[00:00:01]
EVERYBODY.I THINK WE HAVE ENOUGH TO, TO GET GOING.
[CALL TO ORDER]
I'M GOING TO DO THE MANDATORY ROLL CALL.AND I HEAR THAT I'M CURIOUS HERE.
SO, UM, WITH THAT I WILL THINK TO ORDER
[Additional Item ]
AND WE'LL GO STRAIGHT TO SPEAKERS AND I BELIEVE BELINDA IS RUNNING, RIGHT? I BELIEVE WE HAVE SIX.HELLO, BELINDA, ARE YOU THERE TO RUN SPEAKERS? OKAY.
ELLEN JEFFERSON, CAN YOU HEAR US OKAY? YES.
I'VE BEEN SPEAKING WITH YOU A FEW TIMES ABOUT THE HAAS PROJECT, AND I WANTED TO SPEND MY THREE MINUTES TALKING ABOUT WHERE WE ARE NOW IN TERMS OF THE HAAS PROJECT NATIONALLY.
UM, JUST TO KIND OF GIVE A BRIEF OVERVIEW, HOW STRIVES TO CREATE A WORLD WHERE SEPARATION, INSTITUTIONALIZATION, AND DEATH ARE NEVER USED FOR COMPANION ANIMAL POPULATION CONTROL BY BRINGING SERVICES TO PEOPLE IN ANIMALS, WHERE THEY LIVE ONLY SHELTERING THE ANIMALS WHO TRULY NEED IT AND IMPLEMENTING EVIDENCE BASED PROGRAMS. WE'VE BEEN ASKED BY YOU GUYS AND OTHERS FOR DATA ABOUT WHAT, WHAT HOSP LOOKS LIKE AFTER IT'S IMPLEMENTED.
AND WE DON'T HAVE AFTER DATA YET BECAUSE HAAS IS BEING CREATED BY THE 19 TIER CITIES.
BUT WE DO HAVE BEFORE DATA THAT I THINK IS VERY COMPELLING AND BEGGED FOR A DIFFERENT SYSTEM THAN THE ONE THAT HAS BEEN CREATED UP UNTIL NOW.
THE FIRST PIECE OF DATA IS A STUDY IN SAN ANTONIO IN THE FALL OF 2019, THAT SHOWED THAT 87 TO 96% OF LOOSE DOGS ARE ACTUALLY OWNED AND GO HOME EACH NIGHT, THE LARGEST INTAKE OF ANIMALS INTO THE AUSTIN SHELTER OR STRIKE TWO IS 90% OF PET OWNERS BELIEVE THEIR PETS ARE AS VALUABLE AS HUMAN FAMILY MEMBERS.
THREE IS THAT THERE'S A FAR GREATER DEMAND FOR PETS THAN THERE IS SUPPLY IN AMERICA BASED ON REPORTING FROM ADOPTIVE PET AND PET FINDER AND OTHER ONLINE ADOPTION SITES, AS WELL AS TWO STUDIES THAT WE CONDUCTED HERE IN AUSTIN, PRE COVID.
AND THE FOURTH PIECE OF DATA IS OUT OF DALLAS AND THEY EXAMINED 9,000 RETURNED TO OWNERS.
AND, UM, KEEP IN MIND, THEY HAVE A RETURN TO OWNER RATE OF 14%.
THEY EXAMINED 9,000 OF THE, OF THAT 14% OVER MULTIPLE YEARS.
AND OF ALL THE INTAKES THAT WERE RETURNED TO OWNER, UM, ABOUT THAT 9050% WERE FOUND IN THEIR YARD, IN THEIR OWN YARD, AT THEIR OWN ADDRESS AND BROUGHT INTO THE SHELTER.
AND ANOTHER 35% WERE FOUND WITHIN ONE MILE OF THE HOUSE OF THAT, OR THE RESIDENTS OF THAT 35%, UM, ABOUT 2100 WERE FOUND WITHIN ONE BLOCK OF THEIR HOME.
SO THAT BACKS UP A LOT OF THE DATA THAT AUSTIN HAD FROM THE SURVEY THAT THEY DID, UM, PRE COVID AS WELL.
AND INTAKE IS HIGHEST FROM THE AREAS WITH THE LOWEST SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS, INDICATING THAT ACCESS MIGHT BE AN ISSUE.
AND THEN THE FIFTH PIECE OF DATA IS THAT WE KNOW THAT OUR SHELTER IS OFTEN AT CAPACITY.
STAFF HAS A HARD TIME WALKING THE DOG DAILY AND GIVING THEM EVERYTHING THAT THEY NEED AND MONITORING FOR DISEASE.
AND, UM, WE KNOW THAT THE REQUESTS TO FIX THAT ARE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.
AND, UM, WE BELIEVE THAT WE COULD, BY USING THE DOLLARS WE HAVE AND USING THE, MAYBE MORE STRATEGICALLY WE CAN PREVENT THAT CROWDING AND THAT LACK OF CARE IN THE SHELTER.
IT'S NOT LACK OF CARE, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN, UM, RESTRICTED CARE AT THE SHELTER AND PROVIDE THE SAME SERVICES THAT WE PROVIDE TO ANIMALS WITHIN OUR SHELTER, PROVIDE THAT ACTUALLY TO THEIR OWNERS AND TO THOSE ANIMALS IN THE FIELD SO THAT THEY CAN STAY TOGETHER.
AND I'LL BE HERE FOR QUESTIONS IF YOU GUYS HAVE ANY LATER ON TODAY.
THANKS SO MUCH, LUCY FERNANDEZ.
[00:05:01]
OF THE HOC MODEL.UM, AFTER, YOU KNOW, THE LAST FEW MONTHS I'VE BEEN SPENDING TIME, UM, SPEAKING WITH MEMBERS OF FLP CLASSIC CANINES, AND WE'RE GONNA START THROUGH, UM, AND I AM AN EMPLOYEE OF APA AND I ALSO VOLUNTEER WITH TRAPPERS.
AND WITH THAT FOUND THAT THERE'S NO SHORTAGE OF PASSIONATE ANIMAL ADVOCATES IN THIS COMMUNITY.
UM, THERE'S CERTAINLY MORE THAN ENOUGH TO FILL THE SEATS OF THE 36 WORKING GROUPS, UH, THAT HOSPICE PROVIDES AT A LOCAL LEVEL TO MOVE ON FROM, YOU KNOW, EXCUSES AND, AND MAKE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT, UM, ON THE ANIMALS AND THE COMMUNITY WITH COMBINING EFFORTS, UH, YOU KNOW, SUCCESSFUL TRAINING PROTOCOLS AND RESOURCES.
WE CAN TAP THE COMPREHENSIVE SUSTAINABLE LEGISLATION MANDATE FOR SE, NEUTER CAN MOBILIZE EFFECTIVE TRACKING.
THIS TOUCH SYSTEM IS TWO COMMUNITIES DIRECTLY WHERE THEY ARE, UH, CONNECT CRITICALLY NEEDED SUPPLIES TO HUMANS AND THEIR PETS BY BRIDGING GAPS BETWEEN ASSISTING ORGANIZATIONS, YOU KNOW, UPDATE TOOLS, EQUIPMENT, AND SOFTWARE ALLOW FOR MORE EFFICIENT COMMUNITY OUTREACH EFFORTS AND ENABLE STAFF TO COMPLETE FOSTER SCREENING MARKETING AND VIRTUAL ADOPTIONS REMOTELY RATHER THAN OVERCROWDING.
YOU KNOW, OUR FACILITIES WITH HUMANS, WHICH IS OBVIOUSLY THE PROBLEM, UH, IN OUR CURRENT PANDEMIC, UH, WITH THE SHORTAGE OF APO IS YOU CAN DEPUTIZE THE TRAPPERS AND LINK THAT TO BASIS, YOU KNOW, COORDINATE ARCHEO AND RESCUE EFFORTS.
YOU KNOW, THE SHORTAGE OF FUNDING, YOU KNOW, APO ALONE HAS HUNDREDS OF VOLUNTEERS ARE STANDING BY ON THE SIDELINES WAITING FOR, TO COME ON SITE.
YOU KNOW, YOU TRAIN AND MOBILIZE THOSE GUYS, YOU KNOW, INTO THEIR OWN COMMUNITIES.
WE CAN DO THAT WITH ALL THE VOLUNTEERS AND ALL THE DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE RUNNING THIS AWESOME CITY FUNDRAISING EXPERTS CAN PROVIDE PROVEN AND SUCCESSFUL WAYS OF GENERATING TO THE NATIONS THAT FUNDING ISN'T THE PROBLEM ANYMORE.
LIMITED CAPACITY ON SITE FOR HUMANS AND ANIMALS UPDATE PROCESSES OF STAFF CAN WORK REMOTELY ESTABLISH INTAKE TO FOSTER STRATEGIES.
ANIMALS HAS BEEN REMARKABLE PROGRESS AND DATA OUT OF EL PASO IS PROOF THAT THE MODEL IS MAKING A POSITIVE IMPACT IN THEIR COMMUNITIES.
AND AS ANIMALS, THEY'RE NOT LETTING EGOS AND ROADBLOCKS GET IN THE WAY OF COLLABORATING SINCE THE HOT BOTTLE WAS INTRODUCED BACK IN JULY 38 CITIES IN THE US AND CANADA PILOT WITH THE COMMUNITIES.
AND I THINK IT'S OFTEN TURN TO ADJUST FROM THE 120 YEAR OLD CENTRALIZED AND PROMINENT MODEL AND EXPAND HUMAN ENABLED SERVICES TO OUR COMMUNITIES THAT NEED IT MOST.
I THINK IT'S IMPERATIVE THAT WE COMMUNICATE WITH OURSELVES ACCOUNTABLE AND COME TOGETHER FOR THE SAKE OF THE PETS AND THEIR HUMANS.
CAN YOU HEAR ME OKAY? YES, WE CAN YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES? HUH? GOOD EVENING.
EVERYBODY COULD EVEN COMMISSION.
THIS IS SANDRA MUELLER DISTRICT SEVEN.
I'M A FORMER SIX YEAR APA VOLUNTEER AND MENTOR AND A CURRENT TWO-YEAR AAC VOLUNTEER TO GO DOWN THE ITEMS I'M OPPOSED TO THREE EIGHT.
IF IT INCLUDES THE SNR OR FRIENDLY CATS AND KITTENS TO THE STREETS, BUT I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S ON THE AGENDA.
I SUPPORT THREE, BE THE CODE REVISIONS REGARDING PUBLIC SAFETY.
AND I OPPOSE FOR BE AT THIS TIME REGARDING A POTENTIAL PARTICIPATION IN HALF AND HALF, UM, IN THE AUGUST 12TH, 2019 ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION MEETING ITEM FOUR B REGARDING CHAPTER EIGHT 23 AND APA THREE MEMBERS OF THIS COMMISSION ABSTAIN FROM VOTING BECAUSE THEY PROVIDED PRO BONO LEGAL COUNSEL TO APA.
UM, SO HAS, IS BEING LED BY DR.
JEFFERSON OF APA AND THIS COMMISSION AND THE WORK GROUP HAVE HAD MULTIPLE PRESENTATIONS FROM HARVARD INCLUDING TONIGHT.
UM, SO I'D LIKE TO KNOW IF THERE'S ANY MEMBERS OF THIS COMMISSION OTHER THAN MS. MITCHELL HAS ALREADY OBTAINED, WHO SHOULD BE AT STAINING BECAUSE THEY'RE PROVIDING ADVICE TO HAVE, UM, THERE'S ONE MEMBER WHO'S LISTED AS LEAD OF THE HALF GOVERNMENT BODY COMMUNICATIONS POLICY WORKING GROUP, WHOSE GOAL IS TO QUOTE, DEVELOP TOOLS SLASH ARGUMENTS, TO CONVINCE CITY COUNCILS, COUNTY OFFICIALS AND STATE THAT HALF IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO.
AND QUOTE, AND ADDITIONALLY, THERE ARE TWO OTHER MEMBERS OF THIS COMMISSION WHO WERE INVITED BY DR.
JEFFERSON OF APA TO PROVIDE INPUT REGARDING AUSTIN, HALF Q AND A FOR COMMISSION MEETING AND AAC OLD THE HALF.
AND THIS NEW HOUSE IS LISTED ON APA SECRETARY, STATE, ANNUAL FRANCHISE TAX REPORTS, DOCUMENTS AS AN OFFICER, BUT I DON'T THINK THAT'S RELEVANT.
