[CALL TO ORDER]
[00:00:04]
UM, UH, COMMISSIONER AHMED, UM, YOU'LL HAVE TO TURN ON YOUR CAMERA IN ORDER TO, UM, BE PART OF THE GROUP, SO I'M GOING TO TAKE THE ROLE.
UM, SO WE HAVE, UH, COMMISSIONER CLINTON PRESENT, UH, COMMISSIONER ER, DON'T SEE HER.
UM, UH, COMMISSIONER NIELSEN? NO.
AND, UM, COMMISSIONER LONGEN IS NEW, SO, AND I PROBABLY BUTCHERED YOUR NAME AGAIN.
SO IF YOU COULD SAY IT AND THEN, UM, SAY SOMETHING ABOUT YOURSELF.
I'M SURE EVERYONE WOULD LIKE TO HEAR IT.
UM, MY NAME IS DAVID LOMAN, UM, AND I HAVE BEEN A VOLUNTEER AT AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER AND AUSTIN PETS ALIVE FOR, OH, ABOUT 12 YEARS NOW.
UM, MY BACKGROUND WITHIN THE SHELTER IS MOSTLY BEHAVIOR SPECIFIC TO DOGS.
UM, HELPED CREATE ORANGE DOCK CREW, WHICH DEALS WITH THE BEHAVIOR, THE DOGS WITH BEHAVIORAL CHALLENGES AT A A C.
AND I'M A CANINE COACH AT AUSTIN PETS A LOT, WHICH IS ALSO A VOLUNTEER BEHAVIOR GROUP.
UM, AND I'M ALSO A DIRECTOR FOR TRAPPERS, WHICH IS A LOST PET ORGANIZATION, SO THAT'S WHY I'M HERE.
DID YOU PRESS YOUR BUTTON? IT'S GREEN.
UM, AND I'M CONDUCTING THE MEETING.
AND, UM, THE PERSON WHO CONDUCTS THE MEETING HAS TO BE PRESENT.
AND, UM, COMMISSIONER CLINTON IS ON ZOOM AND COMMISSIONER LINDER IS, UM, NOT, UH, PARTICIPATING TODAY.
UH, SO WE'RE GONNA START WITH PUBLIC
[PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL]
COMMUNICATIONS.AND FIRST UP IS, UH, SUSIE CHASE, ALTHOUGH I DON'T THINK I SAW HER, SO, NO.
UH, NEXT UP IS KAITLYN BRANSTETTER.
HEY, HOW ARE YOU? IS THIS WORKING? PERFECT.
UH, MY INVOLVEMENT WITH AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER BEGAN IN 2021 AS A, A LARGE DOG VOLUNTEER.
IN THE YEAR SINCE I'VE DONATED THOUSANDS OF HOURS OF SERVICE, I MET AND ADOPTED MY SOUL DOG.
AND AFTER REALIZING HOW MUCH PASSION I HAVE FOR THIS WORK, AT THE INTERSECTION OF ANIMAL WELFARE AND PUBLIC SERVICE, I PURSUED EDUCATION AND CREDENTIALING AS AN ANIMAL BEHAVIOR CONSULTANT WITH MY EXPERTISE BEING IN SHELTER BEHAVIOR.
FINALLY, IN MARCH, I APPLIED FOR AND ACCEPTED A POSITION ON A SO STAFF AS AN ANIMAL ENRICHMENT SPECIALIST, AKA.
THE BEHAVIOR TEAM, WORKING AS PART OF OUR STAFF TEAM IN A POSITION I LOVE DEEPLY, HAS ANSWERED QUESTIONS I DIDN'T KNOW I HAD DURING ALL OF MY TIME VOLUNTEERING, HAVING INTIMATELY SEEN BOTH SIDES OF THE VEIL.
UH, THAT IS WHY I FELT COMPELLED TO COME SPEAK TODAY AND, UH, MAKE A REQUEST FOR US TO INVEST IN THE EMPLOYEES THAT WE HAVE IN THE SKILL SETS THAT WE HAVE.
UM, AND TO HEAR A PERSPECTIVE THAT IS, HAS NOT SO FAR BEEN CONSIDERED IN OUR STRATEGIC PLANNING DISCUSSIONS.
I WANNA START WITH THE FOUR DOGS ON JUNE 9TH, WHO RECEIVED EUTHANASIA NOTICES WITH EACH ONE BEING LABELED A PUBLIC SAFETY RISK.
I WOULD LOVE TO TELL YOU WHY EACH OF THESE DOGS WERE MISLABELED.
UM, BUT I THINK YOU'VE HEARD IT ENOUGH INSTEAD.
I THINK THE MORE SIGNIFICANT POINT HERE IS THAT IN FISCAL YEAR 25, OVER $450,000 HAVE BEEN SPENT ON PERSONNEL IN THE SHELTER SERVICES BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION UNIT.
AND OF THAT $450,000, NOT A SINGLE CENT WAS USED TO CONSULT WITH ASO'S PAID BEHAVIOR SPECIALISTS ABOUT THE SIGNIFICANCE AND TREATABILITY OF BEHAVIORS EXHIBITED BY ANIMALS IN OUR CARE, OR ABOUT PLA PLACEMENT PATHWAYS FOR ANIMALS WITH CHALLENGING BEHAVIORS.
IN FACT, THE FIRST TIME I SAW THE BEHAVIORAL EUTHANASIA RISK ASSESSMENT RATING MATRIX, WHICH HAD BEEN PROMISED TO BE MADE PUBLIC SINCE MARCH 6TH, 2024, WAS LAST MONTH IN A PUBLIC INFORMATION REQUEST.
[00:05:02]
LAST MONTH, UH, DURING OUR JUNE 9TH MEETING, UM, OF THIS COMMISSION MEETING, UH, I WANNA READ AN EXCHANGE.DURING THE STAFF BRIEFING WITH JASON GARZA, DR.
PAIGE NELSON ASKED JASON TO SHARE THE PROCESS FOR GIVING AN ANIMAL A EUTHANASIA NOTICE.
JASON RESPONDED, THE ANIMALS WERE THERE.
THEY'VE GONE THROUGH SORT OF A DISCUSSION PROCESS, ESPECIALLY WITH THE BEHAVIOR TEAM LEADERSHIP, AND THEN A NOTICE IS PREPARED AND THEN SENT OUT TO INTERESTED STAKEHOLDERS.
SO THERE'S A FORMAL DISCUSSION PROCESS YOU SAID, WITH THE BEHAVIOR TEAM AND LEADERSHIP MEMBERS.
I CAN PERSONALLY ATTEST THAT THE ONLY BEHAVIOR AND ENRICHMENT STAFF WHO ATTENDS THIS DISCUSSION PROCESS IS MY DIVISION'S SUPERVISOR.
IT IS MISLEADING MESSAGING TO TELL STAKEHOLDERS THAT ANIMALS ARE BEING BEHAVIORALLY ASSESSED WITH VARIOUS BEHAVIOR PROFESSIONALS.
I WOULD LOVE TO SHARE THOUGHTS FURTHER WITH YOU GUYS.
UM, DR. NIELSEN, I NOTICED YOU LOGGED ON.
IF YOU WANT TO PARTICIPATE, CAN YOU TURN ON YOUR CAMERA AND SAY YOU'RE PRESENT? IT
OH, I, CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, BUT I, WE NEED TO SEE YOU TO HAVE YOU.
UM, I'M ATTEMPTING TO TURN ON THE CAMERA.
AS SOON AS YOU CAN SEE ME, I, I'M PRESENT.
WHEN WE SEE YOU, UM, JUST STAY ON AND I'M GONNA GO ONTO THE NEXT SPEAKER, UM, WHICH LOOKS LIKE, UM, OH, THERE SHE IS.
I, I THINK SUSIE CHASE MADE IT.
UM, WE'LL GO BACK TO SUSIE CHASE, WHO WAS FIRST ON THE LIST.
I'M SUZY CHASE WITH AUSTIN PETS ALIVE.
THANK YOU CHAIR, VICE CHAIR AND COMMISSIONERS FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE WITH YOU HOW OUR NONPROFIT IS ASSISTING AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER.
SEVERAL MONTHS AGO, AUSTIN PETS ALIVE APPROACHED THE CITY OF AUSTIN ABOUT CO-HOSTING ANOTHER CITYWIDE ANIMAL ADOPTION EVENT.
THIS WAS OUR DIRECT RESPONSE TO THE CONSISTENT CLOSE TO INTAKE MESSAGING ON AACS WEBSITE WITH THE HOPE THAT A CITYWIDE ADOPTION EVENT WOULD ALIGN WITH THE ANIMAL SERVICES STRATEGIC PLAN AND HELP REOPEN THE SHELTER TO INTAKE A PA INVITED OTHER AREA SHELTERS AND RESCUES.
AND WE ALL AGREED TO OFFER NAME YOUR OWN ADOPTION PRICE.
A PA CREATED GRAPHIC, SHARED THEM WITH ALL PARTICIPATING SHELTERS AND RESCUES, CREATED MEDIA PITCHES, A PRESS RELEASE, AND SHARED WITH ALL LOCAL MEDIA.
WE INVITED PARTNER SHELTERS AND RESCUES TO JOIN US FOR MEDIA INTERVIEWS, AND WE'RE HAPPY TO HAVE COVERAGE IN ADVANCE ON THE LOCAL TV STATIONS, KUT, AUSTIN, AMERICAN STATESMEN, AND AUSTIN MONTHLY FROM THE SHELTERS.
I'M HAPPY TO REPORT THAT 258 ANIMALS WERE ADOPTED IN TWO DAYS.
YOU'VE LIKELY HEARD THAT AUSTIN BETS ALIVE HAS BEEN COORDINATING RESCUES AND INTAKE OF CENTRAL TEXAS AND HILL COUNTRY ANIMALS THAT ARE OWNERS SURRENDERED, OR WERE IN SHELTERS BEFORE THE JULY 4TH FLOODS.
OUR LIFESAVING EFFORTS HAVE HELPED OVER 500 ANIMALS WITHIN 11 DAYS FROM CENTRAL TEXAS AND THE HILL COUNTRY.
DURING OUR FLOOD RESPONSE PLANNING MEETING ON FRIDAY EVENING, WE HEARD THAT A A C WAS AT CRITICAL CAPACITY AND THERE WERE CATS IN POP-UP KENNELS.
AUSTIN PETS LIVE REACHED OUT TO THE TAXPAYER FUNDERS FUNDED SHELTER, AND OFFERED TO TAKE IN HEALTHY DOGS LIKE THOR, JUNO, LITTLE DEBBIE, MARY KATE FONZIE, KIRA, MISSISSIPPI PRIMROSE PEPPER, FARRAH THATCH, EGYPT, AND 30 OTHER DOGS FROM A A C.
ALSO, BETWEEN SATURDAY AND SUNDAY, AUSTIN PETS LIVE WAS HAPPY TO TAKE IN 30 CATS FROM A A C THAT'S MORE THAN 70 ANIMALS FROM A A C WITHIN TWO DAYS TO HELP WITH AACS OVER CAPACITY ISSUES.
BEFORE THE START OF THE PANDEMIC, AUSTIN PETS LIVE WAS TAKING IN APPROXIMATELY ONE OF EVERY FIVE ANIMALS THAT ENTERED AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER.
WE DO ALL THIS BECAUSE SO MANY OF US LIVE IN AUSTIN.
WE LOVE AUSTIN AND AUSTIN PETS LIVE ONCE AUSTIN TO BE THE SAFEST PLACE FOR ANIMALS.
UM, AND IF I MAY, DAVID, I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW SINCE YOU'RE, UM, NEW THAT, UM, IF THERE'S A SPEAKER YOU CAN ASK CLARIFYING QUESTIONS, BUT NOTHING OTHER THAN THAT.
BUT IF YOU WANNA DO THAT, RAISE YOUR HAND.
[00:10:04]
MY NAME IS ROCHELLE VICKERY, AND I HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH, UH, AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER SINCE DORINDA PULLMAN.AND I'VE BEEN IN AND OUT AND TRAPPING.
AND I'VE BEEN ON THIS PROGRAM OF, UH, THE TNR GROUP SINCE IT STARTED.
I'VE DONE OVER 6,000 ANIMALS NOW.
THERE WAS AN INCIDENT ON THE 2ND OF JULY, AND I'M ASKING MR. FERNANDEZ IF HE WOULD LOOK AT THE CAMERA WHERE I PARKED IN THE HANDICAPPED PARKING SPOT, SIR.
AND I SAW A YOUNG, A LITTLE BOY SITTING ON THAT PORCH OF THAT BUILDING, SITTING RIGHT OVER THERE, AND THE DOG LOOSE.
AND I SAID, YOUR LITTLE DOG NEEDS A, A LEASH.
AND I START WALKING UP THERA THERE WAS NO ADULTS.
I WOULD'VE NEVER SAID ANYTHING TO THAT CHILD IF AN ADULT WOULD'VE BEEN AROUND.
I STARTED WALKING UP THE WALK THERE.
THE LADY CAME OUT OF THE, WHERE THE BUSHES, YOU KNOW, ALONG THE WALL.
AND SHE SAYS, WHAT DID YOU SAY TO MY SON? AND I SAID, I TOLD HIM, UH, HE, HE NEEDED A LEASH FOR HIS DOG.
SHE HAD IT IN HER HAND, AND SHE HAD GOTTEN FREE DOG FOOD.
AND I SAID, YOU WANT ME TO TAKE YOUR CART BACK? 'CAUSE SHE HAD ALREADY PUT IT IN HER CAR.
AND SHE SAID, YES, I TOOK THAT AND I TOOK IT TO DICK.
THAT WAS THE GREETER AT PRC AND TURNED.
I SAYS, HERE, THIS IS FROM THAT LADY, AND HERE'S HER LEASE.
HE SAID, YES, WE HAD ALL KINDS OF PROBLEMS WITH HER.
AND I JUST WENT AND WALKED INTO THE LOBBY.
NOW YOU SEE HOW FAR I HAD TO WALK TO GET INTO THE LOBBY.
THAT WOMAN NEVER SAID ANYTHING TO ME AND CAME AT ME AND, AND, AND SCREAMED AT ME OR ANYTHING WHEN I WALKED ALL THE WAY TO THE LOBBY.
AND I'M STANDING THERE TALKING TO LILY, AND I WAS ASKING HER FOR A INCH THICK OF THOSE FLYERS.
'CAUSE I GO ALL THE WAY OUT TO THE COUNTY LINE WEAVERVILLE, PUTTING 'EM ON THE GOOD, UH, WHAT IS IT? DOLLAR GENERALS.
AND, AND NOW THERE'S A KENNEL THAT'S OUT THAT WAY.
THEN I GO TO THE COLONY AND I PUT 'EM ON THE MAILBOXES AT THE COLONY.
SHE WENT AND SHE HANDED THEM TO ME.
AND THAT WOMAN CAME IN THAT BACK DOOR THERE.
I MEAN, BEHIND US, YOU KNOW, SCREAMING.
AND I DIDN'T KNOW IF SHE HAD A GUN OR WHAT THE WAY SHE WAS SCREAMING.
NOW, IF I'D HAVE DONE SOMETHING WRONG, SHE WOULD'VE SAID SOMETHING TO ME RIGHT THERE ON THE WALK.
I'VE NEVER HAD A COMPLAINT IN ALL THE YEARS I'VE BEEN ON, ON THIS PROGRAM.
AND IT JUST HURTS ME THAT I HAVE BEEN BARRED FROM TRAPPING.
AND I CANNOT GO TO PRC BECAUSE I DIDN'T HAVE MY DRIVER'S LICENSE TWICE.
IF I'M WEARING PANTS THAT DOES NOT HAVE A DRIVER'S LICENSE, I MEAN, I HAVE A PANTS THAT I CAN PUT MY DRIVER'S LICENSE IN.
'CAUSE I CAN SHOW YOU WHAT THEY'RE, THEY'RE IN THIS, MY HEALTH CARD, MY, UH, TRIPLE LEG ROAD SERVICE.
AND I'M ASKING FOR A FAIR HEARING.
I'M ASKING BECAUSE NOBODY, I DON'T, I DON'T UNDERSTAND.
AND I WOULD APPRECIATE IT IF WE COULD GET TOGETHER AND YOU LOOK ON THAT CAMERA.
AND I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING WRONG.
THAT'S FOR YOU, SO YOU CAN SEE THAT.
UH, THANK YOU COMMISSIONER NORTON.
AND THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU COMMISSIONERS WHO ARE HERE.
UH, WELCOME DAVID, TO YOUR, IS THIS YOUR FIRST ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION MEETING? I THOUGHT SO.
I, I'VE KNOWN YOU FOR SO LONG AND I'VE SEEN YOU AT SO MANY MEETINGS.
UM, I ALSO WANNA WELCOME NEW DIRECTOR FERNANDEZ AND MELISSA POOLE.
AND I WANNA SAY THAT, UM, I AM IMPRESSED WITH THIS AGENDA.
I THOUGHT IT WAS VERY, UH, COMPREHENSIVE.
UH, AND I SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON MANY ITEMS, NOT KNOWING WHETHER I WOULD HAVE TIME TO LOOK AT THE BACKUP DOCUMENTS, UH, OR HEAR SPEAKERS AND HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY.
SO I WILL SAY RIGHT NOW THAT I PROBABLY WILL NOT SPEAK ON MANY OF THE ITEMS I SIGNED UP FOR, BUT I STILL WANTED TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO SO.
IF, IF SOMETHING COMES UP BETWEEN NOW AND THEN.
UM, I DO WANNA SPEAK IN SUPPORT OF ROCHELLE VICKERY BEING REINSTATED AS A VOLUNTEER.
AND I WANNA ASK IF ANY OF YOU ASK A QUESTION LATER OF MR. FERNANDEZ OR DIRECTOR FERNANDEZ, INTERIM DIRECTOR FERNANDEZ, INTERIM DIRECTOR FERNANDEZ, THAT'S A MOUTHFUL.
[00:15:01]
KNOW, HEAR THE ANSWER AND THEN SPEAK TO YOU AT A LATER TIME ABOUT MY THOUGHTS ABOUT THAT.I'D, I'D LIKE TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY THAT I'VE HAD WITH VOLUNTEERS BEING FIRED, INCLUDING MYSELF.
UM, I DIDN'T VOLUNTEER FOR A VERY LONG TIME.
I USED TO JUST WALK THE KENNELS AND WRITE DOWN EMPTY KENNELS AND THEN SEND HERRIN PULLUM AN EMAIL IN THE MORNING.
WHY ARE THERE SO MANY EMPTY KENNELS WHEN SO MANY NELS ARE BEING KILLED? THAT'S WHAT I USED TO DO.
BUT AS I WALKED AROUND, PEOPLE WOULD COME UP TO ME, THEY WOULD TALK TO ME, I'D SAY, I'LL LOOK INTO IT.
AND THEN WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IS I WOULD STAY PAST SEVEN O'CLOCK.
SO, UM, ONE DAY I WAS CALLED INTO THE DIRECTOR'S OFFICE AND I WAS TOLD THAT I HAD BEEN SEEN AT THE SHELTER AFTER SEVEN O'CLOCK, AND I WAS BEING FIRED WHEN OTHER VOLUNTEERS WERE AT THE SHELTER LONGER THAN 7:00 PM AND I THOUGHT IT WAS PROBABLY SOMETHING ELSE, BUT THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED.
SO THEN THERE WAS ANOTHER INCIDENT WHERE OTHER VOLUNTEERS WERE FIRED.
UM, I THINK IT HAD TO DO WITH SOCIAL MEDIA, AND I DO THINK IT'S UNFORTUNATE THAT PEOPLE SAY CERTAIN THINGS IN SOCIAL MEDIA, BUT AGAIN, I THINK THERE SHOULD BE DUE PROCESS.
SO I DON'T KNOW ENOUGH ABOUT THIS TO HAVE A POSITION.
I DO KNOW THAT, UM, A TRAPPER WHO TRAPS AS MANY ANIMALS AS MS. VICKERY DOES DESERVES A DUE PROCESS.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO KIND OF SPEAK TO YOU AND LEARN MORE ABOUT IT DEPENDING ON WHAT HAPPENS HERE TONIGHT.
HOW ARE YOU? DOING WELL, THANK YOU.
UH, GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS.
UM, AND AT THE CONCLUSION OF MY PREPARED REMARKS, I ALSO WANNA, UM, ASK THAT YOU CONSIDER REINSTATING MS. VICKERY, BECAUSE I SEE HER THERE ALL THE TIME, UH, DOING THE RIGHT THING BY OUR COMMUNITY WITH THE CATS.
SO I'M GONNA JUST PLEA, MAKE ONE MORE PLEA ON HER BEHALF TO CONSIDER REINSTATING HER.
UM, BUT BEFORE I BEGIN MY, MY MAIN COMMENTS, I WANNA TAKE A MOMENT TO RECOGNIZE AND THANK SOME OF THE OUTSTANDING STAFF, UM, AT THE AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER.
I DIDN'T GET TO SHARE THIS LAST MONTH BECAUSE I WAS DEEPLY UPSET BY THE EUTHANASIA NOTICES THAT HAD JUST GONE OUT.
BUT IT'S IMPORTANT THAT THE GOOD WORK OF THE DEDICATED EMPLOYEES IS SEEN AND ACKNOWLEDGED.
UM, ONE OF THEM SITTING HERE, CAITLIN, WHO, WHO JUST, UM, ADDED TO OUR PUBLIC COMMENTS, UM, PROBABLY ONE OF MY FAVORITE EMPLOYEES AT AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER, AND HAS ALWAYS BEEN RESPONSIVE AND IS ALWAYS, UH, WILLING TO HELP, ALWAYS WILLING TO, IF I ASK, HEY, CAN YOU REEVALUATE A DOG? ALWAYS WILLING TO DO THAT.
UM, TAZ AND GREG ON THE ANIMAL CARE TEAM STAND OUT, UM, AS EXCEPTIONAL EMPLOYEES.
IN MY MIND, TAZ IS THE BEST ANIMAL CARE EMPLOYEE AT A A C.
THEIR COMPASSION FOR DOGS IS OBVIOUS, AND THEY ACTUALLY FOLLOW THE SOPS FOR KENNEL CLEANING, A CRITICAL PART OF PREVENTING DISEASE AND KEEPING THE DOGS HEALTHY AND ADOPTABLE.
GREG, I'M NOT SURE IF HE'S A MANAGER OR SUPERVISOR, WEAR SO MANY HATS AND IS ALWAYS READY TO HELP.
AND I SEE HIM LITERALLY DOING EVERYTHING.
I MEAN, SERIOUSLY, EVERYTHING.
UM, AND HE'S HELPED ME IN MORE WAYS THAN I CAN COUNT AND NEVER, EVER, UH, WITH A COMPLAINT OR A SOUR LOOK OR ANYTHING.
UM, THAT KIND OF LEADERSHIP MAKES A HUGE DIFFERENCE, ESPECIALLY FOR VOLUNTEERS.
AND, AND THE PAID DOG WALKERS.
UM, TRULY SOME OF THE MOST SELFLESS, KIND, COMMITTED PEOPLE I'VE EVER MET, RAINER SHINE.
THEY'RE OUT THERE EVERY DAY GIVING THE DOGS THE TIME AND ATTENTION THEY DESPERATELY NEED.
SO NOW ON TO THE URGENT MATTER OF THE BUDGET.
AND I KNOW THAT Y'ALL CAN MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS ABOUT THE BUDGET.
Y'ALL DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE A SAY IN IT, AND YOU CAN'T APPROVE IT.
BUT YOU CAN MAKE, USE YOUR, UM, POSITION OF INFLUENCE AS COMMISSIONERS TO SPEAK TO YOUR OWN CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS ABOUT HOW IMPORTANT A BUDGET IS.
I WANNA REMIND YOU ALL OF THAT.
UM, UH, I CAN TELL YOU WITH COMPLETE CONFIDENCE, THIS COMMUNITY VALUES ANIMAL WELFARE.
WE VALUE A FUNCTIONING HUMANE SHELTER, AND WE ARE ALL WATCHING CLOSELY AS THE FISCAL YEAR 2026 BUDGET APPROACHES, RUMORS THAT EACH CITY DEPARTMENT WILL BE ASKED TO CUT 5% OF THEIR BUDGET ARE EXTREMELY CONCERNING.
AND IN THE CASE OF THE ANIMAL SHELTER, COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE.
A A C IS ALREADY UNDER RESOURCED.
STAFFING LEVELS ARE INADEQUATE SPACES BEYOND CAPACITY.
AND EVERY EMPLOYEE IS BEING ASKED TO DO THE IMPOSSIBLE WITH TOO LITTLE SUPPORT.
A 5% CUT, IF THAT'S TRUE, UM, WOULD BE DEVASTATING NOT JUST TO THE STAFF, BUT TO THE ANIMALS WHO ULTIMATELY WILL PAY THE PRICE.
THE COMMISSION MUST VIGOR VIGOROUSLY ADVOCATE NOT JUST FOR PRESERVING THE CURRENT BUDGET, BUT FOR A SIZABLE INCREASE.
PLEASE USE YOUR PO POSITIONS OF INFLUENCE AND POWER TO ASK FOR A SIZABLE INCREASE, UM, IN FUNDING FOR FISCAL YEAR 2026.
UM, THAT CONCLUDES OUR SPEAKERS.
