[CALL TO ORDER]
[00:00:03]
THIS IS THE TRAVIS COUNTY, AUSTIN ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION.
UH, I AM RYAN CLINTON, THE CHAIR, UH, OF THE COMMISSION, AND I'LL GO THROUGH THE ROLE.
COMMISSIONER EMER, WE CANNOT HEAR YOU HERE.
COMMISSIONER SULA PRESENT, UH, COMMISSIONER DODA HERE.
VICE CHAIR LINDER IS NOT CURRENTLY PRESENT.
COMMISSIONER HERRERA DOES NOT APPEAR PRESENT QUITE YET.
COMMISSIONER TUCKER, I'M TOLD IS ON HIS WAY.
COMMISSIONER HUDDLESON HERE AND COMMISSIONER HOKE IS NOT CURRENTLY HERE.
SO FOR THE COMMISSIONERS AT HOME, WE HAVE THREE PRESENT, UH, APPEAR AT THE MOMENT.
UM, WITH THE FOUR AT HOME THAT WE HAVE ON CAMERA, THAT IS OUR QUORUM.
SO IF ANY OF YOU TURN OFF YOUR CAMERAS AT ANY POINT, WE EFFECTIVELY HAVE TO STOP AT THE MOMENT UNTIL, UH, COMMISSIONER TUCKER GETS HERE.
[PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL]
CITIZEN COMMUNICATION.UH, THE FIRST SPEAKER IS ROCHELLE VICKERY.
I WAS HOPING MR. TUCKER WOULD BE HERE BECAUSE THIS IS SORT OF LIKE DIRECTED TO HIM BECAUSE HE, HE TOLD ME THAT I COULD HAVE, YOU KNOW, GET VOUCHERS FOR THE, A SPAYED AND NEUTER OF DOGS.
UH, I'VE BEEN BEING TURNED DOWN ON, I MAINLY SEE LOTS OF MALE DOGS AND I WANTED, YOU KNOW, YOU GOT A FEMALE OVER HERE IN JANUARY, SHE GOT PREGNANT, SHE CAN'T GET PREGNANT UNTIL JUNE.
THAT MALE DOG COULD BE PUTTING FIVE MORE OUT THERE.
THAT'S 30 DOGS, 30 PUPPIES HE COULD BE PUTTING OUT THERE.
AND THAT'S WHAT I, I, BECAUSE I'VE BEEN TOLD WE DON'T HAVE THE FUNDS FOR VOUCHERS.
YOU CAN GET TWO TO THREE MALE DOGS DONE FOR THE PRICE OF A FEMALE.
IT'S LIKE A MAJOR SURGERY WITH, WITH THE FEMALE.
AND THAT'S WHAT I'M, YOU KNOW, I'M SAYING, CAN WE GET SOME HELP IN THIS? BECAUSE I'M TRYING TO HELP THE PEOPLE.
I KNOW WE GOT THE, THE SPADE AND NEUTER CLINIC AND HALLELUJAH FOR THAT ONE.
BUT, YOU KNOW, I'M HITTING PEOPLE THAT, THAT, THAT DOING CATS.
I'M HITTING THESE PEOPLE AND I'M HITTING THEM UP TO DO THEIR DOGS TOO.
SO, AND, AND LOTS OF THE PEOPLE OUT OUT EAST THERE HAVE MALE DOGS.
YOU KNOW, THEY LIVE SORT OF LIKE IN THE COUNTRY AND THEY LET 'EM RUN LOOSE.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I, YOU KNOW, WAS, UH, CONCERNED.
'CAUSE HE WAS THE ONE THAT HELPED ME GET THAT.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A THING IN THIS, IN THIS TOWN SINCE DORINDA PULLMAN AND THE OLD TLAC THAT MALE DOGS WASN'T NECESSARY.
IT WAS ALWAYS THE FEMALE, THEY ALL, EVERYBODY BLAMES IT ON THE FEMALE PEOPLE AND DOGS AND CATS,
AND SO I, YOU KNOW, I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO GET THESE MALE DOGS AND STOP THEM AND THEY CAN RUN LOOSE ALL THEY WANT.
AND ANOTHER THING IS I WANTED TO BRING UP, UH, SOME OF YOU, SOME OF YOU PEOPLE KNOW PEOPLE ON THE, THE CITY COUNCIL, YOU KNOW, ECHO WENT OUT THERE AND CHECKED THE HOMELESS PEOPLE.
THEY PUT DOWN ABOUT THEIR DOGS THAT WE COULD GO HELP THEM WITH THEIR DOGS AND, AND, AND EVERYTHING.
AND, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE I THOUGHT, WELL, THAT WOULD BE VERY IMPORTANT TO HELP THOSE HOMELESS PEOPLE WITH THEIR DOGS AND GETTING THE RABIES SHOTS, GETTING THEM FIXED, WHATEVER.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S ALL I WAS TRYING TO BRING UP THIS MONTH FOR YOU.
I WANTED TO NOTE THAT COMMISSIONER HERRERA AND VICE CHAIR LINDER ARE CURRENTLY PRESENT ONLINE.
UM, THE NEXT SPEAKER IS PAT RES.
ALTHOUGH PAT, YOU HAVE SIGNED UP FOR PERFORMANCE MEASURES.
IF THAT'S FOR THE STRATEGIC PLAN THAT COMES LATER.
IF IT'S FOR THE STRATEGIC PLAN, CAN YOU CROSS IT OUT AND PUT HISTORY? I'M JUST SAYING YOU CAN SPEAK NOW, AS LONG AS IT'S NOT ON THE STRATEGIC PLAN.
I'M NOT SPEAKING ON THE STRATEGIC PLAN.
UM, CAN I ASK A QUESTION OF MS. VICKERY? SURE.
UM, ROCHELLE, IS THERE, I HEAR YOU AND I AGREE WITH EVERYTHING YOU'RE SAYING.
IS THERE ANYTHING THAT IF THE GREATER GOOD LARGE SPAY NEUTER EVENTS CONTINUE TO BE OUR PRIMARY RESOURCE FOR FREE SPAY NEUTER FOR THE COMMUNITY, IS THERE A MISSING PIECE TO CONNECT THOSE PEOPLE TO IT? OR
[00:05:01]
A REASON WHY THEY'RE UNABLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THOSE EVENTS? I DON'T KNOW.I, I, I, I, I REALLY DON'T KNOW.
I, YOU KNOW, I, UH, UH, GIVE THEM THE INFORMATION, UH, OUT THERE IN ELROY.
THERE'S LOTS OF PROBLEMS OUT THERE IN ELROY AND, UM, DEL VALLEY, GARFIELD.
AND SO THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S WHY, UH, I CAN I GET PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, DO MANY OF THOSE PEOPLE HAVE TRANSPORTATION? SOMETIMES THAT'S WHAT IT IS.
I DID HELP ONE ELDERLY LADY WITH HER DOG, UH, TO GET HER IN 'CAUSE HER SON WOULDN'T HELP.
AND I, I DID IT 'CAUSE I KNEW, UH, NANA.
SO I, I DIDN'T WORRY ABOUT, SHE WAS A BIG DOG AND I DIDN'T WORRY ABOUT HER BEING IN THE CAR.
BUT IF SOMEBODY COULD, I COULD TAKE THEM.
'CAUSE IT'S, IT'S SET UP OVER THERE AT SOUTH CONGRESS.
THEY CAN TAKE 'EM IN ON THURSDAY.
'CAUSE WHEN YOU LIVE OUT ALL THAT TRAFFIC AT EIGHT O'CLOCK, I HAVE TO BE THERE BY EIGHT.
I'D HAVE TO LEAVE AT SIX 30 IN THE MORNING TO HELP SOMEBODY TO GET THEIR DOG IN AND EVERYTHING.
AND, AND LIKE I SAID, THERE, THERE'S SOME HOMELESS PEOPLE THAT HANG OUT AT SOUTH CONGRESS AND FOR THE SUNRISE CHURCH, YOU KNOW, THEY GET FOOD.
THEY HAVE, UH, LOTS OF 'EM HAVE LOTS OF MALE DOGS.
WELL, WHAT WOULD BE CLOSER? THEY CAN'T, THEY CAN'T GO TO THE, THE, THESE MEGA THINGS.
THEY CAN GO TO SOUTH CONGRESS.
CAN I JUST REQUEST THAT YOU SHOOT ME AN EMAIL ABOUT THIS? PARDON ME? CAN, CAN I JUST REQUEST THAT YOU EMAIL ME AND MY COMMISSION? I DON'T, I DON'T HAVE, I DON'T HAVE ANY OF THAT TYPE OF STUFF IN MY HOUSEHOLD.
MS. TRE, MAY I PASS SOMETHING OUT AND, AND GET IT RETURNED WHEN YOU'RE DONE? IT'S ON THREE OF THEM.
CHAIR CLINTON AND COMMISSIONERS, BOTH THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE HERE PRESENT, AND THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE ONLINE, UH, I APOLOGIZE THAT I WAS NOT ABLE TO GET A COPY OF THIS, WHAT I'M ABOUT TO TALK ABOUT, UH, ONLINE.
I THOUGHT I COULD, BUT I DIDN'T COME EARLY ENOUGH TO FIND OUT THAT I NEEDED TO HAVE SUBMITTED IT ELECTRONICALLY, WHICH I DON'T KNOW THAT I HAVE.
UM, WHAT THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE HERE HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU IS A BLUE BOOK THAT WE USED TO GET AT EVERY MONTH, ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION MEETING FROM THE NINETIES.
SOMETIME IN THE NINETIES WE STARTED GETTING THESE AND THEY CONTINUED UP UNTIL I THINK 2009.
UM, THE COPY I HAVE HERE WITH ME RIGHT NOW IS FROM 2007.
I HAVE GIVEN YOU SOME OF THE ONES WE HAD FROM DIFFERENT YEARS.
AND THE REPORT THAT I AM LOOKING AT, WHICH WAS THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE, WAS CALLED TLAC CS REPORT OF CHAMELEON OPERATIONS.
IT USED TO HAVE THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR AND THE PAST, UH, THE, THE MONTH OF THAT FISCAL YEAR, THE MONTH IN THE PAST.
AND THEN THE FISCAL YEAR TO DATE OF THAT YEAR, IT WAS BROKEN DOWN BETWEEN DOGS, CATS, MISCELLANEOUS AND TOTAL.
AND IT HAD INTAKE AND OUTCOME.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE, BACK IN 2003, 2004 OR 5, 6, 7, THE ONES THAT I'VE PASSED OUT UP UNTIL A FEW YEARS AFTER THAT, WE HAD CHAMELEON GIVING US THESE BREAKDOWNS BETWEEN DOGS AND CATS.
TOTAL INTAKE WITH LOTS OF DIFFERENT CATEGORIES OF INTAKE.
THEN WE HAD HOW MANY WERE ADOPTED, HOW MANY WERE RETURNED TO OWNERS.
AND WITHIN RETURN TO OWNERS, THEIR BIG, UM, BREAKDOWNS SUCH AS RTO, ADOPT, RETURN TO OWNER, ADOPT, RETURN TO OWNER, UM, SPAY AND NEUTERED.
OTHER PAGES HAD OTHER, UM, INFORMATION.
AND ALL OF US WOULD OFTEN LOOK THROUGH THESE ASK QUESTIONS.
AND MOST OF THE TIME WE WERE LOOKING AT THE COLUMN OF HOW MANY, WHAT PERCENT WERE EUTHANIZED, WHICH IN THE ONE I HAVE IN FRONT OF ME RIGHT NOW IN 2007 WAS 52%.
[00:10:02]
THAT NUMBER WAS SO HIGH.WE WERE ALMOST ALWAYS FOCUSED ON HOW DO WE GET ADOPTIONS, HOW DO WE GET RETURN TO OWNERS, AND HOW DO WE GET, UM, TRANSFERS OR RESCUES HIGHER SO THAT THE EUTHANASIA NUMBER COULD COME DOWN.
BUT THERE WAS A RELATIONSHIP THAT WE ALWAYS ANALYZED, AND WE DID THAT WITH TOTAL NUMBERS AS WELL AS WITH PERCENTAGES.
SO I JUST WANTED TO BRING THESE TO YOUR ATTENTION.
I'VE NEVER WANTED TO TAKE UP TIME AT A MEETING WITH A, A HISTORICAL REPORT.
IT MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN RELEVANT, BUT TODAY I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO HAVE IT BROUGHT TO YOUR ATTENTION.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS KATE MCCARDLE.
OH, IS THAT WE HONOR, UM, WELL, LATELY WE'VE BEEN DOING THEM, RIGHT? EVERYBODY'S SPEAKING AT THE BEGINNING SO THAT EVERYBODY CAN SPEAK IN CASE PEOPLE NEED TO LEAVE.
MY NAME IS CATHERINE MCCARDLE.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE US, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK AT FOUR, WE CAN DO THAT FOR ITEM NUMBER FOUR.
IF YOU'D LIKE US TO WAIT TILL WE GET TO FOUR, I'LL GIVE YOU THAT OPTION.
UM, SO YEAH, MY NAME IS CATHERINE MCCARDLE.
I LIVE IN DISTRICT NINE, AND I'M HERE TO ADVOCATE FOR INDEPENDENT OVERSIGHT OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN.
A BIT ABOUT MYSELF, I STARTED FOSTERING DOGS WITH A A C IN 2015.
I ADOPTED MY SOUL DOG FROM THERE IN 2016.
AFTER SHE PASSED AWAY IN 2022.
I KNEW I WANTED TO RETURN TO FOSTERING DOGS FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE RATHER THAN ADOPT ANY ONE DOG.
I'VE BEEN FOSTERING DOGS SINCE THEN, INCLUDING MY FOSTER, CURRENT FOSTER, WHO I ORIGINALLY FOUND AS A STRAY.
HE BECAME AN A A C PUP THROUGH THE FINDER TO FOSTER PROGRAM, WHICH I'M SO GLAD THAT THAT PROGRAM EXISTS NOW.
SO MOST OF MY DIRECT AND PERSONAL EXPERIENCE WITH A A C COMES THROUGH THE FOSTER PROGRAM.
BUT MORE GENERALLY, I WOULD CALL MYSELF A CONCERNED AUSTIN RESIDENT WHEN IT COMES TO THE DOGS IN AUSTIN WHO DON'T HAVE THEIR FOREVER HOMES.
AND VERY INFORMED ABOUT THE FRUSTRATIONS EXPERIENCED BY COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO SPEND COUNTLESS HOURS TRYING TO HELP THESE DOGS.
IT'S NO SECRET THAT TRUST NEEDS TO BE REBUILT BETWEEN THE A, THE AUSTIN COMMUNITY AND A SO LEADERSHIP.
THE NATURE OF ANIMAL WELFARE TODAY MEANS THAT ANY CITY SHELTER MUST INEVITABLY DEPEND ON VOLUNTEERS AND COMMUNITY SUPPORT.
BUT THAT'S REALLY HARD TO SUSTAIN WITHOUT THAT TRUST.
