[Call to Order]
[00:00:07]
UH, LISA MITCHELL IS NOT HERE.
ANDREA JOANNE NORTON, BRIAN DISTRICT FOREST VACANT PARLIAMENTARIAN, NANCY NEMER.
PALMER NINE HOUSE SITS HERE, KATIE.
WITH THAT, I'LL CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER.
UH, FIRST THING WE'RE SUPPOSED TO DO IS GO TO SPEAKERS.
[Additional Item]
UM, I GUESS I CAN, I CAN RUN THAT.SO WE'LL GO WITH, UH, CHRISTINE, CORRECT? FOLLOWED BY LANA LESLEY.
UM, MY NAME IS CHRISTINE
I'M A HOSPICE VOLUNTEER AND ALSO AN ACTIVE FOSTER VOLUNTEER AND TRANSPORTER WITH APA.
AND I'M SPEAKING TODAY BECAUSE I BELIEVE AUSTIN SHOULD BE A TIER ONE CAUSE PILOT CITY, AS A TRAILBLAZER OF THE NO KILL MOVEMENT, IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE TO ME THAT AUSTIN WOULD NOT BE A MAJOR PLAYER IN THIS IMPORTANT INITIATIVE.
I FOLLOWED THAT ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION MEETINGS, BUT I'VE HEARD THE REASONS STATED AS TO WHY AUSTIN ISN'T PART OF HAAS, BUT THE FACT IS CHANGE IS HAPPENING.
I SEE IT EVERY DAY WHEN I GO ON NEXT DOOR, MY FEED IS FLOODED WITH POSTS ABOUT FOUND ANIMALS, LOST PETS, MEDICAL QUESTIONS REGARDING PETS, AND PLEASE FOR REHOMING THEIR PETS SIMPLY CALLING THREE, ONE, ONE, AND HAVING AN ANIMAL HAULED OFF TO THE MUNICIPAL SHELTER IS NO LONGER AN ADEQUATE SOLUTION WHEN WE ARE SO CONNECTED AND INFORMATION CAN BE SHARED IN AN INSTANT.
AND THEN REALITY OF THE RESPONSE OR SUPPORT WILL BE PROVIDED WHEN HE CALLS THREE.
THAT INSTANCE, THERE IS A PERSON IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD CURRENTLY TRANSFEREE HOME FOR DOG NEXT DOOR.
AND HER POSTS HAS GENERATED 109 COMMENTS SO FAR.
BUT THE PROBLEM IS HERE IS PEOPLE DON'T KNOW WHAT RESOURCES ARE ACTUALLY AVAILABLE AND A LOT OF MISINFORMATION.
AND JUST FLAT OUT THAT ADVICE IS BEING SHARED.
PEOPLE ARE LOOKING FOR ALTERNATE SOLUTIONS TO SHELTERING ANIMALS, AND THERE ARE LOADS OF PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY WHO WANT TO HELP.
WE JUST NEED TO OFFER THE SERVICES, PROGRAMS AND INFRASTRUCTURE PROVIDED BY HAAS TO GET THIS OUT TO THE PEOPLE, BUT THE DISRUPTION IN THE REGULAR OPERATIONS OF OUR CITY, ANIMAL SHELTER AND ANIMAL RESCUE IN GENERAL, DO THE COPAS.
WE COULD SEE HOW HAVING ONE CENTRALIZED SHELTER THAT REQUIRES ANIMALS FOR PEOPLE TO CONGREGATE.
THAT'S A BIG FOCUS OF PAST PROGRAMMING IS COMMUNITY BASED SUPPORT LIKE FOSTERS ELIMINATING THIS PROBLEM.
IT'S SUBSTANTIALLY LESS COSTLY THAN CARING FOR ALL ANIMALS IN THE SHELTER.
ALSO ANIMALS IN FOSTER CARE ARE MUCH MORE LIKELY TO GET ADOPTED FASTER.
REDUCING THE AMOUNT OF TIME THE ANIMAL IS IN THE SHELTER SYSTEMS CARE AGAIN, REDUCING COSTS COMMUNITY-BASED FOSTERING CAN ALSO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF ANIMALS BEING SURRENDERED TO THE SHELTER.
IF A FOSTER SYSTEM CAN BE USED FOR PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HARDSHIP AND NEED A BIT OF TIME TO GET BACK ON THEIR FEET WITHOUT HAVING TO RELINQUISH THEIR PETS.
IT OFTEN DOESN'T PARTICIPATE IN HOTMAIL.
HE MISSED OUT ON BEST PRACTICE SHARING WITH OTHER MUNICIPAL SHELTERS AND TEMPLATES FOR NEW PROGRAMS THAT HE SHELTERS CARE PROVIDES BETTER, INVOLVE THE COMMUNITY AND LAWSON FOUND FOSTERING IT AND DATABASE HELP WORKING GROUPS, COVERING EVERYTHING FROM GOVERNMENT BUDGETING, LEGAL DISASTER RESPONSE, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, BEHAVIOR SUPPORT, AND GRASSROOTS ROLL OUT AMONG A MULTITUDE OF OTHER WORKING GROUPS.
AND NOT ONLY WOULD IT BE MISS OUT THE OFFICE SHOULD BE A MAJOR CONTRIBUTOR PLAYING AN INTEGRAL ROLE IN DEVELOPING THIS PROGRAMS AND LEADING THE WAY WE'VE NEVER BEEN ONE TO SIT BACK AND WATCH OTHERS DO THE HARD WORK WE SHOULD BE AT BEACON IN THIS PROJECT BECOMING A TIER ONE.
PILOT CITY ALSO GETS AUSTIN TO ACCESS TO POTENTIAL GRANT FUNDING AS HAS ALREADY HAS MAJOR FUNDERS IN THE INDUSTRY INVOLVED IN REGULAR INTEREST FROM OTHERS.
IT'S NOT THE TIME TO SIT STILL AND WAIT TO SEE HOW OTHER PILOTS TO BE THERE.
WE NEED TO BE AT THE FOREFRONT OF THIS IMPORTANT MOVEMENT AS WE HAVE IN THE PAST.
AUSTIN HAS THE NOTES FROM THE RESOLUTION AND GIVEN THE NEW NORMAL, AND IT'S GOING TO BE TOUGHER AND TOUGHER TO MAINTAIN OR NO TILL STATUS UNDER THE CURRENT LTV MODEL.
PLEASE MISS MS. AUSTIN PILOT CITY.
I BELIEVE THAT AUSTIN SHOULD BE A TIER ONE PILOT CITY ON THE HAAS PROJECT.
I WAS SENT TO THE RECORDING OF THE WORKING GROUPS MEETING.
AND I APPRECIATE YOUR THOROUGHNESS AND YOUR THOUGHTFULNESS REGARDING THE QUESTION OF WHETHER AUSTIN SHOULD JOIN HAAS.
THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR YOUR WORK.
I'M SPEAKING TODAY BECAUSE I WANT TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE FEARS THAT WERE ARTICULATED IN THAT MEETING.
THE FEARS EXPRESSED WERE CENTERED ON HAAS SETTING UP AAC, STAFF TO FAIL BECAUSE THERE AREN'T ENOUGH PEOPLE ON STAFF TO SUCCESSFULLY IMPLEMENT THE PROGRAM.
THE TRUTH IS HOSKINS FAIL FOR ANY NUMBER OF REASONS, BUT DELAYING PARTICIPATION OR SITTING BACK HOPING
[00:05:01]
WE CAN LEARN FROM EL PASO OR DALLAS LATER.ISN'T THE ANSWER BECAUSE OF OUR GROUNDS BIKING, NO KILL HISTORY AND OUR RESIDENT ANIMAL WELFARE LEADERS.
AUSTIN IS IN A BETTER POSITION THAN ALMOST ANY OTHER CITY IN THE COUNTRY TO SET UP AN INNOVATIVE PROGRAM THAT CAN HELP PEOPLE.
NOW WHEN THEY NEED IT, MOST IT WAS MENTIONED, THE AAC ALREADY DOES SOME OF WHAT HAAS OFFERS AND IT SEEMED LIKE THERE WAS A DESIRE TO STAVE OFF ANY REAL OVERHAUL OF THE SYSTEM BY CHERRY PICKING, THE MORE EASILY IMPLEMENTABLE BITS OF HAAS AND DOING JUST THOSE.
WE OPERATE RIGHT NOW IN THE OLD LB MODEL, EVEN WITH ALL THE IMPROVEMENTS WE'VE MADE TO IT, TRYING TO INITIATE FOUNDATIONAL CHANGE WHILE HANGING ONTO THIS UNSTABLE INSTITUTION BASED MODEL DOES LITTLE TO ADDRESS THE INHERENT ISSUES OF INEQUITY AND ACCESSIBILITY AND THEREFORE MAKES SUBSTANCES POSITIVE CHANGE UNLIKELY.
IMPLEMENTING THE HAAS MODEL WOULD NECESSITATE A COMPLETE OVERHAUL OF THE CITY'S ANIMAL ORGANIZATIONAL CHART AND A REWORKING AT THE SHELTER FACILITY USAGE AND IN THIS COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMS. AND YES, IT MIGHT REQUIRE MORE PEOPLE, VOLUNTEERS AND POSSIBLY EVEN MORE STAFF, BUT THERE'S A STRONG CHANCE.
IT WILL JUST REQUIRE RETASKING EXISTING STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS IN EITHER CASE THAT IS UP TO US.
WE, AS THE PILOT CITY CAN DECIDE HOW BEST AND HOW FAST TO MAKE THE CHANGES WE WANT TO SEE IN THE SHELTER SYSTEM.
WHAT I KNOW FOR SURE IS THAT IT IS NOT YOUR JOB AS A COMMISSION TO STOP INNOVATION BECAUSE YOU ARE AFRAID IT MIGHT NOT WORK OR YOU FEEL IT WOULD BE TOO HARD TO DO BY DELAYING OUR ENTRANCE INTO THE HUSK COMMUNITY.
WE'RE PREVENTING LIFE SAVING INNOVATIONS LIKE WE'RE SEEING FROM DALLAS WE'RE RIGHT NOW, THEY ARE PARTNERING WITH MEALS ON WHEELS TO HELP GET PETS TRANSPORTED TO THEIR VET APPOINTMENTS, WHERE THEY'VE IMPLEMENTED A TEXTING PROGRAM TO DEAL WITH LOST AND FOUND ANIMALS AND WHERE THEY CREATED A SIMPLE AND INFORMATIVE FLYER TO HELP PEOPLE ACCESS ALL THE SERVICES THEY AND THEIR PARTNERS ARE PUTTING IN PLACE.
DELAYING IMPLEMENTATION WILL NOT MAKE IT EASIER TO DO THIS HARD AND NECESSARY WORK.
IT WON'T MAKE FUNDING APPEAR OR ANSWERS APPEAR.
IT WILL SIMPLY PUT US BEHIND THE REST OF THE COUNTRY.
AUSTIN'S DELAYED TRANSLATES TO PEOPLE WITHOUT RESOURCES, SURRENDERING THE ANIMALS.
STAYING LOST TO SHELTERS, STAYING OVERCROWDED AND UNDERSTAFFED.
PLEASE RECOMMEND TO COUNCIL THAT AUSTIN JOINED THE NATIONAL HOSS INITIATIVE.
HI, GOOD AFTERNOON COMMISSION MEMBERS.
I WAS ON THE WORK GROUP FOR THIS ITEM THREE C.
I'M ASKING YOU TO PASS THIS SUGGESTED MODIFICATIONS TO SECTIONS THREE DASH ONE DESK AND THREE DASH ONE DESK.
26 OF ORDINANCE TWO OH ONE NINE ONE OH ONE SEVEN DASH ZERO TWO FIVE.
SO A YEAR AGO, SEPTEMBER 28TH, A HUNDRED POUND DOG NAMED SNOWBALL, BUT A YOUNG FEMALE VOLUNTEER.
CAN YOU STILL HEAR ME? YES, WE YOU.
SO A MONTH LATER, JUST A FEW WEEKS AFTER THIS ORDINANCE WAS PUT INTO PLACE, I WAS THERE AND HELD ON TO A FEMALE VOLUNTEERS FOR ARM MOVING APPROXIMATELY 25 POUNDS ROOMS. I WAS A FEW FEET AWAY FROM HER AND I COULDN'T HELP HER.
ON NOVEMBER 8TH, APA DECLINED TO TAKE SNOWBALL INTO THEIR PROGRAM FOR HIS WILLINGNESS TO SUSTAIN ATTACK AND DO SEVERE HARM ON NOVEMBER 23RD, AS HE WAS BEING RETURNED TO HIS OWNER PER THE NEW ORDINANCE, VICIOUSLY ATTACKED AND ANIMAL PROTECTION OFFICER TWICE REPLACES WE'LL USE THE TOURNIQUET BY REVISING THIS OR MEANS I HOPE THAT ACTUALLY HELPS SO THAT NO ONE ELSE IS INJURED BY AN AGGRESSIVE DOG.
THE CITY SHOULD NOT BE IN THE BUSINESS OF ADOPTING, RETURNING, OR TRANSFERRING HIGH RISK ANIMALS.
EUTHANASIA IS A HUMANE OPTION AND IT'S OUR RESPONSIBILITY.
PLEASE DON'T SACRIFICE PUBLIC SAFETY IN THE NAME OF NO COUNT OR LIVE RELEASE NUMBERS ASKED YOU TO MAKE THESE CHANGES.
HI, UM, MY NAME'S LUCY FERNANDEZ ON THE RESIDENT OF AUSTIN STUDENTS AT FIVE ON HERE AND AN APA EMPLOYEE.
AND JUST WANTING TO SAY THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR CAREFUL PLANNING CONSIDERATIONS FOR TODAY'S AGENDA.
I'M A SPEAKING IN FAVOR OF AUSTIN BECOMING A TIER ONE HOT PALLET CITY AFTER LISTENING TO SOME OF THE VIDEOS FROM PREVIOUS MEETINGS, UH, THERE WERE DEFINITELY SOME VALID CONCERNS THAT WERE MADE ABOUT, UM, BUDGETS AND STAFFING AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, AND JUST WANTED TO GO AHEAD AND BRING SOME OF THOSE THINGS UP.
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AAC HAS ABOUT A $16 MILLION BUDGET, BUT APA HAS BEEN $10 MILLION AND, UH, OFTEN EXCITED.UM, AS FAR AS THE LACK OF STAFFING PERSONNEL, UH, TOTAL NUMBER OF VOLUNTEERS ABOUT RIGHT NOW, UH, FOR APA IS 2000 TOTAL.
NUMBER OF FOSTERS FOR APA IS 500.
AND I JUST LIKE TO THINK ABOUT WHAT WOULD MEAN IF WE WERE ALL, YOU KNOW, APRIL TO COMBINE OUR FORCES TO SEE WHAT WOULD BE CAPABLE OF.
