[00:00:03]
[CALL TO ORDER]
2, 20, 24.TRAVIS COUNTY, AUSTIN ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION.
WE ARE AT AUSTIN CITY HALL IN ROOM 1101.
UM, I'M GONNA CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER AND DO ROLL CALL.
IS, UH, COMMISSIONER, UM, EMER IS NOT HERE TODAY.
UH, COMMISSIONER MS. MAGULA PRESENT.
UH, COMMISSIONER ES IS NOT YET HERE TODAY.
UH, VICE CHAIR LINDER PRESENT.
COMMISSIONER HUDDLESTON DOES NOT APPEAR QUITE HERE YET.
UH, DR. BRUCE PRESENT AND COMMISSIONER HOKE? UH, WE CAN'T SEE YOU, UM, BUT YOU CAN BE PRESENT IF WE, WE SEE YOU ON CAMERA.
WELL, IF SHE COMES BACK ON, WE'LL, YEP.
[PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL]
TO, UM, THE PUBLIC COMMUNICATION.UH, WE HAVE 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9.
UH, THE FIRST SPEAKER IS ROCHELLE VICKERY.
I WANNA PUT A, A A SHOUT OUT FOR, UH, EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED WITH THE MEGA, UH, UH, ADOPTION THING.
'CAUSE I WENT ALL OVER TOWN WITH WASHER TERRIERS, UH, TRAILER PARKS AND ALL THAT, PUTTING OUT THOSE FLYERS.
AND, UM, I'M, I'M, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M REAL HAPPY THAT YOU KNOW IT, IT WENT REAL WELL.
AND I THINK WE SHOULD ALL BE HAPPY THAT IT, IT DID THAT.
NOW I WANNA PUT A SHOUT OUT FOR JEN.
THE LADY THAT RAN OUR CAP PROGRAM, SHE LEFT BECAUSE SHE COULDN'T, THE SITUATION WITH MANAGEMENT, SHE DIDN'T, SHE DOESN'T HAVE A JOB.
SHE WAS THERE FOR US WHEN WE NEEDED HER.
AND I'M, I'M, I'M VERY SAD BECAUSE SHE'S A, SHE'S A CAT PERSON.
MICHELLE DAWSON WAS NOT A CAT PERSON AND NEITHER WAS KIMBERLY HART.
AND I CAUGHT MICHELLE DAWSON LYING AND CHEATING.
AND I WENT TO THE CITY MANAGEMENT'S OFFICE WITH HER.
AND IF I CATCH YOU DOING ANY OF THAT ANYWHERE IN THE CITY, I AM A SEE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING PERSON.
SO THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS I WAS GLAD SHE WAS GONE.
AND WE ENDED UP WITH, UH, KIMBERLY HAR.
I MEAN, UM, JEN AND I WISH WE COULD GET HER BACK BECAUSE WE NEED HER BECAUSE SHE HELPS WITH OUR PROGRAM.
AND, UM, I'M JUST, WE'RE ALL SAD.
YOU'RE GONNA HEAR OTHER PEOPLE TALK ABOUT IT TONIGHT, I THINK, BECAUSE JEN WAS VERY IMPORTANT AND SHE REALLY MADE THE PROGRAM PROGRESS A LOT.
AND THANK YOU, JEN, FOR ALL WHAT YOU DID FOR US.
I HAVE A CLARIFYING QUE MAY, MAY I ASK, WHO IS JEN? I DON'T, I I DON'T KNOW HER LAST NAME.
SHE RAN OUR CAT PROGRAM AND WE LOST A GREAT PERSON.
'CAUSE SHE REALLY DID CARE FOR THE CATS AND, AND HELPED US.
AND SHE WOULD, I DON'T HAVE A COMPUTER.
I DON'T, I DON'T DEAL WITH THOSE.
BUT SHE WOULD GIVE ME THE JOBS THAT WAS IN DELL VALLEY, ELROY CREED, MOORE, ALL OUT THAT WAY.
SO SHE WAS A SHELTER EMPLOYEE? YES, SHE WAS.
AND SHE, SHE DIDN'T GET ALONG KIND OF WITH THE MANAGEMENT.
SHE WANTED TO CHANGE THE PERSON THAT WAS OVER HER AND MANAGEMENT WOULDN'T LET HER, LET 'EM DO IT.
YOU COMMISSIONER RA, YOU HAVE A QUESTION? JUST TO CLARIFY, ROCHELLE, YOU SAY AT THE BEGINNING, THE MEGA ADOPTION WAS A MEGA SPARE NEUTER, RIGHT? NO, I DIDN'T SAY FAILURE.
NO, YOU SAY, UH, ADOPTION, BUT NO.
YOU WANT SAY WELL, NO, THE MEGA THE MEGA, UH, NEUTER, I'M SORRY.
THE MEGA SPARE N NO, NO PROBLEM.
JUST TO CLARIFY, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHAT I'VE BEEN BEGGING Y'ALL FAR FOR, FOR OVER A YEAR AND A HALF.
AND I WANNA THANK US Y'ALL FOR GETTING IT.
AND I JUST WANNA THANK YOU FOR ALL THE OUTREACH YOU DID TO GET THE PEOPLE WHO NEEDED TO BE AT THAT CLINIC, TO THAT CLINIC.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TAKING THAT ON YOURSELF AS A, JUST A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC.
MR. LAN, I TALK WHAT I WALK AND I WALK WHAT I TALK.
AND JUST FOR ADDITIONAL CLARIFICATION, JEN DANIEL HAD A MASTER'S DEGREE FROM YALE IN PUBLIC HEALTH, AND SHE DID AN EXCELLENT JOB IN HER POSITION AT THE SHELTER.
AND WE, AND WE LOST LUCY AND THE SAME THING.
AND I KNEW LUCY ALL THE WAY BACK TO DORINDA PULLMAN AT THE OLD TLAC.
[00:05:06]
HELLO.UM, MY NAME IS LAURA NESMITH AND I'M HERE TODAY REPRESENTING THE TNR VOLUNTEERS AND THOSE PRESENT BEHIND THE SCENES THAT HELP THE LOCAL CATS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
WE ARE STEPPING OUT IN FRONT OF YOU TODAY FROM THE SHADOWS, IF YOU WILL, UH, TO EXPRESS HER SERIOUS CONCERN OVER JEN DANIEL'S DEPARTURE FROM A A C AS SOMEONE DEEPLY INVOLVED IN THE TNR EFFORTS, I CAN CONFIDENTLY SAY THAT LOSING JEN WILL BE A CRITICAL SETBACK FOR THE COMMUNITY CATS PROGRAM AND THE ANIMALS THAT WE ALL STRIVE TO HELP.
FOR THE PAST THREE AND A HALF YEARS, JEN HAS BEEN THE DRIVING FORCE BEHIND THE PROGRAM'S SUCCESS, TIRELESSLY DEDICATING HERSELF TO THE WELFARE OF THE COMMUNITY'S CATS.
HER WORK HAS RESULTED IN THE SUCCESSFUL TNR OF THOUSANDS OF CATS.
AND HER LEADERSHIP HAS INSPIRED DOZENS OF VOLUNTEERS, INCLUDING MYSELF, TO, UM, DO THIS DEMANDING WORK.
BUT IT'S ALSO AN ESSENTIAL WORK.
SHE WAS NOT ONLY THE HEART AND SOUL OF THE COMMUNITY CATS PROGRAM, BUT SHE WAS ALSO ON THE FRONT LINES EVERY DAY SHE WAS TRAPPING AND SHE WAS DOING THE HARD WORK THAT OTHERS MAY SIMPLY OVERSEE FROM A DISTANCE.
HER WORK CONTINUED TO GIVE THE TNR PROGRAM HIGH VISIBILITY AS SEEN IN THE RECENT KXN ARTICLE.
HER COMMITMENT, PASSION, AND HANDS-ON APPROACH HAVE MADE A PROFOUND IMPACT IN OUR COMMUNITY.
WHEN THIS ISSUE WAS BROUGHT TO THE LEADERSHIP PRESENT VIA EMAIL, IT WAS MADE CLEAR TO ME THAT THERE IS A DISCONNECT BETWEEN MANAGEMENT AND HOW THE PROGRAM OPERATES.
THE RESPONSE TO MY EMAIL STATED TO BE REST ASSURED, WHEN IN REALITY IT CAUSED MORE WORRY AND CONCERN AMONGST MYSELF AND MY FELLOW TRAPPERS.
THERE'S A CLEAR LACK OF KNOWLEDGE REGARDING THE EMPLOYEES AND THE VOLUNTEERS OF THIS CRITICAL PROGRAM.
BY EXAMPLE OF INCORRECTLY NAMING JEN JENNIFER, WHICH IS NOT HER NAME, BY ERRONEOUSLY CITING THE HISTORY OF THE PROGRAM AND ITS ORIGINAL FOUNDERS.
AND ALSO, UM, THE OBVIOUS QUICK DISMISSAL OF HER RESIGNATION AS WELL.
A DEDICATED EMPLOYEE WITH SUCH COMPASSION AND LOVE FOR WHAT THEY DO CAUSES ONE TO QUESTION WHY WOULD SOMEONE RESIGN AND WHAT IS GOING ON BEHIND THE SCENES? I URGE YOU TO SERIOUSLY RECONSIDER THE CURRENT MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE.
JEN DANIEL SHOULD HAVE BEEN THE ONE AND ONLY PERSON OVERSEEING THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY CATS PROGRAM.
SHE FOUGHT FOR THIS PROGRAM WITH BLOOD, SWEAT, AND TEARS EVERY DAY.
AND I BELIEVE THAT HER LEVEL OF DEDICATION, KNOWLEDGE, AND DETERMINATION ARE UNMATCHED.
AND WHAT IS NEEDED TO ENSURE THE CONTINUED SUCCESS BY AIDING THE COMMUNITY CATS THAT DESPERATELY NEED OUR HELP.
ALLOWING JEN TO LEAVE HAS BEEN A GRAVE MISTAKE.
AND A A C WILL, UM, WILL NOT BE RUNNING AT ITS FULL POTENTIAL WITHOUT HER.
HER WORK DRIVE AND PASSION, UM, IN HER LEADERSHIP, WERE VITAL AND ABSOLUTELY IRREPLACEABLE.
I HOPE YOU CONSIDER THESE CONCERNS AND RECONSIDER THE PATH FORWARD.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS CRITICAL ISSUE.
I I DO WANNA MENTION, I SHOULD HAVE SAID THIS BEFORE, WE, WE STARTED, UM, FOR CLARIFICATION PURPOSES FOR ANYONE MM-HMM.
UM, WE ARE A PANEL OF CITIZEN VOLUNTEERS.
WE DO NOT, UH, OVERSEE THE SHELTER.
WE DO NOT HAVE ANY POWER OVER THE SHELTER MANAGEMENT.
WE CANNOT DIRECT THE SHELTER TO DO ANYTHING.
OUR ONLY AUTHORITY, QUITE LITERALLY, IS TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE CITY COUNCIL ON POLICY.
SO JUST FOR CLARIFICATION ON WHAT WE ARE AND WHAT OUR ROLE IS, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE THAT CLARIFICATION.
GOOD EVENING COMMISSION MEMBERS HERE IN REMOTE.
MY NAME IS DEBORAH ROWE AND I'VE BEEN A TRAP NEUTER RETURN VOLUNTEER SINCE 2020.
IN APRIL, 2021, WHEN JEN DANIEL TOOK OVER MANAGEMENT MANAGING THE COMMUNITY CATS PROGRAM, TNR DATA COLLECTION WAS INCONSISTENT.
JEN IMPLEMENTED STRUCTURED DATA COLLECTION AND THE RESULTS WERE IMMEDIATE.
IN HER FIRST YEAR, WE SAW A 114% INCREASE IN TNR CATS.
THAT'S 1025 CATS IN THE LAST THREE QUARTERS OF 2021.
BY 2023, THAT NUMBER DOUBLED TO 2,109.
THIS PAST AUGUST 31, VOLUNTEERS AND TWO AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER STAFF MEMBERS SENT 231 CATS THROUGH THE TNR PROGRAM.
ROCHELLE VICKERY ALONE CONTRIBUTED 35 CATS TO THAT TOTAL.
IF WE ASSUME AN AVERAGE LITTER SIZE OF THREE KITTENS, WE PREVENTED AT LEAST 387 OF THEM FROM BEING BORN OUTDOORS, WHERE THE MAJORITY OF THEM WOULD BE DEAD BEFORE THEY'RE SIX MONTHS OLD.
IF HALF OF THOSE KITTENS WERE BROUGHT FOR INTAKE AT A COST OF $50 PER DAY PER ANIMAL, WHICH IS AN A A C ESTIMATE, TNR VOLUNTEERS SAVE TAXPAYERS
[00:10:01]
THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN SHELTER CARE BASED ON THE STRATEGIC PLANNING SURVEY.ACCESS TO SPAY AND NEUTER IS ONE OF THE TOP THREE PRIORITIES.
AND EVERY DAY WE VOLUNTEER, SEE HOW LIMITED ACCESS PLAYS OUT IN OUR COMMUNITIES.
THAT'S BECAUSE WE NOT ONLY TRAP CATS, WE MANAGE COLONIES, ASSIST CAREGIVERS, AND EDUCATE THE PUBLIC.
BUT YOU WOULDN'T KNOW ANY OF THIS BECAUSE OUR VOLUNTEER HOURS AREN'T ACTUALLY TRACKED BY A A C.
COMMUNITY CATS ARE ONE OF THE MOST UNDERREPRESENTED TOPICS WITHIN ANIMAL WELFARE CONVERSATIONS, YET TNR REMAINS ONE OF THE FEW MEANINGFUL UPSTREAM SOLUTIONS TO THE CAT OVERPOPULATION PROBLEM LOSING JEN DANIELS LEADERSHIP AT THIS TIME COMPROMISES THE MOMENTUM WE HAVE GAINED, BUT WE WILL NOT GIVE UP.
ONGOING EFFECTIVENESS OF TNR IN AUSTIN DEPENDS ON SUPPORT AND RECOGNITION BY THE CITY.
AND IN THE COMING MONTHS, WE WILL DEMONSTRATE HOW OUR SUCCESS IS NOT ONLY GOOD FOR CATS, IT'S GOOD FOR THE COMMUNITY, IT'S GOOD FOR BUSINESS, AND IT'S GOOD PUBLIC POLICY.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TONIGHT.
UH, JACOBY ALVAREZ, TNR MEANS TRAP NEUTER RETURN JUST FYI GO BACK TO THE BASICS.
I DO VOLUNTEER TO TRAP COMMUNITY CATS SPAY NEUTER, VACCINATE THEM, AND RETURN THEM TO THEIR OUTDOOR HOMES.
I STARTED VOLUNTEERING IN 2019, AND ALTHOUGH I'VE TRAPPED OVER A HUNDRED CATS AT DOZENS OF SPOTS AROUND TOWN, IF YOU WANTED TO KNOW HOW MANY HOURS I'VE SPENT, YOU CAN'T LOOK IT UP.
UM, I'VE TRAPPED FERAL CATS AND KITTENS, TRANSPORTED THEM TO SURGERY, CLEANED THEIR CAGES AND HOLDING BOOTHS COORDINATED WITH NEIGHBORS AROUND AUSTIN.
TRAPPED SICK AND INJURED CATS, EVEN HELPED REUNITE LOST CATS WITH THEIR OWNERS.
SOMETIMES THAT HAPPENS BY ACCIDENT, BUT RIGHT NOW THE TNR VOLUNTEER HOURS ARE LIKE LUMPED IN WITH THE GENERAL SHELTER HOURS, WHICH OBSCURES THE IMPACT OF THE PROGRAM AND THE WORK THAT WE DO.
SO THE CATS THAT I'VE SENT THROUGH THE TNR PROGRAM, FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, DON'T EVEN HAVE AN A A C INTAKE NUMBER SHOWING THAT THE SHELTER LEADERSHIP DOESN'T CARE TO TRACK OUR PROGRESS IN ORDER TO BETTER HELP PEOPLE IN AUSTIN WHO NEED ACCESS TO TNR.
SO THIS PROGRAM PREVENTS KITTENS FROM BEING BORN OUTSIDE.
IT HELPS ADULT CATS, UM, LIVE HEALTHIER LIVES WITH LESS FIGHTING AND DISEASE.
BUT THE BIGGEST IMPACT THAT I'VE LEARNED ABOUT IS WITH THE NEIGHBORS WE MEET WHO FEED THE CATS, WHO HAVE OFTEN BECOME REALLY OVERWHELMED.
AND SO THE HELP WE GIVE THEM BRINGS SO MUCH JOY AND RELIEF TO HAVE STOPPED THAT CYCLE OF REPRODUCTION.
SO THE FIRE REACHING IMPACT OF TNR IS DISTINCT FROM SHELTER VOLUNTEERS, VOLUNTEERS, AND OUR PROGRAM IS EXECUTED DIRECTLY WITH THE COMMUNITY IN YARDS AND WOODS AND DITCHES.
OVERALL, THE SHELTER LEADERSHIP HAS NOT EARNED MY TRUST OR RESPECT WITH HOW THEY FAIL TO FOCUS ON CATS AND FAIL TO SUPPORT TNR SPECIFICALLY.
SO MY DEMANDS TO FIX THIS ARE FOUR.
NUMBER ONE, REPORT THE TNR VOLUNTEER HOURS SEPARATELY FROM THE GENERAL VOLUNTEER HOURS AND REPORT THE TNR CATS WITH A A C ID NUMBERS.
THIS IS NECESSARY TO UNDERSTAND OUR SCOPE, TO START WITH, UNDERSTAND OUR IMPACT, AND MOVE FORWARD WITH MAKING THE PROGRAM STRONGER AND MORE EFFECTIVE.
THIS IS NUMBER TWO, WITH A FIRSTHAND UNDERSTANDING OF HOW TRAPPING WORKS.