FOR THE MOST PART, I REALLY LIKE WHAT'S IN THE STRATEGIC PLAN, BUT HOW CAN THE COMMUNITY TRUST THAT IT'LL GET CARRIED OUT FAITHFULLY AND EFFECTIVELY WHEN MANY HAVE BEEN REPEATEDLY AND DEEPLY LET DOWN BY LEADERSHIP IN THE PAST, PARTICULARLY IN THE, IN LIGHT OF THE RESULTS OF THE RECENT AUDIT OF A A C, I ENCOURAGE THE COMMISSION TO WORK ON A POLICY RECOMMENDATION TO CITY COUNCIL FOR ONGOING, INDEPENDENT AND TRANSPARENT OVERSIGHT OF THE ASO'S WORK IN IMPLEMENTING THE STRATEGIC STRATEGIC PLAN.
I KNOW THERE ARE EVALUATION MEASURES LISTED IN THE PLAN, BUT I WOULD LOVE TO SEE AN INDEPENDENT CITY OFFICE REGULARLY EVALUATE A A C LEADERSHIP'S PERFORMANCE AGAINST THESE GOALS.
NOT UNLIKE THE PREVIOUS SPEAKER WHO HAD THE OLD, THE, UM, HISTORICAL CHAMELEON REPORT.
UM, AND THESE FINDINGS AND DATA SHOULD BE MADE EASILY ACCESSIBLE TO THE PUBLIC, PERHAPS THROUGH AN ONLINE DASHBOARD THAT GETS UPDATED WEEKLY OR MONTHLY, IF NOT DIRECTLY CONNECTED TO AACS INTERNAL DATA MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS. SUCH OVERSIGHT SHOULD FOLLOW THE MONEY, AS THEY SAY, THROUGH IMPLEMENTATION TO RESULTS.
THE COMMUNITY MUST HAVE CONFIDENCE THAT A SO LEADERSHIP IS EFFECTIVELY USING ALLOCATED FUNDS AND RESOURCES TO ACHIEVE THE GOALS.
IN THIS STRATEGIC PLAN, I REALLY WANT TO EMPHASIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS OVERSIGHT BEING INDEPENDENT, GIVEN THOSE AUDIT RESULTS AND THE BROKEN TRUST, A A C LEADERSHIP MUST BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE TO THE FAITHFUL IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS PLAN.
IF THEY CAN FOLLOW THROUGH, THE MEASUREMENT WILL SHOW IT, AND THAT TRUST CAN BE RE REBUILT.
OUR CITY SHELTER REALLY DEPENDS ON VOLUNTEERS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
AND HAVING THIS KIND OF PUBLIC INDEPENDENT, UM, ACCOUNTING OR REPORTING SYSTEM, NOT UNLIKE THE OFFICE OF POLICE OVERSIGHT, UM, COULD BE REALLY, REALLY VALUABLE.
UM, AND I WOULD ALSO LOVE TO SEE A WAY FOR VOLUNTEERS, FOSTERS AND COMMUNITY, ME COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO SUBMIT COMPLAINTS TO THIS KIND OF OFFICE AND FOR THAT OFFICE TO HAVE INVEST INVESTIGATORY POWERS.
WE HAVE, UM, SIX, OR SORRY, FIVE SPEAKERS SIGNED UP FOR ITEM SIX.
DO YOU GUYS WANNA SPEAK NOW OR LATER? UH, DEBORAH ROWE, WENDY WEISS, LAURA NU SMITH, JACOBY ALVAREZ, AND PAT V.
IF YOU WANNA SPEAK NOW, JUST LINE UP
[00:15:01]
CAN I, CAN I RESPOND TO THE LAST SPEAKER JUST REAL QUICK? SURE.THIS IS NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR WHAT YOU JUST SAID, BUT THERE IS CURRENTLY THE CITY AUDITOR'S OFFICE, UM, THAT FUN, THAT DOES A LOT OF THE FUNCTIONS THAT YOU MENTIONED.
SO THE CREATION OF A NEW OFFICE IS, UM, A, A VERY UPHILL BATTLE.
AND I JUST WANT TO PUT THAT THERE AS A CURRENT, AND THAT EXISTS IN A LOT OF THAT CAPACITY.
MY NAME IS DEBORAH ROWE AND I'M HERE AGAIN TO SPEAK IN SUPPORT OF THE COMMUNITY CATS WORKING GROUP.
FIRST, I WANNA THANK ALL OF YOU FOR HEARING US OUT OVER THE PAST FEW MONTHS AS WE LAID OUT OUR CASE.
SINCE THE LAST MEETING, MANY OF US TNR VOLUNTEERS BECAME OFFICIAL A A C VOLUNTEERS.
FOR THE FIRST TIME, WE CAN FINALLY LOG THE HOURS SPENT ON COLONY MANAGEMENT PLANNING AND TRAPPING ALL DATA POINTS THAT HELP THE CITY IMPROVE SPAY NEUTER SERVICES AND CAPACITY.
THIS IS HUGE, SO THANK YOU DON BLAND AND THE A A C FOR PRIORITIZING THIS.
AND A SHOUT OUT TO ALYSSA ALFARO AND VICTORIA WALTON, WHO ARE THE CO-MANAGERS OF THE COMMUNITY CATS PROGRAM.
THEY SHARED SOME PROMISING NEW INITIATIVES, AND I BELIEVE THAT WITH INPUT FROM THE VOLUNTEERS, WE CAN TURN THESE GOOD IDEAS INTO GREAT SOLUTIONS.
I WAS ALSO EXCITED TO SEE COMMUNITY CATS MENTIONED IN NOT JUST ONE, BUT THREE AREAS OF THE A SO STRATEGIC PLAN.
BECAUSE A TNR WORKING GROUP CAN HELP SUPPORT ITS STATED GOALS FOR SPAY NEUTER SERVICES, PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY, AND PROVIDE THE DATA FOR CAT SERVE THROUGH THE TNR PROGRAM DATA THAT HAS NEVER BEEN OFFICIALLY COUNTED BEFORE.
THERE'S AN ACTIVE DISCUSSION IN OUR VOLUNTEER FACEBOOK GROUP ABOUT AUSTIN HUMANE SOCIETY'S SURGERY SIGNUPS.
AND IT'S SAFE TO SAY THAT NO ONE IS HAPPY WITH THE CURRENT PROCESS.
THIS SIGNUP FREE FOR ALL IS NOT ONLY PROBLEMATIC, IT ACTUALLY DETERS VOLUNTEERS FROM WANTING TO TRAP AT ALL.
AND WITH KITTENS SEASONED UPON US, WE NEED ALL HANDS ON DECK.
BUT WITHOUT BUY-IN BY A-A-C-A-H-S AND THE VOLUNTEERS, IT'S A LOPSIDED SOLUTION.
AND WITHOUT THE WORKING GROUP, THERE IS NO FORUM NOR INCENTIVE FOR THIS TYPE OF COLLABORATION.
SO LET'S USE IT TO SUPPORT THE MISSION OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN AND HELP THE COMMUNITY CATS PROGRAM GROW AND ADAPT TO NEW CHALLENGES.
THANK YOU COMMISSIONERS AND THE A A C FOR SUPPORTING AUSTIN'S COMMUNITY CATS.
I, UM, GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS.
UM, FOR THE RECORD, MY NAME IS WENDY WEISS AND I'M HERE TO SPEAK IN SUPPORT OF THE COMMUNITY KAT PROGRAM WORKING GROUP.
I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING WITH STAKEHOLDERS FROM A-A-C-A-H-S COMMUNITY CATS PROGRAM VOLUNTEERS AND OTHERS TO MAKE THE TNR PROCESS EASIER TO NAVIGATE.
A BIG PART OF THAT, I THINK, IS FINDING WAYS TO GET MORE PEOPLE INVOLVED, WHETHER THROUGH VOLUNTEERING OR OTHER FORMS OF PARTICIPATION.
WITH THE COMMUNITY CATS PROGRAM PLAYING A KEY ROLE IN A SO STRATEGIC PLAN, IT MAKES SENSE TO ENSURE THE PROCESS IS AS STRAIGHTFORWARD AND ACCESSIBLE AS POSSIBLE.
I BELIEVE THE WORKING GROUP IS THE BEST WAY FOR EVERYONE INVOLVED TO PLAY A ROLE IN MAKING THE PROGRAM BETTER, BRINGING TOGETHER DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES AND EXPERIENCES TO CREATE HELPFUL IMPROVEMENTS.
IT'S GREAT TO SEE ALYSSA AND VICTORIA LEADING THE PROGRAM WITH GOOD IDEAS FOR IMPROVEMENTS, AND I'M EXCITED ABOUT THE POTENTIAL FOR POSITIVE CHANGES AHEAD.
UM, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND YOUR COMMITMENT TO AUSTIN'S COMMUNITY CATS.
MY NAME IS LAURA NESMITH, AND FIRST OF ALL, JUST LIKE MY PEERS, I LIKE TO THANK EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU FOR LISTENING TO OUR GROUP, UH, WHO WE STEPPED OUTTA THE SHADOWS, JUST LIKE WE MENTIONED IN THE FIRST TIME AT SUCH A CRITICAL POINT IN OUR, UM, IN TIME IN OUR, IN OUR PROGRAM'S HISTORY.
UM, THANK YOU FOR YOUR WILLINGNESS TO LEARN ABOUT IT AND TO ENGAGE IN CONVERSATION WITH US.
AND IT HAS HAD REALLY MEANINGFUL IMPACT WITH US TALKING TO YOU GUYS AFTER EACH SESSION.
WE DEEPLY APPRECIATE THE TIME THAT YOU'VE TAKEN TO SPEAK WITH US AFTER THE MEETINGS, AND FOR THOSE OF YOU HAVE WHO HAVE ENCOURAGED US TO KEEP ON GOING.
I'M HERE TONIGHT TO EXPRESS MY STRONG SUPPORT FOR THE CCP WORKING
[00:20:01]
GROUP, AND I'M EXCITED ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY TO COLLABORATE WITH THE KEY ST STAKEHOLDERS IN THE ORGANIZATIONAL PROCESS TO OPTIMIZE THE PRO THE PROGRAM AND BROADEN ITS REACH BY BRINGING TOGETHER THE YEARS OF KNOWLEDGE AND EXPER EXPERTISE WITHIN OUR GROUP OF VOLUNTEERS.WE CAN REFINE AND STRENGTHEN THE CCP TO BETTER SERVE OUR COMMUNITY, NOT JUST TO BENEFIT THE CITY AND THE STAKEHOLDERS, BUT ALSO WITH A TRUE FOCUS ON THE NEEDS OF BOTH OUR CITIZENS AND THE ANIMALS IN OUR CARE.
I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING TOGETHER TO STRENGTHEN THIS VITAL PROGRAM AND MAKE A LASTING IMPACT.
I'M ALSO IN SUPPORT OF THE WORKING GROUP.
I WAS TRAPPING LAST NIGHT ON CESAR CHAVEZ.
UM, LAURA ACTUALLY ASKED ME TO HELP.
WE, WE TAG TEAM SOMETIMES, AND I GOT A CAT LAST NIGHT THAT WE WERE AWARE HAD BEEN INJURED.
AND WHEN A HS TOOK, TOOK A LOOK AT HIM TODAY, TODAY, IT WAS REALLY INTERESTING.
HE ACTUALLY HAD, HIS ABSCESSES HAD HEALED, AND SO IT WAS LIKE, OH, GOOD.
WELL, HE ALREADY HEALED ON HIS OWN.
AND I WAS JUST REFLECTING ON HOW, YOU KNOW, IT TAKES US A REALLY LONG TIME TO GET TO THESE REQUESTS.
THERE'S 500, 600 REQUESTS, SICK CATS, KITTENS.
THERE'S SO MUCH, UM, NEED OUT THERE AND IT REALLY IS LIKE QUITE AN EMOTIONAL THING TO BE LIKE SO FAR BEHIND, UM, IN SERVICE OF THE COMMUNITY.
SO MY GOAL FOR, UM, THE WORKING GROUP WOULD BE TO REALLY SEE HOW WE CAN COME UP WITH CREATIVE IDEAS TO GET RID OF SOME OF THE BARRIERS.
YOU KNOW, LAURA, UM, DEBORAH WAS TALKING ABOUT HOW THEY'RE, IT'S REALLY DIFFICULT TO SIGN UP AND ALL OF THE SIGNUP SLOTS LIKE GO IMMEDIATELY.
IT'S LIKE THEY RELEASE THEM AND THEN EVERYONE JUST SIGNS UP AND THEN YOU CAN'T PLAN AHEAD.
UM, MILLION THINGS LIKE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE ALSO TALKED ABOUT HOW DIFFICULT IT IS TO, UM, LIKE GO TO ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT LINKS.
AND I KNOW THAT THAT MIGHT NOT END UP BEING THE PRIORITY, BUT THERE'S LIKE 18 LINKS AND DIFFERENT WEBSITES THAT YOU HAVE TO CLICK INTO TO LIKE PLAN A SINGLE NIGHT OF TRAPPING.
SO, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER THE PRIOR PRIORITIES TURN OUT TO BE.
YOU KNOW, I DO REALLY WANNA GET TO THE POINT WHERE WE'RE PREVENTING A LOT MORE KITTENS FROM ENTERING THE SHELTER.
WHEN I GET TO THE POINT WHERE IT COULD BE LIKE A SUSTAINABLE NUMBER OF REQUESTS SO THAT WE ACTUALLY COULD JUST SAY, OH, HEY, THERE'S, THERE'S THE CAT WITH SOME ABSCESSES ON ITS ARMS. WE COULD ACTUALLY PRIORITIZE THAT ONE AS OPPOSED TO LIKE, OH, WELL YOU CAN PICK ONE OF THE 500 SICK REQUESTS TO HELP OUT WITH.
SO I'M REALLY IN SUPPORTIVE, THE WORKING GROUP, AND THANKS FOR YOUR TIME.
PAT TRES, YOU'VE SIGNED UP FOR FOUR, FIVE, AND SIX.
DO YOU WANNA SPEAK TO THOSE NOW OR WHEN THEY COME UP? I WOULD ONLY LIKE TO SPEAK TO SIX RIGHT NOW.
THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK.
MY NAME IS PAT RES AND I AM HERE TO SPEAK IN SUPPORT OF THE, UM, IS IT CALLED COMMUNITY CAT WORKING GROUP? COMMUNITY CAT? IT IS, IT IS LABELED COMMUNITY CAT PROCESSING WORKING GROUP.
BUT I'M SURE THAT THE WORKING GROUP CAN, UM, WORK ON A NEW NAME IF THEY WISH.
UM, AND THAT IS GONNA BE MY REQUEST THAT, UM, ALTHOUGH I CERTAINLY SUPPORT THE FOCUS ON COMMUNITY CATS, IT DEFINITELY APPEARS THAT SOME ISSUES HAVE BEEN BROUGHT TO YOUR ATTENTION.
I ALSO THINK THAT HAVING A WORKING GROUP ON CATS THAT INCLUDES THE SHELTER NEUTER RETURN PROGRAM, AS WELL AS WHAT'S GOING ON WITH CATS IN THE SHELTER, WHICH IS NOT TO TAKE AWAY FROM THE FOCUS BEING INTENSE ON THE COMMUNITY CAT PROGRAM AND THE ISSUES THAT HAVE BEEN BROUGHT FORWARD.
AND CERTAINLY THE FOCUS SHOULD BE ON THAT.
BUT IF YOU WOULD PLEASE INCLUDE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR OTHER PEOPLE TO COME FORWARD AND PERHAPS, UH, THERE ARE SOME ISSUES THAT OVERLAP.