UM, IF WE ALL JUST KIND OF COMBINED OUR EFFORTS, WE'RE ABLE TO TRACK IT, TRACK OUR BUDGETS, TRACK IT, OUR PERSONNEL, UM, AND JUST KIND OF DO DISTRICT SPECIFIC OUTREACH TO WHERE PEOPLE ARE NEEDING OUR HELP, THE MOST WHERE OUR ANIMALS ARE NEEDING US THE MOST.
UM, YOU KNOW, WORKING WITH SAMPLES OF HOT SORORITY EXISTS, MR. SLOATE, UH, PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED IN ONE OF THE MEETINGS THAT HIS TEAM INACCURATE MULTIPLE COMPONENTS OF HAAS, WHICH IS AMAZING.
I'VE ALSO LIKED TO BRING UP SOME OF THE STATS FROM SOME OF THE APA EFFORTS THAT HAVE BEEN RECENTLY MADE SINCE THE PANDEMIC HIT.
UH, WE HAD A DOG AND DASH PROGRAM.
UM, WE'RE CURRENTLY STILL RUNNING IT AS A MARCH.
UM, IT HAD, WE HAD ABOUT 506 DOGS GOT TO FOSTER FROM THAT INITIATIVE.
UM, AND 51 ABOUT 51% OF THOSE HAS BEEN ADOPTED OUT.
UM, WHEN COVERT HIT IN ABOUT TWO TO THREE WEEKS, WE HAD 81% OF OUR CATS AND DOGS THAT WERE ON THE SHELF IN THE SHELTER, WENT OUT TO FOSTER.
HE JUST HAD TO PIVOT AND MAKE THINGS HAPPEN.
AND I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, WITH A C AND NHS, LIKE IT'S REMARKABLE, THE THINGS THAT CAN HAPPEN.
UM, OUR ADOPTIONS HAVE GONE UP 30% OF HER LAST YEAR DURING A WHILE EVERYBODY'S IN QUARANTINE.
UM, WE DIDN'T GOT LIKE A DRY FRUIT PET FOOD BANK, A FOOD BANK SET UP FOR THIS SATURDAY.
AUSTIN SHOULD BE PART OF HAAS SO THAT WE CAN GO AHEAD AND EXPAND THAT WE CAN TRACK THAT WE CAN MAKE A BIGGER IMPACT, NOT TO MENTION THE EXTRAORDINARY WORK AND DEDICATION OF GROUPS LIKE BOSTON, AUSTIN SOUND, TEST TRAPPERS, PAUSES, MUMPS, AND CANINES, AND COUNTLESS OTHER PEOPLE WHO STOPPED TRAFFIC TO SAVE A TERRIFIED OR INJURED FOR A BABY.
WE'RE ALL HERE BECAUSE IN WELFARE, IN OUR COMMUNITY, COMMUNITIES IS MEASURABLE.
IF WE'RE ABLE TO COMBINE AND COMMUNICATE OUR SUCCESSES, NOT JUST THE HARDSHIPS, WE CAN MAKE REMARKABLE THINGS HAPPEN, NOT JUST THE DATA, BUT THE TRAINING AND PROCESSES AND THE PEOPLE THAT MAKE THOSE NUMBERS HAPPEN.
THE HOC MODEL WOULD USE THESE RESOURCES TO DECENTRALIZED SERVICES FROM JUST THE LOOP, THE VENDOR LOOP LOCATION, AND EXPANDED TO DISTRICTS WHERE THEY'RE NEEDED MOST.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME TODAY.
WHEN THE MARKET IS NOT PRESENT, THAT WAS WENDY NOT PRESENT.
MY NAME IS NICHOLAS CLARK AND I LIVE IN PRECINCT ONE EASTERN TRAVIS COUNTY.
I'VE BEEN HERE FOR 12 YEARS AND HAVE BEEN ACTIVE IN THE ANIMAL RESCUE COMMUNITY.
AS LONG AS MY NEIGHBORHOOD, THE BOSTON'S QUALITY, I VOLUNTEERED AT MANY OF US AND ATTENDED MANY EVENTS IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD AND THAT ASSOCIATED TO MY COMMISSIONER'S COURT REGARDING THE LACK OF ANIMAL SERVICES IN MY AREA AND THE LACK OF OUTREACH.
AND I'M HERE AS A TRAVIS COUNTY RESIDENT TO SPEAK AGAINST AGENDA ITEM FOUR B, I'M HERE TO ASK THAT YOU DO NOT VOTE TO RECOMMEND THAT THE CITY SHELTER JOINED THE HAAS PROGRAM AT THIS TIME.
THIS PROGRAM IS BASICALLY DEFINED AS WELL AS WHAT OUR PARTICIPATION IN THIS PROGRAM WOULD BE.
WE NEED A DETAILED AND TRANSPARENT OUTLINE OF WHAT THE HOSPITAL LOOKS LIKE FOR AUSTIN AND IT'S OUTLINED AREAS.
WE MUST KNOW IF DOING HOSPITALS, THE INTAKE, AND IF SO, WHAT THE EXACT PROCESS WILL BE FOR AN ANIMAL FOUND ON THE STREET AND WHAT IT WOULD TAKE TO GET THE ANIMAL ADOPTED.
EVEN THE WEBSITE FOR HOS IS BIG.
IT TAKES YOU IN CIRCLES AND IT PROVIDES LITTLE TO NO REAL INFORMATION ON WHAT THE LOGISTICS OF HAAS IS.
AND I'M ASKING THAT THIS BOAT NOT BE MADE WITHOUT INPUT FROM MY NEIGHBORHOOD AND OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS THAT COULD BE AFFECTED TRANSPARENCY OF THE MEETING AGENDA AND INPUT SHOULD ALL BE MADE AVAILABLE TO THE COMMUNITY SO THAT WE CAN HAVE VOICE OUR OPINIONS AND HELP MAKE CHOICES FOR THE AREA THAT WE LIVE IN.
MY COMMUNITY IS KNOWN FOR HAVING A LARGER POPULATION OF NON BLACK RESIDENTS.
BUT CURRENTLY WE HAVE NO, NOT IN MY REPRESENTATION IN THIS WORK GROUP.
WE EVEN HAVE SOMEONE IN THE GROUP WHO'S SPOKEN TO NEVER HAVING VISITED THE SHELTER.
SO ONCE AGAIN, AUSTIN IS IN A POSITION TO BE A
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LEADER IN NO KILL.I SET THE STANDARD FOR WHAT I CAN BE AND ACCOMPLISH, BUT WE CANNOT DO THAT WITH THIS, MY PATH TO SUCCESS.
THAT WAS TRAYS FOLLOWED BY DOLLY N Z.
HI, MY NAME IS PAT
I SERVED ON THE ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION FOR 16 YEARS, HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN AUSTIN AND MALICIOUS FOR 28 YEARS.
MY POSITION ON THE HOTTEST ISSUE IS THAT YOU HAVE NOT DEFINED WHAT IT IS.
I BELIEVE IF YOU ARE GOING TO RECOMMEND SOMETHING TO CITY COUNCIL, YOU SHOULD NOT VOTE UNTIL YOU HAVE A CLEAR STATEMENT OF WHAT IT IS THAT YOU ARE RECOMMENDING THAT THE ANIMAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT DO.
I LISTENED TO ALL SIX HOURS OF THE WORK GROUP MEETINGS AND ALL THESE SIX HOURS.
IT WAS CLEAR THAT HAAS MEANT DIFFERENT THINGS TO DIFFERENT PEOPLE.
SHE SAID SHE WANTED TO GET ANIMALS OUT OF KENNELS AND GET RID OF ANIMAL SHELTERS FOR ALL, BUT A FEW PETS.
SHE DID NOT EXPLAIN HOW THAT WOULD HAPPEN AND WHAT IT WOULD COST MARK'S LOAD.
ON THE OTHER HAND SAID, WE ARE ALREADY DOING 99.9% OF HOT.
HE IMPLIED WE DON'T NEED HAAS BECAUSE WE'RE ALREADY DOING IT.
BUT THEN AGAIN, HE SAID HE WANTS TO PARTICIPATE IN THE DISCUSSIONS.
IF HAAS IS DEFINED THE WAY MARK'S LOTE PRESENTED, WHICH IS TO PARTICIPATE IN DISCUSSIONS, I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH THAT.
AND THAT DOES NOT NEED A CITY COUNCIL, UM, ORDINANCE OR RECOMMENDATION.
WE DO NOT NEED CITY COUNCIL TO WEIGH IN ON WHETHER OR NOT SHELTER STAFF CAN PARTICIPATE IN DISCUSSIONS.
ON THE OTHER HAND, IF HAAS IS ABOUT ENDING SHELTER, OPEN INTAKE, I DON'T THINK YOU SHOULD VOTE FOR IT.
IF HAAS IS ABOUT REIMAGINING ANIMAL SERVICES, A MUCH BROADER GROUP OF COMMUNITY RESIDENTS SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO PARTICIPATE IN WHAT IT IS THAT OFTEN WANTS ANIMAL SHOP SERVICES TO BECOME, PLEASE VOTE AGAINST HAAS TODAY.
YOU NEED TO DO SO, AND THEN BRING IT BACK TO US FOR COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS.
THANK YOU, DOLLY NZ, YOUR PHLEGM SPEAKER.
MY NAME IS DOLLY NZ SINCE FEBRUARY, 2000.
I'VE LIVED IN DISTRICT NINE, ACTIVELY REUNITING PETS SINCE 2005.
I'M INTERESTED IN HOW THE COMMUNITY HAS BEEN INCLUDED OR NOT IN THE HALF DISCUSSION.
AND WHAT EXACTLY IS BEING VOTED ON TODAY? MY OWN PET REUNION TERRITORY COVERS 14 SQUARE EAST AND WEST IN CENTRAL AUSTIN, INCLUDING EIGHT ZIP CODES WHERE I CULTIVATED RELATIONSHIPS WITH 15 NEIGHBORHOODS ADJACENT TO MY NEIGHBORHOOD CHERRYWOOD, WHERE I INITIALLY REQUESTED AND WAS GRANTED ACCESS TO CLOSE NEIGHBORHOOD YAHOO EMAIL GROUPS.
BECAUSE AS I EXPLAINED TO THE GROUP GROUP MODERATORS, WHEN A DOG IS LOOSE, IT DOESN'T THINK, OOPS, I'M IN A NEW NEIGHBORHOOD AND I CAN'T GO THERE.
SO NOW I CAN REACH, IN ADDITION TO THE YAHOO GROUPS, REPLACEMENT, EMAIL GROUPS, NEXT DOOR GROUPS, TOTALING ABOUT 15,000 SUBSCRIBERS FROM THE BEGINNING OF MY GOAL HAS ALWAYS BEEN TO USE ONSITE ON PHONE AND ONLINE TOOLS TO FACILITATE PETRIE.
AND JUST BEFORE THEY ENDED UP IN THE SHELTER, FREE UP SPACE FOR THOSE ANIMALS, WE REALLY NEED THE KENNEL SPACE.
AND IN THE EARLY DAYS TO AVOID EUTHANASIA AND IN THE PROCESS TEACH OTHERS SO THEY CAN DO THE SAME.
SO TODAY I'M SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF THOSE IN THE COMMUNITY.
COME JOIN ME FOR THE PAST 15 YEARS OF GETTING THEM HOME FOUR PAWS OR SOMETIMES THREE AT A TIME WHILE SERVING FOR SEVEN YEARS AS AN AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER VOLUNTEER IN THE FIELD, I'VE ALSO VOLUNTEERED WITH OTHER RESCUE GROUPS, INCLUDING SCANNING SO MANY HURRICANE HARVEY RESCUED PETS FOR APA, BUT I WORE OUT MY FIRST PERSONAL MICROSCRIPT SCANNER.
I DON'T GRADUATE FROM THE MISSING ANIMAL RESPONSE NETWORK WITH 45 HOURS OF TRAINING AND BECAME A VOLUNTEER PET DETECTIVE.
MY QUESTION IS, IS WHAT COMMUNITY INPUT HAS BEEN COLLECTED ABOUT HUMAN ANIMAL SUPPORT SERVICES.
HAS HOSPICE BEEN DISCUSSED IN THE COMMUNITY AT ANY NEIGHBORHOOD MEETINGS OR IN NEIGHBORHOOD EMAILS OR NEIGHBORHOOD NEWSLETTERS? I'M NOT AWARE OF THIS TOPIC BEING DISCUSSED IN CHERRYWOOD OR ANY OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD ONLINE GROUPS.
AS OTHERS HAVE EXPRESSED, IT SEEMS MORE THAN APPROPRIATE TO COMMUNICATE AND CONSULT WITH THOSE WHOSE KNOWLEDGE EXPERIENCE AND INSIGHT WOULD BE INFORMATIVE AS WELL AS BENEFICIAL TO THE HOSPICE DISCUSSION.
THOSE WHO HAVE REGULARLY PARTICIPATED IN BOOTS ON THE GROUND
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EFFORTS, SUCH AS SEARCHING WITH FLASHLIGHTS, FOR CATS AND THE DARK TRAPPING, RECIDIVIST ROVERS ALL THE WHILE, PROVIDING GUIDANCE AND ENCOURAGEMENT TO THOSE SEARCHING FOR A PET OR IT'S HUMAN, IF NOT, AND I'M KIND OF USING WORDS THAT I HEARD IN THE LAST MEETING THAT WAS HELD.UM, IF THE COMMUNITY ISN'T BEING, UH, IF, IF NOT, IT SEEMS THE COMMUNITY IS BEING SIDELINED FROM THE DISCUSSIONS, EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE THE EYES AND EARS ON THE GROUND ON A DAILY BASIS.
SO MY QUESTION IS, IS ABOUT BEING TAKEN WITHOUT SUCH COMMUNITY INPUT.
THAT'S THE END OF OUR SPEAKERS.
[1a. Minutes from the Animal Advisory Commission’s August 7, 2020, Special Meeting.]
TO ITEM, WHICH IS THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FOR THE OTHER GENTLEMAN.WE'LL DO ROLL CALL VOTES FOR THIS ONE.
A SECOND, SECOND BY JOANNE ALL IN FAVOR, WAVE AND SAY AYE.
ANY OPPOSED? ANY ABSTAINING? LISA ABSTAINS.
UH, I AM TWO STAFF BRIEFINGS STAFF.
[2a. AAC and Animal Services Monthly Reports July 2020]
HEY, THIS IS JASON.WE GOT THE JULY NUMBERS FINALLY IN, AND I WANT TO THANK Y'ALL FOR OUR PATIENTS WITH THESE ISSUES, BUT I'LL COVER IT FOR JULY, WHICH IS NICE.
