[00:00:03]
[CALL TO ORDER ]
O'CLOCK ON FEBRUARY 12TH, 2024.THIS IS THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE TRAVIS COUNTY, AUSTIN ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION.
UM, WE WILL START WITH A ROLL CALL.
UH, DO WE HAVE NANCY EMER? NOT YET.
COMMISSIONER TUCKER IS NOT HERE YET.
I DON'T KNOW IF COMMISSIONER HASSEN IS JOINING US TONIGHT.
SHE'S NOT HERE YET, IF AT ALL.
UM, COMMISSIONER HUDDLESTON IS ALSO NOT, NOT YET PRESENT.
AND DR. BRUCE PRESENT, BUT WE HAVE SEVEN SO LONG AS THE TWO COMMISSIONERS ONLINE.
IF I COULD ALSO JUMP IN QUICK.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THE TWO COMMISSIONERS THAT JOINED ONLINE SUBMITTED THAT EMAIL SAYING THAT THEY'RE JOINING THE MEETING AND THAT THEY EITHER DO OR DON'T HAVE ANY RECUSALS OR ABSTENTIONS JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DO HAVE QUORUM.
'CAUSE WE DON'T WANT THEM TO BE COUNTED ABSENT.
WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO CONFIRM WITH THEM THEY'VE SENT IT IN? IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE ASKING? THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
UH, HAVE YOU GUYS CONFIRMED THAT YOU SENT IN AN EMAIL INDICATING THAT YOU HAVE NO EITHER SIGNING THE SHEET OR INDICATING THAT YOU HAVE NO, UM, UH, ISSUE WITH ONE OF THE AGENDA ITEMS? I HAVEN'T SENT IT YET 'CAUSE I WAS TRYING TO BE IN PERSON TONIGHT AND IT JUST DIDN'T WORK OUT THAT WAY.
DO YOU WANT ME TO SEND IT NOW? YES.
TO WHOM DO YOU WANT HER TO SEND IT TO? ADRIANA? TO LILY.
DO YOU HAVE HER EMAIL ADDRESS? NOPE.
I JUST DIDN'T WANT Y'ALL TO, I DON'T KNOW.
SO, UH, I DID, UH, EMAIL MINE SIGN.
AND AS PER JASON'S DIRECTION, I SENT TO LELY AND BELINDA, JASON HAS CONFIRMED THAT IT WAS RECEIVED.
COMMISSIONER MAGULA, IF YOU COULD PUT YOUR CAMERA ON, WE COULD, UM, START.
IS SHE ABLE TO HEAR ME? I THINK SO.
TECHNOLOGY, BUT, BUT YOU ARE, IT'S A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT THERAPY, BUT YOU ARE GOING TO BE VERY ASSERTIVE WITH TINY MUSCLES ON MENS WITH
THEY SEE THE FASTEST THAT WE CUT THESE LADIES FROM MOTHER PLANET.
[00:05:26]
I SEE YOU.HAVE YOU SENT THE EMAIL? I'M WORKING ON IT.
I'VE GOT A SLOW INTERNET CONNECTION THAT'S NOT HELPING ME.
SO LONG AS WE CAN SEE YOUR VIDEO, UM, WE CAN PROCEED.
CAN YOU HEAR US AND CONFIRM THAT YOU'RE THERE.
COMMISSIONER SIGLO CAN, I'M GUESSING NO.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE RULE ON IS.
IF WE CAN SEE THEM, BUT THEY CAN'T HEAR OR SEE US.
WE COULD START TALKING ABOUT THE MINUTES.
BUT YOU DON'T WANNA VOTE? YEAH, WE'RE GONNA GET, WE'RE GONNA GET SOMEWHERE AWFULLY FAST IS THE PROBLEM.
WHY DON'T WE HAVE SADIE SPALDING INTRODUCE HERSELF WHILE HE, WE HAVE A CHANCE.
LILY IS, UH, TRANSITIONING OFF OF THIS ROLE AND SADIE SPALDING IS TRANSITIONING ON.
WHY DON'T YOU SAY HI? OH, OKAY.
UM, I WILL BE, UH, FILLING IN FOR BELINDA WHEN SHE RETIRES.
UM, AND I'M HERE TO LEARN FROM LILY.
BELINDA'S LIKE THE MICHAEL JORDAN OF EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT.
WOULD IT BE OKAY IF I DO LIKE A ADOBE CERTIFIED SIGNATURE IN LIEU OF A PRINTED SIGNATURE? I'M JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT THE FASTEST WAY TO GET MYSELF CHECKED IN.
I CAN SEND YOU THE LANGUAGE THAT YOU CAN SEND.
IT CAN JUST BE A, OH, A SIMPLE SENTENCE THAT SAYS I'LL BE ATTENDING AND I AM NOT ABSTAINING OR RECUSING FOR MANY ITEMS. OR IF YOU ARE, LEMME DO.
I THOUGHT THAT ACTUAL FORM WAS WHAT WAS REQUIRED.
LEMME SEND THAT JUST REALLY QUICK.
THANKS COMMISSIONER SMLE, CAN YOU HEAR US YET? YES, I CAN NOW HEAR YOU.
ALRIGHT, WE'RE BACK IN BUSINESS.
[PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL]
CITIZEN COMMUNICATION.UH, I DON'T HAVE ANY, I'VE NOT BEEN TOLD IF WE HAVE ANY SPEAKERS.
DO WE HAVE ANY ONLINE SPEAKERS? NO.
UH, LET'S HAVE, UH, ROCHELLE VICKERY.
I'M HERE TO, UH, GET SOMETHING.
UH, LAST MONTH WHEN I WAS HERE, I SAID SOMETHING ABOUT BUILD SOMETHING AND LOUISE WENT BALLISTIC ON ON US.
I DON'T MEAN TO BUILD KENNELS, I MEANT BUILD SOMETHING.
GET SOME FACILITY TO DO THE SPADE AND NEUTER BECAUSE, UH, THEY CAN'T DO IT AT, AT EMANCIPATE.
THEY DON'T HAVE ROOM FOR LARGE DOGS.
AND GUESS WHO HAS LARGE LITTERS? LARGE DOGS.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT.
YOU KNOW, I JUST, I IT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, THEY, THE LITTLE DOGS HAVE LITTLE LITTERS AND I UNDERSTAND THAT.
[00:10:01]
THEY'RE GETTING A PLACE SOMEWHERE ON EAST SIDE.THEY'RE NOT, THEY'RE NOT, THEY CAN'T DO 'EM ON THE MOBILE AND, AND EVERYTHING.
AND THAT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M ADAMANT ABOUT SPAYED AND NEUTER AND, AND I'M JUST, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO GET SOMETHING STARTED.
OR IF Y'ALL WOULD DO SOMETHING OF, TO GET THE MORE SPAYED AND NEUTER.
THAT'S ALL I WANT BECAUSE IT IS WORKING WITH THE CATS.
THAT'S DEFINITELY WORKING WITH THE CATS.
'CAUSE THE SHELTER DOESN'T HAVE VERY MANY CATS IN, IN, IN THE SHELTER UP FOR ADOPTION.
SO THIS BAD AND NEUTER MUST BE WORKING.
UH, OR WE WOULDN'T, OR WE'D HAVE AN OVERFLOW OF IT.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S ALL I WANTED TO SEE, YOU KNOW, SETTLED WHAT I SAID LAST MONTH.
'CAUSE I DON'T WANNA BUILD MORE KENNELS, EVEN THOUGH HE SAYS THEY NEED THEM.
I SAID, THAT ISN'T WHAT I WAS ASKING FOR.
I WAS ASKING FOR US TO GET SOMETHING FOR, TO GET THESE LARGE DOGS DONE.
YOU KNOW, I DO THE BEST I CAN BECAUSE I'M A TRAPPER AND I SEE PEOPLE AND I GET VOUCHERS FOR 'EM AND, AND THEY ARE GETTING DONE.
BUT I, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST WHEN I'M TRAPPING AT CAT'S HOUSES, SOMETIMES THEY HAVE BIG DOGS AND I TALK 'EM INTO DO SOMETHING.
BUT THAT'S ALL I WANTED TO SET, GET THAT STRAIGHTENED OUT THAT I'M NOT LOOKING FOR KENNELS.
I'M LOOKING FOR A PLACE WE CAN FIND, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING TO GET THESE BIG DOGS DONE.
AND I GUESS JUST TO FOLLOW UP, LAST MONTH, UM, MS. VICKERY, WHEN I ASKED WHERE YOU HAD SEEN THE LARGE DOGS RECOVERING FROM SURGERY IN THE SMALLER KENNELS THAT WAS AT EMANCIPATE AND NOT AT AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER.
'CAUSE THEY, THEY GOT KENNELS FOR, FOR THE SMALLER DOGS.
UHHUH
THEY, THEY, THEY HAVE, UH, SPACE FOR THE LITTLE DOGS AND PEOPLE WITH THEIR CATS.
SO, BUT THE LARGE DOGS, THEY DON'T HAVE LARGE KENNELS AND YOU KNOW HOW BIG THEY GOTTA BE FOR A BIG DOG WHEN IT'S LAID OUT.
YEAH, THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S WHERE I SAW IT.
SO, UM, CAN YOU HEAR ME OKAY? NEVER KNOW WHAT THE RIGHT DISTANCE IS OF THE MICROPHONE, BUT THANK YOU.
UM, CHAIR CLINTON ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION MEMBERS AND MEMBERS OF THE AUSTIN COMMUNITY WHO ARE EITHER WATCHING ONLINE OR WILL WATCH ONLINE OR HAVE COME HERE TO SPEAK.
UM, I ESPECIALLY WANNA START BY THANKING DR. BRUCE AND DR. NIELSEN FOR LAST MONTH, UM, ASKING THAT THE STAFF DO A BRIEFING ON THE EMANCIPATE CONTRACT.
UM, I THINK IT'S UNFORTUNATE THAT THAT DIDN'T MAKE IT ONTO THE AGENDA.
BUT I DO APPRECIATE YOU CHAIR CLINTON FOR ASKING THE STAFF TO BE PREPARED TO ANSWER QUESTIONS.
AND I HOPE THERE WILL BE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE EMANCIPATE CONTRACT IN PARTICULAR, THE QUESTION ABOUT THE RENEWAL THAT IS DUE TO HAPPEN IN MARCH AND WHETHER OR NOT WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE SOME RECOMMENDATIONS TO HAVE THE RENEWAL PROCESS INCORPORATE MUCH, MUCH BETTER PERFORMANCE MEASURES.
IN MY OPINION, THE EMANCIPATE CONTRACT HAS TERRIBLE, TERRIBLE PERFORMANCE MEASURES AND THEY NEED TO BE IMPROVED.
AND THIS IS THE TIME TO IMPROVE THEM.
UM, I THINK YOU SHOULD TAKE A LOOK AT IT.
I REALIZE THAT BECAUSE IT'S NOT, THERE'S NOT A STAFF BRIEFING THIS, THE TIME IS SHORT, BUT I THINK THERE'S THINGS YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT.
UM, I ALSO WANNA THANK MS. VICKERY FOR COMING TIME, AFTER TIME AND SPEAKING ABOUT SPAY NEUTER.
UM, SHE AND I, AS YOU KNOW, PROBABLY HAVE VERY DIFFERENT STYLES.
SHE'S VERY EMOTIONAL AND I APPRECIATE HER EMOTION AND I APPRECIATE HER PASSION.
I TEND TO FOCUS MORE ON GOVERNMENT STUFF AND IT'S VERY BORING, BUT I THINK WE MAKE A GOOD COMBINATION.
UM, AND I DO WANNA CLARIFY THAT LAST MONTH AFTER SHE SPOKE, I CALLED HER AND I TALKED TO HER AND I FOUND OUT THAT SHE WAS TALKING ABOUT THE BRICK AND MORTAR CLINIC.
I DID NOT REALIZE THAT WHEN SHE WAS SPEAKING.
I THOUGHT SHE WAS TALKING ABOUT THE MOBILE VANS.
NIEN, WHEN YOU ASKED THAT QUESTION, I THOUGHT SHE SWITCHED IT TO THE AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER.
NOW WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO CLARIFY, SHE'S TALKING ABOUT THE BRICK AND MORTAR CLINIC.
SO THAT EVEN GIVES US MORE OF AN INCENTIVE TO SPEAK TO THE ISSUE ABOUT THE BRICK AND MORTAR CLINIC ONLY HAVING THREE KENNELS FOR LARGE DOGS.
SHE SAID, SHE SAID THEY ONLY HAD THREE KENNELS FOR LARGE DOGS.
[00:15:01]
I HAVE NOT TAKEN IT UPON MYSELF IN ADDITION TO THE WORK I ALREADY DO TO TRY TO FIGURE THAT OUT.BUT I HOPE YOU WILL ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT, IS IT TRUE THAT THE BRICK AND MORTAR CLINIC ONLY HAS THREE KENNELS FOR LARGE DOGS? AND IF NOT, THAT SEEMS LIKE THE EASIEST THING THAT CAN POSSIBLY BE FIXED.
I MEAN, OR FIGURE OUT ANOTHER PLACE TO HAVE KENNELS FOR LARGE DOGS.
THAT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE A, A TOUGH THING TO, TO, TO DISCUSS.
NOW WITH THE EMANCIPATE CONTRACT, THERE IS A VERY COMPLICATED THING, AND I DON'T HAVE TIME TO FINISH THAT, BUT YOU'LL, YOU'LL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO ASK QUESTIONS.
UM, WE'VE LOST COMMISSIONER MULA.
DID YOUR, DO WE HAVE THE EMAIL? GREAT.
SORRY I TURNED OFF MY VIDEO 'CAUSE I WOULD HAD TO DO SOMETHING, BUT I, I'M HERE.
ULA, THE ISSUE WE'RE HAVING IS THAT WE'RE, WELL, WE'RE NOW AT EIGHT, SO WE'RE OKAY.
AND SO IF WE, IF SOMEBODY'S NOT ON, UM, I THINK THEY DON'T COUNT AS A QUORUM, IT'S OKAY TO BE OFF ONCE WE GET A QUORUM.
