[CALL TO ORDER ]
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OF THE TRAVIS COUNTY, AUSTIN ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION.
TODAY IS SEPTEMBER 9TH, 2024 AT 6:00 PM AND WE ARE AT AUSTIN CITY HALL.
UH, NANCY EMER DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE PRESENT.
UH, COMMISSIONER S MAGULA PRESENT.
COMMISSIONER GIDI AKI, UH, VICE CHAIR LENDER.
COMMISSIONER HERRERA DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE PRESENT AS THE SAME FOR COMMISSIONER TUCKER.
UH, DR. BRUCE, UH, IS NOT PRESENT.
UH, AND COMMISSIONER HOKE IS NOT PRESENT.
[PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL]
WILL GO TO, UM, PUBLIC COMMUNICATION.UH, I DID, I'M GONNA START SAYING THIS.
I THINK UNLESS I'M TOLD THAT I CAN'T, UM, TO REMIND THE AUDIENCE TO THE EXTENT THAT THEY DON'T KNOW THAT WE ARE A, UH, COMMISSION OF VOLUNTEERS, CITIZEN VOLUNTEERS, UM, WE DO NOT WORK, UH, ON BEHALF OF THE ANIMAL SHELTER.
UM, WE ARE NOT CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS WITH, UH, POLICY MAKING AUTHORITY.
UM, WE ARE MERELY, UH, CITIZENS WHO VOLUNTEER OUR TIME TO LISTEN TO PUBLIC INPUT AND PROVIDE RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL AS WE CAN, BUT WE DO NOT REPRESENT, UH, THE SHELTER OR ANY OTHER SHELTERS OR, UM, THE CITY COUNCIL.
WE JUST DO OUR BEST TO BE CITIZENS.
UH, THE FIRST, UH, SPEAKER IS SANDRA MUELLER.
MS. MUELLER, UH, SELECT STAR SIX TO UNMUTE YOURSELF.
UM, MS. MUELLER, WE'RE TOLD THAT YOU NEED TO PRESS STAR SIX TO UNMUTE YOURSELF.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION.
MY NAME IS CATHERINE CHAMBLEE, AND I'M A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT SEVEN, A DEDICATED VOLUNTEER AT THE AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER.
TODAY, I AM HERE TO SHED LIGHT ON A CRITICAL, YET OFTEN OVERLOOKED ISSUE AFFECTING OUR SHELTER ANIMAL NUMBERS, IE THE TRANSPORTATION OF ANIMALS FROM OUTSIDE AREAS INTO AUSTIN FOR FOSTER AND ADOPTION.
THIS PRACTICE FORCES OUR LOCAL AREA PETS TO COMPETE WITH THESE OUT OF AREA ANIMALS FOR LIMITED FOSTER HOMES AND ADOPTERS LEADING TO SHELTER BACKLOGS, CLOSED INTAKE, AND AN INCREASE IN STRAIGHT ANIMALS ON OUR STREETS.
WHILE THIS PRACTICE EXISTED BEFORE THE PANDEMIC, THE SITUATION WORSENED DURING COVID-19 WITH SHELTER INTAKE CLOSED AND RESTRICTIONS IN PLACE.
LOCAL STRAY PETS WERE LEFT TO BE CROWDSOURCED, IE LISTED ON SOCIAL MEDIA FOR THE PUBLIC TO MANAGE THEIR HOUSING, THEIR CARE, AND THEIR FUNDING.
DURING THAT SAME TIME PERIOD, LOCAL RESCUES RAMPED UP EFFORTS TO TRANSPORT MORE ANIMALS INTO AUSTIN.
FAST FORWARD TO TODAY, OUR CITY IS OVERWHELMED, NOT JUST WITH LOCAL ANIMALS, BUT WITH MANY FROM OUTSIDE AREAS.
SHELTER INTAKE HAS BEEN CLOSED SINCE JULY 2ND, AND AUSTIN TAXPAYERS ARE FOOTING THE BILL TO BOARD.
THESE ARE ANIMALS, AUSTIN ANIMALS AT PRIVATE FACILITIES AND RESCUES LIKE A PA.
MEANWHILE, LOCAL STRAYS CONTINUE TO BE CROWDSOURCED.
DESPITE THIS AUSTIN AREA, RESCUES PERSIST IN TRANSPORTING ANIMALS FROM OTHER REGIONS, INDOOR CITY.
WHILE I UNDERSTAND THIS COMMISSION CANNOT CONTROL THE ACTIONS OF NONPROFITS, IT DOES HAVE THE POWER TO DEVELOP STRATEGIES TO PRIORITIZE THE RESCUE OF AUSTIN'S SHELTER.
WE NEED TO INCENTIVIZE LOCAL RESCUES TO PULL FROM OUR SHELTER AND ENSURE THAT OUR PETS ARE GIVEN PRIORITY UNTIL WE CAN MANAGE OUR OWN SHELTER POPULATION EFFECTIVELY.
THIS IS THE AUSTIN ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION, NOT THE TEXAS ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION.
AND THAT DISTINCTION SOMETIMES SEEMS MUDDLED.
AT THE LAST COMMISSION MEETING, AFTER HEARING RESIDENTS EXPRESS THEIR FRUSTRATION OVER CLOSED INTAKE, A COMMISSIONER ANNOUNCED THAT HE IS FOSTERING AN UNBELIEVABLY CUTE PUPPY FROM THE VALLEY.
THIS STATEMENT WAS PROFOUNDLY DISHEARTENING TO ME, ESPECIALLY THOSE OF US WHO UNDERSTAND THAT THE LOCAL FOSTER AND ADOPTION OF OUT OF AREA ANIMALS EXACERBATES OUR OWN SHELTER PROBLEMS. THIS COMMISSION HAS A RESPONSIBILITY TO LEAD BY EXAMPLE, TO FOCUS ON THE WELFARE OF AUSTIN'S ANIMALS.
FIRST AND FOREMOST, IF ANY COMMISSIONER REMAINS UNAWARE OF THE IMPACT OF THEIR ACTIONS, I WONDER ABOUT THEIR ABILITY TO CONTRIBUTE EFFECTIVELY TO THIS COMMISSION AND TO ADVOCATE FOR AUSTIN'S SHELTER PETS.
WE NEED LEADERS WHO ARE FULLY COMMITTED TO PRIORITIZING OUR LOCAL ANIMALS, ADDRESSING THE ROOT CAUSES OF OUR AUSTIN SHELTER CRISIS.
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PRIORITIZE AND PROTECT OUR LOCAL SHELTER ANIMALS.TOGETHER WE CAN CREATE A SUSTAINABLE AND COMPASSIONATE SOLUTION THAT ENSURES EVERY LOCAL PET HAS A CHANCE AT A LOVING HOME.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND YOUR CONSIDERATION.
UH, HELLO, AUSTIN ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION VOLUNTEERS.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR CIVIL SERVICE.
UH, IT FEELS EXCITING IN HERE.
IT'S MY FIRST TIME COMING TO BE AMONG Y'ALL DOING THIS GOOD WORK.
UH, SO I WAS HERE ON, UH, TO INFORM AND, UH, REQUEST ASSISTANCE AND KIND OF DO MY DUE DILIGENCE FOR REGARDING THREE DASH TWO DASH FIVE, WHICH IS THE PROPER CARE OF ANIMALS, AND THREE DASH TWO DASH 13, WHICH IS THE ENCLOSURE FOR ANIMALS.
SO, UM, JUST UNDER FOUR MONTHS AGO, UM, THE NEXT DOOR NEIGHBORS IN DISTRICT THREE, THAT'S WHERE WE LIVE, UH, MOVED IN FIVE CAGES.
AND AT ONE TIME, WE HAD, UM, SEVEN DOGS, TWO PREGNANT, UH, WHERE THEY'RE DOWN TO SIX DOGS AT THIS POINT.
SEVERAL DOBERMANS, GERMAN SHEPHERD, UM, RHODESIAN RIDGEBACK, I BELIEVE THE CAGES ARE ROUGHLY 50 SQUARE FEET.
UM, THE DOGS BARK AND WHINE, AND IF YOU ARE, IF THEY'RE NOT BARKING AND WHINING AND YOU STAND VERY QUIET IN OUR YARD, ALL YOU WILL HEAR IS THE CLICK CLACK OF THEIR CLAWS, MAKING ENDLESS CIRCLES IN THEIR TINY METAL CAGES.
UM, SO WE, UH, WENT TO THE ANIMAL SHELTER AND MET WITH ONE OF THE A SO SUPERVISORS AND REQUESTED ASSISTANCE.
WE PROVIDED VIDEO EVIDENCE, A WRITEUP OF ALL THE CONCERNS.
WE NOTIFIED CITY, OUR CITY COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVE.
WE'VE MADE KUS OF CALLS TO 3 1 1.
UH, WE RECENTLY DID TWO CAS FOR BOTH THE CODE, UM, ENFORCEMENT AND THROUGH ANIMAL SERVICES.
AND THE RESPONSE FROM ANIMAL SERVICES IS WE WENT OUT, UM, THE CAGES WERE CLEAN, THE ANIMALS ARE FED, UM, AND THE DOGS WERE OUT WHEN SHE LET US INTO THE BACKYARD, EXCEPT FOR THE ONE THAT SHE SAYS DOESN'T GET ALONG WITH THE OTHERS.
OUR OBSERVATIONS, WE'VE BEEN DOCUMENTING EVERY DAY SINCE THE DOGS SHOWN UP, UM, WITH EVERY KIND OF DOCUMENTATION YOU CAN IMAGINE, WHICH SHOWS THAT THE DOGS ARE IN THESE ENCLOSURES.
SO 150 SQUARE FEET IS WHAT THE CODE REQUIRES.
UM, THEY ARE IN THESE ENCLOSURES FOR 23 AND A HALF TO 24 HOURS A DAY EVERY SINGLE DAY OF THE YEAR.
UM, SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I, I SORT OF BRING TO YOU IS THAT WE ARE AT A PLACE NOW, WHEN WE PLACE A THREE ONE ONE CALL OR CONTACT OUR A SO OFFICER IS THE, THE REQUEST WILL BE CLOSED IMMEDIATELY.
UM, AND SO WE SORT OF WONDER, WELL, WHAT DO WE DO NOW? AND, AND HOW DO WE GET ENFORCEMENT FOR AUSTIN'S OWN CODE? THE CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICE OFFICE SAYS THAT THEY DO NOT ENFORCE CODE THAT THEY CANNOT SEE FROM THE STREET.
SO SINCE THE DOGS ARE IN THE BACKYARD, THEY CANNOT SEE THEM, AND THEY WON'T COME INTO OUR YARD OR VIEW ANY OF OUR EV UH, DOCUMENTATION WITHOUT A COURT ORDER.
YOU, YOU CAN WRAP UP IF YOU WANTED TO FINISH.
UM, I, I GUESS THE, THE POINT IS, UM, WE ARE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO REMEDY THE INHUMANE SITUATION AND PLAY BY THE RULES THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN HAS SET UP, AND WE CAN'T SEEM TO FIND A WAY.
UH, THANK YOU CHAIR, VICE CHAIR AND ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION MEMBERS WHO ARE HERE.
AND THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE ON REMOTELY, I AM REALLY GENUINELY APPRECIATIVE OF THE TIME ALL OF YOU PUT INTO THIS COMMISSION.
UM, WE ARE ONE OF THE, I DON'T KNOW OF ANY OTHER COMMISSION THAT HAS MET CONSISTENTLY ONCE A MONTH WITH SMALL, SMALL TIMES WHERE IT WENT TO EVERY OTHER MONTH FOR SOMETHING LIKE 32 YEARS.