IT'S 0.3, WE HAD A TOTAL OF 700 ANIMALS ARE BROUGHT INTO THE SHELTER, BUT THE VAST MAJORITY BEING STRAY, WE ARE ABLE TO GET 310 ANIMALS OUT THROUGH ADOPTION.
AND, UM, WE WERE ABLE TO GET A TOTAL OF 89, A THOUSAND CATS OUT RETURNED TO THEIR OWNERS.
UM, WE WERE STILL VERY ACTIVE IN THE FIELD.
OUR APS WERE ABLE TO RETURN 40 ANIMALS TO THEIR OWNERS.
AND DURING THAT TIME THEY WERE ABLE TO SEND OUT OR PROVIDE TO RESIDENTS 28 VENTING APPLICATIONS.
UM, THEY DID IMPOUND 184 INJURED ANIMALS WITH A HUNDRED OF THOSE BEING TRANSFERRED TO AUSTIN WILDLIFE RESCUE.
UM, WE ALSO SAW IT THERE, UH, FOR OUR FOSTERS WE HAVE RIGHT NOW THERE'S ARE IN JULY.
THERE WERE 465 ANIMALS THAT WERE IN FOSTER HOMES AND WE WERE ABLE TO GET 269 LIVE OUTCOMES THROUGH OUR PARTNERS.
UM, WE DID SOME RUN, SOME NUMBERS RIGHT BEFORE THE MEETING STARTED JUST TO SEE WHERE WE'RE AT WITH THE ADOPTION FOR AUGUST.
UM, GRANTED WE DO MATCH THOSE WITH, WITH WHAT OUR IT FOLKS, JUST TO ENSURE THAT, YOU KNOW, ALL DATA WE'RE INPUTTING IS CORRECT, BUT SO FAR FOR AUGUST ADOPTIONS, WE ARE SEEN AS BIG INCREASE.
WE HAD 427 ADOPTED WE WEREN'T WHERE WE WERE RUNNING OUR THROUGH THE SHELTERS PROMOTION, WHERE WE'RE PARTICIPATING IN THAT.
AND, UH, WE, WE WERE SEEING A LOT OF TRACTION AND JUST PEOPLE COMING IN FOR THAT.
WE WERE ABLE TO GET PRETTY STEADY WITH OUR ADOPTION APPOINTMENTS.
UM, WE'RE HOPING TO KEEP THAT TREND STRAIGHT THROUGH IN SEPTEMBER.
I THINK IT'S BEEN PRETTY STEADY SO FAR.
UM, WE DID HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF IT ADOPTION, UH, EVENTS THIS PAST SATURDAY, WHICH WAS SUCCESSFUL, UH, BEYOND ANY QUESTIONS ON THE NUMBERS BEFORE I GO ANY FURTHER.
THERE WAS A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT CAME UP THAT WERE BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION FROM SOME OF Y'ALL, UM, WORK GROUP MEETINGS.
AND I WENT TO TAKE JUST A MOMENT, ANSWER A COUPLE OF THOSE QUESTIONS TO CLARIFY THEM, TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY UNDERSTOOD IT WAS BROUGHT UP THAT, UM, THAT AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER WAS NOT PAYING ANY UTILITIES FOR APA.
LET ME EXPLAIN HOW THIS WORKS BACK IN 2011, WHEN THE PARTNERSHIP WAS STARTING, UH, AP AAC WAS PAYING ALL THE UTILITIES AND $10,000 A MONTH IN 2012, WHEN THE LEASING AGREEMENT WAS WORKED OUT, THAT WE ARE CURRENTLY UNDER, WE JUST PAID HALF OF THE UTILITIES.
SO ASKING THE NEW RADIO OPERATION, WHEN THE NEW LEASING AGREEMENT COMES OUT, THAT WILL GO AWAY.
BUT CURRENTLY WE'RE PAYING HALF OF THE UTILITIES.
SO FROM 2012, UNTIL CURRENT I, HALF OF THE UTILITIES THAT WE PAID ON BEHALF OF APA IS $393,287 AND 4 CENTS.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S AVERAGING ABOUT $47,000 A YEAR THAT WE'RE PAYING IN UTILITIES.
SO I JUST WANTED TO PUT THAT OUT THERE BECAUSE I KNOW THERE WERE SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT.
AND, UM, ONE OF THE OTHER QUESTIONS THAT CAME UP WAS FUNDRAISING AND OUR DONATION
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ACCOUNT, AND THAT IS CONTROLLED BY THE BUDGET OFFICE.AND THERE ARE RULES FROM THEM THAT ALLOW US NOT TO USE IT UNTIL THE FOLLOWING YEAR WHEN THEY CAN BE PUT INTO THE BUDGET.
BUT WE DID GET A CONCESSION MADE RECENTLY, IF WE HAVE SOMETHING, LET'S SAY WE NEED A PIECE OF EQUIPMENT, THAT'S GOING TO COST US, YOU KNOW, THREE TO $5,000 AND WE'RE GOING TO RAISE MONEY FOR THAT.
WE COULD GO TO THEM AND SAY, WE'RE GOING TO RAISE MONEY FOR THIS.
THE MONEY WILL GO INTO THE DONATION ACCOUNT AND THEN THEY WILL MOVE THAT TO THIS YEAR.
THERE'S BUDGET FOR THAT PRODUCT, BUT THEY, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S VERY SPECIFIC.
AND THOSE, ALL THOSE RULES ARE CONTROLLED BY THE BUDGET OFFICE, BUT WE BLEW THEM AWAY AND MADE THAT EXCEPTION.
AND SO THAT'S, THAT'S POSITIVE.
UM, THE OTHER THING, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I THOUGHT WAS BROUGHT UP WAS SOMEBODY WAS CONCERNED ABOUT, UH, THE WILDLIFE OFFICER POSITION BEING OPEN FROM THE COUNTY SIDE AND THE COUNTY POSITION IS, HAS BEEN BUILT IN TERMS OF, THAT'S NOT THE ONE THAT WAS OPEN.
IT WAS THE AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER, THE CITY POSITION THAT WAS VACATED AND THAT, UH, HAS BEEN FROZEN.
SO THE COUNTY POSITION HAS NEVER BEEN EMPTY.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UM, IT IS UNDER THEIR AGREEMENT, CURRENTLY, IT IS A TEMPORARY POSITION, BUT IN THE NEW AGREEMENT WITH THE COUNTY, WHEN ONCE IT'S FINALIZED, IT WILL BE A PERMANENT POSITION WITH BENEFITS.
SO THE OTHER THING THAT, UH, SOMEONE I THINK BROUGHT UP WAS OUR REMOTE STAFF, BEING ABLE TO COME BACK IN TO HELP WITH, WITH OUR SHORTNESS STAFF.
AND WE HAD 20 PEOPLE TELEWORKING DURING THIS COVID AND 13 OF THOSE PEOPLE ARE COMING IN AT SOME POINT TO HELP OUT WITH THAT.
SO ONLY SEVEN PEOPLE ARE OUT THERE RIGHT NOW THAT AREN'T COMING IN AND STARTING OCTOBER 1ST, UH, ALL PEOPLE AT SOME POINT.
SO WE, WE WE'VE BEEN PULLING THOSE PEOPLE BACK AS WE CAN DO SO SAFELY AND AS WE NEED THEIR ASSISTANCE.
SO THOSE ARE JUST A FEW THINGS THAT I'M WANTING TO COVER.
ANYBODY, ANY QUESTIONS FOR US? OR DO YOU HAVE YOUR HAND UP? YEAH, I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
MAYBE I SHOULD'VE ASKED BEFORE DON ON A, HOW LONG IS THE WAIT FOR THE ADOPTION APPOINTMENTS? I KEEP HEARING DIFFERENT STORIES ON THAT.
HOW LONG IS THE WAIT AND IS THAT GETTING BETTER, LIKE SHORTER OR LONGER OR HOW'S THAT HOLDING UP AS WELL? ALL OF OUR POINTS, ALL OF OUR APPOINTMENTS ARE CURRENTLY BOOKED THROUGH OCTOBER.
THAT'S WHY WE HAD THIS EVENT THIS PAST SATURDAY TO TRY TO HELP MOVE SOME MORE ANIMALS OUT AND EXPEDITE THAT.
AND WE PLAN ON DOING THAT AT LEAST EVERY OTHER WEEK.
UM, BECAUSE WE JUST CAN'T ADD MORE SLOTS AT THIS POINT TO BRING MORE PEOPLE IN.
WELL, SO THAT'S LIKE A TWO OVER A TWO WEEK WAIT LIST TO ADOPT IT.
WILL THAT CHANGE AT ALL WITH YOU MENTIONING THESE OTHER PEOPLE THAT WILL BE COMING BACK FROM WORKING ON MODE AND HOW QUICKLY DO YOU ANTICIPATE THAT CHANGE? SOME OF THESE, THESE PEOPLE ARE ALREADY BACK AT SOME POINT, YOU KNOW, THEY ARE TWO OR THREE DAYS A WEEK, UH, JUST TO HELP US MAINTAIN WHAT WE'RE DOING CURRENTLY.
THE ONE THING I DID WANT TO SAY IS, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A LOT OF TECHNOLOGY THAT IS BEING, UH, WORKED ON FOR US TO BE ABLE TO HANDLE A LOT OF THINGS.
THAT'LL TAKE HUMAN INTERVENTION, APPLE, THREE OF PEOPLE LIKE OUR CUSTOMER SERVICE.
YOU KNOW, AT ONE POINT WE WERE GETTING THOUSANDS OF EMAILS BECAUSE THEY WERE DUPLICATING AND SENDING MULTIPLES AND A LOT OF THINGS THAT THEY'VE BEEN WORKING WITH US.
SO WE'RE RUNNING ABOUT 20 EMAILS BEHIND NOW.
SO IT'S DOWN TO WHEN WE LEAVE, WE ONLY HAVE ABOUT 20 LEFT OVER FROM THE DAY BEFORE.
SO IT'S WORKING REALLY WELL RIGHT NOW.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S GOING TO HELP US IS WHEN PEOPLE'S APPLICATIONS CAN GO STRAIGHT IN AND THEY CAN BOOK THEIR OWN APPOINTMENTS THAT WILL FREE UP OUR CUSTOMER SERVICE FOLKS SO THAT IF WE CAN SAFELY BRING OTHER PEOPLE IN NOW FREED THEM UP TO HELP CUSTOMERS ONCE THEY COME IN.
AND AS THAT, HOW WAS THAT FOR LIKE COMPARED TO LIKE TWO MONTHS ON HOW LONG THE PROCESS WAS AND THE WAY TO ADOPT, LIKE, IS IT GETTING BETTER OR WORSE? SO IT'S MUCH BETTER, MUCH BETTER.
AND TO THE POINT WHERE, UH, PEOPLE THAT WILL CANCEL THEIR APPOINTMENTS TODAY, WE, WE WILL CALL AHEAD AND TAKE SOME OF THOSE PEOPLE THAT WERE
[00:30:01]
BOOKED OUT IN ADVANCE AND BRING THOSE PEOPLE IN AND FIND SOMEONE THAT CAN TAKE THESE APPOINTMENTS AND MOVE THEM FORWARD.SO WE MAKE SURE WE GET SOMEONE HERE FOR EVERY SAY YOU'RE FILLING THE HOLES.
AND WHAT ABOUT ON RECLAIM HOW'S THAT? HOW DOES THAT WORK FOR APPOINTMENTS TO COME? IS THAT AN APPOINTMENT BASED SERVICE? TO KNOW IF WE CAN MAKE CONTACT WITH AN INDIVIDUAL OR ANIMALS, AND WE JUST HAVE, WE TELL THEM TO COME BACK AT A CERTAIN TIME.
SO THAT WAY WE CAN IN I'M HERE, I'M HERE TO BE OKAY, LET'S GET YOU TO COME WALK AND LOOK, I'VE HEARD THERE HAVE BEEN SOME PROBLEMS WITH THE WEBSITE.
SO WHAT HAPPENS LIKE IF THEY, IF ONE'S NOT IDENTIFIED WITHOUT HIM BEING PRESENT DURING THAT PROCESS OF TRYING TO GET PICTURES FROM THE INDIVIDUAL, WE CAN VERIFY IT.
THEN WE SEND THEM PICTURES AND THEN IF YOU KNOW WHERE THEY COME HERE, WE EXPORT IT FOR THE AREA FOR THE NLP.
HOPEFULLY IT IS A MATCH AND THAT IS OUR ANIMAL.
AND WE LIVE ACTUALLY TAKING ANIMALS BACK WHEN SOMEONE CAN'T GET THERE FOR AWHILE, WE'VE ACTUALLY TAKEN IN THE FIELD CORRECTLY.
A FEW QUESTIONS, HAVING A DISCUSSION ABOUT THIS IS ANIMAL SERVICES CONCERNED, AN ESSENTIAL CITY SERVICE.
WELL, THE STATE AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WERE NOT, UH, WHEN THE FIRST MAYOR'S ORDERS CAME OUT IN MARCH, WE WERE NOT LISTED AS ONE OF THE CENTRAL SERVICES WHEN I TALKED ABOUT SHELTERS, BUT SHORTLY THEREAFTER, WE GOT THEM TO PUT ANIMALS IN THE NEXT RELEASE OF THE BAT.
SO, UM, BUT DOES THAT MEAN THAT WE'RE NOT FROZEN AND NO, WE'RE, WE'RE HERE.
WE'RE ESSENTIALLY IN TERMS OF WE CAN HAVE STAFF ON SITE TO WORK, THEY REALIZE THAT.
SO THAT YOU MENTIONED THE FROZEN POSITIONS.
HOW MANY POSITIONS DO YOU CURRENTLY HAVE FROZEN? WE HAVE 12 OPENINGS.
SO YOU HAVE 12 POSITIONS, FROZEN AND SEVEN TEMPORARY FROZEN BUDGET, FULL TIME EMPLOYEES AT 12.
THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE CONSIDERED FROZEN.
THE TEMPORARY STAFF ARE TO HIRE THOSE, BUT AGAIN, THEY'RE ONLY TEMPORARY.
UM, YEAH, THERE'S, THERE'S NO BENEFITS ATTACHED TO THEM.
AND SO WE CAN HIRE SOMEONE, SOME FOLKS IN HERE, BUT THEY USUALLY HAVE TO WORK ON A PART TIME BASIS AS WELL.
HOW MANY ATRIUMS ARE FROZEN POSITIONS? YES.
NOW SEE, I WAS PART OF THE WORKING GROUPS THAT GOT THE, UM, UH, THE WILDLIFE OFFICERS.
AND WHEN WE GOT THOSE WILDLIFE OFFICERS FROM THE COUNTY WE MADE, UH, AND, AND THE, THE DIRECTOR WITH THE THEM DIRECTOR, TONY ANN WAS HERE.
