* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.
          [00:00:02]
          TO, 
          [CALL TO ORDER ]
OR THIS IS THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION ON MONDAY, JANUARY 12TH, 2026 AT 6:00 PM UM, WE'RE AT AUSTIN CITY HALL, ROOM 1101 AT 3 0 1 WEST SECOND STREET. 
          UM, FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS IS I WILL CALL ROLE. 
          I AM CHAIR NELSON. 
          AND I'M HERE. 
          UM, COMMISSIONER LINDER HERE. 
          UM, BIE AHMED APPEARS ABSENT. 
          WHITNEY HOLT NOT HERE. 
          RYAN. 
          CLINTON NOT HERE. 
          SARAH HUDDLESTON NOT HERE. 
          RE HERE. 
          DAVID LOMAN. 
          HERE. 
          JENNIFER DANIEL HERE. 
          NANCY ER. 
          CAN SHE HEAR YOU HERE? ERIN FERGUSON HERE. 
          AND JOANNE NORTON HERE. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, FIRST ITEM ON THE AGENDA. 
          [PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL  ]
PUBLIC COMMUNICATION GENERAL. 
          FIRST WE HAVE ROBIN KATZ GONZALEZ. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UH, GOOD EVENING, UH, COMMISSION. 
          THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME AGAIN TODAY. 
          MY NAME IS ROBIN KATZ GONZALEZ. 
          UM, I AM, UM, AN ATTORNEY. 
          I TEACH ANIMAL LAW, TWO DIFFERENT LAW SCHOOLS, AND I'M CONSIDERED AN ANIMAL LAW EXPERT IN THE, THE STATE OF TEXAS TESTIFIED IN FRONT OF THE LEGISLATURE, WHICH IS ALSO WHY I'LL BE SPEAKING ON NUMBER FIVE. 
          UM, I DO WANNA WARN YOU THAT THERE IS A GRAPHIC IMAGE IN HERE, AND I CAN GO RIGHT THROUGH IT. 
          IT, THERE'S A WARNING, BUT I DO WANNA CONTINUE WITH MY LAST PUBLIC COMMUNICATION REGARDING THE STATE OF THE ANIMALS HERE IN AUSTIN. 
          SO THE HIGHLIGHTS OR LOW LIGHTS ARE WHAT I MENTIONED LAST TIME. 
          AND, UM, THEY CONTINUE YOU. 
          AND SO THIS IMAGE IS, UM, AN IMAGE AND A POSTING ON THE AUSTIN LAWSON FOUND WEBSITE WHERE SOMEBODY FOUND A DOG, CALLED OVER TO 3 1 1, UM, SPOKE WITH THE 9 1 1. 
          AND THIS PERSON WAS TOLD THAT UNTIL THEY SPEAK WITH THE OWNER, THERE'S NO WAY FOR THE, FOR THE APOS OR THE OFFICERS TO ASSIST THIS ANIMAL. 
          I'M NOT SURE WHERE THE MISCOMMUNICATION IS, BUT I'M ASKING YOU TO SPEAK WITH YOUR COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO APPOINTED YOU, OR, UM, COUNTY COMMISSIONER WHO APPOINTED YOU, OR COUNTY JUDGE WHO APPOINTED YOU. 
          AND LOOK INTO THAT. 
          THIS, THERE'S A GRAPHIC IMAGE COMING, SO PLEASE CLOSE YOUR EYES IF Y'ALL, IF THIS IS TOO SENSITIVE FOR YOU AND THIS IS NOT WORKING, THAT'S OKAY. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, THIS IMAGE IS AN IMAGE OF A DOG THAT WAS ROAMING, WAS TAKEN DOWN TO CENTRAL TEXAS VETERINARIAN SPECIALTY HOSPITAL. 
          THEY WERE TURNED AWAY. 
          THE DOG WAS HIT BY A CAR, AND, UM, JACK JACKS PACK ENDED UP SCOOPING THIS DOG UP, PAID FOR TREATMENT. 
          THE DOG ENDED UP DYING AT THE END OF THE DAY. 
          UM, THE DOG HAS A HISTORY OF ROAMING, AND THERE WERE NO CITATIONS GIVEN. 
          THIS IS A RAINBOW ALERT BECAUSE THIS DOG WAS EARLIER POSTED ON AUSTIN, LOST AND FOUND. 
          3 1 1 WAS CALLED 72 HOURS, WAS THE RESPONSE TIME GIVEN. 
          AND LATER ON THIS DOG WAS HIT BY A CAR. 
          THIS IS A TEXT MESSAGE BETWEEN OFFICER FIGUEROA AND SOMEBODY WHO REPORTED A MAMA DOG WITH PUPPIES NEAR A ROAD. 
          YOU CAN QUICKLY SKIM THIS, BUT THE OFFICER ADVISED THE PERSON WHO FOUND THE MAMA DOG IN THE PUPPIES, THAT IF SHE CAN'T HOLD ONTO THESE DOGS OR THIS DOG AND THESE PUPPIES, TO BRING THEM BACK WHERE SHE FOUND THEM. 
          AND WHEN SHE SAID, UM, THEY WILL DIE IF I DROP THEM OFF WHERE THEY WERE, SHE SAYS, THEY KNOW WHERE THE RESOURCES ARE, WHERE THEY WERE, AND MORE OFTEN THAN NOT, LIVES, NEAR LIVES NEARBY WHERE THEY WERE FOUND, WHICH IS UNACCEPTABLE. 
          THIS IS A POST THAT I THINK IS RELEVANT. 
          THIS IS POSTED BY, UM, A COUNTY IN TEXAS REGARDING THEIR OWN, UM, ANIMAL CONTROL AND OTHER PEOPLE'S ANIMAL CONTROL AS WELL. 
          SO, A SUMMARY OF THIS IS THEY WERE SAYING, YES, WE ARE OVERWHELMED, WE'RE OVER CAPACITY, BUT OUR JOB IS TO GO AHEAD AND INTAKE NO MATTER WHAT. 
          WE TAKE DOGS IN, WE SERVE THE PUBLIC, WE TAKE THEM IN. 
          AND THAT'S WHAT I HOPE THAT WE CAN DO AT A A C AS WELL. 
          FINALLY, THIS IS FROM THE LAREDO SHELTER. 
          IT'S A PUBLIC INFORMATION REQUEST WHERE RECORDS WERE RECEIVED. 
          THIS IS WHEN, UH, AUSTIN PETS ALIVE HANDLED IT. 
          UM, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE LAREDO RECORDS WHERE ANIMALS WERE LEFT WITH BROKEN JAWS AND LACERATIONS SITTING IN KENNELS. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UM, NEXT 
          [00:05:01]
WE HAVE A REMOTE SPEAKER, UM, SUSAN MUELLER. 
          UH, THIS IS, THIS IS SANDRA MULLER. 
          CAN YOU HEAR ME? SANDRA MULLER? YES, WE CAN HEAR YOU. 
          HI. 
          UH, YEAH. 
          SO HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYBODY. 
          UM, THANK YOU ROBIN, FOR THAT PRESENTATION AND GOOD EVENING COMMISSION. 
          I'M A FORMER VOLUNTEER FOR BOTH A PA AND A A C, AND I AM JUST CALLING IN TONIGHT TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE FOOD FOR THOUGHT REGARDING QUOTE UNQUOTE NO KILL. 
          UH, SIMPLE GOOGLE SEARCH WILL SHOW THAT OFTEN ATLANTA AND LA ARE EXAMPLE OF SEVERE OVERCROWDING AFTER NO KILL WAS IMPLEMENTED. 
          IT'S BEEN OVER A DECADE OF NO KILL IN AUSTIN, AND IT HAS PROVEN TO BE A FAILURE WHERE THE MUNICIPAL SHELTER HAS CLOSED INTAKE AND NO EMERGENCY OVERNIGHT DEBT SERVICES. 
          A MUNICIPAL SHELTER SHOULD NEVER, EVER CLOSE INTAKE A LFP, JACK JACKS PACK AND OTHER RESCUES EXIST BECAUSE NO KILL ISN'T WORKING. 
          NO KILL'S NAME ALONE IS DECEITFUL AND CONFUSES THE PUBLIC. 
          NOBODY REALLY KNOWS IT'S 90%. 
          NO KILL CAUSES MANAGED INTAKE. 
          NOKI NEVER ADDRESSES THE UNDERLYING PROBLEMS. NOKI HAS CREATED SPACE STAFFING AND BUDGET SHORTAGES, WHICH EXACERBATE BEHAVIORAL ISSUES. 
          AND ALL VOLUNTEERS NOTED. 
          A MUNICIPAL SHELTER DOES NOT HAVE THE LUXURY OF TIME BASED TRAINING DRUG AND THE MONEY IT COST TO REHAB BEHAVIOR DOG. 
          IT PUTS STAFF, VOLUNTEERS, AND THE PUBLIC AT RISK AND SAFETY IS THE CITY'S RESPONSIBILITY. 
          MOST PEOPLE ARE NOT ADOPTING PROJECT DOGS. 
          THEY WANT A FAMILY DOG THAT DOESN'T REQUIRE EXTRA INSURANCE. 
          THAT'RE GONNA TAKE IT TO THE, THE WALKS IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD, GO TO THE DOG PARK, THEN HE COULD GO TO THE VET AND SOMETIMES PAY MORE TO GO ON VACATION AND LEAVE IT WITH A SITTER. 
          SO, OF COURSE, IT'S COMPLICATED. 
          WE HAVE BEEN COMPLAINING ABOUT ANIMAL SERVICES FOR YEARS. 
          I HEAR A LOT OF COMPLAINING THAT INTAKE IS CLOSED, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, THERE'S COMPLAINING WHENEVER ANY DOG IS ON THE EUTHANASIA LIST. 
          THERE'S ALSO A LOT OF CHATTER ABOUT A A S THIS HUGE BUDGET. 
          BUT A PA BRINGS IN MORE THEIR TAX RETURNS FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS ARE 25 AND $27 MILLION, AND THEY'RE HELPING A A S LESS AND LESS. 
          MS. DANGLER IS DONE THROUGH THE NEW CHIEF ANIMAL SERVICES OFFICER. 
          SHE'S A FORMER A PA EMPLOYEE. 
          AND, UM, I'D LIKE TO SEE IN THE NAME OF TRANSPARENCY AND THAT A, A S REPORT ON THE NUMBER OF ANIMALS TURNED AWAY FROM THE PRC. 
          AND EVERY SINGLE TIME 3 1 1 TELLS CITIZENS TO PUT AN ANIMAL BACK ON THE STREET. 
          AND LAWSUIT WILL EVENTUALLY CHOOSE COMPASSION OVER CAPACITY AND CONSIDER LOW CHILL MARK OR SOCIALLY CONSCIOUS SHELTERING. 
          AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND YOUR CONSIDERATION ON THIS. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
          NEXT WE HAVE ROCHELLE VICKERY. 
           MY NAME IS ROCHELLE VICKERY AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD IS GOOD. 
          WE GOT A NEW YEAR AND WE'RE GONNA START, START OFF GOOD. 
          UH, I WANNA THANK MR. ROLANDO FOR HELPING THE VETERANS, GETTING THE ANIMALS. 
          THINK OF THIS. 
          WE'RE NOT ONLY HELPING THE FOUR LEGGEDS, WE'RE HELPING THE TWO LEGGEDS. 
          AND THAT'S THE WAY I LOOK AT IT. 
          AND I HOPE THE NEW PERSON THAT'S COMING IN THERE WILL DO THAT, YOU KNOW, AND KEEP PROMOTING THAT BECAUSE I WAS MARRIED TO A MAN 12 YEARS IN THE MILITARY. 
          SO I KNOW THE, THE VETERANS DO HAVE A ROUGH TIME AND THEY'RE SEPARATED FROM THEIR FAMILIES AND THEY'VE SEEN THINGS THAT WE HAVEN'T SEEN, AND THEY NEED OUR HELP AND OUR COMPASSION. 
          AND I JUST, YOU KNOW, I WANT OUR SHELTER TO HELP OUR ANIMALS. 
          AND I'M SORRY YOU'RE LEAVING, BUT I, IT WAS NICE KNOWING YOU AND I JUST, YOU KNOW, HOPE THIS NEW PERSON KEEPS US GOING AND I HOPE Y'ALL PUSH IT TO GO. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
          AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE PAT, PAT BE CHASE REMOTE. 
          UH, I DON'T HAVE ANY MORE REMOTE SPEAKERS. 
          SHE'S NOT THERE. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          SO WE WILL MOVE ON, 
          [APPROVAL OF MINUTES  ]
UM, TO THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM THE DECEMBER MEETING. 
          DO WE HAVE, UM, A MOTION TO APPROVE VICE CHAIR LINDER? DO WE HAVE A SECOND? BEATIE? ANY DISCUSSION? I NOTICE THAT JOANNE NORTON WAS LISTED BOTH IN PRESENT AND REMOTE. 
          I DON'T THINK SHE DID THAT. 
           MAGIC. 
          YOU WERE HERE. 
          YES. 
          . 
          [00:10:01]
YES, SHE WAS HERE. 
          YEAH. 
          AND THAT'S ALL I HAD. 
          ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? ALL RIGHT, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF PASSING WITH THAT ONE? CHANGE UNANIMOUS. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          AND THEN, UM, AGENDA ITEM NUMBER 
          [2.  Staff briefing regarding monthly reports. Presentation by Rolando Fernandez, Interim Chief  Animal Services Officer, Austin Animal Services.]
TWO, UH, STAFF BRIEFING REGARDING MONTHLY REPORTS PRESENTED BY ROLANDO FERNANDEZ. 
          UM, INTERIM CHIEF ANIMAL SERVICES OFFICER, AND JASON GARZA. 
          GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS. 
          JASON GARZA WITH ANIMAL SERVICES. 
          UM, SO WE DID, JUST SO YOU'RE ALL AWARE AND YOU CAN SEE IT IN FRONT OF YOU, UM, WE DID CHANGE THE FORMAT A LITTLE BIT AGAIN, JUST TO SEE, OR, YOU KNOW, WE APPRECIATE ANY FEEDBACK, BUT WE'RE TRYING TO GIVE YOU ALL SO THE, SOMETHING THAT'S EASILY READ AND Y'ALL CAN DIGEST, UM, AND PROVIDE, UH, QUESTIONS. 
          SO ACTUALLY, WITH THIS PARTICULAR REPORTING, UM, WE ARE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND FOLLOW THE WAY IT'S LAID OUT IN THE, IN THE, UH, CITY CODE. 
          SO CHAPTER THREE DASH ONE DASH 27. 
          SO THE NUMBER OF IMPOUNDED ANIMALS. 
          FOR DECEMBER, WE HAD 644 ANIMALS THAT WERE ACTUALLY BROUGHT IN. 
          UM, OF THOSE 627 WERE COMPANION ANIMALS. 
          SO THE CATS AND DOGS. 
          UM, WE HAD 40 ANIMALS THAT WERE EUTHANIZED. 
          THIS INCLUDES WILDLIFE, UH, AS WELL AS COMPANION ANIMALS. 
          AND THE BREAKDOWN REASONING IS LISTED THERE MAINLY FOR SUFFERING AND INJURED. 
          UM, WE HAD, UH, A 94.98% LIVE OUTCOME RATE. 
          FOR DECEMBER. 
          WE HAD, UH, 389 ANIMALS THAT WERE ADOPTED FROM THE CENTER, UM, WITH, AND WE DID SEE 68 ANIMALS THAT WERE RECLAIMED FROM HOUSE AND ANIMAL CENTER. 
          UM, ON TOP OF THAT, WE DID HAVE 22 ANIMALS THAT RETURNED, UH, BY OUR ANIMAL PROTECTION OFFICERS IN THE FIELD. 
          SO OVERALL, ABOUT 90 ANIMALS. 
          UM, WITHIN OUR FOSTER CARE SYSTEM, WE HAD 301 DIFFERENT FAMILIES. 
          FOSTER FOR US. 
          AS OF JANUARY 8TH, THEY WERE 208, UH, 212 ANIMALS, EXCUSE ME, UH, THAT WERE IN FOSTER CARE. 
          UM, IN THE MONTH OF DECEMBER, WE HAD 21 ANIMALS THAT WERE PART OF OUR FINDER TO FOSTER PROGRAM. 
          WE HAD, UH, 103 NEW FOSTER APPLICATIONS THAT WERE PROCESSED. 
          AND RIGHT NOW, WE CURRENTLY HAVE 1300 MEMBERS IN OUR GIFT PULSE SYSTEM, UH, THAT ARE APPROVED FOSTERS. 
          UM, WE, UH, ADMINISTERED ALMOST 1600, UH, VACCINATIONS IN THE MONTH OF DECEMBER. 
