Apr 14, 2025 Animal Advisory Commission

HI, I'M JOANNE NORTON.

I'M BACK ON THE COMMISSION AFTER YOU'RE OFF THE COMMISSION.

I'M A FORMER CITY EMPLOYEE, UM, ALSO WORK FOR THE CITY EMPLOYEE, UH, RETIREMENT SYSTEM.

I'M A VOLUNTEER WITH AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER.

I DO A LOT OF THE MEDIA FOR THE PETS AND, UM, UH, SOME OTHER THINGS.

AND, UM, I'M HAPPY TO BE BACK HELPING THE PEOPLE IN PETS OF AUSTIN.

THANK YOU AND WELCOME BACK.

WE WILL DO,

[PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL]

UM, THE, UH, SPEAKERS.

WE HAVE, I THINK 1, 2, 3.

WE HAVE THREE SPEAKERS.

UM, PAT, TRES.

PAT, ARE YOU AVAILABLE REQUEST PAT RES.

YOU CAN UNMUTE STAR SIX.

WE CAN MOVE TO THOSE IN PERSON.

AND THEN WE'LL COME AROUND AND SEE IF SHE'S AVAILABLE, UM, WHEN THEY'RE COMPLETED.

UH, MY NAME IS JULIE OLIVER AND I'M A VOLUNTEER AT THE AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER.

AND THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME A CHANCE TO SPEAK TONIGHT.

UM, I'M HERE TONIGHT AND I HAVE TO TELL YOU, I FEEL AN EXTRAORDINARY AMOUNT OF GUILT NOT BEING AT AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER TONIGHT, WALKING THE DOGS.

UM, BUT I'M HERE TONIGHT BECAUSE I CARE SO DEEPLY ABOUT THE ANIMALS AT OUR SHELTER, ESPECIALLY THE DOGS.

I STARTED OUT AS A CAT VOLUNTEER, BUT NOW I SWITCH OVER TO DOGS.

UM, AND I WANNA RAISE WHAT I THINK IS A SERIOUS CONCERN ABOUT THEIR WELLBEING DURING, UH, THESE UPCOMING HOT MONTHS.

RIGHT NOW, UNDER A NEW CLEANING PROTOCOL MANDATED BY THE FORMER A A C CHIEF ANIMAL SERVICES OFFICER, DON BLAND, FOR THE FIRST TIME, WATER IS BEING REMOVED FROM THE OUTDOOR PARTS OF THE KENNELS.

AND FOR CONTEXT AND HISTORY, THERE HAVE BEEN TWO WATER BUCKETS FOR EACH KENNEL.

ONE ON THE INSIDE AND ONE ON THE OUTSIDE, INSIDE AND OUTSIDE, SEPARATED BY A GUILLOTINE.

I UNDERSTAND THAT THE GOAL OF THIS NEW CLEANING PROTOCOL IS TO MAKE CLEANING TIMES FASTER.

BUT THIS, UH, HAS CREATED A DANGEROUS SITUATION IF THE GUILLOTINE DOOR GETS ACCIDENTALLY LEFT CLOSED.

AND I'VE WITNESSED THIS, I MEAN, PROBABLY ALMOST EVERY DAY, AND SOMETIMES IT'S VOLUNTEERS, SOMETIMES IT'S STAFF, IT'S UNINTENTIONAL, BUT THEY DO GET ACCIDENTALLY CLOSED AND THEY STAY CLOSED.

AND A DOG ENDS UP ON THE OUTSIDE.

THEY CAN BE LEFT WITHOUT WATER FOR A VERY, VERY LONG TIME UNTIL SOMEBODY NOTICES THAT THEY'RE LOCKED OUTSIDE.

THIS ISN'T A RARE MISTAKE.

LIKE I SAID, IT HAPPENS ALMOST EVERY DAY.

AND I DO VOLUNTEER.

YOU CAN LOOK AT MY SERVICE HOURS.

I AL VOLUNTEER THERE, AL LITERALLY ALMOST EVERY DAY, MORNING AND NIGHTS, UM, WITH TEMPERATURES CLIMBING INTO THE NINETIES AND HUNDREDS SOON.

THIS IS A VERY REAL RISK.

DOGS CAN OVERHEAT IN JUST 15, UH, 10 TO 15 MINUTES, ESPECIALLY SENIOR DOGS, WHICH WE HAVE SEVERAL CLASSIC CANINES, UM, DOGS WITH AND MUZZLE, UH, AND THOSE WITH MEDICAL ISSUES LIKE LITTLE SWEET WAFFLE

[00:05:01]

FRY, UH, WHO I ADORE.

THEY NEED ACCESS TO WATER TO COOL THEMSELVES DOWN.

IT'S NOT OPTIONAL.

IT'S VITAL.

I'M ASKING THIS COMMITTEE TO ACT QUICKLY IN THE SHORT TERM.

CAN WE PLEASE PROVIDE WATER IN THE OUTDOOR PORTIONS OF THE KENNEL AREAS? AND IN THE LONG TERM, WE NEED A CLEANING PROCESS THAT NEVER LEAVES A DOG WITHOUT ACCESS TO WATER EVER.

PLEASE.

UM, THE ANIMALS AT THE SHELTER DEPEND ON US.

THEY CAN'T SPEAK UP, BUT WE CAN, WE CAN BE THEIR VOICES.

I SEE THESE DOGS ALMOST EVERY DAY, AND I LOVE THEM.

I MEAN, I, I CRIED TODAY WHEN I TOOK ONE BACK AFTER GOING THERE THIS MORNING, WALKING DOGS, TAKING ONE HOME AND LETTING IT JUST DECOMPRESS AT MY HOME FOR THE DAY AND TAKING HIM BACK.

AND I CRIED.

THEY DESERVE BASIC, UH, SAFETY, ESPECIALLY IN THE HEAT.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR LISTENING.

UH, THE ONES THAT COME TIME AND AGAIN, AND THE ONES WHO ARE HERE FOR THE FIRST TIME OR ONLY COME EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE.

AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR DEDICATION TO THE CARE.

AND I HAVE TO SAY THANK YOU TO THE STAFF BECAUSE I KNOW Y'ALL ARE DOING EVERYTHING YOU CAN FOR THESE POOR BABIES.

SO, THANK Y'ALL.

THANK YOU FOR VOLUNTEERING.

UM, ROCHELLE VICKERY, I'M SORRY I WASN'T HERE LAST MONTH, BUT I WAS TRAPPING OUT ON WOLF LANE AND IT, IT WAS A LARGE SITUATION.

AND, UH, ANIMAL CONTROL ASKED ME TO GO OUT THERE.

THERE WAS 25 DOGS THAT, OR CITY DOGS, I WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND THAT.

AND SOME CITY CATS OUT THERE THAT THIS ELDERLY MAN, 77 YEARS OLD, HE BARELY COULD.

HE, HE REALLY COULDN'T SPEAK ENGLISH.

HIS DAUGHTER IS THE ONE THAT CALLED IT IN ANIMAL CONTROL.

WENT OUT THERE AND THE DOGS WERE FROM GERMAN SHEPHERD DOWN TO SMALLER ONES.

THEY TOOK A, SEVERAL OF THE SMALLER ONES.

AS FAR AS I KNOW, THEY NEVER WENT BACK FOR, FOR THE, ANY OF THE LARGER DOGS.

AND THEY DIDN'T EVEN OFFER THE MAN ANY FOOD.

HE, THE CATS, UH, WENT UP INTO THE, HE HAD 18 WHEELERS THAT WERE B UH, BROKE.

BUT THE CAB, THE TR TRAILER PART, HE HAD A LADDER.

IT WAS REALLY, REALLY CUTE.

THE CATS WENT UP THE LADDER INTO THE TRAILER PART TO EAT, TO KEEP THE DOGS AWAY FROM AWAY FROM THE FOOD.

WELL SEE THE, THIS IS A SAD SITUATION BECAUSE THEY ARE CITY ANIMALS.

I KNOW YOU DON'T HAVE ROOM, BUT HERE I GO.

A PA BRINGS IN 40 DOGS BEGGING FOR MONEY.

THERE'S 40 DOGS THAT OUR SHELTER THAT COULD BE TAKEN IN AND MADE ROOM FOR SOME MORE DOGS.

AND THAT'S WHAT'S SO SAD.

I KNOW THEY'RE SHIPPING THEM OUT TO WHEREVER, BUT OUR DOGS WOULD LOVE TO BE SHIPPED OUT AND GO TO A NICE HOME TOO.

BUT WE NEED, I ALREADY SPOKE TO JASON ABOUT THIS, THIS SITUATION, AND LOUISE KNOWS ABOUT IT.

AND I THINK WE NEED TO GET SOME FOOD OUT THERE TO HELP THAT MAN WITH THOSE DOGS.

ONE OF THEM HAD DEMODEX, AND I DON'T KNOW WHY THEY LEFT THAT DOG THERE, BUT THEY, I COULD TELL IT HAD DEMODEX AND IT NEEDS HELP.

AND IT, IT'S CONTAGIOUS AND THE OTHER DOGS CAN GET IT TOO.

BUT THAT, THAT'S WHAT MY GRIPE IS, IS THAT WE NEED TO GET SOMETHING FOR A PA TO PULL OUR DOGS SO WE CAN BRING IN OTHER DOGS.

LAST WEEK I FOUND A, A LITTLE FRENCHIE IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD.

NOBODY IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD OWNS THE FRENCHIE.

IT, IT WAS FROM THE APARTMENTS THAT WAS WRAPPED BY I 30 AND 71.

I TOOK IT INTO THE SHELTER.

THEY GAVE ME A HARD TIME FOR TAKING THE DOG IN.

AND I SAYS, I CAN'T KEEP THE DOG.

AND THE ONLY REASON THEY TOOK HIM IN IS BECAUSE IT HAD DEMODEX TOO.

AND THAT'S WHAT THEY TOLD ME.

AND LATER THAT DAY, SOMEBODY CAME AND CLAIMED THEIR DOG, BUT BY GEORGIE HAS A MICROCHIP IN HIM NOW, OR, OR SHE DOES, BECAUSE IT DIDN'T EVEN, I HAVE A SCANNER AND IT DIDN'T EVEN HAVE A MICROCHIP WHERE I COULD HAVE KIND OF HELPED IT, BUT I COULDN'T HANG ON TO THAT DOG AND IT WOULD'VE GOTTEN HIT BY A CAR.

I'M JUST ASKING THAT.

A PA THEY DO A FABULOUS JOB WITH THE SICK AND HURT ANIMALS.

WE NEED THAT SITUATION IN THIS TOWN.

AND IS PAT VRES STILL ONLINE OR AVAILABLE? UM, THANK YOU.

CHAIR CLINTON, VICE CHAIR LINDER AND COMMISSIONERS.

I DO WANNA MENTION THAT I TRIED TO UNMUTE MYSELF BEFORE AND I COULDN'T DO IT, BUT I FIGURED OUT A WAY TO GET TO A DIFFERENT, UM, PLACE ON MY PHONE.

AND NOW I'M UNMUTED.

THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK.

UH, FIRST I WANNA SAY WELCOME TO THE NEW COMMISSIONERS AND THE NEW COMMISSIONER AND THE RETURNING COMMISSIONER.

UM, AND THANK YOU ALSO TO THE SPEAKERS WHO JUST CAME,

[00:10:01]

UM, I REALLY APPRECIATE HEARING FROM ALL OF YOU, AND I FEEL HUMBLED BY, UM, HOW POWERFUL YOUR, UH, SPEAKING ALWAYS IS.

UM, I HAVE A FEW MINOR REQUESTS, UH, AND THEN I WILL SPEAK TO SOME QUESTIONS I HAVE.

UH, MY FIRST MINOR REQUEST IS THAT WHEN ITEMS FOUR AND FIVE COME UP, WHICH ARE BRIEFINGS, I MEAN THEY'RE BRIEFINGS.

AND THEN DISCUSSION.

I WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK AFTER THE BRIEFING, BUT BEFORE THE DISCUSSION, UM, I THINK, YOU KNOW, WHEN THERE'S A, A BRIEFING AND THEN A DISCUSSION, IT HELPS THOSE OF US WHO ARE SPEAKING IF WE COULD HEAR THE BRIEFING FIRST.

UM, MY SECOND REQUEST IS ALSO MINOR.

UM, AND THAT IS THAT ON THE, UM, SHEET THAT SAYS WHO IS IN WHAT SEAT, YOU SHOW THE VACANCIES, FOR EXAMPLE, RIGHT NOW, THERE'S A VACANCY IN D ONE AND D PEN.

