Sep 21, 2020 Special Animal Advisory Commission

[Call to Order]

[00:00:08]

SO YOU NEED TO DO THE ROLL CALL AGAIN FOR THE RECORD, IF YOU WOULD.

OKAY.

ALRIGHT, WE'RE GONNA GET GOING HERE.

WE'LL DO A QUICK ROLL CALL.

I'M HERE, KATIE.

JOEL'S HERE.

BRIAN.

CLINTON'S HERE.

CRAIG.

NATURE'S HERE AT MCCLENDON STAIR.

JOANNE NORTON'S HERE.

ANDREA SCHWARTZ IS HERE.

MY FRIEND IS HERE AND EDWARD FLORES IS HERE.

SO I WILL CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER AND WE'RE GOING TO START WITH OUR SPEAKERS.

[Additional Item]

WE'LL START WITH ELLEN JEFFERSON FOLLOWED BY LUCY FERNANDEZ.

HI, CAN YOU HEAR ME? OKAY.

HELLO, THIS IS ELLEN JEFFERSON.

CAN YOU HEAR ME? OKAY.

WE CAN HEAR IT.

OKAY, THANK YOU.

SORRY.

I'VE HAD SO MANY PROBLEMS. I WANTED TO CHECK.

OKAY.

I JUST WANTED TO START WITH REMINDING, UM, THIS GROUP ABOUT WHY THE HUMAN ANIMAL SUPPORT SERVICES PROJECT IS IMPORTANT RIGHT NOW.

UM, THERE'S THREE MAIN REASONS.

ONE IS THAT THERE IS A NEED TO ADDRESS, UM, COVID RESTRICTION OPERATIONS AND HOW A WERE WORKING WITHIN THE NEW SHELTER ENVIRONMENT WITHOUT OVERCROWDING PEOPLE.

WE NEED TO BE PREPARING FOR A POSSIBLE TWO TO THREE TIMES, INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF ANIMALS AND PEOPLE IN NEED BECAUSE OF THE ECONOMIC AND HOUSING DISASTER.

BUT IT'S ON OUR DOORSTEP.

AND NUMBER THREE IS THAT WE KNOW THAT THE HISTORY OF ANIMAL SHELTERING AND THE WAY THAT OPERATIONS HAVE HISTORICALLY BEEN SET UP, UM, REALLY DO LEAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE OUT OF THE MIX IN TERMS OF ACCESSIBILITY TO THE SHELTER AND ACCESSIBILITY TO RESOURCES.

UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE HEARD FROM, UM, ADVOCATES IN THE COMMUNITY IS THAT THERE'S A CONCERN THAT PEOPLE THAT ARE LIVING IN NEIGHBORHOODS THAT MAYBE ARE EXPERIENCING POVERTY MIGHT BE NEGATIVELY IMPACTED.

AND I WOULD LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT THE HAAS PROGRAM IS ACTUALLY CREATED TO DECENTRALIZE THE RESOURCES AND BRING THOSE RESOURCES TO EACH NEIGHBORHOOD AND COMMUNITY.

AND, AND UM, AND ONE OF THE PRESENTATIONS I SHARED, THERE WAS A MAP OF GREG PATHAR'S PLAN TO BRING COVID TESTING TWO NEIGHBORHOODS, BUT THE HIGHEST COVID RATE BECAUSE PEOPLE WEREN'T ACCESSING TESTS.

AND SO THE THINKING IS THE TESTS WERE INACCESSIBLE.

AND SO THEY ACTUALLY BROUGHT THE TEST TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND INCREASED THE ABILITY TO IDENTIFY THE DISEASE EARLY ON THE SAME NEIGHBORHOODS AS THE ONES WE SEE THE LARGEST INTAKE FROM.

AND SO I THINK WHAT HAAS IS ACTUALLY TRYING TO DO MIRROR WHAT A GREAT CASSANDRA DID BACK IN THE SUMMER TIME.

SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S CLEAR.

THE OTHER THING IS THAT THERE'S NO SHELTER IN THE COUNTRY THAT IS MEASURING DATA ASSOCIATED WITH HELPING PEOPLE, HELPING ANIMALS, NOT COME INTO THE SHELTER.

AND THAT IS REALLY PROBLEMATIC AND LEADS TO A LOT OF UNREST AND QUESTIONS AND ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING TO THOSE ANIMALS.

IF THEY DON'T COME INTO THE SHELTER, WE HAVE SOME VERBAL BUY-IN FROM THE, UH, MAJOR, UH, SOFTWARE DATABASES TO WORK ON RE CODING THE FIELD SERVICES SO THAT THE SHELTERS CAN START MEASURING THE OUTCOMES OF ANIMALS, THE SAFETY OF THEIR SITUATIONS AND PEOPLE'S SATISFACTION AND ALL THE THINGS WE KNOW THAT ARE RELATED TO DOING A JOB WELL AND ANIMALS NOT HAVING TO COME INTO THE SHELTER EXCLUSIVELY.

AND I WANT TO REITERATE THAT THE SHELTER WILL ALWAYS BE, WE'RE NEVER GOING TO LIVE IN A WORLD WHERE THE SHELTER IS NOT NECESSARY.

THE IDEA IS TO MANAGE THE NUMBER OF ANIMALS THAT ARE COMING IN AND TO THE ONES THAT ACTUALLY NEED TO COME IN.

AND SO WORKING MORE LIKE THE HUMAN HOMELESS SHELTERS WORK TO WORK WITH THE MOST VULNERABLE AND THE ONES THAT NEED THE SERVICES THE MOST, AND THEN TRYING TO DO FIELD SERVICES FOR THE REST.

SO I WANTED TO JUST MAKE SURE THAT THAT WAS CLEAR.

AND THEN MY LAST POINT IS THAT THERE'S CONCERNS THAT HAAS HASN'T HAD ENOUGH FEEDBACK IN ORDER TO VOTE.

THE PROCESS ONCE HAAS IS MADE A PRIORITY BY THE CITY, IS THAT THERE SHOULD BE, AND MY RECOMMENDATION TO YOU MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS, ANY STAKEHOLDERS AS POSSIBLE ON THAT AND, UM, MAKE IT AS INCLUSIVE AS POSSIBLE WITH HUMAN ORGANIZATIONS, CITY STAFF, AND CITY DEPARTMENTS AND CITIZENS.

THANK YOU, LUCY FERNANDEZ, THEN NICOLE CLARK.

MY NAME IS LUCY FERNANDEZ AND I'M A RESIDENT OF AUSTIN SHIFTS, YOUR FIVE HOT VOLUNTEER AND APA EMPLOYEE.

I WANTED TO THANK HIM SO MUCH FOR YOUR TRIP PLANNING AND CONSIDERATION FOR TODAY'S AGENDA.

UM, SPEAKING IN FAVOR OF, UH, HOT, UH, OFTEN BECOMING A TIER ONE COST PILOT CITY, UM, HAAS IS NOT OFFICIAL IN AUSTIN YET.

WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS THE BEGINNING OF A PROJECT.

UH, AND THIS IS OUR INITIATION PHASE.

[00:05:01]

THIS IS A PROJECT PROPOSAL, NOT A COMPLETE PLAN AS A COMMUNITY SURVEYING PROGRAM BUILDING, ET CETERA, WOULD BE A PART OF BECOMING A HOT PILOT CITY INITIATION INVOLVES DETERMINING OBJECTIVES, DETERMINING EACH ORGANIZATIONS, CULTURE AND EXISTING PROCESSES, COLLECTING INFORMATION, DIVIDING THE PROJECT INTO ITS SMALLER PHASES, IMPORTANTLY, DETERMINING REQUIREMENTS, ASSUMPTIONS, RISKS, AND CONSTRAINTS UNTIL WE HAVE A PROJECT THERE AREN'T DELIVERABLES OR WORK THAT CAN BE DONE YET.