ALSO, I'D LIKE TO KNOW, UH, WHY SHOULD AUSTIN INVEST IN HALF? SO IT HAS WORKING ON BREED RESTRICTIONS TO MAKE MORE HOMES AVAILABLE.
APA HAS THE MEANS VIA TEXAS PETS ALIVE THEY'RE
I STILL DON'T THINK I'VE HEARD THAT.
UM, IT HAS CREATING ADDITIONAL LOW COST SPAY AND NEUTER SERVICES.
UM, I'VE HAD INTENDS TO MAKE THE COMMUNITY RESPONSIBLE FOR SHELTERING.
IT SHOULD ASK THE PEOPLE FIRST.
SO I'D LIKE TO ASK FOR A SPEAK-UP AUSTIN SURVEY FOR FEEDBACK ON
[00:10:01]
THIS.UM, MAYBE THE SURVEY COULD ALSO INCLUDE INFORMATION ABOUT CITY OF AUSTIN EXISTING SERVICES, LIKE DID YOU KNOW AC OFFERS FREE MICROCHIPPING, OR YOU CAN SCAN AN ANIMAL FOR A CHIP AT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
AND HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT AN ITEM OF, OF HAT? UM, SO FINALLY, MR. JUAN SAID, THANK YOU FOR RESPONDING TO MY EMAIL QUESTION.
I AGREE THAT FOSTERING IS BETTER THAN WAREHOUSING.
I DEFINITELY SEE THE BENEFIT OF RECRUITING MORE FOSTERS, BUT I'D LIKE TO SEE A SURVEY AND SOME DATA FROM EL PASO AND DALLAS ON THINGS THAT AAC ISN'T ALREADY DOING OR WAS ALREADY HAPPENING THE NEXT DOOR JUST NATURALLY, BUT BEFORE SUPPORTING HALF.
AND, AND THE PREVIOUS SPEAKERS AND THE NEXT SPEAKERS FOR YOUR TIME TONIGHT, HAVE A GOOD EVENING.
HELLO, LEE ALONDO RODRIGUEZ IS NEXT.
HI, CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, WE CAN.
YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES? MY MBA ALONDRA RODRIGUEZ, AND I WORKED AT A PUBLIC MIDDLE SCHOOL IN DOVE SPRINGS COMMUNITY.
AND I JUST WANT TO, UH, ECHO, UM, THE LAST SPEAKER ABOUT ASKING PEOPLE FIRST, UM, UM, WITH DISTRICT TWO, UH, I'M AN ANIMAL ADVOCATE AND HAVE TAKEN MANY DOGS TO THE AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER FOR MANY YEARS.
UM, JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA, I STARTED TAKING PICTURES OF DOGS THREE YEARS AGO.
AND AS OF TODAY, UM, I HAVE LIKE 17 PICTURES ON MY CELL PHONE, ALL FROM THE DOVE SPRINGS COMMUNITY AND ALL, UM, A LOT OF THEM, I ENDED UP TAKING ON MY OWN AND MY OWN VEHICLE.
UM, I ALSO WORK, UM, IN WITH OTHER COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN BASTROP COUNTY, UM, WITH THEIR SHELTER THAT DID REMAIN OPEN, UH, WITH OPEN INTAKE DURING, UH, WITH VERY PARAMETERS DURING THE, UH, GLOBAL, UM, COVID-19 PANDEMIC.
UM, I WANNA, I COME HERE TO SPEAK AGAINST THE RESOLUTION TO HAVE, UM, THE AUSTIN ANIMAL SERVICES BE PART OF THE AMERICAN PETS, ALIVE HUMAN ANIMAL SUPPORT, OR THE HOT PILOT PROGRAM.
UM, I LIVED IN TEXAS FOR 13 YEARS.
I KNOW THAT AUSTIN AS A UNIQUE AND RESILIENT PLACE AND THAT COMMUNITIES OF SMALL GROUPS AND INDIVIDUALS, I'VE MET A LOT OF PHENOMENAL PEOPLE THAT WORK WITH ANIMALS AND THEY ARE READY TO STEP UP AND, UM, SHOULD THEY BE GIVEN THE VOICE AND, UM, TO BE A PART OF A TEST FORCE TO PUT IN PLACE THAT CAN SUPPORT, UM, ALL THE AREAS THAT, UM, THE HOTS INITIATIVE, WHICH IS VERY VAGUE AS KIND OF ADVOCATING FOR.
I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO COME FROM COMMUNITY WITH COMMUNITY INPUT, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, AND THESE ARE ALL THINGS THAT CAN AND SHOULD BE IMPLEMENTED INDEPENDENT OF THE HOSPITAL INITIATIVE.
TO ME, THAT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PIECE IS CRITICAL BECAUSE COMMUNITIES LEGS UP SPRINGS HAVE NOT HAD A TRUE VOICE IN THIS CONDITION.
AND NOR HAS THERE BEEN ANY EQUITY AND SERVICES.
UM, SO Y IT APPEARS TO ME AND I WAS VERY DISPLEASED WITH THE LAST MEETING THAT IT SEEMS THAT HAAS SEEMS TO BE THE ONLY OPTION.
AND IT'S THE ONLY OPTION THAT IS BEING CONSIDERED, UH, WHEN THERE'S A LOT OF BIGNESS TO IT.
UM, AND THEN A WHITE KIND OF GO INTO THIS NATIONAL PILOT WITH MANY UNANSWERED QUESTIONS AND VAGUENESS TO RESOLVE THE VERY OFTEN CONCERN AN ISSUE WHEN THERE'S A LOT OF WONDERFUL PEOPLE IN AUSTIN THAT WOULD STEP UP TO COME UP WITH CREATIVE WAYS TO DO EVERYTHING THAT IS BEING PROPOSED, UM, KIND OF DEVELOPING, UH, UH, OUR OWN NEEDS ASSESSMENT AND GIVING COMMUNITY BLOOD STUFF SPRING, WHICH HAS NOT BEEN, UH, WHICH HAS BEEN HISTORICALLY LEFT OUT.
UM, AND I FEEL THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IT NEEDS TO COME FROM, UH, THE PEOPLE AND THE NEEDS ASSESSMENT AND THE VOICE AND ASKING US THERE'S A LOT OF OTHER OPTIONS THAT ARE, UM, THAT ARE MORE RELEVANT TO AUSTIN IN MY SCHOOL.
AND THE REASON WHY I STEPPED UP WAS BECAUSE A LOT OF OUR STUDENTS IN THIS CAMPUS, WE HAVE 600 STUDENTS AND EVERY TIME I'M DEALING WITH A DOG IN OUR COMMUNITY, UM, I'VE GOTTEN A LOT OF COMES FROM MY OWN STUDENTS ABOUT WHY BOTHER THEY DON'T DO ANYTHING.
UM, AND THEY DON'T COME WHEN YOU CALL THEM.
AND I THINK THAT THAT, THAT SPEAKS TO WHAT HAS NOT BEEN DONE IN COMMUNITIES LIKE DOVE SPRINGS.
SO IT PROMPTED ME TO BE MORE VOCAL SO THAT I CAN BE A ROLE MODEL TO THEM AND LET THEM KNOW THAT IF YOU SPEAK OUT AND YOU SPEAK YOUR, YOUR VOICE THAT, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING'S CAN AND MIGHT CHANGE AND INCLUDING THEM IN SOMETHING LIKE THIS WOULD BE, OH, YOUR TIME IS UP.
HEY, REAL QUICK, SPEAKER, WOULD YOU MIND SENDING ME AN EMAIL, THE DISTRICT TWO REPRESENTATIVE I'D LIKE TO CORRESPOND WITH YOU?
[00:15:02]
I'M SORRY.I WAS TALKING, I WAS TRYING TO TALK TO THE LAST SPEAKER.
I'D BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO SEND AN EMAIL TO THE COMMISSION.
PAT VALLS TRELLIS IS THE LAST SPEAKER THAT WE HAVE.
UM, CAN YOU HEAR ME OKAY? YES, WE CAN.
I LIVE IN DISTRICT NINE AND I SERVED ON THE ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION FROM 1992 UNTIL 2008.
I AM SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF PROTECTING ANIMALS, CENTRAL TEXAS, AND ALSO ON BEHALF OF MANY AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY RESIDENTS WHO HAVE MADE OUR COMMUNITY A LEADER IN ANIMAL ADVOCACY IN TEXAS, WE REQUEST THAT YOU NOT RECOMMEND THE HOSS PILOT, BUT INSTEAD YOU RECOMMEND A HOSEL TO REIMAGINE OFTEN ANIMAL CENTER SERVICES.
WE WOULD LIKE THE COMMISSION TO RECOMMEND TO THE CITY COUNCIL, SUCH A RESOLUTION TO REIMAGINE AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER SERVICES.
AND IN THE RESOLUTION, WE WOULD PROPOSE THE FOLLOWING SET UP A TASK FORCE OF ANIMAL SHELTER, EMPLOYEES, ANIMAL SHELTER, VOLUNTEERS, NEIGHBORHOOD ADVOCATES, SUCH AS YOLANDA RODRIGUEZ.
WE JUST SPOKE, UM, SPAY NEUTER ADVOCATES LOST AND FOUND PETS, FACEBOOK GROUPS, FERAL CAT TRAPPERS, DOG TRAPPERS RESCUE GROUPS, AND THE THREE MAJOR FIVE OH ONE C THREE CONTRACTORS WERE ANIMAL SERVICES, OFTEN HUMANE SOCIETY, AUSTIN PETS, ALIVE, AND A MAN TO PET.
WE WOULD LIKE THIS, UM, PAST FORCE TO RECOMMEND THAT, TO EXPECT, TO SEE PERFORMANCE METRICS AND BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE FOLLOWING SERVES SERVICES, SHELTER SERVICES, SPAY, NEUTER, CRUELTY, INVESTIGATIONS, AND VETERINARY SERVICES FOR UNDERSERVED COMMUNITY.
ALL FOUR, FIVE OF THOSE, I MAY HAVE MISSED ONE SHELTER SERVICES, FIELD SERVICES, SPANGLER, CRUELTY, INVESTIGATIONS, AND VETERINARY SERVICES FOR UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES.
ALL FIVE OF THOSE SERVICES ARE SERVICES THAT WE AND OUR COMMUNITY WOULD LIKE TO SEE YOU IMPROVE.
AND WE WOULD LIKE TO BE PART OF THE IMPROVEMENT PROCESS.
WE DO NOT HAVE A PROBLEM WITH, UM, STAFF PARTICIPATING CONVERSATIONS WITH OTHER COMMUNITIES, BUT WE WOULD LIKE STAFF TO BRING THOSE IDEAS BACK TO US AND LET US HAVE SOME SAY AND COME UP WITH OUR OWN IDEAS.
IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE THAT YOU SAY THAT WE ARE SO GREAT HERE IN AUSTIN, AND YET YOU DON'T INVOLVE MORE OF OUR COMMUNITY THAT HAS MADE US GREAT IN A PROCESS OF REIMAGINING OUR ANIMAL SERVICES.
THERE ARE PLENTY OF PEOPLE, AS YOLANDA SAID, READY TO STEP UP AND BE PART OF THIS.
WE HAVE AN EXCELLENT GROUP OF VOLUNTEERS.
THEY MAKE THAT SHELTER, THE GREAT PLACE THAT IT IS, OR THE BETTER THAN MOST COMMUNITIES SHELTER THAT IT IS.
AND WE WOULD LIKE YOU TO INVOLVE THEM.
WE ALSO HAVE OFTEN LOST AND FOUND PETS THAT YOU CREDIT A LOT, AND YET THEY ARE NOT AT THE TABLE.
WE HAVE A MASSIVE PET AND THEY ARE NOT AT THE TABLE.
WE WOULD LIKE YOU TO CREATE AN INCLUSIVE GROUP WITH DIVERSE REPRESENTATION FROM, UH, UNDERSERVED AND MARGINALIZED GROUPS, AS WELL AS THE VOLUNTEERS AND THE FIVE OH ONE, TWO, THREE THAT YOU HAVE BEEN RELYING ON.
AM I CORRECT? THAT, THAT WAS THE LAST SPEAKER.
UH, SAYING WHAT DISTRICT THEY LIVE IN.