THEY NEED TO BE WELL PAID, THEY NEED TO BE WELL SUPPORTED.
THEY CANNOT BE A PAPER PUSHER, BUT THEY NEED TO DIRECTLY COLLABORATE WITH TRAPPERS.
OF COURSE, AS YOU GUYS HAVE HEARD, THAT'S WHAT JEN WAS DOING WITH US.
UM, NUMBER THREE IS FOCUS ON CATS AT THE LEADERSHIP LEVEL INSTEAD OF JUST DOGS.
NUMBER FOUR IS CREATE MORE INCENTIVES FOR PEOPLE TO JOIN THE TNR VOLUNTEER PROGRAM.
FOR EXAMPLE, CASH REWARDS FOR CATS TRAPPED OR, UM, HIRE TTNR STAFF.
AND TODAY THERE ARE 587 FOLKS WAITING FOR HELP.
THERE IS NO QUESTION THAT THE PROGRAM NEEDS INCREASED INVESTMENT IN ORDER TO MEET THAT DEMAND.
THERE ARE REQUESTS ON THIS LIST DATING BACK TO 2021.
LET'S GET DATA FOCUS RESOURCES, PEOPLE POWER INTO TNR.
I SPOKE AT, UH, LAST MONTH'S MEETING, UM, ABOUT, UH, THE POSSIBILITY OF OF BANNING GLUE TRAPS, UH, FOR TRAPPING INSECTS AND, AND MAMMALS.
UH, I'M DIANE ODEGAARD WITH AUSTIN BAT REFUGE.
UH, AND I JUST WANTED TO REITERATE, UH, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I SPOKE ABOUT LAST
[00:15:01]
WEEK.UM, WE DO, UH, FROM TIME TO TIME RECEIVE BATS INTO OUR REFUGE, UH, FOR REHABILITATION THAT HAVE BEEN STUCK ON GLUE TRAP SOMETIMES, UH, USUALLY, UM, UH, WITH A STILL ON THE GLUE TRAP.
UM, AND IT IS POSSIBLE TO, UH, SAVE THE ANIMALS, UH, WITH, UH, QUITE A LOT OF WORK.
WHAT CONCERNS US, UH, THE MOST IS THE ANIMALS THAT WE DON'T GET, THE BATS THAT DON'T COME TO THE REFUGE.
UH, THE, THE PURPOSE OF A GLUE TRAP IS SIMPLY TO ALLOW PEOPLE TO, UH, TRAP AN ANIMAL IN A WAY THAT, UH, THEY DON'T HAVE TO DEAL WITH IT.
UH, MOST TRAPPED ANIMALS AND INSECTS SIMPLY GET THROWN INTO THE TRASH.
UM, AND SO IT SEEMS ALMOST, ALMOST, UH, MEDIEVAL IN ITS CRUELTY TO, UH, TO ALL OF THE ANIMALS THAT ARE, THAT ARE TRAPPED IN, IN THESE, IN THESE TRAPS AND THAT DIE, UM, A VERY, A VERY LONG AND PAINFUL DEATH.
SO I JUST, UH, LIKE TO THINK ABOUT AUSTIN AS A PLACE THAT WOULD, WOULD NOT WANT THAT TO HAPPEN.
UH, WE JUST HAVE A LITTLE STATEMENT, UM, THAT WE CREATED AT AUSTIN BAT REFUGE THAT I'LL JUST READ THAT, UH, THAT BASICALLY SAYS HOW WE FEEL ABOUT THIS.
UM, AT A BR AUSTIN BAT REFUGE, WE PROMOTE RESPECT FOR BATS AND THEIR PLACE IN THE ENVIRONMENT THROUGH EDUCATION, CONFLICT RESOLUTION, REHABILITATION, AND RELEASE.
SOME OF THE SHARED VALUES THAT UNITE US AS AUSTINITES ARE RESPECT FOR LIFE, COMPASSION FOR OTHERS, ELIMINATION OF NEEDLESS SUFFERING AND CONSERVATION OF THE NATURAL WORLD.
GLUE TRAPS ARE ANATHEMA TO THESE VALUES AND HAVE NO PLACE IN THIS CITY.
SO I HOPE, UM, THAT, UH, THAT YOU WILL, UH, AGREE THAT GLUE TRAPS ARE UNNECESSARILY CRUEL.
UH, THEY, UH, CAUSE UH, WHAT AMOUNTS TO TORTURE, TO ALL MANNER OF LIVING, THINGS FROM INSECTS TO, UH, TO MAMMALS, UH, OF ALL KINDS.
AND I HOPE THAT WE CAN, UH, AGREE THAT THEY DON'T BELONG HERE.
I BELIEVE SHE'S THE ONLINE CALL CROSSING HER RIGHT NOW.
ANDREW MOLER, CAN YOU HEAR US? CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, WE CAN.
SO I JUST WANNA SAY CONGRATULATIONS ON THE SUCCESSFUL SPAY NEUTER CLINIC WITH GOOD FIX AND GREATER GOOD CHARITIES.
AND THANKS TO ALL THE VOLUNTEERS AND THE COMMISSION MEMBERS, NIELSEN HERRERA, ULA, AND BRUCE FOR MAKING, HELPING THIS HAPPEN.
AND I LOOK FORWARD TO FUTURE EVENTS TO KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK.
AND THANK YOU ALL FOR DOING THIS JOB.
I'M SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF WORLD ANIMAL PROTECTION, A GLOBAL ORGANIZATION WORKING TO END ANIMAL EXPLOITATION.
BUT I'M ALSO AN AUSTIN RESIDENT WHO CARES ABOUT ANIMALS.
WORLD ANIMAL PROTECTION STRONGLY SUPPORTS THE PROPOSAL TO END THE USE OF GLUE TRAPS IN CITY OPERATIONS.
ANIMALS CAUGHT IN GLUE TRAPS ENDURE EXCRUCIATING PAIN BEFORE DYING.
ADVOCATES ARE NOW PASSING LAWS TO BAN GLUE TRAPS IN THE US AND WORLDWIDE.
ANIMALS CAUGHT IN GLUE TRAPS SUFFER INTENSELY.
SOMETIMES FOR DAYS BEFORE DYING, THE GLUE RIPS OFF THEIR SKIN AND FEATHERS LEAVING THEM TO BLEED, STARVE, OR SUFFOCATE TO DEATH.
SOME ANIMALS WILL BREAK THEIR BONES OR EVEN CHEW THROUGH THEIR OWN LIMBS WHILE TRYING TO ESCAPE.
THERE'S A GROWING MOVEMENT TO BAN THE USE OF GLUE TRAPS.
IN 2023, WEST HOLLYWOOD BECAME THE FIRST CITY TO BAN THEIR SAIL IN USE.
OJAI, CALIFORNIA FOLLOWED SUIT.
IN MARCH, 2024, REPRESENTATIVE TED LIU INTRODUCED THE GLUE TRAP PROHIBITION ACT INTO CONGRESS IN JANUARY 20, 24.
AND MORE THAN A HUNDRED AIRPORTS AND US PROHIBIT THEM.
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ON THE INTERNATIONAL SIDE.MOST OF THE 28 INDIAN STATES, NORWAY, THE NETHERLANDS, GERMANY, ENGLAND, ICELAND, IRELAND, NEW ZEALAND, SCOTLAND, WALES, AND TWO STATES IN ONE TERRITORY IN AUSTRALIA, HAVE ALSO BANNED GLUE TRAPS.
AUSTIN IS A CITY THAT CARES ABOUT PROTECTING ITS RESIDENTS, INCLUDING ANIMALS.
THANK YOU TO THE ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION FOR CONSIDERING THIS PROPOSAL.
WORLD ANIMAL PROTECTION STRONGLY ENCOURAGES THE PASSAGE OF THIS PROPOSAL TO CONTINUE TO PROTECT THE ANIMALS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
HELLO, I'M CHRISTY DUNN, A MEMBER OF THE ADVOCACY COMMITTEE OF THE TRAVIS AUDUBON SOCIETY.
I LIVE IN DISTRICT FIVE AND TRAVIS AUDUBON MEMBERS LIVE IN ALL CITY COUNCIL DISTRICTS.
ON BEHALF OF OUR ADVOCACY COMMITTEE, I WANT TO THANK THE ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION FOR CONSIDERING THE GRUESOME CRUEL IMPACT OF GLUE TRAPS.
I'M SPEAKING TODAY IN SUPPORT OF A POLICY ENDING, THE USE OF GLUE TRAPS IN CITY OWNED AND CITY MANAGED FACILITIES.
GLUE TRAPS ARE TRAYS COATED WITH AN EXTREMELY STICKY ADHESIVE IN ADDITION TO BEING UNIMAGINABLY CRUEL AND CAUSING PROLONGED SUFFERING TO ANIMALS.
THE GLUE TRAPS ARE ALSO INDISCRIMINATE IN SNARING ANY SMALL ANIMAL WHO WANDERS ACROSS OR LANDS ON ITS SURFACE.
OVER THE PAST DECADE, THE WILDLIFE CENTER OF VIRGINIA HAS COLLECTED DATA FROM WILDLIFE REHABILITATORS DOCUMENTING 179 DIFFERENT SPECIES OF ANIMALS AND SNARED ON GLUE TRAPS AMONG THEM, NEARLY 100 SPECIES OF BIRDS HAVE BEEN DOCUMENTED ON GLUE TRAPS, MANY OF WHICH ARE PROTECTED UNDER THE MIGRATORY BIRD ACT.
BIRDS MAY EVEN BE ATTRACTED TO GLUE TRAPS BECAUSE THEY CATCH INSECTS THAT BIRDS NATURALLY PREY UPON.
HERE IN AUSTIN, REHABILITATORS HAVE HELPED BIRD VICTIMS AS SMALL AS RENS AND HUMMINGBIRDS AND AS LARGE AS ADULT BARRED.
OWLS GLUE TRAPS ARE WIDELY CONSIDERED ONE OF THE CRUELEST WILDLIFE CONTROL PRODUCTS ON THE MARKET.
THE GLUE TEARS OFF ANIMAL SKIN OR FEATHERS.
BIRDS BREAK BONES AND DISLOCATE WING JOINTS IN THEIR DESPERATE ATTEMPT TO ESCAPE THESE TRAPS.
CAUSE PROLONGED SUFFERING, TRAPPED ANIMALS OFTEN DIE OF BLOOD LOSS SHOCK SUFFOCATION OR DEHYDRATION.
SOMETIMES AFTER DAYS OF SUFFERING, A POLICY WOULD ALSO BE TIMELY AS MOMENTUM HAS BEEN GROWING.
OTHER COUNTRIES, AS WAS JUST MENTIONED, HAVE LAWS AGAINST THEM.
TWO US CITIES HAVE RECENTLY BANNED THEM.
MORE THAN 100 ORGANIZATIONS HAVE STOPPED USING THEM.
AND MAJOR STORES LIKE TARGET HAVE STOPPED SELLING THEM.
THEY'RE ALSO REGARDED AS INEFFECTIVE.
THE CDC ADVISES AGAINST USING THEM, AND THEY ARE HIGHLY UPSETTING FOR MOST PEOPLE WHO ENCOUNTER ANIMALS AND SNARED UPON THEM.
LASTLY, AUSTIN HAS RECENTLY QUALIFIED AS A BIRD CITY BY THE TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE DEPARTMENT AND TRAVIS AUDUBON.
AS THE CITY HAS CONTINUALLY SUPPORTED BIRD FRIENDLY INITIATIVES AS A BIRD CITY, AUSTIN SHOULD BE AT THE FOREFRONT OF CHOOSING BIRD FRIENDLY HUMANE SOLUTIONS.
AND SO WE COMMEND THE COMMISSION FOR CONSIDERING THIS IMPORTANT TOPIC.
MY NAME IS FRANCESCA CINO AND I'M THE GOVERNMENT RELATIONS ASSISTANT WITH THE TEXAS HUMANE LEGISLATION NETWORK.
THLN IS A 50-YEAR-OLD NONPROFIT TO PROMOTE THE HUMANE TREATMENT OF ANIMALS THROUGH ADVOCACY AND LEGISLATION.
ON BEHALF OF OUR ALMOST 2,700 AUSTIN RESIDENTS, I'M HERE TO STRONGLY SUPPORT THE REMOVAL OF GLUE TRAPS FROM CITY OPERATIONS.
FIRST, THLN COMMENDS THE COMMISSION FOR EXPLORING THIS CRITICAL ISSUE.
THE REALITY IS THAT MANY OF THESE INNOCENT ANIMALS THAT ARE CAUGHT IN THESE TRAPS END UP RESORTING TO DESPERATE MEASURES.
THEY TRUE, THEY CHEW THROUGH THEIR LIMBS, BREAK THEIR WINGS, AND TEAR THEIR SKIN, ALL IN A FUTILE ATTEMPT TO ESCAPE.
THEY DIE FROM DEHYDRATION, EXHAUSTION, BLOOD LOSS, SUFFOCATION, AND HORRIFIC INJURIES.
THIS IS SUFFERING THAT CAN AND MUST BE PREVENTED ACROSS TEXAS AND THE NATION.
WILDLIFE REHABILITATORS HAVE SPOKEN OUT AGAINST GLUE TRAPS URGING THE PUBLIC TO REJECT THESE INHUMANE DEVICES.
MOREOVER, THE CDC HAS WEIGHED IN ON THIS ISSUE WARNING AGAINST THE USE OF GLUE TRAPS DUE TO THE HEALTH RISKS THEY POSE TO HUMANS.
ANIMALS TRAPPED IN GLUE CONTINUE TO PRODUCE URINE AND FECES, WHICH CAN TRANSMIT HARMFUL PATHOGENS.
THE POTENTIAL HEALTH IMPLICATIONS FROM USING GLUE TRAPS ARE SIGNIFICANT FOR OUR COMMUNITY,
[00:25:01]
MAKING THE CASE FOR A BAN EVEN MORE PRESSING.WE ARE NOT ALONE IN THIS FIGHT.
THERE IS A GROWING MOMENTUM AND STRONG PRECEDENT FOR ENDING THE USE OF GLUE TRAPS IN OUR CITY.
SEVERAL COUNTRIES HAVE ALREADY BANNED THESE TRAPS, AS HAVE MORE THAN 100 AIRPORTS ACROSS THE UNITED STATES.
MAJOR RETAILERS SUCH AS TARGET CVS AND WALGREENS HAVE ALREADY CHOSEN TO STOP SELLING THEM.
JUST THIS YEAR, TWO US CITIES HAVE TAKEN THE INITIATIVE TO TO BAN GLUE TRAPS.
AND A BILL INTRODUCED IN THE US HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES PROPOSES A NATIONWIDE BAN, GARNERING THE SUPPORT OF OVER 100 ANIMAL PROTECTION AND WILDLIFE REHABILITATION ORGANIZATIONS.
ON BEHALF OF THLN, I'M HERE TODAY TO URGE THE CITY OF AUSTIN TO JOIN THIS COMPASSIONATE MOVEMENT AND MAKE THE HUMANE CHOICE BY REMOVING GLUE TRAPS FROM CITY OPERATIONS.
WE CAN SPARE COUNTLESS SMALL ANIMALS FROM EXTREME SUFFERING AND DEATH, AND WE CAN SET AN EXAMPLE OF KINDNESS AND RESPONSIBILITY FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
PLEASE LET US STAND TOGETHER TO PROTECT THE MOST VULNERABLE AMONG US AND ENSURE THAT AUSTIN REMAINS A CITY THAT VALUES AND EXEMPLIFIES COMPASSION FOR ALL LIVING BEINGS.
SHALL WE LEAVE THEM? GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS.
I'M A CAT VOLUNTEER AT AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER, AND I'M SPEAKING ON AGENDA ITEM NUMBER SIX, THE GOOD FIX SPAY NEUTER CLINIC HELD AT TRAVIS COUNTY EXPO CENTER.
LAST MONTH, I VOLUNTEERED AT THE CLINIC ALL FIVE DAYS, AND I HAVE NEVER SEEN A BETTER EXAMPLE OF ORGANIZED CHAOS IN ALL MY LIFE.
THE SPAY, A NEUTER CLINIC READ IN AN FIC RAN IN AN EFFICIENT AND SAFE MANNER FOR 12 TO 14 HOURS A DAY.
WITH THE HELP OF MANY VOLUNTEERS, THEY WERE ABLE TO SPAY A NEUTER OVER A THOUSAND ANIMALS.
IT WAS AN OVERWHELMING SUCCESS, EVEN WITH VERY LIMITED MARKETING.
WHILE I MAINLY HELP WITH DATA ENTRY, ONE OF THE MOST REWARDING PARTS OF THE DAY WAS WHEN I HELPED WITH DISCHARGE OF THE ANIMALS, HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPLAIN TO THE PET OWNERS THAT THEIR PETS RECEIVED NOT ONLY SPAY NEUTER SURGERY, BUT ALSO A RABIES VACCINE, A MICROCHIP FLEA, PREVENTIVE TREATMENT AND ANTI PARASITE TREATMENT, ALL AT NO CHARGE.
EVERY SINGLE PET OWNER I MET WAS SO APPRECIATIVE.
SUCH A SUCCESSFUL PROGRAM WITH OVER A THOUSAND DOGS AND CATS SPAYED AND NEUTERED LAST MONTH.
JUST THINK OF ALL THE KITTENS AND PUPPIES WE PREVENTED FROM BEING BORN AND FROM ENDING UP AT AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER, OR BEING LEFT ON THE STREET TO FEND FOR THEMSELVES.
I HOPE WE FIND A LOCATION FOR DECEMBER, THE NEXT SCHEDULE OF FIVE DAY CLINIC.
THANK YOU TO THE MEMBERS OF THE SPAY NEUTER WORKING GROUP, DR. BRUCE, DR. NIELSEN, COMMISSIONER S MAGULA, AND COMMISSIONER HERRERA FOR LEADING THE CHARGE TO FIND WAYS TO INCREASE ACCESS TO FREE AND LOW COST SPAY NEUTER FOR RESIDENTS OF AUSTIN TRAVIS COUNTY.