ASIDE FROM WHAT APA IS ALREADY DOING AS PART OF OUR DAILY OPERATION, UH, WITH VIRTUAL ADOPTIONS EFFICIENT INTAKE TO FOSTER PROCEDURES, 75% REMOTE OPERATIONS TO ENSURE THAT THERE'S NO DELAY OF INTAKE GRANULES THAT NEED US THE MOST, UH, BECOMING A HOT PILOT CITIES OF MAKING A COMMITMENT TO COMMUNICATING EFFECTIVE PROCESSES, MORE EFFICIENT TRAINING STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS AND BOXERS IN HOLDING OURSELVES ACCOUNTABLE TO THE ANIMALS THAT WERE DEDICATED CARE FOR WITHIN THE COMMUNITIES THAT WERE SHARING IDEAS AND RESOURCES BETWEEN THE ORGANIZATIONS INDEPENDENT STREET TEAMS AND INDIVIDUAL DISTRICTS WOULD BE A RESULT OF A COMMITMENT TO THE HAAS MODEL.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.

THANK YOU, NICOLE CLARK, RONDA RODRIGUEZ, SHARON, THIS IS STEPHANIE.

NICOLE DOES NOT CHECK IN AND NEITHER DID LESLIE, JUST SO YOU KNOW, THANK YOU.

YOU'RE ALONG THE RUG RADIUS FOLLOWED BY PAT LAST TEST.

HI, MY NAME IS YOLANDA RODRIGUEZ AND I, UM, WORKED IN DISTRICT TWO IN A PUBLIC SCHOOL.

SO I ESSENTIALLY LIVE TO, UM, I'M CALLING TO OPPOSE HAS, AND, UM, UH, I OPPOSE IT FOR MANY REASONS, BUT I'M GONNA LIMIT MY RESPONSE TO JUST, UM, I KNOW THAT THERE WAS A WORK GROUP THAT WAS PUT TOGETHER.

SO I JUST FEEL LIKE THERE REALLY HAS NOT BEEN, UM, AS AN INITIATIVE AND IT REALLY HASN'T GOTTEN ANY, UM, UH, PEOPLE FROM COMMUNITY TO KIND OF INITIATE OR EVEN START THE PROCESS.

I KNOW THERE WAS A WORKING GROUP, SO MY QUESTION WOULD BE HOW MANY PEOPLE WERE IN THIS WORKING GROUP THAT WERE OF BROWN OR, UM, YOU KNOW, OR BLACK TO REALLY HAVE ANY INPUT INTO THE WHOLE PROCESS.

AND, UH, WERE ANY OF THE GROUP MEMBERS, DO THEY LIVE IN AUSTIN? DO THEY WORK IN THE COMMUNITIES OF THE COMMUNITY DAY, UH, SAY THEY'RE REPRESENTING OR DID THEY HAVE, UM, INPUT FROM, UM, IT JUST SEEMS TO ME LIKE I'VE BEEN DEALING WITH THE SHELTER WORKING IN A PUBLIC SCHOOL FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS.

SO EVEN BEFORE THE COBIT OUTBREAK, I WAS ALREADY DEALING WITH A LOT OF STRAY ANIMALS AND, UM, AND I DON'T KNOW WHETHER HAVING A NEW MODEL OR HAVING THIS NEW PROCESS, NEW INITIATIVES KIND OF BE LAUNCHED NOW WHEN THERE'S BEEN ISSUES EVEN BEFORE COVID.

SO, UM, I DON'T UNDERSTAND, UM, HOW LIKE BRINGING SOMEBODY ELSE TO WORK WITH THE AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER IS GOING TO, UM, I, I FEEL LIKE IT NEEDS TO BE LIKE AN AUSTIN SOLUTION, SOMETHING THAT'S MORE LIKE, UM, WITHIN AUSTIN INSTEAD OF BECOMING PART OF THIS WHOLE LIKE HUGE INITIATIVE.

UM, YOU KNOW, UH, BECAUSE IT'S JUST, TO ME, THERE'S BEEN DISCONNECT WITHIN THE CENTER AND THE COMMUNITIES TO BEGIN WITH.

UM, I MEAN, IF THE CENTERS IS GETTING LIKE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS FROM THE CITY, I JUST FEEL LIKE THE CENTER NEEDS TO ADDRESS ITS OWN ISSUES LIKE WITHIN AUSTIN AND WORKING WITHIN COMMUNITY.

SO ALL THESE THINGS THAT HAAS IS KIND OF PROPOSING TO DO, WHY CAN'T THE CENTER ALREADY DO THAT? I KNOW THEY HAD A HUGE, UM, VOLUNTEER POOL.

THEY ALREADY HAD A FOSTER, UM, LIKE PROGRAM THEY'RE ALREADY HAD ALL THESE THINGS.

THEY JUST NEED TO KIND OF WORK AND DEVELOP THEM AND MAKE THEM BETTER.

UM, AND I, WHETHER IT'S IT'S A LEADERSHIP OR A, I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW, UM, MAYBE DOING LIKE AN ACCOUNTABILITY OR SETTING UP A GROUP THAT WHERE, UH, PEOPLE FROM SOUTHEAST AUSTIN WHERE I LIVE, UM, I WAS, I WAS BRINGING TO THE SHELTER, LIKE DOGS THAT WERE COMING INTO MY CAMPUS, LIKE ONCE OVER, UH, SOMETIMES I HAD LIKE TWO DOGS COMING IN.

SO NOW WITH THIS NEW MODEL, I MEAN, HOW IS THAT GOING TO WORK NECESSARILY? UM, AND I KNOW THAT EVEN PRE COVID, THERE WERE ALREADY ISSUES THERE.

I JUST FEEL LIKE BRINGING IN THIS WHOLE NEW INITIATIVE, UM, DOESN'T REALLY SOLVE THE LARGER ISSUE OF COME IN AND KIND OF CONNECT WITH PEOPLE.

I MEAN, TO ME, UM, IT'S A VERY BIG PROJECT THAT IS GOING TO TAKE A WHILE TO KIND OF SET UP AND LAUNCH.

SO WHY CAN'T

[00:10:01]

UM, IT WAS A PERSON THAT LIVES IN SOUTHEAST AUSTIN, LIKE I REALLY HAVE HAD.

OKAY.

THANK YOU, WENDY MURPHY.

OKAY.

UM, THANK YOU, DAVID.

UH, MY NAME IS PAT .

I LIVE IN DISTRICT NINE.

I HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN OFTEN ANIMAL SERVICES ISSUES SINCE 1992, 16 OF THOSE YEARS ON THE ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION AND THE SUBSEQUENT YEARS AS A COMMUNITY ADVOCATE FOR ANIMALS AND FOR PEOPLE HELPING THEM.

I AM GOING TO READ AN EMAIL THAT I SENT TO ALL OF THE ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION MEMBERS THAT WE WROTE TO REQUEST THAT YOU NOT RECOMMEND ITEM TWO EIGHT AS WRITTEN BY AUSTIN PETS ALIVE.

INSTEAD, WE REQUEST THAT YOU RECOMMEND A TASK FORCE TO REIMAGINE ANIMAL SERVICES THAT WOULD BE MADE UP OF RESIDENTS FROM DIVERSE COMMUNITIES, WITH A VARIETY OF PERSPECTIVES AND ESPECIALLY REPRESENTATIVES OF UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES.

WE REQUEST THAT YOU SUBSTITUTE AND APPROVE THE FOLLOWING INSTEAD OF THE AUSTIN PETS ALIVE PROPOSAL THAT WAS ATTACHED AS BACKUP TO THE AGENDA ITEM, IT WOULD BE CALLED A PROPOSAL TO REIMAGINE AUSTIN ANIMAL SERVICES.

WE ARE ASKING THE COMMISSION TO ONE RECOMMEND TO THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL, A RESOLUTION TO REIMAGINE AUSTIN ANIMAL SERVICES TO, AND THE RESOLUTION WE WOULD PROPOSE THE FOLLOWING SET UP A TASK FORCE OF ANIMAL SHELTER, EMPLOYEES, ANIMAL SHELTER, VOLUNTEERS, NEIGHBORHOOD ADVOCATES, SPAY NEUTER, ADVOCATES LOST AND FOUND PETS, FACEBOOK GROUPS, FERAL CAT TRAPPERS, DOG TRAPPERS, SUCH AS THE GROUP THAT HAS THE ACRONYM.

