT ADD THE SAME LEVEL OF VALUE, BUT IF WE HAD TO BE ACCOMMODATING AGAIN, WE'LL DO WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO BE FLEXIBLE.
BUT I I WOULD STRONGLY ENCOURAGE IF YOU CAN BE PRESENT TO BE PRESENT AND, AND, AND SEVERAL OF YOU ALL EVEN MENTIONED, I WILL SAY IN YOUR RESPONSE WAS A PREFERENCE FOR, TO HAVE YOUR TEAM MEMBERS THERE TO PARTICIPATE LIVE.
AND THAT WAS A REQUEST BY SEVERAL OF YOU ALL.
COMMISSIONER SULA, I KNOW I SAW YOUR HAND UP AT ONE POINT, I WANTED TO GIVE YOU A CHANCE TO POP BACK IN.
SO, UM, I CAN SAY THAT I HAVE PARTICIPATED AND I, I CANNOT BEGIN TO IMAGINE, UH, HOW MANY OF THESE RETREATS, UM, I GUESS IS WHAT YOU'RE CALLING 'EM NOW.
WHEN I WAS IN THE MILITARY, IT WAS TEAM BUILDING AND WE WERE VOLUNTOLD.
UM, AND A LOT OF, A LOT OF US WENT IN WITH MINDSETS ALREADY THERE.
AND I HAVE TO SAY THAT, UM, WHAT YOU CALLED GIMMICK DRY IN WERE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ACTUALLY BROKE THE ICE AND GOT US REALLY GOING ON THESE, UM, TEAM BUILDING EVENTS.
SO I WOULD NOT BE OPPOSED TO THAT WHEN I HEAR RETREAT, I THOUGHT IT WAS GONNA BE A WHOLE DAY THING.
AND SO I WAS, YOU KNOW, BRACING MYSELF FOR THAT.
SO I THINK FOUR HOURS IS ABSOLUTELY ACCEPTABLE TO ME CONSIDERING THAT I HAVE BEEN IN THESE COMMISSION MEETINGS THAT HAVE GONE FOR FOUR HOURS.
SO I DON'T SEE IT WOULD BE MUCH DIFFERENT THAN A NORMAL MEETING, CONSIDERING WE'RE ALREADY AT TWO AND A HALF HOURS.
I'M, I'M, I'M GOOD WITH FOUR HOURS.
I'M GOOD WITH
UH, COMMISSIONER LINDER? I, UM, YEAH, I WAS JUST GONNA SAY, I, I AGREE WITH A LOT OF, UM, WHAT'S BEEN SAID AND AS A NEW MEMBER ON THE COMMISSION, I WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET TO KNOW, UM, MANY OF YOU IN, IN A PERSONAL CAPACITY.
AND I THINK THIS WOULD ALLOW US TO DO SOME OF THAT, UM, QUICKLY AND IN A STRUCTURED WAY 'CAUSE OF, AS EVERYONE MENTIONED, WE'RE ALL SO BUSY.
UM, SO IN THE INTEREST OF GETTING FOLKS HOME TO SEE THEIR FAMILIES AND THEIR KIDS AND WORK AND WHATEVER ELSE, UM, WE NEED TO DO, IT SOUNDS LIKE WE'RE SORT OF CIRCLING A SOLUTION, WHICH IS MAYBE FOUR HOURS STARTING
[02:35:01]
AT SIX WITH AN OPTION TO LEAVE EARLY AT 9:00 PM FOR THOSE, UM, OF US THAT NEED TO GET HOME FOR, FOR DIFFERENT REASONS.UM, SHOULD I, I'M JUST, UH, I DON'T WANNA CUT ANYONE OFF, BUT I, I THINK MAYBE WE COULD GO AHEAD AND PUT THAT TO A VOTE IF, UNLESS THERE'S OBJECTIONS I, I SECOND YEAH, CERTAINLY.
I, YOU KNOW, ANYBODY'S, UH, ALLOWED TO SPEAK, SO I, I DON'T WANNA CUT ANYBODY OFF.
UM, THE, UH, THE ONLY THING I WOULD MENTION IS THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, THE PEOPLE WHO NEED TO LEAVE FOR KIDS, IF THAT PREVENTS A QUORUM, THEN THE MEETING CAN'T CONTINUE BECAUSE IT DOES.
UM, IT DOES HAVE TO HAVE A QUORUM, UM, FOR US TO, TO MEET, WHICH IS SEVEN.
SO IT'S PROBABLY FINE, BUT I JUST WANTED TO MENTION THAT.
SHOULD WE DO ONE OF THOSE, UM, UNOFFICIAL ACCOUNTS FOR THAT? MY CHILD GOES TO BED AT SEVEN 30, SO I CAN STAY HERE TILL TWO
I USUALLY HAVE TO GET UP AROUND 3:30 AM TO TAKE EARLY FLIGHT.
SO, SO ARE YOU SAYING YOU'RE A HARD NINE, NINE O'CLOCK? UM, MY KIDS, UH, GO TO BED LATE, SO, UH, I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO SEE THEM.
I, IT'S, IT'S KIND OF MY THING THAT I REALLY LIKE TO SEE MY KIDS BEFORE THEY GO TO BED.
UM, I DON'T, I TRY NOT TO EVER MISS DINNER.
AND IF I MISS DINNER, I REALLY TRY TO SEE THEM BEFORE I GO TO BED.
SO I'M GONNA THROW THIS OUT HERE.
IT SOUNDS TO ME LIKE EVERYBODY WOULD PREFER TO START AT FIVE.
I WOULD PROBAB I WOULD DEFINITELY BE LATE THAT I WOULD BE HERE.
