* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.
          [00:00:02]
          TO THE MARCH 10TH, 2025, 
          [CALL TO ORDER]
REGULAR MEETING OF THE TRAVIS COUNTY, AUSTIN ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION. 
          UM, I'LL BE FILLING IN FOR CHAIRMAN CLINTON TONIGHT. 
          UM, WE'LL START WITH ATTENDANCE. 
          UM, CHAIRMAN CLINTON IS ABSENT. 
          UH, NANCY EMER HERE. 
          GREAT. 
          UM, COMMISSIONER MULA HERE. 
          UM, COMMISSIONER ES HERE. 
          OKAY. 
          UH, I'M ALSO PRESENT, UH, DR. NIELSEN PRESENT. 
          COMMISSIONER HOLT. 
          PRESENT. 
          UM, COMMISSIONER HERRERA. 
          ABSENT, UM, COMMISSIONER TUCKER? SURE. 
          GREAT. 
          UH, COMMISSIONER HUDDLESTON. 
          OKAY. 
          AND COMMISSIONER HOKE. 
          PRESIDENT. 
          OKAY. 
          GREAT. 
          AND MANY OF YOU SEEM TO AVOID THE TRAFFIC THAT WE SUFFERED THROUGH ON THE WAY HERE, SO CONGRATULATIONS. 
          UM, I'D RATHER BE THERE IN PERSON. 
           ON THE RECORD. 
          I DON'T TEND TO DO MANY MORE OF THESE VIRTUALLY. 
          I REALLY LIKE . 
          UH, WELL, YOU PICKED A GOOD DAY TO BE VIRTUAL THOUGH, SO, OKAY. 
          WE'RE GONNA 
          [PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL]
BEGIN WITH, UM, PUBLIC COMMUNICATION. 
          UM, OUR FIRST SPEAKER IS CAITLYN BANIS. 
          AM I SAYING THAT RIGHT? YES. 
          OKAY, GREAT. 
          OKAY. 
          HELLO, MY NAME IS CAITLYN BANIS AND I CURRENTLY LIVE AT FOUR 20 PASERO LANE IN ROUND ROCK. 
          I WANT TO START BY THANKING EACH OF THE MEMBERS FOR THEIR TIME AND SERVICE TO OUR COMMUNITY. 
          YOU'VE TASKED YOURSELVES WITH THE DUTY OF LEADING OUR CITY REGARDING ANIMAL SERVICES, AND I THANK YOU FOR OUR WORK. 
          AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER WORKS TO PROVIDE PUBLIC SERVICE AND A SAFETY NET FOR LOST AND HOMELESS ANIMALS IN THE COMMUNITY BY PROVIDING FOOD, WATER, SHELTER, AND STANDARD MUNICIPAL VETERINARY CARE FOR ANIMALS IN NEED. 
          CURRENT POLICY STATES THAT ANIMALS ADOPTED TO POTENTIAL OWNERS MAY BE REVOKED WHEN AN ANIMAL ENCOUNTERS A MEDICAL COMPLICATION. 
          THIS ALLOWS FAMILIES TO BECOME ATTACHED WITH NO MEDICAL SCREENING. 
          TO PREVENT ANIMALS WITH, NEEDS TO BE MARKED AS UNAVAILABLE OR PENDING MEDICAL RELEASE. 
          THIS WAS THE CASE WHEN OUR POTENTIAL KITTENS ADOPTION WAS CANCELED FOUR HOURS BEFORE HER SCHEDULED PICKUP DUE TO A PROLAPSE RECTUM STAFF OFFERED A PHONE CALL AND THE MANTRA OF THIS IS JUST THE POLICY. 
          WHEN WE PRESSED AS TO WHAT NEXT STEPS WOULD BE, WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO CALL OR EMAIL DAILY TO ATTEMPT ADOPTION. 
          AT A LATER TIME, I TRAVELED TO THE CENTER AND WAS MET WITH THE SAME INSTRUCTION IN PERSON STATING I SHOULD ADOPT ANOTHER CAT OR GO TO CITY HALL IF I DID NOT LIKE THE CURRENT POLICY. 
          SO HERE I AM, FIVE LISTED CENTERS IN OUR REGION, WHICH ARE LISTED ON MY HANDOUT, ALLOW FOR THE CURRENT ADOPTEES TO IMMEDIATELY BE PUSHED TO MEDICAL FOSTER. 
          WHEN AN ANIMAL ENCOUNTERS ON NON-LIFE THREATENING MEDICAL CONDITION, YET A A C DOES NOT. 
          ADOPTEES ARE LEFT IN THE DARK ABOUT THE ANIMALS THEY HAVE BECOME ATTACHED TO AND TOLD NO OTHER OPTIONS PRESENT THEMSELVES TO BE REUNITED WITH THEIR POTENTIAL PET. 
          IF NOT, FOR SADIE SPALDING, A CURRENT ADMIN AT A A CI WOULD'VE BEEN LEFT TO WONDER IF MY WOULD-BE CAT WAS ALIVE, WELL, OR BEING TRANSFERRED TO ANOTHER FACILITY. 
          SHE TOOK IT UPON HERSELF TO REACH OUT TO ME AND ASSIST IN APPLYING AS A FOSTER, GIVING US HOPE. 
          SADIE SHOULD BE THE EXCEPTION, NOT THE EXCEPTION, BUT THE RULE. 
          YOU CAN MAKE THE CHANGE AT A A C MANDATING THAT THE NEXT STEP IN CANCELED ADOPTION DUE TO MEDICAL HOLD IS TO OFFER TO FOSTER TO THOSE WHO ARE WILLING AND ABLE, IF THE ANIMAL IS APPROPRIATE FOR FOSTERING VET RECOMMENDATION STUDIES PROVE THAT ANIMALS WITH PROLONGED EXPOSURE TO SHELTERING EXPERIENCE, STRESS AND DECLINE IN MENTAL WELLBEING FOSTERING CAN IMPROVE THESE CONDITIONS AND OFFER A CAPABLE, LOVING HOME. 
          LASTLY, STAFF AND FACILITIES WOULD BE LESS STRAINED WHEN PETS ARE PLACED WITH A FOSTER HOME LEADING TO BETTER CONDITIONS FOR THE ANIMALS THAT ARE AWAITING THEIR FOREVER HOME. 
          I ONCE AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND SERVICE TO OUR COMMUNITY AND URGE YOU TO MAKE NECESSARY CHANGE IN ORDER TO CONTINUE YOUR COMMITMENT TO THE BETTERMENT OF OUR CITY'S ANIMALS. 
          I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT DAWN BLAND, UM, COMMUNICATED CHANGES BEING DISCUSSED, UM, IN WORKS TOWARDS THIS GOAL ON MARCH 3RD, UM, VIA PHONE CALL MEETING WITH ME. 
          THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. 
          THANKS. 
          UM, NEXT WE HAVE, UH, LAURA NAISMITH. 
          IS SHE HERE YET? IF NOT, WE CAN COME BACK TO HER. 
          I THINK SHE'S NOT HERE YET. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, THEN SANDRA MUELLER SAYS REMOTE. 
          IS SHE MAYBE ONLINE? THANK YOU. 
          SO, HI, CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, WE CAN. 
          OKAY, GREAT. 
          THANKS. 
          I ALWAYS FAIL ON THE UNMUTING. 
          ANYWAYS, DID THIS STAND FOR MUELLER? AND I'M CALLING TO SAY THANK YOU FOR PUTTING ADOPTION FEES BACK INTO PLACE, ESPECIALLY SINCE IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S ALREADY CODIFIED. 
          YOU KNOW, I'VE HEARD IT SAID THAT EVERYONE DESERVES TO HAVE A PET, BUT I 
          [00:05:01]
DISAGREE. 
          AND YOU MIGHT ALSO SAY, EVERYONE DESERVES TO HAVE A BMW, BUT I DISAGREE THERE. 
          I CAN'T AFFORD ONE. 
          I DON'T OWN ONE. 
          SO OTHER SHELTERS AND RESCUES IN THE AREA CHARGE ABOUT $125 FOR PUPPIES AND KITTENS. 
          SENTIENT LINES SHOULD NOT BE FREE. 
          THE AVERAGE COST TO OWN A PET IS ABOUT $1,500 PER YEAR. 
          THEY NEED A LIFETIME OF CARE, YOU KNOW, 15 TO 20 YEARS. 
          I THINK THAT WOULD CHARGE ME A NOMINAL FEE. 
          YOU'RE SAVING ANIMALS FROM INADVERTENT NEGLECT AND SUFFERING AND TRAUMATIC RETURNS OR REHOMING. 
          SO MOST OF OUR ANIMALS HAVE ALREADY HAD A HARD ENOUGH LIFE. 
          AND CONSIDER YOU'RE RECOUPING THE COST OF INTAKE VACCINES, PREVENTATIVE DISEASE TREATMENTS, STAYING NEUTERING, AND THINK OF IT AS A PAY IT FORWARD FOR THE HEALTHY AND SAFE ANIMALS IN AUSTIN. 
          AND FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, PLEASE STOP ADOPTING TO THE UNHOUSED. 
          AACS MISSION IS LITERALLY TO STOP ANIMAL HOMELESSNESS. 
          A SITUATION WHERE A PERSON BECOMES UNHOUSED IS DIFFERENT. 
          THEY NEED THE SUPPORT. 
          WE DON'T NEED TO ADOPT TO THE UNHOUSED, KEEP THE LIVE RELEASE RATE LOW. 
          AND FINALLY, UH, EVERYBODY WHO'S BEEN DOING THE GREAT FIX THING, THANK YOU. 
          IT IS WONDERFUL AND IT'S MUCH NEEDED IN AUSTIN AND ACROSS THE ENTIRE STATE. 
          AND THANKS TO NEW MEMBERS COMING IN. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UM, PAT VAL. 
          SO, UH, THANK YOU COMMISSION MEMBERS FOR BEING HERE. 
          THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE HERE, THREE OF YOU ARE HERE. 
          THAT'S GREAT. 
          AND THANK YOU TO THOSE WHO ARE HERE REMOTELY. 
          I DON'T SEE THE SCREEN RIGHT NOW. 
          WHERE IS IT? OH, YEAH, THERE IT IS. 
          OKAY. 
          SORRY. 
          HI. 
          THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. 
          UM, I HAVE SOMETHING I WANNA SAY TO ALL OF YOU, WHICH IS NO MATTER HOW MUCH I DISAGREE WITH A VOTE OR A DISCUSSION OR AN ISSUE, I AM SO GLAD THAT WE HAVE THE ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION THAT WE HAVE. 
          SO THE FACT THAT YOU SHOW UP, THE FACT THAT YOU ENGAGE IN THESE DISCUSSIONS, I'M VERY HAPPY ABOUT THAT. 
          UM, FOR YEARS WE HAD STRUGGLES TO KEEP THE ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION GOING, AND WE HAVE KEPT IT GOING. 
          SO JUST YOUR ATTENDANCE HERE IS VERY IMPORTANT AND I APPRECIATE IT. 
          AT THE SAME TIME, I WANNA SAY THAT THERE ARE SOME IMPROVEMENTS THAT Y'ALL COULD MAKE. 
          AND FOR EXAMPLE, UH, THE WORKING GROUPS THAT YOU'RE GONNA ESTABLISH TONIGHT. 
          I THINK THAT'S GREAT. 
          I THINK IT'S GREAT TO HAVE WORKING GROUPS. 
          THE THING THAT IS REALLY IMPORTANT IS THAT EVERY ISSUE THAT GETS VOTED ON HERE HAS A DISCUSSION AHEAD OF TIME SO THAT EVERYONE KNOWS WHAT YOU'RE VOTING ON. 
          AND, AND THAT IS A PROCESS ISSUE. 
          AND VICE CHAIR LINDER, YOU MAY RECALL THAT WHEN WE FIRST MET, WHEN YOU HAD FIRST BEEN APPOINTED, I TALKED ABOUT PROCESS POLITICS, POLICY PEOPLE, AND MAYBE ANOTHER P THAT I CAN'T REMEMBER RIGHT NOW. 
          BUT PROCESS ISSUES ARE REALLY IMPORTANT. 
          AND I WATCH CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS. 
          I WATCH THE PROCESS ISSUES THAT GO ON ON THERE. 
          AND EVEN THOUGH I AM THRILLED THAT YOU ALL ARE HERE DISCUSSING ANIMAL ISSUES, BECAUSE I THINK WE'RE THE BEST ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION IN TEXAS, HONESTLY, UM, I'VE LISTENED TO A LOT OF THEM. 
          I DON'T THINK ANYBODY ELSE IS DOING AS GOOD A JOB AS WE ARE IN ENGAGING WITH OUR STAFF OR COMMUNITY. 
          I DO THINK YOU CAN DO BETTER, AND ONE OF THE WAYS YOU CAN DO BETTER IS PROCESS ISSUES. 
          BUT THE MORE IMPORTANT THING I WANNA SAY IS THE OTHER DAY THERE WAS A PUBLIC HEALTH COMMITTEE MEETING AND THERE WAS A DISCUSSION ABOUT THE STRATEGIC PLAN. 
          VICE CHAIR LINDER, YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER, MY COUNCIL MEMBER JOSE VELASQUEZ, LED OFF WITH THE FIRST QUESTION. 
          IT WAS AN EXCELLENT QUESTION. 
          AND IF YOU HAD ANYTHING TO DO WITH HIM ASKING THAT GREAT QUESTION. 
          THANK YOU. 
          I DON'T, I THINK THAT'S, UH, COMMISSIONER BEN AVID THERE IN THE BOTTOM MIDDLE SQUARE, RIGHT? ? AM I RIGHT ABOUT THAT? COMMISSIONER? OH, ESS, I'M SORRY ABOUT THAT. 
          UM, COMMISSIONER ESS, YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER WHO APPOINTED YOU CHAIR, VANESSA FUENTES OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH COMMITTEE ALSO ASKED AN EXCELLENT QUESTION. 
          SO I APPRECIATE IF YOU WERE THE ONE THAT HELPED HER FORM THAT. 
          GREAT QUESTION. 
          AND IF I COULD JUST HAVE ONE MORE SECOND. 
          MARK UCHIN ALSO ASKED A REALLY GOOD QUESTION. 
          HE HAS A VACANCY. 
          IF ANYBODY IS INTERESTED IN HIS POSITION, I THINK HE'S GONNA BE REALLY EXCELLENT, AND I WOULD ENCOURAGE ANYONE TO APPLY FOR THAT IF YOUR TERM IS ENDING. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
          THANKS. 
          UM, IS LAURA NAISMITH HERE NOW BY CHANCE? GREAT. 
          [00:10:05]
HELLO. 
          FIRST OF ALL, I APOLOGIZE FOR THE LITTLE BIT OF A GRAPHIC IMAGE, UM, BUT WHAT YOU SEE ON YOUR SCREEN THERE IS WHY I AM HERE TO DISCUSS TODAY. 
          UM, SO I'M HERE TO HIGHLIGHT SOME RECURRENT ISSUES WITH THE RULES, THE APOS FOLLOW, AND THE NEED FOR A CLEAR MANUAL. 
          SO DURING THE LAST, UH, FEBRUARY MEETING, WHILE WE WERE WAITING IN THIS VERY SAME, UH, SESSION TO START, SOME OF US SAW A FACEBOOK POSTS IN THE AUSTIN LOST AND FOUND GROUP ABOUT A CAT IN URGENT NEED. 
          THE FINDER, UH, PLEADED FOR HELP AND SOMEONE FROM A PA THAT IS PART OF THE LOST FOUND GROUP POSTED ON THEIR BEHALF. 
          THE POST THAT YOU SEE RIGHT THERE NOTED THAT THEY HAD CALLED 3 1 1 AND HAD GOTTEN A CALL BACK FROM AN A PO AND THEY DECLINED TO ASSIST BECAUSE THE CAT WAS NOT DYING. 
          SO THEY DID NOT ASSIST. 
          WE AS TRAPPERS, UH, RESPONDED. 
          I WENT THERE. 
          I SPENT SEVERAL HOURS CANVASING THE AREA, KNOCKING ON DOORS AND WORKING WITH THE COMMUNITY, EVEN ON A HOLIDAY, WHICH WAS THE DAY AFTER OUR MEETING. 
          OVER THE FOLLOWING WEEKS, I DEDICATED MORE THAN 20 HOURS TRYING TO LOCATE THE CAT, BUT IT WAS NEVER FOUND. 
          SOME PEOPLE SAW IT ON AND OFF, BUT WE WERE NOT ABLE TO TRAP THE CAT. 
          HAD OFFICERS RESPONDED INITIALLY, THIS OUTCOME MIGHT HAVE BEEN AVOIDED. 
          THE LACK OF ACTION THAT LEFT A RESIDENT FEELING HELPLESS AND A BIT TRAUMATIZED. 
          THE CAT WAS THERE IN HER HOUSE WITH THE TAIL HALF HANGING TO THE GROUND, AND SHE COULD NOT HELP IT. 
          VOLUNTEER TRAPPERS SHOULD NOT BE THE DEFAULT RESPONDERS TO THESE CASES. 
          WHILE WE ASSIST WHEN POSSIBLE, THE BURDEN SHOULD NOT FALL ON US ALONE. 
          I ASK FOR SERIOUS CONSIDERATION IN REVIEWING THE PROTOCOL, A PO FOLLOWS AS WELL AS 3 1 1, AND HOW TO RESPOND TO THE COMMUNITY AND BETTER SERVE THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS AS WELL. 
          THAT IS IT. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UM, WE HAVE A NUMBER OF OTHER SPEAKERS WHO SIGNED UP FOR SPECIFIC AGENDA ITEMS. UM, I WILL CALL YOUR NAME AND GIVE YOU THE OPTION TO EITHER SPEAK NOW, OR YOU CAN WAIT UNTIL THAT AGENDA ITEM, UM, COMES UP IF YOU PREFER. 
          SO, UM, SUSIE CHASE. 
          SHE HERE? YES. 
          OH, GREAT. 
          WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPEAK NOW OR WAIT UNTIL THAT AGENDA ITEM COMES UP? OH, AND WAIT UNTIL, OKAY, GREAT. 
          UM, SHELLY LIBA? YES. 
          WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPEAK NOW? YEAH, I'LL WAIT. 
          OH, WAIT. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, AND THEN, UH, PAT TRES, YOU SIGNED UP FOR A NUMBER OF ITEMS YOU WANNA OKAY, GREAT. 
          UM, THEN WE WILL GO AHEAD AND, UM, MOVE ON, UM, UH, 
          [APPROVAL OF MINUTES ]
TO APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES. 
          UM, IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES? UH, COMMISSIONER NIELSEN IS OUR SECOND COMMISSIONER, MULA. 
          UM, ANY DISCUSSION OR CORRECTIONS THAT NEED TO BE MADE? OKAY. 
          ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? I. 
          OKAY. 
          UH, I THINK THAT'S SIX OF US WITH COMMISSIONER HOKE ABSTAINING. 
          IS THAT RIGHT? OKAY. 
          I WASN'T THERE, SORRY. 
          OKAY, GREAT. 
          UM, THE MOTION FAILS. 
          YES. 
          YES. 
          WE CAN BRING IT BACK NEXT MONTH. 
          OKAY, GREAT. 
           OFF TO A ROUGH START HERE. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, ALRIGHT THEN, UH, WE WILL GO ON TO, 
          [2. Staff briefing regarding monthly reports provided by the Animal Service Center. ]
UM, UH, AGENDA ITEM NUMBER TWO, WHICH IS STAFF BRIEFING. 
          GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS. 
          JASON GAR WITH ANIMAL SERVICES. 
          SO HERE'S THE ANIMAL SERVICES REPORT FOR FEBRUARY. 
          THE LIVE OUTCOME RATE FOR, UH, WAS 95.81%. 
          WE HAD A TOTAL OF 846 ANIMALS THAT WERE IMPOUNDED INTO THE SHELTER. 
          WE HAD A TOTAL OF, WITH 526 ANIMALS BEING ADOPTED, UH, THERE WERE 75 DOGS AND CATS THAT WERE RETURNED TO THE OWNER. 
          UM, ANIMAL PROTECTION, UH, MADE CONTACT WITH THE PUBLIC OVER, UH, OVER 2200 TIMES. 
          UM, WE WERE IMPOUNDED 89 INJURED ANIMALS AND DELIVERED APPROXIMATELY 62 WILDLIFE ANIMALS. 
          SO OUR PARTNER WILDLIFE RESCUE, UM, WE DID ENTER, UH, 197 RABIES EXPOSURE REPORTS AS WELL. 
          UM, WE HAD 536, UH, VOLUNTEERS CONTRIBUTE, UH, OVER 6,000 HOURS TO US, WHICH, WHICH WE'RE VERY GRATEFUL FOR. 
          188 VOLUNTEERS DEDICATED THEIR TIME TO VOLUNTEER DEVELOPMENT AND ONBOARDING AND TRAINING. 
          UM, WE HAD 122 ANALYSTS THAT WERE ADOPTED DIRECTLY FROM OUR FOSTER CARE. 
          AND CURRENTLY 802 MEMBERS ARE, UH, APPROVED FOSTERS THAT ARE IN THE GIVE PULSE, UH, GROUP, UM, READY TO BE FOSTERS WHENEVER, WHENEVER THEY, UM, ARE GOOD TO GO. 
          UH, OUR VETS PERFORMED OVER 700 EXAMS WHILE ALSO SPAYING NEUTERING, UH, 405 ANIMALS. 
          WE HAD 39 TRANSFERS, UH, FOR EMERGENCIES FROM 
          [00:15:01]
THE EMERGENCY CLINIC, WHICH CAME TO AN ESTIMATED BILL OF ABOUT $36,000. 
          UM, WE'VE, UH, CONTINUED TO DO WELL WITH OUR SOCIAL MEDIA. 
          UH, FACEBOOK, WE WERE ABLE TO HAVE AN AUDIENCE THAT REACHED ABOUT 228,000 PEOPLE AND INSTAGRAM, WE WERE ABLE TO REACH 72,000. 
          UM, ON THE DATA REPORT. 
          I WILL NOTE THAT ON THE DIET ANIMALS COUNT, UM, THERE IS ANOTHER, UH, JUST WANTED TO MAKE CLARIFICATION. 
          SO WE HAD, UH, ANIMALS DIE AT KENNEL IN SHELTER, BUT THERE WERE SOME ANIMALS THAT DIED, UM, IN THE SHELTER, BUT WERE DEEMED AS AN EMERGENCY BECAUSE THEY, THEY DIED ALONG THE HANDOFF. 
          SO THEY'RE TECHNICALLY IN SHELTER. 
          SO THAT'S, IF YOU LOOK AT THE CHART, THE CHART BELOW, UH, YOU'LL SEE A FOUR ADDITIONAL ANIMALS. 
          SO THESE FOUR WERE, AS THEY WERE BEING IMPOUNDED AND TAKEN TO THE BACK, THEY WERE, THEY UNFORTUNATELY PERISHED. 
          SO JUST WANTED TO BRING THAT TO YOUR ATTENTION. 
          I'LL BE HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS. 
          OKAY. 
          ARE THERE QUESTIONS FOR STAFF? OH, AND I'M SORRY. 
          I HAVE ONE MORE THING TO TALK ABOUT. 
          OKAY. 
          UH, I ALSO WANTED TO GO OVER OUR VACANCY REPORT. 
          SO RIGHT NOW WE HAVE FOUR VA, UH, FIVE VACANT REGULAR, UH, FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES. 
          UM, BUT TWO ARE IN THE HIRING PROCESS. 
          ONE IS CURRENTLY BEING POSTED, AND TWO HAVE BEEN HIRED. 
          WE'RE JUST WAITING FOR THEIR START DATE TO START. 
          UM, AND THEN WE HAVE ONE AND A HALF TEMP VACANT POSITIONS. 
          WE'VE HIRED ONE AND THE HALF POSITION IS BEING POSTED RIGHT NOW. 
          GREAT. 
          ANY QUESTIONS? I I HAVE A QUESTION ACTUALLY. 
          UM, AND YOU MAY NOT HAVE THE SPECIFICS ON THIS, BUT I WAS WONDERING IF YOU COULD JUST BRIEFLY RESPOND TO, UM, UH, THE TWO COMMENTS THAT WERE, UM, RAISED DURING THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD. 
          ONE ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT, UM, IT'S POSSIBLE TO HAVE A FOSTER OPTION WHEN THERE'S A, A MEDICAL HOLD WHERE WE ARE WITH THAT. 
          SO YES, ONCE THAT WAS BROUGHT UP TO OUR ATTENTION, WE, WE ARE LOOKING AT SORT OF IMPLEMENTING A CHANGE TO THAT POLICY. 
          IT HAD BEEN, UM, LONGSTANDING THAT WHEN WE CANCELED AN ADOPTION. 
          SO RIGHT NOW WE'RE JUST, WE'RE, WHEN WE FOLLOWED WITH THE ADOPTER AND WE'RE GONNA CANCEL WITH THEM, WE'RE GOING TO JUST FOLLOW UP WITH QUESTIONS LIKE ONCE THE ANIMAL IS AVAILABLE AND THE VET TURF HAVE CLEARED IT TO BE AVAILABLE INTO A HOME, WHETHER THEY'D BE INTERESTED IN FOSTERING OR NOT, UNTIL ONCE IT'S COMPLETELY CLEARED AND THEN WE CAN ADOPT THE ANIMAL. 
          GREAT. 
          UM, AND THEN IF YOU COULD JUST BRIEFLY SPEAK TO THE, UM, THE CAT INCIDENT THAT WAS RAISED. 
          IS THERE ANY OTHER CONTEXT? UM, AS FAR AS THAT SITUATION? I'D HAVE TO LOOK INTO IT MORE JUST TO FIND OUT, UM, WHAT WAS, WHAT WAS REPORTED AND THEN SORT OF THE RESPONSE FROM THE A PO. 
          UM, JUST SO, BUT, UM, ONCE I DO THAT, I CAN PROVIDE THAT TO, TO CHRISTIE AND SHE CAN SHARE IT WITH THE COMMISSION. 
          TERRIFIC. 
          THANKS SO MUCH. 
          ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR STAFF? UM, COMMISSIONER ES? YES, UH, GOOD EVENING. 
          UH, JASON, AND, UH, MAYBE THIS WAS DISCUSSED BEFORE THE SESSION STARTED IS, WAS, UH, CHIEF PLANNED? UH, HE, HE'S OUT RIGHT NOW, AND SO I'M ACTING IN HIS CAPACITY. 
          GREAT. 
          ANY HE'S OUTTA THE OFFICE. 
          ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I HAVE, UH, I WAS APPROACHED, UH, ABOUT A PARTICULAR CASE THAT, UM, WHEN THERE WAS A COLD SPELL, UH, THE PERSON WAS LEAVING THEIR DOG OUTSIDE. 
          SO THEY CALLED, UH, 3 1 1, AND THEN OF COURSE THEY TOLD HIM TO CALL, UM, 9 1 1. 
          AND, UM, THEY CAME OUT. 
          AND, UM, AND THEN LATER ON ALSO THEY CALL, APPARENTLY IT, I DON'T HAVE THE DETAILS, BUT IT'S, UM, THE, THAT DOG OR PUPPY'S WENT PRE AND THEY HAVE CALLED ABOUT ABOUT THAT BEFORE. 
          UH, BECAUSE THE, THAT PERSON'S ALWAYS SCREAMING AND EVEN TALKING ABOUT HITTING THE DOG, BEATING HIM UP, AND THEY HAVE COME OUT BEFORE TWICE. 
          HOW DOES THAT GET HANDLED? UM, SO NORMALLY YES, WHEN A 3, 1 1 ISSUE IS, IS OUR SERVICE REQUEST IS ISSUED TO ANIMAL PROTECTION. 
          UM, WE'LL FOLLOW UP WITH THEM, ESPECIALLY IF IT'S FOR, FOR A POSSIBLE NEGLECT SITUATION. 
          WE'LL, WE'LL GO OUT TO THE, UH, HOME, CHECK IT, TALK WITH THE INDIVIDUAL OWNERS, UM, GIVE THEM RESOURCES IF IT'S NEEDED. 
          UM, IF THERE'S ANY POSSIBLE SIGNS OR WHERE OTHER ISSUES JUST THAT WOULD STEM INTO CRUELTY WOULD BE INVOLVED, THEN WE WOULD FORWARD THAT TO OUR A PD CRUELTY UNIT. 
          SO, SO I, I MEAN, THIS PERSON ALREADY HAS DONE LIKE THREE TIMES AND JUST THIS PAST WEEKEND, IT, IT WAS THE SAME THING. 
          AND, AND SHE WAS SAYING, I'M GONNA BEAT YOU WITH THE STICK. 
          I DIDN'T LIKE THAT THE DOG WAS IN A CORNER. 
          UM, YEAH, WE WOULD, WE WOULD STILL 
          [00:20:01]
FOLLOW THE SAME PROCESS ONLY BECAUSE CRUEL A PD CRUELTY WOULD THEN INVESTIGATE IF THEY FOUND, UH, ENOUGH EVIDENCE TO WARRANT A SEIZURE, THEN THAT WOULD BE THE IMPETUS FOR US TO, TO GO IN AND IMPOUND ANIMALS OR NOT. 
          UM, SO HOW DOES THE, HOW DO YOU CONNECT THE DOTS WITH WHAT, WHAT ARE THE TIMES THAT I HAVE BEEN CALLED? I'D HAVE TO LET THE, UH, EXACT ADDRESS AND THEN FOLLOW UP WITH A PD TO AND CHECK WITH THEM WITH OUR RECORDS, WHAT WE'VE OBSERVED TO THE, WHERE WE WOULD'VE SENT IT AND FORWARDED TO A PD OR NOT. 
          SO I, I, WHAT I'M HEARING IS THAT I, OR THAT PERSON NEEDS TO GIVE YOU THE ADDRESS TO YOU, JASON. 
          WELL, I MEAN, YES. 
          THAT WAY I CAN LOOK INTO IT. 
          UM, BUT IT USUALLY IT WILL GO THROUGH A 3 1 1 AND THAT'S THE NORMAL PROCESS THAT IS FOLLOWED. 
          SO I'M NOT SURE EXACTLY THE PARAMETERS OF THIS PARTICULAR CASE, BUT IF, IF A IF OUR APOS WENT OUT AND DIDN'T, DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING THAT WOULD WARRANT A, A CONTINUATION TO A PD CRUELTY, THEN THEY WOULD'VE JUST SPOKE WITH THE OWNER PROVIDED EDUCATION AND OR RESOURCES. 
          THEY DON'T HAVE THE POWER TO SEIZE ANIMALS. 
          SO, I, I JUST WANNA MAKE ONE LAST COMMENT THAT IT, IT'S APPARENTLY SHE PUT THAT NEIGHBOR PUT THE NAME OF HER DOG DOES THEY NAME OF, OF DOLLAR PERSON'S DOG. 
          SO NOW HER DOG, HER OWN DOG DOESN'T WANNA COME OUT WHEN THIS LADY IS OUTSIDE BECAUSE I, I GUESS THE WAY SHE IS AGGRESSIVENESS TOWARDS THAT ANIMAL, I'LL, I'LL SEND YOU THE ADDRESS. 
          UH, I JUST FEEL THAT THIS IS VERY, UH, OR MAYBE YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND, BUT THE PROCESS SEEMS TO BE VERY, UH, LOOSE. 
          THAT'S MY PERCEPTION. 
          COMMISSIONER HOLT, DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION? AND I, I'VE BEEN REMINDED THAT, UH, STAFF BRIEFING IS FOR CLARIFYING QUESTIONS ONLY . 
          YES. 
          AND THIS IS THE CLARIFYING QUESTION ACTUALLY IN RESPONSE TO, THANK YOU. 
          UM, LAST THING, UM, I, I AM COMPLETELY FORGETTING, AND I APOLOGIZE 'CAUSE IF I, OF ALL PEOPLE SHOULD ACTUALLY KNOW THIS, BUT IS THE TRAVIS COUNTY ANIMAL CRUELTY TASK FORCE, DO THEY ONLY WORK IN UNINCORPORATED TRAVIS COUNTY? OR ARE THEY WHO RESPOND TO CRUELTY SPECIFIC CASES THAT A PD DOES NOT GET TO INSIDE CITY LIMITS? AS I UNDERSTAND IT, THEY'RE JUST WORKING IN THE UNINCORPORATED AREAS OF THE COUNTY, OR A PD HAS THE JURISDICTION WITHIN THE CITY OF AUSTIN. 
          OKAY. 
          SO IT, UM, IF SOMEONE IS BRINGING AN ISSUE LIKE THIS FORWARD, IS THIS A, LIKE, DO Y'ALL REFER 'EM TO THE COUNTY TRAVIS COUNTY SHERIFF CRUELTY TASK FORCE? OR IS THAT ONLY AFTER IT PASSES THE THRESHOLD WITH A PD DOING? LIKE I, I KNOW THAT YOU'RE, THE ACOS WORK IN AND OUT OF THE CITY, RIGHT? THEY WORK IN, IN THE COUNTY AND IN THE CITY MM-HMM . 
          AND SO I'M JUST TRYING TO GET AN IDEA OF LIKE, WE'LL, NO. 
          YEAH, WE'LL NOTIFY THE, THE APPROPRIATE AGENCY FOR WHATEVER JURISDICTION THAT WE'RE WORKING IN AT THE TIME. 
          SO IF WE HAPPEN TO SEE SOMETHING OUT IN UNINCORPORATED AREAS AND IT, IT WARRANTS US TO BE LIKE, UM, THAT'S NOT RIGHT, THEN WE'LL FORWARD IT TO TRAVIS COUNTY SO THEY CAN FOLLOW UP WITH AN INVESTIGATION IF THEY FEEL NEED TO. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU FOR CLARIFYING. 
          ANY OTHER QUESTIONS BEFORE WE MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER THREE? OKAY. 
          UM, MOVING ON TO ITEM NUMBER 
          [3. Presentation and discussion regarding the development of bond technical criteria and the  recent work of the Bond Election Advisory Task Force. Presentation by Jason Garza,  Deputy Officer, Animal Services Office. ]
THREE, PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION REGARDING DEVELOPMENT OF BOND TECHNICAL CRITERIA. 
          I BELIEVE THIS ONE'S YOU AS WELL, JASON. 
          THIS ONE'S ME. 
          OKAY, GREAT. 
          UH, JUST MAKING SURE THEY PICK IT UP. 
          SO, UM, SO THANK YOU ALL. 
          I'D LIKE TO GIVE Y ALL A BRIEF PRESENTATION OF ASO'S INVOLVEMENT IN THE CITY'S BOND DEVELOPMENT PROCESS. 
          SO, AS YOU MAY KNOW, UH, CITY COUNCIL PASSED THE RESOLUTION DIRECT TO CITY MANAGER TO DEVELOP A COMPREHENSIVE BOND POCKET FOR COUNCIL TO CONSIDER TO TAKE INTO VOTERS IN 2026. 
          SO, UM, LUCKY FOR US, A SO IS INVITED TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS PROCESS. 
          AND SO WHAT I'M, WHAT I WILL SHARE TODAY IS WHERE WE ARE AT IN THE PROCESS, SPECIFICALLY THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES THAT WE ARE TO USE, UM, WHEN PROJECTS ARE IDENTIFIED AND THE TECHNICAL CRITERIA ARE DEVELOPED TO SCORE ANY PROPOSED PROJECTS. 
          UM, I, UH, I CANNOT SPEAK ON ANY SPECIFIC PROPOSED PROJECTS IN DETAIL OR REAL SPECIFICS. 
          UM, PROJECTS IN GENERAL ARE TO HAVE, UH, A PURPOSE THAT WILL ENHANCE SERVICES AND PROMOTE THE MISSION OF THE DEPARTMENT. 
          SO IF YOU HAVE SPECIFIC FEEDBACK ON THE TEGO, THEN WE CAN LOOK AT AND INCORPORATE THAT INTO WHAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE. 
          SO, LEMME SEE. 
          THERE WE GO. 
          SO, UM, I LIKE TO START WITH A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE, OF THE LAST TIME A SO OR REALLY ANYTHING ANIMAL CENTRIC WAS INCLUDED IN A BOND ELECTION. 
