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[00:00:01]

IT IS, UH, 6:02 PM IT'S

[CALL TO ORDER]

THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE TRAVIS COUNTY, AUSTIN ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION ON JANUARY 8TH, 2024.

UM, I'LL GO AHEAD AND CALL ROLL RYAN.

UH, I'M GONNA JUST CALL, UH, NAMES.

UH, I'M RYAN CLINTON.

I'M THE CHAIR.

UH, NANCY EMER HERE.

UM, LA ULA HERE.

UH, BAYA.

WE CAN SEE YOU, BUT I THINK WE'RE ON, YOU'RE ON MUTE.

COMMISSIONER DEL, WE THINK YOU'RE STILL ON MUTE.

SEE IF SHE CAN GET IT.

WE'LL COME BACK TO YOU, BUT IT, IT LOOKS ON THIS SIDE THAT YOU'RE STILL ON MUTE.

UM, COMMISSIONER LINDER.

PRESENT.

GREAT.

UH, COMMISSIONER ES? UH, DR. NELSON NELSON.

PRESENT, PRESENT.

UH, COMMISSIONER HOLT? I'M NOT SEEING COMMISSIONER HOLT.

UH, COMMISSIONER.

OH, I'M SORRY.

I'M HERE.

I DIDN'T HEAR YOU AT ALL.

OKAY.

I'M PRESENT.

THANK YOU.

COMMISSIONER HERRA.

PRESENT.

COMMISSIONER TUCKER PRESENT.

COMMISSIONER HASSEN PRESENT.

COMMISSIONER HUDDLESTON.

COMMISSIONER HUDDLESTON.

WE CAN SEE YOU LOGGING IN.

UH, IF YOU COULD, UH, I COME, IF YOU CAN PUT YOUR, UM, CAMERA ON JUST BRIEFLY SO WE COULD SEE YOU.

IT WOULD REGISTER YOU AS PRESENT.

I'M PRESENT.

THANK YOU.

UH, AND DR. BRUCE PRESENT.

GREAT.

UM, PUBLIC COMMUNICATION.

[PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL]

WE HAVE, UH, LET'S SEE, NO REGISTERED SPEAKERS ONLINE IN, UH, IN PERSON.

UH, WE HAVE TWO, UM, MS. VICKERY.

MY NAME IS ROCHELLE VICKERY.

THERE GO.

ROCHELLE VICKERY.

I'VE BEEN COMING HERE TO THIS ANIMAL ADVISORY, UH, SITUATION, UH, FOR A YEAR AND A HALF.

I ONLY MISSED MEETINGS WHEN IT WAS THE, UH, AQUARIUM BECAUSE I KNEW I'D GET LOST IN THE SITUATION ON ME, YOU KNOW, ASKING FOR SPAYED AND NEUTER.

UH, I FEEL OUR CATS ARE BEING TREATED BETTER THAN THE DOGS, BECAUSE THE DOGS, WE, UH, CAN'T GET SPAYED AND NEUTERED.

I THINK LOUISE IS THE ONLY ONE IN HERE THAT HAS BEEN IN THE THEATER, UH, EMANCIPATE AND WHERE THEY DO SURGERY, AND, UM, THEY DON'T HAVE ROOM FOR BIG DOGS.

MR. TUCKER WAS SO NICE TO LET ME DO, GET SOME DOGS DONE, AND I'VE BEEN GETTING DOGS DONE, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE WE, MAINLY, THE DOGS I'VE BEEN GETTING DONE ARE BIG DOGS, AND THEY HAVE BIG LITTERS AND EMANCIPATE DOES LOTS OF FOO DOGS, AS I CALL 'EM, SMALL DOGS.

THEY ONLY HAVE MAYBE FOUR LITTLE PUPS, OR TWO OR THREE.

AND SO THEY HAVE ROOM FOR THOSE FOR SURGERY.

BUT THE BIG DOGS, THEY DON'T, THEY DON'T HAVE THE CAGES FOR IT, AND THEY HAVE TO PUT 'EM ON A TOWEL ON THE FLOOR UNTIL THEY KINDA START WAKING UP.

I'M ASKING FOR, YOU KNOW, FOR US TO PUT SOMETHING ON THE AGENDA TO HELP US GET THIS DONE.

BECAUSE IN THE CAT HALLWAY, I BROUGHT A, A WHILE BACK, PICTURES OF DOGS INSIDE THE CAT.

LITTLE CUBICLES.

TWO OF THEM, TOO BIG TO BE IN THERE, AND THAT'S NOT FAIR.

TRY DOGS.

I KNOW YOU LOVE DOGS, MR. CLINTON, AND, AND YOU HAVE A DOG.

YOU WOULDN'T WANT YOUR DOG TO BE TREATED THAT WAY.

AND I DON'T WANT, I DON'T HAVE ANY DOGS.

I'VE HAD ROT, WALLERS, FOUR OF THEM.

SO IN TURN, YOU KNOW, I, I I LOVED THEM TO DEATH.

AND THEY LIVED UNTIL THEY DIED.

AND THEN I'M JUST TOO OLD FOR DOGS NOW.

AND I'M JUST ASKING YOU TO PLEASE GET SOMETHING ON THE AGENDA SO WE CAN GET SOMETHING DONE TO GET THE DOGS DONE.

AND THEN TO, UM, FROM, I'VE BEEN FEEDING THE CATS AT FRONTIER VALLEY BECAUSE THE MAN THAT WAS FEEDING, HE CAME DOWN WITH COVA AND HE ASKED, I USED TO FEED HIM.

AND SO HE ASKED ME IF I'D TAKE IT OVER THE HOLIDAYS, AND I

[00:05:01]

DID.

WHILE I WAS THERE, THERE WAS THIS DOG, AND I WAS HOPING MR. BLAND WOULD BE HERE, BUT THERE'S THIS DOG THAT'S IN THAT MOBILE HOME PARK THAT WAS DUMPED.

THAT PARK IS PAYING $346,000 IN TAXES.

AND OUR SHELTER WOULD NOT EVEN COME OUT THERE AND RUN A SCAN TO SEE IF HE HAD A MICROCHIP IN HIM.

THE LADY HAS CALLED, SEE, YOU DON'T GIVE US ENOUGH TIME TO SAY ANYTHING, BUT I WANTED MR. I'LL HAVE, I WANTED TO GIVE IT TO HIM.

I'M GONNA GIVE IT TO LILY AND SHE CAN GIVE IT TO MR. BLAND, BUT WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING BECAUSE THEY, THEY WON'T, PEOPLE CAN'T TAKE THE ANIMALS INTO THE SHELTER.

SO THEN THEY DUMP 'EM AND THEY'RE DUMPING 'EM OUT THERE IN ELROY.

I JUST GOT, I JUST, I, PLEASE, LET ME TELL YOU THIS.

I GOT, UH, AT 90 40 ELROY, I WAS TRAPPING CATS AT 90 39, AND THE MAN HAD KEPT HAVING PROBLEMS. THEY HAD 12 DOGS.

THEY WAS EMA EMACIATED.

IT WOULD MAKE YOU CRY.

AND I WENT OVER THERE AND PUT FOOD OVER THE FENCE.

AND LADY SAYS, WHAT ARE YOU DOING? I SAID, I'M FEEDING YOUR DOGS, BECAUSE THEY'RE STARVING.

THEY ENDED UP OVER THERE AT THEIR PLACE BECAUSE I FINALLY, I FINALLY CALLED IN AND GOT THE DETECTIVE.

I HAD TO THREATEN HER WITH PETA BECAUSE THE ANIMALS WERE, NOBODY WOULD COME OUT THERE.

SO I'M JUST ASKING YOU, WE NEED HELP BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE DUMPING AND THEN PEOPLE TAKE 'EM IN, AND THEN THEY'RE NOT TAKING CARE OF THEM.

I APPRECIATE YOU HEARING ME OUT, BUT THIS, THIS, THIS IS A SAD SITUATION.

I'M A TRAPPER.

I SEE ALL KINDS OF THINGS.

I'M IN THE TRENCHES, AND I WOULD LIKE SOME OF THESE OTHER PEOPLE THAT'S ON THE BOARD.

I KNOW I'VE SEEN HER WORK OVER THERE AT THE, AT THE CITY SHELTER.

'CAUSE I'VE SEEN HER VOLUNTEER SHIRT ON.

SHE'S, I DON'T KNOW WHAT SHE DOES.

BUT DO YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU'RE IN THE, WHEN YOU'RE IN THE TRENCHES, YOU SEE THINGS WHEN YOU'RE OUT IN THE PUBLIC.

YOU SEE, WHEN YOU'RE WORKING WITH ANIMALS, YOU SEE OTHER THINGS.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE EXTRA TIME HONOR.

THANK YOU.

YES.

A FOLLOW UP QUESTION, UM, MS. VICKERY? YES.

WHEN YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT SEEING, SEEING THE ANIMALS, THIS WAS AT A LOCATION WHERE THEY WERE BEING SPAYED AND NEUTERED, WHERE YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THE LARGE DOGS IN A CAT ENCLOSURE.

YES.

AND THE CADDEN.

WHERE, WHERE WAS THAT? THAT WAS IN, AT A, THAT WAS AT AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER.

YEAH.

I TOOK PICTURES OF THEM WHEN THEN, WHEN SOMEBODY ELSE TOOK THIS BOARD OVER.

OKAY.

YOU, YOU KNOW, AND I, WHEN WE HAD DIFFERENT PEOPLE HERE, IT WAS SO LIKE, I DON'T KNOW WHAT, WHAT THE PURPOSE WAS.

AND I GAVE THEM THE PICTURES BECAUSE THEY WAS IN SOME OF THEIR FECES.

AND, AND BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE DOGS THAT NEED TO BE IN A RUN.

OKAY.

AND I KNOW WE JUST DON'T HAVE ENOUGH ROOM.

MAYBE WE NEED TO BUILD SOME MORE KETTLES.

WE GOT LOTS OF LAND OUT THERE.

OKAY.

MAYBE WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING.

DO YOU UNDERSTAND? WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING.

YEAH.

YEAH.

BECAUSE IT'S NOT FAIR.

I JUST, IT'S NOT FAIR TO OUR ANIMALS.

YOU'RE GIVEN A LOT OF EXTRA TIME, SO, OKAY.

WELL, DO YOU HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION? IT'S IMPORTANT.

WE JUST, WE, WE DON'T DISAGREE.

AND, UH, THERE'S NOT THAT MANY PEOPLE HERE, WHICH IS WHY OVER TIME, UM, UH, MS. TRE, MY NAME IS PAT TRESS AND I LIVE IN DISTRICT THREE, UM, AND CHAIR CLINTON AND COMMISSIONERS.

THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK AND THANK YOU DR. NELSON FOR, UM, PUTTING THE ITEM ON THE AGENDA TO DISCUSS THE BUDGET.

AND THANK YOU TO WHOEVER WAS THE SECOND ON THAT, BECAUSE I CAN'T REMEMBER WHO IT WAS AND I DIDN'T READ THE MINUTES.

UM, BUT I AM VERY GRATEFUL THAT THAT ITEM IS ON THE AGENDA FOR THIS MONTH.

AND I WANT TO BE IN FAVOR BE SHOWN AS BEING IN FAVOR OF CREATING A WORK IN GROUP ON THE BUDGET.

IT'S VERY MUCH NEEDED, AND I'M GLAD YOU'RE GOING TO, UM, DISCUSS IT.

I'D ALSO LIKE TO SAY THAT I'M INTERESTED IN BEING ON THE WORKING GROUP.

WORKING GROUP.

WHEN IT'S CREATED.

HOPEFULLY I WILL PASS.

UM, I HAVE ANOTHER REQUEST, AND THAT IS THAT YOU PUT AN ITEM ON NEXT MONTH'S AGENDA TO HAVE BOTH A BRIEFING AND AN ACTION ITEM ON THE EMANCIPATE CONTRACT.

THE EMANCIPATE CONTRACT IS SCHEDULED TO, UM, BE RENEWED IN MARCH.

SO I THINK HAVING THAT AS AN ITEM ON YOUR FEBRUARY AGENDA AND GIVING THE GIVING EMANCIPET AND SHELTER STAFF OR ANIMAL SERVICES STAFF, WHO, UM, IS NEGOTIATING THE, THE BUDGET, AN OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT WHAT'S IN, IN THE

[00:10:01]

CURRENT CONTRACT.

I'M SORRY, I SAID BUDGET.

I MEANT CONTRACT.

WHAT IS IN THE CURRENT CONTRACT? UH, AN OPPORTUNITY TO TELL YOU WHAT'S IN IT AND WHAT ARE THE PERFORMANCE MEASURES? UM, LAST YEAR WHEN, UH, WE WERE MEETING AS A SPAY NEUTER WORKING GROUP, AND WE REVIEWED SOME OF THE PERFORMANCE MEASURES, UM, WE FELT THAT THEY COULD USE SOME IMPROVEMENT, BUT WE WERE TOLD THAT BECAUSE IT EXPIRED IN MARCH, UH, WE COULDN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT.

IT WAS TOO LATE.

WE WERE ALSO TOLD THAT THE MONEY IN THE EMANCIPATE CONTRACT HAD ALREADY BEEN ALLOCATED IN SEPTEMBER.

SO THERE WEREN'T SOME CHANGES THAT COULD BE MADE THAT WE WOULD'VE LIKED TO HAVE MADE, SUCH AS IF AT TOWARDS THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR THERE, THEY WEREN'T MEETING THEIR PERFORMANCE TARGETS, WHICH, AS I SAID EARLIER, COULD HAVE BEEN A LITTLE TIGHTER.

UM, BUT IF THEY WEREN'T MEETING SOME PERFORMANCE TI TARGETS SUCH AS, YOU KNOW, GETTING ANIMALS FIXED WITHIN A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TIME AFTER THE PERSON REQUESTS IT, UM, WE COULDN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT.

SO THE PROBLEM WITH THIS IS THAT THE BUDGET IS APPROVED IN SEPTEMBER, AND SOME OF THAT MONEY GOES FOR THE EMANCIPATE CONTRACT, AND THEN THE EMANCIPATE CONTRACT GETS APPROVED IN MARCH.

SO MY THINKING IS IF YOU COULD BRING IT TOGETHER WHERE THE MARCH APPROVAL IS ONLY, ONLY TAKES IT UP UNTIL THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR, AND THEN DURING THE BUDGET PROCESS, THERE'S DISCUSSION ABOUT A NEW CONTRACT THAT STARTS TO COINCIDE WITH THE NEW FISCAL YEAR.

AND THEN FOR THAT NEW FISCAL YEAR, YOU HAVE SOME PERFORMANCE MEASURES THAT ADDRESS THE ISSUES THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

OKAY.

WE'LL, WE'LL MOVE ON TO ITEM

[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]

NUMBER ONE, WHICH IS APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.

UM, APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING ON DECEMBER 11TH, 2023.

I'LL CONFESS THAT I HAVE NOT GONE BACK AND WATCHED THE VIDEO.

I WAS OUT SICK LAST MONTH.

IF SOMEONE, UH, HAS READ THE MINUTES AND, UM, WHO WAS HERE OR WATCHED IT, UH, WHO'S COMFORTABLE WITH THEM WANTS TO MAKE A MOTION, THAT'S FINE.

UM, I DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE WEIGHING IN 'CAUSE I WAS NOT THERE AND HAD NOT YET WATCHED IT.

IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES? UH, COMMISSIONER LINDER? YEAH.

I'M HAPPY TO MOVE TO APPROVE THE MINUTES.

I THINK COMMISSIONER HOLT MAYBE HAD A QUESTION.

UM, OR, OR PERHAPS I IMAGINE THAT YES.

NO, YOU'RE RIGHT.

I DID HAVE A QUESTION.

I CAN SAVE IT FOR ANOTHER PART OF THE CONVERSATION, BUT IT WAS RELATED TO THE PUBLIC COMMENT.

THANK YOU.

OKAY.

I, I'M HAPPY IF YOU WANT, UH, DID YOU HAVE A FOLLOW UP QUESTION FOR MS. TRESS? UM, IT'S NOT FOR HER, BUT IT IS RELATED TO THE TOPIC OF IT.

SO THAT'S WHY Y'ALL TELL ME WHEN THE BEST TIME TO BRING IT UP WOULD BE.

UM, ON, I THINK WE HAVE A ITEM ON, UM, DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION NUMBER SIX OR SORRY, NUMBER YEAH, NUMBER SIX ON WORKING GROUPS TO DISCUSS BUDGET.