[00:20:01]
UM, SO IT LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE TWO SETS OF[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
MINUTES TO APPROVETHERE WAS A SMALL MISTAKE ON THE MINUTES FROM APRIL, AND SO I'M BRINGING THOSE BACK FOR CONSIDERATION.
CAN WE ASK FOR CLARITY WHAT THE SMALL MISTAKE OR CORRECTION WAS, JUST SO WE KNOW WHAT WE'RE LOOKING? UH, SO THE, UM, MINUTES HAD, UH, THE WRONG COMMISSIONER CALLING THE MEETING TO ORDER.
OH, THEN I MOTION TO APPROVE THE APRIL MINUTES.
DID, DID WE GET A SECOND, DAVID? OKAY.
AND, UH, SO APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES IS COMMISSIONER IAN.
AND ITEM NUMBER TWO WOULD BE, OH, I'M, I'M SORRY.
YOU JUST, OH, WE'VE GOTTA VOTE.
EVERYBODY WHO APPROVES THE APRIL 14TH MINUTES, ANY OPPOSED? ANY DISCUSSION? OKAY.
UH, WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE, UM, MINUTES FROM THE JUNE 9TH MEETING.
UM, ANY DISCUSSION? ANYONE? OKAY.
UM, DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES, WHITNEY? OKAY.
I SECOND, UM, VOTE TO APPROVE THE MINUTES.
AND COMMISSIONER CLINTON, I'M SORRY, WERE YOU ABSTAINING ON THAT ITEM OR VOTING? NO, I JUST DIDN'T SEE YOUR VOTE.
SO, SO LONG AS WE HAVE SEVEN WITHOUT ME, I WAS GONNA NO, NO PROBLEM.
[3. Staff briefing regarding monthly reports provided by Rolando Fernandez, Interim Chief Animal Services Officer, Animal Services Office.]
IS THE STAFF, UH, BRIEFING REGARDING THE MONTHLY REPORTS.UM, BY INTERIM CHIEF, UH, FERNANDEZ BEFORE HE STARTS, WE HAVE ONE PUBLIC SPEAKER, UM, SHELLY LIEMAN GET HOME.
I'VE BEEN A CAT VOLUNTEER AT AUSTIN AM CENTER FOR ABOUT FIVE YEARS.
AND I'M SPEAKING ON AGENDA ITEM NUMBER THREE, SPECIFICALLY ASO'S STATISTICAL REPORT, COMPARING JUNE, 2025 WITH PRIOR YEARS.
IT'S ON PAGE 10 OF THAT, UM, BACKUP MATERIAL.
IT SHOWS THAT LAST MONTH THERE WERE 66 UNASSISTED DEATHS, WHICH MEANS THOSE ANIMALS EITHER DIED IN THEIR KENNELS AT A, A, C OR IN FOSTER.
54 OF THOSE WERE CATS AND KITTENS.
THAT NUMBER REPRESENTS 8% OF TOTAL CAT INTAKE.
FOR JUNE OF THE 54, 31 WERE KITTENS AND 23 WERE ADULTS.
TO PUT THIS IN PERSPECTIVE, LAST JUNE, THERE WERE 10 UNASSISTED DEATHS FOR CATS AND KITTENS, 2% OF TOTAL CAT INTAKE.
JUNE OF 23, THERE WERE ONLY SIX.
IN JUNE OF 22, THERE WERE ONLY FOUR.
THE REPORT NO LONGER SHOWS IN KENNEL DEATHS VERSUS IN FOSTER.
BUT MY GUESS IN BASED ON PRIOR YEARS IS THAT MOST OF THESE DEATHS OCCURRED IN KENNEL.
HOW MANY OF THESE WERE BOTTLE BABIES THAT JUST WEREN'T STRONG ENOUGH TO SURVIVE? HOW MANY WERE DEATHS THAT COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED IF WE HAD ENOUGH VET TECHS TO PERFORM THE DUTIES IN HUMANE WAY? COULD WE HAVE PREVENTED SUFFERING BY PERFORMING HUMANE EUTHANASIA RATHER THAN CATS AND KITTENS POTENTIALLY SUFFERING? IN THE MEANTIME, AS I STATED EARLIER, 23 OF THE 54 WERE ADULT CATS.
SO WE WERE CLOSE TO HALF, ALMOST HALF OF THIS NUMBER CAN'T BE CONTRIBUTED TO NEONATAL KITTENS.
AND THESE NUMBERS ARE JUST VERY CONCERNING TO ME.
I MEAN, IT'S JUST A HUGE JUMP FROM ALL THE PRIOR YEARS.
AND I BELIEVE THAT THE PUBLIC HAS A RIGHT TO KNOW WHY.
UM, I FULLY SUPPORT OUR VET SERVICES STAFF.
I KNOW THOSE VET TECHS AND VETS WORK REALLY HARD, BUT THEY CAN ONLY DO SO MUCH.
AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE NUMBERS ARE LOOKING LIKE FOR JULY, BUT IF THEY'RE ANYWHERE CLOSE TO THIS, THEN THERE'S A PROBLEM.
UM, THEY'RE BEING STRETCHED TOO.
THINS AND CATS AND KITTENS ARE DYING AS A RESULT.
AND TO ME, THAT'S JUST NOT ACCEPTABLE.
I, UM, IF THIS IS MR. WEED, STOP ME.
BUT, UM, CAN YOU, WHAT IS THE CUTOFF FOR HOW A C DEFINES NEONATE ARE ARE Y'ALL DOING THAT AT LIKE THREE WEEKS ONCE THEY'RE WEANED? SIX WEEKS QUESTION MARK.
YOU WERE JUST SAYING I DON'T, YEAH.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE HELL THEY DEFINE NEONATES.
MY GUESS IT'D BE THE CAN'T BE, CAN'T EAT ON THEIR OWN.
SEVEN WEEKS? NO, IT'D BE, IT'S YOUNGER THAN SEVEN WEEKS.
I MEAN, YOU CAN START MOIA LIKE YEAH.
AND THEN MY SECOND QUESTION IS, DO Y'ALL HAVE A POLICY OF IF KITTENS COME IN THERE ORPHANED WITHOUT MOM, DO YOU MAKE AN EFFORT TO PUT THEM WITH ANOTHER NURSING MOM? 'CAUSE THEY DO KNOW THAT THAT INCREASES LIKELIHOOD OF THEIR ABILITY.
I MEAN, A PA TAKES A LOT OF OUR NEONATES.
[00:25:01]
I THINK THEY TOOK LIKE A HUNDRED LAST MONTH.UM, BUT YEAH, I'VE SEEN THEM, I'VE SEEN THE VET TECHS DO THAT.
AND OUR VET TECHS KITTEN NURSERY VET TECHS ARE AWESOME.
THEY'RE JUST BEING PUT IN OTHER AREAS IN ADDITION TO KITTEN NURSERY.
THAT NONE OF THIS WAS INTENDED TO UNDERCUT YOUR POINT.
FIRST OF ALL, I'M REALLY HAPPY THAT THE, YOU LOOK AT THE REPORT BECAUSE I NOTICED THAT WHAT YOU JUST SAID, AND I WAS LIKE, WHAT HAPPENED HERE? SO I'M SO GLAD YOU STUDY IT.
AND JUST TO MAKE, JUST LOOKING AT YEAR TO DATE, THE AVERAGE IS 25.
WHEN YOU TAKE THE YEAR TO DATE NUMBERS OF ANIMALS THAT DIE IN THE EX, EXCUSE ME, CARE, YOU CAN, YOU JUST NEED TO ASK HER A CLARIFYING QUESTION FROM WHAT SHE SAID, AND WE CAN TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT DURING THE DISCUSSION, UH, FROM THE A, A ANIMAL SERVICES REPORT.
MY NAME IS ROLANDA FERNANDEZ, INTERIM DIRECTOR.
I HAVE JASON GARZA, OUR DEPUTY, UM, ON STANDBY HERE FOR, UH, UPDATING, UH, YOU ALL ON OUR NUMBERS THAT YOU RECEIVED THIS BACKUP INFORMATION.
SO JASON WILL PROVIDE AN OVERVIEW OF THAT NUMBER, UM, SPECIFICALLY SOME OTHER DETAILS, UM, THAT, UH, SUPPORT OUR LIVE OUTCOME RATE, UH, THAT YOU SAW ON THE REPORT, THE 89%.
UH, SO HE'LL SHARE SOME INFORMATION THAT KIND OF DIGS IN A LITTLE BIT DEEPER IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, HOW THAT NUMBER DERIVED TO THAT 89%.
AND THEN HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS AS HE, UH, WALKS THROUGH THAT INFORMATION.
SO, JASON, CAN YOU TAKE IT OVER PLEASE? YEAH.
APOLOGIES FOR NOT BEING THERE, GUYS.
UH, BODY, I'M LISTENING TO MY BODY MORE AND NOT PUSHING MYSELF, SO, UM, SO HOPEFULLY I'LL HEAR YOU JUST FINE.
SO, UM, SO I'LL GO THROUGH IT AND THEN I'LL, I'LL ADDRESS MISS, UM, GEL'S, UH, COMMENTS.
'CAUSE I HAD THOSE SAME CONCERNS.
A LITTLE BIT MORE DEEP DIVING.
SO, UM, ON THE REPORT, THE LIVE OUTCOME WAS FOR JUNE WAS EIGHT 9.24%.
WE HAD A TOTAL OF 1,293 ANIMALS BROUGHT TO THE SHELTER.
WE WERE ABLE TO GET OUT 530 ANIMALS OUT TO ADOPTION, AND THEN ANOTHER SUDDENLY ONE FOR RETURN TO THE OWNERS.
UM, YOU KNOW, UH, ANIMAL PROTECTION, UM, WAS ABLE TO RETURN THREE ANIMALS BACK OUT TO THE FIELD.
WE IMPOUNDED WITHIN FIVE INJURED ANIMALS AND, UH, DELIVERED APPROXIMATELY SIX TWO WILDLIFE ANIMALS.
SO WILDLIFE RESCUE, WE HAD, UH, 541 VOLUNTEERS CONTRIBUTE OVER 7,000 HOURS OF, OF VOLUNTEER SERVICE TO US, WHICH WE'RE GRATEFUL FOR.
UM, WE WERE ABLE TO HOLD FOUR ORIENTATIONS AND INTRODUCED A HUNDRED FORTY ONE, A HUNDRED FORTY ONE MORE POTENTIAL VOLUNTEERS.
UM, WE ALSO, UH, HAD 41 INDIVIDUALS DONATE 82 HOURS FOR GROUP VOLUNTEER SERVICE.
SO THAT THOUGHT, NOW THAT WE'VE STARTED THAT BUCK UP AGAIN, WE WE'RE SEEING DIVIDENDS ON THAT, WHICH OUR, OUR EXPERIENCED VOLUNTEERS HELP OUT A LOT WITH THAT AS WELL.
WE HAD FOUR 40 DIFFERENT FAMILIES, UM, YOU KNOW, FOSTER FOR US THROUGHOUT THE MONTH.
AND MORE THAN 142 OF THOSE ANIMALS WERE ADOPTED DIRECTLY FROM FOSTER CARE.
UM, WE STILL HAVE A HUNDRED, UH, SEVEN 30 MEMBERS THAT WERE APPROVED FOSTERS IN THE FOSTER PROGRAM.
UM, WE WERE ABLE TO CONDUCT 494 SPA OR, OR NEUTER SURGERIES, AND OVER 1200 ANIMALS WERE VACCINATED.
UM, SO WITH REGARDS TO WHAT MS. LEMAN BROUGHT UP, UH, YEAH, WE WERE LOOKING AT THOSE NUMBERS TO 66 AND THEN DOING A DEEP DIVE ON LIKE, HOW DID WE SEE SO MANY DEATH INCREASES WHILE WE WERE LOOKING AT THE DATA, WE SAW THAT 26 OF THOSE ANIMALS WERE ACTUALLY BROUGHT TO US, UM, UNFORTUNATELY, UH, UH, DEAD SO THAT WE IMPOUNDED THE ANIMALS AND JUST IMMEDIATELY OUTCOME THE DEAD, BUT THEY WEREN'T ACTUALLY IN, IN SHELTER OR IN FOSTER.
SO THAT COUNTED TOWARD THE OVERALL LIVE OUTCOME.
UM, WE'RE GONNA WORK ON THE, THE SHELTER DATABASE TO SEE HOW WE CAN BETTER CATEGORIZE THAT WHEN WE IMPOUND.
SO IF IT'S A DEAD ON ARRIVAL SORT OF, UH, DESIGNATION THAT WE HAVE TO, UH, UM, CREATE AND SORT OF, YOU KNOW, REPORT THAT SEPARATE SO THAT WE SEE WHAT ANIMALS THAT ARE COMING TO US THAT ARE UNFORTUNATELY OUR PARISH.
UM, AND SO, UH, JUST LOOKING AT THAT IN GENERAL, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE GONNA DO THAT SHOULD HOPEFULLY CHANGE THE NUMBERS.
UM, IT MAKES IT 91%, BUT YOU KNOW, I NEED TO VERIFY THAT JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT I DID ALL MY MATH CORRECTLY.
UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, ONCE WE START ADDRESSING THAT WITHIN THE DATABASE, HOPEFULLY WE'LL SEE THOSE, REPORT THOSE OUT DIFFERENTLY FOR ANYTHING THAT'S COMING TO US, UNFORTUNATELY PERISHED BEFORE WE WE'RE ABLE TO PROVIDE ANY CARE.
SO I'LL TAKE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS THAT Y'ALL MAY HAVE.
UH, SO YOU SAID OUT OF THE 66, 66 THAT WERE, THAT DIED, YOU'RE SAYING THAT HOW MANY CAME ALREADY DEAD?
[00:30:01]
26.SO THAT WOULD HAVE HAVE YOU, UH, 40 THAT DIED IN AT THAT.
YEAH, THAT DIED EITHER 40 ANIMALS THAT EITHER IN KENNEL, UM, THAT, OR DIED IN ROUTE TO US.
SO THEY'RE LIKE COMING FROM THE EMERGENCY CLINIC.
THEY'RE COMING TO US BECAUSE THEY WERE ALREADY THERE.
BUT THESE ARE, FROM MY UNDERSTAND FROM DR.
ELLIOT, THESE ARE ANIMALS THAT WERE, YOU KNOW, BROUGHT TO US OVER THE COUNTER, UM, OR IF, YOU KNOW, BROUGHT TO US THAT, AND UNFORTUNATELY, WERE ALREADY DEAD.
OKAY? BECAUSE YOU'RE, I, I HAVE YOUR YEAR TO DATE, YOU HAVE 150 ANIMALS THAT DIED STATISTICALLY FROM THE BEGINNING THE YEAR TILL THE END OF JUNE.
SO THAT WOULD BE AN AVERAGE 25 PER MONTH.
EVEN WHEN YOU TAKE OUT THOSE 26, IT LISTS YOU WITH 40 FOR JUNE.
SO, UH, I'M, IT, I'M JUST CURIOUS IF YOU GUYS TRACK WHAT, WHAT IS THIS? WHY IS THIS HAPPENING? WE'D HAVE TO GO INTO LIKE WHAT EXACTLY AND YOU KNOW, WHAT THE CONDITIONS OF THE ANIMAL AT THE TIME.
SO IF IT'S, IF THEY'RE THEIR NEONATE KITCHENS, THEY MAY HAVE JUST UNFORTUNATELY PERISHED.
UM, IF, IF HOPEFULLY NOTHING GOT TO 'EM AND, YOU KNOW, UH, AND ATTACKED THEM, WE'D HAVE TO LOOK AT WHAT SORT OF THE CONDITIONS IF WE'RE TRACKING THAT WITHIN OUR, TO SEEM AS WE'RE LOGGING, USE AND ENCOUNT THEM.
AND MY OTHER QUICK QUESTION HERE IS, UM, AND I, I WOULD THINK THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD INTEREST YOU TO UNDERSTAND WHY THIS ANIMALS DIED, BUT THAT'S A COMMENT.
I, I NOTICED THAT AN AVERAGE, IT'S NOT A HUGE NUMBER, BUT AN AVERAGE, YOU FROM JANUARY THROUGH JUNE, YOU AVERAGE 1.5 ANIMALS MISSING, AND IN JUNE, UH, YOU HAVE A TOTAL OF FIVE.
DO YOU HAVE A GOOD UNDERSTANDING? WHAT ARE THE DOES ANIMALS MISSING? UM, IT COULD BE A NUMBER OF THINGS WHERE IF IT WASN'T, UH, DOCUMENTED WITH AN ADOPTION OR IF THEY WENT TO A FOSTER, UM, SOMETIMES, AND TRUTH BE THOUGH, WE'VE HAD CATS THAT, THAT GET AWAY FROM US AND WE'LL, WE'LL GO INTO THE FACILITY, WE'LL HAVE PUT TRACKS OUT, BUT UNFORTUNATELY WE DON'T CATCH IT.
LIKE, YOU KNOW, WE, WE DON'T, WE'LL HAVE TO JUST LOG IT AS MISSING.
UM, UM, AND I WANNA INSTANCES OF, OF ANYTHING RECENT WHERE WE'VE HAD, YOU KNOW, A, THAT OR WHATNOT, THESE ARE JUST ANIMALS THAT, THAT YEAH.
AND SO WE, THAT'S WHY WE FOCUS ON OUR STAFF JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE, UM, YOU KNOW, IF YOU ARE FOCUSING ON ADOPTION OR DOING A FOSTER, MAKE SURE YOU, YOU LOG IT APPROPRIATELY.
AND SO THAT WAY WE CAN, WE CAN SHORE IT UP AND CLOSE THE LOOP ON THAT.
AND I'M NOT GONNA ASK A QUESTION, I'M JUST GONNA MAKE A STATEMENT.
FIRST OF ALL, I, I REALLY COMMEND THE AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER, HOW CAME TOGETHER WITH THE DIFFERENT, UM, SHEL NOT SHELTERS, BUT, UH, ORGANIZATIONS WITH THE WHOLE ISSUE WITH CARVILLE.
AND I SAW HOW THE CITY WAS TRANSPORTING AND HELPING, WHICH IS SO NICE TO SEE THAT COLLABORATION.
AND ALSO KUDOS TO YOU, A CITY VACCINATION INCREASE IN JUNE FROM 849 LAST YEAR, UH, THIS JUNE TO 1,008.
UM, JUST A QUESTION ABOUT THE OVERALL NUMBER.
I KNOW IT, IT WOULD BE ADJUSTED, UM, BASED ON THE 26 THAT MAY HAVE BEEN BROUGHT IN DECEASED, UM, IS, UM, HOW MANY MONTHS HAVE WE BEEN UNDER THE 95 NUMBER? SO, UH, AFTER LAST MONTH, IT'LL BE TWO MONTHS.
I, AND I'M ASKING OUT OF IGNORANCE HERE, IS, IS THE CITY'S 95% NUMBER AN ANNUAL THING? IS IT A BY MONTH THING? HOW DOES THAT WORK? DOES ANYBODY KNOW HOW THAT IS LAID? SO WE, WE, YEAH, WE HAVE TO MAINTAIN IT FOR, ON AN ANNUAL BASIS.
UM, AND SO, UH, THERE ARE SOME MONTHS WHERE WE HAVE IN THE PAST WHERE WE'VE DIPPED AND THEN WE, WE'VE BROUGHT IT UP OVERALL THROUGH THE ANNUAL.
IS IS THERE ANY KIND OF PATTERN OR SOMETHING THAT'S GOING ON THAT YOU THINK HAS CAUSED THE TWO MONTHS BACK TO BACK? UM, JUST, JUST HAVING COME TO A LOT OF THESE MEETINGS AND HEARD THE NUMBERS A LOT, THAT KIND OF STOOD OUT TO ME.
SO I'M JUST KIND OF CURIOUS IF THERE ARE ANY PATTERNS OR INCIDENCES OR REASONS WHY YOU THINK, UM, IT'S BEEN TWO MONTHS.
[00:35:01]
I'LL HAVE TO GO BACK A FEW YEARS, UH, EIGHT NOW ACTUALLY, BECAUSE IT WOULD HAPPEN WHEN I FIRST GOT THERE.UM, BUT ESS ESSENTIALLY THE PATTERN IS USUALLY AROUND THE, THE LATE SPRING, EARLY SUMMERTIME WHERE WE'LL SEE, BECAUSE WE SEE MORE ANIMALS COMING IN, AND THEN, UM, THINGS ARE COMING OUT, UH, WE WILL SEE, YOU KNOW, MORE HURT ANIMALS.
UM, I THINK WHAT'S, WHAT'S, WHAT'S, SINCE WE HAVE BEEN SORT OF RESTRICTION ON INTAKE, AND ESPECIALLY TAKING IN THOSE THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, DEFINITELY EMERGENCIES, UM, YOU KNOW, WE TEND TO, ESPECIALLY THIS PAST YEAR, WE'VE BEEN TENDING TO SEE MORE OF THE, THE, YOU KNOW, RISE IN DEATHS OR EUTHANASIA, BECAUSE THAT'S ESSENTIALLY WHAT THE MOST THAT WE'RE TAKING IN.
UM, BUT WE HAVE, I HAVE SEEN IN THE PAST WHERE WE, WE'VE HAD A COUPLE MONTHS WHERE WE DIDN'T, UM, I THINK THERE WAS ONE YEAR THAT POINTS OUT TO ME WHERE WE WENT TO 89% JUST FOR CATS, BUT IT DIPPED US BELOW 95 WHEN WE AVERAGED IT OUT, WAS PUT BOTH ANIMALS.
UM, SO, BUT IT WAS AROUND APRIL, APRIL, MAY, IF I REMEMBER THAT BACK, UM, A FEW YEARS AGO.
AND SO, YES, IT'S, IT'S SORT OF CYCLICAL.
THIS ONE'S A LITTLE BIT HARDER BECAUSE, UM, AS WE ARE NOT COMPLETELY OPEN INTAKE WHERE WE'RE TAKING EVERYTHING IN, UM, WE'VE, UH, AND REALLY JUST, YOU KNOW, HITTING THE EMERGENCY CASES, WE, WE WILL, WE'RE TENDING TO SEE AT LEAST FOR THE PATTERN OR THE, THE, THE TREND IS SHOWING THAT WE'RE SEEING MORE, ESPECIALLY DEATHS DIVING IN KENNEL AND, AND MORE EU NATURE.
I WAS JUST CURIOUS IF THERE WAS ANY REASON TO, FOR PEOPLE TO PUT OUR HEADS TOGETHER AND FIGURE OUT IF THERE WAS SOMETHING GOING ON THAT WE COULD ATTACK AND FOCUS ON, OR IF IT WAS THIS WAS JUST A SEASONAL THING OR OF A CAT THING OR SOMETHING ALONG THOSE LINES.
NO, IF I, IF I MAY, I, I'M, I'M HOPING TO SEE AN INCREASE IN, UM, IN THIS MONTH'S NUMBERS, BUT YOU KNOW, IF, IF, IF IT WERE REPORT NEXT MONTH, I MEAN, YEAH, WE MAY HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, REALLY THINK MORE ABOUT THIS BECAUSE THEN THAT'S SORT OF EXTENDING IT THAN IT NORMALLY, THAN IT NORMALLY WOULD.
SO THIS IS COMING FROM, UH, WHAT, EIGHT, NINE WEEKS OF, UH, BEING IN THE, IN THE SHELTER.
SO, UM, IF I OFFEND ANYBODY, IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT IN INTENTIONAL THOUGH, YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY IT'S AN ITEM OF, UM, OF, UM, A LOT OF FOCUS THAT WE NEED TO HAVE ON THIS, UH, YOU KNOW, 95% GOAL, YOU KNOW, THAT WE STRIVE FOR ON, ON A MONTHLY BASIS, ANNUAL BASIS, UH, THAT THE FULL REPORTING.
UM, A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT I'VE NOTICED IN THIS, THIS SHORT TIMEFRAME IS OUR, OUR CAPACITY, RIGHT? UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A LOT OF CAPACITY.
I APPRECIATE, UH, A PA COMING IN AND HELPING OUT AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I'VE SAID THIS TO OUR TEAM ALREADY MULTIPLE TIMES, YOU KNOW, FROM THE VERY GET GO.
WEEK ONE, I BELIEVE IS, YOU KNOW, WE CAN'T DO THIS WORK BY OURSELVES.
WE NEED EVERYBODY TO PITCH IN, UH, BOTH, YOU KNOW, NONPROFITS, UM, UH, FOLKS THAT ARE IN THE BUSINESS OF ANIMAL CARE IN OUR COMMUNITY, AND THEN THE COMMUNITY ITSELF, RIGHT? WE, WE ALL HAVE TO JOIN HANDS IN ON THIS EFFORT BECAUSE, AND WE HAVE A LOT OF LARGE NUMBER OF ANIMALS COMING INTO OUR SHELTER, AND WE'RE THE ONLY ONE THAT DOES THAT IN OUR COMMUNITY.
THAT'S A, THAT'S OUR REAL AS A MUNICIPAL SHELTER, UH, NUMBER ONE, UH, NUMBER TWO IS JUST THE AMOUNT OF WORKLOAD THAT IT HAS ON OUR STAFF.
AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO CREATE THAT CULTURE OF, YOU KNOW, BEING THE BEST AT THE WORK THAT WE DO, BUT ALSO, YOU KNOW, HAVING, UM, YOU KNOW, A LIFE OUTSIDE OF WORK.
