Animal Shelter Advisory Committee - Regular Meeting

We'll go ahead and get started because I see Bo and Kate online and everyone else is here. So we'll call to order at 11:59, one minute early. Darian, are you gonna call? I am. To roll for a Christie Bandu? Here. Brianna Geddes? Here. Estefan Centeno?

Here.

Sophie Shaw? Here. Bo Kidd?

Here.

Dorian Cruz? Here. Nicola Ladkin? Here. And doctor Sarah Gurri? Here.

Everybody's present. Well, just to remind you guys, if y'all are online, you have to have your cameras on when you're. So I know it's weird, but we gotta do it.

So Well, Christy, I would like to have my camera on. I don't see a way to make that happen.

It should you should have a little icon at the bottom that's for video.

I usually do. I just don't see it. Am I the only one who's not showing up?

Beau either.

I think it's a site wide setting.

I think we've got more. I just wanna see what the permissions are to make sure our permissions are are set. No. It's not there. Can we click on like, looking at

participants and see

the video itself? Can you right click on one

of these folks over here? Just wanna make

Yeah.

Just because I've never yeah. Just because I usually do see that video option, but it wasn't presented on this one. So I just wonder

That's the most. Yeah. Promise the panelist and then Kate as well.

Okay. Join us panelists. Okay.

See if you have more settings.

Okay. Start video. Okay. So I can now start my video. Here we go. Great.

Okay. Yay. We see a bow. Bow, did that, fix it for you as well?

No. It hasn't. I'm trying to figure that out. I can see I can see Kate now, and I see I have a box. I don't

What I did is I hovered over the box with my name on it, and there's three dots in the upper right hand corner, and that allowed me to start video. It gave me an option.

There we Okay.

Sorry about that.

Good to see you on wonderful faith. Was on a cold morning. So cool. So we'll move on to citizen comment period. We did not have any citizen sign up to speak, so that is an easy one. That moves us right on two minutes. Consider approval by motion of the 07/17/2024 meeting minutes. We did not have a quorum for the October meeting, so we're going all the way back to last July to just look at those meetings from those minutes from that meeting.

Motion. Motion to approve. Second.

Alright. Motion from Brianna Gatti. Second from Doctor. Brewery. All in favor? Aye. Aye. Aye. Okay. So the meeting minutes pass by a landslide. Move us to presentations. We don't have any. Again, our last meeting, we didn't have a quorum. We also have three new folks joining us, which will kinda introduce everybody in this next one. So I think this meeting's just gonna be a lot of setup for the rest of the year more than anything.

So items for action and discussion, Partly because it's a new year and partly because we have so many new folks, we do need to elect a chair and a vice chair. So anybody wanna nominate my motion, somebody to be a chair that's not me? No? Make this to be me? No. No. So alright. Well, somebody give me a motion. Let's start with the chair. Someone give me a motion for chair. She's

like Question.

Brianna says motion for Christy. Does anybody second it? Second I second it. Oh, doc was first, so doc seconds it. Okay. So I'll

have a move for Estefan with the vice chair. Yeah.

Well, we'll we'll do that next. So, okay, so, motion by Brianna for me to continue with the chair, second by doctor D. All in favor? Aye. Aye. Okay. Okay. Looks like I continue to be the chair. So vice chair, the person who was our vice chair before is no longer on our board. So, who wants to make a motion to nominate someone for vice chair?

I move to nominate Estefan.

Oh, I'm sorry. Doc, nominate Estefan. We I'll second that. Brianna seconds Okay. All in favor? Aye.

Aye.

Any opposed? Okay. So that's happened. So moving forward, I will continue to chair as Stephane will be our vice chair. Our second item for action and discussion was I believe it was put on here by a prior member. There was a discussion, and this has been so long ago. Like I said, we're looking at July now. There was a we were talking about shelter collaboration funding and grants. Again, the person who had put this on here is no longer with us, so I'm not sure what kind of update. The update, I guess, I can just generally give is, you we're still kind of in that survival mode.

So we've not really been seeking a lot of grant funding, things like that right now because we need to just kinda get to a place where we're stable before we're taking on new expensive projects that require tracking. So we are getting there. We are still collaborating kind of with all of our same partners, you know, all of our local vet clinics, things like that. So not really a lot new to update there. Our goal right now is to kinda just get out of survival mode, and that's we've been in that for a while. So anything else that y'all wanna know about that?

Can I ask, how in what ways you've been collaborating with PALS, pet prevent and litter over the past three to six months?