SO, UH, THANK YOU FOR DOING WHAT YOU DO.
AS YOU KNOW, I OFTEN COME IN WITH REQUESTS.
I OFTEN ASK YOU TO DO MORE, AND I'VE HAD PEOPLE GET CRANKY AT ME.
'CAUSE YOU SAY, I'M DOING THE BEST I CAN.
I WANNA LET YOU KNOW THAT WHATEVER YOU DO, IT'S, IT'S BETTER THAN MOST PEOPLE.
AND WE DO HAVE PROBLEMS IN OUR CITY.
WE DO NEED TO TRY TO FIX THEM.
AND I AM HERE AGAIN, ASKING YOU FOR
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YOUR HELP IN THE PROBLEMS THAT I SEE MOST IMPORTANT.UM, I REALLY THINK THE CLOSED INTAKE IS A TERRIBLE, TERRIBLE THING.
AND ONCE AGAIN, YOU DO NOT HAVE AN ITEM ON YOUR AGENDA ABOUT CLOSED INTAKE.
I WOULD REQUEST THAT YOU PUT AN ITEM ON CLOSED INTAKE NEXT MONTH, THAT YOU START TO LISTEN TO THOSE OF US WHO ARE ON, UM, THE STRATEGIC PLANNING GROUP THAT, UM, UH, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, STEPHANIE HAYDEN HOWARD HAS CONVENED AS A RESULT OF THE AUDIT.
AS YOU KNOW, CLOSED INTAKE WAS A KEY ISSUE IN THE AUDIT.
UM, THEY APPROACHED IT BY SAYING, THERE ARE THREE THINGS THAT ARE CONTRADICTORY.
THE NO KILL MANDATE, THE CLOSED IN, YOU KNOW, OPEN INTAKE, HAVING AN OPEN INTAKE SHELTER AND ANIMAL CARE.
MY POSITION AT THE TIME WAS, AND CONTINUES TO BE THAT THOSE THREE ARE NOT IN CONTRADICTION WITH EACH OTHER.
IF WE ADEQUATELY FUND ALL THREE OF THOSE, IF YOU ADEQUATELY FUND ANIMAL CARE, IF YOU ADEQUATELY FUND AN OPEN INTAKE ANIMAL SHELTER, AND IF YOU ADEQUATELY FUND GETTING TO NO KILL IN ADJUST AND HUMANE WAY, WE CAN DO ALL THREE.
BUT WE CAN'T DO IT IF YOU DON'T LOOK AT THE BUDGET, IF YOU DON'T LOOK AT THE PROGRAMS, IF YOU DON'T LOOK AT WHAT WILL IT TAKE COST-WISE TO GET TO OPEN INTAKE, YOU KNOW, IT MAY TAKE A BOND ISSUE.
SO YOU MAYBE SHOULD START TALKING ABOUT A COMMITTEE TO ADDRESS THAT THROUGH A BOND.
IT MAY TAKE, YOU KNOW, PRIVATE FUNDRAISING.
I WOULD LIKE YOU TO LOOK AT THE ANIMAL SERVICES DONATIONS FUND.
IT HAS BEEN OUT THERE FOR A LONG TIME.
IT COULD GET MORE MONEY IF WE MAKE IT A PARTNER IN OPENING INTAKE.
UM, ALSO WITH WHAT THE PERSON JUST SAID.
CAN I TAKE ONE MORE SECOND? JUST PLEASE CONSIDER HAVING AN ANIMAL CRUELTY WORKING GROUP TO LOOK AT ANIMAL CRUELTY ISSUES.
CAN I JUST CHAIR CLINTON? UM, THIS IS A SPEAKER THAT I INVITED TO COME WHEN I SAW OUR AGENDA FOR, FOR THIS MEETING.
AND SHE GRACIOUSLY AT ME JUST TELLING HER THIS AFTERNOON, SHOWED UP, AND HER PRESENTATION MIGHT BE ABOUT FIVE MINUTES.
SO I WAS WONDERING IF WE COULD HER HER COMMENTS.
I MAY BE ABLE TO GET THROUGH IT IN, IN THREE.
I, UM, I'M CONCERNED ABOUT GETTING IN OPEN MEETINGS ACT TROUBLE BY CHANGING THE RULES.
I'M FINE IF YOU HAVE A FOLLOW-UP QUESTION THAT ASKS FOR FOLLOW-UP INFORMATION, APOLOGIZE.
BUT I DO NOT WANNA VIOLATE A, THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT.
MY, MY EXPERIENCE HAS BEEN THAT, THAT WE HAVE TAKEN A VOTE BEFORE ON, ON LETTING CERTAIN SPEAKERS SPEAK LONGER THAN THE ALLOTTED TIME.
I'M VERY COMFORTABLE WITH YOU ASKING A FOLLOW UP CLARIFICATION OR FOLLOW UP QUESTION.
I'M LESS COMFORTABLE WITH POTENTIALLY VIOLATING THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT ON CHANGING THE RULES FOR SPEAKERS.
I CAN GET THROUGH THIS QUICKLY.
I APPRECIATE YOU, UH, CONTACTING US TODAY AND INVITING ME.
I, UH, WORK WITH AUSTIN BAT REFUGE.
WE'RE THE ONLY BAT REHABILITATORS IN THE AUSTIN AREA.
UH, WE DO EDUCATION AND CONFLICT RESOLUTION, AND, UH, I WOULD LOVE TO SEE, UH, GLUE TRAPS, UH, BANNED FROM BEING SOLD AND USED IN AUSTIN.
UH, WE HAVE QUITE A BIT OF, UH, EXPERIENCE IN FINDING OR BEING BROUGHT BATS THAT HAVE BEEN TRAPPED ON GLUE TRAPS.
UM, AND IT'S A VERY, UM, IT'S A VERY DIFFICULT, UH, THING TO DEAL WITH.
IT'S VERY DIFFICULT FOR THE ANIMALS THAT ARE CAUGHT ON GLUE TRAPS.
UM, THEY'RE OFTEN PUT OUT TO CATCH ONE PARTICULAR SPECIES OF, UH, MAMMAL OR INSECT.
UH, UNFORTUNATELY, THEY HAVE A VERY BROAD REACH IN TERMS OF THE ANIMALS THAT THEY END UP TRAPPING IN THIS VERY STICKY GLUE.
UM, I'VE SENT SOME, SOME VIDEOS AND PHOTOS ALONG TO, UH, DR. NELSON, UH, THAT ILLUSTRATE, UM, SOME EXPERIENCES THAT WE'VE HAD, JUST SO THAT YOU CAN SEE, UH, WHAT HAPPENS, UH, WHEN AN ANIMAL IS, IS TRAPPED, UM, ON A GLUE TRAP.
THIS WAS FROM A SITUATION, UM, IN FEB THIS PAST FEBRUARY, UH, AT A LOCAL SMALL BUSINESS WHEN WE WERE CALLED TO COME AND, UH, GIVE THEM SOME INFORMATION ABOUT TRYING TO MITIGATE A, A SITUATION WHERE BATS WERE ACTUALLY GETTING DUE TO THEIR WORKPLACE AND FLYING AROUND.
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INTO THEIR ATTIC IN LITTLE CRAWL SPACE ABOVE THEIR, THEIR BUSINESS AND FOUND, UH, SEVERAL GLUE TRAPS THAT HAD APPARENTLY BEEN UP THERE FOR A VERY LONG TIME.UH, THERE IS A PHOTO THAT I HAVE THAT SHOWS ONE OF THE GLUE TRAPS THAT HAD WHAT LOOKED LIKE A RAT'S TAIL.
UM, AND ANOTHER SORT OF UNIDENTIFIED SKELETON MAY HAVE BEEN A RAT.
UM, SO WHAT HAPPENS, THAT'S THE ONE THAT HAS SOME, YOU KNOW, UH, SORT OF UN UNIDENTIFIABLE ANIMALS.
UH, WHAT HAPPENS WITH THESE GLUE TRAPS AND WHAT THEY'RE INTENDED TO DO IS FOR ANIMALS TO SIMPLY, UH, STARVE TO DEATH, UH, OVER A LONG PERIOD OF TIME.
SO THERE'S EXTREME CRUELTY INVOLVED IN THIS METHOD OF PEST CONTROL.
AND, UH, I WOULD LIKE TO, UH, YOU KNOW, JUST EDITORIALIZING A BIT.
I, I WOULD LIKE TO HOPE THAT OUR SOCIETY IS MOVING PAST THAT KIND OF, UM, UNINTENTIONAL POSSIBLY, BUT, BUT ABSOLUTELY HORRIBLE, UH, CRUELTY, UM, GETTING ANIMALS TRAPPED TO WHERE THEY, THEY SIMPLY DIE IN THE GLUE BY SUFFOCATING OR END UP STARVING TO DEATH OVER A LONG PERIOD OF TIME.
UM, IT TAKES A LONG TIME FOR US TO DEAL WITH THIS KIND OF A SITUATION, UM, AND INVOLVES SEVERAL HOURS OF WORK, UH, THAT IS USING VEGETABLE OIL TO GET THE ANIMAL OUTTA THE GLUE TRAP.
UH, YOU, YOU CAN WIND UP, FEEL FREE, JUST LET ME JUST FINISH THIS.
UM, AND THEN USING, UH, MORE VEGETABLE OIL TO TRY TO GET THE GLUE OFF OF THE BAT OR OTHER ANIMAL.
UM, AND THEN, UH, GOING BACK AND FORTH WITH THAT SEVERAL TIMES AND THEN USING, UH, DAWN DISH WASHING LIQUID TO CLEAN THE VEGETABLE OIL OFF THE ANIMAL.
AND SO THIS KIND OF GOES BACK AND FORTH, UM, IN, IN A CYCLE, UH, FOR SEVERAL HOURS AND SOMETIMES, SOMETIMES DAYS.
SO, UM, WHEN WE ARE ABLE TO SAVE THEM, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE, UH, ARE VERY HAPPY, HAPPY TO DO, BUT WE'D BE MUCH HAPPIER IF WE COULD, UM, KNOW THAT THESE REALLY TERRIBLE METHODS OF KILLING ANIMALS ARE SIMPLY NOT AVAILABLE.
I WOULD, JUST CURIOUS, UM, DO YOU HAVE A SENSE OF THE PERCENTAGE OF TIME THAT YOU, THAT YOU SEE BATS TRAPPED IN, LIKE THE OPEN, LARGER ONES DESIGNED FROM ANIMALS VERSUS THE SMALLER ONES WITH, IT'S DIFFICULT TO SAY.
WE, WE USUALLY GET THIS TYPE OF, UM, SITUATION, UH, ARE MADE AWARE OF THIS SITUATION SEVERAL TIMES A YEAR.
UM, IT, IT REALLY, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I'VE ACTUALLY SEEN THESE REALLY LARGE PALLETS.
UM, BUT I HAVE A FEELING THAT THEY ARE PROBABLY USED FAIRLY FREQUENTLY IN, IN, UH, PEST CONTROL.
UM, I JUST HAVE A FEELING THAT MOST OF THESE SITUATIONS ARE NEVER BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION.
I MEAN, I, PEOPLE USE THESE THINGS AND THEY SIT THERE, OR THEY'RE THROWN INTO THE TRASH, I THINK WITH, WITH LIVE ANIMALS, UH, TRAPPED IN THE GLUE.
UM, AND THEY'RE NOT REALLY INTENDED TO BE, UM, UH, SHOWN TO ANYBODY ELSE.