UH, AND I KNOW SOME FOLKS STRUGGLE WITH THAT IN OUR, IN OUR DEPARTMENT JUST BECAUSE THEIR LIFE IS ABOUT ANIMALS, BUT I THINK SOMETIMES THAT CAN BE UNHEALTHY AS WELL.
UM, SO A LOT MORE FOCUS ON THIS EFFORT, I HOPE IN THE NEXT MONTH OR TWO, UM, TO COME BACK AND SHARE WITH YOU, UH, OUR ORGANIZATIONAL FORMAT OF OUR, OF OUR DEPARTMENT THAT WE'RE, UM, WORKING ON, UH, MAKING SOME TWEAKS TO, AND, AND ONE OF THOSE AREAS WE'LL TALK ABOUT SORT OF A FOCUS ON OUTCOMES.
SO REALLY, UM, PUTTING SOMEBODY WITHIN OUR DEPARTMENT THAT WILL HAVE THAT RESPONSIBILITY OF USHERING EVERYBODY IN THE DEPARTMENT, UH, IN TERMS OF BEING FOCUSED ON ALL THE DIFFERENT ANIMALS THAT WE, THAT WE HAVE COMING IN THE LARGE, RIGHT.
AND THEN TRY TO ENSURE THE BEST OUTCOME FOR EACH ANIMAL.
UM, AND THAT OVERSIGHT, BECAUSE I THINK WHEN YOU GET SO BUSY AND YOU, AND, AND IT DOESN'T STOP, RIGHT? UH, I THINK SOMETIMES UNINTENTIONALLY YOU MAY MISS STUFF.
AND SO I, I, I FEEL LIKE THERE'S A NEED FOR THAT OVERSIGHT IN OUR DEPARTMENT AND WORKING ON CREATING THAT.
THERE'S A PROCESS IN THE CITY THAT IF I MAKE ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGES, I HAVE THAT HAVE TO HAVE THAT VETTED BY OUR CORPORATE HR DEPARTMENT.
AND SO WE'RE ABOUT READY TO HAVE THAT SUBMITTED TO MY A CM.
AND THEN, UH, SHE'S BEEN FULLY AWARE OF SOME OF THESE CHANGES THAT WE'RE, UH, IMPLEMENTING.
GO THROUGH THAT HR PROCESS AND THEN BE ABLE TO COME BACK AND SHOW YOU WHAT THAT ORGANIZATIONAL CHART, UH, WILL SHOW AND SORT SORT OF SOME NEW, UH, AREAS OF FOCUS THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE AS A DEPARTMENT.
AND ONE OF THOSE BEING, YOU KNOW, SORT OF THAT FOCUS ON OUTCOMES AND THAT OVERSIGHT.
UM, I KIND OF LIKE LOOKING AT IT AS A, AS A CONTRACT MONITORING, BUT IT'S LIKE A MONITORING OF ANIMALS AS THEY COME INTO OUR SHELTER.
YOU KNOW, UM, SETTING UP THE BEST OUTCOMES FOR THAT ANIMAL AS IT COMES THROUGH THE DIFFERENT DIVISIONS WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT.
SO IT COMES IN THROUGH, YOU KNOW, OUR PRC OWNER SURRENDER, OR THROUGH OUR ANIMAL PROTECTION OFFICER, YOU KNOW, BRINGS IT FROM THE FIELD, UH, GETS EVALUATED BY
[00:40:01]
OUR, OUR VET CARE TEAM, AND THEN IT GOES IN THROUGH, UH, OUR ANIMAL CARE SERVICES AND THEN BEHAVIORAL OVERSEAS, SOME OF THAT AS WELL, UM, EARLY ON, TRIAGING THAT ANIMAL AND THEN OVERSEEING SORT OF THAT BEST OUTCOME FOR THAT ANIMAL AS THEY GO NAVIGATES THROUGH.ITS THE PROCESS THAT WE HAVE AT THE SHELTER.
SO, UH, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT CONVERSATION WITH Y'ALL AND, AND HOPEFULLY SOON WE'LL, WE'LL BE ABLE TO PRESENT THAT TO YOU, BUT, UM, MORE FOCUSED ON THIS NUMBER FOR SURE AS NEEDED.
CAN I ASK A QUICK CLARIFYING QUESTION? YES.
FIRST OF ALL, I'M HAPPY TO HEAR EVERYTHING YOU JUST SAID, AND I, AS SOMEONE WHO ALSO WORKS IN GOVERNMENT, YES, IT IS VERY SLOW, AND I APPRECIATE THAT.
IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU HIT THE GROUND RUNNING IF NINE WEEKS, THEN YOU'RE ALREADY GETTING PROGRESS WITH HRD.
SO, UM, MY COMMENT TO THE, OR MY REQUEST TO THE KAT AND THE DOA DATA, UM, I DON'T, I KNOW Y'ALL RECENTLY TRANSITIONED YOUR SYSTEM, SO I DON'T KNOW IF THIS GOT KIND OF CAUGHT IN THE GLITCH WITH THAT.
IS IT POSSIBLE FOR Y'ALL TO, UM, IT SOUNDS LIKE JASON SAID Y'ALL PLAN TO CREATE DOA AS A SEPARATE CATEGORY.
I, I THOUGHT IN THE PAST IT WAS A SEPARATE CATEGORY.
SO IS THAT SOMETHING THAT JUST GOT LOST IN THE TRANSITION OF THE SYSTEM, OR IT SOUNDS LIKE IT WASN'T JUST BECAUSE OF WHAT JASON SAID, BUT MAYBE IT'S A GOOD THING TO IMPLEMENT.
UM, AND WE ARE STILL GOING, AND I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S A CHAMELEON PROCESS, THE OLD SHELTER MANAGEMENT SYSTEM OR NOW SHELTER BUDDY.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, WE ARE ALMOST FULLY IMPLEMENTED.
WE'RE STILL WORKING ON TRIAGING SOME LAST MINUTE STUFF.
WE'VE HAD SOME REALLY FOCUSED, UH, MEETINGS TO KIND KIND OF FINALIZE THE LAST MINUTE THINGS, AND THEN WE'RE UP AND RUNNING FULLY, AND THEN WE'RE MAINTAINING THE SYSTEM IN PLACE AND MAKING SOME TWEAKS TO ENHANCE, YOU KNOW, THE SERVICE THAT IT PROVIDES TO OUR STAFF ACROSS THE DEPARTMENT.
SO, SO JASON, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANNA TAKE A STAB AT THAT RESPONSE.
UM, WAS IT ALREADY IN THE PLACE AND THEN WE JUST LOST THAT.
I'M JUST CURIOUS IF THIS IS A TECHNOLOGY FIX OR A TRAINING FIX, LIKE, IS THIS JUST STAFF NEEDS TO KNOW TO UTILIZE THAT AND SO THERE JUST NEEDS TO BE MORE TRAINING AND ACCOUNTABILITY THERE? OR IS THIS LIKE, THIS MIGHT TAKE A MONTH OR TWO BEFORE WE SEE THE RESULTS BECAUSE TWEAKING TECHNOLOGICAL SYSTEMS TAKE LONGER
UM, BECAUSE WHEN I'M LOOKING THROUGH, WHEN I WAS LOOKING AT SUB STATUSES, I SEE SORT OF LIKE, UM, UH, UH, ARRIVE DECEASED.
SO THAT MIGHT JUST BE DIFFERENT TERMINOLOGY THAT, THAT, THAT WE'RE, THAT WE'RE NOT USED TO.
AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, ONCE WE CAN, UH, VERIFY THAT THAT'S WHAT IT IS.
'CAUSE I DON'T WANNA START IMPLEMENTING SOMETHING, SO I WILL HAVE, WE'LL HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH SHE, BUT JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT'S WHAT IT MEANS, RIGHT? UM, UH, UH, AND THEN, UH, YOU KNOW, IMPLEMENT THAT JUST SO THAT WE'RE CAPTURING DATA CORRECTLY.
UM, HI, JASON, THIS JOANNE, I JUST HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS.
UM, THANK YOU FOR BREAKING DOWN.
LIKE WHY THE ANIMALS, MOST OF 'EM WERE EUTHANIZED IN JUNE.
UM, I THINK ON THE PUBLIC PORTAL, IF IT'S A MEDICAL THING, I THINK IT JUST SAYS SUFFERING.
SO IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT THOSE, MAYBE THERE COULD BE A MEDICAL AND A SUFFERING OR SOMETHING.
BUT I NOTICED YOU HAD SUFFERING HERE TOO, BUT SINCE YOU'RE LOOKING AT IT, UM, BUT I KNOW SOME OF THEM COME IN IN BAD SHAPE.
UM, ALSO, SOMEONE MENTIONED BOTTLE BABIES AND OR NEONATES.
AND I JUST WANNA CLARIFY, ALL OF THOSE KITTENS GO TO, UM, A PA, IS THAT CORRECT? YES, FOR THE LICENSE AGREEMENT, THEY WILL, THEY WILL, UM, THEY'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR BOTTLE FED, UH, KITTENS, UH, AND THEN, UH, ANY SORT OF NEONATES AFTER THAT, WHICH, UH, UM, YOU KNOW, ANY KITTENS THAT THEY CAN, THEY CAN TAKE, THEY, THEY USUALLY DO, BUT THEY'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR BOTTLE FED KITTENS, FERTILIZER.
SO USUALLY DO OR ALWAYS DO, UH, AS SOON AS WE LET 'EM KNOW ABOUT IT.
I DON'T KNOW IF WE'VE HAD ANY, UM, MAY HAVE DIED BEFOREHAND.
BUT AS SOON AS WE, WE GET 'EM, WE, WE LET THEM KNOW.
AND ALSO, I KNOW THIS IS A JULY THING, BUT, UM, I SAW THE REPORTS OF EIGHT PO HELPING OUT WITH, UH, THE HILL COUNTRY FLOOD.
SO THANK YOU FOR GIVING, LETTING THEM HELP TRANSPORT THAT WAS, UH, REALLY NICE FOR THE COMMUNITY.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON THE REPORT? OKAY.
UM, I THINK RYAN, OH, SORRY, RYAN.
I JUST HAD, UH, A, A TWO PART QUESTION.
THE FIRST ONE IS PROBABLY, UH, REDUNDANT AT THIS POINT, BUT I DID, I WAS HOPING, GIVEN THAT, UH, EVEN IF WE SUBTRACT THE 26, IT DOES SEEM LIKE AN AN INCREASE OVER NORM.
UM, IF I'VE JUST RESPECTFULLY REQUESTED, IF YOU GUYS HAD THE INFORMATION, YOU COULD FOLLOW UP WITH THE COMMISSION ON WHAT THE BREAKDOWN OF THOSE, THE CAUSES OF THOSE 40 WERE.
AND THEN MY SECOND QUESTION, UM, GOES TO, UM, SOME CITIZEN COMMUNICATION THAT I RECEIVED.
UM, A COUPLE, I GOT A COUPLE OF EMAILS ABOUT PERSONS WONDERING, UM, IF ANIMALS, UH, THAT WERE ENTERING THE SHELTER WERE NOT RECEIVING HEARTWORM PREVENTATIVE MEDICATION.
[00:45:01]
APPARENTLY THAT IN SHELTER CARE.YEAH, I CAN, I CAN RESPOND TO THAT ONE.
UH, SO, UH, THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION.
YES, OUR DOGS AND OUR DO RECEIVE, UH, MONTHLY PREVENTATIVE MAINTEN, UH, UH, MEDICINE FOR HEART DISEASE TICKS AND FLEAS, AND ALSO ROUNDWORMS AND, UH, HOOKWORMS. SO IT'S, IT'S PART OF OUR PROCESS THAT'S A CHEWABLE TABLET THAT THEY GET FOR, UH, ALL THREE, UH, PREVENTATIVE OF THOSE DISEASES.
UH, CATS GET MORE OF A, UH, TOPICAL, UM, UH, TREATMENT, AND THAT'S ALSO ON THE MONTHLY BASIS.
AND SO IT, IT'S, AS THEY COME IN THROUGH OUR SHELTER, THEY GET ON IT, AND THEN THEY'RE ON IT, UH, WHILE THEY'RE THROUGH US, UH, IN TERMS OF US PROVIDING OUR, OUR CARE.
AND IF AN ANIMAL IS ADOPTED OR FOSTERED, THERE IS A VOUCHER PROGRAM TO CONTINUE WITH THAT, UH, APPLICATION OF THAT MEDICINE, UM, FOR A FEW MONTHS AFTER.
UH, THEY'RE, UH, PLACED IN SOMEBODY'S, UH, HOME AS, UH, ADOPTION OR LONG TERM FOR FOSTER.
UM, ANYTHING ELSE? COMMISSIONER CLINTON.
[4. Staff briefing regarding the Animal Services Office’s hot weather protocol by Rolando Fernandez, Interim Chief Animal Services Officer, Animal Services Office.]
ON TO ITEM FOUR, UM, STAFF BRIEFING REGARDING ANIMAL SERVICES, HOT WEATHER PROTOCOL BY, UH, AGAIN, UM, INTERIM CHIEF FERNANDEZ.SO, UM, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT INFORMATION ABOUT HOW WE AT THE ANIMAL SHELTER TAKE CARE OF OUR STAFF AND OUR ANIMALS, UH, DURING THE, THE HOT SUMMER MONTHS.
UH, AND ALSO THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING TO, UH, ENSURE THAT OUR FACILITIES, OUR KENNELS, OUR, UH, SHELTER, UH, IS COOL, UH, DURING THE HOT SUMMER MONTHS.
AND SO, UH, I'M GONNA ASK, UH, ROBERT, UH, GSKI, WHO IS OUR DIVISION MANAGER OVER OUR ANIMAL CARE PROGRAM.
AND THEN PAT, UH, D'ANGELO, WHO IS ALSO, UM, NOT PART OF MY TEAM.
I WISH SHE WAS PART OF MY TEAM, BUT, UH, SHE IS A MANAGER AT THE BUILDING SERVICES, AND SHE OVERSEES, UH, THE CARE OF OUR FACILITIES AND IS A, A GOOD PARTNER OF US, UH, IN TERMS OF PROVIDING, YOU KNOW, THAT MAINTENANCE, UH, THAT OVERHAUL OF OUR FACILITY AS NEEDED.
SO, ROBERT, AND I DON'T KNOW, PAT, YOU WANNA COME UP HERE FOR YOUR PART? YES.
SO I'M GONNA LET ROB, UH, DO THAT WORK AND, UH, WE'LL ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
UM, THIS IS MY FIRST TIME IN A PUBLIC FORUM LIKE THIS, SO I APOLOGIZE.
I GET MORE THAN TWO SETS OF EYEBALLS LOOKING AT ME.
I'M A PLUM, I'M NERVOUS, SO IF I START TURNING RED, IT'S OKAY.
I LOOK AT YOU NO MORE FOR THAT
UM, BUT, UH, GOING TO, SO, UM, I'M GONNA JUMP RIGHT INTO IT.
SO, UH, THE AGENDA O OBVIOUSLY IS HOT WEATHER PROTOCOL MAINTENANCE, UM, MOVING FORWARD IN Q AND A, UM, WITH THE, UM, THE OVERALL HOT WEATHER PROTOCOL, WE'VE DONE THIS.
I, I, UH, I'M SORRY, I SH I SHOULD REWIND.
UM, I'VE BEEN WITH THE SHELTER FOR 13 YEARS NOW, GOING ON 13 YEARS.
I STARTED AS A TEMP, AND I'VE WORKED MY WAY UP TO A MANAGER THE ENTIRE TIME.
I'VE BOUNCED AROUND A COUPLE TIMES, BUT I'VE ALWAYS STAYED WITH ANIMAL CARE.
WE'VE ALWAYS HAD A HOT WEATHER PROTOCOL.
WE'VE NEVER REALLY HAD ONE ON, LIKE, IN PLACE.
UM, WE'VE NEVER REALLY HAD A STANDARD SOP, IT'S KIND OF CHANGED FROM YEAR TO YEAR.
IT ALSO CHANGES FROM THE, THE HEAD VET THAT, THAT WE HAVE AT THE TIME.
UM, NOW WE ARE PUTTING EVERYTHING ON PAPER.
WE ARE COMING UP WITH A MORE, UM, ANNOUNCED AND, AND SPECIFIC PROTOCOL.
SO, UM, I, I'LL GO THROUGH MORE THAN THAT IN A MINUTE.
THE MAINTENANCE THAT, THAT PAT WILL GO OVER ABOUT HOW WE TRY AND IDENTIFY ISSUES AND HOW WE PREVENT THEM, AND THEN WHEN, WHEN, UM, THEY DO HAPPEN, HOW WE ARREST THEM AND GET 'EM BACK TO NORM, UH, IMMEDIATELY.
AND THEN THE MOVING FORWARD IS, IS WHAT WE'RE, WHAT I JUST SAID, A STANDARDIZED SOP AND, UM, A MORE STANDARDIZED PROCESS MOVING FORWARD.
UM, IS THAT HOW IT WORK? YEAH.
UM, UH, I DON'T WANNA SPEND TOO MUCH TIME ON ANY ONE OF THESE SPECIFIC THINGS, BUT TEAM MEMBER SAFETY, WE'RE ALWAYS, UH, OBVIOUSLY AWARE OF THAT.
WE'RE ALWAYS, UH, UM, IT'S REALLY EASY TO BE IN THE THICK OF THINGS OUTSIDE, UM, SPECIFICALLY WHEN YOU'RE ON YOUR OUT THE OUTSIDE RUNS, UM, TO FORGET TO DRINK WATER, UH, FORGET THAT YOU HAVE A HEAVY OVERCOAT ON.
UM, SO WE'RE COMING UP WITH, UH, WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO IDENTIFY MORE APPROPRIATE, UM, CLOTHING FOR EVERYBODY TO WEAR, UM, TO WEAR IT, IT, IT, IT WILL ARREST THE, THE HEAT, UM, PROCESSES.
UM, UM, A SO STAFF WE'VE ALWAYS HAD, EVER SINCE I'VE BEEN THERE, WE'VE ALWAYS HAD AN EMAIL THAT GOES OUT SAYING, THIS IS GONNA BE THE HIGH, THIS IS GONNA BE THE LOW.
THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE'RE WORRIED ABOUT.
AND THEY ALSO SPECIFICALLY HAVE, UH, A SEPARATE SECTION ON, PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE, IF YOU'RE OUTSIDE, AND PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT YOUR ANIMALS.
[00:50:01]
HAVE SEVERAL DIFFERENT DISPLAYS, HOW TO IDENTIFY, UM, ANYTHING, ANY ANIMAL IS IN HEAT DISTRESS SO THAT WE CAN TRY AND GET THEM INSIDE.UM, AND THAT'S, THAT'S LITERALLY, IF YOU'RE ASSIGNED TO A RUN, THAT'S ONE OF THE PROCESSES AS YOU'RE GOING THROUGH TO GO THROUGH THAT.
UM, THE WATER AND POOLS, POOLS ARE KIND OF INTERMITTENT, UM, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE HAVE GIARDIA OUTBREAKS OR WE HAVE HEALTH OUTBREAKS AS FAR AS, UM, UM, THE, UH, ISO AREAS.
UM, BUT WE DO ALWAYS HAVE POOLS AVAILABLE.
WE TRY AND HAVE, UH, UH, HOSE RUNS TO, TO WHERE WE CAN FILL THOSE UP.
UM, BUT THOSE ARE USUALLY VOLUNTEER, UH, NAVIGATED.
UM, WE DON'T REALLY HAVE THE STAFF TO TRY AND KEEP THOSE POOLS FILLED.
UM, BUT STAFF DOES, DOES HELP OUT WITH THOSE, LIKE WHENEVER THEY CAN.
UM, KENNELS AND PLAY YARDS ARE PRETTY MUCH THE SAME THING, THE KENNELS.
UM, WE GO BACK AND FORTH WITH, UM, ONE WATER BUCKET ON THE INSIDE, TWO, UH, ONE, UH, OR TWO WATER BUCKETS ON THE INSIDE AND THE OUTSIDE.
UM, UH, BUT I'LL GO INTO MORE IN THAT AND WE CAN MOVE FURTHER.
YEAH, I DON'T THINK IT'S WORKING.
AM I NOT HITTING IT RIGHT? OH.
UM, SO GENERALLY SPEAKING, UM, AGAIN, UH, I'VE BEEN HERE FOR, FOR QUITE A WHILE NOW.
WE DIDN'T ALWAYS HAVE CANOPIES.
WE DIDN'T ALWAYS HAVE, UM, AREAS TO WHERE ANYBODY COULD GET OUT OF THE HEAT STAFF AND OR DOGS.
UM, LITERALLY WITHIN THE LAST EIGHT YEARS, WE'VE GONE ABOVE AND BEYOND WITH THAT, EVEN WHEN WEATHER COMES THROUGH AND THEY DESTROY THEM, WHERE JOHNNY ON THE SPOT ABOUT GETTING THEM FIXED, TICK TAKEN DOWN, AND PUTTING THE ONES BACK UP.
UM, THIS VISUAL ACTUALLY SHOWS THE WATER BUCKETS TO WHERE PEOPLE CAN COME UP AND, AND IT'S USUALLY GATORADE OR WATER.
UM, OBVIOUSLY, UH, POST COVID, WE'VE KIND OF GONE AWAY FROM THE ACTUAL WATER BUCKETS WITH, WITH, YOU KNOW, GERMS AND EVERYTHING ELSE.
SO NOW HERE MORE RECENTLY, WE HAVE, WE TRY AND HAVE BUCKETS OR, UH, I'M SORRY, COOLERS, UM, AND THREE SEPARATE AREAS, ONE BY THE, THE PLAY YARD AREA, ONE IN THE, UH, THE BREAK ROOM AREA, AND THEN ONE OVER BY, UM, THE HUB.
THE HUB IS WHAT WE CALL IS BASICALLY RIGHT WHERE ANIMAL CARE AND, UM, BE SERVICES GO BACK AND FORTH.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE, KEEP FORWARD WITH, WITH MAKING SURE THAT EVERYONE HAS ACCESS TO HYDRATION.
AND I KNOW WE'RE, WE'RE MAINLY TALKING ABOUT ANIMALS, BUT I'M ALSO TALKING ABOUT MY STAFF WITH THAT.
UM, THERE'S, THERE'S, UH, THIS IS ACTUALLY WRONG.
THERE'S, THERE'S MORE THAN 15 PORTABLE FANS IN MOVER AIRS, UH, MOVER, UH, AIR, AIR MOVERS THROUGHOUT THE SHELTER.
UM, WE HAVEN'T REALLY HAD TO USE THOSE THAT MUCH THIS YEAR.
UM, YOU KNOW, IN THE PAST WE'VE HAD TO USE THEM ON THE TRUCK PORT BECAUSE WE'VE HAD DOGS THAT WERE ON THE TRUCK PORT, WHICH THAT WILL NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN.
WE CAN'T HAVE THAT HAPPEN AGAIN.
UM, NOW, UM, UM, EVEN, EVEN IF, WHEN, WHEN WE BUILD UP IN THE HALLWAYS OR WE HAVE TO MOVE OVER TO OTHER AREAS, UM, WE'RE NOT GONNA PUT DOGS IN AREAS TO WHERE THEY'RE OUTSIDE IN A POPUP.
SO, UH, WE'RE NOT GONNA HAVE THOSE EAR MOVERS AGAIN.
UM, WE DO OCCASIONALLY USE THOSE JUST SO EVERYBODY KNOWS AND, AND THE RUNS.
BUT THOSE HAVE TO BE, UH, UM, APPROVED BY OUR, OUR VET, DR.
UM, 'CAUSE AGAIN, EVEN WHEN THE, THE, UH, IF THE AC HAPPENS TO GO OUT OR IF IT'S JUST A SPECIFICALLY HOT DAY, UM, AND WE HAVE A LOT OF THE, THE KETTLE RUNS OPEN, UM, AND IT GETS TOO HOT INSIDE.
UM, WHEN YOU HAVE FANS RUNNING ON, ON BOTH SIDES, ALL YOU'RE DOING IS, IS YOU'RE MOVING GERMS AROUND.
SO WE HAVE TO BE CAREFUL ABOUT AN ISO BREAKOUT OR ANYTHING ELSE.
SO, UM, WE HAVE PLENTY OF FANS.
WE HAVE PLENTY OF THE, THE, THE SWAMP COOLERS IN CASE, YOU KNOW WHAT A SWAMP COOLER IS, A GIANT FAN HOOKED UP TO A WATER SOURCE, SPRAYS OUT WATER.
THEY'RE GREAT IN A PINCH, THEY'RE GREAT IN EMERGENCY SITUATIONS.
THEY'RE NOT GREAT ON A REGULAR.
SO WE, WE TRY NOT TO USE 'EM UNLESS WE HAVE TO, BUT WE DO HAVE PLENTY OF THEM.
UM, AND THEN ALSO THE, AGAIN, ON THE, THE, THE EMAIL THAT GOES OUT EVERY SINGLE MORNING TO ALL STAFF, UM, INCLUDES SIGNS OF HEAT STROKE.
UM, IT ALSO INCLUDES DIAGRAMS OF, UM, WHAT TEMPERATURE IT IS WHENEVER YOU'RE, UH, IF IT'S CEMENT, WHETHER OR IT'S PAVEMENT.