SO WE CAN MAKE UP FOR ALL THAT LOST TIME DURING THE PANDEMIC.
I KNOW SOME OF THE COMMISSIONERS MADE IT OUT TO THE CLINIC TO SEE FIRSTHAND THE GREAT WORK, WHAT'S BEING DONE FOR THOSE MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION WHO WEREN'T PART OF THE SPAY NEUTER WORK GROUP OR WHO DIDN'T MAKE IT OUT TO THE CLINIC.
I ENCOURAGE YOU TO DO SO NEXT TIME.
AND I HOPE YOU RECOGNIZE THE INCREDIBLE VALUE OF THESE SERVICES AND SUPPORT THESE CLINICS IN THE FUTURE.
THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK PAT RES.
THANK YOU, UM, CHAIR CLINTON AND MEMBERS OF THE ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK.
AND I AM PAT REYES AND I AM VERY HAPPY TO SEE THE TURNOUT THAT YOU HAVE TONIGHT.
THIS IS A REALLY GOOD COMMUNITY AND I LOVE THAT WE ADVOCATE FOR ANIMAL ISSUES THE WAY WE DO.
UM, I'D LIKE TO GET A CLARIFICATION ON THE PROCESS.
I HAVE SIGNED UP FOR GENERAL AS WELL AS FOR A NUMBER OF AGENDA ITEMS. I AM AWARE THAT AT CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS YOU DO GET TIME TO SPEAK ON EACH ISSUE.
UH, WILL I GET TIME TO SPEAK ON OTHER ISSUES AS WELL AS, AS THIS ONE, AS GENERAL YOU'VE SIGNED UP FOR SIX? THAT WOULD BE 18 MINUTES.
I'M NOT GONNA SPEAK ON 18 MINUTES IN A ROW.
SO WHAT I'D, WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS SPEAK TO GENERAL COMMUNICATION OF ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA.
AND SAVE MY COMMENT FOR WHEN THAT AGENDA ITEM COMES UP.
CAN I DO THAT? UM, IF THE COMMISSION WANTS THAT, THAT'S FINE.
BUT I'M PRO I MAY NOT REMEMBER TO CALL YOUR NAME ON IN FRONT OF EVERY AGENDA ITEM.
SO, UM, I'LL, I'LL, I'LL TRY TO, I CAN GRAB THE SHEET, WORK WITH HIM.
SO, SO HERE, HERE, HERE'S THE ISSUE IS, FIRST OF ALL, I WANNA THANK THE FERAL CAP PEOPLE THAT ARE HERE.
I WANT TO THANK THEM VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE AND SPEAKING TO JEN DANIELS.
UM, I MET JEN BEFORE SHE STARTED WORKING AT THE SHELTER.
[00:30:01]
PERSON.I'VE HEARD ALL ALONG, SHE WAS DOING REALLY GOOD WORK AND ALTHOUGH I HAVE NOT RECENTLY WORKED WITH HER, UM, IT SOUNDS LIKE WE GOT A GOOD PERSON.
AND WHATEVER THE FERAL CAT PEOPLE ARE PROPOSING HAPPENS, I HOPE IT DOES HAPPEN THAT WE CAN GET TO BRING HER BACK OR RETAIN HER IN SOME CAPACITY.
HAVING SAID THAT, UH, I WANNA POINT OUT THAT Y'ALL DON'T HAVE A MEMBER OF THE FERAL CAT COMMUNITY ON THE ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION.
SO I WANNA SUGGEST TO THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE HERE AS WELL AS TO THE MEMBERS OF THE AUDIENCE THAT YOU CONSIDER GETTING SOMEBODY ON THE ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION THAT REPRESENTS THE PEOPLE WHO ARE DOING THE GOOD WORK OF FERAL CAT TRAPPING.
I THINK THAT'S A REALLY GREAT IDEA THAT YOU DON'T JUST WAIT UNTIL THERE'S A SITUATION THAT THEY WANNA COME AND, AND BE OPPOSED TO, BUT THAT YOU HAVE THEM REPRESENTING THEIR POSITION ALL ALONG.
HAVING SAID THAT, I WANNA ADD THAT WE HAVE A SPAY NEUTER WORKING GROUP THAT, UM, I THINK IS ON THE AGENDA.
WE'VE BEEN DOING WORK FOR, WE'VE MET FIVE TIMES ALREADY.
AND AGAIN, THERE'S NOBODY FROM THE FERAL CAT COMMUNITY REPRESENTING FERAL CAT TRAPPERS.
SO THAT'S AN EASY NO-BRAINER THING TO DO.
HAVE SOMEBODY ON THE ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION FROM THE PEOPLE THAT ARE DOING FERAL CAT TRAPPING SO THAT YOU CAN BE TALKING ABOUT THAT EVERY MONTH.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR LETTING ME SPEAK TO THAT.
I JUST WANNA POINT OUT THAT THE DISTRICT EIGHT SPOT IS NOT FILLED, IF ANYBODY FEELS CALLED TO THAT.
UH, I WANT TO NOTE JUST FOR THE RECORD, THAT, UH, COMMISSIONER HOKE AND COMMISSIONER HUDDLESTON ARE PRESENT AND THEY WERE HERE FOR ALL OF THE CITIZEN COMMUNICATION AND ONLINE, JUST SO THAT IS NOTED IN THE, UH, MINUTES.
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES ]
DO APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.I WILL JUST, UM, LINK ITEMS NUMBER ONE AND TWO, WHICH IS THE APPROVAL OF THE AUGUST 12TH, 2024 MINUTES AND THE AUGUST AND THE SEPTEMBER 9TH, 2024 MINUTES.
I HAVE READ THEM BOTH AND THEY APPEARED ACCURATE TO ME.
I CAN'T, I HAVE TO ABSTAIN FROM ONE.
UH, WELL, WE SHOULD, I WASN'T HERE FOR, ALL RIGHT, WELL, WE WON'T DO 'EM TOGETHER THEN.
UM, CAN I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES? SO MOVED.
SO MOVED BY COMMISSIONER HOLT.
CAN I HAVE A SECOND? COMM? SECOND.
UH, ANY DISCUSSION ON THE AUGUST 12TH, 20, 24 MINUTES? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? WE HAVE A NINE, UH, 9 4 0 OPPOSED? ONE ABSTAIN.
NOW WE HAVE THE SECOND ITEM, WHICH IS THE SEPTEMBER 9TH, 2024 MINUTES.
CAN I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES? YES, I MOVE TO APPROVE THOSE WITH THE CORRECTION THAT IT WAS THE AUGUST MINUTES THAT COULDN'T BE APPROVED LAST MONTH, NOT THE JULY MINUTES.
AND THEN, THEN, DID YOU GET THAT? YEAH.
SO MOVED WITH, UH, THE MODIFICATION.
IS THERE A SECOND? COMMISSIONER HOLT? UH, IS THERE ANYBODY WHO WANTS TO SPEAK ON THE SEPTEMBER 9TH, 2024 MIN MINUTES? NOPE.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? YES, THOUGH, THAT IS UNANIMOUS.
[3. Staff briefing regarding monthly reports provided by the Animal Service Center. ]
TO ITEM NUMBER THREE, STAFF BRIEFING.JASON GARZA WITH ANIMAL SERVICES.
I'M GONNA GO THROUGH HALF THE REPORT BEFORE I KICK IT OVER TO DON TO CLOSE IT OUT.
SO FOR SEPTEMBER, 2024, THE LIVE OUTCOME RATE WAS 97.59%.
WE HAD A TOTAL OF 1,002 ANIMALS THAT WERE BROUGHT TO THE SHELTER.
AND WE HAD A TOTAL OF A LITTLE OVER 578 ANIMALS THAT WERE ADOPTED.
TOTAL OF 97 DOGS AND CATS WERE RETURNED TO THE OWNERS, UM, EITHER THROUGH AN RT AND RTO ADOPT.
UM, APOS WERE ABLE TO RETURN 55 ANIMALS TO THEIR OWNERS IN THE FIELD.
UM, THEY DID IMPOUND 136 INJURED ANIMALS, UM, AND DELIVERED APPROXIMATELY 74 WILDLIFE ANIMALS TO OUR PARTNER WALLACE AND WILDLIFE RESCUE.
WE DID ENTER 196 RABIES EXPOSURE REPORTS AND SUBMITTED SPECIMENS FOR RABIES TESTING.
UM, I WILL ALSO, UM, I DID SEND AN EMAIL OUT LAST MONTH REGARDS TO SOME QUESTIONS THAT COMMISSIONERS MAGULA HAD SENT REGARDING THE, UH, UM, THE DIFFERENCES IN THE DEATH REPORT DIET AND CARE REPORT.
THERE WAS ANOTHER DISCREPANCY THAT SORT OF SH SH UH, SHOWED, ITS SHOWED ITS HEAD, AND SO WE WERE ABLE TO SEE IT.
SO IN THIS MONTH'S REPORT, YOU'LL SEE THAT THERE'S ONE EXTRA ON THE BOTTOM AREA.
WHAT IT, WHAT THAT ACTUALLY ENDED UP BEING WAS, UH, THE LOCATION OF THE ANIMAL AT THE TIME OF DEATH.
SO RIGHT NOW, THE WAY THE ORDINANCE WAS WRITTEN, THE WAY THE REPORT WAS BUILT, IT'S EITHER IF AN ANIMAL DIES IN KENNEL OR IN FOSTER, THIS ONE DIED
[00:35:01]
EN ROUTE FROM THE EMERGENCY VET CLINIC TO THE, SO IT WAS CATEGORIZED ON ROUTE.SO WE'LL HAVE TO ALSO WATCH THAT AS WELL, UM, AND, UH, PRESENT THAT BECAUSE YEAH, WHEN WE WERE LIKE, WELL, EVERYTHING LOOKS CORRECT, BUT THE ACTUAL LOCATION OF THE ANIMAL WAS IN THE TRUCK, SO IT ACTUALLY EXPIRED IN THERE, UNFORTUNATELY.
SO, UH, WE'LL SHARE THAT WITH YOU AS IF, WHEN THOSE THINGS HAPPEN.
UM, AND, UH, YEAH, I'LL TURN OVER TO NOW.
GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS, DON BLAND ANIMAL SERVICES.
UH, LAST MONTH WE HAD, UH, VOLUNTEERS CONTRIBUTE 5,700 HOURS.
WE DID FOUR ORIENTATIONS, INTRODUCING 102 POTENTIAL VOLUNTEERS TO THE SHELTER.
UM, IN STAFFING, WE CURRENTLY HAVE TWO POSITIONS THAT WERE POSTED.
ONE ENDING TODAY AND ONE ENDING ON THE 24TH.
THAT WAS OUR, UH, PO MARKETING MANAGER THAT ENDED TODAY.
AND WE HAVE AN ANIMAL CARE LEAD THAT'LL END ON THE 24TH.
WE HAVE TWO POSITIONS THAT ARE IN THE PROCESS.
WE HAVE AN ANIMAL PROTECTION OFFICER AND A PUBLIC HEALTH EDUCATOR THAT ARE IN THE PROCESS OF, UH, APPLICATIONS HAVE CLOSED AND THEY'RE IN THE HIRING PROCESS.
AND GOING THROUGH THOSE INTERVIEWS, IF ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UH, YOU MIGHT NOTICE, UH, ON OUR ANIMAL SERVICES WEBPAGE, WE HAVE CHANGED THE WAY THAT WE DO OUR METERS AVAILABILITY METERS.
UH, WHEN IT WAS FIRST WRITTEN, THEY WROTE THAT TO, UH, LOOK AT KENNEL COUNT AND THEN LOOK AT THE ANIMALS IN THE SHELTER.
SO IT'S BEEN REWRITTEN SO THAT IT LOOKS AT KENNEL COUNT VERSUS KENNEL COUNT.
SO WE LOOK AT AVAILABLE KENNELS IN THE MORNING, AND THAT GETS PLUGGED INTO THE AVAILABLE KENNELS THAT WE HAVE ON SITE.
SO IT IS TRULY COUNTING KENNELS AND NOT ANIMALS IN THOSE KENNELS.
SO IT, IT IS ACCURATE THAT WAY.
AND SO, AS OF THIS MORNING WHEN IT WAS POSTED, WE HAD SPACE FOR FOUR SMALL DOGS.
WE HAD SPACE FOR 45 CATS, AND WE WERE MINUS 28 ON LARGE DOGS.
SO IT, IT IS MORE ACCURATELY REPRESENTED.
SO, AND YOU'LL NOTICE ON OUR WEBSITE, IF IT'S GREEN, WE'RE OPEN FOR INTAKE ON THOSE AREAS.
AND THEN YELLOW IS RESTRICTED AND OF COURSE RED BEING CLOSED.
DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, UM, FOR ME OR JASON? COMMISSIONER SULA? YES.
UM, SO FIRST OF ALL, I WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR ADDING INTO YOUR ANIMAL SERVICES REPORT, THIS COMMUNITY CAT AND PUBLIC OUTREACH, UM, SECTION.
UM, UH, WITH ALL THE T AND R FOLKS THAT WERE HERE SPEAKING TONIGHT, I'M GLAD THAT YOU'RE AT LEAST, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE PUTTING SOMETHING IN HERE ABOUT THAT.
BUT IS THERE ANY WAY THAT THE ANIMAL CENTER HAS TO TRACK THOSE VOLUNTEER HOURS? NO.
WE HAVE, UM, ASKED FOR OUR VOLUNTEER SERVICES TO DEVELOP A WAY TO BRING THOSE FOLKS IN AS VOLUNTEERS AND SET UP THOSE JOB TITLES THAT IT CAPTURES, LIKE IT DOES FOR OTHER VOLUNTEERS IN THE SYSTEM.
AND THEY'RE WORKING ON THAT AND WE'LL BE PROMOTING THAT OUT TO THEM VERY SOON.
IS THERE ANY TIMEFRAME ASSOCIATED WITH THAT? DO WE KNOW WHEN THAT MAY BEGIN? WELL, I TASKED THEM WITH IT LAST WEEK, AND SO, UH, ON WEDNESDAY MM-HMM.
IT'S JUST MADE IT MOSTLY LOADING ALL THE INFORMATION INTO LOGISTICS.
AND THEN I WOULD, I WOULD ASK THAT, UH, ONCE, ONCE THAT DOES BECOME AVAILABLE AND IS ABLE TO BE TRACKED, WILL THAT BE ADDED TO THIS PART OF YOUR REPORT AS TO THEIR SEPARATE HOURS THAT THEY HAVE, THAT THEY HAVE, UM, VOLUNTEERED TO THIS COMMUNITY CATS AND PUBLIC OUTREACH? PART OF THE ANIMAL SERVICES REPORT, IT WILL PROBABLY BE LISTED UNDER THE VOLUNTEER HOURS.
AND YOU SEE THE BREAKDOWN CURRENTLY RIGHT NOW IN UH, TERMS OF THOSE THAT ARE DOING COMMUNITY SERVICE VERSUS GROUPS THAT ARE COMING IN.
SO THEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO BREAK THAT OUT, UH, JUST LIKE THAT.
UM, THEN THE NEXT QUESTION I HAD, WELL, FIRST OF ALL, I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT IT LOOKS LIKE THE INTAKES WENT UP A BIT THIS YEAR IN SEPTEMBER COMPARED TO LAST.
UM, MY NEXT, MY QUESTION, MY NEXT QUESTION IS ACTUALLY ON THE ANIMAL EUTHANIZED PORTION OF YOUR DATA REPORT COURT SLASH IV CAN YOU EXPLAIN THAT TO ME? IS THAT, ARE THOSE CAN ANIMALS USED EUTHANIZED BY COURT ORDERS OR COURT INVESTIGATION ORDERS? YES.
ANYTHING THAT HAS A COURT ORDER IS A SUBTYPE.
IT'S BECAUSE, YEAH, WE, WE GOT A COURT ORDER AND USUALLY WENT THROUGH A SERIOUS BODILY INJURY PROCESS
[00:40:01]
AND THE COURT DEEMED IT OR ORDERED THE ANIMAL TO BE EUTHANIZED.SO IT'S NOT, SO IT'S, SO WHAT IS THE INVESTIGATION PART? IS IT, IT'S A BY INVESTIGATION BECAUSE, BECAUSE THAT IT, SORRY.
IT MAKES ME SEE, MAKES ME BELIEVE THAT THERE ARE TWO SEPARATE THINGS.
EITHER IT WAS A COURT IN A COURT ORDERED EUTHANASIA OR THERE WAS AN INVESTIGATION BY, I DON'T KNOW WHO THAT DEEMED EUTHANASIA, BUT INVESTIGATION AND COURT ORDER TO ME ARE TWO SEPARATE ISSUES.
ARE THEY, ARE THEY THE SAME ISSUE? IT, IT'S ESSENTIALLY, SO, YES.
I MEAN, BEFORE WE TAKE AN ANIMAL, ANIMAL, UH, UH, A CASE TO COURT, THERE HAS TO BE A BITE INVESTIGATION THAT'S DONE THAT WILL GET THE REPORT AFFIDAVITS FROM THE INDIVIDUALS VICTIM AND OR, OR ANY WITNESSES.
AND THEN THEY'LL PUT THAT INFORMATION TOGETHER AND SHARE THAT WITH OUR LAW DEPARTMENT.
AND THEN THE LAW DEPARTMENT WILL DEEM IT WHETHER IT'S MOVES FORWARD TO A, A, A CASE OR NOT.
AND SO ONCE THAT CASE IS PRESENTED TO A JUDGE, A JUDGE WILL THEN MAKE AN ORDER AND THEN WHATEVER THAT ORDER IS, THEN WE WILL FULFILL THE ORDER.