[1.a. Review of minutes from September 21, 2020, Special Called Meeting]
UM, WE'LL GO TO ITEM, WANT APPROVAL OF MINUTES.UH, BELINDA SENT THAT EVERYBODY SHOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SEE IT ALREADY.
SO I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION AS SOON AS OFFERS ONE UP.
CAN I ASK, WHEN WAS IT SENT COPY.
UM, BUT THEN THE LAST DAY OR TWO, MAYBE TODAY, THIS MORNING, I DIDN'T SEE IT ON THE COMMISSION PAGE EITHER, BUT THEY WERE SENT FRIDAY.
[00:20:03]
I THINK IT WAS, BUT I REMEMBER LOOKING AT IT EITHER LAST NIGHT OR EARLIER TODAY, BUT ANYBODY ELSE WE'LL NEED A MOTION? I TO MOTION.LET'S GO WITH CRAIG FOR THE MOTION AND NANCY WITH THE SECOND.
IS THAT OKAY? ANY OTHER COMMENTS? WE JUST, UH, DO IT, RAISE A HAND AND SINCE WE CAN SEE EVERYBODY, IF YOU'RE APPROVED, NOBODY APPROVED, I MISSED THEM.
SO MOTION, MOTION PASSES WITH ONE ABSTENTION.
[2.a. Austin Animal Center and Animal Services Reports, August and September 2020]
ITEM TWO STAFF BRIEFINGS.UM, I'M GOING TO LET JASON START OFF WITH THE NUMBERS THEN I'LL GO SECOND.
UH, SO I KNOW ON THE AGENDA WE HAVE FOR AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER, BUT WE REALLY ONLY HAVE AUGUST NUMBERS.
WE'LL BRING SEPTEMBER AT THE NEXT MEETING.
UH, SO IN, IN AUGUST, UH, WE HAD A TOTAL OF 850 ANIMALS THAT WERE BROUGHT TO THE SHELTER.
UH, MAJORITY OF THEM WERE STRAIGHT 519 OF THEM.
UM, WE HAD A TOTAL OF 427 MILLION ANIMALS THAT WERE ADOPTED AND TOTAL 95 CATS WERE RETURNED TO THE OWNERS ARE OUR ANIMALS WERE RETURNED, DOGS AND CATS WERE RETURNING THE OWNERS.
UH, OUR LIVE OUTCOME RATE FOR AUGUST WAS 98.5%, UH, APS.
THEY RETURNED 52 ANIMALS TO THE OWNERS IN THE FIELD.
THEY ALSO WERE ABLE TO HAND OUT 38 FENCING ASSISTANT APPLICATIONS.
THEY WERE IMPLANTED EIGHT MICROCHIPS AND IMPOUNDED ABOUT 171 INJURED ANIMALS.
UM, AUGUST WAS A BUSY TIME FOR US BECAUSE WE DID HAVE THE HURRICANE.
AND SO WE DID, UH, PARTICIPATE IN EMERGENCY RESPONSE.
SO, UM, ANIMAL SERVICES ASSISTED WITH RELIEF, BOTH AT THE INTAKE FACILITY THAT WAS AT THE CIRCUIT OF THE AMERICAS AND THE TEMPORARY SHELTER THAT WAS EDITED.
SAY BEING SET UP AT THE AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER, OUR, THE AUSTIN CONVENTION CENTER IN TOTAL, WE HAD ABOUT EIGHT, EIGHT ANIMALS THAT WE, WE, UH, HAD SPACE FOR FOR, FOR EVACUEES.
AND SO, UM, WE WORK WITH THEM TO SORT OF ATTEND TO WHATEVER NEEDS, BUT THEN MAKE SURE THAT THEY, THEY, THEY CARED FOR THEIR PETS.
THEY'RE IN THIS DIFFICULT TIME.
UM, WE CONTINUED TO ADD VOLUNTEER SUPPORT.
UM, IN AUGUST WE WERE ABLE TO INCREASE OUR DOG WALKERS TO FIVE PER DAY.
AND CAT VOLUNTEERS WERE GIVEN THREE SPOTS PER DAY.
UM, WE HAD A TOTAL OF 79 VOLUNTEERS DONATE 1700 HOURS OF SERVICE TO, TO US IN AUGUST.
UM, WE HAD A TOTAL OF 380 FAMILIES THAT PROVIDED FOSTER CARE TO US.
AND WITH OUR PARTNERS, WE HAD 226 LIVE OUTCOMES ATTRIBUTED TO 27 OF OUR PARTNERS.
UM, JUST TO GIVE YOU A SNAPSHOT OF WHERE WE ARE TODAY, THOUGH, UH, WE HAD ABOUT 898 ANIMALS IN INVENTORY.
380 OF THOSE ARE IN THE SHELTER AND THE REST ARE IN FOSTER ABOUT 518.
AND I'LL KICK IT OVER TO DON TO, TO SHARE SOME OTHER NEWS.
WE'VE HAD THIS RECENTLY GOOD EVENING.
UM, WE HAVE BEEN CHANGING AS WE CAN.
AND, UM, LAST WEEK WE ADDED SEVEN ADDITIONAL VOLUNTEER ON SITE SLOTS.
UH, IN, YOU KNOW, WE WERE HAVING ALL VOLUNTEERS LEAVE BY 11 AND WE OPENED UP SLOTS IN THE AFTERNOON, UH, UNTIL SIX IN THE EVENING.
SO WE'VE GOT MORE COVERAGE THROUGHOUT THE DAY NOW WITH SOME VOLUNTEER SPOTS.
AND WE CONTINUE TO LOOK AT THOSE, YOU KNOW, ON A WEEKLY BASIS ONGOING TO WHAT WE CAN DO.
UH, WE HAD OUR THIRD SUNRISE ADOPTION EVENT THIS PAST SATURDAY NIGHT.
UH, IT WAS DOWN A LITTLE, WE DID NINE COMPARED TO, YOU KNOW, 12 AND 14 BEFORE, BUT IT STILL SHOWS THAT THERE'S A NEED FOR PEOPLE TO GET CONNECTED WITH ANIMALS.
AND WE HAVE BEEN WORKING FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS ON, UH, A PLAN THAT WE CAN BRING MORE PEOPLE IN, UH, NOT BY APPOINTMENT, BUT BY TIME SLOTS WE CAN HAVE, YOU KNOW, YOU COULD COME DURING THIS, THIS 10 TO 11, YOU SHOW UP WHEN PEOPLE LEAVE, YOU CAN GO IN.
AND SO WE'RE, WE'RE WORKING ON THE LOGISTICS OF ALL THAT TO GET MORE PEOPLE INTO THE SHELTER, UH, SAFELY SO WE CAN MOVE MORE ANIMALS.
SO WE'RE GONNA BE MEETING THIS WEEK TO FINALIZE ALL THOSE PLANS.
AND THEN WHAT WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT LAST WEEK ON OUR WEBSITE, WE INITIATED A SILENT LAUNCH OF OUR CHAT BOT.
UM, ONCE WE WANTED A WEEK'S WORTH OF DATA UNDERNEATH OUR BELTS, BEFORE WE ANNOUNCE IT PUBLICLY, BUT A LOT OF THOSE QUESTIONS THAT PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO GET FRUSTRATED WITH, CAUSE THEY'RE NOT GETTING THE ANSWER.
[00:25:01]
GO ON OUR LINE ONLINE AND, UH, COMMUNICATE AND GET THOSE ANSWERS.AND SO WE'RE HOPING THAT WILL, UH, SOLVE A LOT OF THE ISSUES OF PEOPLE TRYING TO CALL THREE, ONE, ONE, WHEN THEY HAVE A QUESTION THAT CAN BE ANSWERED STRAIGHT FROM THE WEBSITE OR SEND AN EMAIL THAT GETS BURIED, YOU KNOW, SO WE'RE, WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT PART OF THE TECHNOLOGY AND WE'RE THE FIRST CITY DEPARTMENT TO USE THAT OUTSIDE OF THE COVID, UH, REALM.
SO IT TOOK A LOT LONGER TO GET IT UP BECAUSE WE WERE THE FIRST, BUT, UH, IT'S, IT'S UP AND WORKING IN, GO OUT THERE AND, UH, LOOK AT IT, TRY IT, ASK A QUESTION AND TEST IT OUT.
SO WE STILL ARE WORKING ON, UH, SOME OF OUR OTHER TECHNOLOGIES, BUT WE GOT THIS ONE UP AND WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT IT.
UM, SO WE'LL MOVE TO OLD BUSINESS.
[3.a. Update, Discussion and Possible Action regarding Workgroup on Austin Animal Center’s Shelter-Neuter-Return (SNR) Program. Commissioners to address public concerns about the SNR Program.]
FIRST ITEM IS THE UPDATE AND DISCUSSION ON THE SNR WORK GROUP AND, UH, DOC, UH, WE, WE REMOVE SOME ITEMS FROM OUR AGENDA DUE TO COVID.WE DIDN'T THINK WE COULD ADDRESS, BUT I PROMISED THAT I WOULD NOT GET RID OF YOURS, ESPECIALLY WITHOUT YOU HAVING A CHANCE TO WEIGH IN.
BUT YEAH, IT'S BEEN PRETTY MUCH PUT ON HOLD SINCE I DID TALK TO SHELLY LIVAN, WHO WAS PART OF THE GROUP THAT, YOU KNOW, INITIALLY BROUGHT, BROUGHT THIS UP.
UM, AND I, IT SOUNDS LIKE THEIR CAPACITY TO DO MUCH RIGHT NOW WITH IT IS, IS PRETTY LIMITED.
UM, BUT SHE DID, I EMAILED WITH HER YESTERDAY.
SHE DID REQUEST IF WE COULD KEEP THIS ON A LITTLE BIT LONGER AND MAYBE WE COULD REVISIT IT PRETTY SOON, IF THAT WOULD BE ALL RIGHT.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS FOR JOHN IN THE MEANTIME? OKAY, THANKS.
WE'RE ABLE TO MEET AT A REGULAR TIME.
[3.b. Update, Discussion and Possible Action regarding Code Revision Work Group. Commissioners to address review of Ordinance 2019107-025 and Code Revisions regarding public safety and animal welfare.]
MOVE TO FREEBIE, WHICH IS THE CODE REVISION GROUP.JAPAN HAS A, UH, UM, THANK YOU.
UM, UH, CONCERN ALONGSIDE, UM, EDWARD FLORES IS HAVING TROUBLE.
CAN YOU HEAR ME? CAN YOU HEAR ME? OKAY.
EDWARD FLORES IS HAVING TROUBLE CONNECTING AND HE, HE MIGHT BE ON, ON THE PHONE IF WE COULD ASK HIM IF HE'S, UH, IF HE'S THERE, LIKE ANDREA IS SO EDWARD, CAN YOU HEAR, CAN YOU SAY ANYTHING? A R I T PERSON HAS REMOVED HIMSELF FROM THE OFFICE RIGHT NOW AND WE'RE TRYING TO, YOU FIGURE OUT WHAT'S GOING ON.
ARE YOU THERE, EDWARD? WELL, KEEP TRYING, EDWARD, ARE YOU THERE? ARE YOU THERE? OH, I THINK I LOST OUT THERE.
CAN WE ASK EDWARD TO CALL BACK IN TO HANG UP AND CALL BACK IN PLEASE? HE'S OKAY.
BUT WE'RE GOING TO ASK EDWARD TO, OF COURSE, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HEARD THAT.
DO YOU WANT TO WAIT FOR EDWARD? IF YOU HAVE ANYTHING YOU CAN DISCUSS.
CAN SHE LET HIM KNOW TO, YEAH, I MEAN, IT JUST POPPED UP ON MY SCREEN, SO HE DID.
UM, REAL QUICK, THIS IS JOSEPH AT CITY HALL.
EDWARD, CAN YOU JUST DO A MIC TEST REAL QUICK? MAKE
[00:30:01]
SURE THAT WE HAVE AUDIO FOR YOU? YES.I'VE BEEN, I'VE BEEN LISTENING IN A LITTLE BIT.
SO, UM, LAST MONTH, UM, WHEN WE, UH, WHEN I PRESENTED THIS, UH, SECTION THREE, ONE TO SIX, UM, SECTION A AND C UM, FOR SOME REVISIONS, THERE WERE SOME COMMENTS.
ONE WAS TO MOVE EVERYTHING THAT WAS IN THE, UM, UH, MOVE, WHAT WAS IN THE, UH, FORM INTO ACTUALLY INTO THE CODE.