UM, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS A TIME WHEN THERE WERE TWO VERY, VERY DISTINCT PROGRAMS, THE CATS THAT CAME INTO THE SHELTER AND THE COMMUNITY CATS PROGRAM.
BUT NOW THAT WE HAVE A SHELTER NEUTER RETURN PROGRAM, I, I BELIEVE THERE ARE ISSUES THAT OVERLAP.
SO, UH, THE, IF, IF THAT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE, I'D LIKE TO AT LEAST HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO, UM, DISCUSS IT AT A, AT AN EARLY MEETING NO MATTER WHAT THE GROUP IS CALLED.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO BE, UM, NOTIFIED OF THAT MEETING AND I'D LIKE TO ATTEND.
AND I CERTAINLY DEFER TO THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE BROUGHT THAT ISSUE FORWARD THAT ARE MUCH MORE KNOWLEDGEABLE AND HAVE BROUGHT YOU THE ISSUES THAT YOU SHOULD BE DISCUSSING.
BUT I'D LIKE TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE, UM, SOME CONTEXT AND SOME
[00:25:01]
IDEAS FOR RELATED ISSUES.THAT CONCLUDES, UM, THE PRE, UH, THE, THE EARLY GENERAL, UM, COMMUNICATIONS.
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
ITEM NUMBER ONE, WHICH IS APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES, APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING ON JANUARY 13TH, 2025.UH, DO I HAVE A MOTION? DR. NELSON MOVES? DO I HAVE A SECOND? UH, COMMISSIONER HUDDLESTON PROVIDES THE SECOND.
UM, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION FOR THE RECORD? I HAVE READ THEM.
ANY DISCUSSION? ANY COMMENTS? UH, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, THAT IS UNANIMOUS.
SO ALL IN FAVOR OF ITEM NUMBER ONE.
[2. Staff briefing regarding monthly reports provided by the Animal Service Center]
STAFF BRIEFING REGARDING MONTHLY REPORTS PROVIDED BY THE ANIMAL SERVICE CENTER.DON BLAND, CHIEF ANIMAL SERVICE OFFICER.
UH, YOU RECEIVED ALL YOUR REPORTS, SO, UH, I'LL ENTERTAIN ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE ON THOSE, BUT I JUST WANT TO HIT A COUPLE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS.
UH, FOR JANUARY, UH, WE DID FOUR ORIENTATIONS FOR NEW VOLUNTEERS, BRINGING 170 NEW VOLUNTEERS ON BOARD.
THERE WAS 517 ACTIVE VOLUNTEERS IN JANUARY THAT PROVIDED 6479.28 HOURS, UH, TO THE SHELTER.
AND I, YOU'VE HEARD ME SAY MANY TIMES AGAIN, AND I'LL SAY IT AGAIN, OUR VOLUNTEERS PRODUCE MORE VOLUNTEER HOURS THAN A MONTH THAT MOST MUNICIPAL SHELTERS DOING A WHOLE YEAR.
AND SO WE ARE SO GRATEFUL FOR THOSE, THAT ABILITY TO HAVE THOSE FOLKS HELP US AND WE COULDN'T DO AND BE AS SUCCESSFUL AS WE ARE WITHOUT VOLUNTEERS.
AND THAT GOES FOR THE TRAP NEUTER AND RETURN VOLUNTEERS AS WELL.
AND I WISHED WE COULD MAKE A MAGIC WAND AND GIVE YOU ALL THE FUNDING YOU NEED AND ALL THE SURGERIES COULD BE BROUGHT IN IN ONE DAY, BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'LL WORK ON, SEE WHAT WE CAN DO.
WE HAVE CURRENTLY THREE POSTED POSITIONS FOR, FOR FULL-TIME, UH, POSITIONS IN, UH, CUSTOMER SERVICE, ENRICHMENT AND ANIMAL PROTECTION.
WE HAVE TWO POSITIONS THAT ARE IN PROCESS, UH, EITHER IN THE PROCESS OR HIRING PROCESS OR BEING PREPARED TO POST.
AND THAT IS, UH, CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE AND A VET SERVICES SUPERVISOR.
I AM HAPPY TO REPORT THAT, UH, WHILE I'M UNHAPPY TO REPORT, WE HAD, UH, ONE OF OUR VETERINARIANS RETIRE, BUT, UH, WE'VE ALREADY FILLED THAT POSITION.
IT TOOK ALMOST TWO YEARS LAST TIME, AND WE DID THIS WITHIN JUST A FEW WEEKS.
SO WE WERE VERY HAPPY TO BE ABLE TO FIND A VET TO REPLACE, UH, DR. RYAN WHO'S PRODUCED MANY YEARS OF SERVICE FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
AND, UH, WE WISH HIM WELL IN HIS RETIREMENT.
ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM THE COMMISSION? COMMISSIONER, MS. HI, GOOD EVENING.
SO, UM, DAWN, I JUST HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS ON, ON YOUR ANIMAL SERVICES REPORT, UM, WHETHER OR NOT PREVIOUSLY NOT INCLUDE THE VOLUNTEER HOURS THAT YOU JUST MENTIONED, BECAUSE THAT THAT'S NOT ACTUALLY IN THE VOLUNTEER PORTION OF YOUR REPORT.
UH, THEY WERE NOT, UH, I QUESTIONED THAT THIS MORNING AND APPARENTLY WHEN THEY DID THE UPLOAD, THAT TOP SENTENCE THAT HAD THOSE IN THERE DIDN'T MAKE IT.
AND THAT'S WHY I WAS PROVIDING THOSE TO YOU BECAUSE, UH, IT WAS SOMEHOW DIDN'T MAKE THE FORM.
IS THAT SOMETHING THOUGH? THAT SHOULD BE THERE? IT SHOULD BE.
AND IT'S NORMALLY THERE, IT'S NORMALLY ITEM THE FIRST, RIGHT? THE VOLUNTEERS.
WELL, I HAD A QUESTION MARK ABOUT VOLUNTEER HOURS AND THEN YOU, UH, WE GAVE IT TO ME.
UM, MY NEXT QUESTION IS ON THE, THAT WE'RE, AND THIS HAS BEEN ON THE REPORT FOR I DON'T KNOW HOW LONG, UM, THE NEW OFFICER APPLICATIONS THAT ARE PROCESSED, AND IT SAYS IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY INCLUDE WALK-INS OR ONSITE APPLICATIONS THAT WILL PROCESS.
IS THERE A REASON FOR THAT? WHY ARE WE NOT INCLUDING THOSE IN YOUR NUMBER COUNT? UH, THOSE THAT ARE ONLINE THAT GO THROUGH THE SYSTEM ARE COUNTED.
IF SOMEONE WALKED IN, UH, WE DON'T KNOW.
THERE'S, THERE'S NOT A WAY TO TRACK THAT IF THEY PROCESS THEM CURRENTLY, UH, PHYSICALLY IN PERSON, UH, THEY'D HAVE TO DO SOME SORT OF A MANUAL AND I GUESS, YOU KNOW, POLL ALL THE STAFF AT THE END OF THE DAY.
SO THAT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT HASN'T BEEN DONE AND, AND IT'S JUST NOT SOMETHING THAT, UH, THE SYSTEM KEEPS UP WITH LIKE THAT.
SO THOSE 224 NEW FOSTER APPLICATIONS WERE ALL ONLINE APPLICATION? CORRECT.
[00:30:02]
OKAY.I, IT JUST SEEMS LIKE YOU'RE MISSING OUT ON INCREASING THAT NUMBER BY NOT COUNTING THOSE, THOSE WALK-INS.
BUT, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE STILL FAIRLY, I'M GLAD PEOPLE ARE STILL SIGNING UP TO FT.
UM, AND THEN IT JUST, THE TYPO BELOW THAT, BECAUSE YOU SAY THERE ARE CURRENTLY 7 36 MEMBERS, BUT THE WRITEUP SAYS OF 587 MEMBERS.
UM, SO WAS THAT JUST A TYPO THAT WASN'T CORRECTED? I WOULD ASSUME.
UH, THAT'S PROBABLY FROM THE PREVIOUS MONTH AND DIDN'T GET UPDATED.
UM, AND THEN MY LAST QUESTION ON THE, ON THIS REPORT IS, UM, YOU STATE THAT 93 ANIMALS WERE PULLED BY A PA, BUT IF I, IF I ADD UP THE NUMBERS OF ANIMALS WE HAVE LISTED THERE, I COME UP WITH 88.
SO, UM, CAN WE PLEASE GET A CLARIFICATION ON WHAT IS THE CORRECT NUMBER THAT THE A PA AND THAT'S UNDER YOUR, UNDER THE VET SERVICES PIECE OF THE, UH, OF THE REPORT OF THE AMBULANCE SERVICES REPORT AND, UH, OUR JANUARY SHOWS THAT WE TRANSFERRED 83 DIRECT TRANSFERS TO A PA.
WELL SEE NOW THAT'S A THIRD NUMBER.
SO
WE'D HAVE TO SEE, UH, IF, YOU KNOW, IT DEPENDS UPON WHEN A, WHEN VET SERVICES PLEASE IT AND IT, IT'S PULLED, UH, WHEN DOES IT ACTUALLY GET PUT IN THE SYSTEM VERSUS, YOU KNOW, A REQUEST MADE.
SO I'LL HAVE, I'LL HAVE THEM RECONCILE THAT AND SEE WHAT THE TRUE NUMBER IS FOR JANUARY.
YEAH, I, I WOULD APPRECIATE THAT.
COULD IT BE, AND IN MY LAST, SORRY, I THINK IT, IT MIGHT BE THEY'RE NOT COUNTING THE FIVE LARGE DOGS PULLED AND THAT LINE BELOW IT.
SO I THINK THEY INCLUDED THAT FIVE LARGE DOGS PULLED IN, THE TOTAL ANIMALS PULLED, BUT NOT FOR MEDICAL REASONS.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? THAT MAKES TOTAL SENSE.
THAT THEN THE NUMBERS ADD UP ONTO THE NEXT, UM, ON THE DATA REPORT ON THE STATE AND LUTHER SHELTER, UH, IN JANUARY OF THIS YEAR, THERE WERE ONLY 206 ANIMALS
NO, YOU, UH, LET ME TELL YOU, COMMISSIONER MULA, RIGHT, THEY EMAILED THE UPDATED REPORT TO YOU.
THERE WAS A, A FAILURE IN THE POWER OF BI DATA AND WE HAD TO REFRESH THE REPORTS BECAUSE IT DIDN'T CALCULATE CORRECTLY.
AND NEW REPORTS WERE EMAILED TO YOU.
IT'S, UH, 400, A LITTLE LESS THAN 500.
THANK, I, YEAH, I, I DID NOT SEE THE UPDATE, SO I MISSED THAT.
I HAD, I, I DID MY REVIEW BEFORE THAT CAME IN, I GUESS.
UM, THOSE WERE ALL THE QUESTIONS I HAD.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM THE COMMISSION? COMMISSIONER HERRERA.
I HOPE YOU ALL ARE DOING GOOD.
UH, I RECEIVED THREE DIFFERENT EMAILS AND TEXT MESSAGES FROM SPANISH SPEAKERS WHO WENT TO THE LAST, UH, MEGA MICRO MEGA CLINIC.
IT LOOKS LIKE THESE THREE DIFFERENT CUSTOMERS DIDN'T RECEIVE SERVICES.
UH, TWO OF THE PERSONS DON'T WANT TO WRITE THE STATEMENTS FOR OBVIOUSLY REASONS FOR LEGAL SITUATIONS.
AND ONE OF THE PERSON, UH, LOOKS LIKE CONTACT ALREADY THE ANIMAL CENTER.
IT'S ANY CHANCE WE CAN DO SOMETHING TOGETHER TO HELP THE SPANISH SPEAKER COMMUNITY.
LOOKS LIKE NOW THE TEMPERATURE, THE POLITICAL TEMPERATURE IS A LITTLE BIT HIGH, AND IF WE DON'T WORK WITH THE SPANISH SPEAKER COMMUNITY, WE WILL FAIL.
IT'S ANY CHANCE THAT WE CAN DO SOMETHING TOGETHER.
WE HAVE BEEN, ALL THE GOOD FIX INFORMATION HAS BEEN PUT OUT IN BOTH LANGUAGES, BOTH, UH, ON OUR WEBSITE, UH, THE PORTAL THAT, UH, THEY GIVES ALL THE INFORMATION AS WELL IN THEIR PRINTED MATERIALS.
AND I KNOW THAT, UH, WE HAVE WORKED WITH, UH, THE SPANISH TELEVISION AT THE LAST ONE, AND WE ARE WORKING, GOING TO WORK WITH THE RADIO AS WELL.
THIS, THIS COMING ONE THAT'S GONNA BE DONE IN APRIL.
AND ALSO, UH, WE'VE RELIED ON GOOD FIX TO HELP
[00:35:01]
WITH THE, UH, INTAKE AND THE SENDING HOME IN THE AFTERNOONS WITH, WITH SPANISH SPEAKERS.AND WE'RE GOING TO SUPPLEMENT AN ANIMAL SERVICES IS GOING TO SUPPLEMENT THEIR, UH, VOLUME.
AND SO WE'LL HAVE MORE PEOPLE, UH, THAT WILL BE BILINGUAL ON SITE TO MAKE THAT PROCESS SMOOTHER.
THE, THE THING AND THE OTHER THING BEFORE THE FREEZE, I SENT AN EMAIL BECAUSE I DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING ABOUT, UH, HOW TO, HOW TO TAKE CARE OF PETS DURING THE FREEZE.
AND I DIDN'T SEE AT THE END PASSING THE FREEZE, UH, ANYTHING ABOUT HOW, HOW WE CAN TAKE CARE OF THE, OF PETS IF, IF WE CAN WORK TOGETHER.
I LOVE THE IDEA TO HELP, UH, BECAUSE, OR PEOPLE NEED THAT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, MR. GLENN, DID YOU WANNA COMMENT ON THE FREEZE? NO.
UM, COMMISSIONER HOLT, I THINK I SAW YOUR HAND.
YEAH, UH, IT WAS JUST A ECHO ON WHAT
UM, AND I, IT'S GREAT THAT WE'RE DOING MARKETING DOUBLE DOWN, TRIP DOWN ON THE MARKETING.
AND ALSO I LIKE, I'M VERY HAPPY TO HEAR THAT YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE MORE SPANISH SPEAKERS PRESENT AT THE EVENT BECAUSE I THINK THAT IN MARKET FOR THEM ALL WE WANT, AND IF WE ARE GONNA BRING THEM AWAY OR HAVE COMMUNICATION GET IN THE WAY, UM, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY NOT GONNA HELP.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM THE COMMISSION? ALL RIGHT, WE'LL MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER THREE.
[3. Presentation by Austin Pets Alive! regarding license agreements reports. ]
PRESENTATION BY AUSTIN PETZ ALIVE REGARDING LICENSE AGREEMENTS REPORTS.MY NAME IS STEPHANIE BILBOROUGH.
I'M THE DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS AT AUSTIN PETS LIVE.
UM, I KNOW THERE WERE A COUPLE DIFFERENT REPORTS PUT IN THE BACKUP.