SO, UM, I COULD TALK WITH OUR, WITH TIM, HE'S OUR IT SPECIALIST, JUST TO SEE IF THEY CAN MOD IF IT CAN BE MODIFIED AND IT MAY JUST SAY COURT NO, I, I, I JUST WASN'T CLEAR ON WHO WAS DOING THE INVESTIGATIONS.
SO APOS WILL, WILL DO THE INVESTIGATIONS AND THEN IF IT, THEN IF IT THEN ESCALATES ENOUGH WHERE IT'S A SERIOUS BODILY INJURY, THEN WE ACTUALLY HAVE A DESIGNATED A PO WHO, WHO SPECIALIZES IN THOSE PARTICULAR CASES AND THEY WORK WITH, WITH THE LAW DEPARTMENT AND DE AND DETERMINE MAKING SURE THAT THE, THE CASE WELL DOES QUALIFY FOR ANYTHING THAT WOULD GO BEFORE A JUDGE.
SO ANY, UH, LET ME THINK THIS THROUGH HERE.
SO ANY INVESTIGATION THAT IS DONE BY THE APOS OR STAFF THAT IS DEEMED TO BE A SERIOUS BODILY INJURY THAT WOULD RESULT IN A COURT CASE? NO.
OR THAT IS ACTUALLY GOING TO A COURT CASE? I WOULD, I WOULD GO TO A COURT CASE.
AND THEN WE WOULD WAIT FOR WHATEVER THE JUDGE ORDERS TO DO.
'CAUSE THE JUDGE, A JUDGE MAY DECIDE, YOU KNOW, I DON'T, I DON'T FEEL THIS QUALIFIES OR IT IS AN SBI, BUT YOU KNOW, I WANT THE DOG TO GO THROUGH TRAINING OR THEY MAY NEED SO ORDERED TO BE FOR THE DOG TO BE EUTHANIZED.
IT'S DEPENDENT ON THE SITUATION AND THE FACTS OF THE CASE.
UM, AND THE LAST QUESTION THAT I HAVE IS JUST ON THE ANIMALS.
INTACT ANIMALS ADOPTED AN RTO.
UM, WE HAD THE SAME EXACT NUMBERS FROM SEPTEMBER, 2023 AND SEPTEMBER, 2024? OR WAS THAT A MISPRINT OF THE REPORT? I DON'T KNOW THAT I'VE EVER, I'LL HAVE TO CHECK THAT JUST TO MAKE SURE I DID THAT RIGHT.
SO IT, IT JUST STRUCK ME AS ODD BECAUSE I DON'T THINK I'VE EVER SEEN THE SAME EXACT NUMBERS FROM YEAR TO YEAR.
I'LL CHECK THAT, UH, TOMORROW MORNING, THEN SEND A CLARIFICATION OUT JUST TO VERIFY IF IT WAS, IF IT, IT JUST HAPPENED TO BE THAT WAY OR NOT.
UM, FIRST CONGRATS ON THE, UM, VERY SUCCESSFUL SPAY NEUTER, UM, EVENT, AND I'M REALLY HAPPY TO SEE THAT HAPPEN AND, UM, IT'S GREAT TO GET THAT POSITIVE FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMUNITY TOO, AND KNOW THAT THIS IS REALLY HAVING AN IMPACT.
SO, UM, THANKS FOR EVERYTHING YOU DID TO ORGANIZE THAT.
UM, SECOND, I'M WONDERING, YOU KNOW, WE HAD, UM, MANY SPEAKERS TONIGHT, UM, ON, ON THIS ISSUE OF, UM, TNR.
COULD YOU GIVE US A LITTLE BIT OF CONTEXT BOTH TO THE SPECIFIC SITUATION THAT THEY'RE SPEAKING TO, UM, AND SO MUCH AS YOU'RE ABLE TO, AND THEN SECONDLY, COULD YOU KIND OF PROVIDE US SOME BACKGROUND AS FAR AS HOW MANY STAFF MEMBERS, UM, AT A A C ARE INVOLVED WITH THE COMMUNITY CAP PROGRAM? UM, IS THIS OPEN POSITION ONE THAT YOU'RE NOW HIRING FOR? OR COULD YOU JUST SORT OF HELP US, UM, ROUND OUT OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THIS ISSUE? 'CAUSE IT SEEMS TO BE ONE THAT'S FRONT OF MIND FOR A LOT OF FOLKS HERE.
THE, UM, PERSON THAT YOU HEARD THEM TALK ABOUT, JENNIFER DANIELS, SHE HAS, SHE, JEN DANIELS, SHE RESIGNED AND, UH, THE POSITION IS, UH, WAS POSTED AND IT IS IN THE PROCESS OF, OF BEING HIRED.
AND THE SAME PEOPLE THAT TRAINED HER WILL BE THE SAME PEOPLE THAT WILL TRAIN THE NEXT INCUMBENT.
UH, YOU ONLY HAVE THE ONE POSITION AND WE AT ONE POINT HAD A TEMPORARY THAT WAS ASSISTING AT THAT, BUT THAT TEMPORARY LEFT.
AND SO IT WAS JUST THE ONE POSITION CURRENTLY.
SO JUST TO MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND, THEN, THIS ENTIRE PROGRAM NOW IS SORT OF SOLELY VOLUNTEER RUN BECAUSE THERE WAS ONLY ONE COMMUNITY CAT STAFF POSITION THAT'S, THAT'S NOW VACANT.
IS THAT I, I'M, I'M JUST TRYING TO MAKE SURE I'M, I'M TRACKING THAT.
THAT IS, THAT IS THE POSITION.
THERE'S BEEN ONE POSITION THAT HAS BEEN OVER THAT FOR, I GUESS SINCE INCEPTION.
[00:45:01]
SOUNDS LIKE AN IMPORTANT POSITION.ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON ITEM NUMBER THREE? ALL RIGHT.
UM, COMMISSIONER HOLT, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO MOVE THAT WE ADDRESS ITEM NUMBER SEVEN NOW AND MOVE IT UP.
UM, JUST THAT WAY WE CAN GET THE ACTION KNEE THINGS IN THE AGENDA.
SO WE HAVE A MOTION TO MOVE NUMBER SEVEN, UH, TO NOW.
COMMISSIONER HERRERA? UH, DOES ANYONE WANT TO SPEAK TO THE MOTION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? UH, ANY OPPOSED? UH, COMMISSIONER HOKE? I THINK YOU ABSTAINED.
IS THAT RIGHT? WE CAN'T HEAR YOU.
OKAY, SO YOU WANNA BE YES OR NO? I DIDN'T SEE YOUR VOTE.
UM, CAN YOU PLEASE REPEAT THE QUESTION? I'M SO, YEAH, NO, WE, THE, THERE WAS A THAT'S OKAY.
UH, I HATE, I HATE ME HERE ON ZOOM.
THE MOTION WAS TO JUST MOVE ITEM NUMBER, UM, SEVEN TO NOW.
THEN THE MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.
[7. Approve a recommendation to Council to ban glue traps at City of Austin owned and/or managed facilities. ]
NUMBER SEVEN, UH, A PROVEN, UH, RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL TO BAN GLUE TRAPS AT CITY OF AUSTIN, OWNED AND OR MANAGE FACILITIES.UH, MS. SRES, I SUPPORT THIS ITEM AND THERE ARE MANY SPEAKERS HERE WHO SPOKE VERY ELOQUENTLY ABOUT IT, SO I WILL NOT SPEAK VERY LONG OTHER THAN TO SAY I SUPPORT IT.
UH, COMMISSIONER HOLT? YEAH, I WILL ALSO KEEP IT KIND OF SHORT AND SWEET.
I FEEL LIKE THE PUBLIC COMMENT WE HAD TONIGHT, UH, SAID IT MORE ELOQUENTLY THAN I EVER COULD, BUT, UM, THIS IS AN INEFFECTIVE AND GRUESOME PRACTICE THAT THE CITY CURRENTLY HAS WITH USING GLUE TRAPS.
UM, AND I WOULD LOVE TO SEE US ELIMINATE IT.
UM, THIS IS MY FIRST TIME BEING THE LEAD ON IT, SO WHAT ELSE DO I NEED TO SAY?
UM, I THINK AS ALWAYS, UH, I THINK I, I I THINK IT'S AWESOME WHEN WE LEARN ABOUT THINGS THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO THE COMMUNITY, FROM THE COMMUNITY, UM, AND, UM, APPRECIATE YOU VERY MUCH AS OTHERS HAVE DONE IN THE PAST.
UM, TAKING THE LEAD TO, UM, GIVE A VOICE TO THOSE IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND SO THANK YOU FOR DOING SO.
AND IS THERE ANY OTHER COMMENTS, COMMISSIONER LINDER? YEAH.
UM, I JUST WANNA ADD A LITTLE BIT OF CONTEXT HERE.
SO THERE'S UM, TWO VERSIONS OF THIS RECOMMENDATION IN THE DRAFT, UM, IN, IN THE BACKUP MATERIALS RATHER.
UM, I THINK THE ONE THAT WE ARE WORKING FROM TONIGHT, THE MORE CURRENT VERSION IS VERSION NUMBER TWO.
IS THAT CORRECT? COMMISSIONER HOLT? IT IS.
AND THAT'S ALSO THE VERSION THAT'S PRINTED.
SO FOR ANYBODY IN THE ROOM THAT'S THE UPDATED VERSION, NOTHING SUBSTANTIVE CHANGED.
WE, UM, UPDATED SOME LANGUAGE AND PRIORITIZATION OF THE, UH, BASIS FOR THE RECOMMENDATION, BUT I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE RIGHT MOTION IS IN THE BACKUP MATERIALS.
ERIC, DO WE HAVE THE, THE RIGHT VERSION IN THE BACKUP MATERIALS? IT IS IN BACKUP AND COMMISSIONER HOLT'S? CORRECT.
THAT'S THE ONE THAT'S PRINTED HERE.
SO THAT'S BASICALLY THE ONLY ONE THAT'S BEFORE YOU, UNLESS YOU WANT TO GO BACK TO THE PREVIOUS.
SO THERE'S ONE VERSION IN THE RECORD AS OF TODAY.
YEAH, THAT'S, I JUST, I'VE SEEN COUNSEL'S PASSED THINGS AND THEN NOBODY HAS A RECORD OF WHAT WAS PASSED.
UM, ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONER S MAGULA? I DO.
SO I, I, I JUST HAVE A QUESTION BECAUSE I, I TOTALLY SUPPORT THIS, BUT I WONDER IF WE, IT COULD GO A LITTLE FURTHER AND I DON'T KNOW LEGALLY IF IT CAN'T, SO I'M ASKING, UM, CAN WE, CAN THIS COMMISSION BAN OR REQUEST THE COUNSEL TO BAN THE SALE OF GLUE TRAPS IN AUSTIN? PERIOD? CAN I SPEAK TO THAT? UM, SO NOT A LAWYER, RIGHT? THERE IS OTHER POTENTIAL LAWYERY PEOPLE IN THE ROOM WHO HAVE, UH, MORE TO SAY ON THIS THAN I DO.
WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT AT THE LAST MEETING WAS STARTING SMALL, GOING FOR THE CITY ONE, AND THEN HOPEFULLY I WOULD LOVE TO SEE A LARGE PUBLIC OUTCRY SAYING, YES, WE WANT TO BAN THIS AT CITY FACILITIES.
WE WOULD ACTUALLY LIKE YOU ABLE TO TAKE IT A STEP FURTHER AND DO A SAIL BAN LIKE, UM, THE OTHER CITIES AND COUNTRIES THAT WERE REFERRED TO EARLIER.
UM, BUT IN THE INTEREST OF, I'D RATHER TAKE A, A BABY STEP WITH A WIN THAN A LEAP AND A LOSS
UM, I DEFINITELY AM HUGELY SUPPORTIVE OF TRYING TO MOVE IN THAT DIRECTION, BUT I DO KNOW THAT STATE LAW MAKES THAT A LITTLE COMPLICATED.
COMMISSIONER, HOPE I HAVE A QUICK CLARIFICATION QUESTION, AND I CAN'T REMEMBER, I'M SORRY I CAN'T REMEMBER WHO SAID IT, BUT SOMEONE WHO IS SPEAKING ON THIS MENTIONED, UH, A BAN AT AIRPORTS OR I MISHEARD, BUT I DIDN'T REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT MEANT.
[00:50:02]
SO AGAIN, I, I WON'T BE A SUPER EXPERT ON THIS.SO IF ANY OF THE SPEAKERS IN THE CROWD WANNA SPEAK TO THIS, THEY'RE WELCOME TO.
BUT, UM, I BELIEVE SINCE THOSE ARE FEDERALLY, FEDERALLY REGULATED FACILITIES, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WAS WHO PUT THAT IN PLACE, THAT IS OUTSIDE OF OUR PURVIEW.
UM, THE MO THE MOTION HAS BEEN MADE.
DID I, WE, DID WE GET A SECOND? AND IF NOT, THEN I SHOULD GET A SECOND.
SORRY, I SECOND, UH, COMMISSIONER HERRERA IS A SECOND, SO YES.
NOW WE CAN HAVE ANY DEBATE OR DISCUSSION, DR. NELSON.
UM, SO I'M HAPPY TO BE EDUCATED ON THIS IF, IF MY UNDERSTANDING IS INCORRECT, BUT JUST MY GENERAL IMPRESSION IS THAT, UM, THE, THE OPEN LARGE TRAY GLUE TRAPS ARE, SEEM MUCH MORE PRO PROBLEMATIC SPECIFICALLY FOR VERTI VERTEBRATES THEN, LIKE THE SMALLER HALF INCH ONES THAT HAVE A, THAT HAVE KIND OF A TUNNEL THAT AREN'T OPEN TO THE TOP, UM, THAT YOU USE, IT SEEMS AS THOUGH THOSE WOULD LIKELY BE MUCH LESS PROBLEMATIC FOR VERTEBRATES GETTING INADVERTENTLY TRAPPED IN THEM.
UM, AND SO IT'S ONE THING FOR ALL OF THE PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM TO DECIDE THAT NO INSECTS SHOULD SUFFER.
IT'S ANOTHER THING TO TRY TO GET THAT THROUGH CITY COUNCIL.
SO, UM, SO UNLESS ANY OF THE, UM, WILDLIFE EXPERTS HERE WANNA CORRECT ME ON THAT AND SAY THEY'RE JUST AS PROBLEMATIC, THEY CAUSE AS MANY PROBLEMS. 'CAUSE I, AND I GUESS MY CONCERN WOULD BE WOOD BANNING EVEN LIKE THE SMALLEST OF GLUE TRAPS THAT ARE SET OUT FOR LIKE A LINE OF ANTS IN A SPECIFIC SPOT, IF WE BAN THOSE, ARE WE THEN GOING TO BE REALLY INCREASING OUR USE OF SPRAY USE OF SPRAY TOXINS THAT MIGHT THEN BE MORE HARMFUL FOR, FOR WILDLIFE? THAT'S JUST SOMETHING I, I WOULD LOVE FOR US TO CLARIFY.
TO SEND THE MOST POLISHED PRODUCT TO CITY COUNCIL.
AM I ALLOWED TO DEFER TO SOME OF THE WILDLIFE EXPERTS IN THE ROOM? UH, IF THERE IS SOMEONE THAT, YOU KNOW, CHRIS HAS THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION.
UM, CHRISSY HAS HELPED ME, UH, WITH A LOT OF THE RESEARCH FOR THIS, SO I WOULD, IF SHE IS, DOES SHE KNOW THE ANSWER? UM, SO YOU TALKING ABOUT IT'S OKAY, I'M JUST ASKING IF YOU KNOW THE ANSWER REAL QUICK BECAUSE IF SO I WANNA GET A SUSPEND THE RULES TO VOTE, SO.
THAT THE INSECT TRAPS ARE PROBLEMATIC.
UM, THERE'S A MOTION TO SUSPEND THE RULES AND INVITE AN AUDIENCE MEMBER TO ANSWER A QUESTION.
I SECOND, SECOND BY COMMISSIONER TUCKER IS, UH, ALL IN FAVOR? UM, YES.
SO YES, PLEASE COME FORWARD AND SAY WHO YOU ARE.
UM, YES, I, UM, DO KNOW THAT THE INSECT TRAPS CAN BE PROBLEMATIC FOR BIRDS AND FOR BATS AS WELL.
UM, THERE ARE LOTS OF VARIATIONS OF TRAPS, BUT FROM WHAT I HAVE READ AND SEEN, THE INSECT TRAPS CAN BE PROBLEMATIC FOR THEM AS WELL.
UM, SO SOME OF THE WILDLIFE REHABILITATION EXPERTS, UM, CAN PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION.
I DON'T WANNA SPEAK FOR THEM, BUT THAT IS WHAT I HAVE HEARD.
SO IT IS DEFINITELY SOMETHING TO EXPLORE AND WE WOULDN'T WANNA DISMISS THE INSECT TRAPS AS WELL, SO, YEAH.
AND, AND I COULD DEFINITELY SEE THEM BEING PROBLEMATIC, ESPECIALLY WITH OUTDOOR USE, BUT LIKE MM-HMM.
I JUST WOULD HATE FOR US TO START SPRAYING A BUNCH MORE.
AND HAVING THAT AND THAT FLOATING AROUND AND THAT BEING, YOU KNOW, BIRD SENSITIVITY AND THEIR RESPIRATORY SYSTEM.
LIKE, I CAN'T GIVE A FINAL ANSWER ON THE INSECT TRAPS, BUT I HAVE SEEN AND, AND READ THAT THEY ARE PROBLEMATIC AS WELL, SO.
FOR HOW MUCH THAT HELPS, I DON'T KNOW, BUT THANK YOU.
SORRY, UH, IT'S NOT FUN TO BE CALLED, UH, UP TO THE STAGE, UH, WITHOUT PLANNING, BUT THANK YOU.