UH, BUT WE, I THINK WE HAVE TO HAVE A QUORUM, AT LEAST ON VIDEO, UM, TO CONTINUE OUR MEETINGS.
SO, UH, WE HAVE EIGHT AT THE MOMENT, SO IF YOU NEED TO COME IN AND OUT, THAT'S FINE.
I JUST NEEDED TO MAKE SURE THAT COMMISSIONER HOLT'S EMAIL HAD BEEN RECEIVED, WHICH IT HAS BEEN.
UM, FIRST OF ALL, COMMISSIONERS, THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR, UM, FOR BEING HERE AND FOR TAKING PUBLIC COMMENTS.
UM, I'D LIKE TO TALK ABOUT, UM, FO GRAS, WHICH IS A FOOD THAT'S MA, UH, MADE FROM THE DISEASED LIVERS OF FORCE-FED DUCKS.
SO IN ORDER TO PRODUCE FO GRAS, 12 INCH FEEDING TUBES ARE RAMMED DOWN THE DUCK'S THROATS BY PASSING THEIR ESOPHAGITIS AND PUMPING FOOD DIRECTLY INTO THEIR STOMACH CHAMBERS.
ONE POUND OF CORN MASH IS FORCED INTO THE DUCK'S BODIES THREE TIMES PER DAY, WHICH IS EIGHT TIMES WHAT THEY WOULD EAT NATURALLY.
UM, THIS IS A WAY OF FORCE FEEDING THEM TO DEVELOP FATTY LIVER DISEASE, WHICH DISHEARTENINGLY IS A SELLING POINT TO A HANDFUL OF CUSTOMERS.
BUT THE FORCE FEEDING ALSO CAUSES THEM TO SUFFER FROM RUPTURED ORGANS, TUMORS IN THE ESOPHAGUS, DISSENTED, LIVERS, DIGESTIVE FAILURE, AND SOMETIMES ASPHYXIATION PNEUMONIA, WHICH IS DEATH CAUSED BECAUSE FOOD ENTERS THE LUNGS.
ALMOST ALL OF THE FO GRAS PRODUCED IN THE UNITED STATES COMES FROM HUDSON VALLEY, WHICH IS A FARM THAT HAS BEEN EXPOSED FOR EGREGIOUS CRUELTY EVEN BEYOND WHAT USUALLY GOES INTO FO GRAS.
THREE DIFFERENT UNDERCOVER INVESTIGATIONS AT HUDSON VALLEY SPANNING ALMOST 20 YEARS, HAVE FOUND DUCKS WITH FRACTURED STERNUMS AND PUNCTURED NECKS BECAUSE THE FEEDING TUBES WERE FORCED DOWN THEIR THROATS.
WITH SUCH FORCE, SOME DUCKS WERE FORCED TO STAND ON SHARP METAL GRILLS, GIVING THEM FOOT FRACTURES AND BLOODY INFECTED WOUNDS.
ONE INVESTIGATION FOUND THAT EACH WORKER WAS EXPECTED TO FORCE FEED 500 DUCKS THREE TIMES PER DAY, WHICH IS AN OBSCENE PACE THAT LEFT SOME DUCKS INJURED.
AND EVEN DEAD WORKERS WHO, UH, KILLED FEWER THAN 50 DUCKS PER MONTH WERE GIVEN A BONUS BECAUSE IT WAS SO UNCOMMON.
FO GRA IN GENERAL, AND ESPECIALLY FROM HUDSON VALLEY, IS THE PRODUCT OF HEINOUS ANIMAL CRUELTY.
UM, THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT FO GRA IS NOT A CORNERSTONE FOR LOCAL BUSINESSES.
THERE ARE ABOUT 6,000 RESTAURANTS IN AUSTIN, AND ONLY 15 OF THEM SELL FO GRAS.
NONE OF THEM SPECIALIZE IN FO GRAS.
IT'S AN APPETIZER, IT'S A TOPPING.
IT'S NOT THE MAIN THING FOR ANY OF THESE, UH, BUSINESSES.
UM, THERE ARE SIX RESTAURANTS IN THE LAST COUPLE MONTHS THAT HAVE REMOVED FO GRA FROM THEIR MENU.
AND THE OVERWHELMING MAJORITY OF RESTAURANTS, UM, NEVER SOLD FO OUT TO BEGIN WITH.
SO, UH, LOCAL BUSINESSES WOULD BE MINIMALLY IMPACTED IF FO GRA WERE TO BE PHASED OUT.
AND THE IMPACT COULD BE FURTHER MITIGATED IF THE LAW WENT INTO EFFECT, SAY A YEAR AFTER BEING PASSED, WHICH WOULD GIVE THEM PLENTY OF TIME TO SELL THEIR INVENTORIES AND UPDATE THEIR MENUS.
SO, BECAUSE FO GRA IS SO CRUEL AND BECAUSE PHASING IT OUT WOULD NOT SERIOUSLY IMPACT LOCAL BUSINESSES, I REALLY HOPE THAT THIS COUNCIL IS OPEN TO FORMING A GROUP, UH, A WORKING GROUP TO DRAFT A BILL, TO PHASE IT OUT AND TO RECOMMEND THAT BILL TO CITY COUNCIL.
UM, CHRISTIAN CANICE, AM I ABLE TO ASK A CLARIFYING QUESTION FROM THE LAST SPEAKER? SURE.
UM, IS HUDSON VALLEY LOCATED IN TRAVIS COUNTY? DID YOU SAY THAT AND I JUST MISSED IT.
IT, IT'S, IT'S NOT, IT'S LOCATED IN NEW YORK.
THERE, THERE ARE NO PHOTOGRAPH FARMS IN, UM, IN TEXAS AS FAR AS I KNOW.
HELLO, MEMBERS OF THE ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
MY NAME IS CHRISTIAN CANTONS AND I'M A DOCTORAL STUDENT RESIDING HERE IN AUSTIN.
AND THE FIRST THING I WANNA SAY IS, THANK YOU.
I'VE COME HERE TO SPEAK A HANDFUL OF TIMES IN THE PAST ON THE TOPIC OF THE AUSTIN AQUARIUM AND THE LEGISLATION THAT WOULD PROHIBIT PUBLIC CONTACT WITH WILD ANIMALS.
AND EVEN THOUGH THAT'S NOT CURRENTLY ON HOLD, I'M STILL VERY APPRECIATIVE OF HOW OPEN AND RECEPTIVE YOU ALL HAVE BEEN IN THE PAST TO OUR CONCERNS.
BUT I'M NOT HERE TO SPEAK TODAY ABOUT THE AQUARIUM.
I'M HERE BECAUSE, LIKE ALL OF YOU, I BELIEVE THAT THERE ARE MANY MORE THINGS WE CAN DO TO MAKE THIS CITY MAKE THIS A CITY THAT DOES GOOD, UH, THAT DOES GOOD BY ANIMALS OF ALL KINDS.
WITH THAT AIM AND VIEW, I WANT TO JOIN BEN,
[00:20:01]
WHO JUST SPOKE EARLIER AND URGE THE ANIMAL ADVISORY COUNCIL TO DRAFT A BILL THAT WOULD BAN THE SALE OF FO GRA IN OUR CITY.THE MORAL ARGUMENT TO ME HERE IS SIMPLE.
AS A COMMUNITY, WE SHOULD NOT BE TOLERANT OF OTHERS WHO CONTRIBUTE TO AND PROFIT OFF OF SOME OF THE MOST EGREGIOUS FORMS OF ANIMAL ABUSE.
I ALSO THINK THAT THIS WOULD BE A SMART AND TIMELY PIECE OF LEGISLATION.
IF AUSTIN WERE TO BAN THE SALE OF FO GRAS, WE WOULD BE AT THE FOREFRONT OF A GROWING SOCIAL TREND HAPPENING BOTH NATIONALLY AND INTERNATIONALLY.
FO GRAS HAS ALREADY BEEN BANNED IN THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH AND NEW YORK CITY AND THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA AND 18 COUNTRIES SINCE LAST I CHECKED.
SO COUNTRIES LIKE NORWAY, FINLAND, ITALY, DENMARK, INDIA, POLAND, GERMANY, AND THE UK AND A COUPLE OTHERS.
THIS IS A TREND THAT WILL ONLY CONTINUE TO ACCELERATE BOTH DOMESTICALLY AND INTERNATIONALLY.
UH, TO 2003, ZOGBY POLL FOUND THAT 77% OF THE AMERICAN PUBLIC ALREADY CONDEMNS THE PRACTICE OF FORCE FEEDING DUCKS AND SUPPORTS A AND FAVORS A BAN ON THE SALE OF GU GRA.
UM, MORE RECENTLY, A 2019 POLL THAT WAS CONDUCTED IN NEW YORK CITY FOUND THAT 81% OF RESPONDENTS, UM, AND INTERESTINGLY MORE REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS ALSO SUPPORTED A CITYWIDE BAN ON THE SALE OF GU GRA.
AND SO NO P POLLING HAS BEEN DONE IN AUSTIN SPECIFICALLY, BUT I WOULD IMAGINE THAT THE NUMBERS HERE WOULD BE SIMILAR.
UM, MORE SO THAN EVER, CONSUMERS ARE COGNIZANT OF THE IMPACT THEIR CHOICES HAVE ON THE LIVES OF OTHERS.
THEY WANT TO ENSURE THAT THEIR ACTIONS ALIGN WITH THE, THEIR VALUES.
AND I THINK THAT THIS ESPECIALLY DESCRIBES MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY AS WELL.
IN THE END, I THINK THAT THERE'S VERY LITTLE THAT CAN BE SAID AGAINST A SALE, UH, A BAN ON THE SALE OF GRA.
IT IS, IT IS NOT AND HAS NEVER BEEN PART OF OUR CULTURE.
UH, NOBODY WOULD BE SERIOUSLY FINANCIALLY IMPACTED BY THE BAN HAS BEEN MENTIONED EARLIER.
AND GIVEN THAT IT'S ALREADY DEEPLY UNPOPULAR BY THE GENERAL PUBLIC, IT'S VERY UNLIKELY THAT THERE WOULD BE ANY KIND OF PUBLIC OUTLASH UH, BACKLASH.
ON THE OTHER HAND, A A BAN ON THE SALE OF PARAGRA WOULD ESTABLISH AUSTIN AS A LEADER IN THE FIGHT FOR MORE PROGRESSIVE ANIMAL WELFARE LEGISLATION.
AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, I THINK IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO.
MR. CAN, UM, BELINDA TEXTED ME THAT, UM, NO ONE CAN HEAR ANY OF THE AUDIO, UM, FROM THE ONLINE RECORDING AT THE MOMENT.
MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THE MEETINGS GO ON 'CAUSE THEY'RE BEING RECORDED, BUT I JUST WANTED TO REPORT IT SO THAT, UM, TO THE EXTENT THAT WHAT'S THAT? I GOT THE SAME TEXT, SO AS LONG AS IT'S BEING, CAN YOU CONFIRM THAT IT'S BEING RECORDED? 'CAUSE I THINK THAT IS OUR YEAH.
AND SO LONG AS IT'S BEING RECORDED, WE CONTINUE.
AS FAR AS I KNOW THERE'S NO OKAY.
BUT I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT CAN BE WORKED OUT IN THE MEANTIME.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT CAN BE WORKED OUT FOR THE PUBLIC, BUT IT'S NOTED.
COMMISSIONER LINDER, UM, COULD I ASK A QUICK FOLLOW UP QUESTION OF THE FAR GRAPH FOLKS? ABSOLUTELY.
UM, SO I'M FAMILIAR WITH THIS ISSUE.
I'M FAMILIAR WITH HUDSON, UM, HUDSON FARMS, HUDSON VALLEY.
UM, AND I'M, I'M CURIOUS, BECAUSE YOU SAID IT'S ONLY 15, UM, RESTAURANTS IN THE CITY, OBVIOUSLY THERE'S A POTENTIAL POLICY SOLUTION HERE.
UM, BUT THERE ALSO MIGHT BE A MORE PRACTICAL SOLUTION OF TALKING TO THOSE 15 RESTAURANTS ABOUT PHASING IT OUT.
SO I'M WONDERING IF YOU'VE HAD ANY COMMUNICATION WITH THEM.
UM, I'D BE OPEN TO PURSUING THIS WITH YOU, BUT, UM, BUT THAT MIGHT BE A, A FIRST, UM, YOU KNOW, PLAN A, YEAH.
UH, THANK YOU FOR THAT SUGGESTION.
UM, I'VE CALLED NOT EVERY BUT MOST OF THOSE RESTAURANTS AND SUGGESTED THAT THEY PHASE IT OUT.
UM, THERE'S ONE RESTAURANT, IT'S, IT'S CALLED HUDSON'S ON THE BEND.
THEY'RE NOT CONNECTED TO HUDSON VALLEY.
THEY JUST HAVE THE SAME NAME THAT, UM, AGREED TO GET RID OF IT BY I THINK MARCH 1ST.
AND THERE ARE TWO THAT SELL WHAT THEY CALL FO GRA, BUT IT'S NOT FORCE FED.
IT'S LIKE NATURALLY FED DUCK LIVER THAT THEY THEN MIX WITH VEGETABLE OILS.
UM, THE OTHERS HUNG UP ON ME OR THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO A COUPLE WERE RECEPTIVE, BUT MOST ARE NOT.
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES ]
THE MINUTES.APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING ON JANUARY 8TH, 2024.
DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES? COMMISSIONER LINDER? DO I HAVE A SECOND? COMMISSIONER HERRERA.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION ON THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES? DR. NELSON? I JUST NOTED THAT ON THE TOP LINE IT SAYS THE MEETING WAS HELD ON DECEMBER 11TH.
SO LET'S CHANGE THAT TO JANUARY 8TH, 2024 STAFF.
DID YOU GUYS GET THAT? ANYTHING ELSE? ANY DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? ANY OPPOSED? THAT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY OF THE MEMBERS WHO ARE HERE.
[2. Overview of monthly reports provided by the Animal Service Center. Reports posted in backup materials.]
ITEM, UM, STAFF BRIEFINGS.NUMBER TWO, OVERVIEW OF MONTHLY REPORTS PROVIDED BY THE ANIMAL SERVICE CENTER.