WE MADE SOME PROMISES TO THE COUNTY, AND I'M NOT SURE IF THOSE PROMISES ARE BEING KEPT, WHICH WAS A LITTLE BIT CONCERNING.
UH, AND I, IT MAY HAVE TO DO WITH THE FROZEN POSITIONS.
AND I MEAN, YOU KNOW, I, I'M NOT SAYING I'M NOT BLAMING ANYONE, BUT THAT IS PROBLEMATIC.
UM, FOR, UH, YOU KNOW, OUR, THE, WHAT WE PROMISED THEM, THIS, THE COUNTY POSITION IS OUT AND IT'S NOT OPEN, IT'S FILLED, IT'S BEEN FILLED.
SO, YEAH, BUT THE COUNTY POSITION NOW HAS TO COVER WHAT THE CITY POSITION DID ALSO.
NO, NOT NECESSARILY OTHER OFFICERS WILL HELP WITH THE CITY POSITION.
BUT THEN IF YOU'RE, IF YOU'RE DOWN FOR, UH, ANIMAL PROTECTION OFFICERS, UH, IT'S LIKE, IT'S KINDA LIKE, UH, A SHELL GAME ABOUT GETTING THE PROPER COVERAGE.
ALSO, THE INSTINCT IS I HAVE HEARD, AND I'M NOT SURE I'M CHECKING MY FACTS THAT THE, UH, THE WILDLIFE OFFICERS FUNDED LESS, UH, LESS HOURLY PAY THEN, UM, THE OTHER APS, IS THAT TRUE? SO THE, WELL, IT ALL DEPENDS ON THE INDIVIDUAL.
SO IF IT'S AN APO AND THAT'S WHAT IT'S GENERALLY
[00:35:01]
DONE BY, AND IT HAS A SPECIFIC CLASS OR, OR TIER THAT IS FUNDED AT A RANGE OF SALARY RANGE.AND SO ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THE TEMPORARY ACO YEAH.
WILDLIFE OFFICER WE HAVE RIGHT NOW.
SO, SO WHAT THEY FIND IS A TEMPORARY.
AND SO WITH THE TEMPORARY FUND, UM, WE PAY AT LEAST A MINIMUM LIVING WAGE TO $15 AN HOUR.
UM, AND SO IT'S, IF IT'S NOT A FULL TIME BUDGETED POSITION, IT'S JUST A DOLLARS THAT ARE ALLOCATED IN THE, IN THE COUNTY.
ILA COVERS A ONE TEMPORARY POSITION.
THAT'S THAT'S THE WORK, UM, AT, AT A MINIMUM OF $15 AN HOUR.
WHAT IS THE RATE THAT FULL TIME APLS ARE PAID 17? YEAH, I THINK IT'S LIKE 17 TO 19 DON'T.
I HAVE TO LOOK AT THE PAY SCALES AND THEN BASED ON THE EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS OF THE, OF A, OF AN INDIVIDUAL THEY'LL, THEN THEY'LL GIVE THEM A OFFERED SALARY WITHIN THAT RANGE.
NOW, ONE OTHER QUESTION IS WHEN PEOPLE TURN ON PANTS AND THEN LIKE THE LAST CAT AND YOU POSTED ON THE WEBSITE, YOU KNOW, YOU POST, SO FOR INSTANCE, LIKE IF YOU'RE LOOKING THROUGH NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOR, YOU KNOW, SOMEONE SAYS, OH, SOMEONE POSTED THAT, THAT THE ANIMAL GOT TURNED IN AND SHOULD BE POSTED ON THE WEBSITE.
HOW LONG A TIME PASSES BETWEEN WHEN THAT IS UPDATED, WHEN THAT WEBSITE IS UPDATED.
SO IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE IMMEDIATE.
WE ACTUALLY HAD AN ISSUE REPORTED TO IT THIS WEEKEND.
AND SO WHEN THAT HAPPENS, IT'S USUALLY BECAUSE WE HAVE A SERVER ISSUE.
WE HAD OUR, IT FOLKS, I PUT AN EMERGENCY TICKETS A DAY, YOU GET IT TAKEN CARE OF.
SO IT'S ACTUALLY NOT WORKING TODAY.
I'M GOING TO REPORT IT TO US AS A GLITCH.
USUALLY IT'S EVERY, IT RANGES BETWEEN ONE HOUR TO FOUR HOURS.
OUR, OUR, OUR, UH, WEBSITE IS SUPPOSED TO BE UPDATED YOUR IT POSITION FROZEN OR SO TECHNICALLY WE DON'T REALLY HAVE AN ICU PHYSICIAN.
WE HAVE AN, IT PERSON IS LIKE A LIAISON.
THEY WORK FOR AUSTIN, PUBLIC HEALTH.
AND SO THEY'RE ASSIGNED ESSENTIALLY, HEY, HE HANDLE ASO DUTIES AND THAT PARTICULAR POSITION, I BELIEVE HASN'T BEEN HIRED YET.
I CAN'T SPEAK FOR THE MANAGER OVER THE IP UNIT, BUT IF THEY HAVEN'T FILLED IT YET, THEN IT'S PROBABLY FROZEN.
WOULD IT HELP YOU GUYS IF YOU HAD A FULL TIME PERSON? OKAY, THANK YOU.
I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY TWO THINGS.
CAUSE THERE WAS A LITTLE BIT OF AN ECHO.
SO DID I HEAR SOMEBODY SAY THERE'S FOUR FROZEN APO POSITIONS AND A SUPERVISOR.
IN OTHER WORDS, THERE'S FIVE THAT ARE FROZEN THE APS.
AND THEN THE OTHER QUESTION IS DON, DID I HEAR YOU SAY THAT THE ADOPTION APPOINTMENTS ARE FROZEN THROUGH ARE, ARE NOT FROZEN, SORRY.
BRINGING THEIR OWN BUSINESS HERE ARE BACKED UP OR BOOKED OUT, I GUESS THROUGH OCTOBER.
SO IN OTHER WORDS, THE NEXT AVAILABLE ADOPTION APPOINTMENT WOULD BE IN NOVEMBER.
WHAT'S THERE A CANCELLATION? YES.
I WANTED TO, UH, TO SPEAK OR ASK, I GUESS, BOTH TO MAKE AN ASK OR COMMENT ON THE, UM, THE UTILITIES ISSUE.
UM, AS I RECALL, CAUSE I USED TO GO DOWN, UM, AS RECENTLY AS I THINK THE BEGINNING OF 2018, UH, AAC WAS USING A LITTLE LESS THAN HALF OF THE KENNELS.
SO THERE'S THAT UTILITY THAT YOU JUST SAID THAT AP, THAT YOU WERE GIVING TO APA WAS TO PROVIDE THE UTILITY, ROUGHLY HALF OF THE COUNTY UTILITIES FOR AAC, WE ARE CONTRACTED TO PAY HALF OF THE UTILITY CALLS.
I KNOW EARLIER YOU SAID THAT YOU HAD DONATED SOMETHING LIKE $450,000 TO APA.
I SAID ORIGINALLY, ORIGINALLY WHEN WE, WHEN WE STARTED THE PARTNERSHIP ORIGINALLY, WE PAID A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THE UTILITIES AND 10,000 A MONTH.
THEN IN 2012, WHEN WE WENT TO THIS CURRENT CONTRACT LEASE AGREEMENT THAT WE'RE UNDER RIGHT NOW, WE JUST PAID PAST THE UTILITIES AND STARTED PAYING HALF.
THE UTILITIES HAS BEEN 390, 3000 SINCE 2012 FOR HALF OF THE UTILITIES.
AND MY POINT IS THAT DURING THE MAJORITY OF THOSE YEARS, YOU GUYS WERE USING HALF THE CANDLES.
[00:40:01]
KNOW? I THINK THAT'S A REALLY IMPORTANT POINT.SO I'LL JUST LEAVE IT AT THAT.
I DO THINK IT IS TRUE THAT SENT YOU GUYS LEFT.
HE LACK THAT, UM, THAT, THAT YOU'RE ESSENTIALLY COVERING MORE THAN THE, THAN YOU'RE THEN THE RESOURCES YOU'RE TAKING.
THEY'RE DOING YOUR NEXUS, RYAN STA UM, THE, UM, JUST WHEN, UH, AAC LEFT.
UM, I THINK THEY LEFT IN 2017 BECAUSE WHEN HURRICANE HARVEY HAPPENED, UM, WE, THE DOGS WERE PUT INTO THOSE, UM, EMPTY KENNELS, WHICH ARE STRAYS THREE SERIES FOUR AND FIVE.
UM, THEY GOT SHIFTED OVER, UM, BUT THEY PA DOGS IN THE AREA THAT FLOOD.
CAUSE I WAS A VOLUNTEER THERE THEN.
AND THEN, UM, THERE WERE USED FOR HURRICANE HARVEY DOGS.
SO ABC LEFT AT SOME POINT IN 2017, I THINK MAYBE 2016.
UM, I ALSO JUST WANTED TO SAY ABOUT ADOPTIONS.
UM, JASON MENTIONED THE ADOPTION EVENT, BUT, UM, I REALLY APPRECIATE THE CITY DOING IT THIS WEEKEND.
UM, THOSE OF US WHO ARE HANDLERS GOT THERE AT SIX 30 IN THE MORNING, UM, IT WAS CALLED SUNRISE ADOPTION IN SEVEN TO 10.
AND, UM, PEOPLE, WE JUST PULLED DOGS OUT, UM, FROM THE LIST AND PEOPLE CAME UP AND MET THEM AND WE INTERACTED WITH THEM AND WE HAD 14 DOGS ADOPTED THAT DAY.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TRYING TO DO, AND I APPRECIATE THE CITY.
I KNOW A LOT OF WORK AND IT WASN'T REALLY FOR ALL OF YOU TO GET EVERYTHING TOGETHER, BUT I THINK IT WAS REALLY GREAT FOR THE DOGS AND IT WAS REALLY GOOD FOR ME OR US HANDLERS TO, UM, INTERACT WITH THE PEOPLE WHO WERE ADOPTING TO BE ABLE TO TALK TO THEM ABOUT THE DOG SINCE THEY WERE A LOT, IS THAT WE ARE WORK WITH.
AND I APPRECIATE YOU THINKING OUTSIDE OF THE BOX, ANYONE ELSE? I WAS JUST SAYING, WE APPRECIATE ALL THE HELP.
WHAT DO YOU THINK IS WE'LL MOVE ON TO OLD BUSINESS? UM, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT WE HAVE NOTHING ON THREE, A BUDGET PRIORITIES OR THE SHELTER NOTRE RELEASE, CORRECT.
[3c. Update, Discussion and Possible Action regarding Code Revision Workgroup Commissioners to discuss review of Ordinance 2019107-025 and recent Code Revisions regarding public safety and animal welfare.]
OKAY.THEN WE'RE ON THREE C I'LL TURN IT OVER TO JONAH.
SO UNLESS ANYONE HAS ANY QUESTIONS OFF THE BAT, SINCE WE HAD SOME TECHNICAL PROBLEMS LAST TIME, I DECIDED NOT TO GO THROUGH A WHOLE POWERPOINT ON THE SCREEN, BUT TO INCLUDE IT AS THE BACKUP.
SO HOPEFULLY EVERYONE SAW THAT.
UM, THE GOAL OF MY WORK GROUP, UH, STARTING IN, WERE APPROVED IN JANUARY OF 2020.
AND WE DID A LOT OF OUR WORK IN JANUARY WAS TO REALLY, UM, LOOK AT, UM, KIND OF RIGHT TO RESCUE ORDINANCE WITH REGARD TO PUBLIC SAFETY.
AFTER WE HAD THE OFFICER, UM, UH, ATTACKED HIM, UM, AT THE END OF THE YEAR, UM, WE REALLY SPENT A LOT OF TIME ON THIS AND LOOKED AT A LOT OF THINGS WITHIN DIFFERENT CITIES.
UM, AND WE CAME UP WITH TWO CHANGES.
WE WOULD LIKE YOUR SUPPORT IN MAKING.
UM, SO THE FIRST ONE IS UNDER THE UNPROVOKED WRITING.
AND IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE SLIDE, UM, THE SECTION IN RED, WE APPROVED THAT LANGUAGE IN JANUARY THE COMMISSION.
UM, BUT IT WAS NEVER, UM, A PRINTED BY, UM, UH, COUNSEL.
SO IT'S STILL NOT PART OF THE CODE.
SO, UM, I'D LIKE TO GO AHEAD AND INCLUDE THAT SINCE WE HAD ALREADY PASSED THAT.
UM, SO I'M NOT ASKING YOU TO PASS IT AGAIN, BUT I DID WANT TO POINT OUT THAT WE DID PASS IT.
UM, THE ONE WORD WE'D LIKE TO TAKE OUT FROM THIS IS THE WORD FEAR.
AND THE REASON FOR THAT IS THAT, UM, THERE IS REALLY NOT A VISIBLE ACTION.
IT'S AN INTERNAL STATE AND WE CAN'T REALLY SAY THAT A DOG BECAUSE OF FEAR.
IF IT'S INJURED, WE CAN TELL THAT IF IT WAS ACCIDENTAL, LIKE I MOVED THE LEASE AND THE DOG WENT TO GET THE LEAVES THAT MY HAND, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT'S ACCIDENTAL, BUT IT'S JUST A LITTLE DIFFERENT BECAUSE IT'S SOMETHING INTERNAL.
AND, UM, WE I'VE TALKED TO MR. BLAND ABOUT IT AND HE TALKED TO CITY LEGAL ABOUT IT, ABOUT WHAT THE WORKER RECOMMENDED AND THEY WERE GOOD WITH THAT ONE WORD CHANGE JUST TO TAKE OUT THE WORD FEAR.
UM, THE SECOND THING WE'D LIKE TO DO RECOMMENDATION TO IS TO, UM, ADD A SECTION THAT SAYS FOR THE RIGHT TO RESCUE, BUT NOT LESS THAN, UM, IT SAY TWO BUSINESS DAYS BEFORE AN ADD A LITTLE THING THAT SAYS THAT DOES NOT QUALIFY FOR AN EXEMPTION UNDER
[00:45:01]
SECTION C, THERE ARE ALREADY THREE COMPONENTS TO SECTION C.WE'D LIKE TO ADD ANOTHER ONE THAT SAYS AN ANIMAL WHO AFTER A HIGH RISK ASSESSMENT HAS BEEN RECOMMENDED FOR EUTHANASIA, FOR HUMAN REASONS TO PROTECT THE PUBLIC FROM EMINENT DANGER TO PERSONS OR PROPERTY SUCH, UM, ANIMAL MAY BE EUTHANIZED WITHOUT REGARD TO ANY TIME LIMITATIONS OTHERWISE ESTABLISHED IN THIS TIMELINE WITHOUT A COURT ORDER.