YEAH, I'VE, WE, I'VE LOOKED INTO THE INSEC TRAPS AS WELL AND SO THAT'S YEAH.
SORRY, UH, COMMISSIONER LINDER.
YEAH, I WAS JUST GONNA SAY SORT OF, UM, AS WE'RE, WE'RE DEVELOPING OUR, OUR RECORD HERE THAT, UM, THERE ARE A LOT OF ALTERNATIVES THAT EXIST.
UM, EVEN IF THE CITY DECIDES TO CONTINUE USING LETHAL CONTROL FOR RODENTS, THERE'S OTHER MORE HUMANE VERSIONS OF THESE TRAPS.
IF THEY WANNA NARROW THIS DOWN AND TAKE OUT CERTAIN KINDS OF GLUE TRAPS, YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY THEY'RE FREE TO DO THAT.
UM, I THINK IT WOULD PROBABLY BE PREMATURE FOR US TO TRY AND NARROW THE SCOPE ANY MORE THAN WE ALREADY HAVE RIGHT NOW, UM, AT THE RISK OF THIS BECOMING KIND OF INEFFECTIVE.
[00:55:01]
I WOULD JUST BE IN FAVOR OF, UM, PASSING THIS AS WRITTEN AND THEN, YOU KNOW, IF COUNCIL HAS CONCERNS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, ONE PARTICULAR SUBTYPE OF, OF GLUE TRAPS, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT INSECT POISONS OR THINGS LIKE THAT.THIS IS SPECIFIC TO GLUE TRAPS, UM, THAT THEY COULD TAKE IT UP LATER THEN AT THAT TIME.
COMMISSIONER HOLT, UM, I ALSO WANNA POINT OUT THAT THE FIRST, SO EVERYBODY IN THIS ROOM OBVIOUSLY IS IN IT FOR THE ANIMALS, RIGHT? UM, THAT IS NOT NECESSARILY THE MOTIVATION OF EVERYBODY WHO HAD PASSED THIS OR IMPLEMENT THIS.
AND THE, UM, PUBLIC HEALTH HAZARDS THAT HAPPEN WHEN ANIMALS INCLUDING INSECT ARE STUCK AND DEFECATING AND URINATING ALL OVER THESE TRAPS, UM, THAT EXISTS, WHETHER IT'S ONE OF THE INSECT TRAPS OR ONE OF THE LARGER TRAPS.
SO I JUST WANNA POINT OUT THAT LIKE IF WE ARE TRYING TO BE CONSISTENT WITH THE PUBLIC HEALTH HAZARD, THAT REMAINS THE SAME REGARDLESS OF THE TYPE OF GLUE TRAP, IF THAT MAKES SENSE.
SO ANOTHER, ANOTHER QUESTION ON THIS.
UM, SO THE RECOMMENDATION IS THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN BAN THESE DO, DO WE NOT ALSO ENCOMPAS TRAVIS COUNTY? WE DO NOT.
UM, THAT WOULD HAVE TO GO BEFORE THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT.
UM, WHICH IS, THEY DON'T HAVE THEIR OWN ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION.
SO WE ARE TECHNICALLY THE ANIMAL ADVISORY INCLUSION FOR THE COUNTY.
THEN, THEN YES, I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THIS GO TO THEM, BUT MAYBE WE BRING THAT UP IN TWO MONTHS.
I DON'T KNOW
IT'S NOT A BAN WITHIN THE CITY.
SO CURRENTLY PRIVATE RETAILERS STILL HAVE THE ABILITY TO SELL THEM IF THEY WOULD LIKE, WE JUST WANT THEM TO STOP BEING USED AT CITY FACILITIES.
IT'S REALLY A, THIS IS REALLY A RECOMMENDATION TO STAFF MORE THAN ANY, YOU KNOW, TO THE CITY MANAGER.
SO AS, AS THE BUILDING CITY OF AUSTIN TRA COULD, COULD WE NOT ADD TRAVIS COUNTY TO, TO THIS THAT'S WHAT I'M ASKING.
I'M CERTAIN ON BOARD, BUT I DON'T, UH, QUESTION MARK
WE ABSOLUTELY, WE YOU WE CAN MAKE A RECOMMENDATION.
WE CAN MAKE THE RECOMMENDATION.
UH, THEN I WOULD LIKE TO MOVE THAT WE ALSO DO THAT I WILL GET A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT FROM COMMISSIONER, FRIENDLY AMENDMENT FROM ME YES.
UM, I SECOND SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER TUCKER.
UH, ALL THOSE IN, UH, WE DON'T NEED A SECOND FOR A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT.
IT'S JUST WHETHER YOU ACCEPT IT, COMMISSIONER.
EXACTLY WHERE I DO THAT'S GOING IN HERE.
UH, AFTER, IN THE RECOMMENDATION AFTER RECOMMENDS THAT THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL COMMA TRAVIS COUNTY COMMISSIONER'S OR AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL.
AUSTIN CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE, AND TRAVIS COUNTY COMMISSIONER'S COURT.
MR. ANDERSON
UM, ARE, IS THERE ANY MORE DISCUSSION? OKAY.
SO WE HAVE THE MOTION, UM, ON THE TABLE.
UH, WE HAVE IT, UH, ALL DISCUSSION.
SO ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION AND IT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.
WE'LL GO TO, UM, WE WILL THEN JUST TO DOUBLE CLARIFY, THAT WAS A MOTION ON THE AMENDMENT OR? NO, THE AMENDMENT WAS A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT.
SO THE FRIENDLY AMENDMENT WAS ACCEPTED BY THE AU BILL AU THE BILL AUTHOR, THE, THE PROPOSAL AUTHOR.
I WAS DOING TWO THINGS AT ONCE.
I JUST WANTED TO DOUBLE CHECK.
AND THEN WE HAVE A VOTE ON THE MOTION THAT PASSED.
WE WILL GO TO, UM, UNLESS THERE'S ANOTHER MOTION TO GO TO ITEM NUMBER EIGHT.
SO WE'LL GO TO ITEM NUMBER FOUR.
[4. Presentation by Austin Pets Alive! regarding license agreement reports]
MS. TRES, SO WE ARE ON ITEM FOUR, CORRECT? THAT'S THE ITEM THAT SPEAKS TO AUSTIN PETS ALIVE, COMING IN AND GIVING US MONTHLY REPORTS.I VERY MUCH APPRECIATE THAT THIS COMMISSION HAS AUSTIN PETS ALIVE COMING IN PERIODICALLY AND GIVING REPORTS.
BUT I WANNA POINT OUT THAT WE HAVE TWO OTHER CONTRACTORS, ACTUALLY THREE OTHER CONTRACTORS BESIDES AUSTIN PETS ALIVE.
WE HAVE EMANCIPATE, WE HAVE THE AUSTIN HUMANE SOCIETY, AND WE HAVE THE, UM, THE NEW CONTRACT IS WITH THE GOOD FIX.
GOOD FIX, GOOD, GREATER GOOD GOOD SLASH GOOD FIX PROGRAM THAT JUST DID ALL THOSE GREAT SPAY NEUTER.
UM, WHEN I WAS A MEMBER OF THE
[01:00:01]
SPAY NEUTER WORKING GROUP, THE SECOND SPAY NEUTER WORKING GROUP, I PROPOSED THAT WE TRY TO GET THE SPAY NEUTER CONTRACTORS TO ALSO COME AND REPORT.AND A PRIORITY WAS, WAS DECIDED THAT THAT WASN'T A PRIORITY TO COME AND REPORT EVERY MONTH.
I THINK MAYBE THERE WAS A THOUGHT THAT THIS COMMISSION MIGHT GRILL PEOPLE AND NOT BE SO FRIENDLY TO THEM, AND THAT MAYBE THEY SHOULDN'T COME AND REPORT.
'CAUSE THAT WOULD BE, UH, A DOWNER FOR THEM.
AND, AND WE WOULD LOSE, YOU KNOW, GOOD RELATIONSHIPS WITH THEM.
I THINK THAT, I THINK THIS IS DANGEROUSLY OFF TOPIC.
NO, IT'S, IT'S ON, NO, IT'S THE PRESENTATION.
SO, BUT IT'S A DISCUSSION ITEM.
SO BECAUSE IT'S A DISCUSSION ITEM, I'D LIKE YOU TO WRAP IT UP.
I THINK YOU'RE OFF TOPIC, BUT I WANT YOU TO BE ABLE TO WRAP IT UP.
SO I'D LIKE YOU TO DISCUSS ADDING TO AN AGENDA ITEM IN THE FUTURE.
BEGINNING TO HAVE REPORTS FROM OTHER CONTRACTORS, JUST LIKE YOU DO WITH A PA.
HELLO, UH, MY NAME IS STEPHANIE BILBOROUGH.
I'M THE DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS AT AUSTIN PETS LIVE HERE TO SPEAK TO OUR MONTHLY REPORTING.
UM, SINCE WE ARE ONLY, UM, COMING QUARTERLY NOW, I BELIEVE ALL THREE MONTHS OF OUR REPORTS WERE INCLUDED IN THE BACKUP.
UM, I'M GOING TO PRIMARILY SPEAK TO THE SEPTEMBER, UH, REPORT, UM, SINCE THAT IS ALSO OUR END OF FISCAL YEAR REPORT.
SO I HAVE INCLUDED SOME STATS, UM, FOR BOTH.
SO, UM, IN TOTAL FOR THE LAST THREE MONTHS, SO QUARTER FOUR, UM, WE TRANSFERRED IN ALMOST 500 ANIMALS FROM AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER, UM, INCLUDING OVER 150, UM, IN THE LAST MONTH IN SEPTEMBER.
UM, AND, UM, OUR SURVIVAL RATE OF OUR MEDICALLY CHALLENGED ANIMALS THAT WE'VE TAKEN IN DIRECTLY FROM AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER IS STAYING CONSISTENTLY ABOVE 80%.
SO WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT 30 DAYS, AT LEAST 30 DAYS BEYOND THEIR TRANSFER DATE.
UM, THERE ARE WELL OVER 80% OF THE ANIMALS STILL ALIVE IN OUR CARE.
UM, AND THEN THE THIRD PAGE OF THE REPORT THERE SHOWS THE ENTIRETY OF OUR INTAKE AND OUTTAKE INTAKE AND OUTCOMES, UM, NUMBERS FOR THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER.
UM, BUT PRIMARILY I WANNA TALK ABOUT THE LAST PAGE, WHICH INCLUDES SOME END OF FISCAL YEAR, UH, NUMBERS.
SO THIS IS THE FISCAL YEAR AS IT IS SET OUT IN OUR LICENSE AGREEMENT.
IT ENDS IN SEPTEMBER, STARTS OVER AGAIN IN OCTOBER.
SO, UM, OUR TRANSFER GOAL BASED ON THE LICENSE AGREEMENT FOR THIS PAST FISCAL YEAR WAS 1,283 ANIMALS.
UM, AND WE EXCEEDED THAT BY ABOUT 45%.
WE TOOK IN 1,864 ANIMALS IN THAT TIMEFRAME.
UM, THIS ACCOUNTED FOR ALMOST 17% OF AACS TOTAL INTAKE DURING THAT TIME.
UM, AND OVER 80% OF ALL TRANSFERRED ANIMALS.
UM, SO THAT INCLUDES ALL THE PARTNERS FROM THAT, THAT A A C SENDS ALL OF THEIR ANIMALS TO.
UM, AND THEN OUR PAST PROGRAM, WHICH FOR THOSE WHO DON'T KNOW, IS OUR POSITIVE ALTERNATIVES TO SHELTER SURRENDER.
THAT'S OUR, UH, COMMUNITY SUPPORT PROGRAM.
THEY PROVIDE FOOD SUPPLIES, UM, THEY HELP PEOPLE WITH FUNDRAISING FOR MEDICAL CASES, FOR PET DEPOSITS, UM, AND, AND MUCH, MUCH, MUCH MORE.
UM, THAT PROGRAM DIVERTED HUNDREDS OF ANIMALS FROM HAVING TO ENTER ANY OF OUR SHELTERS BY SUPPORTING PEOPLE WITH THEIR NEEDS.
UM, AND THEN ALSO TOOK IN 382 DIRECT OWNER SURRENDERS FOR PEOPLE WHO NEEDED TO SURRENDER FOR LIKE, PARVO TREATMENT OR OTHER, UM, TREATMENT THAT THEY, THEY COULDN'T OTHERWISE AFFORD OR COULDN'T HANDLE, UM, ON THEIR OWN.
SO, AND THEN PAGE FIVE OF THE SEPTEMBER REPORT INCLUDES THE ENTIRETY OF OUR FISCAL YEAR INTAKE AND OUTCOMES, UM, NOT JUST THE A A C ANIMALS.
SO, UM, I DO HAVE THE OTHER REPORTS WITH ME IF THERE ARE QUESTIONS ON THOSE, BUT I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS ON THIS.
ANY QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONER SULA.
UM, SO I, I HAVE A QUESTION ON YOUR REPORTS.
BA YOU, YOU, YOU SHOW HERE QUARTERLY MM-HMM.
HOWEVER, IS IT POSSIBLE TO GET, WHEN YOU'RE GONNA BE HERE, TO PRESENT A QUARTERLY REPORT RATHER THAN HAVING TO PULL THE OTHER PREVIOUS MONTHS TO FIND THOSE AND PRINT THEM UP, LOOK AT 'EM TO REVIEW 'EM? IS IT POSSIBLE JUST TO GET, IS QUARTERLY REPORT AS WELL? DO YOU MEAN LIKE A QUARTERLY SUMMARY OR DO YOU WANNA JUST A SUMMARY EVERY MONTH INDIVIDUALLY? NO, NO.
BECAUSE I MEAN, YOU, IN THAT MONTH, YOU, YOU SUBMIT EVERY MONTH.
WE SEND THEM EVERY MONTH, YES.
BUT IF THE MONTHS THAT YOU'RE GONNA BE HERE TO PRESENT FOR THE QUARTERLY, IF WE
[01:05:01]
COULD KIND OF HAVE A SUMMARY MM-HMM.UM, AND I, AND I WOULD JUST POINT OUT, JUST AS OF STAFF, WE DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO DIRECT YOU.
SO IT'S JUST, IT'S JUST REQUESTING A PERSONAL REQUEST.
BUT YES, IT'S NOT, WELL, WE'RE HAPPY TO PROVIDE, I MEAN, TECHNICALLY IN A LICENSE AGREEMENT, ALL THAT WE'RE REQUIRED TO PROVIDE IS THE SHELTER ANIMALS COUNTS, NUMBERS.
SO EVERYTHING ELSE THAT WE'RE ADDING IS, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TRYING TO BE TRANSPARENT AND OPEN WITH HOW WE'RE HELPING A C AND I TOTALLY APPRECIATE THAT, THAT THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
UM, MY, MY SECOND QUESTION, UM, THIS MONTH YOU SHOW THAT YOU PULLED FIVE A A C DOG, LARGE DOGS FOR BEHAVIOR.
SO DO WE KNOW WHERE THAT ONE, I'D HAVE TO SEE WHICH ANIMALS THEY'RE COUNTING IN THAT.
SOMETIMES THERE'S JUST A DIFFERENCE IN WHAT DAY THEY, WHAT DAY IT COUNTED THE TRANSFER.
'CAUSE WE DON'T COUNT THEM UNTIL THE DAY THAT WE'VE DECIDED TO KEEP THEM.
SO NOT WHEN THEY'RE SENT OVER FOR EVALUATION.
SO WE MAY START SOME EVALUATIONS SAY AT THE END OF THE MONTH, BUT WE DON'T DECIDE TO KEEP THEM UNTIL THE FOLLOWING MONTH.
SO YEAH, WE WILL JUST HAVE TO LINE UP NAME TO NAME I THINK TO MAKE SURE.
DID Y'ALL KNOW HOW MANY PUPPIES AND KITTENS BORN IN THE LAST, UH, QUARTER AT YOUR FACILITY? UM, IN TOTAL OR FROM A A C ANIMALS? NO, JUST IN TOTAL.
UM, I DON'T HAVE THAT OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, NO.
UNFORTUNATELY, IF, IF Y ALL CAN, IF YOU CAN SEND US THAT NUMBER WILL BE A LITTLE BIT HELPFUL.
I WILL SAY THAT FOR THE MOST PART, UM, THE MAJORITY OF OUR BORN IN CARES ARE FROM A, A C ANIMALS.
SO THOSE WOULD BE INCLUDED IN THESE NUMBERS.
WE VARY, UM, OR MAYBE DURING THE HEIGHT OF KITTEN SEASON, BUT FOR THE MOST PART, WE'RE NOT TAKING PREGNANT ANIMALS FROM ANYWHERE ELSE.
UM, WE DO TRY TO WORK WITH PEOPLE.
WE DO ALSO OFFER AT HOME TREATMENT FOR PEOPLE.
UM, THEY CAN BUY A KIND OF A GOODIES PACKAGE, UM, AND TRY TO TREAT THEIR ANIMAL AT HOME THEMSELVES.
THAT WAY THEY DON'T HAVE TO SURRENDER THEM AT ALL.
UM, BUT I WOULD HAVE TO LOOK AT OUR NUMBERS TO KNOW EXACTLY HOW MANY ARE RETURNED TO OWNER IF PEOPLE ARE WILLING AND ABLE TO TAKE THEM BACK.
UM, WE DO TRY TO REUNITE IF, IF WE CAN, BUT I, I, WE'D HAVE TO, I'D HAVE TO LOOK UP THE EXACT NUMBER.
ARE YOU, ARE YOU GUYS, I'M JUST CURIOUS, ARE YOU TREATING HUNDREDS OF PARVO PUPPIES THAT ARE LIKE ATTEMPTS TO STAY IN CARE? DOZENS? LIKE WHAT'S YOUR SENSE OF HOW MANY YOU DO? UM, I THINK OUR NORMAL PARVO INTAKE IS, UM, 80 TO A HUNDRED A MONTH.