          UM, SINCE OCTOBER OF 2025. 
          UH, WE'VE PAID A LITTLE BIT OVER $10,000 TO OUR EMERGENCY, UH, UH, PARTNER SERVICES, UH, PARTNER. 
          UM, WE HAVEN'T YET RECEIVED DECEMBER, SO WE'LL UPDATE THAT. 
          WE'RE USUALLY A MONTH BEHIND, UH, FOR, UH, AND SO WE'LL, UH, INCLUDE THAT NUMBER NEXT MONTH. 
          UM, WE HAD, UH, 393 ANIMALS THAT WERE SPAYED OR NEUTERED AT THE, AT THE, UH, AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER. 
          WE HAVEN'T YET RECEIVED, UH, INVOICES FOR FROM EMANCIPATE, 'CAUSE THIS ALSO INCLUDES THIRD PARTY CONTRACTS. 
          UM, WE HAD ABOUT A, UM, I REMEMBER IT WASN'T  AND I DIDN'T BRING MY NOTES ABOUT 140 ANIMALS THAT WENT THROUGH OUR, OUR T-N-R-S-N-R, OUR TNR AND SNR. 
          UM, WE HAD 23 ANIMALS THAT DIED IN THE SHELTER. 
          UM, THIS INCLUDES, UH, WILDLIFE AS WELL. 
          WE HAD 17 DIFFERENT RESCUE PARTNERS PULL A TOTAL 205, UH, ANIMALS FROM AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER. 
          UM, OF THOSE 205 89 WERE TRANSFERRED FOR MEDICAL REASONS. 
          AND OF, OF THESE 75 WENT TO, UH, AUSTIN PETAL LIFE. 
          UH, WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY REPORTED LOSS STOLEN OR MISSING ANIMALS AT DECEMBER. 
          UM, UH, THERE WERE 37 CATS THAT WERE TRANSFERRED FROM, UH, A, A, UH, FROM AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER TO THE HUMANE SOCIETY AS PART OF OUR SHELTER NEUTER RETURN. 
          AND 123 CATS WERE TRANSFERRED THROUGH THE TNR PROGRAM. 
          SO MY MATH WAS ONE 60, I'M SORRY. 
          AND THEN, UH, AS FAR AS INTACCT ANIMALS THAT WERE ADOPTED OR RETURNED TO OWNER, WE DID HAVE FOUR ANIMALS THAT WERE ADOPTED INTACCT. 
          BUT ALL THE ADOPTERS HAVE AGREED TO A SPAY NEW AGREEMENT. 
          UM, SOME OTHER ADDITIONAL NUMBERS JUST FOR Y'ALL'S CONSIDERATION. 
          UH, WE DID HAVE, UH, OUR APOS DID SUBMIT 15 SPECIMENS FOR RABIES TESTING. 
          WE DID HAVE ONE POSITIVE BAT AND ONE BAT. 
          THAT WAS TWO DECOMPOSED. 
          UM, WE DID ALL HANDOUT SEVEN, UH, FENCING, ASSISTANT APPLICATIONS, AND IMPLANTED SIX MICROCHIPS OUT IN THE FIELD. 
          OUR VOLUNTEER PROGRAM, UM, VOLUNTEERS CAME OUT FOR US. 
          AGAIN, WE HAD, UH, 4,900 HOURS CONTRIBUTE TO US WITH 640 OF THOSE GOING TO OUR, UH, CAT TRAPPER PROGRAM. 
          UM, WE DID INTRODUCE 62 POTENTIAL NEW VOLUNTEERS INTO THE SHELTER. 
          UM, AND WE HAD 26 INDIVIDUALS DO DONATE, UH, 52 HOURS FOR, UH, OUR GROUP SERVICE. 
          UM, MARKETING WISE, WE, UH, WE'RE STILL STEADY AND STRONG WITHIN OUR FACEBOOK. 
          WE DID GET 1.1 MILLION PAGE VIEWS. 
          AND, UH, ON INSTAGRAM WE SAW OVER 600,000 PAGE VIEWS ON OUR, ON OUR, UH, PAGES SOCIAL MEDIA SITES DURING THE MONTH OF DECEMBER. 
          SO THAT'S A QUICK OVERVIEW. 
          I'LL BE, I'LL BE HAPPY TO UNDERSTAND ANY QUESTIONS? ALRIGHT. 
          I'LL ADD SOMETHING REALLY QUICKLY JUST BECAUSE IT'S ON THE, UH, UH, DATE OF REPORTING REGARDING OUR, UM, 
          [00:15:02]
EMERGENCY SERVICES, UH, UH, SCOPE OF WORK WHERE, UM, IF YOU ALL RECALL, UH, LAST MONTH WE TALKED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE NEW, THE PROGRAM THAT WE DID HAVE FOR, UM, UH, GAS SAMARITANS, FINDING ANIMALS IN THE COMMUNITY AND TAKING THEM TO OUR CALLING 3 0 1, ASKING FOR ONE OF OUR APOS TO PICK UP THE ANIMAL. 
          UH, WE DID CONFIRM THROUGH THE BUDGET PROCESS THAT WE WERE ALLOCATED AN ADDITIONAL A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS. 
          SO WE HAVE $200,000 THAT WE NOW HAVE SET ASIDE, UH, FOR THIS WORK. 
          AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE COMMUNICATED TO, UH, SOME OF THE COUNCIL STAFF WAS THAT WE WERE GONNA ALLOW, UM, GOOD SAMARITANS TO NOW ACTUALLY TRANSPORT THE ANIMAL TO, UH, THE EC EMERGENCY CARE CLINIC. 
          UH, AND, UH, FOR JUST, UH, TRIAGE, UH, PAIN MANAGEMENT. 
          UM, IF THEY ARE ABLE TO, UH, TAKE CARE OF THE ANIMAL OVERNIGHT, THEY CAN DO THAT. 
          AND THEN COME AND SURRENDER THE ANIMAL TO THE SHELTER SO THAT WE CAN SAVE SOME MONIES AND, AND NOT PAY FOR THE AT, UH, AFTER HOUR CARE, OVERNIGHT CARE THAT WE HAVE TO PAY FOR. 
          UM, SO THAT WE CAN EXTEND OUR BUDGET FOR ACTUAL MEDICAL CARE, UH, FOR THE, FOR THE DOGS AND CATS THAT GO THROUGH THAT. 
          SO I JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON THAT CHANGE. 
          UH, WE COMMUNICATED THAT TO THE CLINIC. 
          WE COMMUNICATED THAT THROUGH OUR 3 1 1 AND OUR STAFF. 
          UM, WE'RE STILL, UH, IN THE COMPETITIVE PROCESS TO SELECT THE NEW VENDOR, UH, FOR THIS CONTRACT. 
          SINCE WE DON'T HAVE A VENDOR ON THE CONTRACT, IT'S JUST WE'VE BEEN RELYING ON THAT EC UH, UH, SCOPE OF WORK WITHOUT A, A CONTRACT. 
          SO I JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON THAT EFFORT. 
          SO $200,000 FOLKS CAN NOW TAKE THE ANIMAL THEMSELVES IF THEY'RE ABLE TO, THEY CAN TAKE THE ANIMAL HOME WITH THEM AND THEN SURRENDER THE NEXT DAY TO THE SHELTER TO SAVE SOME MONEY. 
          BUT IF NOT, WE'LL COVER THAT COST. 
          AND THEN THE NEXT MORNING, UH, OUR APOS WOULD PICK UP THE ANIMAL AND BRING 'EM OVER TO THE SHELTER, UH, FOR THAT PROCESS. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT CLARIFICATION. 
          YOU, UH, COMMISSIONER ES. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UM, THANK YOU FOR THAT, THAT UPDATE. 
          UH, ENTERING CHIEF ROLANDO. 
          UM, JUST LOOKING AT THE REPORT, UM, STATISTICAL REPORT, IT, I, I SEE FOR DECEMBER, HUGE CHANGES FROM MONTH, YOU KNOW, THE PREVIOUS YEAR, THE PAST THREE YEARS. 
          FOR EXAMPLE, IF INTAKE IT, IT WENT FROM 6 44, IT WAS 8 14, 814 IN 2024. 
          AND THIS DECEMBER IT WAS 6 44 ADOPTIONS, UH, DECEMBER 2 25, 3 89. 
          389. 
          IN, IN 20 24, 6, 6 8, WHAT WAS GOING ON? WHY AT THE BIG SHIFT? SO, UH, DURING THE, DURING LAST MONTH, WE DID SEE A, A, UM, A VIRUS THAT CANINE MANURE VIRUS. 
          I KNOW I MURDERED THAT, UM, YEAH, VIRUS. 
          YEAH. 
          SO, UM, WITH THAT, YOU KNOW, WE DID SEE IT'S A, YOU KNOW, CONTAGIOUS DISEASE. 
          AND SO WITH THAT, WE ENDED UP PUTTING SOME PARAMETERS WITHIN WHAT, WITHIN DOG ADOPTIONS. 
          UM, SO AT FIRST WHEN WE FIRST SAW THE VIRUS, YOU KNOW, UH, IT WAS, WE ENDED UP JUST LIMITING ADOPTIONS TO, AND FOSTERS TO HOMES THAT DIDN'T HAVE ANY DOGS ALREADY LIVING IN THERE, JUST TO SORT OF MITIGATE ANY ADDITIONAL SPREAD AND IT GOING TO ADDITIONAL PETS. 
          UM, SO YEAH, WE, THAT CONTRIBUTED I THINK, A LOT TO, TO OUR OVERALL LOWER NUMBER OF ADOPTIONS. 
          I, YOU KNOW, I THINK IN MY TIME TENURE HERE, I'VE NEVER SEEN A MONTH WHERE WE HAD LESS THAN A HUNDRED ADOPTIONS FOR DOGS. 
          AND WE, I THINK WE HAD 88 FOR, FOR DECEMBER. 
          UM, SINCE THEN IT HAS GOTTEN BETTER. 
          WE HAVE RESTRICTED, WE WERE ABLE TO, UH, RESTRICT OUR, LIFT THOSE RESTRICTIONS, AND WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO FOSTER AND ADOPT DOGS. 
          SO HOPEFULLY WE'LL SEE A GOOD BOUNCE BACK. 
          AND DURING THIS, UH, UH, UPCOMING MONTH, IF I CAN ADD TO THAT, I BELIEVE THAT PRIOR TO, UH, DECEMBER 13, WE WERE AT ABOUT 45 ADOPTIONS. 
          AND THEN AFTER THAT, WE SLOWED DOWN TREMENDOUSLY, I THINK 17 OR 18, UH, THAT WE HAD. 
          SO, UH, THAT, UM, ACTION WHERE WE DIDN'T ALLOW ADOPTIONS TO TAKE PLACE WHERE SOMEBODY ALREADY HAD A DOG AT HOME, SO THAT WE DON'T SPREAD THAT, UH, VIR WAS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE LIMITED, UM, BASED ON THE RECOMMENDATION OF OUR, OF OUR VETERINARIANS, UH, IN HOUSE. 
          THE OTHER THING THAT WE CHANGED AS WELL WAS LIMIT THE INTERACTION THAT FOLKS WOULD HAVE COMING INTO THE SHELTER. 
          SO TYPICALLY, YOU COME INTO THE SHELTER, YOU SEE A DOG ONLINE OR MULTIPLE, AND THEN YOU CAN GO, YOU CAN ROAM AROUND THE SHELTER AND INTERACT WITH AS MANY AS YOU WANT. 
          UH, AND SO WE LIMITED THAT, AND SO FOLKS WOULD BE ABLE TO JUST FOCUS ON THE INTERNET, UM, YOU KNOW, SEARCH. 
          AND THEN IF THEY SAW ONE, THEN WE WOULD MANAGE THAT INTERACTION. 
          AND SO WE OPENED THAT UP A LITTLE BIT MORE. 
          UH, AND, UH, HOPEFULLY, UM, LATER THIS WEEK WE'LL OPEN UP EVEN FURTHER, UM, IF OUR NUMBERS CONTINUE TO GO IN A POSITIVE MANNER. 
          SO I THINK THAT, OBVIOUSLY BASED ON OUR DATA, UM, WAS THE INFLUENCING FACTOR REGARDING THE LOW TURNOUT ADOPTIONS IN FOSTERING. 
          SO DO YOU, DO YOU THINK, I, I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN TELL RIGHT NOW, BECAUSE 
          [00:20:01]
WE ARE, WHAT, UH, JANUARY 12TH, DO YOU FEEL THAT, UH, HOW THINGS ARE PROGRESSING OR GETTING BETTER THAT YOU, YOU'LL BE BACK TO NORMAL BY THE END OF JANUARY? THAT'S THE CONVERSATION THAT WE HAVE, WE'RE HAVING INTERNALLY IN TERMS OF WHAT THE NEW NORMAL IS. 
          YOU KNOW, WE, WE HAVE, UM, YOU KNOW, FIVE AMAZING VETS THAT, UM, AND THEN ALSO, UH, TEMPORARY VETS THAT SUPPORT OUR SERVICES. 
          UM, ONE OF OUR VETERINARIANS HAS BEEN IN A SHELTER, UH, AND ACTUALLY TWO SHELTERS WHERE PNEUMO VIRUS WAS, UH, UH, A FACTOR IN THAT SHELTER. 
          AND SO, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'VE BEEN LEARNING IS THAT ONCE YOU GO THROUGH THIS EXPERIENCE, IT'S MORE LIKELY THAT YOU'RE ABLE TO GO THROUGH IT AGAIN, BECAUSE YOU REALLY NEVER GET RID OF IT. 
          IT'S KIND OF THAT, WHAT WE'VE BEEN LEARNING AND TALKING ABOUT. 
          AND SO WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT WHAT THE NEW NORMAL IS, AND CERTAINLY THE NEW DIRECTOR WILL HAVE AN INFLUENCE ON WHAT THAT IS. 
          BUT I THINK, UM, THE ENGAGEMENT THAT WE'RE SEEING LATELY AT THE SHELTER, LIKE, YOU KNOW, WHEN I LEFT TODAY, UH, OVER HERE, I MEAN, I SAW MORE PEOPLE THERE, RIGHT? SO WE'RE STARTING TO SEE MORE PEOPLE THERE. 
          I THINK THE HOLIDAYS PERHAPS ALSO INFLUENCE THAT QUITE A BIT. 
          UM, BUT I THINK CERTAINLY, UH, WE'LL SEE OUR NUMBERS GO BACK UP, BUT WE MAY WANNA JUST LOOK AT HOW WE MANAGE SORT OF, YOU KNOW, DISEASE, DISEASE SPREAD IN, IN OUR SHELTER, UM, DIFFERENTLY BECAUSE IT'S HARD TO DO THAT, UH, WHEN YOU'RE AT, YOU KNOW, OVER CAPACITY. 
          WHEN I SAY OVER CAPACITY MEANS EVERYTHING IS FULL IN THE BACK, ALL THE PROPER KENNELS, SOME OF THEM HAVE DOUBLE, RIGHT? LET'S SAY 35 TO 40 OF THEM HAVE DOUBLE. 
          AND THEN THE HALLWAYS IS, THE HALLWAYS IN THE BACK OF THE HOUSE ARE, YOU KNOW, I THINK THIS MORNING WE HAD NINE, SO NINE DOGS AND KENNELS IN THE HALLWAY, AND THEN WE WERE OPERATING IN A MULTIPURPOSE ROOM. 
          WE'RE NOT THERE, AND I DON'T WANT TO BE THERE AGAIN. 
          BUT, YOU KNOW, WE WERE HAVING ANYWHERE FROM 10 TO $17 IN THE MULTIPURPOSE, UH, MULTIPURPOSE ROOM. 
          SO, UM, WE WANNA LOOK AT HOW WE MANAGE THAT BETTER, UM, INCREASE OUR SOCIAL MEDIA, UH, ENGAGEMENT, OUR PLAN, AND DO A LOT OF DIFFERENT CREATIVE PROGRAMS SO THAT WE CAN GET OUR ANIMALS OUT. 
          UH, AND THEN GO BACK TO NOT JUST THE SAME BUT GREATER NUMBERS OF ADOPTIONS, RIGHT? THAT'S THE GOAL. 
          UM, SO ONE LAST QUESTION. 
          I I, I DON'T EXPECT THAT YOU'LL KNOW, BUT, OR MAYBE YOU ALREADY STARTED, UH, UM, LESSONS LEARNED FROM THIS, HOW TO HANDLE IN THE FUTURE. 