SO I THINK THAT WOULD BE THE TIME TO DISCUSS THAT.

COMMISSIONER LINDER, YOU, UH, MOVE MIKE OFF.

I WILL.

UM, SECOND COMMISSIONER LINDERS.

GREAT.

WE HAVE A SECOND.

UH, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION OR CHANGES OR ANYTHING ON THE MINUTES NOTE? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? UH, IT LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE ANY, ANY OPPOSED? OKAY.

SO, UH, COMMISSIONER HA.

HASSAN, WERE YOU? YES.

YES.

OKAY.

SO WE HAVE, UM, IT'S UNANIMOUS.

ALRIGHT.

ITEM NUMBER

[2. Overview of monthly reports provided by the Animal Service Center. Reports posted in backup materials.]

TWO.

UH, OVERVIEW OF MONTHLY REPORTS PROVIDED BY THE AUSTIN, UH, SORRY, ANIMAL SERVICE CENTER REPORTS POSTED IN BACKUP MATERIALS.

UM, I THINK THAT IS MR. GARZA, MR. GARZA, WE HOPE YOU'RE FEELING ALL RIGHT.

UM, WE UNDERSTAND, UH, YOU'RE UNDER THE WEATHER A BIT, SO, UM, FEEL FREE TO, TO MAKE IT BRIEF IF, IF THAT'S BETTER FOR YOU.

GOOD EVENING, COMMISSIONER.

APOLOGIES FOR NOT BEING THERE.

YES, I DID INJURE MY BACK.

SO I'M LAID UP IN BED RIGHT NOW, SO EXCUSE ME IF I DON'T TURN ON THE CAMERA OR YOU HEARING A REFLECTION OF MY VOICE BECAUSE OF MY BACK IS .

SO, UM, THE LIVE OUTCOME FOR DECEMBER WAS 98.7.

UH, WE TOOK IN OUR A A C TOOK IN 681 ANIMALS.

WE WERE ABLE TO ADOPT OUT 594 ANIMALS AND RETURNED, UH, 69 ANIMALS, UH, TO THEIR OWNERS.

APOS WERE ABLE TO DO 20 RTS IN THE FIELD, AND THEY IMPOUNDED 95 ANIMALS.

UM, 114 OF THE ANIMALS WERE DI ADOPTED DIRECTLY FROM FOSTER CARE.

UM, WE HAD 83 NEW FOSTER APPLICATIONS WERE PROCESSED.

UH, CURRENTLY WE HAVE 1,467 MEMBERS OR APPROVED FOSTERS IN THE SYSTEM.

UM, 127 ANIMALS WERE TRANSFERRED TO, UH, NIGHT RESCUE PARTNERS IN DECEMBER.

AND WE HAD 469 VOLUNTEERS CONTRIBUTE OVER 6,000 HOURS TO US.

UM, OUR VET SERVICES TEAM WERE, WAS ABLE TO TREAT 51 EMERGENCY CASES AND ALSO ANOTHER 31 CASES CAME TO US FROM THE EC AND NINE ORTHOPEDIC SURGERIES WERE, WERE, WERE, UH, CONDUCTED.

OUR EC

[00:15:01]

BILL LOOKED TO IS LOOKING TO BE ABOUT $27,000.

THAT'S WHAT WE'RE ESTIMATING, BUT WHAT WE'RE STILL WAITING FOR THE FINAL, UH, INVOICE.

UM, WE PROVIDE RESOURCE TO 118 CUSTOMERS.

UH, WE DID HAVE, UH, 26 CUSTOMERS GET THREE MICROCHIP.

WE, UM, AVERAGE WAIT TIME AT PRC IS NOW WAS AT ABOUT 11 MINUTES.

HOPEFULLY MAKE SOME IMPROVEMENT TO THAT FOR EVENTS.

WE DID HAVE 41 OFFSITE EVENTS.

UM, WE DID DO 36 LOCAL NEWS BOX AND 50 CITY OF AUSTIN COMPETITIVELY NEWSLETTERS WERE, WERE OUT.

SO WITH THAT, I'LL TAKE ANY QUESTIONS.

COMM, COMM, COMMISSIONER SULA? YES.

YES, JASON.

UM, I HOPE THAT YOU ARE FEELING BETTER.

I DIDN'T KNOW YOU WERE INJURED.

HOPE IT HEALS UP.

WELL, UM, I'LL START OFF WITH THE NARRATIVE REPORT.

A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS I HAVE.

UM, ON THE A PA TRANSFERS, YOU HAVE, UM, 15 BORN IN CARE LISTED AS THERE 30 NEONATES THAT WENT TO A PA.

WERE THOSE BORN IN CARE AT A A C OR AT A PA? THE WAY I UNDERSTOOD IT FROM DR.

ELLIOT, I CAN GET CLARIFICATION, IS THAT THEY WERE BORN IN OUR CARE, IN OUR CARE AND THEN GOT TRANSFERRED AS NEONATE.

YES.

OKAY.

YES.

UM, AND THEN IN THESE EVENTS THAT YOU HAVE LISTED, THE 41 OFFSITE EVENTS, WERE THOSE DRIVEN BY A A C OR WERE THOSE VOLUNTEER DRIVEN OR IS IT A COMBINATION? I BELIEVE IT'S A COMBINATION, BUT I'LL GET WITH STEPHANIE THE TOUCHING, WHO'S SORT OF OUR OFF SORT LIAISON TO 'CAUSE THAT COULD ALSO INCORPORATES SOME OF OUR OUTREACH EVENTS THAT OUR OUTREACH TEAMS ARE DOING.

OKAY.

AND THEN I DON'T KNOW THAT I'VE SEEN THIS CITY OF AUSTIN PET OF THE WEEK NEWSLETTER.

WHERE IS THAT DISTRIBUTED? I BELIEVE THAT GOES AROUND THROUGH ALL THE CITY OF AUSTIN EMPLOYEES.

SO THERE'S A NEWSLETTER THAT, THAT GETS SENT OUT TO EMPLOYEES AND, UM, AND, AND THAT'S GET POSTED IN DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOOD CENTERS, THINGS OF THAT NATURE.

UM, BUT I CAN GET CLARIFICATION ON, ON STEPHANIE ON THAT.

OKAY.

I JUST, YEAH, I JUST, I KNOW I HADN'T SEEN IT, BUT SINCE I'M NOT A CITY EMPLOYEE, THAT WOULD PROBABLY EXPLAIN IT.

UM, OKAY.

THEN ON YOUR DATA REPORT, UM, I SEE YOU FIXED THE LITTLE THING I I SPOKE ABOUT, I ASKED ABOUT LAST MONTH.

SO THE NUMBERS MATCH UP NOW.

UM, AND SO, SO THAT ACTUALLY, UM, THERE IS ONE, I THINK IT'S THE DECEMBER TWO YEARS AGO, YOU'LL SEE THAT THERE IS A DISCREPANCY THEY WORK ON STILL.

YEAH.

YEAH.

AND UH, TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, I KNOW YOU SENT IN A FOLLOW UP EMAIL.

UH, I'LL PROBABLY WORK WITH OUR IT PERSON ONCE THEY'RE HIRED, NOW THAT WE GOT IN THE BUDGET TO CHANGE THAT.

THE REASON THEY KEPT IT JUST AT FOSTER OR, OR, OR AT, UM, KENNEL WAS BECAUSE THAT'S THE WAY THE ORDINANCE WAS WRITTEN.

SO IT JUST STRICTLY JUST WITH, WITH THOSE TWO FILTERS ESSENTIALLY.

OKAY.

SO WE CAN ADD MORE FILTERS, I WOULD IMAGINE.

ALRIGHT.

UM, HANG ON A SECOND.

I KNOW I HAVE, I KNOW I HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION RIGHT HERE.

UM, IT, IT'S, I'M LOOKING AT THE ANIMALS TRANSFERRED TO RESCUE ORGANIZATIONS, UM, AND IT SEEMS THAT THE RESCUE PARTNERS HAVE DECREASED ON THIS REPORT FROM YEAR TO YEAR.

UM, DO WE OR DO YOU CURRENTLY HAVE AN OR KNOW CAN GET US THE NUMBER OF RESCUE PARTNERS THAT A A C HAS? YES, I CAN GET YOU THE NUMBER OF CREW WE HAVE.

OKAY.

I BELIEVE THE LAST TIME I CHECKED WITH STAFF, AND THIS IS A COUPLE WEEKS AGO BEFORE THE YEAR WAS, UH, AT LEAST 120, I THINK WHAT MONTE TOLD ME.

BUT I'LL, I'LL VERIFY AND SEND IT TO THE COMMISSION.

THANK YOU.

UM, AND THEN, LET'S SEE.

I KNOW I HAD ONE MORE, I'M GOING THROUGH MY, GOING THROUGH ALL MY SLIDES.

UH, THE LAST SLIDE.

UM, INTACT ANIMALS ADOPTED RETURN TO OWNER.

THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT JUMP IN THE NUMBER OF INTACT ANIMALS ADOPTED.

WHY IS THAT? UH, WE'RE IN, WE UTILIZING THE, UH, SPAY NEUTER AGREEMENT THAT'S, UM, ESSENTIALLY FOR ANIMALS IN ORDER TO, TO TRY TO MAKE SPACE.

IF SOMEONE'S WILLING TO TAKE, THEN WE HAVE THEM SIGN A PET NEUTER AGREEMENT AND THEN PAY A DEPOSIT.

THEN ONCE THEY SHOW US THAT THE PET IS SPAYED OR NEUTERED, THAT THEY CAN GET THEIR MONEY BACK, ESSENTIALLY.

AND SO, SO WHEN THESE AN, THESE ANIMALS ARE AVAILABLE FOR ADOPTION, UM, AND THEY WERE LIKE, THEY HAVEN'T BEEN SPAYED AND NEUTERED AT THE SHELTER AHEAD OF, AS THEY BECOME AVAILABLE, UH, IS THERE ARE, I MEAN, ARE THEY ALL BEING ADOPTED LIKE ON THE DAY THEY BECOME AVAILABLE? IS THAT WHY THEY'RE NOT BEING SPAYED AND NEUTERED BEFORE THEY GO? UM, IT COULD BE WITH THAT, WITH SOME OF THEM.

UM, I'D HAVE TO LOOK DEEPER INTO WHICH ONES BECAME AVAILABLE AND THOSE THAT MAY HAVE BEEN WITH US THAT MAY HAVE BEEN ADOPTED.

UM, I'D HAVE TO LOOK AT WHICH ONES, ESPECIALLY WITH THIS ONE.

'CAUSE I THINK IT JUST CAPTURED ANIMALS.

SO I DON'T, I'D

[00:20:01]

HAVE TO GET THE BREAKDOWN IF IT'S CATS OR, YEAH.

AND I CAN UNDERSTAND THAT THERE WOULD BE A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE OF THOSE 36 ANIMALS ADOPTED OUT INTACT THAT WOULD BE FOR MEDICAL OR DON'T QUITE MEET WEIGHT YET IF THEY'RE KITTENS, PUPPIES, I GET THAT.

BUT THAT, THAT JUST SEEMS LIKE A HUGE NUMBER TO ADOPT OUT INTACT.

UM, AND ESPECIALLY WHEN WE HAVE, UH, MS. VICKERY WHO IS CONTINUOUSLY HERE AT THE COMMISSION ASKING FOR HELP SPAYING AND NEUTERING THESE ANIMALS.

AND THEN FOR US TO BE SENDING THESE ANIMALS OUT INTACT.

UM, UH, IT, IT DOESN'T, DOESN'T SIT WELL WITH ME, BUT THAT'S FINE.

THANK YOU.

COMMISSIONER SEWELL, YOU HAD MENTIONED THAT THERE WAS A EMAIL.

DO YOU WANNA MENTION THAT? YES.

THANK YOU.

COMMISSIONER CLINTON.

UM, LAST MONTH, JASON, WE ASKED, UH, I BELIEVE MIGHT'VE BEEN COMMISSIONER, UM, DEL THAT ASKED ABOUT THE RESPONSE TO THE AUDIT.

AND, UM, DIRECTOR BLAND SAID THAT THEY WOULD EMAIL THE LETTER OR THE EMAIL THAT THEY SENT TO COUNCIL MEMBERS AND NOT TO US THAT HE WOULD FORWARD THAT TO US.

IT'S NOW JANUARY AND WE HAVEN'T RECEIVED IT.

SO I'M REQUESTING AGAIN, UM, IF WE COULD GET A COPY OF THE EMAIL IN REGARDS TO THE AUDIT RESULTS THAT WAS SENT TO THE COMMISSION, TO THE CITY COUNCIL, WE WOULD APPRECIATE IT.

OKAY.

I'LL DO THAT TOMORROW.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? YES, SIR.

UH, COMMISSIONER DELS? YES.

AND THANK YOU, UH, MAGULA COMMISSIONER FOR BRINGING THAT UP.

YES, J JASON, UH, I HOPE YOU YOU'LL QUICKLY AND FEEL BETTER FOR 2024.

UH, SO I, SEC SECOND WHAT, UM, COMMISSIONER MAGULA SAID, UH, I, I REALLY DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THAT HASN'T BEEN SAID.

UM, I'LL, BUT AGAIN, I, I CAN'T SPEAK TO THAT.

I'LL TAKE CARE OF IT TOMORROW.

SO APOLOGIES ON BEHALF OF THE STAFF, BUT YEAH, I, I HAVE A, I HAVE THE SIGNED COPY THAT WAS SENT, SO I CAN HAVE BELINDA OR LOUIS SEND IT OUT TO Y'ALL TOMORROW.

AND IT WOULD BE REALLY NICE WHEN THAT TYPE OF REPORT IS SENT TO THE, THE CITY COUNCIL AND SEND ALSO A COURTESY COPY TO THE COMMISSIONERS OUT TO THE ANIMAL COMMISSIONERS AT ADVISE COMMISSIONERS.

OKAY.

I MEAN, I DON'T, I MEAN, WE'RE PART OF THIS.

OKAY.

UM, YEAH, I'LL, I'LL, I'LL, UH, ONE THING WE CAN DO IS TO ENSURE THAT THAT'S PART OF THE TEMPLATE WHEN PUTTING TOGETHER MEMOS AND, AND WHEN'S THE NEXT, UH, UM, REPORT THAT YOU'RE GIVEN TO THE COMMISSION, I MEAN, TO THE CITY, UH, UPDATE ON THE AUDIT OF WHAT, UH, SO SOME OF THOSE REQUIRED RESPONSES FROM, FROM NOT JUST ANIMAL SERVICES, BUT ALSO CITY MANAGEMENT.

SO WE'RE OUT TO FOLLOW UP WITH CITY MANAGEMENT WITH ANYTHING THAT THEY HAVE.

SO PART OF OUR RESPONSE OF THE CENTER COUNCIL WAS INCLUDED SOME OF THE FACILITY STUFF THAT WAS MENTIONED IN THE AUDIT, WHAT STEPS WE'VE TAKEN TO, TO ADDRESS IT.

SO WORKING WITH OUR BUILDING SERVICES DEPARTMENT, SOME OF THE ADDITIONAL CLEANING METHODS AND INSPECTIONS THAT ARE NOW PUT IN PLACE.

SO, UM, YEAH, BUT WHAT, YEAH, I'LL FOLLOW UP WITH CMO OR CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE ON SORT OF THE, THAT NEXT REPORT.

UM, YEAH.

BUT WHEN IS, WHAT, WHAT IS THE TIMING? UM, SO, UH, THE, UH, I BELIEVE THEY WANNA GET STUFF, IF I REMEMBER THE TIMELINES OF RECOMMENDATIONS WE PUT IN PLACE, UM, THERE WAS AN NEXT UPDATE IN SPRING OF 2024.

SO PROBABLY MARCH, APRIL, THAT TIMEFRAME.

OKAY.

WOULD BE, I, I WOULD APPRECIATE IT, BUT IF YOU COULD SHARE WITH US THE TIMELINE OF WHEN YOU ARE PROVIDING THE AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER THAT THE, YOUR REPORT UPDATES, SO WE KNOW WE'RE NOT JUST HAVING TO CONTINUE TO ASK.

I APPRECIATE IT.

FEEL BETTER.

THANK YOU.

I THINK COMMISSIONER HOLT HAD HER HAND UP.

COMMISSIONER HOLT.

YEAH, JUST A QUICK ONE.