UM, I ALSO, UM, REALLY THANK COMMISSIONER NEW HOUSE.
UM, SHE IS JUST A WEALTH OF KNOWLEDGE AND SPENT QUITE A BIT OF TIME, UH, WITH ME GOING THROUGH THE LANGUAGE AND MAKING SURE I MATCHES THE STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE.
UM, SO THAT WAS SENT TO ME BY MR. GARZA.
I ALSO MET WITH MR. BLAND AND MR. GARZA AND ASKED HIM IF THIS WAS STILL NEEDED FOR PUBLIC SAFETY.
UM, THEY BOTH AGREED THAT, UM, IT WAS, UH, SINCE, UH, LAST MONTH, UM, WE HAD ANOTHER DOG INCIDENT.
UM, THIS PARTICULAR DOG WAS SENT TO A RESCUE.
UM, THE RESCUE PUT IT INTO FOSTER, WHICH WAS IN SOMEONE'S HOME AND THEN POSTED THAT WITHIN A FEW HOURS OF RESCUE, UM, THE DOG BIT, A VISITOR IN THE HOME WHEN SHE WAS WITH HER FOSTER.
NOW THE DOGS IN BITE QUARANTINE, AND WE'LL GO BACK TO THE HOME WITH THE FOSTER.
AND SO OUR GOAL WAS REALLY TO LOOK AT PUBLIC SAFETY AND SAY, DO WE WANT THESE DOGS WHO ARE THE EXTREME CASES TO REALLY BE NEIGHBORS OF PEOPLE? AND WE THINK THAT, UM, WE FEEL STRONGLY THAT THE WORDING HERE WILL NOT RESULT IN A HUGE NUMBER OF DOGS BEING EUTHANIZED.
WE STILL HAVE THE, THE, UM, LIVE OUTCOME RATE TO ACHIEVE THAT WILL PROTECT PUBLIC SAFETY AND STAFF AND CITIZENS, UM, FROM THE FEW DOGS WHO ARE JUST A LITTLE TOO DANGEROUS TO PUT OUT INTO THE PUBLIC.
AND, UM, UH, MR. BLAND, DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING YOU WANTED TO ADD ABOUT THE DOG INCIDENT OR ABOUT THIS, WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING? NOT REALLY.
UH, THE, THE INCIDENT YOU'RE SPEAKING IN REFERENCE TO, UH, WE ONLY ALLOWED THAT DOG TO GO INTO RESCUE, UH, BECAUSE IT HAD UNPROVOKED ATTACK THE PERSON IN THE, IN THE FACE AND, UM, IT WENT INTO RESCUE AND WITHIN HOURS, IT THE SAME THING.
SO I KNOW THAT IT WILL BE, PROBABLY BE LOOKED AT FOR A, AN SBI HEARING.
SO, UM, SO I HOPE WE CAN MAKE A MOTION AND PASS THIS.
UM, ANYONE HAVE ANY, UM, QUESTIONS, COMMENTS I'D LIKE TO HEAR FROM THE PEOPLE WHO VOTED NO LAST TIME TO SEE IF THIS IS IMPROVEMENT OR, UM, I WAS SORRY, THIS WEIRD THINGS ARE HAPPENING HERE WITH, UM, THE COMPUTER.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO SAY, I MAKE A MOTION TO VOTE ON THE WORK GROUPS, PROPOSED LANGUAGE CHANGES OCEAN FROM ANDREA A SECOND, UH, SECOND BY CRAIG.
UM, SO MY QUESTION IS TO THE PEOPLE WHO HAD PROBLEMS WITH THIS LAST TIME, I'M WANTING TO KNOW IF IT LOOKED, YOU STILL HAVE PROBLEMS OR JOANNE.
I HAVE, I HAVE A, CAN YOU HEAR ME? YEAH, I STILL, I HAVE BEEN CURIOUS, LIKE THE LAST DOG THAT WAS JUST MENTIONED.
THAT WAS, IT JUST SAID THAT IT WAS, IT DID HAVE AN UNPROVOKED BITE TO THE FACE BEFORE IT WAS RELEASED.
IS THAT WHAT I JUST HEARD ON THE FLASH CASE THAT WAS JUST BROUGHT UP? YES.
IS I, I THINK THAT WE'RE TALKING FROM THE FRONT WHEN WE SPOKE, I THINK WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ALL NUMBER OF PAGES AND I WOULD LIKE TO, I WOULD LIKE TO FURTHER DETERMINING CHANGE OR THAT ARE, ARE PUSHING, YOU KNOW, THAT ARE THE REASON FOR A CHANGE BEING NEEDED TO MAKE SURE THAT UNPROVOKED IS BEING DEFINED AS UNPROVOKED TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS,
[00:35:01]
I KINDA LIKE TO WALK THROUGH THE CASES AND SEE HOW THIS WOULD HAVE APPLIED TO THE CASES THAT HAVE BEEN BROUGHT UP AND DISCUSSED LATELY.I THINK JOANNE, YOU AND I HAVE TALKED ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT, AND THEN I KNOW THAT ONE OF THE CASES HAD BEEN TENDED TO CITY LEGAL FOR THEIR OPINION.
I'D BE CURIOUS TO SEE THAT TOO, BUT WHICH ONE HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO CITY LEGAL? UH, YOU HAD, THERE WAS, YOU MENTIONED WHEN WE HAD SPOKEN THAT THERE WAS ONE THAT HAD GONE TO CITY LEGAL, FOR AN OPINION ON WHETHER OR NOT THEY COULD RELEASE THE DOG.
THAT WAS CITY CAME AND SAID THAT THEY COULD RELEASE THE DOG.
AND I GUESS I'M STILL NOT QUITE EXACTLY SURE WHERE THE CASES THAT HAVE BEEN DISCUSSED, THERE'S LIKE FIVE OF THEM WHERE THE CURRENT ORDINANCE, WAS IT AN INTERPRETATION OF THE CURRENT ORDINANCE OR WAS IT THE CURRENT ORDINANCE? WHAT EXACTLY ON THOSE CASES, HOW THIS APPLIES? WELL, WELL, IN THE CASE OF SNOWBALL, UM, UM, THAT'S THE ONE THAT CITY LEGAL SAID DID NOT MEET THE REQUIREMENT OF SEVERITY.
AND SO CITY LEGAL FELT THAT THEY HAD TO OFFER SNOWBALL TO EITHER A RESCUE OR HIS, IN THIS CASE, HIS FORMER OWNER, AND THE SAME THING WITH VLAD, HE WAS, UM, OFFERED BACK TO HIS FORMER OWNER.
UM, BUT, BUT THE ONE IN PARTICULAR WITH CITY LEGAL, THAT WAS, UM, THAT ONE WE TALKED ABOUT WITH SNOWFALL, CAUSE YOU HAD ASKED ME IF CITY LEGAL HAD LOOKED AT THAT ONE.
AND I GUESS, I GUESS I HAD WALKED AWAY THINKING, HOPING THAT MAYBE IF WE WOULD ALL GET A CHANCE TO LOOK AT THE FULL RECORD TO KIND OF UNDERSTAND ON SOME OF THESE WHAT HAPPENED.
I MEAN, IT'S HARD FOR ME TO, I LIKE THE WORDING BETTER THAN HERE, BUT I'M NOT, I STILL AM NOT SURE EXACTLY ON WHAT HOLES WERE CREATED.
OR AS I SAID, WHETHER IT WAS INTERPRETATION OF THE ORDINANCE OR IT WAS THAT THE ORDINANCE NEEDS TO BE CHANGED.
AND I SPOKE WITH MR. BLAND AND WE LOOKED AT, AT THESE DOGS AND IT'S STILL ON THE DOGS THAT WE MENTIONED, THE LAST TWO IN MY PRESENTATION, UM, VLAD AND BUD, UM, THAT BASED ON WHAT IS EXISTING NOW, THEY HAD TO OFFER THEM TO A RESCUE, BUT HAD WE HAD THIS LANGUAGE, THEY WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN OFFERED IN, ESPECIALLY LIKE BUD WOULDN'T HAVE GONE BACK TO HIS OWNER AND HAD ANOTHER INCIDENT AND BEEN FOUND TERRORIZE THE NEIGHBORS AND THEN FOUND TIED UP TO OUR RAIL YARD IN A RAIL YARD AND THEN LOOSE IN A RAIL YARD WHEN IT'S A DOG WITH A BIKE, I GUESS I WAS JUST HOPING TO BE ABLE TO MAYBE REVIEW THE SAME THINGS Y'ALL ARE REVIEWING THAT ARE BRINGING YOU TO THIS DETERMINATION THAT THIS IS NEEDED.
THAT'S ALL I GUESS I THOUGHT WAS, UM, I LIKED THE WORDING BETTER, BUT I STILL AM HAVING TROUBLE AS IT APPLIES TO THE DIFFERENT CASES AND INTERPRETATION OF THE ORDINANCE THAT'S STILL THERE AND THAT'S ALL.
SO, UM, I HAVE A COUPLE OF COMMENTS.
THE FIRST IS I APPRECIATE YOU PUTTING THIS IN THE, UM, IN THE ORDINANCE ITSELF.
CAUSE I THINK THAT MAKES IT PUTS PEOPLE ON NOTICE.
UM, AND I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE PURPOSES OF ORDINANCES SO THAT PEOPLE KNOW WHAT THE LAW IS AND HOW IT'S GOING TO BE APPLIED IN THEIR SITUATION.
UM, BACKING UP A STEP FROM THE LANGUAGE.
UM, AND ONE THING THAT BOTHERS ME ABOUT THIS IS THAT IT DOESN'T APPEAR TO BE BASED ON, UM, UH, ANYTHING OTHER THAN ANECDOTES.
UM, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE WAS SOME PERSON THAT TOLD YOU THAT THEY THOUGHT THIS WAS IMPORTANT, BUT USUALLY WHEN I THINK WHEN YOU WANT TO DO SOMETHING LIKE THIS, YOU WANT TO HAVE SOME KIND OF SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE THAT THESE THINGS ARE ACCURATE PREDICTORS OTHER THAN A FEW ANECDOTES.
UM, SO IN SOME WAYS WE'RE JUST KIND OF GUESSING, UH, UH, MORE SPECIFICALLY WITH RESPECT TO FOUR OR FIVE AND SIX, I THINK THEY'RE EXTREMELY PROBLEMATIC.
UM, FOUR IS IMMEDIATELY AFTER BY THE ANIMAL BEHAVIOR APPEARS TO RETURN TO NORMAL.
I CAN TELL YOU THAT EVERY, UH, ANIMAL BEHAVIOR PERSON WITH KNOWLEDGE THAT I'VE
[00:40:01]
EVER SPOKEN TO SAYS THAT THAT IS, THAT IS QUITE NORMAL.AND THEN YOU ACTUALLY WANT THE ANIMAL TO RETURN TO NORMAL.
AND THAT IF YOU CAN'T THAT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IS OFTEN USED TO DETERMINE IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM WITH AN ANIMAL IS IF YOU CAN'T GET IT OUT OF THE ATTACK MODE.
SO THIS IS DOING TO ME THE EXACT OPPOSITE OF WHAT WE WOULD WANT.
UM, IT WOULD BE IT'S PUNISHING AN ANIMAL FOR EXHIBITING NORMAL BEHAVIOR RATHER THAN, UH, USING AN ANIMAL'S ABNORMAL BEHAVIOR AS A TRIGGER.
UH, IT WOULD BE ABNORMAL FOR AN ANIMAL TO, UM, BUT YOU NOT TO BE ABLE TO BREAK THE ANIMAL OUT OF THE PATTERN.
UM, IT WOULD BE NORMAL FOR THE ANIMAL TO RETURN.
AND OF COURSE THIS, THIS TOO IS ANECDOTAL, BUT EVERY TIME I'VE EVER HAD AN INCIDENT WITH ANY OF MY ANIMALS, UH, IMMEDIATELY, UH, RETURNED TO NORMAL, UM, MOST OF THAT IS MY DOG IS GETTING IN SCUFFLES WITH EACH OTHER.
UM, BUT ALL OF THEM RETURNED IMMEDIATELY TO NORMAL AFTER THE SCUFFLE.
AND SO THE IDEA THAT WE WOULD USE AS A STRIKE AGAINST THE DOG, THE DOG RETURNED TO NORMAL, UH, SEEMS TO BE, UM, TO ME THE EXACT OPPOSITE OF WHAT WE WOULD WANT, UH, WITH RESPECT TO THE SECOND OR FIVE AND SIX, WHICH ARE THE LAST POUNDS.