SO, UM, I AM GOING TO PRIMARILY SPEAK TO THE DECEMBER END OF QUARTER REPORT, WHICH WE SHOULD HAVE PRESENTED IN JANUARY, BUT WE'RE ASKED TO PUSH OFF TO FEBRUARY.
UM, BUT I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS ON ANY OF THE OTHER, UH, REPORTS THAT WERE PROVIDED IN THE LAST THREE MONTHS.
UM, I ALSO, WELL, I'LL GET TO THAT.
UM, SO YOU'LL SEE HERE, UM, IN DECEMBER OF 2024, WHICH WAS THE END OF QUARTER ONE, UM, FOR OUR LICENSE AGREEMENT, UM, WE BROUGHT OVER 67% OF THE TOTAL TRANSFERS OUT OF A A C CAME TO A PA.
UM, AND THE BREAKDOWN IS THERE ON THAT FIRST PAGE.
UM, ON PAGE TWO, I'LL JUST POINT OUT WE ARE AT THE END OF QUARTER ONE PERIOD.
WE ARE 23% OF THE WAY TO OUR TOTAL, UM, FISCAL YEAR GOAL FOR INTAKES.
UM, NOVEMBER, DECEMBER, JANUARY, WE TYPICALLY SEE LOWER TRANSFER NUMBERS.
SO THAT WILL INCREASE DRAMATICALLY ONCE WE HIT BOTTLE BABY SEASON.
UM, AND WE'RE MAINTAINING ABOUT A 17%, UM, TRANSFER PERCENT.
OF ALL OF AACS INTAKES, WE ARE TYPICALLY BRINGING OVER ABOUT 17% TOTAL, UM, ON AVERAGE OVER A 12 MONTH ROLLING AVERAGE.
UM, AND THEN THE NEXT SECTION DOWN THERE, THE IMPACT ON THE A A C LIVE RELEASE RATE.
UM, YOU'LL SEE HERE THAT WITH, IF WE HAD NOT TAKEN THE ANIMALS THAT WERE ON TWO HOUR DEADLINES OR 48 HOUR DEADLINES, UM, A A C WOULD'VE BEEN, UH, AT A LIVE RELEASE RATE OF ABOUT 86%, UM, RATHER THAN THEIR REPORTED LIVE RELEASE RATE OF ABOUT 95%.
UM, ON PAGE THREE, UM, THAT IS OUR COMPLETE AND TOTAL INTAKE AND OUTCOMES REPORT, UM, FOR THE MONTH OF DECEMBER.
THAT INCLUDES ALL OF OUR NUMBERS, NOT JUST A, A C NUMBERS.
AND THEN ON PAGE FOUR, I INCLUDED A FULL YEAR TOTAL OF 2024 OF THOSE SAME INTAKES AND OUTCOMES.
UM, SO THAT IS AGAIN, OUR COMPLETE, UM, INTAKE AND OUTCOME COUNT FOR THE ENTIRE YEAR OF 2024.
AND THEN ON THE LAST PAGE HERE, I JUST PROVIDED A FEW QUICK SIDE BY SIDE SUMMARIES.
I THINK THIS CAME UP AT THE LAST MEETING I WAS AT.
THERE WAS A REQUEST TO SEE THE NUMBERS SIDE BY SIDE, SO I INCLUDED THE FULL QUARTER, UM, BREAKDOWN OF ALL OF OUR TRANSFERS IN THE MONTH AND THEN, UM, ALL OF THE CATEGORIES, UM, UH, SIDE BY SIDE THERE.
SO YOU CAN SEE THAT ACROSS ALL THREE MONTHS.
AND SO YOU'LL SEE THERE THAT, UM, OUR TOTAL DIRECT TRANSFERS WERE JUST OVER 300, BUT OUR TOTAL, UH, TRANSFER PLUS DIVERSIONS AND OUR DIVERSIONS ARE THE ANIMALS THAT WE'RE TAKING IN THROUGH OUR PAST PROGRAM.
[00:40:01]
BORN IN OUR CARE AFTER THEY TRANSFERRED TO US AFTER PREGNANT MOMS TRANSFER TO US, THAT WAS OVER 400 IN TOTAL.SO, UM, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS ON THIS OR ANY OF THE OTHER REPORTS THAT WERE PROVIDED.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM THE COMMISSION? NOT AT THE MOMENT.
CAN I ASK, UM, WHAT THE LATEST UPDATE, IF ANY, YOU CAN GIVE US ON THE SHELTER, UM, THE FUTURE SHELTER AT THE, AT THE CURRENT LOCATION, DO YOU HAVE ANY UPDATES ON THAT OR DO YOU KNOW WHERE THAT IS? UM, IN TERMS OF TELA? THE TLAC LOCATION YOU MEAN? YEAH, I'M JUST WONDERING WHAT'S, WHAT'S HAPPENING THERE.
WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING CURRENTLY FOR THAT FACILITY.
WE ARE VERY CLOSE TO GETTING THE KEYS FOR OUR NEW CLINIC FACILITY, WHICH IS IN SUNSET VALLEY.
UM, SO WE'LL BE MOVING IN THERE SOMETIME IN MARCH.
UM, AND SO THAT WE'LL GET THE MOST OF THE CLINIC OPERATIONS OUT OF THE TELAC FACILITY AND INTO THAT NEW FACILITY.
UM, AND THEN WE'LL BE ABLE TO START DIGGING IN AND FIGURE OUT WHAT THE, WHAT THE FUTURE OF TLAC IS.
THERE'S A LOT OF OPTIONS UP IN THE AIR RIGHT NOW, SO WE'RE JUST MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE EVERYTHING OUT ON THE TABLE BEFORE WE MAKE DECISIONS, LONG TERM
[4. Discussion of the draft Animal Services Strategic Plan.]
DISCUSSION OF DRAFT ANIMAL SERVICES, STRATEGIC PLAN.MY NAME IS PAT RES AND I'M HERE TO SPEAK ON THE, PRIOR TO YOUR DISCUSSION ABOUT THE STRATEGIC PLAN.
UM, I WAS ON THE STRATEGIC PLANNING WORKING GROUP AND WE DID HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS A LOT OF THESE ISSUES.
HOWEVER, UH, THE, THE FINAL MEETING WHERE WE DISCUSSED THE DRAFT PLAN WAS A TWO HOUR MEETING AND WE HAD A LOT TO DISCUSS AND EVERYTHING, UM, I FEEL DIDN'T GET FULLY, UH, UM, RESOLVED.
SO I AM HERE TO SAY THAT I REVIEWED THE DRAFT PLAN AS IT WAS PRESENTED TO YOU AT THE LAST MEETING.
I HAVE NOT REVIEWED THE PLAN THAT IS NOW IN THE BACKUP BECAUSE THAT WASN'T THERE THE OTHER DAY WHEN I LOOKED AT THE AGENDA AND THE BACKUP.
UM, BUT I THINK MY FIRST PRIORITY OF THINGS TO CHANGE IS, IS IMPORTANT AND IT'S TRUE REGARDLESS OF WHICH ONE YOU LOOK AT.
UM, WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IS THAT IN THE LIVE RELEASE RATE, YOU, YOU HAVE TOTAL NUMBER OF DOG INTAKES, TOTAL NUMBER OF CAT INTAKES, NUMBER OF DOGS ADOPTED, AND PERCENTAGE NUMBER OF CATS ADOPTED, AND PERCENTAGE NUMBER OF PER NUMBER AND PERCENT OF DOGS TRANSFERRED TO APPROVED RESCUE PARTNERS.
NUMBER AND PERCENT OF CATS TRANSFERRED TO APPROVED RESCUE PARTNERS.
NUMBER AND PERCENT OF DOGS RETURN TO OWNER NUMBER AND PERCENT OF CATS.
CATS RETURN TO OWNER AND NUMBER AND PERCENT OF SHELTER NEUTER RETURN, CATS RETURN TO FIELD SINCE NOW THAT'S THAT A WHOLE NEW CATEGORY.
DO YOU MEAN PERCENT OF INTAKE OF CATS? YES.
OF, OF, OF THE, OF THE NUMBER THAT CAME IN, WHAT PERCENT HAD THESE OUTCOMES? SO ALL OUTCOMES ARE BASED ON PERCENT OF INTAKE, AND THAT'S WHY I SHOWED YOU THAT WHAT WE HAD, BECAUSE WE USED TO DO MONTHLY REPORTS THAT ALSO HAD YEAR TO DATE.
AND SO HAD THAT BEEN DONE IN, HAD WE BEEN LOOKING AT A REPORT IN MARCH, WE WOULD'VE BEEN LOOKING AT, UM, HALF A YEAR.
SO YOU COULD HAVE SAID, YOU KNOW, YOUR, YOUR ANNUAL GOAL IS THIS, THE, THE WE ARE AT THIS POINT, SIX MONTHS INTO THE YEAR.
AND THE, SO THAT IS ONE OF THE MAIN THINGS I'D LIKE TO SEE.
I'D LIKE TO NOT ONLY SEE YOU HAVE THAT WORDING AS LIKE A, AN IMPORTANT GOAL, BUT ALSO, UM, TRY TO, BEFORE YOU SEND THIS TO COUNCIL, TRY TO HAVE NUMBERS FOR THOSE GOALS.
UM, AND THAT'S WHAT I'M GOING TO DISCUSS LATER WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU GET TO APPROVAL.
BUT RIGHT NOW FOR THE DISCUSSION, UM, I HAD OTHER THINGS THAT I, THAT I WANTED TO POINT OUT.
UM, MY PRIORITY NUMBER TWO IS THAT THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO ARE DENIED SERVICE BE COUNTED.
AND I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO HAVE HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE BEING DENIED INTAKE FOR STRAYS AND HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE BEING DENIED INTAKE FOR OWNER SURRENDERS.
MY OTHER TWO REQUESTS ARE LESS IMPORTANT, SO I WOULD APPRECIATE IF YOU WOULD LOOK AT ALL OF THEM.
I THINK, UM, ASSISTANT, ASSISTANT, CITY MANAGER, CAR HALL, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPEAK?
[00:45:01]
NOW, I KNOW YOU DIDN'T HAVE A PRESENTATION, BUT I WANTED TO MAKE YOU AVAILABLE IN CASE YOU WANTED TO SAY ANYTHING, AND IF ANYBODY WANTED TO ASK QUESTIONS.GOOD EVENING CHAIR, VICE CHAIR COMMISSIONERS.
I'M ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, UH, FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
I AM, UH, IT IS DEFINITELY MY HONOR AND PRIVILEGE TO BE HERE WITH YOU TODAY TO SEEK YOUR SUPPORT AND RECOMMENDING, UH, THE DRAFT STRATEGIC PLAN FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN ANIMAL SERVICES OFFICE.
AGAIN, THIS DRAFT PLAN REPRESENTS THE PRIORITIES OF STAFF, THE CITY'S PARTNERS, STAKEHOLDERS, AND OUR COMMUNITY WITH THEIR FEEDBACK AND THEIR INTEREST IN SEEING THE STRATEGIC PLAN MOVE FORWARD.
AS YOU KNOW, THE DRAFT PLAN IS A PRODUCT OF SEVERAL MONTHS OF HARD WORK, SOLICITING FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMUNITY, UNDERSTANDING STAFF CHALLENGES, ATTENDING MEETINGS TO DISCUSS THE INFORMATION AND THE DATA COLLECTED.
SO UPON YOUR RECOMMENDATION, UH, WE WILL SEEK AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL'S ADOPTION OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN AND FOLLOW THEIR DIRECTION FOR IMPLEMENTATION.
UH, WANNA TAKE THIS TIME AGAIN TO THANK, UH, STAFF, VOLUNTEERS, PARTNERS, COMMISSIONERS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO SHARED THEIR EXPERIENCES, THEIR CONCERNS, UH, THEIR HOPES AND THEIR TIME DURING THE LISTENING SESSIONS, THE INTERVIEWS, THE SURVEYS AND THE MEETINGS, THEIR VALUABLE INPUT HAS SHAPED THE CREATION OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN.
I ALSO WANNA GIVE A SPECIAL THANKS AGAIN TO THE PLANNING TEAM AND THE WORKING GROUP MEMBERS WHO HAVE VOLUNTEERED THEIR TIME OVER THE LAST EIGHT MONTHS, UH, TO PROVIDE THEIR GUIDANCE AND SUPPORT FOR THIS PLAN.
AND I FINALLY WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE GRAPHIC DESIGNER JEREMY, UH, JEREMY BENZINGER FROM OUR OFFICE IN PUBLIC INFORMATION, UH, WHO DESIGNED A BEAUTIFUL RENDITION OF THE PLAN THAT IS IN YOUR BACKUP, UH, IN TO YOUR AGENDA TODAY.
THIS DRAFT IS THE SAME AS IT WAS PRESENTED TO THE ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION LAST MONTH.
THERE WERE SOME TYPOS THAT WERE CORRECTED, UM, AND IT HA NOW HAS BEAUTIFUL PICTURES AND COLORS.
I ALSO WANNA POINT OUT THAT IN ADDITION TO SOME, UH, STAKEHOLDER FEEDBACK, WE DID ADD AN ADDITIONAL MEASURE UNDER OPEN INTAKE GOAL NUMBER ONE, UH, TO ENSURE THAT WE CAPTURED ALL THE, THE MEASURES CORRECTLY.
SO WE, WE DID ADD ONE THERE FROM ADDITIONAL FEEDBACK FROM A STAKEHOLDER.
AS YOU DISCUSS AND TAKE YOUR ACTION ON THE PLAN TODAY, STAFF IS READY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS SO THAT YOU MAY HAVE.
SO WE ARE HERE AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME AND DISCUSSION TODAY.
ARE THERE ANY, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OF STAFF ON, UM, THE ANIMAL SERVICE, ANIMAL SERVICES STRATEGIC PLAN? SURE.
DR. NELSON, UM, I WAS JUST WONDERING IF YOU COULD, UM, SPEAK TO THE, THE CONCERN, UM, FROM THE MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC BEFORE ABOUT HAVING A, A INDEPENDENT OVERSIGHT OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN? YES.
UM, ONCE THIS IS, UH, ADOPTED BY COUNCIL, UH, WELL, FIRST OF ALL, LET ME, UH, BACK UP A LITTLE BIT UPON THE RECOMMENDATION FROM TODAY'S COMMISSION MEETING.
UH, WE DO PLAN TO GO TO THE AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH COUNCIL COMMITTEE EARLY IN MARCH, UH, THAT IS CHAIRED, UH, BY, UH, CURRENTLY MAYOR PRO TEM VANESSA FUENTES.
SO WE WILL BE, UH, GOING THERE FOR THEIR INPUT AS WELL AS THERE ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS THAT WE MIGHT WANT TO ADDRESS.
UM, AND THEN FROM THERE, WE WILL BE SEEKING COUNSEL APPROVAL FOR ADOPTION OF THE PLAN AT THE END OF MARCH.
UH, CERTAINLY, UH, STAFF WILL BE LOOKING FORWARD TO THEIR DIRECTION, UH, BUT ALSO STAFF WILL HAVE A RECOMMENDATION ON HOW TO IMPLEMENT MOVING FORWARD.
WE APPRECIATE, UH, THE COMMISSIONS AND, AND THE COMMUNITY'S FEEDBACK ON HOW THEY WISH TO SEE THIS PLAN BEING IMPLEMENTED.