AND ANOTHER THING THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL IS TO INDICATE HOW LONG THAT SEAT HAS BEEN VACANT.

UM, MY QUESTION, MY NEXT ITEM THAT I WANNA SPEAK TO IS WHAT HAPPENED TO THE, UH, COMMUNITY CAT WORKING GROUP? I DON'T SEE IT ON THE AGENDA.

I WONDER IF SOMEONE COULD SPEAK TO WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THAT.

AND THEN ANOTHER ONE THAT I IS SIMILAR IS, LAST MONTH THERE WAS A WORKING GROUP CREATED ON GOOD FIX.

AND I DON'T SEE IT ON THE AGENDA.

PERHAPS THERE'S GONNA BE SOME DISCUSSION ABOUT IT, BUT I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO THE GOOD WORKING GROUP.

AND IN GENERAL, IF THERE'S NO REPORT, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IT AT LEAST LISTED AND SOMEONE AT LEAST SAY WE MET AND WE DON'T HAVE A REPORT.

BUT HERE'S WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT.

UM, I THINK THE COMMUNITY CAT WORKING GROUP HAS NOT MET, BUT I'M NOT SURE I, I HAVE TO BE ON IT.

I, I HAVEN'T HEARD THAT IT'S MET.

AND THEN I HEARD THAT THE GOOD FIX WORKING GROUP DID MEET.

UM, AND THEN A FINAL QUESTION I HAVE IS, COULD THE GOOD FIX WORKING GROUP BE EXPANDED TO INCLUDE ISSUES RELATED TO EMANCIPATE IN SPAY NEUTER? BECAUSE, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ACTING LIKE GOOD FIX IS OUR ONLY FOCUS.

I THINK WE SHOULD ALSO ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT EMAN.

THANK YOU FOR THE TIME.

MOVE ON TO, UM, APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.

WE'LL

[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]

ITEM NUMBER ONE, APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING ON MARCH 10TH, 2025.

I WAS NOT HERE AND HAVE NOT YET HAD TIME TO, UM, GO BACK AND REVIEW THE TAPES.

I'M HOPING THAT SOMEONE ELSE WILL MAKE A MOTION.

DR. NELSON MOVES.

DO WE HAVE A SECOND? UH, VICE CHAIR? LINDER HAS A SECOND.

IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION OR COMMENTS ON THE AGENDA? OR, SORRY, THE, THE MINUTES? NONE.

UM, SO WE'LL HAVE A VOTE.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR.

SIX, SEVEN.

SO WE HAVE EIGHT IN FAVOR.

AND ONE, UH, ABSTAIN CHAIR.

YOU WERE ABSTAINING.

'CAUSE I WASN'T HERE AND I HAVEN'T WATCHED IT.

MR. GARZA, GOOD EVENING COMMISSION, JASON GARZA ANIMAL SERVICES.

SO I JUST DIDN'T, THAT'S GEN.

IT'S NOT A RULE, BUT IT'S MY POLICY.

IF I HAVEN'T SEEN IT, I'D PREFER NOT TO VOTE ON IT.

AND I DON'T HAVE A CONFLICT.

I JUST HAVEN'T WATCHED IT.

UH, ITEM NUMBER TWO,

[2. Staff briefing regarding monthly reports provided by the Animal Services Office. ]

STAFF BRIEFINGS.

WE'LL GO TO NUMBER TWO.

STAFF BRIEFING REGARDING MONTHLY REPORTS PROVIDED BY THE ANIMAL SERVICES OFFICE.

SO FOR MARCH, THE LIVE OUTCOME RATE WAS 95.47%.

WE HAD A TOTAL OF NINE 60 ANIMALS THAT WERE BROUGHT INTO THE SHELTER.

UM, WE WERE ABLE TO GET 495 ANIMALS ADOPTED, AND A TOTAL OF 93 DOGS AND CATS WERE RETURNED TO THEIR OWNER, UH, IN THE FIELD.

ANIMAL PROTECTION WAS ABLE TO RETURN 37 ANIMALS TO THEIR OWNER.

WE HANDED OUT, UH, 22 FENCING APPLICATIONS AND ENTERED A HUN 264 RABIES EXPOSURE REPORTS.

UM, WE ALSO IMPOUNDED 174 INJURED ANIMALS AND TOOK 162 WILDLIFE ANIMALS TO OUR PARTNER, UH, WILDLIFE RESCUE.

WITH OUR VOLUNTEER PROGRAM.

WE, UH, 531 VOLUNTEERS CONTRIBUTED, UH, OVER 6,100 HOURS TO US, WHICH WE'RE, YOU KNOW, VERY GRATEFUL FOR.

WE WERE, UH, ABLE TO HOLD FIVE ORIENTATIONS, WHICH INTRODUCED 142 POTENTIAL NEW VOLUNTEERS INTO THE PROGRAM.

UM, WE HAD 112 ANIMALS THAT WERE DIRECTLY ADOPTED FROM OUR FOSTER, UH, FROM OUR FOSTERS.

AND WE WERE ABLE TO PROCESS 204 NEW FOSTER APPLICATIONS.

THAT'S GIVING US A TOTAL OF 913 MEMBERS WHO ARE APPROVED AND READY TO FOSTER.

UM, WITHIN VET SERVICES, WE CON UH, CONDUCTED 698 EXAMS AND, UH, ALTERED 474 ANIMALS.

UM, WE DID

[00:15:01]

SEE 50 CASES FROM THE EMERGENCY CLINIC COME TO US, WHICH WE HAVE AN ESTIMATED BILL ABOUT $25,000, UM, WITHIN MEDIA.

I MEAN, WE HAVE BEEN STILL SEEING, UH, GETTY'S GOOD STEADY VIEW OF OUR, OUR SOCIAL MEDIA PAGES.

UH, WE HAD 1.5 MILLION PAGE VIEWS WITH OUR FACEBOOK ACCOUNT, 742,000 WITH OUR, UH, INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT.

AND, UM, WE DID SEE A GOOD AMOUNT OF VIEWS FOR OUR GOOD FIX, UH, MARKETING.

UM, WE HAD OVER 315,000 VIEWS AND 1500 SHARES.

AND SO, UM, WITH THAT, I'LL TAKE ANY QUESTIONS THAT Y'ALL MAY HAVE.

ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONER NORTON? UM, THANK YOU.

UM, IT'S, IT'S MORE OF A COMMENT.

UM, I APPRECIATE THE SOCIAL MEDIA NUMBERS.

UM, IS IT POSSIBLE TO INCLUDE WHAT THE VOLUNTEERS DO FOR SOCIAL MEDIA? UM, THERE'S SO MANY CAT AND DOG AND BUNNY AND GUINEA PIG AND FOSTERS WHO SEND THINGS TO OUR MEDIA TEAM, WHICH WAS STARTED AND I VOLUNTEER ON IT.

THAT'S WHY I SAID WE, UM, AT THE REQUEST OF AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER, AND LIKE OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL HAS 2.7 MILLION VIEWS, UM, A 187,000 AS OF LAST WEEK.

WERE DIRECTLY FROM APES.

UM, WE CAN ALSO TELL YOU FROM THE OTHER SOURCES THAT CHAMELEON SENDS OUT THAT WE HAVE ANOTHER 15, 16,000 COMING IN FROM NOW.

THOSE ARE ACTUAL REAL PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING IN APES AND THEN LOOKING AT THE VIDEOS THAT WAY.

AND IT DOESN'T EVER GET RECOGNIZED.

AND I THINK IT'S PART OF THE BIGGER PICTURE OF WHAT WE DO AT SOCIAL MEDIA, AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT, AND ESPECIALLY ON YOUTUBE.

UM, SO, UH, IF THAT'S SOMETHING YOU COULD CONSIDER, I COULD GIVE YOU THE STATISTICS EVERY MONTH THAT I COULD PULL OFF OF YOUTUBE.

UH, YES.

I, I MEAN, SURE WE CAN INCLUDE THAT BREAKDOWN OF WHAT WE'RE SEEING OUR VOLUNTEERS, ESPECIALLY IF THEY'RE SIGNED UP THROUGH OUR DATABASE SYSTEM TO PUT IN THOSE HOURS AS WELL.

BUT THEN ALSO THE ENGAGEMENT THAT THOSE POSTS ARE RECEIVING.

I'LL REMIND EVERYBODY TO PUT, I KNOW I PUT MY HOURS IN LIKE THREE TODAY, BUT I'LL REMIND EVERYONE TO, UM, PUT THE HOURS IN SO YOU SEE THAT.

'CAUSE THAT'S, UH, THAT'S A PORTION OF THE VOLUNTEER HOURS, BUT IT'S A BIG PORTION.

THANKS, CHAIR LINDER.

HI.

UM, THANKS FOR RUNNING THROUGH ALL THOSE NUMBERS FOR US.

UM, I'M WONDERING IF YOU COULD, UH, RESPOND JUST BRIEFLY TO THE, UM, THE ISSUE THAT WAS RAISED EARLIER DURING THE PUBLIC COMMENT ABOUT THE ACCESS TO WATER.

UM, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT, UM, SO WE'LL, WE'RE GOING TO ACTUALLY MODIFY THAT ONCE IT HITS TO LIKE 95 DEGREE WEATHER.

WE'LL PUT TWO BUCKETS OUT.

UM, YEAH, IT WAS IMPLEMENTED ONCE FOR, TO HELP WITH SPEED UP CLEANING AND WHEN WE WERE SHUTTING DOGS IN BECAUSE OF COLD WEATHER.

BUT NOW THAT WE'RE USUALLY, DON'T SHUT 'EM IN UNLESS IT'S INSANELY HOT.

WE'LL SHUT DOGS IN THROUGH THE HEAT OF THE DAY.

BUT DURING THE NIGHT HOURS, WE'LL PUT TWO WATER BUCKETS.

I ACTUALLY TEXTED MY OPERATIONS MANAGER RIGHT BEFORE THAT, AND HE CONFIRMED THAT WITH ME.

AND THEN, UM, TO THE, UM, TO THE OTHER ISSUE THAT WAS RAISED BY MS. VICKERY, DO YOU KNOW, UM, WE STILL HAVE A FOOD ASSISTANCE PROGRAM THAT YEAH, AS SHE MENTIONED, I SPOKE WITH HER, SHE GAVE ME THE ADDRESS, OR AT LEAST THE STREET.

AND SO I'LL FOLLOW UP TOMORROW WITH, WITH, WITH, UH, JUST TO SEE IF IT SOUNDS LIKE, AND I'M NOT GOING TO, YOU KNOW, SPECULATE TOO MUCH, BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE IF WE WERE TAKING ALS WE'RE PROBABLY TAKING IN APHA IN APPROACH TO HELP AN OVERWHELM CAREGIVER.

AND SO WE'LL TAKE IN ANIMALS, ESPECIALLY THOSE THAT ARE MOST VULNERABLE, WHICH IS LEADS ME BELIEVE WE'RE TAKING THE SMALLER DOGS.

AND THEN, BUT WE USUALLY OFFER SUPPLIES UHHUH .

AND SO I'LL JUST VERIFY WHAT THAT, THE ACTIVITIES THAT A PA WAS DOING FOR THIS CASE.

JASON, WHAT PERCENT OF THE DOGS, OR NOT DOGS, ANIMALS THAT ARE ADOPTED FROM, FROM ANIMAL CENTER OFTEN ANIMAL CENTER COME FROM FOSTERS VERSUS THE ANIMAL CENTER? UM, I'LL HAVE TO DO THAT MATH, BUT I CAN DO THAT AND SEND IT TO Y'ALL.

UM, JUST TO MAKE SURE.

WELL, I, I, I THINK, UH, AND I APPRECIATE THAT.

I THINK IT, THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND BECAUSE IF, UM, AND I DON'T KNOW BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE THAT INFORMATION, IF THEY'LL TELL YOU WHERE YOU NEED TO FOCUS.

IF, FOR EXAMPLE, IF, IF A HIGHER PERCENT COMES FROM THE FOSTER, MAYBE THE ANIMAL CENTER NEEDS TO FOCUS ON INCREASING THE NUMBER OF FOSTERS.

AND THAT'S EASIER THAN INCREASING THE NUMBER OF SPACES AT THE ANIMAL CENTER.

UM, YEAH, JUST DID THE QUICK MATH.