IN CURRENT AND CURRENT, UH, LANGUAGE, THEY DON'T MAKE LITERAL SENSE, UH, DEMONSTRATED AGGRESSION TO OTHER ANIMALS MOST OFTEN, INCLUDING SEVERE INJURY OR DEATH.
UM, IF YOU WANTED TO PUT THAT IN A STATUTE, IT WOULD BE, I THINK YOU WOULD GET RID OF MOST OFTEN.
I MEAN, YOU, IT WOULD JUST BE DEMONSTRATED AGGRESSION TO OTHER ANIMALS RESULTING IN SEVERE INJURY OR DEATH.
AND MOST OFTEN, INCLUDING DOES NO WORK THERE.
UM, AND DOESN'T, DOESN'T PROVIDE NOTICE.
CAUSE SIX TO DEMONSTRATED AGGRESSION DAY, HUMANS, COMMA MOST OFTEN, INCLUDING DOCUMENTED BITES.
WELL, MOST OFTEN DOESN'T THAT, THAT LAST PHRASE DOESN'T DO ANY WORK THERE BECAUSE, UM, IT COULD BE WITHOUT THOSE THINGS.
SO, UM, I HAVE, I HAVE A BIG PROBLEM WITH FOUR, FIVE AND SIX, I THINK WOULD NEED TO BE AMENDED TO BE SOMETHING LIKE DEMONSTRATED AGGRESSION TO ANIMALS, INCLUDING STILL DOESN'T DO MUCH, UM, MAYBE DEMONSTRATED AGGRESSION TO ANIMALS RESULTING IN SEVERE INJURY OR DEATH AND DEMONSTRATED PROGRESSION TO HUMANS RESULTING IN DOCUMENTED BITES.
UM, THAT WOULD BE MORE, UM, I THINK, UH, OPERATIVE, LEGAL LANGUAGE.
BUT, UM, MY, MY BIGGEST CONCERN IS THAT THAT IT'S NOT BASED ON ANYTHING, BUT TRYING TO WORK BACKWARDS FROM A FEW ANECDOTES.
UM, AND THE, YOU KNOW, THE OPINION OF AN EXPERT THAT I DON'T HAVE ANY IDEA WHETHER ANY OF THAT'S PEER REVIEWED OR PUBLISHED OR CHECKED OR DOUBLE-CHECKED, OR, OR BASED ON DATA, UM, THAT TOO COULD BE BASED ON ANECDOTES.
UM, I THINK THE CLOSEST LANGUAGES THAT I GET TO GET THAT I COULD GET TO VOTING FOR WOULD BE ELIMINATING FOUR OR FIVE AND SIX, AND SAYING THAT ALL THREE HAD TO BE CHECKED.
UM, I THINK THAT GETS A LOT CLOSER PROBABLY TO WHAT OUR CONCERN IS, WHETHER THERE'S AN ANIMAL WITH A, UH, HISTORY OF SEVERE BITES, UH, THAT, UH, THAT DOES NOT CURRENTLY TRIGGER BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT PROVOKED.
UM, AND I, I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR WHAT PALMER WOULD THINK ABOUT THAT IF YOU JUST SAID HAS TO HAVE ALL THREE, ONE, TWO, AND THREE, UM, HOW SHE WOULD FEEL ABOUT THAT.
I KNOW THERE WAS, I KNOW SHE HAD MENTIONED TO ME, UH, SEPARATELY THAT THERE'S AN ISSUE WITH SMALL DOGS, UM, BECAUSE THEY DO THIS KIND OF STUFF ALL THE TIME, UM, AND NIPPY DOGS.
UM, BUT SO I GUESS I WANT TO THINK, I WOULD LIKE TO DO, IS THROW IT BACK TO PALMER IF SHE'S THERE AND SAY, HOW WOULD YOU FEEL IF IT WAS JUST ONE, TWO OR THREE? I THINK THAT, THAT, I THINK THAT THAT'S MUCH MORE SPECIFIC.
I THINK THAT THAT GETS WHEN WE WORKED ON IT, THE REWORDING OF SOME OF WHAT WAS DONE, I THINK IT WAS STILL HAVING TROUBLE WITH WHETHER OR NOT IT'S CAPTURING, WHAT'S TRYING TO BE CAPTURED AS FAR AS THE ONES THAT, THAT WERE PLACED WHEN, WHEN MAYBE THERE'S CONCERN OR THERE IS CONCERN THAT THEY SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN PLACED.
AND I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE A GREAT IDEA IF WE LOOKED AT SOME OF THE CASES THAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT AND WORKED WITH THEM ON THIS AND SEE IF THIS WOULD HAVE ADDRESSED OR CAUGHT THE ONES THAT THEY'RE DISCUSSING OR THEY'RE CONCERNED ABOUT.
[00:45:01]
BE CURIOUS TO REVIEW THE FIVE OR SIX CASES OR WHATEVER, AND SEE IF THEY THEN MET AFTER YOU'RE SAYING REMOVE FOUR, FIVE, AND SIX, AND THEN SAYING THAT THEY HAVE TO MEET, WELL, THEN THERE'S STILL FOUR LESS THERE BECAUSE THERE'S ONE ON THE NEXT PAGE, THE SHELTER STAFF CAN'T SAFELY CARE FOR THAT.SO THERE WOULD BE FOUR LEFT, UM, WOULD BE TO SEE IF THAT WOULD HAVE CHANGED THE DECISION THAT WAS MADE ON THE ONES THAT HAVE BEEN BEING DISCUSSED.
I DIDN'T SCROLL DOWN FAR ENOUGH, BUT I MEAN, THAT TO ME IS NOT A MEASURED STANDARD AT ALL.
UM, I JUST DON'T SEE HOW YOU COULD MEASURE THAT, HOW SOMEONE COULD PROVE WHETHER THAT WAS CHECKED OR NOT.
SO, UM, WELL, AND THE OTHER QUESTION THAT CAME UP, I ASKED IF THERE WAS AN SOP REGARDING TAKING CARE, HOW TO CARE OR TRANSFER A DOG THAT IS NOT SAFE TO HANDLE.
AND I THINK FROM WHAT JOANNE SAID, I HAVEN'T TALKED TO AAC THAT THERE'S NOT, AND I THINK THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED, SAFE HANDLING AND AN SOP BECAUSE THAT'S GOING TO COME UP REGARDLESS OF WHETHER OR NOT WITH THIS ORDINANCE, YOU'RE GOING TO END UP WITH DOGS THAT ARE DIFFICULT TO HANDLE.
I ALSO THINK THAT IF, IF ONE, TWO AND THREE APPLY, UM, THEN SIX IS GOING TO APPLY, RIGHT? IF, IF YOU HAVE NO WARNING, MULTIPLE BITES, MULTIPLE SEVERE BITES AND AN ESCALATION, UM, I WOULD THINK THAT ANIMAL GENERALLY IS GOING TO BE PRETTY UNSAFE TO HANDLE.
SO AGAIN, I WOULD, I WOULD GET A LOT CLOSER TO VOTING FOR THIS, IF IT WAS ONE, TWO AND THREE AND NO MORE.
IN OTHER WORDS, TO QUALIFY THE MES, THE ANIMAL MUST MEET ALL THREE OF THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA AND STRIKE FOUR OR FIVE, SIX AND SEVEN.
I WANT YOU TO BE ABLE TO CHECK, UM, IF I WANT, UH, THE PUBLIC TO BE ABLE TO KNOW WHETHER OR NOT THE STATUTE WAS FOLLOWED, THE PUBLIC CAN NEVER KNOW WHETHER THE SHELTER COULD OR COULDN'T SAFELY CARE FOR THE ANIMAL UNTIL AFTER A BITE OCCURS AND THEN MAYBE SAY, WELL, THEY COULDN'T SAFELY CARE FOR THE ANIMAL.
UM, IF IT'S, IF IT'S ALREADY HAD A SEVERE BITE OF THE HUMAN, THERE'S ALREADY GOING TO BE A DEMONSTRATED AGGRESSION TO HUMAN.
UM, SO TO ME, I WOULD GO WITH, UH, AND, AND AS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IN PREVIOUS MEETINGS, UM, LOTS AND LOTS OF DOGS HAVE DOMINIC DEMONSTRATED AGGRESSION TOWARDS OTHER ANIMALS.
IF YOU COUNT SQUIRRELS AND CATS, RATS, UM, I MEAN, I WOULD GUESS 40% OF THE DOGS IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN, UM, WOULD HAVE A CRAZY DRIVE TOWARDS TINY ANIMALS.
SO, UM, AGAIN, I THINK IF WE, IF WE WANT IT TO BE SOLID, YOU KNOW, TO CHECK THE BOXES, KNOW WHETHER OR NOT IT'S BEEN COMPLIANT WITH PROBABLY GO DOWN TO A ONE, TWO AND THREE, BUT THAT'S A, THAT'S A FRIENDLY SUGGESTION, NOT, NOT SOMETHING THAT, UM, I'M PROPOSING WELL, AND I APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS AND YOUR EXPERTISE ON IT.
UM, I THINK WHAT CONCERNS ME ABOUT DOING THAT AND MAYBE HAVE AN ALTERNATE IDEA IS THEN IT'S FOCUSED REALLY ON BITING.
AND WHAT ABOUT THOSE ANIMALS THAT ARE IN THERE THAT YOU, YOU CAN'T TRANSPORT AND YOUR, THE STAFF IS TRYING TO FEED THEM.
AND YOU'VE GOT THEM IN THE BACK WITH THE GUILLOTINE DOWN IN THE DOGS, BANGING ON IT, AND THE STAFF'S AFRAID TO GO NEAR IT, OR YOU TRY TO WALK THE DOG AND IT'S DRAGGING TOWARD OTHER ANIMALS.
UM, IT, IT DOESN'T UNLESS THE DOG ACTUALLY BITES HER HAS A BAD ENOUGH BITE.
UM, IT DOESN'T REALLY DO ANYTHING.
WELL, I GUESS IN MY, I WOULD ANSWER THAT QUESTION WITH, THOSE ARE A LOT OF FALSE FLAGS.
UM, I HAVE A 13 YEAR OLD DOG SLEEPING NEXT TO ME.
AND IF YOU TRIED TO WALK HER, SHE WOULD DRAG, UM, YOUR BODY DOWN.
AND PROBABLY, UM, YOU WOULD PROBABLY FALL.
I HAD ONE OF THE NATION'S LEADING ANIMAL, UH, BEHAVIORISTS TELL ME THAT, UH, MY DOG WASN'T AN ISSUE AND SHE TRIED TO WALK MY DOG AND THEN BROUGHT THE DOG RIGHT BACK SAYING YOU WERE RIGHT.
UM, NOW THIS DOG, THIS DOG HAS NEVER BITTEN ANYONE AND SHE'S NEVER BITTEN ANOTHER ANIMAL, UM, OTHER THAN OUR OWN DOGS GETTING IN SCUFFLES OVER THE YEARS.
UM, SO I THINK, UH, THE IDEA, I THINK THAT LEASH REACTIVITY IS A ABSOLUTE FALSE FLAG FOR, UH, FOR AGGRESSION.
UM, AND I THINK EVERYBODY WHO IS INVOLVED IN, UM, ANALYZING ANIMAL DOG BEHAVIOR, AND THAT WAS THAT.
SO I THINK THAT WHEN YOU, UH, AND THEN THE OTHER THING IS THAT STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT BY AND
[00:50:01]
LARGE, WE CAN'T PREDICT ACCURATELY WHICH ANIMALS ARE GOING TO BITE IN THE FUTURE.SO I THINK WHAT WE'RE DOING MORE THAN ANYTHING WITH, WITH BOTH THE OTHER STATUTE, AND THIS STATUTE IS SAYING, LOOK, WHEN PEOPLE WILL BE ABLE TO PREDICT WHICH ANIMALS CAN BUY, WHAT WE CAN DO IS SAY, THESE ANIMALS HAVE, HAVE ALREADY EXHIBITED BEHAVIOR THAT WORRIES US SO MUCH, THAT WE DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE LETTING THEM OUT IN THE PUBLIC.
UM, SO, UH, UH, I I'M, I'M VERY FEARFUL OF, OF CRITERIA THAT ARE NOT PROVEN TO BE PREDICTIVE, UM, IN A STATUTE THAT ALLOWS SHELTERS TO KILL.