P R A P R S RESCUE GROUPS, AND THE THREE MAJOR FIVE OH ONE C THREE CONTRACTORS FOR ANIMAL SERVICES, AUSTIN HUMANE SOCIETY, AUSTIN PETS ALIVE, AND EMANCIPET BE EXPECT TO SEE PERFORMANCE MEASURES AND BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE FOLLOWING SERVICES, SHELTER SERVICES, FIELD SERVICES, SPAY NEUTER, HURLED, THE INVESTIGATIONS AND VETERINARY SERVICES FOR UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES.

THANK YOU.

UM, AND I, WE SIGNED IT.

NICOLE CLARK, WENDY MURPHY, YOLANDA RODRIGUEZ BY CHECO.

AND THE REASON WE ARE REQUESTING.

THIS IS JUST WHAT YOLANDA SAID.

WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE A PROPOSAL THAT HAS MUCH MORE COMMUNITY INPUT, AND YOU'VE HAD INCLUDING COMMUNITIES OF COLOR, LOW INCOME COMMUNITIES, NEIGHBORHOOD ADVOCATES.

IN ADDITION TO THAT, WHEN YOU SET UP THE PERFORMANCE METRICS, WE WANT TO BE SURE YOU INCLUDE SPAY-NEUTER.

WE WANT TO BE SURE YOU INCLUDE, UM, FIELD SERVICES, CRUELTY INVESTIGATIONS, AND VETERINARY SERVICES FOR UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES.

AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER HAS ALREADY HAD A NEIGHBORHOOD OUTREACH TEAM.

THAT NEIGHBORHOOD OUTREACH TEAM WAS SET UP IN 2016 WHEN OUR INITIATIVE TO, UM, TRY TO HAVE SPAY-NEUTER OFF WITH IMPOUNDMENT FAILED AS FAR AS I CAN TELL I HAVEN'T SEEN HAPPENING.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THANK YOU, WENDY MURPHY.

OUR FINAL SPEAKER I'M.

MY NAME IS WENDY MURPHY.

I LIVE IN DISTRICT FOUR.

I'M SPEAKING TODAY AGAINST ITEM TWO, A PROPOSAL.

UH, I WANT TO START BY AGREEING WITH THE LAST COUPLE OF SPEAKERS WHO HAVE EXPRESSED CONCERN THAT THE COMMUNITY HAS NOT BEEN WELL-REPRESENTED.

OXFORD HAS NOT BEEN WELL-REPRESENTED BY THE SMALL GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, FROM THE ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION THAT'S BEEN WORKING ON THIS.

MOST OF THE PEOPLE I KNOW IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD OR THAT I SEE ON MY NEIGHBORHOOD FORUMS ARE JUST COMPLETELY IGNORANT ABOUT THIS.

AND SO, UM, IT SEEMS LIKE SOMETHING IS BEING PUSHED THROUGH OR WANTING TO BE PUSHED THROUGH CITY COUNCIL WITHOUT THE CITY, WITHOUT THE PEOPLE THAT IT'S GOING TO AFFECT, EVEN BEING AWARE OF IT.

AND IT'S GOING TO AFFECT EVERYBODY LIKE ME, WHO DOES RESCUE ON THEIR OWN, WHO THE TRAPPERS AND I'LL DO, YOU KNOW, ALL THE RESCUE GROUPS AND SO FORTH.

I DON'T FEEL LIKE WE'VE HAD ENOUGH INFORMATION OR ENOUGH INPUT.

AND EVEN FROM THE PEOPLE WHO SPOKE TODAY, IT'S STILL PRETTY VAGUE.

UH, WHAT HAAS IS LIKE, OH, WE'RE GOING TO SET THAT UP LATER.

WELL, WHAT IS IT, WHY WOULD WE ACCEPT SOMETHING WITHOUT KNOWING WHAT THOSE GUIDELINES AND PARAMETERS ARE GOING TO BE LATER? YOU KNOW, I THINK WE NEED A BETTER DEFINITION.

UH, BUT ALSO I WANTED TO TALK SPECIFICALLY ABOUT SPAY NEUTER.

UH, WHEN AUSTIN OFFICIALLY

[00:15:01]

AND THERE WAS VERY LITTLE FOCUS ON ANYTHING ELSE AND THINGS BECAME PROBLEMATIC AT THE CENTER BECAUSE IT WAS, THERE WERE TOO MANY DOGS, BASICALLY TOO MANY ANIMALS.

AND, UH, SO INSTEAD OF DEALING WITH IT AT THE SOURCE OF THE PROBLEM, WHICH IS OVERPOPULATION OF DOMESTIC ANIMALS, UH, THE OBVIOUS ANSWER TO ME WOULD HAVE BEEN SPAY-NEUTER A SPAY NEUTER PROGRAM, BUT INSTEAD OF TACKLING IT THAT WAY, THE SHELTER BEGAN IMPLEMENTING SOME QUESTIONABLE AND VERY UNPOPULAR, LARGELY UNPOPULAR SOLUTIONS.

THESE INCLUDED CLOSED INTAKE, PUTTING CATS AND KITTENS BACK OUT ON THE STREET TO FEND FOR THEMSELVES AND GIVING ANIMALS AWAY FOR FREE.

ALL OF THESE PRACTICES ARE VERY HARMFUL TO ANIMALS AND PEOPLE IT'S BEEN VERY TOUGH ON PEOPLE TO GO DOWN TO THE SHELTER, EXPECTING TO BE ABLE TO BRING A STRAY DOG DOWN THERE AND SAY, OH NO, WE'RE NOT GOING TO TAKE THAT AND GO PUT IT BACK ON THE STREET, WHAT WE NEEDED BACK THEN, AND WHAT WE STILL NEED IS A STRONG FOCUS ON SPAY NEUTER.

IT'S THE MOST OBVIOUS AND HUMANE SOLUTION TO ANIMAL OVERPOPULATION.

TO MY KNOWLEDGE, THE HUSK PROGRAM DOES NOT CONTAIN ANY MENTION OF THIS.

IN FACT, IT'S DIFFICULT TO FIND ANY REAL CLEAR CUT DEFINITION OF PAUSE.

I DID FIND ONE AND I'M QUOTING, HELPING KEEP MORE ANIMALS IN THEIR HOMES AND REDUCING THE NUMBER ENTERING THE SHELTER SYSTEM THROUGH PROGRAMS AND RESOURCES.

SO THAT'S A GREAT SENTIMENT.

AND OBVIOUSLY I CAN'T STAND SEEING ALL THE DOGS IN CAGES DOWN AT THE SHELTER.

I WOULD LOVE FOR THAT.

YOU KNOW, THERE TO BE A FLOW DOWN OF THAT OR AN END TO THAT.

HOWEVER, WE NEED TO KNOW WHAT WE'RE DOING, YOU KNOW, HOW WE'RE GOING TO ACCOMPLISH IT, WHAT PROGRAMS AND RESOURCES ARE THEY TALKING ABOUT? AGAIN, IT'S NOT, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH INFORMATION.

SO INSTEAD OF FOCUSING ON SOMETHING THAT MAKES US FEEL SO GOOD AND YOU KNOW, IT'S KIND OF VAGUE.

UH, WE SHOULD IMPLEMENT SOME SPECIFICS RIGHT NOW, STARTING WITH A STRONG, SUSTAINABLE CITYWIDE SPAY NEUTER POLICY.

THEY KNEW THERE NEEDS TO BE READILY AVAILABLE.

THANK YOU.

OKAY.

THAT'S ALL OUR SPEAKERS.

WE'RE GOING TO GO TO ITEM ONE,

[1a. Minutes from the Animal Advisory Commission’s September 14, 2020, Meeting]

ANYBODY WANTS TO MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE MOTION BY CRAIG.

AND THEN THE SECOND, SECOND TERM, JOANNE.

AND ANDREA, COUNT THAT AS A THIRD.