REPORTS POSTED IN BACKUP MATERIALS.
[00:25:01]
GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS.JASON GARZA WITH ANIMAL SERVICES, UH, FOR JANUARY.
WE HAD, THERE WAS A LITTLE DISCREPANCY AND SO THERE'S BEEN A REVISED NARRATIVE THAT'S BEEN POSTED ONLINE.
UM, THE CORRECT NUMBER WAS A TOTAL OF 787 ANIMALS WERE BROUGHT TO THE SHELTER.
UH, WITH THE BREAKDOWN THERE, UH, WE HAD A TOTAL OF 625 ANIMALS THAT WERE ADOPTED AND A TOTAL OF 81 DOGS AND CATS AND SOME SMALL ANIMALS WERE RETURNED TO BACK TO THEIR OWNERS.
UH, ANIMAL PROTECTION WERE ABLE TO RETURN 13 ANIMALS TO THEIR OWNERS IN THE FIELD.
THEY IMPOUNDED 102 INJURED ANIMALS AND DELIVERED 40 WILDLIFE ANIMALS TO OUR PARTNER AUSTIN WILDLIFE RESCUE.
AND DID YOU WANT TO DO THOSE OR NO? GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS.
DON BLAND, CHIEF ANIMAL SERVICE OFFICER.
UH, FOR JANUARY WE HAD HELD FIVE ORIENTATIONS FOR NEW VOLUNTEERS AND INTRODUCED TO 128 NEW VOLUNTEERS TO OUR PROGRAMS. WE HAD A TOTAL OF 6,302 VOLUNTEER HOURS DONATED FOR JANUARY.
WE HAD 251 NEW FOSTER APPLICATIONS PROCESSED.
WE HAD 99 EMERGENCY, UH, CASES TREATED, UH, 45 AT, UH, THE EC AND 54 AT AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER.
AND WE DID 20 TH 23 SPECIALTY SURGERIES AT AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER IN JANUARY.
ALSO, WE HAVE CURRENTLY 19 OPEN POSITIONS FOR STAFF.
FOUR ARE CURRENTLY STILL OPEN AND 15 ARE IN PROCESS IN TERMS OF, THEY'VE CLOSED, THEY'RE IN THE INTERVIEW PROCESS.
THEY'RE ON THE, UH, OFFER PROCESS.
SO THEY ARE ALREADY IN PROCESS.
SO FOUR OPEN POSITIONS IS, IS IS AN AWESOME THING.
AND THERE ARE NO CURRENT, UH, TEMPORARY POSITIONS POSTED TO BE FILLED.
I DO WANT TO SAY THAT, UM, COMMISSIONER LINDER LAST MONTH YOU ASKED ABOUT THE PERCENTAGE OF COMPLIANCE ON THOSE ANIMALS THAT WE SENT OUT.
UH, WHEN WE WERE HAVING SPACE ISSUES WITH A, A APPOINTMENT TO COME BACK IN, UH, WE WERE ONLY HAVE ONE THAT IS CURRENTLY OUTSTANDING.
ALL OF THOSE HAVE HAD THEIR SURGERIES.
THAT ONE IS DUE TO COME IN ON THE 16TH OF THIS MONTH.
AND IT WAS DELAYED, UH, BECAUSE IT HAD A URI AND UH, AFTER IT WAS A LARGE DOG AND WE NEEDED THE KENNEL SPACE.
BUT OTHER THAN THAT, UH, WE'RE A HUNDRED PERCENT COMPLIANT.
AND THAT PROCESS IS, SINCE WE'RE ON TASK WITH SHELTER, UH, SURGERIES AND, UH, SPACE ISSUES RIGHT NOW THAT WE'RE NOT DOING THAT, UH, WE'RE NOT SENDING ANY OUT.
WE'RE DOING THE SURGERIES BEFORE WE SEND THEM OUT WHEN ALL POSSIBLE.
ALSO, UH, COMMISSIONER HERRERA, YOU ASKED ABOUT OUR LONG STAYS AND IN Y'ALL'S PACKET WE PUT, UH, A LONG STAY REPORT FROM TODAY SHOWING EVERYTHING THAT'S BEEN IN THERE A HUNDRED DAYS OR MORE FOR YOUR, UH, REVIEW.
SO YOU CAN SEE THE LENGTH OF STAY THAT WE HAVE ANIMALS THERE AT THE SHELTER AND IN FOSTER.
AND WE JUST PROVIDED YOU WITH THE DOGS.
SO IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON THOSE LATER ON, YOU KNOW, PLEASE, PLEASE ASK THOSE QUESTIONS.
ALSO, UH, WE HAVE, UH, THERE WAS A PRESS RELEASE THAT WENT OUT, UH, AFTER THE COM COUNCIL MEETING AND, UH, WITH OUR NEW ORDINANCES.
AND IT HAS A LINK TO A FAQ PAGE THAT THE CITY PUT TOGETHER AND IT'S ON OUR PAGE THAT ANSWERS ALL THE QUESTIONS ABOUT ANY OF THE NEW ORDINANCES AND HOW THEY WORK OR WHAT WAS AFFECTED.
SO THAT WAS ALSO, UH, MADE AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC.
UH, WITH THAT, ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON OUR REPORT? ANY QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONER HERTA? UH, THE PRICE PER NIGHT FOR LONG STAY, IT'S 51 OR $47 IN ABARA 54.
WE ARE TALKING THAT, THAT LONG STATES ARE LIKE $2.3 MILLION PER YEAR AVERAGE.
THAT'S NOT INCLUDING ANY OF, UH, EXTRA VET CARE IF THEY, YOU KNOW, GOT SICK OR HAD TO HAVE ANY SPECIALTY SURGERIES OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
I WAS JUST CURIOUS IN WHICH, IS IT IN ONE OF THE BACKUP REPORTS YOU SENT US THAT HAS THE LONG STAY? YES.
OH, IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN JUST POSTED ONLINE.
I DON'T KNOW IF BELINDA SENT IT OUT.
DID Y'ALL SEND IT OUT TO HIM? OKAY.
OH, SO IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN AN EMAIL FROM BELINDA.
IS ANYBODY ELSE SEEING IT THAT I'M NOT.
WHAT, WHAT TIME, WHAT TIME? YOU'LL SEND THESE JUST TO, UH, IT WOULD'VE BEEN THIS AFTERNOON.
IT WAS DEFINITELY BEFORE THREE, SO IT WOULD'VE BEEN POSTED ONLINE.
AND IF Y'ALL DIDN'T GET IT, WE CAN RESEND.
[00:30:01]
CAN JUST RESEND AND I'LL HAVE IT, IT'LL BE BACK UP ONLINE ALSO.ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? COMMISSIONER LINDER? UM, YEAH, I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THE, UM, THE NEW ORDINANCES THAT WERE, UM, PASSED LAST WEEK.
UM, I HEARD ABOUT THESE PROPOSED CHANGES AS I WAS WALKING INTO A MEETING WITH COUNCIL STAFF, UM, WHO WERE ASKING MY OPINION ON THEM.
UM, AND CERTAINLY THAT DOESN'T MAKE ANYONE HERE LOOK PARTICULARLY GOOD.
UM, AND I, I DON'T REALLY THINK THAT'S HOW THIS PROCESS SHOULD WORK.
UM, SO MY QUESTION TO YOU THAT I'M HOPING TO GET SORT OF CLARITY ON IS WHY WASN'T THAT INFORMATION SHARED WITH US, UM, PRIOR, UM, TO GOING TO COUNCIL AS A COMMISSION AND, UM, THIS PROCESS I THINK WAS DESIGNED TO AMPLIFY COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT.
AND SO I'M CONCERNED THAT, UM, WHEN THAT PROCESS ISN'T FOLLOWED, THEN THE VOICES OF THOSE COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO LISTEN TO AND ATTEND OUR MEETINGS, UM, MIGHT BE DIMINISHED IN SOME WAY.
THIS WAS NOT, UH, STAFF DIRECTED.
THIS WAS, UH, ORIGINALLY FROM A COUNCIL OFFICE AND IT WAS GOING TO BE COUNCIL, UH, COUNCIL OFFICE GOT TOGETHER AND WAS PUTTING THIS FORWARD.
AND THEN THE CITY MANAGER, WHEN THEY WORKED WITH HIM, HE SAID, THIS IS ALL IN MY WHEELHOUSE.
SO IT WAS NOT FROM STAFF, OUR STAFF DIRECTING THIS.
AND UH, WE ACTUALLY JUST DAYS, YOU KNOW, BEFORE THE, UH, ORDINANCES WERE PASSED, WE SAW THE FINAL REVISIONS.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE WEREN'T DIRECT DIRECT, WE WEREN'T DRIVING THIS.
IT WAS COUNCIL ORIGINALLY DRIVING THIS AND THEN IT PICKED UP BY THE CITY MANAGER.
WERE YOU AWARE OF THOSE PROPOSED CHANGES AT THE TIME OF OUR LAST MEETING OR YOU SAID YOU FOUND OUT JUST A FEW DAYS BEFORE? WELL, UH, THE FINAL VERSIONS AND EVERYTHING THAT WAS GOING ON, YES.
UH, PRIOR TO YOUR LAST MEETING? I'D HAVE TO GO BACK AND LOOK, BUT, UH, IT WAS, LIKE I SAY, IT WAS COUNCIL DIRECTIVE AND I KNOW THEY WERE TRYING TO, UH, PUSH IT THROUGH EARLIER AND IT DIDN'T GET THROUGH.
COMMISSIONER HOLT, THIS MAY BE IN THE PACKET.
I ALSO AM NOT SEEING IT IN MY INBOX AND JUST HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO PULL IT UP YET.
BUT, UM, IS THERE ANY WAY THAT WE CAN SEE BEHAVIOR NOTES OR ANY SORT OF BEHAVIOR TRENDS, UM, WITH THE LONG STAYS? UH, I KNOW THAT LIKE GOING KENNEL CRAZY IS A REAL THING.
SO I'M INTERESTED, WHO ARE THE DOGS THAT YOU KNOW ARE, CAME IN WITH BEHAVIOR ISSUES? WHO ARE THE DOGS THAT ARE DEVELOPING BEHAVIOR ISSUES? 'CAUSE WHO WOULDN'T ABSTAIN ANYTHING? OH, I'M SORRY.
YEAH, THAT'S A, THAT'D BE A, A PRETTY COMPREHENSIVE OR PRETTY BIG REPORT.
THIS ONE IS LISTING THE DOGS THAT WE HAVE.
'CAUSE IT'S A, IT'S A BIG SPREADSHEET THAT WE'LL HAVE, WHETHER OR NOT IT, IT MAY HAVE A BITE OR WHETHER WHAT IT, WHAT IT DOES WITH PLAYGROUP, IF IT'S A CERTAIN TYPE OF PLAYGROUP, IF IT NEEDS A SPECIAL EVALUATION FOR WHEN, WHEN, UH, INTERACTING WITH POTENTIAL ADOPTER ADOPTERS, EXCUSE ME.
UM, SO IT, IT'LL LIST THAT, BUT IT HAS THEIR SPECIFIC A NUMBERS.
SO IF THERE'S ANY SPECIFIC ADDITIONAL INFORMATION THAT, THAT FOLKS WANTED, WE COULD PULL THAT INFORMATION WITH A NUMBERS AND THE DOG'S NAME.
AND IT, IT'LL BREAK IT DOWN FOR IF THE DOG IS EITHER AT A A C OR IN FOSTER.
SO IT'S ANYTHING WITHIN THE SYSTEM.
SO I HAVE, I HAVE MULTIPLE QUESTIONS.
UM, I'M GONNA START WITH A FOLLOW UP FROM LAST MONTH.
I HAD ASKED, UM, IF THERE WAS A, IF WE KNEW HOW MANY RESCUE PARTNERS ARE STILL CURRENTLY, UM, APPROVED BY A A C, UM, JASON, I THOUGHT YOU WERE GONNA GET THAT TO ME OR GET THAT TO US.
I DIDN'T SEE THAT AND I APOLOGIZE.
I REMEMBER ASKING MONTY ABOUT IT AND I FORGOT TO SEND IT.
I THOUGHT SHE TOLD ME ONE 17, BUT THEN 1 27 JUST POPPED IN MY HEAD TOO.
UM, I WILL SEND THAT TOMORROW ONCE I GET TALKED TO HER AND CONFIRMED.
UM, MY SECOND QUESTION IS, UM, DIRECTOR BLAND, YOU SAID THERE WERE 251 FOS, NEW FOSTERS APPROVED.
IS THERE A WAY OF DETERMINING HOW MANY FOSTER APPLICATIONS WERE RECEIVED? WAS, WAS THAT, WAS EVERY APPLICATION RECEIVED APPROVED OR IS THERE ANY WAY TO DETERMINE THAT, THAT THAT NUMBER? I THINK THE, I CAN ASK THE QUESTION, BUT I, THE WAY I INTERPRET THIS, THERE WAS 251 THAT WE RECEIVED AND PROCESSED AND APPROVED, AND THAT DOES NOT INCLUDE, UH, ANY THAT WALKED IN AND FOSTERED AN ANIMAL ON SITE.
SO THIS WAS A REPORT FROM THE, THE SYSTEM, UH, NOT ANY WALK-INS THAT CAME IN.
SO THOSE WALK-INS, WOULD THOSE BE CONSIDERED THE EMERGENCY FOSTERS THAT CAME IN FOR THE COLD WEATHER SNAP? THAT COULD BE YES.
OR SOMEONE THAT JUST CAME IN AND SAID, HEY, I WANNA FOSTER AN ANIMAL TODAY AND I'D LIKE TO PICK ONE.
AND, AND THEY WOULD DO IT ON SITE.
[00:35:01]
THEN MY FINAL QUESTION GOES BACK TO THIS ORDINANCE.UM, YOU SAID THIS WAS NOT, NOT STAFF DRIVEN, UM, WHICH I UNDERSTAND.