          THIS WAS DONE BACK IN 2000, UH, 2006. 
          AS YOU CAN SEE, THE INITIAL PROJECT LOOKED TO RENOVATE THE TOWN LAKE ANIMAL CENTER FOR AN INITIAL COST OF $22 MILLION. 
          BUT THERE WAS ESTIMATES THAT IT COULD UPWARD BE UPWARDS OF 25 MILLION. 
          SO AT THE TIME, 
          [00:25:01]
A SO WAS A DIVISION OF THE HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICE DEPARTMENT, WHICH IS NOW KNOWN AS AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH. 
          SO, UM, THE BOND ELECTION ADVISOR COMMITTEE AT THE TIME DID RECOMMEND BUILDING A NEW BUILDING, UM, ON, UH, AT A COST OF $12 MILLION. 
          AND SO IT WAS DRASTICALLY CUT FROM WHAT WE WERE, UH, HOPING TO GET. 
          SO, UM, AND THAT IS THE BUILDING THAT IS NOW AT LA VANDER LT AT THE HHC CAMPUS. 
          UM, SO CLEARLY YOU CAN SEE IT'S BEEN ALMOST TWO DECADES SINCE WE'VE HAD SORT OF ANY SORT OF, UH, CONSIDERATION FOR, FOR ANIMAL FACILITIES OR ANIMAL RELATED SERVICES. 
          SO, UH, THE PROCESS IS BEING LED AND STEWARDED BY THE CAPITAL DELIVERY SERVICE OFFICE. 
          SO ONE OF THE FIRST ITEMS THAT WAS FULFILLED WAS THAT ALL DEPARTMENTS PARTICIPATED HAD TO ADOPT, UM, UH, GUIDING PRINCIPLES THAT WOULD BE USED, UH, CONSISTENTLY AMONG ANY SORT OF A DEVELOPMENT OF, OF TECHNICAL CRITERIA AND A SCORING MATRIX. 
          NOW, THESE SIX PRINCIPLES OF TIED TO THE CITY STRATEGIC PLAN AND ARE THE FOUNDATION OF HOW EACH DEPARTMENT WILL DEVELOP, UM, THE CRITERIA TO SCORE THE PROPOSED PROJECT. 
          SO, UM, THESE SIX PRINCIPLES HAVE SPECIFIC DEFINITIONS THAT WILL CORRELATE BACK TO THE TECHNICAL CRITERIA. 
          SO, UM, JUST A QUICK OVERVIEW OF THE GUIDING PRINCIPLE THEMSELVES. 
          SO WITH EQUITY, WE ARE LOOKING AT BOND PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS THAT WILL IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE OUTCOMES FOR ALL RESIDENTS, ELIMINATE RACIAL DISPARITIES, AND MITIGATE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES IN PLANS AND IMPLEMENTATION. 
          WE ALSO WANT TO INCORPORATE AFFORDABILITY, WHICH ARE, UM, DATA PROJECTS OR PROGRAMS THAT'LL IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHILE MINIMIZING FINANCIAL BURDENS. 
          UM, WITH INNOVATION. 
          UH, THOSE BOND PROJECTS WORK TO DEEPLY UNDERSTAND THE CHALLENGES AND NEEDS OF USERS AND CREATE NEW EVIDENCE-BASED SOLUTIONS TO SOLVE THEM, UH, WITH SUSTAINABILITY AND RESILIENCY. 
          UM, THE PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS INCLUDE EFFORTS TO ACHIEVE A NET ZERO COMMUNITY-WIDE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS AND RESILIENCY. 
          WHAT WE ACTIONS THAT INCREASE OUR ABILITY TO PREPARE FOR WITH STAND AND RECOVER FROM SHOCKS AND STRESSORS RELATED TO CLIMATE CHANGE. 
          WITHIN PROACTIVE PREVENTION, WE'RE LOOKING AT PROGRAMS THAT IMPROVE THE CONDITION AND OR FUNCTION OF EXISTING ASSETS AND FACILITIES THAT ADDRESS A NETWORK OF SYSTEMS SERVICE GAPS, AND IMPROVE ANY OF THE SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF PUBLIC SAFETY AND HEALTH DOMAINS. 
          AND FINALLY, WITH CUSTOMER TRUST AND RELATIONSHIPS, YOU KNOW, THESE PROGRAMS IMPROVE THE CONDITION AND FUNCTION OF EXISTING ASSETS, UM, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, BASICALLY INSTILL AND INCREASE UPON THE PUBLIC'S TRUST IN THAT SERVICE BEING OFFERED. 
          SO, UM, WITH THE TECHNICAL CRITERIA DEVELOPED WHILE DEVELOPING THE CRITERIA, WE DISCUSSED WHAT A PROJECT WOULD TACKLE AND HOW IT WOULD IMPROVE A SO. 
          WE TRIED TO FRAME THOSE DISCUSSIONS WITH THE RELATIONS TO THE GUIDING PRINCIPLE, AND HERE'S A SNAPSHOT FOR EACH. 
          SOME ARE MORE DIRECT CORRELATION THAN OTHERS, BUT OVERALL, WE TRIED TO BE AS COMPREHENSIVE AS POSSIBLE. 
          SO WITHIN EQUITY, WE WANTED TO ENSURE THAT THE SERVICES PROVIDED WERE ACCESSIBLE TO ALL WITH AFFORDABILITY. 
          THAT IT DOES NOT CREATE A HARDSHIP OR FOR FUTURE PET OWNERS INNOVATION, THAT THIS WILL ADVANCE ANIMAL WELFARE IN AUSTIN WITH SUSTAINABILITY AND RESILIENCY. 
          WILL IT HELP REDUCE THE CARBON FOOTPRINT FOR THE ORGANIZATION, BUT ALSO TO RESIDENTS AND ALL, AND TO RESIDENTS OF AUSTIN? UM, WITH PROACTIVE PREVENTION, OUR, YOU KNOW, A PROJECT THAT WILL AFFECT PETS IN A POSITIVE ASPECT AS WELL AS POSITIVE IMPACT ON OVERALL SHELTER OPERATIONS. 
          WITH CU MUNI, UH, CUSTOMER TRUST RELATIONSHIPS, IT'LL INCREASE OUR PUBLIC TRUST AND RELATIONSHIP THAT MAY BE STRAINED DUE TO CURRENT GAPS IN SERVICE. 
          SO, UM, OUR LEADERSHIP TEAM MET TO DEVELOP CRITERIA THAT WOULD ADDRESS SOME OF THE MAIN CONCERNS OR ISSUES THAT ARE COMMUNICATED. 
          WE LANDED ON FOUR AREAS, UM, WHICH ARE, WILL THE PROJECT ENHANCE SERVICES FOR RESIDENTS IMPROVEMENT THAT WILL IMPROVE A SO OPERATIONS, PROMOTE SAFETY AND WELLBEING TO HUMANS, AND PROMOTE ENHANCED ANIMAL WELFARE. 
          NOW, EACH CRITERIA IS GOING TO BE BA IS BA IS SCORED BASED ON HOW THE PROJECT RELATES TO GUIDING THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES. 
          AND ALL PROJECTS MAY HAVE A MAXIMUM SCORE OF A HUNDRED POINTS. 
          SO, UM, HERE'S THE NUMERICAL BREAKDOWN. 
          SO OUR TEAM WORKED TO ALLOCATE, TO ALLOCATE POINTS IN RELATION TO THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES. 
          AS I NOTED, THE POINT ALLOCATION WE LANDED ON IS SHOWN HERE. 
          SO EQUITY BE 10 POINTS, AFFORDABILITY 15, INNOVATION 10, SUSTAINABILITY, RESILIENCY WILL BE FIVE. 
          AND REALLY WHERE OUR, OUR, OUR BRUNT OF OUR SCORING WILL BE WITH PROACTIVE PREVENTION AND CUSTOMER TRUST AND RELATIONSHIPS. 
          SO, UM, NEXT STEPS MOVING FORWARD IS THAT, UH, WE WILL BE BRIEF THE BOND LUXURY ADVISORY TASK FORCE, UM, ON THIS, THIS TECHNICAL CRITERIA SCORING MATRIX. 
          UM, WE'LL STILL CONTINUE DEVELOPING PROJECTS THAT MAY BE CONSIDERED. 
          UM, WE WILL ENSURE THAT THERE IS, IF THERE IS ALIGNMENT OR OVERLAP WITH OTHER DEPARTMENTS TO SEE HOW WE CAN MAXIMIZE, UM, A PROJECT TO SORT OF PRESENT TO THE VOTERS. 
          AND THEN, UM, YOU KNOW, ANY RECOMMENDATIONS WILL BE PRESENTED TO THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE. 
          AND THEN ANY PROJECTS ONCE THEY'RE DEVELOPED WILL BEGIN GOING TO, UM, UH, THE BOND ELECTION ADVISORY TASK FORCE. 
          SO, UM, NO, 
          [00:30:01]
I SAID A MOUTHFUL RIGHT THERE. 
          BUT YEAH, THAT'S ESSENTIALLY SORT OF, IT'S A SPEEDY PROCESS AND WE'RE MOVING, UM, PRETTY STEADILY ON IT. 
          WE'RE JUST GLAD TO BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN IT AND HOPEFULLY SORT OF LOOK TO, TO, UM, MAKE SOME ENHANCEMENTS THAT WILL IMPROVE OUR OPERATIONS. 
          THANK YOU. 
          ARE THERE QUESTIONS ON THIS TOPIC? COMMISSIONER MULA. 
          HI. 
          GOOD EVENING. 
          SO ON THIS, UM, A SO SCORING MATRIX HERE, UM, UH, I FIND IT A LITTLE DISHEARTENING THAT SUSTAINABILITY AND RESILIENCY ONLY RECEIVES FIVE POINTS. 
          UM, IF YOU WERE SAYING THAT THIS IS ABOUT IMPROVEMENTS, IS THIS NOT, IS THIS THE, UH, IMPROVEMENTS TO CAMPUS AND THINGS LIKE THAT WOULD FALL UNDER HERE? SO YES, BUT WE ALSO HAVE TO TIE IT BACK TO THE DEFINITION THAT WE'VE BEEN, WE'VE BEEN PROVIDED. 
          SO WHEN LOOKING AT THE SUSTAINABILITY OF IT, WILL THE PROJECT INCLUDE EFFORTS TO MAKE A NET ZERO COMMUNITY WIDE GREENHOUSE, UM, GAS EMISSIONS? SO WE WILL SCORE IT ON THAT, BUT YOU KNOW, HOW MUCH OF AN IMPACT WE'LL HAVE WITH, WITH GETTING A PROJECT THAT MAY, MAY OR MAY NOT AFFECT THAT, THAT, UH, PARTICULAR SCORE. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, I, I CAN'T TELL ON THAT, ESPECIALLY WITH RESILIENCY. 
          'CAUSE AGAIN, WE'RE LOOKING TO LOOK AT HOW WE CAN IMPACT THE SHOCKS AND STRESSORS OF CLIMATE CHANGE. 
          SO, UM, YOU KNOW, WILL THE, WILL THE BUILDING ITSELF AND OPERATING, WILL THAT INCREASE CLIMATE CHANGE? I MEAN, I, I, I CAN'T TELL YOU THAT, ESPECIALLY IF WE REALLY TARGETED A LEAD CERTIFIED TYPE BUILDING. 
          BUT, UM, WORKING WITH CAPITAL DELIVERY STAFF AND, AND SORT OF LIKE BUILDING OUT OUR, OUR SCORING MATRIX TO INCLUDE LIKE WHERE WE WOULD DEFINITELY HAVE THE MOST IMPACT WITH, WITH WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH. 
          RIGHT. 
          AND IS THE, IS THE CURRENT SHELTER, DOES IT MEET THE LEAD? SO IT'S LEAD, UH, SILVER, THE LEAD REQUIREMENTS? YEAH, I THINK IT'S LEAD. 
          SILVER. 
          SILVER, OKAY. 
          YEAH. 
          THANK YOU. 
          MM-HMM . 
          OTHER QUESTIONS? YES, DR. NIELSEN. 
          UM, I WAS INTERPRETING THAT TO MEAN THAT WHATEVER PROJECT YOU BUILD WOULD BE ABLE TO SUSTAIN STRESSORS FROM EXPECTED CLIMATE CHANGE RELATED EVENTS LIKE FLOODING OR INCREASED THAT, THAT, THAT, THAT, THAT, UM, RESILIENCY PART WAS NOT ABOUT THE EFFECT THAT YOUR PROJECT WOULD HAVE ON CLIMATE CHANGE, BUT THAT IT WOULD BE ABLE TO WITHSTAND EXPECTED SEQUELA OF CLIMATE CHANGE. 
          MM-HMM . 
          AND, AND THAT SEEMS IMPORTANT THAT, UM, THAT LIKE OUR SHELTER NOT GET FLOODED AND THINGS LIKE THAT MM-HMM . 
          WELL, AND I THINK AS WE, WELL, WHEN, IF WE'RE LUCKY ENOUGH TO GET ANY SORT OF FUNDING AND WHATEVER THE PROJECT MAY BE, I MEAN, WE WOULD, WE WOULD BUILD IT IN A WAY TO SORT OF ENSURE THAT THOSE, THOSE STRESSORS AND SHOCKS WOULDN'T, WOULDN'T AFFECT US. 
          BUT, UM, WE TRYING TO ENCOMPASS THIS WITHIN ALL DEPARTMENTS TO FIT. 
          SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING AT WHAT A TRANSPORTATION PROJECT MAY END UP DOING, IF IT'S BUILDING MORE ROADS OR, UM, WHAT A A PD BUILDING MAY, MAY ALSO INFECT. 
          SO, UM, IT'S, WE TRY TO LOOK AT IT AS, OKAY, HOW WILL A PROJECT OR WILL THE OPERATIONS OF THE, OF, OF ANY BUILDING OR WHATEVER WE END UP BUILDING, UM, IS THAT GONNA NEGATIVELY IN AFFECT, AFFECT THE, THE SURROUNDING AREA COMMUNITY? WILL IT NOT, YOU KNOW, CONTRIBUTE TO ADDITIONAL STRESSORS ON ONGOING CLIMATE. 
          OTHER QUESTIONS? I, I HAVE A QUESTION. 
          UM, IF YOU COULD JUST SORT OF BRIEFLY WALK US THROUGH, I KNOW YOU SAID IT'S A QUICK PROCESS, BUT WHERE DO YOU GO FROM HERE AND, AND WHAT ARE THE NEXT STEPS THAT WE SHOULD? SO THE NEXT STEPS ARE WE, WE'LL BE PRESENTING TO THE BOND ELECTION ADVISORY TASK FORCE WITH SORT OF WHAT WE HAVE DEVELOPED AS A SCORING MATRIX AND TECHNICAL CRITERIA FOR THEIR, FOR THEIR CONSUMPTION. 
          UM, WE'LL STILL BE WORKING WITH CDS STAFF ON, ON SORT OF WHAT ANY PROPOSED PROJECTS THAT THAT MAY COME UP, WHAT IS ACTUALLY, UH, VIABLE. 
          AND THEN PUT PROBABLY TOWARD FUNDING NUMBERS OF OR ACTUAL COST TO WHAT ESTIMATE COST COULD BE FOR, FOR THOSE PROJECTS TO BE CONSIDERED. 
          AND SO ONCE CDS, UH, PUTS THAT INFORMATION TOGETHER, THEY'LL SEND IT TO CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE FOR REVIEW AND APPROVAL. 
          AND, UM, WE LOOK TO BE SHARING, IF I REMEMBER THE TIMELINE, PROBABLY IN THE SUMMER, SOMETIME LATE SUMMER OF, OF ACTUALLY UNVEILING POTENTIAL PROJECTS. 
          MM-HMM . 
          UM, SO, GREAT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON THIS ITEM BEFORE WE MOVE ON? OKAY. 
          UM, THEN WE WILL MOVE ON TO 
          [4. Overview of budget requests made by Animal Services Office and the process for Fiscal  Year 2026 budget development.]
AGENDA ITEM NUMBER FOUR, OVERVIEW OF BUDGET 
          [00:35:01]
REQUESTS MADE BY ANIMAL SERVICES OFFICE. 
          UM, WE DO HAVE A, UM, PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS AGENDA ITEM FROM PAT VAL. 
          UM, THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK. 
          AGAIN, MY NAME IS PAT REYES, I LIVE IN DISTRICT THREE, THE SAME DISTRICT AS OUR VICE CHAIR. 
          AND I JUST WANNA SAY THAT I AM VERY PLEASED THAT THIS ITEM IS ON THE AGENDA. 
          I HOPE THAT, UM, YOU WILL KEEP AN ITEM ON FUTURE AGENDAS ABOUT THE BUDGET REQUEST. 
          AND LET ME SHARE WITH YOU A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY OF WHAT HAS GONE ON IN THE PAST. 
          UM, AS MOST OF YOU HAVE PROBABLY HEARD ME SAY, EXCUSE ME, I WAS ON THE ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION FOR 16 YEARS, AND WHENEVER I WAS ON THE ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION, WE ALWAYS, ALWAYS HAD A BUDGET ITEM ON THE AGENDA LEADING UP TO THE BUDGET ADOPTION IN AUGUST BY CITY COUNCIL. 
          UM, DURING THAT TIME, STAFF WOULD TELL US, THEY COULD NOT REVEAL TO US WHAT THEY WERE REQUESTING, AND I AGREED WITH THAT AND I UNDERSTOOD IT BECAUSE THAT IS THE DIRECTIVE FROM THE CITY MANAGER IS THEY WORK ON AN INTERNAL BUDGET AND THEN THEY PRESENT IT IN JULY, AND THEN THE COUNCIL APPROVES IT IN AUGUST, WHICH LED ME TO START ADVOCATING FOR AN EARLIER DISCUSSION ABOUT WHAT WAS IN THE PAST YEAR'S BUDGET AND WHAT WERE THE NEEDS THAT WERE UNMET IN THE PAST YEAR'S BUDGET. 
          SO YOU COULD DISCUSS AND MAKE A RECOMMENDATION FOR THE FUTURE BUDGETS. 