UH, WE WILL, WE WILL DEFER, UM, UNTIL A LATER DATE TO SHARE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PLAN, BECAUSE WE CERTAINLY WANT TO BE RESPECTFUL AND SEEK THE GUIDANCE FROM COUNCIL AS THEY WISH ALSO TO, TO SPEAK ON THIS AS WELL.
SO AT THIS MOMENT, UH, WE'RE CERTAINLY, UM, WELCOMING ANY FEEDBACK AND, AND, UM, GUIDANCE.
BUT, UH, WOULD LOVE TO BRING, COME BACK TO THE COMMISSION AND PROVIDE SOME ADDITIONAL DETAIL ON HOW WE WISH TO IMPLEMENT AND MOVE FORWARD.
DO YOU HAPPEN TO HAVE THE DATE OF THE SUBC CTING MEETING? I BELIEVE IT'S MARCH 5TH.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OF STAFF? DOES ANYBODY WANT TO SPEAK ON THIS BEFORE WE MOVE TO THE NEXT ITEM, WHICH IS TO, UH, APPROVE A RECOMMENDATION? DOES ANYBODY WANNA SPEAK BEFORE WE GET TO THAT? NO.
DO YOU MIND STAYING SO THAT I'M YOU SHOULD, YES.
[00:50:01]
IT LOOKS LIKE COMMISSIONER SULA.OKAY, SO YOU, WE CAN'T, THAT, THAT IS MINIMIZED ON THE SCREEN, SO I CAN'T SEE ANYTHING.
SO, UM, UH, I WAS PART OF THE WORKING GROUP ON THIS, AND I WAS PART OF THE PLANNING GROUP.
UH, ON, ON THE INITIAL MEETINGS, WE WERE TOLD THAT WHEN THE MEASURES WERE DEVELOPED, UM, THE PERCENTAGES WILL BE PUT IN THERE TO SHOW IMPROVEMENT.
UM, AND I, AND I'M, I'VE APOLOGIZED, I WAS OUT LAST MONTH, SO IF THIS WAS DISCUSSED THEN, UM, I, I WASN'T, I DON'T KNOW.
UM, BUT THERE'S NOTHING IN THE MEASURES THAT GIVES A WAY TO TRACK IF THEY'RE MOVING FORWARD.
AND WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE DISCUSSED IN ONE OF THE FIRST PLANNING GROUP SESSIONS, YOU KNOW, IT'S GONNA BE A 5% INCREASE EACH YEAR, A 10% INCREASE.
WHAT WHAT IS THE, THE, THE GOAL THAT WE WANT THEM TO GET TOWARDS? AND THEN HOW DO WE BREAK THAT DOWN OVER THE FIVE YEARS? UM, AND I DON'T SEE THAT ANYWHERE IN HERE, WHICH IS A LITTLE CONCERNING TO ME BECAUSE THEY CAN INCREASE BY 0.001% IF THAT'S AN INCREASE.
UM, AND I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT NECESSARILY IF THE ACCOUNTABILITY THAT WE WERE LOOKING FOR IN THE PUBLIC REPORT, DO YOU ALL WANNA RESPOND TO THAT? I THINK, I THINK I COULD, I COULD REPHRASE A LITTLE BIT, WHICH IS HOW'S THE PUBLIC GOING TO KNOW, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU, THERE ARE MEASUREMENTS, BUT THOSE ARE KIND OF JUST DATA POINTS.
HOW IS THE PUBLIC GONNA KNOW THAT CHANGE IS HAPPENING? SO THIS, UH, THANK YOU COMMISSIONER AND THANK YOU CHAIR FOR THAT, UM, QUESTION.
UM, I CERTAINLY WELCOME, UM, OUR, UH, ANIMAL SERVICES OFFICER AND OUR STRATEGIC PLAN, UH, FACILITATOR TO HELP US, UM, ANSWER THIS QUESTION.
BUT THE IDEA IS THIS IS A FIVE YEAR PLAN, AND THE IDEA IS THAT WE ARE GOING TO BE TRACKING NUMBERS, WHICH COULD CERTAINLY LEAD INTO PERCENTAGES, UM, AND THEN BE ABLE TO REPORT THAT, UH, TO THE COMMISSION AS WELL AS TO COUNCIL PERIODICALLY OVER THE FIVE YEARS.
SO I DO FORESEE THAT OPPORTUNITY TO HAPPEN AND CONVERTING THE NUMBERS INTO PERCENTAGES IS CERTAINLY SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DO.
UM, AND THAT'S, THAT, THAT IS EASILY THAT WE COULD, WE COULD CONTINUE TO REPORT AND BE ABLE TO ALSO PROVIDE THAT ON OUR WEBSITE AS WE PROGRESS.
UM, SO IF YOU LOOK AT PAGE THREE UNDER THE MEASURES DEFINITION, ONE OF THE DISCUSSION POINTS WE HAD WAS THAT TARGETS WOULD BE DEVELOPED BY STAFF.
UM, AND SO WE DIDN'T WANNA CREATE TARGETS FOR THESE MEASURES WITHOUT DOING SOME BASELINE AND UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THE TRENDS HAVE BEEN OVER TIME, WHICH IS A VERY HEAVY LIFT FOR US TO DO.
AND WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT STAFF WERE INVOLVED IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF TARGETS.
AND SO WE KNOW THAT THERE'S NOT THOSE NUMBERS AS THAT SPECIFIC TARGET OF INCREASED BY 5% AT THIS POINT IN TIME.
BUT THAT IS A GOAL FOR US AS PART OF THE IMPLEMENTATION PLAN, IS TO BEGIN TO ADD THOSE TARGETS IN USING HISTORICAL DATA TO HELP INFORM WHAT THOSE TARGETS ARE, AS WELL AS AN UNDERSTANDING FROM COUNCIL OF WHAT PRIORITIES ARE AND WHERE WE WOULD WANNA MAKE THOSE TARGETS ASBI MORE AMBITIOUS.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? COMMISSIONER SULA, DID YOU WANNA FOLLOW UP OR ARE YOU, HA ARE YOU GOOD WITH THAT? UM, THAT MAKES SENSE AND I UNDERSTAND THAT I JUST, YOU KNOW, I JUST WANNA ENSURE THAT THAT OCCURS IF THERE'S A WAY TO, YOU KNOW, MAKE SURE THAT THAT ACTUALLY OCCURS IN THIS PLAN.
IF I'M GONNA SAY, FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, THERE'S GOING TO BE A WEBSITE THAT TRACKS THIS INFORMATION.
SO THERE WILL BE, UH, ONLINE DATA THAT, YOU KNOW, WILL SHOW WHERE WE ARE AT EACH TIME AND IT'LL GET POSTED.
SO ONLINE YOU'D BE ABLE TO TRACK THE PROGRESS.
UM, SO DON, YOU MAY HAVE JUST, UM, ANSWERED MY QUESTION, BUT I GUESS, UM, A LOT OF THESE COMMENTS TO ME SEEM TO BE OF A SIMILAR VEIN OF, YOU KNOW, HOW CAN WE ADD ACCOUNTABILITY TO THIS? UM, CAN WE MAKE THIS INFORMATION AVAILABLE, UM, SO THAT FOLKS CAN SEE PROGRESS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO, UM, I JUST WANTED TO ASK ALL OF YOU THESE METRICS, UM, AND THE APPENDICES HERE, THOSE ARE DATA THAT WILL BE MADE PUBLICLY AVAILABLE, IT SOUNDS LIKE ON A WEBSITE? OR COULD YOU JUST TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT, UM, KIND OF WHAT INFORMATION IN HERE, UM, YOU'RE COMMITTING TO
[00:55:01]
MAKE AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC SO THAT THEY CAN, UM, YOU KNOW, SORT OF SEE PROGRESS, SEE HOW WE'RE DOING? THANK YOU.IN GENERAL, EVERYTHING THAT WE'RE STARTING TO COLLECT IN WITH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PLAN WILL BE MADE TO BE TRANSPARENT AND AVAILABLE TO ACCESS, WHETHER HERE AT PUBLIC MEETINGS OR ONLINE.
UH, WE WILL HAVE MORE ADDITIONAL DETAILS AND INFORMATION AS TO WHERE THAT WEBSITE IS GOING TO LIVE AND HOW TO GET TO IT AND WHAT WILL BE SEEN.
BUT THE IDEA IS THAT THIS WILL BE AVAILABLE ON THE WEBSITE AS WELL AS IN MEETINGS AND IN REPORTS SO THAT WE CAN BE ABLE TO TRACK OUR PROGRESS AND BE ABLE TO SHARE, UM, OUR WORK ON THIS PLAN.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR STAFF? OKAY, IF YOU GUYS DON'T MIND STAYING, I THINK WE'D APPRECIATE IT.
[5. Approve a Recommendation to Council regarding the draft Animal Services Strategic Plan. ]
MOVE TO ITEM NUMBER FIVE, UM, APPROVE A RECOMMENDATION AND COUNSEL REGARDING THE DRAFT ANIMAL SERVICES STRATEGIC PLAN.UM, MS. TRES, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK AND THANK YOU STAFF FOR THE WORK YOU'VE DONE.
UH, AND WE'VE ALL DONE A LOT OF WORK GETTING US TO HAVE THESE MEASURES AND THESE GOALS AND THESE STRATEGIES.
HOWEVER, I AM ASKING YOU NOT TO APPROVE IT WITHOUT TARGETS.
IT'S NOT A PLAN UNTIL YOU HAVE TARGETS.
SO I AM REQUESTING THAT IT NOT BE APPROVED IF YOU ALREADY HAVE TIME.
SET ASIDE, IF, IF THE STAFF ALREADY HAS TIME SET ASIDE TO MAKE A PRESENTATION TO THE PUBLIC HEALTH COMMITTEE ON MARCH 5TH, GO AHEAD AND MAKE THE PRESENTATION.
BUT PLEASE DO NOT APPROVE A PLAN THAT ISN'T A PLAN.
THIS IS, THESE ARE THE WORDS THAT ARE THE BEGINNING OF A PLAN.
AND IT ONLY BECOMES A PLAN WHEN YOU HAVE TARGETS.
FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN DO WE WANNA REACH, UM, OPEN INTAKE? WHEN DO WE WANNA STOP DENYING PEOPLE WHO BRING THEIR ANIMALS TO THE SHELTER? AND WHAT NUMBERS DO WE NEED TO FOR INTAKE IN ORDER TO, TO MEET THAT, THAT GOAL, THAT THAT GOAL AND THAT PERFORMANCE MEASURE.
THIS IS, THIS GETS AT COMMISSIONER MLA'S QUESTION.
AND THE RESPONSE IS, WE'LL PROVIDE IT LATER.
I THINK YOUR ROLE IS TO REVIEW THE TARGETS AND SEE WHETHER THOSE ARE THE TARGETS YOU WANT.
AND COMMISSIONER S MAGULA HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD.
A A 0.1% INCREASE IS AN INCREASE.
YOU'VE MET THE GOAL, BUT IF YOU HAVEN'T SET A GOAL, YOU HAVE, YOU HAVEN'T SET A GOAL THAT EVERY YEAR YOU'RE GOING TO, UM, REDUCE THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE TURNED AWAY AT THE SHELTER WHEN THEY BRING IN A STRAY.
OR YOU'RE GOING TO RE YOU KNOW, TELL OWNER SURRENDERS THAT THEY HAVE, YOU KNOW, TO WAIT TWO MONTHS BEFORE THEY CAN SURRENDER AN ANIMAL OR THE TARGET THAT I'VE ASKED FOR, WHICH WAS, UM, FEMALE DOGS SPAY OR NEUTERED LARGE FEMALE DOGS, SPAY OR NEUTERED.
AND THIS HAS NOTHING IN IT ABOUT WHEN WE'RE GONNA DO THAT AND HOW MUCH WE'RE GONNA DO.
YOU COULD HAVE A DISCUSSION NEXT MONTH ABOUT WHERE WE ARE CURRENTLY ON EACH OF THESE MEASURES AND THEN HOW MUCH YOU WANNA INCREASE EACH YEAR OVER THE COURSE OF THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.
AND THAT'S WHAT I'M REQUESTING THAT YOU DO, THAT YOU POSTPONE UNTIL NEXT MONTH.
YOU BRING IN SOME ACTUAL NUMBERS FOR THIS FISCAL YEAR WHERE WE ARE THIS FISCAL YEAR, AND THEN YOU START TO PLAN FOR WHAT WE WANNA DO NEXT YEAR, THE YEAR AFTER THAT, AND THE YEAR AFTER THAT.
OKAY, WE ARE ON ITEM NUMBER FIVE.
APPROVE A RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL REGARDING DRAFT ANIMAL SERVICES, STRATEGIC PLAN.
UM, I WANTED TO, UH, FIRST INTRODUCE THE TOPIC BY SAYING THAT VICE CHAIR AND I HAD A, HAD A, A PRETTY LONG MEETING WITH STAFF.
UM, ANOTHER, ANOTHER PRETTY LONG MEETING WITH STAFF.
UM, AND I DON'T WANNA PUT WORDS IN YOUR MOUTH, SO CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, WRONG, BUT, UM, THE, THE KIND OF, UM, DIRECTION THAT IS MY UNDERSTANDING FOR, FOR THIS DOCUMENT.
UM, 'CAUSE WE HAD A DISCUSSION ABOUT IT LAST MONTH, AND I THINK THERE'S BEEN A LITTLE BIT OF, UH, CORRECTION OR, OR CLARIFICATION.
STAFF IS NOT TAKING ANYTHING OFF THE TABLE WITH THIS DOCUMENT.
STAFF CAN MAKE ANY CHANGES THEY WANT, MAKE ANY RECOMMENDATIONS TO THIS COMMISSION THAT THEY WANT TO.
SO THIS IS NOT A DOCUMENT THAT'S GONNA BIND STAFF BASED ON, UH, OR ANYONE ELSE, FRANKLY, BASED ON WHAT RECOMMENDATIONS THEY WANNA MAKE TO CHANGE POLICIES, IF ANY.
UM, AND AN EXAMPLE WAS, UH, THAT, THAT, UM,
[01:00:01]
ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER TOLD US WAS THAT, UH, THE ANIMAL SERVICES TRUCKS CURRENTLY CAN'T USE THE EXPRESS LIENS, UM, BECAUSE OF THE WAY THEY ARE, UM, CATEGORIZED IN THE CITY.AND SO THOSE ARE THINGS THAT THEY WANT TO HAVE FREE REIGN.
UH, I'M SURE THERE ARE OTHER THINGS TOO, BUT THAT THEY WANT, SO THEY'RE NOT TYING THEIR HANDS BY THIS DOCUMENT.
THAT SAID, THE PURPOSE OF THIS DOCUMENT IS TO REFLECT THE COMMUNITY CONSENSUS THAT WAS PROVIDED DURING THIS PROCESS TO THROUGH THE COMMUNITY SURVEYS AND THROUGH THE WORK OF THE STAKEHOLDERS.
AND SO THIS DOCUMENT IS NOT INTENDED.
IT, IT IS IN FACT INTENDED TO HELP PROMOTE THE CURRENT POLICIES THAT THE CITY COUNCIL HAS SET THROUGH A CONSENSUS VIEW OF THE COMMUNITY.