UM, TO THE POINT BEING MADE ABOUT THE NUMBER OF DOGS BEING ADOPTED OUT WITH A SPIT ROOT OR VOUCHER VERSUS LEAVING FIXED, UM, I DEFINITELY UNDERSTAND THAT LIKE, IT IS NOT ALWAYS POSSIBLE TO PRIORITIZE AND MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY GETS THE SURGERY NEEDED BEFORE GOING OUT TO ADOPTION.

I GUESS ONE THING THAT COULD HELP US UNDERSTAND, UM, HOW BIG THE RIPPLE EFFECT MAY OR MAY NOT BE IS CAN WE GET STATISTICS ON HOW OFTEN AND HOW QUICKLY PEOPLE USE THOSE VOUCHERS? UM, 'CAUSE IF WE'RE ABLE TO SHOW A 100% WITHIN 30 DAYS GO AND GET THEIR ANIMALS FIXED, UM, THEN I, I, I THINK THAT THAT JUST KINDA LIKE CHANGES THE PERCEPTION FOR THAT AND LIKE, MIGHT MAKE

[00:25:01]

PEOPLE FEEL BETTER IF THAT MM-HMM.

MAKES SENSE.

MM-HMM.

YEAH, BECAUSE, WE'LL, WE'LL PROCESS THE REFUNDS AND SO WE CAN PROBABLY PULL FROM THAT, THAT, THOSE REFUNDS PROCESSES IN ORDER TO SEE HOW, HOW QUICKLY WE'RE GETTING THOSE TURNED BACK.

THAT'S PERFECT.

YEAH.

SO THE NEXT TIME YOU JUST COME, IF YOU CAN INCLUDE THAT BIT OF INFORMATION, I THINK THAT WILL HELP US KIND OF LIKE DECIDE WHAT TO DO WITH ALL THOSE OTHER NUMBERS AS WELL.

THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER HERRERA.

OH, I JUST WANT TO ADD TO THE, TO THAT REPORT THAT THIS SAT THIS LAST SATURDAY, WE GIVE SERVICES TO MORE THAN 500 PETS AT DEL HIGH SCHOOL.

UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING THIS INFORMATION.

AT LEAST 50% OF THAT PEOPLE WAS ASKING FOR SPAY NEUTER.

I THINK WE NEED TO KEEP WORKING FOR SPAY NEUTER AND BIG THANKS TO EMANCIPATE WHO CAME AND SAVED THE DAY TO SEND IN OFFICE STAFF THAT, THAT WE CAN, UH, ATE AND MICROCHIP ALL THESE DOGS AND CATS FROM TRAVIS COUNTY AND CITY OF FOSTER, DR. NELSON.

UM, JUST FOLLOW UP, BUT THERE WAS NO SPAY, SPAY OR NEUTER BEING PERFORMED AT THAT.

OKAY.

OKAY.

GOT IT.

SORRY, I WAS JUST CONFUSED ABOUT THAT.

UM, JASON, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE EMAIL THAT YOU SENT OUT.

FOLLOWING UP ON MANY OF THE QUESTIONS, MANY OF THE DATA QUESTIONS, UM, COMMISSIONER MULA BROUGHT UP LAST TIME.

UM, I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT EFFORT YOU PUT INTO THAT TRANSPARENCY AND FOLLOW THROUGH.

UM, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WERE ABLE TO SEE MY FOLLOW-UP EMAIL TODAY.

HELLO? HELLO.

NOW WE CAN HEAR YOU OKAY.

NO, I HAVE NOT.

OH, OKAY.

UM, SO I JUST THANKED YOU FOR THAT.

AND THEN JUST KIND OF FOLLOWING UP ON WHAT COMMISSIONER HOLT SAID IS THAT COMMISSIONER LINDER LAST, LAST TIME HAD ALSO ASKED FOR SOME SORT OF REPORT ABOUT THE FOLLOW THROUGH ON THE SPAYING AND NEUTERING OF CATS, CATS AND DOGS THAT LEAVE THE SHELTER IN AN, ON AN ADOPTION TRACK, UM, THAT ARE STILL INTACT.

AND I WAS JUST WONDERING IF I COULD GET SOME CLARIFICATION.

MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THERE ARE TWO WAYS THAT ANIMALS MIGHT LEAVE THE SHELTER ON AN ADOPTION TRACK WHILE BEING INTACT.

ONE IS IF THEY DO, UM, FOSTER TO ADOPT, IN WHICH CASE THEY'RE BROUGHT BACK TO THE SHELTER FOR BEING SPAYED AND NEUTERED, AND THEN OFFICIALLY OUTCOME AS ADOPTED, OR THE SPAY AND NEUTER AGREEMENT WHERE IT'S THE ADOPTIVE OWNER'S RESPONSIBILITY TO MAKE IT HAPPEN, AND THEN THEY GET A REFUND OF A DEPOSIT.

AM I UNDERSTANDING THAT CORRECTLY OR CAN YOU, CAN YOU YES.

THAT THAT'S CORRECT.

SO THE FOSTER TO ADOPT IS, IS UTILIZED.

SO ESSENTIALLY THERE'S THE, THE ADOPTION HASN'T BEEN PROCESSED.

THEY'RE ACTING AS FOSTERS INTO US UNTIL WE CAN GET THE ANIMAL SCHEDULED AND THEN, AND THEN ALTERED.

SO ONCE THAT OCCURS, THEN THE OFFICIAL ADOPTION HAPPENS AND IT'S, IT'S FULFILLED.

OKAY.

UM, YEAH, THE OTHER, AND THE OTHER WAY IS WE HAVE A SPAY NEUTER AGREEMENT SIGNED, AND IT'S USUALLY, I THINK WE GIVE THEM 30 DAYS TO PROVIDE DOCUMENTATION THAT THE ANIMAL WAS, WAS FADE OR NEUTERED.

AND, YOU KNOW, THE, UH, THE ADOPTION IS HONORED IN EITHER CASE.

IF WE DON'T GET COMPLIANT, THEN WE WILL SEND AN A PO TO ESSENTIALLY THE TREAT THE ANIMAL.

OKAY.

THANK YOU.

AND THEN, SO I KNOW WE'RE ASKING FOR LIKE A DATA ANALYSIS REPORT THAT'S KIND OF COMPLICATED.

UM, YOU KNOW, JUST TO SEE WHAT THAT FOLLOW THROUGH IS, BUT I THINK I, I AGREE WITH EVERYBODY ELSE THAT THAT WOULD BE, UM, VERY INTERESTING.

AND THEN, UM, MY OTHER FOLLOW UP, OH, BECAUSE, UH, COMMISSIONER D IDE ALSO BROUGHT UP ABOUT THE FORWARDING OF THE MEMO, UM, TO CITY COUNCIL IN RESPONSE TO THE AUDIT.

I WAS ALSO WONDERING WHERE THAT WAS.

AND, UM, EVERY, EVERY MONTH, YOU KNOW THAT I'VE BEEN ON THE COMMISSION, UM, SINCE MAY OF 2022, IN BOTH THE A A C REPORT AND THE A PA REPORT, THERE'S A LINE THAT SAYS OWNER REQUESTED EUTHANASIA ZERO.

UM, COULD YOU TELL ME WHY THAT IS THE CASE AT AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER? UM, I THINK THAT'S A, AS AT LEAST SINCE I'VE BEEN THERE, THAT THAT SUB ISN'T, UH, A, A SERVICE OF BEING OFFERED OR WAS OFFERED BY, BY ANIMAL SERVICES.

UM, I UNDERSTAND IT WAS OFFERED BEFORE THEN, BUT I DON'T THINK IT'S ONE, YEAH.

WE DON'T OFFER IT NOW.

OKAY.

AND, AND THE RATIONALE FOR THAT, DO YOU, DO YOU HAVE ANY SENSE OF THAT OR IS THAT JUST LIKE HOW IT'S, I MEAN, I THINK IT WAS JUST TO ENSURE THAT, YOU KNOW, UH, THE,

[00:30:01]

THE SHELTER, UH, DOESN'T LOOK AT EUTHANASIA FOR THAT OPTION.

UM, AND I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S, I, I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ALSO SOME LEGAL THING THAT BEFORE THE EUTHANASIA, EVEN THOUGH IT MIGHT BE AN OWNER REQUESTED, THEN THE OWNER, THEN THE OWNER HAS TO RELINQUISH IT TO THE SHELTER.

MM-HMM.

.

SO, YEAH.

OH, SO THEN IT WOULD BE CONSIDERED A NOT LIVE OUTCOME? WELL, AND, AND, UM, I WOULD ASSUME SO.

I MEAN, YES, THEN WE WOULD HAVE TO PROBABLY, IF THE ANIMAL WASN'T HERE TO BE SUFFERING OR ADD A, A, YOU KNOW, SEVERE AND PROVOKED PIPE, AND IT'S NOT SOMETHING WE WOULD GO THROUGH THE NOTIFICATION PROCESS IF WE FELT NEED, IF WE, THERE WERE CONDITIONS THAT WERE MET.

BUT IF NOT, THEN WE WOULD TAKE IT INTO OUR SYSTEM AND, AND TRY TO, UH, ACHIEVE A LIVE OUTCOME.

OKAY.

IF IT, SO IT'S CURRENTLY LIKE AN ORDINANCE NIGHTMARE KIND OF MM-HMM.

, UM, I MEAN, I, I, THERE'S DIFFERENT PROVISIONS OF THE CODE.

I THINK WE HAVE TO KEEP, LIKE OUTSIDE THE STRAY, THE STRAY HOLD PERIOD.

WE ALSO, UM, UH, AGAIN, REQUIRED TO HAVE HOLD DOWN FOR SEVEN DAYS, UM, AS, AS WELL BEFORE USE AN ITEM.

SO, OKAY.

SO WELL, THE, THE STRAY HOLD DOESN'T APPLY FOR OWNER RELINQUISHMENT, CORRECT? YES.

UM, BUT, BUT SOME OTHER ORDINANCES WOULD HAVE TO CHANGE BEFORE YOU'D BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THAT SERVICE TO OUR PUBLIC.

IS THAT THAT'S CORRECT.

WELL, I, I THINK AT, YOU KNOW, THE, IT WAS AN OPERATIONAL, I THINK, DECISION TO ALSO THEN JUST, JUST TO NOT OFFER THAT SERVICE.

MM-HMM.

.

OKAY.

I, I THINK ANY OF US WHO CAN RELATE TO HOW IMPORTANT IT HAS BEEN TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THAT FOR OUR OWN PETS, UM, I THINK PROBABLY ALL OF US WOULD AGREE THAT THAT'S NOT A SERVICE THAT SHOULD BE DENIED MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY JUST BECAUSE THEY COULDN'T AFFORD IT FOR HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS AT A PRIVATE CLINIC.

I'M JUST PUTTING THAT OUT THERE.

THANK YOU.

ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? UH, COMMISSIONER HASSEN, UH, THANK YOU AND THANKS JASON FOR YOUR REPORT.

UM, LOOKING AT THE INTAKES, UM, IN DECEMBER AND FOR THE YEAR, IT LOOKS LIKE A, UH, CONTINUED HISTORIC LOW INTAKE, UM, FOR DOGS, WHICH STOOD OUT TO ME BECAUSE VIRTUALLY EVERY OTHER OPEN ADMISSION SHELTER THAT I AM AWARE OF, UM, AND I LOOK AT DATA ALL DAY EVERY DAY.

INTAKE IS UP TO PRE PANDEMIC LEVELS.

AND IT LOOKS LIKE AT AUSTIN, I THINK COUNTING THE DECEMBER DATA, UH, A A C TOOK IN 5,000, UH, 410 DOGS, WHICH IS A REDUCTION OF ABOUT A THOUSAND FROM LAST YEAR IN A REDUCTION.

IT'S LESS THAN HALF OF PRE PANDEMIC.

AND I'M WONDERING, DO YOU KNOW WHY A, A C MAY HAVE SUCH, UH, DISPARATE DATA RELATIVE TO OTHER GOVERNMENT SHELTERS, UH, IN TERMS OF LOW INTAKES OF DOG? SAY THAT AGAIN? THERE, THERE WAS A, YOU BROKE UP A LITTLE BIT.

SURE.

DO YOU KNOW WHAT FACTORS MAY BE CONTRIBUTING TO THIS HISTORICALLY LOW INTAKE OF DOGS? IT'S LESS THAN HALF OF WHAT I MEAN, IT, IT'S, WE'VE, WE'VE RESTRICTED INTAKE REALLY TO WHAT WE CAN ON, ON EMERGENCY OR MEDICAL OR SITUATIONS.

UM, YOU KNOW, WE STILL GET DOGS OVER THE COUNTER AS STRAYS THAT, THAT, THAT, THAT DO COME IN.

I THINK WHAT WE'RE ALSO SEEING, AT LEAST WITH DOGS IS THAT WE STILL ARE SEEING, UNFORTUNATELY, NOT AS MANY GOING OUT AS WE LIKE.

UM, I THINK FOR THE YEAR, AT LEAST UP UNTIL NOW, BETWEEN THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR.

AND THAT'S, THAT'S, UH, THE OTHER PART OF THE REPORT I'M TRYING TO, I, WE ATTACH NOW IS WE'RE STILL NEGATIVE 25 FOR OVERALL BETWEEN OUTCOMES AND INTAKES OF ANIMAL.

AND THAT'S NOT INCLUDING THE CURRENT POPULATION THAT WE ALREADY HAD IN PLACE.

UM, AND SO I DON'T HAVE IT, I DON'T THINK I ATTACHED IT TO THAT ONE, WHAT OUR END OF FISCAL YEAR NUMBERS FOR LAST YEAR WAS, UM, FOR THE, BUT I CAN PROVIDE THAT TO Y'ALL AS WELL.

SO YEAH, REALLY WHERE WE RESTRICT INTAKE IS JUST WITH WHERE WE HAVE THE, THE MOST ISSUES GETTING OUTCOMES.

SO MEDIUM TO LARGE DOGS, WE WON'T, WE AREN'T RESTRICTED INTAKE FOR SMALL DOGS AREN'T RESTRICTED INTAKE FOR CATS.

IT'S JUST WHERE, WHERE WE DON'T HAVE THE SPACE, FRANKLY.

UM, WE DID HAVE A GOOD ADOPTION AND FOSTER WEEKEND.

UM, WE'RE STILL IN THE NEGATIVE A LITTLE BIT, BUT YOU KNOW, IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF BREATHING ROOM THAT WE RECEIVED.

I, I BELIEVE I KNOW, UH, MISTY LENTA FROM WILLIAMSON COUNTY HAS COME TO A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT MEETINGS, AND I BELIEVE THEIR INTAKE OF DOGS IS ABOUT

[00:35:01]

AS HIGH AS AAC C NOW, WHICH IS JUST, UH, YOU KNOW, HISTORIC, UH, FOR THESE TWO COMMUNITIES.

DO YOU HAVE ANY, DO YOU KNOW IF THERE'S ANY CONNECTION BETWEEN THE RESTRICTED INTAKE IN AUSTIN AND THE, UM, INTAKE, UH, INCREASE IN WILLIAMS COUNTY? UM, WE'VE HEARD A, WE'VE HEARD FROM THEM THAT, THAT THEY'VE HEARD, HAD HEARD PEOPLE TELL THEM THAT, YOU KNOW, WE, THEY COULDN'T TAKE IT TO AUSTIN, SO THEY BROUGHT IT TO, TO LOCO.

UM, DON DID REACH OUT TO THEM AND THE OTHER REGIONAL DIRECTORS, AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A MEETING WITH THEM JUST TO PROBLEM TO SOLVE AND, AND, AND FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN SORT OF, UM, SORT OF, UH, MANAGE THIS, THIS SITUATION OF FOLKS WHO, UM, YOU KNOW, FIND A STRAIN OR, OR NEED TO OWNER SURRENDER AND, AND ARE LOOKING TO THE AREA SHELTERS FOR, FOR THAT SERVICE.

CAN, CAN I INTERJECT WITH, WITH THIS? UH, NO, I HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION.

OH, GO AHEAD.

GO AHEAD.

COMMISSIONER HASSAM, AND THEN WE WILL TURN TO DR. BRUCE.

UH, THANK YOU.