          THERE HAVE BEEN A NUMEROUS DISCUSSIONS WHERE PEOPLE BEAT UP ON THE DIRECTOR FOR NOT REVEALING TO THEM WHAT WAS THE BUDGET REQUEST. 
          THE BUDGET DIRECTOR CANNOT TELL YOU SOMETHING THAT IS GOING THROUGH AN INTERNAL PROCESS. 
          BUT AT THE SAME TIME, IF YOU DON'T FIND OUT WHAT IS IN THE DIRECTOR'S BUDGET REQUEST UNTIL JULY, YOU DON'T HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION BY AUGUST. 
          SO I AM VERY PLEASED THAT YOU'RE GONNA START A DISCUSSION ABOUT THIS ISSUE BECAUSE IN THE PAST IT HAS BEEN A DISASTER. 
          AND I WANNA TIE IT INTO SOMETHING I'M GONNA SAY WHEN I GET TO SPEAK ON THE DISCUSSION OF TARGETS, WHICH IS YOU CAN'T DISCUSS FIVE YEAR TARGETS WITHOUT DISCUSSING FIRST YEAR TARGETS. 
          AND THIS IS THE YEAR TO DISCUSS FIRST YEAR TARGETS. 
          SO ITEM FOUR AND ITEM FIVE ACTUALLY WORK TOGETHER REALLY BEAUTIFULLY. 
          START DISCUSSING WHAT WAS IN LAST YEAR'S BUDGET, WHAT IS NOT YET IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET, AND START TALKING ABOUT WHAT TO RECOMMEND IN YEAR ONE IN ORDER TO START THE TRAJECTORY TOWARDS MOVING TOWARDS YEAR FIVE. 
          NOW, THIS IS A GREAT DISCUSSION ITEM AND I'M REALLY PLEASED THAT THESE TWO ITEMS ARE AS DISCUSSION ITEMS NEXT MONTH. 
          I WOULD ASK YOU TO PUT IT ON AS DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION, BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO FINISH THIS IF YOU DON'T START TAKING POSSIBLE ACTION. 
          SORRY TO TAKE LONGER THAN I HAD. 
          THANKS. 
          UM, GREAT. 
          UH, IS, I'M NOT SURE WHOSE ITEM THIS WAS. 
          I, I BELIEVE THIS WAS A STAFF REQUESTED ITEM. 
          OH, IT WAS A STAFF REQUESTED ITEM. 
          DO YOU HAVE ANY, UM, INFORMATION THAT YOU'D LIKE TO SHARE ON THIS ITEM THEN? I'M OKAY. 
          GREAT. 
          YOU'RE GONNA HEAR FROM ME AGAIN, . 
          PERFECT. 
          I DIDN'T HAVE YOUR NAME ON THIS ONE. 
          THANK YOU. 
          MM-HMM . 
          GO AHEAD. 
          SO, UM, YEAH, SO, UH, WE ARE AT THAT TIME OF YEAR, AGAIN WHEN CITY DEPARTMENTS ARE BEGINNING THE BUDGET DEVELOPMENT PROCESS FOR THE UPCOMING YEAR. 
          SO ALTHOUGH WE ARE TOO EARLY IN THE PROCESS TO SHARE ANY SPECIFICS, WE WANTED TO PROVIDE AN OVERVIEW OF THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR BUDGET, SO WHAT WAS APPROVED LAST YEAR, AND THE UNMET NEEDS REQUESTS THAT WERE PROVIDED, UM, TO, UH, THAT WERE PROVIDED LAST YEAR'S THAT THEY WOULD'VE BEEN INCLUDED. 
          SO IT'S FROM THIS INFORMATION, UM, WE HOPE THAT THE COMMISSION, IF THEY WISH, MAY BEGIN DISCUSSIONS ON ANY RECOMMENDATIONS IT MAY SEND TO COUNCIL FOR THE UPCOMING BUDGET YEAR. 
          SO, UH, HERE'S A SNAPSHOT OF THE CURRENT A SO BUDGET. 
          AS YOU CAN SEE, THE BUDGET'S BROKEN UP REALLY INTO THREE CATEGORIES. 
          ANIMAL SERVICES, SUPPORT SERVICES, AND TRANSFER DEBT SERVICES REQUIREMENTS. 
          TOGETHER, THESE MAKE A TOTAL BUDGET OF, UH, $23,466,000. 
          UM, THE BUDGET IS MADE UP FROM REVENUE COLLECTED FROM THE GENERAL FUND AND REVENUE FROM THE INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT THAT THE CITY HAS WITH TRAVIS COUNTY. 
          SO THESE NEXT THREE SLIDES, UM, ARE A BREAKDOWN OF EACH CATEGORY, UM, STARTING WITH ANIMAL SERVICES. 
          SO THIS IS WHERE THE VAST MAJORITY OF A SO AND OPERATIONS ARE 
          [00:40:01]
IN. 
          UM, YOU CAN SEE, UH, IT'S FOR PERSONNEL CONTRACTUAL COMMODITIES. 
          UM, WE FUND ABOUT 118 FTES OUT OF THIS FUND. 
          SO WITHIN SUPPORT SERVICES, UM, THIS IS THE ADMINISTRATIVE PERSONNEL AND OTHER CONTRACTUAL COMMODITIES. 
          AND SO WE HAVE THE ADDITIONAL 10. 
          AND, AND THEN FINALLY, WITHIN, UM, DEBT SERVICES TRANSFERS, UH, UH, REQUIREMENT CAPITAL, THESE ARE DOLLARS THAT ARE TRANSFERRED BACK IN THE CITY OF FUND, UM, FUND, UH, INTERNAL OPERATIONS, OTHER ORGANIZATIONAL REQUIREMENTS. 
          SO, UM, THIS SLIDE ILLUSTRATES THE SIGNIFICANT CHANGES THAT THE A SO BUDGET SAW FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR. 
          SO THERE WAS AN INCREASE IN THE REVENUE COLLECTED FROM TRAVIS COUNTY THROUGH OUR ILA. 
          WE ALSO SAW AN INCREASE FOR FOOD, MEDICAL SUPPLIES AND FACILITY MAINTENANCE. 
          UM, THERE WERE FOUR POSITIONS THAT WE WERE AWARDED THAT HAD PARTIAL FUNDING, SO THEY ACTUALLY STARTED FUNDING THEM IN JANUARY. 
          AND SO WE HAD TO, UH, TO GIVE THEM FULL YEAR FUNDING. 
          WE, WE HAD TO ADD THAT ADDITIONAL AMOUNT IN THERE. 
          UM, SO, BUT DURING THE BUDGET DELIBERATIONS, UH, COUNCIL APPROVED THE ADDITION OF 2.5 REGULAR POSITIONS FOR OUR FOSTER ADOPTION COUNSELING. 
          AND THAT'S WHAT YOU SEE THERE AS FOR THAT, THAT THOSE, THE, UH, THOSE POSITIONS. 
          SO, UM, THIS SLIDE SHOWS A BREAKDOWN OF WHAT WAS OFFICIALLY REQUESTED AS AN UNMET NEED FROM A SO FOR ANIMAL SERVICES. 
          AS NOTED, A SO MADE A REQUEST OF 30 FTES WITH VEHICLES FOR APOS AT A COST ABOUT 2.9 MILLION AS THEY PREVIOUSLY WAS. 
          A SO WAS AWARDED THE TWO AND A HALF REGULAR EMPLOYEES FOR FOSTER AND ADOPTION COUNSELING. 
          UM, THIS SLIDE SHOWS A BREAKDOWN OF WHAT WAS OFFICIALLY REQUESTED AS AN UNMET NEED FROM ASL FOUR SUPPORT SERVICES. 
          AND, UM, NO FUNDING WAS APPROVED FOR THIS REQUEST. 
          AND THEN THIS SLIDE SHOWS, UM, A REQUEST FOR PAY GRADE CHANGES FUNDS TO RECLASSIFY POSITIONS AND FUNDS FUNDING FOR BOARDING. 
          IT ALSO INCLUDED A REQUEST TO REPLACE TOUGHBOOK LAPTOPS THAT ARE USED BY APOS, UM, AP, THE A SO WAS APPROVED FOR $30,000, UH, TO CONTRACT FOR BOARDING WHEN EXPERIENCING TIMES OF POPULATION SURGES. 
          SO, UM, SO JUST TO RECAP, THE A O SUBMITTED UNMET NEED REQUESTS THAT TOLD 3.6 MILLION, WHICH INCLUDED 36 NEW POSITIONS. 
          UM, WHAT WAS ADOPTED FOR THE FINAL BUDGET ENDED UP BEING A LITTLE OVER 700, 670 7,000 WITH TWO AND A HALF, UH, NEW REGULAR POSITIONS. 
          SO, UM, THAT'S, UH, I'LL ENTERTAIN ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE. 
          I KNOW I'VE TALKED A LOT AND YOU'RE PROBABLY TIRED OF HEARING ME. 
          SO, , ARE THERE QUESTIONS? YES, DR. NIELSEN. 
          SO I DID LOOK AT THIS BRIEFLY BEFORE THE MEETING AND THEN, YOU KNOW, WAS LOOKING FORWARD TO YOUR PRESENTATION. 
          I THINK I WOULD LIKE ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE YEAH. 
          QUESTIONS AT A LATER DIGEST AT THE NEXT MEETING. 
          IT, SO IF WE NEED TO PUT THIS BACK ON THERE OR, UM, YEAH. 
          SHOULD WE, UM, WE CAN ADD IT AS A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM AT THE END. 
          OKAY, GREAT. 
          OH, THANKS. 
          COMMISSIONER DEL. 
          YEAH. 
          OH, I, I AGREE WITH DR. 
          PAIGE. 
          GREAT. 
          GOOD IDEA. 
          PERFECT. 
          ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS THAT WE WANNA ASK NOW THIS WEEK, THIS MONTH, I GUESS. 
          OKAY, GREAT. 
          UM, THEN WE'RE 
          [5. Discussion of targets for the Animal Services Strategic Plan. ]
GONNA MOVE ON TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER FIVE, DISCUSSION OF TARGETS FOR THE ANIMAL SERVICES STRATEGIC PLAN. 
          UM, WE HAVE SEVERAL, UM, SPEAKERS WHO'VE SIGNED UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS ISSUE. 
          FIRST IS SUSIE CHASE. 
          GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS. 
          OH, SORRY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS. 
          I'M SUSIE CHASE. 
          I'M A REPRESENTATIVE OF AUSTIN PETS ALIVE, AND I'M A DISTRICT 10 CONSTITUENT. 
          I'M HERE THIS EVENING TO, UH, LET YOU ALL KNOW THAT AUSTIN PETS ALIVE SUPPORTS THE PASSAGE OF THE ANIMAL SERVICES, UM, STRATEGIC PLAN. 
          WE SUPPORT, UH, THIS BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT IT WILL UPHOLD THE 95% LIVE RELEASE RATE AS MANDATED BY THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL. 
          AND WE JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT WE'RE HERE TO SUPPORT AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER AND THE ADVISOR, UH, ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION IN ANY WAY POSSIBLE. 
          OKAY, GREAT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UM, NEXT WE HAVE SHELLY LIVIN. 
          GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS. 
          THAT'S ALL I OFF. 
          OKAY. 
          GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS. 
          MY NAME'S SHELLEY LEVI. 
          I'VE BEEN A VOLUNTEER AT AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER SINCE 2018. 
          UM, AND I'M HERE TO SPEAK ABOUT THE TARGETS. 
          I WAS A MEMBER OF THE WORKING GROUP FOR THE STRATEGIC PLAN, AND I GUESS I ALWAYS THOUGHT THAT OUR GROUP WOULD HAVE SOME SAY IN SETTING THE TARGETS FOR THE STRATEGIES UNDER EACH OF THE SIX FOCUS AREAS IN THE PLAN. 
          AND AT OUR LAST WORKING GROUP MEETING IN JANUARY, UH, ONE OF MY MAIN FEEDBACK WAS THAT, UH, WHY WEREN'T THERE ANY NUMBERS IN THE PLAN? UM, AND SO LAST, UH, LAST MEETING, AUDREY MONTHS EXPLAINED THAT WE'RE GONNA NEED TO DEVELOP SOME BASELINES FIRST TO, BEFORE 
          [00:45:01]
WE CAN SET GOALS. 
          AND THAT MAKES A LOT OF SENSE TO ME. 
          SO WE'LL NEED TO HAVE INPUT FROM A, A C TO LOOK, A HISTORICAL DATA, LOOK AT WHERE WE ARE TO DETERMINE WHERE WE NEED TO GO. 
          BUT I DON'T THINK THE FINAL DECISION, UH, MAKERS FOR SETTING THE TARGET SHOULD BE, UH, A C LEADERSHIP. 
          MY HOPE IS THERE'S A DIALOGUE WITH STAKEHOLDERS BEFORE THE NUMBERS ARE INITIALLY SET, AND AS THEY CHANGE, AS THE PLAN MOVES FORWARDS. 
          UM, I MEAN, I REALIZE WE'RE GONNA TWEAK THINGS FROM TIME TO TIME. 
          I JUST WANNA BE SURE THAT IT'S A COLLABORATION, UM, AND NOT JUST A, A UNILATERAL DECISION MAKING. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UM, NEXT WE HAVE PAT . 
          THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK AGAIN. 
          MY NAME IS PAT RES, AND AGAIN, I LIVE IN DISTRICT THREE, AND I JUST WANNA STATE MY VERY, VERY STRONG SUPPORT FOR WHAT MS. LIEBE JUST SAID. 
          I TOO SERVED ON THE STRATEGIC PLANNING WORKING GROUP, AND I GOT SO CAUGHT UP IN ADVOCATING FOR SPECIFIC WORDING FOR THE SPAY NEUTER GOAL AND INCLUDING IT AS A SEPARATE GOAL THAT IT WASN'T UNTIL THE VERY END THAT I REALIZED, OH MY GOSH, STAFF IS GONNA PUSH FOR THIS MOVING FORWARD WITHOUT SPECIFIC TARGETS. 
          NOW, I WILL SAY THAT I APOLOGIZED THAT I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT THIS THING, THE TRAIN WAS MOVING SO FAST THAT I WAS KIND OF CAUGHT A LITTLE BIT OFF GUARD WHEN EVEN THOUGH IT HAD BEEN TOLD TO US THAT IT WAS GONNA MOVE FAST, WE JUST APPROVED WORDS. 
          AND AS GREAT AS THOSE WORDS ARE, AS GREAT AS THOSE GOALS ARE, THE WORDING OF THE GOALS, THE WORDING OF THE STRATEGIES AND THE WORDING OF THE, THE, UM, MEASURES ISN'T GOOD ENOUGH. 
          BECAUSE AS COMMISSIONER SULA, YOU POINTED THIS OUT, AN INCREASE JUST COULD BE A 0.01% INCREASE, AND YOU COULD BE MEETING THE TARGET. 
          AND WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO IS I WOULD LIKE TO SUPPORT A CONVERSATION. 
          NOW, LET ME TELL YOU WHAT I HEARD WHEN I LISTENED TO THE PUBLIC HEALTH COMMITTEE MEETING. 
          I HEARD THAT, UM, THE STAFF IS GOING TO GET THE COUNCIL TO APPROVE THIS PLAN ON MARCH 27TH. 
          AND I WOULD LIKE THIS TO NOT BE APPROVED AS A PLAN UNTIL IT HAS TARGETS. 
          NOW, THEY COULD GO TO THE COUNCIL MEETING ON MARCH 27TH AND SAY, THIS IS OUR, THIS IS, THESE ARE THE PROPOSED WORDS THAT WE HAVE FOR OUR GOALS AND FOR OUR STRATEGIES AND FOR OUR MEASURES FOR UNTIL YOU HAVE TARGETS. 
          IT COULD BE A REALLY BAD PLAN, IT COULD BE A REALLY GOOD PLAN. 
          AND I WILL JUST SAY IT AGAIN, WHAT I SAID EARLIER, COUNCIL MEMBER VELASQUEZ, CHAIR FUENTES, AND COUNCIL MEMBER UCHIN ASKED SIX REALLY, REALLY GOOD QUESTIONS. 
          IF YOU HAVEN'T LISTENED TO THAT PUBLIC HEALTH COMMITTEE MEETING, I URGE YOU TO LISTEN TO IT. 
          AND I URGE YOU TO NEXT MONTH WHEN YOU COME BACK, ASK THOSE SAME QUESTIONS. 
          'CAUSE I DON'T THINK, YOU KNOW, I THINK STAFF ANSWERED AS BEST THEY COULD GIVEN THE CIRCUMSTANCES THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY LIKE TO PUT THEIR BEST FOOT FORWARD, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT THEY DIDN'T ANSWER THE QUESTIONS THAT WERE BEING ASKED. 
          WE CAN ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS BETWEEN NOW AND AUGUST, AND HOPEFULLY IN AUGUST WE WILL HAVE SOME PRIORITIES FOR WHAT TO FUND IN THESE TARGETS NEXT YEAR, BECAUSE WE'RE NOT GONNA REACH THE FIVE-YEAR GOAL IF WE DON'T START THIS YEAR. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UM, IS THERE A STAFF SPEAKER FOR THIS AGENDA ITEM? UH, NO. 
          IS, WAS THIS BROUGHT BY? OKAY. 
          I OH, GREAT. 
          UM, IS THERE ANYTHING YOU WOULD LIKE TO SAY ON THIS TOPIC? UM, NO. 
          I, I WANTED IT ON THE AGENDA FOR DISCUSSION BECAUSE THERE WERE COMMENTS MADE IN PUBLIC COMMENT LAST TIME, AND I WANTED MORE OF AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THAT. 
          UM, I DID WATCH THE PUBLIC HEALTH COMMITTEE MEETING AND SAW THAT, UM, ONE OF THE QUESTIONS WAS, WHAT ARE THE ACTUAL TARGETS? UM, SO, YOU KNOW, THIS IS TOP OF MIND FOR EVERYBODY WHO'S INTERESTED IN THIS, UM, PROJECT. 
          SO, UM, UH, BUT I CERTAINLY DIDN'T MYSELF COME UP WITH ANY PROPOSED TARGETS AT THIS TIME. 
