[00:00:03]
COUNCIL MEMBER MAKI RODRIGUEZ.
COUNCIL MEMBER BIRAN IS HERE REMOTELY.
AND THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR FLEXIBILITY IN RESCHEDULING TODAY'S, UH, MEETING.
WE WERE ABLE TO, UH, RESCHEDULE THE LIBRARY BRIEFING, WHICH, UH, LOOKING FORWARD TO.
AND, UM, WE HAVE ADDED A BONUS ITEM, WHICH IS, UM, THE CASA PROGRAM.
UM, BUT MR. MCCAREY, WHEN WILL WE HEAR THE T C E Q ITEM? THE OZONE ITEM.
WE'RE TRYING TO BRING IT AT OUR VERY NEXT MEETING.
THEY COULDN'T MEET OUR SCHEDULE FOR TODAY.
BUT WE ARE WORKING TO BRING THAT, UH, FORWARD.
SO WE'RE JUST WORKING OUT THE DETAILS.
UM, WITH THAT, I'LL BEGIN WITH, UH,
[Approval of Minutes ]
ITEM ONE, WHICH IS THE MINUTES OF AUGUST 25.IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE? SO MOVED.
WE HAVE A MOTION BY COUNCILWOMAN CASTILLO.
[Briefing and Possible Action on ]
WE WILL MOVE ON TO ITEM TWO, THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE 2023 LIBRARY STRATEGIC PLAN AND COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT.MR. SALAZAR, JESSICA, GOOD AFTERNOON, MADAM CHAIR AND MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE.
UH, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE WITH YOU OUR ONGOING STRATEGIC PLANNING EFFORTS.
UM, JESSICA ZITA, ASSISTANT TO THE DIRECTOR WILL BE PRESENTING, UH, THE, THE STATUS REPORT.
SHE IS THE LEAD FOR THIS PROJECT.
UH, AS YOU KNOW, WE BELIEVE VERY STRONGLY IN BEING VERY STRATEGIC IN OUR EFFORTS.
SO THE STRATEGIC PLAN WILL SERVE AS AN IMPORTANT BLUEPRINT FOR THE NEXT THREE YEARS, UH, TO GET TO GUIDE THE DECISION MAKING AS IT PERTAINS TO OUR SERVICE EFFORTS AND AS WELL AS OTHER ASPECTS OF LIBRARY OPERATIONS.
SO AT THIS TIME, I WOULD, I WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE JESSICA ZITA AND SHE WILL PRESENT THE PROGRAM.
AGAIN, MY NAME IS JESSICA ZITA, AND I AM THE ASSISTANT TO THE DIRECTOR AT THE LIBRARY DEPARTMENT.
TODAY, I WILL SHARE WITH YOU AN UPDATE REGARDING THE LIBRARY'S STRATEGIC PLAN AND OUR COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT, WHICH IS OUR FIRST STEP IN DEVELOPMENT OF OUR STRATEGIC PLAN.
THIS SLIDE SHARES WITH YOU OUR AGENDA TODAY, WHAT WE'RE GOING TO COVER.
THE SAN ANTONIO PUBLIC LIBRARY IS NO STRANGER TO STRATEGIC PLANNING.
THE LIBRARY UNDERSTANDS THE VALUE OF PROVIDING RESOURCES AND SERVICES GUIDED BY AN INFORMED PLAN THAT IS UPDATED REGULARLY.
TO THIS END, THE LIBRARY ENGAGED WITH A CONSULTANT TO LAUNCH A COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT IN LATE 2018.
AND OUR DATA COLLECTION BEGAN IN 2019.
AND OF COURSE, THIS IS OUR DATA COLLECTION IS OUR FIRST STEP TO OUR STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS.
THIS SLIDE GIVES YOU AN OVERVIEW OF OUR TIMELINE FOR OUR DATA COLLECTION.
OUR COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENTS STARTED PRE PANDEMIC.