UM, I, I'M WONDERING, WITH ALL THE TALK ABOUT SPAY NEUTER, IF WE LOOK AT IT FROM A DATA PERSPECTIVE, IF INTAKE IS ONE HALF OF WHAT IT WAS PREVIOUSLY, DO YOU, DOES THAT TO YOU INDICATE THAT THERE ARE FEWER ANIMALS IN THE COMMUNITY? UH, LIKE I'M, I'M, I GET A LITTLE LOST AS TO WHY SPAY NEUTER HAS BECOME A GREATER FOCUS AND EVEN THE ANIMALS IN THE SHELTER WHEN THE INTAKE IS HALF OF WHAT IT WAS.

DO YOU HAVE ANY THOUGHTS ABOUT THAT? I MEAN, UM, I GUESS I'D HAVE TO LOOK AT THE DATA OF ANIMAL INTAKE THAT ARE UNALTERED JUST TO ENSURE, UM, THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT I BELIEVE THAT PROVIDING THAT, THAT, THAT, UM, INVESTMENTS STAY NEUTER, YOU KNOW, WOULD OVERLY HELP THE AMOUNT OF ANIMALS THAT ARE, THAT ARE PROBABLY OUT AND ABOUT.

I THINK THE PANDEMIC DIDN'T DO US ANY FAVORS WITH SORT OF THAT LOSS OF SERVICES OF STAY NEUTER.

AND SO NOW THEY'RE, THEY'RE IS A SURPLUS OF ANIMALS OUT THERE, POTENTIALLY UNALTERED.

UM, AND SO YEAH, I THINK EVEN POLICY MAKERS HAVE, HAVE DECIDED THAT, YOU KNOW, TO, TO PUT THAT INVESTMENT AND DECIDE TO GIVE US ADDITIONAL DOLLARS TO, TO TRY TO, UH, MAKE A DE IT, IF YOU WILL.

UM, UH, BUT YEAH, I THINK IT WOULD, I THINK IT'S, IT'S, IT'S AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE OVERALL NO KILL CONTINUUM.

THANK YOU, DR. BRUCE.

I JUST GOING BACK TO WHAT YOU WERE SAYING ABOUT, UM, INTAKE IN WILLIAMSON COUNTY AND ANIMALS COMING IN FROM AUSTIN.

UM, WHEN I WAS DOING THE RESEARCH FOR INTAKES AT AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER, WE WERE LOOKING AT THAT THROUGH THE LENS OF ZIP CODES.

WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE TOP 10 AREAS OF INTAKE FOR AUSTIN OUT OF, UM, AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY IS IN THE TOP 10.

UM, SO IF YOU LOOK AT THE TOTAL NUMBER OF ZIP CODES IN AUSTIN, IT KIND OF FALLS INTO THAT 80 20.

SO 80% OF THE ANIMALS COME FROM APPROXIMATELY 20% OF THE POPULATION, MORE OR LESS BY ZIP CODE DEMOGRAPHICS.

BUT OF THE TOP 10 AREAS, UM, WHERE ANIMALS ARE COMING INTO A CC, IT'S STILL ONE OF THOSE CATEGORIES IS ANIMALS OUTSIDE OF AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY.

SO EVEN IN TIMES WHEN THE SHELTER IS CLOSED TO INTAKE AND LIMITING INTAKE, WE STILL HAVE A LARGE PORTION OF OUR ANIMALS COMING FROM OUT OF OUR SERVICE AREA AS WELL.

CAN YOU CLARIFY THAT? OUTSIDE OF THE JURISDICTION OF THE SHELTER, A LARGE NUMBER OF ANIMALS ARE COMING.

SO YES.

AND SO WHEN, WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU RUN THE DATA, YOU CAN LOOK WHERE AN ANIMAL IS PICKED UP OR WHERE OWNERS ARE REPORTING IT COMING IN FROM.

AND I DON'T KNOW THE PROCESS FOR HOW THEY, THEY GET COME INTO THE SHELTER, LIKE, YOU KNOW, IF THEY'RE COMING IN INJURED, BUT JASON CAN POSSIBLY ADDRESS THAT.

BUT YES, WE, WE STILL END UP, AS WITH OUR POPULATION OF ANIMALS, UM, A FAIR NUMBER OF THEM COMING FROM OUTSIDE OF AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY.

UH, MR. GARZA, DO YOU MIND CLARIFYING HOW WE WOULD HAVE A LARGE NUMBER OF, UM, INTAKE FROM OUTSIDE OF THE JURISDICTION OF THE ANIMAL SHELTER? IT DEPENDS ON WHEN, IF, IF ONE, SOMEONE TOLD US IF THE ANIMAL IS COMING FROM OUT OF JURISDICTION OR AFTER THE, THE INTAKE, THE ANIMAL, WE DO FIND A MICROCHIP THAT IT'S SCANNED FROM SOMEPLACE ELSE.

AND SO WE'LL AMEND THE COM, THE, THE CHAMELEON RECORD TO ESSENTIALLY SAY, UH, OUT OF JURISDICTION.

UM, ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT WE'VE SEEN IS WE ALSO SEE A NUMBER OF ANIMALS FROM, UM, INCORPORATED CITIES, BUT WE'RE WORKING ON BUILDING AGREEMENTS WITH INCORPORATED CITIES SUCH AS CITY OF

[00:40:01]

MANOR, UM, MUSTANG RIDGE, THINGS OF THAT, THOSE, THOSE CITIES THAT ARE BRINGING US ANIMALS AS WELL, BUT WE DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE AN AGREEMENT WITH THEM.

SO THERE ARE CITIES THAT YOU DON'T HAVE THAT ARE NOT IN AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER'S JURISDICTION THAT YOU ARE SERVING? OH, THEY'RE, THEY'RE WITHIN THE COUNTY.

UM, BUT WE DON'T HAVE AN AGREEMENT WITH THEIR INCORPORATED CITIES.

OKAY.

SO THEY WOULD BE WITHIN YOUR JURISDICTION, BUT I THINK THE, THE ISSUE WAS OUTSIDE OF YOUR, BECAUSE THEY WOULD BE THE COUNTY, RIGHT? YES.

UH, WE ONLY WILL PROVIDE, WE ONLY PROVIDE SERVICES TO UNINCORPORATED AREAS OF THE COUNTY.

OKAY.

SO AT LEAST FOR, FOR SHELTERING SERVICES, THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE AN AGREEMENT WITH THE COUNTY FOR.

SO THEN THERE ARE AREAS WHERE THAT ARE NOT WITHIN OUR JURISDICTION, MEANING THE INCORPORATED AREAS OF THE COUNTY THAT WE DON'T HAVE A CONTRACT WITH, AND THAT WE ARE PROVIDING SERVICES TO THEM WITHOUT A CONTRACT.

IS THAT RIGHT? AND THAT'S PROB I MEAN, GUESS THAT'S WHERE MOST OF THESE ARE COMING FROM, IS THAT RIGHT? YES.

AND SO WE HAVE DATA THAT THAT CAN SHOW WHAT ANIMAL PAR PORTION OF OUR INTAKE IS COMING FROM.

THOSE, THOSE OTHER CITIES OR ANYTHING THAT MIGHT BE COMING OUTSIDE THE COUNTY.

ONCE AGAIN, ONCE, ONCE WE, ONCE WE DETERMINED THAT YES, IT, IT DID COME FROM OUTSIDE THE COUNTY.

OKAY.

AND THERE WERE A LOT OF HANDS THAT WENT UP.

I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT I'M, UH, CALLING ON ANYBODY WHO HASN'T YET SPOKEN FIRST AND THEN WE'LL GO BACK AROUND.

I THINK IT'S DR. BRUCE.

I'M SORRY.

UH, DR. NELSON, I'VE SPOKEN.

OH, I THOUGHT I SAW YOU RAISE YOUR HAND AGAIN.

I DO, BUT I'VE SPOKEN SINCE BAY HAS SPOKE, SO IF YOU WANT CALL .

OKAY.

UH, COMMISSIONER DDAS.

YES.

UH, THIS IS VERY INTERESTING.

UH, A COUPLE THINGS.

UH, FIRST, UH, YOU TALKED THAT, UH, CHIEF BLAND IS GONNA GOING TO MEET WITH OTHER ADMINISTRATORS OR CHIEFS OF OTHER ANIMAL SHELTERS, UH, AND TO DISCUSS, I, I GUESS HOW TO, WHAT ARE THOSE MEETINGS? WHAT IS THE OBJECTIVE OF THE MEETING? I BELIEVE IT'S REACHING OUT TO, TO, TO, I MEAN, I, I DON'T KNOW HIS AGENDA, BUT I THINK IT WAS TO REACH OUT, YOU KNOW, UH, WORK WITH, WITH POTENTIAL PARTNERS, BUILD RELATIONSHIPS, THINGS OF THAT NATURE.

, ESPECIALLY SINCE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ALL IN THE SAME INDUSTRY, HAVE, YOU KNOW, THE WORK THAT WE DO AFFECTS EACH OTHER.

SO, SO, AND THIS GOES ALSO WITH WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, THE AGREEMENTS, THE AREAS THAT YOU DON'T HAVE AN AGREEMENT.

WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT AGREEMENT, WHAT TYPE OF AGREEMENT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? SO, FOR THE CITY OF, FOR ANY CITY OF AUSTIN AGENCY, WE, AND FOR US TO DO WORK WITH OTHER LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, AI UH, LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS, QUASI GOVERNMENT, WE NEED INTERLOCAL AGREEMENTS TO PERFORM THAT WORK.

AND SO, UM, LIKE FOR INSTANCE, THE ONE WE, THE COUNTY AGREEMENT WE HAVE, WE, WE HAVE AN INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT FOR US TO PROVIDE ANIMAL SERVICES WITHIN THE COUNTY THAT HAS A COST MODEL THAT'S BROKEN DOWN ON WHAT THEY WOULD PAY US FOR THOSE SERVICES.

SO WE WOULD ESSENTIALLY TRY TO DO THOSE, THAT SORT OF RELATIONSHIP WITH EACH OF INCORPORATED AREAS.

SO THE SERVICES WOULD BE MORE RELATED TO STATE NUDE OR, AND NOT SO MUCH INTAKES BECAUSE YOU, UH, THAT INCLUDES INTAKE TOO.

IT'S ANIMAL SHELTERING SERVICES.

IT COULD, IT COULD, FOR INSTANCE, THE ONE WITH THE COUNTY, WE HAVE ANIMAL SHELTERING SERVICES, UH, ANIMAL PROTECTION SERVICES, PREVENTION SERVICES SUCH AS SPAY NEUTER AND THINGS OF THAT.

SO, SO BY GETTING AGREEMENTS, I, I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND IF, IF YOU, IF THE A, A C EXPENSE TO OTHER AREAS WITH AN AGREEMENT AGREEMENTS, AND IT WOULD MEAN INCREASE OF SERVICES, IT WILL MEAN INCREASE OF INTAKE POTENTIALLY.

AND RIGHT NOW WE'RE, WE'RE NOT, WE HAVE TO MANAGE THE INTAKE.

SO I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND.

UH, WELL, AND I THINK THAT'S THE POINT BEING MADE, IS THAT WE ARE, WE STILL SEE INTAKE FROM THOSE AREAS, BUT WITHOUT THE AGREEMENT.

LIKE WE, FOR INSTANCE, WITH THE COUNTY, THEY PAY A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF MONEY IN ORDER FOR US TO, TO, TO DO THOSE SERVICES RIGHT NOW.

MM-HMM.

, THE OTHER GROUPS AREN'T PAYING US.

AND SO, SO BA BASICALLY, IF THEY'RE PAY, IF THEY PAY IT DOESN'T MEAN THE THING TAKE IS GOING TO INCREASE BECAUSE YOU'RE, WHAT I'M HEARING IS THAT YOU'RE ALREADY ABSORBING WITHOUT BEING PAID, ESSENTIALLY.

YEAH, WE'RE WORKING WITHOUT AN AGREEMENT.

THAT'S THE OTHER THING.

SO THANK YOU, JASON, WHICH I IMAGINE COULD AFFECT, UM, INTAKE LAWS AND, AND UM, THINGS LIKE THAT.

RIGHT.

[00:45:01]

BECAUSE YOU MIGHT NOT HAVE A, UM, IF A, IF A CITY DOES NOT HAVE A HOLD PERIOD LAW AND YOU'RE SERVING THOSE ANIMALS, YOU MIGHT COME INTO ISSUES WITH THEM.

UH, DR.

NIEN, DID YOU WANT TO SPEAK AGAIN? NO, THANK YOU.

GO AHEAD.

ALRIGHT.

UM, THANK YOU JASON.

AGAIN.

I, UM, I APOLOGIZE.

I HAD TO GET UP FROM THE DIOCESE MOR MOMENTARILY WHEN COMMISSIONER HASSEN WAS, UM, ASKING YOU HER INITIAL QUESTION, BUT I BELIEVE SHE WAS SAYING THAT AUSTIN'S INTAKE IS LOW COMPARED TO OTHER MUNICIPAL SHELTERS.

UH, DID SHE MENTION, OR DO YOU KNOW WHAT THE LIVE OUTCOMES ARE OF THOSE OTHER MUNICIPAL SHELTERS? I MEAN, I CONTINUOUSLY HEAR THAT AUSTIN IS THE NATIONAL LEADER IN NO KILL, WHICH ESSENTIALLY MEANS LIVE OUTCOME.

SO ARE OTHER PLACES ABLE TO HAVE A 97% LIVE OUTCOME WITH HIGHER INTAKE? UM, FOR THE ORGANIZATIONS I'VE LOOKED AT, WHICH IS LIKE SAN ANTONIO, DALLAS, MAINLY THE CITY IN TEXAS, UM, UH, SOME HAVE MAINTAINED A LOW EIGHTIES, SOME HIGH SEVENTIES.

UM, AND, AND SO YEAH, UH, THEY'RE NOT, THEY'RE NOT ABOVE 90 OR WOULDN'T BE CONSIDERED NO FAULT.

OKAY.

DO, DO YOU IT, DO YOU THINK IT'D BE FAIR TO INFER THAT THAT LIVE OUTCOME RATE IS, IS RELATED TO OUR INABILITY TO HAVE A GREATER INTAKE? I WOULD HAVE TO LOOK AT MORE OF THEIR DATA, UM, JUST TO SEE IF THEY ARE, IF THEY'RE EUTHANIZING OR MATERNAL DYING CARE, THINGS OF THAT NATURE.

WHY, WHY ARE THEY NOT? UM, I, I CAN'T SPEAK FOR THESE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS.

OKAY.

UM, AND THEN I'VE NEVER HEARD YOU SAY THAT, THAT AUSTIN ANIMAL CELL CENTER IS RESTRICTING INTAKE BECAUSE YOU FEEL THAT THERE'S NOT A NEED IN THE COMMUNITY TO BE ABLE TO INTAKE ANIMALS.

IN FACT, IF THERE WAS A LOW NEED IN THE COMMUNITY, YOU WOULDN'T HAVE TO RESTRICT INTAKE 'CAUSE IT WOULDN'T BE VERY HIGH.

UM, AM I UNDERSTANDING THAT CORRECTLY? I, I THOUGHT YOU WERE ASKED A QUESTION IMPLYING THAT YOU WERE RESTRICTING INTAKE BECAUSE YOU FELT THERE WASN'T A NEED.

I'VE HEARD AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER MANAGEMENT ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THERE IS A NEED IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT WE'RE NOT ABLE TO MEET CURRENTLY.

UM, YES.

I, I BELIEVE YES.

THE PEOPLE THAT, THAT COME BY, THEY'RE LOOKING FOR SERVICES.

UM, AND, YOU KNOW, IT IS A, UH, IT'S DIFFICULT TO, TO TRY TO, UM, YOU KNOW, IF, ESPECIALLY IF THEY BROUGHT THE ANIMAL TO YOU, THEY, THEY'RE EXPECTING IT TO, TO BE, TO BE IMPOUNDED AND, AND WORKING WITH 'EM TO TRY TO FIND A, IF YOU CAN BRING IT IN THREE DAYS, HOPEFULLY WE CAN TAKE IT IN.

UM, ESPECIALLY WE CAN PROVIDE VACCINES, THINGS OF THAT NATURE TO, TO THE ANIMAL AND, AND ANY SUPPLIES THAT'LL HELP THEM GET ALONG.

UM, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES THOSE CONVERSATIONS ARE SUCCESSFUL, SOMETIMES THEY'RE NOT.

AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE, WE, WE DO OUR BEST JUST TO, JUST TO ENSURE WE'RE MANAGING THAT A, UM, THE POPULATION AND WITH, WITH LIMITED SPACE.

THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER LINDER.

HI.

UM, I JUST HAD A QUICK QUESTION.

GOING BACK TO THOSE IN OUR LOCAL AGREEMENTS THAT YOU WERE MENTIONING BEFORE, JASON, UM, TO THE EXTENT THAT THOSE DO, UM, REQUIRE THAT A A C PROVIDES INTAKE SERVICES, UM, TO UNINCORPORATED OR TRAVIS COUNTY OR, OR WHOEVER, I GUESS I'M WONDERING IF THAT'S INCLUDED IN THOSE CONTRACTS.

IS THERE EVER A PRESSURE TO, UM, INTAKE ANIMALS FROM THOSE AREAS, YOU KNOW, AT THE EXPENSE OF ANIMALS IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN, FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU HAVE TWO PEOPLE COMING IN, UM, ONE FROM THE CITY OF BOSTON, ONE FROM ANOTHER MUNICIPALITY, WHERE YOU HAVE ONE OF THOSE AGREEMENTS, UM, YOU KNOW, IF YOU DON'T INTAKE THE, THE ANIMAL FROM THE OTHER MUNICIPALITY, AND YOU MIGHT BE THEN IN, IN VIOLATION OF THAT INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT, WOULD YOU, WOULD THERE BE PRESSURE TO PRIORITIZE THAT ANIMAL? UM, ELSE BEING YEAH, I DON'T BELIEVE SO.

I THINK REALLY WE, WE, WE, THE AGREEMENT SPELLS OUT SORT OF THE PRIORITIES WITH, WITH WHAT WE UTILIZE FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN.

SO IF IT'S MEDICAL BASED ANIMAL BY BY ANIMAL, THINGS OF THAT NATURE, WE'LL PRIORITIZE THAT WITH WITHIN THE QUOTE UNQUOTE SERVICE AREA.

AND THE INTAKE LANGUAGE THEN ITSELF FOR THOSE WOULD BE PRESUMABLY QUITE VAGUE TO THE EXTENT THAT IT DOES EXIST, IT WOULD NEVER MANDATE YOU EXCEPT, YEAH, NOT TO BE VERBATIM, BUT IT'S SOMETHING ALONG THE LINES LIKE, WE WILL, YOU KNOW, ANIMAL SERVICE WILL PROVIDE ANIMAL SERVICE.

THE OFFICE WILL

[00:50:01]

PROVIDE SHELTERING SERVICES FOR ANIMALS THAT MAY BE IMPOUNDED FROM THE, UM, UNINCORPORATED AREAS OF TRAVIS COUNTY.

OKAY.

SO, THANKS COMMISSIONER HOLT.

UH, I THINK YOU HAD YOUR HAND UP.

NO, NOT AGAIN.

OKAY.

UM, COMMISSIONER HASSEN, THANK YOU.

I DON'T WANNA BELABOR THIS TOO MUCH, BUT I WAS INTERESTED IN THE STATEMENT ABOUT, UM, STRAY INTAKE BECAUSE WHEN A STRAY ANIMAL IS FOUND WITHIN A JURISDICTION, UM, IT'S CONSIDERED TO BE OF THAT JURISDICTION.

AND I WAS WONDERING, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THE LEGALITIES OF GOING IN AND CHANGING THE LOCATION IF AN ANIMAL IS FOUND WITHIN THE JURISDICTION, BUT I HAVE NOT HEARD OF THAT HAPPENING PREVIOUSLY.

AND SO IN MY, IN ALL OF MY EXPERIENCE WITH A A C, UH, THE SHELTER WAS NOT SERVING ANIMALS OUT OF JURISDICTION PERIOD.

UM, AND IN, AND SO IT WOULD'VE BEEN A CHANGE TO SERVE ANIMALS AT A JURISDICTION.

BUT IT GETS BACK TO THE POINT ABOUT WILLIAMSON COUNTY HAVING A CORRESPONDING RISE IN INTAKE.

UH, AND WILLIAMSON COUNTY IS A SHELTER THAT, UH, I THINK HAD A 96% LIFE RELEASE RATE THIS YEAR WITH ABOUT THE SAME INTAKE.

UM, AND THERE ARE MULTIPLE SHELTERS WITH OVER 90% LEG RELEASE RATES THAT TAKE IN VASTLY MORE.

UM, BUT JASON, YOU, DO YOU BELIEVE THAT THERE, WAS THERE A CHANGE IN POLICY TO CHANGE THE ADDRESSES OF FOUND STRAYS THAT HAD A MICROCHIP THAT TRACED THEM TO A DIFFERENT LOCATION? I'D HAVE TO GET WITH, WITH PREVIOUS STAFF.

I MEAN, AS SINCE I'VE BEEN THERE, I ALWAYS UNDERSTOOD THAT ONCE YOU GOT VERIFICATION WHERE A DOG OR AN ANIMAL MAY HAVE COME FROM THROUGH A MICROCHIP OR THROUGH IN INDIVIDUAL, THAT'S WHERE ESSENTIALLY IT WAS LISTED WHERE IT WAS FOUND.

AND SO I BELIEVE THERE'S A FIELD IN CHAMELEON THAT WILL, THAT'S OUT OF JURISDICTION.

AND I THINK THERE'S AN ACRONYM, ACRONYM FOR IT.

BUT, UM, YEAH, SO THEY MAY PUT IS A, ESPECIALLY IF THEY HAVE THE ZIP CODE OR THEY KNOW THAT IT'S ACTUALLY COMING FROM, FOR INSTANCE, CITY OF MAINOR IN LOS ANGELES LANGUAGE, UM, YOU KNOW, BUT YEAH, THERE HASN'T BEEN, I, I DON'T LIKE TO USE THAT TERMINOLOGY, BUT IT, SINCE I'VE BEEN THERE, I, I BELIEVE THAT'S THE WAY IT, IT WAS.

SO YEAH.

THANKS.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? UH, COMMISSIONER HOLT, SUPER QUICK, JUST WANNA CLARIFY, UM, IS THAT CHANGING TO OUT OF JURISDICTION? IS THAT, UM, FOR ANIMALS THAT THE ACOS FIND OR IS THAT FOR OWNER SURRENDERS WHERE YOU SUSPECT DUE TO LACK OF A CONTRACTOR SERVICES BEING PROVIDED TO THOSE AREAS, THEY'RE GOING TO A C AND JUST LYING ABOUT WHERE THEY LIVE? LIKE, OR I GUESS I'M ASKING, IS IT FOR OWNER SURRENDER FOUND ANIMALS OR BOTH? AND IF IT'S ONLY ONE, DO YOU KNOW WHAT WOULD'VE? I BELIEVE IT'S A COMBINATION OF EVERYTHING.

I MEAN, UH, IT COULD BE A, ONE OF THE LOCAL, ONE OF THE, THE INCORPORATED LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES, YOU KNOW, HANDOVER A PET TO ONE OF OUR ATOS .

AND SO, OR IT COULD BE, YOU KNOW, THEY RES WE RESPOND TO A, A TRAVIS COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE AND THEN WE, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS A COLLISION AND THEY GIVE US THE DOG AND THEN WE FIND OUT THAT, OH WAIT, THIS ACTUALLY BELONGS, THIS IS FROM STANLEY LEON'S.

SO, UM, YEAH, THERE'S DIFFERENT INSTANCES, BUT I THINK IT'S A COMBINATION.

IT COULD BE A COMBINATION OF ANY, ANY ONE THING.

THANK YOU.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR MR. GARZA? UM, MR. GARZA, I HAVE ONE MORE QUICK QUESTION.

I APOLOGIZE FOR KEEPING YOU SO LONG TONIGHT.

UM, GIVEN THAT YOU'RE NOT FEELING WELL, UH, ONE, MY LAST QUESTION HAS TO DO WITH THE, UM, THE ORDINANCE AND REPORTING ON, UM, OF, UH, VACCINATIONS ON INTAKE, MAYBE FOUR OR FIVE MONTHS AGO.

WE DISCOVERED THAT THE REPORTING WAS NOT FOLLOWING THE ORDINANCE ON, UM, REPORTING THE NUMBER OF ANIMALS VACCINATED ON INTAKE AND THE NUMBER OF ANIMALS NOT VACCINATED ON INTAKE.

AND I WAS WONDERING MAYBE NOT ON YOUR LIST OF, UH, THINGS THAT YOU'RE WORKING ON, BUT I WAS WONDERING IF YOU HAVE HAPPEN TO HAVE AN UPDATE ON WHETHER THAT IS BEING REPORTED CORRECTLY NOW OR IF, UH, OR IF WE HAVE ANY IDEA WHEN THAT WOULD BE REPORTED CORRECTLY.

I BELIEVE THAT WAS TAKEN CARE OF BY OUR RT FOLKS, AND I THINK I MAY HAVE MISSED IT IN PUTTING THEM INTO THE REPORT.

SO THAT'S A HICKEY ON ME, BUT I WILL VERIFY WITH, UM, OUR, WITH A PH NOW THAT OUR, UNFORTUNATELY WE LOST OUR A PH LIAISON.

UM, SO, UH, I'LL FOLLOW WITH A PH JUST TO ENSURE THAT ALL THAT WAS WAS FINALIZED.

[00:55:01]

AND THEN, UM, I CAN SEND OUT THAT PORTION OF THE REPORT OR AN UPDATED REPORT.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

ALL RIGHT.

LET'S MOVE

[3. Quarterly Report from Austin Pets Alive]

TO, UH, ITEM NUMBER THREE, UM, QUARTERLY REPORT FROM AUSTIN PETS ALIVE.

DO WE HAVE AUSTIN PETS ALIVE HERE TODAY? WE DO.

UH, COME ON.

COME ON UP.

COME ON UP.

HELLO, UH, MY NAME IS STEPHANIE BILBOROUGH.

I'M THE DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS AT AUSTIN PETS ALIVE.

UM, UH, WE PROVIDED THIS REPORT LAST WEEK.

HOPEFULLY EVERYONE HAS IT.

THIS INCLUDES OUR DECEMBER NUMBERS AS WELL AS JUST A FEW END OF YEAR WRAP UP NUMBERS.

'CAUSE WE DO, UM, REPORT ALL OF OUR INFORMATION AND STATS BY CALENDAR YEAR.

UM, SO I OBVIOUSLY DON'T NEED TO READ THIS TO YOU WORD FOR WORD, BUT, UM, WE'LL HIGHLIGHT A COUPLE THINGS AND THEN HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.

UM, SO ONE NOTE HERE ON THE FIRST PAGE, THERE'S A NOTE THERE ABOUT WHY, UM, OUR BEHAVIOR NUMBER, OUR BEHAVIOR POLL DOGS WAS LOW.

UM, IT WAS A DELAY IN COMMUNICATION MORE THAN, UM, A PURPOSEFUL ATTEMPT TO NOT PULL, UH, THE NUMBERS THAT WE ARE REQUIRED TO, BUT WE WILL MAKE UP THE DIFFERENCE IN JANUARY.

UM, ON THE SECOND PAGE, YOU'LL SEE THAT, UM, SO FAR IN THIS FISCAL YEAR, WE ARE ABOUT, AT ABOUT 16%, UM, TRANSFERS FROM A A C TO A PA, WHICH IS ABOVE OUR REQUIRED 12% AS PER OUR CONTRACT.

SO WE FEEL GOOD THAT WE'RE ON TRACK THERE.

UM, PAGE THREE HAS OUR ENTIRE DECEMBER, 2023 STATS.

AND THEN I ALSO INCLUDED AN END OF YOUR SUMMARY ON THE NEXT PAGE AS WELL.

SO HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS ON THOSE.

AND THEN ON THE LAST PAGE IS JUST A REAL QUICK SUMMARY, UM, FOR OUR END OF YEAR NUMBERS, UM, IN 2023, WE ENDED UP TRANSFERRING OVER 17% OF AACS TOTAL INTAKE.

UM, AND THAT DOES NOT INCLUDE ANIMALS THAT WERE DIVERTED THROUGH PASS, UM, OR BORN IN CARE ANIMALS.

SO THAT ACCOUNTED FOR ANOTHER SEVERAL HUNDRED DIVERTED.

UM, AND THEN WE DID TAKE 60 MEDIUM AND LARGE AT-RISK BEHAVIOR DOGS AS WELL AS 13 SMALL BEHAVIOR DOGS.

UM, AND THEN I WANTED TO NOTE HERE TOO, THAT WE HAD OUR HIGHEST YEAR EVER OF, UM, FELAND LEUKEMIA CAT TRANSFERS AT 85.

SO, UM, AND THEN THAT'S A FULL YEAR SUMMARY OF ALL OF OUR 2023 TRANSFERS, UM, BROKEN DOWN BY CATEGORY.

SO, UH, HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS ON THIS.

ANY QUESTIONS? I KNOW IT'S BEEN A FEW MONTHS SINCE WE'VE BEEN HERE, SURE IT HAS.

UH, COMMISSIONER S MAGULA.

HI.

GOOD EVENING.

HI.

UM, SO I HAVE A, A FEW QUESTIONS FOR YOU.

SURE.

UM, 'CAUSE ON YOUR, ON, WHERE AM I, PAGE THREE HERE.

MM-HMM.

, UM, YOU TOOK IN EIGHT STRAY ANIMALS.

UH, YES.

I DIDN'T KNOW THAT A PA TOOK IN STRAYS.

WE ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO.

UM, BUT, WELL, YOU KNOW, WHEN SOMEONE'S STANDING IN YOUR PARKING LOT AND THREATENING TO DROP THE LEASH IF YOU DON'T OKAY.

IT'S HARD TO SAY NO, SO.

OKAY.

UM, AND THEN THE OTHER QUESTION I HAD ON THAT SAME LIVE INTAKE THING, THE, THE RELINQUISHED BY OWNERS.

MM-HMM.

, DO YOU KNOW, ARE, WERE THOSE FROM PASS OR WERE THEY DOGS, CATS, ANIMALS ADOPTED FROM A PA AND RETURNED? IT'S BOTH.

THAT WILL INCLUDE BOTH.

IT'S A COMBINATION.

MM-HMM.

.

SO OUR CUTOFF FOR A RETURN VERSUS AN OWNER SURRENDER FOR AN ANIMAL IS 30 DAYS.

SO IF THEY'VE BEEN ADOPTED FOR MORE THAN 30 DAYS, IT WILL COUNT IN OUR SYSTEM AS AN OWNER SURRENDER.

OKAY.

ALRIGHT.

UM, I HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION.

I THINK, OH, ON YOUR, UM, BACK TO PAGE TWO.

I'M SORRY, I MISSED THIS ONE.

UM, ON YOUR DECEASED, THE NINE DECEASED, I, I MEAN THEY'RE MEDICAL TRANSFERS.

MM-HMM.

.

SO I'M SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT IS THE CAUSE, BUT, UM, DO YOU BY ANY CHANCE HAVE THAT, IS IT PARVO, IS IT NEONATES FAILURE TO THRIVE? JUST, JUST OUTTA CURIOSITY.

I DON'T HAVE IT OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.

OKAY.

UM, WE CAN DEFINITELY FOLLOW UP.

UM, BUT I MEAN, MORE OFTEN THAN NOT THERE ARE THINGS LIKE PARVO DISTEMPER.

OKAY.

NEONATES.

YEAH.

BUT WE CAN DEFINITELY, I CAN GET MORE DETAILS.

I MEAN, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT'S JUST A PRESUMPTION BECAUSE THEY'RE, THAT'S, THAT'S UNDER THE, UM, MEDICAL TRANSFERS.

BUT THAT WAS JUST CURIOUS.

THANK YOU.

MM-HMM.

.

COMMISSIONER HERRERA.

HI.

HI.

UH, I DIDN'T SEE YOUR, YOUR, UH, YOUR REPORT.

MAYBE THE, MY EMAIL ADDRESS AT THE BEGINNING WAS, WAS NOT ACCURATE.

IT WAS ONLY WITH ONE R FROM RETA.

I AM GOING TO SEND YOU AN EMAIL AND MAYBE YOU SEND ME THAT.

AND I HAVE A QUESTION.

Y'ALL ARE ADOPTING DOGS AND CATS NOT SPARE NEUTER, RIGHT? LIKE THE SAME AS AS JUST IN ANIMAL CENTER.

RIGHT? RIGHT.

HOW IT'S YOUR LOGISTIC FOR FOLLOW UP AND MAKE THE PEOPLE COMING BACK AND SPEND ORDER THAT BEDS.

MM-HMM.