UM, JUST DEPENDING ON THE SEASON, YOU KNOW, IT'S CYCLICAL, SO, UM, IT REALLY DEPENDS.
BUT THAT OUR INTAKE IS USUALLY AROUND THAT, THAT NUMBER.
AND DO YOU, DO YOU HAVE A SENSE OF LIKE WHAT PERCENTAGE OF THOSE ARE TREATED AS OUTPATIENTS? UM, THAT I DON'T KNOW.
UM, THOSE ARE NUMBERS THAT WE TRACK THROUGH OUR PAST PROGRAM.
UM, BUT IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT A NUMBER THAT I HAVE READILY AVAILABLE.
AND OUR NEW, UM, SORRY, GO AHEAD.
NO, I WAS JUST GONNA SAY, I AM JUST CURIOUS TO SEE WHAT SUCCESS YOU'RE HAVING YEAH.
UM, I MEAN, I'M UTILIZING PUSHING PEOPLE YOUR WAY WHO ARE LOW ON RESOURCES AND I'M JUST CURIOUS TO HEAR MORE.
IT'S, IT'S DEFINITELY A LOT OF ANIMALS IN OUR NEW FACILITY THAT, UM, WE'RE HOPING TO OPEN FOR THE END OF THE YEAR.
WE'LL BE A, A LARGER PARVO WARD THAN WE HAVE NOW TOO.
SO WE'RE HOPING TO BE ABLE TO HELP EVEN MORE.
WHERE WILL THAT BE? UM, IT'S IN SUNSET VALLEY, UM, TWO 90 AND BRODY ISH.
SO WE'RE FINISHING UP CONSTRUCTION NOW AND HOPE TO OPEN IN DEC, I DON'T WANNA SAY IT ON RECORD, BUT
SO JUST KIND OF, I WAS THINKING ALONG THE SAME LINES AS, UM, COMMISSIONER HERRERA, AND I NOTICED THAT IT LOOKS LIKE FOR THIS QUARTER YOU HAD 75 PUPPIES BORN IN YOUR CARE AND 56 KITTENS BORN IN YOUR CARE FROM PREGNANT ANIMALS THAT YOU TOOK FROM A A C AND DID NOT ALLOW A, A C TO STAY.
DOES THAT SOUND ABOUT RIGHT? THAT'S PROBABLY ABOUT RIGHT.
AS WE'RE CELEBRATING THE GOOD, UM, WORK WE'RE DOING WITH THIS BAY AND NEUTER.
UM, AND THEN, SO YOU MENTIONED SOMETHING I COULDN'T, I COULDN'T TAKE NOTES FAST, FAST ENOUGH, BUT, UM, I WOULD, IT MADE ME CURIOUS WHERE A PA ANIMALS
[01:10:01]
COME FROM, IF NOT FROM A A C AND OTHER TRANSFERS.CAN YOU JUST CLARIFY ANIMALS THAT AREN'T TRANSFERS, YOU MEAN? YEAH.
FROM A, A C OR OTHER SHELTERS.
UM, THE MAJORITY ARE GOING TO BE, UM, OWNER SURRENDERS, WHICH ARE EITHER ANIMALS THAT WERE PREVIOUSLY AP ANIMALS THAT HAVE COME BACK TO US, UHHUH,
SO LIKE PEOPLE WHO CAN'T KEEP THEIR ANIMALS.
OR LIKE PEOPLE IN FROM ANYWHERE WHO CAN'T KEEP THEIR ANIMALS IF THEY ORIGINALLY CAME FROM A PA, WE DO ALWAYS TAKE THEM BACK REGARDLESS WHERE, BUT I MEAN, WHERE THEY'RE, I MEAN, LIKE, PEOPLE OUTSIDE OF AUSTIN OR TRAVIS COUNTY WHO CAN'T KEEP THEIR ANIMALS? NO, NOT THROUGH PAST, NO.
SO PAST IS JUST FOR AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY PASS PROVIDES RESOURCES EVERYWHERE.
UM, IF WE KNOW OF RESOURCES IN THAT PERSON'S AREA AND THEY REACH OUT, WE WILL DIRECT THEM THAT WAY.
BUT THE VAST MAJORITY, I DON'T KNOW THE NUMBER OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, BUT THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE DIRECT OWNER SURRENDERS ARE GONNA BE FROM THIS AREA.
AND AGAIN, I MENTIONED THIS BEFORE, BUT I REALLY APPRECIATE THE COOPERATION WITH THE A PA VETS THAT I'VE HAD AS I HAVE A CASE THAT I'M LIKE, WE CAN'T ASK THE TAXPAYERS OF AUSTIN TO CONTINUE THIS CASE, BUT I WOULD LOVE FOR IT TO HAVE A CHANCE SOMEWHERE.
SO I LOVE HAVING A PA AS A RESOURCE TO TAKE THEM.
UM, AND WHEN THERE'S A CERTAIN ONE THAT I LIKE IMMEDIATELY SAY, HEY, PLEASE GET ME UPDATED ON HOW THIS DOES OR ASK RIGHT AWAY.
UM, I, I ALWAYS GET EMAILS BACK AND WE SHARE JOY OR SORROW DEPENDING ON HOW IT'S GONE.
BUT I'M JUST, UM, I'M CURIOUS IF YOU, IF YOU, IF YOU KEEP MEDICAL RECORDS THERE, I KNOW THERE'S KIND OF A LOOPHOLE WHERE YOU MAY NOT HAVE TO 'CAUSE THERE, 'CAUSE I LIKE HAVE, I GET SO ATTACHED TO THESE ANIMALS AND I HAVE A LIST OF LIKE 20 THAT I'VE ASKED REPEATEDLY FOR FOLLOW UPS ON THAT I, THAT I HAVEN'T GOTTEN.
AND I KNOW EVERYBODY THERE IS SO BUSY AND CAN'T LIKE WRITE ME A SUMMARY.
BUT I WOULD BE HAPPY TO DIG THROUGH WHATEVER RECORDS YOU HAD JUST TO SEE LIKE HOW THAT GOES.
AND IT, IT SEEMS LIKE ALSO LIKE PART OF TRANSPARENCY WE DO AT ALL OF OUR, OUR ENTIRE DATABASE IS ONLINE.
UM, SO WE SHOULD HAVE, IF THERE ARE ANY RECORDS, UM, WE SHOULD HAVE THEM IN OUR SYSTEM.
THE ONLY TIME THAT MIGHT NOT BE THE CASE IS WHEN ANIMALS ARE FIRST HOSPITALIZED, ALL THEIR RECORDS ARE KEPT ON PAPER JUST FOR EASE OF USE.
UM, THAT PAPER MIGHT JUST BE PHOTOCOPIED AND ADDED TO THE ANIMAL'S RECORD LATER, BUT SOMETIMES THEY MIGHT BE A FEW DAYS OR A FEW WEEKS BEHIND JUST DEPENDING ON THE DATA ENTRY.
SO, UM, BUT AT A MINIMUM MM-HMM,
AND I GUESS KIND OF RELATED TO THAT, AS WE LOOK AT THESE NUMBERS OF THE, LIKE OF THE MED URGENT ANIMALS THAT, THAT A PA TAKES, IS IT, IS IT YOUR SENSE THAT THERE ARE ONES THAT, THAT YOU KNOW, THAT IT WOULD'VE BEEN APPROPRIATE FOR A, A C TO KEEP AND ASK THE TAXPAYERS TO, TO FUND, LIKE AS THE, I DON'T KNOW, THE, AS THE MUNICIPAL SHELTER? YEAH.
I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW THE DETAILS OF MOST OF THE CASES, UM, UNLESS I HAPPEN TO SEE THE EMAIL MYSELF.
SO I DON'T KNOW THAT I COULD SPEAK TO ANY SPECIFIC CASES.
UM, RIGHT NOW THAT WOULD FALL UNDER THAT.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? NOPE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR COMING IN.
[5. Discussion of the Animal Services strategic plan and planning process.]
NUMBER FIVE, DISCUSSION OF ANIMAL SERVICES, STRATEGIC PLAN AND PLANNING PROCESS.UM, UH, MS. TRES, MAY I SPEAK AFTER THE BRIEFING? NO,
THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK.
UM, I WOULD'VE LIKED TO HAVE SPOKEN AFTER A BRIEFING, BUT SINCE Y'ALL DECIDED I CAN'T DO THAT, I WILL GO AHEAD AND MAKE MY COMMENTS, ALTHOUGH I WOULD PREFER TO HEAR WHAT, UM, AUDREY HAS TO SAY.
SO, UM, WE HAVE MET FIVE TIMES.
UH, THE MEETINGS HAVE BEEN VERY INTERESTING.
THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF DISCUSSION ABOUT OPERATIONS.
UH, TODAY WE TRIED TO DISCUSS GOALS AND AS HAPPENED LAST MONTH.
AND I MEAN, I'M SORRY, AT OUR LAST, AT OUR MEETING NUMBER FOUR AND OUR MEETING NUMBER THREE, THE PEOPLE ON THE STRATEGIC PLANNING WORKING GROUP MUCH, MUCH PREFER TO TALK ABOUT OPERATIONS.
AND SO WE WENT TO THAT ROUTE AND I WAS FINE WITH THAT.
I THINK THERE'S SOME REALLY IMPORTANT PERFORMANCE MEASURES WE NEED TO ADDRESS.
THERE'S IMPORTANT GOALS AND STRATEGIES THAT IMPACT OPERATIONS.
SO I MADE THE SUGGESTION THAT AT THE VERY END OF OUR MEETING THAT WE START WITH THE KEY PERFORMANCE MEASURES AND THEN WORK OUR WAY UP TO THE GOALS.
AND THEN AFTER WE HAVE THE GOALS WORKED OUT, WE THEN DISCUSS THE, THE MISSION STATEMENT.
[01:15:02]
I DON'T KNOW THAT WE ARE GOING TO BE GIVEN THAT OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT.I DO WANNA SAY THAT RIGHT NOW I SEE THAT WE'RE NOT GONNA BE FINISHED BY NEXT MONTH.
I THINK NEXT MONTH YOU'RE GONNA HAVE, UM, UH, AN OPPORTUNITY TO, TO SEE SOMETHING BEFORE YOU THAT IS NOT GONNA BE A FINISHED PRODUCT AS IF OUR GROUP HAD BEEN ALLOWED TO, UH, OR WERE ABLE TO KIND OF COMPLETE THE PROCESS.
SO I JUST WANNA, UM, PROMOTE THAT WE CONTINUE TO WORK ON THE STRATEGIC PLAN ALL THE WAY THROUGH MARCH, WHICH IS GONNA BE A VERY, VERY IMPORTANT MEETING BECAUSE THAT IS A MEETING WHERE WE START TALKING ABOUT THE BUDGET FOR NEXT YEAR.
THE, THE MOST IMPORTANT THING THAT'S GONNA COME ABOUT AS A RESULT OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN IS THAT YOU ARE GOING TO GET SOME INFORMATION TO HELP YOU DECIDE WHAT BUDGET PRIORITIES YOU HAVE FOR FISCAL YEAR 2026.
WE ARE RIGHT NOW IN FISCAL YEAR 2025, YOU KNOW, FISCAL YEAR 2025 GOES FROM OCTOBER ONE TO SEPTEMBER 30TH.
AND THAT MARCH MEETING IS GONNA BE A VERY, VERY CRUCIAL MEETING.
HOPEFULLY YOU WILL HAVE A GOOD STRATEGIC PLAN THAT GUIDES YOU TO MAKE SOME BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS STARTING IN MARCH, APRIL, MAY, AND JUNE.
AND THEN IN OCTOBER WE WILL HAVE FUNDING FOR THE IMPORTANT THINGS THAT WE DISCUSSED IN OUR MEETING.
SO I'M TRYING TO KIND OF BRING THE TWO ISSUES TOGETHER.
I THINK OUR GROUP HAS DONE GOOD WORK, BUT IT'S PROBABLY GONNA BE DISSOLVED BEFORE WE GET A CHANCE TO TALK ABOUT BUDGET AND FUNDING.
AND, UM, JUST A PERSONAL NOTE, I HAVE TO LEAVE SHORTLY.
UM, I SPOKE TO STAFF BEFOREHAND.
UM, MR. ANDERSON INFORMED ME THAT WHEN THERE'S NO, UH, UM, OFFICER OF THE COMMISSION, THAT IT GOES, THAT IT TRADITIONALLY GOES TO THE HIGHEST RANKING MEMBER, SENIOR MEMBER.
WE'RE NOT SAYING YOU'RE OLD, UM,
UM, SO I'M GONNA LEAVE NOW, BUT MR. TUCKER, UH, I'M GONNA HAND YOU WHERE I AM WITH THIS AS LONG AS WELL AS YOUR PEN.
UM, AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND THANK YOU STAFF FOR BEING HERE YOU GO.
MY NAME IS AUDREY MONS, I'M A BUDGET AND PERFORMANCE MANAGER WITH FINANCIAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT, AND I'M HERE TODAY WITH LARRY SCHOOLER WHO'S JOINING US VIRTUALLY.
HE'S THE FACILITATOR OF THE ANIMAL SERVICES OFFICE STRATEGIC PLAN, AND I AM GONNA HAND IT TO HIM TO TALK ABOUT THE PROCESS TO DATE.
AND LARRY, ARE YOU ABLE TO CHIME IN? HI THERE.
CAN YOU ALL HEAR ME? YES, WE CAN HEAR YOU.
AND I'M SO SORRY FOR COMMISSIONERS, UH, HOLT LINDER AND SULA THAT THEY HAVE TO LISTEN TO ME TALK ANY MORE THAN I HAVE ALREADY TODAY.
UH, WE HAD A GREAT WORKING GROUP MEETING TODAY.
UH, JUST QUICKLY BY WAY OF INTRODUCTION, LARRY SCHOOLER, UH, FACILITATOR FOR THE WORKING GROUP PROFESSOR AT UT.
UM, I'LL JUST HAVE AUDREY, I GUESS CLICK THROUGH THIS SLIDE, BUT AS, UM, PAT, SO, UH, HELPFULLY, UM, KIND OF RECOUNTED FOR YOU JUST THEN.
UM, WE'VE HAD SEVERAL VERY PRODUCTIVE MEETINGS WHERE AS I, AS SHE SET UP TO MEETING FIVE THAT TOOK PLACE EARLIER TODAY, I'M JUST GONNA BRIEFLY RECAP MEETINGS, UH, THAT TOOK PLACE IN SEPTEMBER, UH, WHILE I STILL DIGEST WHAT WE DID TODAY.
UM, WE DID HAVE THOSE TWO WORKING GROUP MEETINGS KIND OF CLOSE TOGETHER IN SEPTEMBER.
AND A LOT OF WHAT WE DID EARLY IN THE MONTH WAS MAKE SURE WE UNDERSTOOD THE ROBUST RESULTS THAT CAME IN FROM THE COMMUNITY SURVEY, AS WELL AS A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF WORK THAT AUDREY AND HER TEAM DID TO ENGAGE WITH, UH, A A C STAFF AND WITH, UH, VOLUNTEERS.
SO THERE WAS A LOT TO GET THROUGH THERE, UH, MUCH OF WHICH I THINK YOU'VE NOW, UH, GOTTEN A CHANCE TO, UH, HEAR ABOUT.
UM, WE'VE ALSO BEEN SPENDING SOME TIME THINKING THROUGH, UH, THE GOALS THAT THIS, UH, GROUP HAS AND TRYING TO CONSOLIDATE THOSE IN THE CATEGORIES OR WHAT WE'RE TENTATIVELY CALLING FOCUS AREAS, AS WELL AS SOME SENSE OF WHAT AN OVERALL VISION MIGHT BE FOR, UH, THE BEST POSSIBLE OUTCOMES FOR, UH, THE PLAN.
AND SO TODAY WAS SPENT, UH, ON SOME, UH, FLUSHING OUT OF THAT.
AND AS PAT MENTIONED, UM, WE ARE SCHEDULED TO MEET, UH, AGAIN IN, UH, EARLY NOVEMBER.
I THINK AUDREY FOOL WILL KEEP CLICKING.
[01:20:01]
GET TO, I JUST ALSO WANNA MENTION, JUST TO REINFORCE WHAT PAT SAID, THAT, UM, AT THE DIRECTION OF ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER HAYDEN HOWARD, WE DID SPEND, UH, ONE OF OUR MEETINGS TALKING ABOUT THINGS THAT GENERALLY WOULDN'T, UH, BE IN A STRATEGIC PLAN BUT ARE OF GREAT SIGNIFICANCE TO MEMBERS OF THE WORKING GROUP IN TERMS OF HOW THE SHELTER IS OPERATING AND COULD OPERATE.AND THOSE WERE COLLECTED AND COULD FIND THEIR WAY IN SOME FORM INTO THE STRATEGIC PLAN.
BUT WERE DESIGNED, I THINK ALSO JUST TO, UH, ACCELERATE CERTAIN, UH, POTENTIAL CHANGES THAT, UH, WORKING GROUP MEMBERS FELT WOULD BE, UH, USEFUL.
AND AT A FUTURE TIME, WE CAN, UH, PROVIDE YOU WITH OUR NOTES, UH, FROM THAT CONVERSATION, I WOULD ASSUME.
SO, AS I MENTIONED, WE WILL, UM, BE MEETING AGAIN AND WE'VE DEVELOPED KIND OF A, A WHAT WE CALL A STRATEGIC PLAN FRAMEWORK.
WHEN I SAY WE, I, I ONLY MEAN THAT, THAT AUDREY, UH, AND HER TEAM AND I HAVE TRIED TO DO OUR BEST TO DISTILL SOME INCREDIBLE WORK BY THE WORKING GROUP INTO A SET OF FOCUS AREAS ALONGSIDE SOME GOALS AND OBJECTIVES.