BUT, BUT RIGHT NOW IT'S WITH THE ORDINANCE THAT YOU WOULD PROPOSE THAT PASSED IF WE HAVE A DOG THAT WE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT, THAT WE'RE CONCERNED ABOUT BEING IN THE PUBLIC THAT WE'RE CONCERNED ABOUT TAKING OUT, UM, THERE IS NO CHOICE UNLESS THEY HAVE A SEVERE BITE OTHER THAN TO OFFER THEM TO HER, UH, RESCUE OR THE OWNER.
I, UH, IF THEY HAVE AN UNPROVOKED SEVERE, RIGHT.
UM, SO, AND AGAIN, I THINK THAT THAT'S BASED ON THE DATA THAT UNFORTUNATELY SHOW THAT HUMANS ARE VERY, VERY, VERY BAD AT PREDICTING DOCTOR BEHAVIOR.
AND, UM, SO OUR, OUR ORDINANCES HAVE THUS FAR BEEN OKAY, W RECOGNIZE THAT WE'RE VERY BAD AT PREDICTING DOG BEHAVIOR.
UM, BUT SO WE INSTEAD BASE THEM ON THINGS THAT HAVE ACTUALLY OCCURRED AND, UH, JUST KIND OF ADMIT THAT WE MAY BE WRONG, BUT BECAUSE OF WHAT THEY ARE, WE DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE.
AND SO, UH, I'M, I WOULD BE HIGHLY RELUCTANT TO SUPPORT ANYTHING THAT, WHAT THAT WAS DESIGNED TO BE PREDICTIVE, BUT NOT BASED ON SCIENCE.
SO A COUPLE QUESTIONS WILLING TO TIGHTEN IT UP AND LOSE SOME OF THESE.
AND I'M WONDERING IF, EVEN IF YOU DO THAT, IF ANYBODY'S GOING TO VOTE FOR IT.
AND MY THIRD QUESTION WOULD BE, IF NOT, IF THE ANSWER TO BOTH THOSE, NO.
DO WE WANT TO BE WORKING ON TO SEE IF WE CAN COME UP WITH SOMETHING EVERYONE WILL SUPPORT? WELL, IT SEEMS THAT IF IT'S JUST BASED ON FIGHTING, UM, THEN IT HAS TO, AND HOW SEVERE THE BITES ARE.
THEN IT'S PROBABLY NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO BE BEAT REWORDED AND PASSED.
UM, MAYBE CITY LEGAL HAS TO LOOK AT THE CURRENT ORDINANCE AND THE CURRENT WORDING IN SEVERE AND REALLY KIND OF COME UP WITH SOME DETERMINATIONS OF WHAT SEVERE, UM, WHEN YOU LOOK AT, UM, I, THIS, I THINK THEY LOOK AT, UM, TEXAS CODE EIGHT 22, UM, FOR SEVERE.
AND IT DOES SEEM TO SAY YOU HAVE A SCAR, SO MAYBE THE DOG BITES SOMEBODY'S ARM AND THEY HAVE SCARS, THEN THEY HAVE PERMANENT SCARS.
AND MAYBE THAT'S ENOUGH TO, UM, GO WITH THE CURRENT LANGUAGE, WHICH IS A DOG WITH A GOOD DOCUMENTED HISTORY OF UNPROVOKED FIGHTING THAT HAS RESULTED IN SEVERE INJURY.
AND MAYBE WE WON'T NEED THE CHANGE.
THEN WE'LL JUST GO TO CITY LEGAL AND HAVE THEM LOOK AT THE CASES.
AND, UH, UM, MAYBE THAT WOULD BE A BETTER START, BUT WHAT, WHAT I, WHAT I THOUGHT THE PURPOSE OF THIS WAS THAT OUR PROBLEM IS ON FOR ABOUT, UH, THEY UNDERSTAND THAT THAT WE'VE BEEN CASES THAT, THAT FAILED THE UNPROVOKED TEST.
WE PASSED IT IN VERSION, A FRIENDLY SUGGESTION OF ONE, TWO AND THREE.
IT WOULD ENCOMPASS ANIMALS THAT HAVE A HISTORY, BUT IT'S NOT PERFECT.
WELL, I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT IT, IT HAS TO DO WITH, WITH BITES.
AND WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT ESCALATING BEHAVIOR AND WE HAD A BEHAVIOR AS DONNER ANIMAL BEHAVIORS ON OUR TEAM.
UM, HE TALKED TO HIS MENTOR AND WE FELT GOOD ABOUT SAYING, UM, LET'S LOOK AT SOME OTHER INDICATORS THAT THESE DOGS ARE A PROBLEM BEFORE THEY BITE SOMEBODY.
YOU KNOW, IF WE CAN'T SAFELY GET IN AND OUT OF THE KENNEL WITHOUT THE DOG COMING AT US AND LOOKING LIKE IT'S GOING TO BITE US, DO WE, WE DON'T WANT TO BE THERE AND GET A BITE AND THEN SAY, OKAY, WELL IT BIT ME.
[00:55:01]
HANDLE THIS.UM, THERE ARE JUST OTHER DOGS AND IF YOU WALK UP TO THEM, UM, IT'S AND THE STAFF IS ON, FEELS UNSAFE WITH THEM.
IT'S DIFFICULT TO WORK IN THAT ENVIRONMENT.
AND SO I DON'T, WE WERE KIND OF LOOKING AT BITES, BUT LOOKING AT BEYOND JUST THE BEADERS THAT SAY, HEY, WE'RE REALLY WORRIED ABOUT PUTTING THIS DOG OUT IN THE PUBLIC.
AND IF YOU HAVE A SUGGESTION ON HOW WE CAN DO THAT, I'M OPEN TO IT.
OTHERWISE THAT WAS THE PURPOSE OF THE, OF THE WORK GROUP.
WE DON'T THINK JUST FOCUSED ON BITES IS, IS ENOUGH.
UM, SO, UM, BUT IF EVERYONE HERE THINKS THAT THAT'S REALLY WHAT THE CITY WANTS TO, WHAT WE SHOULD FOCUS ON IS JUST BITES AND WHETHER IT'S PROVOKED OR UNPROVOKED, THEN, UH, THERE DOESN'T SEEM TO BE A POINT IN REWORKING IT, I GUESS WHAT I WOULD SAY IS THAT THIS I'M SORRY, WAS PALMER GOING TO SAY SOMETHING THAT I THINK THIS CONVERSATION HAS CONTINUED, CONTINUED? I THINK THAT I'M EVEN MORE UNCOMFORTABLE BECAUSE IT'S LIKE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT INCLUDING OTHER BEHAVIORS THAT AREN'T BITING AS STRIKES AGAINST THEM AS FAR AS EUTHANASIA, OR I, I, I I'D LIKE TO KIND OF DIAL, I AM EXPANDING THE ORDINANCE OR TRYING TO CLARIFY SOMETHING WITH THE UNPROVOKED.
UM, I THINK THAT MAYBE WE NEED TO DIG BACK INTO THE, THE DEFINITION OR HOW IT'S BEING INTERPRETED OF UNPROVOKED.
I'M NOT READY TO ADD SINCE LIKE BANGING ON THE GUILLOTINE DOOR OR PULLING WITH, I'M NOT READY TO ADD ANY OF THAT AS A NEGATIVE CHECK AGAINST THE DOG, GETTING READY FOR SIGN OFF.
I MEAN, I THINK THAT WE NEED TO DIAL BACK TO WHAT STARTED THIS AND IT WAS THE LANGUAGE PROVIDING THE UNPROVOKED BITE AND WHETHER OR NOT THAT'S BEEN INTERPRETED OR CATEGORY, OR, YOU KNOW, PUT IN THE PROPER CATEGORY.
I, I THINK THAT THIS HAS GOTTEN OFF TOPIC, TO BE HONEST.
WELL, THE LANGUAGE, SORRY, GO AHEAD.
I MEAN, I JUST WANT HIM TO THROW IN THERE SINCE DAVID HAD SAID PEOPLE WHO VOTE FOR IT LAST TIME, EVERYTHING THAT'S BEEN SAID IS WHY I DIDN'T VOTE FOR IT LAST TIME.
AND YEAH, I'M STILL NOT THERE EITHER, BECAUSE REALLY AT THE END OF THE DAY, TO ME, THE LANGUAGE THAT WE'RE INCLUDING RIGHT NOW IS VAGUE AND OVERLY BROAD.
AND AS PALMER JUST MENTIONED, NOW WE'RE GETTING BROADER.
SO I'M KIND OF IN THE CAMP OF, I'D LIKE TO BE MORE FOCUSED AND TIGHTENED AS WELL.
THAT'S KIND OF WHERE I'M LANDING RIGHT NOW.
WE DO HAVE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR OR ARE WE READY TO VOTE AS IS RIGHT.
I JUST WANT TO MENTION ONE, ONE MORE THING, SOMETHING THAT'S HOMER TAUGHT ME A LONG TIME AGO, WHICH IS THAT, UH, BACK IN 2007 OR SIX, WE WERE, UH, THE, THE SHELTER WAS EUTHANIZING, A GIANT OF PROPORTION OF THE, UM, UH, CHIHUAHUAS THAT CAME IN.
UM, AND IT WAS BECAUSE THE SHELTER STAFF FIGURED THAT THEY COULDN'T HANDLE THEM.
SO, UM, BECAUSE THEY WERE, THEY WERE A LITTLE BITERS AND, UM, PALMER CAN PROBABLY, UM, GIVE, PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION ON THAT.
BUT, UM, IF, IF BEING FEARFUL OF AN ANIMAL WHO HAS NOT BEEN, UH, IS THAT IS A TRIGGER FOR KILLING IT, WE'RE GOING TO GO BACK TO THE OLD DAYS.
WELL, I'M JUST GOING TO RUN UP THE LIST AND PLEASE GIVE ME A VERBAL CAUSE I'M LOOKING DOWN AT MY PAPER.
MONICA, MONICA, NO EDWARD, NO, THIS, UH, NO DISTRICT FOUR IS VACANT.
[01:00:04]
WHERE IS NANCY? GIVE HER, LET ME SKIP HER FOR A MINUTE JOB.UM, ANDREA, THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR WORK ON THIS.
[4.a. Update, Discussion and Possible Action on the Commission’s 2021 meeting schedule. Commissioners to identify and confirm meeting schedule for 2021.]
ITEM IS THE 2021 MEETING SCHEDULE.UH, BELINDA SENT YOU A COPY OF THE PROJECTED DATES.
UM, EVEN THOUGH MARCH DOESN'T CONFLICT WITH SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST AND NOVEMBER, DOESN'T CONFLICT WITH VETERAN'S DAY, I'M GOING TO SUGGEST THAT WE KEEP WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING AND, AND ADOPT THESE DATES LIKE MARCH, JULY, AND NOVEMBER.
LIKE WE USUALLY DO MAKE A MOTION OF, YOU NEED TO GET THIS DONE THOUGH.
NO, I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY, I THINK WE SHOULD JUST HAVE THAT AND WE CAN ALWAYS CANCEL THAT.
UM, I'D RATHER HAVE HIM ON THE CALENDAR AND CANCELED THEM BETTER, UH, NOT HAVING THEM ON THE CALENDAR, UH, AND WANT THEM EMOTE SURE.
JUST RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOU, OKAY.
I'M GOING TO SAY THAT THIS PAST, AND I THINK IT WAS UNANIMOUS EVERY MONTH OR B
[4.b. Update, Discussion and Possible Action on Human Animal Support Services (HASS). Commissioners to discuss City of Austin’s potential participation in HASS.]
IS THE HOSS ITEM AND, UH, DOC, UH, YOU'RE THE ONLY ONE WHO HASN'T HAD OPPORTUNITY SO FAR TO SPEAK ON THIS THE WAY IN.DO YOU HAVE ANY THOUGHTS OR QUESTIONS ON THE HALL ITEM? UM, I DON'T THINK I HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
I MEAN, I HAVE FOLLOWED ALONG THE MEETINGS AND LISTENED TO THE WORK GROUP MEETINGS, UM, MET WITH DR.
UM, SO I THINK, I MEAN, I THINK IT'S A GOOD THING.
I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF POTENTIAL THERE TO ADDRESS SOME ISSUES THAT WE HAVE.