JUST TO CLEAR, HAVE YOU SEEN BATS TRAPPED IN THE SMALLER ONES? WERE THEY YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.
MOSTLY, UH, THE, WHAT WE'VE SEEN ARE THE ONES THAT PEOPLE BUY AT HEB OR, UM, HOME DEPOT, THE, THE SMALL ONES THAT COME IN PACKS OF SEVERAL OF THEM.
THEY PUT 'EM OUT AND THEY, THEY CATCH, UM, I THINK PEOPLE USUALLY PUT 'EM OUT FOR RODENTS, BUT THE, OF COURSE, THEY CATCH LIZARDS AND FROGS AND BATS AND, UM, SOMETIMES EVEN BIRDS, UH, AND A VARIETY OF INSECTS.
UM, SO THEY'RE QUITE, UM, UN UNTARGETED IN THEIR USE.
UH, SANDRA MUELLER, YOU WERE ON.
SORRY FOR THE TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES.
I'M A FORMER DOG VOLUNTEER FOR BOTH A PA AND A A C.
UM, FIRST I WANTED TO NOTE THAT THE SIX MONTH REVIEW PROCESS FOR THE AMENDMENTS TO CHAPTER THREE, ONE SHOULD BE OVER, AND THE CHANGES SHOULD NOW BE CODIFIED.
UH, THE CHANGE WOULD CREATE A BETTER PROCESS BY USING THE DUNBAR SCALE FOR DOG BITES, AND I THINK IT'S A GREAT MECHANISM TO REDUCE RISK IN THIS CITY FOR STAFF AND CITIZENS.
SECOND, I'D KIND OF LIKE TO SEE A CONVERSATION ABOUT OUR LIVE RELEASE RATE.
APAS RATE HAS BEEN DECLINING SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THIS YEAR, AND IT'S BEEN AT OR BELOW 90% SINCE MARCH.
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PA CAN'T MAINTAIN THEIR RELI RATES, SHOULDN'T THE CITY OF AUSTIN CONSIDER REDUCING ITS OWN BACK TO 90? BECAUSE IT WOULD STILL BE NO KILL.AND, BUT DR. JEFFERSON HERSELF HAS RECENTLY SAID IT'S AN IMMENSELY HARD TIME FOR SHELTER ANIMALS IN AUSTIN RIGHT NOW, ESPECIALLY FOR MEDIUM TO LARGE DOGS.
UM, AND THEIR RATES HAVE, YOU KNOW, THE ADOPTION RATES HAVE DECLINED AND THEIR STAYS ARE LONGER.
AND ALSO AS A PA IS EXPECTED TO DO THEIR QUARTERLY REPORT NEXT MONTH.
IF THEY'RE LISTENING, I'D LOVE TO HEAR ABOUT WHAT REPAIRS WERE DONE FROM THE 60 K, $60,000 RAISED FOR HEAT RELEASE LAST MONTH, BECAUSE IT SEEMS THEY JUST DO THESE ANNUAL BANDAID REPAIRS INSTEAD OF MOVING FORWARD THE, WITH THE REAL, REAL CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT.
UM, WE, IT WOULD BE GREAT IF TLAC COULD GET MOVED UP ON THEIR PRIORITY LIST AS THIS.
WE'VE BEEN WAITING OVER A DECADE FOR THE REBUILD OF TLAC CI MEAN, WHEN I VOLUNTEERED THERE IN 2013, IT WAS ONLY SUPPOSED TO BE A FEW YEARS AWAY.
AND THEN FINALLY, JUST THANK YOU ALL FOR VOLUNTEERING YOUR TIME, AS PAT SAID, AND YOU WORK ON THE STRATEGIC PLAN, AND I CAN'T WAIT TO HEAR ABOUT THE RESULTS FROM THE SURVEY.
WE'LL MOVE TO, UM, ITEM NUMBER ONE.
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES ]
APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING ON AUGUST 12TH, 2024.
DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES? MOTION TO APPROVE.
UH, DO WE HAVE ANY DISCUSSIONS OR QUESTIONS ON THE MINUTES? NO.
SEEING NONE, UH, ALL OF THOSE IN FAVOR OF COMMISSIONER SM AS MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES.
NIELSEN'S ABSTAINING, SO I DON'T THINK WE HAVE THE VOTES TO APPROVE, AND WE MAY NEED TO.
THAT'S, WELL, YEAH, THE MOTION FAILS FOR NOW.
YEAH, WE'LL HAVE TO BRING IT BACK NEXT MONTH.
[2. Staff briefing regarding monthly reports provided by the Animal Service Center. ]
TO STAFF BRIEFING NUMBER TWO, STAFF BRIEFING REGARDING MONTHLY REPORTS PROVIDED BY THE ANIMAL SERVICE CENTER.UM, SO FOR AUGUST, THE LIVE OUTCOME RATE FOR WAS 97.82%.
WE HAD A TOTAL OF 904 ANIMALS THAT WERE BROUGHT TO THE SHELTER.
WE WERE ABLE TO ADOPT 7 35 ANIMALS AND, UH, RETURN 73 CATS AND DOCS BACK TO THEIR OWNER.
UM, WITHIN THE FIELD, ANIMAL PROTECTION WAS ABLE TO RETURN 47 ANIMALS TO THEIR OWNER.
UM, WE DID IMPOUND 139 INJURED ANIMALS, AND THEN APPROXIMATELY 104 ANIMALS WERE TRANSFERRED TO WILDLIFE RESCUE.
UM, BUT THEN FOSTER AND RESCUE, EXCUSE ME, UH, 220 ANIMALS WERE ADOPTED DIRECTLY FROM FOSTER CARE.
UH, WE HAD MORE THAN 330 DIFFERENT PEOPLE, FAMILIES THAT FOSTERED ANIMALS FOR US.
UM, WE CURRENTLY HAVE 1,271 MEMBERS, UM, THAT ARE APPROVED FOSTERS WHO, WHO COULD FOSTER FOR US.
AND AS OF SEPTEMBER 5TH, WE HAD 369 ANIMALS IN FOSTER CARE.
OUR VET TEAM, UM, THE VETS WERE ABLE TO PERFORM 778 EXAMS AND ALTER 626 ANIMALS.
UM, A PA DID PULL 127 ANIMALS FROM US FOR MEDICAL REASONS, AND THEY DID PULL THEIR FIVE LARGE BEHAVIOR DOGS.
AND I'LL KICK IT OFF TO DON TO TALK ABOUT STAFFING.
GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS, DON BLAND.
UH, FOR LAST MONTH, WE HAD, UH, VOLUNTEERS CONTRIBUTED 5,528 HOURS.
WE HAD FIVE VOLUNTEER ORIENTATIONS LAST MONTH THAT INTRODUCED 125 POTENTIAL NEW VOLUNTEERS TO OUR PROGRAM.
WE HAVE CURRENTLY, UH, OUR FULL-TIME POSITIONS.
WE HAVE FOUR OPEN, UH, ONE CLOSES ON THE 17TH, AND ANOTHER ONE CLOSES ON THE 20TH OF THIS MONTH.
AND, UH, ONE IS WAITING TO BE POSTED.
AND, UM, ONE IS POSTED CURRENTLY.
AND WE HAVE ONE TEMPORARY POSITION THAT IS CLOSING TOMORROW.
SO WE HAVE A FIVE TOTAL POSITIONS WITH FULL-TIME AND TEMPORARY.
OUR GOOD FIX, UH, GREATER GOOD CHARITIES GOOD FIX CLINIC.
THE FIRST ONE IS COMING UP, UH, SEPTEMBER THE 24TH THROUGH THE 28TH AT, UH, BEING HELD AT TRAVIS COUNTY EXPO CENTER.
AND, UH, THEY PLAN ON DOING 250 SURGERIES A DAY FOR A TOTAL OF 1,250 FOR THE FIRST CLINIC.
AND, UH, THEN THE NEXT ONE THAT THEY PLAN ON RAMPING UP TO, UH, DOING 2000 SURGERIES DURING THEIR PERIOD HERE LAST MONTH.
COMMISSIONER LINDER ASKED, UH, TWO QUESTIONS AND I WILL ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS.
YOU ASKED HOW MANY, UH, FOLKS, UH, ACCEPTED OUR VOUCHERS? WE HAVE 14, UH, CLINICS
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THAT ACCEPT OUR VOUCHERS.AND ON OCCASION, UH, THEY'RE NOT REGULAR PARTNERS, BUT OCCASION, WE'LL WORK OUT SOMETHING WITH SOMEONE, UH, AT ANOTHER CLINIC THAT MIGHT BE A ONE-OFF THAT WE WORK WITH THEM TO ACCEPT SOMETHING, BUT THEY'RE NOT A REGULARLY ON OUR SCHEDULE OF 14.
UH, YOU ALSO ASK ABOUT WHAT THE WAIT TIME WAS FOR HEALTHY AND SICK ANIMALS.
AND, UM, FOR THOSE SICK ANIMALS THAT ARE COMING IN ON EMERGENCIES, THOSE ARE DAY OF.
AND FOR THOSE ANIMALS THAT ARE BEING BROUGHT IN UNDER EMERGENCY SITUATION THAT IT COMES OUT, IT'S NOT AN EMERGENCY SITUATION.
IT COULD BE THAT DAY, OR IT COULD BE ONE TO FOUR DAYS FOR THOSE.
UH, ONCE SOMEONE SIGNS UP TO BE A FINDER TO FOSTER, UH, BETWEEN THE TIME THEY SIGN UP AND TO GET THEIR IN THEIR APPOINTMENT FOR THEIR VACCINATIONS, IT'S AROUND TWO WEEKS, UH, TO GET THAT DONE.
AND THAT IS BECAUSE WE JUST DON'T HAVE THE VET STAFF TO FREE UP DAILY FOR THAT, UH, WITH THEM TAKING CARE OF ALL THE ANIMALS IN THE SHELTER, AS WELL AS ALL THE FOSTERS.
UH, AND WE HAVE, UH, TWO CLINICS A WEEK THAT THEY CAN COME TO, AND IT'S A SUCCESSFUL PROGRAM, AND WE'RE BOOKING MORE FOLKS, UH, THAN THOSE TWO DAYS A WEEK CAN HANDLE.
SO IT'S SPILLING OVER AND IT'S TAKEN A COUPLE OF WEEKS TO GET THOSE DONE.
UH, FOR SMALL DOGS, UH, WE LOOK AT THE INVENTORY ON EVERY DAY, AND, UH, IF THERE'S OPEN CAGES, WE'LL TAKE INTAKE FOR THOSE HEALTHY ANIMALS THAT ARE COMING IN AS WELL AS FOR CATS.
ANYTHING THAT SHOWS UP IN A TRAP IS TAKEN THAT DAY, SAME DAY.
BUT ANY HEALTHY CAT THAT'S SHOWING UP, UM, THAT'S NOT TRAPPED, UH, WE'RE LOOKING AT THE SPACE ISSUES AND IF WE HAVE SPACE, WE CAN TAKE IT THAT DAY.
AND IF NOT, IT'S ONE TO FOUR DAYS BEFORE THEY CAN GET IT IN.
UH, IT'S, IT'S THE LARGE DOGS THAT, AND THE OWNER SURRENDERS THAT ARE STILL THE ONES THAT ARE BEING PUSHED BACK THAT WE CAN'T TAKE IN BECAUSE WE JUST DON'T HAVE THE SPACE FOR THAT.
AND WHEN DO SOMETHING DOES COME UP, YOU KNOW, IT'S BEING TAKEN IN, FILLING UP WITH AN EMERGENCY.