UM, SINCE I'M AN OUT UNDERGROUND VOLUNTEER, HAD THE SHELTER, I'VE SEEN SOME OF THESE DOGS, I'VE SEEN SNOWBALL, UM, AND A COUPLE OF OTHER ONES, AND IT'S A VERY, VERY SMALL PERCENTAGE OF DOGS, BUT IT'S A DANGER TO THE PUBLIC AND IT'S, IT'S REALLY BAD FOR THE STAFF.
AND WE'VE HAD PEOPLE LEAVE BECAUSE WE HAVE THESE REALLY DANGEROUS DOGS AND THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH THAT.
AND SO WE WORKED WITH THE CITY ON THIS LANGUAGE FROM THE WORK GROUP, AGREED WITH IT.
UM, AND CITY LEGAL LOOKED AT IT.
UM, AS FAR AS I KNOW WITH DON AND WE TALKED ABOUT IT AND ONE OF OUR MEMBERS WAS ACTUALLY, UM, WORKING ON HIS, UM, BEHAVIOR CERTIFICATION.
AND HE WENT TO HIS MENTOR AND TALKED TO HIM ABOUT WHAT WE WERE DOING ON DR.
BUT CAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO PUT DOGS DOWN IF WE DON'T NEED TO.
AND YOU KNOW, HE STATES WITHOUT QUESTION AS A STATION, UM, THAT SOMETIMES MENTAL SUFFERING OCCURS IN ANIMALS.
THEY'RE JUST ANIMALS THAT WE REALLY CAN'T REHAB.
AND, UM, SOME OF THEM HAVE DOGS AND CATS COULD HAVE AN INTENSE MENTAL OR EMOTIONAL SUFFERING OR SOMETHING HAPPENED TO THEM IN THE PAST.
AND WE DON'T KNOW A LOT OF, SOME OF THESE DOGS COME IN WITH STORIES.
WE DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO THEM.
AND IN THAT CASE, IT'S MORE HUMANE TO EUTHANIZE THEM.
UM, DOCTOR HAS SAID IN HIS CAREER, WHICH IS 30 YEARS, UM, YOU'VE SEEN SEVERAL CASES WHERE THERE, UH, AS A RESULT OF FORWARDING OR LONGTERM SHELTERING.
AND AGAIN, UM, SOME OF THE DOGS ARE OWNERS RENDERED.
SOME WE JUST DON'T KNOW ABOUT, BUT THINGS DO HAPPEN.
AND SO WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO BE FAIR TO THE DOG THERE, COME UP WITH SOME WAY TO BE SAFE AND NOT PUT THESE ANIMALS IN THE PUBLIC.
HALFING SAID IT WOULD BE GOOD TO HAVE A CONSULTATION WITH A BAT OR A QUALIFIED BEHAVIOR PERSON.
UM, WE DID LOOK AT ALWAYS HAVING A BEHAVIOR CONSULTATION, BUT WE CAME UP AT SOME CONCERNS WITH THAT.
UM, THERE'S NO MONEY IN THE BUDGET TO FUND IT FOR ONE, BUT WE COULD POSSIBLY OVERCOME THAT.
BUT OUR BIGGER CONCERN WAS TRANSPORTING THE DOG, THE DOG TO THE PERSON, BECAUSE WITH THE ATTACK THAT, UM, SNOWBELT HAD ON, UH, THE OFFICER SNOWBALL WAS BEING TRANSPORTED BY ANOTHER OFFICER TO BE RETURNED TO HIS FAMILY WHEN HE JUST WENT CRAZY, DRAGGED THE OFFICER AND THE OTHER OFFICER.
SO EVEN TRANSPORTING OR TAKING OUT SOME OF THESE ANIMALS AS DANGEROUS, UM, WE WOULD, WE LIKED THE IDEA OF ROTATING CONSULTANTS.
WE DON'T WANT SOMEONE WHO JUST ALWAYS SAYS, YES, PUT THE DOG DOWN.
WE THINK IT'S FAIR TO HAVE MULTIPLE CONSULTANTS.
AND THERE JUST AREN'T THAT MANY.
SO WE RATHER THOUGHT OF WHAT CAN WE DO? THAT'S KIND OF EFFECTIVE AND FAIR TO THE DOG AND FAIR TO THE STAFF AND STAIR TO THE PUBLIC.
SO WE TALKED TO THE CITY ABOUT HAVING WHAT WE CALL A HIGH RISK ASSESSMENT FOR.
AND I'M REALLY GRATEFUL FOR THE CITY FOR WORKING WITH US ON THIS.
SO WHAT WE DO IS WE LOOK AT THIS FORM AND WE SAY, IF SO, ARE THESE THINGS AT A MINIMUM APPLY FOR THE DOG.
THEN WE COULD GO AND MAKE AN EXCEPTION AND PUT THE DOG DOWN.
UM, SO ONE OF THE DOGS I WANT TO TALK ABOUT IS A DOG NAMED BUD.
SO BUD CAME TO AAC FROM A QUARANTINE SITUATION FOR A BITE THAT WAS MINOR AND PROVOKED.
UM, AND THEN, UH, ON THAT WAS ON ONE EIGHT, 20, 22, NINE 2020.
HE WAS BROUGHT BACK TO AAC AS AN OWNER SURRENDER AFTER A SECOND BITE.
AND THE SECOND INCIDENT, IT WAS MUCH WORSE, BUT INFLICTED WOUNDS ON THE RIGHT FOREARM.
UM, HE HAD REQUIRED STITCHES AND THIS WAS CONSIDERED MODERATE AMOUNT UNPROVOKED.
AND I READ HIS NOTES AND THE OWNER SAID NO, AND THE DOG ATTACKED HIM AND THEN WENT BACK TO LINE WHERE IT WAS.
UM, UH, BUT, UM, THEN HE IN THE SHELTER HAD MULTIPLE BEHAVIORAL OBSERVATION NOTES ABOUT LUNGING CARD STAIRS BARKING FROM HIS KENNEL.
THE STAFF WAS ROLLING AFRAID OF HIM, UM, BUT HAS RETURNED TO HIS OWNER FROM BECAUSE OF RIGHT TO RESCUE.
WE HAD TO CALL THE OWNER BACK, UM, RETURNING HIM FROM HIS INJURY.
I THINK I'M SURE THE OWNER WOULD FEEL BADLY.
[00:50:01]
SENDING IT TO THE SHELTER.BUT WE CALL AND SAY, OKAY, NOW WE'RE GOING TO KILL THIS DOG.
SO HE TOOK HIM ON THE OTHER RESCUES, TURNED HIM DOWN AND STAFF HAD TO CARE FOR BUD WHILE THE OWNER WAS CONTACTED AND MADE ARRANGEMENTS TO RECLAIM IT.
SO THE BAR UPDATE AFTER BEING RETURNED FROM ITS OWNER, BUT THIS DOG THAT HAD THIS BITE HISTORY WAS FOUND UNRESTRAINED AT A RAILROAD TRACK.
THE OWNER KEPT IN THERE BECAUSE HIS NEIGHBORS COMPLAINED ABOUT THE DOCK.
THEY DIDN'T NOT WANT TO LIVE NEXT DOOR TO THIS DOG.
AND SO HE PUT IN, TIED HIM UP TO THIS ROAD CHECK AND HE GOT LOOSE.
UM, THIS TIME THE OWNER, UM, DID NOT COME TO GET HIM.
HE WAS GOING AFTER THE STAFF AND HIS KETTLE.
HE HEARD HIS MOUTH BITING AT THE BARS.
UM, AND ULTIMATELY, UH, NO OTHER RESCUE WE STILL HAD ON FROM THE OTHER RESCUES.
AND EVENTUALLY HE WAS PUT DOWN THAT WE USE THIS FORM.
UM, BEFORE THAT HAPPENED, WHEN HE WAS SURRENDERED, HE WOULD HAVE HAD MULTIPLE BITES AND WAS SINGLE HOME INCIDENT THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN CHECK HIS ESCO.
HE WAS ESCALATING PATTERNS, JUST LIKE SILVER BALL.
WHAT, SO OF ALL, WHEN HE, YEP.
KIND OF BIT THE FIRST PERSON AND IT WASN'T BAD, THE SECOND PERSON BIT HAD TO GET ON
UM, THEN OF COURSE HE MAULED THE OFFICER.
UM, THERE WAS NO OBVIOUS WARNING TO THE BIKE OR JUST SAID, NO DOG WENT AFTER HIM.
AND THE SHELTER STAFF COULD NOT SAFELY INTERACT WITH THEM.
HAD WE USED THIS FORM, WE WOULDN'T HAVE, I'VE HAD OUR BED GO BACK, HAD THE NEIGHBORS UPSET, HEAD AND TIED UP TO A RAILROAD TRACK AND INTO A RAILROAD YARD AND THEN LOOSE WHERE WE COULD HAVE HURT SOMEONE IN THE PUBLIC.
UM, THIS SORT OF ALSO APPLIED TO SNOWBALL, BUT IT DEFINITELY APPLIED TO ANOTHER DOG NAMED LAB IN BRAD'S CASE ALSO NO OBVIOUS WARNING, HE JUST BIT, UM, THEN HE RETURNED BACK TO NORMAL.
SHELTER STAFF COULD NOT EFFECTIVELY, UM, SAFELY INTERACT WITH HIM IN THE CASE OF LAD.
UM, HE WAS IMPOUNDED IN NOVEMBER, 2019.
WALKER WHO WALKED HIM, WAS A VOLUNTEER WHO HAS A MILITARY DOG TRAINING BACKGROUND.
UM, HE WENT IN HE'S SOMEONE, I, I DOG WALK WITH FIVE DAYS A WEEK, UM, TWO YEARS.
AND THIS WAS THE FIRST DOG THAT HAD BEEN IN 30 YEARS.
HE, UM, I KIND OF HELPED HIM YEAH.
HE SAID THAT THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NO WARNING.
IF IT HAD BEEN ONE OF THE OTHER, TWO OF US WHO BROUGHT DOGS IN THERE, WE PROBABLY WOULD HAVE BEEN MORE HURT.
HE WENT IN, WE USED THE DOG UP, EVERYTHING WAS FINE, TURNED AROUND AND THE DOG JUST WENT AFTER HIM.
UM, HE JUMPED OUT WITH HIS LEASHES IN THERE.
UM, THE DOG WAS ACTED LIKE NOTHING HAPPENED AFTER THAT.
UM, AND HE WAS, UH, REALLY A PROBLEM FOR THE STAFF EVEN GETTING HIM BACK INTO ACCOUNT IN THE BACK AREA AND RABIES.
SO AGAIN, A DOG LIKE HIM, WE WOULDN'T WANT TO GO TO THE PUBLIC.
UM, WHO'S A DOG YOU CAN WALK UP TO AND THINK HE'S ALL.
YOU'RE GOING TO GET IN TROUBLE.
UM, SO OUR RECOMMENDATION IS THAT WE APPROVED THESE TWO LANGUAGE CHANGES, ONE TO REMOVE THE WORD FEAR AND THE OTHER IS TO, UM, ALLOW THE SUN OR ANIMAL CENTER FROM THESE VERY, VERY SMALL GROUP OF DOGS, UM, TO BE ABLE TO NOT OFFER THEM, TO RESCUE THEM BACK TO THE OWNER.
I JUST WAS WONDERING WHAT'S THE, WHAT'S THE REASONING FOR REMOVING THE WORD FEAR, UM, IN 24 UNPROVOKED BITING, I'M SORRY.
THE REASON FOR FEAR AND WHAT REMOVING THE WORD FEAR FROM PAT.
I MEAN, I SEE WHAT'S ON THE NEXT PAGE, BUT WHAT HARM DOES IT REALLY DO IN PRACTICALITY? BECAUSE WE JUST DIDN'T THINKING OF HOW TO BE OBJECTIVE AND MAKING DECISIONS.
WE WANTED TO, UM, BE ABLE TO HAVE SOMETHING THAT WE CAN SAY, OKAY, YOU KNOW, THE DOG, UM, IN THIS CASE HE'S REALLY HURT.
WE CAN'T TELL IF IT'S, WELL, JUST ABOVE IT, WE'VE GOT THREE OR FOUR ACTIONS LISTED THAT ARE DRIVEN PRETTY MUCH SOLELY BY FEAR OR THAT WOULD RESULT IN, YOU KNOW, THE ACTIONS BECAUSE OF FEAR OF LIKE BEING TAUNTED OR THE DOG IS ACTING IN DEFENSE OF SELF, A PERSON, EITHER ANIMAL OR PROPERTY.
SO I DON'T REALLY UNDERSTAND WHY WE NEED TO TAKE THE WORD OUT.
I WOULD RECOMMEND LEAVING IT IN JUST A FRIENDLY
[00:55:01]
AMENDMENT WHEN WE GET TO THAT STAGE.BUT I'M JUST, I'M NOT SURE WHY WE REALLY NEED TO TAKE IT OUT WHEN OTHER LANGUAGE SUPPORTS.
IT STILL HAS MY ONLY QUESTION.
OTHER QUESTIONS, JOANNE ARE THESE TWO SEPARATE MOTIONS.
YOU WANT TO TAKE BOATS ON EACH ONE INDIVIDUALLY WE COULD.
CAUSE IF THERE'S MORE CONCERNED ABOUT FEAR AND YOU KNOW, UM, THEN AT LEAST WE CAN PASS THE OTHER ONE OR BOTH.
IF YOU'LL MAKE THE MOTION AND SOMEBODY WILL SECOND, THEN WE'LL GO.
UM, I MAKE A MOTION THAT WE VOTE ON COMMISSIONER NORTON'S PROPOSED LANGUAGE CHANGES.
SO SPECIFICALLY, IS THAT BOTH, BOTH TOGETHER OR ONE AT A TIME? WELL, I GUESS, UM, SEPARATELY.
UM, SO YOUR MOTION IS ON THE FIRST RECOMMENDATION, CORRECT? MY UNDERSTANDING, CAN YOU CLARIFY EXACTLY WHAT WE, WHAT WE'RE VOTING ON? IF IT'S IN TWO SEPARATE PARTS, PLEASE CLARIFY.
UM, IF IT'S, IF WE DO IT SEPARATELY, THEN FOR THE FIRST ONE WE WOULD, UM, WE BASICALLY WOULDN'T DO ANYTHING WITH THIS BECAUSE THE WORD, UM, IT'S JUST TO TAKE OUT THE WORD FEAR AND IF EVERYONE WANTS TO LEAVE IT IN, THEN, UM, WE WOULDN'T CHANGE IT.
ALTHOUGH I'D STILL LIKE TO TALK TO DAVID ABOUT HOW WE GET THE OTHER UNDERSCORED PART INTO PHONE AT SOME POINT.
BUT, UM, SO THE FIRST ONE IS TO, I WOULD SAY THE MOTION IS TO, UM, ACCEPT THE CHANGE, TO REMOVE THE WORD FEAR.