UM, IF IT'S, IF IT'S 85 DEGREES OUTSIDE, WHAT THE ACTUAL TEMPERATURE IS ON THE INSIDE.
UM, BUT THEN I THINK THAT GOES TO THE NEXT ONE.
UM, AND AGAIN, LIKE THIS IS, IS, IS KIND OF A, A SNAPSHOT OF A BASIC EMAIL THAT GOES OUT TO, UM, ALL STAFF EVERY SINGLE DAY.
UM, THAT, THAT BOTTOM BREAKDOWN IS KIND OF CUT OFF A LITTLE BIT, UM, BUT IT BASICALLY GIVES THE HIGH, THE LOW, UM, IF THERE'S RAIN, THERE'S THUNDER, THERE'S, THERE'S WHATEVER ELSE IS NEEDED.
AND AGAIN, THE, THOSE BREAKDOWNS WITH THE SEVEN SECOND
[00:55:01]
RULE, IF IT'S TOO HOT FOR YOU, IT'S TOO HOT FOR THEM.UM, THERE'S SO MANY TIMES TO WHERE, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ARE, YOU'RE, THEY'RE TRYING TO DO THE RIGHT THING AND WALK ANIMALS AROUND, AND THEN THEY, THEY STOP AND THEY START TALKING TO SOMEBODY, AND THE DOG IS SITTING THERE DOING THIS TWO STEP THING, AND THEY DON'T REALIZE THAT THEIR PAWS ARE ON FIRE.
SO WE TRY AND MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE'S EDUCATED ON THAT.
UH, NOT JUST, NOT JUST OUR STAFF, BUT INCLUDING, UM, THE, THE CUSTOMERS THAT ARE WALKING ANIMALS.
UM, DAILY FORECAST IS ALWAYS GIVEN OUT.
UM, AND THEN, OH, THAT'S THE OTHER THING.
UH, ANYTIME, UM, THERE'S A, THERE'S A DRASTIC CHANGE IN WEATHER.
UM, THERE, THERE'LL BE A SECOND, A THIRD, AND EVEN A FOURTH EMAIL IF IT'S NECESSARY.
UM, 'CAUSE SOMETIMES IT'S, IT'S GONNA BE HOT AND SUNNY, UM, YOU KNOW, AT ONE POINT OF THE DAY.
AND THEN IT'S, IT'S CRAZY THUNDERSTORMS AND POSSIBLE FLOODING THE NEXT PART OF THE DAY.
SO THIS IS HOT WEATHER PROTOCOL, BUT IT ALSO INCLUDES, UM, EVERYTHING ELSE THAT CAN HAPPEN THIS TIME OF YEAR, UM, WITH RAIN, WITH THUNDER, WITH LIGHTNING.
UM, AS SOON AS THERE'S LIGHTNING OUTSIDE, WE OBVIOUSLY, WE CAN'T WALK DOGS BACK AND FORTH.
UM, THE DOGS THAT ARE IN HOLDING OR IN, IN AREAS TO WHERE THEY'RE NOT IN A SPECIFIC KENNEL THAT WE WOULD NORMALLY TRY AND GET THEM WALKED, WE CAN'T WALK THEM OUT IN THE RAIN BECAUSE THERE'S, THERE'S THUNDER AND LIGHTNING.
SO AGAIN, THAT'S WHY THESE, THE, THE, THE, THE WEATHER PROTOCOLS THAT ARE UPDATED, UM, ARE, ARE SUPER IMPORTANT.
'CAUSE AT THAT POINT, WE'RE WALKING THEM ON THE TRUCK PORT, WE'RE WALKING THEM IN THE LOBBY.
IF THEY DO A MESS IN THE LOBBY, THEN WE'LL GLADLY CLEAN IT UP.
SO WE'RE STILL GETTING THEM OUT SO THAT THEY CAN STILL DO THEIR BUSINESS, BUT WE'RE NOT, WE CAN'T TAKE 'EM OUTSIDE IF, IF IT'S THUNDER AND LIGHTING AND YEAH.
UH, JUST LIKE I SAID BEFORE, MINIMIZE WALKING ON PAYMENT.
UM, AS FAR AS CLOSING IN THE GUILLOTINE DOORS, UM, OUR, OUR BASIC NUMBER IS 85 DEGREES FOR THE INSIDE, AS SOON AS IT PASSES 85 DEGREES INSIDE THE KENNEL.
SO 86 AND PLUS, WE'RE, WE'RE CONCERNED.
AND WHAT THAT, WHAT THAT BASICALLY EQUALS IS, UM, IF YOU'RE WALKING THROUGH OUR AVERAGE RUN, IT'S, IT'S FOUR SECTIONS.
UM, SO ON, ON THE, THE FRONT PART OF THE SECTION, UM, IF YOU GO IN, YOU DO THREE OR FOUR, UH, UH, SIGNAL READINGS WITH OUR INFRARED GUN, AND THAT AVERAGE GOES ABOVE 86, THEN WE'RE, WE'RE RUNNING IN DOGS, WE'RE CLOSING THE KENNELS, WE'RE TRYING TO LET THE AC BUILD BACK UP.
UM, ONCE WE DO THAT, IF THE AC IS NOT BUILDING BACK UP, THEN IT COULD BE EQUIPMENT.
AND THEN THAT'S WHEN WE'RE, WE'RE CALLING BSD, UM, BUILDING SERVICES.
YEAH, BUILDING SERVICE DEPARTMENT, SORRY.
UM, WITH OUR, WITH OUR SUITES, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S LESS OF AN ISSUE.
UM, FOR THE MOST PART, UH, WE, WE CAN, WE CAN KEEP THEM ON THE INSIDE WHEN, WHEN WE NEED TO.
OH, UM, UH, WHENEVER ANYONE'S CLEANING, THEY'RE, THEY'RE ASSIGNED KENNEL RUN.
UM, AND ALSO IF THEY'RE ASSIGNED TO RUN, THEY'RE, THEY'RE BASICALLY PASSING THROUGH THAT AREA SIX OR SEVEN TIMES A DAY.
SO ANYTIME THAT THEY IDENTIFY ANY OF THE BUCKETS THAT ARE LOW DIRTY, THEY'RE THEY'RE DUMPING THEM OUT.
AND IN SOME CASES IF, UM, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THEY THROW UP IN IT, MAYBE IT LOOKS LIKE THEY PEED THEM, THEY'RE DUMPING THOSE OUT, THEY'RE REFILLING THOSE BUCKETS.
SO WE'RE MAKING SURE THAT, UM, ALL OF THOSE BUCKETS ARE, ARE, ARE CLEAN AND REFILLED.
UM, UH, AND AGAIN, ONCE WE HIT 95 DEGREES FOR THE FIRST TIME OF THE YEAR, EVEN IF IT DIPS BELOW, UH, 91, 92, ONCE WE HIT 90 OR ABOVE 95 DEGREES, WE'RE ASSUMING THAT IT'S GONNA BE HOT FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR.
AND THEN WE'RE KEEPING TWO BUCKETS ON EITHER SIDE.
UM, UH, DURING, DURING THE, THE WINTER TIME AND THE, THE SPRINGTIME, UNTIL IT HITS THAT NUMBER, WE'RE USUALLY JUST KEEPING ONE BUCKET ON THE INSIDE.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S, UH, WE'RE STILL TRYING TO INTRODUCE THAT INTO OUR ACTUAL SOP.
AND, UM, UH, ONCE, ONCE WE GET THAT, THAT FINISHED AND SIGNED OFF ON, WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT IT GETS, UH, SENT OUT.
AND AGAIN, UM, THE, THE, THE POOLS ARE, ARE, ARE LOCATED EVERYWHERE.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE, WE'RE ASKING MORE FOR THE VOLUNTEERS TO HELP US OUT WITH, WITH THE, THE POOLS AT THIS POINT.
UM, WE DON'T REALLY HAVE THE STAFFING.
WE USED TO HAVE, UM, CERTAIN STAFF ASSIGNED TO EACH ONE OF THE, THE PLAY RUNS OR EACH ONE OF THE, THE, THE KENNELS OR THE, UM, I'M SORRY, THE PLAY YARDS.
UM, BUT RIGHT NOW WE DON'T ALWAYS HAVE THAT TIME.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE ASKING OUR, OUR, OUR VOLUNTEERS TO HELP OUT WITH THAT.
UH, AGAIN, WE'RE ALWAYS TRYING TO HAVE A, AN ACTUAL, UM, UH, HOSE RUN AVAILABLE TO EACH ONE OF THOSE AREAS TO WHERE THEY CAN FILL UP ONE OF THOSE, THOSE, THOSE POOLS.
AND THEN WE'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR DUMPING THOSE OUT.
WE'RE ALSO RESPONSIBLE FOR IDENTIFYING IF THERE'S A ISO BREAKOUT OR IF THERE'S GIARDIA OR ANYTHING ELSE TO WHERE SOMETIMES WE'LL
[01:00:01]
TAKE, WE WILL REMOVE THOSE PULLS AND WE'LL, WE'LL SHUT 'EM DOWN, BUT WE ALWAYS MAKE SURE WE, WE COMMUNICATE THAT AS WELL.UM, I THINK, UM, PRETTY MUCH, OH, UH, WHEN IT COMES TO THE, THE, THE TURF AND THE PLAY YARDS, I KNOW THAT THAT'S BEEN A HOT SUBJECT, UM, FOR THE LAST, UM, YEAR OR SO.
WE ARE CONSTANTLY NOT ONLY CLEANING THEM, BUT WE'RE ALSO CONSTANTLY CLEANING THEM OUT, UH, OR, OR HOSING THEM OFF AND COOLING 'EM OFF.
UM, WE'VE HAD SOME TROUBLE WITH, UH, THE SPRINKLERS THAT ARE, UM, SPECIFICALLY IN THE, THE PLAY YARD RUNS.
UM, TRYING TO KEEP THOSE, THE, THE, THE TURF COOLED OFF.
UM, BUT EASTBOUND, THOSE BREAKS DOWN, UM, UH, UH, BUILDING SERVICES, UM, IS ALWAYS JOHN ON THE SPOT WITH HELPING FIX THOSE.
UM, BUT EVEN WHEN THEY'RE NOT THERE, WE'RE HOSING THOSE OFF AS REGULARLY AS AS POSSIBLE.
SO, UM, AT THIS POINT, UM, JUST LIKE WITH, WITH THE, WITH THE, THE ACTUAL CEMENT AND THE PAVEMENT, WE'RE MAKING SURE THAT NOBODY, UM, HAS ANY DOGS ON, ON ANY SURFACE AREA THAT THAT'S GONNA HURT THEIR PAUSE.
I WORK FOR BUILDING SERVICES, UM, BUILDING SERVICES, PROVIDES ASSET MANAGEMENT FOR CITY FACILITIES, UM, THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
UM, I HAVE THE HONOR OF WORKING WITH ANIMAL SERVICES AS ONE OF MY PROPERTIES THAT I PROVIDE ASSET MANAGEMENT FOR.
SO I'VE BEEN DOING THAT NOW FOR ABOUT 10 YEARS, I THINK
SO, UM, I WANTED TO TALK TO YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT WE DO TO TRY TO KEEP THE PEOPLE AND THE ANIMALS IN OUR CARE.
UM, DURING THIS, UH, HOT WEATHER SEASON, AND WE KIND OF DO THE REVERSE OF THAT IN THE COLD WEATHER, OBVIOUSLY, TRYING TO KEEP THE ANIMALS AND THE PEOPLE WARM.
UM, I'LL START WITH THE BOTTOM, UH, BULLET POINT, WHICH IS THAT WE HAVE A BUILDING AUTOMATION SYSTEM.
THAT SYSTEM HELPS TO KEEP TEMPERATURES REGULATED THROUGHOUT THE BUILDING, THROUGHOUT THE KENNEL SPACE, UH, EVERYWHERE AT THE SHELTER.
UM, IF THOSE, IF WE SEE THAT THOSE TEMPERATURES ARE RISING ABOVE SET POINT, THE SET POINT IS THE TEMPERATURE THAT WE WANT IT TO BE AT, THAT'S WHAT IT SHOULD ALWAYS BE COOLING TO.
IF IT RISES ABOVE THAT, WE WOULD START INVESTIGATING AS TO WHY THAT'S HAPPENING AND TAKE, YOU KNOW, PREVENTIVE, UH, MEASURES TO GET THAT TEMPERATURE BACK DOWN.
WE CAN REMOTELY GO INTO THAT SYSTEM AND CHANGE TEMPERATURES, WHICH WE WILL DO SOMETIMES.
SOMETIMES WE JUST NEED TO LOWER THAT SET POINT TO BRING THE OVERALL TEMPERATURE DOWN TO A BETTER, UM, UH, UH, TEMPERATURE
SO WE MIGHT HAVE TO BRING THE TEMPERATURE DOWN A LITTLE BIT ON THE INSIDE.
UM, WE DO HAVE, IF THERE, IF WE DISCOVER THAT YES, THERE IS AN ISSUE, SOMETHING'S GOING ON, IT'S HOTTER THAN IT SHOULD BE IN ANY GIVEN LOCATION.
UM, THEN WE HAVE BUILDING SERVICES EMPLOYEES IN HOUSE THAT CAN ADDRESS, UH, HEATING AND AIR CONDITIONING ISSUES.
UH, SEVERAL PEOPLE THAT ARE DEDICATED JUST TO THAT.
AND THEY ARE VERY QUICK TO RESPOND TO THE ANIMAL SHELTER, KNOWING THAT WE HAVE SO MANY ANIMALS, UM, IN OUR CARE THAT, THAT HAVE TO BE MAINTAINED IN HEALTHY ENVIRONMENTS.
UM, IF ALL ELSE FAILS AND WE DON'T HAVE AN HVAC TECHNICIAN AVAILABLE THAT CAN HANDLE IT IN-HOUSE, WE HAVE SEVERAL, UM, SEVEN VENDORS AND CONTRACTORS THAT WE CAN CALL ON THAT WE HAVE AGREEMENTS WITH THAT DO HAVE RESPONSE, UM, TIMES THAT ARE REQUIRED FOR THEM TO SHOW UP AND RESPOND AND TRY TO FIX THE ISSUE.
UM, THERE ARE TIMES WHEN THEY CANNOT FIX IT BECAUSE THERE IS A PART, UM, THAT IS FRAZZLED OR
UM, THEN WE HAVE TO ORDER THAT PART.
WE HAVE TO GET THE PART, AND SOMETIMES THAT THERE IS A DELAY, AS YOU GUYS HAVE PROBABLY ALL EXPERIENCED, WE DON'T GET THINGS QUITE AS QUICKLY AS WE USED TO, UM, FROM, FROM OUR TRADE PARTNERS.
SO EVERY KENNEL RUN DOES HAVE AIR CONDITIONING, UH, WHEN THE ENTRANCES AND DOORS ARE OPEN, THAT DOES MAKE IT HARDER TO COOL AND HEAT, AND ESPECIALLY IN THE KENNELS, AS ROBERT, UH, MENTIONED, IF THOSE SWING DOORS ARE IN THE OPEN POSITION, THEY'RE LETTING HOT AIR IN.
WHEN IT GETS OVER A HUNDRED DEGREES AND THAT HOT AIR IS COMING IN, IT'S NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO GET THE BUILDING COOLED TO THE TEMPERATURE THAT YOU WANT IT TO BE COOLED TO.
SO THAT'S WHEN THEIR, UH, PROCEDURES KICK IN AS WELL IN TRYING TO CLOSE THOSE DOORS, UH, EXTERIOR DOORS, AS WELL AS
[01:05:01]
THE KENNEL SWING DOORS TO HELP OUR AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM CATCH UP AND TRY TO COOL IT DOWN.UH, WE DO PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE EVERY SINGLE MONTH ON EVERY UNIT THAT WE HAVE IN THE ANIMAL SHELTER.
WE'VE GOT OVER 21 UNITS, UM, THAT NEED TO, TO BE SERVICED EVERY SINGLE MONTH.
WE CHANGE OUT FILTERS, WE CHECK BELTS.
UH, WE DO, WE HAVE A CONTRACTOR THAT HELPS US WITH THAT, AND THEY HAVE, UH, ABOUT A 30 POINT CHECKLIST OF THINGS THAT THEY NEED TO CHECK ON EACH UNIT EVERY SINGLE MONTH.
SO, UH, WE DO OUR BEST TO KEEP THEM RUNNING, UH, AT ALL TIMES.
BUT WORST CASE SCENARIO, SOMETIMES THINGS DO HAPPEN.
WE CAN'T FIX IT, WE CAN'T GET THE PART, AND THEN WE'RE GONNA BRING IN SPACE COOLERS, UH, WHICH THERE'S A PICTURE OF THAT AT THE BOTTOM.
I THINK ROBERT DESCRIBED THAT AS WELL.
UH, WE WILL EITHER BRING IN ONES THAT WE OWN OR WE'LL RENT THEM IF NEEDED TO HELP US KEEP THE AREA COOL UNTIL WE CAN GET THE UNITS FIXED.
ANY, UH, OPEN QUESTIONS, ZA WELL, I I'M REALLY HAPPY THAT YOU GAVE THIS PRESENTATION AND, UM, I HAVE A QUICK QUESTION ABOUT WHAT IS THE SET POINT THAT YOU HAVE? WHAT IS THE TEMPERATURE FOR, FOR INSET, OR, I'M SORRY, I WAS GONNA, IT VARIES BY ROOM.
UM, SO THEY'RE NOT ALL IDENTICAL.
WE CAN'T KEEP ALL THE SPACES AT AN IDENTICAL TEMPERATURE AT ALL TIMES, BUT WE ARE AWARE OF THAT.
WE HAVE TO KEEP THE COOLING BELOW 85 DEGREES, CERTAINLY IN ANY OF THE SPACES THAT ARE ARE KEEPING HOUSE, THEY'RE TYPICALLY IN THE 74 TO 75 DEGREE RANGE, IS WHAT WE NORMALLY KEEP IT AT.
AND I JUST OUT OF CURIOSITY, UM, SO IT'S FUNNY BECAUSE WHEN I WAS READING THE SLIDES, WHEN WHEN YOU WERE, IT SAT HERE, UH, HAVING A-A-A-S-O HAS FULL TIME STAFF ON SITE SINCE MAY.
THEY HAVE STAFF AT THE ANIMAL CENTER,
AND, AND LASTLY REGARDING, IT'S, IT'S VERY INTERESTING WHAT, UH, YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT, UM, HOW YOU MEASURE THE TEMPERATURE.
DO YOU YEAH, WE, WE, UM, BASICALLY THERE'S, THERE'S SIX INFRARED GUNS.
UM, THERE'S ONE IN, UH, ONE OF OUR CAT AREAS.
ACTUALLY, THERE'S TWO IN TWO OF OUR CAT AREAS.
UM, THERE'S TWO IN OUR, OUR LEADS OFFICE LEAD SLASH SUPERVISOR OFFICE.
SO, UM, IT STARTS OFF WITH COMMUNICATION FOR THE MOST PART.
UM, IF, IF SOMEONE GOES OUT TO THE, LET, LET'S JUST SAY THE 300 RUN, THEY GO OUT TO THE 300 RUN.
UM, ESPECIALLY IF IT'S FIRST THING IN THE MORNING AND THEY'RE JUST HIT WITH A WAVE OF MUGGY HOTTEST.
AND, AND MAYBE IT WAS 115 THE DAY BEFORE, AND IT WAS, IT WAS A HIGH OF LIKE 87 AT NIGHT, BUT WHEN THEY GO INTO THE RUN AND IT'S HOT, OKAY, OBVIOUSLY SOMETHING'S NOT RIGHT, UH, 'CAUSE THE SUN HAS BEEN DOWN AND EVERYTHING ELSE.
AND AGAIN, THAT'S WHEN THE COMMUNICATION STARTS.
THEY, THEY IMMEDIATELY NOTIFY.
IT'S EITHER A LEAD OR A SUPERVISOR, WHOEVER THE, THE POC IS TO LET THEM KNOW, HEY, SOMETHING'S WRONG WITH THREE HUNDREDS.
WE NEED TO GET SOMEBODY OUT HERE.
AND THEN WE IMMEDIATELY PUT IN, UM, IF IT, IF IT'S BEFORE HOURS, WE'RE CALLING 3 1 1.
UM, AND AT THIS POINT WE HAVE A DIRECT CONTACT WITH, WITH MOST OF OUR ONSITE VSD FOLKS.
SO ONCE THAT 3 1 1 IS, IS DOCUMENTED AND THAT, THAT THAT WORK ORDER IS PUT IN, I'M STILL CALLING WHOEVER I KNOW.
IT'S LIKE, HEY, 300 IS REALLY HOT, WE NEED TO GET SOMEBODY OUT HERE.
UM, AND THEN, UM, BUT AGAIN, SOME, SOME OF THE TIMES IT'S JUST REALLY HOT AND WE HAD, THERE'S SOME DECENT DOGS IN THERE, SO A LOT OF THE, THE, THE GUILLOTINE DOORS WERE LEFT OPEN.
UM, AND THEN, SO IT'S JUST HOT INSIDE.
ONCE WE CLOSE THOSE GUILLOTINE DOORS, THE AC KICKS IN AND IT, AND IT'LL, IT'LL, UM, COOL OFF THE RUG.
SORRY, I DIDN'T MEAN NO, YOU'RE GOOD, MAN.
UM, THANKS FOR ALL THE INFORMATION.
FIRST OF ALL, UM, ROBIN, DO YOU KNOW THE STATUS OF THE DOOR LOCKS ON THE KENNELS? JUST BECAUSE I KNOW FOR A VERY, VERY, VERY LONG TIME WE'VE HAD ISSUES WITH THE DOORS, AND SO PEOPLE HAVE TO PROP THEM OPEN, WHICH PROBABLY ISN'T HELPING YOUR AIR CONDITIONING UNITS.
YEAH, NO, SO, SO, UH, RIGHT NOW WE'RE IN CONTACT WITH, WITH, SO ALL OF THAT IS, IS, UH, BUILDING SECURITY AT THIS POINT.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE WORKING ALONG WITH, WITH, UH, BUILDING SERVICES AND BUILDING SECURITY.
UM, UH, OUR TWO CURRENT AREAS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO IDENTIFY ARE, UM, SMALLVILLE AND THE 300 RUNS SPECIFICALLY.
UM, UH, BUT, BUT RIGHT NOW ALL OF THOSE HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED.
PARTS ARE ORDERED, WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO GET THAT WORKED OUT AND, AND YEAH.
AND, UM, BUILDING SECURITY FALLS UNDER BUILDING SERVICES AS WELL.
WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT AND WE'RE KIND OF TRYING TO ADDRESS THAT AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE, AND PAT AND HER TEAM ARE, ARE WITH US ON THAT EFFORT.
I HAVE A, JUST A QUICK QUESTION.
UM, I, FIRST OF ALL, Y'ALL BOTH DID GREAT.
YOU, I WOULD'VE NEVER KNOWN YOU WERE NERVOUS, SO GREAT JOB,
[01:10:01]
UM, I AM CURIOUS IF THAT VERY HANDY CHART THAT YOU SAID GET THAT GETS EMAILED OUT SOMETIMES MULTIPLE TIMES A DAY.
UM, IS IT DISSEMINATED IN ANY OTHER WAY? BECAUSE I KNOW THAT, LIKE THOSE OF US WHO SPEND ALL DAY IN SPREADSHEETS, WE CHECK OUR EMAIL 175 TIMES A DAY, AND IF I'M OUT DOING MANUAL LABOR, I'M CHECKING MY EMAIL MAYBE ONCE EVERY OTHER WEEK WHEN MY TIMESHEETS DUE.
SO, UM, IS THERE ANOTHER WAY THAT WE'RE MAKING SURE THAT THE FOLKS WHO NEED THAT INFORMATION THE MOST ARE GETTING IT IN THE METHOD THAT IS REACHING THEM? SO RIGHT NOW, THE ONLY FOLKS THAT ARE GETTING IS, UH, WHEN IT FIRST GOT SENT OUT, UM, IT JUST GOT SENT OUT TO ANIMAL CARE.
HEY GUYS, YEAH, THIS IS WHAT WE NEED TO WORRY ABOUT.
THEN WE STARTED EXPANDING IT OUT TO CUSTOMER SERVICE TO LET THEM KNOW, UM, IF SOMEONE'S WALKING INTO AN AREA AND IT'S HOT, AND THEN NOW IT'S, IT'S ALL OF A SO IT'S LITERALLY ALL OF A SO THO THOSE EMAILS, WHETHER IT'S A SPACE COUNT OR SPACE, UH, EMAIL, OR WHETHER IT'S THE, THE WEATHER EMAIL THAT GETS SENT OUT TO THE ENTIRE SHELTER.
BUT AS FAR AS I KNOW, UM, THAT'S IT.
IF WE NEED TO START SITTING AT SOMEWHERE ELSE.
OH, NO, I, I LOVE THAT IT'S EMAIL.
I'M JUST SAYING IF I AM SOMEONE WHO SPENDS ALL DAY WITH DOGS, I'M PROBABLY NOT ON MY PHONE OR AT MY LAPTOP CHECKING MY EMAIL.
SO IS THERE LIKE A WHITEBOARD OR SOME OTHER SORT OF LIKE EVERGREEN SPACE WHERE THAT INFORMATION LIVES IN A WAY THAT'S LIKE MAYBE MORE REACHING THE AUDIENCE IT'S INTENDED FOR? YEAH, RIGHT NOW, I, I DON'T THINK THERE IS, BUT THAT'S DEFINITELY COOL.