AND WHEN WE DO, UH, HAVE SOMEONE THAT IS GOING TO HAVE TO BOOK OUT AND WE'VE DONE EVERYTHING WE CAN, UH, IT'S, IT'S, UH, ANYWHERE FROM ONE TO FOUR WEEKS, DEPENDING ON THE SITUATION AND THEIR NEEDS.
ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? UH, COMMISSIONER MULA.
SO YOU, YOU ANSWERED, UM, VICE CHAIR LINDER'S QUESTION FROM LAST MONTH, BUT YOU DIDN'T MAKE ANY MENTION OF THE QUESTION THAT I ASKED LAST MONTH ABOUT THE DISCREPANCY IN THE NUMBERS.
DO YOU HAVE THAT ANSWER AS WELL? I, I DON'T, I, THAT'S, WHAT DID YOU LOOK AT THAT? I'M TRYING TO REMEMBER.
I'LL HAVE TO GET BACK AND SEND YOU A WRITTEN ANSWER.
I WAS, I WAS WONDERING IF THE PIE CHARTS INCLUDE NON CATS AND DOGS, BUT THE NUMBERS JUST INCLUDE CATS AND DOGS.
THE, THE INTAKE NUMBERS INCLUDE ALL ANIMAL INTAKES.
WHILE WHAT I REPORT ON IS JUST REALLY JUST COMPANION ANIMALS, ANIMALS.
SO, BUT I WAS WONDERING IF THE DISCREPANCY BETWEEN THE PIE CHART AND THE NUMBER GIVEN IN THE SAME BOX MIGHT BE BECAUSE THE NUMBER IN THE BOX IS JUST CATS AND DOGS, BUT THEN THERE'S TWO MORE ON THE PIE CHART, SO I'M WONDERING IF THOSE WERE WILDLIFE OR NON OTHER NON-CAT AND DOG.
YEAH, SO I'LL, I'LL REFRESH THAT.
THE QUESTION THAT I ASKED WAS ON THE ANIMAL DEATHS AT A A C AND IN FOSTER, THE NUMBERS ON THE PIE CHART ARE LARGER THAN THE NUMBERS.
THE TOTAL, LIKE IT'S, IT, IT'S AGAIN, THIS MONTH IT SHOWS THAT THERE WERE SIX ANIMAL DEATHS AT A A C OR IN FOSTER.
BUT IF YOU GO ONTO THE PIE CHART, IT HAS 10.
SO MY QUESTION WAS, ARE THEY DOUBLE COUNTING THESE? SO, SO ESSENTIALLY IN THIS PIE CHART, I, I DO REMEMBER, 'CAUSE I DID TALK WITH OUR IT PERSON ABOUT THIS.
SO IT DEPENDS ON HOW WE INTAKE AND THEN CLASSIFY THE ANIMAL.
SO IF WE, IF WE BROUGHT IN A NEONATE, UM, THEY'LL CLASSIFY IT, BUT THEN THEY'LL ALSO PUT A SUBTYPE OF MEDICAL.
AND SO THEN THAT IN THE PIE CHART WILL COUNT IT DOUBLE.
AND SO WE ARE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT A WAY HOW WE CAN, HOW IT WILL JUST DO THE, THE SPECIFIC FIRST TYPE SO THAT WAY WE JUST CAPTURE AND AREN'T DOUBLE BOOKING IT.
YEAH, THAT WAS, THAT, THAT WAS MY MAIN THING IS THAT I THINK, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE, THEY'RE DOUBLE COUNTING ANIMALS.
WE CHECKED IT, WHEN I CHECKED IN WITH HIM, HE HADN'T FIGURED OUT A WAY TO FIX IT YET.
SO THAT WAY COMM UM, CAMIL CAN COMMUNICATE WITH POWER BI AND RECOGNIZE THAT, THAT THAT CHANGE OR THAT DIFFERENCE IN IT.
BUT WE'RE, WE'RE WORKING ON IT.
AND SO I FORGOT TO, TO UPDATE THAT.
AND THEN MY, UM, MY NEXT QUESTION IS ON YOUR ANIMALS LOST, STOLEN OR MISSING, YOU SHOWED THREE ANIMALS.
WH WHICH CATEGORY DO THEY FALL IN, LOST, STOLEN, OR MISSING?
[00:30:01]
SO I'LL HAVE TO LOOK AT THE ACTUAL, THEY WOULD'VE SHOWN UP AS LOST AND THEN WHATEVER THE SUBTYPE WAS.SO I'LL LOOK INTO THOSE ANIMALS SPECIFICALLY AND, AND GET THAT AND WORK WITH HIM ON JUST ENSURING THAT THOSE WILL CAPTURE THE APPROPRIATE STUFF.
THERE'S NO PIE CHART ON THIS ONE.
IT'S JUST, YEAH, IT'S HAS IT ON, IT'S JUST A NUMBER.
WE DON'T KNOW IF THEY'RE LOST, STOLEN, OR MISSING.
'CAUSE THERE'S NO ANNOTATION ON THAT.
I'LL GIVE YOU THE, I'LL, I'LL MAKE SURE TO INCLUDE THAT AS, UH, WHAT THEIR, WHAT THE BREAKDOWN IS.
I APPRECIATE, I I WASN'T ABLE TO ATTEND THE LAST MEETING AND, UH, I DID SEE THAT CHIEF LAND DID GET BACK ABOUT THE MICRO SHIPPING, THE NUMBERS, AND THAT'S VERY MUCH APPRECIATED.
UH, I THINK, AND I RECOMMEND THAT, UH, IT IS INCLUDED HOW MANY ANIMALS ARE MICROCHIPPED EVERY MONTH AND BY WHO OR, OR GROUP.
UM, AND UM, AND OF COURSE I DON'T HAVE PROOF OR ANYTHING, BUT I, UH, I TYPICALLY, WHAT, WHAT I SEE IN THE SOCIAL MEDIA, IT SEEMS LIKE A LOT OF TIMES THE MICRO SHIPPING IS LACKING FROM THE LOW INCOME AREAS LIKE 7, 8, 7 21, THE AREA CODE OR OTHER COMMUNITIES, THE HISPANIC ET CETERA, COLOR PEOPLE, BROWN PEOPLE.
AND ALSO, I, I WANT TO GIVE YOU KUDOS.
I HAVE BEEN SEEING HOW YOU PUT IN INSTAGRAM, UM, STORIES OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE ADOPTED, UH, PETS FROM THE ANIMAL CENTER.
AND IT'S, IT'S BEAUTIFUL TO SEE THOSE STORIES, UM, BECAUSE ANIMALS DO BRING A LOT OF LOVE AND LIGHT TO FAMILIES.
COMMISSIONER HOLT, I HAVE A FOLLOW-UP QUESTION ABOUT MICROCHIPS.
UM, WHAT COMPANY DO WE USE SLASH DO YOU KNOW WHAT IT COSTS ADOPTERS TO ACTUALLY REGISTER IT? SO LIKE WE ALL KNOW IT COSTS SOMEWHERE BETWEEN THREE AND $12 TO ACTUALLY BUY THE CHIP ITSELF.
RIGHT? BUT IT COSTS ADOPTERS SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 30 AND LIKE A HUNDRED IN SOME CASES I'VE SEEN DOLLARS, UM, TO REGISTER AND ACTUALLY MAKE IT USEFUL.
DO WE, DO WE KNOW WHAT IT IS? AND IS THERE ANY SORT OF PROBLEM SOLVING AROUND HOW, IF WE'RE DOING MICROCHIP CLINICS AND THEN IF THE PEOPLE WHO ARE BEING ATTRACTED TO FREE SERVICES ARE ALSO THE PEOPLE WHO ARE MOST LIKELY TO SAY, OH, $75 IS TOO MUCH FOR ME TO REGISTER.
IS THERE ANY SORT OF LIKE THE CHIP THAT WE IMPLANT ON THE FIRST IMPLANT IS AUTOMATICALLY REGISTERED.
TO THE CENTER OR TO THE ADOPTER? TO THE ADOPTER.
SO THE LIFETIME REGISTRATION IS INCLUDED IN THE, IT'S A LIFETIME.
IT'S, IT'S, IT'S TO THEM UNTIL, IF THEY CHANGE THEIR INFORMATION, THEY WILL HAVE TO GET IT UPDATED IN TERMS OF IT'S, WE, IT'S REGISTERED TO THEM FOR THE LIFE OF THAT, FOR THE OKAY.
IT CHANGES THAT THEY WANT TO UPDATE.
ANYTHING ELSE? I HAD ANOTHER QUESTION, IF THAT'S OKAY.
SORRY, UNRELATED, BUT THE MICROCHIP THING SPARKED IT FOR ME.
UM, FOR IN MAY WHEN WE HAD THE SPAY NEUTER CONTRACT, UM, REVISION RECOMMENDATION GO THROUGH, UH, WE WERE TOLD IN THE WEEKS THAT FOLLOWED THAT, YOU KNOW, WE DIDN'T NEED TO PUSH TO GET COUNSEL TO OFFICIALLY MAKE A RESOLUTION AROUND IT.
'CAUSE IT WAS GOING TO JUST ON ITS OWN, UM, YOU KNOW, THROUGH THE ADVICE AND GOODWILL OF THE SHELTER, UM, HAPPEN.
ARE, ARE WE GONNA GET A COPY OF THAT CONTRACT ONCE IT'S FINALIZED? I GUESS I JUST WANNA KNOW HOW THAT'S, HOW THAT'S GOING.
OUR, ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT MICROCHIPPING OR ARE YOU TALKING I'M SORRY.
NO, I DID A TOTAL SUBJECT CHANGE.
UM, IT WAS ABOUT THE SPAY NEUTER RECOMMENDATION FROM MAY THAT THAT WILL BE, UH, THAT CONTRACT PURCHASING WILL BE UPDATING THAT AND PUTTING IT OUT FOR BIDS, UH, NEXT YEAR.
AND WHEN IT COMES DUE, WELL SHOULD BE PRETTY SOON BECAUSE IT'LL GO UP, IT ACTUALLY EXPIRES IN MAR AT THE END OF MARCH.
AND SO, UH, THEY WILL BE ADDING RECOMMENDATIONS AND PUTTING THAT OUT.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, ONCE THAT, UH, IT'S WHOEVER ACCEPTS IT AND MOVES FORWARD, THEN THAT CONTRACT WILL GO THROUGH COUNCIL TO GET APPROVED AND IT'LL BE ON THE COUNCIL AGENDA, A COPY OF IT.
SO TO, TO MAKE SURE I HAVE IT CORRECT, THE LIFE OF THAT CONTRACT AS A FEB MARCH ONE TO FEBRUARY 28TH OR 29TH.
I THINK IT ACTUALLY ENDS SOMETIME END OF MARCH.
AND YOU, IT IS NOT SET FOR AN AUTOMATIC RENEWAL WITH EMANCIPET.
[00:35:01]
IT IS GOING TO BE UP FOR A SOLICITATION.THIS IS THE LAST, THIS WAS THE LAST RENEWAL.
THANK YOU ES SO, AND MAYBE THIS IS, UH, FROM THE, THE MEETING OR I NEEDS TO BE FOR THE NEXT MEETING.
SO HOW DO WE GET, UH, MORE LIGHT ON THE MICRO SHIPPING TO BE PART OF OUR MEETINGS TO UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THAT? THAT IS, UM, NOT ONE OF OUR REPORTS THAT WE PRODUCE.
AND UH, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT, UM, I DON'T KNOW THAT THERE'S A WAY CURRENTLY TO PULL THAT FROM THE SYSTEM.