THE WORKING GROUP GOTTA LOOK AT THEIR, THAT DRAFT TODAY AND HAD SOME, UH, VERY HELPFUL REVISIONS, UH, AND COMMENTS TO MAKE AND STARTED THINKING ABOUT MEASURABLE WAYS FOR US TO DETERMINE WHETHER PROGRESS WAS BEING MADE IN EACH OF THOSE FOCUS AREAS.
WE WERE ALSO ASKED BY, UH, STEPHANIE HAYDEN HOWARD TO REVISIT THIS MISSION STATEMENT.
I WANNA BE CLEAR, WE'RE NOT TALKING NECESSARILY ABOUT SUBSTANTIVE CHANGES TO THE MISSION OF THE ANIMAL SERVICES OFFICE, BUT SHE'S ASKED THAT THE WORKING GROUP WEIGH IN ON THE MISSION STATEMENT ITSELF.
SO THAT'LL BE A PART OF, UH, A SUBSEQUENT MEETING HERE IN NOVEMBER.
AND THEN, UH, YOU SEE EARL THE ELEPHANT, UH, HE REPRESENTS THE ELEPHANTS IN THE ROOM THAT WE IDENTIFIED EARLY IN THE PROCESS.
AND YOU CAN SEE IN THE BOTTOM OF THIS SLIDE A COUPLE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO KIND OF, UM, REACHED SOME GROUP CONSENSUS ON AS A PART OF THE STRATEGIC PLANNING EFFORT.
IT'S NO SECRET, UH, BASED ON THE AUDITOR'S REPORT THAT JUGGLING, UH, LIVE OUTCOME GOALS ASSOCIATED WITH NO KILL, UH, MAINTAINING CONSISTENT OPEN INTAKE AND, UH, BOLSTERING SPAY NEUTER, UH, SERVICES ARE, UM, ALL OF A PIECE WITH SUCCESS FOR, UH, THE ANIMAL SERVICES OFFICE AND, UH, NEED TO BE SORT OF PRODUCTIVELY AND THOUGHTFULLY RECONCILED IN A WAY THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, PROTECTS THE COMMUNITY'S INTERESTS AND THE STAKEHOLDERS INTERESTS.
SO AS WE MAKE OUR WAY THROUGH THE SKELETON OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN ITSELF, WE HAD A GOOD DISCUSSION TODAY ON INTAKE AND WE WILL LIKELY, UM, JUST GET INTO SOME OF THE, UH, ELEMENTS OF NO KILL AND HOW TO ALIGN THEM WITH SOME OF OUR OTHER IDEAS ON STRATEGIC PLANNING, UH, AT OUR NOVEMBER MEETING.
SO THAT IS THE EXTENT OF THE UPDATE I WAS GONNA GIVE, AND I'LL HAND IT BACK TO AUDREY.
AND LAST TIME SAMANTHA EATON KAYO, A MEMBER OF MY TEAM, PROVIDED AN UPDATE ON THE COMMUNITY SURVEY AND WE HAVE THAT FINALIZED REPORT COMPLETE AND UP ON THE ANIMAL SERVICES OFFICE, STRATEGIC PLAN, PUBLIC INPUT PAGE.
SO SOME ADDITIONAL INSIGHTS ON SOME OF THOSE OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS EARLIER IN THE SURVEY THAT WEREN'T SHARED LAST TIME ARE AVAILABLE IN THAT REPORT.
UM, SO PLEASE GO CHECK THAT OUT.
THIS QR CODE WILL TAKE YOU TO THE A SO STRATEGIC PLAN PUBLIC INPUT PAGE, WHICH WE ARE KEEPING UPDATED THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS.
UM, AND IF YOU GO TO THE SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS TAB, YOU'LL SEE THIS RE THAT REPORT AS WELL AS THE REPORT ON THE STAFF AND VOLUNTEER INTERVIEWS AND LISTENING SESSIONS THAT WE CONDUCTED IN JULY AND AUGUST.
UM, WE ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO SIGN UP TO, TO SUBSCRIBE TO THIS PAGE.
YOU CAN FIND AN AREA TO PUT IN YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS AND NAME ON THAT FIRST PAGE.
AND WE ARE PUSHING OUT UPDATES THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS.
WE WILL HAVE ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE COMMUNITY TO PROVIDE FEEDBACK ON THE FOCUS AREAS AND GOALS AS THOSE BECOME AVAILABLE AND TO A FINER FINAL POINT.
AND SO WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA KEEP THE COMMUNITY UPDATED ON WHEN WE ANTICIPATE THAT HAPPENING, AS WELL AS POST THAT SURVEY WHERE THEY'LL BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THAT FEEDBACK ON THIS WEBSITE.
SO PLEASE KEEP YOUR EYES ON THIS AS WELL AS SUBSCRIBE SO YOU CAN RECEIVE THOSE UPDATES.
AND THAT IS ALL THAT WE HAVE TODAY.
IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS, COMMISSION VERA.
DID YOU KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE ALREADY TAKE THAT SURVEY? SO THE ORIGINAL SURVEY WE HAD, AND I'LL HAVE TO LOOK AT THE EXACT NUMBERS.
UM, 567 RESPONSE WERE EXCLUDED BECAUSE OF LACK OF COMPLETION THERE.
THEY DIDN'T REACH A CERTAIN THRESHOLD THAT WE HAD DEFINED.
OKAY, THIS IS THE ORIGINAL, THE OG WHO WAS THE ORIGINAL SURVEY.
WHO WAS BILINGUAL, RIGHT? YES.
[01:25:01]
OKAY.UM, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, UH, AUDREY AND PROFESSOR SCHOOLER.
UM, WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO,
[6. Discussion of the first Austin Animal Center/Good Fix spay and neuter clinic held at the Travis County Expo Center from 9/24 to 9/28.]
UH, NUMBER, LET'S SEE, SIX DISCUSSION OF THE FIRST AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER.GOOD FIX SPAY AND NEUTER CLINIC.
AND PAT SIGNED UP FOR THIS AND EIGHT.
UH, HELD AT THE TRAVIS COUNTY EXPO CENTER FROM SEPTEMBER 24TH THROUGH SEPTEMBER 28TH AND PET MALLS.
I DID GO TO THE FIRST, NO, NOT THE FIRST DAY.
I, I, I RECEIVED AN INVITATION FROM DR.
ELLIOT THAT I SHOULD CHECK IT OUT.
I HAD NOT GOTTEN ANY EMAIL ABOUT THE DATES AND, AND THE PROCESS FOR HOW TO DO IT.
UM, I HAD HEARD ABOUT IT, SO I KNEW TO GO AND I WENT AND I WAS VERY, VERY IMPRESSED.
UM, I'M GLAD THAT THE SPAY NEUTER WORKING GROUP WORKED ON THIS.
SO THANK YOU TO THE CURRENT, THE MEMBERS OF THE SPAY NEUTER WORKING GROUP FOR THIS YEAR.
BUT I ALSO WANNA THANK THE MEMBERS OF THE SPAY NEUTER WORKING GROUP FROM LAST YEAR, BECAUSE I THINK WE SET THE GROUNDWORK TO BEGIN TO DISCUSS SPAY NEUTER AND BUDGETING ISSUES.
MY REQUEST FOR NEXT MONTH'S MEETING IS THAT, UM, THERE BE, UH, AN INVITATION AND, AND A LOT MORE DISCUSSION ABOUT COMMISSION MEMBERS, UH, BEING INVITED AND, AND ATTENDING AND PARTICIPATING IN THE NEXT FEW MEETINGS.
AND ALSO AS A WAY TO INFORM THE PUBLIC OF HOW THEY CAN PARTICIPATE.
AT ONE POINT I HEARD THAT, UM, THERE WERE, THERE WERE A COUPLE OF DAYS WHERE THEY WERE SCRAMBLING TO GET MORE PEOPLE IN.
THEY DID BRING IN ANIMALS FROM THE, UM, SHELTER, WHICH I THINK WAS GREAT, A GREAT USE OF, OF THAT TIME.
BUT NEXT TIME I'D LIKE US TO DO BETTER AND, AND GET THE WORD OUT TO EVERYBODY THAT WOULD LIKE TO, THAT NEEDS TO KNOW ABOUT IT.
UM, AND I'D ALSO LIKE TO START DISCUSSING, YOU KNOW, THOSE REPORTS THAT I MENTIONED EARLIER, THAT WE START TO GET REPORTS FROM THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE ARE FUNDING THAT CAN BRAG ABOUT WHAT THEY'RE DOING RIGHT.
AND WE CAN WORK ON QUESTIONS IN A FRIENDLY WAY ABOUT THINGS THEY MIGHT DO BETTER.
UM, DO WE HAVE A, A STAFF UPDATE ON THIS ITEM? COMMISSIONER BRUCE JUST REQUESTED IT.
UH, COMMISSIONER BRUCE, THIS WAS, UH, REQUESTED BY YOU TO BE ON THE AGENDA, RIGHT? DO YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS? IT WAS OKAY.
THIS WAS REQUESTED BY ME TO BE ON THE AGENDA, UM, BECAUSE, UM, OF ALL THE WORK WE PUT IN AT THE WORKING GROUP, UM, I DID VOLUNTEER THERE TWO FULL DAYS.
UM, I THOUGHT IT WAS ABSOLUTELY AMAZING.
UM, FROM MY END, IT SEEMED VERY SEAMLESS, THE PROCESS, I MEAN, THE PROCESS FOR LINING UP 150 CARS EVERY DAY, UM, GETTING PEOPLE IN WHO WERE IN A CAR VERSUS BEING DROPPED OFF AND FITTING THEM INTO LINE.
UM, I ALWAYS ENJOY STARTING MY DAY KIND OF OUT TALKING WITH MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC OF HOW THEY HEARD ABOUT IT AND HOW THEY GOT THERE.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I LOVE HEARING STORIES FROM THE PEOPLE ON THE GROUND.
UM, THE ONLY, I JUST WANTED TO SHARE, THE ONLY FEEDBACK I'VE GOTTEN FROM, UM, MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC HAS BEEN VERY LIMITED.
UM, BUT I DID HEAR THAT, UM, PEOPLE SAYING THAT THEY WERE NEVER ASKED FOR A DONATION WHEN THEY DROPPED OFF.
SO, UM, ONE CLIENT IN PARTICULAR BROUGHT A GREAT DANE IN AND SHE SAID, YOU KNOW, I CAN'T AFFORD TO HAVE THIS DONE IN PRIVATE PRACTICE, BUT I WOULD'VE EASILY DONATED $50 OR MORE.
AND SO IT WAS WORK TALKING THROUGH WHAT WORKED REALLY WELL, UM, AND WHAT WE COULD IMPROVE.
HAVING SOME METHOD FOR PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, TO VENMO OR TO LEAVE A CASH DONATION OR TO LEAVE SOMETHING, UM, FOR THE SERVICE.
I THINK PEOPLE ARE OPEN TO THAT.
AND LIKE I SAID, THAT WAS THE FEEDBACK THAT I GOT.
UM, SO THEN, YOU KNOW, FURTHER DISCUSSION OF DOES THAT GO TO FRIENDS OF AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER? DOES IT GO TO A CITY? DOES IT GO TO GREATER GOOD? YOU KNOW, WHO WOULD WOULD THAT DONATION GO TO EXACTLY IF WE WANTED TO FUND THAT? UM, BUT YEAH, I, I WAS REALLY ELATED TO SEE IT HAPPEN.
I THOUGHT, UM, JUST THE VIBE OF THE DAY.
UM, I KNOW MOVING FORWARD THE BIGGEST CONCERN FOR GETTING INFORMATION OUT TO THE PUBLIC AND GETTING VOLUNTEERS IS REALLY, AT THIS POINT, I THINK A BIG HOLDUP IS, UM, IDENTIFYING LOCATIONS FOR THESE.
AND SO I DIDN'T KNOW IF WE COULD HAVE, UM, UH, DIRECTOR BLAND KIND OF TALK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT, THE, THE CHALLENGES OF FINDING A SPOT, BUT I DO KNOW THAT, UM, TO HOLD THESE IS A BIG ENDEAVOR.
THEY NEED A, LIKE A 4,000 SQUARE FOOT
[01:30:01]
LOCATION, PARKING FOR 150 CARS, RUNNING WATER, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE A, A LIST WHICH ISN'T THAT LONG.UM, BUT THEN ALSO NEED THAT FACILITY FOR SEVEN DAYS.
UM, IT'S NOT EXACTLY THOUGH IN THE AREAS THAT WE WANT TO TARGET, YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE WANTING TO GET INTO DELL VALLEY.
AND SO, UM, I KNOW THAT CITY OF AUSTIN STAFF HAS BEEN VERY CREATIVE, HAVE REACHED OUT TO A LOT OF CHURCHES AND SCHOOLS AND REC CENTERS AND THAT SORT OF THING, UM, AND HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO IDENTIFY A SPOT, UM, AT THIS POINT THAT WOULD FIT THE NEED OR SPOTS THAT WOULD FIT THE NEED, BUT MAYBE THEY HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO GET, UM, ACCESS GRANTED.
AND SO I THINK REALLY STARTING TO LOOK AT DOES ANYBODY WITHIN THOSE DISTRICTS THAT WE'RE MOST LOOKING TO SERVE HAVE CONTACTS WITH SAY LIKE COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE AGENTS WHO MAYBE HAVE, UM, LEASEHOLDS THAT WE COULD USE FOR A WEEK.
UM, YOU KNOW, JUST FURTHER PUTTING THAT WORD OUT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'VE GOT A SPOT SECURED FOR DECEMBER AND THEN IF WE'RE LOOKING TO ROLL INTO JANUARY RIGHT AWAY, UM, THIS IS GONNA BE, UM, SOMETHING THAT I DIDN'T ANTICIPATE BEING SUCH A CHALLENGE, BUT IT'S TURNED INTO REALLY BEING A MAJOR CHALLENGE.
AND SO I DIDN'T KNOW IF WE COULD, UM, BRAINSTORM THIS A BIT OR IF PEOPLE HAVE POTENTIALLY SOME CONTACTS THAT THEY COULD EMAIL TO THE CITY.
SO I'LL LEAVE IT WITH THAT, SEE WHAT DIRECTOR BLAND HAS AS FAR AS INPUT OR WHAT ANYBODY ELSE WANTS TO ADD TO THE CONVERSATION.
BUT IT WAS A FANTASTIC EVENT AND I CAN'T WAIT TO HOLD MORE OF THEM.
UM, UH, COMMISSIONER HOLT, UM, SO I ALSO GOT TO GO JUST FOR A FEW HOURS ON, I THINK IT WAS THURSDAY OR FRIDAY OF THAT WEEK.
UM, IT WAS REALLY IMPRESSIVE, AMAZING TO SEE IN ACTION.
I GOT TO SPEAK WITH THE FOLKS FROM GREATER GOOD, ACTUALLY.
AND THEY DID SAY THAT ONE OF THE, UH, BEST TIPS FOR FINDING LOCATION IS NOT TO LOOK AT PLACES THAT ARE ACTUALLY ACTIVELY BEING USED, BUT TO LOOK AT, UM, COMMERCIAL OR, YOU KNOW, SOME SORT OF INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY THAT BASICALLY IS COMPLETELY EMPTY AND THAT THEY WILL PAY TO TURN UTILITIES ON FOR THE MONTH.
SO AS PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO BRAINSTORM ON PLACES WHERE WE CAN HOLD FUTURE EVENTS, JUST KEEP THAT IN MIND.
UM, ONE THING THAT I DID WANNA POINT OUT, AND IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S BEEN KIND OF ECHOED BY A FEW PEOPLE ALREADY, IS WHEN I ALSO WAS TALKING TO THEM, THAT GREATER GOOD STAFF, THEY MENTIONED THAT THERE WERE, I THINK ON ONE DAY THEY SAID A A HUNDRED, UM, SPOTS THAT DIDN'T GET USED.
SO THE LACK OF MARKETING, WHILE IT IS FANTASTIC THAT WE GOT OVER A THOUSAND ANIMALS FIXED, IT DEFINITELY COULD, SHOULD, WOULD HAVE BEEN MORE.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO, UM, YOU KNOW, MAYBE IN THE FUTURE IF STAFF IS OPEN TO IT, GIVE US, UM, YOU KNOW, SEND OUT TO THE COMMISSION, WHAT RESOURCES ARE GOING OUT, LET US KNOW, LET US BE YOUR FEET AND MOUTH AND LEGS AND ALL THE THING TO LIKE GET IT OUT IN THE COMMUNITY.
UM, BUT YEAH, I MEAN, IF WE COULD JUST CLONE ROCHELLE VICKERY TIMES 75, I THINK WE COULD HAVE FILLED THE EVENT.
CHIEF BLAND, DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD TO THAT? I DO.
UH, WE ENDED UP DOING 1,049 ANIMALS IN THAT FIVE DAY PERIOD.
UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'LL BE LOOKING AT WITH THEM IS THEY DIDN'T INCLUDE SUNDAY IN THIS GO ROUND, BUT WE'LL BE LOOKING AT INCLUDING SUNDAYS FROM NOW ON.
UH, THE NEXT ONE IS THE WEEK, THE FIRST WEEK IN JANUARY, UH, THIRD THROUGH THE 10TH AREA.
AND THEN OF COURSE THE NEXT ONE WILL BE, I MEAN, EXCUSE ME, IN DECEMBER.
AND THEN THE NEXT ONE WILL BE IN JANUARY, WILL BE THE SEVENTH THROUGH THE 14TH.
UH, SO WE ARE, UH, LOOKING FOR, OF COURSE FOR OUR LOCATIONS AND WE HAVE SENT EVERY COUNCIL, UH, TO COMB THEIR DISTRICTS AS WELL AND GIVE THEM THE, THE REQUIREMENTS THAT WE NEEDED.
AND WE ALSO DID INCLUDE THAT, UH, THEY, WE WOULD BE WILLING TO PAY THE UTILITIES FOR THAT MONTH TO, TO GET PLACES.