NO, AND I, YEAH, IF I CAN, I, I THINK WE CAN LOOK AT THAT, YOU KNOW, I'M KIND OF THINKING ABOUT IT.
WHEN YOU GO TO THE BEACH, YOU'RE GONNA GET THE RED FLAG, PURPLE FLAG, AND TELL YOU THE TIE CONDITIONS, RIGHT? WE CAN LOOK AT SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
I, I WILL SAY THAT ONE OF MY, ONE OF THE ITEMS ON, ON MY TO-DO LIST IS, UH, REALLY IMPLEMENT, YOU KNOW, SAFETY AS A PRIORITY IN OUR DEPARTMENT.
UM, IT IS ALREADY, BUT I THINK WE CAN DO A LOT MORE IN TERMS OF JUST TALKING ABOUT IT.
SO EVERY TIME THAT WE MEET FIRST IN THE AGENDA WILL BE A SAFETY TOPIC.
IT'S KIND OF A, A BEST PRACTICE IN, YOU KNOW, THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY.
UH, IT'S A BEST PRACTICE IN THOSE KIND OF ENVIRONMENTS WHERE, UH, WE HAVE SAFETY DAYS.
I ALSO WANNA START RECOGNIZING THOSE SAFETY DAYS IN OUR, UH, THAT WE ACHIEVE.
SO, FOR EXAMPLE, IF WE GO THROUGH SEVERAL MONTHS OF, THERE'S NO SAFETY INCIDENTS, YOU KNOW, THAT WE'RE CELEBRATING THAT AND, AND WE'RE HAVING, UM, A, A A, A TOTAL FOCUS ON SAFETY, UM, AND EVERYTHING THAT WE DO WITHIN THE SHELTER.
AND SO THAT'S, UH, THAT'S SOMETHING UP AND COMING.
IT'S, UM, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IT.
UM, WE'VE MET WITH OUR, UM, OUR SAFETY PERSON THAT SUPPORTS US THROUGH OUR PARENT DEPARTMENT, UH, AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH THAT WE CAME FROM.
UM, IT'S ALSO A NEED THAT WE RECOGNIZE DURING THE BUDGET PROCESS AND, UH, WE'LL LET THAT PLAY OUT.
UM, BUT I THINK WE CAN DO A BETTER JOB EVEN WITHOUT THAT FTE BEING PROVIDED TO US JUST, UH, HIGHLIGHTING THE IMPORTANCE OF SAFETY AND EVERYTHING THAT WE TALK ABOUT, INCLUDING, I WOULD BRING MORE ATTENTION TO, UH, THAT EMAIL THAT ROB, UH, SPOKE ABOUT.
BUT I'LL TELL YOU WHAT, I GET THAT EMAIL AT SIX 30 IN THE MORNING AND THAT ENFORCED WHAT I WEAR THAT DAY.
I NO LONGER LOOK AT CAKE AND KVU.
IT'S, SO, I GUESS MY, UH, WEATHER UPDATE FOR THE DAY, TO BE CLEAR, I THINK THE EMAIL IS FANTASTIC.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT YEAH, YEAH.
I AM IN NO WAY IN, UH, DEGRADING THE EMAIL.
I THINK THAT'S GREAT AND JUST WANNA EXPAND UPON THE INFORMATION THAT'S IN IT.
UM, JUST WANTED TO ALSO THANK, UM, THE STAFF MEMBERS, UM, AND, UM, PAT DEANGELO, UM, FOR COMING IN, GETTING THESE PRESENTATIONS.
I KNOW HOW STRESSFUL THAT COULD BE.
I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH YOU ALREADY WORK, AND THIS IS AN ADDITIONAL EVENING, BUT IT'S SUCH VALUABLE EDUCATION FOR US ON THE COMMISSION AND FOR OUR, UM, ENTIRE COMMUNITY.
SO THANK YOU AGAIN SO MUCH FOR DOING THIS.
UM, I WAS CURIOUS, UM, IS, ARE THE, UM, TEMPORARY BUILDINGS THAT ARE USED AS LIKE THE CADDY SHACK AND THINGS, ARE THOSE, DO THOSE ALSO FALL UNDER THESE, THE SAME BUILDING SERVICES RESPONSES AND, AND, AND HOW ARE THEY MONITORED AND MANAGED? YES, THEY DO.
UH, BUILDING SERVICES DOES RESPOND ANY ISSUES IN ANY OF THOSE AREAS AS WELL.
THEY, THEY ARE ALSO AIR CONDITIONED.
THEY'RE NOT ON THE BUILDING AUTOMATION SYSTEM.
SO WE DO DEPEND ON SHELTER STAFF TO LET US KNOW IF THEY ARE NOTICING THAT THERE'S A PROBLEM IN ONE OF THOSE BUILDINGS.
YEAH, THAT, THAT'S ANOTHER ONE OF THOSE THINGS TO WHERE COMMUNICATION IS KEY.
UM, IF, IF, IF MY STAFF OR IF THE COORDINATOR STAFF ISN'T LETTING US KNOW ABOUT THOSE, THOSE EXTERIOR BUILDINGS, UM, WHETHER IT'S VOLUNTEERS, UH, THE TRAPPERS OR WHATEVER ELSE, UM, IF THEY DON'T LET US KNOW, WE DON'T KNOW.
BUT AS SOON AS WE KNOW, WE IMMEDIATELY AGAIN, UH, PUT IN A REQUEST AND GET IT FIXED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
AND THEN AT, AT TIMES WHEN, UM, AGAIN, IF IT'S BEFORE HOURS OR IF IT'S, IF IT'S, UH, AFTER HOURS, WE'VE, WE'VE TRIED TO SET UP, UH, FAN SYSTEMS TO TRY AND AT LEAST CIRCULATE THE AIR UNTIL SOMEONE CAME OUT.
UM, I JUST WANNA THANK YOU FOR, UM, FOR SPEAKING AND, UM, TO, UH, INTERIM CHIEF
[01:15:01]
FERNANDEZ FOR SUPPORTING YOUR EMPLOYEES COMING OUTSIDE OF THEIR COMFORT ZONE, BECAUSE I THINK IT HELPED ME, UM, TO HEAR THE PASSION AND THE PEOPLE WHO ACTUALLY DO THE WORK, UM, MAKES A HUGE DIFFERENCE.UM, UH, AND, UH, FOR BUILDING SUR OH, AND I AGREE WITH COMMISSIONER HOLT.
UM, I THINK FOR THE PUBLIC WHO COMES IN TOO, IF YOU HAD SOME OF THE WEATHER PROTOCOLS ON, ON A DAILY THING, ON A BOARD OR SOMETHING, IT WOULD BE NICE FOR THEM TO SEE, 'CAUSE THEY'RE GONNA BE TAKING THESE PETS HOME AND HAVE TO KNOW ALSO, YOU KNOW, TOUCH THE GROUND, BE CAREFUL WITH THEIR PAWS AND STUFF.
I THINK IT WOULD JUST BE HELPFUL TO KNOW THAT THE STAFF DOES IT.
UM, BUT, UM, I JUST, ONE QUICK QUESTION.
DOES A A C STILL HAVE A BACKUP GENERATOR YEP.
IN CASE THE ELECTRIC GOES OUT? YES.
AND WILL THAT MAINTAIN ALL THE BUILDINGS, OR, YOU KNOW, MOSTLY LIKE, MINIMUM AS BEST WE CAN, YES.
IT, IT HAS TWICE IN MOST RECENTLY, RIGHT? YEAH.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON THIS TOPIC? OKAY.
[5. Staff briefing regarding the Animal Services Office’s Three Year Public Relations Plan by Rolando Fernandez, Interim Chief Animal Services Officer, Animal Services Office.]
TO ITEM, UH, NUMBER FIVE, UM, WHICH IS, UH, THE THREE YEAR PUBLIC RELATIONS PLAN.I LIKE TO INTRODUCE, UH, INTERIM CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER.
I'M MELISSA POOLE, AND I ALSO WANNA INTRODUCE ELIZABETH RE WHO IS OUR PUBLIC INFORMATION, UH, AND MARKETING MANAGER TO PROVIDE THIS PRESENTATION.
UH, I JUST WANNA SAY ONE THING REALLY QUICKLY.
THIS IS AN IMPORTANT PIECE OF THE OVERALL, UH, PROCESS THAT I THINK WILL HELP US GET AHEAD OF INCREASING OUR OUTCOMES, UM, AND ALSO HELPING, UM, PET OWNERS, UM, FIND RESOURCES, UM, TO HOPEFULLY HELP THEM KEEP THEIR, THEIR, THEIR ANIMAL, UM, OR ALSO HELP US FIND, UH, ANOTHER PERSON THAT CAN TAKE CARE OF THAT ANIMAL BEFORE IT COMES INTO THE SHELTER.
UM, YOU KNOW, AS I LOOK AT THE DATA, THE NUMBERS THAT WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE MORE COMING IN THAN COMING OUT.
I WANT TO GET MORE OUT, BUT I ALSO WANNA HELP REDUCE SOMEONE'S COMING IN.
CERTAINLY WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY AS A MUNICIPAL SHELTER TO RECEIVE THOSE ANIMALS THAT NEED TO COME IN, BUT I THINK THAT THE BEST THING FOR THE ANIMAL IS TO REHOME THEM PRIOR TO THEM COMING INTO THE SHELTER.
MELISSA, GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE.
UM, SO AS ROLANDO WAS SAYING, UM, ONE OF HIS FIRST PRIORITIES OR TASKS FOR ME WAS TO PUT TOGETHER A MARKETING PLAN, UM, BECAUSE OF THE IMPORTANCE IN, UM, OUR SUCCESS AS A SHELTER AND ALSO WITH IMPLEMENTATION OF OUR STRATEGIC PLAN.
AND I AM VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE, UM, GREAT TALENT ON MY TEAM TO BE ABLE TO PUT THIS PLAN TOGETHER.
SO I WANNA, UM, SAY HOW MUCH I APPRECIATE AND, YOU KNOW, THE WORK, UH, THAT HAS GONE INTO PUTTING TOGETHER OUR NEW COMMUNICATIONS FRAMEWORK, UM, AND OUR THREE YEAR PUBLIC RELATIONS PLAN.
UH, ELIZABETH LED THIS WITH HER TEAM.
THIS IS HER WORK, AND I'M VERY PROUD OF WHAT SHE'S PUT TOGETHER FOR YOU.
SO I WANNA TURN IT OVER TO HER.
THANK YOU, MELISSA AND ROLANDO.
I DON'T KNOW THAT I'VE GOTTEN TO MEET EVERYBODY IN THE ROOM.
I'M ELIZABETH RE AND I HAVE BEEN WITH THE SHELTER FOR ABOUT EIGHT MONTHS.
I COME FROM WITHIN THE CITY OF AUSTIN, AND THAT'S A LITTLE BIT RELEVANT TO WHAT, WHAT WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT TODAY, JUST BECAUSE, UM, THE PREVIOUS PROGRAM MANAGERS THAT WE'VE HAD IN THE PAST HAD HAD MOVED UP WITHIN THE SHELTER, WHICH THAT IS A GREAT PERSPECTIVE AS WELL.
THE STRENGTH THAT I BRING INTO THIS POSITION IS THAT I'M ABLE TO ALSO IMPLEMENT AND INCORPORATE SOME OF OUR BEST PRACTICES THAT WE HAVE IN THE CITY.
I'M ALSO ABLE TO, BECAUSE OF RELATIONSHIPS THAT I HAVE BUILT IN THE LAST SEVEN YEARS HERE WITH THE CITY, ABLE TO REALLY TAP INTO RESOURCES THAT WE CAN USE WITHIN THE CITY.
AND IT ALSO HELPS US HAVE THE SUPPORT OF OUR, UH, CORPORATE PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE IN TERMS OF WHAT OUR INITIATIVES ARE, NOT JUST OUR COMMUNICATIONS INITIATIVES, BUT ALSO WITH ALL OF OUR OTHER MARKETING AND, UM, STRATEGIC PLAN INITIATIVES THAT ROLANDO AND OUR TEAM ARE TRYING TO IMPLEMENT.
SO, I'VE BEEN AROUND THE CITY FOR A LITTLE WHILE, BUT OF COURSE, COMING INTO ANIMAL WELFARE, LIKE SO MANY OF US THAT ARE NEW HERE, IT'S, IT'S A WHOLE NEW WORLD THAT IS VERY, VERY UNIQUE AND DIFFERENT FROM OTHER PARTS OF THE CITY.
AND I MEAN THAT IN A VERY POSITIVE WAY, NOT A FACETIOUS WAY.
UM, IT IS UNIQUE, AND, UM, BECAUSE OF THAT, IT HAS SOME UNIQUE NEEDS IN TERMS OF MARKETING.
AND I THINK, UM, THE OTHER THING THAT WE WANNA FOCUS ON IS ALSO BUILDING TRUST AND BUILDING AND CLARIFYING SOME OF THE MISINFORMATION THAT WE HAVE OUT THERE IN THE WORLD OF ANIMAL WELFARE.
SO TODAY I'M GONNA SHARE A NEW COMMUNICATIONS PLAN, OUR NEW COMMUNICATIONS FRAMEWORK, WHICH IS REALLY A GUIDING PRINCIPLE, AND OUR THREE YEAR PUBLIC
[01:20:01]
RELATIONS PLAN THAT SUPPORTS OUR 2025 STRATEGIC PLAN.THIS IS, UM, SOMETHING NEW FOR THE SHELTER, AND IT'S SOMEWHAT NEW TO THE CITY IN TERMS OF BEING ABLE TO INTEGRATE A CURRENT STRATEGIC PLAN WITH THE LONG-TERM COMMUNICATIONS PLAN FOR THE CITY.
AND, UM, CITY LEADERSHIP HAS REALLY BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN GUIDING US TOWARDS THAT.
SO OUR AGENDA THIS MORNING, I MEAN THIS AFTERNOON, SORRY ABOUT THAT IN OUR AGENDA, THESE ARE THE MAIN TOPICS, THE MAIN POINTS THAT WE'RE GONNA COVER.
WE'LL WALK, WALK QUICKLY THROUGH WHY THIS MATTERS AND HOW WE'LL BUILD STRONGER COMMUNITY, AS WELL AS TIE THIS INTO OUR NEWS.
THIS ALSO WILL DESCRIBE SOME OF THE TOOLS THAT WE'LL BE USING TO BUILD STRONGER ENGAGEMENT AND TRUST AND OUTCOMES FOR OUR PEOPLE, NOT ONLY INTERNALLY, BUT ALSO TO OUR AUDIENCE AND TO THE ANIMALS THAT WE SERVE.
THIS IS ALSO SOMETHING THAT, JUST TO BE CLEAR TOO, IT'S, IT IS, UM, THE STRATEGY THAT WE'RE GONNA IMPLEMENT INTERNALLY THROUGH OUR, UM, ANIMAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT, BUT ALSO THROUGH THINGS THAT WE'RE GOING TO, WE HOPE TO ACHIEVE WITH OUR PARTNERS AND ALL OF OUR, UM, FRIENDS THAT'LL HELP US CONTRIBUTE TO THE SHELTER.
SO WHY THIS MATTERS IS OUR COMMUNITY CAN'T SUPPORT WHAT THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND.
WE ALSO WANT VERY MUCH TO BE ABLE TO IMPROVE OUR INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS WITH OUR STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS WHO ARE NOT ONLY VITAL TO OUR SU SUCCESS, BUT THEY ARE ALSO KEY TO HELPING SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT THE SHELTER.
COMMUNICATIONS ARE HOW WE BUILD AWARENESS, FOSTER TRUST, AND ULTIMATELY HELP MORE ANIMALS IN THE AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COMMUNITY.
IT'S PART OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN TO CREATE MORE CONNECTION WITH CITY SERVICES AS WELL.
THE CITY IS UNDERGOING A LOT OF CHANGES BECAUSE WE HAVE NEW CITY MANAGEMENT AND NEW CITY, CITY LEADERSHIP, AND THEY VERY MUCH WANT ALL OF THE DEPARTMENTS WITHIN THE CITY TO BE WORKING TOGETHER, TO COME TOGETHER AS A UNIFIED TEAM AND TO HELP SUPPORT EACH OTHER IN ALL OF OUR NEW MEASURES OR OLD MEASURES THAT ARE, UM, EVOLVING WITH UNDER OUR NEW LEADERSHIP.
SO YOU CAN SEE HOW OUR DIFFERENT, HOW OUR, UM, COMMUNICATIONS FRAMEWORK FITS INTO THE FIVE YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN.
THESE BOXES SHOW ALL THE DIFFERENT WAYS THAT I'M GOING TO DESC THAT I AM DESCRIBING TODAY, WILL HELP SUPPORT THE STRATEGIC PLAN.
IT SUPPORTS EVERYTHING IN OUR PLAN, SUPPORTS ALL THE PILLARS OF OUR STRATEGIC GOALS FOR TRANSPARENCY AND EQUITY TO INTERNAL ALIGNMENT AND BETTER OUTCOMES FOR PETS.
IT'S ALL ABOUT CONNECTIONS AND COMMUNITY.
SO THE CONNECTIONS CAN COVER ANYTHING FROM INTERNAL CONNECTIONS WITH OUR STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS TO ALL OF OUR EXTERNAL CONNECTIONS WITH OUR POTENTIAL ADOPTERS AND FOSTER FAMILIES, AND JUST WITH, UM, NEW CUSTOMERS THAT WE CAN SERVE THAT AREN'T NECESSARILY TAKING ANIMALS FROM THE SHELTER, BUT ARE RECEIVING SOME VERY NEEDED RESOURCES THAT THEY HADN'T HAD ACCESS TO OR DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT IN THE PAST, SUCH AS MICROCHIPPING AND FREE SPAIN AND NEUTERING.
SO, UM, ONE OF THE OTHER STRENGTHS THAT I BRING, AND IT, AND IT PERTAINS SPECIFICALLY TO ADVANCING EQUITY IS THAT I SPEAK SPANISH AND I'VE DONE A LOT OF SPANISH OUTREACH HERE FOR THE CITY, AS WELL AS IN MY OTHER POSITIONS.
WE ALSO HAVE A FAIRLY NEW, UM, COMM, UH, COMMUNITY HEALTH EDUCATOR.
HER NAME IS VALERIA MORENO, AND SHE SPEAKS SPANISH.
SO WE'VE BEEN DOING QUITE A BIT TO, UH, ENSURE THAT OUR MATERIALS ARE TRANSLATED IN SPANISH, AND THAT WE ARE ALSO KICKING OFF OUR, UM, HAVE KICKED OFF OUR IMPROVED SPANISH SOCIAL MEDIA.
THE COMMUNICATIONS FRAMEWORK IS VERY SIMPLE, UM, AND IT'S BASICALLY THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES THAT A LOT OF COMMUNICATORS USE.
WE HAVE GOALS THAT WE WANNA MEET PRIMARILY AT ITS VERY FOUNDATIONAL LEVEL.
WE ARE TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE A CONSISTENT VOICE THAT'S HONEST, COMPASSIONATE, AND TRANSPARENT, AND IS ALSO ACCESSIBLE BY ALL KINDS OF PEOPLE.
WE HAVE A DIFFERENT APPROACH THAN, UH, HAS KIND OF BEEN TAKEN IN THE PAST JUST BECAUSE THESE ARE THE ACTUAL, UM, PRACTICES THAT THE CITY IMPLEMENTS, MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE PLAIN UNDERSTANDABLE LANGUAGE.
THAT MEANS FOR, AND THIS IS BASIC COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING 1 0 1, BRINGING DOWN LANGUAGE THAT PEOPLE CAN UNDERSTAND AND RELATE TO.
ALSO LANGUAGE THAT'S TRANSLATABLE INTO OTHER LANGUAGES.
THE WEBSITE HAS A GREAT TRANSLATION TOOL THAT PEOPLE CAN CLICK ON.
IT'S THIS LITTLE GLOBE THAT'S ON THE RIGHT HAND CORNER OF, OF THE ENTIRE CITY OF AUSTIN WEBSITE.
THE TRANSLATION DOES BETTER WHEN
[01:25:01]
WE HAVE SIMPLE LANGUAGE.AND THIS ALSO IS COMMUNITY CENTERED.
AND AGAIN, THAT'S INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL COMMUNITIES.
UM, THE GOAL, WE WANNA BUILD TRUST AND SHOW THE COMMUNITY WHO WE ARE.
THE, THE COMMUNITY ALSO NEEDS TO HEAR ALL OF THE POSITIVE OUTCOMES THAT WE HAVE.
IT'S NOT, AGAIN, NOT JUST ABOUT HOW MANY ANIMALS, UM, ARE ADOPTED AND FOSTERED.
WE ALSO HAVE ALL THESE WONDERFUL SERVICES THAT WE'RE PROVIDING BEHIND THE SCENES THAT PEOPLE AREN'T AWARE OF.
AND WE ARE WORKING REALLY HARD TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE STARTING TO TELL THOSE STORIES.
AND SO, UM, WE ALSO WANT TO STAND TALL AND PROUD FOR QUITE A WHILE.
WE'VE KIND OF BEEN IN A DEFENSIVE POSTURE AND THAT ALTHOUGH THAT HAS SERVED A NEED, THAT WAS, THAT HAS HAPPENED IN THE FAST COUPLE OF YEARS, WE ALSO HAVE SOME GREAT THINGS TO BE PROUD OF.
AND THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE'RE HOPING TO CHANGE WITH THIS NEW DIRECTION IN LANGUAGE.
SO OUR THREE YEAR PUBLIC RELATIONS PLAN THAT WE HAVE, AND WE'RE LOOKING AT THREE YEARS JUST BECAUSE OF THE WAY THAT CITY BUDGETING WORKS AND JUST BECAUSE OF THE WAY THAT THE STRATEGIC PLAN HAS BEEN LAID OUT, THIS IS VERY FLEXIBLE AS WELL.
THESE, THIS IS THE FOUNDATION TO ANY KIND OF OTHER IDEAS THAT MIGHT POP UP OR ANY OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OR ANY OTHER SITUATIONS, UM, ESPECIALLY PARTNERSHIPS THAT MIGHT POP UP TO HELP US INCREASE OUR PUBLIC RELATIONS.
SO WE'RE WORKING TO INCREASE AWARENESS, BUILD VISIBILITY IN MORE COMMUNITIES, PROMOTE PET RETENTION, AND ALIGN WITH THE CITY'S REBRANDING.
WE WANNA BE CONSISTENT, INCLUSIVE, AND PRESENT.
I DO NEED TO MENTION THAT JUST REALLY QUICKLY, THE CITY IS UNDERGOING A MAJOR REBRAND THAT IS GONNA BE REVEALED OR LAUNCHED ON OCTOBER 1ST.
THAT'S BEEN PART OF THE REASON WHY WE'VE HELD BACK ON SOME OF THE SIGNAGE AND OTHER IDEAS THAT WE'VE DISCUSSED AMONGST OURSELVES.
THE, THE CITY IS IN AN ACTIVE BEHIND THE SCENES REBRANDING PROGRAM, AND THE FIRST THING THAT THE PUBLIC IS GOING TO SEE IS THE RE THE NEW BRAND ON ALL OF OUR ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS CITYWIDE.
THE WEBSITE IS GONNA HAVE THE NEW BRAND, THE CITY LOGO.
THE CITY SEAL UNFORTUNATELY, IS GONNA GO AWAY AS PART OF OUR BRAND.
IT'S STILL AN IMPORTANT PART OF OUR CULTURE, BUT IT WON'T BE ON THE WEBSITE AND IT WON'T BE ON CITY DOCUMENTS.
AND THEN, UM, WE ALSO, SO I JUST WANNA EXPLAIN HOW SOME OF OUR ACTIVITIES ARE A LITTLE ON PAUSE ARE GOING A LITTLE BIT SLOWER BECAUSE WE ARE ALSO WAITING FOR ALL OF THE, UH, COLLATERAL MATERIALS AND GRAPHICS TO BE ABLE TO IMPLEMENT THE NEW REBRANDING FOR THE CITY.
JUST SO YOU KNOW, THE CITY IS ASKING US ALL TO BE UNDER ONE SINGLE BRAND.
EVERY SINGLE DEPARTMENT IS GOING TO BE UNDER THE SAME BRAND.
EVERY SINGLE DEPARTMENT IS ALSO GOING TO HAVE THEIR OWN, UM, BRANDING GUIDELINES THAT WE ALL WILL HAVE TO FOLLOW.
SO IT'LL BE SOME CONSISTENT BRANDING THAT YOU'LL SEE FROM EVERY SINGLE DEPARTMENT IN THE CITY, AND ALL OF US ARE GONNA LOOK THE SAME.
UH, ONE OF THE THINGS, JUST SO YOU KNOW, TOO, AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER LOGO IS GONNA GO AWAY WITH THE NEW REBRANDING.
A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE SOME STRONG FEELINGS ABOUT IT.
IT IS A VERY PRETTY LOGO, BUT, UM, THAT'S OUT OF OUR CONTROL.
UM, SO THIS BUILDING FOUNDATION, UM, THESE ARE REALLY JUST DIFFERENT, UH, MILESTONES THAT WE'RE GOING TO ACHIEVE.