UM, MY QUESTION IS, WERE YOU WAS STAFF, WERE YOU NOTIFIED OF THIS FOR YOUR INPUT PRIOR TO THIS MEETING OR PRIOR TO THE, TO THE RESOLUTION? THE FINAL DRAFT OF THE ORDINANCE GOING THROUGH, UM, DID THE, DID THE COUNCIL MEMBER'S OFFICE NOT CONTACT ANIMAL SERVICES? WHO IS THE MAIN PROPONENT IN THIS CHANGES TO THE ORDINANCE? DID THEY NOT CONTACT ANIMAL SERVICES AND ASK YOUR OPINION ON THIS? THEY DID.
IT WAS JUST SIMPLY NOT BROUGHT TO THE ATTENTION OF THE COMMISSION AT ALL? I, IT WAS NOT, IT WAS NOT STAFF'S RE IT'S NOT STAFF'S, UH, WE DIDN'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO MOVE THAT FORWARD.
IT WAS THE COUNCIL'S OFFICE THAT HAD TO MOVE THAT FORWARD.
YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M AT THEIR MERCY IN TERMS OF WHAT THEY CAN DIRECT ME TO DO.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? UH, I HAVE A COMMENT.
SO WHAT I'M HEARING FROM MR. BLAND, SO YOU'RE BASICALLY AT, MAYBE I'M MISUNDERSTANDING.
IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'RE, YOU'RE NOT ACCOUNTABLE BECAUSE IT, IT WAS BASICALLY DIRECTED BY THE CITY COUNCIL TO STAFF.
WE, THEY, THEY WERE THE ONES DRIVING THIS ORDINANCE.
BUT DID YOU, YOU AGREE WITH IT? YES.
WE HAVE TO IMPLEMENT THE ORDINANCES THAT AS APPROVED.
AND WE DID HAVE INPUT ON THAT.
I KNOW YOU'RE SAYING TO US THAT IT, IT WAS BASICALLY IT THAT IT'S COMING ACROSS LIKE IT WAS PUT UPON YOU AND THAT YOU DIDN'T, YOU WERE, I DON'T KNOW, MAYBE IT'S A STRONG WORD, POWERLESS.
AND LAST YEAR WE HAD A RETREAT THAT WAS ORGANIZED BY THE ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, YOUR BOSS AND PROFIT.
THEY BROUGHT THAT SNAP CONSULTING GROUP.
AND ONE OF THE FINDINGS FROM THE AUDIT WAS THE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE STAKEHOLDERS, THE COMMISSION TO IMPROVE IT FOR TRANSPARENCY TRUST.
AND HONESTLY, THE, THIS WHOLE THING WITH THE ORDINANCE AND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING TO US, IT SORT OF DENIES THAT WHAT, WHAT I, WE ARE HERE, WE ARE HERE BECAUSE WE CARE ABOUT THE ANIMALS, WE CARE ABOUT THE CITY, THE COMMUNITY, WE ARE VOLUNTEERS.
AND IT'S, I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW.
IT, IT JUST, IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE'S NOT RESPECT TOWARDS A COMMISSION OR COMMISSIONERS OUR TIME TO HELP.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO ANSWER, BUT I HONESTLY, IT'S, IT DIDN'T FEEL GOOD.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? DR. NELSON? I'M SORRY, DR. BRUCE HAD HERS FIRST AND THEN WE'LL GO TO DR. NELSON.
UM, SO I WAS JUST WONDERING IF YOU, UM, CAME PREPARED WITH SOMETHING TO SHARE ABOUT PERFORMANCE MEASURES AND EMANCIPATE, LIKE HOW WE'RE FINISHING OUT THE YEAR WITH CON THE CONTRACT NUMBERS WISE.
DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING PREPARED OR YOU WERE JUST AVAILABLE FOR QUESTIONS? I I CAN TALK TO YOU SOME ABOUT EMANCIPATE.
UM, SO THROUGH THE FEW YEARS SURROUNDING COVID, THEY WERE DRAMATICALLY BEHIND THEIR GOAL NUMBERS.
I'M CURIOUS IF THERE'RE FINISHING ON TRACK WITH THE CONTRACTED NUMBERS FOR SPAY NEUTER LAST YEAR.
THEY FINISHED, UH, WITH THEIR CONTRACTED DOLLARS.
THEY, THEY ACTUALLY EXCEEDED THEIR CONTRACTED DOLLARS LAST YEAR.
NOW YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT WHILE, UH, IN, IN THE ORIGINAL AGREEMENT THAT, UH, WILL BE MARCH OF 2025 IS, IS ACTUALLY WHEN IT'S AGREED, WE HAVE ANOTHER YEAR ON THAT CONTRACT.
THERE WAS, THERE WAS SPAY AND NEUTER NUMBERS IN THERE BASED ON THEIR
[00:40:01]
PRICING AT THE BEGINNING OF THAT CONTRACT PERIOD IN 2022, THEY INCREASED THEIR RATES, WHICH WHEN THEY INCREASE THEIR RATES, WE HAVE SO MANY DOLLARS.AND THEN, UH, SO IF THEIR RATE INCREASE CAUSED LESS SURGERIES AS WELL.
SO IN ADDITION ON DAYS THAT THEY'RE SENDING OUT.
SO RIGHT NOW, JUST SO I CAN CLARIFY, VACCINATIONS, MICROCHIPS, SPAY, NEUTER ALL IN ONE LUMP, RIGHT? SO THEY COULD POTENTIALLY SEND THE MOBILE UNITS OUT JUST DOING VACCINES WHEN THEY'RE UNDERSTAFFED FOR VETERINARIANS AND NOT BE ACCOMPLISHING SPAY NEUTER NUMBERS AND STILL FULFILL THEIR, STILL STILL SPEND THE MONEY THAT'S ALLOTTED.
SO IF WE'RE TALKING JUST SPAY NEUTER GOAL, HOW FAR BEHIND ON THAT AS A PERCENTAGE ARE WE, WOULD YOU SAY? UH, I WOULD HAVE, I DON'T KNOW THAT, BUT I CAN, I CAN TELL YOU THAT THE, UH, EMANCIPATE, THEY ARE WORKING RIGHT NOW.
I MET WITH THEM LAST WEEK AND THEY'RE WORKING, UH, TO TRY TO FORMULATE, AND HE SAID IT'S, THEY'RE GETTING FAIRLY CLOSE TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE Y'ALL WITH A MONTHLY ONE PAGER THAT GIVES US SOME MORE DETAILS FROM THEM.
UH, THEY ARE CURRENTLY AT FOUR DAYS, BUT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT MOVING TO FIVE DAYS.
AND WHAT THEY'VE DONE IS THEY'VE INCREASED THE NUMBERS THAT THEY DO IN THE FOUR DAYS TO MAKE UP FOR THAT FIFTH DAY.
SO THEY ARE DOING MORE SURGERIES PER DAY.
THEY DID GIVE US A ESTIMATE IF WE WOULD LIKE TO GO, UH, YOU KNOW, MOVE FURTHER, UH, TO DO AN EXTRA, YOU KNOW, A HUNDRED SURGERIES A MONTH, WHAT THAT WOULD COST.
AND, UH, SO THEY, SO JUST TO CLARIFY THOUGH, WE CURRENTLY HAVE NO PARAMETERS REALLY THAT SAY WE NEED A CERTAIN NUMBER OF DOGS DONE OR WE ARE EXPECTING A CERTAIN NUMBER OF LARGE BREED DOGS DONE.
I MEAN THERE THERE IS, THERE'S CONFUSION.
I MEAN, THEY HAVE MORE THAN THREE KEN KENNEL SPACES.
IT'S THAT THEY DON'T HAVE STAFF THAT ARE TRAINED OR THEY'RE NOT CURRENTLY SCHEDULING MORE LARGE BREED DOGS.
AND SO I I GUESS ARE, ARE YOU FORESEEING THERE BEING SOME PERFORMANCE MEASURES ADDED TO THE CONTRACT AND, AND CAN WE GET TO THE POINT WHERE WE HAVE AN EMANCIPATE SPOKESPERSON COME ON A QUARTERLY BASIS, LIKE WE HAVE A PA BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE THIS GETS ADDRESSED AT THE END OF THE CONTRACT HERE AND NOT, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE NOT PLAYING, IF YOU'RE NOT MONITORING IT ALL THE WAY ALONG, IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S GOTTEN, IT'S GOTTEN TO BE SOMETHING THAT A LOT OF DOLLARS ARE SPENT ON, BUT WE'RE, I I WOULD AGREE WITH A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT COME UP.
WE'RE NOT TARGETING THE ANIMALS THAT WE NEED TO BE TARGETING AND WE ARE NOT MAKING AN ACTION PLAN TO DO SO.
SO I'M JUST CURIOUS, CAN THE CONTRACT BE MORE FORMAL IN THE NUMBER AND TYPES OF ANIMALS THAT WE WANT TO HAVE DONE WITH THOSE DOLLARS? AND, AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE REVIEWED IT, BUT IT, THERE IS, UH, IN THE ORIGINAL CONTRACT, UH, ON DAY ONE, YOU KNOW IT, THERE THERE IS AN ESTIMATED ANNUAL OF, YOU KNOW, 2,750 DOGS.
AND SO THERE ARE NUMBERS IN THERE, BUT THAT, YOU KNOW, ROLLS OUT AT THAT WAS AT, YOU KNOW, UH, $69 A A PIECE AND BASED ON THE, YOU KNOW, 180, $90,000 THAT IS ALLOTTED FOR THAT.
AND THEN WHEN THE PRICE GOES UP, THAT ESTIMATE OF NUMBERS GOES DOWN.
UH, I DID TALK TO EMANS PAT, UH, ABOUT, UH, SOME OF THE PERFORMANCE MEASURES THAT Y'ALL HAVE SENT, AND THEY'RE REVIEWING THOSE AND HE SAID HE FEELS LIKE THAT THEY CAN ADD MOST OF THOSE.
UH, AND THEY'RE LOOKING AT, SEE WHAT THEY CAN AND CAN'T DO BASED ON, YOU KNOW, THEIR REPORTING SOFTWARE.
SO WE ARE LOOKING AT THAT AND THOSE WILL BE ADDED TO THE, THERE'S, THERE'S A WINDOW OF TIME WHERE THOSE CAN BE ADDED TO THE CONTRACT.
THIS ISN'T JUST A GENTLEMAN'S AGREEMENT THAT WILL GET A ONCE A MONTH THING.
IT CAN BE ADDED TO THE CONTRACT.
IT CAN BE ANYTHING THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN THE CONTRACT BECOMES UP FOR RENEWAL IN 2025.
UM, YEAH, I GUESS I GUESS FIRST JUST AN INITIAL COMMENT THAT I, I FEEL REALLY CONFUSED THAT AS THE ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION TO CITY COUNCIL, WHEN CITY COUNCIL FELT THAT THEY NEEDED TO TAKE ACTION WITHOUT US, I FEEL CONFUSED THAT WE ARE NOT LOOKING WITHIN TO FIGURE OUT WHY WE ARE NOT BEING SEEN AS A USEFUL ADVISORY BODY TO CITY COUNCIL.
AND IT SOUNDS LIKE INSTEAD WE'RE TRYING TO BLAME DON DIRECTOR BLAND FOR WHAT I'M TAKING AS A SHORTCOMING ON, ON OUR PART.
I DESPERATELY WANT THIS, THE ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION TO BE A PLACE THAT LISTENS TO THE PUBLIC,
[00:45:01]
UM, DISCUSSES IT THOUGHTFULLY AND THOROUGHLY AND COMES UP WITH MEANINGFUL RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CITY COUNCIL TO FOLLOW.BUT IF THEY DON'T FEEL THAT WE'RE DOING THAT, THEN THEY'RE THE CITY COUNCIL AND THEY'RE GONNA TAKE THE ACTION THAT THEY FEEL IS APPROPRIATE.
AND SO I THINK, I THINK MAYBE WE NEED TO LOOK AT THAT FROM A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE FROM WHAT I'VE BEEN HEARING SO FAR THIS EVENING.
UM, SO, BUT ON, ON A SEPARATE NOTE.
UM, SO I, I'VE EXPERIENCED, UM, TWICE AT THE SHELTER NOTICING, UM, A LACTATING FEMALE DOG THAT I WAS VERY WORRIED ABOUT WHERE WERE, WHERE ARE HER PUPPIES.
UM, BOTH TIMES I'VE, I'VE TAKEN THIS TO WHO I THOUGHT COULD HELP AND BOTH TIMES THEY'VE BEEN VERY RESPONSIVE AND FOUND A SOLUTION RIGHT AWAY.
UM, ONE, ONE, THE, THE, THE DOG WAS PICKED UP VERY CLOSE TO THE HOUSE AND WE WERE ABLE TO FIGURE THAT OUT AND GET IT BACK TO ITS OWNERS.
UM, AND THEN THE OTHER ONE, WHICH WAS ON SOCIAL MEDIA RECENTLY, AND A LOT OF PEOPLE MOBILIZED AND WORKED TOGETHER AND FOUND THE PUPPIES AND WAS ABLE TO GET THAT, UM, THAT DAM BACK WITH HER PUPPIES AND WITHIN A DAY.
BUT IT'S JUST MAKING ME WONDER HOW MANY ANIMALS ARE AT THE SHELTER THAT AREN'T LACTATING.
SO I AM NOT TAKING THEM TO, TO PEOPLE TO TRY TO URGENTLY FIGURE OUT THERE COULD BE LIVES ON THE LINE IF WE DON'T LOOK HARDER TO, TO REPLACE THIS DOG.
AND SO, SO I HAVE, YOU KNOW, I HAVE A LOT OF GRATITUDE THAT THERE WERE, WERE AMAZING RESPONSES TO THOSE TWO CASES, BUT IT LEAVES A LITTLE LINGERING CURIOSITY ABOUT HOW MUCH MORE WE COULD BE DOING TO FIGURE OUT IF, IF A ANIMALS THAT THE SHELTER HAVE OWNERS
DO YOU GUYS WANNA RESPOND OR DO YOU WANT ME TO MOVE ON? WHILE I KNOW, YOU KNOW, THE, UH, PRC, THEY, THEY REALLY WORK HARD TO TRY TO TRACK DOWN, YOU KNOW, THE MICROCHIPPING AND RABIES TAGS AND, AND EVERYTHING.
UH, YOU KNOW, THOSE, THOSE ONE-OFFS.