AND THAT WOULD BE THE FIRST MOTION.
WHAT IS THE SECOND MOTION? LET'S SAY LET'S KEEP GOING THE FIRST ONE.
CAN WE DO THAT? SO IS THAT A MOTION? THAT'S A MOTION BY ANDREA SECONDED BY JOANNE.
ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON THAT MOTION? SO I'M JUST GOING TO GO DOWN.
I'M GOING TO GUESS THAT MOTION.
SO THAT, THAT MOTION FAILS MOTION TOO.
CAN I MAKE A MOTION? EVEN IF IT'S MY RECOMMENDATION.
I MAKE A MOTION TO ACCEPT THE, UM, TO ADD, UM, SECTION C TWO AND UH, THE LANGUAGE CHANGED.
SO SECTION A, IS THAT OKAY? I SECOND THE MOTION DISCUSSION.
SO ASSESSMENT ARE, CAN WE HAVE ALL THE SPECIFICS ON THAT ASSESSMENT? LIKE WHAT, WHO WHO'S RESPONSIBLE FOR? WHAT, WHAT ALL THE CHECK BOXES ARE? WHO, I MEAN, LIKE LINE ITEM, LIKE, LIKE, LIKE SEE ALL OF THE DETAILS REGARDING AN ASSESSMENT.
UM, I HAD TALKED TO THE CITY ABOUT THAT AND THEY COULD, UM, IF THEY WANTED, UM, ONE OF THE IDEAS, UH, THE THINGS WE REQUESTED WHEN, UM, THEY DO THE ASSESSMENT IS THAT THE ASSESSMENT IS THAT ALL THE PAPERWORK FOLLOWS IT.
AND YOU'LL ALSO NOTICE ON THE ASSESSMENT, IT'S SIGNED OFF BY MULTIPLE PEOPLE AT AAC SO THAT THEY WOULD ALSO GO THROUGH ALL THE PAPERWORK.
SO EVERYTHING WOULD BE TOGETHER.
SO LIKE, WE DON'T HAVE LIKE AN EXAMPLE OF EXACTLY WHAT THE ASSESSMENT WOULD CONTAIN.
SO I AM MAYBE NOT UNDERSTANDING YOU.
SO IF THEY HAVE A DOG WHO'S A PROBLEM, UM, OR OF CONCERN, OR THEY WANT TO APPLY THIS TO LIKE, UM, UH, LIKE, UM, UH, FOR EXAMPLE,
[01:00:01]
UM, THEY WOULD SIT DOWN AND SAY, OKAY, THERE ARE MULTIPLE BITES.DOES THIS APPLY? AND IF SO, THEN THEY'LL HAVE THE DOCUMENTATION BEHIND IT SO THAT THE PEOPLE WHO ARE DOING THE ASSESSMENT HAVE ALL THE DATA IN FRONT OF THEM.
SO I'VE HELPED ON A LOT OF JUST THE SLPS OVER THE YEARS REGARDING BEHAVIORAL ANIMALS AND SOME OF THE DIFFICULT CASES THAT AAC AND THERE'S A LOT OF SPECIFICS THAT WOULD HAVE TO GO IN HIS MIND, GUESTS, A LOT OF SPECIFICS AND WOULD HAVE TO GO INTO CREATING AN ASSESSMENT PROCESS.
AND SO I'M ASKING, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT THERE'S MORE CONCRETE INFORMATION ON AT THIS POINT? SAY SOMETHING REAL QUICK.
MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT I LOOKED AT THE CODE REVISION POWERPOINT, AND IT WASN'T CHECKLIST.
ISN'T THAT THE CASE? YEAH, IT'S THE, IT'S A SPECIFIC CHECKLIST THAT THE CITY IS GOING TO HAVE THAT THEY'RE GOING TO USE ALL OF THE ANIMALS WITH THE BACKUP.
SO I GUESS I'M MAYBE CONFUSED BY THE QUESTION.
I DON'T KNOW IF SOMEBODY FROM THE CITY WANTS TO WEIGH IN ON HOW YOU EXPECTED TO USE THIS.
IF IT'S NOT IN THE STATUTE, IT'S NOT IN THE LAW.
THE STATUTE IS THE LAW, NOT SOMETHING, NOT FROM FORM.
WE WANTED THE FORM WITHOUT JUST AS WRITTEN.
THERE'S NO ADMISSION FOR HIGH RISK ASSESSMENT.
SO THEY WOULDN'T BE REQUIRED TO USE ANY FORM THAT YOU ALL GET IT.
IF WE WANT TO MAKE IT THAT IF THERE WERE THE SEVEN FACTORS I SCROLL DOWN AND FOUR OF THE SIX FACTORS THAT YOU LISTED AND WE WOULD, IF WE WANT THEM TO BE WRONG, IF WE DON'T WANT THEM TO BE LONG, WE WANT STAFF TO BE ABLE TO USE WHATEVER THEY WANT TO DETERMINE WHAT A HIGH RISK ASSESSMENT IS.
YEAH, I THINK ONE OF THE REASONS WE, UM, WE LOCKED IT IS WE COULD ALSO, THEY COULD ALSO HAVE A CONSULTANT IF THEY WANTED, YOU KNOW, WHO, AND THEN WE CAN STILL FILL OUT THE FORM, BUT IT GIVES A LITTLE FLEXIBILITY TO EITHER HAVE A CONSULTANT OR USE THE FORM.
BUT WE EXPECTED THEM TO USE THE FORM BECAUSE IF SOMEBODY WANTED TO FOLLOW UP ON THE DOG, UM, EVERYTHING WOULD BE THERE.
AND WE'D, WE'D SEE EVERYTHING.
UM, ISN'T THERE ALREADY A PROCESS OF GATHERING ALL THE INFORMATION THAT'S SIMILAR TO THIS WITH AN ANIMAL ENDS UP GOING DOWN THE PATH OF RECOMMENDATION OF EUTHANASIA.
IF IT DOESN'T MEET THE RIGHT TO RESCUE, IS THAT THE SAME? IS THAT THE SAME PROTOCOL THAT WOULD BE FOLLOWED? AS FAR AS GATHERING THE INFORMATION, THEY STILL GATHERED THE INFORMATION LIKE SNOWBALL, BUT THEY DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY.
THEY ARE GLAD, OR THE OTHER DOGS RIGHT NOW.
THEY GATHER ALL THE INFORMATION.
THEY LOOK AT IT, BUT THEY STILL HAVE TO OFFER IT THROUGH RIGHT TO RESCUE.
UM, AND SOMEBODY COULDN'T SAY YES, I WANT IT.
AND I'M GONNA, I HAVE A FOSTER AND WE'RE GOING TO PUT, YOU KNOW, NEXT DOOR TO YOUR HOUSE AND HE'S GOING TO LIVE THERE.
AND FOR THE SMALL GROUP, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO AVOID.
SO YES, THEY HAVE, YOU KNOW, THEY, WHEN THEY HAVE BEHAVIOR DOGS, THEY STILL HAVE MEETINGS AND TALK ABOUT THE DOGS TO OFFER THEM TO, TO RESCUE.
WE'RE JUST SAYING THAT THERE'S THIS A SMALL GROUP THAT PROBABLY SHOULD NOT BE OFFERED FOR RIGHT TO RESCUE BECAUSE THEY'RE JUST TOO DANGEROUS TO THE PUBLIC.
I THINK ANOTHER WAY OF SAYING THAT IS THAT CURRENTLY LOOK ON SLIDE FIVE AND 14.
I DON'T KNOW IF THE NUMBERS HAVE CHANGED HERE'S FOR THE DOG, WITH THE DOCUMENTED HISTORY OF FIGHTING THAT HAS RESULTED IN SEVERE INJURY TO A PERSON OR NOT.
IT WOULD BE EXCLUDED FROM RESCUE.
RIGHT? I THINK ANOTHER WAY OF LOOKING AT THIS IS IF THEY'RE ADDING ANOTHER EXCEPTION TO EXCLUDE AN ANIMAL FROM THERE'S ONLY BACKUP MATERIALS, THERE'S STILL GOING TO LOOK AT THE DOG, YOU KNOW, AS YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW, IT WOULD HAVE TO GO TO RIGHT TO RESCUE.
THEY COULD TALK WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO AVOID FOR US.
AGAIN, A VERY SMALL, SMALL GROUP OF DOGS THAT I KNOW I'M JUST NOT BEING ABLE TO RELEASE THEM TO THE PUBLIC.
[01:05:01]
SENSE.I'M JUST LOOKING AT PROCESS KIND OF LIKE TO MAKE SURE THE PROCESS ACROSS THE BOARD IS CONSISTENT.
AND THAT'S WHAT I WAS TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE LANGUAGE THAT WAS BEING USED IS WHAT, WHAT THE EXACT PROCESS WAS.
CAN I ASK A QUESTION BECAUSE SOMETIMES THIS CAN GET UNCLEAR.
SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THINGS ARE CLEAR.
NUMBER TWO, IF WE CAN SAY YES, THEN WE'RE SAYING THE SHELTER HAS THE CHOICE NOT TO RELEASE HIGH RISK DOGS IN THE COMMUNITY.
IF IT MEETS FOUR OF THE CRITERIA, AT LEAST FOR THE CAR, NOT CURRENTLY.
I MEAN, CURRENTLY THE STATUTE IS THAT AS, AS PROPOSED, THIS IS AN AMENDMENT THAT WOULD ESSENTIALLY, I THINK THAT AS ANDREA SAYS WITH STAFF TO DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT IT WOULD RELEASE AN ANIMAL THAT DOES NOT MEET CURRENT EXCLUSIONARY ORDINANCE, THE ORDINANCE PROPOSAL AS WRITTEN DOES NOT INCLUDE THE SEVEN FACTORS.
IT DOES SAY AFTER A HIGH RISK ASSESSMENT, WHICH IS NOT DEFINED, WHICH MEANS THE LANGUAGE MEANING OF THE LAW, THE STAFF WOULD GET TO DECIDE IN THEIR FULL DISCRETION, WHETHER OR NOT A DOG THAT DID NOT MEET THE CURRENT EXCLUSION IN THEIR OPINION, WE COULD INCLUDE THOSE FACTORS.
WE COULD WRITE US AN ORDINANCE THAT SAYS NO.
IN ADDITION TO THE CURRENT EXCLUSIONS, NOT, DOES NOT HAVE A HISTORY OF UNPROVOKED BITING THAT HAS REVEALED SEVERE INJURY.
WOULD NONETHELESS BE EXCLUDED IF OR THE SIX FACTORS HAVE BEEN A PRIDE ISSUE OR WHAT SPECIFIC FACTORS HAVE OCCURRED? I'M SORRY, SIR.
YOU'RE SAYING FOR ITEM TWO, MAYBE TO REWORD IT A LITTLE BIT, I GUESS WHAT YOU WERE BREAKING UP A LITTLE BIT ON ME.
SORRY, WHAT I'M SAYING IS AS CURRENTLY WRITTEN ONLY THE LANGUAGE, UH, THAT IS HIGHLIGHTED LEGAL CHANGE TO THE ORDINANCE THROUGH THE DEFINITION OF HIGH RISK ASSESSMENT.
SO UNDER THE PLAIN LANGUAGE ROLE OF WHICH IS THAT WE READ ORDINANCES AND LAWS, BUT GIVE THEM THE MEANING OF THEIR PLAIN LANGUAGE THAT ANY COURT WOULD LOOK AT THIS AND SAY, HAS, HAS THE SHELTER CONDUCTED AN ASSESSMENT? AND UNDER WHICH THEY CONCLUDED THAT THE ANIMAL IS HIGH RISK RECOMMENDED.
AND SO THEY WOULD NOT HAVE TO UNDER THE CURRENT PROPOSAL, THEY DID NOT HAVE TO MEET THE OBJECT OF THE TEST THAT YOU ATTACHED.
I'M NOT EITHER WAY, WHETHER THAT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO.
I'M JUST TRYING TO EXPLAIN WHAT THE LEGAL LANGUAGE AS CURRENTLY, ANYTHING ELSE ARE WE, UH, ARE WE READY TO VOTE OR CHANGE ANYTHING JOANNE OR BRIAN? YEAH.
WELL, I'M NOT SURE THAT I'M GOING TO VOTE FOR THIS REGARDLESS, BUT I THINK THAT JOANNE WAS THAT THOSE OBJECTIVE CRITERIA SHOULD BE THE ONES THAT DETERMINED BY THEIR ADULT QUALIFIES AS HIGH RISK THAT THEY SHOULD BE IN THE LANGUAGE OF THE ORDINANCE CHANGE.
I'M NOT SURE, BUT IF THAT WAS YOUR INTENT, I WOULD SUGGEST THAT THEY'D BE IN THE C TWO.
I MEAN, I SEE WHERE WE'RE TRYING TO GO WITH THIS AND I APPRECIATE ALL OF THE WORK, BUT I FEEL LIKE THAT THE WAY THAT IT'S ACTUALLY WRITTEN IT'S MISSING, I FEEL LIKE IT NEEDS SOME MORE SPECIFICS THEY'RE THERE, BUT THEY'RE NOT BEING INCLUDED IN THE LANGUAGE CHANGE LIKE THAT WHAT'S BEING USED IS JUST TOO BROAD AND IT'S, DOESN'T PROVIDE ENOUGH
[01:10:01]
CLARIFICATION ON EXACTLY.WHAT'S EXPECTED TO BE REVIEWED AND DISCUSSED FOR THAT CRITERIA TO BE MET OR DECISION TO BE MADE.
SO IF WE, IF I WANTED TO POSTPONE THIS TO THE NEXT MEETING, THEN, UM, UH, TO KIND OF LOOK AT THE LANGUAGE TO MAKE IT, UM, TO KIND OF FIX UP THOSE THINGS, UM, WOULD THAT BE ACCEPTABLE IF THAT WOULD MAKE IT PASS? CAUSE I REALLY WANNA, I REALLY WANT TO PROTECT THE PUBLIC, BUT I WANT ALSO WANT SOMETHING THAT WE'RE ALL COMFORTABLE WITH.
UM, AND AGAIN, THIS IS RIGHT NOW, IT'S JUST A FEW DOGS AND IT'S NOT, I ALSO REMEMBER THAT THE CITY STILL HAS THEIR 95% LIVE OUTCOME, RIGHT? SO IT'S NOT GOING TO BE THAT THE MAN WENT OVER AND PUT DOWN A BUNCH OF DOGS, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO THEM TO HAVE SOME FLEXIBILITY TO NOT HAVE THESE ANIMALS GO INTO THE PUBLIC.
