Refresher Training Boards and Commissions 2021 Texas Open Meetings Act Meetings of governmental bodies must be open to public • Agendas posted at least 72 hours prior to meeting & include: date, time, place & subject of each item • Quorum present to convene • Meetings required to be audio recorded (unless ATXN records) • Recordings are posted online & kept indefinitely All boards must comply with the Texas Open Meetings Act (TOMA) Agendas Properly publishing agendas is a critical part of the City’s duty to provide transparency to the public Agendas must be written so any reasonable person may understand what is intended to be discussed • Include all issues to be considered and any action or vote scheduled • Example: “Possible discussion and action of…” Agendas • Agendas are compiled by staff liaison with input from executive liaison, members, and staff • Chair approves final agenda, but does not have discretionary authority to remove • items may be postponed or accelerated due to agenda length, council deadlines, allotted time, etc. Members may include an item on an agenda when: Sponsorship is received from 2 or more members (5 days before meeting) OR Requested during a meeting under New Business/Future Items from 2 or more members Agendas Agendas are required to allow public comment • Citizen Communication • Speaker may address any topic that is not an agenda item • Number of people may be limited • Speaker sign-up • Must be allowed for any agenda item except item posted as a briefing • No limit on number of people Board Bylaws Each board has, at least, a standard set of bylaws which include: • the board’s mission; • procedures for selecting the officers; • outline duties of each officer; • requirements for establishing committees & working groups; • guidelines for posting meetings; • and using Robert’s Rules of Order Current bylaws are posted on each board’s webpage Bylaw Amendment Process 1. Bylaw amendments approved by the board 2. Board submits proposed changes to the City Clerk’s Office (OCC) 3. OCC submits proposed changes to Audit & Finance Council Committee (AFC) • Board Chairs are invited to speak to the changes • AFC makes recommendation to full Council 4. Proposed changes are then presented to full Council for final approval Committees and Working Groups Committees Working Groups Permanent bodies added to bylaw Temporary bodies Meet quarterly Present annual report …
ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION SEPTEMBER 13, 2021, 6 PM AUSTIN CITY HALL, Room 1101 301 W. Second St. AUSTIN, TEXAS 78702 Some members of the Commission may be participating by videoconference. The meeting may be viewed online at http://www.austintexas.gov/watch-atxn-live AGENDA CURRENT BOARD MEMBERS: Craig Nazor, Chair Nancy Nemer, Parliamentarian Palmer Neuhaus Edward Flores Monica Frenden Jo Anne Norton Lotta Smagula CALL TO ORDER CITIZEN COMMUNICATION: GENERAL The first 10 speakers who register to speak no later than noon the day before the meeting will be allowed a three-minute allotment to address their concerns regarding items not posted on the agenda. Ryan Clinton, Vice Chair Lisa Mitchell Katie Jarl Dr. Jon Brandes Yolanda Rodriguez-Pacheco Luis Herrera a. Review and approval of minutes from the August 9, 2021, Animal Advisory Commission 1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Meeting. 2. STAFF BRIEFINGS a. Austin Animal Center and Animal Services Reports. b. COVID Update. c. Briefing on Expiration of Eviction Moratorium by representative of Austin Tenants Council and Austin Public Health. 3. OLD BUSINESS: Update, Discussion and Possible Action a. Comparative Evaluations of Monthly Release Rates. b. Monthly Reporting of Data. c. Working Group on Off-Leash Dogs. d. Working Group on How to Increase Microchipping in the City of Austin. e. Placement Partner Transfer Agreement. f. Shelter Space Issues Working Group. g. Austin Pets Alive!’s Future at the Town Lake Animal Center and the Maintenance of No Kill in Austin. 4. NEW BUSINESS: Discussion and Possible Action a. Creation of a committee related to the City’s No-Kill policy and amend the Commission’s bylaws accordingly. b. Transferring Austin Animal Center Animals to Other Communities. 5. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS 6. ADJOURNMENT The City of Austin is committed to compliance with the American with Disabilities Act. Reasonable modifications and equal access to communications will be provided upon request. Meeting locations are planned with wheelchair access. If requiring Sign Language Interpreters or alternative formats, please give notice at least 2 days (48 hours) before the meeting date. Please call Belinda Hare at the Animal Services Office, at 512-978-0565, for additional information; TTY users route through Relay Texas at 711. For more information on the Animal Advisory Commission, please contact Board Liaison. Belinda Hare, 512-978-0565 or Belinda.Hare@austintexas.gov