          YEAH, WE, WE STARTED THAT, UH, I MEAN, WE IMPLEMENTED A DAILY EMERGENCY MEETING, UM, RIGHT AFTER, UH, THE VETS CAME IN AND TALKED TO US ABOUT THE CONCERNS REGARDING THE NUMBER OF SICK ANIMALS ABOVE AND BEYOND YOUR, YOUR TRADITIONAL UPPER RESPIRATORY INFECTION. 
          AND SO I ACTUALLY, I THINK ON FRIDAY, UH, LAST WEEK, FRIDAY NIGHT, LAST NIGHT, UH, LAST FRIDAY NIGHT, I STOPPED THEM, YOU KNOW, EVERY DAY, UM, MEETINGS, RIGHT? SO LIKE EVERY LESS FREQUENT, YOU KNOW, JUST BECAUSE WHERE, WHERE WE'RE AT. 
          UM, BUT I STILL MEET REGULARLY WITH THE BATS. 
          AND, UM, SO YEAH, THERE'S LESSONS LEARNED, BUT WE'VE BEEN LEARNING AS WE'VE BEEN GOING THROUGH THIS, THIS EXERCISE AND, AND TRYING TO, UM, KEEP IT IN FRONT OF OUR STAFF, BUT ALSO KEEP IN FRONT OF THE VOLUNTEERS. 
          WE HOSTED, YOU KNOW, WEEKLY, UM, YOU KNOW, VIRTUAL MEETINGS WITH OUR, YOU KNOW, WITH OUR VOLUNTEERS IN PERSON MEETINGS WITH OUR, AND VIRTUAL, WITH OUR STAFF, RIGHT? AND DAILY LEADERSHIP MEETINGS. 
          UM, NOT JUST LIKE YOUR, OUR, OUR STANDARD LEADERSHIP TEAM, BUT SUPERVISORS AS WELL AND, AND LEAD SO THAT WE CAN, YOU KNOW, JUST MANAGE OUR OPERATIONS AND, AND THEN TRY TO COME OUT OF THIS SITUATION AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE, RIGHT? BUT THEN, OKAY, WHAT DO WE DO DIFFERENTLY? UM, AND THEN HOW DO WE NOT GET THERE AGAIN? OR IF WE GET THERE AGAIN, HOW DO WE GET, COME OUT OF IT A LITTLE BIT EASIER, FASTER, RIGHT? LIKE, THAT'S, THAT'S GONNA BE THE GOAL FOR US. 
          SO DO, DO YOU PLAN TO SUBMIT AN ACTION REPORT POLISH, LIKE THEY DO? I THINK WE'LL HAVE ONE INTERNALLY. 
          WE'LL, WE'LL KIND OF RECAP. 
          WE ALREADY STARTED, YEAH. 
          YES. 
          I MEAN, WE'LL HAVE SOMETHING. 
          YEAH. 
          I'M GONNA STOP HERE. 
          IT, IT WOULD BE GOOD IF YOU COULD SHARE WITH, WITH, WITH THE COMMUNITY. 
          I THINK WE'LL THAT OVER TO THE NEW COMMISSION. 
          YES. 
          THANK YOU. 
          BE COMMISSIONER LEMAN. 
          DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY CASES OF, UH, CONFIRMED PNEUMO VIRUS YOU HAD IN THE SHELTER? FOUR. 
          FOUR POSITIVE TESTS. 
          FOUR, LIKE ACTUAL CONFIRMED TESTS THAT, UM, CAME BACK FROM THE LAB, UM, WITH THAT. 
          UM, SO, OKAY. 
          NORTON. 
          OOPS. 
          COMMISSIONER NORTON. 
          UM, OH, UM, HI. 
          UM, FIRST THANK YOU FOR THE REPORT FORMAT. 
          IT'S GREAT. 
          AND FOR FOLLOWING THE ORDINANCE, I THINK IT'S REALLY GOOD. 
          UM, FOR THE, UM, AND FOR ACTING SO QUICKLY ON THE VIRUS. 
          I KNOW IT WAS PAINFUL, BUT, UM, THANK YOU FOR DOING IT. 
          UM, REGARDING THE EMERGENCY CENTER, UM, MAYBE I MISSED THIS. 
          IS THERE A SPECIFIC EMERGENCY CLINIC THAT THEY CAN GO TO OR 
          [00:25:01]
ANY OF THE EMERGENCY CLINICS? 'CAUSE THERE'S A WHOLE BUNCH OF THEM. 
          THE SOUTH, NO, UH, LAMAR, SO RIGHT NOW IT'S CENTRAL TEXAS OFF, SO OFF SOUTH LAMAR, YES. 
          BUT RIGHT NOW, WHEN WE'RE GOING THROUGH THE COMPETITIVE PROCESS, WHATEVER HAPPENED, WE'LL IDENTIFY WHO, WHO THE NEXT CONTRACTOR VENDOR WOULD BE. 
          OKAY. 
          SO IT'S THE ONE ON, ON OFF. 
          YEAH. 
          IT'S LIKE CENTRAL MARKET. 
          SOMETIMES PEOPLE CONTACT ME, SO. 
          OKAY. 
          THAT ONE. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          SO WHERE DID YOU SAY, I'M SORRY, THE, THE ADDRESS IS, I DON'T HAVE THE ADDRESS. 
          I CAN IT UP. 
          IT'S, UM, IT, IT'S NEAR, IT'S BY THE CENTRAL MARKET, BY CAS THAT, THAT LOCATION. 
          , IF YOU COULD WALK THERE. 
          COMMISSIONER FERGUSON. 
          HELLO. 
          YES. 
          IT'S OFF FRONTIER TRAILS, UM, IN, IN SOUTH AUSTIN. 
          UM, AND I WAS REALLY HAPPY TO HEAR ABOUT THOSE ADDITIONAL FUNDS FOR THE EMERGENCY SERVICES, UM, BECAUSE AS WE'VE SEEN, THIS IS REALLY CRITICAL, UM, YOU KNOW, TO HELP THE COMMUNITY AND FINDERS. 
          UM, WHAT, IS THERE A CRITERIA THAT 3 1 1 WAS GIVEN, UM, YOU KNOW, FOR THE, THE CRITICALITY OR THE LEVEL OF, OF SORT OF POTENTIAL EMERGENCY OR, UM, YOU KNOW, INJURY THAT, THAT THE, THE, UM, CLINIC WOULD ACCEPT. 
          AND THEN ALSO, UM, BECAUSE IT'S SUCH A LIMITED, I MEAN, IT'S GREAT LIKE THAT YOU GOT AN ADDITIONAL, YOU KNOW, ADDITIONAL FUNDING, 200,000. 
          UM, IS IT POSSIBLE TO KIND OF REPORT LIKE THE LEVEL THAT THAT, UM, FUNDING HAS BEEN, UM, UTILIZED? YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW, JUST, JUST FOR AWARENESS SO THAT FINDERS KNOW, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT THEY'RE KIND OF UP AGAINST IN THE, IN THE COMING MONTHS. 
          DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? YEAH. 
          UH, THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION. 
          SO I KNOW THAT WE'VE BURNED THROUGH THE PREVIOUS YEAR OVER $420,000, UM, IN THIS SCOPE OF WORK. 
          UM, THE, THE DIRECTION THAT WE'VE GIVEN THE EC THE EMERGENCY CARE CLINIC, UM, AND SURPRISINGLY 3 1 1 DIDN'T EVEN HAVE THIS IN THEIR SCRIPT, UH, REFERENCE TO, UH, CALL TAKERS TO GO THERE. 
          UM, BUT WHAT WE'VE, WHAT WE'VE TOLD OUR, OUR STAFF, THE EC CLINIC AND 3 1 1 IS THAT IT'S JUST TRIAGE AND PAIN MANAGEMENT. 
          UH, IN ORDER TO MANAGE THE INTAKE, RIGHT? AND THE CAPACITY THAT WE THINK WE'RE GONNA SEE, UM, DURING THE LIFE OF THIS, THIS, UM, THIS DURING THIS YEAR. 
          UM, IT IS OUR HOPE THAT WHEN WE SELECT A VENDOR, UM, BECAUSE WE'RE GONNA HAVE A CONTRACT IN PLACE THAT WILL PUT IN REPORTS, UM, AND MEASURES THAT WE WANT TO SEE COME OUT ON A MONTHLY BASIS. 
          LIKE EVEN RIGHT NOW, IT'S JUST DIFFICULT TO GET THE DATA BACK IN TERMS OF JUST THE INVOICING, RIGHT? SO AS JASON MENTIONED IN THIS NOTES, UM, WE HAVEN'T SEEN THE INVOICE FOR DECEMBER AND WE'RE, YOU KNOW, KIND OF TENDING TOWARDS THE MIDDLE OF JANUARY. 
          SO, AND IT'S A LOT OF FOLLOW UP FROM US TO GET THAT INFORMATION BACK. 
          AND SO WE'LL PUT ALL THAT IN THE NEW, UH, CONTRACT THAT WE GET FOR THIS SERVICE. 
          AND THEN THAT'LL MAKE A, YOU KNOW, THAT'LL PROVIDE US A LOT, SORT OF LIKE, WHAT ARE WE PAYING FOR? HOW MUCH ARE WE PAYING FOR THE NUMBER THAT WE'RE SEEING? YOU KNOW, CATS AND DOGS. 
          WE CAN GET THAT, BUT I'M SURE WE HAVE TO DECIPHER THROUGH A LOT OF, UH, INVOICES TO, UH, TO GET TO THAT NUMBER OR THAT, UH, BREAKDOWN. 
          AND SO WE'LL CERTAINLY CODIFY THAT BETTER, UH, AND REQUIRE THAT AS PART OF THE CONTRACT THAT WE PUT IN PLACE SO THAT WE CAN REALLY SEE WHAT THAT NUMBER LOOKS LIKE AND WHAT'S IT REALLY GOING FOR. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANKS. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UM, ANYBODY ELSE? UM, I, I, I ALSO WANNA THANK YOU FOR THIS NEW FORMAT OF, UM, THE DATA. 
          IT'S, UH, MUCH EASIER TO LOOK AT AND THE TABLES PROVIDE A LOT OF INFORMATION THAT I THINK IS VERY HELPFUL, SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT. 
          AND WHAT, SORRY, AFTER YOU'RE DONE. 
          YES. 
          UM, AND THEN, UM, MY ONE REQUEST WOULD BE ANY TIME THAT YOU SEPARATE OUT KITTEN FROM CAT OR PUPPY FROM DOG, COULD YOU JUST PUT WHAT CUTOFF YOU USED, LIKE IN EACH SPECIFIC INSTANCE WHERE YOU DID THAT? IF YOU JUST PUT AN AGE CUTOFF THAT YOU USED FOR THAT DATA, I THINK THAT WOULD, I THINK THAT WOULD FURTHER CLARIFY THINGS IN IMPORTANT WAY. 
          THANKS FOR THIS. 
          AND YEAH, AT ANYTIME YOU HAVE A SHELTER THAT'S OVERCROWDED, YOU ARE, YOU'RE GONNA GET A DISEASE OUTBREAK. 
          WE'VE SEEN IT BEFORE WITH, WITH DISTEMPER IN OUR OWN SHELTER. 
          AND YEAH, THAT'S, BUT THANK YOU FOR YOUR QUICK RESPONSE TO THAT AND FOR NOT JUST LETTING IT BLEED OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY BY DOING THE EASY THING OF NOT CHANGING MUCH. 
          I KNOW IT WAS REALLY HARD WHAT THE SHELTER DID, AND I WANNA COMMEND YOU ALL FOR DOING IT. 
          I, UNDER 
          [00:30:01]
, I NOTICED THAT YOU DIDN'T HAVE THAT REPORT. 
          THAT'S LIKE THE INVENTORY TOTAL YEAR TO DATE. 
          YEAH, I'LL HAVE TO SEND THAT SEPARATE. 
          I, UH, WE, I THOUGHT WE SENT IT OVER, UM, FOUR, FOUR, UH, OR UPLOAD, BUT I'LL CHECK WITH SADIE TOMORROW. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
          UM, SO MOVING ON 
          [3.  Presentation from Stephanie Bilbro, Director of Operations, Austin Pets Alive! regarding the  quarterly reports and an update on the Barn Cats Program.  ]
TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER THREE, DISCUSSION ITEM PRESENTATION FROM STEPHANIE BILBO, DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS AUSTIN PETZEL ALIVE REGARDING THE QUARTERLY REPORT AND AN UPDATE ON, ON THE BARN CATS. 
          I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'LL BE SOMEBODY SEPARATE CHAIRS, BUT WE, UH, I'LL GIVE THAT. 
          IS THERE ANY WAY TO HAVE THE ONLINE COMMISSIONERS THERE SO I CAN SEE IF THEY'RE RAISING THEIR HAND OR ANYTHING? THANK YOU. 
          ALRIGHT, WHENEVER YOU'RE READY. 
          SURE. 
          HI, UM, MY NAME IS STEPHANIE BILBOROUGH. 
          UM, I AM, UM, I BROUGHT MY COLLEAGUE MARA WITH ME. 
          I'LL LET HER INTRODUCE HERSELF AND RORY AS WELL. 
          THEY'RE BOTH WITH A PA. 
          UM, THIS WILL ACTUALLY BE MY LAST MEETING 'CAUSE I AM NO LONGER WITH A PA, UM, AS OF LAST WEEK. 
          SO, UM, I HAD OFFERED TO BE HERE AND DO THE HANDOFF. 
          UM, BUT THEY ARE LIKELY WHO YOU WILL BE SEEING GOING FORWARD. 
          SO GO AHEAD AND INTRODUCE YOURSELF AND WE'RE VERY GRATEFUL FOR STEPHANIE'S HELP. 
          UH, MY NAME IS MARA, QUALITY OF CARE DIRECTOR. 
          I'VE BEEN WITH A PA PRESS THE BUTTON, , GOTTA PULL IT CLOSER. 
          OKAY. 
          APOLOGIES. 
          MARA, QUALITY OF CARE DIRECTOR WITH A PA. 
          I'VE BEEN WITH A PA FOR ABOUT THREE AND A HALF YEARS. 
          I'M ALSO A FORMER MUNICIPAL SHELTER DIRECTOR, SO IT'S NICE TO BE IN A FAMILIAR SETTING. 
          AGAIN, , UH, RORY ADAMS. I'M THE DIRECTOR OF STRATEGIC CUSTOMER SERVICE OVER CARE, ADOPTION, PLACEMENT, ALL THINGS ON SITE, UM, AND FOSTER CARE, NEONATAL PROGRAMS, ET CETERA. 
          SO, UM, SO WE'LL BRIEFLY GO THROUGH THE REPORTS AND THEN RORY WILL BE SHARING THE PRESENTATION ABOUT BARN CATS. 
          SO, UM, WE'LL FOCUS ON DECEMBER, BUT WE DO HAVE ALL THREE OCTOBER, NOVEMBER, AND DECEMBER WITH US IF THERE ARE QUESTIONS ON THAT. 
          UM, SO IN DECEMBER WE TRANSFERRED 134 ANIMALS PER OUR, UM, AUDITED RECORDS. 
          SHORTLY BEFORE I LEFT, JASON AND I HAD STARTED TALKING ABOUT TRYING TO START COMPARING RECORDS. 
          UM, 'CAUSE THERE ARE OFTEN DATA ENTRY ERRORS ON BOTH ENDS. 
          AND SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT EVERYTHING'S MATCHING UP. 
          SO HOPEFULLY THAT'S A PROCESS THEY CAN FIGURE OUT GOING FORWARD. 
          UM, PART OF THAT INTAKE WAS 21 LARGE OR MEDIUM DOGS THAT WERE TAKEN IN TO HELP CREATE SPACE DURING THE PNEUMO VIRUS OUTBREAK. 
          UM, AND THEN WE ALSO TOOK IN 13 PETS DIRECTLY FROM WITHIN TRAVIS COUNTY, UM, THROUGH THE PAST PROGRAM. 
          SO THAT'S OUR, UM, LIKE COMMUNITY SUPPORT PROGRAM. 
          OBVIOUSLY WE TRIED TO NOT, THAT'S NOT INTENDED TO BE AN INTAKE PROGRAM. 
          IT'S INTENDED TO BE A PET OWNER SUPPORT PROGRAM, BUT SOMETIMES WE DO, UM, TAKE IN OWNER RENTERS THAT WAY. 
          UM, AND THEN YOU HAVE THE BREAKDOWN THERE OF OUR DIRECT TRANSFERS, UM, INCLUDING BY CAT AND DOG. 
          UM, AGAIN, TYPICALLY THE LARGEST, UH, BUCKETS THERE ARE THE MEDICAL CASES. 
          UM, SO THAT CONTINUES TO BE THE CASE. 
          UM, ON PAGE TWO, UM, YOU'LL SEE THE BREAKDOWN. 