SO, UM, SO DAVID, WOULD THAT BE ACCEPTABLE? HERE'S THE DEAL? TECHNICALLY, ONCE A WORK GROUP PRESENTS THEIR FINDINGS, WE'RE AUTOMATIC LEAD DISSOLVES THAT DOESN'T STOP YOU FROM MAKING A NEW AGENDA ITEM WITH LANGUAGE CHANGES TO AN ORDER OF MINUTES THAT YOU'D LIKE, BUT WE CAN'T KEEP THE, THE, A WORK GROUP GOING BECAUSE IT AUTOMATICALLY DISSOLVES AFTER YOU MADE THAT FIRST RECOMMENDATION.
SO I WOULD SUGGEST IF YOU WANT TO PULL THIS AND YOU GO BACK AND ADDRESS THE CONCERNS THAT WERE ADDRESSED AND YOU DO A NEW AGENDA ITEM ON, UH, CHANGING ORDINANCE, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER, WHATEVER, WHATEVER MAKES SENSE.
I MEAN, WE CAN'T DO IT UNDER THE SAME WORK GROUP, BUT WE COULD DO IT NEXT MONTH UNDER NEW BUSINESS.
YOU CAN JUST PUT IT AS AN ITEM ON THE AGENDA.
THAT'S JUST A, THE LEGAL SCHMIEGEL WOULDN'T DO IT.
UM, WELL IT SEEMS LIKE MAYBE THAT'S THE BETTER PATH TO TAKE AND, UM, PALMER, WOULD YOU MIND IF MAYBE I CONTACTED YOU AND WE CAN KIND OF WORK ON THIS TOGETHER? SO I'LL BE HAPPY TO, AS I SAID, I APPRECIATE THE HARD WORK AND I SEE WE'RE NOW TAKING THIS AND JUST WOULD LIKE A LITTLE BIT MORE, UM, IN THE ACTUAL WRITTEN PART OF IT, I GUESS.
I'D BE HAPPY TO HELP HER, BUT OKAY.
I WAS TRYING NOT TO PUT TOO MUCH, BUT GET IT DONE, SO, OKAY.
I JUST WANT TO SAY I'M GENERALLY SUPPORTIVE.
UM, I'M KIND OF A SAFETY GUY, SO I SEE WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
A COUPLE OF QUICK QUESTIONS WHO WAS ON YOUR WORK? UM, THE INITIAL GROUP THAT DID, UM, THE MAJORITY OF THE WORK CAUSE WE DID IT IN JANUARY, WAS, UM, UM, ANDREA, UM, AND, UM, UH, ANDY LOOMIS AND SANDRA MOHLER.
AND THEN, UM, UH, BRENDA COLLIER, WHO'S A LOCAL ATTORNEY.
SHE HAS TO BE ON THE GROUP AND I MET WITH HER, UM, TO MAKE SURE HER CONCERNS WERE MET AND, UH, PAT VAL'S TRAYS, BUT, UM, WE NEVER MET AS A GROUP.
THEY JUST PUT IN SOME COMMENTS CAUSE WE HAD DONE THE MAJORITY OF THE WORK, UM, AT THAT POINT.
AND HOW MANY MEETINGS DID YOU HEAR? UM, WE'D HAD ONE INITIAL MEETING AND THEN WE, UM, EACH TOOK DIFFERENT SECTION, EACH DIFFERENT ITEMS TO LOOK AT AND, UM, WORKED ON IT THEN.
ANY PEOPLE OF COLOR BESIDES PAT? NO.
AND I'M NOT TRYING TO BUST YOUR BALLS, I'M JUST TRYING TO MAKE A POINT, UM, OR LEARNING FOR B AND THE NATURE OF WORK GROUPS.
UM, SO WE'RE GOING TO WITHDRAW TO CORRECT AND, AND MOVE ON.
SO WE HAVE NOTHING ON THREE D OR THREE E UNLESS SOMEBODY HAS ANYTHING.
SO WE'RE GOING TO SKIP THOSE, WHICH WOULD TAKE US TO NEW BUSINESS OR A UPDATE
[4a. Update, Discussion and Possible Action on Frozen Animal Protection Officer (APO) Positions. Update on priority needs and strategies to fill vacant, frozen APO positions.]
DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON FROZEN ANIMAL PROTECTION, OFFICER POSITIONS, CRAIG THAT'S YOURS.AND THIS IS KIND OF MIXED IN WITH A HOSS THING, BUT IN A WAY IT'S, IT'S SO LITTLE SEPARATE.
UM, OUR FIRST INTERACTION WITH THE PUBLIC, OUR ANIMAL PROTECTION OFFICERS.
AND I KNOW THAT USE AGO WHEN I DISCUSSED THIS WITH TAHNEE HAMMOND, SHE SAID THAT BECAUSE OUR SHELTER HAS TO SERVE THE ENTIRE COUNTY
[01:15:01]
BY STATE LAW.ACCORDING TO BACK THE BUS PRACTICES, WE WERE DOWN SEVEN OFFICERS BY WHAT WE SHOULD HAVE NOW.
I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY HAVE BEEN ADDED SINCE THEN, BUT THERE'S CERTAINLY HADN'T BEEN SEVEN, BUT THEN WE NOW HAVE FIVE FLOWS.
AND APLS NOW DURING THE, UH, DURING THE PANDEMIC, THESE APLS ARE SOMETIMES THE ONLY PEOPLE WHO COME OUT INTO THE PUBLIC TANNER TO INTERFACE AND I'VE SEEN THEM.
I MEAN, THEY'VE COME TO MY NEIGHBORHOOD AND, UM, FROM THE REPORTS I GET, THEY DO GOOD JOB.
I MEAN, I, I NEVER HEAR REPORTS.
I'VE SEEN YOU, THE APO CAME AND HE WAS TERRIBLE.
I, YOU KNOW, WHICH MEANS WE GOT THESE GOOD APLS AND THEY'RE OUT THERE DOING A GOOD JOB AT, DURING THE PANDEMIC TO HELP KEEP ANIMALS OUT OF THE SHELTER.
CAUSE WE HAVE AN ISSUE WITH HOW MANY PEOPLE CAN HELP CARE FOR THE ANIMALS IN THE SHELTER THAT, THAT, UH, THESE ARE IMPORTANT.
UH, AND YOU KNOW, THE QUESTION I ASKED IS AN ESSENTIAL SERVICE.
IF, IF, IF WE'RE AN ESSENTIAL SERVICE, WHY ARE WE FREEZING OUR APO EVAN? THE OTHER, UM, UH, UH, ISSUE WAS, UM, THE PART TIME NATURE OF THE, UH, OF THE WILDLIFE OFFICER.
WE'RE REQUIRING THESE WILDLIFE OFFICERS TO HAVE A BACHELOR'S DEGREE IN WILDLIFE SCIENCES.
AND THEN WE MAKE A PART TIME AND, AND HIRE THEM AT THE LOW END OF THE AMOUNT, WHICH IS BARELY A LIVING WAGE.
AND SO THEN HOW DO YOU KEEP IT OFF? SO WHAT'S HAPPENED WITH OUR GOOD ONES IS THEY'VE ACTUALLY MOVED UP IN THE CITY STRUCTURE AND THEY'RE NO LONGER AN AML OFFICER, BUT THEY MOVED UP SOMEWHERE ELSE IN THE CITY.
AND THEY'RE STILL DOING US A GREAT JOB, THE CITY, A GREAT JOB, BUT THEY'RE NOT HELPING WHAT WE NEED.
UM, AND I WOULD POINT OUT THAT BEFORE WE HAVE THE WILDLIFE OFFICERS, WE HAD PEOPLE WITH, YOU KNOW, THE, THE CITY AND THE COUNTY WITH CONTRACTS, WITH WILDLIFE SERVICES AND THE TRAPPER WAS GOING OUT THERE AND TRAPPING.
HE WAS ACTUALLY TRAPPING, SOMETIMES DOGS AND CATS AND THESE DOGS AND CATS WOULD END UP AT THE SHELTER HAVING TO HAVE THEIR LEGS AMPUTATED.
AND THEN WE HAVE THIS ANIMAL AT THE SHELTER THAT WE HAVE TO TRY AND ADOPT OUT.
SO IT SEEMS LIKE WE COMPOUND OUR DIFFICULTIES BY DOING THIS.
AND I'M NOT ASKING FOR NEW OFFICERS HERE.
I'M SAYING THE CITY BUDGETED THIS AMOUNT WE FOUGHT.
WE, I ASKED FOR MORE ANIMAL PROTECTION OFFICERS.
THEY KNOW WE CAN'T DO IT, BUT WE CAN'T GIVE YOU THIS.
SO THE CITY BUDGETED THIS AMOUNT, THEY SAY, WE'RE GOING TO DO IT.
WELL, WHY CAN'T WE GET WHAT WE WERE PROMISED? AND, YOU KNOW, I JUST THINK, WELL, WE TALKED IN OUR WORKING GROUP WITH MARK SNOWDEN AND HE SAYS, AT SOME POINT THE, THERE ARE WHAT WE CAN SEE HOW WE CAN SERVE THE PUBLIC GOES DOWN WHEN WE HAVE FEWER PEOPLE OUT IN THE FIELD.
SO THIS WOULD GO TO THE CITY COUNCIL AND THE CITY COUNCIL, WHICH IS ALLOWED TO SET POLICY, WHICH MEANS HOW MANY OFFICERS AND BUDGETARY THEY SAY THEY COULD SAY BACK INTO THE CITY STRUCTURE.
LOOK, WE SAID, DO THIS STUFF, PLEASE DO THIS OR SOMETHING SIMILAR TO THAT.
SO THAT'S WHY I HAVE, UM, I HAVE PROPOSED THIS JUST TO MAKE SURE IT'S CLEAR TO MAKE SURE WE'VE DONE OUR DUE DILIGENCE, BECAUSE WHO KNOWS IF THEY'LL DO THAT, WHO KNOWS WHAT'LL HAPPEN.
BUT THEN WHEN PEOPLE CALL ME UP AND THEY SAY, HEY, THIS, THIS THAT I SAID, HEY, LOOK, WE TRIED, THIS WILL HELP.
SO THAT'S WHY I PROPOSE THIS PROPOSAL FIRST.
I THOUGHT, I THOUGHT THAT WAS THE PROPOSAL.
YEAH, THE PROPOSAL IS WRITTEN.
UH, UH, IT SAYS WE RESPECTFULLY REQUEST THAT THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL TAKE ANY ACTIONS AVAILABLE TO THEM TO ENSURE THAT ALREADY BUDGETED ANIMAL PROTECT SHOULDN'T.
AND THE PROTECTION OFFICER POSITIONS CURRENTLY UNSTAFFED AND FROZE WILL BE FILLED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
AND NONE OF THE FULL TIME POSITIONS BE DESIGNATED AS TEMPORARY.
SO IS THAT A SECOND RUN BY THE WAY, YOU'RE KILLING HIM.
YOU'RE KILLING BELINDA WITH A LONG AGENDA.
I MEAN, PROPOSAL, ANY DISCUSSION ON THAT? I'M GONNA START WITH YOU, LISA, SINCE I SKIPPED YOU, WE CALL IT.
[01:20:01]
ANDREA.WOULD BE TO HAVE THE ON FROZEN YOUR BUDDY.
EVERYBODY RUN OUT OF TIME, BUT WE'VE GOT FOUR
[4b. Update, Discussion and Possible Action on Work Group for Human Animal Support Services (HASS) Work Group members will present findings from first meetings, including concerns, highlights and required actions, regarding potential ASO participation in the HASS initiative.]
B UPDATE, DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON THE WORK GROUP FOR HUMAN ANIMAL SUPPORT SERVICES.JUST LET ME GIVE A BRIEF, UH, HOPEFULLY, UH, RECAP OF THE WORK GROUP WAS RYAN CRAIG, ANDREA, JOANNE, ME, KATIE JORELL.
AND THEN WE HAD ONE MEETING WITH MARK SLOPE.
UH, THE FIRST TWO MEETINGS WERE Q AND A WITH DR.
AND WE ALSO HAD REBECCA QUINN FROM ATLANTA.
I DON'T REMEMBER HER ORGANIZATION.
UM, AND EVERY MEETING, UH, WAS REPORTED AND I SET UP A YOUTUBE CHANNEL.
NORMALLY WHEN ONE GROUP MADE A WORK GROUP TO ME IT'S DONE IN PRIVATE, THERE WAS NO POSTING, THERE'S NO PUBLIC INPUT, UH, DOING THE REMOTE, GAVE US AN OPPORTUNITY TO ACTUALLY ALLOW PEOPLE TO LISTEN IN AND ALSO TO POST IT.
SO I FIGURED THAT WE SHOULD GO AHEAD AND DO THAT.
AND LAST TIME I LOOKED OUR FIRST MEETING AT AT LEAST 185 VIEWS.
SO I THINK EVERYBODY WHO WANTS TO BE INFORMED ON WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT, UM, WAS, UM, I DON'T HAVE A, UH, I DON'T HAVE LIKE A BULLET POINT QUESTION AND ANSWER LIST WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT.
SO I'LL, I'LL RELY ON THE OTHER MEMBERS TO, TO HELP HELP OUT, UH, SOME OF THE QUESTIONS, THE BASIC QUESTIONS, MORE UNDER A HOUSE MODEL, WOULD THE SHELTER REMAIN RESPONSIBLE, SPAY, NEUTER AND VACCINATIONS.
UM, THERE WERE SOME QUESTIONS ON VETERINARY CARE, WHICH I'M NOT SURE WERE ANSWERED.
UM, THERE WERE SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT WHETHER SOME WALLS WOULD NEED TO BE CHANGED AND I THINK THERE IS A DISTINCT POSSIBILITY, CORRECT? YEAH.
I THINK OUR, OUR GENERAL CONSENSUS WAS THAT IT WOULD KIND OF DEPEND ON WHAT THE HOSS PILOT ENDED UP BEING, BUT THAT, TO THE EXTENT THAT THEY NEEDED, UH, ORDINANCE CHANGES, THAT WOULD HAVE TO BE PART OF THE PROPOSAL TO IMPLEMENT IT.
IT WAS A LITTLE BIT CART BEFORE THE HORSE TO, TO KING'S ALONE NOW.
UH, SO WE HAVE TWO RECOMMENDATIONS TO COME OUT OF THIS AND WE'RE THREE TO TWO IN FAVOR ON BOTH OF THEM.
ONE WAS TO RECOMMEND AND WE'LL SERVICE DESIGNATED AS AN ESSENTIAL SERVICE IN HIRING FOR ANIMAL SERVICES, PHYSICIANS AND FROZEN JUST ADDRESS THAT, CORRECT? CORRECT.
THIS ONE WAS TO UNFREEZE ALL THE FROZEN POSITIONS.
SO IT'S STILL AVAILABLE FROM, OKAY.
OTHER RECOMMENDATION WAS TO RECOMMEND THE CITY OF AUSTIN PARTICIPATE IN HUMAN SUPPORT SERVICES PROGRAM ON THE WORK GROUP.