AND YOU MAY RECALL WE DID SOME INTERVIEWS WITH COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, WITH OUR CONSULTANT TO JUST GET AN UNDERSTANDING OF YOUR THOUGHTS OF YOUR COUNCIL DISTRICT, UM, USE OF LIBRARIES IN YOUR VARIOUS DISTRICTS.
AND OUR DATA COLLECTION, OF COURSE, DID PAUSE DURING THE PANDEMIC.
LOOKING BACK, WE REALIZED THAT THIS WAS ABSOLUTELY THE RIGHT DECISION FOR US TO MAKE.
UM, ALTHOUGH IT WAS HARD TO PAUSE SUCH AN IMPORTANT PROJECT, WE HAVE REALIZED THAT IMMENSE CHANGES TOOK PLACE DURING THE PANDEMIC.
ROUTINES WERE ADJUSTED, ATTITUDES AND PRIORITIES WERE SHIFTED.
AND OF COURSE, BUSINESS MODELS CHANGED.
HAD WE CONTINUED WITH OUR DATA COLLECTION AS SCHEDULED, OUR DATA WOULD'VE BEEN OUTDATED BY THE TIME WE STARTED THE STRATEGIC PLAN.
SO, IN LATE 2021 AND 2022, DATA COLLECTION RESUMED, AND WE ARE RIGHT ON TRACK TO FINALIZING OUR COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT THIS MONTH OF OCTOBER.
THIS SLIDE TALKS ABOUT OUR DATA.
AND AS YOU KNOW, THE LIBRARY DOES COLLECT DATA ROUTINELY ABOUT OUR SERVICES THAT ARE USED.
OUR KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS ARE DOOR COUNTS, CIRCULATION AND USE OF TECHNOLOGY.
WE TRACK OUR DATA DOWN TO THE LIBRARY LOCATION LEVEL, BUT WE ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT DATA USAGE
[00:05:01]
ALONE, THOUGH IT'S IMMENSELY IMPORTANT, IS NOT ENOUGH TO BASE OUR STRATEGIC PLAN.SO WITH OUR CONSULTANTS, WE LAUNCHED A SERIES OF TACTICS TO GO INTO THE COMMUNITY.
WE SERVE TO LISTEN AND TO LEARN.
EACH TACTIC WAS OFFERED IN ENGLISH AND IN SPANISH WITH AN EMPHASIS ON COLLECTING A REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLE.
THE TARGETED BLOCK WALKING, FOR EXAMPLE, WAS FOCUSED IN NEIGHBORHOODS SURROUNDING LIBRARIES THAT HAD A LOW RESPONSE RATE.
SO WE STARTED WITH STAKEHOLDER INTERVIEWS, WHICH INCLUDED COUNCIL MEMBERS, UM, THE LIBRARY BOARD.
WE THEN MOVED INTO AN IN-PERSON SURVEYS AT ALL LIBRARY LOCATIONS.
AND THESE TOOK PLACE IN ENGLISH, SPANISH, UH, WE HAD A FOCUS EFFORT ON DISTRICTS, UM, THAT HAD LOWER USAGE.
AND THEN WE MOVED ON TO AN ONLINE USER AND NON-USER SURVEY SO THAT WE COULD COLLECT DATA FROM BOTH GROUPS OF, UM, POPULATIONS.
AND ONCE WE ANALYZED THAT, THOSE DATA, WE LAUNCHED INTO OUR BLOCK WALKING.
AND THAT IS WHERE WE REALLY HAD A TARGETED APPROACH FOR THOSE WHO DID, WERE NOT HOME.
WE LEFT A DOOR HANGER WITH A QR CODE THAT FOLKS COULD SCAN IN AND COMPLETE THE SURVEY ONLINE.
AND WE HAD A, A PRETTY GOOD RESPONSE RATE FROM THAT EFFORT.
SO OUR DESIRED OUTCOME FROM THE COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT, SO OUR CONSULTANTS ARE DEVELOPING CUSTOMER STORIES OR PERSONAS.
UM, AND THIS WILL PERSONIFY CRITICAL NEEDS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
EACH STORY WILL HAVE AN ESTIMATED POPULATION AND GEOGRAPHIC AREA, AND THE STORIES WILL BE THE BASICS, THE BASIC BUILDING BLOCKS FOR OUR STRATEGIC PLAN.