IT'S A LOT OF MANUAL PROCESSING.
AND I'LL HAVE TO ASK, UH, IF THERE'S SOME REPORT THAT CAN BE WRITTEN, BUT I'LL ASK.
UM, I JUST WANT TO DIS UH, I APPRECIATE THAT SHE PLAN.
I JUST WANT TO KEEP A LIGHT ON THIS BECAUSE, UH, YOU SEE A LOT OF THIS, UH, ANIMALS BEING LOST AND NOT BEING MICROCHIP AND IT MIGHT HELP A LOT ALLEVIATE WITH, UM, THE PROBLEMS WITH THE ANIMAL CENTER OR ET CETERA, THE COMMUNITY.
AND OF COURSE I'M TALKING ABOUT THIS WITHOUT DATA, BUT I'M JUST MAKING OBSERVATION.
DR. NELSON HAS, UH, THE A SO RECEIVED APAS MONTHLY REPORT FOR THIS MONTH? YES.
CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT IT'S CALLED? 'CAUSE I'M NOT SEEING IT.
IT IT IS NOT IN THE BACKUP DOCUMENTS BECAUSE THERE WASN'T AN ITEM RELATED TO IT, BUT I DISTRIBUTED IT TO, IT'S IN THE EMAIL, ALL YOUR EMAILS.
UH, I THINK YEAH, THIS MORNING.
[3. Discussion of the Animal Services strategic plan and planning process.]
ITEM NUMBER THREE, DISCUSSION OF THE ANIMAL SERVICES STRATEGIC PLAN AND PLANNING PROCESS.I ASSUME THERE'S A PERSON FROM STAFF WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON THE ITEM.
I'M STEPHANIE HAYDEN HOWARD, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER.
UM, AND WE ARE HERE TO SHARE AN UPDATE ABOUT THE STRATEGIC PLAN.
UM, MY PORTION AND, UM, LARRY'S SCHOOL'S PORTION WILL BE RELATIVELY SHORT.
WE'RE GONNA SPEND THE BULK OF THE CONVERSATION WITH, UM, SAMANTHA, UM, GOING OVER SOME OF THE INPUT INFORMATION THAT WE RECEIVED FROM THE PUBLIC AT OUR LAST MEETING LAST MONTH.
ONE OF THE, UM, QUESTIONS THAT WE WERE ASKED, WE WERE ASKED ABOUT THE COMMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE, UM, THROUGH THE PORTAL.
UM, AND SO SHE IS GOING TODAY, SHE'S GOING TO, UM, JUST SHARE SOME OF THE FEEDBACK FROM THE STAFF AND THE VOLUNTEERS.
UM, BUT WHAT WE PLAN TO DO IS, IS, UM, THEY HAVE DONE A HIGH LEVEL PROCESS WHERE THEY CAME UP WITH THEMES, AND SO SHE'LL WALK THROUGH THOSE THEMES TO, UM, BUT THEY NEED A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME BECAUSE THERE WERE OVER 2000 COMMENTS, UM, THAT THEY NEEDED TO GO THROUGH AND BE ABLE TO TRY TO SYNTHESIZE THOSE AND PUT THEM IN, IN, IN SOME TYPE OF ORDER.
UM, SO THEY'RE STILL WORKING ON THAT DATA, BUT WE WANTED TO COME FORWARD TODAY, UM, AND JUST KIND OF PROVIDE THIS UPDATE.
AND THEN, UM, THE PLAN IS, IS THAT WE'LL COME BACK IN OCTOBER, THEIR FULL TEAM AND BE ABLE TO KIND OF DIVE INTO THAT INFORMATION A LITTLE MORE, UM, TO BE ABLE TO GIVE YOU THAT SPECIFIC INFORMATION.
AND THEN WE'LL MAKE, UM, ALL OF THE INFORMATION ONCE WE HAVE IT IN A NICE USABLE FORMAT, UM, WE'LL MAKE THAT ACCESSIBLE TO THE PUBLIC.
SO AT THAT POINT, I WILL TRANSITION OVER TO DR.
SCHOOLER, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER.
UH, WE HAD A PRODUCTIVE, UH, WORKING GROUP SESSION ON AUGUST 29TH THAT I'LL JUST BRIEFLY SUMMARIZE BEFORE I HAND THINGS OVER TO SAMANTHA.
[00:40:01]
TAKEAWAY, I THINK WAS THAT THE GROUP WAS ABLE TO SPEND TIME WITH EACH OTHER THINKING ABOUT, UH, WHAT THEIR END GOALS ARE.IN OTHER WORDS, WHERE ARE WE TRYING TO GET FROM AND TO, AND I THINK THERE WERE A COUPLE OF RESPONSES THAT I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT.
UH, I HOPE I DON'T EMBARRASS COMMISSIONERS, UH, BECAUSE I MAY BE QUOTING THEM, UH, ANONYMOUSLY, BUT THESE WERE, I THOUGHT PARTICULARLY INTERESTING.
ONE SAID, WE WANT AUSTIN TO BE A CITY WHERE PEOPLE CAN AFFORD SPAY AND NEUTER.
PEOPLE CAN TAKE ANIMALS TO THE SHELTER FROM THE STREETS AND ANIMALS DON'T GET KILLED FOR SPACE.
AND I ALSO HEARD SOMEONE SAY, UH, WE WANT A SYSTEM THAT WORKS AT BOTH ENDS OF THE LEASH, THAT IT WORKS FOR PEOPLE AND FOR PETS.
AND THERE WERE A LOT OF COMMENTS THAT RELATE TO, UH, STRONG COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS THAT, UH, LIFT UP THE WORK OF ANIMAL SERVICES AND MAKE IT A COHESIVE, UH, ECOSYSTEM.
SO I THINK THE BULK OF THE MEETING WAS DEVOTED TO REALLY A DEEP DIVE INTO SOME OF THE DATA THAT YOU'LL HEAR NOW AS IT RELATES TO WHAT THE COMMUNITY IS TELLING US.
I KNOW THE WORKING GROUP WANTS TO MAKE SURE IT'S BEING RESPONSIVE TO THE COMMUNITY'S WISHES.
I ANTICIPATE WHEN WE MEET AGAIN ON THURSDAY THAT WE'RE GONNA DIVE DEEPLY INTO WHAT WE CALL, UH, THE ELEPHANTS IN THE ROOM, INCLUDING, UH, INTAKE, THE CLOSED INTAKE, UH, OR THE SPORADIC OPEN INTAKE.
AND OBVIOUSLY THE VARIOUS ISSUES THAT WERE RAISED AS ELEPHANTS.
NONE OF THEM CAN REALLY BE TALKED ABOUT IN SILOS.
SO I THINK BY THE END OF THURSDAY EVENING, WE'LL HAVE MADE SOME SIGNIFICANT HEADWAY IN UNDERSTANDING, UM, WHERE WE CAN FIND SOME CONSENSUS AMONGST THE GROUP.
IT IS A CONSENSUS BASED PROCESS RATHER THAN JUST A UP OR DOWN MAJORITY VOTE KIND OF PROCESS.
BUT I DO THINK GIVEN WHAT WE'VE ACCOMPLISHED SO FAR THAT WE, AS I THINK DIRECTOR BLAND PUT IT, UH, WE HAVE, UM, MORE ALIKE, WE ARE MORE ALIKE THAN WE ARE DIFFERENT IS WHAT I HEARD HIM SAY.
SO, UH, I'LL HAND THINGS OVER TO SAMANTHA TO SHARE WITH YOU MORE ON THE DATA.
HELLO, I'M SAMANTHA EATON MONCAYO WITH THE BUDGET AND PERFORMANCE CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT TEAM FOR THE CITY.
OUR TEAM WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE INTERNAL ENGAGEMENT AND THE COMMUNITY SURVEY.
SO OUR COMMUNITY SURVEY WAS POSTED BETWEEN JULY 17TH AND AUGUST 14TH, SO IT WAS ROUGH UP FOR ROUGHLY A MONTH.
IN THAT TIME, WE COLLECTED 2041 RESPONSES OF THOSE 567 MORE EXCLUDED BECAUSE THEY FAILED TO COMPLETE TWO OR MORE REQUIRED QUESTIONS ARE, WERE MOSTLY JUST LEFT BLANK.
AND TO ACHIEVE THAT RESPONSE RATE, WE MARKETED IT IN A VARIETY OF FORUMS. WE USE OUR SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS FOR A SO IN THE CITY.
THERE WAS SOME INTERNAL CITY NEWSLETTERS AND ALSO, UM, WE REACHED OUT TO ALL OF THE PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICERS ACROSS THE CITY.
AND LASTLY, WE, UM, THE CITY DEVELOPED A SOCIAL MEDIA KIT TO SHALL SHARE WITH PARTNER AGENCIES SO THAT THEY MAY ALSO, UM, SPREAD THIS SURVEY WITH THEIR, UM, FOLLOWERS.
AND I WANNA, UM, THANK ASO'S MARKETING TEAM.
THEY WERE TREMENDOUSLY HELPFUL IN ACHIEVING THAT.
ON THE LAST PAGE OF THE SURVEY, WE ASKED, UH, PARTICIPANTS TO PROVIDE THEIR DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION.
NOT EVERYONE GOT TO THIS PAGE OR PROVIDED THIS INFORMATION, SO THIS MIGHT NOT BE REPRESENTATIVE OF EVERYBODY THAT TOOK THE SAMPLE, THE SURVEY.
UM, BUT OUR SAMPLE WAS PRETTY DIVERSE IN GEOGRAPHIC REGION.
UM, YOU CAN SEE THE MAP SHOWS A GOOD SPREAD OF PEOPLE ACROSS THE CITY.
AND ALSO, UM, WE WANTED TO SHARE THIS, UM, ZIP CODE WAS SELF-REPORTED, BUT WE ALSO DID CHECK IP ADDRESSES TO ENSURE THAT IN INDIVIDUAL RESPONSES WERE COMING FROM PEOPLE WITHIN THE CITY TO LIMIT OUTSIDE INFLUENCE.
UM, UM, AND THEN, UM, IF AN, A ZIP CODE WAS REPORTED AS OUTSIDE OF THE AUSTIN AREA, BUT A PERSON INDICATED THEY INTERACTED WITH A SO RECENTLY, WE DID INCLUDE THEM IN THE SURVEY.
YOU CAN SEE FROM THE PIE CHARTS THAT 80.5% OF PARTICIPANTS WERE FEMALE AND 66% OF PARTICIPANTS REPORTED THEY WERE WHITE.
UM, NEXT PARTICIPANTS WERE ASKED HOW THEY INTERACTED WITH A SO IN THE PAST YEAR.
SO, UM, WE DID SEE IN THE COMMENTS SOME INDIVIDUALS MIGHT HAVE HAD OTHER INTERACTIONS WITH A SO IN THE PAST, BUT, UM, WITHIN THE PAST YEAR, THIS IS HOW THEY, UM, TOUCHED THE AGENCY.
MOSTLY PEOPLE VISITED THE WEBSITE IN SOCIAL MEDIA, FOLLOWED BY DROPPING OFF DONATIONS AND CONTACTING 3 1 1 RAAC ABOUT A LOSS OR FOUND PET.
NEXT, PARTICIPANTS WERE ASKED TO PROVIDE THEIR RATING ON THE QUALITY OF SERVICES THEY RECEIVED.
AND FROM THIS YOU CAN SEE THAT VOLUNTEER PROGRAMS RESOURCES FOR PET OWNERS AND THE ADOPTION SERVICES WERE THE MOST HIGHLY RATED SERVICES.