August 2021 August 2021 Animal Services Report ANIMAL SERVICES REPORT Animal Services News and four birds. Animal Protection August. The live outcome percentage for August was 97.5 percent. A total of 1,240 animals were brought to the shelter which included 607 dogs, 567 cats, 15 wild animals A total of 833 animals were adopted (376 dogs, 439 cats, three livestock and 15 small pets) A total of 121 dogs and cats were returned to their owners (RTOs and RTO-Adopt). Animal Protection Officers (APOs) returned 40 animals to their owners in the field during the month of Officers handed out 26 fencing assistance applications, impounded 172 injured animals and delivered 96 wildlife animals to Austin Wildlife Rescue. Officers entered 152 rabies exposure reports and submitted 49 specimens for rabies testing. Four bats tested positive for rabies. 26 total coyote related activities o 12 sightings o 10 wild sick o 3 encounters o 1 incident o 1 wild injured Out of 26 coyote related activities, 16 fell within the reported behavior types (sighting, encounter, and incident). Encounters: Pets were a factor in both activities: o 2 encounters involved coyotes flushing dogs out of an area o 1 incident involved a coyote going after a small dog with person present in an unfenced backyard Volunteer, Foster and Rescue Programs A total of 88 volunteers donated 1,712 hours during August. The Volunteer Coordinators held 4 orientations for new volunteers in August, introducing 88 people to the shelter programs. 31 new volunteers attended their first training or mentor shifts in August. More than 240 families provided foster care, and a total of 169 animals were adopted directly from foster care. August 2021 Animal Services Report There are 1,256 approved fosters in GivePulse, and 127 new foster applications were processed. There are currently 369 animals in foster homes. 303 animals were transferred to 22 AAC rescue partners: 5 to Austin Humane Society (AHS) 158 to Austin Pets Alive! (APA!) o 163 cats o 93 dogs 3 to AHS 49 to APA! 41 dogs to other partners Vet Services Emergencies cases treated at AAC- 60 Emergencies transferred from Emergency Clinic- 55 Spay/Neuter surgeries performed - 663 Orthopedic surgeries - 6 dentals, etc. – 26 Cruelty cases- 3 Vet exams – …
AAC Meeting Minutes 2021-09-13 ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING SEPTEMBER 13, 2021, MINUTES APPROVED OCTOBER 11, 2021 The Animal Advisory Commission convened for a Regular Meeting, Monday, September 13, 2021, 6 p.m., in Room 1101, City Hall. Commission Chair Craig Nazor called the meeting to order at 6:02 p.m., conducted a verbal roll call of those in attendance and confirmed a quorum of 11 commissioners. Seven commissioners attended the meeting in person, including Commissioners Nazor, Clinton, Jarl, Neuhaus, Flores, Smagula, and Herrera. Four commissioners participated via virtual teleconferencing, including Commissioners Mitchell, Brandes, Frenden and Norton. Commissioners Nemer and Rodriguez- Pacheco were absent. Commission Members in Attendance: Seven commissioners attended the meeting in person, including Commissioners Nazor, Clinton, Jarl, Neuhaus, Flores, Smagula, and Herrera. Four commissioners participated via virtual teleconferencing, including Commissioners Mitchell, Brandes, Frenden and Norton. Commissioners Nemer and Rodriguez-Pacheco were absent. Commission Members Absent: Commissioners Nemer and Rodriguez Pacheco were absent. Staff in Attendance: Don Bland, Jason Garza CITIZEN COMMUNICATIONS: Kristen Hassen 1 AAC Meeting Minutes 2021-09-13 1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Commissioner Jarl moved to approve the minutes from the Animal Advisory Commission Meeting, August 9, 2021, and Commissioner Flores seconded the motion. Motion passed unanimously, 11 to 0, with all Commissioners in attendance voting approval: Nazor, Clinton, Jarl, Neuhaus, Flores, Smagula, and Herrera. Four commissioners participated via virtual teleconferencing, including Commissioners Mitchell, Brandes, Frenden and Norton. Commissioners Nemer and Rodriguez-Pacheco were absent. 