IT'S, IT'S EASY TO DEAL WITH ALL THE NUMBERS THAT WE HAVE IN IT.
WE WOULD LOVE TO HAVE THE STAFF TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
LIKE WE DO THOSE ONE-OFFS LIKE THAT.
UH, IT WOULD BE, UH, TERRIFIC IF WE COULD DO THAT AND HAVE, HAVE THAT.
BUT UNFORTUNATELY WE DON'T HAVE THE STAFF TO DO THAT ON A FULL-TIME BASIS WITH THE NUMBERS THAT COME IN.
I DID WANT TO TAKE JUST A SECOND TO TELL YOU THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN I WAS LOOKING AT E THE EMANCIPATE CONTRACT I WAS LOOKING AT AND, AND I DID SEE SOMETHING FROM THEM THAT I THOUGHT WAS WORTH SHARING.
UH, OUR MUNICIPAL SPAY AND NEUTER PROGRAM STARTED AS A PILOT IN 2001.
AND WE ARE THE, UM, I'M GONNA READ THEIR WORDS EXACTLY SO THAT I DON'T GET THIS WRONG.
IT IS NOW THE LARGEST CONTINUOUSLY RUNNING MUNICIPAL FUNDED FREE SPAY OR PRO NEUTER PROGRAM IN THE COUNTRY.
SO I THINK THE CITY HAS TO BE PROUD OF WHAT WE'RE DOING IN SPAIN AND NEUTERING.
IS IT ENOUGH? NO, BUT WE ARE, WE'RE LEADING THE NATION IN A MUNICIPAL SHELTER DOING THIS.
COMMISSIONER HOLT, I THINK YOU HAD YOUR HAND UP.
I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY I CAN'T LIKE, MAKE ANY SORT OF PROMISES.
HOW MUCH STAFF WOULD IT TAKE, UM, TO BE ABLE TO LIKE
I MEAN, I KNOW Y'ALL COULD USE LIKE A HUNDRED MORE PEOPLE, BUT LIKE FOR THAT SPECIFIC INITIATIVE THAT WAS JUST BEING DISCUSSED, RIGHT? LIKE CHASING INDIVIDUAL DOGS DOWN
'CAUSE WE, WE SORT OF TAG TEAMING AMONG OUR TEAMS WITH CUSTOMER SERVICE AND ANIMAL PROTECTION TO SORT OF CHASE DOWN LEADS, YOU KNOW, MAKE CALLS.
YOU KNOW, SOCIAL MEDIA IS, IS IS WHAT IT IS.
AND SO THAT'S A WAY TO TRY TO GET IN CONTACT WITH PEOPLE.
YOU KNOW, THOSE FOLKS WHO ARE DOING THAT SORT OF QUOTE UNQUOTE GROUNDWORK ON THE COMPUTER, UH, IS THEN, YOU KNOW, PUTTING SERVICE REQUESTS TO APOS TO GO AND POST A HOUSE ONCE THEY HAVE, ONCE THEY IDENTIFY ADDRESSES.
UM, YOU KNOW, YEAH, I MEAN YOU COULD PROBABLY HAVE A, A TEAM TO COVER SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.
UM, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW AT LEAST A COUPLE PEOPLE A DAY.
BUT THEN THE APOS TO SORT OF FOLLOW UP WITH, WITH THAT, THAT, THAT THOSE, THOSE INDIVIDUALS TO, I MEAN, AND WE OFFER IT LIKE, HEY, WE HAVE AN OWNER FIND AN OWNER AND THEY WANT THEIR PET BACK.
[00:50:01]
TRY TO GO DELIVER IT TO YOU LIKE YOU AIN'T HAVE TO TRY TO COME OVER HERE, WE'LL, WE'LL BRING IT TO YOU, UM, JUST IN ORDER.SO THAT WAY WE CAN MAKE THAT SPACE AND REUNITE THAT, THAT FAMILY.
UM, AND SO, UH, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, A QUESTION LIKE THAT, I START THINKING ABOUT ALL OUR TEAMS AND WHERE, WHERE WE WOULD NEED TO TO DO THAT.
UM, YOU KNOW, WITH RESCUE AND FOSTER AND WHAT, BUT, UH, A TEAM THAT'S JUST DEDICATED TO THAT.
I MEAN, 'CAUSE WE, WE, WE PUT ONE CUSTOMER PER CUSTOMER SERVICE AND LILY CAN BACK ME UP ON THIS ONE OR VERIFY WE PUT ONE CUSTOMER SERVICE A DAY JUST TO DO THAT SORT OF FOLLOW UP.
SO WE, WE TAKE 'EM OFF ADOPTION, WE TAKE 'EM FROM PRC SO THAT THEY CAN JUST WORK ON THAT.
AND ANY LEADS THAT THEY GET FROM PRC OR ADOPTION, THEY WORK WITH THAT, THEY TELL THAT RECLAIM PERSON, THEN THEY FOLLOW UP AND THEN THAT PERSON THEN WORKS WITH APOS FOR ANY OFFICIAL FOLLOWUP THAT CAN HAPPEN OUT IN THE FIELD.
UM, SO, UH, YEAH, I MEAN EVEN, EVEN ONE OR TWO MORE WOULD, WOULD BE BENEFICIAL TO US JUST SO THAT WAY WE CAN CREATE THAT SORT OF RECLAIM TEAM.
UM, THE OTHER THING IS MORE OF JUST LIKE A STATEMENT AND IT IS, I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT EMAN PET'S PERFORMANCE AT THIS POINT.
UM, SO THIS IS NOT LIKE A LOADED STATEMENT AT ALL.
THIS IS JUST BEING STATED BECAUSE I USED TO WORK FOR AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH DOING CONTRACT MANAGEMENT.
SO I AM AWARE, UH, KIND OF HOW
SO I WANT US TO CONSIDER IF AND WHEN, UM, YOU KNOW, ANY NONPROFIT THAT WE'RE CONTRACTING WITH, WE SHOULD NOT JUST BE LOOKING AT WHAT THE GOALS ARE STATED IN THE CONTRACT.
WE SHOULD BE LOOKING AT WHAT THEY'RE ACTUALLY COMPLETING WITH THOSE GOALS.
AGAIN, NOT LIKE LOADED OR WAITED, NOT A JOB AT ANYTHING.
I'M NOT, I DON'T KNOW ENOUGH ABOUT EMAN PET'S CONTRACT TO LIKE MAKE THAT THAT WAY.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ALL CLEAR THAT THERE IS SOME NUANCE THERE.
UM, WE CAN WRITE REALLY PRETTY GOALS, BUT
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? UM, I WOULD SAY THANK YOU DR. NELSON, UM, FOR, FOR NOTIFYING THEM OF THOSE INSTANCES.
I, I THINK I SAW ONE OF 'EM ON THE NEWS.
MAYBE IT WAS A DIFFERENT ONE, BUT IT WAS, UM, PRETTY AMAZING THAT THE, UH, MOM WAS RETURNED TO HER PUPPY.
[3. Approve the creation of a Working Group regarding the Emancipet contract. ]
AND ITEMS. ACTION ITEMS NUMBER THREE, APPROVE THE CREATION OF A WORKING GROUP REGARDING THE EMANCIPATE CONTRACT.SO I THINK, UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE DID THE SPAY NEUTER WORKING GROUP, UM, IS THIS JUST PROPOSING FORMING THE WORKING GROUP OR DISCUSSING MY REASONING FOR IT AT THIS POINT? UM, YOU CAN MAKE A MOTION AND THEN YOU CAN, IF WE GO AS LONG AS WE HAVE A SECOND, YOU CAN DISCUSS IT AS MUCH AS YOU WANT.
THEN I MAKE A MOTION TO, UM, CREATE A WORKING GROUP REGARDING THE EMANCIPATE CONTRACT.
SO THERE'S A MOTION ON THE TABLE TO CREATE A WORKING GROUP REGARDING THE EMANCIPATE CONTRACT.
THERE'S A SECOND BY COMMISSIONER HERRERA.
UH, DR. BRUCE, YOU HAVE THE, YOU HAVE THE, THE, THE MICROPHONE.
UM, SO ONE OF THE THINGS, AND I AGREE WHOLEHEARTEDLY THAT, UH, AUSTIN HAS LONG SUPPORTED SPAY NEUTER AND IT IS SOMETHING THAT IS VERY CORE TO THE BELIEF OF BEING A NO KILL COMMUNITY TO MANY OF US.
THERE'RE VARYING OPINIONS ON THAT.
UM, BUT I DO STRONGLY FEEL THAT A STRONG SPAY NEUTER, UH, PUBLICLY FUNDED STRONG SPAY NEUTER, SERVING THOSE MOST AT NEED IS, UM, A CORE FOR HAVING A GOOD NO KILL COMMUNITY.
AND WHEN WE PUT THE SPAY NEUTER, UM, WORKING GROUP TOGETHER, YOU KNOW, SPAY NEUTER HAS EVOLVED A LOT SINCE 2001.
AND I THINK THE CONTRACT NEEDS TO EVOLVE PERSONALLY.
UM, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A HANDFUL OF DIFFERENT BRAINS IN THE ROOM AND PEOPLE WHO SEE THIS FROM MULTIPLE ANGLES, UM, KIND OF COME TOGETHER AND SEE HOW WE CAN MASSAGE SPAY NEUTER TO SERVE OUR COMMUNITY AS IT IS TODAY, NOT AS IT WAS 5, 10, 15 AND 20 YEARS AGO.
SO, UM, YEAH, I WOULD LIKE TO KIND OF, LIKE I SAID, GET A BUNCH OF VOICES AND OPINIONS ON THIS AND, UM, KIND OF LOOK AT THIS CONTRACT AND SEE IF THERE ARE WAYS TO, TO, TO BETTER IT FOR THE LONG TERM.
ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? I HAVEN'T, I I, I HAVE A COMMENT.
YES, COMMISSIONER EZ, I, UH, I THINK I, I LIKE YOUR POINT OF VIEW THAT IT'S GOOD TO BRING DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE AND THE FACT THAT YOU MENTIONED THAT IT'S, IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE HASN'T BEEN MUCH CHANGE OR THINGS HAVEN'T CHANGED.
UH, YES, WE, I HEARD THAT AUSTIN'S LEADING WITH ONE OF THE BIGGEST PROGRAMS, BUT YOU KNOW, THERE'S ALWAYS CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT IN THINGS EVOLVE.
SO I I I THINK IT'S GREAT THAT YOU'RE, UH, PROPOSING FORMING THIS
[00:55:01]
GROUP.ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? I HAVE ONE THOUGHT DR. BRUCE.
UM, AND THAT IS I HAVE, UH, THIS COMMISSION HAS, HAS HAS TRADITIONALLY BEEN NEUTRAL WITH RESPECT TO PROVIDERS AND JUST DISCUSS THE CONTENT RATHER THAN THE PROVIDER.
UM, SO I HAVE A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT SUGGESTION IF YOU WOULD TAKE IT, WHICH WOULD JUST BE SIMPLY REGARDING THE THIRD PARTY SPAY NEUTER PROVIDER CONTRACT INSTEAD OF THE EMANCIPATE CONTRACT.
THEN YOU COULD JUST TALK ABOUT, UM, WHAT YOU THINK THE CITY'S THIRD PARTY SPAY NEUTER CONTRACT SHOULD BE.
IF YOU DISAGREE WITH THAT, IT'S ALL ON YOU.
BUT, UM, I LIKE TO TRY TO KEEP IT NEUTRAL AS TO THE PROVIDER.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO REDIRECT THAT, I GUESS WITH DIRECTOR BLAND, 'CAUSE THE CONTRACTS ARE SO DIFFERENT, YOU KNOW, ONE IS JUST CATS AND WE'RE REALLY COMING AT THIS FROM A DOG PERSPECTIVE ALSO.
SO THERE REALLY ARE ONLY CURRENTLY TWO SPAY NEUTER CONTRACTS.
SO, I MEAN, I'M, I'M HAPPY TO GET THE FEEDBACK AND I UNDERSTAND WHERE YOU'RE COMING FROM.
UM, IS THERE A WAY IT COULD BE TARGETED TOWARDS THE, THE CONDUCT RATHER THAN THE PROVIDER? THAT'S ALL I'M ASKING.
SO IF THERE'S, AND MAYBE THERE'S NOT, BUT, UM, WHAT WOULD THAT WORDING LOOK LIKE TOO? WELL, I'M GUESS I'M NOT SURE WHICH DISTINCTION YOU'RE MAKING WITH RESPECT TO THE SERVICES AT ISSUE.
UH, MR. GARZA, I SAID I GOT ANY CONTRACTS WITH AN EMPHASIS ON DOGS OR MEDIUM TO LARGE DOGS.
I MEAN, YOU'RE NOT NAMING THE, YOU'RE NOT NAMING THE CONTRACTOR, BUT YOU'RE NAMING, LIKE YOU SAID, THE, THE SERVICE YOU'RE TRYING TO TARGET.
SORRY, I DIDN'T MEAN TO SPEAK OUT LOUD.
UH, MR. BLAND, DO YOU HAVE A SUGGESTION? UH, I WAS SAY, SO YOU BASICALLY, YOU COULD, YOU COULD WORK SO THAT, YOU KNOW, PERFORMANCE MEASURES FOR SPAY AND NEUTER CONTRACTS HELD BY THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
YOU KNOW, SO IT'S, IT'S NOT CALLING A A SPECIFIC PROVIDER OUT.
SO IF WE CHANGE PROVIDERS THAT YOU'D STILL HAVE THOSE SAME PERFORMANCE MEASURES FOR THE PERSON THAT WAS DOING THAT.
IS IT FOR OWNED ANIMALS? IS THAT REALLY THE DISTINCTION THAT WE'RE MAKING WITH RESPECT TO THE AUSTIN HUMANE SOCIETY? THOSE ARE STRAYS THAT COME IN AND OUT AND EMAN PETS IS WITH A OWNED ANIMAL? UM, NO, IT'S MORE THAT, UH, AUSTIN AND OR AUSTIN HUMANE SOCIETY IS JUST A CATTLE ONLY CONTRACT.
AND SO, IS EMANCIPET DOG ONLY OR IS THAT NO, IT'S DOGS AND CATS.
