REGULAR MEETING OF THE ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION MONDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2025, AT 6:00 P.M. AUSTIN CITY HALL, ROOM 1101 301 WEST 2ND STREET AUSTIN, TEXAS Some members of the Animal Advisory Commission may be participating by videoconference. The meeting may be viewed online at: http://www.austintexas.gov/page/watch-atxn-live Public comment will be allowed in-person or remotely via telephone. Speakers may only register to speak on an item once either in-person or remotely and will be allowed up to three minutes to provide their comments. Registration no later than noon the day before the meeting is required for remote participation by telephone. To register to speak remotely, contact Nekaybaw Watson at nekaybaw.watson@austintexas.gov or 512-974-2562. CURRENT COMMISSIONERS: Dr. Paige Nilson, Chair, D4 Koby Ahmed, Mayor Ryan Clinton, Travis County Beatriz Dulzaides, D2 Jennifer Daniel, D6 Erin Ferguson, D8 Ann Linder, Vice Chair, D3 Whitney Holt, D5 Sarah Huddleston, D9 David Loignon, D10 Nancy Nemer, Travis County Jo Anne Norton, Parliamentarian, D7 CALL TO ORDER PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL AGENDA The first 10 speakers signed up prior to the meeting being called to order will each be allowed a three- minute allotment to address their concerns regarding items not posted on the agenda. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Approve the minutes of the Animal Advisory Commission Regular meeting on November 10, 2025. STAFF BRIEFINGS 2. Staff briefing regarding monthly reports. Presentation by Rolando Fernandez, Interim Chief Animal Services Officer, Austin Animal Services. DISCUSSION ITEMS 3. Update on the recruitment process for the Austin Animal Services Director. Presentation by Rodney Crain, Senior Consultant, MGT. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS ADJOURNMENT The City of Austin is committed to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Reasonable modifications and equal access to communications will be provided upon request. For assistance, please contact the Liaison or TTY users’ route through 711. A person may request language access accommodations no later than 48 hours before the scheduled meeting. Please email or call Nekaybaw Watson at Austin City Clerk’s Office, at nekaybaw.watson@austintexas.gov or 512-974- 2562 to request service or for additional information. For more information on the Animal Advisory Commission, please contact Nekaybaw Watson at nekaybaw.watson@austintexas.gov or 512-974-2562.
Animal Advisory Commission Minutes November 10, 2025 Animal Advisory Commission Regular Meeting Minutes Monday, November 10, 2025 The Animal Advisory Commission convened in a regular meeting on Monday, November 10, 2025, at Austin City Hall, 301 W 2nd St, Room 1101 in Austin, Texas. Parliamentarian Norton called the Animal Advisory Commission meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. Commissioners in Attendance: Dr. Paige Nilson, Chair, D4 Jennifer Daniel, D6 Erin Ferguson, D8 David Loignon, D10 Jo Anne Norton, Parliamentarian, D7 Commissioners in Attendance Remotely: Ann Linder, Vice Chair, D3 Beatriz Dulzaides, D2 Whitney Holt, D5 Commissioners Absent: Koby Ahmed, Mayor Ryan Clinton, Travis County Sarah Huddleston, D9 Nancy Nemer, Travis County PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL Suzie Chase – Recap of Austin Animal Welfare Town Hall Pat Valls-Trelles – No Response Edith Grisel Rios – Dog Finder Resource Struggles Robin Katz Gonzalez – AAS Shelter Direction Rochelle Vickery – Cat release at Airport Kristyn Williams – Budget and Community Cats APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1 Animal Advisory Commission Minutes November 10, 2025 1. Approve the minutes of the Animal Advisory Commission Regular Meeting on October 13, 2025. The motion to approve the minutes of the Animal Advisory Commission Regular Meeting on October 13, 2025, was approved on Parliamentarian Norton’s motion, Commissioner Holt’s second on an 8-0 vote. Commissioners Ahmed, Clinton, Huddelston, and Nemer were absent. STAFF BRIEFINGS 2. 4. 