2. STAFF BRIEFINGS a. Austin Animal Center and Animal Services Reports b. COVID Update c. Briefing on Expiration of Eviction Moratorium by representatives Laura La Fuentes and Nefertiti Jackmon, Austin Public Health, and Molly Jensen, executive director, the Austin Tenants Council, 3. OLD BUSINESS: a. Update, Discussion and Possible Action a. Comparative Evaluations of Monthly Release Rates d. Working Group on How to Increase Microchipping in the City of Austin b. Monthly Reporting of Data c. Working Group on Off-Leash Dogs e. Placement Partner Transfer Agreement f. Shelter Space Issues Working Group No action. No action. No action. No action. No action. No action. Kill No action. g. Austin Pets Alive!’s Future at the Town Lake Animal Center and the Maintenance of No 4. NEW BUSINESS: Discussion and Possible Action a. Creation of a Committee Related to the City’s No Kill Policy and Amend the Commission’s Bylaws Accordingly Commissioner Neuhaus moved to form a committee to sustain and advance No Kill in Austin. Commissioner Clinton seconded …
Versión en español a continuación. Animal Advisory Commission Meeting Monday, August 9, 6 p.m. Animal Advisory Commission Meeting to be held Monday, August 9, 6 p.m., with Social Distancing Modifications Public comment will be allowed via telephone; no in-person input will be allowed. All speakers must register in advance (Sunday, August 8, by noon). All public comment will occur at the beginning of the meeting. To speak remotely at the August 9 Animal Advisory Commission Meeting, members of the public must: • Call or email the board liaison, Belinda Hare, phone 512-978-0565 or email Belinda.Hare@austintexas.gov, no later than noon on Sunday, August 8. Email works best. The following information is required: speaker name, general communication, or agenda item number(s) they wish to speak on, whether they are for/against/neutral, email address and telephone number (must be the same phone number that will be used to call into the meeting). • Once a request to speak has been made to the board liaison, the information to call on the day of the scheduled meeting will be provided either by email or phone call. • Speakers must call in at least 15 minutes prior to meeting start time in order to speak; late callers will not be accepted and will not be able to speak. • Speakers will be placed in a queue until their time to speak. • Handouts or other information may be emailed to Belinda.Hare@austintexas.gov by noon the day before the scheduled meeting. This information will be provided to Board and Commission members in advance of the meeting. • If the meeting is broadcast live, it may be viewed here: http://www.austintexas.gov/page/watch-atxn-live Reunión del Animal Advisory Commission la junta en 512-978-0565 or FECHA de la reunion (Monday, August 9, 6 p.m.) La junta se llevará con modificaciones de distanciamiento social Se permitirán comentarios públicos por teléfono; no se permitirá ninguna entrada en persona. Todos los oradores deben registrarse con anticipación (Sunday, August 8, noon, antes del mediodía). Todos los comentarios públicos se producirán al comienzo de la reunión. Para hablar de forma remota en la reunión, los miembros del público deben: • Llame o envíe un correo electrónico al enlace de Belinda.Hare@austintexas.gov a más tardar al mediodía (el día antes de la reunión). Se requiere la siguiente información: nombre del orador, número (s) de artículo sobre el que desean hablar, si están a favor / en contra / neutral, dirección de …
Versión en español a continuación. Animal Advisory Commission Meeting Monday, August 9, 6 p.m. Animal Advisory Commission Meeting to be held Monday, August 9, 6 p.m., with Social Distancing Modifications Public comment will be allowed via telephone; no in-person input will be allowed. All speakers must register in advance (Sunday, August 8, by noon). All public comment will occur at the beginning of the meeting. To speak remotely at the August 9 Animal Advisory Commission Meeting, members of the public must: • Call or email the board liaison, Belinda Hare, phone 512-978-0565 or email Belinda.Hare@austintexas.gov, no later than noon on Sunday, August 8. Email works best. The following information is required: speaker name, general communication, or agenda item number(s) they wish to speak on, whether they are for/against/neutral, email address and telephone number (must be the same phone number that will be used to call into the meeting). • Once a request to speak has been made to the board liaison, the information to call on the day of the scheduled meeting will be provided either by email or phone call. • Speakers must call in at least 15 minutes prior to meeting start time in order to speak; late callers will not be accepted and will not be able