.

SO TYPICALLY WE, UM, WE'RE SENDING THEM OUT ON A CONTRACT.

UM, OKAY.

AND THEN WE'RE TYPICALLY MAKING THEM AN APPOINTMENT BEFORE THEY LEAVE THE SHELTER, UM, WITH OUR CLINIC.

OKAY.

UM, SO, OR WE'RE LETTING THEM OPT TO GO TO THEIR OWN

[01:00:01]

PRIVATE VET CLINIC IF THEY WANT.

AND THEN WE HAVE A TEAM, UM, OUR DATA TEAM IN OUR CLINIC DOES ALL THE FOLLOW UP IF PEOPLE MISS THEIR APPOINTMENTS OR IF WE HAVEN'T HEARD FROM THEM, UM, IN, WE GIVE THEM 90 DAYS, UM, WITH A DEPOSIT AND THEN WE FOLLOW UP FROM THERE.

IF SOMEONE, IT'S NOT COMING BACK FOR A SPARE NTER, WHAT HAPPENED? IT DEPENDS.

OKAY.

UM, YOU KNOW, WE ARE NOT THE ANIMAL CONTROL AUTHORITY, SO WE DON'T REALLY HAVE, UM, THE ABILITY TO GO AND CONFISCATE ANIMALS BACK, UNFORTUNATELY.

UM, WE DON'T USUALLY GET IN THIS SITUATION WHERE WE FEEL LIKE THAT'S NECESSARY.

OKAY.

UM, BUT OUR TEAM WILL JUST DO MULTIPLE REACH OUTS THROUGH ANY CHANNELS THEY CAN TO TRY TO FOLLOW UP WITH PEOPLE.

THAT SOUNDS GOOD.

LIKE, LIKE Y'ALL HAVE ENOUGH PEOPLE TO DO TO PERFORM THE SPARE ORDER FOR YOUR PETS.

LIKE PRACTICALLY YOU HAVE A CLINIC EFFICIENT TO HANDLE ALL THE PETS THAT Y'ALL ADOPT.

MM-HMM.

.

YEAH.

FANTASTIC.

MM-HMM.

.

THANK YOU.

JUST A NOTE COMMISSIONER.

I DON'T THINK YOU WERE EXCLUDED.

I THINK IT WENT INTO THE BACKUP, BUT I DON'T THINK IT WAS CIRCULATED BY EMAIL, THE REPORT.

SO I JUST WANTED TO ADD THAT SO YOU DIDN'T FEEL LIKE YOU WERE EXCLUDED.

YEAH, WE JUST SEND IT, UM, TO BELINDA TO THE CITY, I THINK WHO THEN PUTS IT IN BACKUP.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? DR. BRUCE? I DON'T HAVE A QUESTION JUST TO COMMENT.

UM, I JUST WANTED TO SAY, I THINK A PA IS DOING A FANTASTIC JOB WITH THE FELAND LEUKEMIA CATS, GETTING THEM OUT OF SHELTERS AND THEN ALSO IN THE COMMUNITY.

I'VE DEALT WITH SOME OF THEM COMING IN ON EMERGENCY AND I FEEL LIKE YOU'RE, UM, EVEN THOUGH MANY OF THESE CATS HAVE A SHORTENED LIFE EXPECTANCY, UM, OWNERS FEEL LIKE THEY HAVE, UM, THEY SEEM TO HAVE OPEN LINES OF COMMUNICATION WITH YOU GUYS AND THEY SEEM TO HAVE THEIR EXPECTATIONS MANAGED REALLY WELL.

SO FOR A REALLY DIFFICULT SUBSET OF CATS, I THINK YOU GUYS ARE DOING A REALLY NICE JOB.

SO THANK YOU.

GREAT.

APPRECIATE IT.

WE'RE VERY LUCKY THAT, UM, OUR TEAM IS REALLY GREAT ABOUT COUNSELING, UH, ADOPTERS.

AND PEOPLE ARE VERY OPEN TO TAKING IN THESE CATS EVEN IF THEY HAVE HAD NEVER HAD A SINGLE CAT BEFORE.

SO WE'RE LUCKY.

YEAH.

THANK YOU.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, DR. NELSON? I'M THERE.

I ALSO, UM, HAVE COMPLIMENT.

IT'S JUST, UM, ESPECIALLY RECENTLY, I REALIZED HOW MUCH I ENJOY WORKING AT THE CITY SHELTER BECAUSE OF THE RELATIONSHIP WE HAVE WITH A PA WHEN WE HAVE, UM, ANIMALS WITH ILLNESSES OR INJURIES THAT ARE BEYOND WHAT THE CITY CAN REASONABLY USE TAX RESOURCES, TAX TAXPAYER RESOURCES TO ADDRESS.

UM, IT'S AMAZING THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO JUST EUTHANIZE THOSE AND THAT WE CAN SEND THEM ONTO YOU GUYS.

AND I LOVE THE RELATIONSHIPS I HAVE WITH THE OTHER VETS THERE, AND I FEEL LIKE WE'VE REALLY WORKED TOGETHER WELL TO DO SOME REALLY COOL STUFF FOR ANIMALS.

SO I'M JUST SO GRATEFUL FOR THAT AND WANTED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT.

UM, THANK YOU.

AND THEN JUST SAME QUESTION THAT I HAD FOR AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER.

SO YOU, YOU ALSO HAVE A SPACE FOR OWNER INTENDED EUTHANASIA THAT ALWAYS IS JUST ALL ZEROES.

MM-HMM.

.

CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT WHY THAT IS? UM, IT IS NOT A SERVICE THAT WE PROVIDE, UM, TO THE PUBLIC.

IT ALSO, UM, WOULD FALL IN THE GRAY AREA OF SHELTER PROVIDING VETERINARY SERVICES TO PRIVATELY OWNED ANIMALS, WHICH WE CANNOT DO IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.

SO, UM, IT'S JUST NOT SOMETHING THAT WE'VE EVER DONE.

UM, CAN YOU REFER ME TO WHERE, WHERE YOU'RE GETTING THAT, UM, STATE LAW? THE STATE LAW? YEAH.

UM, I DON'T KNOW IT OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.

MM-HMM.

BUT WE CAN DEFINITELY POINT YOU TO THE MM-HMM.

TO THE RIGHT LEGISLATION.

UM, WHEN I'VE HAD A DISCUSSION ABOUT THIS WITH THE, I WANT TO SAY PRESIDENT AND CEO OF A PA, UM, IT, THAT WAS NEVER BROUGHT UP.

AND IT WAS BECAUSE THERE WAS A, UM, PHILOSOPHICAL OBJECTION TO IT, AND I NOT FEELING IT WAS SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE PROVIDED.

UM, AND I JUST WANT TO REITERATE THAT I THINK THIS IS AN IMPORTANT SERVICE THAT IS BEHIND A, UH, AN UNFAIR PAY WALL MM-HMM.

TO A LOT OF OUR COMMUNITY.

SURE.

AND, UM, I JUST WANNA BRING THAT TO EVERYBODY'S ATTENTION.

YEAH.

THANK YOU.

AND I, I DON'T THINK THAT WE DISAGREE WITH THAT EITHER.

I WOULD SAY THAT IT MAKES SENSE THAT IT WOULD BE A CITY SERVICE TO PROVIDE MM-HMM.

OR A LOW COST CLINIC, PERHAPS.

OKAY.

IN THAT CONVERSATION I HAD, UH, WITH THE HEAD OF A PA, THEY WERE VERY MUCH AGAINST THE CITY BEING ABLE TO PROVIDE THAT.

AND I KNOW THAT THAT PERSON HAS PLAYED A BIG ROLE IN DESIGNING THE ORDINANCES OF THE CITY.

UM, MANY OF WHICH DO PREVENT THE CITY SHELTER FROM PROVIDING THAT.

THANK YOU.

[01:05:02]

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, DR. BRUCE? I MEAN, CAN WE CLARIFY WITH DIRECTOR GAR OR, UM, WITH MR. GARZA ABOUT, BECAUSE I KNOW WE DO HAVE MEDICAL VOUCHERS AVAILABLE, AND IF SOMEBODY CAME TO THE PRC WITH AN ANIMAL THAT WAS SUFFERING, COULD WE PROVIDE A MEDICAL VOUCHER TO THAT PERSON? YES.

SO MY MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THERE IS A SINGLE VETERINARY CLINIC IN THE CITY THAT WILL ACCEPT THOSE VOUCHERS FOR THAT REASON.

COMMISSIONER HASSEN? UH, YES.

I JUST WANNA OFFER SOME PERSPECTIVE 'CAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE THIS COULD BE REALLY CONFUSING.

UM, AND I, A A A C HAS ALWAYS, UH, EUTHANIZED ANIMALS THAT WERE, UH, MEDICALLY SUFFERING AND COULD NOT BE MANAGED WITH PAIN, UH, MANAGEMENT.

AND THE, I THINK WHAT, UH, COMMISSIONER NIELSEN IS REFERRING TO IS THE SHELTER SOFTWARE AND HOW IT'S USED.

UM, AND THERE ARE MANY WAYS THAT ORGANIZATIONS USE SHELTER SOFTWARE AT AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER.

UM, THEY DON'T UTILIZE THE SOFTWARE TO HAVE AN OWNER INTENDED OR OWNER REQUESTED EUTHANASIA AS AN INTAKE TYPE, THOUGH IT'S FREQUENTLY COUNTED IN THE SUBTYPES OR THE REASONS.

AND THE REASON FOR THAT, UM, IN LINE WITH MANY OTHER SHELTERS IS THAT, UH, EVERY ANIMAL WHEN IT WALKS IN THE DOOR GETS A, AN EVALUATION AND IT GETS MEDICALLY AND BEHAVIORALLY EVALUATED BEFORE IT'S EUTHANIZED.

UM, AND IT A LONGSTANDING PRACTICE, THE STAFF TO LET THE COMMUNITY KNOW THAT, THAT, UH, IF THEY'RE BRINGING IN AN ANIMAL, IT WILL RECEIVE AN INDEPENDENT MEDICAL EVALUATION.

AND THAT'S PARTLY JUST BECAUSE, UM, UH, I THINK THE ANIMAL SHELTER WANTS TO DO IT DUE DILIGENCE.

AND, UH, THERE HAVE BEEN OCCASIONS WHERE THE SHELTER HAS EVALUATED AN ANIMAL MEDICALLY AND THEN BEEN ABLE TO RETURN IT TO THE OWNER.

UM, AND SO A A C HAD FOR A LONG TIME AVOIDED NO QUESTIONS ASKED EUTHANASIA, UM, WHICH MOST OTHER, UH, SHELTERS WOULD HIGHLIGHT RELEASE RATES TO, BUT IT DOESN'T MEAN THEY DON'T EUTHANIZE ANIMALS IF IT'S IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE ANIMAL.

DR. NELSON.

YEAH.

JUST TO CLEAR UP SOME FURTHER, UM, CONFUSION, THAT IS ABSOLUTELY NOT THE CASE AT AUSTIN ANIMAL CELL CENTER.

IF IT WERE, UH, THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR COULD HAVE CLEARED IT UP IN THAT WAY.

WHAT HE MADE CLEAR WAS THAT THAT IS NOT A SERVICE THAT WE PROVIDE.

YES.

IF A IF AN OWNER WALKS IN WITH AN ANIMAL THAT IS MORIBUND, WE WILL, WE WILL HAVE THEM OWNER SURRENDER AND WE WILL EUTHANIZE IT SHORT OF THAT, THIS IS NOT A SERVICE PROVIDED BY OUR CITY SHELTER FOR THE REASONS OUTLINED EARLIER.

BECAUSE BECAUSE OF THE ORDINANCES AND THE PHILOSOPHY THAT HAS BEEN PUT IN PLACE IN THIS CITY, IT IS ABSOLUTELY A SERVICE, AN IMPORTANT SERVICE THAT IS DENIED AT OUR CITY SHELTER.

IF HE, IF THERE'S ADDITIONAL CONFUSION ABOUT THAT, I WILL BE HAPPY TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH ANYBODY TO CLARIFY THAT FURTHER.

ANYONE ELSE? UM, JUST, UH, TO NOTE, YES, THERE IS A STATE LAW ON, ON NONPROFITS THAT ARE ADOPTION NONPROFITS.

AND I FORGET WHAT THE WEIRD NAME THEY HAVE FOR THEM IN STATE LAW IS IT SAYS THAT THEY CAN'T PROVIDE MEDICAL SERVICES OTHER THAN SPAY NEUTER.

AND SO, UM, THAT'S THE LAW, I THINK, UM, THAT, UM, STEPHANIE WAS REFERRING TO.

YEAH.

UH, BUT THAT WOULDN'T APPLY TO OWNER SURRENDERS, JUST SO I HAVE.

SO, SO, UH, THAT'S WHY, UH, THEY CAN'T SIMPLY ADVERTISE THAT AS A MEDICAL SERVICE THEY COULD, UM, GIVE TO THE PUBLIC WITH RESPECT TO OWNER SURRENDERS.

I THINK, UM, A MAYBE A POINT THAT HAS NOT BEEN MADE IS THAT, UH, IF SOMEONE BRINGS IN AN ANIMAL THAT IS A PERFECTLY HEALTHY ANIMAL, DOES NOT HAVE ANY, BE BEHAVIORAL ISSUES AND SAYS, I DON'T, I DON'T WANT THIS ANIMAL ANYMORE, PLEASE, PLEASE EUTHANIZE IT FOR ME.

UM, THEN I DO THINK THAT OUR, OUR, UM, ORDINANCES REFLECT THE PHILOSOPHY OF WE'RE GOING TO TREAT THAT ANIMAL AS IF IT WERE OUR OWN.

UM, AND WE'RE GONNA GIVE IT THE SAME CHANCE WE WOULD GIVE ANY OTHER ANIMAL.

AND SO, YEAH, YOU, I DO THINK THERE ORDINANCES REFLECT THE IDEA THAT YOU CAN'T JUST WALK IN AND DEMAND, UH, THAT A HEALTHY ADOPTABLE ANIMAL BE EUTHANIZED.

UM, TO THE EXTENT THAT AN ANIMAL, UH, MET THE

[01:10:01]

DEFINITION FOR EUTHANASIA IN THE ORDINANCES, THEN, UM, THEY COULDN'T JUST PROVIDE IT.

I THINK THEY WOULD HAVE TO, UM, I THINK AS WITH ANY SHELTER, YOU'D HAVE TO SURRENDER IT SO THEN IT WOULD NOT NO LONGER BE YOURS.

UM, BACK WHEN THEY DID THIS MANY YEARS AGO, I DO THINK THERE WAS A PERIOD THAT THEY DID THAT.

I CAN TELL YOU THAT I HAD A HUGE OBJECTION BECAUSE FOR WHATEVER REASON, THEIR POLICY WAS THEY WOULDN'T ALLOW THE OWNER BACK WITH THEM.

UM, AND, UH, BECAUSE THEY SAID THEY'RE NOT THE OWNER ANYMORE, SO THEY, THEY CAN'T COME BACK.

UM, SO THEY WOULD KIND OF TAKE THE ANIMAL AND THEN GO EUTHANIZE IT.

UM, WHICH I THINK IS BREAKING THE BOND, UM, THAT I THINK THAT YOU RECOGNIZE, THAT YOU'RE RECOGNIZING.

UM, BUT YES, SO I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S THE ISSUE.

IF, IF SOMEONE BRINGS IN AN ANIMAL WHO IS, DOES NOT MEET ANY CRITERIA FOR EUTHANASIA, THEN THE CITY'S NOT GONNA JUST ON DEMAND EUTHANIZE THE ANIMAL.

BUT IF IT DOES MEET THE, THE CRITERIA FOR EUTHANASIA, THEN YOU COULD, UM, SURRENDER IT AND IT WOULD BE EUTHANIZED IF IT MET CRITERIA FOR EUTHANASIA.

SURE.

IN RESPONSE TO THAT, UM, OUR CURRENT CRITERIA FOR EUTHANASIA IS EXTREMELY RESTRICTIVE.

IT SAYS, UH, IMMINENTLY, IT HAS IRREMEDIABLE PHYSICAL SUFFERING.

RIGHT.

AND THEORETICAL.

SO THERE ARE, THERE ARE, UH, INDIVIDUALS WHO, I MEAN, THAT'S EXTREMELY RESTRICTIVE.

THAT'S TO SAY THAT THEY HAVE TO HAVE A PROBLEM THAT NO AMOUNT OF MEDICAL CARE COULD FIX.