AND THERE ARE, UH, PROVISIONS FOR COMMUNITY CATS TOO? NO, I, I, I MEAN, WE CAN, WE CAN MAKE IT, UH, SPAY NEUTER CONTRACTS HELD BY THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND MAKE IT JUST A, A MORE BROAD.
SO IT WOULD BE APPRO APPROVE THE CREATION OF A WORKING GROUP REGARDING SPAIN NEUTER CONTRACTS WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN? YES.
AND IF YOU JUST WANT TO BE MORE CLEAR WITH OWN PETS, BECAUSE COMMUNICATE IT'S FERAL ONES, RIGHT? BUT IF WE'RE LOOKING AT DATA COLLECTION, I THINK WE COULD, I THINK IF YOU WANNA LOOK AT A WIDER LENS, THEN IT EVEN MAKES MORE SENSE TO TAKE OUT EMANCIPATE AND JUST YES, YOU CAN LOOK AT AS MUCH AS YOU WANNA LOOK AT.
SO THAT'S THE FRIENDLY AMENDMENT.
IS THAT, IS THAT RECEIVED AND APPROVED? OKAY.
SO THE NEW TITLE WILL BE APPROVED AND THE CREATION OF A WORKING GROUP REGARDING SPAY NEUTER CONTRACTS WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
IS THERE ANY MORE CON UH, DISCUSSION OR QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? ANY OPPOSED? NOPE.
THAT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY WITH THE PERSONS THAT ARE PRESENT.
[4. Approve the creation of a Working Group on owner-intended euthanasia at the Austin Animal Center.]
CREATION OF A WORKING GROUP ON OWNER INTENDED EUTHANASIA AT THE AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER, DR. NELSON? YEAH.UM, WELL, I THINK LAST, LAST MONTH THERE WAS, UM, APPARENTLY SOME, SOME INTEREST IN DEBATE ON THIS TOPIC AND, AND IT WASN'T ON THE AGENDA, SO JUST KIND OF WANTED TO GET IT ON THE AGENDA SO THAT WE COULD OPEN UP, UM, THE DEBATE TO THAT MORE.
UM, AND I PARTIC I DO THINK IT WOULD BE HELPFUL, UM, YOU KNOW, TO HAVE, TO HAVE THAT DEBATE ALSO IN A WORKING GROUP.
'CAUSE THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WAS NOT BROUGHT TO US BY THE PUBLIC, BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT I FEEL THAT I HAVE OBSERVED IS, UM, IS A REAL, UM, ISSUE IN THAT IT'S, IT'S DENYING A SERVICE TO OUR COMMUNITY THAT I THINK COULD BE VERY VALUABLE.
AND THEN IN ADDITION TO IT DENYING THAT SERVICE, IT'S ALSO, UM, IT ALSO USES A LOT OF RESOURCES THAT WOULDN'T NEED TO BE DRAINED FROM THE CITY IF WE WERE PROVIDING A NEEDED SERVICE TO, TO OUR COMMUNITY.
BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK ON A WORKING GROUP THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT COULD BE, UM, INVESTIGATED IN, IN A
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THOROUGH WAY.AND SO THAT'S WHY I WOULD PROPOSE FORMING A WORKING GROUP ON IT.
SO I'LL CONSIDER THAT YOUR MOTION.
IS THERE A SECOND? COMMISSIONER LINDER SECOND.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION OR QUESTIONS? UM, DR. BRUCE, THIS ISN'T SOMETHING I REALLY CONSIDERED BEFORE.
YOU BROUGHT IT UP BEFORE, BUT I HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT THIS, UM, SINCE LAST MEETING.
AND THERE, I THINK A WORKING GROUP WOULD BE IMPORTANT FOR THIS BECAUSE THERE ARE SUBSETS OF ANIMALS, UM, THAT COME THROUGH AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER, UM, THAT DON'T QUITE FIT THAT IRREMEDIABLY SUFFERING.
AND I'LL TALK TO COMMUNITY CATS IN PARTICULAR.
UM, WE HAVE A PHENOMENAL COMMUNITY CAT PROGRAM IN AUSTIN.
IF YOU TALK TO CARETAKERS, AND ROCHELLE CAN BACK ME UP ON THIS.
THERE ARE COMMUNITY CATS OUT THERE LIVING 16, 17, 18 YEARS IN THEIR COMMUNITIES.
AND THEY'RE DOING SO WITH THE OCCASIONAL VOUCHER THAT AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER PROVIDES WHEN THEY HAVE SOMETHING MEDICAL TO COME IN.
BUT WHEN YOU HAVE 16, 17, AND 18-YEAR-OLD COMMUNITY CATS, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT END OF LIFE LOOKS LIKE FOR THEM.
AND WHAT IS THAT HUMANE DECISION FOR THEM.
AND I KNOW THAT I HAVE INTERACTED WITH A HANDFUL OF COMMUNITY CATS THAT HAVE COME IN WHERE THEY'RE SUFFERING FROM CHRONIC DISEASE THAT OLDER CATS GET.
UM, AND THEY WOULDN'T NECESSARILY MEET THE CLASSIC IMMEDIATELY SUFFERING, UM, LANGUAGE, BUT THEY CAN'T BE MEDICATED.
AND SO THEY COME IN AND THEY DO LANGUISH IN THE SHELTER INSTEAD OF BEING LIKE, CELEBRATED FOR THIS GREAT OUTDOOR CAT CAREER THAT THEY'VE HAD.
THEY, THEY DO LANGUISH FOR MONTHS WHILE WE DECIDE, IS THIS GONNA GO BE A BARN CAT? IS THIS GONNA GET, YOU KNOW, TOWEL WRAPPED AND SUBQ FLUIDS ADMINISTERED TO IT, HATING EVERY MOMENT OF THE LAST FEW WEEKS AND MONTHS OF ITS LIFE.
SO THERE, I THINK THIS IS A GREAT TOPIC TO DISCUSS BECAUSE I THINK WE HAVE ALL THESE PROGRAMS THAT SERVE ANIMALS SO WELL.
BUT I JUST FEEL LIKE LATELY WITH THE NO KILL COMMUNITY, LIKE WE HAVE THESE SUBGROUPS AND WE NEED TO LOOK MORE CLOSELY AT THESE SUBGROUPS AND KIND OF JUST REESTABLISH WHAT SOME OF THESE DEFINITIONS MEAN FOR SOME OF, OF THESE DIFFERENT GROUPS OF ANIMALS THAT HAVE THESE GREAT OPPORTUNITIES TO LIVE LONG HEALTHY LIVES.
SO I, UM, I JUST WANTED TO MENTION THAT, UM, THE FORMER, UH, ACTING DIRECTOR, LEANNE SHEFIELD, HAD, UH, EMAILED ME ABOUT THIS.
'CAUSE SHE SAID, SAW IT IN HER PREVIOUS DISCUSSION, AND SHE SAID THAT DURING HER TENURE, UH, THE CITY, UM, PARTNERED WITH, UM, AUSTIN URBAN VET TO ACCEPT PETS, UM, THAT, THAT THE CITY DEEMED WERE TRULY AT THE END OF THEIR LIFE SERVICES.
SO YOU MIGHT WANNA REACH OUT TO HER IF YOU HAD QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT.
UM, BUT SHE SAID THAT AS THE WAY IT WAS DURING HER TENURE.
UH, COMMISSIONER HERRERA, I JUST WANT TO ADD SOMETHING THAT, UH, EUTHANASIA NEEDS TO BE A RESOURCE OFFERED BY THE CITY TO STOP SUFFERING OF, OF PETS.
AND OF COURSE, IF PEOPLE WANTS OR NEEDS THAT, I THINK WE, THE CITY NEEDS TO, TO OFFER THAT FOR THAT PETS AND FOR THAT HUMANS WHO DO PRACTICALLY THE BEST.
I HAVE SEVERAL EXAMPLES THAT IN MY 13 YEARS WITH CAREER WITH EL 91 CENTER, I HELP AS AN EMPLOYEE OR AS A PERSONAL WALLET TO HELP ON THAT.
AND I THINK WE ARE MORE HUMANS WHEN WE GIVE, UH, A NICE CHANCE TO PASS TO THE OTHER LIFE.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT.
UH, I THOUGHT THE WORKING GROUP WAS FOR OWNER REQUESTED EUTHANASIA, SO UM, I'M NOT SURE HOW COMMUNITY CATS FITS INTO THAT, BECAUSE THAT WOULDN'T BE AN OWNER REQUEST.
SO IS THIS WORKING GROUP GOING TO BE A LITTLE BIT BROADER THAN JUST OWNER REQUESTED? THAT'S A FAIR POINT.
AND WHAT, HOW WAS IT PUT ON? WAS IT OWNER, OWNER INTENDED, EUTH IT OWNER INTENDED EUTHANASIA.
AND I, I MEAN, I THINK, I, I THINK THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WAS GRAPPLED WITH IN THE ORDINANCE THAT CARETAKERS OF COMMUNITY CATS ARE IN CERTAIN INSTANCES TREATED AS OWNERS.
SO I, I THINK THEY COULD STILL FALL UNDER THAT.
DO YOU WANNA JUST CHANGE IT TO OWNER OR CARETAKER INTENDED? I AM A LITTLE WORRIED THAT THAT COULD GET SLIPPERY OR, YEAH, BECAUSE MORE SLIPPERY.
BECAUSE CARETAKER KIND SOUNDS LIKE THE SOME RANDOM PERSON, PERSON PERSON WHO'S TAKING, TAKING CARE OF THE DOG DURING
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VACATIONS.UH, SO I WOULD KEEP IT AT OWNER.
'CAUSE I THINK, I THINK YOU'VE ALREADY DONE A LOT OF WORK IN THE ORDINANCE TO KIND OF CROSS THAT BRIDGE BETWEEN COMMUNITY CAT CARETAKER AND WHEN THEY CAN APPROPRIATELY BE CONSIDERED OWNERS AS FAR AS ANIMAL SERVICES GOES.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF ITEM NUMBER FOUR.
I'M, I'M, UH, I'M GOING TO PASS YOU OVER THE LIMIT.
UM, I DON'T GENERALLY, UH, LOVE THIS CONCEPT, BUT I WANT TO GIVE YOU THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE THE WORKING GROUP AND COME TO PRESENT.
AND ALSO THERE WILL BE MORE, UH, COMMISSIONERS AT A FUTURE MEETING.
SO, UM, YOU CAN AT LEAST GO, GO THROUGH THE ACTIVITY AND BRING BACK WHAT YOU WANNA BRING BACK.
SO IT PASSES SEVEN WITH SEVEN VOTES.
AGAINST ONE, AGAINST, UH, COMMISSIONER ZAIS AGAINST.
OH ABS SAYING, I'M SORRY, 7 1 1.
DID YOU GET THE VOTES THAT YOU NEEDED? OKAY.
[5. Discussion and approve possible recommendations regarding the Animal Services Office Budget. ]
FIVE, DISCUSSION AND APPROVE POSSIBLE RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING THE ANIMAL SERVICE OFFICE BUDGET.THE REASON I PUT THIS ON THE AGENDA IS 'CAUSE WE GOT A NOTE.
I GOT A NOTE FROM THIS CLERK'S OFFICE THAT THE CITY WOULD PREFER THE CITY STAFF WOULD PREFER TO HAVE.
UM, THEIR INTERNAL DEADLINE FOR US TO WEIGH IN ON THE CITY BUDGET IS MARCH 15TH, I THINK IT IS.
UM, AND SINCE WE DO NOT HAVE A MARCH MEETING, UM, ON OUR CALENDAR, THEN TODAY WOULD BE THE ONLY DAY THAT WE COULD WEIGH IN TO MEET THEIR MEETING.
WE COULD THROW SOMETHING TOGETHER NOW AND READ IT INTO THE RECORD IF THERE WAS, UM, SOME KIND OF CONSENSUS ON WHAT IT IS THAT WE WOULD WANT THE PRIORITIES TO BE IN THE PAST.
UM, UH, WHEN THIS TYPE OF THING HAS COME UP, THE COMMISSION HAS VOTED TO ASK THE CHAIR TO WRITE A LETTER TO COUNCIL WITH SOME BASIC LANGUAGE.
WE CAN DO THAT, UM, IF WE DON'T WANNA DO THAT.
UH, THE, THE OPTION IS WE COULD HAVE AN EMERGENCY MEETING, UM, IN MARCH PRIOR TO THE MARCH 15TH DEADLINE.
UM, WE VOTED NOT TO HAVE A MEETING IN MARCH.
UH, THE ORDINARY MEETING FOR THE COMMISSION IN MARCH IS DURING SPRING BREAK.
UM, THE MONDAY OF SPRING BREAK FOR AT LEAST IAN'S ISD.
AND I UNDERSTAND IT'S FOR AUSTIN, ISD AS WELL.
UM, I WILL BE OUTTA TOWN ON THAT DAY.
THAT DOESN'T MEAN I COULDN'T COME CALL IN, BUT, UM, I'D PREFER NOT TO
UM, BUT I COULD, IF THAT'S THE WILL OF THE, THE GROUP, UM, I'M NOT SURE WHAT OTHER OPTIONS THAT WE HAVE.
OH, THE THIRD OPTION IS JUST SIMPLY TO DO IT LATER.
IT IS A BIT OF A FALSE DEADLINE IN THE SENSE THAT THIS PROCESS TAKES MANY, MANY MONTHS.
AND, UM, THE COUNCIL IS WHO WE REALLY REPORT TO AND OUR BYLAWS AND THE COUNCIL'S DECISION WILL BE MADE MANY MONTHS LATER.
SO THOSE ARE KIND OF THE OPTIONS THAT WE HAVE IN FRONT OF US.
UM, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION OR DOES ANYBODY WANNA WEIGH IN ON THOSE OPTIONS AS TO HOW WE WOULD GO ABOUT MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS? DR. NELSON? UM, I, I CERTAINLY DON'T FEEL IN ANY POSITION TO CONTRIBUTE IN ANY EDUCATED OR MEANINGFUL WAY TODAY TO A STATEMENT.