UM, LET'S JUST DO THIS REAL SIMPLE ON FAVOR.

GIVE ME AWAY.

AYE.

ANY OPINION? ANYBODY OPPOSED? NONE.

OKAY.

SO THAT'S UNANIMOUS.

OKAY.

WE'LL MOVE ON TO

[2a. Update, Discussion and Possible Action on Recommendations from the Code Revision Work group. Commissioners to discuss recommendations regarding Ordinance 2019107-025 and recent Code Revisions regarding public safety and animal welfare. b. Update, Discussion and Possible Action on Recommendations from the Human Animal Support Services. (HASS) Work Group. Commissioners to discuss findings from last meeting, including concerns, highlights and required actions, regarding potential ASO participation in the HASS initiative.]

UM, SO I KNOW FOR ME, I'VE BEEN THROUGH THREE, UH, WORK GROUP MEETINGS.

NOW, THREE COMMISSION MEETINGS.

I'D LIKE TO HEAR, UM, LISA, EDWARD, YOU GUYS HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO REALLY WEIGH IN.

SO I'D LIKE TO START WITH YOU GUYS WITH ANY QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS THAT YOU HAVE ON, ON THIS.

I'M SORRY.

DID YOU SAY ME AND EDWARD? YES.

EDWARD, DO YOU WANT TO GO OR DO YOU WANT ME TO YOU'RE UP LISTEN.

OKAY.

UM, I GUESS THE, I APPRECIATE THE COMMENT ABOUT THIS BEING LIKE A PROJECT MANAGEMENT SITUATION AND THAT, YOU KNOW, NOT EVERY DETAIL IS FLUSHED OUT AT THIS VERY MOMENT, BUT THAT ONCE THIS BECOMES SOMETHING, THE CITY MAY PARTICIPATE IN, IF IT DOES, UM, YOU KNOW, THOSE, THOSE DETAILS WILL BE FLUSHED OUT.

AND IT SOUNDS LIKE HOPEFULLY IN THE FORMAT THAT PAT TREY HAS SUGGESTED, WHICH IS WITH COMMUNITY INPUT, UM, AND LOTS OF INVOLVEMENT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS WHERE WE WERE WITH NO KILL MANY YEARS AGO, AND WE DIDN'T HAVE ALL THOSE DETAILS FLESHED OUT EITHER.

AND SO TO THAT EXTENT, I, THAT DOESN'T, THAT DOESN'T CONCERN ME AS MUCH AS I THINK IT CONCERNS SOME OF THE PUBLIC BECAUSE I LIVED THROUGH THAT THEN, UM, MY BIGGEST CONCERN RIGHT NOW IS AS ONE OF THE COMMENTERS RAISED, IT DOESN'T APPEAR THAT EVERYTHING IS GETTING DONE THAT NEEDS TO BE GETTING DONE PERHAPS AT THE SHELTER.

AND I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S A FUNCTION OF COVID.

I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S FUNCTIONAL LEADERSHIP, YOU KNOW, ALL THE THINGS THAT WERE RAISED IN THAT COMMENT.

SO AT THIS POINT, I KIND OF FEEL LIKE, I DON'T KNOW IF I HAVE ANY REAL QUESTIONS, BUT I FEEL LIKE SOMETHING'S GOT TO CHANGE AND I'M NOT SURE IF THIS IS IT OR NOT, BUT IT VERY WELL MAY BE.

SO THAT'S KIND OF WHERE I AM RIGHT NOW.

AND I'LL LET OTHERS COMMENT SO THAT I CAN MAYBE INFORM MY OPINION A LITTLE BIT MORE.

DO YOU WANT TO

[00:20:01]

UM, SO YEAH, I I'VE, UH, I OF COURSE WAS GOING TO BE ON THE WORKING GROUP AND HAD TO, UH, I WASN'T ABLE TO MAKE IT, BUT I DID WATCH, UM, ALL OF THE MEETINGS.

SO THANK YOU, DAVID, FOR PUTTING THOSE ON.

UM, I DO WANT TO SAY THAT I, I LIKE, UH, GO BACK TO ANDREA AND JOANNE SPECIFICALLY, I LIKE BOTH OF THEM SECURE IT, MANY OF THE THINGS HAAS IS PROPOSING.

UM, BUT I DO, I DO HAVE CONCERNS WHETHER IT'S, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE IN MARGINALIZED COMMUNITY COMMUNITIES, UH, NOT BEING ABLE TO ACCESS ACCESS.

I KNOW THAT, UH, DR.

JEFFERSON HAS STATED THAT THESE ARE THE PEOPLE THAT IT'S GOING TO SERVE THE MOST WHILE WE DON'T HAVE THOSE NUMBERS.

IT'S CONCERNING TO ME WHEN WE DON'T HAVE HARD FACTS AT THE MOMENT, UH, WHICH IS WHY I WOULD REALLY, REALLY LIKE IF WE DID HAVE THOSE NUMBERS WAITING FOR, YOU KNOW, A DALLAS OR EL PASO WHO ARE BOTH A PART OF THIS TO SHOW US, YOU KNOW, WHAT THEIR NUMBERS LOOK LIKE, UH, WHAT THE OUTCOME WAS, DID THEIR VOLUNTEERS DROP, UM, HOW, HOW WERE THE MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES, UH, YOU KNOW, AFFECTED BY THIS? WAS THERE AN OUTREACH TO THEM TO EDUCATE? UM, ALL OF THESE THINGS MAKE ME MAKE ME CONCERNED THAT, UH, WE DON'T HAVE THE NUMBERS YET, WHICH MAKES ME NOT WANT TO IMMEDIATELY JUST SAY, YES, LET'S MOVE FORWARD OR REACH OUT TO MY COUNCIL MEMBER.

AND AFTER SPEAKING TO DIFFERENT VOLUNTEERS AT AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER, AND AGAIN, LISTENING TO OUR WORKING GROUPS, IT JUST LEAVES ME WITH MORE QUESTIONS THAT WE DON'T HAVE ANSWERS FOR.

AND I KNOW THAT THIS WAS THE SAME ISSUES THAT WE STEPPED DOWN DURING THE NOCO, UM, INITIATIVE.

AND, YOU KNOW, I, I JUST THINK THAT I STILL NEED MORE INFORMATION AND MORE PHYSICAL NUMBERS.

SO JOANNE, THE MEETING ENDED LAST TIME TO SAY SOMETHING.

DO YOU WANT, DO YOU WANT TO CONTINUE WITH THAT THOUGHT NOW? UM, YES.

UM, SO, UM, THANK YOU, LISA, AND THANK YOU FOR EVERYONE WHO CALLED IN.

UM, IT REALLY MEANS A LOT.

UM, I TAKE A LOT OF NOTES.

UM, I UNDERSTAND THE ISSUES WITH THE DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES.

I MOVED INTO SPEAK BLIND.

I REPRESENT DISTRICT, BUT I ALSO VOLUNTEER AT THE TRAVIS COUNTY CORRECTIONAL CENTER.

I BOUGHT I'M A MENTOR AT GALENDO.

SO I TRY TO ENGAGE IN THE COMMUNITY AND UNDERSTAND SOME OF THE ISSUES WITHIN THE COMMUNITY, UM, AS ALSO AS AN ANIMAL CENTER VOLUNTEER, UM, I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO, UM, SEE SOME CHANGES MADE, UM, CERTAINLY TO IMPROVE, UM, THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WE HAVE IN THE FOSTER PROGRAM, THE RESCUE PROGRAM TO GET ANIMALS INTO FOSTER.

I THINK THAT'S REALLY GREAT.

UM, I THINK THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF CONFUSION IN THE PAST WITH EVERYONE.

UM, BECAUSE YOU STARTED OUT SAYING, WELL, INTAKE'S GONNA BE FINDER TO FOSTER, BUT THEN WE KIND OF, THAT CAN'T WORK.

AND SO WE'VE COME UP WITH SOME OBSTACLES, WHICH IS COMMON IN A PILOT PROGRAM.