The biggest thing we're doing with them right now is trying to get more funding to PALS, both through our city and through our interlocal agreements with our regional partners, so that they can, basically pick up the speed on what they're doing with the So that's been the biggest, collaboration that we've had is how to get them the additional funding that they need to

We signed our ILA. We we we're we're trying to get

in their money. So, yeah, that that's the biggest thing. So we want POWs to be funded. There are only spay and neuter low cost spay and neuter options. So the more we can enter to that, the more we look like the don't stop looking like the definition of insanity at the shelter. So

Mhmm. That's that's good.

Yeah. Anything else on that one?

Return the page. The what y'all discussed last time is right there.

Yeah. No. I know. It's just that there's not really much of an update beyond that. So okay. So then we'll move on to c, which we need to determine our dates for the rest of the meetings this year. That's normally something we do at the, October meeting, but because we didn't have a forum, we are in the curve. So, we just kinda winged it to set this one up. What are you guys we did we did typically, April and then July and October are typically the months that we do. And then, of course, January.

So do we wanna just throw, like, a mid month Wednesday

out? Mhmm.

Okay. Yeah. I would say, however, we scheduled last year was pretty good where we did two evening meetings and two lunchtime meet. Is that what we did? Or

Yeah. It's usually noon and two 6PM. We'll see. So if we did, like, April 16, that's kinda right smack in the April.

Would that work for That is a zero appreciation.

Just FYI. Okay. Does it

I just no. I'm fairly busy that week with with doing stuff with the team.

So You wanna do, like, April 9 or twenty third?

Yeah. Just to get it off of off of that week.

Either one of those. How about April 9? Does that

you might just check that it doesn't fall on, like, an Easter kinda Good Friday sort of or I don't know. Let me see.

Easter is the week of the yeah. I will see the following weekend. I guess that's the other thing about that weekend.

Twenty third.

For me.

Okay. Twenty third.

Okay. So we'll do April 23, and that would be a 6PM one then since this one's at noon. And then July 16 is the Wednesday, right, smack in the middle and kind of away from the holidays. That would be a nude. Does that work? Mhmm. And then October 15 is kind of smack in the middle of that month. What's October 13? That looks like it's a holiday, so that might be a short week.

Columbus. Okay.

Oh. I mean, I it probably still works. Does that work for all of our city people who were gonna be kind of on a short week that week, or do we wanna move it? We can do it after twenty second.

Are you asking about the fifteenth?

Yeah. It's it's a shorter holiday week, so it might be our week chaotic.

Not a problem for me.

The fifteenth is good?

Fine with me if it works for you guys.

Likewise.

And that would be a 6PM one again. It would be our other 6PM. So okay. So we have April 23, 6PM, July 16, 12PM, and October 15, 6PM. So if that works for everybody, we'll Mhmm.

October 15 looks like it's a Thursday. No? It's a Wednesday. Oh, am I in the

wrong year or something? Maybe.

Yeah. October 14? Fifteenth. Oops. It's a Wednesday.

So we have April 23, July 16, and October 15? Yes. I moved to set these meeting times at the times that you stated.

Anybody second? Second. Okay. And so all in favor of those dates?

Aye.

Aye. Anybody opposed? Cool. Easy enough. So we are easy peasy this time. So I think, we'll just from that, we're moving into future agenda items. What we have some new folks. So I think we need to just kinda figure out what what the rest of our year looks like with what we need to talk about. So

Can we have a go around for introductions introductions since we of existing and and new members?

Yeah. We got me on our screen. I had kinda have to put this on the camera. Y'all know me. This is Nikki. I'll let her talk. Yeah.

Legal name is Nicole Aladkin.

I go by Nikki. I'm the new Hays County representative to this committee. I've been a volunteer foster for the shelter the last three years or so. I'm very happy to be here and hope to do as much as I can to assist and help the shelter continue to succeed.

And then next to her, we have Esteban Santano. I'll let him introduce himself and talk about himself.

Hi. Like Christy said, my name is Esteban Centeno. I'm the new shelter supervisor for San Marcus. Been in the animal world for about thirteen years now. I've known Christy a very long time. I'm happy to be brought aboard and continue to help the welfare of the animals and keep the shelter going.

Then we have doc. And then we have Doreen over here. I don't know if the camera sees. You might have to lean in and wave. Doreen's over here. She has been a. Yep.

I've done a lot of the dogs stay out with the San Marcos and fostering with

them. Prior to

that, I did about five to seven years fostering in the Dallas area. Then a couple of rescues there. So it's a much larger, different population there and in terms of the support and grants. So I wanna continue to work with I work closely with Cindy Yeah. Who've been doing a lot of that fostering and also getting donations from the community I live in.