AND SO WE'RE APPROACHING THIS IN THE TWO PHASES.
OUR FIRST PHASE IS COMMUNITY NEEDS IN WHICH THESE 10 STORIES WILL EVOLVE.
AND FOLLOWING THAT, OUR NEXT PHASE IS THE STRATEGIC PLAN, IS WHERE WE WILL, UM, TAKE THESE STORIES AND OUR LIBRARY STAFF WILL, UH, REALLY LOOK AT THEM, ANALYZE THEM, AND, UM, SHARE THEIR EXPERIENCE AS LIBRARY STAFF AND HOW THOSE 10 CUSTOMER STORIES COULD EVOLVE INTO, UM, SERVICES AND RESOURCES THE LIBRARY COULD OFFER OR CONTINUE OFFER, UM, OFFERING IN THE FUTURE.
UM, SO OF COURSE WE WILL FINALIZE OUR COMMITTEE NEEDS ASSESSMENT.
WE ARE HAVING FOCUS GROUPS TAKING PLACE THIS AFTERNOON.
UM, WE WILL DEVELOP OUR STRATEGIC PLAN AND, UM, ASK FOR COMMUNITY FEEDBACK REGARDING THAT PLAN.
OUR ADOPTION OF OUR STRATEGIC PLAN IS SCHEDULED FOR MARCH, 2023, AND WE WILL THEN HAVE OUR THREE YEAR GUIDING PLAN FOR THE LIBRARY SYSTEM.
ONCE WE DO LAUNCH OUR PLAN, WE DO, UM, COMMIT TO HAVING A COMPREHENSIVE COMMUNICATION PLAN TO BRING AWARENESS NOT ONLY TO THE PLAN, BUT TO THE LIBRARY AND OUR SERVICES AND RESOURCES THAT WE OFFER THE COMMUNITY.
I'M AVAILABLE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
UM, I, I TRY NOT TO SAY THIS TO IN PUBLIC, BUT I WILL, THE LIBRARY'S MY FAVORITE DEPARTMENT, AND, UH, BECAUSE I LOVE, UM, I LIKE VISITING LIBRARIES WHENEVER I TRAVEL, UM, JUST TO, TO GET IDEAS.
UM, SO REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THE WORK THAT, THAT YOU'RE DOING.
AND, UM, ONE YOUR STAFF'S ALWAYS BEEN GREAT
UM, I DO WANNA START, UM, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE I'M UNDERSTANDING CORRECTLY.
THERE'S A COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT AND THAT WILL INFORM YOUR STRATEGIC PLAN? THAT'S CORRECT.
AND THE PLAN IS WHAT YOU WILL BE GETTING, UM, YOU'LL HAVE A DRAFT OF AND GET COMMUNITY FEEDBACK ON? YES, MM-HMM.
AND IS, ARE BOTH OF THESE, UM, SOMETHING THAT OUR LIBRARY DOES BY CHOICE? OR IS ANY OF THIS REQUIRED? UM, THE TEXAS STATE LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES COMMISSION AS PART OF THEIR ACCREDITATION STANDARDS FOR EVERY LIBRARY SYSTEM THAT'S ACCREDITED IN THE STATE DOES ASK, UM, THAT, THAT THE LIBRARY SYSTEM DOES, DOES HAVE AN ACCREDITATION PROCESS, I'M SORRY, A STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS.
UM, BUT WE DO, UM, WE DO TAKE IT VERY SERIOUSLY IN THE SENSE THAT WE DO, UM, ENSURE THAT WE GET CUSTOMER FEEDBACK, UM, AND ALSO NON-USER FEEDBACK AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN.
SO THEN THE COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT IS SOMETHING OF, UH, THE LIBRARY'S INITIATIVE? THAT'S CORRECT.
OWN INITIATIVE IN ORDER TO FEED THE, THE STRATEGIC PLAN.
AND DO WE HAVE A CURRENT STRATEGIC PLAN, UH, THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO LOOK AT ONLINE? YES.