IT'S NOT NECESSARILY A TIMELINE AS THE ARROWS INDICATE, BUT YEAR ONE IS ABOUT SETTING THE STAGE.
WE'RE GONNA BE CREATING GUIDES, LAUNCHING OUTREACH, BUILDING OUT LONG, UH, LAUNCH OUTREACH CAMPAIGNS.
WE'RE GONNA BE BUILDING DIFFERENT KINDS OF MARKETING CAMPAIGNS, DESIGNING CONTENT THAT INFORMS AND INSPIRES PEOPLE.
AND WE'RE ALSO GONNA BE THESE NEXT FEW MONTHS WORKING REALLY HARD ON THE REBRANDING.
SO BESIDES THE WEBSITE, WE ALSO WILL BE REBRANDING ALL OF OUR COLLATERAL MATERIAL.
AND SO ALL OF THE HANDOUTS THAT YOU SEE AND THE SIGNAGE, THE, THE, UH, NON-METAL SIGNAGE THAT'S IN THE SHELTER WILL ALSO BE UNDERGOING SOME TRANSFORMATION IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS.
AND BY TILL THE END OF THE YEAR.
AND IN PHASE TWO, WE'RE GOING TO BE, UM, ONE OF OUR BIG GOALS IS TO PUBLISH A PUBLIC NEWSLETTER.
AND HOPEFULLY IN 2026, WHICH IS WHAT PHASE TWO IS, WE'RE GOING TO MAKE THAT A PRIORITY TO START OUT A LITTLE SMALL, AND THEN WORK ON BUILDING SOMETHING THAT CAN PROVIDE ALL THE WINS AND STORIES THAT GO ON AT OUR SHELTER.
WE'RE GOING TO BE TELLING MORE STORIES, USING MORE TOOLS, AND HAVE DEDICATED CAMPAIGNS TO HELP FAMILIES KEEP THEIR PETS.
THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT ROLANDO MENTIONED EARLIER, AND IT IS ONE OF THE FOCUSES THAT WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO DO BECAUSE OF THE PHONETIC NATURE OF THE SHELTER, IS BEING
[01:30:01]
ABLE TO PROVIDE WORKABLE RESOURCES THAT PEOPLE CAN USE TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY CAN KEEP THEIR PETS WHEN THEY COME TO TRY TO SURRENDER 'EM.WE ALSO WILL BE LISTENING TO THE COMMUNITY INRE AND INCREASING OUR VISIBILITY CITYWIDE.
SOME OF THAT WILL BE OUR INDEPENDENT WORK IN MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE MORE VISIBILITY.
AND SOME OF IT WILL ALSO BE, UM, THROUGH THE CITY'S REBRANDING PROGRAM IN PHASE THREE.
UM, WE'LL BE PUSHING SOME MORE INNOVATIVE IDEAS, FOR INSTANCE, FINDING DIFFERENT WAYS TO SHARE OUR NEWSLETTER THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
AND INTERNALLY, WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE INCLUDING OUR INTERNAL STAFF AND OUR PARTNERS WITH OUR COMMUNICATIONS.
WE HOPE TO HAVE, UM, QR CODES AND DIFFERENT ACCESS, DIFFERENT ACCESS POINTS FOR PEOPLE TO REACH ELECTRONIC INFORMATION BECAUSE NOT EVERYBODY HAS ACCESS TO TECHNOLOGY.
NOT EVERYBODY HAS CELL PHONES.
SO WE'LL BE EXPANDING DIGITAL TOOLKITS AS WELL AS OUR PRINT MATERIAL AND HOW PEOPLE CAN ACCESS THAT INFORMATION.
HOLDING COMMUNITY EVENTS THAT ARE INFORMATIVE, YOU KNOW, AND THIS IS PIGGYBACKING ALONG WITH CITY EVENTS AND OTHER PARTNER EVENTS SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE VISIBLE AND THAT PEOPLE KNOW US AS THE CITY OF AUSTIN, UH, MUNICIPAL SHELTER AND THE THINGS THAT WE DO.
WE'LL ALSO HAVE NEW VISUALS THAT WE WANNA BUILD OUT FOR, UM, PEOPLE TO GET TO KNOW EXACTLY WHO WE ARE.
SO ALL OF THIS IS FOR PUBLIC RELATIONS GROWTH AND LONG-TERM CONNECTIONS WITH ALL OF OUR PARTNERS.
SO BECAUSE WE ARE THE CITY OF AUSTIN, AND BECAUSE WE, UH, HAVE A WIDE BREADTH OF AUDIENCES TO REACH SOCIOECONOMIC AUDIENCES, DIFFERENT KINDS OF NEIGHBORHOODS, DIFFERENT KINDS OF ACCESS TO TECHNOLOGY, WE HAVE TO USE A WIDE BREADTH OF TOOLS.
A LOT OF 'EM, BECAUSE OF OUR LIMITED BUDGET WITHIN THE CITY, AND THIS IS NOT UNIQUE JUST TO THE AUSTIN, UM, ANIMAL SERVICES GROUP, IS BECAUSE OF OUR LIMITED FUNDS.
WE WISH WE COULD ALL, ALL OF US, UM, IN COMMUNICATIONS, WISH WE COULD AFFORD TO HAVE BILLBOARDS ON EVERY HIGHWAY AND ADS RUNNING, UM, UH, COMMERCIALS RUNNING ON TELEVISION, BUT THAT ALSO DOESN'T REACH EVERYBODY.
SO WE USE SOCIAL MEDIA AT THE ANIMAL SERVICES OFFICE.
WE USE SOCIAL MEDIA AS A PRINCIPAL MEANS OF COMMUNICATION.
WE HAVE, UM, WELL OVER A HUNDRED THOUSAND FOLLOWERS.
AND THAT'S PRETTY BIG FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN, BUT NOT ALL OF OUR FOLLOWERS ARE CITY OF AUSTIN RESIDENTS.
SO WE'RE USING A LOT OF DIFFERENT WAYS ALSO TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE REACHING PEOPLE.
ONE OF THE UNIQUE WAYS THAT WE'RE DOING THIS ALREADY IS, UM, CITY HALL'S A TXN TELEVISION STATION AND, UM, VIDEO RESOURCE HUB HAS MADE THREE VIDEOS THAT OFFER BE BEHIND THE SCENES INFORMATION ABOUT OUR CENTER.
THEY'RE ON, UH, YOUTUBE RIGHT NOW.
WE WILL BE LINKING THEM ONTO THE WEBSITE AND THEY'VE PROMISED TO COME OUT AND DO A LITTLE BIT, DO A FEW MORE VIDEOS.
AND THESE ARE ALL GONNA BE BEHIND THE SCENES VIDEOS THAT ARE PROFESSIONALLY CREATED AND PROFESSIONALLY CURATED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE HAVING PEOPLE UNDERSTAND WHAT WE DO.
AND WE COUNT ON THE, UM, HELP AND SUPPORT OF OUR PARTNERS.
THOSE AREN'T JUST OUR ANIMAL RESCUE AND OTHER SHELTER PARTNERS.
WE'RE, UM, WITH OUR NEW LEADERSHIP AND WITH SOME OF THE NEW STAFF THAT WE HAVE NOW, WE'RE ALSO REALLY WORKING HARD TO GET INTO, UM, SOME OF OUR LOCAL COMPANIES AND PARTNERING WITH THEM TO HELP US SPREAD THE WORD.
SOMETIMES IT'S SOMETHING SMALL AS HAVING AN ADOPTION DAY AND OTHER DAYS IT'S, UM, AND OTHER TIMES IT CAN BE SOMETHING AS BIG AS SHARING PART OF THEIR, UM, DAILY PROFITS WITH THE, WITH THE SHELTER.
SO WE'RE WORKING TO BUILD THAT ALSO ON THE OTHER SIDE OF COMMUNICATIONS.
AND, UM, A NEW THING THAT WE'RE DOING ALSO IS WORKING WITH, UM, INSTAGRAM INFLUENCERS.
WE JUST HAD ONE COME OUT LAST FRIDAY, AND SHE POSTED THIS REALLY GREAT VIDEO ON TIKTOK YESTERDAY.
AND SO, UM, WE ARE NOT ALLOWED TO HAVE, UM, VIDEOS ON TIKTOK AS A CITY ORGANIZATION, BUT IT'S GREAT TO HAVE SOMEONE, AND I'M HAPPY TO SHARE THAT LINK.
I WASN'T SURE WHO HAD TIKTOK HERE WITH AND ANY OF THOSE, BUT WE HAVE REACHED OUT TO SEVERAL INFLUENCERS IN THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS.
AND WHAT THEY'RE JUST DOING FOR US IS USING THEIR PLATFORM TO TALK ABOUT SOMETHING THAT THEY'RE PASSIONATE ABOUT.
IT'S NOT SO MUCH TO EVEN RUN AN AD ABOUT A A C ALTHOUGH THAT DOES GET INCORPORATED INTO THE MESSAGE.
IT'S JUST TO SAY, HEY, LOOK AT ALL THESE ANIMALS.
[01:35:01]
IS BASICALLY WHAT, UM, THIS ONE INFLUENCER DID THIS WEEKEND.SO WHAT DOES SUCCESS LOOK LIKE? UM, THIS IS LOOKING AT KNOWING THAT WE'RE ABLE TO HAVE MORE PETS STAYING IN THEIR HOMES, THAT WE HAVE MORE FOSTERS AND ADOPTERS COMING THROUGH.
WE HAVE BUILT ON COMMUNITY TRUST, AND WE HAVE A STRONGER ALIGNMENT WITH THE CITY'S VISION.
UM, WE ARE ALSO WORKING ON VERY MUCH, IT'S A PRIORITY TO HELP WORK ON EMPLOYEE RETENTION AND MORALE AND INCLUDING EMPLOYEES AND MORE OF WHAT WE'RE DOING TO IMPLEMENT OUR STRATEGIC PLAN.
WE ARE ALSO, UM, INSTITUTING MORE VISIBLE AND MEASURABLE PROGRESS FOR MARKETING AND PUBLIC RELATIONS.
IT ALL COMES UNDER THE SAME UMBRELLA.
THAT'S ONE OF THE CHALLENGES FOR MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS IS HAVING THINGS THAT ARE MEASURABLE RESULTS.
AND WE ARE WORKING TOGETHER INTERNALLY TO SEE HOW WE CAN DO THAT, LIKE WITH EXIT SURVEYS AND DIFFERENT THINGS LIKE THAT TO SEE HOW PEOPLE ARE GETTING THE WORD, GETTING, UM, GETTING THE WORD ABOUT US.
SO HOW THIS HELPS US IS IT HELPS US PROVIDE CLEAR, CONSISTENT, AND FOCUSED MESSAGING.
IT HELPS US STAY NIMBLE AND FLEXIBLE.
WE'RE SPEAKING WITH ONE VOICE, WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT REALLY HADN'T HAPPENED IN THE PAST.
AND, UM, WE'RE TRYING TO BUILD SOME LASTING SUPPORT FOR THE ANIMALS AND THE PEOPLE THAT WE SERVE.
WE REALLY ARE OUR OTHER GOAL, OUR BIG GOAL TOO, IS TO BE ABLE TO REACH NEW AUDIENCES AND NEW PARTNERS.
ALTHOUGH WE HAVE THIS GREAT LOYAL FOLLOWING ON OUR SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS, AND WE HAVE SOME GREAT PARTNERS THAT HAVE STUCK WITH US THROUGH THICK AND THIN.
WE KNOW THERE'S A WHOLE BIG OTHER WORLD OUT THERE THAT WE'RE ALL TRYING TO COMMUNICATE WITH.
AND WHEN I SAY WE ALL, I MEAN ALL CITY DEPARTMENTS, THAT'S ALWAYS, UM, OUR COMMUNICATIONS GROUP GOAL IS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ENGAGING WITH EVERYONE IN EVERY RESIDENT IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN TO KNOW WHAT THE CITY HAS TO OFFER.
BUT VERY SPECIFIC TO ME IS KNOWING WHAT THE ANIMAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT HAS TO OFFER.
SO LASTLY, THIS IS MY CONTACT INFORMATION.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ALSO WANTED TO, UM, BRING UP WAS THE ROLE OF OUR, UM, ADVISORY COMMISSION IS TO HELP US MAKE CONNECTIONS AND IS TO HELP US SPREAD THE WORD.
SO, YOU KNOW, UH, WE ARE DOING OUR BEST TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE SHARING OUR SUCCESSES AND NOT JUST OUR CHALLENGES WITH ALL OF YOU.
SO PLEASE, PLEASE, YOU KNOW, Y'ALL ARE WELCOME TO CONNECT AND COLLABORATE ANYTIME IF YOU HAVE ANY IDEAS, FEEDBACK, OR CONNECTIONS THAT YOU THINK CAN, THAT YOU HAVE THAT MIGHT BE ABLE TO HELP US.
AND THAT CAN BE SOMETHING AS SIMPLE AS YOUR HOAS OR SOCIAL ORGANIZATIONS.
I BELONG TO A FACEBOOK GROUP CALLED MEXICANAS IN AUSTIN, AND I USE THEM A LOT TO, UM, SEND OUT SOME MESSAGING.
LIKE I'M GONNA ASK, I'M GONNA BE POSTING ABOUT OUR UPCOMING SPAY NEUTER CLINIC AT THE, THAT'S COMING UP IN TWO WEEKS.
AND I WAS SUPPOSED TO BRING FLYERS, BUT I FORGOT THEM.
I HAVE A BIG STASH OF FLYERS I KNOW AND POSTERS IN MY OFFICE.
I ALSO HAVE ELECTRONIC VERSIONS OF THOSE FILES, UM, SO THAT YOU CAN HANG, UM, WE HAVE SOME 11 BY 17 POSTERS THAT YOU CAN HANG THAT PROMOTE THE SPAY NEUTER CLINIC.
AND ALSO, UM, SOME FIVE AND A HALF BY SEVEN AND A HALF FLYERS THAT YOU CAN HAND OUT THAT ARE PROFESSIONALLY PRINTED AND THAT ARE ENGLISH AND SPANISH AS WELL.
AND ONE LAST LITTLE QUICK THING, BECAUSE Y'ALL WERE TALKING ABOUT, UM, OUR APOS GOING OUT TO KIRK COUNTY.
ABSOLUTELY, WE ARE, WE'RE GLAD TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
BUT ONE OTHER THING, WE'VE BEEN SUPPORTING THE TRAVIS COUNTY RESPONSE AS WELL.
IT'S IN A VERY SMALL WAY IN COMPARISON TO THE HUGE LOSSES THAT PEOPLE HAVE HAD.
BUT WE HAD ONE OF OUR PUBLIC HEALTH EDUCATORS, UM, BRENDAN GRAL, WHO DOES OUTREACH FOR, UM, OUR UNHOUSED PETS.
HE WAS UP THERE WITH A MICROCHIP READER TRYING TO HELP PEOPLE REUNITE WITH PETS THAT WERE BROUGHT IN TO THE COMMAND BASE OF WHERE THEY WERE.
AND HE WAS PROVIDING INFORMATION ABOUT MICRO TRIPPING AND HOW THAT CAN HELP IN CASE, UM, PEOPLE HAD NEAR MISSES WITH THEIR PETS UP THERE.
AND SO THIS WAS, IT'S A SMALL BUT KEY WAY IN HELPING PEOPLE WHO HAVE LOST EVERYTHING, BUT WHO WANNA MAKE SURE THEY'RE HANGING ONTO THEIR PETS.
SO THEY WERE UP THERE, UH, AND AN A PO WAS AN, AN ANIMAL PROTECTION OFFICER, WAS UP THERE WITH BRENDAN AS WELL.
WE LEFT A MICROCHIP READER TOO.
WE SHOWED THE TRAVIS COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE HOW TO USE THAT.
AND AS, AS, UH, THAT, UH, RECOVERY IS MOVING TOWARDS RECOVERY AND REBUILDING, UH, WE'LL BE CONTINUING TO KEEP IN TOUCH WITH THEM TO SEE WHAT ELSE THEY MIGHT NEED FROM US, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO REUNITING ANIMALS.
JUST MY LAST ONE LITTLE PITCH THAT WE'RE HELPING UP NORTH TO, THEY'VE JUST GOTTEN KIND OF GOTTEN LOST IN THE SHUFFLE OF THE TREMENDOUS TRAGEDY
[01:40:01]
OVER IN KIRK COUNTY.SO DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? IF I CAN REALLY QUICKLY THOUGH, I, I THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT INFORMATION.
UM, ASIDE FROM OBVIOUSLY THIS THREE YEAR PLAN, WE'VE ALSO DONE SOME REALIGNMENT OF, OF SOME FOLKS THAT HAD SOME RESPONSIBILITY FOR OUTREACH AND, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, BUILDING A RELATIONSHIP IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND SO AS PART OF THE, THE REORG, UH, WE'RE SHIFTING SOME OF THOSE RESOURCES WITHIN THE UMBRELLA AND LEADERSHIP OF ELIZABETH AND MELISSA TO, YOU KNOW, THIS IS NOT GONNA JUST SIT ON THE SHELF, RIGHT.
WE'RE GONNA IMPLEMENT THIS AND, AND WE'RE PROVIDING THE RESOURCES FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS PLAN.
SO I JUST WANTED TO ALSO ADD THAT TO, UH, THE INFORMATION.
UM, IT'S, IT'S FUNNY, I WAS JUST LOOKING AT THE, UH, THE WEBSITE, AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER, AND I JUST CLICKED, LIKE YOU SAID, THE
AND I SEE THERE'S FRENCH AND SPANISH, ET CETERA.
AND I, I WAS JUST CLICKING AROUND LOOKING THE SPANISH TRANSLATION, WHICH IS EXCELLENT.
AND I KNOW THAT TECHNOLOGY, THIS IS ALL EVOLVING.
OF COURSE, THERE'S STILL SOME LINKS THAT IT GOES TO FORM STAR IN, IN ENGLISH, BUT I KNOW IT IS, IT'S A PROCESS THAT I'M, I'M SURE YOU GUYS WILL LOOK AT IT.
AND THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT UP.
THE OTHER, UH, CITY INITIATIVE THAT'S ONGOING RIGHT NOW IS THE CITY WEBSITE IS MOVING TO A MORE ADVANCED PLATFORM.
SO I'M ALSO WORKING BEHIND THE SCENES WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN TO, UM, MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF OUR PAGES ARE GONNA MOVE OVER WHEN THEY TRANSITION.
AND THAT'S SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN RIGHT BEFORE THE REBRANDING.
FINGERS CROSSED IT, IT ALL WORKS AT THE SAME TIME.
BUT TO YOUR POINT, UM, IT'S SUPPOSED TO OFFER BETTER TRANSLATION SERVICES EVEN TO FORMS THAT ARE LINKED TO OTHER WEBSITES.
BUT I'M ALSO WORKING ON THAT, UM, BEHIND THE SCENES TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR VENDORS HAVE SPANISH LANGUAGE, UH, FORMS THE VENDORS THAT ARE, UH, PROCESSING, LIKE, UM, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS IS TO MAKE A DONATION THAT THAT GOES TO ANOTHER PLATFORM.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE ALSO GOING TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE AT LEAST SPANISH ON THOSE FORMS. OKAY.
I'M, I'M REALLY HAPPY TO SEE THAT BILINGUAL.
CAN I ASK WHO THE INFLUENCER IS? I'D LIKE TO FOLLOW THEM.
OH, I DON'T, YOU DON'T HAVE TO TELL ME UP MY PHONE.
HER FIRST NAME IS TARYN AND THEN THERE WAS ANOTHER GIRL NAMED, I'M SORRY I DIDN'T GET HER LAST NAME.
I HAVE TO GIVE CREDIT TO OUR INTERN WHO IS 20 YEARS OLD AND AT A AND M AND OF COURSE THIS YOUNG GIRL WAS LIKE, I KNOW WHO TO GET.
I'M HAPPY TO SHARE THAT WITH YOU.
UM, SO YOU CAN SEE WHAT, UH, TARYN POSTED, UM, 'CAUSE SHE ACTUALLY GOT HER CAT FROM US AND SHE HAD GOTTEN, UM, ONE CAT FROM US AND ONE CAT FROM THE HUMANE SOCIETY AND ANOTHER INFLUENCER THAT'S SUPPOSED TO BE COMING GOT A PIT BULL FROM US AND A CAT FROM A PA.
SO, YOU KNOW, BEING ABLE TO, UM, LEVERAGE THOSE RELATIONSHIPS AND THAT ENTHUSIASM IS WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO.
ANYBODY ELSE? ANYBODY THINKS AN INFLUENCER A WONDERFUL IDEA? YES.
IF YOU CAN, MAYBE LET CHRISTINA KNOW AND SHE CAN SEND THE NAMES OUT TO US.
AND THEN WE'LL GO TO DR. NIELSEN.
UM, I JUST WANNA THANK YOU FOR THE EXCELLENT PRESENTATION.
UM, I'M PARTICULARLY EXCITED ABOUT THE NEWSLETTER.
UM, A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE LOOKED AT THIS, UM, OUR COMMISSION ALONG WITH THE PARKS AND REC BOARD HAD AN OFF-LEASH DOG WORKING GROUP TO TRY TO ELIMINATE
AND WE PRODUCED VIDEOS AND ONE OF THE CHALLENGES WE HAD WAS GETTING THE WORD OUT ABOUT THE OLY DOG ORDINANCES AND THE RULES IN THE CITY.
UM, SO IF YOU COULD MAYBE TAKE A LOOK AT THAT OR, I'M HAPPY TO SEND IT TO YOU, UM, A COPY OF IT.
'CAUSE I DID IT AND, UH, I LED, I CHAIRED THE GROUP.
UM, WE WORKED WITH THE PARKS BOARD, A LOT OF CITIZENS.
UM, THE LEADERSHIP OF BOTH, UM, MOST OF THE OFF-LEASH DOG AND OTHER DOG COLLATERAL IS ON THE PARK SITE.
AND NOT SO MUCH ON THE A A C SITE.
WE UPDATED ALL THE BROCHURES, UM, FOR CITIZENS THAT ARE MOSTLY ON PARKS.
SO, UM, I'D BE HAPPY TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT IT OR LOOK AT IT OR SEND YOU WHAT WE DID.
UM, BUT IT WAS A TWO YEAR, UM, WORKING GROUP.
NO, I HADN'T HEARD ABOUT THIS, BUT THANK YOU.
AND, AND OUR CHALLENGE WAS TO EVEN PUT THAT IN, UH, ONE OF THOSE ELECTRIC UTILITY THINGS, UH, WHICH ONLY WOULD GET THE OLDER PEOPLE WHO GET MAIL AND NOT THE YOUNG PEOPLE WHO GET THE OTHER THING.
IT WAS LIKE $50,000 AND WE HAD NO MONEY TO DO THAT.
BUT OUR, ONE OF OUR VIDEOS ACTUALLY WON A NATIONAL AWARD FOR LYS DOG VIDEOS.
THEY WERE DONE BY TWO LOCAL AUSTIN MUSICIANS.
AND THEY MIGHT BE ON THE A A SO WEBSITE TOO, BUT, UM, THEY'RE DEFINITELY ON
[01:45:01]
THE PARKS WEBSITE.I HAVEN'T SEEN THEM, BUT GOOD TO KNOW.
THE PARK RANGERS WORKED WITH US ON THEM.
YEAH, THAT'S THE OTHER THING IS I DON'T HAVE A FULL HISTORY OF EVERYTHING THAT WENT ON BEFORE I GOT HERE.
SOME OF IT IS ANECDOTAL AND SOME OF IT'S JUST ACCIDENTAL LIKE THAT.
SO IF THERE ARE OTHER RESOURCES THAT HAVE BEEN CREATED, I'D LOVE TO SEE THEM.
UM, MR. PHIL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
I'M SUPER EXCITED ABOUT EVERYTHING YOU SHARED.
UM, PARTICULARLY THE OUTREACH TO, UM, LOWER SOCIOECONOMIC COMMUNITIES IN ADDITION TO SPANISH SPEAKING COMMUNITIES.
I THINK THAT IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S EXACTLY, UM, THE SHELTER NEEDED AND JUST WANTED TO, UH, GIVE YOU PROPS FOR OR, UM, THE AMAZING VIDEOS.
I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING ALL OF THEM.
IT DID, UM, SEE THE ONE THAT FEATURED MY, UH, CITY COUNCIL MEMBER COMING TO ADOPT A DOG WHO WAS VERY, UM,
AND, UM, SO, AND THEN I JUST NOW CHECKED, UH, THE CIRCUIT OF AMERICA'S WEBSITE AND I SEE THAT THEY HAVE, UH, A GREAT ADVERTISEMENT FOR OUR, UM, FREE SPAY AND NEUTER CLINIC COMING UP, STARTING A WEEK FROM TO, OR TWO WEEKS FROM TODAY, JUST STARTING ON JULY 28TH.
UM, SO JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR PUTTING THAT ALL TOGETHER AND TAKING THE TIME TO COME HERE AND SHARE IT WITH US AND LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING IT ALL IN ACTION.
I APPRECIATE THAT BECAUSE I KNOW, I KNOW YOU ALSO, UM, I KNOW FOR SURE YOU'RE OUT ACTIVELY SPREADING THE WORD.