UM, SO I WROTE UP, UM, AN ALTERNATIVE VERSION THAT I THINK, UM, IS A FAIR BETWEEN WHAT WE WANT TO DO, WHICH IS CSUN, SOME CHAINS, OR LOOK AT THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX, WHICH I THINK, AND SET SOME POLICY, WHICH I THINK WE WANT TO DO, BUT CERTAINLY TAKE INTO ACCOUNT WHAT THE CITIZENS ARE SAYING.

SO I'M USED IN WHAT I WROTE AND I'M NOT GOING TO SAY IT AS A MOTION.

I'M JUST GOING TO TELL YOU WHAT MY THOUGHT IS.

I USE THE WORD CITIZEN, UM, TO GET TOO RUDY.

UM, BUT THAT COULD BE, UM, COMMITTEE THAT COULD BE STAFF MEMBER AT NETSUITE MEMBERS.

UM, I CALLED THEM OUT SEPARATELY, BUT THAT COULD BE, UM, UH, VOLUNTEERS.

IT COULD BE GROUPS LIKE, UH, AWESOME, LOTS OF FOUND PETS AND TRAPPERS AND ANYBODY WHO WANTS TO BOONE THERE.

SO I THINK IF WE ASKED, UM, IF WE RECOMMENDED THAT, UM, I ALSO ASKED THIS CITY OF AUSTIN TO EXPLORE THE HUMAN ANIMAL SUPPORT SERVICES HAS TIER ONE PILOT THROUGH A TASK FORCE, UH, CITY STAFF AND CITIZENS THAT WILL IDENTIFY SERVICE OBJECTIVES.

AND THE TIMING OF JOINING THE PILOT WILL ACHIEVE THOSE OBJECTIVES.

IT'S A LITTLE WORDY.

UM, BUT IT'S A WAY TO GET SOMETHING PASSED TO ALLEVIATE A LOT OF THE ISSUES WE'RE GONNA HAVE.

WE'RE RECOMMENDING A TASKFORCE WE'RE RECOMMENDING THAT WE STILL TALK ABOUT IT, BUT THAT RECEIVED ENOUGH GOOD IN IT, THAT IT COULD BE SOMETHING WORTH, UM, COMMITTING TO LATER.

SO LET ME EXPLAIN WHAT HAPPENS.

IF WHEN WE MAKE A RECOMMENDATION, I HAVE TO FILL OUT A FORM THAT

[00:25:01]

SO IT HAS A RECOMMENDATION THAT HAS THE DATE AND THE ITEM NUMBER OF THE BOAT.

AND ALSO HAS TWO SECTIONS WHERE I EXPLAIN THE ITEM AND I ALSO GIVE REASONS THAT WE THINK THEY SHOULD ADOPT IT.

SO IF WE'RE ABLE TO PASS SOMETHING TODAY, DAY, WHAT I WILL DO IS THAT THE ITEM THAT I POSTED THIS, UH, THESE TWO RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE APA ARE POINT.

I CAN PUT THOSE TWO IN THERE, WORD FOR WORD, ABOUT SETTING UP A TASK FORCE OF CITIZENS AND EMPLOYEES AND COMMISSION MEMBERS, AND ALSO WITH THE PERFORMANCE MEASURES.

AND I CAN ALSO PUT IN BULLET POINTS, JOANNE, FROM WHAT YOU'RE, WHAT YOU'RE JUST SAYING.

CAUSE IT MAY BE WORDY FOR RECOMMENDATION, BUT AS FAR AS THE CREATIVE WRITING THAT I GET TO DO ON THAT FORM, I CAN ADD ALL.

SO WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO PROPOSE RIGHT NOW, THE PROPOSAL SAYS, WE RECOMMEND THAT ANIMALS RECOMMEND THE SAVE AUSTIN PARTICIPATE IN THE HUMAN ANIMAL SUPPORT SERVICES PROGRAM.

IF WE'RE ABLE TO GET SOMETHING TO COUNCIL BY SAYING RECOMMEND THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN EXPLORE PARTICIPATION IN THE HUMAN ANIMAL SUPPORT SERVICES PROGRAM.

AND THEN I ADD ALL OF THAT STUFF ABOUT THE COMMUNITY INPUT AND ALL THAT.

THAT'S WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO PROPOSE.

SO I'D LIKE TO HEAR WHAT EVERYBODY HAS TO SAY ABOUT THAT.

CAN I, CAN YOU GUYS HEAR ME? HELLO? I CAN'T SEE ANYBODY.

IT'S A LITTLE WEIRD.

UM, I WOULD JUST SAY THAT I'M OPEN TO THAT LANGUAGE USING EXPLORE.

UM, I'M OPEN TO THAT.

UM, YOU KNOW, I DON'T THINK, YOU KNOW, I, I DON'T THINK IT EVER HURTS TO EXPLORE.

UM, AND I'M WONDERING IF OTHER PEOPLE ARE, ARE COMFORTABLE WITH THAT LANGUAGE.

OKAY.

WITH THAT DIFFERENT LANGUAGE I'M COMFORTABLE WITH EXPLORE.

I'M NOT COMFORTABLE WITH PARTICIPANTS.

I THINK THE WORD PARTICIPATE IS TOO STRONG.

I THINK IT SAYS IT GIVES AN IMPRESSION THAT WE AGREE WITH THIS, WHICH I LIKE ACTUALLY THAT WE DO.

I REALLY WANT TO EXPLORE IT MORE.

UM, AND I WOULD ALSO SPECIFICALLY LIKE TO CALL IT WHAT IT IS, WHICH IS THE HOSS TO ONE PILOT.

AND, AND I SAY THAT BECAUSE THERE ARE TWO PARTS, THERE ARE TWO PILOTS AND THEY'RE GOING ON SIMULTANEOUSLY.

AND SO WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT'S YOUR ONE PILOT? UM, I WOULD, I AGREE, ACTUALLY, I, I, I LIKE THE WORD EXPLORE.

I'D LIKE TO, I PERSONALLY WOULD LIKE TO TAKE OUT THE WORD PARTICIPATE, BUT I'M, I'M, I'M VERY OPEN TO THE WORD, EXPLORE, UM, EXPLORE, EXPLORE THE POSSIBILITY ANYWAY.

OH, I JUST WANTED TO MENTION SOMETHING ELSE.

UM, I DO LIVE IN AN UNDERSERVED COMMUNITY.

UM, YOU KNOW, I LIVE EAST OF BY 35, SO, AND I DO LIVE IN AUSTIN.

SO JUST FOR THE RECORD.

SO JUST TO BE CLEAR, IF WE REWORD THIS AND IT GOES TO COUNCIL, THEY CAN STILL DO WHATEVER THEY WANT TO DO.

THEY CAN BE MORE, THEY CAN PASS IT, THEY CAN EXPLORE.

SO I JUST WANNA BE REAL CLEAR ABOUT THAT RYAN.

I WOULD NOT, I WOULD OPPOSE THAT CHANGE.

UM, I THINK THAT IF WE HAD PROPOSED FOR THE COUNCIL TO EXPLORE A NOTE OR FOR THE CITY TO EXPLORE AN OAK HILL, UH, IT WOULD'VE NEVER HAPPENED.

AND SO, UM, UM, I'M NOT, WE ARE THE TASKFORCE, RIGHT? LIKE, I MEAN, THE, THE, THE COMMITTEE THAT WAS DESCRIBED AS US, WHERE WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE THAT COMMITTEE THAT LOOKS INTO POLICY CHANGES AND LISTENS TO THE COMMUNITY.

AND, UM, WE'VE HAD THREE COMMISSION MEETINGS WHERE PEOPLE HAVE TOLD US THAT WE NEED TO LISTEN TO MORE PEOPLE, BUT THEY HAVEN'T TOLD US WHAT IT IS THAT THEY WANT DIFFERENT.

I MEAN, THAT'S THE FRUSTRATION FOR ME IS THAT, UH, THE PEOPLE WHO ARE TELLING US, WE'RE NOT LISTENING, ARE NOT TELLING US WHAT THEY WANT CHANGED.