IT WAS ABOUT 22% OF, OF ANIMALS ADOPTED DURING MARCH CAME

[00:20:01]

FROM OUR FOSTER.

THAT'S WHAT WE LIKE TO DO.

I MEAN, THAT'S WHAT WE STRIVE TO DO, TO GET PEOPLE TO FOSTER, GET TO KNOW THE ANIMALS IN THE HOME SO THAT THEY, THEY CAN, YOU KNOW, ARTICULATE, PROMOTE THOSE ANIMALS.

BECAUSE AGAIN, SHELTER LIFE CAN BE A LITTLE BIT STRESSFUL.

SO IT CAN BE DIFFICULT TO SHOW, SHOWCASE AN ANIMAL, BUT DOING IT IN A HOME, YOU KNOW, CAN, CAN LEAD TO A BETTER OUTCOME AND SORT OF A, AN OUTCOME THAT WON'T, THAT MAY NOT RESULT IN A RETURN.

SO SORT OF IT STAYING IN THERE FOR, AND, AND YOU JUST SHARED WHAT, UH, WHAT WAS THAT, 22, 2% FROM WHEN, UH, FOR MARCH FOR THIS PAST MONTH.

AND IT WOULD BE GOOD TO KNOW BEYOND JUST MARCH, WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE? I, I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND BECAUSE THEY'LL HELP, UM, THE MISSION AND JUST THE POPULATION ANIMALS IN THE CITY.

AND WE'RE TO FO FOCUS YOUR RESOURCES.

COMMISSIONER HERRERA.

NO, WE DO.

WE WE GO AND EVERYBODY GETS THEIR ONE SHOT.

SHE'S GOT HER SHOT.

SHE CAN GET, I'LL GO GET BACK TO HER.

THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING Y'ALL DO.

UH, ANY CHANCE WE CAN HAVE THE INFORMATION AND THE RESULTS FROM THE MEGA CLINICS, YOU KNOW, ZIP CODES, ATTENDANCE, HOW MUCH PERCENTAGE OF WAS DOGS CUT FOR THE GOOD FIX? YES.

UM, I'M HOPING TO GET THOSE SOON.

UM, UH, GOOD FIX.

PART OF THE, THE AFTER ACTION IS TO COMPILE THOSE INFORMATION.

'CAUSE THEY HAVE TO GO THROUGH WRITTEN DOCUMENTS OF PEOPLE PUTTING IN THEIR INFORMATION, THE ZIP CODES AND WHATNOT.

THEN THEY'LL COMPILE IT INTO A REPORT AND THEN SEND IT TO US.

SO WE HAVEN'T RECEIVED IT YET.

WE'RE ACTUALLY WORKING TO SCHEDULE AN AFTER ACTION REPORT AND SORT OF A PRE-PREP FOR THE NEXT EVENT IN JULY.

AWESOME.

AND THE SECOND THING, UH, THE POLITICAL TEMPERATURE IS A LITTLE BIT HOT LATELY.

AND DID Y'ALL HAVE ANY PLAN FOR RECEIVING DOGS? OH MY GOD, SORRY.

I GET A LITTLE BIT.

AND JUST FOR DEPORTED PEOPLE.

SO WE TRY TO TREAT THOSE AS AN EMERGENCY BASIS.

WHEN IT'S COMMUNICATED TO US.

I THINK IT, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'VE SEEN SOME, SOME SORT OF STRUGGLES WITH THAT IS, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ALSO SEEN AS PART OF THE GOVERNMENT, SO PEOPLE DON'T WANT TO, TO INTERACT WITH US TOO MUCH.

UM, BUT YES, WE'RE BEING SENSITIVE AND COGNIZANT IF PEOPLE NEED TO, FOR WHATEVER REASONS, IF, IF THEY FEEL THEY NEED TO, UM, YOU KNOW, IF THEY'VE BEEN EVICTED OR, OR TELL US THAT, THEN WE'RE TRY TO COGNIZANT OF OF, OF THAT TO TRY TO HELP THEM OUT AND PROVIDE SERVICES AS POSSIBLE.

I AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.

I HAD A CALL LAST WEEK WITH SOME PEOPLE FROM THE MEXICAN CONSULATE AND WE ARE READY TO HELP ANY PEOPLE AND ANY PET WHO NEED IT ON, ON THIS TEMPERATURE.

THE IDEA IS TO KEEP FAMILIES TOGETHER.

THINGS CAN HAPPEN.

NICE CHAIR LI.

UM, SO MY QUESTION WAS ABOUT THE, THE GOOD FIX CLINIC THAT YOU MENTIONED MM-HMM .

IN JULY.

I KNOW, UM, WE WERE HOPING TO HAVE THAT CLINIC SOMEWHERE NEAR DELL VALLEY SO THAT, UM, THESE POPULATIONS CAN, UM, CAN ACCESS THOSE MM-HMM .

UM, SERVICES AND, AND KIND OF TRADITIONALLY UNDERSERVED AREAS.

WAS THAT NEGOTIATION SUCCESSFUL? YES.

SO COULD YOU TELL, TELL US ABOUT THE LOCATION WE'RE GONNA HAVE AND WHEN IT'S GONNA BE, WE'RE GONNA HAVE IT AT CO AT THE CIRCUIT OF THE AMERICANS, SO IT'LL BE RIGHT OFF OF, UH, RIGHT OFF.

UH, I'M JUST BLANKED ON THE ROAD.

BUT AT NEAR ONE E THREE AND, AND DOWN THAT AREA.

BUT YES, WE'RE, WE'RE HAVING IT THERE.

A, UM, REVIEW OF HOW THE LAST CLINIC WENT AND, AND WHAT YOU WERE GONNA GET READY FOR THE NEXT CLINIC.

AND COULD YOU TELL US THE DATE, JUST SO WE HAVE IT? JULY 28TH THROUGH AUGUST 1ST.

UM, WE WERE JUST DOING DRAFT OF THE FLYER, SO YES.

GREAT.

THANKS SO MUCH, COMMISSIONER NORTON.

UM, IF I CAN ALSO MENTION, UM, FOR YOU, 'CAUSE I'VE WORKED THROUGH THE CLINICS AND I DID TWO DAYS AT THE LAST ONE AND I'M ON THE DOG INTAKE TEAM.

AND, UM, THERE ARE, UH, AND I INPUT THAT A LOT OF THE DATA, UM, THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO COME, WHO ARE OUT IN THAT AREA, UM, WHO COME TO ALL THE CLINICS IN VANS WITH 15 DOGS.

WE HAD A WOMAN THIS TIME WITH 23 PUPPIES ON HER BACKSEAT.

UM, AND, UH, SO I THINK THAT IT WAS A DIFFERENT AREA AND IT WAS NICE WHEN WE GOT SOME DIFFERENT PEOPLE, BUT, UM, I THINK THE PEOPLE NOW WHO ARE IN THOSE AREAS KNOW THAT WE'RE THERE AND IT'S FREE.

AND WHEN I SHOW UP AT SEVEN 10, THERE ARE PROBABLY 40, 50 CARS IN LINE ALREADY.

SO, UM, I THINK THE OUTREACH IS PRETTY GOOD.

UM, I, UNDER I, UH, AND, AND GETTING PEOPLE FROM DIFFERENT AREAS OF AUSTIN, THE BREAKER ONE WAS ALSO PRETTY GOOD, BUT AGAIN, WE SAW A LOT OF THE SAME PEOPLE WHO CAME WITH PETS FROM THAT, FROM THOSE AREAS.

SO.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? DR. NELSON? I, UM, IS THERE ANY CHANCE THAT, THAT YOU MENTIONED

[00:25:01]

IS THERE ANY CHANCE THAT, THAT THAT MEETING IS SOMETHING THAT THE, UH, WORKING GROUP COULD BE INVOLVED IN? UM, RIGHT NOW WE JUST DO IT WITH THE, THE INTERNAL STAFF.

I THINK IT WAS PER, UM, YEAH, NORMALLY WE, WE, I'D HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THAT JUST BECAUSE YEAH, I MEAN, THEY'RE GONNA SHARE WITH INFORMATION WITH US, SO IT'S SORT OF THE PRE-PLANNING THING.

BUT I MEAN, WHAT I WAS GONNA OFFER TELL THEM IS THAT THERE IS A WORKING GROUP ESSENTIALLY THAT CAN HELP OUT.

'CAUSE I THINK THE MAIN CHARGE, IF I REMEMBER, WAS WORKING WITH MARKETING AND YES.

OTHER WAYS TO GET THE WORD OUT.

'CAUSE THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS WE WERE GONNA BRING UP.

WE DID ADDITIONAL MARKETING, HAD HAD IT IN MULTIPLE AREAS, GOT CONFUSED.

BUT, YOU KNOW, WE, WE, UM, DIDN'T QUITE HIT OUR GOAL.

AND SO HOW WE CAN INCREASE THAT.

SO, OKAY.

ANYTHING ELSE? COULD YOU, WHEN YOU DO, IF YOU DO THAT REPORT AND IT'S PRIOR TO OUR NEXT MEETING, DO YOU MIND CIRCULATING IT WHEN IT'S, WHEN IT'S FINISHED RATHER THAN AT, RATHER THAN WAITING UNTIL THE NEXT MEETING? YES.

OUR GOAL IS TO TRY TO GET IT TO ALSO TO THE ELECTED OFFICIALS, SO TO MAYOR AND COUNCIL AND TRAVIS COUNTY.

AND SO WE'LL DEFINITELY SHARE IT.

THANKS.

AND I HAD A SECOND QUESTION, AND I'M GONNA ASK IT TO A PA TOO, BECAUSE I WAS JUST CURIOUS ABOUT, UM, WHETHER WE WERE HITTING KITTEN SEASON AND OR WHETHER WE WERE IN THE THROES OF IT.

'CAUSE I WENT TO BOTH THE CITY'S WEBSITE AND APA A'S WEBSITE AND THERE WERE ALMOST NO KITTENS AVAILABLE ON EITHER WEBSITE.

SO I WAS JUST CURIOUS ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON THERE.

WE'RE, WE'RE SEEING KITTENS HERE AND THERE.

NOTHING TO THE WAVE OF KITTENS THAT WILL BE COMING.

I MEAN, HOPEFULLY THEY JIG IT, JUST, UH, ANNOUNCE IT.

BUT YES, WE'RE, WE'RE ALSO MAKING PREPARATION.

SO WE'LL GET IN OUR FOSTER, FOSTER, UH, CREWS READY AS WELL JUST TO, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE ARE IN NEED OF THEM THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY CAN COME AND HELP US OUT.

[3. Staff briefing regarding the implementation of new shelter software at the Animal Services Office. ]

ON TO, UH, ITEM NUMBER THREE, WHICH IS STAFF BRIEFING REGARDING THE INFLAMMATION OF IMPLEMENTATION OF NEW SHELTER SOFTWARE AT THE ANIMAL SERVICES OFFICE.

IS THAT ALSO YOU, MR. GARZA? YES.

YES SIR.

UM, SO, UH, APOLOGIES IF THERE, I HAVE MISSED A COUPLE MEETINGS FOR, FOR, UM, YOU KNOW, ISSUES.

BUT I WAS LOOKING AT, UH, MEETINGS BACK AND SAW THAT THERE HADN'T BEEN AN UPDATE ON WHAT HAS BEEN GOING ON AT THE SHELTER SPECIFICALLY.

SO, UM, WE ARE ACTUALLY IMPLEMENTING A NEW SHELTER DATABASE SOFTWARE.

UM, WE WERE COMING TO THE END OF OUR CONTRACT LIFE WITH CHAMELEON, AS MOST, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD CHAMELEON SINCE THE DAY BEFORE FOREVER.

AND SO, UM, WE WENT THROUGH, THROUGH WITH OUR HELP FROM OUR COMMUNITY COMMUNICATIONS AND TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT.

UM, BASICALLY IT, UH, THEY WERE ABLE TO HELP US DEVELOP AN RFP SCOPE OF WORK, AND WE PUT OUT A BID FOR PROPOSALS TO SEE WHAT WOULD COME.

UM, AFTER THE EVALUATIONS THAT WERE CONDUCTED, UM, UH, WE ENDED UP WITH A, A NEW FIRM, THEIR A SHELTER BUDDY ESSENTIALLY IS THE DATABASE THAT'S GOING TO BE.

AND SO WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THEM, WITH THE VENDOR TO BUILD OUT THE, BUILD OUT THE SOFTWARE, YOU KNOW, CATER TO OUR SPECIFIC NEEDS, UM, AND THE OPERATIONS THAT WE, THAT WE FULFILL.