AND SO THAT'S, THAT'S A CHALLENGE FOR EVERYBODY TO BE OUT THERE SPREADING THE WORD WHEREVER YOU CAN ABOUT WHATEVER, LIKE EVEN JUST THE SPAY NEUTER CLINIC THAT'S COMING UP.
UM, THAT, THAT IS JUST VERY HELPFUL.
'CAUSE YOU JUST NEVER KNOW WHO, UM, I MEAN, EVEN IF YOU REACH FIVE PEOPLE THAT SHOW UP, THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HERE FOR, IS TO HELP SERVE FIVE PEOPLE.
IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE A THOUSAND PEOPLE.
JUST GET US FIVE EXTRA PEOPLE.
AND JUST, I, I WENT BACK, SPEAKING OF, TO THAT DIRECT OUTREACH THAT I'M DOING, THAT BE GREAT IF ALL THE COMMISSIONERS COULD HELP WITH SOME OF THAT.
UM, UH, I, I WENT BACK AND RE SPOKE TO, TO ONE OF THE PEOPLE WHO HAS, UM, SEVEN LABRADORS THAT HE'S INTERESTED IN TAKING TO THE SHELTER.
AND I'M GONNA TRY TO, UH, PHYSICALLY HELP 'EM DO THAT TUESDAY MORNING, SO.
THANK YOU ALL MAKE A LITTLE DIFFERENCE.
I JUST WANNA SAY I'M THRILLED TO SEE ALL OF THIS, ESPECIALLY THE EMPHASIS ON LANGUAGE ACCESS AND DIVERSION.
I THINK THAT THOSE ARE, THOSE HAVE BEEN MISSING PIECES FOR A LONG TIME AND I'M VERY HAPPY ABOUT, I'M JUST ECSTATIC WITH ALL, EVERYTHING YOU LAID OUT.
SO WANTED TO MAKE SURE YOU KNEW THAT.
I MEAN, IT IS A PASSION AND IT IS ALSO SOMETHING I'VE ALWAYS BEEN ABLE TO DO WHEREVER I'VE WORKED.
AND, UM, MY FATHER FORCED US TO LEARN SPANISH, MY FATHER'S FROM MEXICO, AND I RESENTED IT AS A YOUNG PERSON.
BUT I AM VERY, VERY GRATEFUL NOW AS AN ADULT BECAUSE IT HAS HELPED WITH MY WORK AND IT HELPS, YOU KNOW, REACH THE COMMUNITY.
THAT MEANS SOMETHING TO ME TOO.
[6. Presentation by Stephanie Bilbro, Director of Operations, Austin Pets Alive! regarding license agreement reports.]
ITEM, UH, SIX FOOT.UH, I'M SORRY, I HAVE TO, UH, I'LL HAVE TO LEAVE.
UM, PIVOTING MY CHILDCARE THIS EVENING.
SO I GOTTA GO AND RACE TO BE THERE BY EIGHT 15 ACROSS TOWN, SO, OKAY.
I'LL BE TUNING ON THE WEBSITE UNLESS THERE'S SOMETHING THAT I CAN ADDRESS RIGHT NOW.
THIS IS, I HAVE ONE SUPER QUICK THING IF THAT'S OKAY.
BEFORE, SINCE YOU'RE GONNA GO, UM, I JUST ALSO WANNA ECHO ROCHELLE VICKERY IS A HUGE ASSET TO THE SHELTER IN THE COMMUNITY, AND I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE I WOULD BE REMISS IF I DID NOT ALSO PLUG IN AND SAY, I THINK THAT THAT WOULD BE A WORTHWHILE THING TO REVISIT.
UM, I KNOW NOTHING ABOUT THE SITUATION, SO I AM NOT PRETENDING I DO, I JUST WANNA ADVOCATE FOR HER AND HOW SHE HAS ADVOCATED FOR THE SHELTER AND ANIMALS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANT TO GO INTO SPECIFICS.
YOU KNOW, I VALUE VOLUNTEERS, YOU KNOW, AND I THINK I MADE IT REALLY CLEAR TO MY TEAM THAT WE NEED VOLUNTEERS TO GET THE WORK DONE, RIGHT? IF YOU LOOK AT THE HOURS THAT VOLUNTEERS PROVIDE US, IT'S THE EQUIVALENT OF 26 FULL-TIME FTES.
THEY ARE AN EXTENSION OF OUR WORKFORCE, BUT JUST LIKE OUR, UH, EMPLOYEES, RIGHT? YOU KNOW, THERE'S ACCOUNTABILITY.
UH, THERE'S VALUES THAT EMPLOYEES AND VOLUNTEERS NEED TO BE UPHELD TO AND PROVIDED AT OUR, AT OUR FACILITY.
AND SO I DON'T TAKE THESE DECISIONS LIGHTLY.
UM, AND I DON'T MAKE THESE DECISIONS BY MYSELF.
AND SO, UM, POINT TAKEN, UH, I, I HEARD A LOUD AND CLEAR AND, AND I'LL RE RE-LOOK AT THAT.
UM, BUT JUST KNOW THAT, UM, THIS POSITION WAS NOT JUST A, A ONE SECOND ONE MINUTE DECISION.
IT WAS A LOT OF CONVERSATION WITH SEVERAL PEOPLE AND, AND LOOKING AT ALL THE DETAILS.
BUT I APOLOGIZE FOR HAVING TO LEAVE THIS EVENING.
I KNOW I HAVE, UH, MELISSA HERE AND OTHERS HERE, AND I'LL GET ON THE, ON THE, ON THE
[01:50:01]
CHALLENGE SIX AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.'CAUSE I DON'T THINK I CAN ACCESS THE MEETING ONLINE.
THEN, UH, WE'LL GO TO STEPHANIE BILBOROUGH, UH, FOR THE QUARTERLY, UM, AUSTIN PETS ALIVE, UH, OPERATION AGREEMENT REPORTS.
UM, MY NAME IS STEPHANIE BOROUGH.
I'M THE DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS AT AUSTIN PETS LIVE.
UM, I WILL KEEP IT BRIEF, UM, AND PRESENT ON OUR JUNE REPORT FOR, UM, OUR LICENSE AGREEMENT.
I ALSO DID RECL INCLUDE, UM, THE APRIL AND MAY REPORTS, UM, IN CASE THOSE WERE NOT RECEIVED PREVIOUSLY.
UM, SO JUST A FEW QUICK THINGS I WANNA POINT OUT IN HERE AND THEN I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
UM, ON THE FIRST PAGE HERE IS THE BREAKDOWN OF THE NUMBERS OF THE ANIMALS THAT WE DID PULL FROM A A C IN THE MONTH OF JUNE.
UM, PARTICULARLY, UM, THE POPULATIONS THAT ARE CALLED OUT IN OUR LICENSE AGREEMENT, WHICH IS OUR BOTTLE BABIES.
WE PULLED A HUNDRED CAT BOTTLE BABIES, UM, BEHAVIOR DOGS.
WE PULLED SIX, UM, FOUR OF THOSE WERE THE ONES THAT WERE GIVEN EUTHANASIA NOTICES.
UM, AND THEN TWO ADDITIONAL ONES AS WELL.
UM, I'M ALSO HAPPY TO REPORT THAT ALL FOUR OF THOSE FROM THE EUTHANASIA NOTICES ARE CURRENTLY IN HOMES, SO EITHER FOSTER OR ADOPTERS.
UM, AND THEN WE ALSO HAD 11 PARVO TRANSFERS AS WELL, EXCUSE ME.
UM, AND THEN YOU'LL SEE OUR BORN CARE NUMBERS THERE AS WELL AS OUR, UM, PAST TRANSFERS OR OUR PAST INTAKES, UM, WHICH IS OUR USUALLY SHELTER DIVERSION PROGRAM.
BUT WE DO SOMETIMES TAKE IN DIRECTLY PARVO CASES AND OTHER MEDICAL CASES, UM, FROM TRAVIS COUNTY WITHOUT MAKING THEM GO THROUGH A A C FIRST.
SO, UM, THAT IS OUR JUNE NUMBERS.
UM, PAGE TWO, THERE IS A, WE'RE A LITTLE BIT LIGHT ON DATA THIS MONTH JUST BECAUSE OF THE ONGOING ISSUES WITH THE DATA DASHBOARD.
THAT'S WHERE WE DO GET A LOT OF OUR INFORMATION FROM.
UM, WITH THE SWITCHOVER OF THE SOFTWARE, THE PRETTY DASHBOARDS ARE NOT QUITE UP TO DATE YET.
UM, AND THE RAW DATA THAT I WAS TRYING TO PULL, UM, DID NOT SEEM ACCURATE, SO I DIDN'T WANNA USE IT.
UM, BUT I WILL SAY THAT AS OF THE END OF JUNE, UM, WE HAVE PULLED OVER 1200 ANIMALS FROM AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER.
UM, AND OUR GOAL FOR THE YEAR BASED ON THE 12% GOAL IS JUST OVER 1300.
SO WE'RE 91% OF THE WAY, UM, TO OUR FISCAL YEAR GOAL WITH THREE MONTHS LEFT TO GO.
SO WE'RE PRETTY CONFIDENT THAT WE WILL, UM, UH, HIT OVER THAT 12%, UM, AGAIN THIS YEAR.
UH, PAGE THREE IS JUST OUR OVERALL INTAKE OUTCOME MATRIX.
THAT'S AGAIN, ALL OF THE ANIMALS IN OUR SYSTEM, NOT JUST A, A C ANIMALS.
UM, AND THEN ON PAGE FOUR THERE WE INCLUDED A QUICK SUMMARY FOR QUARTER THREE.
UM, SO ALL IN ALL IN THIS QUARTER WE DIRECTLY TRANSFERRED 605 ANIMALS.
UM, AND ALL IN ALL BETWEEN TRANSFERS AND DIVERSIONS, UM, IT WAS JUST OVER 800, THAT DIRECT TRANSFER NUMBER.
UM, I DID A QUICK, UH, BACK OF THE PAGE CALCULATION, I THINK ACCOUNTED FOR, OR, OR SORRY, FISCAL YEAR TO DATE, UM, THE TRANSFERS TO A PA HAVE ACCOUNTED FOR 80% OF ALL A A C TRANSFERS OUT.
SO, UM, STILL BY AND LARGE
SO, UM, I THINK THAT IS IT FOR US.
BUT I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS ON THIS MONTH OR PRIOR MONTH IF THAT IS HELPFUL.
UM, THE FOUR YOUTH POLLS THAT, UM, ARE NOW IN HOMES, WERE THERE ANY SPECIAL BEHAVIOR WORK OR STIPULATIONS OR CONDITIONS IN TERMS OF THOSE GOING TO THOSE HOMES? UM, I, I WILL BE HONEST, I CAN'T SPEAK TO EACH OF THEM INDIVIDUALLY.
UM, BUT OUR TEAM ALWAYS DOES, YOU KNOW, FULL EVALUATIONS ONCE THEY COME INTO OUR CARE, THEY DO MAKE SURE THAT EVERY POTENTIAL FOSTER OR ADOPTER IS AWARE OF THE DOG'S HISTORY, WHETHER THEY HAD BITES IN THEIR PAST.
UM, AND THEY DO WORK TO IDENTIFY SPECIFICALLY, UM, WHAT THEY NEED TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN A HOME, WHETHER THAT'S MANAGEMENT OR FURTHER TRAINING OR WHAT IT MIGHT BE.
SO, UM, I'M, I'M CAN SPEAK PRETTY CONFIDENTLY THAT, THAT THOSE FOUR DOGS ARE GETTING THE SUPPORT THAT THEY NEED BOTH PRIOR TO BEING PLACED AND WE HAVE A PRETTY ROBUST, UM, POST POST-PLACEMENT BEHAVIOR PROGRAM AS WELL.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? OKAY, THANK YOU.
[7. Discussion of the Bond Election priorities as it relates to the delivery of animal services. ]
IS ITEM SEVEN, I BELIEVE COMMISSIONER NELSONS HAD SUGGESTED THAT THIS BE BROUGHT UP DURING A FUTURE AGENDA DISCUSSION.[01:55:01]
UM, STAFF WON'T BE ABLE TO COMMENT, BUT IF THE COMMISSION WISHES TO DISCUSS.UM, SO WE HAVE ONE PUB, PAT, UM, RES, DID YOU WANNA SPEAK ON ITEM SEVEN? I AM GOING TO PASS ON THIS ONE BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT I JUST PUT IT ON THERE, SO.
KNOW WHAT THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT.
UM, ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON THIS ITEM?
OKAY, THEN I GUESS WE'LL SKIP THE ITEM
UM, AND GO ON TO ITEM NUMBER EIGHT.
IT SEEMED LIKE COMMISSIONER NIELSEN WANTED TO SAY SOMETHING.
OH, DID SHE? MAYBE WAS HAVING TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES.
TRYING TO ACCESS THE, UM, CHITA TO DOUBLE CHECK ON ITEM NUMBER SEVEN, JUST AS MY DAUGHTER, UH, HOLT OR COMMISSIONER, UM, AARON FERGUSON, JUST IN CASE WE HAD COMMENTS ON IT.
IF I RECALL CORRECTLY, I THINK I SAID IT WOULD BE WORTHWHILE TO LEAVE ON IN CASE WE NEEDED, SO THAT WE WEREN'T BLOCKED OUT BY LACK OF IT BEING ON THE AGENDA FROM BEING ABLE TO DISCUSS IT.
SO TO THAT END, I WOULD, IF NOW IS THE TIME, ALSO LIKE IT ON NEXT MONTH, BUT WE STILL DON'T KNOW ENOUGH FROM, UM, CITY LEADERS TO BE ABLE TO DO ANYTHING USEFUL AT THIS POINT RIGHT NOW.
[8. Update from the Good Fix Marketing Working Group regarding their meetings and work completed so far.]
LIEBE.I'M A MEMBER OF THE WORKING GROUP FOR THE GOOD FIX, TRYING TO INCREASE OUTCOMES FOR JULY.
AND DR. NELSON ASKED ME TO GIVE YOU GUYS SORT OF UPDATE YOU ON WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING.
YOU HAVE IT IN YOUR BACKUP MATERIALS.
I'M NOT GONNA GO OVER EVERYTHING.
I JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU A GENERAL IDEA.
UM, WE, OUR GROUP BROKE IT INTO TWO DIFFERENT TYPES OF RECOMMENDATIONS.
ONE FOR AUSTIN AMEL CENTER TO DO, AND THEN ONE FOR THE COMMUNITY TO DO.
UM, OUR FIRST WERE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE, UM, MARKETING TEAM.
SIMPLE THINGS LIKE PUTTING IT IN THE EVENT SECTION OF THE AUSTIN CHRONICLE, REQUESTING CODA TO PROMOTE IT ON THEIR WEBSITE, WHICH IS NOW ON THERE, WHICH IS GREAT.
UH, THE DO 5 1 2, WE'RE HOPING FOR MORE MEDIA COVERAGE AND I KNOW THEY'RE WORKING ON THAT.
UM, WE'RE HOPING FOR MORE VARIETY IN OUR SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS TO HIT AND GET MORE ENGAGEMENT.
UM, AND WE DID MEET WITH ELIZABETH FERREIRA A COUPLE WEEKS AGO AND DISCUSS THESE IDEAS WITH HER.
UM, WE ALSO SUBMITTED SOME IDEAS FOR THE COMMUNITY CATS PROGRAM, PRIMARILY SUPPORTING THE CURRENT, UH, TRAP NEUTER, RETURN VOLUNTEERS IN THEIR EFFORTS AND GETTING THOSE CATS TO THE CLINIC.
UM, AND THE REGULAR SHELTER NEUTER, RETURN REGULARS FROM THE COMMUNITY AND SUPPORT THE OUTSTANDING TRAPPING REQUESTS AROUND CODA.
UM, SO WE'RE HOPING THAT OUR COMMUNITY CATS PROGRAM WILL, UM, SUPPORT THEIR TRAPPERS IN GETTING MORE CATS BECAUSE WE CAN DO CATS SO FAST, UM, AT THAT CLINIC AND WE CAN REALLY HELP MEET OUR NUMBERS THAT WAY.
WE HAD SOME IDEAS FOR THE CUSTOMER SERVICE TEAM THAT THEY'RE DOING ALREADY, UH, DISTRIBUTING FLYERS.
THEY'RE POSTED ALL OVER THE SHELTER AND ANYBODY WANTS A FLYER, THEY HAVE 'EM READY, AND WE REALLY APPRECIATE THAT.
UM, AND WE WERE HOPING TO MAYBE INCLUDE IT CLINIC, UM, INFORMATION AND SHELTER, EMAILS, AUTO REPLIES, UM, AND SOME OTHER IDEAS.
WE, WE SUBMITTED THOSE TO ROLANDO, BUT THERE'S JUST SO MUCH GOING ON.
I'M NOT SURE IT EVER MADE IT TO THE CUSTOMER SERVICE TEAM.
AND WE WERE, UM, HOPING THAT WE COULD REINSTATE THE SPACE STREET, WHICH WAS WHERE THEY WERE GOING OUT TO OUTREACH, UH, SPAY AND NEUTER EFFORTS TO, UM, HELP WITH TRANSPORT OF ANIMALS THAT PEOPLE WHO DON'T HAVE THAT, AND I THINK DR. NELSON CAN TALK ABOUT THAT FOR THE COMMUNITY.
WE HOSTED A VIRTUAL FUN SHOP IN THE END OF MAY AND 16 OF US BRAINSTORMED IDEAS ABOUT IT.
UM, AND WE ENDED UP, NOW WE HAVE TWO GOOGLE SHEETS THAT ARE LIVE, ONE THAT TRACKS OUR, UH, POSTING OF FLYERS, DIGITAL AND PHYSICAL, AND THE OTHER THAT IS TRACKING OUR COMMUNITY OUTREACH, SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCERS, TARGETED ADVERTISING AND SIGNAGE.
AND I'LL TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE THINGS WE'RE DOING BELOW.
UM, WE'VE EMAILED, UH, CLINIC INFORMATION TO TARGET MUTUAL AID GROUPS, FOOD BANKS, UM, COMMUNITY, FOUNDATION, COMMUNITY, A TON OF THOSE, UM, DISTRIBUTING PHYSICAL FLYERS TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN DEPARTMENTS INSTEAD OF ASKING THEM TO PRINT THEM OUT.
AND, UH, ELIZABETH UH, FERRA TOLD US THAT THEY WERE ALREADY DOING THAT FOR SOME TARGETED SPOTS WITHIN, UM, WHATEVER THEY'RE TARGETING, WHICH IS GREAT.
UM, WE'RE TARGETING ARIES CLO CLOSE TO CODA.
I'LL LET DR. NIELSEN TALK ABOUT HER EFFORTS.
UM, WE'VE ALSO, UM, CONTACTED DELL VALLEY.
ISD REACHED OUT TO THE DELL VALLEY COMMUNITY COALITION, TRYING TO GET THAT AREA, UH, APARTMENT
[02:00:01]
COMPLEXES, MOBILE HOME COMMUNITIES, NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS.SO HOPEFULLY WE'LL HAVE 1200 ANIMALS THIS TIME.
I WAS JUST GOING TO A SUGGEST MAYBE A QUORUM CHECK TO JUST MAKE SURE THAT VISIBLE QUORUM IS, UM, OKAY.
OR THE COMMISSIONERS ONLINE COULD TURN THEIR CAMERAS ON TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE SEVEN PEOPLE AT LEAST ON THE DAIS.
YEAH, WE, WE HAVE TO HAVE TWO MORE.
SORRY, MY, MY INTERNET'S GOING IN AND OUT.
UM, I'M SORRY, DR. NIELSEN, DID YOU HAVE, UM, SOMETHING YOU WANTED TO TALK ABOUT WITH THE WORKING GROUP? OH, YES.
JUST WANTED TO A HOUSEHOLD AND, AND WE'LL BE, UH, DIRECTLY HELPING THEM TRANSPORT SEVEN, UM, ABOUT 60 POUND DOGS TO THE CLINIC, HOPEFULLY TUESDAY MORNING.
AND, AND THERE WERE SEVERAL OTHER HOUSEHOLDS THAT WOULD PROBABLY HAVE TAKEN ME UP ON A SIMILAR OFFER IF I HAD A, IF I HAD A WAY TO, UM, MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
UM, BUT IT'S BEEN EXTREMELY EDUCATIONAL AND FUN FOR ME.
AND I I'M REALLY HOPING THAT, UH, WE'LL HAVE SOME GREAT SUCCESS AT THIS CLINIC.
I KNOW THE WORKING GROUP HAS COME UP WITH SOME FANTASTIC IDEAS AND, AND, UM, HAS PUT, PUT A LOT OF THEM INTO ACTION.
WELL, I, I WANNA THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WORK YOU'VE DONE SINCE THIS IS A RECOMMENDATION THEN THAT WE'LL CLOSE THE GROUP, UM, AFTER THAT.
IS THAT CORRECT? THIS IS JUST POSTED AS AN UPDATE AT THE MOMENT.
THIS ONE'S UNDER RECOMMENDATION.
I MEAN, IT IS A LITTLE CONFUSING BECAUSE THERE IS A DRAFT RECOMMENDATION AND BACKUP, BUT IT'S NOT POSTED FOR ACTION.
I THINK MR. NISSEN JUST WANTED TO UPDATE THEN.
PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF THAT IS READY FOR NEXT MONTH DURING FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. YEAH, BECAUSE I THINK THE CLINIC IS THE END OF THIS MONTH, BUT, UM, THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR WORK.
THIS IS ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS AND FOR YOU TO GET OUT IN THE COMMUNITY.
UH, IT'S AN INSPIRATION AS A COMMISSIONER TO BE OUT THERE WITH, UH, WORKING WITH EVERYBODY.
AND, UH, AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR, UH, AND, AND MS. LEBEN WHO ALSO TALKED.
I KNOW THIS WAS A LOT OF WORK AND I HOPE IT'S A VERY, VERY SUCCESSFUL CLINIC.
WE'LL MOVE ON TO, UM, ITEM EIGHT.
[9. Community Cats Processing Working Group recommendation regarding animal welfare policies and budget priorities. ]
WHICH IS THE COMMUNITY CAT PROCESSING WORKING GROUP RECOMMENDATION.UH, AND WHO IS THAT? THAT'S ME.
SO WE HAVE, UH, FOR COMMISSIONERS WHO CHECKED THE BACKUP, THERE WAS ALSO A DRAFT THAT WAS THE, UM, INSPIRATION, THE ORIGINAL VERSION BASICALLY OF THE RECOMMENDATION THAT WAS BROUGHT FORWARD TONIGHT THAT DEBRA ROWE
[02:05:01]
AND THE OTHER VERY DEDICATED TRAPPERS, UM, HELPED PUT TOGETHER, UM, THE, THE DELTA BETWEEN, UM, THEIR SUBMISSION.AND WHAT I SUBMITTED WAS TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT, UM, MINOR FEEDBACK THAT I ALSO GOT FROM THE COMMUNITY CAT STAFF PROGRAM, UM, AS WELL AS FEEDBACK ON PREVIOUS RECOMMENDATIONS FROM ME AND OTHER COMMISSIONERS ON NOT WANTING TO GET TOO IN THE WEEDS
SO TRYING TO GET MORE, UH, SYSTEMS LEVEL AND LESS LIKE STEP ONE, STEP TWO, STEP THREE LEVEL.
SO, UM, JUST WANTED TO PUT THAT OUT THERE THAT, UM, A LOT OF THIS HARD WORK AND GENIUS GOES TO THE, UM, TRAPPERS WHO HAVE, UH, HELPED PUT THE FIRST DRAFT TOGETHER.
BUT, UM, OTHERWISE QUESTIONS, I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S THE RIGHT ORDER OF OPERATIONS FOR THIS.
DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON THE, UH, RECOMMENDATION PUT FORTH? UM, IS JUST SO I KNOW FOR, I'M SORRY, WE HAD BLUE PAPER LOADED IN OUR PRINTER.
SO THESE ARE, THIS IS THE OVERVIEW OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT, SO IS THAT YOU HAVE IN THE BLUE, UM, THE ONE THAT DOES NOT HAVE THE CITY SEAL AT THE TOP, BUT SAYS COMMUNITY, THAT'S RECOMMENDATION.
THAT WAS THE ORIGINAL DRAFT THAT DEBORAH WROTE AND THE TRAPPERS PUT TOGETHER.
WHAT YOU SEE THAT HAS THE CITY SEAL AT THE TOP WAS ME TAKING THAT AND DOING SLIGHT TWEAKS TO INCORPORATE SOME SHELTER STAFF FEEDBACK AS WELL AS TRYING NOT TO BE TOO IN THE WEEDS.
AND THIS IS WHAT YOU WANT US TO VOTE ON.
SO WHAT WE ARE VOTING ON IS THE ONE WITH THE CITY SEAL AT THE TIME.
AND I, I THOUGHT IT WAS VERY GOOD.
I THINK, UM, I REALLY APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK OF YOUR GROUP.
IT IS JUST AMAZING AND THAT, UM, YOU REALLY RELATED IT BACK TO, UM, THE BASICS AND IT, UM, REALLY HELPED ME UNDERSTAND IT AND, UH, SUPPORT IT.
UH, SO THANK YOU FOR DOING THAT.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? I ALSO WANTED TO ECHO, UH, THE GRATITUDE FOR THE VOLUNTEERS IN THE COMMUNITY, PUBLIC TECH, UH, THE TRACKERS THAT ALL THE FOLKS THAT ARE ACTUALLY OUT THERE IN THE WEEDS DOING THIS EVERY DAY, I JUST, WE, WE COULD NOT HAVE DONE ABOUT THAT WITHOUT YOU.