UM, THEN THEY KEEP ON TELLING US WE'RE NOT LISTENING, UM, AND MEETINGS WHERE WE'RE GIVING THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE.

SO, UM, I WOULD, I WOULD BE AGAINST THAT CHANGE AND I WOULD STICK WITH THE INITIAL PROPOSAL.

HOWEVER, THAT SAID, I DO THINK THAT I LIKED DAVID'S IDEA OF ADDING SOME COLOR IN THE DESCRIPTION AND I WOULD GIVE HIM, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, WE SHOULD, I THINK WE SHOULD GIVE HIM AUTHORITY TO DO THAT.

AND I THINK THERE ARE SOME, SOME GUIDE RAILS THAT WE'VE ALL TALKED ABOUT THAT I THINK ARE IMPORTANT.

UM, AND ONE OF THEM COULD BE, YOU KNOW, CONTINUED PUBLIC PARTICIPATION.

UM, ONE OF THEM COULD BE, UH, UH, MAKING SURE THAT INTAKE, UH, DOES NOT CLOSE SINCE THAT SEEMS TO BE, I THINK ERRONEOUSLY ONE OF THE BIGGEST CONCERNS, UM, THIS HAS MEANT TO FIX

[00:30:01]

UM, BUT I THINK THERE'S, THERE COULD BE SOME GUIDE RAILS.

I THINK THAT MAKES A LOT OF SENSE IN THE DESCRIPTION, BUT I WOULDN'T, I THINK WE GO INTO EXPLORE AND ALL OF A SUDDEN WE HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING AT ALL.

UM, CAN I SAY SOMETHING, DAVID? UM, SO, UH, SPEAKING TO, UH, UH, RYAN, YOU JUST SAID, I THINK A LOT OF RED I'M HEARING IS THERE'S JUST THE FACTOR OF THE UNKNOWN.

WE'RE IN SUCH A STATE OF UNKNOWN IN SO MANY THINGS RIGHT NOW THAT PEOPLE DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY WANT TO DO.

SO TO TAKE SOMETHING LIKE, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THESE SERVICES AWAY, AMBER ADD SERVICES THAT PEOPLE AREN'T USED TO AND POTENTIALLY, UM, YOU KNOW, REALLY, REALLY CHANGE SOMETHING WHEN EVERYTHING IS CHANGING SO QUICKLY.

AND, AND WE DON'T KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING NEXT.

I THINK THIS IS WHY PARTICULARLY MYSELF, UM, AND I DON'T KNOW HOW THE OTHERS FEEL, BUT THAT'S WHY I KEEP ASKING FOR, LET ME GET SOME NUMBERS, LET ME GET SOME, UH, LET'S LET THIS PILOT PROGRAM GO THROUGH FOR THOSE, UH, OUR PASO DALLAS.

AND WHILE I DO, I DO APPRECIATE THE LIFELONG ANIMAL PROJECTS, UM, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR COMING ON, UH, TO THE WORKING GROUP.

UM, I STILL WOULD HAVE PREFERRED TO HEAR FROM LIKE AN EL PASO, UM, AND SEE HOW THEY ARE, UH, HOW THEY ARE SEEING THIS.

IF EL PASO'S SPOKEN, I MISSED IT, PLEASE.

CORRECT ME.

THAT'S JUST HOW I, UH, HOW I'M SEEING THIS AT THE MOMENT.

BUT I DO SUPPORT THAT WE WROTE IN WITH EXPLORE.

I, UH, I HAVE A COMMENT REALLY QUICKLY.

UM, I, I LISTENED TO OUR LAST, UM, MEETING.

UH, AGAIN, I ALSO READ THE LETTER BY PEGGY , WHO IS A LONGTERM VOLUNTEER, VERY REASONABLE KIND PERSON.

AND, UM, IT, IT, IT BECAME CLEAR TO ME THAT THERE'S LIKE TWO KIND OF PHILOSOPHICAL PERSPECTIVES ON HAAS.

I MEAN, ONE IS WE AGREE ON OUR VISION.

UM, WE AGREE ON OUR VISION FIRST AND THEN WE KIND OF WORK OUT THE DETAILS AND THE STAFFING LATER.

UM, AND IN THAT PERSPECTIVE WE RECOMMEND HAAS AND FIGURE IT ALL OUT.

OKAY.

THAT'S ONE PERSPECTIVE.

AND ANOTHER PERSPECTIVE IS THAT WE REALLY SHOULDN'T RECOMMEND A PLAN THAT'S VAGUELY DEFINED, UH, NO CLEAR DETAILS ON STAFFING IMPLEMENTATION AND PEGGY FIGHT, KECK EXPRESS THAT SENTIMENT.

AND, UM, I PERSONALLY, I PERSONALLY AGREE WITH PEGGY'S PERSPECTIVE AND RESPECTFULLY DISAGREE WITH THE OTHER.

UM, SO I THINK THAT, THAT, I, I THINK THAT THAT MIGHT BE ONE OF THE FUNDAMENTAL THINGS GOING ON HERE THAT THERE'S JUST RADICALLY DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES.

UM, I CAN'T, I, YOU KNOW, I DON'T THINK EITHER ONE'S WRONG, I THINK THEY'RE JUST DIFFERENT.

UM, SO I MEAN, FOR THAT REASON, I WOULD HAVE PREFERRED EXPLORE, YOU KNOW, ANYWAY, THAT'S JUST MY 2 CENTS.

UH, THAT'S AN, THAT'S A, THAT'S IT.

SO, UM, I APPRECIATE IT SAID RYAN ABOUT SOLUTIONS.

I DO THINK THAT IT IS DIFFICULT FOR CITIZENS.

WE'RE ONLY OPPORTUNITIES TO CALL IN, TO EXPRESS THEY'RE PASSIONATE ABOUT THE SUBJECT AND MAKE A SOLUTION IN THREE MINUTES.

UM, IT'S, IT'S TOUGH.

AND THE NICE THING ABOUT A TASK FORCE OR OUR WORK GROUPS IS WE HAD MORE TIME TO, UM, HAVE A DISCUSSION AMONGST EACH OTHER.

UM, I APPRECIATE WHAT EVERYONE SAID ABOUT NUMBERS, UM, AND, UH, PASO AND DALLAS.

I THINK THAT, UM, I'VE BEEN LOOKING AT THEIR WEBSITES, UM, TO SEE IF THERE'S BEEN ANY CHANGE TO ISSUES THAT, UM, OUR CITIZENS ARE CONCERNED ABOUT, LIKE INTAKE AND THEY REALLY HAVEN'T BEEN, UM, I BELIEVE PARTICIPATE JUST COULD SAY THAT WE DID OUR DUE DILIGENCE AND WE THINK IT'S GOOD AND WE'RE A HUNDRED PERCENT SUPPORTIVE OF IT.

AND, UM, I'M REALLY NOT THERE, UM, BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO TAKE ANYTHING AWAY FROM FIXING THE IMMEDIATE ISSUES.

AND I KNOW, UM, YOU KNOW, ASKING FOR STAFF AND ASKING FOR, UM, ANIMAL PROTECTION OFFICERS FOR UNFREEZING POSITIONS IS A WAY TO START TO GET THERE.

AND I THINK THAT'S SUPER IMPORTANT AND I'M GLAD THAT WE WERE ABLE TO PASS THAT, BUT I'M STILL CONCERNED ABOUT, UM, DIVERTING OFF INTO HAAS AND NOT ADDRESSING THINGS THAT NEED TO BE IMMEDIATELY ADDRESSED.

LIKE, UM, GETTING MORE VOLUNTEERS, GETTING SECOND SHIFT VOLUNTEERS, GETTING, UM, UH, I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT GETTING ADDITIONAL STAFF ONTO, UM, THE FOSTER GROUP AND THE RESCUE GROUP, WHICH WE NEED ON.

SO I JUST THINK PARTICIPATE IS A BIT STRONG.

UM,

[00:35:01]

WE JUST DON'T.