SO WITH THAT ALL SAID, UM, I DID, UH, PUT IN THE BACKUP MATERIALS A LIST OF PROPOSED CHANGES THAT I HAVE.
UM, I WAS HOPING THAT SOMEBODY, UH, WOULD AT LEAST, UH, MAKE A MOTION, UH, SO THAT WE CAN TALK ABOUT THESE.
ANYBODY WILLING TO MAKE A MOTION? VICE CHAIR LINDER? GOOD.
ANYBODY WILLING TO SECOND IT? GREAT.
SO, UM, I PUT THESE IN THE BACK OF AGENDA.
THEY WERE PUBLISHED ON FRIDAY.
UM, SO HOPEFULLY ANYBODY HAD THE WEEKEND TO LOOK THROUGH THEM.
I HAVE TALKED TO STAFF ABOUT THEM TODAY.
STAFF, UM, DOES NOT HAVE ANY OBJECTION TO THESE CHANGES.
UM, AND I WILL READ THEM IN CASE ANYBODY DIDN'T GET TO SEE THEM.
THE FIRST WAS, UH, A CHANGE TO THE SPAY NEUTER GOAL ON PAGE 13.
AND THIS WAS REALLY LARGELY IN RESPONSE TO THE, UM, TRAP NEUTER AND RETURN, UM, SPEAKERS THAT WE'VE HAD OVER THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS.
AND SO THE, THE CURRENT LANGUAGE HAD SAID, PARTNER WITH VOLUNTEERS AND ORGANIZATIONS THAT ENHANCE COMMUNITY CATS TO IDENTIFY OPPORTUNITIES TO MAXIMIZE THE IMPACT OF TRAITS, TRAP NEUTER, RETURN PROGRAMS. AND I CHANGED IT TO PARTNER WITH VOLUNTEER, UH, VOLUNTEERS AND ORGANIZATIONS THAT SUPPORT COMMUNITY CATS TO IDENTIFY OPPORTUNITIES TO ENHANCE, REDUCE BARRIERS TO AND MAXIMIZE THE IMPACT OF SO THAT YOU, IT WOULD BE A BROADER, UH, SET OF GOALS, UM, TO, TO WORK WITH, UH, THE COMMUNITY.
UH, SECOND, UM, ON OPEN INTAKE, UH, IT, IT, I WANTED TO BE A LITTLE BIT MORE DIRECT ON WHAT AT LEAST I HEAR FROM THE COMMUNITY, WHICH IS, UM, AND I, I GUESS THIS IS MY PERSONAL FEELING TOO, IS THAT WHEN THERE ARE EMERGENCIES, PEOPLE NEED TO BE ABLE TO GET IN.
AND SO, UM, I ADDED AS A GOAL, UM, UH, SORRY, AS A STRATEGY AND GOAL NUMBER ONE, DEVELOP METHODS TO IDENTIFY AND IMPLEMENT POLICIES TO PRIORITIZE EMERGENCY CASES AND MOST AT RISK ANIMALS FOR IMMEDIATE INTAKE.
UM, AND THIS IS AGAIN, YOU KNOW, IN RESPONSE TO A LOT OF COMMUNITY CONCERNS WHERE PEOPLE HAD SEEN, FOR EXAMPLE, THE VIDEO, UM, THAT WE'VE ALL SEEN WHERE SOMEONE WAS TOLD TO JUST LET THE DOG GO, UM, 'CAUSE SOMEONE COULDN'T, UM, DIDN'T HAVE A PLACE FOR IT, COULDN'T BRING IT HOME.
AND SO, UH, I WANTED TO ADD THAT SO THAT WE CAN AT LEAST ZERO IN ON THE ONES THAT ABSOLUTELY NEED SERVICE BECAUSE I THINK WE, I THINK WE ALL AGREE THAT, UM, IN EMERGENCY CASES WHEN SOMEONE ABSOLUTELY NEEDS SERVICE, WE REALLY WANT THAT DOOR OPEN.
UH, NEXT ON OPEN INTAKE, UM, THERE WAS, UH, A GOAL NUMBER THREE, SORRY, GOAL NUMBER THREE HAD A TYPO.
UM, AND THEN I WANTED TO ADD A STRATEGY.
UH, I WANTED TO ADD THE BREED RESTRICTIONS LANGUAGE THAT I HAD DISCUSSED AT THE LAST, I THINK THE LAST COMMISSION MEETING.
SO THAT BREED RESTRICTIONS WOULD BE ON THE LIST OF, UM, POLICIES AND REGULATIONS AND PROCESSES THAT STAFF WOULD LOOK INTO AS TO WHETHER OR NOT THERE NEEDS TO BE A SUGGESTED CHANGE.
NEXT ON PAGE 16 FOR LIVE RELEASE.
UM, AND THIS, I ACTUALLY, UH, I DID NOT TALK TO COMMISSIONER TUCKER ABOUT THIS, BUT, UM, THIS WAS LARGELY, UH, INSPIRED BY COMMISSIONER TUCKER, WHO, WHO FOR MANY YEARS, UM, UH, WAS, WELL HE IS A MEDIA EXPERT AND FOR MANY YEARS, UH, HE WAS HEAVILY INVOLVED IN GETTING MEDIA EXPOSURE TO THE SHELTER.
UM, AND, AND I, YOU'RE, YOU'RE WELCOME TO PROPOSE DIFFERENT LANGUAGES IF I'VE WRITTEN THAT POORLY, COMMISSIONER TUCKER.
BUT IT WAS, UM, I WANTED TO ADD THE STRATEGY OF DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT PLAN TO FOSTER MEDIA PARTNERSHIPS AND INCREASE OPPORTUNITIES FOR MEDIA COVERAGE.
UM, YEARS AGO IN 2012, UH, THERE WAS A MEDIA STORY ON THE SHELTER.
THERE WAS, UH, EVERY SINGLE DAY THAT SHELTER WAS AT ONE OF THE MEDIA OUTLETS.
AND SO I WANT TO, UH, GET BACK TO, TO THOSE TIMES WHERE HOPEFULLY WE CAN HAVE REALLY GREAT RELATIONSHIPS WITH MEDIA COMMISSIONER TUCKER, DO YOU HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS FOR THAT BEING WRITTEN POORLY OR ANY CHANGES? NO, THAT'S GREAT.
AND THEN, UM, THE IN LIVE RELEASE PAGE 17, AND THIS WAS ALREADY REALLY, UM, IT'S ALREADY IN THE PLAN IN THE, UM, HUMANE CARE SECTION, BUT I REALLY THOUGHT IT NEEDED TO BE ALSO IN THE LIVE RELEASE SECTION, UM, WHICH WAS ANALYZED AND EXPLORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR FIXED SATELLITE ADOPTION CENTERS AND HIGH TRAFFIC LOCATIONS.
THE REASON FOR THAT IS THAT, UM,
[01:05:01]
I, THE SHELTER IS IN A VERY HARD PLACE TO FIND.UM, IT'S AN EXTRAORDINARILY HARD PLACE TO FIND.
UH, WE KNEW THAT WHEN IT WAS WHAT WAS, WAS PLANNED.
UM, AND IT'S ONLY GOTTEN HARDER BECAUSE OF THE CHANGES ON 180 3.
I THINK THAT THE, THE SHELTER HAS A HAND TIED BEHIND ITS BACK, UH, IN, IN ADOPTIONS BECAUSE, UM, IT'S, IT REALLY TRULY IS HARD TO GET TO.
I THINK MOST PEOPLE, IF YOU JUST TOLD THEM WITHOUT GIVING THEM A MAP AND TOLD THEM HOW TO GET THERE, THEY WOULD ALMOST CERTAINLY NOT GET THERE.
UH, I REMEMBER WHEN WE WERE ARGUING AGAINST IT, WE, UH, BACK IN 2007, UM, THAT WE HIRED ONE OF, UH, THE SHELTER DESIGNER EXPERTS IN CALIFORNIA, AND HE SAID THAT EVERY TURN THAT YOU HAVE TO TELL SOMEBODY TO TAKE, TO GET TO A SHELTER IS A LOST CUSTOMER.
UM, EVERY SINGLE TURN IS A PROBLEM BECAUSE YOU LOSE CUSTOMERS AT EVERY TURN.
THE EASIEST IT IS TO GET TO, YOU'LL HAVE CUSTOMERS, THE HARDER IT IS TO GET TO, YOU WON'T.
SO THOSE WERE THE, UM, SUGGESTIONS THAT, UM, THAT I PUT TOGETHER THIS WEEKEND.
UM, I, I DO TAKE, UH, VERY SERIOUSLY, UM, MS. TRE'S TARGETS, UM, IDEA.
I DO THINK THAT'S A GREAT POINT.
UM, I, I THINK MY VIEW RIGHT NOW IS THAT I'M COMFORTABLE PASSING IT WITH RECOMMENDING AND PASSING IT WITH THESE CHANGES.
HOWEVER, I DO THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT AND I THINK THAT WE NEED TO KEEP THAT ON THE COMMISSION AGENDA TO ASK FOR THOSE TARGETS.
AND WHETHER IT'S THREE MONTHS OR SIX MONTHS, HOWEVER MUCH TIME STAFF THINKS THEY NEED TO PUT TOGETHER THOSE TARGETS, I I WOULD, I, I THINK THAT WE SHOULD REQUEST THAT STAFF COME BACK WITH THOSE.
UM, AND THEN I THINK, AGAIN, THE POINT THAT COMMISSIONER SM MADE, I ALSO THINK IS A VERY, VERY GOOD POINT ABOUT, UM, HOW DO WE KNOW WHETHER THINGS ARE IMPROVING AND HOW DO WE MEASURE WHETHER THINGS ARE IMPROVING.
SO, I MEAN, I JUST WROTE DOWN WHILE SHE WAS TALKING, REQUEST QUARTERLY REPORT TO A A C INDICATING, UM, MEASUREMENTS OVER TIME SO THAT WE CAN CHANGE, SEE BEFORE AND AFTER HOW IT'S GOING.
SO, UM, THOSE ARE MY, UH, IDEAS.
UH, HAPPY TO HAVE ANYBODY, UM, TALK ABOUT THEM, ADD MORE, MAKE SUGGESTIONS.
UM, SO I'LL THROW IT OUT THERE.
AGAIN, I CAN'T SEE THE, UM, THE GROUP, SO I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY IS THERE.
UM, I'M, I'M OKAY WITH THE FIRST ONE FOR THE ONE WHERE IT SAYS, UH, IMPLEMENT POLICIES TO PRIORITIZE EMERGENCY CASES AND MOST AT RISK ANIMALS.
DO YOU MEAN MEDICAL EMERGENCIES? WHAT SORT OF EMERGENCIES ARE YOU REFERRING TO? YEAH, I MEAN, UH, WHEN I SAID EMERGENCY, YES, I DID MEAN MEDICAL, BUT I ALSO MEAN THE, THE, THE, WHEN SOMEONE COMES IN, 'CAUSE THEY FOUND A STRAY IN THE STREET MM-HMM
AND THEIR APARTMENT, THEY, THEY CAN'T HAVE IT AT HOME.
AND THEY, THEY COME IN AND THEY SAY, I HAVE NOTHING.
I CANNOT DO ANYTHING WITH THIS ANIMAL.
SO THAT'S WHAT I MEANT BY THIS KIND OF AT RISK OR EMERGENCY ANIMALS, WHICH IS PROBABLY A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THE PEOPLE WHO SHOW UP AT THE SHELTER WITH AN ANIMAL WOULD HAVE THAT STORY, RIGHT? MM-HMM
AND, AND I, I'VE NEVER HEARD OF ANY MEDICAL EMERGENCIES BEING TURNED AWAY FROM THE SHELTER.
AND IF IT EVER HAPPENED, I WOULD WANNA KNOW RIGHT AWAY.
AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT PLACE DROPS EVERYTHING TO SEE EMERGENCIES.
UM, SO I HAVE AN ISSUE WITH THAT ONE.
I, I DON'T THINK IT'S CLEAR ENOUGH.
UM, AND I DON'T THINK IT, UH, TAKES INTO ACCOUNT THE REALITY OF WHAT THE SHELTER FACES.
I DON'T, I DON'T THINK IT ADDS ANYTHING TO WHAT HAS ALREADY BEEN THOROUGHLY WORKSHOPPED AND PUT INTO THE STRATEGIC PLAN.
UM, I WOULD HAVE A, A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT TO THE LIVE RELEASE, UH, GOAL CHANGE ON PAGE 16 THAT SAY, THAT WOULD SAY TO IMPLEMENT PLAN TO FOSTER MEDIA PARTNERSHIPS IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH SURE.
AND INCREASE OPPORTUNITIES FOR MEDIA COVERAGE, UH, ACCEPTED.
AND THEN, I DON'T KNOW, THERE WAS A LITTLE BIT OF COMMENTARY ON THE LOCATION, AND JUST SO I SAY IT OUT LOUD, FOR MANY YEARS, I'VE WANTED A HUGE INFLATABLE CAT AND DOG ON TOP OF THE TS BUILDING BECAUSE I KNOW WHAT THAT PLACE IS.
AND EVERY TIME I DRIVE BY, I AM LIKE, I'M LIKE, THAT'S WHERE I, AND, AND, BUT I'M LIKE, THAT'S, THERE'S, THE FREEWAYS ARE ALL RIGHT THERE.
AND IF ON TOP OF THE TS BUILDING THERE WAS THAT IT WOULD BE A CITY LANDMARK AND PEOPLE WOULD SAY, OH, IT'S A CITY.
OH, I'VE SEEN THAT WHEN I DROVE TO THE AIRPORT.
I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S GONNA MAKE IT INTO THE PLAN
UM, AND IT FAILED FOR, I DON'T KNOW WHY.
I DON'T KNOW WHATEVER HAPPENED TO IT, BUT I LOVE THE IDEA OF, UM, GIANT STATUE ON TOP OF IT.
[01:10:01]
YEAH.UH, ANY OTHER DISCUSSION, UH, ON THESE OR OTHER SUGGESTIONS? UH, COMM VICE CHAIR LI THANKS.
UM, I AM FULLY SUPPORTIVE OF ALL OF THESE, UH, AMENDMENTS THAT YOU'RE PROPOSING.
UM, AND I JUST HAVE ONE OF MY OWN THAT I'D HOPE TO CONTRIBUTE, AND SORRY THAT I DIDN'T GET IT, UM, TO THE CITY AND TIME TO BE SENT AROUND WITH THE BACKUP MATERIALS.
UM, SO IF, IF YOU'RE ABLE TO KIND OF JUST BEAR WITH ME, UM, IT'S ON PAGE 26 WHERE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT METRICS, UM, AND MEASURING SUCCESS.
AND IT GOES WITH GOAL NUMBER ONE OF INCREASE THE TIMELINESS OF A SO SUPPORT.
UM, AND IT'S A PRETTY SMALL CHANGE, BUT IN MEASURE NUMBER TWO, WHERE IT CURRENTLY READS NUMBER OF PEOPLE SEEKING INTAKE, I WONDER IF WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO CHANGE THAT LANGUAGE, UM, TO NUMBER OF PEOPLE SEEKING INTAKE FOR STRAYS AND NUMBER OF PEOPLE SEEKING INTAKE FOR OWNER SURRENDERS, AS WELL AS THE NUMBER OF ANIMALS THEY'RE SEEKING INTAKE FOR.