5. Staff briefing regarding monthly reports provided by Jason Garza, Assistant Director, Austin Animal Services and Rolando Fernandez, Interim Chief Animal Services Officer, Austin Animal Services. The presentation was made by Jason Garza, Assistant Director, Austin Animal Services and Rolando Fernandez, Interim Chief Animal Services Officer, Austin Animal Services. Staff briefing on the implementation status of Shelter buddy. Presentation by Rolando Fernandez, Interim Chief Animal Services Officer, Austin Animal Services. The presentation was made by Mary Brown, Program Manager, Austin Animal Services, Melissa Pool, Interim Chief Administrative Officer, Austin Animal Services, and Rolando Fernandez, Interim Chief Animal Services Officer, Austin Animal Services. Staff briefing on the Strategic Plan Dashboard. Presentation by Juany Torres, Strategic Plan Project Manager, Austin Animal Services. The presentation was made by Juany Torres, Strategic Plan Project Manager, Austin Animal Services. DISCUSSION ITEMS 6. Update on the recruitment process for the Austin Animal Services Director. Presentation by Rodney Crain, Senior Consultant, MGT. The presentation was made by Rodney Crain, Senior Consultant, MGT. WORKING GROUP UPDATE 7. Update from the Strategic Plan Working …
City of Austin Animal Services Director Recruitment- Update Animal Advisory Commission Meeting December 8, 2025 1 Agenda 1. MGT Introduction 2. Building the Profile 3. Current Status 4. Next Steps 5. Q&A MGT Team Rodney Crain, Senior Consultant Human Capital Solutions Mary Jacobs, Director Human Capital Solutions • 40 years of HR leadership in both public and • Nearly 30 years experience in city management. private sectors. • Expertise in executive search/coaching and organizational design. • Developed staffing models, succession planning, and change management techniques. • Led efforts to support diverse hiring and formerly incarcerated applicants in Austin. • Focuses on building organizational capability through talent assessment and retention. • Expertise in strategic planning, leadership development, organizational assessments, and executive recruitment. • Expert in stakeholder engagement at the employee, organization and community level. • Extensive national and international network in local government leadership; served on ICMA Executive Board. • Trained facilitator and leading development of MGT’s supervisory training program for local government. 3 Celebrating +50 Years of Service +30,000 Client Engagements +900 Staff Nationally-recognized. Locally-focused. MGT began as MGT of America in 1974 with the mission of helping professionals in the public sector improve services and the lives of people in their communities. Over the last decade, we have grown exponentially by attracting and retaining world-class talent and expanding our expertise to help clients solve the most critical challenges they face today. Human Resources Consulting Information Technology Financial Services Facilities Transformation Management Consulting • State and Local Government • Higher Education • PK12 Education • Non-Profits 4 Our Value Proposition Broad Perspective: • We have served clients in 44 states and communities of 1,000 to 3,000,000. True Partnership: • We keep our clients well-informed so that changes and new perspectives can be integrated at any point. Client Experience: • Our repeat clients total 40% and 94% of surveyed clients rate us as “Outstanding”. 5 Building the Profile 6 Building the Candidate Profile Research Discussions Surveys • Review data: • Current Operations • Strategic Plan • Study Trends/ Associations • Assess Similar/ Other Postings • Project Kick-off Meeting • Interviews with Leaders: • Commission • Community Partners • Municipalities/ Counties • On-line survey to: • Employees • Volunteers • Commission • Strategic Plan Working Group • Central Texas Animal Welfare Partners 7 Survey Responses GROUP (Self Selected) Employees Volunteers Animal Advisory Commission Strategic Plan Working Group Central Texas Animal Welfare Partners …