          WE ARE AT, UM, 373 ANIMALS FOR THE FISCAL YEAR SO FAR. 
          THAT'S DIRECT TRANSFERS. 
          SO THAT'S ABOUT 27% OF OUR TOTAL ANNUAL GOAL. 
          UM, THAT'S PRETTY TYPICAL FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR. 
          WE WILL OBVIOUSLY SEE A BIG JUMP WHEN KITTEN SEASON STARTS. 
          UM, SO THAT WILL, UM, LIKELY START TO CLIMB HERE, UH, FAIRLY SOON, UNFORTUNATELY. 
          UM, AND THEN ALSO OUTCOMES OF ANIMALS WHO ORIGINATED FROM AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER. 
          UM, THE BREAKDOWN BY CATS AND DOGS THERE AS WELL. 
          UM, ON PAGE THREE, UM, THAT SHOWS THE IMPACT ON THE LIVE RELEASE RATE IN NOVEMBER, UM, AS WELL AS THE SURVIVAL RATE OF ALL OF THE MEDICAL CASES THAT WE TRANSFERRED OVER IN NOVEMBER, WHICH IS OVER 90%. 
          SO THAT'S THE, WE LOOK AT THE CURRENT STATUS OF THE ANIMAL 30 OR MORE DAYS AFTER THEY HAVE TRANSFERRED OVER TO A PA. 
          THAT'S WHAT THAT NUMBER LOOKS AT. 
          UM, AND THEN THE LAST PAGE THERE, WELL THE SECOND TO LAST PAGE THERE IS JUST OUR TOTAL ANIMAL MATRIX THAT'S ALL INTAKES, NOT JUST AUSTIN ANIMAL SERVICES. 
          UM, AND THEN THE VERY LAST PAGE IS JUST A QUICK SUMMARY OF THE QUARTER, UM, WHICH IS BASICALLY A SUMMARY OF THE NUMBERS THAT WE JUST DISCUSSED, BUT FOR THE ENTIRE QUARTER RATHER THAN JUST DECEMBER. 
          SO I DON'T NEED TO GO INTO DETAIL THERE. 
          UM, BUT WE'RE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS ON THIS 
          [00:35:01]
OR OCTOBER OR NOVEMBER IF THEY EXIST. 
          THANKS SO MUCH. 
          ANY QUESTIONS? GOOD. 
          OKAY. 
          ONLINE PEOPLE. 
          OH, I HAVE QUESTIONS. 
          OH, SURE. 
          UM, SO JUST TO CLEAR, THIS IS ALL FISCAL FISCAL YEAR? YES, WE, FOR THESE REPORTS, WE FOLLOW THE SAME FISCAL YEAR THAT, UM, AUSTIN ANIMAL SERVICES DOES. 
          GREAT. 
          AND THEN ON PAGE THREE, THE SURVIVAL RATES OF THE A A C MEDICAL TRANSFER PETS MM-HMM . 
          I NOTICED YOU HAVE GROUPED TOGETHER, ADOPTED AND TRANSFERRED OUT MM-HMM . 
          UM, AND I WAS CURIOUS WHERE THEY MIGHT BE TRANSFERRED OUT TO. 
          AND, AND WHAT I I, IT, IT SEEMS LIKE IT WOULD BE INTERESTING TO SEE THOSE SEPARATE, LIKE YEAH, THE, THE REASON THAT THEY HAVE BEEN COMBINED IS THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE TIME IT'S ALL ADOPTIONS. 
          VERY RARELY ARE THEY TRANSFERS. 
          UM, AND SO WE JUST KIND OF BUCKETED IT AS LIVE OUTCOMES. 
          THAT'S ALL. 
          THE LIVE OUTCOME TYPES WE HAVE IS ADOPTED AND TRANSFERRED OUT. 
          UM, VERY OCCASIONALLY, LIKE I THINK WE REPORTED FOR NOVEMBER, WE HAD A TRANSFER OF A BEHAVIOR DOG THAT WE SENT TO SANCTUARY. 
          SO SOMETIMES THERE ARE, THERE ARE VERY, VERY, VERY RARE CASES WHERE WE MIGHT TRANSFER AN ANIMAL OUT. 
          BUT THAT'S WHY WE DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY OF THESE 33 MEDICAL CASES WERE TRANSFERRED? UM, FOR THAT IT PROBABLY WOULD'VE BEEN ZERO BECAUSE IF THEY HAD BEEN TRANSFERRED OUT, THEY WOULD'VE SHOWN UP IN THE, UM, OUTCOME OF ANIMALS ORIGINALLY FROM AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER, WHICH DOES NOT HAVE FOR DECEMBER DOES NOT HAVE ANY TRANSFERS. 
          AND FOR NOVEMBER ONLY HAD THE ONE BEHAVIOR DOG. 
          OKAY. 
          SO THERE WOULD'VE BEEN ANOTHER COLUMN IF THERE WERE ANY TRANSFERS. 
          RIGHT. 
          SO IN THIS CHART, TRANSFER WILL BE ITS OWN CATEGORY? YES. 
          OKAY. 
          AND THEN OUTCOMES IN THE REPORTING MONTH. 
          OKAY. 
          BUT THAT WAS FOR DECEMBER. 
          SO, AND THE MEDICAL CASES ARE ALL FROM NOVEMBER. 
          THOSE WOULD'VE BEEN LIKE THE, THE MEDICAL CASES THAT CAME SOMETIME DURING THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER AND WHERE THEY WERE BY THE END OF DECEMBER WOULDN'T BE THIS OUTCOME. 
          THEY WOULD POTEN, THEY WOULD'VE BEEN IN THE DECEMBER OUTCOMES. 
          OKAY. 
          AND THEN, UM, AND SO IF THEY'RE ADOPTED OR TRANSFERRED OUT, THAT'S JUST, THAT'S JUST, THEY'RE CONSIDERED LIVE OUTCOME WHENEVER THAT HAPPENED, EVEN IF IT WAS TWO DAYS AFTER THEY CAME IN. 
          RIGHT. 
          SO YOU DON'T NECESSARILY KNOW HOW EVERY ANIMAL IS DOING ON JANUARY 7TH. 
          ONLY THE ONES STILL IN YOUR CARE. 
          ONLY THE ONES STILL IN OUR CARE. 
          RIGHT. 
          I MEAN, UNLESS WE KNOW OTHERWISE WE ASSUME THEY'RE OKAY. 
          HEALTHY AND HOME. 
          YES. 
          SO FOR THOSE 28, YOU KNOW HOW THEY'RE DOING. 
          OKAY. 
          AND THEN, UM, FOR IN YOUR, UM, A PA ANIMAL MATRIX AND LIVE RELEASE RATE FOR ALL ANIMALS ON PAGE FOUR MM-HMM . 
          SO FOR YOUR LIVE INTAKE, YOU HAVE RELINQUISHED BY OWNER AND I ASSUME THAT INCLUDES OWNER RETURN, LIKE ADOPTED FROM A PA AND RETURN? YES. 
          OKAY. 
          DO YOU KNOW LIKE WHAT PERCENTAGE OF THOSE ARE THOSE ALL OWNER RETURN? THERE'S GONNA BE A VERY SMALL NUMBER OF OWNER SURRENDERS, UM, BASED ON OUR PAST PROGRAM, BUT MOST OF THEM ARE GONNA BE RETURNED ADOPTIONS PROBABLY. 
          OKAY, OKAY. 
          YEAH, SO, SO MOST OF THOSE ARE ONES YOU ADOPTED OUT AND THEN PEOPLE BROUGHT BACK. 
          OKAY. 
          AND THEN, 'CAUSE I WAS JUST TRYING TO LOOK AT, UM, AND OTHER THINGS IN THERE MIGHT BE LIKE PARVO ONES THAT YOU TAKE DIRECTLY. 
          RIGHT. 
          OKAY. 
          YEAH. 
          ANY VERSION OF AN OWNER SERVICE. 
          AND THEN YOU SAID A SMALL NUMBER FROM THE PASS PROGRAM, RIGHT. 
          THAT YOU'RE HOPING TO RIGHT. 
          SCOOCH ALONG. 
          RIGHT. 
          OKAY. 
          AND, BUT THOSE ARE VERY SMALL NUMBERS. 
          YEAH. 
          AND WE TYPICALLY, AND WE DO COUNT OUR PASS OWNER SURRENDERS, WE INTAKE THEM AS LIKE A, OR OUR PARVO OWNER SURRENDERS. 
          WE INTAKE THEM AS A PASS. 
          AS A PASS. 
          OKAY. 
          YES. 
          OKAY. 
          BECAUSE WE BE DO TRY TO PROVIDE OTHER RESOURCES BEFORE IT COMES TO THAT. 
          THAT MAKES SENSE. 
          OKAY. 
          THAT CLARIFIES MY QUESTIONS. 
          ANY OTHER NEW QUESTIONS COME UP FOR ANYBODY? OKAY, GREAT. 
          OKAY, THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
          I'LL TAKE OVER. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          I'M REALLY EXCITED TO SPEAK WITH Y'ALL ABOUT OUR BARN CAP PROGRAM. 
          THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE PROGRAMS THAT WE OPERATE. 
          WE'VE EDUCATED OVER 2,500 PEOPLE AROUND THE COUNTRY IN THIS PROGRAM, UM, WHEN WE WERE OPERATING OUR APPRENTICESHIPS ALSO, UH, WE'RE THE ONLY CONSISTENT LIVE OUTCOME FOR THIS SPECIFIC GROUP OF CATS. 
          AND WE IDENTIFY OUR BARN CATS. 
          UH, THEY'RE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR TRAP NEUTER RETURN OR FOR SHELTER NEUTER RETURN. 
          AND THAT COULD BE DUE 
          [00:40:01]
TO, UH, ZONING RESTRICTIONS OR LACK OF A SAFE RETURN LOCATION, UM, IDENTIFIED AT THE TIME OF IMPOUND. 
          UM, WHEN RETURN OR ADOPTION ARE NOT A VIABLE OPTION, THOSE CATS GO INTO OUR BARN CAT PROGRAM. 
          SO THESE ARE UNSOCIAL, YOU KNOW, OFTENTIMES FERAL OR SEMI FERAL CATS THAT HAVE COME INTO THE SHELTER SYSTEM BUT CANNOT BE RETURNED THROUGH S-N-R-T-N-R. 
          SINCE 2019, WE HAVE PLACED 1,453 TOTAL CATS, UH, THROUGH THIS PROGRAM. 
          UM, BARN CAT IS A LITTLE BIT OF A, IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT EXACTLY WHAT IT IS. 
          THESE, THESE COULD BE BARNS, THEY COULD BE SHEDS WAREHOUSES, UM, ANYWHERE WHERE THE CATS ARE PROVIDED, UM, DAILY FOOD, WATER, SHELTER, UH, WE DO A LOT OF COUNSELING FOR OUR ADOPTERS TO EXPLAIN TO THEM THAT THEY NEED A TWO WEEK ACCLIMATION PERIOD. 
          UM, WE LOOK AT THEIR PROXIMITY TO MAJOR ROADS AND HIGHWAY SYSTEMS JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE SETTING UP THE CATS AND PEOPLE FOR SUCCESS. 
          UM, AND WE MAKE SURE THAT THEY TAKE AT LEAST TWO BECAUSE WE'VE SEEN OVER TIME, UM, THROUGH DATA, NOT JUST THROUGH OUR PROGRAM, BUT THROUGH NATIONAL DATA AND RESEARCH THAT, UH, THESE CATS DO BETTER WHEN THEY'RE PLACED IN PAIRS. 
          SO AGAIN, THIS IS A SMALL SUBSET OF CATS, UH, THAT ENTER AUSTIN ANIMAL SERVICES AND OTHER SHELTERS THAT DO NOT HAVE A SAFE OR APPROPRIATE, UM, OUT OR, SORRY, THAT DO NOT, ARE NOT SAFE OR APPROPRIATE FOR TRADITIONAL INDOOR ADOPTION. 
          SO THESE ARE TRULY FERAL, FRACTIOUS, FEARFUL CATS. 
          UM, AND AGAIN, WHEN TNR AND SNR IS NOT AN OPTION, WE ALWAYS WANT TO RETURN CATS TO THEIR HABITATS WHENEVER THAT IS POSSIBLE. 
          UM, AND SO THIS IS REALLY A MANAGED ALTERNATIVE. 
          UM, IT ALSO, UH, REDUCES THE PRESSURE ON SHELTER HOUSING FOR CATS WITH BEHAVIORS THAT WILL NOT IMPROVE IN A SHELTER SYSTEM. 
          UM, SO AGAIN, RETURN ALWAYS PREFERRED WHEN POSSIBLE. 
          THIS PROGRAM IS FOR WHEN RETURNS ARE NOT FEASIBLE. 
          UM, I ALREADY TALKED ABOUT PLACEMENT SCREENING, BUT WE REALLY DO A LOT OF THIS AND OUR, OUR STAFF ARE JUST WONDERFUL AT EXPLAINING TO FOLKS AND ANSWERING QUESTIONS AND FOLLOWING UP LIKE WE DO WITH EVERY ADOPTER AT TWO DAYS, SEVEN DAYS, AND 30 DAYS AFTER ADOPTION. 
          UM, WE ARE REALLY PROUD OF THIS PROGRAM BECAUSE THESE ARE CATS THAT TRULY WOULD HAVE NO LIVE OUTCOME ELSEWHERE AND THEY LIVE REALLY HAPPY, UM, FULL LIVES. 
          AND SOME OF THEM EVEN BECOME INDOOR CATS LATER AND, UM, GET TO KNOW THEIR PEOPLE AFTER YEARS, WHICH IS ALWAYS INTERESTING TO HEAR ABOUT. 
          UM, CREATING, UH, YEAH. 
          OKAY, I'LL MOVE ON. 
          ALRIGHT, SO THIS IS OUR BARN CAT ELIGIBILITY. 
          UM, WE LOOK AT BARN SHED STABLES. 
          THAT'S, THAT'S PRIMARILY WHERE OUR, UH, BARN CATS DO GO. 
          BUT WE DO HAVE BUSINESSES, UM, WAREHOUSES, UH, PEOPLE THAT HAVE EXTRA SPACE LIKE A GARAGE MIGHT OUTFIT OR A WORKSHOP MIGHT OUTFIT, UM, THAT FOR A BARN CAT AS WELL. 
          BUT WE MAKE SURE THAT THE SPACES ARE VENTILATED, UM, THAT THEY STAY DRY AND THAT WE'RE ABLE TO KEEP THEM, UM, SAFE FROM ANY KIND OF INCLEMENT WEATHER, WHETHER THAT'S COLD OR OR HOT. 
          UM, THEIR MINIMAL ELIGIBILITY, AND THEY MUST MEET ALL OF THESE, UH, IS THAT THEY'RE APPARENTLY HEALTHY. 
          SO AFTER OUR INTAKE EXAM, UM, MAKING SURE THAT THEY ARE HEALTHY, WE VACCINATE 'EM, MICROCHIP, 'EM, SPAY NEUTER THEM BEFORE THEY'RE CANDIDATES FOR THIS PROGRAM. 
          UH, THEY CANNOT BE DECLAWED FOR REASONS OF SELF-DEFENSE. 
          THEY HAVE TO HAVE THEIR CLAWS TO BE ABLE TO LIVE OUTSIDE AND FOR US TO FEEL, UM, GOOD ABOUT THAT. 
          UH, AND PRIMARILY THEY HAVE A HISTORY OF LIVING OUTSIDE. 
          SO SOME CATS WILL COME TO US ALREADY EAR TIPPED, BUT FOR WHATEVER REASON, THEY CAN'T GO BACK TO THEIR COLONY OR WHERE THEY CAME FROM. 
          UM, AGAIN, DUE COULD BE DUE TO ZONING OR, UM, SAFETY FOR THE CAT. 
          SO THIS IS NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR TNR OR RETURN WHEN THAT'S A VI VIABLE OPTION. 
          UM, THIS IS REALLY A PROGRAM FOR CATS THAT CAN'T FIT INTO THAT PROGRAM. 
          SO HOW DO WE MINIMIZE RISK? UM, WE SPAY NEUTER, WE VACCINATE, UH, ALL OF THE CATS. 
          UM, F-V-R-C-P, RABIES VACCINES MICROCHIP. 
          WE GIVE THEM PARASITE PREVENTION, INCLUDING DEWORMER AND FLEA TICK PREVENTION, UM, AND EAR TIP THEM TO IDENTIFY THAT 
          [00:45:01]
THEY HAVE GONE THROUGH THIS PROGRAM AND THAT THEY'RE GONNA BE LIVING OUTSIDE. 