IT DOESN'T ASK, IS THAT ANIMAL GOING TO GET THAT MEDICAL CARE? THAT IS NEVER TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION WITH OUR, WITH THE CURRENT STANDARDS FOR EUTHANASIA.

AND THAT'S INAPPROPRIATE.

UM, IT, EVERYBODY HERE, I MEAN, ANYBODY WHO'S EUTHANIZED AN ANIMAL WHEN THERE WERE STILL THEORETICAL OPTIONS TO TREAT IT KNOWS THAT THAT'S NOT AN APPROPRIATE CRITERIA FOR EUTHANASIA.

UM, AND THEN, SO THERE'S NO WAY THAT ALLOWING THE CITY SHELTER TO PROVIDE THE SERVICE WOULD LOCK IN THE CITY SHELTER TO EUTHANIZING ANY ANIMAL THAT ANY MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC WANTED EUTHANIZED.

THAT'S, THAT'S A RIDICULOUS EXTREME TO BRING IN TO THIS CONVERSATION ABOUT THE SHELTER BEING ABLE TO PROVIDE THIS REASONABLY FOR MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY.

AND I, I AGREE THAT IT, IT WOULDN'T BE A GOOD WAY TO OFFER THIS SERVICE IF THE OWNERS HAD TO BE SEPARATED FROM THE ANIMALS.

UM, BUT I THINK, SO THAT WAS, WHEN, WHEN WAS THAT THE POLICY? A DECADE AGO? MORE LIKE, I THINK IT COULD VERY WELL BE IMPLEMENTED DIFFERENTLY NOW IN A MUCH BETTER WAY.

UM, AND, AND THAT THE CITY SHELTER AND THE STAFF WHO WORK THERE, UH, OUR, OUR, OUR VERY, VERY QUALIFIED TO, TO USE THEIR JUDGMENT ABOUT WHETHER SOMETHING IS A, WOULD BE A REASONABLE REQUEST FOR THE PUBLIC.

AND WE, IT WOULD BE GREAT IF WE COULD OFFER THAT WE CURRENTLY ARE PREVENTED FROM OFFERING THAT.

HAVE A QUESTION.

SURE.

I, UH, MY VICE CHAIR TOLD ME THAT COMMISSIONER HOLT WAS NEXT.

OH, MY VICE CHAIR TOLD ME THAT COMMISSIONER HOLT WAS NEXT.

AND THEN WE'LL GET TO COMMISSIONER.

OKAY.

THANKS.

UM, I THINK THIS IS A REALLY GOOD AND IMPORTANT CONVERSATION TO HAVE.

AND, UM, DO KNOW THAT THERE ARE PRIVATE VET OFFICES THAT MY OLD RESCUES TO PARTNER WITH, WHERE PEOPLE WOULD JUST COME IN AND BE LIKE, HI, I'M TIRED OF THIS DOG.

WILL YOU GET RID OF IT FOR ME? UM, SO I, I DO KNOW THAT THAT IS A REAL THING, AND I'M GLAD THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE POLICIES IN PLACE THAT PROTECT FROM THAT END OF THE, UM, SPECTRUM.

RIGHT.

I ALSO AM GLAD TO HEAR THAT ON THE, LIKE, MORE EXTREME OR, YOU KNOW, EQUAL, BUT OPPOSITE EXTREME END OF THE SPECTRUM, SOMEONE COMES IN AND SAYS, MY DOG GOT HIT BY A CAR, HE'S BLEEDING OUT.

PLEASE END HIS SUFFERING.

WE'RE BROKENHEARTED.

RIGHT? WE ADDRESS THAT TOO.

WHERE DO I THINK WHERE THINGS ARE GETTING, UM, WHERE THE GRAY AREA EXISTS? AND, UH, I'M NOT A HUNDRED PERCENT SURE OF THE RIGHT WAY TO HANDLE THIS, BUT I DO THINK THAT A CERTAIN DEGREE OF, SOME OF IT SOUNDS LIKE, UM, ALLOWING FOR PROFESSIONAL DISCRETION FROM THE STAFF AT THE SHELTER, AND SOME OF IT SOUNDS LIKE POTENTIALLY

[01:15:01]

A POLICY CHANGE THAT NEEDS TO TAKE PLACE.

IT'S WHERE, FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN I HAD EUTHANIZE MY ALMOST 14-YEAR-OLD LAB, SHE WAS ALMOST 14 YEARS OLD.

SHE COULD TECHNICALLY STILL WALK 80% OF THE TIME, BUT SHE WAS FALLING DOWN.

SHE WAS, YOU KNOW, STILL EATING SOMETIMES, BUT HER QUALITY OF LIFE WAS TERRIBLE.

LIKE, IT, IT WAS IN THAT AREA WHERE, YEAH, I COULD HAVE TECHNICALLY KEPT HER ALIVE, BUT IT WAS CRUEL TO ME.

IT WAS CRUEL TO HER.

IT, THAT'S JUST, NO ONE WANTS TO HAVE TO DO THAT TO THEIR PET.

RIGHT? LIKE, YOU WANNA BE ABLE TO PROVIDE SOME SORT OF DIGNITY AND COMPASSION TO THEM.

AND SO I THINK THAT WHERE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS IN THIS LITTLE MORE LIKE GRAY AREA NUANCE OF HOW DO WE ALLOW FOR THAT SO THAT IT'S NOT JUST PEOPLE WHO CAN PAY $400 TO HAVE A VET COME TO THE HOUSE AND EUTHANIZE THEIR DOG.

UM, WHO ARE THE ONLY ONES WHO ARE ABLE TO LIKE, PROVIDE THIS COMPASSIONATE SERVICE.

AND SO I GUESS THE QUESTION IS, WHAT NEEDS TO CHANGE? IS THIS LIKE A POLICY THING THAT NEEDS TO CHANGE? IS THIS A PRACTICE OF THE SHELTER THING THAT NEEDS TO CHANGE IN ORDER FOR US TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THAT? COMMISSIONER SDAS? UH, I'M OKAY NOW.

THANK YOU.

AND, UH, JUST FOR THE RECORD, I DON'T, I DON'T THINK THAT ANYBODY, UH, INCLUDING MY OPINION, UH, SHOULD BE DISMISSED AS RIDICULOUS AND NOT, NOT AND SHOULDN'T ENTER THE CONVERSATION.

WE ALL HAVE OUR OPINIONS AND WE SHOULD ALL BE ABLE TO SPEAK THEM.

AND, UH, WE SHOULD ALL BE, UM, ACKNOWLEDGED THAT OTHER PEOPLE HAVE DISAGREEMENTS OF OPINIONS.

UH, COMMISSIONER S MAGULA.

YEAH, I, I AGREE WITH, UM, COMMISSIONER HOLT.

I THINK THIS IS A WHOLE NOTHER CONVERSATION, AND I THINK THAT IF IT WERE, UM, IF COMMISSIONER NIELSEN WANTS TO BRING IT UP ON, ON A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM AT THE END OF THE MEETING, I DEFINITELY THINK THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT DESERVES DISCUSSION.

UM, AND DECIDING ON, IS THIS A POLICY CHANGE AT THE ANIMAL CENTER? IS THIS A CITY OF AUSTIN POLICY CHANGE? IS THIS A CODE CHANGE? WHAT IS IT THAT WE, THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT? AND IS IT IN OUR PURVIEW IN THIS COMMISSION TO DO THAT? COMMISSIONER NELSON, JUST WANNA SAY, I DIDN'T SAY ANYBODY'S OPINION WAS RIDICULOUS.

I SAID IT WAS A RIDICULOUS ARGUMENT TO TRY TO APPLY AGAINST SOMEBODY'S LOGIC THAT'S DIFFERENT FROM OPINION.

ALL I WILL, UH, I'LL LEAVE IT AT THAT.

I THINK IT SPEAKS FOR ITSELF.

UH, COMMISSIONER LINDER, I WAS JUST GONNA SAY, IF THERE IS A WORKING GROUP THAT'S FORMED AROUND THIS, I THINK, UM, MY UNDERSTANDING, UM, I THINK THIS IS THE CASE IN TEXAS AS WELL, IS THAT HISTORICALLY, UM, IT'S BEEN VETERINARY MEDICAL ASSOCIATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN, UM, OPPOSED TO ALLOWING SHELTERS, UM, TO PROVIDE, UM, ANY KIND OF MEDICAL CARE TO OWNED ANIMALS.

UM, SO I THINK IF THERE'S A WORKING GROUP THAT'S FORMED, I WOULD SUGGEST THAT WE TRY TO ENGAGE STAKEHOLDERS IN THAT, UM, VETERINARY MEDICAL COMMUNITY TO UNDERSTAND THAT OPPOSITION AND WHETHER THERE MIGHT BE, UM, WAYS OF MITIGATING THAT.

COMMISSIONER HASSEN? UH, YES.

JUST LAST THING.

THERE WAS AN SOP, UM, ON THIS.

I DON'T KNOW THAT WE NEED A WORKING GROUP.

THERE WAS AN SOP LAYING OUT WHAT SUFFERING MEANT AND THEN WHAT THE POLICY WAS TO PLEA AN ANIMAL TO A PA PRIOR TO EUTHANIZING IT IF IT COULD BE TREATED.

BUT I THINK IT MIGHT BE HELPFUL TO REVISIT SOME OF THOSE, I DON'T KNOW IF THEY'RE JUST NOT IN EXISTENCE ANYMORE, BUT, UM, THIS HAS NOT, THIS IS NOT AN ISSUE WE HEAR ABOUT ON COMMISSION.

THIS IS NOT SOMETHING CONSTITUENTS ARE COMING TO COMPLAIN ABOUT, UM, OR BE UPSET ABOUT.

THIS IS, THIS FEELS LIKE A NON-ISSUE TO ME.

UM, A A C EUTHANIZES ANIMALS THAT NEED TO BE EUTHANIZED AND LUCKILY HAS A PA AS A PARTNER TO SEND ANIMALS THAT ARE KIND OF ON THAT BORDERLINE.

UM, SO I JUST WOULD HATE FOR US TO WASTE TIME WHEN THE SHELTER IS IN ABSOLUTE CRISIS ON SOMETHING THAT IS NOT A, UM, A HUGE ISSUE IN OUR COMMUNITY.

COMMISSIONER NELSON.

UM, SO OBVIOUSLY, I, I, I DISAGREE.

UM, EVEN IF THERE IS A SOAP AND, AND IF IT ANSWERS ALL OF THESE QUESTIONS, IT WOULD BE WORTH DISCUSSING IN A WORKING GROUP BECAUSE IT'S NOT BEING IN IMPLEMENTED IN A WAY THAT THE COMMUNITY CAN USE.

AND I WILL SAY THAT THIS ISSUE DOES CONTRIBUTE TO, UH, TO THE ISSUES THAT THE SHELTER AND THAT HAPPENS BECAUSE IT'S NOT AN OPTION.

I HAVE OBSERVED THAT THERE ARE MANY ANIMALS THAT ARE, UM, THAT ARE, THAT ARE REPORTED AS JUST BEING FOUND.

UM, AND, AND THEY COME INTO THE SHELTER.

AND THE FACT THAT AS A VETERINARIAN ASSESSING A SICK

[01:20:01]

OR INJURED ANIMAL AND, AND BECAUSE THE O BECAUSE SOMEBODY HAD TO JUST CLAIM IT WAS A STRAY ANIMAL IN ORDER TO, TO HAVE IT GO TO THE SHELTER, I DON'T GET THE BENEFIT OF ANY HISTORY.

I HAVE TO TRY TO TREAT THESE ANIMALS KNOWING NOTHING ABOUT WHAT THEY'VE BEEN THROUGH, WHAT THE PROGRESSION HAS BEEN.

AND, AND SO I DON'T HAVE A NUMBER FOR IT, BUT I KNOW THAT ANIMALS ARE, BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE DESPERATE TO, THEY CAN NO LONGER CARE FOR THEM.

THEY'RE DESPERATE TO GET THEM HAVE, THEY'RE DESPERATE FOR THESE ANIMALS TO GET WHAT THEY NEED.

AND THE SHELTER IS THE ONLY PLACE THEY CAN DO IT.

AND SO THEY'RE FORCED TO GET THEIR ANIMALS THERE THROUGH CHANNELS THAT USE UP A LOT OF RESOURCES THAT WOULDN'T NEED TO BE USED UP IF THIS WERE AN ACTUAL SERVICE THAT COULD BE ACCESSED BY OUR COMMUNITY.

THE CLERK'S OFFICE, HOLD ON.

I'M SORRY.

THE CLERK'S OFFICE, AND YOU MAY BE SAYING THE SAME THING, HAS CORRECTLY INFORMED ME THAT WE HAVE STRAYED FROM QUESTIONS FROM AUSTIN PETS ALIVE TO A DEBATE ON A NONPOSTED TOPIC.

SO IF THERE ARE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR AUSTIN PETS ALIVE, UH, LET'S HAVE THEM.

UM, AND THEN IF NOT, WE'LL MOVE ON.

UH, COMMISSIONER QUICK ONE.

UM, AS THE MOM, UH, FEELING LEUKEMIA CAT, UM, AND HAS A SPECIAL PLACE IN MY HEART FOR THEM, I AM INTERESTED IN KNOWING WHAT Y'ALL'S PROTOCOL FOR THAT IS.

I'VE DONE A LOT OF RESEARCH WITH SOME OF MY RESCUE STUFF, UM, AND WORKED WITH SEVERAL CATS THAT HAVE EXPERIENCED MUCH LONGER, LESS.

SO.

I WOULD LOVE TO CONNECT YOU WITH THE TIPS THAT I HAVE AND HEAR WHAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING SO I CAN HELP SPREAD IT WITH THAT COMMUNITY.

ARE YOU COOL IF I EMAIL YOU DIRECTLY, STEPHANIE? YEAH, THAT'S FINE.

AND THEN I CAN CONNECT YOU WITH OUR, OUR VEY TEAM TEAM.

THAT'D BE GREAT.

THANK YOU.

YEAH.

COOL.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR AUSTIN PET'S LIFE? THANK YOU.

THANK YOU.

UH, NEXT IS DISCUSSION

[4. Discussion on Euthanization Process for Injured Deer]

ON NUMBER FOUR, DISCUSSION ON EUTHANIZATION PROCESS FOR INJURED DEER.

UM, I WAS NOT PART OF THIS, SO I DON'T KNOW WHOSE ITEM THIS IS.

I THINK THIS WAS FROM CRAIG NA, UH, BUT IT'S ON THE AGENDA.

SO SOMEBODY PUT IT ON THE AGENDA.

I, I DON'T KNOW.

DOES ANYBODY, I PUT IT, LARRY AND I PUT IT ON THE AGENDA.

OKAY.

UH, AS A COURTESY TO CRAIG, AND HE CAME IN AND TALKED ABOUT IT LAST TIME, AND WE PUT IT ON THE AGENDA FOR TODAY TO SEE IF WE WOULD, IF WE COULD TAKE ACTION ON IT.

OKAY.

UH, IT'S NOT POSTED AS AN ACTION ITEM, HOWEVER IT IS POSTED AS A DISCUSSION ITEM IF ANYBODY WANTS TO DISCUSS IT.

COMMISSIONER HERRERA, I THINK WE WAS JUST GOING TO REVIEW THE A PD PROTOCOL TO DO THAT, THAT, UH, EUTHANIZE THE DEER.

UH, BUT I, I DON'T HAVE ANY OF THAT INFORMATION.

IF YOU ALL WANT, WE CAN ASK JASON TO HELP US TO FIND THE PROTOCOLS FROM A PD IN CASE, UH, THEY NEED TO DO THIS WITH THE DEERS COMMISSIONER.

I THINK THAT'S AN EXCELLENT IDEA.

LUIS, UH, COMMISSIONER NELSON.

AND, AND MY RECOLLECTION OF THE DISCUSSION WAS, UM, ALSO WE WANTED TO REVIEW THE 3 1 1 PROTOCOL FOR WHEN THEY RECEIVE A CALL LIKE THIS.

THAT'S CORRECT.

AND THAT, UM, JASON AND DON WERE GONNA LOOK INTO THAT.

AND THEN THE OTHER THING THAT I DID THAT I REMEMBER DISCUSSION WAS PUT IT ON THE AGENDA FOR FORMATION OF A WORKING GROUP.

BUT, SO, BUT AGAIN, LIKE YOU'VE SAID, WE COULD DO THAT INFORMALLY.