REGULAR MEETING OF THE ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION MONDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2025, AT 6:00 P.M. AUSTIN CITY HALL, ROOM 1101 301 WEST 2ND STREET AUSTIN, TEXAS Some members of the Animal Advisory Commission may be participating by videoconference. The meeting may be viewed online at: http://www.austintexas.gov/page/watch-atxn-live Public comment will be allowed in-person or remotely via telephone. Speakers may only register to speak on an item once either in-person or remotely and will be allowed up to three minutes to provide their comments. Registration no later than noon the day before the meeting is required for remote participation by telephone. To register to speak remotely, contact Nekaybaw Watson at nekaybaw.watson@austintexas.gov or 512-974-2562. CURRENT COMMISSIONERS: Dr. Paige Nilson, Chair, D4 Koby Ahmed, Mayor Ryan Clinton, Travis County Beatriz Dulzaides, D2 Jennifer Daniel, D6 Erin Ferguson, D8 Ann Linder, Vice Chair, D3 Whitney Holt, D5 Sarah Huddleston, D9 David Loignon, D10 Nancy Nemer, Travis County Jo Anne Norton, Parliamentarian, D7 AGENDA CALL TO ORDER PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL The first 10 speakers signed up prior to the meeting being called to order will each be allowed a three- minute allotment to address their concerns regarding items not posted on the agenda. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Approve the minutes of the Animal Advisory Commission Regular meeting on October 13, 2025. STAFF BRIEFINGS 2. Staff briefing regarding monthly reports. Presentation by Rolando Fernandez, Interim Chief Animal Services Officer, Austin Animal Services. 3. 4. 5. Staff briefing on the Rescue Placement List, Urgent Placement List, and Matrices. Presentation by Rolando Fernandez, Interim Chief Animal Services Officer, Austin Animal Services. Staff briefing on the implementation status of Shelter Buddy. Presentation by Rolando Fernandez, Interim Chief Animal Services Officer, Austin Animal Services. Staff briefing on the Strategic Plan Dashboard. Presentation by Juany Torres, Strategic Plan Project Manager, Austin Animal Services. DISCUSSION ITEMS 6. Update on the recruitment process for the Austin Animal Services Director. Presentation by Rodney Crain, Senior Consultant, MGT. WORKING GROUP UPDATE 7. Update from the Strategic Plan Working Group regarding October 2025 meetings and implementation of the strategic plan to prioritize the top 15 strategic goals. DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS 8. Approve a change to the scope of work and membership of the Renter’s Policies Working Group. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS ADJOURNMENT The City of Austin is committed to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Reasonable modifications and equal access to communications will be provided upon request. …
CITY OF AUSTIN DIRECTOR OF ANIMAL SERVICES CITY OF AUSTIN DIRECTOR OF ANIMAL SERVICES AN EXTRAORDINARY CAREER OPPORTUNITY The City of Austin is seeking a highly qualified individual to fill the Director of Animal Services position. This role reports to an Assistant City Manager. The Director of Animal Services will have several exciting challenges to address and areas of opportunity to excel. Among these is leading the implementation of the department’s newly approved Strategic Plan, intentionally building and maintaining strong relationships with external partners, developing a strong regional eco-system for animal welfare, and ensuring the Austin City Code and department procedures are updated. The successful candidate will be instrumental in program management, including Rehoming Your Pet, Community Cat Program, Free and Low Cost Services, and Community Outreach, as well as others. PAGE 2 CITY OF AUSTIN • DIRECTOR OF ANIMAL SERVICES ABOUT AUSTIN People in Austin enjoy the wide variety of what the city offers, including restaurants, museums, and nature trails, attending world class arts, culture and sporting events at The University of Texas at Austin, browsing uniquely local retailers and vintage shops, and cheering on Austin FC at the Q2 Stadium. Austin is thriving and is fueled by an influx of people and businesses, making Greater Austin one of the country’s fastest-growing regions. Austin is currently the 11th largest city in the U.S. and is projected to be the 3rd largest metro in the U.S. by 2100. The City of Austin was recognized on the Forbes list of America’s Best Large Employers 2025, ranking fourth among local government employers, and is the only government entity in Texas to make the list. U.S. News & World Report releases a series of lists each year, including the highly respected 150 Best Places to Live. They consider many factors to determine the best, including quality of life, the local job market, value for money, and the place’s desirability. Austin is ranked #9 in the U.S. and #1 in Texas for 2025-2026 on that list. Austin is also ranked #9 for best place to find a job and #32 for Best Places to Retire in the US for 2025. In addition, U.S. News and World Report ranked the University of Texas at Austin as the #1 public university in Texas, 7th best public university in the nation, 30th among private and public universities, and 15 Austin Metro area high schools made the Best …