[00:45:01]
UM, ACCEPTING STRAYS, ACCEPTING OWNER SURRENDERS AND RESPONSES TO ANIMAL PROTECTION CALLS WERE, UM, LOWER, RECEIVE LOWER RATINGS OF POOR OR VERY POOR.NEXT PARTICIPANTS WERE ASKED TO PROVIDE, UM, THEIR PRIORITIES AND, UH, AND RANK THEM AND PROVIDE ONLY THEIR TOP FIVE.
SO, UM, YOU MIGHT HAVE NOTICED THERE'S A PRETTY LENGTHY LIST AND IT WAS RANDOMIZED FOR PARTICIPANTS SO THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE A BIAS OF JUST ACCEPTING WHAT WAS AT THE TOP OF THE LIST.
THIS SLIDE GIVES YOU A COUNT OF WHAT PEOPLE SELECTED IN THEIR TOP FIVE.
SO YOU CAN SEE OVERALL IT'S A PRETTY CLOSE RACE BETWEEN MAINTAINING NO KILL STRAY ANIMAL RESPONSE OR INTAKE, OPEN TO ACCEPT LOSS AND FOUND ANIMALS.
SPAY NEUTER PROGRAMS, HIGH STANDARD OF CARE FOR SHELTERED ANIMALS AND ADOPTION REHOMING WERE MOST IMPORTANT TO PEOPLE.
I DO WANNA NOTE THAT MOST OFTEN PEOPLE SELECT AND MAINTAINING NO KILL IS THEIR NUMBER ONE PRIORITY.
AND THEN WHEN IT CAME TO THEIR SECOND TO FIFTH PRIORITY, THERE WAS A LOT OF VARIATION WITH, UM, NO, NO CLEAR WINNERS.
UM, SOME PEOPLE ONLY PROVIDED ONE OR TWO PRIORITIES.
AND LASTLY, BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, UM, IT PARTICIPANTS OF THE COMMUNITY SURVEY WERE ASKED TO PROVIDE THEIR IDEAL FUTURE STATE.
THIS WAS AN OPEN COMMENT FIELD WHERE PEOPLE COULD ALSO SEE OTHER COMMENTS IF, UM, THE INDIVIDUALS WISH TO NOT HIDE THEM AND THEY COULD UPVOTE COMMENTS.
THE CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT TEAM WORKED TO CODE THESE RESPONSES, AND THESE ARE THE TOP 10 THEMES THAT EMERGED.
IT WAS A PRETTY CLOSE TIE BETWEEN THE TOP FOUR THEMES, AND I'LL GO OVER THERE IN A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL.
PET OWNERSHIP INCLUDED ANYTHING FROM PROVIDING RESOURCES FOR PET OWNERS TO EDUCATING PET OWNERS ON THE RESPONSIBILITY OF PET OWNERSHIP THAN ADOPTING AND ALSO PROVIDING LOW COST VET SERVICES, EXCUSE ME, POLICY INCLUDED COMMENTS RELATED TO SPAY NEUTER, UM, REQUIREMENTS, RENTAL POLICIES THAT ALLEVIATE, UM, RESTRICTIONS AND HIGH FEES AND POLICIES REGULATING BREEDING.
THE MOST UPDATED COMMENT THAT RECEIVED 245 UPVOTE STATED SPAY AND NEUTER IS MANDATORY FOR ALL PETS BY LAW UNLESS A SPECIAL PERMIT IS OBTAINED.
THE THIRD MOST UPVOTED COMMENT STATED, NO MORE PET RENT.
NEXT, UM, THERE WERE COMMENTS RELATED TO SPAY AND NEUTER AND THOSE MOSTLY INVOLVED MAKING SURGERIES AVAILABLE AND PROVIDING LOW COST, UM, TO FREE SPAY AND NEUTER SURGERIES FOR THE COMMUNITY.
THE SECOND MOST UPVOTED COMMENT STATED, EASY OF EASILY AVAILABLE, FREE OR REDUCED COST SPAY NEUTER FOR THE PUBLIC WAIT TIME OF LESS THAN A MONTH.
NEXT, WE HEARD, UM, COMMENTS RELATED TO NO KILL OVERWHELMINGLY COMMENTS SUPPORTED MAINTAINING AUSTIN'S NO KILL STATUS.
HOWEVER, 86 COMMENTS MENTIONED REEVALUATING THE EXISTING POLICY.
THE FOURTH MOST UPVOTED COMMENT STATED, WE SHOULD PROBABLY REDUCE OUR NO KILL RATE.
STORING NON ADOPTABLE PETS IN CAGES FOR SIX PLUS MONTHS TO YEARS IS INHUMANE.
INTAKE SHOULD ALWAYS BE AN OPTION.
SO THERE YOU CAN SEE THAT THE DIFFICULTY IN DISCERNING WHAT PART OF THAT COMMENT PEOPLE WERE UP VOTING SINCE IT DID SHARE QUITE A, UH, VARIETY OF OPINIONS.
NEXT, WE HEARD, UM, QUITE A BIT OF COMMENTS RELATED TO, UM, A A C SERVICES, UH, AROUND ADOPTION AND FOSTERING.
THAT'S ALL I'M GONNA GO THROUGH FOR OUR COMMUNITY SURVEY.
WE ARE WORKING TO, UM, ANALYZE THE ADDITIONAL COMMENTS AND WE'LL PROVIDE A FULL REPORT.
UM, HOPEFULLY BY THE NEXT TIME WE MEET.
NEXT I AM GOING TO GO INTO A LITTLE BIT OF DETAIL AROUND OUR INTERVIEWS AND LISTENING SESSIONS WITH STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS.
SO WE UM, MET WITH STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS IN JULY AND AUGUST.
WE HAD A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT OPTIONS FOR THEM TO ATTEND.
UM, WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE WERE MEETING, UM, WITHIN THEIR SCHEDULES SO THAT WE COULD HEAR FOR THEM.
SO THERE WAS, UH, SESSIONS ON THE WEEKENDS, SESSIONS THROUGHOUT THE WEEK, AND AT VARIOUS TIMES THESE SESSIONS WERE MOSTLY LARGE GROUP DIS OR SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION WITH SOME GUIDED CONVERSATION WE HEARD FROM 103 OF THE 126 STAFF AND 40 VOLUNTEERS THROUGHOUT THIS TIME.
SO THANK YOU TO EVERYBODY WHO PARTICIPATED AND PROVIDED THEIR VALUABLE INPUT.
STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS WERE ASKED ABOUT THEIR VIEW OF THE CURRENT STATE OF A
[00:50:01]
SO CITING THEIR STRENGTHS AND CHALLENGES.OVERWHELMINGLY VOLUNTEER PROGRAM WAS CITED AS A STRENGTH, AND THAT IS DUE TO THE LONG-TERM COMMITMENT OF VOLUNTEERS AND THEIR SIGNIFICANT, SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTION OF HOURS.
THEY ACCOUNT FOR THE EQUIVALENT OF 20 TO 30 STAFF POSITIONS.
NEXT, WE HEARD ABOUT DEDICATED AND SKILLED STAFF, AND THAT INCLUDED THE, UM, ORGANIZATION, ORGANIZATION BENEFITING FROM STAFF WHO HAVE LONG TENURES AND BRINGING THEIR EXTENSIVE KNOWLEDGE AND HISTORICAL CONTEXT THAT WILL HELP PROPEL THIS STRATEGIC PLAN IN THE FUTURE.
NEXT, WE HEARD, UM, PUBLIC RESOURCES AND OUTREACH.
PEOPLE WERE VERY GRATEFUL FOR BEING ABLE TO PROVIDE PET OWNERS WITH FOOD ASSISTANCE, FENCING, MICROCHIPPING SERVICES IN SPAY NEUTER VOUCHERS.
CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING AND TEAMWORK WAS ANOTHER THEME THAT EMERGED THAT INCLUDED, UM, AS ONE STAFF PUT IT, DOING THE MOST WITH THE LEAST.
STAFF CITED THEIR RESOURCEFULNESS AND CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING AS A STRENGTH, NOTING THAT IT ALLOWS THEM TO MAXIMIZE, UM, THEIR IMPACT WITH CHANGING DEMANDS AND LIMITED RESOURCES.
AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, THE COMMITMENT TO ANIMAL WELFARE IS, UM, VERY CRUCIAL TO THE SUCCESS OF A SO.
I'M NOT GONNA GO THROUGH ALL OF THE CHALLENGES, BUT I DID WANNA PROVIDE CLARIFICATION ON A FEW.
UM, THE OTHERS ARE PRETTY STRAIGHTFORWARD.
SO FIRST AND FOREMOST, UM, NO KILL IMPLEMENTATION, UM, WAS A COMMON TOPIC OF CONVERSATION AND THERE WERE CONCERNS SHARED ABOUT HOW NO KILL IS DEFINED AND THAT THE PRESSURES, UM, TO MAINTAIN, UM, THIS STRAINING THE ORGANIZATION.
SOMETIMES THIS LEADS TO SUBOPTIMAL CARE CONDITIONS AND EXPOSES STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS TO HIGH RISK DOGS.
WHILE THE POLICY SUCCESS WAS HIGHLY RECOGNIZED, IT ALSO UNDERSCORES THE URGENT NEED FOR RESOURCES AND FACILITIES.
AND THEN WE ALSO, UM, HEARD ABOUT FUNDING.
FOR US, WE DEFINE FUNDING AS BUDGET CONSTRAINTS, STAFFING, UM, LEVELS.
THERE WAS, UH, LOTS OF MENTION OF NEED FOR ADDITIONAL STAFFING AND OUTDATED OR INADEQUATE FACILITIES AND EQUIPMENT.
NEXT WE HEARD QUITE A FEW, UM, THEMES AROUND STAFFING ISSUES THAT INCLUDED LOW PAY, PAY AND EQUITY, MISALIGNED DUTIES, BURNOUT AND COMPASSION FATIGUE, HIGH TURNOVER, LACK OF EMPLOYEE RECOGNITION, AND DIFFICULT HIRING PROCESS.
NEXT, WE ASKED STAFF, UH, WHAT THEIR VISION WAS AND WHAT THEIR HOPES FOR THE FUTURE WERE.
THESE WERE THE TOP FOUR THEMES THAT EMERGED PRETTY CONSISTENTLY ACROSS ALL OF THE GROUPS, AND THAT WAS ENHANCED SERVICES AND IMPROVED OUTCOMES.
WE HEARD, UM, PHRASES SUCH AS RECORD ADOPTION AND FOSTER RATES EXPANDED COMMUNITY RESOURCES, INCREASED ACCESS TO SERVICES INCLUDING SPAY AND NEUTER AND PATHWAYS FOR BEHAVIOR ANIMALS.
TO SUM IT UP, UM, ONE QUOTE FROM THIS ACTIVITY WAS PROMOTES THE WELLBEING OF MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY AND THEIR PETS HELPING BOTH SIDES OF THE LEASH AS DR.
NEXT, WE HEARD STRENGTHEN PUBLIC PERCEPTION IN EDUCATION.
THIS WAS INCREASED AWARENESS OF ASO'S MISSION AND ITS GOALS, IMPROVE PUBLIC IMAGE, OPEN COMMUNICATION TO ADDRESS CONCERNS AND BUILD TRUST AND ROBUST PUBLIC EDUCATION PROGRAMS. ONE QUOTE FROM THIS ACTIVITY WAS, COMMUNITY MEMBERS KNOW US IS A RESOURCE.