          UM, SO I, I ESSENTIALLY WANTED THE OPPORTUNITY FOR THE PUBLIC TO CONTINUE TO GIVE INPUT ON THAT. 
          AND I THINK, UM, AND THEN AS I WAS THINKING ABOUT THIS, UM, AS EXACTLY AS MS. LEBO SAID, I WAS LIKE, OH, WE REALLY NEED TO ESTABLISH WHERE WE ARE CURRENTLY, 
          [00:50:01]
UM, WITH ALL OF THESE MEASURES, UM, THAT HAVE BEEN PROPOSED IN THE PLAN AND COME UP WITH TARGETS. 
          SO, AND, AND I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW IF THERE WOULD BE A WAY, UM, TO WORK JUST AS, UM, THE, I I FELT LIKE CITY, UH, THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE REACHED OUT TO THE ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION TO KEEP US AWARE AND INVOLVED AND INFORMED ALONG THE WAY OF THAT, THAT GOING FORWARD, POTENTIALLY THEY STILL MIGHT INVOLVE US IN, IN TARGET SETTING IN SOME WAY. 
          AND I WOULD WELCOME THEIR INPUT ON, ON HOW WE MIGHT BE HELPFUL IN THAT, IN THAT REALM. 
          GREAT. 
          IS THERE ANY OTHER, UM, QUESTION OR DISCUSSION RELATED TO THIS ITEM? YES. 
          COMMISSIONER HALL. 
          UM, THIS IS LIKE A TRUE QUESTION, NOT A SUGGESTION. 
          UM, I KNOW THAT DATA GATHERING CAN BE A BEAST, UM, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU'RE GATHERING DATA FOR METRICS THAT YOU WERE NOT NECESSARILY PREPARING TO PROVIDE DATA ON. 
          UM, IS THERE ANY SORT OF TIMELINE THAT SHELTER STAFF, SHELTER LEADERSHIP SEES FOR WHEN THEY WOULD EXPECT TO HAVE THAT BASELINE IN PLACE? UM, I JUST WANNA, I, I THINK THAT THIS IS AWESOME, AND I AGREE THAT HAVING A BASELINE IS THE RIGHT PLACE TO START, BUT I ALSO, UM, WOULD LOVE IF THERE WAS LIKE SOME SORT OF, BY THIS DATE  IS WHEN WE COULD ANTICIPATE HAVING THAT DATA TOGETHER, UM, SO THAT WE DON'T JUST KICK THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD FOR ANOTHER YEAR. 
          UM, I GUESS I WOULD SAY IT'S JUST WHAT, WHAT TYPE OF DATA? UM, I MEAN IF IT, IF IT'S, IF IT'S BASIC INFO THAT WE TRACK ON A EVERYDAY BASIS, THAT'S OBVIOUSLY EASIER TO GET THAN OTHERS. 
          IF IT'S, UM, SORT OF, UM, DIFFERENT ANALYSIS, THEN THAT MAY TAKE A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME JUST SO THAT WAY WE CAN PREPARE IT AND THEN WE CAN, UM, YOU KNOW, SEE WHAT THE, THE TRENDS ARE IN ORDER TO, TO DEVELOP WHATEVER THOSE BASELINE MEASURES MAY BE. 
          UM, SO I GUESS, YEAH, IT'S, IT'S, IT'LL ALL DEPEND WHAT WE'RE, WHAT WE'RE ULTIMATELY, UM, DIRECTED TO SEARCH FOR ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSION RELATED TO THIS ITEM. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, MOVING ON TO DISCUSSION 
          [6. Discussion of long distance adoption support at Austin Animal Center and formation of a  working group to research, support and encourage the shelter in increasing adoptions by  utilizing long distance adoption models.  ]
AND ACTION ITEMS. UH, NUMBER SIX, DISCUSSION OF A LONG DISTANCE ADOPTION SUPPORT, UM, AT AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER AND FORMATION OF A WORKING GROUP TO RESEARCH SUPPORT AND ENCOURAGE THE SHELTER AND INCREASING ADOPTIONS BY UTILIZING LONG DISTANCE ADOPTION MODELS. 
          UM, I'M NOT SURE WHOSE ITEM THIS WAS, IF THEY'D LIKE TO SPEAK ON IT. 
          YES, COMMISSIONER HOLT. 
          HI. 
          UM, YEAH, SO I HAVE BEEN FIRST AS A VOLUNTEER THEN JUST LIKE AS A COMMISSIONER TRYING TO LIKE TALK TO, UM, MR. BLAND ABOUT THIS FOR A WHILE. 
          JASON, I KNOW THAT WE HAD A BRIEF DISCUSSION ABOUT THIS LIKE TWO MONTHS AGO. 
          UM, AND, UM, I, ONE THING I WANNA CLARIFY, LONG DISTANCE ADOPTIONS SOMETIMES GET CONFLATED WITH THE IDEA OF TRANSFERRING TO RESCUES OUT OF STATE. 
          UM, THOSE ARE TWO SEPARATE THINGS. 
          UM, TRANSFERRING TO RESCUES OUT OF STATE, I UNDERSTAND WHY THE PUSHBACK HAS BEEN THAT OTHER RESCUES IN, UM, STATES THAT HAVE LESS OF A INTENSE NEED THAN TEXAS DOES ARE MORE LIKELY TO PULL FROM HIGH KILL SHELTERS TO HELP SAVE LIVES. 
          RIGHT? I, I UNDERSTAND THAT. 
          UM, BUT LONG DISTANCE ADOPTIONS, THERE IS ACTUALLY A, A PRETTY SOLID MARKET, UM, FOR SENDING CATS AND DOGS DIRECTLY TO ADOPTERS, UM, IN THESE AREAS LIKE DENVER, SEATTLE, PORTLAND, BOSTON, UPSTATE NEW YORK, PLACES WHERE THE SHELTERS THERE ARE JUST GENERALLY, UM, LESS OVERBURDENED, UM, AND CERTAINLY LESS OVERBURDENED WITH THE HIGHLY ADOPTABLES THAT WE GET FLOODED WITH BECAUSE ANIMALS STAY REPRODUCING 12 MONTHS OF THE YEAR RATHER THAN FOUR MONTHS OF THE YEAR DUE TO WEATHER. 
          RIGHT? UM, AND SO I WOULD LOVE FOR THERE TO BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO, UM, KINDA RAMP UP . 
          UM, ANYTHING IN THIS VEIN, UH, FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH, I KNOW THAT COST OF GETTING ANIMALS TO PLACES CAN BE PROHIBITIVE, BUT IF YOU, YOU KNOW, DO THEM MARKET THEM AT RATES SIMILAR TO THE SHELTERS IN THE AREAS YOU'RE SENDING TO, YOU CAN ADOPT A PUPPY OUT FOR FIVE OR $600. 
          YOU CAN ADOPT A KITTEN OUT FOR $300, RIGHT? UM, SO IT, IT COULD HONESTLY ACTUALLY END UP BEING A WAY TOO, BRING MONEY IN. 
          UM, IT MIGHT END UP BEING NET NEUTRAL, BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, THERE'S JUST A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY THERE AND I'VE SPOKEN TO VOLUNTEERS WHO ARE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THE PROSPECT OF SUPPORTING THIS. 
          UM, AND YEAH, JUST WANTED TO GET A FEEL FOR LIKE, WHAT'S BEEN TRIED IN THE PAST ON THIS, UM, WHAT THE COMMISSION COULD DO TO SUPPORT LIKE A FEASIBILITY STUDY. 
          [00:55:01]
I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE, UM, BUT I JUST KNOW THAT WITH THE FINDER TO FOSTER, THERE WAS AN IDEA THAT SEEMED LIKE A OBVIOUS LOW LIFT TO HELP EASE SOME OF THE BURDEN AT THE SHELTER. 
          AND THIS SEEMS LIKE ANOTHER ONE KIND OF IN THAT SAME THING. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, BEFORE WE GET INTO THAT DISCUSSION, I APOLOGIZE THERE ARE TWO, UM, PUBLIC, UH, SPEAKERS ON THIS TOPIC. 
          UM, SO IF WE COULD GO TO THOSE NOW BEFORE WE CONTINUE. 
          UM, SHELLY LIEBE. 
          HELLO AGAIN. 
          SHELLY LIEBE. 
          I'M ONE OF THE VOLUNTEERS THAT, UH, COMMISSIONER HOLT SPOKE TO. 
          ACTUALLY IT WAS LAST FALL ABOUT THE IDEA OF, UM, MARKETING OUR PETS OUTTA STATE AND, UH, DOING THE OUTSTATE ADOPTIONS A LONG DISTANCE. 
          ONE, I THOUGHT IT WAS A GREAT IDEA. 
          I'M A CAT VOLUNTEER AND I THINK THAT THE MEDIUM TO LARGE DOGS NEED THE MOST HELP. 
          BUT IF WE GET OVERBURDENED WITH CATS AS WE SOMETIMES DO IN THE SUMMER, IF WE FIND THAT RIGHT, ADOPT IN ANOTHER STATE, I THINK IT'S A WONDERFUL IDEA. 
          AND I KNOW SOME DOG VOLUNTEERS, INCLUDING COMMISSIONER MULA, HAS PERSONALLY TRANSPORTED DOGS THAT WERE ADOPTED IN THE NORTHEAST AND THEY RAISE MONEY FOR THAT. 
          AND IT'S A LOT OF LEGWORK. 
          UM, I JUST THINK THAT WE NEED TO TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO THINK ABOUT THESE THINGS MORE OUTSIDE THE BOX. 
          UM, THERE'S BEEN SOME EXPRESSION FROM CURRENT LEADERSHIP. 
          WE'VE DONE ALL WE CAN. 
          UM, IF WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO OPEN INTAKE, MAYBE WE MIGHT HAVE TO EUTHANIZE FOR SPACE, BUT WE HAVE LOTS OF IDEAS, IMPROVING CUSTOMER SERVICE, EXPANDING THE FOSTER PROGRAM. 
          UM, BUT THIS KIND OF LONG DISTANCE SUPPORT OR LONG DISTANCE ADOPTIONS CAN ALSO HELP. 
          I JUST DON'T THINK THE BURDEN SHOULD BE FULLY ON VOLUNTEERS, THAT THERE NEEDS TO BE SOME SORT OF, UM, STAFF SUPPORT, UM, AND VETTING OF THE PEOPLE THAT WE ADOPT TO. 
          SO WE ENSURE THEY'RE NOT GOING TO, UM, A BAD SITUATION JUST IN ANOTHER STATE. 
          BUT I THINK IF WE BUILD THE PROPER FRAMEWORK, THIS PROGRAM COULD WORK. 
          AND SO I SUPPORT THE FORMATION OF THAT WORKING GROUP. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANKS. 
          UM, PAT , WE ALSO HAVE YOU FOR THIS ITEM. 
          THANK YOU AGAIN. 
          AND I WANNA SAY THAT I SUPPORT THE CREATION OF A WORKING GROUP. 
          I THINK A WORKING GROUP IS A GREAT IDEA, AND I WOULD JUST LIKE TO MAKE A FEW COMMENTS ABOUT WHAT I THINK ABOUT, UM, LONG DISTANCE ADOPTIONS. 
          I DON'T THINK IT'S A BLACK AND WHITE ISSUE. 
          I THINK IT'S GOT A LOT OF NUANCES, AND THAT'S WHY I SUPPORT THE CREATION OF A WORKING GROUP TO DISCUSS THOSE NUANCES. 
          I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE A FEW STORIES AND VIGNETTES, UM, TO HELP YOU UNDERSTAND WHERE I'M COMING FROM. 
          AND ONE OF THEM IS THAT I RIGHT NOW HAVE A CAT WHO'S MY OLDEST PET. 
          I HAVE TWO CATS AND ONE DOG. 
          AND MY OLD OLD CAT WAS A CAT THAT SOMEBODY WANTED TO COME AND ADOPT WHEN, WHEN AUSTIN WAS A HIGH KILL SHELTER, SOMEBODY FROM HOUSTON WANTED TO COME AND ADOPT THIS CAT. 
          SO I SAID, OKAY, I'LL GO PULL THE CAT FOR YOU AND THAT WILL HELP YOU COME GET THIS CAT. 
          WELL, IT DIDN'T WORK OUT BECAUSE THE PERSON NEVER SHOWED. 
          SO I STILL HAVE HIM AND I LOVE HIM. 
          HE'S THE SWEETEST CAT. 
          AND I WANNA BE SURE THAT I SUPPORT PEOPLE WHO, WHO GO ON SOCIAL MEDIA OR WHEREVER, AND THEY SEE A SPECIFIC PET AND THEY SAY, I WOULD LIKE THAT PET. 
          I WOULD LIKE TO HELP SUPPORT THAT. 
          I THINK THAT'S A GREAT IDEA. 
          ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COIN, THE FLIP SIDE OF THAT IS I WAS ONCE TALKING TO SOMEBODY AT THE ANIMAL SHELTER. 
          SHE WAS A RESCUE COORDINATOR IN BALTIMORE, AND SHE WAS VISITING AUSTIN, AND SHE WENT TO THE SHELTER AND I WAS TALKING TO HER AND SHE SAID, YOU KNOW, WE'RE REALLY HAVING A HARD TIME ADOPTING OUR CATS AND DOGS IN, IN BALTIMORE, BECAUSE SOUTHERN STATES ARE DOING SUCH A GOOD JOB OF SOCIAL MEDIA AND PROMOTING THAT HELP SAVE OUR ANIMALS. 
          AND THEN OUR ANIMALS LANGUISH IN BALTIMORE BECAUSE WE DON'T DO AS GOOD SOCIAL MEDIA AS YOU DO. 
          SO I, I HAD THOSE TWO DIFFERENT THOUGHTS GOING ON. 
          AND THEN A FEW YEARS LATER, I SPENT 20 DAYS IN MY PARENTS' HOUSE. 
          MY MOTHER HAD PASSED AWAY, MY FATHER HAD PASSED AWAY, AND NOW THEIR HOUSE WAS EMPTY. 
          AND I GOT TO GO THERE FOR MY NIECE'S WEDDING AND I'M STAYING AT MY PARENTS' HOUSE 'CAUSE IT HADN'T, YOU KNOW, BEEN FORECLOSED ON YET. 
          AND I'M STAYING THERE AND IT'S IN LONG ISLAND, WHICH IS A VERY RICH COMMUNITY. 
          AND THERE ARE THESE PLEAS FOR THESE LONG, LONG STAY DOGS. 
          AND I'M THINKING, WHY ARE WE PROMOTING THE IDEA THAT IF YOU JUST SEND A PET UP NORTH, THERE'S PLENTY OF HOMES FOR THEM? I FELT REALLY TORN BETWEEN, YES, AUSTIN IS MY COMMUNITY. 
          I WANNA HELP EVERY AUSTIN ANIMAL I CAN, BUT HERE I AM SPENDING TIME ON LONG ISLAND AND THERE'S THIS DOG, THIS LANGUISHING, AND SHOULD WE BE SENDING CUTE LITTLE PUPPIES INSTEAD OF, 
          [01:00:01]
YOU KNOW, SO IT'S LIKE ONE EXTREME, THE OTHER EXTREME, AND THEN THERE'S ANOTHER ONE IN THE MIDDLE. 
          THERE'S NUANCES HERE, AND I SUPPORT THERE BEING A WORKING GROUP TO DISCUSS THESE THINGS. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          YES. 
          COMMISSIONER HOLT. 
          MM-HMM . 
          AM I ALLOWED TO CONTINUE SPEAKING? YES. 
          AWESOME. 
          UM, I, I THINK THOSE ARE BOTH VERY VALID CONCERNS THAT PAT BROUGHT UP. 
          UM, THERE ARE, TO THE FIRST ONE, AS FAR AS PEOPLE FLAKING, THERE ARE, UM, LOTS OF RESCUES THAT HAVE BEEN DOING THIS. 
          I PERSONALLY USED TO WORK FOR A RESCUE THAT DID THOUSANDS OF ANIMALS A YEAR LONG DISTANCE AND HAD A 0% NO-SHOW RATE AND A VERY SMALL, UM, LIKE RETURN ISSUE SORT OF RATE. 
          SO THERE ARE, THERE ARE WAYS TO DO THIS RESPONSIBLY TO PROTECT ANIMALS IN QUESTION. 
          RIGHT. 
          UM, REGARDING SENDING TO OUT OF STATE AREAS. 
          I HEAR YOU. 
          I AGREE WITH YOU. 
          I DO NOT FEEL THAT I AM RESPONSIBLE, UH, ONLY TO THE ANIMALS IN AUSTIN. 
          I FEEL THAT I'M RESPONSIBLE TO ALL ANIMALS ON EARTH. 
          IT LIKE SPEAKS TO MY HEART. 
          I AGREE WITH YOU COMPLETELY. 
          THE DIFFERENCE IS THE PEOPLE WHO ARE ADOPTING PUPPIES OUT OF STATE ARE, UM, NOT, THEIR ALTERNATIVE IS NOT TO GO ADOPT THE 8-YEAR-OLD LONG STAY FROM THE SHELTER. 
          UH, THEIR ALTERNATIVE IS TO GO TO A BREEDER. 
          UM, AND SO IT IS CATCHING THE , THE FOLKS WHO WANT TO GO THROUGH A RESCUE, BUT THERE ARE JUST LIKE A KNOT STOCK OF THE TYPE OF ANIMAL THAT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR UP THERE. 
          SO, UM, AGAIN, I THINK A WORKING GROUP IS THE RIGHT WAY TO DO IT. 
          I DON'T THINK THAT THERE IS, UM, I DON'T THINK IT IS BLACK AND WHITE. 
          I COMPLETELY AGREE. 
          I JUST WANTED TO ADDRESS THOSE VERY LEGITIMATE CONCERNS. 
          SO THANK YOU. 
          UH, IS THERE ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION OR QUESTIONS ON THIS? YES, COMMISSIONER MAGULA. 
          HI. 
          SO, UM, YEAH, I, I, I AGREE WITH COMMISSIONER HOLT ON THIS. 
          UM, AND WITH, UH, PAT RES, I, I DEFINITELY WOULD SUPPORT A WORKING GROUP ON THIS. 