We try to bring stuff every week, and then also try to do private fundraisers in my community to do actual monetary donations, just the food and the craves and

the bedding and all that stuff. Yeah. Anyways, I'm excited to keep working closer to the shelter. Oh, cool. And then I'll introduce Dina too. We'll make you get Dan in the middle for a second. Yeah. Dina is our new admin, so she'll be taking over as our liaison. She'll just pop in and wave. She's gotta go to an orientation.

So will be as we're getting her settled in probably for our next meeting, she'll be our liaison, so I won't have to she's also the liaison. So, yeah, we'll y'all get to know her pretty quickly as well. So we've got a lot of new faces. So, you know, I think it's a good opportunity for us to, like, really talk about some of the issues that the shelter is having. I kinda said for years, I feel like we're always just kinda caught in a circuit of talking about a lot of nothing. You know? And sometimes we're just updating about you know, it's like, what do we need to talk about that's relevant that can actually help the shelter? So you know?

Well, if I can, I'll just introduce myself. I'm Kate Shaw. I am the, nonprofit representative on the committee. I on behalf of I served as a board president of PALS for about seven years, ending in I can't remember the year. And then started, helped start Hays County Animal Advocates in 2018.

I come from the marketing world and have t and r'd hundreds of cats. And my other quest so nice to meet all the new members, and hope to meet you in person soon. My other question was, is there anyone that is on our role that is not here at today's meeting?

No. Everybody was present for this meeting. So I think you're you you and Bo, I think, are the only ones virtual, but y'all are here. Everyone else is in the room. So

Okay. Bo, how much longer are you staying on our committee?

Well, I guess until somebody kicks me off.

Oh, well, that's good. Okay. I was under the impression that you were, like, timing out at a certain point. But if you're staying on, that's great.

No. And I I apologize for not being there in person. I've I've got a a interview immediately following this that I need to be here before, but I I will be at the next three.

Yeah. The city reps don't time

out also. She

Oh, okay. Oh, okay. Okay.

Any more terms. I mean, like normal, but it did typically I mean, unless Bo does he wants someone else in Muda to do it. It's it's Bo.

So Well, he's doing such a good job, so we'll just keep him.

So

I think what like, Doreen is new, and she's been really active with the shelter, with the foster and the dogs stay out, you know, and some of those things. I don't know if maybe next meeting we wanna talk about how do we enhance some of that. One thing that I'm really interested in doing at the shelter is having, like, a I think we call, like, a tiered volunteer program where we have some volunteers and some fosters to kinda help Sydney. As you know, she's a one man show for foster and volunteer. So what I'd like to get is to kinda have, like, a buddy system where when we have new volunteers coming in, we have volunteers that kinda help walk them through some training and processes, same with fosters, and kinda help her develop a little bit of a team so that we can enhance both of those programs.

So that might be something we talk about, things that we can do to kinda help foster that for her or since we have people on our board now who are really out in our communities. So does that sound like a fun topic? Sounds like an excellent Okay. So what do we wanna call that? You can sum that up, and we'll call it whatever you sum it up as on the agenda.

That was a lot discussion on on some volunteer and foster program enhancement. There you go. That sounds good. I think that would be a good discussion for us to have because I'm really interested in this committee, you know, being able to actually help us with problems that we actually have at the shelter and not problems that the public thinks we have that we don't have. You know? And so, like, there's there's two different things there. You know? And that's something that really, if we could enhance that, would make a huge difference. Anything well, I guess we need to vote on it. Anybody opposed to having that for the next so all in favor on that?

Was there so you made the motion. Was there technically a second? Was there

a second? No. A second. Doc is the second. So we're all in favor. Anything else that we wanna talk about or want updates on? Or

Could we have that that topic a sounds amazing, and, we'll love to learn more about that. And then could we possibly have an update on if there is a way to donate to the animal shelter monetarily, under, like, a nonprofit, status? I know there was a vehicle to do that through the Mutstrat website, but I don't I don't think that's been the case lately. So maybe it could be time to look at maybe some way to do that.

K. Wait. Second? I'll second it. Okay.

Any opposed to having a discussion about kind of a nonprofit arm or donation? Yeah.

So there is a way to donate to the shelter in multiple ways. She was looking for people who writing on the tax books? Well, you

still can. So but I think in order to discuss any of that, we have to have it on an agenda so you can buy them.

We yeah. We can talk about it next week.