UM, AND SO WE'RE LOOKING TO IMPLEMENT THAT IN THE NEXT, UM, NEXT THREE WEEKS, OR ACTUALLY OUR GO LIVE DATE IS TARGETING MAY 5TH.

UM, AND SO I JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON THE SOFTWARE ITSELF.

UM, IT SHOULD BE PRETTY, UH, UH, IT'LL BE BRAND NEW.

IT INTEGRATES WITH, UH, POWER BI.

THIS WILL BE SORT OF A CHANCE TO NEW TO START.

I THINK I'VE MENTIONED BEFORE WITH CHAMELEON, UM, OVER THE YEARS, WE'VE CUSTOMIZED IT TO THE POINT THAT, YOU KNOW, SORT OF OUR DATA COLLECTION CAN BE SOMEWHAT QUESTIONABLE IN SOME AREAS.

AND SO THIS ONE, WE'VE, WE'VE MADE IT TO WHERE, YOU KNOW, IT SHOULD BE GOOD SOLID DATA GOING IN.

THERE WILL BE SPECIFIC PROMPTS FOR PEOPLE TO, BEFORE THEY CAN MOVE ON, THEY HAVE TO FILL IN CERTAIN AREAS.

UM, THE DATA WILL THEN INTEGRATE INTO THE CITY'S POWER BI SYSTEM.

UM, SO IT SHOULD BE SORT OF COHESIVE.

AND THEN AS, AS WE WERE LUCKY ENOUGH TO GET OUR IT POSITION A FEW YEARS AGO, THIS IS THE ONLY PERSON WHO CAN SORT OF MAKE CHANGES AND MODIFY IT.

SO I THINK IT'S A GOOD STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.

UM, IT'S ALSO BRINGING IN OTHER AREAS OF, OF, OF, UH, DATABASES THAT WE HAVE IN HOUSE.

SO RIGHT NOW WE HAVE CHAMELEON TO MANAGE OUR SHELTER.

WE HAVE LOGISTICS THAT MANAGES OUR VOLUNTEER.

WE HAVE GIVE POST THAT MANAGES OUR FOSTERS.

WELL NOW WE CAN ALL DO IT IN ONE, IN ONE SINGLE AREA.

AND SO, UM, IT SHOULD ALSO HELP WITH HOW WE TRACK COSTS.

SO IT CAN TRACK MEDICAL COSTS, WHAT MEDICINES COST.

SO WHEN YOU'RE GIVING TREATMENTS TO THE ANIMALS, YOU CAN SEE WHAT, WHAT, WHAT IS BEING SPENT, THINGS OF THAT NATURE.

SO, UM, WE'RE PRETTY EXCITED ABOUT IT.

OVER THE NEXT COUPLE WEEKS WE'RE GONNA BE DOING SOME INTENSIVE STAFF TRAININGS.

SO, SO THEY GET EVERYBODY UP TO SPEED.

OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS WE'VE BEEN DOING TRAININGS AND GETTING OUR QUOTE UNQUOTE SUPER USERS READY SO THAT THEY, YOU KNOW, BASICALLY TRAIN THE TRAINERS SO THAT WAY WHENEVER THERE'S ISSUES, THEY CAN, THEY, UH, STAFF CAN GO TO THEM.

BUT OVER, UM, ON WEDNESDAY THE 23RD AND THEN, UH, THE FOLLOWING THE 30TH, WE'RE GONNA DO SORT OF STAFF DEVELOPMENT DAYS.

[00:30:01]

WE'RE GONNA FOCUS ON THAT TRAINING, MAKE SURE ALL OUR STAFF ARE, ARE UP AND RUNNING.

WE'RE GONNA HAVE OUR VENDOR, UH, GIVE THESE TRAININGS SORT OF CONDUCTED VIRTUALLY SO THAT WAY THEY CAN ADDRESS ANY QUESTIONS, ANY CONCERNS THAT PEOPLE MAY HAVE.

UM, BUT NOTICING THAT YOU ALL HAVE MADE UPDATE ON THAT, I WANTED TO WANNA APOLOGIZE FOR THAT AND THEN ALSO GIVE YOU ALL THAT UPDATE AND I'LL BE HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS THAT Y'ALL WANT.

UM, WILL THIS IMPACT WHAT THE VOLUNTEERS DO WITH APES AT ALL? BECAUSE WE HAVE NOT BEEN BROUGHT INTO ANYTHING REGARDING THIS SYSTEM.

SO IT ACTUALLY INTEGRATES WITH APES, SO IT SHOULD BE PRETTY SEAMLESS AND NOT AFFECT THE WORK ITSELF WITH THAT.

LIKE SHOULD BE, OR FOR SURE.

IS IT, IT, IT IT IS, IT INTEGRATES WITH APES.

AND ONE OF THE CHALLENGES WITH THE CURRENT SYSTEM IS THAT THE GOOD PHOTOS OF THE PETS ARE IN ADA PETS AND NOT IN CHAMELEON.

AND CHAMELEON IS WHAT TALKS TO PET HARBOR AND ADD ADOPT A PET AND OTHER OUTSIDE SOURCES.

SO WILL THERE BE, I HAVE HEARD THAT ONE OR TWO PEOPLE COULD BE GIVEN, UM, RIGHTS NOW TO UPDATE PHOTOS.

SO THE RIGHT PHOTO COMES OUT, OR ARE THEY JUST GONNA COME OUT OF ADD APE SO THERE'S NO MORE OF THOSE BAD CHAMELEON PHOTOS? I THINK THEY SHOULD.

HOW DOES THAT WORK? THINK SHOULD SOME STATUS COME STRAIGHT OUT OF ADD APE, BUT I'LL HAVE TO VERIFY WITH TIM, OUR IT PERSON JUST TO VERIFY THAT.

I MEAN, THAT'S A HUGE THING.

'CAUSE THAT'S A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE'RE MISSING.

I'LL VERIFY WITH TIM ON THAT.

AND IF YOU NEED ME OR ANY OF THE OTHER VOLUNTEERS TO COME AND TALK TO YOU ABOUT WHAT WE DO OR SHOW YOU, WE'D BE HAPPY TO DO THAT.

I GUESS.

UM, THERE WAS SOMETHING ELSE GONNA UPDATE YOU ON THAT JUST POPPED OUTTA MY HEAD, SO I APOLOGIZE FOR THAT.

ANYONE ELSE? ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON THIS ITEM? WILL, UH, I ASSUME, BUT YOU CAN TELL ME IF I'M WRONG.

I, I ASSUME THIS WILL, UM, CREATE THE PRODUCT OF, UH, TO MEET THE, THE PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENTS THAT ARE ON IN THE CITY CODE.

SO THAT WAS ACTUALLY PART OF THE SCOPE OF WORK THAT WE INTEGRATED TO DO AND THEN REFERENCED IN THE ACTUAL, SO THAT THEY, THEY ANY VENDOR SUBMITTING A PROPOSAL COULD REFERENCE THEMSELVES OF WHAT SPECIFIC PRO REPORTS WE NEEDED TO, TO PROVIDE.

SO, UM, THERE WERE ACTUALLY ON THE DAY OF, UM, UM, ROLLOUT, WE'LL ACTUALLY BE ALSO BE CLOSED THAT DAY BECAUSE WE'LL BE TAKING ALL THE INFORMATION FROM CHAMELEON AND MOVING IT OVER.

SO WE'LL HAVE SORT OF AN ALL HANDS ON DECK TAKING ALL THAT NEW DATA AND PUTTING IT IN THERE.

CHAMELEON WON'T BE COMPLETELY GONE FROM US.

UM, SO IN OUR REPORTING DASHBOARDS, WE'LL HAVE THE CURRENT DASHBOARDS THAT ARE CURRENTLY THERE BECAUSE THEY HAVE THE HISTORICAL KNOW, UH, THAT HISTORICAL, UH, DATA, UM, WE CAN'T SEPARATE IT TOO, TOO FAR FROM IT BECAUSE OF RECORDS RETENTION, UH, PROTOCOL THAT WE HAVE.

FOR INSTANCE, LIKE OUR DOG BITES, WE HAVE TO KEEP THOSE FOR AT LEAST 20 YEARS.

SO WE HAVE TO KEEP CHAMELEON IN SOME FORM OR FASHION.

SO WE ANSWERED ANY OPEN RECORDS REQUESTS OR ANY OF THAT DATA, BUT THEN WE'LL HAVE A SEPARATE, UH, DASHBOARD THAT JUST IS FOR SHELTER BASED.

SO WE ARE STILL FINE TUNING IT, BUT YOU'LL SEE ANYTHING THAT'S APRIL, 2025 AND THE PAST AND THEN MAY 20TH, 2000, 25 AND BEYOND.

AND THE AUDIT, UM, AND PERHAPS THIS ISN'T PARTIALLY IN RESPONSE TO THE AUDIT, BUT THE AUDIT INDICATED THAT PERHAPS THE DATA WASN'T ALWAYS TRUSTWORTHY, THAT THERE WERE INCONSIST INCONSISTENCIES AMONG REPORTS FOR THE SAME DATA.

AND IS THIS, THAT THIS SHOULD HOPEFULLY ADDRESS THAT, EXPECT THIS TO ADDRESS THAT? YEAH, SO PART OF THAT WILL ALSO ASK, WE REQUIRE US TO UPDATE THAT, THAT AUDIT FINDING AND, AND, UM, HOPEFULLY GET THE OKAY THAT, UH, IT'S BEEN COMPLETED.

BUT, UM, WE WILL KEEP CHAMELEON ACTUALLY THROUGH THE, THROUGH THE END OF MAY, JUST SO THAT WAY, HEY, YOU GOTTA BE, YOU GOTTA BE SURE THAT EVERYTHING'S WORKING FINE.

SO IF, IF THINGS MESS UP, THEN WE CAN STILL REVERT BACK AND BUSINESS WILL CONTINUE.

BUT HOPEFULLY EVERYTHING GOES PERFECT.

ON TO ITEM NUMBER FOUR, PRESENTATION BY AUSTIN PETZ ALIVE REGARDING LICENSE AGREEMENT REPORTS.

ANYTHING ELSE? ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? NO.

GREAT.

WE WILL MOVE

[4. Presentation by Austin Pets Alive! regarding license agreement reports.]

AND WE HAVE ONE SPEAKER, PAT VS.

RES BE, UM, IF SHE IS THERE.

UM, THANK YOU CHAIR.

WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE FOR ME TO SPEAK AFTER THE BRIEFING? NO, THIS IS YOUR OPPORTUNITY, THEN I WILL PASS.

THOUGH WE DID TALK ABOUT JANUARY THE LAST TIME I WAS HERE, SO I'M REALLY JUST GONNA FOCUS ON FEBRUARY AND MARCH, BUT HAPPY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS ON ANY OF THEM.

UM, STEPHANIE, ALL YOU, HI, UH, MY NAME IS STEPHANIE BR.

I'M THE DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS AT AUSTIN PETS LIVE.

I'M HERE TO TALK TODAY ABOUT OUR LICENSE AGREEMENTS.

EXCUSE ME.

UM, I BELIEVE I INCLUDED THE JANUARY, FEBRUARY, AND MARCH REPORT, UM,

[00:35:01]

UM, SO JUST A FEW HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE FEBRUARY REPORT.

UM, WE DID PULL 73 ANIMALS FROM AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER IN FEBRUARY.

THAT WAS 65% OF ALL OF THEIR TRANSFERS.

UM, , .

UM, OF THOSE 73 ANIMALS, 50 OF THEM WERE DOGS.

SO THAT WAS 68% OF THE TOTAL TRANSFERS, TRANSFERS WERE DOGS IN FEBRUARY.

UM, AND OF THOSE 73, ONLY 17 OF THOSE WERE OF THE REQUIRED POPULATIONS FROM OUR LICENSE AGREEMENT.

SO THAT WAS 23%.

SO THE OTHER 77% THAT WE PULLED WERE ALL QUOTE UNQUOTE OPTIONAL TRANSFERS THAT WE TOOK IN.

UM, AND THEN IN FEBRUARY, THE TRANSFERS TO A PA, UM, HELPED BRING THE AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER LIVE RELEASE RATE UP FROM WHAT WOULD'VE BEEN ABOUT AN 85% LIVE RELEASE RATE, UM, HAD THOSE ANIMALS NOT COME TO A PA.