          UM, AS MENTIONED, I, IN THE PAST YEAR, DRIVEN THREE DOGS FROM AUSTIN, UM, TO THEIR FOREVER HOMES, AND ONE IN MASSACHUSETTS, ONE IN TENNESSEE, AND ONE IN CONNECTICUT. 
          UM, ALL THREE DOGS STARTED OUT AS A A C DOGS AND WERE TRANSFERRED TO A PA FOR BEHAVIOR REASONS. 
          ALL THREE DOGS ARE THRIVING IN THEIR NEW HOMES. 
          UM, MAKO WAS MY FOSTER DOG THAT I HAD FOR OVER A YEAR. 
          UM, AND, UH, HE, UH, HE'S A BIG OLD BOY AND THEY CALL HIM MEATHEAD. 
          AND I STILL GET UPDATES FROM THE ADOPTERS FROM HIM STATING HOW MUCH, WHEN HE FIRST SAW SNOW, HE DIDN'T WANNA GO OUT. 
          NOW THEY CAN'T GET HIM BACK IN THE HOUSE. 
          , UM, BRANSON WAS AN A PA DOG THAT WENT UP TO TENNESSEE. 
          HE'S NOW HAPPILY LIVING WITH, I THINK IT'S FOUR OTHER DOGS, AND THEY HAVE ACTUALLY, I BELIEVE, ADOPTED ANOTHER DOG FROM A PA. 
          UM, AND THEN THE LAST DOG IS ESPY, WHO CAME FROM A PA, UM, WHO WAS EXTREMELY DOG REACTIVE, BUT IS NOW LIVING WITH FOUR CATS AND IN LOVING LIFE IN, IN CONNECTICUT AT THE ENDING. 
          SO THERE ARE HOMES FOR THESE ANIMALS IN OTHER STATES. 
          UM, AND I, I THINK OUT OF STATE IS, IS DEFINITELY A WAY TO HELP. 
          IS IT GOING TO SOLVE? NO, IT'S NOT GONNA SOLVE, BUT I THINK IT DEFINITELY IS A WAY TO HELP SOME OF THESE HARDER TO PLACE DOGS THAT WE HAVE DOWN HERE, FIND HOMES. 
          IT'S JUST A MATTER OF DOING THE SCREENING AND MAKING SURE THAT IT IS THE RIGHT FIT. 
          UM, VOLUNTEERS RAISED FUNDS FOR ALL THREE OF THESE, EXCUSE ME, ALL THREE OF THESE DOGS TO BE TRANSPORTED UP TO THOSE PLACES. 
          UM, AND I, I DO THINK THE VOLUNTEERS WILL CONTINUE TO HELP SUPPORT THAT, BUT ALSO AGREE WITH MS. LIEBMAN THAT IT SHOULD NOT FALL SOLELY ON VOLUNTEERS. 
          UM, THAT'S ALL I HAVE. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UM, ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSION ON THIS ITEM? IT SOUNDS LIKE WE HAVE A MOTION ON THE TABLE FROM COMMISSIONER HOLT, UH, TO FORM A WORKING GROUP ON THIS. 
          IS THAT THE CASE? YEAH. 
          OH, COMM SURE. 
          HOKE. 
          YES. 
          DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION? I WAS JUST GONNA SECOND THAT MOTION. 
          OKAY. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          WE'VE GOT A MOTION. 
          I LOVE THIS IDEA AND I'M JUST GONNA CHIME IN. 
          I AGREE WITH EVERYTHING THAT EVERYONE SAID, EVEN THOUGH THERE ARE SOME CONFLICTING THOUGHT THERE. 
          I THINK THERE'S SO MUCH THAT CAN BE POLICY FOCUSED AND SO MUCH THAT JUST, IT'S CASE BY CASE. 
          AND MY OWN MOTHER, GOD LOVER, SHE LIVES IN ONE OF THE HIGHEST KILLED CITIES IN THE COUNTRY. 
          SHE'S IN MACALLAN, TEXAS. 
          AND EVERY TIME I POST ABOUT A DOG IN AUSTIN, SHE'S LIKE, OH, I WANT HIM. 
          I'M LIKE, NO, MOM, YOU WILL ADOPT FROM THE PALM VALLEY ANIMAL CENTER AND THAT INSANE COMMUNITY THAT'S KILLING 80 ANIMALS A DAY, YOU'RE NOT TAKING AN AUSTIN PET BECAUSE AUSTIN PETS HAVE A MUCH BETTER CHANCE OF FINDING A HOME THAN, SO I, I AGREE WITH EVERYTHING, ALL OF THE ABOVE, BUT I THINK THERE'S A TIME AND PLACE FOR THE, THE, 
          [01:05:02]
YEAH, THE, THE WORK TRANSPORT TO MOVE THEM OUT OF STATE OR EVEN, I MEAN, WHEN I FIRST STARTED VOLUNTEERING WITH A PA LIKE 2008, I DROVE, I DROVE TO WACO A COUPLE OF TIMES, YOU KNOW, KEEPING IT MORE COMMUNITY ORIENTED. 
          AND ANYWAY, I LOVE THIS IDEA. 
          I SECOND IT. 
          GREAT. 
          OKAY. 
          WE'VE GOT A MOTION AND A SECOND. 
          UM, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF FORMING A WORKING GROUP TO EXPLORE, UH, TRANSPORT FOR LONG? I HAVE SOMEBODY TO CHAIR IT. 
          SO, OH, UM, COMMISSIONER HULK HOLT. 
          SORRY. 
          ARE YOU VOLUNTEERING TO, TO CHAIR THIS WORKING GROUP BY CHANCE? YES. 
          OKAY, GREAT. 
          , UM, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF FORMING THIS WORKING GROUP. 
          OKAY. 
          THAT'S UNANIMOUS. 
          GREAT. 
          UM, THEN WE WILL MOVE ON TO, UH, AGENDA ITEM NUMBER SEVEN. 
          UM, DISCUSSION OF TRADER CHAIR. 
          I'M SORRY, COMMISSIONER HO HOLT HAD A QUESTION, I BELIEVE ON THAT. 
          OH, YES. 
          SORRY, NOT QUESTION, JUST COMMENT. 
          FOR ANYBODY WHO IS A VOLUNTEER OR ON THIS COMMISSION WHO IS INTERESTED IN JOINING, IF YOU WILL JUST CONTACT ME THROUGH MY COMMISSION EMAIL, UM, AND WE CAN GET MEETINGS STARTED. 
          THAT'S ALL. 
          COMMISSIONER HOKE, ARE YOU ASKING TO JOIN NOW? YES. 
          OKAY. 
          I'M, YEAH, THIS IS, YEAH. 
          OKAY. 
          THIS IS CHRISTIE. 
          I CAN ADD YOU TO THE MINUTES, UM, AS PART OF THAT WORKING GROUP. 
          ARE THERE ANY OTHERS? GREAT. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          OKAY, PERFECT. 
          UM, 
          [7. Discussion of Greater Good Charities, Good Fix support and formation of a working group  to find ways to improve outcomes. ]
SO MOVING ON THEN TO DISCUSSION OF GREATER GOOD CHARITIES, GOOD FIX, SUPPORT AND FORMATION OF A WORKING GROUP TO FIND WAYS TO IMPROVE OUTCOMES. 
          UM, WE DO ALSO HAVE SOME PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS ITEM, SO LET'S DO THAT. 
          UH, FIRST, UH, SHELLY LEHAM. 
          HELLO, SHELLY LEHAM AGAIN. 
          IT'S THE LAST TIME I'LL SPEAK TONIGHT 'CAUSE IT'S THE LAST AGENDA ITEM. 
          UM, I HAVE VOLUNTEERED AT ALL THREE OF THE GOOD FIX SPAY NEUTER CLINICS, AND I'M HERE TODAY TO ASK SUPPORT FOR AGENDA ITEM SEVEN SO WE CAN GET BETTER SUPPORT FOR THE CLINICS AND BETTER MARKETING FOR THE, ESPECIALLY FOR THE APRIL ONE. 
          I WORK THE DATA TABLE AT EACH OF THE CLINICS. 
          IT'S NOT THE MOST EXCITING TASK AS A VOLUNTEER, BUT IT'S AN IMPORTANT ONE. 
          AND FOR THE FREE, THE THREE CLINICS THAT WE'VE DONE, WE SPAYED NA TOTAL OF 3,140 ANIMALS FOR THE FIRST TWO CLINICS. 
          THOSE NUMBERS INCLUDED 164 ANIMALS BROUGHT OVER FROM AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER, EITHER FROM, UH, THE SHELTER ITSELF OR IN FOSTER. 
          SO NOT DIRECTLY FROM THE PUBLIC. 
          UNDER THE CONTRACT BETWEEN THE CITY AND GOOD FIX OR GREATER GOOD CHARITIES, THE TARGET NUMBER FOR ALL SEVEN CLINICS IS 8,400, WITH A GOAL OF 1200 PER CLINIC. 
          AND WE HAVE NOT MET THAT GOAL FROM ANY OF THE CLINICS. 
          AT 3,140 ANIMALS WE'RE ALREADY 460 BEHIND. 
          AND IF YOU TAKE OUT THE ANIMALS BROUGHT DIRECTLY BY A A C, WE'RE BEHIND 624. 
          I UNDERSTAND THERE ARE SOME REASONS WHY, UH, WE'VE HAD SOME LOWER TURNOUT LIKE THE BAD WEATHER DURING JANUARY CLINIC, BUT A LACK OF MARKETING SHOULD NOT BE ONE OF THEM. 
          THE GOOD FIX TEAM RELIES ON VETERINARIANS WHO VOLUNTEER THEIR TIME TO PERFORM THESE SURGERIES, AND THEY FLY IN FROM CITIES, UH, OUTSIDE OF THE STATE, USE THEIR VACATION TIME TO BE HERE. 
          WHEN WE HAVE THE CAPACITY TO DO 300 SURGERIES A DAY, AND WE ONLY DO 200, IN MY OPINION, IT IS DISRESPECTFUL NOT ONLY TO THOSE VETERINARIANS, BUT TO THE GOOD FIX TEAM AND ALL THE VOLUNTEERS WHO GIVE UP THEIR PERSONAL TIME TO BE THERE. 
          WHILE GOOD FIX OFFERS. 
          SOME MARKETING SUPPORT ULTIMATELY IS UP TO A A C TO MARKET. 
          THESE CLINICS, IT'S ON OUR HOME TURF AND IT SHOULD BE A NO BRAINER. 
          WHILE A C DOES A GREAT JOB MARKETING THE CLINICS ON SOCIAL MEDIA, THERE SEEMS TO BE A LIMITED MARKETING THROUGH OTHER CHANNELS. 
          I SAW A NEWS CREW AT THE DECEMBER CLINIC, BUT IT WAS DURING THE CLINIC. 
          WHILE I APPRECIATE THAT COVERAGE, IT DID NOT GET PEOPLE TO THAT CLINIC. 
          IT WAS TOO LATE. 
          WE NEEDED MORE MARKETING WEEKS BEFORE THE CLINIC SO PEOPLE CAN PLAN FOR IT. 
          AS A MEMBER OF AACS MARKETING TEAM, THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY SEND OUT PRESS RELEASES TO ALL THE LOCAL NEWS STATIONS, BUT THEY RARELY GET A RESPONSE, MUCH LESS ANY COVERAGE. 
          IF THAT'S THE CASE, WHAT DO WE DO TO ENCOURAGE MORE NEWS COVERAGE? I TOLD THEM THAT I WOULD START HOUNDING THE PRESS TO BEG FOR COVERAGE, BUT SURELY THERE'S BETTER OPTIONS SOMEHOW. 
          TRAVIS COUNTY GOT KXAN TO COVER THE LAST CLINIC TWO DAYS BEFORE IT STARTED. 
          INTERESTINGLY, AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER WAS NOT MENTIONED ANYWHERE IN THAT STORY, WHICH WAS ENTITLED TRAVIS COUNTY TO HOST SPAY NEUTER CLINIC JANUARY 8TH THROUGH 12TH. 
          IT'S VERY FRUSTRATING TO SEE THAT I SEE OUR CONTRACT WITH THE GOOD FIX AS A PARTNERSHIP, THE GOAL OF WHICH IS TO PROVIDE FREE SPRAY NEUTER SURGERIES TO AS MANY RESIDENTS OF AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY AS POSSIBLE. 
          A A C SHOULD BE SUPPORTING THE GOOD FIX TEAM ON MANY FRONTS, NOT JUST MARKETING YET. 
          FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, I FEEL LIKE A A C IS BACKING DOWN WITH EACH CLINIC WITH THEIR LEVEL OF SUPPORT AND RELIES ON GOOD FIX TO DO THAT. 
          I DON'T THINK THAT'S A PARTNERSHIP. 
          BY FORMING A WORKING GROUP, WE CAN WORK TOWARDS MAXIMUM CAPACITY FOR EACH DAY, FOR THE APRIL CLINIC WITH BETTER SUPPORT FROM A AC AND BETTER MARKETING. 
          AND IF YOU WANNA START HELPING THE APRIL CLINIC NOW, I BROUGHT FLYERS WITH ME, BOTH IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH THAT WERE GIVEN TO ME DIRECTLY BY THE GOOD FIX TEAM. 
          I'M HAPPY TO PROVIDE, I HAVE A BOX OF THEM TO ANY COMMISSION MEMBERS HERE, ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC TO START FLYERING. 
          THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
          UM, PAT REIS, I HAVE YOU FOR THIS ITEM AS WELL. 
          THANK YOU AGAIN. 
          AND, 
          [01:10:01]
UH, THANK YOU AGAIN TO MS. LIEBE FOR SPEAKING IN FAVOR OF THIS ITEM. 
          I TOO SUPPORT THE FORMATION OF A WORKING GROUP. 
          I HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN THE TWO PREVIOUS SPAY NEUTER WORKING GROUPS, AND I WOULD LIKE TO VERY MUCH SUPPORT YOU ALL CREATING A WORKING GROUP AND VOTING IN FAVOR OF IT. 
          I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO VOLUNTEER TO BE ON IT. 
          AND FURTHERMORE, I WOULD LIKE TO JUST, UM, ALSO ASK YOU TO, AT EACH AND EVERY MEETING, START TALKING ABOUT WHAT MS. LEBO JUST TALKED ABOUT, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, WHEN'S THE NEXT ONE WHO SHOULD COME, REACH OUT TO YOUR COUNCIL MEMBERS, TRY TO GET THEM TO MEET YOU THERE. 
          UM, IF YOU'RE ALREADY GOING AND YOU'RE GOING WITHOUT YOUR COUNCIL MEMBERS, PLEASE INVITE YOUR COUNCIL MEMBERS TO COME. 
          UM, I UNDERSTAND THIS ONE IS GONNA BE, UM, IN, IN, NOT IN EAST AUSTIN, BUT A LITTLE BIT FURTHER WEST. 
          SO WE MAY BE ABLE TO HAVE A VOLUNTEER GROUP THAT VOLUNTEERS TO PROVIDE TRANSPORTATION FOR PEOPLE THAT DON'T HAVE TRANSPORTATION OR NEED TRANSPORTATION. 
          AND SO, UM, I DON'T WANNA GET TOO MUCH INTO SPECIFIC THINGS BECAUSE I'M NOT HERE TO SAY SPECIFICALLY, WHICH HAD HAPPENED. 
          I JUST SUPPORT THE CREATION OF A WORKING GROUP AND ENCOURAGE ALL OF YOU TO EITHER JOIN IT OR IF YOU DON'T JOIN THE WORKING GROUP, AT LEAST AT EVERY MEETING, UM, ASK ABOUT THE NEXT ONE. 
          YOU KNOW, WE DID A LOT OF WORK TO GET HERE AND WE DID A LOT OF WORK TO GET THIS MONEY, AND NOW IT'S HERE AND NOW IT'S HAPPENING AND IT'S GREAT THAT IT'S HAPPENING, BUT THERE CAN BE SOME IMPROVEMENTS. 
          SO THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
          AND IF I HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF TIME, YOU GOT A MINUTE, I WANNA THANK, UM, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, KABA, HAL FOR BEING HERE AND FOR THE WORK SHE'S ALREADY DONE WITH US AND THE WORK SHE WILL CONTINUE TO DO. 
          AND I HOPE TO, UM, HEAR MORE FROM HER AS WE GO THROUGH THE BUDGET PROCESS AND THROUGH THE STRATEGIC PLANNING, UM, ADOPTION AT AT CITY HALL. 
          AND I HOPE SHE DOESN'T HOLD IT AGAINST ME THAT I DON'T THINK THE WORK IS ALREADY DONE. 
          THANK YOU. 
          CAN YOU REMIND US BEFORE YOU GO EXACTLY WHAT DATES THEY ARE? I THINK WE'VE SAID THE APRIL CLINIC SEVERAL TIMES, BUT JUST IN CASE THE SEVENTH, THE THIRD THROUGH THE SEVENTH, OR THIRD AND THE SEVENTH. 
          THIRD THROUGH THE SEVENTH. 
          THIRD THROUGH THE SEVENTH. 
          OKAY. 
          GREAT. 
          SO THAT'S FIVE DAYS. 
          SO THAT GIVES EVERYBODY AN OPPORTUNITY TO TRY TO FIND ONE DAY WHEN YOU CAN GO OUT FOR AT LEAST AN HOUR. 
          I HOPE YOU DO. 
          THANK YOU. 
          OKAY. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          CONSIDER THIS OUR FIRST ANNOUNCEMENT. 
          UM, WHO, UH, WAS THE SPOT? UH, YES, COMMISSIONER ZEES. 
          YES. 
          IT WOULD BE GOOD TO GET A ELECTRONIC COPY OF, OF THE, THE MEETING I AND NOT THE MEETING THE, THE FLYERS. 
          IT'S IF, I DON'T KNOW IF CHRISTY CAN SEND THAT TO THE COMMISSIONERS. 
          I I THINK SHE CAN. 
          YEAH, I'LL DO IT RIGHT NOW. 
          THAT'LL BE AWESOME. 
          I, I, I WANNA ALSO EMPHASIZE WITH MY, UM, CITY COUNCIL, UH, MEMBER TO SEE IF SHE PUTS IN THE NEWSLETTER TO THE DISTRICT. 
          GREAT, THANKS. 