AND SO THE QUESTION BECOMES, WHAT DO YOU DO BY THE WHILE I'VE TALKED TO MY CITY COUNCIL MEMBER NUMEROUS TIMES ABOUT HOW WE CAN INCREASE FUNDING FOR THE SHELTER.

I WOULD LIKE TO SEE RIGHT NOW, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE EMPLOYEES AND YOU, YOU, YOU DO WHAT YOU CAN.

AND THEN YOU FIND OUT THAT HALF THE POSITIONS HAD BEEN FROZEN WHILE WE WEREN'T LOOKING RIGHT NOW, WE LIVE IN A COUNTRY, THE RICHEST COUNTRY THAT EVER EXISTED IN THE KNOWN UNIVERSE.

AND SOMEHOW WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO DO THE THINGS WE ALL KNOW WE NEED TO DO.

SO IF, IF YOU DON'T GO IN THE DIRECTION, YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING TO GO, YOU'RE GOING TO JUST STAY IN THE SAME PLACE WITHOUT ENOUGH MONEY.

SO WHAT I THINK HAAS IS IS, IS IT'S IT WORD WE CAN'T, WE COULD RECOMMEND THAT THEY SPEND MORE MONEY ON THE SHELTER.

THEY PROBABLY WON'T.

WE CAN RECOMMEND THAT THEY HIRE FROZEN POSITIONS.

THEY MIGHT NOT EVEN DO THAT, BUT WE CAN RECOMMEND THAT THEY LOOK AT A NEW WAY TO DO THIS TO MAYBE BE A LITTLE MORE EFFICIENT.

AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT HAAS PROMISES.

AND I JUST LOOK, I'VE READ HUNDREDS OF EMAILS.

A LOT OF THEM WERE THE SAME EMAIL, UH, COMPLAINING ABOUT THIS KIND OF THING.

SOME OF THEM FEEL WITH MISINFORMATION, BUT I'VE READ SOME VERY GOOD EMAILS AND THERE'S SOME VERY GOOD POINTS MADE.

UM, WHAT DO WE DO? WHAT CAN WE DO? I THINK WE NEED TO GO WITH A VISION.

I THINK THAT'S WHAT NO CURE WAS.

AND WE WENT WITH A VISION AND I THINK WE'RE ON A GOOD PATH, BUT ARE WE THERE YET? NO, I THINK WE HAVE TO KEEP GOING.

I THINK THIS IS A GOOD OPPORTUNITY.

OURS WOULD BE A RECOMMENDATION TO BE PART OF A TIER ONE HAAS.

IT DOESN'T ROPE US INTO ANYTHING AS FAR AS I KNOW SO FAR AS I'VE SEEN, AND IT DOESN'T PREVENT US FROM BACKING OUT OF IT OR DOING IT A LITTLE BIT, OUR OWN WAY.

IT DOESN'T WORK.

WE'VE ALREADY BEEN TOLD BY MARK SLOAT THAT WE'RE DOING 99% OF HOS ELLEN THINKS WE'RE DOING 30%.

SO THE TRUTH IS SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN THERE, BUT THAT'S QUITE A BIT.

AND IF WE HAD THIS CODIFIED, WE HAVE SOMETHING WE CAN HANG OUR HAT ON.

WE CAN SAY, LOOK, THIS IS THE DIRECTION YOU SAID FOR US TO MOVE.

WE HAVE TO DO THIS TO MOVE.

IF YOU JUST GO THERE AND ASK THEM FOR MORE MONEY, I DON'T THINK IT'S EVER GOING TO HAPPEN.

SO I, I, I AGREE MORE WITH RYAN ON THIS.

I THINK THAT WE SHOULD MOVE AHEAD AND WE SHOULD BECOME A PART OF THIS.

AND I DON'T THINK THIS ROPES US INTO ANY KIND OF BAD DARK FUTURE THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE SEEM TO BE WORRIED ABOUT.

I THINK THE PRESENT IS, IS PLENTY.

DARK ENOUGH FOR US TO SAY, LET'S MOVE FORWARD.

LET'S NOT STAY HERE.

LET'S MOVE FORWARD.

THANK YOU.

OKAY, GO AHEAD.

UM, BUT ALSO, YOU KNOW, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER SHORTER HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO JOIN.

HASSON DECIDED NOT TO.

AND I THINK THAT IN EXPLORING HAS SO WE CAN FIND OUT THOSE REASONS HE WANTS TO AND WHY HE WAS THINKING OF, UM, MOVING AHEAD IN INCREMENTS.

AND I THINK THAT'S ALSO IMPORTANT.

MY DECISION, I WANTED TO MAKE A COMMENT ABOUT WHAT CRAIG SAID.

I MEAN, I THINK THAT WAS A REALLY GOOD POINT ABOUT IT'S ALREADY A DARK SITUATION.

THAT IS A GOOD POINT.

BUT, UM, TO ME, FUNDAMENTALLY, WHAT'S GOING ON IS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ADDING SERVICES.

YOU KNOW, RYAN MENTIONED IT'S ADDING SERVICES IS MORE SERVICES.

I AGREE.

AND, UM, THESE ARE KIND OF LABOR INTENSIVE SERVICES, LIKE, UH, YOU KNOW, INSTANT CHATTING FOR EVERY, FOR ALL ANIMALS I'M TAKING ON THE THREE, ONE, ONE OF CALLS, UM, COUNSELING, OR WE'RE TALKING ABOUT LABOR INTENSIVE SERVICES, GOOD SERVICES.

BUT IT'S, WE'RE ULTIMATELY, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ADDING MORE SERVICES THAT ARE LABOR INTENSIVE.

AND FOR THAT REASON, I'M, I AM SO CONCERNED ABOUT STAFF.

I REALLY AM.

THAT'S LIKE MY BIG THING.

SO, YOU KNOW, I HAVE TO SAY, I'M GOING TO, I, I SUPPORT THE WORD EXPLORE AS DAVID AND JOANNE MENTIONED.

UM, BUT THAT'S WHERE I STAND.

BUT THANKS, GREG.

I, I SEE YOUR POINT ON THAT.

UM, THAT THAT'S ALL FOR ME.

LET ME, LET ME, LET ME SAY SOMETHING.

CAUSE WE WERE JUST GOING AROUND IN CIRCLES.

WE'VE GOT EIGHT VOTING MEMBERS HERE.

WE NEED SEVEN VOTES TO PUSH ANYTHING THROUGH.

I'M LOOKING AT THE SCREEN TO DO THE MATH.

WE'RE NOT GOING TO PASS ANYTHING.

WE'RE NOT GOING TO PASS.

[00:40:01]

IT WAS VERY EASY TO PUT IN ONE IN ONE WORD AND WE CAN PET POLY, PASS IT, UNANIMOUSLY IT WOULDN'T GET IT TO COUNCIL AND COUNCIL CAN DO WHATEVER THEY WANT TO DO.

SO I WOULD JUST ASK BRIAN AND CRAIG, WHAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO? DO YOU WANT TO, DO YOU WANT TO VOTE FOR AS A BUSINESS? HAVE IT FAIL OR DO YOU WANT TO MOVE, MOVE FORWARD WITH SOMETHING? WELL, ONE QUESTION I WOULD HAVE IS, ARE WE SURE THAT IT'S AN A, IT'S A CORE AND IT'S NOT A MAJORITY OF THE QUORUM, ARE YOU SURE THAT'S RIGHT.

BUT IT'S THE JOY OF THE COMMISSION INSTEAD OF A JURY IT'S SEVEN VOTES.

SO IT DOESN'T MATTER IF WE HAVE SEVEN PEOPLE HERE, YOU SEVEN VOTES TO CORE OF THE 13 NUMBERS.

SO, SO YOU'VE TAKEN THIS INTO ACCOUNT, BUT I WOULD BE REPEATING SOME TOO.

I DUE TO CONFLICT OF INTEREST.

YEAH, I WAS, I WAS FIGURING THAT OUT.

SO, UM, SO, UH, CRANK OPEN AND THEN, UH, LISA WANTS TO SAY SOMETHING BRIEFLY ABOUT STAFF.