          UM, THE HOME SCREENING INCLUDES, UH, CARETAKERS COMMITTING TO DAILY FOOD AND WATER, UM, HAVING A SAFE SHELTER STRUCTURE. 
          AND, UM, IF FOLKS ARE SORT OF ON THE FENCE ABOUT WHAT THAT MIGHT LOOK LIKE, WE'LL OFTEN GO BACK AND FORTH WITH 'EM TO MAKE SURE THAT IT IS IN FACT A SAFE STRUCTURE. 
          UH, AGAIN, AVOIDING HIGH RISK PLACEMENTS, NEAR BUSY ROADS, JUST TO BE SURE. 
          WE'LL DO A MAP LIKE A GOOGLE MAP SEARCH AND SEE WHERE THE ADDRESS IS. 
          UM, OUR STAFF ARE VERY, UH, VIGILANT ABOUT THAT. 
          UM, AND THEN CLEAR EXPECTATIONS, MAKING SURE THAT FOLKS UNDERSTAND WHAT THE ACCLIMATION PERIOD LOOKS LIKE AND WHAT, UM, THE FOLLOW UP PERIOD LOOKS LIKE. 
          SO WE ASK THAT, UH, ANYBODY ADOPTING OUR BARN CATS TAKES TWO AS I, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, BUT THEN THAT THEY ARE CONFINED FOR TWO TO FOUR WEEKS, UM, BEFORE THEY'RE ALLOWED TO FREE ROAM ON A PROPERTY. 
          UM, SO THEY'RE FED IN SMALL ENCLOSURES AND CARED FOR THAT WAY SO THAT THEY KNOW WHERE THEY ARE. 
          CATS ARE INCREDIBLE. 
          THEY KNOW WHERE THEY ARE WHEN THEY LIVE SOMEWHERE FOR TWO TO FOUR WEEKS. 
          UM, EDUCATION ON SAFE RELEASE. 
          WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? WHAT DO FEEDING RETURNS LOOK LIKE? AND THEN MONITORING FOR DISTRESS AND, UM, SUPPORTING THESE ADOPTERS. 
          LIKE WE SUPPORT ALL OF OUR ADOPTERS WITH 2 7 30 DAY FOLLOW UP AND, UH, ANSWERING QUESTIONS LIFELONG. 
          SO, UM, WE, UH, AUSTIN ANIMAL SERVICES IS OUR LARGEST TRANSFER PARTNER FOR ALL CAT INTAKE. 
          WE HAVE SEEN A REDUCTION IN CAT INTAKE AS HAS FOLLOWED THE REDUCTION IN INTAKE OVERALL FROM AUSTIN ANIMAL SERVICES. 
          UM, BUT IT REMAINS PERCENTAGE, LIKE PERCENTAGE OF INTAKE REMAINS RIGHT AROUND THE SAME. 
          SO, UM, WHILE OUR A A C TRANSFERS FOR OUR CAT INTAKES HAVE DROPPED OVERALL, IT DOES FOLLOW THE TRAJECTORY OF, UM, AUSTIN ANIMAL SERVICES, UH, LOWERED INTAKE AS WELL. 
          THIS IS, UM, A SET THAT I PULLED TOGETHER TO LOOK AT OVER TIME THE PERCENTAGE OF AUSTIN ANIMAL SERVICES TRANSFERS AND HOW MANY OF THEM THEM WERE BARN CATS. 
          UM, AND INTERESTINGLY, WE'VE STAYED RIGHT AROUND 2%, UH, ROUNDING UP FOR ALL YEARS DATING BACK FROM UM, 2019. 
          SO AGAIN, WHILE THAT NUMBER HAS REDUCED, IT'S STAYED IN LINE WITH THE PERCENTAGE RIGHT AROUND, UH, YOU KNOW, 1.7 TO 2% OF ALL OF ALL CAT INTAKES OR SORRY, OF ALL, UH, A A S TRANSFERS. 
          UM, AND THESE ARE JUST COMMON QUESTIONS THAT WE ANSWER ABOUT THIS PROGRAM, UH, TO ANYBODY WHO'S INTERESTED IN IT. 
          UM, IS THIS JUST PUTTING CATS OUTSIDE AND AGAIN, THE SCREENING, THE PROCESS THAT WE GO THROUGH, MAKING SURE THAT THESE ARE SAFE PLACEMENTS AND THAT ADOPTERS UNDERSTAND THE ACCLIMATION PERIOD, UM, AND SAFETY RISKS, UH, CARS, PREDATORS, WILDLIFE, UM, WE, UH, YOU KNOW, MAINTAIN THAT CONFINEMENT BEFORE THEY'RE RELEASED AND PROVIDE LOTS OF ADOPTER EDUCATION. 
          WE'VE BEEN OPERATING THIS PROGRAM FOR QUITE A LONG TIME, AND AS I MENTIONED, WE ALSO USED TO TEACH IT TO SHELTERS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY, UH, TO ADOPT THIS PROGRAM AS WELL. 
          SO OUR EDUCATION AROUND THE PROGRAM FOR OUR ADOPTERS IS REALLY, UM, GOOD. 
          AND WHEN PEOPLE ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT THIS AT A PA, THEY'RE, THEY'RE REALLY PASSIONATE ABOUT IT. 
          SO IT TENDS TO BE A PROGRAM THAT HAS A LOT OF, LIKE THE FOLKS THAT ARE INTO IT ON OUR STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS, THEY'RE, THEY'RE EXPERTS AND THEY SORT OF BECOME, UM, LIKE THE MAIN POINTS OF CONTACT FOR, FOR THESE CATS. 
          THEY LOVE IT. 
          SO AGAIN, NOT ELIGIBLE FOR DECLAW OR, UM, MEDICAL LIMITATIONS. 
          UH, AND WE REALLY DO FOCUS ON THOSE CATS THAT HAVE OUTDOOR HISTORIES. 
          UM, UNLESS THERE'S A VERY GOOD REASON, BUT IT HAPPENS VERY RARELY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
          ANY QUESTIONS? UH, COMMISSIONER DANIEL. 
          HI. 
          FIRST, THANK YOU FOR THIS PRESENTATION. 
          IT'S VERY INTERESTING TO LEARN ABOUT THE PROGRAM. 
          UM, I AM CURIOUS ABOUT, I LOOK AT SOME OF THE DATA AND KAT THAT ARE TRANSFERRED FROM THE SHELTER FROM A-Z-A-A-A-S, UM, FOR BEHAVIOR. 
          I WOULD EXPECT THE CATS THAT ARE GOING FROM THE BEHAVIOR CATS THAT ARE PULLED INTO THE BARN CAT PROGRAM WOULD BE THE SAME NUMBER OR LESS. 
          BUT THERE'S SEVERAL YEARS, LIKE, UM, 20 22 10 
          [00:50:02]
CATS LEFT, UH, THE SHELTER FOR CAT BEHAVIOR ISSUES AND YOU GUYS ARE SAYING 31 OF THEM WENT INTO THE BARN CAT PROGRAM. 
          WHO ARE THOSE OTHER CATS THAT WEREN'T TRANSFERRED FOR BEHAVIOR ISSUES? I AM GONNA HAVE TO LOOK INTO THAT AND I'M HAPPY TO DO THAT AND PROVIDE YOU INFORMATION BACK. 
          MY GUESS WOULD BE THAT THEY CAME TO US WITH SOME SORT OF OUTDOOR HISTORY AND THAT WE, THEY COULD HAVE BEEN, UH, SHUT DOWN WHEN THEY CAME TO US. 
          THAT HAPPENS OFTEN IN EVALUATING CATS IS THAT THEY'RE SHUT DOWN AND SO THEY MIGHT BE MAKING EYE CONTACT OR APPEAR TO BE FRIENDLY. 
          AND THEN ONCE THEY'RE IN OUR CARE, WE REALIZE THAT THEY WERE OUTDOOR, UM, AND ARE MORE QUALIFIED FOR THIS PROGRAM. 
          SO I, SORRY, THEY COULD HAVE COME FOR OTHER REASONS TOO BECAUSE WE CAN ONLY CATEGORIZE AS LIKE MEDICAL OR BEHAVIOR OR NURSERY. 
          SO THEY COULD HAVE BEEN CATS THAT WERE TRANSFERRED AS MEDICAL CASES MAYBE ORIGINALLY. 
          AND THEN IT TURNED OUT THAT THEY WERE ACTUALLY MORE APPROPRIATE FOR BARN PLACEMENT OR THEY MIGHT HAVE BEEN MOM CAT WHO CAME IN THROUGH NURSERY AND THEN WERE LATER FOUND TO BE MORE APPROPRIATE FOR BARN CATS. 
          SO THEY COULD HAVE COME IN WITH DIFFERENT THANK YOU ORIGINAL, UH, PARAMETERS. 
          SO IF THEY CAME IN LIKE A MEDICAL CASE OR WHEN YOU GUYS WERE PULLING PREGNANT CATS, UM, WHY DIDN'T THOSE CATS GO BACK TO THEIR ORIGINAL HOME VERSUS GOING TO A BARN CAT PROGRAM? BECAUSE IT'S MORE HUMANE FOR THEM TO GO HOME AND IT ALSO KEEPS SPACE OPEN FOR OTHER CATS THAT ABSOLUTELY HAVE NOWHERE TO GO FROM YOU GUYS. 
          SO WHAT EFFORTS DO YOU MAKE IF THESE CATS ARE COMING FROM A A C AND THEY'RE FERAL AND THEY HAVE A PLACE TO GO BACK, WHY AREN'T THEY GOING BACK HOME? THEY, THEY DO SOMETIMES, UH, IF WE HAVE THAT INFORMATION, UM, THAT INFORMATION IS SENT ALONG, SOMETIMES IT IS, SOMETIMES IT'S NOT. 
          WITH, WITH PREGNANT AND NURSING MOMS, I'M HAPPY TO PROVIDE INFO ON THAT TOO. 
          OR YOU COULD ALWAYS CONTACT THE SHELTER AND ASK THEM FOR THAT INFORMATION. 
          WE, WE DO, WE DO. 
          AND I, I MEAN WE ALWAYS DO, WE ALWAYS TRY TO RETURN CATS. 
          I I REALLY DO GUESS THAT THIS WOULD BE MORE OFTEN THAT CATS WERE SHUT DOWN DURING INTAKE AND THEY COME TO US AND WE REALIZE THAT THEY'RE NOT HAPPY INSIDE. 
          BUT I'M HAPPY TO DO MORE TRACING ON THAT. 
          OKAY. 
          YEAH. 
          UM, WHEN YOU SAY YOU REALIZE THEY'RE NOT HAPPY INSIDE, DO YOU HAVE PROOF THAT THEY WERE OUTSIDE BEFORE OR ARE YOU JUST MAKING THIS ASSUMPTION AND THEM TAKING IT POSSIBLY INDOOR ONLY CAT AND PUTTING IT OUTSIDE? UH, I WOULD SAY LIKE, UM, BOTH HAPPEN. 
          I, WE DON'T ALWAYS HAVE A LOT OF HISTORY ON CATS THAT COME TO US AS STRAY CATS, RIGHT? SO THEY COME INTO OUR SHELTER, WE ASSESS THEM, WE MAKE SURE THAT WHEN THEY'RE IN OUR BARNS WE HAVE OUTDOOR SPACES AT AT A PA WE HAVE THREE BARN ENCLOSURES. 
          SO WE CAN ALSO SEE HOW THEIR BEHAVIOR CHANGES THERE AND WE TRACK THAT, UM, AS WELL AND MAKE SURE THAT THIS IS THE BEST PLACEMENT. 
          WE'VE ALSO STARTED TO, UM, ASSESS WHETHER SOME OF THE CATS ARE CANDIDATES FOR INDOOR OUTDOOR. 
          SO IT'S POSSIBLE THAT MAYBE THEY ARE BOTH AND HAD THAT AS THEIR PREVIOUS LIFE BEING ABLE TO GO IN AND OUT FREELY. 
          AND AGAIN, THOSE CATS, ONCE THEY HAVE LIVED THAT LIFE, SOME OF THEM DO REALLY PREFER BEING INDOOR OUTDOOR. 
          PREVIOUSLY WE WERE REALLY ONLY LABELING CATS INDOOR OR BARN CAT. 
          AND NOW WE HAVE A LOT MORE FLEXIBILITY TO TALK TO PEOPLE ABOUT BOTH, UM, INDOOR AND OUTDOOR AND COUNSEL THEM ON WHAT THAT COULD LOOK LIKE AS WELL. 
          UM, BUT OFTENTIMES THOSE CATS ARE HAPPIER LIVING IN OUR BARNS THAN LIVING IN OUR SHELTER. 
          UM, AND THEY PROOF INCLUDES LIKE GETTING SICK, UM, BEING REALLY SHUT DOWN, NOT MAKING EYE CONTACT, TRYING TO HIDE, UM, YOU KNOW, HISSING, GROWLING, TRYING TO BITE. 
          IT JUST MAKES ME A LITTLE NERVOUS IF YOU'RE SENDING CATS OUTSIDE AND YOU DON'T KNOW FOR SURE WHAT THEIR, THEIR PAST HISTORY IS. 
          AND THEN OF COURSE UNDERSTAND MAKING SURE I UNDERSTAND MOM CATS GET BACK, UM, TO THEIR HOMES IF THEY, THEY DO HAVE A PLACE. 
          UM, AND I KNOW THAT INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE BECAUSE I USED TO RUN THE SNR PROGRAM AT THE SHELTER AND SO I KNOW THAT INFORMATION IS ALWAYS SENT OVER. 
          UM, I WOULD GET THAT INFORMATION FROM ALL THE CAREGIVERS AND UM, FOLLOW UP. 
          SO IF YOU NEED THAT INFORMATION, I'M SURE YOU CAN CONTACT THE CURRENT STAFF THAT RUN THE COMMUNITY CATS PROGRAM AND GET THAT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UM, I JUST FEAR LOOKING AT THESE NUMBERS, IT'S JUST REALLY HIGH. 
          HOW MANY ARE GOING TO BARN CAT VERSUS HOW MANY ARE BEING SENT FROM THE SHELTER FOR, FOR BEHAVIOR REASONS. 
          AND I KNOW THERE ARE THESE OTHER MEDICAL REASONS, BUT TEND, THOSE TEND TO BE SUPER SICK CATS 
          [00:55:01]
WHEN THEY GO TO YOU ALL. 
          SO I CAN'T IMAGINE THEM GOING BACK OUT. 
          AND THE OTHER ONE WOULD BE PREGNANT MOMS, WHICH I THINK THEY SHOULD JUST, YOU KNOW, BE SENT THROUGH THE SNR PROGRAM BECAUSE IT DOESN'T SEEM HUMANE TO CONFINE A FERAL CAT. 
          AND THESE CATS ARE FERAL IN YOUR OPINION 'CAUSE YOU'RE PUTTING THEM IN THE BARN CAT PROGRAM, UM, COMBINE A FERAL CAT AND FORCE HER TO GIVE BIRTH. 
          UM, SO I HOPE THAT YOU'RE NOT PULLING THOSE AND JUST LET THOSE GO BACK HOME. 
          YEAH, AND I'LL ABSOLUTELY LOOK INTO THAT. 
          I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR, YOUR QUESTIONS AND INPUT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          AND THEN MAKING SURE EVERY ONE OF THEM GETS SPAYED AND NEUTERED. 
          'CAUSE I DO KNOW THAT I HAD ONE THAT, UH, LIVED IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD AND SOMEBODY WAS FOSTERING HER AND HER KITTENS AND IT WAS A REAL FIGHT TO GET 'EM BACK FROM A PA AND THEN SHE WAS HANDED BACK TO ME WITH NO SPAYED NEUTER AGREEMENT. 
          SHE WAS STILL INTACT. 
          I OF COURSE GOT HER FIXED AND SHE'S STILL LIVING A COUPLE STREETS OVER AND HAPPY AS CAN BE. 
          BUT THAT IS A CONCERN. 
          AND WHILE I WAS AT THE SHELTER, WE DID HAVE A CAT COME IN THAT HAD GONE THROUGH YOUR BARN CAT PROGRAM AND HAD BEEN OUT FOR I THINK EIGHT YEARS, UM, HAVING MULTIPLE LITTERS. 
          SO I HOPE THERE IS, UM, REAL CHECKS AND BALANCES MAKING SURE THAT THESE CATS ARE SPAYED AND NEUTERED BEFORE THEY GO OUT. 
          'CAUSE AS YOU KNOW, IT'S REALLY HARD TO TRAP ONE OF THESE CATS AGAIN, UM, TO, TO GET THEM FIXED. 
          'CAUSE THEY'RE USUALLY TRAP SHY. 