Yeah. So, I mean, in all theory, I'm one thing, like, clarification. So you can donate directly to the shelter, and it's still a tax write off.

Is it?

Yeah. It's just because you're donating to a municipality for a public purpose. You're not, like, donating to the mayor's reelection campaign or something. It's a public purpose. Uh-huh. Deductible. So most of our donations just come directly to the shelter. It does help sometimes to have it go through, a nonprofit partner, and we do that currently with, like, paws on the ground. If we have, like, a transport or something that's just gonna be really difficult for the city to spend donations on a nonprofit and just write a check. So we have kind of those partnerships already. But so, I mean, yeah, we can

Oh, okay. Yeah. I wasn't aware that that you could donate a tax deductible that you could make a tax deductible donation to the shelter. So if that's the case, that's great. And, yeah, maybe we can discuss a little bit more in detail. And

We can kinda keep so that everybody knows kinda how that

Yeah. Yeah. Okay.

The doc has seconded so everybody's in favor of having that as an agenda item. Okay. Anything else? Bad idea? Well, I was

just wondering if we could revisit TNR status. Okay. Or were you going to report on that later?

Well, I gave y'all kind of the breakdown of our staff. I just kinda bumped it to the end so I can give y'all a quick rundown. We're kinda going out

of order from the. Wasn't wasn't really meaning in terms of this the the stats related to it. It's just kind of a future vision for, you know, what might be if we're talking about perhaps, you know, enhancing the programs. Is that is that another program that

we could perhaps talk about? Yes. We can put that on We should. Do we wanna put that as one agenda item with the other program enhancements? Or because it's kind of its own. I think maybe make it its

own agenda item. Listed, yeah, the different suggestions, and then you just do one motion and second just to approve all of them as. Okay. Does that work? Yeah.

That works. Okay. So, yeah, we can put the TNR one way or another on that because that is something that Doc and I are super interested in at for sure as well. So

alright, anything? ACOs, and I will so do so much more together.

Oh, you're hiring a hammer. You're looking for more? The TNR ACO, that's what they do. What a great I want a

grand funded position for that.

So anything oh, I think that's gonna be a pretty full discussion on our agenda and lots of things to talk about ideas there. So if there's nothing else so okay. So let's just because that got kinda jumbly. We'll just motion to approve all of those agenda items. Anybody motion? Motion. Okay. Brianna, and then maybe a second. All in favor of all of those agenda items on our next meeting? Aye. Aye. K. So that will be our next agenda. That's gonna be a loaded one, and that's what I kinda want for these is for us to really be able to chat. I didn't really deep dive on our statistics.

I kinda graced over it because it's all included. And you guys I mean, you know, I think if you highlight it, if you want me to read it to you, but I've just kind of started including these in our packets. So this is our quarter one, which is October through the December with our fiscal year run starting in October. So that's the month that's encompassed there. And then I gave you the euthanasia reasons breakdown for those three months.

I always feel like it gets tedious just kind of reading these to y'all at every meeting. So it's just including it in the packet, and then you guys can kinda analyze it. We took it a bunch, and we haven't really hit slow season yet. It's slowed down a little bit, but not as much as we would like it to for winter. So we're still just kinda treading water every day with you know, animals are coming in and figuring it out.

So and I I don't have much to compare it to since this was kind of our first quarter. But when compared to other years, it's not astronomically different than what we we see with kind of logistical changes. So but I included those so that you guys are just kinda up to speed on what's coming in, what we're seeing, what kind of euthanasia's we are having to make those tough decisions on that kind of stuff. So we all have that.

So seen studies available for them.

That That point. Yeah. So and I just I simplify them. So I pull them in that point, but the table that it gives you is not real easy on the eyes. And so I kind of just break it down to where you guys can see, like, this is what came in, how it came in, and how it left. You know? And so, yeah, it's just a monthly. I do monthly statistics, quarterly statistics, and then they all go on the website as well. So

It's a really useful format.

Yeah. I like this format. Yeah. I just I've learned after years of that point, like, just make it easy on the eye so that it makes some sense. So, yeah, so so question and answer session with the prep and public. We'll move on to that. I see was grandma Kathleen still online? I saw her on there. I didn't know if she was here to

I don't see her anymore. Oh, I think she's in attendees.

That's

where it was. Only Rachel was there.

Okay. Well, does anybody online have any questions? We don't have anybody here in person. Okay. Well, y'all made that too easy. So we'll go ahead and actually, we have a motion. Adjourn. Brianna says motion to adjourn. Second. Alright. We are adjourned at 12:27 PMM.