UM, AND WE ALSO, FOR WHATEVER REASON, HAD A REALLY HIGH SURVIVAL RATE OF THE MEDICAL CASES, A 30 DAY SURVIVAL RATE OF THE MEDICAL CASES FROM THE PRIOR MONTH AS WELL AT 94%.

SO, UM, THOSE ARE JUST A FEW HIGHLIGHTS FROM FEBRUARY, UH, IN MARCH.

UM, WE ARE STARTING TO SEE AN INCREASE IN KITTEN INTAKES IN MARCH.

UM, WE USUALLY HIT THE PEAK IN MAY, SO IT'S STILL GETTING THERE.

UM, BUT WE DID TRANSFER IN 132 ANIMALS IN MARCH.

UM, AGAIN, AN INCREASE IN BOTTLE BABY INTAKES, BUT REALLY AN INCREASE ACROSS THE BOARD.

UM, 32% OF THOSE WERE DOGS, AND THEN 42% OF THOSE WERE REQUIRED POPULATIONS AS WELL.

WE ALSO SAW AN INCREASE IN THE BORN AND CARE ANIMALS, PARTICULARLY TO CATS.

UM, SO PREGNANT MOMS THAT WE PULLED FROM A A C, UM, THAT GAVE BIRTH IN MARCH.

UM, WE ALSO, SINCE THIS IS THE END OF THE QUARTER, UM, WE'RE LOOKING AT WHERE WE ARE FOR THE YEAR.

SO OUR TOTAL TARGET FOR YEAR TRANSFERS, YEARLY TRANSFERS IS A LITTLE OVER 1300.

WE'RE ABOUT 45% OF THE WAY THERE NOW.

SO, UM, AGAIN, NOT QUITE KITTEN SEASON, NOT HEAVY.

UM, YOU KNOW, MEDICAL, WE TEND TO SEE AN INCREASE IN MEDICAL CASES THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER AND WHATNOT AS WELL.

SO I ANTICIPATE THAT WE'LL BE WELL ABOVE THE TARGET 12%.

UM, BUT THAT'S WHERE WE'RE STANDING AS OF THE END OF MARCH IS AT 45% OF THE TOTAL.

AND THEN ON THE LAST PAGE HERE, UM, WE PROVIDED A LITTLE BIT OF A SUMMARY OF QUARTER TWO ALL KIND OF WRAPPED UP.

SO JANUARY, FEBRUARY, MARCH, OUR TOTAL TRANSFERS WERE 302.

UM, 95% OF THOSE WERE OFF THE AT-RISK LIST.

SO THOSE WERE ANIMALS THAT PRESUMABLY, UM, WERE AT RISK OF EUTHANASIA IF WE DID NOT PULL THEM.

UM, SO THAT WAS 287 OF THE 302 ANIMALS THAT WE PULLED WERE FROM THAT AT-RISK LIST.

AND THEN WE ALSO DIVERTED ALMOST 200 INTAKES FROM AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER THROUGH OUR OTHER PROGRAMS LIKE, UM, OUR MATERNITY PROGRAM THAT HAS ANIMALS BORN IN OUR CARE AND AS WELL AS OUR PASS PROGRAM AS WELL THAT PROVIDES RESOURCES TO PEOPLE.

BUT ALSO WE DO INTAKE THINGS LIKE, UM, OWNER SURRENDER PARVO CASES AND, AND CASES LIKE THAT.

UM, SO THAT WAS FOR QUARTER TWO THAT ALMOST 200 INTAKES DIVERTED.

SO, UM, HAPPY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS ON ANY OF THIS IF THEY ARE OUT THERE.

UM, I DON'T KNOW IF THIS, THIS IS MAYBE A LITTLE BIT MORE FOR JASON ON THIS, BUT FOR THE A A C LIVE RELEASE RATE WITHOUT A PA, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT YOU CALL THE LIST THE AT RISK LIST BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WAS REQUIRED IN THE LICENSE AGREEMENT.

UM, THOSE ARE THE NAMES.

WOULD A A C HAVE ACTUALLY EUTHANIZED THAT MANY ANIMALS TO FALL BELOW IF A, IF A PA DIDN'T PULL THEM? SO I GUESS FOR CLARIFICATION, ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THAT? WELL, I'M SAYING THEY SAID THAT YOUR LIVE RELEASE RATE WITHOUT A PA WOULD'VE BEEN 85.68%.

SO THAT MEANS IF THEY DIDN'T PULL THE ANIMALS, A A C WOULD'VE EUTHANIZED THEM.

IS THAT WHAT WOULD'VE HAPPENED? UM, WE PROBABLY WOULD'VE LOOKED FOR ANY VIABLE LIVE OUTCOME THAT WE COULD, UM, YOU KNOW, PLEADING IT TO ANY PARTNERS AND TRYING TO, TO, TO DO THAT, UM, FIRST BEFORE HAVING THE EUTHANIZE.

UM, SO, YOU KNOW, WITH OUR PARTNERSHIP THAT WE HAVE, I MEAN, IF THERE ARE MEDICALLY SENSITIVE ANIMALS, WE WILL PLEAD IT TO A PA AND AND IF THEY, IF THEY CHOOSE TO, TO TAKE THE ANIMAL.

BUT WE, YOU KNOW, WE TRY TO MAKE THAT EFFORT WITH, WITH ANY OF OUR PARTNERS, UM, IN ORDER TO SECURE A LIVE OUTCOME.

I HEARD, UM, IN THE HAYES COUNTY MEETING ON 3 25, DR. JEFFERSON SAID, WE ARE OCCUPYING LAND NEEDS.

SO IT'S NOT GUARANTEED THAT IN WHAT THE QUESTION'S BEEN ANSWERED.

LET'S, OKAY, LET'S MOVE ON.

IT'S NOT HERE, WE'RE NOT HERE TO SCORE POINTS THEN TAKING THAT, SINCE IT IS A, SINCE IT IS A LIST.

UM,

[00:40:01]

WE HAVE A PA WE ARE OCCUPYING LAND IN AUSTIN, BUT ARE LOOKING FOR LAND IN HAYES COUNTY TO MOVE OUR ENTIRE OPERATION.

UM, SO I GUESS THAT WOULD IMPACT THE TRANSFERS WE GIVE YOU.

DO YOU KNOW WHEN, WHAT IS YOUR, UH, PLAN FOR MOVING TO HAYES COUNTY? I, WE DON'T HAVE A PLAN AS OF NOW.

I THINK WE'RE LOOKING FOR LAND WHEREVER IT PRESENTS ITSELF.

UM, IT'S BEEN VERY DIFFICULT TO FIND LAND IN AUSTIN THAT'S LARGE ENOUGH, UM, THAT IS NOT, YOU KNOW, ALREADY, UM, OCCUPIED OR IN A NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE THEY DON'T WANT AN ANIMAL SHELTER.

SO, UM, WE'RE JUST, I BELIEVE OUR BOARD HAS DECIDED TO KIND OF EXPAND THE SEARCH RADIUS TO BE OPEN TO WHEREVER WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO FIND THE RIGHT LAND.

BUT RIGHT NOW THERE IS, THERE IS NO PURCHASE OR PLANS OR ANYTHING IN THE WORKS.

HMM, OKAY.

IT'S A LITTLE CONFUSING, BUT THANK YOU FOR CLARIFYING.

AND YOU HAVE, YOU STILL HAVE THE DELL VALLEY LAND THAT ISN'T A PLACE? WE DO, BUT WE'RE NOT DEVELOPING IT RIGHT NOW.

THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER.

HIYA.

UH, HELLO.

HOW ARE YOU? AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR EVERYTHING Y'ALL DO.

DID Y'ALL KNOW THE TOTAL OF CATS AND DOGS WHO BORN IN YOUR CARE IN THE LAST QUARTER? THE TOTAL? NOT JUST FROM A A C YOU MEAN? YES.

LIKE, LIKE THE QUANTITY OF OF OF YEAH.

FOCUS ON KITTIES.

I KNOW.

EXACTLY.

I MEAN, FROM A A C ANIMALS IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S CLOSE TO 150.

UM, THAT'S PROBABLY THE MAJORITY.

AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER IS, UM, THE MAIN SOURCE OF ANY PREGNANT ANIMALS, PARTICULARLY FOR DOGS.

SO, UM, I WOULD GUESS THAT IT'S NOT MUCH HIGHER THAN THAT FOR ANY OTHER SOURCES.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

MM-HMM .

DR. NELSON.

HOWEVER, WE CONTINUE TO GET A STREAM OF PREGNANT MAMAS COMING FROM A A C THAT WE ARE CONTR CONTRACTUALLY OBLIGATED TO TAKE.

UM, IS THIS FACEBOOK POST, LIKE, I KNOW YOU KNOW THAT THAT'S INCORRECT.

IS THIS, UM, FACEBOOK POSTS? IS THIS POSTED BY A VOLUNTEER OR BY A STAFF MEMBER? I'D HAVE TO SEE IT TO KNOW WHO THEY WERE.

UM, CAN I SAY THE NAME, IF YOU CAN GIVE ME A FIRST NAME? LAUREL.

I MEAN, IT'S A CLOSED PAGE, SO, UM, IT'S ONLY STAFF OR VOLUNTEERS THAT, OR FOSTERS THAT HAVE THE ABILITY TO POST ON THAT PAGE, SO.

UM, IT MIGHT BE, I MEAN, SHE MIGHT JUST BE MISTAKEN ON THE REQUIREMENTS.

I KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, OUR STAFF KNOWS THAT WE WILL ALWAYS DO OUR BEST TO PULL MATERNITY ANIMALS FROM A A C UM, SO SHE MIGHT JUST BE TAKING THAT ONE STEP FURTHER AND ASSUMING THAT IT'S A CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATION.

SO, UM, BUT SO, BUT MAYBE YOU'LL REINFORCE WITH YOUR STAFF THAT THAT ISN'T A CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATION.

SURE.

I WOULD SAY IT'S NOT A CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATION, BUT IT'S AN ORGANIZATIONAL EXPECTATION THAT WE WILL PULL THEM.

AND YOU DON'T HAVE A CONTRACT WITH SOMEBODY ELSE THAT CONTRACTUALLY NO.

OBLIGATES YOU TO TAKE THEM? NO.

UM, OKAY.

UM, SO, BUT YOU DO SAY A PA DOES TAKE ALL OF THE PREGNANT ANIMALS FROM A, A, C EVERYTHING THAT WE'RE MADE AWARE OF THAT WE CAN MAKE SPACE FOR, WHICH TO THIS POINT HAS BEEN ALL OF THEM, IS MY UNDERSTANDING YEAH.

AS WELL.

I DON'T THINK WE'VE DECLINED ON ANY, NO, I'VE NEVER SEEN IT HAPPEN.

UM, OKAY.

UH, COMMISSIONER HOKE, I JUST WANTED TO WELCOME YOU.

I SEE THAT YOU'RE THERE.

UH, AND FOR THE RECORD, SHE'S HERE, UM, COMMISSIONER, UH, DDAS.

MATERNITY ANIMALS AS WELL.

UH, STEPHANIE MM-HMM .

SO I KNOW CONTRACTUALLY YOU HAVE WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN TO TAKE IN ANIMALS FROM THE AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER.

WHEN A PA TAKES ANIMALS BEYOND THAT CONTRACTUALLY REQUIRED, HOW'S THAT DECIDED? UM, I MEAN, TYPICALLY IT'S ANIMALS.

WE PRIORITIZE THE ANIMALS THAT ARE ON THE AT-RISK LIST.

UM, THEY'RE OFTEN GIVEN DEADLINES, WHICH TO US APPEARS THAT THEY'RE AT RISK OF BEING EUTHANIZED.

SO THAT'S THE FIRST PLACE THAT WE GO.

SO THOSE ARE TYPICALLY YOUR MEDICAL CASES, UM, FOR BOTH DOGS AND CATS.

UM,

[00:45:01]

UM, BUT BEYOND THAT, IF THERE IS ROOM, LIKE I THINK WE DID A SMALL SPACE PULL OF CATS LAST MONTH.

UM, 'CAUSE WE HAD ROOM IN OUR ADOPTION CENTERS.

SO IF THERE'S ROOM, THEN IT'S SORT OF UP TO OUR INTAKE TEAM, OUR ADOPTION TEAMS TO DECIDE WHO'S WHO MIGHT COME OVER.

SO BASICALLY IT'S A TRUE PARTNERSHIP BEYOND JUST CONTRACTUAL.