          SO, UM, THAT IS A CONCERN. 
          AND I KNOW THERE WAS OTHER CATS THAT, UM, AN OWNER SURRENDER CAT THAT ENDED UP IN THE BARN CAT PROGRAM. 
          AND THAT WAS VERY CONCERNING WHEN I WAS AT THE SHELTER, WHY THAT WOULD HAPPEN TO, TO SUCH A CAT AND ANOTHER CAT THAT WAS FRIENDLY THAT ENDED UP IN THE BARN CAT PROGRAM THAT WE ENDED UP PULLING BACK TO THE SHELTER, UM, AND GOT HIM ADOPTED OUT. 
          'CAUSE IF WE HAD FELT THAT HE WASN'T ADOPTABLE, WE WOULD'VE SENT HIM BACK HOME THROUGH THE SNR PROGRAM. 
          SO, UM, I'M WONDERING IF SOME OF THESE, UM, DROPS IN NUMBERS SINCE 2023, OUR STAFF NOT FEELING LIKE THEY CAN TRUST THE PROGRAM BECAUSE YOU CAN SEE 2023, THERE WERE 24 THAT WERE SENT FOR CAT BEHAVIOR IN THE LAST TWO YEARS IT'S BEEN SIX AND EIGHT. 
          THAT'S A HUGE DROP. 
          AND I'M WONDERING, YOU KNOW, IF THAT'S BECAUSE THE SHELTER STAFF AREN'T TRUSTING THE PROGRAM AND MAYBE THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU TO HELP REBUILD THAT TRUST. 
          'CAUSE I KNOW THOSE TWO CATS WERE A BIG CONCERN AND ISSUE WHEN THAT HAPPENED. 
          WE WERE REALLY DISAPPOINTED. 
          DO YOU KNOW WHEN THAT WAS? UH, SUMMER OF 2023? THE CATS WERE, BEETHOVEN WAS ONE OF 'EM. 
          THAT WAS THE NAME FROM US. 
          YOU GUYS, YOU KNOW, CHANGED THE NAMES AND I THINK THE OTHER ONE WAS MAMAS. 
          YEAH. 
          ANYTIME THAT THERE ARE CONCERNS ABOUT THIS PROGRAM, PEOPLE CAN ABSOLUTELY REACH OUT TO ME DIRECTLY AND WE'RE ALWAYS HAPPY TO LOOK AT ALTERNATIVES, UH, OUTSIDE OF THIS, THIS PLACEMENT. 
          I'D ALSO ADD, I WOULDN'T NECESSARILY CALL IT A FAILURE OF THE PROGRAM. 
          IF AUSTIN ANIMAL SERVICES IS CHOOSING TO KEEP AND PLACE THEIR OWN ANIMALS INSTEAD OF SENDING THEM TO US. 
          IF THAT'S WHAT THE STAFF AT A S WANTS TO DO, THEY'RE NOT REQUIRED TO SEND US THIS POPULATION OF CATS. 
          WE JUST DO IT. 
          BECAUSE IF THEY'RE PUT ON AN AT-RISK LIST, THE IMPLICATION IS THAT THEY WOULD BE EUTHANIZED IF WE DON'T TAKE THEM. 
          RIGHT. 
          SO IT'S NOT NECESSARILY THE NUMBERS GOING DOWN, IN MY OPINION IS NOT NECESSARILY A FAILURE OF THE PROGRAM. 
          IT'S JUST THIS SHELTER DECIDING TO, I'M JUST NOTICING, PURSUE A DIFFERENT OUTCOME. 
          NOTICING JUST NOTICING THE HISTORY AND THE DATA AND THINKING THAT THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAYBE TRY TO REBUILD TRUST OR REACH OUT AND SEE, YOU KNOW, MAYBE WHY NOT AS MANY CATS ARE GOING. 
          YEAH, I'M SUPER INTERESTED IN THAT AND WOULD WOULD LOVE THAT. 
          HONESTLY. 
          I I I LOVE THIS PROGRAM AND I THINK IT DOES A LOT OF GOOD AND WOULD LOVE TO TALK TO ANYBODY ABOUT IT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          I REALLY DO APPRECIATE YOUR QUESTIONS. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UM, COMMISSIONER LINDER, UH, THANKS SO MUCH. 
          THANKS FOR TALKING TO US ABOUT IT, UM, TONIGHT, RORY, I APPRECIATE IT. 
          UM, THIS IS MORE JUST A CURIOSITY QUESTION, BUT YOU SAID THAT YOU PLACE, UM, THESE CATS IN, IN PEARS ALWAYS. 
          I'M WONDERING IF YOU COULD TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT PROCESS AS FAR AS HOW YOU DECIDE WHICH CATS TO MATCH WITH EACH OTHER AND UM, UH, AND WHAT GOES INTO THOSE KINDS OF DECISIONS. 
          YEAH, IT'S, AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, AND, AND I WISH THAT I HAD INCLUDED SOME PHOTOS OF OUR BIG BARN BECAUSE SOMETIMES YOU, UH, WILL LOOK INTO THE BARN AND THINK THAT THERE ARE NO CATS THERE, AND THEN START SEEING FACES OR PAWS OR TAILS STICKING OUT. 
          UM, 'CAUSE THEY HAVE LOTS OF PLACES TO HIDE LIKE THEY LIKE TO FROM US. 
          UM, SO OFTENTIMES THERE ISN'T A LOT OF RHYME OR REASON AROUND WHICH TWO CATS GO TOGETHER. 
          IT'S WHOEVER WE CAN GET AT THE TIME OF PEOPLE BEING INTERESTED IN THEM. 
          UM, AND THAT'S 
          [01:00:01]
PROBABLY THE MOST COMMON, RIGHT? I MEAN, THEY'RE REALLY, THEY'RE NOT CATS THAT ARE COMING UP TO YOU MOST OF THE TIME, UM, TRYING TO SAY HI. 
          SO WE'RE CATCHING THEM TO PUT THEM IN ENCLOSURES AND THEN PROVIDE THEM, UM, YOU KNOW, THEN GIVE THEM TO THEIR, THEIR NEW PEOPLE. 
          AND ARE THERE, UM, I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THIS, BUT ARE, ARE THERE CERTAIN GENDER COMBINATIONS THAT WORK BETTER? LIKE, DO YOU TRY TO AIM FOR SAY, TWO FEMALE CATS TOGETHER, OR A MALE AND A FEMALE OR ARE, ARE THERE ANY COMBINATIONS TO AVOID OR LOOK FOR? UH, NOT REALLY. 
          I MEAN, NOT THAT I'M AWARE OF. 
          THAT'S A REALLY INTERESTING QUESTION. 
          I DON'T HONESTLY KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT. 
          I KNOW THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE ALTERED SO IT SHOULDN'T MATTER MUCH. 
          SURE, YEAH. 
          UM, BUT UH, YEAH, SO WE'RE JUST PLACING TWO OR MORE. 
          I THINK ON AVERAGE PEOPLE TAKE THREE IS WHAT I WAS FINDING THOUGH. 
          IT'S LIKE REALLY PEOPLE TAKE THREE OR FOUR, UM, AND HAVE THEM ON THEIR PROPERTY AND, AND, UH, YEAH. 
          YEAH. 
          THANKS SO MUCH. 
          YEAH. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UH, COMMISSIONER ES FOR ME, THE PRESENTATION WAS VERY FASCINATING. 
          I I, I, I DIDN'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT BARN BARN CATS, SO, UH, IT WAS VERY EDUCATIONAL. 
          ONE, ONE THING THAT I, I DID SEE IS THE TREND OF, AT LEAST CATS, THE TREND GOING DOWN REGARDLESS OF WHETHER THEY'RE BARN CATS TAKEN BY A PA OR ANYTHING. 
          UH, I WAS A LITTLE BIT SURPRISED BECAUSE MY, MY PERCEPTION WAS THAT, UM, THE INTAKE, WHAT'S BEING IMPACTED MORE FOR THE DOGS, THAT THEY, THEY'RE BIGGER, BUT I DON'T KNOW, I, I GUESS I'LL NEED TO ASK THE JASON OR SOMEBODY FROM THE, UH, THE ANIMAL SERVICES. 
          I WISH ONE OF THEM WERE HERE FOR US TO ASK THEM. 
          UM, THAT'S ALL. 
          THANK YOU. 
          ANY OTHER, I DON'T WANNA SPEAK FOR THEM, BUT I, I THINK THERE'S A TREND OVERALL IN SHELTERING OF JUST NOT JUST ROUNDING UP EVERY SINGLE CAT YOU SEE ON THE STREET AND TAKING HIM TO THE SHELTER, RIGHT? LIKE, THAT'S A PUSH IN THE, IN THE INDUSTRY TO RECOGNIZE THAT A LOT OF TIMES THOSE ARE JUST INDOOR OUTDOOR CATS THAT ARE, THEY'RE FOUR DOORS DOWN FROM WHERE THEY LIVE, RIGHT? AND SO IT'S NOT STANDARD PRACTICE FOR ACOS TO JUST RUN AROUND TOWN PICKING UP STRAIGHT CATS. 
          AND SO I THINK YOU'LL SEE, PARTICULARLY SINCE COVID, THAT CAT INTAKE INTO SHELTERS OVERALL HAS GONE DOWN, I BELIEVE EV YEAH, LIKE ON AVERAGE ACROSS THE COUNTRY. 
          AGAIN, I DON'T KNOW THE NUMBERS OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD FOR A S BUT MY GUESS IS THAT THAT HAS TO DO WITH IT. 
          AND ARE, AND ADOPTIONS, WE'RE SEEING PLACEMENT NATIONWIDE FOR CATS CONTINUE TO RISE VERSUS DOGS ARE, ARE NOT, UM, THEY'RE SORT OF LIKE FLATLINING A BIT, UH, WITH OUTCOMES NATIONWIDE. 
          UM, BUT THAT'S NOT, THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY ALWAYS TRUE HERE. 
          OUR DOG ADOPTIONS ARE CONTINUING TO GO UP AT, AT A PA AND OUR CAT ADOPTIONS. 
          SO, UM, I DON'T KNOW. 
          BUT I ALSO THINK SNR HAS A LOT TO DO WITH THAT TOO. 
          IF WE'RE OPERATING TNR AND SNR PROGRAMS, WELL, WE SHOULD SEE CAT INTAKE START TO GO DOWN, UM, AT LEAST IN TARGETED AREAS. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS? THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
          THANK YOU. 
          AND WE'LL MOVE 
          [4.  Final update on the recruitment process for the Austin Animal Services Director by Susana  Carbajal, Assistant City Manager.]
ON TO, UM, AGENDA ITEM FOUR, WHICH ALSO DOESN'T HAVE ANY PUBLIC SPEAKERS. 
          SO WE'LL HAVE A FINAL UPDATE ON THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS FOR THE AUSTIN ANIMAL SERVICES DIRECTOR BY SUSANNA CARBAJAL, SHE ASSISTANT, UM, PAT VALEZ IS SIGNED UP FOR FOUR AND FIVE. 
          IS SHE ON THE LINE? YES. 
          IS PAT VERE ON THE LINE? YES, MS. VERE. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, THANK YOU. 
          UH, CAN YOU HEAR ME OKAY? YES, GO AHEAD. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, THANK YOU, UH, CHAIR AND COMMISSIONERS. 
          UH, AND, UH, THANK YOU TO, I APPRECIATE THE, UM, EFFORT TO GET ME ONLINE AFTER I DID NOT GET THE EMAIL THAT WOULD'VE ALLOWED ME TO CALL IN FOR THE EARLIER ITEMS I SIGNED UP FOR. 
          SO I JUST WANTED TO MENTION THAT, UM, THERE WAS A GLITCH THIS MONTH. 
          I, I DID SIGN UP TO SPEAK REMOTELY, AND I DID INTEND TO POSSIBLY GO DOWN AND SPEAK IN PERSON, BUT WHEN I COULDN'T, I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO BE ABLE TO SPEAK REMOTELY. 
          BUT, UM, I, I, I HAD A, I DID NOT GET THE EMAIL TO ALLOW ME TO CALL IN. 
          UM, WE ARE ON THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS, AND I WANT TO, UM, 
          [01:05:01]
JUST EXPRESS MY APPRECIATION TO, UH, DIRECTOR FERNANDEZ FOR APPLYING FOR THE POSITION AND FOR THE WORK HE HAS DONE THESE LAST FEW MONTHS. 
          UM, I REALIZED THAT HE CAME IN WITHOUT, UM, ANIMAL EXPERIENCE AND THAT HE STILL THOUGHT HE COULD PROVIDE SOME ASSISTANCE TO THE PROCESS. 
          AND I, UM, UM, HAPPY THAT HE WORKED WITH ME AND THAT HE, I HAD MEETINGS WITH HIM, UM, AND I'M, BUT I'M ALSO, UH, PLEASED THAT THERE IS SOMEONE THAT'S GONNA COME ON WITH ADDITIONAL EXPERIENCE BECAUSE I THINK WE NEED THAT. 
          UM, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, I WANNA EXPRESS MY APPRECIATION TO HIM FOR GIVING IT HIS, HIS HIS BEST EFFORT. 
          AND, UM, I THINK HE WILL SOMEDAY BE VERY HELPFUL IN THIS AREA WITH, WITH MORE EXPERIENCE. 
          SO I HOPE HE KEEPS AT IT. 
          UM, MY OTHER COMMENT IS THAT IN THE PAST, UM, WHEN WE'VE HAD, UH, FORUMS THERE HAS, YOU KNOW, WHEN, WHEN THERE WERE CANDIDATES, THERE HAS BEEN A GOOD TURNOUT. 
          UM, BUT AT THIS, UH, PARTICULAR FORUM THAT WE HAD WITH THE THREE CANDIDATES, UH, THE CITY MANAGER MENTIONED THAT IT WAS THE BEST THAT HE'S HAD, UM, OF ANY CANDIDATES FOR ANY OF THE OTHER POSITIONS LIKE LIBRARY DIRECTOR OR, UM, POLICE CHIEF. 
          UM, SO I WANNA GIVE KUDOS TO US, TO OUR COMMUNITY FOR TURNING OUT AND FOR CARING ABOUT THIS. 
          UM, I HEARD FROM A LOT OF PEOPLE, I, I SPOKE WITH A NUMBER OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO HAD AN ANIMAL ADVOCATES WHO HAD OPPOSING POINTS OF VIEW ABOUT WHO SHOULD BE HIRED. 
          UM, SOME PEOPLE FELT VERY STRONGLY ABOUT ONE CANDIDATE OR ANOTHER. 
          UM, BUT IN THE END, WE DO HAVE SOMEONE, AND I HOPE ALL OF US, REGARDLESS OF HOW WE WENT INTO THIS PROCESS AND WHAT WE THOUGHT SHOULD HAPPEN, UM, YOU KNOW, WELCOME THE PERSON THAT'S BEEN SELECTED BY THE CITY AND KNOW THAT, UM, OUR SUCCESS DEPENDS ON ALL OF US BEING ABLE TO WORK TOGETHER. 
          SO I'M REALLY PLEASED, AND I, UM, ALSO WANTED TO SAY THAT , THAT'S YOUR TIME. 
          PAT, YOU'LL SPEAK AGAIN. 
          OKAY. 
          UH, BEFORE DIS DIS DISCUSSION ITEM NUMBER FIVE. 
          OKAY. 
          I'M GONNA MOVE ON. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          SO THAT, UM, THE, UH, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER CAN, CAN GET STARTED ON OUR PRESENTATION. 
          THANK YOU. 
          I UNDERSTAND. 
          GOOD EVENING, CHAIR, VICE CHAIR AND COMMISSIONERS. 
          GOOD TO BE HERE. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME TODAY. 
          UH, I AM PROVIDING A FINAL UPDATE TO THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS. 
          THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS FOR THE DIRECTOR OF ANIMAL SERVICES HAS CONCLUDED IT LAUNCHED IN OCTOBER, UM, WITH 55 CANDIDATES APPLICATIONS. 
          UH, IN NOVEMBER, WE DID HAVE, UM, A CLOSING OF THE PROFILE AND THE JOB APPLICATION, AND WE HAD A FINAL, UH, INTERVIEW IN DECEMBER. 
          AND, UM, ON DECEMBER 18TH, WE HAD A PUBLIC MEET AND GREET, UH, WHERE THE PUBLIC WAS ABLE TO, UH, GET TO KNOW THE THREE FINALISTS. 
          AND ON DECEMBER 30TH, UH, THE CITY MANAGER DID ANNOUNCE THE DIRECT APPOINTMENT OF MONICA DANGLER. 