SO, UM, I THINK, UH, IT WILL BE A LOT OF WORK AND IT'S A SLOW TRANSITION AND, UM, YOU KNOW, TAKE A LOT OF TIME TO DEVELOP SOME OF THESE PROGRAMS. UM, BUT I THINK, UH, I, I THINK IT JUST HAS A LOT OF POTENTIAL.
I THINK IT HAS A LOT OF POTENTIAL TO ADDRESS THE HISTORICALLY OVERCROWDED SHELTER, UM, HELP THE COMMUNITY IN A NUMBER OF WAYS.
UM, SO YEAH, I THINK, I THINK I WOULD, UH, BE IN, I THINK ALSO IT'LL, IT'LL TAKE, UH, UH, JUST BUY IN AND, AND, UH, FROM THE LEADERSHIP, THE STAFF LEADERSHIP TO, TO, TO GET THIS, UH, MOVING FORWARD AND BE EFFECTIVE.
UM, BUT YEAH, I THINK, I THINK, I THINK IT'S A GOOD THING.
YOU'RE READY TO OFFER UP THE MOTION, EDWARD.
SO, UM, I DID TO TALK ABOUT SOME STUFF.
I THINK DAVID, UH, I THINK IT'S PERFECT.
SO, UM, I DID MEET WITH SEVERAL COMMISSIONERS, UH, AS WELL AS WITH DR.
[01:05:01]
UM, AND YOU REALLY TRIED TO GET A GRASP OF WHAT EVERYONE WAS, UH, WANTING TO MOVE SO QUICKLY ABOUT NOW WHILE THE NOCCA WAS SUCH A TALKING POINT ON MOVING FORWARD, BECAUSE EVERYONE WAS VERY ACTIVE.YOU KNOW, THIS IS WHAT DURING NO KILL.
OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, NO ONE WAS SURE, UM, WHAT I GRASPED FROM MY MEETINGS, BUT THE OTHER COMMITMENT IS, AND ALSO THE EMAILS THAT WERE SENT OUT FROM COMMISSIONERS WAS THAT IT TOOK ALMOST 27 MEETINGS DURING THAT NOTE, UH, TO ADOPT NOTES.
SO IT, IT IS A LITTLE DIFFICULT FOR ME TO SAY, LET'S MOVE FORWARD WITH JUST ONE WORKING GROUP AND FOUR MEETINGS.
SO WHAT I WANTED TO PROPOSE, AND I THINK IT WAS ALREADY TALKED ABOUT, UM, WHICH I HAD NOT, UH, TALK TO THAT PERSON, BUT I WANTED TO PROPOSE.
AND, AND TO BE QUITE HONEST WITH YOU DURING MY MEETING WITH DR.
BRANDIS WAS, UM, WAS IN THAT MEETING WITH ME.
JEFFERSON, IF SHE WOULD BE OPEN TO A TASKFORCE REGARDING THIS SPECIFIC TOPIC, HAAS IN AUSTIN, AS LONG AS IT WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS GOING TO BE CONSTRUCTIVE, POSITIVE, IT WAS GOING TO BE PEOPLE AT THE TABLE, UH, IN THIS TASK GOING TO REALLY COME WITH THEIR THOUGHTS, QUESTIONS, AND, UM, RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE MANY WORKING GROUPS HAAS HAS ALREADY.
SO WITH THAT SAID, UM, THIS, THIS TASKFORCE WOULD INCLUDE, YOU KNOW, THE TOP RESCUE GROUPS THAT ARE PULLING FROM, UM, AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER, WHICH WOULD INCLUDE APA AND A FEW OTHERS.
IT WOULD INCLUDE OFTEN LOST AND FOUND VOLUNTEERS, UH, COMMISSIONERS.
AND, UM, I SEE I'VE GOT A C STAFF, YOU KNOW, THE THREE ZIP CODES WHERE MOST OF THE DOGS ARE COMING FROM.
CAUSE I FEEL LIKE THOSE ARE THE GONNA BE THE PEOPLE THAT ARE MOST EFFECTED BY HAAS AND VETS.
BRANDIS, BUT ALSO INCLUDING OTHER VETS, UM, AS TO HOW THEY FEEL ABOUT CERTAIN THINGS.
AGAIN, STRICTLY THE GOAL IS TO BE CONSTRUCTIVE, NOT SET UP A TASK FORCE WHERE COMMISSIONERS AND STAKEHOLDERS ARE BEING ATTACKED.
IT'S MORE OF A, HOW DO WE GET HERE? WHAT WILL, UH, WHAT WILL HELP US GET THERE AND, AND SEE IF THAT'S EVEN AN OPTION.
AGAIN, THIS WAS, THIS WAS COMING FROM MY MEETINGS.
THIS WAS NOT SOMETHING I WAS MAKING SURE THAT I ASKED THE RIGHT QUESTIONS.
AND IT JUST SEEMED A LITTLE ODD TO ME THAT WE WERE TRYING TO PUSH THIS VERY, VERY QUICKLY WHEN THE INPUT FROM THOSE THREE ZIP CODES, WE HAVEN'T REALLY HAD A CHANCE TO EVEN REACH OUT TO THEM BECAUSE I'VE TALKED TO SOME OF THOSE PEOPLE IN THOSE ZIP CODES AND THEY HAD NO IDEA ABOUT HAAS WHILE I KNOW THAT EVERYONE IS SAYING THE COMMUNITY HAS HAD ENOUGH TIME TO INPUT.
I REALLY DON'T FEEL IN THIS SITUATION WHERE WE'RE HAVING, YOU KNOW, A MINUTE AND A HALF, I MEAN, THREE MINUTES TO KIND OF ADDRESS IT AND, OR READ EMAILS.
IT'S REALLY, I FIND IT DIFFICULT IN CURRENT TIME TO JUST MOVE FORWARD.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION.
YOU CAN SEE HOW EVERYONE FEELS ABOUT CREATING A TASK FORCE REGARDING HAAS AND REALLY KIND OF REACHING OUT TO THOSE PEOPLE THAT I STATED THAT SUPPORTING THAT THIS IS ANDREA, I AM SUPPORTIVE OF WHAT EDWARD IS PROPOSING.
IS THAT A SECOND SO WE CAN DISCUSS YES.
I'M, I'M A BIG, NO, BUT THE THOUGHTS, I THINK THAT'S A REALLY GOOD IDEA.
AND I THINK THE CALLERS WHO CALLED IN WHO AREN'T APA EMPLOYEES, UM, KIND OF ALLUDED TO THAT TOO, THAT, UM, TO REALLY INVOLVE THE COMMUNITY AND ALSO THE STAFF AT AAC WHO REALLY DOESN'T KNOW A LOT ABOUT HAAS.
UM, WHEN I ASKED IF I ASK, UM, THERE'S JUST NOT A LOT OF INFORMATION GOING OUT.
SO I THINK THAT, UM, THAT WOULD BE GOOD.
I THINK WHAT, UM, COMMISSIONER MITCHELL SENT TO US ABOUT NO-KILL WAS JUST REALLY IMPRESSIVE AND ALL THE WORK THAT THEY DID AND THE ACTUAL PLAN AND HOW IT WOULD WORK.
I THOUGHT THAT WAS REALLY GOOD.
AND I THINK, UM, COMMUNITY INPUT IS REALLY IMPORTANT, ESPECIALLY THOSE AREAS OF TRAVIS COUNTY AND SUCH THAT REALLY HAVE NOT BEEN AT THE TABLE AND
[01:10:01]
TO HAVE A GROUP THAT INCLUDES GROUPS LIKE AUSTIN LOST AND FOUND PETS AND AMANDA PET, I THINK IS A, IS A GREAT IDEA.I ALSO LIKE THE IDEA THAT, UM, THE CALLER BROUGHT IN ABOUT DOING THE SPEAK UP AUSTIN SURVEY, UM, MAYBE THAT COULD HELP BE A START, SO WE KNOW WHAT THE COMMUNITY WANTED IN AN EASY WAY.
SO I WOULD SUPPORT THE TASKFORCE.
I AM NOT INHERENTLY OPPOSED TO THIS.
UM, WHAT I, WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE, I THINK WHAT MAKES SENSE IS IF WE VOTED ON IT, THE BIG, UH, THE FIRST PROPOSAL, THE BIG PROPOSAL FIRST, AND THEN IF THAT FAILS TO SCALE IT BACK, UM, TO THIS.
CAUSE I THINK THAT MAKES MORE SENSE IF THE, IF THE BIG PROPOSAL HAS PROPOSED, I AGREE RYAN, BUT WE DO HAVE A MOTION ON THE, BUT WE DO HAVE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR.
SO UNLESS EDWARD WANTS TO WITHDRAW I'LL SECOND, HIS MOTION.
I WAS JUST TRYING TO WAIT TIME.
UM, SO WE CAN'T HAVE TWO MOTIONS AT THE SAME TIME, SO WE THEN NEED TO VOTE ON EDWARDS OR HE NEEDS TO WITHDRAW IT AND GO WITH THE OTHER ONE AND THEN GO WITH THAT.
I WAS MOVED TO, UH, ON, UH, TO CURRENT MOTION.
UM, WHY WOULD WE DO THAT SINCE THAT MOTION'S ALREADY IN PLACE SO THAT WE CAN VOTE ON THE BIG PIECE FIRST? AND IF THAT DOESN'T PASS THEN TO VOTE ON THIS, DO WE HAVE TO DO, IS THERE A REASON WE HAVE TO DO THAT? NOW WE DON'T HAVE TO, IT, EDWARD HAS THE MOTION ON, SO HE'S THE ONLY ONE THAT THEY CAN WITHDRAW IT.
SO NOW IT CAN BE EDWARD, IT CAN BE POSTPONED, BUT CAN I ASK A QUESTION ABOUT IT? YES.
I GUESS MY QUESTION IS THIS THE POINT OF SENDING OUT INFORMATION ABOUT HOW NO PILL WORKS AND THE 27 MEETINGS AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS WAS TO SHOW THAT FROM THE CONCEPTION OF THE IDEA FROM THAT JUMPING POINT IS WHEN THOSE MEETINGS BEGAN AND IN THOSE MEETINGS BEFORE THEN ALL OF THESE STAKEHOLDERS WERE TALKING ABOUT THAT.
I THINK EDWARD, YOU'RE ENVISIONING WITH YOUR EMOTION RIGHT NOW.
SO I GUESS I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND IN SOME WAYS WHAT THE DIFFERENCE IS, AND THE ONLY DIFFERENCE THAT I'M SEEING, AND MAYBE SOMEBODY CAN TELL ME IF I'M WRONG IS THIS WILL JUST TAKE LONGER.
AND WE'RE REACHING A POINT WHERE WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF TIME BECAUSE THERE HASN'T BEEN A PLAN REALLY PUT INTO PLAY FOR HOW WE'RE DEALING WITH COVID.
AND WHAT WE KNOW WILL HAPPEN IN TERMS OF HOMELESSNESS AND ANIMALS BEING TURNED IN.
AND ALREADY, IF YOU LOOK AT OUR NUMBERS, YOU KNOW, BETWEEN THE LAST TWO YEARS, OBVIOUSLY INTAKES DOWN THIS, THIS MONTH OF THIS YEAR, FROM LAST YEAR.
UM, OBVIOUSLY A LOT OF THAT IS DUE TO, BUT WE DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH, BUT THE BOTTOM LINE IS LESS ANIMALS ARE BEING TAKEN IN LESS ANIMALS ARE BOY OUT, WE'RE PUTTING OFF WHAT SEEMS TO BE THE INEVITABLE.
WHEN I THINK WE'RE KIND OF ALL SAYING THE SAME THING, WHICH IS WE NEED TO PULL IN COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
WE OBVIOUSLY WANT PEOPLE FROM THE IMPACTED ZIP CODES INVOLVED BECAUSE THEY'RE THE ONES THAT ARE ON THE GROUND IN THOSE AREAS.
SO I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THAT WHAT WE GAIN AND HOW IT'S DIFFERENT, OTHER THAN IT WILL TAKE US LONGER IF WE FORM ADDITIONAL GROUPS OUTSIDE OF THE STRICTURES OF POS, I GUESS I HOPE THAT MAKES SENSE.