ANOTHER QUOTE STATED, A SO WILL HAVE EARNED AND DESERVE THE TRUST OF THE PUBLIC TO MAKE GOOD DECISIONS FOR ANIMALS IN, IN ALL OUR COMMUNITY.
NEXT, WE HEARD ABOUT MODERNIZED FACILITIES, INCREASED FUNDING AND RESOURCES.
THIS INCLUDED THINGS LIKE A NEW LOCATION, ADDITIONAL KENNEL SPACE RENOVATIONS INCLUDING SOUND REDUCTION, IMPROVED EQUIPMENT, AND FUNDING FOR INCREASED STAFFING LEVELS.
ONE, A FEW QUOTES ARE ANIMALS IN THE SHELTER IN APPROPRIATE KENNELS, COMFORTABLE STRESS-FREE AND HEALTHY.
ANOTHER QUOTE STATED SUFFICIENT STAFFING ACROSS ALL DEPARTMENTS AND TO HANDLE HIGH INTAKE.
AND LASTLY, WE HEARD, UM, A THEME EMERGE OF OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY TRAINING AND INNOVATION, UPDATING PROCEDURES, CLARITY ON VOLUNTEER ROLES, INNOVATIVE PROGRAMMING AND COMPREHENSIVE TRAINING PROGRAM.
ONE QUOTE WAS BETTER TRAINING DETAILED BROKEN INTO BLOCKS DAILY FOCUSED BY ACTUAL TRAINERS.
SOME OTHER THEMES THAT EMERGED IN OUR HOPES FOR THE FUTURE WERE POLICY ADVOCACY AND COMMUNITY SUPPORT, IMPROVED SUPPORT SYSTEMS IN ANIMAL QUALITY OF LIFE, ENHANCED STAFF AND VOLUNTEER ENGAGEMENT, CLEAR STRATEGIC PATHWAY, IMPROVED INTERNAL COMMUNICATION AND MANAGEMENT, NO
[00:55:01]
KILL REASSESSMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION AND IMPROVED CUSTOMER SERVICE.I THINK WE SKIPPED A SLIDE, SORRY.
THIS CLICKER IS DELETE THE NEXT STEPS FOR OUR DATA ANALYSIS, UM, AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT INCLUDE, UM, ANALYZING ADDITIONAL COMMENTS FROM THE SURVEY.
WE HAD A FEW OTHER OPEN-ENDED COMMENT SECTIONS AND WE WANNA REALLY TAKE THE TIME TO JUST PULL UP THOSE THEMES AND UNDERSTAND, UM, COMMENTS AROUND OUR SERVICES AND ALSO OUR PRIORITIES.
WE WILL DRAFT A COMMUNITY SURVEY REPORT AND THEN WE WILL COMPILE ALL OF THESE RESULTS INTO A FINAL REPORT AND POST IT ON OUR PUBLIC INPUT PAGE, HAND IT TO, AND THIS IS THE CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT TEAM.
IF YOU HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS ON OUR DATA PRESENTED HERE, GO AHEAD AND HAND IT BACK OVER.
THAT CONCLUDES OUR PRESENTATION AND WE ARE AVAILABLE FOR QUESTIONS.
THAT WAS VERY COMPREHENSIVE AND INFORMATIVE.
UM, I DID, UH, PARTICIPATE WITH ONE OF THE INFORMATIONAL SESSIONS AND I REALLY ENJOYED HOW IT WENT.
AND I FEEL LIKE AT LEAST FOR MY GROUP THAT I WAS IN, I FELT LIKE YOUR SUMMARY WAS VERY REPRESENTATIVE OF WHAT WE DISCUSSED AND YOU, YOU GOT A TON OF INFORMATION AND YOU, UM, SYNTHESIZED IT VERY COHERENTLY AND SUCCINCTLY YET THOROUGHLY.
UM, WHEN YOU WERE RELAYING THE INFORMATION FROM THE SURVEY, UM, YOU SAID THAT THE, THAT THE MOST COMMON NUMBER ONE PRIORITY WAS MAINTENANCE OF NO KILL.
THE DEFINITION OF IT RAN OFF THE BOARD.
I COULDN'T SEE, CAN YOU CLARIFY WHAT DEFINITION WAS BEING PRESENTED TO THOSE SURVEY TAKERS? UH, YES.
SO IT IN PARENTHESES IT HAD, UM, UM, NOT KILLING FOR SPACE.
UM, THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S THE PORTION I WAS ABLE TO SEE.
AND SO I I I JUST THINK THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT INFORMATION AND THAT, THAT THAT DATA SH NEEDS TO, IT NEEDS TO STAY CRYSTAL CLEAR THAT THOSE PEOPLE WERE SELECTING, THEY DIDN'T WANT OUR SHELTER TO EUTHANIZE FOR SPACE.
AND IT'S NOT THAT THEY WERE SELECTING, THEY WANT OUR SHELTER TO MAINTAIN A 95% LIVE OUTCOME RATE AS NO KILL IS DIVIDED, IS IS DEFINED IN OUR CITY ORDINANCES.
I THINK THAT'S A VERY IMPORTANT DISTINCTION.
WE'LL MOVE TO DISCUSSION ITEM NUMBER FOUR, DISCUSSION OF CITY OF AUSTIN USE.
THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
AND, UH, TODAY'S AGENDA, WELL, I IT'S IN THE AGENDA, BUT THE REPORT, ARE WE GONNA GET A COPY OF THAT REPORT? YES.
SO IT WILL BE POSTED, UH, FOR COMMISSIONERS IN THE PUBLIC TOMORROW.
AND, UM, IT'S VERY THOROUGH THE REPORT AND I'M JUST WONDERING, UH, THINGS WERE BEING PRESENTED AT.
I DID SEE YOUR PRIORITIZE, BUT IT'S NOT THE COMMENTS, I WASN'T SURE THE WAY YOU WERE PRESENTING THEM IF THEY WERE PRIORITIZED ON THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO WERE SEEING THAT PARTICULAR, UM, POINT.
SO I, I MEAN THERE WERE A LOT OF SLIDES, SO I WASN'T SURE.
I COULD TELL IT WASN'T NOT, IT WASN'T BECAUSE OF THE ALPHABET.
AND THE OTHER THING IS, IS INTERESTING IS IT WOULD BE INTERESTING TO KNOW BASED ON THE DEMOGRAPHIC, AND MAYBE I'M GOING BEYOND BECAUSE OF MY BACKGROUND, IS, UM, WHEN YOU TAKE THE DEMOGRAPHIC, HOW PEOPLE ARE RESPONDING, WHY AREN'T THEY RESPONDING THAT, THAT WAY IN RELATION TO THEIR DEMOGRAPHICS? UH, WE KNOW THAT 80% ARE WOMEN AND THEN YOU HAVE AFTER THAT ANGLO OR WHITE AND THEN, UM, I DON'T KNOW, IT'S, I DIDN'T SEE ECONOMIC PART TO ME WHAT'S INTERESTING SEEING THE MAP, IT LOOKED LIKE IT WAS MORE SKEWED TOWARDS THE WEST, WEST OF I 35.
SO, AND THEN THERE WERE CIRCLES AROUND EAST, BUT PART OF THE CITY HAS BEEN GENTRIFIED.
I'M SORRY, I I JUST NOTICED THINGS LIKE THAT AND, AND JUST OBSERVATION.
[01:00:01]
COMMENTS.UM, SO IN TERMS OF THE THEMES THEY WERE, UM, PRESENTED OUT IN, IN ORDER OF HOW FREQUENTLY HEARD THEM.
UM, IN THE BACKUP YOU'LL SEE COUNTS IN MORE QUOTES, UM, THAT GO INTO GREATER DETAIL AROUND THOSE.
AND THEN, UM, IN, IN TERMS OF THE DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION, THE MAP, IT DOES DROP A PIN AT THE CENTER OF THE ZIP CODE.
SO THE BUBBLES MIGHT NOT TRULY REPRESENT WHAT EDGE OF THAT ZIP CODE PEOPLE LIVE ON.
UM, SO THAT WAS ONE DIFFICULTY AROUND THAT DATA.
UM, BUT THE BUBBLE WAS IN BETWEEN MOPAC AND 35 A BIT.
BUT WOULD YOU SAY I, I UNDERSTAND THE BUBBLE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING AND THAT'S APPRECIATED, BUT STILL WHEN YOU LOOK AT THAT MAP, IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S MARKED TOWARDS WEST MM-HMM,
THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I SEE UNLESS YOU GIVE ME THE RAW DATA, BUT THAT'S WHAT GRAPHICALLY LOOKS LIKE.
AND OF COURSE YOU CANNOT, UH, MAKE PEOPLE ANSWER A SURVEY THAT YOU POST ONLINE FROM THE DIFFERENT DEMOGRAPHICS.
IT WAS BY DEFINITION NOT, UM, NOT STATISTICALLY PURE BECAUSE IT'S SELF-SELECTIVE AND YOU REPORTED THE, THE SELF-SELECTION.
UM, I DON'T KNOW HOW HOW WE CAN GET BETTER THAN THAT AS FAR AS A SELF-SELECTED SURVEY, BUT I DO APPRECIATE IT VERY MUCH AND I THINK THAT'S A GOOD POINT BY COMMISSIONER
UM, I DID FORGET TO MENTION WE DID, UM, HAVE SOME INFORMATION ON IP ADDRESS FOR WHERE THE SURVEY WAS FILLED OUT, SO WE WERE ABLE TO KIND OF CHECK AGAINST THAT.
UM, SO WE DO BELIEVE IT'S MOSTLY ACCURATE ON WHAT WAS SELF-REPORTED.
UM, BUT YES, IT IS STILL VERY
YOU DID THE BEST YOU COULD WITH WHAT YOU HAVE.
COMMISSIONER HALSTON, DID YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON HOUSEHOLD INCOME OR OTHER SOCIOECONOMIC UH, I DO NOT BELIEVE WE DID ANYTHING ELSE.
[4. Discussion of City of Austin use of glue traps for pest control. ]
NUMBER FOUR.DISCUSSION OF CITY OF AUSTIN, USE OF GLUE TRAPS FOR PEST CONTROL.
COMMISSIONER HOLT, THIS IS YOUR ITEM.
YEAH, UM, COMMISSIONER LINDER AND I PUT THIS ON THE AGENDA.
UM, I HAD SOMEONE IN MY DISTRICT REACH OUT TO ME A FEW MONTHS AGO ABOUT THIS, UM, AND IT JUST SLIPPED IN THE CRACKS WITH ALL THE OTHER THINGS THAT WERE GOING ON.
UH, AND THEN RECENTLY HAD A FORMER COWORKER WHO WORKS AT THE BUILDING ACTUALLY RIGHT BY THE SHELTER, UM, REACH OUT AND TELL ME THAT SHE WALKED INTO A BOX OF MICE IN GLUE TRAPS JUST SITTING ON HER DESK, SUFFERING TO DEATH.
UM, SOME OF THEM HAD LIKE TRIED TO CHEW THEIR LEGS AND TAILS OFF, UH, TO TRY TO REMOVE THEMSELVES FROM THAT.
UM, IT'S JUST AN EXTRAORDINARILY CRUEL AND INEFFECTIVE METHOD OF PEST CONTROL.
UM, AND THERE ARE BETTER ALTERNATIVES AVAILABLE.
UM, I WOULD LOVE TO SEE A WORLD WHERE WE AS A CITY COULD FOLLOW WHAT OJAI DID AND BAN THE SALE OF IT WITHIN THE CITY PERIMETERS.