AND WE, WE ARE KNOCKING ON DOORS AND, UH, TRYING REALLY VERY HARD TO FIND LOCATIONS.
UH, AND SO ANYONE THAT KNOWS ANYONE THAT MIGHT HAVE, UH, A WAREHOUSE THAT IS AIR CONDITIONED AND HEATED, THAT THAT'S A LOT OF AIR PEOPLE HAVE STEPPED UP, BUT THEY DON'T HAVE THE CLIMATE CONTROL THAT WE NEED OR THE WATER SOURCE.
SO THOSE TWO THINGS ARE IMPORTANT.
UH, WE WILL LOOK FOR THOSE, UH, AREAS AND TRY TO REACH OUT FOR THE, TO SEE WHAT WE COULD FIND.
UH, WE HAVE THE CITY REAL ESTATE DEPARTMENT AS WELL AS I'VE SENT SOMETHING TO ALL THE DIRECTORS WITH THE, ALL THE CITY DEPARTMENTS ASKING IF THEY HAVE SOMEPLACE THAT WE MIGHT NOT KNOW OF THAT WE COULD UTILIZE.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE AT THIS POINT WE'RE CASTING A WIDE NET AND HOPING WE CATCH SOMETHING.
UH, COMMISSIONER OR I'M SORRY.
YEAH, JUST, I JUST STOPPED BY ON SATURDAY AND I'LL JUST REITERATE THAT I WAS ALSO EXTREMELY
[01:35:01]
IMPRESSED WITH HOW SMOOTH AND CALM IT WAS.LIKE I'VE DONE OTHER, LIKE, AS A STUDENT, I DID SEVERAL RAV STRIPS WHERE WE DO 500 IN A DAY AND IT'S STUDENT RUN, BUT THIS WAS, THIS WAS, IT LOOKED VERY CALM AND VERY COLLECTED AND VERY EFFICIENT AND I WAS REALLY IMPRESSED.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS? UH, COMMISSIONER LINDER, UM, I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY AS WE'RE, AS WE'RE THINKING ABOUT LOCATIONS, SO YOU SAID YOU NEED SOMEPLACE WITH AIR CONDITIONING AND THAT'S TRUE EVEN OF THE, THE DECEMBER, I KNOW IT'S AUSTIN, BUT, UM, THAT'S TRUE EVEN OF THE DECEMBER EVENT AS WELL.
EVERYONE TALKED ABOUT HOW, HOW YOU KNOW THIS, UH, THEY'VE DONE THIS, YOU KNOW, MANY TIMES AND SO THEY, IT'S LIKE A VERY WELL OILED MACHINE.
IT EVEN IS IMPRESSIVE WATCHING THEM SET UP WHEN THEY MOVE INTO THE PLACE TO EVEN SET UP.
IT'S, IT'S LIKE EVERYBODY KNOWS WHAT TO DO AND THEY JUST DO IT.
AND IT'S, IT'S VERY IMPRESSIVE TO WATCH THESE FOLKS AND, UH, THEY KNOW THAT WE DID SET A LOWER THRESHOLD THIS TIME BECAUSE IT IS THE FIRST ONE IN THE COMMUNITY AND THEY'LL RAMP UP AS WE GET MORE AND MORE TRACTION.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'LL BE DOING DIFFERENTLY IS THEY'LL, THEY'LL BE PARTICIPATING, UH, WITH HELPING, UH, THE ADVERTISING THIS TIME.
AND SO THEY CAN PUT SOME ADVERTISING DOLLARS BEHIND IT THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE TO DO THAT.
SO WE'LL BE, BE TRYING TO GET THE WORD OUT AND I THINK THROUGH THE WORD OF MOUTH, THROUGH THE PEOPLE THAT CAME, YOU'LL SEE IT EVEN SPREAD MORE.
SO AS WE CONTINUE TO GO THROUGH THIS FOR THE NEXT FEW YEARS, I THINK IT'S GONNA GET LARGER AND LARGER BECAUSE THERE'S DEFINITELY THE NEED IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND, UH, WE DID HAVE A LOT OF FOLKS TRYING TO COME IN FROM OUTSIDE OF TRAVIS COUNTY AS WELL THAT WE HAD TO TURN DOWN.
JUST ONE THING I'LL ADD IS, UM, THE AMERICAN ADVERTISING FEDERATION, AUSTIN CHAPTER IS ONE OF THE LARGEST IN THE UNITED STATES AS FAR AS MEMBERS, SO I MIGHT WANT TO ENGAGE THEM.
I'M HAPPY TO START A CORRESPONDENCE WITH THEM.
BUT WE HAVE SOME OF THE LARGEST AGENCIES AND, UM, WELL DEFINITELY ONE OF THE BIGGEST AD CLUBS, IF NOT THE BIGGEST CLUB IN THE UNITED STATES HERE IN AUSTIN FOR MARKETING AND, UH, ADVERTISING SUPPORT.
IT'S A COMBINATION OF AGENT AD AGENCIES, MEDIA PARTNERS, MEDIA VENDORS, UM, SO MIGHT BE AN OPTION TOO.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? OKAY.
[8. Approve the Animal Advisory Commission 2025 meeting schedule.]
LET'S MOVE ON TO, UM, APPROVE THE ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION 2025 MEETING SCHEDULE.UM, LAST YEAR YOU CANCELED THE MARCH MEETING AND I HAVEN'T SEEN A BACKUP FOR WHAT YOUR PLANS ARE FOR THIS YEAR, BUT, UM, I HOPE THAT YOU DON'T CANCEL THE MARCH MEETING.
I THINK THE MARCH MEETING SHOULD BE A MEETING WHERE YOU HAVE A VERY, VERY FULL VIGOROUS DISCUSSION ABOUT THE BUDGET AND THE MONTHS BETWEEN NOW AND YOUR MARCH MEETING SHOULD LEAD UP TO THAT.
UM, IN THE PAST, I HAVE ADVOCATED THAT YOU NOT THINK YOUR MARCH MEETING IS YOUR LAST OPPORTUNITY TO COMMENT IN ON THE BUDGET THAT THE MARCH MEETING ACTUALLY IS WHEN THE CITY MANAGER WANTS YOUR INPUT.
AND OF COURSE, IT'S VERY GOOD TO GET WHATEVER YOU WANNA RECOMMEND FOR THE BUDGET IN INTO THE CITY MANAGER'S BUDGET.
UM, BUT IT DOESN'T GET RELEASED UNTIL JULY WHEN THE CITY MANAGER GETS THE BOARDS AND COMMISSION RECOMMENDATIONS IN MARCH AND THEY GET WORKING ON WHAT IS GONNA COME OUT IN JULY, THEN THAT GIVES THE COMMUNITY ONLY VERY SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME BEFORE COUNCIL VOTES ON THE BUDGET IN AUGUST.
SO THE REALLY CRUCIAL WORK NEEDS TO HAPPEN BETWEEN NOW AND MARCH, ESPECIALLY GIVEN THAT WE HAVE A STRATEGIC PLANNING WORKING GROUP THAT IS GONNA COME OUT WITH SOME, YOU KNOW, GOALS AND OBJECTIVES AND PERFORMANCE INDICATORS THAT HOPEFULLY YOU WILL ADDRESS IN THE NEXT FEW MEETINGS LEADING UP TO MARCH.
I JUST WANNA PROMOTE THE IMPORTANCE OF THE MARCH MEETING, WHICH IS NOT TO SAY THAT SUBSEQUENT MEETINGS AREN'T ALSO IMPORTANT.
SO I GUESS IF I HAD A RECOMMENDATION FOR WHAT, IF YOU'RE GONNA CANCEL ONE MEETING, DON'T CANCEL IT BEFORE THE BUDGET IS APPROVED.
COMMENTS, MOTIONS FOR THE FOLKS ONLINE, I JUST WANNA LET YOU KNOW, I DID NOT POST THIS IN BACKUP, BUT I EMAILED IT TO EVERYONE.
AND THEN IF THERE'S ANYONE HERE THAT NEEDS A COPY THERE OKAY.
PRINT AND I'M HAPPY TO READ THE DATE, READ THE, READ IT AS WELL.
[01:40:02]
THE DOCUMENT IS TITLED ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION 2025, REGULAR MEETING SCHEDULE SECOND MONDAY OF EACH MONTH AT 6:00 PM CITY HALL.IT SAYS NO, NO
IF FOLLOW IF FOLLOW 2024 PATTERN OR MARCH 10TH DURING SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST, THEN APRIL 14TH, MAY 12TH, JUNE 9TH, JULY 14TH, AUGUST 11TH, SEPTEMBER 8TH, OCTOBER 13TH, NOVEMBER STATES NO NOVEMBER MEETING IF FOLLOW 2024 PATTERN OR NOVEMBER 10TH DAY BEFORE VETERAN'S DAY, DECEMBER 8TH ARE, WE DO ASSUME THAT IF THE TWO PREVIOUS THE, FROM PREVIOUS YEAR, THE, THE MARCH AND NOVEMBER MEETINGS WERE TO BE HELD ON MARCH 10TH AND NOVEMBER 10TH, THAT WE ALREADY HAVE THE SPACE RESERVED.
SO THOSE, UM, STILL FOLLOW THE PATTERN OF THE SECOND MONDAY OF THE MONTH.
SO THAT SPACE SHOULD BE ABLE TO BE RESERVED.
IF THE COMMISSION STILL WANTED TO HAVE A MEETING THAT MONTH, BUT ON A DIFFERENT DATE, THEN WE WON'T KNOW WHETHER IT BE AT CITY HALL OR SOMEWHERE ELSE.
SOMEWHERE ELSE UNTIL THE BEGINNING OF NEXT YEAR.
BUT YOU'RE WELCOME TO TRY TO PICK A DIFFERENT DATE AND THEN IF FOR SOME REASON IT NEEDS TO CHANGE IN THE FUTURE, WE CAN DEAL WITH IT THEN.
SO JUST MY TAKE IS, IT SEEMS TO BE, UM, A LITTLE BIT RISKIER IF WE TRY TO MOVE THE DATES.
UM, EITHER I, ARE THERE ANY MOTIONS? CAN I MAKE A COMMENT? YES.
IF I RECALL FROM THIS TIME LAST YEAR WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT THIS, ONE OF THE CONCERNS FOR THE MARCH MEETING WAS MAKING QUORUM BECAUSE IT'S DURING SPRING BREAK AND THERE ARE PARENTS ON THE COMMITTEE, AND THAT WAS, I THINK, THE ULTIMATE TIE BREAKER.
I PERSONALLY TEND TO AGREE WITH PAT.
UM, THAT SAID, I DON'T THINK IT IS USEFUL TO PUT A MEETING ON THE CALENDAR IF WE CAN'T MAKE QUORUM.
SO, UH, IT'S RELATED MARCH 10TH ISN'T DURING SPRING BREAK OF 2025.
UM, LAST YEAR IT COINCIDED I THINK WITH, UM, SOUTH BY AND SPRING BREAK AND THIS YEAR IT COINCIDES WITH, UM, SOUTH BY, BUT NOT SPRING BREAK.
AND I'LL SAY I WAS A PERSON WHO WAS NOT GOING TO ATTEND LAST MARCH'S MEETING, BUT IF IT'S NOT OVERLAPPING WITH SPRING BREAK, WHICH IT'S NOT THIS YEAR, I'M HAPPY TO HAVE A MARCH MEETING THIS YEAR.
OTHER COMMENTS? I HAVE A QUESTION FOR SENIOR CLERK.
IT'S ABLE THAT THESE MEETING IS COMPLETELY ONLINE? NO, THERE HAS TO BE AT LEAST ONE PERSON IN PERSON.
USUALLY IT'S WHOEVER IS PRESIDING.
SO IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE THE CHAIR OR VICE CHAIR.
IT CAN BE IF THERE'S ONLY ONE PERSON HERE, THAT'S THE PERSON THAT LEADS THE MEETING.
BUT THERE HAS TO BE AT LEAST ONE PERSON.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS? COMMISSIONER SULA? I JUST, I JUST HAVE A QUESTION.
UM, YEAH, I HAVING A LITTLE MEMORY LAPSE HERE.
AND WHAT, WHAT WAS OUR REASON FOR NOT HAVING A NOVEMBER MEETING? DOES ANYBODY REMEMBER? VETERAN? I THINK IT FALLS ON VETERAN'S DAY.
I BELIEVE IT WAS VETERAN'S DAY THIS YEAR.
IT FALLS ON VETERAN'S DAY? YES.
SO NEXT YEAR DOES NOT FALL ON VETERAN'S DAY.
OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? IS THERE A MOTION? CAN I MOTION TO ADD THE MARCH 10TH ONE TO THE CALENDAR OR WOULD THAT, WILL I GET BOOED OUT FOR THAT? YEAH.
THE SECOND, I, SECOND, SECOND BY COMMISSIONER HER HERRA.
JUST TO CLARIFY, YES, THE, ALL OF THESE DATES, BUT STILL NO.
NOVEMBER MEETING FOR NOW OR WITH THE NOTE IS THAT COR THAT'S THE MOTION BEFORE US.
IS, ARE, IS YOUR INTENT TO REMOVE NOVEMBER? UM, I'M AGNOSTIC ON NOVEMBER, SO I AM, I'M ONLY COMMENTING ON THE MARCH ONE
I, I WOULD SAY IF NOVEMBER IS NOT A HOLIDAY IN 2025 THAT WE PUT IT BACK ON AS WELL.
SO THE MOTION IS, UH, I'LL MAKE IT EASY.
I AM MOVING TO ADD THE MARCH AND NOVEMBER DATE TO THE CALENDAR.
AND COMMISSIONER MULA, YOU SECONDED? I SECOND.
SO THE, THE AMENDMENT IS ACCEPTED AND WE, ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS OR ANYBODY WANNA SPEAK ON THIS BEFORE YOU VOTE? ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
ALL OPPOSED? SO COMMISSIONER, HOPE I DIDN'T CATCH COMMISSIONER HOPE VOTE THERE.
I THINK, UH, WE'RE ON FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS AND YOU CAN EITHER PUT THOSE ITEMS ON THE AGENDA NOW, OR YOU CAN HAVE, UH, TWO PEOPLE.
AS LONG AS TWO PEOPLE WANNA PUT IT ON, YOU CAN DO IT THEN EITHER
[01:45:01]
WAY.CAN I, UH, THIS IS A QUESTION SLASH THAT.
UM, I KNOW THAT PAT SPOKE ON THIS ACTUALLY A LITTLE EARLIER THIS YEAR.
SPAY NEUTER WORKING GROUP OR THE ONE THAT DID THE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE CONTRACTS, I BELIEVE SPECIFICALLY WE DIDN'T LAND ON EVERY MONTH, BUT WE ASKED IF THEY COULD COME IN ONCE A QUARTER TO PRESENT.
IS THERE ANY MOVEMENT ON THAT? THE WORKING GROUP GAVE HIS RECOMMENDATIONS AND THEN WAS DISBANDED THE RECOMMENDATIONS? CORRECT.
SO WE MADE THE RECOMMENDATIONS.
UM, WE WERE TOLD NOT TO, WE WERE TOLD BY SHELTER STAFF THAT IT WAS REDUNDANT TO TRY TO GO THROUGH COUNSEL TO GET THOSE SOLIDIFIED.
ERIC, ARE WE OKAY HERE? I YOU DON'T WANNA GET TOO FAR INTO DISCUSSION HERE.
UM, AND THAT, THAT IT WOULD JUST HAPPEN BECAUSE SHELTER STAFF AGREED TO IT.
AM I, AM I MISSPEAKING? I GUESS I'M NOT FOLLOWING.
'CAUSE THE WORKING GROUP, WHEN IT'S MADE ITS RECOMMENDATIONS, UHHUH IT WAS TERMINATED, RIGHT? ONE OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE WERE TOLD BY Y'ALL WOULD HAPPEN WAS, YOU JUST WANNA FOLLOW UP ON THIS.
I, I THINK IT WAS SOUNDING LIKE YOU WERE ASKING THAT THE WORKING GROUP COME IN QUARTERLY END REPORTS.
I'M SORRY, THAT'S, I'M NOT ASKING FOR THE WORKING GROUP TO PRESENT.
ONE OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE WORKING GROUP WAS, UM, OUR SPAY NEUTER CONTRACTORS TO COME IN ONCE A QUARTER AND PRESENT ON THEIR PROGRESS.
UM, AND WE WERE TOLD BY LEADERSHIP THAT THAT WOULD HAPPEN.
THAT THAT, UH, REPORTING WILL BE IN THERE THE NEXT, UH, CONTRACT THAT GOES OUT, WHETHER THEY GET IT OR ACCEPT IT OR NOT, YOU KNOW, BUT THAT'S PART OF THE CONTRACT THAT WOULD BE PUT IN.
THE CONTRACT WILL BE REPORTING FUNCTIONS THAT Y'ALL ASK FOR.
SO THIS IS MOOT UNTIL THE NEW CONTRACT GOES INTO EFFECT IN MARCH? CORRECT.
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
ANY FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS? MINE? NOPE.IF YOU HAVE ANY IN THE FUTURE, JUST, UH, JUST, UH, EMAIL AND GET A SUPPORT FROM SOMEBODY ELSE, TWO PEOPLE TO PUT ON THE AGENDA AND YOU CAN ALWAYS ADD 'EM.
CAN I, I JUST WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY FROM THE SPAY NEUTER WHO TURNED UP TONIGHT, WHO PREPARED AND SPOKE.
AND THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
I LIKE, AS AN AVID BIRDER, I AM SO GRATEFUL FOR EVERYTHING YOU DO.
IT'S CRITICAL AND IMPORTANT FOR ALL THE ANIMALS AND PEOPLE OF OUR COMMUNITY, SO THANK YOU.
ALL IN FAVOR? YES, WE'RE ADJOURNED.