SURE.

WE'RE TAKING THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE ANIMALS THAT A A C IS ASKING US TO TAKE.

THANK YOU DR. NELSON.

UM, SO JUST SO WE'RE CLEAR, YOU KNOW THAT NONE OF THE, UM, PREGNANT CATS OR DOGS THAT YOU'RE ASKED TO TAKE WOULD BE EUTHANIZED? SURE.

THEY'RE AT NO RISK OF EUTHANASIA THE MOTHERS.

RIGHT.

UM, BUT WE WOULD THE, IF YOU SAID NO TO TAKING THEM THAT THE SHELTER WOULD THEN BE FREE, THEIR MEDICAL EXPERTS WOULD BE FREE TO DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT SPAYING WOULD BE APPROPRIATE FOR THAT PREGNANT CAT OR DOG.

WE YES, WE UNDERSTAND THAT.

AND THEN, SO WHEN YOU MAKE YOUR CALCULATIONS SAYING WHAT AACS LIVE RELEASE RELEASE RATE WOULD BE WITHOUT YOU TAKING THEM, ARE YOU SUGGESTING THAT A C SHOULD COUNT THOSE FETUSES AGAINST OUR LIVE RELEASE? WE DON'T COUNT THOSE NUMBERS.

WE DON'T COUNT THOSE NUMBERS IN OUR DIRECT TRANSFER NUMBER.

NO, I KNOW, BUT THEY'RE NOT COUNTED IN THE LIVE RELEASE RATE CALCULATIONS EITHER OF, OF WHAT IT WOULD BE.

CORRECT.

JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE.

UM, I JUST WANTED TO, UM, CLARIFY, BECAUSE I HAVE THE LICENSE AGREEMENT IN FRONT OF ME THAT THE 12% IS LISTED AS THE, AT LEAST 12% MM-HMM .

AND THAT THE OTHERS ARE LISTED AS AS, UM, MINIMUM INTAKES.

SO I UNDERSTAND YOU HAVE A NUMBER AND THAT BEF AFTER THAT IT, AND IT'S NICE THAT YOU DO IT, BUT THAT'S ALSO IN THE LICENSE AGREEMENT, THAT, THAT THE 12% IS THE MINIMUM.

BUT IT'S ONLY SPECIFIC POPULATIONS THAT ARE CALLED OUT AS REQUIRED POPULATIONS.

SO FOR EXAMPLE, WE COULD NOT TAKE ANY MEDICAL CASES AND JUST TAKE ALL THE EASY SMALL DOGS INSTEAD IF WE WANTED TO FILL OUR NUMBERS WITH THAT.

RIGHT.

OR WE COULD JUST TAKE EVERY ADOPTABLE CAT THAT'S AVAILABLE INSTEAD OF THE PREGNANT CATS, FOR EXAMPLE.

RIGHT.

SO WE'RE STILL CHOOSING THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE TIME, THE MEDICAL CASES AND THE OTHER CASES THAT ARE ON THE AT RISK LIST.

YOU, IT SAYS ALL TREATABLE PARVO, PUPPIES AND BOTTLE KITTENS.

MM-HMM .

ALL SMALL DOGS ON THE AT LIST RISK AND AT LEAST FIVE BEHAVIORAL RIGHT.

MEDIUM LARGE.

AND THEN EVERYTHING ELSE IS AT OUR DISCRETION.

SO, UM, YOU KNOW, BUT OBVIOUSLY WE'RE TRYING TO HELP BASED ON WHAT THEY'RE TELLING US THEY NEED HELP WITH.

SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE PULLING MOST OF THEM FROM THAT LIST.

BUT ISN'T AREN'T MEDIUM, MEDIUM LARGE DOGS A BIG PERCENTAGE OF WHAT A A C NEEDS HELP WITH SPACE POOLS? THAT IS OUR UNDERSTANDING, YES.

BUT YOU ARE NOT BRINGING, NOT TAKING THOSE WE ARE WHEN WE HAVE ROOM MM-HMM .

SO I, I, UM, I WANNA PREFACE THIS BY ASKING YOU NOT TO TELL MY CHILDREN THAT I WAS ON YOUR FACEBOOK PAGE LOOKING AT KITTENS OR WEBSITE LOOKING AT KITTENS, BUT I WAS HOPING YOU MIGHT MM-HMM .

PROVIDE A LITTLE BIT OF INFORMATION THE SAME THAT, UM, MR. GARZA DID REGARDING WHERE YOU ARE IN KITTEN SEASON.

UM, WHEN, WHEN THOSE WILL START POPPING UP.

UM, NOT IN ANY WAY MAKING A COMMITMENT TO MY CHILDREN.

SURE.

CAN'T BELIEVE THIS IS WE'LL HAVE PUBLIC INFORMATION.

WE'LL CALL YOUR PEOPLE AND MAKE IT HAPPEN.

NO, I MEAN, WE SAW A SMALL INCREASE IN MARCH, BUT REALLY WE HIT THE PEAK IN MAY AND, UH, USUALLY A SECOND PEAK IN OCTOBER-ISH.

SO, UM, YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW THERE'S SO MANY PEOPLE LOOKING JUST LIKE YOU THAT AS SOON AS THEY BECOME AVAILABLE, THEY'RE JUST GETTING ADOPTED RIGHT OUT.

BUT, UM, I, I WASN'T LOOKING.

I WASN'T LOOKING.

I CAN'T IMAGINE WHEN PEOPLE ARE BROWSING THE WEBSITE.

I WAS JUST BROWSING THE WEBSITE OUT OF CURIOSITY.

THEY ALSO KNOW THAT THERE ARE NOT MANY, BUT, UM, THEY'RE JUST, THEY'RE GETTING ADOPTED VERY, VERY QUICKLY RIGHT NOW.

SO, UM, BUT IT, I DON'T THINK IT WILL BE TOO MUCH LONGER BEFORE YOU'LL BE SEEING MORE.

WE ALSO, IN CASE YOU'RE BROWSING, UM, WE HAVE A, A CAT MATCHMAKER VOLUNTEER TEAM THAT YOU CAN REACH OUT TO DIRECTLY LET THEM KNOW KIND OF WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR, UM, OTHER PEOPLE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT FOR OTHER, FOR ANYONE WHO'S INTERESTED , RIGHT.

OR THE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO ARE WATCHING CAT MATCHMAKER@AUSTINPETSLIVE.ORG.

UM, AND THEY'LL, THEY CAN KIND OF TAKE PEOPLE'S PREFERENCES, UM, AND KEEP THEM ON A, A WAIT LIST AND THEY'LL START, THEY START PROBING OUT TO OUR FOSTERS AND WHATNOT TO SEE WHO'S GOT, WHO'S GOT WHAT THAT MIGHT MATCH.

SO THAT'S ALWAYS AN OPTION.

TOPIC OF THIS PRESENTATION OF AUSTIN PETS ALIVE REGARDING LICENSE AGREEMENT REPORTS WAS, WAS JUST A COMMERCIAL TO FIND CATS.

COMMISSIONER .

I, I WANT TO SAY SOMETHING TO, IF IT IS NOT CORRECT, PLEASE CHAIR, HELP ME JUST SAY NO, UH, IN CASE, AS LONG AS IT'S ON THE

[00:50:01]

IF JUST, JUST FIGURE OUT HOW TO MAKE IT ABOUT AUSTIN PETS ALIVE, IT'LL BE ON, IT'LL BE IN GOOD SHAPE.

MAY MAYBE WE CAN BEGIN TO DO A VERY GOOD DEAL BETWEEN THE, A ANIMAL CENTER AND AUSTIN PETS ALIVE, UH, ON THE FLEA MARKET ON A 12, UH, CATS ON THE WEEKEND ARE ONLY 15 BUCKS.

THEY ARE SELLING CATS THERE, AND IT'S A BUNCH OF CATS.

ANY HELP WE CAN OFFER TO THAT CORNER, IT'S 1 8 3 AND, AND EIGHT 12 IS A FLEA MARKET AND IT'S ONE STREET SOUTH GOING TO THE AIRPORT ON THE EAST SIDE.

UH, KITTIES ARE VERY CHEAP THERE.

AND PUPPIES, I GO OUT TO BUY EGGS AND IT'S EXCELLENT PRICE.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

FIVE, DISCUSSION REGARDING THE FISCAL YEAR 2025 BUDGET, INCLUDING REVIEW OF BUDGET REQUESTS MADE BY THE ANIMAL SERVICES OFFICE AND THE PROCESS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2026, BUDGET DEVELOPMENT.

ANYTHING ELSE? THANK YOU.

OKAY, THANK YOU.

ITEM NUMBER

[5. Discussion regarding the Fiscal Year 2025 Budget including a review of budget requests made by the Animal Services Office and the process for Fiscal Year 2026 budget development. ]

WE HAVE ONE SPEAKER, UM, BEFORE THE STAFF PRESENTATION, AND THAT IS MS. VALTRA.

THANK YOU CHAIR.

UH, MAY I SPEAK AFTER THE BRIEFING? NO, NO.

I'M GONNA FOLLOW THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S GUIDANCE AND THE WAY THAT THE CITY COUNCIL DOES IT, UM, I'M HAPPY TO BE TOLD OTHERWISE I'LL CHECK WITH THE CLERK'S OFFICE AFTERWARDS, BUT I'M JUST FOLLOWING THE NORMAL PROCESS THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN, UH, IMPLEMENTS.

BUT YOU'RE WELCOME TO SPEAK.

I THINK THERE'S BACKUP MATERIAL ON ALL OF THESE ITEMS TO SPEAK ABOUT IF YOU'D LIKE TO SPEAK.

I, I LISTENED TO MANY, MANY COUNCIL MEETINGS AND MOST OF THEM HAVE THE SPEAKERS SPEAK AFTER BRIEFINGS.

WOULD YOU PLEASE CHECK WITH THE CITY CLERK NOW SINCE THEY HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE, OR DO THEY NOT HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE ANYMORE? I'M NOT SURE.

I'LL CHECK WITH THE CLERK'S OFFICE AND WE CAN CHANGE THE RULES NEXT MEETING.

I MAY OR MAY NOT BE THE CHAIR NEXT MEETING.

UM, BUT WE'LL, IF WE CAN CHANGE THE RULES IF NEEDED OR THE NEXT CHAIR CAN.

NOT LET EMANCIPET OFF THE HOOK TO PERFORM THE NUMBERS OF PHASE AND NEUTER THAT WE HAVE BEEN CONTRACTING FOR FOR MANY YEARS.

UM, HAVING SAID, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPEAK NOW? I'LL ONLY SPEAK ONE ISSUE, EVEN THOUGH AFTER I HEAR THE STAFF BRIEFING, I WILL WISH I HAD SPOKEN TO MORE, BUT I WILL SPEAK TO ONE ISSUE AND THAT IS THE SPAY MOTOR BUDGET.

AS SOME OF YOU, OR MAYBE MOST OF YOU KNOW, UM, I SERVED ON THE STRATEGIC PLANNING, UH, WORKING GROUP MOST RECENTLY.

BEFORE THAT I SERVED ON TWO SPAY NEUTER WORKING GROUPS.

AND THE MOST RECENT, UM, STRATEGIC PLANNING WORKING GROUP I WAS HOPING WOULD COME OUT WITH TARGETS FOR HOW MANY SPACE AND NEUTER WE WOULD PERFORM AND HOW THAT WOULD HELP US BACK ON THE TRACK TO BE ABLE TO HAVE OPEN INTAKE.

IT IS MY OPINION THAT SINCE AMAZING CITY GOVERNMENT INVESTMENT AND COUNTY COMMISSIONER'S INVESTMENT IN STAYING NEUTER FUNDING, IN ADDITION TO ALL OF THE GOOD FUNDING THAT IS RAISED BY ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS IN THE PAST ANIMAL TRUSTEES OF AUSTIN AND ALSO, UM, EMANCIPET DOES A LOT OF FUNDRAISING.

ALL OF THAT HAS HELPED AUSTIN MAKE A TREMENDOUS INVESTMENT IN SPAY NEUTER.

AND THAT HAS HELPED US KEEP INTAKE DOWN.

BUT THAT INTAKE STARTED INCREASING RIGHT AFTER COVID FOR TWO REASONS.

ONE, WE STOPPED PAYING AND NEUTERING EMANCIPET WAS ABLE TO GIVE OUT VOUCHERS INSTEAD OF PERFORMING THE SPACE AND NEUTER THAT THEY WERE CONTRACTED TO DO.