UM, I THINK WE HAVE A REALLY GOOD STAFF AND I THINK THEY'RE WORKING VERY HARD AND I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT, THANK THEM FOR THEIR HARD WORK.

I ALSO HEAR A LOT OF COMPLAINTS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE GET PEOPLE WHO COMPLAIN AND SAY, OH, THEY GET PAID SO MUCH MONEY.

AND, AND WHY CAN'T IF I CALL, WHY CAN'T THEY PICK UP THE PHONE OR I CANDIDATE, IF I DO THIS AND DO THAT, AND IT'S NOT RECOGNIZING REALITY.

AND THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE FEEL THIS WAY.

UM, COUPLE OF YEARS AGO I WAS CITY COUNCIL MEMBER WHO WAS NOT GOING TO VOTE FOR ANY MORE MONEY FOR, UM, THE SHELTER BECAUSE WHEN SOMEONE IN HER DISTRICT CALLED UP AND HAD A SNAKE IN HER HOUSE, UH, APO WOULDN'T COME TO THE HOUSE AND REMOVE THE SNAKE.

UM, THERE ARE SOME UNREASONABLE EXPECTATIONS ON ALL SIDES HERE.

I THINK THERE'S SOME UNREASONABLE EXPECTATIONS, THE COMMUNITY, MAYBE SOMETIMES EVEN FROM THE COMMISSION.

UH, SO I THINK THE WAY OUT OF THIS IS TO CHANGE THE WAY WE DO THINGS AND THE WAY WE'RE, YOU KNOW, THE IDEA ABOUT HAAS THAT I REALLY LIKED IS THE IDEA OF EXPANDING, UM, UH, THE FOSTERS.

THERE'S A BUNCH OF REALLY GOOD IDEAS.

I THINK WE SHOULD EXPLORE.

I WOULD BE WILLING TO VOTE FOR ANYTHING THAT MOVES US FORWARD.

UH, BUT I WOULD PREFER THAT RATHER THAN US TIRE HANDS BEHIND OUR BACKS, AS WE TRY, OR YOU TRY TO MOVE FORWARD WITH ONE FOOT IN A SUBMIT BOOT THAT WE'D SAY, LET'S MOVE FORWARD, LET'S DO THIS.

BUT IF THE BEST WE CAN GET IS MOVING FORWARD IN A CEMENT BOOTH AND AS OPPOSED TO DOING NOTHING, THEN I WOULD SAY, OKAY, WHAT ON THE CEMENT? BOOM, LET'S GO, LISA, LET'S LET KATIE GO.

SINCE SHE, I'M SORRY.

RAISE YOUR HAND.

I'LL GO OFF.

SORRY.

I JUST SORT OF WANTED TO ECHO WHAT FRANK SAID A LITTLE BIT.

I THINK THAT RIGHT NOW, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE SOURCES OF PRIDE THAT WE HAVE AS AUSTINITES IS THAT WE HAVE BEEN A LEADER IN ANIMAL WELFARE FOR ALL OF THESE YEARS.

WE'VE BEEN THE CITY THAT SO MANY HAVE LOOKED TO, TO BE INNOVATIVE AND TO COME UP WITH NEW SOLUTIONS.

AND WHAT I'M HEARING TODAY IS THAT WE SHOULD LET CITIES LIKE EL PASO AND DALLAS TAKE THE LEAD ON IT, NEW AND INNOVATIVE ANIMAL WELFARE STYLES.

WHILE WE IN HERE IN AUSTIN, SIT BACK AND SEE HOW WELL OTHER CITIES DO IT AND HOW WELL OTHER CITIES ARE ABLE TO PIVOT IN TERMS OF THE CRISES THAT WE'RE FACING RIGHT NOW.

AND ONE OF THE UPSIDES TO RECOMMENDING THAT AUSTIN PARTICIPATE IN HAAS IS THAT WE CAN HAVE A SEAT AT THE TABLE.

FROM THE VERY BEGINNING, WE CAN BE PART OF A PILOT PROGRAM THAT IS FORMING AND FOCUSING WHAT THIS INNOVATIVE NEW PLATFORM MAY OR MAY NOT BE ABLE TO DO.

AND SO FOR US TO SIT BACK AND WATCH OTHER CITIES TAKE THE LEAD WHILE AUSTIN SITS HERE AND FIGURES AND, YOU KNOW, WAITS UNTIL OTHER PEOPLE GET IT RIGHT SO THAT WE CAN TAKE A STAB AT IT, JUST ISN'T WHO WE ARE IN MY PERSPECTIVE.

AND I, FOR ONE WOULD ABSOLUTELY LOVE AUSTIN TAX.

YOU GET THAT TABLE AND BE A PART OF FIGURING OUT EXACTLY HOW THIS NEW PROCESS IS ABLE TO HELP PEOPLE IN OUR CITY.

SO, UM, I'M WITH CRAIG AND RYAN.

UM, WHEN I SAY THAT I WOULD VERY MUCH LIKE TO VOTE AND APPROVE AND MOVE US FORWARD IN A STRATEGIC AND THOUGHTFUL WAY.

AND AS CRAIG SAID, NOT THAT TIE OURSELVES DOWN WITH SOMETHING THAT MAY OR

[00:45:01]

SO THAT'S MY THOUGHT.

AND WITH THAT SAID, I WOULD LIKE TO MOVE FORWARD IN SOME WAY.

SO IF THAT, IF EXPLORE IS ALL WE CAN DO TODAY, THEN THAT'S ALL WE CAN DO.

LEXA.

I WAS GOING TO ECHO WHAT BRIAN AND CRAIG SAID, AND NOW I'LL ECHO ALSO WHAT KATIE ADDED.

UM, I JUST WANT TO REEMPHASIZE THOSE POINTS THAT WERE MADE IN A COUPLE OF THE COMMENTS, WHICH ARE, YEAH, THIS DOESN'T TIE US TO ANYTHING PERMANENTLY.

AND IF WE HADN'T DONE SOMETHING LIKE THIS WITH NO KILL, WE WOULDN'T HAVE NO PILL.

AND I AGREE COMPLETELY WITH RYAN IN THE WORD EXPLORER.

HE DIDN'T SAY THESE EXACT WORDS, BUT I THINK IT'S IMPLIED TO ME.

IT'S JUST, IT'S TOO LOOSE.

IT DOESN'T GIVE SPECIFIC DIRECTION.

AND KATIE RAISES A GOOD POINT TOO, THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT AUSTIN HAS DONE BEFORE IN TERMS OF BEING INNOVATIVE AND MOVING FORWARD.

SO I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THIS AS A POSITIVE, LIKE, LET'S GO FOR IT.

LET'S DO, LET'S DO WHAT WE CAN.

IF THINGS DON'T WORK THE WAY WE WANT, WE'RE NOT TIED TO ANYTHING PERMANENTLY.

UM, AND I WOULD JUST ENCOURAGE EVERYBODY TO THINK ABOUT THAT.

I MEAN, WE'VE, WE'VE GONE DOWN THIS PATH BEFORE AND LOOK WHERE IT GOT US.

I ALSO WANT IT TO BE CLEAR.

I DON'T WANT TO DO IT TO THE EXCLUSION OF UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES.

I DON'T THINK THAT'S WHAT HAAS IS ABOUT.

I AGREE WITH EVERYBODY THAT'S RAISED ISSUES ABOUT INVOLVING PEOPLE OF COLOR AND ALL OF THE COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE ISSUES THAT WILL BE PARTICULARLY ADDRESSED BY HASS OR WHATEVER WE ENDED UP DOING.

BUT RIGHT NOW WE'RE KIND OF A CROSSROADS AND WE NEED TO MAKE SOME SORT OF CHANGE.

AND THIS ISN'T ALSO TO SAY THAT STAFF ISN'T DOING THEIR JOB.

I KNOW THAT THEY'RE UNDER A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF PRESSURE.

UM, I'VE SEEN IT OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF DECADES AND HOW THEIR PRESSURES EVOLVE AND I APPRECIATE WHAT THEY DO.