to speak. • Speakers will be placed in a queue until their time to speak. • Handouts or other information may be emailed to Belinda.Hare@austintexas.gov by noon the day before the scheduled meeting. This information will be provided to Board and Commission members in advance of the meeting. • If the meeting is broadcast live, it may be viewed here: http://www.austintexas.gov/page/watch-atxn-live Reunión del Animal Advisory Commission la junta en 512-978-0565 or FECHA de la reunion (Monday, August 9, 6 p.m.) La junta se llevará con modificaciones de distanciamiento social Se permitirán comentarios públicos por teléfono; no se permitirá ninguna entrada en persona. Todos los oradores deben registrarse con anticipación (Sunday, August 8, noon, antes del mediodía). Todos los comentarios públicos se producirán al comienzo de la reunión. Para hablar de forma remota en la reunión, los miembros del público deben: • Llame o envíe un correo electrónico al enlace de Belinda.Hare@austintexas.gov a más tardar al mediodía (el día antes de la reunión). Se requiere la siguiente información: nombre del orador, número (s) de artículo sobre el que desean hablar, si están a favor / en contra / neutral, dirección de …
AAC Space Working Group Recommendations Introduction This Animal Advisory Commission Working Group was formed in response to Chief Don Bland’s memo citing a space crisis at Austin Animal Center which may lead to the euthanasia of animals. This workgroup is seeking Council support to enact the below recommendations in response to Austin Animal Center’s space crisis statement. These are initial recommendations we ask be implemented immediately while we continue to analyze data. Additional recommendations may follow. Surgical delays prevent animals from leaving the shelter at earliest opportunity Spay/Neuter surgery appears to be the single greatest source of bottleneck at AAC with up to 65% of available in-shelter dogs not sterilized when they are available for adoption. This means the adopted pet cannot leave immediately; the adopter must go back and forth to the shelter; and ASO staff must interface with the same adopter multiple times. This is highly inefficient and leads to significant length of stay and space issues. AAC reports medical staffing shortages prevent this; however, data (below) conclusively shows that AAC presently has 83% of the maximum veterinarians and 90% of the maximum vet techs it has ever had, despite only taking in 36% of its traditional intake. Simply put, AAC has nearly full maximum medical personnel but one-third its normal intake. The backlog of surgeries is an operational problem, not a staff shortage. The below recommendations do not increase the number of surgeries needed at AAC, but are an operational change to increase efficiency and alleviate space challenges. Recommendation: Rapid medical make-ready ● Within 48 hours of ownership transferring to AAC, the eligible animal (of appropriate age and health) will be sterilized. ● If AAC is behind in sterilizing AAC owned animals, they will be given 48 additional hours to catch-up and bring all eligible AAC-owned animals to sterilized status, or an adopted animal is to be released to the adopter with a spay/neuter voucher. ○ During the additional 48 hours no animal may be euthanized for space. ● If medically unable to be sterilized, and the animal is 8 weeks of age or older, a memo should be entered in Chameleon to explain the delay and give an estimated date of surgery clearance. ● AAC vets should be trained on high volume spay/neuter techniques, if not already, to increase efficiency. ● Current backlogged surgeries should be caught up within one month through the use of available …
Transport Process Overview Secure Tentative out-of-state Rescue Partnerships Secure ground transporter Work with partner rescue to tag dogs Stage dogs for transport loading (day of or day before transport) Prepare Health Certificates, to-go meds, and paperwork Make tagged dogs unavailable (ideally place in short-term foster care) Load transport vehicle + paperwork Track dogs through transport and receipt at partner Share adoption success stories