UH, COMMISSIONER SULA.

YEAH.

SO I, I HAD, I BELIEVE, UM, I DID A MOTION TO FORM A WORKING GROUP ON THIS BEFORE I WAS INFORMED THAT THERE IS A PROCESS IN PLACE.

AND SO I PULLED BACK MY MOTION TO FORM THAT WORKING GROUP.

UM, AND SO I AGREE.

I THINK IF WE CAN GET, UM, THE ANIMAL CENTER MANAGEMENT TO GET WITH A PD AND FIGURE OUT, GET US THIS PROTOCOL, SEE WHAT IT IS, IF WE NEED TO LOOK AT IT AND MAYBE MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO UPDATE IT, WE CAN DO THAT.

I, I THINK IT'S, I THINK IT'S A RECOMMENDATION AND EDUCATION TO OUR COMMUNITY, BECAUSE I THINK MORE THAN ONE, WHEN SEEN AN INJURED, THE YEAR IS GOING TO BE EASIER.

JUST PULL THE GUN AND SHOOT AND THAT IT'S COMPLETELY LEGAL.

ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR DISCUSSIONS? SO I THINK, I'M NOT SURE IF YOU'RE STILL HERE, MR. GARZA, OR, UM, STILL ABLE TO SPEAK HERE, BUT, UM, I THINK, UH, UH, INFORMALLY, UM, THERE, THERE APPEARS TO BE A DESIRE TO HAVE AN UPDATE FROM STAFF ON,

[01:25:01]

UM, THE 3 1 1, UH, PROTOCOL AND IF THERE IS A POLICE PROTOCOL.

UM, IF YOU COULD, IF YOU GUYS COULD ATTEMPT TO GET THAT FOR THE NEXT MEETING, I THINK IT WOULD BE APPRECIATED.

YEAH, I, THE GROUP, I CAN TRACK IT DOWN AND SEND IT TO EVERYONE.

UH, IN A, IN A NUTSHELL THOUGH, AND I, I DID HAVE A, A FOLLOW UP CONVERSATION WITH 3 0 1 FROM THE EXPLANATION I GAVE AT THE LAST MEETING.

THEY WILL ALSO, IF THEY DO RECEIVE A CALL FROM A RESIDENT OR CITIZEN WHO, WHO SEES AN INJURED GEAR, THEY WILL TAKE IN THE SERVICE REQUEST AND THEN FORWARD THAT TO THE APPROPRIATE LAW AGENCY.

SO IF IT'S A PD OR IF IT'S TRAVIS COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE, UM, SO A PD WILL THEN GO OUT AND ASSESS AND THEN, YOU KNOW, DETERMINE THEY, THEY HAVE TO GO THROUGH, UH, APPROVALS IF THEY HAVE TO DISCHARGE A FIREARM IN ORDER TO, UH, EUTHANIZE THE ANIMAL.

BUT I CAN SEE ABOUT GETTING ANYTHING THAT'S WRITTEN, UM, ASKING OUR, OUR A PD FOLKS WHO ARE IN-HOUSE AND, AND WORK FROM THERE.

THANK YOU.

ALRIGHT.

IS THERE ANY OTHER DISCUSSION OR QUESTIONS ON, UM, ITEM NUMBER FOUR? OKAY.

WE'LL

[5. Discussion and possible action on formation of Working Group on Finder to Foster Program]

MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER FIVE.

UH, DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON FORMATION OF WORKING GROUP ON FINDER TO FOSTER PROGRAM.

UH, I THINK, IS THAT YOU DR. NELSON? MM-HMM.

.

YEAH.

I, I APOLOGIZE.

I HAVEN'T GONE BACK TO LOOK AT THE VIDEOS TO SEE IF WE WERE EVER FORMED, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE WE WERE NOT, BUT, SO I WAS HOPING WE COULD JUST VOTE ON IT.

AND THEN ALSO I'LL ASK TO PUT ON NEXT TIME, UM, FOR US TO PRESENT SOMETHING FOR US TO VOTE ON AS A RECOMMENDATION.

OKAY.

SO THE MOTION IS TO FORM A MO A WORKING GROUP ON FINDER TO FOSTER PROGRAM.

IS THERE A SECOND? I SECOND.

COMMISSIONER HERRERA.

UH, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? ANY OPPOSED? UH, IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S UNANIMOUS.

ITEM NUMBER SIX, DISCUSSION AND

[6. Discussion and possible action on formation of Working Group to Discuss Budget]

POSSIBLE ACTION ON FORMATION OF WORKING GROUP TO DISCUSS BUDGET.

UM, WHOSE AGENDA ITEM IS THIS? COMM, DR. NELSON? UH, YEAH, I THINK, I THINK AS A PART, PART OF OUR, UM, ROLE IN, IN TRANSPARENCY AS WELL AS THIS ALL UNDERSTANDING HOW OUR MUNICIPAL SHELTER RUNS, I THINK A WORKING GROUP TO DIVE INTO THIS AS REQUESTED BY THE MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL.

IS THERE A SECOND? CAN, UH, DR. BRUCE IS THE SECOND, UH, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION, DR. BRUCE WORKING GROUP TO DISCUSS BUDGET TO WORKING GROUP TO DISCUSS AND MAKE BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS? HOW ABOUT ON BUDGET? YES.

SO, UH, THAT'S A FRIENDLY, I WILL YOU ACCEPT MY FRIENDLY AMENDMENT? I WILL, WILL.

YOU'LL ACCEPT ALL.

SO DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON FORM FORMATION OF WORKING GROUP ON BUDGET.

OKAY.

YES.

UH, IT'S SO, UH, THAT'S BEEN ACCEPTED.

DEFENDANT, IT'S BEEN SECONDED.

IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? DID YOU TALK ANY DISCUSSION? UH, COMMISSIONER HOLT, I HAVE A QUESTION.

'CAUSE IT RELATES TO THE, UM, PUBLIC COMMENT FROM THE BEGINNING.

DO WE KNOW WHEN THE LAST TIME WE RE-COMP COMPETED? OR DO WE EVEN CONSIDER RE-COMP COMPETING ANY OF OUR NONPROFIT PARTNER CONTRACTS? I'M GONNA LET MR. GARZA ANSWER THAT QUESTION.

THE, I THINK THE QUESTION IS, UM, WHICH IF ANY CONTRACTS, UM, GET PUBLICLY, UH, RFPI REQUESTED FOR, FOR PROPOSAL? UH, WELL, I MEAN, ANY POTENTIAL CONTRACT THE CITY HAS CAN, CAN GO THROUGH THE RFP PROCESS.

UM, IF WITH WITH EMANCIPET, UH, WE COULD POTENTIALLY, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD HAVE TO BEGIN THE IRP PROCESS IN ORDER TO, TO WRITE DOWN EVERYTHING THE CITY WANTS OR IS LOOKING FORWARD IN A CONTRACT AND THEN PUT THAT OUT FOR BID.

I, I UNDER, SORRY, I DON'T MEAN TO INTERRUPT.

I THINK THE QUESTION IS, UH, OF THE ONES THAT WE HAVE, AND SO I GUESS THAT WOULD BE EMANCIPET AND THE EMERGENCY CLINIC.

THERE MAY BE OTHERS.

UM, HUMAN, THE TNR AGREEMENT, UH, THE TNR.

THAT'S RIGHT.

SO OF THOSE THREE, ARE THOSE ANNUALLY, UM, R FPD OR ARE THEY SIMPLY UM, UM, ADMINISTRATIVELY, UH, RE I THINK THE LAST TIME IT MEANT, I THINK THEY ALL CAN BE OUR, UH, GO THROUGH A PERSON PROCESS.

I THINK THE LAST SPE THOUGH, THEY, IT WAS ADMINISTRATIVELY RENEWED.

I'D HAVE TO LOOK AT THE, THE, THE TIMELINE FOR WHEN IT WAS, UM, THE SOCIETY CONTRACT JUST HAPPENED MAYBE A YEAR OR TWO AGO, AND I THINK IT WAS LIKE A FIVE YEAR CONTRACT.

UM, BUT YES, IF ONCE WE'RE GETTING CLOSE TO IT, WE START WORKING WITH PURCHASING ON, ON SORT OF THE NEXT STEPS IN ORDER TO EITHER, UH, GET A BID OR IF THERE'S ANY OPTIONS TO RENEW.

SO THE REASON I

[01:30:01]

WAS ASKING IS, 'CAUSE I USED TO WORK IN AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH AND DID THESE CONTRACTS, NOT WITH ANIMAL SHELTER SERVICES, BUT WITH HUMAN SERVICES.

UM, AND I KNOW IT WAS LIKE ABOUT EVERY FIVE TO SEVEN YEARS IS WHEN WE WOULD RECOMPETE BASED OFF OF A FUNDING ISSUE AREA.

AND I WAS CURIOUS, 'CAUSE I KNOW THAT THERE WERE RECOMMENDATIONS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HOW WE ADDRESS, UM, THE POTENTIAL DISCREPANCIES WITH EMAN PET SERVICES.

NOT, I DON'T KNOW WHETHER THERE ARE OR NOT.

SO JUST SPEAKING PURELY, HYPOTHETICALLY BASED OFF THE POINTS MADE, AND I WAS JUST CURIOUS IF WE HAD A PROJECTED TIMELINE OF WHEN WE WOULD NATURALLY RECOMPETE AND REEVALUATE THESE THINGS, OR IT'S SOUNDING LIKE MAYBE NOT, I DON'T KNOW.

JUST CURIOUS.

YEAH, WE'D HAVE, I'D HAVE TO LOOK AT THE, THE CONTRACT TO SEE IF IT'S BEING RENEWED AND I THINK SOMEONE SAID MARCH, HOW LONG IT'S RENEWED FOR.

AND I THINK IT'S PART OF THAT, I WANNA SAY IT'S A FIVE YEAR CONTRACT THAT'S ADMINISTRATIVELY RENEWED EACH YEAR WE'LL PROBABLY START HAVING THAT CONVERSATION WITH PURCHASING FOLKS AND A PA EACH FOLKS AS THEY WORK, THEY DO OUR PURCHASING FOR US, UM, TO SORT OF START BUILDING THAT RFP AGREEMENT, UM, OR RFP PROPOSALS THAT WE COULD PUT OUT TO BID AND SEE WHAT, WHAT PROPOSALS WE RECEIVED.

ARE WE ABLE TO GET A COPY, UM, OF THE CONTRACT THAT CURRENTLY EXISTS WITH US IN EMAN PET? YEAH, WE HAVE THAT COULD DO.

SORRY, WHEN I MEANT THAT, I MEANT LIKE, COULD YOU SEND IT TO US OR WHAT'S THE BEST WAY FOR ME TO GET THAT? YEAH, THANK YOU.

AND APOLOGIES.

YEAH, MA, WE CAN SEND IT TO YOU.

YOU'RE GOOD.

THANK YOU.

UM, I WOULD NOTE, AND I, AND EVERYONE CAN MAKE THEIR OWN DECISION, UM, I JUST WANTED TO NOTE THAT HISTORICALLY THE COMMISSION HAS NOT, UM, PARTICIPATED IN, UM, THE, THE PROCESS OR LOOKED AT THE PROCESS OF, UM, OF CONTRACTING WITH THIRD PARTIES.

THAT DOESN'T MEAN WE CAN'T, THAT DOESN'T MEAN I JUST FLAG IT AS A, A, SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT, UM, TO THE EXTENT THERE IS A DESIRE TO DO THAT IN THE FUTURE.

UM, SO BECAUSE THEN MY INTENTIONS ARE CLEAR, I AM NOT NECESSARILY TRYING TO LIKE RUN A COMPETITION.

I JUST THINK IT WOULD BE USEFUL TO LOOK AT THE CONTRACT.

I, I, AND I DON'T DISAGREE.

I JUST WANTED TO FLAG THE ISSUE.

UM, AND I'M NOT SAYING THAT IT IS OR IS IS NOT WITHIN OUR PURVIEW.

I JUST WANTED TO FLAG THAT.

UM, IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE'VE LOOKED INTO IN THE PAST.

UM, OKAY.

SO WE HAVE A, UM, PROPOSAL.

IT HAS BEEN FRIENDLY, AMENDED, UH, IS THERE ANY MORE DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? ANY OPPOSED, UH, THAT PASSED UNANIMOUSLY AS WELL? UM, DO WE HAVE, SO, UH, WE

[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]

NEXT GO TO FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS AGAIN, UM, THIS DOES NOT HAVE TO BE SOMETHING THAT WE ARE PROPOSED HERE.

THEY CAN BE PROPOSED AT ANY TIME.

UM, TO THE EXTENT THAT YOU NEED A SECOND, JUST LET ME KNOW OR COPY ME ON IT AND YOU CAN LIKELY GET A SECOND.

UM, ACTUALLY I SHOULD GO BACKWARDS.

SORRY.

UH, WE NEED A CHAIR FOR THE WORKING GROUP ON BUDGET.

DOES SOMEONE WANNA VOLUNTEER AS THE CHAIR? DR. BRUCE? I'D BE WILLING TO DO THAT.

THANK YOU DR. BRUCE.

SO IF YOU ARE IN EITHER HERE, WE DON'T HAVE TO MAKE UP THE CONSTITUTION.

NOW, IF YOU'RE EITHER HERE TODAY OR YOU'RE IN THE AUDIENCE, UM, AND YOU WANT TO PARTICIPATE THAT, UM, PLEASE TALK TO DR. BRUCE ABOUT THAT.

UH, FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS, LIKE I MENTIONED, YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE THEM HERE.

OH, DR. BRUCE? YES.

SORRY.

I I WAS JUMPING AHEAD TO FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. UM, JUST CURIOUS HOW TO WORD THIS.

SO I, I DO LIKE, UM, PAT'S, UH, SUGGESTION FOR A BRIEFING ABOUT, UH, THE EMANCIPATES CONTRACT AND, AND KIND OF, UH, PERFORMANCE MEASURES.

SO WOULD THAT BE A AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER STAFF MEMBER? YEAH, THAT'D BE A STAFF BRIEFING.

SO REQUESTED STAFF BRIEFING ON, UM, SO LAST FISCAL YEAR? YEAH, THE LAST FISCAL YEAR, I GUESS RESULTS.

UM, AND THEN A SEPARATE ACTION ITEM, UM, FOR DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE FORMATION OF A WORKING GROUP TO DISCUSS THE EMANCIPATE CONTRACT.

OKAY.

SO, UH, ONE ITEM IS REQUESTED STAFF BRIEFING ON EMANCIPET CONTRACT.

AND THEN YOU WANT A SECOND, UH, AGENDA ITEM ON, UH, WORKING GROUP ON EMANCIPET CONTRACT.

IS THAT RIGHT? UH, ARE THERE SECONDS ON THESE ITEMS? YES, ON BOTH.

SURE.

UH, DR.

NELSON'S SECONDS BOTH.

ARE THERE ANY OTHER, UM, AGENDA ITEMS NOW? I'D LIKE TO, IT'S, IT'S NOT A SPEAK NOW OR FOREVER HOLD YOUR PIECE.

YES, DR. NELSON.

UM, JUST, UM, DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON RECOMMENDATIONS FROM FINDER TO FOSTER WORKING GROUP.

UH, SO THAT WOULD BE ANOTHER AGENDA ITEM DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON RECOMMENDATIONS FROM WORKING GROUP ON FINDER TO FOSTER PROGRAM.

UM, IS THERE A SECOND? COMMISSIONER S MAGULA?

[01:35:01]

UM, ANY OTHER AGENDA ITEMS? ALL OH, HOLD, YES, I'M SORRY, COMMISSIONER.

YES.

UH, DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION REGARDING OWNER INTENDED EUTHANASIA POSSIBLE ACTION ON FORMATION OF WORKING GROUP REGARDING OWNER INTENDED EUTHANASIA AT CITY SHELTER.

LILY, DID YOU GET THAT? NO.

UH, DISCUSSION.

I'M JUST, I'LL JUST REPEAT IT FOR THE RECORD.

UM, DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION INFORMATION OF WORKING GROUP ON OWNER INTENDED EUTHANASIA AT CITY SHELTER.

UH, DO WE HAVE A SECOND? I SECOND.

COMMISSIONER RA IS THE SECOND.

UH, ANY OTHER AGENDA ITEMS? ALL? ALRIGHT, UM, ON THAT NOTE, I'LL ADJOURN THE MEETING AT 7 38.