UM, I, UH, I THINK MY PREFERENCE WOULD BE TO HAVE, UM, A SPECIAL MEETING AT SOME POINT, JUST SO IT COULD BE COMPLETELY FOCUSED ON THAT AND HOPEFULLY SHORTER.
UM, AND THEN, BUT I DON'T, I DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE A PREFERENCE ON IF WE TRY TO FIT THAT IN BEFORE THE DEADLINE OR SHORTLY AFTER THE DEADLINE, BUT THAT'S MY INPUT.
UM, I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT, YOU SAID, UM, ONE OF THE OPTIONS WAS, UM, TRADITIONALLY THEY ASKED THE CHAIR TO WRITE A LETTER TO COUNCIL.
COULD YOU TALK MORE ABOUT HOW THAT PROCESS WOULD YEAH.
IN THE, WELL, IN THE PAST WHEN THERE HAS BEEN AN ISSUE THAT'S COME UP QUICKLY, IT'S ON THE AGENDA, BUT NO ONE HAS PREPARED, YOU KNOW, SOME DENT BACKUP MATERIALS AND THERE'S NOT ONE POSTED.
SO WE WOULD HAVE TO ESSENTIALLY, YOU KNOW, CRAFT A LETTER HERE TODAY THAT WE READ INTO THE RECORD OR, AND ASK THE CHAIR TO SEND IT ON, WHICH IS WHAT HAS BEEN DONE IN THE PAST.
UM, IF WE HAVE SIMPLE LANGUAGE, OBVIOUSLY WE'RE NOT GONNA CRAFT SOME LONG MESSAGE TODAY, BUT IF WE HAVE SIMPLE LANGUAGE AS TO WHAT OUR, WHAT THE, WE WOULD ADVISE THE STAFF PRIORITIES TO BE IN MAKING THE BUDGET, WE COULD, WE COULD DO THAT TODAY.
I THINK I MISUNDERSTOOD THOSE AS TWO SEPARATE OPTIONS OF LIKE, WORK ON IT NOW.
YEAH, NO, I THINK WE, WE CAN'T, WHAT WE CAN'T DO IS, UM, DO PUBLIC POLICY WORK BEHIND
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THE SCENES.I JUST WANTED TO JUMP IN AND SAY THE BUDGET OFFICE'S DEADLINE FOR RECOMMENDATIONS IS THE END OF MARCH ON THE 31ST.
SO IF THERE WAS A SPECIAL CALLED MEETING THAT GIVES YOU MORE FLEXIBILITY WITHIN THAT MONTH, ANY OTHER, UH, COMMISSIONER S MAGULA? YEAH, SO FOR SPECIAL CALL MEETING, DO WE HAVE TO ADHERE TO THE SECOND MONDAY? COULDN'T WE DO IT ON A DIFFERENT DATE THAT'S NOT SPRING BREAK WEEK? YES.
SO, UH, I, I HAVE UNFORTUNATELY BEEN, UH, UH, THE VICE CHAIR WHEN ONE OF THESE WAS, UM, HAPPENING.
AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT IT IS VERY DIFFICULT, UM, BECAUSE IT REQUIRES US, UH, THE MEETINGS HAVE TO BE RECORDED, AND SO THEY HAVE TO BE AT A PLACE THAT THEY CAN BE RECORDED.
AND THAT ALSO MEANS THEY HAVE TO BE AT A TIME THAT CAN BE RECORDED.
AND THAT MEANS THAT IT HAS TO BE AT A TIME WHERE THERE'S NO OTHER COMMISSION MEETING AND THAT STAFF IS AVAILABLE TO ALL OF THE STAFF, UM, IS AVAILABLE TO MEET DURING THAT PERIOD, INCLUDING THE AV UH, FOLKS.
SO IT IS NOT EASY TO DO, AND OBVIOUSLY WE COULD NOT PICK A DATE TODAY THAT WOULDN'T, IT COULDN'T WORK THAT WAY.
UM, BUT IF THAT'S THE, THE PULSE OF THE COMMISSION, UM, THEN WHAT I CAN DO IS GO SEE IF I CAN AND GET SOME DATES.
WHAT I CAN'T DO IS A WALKING QUORUM, SO I CAN'T REACH OUT TO EVERY SINGLE PERSON.
UM, BUT WHAT I, BUT IF, BUT WHAT I CAN DO IS IF THE PULSE OF THE COMMISSION IS WE WANNA MEET SOME POINT IN MARCH TO DISCUSS THE BUDGET, THEN UM, I CAN ATTEMPT TO FIND SOME DATES AND TIMES THAT ARE NOT DURING SPRING BREAK.
UM, BUT I CAN CERTAINLY TRY IT.
IT'S BEEN HARD, UM, WHEN COMMISSIONER NASER DID IT AND WHEN, UM, COMMISSIONER LINSTEAD DID IT.
IT'S, IT IS NOT EASY, UM, TO, TO DO AN EMERGENCY MEETING.
WE DIDN'T HAVE THE SAME RESTRICTIONS.
UM, AND IT WAS, YOU KNOW, COULD HAVE BEEN HELD IN AUSTIN.
IS IT AUSTIN ONE CENTER? I THINK YEAH.
AND I, I THINK IT STILL CAN BE, BUT, BUT, UH, YEAH, IT'S NOT, YEAH, IT, IT IS NOT EASY, BUT IT IS POSSIBLE.
UM, DOES ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANY COMMENTS ON THAT? I'LL TELL YOU MY PREFERENCE IS TO SIMPLY, UM, SEND IT IN APRIL, PUT IT ON THE AGENDA.
WE CAN HAVE A, UH, THE WORKING GROUP CAN TALK ABOUT IT.
THERE IS ALREADY A WORKING GROUP ON THE BUDGET, UM, CAN MAKE A RECOMMENDATION AND SURE IT GOES IN 10 DAYS LATER OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
THEN THE, THE CITY ASKED FOR IT, BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT'S MEANINGFUL.
DR. BRUCE? YEAH, THE WORKING GROUP HAS NOT MET AT THIS TIME, BUT I WOULD HOPE THAT BY, IF WE PUSH THIS OUT TO THE APRIL MEETING, WE COULD HAVE SOME RECOMMENDATIONS TO DISCUSS AT THAT APRIL MEETING.
AND THEN AT THAT POINT YOU WOULD PUT TOGETHER A LETTER, OR THOSE WOULD GO DIRECTLY TO COMMISSION, DEPENDING ON, THEY WOULD GO, COME HERE, THEY WOULD COME TO THE COMMISSION MEETING, BUT THEY WOULD COME HERE AS THE RECOMMENDATION THEN AS THE CHAIR YOU WOULD WRITE? I COULD, OR IF YOU ALREADY HAD IT PRE-WRITTEN, IF THE WORKING GROUP HAD IT PRE-WRITTEN, THEN IT WOULD JUST, WE COULD, IT COULD BE APPROVED THAT WAY.
OR IF IT NEEDED TO BE AMENDED, IT COULD BE AMENDED.
I KNOW IT'S SET BY THE BUDGET OFFICE, NOT BY OUR OFFICE.
AND SO IT'S ON THEIR TIMELINE OF HOW THE BUDGET WORKS AND IT'S MANY, MANY STEPS.
I THINK IT'S OCTOBER WHEN IT FINALLY GETS VOTED ON.
SO IT IT IS, IT IS QUITE A LONG PROCESS.
I JUST DIDN'T, DIDN'T FEEL LIKE I COULD CALL YOU UP.
OH, I WAS JUST WONDERING IF, UM, IF THE 31ST IS THE ACTUAL DEADLINE AND WE'RE MEETING THE FIRST WEEK OF VA OR THE SECOND MONDAY VAPE, I MEAN, PERHAPS WE COULD CLARIFY WITH THEM WHETHER THEY'RE LOOKING AT THIS PIECE OF THE BUDGET IN THOSE FIRST 10 DAYS.
AND IF THE ANSWER IS NO, THEN I DON'T SEE ANY REASON TO MEET IN MARCH IF WE DON'T NEED TO.
I CAN CERTAINLY TRY TO FIND OUT.
I MEAN, YEAH, I THINK THEY, WHAT MY GUESS IS IS THEY HAVE A SERIES OF DEADLINES THAT THEY SEND OUT, UH, THE YEAR BEFORE TO PLAN THEIR ENTIRE BUDGET PROCESS.
AND THEY'RE NOT GONNA TELL US, WELL, WE'RE NOT GONNA LOOK AT ANIMAL SERVICES, OR WE ARE GONNA LOOK AT ANIMAL SERVICES BEFORE THOSE DAYS.
BUT WHAT I CAN TELL YOU, AND MR. BLAND HAS BEEN HERE MANY YEARS TO SAY THIS, WHICH IS THAT WE ALWAYS HAVE THE ABILITY TO ADVOCATE TO COUNSEL ON THE BUDGET, UM, AND, UH, AND HAVE BEEN ASKED TO, UM, ON MANY OCCASIONS.
SO WE DO NOT HAVE A MOTION ON THE TABLE.
DOES ANYONE HAVE WANT TO, TO MAKE A MOTION? IF NOT, WE CAN SIMPLY, UM, KICK IT UNTIL APRIL, I GUESS.
OR IF THE, IF, IF THERE'S A PULSE OF THE COMMISSION TO FIND, UM, MARCH.
IF PEOPLE WANT TO REALLY VOICE THAT STRONGLY, THEN I CAN CERTAINLY DO THAT TOO.
I DON'T WANNA TAKE A VOTE ON THAT.
'CAUSE I DON'T THINK THAT'S, UM, HERE ENOUGH IN THE AGENDA.
BUT, UM, IF THAT'S GENERALLY THE PULSE, THEN WE COULD TRY TO DO THAT.
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A WORKING GROUP FORMED, UM, THERE WOULD BE NOTHING TO STOP THEM FROM MEETING PRIOR MEETING IN MARCH.GETTING, GETTING THE PROPOSAL, UM, TOGETHER AND THEN WE VOTE AND FORWARD IT ON THE APRIL MEETING.
UM, I WOULD ASK IF IT'S POSSIBLE FOR STAFF TO PUT, UH, IF THERE IS ANY DRAFT BUDGET THAT THE WORKING GROUP CAN LOOK AT.
UM, I THINK THAT WOULD BE EXTREMELY HELPFUL.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S POSSIBLE.
WE'VE HAD THIS ISSUE IN THE PAST WHERE WE WERE TOLD YOU CAN'T HAVE IT, AND THEN WE WERE TOLD, YES, YOU COULD HAVE HAD IT IF YOU HAD SIMPLY ASKED FOR IT, AND THEN WE ASKED FOR IT AND THEN DIDN'T GET IT.
AND SO I, IF IT'S POSSIBLE, UM, I THINK THE, UM, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER SAID, YES, THAT IS PUBLIC INFORMATION.
IT CAN BE, UH, ONCE, ONCE I GUESS IT'S READY, UM, THAT IT CAN BE CIRCULATED.
UM, SO IF IT CAN BE CIRCULATED, I, UH, IN MY INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY ONLY WOULD RESPECTFULLY REQUEST THAT IT BE SHARED WITH THE COMMISSION WHEN IT CAN BE.
[6. Report of recommendations by the Finder to Foster Working Group. ]
UM, NUMBER SIX, WORKING GROUP RECOMMENDATIONS BY THE FINDER TO FOSTER WORKING GROUP REPORT OF RECOMMENDATIONS.WELL, UM, SO, UM, INITIALLY THE, THE BIGGEST OBSTACLE, UM, AGAINST BEING ABLE TO FORM A FINDER TO FOSTER PROGRAM WAS, UM, A CITY LEGAL INTERPRETATION OF THE, OF THE ORDINANCES THAT LEGALLY PREVENTED IT FROM FORMING.
UM, SO THAT WAS GOING TO BE A MAJOR RECOMMENDATION, BUT, UM, THAT WAS ADDRESSED IN THE ORDINANCE, UM, PASSED BY CITY COUNCIL ON FEBRUARY 1ST.
SO THERE, UM, IS NO LONGER A, A LEGAL, UM, PROHIBITION OF THE SHELTER FORMING A FINDER TO FOSTER PROGRAM.
UM, UH, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT 10 DAYS AFTER THEIR PASSAGE OF THAT ORDINANCE, THE SHELTER COULD FORM, FORM, UM, A FINDER TO FOSTER PROGRAM AND THAT, UM, AND THAT THERE IS A PLAN TO IMPLEMENT THAT, UH, WITHIN THE NEXT FEW DAYS.
UM, SO, SO, SO AT THIS POINT WITH THAT, WITHOUT, WITH THOSE MAJOR STEPS FORWARD HAPPENING, UM, I WOULD RECOMMEND, AND I GUESS THIS IS PART OF THE BUDGET, BUT I I, I WOULD LIKE TO PRESENT TO THE, UM, COMMISSION, UH, THAT WE RECOMMEND TO COUNCIL, THAT THE LEADERSHIP TEAM, UM, AT THE SHELTER WILL NEED ADDITIONAL SUPPORT TO IMPLEMENT THE FINER TO FOSTER PROGRAM.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE, IT'LL BE UP TO THE, THE SHELTER OPERATIONS TO CREATE AN SOP OVERSEE THE IMPLEMENTATION AND MONITORING OF THAT PROGRESS.
UM, BUT THEN ADDITIONALLY, THE PUBLIC RESOURCE CENTER WILL NEED ADDITIONAL SUPPORT TO INTAKE ANIMALS, UM, WHICH INCLUDES ADDING THEM TO THE SYSTEM AND ENSURING THEY HAVE A GOOD ONLINE PHOTOS, UM, TO HELP OTHERS THAT MAY BE LOOKING FOR THOSE ANIMALS.
UM, THE FOSTER TEAM WILL DE WILL NEED ADDITIONAL STAFFING TO QUICKLY APPROVE INDIVIDUALS FOR FOSTER, AS WELL AS TO MANAGE THE ADDITIONAL ANIMALS THAT WILL BE PART OF THE FOSTER PROGRAM THAT SERVICES WILL NEED, UH, ADDITIONAL, UM, STAFFING TO, TO MANAGE, YOU KNOW, MEDICAL ISSUES FOR WHAT MIGHT BE A FAIRLY SUBSTANTIAL INCREASE IN THE ANIMALS THAT THE SHELTERS MANAGING IN FOSTER CARE.