JUST QUICKLY TO ECHO ONE THING, JUST TO ECHO WHAT LISA WAS SAYING, YOU KNOW, THE OTHER COMMUNITIES IN TEXAS AND ALL OVER THE COUNTRY THAT HAVE IMPLEMENTED HAAS
[01:15:01]
ARE HAVING TASKFORCE MEETINGS ARE MEETING WITH THOSE MEMBERS OF THEIR COMMUNITY TO FORMULATE WHAT HAAS LOOKS LIKE FOR THEM AND THEIR CITIES.AND SO I DON'T THINK THAT BY US, YOU KNOW, BOATING NOW TO ADD AUSTIN AS A HOSS PILOT PROGRAM THAT PRECLUDES ANY OF THOSE PEOPLE FROM ULTIMATELY BEING A PART OF THIS PROCESS AND BEING A PART OF HAAS MOVING FORWARD, IT'S TRULY A COMMUNITY INITIATIVE.
AND SO MY THING IS, YOU KNOW, VOTING ON IT TODAY DOESN'T NECESSARILY PREVENT EXACTLY WHAT EDWARD IS SUGGESTING, WHICH IS BRINGING PEOPLE TO THE TABLE, UM, TO MAKE COSTS WORK IN AUSTIN.
SO TO BE, UH, I'M SORRY, CAN I SPEAK, SO, UM, MY CONCERN WITH THAT IS IF YOU JUST NOTICED ON, UH, ON JOANNE, THIS IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE.
JOANNE'S TALKING POINTS FOR TRYING TO CHANGE THE VERBIAGE OF THE, UH, OF THE, OF THE, THE ADJUSTMENTS OF THE NO KILL OR THE UNIT EUTHANASIA, ZETIA, UM, HER TRYING TO GO BACK AND CHANGING.
SO THE MOMENT WE SIGN ON TO THIS AND THEN TRY TO GO BACK, I FEEL LIKE IT'S GOING TO BE VERY DIFFICULT, WHICH IS WHY I WAS SO, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, THESE ARE JUST ME COMING TO TALKING TO PEOPLE THAT ARE GOING TO BE MOST EFFECTED BY THIS.
I MEAN, EVERYONE KEEPS SAYING LIKE, WE CAN COME BACK TO THIS, LET'S CREATE A TASK FORCE, UM, OR CREATE A WORD, YOU KNOW, JOIN IT AND THEN CREATE THE TASK FORCE TO GET PEOPLE INVOLVED WHILE I SEE IT SO DIFFICULT RIGHT NOW TO GO BACK AND JUST CHANGE ONE WORD.
UM, I FEEL LIKE IT'S GOING TO BE A LITTLE MORE DIFFICULT FOR US TO, AGAIN, GO BACK ON HAAS WHEN WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH INFORMATION.
AND I DID SEE SOME NUMBERS COME IN FROM EL PASO, BUT WHILE THOSE ARE, UH, JUST OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS, I DON'T THINK THAT IT'S ENOUGH FOR ME TO MAKE SUCH A HUGE DECISION FOR THOSE AFFECTED MOST EFFECTED AREAS.
WE CAN EASILY VOTE ON TWO MOTIONS.
I THINK IF WE BUCK THIS TO DEATH, WE'RE GONNA RUN OUT OF TIME.
I JUST WANT TO SAY, I DON'T THINK SO.
I AGREE WITH YOUR INTENT AT ALL, EDWARD, NOT ONE BIT.
AND I DO THINK THAT PEOPLE NEED TO BE INVOLVED.
I JUST DON'T SEE IT AS UNFOLDING.
I THINK THE SAME WAY THAT YOU DO.
I SEE IT AS WHAT KATIE MENTIONED, WHICH IS NONE OF IT'S PRECLUDED.
WE'RE JUST SIMPLY SAYING, LET'S GET INVOLVED IN THIS.
LET'S GET THESE TASKFORCE FOUR HORSES FORMED AND GO FORWARD.
SO I THINK MAYBE WE'RE JUST SEEING A DIFFERENCE IN THE LOGISTICS OF IT, BUT BECAUSE I AGREE WITH BRINGING EVERYBODY IN THAT NEEDS TO HAVE A SEAT AT THE TABLE, SORRY, I'LL STOP TALKING JEN.
BUT THE ONE THING I WANT TO SAY IS TO TALK ABOUT THE NO KILL PLAN WE HAD AS AUSTIN HAD MADE THE DECISION TO SAVE THE LIFE AND TO STOP THE NEEDLESS KILLING AS THEY WERE WORKING ON THE NO KILL PLAN LIVES WERE BEING SAVED.
THE EUTHANASIA NUMBERS WERE ALREADY GOING DOWN THE WHOLE TIME.
SO WE WERE, WE WERE MAKING CHANGE AND MAKING DIFFERENCE DURING THOSE 27 MEETINGS OR WHATEVER THAT WAS HAPPENING, THAT WAS GOING FORWARD WITH CITY COUNCIL AND FURTHER DISCUSSION WITH THE CITY.
THE ANIMALS' LIVES WERE BEING MADE BETTER.
SO WHAT I'M CONCERNED ABOUT IS IF WE START ANOTHER TASK FORCE WITHOUT MAKING THE DECISION AND THE COMMITMENT TO MAKE THE CHANGE, WE'RE GOING TO DELAY ANYTHING HAPPENING HERE IN AUSTIN.
AND WE'RE GOING TO BE THE LANG WITH IT AT A CRITICAL TIME DURING COVID DURING THE POTENTIAL OF PEOPLE, LOSING THEIR HOMES.
AND SO I'M WORRIED THAT IF WE, IF WE DON'T MAKE THE DECISION TO COMMIT TO CHANGE, THEN IT'S, NOTHING'S GOING TO BE HAPPENING AND, AND, AND CHANGE WHAT'S HAPPENING THE WHOLE TIME WE WERE WORKING BEFORE JOANNE QUICKLY, PLEASE, BUT CHANGE THINGS ARE HAPPENING AT THE AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER THAT I'VE BROUGHT UP IN THE WORK GROUPS.
BUT ALSO I WANTED TO POINT OUT, UM,
[01:20:02]
I'VE LOOKED AT EL PASO AND DALLAS HAS WEBSITES RIGHT BEFORE THIS.AND THEY STILL BOTH HAVE THE SAME TYPE OF SOMEWHAT COMES INTO IT THAT WE HAVE ONLY TAKING, NOT TAKING WORK OF DOGS OR TAKING HEALTHY DOGS OR ANIMALS.
AND ALSO THEY'RE STILL DOING ADOPTION BY APPOINTMENT.
SO DOES IT FIX THE PROBLEMS THAT ARE REALLY, UM, UH, AFFECTING AUSTIN AND REALLY, UM, UH, THE CITIZENS HAVE ASKED US TO TRY IT OUT.
DAVID YOU'RE MUTED, DAVID DAVID YOU'RE MUTED.
I WAS GOING TO SAY, OKAY, I WAS GOING TO SAY, WE, WE HAVE TO TAKE TWO VOTES ANYWAY, RYAN, CAN WE JUST VOTE ON IT REAL QUICK AND THEN VOTE ON WHAT WE CAN.
THE THING IS I WILL VOTE FOR EDWARDS.
IF THE BIG ONE FAILS SOMEBODY, I HAVE TO VOTE AGAINST IT.
NOW I THINK IT MAKES SENSE TO VOTE ON THE MOTION.
I'M GOING TO ASSUME THAT I'M MUSTANG.
I'M GOING TO ASSUME THAT THAT'S PROPER.
SO I'M GOING TO RUN DOWN THE LIST.
WHAT EXACTLY ARE WE VOTING ON THE POSTPONE? EDWARD'S MOTION AND SELECTOR.
CAN YOU HEAR ME? HELLO? YOU'RE WE'RE WE'RE CONFUSED OUT HERE BECAUSE IT SEEMS TO US THAT YOU'RE A, POST-PUNK TRYING TO POSTPONE A MOTION THAT WAS NEVER VOTED ON OR PASSED.
THAT'S WHY WE'RE THERE, BUT IT'S NEVER BEEN MADE OFFICIAL THOUGH.
YOU CAN'T JUST MAKE A MOTION AND LEAVE IT HANGING.
IF YOU HAVE A MOTION TO PASS, IS IT A SUBSTITUTE MOTION? NO, IT'S A MOTION TO POSTPONE THE CURRENT.
WELL, THIS CHAIR, I'M GOING TO MAKE THE DECISION TO GO WITH THAT ENOUGH.
EDWARD IS QUESTION RIGHT? I CAN NOT EMOTION TO POSTBOX.
THIS IS A LITTLE CONFUSING WE'RE VOTING TO POSTPONE POSTPONE.
CAN YOU EXPLAIN ONE MORE TIME? WE'RE VOTING TO POSTPONE.
BRIAN WANTS TO POSTPONE VOTE ON THE ORIGINAL MOTION FROM LAST MONTH, FIRST AND THEN VOTE ON EDWARDS.
SOMEBODY QUICKLY GIVE ME A MOTION FROM PASSING HOS.
SO TO BE CLEAR, GREG, YOU'RE MAKING A RECOMMENDATION.
I MEAN, YOU CAN MAKE IT A MOTION THAT WE RECOMMEND TO CITY COUNCIL AND NANCY IS ASSESS LIST FIRST AND ANY, ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION.
[01:25:01]
OKAY.WAS THAT A YES OR NO? SHE'S SAYING NOTHING TO HER PHONE.
TWO, THREE, FOUR, FIVE, SIX, SEVEN.
UH, CAN I ALSO GET A MOTION TO SUBMIT THE COUNCIL COMMITTEE REQUESTS FOR THIS ITEM? WOULD THAT D WHAT I WOULD DO IS ALLOW ME TO REQUEST THAT THE MAYOR PUT THIS ON THE COUNCIL COMMITTEE AGENDA.
SOMEBODY QUICKLY MAKE THAT MOTION.
SO, SO I WILL WRITE UP A RECOMMENDATION, INCLUDING THAT INCLUDED IN THAT RECOMMENDATION WILL BE OUR REQUEST AND AN EXPECTATION THAT THEY'RE CITIZEN, THAT THERE'S AN INPUT, LIKE THE TASK FORCE AND ALSO MEASUREABLES.
UM, SO WE CAN SEE HOW IT'S WORKING.
UM, I'LL ALSO WRITE UP THE COUNCIL COMMITTEE RECORD WEST FOR NOW THAT YOU HAVE A RECOMMENDATION FROM THE ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION WOULD ALSO BE HELPFUL IF YOU WERE TO HELP GET THIS ON THE AGENDA.
UM, AS WELL AS ANY, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER OR COUNCIL MEMBER AIDS OUT THERE.
[5. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
FEATURED THE ITEMS I WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST FROM STAFF STAFF'S BRIEFING ON COUNTY, UH, ANIMAL SALES IN THE COUNTY.I'LL SECOND THAT TO, UH, OKAY.
I'D LIKE TO TALK TO RYAN AND NANCY, HOW WE CAN GET A, UH, SOMETHING IN FRONT OF THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS TO POSSIBLY BAN THE SALES OF ANIMALS ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WITHIN THE COUNTY.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF WE'RE READY TO MAKE AN AGENDA ITEM OUT DOWN, BUT IF WE COULD JUST HAVE A STAFF BRIEFING ON THAT, I KNOW YOU'VE BEEN OUT, THEY'VE BEEN OUT THERE.
ANYTHING ELSE? CAN WE ADD, TAKE POSSIBLE ACTION ON THAT SUBJECT? YES.
I'LL SECOND THAT, SO WE'RE GOING TO ADD A NEW AGENDA ITEM ON THE SALES OF ANIMALS IN THE COUNTY.
ANYTHING ELSE? AS A REMINDER, WE ARE OFF FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER.
UM, I'M NOT SURE WE SCHEDULED FOR DECEMBER.
I'M NOT REALLY HAPPY THAT THEY'RE MAKING STAFF, ESPECIALLY BLENDS THAT GO DOWN TO SYDNEY HALL DURING A PANDEMIC AND PARTICIPATE IN THESE MEETINGS.
SO I MAY WANT TO CANCEL THAT DECEMBER MEETING.
IF I DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE SENDING HER DOWN THERE, WE'LL PUT THAT OUT THERE THE WAY I FEEL.
I THINK LISA HAS THE SAME CONCERNS I DO ABOUT BELINDA'S HEALTH.
SO WE'LL SEE ABOUT THESE NUMBER, A MEETING IN NOVEMBER.
THE LAST THING I WANT TO SAY IS EARLY VOTING STARTS TOMORROW, SO I HOPE EVERYONE WILL GO OUT TOMORROW.
[01:30:01]
YOU EVERYBODY.