Animal Advisory Commission Minutes October 13, 2025 Animal Advisory Commission Regular Meeting Minutes Monday, October 13, 2025 The Animal Advisory Commission convened in a regular meeting on Monday, October 13, 2025, at Austin City Hall, 301 W 2nd St, Room 1101 in Austin, Texas. Chair Nilson called the Animal Advisory Commission meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. Commissioners in Attendance: Dr. Paige Nilson, Chair, D4 Jennifer Daniel, D6 Erin Ferguson, D8 David Loignon, D10 Jo Anne Norton, Parliamentarian, D7 Commissioners in Attendance Remotely: Ann Linder, Vice Chair, D3 Koby Ahmed, Mayor Beatriz Dulzaides, D2 Sarah Huddleston, D9 Whitney Holt, D5 Nancy Nemer, Travis County Commissioners Absent: Ryan Clinton, Travis County PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL Suzie Chase – Prop Q Ben Suddaby – TRE Funding for Animal Care Max Oliver – AAS Dangerous Dog List Concerns Julie Oliver – Budget Increase, Rescue Pull List Rochelle Vickery – Shoutout to Jenn Daniel, Concern with AAS APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Approve the minutes of the Animal Advisory Commission Regular Meeting on September 8, 2025. 1 Animal Advisory Commission Minutes October 13, 2025 The motion to approve the minutes of the Animal Advisory Commission Regular Meeting on September 8, 2025, was approved on Vice Chair Linder’s motion, Commissioner Loignon’s second on an 11-0 vote. Commissioner Clinton was absent. STAFF BRIEFINGS 2. 4. 3. Staff briefing regarding monthly reports provided by Rolando Fernandez, Interim Chief Animal Services Officer, Austin Animal Services. The presentation was made by Rolando Fernandez, Interim Chief Animal Services Officer, Austin Animal Services. Staff briefing regarding Good Fix marketing strategies, outreach efforts, and spay/neuter backlogs by Rolando Fernandez, Interim Chief Animal Services Officer, Austin Animal Services. The presentation was made by Elizabeth Ferrer, Marketing and Communications Program Manager, Austin Animal Services and Rolando Fernandez, Interim Chief Animal Services Officer, Austin Animal Services. Staff briefing on updates to safety protocols, programmatic needs, emergency veterinary services and orthopedic contracts by Rolando Fernandez, Interim Chief Animal Services Officer, Austin Animal Services. The presentation was made by Melissa Pool, Interim Chief Administrative Officer, Austin Animal Services, Dr. Debbie Elliott, Veterinary Services Manager, Austin Animal Services, and Rolando Fernandez, Interim Chief Animal Services Officer, Austin Animal Services. DISCUSSION ITEMS 5. 7. Presentation by Austin Pets Alive! regarding license agreement reports. The presentation was made by Stephanie Bilbro, Director of Operations, Austin Pets Alive! Presentation regarding Staff’s response to Council Resolution 20241121-073 related to Bird- Friendly design by Leslie …
Reports and Updates Reports and Updates Austin Animal Services | November 10, 2025 Monthly Reporting October 2025 Jason Garza, Assistant Director Animal Services October The live outcome rate for October was 95.03%. 436 animals were adopted 92 dogs and cats were returned to their owners October 1, 2025 1253 animals in the AAS inventory November 1, 2025 1280 animals in the AAS inventory 3 Animal Protection Field Data Field Return to Owner (RTO) Fencing Applications Impounded Injured Impounded Regular or Sick Rabies Specimens In-Field Owner Surrenders 8 10 17 65 45 0 Sent to Austin Wildlife Rescue 38 Positive Specimens 10 bats 4 decomposed bats 3 destroyed bats Exposure Reports 296 Activities Breakdown 6 wild sick 1 incidents 1 wild injured 21 sightings 1 encounter 1 wild speaks 3 observations 4 Wildlife Coyotes Coyote Related Activities 34 Volunteering Hours Overview Social Media Hours Per Activity M/L Dog Walking: 2,087.23 Small Dog Kennel Cleaning 340.67 Cat Kennel Cleaning 922.25 • 550 volunteers contributed 7,762.55 hours • 6 orientations, introducing 103 potential volunteers • 7 Community Service Restitution individuals to perform 63.5 hours • 130 volunteers dedicated 352.42 hours to volunteer development and onboarding training • 19 individuals donated 38 hours toward group service, through dog-walking and cat care Facebook • 850,000 page views • 224,000 unique individuals • 27,000 content interactions Instagram • 757,000 page views • 87,000 unique individuals • 29,000 content interactions 5 Foster and Rescue In October, 24 different rescue partners pulled a total of 285 animals from the Austin Animal Center. Highest numbers pulled by rescues were APA (160) and Austin Humane Society (85) 366 different people/families fostered. As of November 1, there are 348 animals in foster care. 34 animals were a part of Finder to Foster More than 96 animals were adopted directly from foster care. 131 new foster applications were processed. There are currently 1168 approved foster care providers. 6 Vet Services 2,212 vaccinations were administered. 37 domesticated animals were euthanized in October. 32 for severe injury, neurological, congenital, suffering, or acute trauma reasons. 2 for court ordered euthanasia, 3 for aggression/public safety risk. 122 animals were transferred for medical reasons to rescue partners. 105 of these animals went to APA!. 10 were puppies with suspected or confirmed parvo. 54 were kittens. 3 visibly pregnant animals (2 dogs, 1 …
October 2025 AUSTIN ANIMAL SERVICES REPORT 1 On May 5, 2025, Animal Services transitioned to a new database for shelter management. This transition is ongoing and has potentially impacted data reporting. Austin Animal Center Data is partially incomplete due to systems transfer. The live outcome rate for October was 95.03%. A total of 1068 animals were brought to the shelter which included 667 cats and 327 dogs. A total of 436 animals were adopted. A total of 92 dogs and cats were returned to their owners (RTOs and RTO-Adopt). On October 1, there were 1253 animals within the ASO inventory. On November 1, there were 1280 animals within the ASO inventory. Animal Protection Data is partially incomplete due to systems transfer. Animal Protection Officers (APOs) returned 8 animals to their owners in the field. Officers handed out 10 fencing assistance applications and implanted 2 microchip(s). Officers impounded 17 injured animals and 65 regular or sick animals. Officers submitted 45 specimens for rabies testing. We had 10 positive bats, 4 decomposed bats, and 3 destroyed bats. Wildlife Data is partially incomplete and does not include non-coyote wildlife. There were 34 total coyote related activities (Behavior types include Sighting, Encounter, Incident, and Observation. “Observation” is defined as hearing coyotes howling and finding scat or footprints.) o 21 sightings, 6 wild sick, 1 encounter, 1 incident, 1 wild speak, 3 observations, 1 wild injured Volunteer Data is partially incomplete due to systems transfer. 550 volunteers contributed 7,762.55 hours 6 orientations, introducing 103 potential volunteers 7 Community Service Restitution individuals to perform 63.5 hours 130 volunteers dedicated 352.42 hours to volunteer development and onboarding training 19 individuals donated 38 hours toward group service, through dog-walking and cat care Foster & Rescue Data is partially incomplete due to systems transfer. In October, 24 different rescue partners pulled a total of 285 domestic animals from the Austin Animal Center. In the month of October, 34 animals were a part of the Finder to Foster Program. 366 different people/families fostered. As of November 1, there are 348 animals in foster care. More than 96 animals were adopted directly from foster care. (This information was pulled using Adopets, but does not necessarily include adoptions that were manually processed / pushed through by staff.) 131 new foster …