AND, UM, MEDIA TEAM WILL NEED SUPPORT TO PROMOTE, TO, TO PROMOTE THE PROGRAM TO THE PUBLIC SO THAT THEY KNOW THAT IT IS A RESOURCE.
SO I AM, I'M VERY EXCITED THAT, UM, THE SHELTER WILL NOW BE ABLE TO HAVE A FINDER TO FOSTER PROGRAM.
UM, AND, AND, AND I HOPE IT IS, IS A ROBUST PROGRAM THAT, UM, IS, IS IMPLEMENTED IN A, A THOUGHTFUL WAY THAT THAT WILL MAKE IT SUCCESSFUL.
UM, BUT, BUT, UH, THE SHELTER WILL NEED ADDITIONAL RESOURCES, UH, SUPPORTED BY CITY COUNCIL SO THAT THAT PROGRAM HAS APPROPRIATE, UM, SUPPORT.
ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? I HAVE ONLY MR. HER.
LET'S GO TO WORK TOGETHER TO HAVE A VERY GOOD INFORMATION FOR SPANISH SPEAKERS ABOUT THIS PROGRAM, BECAUSE
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I CAN SEE ON GENTRIFYING NEIGHBORHOODS ANY LOOSE DOG.IT'S A DOG THAT IS VERY EASY TO PICK HIM UP AND JUST DON'T GIVE FOR WRONG INTERPRETATIONS OF PEOPLE SOMETIMES.
AND I THINK IF WE WORK VERY GOOD WITH THE HISPANIC COMMUNITY, WE WILL HAVE 200,000 PEOPLE WORKING WITH US.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? UM, I HAVE TWO COMMENTS.
THE FIRST IS, UM, THANK YOU FOR THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS.
I THINK HOPEFULLY YOU COULD WORK WITH THE WORK, THE, UM, BUDGET GROUP TO, UH, WORKING GROUP TO MAKE SOME RECOMMENDATIONS ON WHAT, UH, HOW THAT WOULD IMPACT THE BUDGET, THE PROPOSED BUDGET.
UM, THE SECOND, UH, JUST ITEM THAT I WANTED TO MENTION IS THAT WHEN THE, UM, WHEN THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE WAS INITIALLY CIRCULATED, UH, THAT IT DID NOT HAVE, UH, ANY PROTECTION FOR THE OWNERS IN THE SENSE OF, UM, THE ABILITY OF AN OWNER TO RECLAIM THE ANIMAL DURING THAT PERIOD, OR, UM, THAT THE ANIMAL WAS PLACED ON THE, UM, CITY'S WEBSITE.
BUT AFTER DISCUSSING WITH, UM, THE CONSULTANT, UH, FOR THE CITY MANAGER, UM, THEY WERE, AFTER I HAD A CONVERSATION WITH THEM ABOUT, THAT WAS ONE OF THE CHANGES THAT THEY MADE TO THE ORDINANCE.
UM, SO THEY ADDED THAT BACK IN SO THAT THERE WAS PROTECTION FOR THE OWNER.
THAT WAS MY MAIN CONCERN, OR THAT ABOUT THAT SECTION WASN'T THAT THERE WAS A FINER TO FOSTER PROGRAM, BUT THAT IF AN ANIMAL COULD BE, UM, PLACED IN THE BE IMPOUNDED WITHOUT EVER COMING INTO THE SHELTER, UH, THAT SOMEONE COULD LOSE THEIR PET REALLY FAST.
UM, 'CAUSE THREE DAYS IS VERY, VERY SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME TO LOSE A PET, UM, THAT UNLESS THAT PERSON HAS NOTICED.
AND SO, ONE THING THAT I WOULD THINK WE NEED TO MAKE ABUNDANTLY CLEAR, AT LEAST FROM OUR, UM, AND MAYBE WE CAN PUT THIS ON A FUTURE AGENDA TOO, BUT I THINK THAT IT, IT HAS TO BE ON THE WEBSITE, UM, FOR THAT THREE DAYS TO COUNT.
UM, AND I THINK THAT THERE HAS BEEN, AT LEAST I'VE HEARD FROM CITIZENS THAT THE WEBSITE DOESN'T SOMETIMES GET UPDATED OR THERE ARE DAYS THAT GO BY WHERE AN ANIMAL'S PICTURE IS NOT UP ON THE WEBSITE.
UM, AND I'M VERY, VERY CONCERNED THAT WE COULD DEEM AN ANIMAL HAVING BEEN IMPOUNDED AND ADOPTED, UM, WITHOUT EVER HAVING BEEN ON THE WEBSITE.
I THINK THAT'S GROSSLY UNFAIR AND PROBABLY ILLEGAL, UM, BASED ON THE TEXAS SUPREME COURT'S DECISION ON, UM, ON HOLD PERIODS.
UM, THE OTHER THING I WANTED TO MENTION ABOUT THAT IS, UM, THAT UNDER STATE LAW, AN ANIMAL HAS TO BE EITHER SPAYED OR NEUTERED OR HAS TO GO UNDER A SPAY NEUTER CONTRACT TO BE LIVE OUTCOME AS AN ADOPTION.
UM, SO IF WE'RE GOING TO CONSIDER ALL OF THESE ANIMALS AS IMPOUNDED, WE'RE GOING TO THEN HAVE TO, UM, GET THEM EITHER SPAYED OR NEUTERED OR A CONTRACT FOR THEM TO BE SPAYED OR NEUTERED, WHICH IS GOING TO BE POTENTIALLY A MASSIVE, UM, BUDGETARY CONSEQUENCE OF THE FINER TO FOSTER IF THEY'RE NOT, UNLESS THEY'RE COMING THROUGH OUR SYSTEM.
UM, WE OBVIOUSLY HAVE FEWER, UM, WE'RE DOING FEWER SPAY NEUT RIGHT NOW 'CAUSE WE HAVE FEWER ANIMALS COMING THROUGH.
I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S CURRENT CAPACITY, UH, TO DO MORE SPAY NEUT AT THE SHELTER.
BUT IF THERE ISN'T, AND WE ARE NOW EITHER DOING A CONTRACT OR, UH, AND, AND THE STATE LAW ALSO SAYS YOU HAVE TO FOLLOW UP WITH THAT CONTRACT.
UM, ONE OF THOSE TWO THINGS HAS TO HAPPEN IF WE'RE TRULY GOING TO CONSIDER IT IMPOUNDED THROUGH AT A FOSTER.
SO I JUST MENTIONED THAT I WANNA MENTION THOSE 'CAUSE I THINK IT'S, IT'S MORE COMPLICATED THAN JUST IT, UH, PROVIDING SERVICES TO A FOSTER.
IF WE'RE GOING TO CONSIDER THEM IMPOUNDED, THEY BECOME OURS.
WE'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR THEM, WE'RE THEIR CARETAKERS, AND WE THEN HAVE TO COMPLY WITH STATE LAW ON THE OPPOSITE END.
SO I'M IN THIS WORKING GROUP AND WE DISCUSSED ALL OF THIS AT LENGTH AND ARE, ARE DEFINITELY IN ALIGNMENT WITH WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
UM, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT WITH THE STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES INCLUDE LIKE, YOU KNOW, PARASITE, LIKE FLEA AND WORMS, UH, TREATMENT AND PREVENTION BOTH FOR THE SAFETY OF THE ANIMAL, THE ANIMALS THAT THE OWN THE FINDER MIGHT HAVE, AND LIKE FOR THE HUMANS THEMSELVES, UH, CONSIDERING SO MANY THINGS ARE TRANSMISSIBLE.
UM, WE TALKED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE IMPORTANCE OF ALL, ALL SORTS OF DETAILS.
I GUESS MY QUESTION IS, HOW IN THE WEEDS
[01:25:01]
FOR HOW WE RUN THIS.UM, BUT JUST LIKE GOOD RESOURCES TO DIRECT THEM TO IT.
SO I, I GUESS I'M JUST UNCLEAR ON WHERE OUR, WHERE OUR ROLE IS ON, ON ALL THAT.
WELL, I MEAN, AS OF THE ITEM, THE RECOMMENDATION HAS BEEN MADE, UM, PER, PER THIS, UM, THAT DOESN'T, UH, STOP YOU FROM DOING IT AGAIN.
YOU'RE WELCOME TO COME BACK AND PUT AN ITEM ON AT ANY TIME.
UM, WE CAN'T DIRECT STAFF TO DO ANYTHING PERIOD, EVER.
SO AS I, I DON'T THINK THAT'S WHAT YOU MEANT, BUT UH, YOU USE THE WORD WHAT IS THE LIMIT OF WHAT WE CAN DIRECT THEM TO DO.
WE CAN NEVER DIRECT THEM TO DO ANYTHING.
UM, IT IS NOT WITHIN OUR PURVIEW AS FOR WHAT WE CAN RECOMMEND TO THE CITY COUNCIL AS TO WHAT, UM, POLICY IS.
I DON'T THINK THERE'S MUCH OF A RESTRICTION ON WHAT YOU CAN RECOMMEND CITY COUNCIL DO BECAUSE YOU'RE MAKING A RECOMMENDATION TO THE COUNCIL OR THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT.
THOSE ARE THE TWO BODIES THAT WE REPORT TO.
SO WE CAN INCLUDE IN THE RECOMMENDATION LANGUAGE SPECIFICS ABOUT SPAY NEUTER LOGISTICS, UH, VACCINE LOGISTICS, UM, OWNER RECLAIM ALL THE PLACES WHERE THE ANIMAL SHOULD BE POSTED.
I GET AGAIN, I'M SORRY, I, I DON'T KNOW IF I'M FULLY UNDERSTANDING.
UH, IN THE, DOES THAT MAKE SENSE,
I THINK YOU'RE ASKING ABOUT LIKE, UM, THE GRANULARITY OF THE, OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS AND UH, CERTAINLY AS A GENERAL MATTER, WE ARE HIGH LEVEL.
UM, THERE HAVE BEEN CASES WHERE THE CITY COUNCIL HAS DIRECTED US TO BE VERY, VERY LOW LEVEL.
AND WE HAVE, GIVEN THAT WE DON'T HAVE THAT DIRECTION HERE, PERHAPS WE COULD GET IT.
UM, I DON'T THINK ANYBODY'S GONNA STOP YOU FROM MAKING A RECOMMENDATION.
UM, BUT YES, GENERALLY YOU'RE RIGHT WHERE WE, WE STAY PRETTY HIGH LEVEL UNLESS THE COUNCIL ASKS US, UH, TO BE MORE SPECIFIC, MR. BLAND, IF THE COMMITTEE WOULD LIKE ALL THESE, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS THAT YOU'VE TALKED ABOUT, IF Y'ALL WOULD LIKE TO PREPARE DOCUMENTS INTO US, WE'LL PROBABLY ALREADY HAVE GOT THOSE COVERED AND WE'RE PROBABLY DOING IT, BUT, UH, WE'LL BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO, TO RESPOND AND LET YOU KNOW EXACTLY, YOU KNOW, OF THOSE WHAT WE'RE ALREADY DOING AND OR PLAN TO DO.
THE ONLY, THE ONLY, THE ONLY, UM, ISSUE I HAVE WITH THAT IS THAT WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS BODY ACTS THROUGH THIS BODY.
SO IT CAN'T BE A RECOMMENDATION OF A, OF A WORKING GROUP.
IT HAS TO BE ULTIMATELY THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE COMMISSION.
SO I DON'T, YOU GUYS ARE WELCOME TO HAVE ANY CONVERSATIONS YOU WANT, BUT TO THE EXTENT IT IS COMING FROM THE COMMISSION, IT HAS TO GO THROUGH THE COMMISSION.
ANYTHING ELSE? OKAY, FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. SORRY, CAN I ASK A CLARIFYING QUESTION? SURE, OF COURSE.
SO I AM, OR I AM NOT ALLOWED TO EMAIL MR. BLAND AND SAY, HEY, HERE WERE SOME GOOD SUGGESTIONS THAT WE HAVE FROM PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE.
WHAT YOU CANNOT DO IS ACT AS A COMMISSIONER, UH, OUTSIDE OF THE COMMISSION ONLY THE COMMISSION CAN ACT AS A GROUP OF COMMISSIONERS.
NOT WANTING TO GIVE A DIRECTIVE, JUST WANTING TO GET SOME HELPFUL TIPS.
SO, SO CAN I INTERJECT? I THINK IN, IN THAT MANNER, IT BEING, LIKE YOU SAID, UH, SHERIFF RYAN, UH, AS A
UH, A A SO MIGHT GET REALLY GOOD.
I IDEA THAT IF THEY'RE NOT DOING SOMETHING, THEY MIGHT WANT TO ADOPT THEMSELVES.
I, I DON'T KNOW, JUST THROWING IT OUT THERE.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? OKAY.
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS ]
FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. SO WE'RE GONNA PUT ON THE, UM, AGENDA WE'RE GONNA PUT BACK ON THIS, UM, BUDGET ISSUE.SO NUMBER FIVE, WE'LL GO BACK ON THE AGENDA FOR APRIL.
I, ARE THERE ANY OTHER, UH, AGENDA ITEMS THAT PEOPLE WANNA, WELL, I'M JUST SAYING THE CURRENT BUDGET NUMBER, UH, NUMBER FIVE WILL GO BACK ON THE AGENDA WILL BE BE RE-LISTED ON THE AGENDA.
ARE THERE ANY OTHERS THAT PEOPLE WANNA DEAL WITH? NOW, YOU CAN ALWAYS EMAIL WITH, UM, A SECOND.
UH, EVEN IF YOU DON'T HAVE A SECOND, IF YOU'LL COPY ME, I'LL LIKELY GIVE IT TO YOU.
SO WE, UH, I'LL, I'LL HEAR A MOTION TO ADJOURN.
IS THERE A MOTION COMMISSIONER LINDER? IS THERE A SECOND? COMMISSIONER? UH, DR. NELSON.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF ADJOURNING, ANY OPPOSITION YOU MIGHT BE SHOT.
UM, UH, THE, UH, MOTION TO ADJOURN PASSES, UM, UNANIMOUSLY.