WHAT TO ADDRESS ANY OF THE CONCERNS YOU HAD, WHETHER YOU HAD ANY SATISFACTORY ANSWERS ON WHAT CONCERNS YOU STILL HAVE.
I WASN'T LOOKING, UM, UH, I JUST WANTED TO ADDRESS A FEW OF THE THINGS THAT WERE MENTIONED IN THE CITIZEN COMMENTS.
UM, SOMEONE SAID THAT THERE WERE MEMBERS OF THE WORK GROUP WHO HAD NEVER BEEN TO THE SHELTER AND THAT WOULD CERTAINLY BE NEWS TO ME.
UM, I DON'T THINK THAT'S TRUE.
UM, UH, SOMEONE SAID THAT NEEDS TO BE A TRANSPARENT PROCESS AND I THINK YOU'RE RIGHT, THAT THIS HAS PROBABLY BEEN THE MOST TRANSPARENT WORK GROUP AND THE HISTORY OF THE COMMISSION.
UM, THAT DOESN'T MEAN WE HAVE TO DO ANYTHING TODAY.
UH, IF WE DECIDE WE NEED MORE, UM, PARTICIPATION, BUT IT'S, IT'S BEEN A VERY PUBLIC PROCESS.
UM, AND, UH, WITH RESPECT TO CLOSING INTAKE, I THINK IT WAS MADE VERY CLEAR BOTH IN THE PRESENTATIONS THAT WERE RECORDED AND IN OUR, UM, CONSENSUS AMONG
[01:25:01]
THAT WORK GROUP, THAT WE WOULD NOT BE IN FAVOR OF ANY PROGRAM THAT TAKE RECOMMENDED CLOSING INTAKE.UM, THE LAST THING I WANTED TO SAY THAT I THINK THAT, UH, THE BIGGEST CONCERN THAT THAT WAS EXPRESSING I THINK IS COMPLETELY LEGITIMATE, WHICH IS THAT, UM, UNDER CURRENT STAFFING LEVELS AT CURRENT POSITIONS, IT PROBABLY WOULDN'T BE POSSIBLE, UM, THAT THERE AREN'T ENOUGH, UM, UH, ANIMAL CARE WORKERS TO DO IT UNDER CURRENT STAFFING.
UM, AND THAT THERE, UH, THAT ONE, UM, FOSTER COORDINATOR IS, IS ABSOLUTELY NOT ENOUGH.
I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT NEEDS TO BE COMMUNICATED, BUT I DEFINITELY FEEL LIKE WE, WE SHOULD COMMUNICATE THAT.
WE UNDERSTAND THAT THIS WOULD REQUIRE, UH, CHANGES IN STAFFING AND THAT WE WOULD NOT EXPECT THE DELTA TO, TO PERFORM THE DESIGN SERVICES, A POS UH, AT CURRENT STAFFING LEVELS.
AND IN CURRENT POSITIONS, CRAIG, DO YOU WANT SAY BRIEFLY WHY YOU SUPPORTED THE MOTION? ASK ANDREA.
THE REASON I'M GOING TO SUPPORT THIS IS BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE THE BIGGEST VOTE, KILL SHELTER IN THE WORLD, AS FAR AS WE KNOW.
AND WHEN YOU DO SOMETHING FIRST, YOU CUT NEW GROUND AND IT'S NOT GOING TO BE PERFECT.
AND YOU'RE, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO KEEP MOVING BECAUSE YOU'RE GOING INTO A NEW AREA WHERE NO ONE ELSE HAS DONE ANYTHING AND WE'VE DONE THAT.
AND PEOPLE SAID WE COULDN'T DO IT.
AND WE DID IT AND WE'VE DONE A REALLY GOOD JOB, BUT WE CAN'T BECAUSE YOU'RE AT THE CUTTING EDGE.
YOU CAN CAN'T STOP THE PERSON AT THE EDGE.
CAN'T STOP SOMEONE FOLLOWING CAN MAYBE SLOW DOWN AND REST A MINUTE, WHAT I'VE BEEN HEARING AND WHAT I'VE BEEN SEEING, SEEING PARTICULARLY RECENTLY WITH A PANDEMIC AND SO MANY ISSUES.
AND SO MANY PROBLEMS IS WE REALLY CAN'T STOP.
WE NEED TO EXPLORE HOW TO DO THIS BETTER.
AND, UM, I KNOW MARK SLOWED SAID, WHILE WE'RE DOING 99.9% OF THIS AND THAT ALEX SAID, WELL, NO, WE'RE REALLY ALL DOING 30% OF IT.
WE'RE DOING, WE'RE DOING SOME OF IT ALREADY.
YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? AND EXACTLY WHAT THAT PERCENTAGE IS, BUT IT'S LIKE LESS KEEP MOVING BECAUSE IF YOU THINK WHAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW IS AS GOOD WE CAN DO.
AND THAT'S NOT BEING MEAN OR TO ANYBODY.
I THINK EVERYBODY'S DOING THE BEST JOB THEY CAN DO, BUT I THINK WE DO BETTER.
AND I THINK THIS IS OUR BEST CHANCE OF US BEING ABLE TO DO THAT.
SO THAT WOULD BE, BUT THAT WOULD BE WHY I'M GOING TO SUPPORT THIS.
SO, DAVID, DID YOU WANT ME TO SPEAK ABOUT SOMETHING BECAUSE PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST STAUNCH OPPONENTS, YOU HEAR ME A LITTLE BIT.
WELL, I WANTED TO GET YOUR OPINION BECAUSE YOU WERE PRETTY MUCH A STAUNCH OPPONENT AND YOU, AND YOU SAID YOU DISAGREE ABOUT THINGS AND THAT'S OKAY.
BUT I WANTED TO GET YOU TO EXPLAIN WHY YOU'RE OPPOSED TO THE HOUSE.
WELL, TO BE, TO BE REALLY CLEAR, I THINK THIS IS A NUANCED DISCUSSION.
IT'S NOT A BLACK AND WHITE DISCUSSION.
UM, ON THE ONE HAND, I AM TOTALLY SUPPORTIVE OF THE IDEAS OF HAAS COMPLETELY.
UM, UM, SO IT IS NUANCED, BUT AS A, UH, BOOTS ON THE GROUND VOLUNTEER FOR NINE YEARS, I'VE SEEN WHAT LACK OF STAFFING MEANS.
I'VE SEEN HOW A GREAT PROGRAM SUFFERS WITHOUT THE STAFF TO MAKE IT WORK.
AS I'VE SAID, I'VE BEEN A SOLDIER FOR NO KILL WORKING TO MAKE IT WORK FOR NINE YEARS ON THE GROUND.
I'VE SEEN HOW MUCH MORE HE MADE IT COULD BE IF THERE WAS ENOUGH STAFF TO MAKE IT WORK.
UM, THAT IS, THAT IS MY CONCERN THAT THE GREATEST PROGRAM IN THE WORLD HAS PROBLEM.
IF THERE'S NOT ENOUGH STAFF TO MAKE IT WORK.
UM, SO I MEAN, I JUST FEEL THAT IF WE'RE GOING TO ADD MORE SERVICES, UH, HAAS WOULD BE ADDING MORE SERVICES, AS RYAN SAID.
UM, IF WE'RE GOING TO ADD MORE SERVICES, WE NEED TO ADD THE COMMENSURATE STAFF TO MAKE IT BE SUCCESSFUL.
I HAVE NEVER, I HAVE NEVER SAID I'M OPPOSED TO THE, UM, PRINCIPLES OF HAAS, NEVER.
UM, I, LIKE I SAID, I THINK IT'S A NUANCE THING.
UM, AND IF I, IF I KNEW THAT STAFF THERE WAS A COMMITMENT TO STAFFING, I WOULD BE SUPPORTIVE.
UM, SO I HOPE THAT IT'S, I'M MAKING IT CLEAR THAT
[01:30:02]
IT'S NOT A BLACK AND WHITE ISSUE TO ME.UM, I HOPE I'M MAKING THAT CLEAR.
I THINK SO, UH, PALMER, DID YOU RAISE YOUR HAND? YEAH.
I JUST WANTED TO SAY LOOKING BACK AT, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE WERE WITH NO KILL, I UNDERSTAND CONCERNS, YOU KNOW, ON STAFFING AND STUFF, BUT WHEN WE STARTED THE JOURNEY OF NO KILL, NOBODY KNEW HOW THAT WAS GOING TO PLAY OUT.
AS FAR AS STAFFING AND PERSONNEL, WHEN THERE WASN'T A ROAD MAP.
AND I THINK YOU HAVE TO MAKE A COMMITMENT TO WHERE WE WANT TO GO AND WHAT WE WANT TO SEE AND THEN FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET THERE.
BECAUSE IF IT'S, IF WE'RE DOING SOMETHING NEW, YOU CAN'T STOP PLAN THE COURSE WHEN WE'RE NOT EXACTLY SURE WHAT IT'S GOING TO LOOK LIKE YET.
AS YOU KNOW, ALL OF THAT WASN'T FIGURED OUT WHEN WE MADE THE DECISION TO GO NO KILL, AND WE HAD TO FIGURE IT OUT AS PART OF THE COMMITMENT TO GET TO WHERE WE WANT IT TO BE.
AND I THINK BE SIMILAR SITUATION.
UM, I DO UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING AND THAT'S WHY I'VE BEEN TORN, BUT I ALSO WANT TO EXPRESS THAT I FEEL THERE'S A BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BEING ON THIS COMMISSION AND A BOOTS ON THE GROUND VOLUNTEER HERE.
IT'S A WHOLE DIFFERENT EXPERIENCE.
UM, YOU KNOW, I, OF COURSE I SUPPORT NO KILL, BUT I HAVE SEEN ON THE GROUND HAD REAL LIFE IN REAL TIME THAT WITHOUT THE STAFFING TO MAKE IT WORK, THERE ARE REAL PROBLEMS. LIKE I'VE SEEN THE ANIMALS NOT CARED FOR, LIKE THEY NEED TO BE CARED FOR.
SO, UM, I HOPE YOU UNDERSTAND MY SKEPTICISM BECAUSE I HAVE DIFFERENT EYES.
UM, I'M ON THE COMMISSION, WHICH IS A MORE ASPIRATIONAL IDEA ORIENTED.
AND I HAVE THE EYES FROM A VOLUNTEER, WHICH IS A MORE ON THE GROUND REALISTIC PERSPECTIVE.
SO, UM, THAT IS WHY I SAY WHAT I SAY.
AND I UNDERSTAND FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE, I DEFINITELY UNDERSTAND YOUR PERSPECTIVE, BUT I HAVE TWO SETS OF EYES HERE.
SO IT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT AND IT'S BACK.
I MEAN, I WAS AT THE SHELTER EVERY DAY FOR FOUR AND A HALF YEARS, EVERY DAY, THREE, NEVER KILL.
I MEAN, I UNDERSTAND WHERE YOU'RE COMING FROM AND I DO THINK IT'S ALL IMPORTANT, BUT I JUST THINK THAT WE HAVE TO MAKE A COMMITMENT OF WHAT WE WANT TO SEE AND WHAT WE WANT IT TO BE, AND THEN FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET THERE TOGETHER.
THAT'S WHAT IT'S REMINDING ME OF TIME, LISA, REAL QUICK.
AND THEN JOANNE, I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY, I ALSO HAVE THE TWO SETS OF EYES.
I VOLUNTEERED FOR EIGHT AND A HALF YEARS AT THE SHELTER BEFORE NO-KILL AND I'VE BEEN ON THE COMMISSION SINCE NO PILL.
SO WE ALL BRING OUR OWN PERSPECTIVES TO IT, BUT I AGREE THAT WE WANT TO SEE, WE WANT TO JUST GET OUR VISION AND MOVE FORWARD IF WE CAN JOANNE REAL QUICK.
UM, BUT I'M ALSO LIKE ANDREW AND I'M KIND OF ON THE FENCE.
UM, I THINK THAT I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO SEE CITIZEN INPUT.
AND IF WE SEND THIS TO COUNCIL, WILL THEY HAVE CITIZEN INPUT OR WILL IT BE LIKE RIGHT TO RESCUE WHERE THEY, IT COMES BACK TO US AND, AND SENDS THE INPUT, IS THAT OUR MEETINGS AND ALSO ACCOUNTS, BUT IT'S JUST LIKE THEY DO NOW.
IT WOULDN'T BE A SEPARATE MEETING JUST TO DISCUSS HAAS AND SOMETHING LIKE, LIKE THEY DO WITH THE BUDGET THAT WOULDN'T HAPPEN.
AND THAT'S WHY I BROUGHT UP YOUR AGENDA ITEM.
JUST, JUST, JUST, JUST TO STRESS THAT IT'S NOT THE WAY THINGS, SO, OKAY GUYS, WE'RE OUT OF TOWN.
SO WHEN I'M, YOU KNOW, THIS DISCUSSION IS FAR FROM OVER, HOW ABOUT IF WE CALL SPECIAL AND WE ADDRESSED JOANNE'S DISCUSSION, I'M SORRY.
I HAD AN ALTERNATE LANGUAGE THAT I WOULD PROBABLY BE WILLING TO SUPPORT IF WE WOULD CONSIDER IT IF WE HAVE TIME.
BUT IF NOT, WE CAN DO IT NEXT TIME.
BECAUSE I ANTICIPATE VOTING ON FULL TIER ONE.
AND THEN IF THAT DOESN'T PASS, THEN WE ENTERED IT.
BUT I FEEL VERY RUSHED AND I FEEL I'M GETTING TEXTS FROM STAFF THAT WE NEED TO WRAP UP AND THE ALTERNATIVE OTHER THAN, YEAH.
IF YOU FEEL LIKE THIS NEEDS TO BE ON ANOTHER MEETING, I THINK JOANNE'S DOES TOO.
I'D LIKE TO GET JOANNE'S ITEM BACK UP AND YOU KNOW, IF YOU CAN, I DON'T KNOW WHEN WE CAN GET A MEETING, BUT IF YOU CAN WORK FAST WITH WHATEVER AND COME UP
[01:35:01]
WITH SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, WE MIGHT GET SUPPORT ON, THAT'D BE GREAT.UM, AGAIN, ANY TWO, I THINK ANY TWO MEMBERS CAN CALL A SOCIAL MEETING AND THE CHAIR CAN CALL A SPECIAL MEETING.
IT'LL BE JOANNE'S ITEM AND A CONTINUATION OF PASS.
WE'LL HAVE NO STAFF BRIEFINGS.
WE'LL HAVE NO OLD BUSINESS, NO NEW, BUT JUST SO WE CAN EVERYBODY GOOD WITH THAT.
THANK YOU, STAFF FOR HANGING IN WITH US AND THE MEETING IS ADJOURNED.