UM, SO IF THE MAJORITY CAN MAKE IT AT FIVE, THEN I'LL SEE YOU AT SIX
WELL, I MEAN THAT'S, THAT'S A FAIR, LET'S JUST DO QUICKLY AROUND THE TABLE.
IS IT BETTER TO GO FIVE TO NINE OR SIX TO 10 KNOWING THAT SOME PEOPLE WON'T BE HERE AT SIX OR SOME PEOPLE WOULD'VE TO LEAVE AT NINE? COMMISSIONER HALON, UH, UM, UH, COMMISSIONER LOY? I AM FINE EITHER WAY.
COMMISSIONER LINDER EITHER WORKS FOR ME.
LET'S DO FIVE TO 10
I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR AND COMMISSIONER NISSEN'S COMMITMENT TO THIS
UM, WITH THIS MUCH, THIS MUCH HEADS UP, I CAN MAKE EITHER WORK, HONESTLY, NO PREFERENCE.
COMMISSIONER HOLT, I CAN MAKE EITHER WORK, BUT I GET TIRED AROUND NINE, SO I DO KIND OF HAVE A SMALL PREFERENCE FOR EARLIER
SO YOUR PREFERENCE IS FIVE TO NINE? YEAH, SURE.
AND YOUR PREFERENCE IS MY MEDIUM PREFERENCE.
DO YOU HAVE A, DO YOU HAVE, DOES ANYBODY HAVE THE SIX O'CLOCK VERSUS FIVE O'CLOCK ISSUE THAT LARRY DOES? SIX IS BETTER.
OKAY, SO YOU'RE SIX TO NINE, BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE IT MIGHT ONLY BE THE TWO OF US.
DOES ANYBODY ELSE HAVE AN ISSUE? UM, AFTER NINE O'CLOCK.
OKAY, THEN IT SOUNDS LIKE IT'LL JUST GO ON WITHOUT US AT NINE O'CLOCK.
SO WE'LL DO, SO THE MOTION ON THE TABLE, UH, IS SIX TO 10 ON NOVEMBER 13TH.
THERE ARE NO RESTRICTIONS IN THE MOTION ON CONTENT, SO I WILL ROLL MY EYES, UM, AND, UM, DO MY BEST TO PARTICIPATE, UH, IN ANY TRUSTFUL EXERCISES.
UM, BUT THAT IS THE MOTION ON THE TABLE THAT'S BEEN SECONDED.
UH, ALL THOSE IN, OH, IS THERE ANY MORE, UM, DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, THAT IS UNANIMOUS.
SO 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 TO ZERO ON THAT.
SO WE WILL HAVE, WE WILL SUSPEND OUR, UH, NOVEMBER 13TH COMMISSION MEETING, AND WE WILL HAVE A RETREAT FROM 6:00 PM TO 9:00 PM SEE, WE CAN ACTUALLY PASS THINGS.
THE MOTION WAS SIX TO 10 WITH AN UNDERSTANDING THAT A COUPLE PEOPLE WILL HAVE TO LEAVE AT NINE.
SO ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF SIX TO 10 ON NOVEMBER 13TH? YES.
SO IT PASSES, UH, NINE TO ZERO OR 10 TO ZERO.
YOU GUYS ARE GONNA GO FOR ANOTHER HOUR AND 20 MINUTES.
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
AGENDA ITEMS. WE HAVE, UH, WE'RE MOVING ITEM NUMBER, UM, FIVE WILL BE, UM, INCLUDED AS A AGENDA ITEM FOR NEXT MONTH OR, UH, AND IT SOUNDED LIKE WE HAVE AN AGENDA ITEM ON, UM, A FINDER TO FOSTER.UM, IF ANYBODY WANTS TO, UM, WEIGH IN ON WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE, JUST EMAIL ME AND WE CAN
[02:40:01]
HAVE A DISCUSSION.ARE THERE ADDITIONAL, UM, AND, UH, FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION, COMMISSIONER HOLT, ANY TWO PEOPLE CAN GET SOMETHING ON THE AGENDA.
IT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE AT TODAY'S MEETING.
UH, AND IF YOU EVER NEED A SECOND, UNLESS IT'S SOMETHING THAT I AM DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSED TO, I WILL GIVE YOU A SECOND SO THAT YOU CAN HAVE YOUR FORUM, UM, PERSONALLY.
COMMISSIONER LONEY, JUST A QUICK QUESTION ARE, IS THIS ONLY IN EMAIL? CAN WE ASK FOR AGENDA ITEMS FOR LIKE, SAY OCTOBER? OR ARE WE ONLY ABLE TO ASK FOR FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS FOR THE NEXT MONTH? UH, IN EMAIL, UM, IT JUST SAYS FUTURE AGENDA ITEM.
THERE'S NO RESTRICTIONS, SO YOU CAN HAVE IT HOWEVER YOU WISH.
AND, AND THERE'S NO RESTRICTION ON EMAIL.
YOU CAN SAY WHATEVER YOU WANT ON EMAIL AS LONG AS YOU DON'T COPY A QUORUM.
OKAY, SO THOSE ARE THE TWO THAT ARE CURRENTLY ON THERE.
IF ANYBODY HAS ANYTHING, JUST COPY, SEND IT TO LILY, PLEASE COPY ME AND OR LARRY SO THAT WE CAN KNOW THAT THEY'RE COMING.
AND WITH THAT, I'LL TAKE A MOTION TO ADJOURN.
IS THERE A MOTION YET? SO MOVED BY, UH, DR.
IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND BY DR.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? ANY OPPOSED TO ADJOURNING? ALL RIGHT, WE ARE ADJOURNED.
ARE YOU GOOD? I MEXICAN, I ACTUALLY WORK AT THE BUDDY DUNKER LITTLE AREA.
SO I VOLUNTEERED ONCE OR TWICE BEFORE.