City of Austin Animal Services Director Recruitment Animal Advisory Commission Meeting November 10, 2025 1 Agenda 1. MGT Introduction 2. Building the Profile 3. Current Status 4. Next Steps 5. Q&A MGT Team Rodney Crain, Senior Consultant Human Capital Solutions Mary Jacobs, Director Human Capital Solutions • 40 years of HR leadership in both public and • Nearly 30 years experience in city management. private sectors. • Expertise in executive search/coaching and organizational design. • Developed staffing models, succession planning, and change management techniques. • Led efforts to support diverse hiring and formerly incarcerated applicants in Austin. • Focuses on building organizational capability through talent assessment and retention. • Expertise in strategic planning, leadership development, organizational assessments, and executive recruitment. • Expert in stakeholder engagement at the employee, organization and community level. • Extensive national and international network in local government leadership; served on ICMA Executive Board. • Trained facilitator and leading development of MGT’s supervisory training program for local government. 3 Celebrating +50 Years of Service +30,000 Client Engagements +900 Staff Nationally-recognized. Locally-focused. MGT began as MGT of America in 1974 with the mission of helping professionals in the public sector improve services and the lives of people in their communities. Over the last decade, we have grown exponentially by attracting and retaining world-class talent and expanding our expertise to help clients solve the most critical challenges they face today. Human Resources Consulting Information Technology Financial Services Facilities Transformation Management Consulting • State and Local Government • Higher Education • PK12 Education • Non-Profits 4 Our Value Proposition Broad Perspective: • We have served clients in 44 states and communities of 1,000 to 3,000,000. True Partnership: • We keep our clients well-informed so that changes and new perspectives can be integrated at any point. Client Experience: • Our repeat clients total 40% and 94% of surveyed clients rate us as “Outstanding”. 5 Building the Profile 6 Building the Candidate Profile Research Discussions Surveys • Review data: • Current Operations • Strategic Plan • Study Trends/ Associations • Assess Similar/ Other Postings • Project Kick-off Meeting • Interviews with Leaders: • Commission • Community Partners • Municipalities/ Counties • On-line survey to: • Employees • Volunteers • Commission • Strategic Plan Working Group • Central Texas Animal Welfare Partners 7 Survey Responses GROUP (Self Selected) Employees Volunteers Animal Advisory Commission Strategic Plan Working Group Central Texas Animal Welfare Partners Other …
REGULAR MEETING OF THE ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION October 13, 2025, 6:00 p.m. Austin City Hall, Room 1101 301 West 2nd St Austin, Texas 78701 Some members of the Animal Advisory Commission may be participating by videoconference. The meeting may be viewed online at: http://www.austintexas.gov/page/watch-atxn-live Public comment will be allowed in-person or remotely via telephone. Speakers may only register to speak on an item once either in-person or remotely and will be allowed up to three minutes to provide their comments. Registration no later than noon the day before the meeting is required for remote participation by telephone. To register to speak remotely or in person, contact Nekaybaw Watson at nekaybaw.watson@austintexas.gov or (512) 974-2562. CURRENT COMMISSIONERS: Dr. Paige Nilson, Chair, D4 Koby Ahmed, Mayor Ryan Clinton, Travis County Beatriz Dulzaides, D2 Jennifer Daniel, D6 Erin Ferguson, D8 Ann Linder, Vice Chair, D3 Whitney Holt, D5 Sarah Huddleston, D9 David Loignon, D10 Nancy Nemer, Travis County Jo Anne Norton, Parliamentarian, D7 AGENDA CALL TO ORDER PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL The first 10 speakers signed up prior to the meeting being called to order will each be allowed a three-minute allotment to address their concerns regarding items not posted on the agenda. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Approve the minutes of the Animal Advisory Commission Regular Meeting on September 8, 2025. STAFF BRIEFINGS 2. Staff briefing regarding monthly reports provided by Rolando Fernandez, Interim Chief Animal Services Officer, Austin Animal Services. 3. Staff briefing on updates to safety protocols, programmatic needs, emergency veterinary services and orthopedic contracts by Rolando Fernandez, Interim Chief Animal Services Officer, Austin Animal Services. 4. Staff briefing regarding Good Fix marketing strategies, outreach efforts, and spay/neuter backlogs by Rolando Fernandez, Interim Chief Animal Services Officer, Austin Animal Services. DISCUSSION ITEMS 5. Presentation by Austin Pets Alive! regarding license agreement reports. 