          UM, WOULD SOMEONE ELSE LIKE TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? I'M NOT SURE WHO, UM, PUT THIS ON THE AGENDA. 
          YES, COMMISSIONER HOL. 
          OH, COMMISSIONER TUCKER. 
          GO AHEAD. 
          COMMISSIONER COLE. 
          I WAS JUST SAYING I PUT IT ON THE AGENDA, BUT I'M MORE THAN HAPPY TO LET YOU SPEAK FIRST. 
          SO GO AHEAD. 
          UM, JASON WILL REMEMBER THIS, BUT WE USED TO ALSO INFREQUENTLY GET THESE ANNOUNCEMENTS IN AUSTIN ENERGY NEWSLETTER AS A BLURB. 
          AND THAT HAPPENED FREQUENTLY WHEN, AND IT'S JUST KIND OF OVER THE YEARS, UM, WE'VE GOTTEN AWAY FROM THAT AND IT, THERE IS LIKE A WAITING PERIOD, SO THAT WOULD BE A GREAT PLACE TO PROMOTE THIS. 
          WE CAN LOOK AT DOING THAT. 
          UM, IT HAS BECOME A LITTLE BIT COSTLY TO DO THAT, SO, UM, WE'D HAVE TO LOOK AT WHAT ADDITIONAL FUNDING WE WOULD NEED IN ORDER TO TRY TO PUT IT IN AN INSERT INTO THE AUSTIN ENERGY. 
          UM, WE HAVE INCREASED OUR EFFORTS. 
          WE DID DO AN AFTER ACTION REPORT WITH GOOD FIX. 
          UM, SO WE'RE GONNA BE TRYING TO SUPPORT THEM WITH ADDITIONAL MARKETING. 
          UM, THE FLYERS THAT, THAT, UH, SHELLY MENTIONED, WE'VE BEEN SENDING THOSE. 
          THEY ACTUALLY WERE GOING TO BE SENT TO YOU AS WELL. 
          UM, BUT CHRISTIE WILL HELP WITH THAT. 
          AND THEN WE WILL BE SENDING 'EM ADDITIONALLY TO DIFFERENT COUNTS OFFICES. 
          WE ARE ALSO HAVING OUR OUTREACH COORDINATORS SPECIFICALLY LIKE SPANISH, OUR SPANISH SPEAKING ONES TO, UM, HIT UP DIFFERENT AREAS SO THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, TO SPREAD THE WORD, UM, CLOSE FLYERS WHEREVER THEY CAN AS POSSIBLE IN LIBRARIES, THINGS OF THAT NATURE. 
          BASICALLY WITH COMMUNITY GATHERING SPOTS SO THAT WAY WE CAN TRY TO MAKE, UH, A IT IS ROBUST AS POSSIBLE. 
          UM, SO WE CAN UP OUR NUMBERS A, UH, MORE AND HIT THAT GOAL THAT WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO HIT. 
          GREAT. 
          UM, AND THE IDEA OF T TV SPOTS WAS MENTIONED. 
          UM, HAS THERE BEEN ANY PROGRESS ON THAT FRONT AS FAR AS GETTING THIS COVERED 
          [01:15:01]
BY LOCAL MEDIA? SO, UM, WE'LL PITCH THE STORIES. 
          I I DON'T HAVE MY MARKETING PERSON HERE, BUT, UM, UH, WE, WE WILL PITCH THE STORIES AND SEE WHAT WE CAN DO IN ORDER TO, TO GET THEM TO COME OUT. 
          I KNOW LAST EVENT SHE DID HAVE SOME FOLKS COME OUT 'CAUSE SHE HAD TO, SHE SPENT THERE SPEAKING WITH THEM. 
          UM, AND SO SHE WAS ESSENTIALLY MAKING THAT SOURCE SAYING PLEA TO, UM, HIT 'EM BEFORE THE EVENT, BUT ALSO MEET THEM AT THE EVENT SO WE CAN DO SOME LIVE SHOTS, UM, AND, AND TRY TO, TO, UM, INCREASE, UH, PARTICIPATION. 
          UM, ONE OTHER QUESTION ON THAT FRONT. 
          UM, IS THIS SOMETHING THAT IS ADVERTISED TO PEOPLE WHO ARE SEEKING SERVICES FOR SPAY NEUTER WHEN THEY GO TO TRY AND SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT, SAY AT EMANS PET OR SOMETHING? UM, ARE THEY INFORMED ABOUT THE, THE GOOD FIX CLINICS AT THAT POINT AS WELL? I BELIEVE I'M SEEING SOME NODS FROM THE GALLERY. 
          YEP. 
          , SORRY. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, WITH THOSE, YES. 
          SO ANY, ANY CHANCE OF THE OPPORTUNITY THAT WE ARE TRYING TO PUSH IT, THEN WE ARE. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UM, COMMISSIONER HOLT, DID YOU, UM, WANNA SPEAK TO THIS? YEAH. 
          UM, I'M HAPPY TO HEAR THAT THERE'S A, A MORE ROBUST APPROACH BEING TAKEN WITH THE PR FROM THE STAFF LEVEL. 
          UM, ONE SPECIFIC THING I WANTED TO FLAG. 
          UM, ARE Y'ALL REACHING OUT TO THE SPANISH NEWS STATIONS LIKE TELEMUNDO, THE RADIO STATIONS? I, I JUST, UM, I FEEL LIKE THERE'S LIKE A LARGE POPULATION ON THE EAST SIDE WHO PARTIALLY IN SOME SENSE THIS EXACT TYPE OF EVENT IS CREATED FOR, AND NONE OF THE MARKETING SEEMS TO BE TARGETED TO THEM. 
          AND I'M ALSO CONCERNED THAT THE LOCATION SEEMS TO BE GETTING FURTHER AND FURTHER AWAY FROM THAT NEIGHBORHOOD. 
          I KNOW THAT YOU'RE KIND OF LIKE A LITTLE BIT RESTRAINED BY THE, UM, BUILDING SPACE AS IT OFFERS UP, BUT HAVE YOU REACHED OUT TO COMMISSIONER GOMEZ BECAUSE THAT IS HER CORNER OF THE WORLD TO SEE IF LIKE TRAVIS COUNTY CAN ASSIST IN ANY SORT OF WAY WITH MAKING SURE THAT THIS EVENT IS ACTUALLY GETTING CLOSER, BOTH IN PUBLIC RELATIONS AND IN PROXIMITY TO THE FOLKS WHO, WHO WE WANNA MAKE SURE ARE GETTING SERVED WITH THIS? UM, WE, I DON'T THINK WE'VE SPECIFICALLY REACHED OUT TO HER OFFICE, BUT WE CAN DEFINITELY DO SO. 
          UM, UH, WE ARE, WE ARE REACHING OUT TO TO, TO SORT OF THOSE, UH, SPANISH SPEAKING, UM, MEDIA OUTLETS. 
          I, I REMEMBER ELIZABETH TELLING ME THAT'S WHERE OUR PIO VERSION IS THAT, UM, ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE OUTLETS THAT DID COME, COME OUT WAS SPANISH SPEAKING. 
          SO SHE, SHE IS A SPANISH SPEAKER, SO SHE WAS ABLE TO INTERACT WITH THEM AND THEN SHARE, SHARE ABOUT THE EVENT. 
          UM, SO WE'VE, ANY, ANY SORT OF THOSE CONTACTS THAT HE'S MADE, UM, SHE'S RELATIVELY NEW. 
          UH, SO SHE'S FLAGGING THOSE TO ENSURE THAT THEY ARE PART OF THE, UM, OUTREACH THAT SHE'S DOING IN ORDER TO MAXIMIZE PARTICIPATION. 
          AND JUST TO FOLLOW UP ON THAT QUESTION, UM, I'VE HEARD SOME INDICATIONS THAT YOU HOPEFULLY WERE ABLE TO SECURE A SITE FOR THE JULY CLINIC IN DELL VALLEY TO SERVICE SOME OF THOSE, UM, UNDERSERVED AREAS IN THE EAST SIDE. 
          IS THAT THE CASE OR ANY UPDATE THERE? YES, WE'RE STILL SORT OF, WE'RE OKAY JUST TO FINALIZE IT. 
          I THINK WE'VE GOT IT TAKEN CARE OF, BUT YEAH. 
          OKAY, GREAT. 
          THANKS. 
          UM, OVER HERE? YES. 
          OH, SORRY. 
          YES. 
          UH, DR. NELSON, UM, I WAS WONDERING IF ANY OF THE, UM, STAFF PRESENT TODAY WAS IN A POSITION TO JUST, I KNOW YOU'RE GONNA GET THE FLYERS TO US, BUT TO JUST GIVE US A COMMERCIAL RIGHT NOW WITH THE DATES AND LOCATION AND WHAT PEOPLE DO TO ACTUALLY SHOW UP AND GET THE SERVICES. 
          WHAT, I'M SORRY, WHAT ARE YOU ASKING? UM, IF THERE, IF ANY OF THE STAFF PRESENT, CAN, CAN JUST LIKE GIVE THE COMMERCIAL FOR THE APRIL CLINIC WITH THE DATES AND LOCATION AND, AND WHAT PEOPLE DO TO, TO EITHER VOLUNTEER OR GET THEIR PET SPAYED OR NEUTERED AT IT. 
          DO THEY HAVE TO SIGN UP AT A WEBSITE? DO THEY JUST SHOW UP WHAT TIME, THAT SORT OF THING? YEAH, I REMEMBER. 
          I'M NOT IN MEDIA . 
          UM, SO ALL THEY HAVE TO DO IS COME ON, DRIVE OVER TO THE, UM, TO THE CENTER. 
          THEY'LL BE PUT IN LINE, THEY ARE CHECKED FOR, UM, TO CONFIRM RESIDENCY WITHIN TRAVIS COUNTY. 
          UM, AND THEN THEY CAN HAVE AS MANY PETS AS THEY WANT IN THE VEHICLE. 
          CATS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE IN CARRIERS, DOGS NEED TO HAVE A LEASH. 
          AND, UM, ONCE THEY GET CHECKED IN, THEY'LL BE CHECKED IN BY STAFF. 
          ONCE THEY GET CHECKED IN, THEIR PETS WILL BE, UM, LEFT AT THE FACILITY. 
          THEY'LL GO AHEAD AND GET SPAYED, NEUTERED, VACCINATED AND MICROCHIPPED AT THAT FACILITY. 
          AND THEN THEY'LL GET A PHONE CALL AS TO WHEN TO COME BY AND PICK 'EM UP. 
          OKAY. 
          AND WHAT TIME DO THEY SHOW UP? I BELIEVE THEY SHOULD BE THERE SEVEN, EIGHT O'CLOCK. 
          IT SAYS ON THE FIRE, SEVEN 30 TO 10. 
          WOO. 
          GOOD. 
          THEY CAN SHOW SEVEN 30 TO 10. 
          I DON'T HAVE A FLYER IN FRONT OF ME. 
          SO THEY DO START CHECKING, I BELIEVE AROUND 8, 8 30. 
          OKAY. 
          AND, UM, AND THEN, YEAH, AND THEN THEY'LL GET PROCESSED AND THEN FOR PROOF OF RESIDENCY THEY WILL 
          [01:20:01]
NEED A, A BILL? YEP. 
          A BILL WORKS LIKE, YEP. 
          A BILL FROM THE CITY THAT HAS THEIR, LIKE A UTILITY OR COUNTY UTILITY ABOUT UTILITY UTILITY BILL. 
          YEP. 
          OKAY, GREAT. 
          YEAH, THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
          AND THEN THE LOCATION OF THE APRIL, OR MAYBE IT'S ON THAT IT SAYS 4 1 1 5 SOUTH CAPITAL OF TEXAS HIGHWAY 7 8, 7 0 4. 
          SO NO, I DON'T HAVE IT MEMORIZED. 
          , I JUST COPY AND PASTE. 
          YOU DON'T HAVE IT MEMORIZED. 
          . 
          OKAY, GREAT. 
          YEAH. 
          THANK YOU. 
          SURE. 
          YES. 
          UH, COMMISSIONER, HOLD. 
          YEAH. 
          UM, ONE THING ABOUT THE BILL THAT I WANTED TO POINT OUT, UM, I GOT SEVERAL EMAILS ABOUT FOLKS GETTING TURNED AWAY, UM, OR BEING TOLD THAT THEY NEEDED TO HAVE AN ID. 
          UM, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WHAT THE REQUIREMENTS FOR GETTING SERVICES ARE IS LIKE REALLY LIKE 2, 3, 10 TIMES REITERATED TO THE FOLKS WHO ARE ACTUALLY DOING THAT FRONTLINE WORK. 
          UM, I KNOW WHAT THE ACTUAL POLICY IS. 
          I THINK WHAT IS ACTUALLY GETTING IMPLEMENTED, UH, GIVEN THE LARGER POLITICAL CLIMATE. 
          I THINK, UM, SOME FOLKS ARE NERVOUS ABOUT BEING TOLD THAT THEY HAVE TO HAVE AN ID TO SHOW UP TO AN EVENT. 
          SO THE MORE THAT COULD BE DONE, ONE OF THE SUGGESTIONS I MADE MONTHS AGO WAS PUT ON THE FLYER, NO, ID NEEDED JUST BRING A BILL. 
          UM, AND I, I STILL THINK THAT WOULD BE A GREAT AMENDMENT TO THAT FLYER TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE ATTRACTING THE RIGHT TYPES, NOT RIGHT TYPES OF FOLKS, BUT THE, THE FOLKS FOR WHOM THIS EVENT IS INTENDED. 
          RIGHT. 
          UM, AND JUST WANNA PUT THAT OUT THERE AS LIKE AN ADDITIONAL SMALL TWEAK THAT I THINK WOULD BE A HUGE THING. 
          I ALSO, UM, TALKED TO COMMISSIONER HERRERA ABOUT THIS. 
          I DON'T THINK HE WAS ABLE TO MAKE IT TONIGHT. 
          HE SAID HE HAD A LIST OF OVER 200 PLACES, UM, IN THE EASTERN PART OF THE COUNTY WHERE HE HAD BEEN DOING BACK WHEN HE WORKED AT THE SHELTER WHERE HE WAS DOING, UM, OUTREACH TO ADVERTISE EVENTS LIKE THIS. 
          UM, I THINK HE WOULD BE A PHENOMENAL PERSON TO REACH OUT TO. 
          LET'S WORK SMARTER, NOT HARDER AND NOT LIKE THAT'S GREAT THAT THE NEW PERSON IS WORKING ON THAT LIST, BUT THERE IS NO NEED TO RECREATE THE WHEEL, UM, WHEN THE WHEEL HAS ALREADY BEEN VERY NICELY MADE. 
          SO. 
          GREAT. 
          UM, ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSION ON THIS ITEM? YES, DR. NELSON. 
          UM, AND YOU, YOU GAVE US SOME EXAMPLES OF THINGS YOU'RE, YOU'RE DOING TO TRY TO, UM, INCREASE. 
          UM, DO YOU, DO YOU HAVE A SPECIFIC GROUP AT THE SHELTER THAT THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE WORKING ON? OR DOES IT? SO, UM, IT'S, IT'S ESSENTIALLY BEEN DUTIES ARE ASSIGNED. 
          WE DON'T HAVE ANY DEDICATED STAFF THAT'S REALLY JUST FOCUSING ON GOOD FIX. 
          SO, UH, WE AS A GROUP ARE SORT OF COMING TOGETHER. 
          IF THERE'S, UH, THINGS THAT ARE NEEDED OR WE CAN SUPPORT, WE'LL WE'LL MAKE TIME IN ORDER TO, TO TRY TO DO THAT AND, AND JUGGLE THAT WITH OUR, OUR NORMAL EVERYDAY DUTIES. 
          YOU SAY WE AS A GROUP, YOU MEAN MANAGEMENT? SO LEADERSHIP, OUR OUTREACH STAFF. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, SOME OF OUR, SOME OF OUR LEADERSHIP IN ANIMAL CARE, FOR INSTANCE, TO HELP BECAUSE OF SUPPLIES AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE THAT MAY BE SHIPPED OVER. 
          OKAY. 
          UH, GOOD FIXED SHIPS. 
          SO THAT WAY WE ENSURE IT GETS TO WHATEVER THE FACILITY IS AT. 
          OKAY. 
          AND SO OUR MARKETING TEAM, UM, OUR, THEY'RE MIGHTY TOO, BUT YES, THEY ARE, THEY ARE WORKING TO TRY TO PROMOTE THIS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. 
          OKAY. 
          AND NOT THAT THERE WOULD BE STAFF THAT THEY WERE DEDICATED ONLY TO THIS, BUT LIKE DEDICATED STAFF THAT THIS WAS PART OF WHAT THEY WERE WORKING ON SO THAT YOU KNEW WHAT GROUP WAS WORKING ON IT. 
          'CAUSE ALSO IF WE FORM A WORKING GROUP, IT MIGHT BE HELPFUL IF WE INTERACT WITH THEM YEAH. 
          HEAR FROM THEM AND, AND GO FROM THERE. 
          COORDINATE. 
          UM, AND THEN YOU JUST MENTIONED, SO YOU HAVE HOW MANY OUTREACH COORDINATORS? SO WE ONLY HAVE, WHAT, 4, 3, 4. 
          WE HAVE FOUR OUTREACH COORDINATORS. 
          THE, UM, RIGHT NOW WE'VE SORT OF HAD TO DIVVY UP THE ASSIGNMENT ONLY 'CAUSE THE ORIGINAL SPOT THAT WE HAD, UM, HAD TO BE OUT OF OFFICE. 
          AND SO WE ARE FOR THIS MOST RECENT EVENT, UM, YOU KNOW, NOT TO PUT HER ON THE SPOT, BUT DR. 
          ELLIOT HAS BEEN SORT OF OUR DEFACTO SPOT WITH, WITH WORKING WITH GOOD FIX AND JUST FINDING INFORMATION. 
          THEN SHE WILL DIVVY OUT SORT OF ASSIGNMENTS THAT NEED TO, THAT COME UP. 
          AND UM, ARE ANY OF THOSE, UH, NATIVE OR CERTAINLY FLU SPANISH SPEAKERS OR SPEAK IT AT HOME? OH YES. 