UM, I THINK THOSE ARE TWO SEPARATE GROUPS OF PEOPLE, UM, FOLKS WHO WANNA SURRENDER THEIR OWN PET AND FOLKS WHO FOUND A, A PET THAT THEY CAN'T CARE FOR.
UM, AND I THINK IT WOULD ALSO BE GOOD TO GET A HANDLE ON THE NUMBER OF ANIMALS THAT ARE BEING DENIED INTAKE, UM, OR BEING INTAKED, UM, AS WELL AS JUST THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE.
SO I THINK IT COULD ALL BE DONE THROUGH, UM, JUST A SLIGHT TWEAK TO THE LANGUAGE THERE, BUT I JUST THROW THAT OUT FOR CONSIDERATION FROM THE GROUP.
SO TO TRY TO PUT YOUR SUGGESTION, UH, PEN TO PAPER ON YOUR SUGGESTION, I THINK WHAT I THINK WOULD IT, WOULD IT WORK IF WITH RESPECT TO ALL CATEGORIES, IN MEASURES IN GOAL NUMBER ONE, YOU WOULD LIKE? UM, WELL, LET'S SEE.
WITH RESPECT TO THE MEASURES ONE AND TWO, YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE CATEGORIZED FOR STRAYS SEPARATELY FROM OWNER SURRENDERS.
UM, AND IDEALLY WE COULD GET A METRIC FOR THE NUMBER OF ANIMALS AS WELL AS THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE.
'CAUSE RIGHT NOW WE'RE JUST MEASURING THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE SEEKING INTAKE, UM, AND NOT THE NUMBER OF ANIMALS THOSE PEOPLE ARE BRINGING.
IT MAY BE ONE-TO-ONE, BUT IT COULD BE THAT THERE'S FOLKS WHO HAVE, YOU KNOW, EIGHT DOGS THEY'RE TRYING TO SURRENDER OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
AND I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT WOULD BE CAPTURED WITH A MEASURE IS WRITTEN.
SO I'LL TAKE IT AS A FRIENDLY SUGGESTION, AS A, AS A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT TO ADD, UM, WITH RESPECT TO GOAL, UH, ONE MEASURES ONE AND TWO ON OPEN INTAKE TO CATEGORIZE, UM, THOSE CATEGORIES IN ONE AND TWO FOR STRAYS AND OWNERS AND SURRENDERS SEPARATELY TO LIST THE NUMBER OF ANIMALS.
AND I THINK THERE WAS TO, UH, IDENTIFY THE NUMBER OF PERSONS, UH, UNABLE TO, UH, TURNED AWAY, OR HOW DO YOU WANNA WRITE THAT? YOU, I THINK THAT WAS, UM, ACTUALLY SUGGESTED EARLIER BY MS. TRES.
UM, AND I DON'T KNOW, I, I'M HAPPY TO ADD IT.
UM, I ALSO THINK YOU COULD GET IT THROUGH SUBTRACTION HERE.
SO WE'LL JUST LEAVE IT AT THOSE TWO.
I WILL ACCEPT THAT AS A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT.
ANY OTHER COMMENT? YES, CHAIR, VICE CHAIR.
I, I, I THINK WHAT, UM, VICE CHAIR LINDER WAS REFERRING TO, UH, LIKE I MENTIONED IN MY INTRO, WE ADDED AN ADDITIONAL MEASURE UNDER THAT, UM, GOAL.
SO TWO C, WE HOPE WE GET TO THAT NUMBER THAT I BELIEVE VICE CHAIR IS WANTING IN TERMS OF NUMBER, BOTH OF ANIMALS AND PEOPLE WHO DO NOT TAKE WHO, WHO ARE NOT SERVED BASICALLY.
I, I GUESS I'M NOT SURE THAT C QUITE DOES WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE.
UM, SO, SO STEVE RIGHT NOW READS, UM, JUST IN CASE FOLKS DON'T HAVE IT IN FRONT OF THEM, UH, NUMBER RECEIVE SERVICES WITHOUT SAME DAY INTAKE AND WITHOUT LATER APPOINTMENTS SCHEDULED.
SO I THINK MAYBE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, AND C WOULD BE THAT GROUP THAT, UM, WE'RE CONSIDERING NOT SERVED, UM, THAT MS. RAS WAS MENTIONING.
UM, I'M TRYING TO BASICALLY SORT OF DIVIDE THIS OUT INTO, UM, FOLKS SEEKING INTAKE FOR STRAYS AND FOLKS SEEKING INTAKE FOR OWNER SURRENDERS AS THOSE ARE KIND OF DISTINCT, UM, TYPES OF PROBLEMS. UM, AND THEN ALSO TRY TO CAPTURE THE NUMBER OF ANIMALS HERE.
SO, SORRY, MY VIDEO KEEPS FREEZING, BUT, BUT, UM, IF THAT DISTINCTION MAKES SENSE.
OTHER COMMENTS, QUESTIONS? UH, COMMISSIONER SULA? YEAH, SO I'M GONNA, UH, JUMP ON ER'S COMMENTS THERE.
[01:15:02]
UM, I, I DON'T, I AGREE THAT WE NEED TO HAVE A WAY TO DIFFERENTIATE GRAVE AND ONEROUS SURRENDERS.UM, AND I DO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO CAPTURE A NUMBER OF ANIMALS BECAUSE YOU HAVE SOMEBODY THAT COMES UP WITH A DOG THEY FOUND WITH PUPPIES, UM, THAT'S ONE PERSON, BUT YOU MIGHT HAVE SIX ANIMALS.
UM, BUT THERE, THERE HAS, I THINK THERE SHOULD BE A MECHANISM PUT IN TO ACCOUNT FOR THAT.
UM, I DO ALSO THINK THAT THIS, SOMEWHERE IN THESE MEASURES, WE DO NEED TO TRACK THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO ARE BEING DENIED AND TURNED AWAY WITHOUT GETTING AN APPOINTMENT LATER IN THE FUTURE.
AND THAT, AS AGAIN, AS VICE CHAIRMAN SAID THAT THAT IS NOT WHAT STEVE SAYS RIGHT NOW.
UM, SO I DO THINK IT SHOULD SAY, YOU KNOW, NUMBER DENIED SERVICES WITHOUT SAME DAY INTAKE OR WITHOUT LATER APPOINTMENT SCHEDULED.
UM, I THINK THAT IS, THAT IS AN IMPORTANT PIECE THAT SHOULD BE TRACKED, AND IT HOPEFULLY, UM, WILL IMMEDIATELY BEGIN TO DECREASE, UH, DOWN TO AS LOW AS WE CAN GET IT.
DR. NIELSEN SAW YOU RAISE YOUR HAND.
UM, I JUST, I AM, I MIGHT HAVE MISUNDERSTOOD, BUT, UM, I KNOW THAT THERE'S AN, I, UM, AN IMPORTANT POINT OF POLICY WHERE DELAY OF INTAKE INTO THE SHELTER NEEDS TO BE SOMETHING THE SHELTER CAN'T DO AS PART OF ITS KEEPING ANIMALS IN HOMES.
I DON'T WANT SOMETHING THAT SAYS THAT ANY SERVICES OF THE SHELTER SHELTER SHOULD BE INSTANTANEOUS AND ON DEMAND, BECAUSE I THINK THAT WOULD REMOVE A LOT OF IMPORTANT TOOLS FROM THE SHELTER IN CERTAIN INSTANCES.
I, I WILL SAY THAT I, I DO THINK, UM, VICE CHAIR IS RIGHT, YOU CAN GET TO THE NUMBER BY, BY SUBTRACTION BECAUSE IT HAS A NUMBER OF PEOPLE SEEKING INTAKE, AND THEN NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO GET, WHO ARE GETTING SAME DAY INTAKE GET THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THEM.
UM, IT DOES, IT DOES PROVIDE THAT, UH, VICE CHAIR LENDER, I SAW YOUR HAND.
OH, I WAS JUST GONNA, UM, IF IT'S HELPFUL TO RESPOND TO, UM, TO YOUR COMMENT, DR. NIELSEN, WHICH IS JUST TO SAY THAT THIS IS JUST TRYING TO GET THOSE METRICS SO WE HAVE THE NUMBERS.
IT'S NOT SAYING THE SHELTER CAN AND MUST DO X, IT'S, IT'S JUST TRYING TO, UM, EXPLAIN KIND OF WHICH DATA POINTS, UM, WE, WE THINK WOULD BE HELPFUL AS FAR AS KIND OF UNDERSTANDING THE LAY OF THE LAND.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS? UH, COMMISSIONER SULA.
SO I, I SEE NOW WHAT, WHAT YOU WERE SPEAKING, TALKING ABOUT.
I, I, I WAS MISSING IT BEFORE WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE CONTRACTION.
UM, BUT I SEE AT NUMBER TWO IT'S NUMBER OF PEOPLE TICK INTAKE, AND THEN A IS NUMBER RECEIVED SAME DAY INTAKE.
SO NOW I, I GET JUST TRACTION AND WE'RE GOOD THERE.
SO I, I CAN, I WILL WITHDRAW MY, UH, MY THING ABOUT PUTTING IN DENIED SERVICES.
ANYONE ELSE? I GUESS I WOULD JUST LIKE TO REGISTER MY CONCERN THAT IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'RE TRYING TO CREATE A METRIC FOR SOMETHING THAT IS NOT NECESSARILY SOMETHING YOU WANT AT A HUNDRED PERCENT, WHICH I JUST WANNA, JUST WANNA VOICE THAT IN KEEPING IN MIND HOW COMPLICATED THIS IS.
UH, COMMISSIONER DEES, I UNDERSTAND, UH, THE WHOLE THING ABOUT, UH, WANTING TO CREATE, UH, METRIC A HUNDRED PERCENT, OR, OR PEOPLE ARE, AND I, I, MY RECOMMENDATION TO LOOK AT IT AS FROM, UH, ANOTHER PERSPECTIVE, IT IS CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT.
SO, UM, THE, THE, THE COMMISSIONER TUCKER, DID YOU, NO, SORRY, SORRY TO CALL ON YOU.
UM, I THINK LET'S TAKE, UH, UM, THE PAGE 14, UH, SUGGESTION, UH, OUT OF, I'M, I'M GONNA TRY TO GET SOME THINGS PASSED.
UM, SO WE'LL TAKE THE PAGE 14, UH, SUGGESTION OUT FOR A MOMENT.
UM, AND SO WE'LL GO WITH, UH, THE SPAY NEUTER RECOMMENDATION ON PAGE 13 AS LISTED THE OPEN INTAKE RECOMMENDATION ON 15 AS LISTED, UH, LIVE RELEASE SUGGESTION ON PAGE 16 AS LISTED WITH THE CAVEAT OF IN BETWEEN THE WORDS PARTNERSHIPS
[01:20:01]
AND THE WORD.AND WE'LL ADD IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH.
WE WILL, UH, PAGE 17 AS LISTED.
AND WE WILL ADD, UH, IN THE MEASUREMENTS ON PAGE 26, 26, SORRY, I CAN'T, IT'S STAPLED OVER IT.
UM, REQUEST THAT THOSE MEASUREMENTS BE CATEGORIZED FOR STRAYS AND OWNER SURRENDERS AND LISTED BY THE NUMBER OF ANIMALS IN EACH CATEGORY AS WELL.
SO, UM, THAT'S WHAT, UM, THE MOTION ON THE TABLE IS WE'RE TAKING OFF FOR THE, FOR THE MOMENT, PAGE 14, OPEN INTAKE.
UM, AND THEN SEPARATELY AT, IN A, IN A MINUTE, I THINK WE CAN ASK FOR THE TARGETS AND QUARTERLY REPORTING REQUESTS, BUT LET'S GET THESE CHANGES IN THE DOCUMENT THEMSELVES.
SO THAT IS THE MOTION ON THE TABLE.
UM, THERE, IT WAS MOVED AND SECONDED.
UH, I GUESS, UM, COMMISSIONER TUCKER, DID YOU MAKE THE MOVEMENT? SOME ONE OF YOU DID.
WHO, WHO WROTE WHO MOVED FOR IT? ONE OF YOU DID.
I, VICE CHAIR LINDER MOVED AND HUDDLE.
SO VICE CHAIR LINDER, DO YOU ACCEPT THE FRIENDLY AMENDMENTS THAT WERE, THAT WERE REQUESTED? 'CAUSE I CAN'T ACCEPT THEM
SO THOSE ARE THE FRIENDLY AMENDMENTS.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION BEFORE WE VOTE ON THAT? ALL RIGHT, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? UH, IT IS UNANIMOUS, UM, WITH COMMISSIONER HOLT, NOT, UH, AT THE DIOCESE.
SO LET'S NEXT GO TO THE ONE, UH, THAT, UM, DR. NIELSEN HAD AN ISSUE WITH.
AND, AND I MAY BE, UM, MAYBE THERE'S A WAY WE CAN GET THE, TO A, A, THE LANGUAGE TO A POINT THAT WE AGREE ON.
MAYBE THERE'S NOT, BUT WHAT I'M TRYING TO GET TO IS, UM, TO THAT WE FIGURE OUT A WAY TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM, UH, OR, OR AT LEAST IDENTIFY THE, THE, THE BIGGEST PROBLEMS THAT WE HAVE WHEN, WHEN SOMEONE CANNOT TAKE THE ANIMAL HOME AND, AND THE, UM, THE ISSUE IS THAT THEY'RE GONNA, THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO LET IT GO.
UM, AND JUST PRIORITIZING THAT AS, AS A POLICY PRIORITY.
UM, O OVER AND ABOVE, FOR EXAMPLE, AN OWNER SURRENDER THAT HAS, UH, HAS THE HOME TO BRING IT BACK TO JUST IS IF THE, IF THE ANIMAL HAS BECOME INCONVENIENT FOR SOME REASON OR THEY NEED TO REHOME IT FOR SOME REASON, I'M JUST TRYING TO GET TO THESE EMERGENCY SITUATIONS AND AND PRIORITIZE THEM.
UM, IS THERE, IS THERE ANY LANGUAGE THAT YOU WOULD BE COMFORTABLE WITH TO GET THERE? UM, IF THERE'S NOT, WE DON'T HAVE TO HAVE CONSENSUS, WE CAN VOTE ON IT AS IS, BUT I, I WOULD LIKE TO GET TO A CONSENSUS IF POSSIBLE.
I WOULD SAY FOR ME, THERE IS NOT BECAUSE ALL THERE, BECAUSE ALSO I KNOW THAT THERE ARE, AND I'M PROBABLY AWARE OF MORE EMERGENCY OWNER SURRENDERS BECAUSE OF PEOPLE WHO'VE ACTUALLY LOST THEIR HOUSE.
SO, UM, NO, AND I WOULD CALL THAT AS AN EMERGENCY, I THINK.
AND I THINK, UM, I, I THINK EVERYTHING YOU'RE TRYING TO GET AT HERE IS COVERED IN OTHER PLACES IN, IN THE REPORT, AND THIS IS REDUNDANT AND UNCLEAR.
ALRIGHT, WELL, I'LL ASK OTHERS.
OR DOES, DOES ANYBODY WANT THIS TO BE PART OF THE, UM, OR WANT, OR NOT WANT? LET'S JUST HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT IT.