6. Update on Bond Election Process to improve shelter operations. 7. Presentation regarding Staff’s response to Council Resolution 20241121-073 related to Bird-Friendly design by Leslie Lilly, Environmental Conservation Program Manager, Watershed Protection Department. DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS 8. Approve a Recommendation to Council related to Bird-Friendly design. 9. Approve the formation of a working group that advocates for renter’s policies for large breed dog owners. 10. Approve the Animal Advisory Commission’s 2026 Regular Meeting Schedule. 11. Approve an update to the membership of the Strategic Plan Working Group. WORKING GROUP UPDATES 12. Update from the Strategic Plan Working Group on the …
Animal Advisory Commission Minutes September 8, 2025 Animal Advisory Commission Regular Meeting Minutes Monday, September 8, 2025 The Animal Advisory Commission convened in a regular meeting on Monday, September 8, 2025, at Austin City Hall, 301 W 2nd St, Room 1101 in Austin, Texas. Chair Nilson called the Animal Advisory Commission meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. Commissioners in Attendance: Dr. Paige Nilson, Chair, D4 Erin Ferguson, D8 Jo Anne Norton, Parliamentarian, D7 Commissioners in Attendance Remotely: Ann Linder, Vice Chair, D3 Koby Ahmed, Mayor Ryan Clinton, Travis County Whitney Holt, D5 David Loignon, D10 Nancy Nemer, Travis County Commissioners Absent: Beatriz Dulzaides, D2 Sarah Huddleston, D9 PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL Julie Oliver – Safety failure at AAC Rochelle Vickery – Behavioral support for dogs at AAC APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Approve the minutes of the Animal Advisory Commission Regular Meeting on August 11, 2025. The motion to approve the minutes of the Animal Advisory Commission Regular Meeting on August 11, 2025, was approved on Commissioner Norton’s motion, Commissioner Ferguson’s second on a 9-0 vote. Commissioners Dulzaides and Huddleston were absent. STAFF BRIEFINGS 1 Animal Advisory Commission Minutes September 8, 2025 2. 3. Staff briefing regarding monthly reports provided by Jason Garza, Deputy Chief Animal Services Officer and Rolando Fernandez, Interim Chief Animal Services Officer, Austin Animal Services. The presentation was made by Jason Garza, Deputy Chief Animal Services Officer and Rolando Fernandez, Interim Chief Animal Services Officer, Austin Animal Services. Staff briefing on Updated Process for Euthanasia Notification provided by Rebekha Montie, Program Manager II, Jason Garza, Deputy Chief Animal Services Officer, and Rolando Fernandez, Interim Chief Animal Services Officer, Austin Animal Services. The presentation was made by Rebekha Montie, Program Manager II, Austin Animal Services, Jason Garza, Deputy Chief Animal Services Officer, Austin Animal Services, and Rolando Fernandez, Interim Chief Animal Services Officer, Austin Animal Services. DISCUSSION ITEMS 4. Update on the implementation of the prohibition of the purchase of and usage of all glue traps at City-owned and/or City-managed facilities based on the Animal Advisory Commission’s Recommendation 20241014-007. Discussed. DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS 5. 6. Approve the Animal Advisory Commission Annual Internal Review. The motion to approve the Animal Advisory Commission Annual Internal Review as amended below was approved on Commissioner Norton’s motion, Commissioner Ferguson’s second on a 9-0 vote. Commissioners Dulzaides and Huddleston were absent. The amendment was to insert “from the public” to the sixth bullet …
1 City Staff Watershed Protection Building Services Liz Johnston, Leslie Lilly, Elizabeth Funk Matt Hollon, Sean Watson Austin Energy Green Building Garret Jaynes, Heidi Kasper Development Services Department Farhana Biswas Kit Johnson, Nate Jackson Animal Services Emery Sadkin Planning Jordan Feldman 2 Resolution 20241121-073 ▪ Came out of a recommendation from a working group and Resolution 20210902-050 on Lights Out Austin ▪ Directs staff to: ▪ Update on Light’s Out Austin ▪ Explore integration of bird-friendly building techniques for new low-rise, mid-rise and high-rise buildings ▪ Conduct a feasibility analysis on the potential impacts of these standards ▪ Seek input from stakeholders, including developers, environmental organizations, and the public. 