Versión en español a continuación. Animal Advisory Commission Meeting Monday, August 9, 6 p.m. Animal Advisory Commission Meeting to be held Monday, August 9, 6 p.m., with Social Distancing Modifications Public comment will be allowed via telephone; no in-person input will be allowed. All speakers must register in advance (Sunday, August 8, by noon). All public comment will occur at the beginning of the meeting. To speak remotely at the August 9 Animal Advisory Commission Meeting, members of the public must: • Call or email the board liaison, Belinda Hare, phone 512-978-0565 or email Belinda.Hare@austintexas.gov, no later than noon on Sunday, August 8. Email works best. The following information is required: speaker name, general communication, or agenda item number(s) they wish to speak on, whether they are for/against/neutral, email address and telephone number (must be the same phone number that will be used to call into the meeting). • Once a request to speak has been made to the board liaison, the information to call on the day of the scheduled meeting will be provided either by email or phone call. • Speakers must call in at least 15 minutes prior to meeting start time in order to speak; late callers will not be accepted and will not be able to speak. • Speakers will be placed in a queue until their time to speak. • Handouts or other information may be emailed to Belinda.Hare@austintexas.gov by noon the day before the scheduled meeting. This information will be provided to Board and Commission members in advance of the meeting. • If the meeting is broadcast live, it may be viewed here: http://www.austintexas.gov/page/watch-atxn-live Reunión del Animal Advisory Commission la junta en 512-978-0565 or FECHA de la reunion (Monday, August 9, 6 p.m.) La junta se llevará con modificaciones de distanciamiento social Se permitirán comentarios públicos por teléfono; no se permitirá ninguna entrada en persona. Todos los oradores deben registrarse con anticipación (Sunday, August 8, noon, antes del mediodía). Todos los comentarios públicos se producirán al comienzo de la reunión. Para hablar de forma remota en la reunión, los miembros del público deben: • Llame o envíe un correo electrónico al enlace de Belinda.Hare@austintexas.gov a más tardar al mediodía (el día antes de la reunión). Se requiere la siguiente información: nombre del orador, número (s) de artículo sobre el que desean hablar, si están a favor / en contra / neutral, dirección de …
July 2021 July 2021 Animal Services Report ANIMAL SERVICES REPORT Animal Services News • The live outcome percentage for July was 96.6 percent. • A total of 1,336 animals were brought to the shelter which included 640 dogs, 643 cats, 46 wild animals and seven birds. • A total of 850 animals were adopted (397 dogs, 453 cats and 15 small pets) • A total of 126 dogs and cats were returned to their owners (RTOs and RTO-Adopt). Animal Protection month of July. • Animal Protection Officers (APOs) returned 39 animals to their owners in the field during the • Officers handed out 38 fencing assistance applications, impounded 189 injured animals and delivered 110 wildlife animals to Austin Wildlife Rescue. • Officers entered 247 rabies exposure reports and submitted 30 specimens for rabies testing. Two bats tested positive for rabies. • 30 total coyote related activities o 14 sightings o 8 wild sick reports of mange o 3 wild injured o 2 observations o 2 incidents o 1 wild speak • Out of 30 coyote related activities, 17 fell within the reported behavior types (sighting, encounter, and incident). Incidents: Pets were a factor in both activities: • o 1 incident involved two coyotes going after a small dog with person present in fenced backyard o 1 incident involved a coyote taking a off-leash cat in fenced backyard Volunteer, Foster and Rescue Programs • A total of 105 volunteers donated 1,895 hours during July. July 2021 Animal Services Report • The Volunteer Program held its first special orientation session for those who signed up to volunteer during the pandemic and are in the process of getting those new volunteers onboarded with mentor shifts. • More than 250 families provided foster care, and a total of 138 animals were adopted directly from foster care. • There are 1,205 approved fosters in GivePulse, and 130 new foster applications were processed. • There are currently 374 animals in foster homes. • 267 animals were transferred to 21 AAC rescue partners: o 135 cats ▪ 7 to Austin Humane Society (AHS) ▪ 128 to Austin Pets Alive! (APA!) o 66 dogs ▪ 65 to APA! ▪ 1 to AHS • Partner pulls are down significantly when compared to 2019 data. APA! transferred a total of 403 animals in July 2019 compared to a total of 193 in July 2021. AHS transferred a total of 195 …