AND, AND NO ONE WAS KEEPING TRACK OF THE EMANCIPATE NUMBERS WHEN THEY DECLINED.

NO ONE WENT TO THEM AND SAID, HEY, YOUR CONTRACT IS IS, YOU KNOW, FOR THIS MANY SPACE AND NEUTER, WHY AREN'T YOU DOING BETTER? WELL, WE TOOK IT UPON OURSELVES IN THE FIRST SPAY NEUTER WORKING GROUP, WHICH, UM, COMMISSIONER RA WAS ON, AND UH, COMMISSIONER LINDER WAS ON, I MEAN, I'M SORRY NOT COMMISSIONER, I'M SORRY, I APOLOGIZE.

COMMISSIONER LINDER, VICE COMMISSIONER NIELSEN WAS ON AND TWO OTHER COMMISSION MEMBERS ARE NO LONGER HERE.

AND THEY WERE ON, AND WE STARTED LOOKING AT THIRD PARTY VENDOR POSSIBILITIES TO, TO DO WHAT WE ARE DOING NOW WITH GOOD FIX, BUT WE SHOULD

[00:55:01]

THAT IS NOT MY ONLY CONCERN WITH THE BUDGET, BUT IT IS THE ONE THAT I AM THE MOST FAMILIAR WITH BECAUSE I HAVE SERVED ON WORKING GROUPS AS WELL AS THE, WELL TWO SPAY NEUTER WORKING GROUPS AS WELL AS THE STRATEGIC PLANNING WORKING GROUPS.

I AM VERY, VERY CONCERNED THAT WE ARE PUTTING ALL OF THE FOCUS ON GOOD FIX AND, AND WE SHOULD PUT A LOT OF FOCUS ON GOOD FIX BECAUSE THEY'RE NEW, BUT WHAT IS GOING ON WITH THE EMANCIPET NUMBERS AND WE'RE PAYING FOR THAT.

SO THAT'S MY ISSUE.

MR. GARZA.

ARE YOU THE REPRESENTATIVE ON THE BUDGET AS WELL? UH, YES.

SO, UH, LAST MONTH I DID GIVE A PRESENTATION ON THIS.

UM, I THINK IT WAS REQUESTED BY THE COMMISSION MEMBERS TO A CONTINUED DISCUSSION ON IT.

SO THE ONLY THING THAT I DID LEARN FROM THAT PRESENTATION THAT I NEED TO ARTICULATE TO YOU NOW IS, UM, AND, UH, SO I, APOLOGIES, I DIDN'T KNOW IT AT THE TIME, BUT ANY SORT OF COMMISSION RECOMMENDATIONS NEEDED TO BE FORWARDED OUT AT MARCH 31ST.

AND SO, UM, NOT SURE WHAT THAT DOES PROCESS WISE.

I MEAN, IT MAY BE, YOU KNOW, UP TO INDIVIDUAL COMMISSION MEMBERS TO SPEAK WITH THEIR COUNCIL OFFICES IF THERE'S ANYTHING TO ADVOCATE FOR.

SO THANK YOU AND I CAN SPEAK TO THAT.

UM, UH, I SPOKE TO ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, CARAVA HALL, UM, ABOUT THAT TOPIC.

UH, VICE CHAIR LI AND I BOTH DID.

AND, UM, IT'S THE, THE, I'LL JUST SPEAK FOR MY, FOR MY, IN MY OWN INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY.

IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT, UM, WE CAN BE LATE.

UM, IF THE, IF THE, IF THE COMMISSION WANTS TO BE LATE, WE CAN MISS A DEADLINE AND BE LATE.

THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT IT'S GONNA BE CONSIDERED IN THE NORMAL PROCESS, BUT WE CAN ALWAYS PROVIDE OUR INPUT TO THE CITY COUNCIL AT ANY TIME AND ANY INDIVIDUAL MEMBER OF THE COMMISSION CAN ALWAYS CHIME IN AS WELL, UM, AT ANY TIME AS AN INDIVIDUAL TO DO SO.

UM, SO I THINK THAT'S, UH, YES, WE'VE MISSED THE, THE DEADLINE.

UM, BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN WE'RE INCAPABLE OF SENDING A RESOLUTION TO THE CITY COUNCIL SHOULD WE WISH TO DO SO.

DOES ANYBODY WISH, WISH TO SPEAK ABOUT, UH, THE ITEM COMMISSIONER DEL? AND MAYBE, UH, I, I'M JUST CURIOUS, UM, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS PART OF THE PROTOCOL, BUT, UM, I GUESS MY QUESTION WOULD NEED TO BE PART OF THE PROTOCOL TO JASON, BUT I'M JUST CURIOUS, JASON AND THE REST OF THE COMMISSION, WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE BUDGET? SO, SO ALL I CAN SPEAK TO IS THAT THE PRESENTATION I GAVE WAS FOR THIS CURRENT FISCAL YEAR'S BUDGET.

UM, I CAN'T SPEAK ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF THIS UPCOMING FISCAL YEAR 26 BUDGET, BUT, UH, WHAT, WHAT PRESENTED, WELL, I PRESENTED LAST YEAR OR LAST YEAR, LAST MONTH WAS, UM, JUST THE OVERALL REQUEST THAT WE HAD MADE, UM, IN, INTO SORT OF UN UH, UNMET NEEDS THAT WE HAVE.

AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, DURING THE LAST YEAR'S BUDGET DELIBERATIONS, WE DID GET TWO AND A HALF, UH, FOSTER CARE COORDINATORS ADDED TO OUR BUDGET.

UM, BUT YOU KNOW, THE, A LOT OF THE, UM, SOME OF THE OTHER REQUESTS THAT WE MADE, YOU KNOW, UNFORTUNATELY WEREN'T, WEREN'T, WEREN'T, UM, WEREN'T INCLUDED AND YOU KNOW THAT, BUT WE WANTED TO GIVE IT JUST SO Y'ALL HAVE A BASIS IF Y'ALL WANTED TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION AND, AND DONE.

SO, UM, THESE ARE SORT OF SOME OF THE NEEDS THAT WE NEEDED.

SO FROM A SCALE ONE TO 10, 10 IS LIKE SUPER SATISFACTION, ONE, NO SATISFACTION, THE BUDGET WHERE YOU ARE FOR YOUR STAFF, LIKE 5, 6, 7, 8, MAYBE THIS IS NOT FAIR TO ASK YOU.

WE'RE HAPPY TO GET ANYTHING WE CAN.

WHAT'S BEING DONE TO, BECAUSE THEY, FROM WHAT I'VE SEEN OF THEIR CONTRACT AND THEIR PERFORMANCE, THEY'RE GETTING PAID SIGNIFICANTLY TO DO MOSTLY WHAT IS MICROCHIP AND VACCINE AND NOT ACTUALLY SPAY NEUTER WORK.

GOOD WAY TO ANSWER .

COMMISSIONER HOLT, SORRY, BY THE WAY, I'VE BEEN LISTENING TO EVERYTHING.

I'VE JUST BEEN CAMERA OFF 'CAUSE I HAVE A TERRIBLE MIGRAINE, BUT, UM, I'M HERE AND I APPRECIATE EVERYTHING EVERYBODY'S HAD TO ADD.

UM, JASON, I WAS WONDERING, CAN YOU SPEAK TO PAT'S POINT AND QUESTION ABOUT EMANCIPET? UM, I KNOW THAT WE'VE HAD MULTIPLE ITERATIONS OF WORKING GROUPS, UM, AND I BELIEVE ONE OF THE CON CON CONCLUSIONS OF THE MOST RECENT ONE WAS, UM, ADVICE TO DO A RFP OR SOLICITATION OF SOME SORT.

UM, AND I NEVER SAW ANYTHING GO OUT.

THAT DOESN'T MEAN IT DIDN'T, I MIGHT HAVE JUST MISSED IT, BUT, UM, CAN YOU SPEAK MORE TO

[01:00:01]

UM, AND I'M JUST CURIOUS WHAT'S HAPPENING INTERNALLY TO PUT SOME ACCOUNTABILITY AND, UM, MORE APPROPRIATE USE OF WHAT THE FUNDS WERE SLOTTED FOR IN PLACE FOR THEM, JUST TO KEEP IT ON TOPIC.

CAN YOU JUST ROUTE THAT INTO A BUDGET, UM, DISCUSSION? SO, SO, UM, I WANNA GET WHAT YOU WANT, BUT I ALSO WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE ON, I, I UNDERSTAND.

AND THAT'S, I'M ALREADY TRYING TO THINK OF IT.

UM, SO ESSENTIALLY, I, I GUESS I CAN SAY THAT I HAVE MET WITH EMANS TO SORT OF INCREASE THEIR NUMBERS FOR THEIR, THE BUDGET THIS, FOR THIS YEAR'S BUDGET TO INCLUDE ANY FUNDING FOR THAT.

UM, WE ARE LOOKING INTO WHAT WE CAN DO, UM, MOVING FORWARD WITH ANY OF OUR, OUR, OUR CONTRACTS.

UM, YOU KNOW, UH, UH, SO I GUESS THAT'S REALLY ALL.

I'LL SAY A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT.

BUT YES, I'VE, I'VE HAD MEETINGS WITH, WITH EMANCIPATE LEADERSHIP JUST TO SEE HOW WE CAN INCREASE OUR NUMBERS AND, AND THEN, UM, SORT OF, UM, YOU KNOW, GIVE THE HEADS UP THAT ANY INCORPORATIONS OF, OF, OF RECOMMENDATIONS, ESPECIALLY THAT HAVE COME OUT OF THIS BODY ARE INCORPORATED INTO ANY SCOPE OF WORKS IN ANY FUTURE CONTRACTS.

HOPEFULLY THAT STAYS ALONG THE LINE.

WAY TO WEAVE THAT LINE.

UH, DR. NELSON.

SO I GUESS I JUST WANTED TO KIND OF, UM, APOLOGIZE TO THE CITY SHELTER THAT SINCE I'VE BEEN ON THE ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION, UM, IN 2022, I, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE HAVE ADVOCATED APPROPRIATELY FOR THE BUDGET NEEDS OF THE AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER.

UM, AND, AND I DO THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, THAT WE ALL NEED TO REALLY IMPROVE UPON.

AND, UM, AND I FEEL LIKE THERE MIGHT BE LESS HOSTILITY TO IT NOW, AND I, AND I REALLY WANNA BE A PART OF THAT.

IT'S SO OUTSIDE OF WHAT I GENERALLY USE MY BRAIN FOR.

UM, AND, AND I'M A TYPE OF PERSON THAT I NEED TO UNDERSTAND ALL OF SOMETHING DEEPLY BEFORE I FEEL LIKE I CAN COMMENT ON IT.

SO, AT THE VERY LEAST, WE HAVE A YEAR NOW TO MAKE, UM, SOME WELL-INFORMED, UM, RECOMMENDATIONS AND ADVOCATING, UM, FOR THE BUDGET IN THE FUTURE.

AND I HOPEFULLY SPEAK FOR ALL OF US.

LEMME SAY WE'RE, I FEEL DEDICATED TO DOING THAT.

UH, I'D LIKE TO FOLLOW UP ON THAT.

I, I AGREE WHOLEHEARTEDLY.

UM, I CAN SPEAK FROM OUR, I THINK SOME OF US WERE ON THE COMMISSION SEVERAL YEARS AGO WHEN, UM, WE, WE HAD ASKED FOR IT.

WE'D ASKED FOR IT, AND WE KEPT ON NOT GETTING IT.

AND I THINK, TO BE FAIR, I THINK WE GAVE UP A LITTLE BIT ON WEIGHING IN ON IT.

AND I'VE ALREADY SPOKEN TO ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, CARAVA HALL ABOUT IT, ABOUT TRYING TO GET A BRIEFING EARLIER ON IN THE PROCESS, MAYBE IN JANUARY OR FEBRUARY.

THAT WAY WE CAN TRY TO HIT THE MARCH DEADLINE.

'CAUSE THIS TIME IT WAS BASICALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO HIT THE MARCH DEADLINE.

'CAUSE WE GOT THE DISCUSSION IN MARCH AND YOU, IT, YOU COULDN'T PUT IT ON UNLESS WE HAD AN EMERGENCY MEETING, WHICH, UH, VICE CHAIR LINDER AND I CONSIDERED TO TRY TO GET YOUR, UM, GET SOMETHING UP.