3 Migration and Habitat ▪ Austin was designated a Bird City in 2023 ▪ Austin within North America’s Central Flyway ▪ Over 400 species of birds ▪ Edwards Plateau and the Blackland Prairies habitat ▪ Premier destination for birdwatchers throughout most of the year. ▪ Birding generates more than $5 billion in annual ecotourism revenue in Texas ($279 billion nationwide) 4 The Problem ▪ Birds do not perceive glass as a barrier. ▪ In daytime, birds encounter reflective or translucent glass. ▪ At night, birds encounter artificial sources of light. ▪ Birds fly to these confusing features without seeing the glass barriers. ▪ The collision is deadly. An estimated 1 billion birds die every year. 5 Solutions Glass Strategies Bird-friendly design includes: ▪ Reducing the use of glass ▪ Reducing glass exposure (using solar shading, external insect/solar screens, louvers, etc.) ▪ Incorporating bird-friendly signals (markers) in or on the glass ▪ UV coating, glazing, and etched or fritted glass patterns that follow the "2x2 rule” 7 Design Strategies ▪ Incorporate physical barriers and architectural design that improve glass visibility ▪ Options include: ▪ Exterior screens ▪ Shutters ▪ Awnings ▪ Facades ▪ Structural shading systems Tracy Aviary, Salt Lake City, Utah 8 Lighting Exterior ▪ Eliminate uplighting, use fully shielded fixtures that direct light downward, and avoid event searchlights ▪ Use lighting management systems that can automatically reduce non-essential lighting during peak migration ▪ Also beneficial to bats and lightning bugs year-round ▪ Use warmer lightbulbs (as white/blue light can disorient birds) Interior ▪ Program automatic controls with timers and occupancy sensors ▪ Use window treatments to reduce light spillage ▪ Schedule janitorial services during daylight hours 9 Benchmarking What have other cities done? New York City (2021) Arlington County, VA …
September 2025 AUSTIN ANIMAL SERVICES REPORT 1 On May 5, 2025, Animal Services transitioned to a new database for shelter management. This transition is ongoing and has potentially impacted data reporting. Austin Animal Center Data is partially incomplete due to systems transfer. • The live outcome rate for September was 94.57%. • A total of 957 animals were brought to the shelter which included 551 cats and 393 dogs. • A total of 541 animals were adopted which included 314 cats and 223 dogs. • A total of 81 dogs and cats were returned to their owners (RTOs and RTO-Adopt). • On September 1, there were 1241 animals within the ASO inventory. • On October 1, there were 1253 animals within the ASO inventory. Animal Protection Data is partially incomplete due to systems transfer. • Animal Protection Officers (APOs) returned 7 animals to their owners in the field. • Officers handed out 3 fencing assistance applications and implanted 0 microchip(s). • Officers impounded 19 injured animals and 108 regular or sick animals. • Officers submitted 38 specimens for rabies testing. We had 12 positive bats, 6 decomposed bats, and 1 destroyed raccoon. Wildlife Data is partially incomplete and does not include non-coyote wildlife. • There were 38 total coyote related activities (Behavior types include Sighting, Encounter, Incident, and Observation. “Observation” is defined as hearing coyotes howling and finding scat or footprints.) o 16 sightings, 14 wild sick, 1 encounter, 3 incidents, 2 wild speaks, 2 observations • Out of 38 coyote related activities, 22 (58%) reports fell within the reported behavior types (sighting, encounter, incident, and observation) o Encounters: Pets were a factor in 1/1 (100%) of encounters reported 1/1 encounters (100%) involved a coyote with mange sleeping in fenced backyard and o encountered dog without incident Incidents: Pets were a factor in 3/3 (100%) of incidents reported 1/3 incidents (33%) involved a coyote chasing after a dog. No contact was made. 1/3 incidents (33%) involved a coyote killing an outside unsupervised cat 1/3 incidents (33%) involved a coyote injuring a dog Volunteer Data is partially incomplete due to systems transfer. • 521 volunteers contributed 6,642.05 hours in September. • • The Volunteer Program held 4 orientations, introducing 137 potential volunteers to shelter operations. The Volunteer Program scheduled 15 Community Service Restitution individuals to perform 224.5 hours of laundry, dishes and other duties as assigned. • …