          OUR OUTREACH COORDIN, WE HAVE AN OUTREACH COORDIN WHO'S FLUENT IN SPANISH. 
          SO YEAH, SHE'S WORKING ON ONE OF THEM IS, YES. 
          OKAY. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS ON THIS ITEM? UM, COMMISSIONER HOLT, WOULD YOU LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO FORM A WORKING GROUP ON THIS? UM, I, YES. 
          CONTINGENT UP ON ONE QUESTION. 
          UHHUH, UM, JASON, IS THIS, IS IT USEFUL FOR A WORKING GROUP? DO YOU FEEL LIKE WE'RE TELLING YOU NEW IDEAS OR DO YOU FEEL LIKE THESE ARE THINGS LIKE HOW I, I DON'T WANT TO TAKE TIME 
          [01:25:01]
JUST TO HAVE A BUNCH OF PEOPLE TALK ABOUT THINGS THAT WE ALREADY ALL AGREE WITH. 
          IF WHAT YOU NEED IS MANPOWER, LIKE WHAT, WHAT WOULD BE USEFUL SO THAT WE CAN HELP, UM, MAKE SURE THAT THIS IS GETTING MAXIMIZED TO THE HOLISTIC EXTENT? I'M LOOKING DR. 
          RO BECAUSE SHE'S, SHE'S ALWAYS IN DIRECT CONTACT WITH, WITH, WITH GOOD FIX. 
          AND SO IF THERE'S THINGS THAT WE, WE SEE THAT WE CAN OFFER AS A GAP OR IF THERE'S ANY SORT OF INSIGHT WORKING GROUP MAY PROVIDE SOMETHING WE HAVE THINK OF. 
          UM, BUT YEAH. 
          UM, THE THINGS THAT ARE MOST HELPFUL IS OBVIOUSLY GETTING THE WORD OUT. 
          YOU KNOW, ANYTIME YOU START SOMETHING NEW, YOU GUYS ALL KNOW THAT IT TAKES TIME TO, UM, FOR THE MEDIA TO CATCH ON, IT TAKES TIME. 
          A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T GO TO THE FIRST CLINIC 'CAUSE THEY'RE LIKE, I WANNA SEE WHAT WINDS UP HAPPENING AND HOW IT WORKS AND HOW SUCCESSFUL IT IS. 
          SO WE'RE SEEING THAT RAMP UP, WHICH IS WHY WE HAVE DECREASED THE NUMBER OF ANIMALS THAT WE'VE HAD TO SEND OVER THERE TO GET THE NUMBERS. 
          UM, OBVIOUSLY BAD WEATHER, AS MUCH AS WE DON'T WANT IT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE, IT DOES MAKE A DIFFERENCE. 
          AND IT IS FRUSTRATING WHEN THAT HAPPENS. 
          UM, AND ANYTHING THAT YOU GUYS CAN DO, GETTING THIS INFORMATION TO THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, UM, YOU KNOW, POSTING IT IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOODS CERTAINLY HELPS. 
          ANYTHING LIKE THAT IS, IS REALLY HELPFUL. 
          THE ONE THING THAT I'VE BEEN TRYING TO THINK ABOUT HOW WE CAN REACH THE PEOPLE THAT WE NEED TO BE REACHING, UM, IS TRANSPORTATION IS WHAT I HEAR. 
          AND I DON'T KNOW. 
          I MEAN, THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX, TRYING TO GET A VAN AND WE JUST LOAD UP A BUNCH OF DOGS AND CATS AND GO OVER, I MEAN, I, YOU KNOW, I DON'T REALLY KNOW BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW HOW TO GET THE LOGISTICS OF THAT TO WORK, BUT AT WHAT POINT DO WE START THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX INSTEAD OF SAYING, OKAY, WELL WE'RE DOING THIS, WE'VE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE UPDATING THE FLYER, WE'RE DOING ALL THE THE STEPS THAT WE NEED. 
          THE BOTTOM LINE IS WE'RE STILL NOT REACHING THE COMMUNITIES THAT WE NEED TO REACH. 
          AND THAT'S BEEN A STRUGGLE WITH ALL OF OUR SERVICES. 
          UM, SO IF THE WORKING GROUP WAS GONNA FOCUS ON SOMETHING LIKE THAT, I THINK THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL IN MY OPINION. 
          UM, I THINK THE OTHER OPPORTUNITY IS ANY KIND OF VOLUNTEERS. 
          SO TALKING TO ANYBODY WHO COULD COME OVER AND DO VOLUNTEERS, UM, AS THE SHELTER GETS BUSIER, THE VET SERVICE DEPARTMENT ISN'T GONNA BE ABLE TO PROVIDE AS MANY VOLUNTEERS AS WE HAVE IN THE PAST. 
          SO I JUST SIMPLY CAN'T SEND STAFF OVER BECAUSE OUR SHELTER'S GETTING BUSY AS WELL. 
          AND THAT CAN BE, UM, YOU KNOW, I'VE ALREADY FORMED GOOD FIX THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT, UM, SO THAT THEY HAVE SOME SO THAT THEY'RE AWARE AND THEY'RE TRYING TO PROMOTE GETTING, UM, TECHNICIANS WHICH ARE HIGHER LEVEL SKILLSET. 
          SO THEY ARE WORKING ON THAT. 
          AND OF COURSE, IF THEY'RE IN A BIND, WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA HELP 'EM OUT, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, THAT'S JUST WHO WE ARE AND WE'LL MAKE IT WORK. 
          UM, SO I THINK THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX AS TO HOW TO GET PEOPLE TO THE CLINIC WOULD BE HELPFUL. 
          UM, YEAH. 
          AND FOR THE, UM, THE VOLUNTEERS THAT YOU MENTIONED, WOULD THOSE PEOPLE NEED ANY SPECIALIZED TRAINING OR ANYONE LISTENING TO THIS COULD VOLUNTEER? THEY CAN JUST NOT FOR THE VETERINARY TECHNICIAN ASPECT OF IT. 
          SO, UM, THAT REQUIRES MORE EXPERTISE AND WE'VE KNOWN, I'VE KNOWN WE'VE HAD SOME, UM, EMERGENCY CLINIC TECHNICIANS THAT GO AND PROVIDE THAT SERVICE AS WELL. 
          SO IT DOESN'T JUST HAVE TO BE, YOU HAVE TO BE A SHELTER VET TECH. 
          MM-HMM . 
          UM, IT CAN BE ANY EXPERIENCE WITH ANESTHESIA AND, UM, PATIENT MONITORING. 
          GREAT. 
          SO YEAH. 
          THANKS. 
          UM, COMMISSIONER HOLT WITH THAT, WOULD YOU LIKE TO, UM, MOVE FORWARD WITH, UH, A MOTION TO FORM A WORKING GROUP? OR WOULD YOU LIKE TO DEL OH YES. 
          COMMISSIONER ZAES. 
          THANK YOU. 
          I I JUST LOOK AT THE ADDRESS AND THAT'S PRETTY CENTRAL. 
          SOUTH CENTRAL IS A INTERSECTION OF SOUTH LAMAR WITH TWO 90 AND WE'RE AT, UH, SOUTH CAPITAL OF TEXAS HIGHWAY. 
          THAT'S, THAT'S EVEN CLOSE TO A LOT OF WHERE HISPANICS LIVE COURSE, THE EAST SIDE OF MM-HMM . 
          UH, IT'S IN THE SHOPPING CENTER. 
          I DON'T KNOW IF IN THE, IN THE ADVERTISING TO REFER TO THE SHOPPING CENTER. 
          JUST SUGGESTION. 
          COMMISSIONER COLE. 
          UM, YEAH, I DO THINK A WORKING GROUP WOULD BE USEFUL. 
          I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT LIKE, UM, HERE I, LET ME PHRASE MY QUESTION BETTER. 
          I THINK THAT A WORKING GROUP CAN COME UP WITH AWESOME IDEAS AND AWESOME INTRODUCTIONS AND GO PRETTY FAR WITH LEGWORK, RIGHT? LIKE, I CAN WRITE A DECENT PRESS RELEASE TO TRY TO INCENTIVIZE A STORY BEING RUN THREE WEEKS BEFORE RATHER THAN THE DAY OF. 
          RIGHT. 
          UM, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, LIKE SHELTER STAFF IS GONNA HAVE TO BE THE ONE WHO DOES  DOES THAT LAST MILE OR TWO TO GET STUFF HAPPEN. 
          SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT LIKE THE FOLKS WHO 
          [01:30:01]
HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THIS ARE RECEPTIVE TO THE IDEA OF EXTRA SUPPORT, KNOWING THAT EXTRA SUPPORT WILL ALSO TRANSLATE TO EXTRA WORK. 
          MM-HMM . 
          DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? YES. 
          UM, THE ONE, THE ONE THING I CAN OFFER, AND MAYBE THIS IS A SORT OF HALF BE MEDIUM, IS, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I CAN PULL THE EFFORTS THAT ARE DONE, BE DONE BY STAFF AND I CAN SORT OF CATEGORIZE INTO EITHER JUST A WRITEUP OR MEMO AND CAN SHARE THAT WITH THE COMMISSION. 
          SO YOU SEE THE EFFORTS THAT ARE BEING MADE AND WHAT, WHAT EACH UNIT IS DOING. 
          UM, I KNOW THAT DOESN'T HELP RIGHT NOW WITH SORT OF THE DE DECISION MAKING TO, TO CREATE A WORKING GROUP OR NOT. 
          UM, OR, OR, OR SORT OF THE, UH, YOU KNOW, WHAT SORT OF, IF A WORKING GROUP IS CREATED TONIGHT, WHAT SORT OF THEIR CHARGE WILL BE? UM, IT COULD, IF A WORKING GROUP IS CREATED, WE CAN PROVIDE THAT WRITE UP AND, AND THAT WAY Y'ALL KNOW WHERE IT MIGHT BE BEST TO, TO PROVIDE SOME INSIGHT, UM OKAY. 
          TO TRY TO AGAIN, MAXIMIZE PARTICIPATION. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, OH, GO AHEAD. 
          COMMISSIONER. 
          ER. 
          OH, OH, YOU'RE MUTED. 
          WE CAN'T HEAR YOUR AUDIO. 
          LARRY HAD TO LEAVE AND I DON'T THINK WE HAVE A FORUM ANYMORE, GUYS. 
          UH, SEVEN SEVEN MINUTES SEVEN'S. 
          OKAY. 
          I THINK YOU ALL ARE STILL GOOD. 
          OKAY. 
          . 
          NOBODY ELSE LEAVE THOUGH. 
          . 
          YEAH, NOBODY CAN LEAVE THOUGH. 
          I THINK WE'RE RIGHT AT IT WITH SEVEN RIGHT NOW. 
          UM, SURE. 
          BUT WE'RE SO CLOSE TO THE END. 
          EVERYONE. 
          HANG ON. 
           MAKE SEAN WANTS TO DO ANYTHING. 
          NO, THANK YOU. 
          A PROBLEM. 
          THANK YOU FOR FLAGGING THAT. 
          UM, COMMISSIONER HOLT, WERE YOU GONNA SAY SOMETHING? YEAH, I WAS GONNA SAY, I DO WANNA START, UM, AWARD. 
          GIMME, GIMME ONE SECOND. 
          I'M ABOUT TO HAVE A DOG. 
          JUST DON'T THE CAMERA ON , THAT DULL MOMENT. 
          SORRY. 
          DENVER JUST GOT DROPPED OFF ON THE COFFEE TABLE AND THE DOGS WERE ALL GROWLY AT EACH OTHER. 
          CLAIM IT. 
          UM, BUT, UM, YES, I WOULD LIKE TO FORM A WORKING GROUP AND, UM, I WOULD LOVE IF COMMUNICATION LINES WITH THE APPROPRIATE STAFF FOLKS COULD START FROM THE BEGINNING. 
          'CAUSE I THINK THAT THAT WOULD SAVE A LOT OF PONTIFICATING ABOUT WHAT WOULD BE NEW VERSUS WHAT WOULD BE OLD. 
          SO YES. 
          SHORT ANSWER. 
          I WOULD LIKE TO START A WORKING GROUP. 
          OKAY. 
          WE'VE GOT A MOTION TO FORM A WORKING GROUP ON THIS. 
          DO WE HAVE A SECOND? YES. 
          COMMISSIONER MULA. 
          IS SHE GONNA HIT THAT ONE? UM, COMMISSIONER HOLT, WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO, TO CHAMPION THIS WORKING GROUP? ALSO, I KNOW YOUR LIST IS GETTING KIND OF LONG. 
          MY, MY LIST IS GETTING LONG, SO IF ANYBODY ELSE WOULD LIKE TO DO IT, I'D BE HAPPY TO. 
          I ALSO KNOW COMMISSIONER HERRERO SAID HE WOULD BE INTERESTED, BUT SINCE HE'S NOT HERE TONIGHT, I CAN'T SPEAK FOR HIM. 
          BUT, UM, I WILL, I WILL BE HAPPY TO CHAIR IT. 
          AND AS LONG AS OTHER FOLKS ARE ALSO WILLING TO PARTICIPATE, IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU, UH, DR. NIELSEN MIGHT BE WILLING TO JOIN YOU ON THAT AND LIGHTEN THE LOAD A LITTLE BIT. 
          OKAY, GREAT. 
          AWESOME. 
          UM, OKAY. 
          AND WE HAD A SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER S MAGULA. 
          UM, SO ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF FORMING A WORKING GROUP, UM, TO, UH, HELP WITH THE GOOD FIX, UM, GREATER GOODS, CHARITY, UH, MARKETING AND, AND POTENTIALLY TRANSPORT TO THE CLINIC. 
          UM, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND. 
          OKAY. 
          THAT'S UNANIMOUS. 
          UM, WITH OUR VERY SMALL QUORUM, IT PASSES. 
          UM, AT THIS POINT WE'LL MOVE ON. 
          UH, COMMISSIONER DEL, DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION? OH, NO. 
          OKAY. 
          UH, CHAIR, UM, I, IF I COULD JUST RAISE A POINT OF ORDER ON ITEM NUMBER ONE BEFORE YOU MOVED TO FUTURE MM-HMM . 
          AGENDA ITEMS. UM, I RECALCULATED THE VOTES AND YOU DID HAVE SEVEN. 
          OKAY. 
          EVEN WITH COMMISSIONER HOKE ABSTAINING. 
          SO JUST FOR THE RECORD, THE MINUTES WERE APPROVED. 
          THANK YOU. 
          SUCCESS . 
          OKAY, GREAT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THAT WILL SAVE US 30 SECONDS NEXT WEEK. 
          UM, OKAY, GREAT. 
          AT THIS POINT WE'LL 
          [FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS ]
MOVE ON TO FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. UM, WOULD, UH, SOMEONE LIKE TO MOVE TO ADD ANYTHING TO THE AGENDA? I KNOW DR. NIELSEN, YOU'D MENTIONED THE BUDGET ITEM. 
          YES, PLEASE. 
          OKAY. 
          SO ADDING A, UH, DISCUSSION ITEM ON, UM, BUDGET FOR, UM, THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR. 
          IS THAT HOW YOU'D LIKE TO? OKAY. 
          UM, GREAT. 
          UH, IS THERE A SECOND? YES. 
          COMMISSIONER S MAGULA, UM, ARE THERE ANY OTHER FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS? YOU CAN ALWAYS ADD THEM LATER, UM, OVER EMAIL AS WELL. 
          BUT, UM, IF ANYONE HAS ANYTHING FURTHER TONIGHT? OKAY. 
          OH, YES, COMMISSIONER MGO. 
          SO I, I DO NOT HAVE A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM, BUT I DID, UM, JUST WANNA LET THE COMMISSION AND EVERYONE KNOW THAT THIS WILL BE MY LAST MEETING ON THE COMMISSION. 
          UM, WHEN I FIRST STARTED IN THIS COMMISSION WAS FOUR YEARS AGO, BRIGHT-EYED AND BUSHY TAILED. 
          UH, OR, AND, UM, I, I HAVE TO SAY I, FOR A LITTLE PART OF IT, I BECAME JADED. 
          IT'S VERY EASY TO DO IN THE ANIMAL WELFARE WORLD. 
          HOWEVER, I HAVE RECENTLY BEEN VERY GLAD TO BE PART OF THIS WORKING THIS COMMISSION AND THESE WORKING GROUPS. 
          I THINK, 
          [01:35:01]
UM, THE MEMBERS WE HAVE NOW REALLY ARE, ARE VERY GOOD ADVOCATES FOR THE ANIMAL WELFARE SYSTEM. 
          UM, AND, AND SURPRISINGLY ENOUGH, I THINK I'M ONE OF THE SENIOR MEMBERS OF THIS COMMISSION NOW, SURPRISINGLY. 
          UM, AND, BUT, BUT IT'S, IT IS TIME FOR ME TO STEP OUT. 
          I NEED TO FOCUS ON MY FAMILY. 
          UM, SO I'M JUST WANTED TO THANK EVERYBODY ON THIS COMMISSION. 
          I'LL STILL BE HERE AS A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC. 
          I'LL STILL BE HERE AS A VOLUNTEER AT A A C PROBABLY BRINGING UP ISSUES TO THE COMMISSION . 
          UM, AND SO I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING EVERYBODY IN THAT CAPACITY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH, SO MUCH. 
          UM, YOU WILL CERTAINLY BE MISSED, UM, BY, BY MANY OF US HERE. 
          AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU OVER AT THAT MICROPHONE DURING THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD. 
          UM, SO THANKS FOR EVERYTHING YOU'VE DONE THESE LAST FOUR YEARS FOR, UH, THE COMMISSION AND, AND FOR, UM, ANIMALS IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN. 
          SO, UM, WITH THAT, IS THERE A MOTION TO ADJOURN? YES, DR. NIELSEN. 
          UH, DO WE HAVE A SECOND? YES. 
          COMMISSIONER S MAGULA . 
          GREAT LAST MOTION. 
          UM, UH, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? COMMISSIONER HULK? YES. 
          OKAY, THERE WE GO. 
          UH, THAT'S UNANIMOUS. 
          UH, AND THIS ENDS THE MARCH 10TH, UH, 2025 MEETING OF THE ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION. 
          THANKS EVERYONE.
* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.