BUT THAT WAS THE WEEK OF SPRING BREAK, AND WE THOUGHT IT WAS BASICALLY GONNA BE IMPOSSIBLE.

WE WERE ALREADY HAVING TROUBLE WITH GETTING ENOUGH PEOPLE TO THE COMMISSION MEETING THAT MONTH.

UM, WE DIDN'T THINK IT WAS POSSIBLE TO GET A QUORUM DURING SPRING BREAK AT AN EMERGENCY MEETING, MUCH LESS GET A ROOM FOR IT, UM, WHICH WE HAVE TO DO.

AND IT HAS TO BE RECORDED.

SO, UM, I THINK, I DON'T KNOW, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER IF YOU WANNA WEIGH IN ON THAT AT ALL.

BUT, UM, I THINK WE'RE ALL HOPING FOR A COLLABORATIVE PROCESS NEXT YEAR.

UM, DO YOU WANNA SAY ANYTHING? NO.

CONSIDERATION NEEDS TO BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT TO, TO OPERATE WHATEVER, WHATEVER, UH, ENHANCEMENT OR OR ADDITION ANY DEPARTMENT IS SEEKING.

UM, I THINK WE'RE ALL HOPING FOR AN EARLIER COLLABORATIVE PROCESS THAT WE CAN GET THINGS REPORTED TO US EARLIER SO THAT WE CAN TAKE A LOOK AT THE, THE BUDGET EARLIER SO THAT WE CAN WEIGH IN, IN A MEANINGFUL, PRODUCTIVE WAY.

I WHOLEHEARTEDLY AGREE.

THANKS, DEAR LENDER.

UM, JUST ONE QUESTION ON THIS, I THINK IT WAS LAST MONTH OR, OR MAYBE TWO MONTHS AGO NOW, BUT YOU TALKED TO US ABOUT THE, UM, BOND PROCESS AND, UM, SOLICITING PROPOSALS FOR THAT.

COULD YOU EXPLAIN, I GUESS, THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE BOND PROCESS ON THE BUDGET? UM, ARE THESE WHOLLY INDEPENDENT OR IS IT POSSIBLE THAT IF YOU ARE ABLE TO GET SOME FUNDING THROUGH THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, BOND DEVELOPMENT THAT, UM, THAT, THAT COULD GO TOWARDS SOME OF THE POSITIONS YOU'RE ASKING FOR IN THE, IN THE PRESENT BUDGET? POSSIBLY.

IF WE WERE TO, AND THIS WOULD BE FOR ANY FUTURE BUDGETS, NOT THIS CURRENT BUDGET OR BUDGET DISCUSSION.

UM, BUT YOU KNOW, WHEN DEPARTMENT TEACHERS WILL TEND TO, TO, IF THERE'S ANY O AND M COSTS THAT DEAL WITH THAT, ESPECIALLY IF IT'S GOING TO BE ON, YOU KNOW, ONGOING, THEN YES.

YOU KNOW,

[01:05:01]

SO IT DOES HAVE AN IMPACT ON THE OPERATING BUDGET OR MAY HAVE AN IMPACT.

ANYTHING ELSE? OKAY.

THANK YOU, MR. GARZA.

UM, YOU GET TO REST NOW.

, UH, NUMBER SIX,

[6. Conduct officer elections for the Chair, Vice Chair, and Parliamentarian. ]

CONDUCT OFFICER ELECTIONS FOR THE CHAIR, VICE CHAIR AND PARLIAMENTARIAN.

MIGHT AS WELL START WITH THE CHAIR.

UM, ARE THERE ANY NOMINATIONS? COMMISSIONER NORTON? THANK YOU.

UM, I, UH, WOULD LIKE TO, UM, RECOMMEND, UM, DR.

PAIGE NISSEN.

UM, CAN I SAY WHY, OR JUST GIVE OUT A NAME? SURE.

UM, I FIND THAT, UH, DR.

NISSEN ATTENDS THE MEETINGS.

I KNOW SHE'S READ THE ROBERT'S RULES OF ORDER .

UM, AND SHE REALLY CARES DEEPLY ABOUT PETS AND PEOPLE, AS MANY OF US DO.

BUT ALSO YOU'VE PARTICIPATED IN WORKING GROUPS, AND I THINK PUTTING THAT EXTRA TIME, UH, TO HELP PETS AND PEOPLE IS, IS REALLY, UM, GREAT.

SO, UM, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE AND FOR YOU, UM, MR. CLINTON FOR BEING, UH, CHAIR UP TO THIS POINT.

UM, AND POSSIBLY BEYOND, BUT I RECOMMEND DR.

NIEN.

ARE THERE ANY OTHER NOMINATIONS? VICE CHAIR, LI ? UM, I WOULD NOMINATE YOU IF YOU WERE WILLING TO DO IT AGAIN FOR ANOTHER YEAR.

I THINK, UM, HAVING HAD TO BE CHAIR FOR EXACTLY ONE MEETING, I CAN SAY IT'S, UM, MUCH HARDER THAN I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE.

UM, UM, NOT AS EASY AS IT LOOKS.

AND I THINK, UM, YOU'VE DONE A GREAT JOB OF, UM, WALKING WHAT AT TIMES IS A REALLY DIFFICULT LINE, UM, AND GIVING VOICE TO PEOPLE WHO HAVE PERSPECTIVES ON ALL SIDES OF THE SPECTRUM.

I THINK DR. NIELSEN WOULD BE GREAT AS WELL.

UM, BUT IF YOU ARE WILLING TO STAY ON LONGER, I, I THINK YOU'VE, YOU'VE DONE A GREAT JOB DURING YOUR TENURE.

I APPRECIATE IT.

I I WOULD, I WILL DO IT.

BUT THIS WOULD BE THE LAST YEAR THAT I DID IT.

I'M, I'M, I'M, I WILL MOVE ON AFTER THAT.

SO, UH, IF THERE, PERHAPS IF THERE, UH, IF, IF THE WILL OF THE COMMISSION IS TO ELECT ME, THEN PERHAPS WE CAN, UM, THINK ABOUT WHAT THAT MEANS FOR THE OTHER, UM, POSITIONS.

SO ARE THERE ANY OTHER NOMINATIONS? OKAY, WE WILL GO FOR YES.

NO, NO.

I'M, I'M SORRY.

ARE YOU SEEING, ARE WE SEEING THINGS? NO.

WHAT'S A SPIDER? A SPIDER.

ALL RIGHT.

OH, I JUST THOUGHT IT WE'RE NO KILL FOR THAT TOO.

UM, UH, OKAY.

SO, UH, WE WILL VOTE, UM, FOR ALL THOSE FOR, UM, COMMISSIONER, UH, DR. NELSON.

UH, I'M SORRY, CHAIR.

IS THERE A SECOND FOR THE, UM, MOTION FOR, WELL, I GUESS WE NEED TWO SECONDS FOR NELSON.

WELL, NELSON, DR. NELSON, COMMISSIONER NORTON, DO YOU MOTION, OH, I, I MOTION TO RECOMMEND DR.

NI FOR CHAIR, I GUESS.

DR. NELSON, DO YOU ACCEPT THAT WOULD BE YOUR SECOND IF YOU WANT TO RUN? YES, I ACCEPT.

OKAY, THEN, THEN I'LL SECOND DR.

LINDA OR, UH, VICE CHAIR LENDERS AND WE WILL VOTE.

UM, ALL THOSE FOR DR. NELSON.

FOR MYSELF.

WE VOTE FOR BOTH .

I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO VOTE FOR BOTH.

NO, THERE ISN'T, UNFORTUNATELY.

SO WE HAVE A TIE, WHICH MEANS, I GUESS WE BUMP THIS TO NEXT MONTH.

HOPEFUL.

UM, IS THERE SUCH THING AS CO-CHAIRS? I DON'T KNOW.

JUST TURN IT OUT THERE.

ALL.

ALRIGHT, WE'LL, UM, WE'LL BUMP IT TO NEXT, UH, MONTH.

UNLESS ONE OF US ESPOUSE OUT, WHICH MAY HAPPEN.

UM, VICE CHAIR, UM, ARE THERE NOMINATIONS FOR VICE CHAIR DR. NELSON? I WOULD NOMINATE, UH, COMMISSIONER LINDER AGAIN, IF SHE'S WILLING TO ACCEPT, SIR, IF I WOULD SECOND THAT.

ARE THERE ANY OTHER NOMINATIONS FOR VICE CHAIR? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? OH TWO.

AND THAT'S UNANIMOUS.

UTILIZED HEAVILY, THEN THAT COULD BE REVISITED DURING A POTENTIAL DISCUSSION ON BYLAW AMENDMENTS.

I LOOK FORWARD TO SERVING ONE OF YOU OR BOTH IF THEY BEND THE RULES.

, UH, WE HAVE A, UM, VOTE FOR PARLIAMENTARIAN.

DO WE HAVE ANY NOMINATIONS FOR PARLIAMENTARIAN? I HAVE A QUESTION.

DR. NELSON.

I BELIEVE LAST TIME THIS CAME UP, OUR REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE CLERK'S OFFICE CLARIFIED THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE TO HAVE A PARLIAMENTARIAN.

IT DOES SAY IT IN OUR BYLAWS, BUT I DIDN'T.

IT DID.

IT'S AMBIGUOUSLY.

I HAVE NOT HEARD OTHERWISE.

IT IS LIKE YOU MENTIONED IN THE BYLAWS.

SO IT'S BEST TO GO AHEAD AND VOTE FOR IT.

AND IF IT'S A POSITION THAT ISN'T

[01:10:01]

BUT I HAVE NOT BEEN TOLD THAT IT'S NOT NECESSARY.

COMMISSIONER DEL? YES, I NOMINATE NANCY EMER.

COMMISSIONER NANCY EMER.

COMMISSIONER NEER.

WILL YOU ACCEPT NOMINATION? OH, SURE.

WHY NOT? , WHICH I'M TREATING AS A SECOND.

ARE THERE ANY OTHER NOMINATIONS? DR. NELSON? UM, I WOULD LIKE TO NOMINATE JOANNE NORTON.

UM, BASED ON HER EXPERIENCE ON THE COMMISSION, HER EXPERIENCE IN CITY LEGAL AND, UM, HER FASTIDIOUSNESS ABOUT THE WRITTEN LAW.

UH, COMMISSIONER NORTON, DO YOU ACCEPT? UH, YES.

OKAY, SO WE HAVE TWO CANDIDATES.

UM, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF COMMISSIONER EMER AND THOSE IN FAVOR OF COMMISSIONER NORTON? FIVE SIX.

WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH FOR A, UM, I ABSTAIN 'CAUSE I THOUGHT THEY'D BOTH BE GREAT, BUT IF IT'S GONNA LEAD TO PROBLEM SOLVED, I'LL I'LL, UM, I'LL ADD MY VOICE TO, UM, THE SECOND ONE.

SO WE HAVE, OKAY, SO WE HAVE COMMISSIONER NORTON IS OUR PARLIAMENTARIAN GREAT FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS

[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS ]

AS ALWAYS.

UM, YOU DON'T HAVE TO TELL 'EM NOW, UM, BUT YOU CAN, UH, DR. NELSON, I'M SO SORRY THAT I DIDN'T GET THIS PUT ON THIS MONTH'S AGENDA, BUT CAN I, UM, GET A, UH, DISCUSSION ITEM FOR AN UPDATE FROM THE, UM, THE GOOD FIX MARKETING, UH, WORKING GROUP? YES.

SO AN UPDATE FROM THE WORKING GROUP FOR GOOD FIX.

AND JUST REMEMBER THAT IF YOU HAVE YOUR RECOMMENDATION IN THERE, THEN IT CLOSES THE CLOSES.

IT, IT, SO IF YOU DON'T HAVE YOUR RE RECOMMENDATION, YOU CAN KEEP MEETING.

I ASSUME YOU DON'T WANT THE RESUME RECOMMENDATION AT THIS POINT? CORRECT.

SO JUST AN UPDATE.

ANYTHING ELSE? OH, UM, COMMISSIONER, UH, COMMISSIONER HOLT.

MINE IS VERY QUICK.

UM, I JUST WANTED TO GIVE A BRIEF UPDATE ON THE COMMUNITY CATS WORKING GROUP, BUT, AND THE LONG DISTANCE ADOPTION ONE, BUT THEY'RE BOTH LIKE ONE SENTENCE LONG .

SO UPDATES ON BOTH OF THOSE TWO WORKING GROUPS.

DID YOU GET THOSE? YES.