Austin Animal Center Response To Space Working Group The purpose of this document is to provide a response from Animal Services Office (ASO) to the Space Working Group Recommendations from the Animal Advisory Commission. ASO staff greatly appreciates the recommendations presented by the Animal Advisory Commission’s Working Group as input and involvement are vital to the success of our programs. Staff would like to recognize the working group members for their time and commitment to the success of the program. From our ASO staff perspective, the following factors are the greatest contributors to space issues: • Long-stay medium and large dogs • Intake of “owned” strays • Decline in pulls from partners • Lack of microchipped pets Analyzed data from July 2019 to July 2021 (below) indicates a decline in pulls from our rescue partners. While all shelters throughout the southern United States have been experiencing over-capacity issues, this decrease in partner pulls has had an impact on ASO. July 1, 2019, July 1, 2021 1196 1402 849 270 1514 1046 96.79 1258 1882 847 653 1847 1304 96.33 Beginning animal count Intake Adoptions Transfers Total outcomes Ending animal count Live Exit rate *Data is from Best Friends/MMHP Report Over the last decade, space concerns have been a recurring issue since the Austin Animal Center (AAC) achieved No Kill status. This is the case for any high performing No Kill shelter. In late 2018, AAC staff placed animals in popup crates throughout the building due to an overflow of animals. In March 2019, press releases were sent out to address the issue and ask the public for help. In August 2019, then interim Chief Animal Services Officer, Kimberly McNeeley, sent a memo to Mayor and Council to address another space crisis. Austin Pets Alive! (APA!), the Austin Humane Society (AHS), and other rescue partners helped by pulling animals during these times. The memo sent this year was to communicate again that the Austin Animal Center was passed capacity for space for medium to large dogs. The COVID-19 pandemic changed life for the entire community. With the limitations the pandemic imposed on the City and the AAC, staff saw opportunities to assess our processes and adapt them to the uncertainty of the time. AAC closed to the public and volunteers in March 2020, but the work of maintaining the shelter continued. Although the City was locked down, animals continued to come …
AAC Space Working Group Recommendations Introduction This Animal Advisory Commission Working Group was formed in response to Chief Don Bland’s memo citing a space crisis at Austin Animal Center which may lead to the euthanasia of animals. This workgroup is seeking Council support to enact the below recommendations in response to Austin Animal Center’s space crisis statement. These are initial recommendations we ask be implemented immediately while we continue to analyze data. Additional recommendations may follow. Surgical delays prevent animals from leaving the shelter at earliest opportunity Spay/Neuter surgery appears to be the single greatest source of bottleneck at AAC with up to 65% of available in-shelter dogs not sterilized when they are available for adoption. This means the adopted pet cannot leave immediately; the adopter must go back and forth to the shelter; and ASO staff must interface with the same adopter multiple times. This is highly inefficient and leads to significant length of stay and space issues. AAC reports medical staffing shortages prevent this; however, data (below) conclusively shows that AAC presently has 83% of the maximum veterinarians and 90% of the maximum vet techs it has ever had, despite only taking in 36% of its traditional intake. Simply put, AAC has nearly full maximum medical personnel but one-third its normal intake. The backlog of surgeries is an operational problem, not a staff shortage. The below recommendations do not increase the number of surgeries needed at AAC, but are an operational change to increase efficiency and alleviate space challenges. Recommendation: Rapid medical make-ready ● Within 48 hours of ownership transferring to AAC, the eligible animal (of appropriate age and health) will be sterilized. ● If AAC is behind in sterilizing AAC owned animals, they will be given 48 additional hours to catch-up and bring all eligible AAC-owned animals to sterilized status, or an adopted animal is to be released to the adopter with a spay/neuter voucher. ○ During the additional 48 hours no animal may be euthanized for space. ● If medically unable to be sterilized, and the animal is 8 weeks of age or older, a memo should be entered in Chameleon to explain the delay and give an estimated date of surgery clearance. ● AAC vets should be trained on high volume spay/neuter techniques, if not already, to increase efficiency. ● Current backlogged surgeries should be caught up within one month through the use of available …