          AND SO I DID SEND, UH, A LITTLE, UH, BRIEF BIO OF MONICA DANGLER TO THE CHAIR AND COMMISSIONERS. 
          BUT I DO JUST WANNA RECAP A COUPLE OF HER QUALIFICATIONS THAT SHE WILL BE COMING IN, UH, STARTING ON FEBRUARY 2ND OF THIS YEAR. 
          AND SO, MONICA DANGLER, SHE'S A CERTIFIED ANIMAL WELFARE ADMINISTRATOR. 
          SHE HAS MORE THAN 15 YEARS OF ANIMAL WELFARE EXPERIENCE. 
          UH, SHE, UH, PREVIOUSLY SERVED AS DIRECTOR AT, UH, PIMA ANIMAL CARE CENTER IN TUCSON, ARIZONA, AND ALSO AS DIRECTOR OF PAW SHELTER OF CENTRAL TEXAS IN KYLE, TEXAS. 
          UH, SHE RECENTLY IS SERVING AS EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP CONSULTANT, UH, LEADING CALIFORNIA'S RIVERSIDE COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF ANIMAL SERVICES IN THEIR, UH, CREATION OF STRATEGIC PLANNING, IMPLEMENTING DATA DRIVEN DECISION MAKING SYSTEMS, AND STRENGTHENING ALIGNMENT BETWEEN FIELD SHELTER AND COMMUNITY PROGRAMS. UH, WE LOOK FORWARD TO WELCOMING HER ON FEBRUARY 2ND. 
          UH, ROLANDO FERNANDEZ INTERIM, UH, DIRECTOR WILL HELP WITH THE TRANSITION. 
          AND I, ON BEHALF OF THE CITY MANAGER IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN, WE ARE TRULY GRATEFUL FOR HIS SERVICE IN THE LAST NINE MONTHS. 
          UH, HE DID A TREMENDOUS WORK WITH HIS TEAM AND THE STAFF, UH, TO GET THROUGH, UH, THESE LAST OF MY NINE MONTHS AND MAKE SOME SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS THROUGH THAT TIME. 
          AND SO, WITH THAT, I'LL TAKE ANY QUESTIONS. 
          [01:10:03]
I JUST WANTED TO FIRST THANK YOU FOR ALL THE, UM, EFFORT AND ENERGY AND ALL THE FOCUS YOU'VE PUT ON THE SHELTER AND FINDING, UM, THE RIGHT PEOPLE TO LEAD IT, BOTH AS, UH, INTERIM DIRECTOR AND NOW, UM, FOR THE, FOR THE PERMANENT DIRECTOR. 
          SO, JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU AND YOUR TEAM FOR, FOR HOW SERIOUSLY YOU TOOK ALL THAT AND ALL THE EFFORT YOU PUT IN. 
          AND, UM, COMMISSIONER DEL. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, THANK YOU FOR ENGAGING, UH, THE DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE DIFFERENT STAKEHOLDERS, THE COMMUNITY. 
          I, I, I THOUGHT THAT WAS WONDERFUL. 
          UM, WHEN, UH, THE NEW SHE CHIEF OR DIRECTOR OF THE A S STARTS, UH, I'M SURE THERE'S ONBOARDING WITH THE CITY, WELL, A TYPICAL ONBOARDING. 
          IN ADDITION TO THAT, WHAT TYPE OF ONBOARDING SHE'LL HAVE WITH THE A A S, IS THERE SOMETHING STRUCTURED OR SHE'LL BE AT THE FEBRUARY ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION MEETING. 
          UH, SHE'LL ALSO BE MEETING WITH DIRECTLY WITH THE CHAIR AND THE VICE CHAIR. 
          AND, UH, I'M HAPPY TO ALSO SCHEDULE ANY ONE-ON-ONES THAT, UH, ANY COMMISSIONER WOULD LIKE TO HAVE WITH HER. 
          THANK YOU. 
          ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? NO. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME AND PRESENTING THAT. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          NEXT 
          [5.  Approve a list of legislative priorities to be supported by recommendations for the upcoming  legislative session. ]
WE'LL HAVE PAT VALTRA WITH PUBLIC COMMENT ON AGENDA ITEM NUMBER FIVE, DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS, APPROVAL LIST OF LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES TO BE SUPPORTED BY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE UPCOMING LEGISLATIVE SESSION. 
          UM, THANK YOU CHAIR. 
          I WAS WONDERING IF THERE ARE OTHER SPEAKERS, AND IF SO, I, IF I COULD, IF I COULD POSTPONE TO SPEAK UNTIL AFTER THEM. 
          THERE ARE NO OTHER SPEAKERS. 
          AND I WAS RECENTLY READING SOMETHING THAT SAID, I'M SORRY, I, THERE IS ONE OTHER SPEAKER AND SHE'S ACTUALLY LISTED FIRST SO SHE CAN , SO SHE, WE CAN CALL HER FIRST. 
          UM, AND THEN I, BUT I WAS READING SOMETHING RECENTLY THAT SAID NORMALLY PEOPLE SHOULD BE CALLED AS THEY SIGN UP, BUT ROBIN IS FIRST ON THE LIST, SO, ROBIN KATZ. 
          GONZALEZ. 
          GOOD EVENING. 
          MY NAME IS ROBIN KATZ GONZALEZ IN DISTRICT SEVEN. 
          I AM HERE TO OFFER MY SERVICES FOR FREE. 
          I'VE BEEN WORKING ON ANIMAL LEGISLATION FOR ALMOST TWO DECADES FROM PRIOR TO WHEN I WENT STARTED LAW SCHOOL THROUGH LAW SCHOOL, AND AFTER GRADUATION. 
          I'VE BEEN AN ATTORNEY FOR ABOUT 16 YEARS. 
          THE CITY IS GOING TO SPEND CLOSE TO, AT LEAST ACCORDING TO THE AGENDA, UM, FOR JANUARY 22ND, A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS ON LOBBYISTS AND CONSULTANTS FOR THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION. 
          I'M HERE FREE AT YOUR DISPOSAL, LIKE ME OR NOT PERSONALLY, TO HELP INTERPRETATION OF ANY ANIMAL BILL YOU'D LIKE. 
          I HELPED WORK IN SOME FORM OR FASHION ON THE FOLLOWING BILLS IN MY EXPERIENCE, PETS IN PROTECTIVE ORDERS BOTH ROUNDS OF THOSE ENHANCEMENT TO FELONY FOR 42.09. 
          TWO OF THE PENAL CODE SAFE OUTDOOR DOGS ACT, WHICH IS THE ANTI TETHERING BILL, HORSE CARRIAGE BAN BILL DOGS AND HOT CARS, CHANGING THE MENTAL STATE FOR ANIMAL CRUELTY TO INCLUDE CRIMINAL NEGLIGENCE, WHICH WAS LAST SESSION, THE REQUIREMENT FOR FIRE PROTECTION SYSTEMS AND BOARDING FACILITIES AS A RESULT OF WHAT HAPPENED IN GEORGETOWN AND MORE, I WOULD LOVE TO HELP IN ANY WAY CAN WITH CONSULTING ON POTENTIAL LEGISLATION OR CONCERNS ABOUT UPCOMING LEGISLATION INVOLVING ANIMALS. 
          I'M ASKING THE CITY TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE $13 MILLION THAT WAS GIFTED THROUGH THE BUDGET TO THE STATE REGARDING SPAY AND NEUTER. 
          I'M ALSO ASKING THAT WE WORK ON PASSING THE ETHICAL PET SALES BILL. 
          WE BANNED IT IN AUSTIN, BUT WE HAVE THREE PET STORES IN THE ADJACENT CITY, WHICH THEN AFFECTS US WHEN THESE ANIMALS ARE SICK, ABANDONED, AND NOT NEUTERED AND SO ON. 
          I ALSO STRONGLY ENCOURAGE THE CITY WORKS WITH TEXAS HUMANE LEGISLATION NETWORK, WHO I'M TOLD NOBODY IN THE CITY HAS RESPONDED TO THE MANY EMAILS THEY'VE SENT DIRECTORS IN THE CITY IN THE LAST YEAR, INCLUDING THE LAST DIRECTOR WE HAD, MR. BLAND. 
          THEY'RE A TREMENDOUS RESOURCE THAT'S WELL-RESPECTED AMONG ALL THE LEGISLATORS IN THE STATE OF TEXAS, REGARDLESS OF AFFILIATION. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
          AND NOW PAT REE. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, THANK YOU AGAIN, CHAIR. 
          UH, THANK YOU AGAIN, UH, CHAIR AND COMMISSIONERS FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK. 
          AND THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK AFTER, UH, MS. KATZ. 
          UM, I AGREE WITH A LOT OF WHAT SHE HAS SAID ABOUT TAKING ADVANTAGE OF NOT ONLY MS KATZ, BUT ALSO, UH, ANY OTHER PERSONS WHO LIVE HERE IN AUSTIN THAT HAVE LEGISLATIVE EXPERIENCE. 
          UM, BUT I THOUGHT IN 
          [01:15:01]
PARTICULAR, SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE EXCEPTIONALLY HELPFUL IS TO HAVE SOMEONE WHO IS A LEGISLATIVE STAFF MEMBER, UH, COME AND GIVE A BRIEFING ON WHAT HAPPENED AT THE LAST LEGISLATIVE SESSION AND WHAT BILLS WERE PASSED. 
          UH, FOR EXAMPLE, THE $13.5 MILLION, UM, RIDER FOR STAY NEUTER THAT PUTS $13.5 MILLION INTO THE BUDGET FOR SPAY NEUTER WAS NOT A BILL DURING THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION. 
          IT JUST CAME INTO THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE HEALTH SERVICES BUDGET THROUGH A RIDER THAT WAS PASSED. 
          I HAD BEEN MEETING WITH REPRESENTATIVE FLORES, WHO IS MY REPRESENTATIVE FOR DISTRICT 51, TALKING WITH HER ABOUT A BILL SHE FILED ABOUT FUNDING FOR SPAY NEUTER. 
          AND NO ONE IN THAT OFFICE KNEW THAT THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR APPARENTLY HAD PUT IN THE $13.5 MILLION FOR SPAY NEUTER. 
          AND AS OF THIS POINT IN TIME, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT, UH, DEPARTMENT OF STATE HEALTH SERVICES IS STILL TRYING TO WORK ON THE RULES FOR DISTRIBUTING THOSE FUNDS. 
          UM, SO I WOULD LIKE TO GET A BRIEFING ON AN AGENDA FOR, YOU KNOW, WHAT HAPPENED IN THE LAST LEGISLATIVE SESSION. 
          THE BILLS HAVE PASSED, THE BILLS THAT FAILED, WHICH BILLS THAT, UM, ALMOST PASSED NEED TO BE, UH, RECONSIDERED. 
          AND, AND WE NEED TO GET ON, ON BOARD WITH THOSE. 
          UM, AND I'D ALSO LIKE TO HAVE A BRAINSTORMING SESSION. 
          I'D ASK YOU TO PUT A, A A SOMETHING TOGETHER WITH JUST THROWING OUT IDEAS FOR WHAT WE COULD START TALKING ABOUT. 
          UM, SO THAT'S, THAT'S MY REQUEST IS THAT THERE BE FIRST A BRIEFING, THEN SOME BRAINSTORM SO YOU KNOW, WHAT HA WHAT HAS HAPPENED RECENTLY AND WHERE THINGS ARE RIGHT NOW. 
          AND THEN ALSO THAT THERE BE A BRAINSTORMING SESSION BEFORE YOU MOVE ON TO, UM, VOTE ON RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE NEXT SESSION. 
          AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, I WANNA TIE THAT INTO, YOU KNOW, THE BUDGET PROCESS, BECAUSE I THINK WE SHOULD BE LOOKING INTO HOW WE CAN, UM, GET THE LEGISLATURE TO PUT MORE MONEY NOT ONLY INTO SPAY NEUTER, BUT ALSO INTO OTHER PROGRAMS THAT IT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL. 
          FOR EXAMPLE, UM, ANIMAL CRUELTY, I BELIEVE DESERVES SOME FUNDING FROM THE LEGISLATURE, AND WE COULD WORK ON THAT. 
          UM, ALSO OPEN INTAKE. 
          UH, I DON'T THINK WE'RE THE ONLY SHELTER THAT HAS A PROBLEM WITH O OPEN INTAKE, UM, BECAUSE IN AN EFFORT TO BE NO KILL, WE'RE CLOSING INTAKE, MAYBE THE LEGISLATURE. 
          THANK YOU, PAT ITEM FOR THAT. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          OKAY. 
          AND SO I BELIEVE THIS, WE, UH, AT THE END OF, WELL, DURING FORMING THE AGENDA, WE, WE HAD ALL RECEIVED THIS EMAIL ABOUT THIS UPCOMING LEGISLATIVE SESSION AND A WARNING THAT, UM, THAT WE SHOULD GET ANY RECOMMENDATIONS IN ABOUT THIS BY THE END OF JANUARY. 
          JANUARY. 
          YEAH. 
          SO I ASKED, UM, DR. NIELSEN TO ADD THIS, UM, TODAY BECAUSE IT'S REALLY OUR ONLY OPPORTUNITY. 
          UM, WE COULD POSSIBLY REACH OUT TO THE CITY'S GOVERNMENT OFFICE AND SAY, WE GOT THIS IN DECEMBER, WE HAVE ONE MEETING, . 
          UM, YOU KNOW, CAN WE HAVE MORE TIME OR WHAT WE THINK WE MIGHT WANT TO PURSUE? UM, UH, SORRY, DID I TAKE OVER FROM YOUR, OKAY. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          SO, UM, WHAT I DID, UM, AND, AND YOU GUYS MAY HAVE DONE YOUR OWN RESEARCH AND WE CAN TALK ABOUT IT. 
          UM, IN REGARD TO THIS EMAIL, I LOOKED AT SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT WE HAD LOOKED AT AS A COMMISSION BEFORE, UH, EITHER LAST YEAR OR WHEN I WAS ON THE COMMISSION BEFORE. 
          UM, SO THE ONE WAS BIRDS AND I THINK WE'RE PRETTY GOOD WITH THAT. 
          WE PASSED THAT RECOMMENDATION RECENTLY, UM, FOR THE BIRD GLASS AND THE SUPPORT CITY DEPARTMENT FOR THAT. 
          UM, THE OTHER WAS BATS. 
          UM, ALTHOUGH OUR BAT COLONY IS REALLY IMPRESSIVE AND WHEN YOU SEE IT, IT'S A FRACTION OF WHAT IT WAS IN THE SIXTIES, UM, WHICH WE WERE SHOWN, UH, BECAUSE OF THE HABITAT LOSS AND SUCH. 
          UM, ASIDE FROM WHAT I'VE READ, UM, PULLING UP SOME RESEARCH, I'M NOT SURE WE COULD DO A LOT ABOUT SAYING PROTECT THE HABITAT MORE. 
          UM, IF YOU EVEN GO TO MCKINNEY FALLS, YOU'LL SEE DEVELOPMENT ALL OVER THE AREA. 
          I DON'T THINK THAT'LL GET STOPPED. 
          WHAT I WAS EXCITED TO SEE. 
          AND SO I APPRECIATE PAT, UM, RES BRINGING UP THE LEGISLATIVE SESSIONS THAT, UH, UH, CHANGES THAT WE MAY NOT KNOW WAS FOR BATS. 
          UM, IF A COLONY, THIS WAS PASSED IN SEPTEMBER, 2025, UM, OR BECAME LAW, IF A BAT COLONY IS USING A BUILDING AS A STRUCTURE, THEY CAN NO LONGER JUST GO 
          [01:20:01]
IN AND KILL THEM ALL. 
          THEY HAVE TO ACTUALLY HAVE, UH, SOMEONE COME IN AND REMOVE THE COLONY AND, UH, RELOCATE. 
          SO THAT WAS GOOD, UM, TO HEAR THAT THERE WERE SOME POSITIVE CHANGES FOR BATS. 
          YOU CAN'T CONFINE BATS YOU, UH, SO YOU STILL CAN'T HUNT BATS. 
          SO I WAS EXCITED ABOUT THAT. 
          UM, WE HAD LOOKED AT, UH, MADE A RECOMMENDATION FOR FOR-PROFIT ZOOS. 
          UM, AGAIN, I'M NOT SURE THERE'S ANYTHING WE WANT TO RECOMMEND FOR THAT. 
          UM, I DID RESEARCH AND IT SEEMS GENERALLY, UM, GETTING AN ACCREDITATION LIKE A ZA IS VOLUNTARY, UM, FOR PROFIT ZOOS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY. 
          UM, I DON'T KNOW THAT TEXAS WOULD BE OPEN TO CHANGE THAT. 