AND WE, WE REALLY DO APPRECIATE IT.
SO I, I GUESS THE NEXT POINT IS TO MAKE A MOTION TO, UM, THAT KIND OF LEADS INTO ITEM 10, SO YOU CAN MOVE ON TO ITEM 10.
THE WORKING GROUP RECOMMENDATION HAS BEEN LAID OUT.
AND THEN, UM, IF COMMISSIONER HOLT, UM, YOU CAN MOVE ON TO ITEM 10.
[10. Approve a Recommendation to Council regarding animal welfare policies and budget priorities.]
WERE SIGNED UP ACTUALLY FOR NINE, I FORGOT.AND FOR 10, DID YOU WANNA SPEAK ON YES, 10.
UM, THE ONLY, THE ONLY COMMENT I HAVE, THE, IS THIS ON? IT IS OKAY.
DID YOU PRESS ME? UM, THE ONLY COMMENT I HAVE ABOUT THIS, OR IT'S ACTUALLY A QUESTION, IS THAT I'M A LITTLE BIT CONFUSED.
UM, IS NUMBER 10 TO ADOPT NUMBER NINE OR IS THIS DIFFERENT? IT'S A LITTLE CONVOLUTED.
WE WERE, UM, WHEN WE WERE FIRST PUTTING THE AGENDA TOGETHER, WE WERE WORRIED ABOUT IN THE WEEDS, UM, RECOMMENDATIONS NOT BEING ALLOWED PER MUNICIPAL CODE, LIKE WITHIN OUR PURVIEW.
UH, SO WE KEPT IT VAGUE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE TYING IT BACK TO HOW THIS DOES RELATE TO BUDGET AND ANIMAL WELFARE POLICIES, WHICH ARE UNDENIABLY RELATED TO THIS.
DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? I THINK WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS WE WERE TRYING TO BE A LITTLE LEGALISTIC WITH SAME ITEM.
ITEM NINE AND 10 ARE THE SAME ITEM, SAME, SAME ITEM, BUT WE WERE JUST TRYING TO DO SOME, UH, LEGALISTIC MANEUVERS TO MAKE SURE IT WAS CLEAR THAT THIS IS STILL WITHIN OUR PURVIEW.
THEN, UM, I THINK IT'S A GOOD SET OF POLICIES AND GOOD WORK.
SO I'M GONNA REPEAT THE SAME AGAIN, BUT I JUST
SO YOU TOOK AT NINE, YOU TOOK THAT INFORMATION FROM THE WORKING GROUP AND PUT IT IN THE OFFICIAL LETTERHEAD TO AS A RECOMMENDATION BECAUSE IT, IT MEETS MORE WHAT CORRECT THE CITY NEEDS, CORRECT? YEP, YEP, YEP.
SO, UM, WOULD ANYONE LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO SEND THIS TO, TO APPROVE THE, THE, UM, RECOMMENDATION TO SEND TO CITY COUNCIL? IF IT'S NOT WEIRD, I'LL MOVE IT.
SO COMMISSIONER HOLT, I'LL SECOND.
UM, ALL IN FAVOR OF VOTING ON THIS TO SEND IT TO, UH, CITY COUNCIL.
UM, DR. NIELSEN, WE CAN'T SEE YOU, SO WE CAN'T COUNT YOUR VOTE UNLESS WE CAN SEE YOU.
[02:10:02]
CAN YOU HEAR ME? YEAH, BUT WE STILL HAVE TO SEE YOU FOR VOTING.MY COMPUTER SHOWS ME AS BEING ON VIDEO.
YOU'RE ON NOW? YEAH, YOU'RE ON NOW.
OH, DR. NIELSEN WENT OFF
WELL, WE HAVE EIGHT, SO WE HAVE ENOUGH FOR QUORUM.
BEFORE OH, SO YEAH, YOU SAW HER HAND GO UP? OKAY.
WE DID BEFORE HER CAMERA WENT OFF.
THEN WE'RE GONNA, IF THAT MATTERS, IF IT DOESN'T, SORRY.
THEN, UH, THE RECOMMENDATION PASSES AND IT WILL GO ON TO, UH, CITY COUNCIL.
SO CONGRATULATIONS TO THE CAT TEAM.
[11. Conduct officer election for Chair.]
WE'RE HERE AGAIN.UM, THIS IS TO CONDUCT AN, UH, OFFICER ELECTION FOR CHAIR.
UM, I WILL START AND MOVE AGAIN TO, UM, PUT FORTH, UH, DR.
PAIGE NIELSEN, UM, FOR CHAIR, UH, AND FOR OUR NEW COMMISSIONER.
UM, I KNOW YOU KNOW DR. NIELSEN FROM AROUND THE SHELTER AND TAKING CARE OF THE PETS, IF YOU LIKE.
UM, I ALSO SAY I APPRECIATE HER WORKING WITH THE COMMUNITY CAT GROUP.
IT'S AMAZING THE SPAY NEUTER THAT SHE'S WORKED WITH, UM, THE NONPROFIT ZOOS ORDINANCE THAT WE, UM, UH, APPROVED, UH, TO PROTECT PEOPLE AND CHILDREN.
UM, SHE HAD THE ABAN SOCIETY COME TALK TO US ABOUT BIRDS HITTING THE WINDOWS, WHICH WAS REALLY INTERESTING.
AND, UH, ANYWAY, I, I APPRECIATE ALL THESE THINGS AND I THINK SHE WOULD BE A GOOD CHAIR.
UH, UH, AND AARON, SECONDS SECOND.
UM, ARE THERE ANY OTHER NOMINATIONS FOR CHAIR COMMISSIONER CLINTON? I NOMINATE COMMISSIONER S.
ANY OTHER NOMINATION? I'LL SECOND A SECOND.
ANY OTHER NOMINATIONS? OKAY, SO WE'LL VOTE ON, UM, COMMISSIONER NIELS.
CAN I, A DISCUSSION CHAIR? UH, YES, WE CAN HAVE DISCUSSION.
CAN I PERMISSION TO SPEAK? OH, YES.
UH, COMMISSIONER NIELSEN? YES.
SO I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT, UM, IN THE OVER TWO YEARS THAT I'VE BEEN ON THE COMMISSION, I HAVE BEEN ABSENT FOR ONLY TWO MEETINGS, AND FOR ONE OF THOSE I WAS BUSY DOING THE, DOING EMERGENCY MEDICINE AT THE SHELTER ITSELF.
AND, UM, THIS IS ONLY THE SECOND MEETING THAT I'VE, UM, JOINED REMOTELY.
I, I, SO I JOIN IN PERSON, UM, AND I, AND I ATTEND CONSISTENTLY.
UM, UH, RECENTLY COMMISSIONER HOLT AND COMMISSIONER HUDDLESTON HAVE ALSO CHAIRED WORKING GROUPS IN RESPONSE TO CONCERNS, UM, UH, BROUGHT TO US BY THE PUBLIC.
BUT PRIOR TO JANUARY, I WAS EITHER ON OR CHAIRED EVERY GROUP WORKING GROUP THAT WAS FORMED SINCE I'VE BEEN ON THE COMMISSION, UM, INCLUDING, AS YOU POINTED OUT, THANK YOU, THE AUSTIN AQUARIUM AND SPAY NEUTER WORKING GROUPS.
AND IT WAS ACTUALLY THE AMERICAN BIRD CONSERVANCY THAT I HAD COME SPEAK ABOUT, UM, THE BIRD SAFE BUILDINGS.
BUT I WOULD LOVE TO WORK WITH, UM, COMMISSIONER AHMED ABOUT MAYBE GETTING THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WERE PASSED, GETTING THOSE A LITTLE FURTHER IN, UM, CITY COUNCIL.
I WOULD BE VERY EXCITED TO DO THAT.
SO, UM, AND SO I WANT THIS COMMISSION TO BE PRODUCTIVE AND COHESIVE, UM, AND RESPONSIVE TO THE PUBLIC.
AND TO THAT END, A YEAR AGO I VOTED FOR A CHAIR THAT WHEN DISAGREEMENTS OCCUR ON THE COMMISSION, THAT PERSON AND I ARE FREQUENTLY ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF THOSE ISSUES.
UM, BUT MY VOTE WAS REQUIRED TO ACHIEVE QUORUM SO THAT IN THE INTEREST OF GETTING A CHAIR ELECTED FOR OUR COMMISSION, I VOTED FOR SOMEBODY WHO IS NOT NECESSARILY MY FIRST CHOICE.
AND I HOPE I HAVE GIVEN NO ONE ON THIS COMMISSION A REASON TO BELIEVE I COULD NOT FUNCTION APPROPRIATELY AS A CHAIR.
AND IF I HAVE, I WOULD ASK YOU TO PLEASE, UM, COME TALK TO ME.
IF NOT, I HUMBLY ASK FOR YOUR VOTE VOTE BASED ON MY ATTENDANCE AND MY ENTHUSIASM FOR WHAT WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO DO FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
ANYONE ELSE HAVE ANY DISCUSSION OR COMMENTS?
[02:15:02]
OKAY.NISSON, YOU HAVE TO KEEP YOUR CAMERA ON FOR VOTING
NISSON, CAN YOU PUT YOUR CAMERA ON? IT'S ON, IT'S JUST OKAY.
DON'T EVERYBODY STILL SEE ME? YES.
SO, BUT, UM, SO LET'S VOTE FIRST FOR DR.
NISSEN FOR CHAIR AND DR. NIELSEN.
UM, DID ANYONE ELSE SEE IT? SARAH, WERE YOU ABLE TO SEE HER? COMMISSIONER NELSON? WE ARE UNABLE TO SEE YOUR VOTE.
I AM VOTING YES, AND I HAVE THE CAMERA ON.
OKAY, SO WE STILL DON'T HAVE A QUORUM.
WOULD ANYONE LIKE TO CHANGE ANY OF THEIR VOTES? YOU HAVE QUORUM.
NOT, WE DON'T HAVE A, SORRY, WE DON'T HAVE MAJORITY.
WELL, YES, WE NEED SEVEN SINCE WE HAVE 13 MEMBERS ON THE COMMISSION.
CHRISTIE, DO YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS? UH, NO COMMENTS.
IT LOOKS LIKE COMMISSIONER CLINTON MIGHT HAVE A COMMENT.
COMMISSIONER CLINTON, I WAS WONDERING IF COMMISSIONER HOLT WOULD BE CONSIDERED, WOULD CONSIDER A NOMINATION FOR CHAIR? UM, CAN I THINK ON IT? I APPRECIATE THAT.
I AM ALSO IN A STAGE OF LIFE WHERE I AM TRYING TO NOT DROWN, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WOULD BE WHAT TIPS ME OVER THE EDGE.
SO IF I COULD HAVE 48 HOURS TO THINK ON THAT, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
BUT I KNOW THAT'S NOT HELPFUL IN THIS MOMENT,
ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR ANYONE ELSE WANT TO ADJUST ANY VOTE? OKAY, THEN I GUESS WE'RE STILL AT AN IMPASSE AND, UM, COMMISSIONER CLINTON WILL CONTINUE AS CHAIR.
WHAT? WHAT, RIGHT? WELL, NOT AT THE MEETING, I MEAN, JUST AS IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIR IT CURRENTLY NO CHAIR, BUT IN FUNCTIONING IN THAT CAPACITY, YES.
[12. Approve the Animal Advisory Commission 2024-2025 Annual Internal Review.]
12, APPROVE THE ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION.YOU SAID CHRISTIE WASN'T GONNA HAPPEN TODAY.
[13. Approve the dissolution of the Long Distance Adoption Working Group.]
THE DISSOLUTION OF THE LONG DISTANCE ADOPTION WORKING GROUP.UH, NOW THAT I AM IN MORE DIRECT CONTACT WITH SHELTER LEADERSHIP, UM, AND POTENTIALLY THIS COULD FIND A HOME UNDER OTHER PROJECTS, I HAVE OPTED TO DISSOLVE THIS, UH, BECAUSE NO ONE ELSE HAS JOINED IT.
AND I THINK WE HAVE MORE DIRECT WAYS TO, UM, ADVOCATE FOR THIS, SO.
UM, SO DO WE VOTE ON OB, UH, OF, OKAY, SO WE WANNA MAKE A, YOU WANNA MAKE A MOTION TO DISSOLVE? I, I MOVED TO DISSOLVE, UM, THE PREVIOUSLY ESTABLISHED LONG DISTANCE ADOPTION WORKING GROUP.
OKAY, WE HAVE A SECOND, PLEASE.
AND COMMISSIONER NIELSEN, I, I APOLOGIZE WE CAN'T SEE YOU.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO TURN YOUR CAMERA ON FOR VOTE.
HER CAMERA IS, IS VISIBLE FOR ALL OF US.
SO IT APPEARS TO ONLY WORK WHEN SHE SPEAKS.
AS FAR AS I CAN TELL, THERE'S SOME SETTING WHERE IT IS ONLY COMING ON WHEN SHE SPEAKS.
SO I THINK YOU JUST NEED TO ALERT HER.
[02:20:01]
SO TALK, TALK THROUGH THE VOTE TALK WHILE WE'RE VOTING.ALL IN FAVOR OF THE DISSOLUTION OF THE LONG DISTANCE ADOPTION WORKING GROUP.
[14. Approve the formation of a Strategic Plan Working Group to advise staff on targets in support of the Animal Services Office Strategic Plan. ]
UM, UH, PAT, DID YOU WANNA SPEAK ON THIS? YES, I DO.YEAH, I SEE THAT I AM ABOUT TO, OH, MY NAME IS PAT VARES AND, UM, I'M ABOUT TO SPEAK ON THE ITEM THAT IS MOST IMPORTANT TO ME OF ALL THE ITEMS TONIGHT.
AND I WILL CONTRADICT SOMETHING I SAID EARLIER.
I SAID I WAS, UM, PLEASED WITH THE AGENDA THAT IT WAS VERY THOROUGH AND IT HAS BEEN QUITE THOROUGH AND QUITE INFORMATIVE AND SOME GOOD INFORMATION HAS BEEN PRESENTED.
BUT I'M VERY, VERY DISAPPOINTED THAT THE ITEM NUMBER 14 IS ON, UM, APPROVING THE STRATEGIC PLAN AND ADVISING STAFF ON TARGETS IN SUPPORT OF ANIMAL SERVICES OFFICE STRATEGIC PLAN.
I REALLY THINK THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN VERY HIGH ON THE AGENDA, AND I SHOULD, I WOULD THINK THAT YOUR IMPORTANT ITEMS SHOULD COME FIRST SO THAT YOU HAVE A GOOD DISCUSSION ABOUT IT.
I THINK RIGHT NOW EVERYONE IS TIRED.
UM, I DO WANNA SAY THAT MANY OF THE ITEMS THAT YOU WERE DISCUSSING TONIGHT, I HAD QUESTIONS ABOUT, ABOUT HOW DOES THE STRATEGIC PLAN ADDRESS THOSE ITEMS AND HOW CAN THEY BE INCORPORATED INTO THE STRATEGIC PLAN AND THE TARGETS.
UM, BUT YOU HAVEN'T HAD A DISCUSSION ON THE TARGETS.
SO PEOPLE CAME FORWARD WITH WHAT I THOUGHT WERE GOOD RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THIS AND THAT, BUT IN THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS, THEY DIDN'T HAVE TARGETS.
AND IN MY OPINION, UNTIL YOU HAVE TARGETS AND UNTIL YOU HAVE A BUDGET THAT SPEAKS TO THOSE TARGETS, UM, A LOT OF GOOD WORK WILL PROBABLY NOT SUCCEED.
I JUST DON'T THINK THAT SENDING THOSE GOOD RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WILL BE SENT TO COUNCIL WILL AMOUNT TO ANYTHING IF YOU DON'T HAVE TARGETS AND FUNDING ATTACHED TO THEM.
SO, UM, IN PARTICULAR, THERE WAS ONE IN THE, UH, COMMUNITY CATS GROUP ABOUT THE $250 CAP BEING LIFTED.
AND MY QUESTION IS, WHERE WOULD THAT MONEY COME FROM? WHAT WOULD YOU CUT? UM, SIMILARLY, YOU KNOW, YOU DIDN'T TALK ABOUT THE BUDGET AND THE FACT THAT THEY'RE GONNA CUT, UM, $560,000 OUTTA VETERINARY SERVICES AND GOING TO FUND TWO HIGH LEVEL MANAGEMENT POSITIONS.
AND IN MY OPINION, I'M NOT OPPOSED TO THOSE TWO POSITIONS.
I THINK THEY'RE NEEDED, BUT THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN A BUDGET INCREASE FOR THEM AND NOT A CUT TO, UH, VETERINARY SERVICES UNLESS THERE'S A REASON TO CUT VETERINARY SERVICES.
IF, IF, IF THOSE SERVICES WEREN'T DOING ANY GOOD AND THEY'RE NOT NEEDED OKAY, CUT THEM.
BUT THERE WAS NO DISCUSSION ABOUT THAT, AND I'M REALLY, REALLY DISAPPOINTED.
AND, UM, IF THERE IS GONNA BE A FORMATION OF A STRATEGIC PLAN WORKING GROUP, I'D LIKE TO BE ON IT AND I'D LIKE TO SEE IT BE A HIGH LEVEL ITEM AT EVERY MEETING.
SO COMMISSIONER FERGUSON, UM, YOU PUT THIS FORTH.
SO THE, UM, MOTION I GUESS WOULD BE TO, UM, APPROVE THE FORMATION OF A STRATEGIC STRATEGIC PLAN WORKING GROUP TO ADVISE STAFF ON TARGETS IN SUPPORT OF THE OFFICE ANIMAL ANIMAL SERVICES STRATEGIC PLAN.
UM, SO DO I HAVE A FIRST, THEN SECOND.
WHO WANTS TO SECOND? I WOULD SECOND.
DOES THAT MEAN WE'RE OPTING INTO THE WORKING GROUP OR ARE WE JUST SUPPORTING THAT IT GETS
AND THEN WE VOTE, OR NO, THAT'S RIGHT.
I DIDN'T CATCH WHO THE, WHO MOVED.
OH, I GUESS THEN THAT WAS ME SINCE I READ IT.
OH, DID YOU WANNA DO IT? SORRY.
OKAY, SO COMMISSIONER NORTON MOTIONED.
AND, AND COMM AND WHO SECONDED.
COMMISSIONER CLINTON? UM, YES, THANKS.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO POINT OUT IN JUST TECHNICALITY AND THE PHRASING, UM, OKAY.
[02:25:01]
SAYS, UH, A WORK GROUP TO MAKE TO, TO ADVISE STAFF.AND TECHNICALLY THE WORK GROUP CANNOT ADVISE STAFF.
AND THAT WOULD NOT BE A, UM, QUORUM OF THE COMMISSION.
SO, UH, IT NEEDS TO BE, TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING, AND THEN THAT WOULD COME THROUGH THE COMMISSION.
SO I WOULD HAVE A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT, A WORK GROUP TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO.
DO WE HAVE TO VOTE ON THAT OR ON YOUR OWN? ON THE, WELL, YOU, AS AS MOVE, YOU CAN ACCEPT THE FRIENDLY AMENDMENT SHOULD YOU WISH.
WE'LL ACCEPT THE FRIENDLY AMENDMENT.
SO COMMISSIONER NIELSEN, YOU'LL HAVE TO VOICE YOUR VOTE SO WE SEE YOU
UM, SO ALL IN FAVOR THAT WORKING? I AM VOTING IN FAVOR
SO THAT PASSES AND SO WE WILL NEED A CHAIR FOR THE GROUP.
WORKING GROUPS DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO HAVE A CHAIR.
AND YOU JUST NEED TO IDENTIFY MEMBERS.
UM, BUT IT WOULD BE NICE IF YOU HAD ONE PERSON WHO CALLED THE MEETING.
SO WOULD ANYONE HERE LIKE TO BE ON THE WORKING GROUP? OKAY.
SO WE'LL HAVE, AND, AND PAIGE NELSON.
AND FOR THE RECORD, THAT WAS COMMISSIONERS FERGUSON, NELSON, AND IAN AND NORTON.
I JUST WANNA ADD A COMMENT THAT THE ONLY REASON I'M NOT JOINING IS MY PARTICIPATION IN THE STRATEGIC PLAN WAS THROUGH MY ROLE AT TRAVIS COUNTY.
AND SO I AM STAYING AWAY OUT OF FEAR OF MUDDYING THOSE WATERS.
SO JUST WANTED TO MAKE THAT CLEAR,
UM, UM, ANYTHING ELSE FOR THE MEETING THAT WE MISSED? OKAY.
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. OH, FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. YES.COMMISSIONER NELSON, YOU WANTED TO BRING FORTH THE RECOMMENDATION NEXT MONTH, IS THAT RIGHT? YES, PLEASE.
AND DOES SHE NEED A SECOND ON THAT? OKAY.
UM, ANYTHING ELSE FOR A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM? CAN WE LEAVE THE BOND ELECTION JUST ON THERE? AGAIN, AS A SPACE HOLDER, WE MAY JUST BRUSH RIGHT THROUGH IT AGAIN, BUT I'LL REACH OUT TO SEE IF GREAT.
WE'RE CLOSER TO BE ABLE TO HAVE A DISCUSSION.
WE'RE NOT REALLY ALLOWED TO HAVE STANDING ITEMS, BUT IF THERE IS IT WON'T BE ON FURTHER PROGRESS.
YES, IT'LL BE WITHIN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS.
IT THAT WE'LL, WE'LL HAVE AN ANSWER.
THANK YOU, MR. UM, AND THIS IS AGAIN, IGNORANCE.
MY FIRST MEETING, HAVE WE AS A GROUP HAD ANY DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THE BUDGET AND ANIMAL SERVICES BUDGET AND SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT WERE BROUGHT UP? HAS THERE BEEN ANY DISCUSSION ABOUT THAT? IS THAT SOMETHING THAT'S WITHIN OUR PURVIEW TO TALK ABOUT? NOT WITHIN OUR PURVIEW TO TALK ABOUT.
I, I, WE CAN, I WOULD LOVE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE, THE WAS, WASN'T IT JUST RELEASED TO TODAY? IT WAS RELEASED ON FRIDAY AT LIKE 5:00 PM AND THE CITY MANAGER DOESN'T GIVE HIS PRESENTATION OF IT UNTIL TOMORROW AT 10:00 AM SO IT'S, UNLESS YOU READ THE 400 PAGE DOCUMENT, YOU DON'T REALLY KNOW WHAT IT SAYS.
SO YEAH, SO, SO NEXT MONDAY WE READ THE AMAL SERVICES PART OF IT.
SO
AND WELL, ESPECIALLY, I WOULD, AND I, AGAIN, I'M, I'M MASKING OUT OF IGNORANCE HERE.
I, I WOULD LOVE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE CHOICE ON THE CUTS THAT WERE SUGGESTED FROM THE 5%.
HUH? FROM A, WELL, NOT THE 5%, THE ACTUAL CUTS TO VET SERVICES AND EXTERNAL VETS EMERGENCY SERVICES.
I'M JUST THAT I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THAT.
I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT WORKS, BUT I, I JUST WANNA PUT OUT THERE, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WOULD BE REDUNDANT AT THAT POINT.
YEAH, I THINK IT'S, I KNOW THAT ALL OF THE, UM, CITY COUNCIL TOWN HALLS WRAP UP BY LIKE THE FIRST WEEK OF AUGUST.
SO I, I THINK WE MIGHT BE A LITTLE LATE FOR ANYTHING ACTUALLY EFFECTIVE HAPPENING DURING THAT TIME.
SO I AM NOT SAYING THAT WE SHOULDN'T INCLUDE IT ON THE AGENDA ITEM.
I JUST, FOR ANYBODY WHO FEELS PASSIONATELY WANNA ENCOURAGE YOU TO NOT SAVE THAT PASSION FOR THE COMMISSION MEETING, BUT INSTEAD REACH OUT TO YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER OR GO TO YOUR COUNCIL TOWN HALLS AND, UM, FIND OTHER MEANS OF ADVOCACY.
COMMISSIONER CLINTON, THAT'S WHY I ASKED IF THERE WAS ANY YEAH, I, I WOULD JUST, UH, JUST ADD THAT WE CAN ADVISE AT ANY POINT.
AND SO IF THE COMMISSION WANTS TO BRING IT UP, THE COMMISSION ABSOLUTELY IS WITHIN ITS RIGHT TO DO SO.
AND IF THE COMMISSION WANTS TO, UM, REQUEST,
[02:30:01]
WE CAN ONLY REQUEST THAT STAFF GIVE AN UPDATE AND TO ANSWER QUESTIONS ON OR BE AVAILABLE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS ON THE BUDGET, WE CAN BRIEF REQUEST THAT AS WELL.SO FOR CLARITY, UM, ARE YOU WANTING TO HAVE A DISCUSSION ITEM ONLY OR A DISCUSSION AND A PRESENTATION BY STAFF? I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW THE REASONING BEHIND IT.
UM, SO IF THAT'S MEANS A PRESENTATION, THEN I GUESS MY, THE RESPONSE IS YES.
ANYTHING ELSE FROM ANYONE? OKAY, THEN WE'LL ADJOURN THE MEETING AT 8 33.