I KNOW THAT THAT GETS TRICKY WHERE THAT GOES IN STATE LAW, AT MINIMUM, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE CITY FACILITIES BAN USAGE OF IT.
UM, SO THAT IS, THAT'S WHERE I'M AT AND WHAT'S BROUGHT ME HERE TODAY.
SO, UM, IS THERE ANY OTHER DISCUSSION OR QUESTIONS FOR COMMISSIONER HOLT? YES, COMMISSIONER QUESTION.
WHAT SORT OF PUSHBACK ARE YOU SEEING THAT IS COMING AGAINST THESE GLUE TRAP BANDS, RIGHT, OR GLUE TRAP LOBBIES? YEAH,
UM, THE PUSHBACK THAT IS MAKING ME HAVE SOME BEING RESERVED ABOUT TRYING TO PUSH FOR THIS AS LIKE AN ACTUAL CITYWIDE BAN ON THE SALES OF IT IS, I KNOW THAT THERE IS A STATE LAW THAT WENT INTO EFFECT EARLIER THIS YEAR.
I'M SURE THE LEGAL MINES IN THIS ROOM CAN, UH, LIKE PULL THE DETAILS OUT A LITTLE BIT MORE.
COMMISSIONER LINDER WALKED ME THROUGH IT WHEN WE WERE EXPLORING THE FOG ROB BAN, AND SHE JUST SAID THAT THERE IS SOME STATE LEVEL IMPLICATIONS THAT MAKE IT TRICKY TO TRY TO BAN CERTAIN, UM, RETAIL ITEMS. UM, BUT SORRY,
MY A DHD IS REALLY COMING OUT RIGHT NOW WITH THE
UM, COMMISSIONER LINDER, I THOUGHT I SAW PERHAPS SAW A HAND GO UP.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPEAK? SURE.
[01:05:01]
UM, CAN YOU ALL HEAR ME OKAY? YES.UM, SO I, I GUESS SORT OF FULL DISCLOSURE, I DON'T, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT AN EXPERT, UM, IN THIS AREA.
UM,
UM, I GUESS I'M WONDERING SORT OF, UM, IF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT, THAT NEEDS SORT OF FURTHER DEVELOPMENT STEPS MIGHT BE, OR, UM, YOU KNOW, HOW WE AS A COMMISSION COULD BE HELPFUL AS FAR AS MOVING THIS FORWARD AND, AND WHAT HELP YOU NEED FROM US TO, UM, TO KIND OF GET THOSE ANSWERS AND, AND PUT SOME LANGUAGE FORWARD.
DO WE NEED DDAS TO TURN OUR CAMERA BACK ON? YEAH, I, I, I'M ASSUMING WE'RE HAVING A CITY INTERNET ISSUE BECAUSE, UM, COMMISSIONER LINDERS VIDEO WAS FREEZING AT THE SAME TIME AS COMMISSIONER DEL'S VIDEO WENT OUT.
COMMISSIONER DEL, IF YOU, UH, HAVE THE ABILITY TO TURN ON YOUR CAMERA.
UM, NAH, THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT WAS HAPPENING.
I THINK IT'S ON OUR END, NOT THEIR END.
SHOULD I ANSWER THE QUESTION OR WAIT? WE DON'T HAVE A QUORUM AT THE MOMENT.
IS THERE A PHONE OPTION? I THINK FOR QUORUM, I THINK WE HAVE TO SEE A FACE.
IT NEED TO BE BOTH HEARD AND HEARD AND SEEN.
COMMISSIONER DEL, WE CAN SEE YOU, BUT NOW WE'RE WAITING ON COMMISSIONER LINDER BECAUSE HER UM, THANK YOU.
CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? WE CAN HEAR YOU, BUT WE CANNOT SEE YOU.
FOR ME, THE CITY VIDEO IS OUT, IF THAT'S HELPFUL TO KNOW.
YEAH, I THINK THE PROBLEM IS HERE BECAUSE BOTH OF YOU WENT OUT AT THE SAME TIME.
WE'LL WAIT, SEE IF IT COMES BACK UP.
COMMISSIONER LINDER, YOU MAY JUST WANNA TRY LEAVING AND COMING BACK INTO THE MEETING.
YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT THAT MIGHT FIX.
THAT'S GOOD TROUBLESHOOTING ADVICE.
IT, I THINK IT WORKS ABOUT HALF THE TIME, SO, OH, DIDN'T, NO
COMMISSIONER DEL AND COMMISSIONER LINDER.
UH, COMMISSIONER LINDER, YOU STILL HAVE THE FLOOR, BUT YOU APPEAR TO BE MUTED AT THE MOMENT.
UM, I'M NOT SURE HOW MUCH OF MY, MY LAST COMMENT, UM, GOT THROUGH, UH, ON YOUR END, BUT I, I WAS JUST WONDERING SORT OF, UM, FROM COMMISSIONER HOLT, HOW WE COULD BE HELPFUL, HELPFUL AS A COMMISSIONER, WHAT YOU THINK LIKE NEXT STEPS MIGHT BE IF WE WERE INTERESTED IN MOVING FORWARD WITH THOSE ISSUES, UM, AND, AND ULTIMATELY PUTTING FORWARD SOME, SOME LANGUAGE ON THIS.
UM, SO FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH, THE ORIGINAL CONSTITUENT WHO BROUGHT IT TO ME, UM, WASN'T UNABLE TO MAKE IT TONIGHT, SHE HAS ADDITIONAL PEOPLE WHO ALSO ARE A WEALTH OF INFORMATION ON HOW THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING.
IT VARIATIONS OF THIS HAVE BEEN HAPPENING ACROSS THE COUNTRY, AND I BELIEVE SOME HAVE BEEN HAPPENING AROUND THE GLOBE AS WELL.
UM, SO I THINK IF WE STARTED A WORKING GROUP SO THAT THEY COULD ALSO MAYBE GIVE SOME ADVICE THAT COULD BE USEFUL.
I DO NOT WANT THIS TO BE A LONG, DRAWN OUT WORKING GROUP.
I THINK IT WOULD BE PRETTY STRAIGHTFORWARD.
UM, AND WE COULD HOPEFULLY BRING A RESOLUTION FORWARD AT THE OCTOBER MEETING.
THAT'S WHERE I, IT'S, IT'S NOT POSTED FOR ACTION TONIGHT, SO WE CAN'T, UM, VOTE ON ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
WE COULD PUT IT ON THE AGENDA, A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM, UM, AS A WORKING GROUP.
OR YOU CAN JUST SIMPLY PUT IT ON THE AGENDA.
OF COURSE, YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE AN OFFICIAL WORKING GROUP TO MEET WITH PEOPLE.
UM, IF YOU WANNA SKIP AHEAD, BUT IF YOU WANNA DO A WORKING GROUP, WE'D HAVE TO PUT IT ON THE AGENDA AS TO
[01:10:01]
FORM A WORK GROUP.COULD I POSE A QUESTION TO THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS? UM, WHAT ARE Y'ALL'S THOUGHTS ON WHETHER OR NOT WE DO THIS AS A CITY FACILITY BAN VERSUS TRYING TO TAKE IT TO A LARGER PRIVATE BAN? I, Y'ALL TELL ME.
I COULD GO EITHER WAY ON THIS.
I THINK THIS IS ONE OF THOSE TIMES THAT INCREMENTALISM IS STILL A WIN.
UM, BUT HOW DOES EVERYBODY FEEL ABOUT IT? BEFORE I WAS TO POTENTIALLY PROPOSE A RESOLUTION AT THE, UM, NEXT MEETING,
UM, YEAH, I, I MEAN, I DON'T, I DON'T SEE HOW ANY OF US COULD BE AGAINST THIS.
UH, IT'S ABSOLUTELY A CRUEL THING TO DO, MAYBE UNINTENTIONALLY, BUT IT'S STILL CRUEL TO HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, I CAN JUST IMAGINE BEING STUCK ON SOMETHING AND NOT BEING ABLE TO GET OFF.
AND LIKE THEY SAID, THE, UH, THE MAIN INTENT THE SPEAKER SAID EARLIER IS THEY STARVED TO DEATH BECAUSE THAT'S JUST HOW IT GOES.
SO I THINK THAT INCREMENTAL THING WOULD ABSOLUTELY BE AN EASY START, YOU KNOW, TO DO A RECOMMENDATION FOR THE CITYWIDE AND THEN POSSIBLY FORM THE WORKING GROUP TO SEE IF IT CAN GO ANY FURTHER.
ANYONE ELSE? UH, COMMISSIONER LINDER? UM, YEAH, I, I AGREE WITH EVERYTHING THAT COMMISSIONER SULA JUST SAID.
I THINK, UM, I DON'T SEE ANY HARM TO STARTING WITH, WITH THE, YOU KNOW, A CITY, UM, BUILDING POLICY CHANGE.
AND IT'S POSSIBLE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, THAT WOULDN'T EVEN NECESSARILY NEED TO GO THROUGH COUNCIL, BUT I THINK THAT WOULD, UM, BE A GREAT WAY TO GET A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE SPACE ISSUES ON OTHER SIDES AND, UM, AND THE ALTERNATIVES THAT EXIST.
UM, SO THAT IF YOU WANTED TO, TO DO SOMETHING LARGER, UM, YOU'D BE WELL POSITIONED TO DO THAT.
SO I, I'M IN FAVOR OF, OF THAT ORDER OF OPERATIONS.
COMMISSIONER ZAIS? YES, I, I, IT'S JUST A COMMENT.
I'M IN AGREEMENT WITH COMMISSIONER, UH, MULA AND COMMISSIONER LINDER, AND I'D DEFINITELY SAY THAT THIS IS VERY EDUCATIONAL.
I WAS READING THROUGH ALL THE DIFFERENT DOCUMENTS.
SO I'M IN AGREEMENT, THAT'S ALL.
DO YOU NEED ANY MORE FEEDBACK FROM THE GROUP? UH, DR. NELSON? JUST ONE THING I WOULD ADD FROM A VETERINARY PERSPECTIVE IS THAT I ACTUALLY THINK, UM, STARVATION IS PROBABLY THE LEAST OF THOSE ANIMALS WORRIES.
I THINK THEY PROBABLY, UH, I THINK THEY MOST OFTEN DIE FROM PANIC, DEHYDRATION, STRESS AND PAIN, UM, BEFORE THEY COULD STARVE.
BUT, SO I THINK IT'S A VERY IMPORTANT ISSUE AND, AND ESPECIALLY WITH OUR, OUR, YOU KNOW, OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR, AND OUR BAT, OUR BAT COLONIES HERE, AND BEING A, A SONG SONGBIRD MIGRATORY CORRIDOR, I THINK THIS IS A REALLY IMPORTANT ISSUE FOR OUR CITY TO BE VERY THOUGHTFUL ABOUT.
ARE YOU GOOD AS FAR AS FEEDBACK FOR NOW? YES.
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS ]
ON TO FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. IF ANYBODY HAS ANY NOW THEY CAN SAY THEM OR THEY CAN SEND THEM TO US, UH, LATER BY EMAIL.COMMISSIONER LINDER AND I WILL ALMOST ALWAYS, UH, SECOND SOMETHING SHOULD YOU NEED IT? ANYTHING NOW? NO.
THEN I WILL, UH, ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO ADJOURN.
DO WE HAVE A SECOND? UH, COMMISSIONER HUDDLESTON? UH, IS THERE ANY, UH, DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? UH, WE HAVE A SEVEN TO ZERO MOTION TO ADJOURN.
GOOD THING WE DIDN'T LOSE OUR QUORUM ON THE MOTION TO ADJOURN