          RIGHT NOW THE PERMITTING IS UNDER TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE. 
          UM, SO, UH, THAT WAS ANOTHER ONE I LOOKED AT. 
          UH, AND THE FINAL ONE I LOOKED AT THAT I THINK IS WORTH CONSIDERATION OR DISCUSSION. 
          UM, I DID LOOK AT TEXAS HUMANE LEGISLATION NETWORK. 
          UM, I, UH, APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT THEY DO AND HAVE, UH, DONE SOME WORK WITH THEM. 
          UH, AND THEY ARE TRYING TO PASS, UM, VIRTUAL VETERINARY CARE. 
          UM, RIGHT NOW IN THE COUNTRY, IF YOU'RE HUMAN, UM, YOU HAVE THAT OPTION. 
          UM, BUT I THINK THERE ARE ONLY EIGHT STATES THAT ALLOW THAT. 
          UH, AND THAT WOULD BE YOUR HOME, YOUR DISABLED, YOU HAVE A HEALTHY 3-YEAR-OLD DOG AND YOU JUST WANT SOME HEARTWORM MEDICINE. 
          AND RIGHT NOW YOU'D HAVE TO HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH A VETERINARIAN PROBABLY TAKING YOUR DOG IN, UM, TO HAVE TO ESTABLISH THAT. 
          AND IT'S DIFFICULT FOR PEOPLE. 
          UM, A LOT OF TNS RIGHT UP IS ABOUT, ESPECIALLY RURAL. 
          UM, THERE ARE, UM, CURRENTLY 51 COUNTIES IN TEXAS THAT DON'T HAVE A VETERINARY CLINIC, AND THAT DOES SUPPORT A LOT TO HELP ANIMALS LIKE COWS AND HORSES WHO THE, YOU KNOW, THE FARMERS PROBABLY KNOW WHAT'S WRONG WITH IT. 
          THEY JUST NEED SOME MEDICINE. 
          AND SO THEY HAVE TO GET THAT. 
          BUT THE VETERINARIAN MAY HAVE TO GO ACROSS COUNTIES. 
          BUT REALLY MY THOUGHT OF THIS IN HELPING AUSTIN IS IF YOU CAN GET THE CARE UP FRONT, IT DOESN'T GET WORSE AND WORSE. 
          AND THEN PEOPLE HAVE TO SURRENDER THE PETS. 
          SO I LIKED THE IDEA OF THIS. 
          I ALSO HAVE A DOG THAT'S VERY DIFFICULT, WHO'S 13 TO GET TO THE VET FOR ANYTHING. 
          I, I DON'T CARE IF THE COST IS THE SAME, I JUST WOULD RATHER NOT HAVE TO MEDICATE HIM TO GET HIM INTO THE VET AND PUT HIM THROUGH THAT BECAUSE HE ROLLS IN SOMETHING AND NEEDS SOME APOQUEL. 
          UM, SO ANYWAY, THOSE ARE WHAT I CAME UP WITH. 
          YOU MIGHT ALL HAVE OTHER THINGS, UM, THAT YOU MAY HAVE THOUGHT OF WHEN YOU GOT THE EMAIL. 
          UM, BUT, UM, ANY COMMENTS OR OTHER DISCUSSION? OKAY. 
          UM, , COMMISSIONER NORTON, I MEAN, COMMISSIONER ER, I'M JUST A BIT CONCERNED. 
          I, I HAVE, I, I AGREE WITH YOU GUYS. 
          I THINK THAT WE GOT THIS WAY TOO LATE IN THE PROCESS, BUT I'M JUST A LITTLE CONCERNED ABOUT US WITH TOOMA AND US NOT BEING ABLE TO HAVE IT UP ON THE AGENDA. 
          I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE, HAVE Y'ALL ALREADY CHECKED WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE OR WITH THE CITY CLERK TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE OKAY WITH THIS? I JUST DON'T WANNA YES, WE IN TROUBLE? YES, WE DID. 
          YOU DID? YES. 
          OKAY. 
          SO WE'RE, WE'RE CLEAR TO TALK ABOUT IT. 
          YEP. 
          ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, UH, ON YOUR PART? I KNOW ON YOUR PART? UM, COMMISSIONER EMER. 
          OKAY. 
          MOVING ON. 
          COMMISSIONER FERGUSON. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANKS FOR UNMUTING ME. 
          UM, THANK YOU COMMISSIONER NORTON. 
          I THINK THAT YOUR RESEARCH AND YOUR ANALYSIS WAS REALLY GREAT. 
          UM, I HAVE FOLLOWED THE TEXAS HUMANE LEGISLATION, UM, NETWORK AND, AND I AGREE. 
          UM, I THINK THAT THE, THE WORK THAT THEY DID LAST SESSION WITH THE VIRTUAL VET CARE, UM, YOU KNOW, IT WAS DISAPPOINTING THAT THAT DIDN'T PASS. 
          BUT I DO THINK THAT THAT IS SOMETHING THAT, IT WOULD BE GREAT IF THE CITY OF AUSTIN, UM, SUPPORTED THAT. 
          UM, FOR THE REASONS THAT YOU STATED. 
          UM, I TOO FIRSTHAND HAVE A, A PET THAT NEEDS VERY, UM, YOU KNOW, SPECIAL CARE WITH HANDLING AND, AND HE DOES NOT DO WELL, UM, YOU KNOW, IN THOSE KINDS OF ENVIRONMENTS. 
          SO I KNOW FIRSTHAND, UM, SO I WOULD SUPPORT THAT. 
          AND 
          [01:25:01]
THEN ALSO, UM, ANY KIND OF CONTINUATION OF THAT, UM, 13 MILLION, UM, IN FUNDING, YOU KNOW, I KNOW FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, IT'S A PILOT PROGRAM. 
          UM, BUT IF THERE'S ANY WAY, UM, YOU KNOW, TO SUPPORT THAT, UM, TO BE A SUCCESS IN THIS BIENNIUM SO THAT, YOU KNOW, IN THE NEXT SESSION PERHAPS IT CAN BE, UM, YOU KNOW, A CONTINUED AND ONGOING SORT OF BASE FUNDING EFFORT, UM, THEN, YOU KNOW, I WOULD SUPPORT THOSE. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UM, COMMISSIONER LINDER, UM, THANKS SO MUCH FOR, FOR ADDING THIS TO THE AGENDA AND FOR, UH, THE WORK YOU DID, UM, TAKING A LOOK AT, AT POSSIBLE PROPOSALS. 
          UM, I AGREE WITH WHAT COMMISSIONER FERGUSON SAID. 
          I THINK THE, UM, THE TELE VET HEALTH, UM, COULD, COULD BE A GREAT OPTION, UM, AS WELL AS TRYING TO FIND WAYS TO CONTINUE THAT FUNDING AND MAKE IT A MORE SUSTAINABLE SOURCE GOING FORWARD. 
          I GUESS MY QUESTION IS, IS REALLY SORT OF JUST A PRACTICAL ONE OF, IF THEY ASK FOR THIS BACK AT THE END OF JANUARY, YOU KNOW, WHAT WOULD OUR NEXT STEPS BE? SINCE WE DON'T HAVE SOMETHING WRITTEN SORT OF, UNLESS THEY WERE, THERE WAS MODEL LEGISLATION OR, UM, RECOMMENDATION LANGUAGE RATHER IN, IN FRONT OF US TONIGHT. 
          COULD WE PASS THIS AT OUR FEBRUARY MEETING, UM, AND STILL HAVE IT, YOU KNOW, BE I, I SUSPECT THERE'S SOME WINDOW THERE, UM, IN TERMS OF WHEN THEY ASK FOR THEM BACK AND, UH, AND WHEN THEY SORT OF ACTUALLY NEED IT BY. 
          BUT JUST SORT OF PUTTING THAT OUT THERE AS A QUESTION TO YEAH, I THINK THEORETICALLY WE COULD COME UP WITH THE WORDING TOGETHER AND PASS IT IF WE WANTED TO, IF WE FELT PREPARED AND WANTED TO DO THAT TONIGHT, OR ASSUME THAT THIS IS NOT A HARD DEADLINE AND PUT SOMETHING MORE SPECIFIC ON THE AGENDA FOR FEBRUARY AND TRY TO PASS RECOMMENDATION AT THAT TIME. 
          YEAH. 
          UM, IT'S TOUGH 'CAUSE IT'S JUST THE TIMING  IS NOT, IS NOT GREAT. 
          UM, I THINK PERHAPS WE COULD REACH OUT, UM, ONE OF US, UM, COULD REACH OUT TO HER AND TO, UM, THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS AND SAY, YOU KNOW, WE TALKED ABOUT IT, WE HAVE TWO AREAS OF INTEREST, POSSIBLY ANOTHER ONE. 
          UM, COULD WE HAVE A LITTLE, WE DEFINITELY WANNA DO IT, BUT OUR NEXT MEETING IS REALLY THE SECOND WEEK IN FEBRUARY, SO COULD WE GIVE IT TO HER AT THAT POINT? UM, IF NOT, WE COULD AT LEAST SAY, WELL, THIS IS WHERE WE WANNA START, IS THE SPAY NEUTER MONEY AND, UM, SUPPORTING THE THLN IF WE WANTED TO VOTE ON THAT, IF THAT'S APPROPRIATE. 
          OKAY. 
          SO WOULD, UM, SO I BELIEVE THE MOTION IS TO RIGHT A LETTER TO CARRIE ROGERS. 
          CARRIE ROGERS SAYING THE COMMISSION WOULD LIKE THE CHANCE TO DISCUSS AT OUR FEBRUARY MEETING RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING STATE FUNDING FOR SPAY AND NEUTER, AS WELL AS VETERINARY TELEHEALTH. 
          AND THEN, SO I'LL MOVE, I GUESS IF THERE'S A SECOND WE CAN DISCUSS THAT, MAYBE HAVE IT READ BACK AND GO FROM, FROM THERE. 
          IS THERE A SECOND VICE CHAIR, LINDER? SORRY. 
          AND THEN ANY DISCUSSION, ANY DISCUSSION BEFORE I ASK HER TO READ THAT BACK? ANYBODY? OKAY. 
          CAN YOU READ THAT BACK TO US? SEE IF WE WANNA CHANGE IT? YEAH. 
          SO, UM, YOU'VE MOTIONED TO WRITE A LETTER TO CARRIE ROGERS, UH, STATING THAT THE COMMISSION WOULD LIKE TO DISCUSS AT THE FEBRUARY MEETING RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING THE STATE FUNDING FOR SPAY AND NEUTER AND THE VET TELEHEALTH. 
          UM, BILL, BILL, BILL, PROPOSED BILL, YEAH. 
          PROPO PROPOSED BILL. 
          BILL REGARDING VETERINARY TELEHEALTH. 
          ANY ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION? UH, COMMISSIONER FERGUSON. 
          I WOULD JUST ADD, UM, JUST, I MEAN IT'S IN RESPONSE TO, 
          [01:30:01]
UM, THE REQUEST, UM, FROM CARRIE, BUT THEN ALSO, UM, JUST THE LANGUAGE ABOUT THE NEXT LE YOU KNOW, THAT THIS IS A FUNDING REQUEST FOR THE NEXT LEGISLATIVE SESSION. 
          OKAY. 
          I, I THINK BECAUSE THE, THE MOTION IS, IS JUST TO, JUST TO GIVE US THE POWER TO WRITE THE LETTER. 
          IT'S NOT THE FINAL VERSION OF THE LETTER P POWER TO WRITE AND SEND THE LETTER. 
          SO, BUT WE CAN MAKE SURE WHO DO YOU WANT TO WRITE AND SEND IT? ARE YOU WILLING TO DO THAT? UM, YEAH, I COULD. 
          UH, I HAVE A QUESTION. 
          UM, COMMISSIONER NORTON, IF, UM, JUST IN THE WAY WE'RE WORDING THIS, THIS IS SORT OF NEW FOR ALL OF US, I THINK, UM, IF IN THINKING ABOUT IT, SOMETHING ELSE COMES UP THIS MONTH THAT WE MAY ALSO WANT TO ADD OKAY. 
          UM, FOR FEBRUARY, UM, CAN WE, CAN WE PUT THAT AS A SEPARATE, 'CAUSE I THINK WE MIGHT JUST RUN INTO, SO WHAT WE CAN DO IS YOU CAN WRITE THE LETTER TO CARRIE, SEE WHAT HER RESPONSE IS, AND THEN AT THE NEXT MEETING, UM, WHEN YOU COME WITH THE FULL LIST OF RECOMMENDATIONS, IT COULD BE AMENDED TO ADD AN EXTRA RECOMMENDATION. 
          OKAY. 
          SOUND GOOD? ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? UH, COMMISSIONER FERGUSON? SO, UH, SO JUST TO BE CLEAR, SO THE LETTER, AT A MINIMUM, IF WE HAVE TO MEET THIS, UM, END OF JANUARY DEADLINE, THEN WE ARE GOING TO VOTE TO RECOMMEND AT LEAST THOSE TWO. 
          NO, NO, IT'S, IT'S JUST THE ONLY THING WE'RE PASSING TONIGHT IS TO WRITE THE LETTER NOT PASSING ANYTHING ABOUT ANY SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATION TO CITY COUNCIL. 
          OKAY. 
          SO I MEAN THERE, BUT THEN THERE'S A CHANCE THAT WE MISS THE DEADLINE IF IT'S END OF JANUARY. 
          YEP. 
          I THINK IT'S A SMALL CHANCE, BUT I THINK WITH THE MOTION, THE WAY IT'S WRITTEN, I MEAN SHE'LL AT LEAST KNOW THAT THERE'S TWO THINGS WE'RE INTERESTED IN , UH, TO GET IT ONTO THE LIST. 
          SO IT LOOKS LIKE THEY'RE, UM, PREPARING A, A WORKING LIST. 
          COMMISSIONER LINDER, UH, THIS IS MAYBE A QUESTION FOR OUR PARLIAMENTARIAN, BUT UM, COULD YOU REMIND ME SORT OF WHAT THE RULES ARE AROUND, I KNOW THAT THERE'S SOME, UH, ABILITY TO HOLD SORT OF EMERGENCY COMMISSION MEETINGS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. 
          SO IN THE EVENT THAT SHE DID GET BACK WITH A NEGATIVE RESPONSE AND SAID WE, WE ABSOLUTELY NEED IT BY THE END OF JANUARY, WOULD THERE BE ANY POTENTIAL THAT WE COULD AT THAT POINT, UM, HAVE SOME SORT OF MEETING AND VOTE ON THE RECOMMENDATIONS BEFORE THEN? UM, I BELIEVE SO, YES. 
          YEAH, IF THE ROOM'S AVAILABLE AND WE CAN, I GUESS, IS THAT THEORETICAL POSSIBILITY ? YEAH. 
          UM, I WOULD NORMALLY NEED AT LEAST TWO WEEKS, UM, TO LIKE FIND A ROOM. 
          UM, AND IT WOULD STILL HAVE TO GO UNDER TOMA, SO I WOULD HAVE TO APPROVE THE AGENDA AND EVERYTHING. 
          UM, SO I GUESS IF YOU WERE TO EMAIL HER TONIGHT AND SHE WERE TO COME UP WITH AN ANSWER YEAH. 
          WITHIN LIKE THE NEXT WEEK, IF SHE SAYS NO, WE COULD, WE CAN TRY TO PUT SOMETHING TOGETHER BEFORE THE END OF, TOGETHER BY THE LAST WEEK OF JANUARY, BUT, UM, YEAH. 
          OKAY. 
          SO IS IT A, IT'S OKAY THAT I EMAIL AS WHEN WE SAY A LETTER? YES. 
          OKAY. 
          OKAY. 
          A WRITTEN CORRESPONDENCE. 
          Y'ALL WANNA VOTE ON IT SINCE, UM, RIGHT. 
          I WAS JUST SEEING IF THERE'S ANY, ANY MORE DISCUSSION OR QUESTIONS. 
          OKAY. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          UM, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, UNANIMOUS? YEAH. 
          OKAY. 
          ALRIGHT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          LAST, OR IS THERE, UM, ANYBODY 
          [FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
I KNOW OF ANY AGENDA ITEMS THEY WANT TO PUT ON NEXT MONTH'S AGENDA NOW? UM, THE DEADLINE TO GET AGENDA ITEMS IN FOR THE FEBRUARY 9TH MEETING IS JANUARY 29TH. 
          SO ANYBODY UM, FROM THE COMMISSION COULD EMAIL ME PRIOR TO THAT IF WE DON'T HAVE IT NOW. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          IS THERE A MOTION TO ADJOURN? COMMISSIONER NORTON SECOND TIES? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? UNANIMOUS. 
          THANK YOU.
* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.