DOES ANYBODY WANNA TALK ABOUT, UM, A POLICY DIRECTIVE OF A, OF PRIORITIZING? UH, YES.
COMMISSIONER NEER, I AGREE WITH, UH, YOU COMMISSIONER CLINTON, UM, OR CHAIR CLINTON.
I THINK THAT THE WORDING NEEDS TO BE IN THERE, UM, AS FAR AS AN EMERGENCY, BECAUSE I DON'T THINK THAT MEDICAL EMERGENCIES ARE THE ONLY THINGS THAT ARE, ARE FACING THE, THE CITY RIGHT NOW.
I'VE TALKED WITH MANY CONSTITUENTS WHO ARE HAVING PROBLEMS WITH EXACTLY WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, WHERE THEY'RE HAVING TO FIND, THEY FIND AN ANIMAL AND THEY CAN'T KEEP IT.
AND, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE THEY SUPPOSED TO DO THAT IS CONSIDERED AN EMERGENCY? SO I WOULD AGREE WITH YOU.
UM, AND I THINK WE SHOULD MOVE FORWARD WITH A VOTE.
ARE THERE OTHER COMMENTS OR LET'S JUST SEE IF ANYBODY WANTS TO WEIGH IN BEFORE YOU CAN RESPOND.
UH, COMMISSIONER OR VICE CHAIR LINDER.
SO, UH, YOU KNOW, I GUESS THINKING ABOUT THIS, I, I THINK REALLY ALL THIS IS DOING IN MY MIND IS, IS ASKING SIMPLY THAT WE TRY AND TRIAGE AS BEST WE CAN.
NIELSEN'S POINT THAT, UM, THAT THIS WAS ALREADY HAPPENING TO A CERTAIN EXTENT, THAT WE'RE ALREADY TRYING TO PRIORITIZE MEDICAL EMERGENCIES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, BUT I, I GUESS I WOULD JUST SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS WAS A DOCUMENT THAT WAS DRAFTED TO KIND OF BE, UM, A GUIDE STAR GOING FORWARD FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.
UM, AND EVEN IF THAT'S A POLICY NOW, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S STILL HELPFUL TO
[01:25:01]
REAFFIRM THAT HERE IN THE STRATEGIC PLAN.AND I, I DON'T SEE HARM IN THIS.
UM, YOU KNOW, EVEN IF IT IS REDUNDANT AS YOU SAID, OR, OR THINGS WE'RE ALREADY DOING, UM, TO ME, YOU KNOW, I, I DON'T THINK THERE'S HARM IN INCLUDING THIS IN THE PLAN, AND I THINK THERE COULD BE VALUE JUST BECAUSE THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE KIND OF A, A FORWARD-LOOKING DOCUMENT.
SO JUST REAFFIRMING OUR COMMITMENT TO TRY AND KIND OF DO THE BEST WE CAN WITH THE LIMITED RESOURCES WE HAVE.
UM, YOU KNOW, SO THAT'S ALL I SAY TO TO THAT POINT.
YOU KNOW, I, I FULLY UNDERSTAND, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
AND, UM, AND YEAH, SO COMMISSIONER, COMMISSIONER HERRERA, SORRY, MAYBE I AM VERY, VERY CONFUSED.
THIS IS ONLY FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND NOT TRAVIS COUNTY, RIGHT? THIS, YOU GUYS WANNA TAKE THAT ONE? THIS IS THE CITY OF AUSTIN STRATEGIC PLAN, STRATEGIC PLAN.
AND IT, YOU KNOW, WHILE WE'RE SERVING IT WITH TRAVIS COUNTY, WITH AN ILA, WE HAVE TO INCORPORATE WHAT WE DO DO FOR US IN THAT AS WELL.
UM, UH, WHILE, WHILE I HAVE THE FLOOR REAL QUICK, I JUST WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT MAYBE THIS WILL HELP PEOPLE THAT DON'T HAVE IT IN FRONT OF THEM, BUT CURRENTLY, WHAT, UH, ON NUMBER 14, UNDER THERA STRATEGIES FOR THE GOAL NUMBER ONE, IT DOES SAY DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES FOR TRIAGING INTAKE REQUEST AND PROVIDING CUSTOMERS WITH APPROPRIATE AND TIMELY SUPPORT.
SO, YOU KNOW, THIS, THAT IS COVERED IN A BROADER AREA, SO THAT THAT'S, YOU KNOW, FROM WHAT YOU KNOW, COMMISSIONER CLINTON IS SAYING, THAT'S WHAT I TAKE IN.
THAT IS IN TERMS OF WE'RE LOOKING AT THOSE EMERGENT SITUATIONS AND HOW DO WE TRIAGE THOSE? THAT'S WHAT IT'S CURRENTLY WRITTEN IN THE PLAN.
IF SOMEONE FROM DEL BAGGE WHO IS NOT CITY OF AUSTIN SHOW UP ASKING FOR HELP, IT'S GOING TO BE THE KNIFE BECAUSE IT'S NOT INSIDE THE STRATEGIC PLAN DEFINED NO FROM SOMEONE FROM THE COUNTY SHOWS UP.
UH, THEY'RE GONNA BE TREATED JUST LIKE THEY WERE IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS? ALL RIGHT.
THIS WAS PART OF YOUR ORIGINAL MOTION, UH, WHICH WAS SECONDED.
UM, COMMISSIONER NELSON, YOU WANTED TO RESPOND? I THINK, OH, YEAH, I JUST, I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT I, THAT JUST TO CLARIFY THAT, UM, MEDICAL EMERGENCIES ARE TAKEN OF, OF COURSE, ARE TAKEN IN, BUT THEN ALSO, UM, RELINQUISHMENT AND STRAY EMERGENCIES ARE ALSO CURRENTLY CONSIDERED, YOU KNOW, JUST AS VICE CHAIR LINDER POINTED OUT, I DIDN'T WANT, UM, COMMISSIONER NEER TO WORRY THAT WE ONLY CONSIDER MEDICAL EMERGENCIES.
THE SHELTER ONLY CONSIDERS MEDICAL EMERGENCIES.
AND I APPRECIATE, UM, DIRECTOR BLAND POINTING OUT WHERE I DO THINK THIS GOAL IS, IS ALREADY STATED IN THE STRATEGIC PLAN.
ALRIGHT, I THINK WE'RE READY FOR A VOTE.
UH, NO COMMISSIONER, UH, VICE CHAIR LINDER.
JUST ONE LAST THOUGHT THAT, THAT SORT OF OCCURRED TO ME ALONG THOSE LINES.
UM, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT THERE WON'T BE THAT MANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC THAT READ THIS PLAN.
UM, BUT FOR EXAMPLE, IF I WAS SOMEONE WHO FOUND AN ANIMAL THAT I WANTED TO INTAKE, AND I WAS TOLD I HAD TO WAIT, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK HAVING THIS WRITTEN OUT THERE TO KNOW THAT THERE IS LIKE, KIND OF A TRIAGE THAT HAPPENS AND EXPLAINING, YOU KNOW, EMERGENCY SITUATIONS ARE FIRST EVEN IF THAT'S ALREADY HAPPENING.
I, I GUESS WHAT I'M JUST TRYING TO SAY IS THERE COULD BE VALUE IN ARTICULATING THAT TO THE PUBLIC, UM, IN A DOCUMENT LIKE THIS.
UM, JUST AS, AS A WAY OF KIND OF, UM, UH, COMMUNICATING WHAT'S ALREADY POLICY, AS YOU SAID, UM, TO, UH, TO THE PEOPLE WHO ARE AFFECTED BY THAT POLICY.
UM, SO I COULD JUST SEE THAT AS, AS ONE OTHER THING TO KIND OF CONSIDER AS WE'RE THINKING ABOUT THIS.
I THINK WE SHOULD JUST HAVE A VOTE.
UH, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE PAGE 14 OPEN INTAKE CHANGE.
IT'S UNANIMOUS WITH, UH, COMMISSIONER HOLT, NOT VOTING.
THERE WERE TWO ADDITIONAL THINGS THAT CAME UP IN THE DISCUSSION.
UM, THEY WERE THE NEED FOR TARGETING AND THE NEED FOR, UM, SOME KIND OF REPORTING TO US.
UH, I HAD WRITTEN DOWN POTENTIALLY, UH, REQUEST QUARTERLY REPORT TO A A C INDICATING CHANGE IN MEASUREMENTS OVER TIME, IF ANY, UM, OR THERE CAN BE SOME SUGGESTION ON TARGET, UH, UH, OF TARGETS.
I, I PERSONALLY DO THINK THAT THE STAFF SHOULD HAVE SOME TIME TO PUT TOGETHER THOSE TARGETS.
UM, BUT I WILL BELIEVE, PUT THAT OUT THERE.
DOES ANYBODY WANNA DISCUSS EITHER OF THOSE TWO ISSUES?
[01:30:03]
DOES ANYBODY WANNA MAKE A PROPOSAL, UH, ON EITHER OF THOSE TWO? 'CAUSE THOSE WERE NOT PART OF THE ORIGINAL MOTION.WELL, THAT WAS E THAT WAS EASY.
UM, DO YOU NEED ANYTHING ELSE FROM US ON THOSE? THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR VERY THOUGHTFUL DISCUSSION AND FEEDBACK AND INPUT.
UH, WE WILL MAKE THOSE, UM, PROPOSED CHANGES AND SEND 'EM TO THE PUBLIC HEALTH COMMITTEE FOR THE NEXT STEP.
LET'S, UM, LET'S GET ONE LAST THING ON THE RECORD JUST TO MAKE SURE WE'RE CLEAR.
LET'S, LET'S GET ONE MORE MOTION.
WE ARE MOVING TO RECOMMEND, UM, THE, UH, ANIMAL SERVICES OFFICE OF STRATEGIC PLAN AS WRITTEN WITH THE MODIFICATIONS PASSED BY THE COMMISSION.
CAN I GET A MOTION TO DO THAT? UH, DR.
SSON? CAN I GET A SECOND VICE CHAIR LENDER? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? OH, SORRY.
DOES ANYBODY WANT TO ARGUE, DEBATE ABOUT THAT? UH, DOES ANYBODY WANNA TALK BEFORE WE VOTE? UH, SORRY, I CAN'T SEE THEM.
LET'S VOTE ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION.
AND THAT IS UNANIMOUS WITH COMMISSIONER HOLT WAY.
WE KNOW, UH, I, I WANNA SAY AGAIN, UH, HOW MUCH I APPRECIATE THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION.
UM, VICE CHAIR LINDER, COMMISSIONER S MAGULA, COMMISSIONER HOLT, UM, FOR DEDICATING ABOVE AND BEYOND THE TIME, UM, THAT WE ALREADY SERVE.
I ALSO WANT TO THANK, UM, THE AUDIT DEPARTMENT AND THE CONSULTANT, DR.
UH, I HAVE BEEN VERY HONEST WITH EVERYONE THAT I WAS, UM, SKEPTICAL OF THIS PROCESS AND I WAS PROVEN WRONG.
UM, HAPPY TO BE, TO ACKNOWLEDGE WHEN I'M WRONG.
UM, I THOUGHT THAT THIS WAS A REALLY EXCELLENT REPORT, UM, THAT, THAT REALLY FRANKLY WAS THE RESULT OF A LOT OF WORK OF STAFF AND, AND THE STAKEHOLDERS AND THE VOLUNTEERS.
SO THANK YOU EVERYBODY FOR THAT.
[6. Approve the formation of a Community Cat Processing Working Group. ]
OKAY, WE'LL MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER SIX.APPROVE THE FORMATION OF A COMMUNITY CAT PROCESSING WORKING GROUP.
UM, MS. RE, DID YOU ALREADY SPEAK TO THIS ONE OR DO YOU WANT SPEAK ALREADY? SPOKE.
UM, IS THERE A MOTION ON THE TABLE TO APPROVE THE FORMATION OF THE COMMUNITY CAT? UM, COMMISSIONER HUDDLESTON.
IS THERE A SECOND? UH, COMMISSIONER TUCKER.
UM, IS THERE ANY, UH, DISCUSSION OR QUESTIONS ON THIS? I'M GONNA ASK FOR A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT.
UH, COMMISSIONER HUDDLESTON, HOLD ON, HOLD ON IF YOU CAN.
COMMISSIONER HUDDLESTON, WILL YOU VOLUNTEER TO BE THE CHAIR OF THE WORKING GROUP? YES, I WILL.
UM, IS THERE ANY OTHER DISCUSSION OR QUESTIONS? NOPE.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? THAT IS UNANIMOUS.
SO THAT WAS COMPLETELY UNANIMOUS.
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
MOVE TO THE NEXT ITEM, WHICH IS FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. MR. BLAND, YOU WANTED TO MENTION TWO ANIMAL SERVICES OFFICE WOULD LIKE TO PUT TWO ITEMS ON NEXT MONTH'S AGENDA.WE WOULD LIKE TO, UH, BRING FORWARD, UM, THE INFORMATION ON THE CITY, THE 2026 BOND AND WHERE ANIMAL SERVICES FITS INTO THAT AND THE STEPS WE'RE TAKING, AND GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON THAT AS WELL AS WE WOULD LIKE TO PRESENT WITH YOU, UH, LAST YEAR'S, UH, BUDGET REQUEST THAT WE MADE AND THE ACTUAL BUDGET THAT WAS APPROVED SO THAT YOU'LL HAVE THE INFORMATION, UH, AND YOU CAN MAKE ANY RECOMMENDATIONS ON ANY OF THE ITEMS WE WEREN'T FUNDED LAST YEAR.
ANY OBJECTION TO THOSE BEING ON THE AGENDA? SEEING NONE THERE ON ANY OTHER AGENDA ITEMS. DR. NELSON? UM, SHOULD WE PUT SOMETHING ABOUT DISCUSSION OF TARGETS FOR, I THINK THAT'S A GREAT IDEA.
SO WE'LL ADD ONTO, UM, A, A DO YOU WANT A DISCUSSION ITEM OR DO YOU WANT A DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEM OR DO YOU WANT DISCUSSION ONLY AT THIS POINT? I THINK DISCUSSION, FIRST OF ALL, BUT I'M OPEN TO.
ALRIGHT, YOU CAN ALWAYS CHANGE IT.
FOR NOW, LET'S ADD A DISCUSSION ITEM ONLY ON, UM, POTENTIAL TARGETS FOR, UM, ANIMAL SERVICES STRATEGIC PLAN.
ANY OTHER, UH, AGENDA ITEMS FOR NOW? OF COURSE YOU CAN SEND THEM BY EMAIL AS LONG AS YOU HAVE ONE OTHER PERSON.
SEEING NONE, WE'LL MOVE TO OUR NEXT AGENDA ITEM, WHICH IS ADJOURNMENT.
IS THERE A MOTION TO ADJOURN? DR. NELSON ALWAYS GETS HER HANDS UP QUICK ON THAT ONE.
UH, VICE CHAIR LINDER, I THINK ALSO HAD HER QUICK.
WE WILL, WE WILL HAVE YOUR SECOND.
IS THERE, UM, ANY DISCUSSION? UH, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF ADJOURNING, UH, COMMISSIONER HERRERA, ARE YOU GONNA ABSTAIN FROM ADJOURNMENT? ARE YOU OBJECTING TO THIS? OKAY.
[01:35:02]
PARTICIPATION.