UM, WE DO HAVE OUR CURRENT PLAN, WHICH IS ON OUR WEBSITE.
IT WAS SCHEDULED TO EXPIRE IN 2018.
UM, AND THAT'S WHY WE STARTED IN 2019 TO,
[00:10:01]
UM, REVISE IT.HOWEVER, THE PANDEMIC IS WHAT CAUSED OUR, OUR, UH, SHIFT OF TIMELINE.
OUR MISSION STATEMENT IS STILL RELEVANT, AND A LOT OF THE KEY TACTICS, UM, THAT WE DEVELOPED AS PART OF THAT STRATEGIC PLAN IS, IS VERY RELEVANT.
UH, SO THE NEW ONE YOU'RE DEVELOPING WILL COVER WHICH THREE YEARS? UM, 2023 TO 2026.
SO, UM, DOES IT START IN THE FISCAL YEAR OR AT WHAT THE CALENDAR YEAR? WE'LL START, IT'LL, UM, BE ADOPTED IN, UM, MARCH.
SO IT'LL BE A CALENDAR YEAR, MORE OF A CALENDAR YEAR.
SO IT'LL EXPIRE AT THE END OF 25.
UM,
FOR THE STRATEGIC PLAN OR FOR THE COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENTS? AH, THEY'RE TWO DIFFERENT KINDS, RIGHT? SO, UM, YES, BOTH PLEASE.
SO OUR TACTICS FOR THE, UM, DATA GATHERING, AND I'LL REFER BACK TO ONE OF THE PRIOR SLIDES, UM, IS OUR DATA GATHERING.
WE UNDERTOOK SEVERAL TACTICS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE, UM, GATHERED A REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLE OF OUR COMMUNITY OF BOTH USERS AND NON-USERS.
SO TACTICS INCLUDED, STARTING WITH OUR STAKEHOLDERS SUCH AS OUR LIBRARY BOARD, UM, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL.
WE DID, UM, TELEPHONE INTERVIEWS WITH OUR CONSULTANT.
YOU MAY REMEMBER THE CONSULTANT ASKING FOR A RESTAURANT RECOMMENDATION IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD, IN YOUR COUNCIL DISTRICT.
THAT WAS ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT THEY ASKED.
UM, AND WE ALSO, THE CONSULTANT, UM, WAS AT EVERY LIBRARY LOCATION, UM, ON A CERTAIN DAY TO DO IN-PERSON SURVEYS.
IT WAS BILINGUAL, SO THAT WAS A TACTIC TO GET INFORMATION.
AND THEN MOVED ON TO ONLINE USER SURVEYS AND NON-USER SURVEYS.
AND THOSE SURVEYS, THEY, OUR CONSULTANT KEPT A VERY CLOSE EYE ON THE RESPONSE RATE, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE OVERSAMPLED CERTAIN AREAS SO THAT, TO BE SURE THAT WE CAPTURED THE VOICES OF OUR COMMUNITY.
AND ONCE LOOKING AT ALL OF THE, THOSE DATA COMBINED, UM, IDENTIFIED FIVE AREAS THAT SEEMED TO BE UNDERREPRESENTED.
SO THAT'S WHERE WE HIT THE STREETS, DID SOME BLOCK WALKING, DOOR TO DOOR, UM, HAD DOOR HANGERS FOR FOLKS WHO WEREN'T HOME, AND DID SURVEYS ON THE SPOT WITH THOSE WHO ANSWERED THE DOORS.
AND SO THOSE ARE OUR TACTICS TO GET, UM, OUR DATA.
AND WE COUPLE THAT WITH OUR USAGE DATA, UH, WHICH IS COLLECTED EVERY DAY, UM, BY LIBRARY LOCATION, DOOR COUNT, UM, COMPUTER USAGE, WIFI USAGE, UM, CHECKING OUT OF LIBRARY MATERIALS.
SO WE'RE COMBINING ALL OF THAT DATA TO DEVELOP OUR 10 STORIES, UM, THAT WILL THEN BE USED AS PART OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN.
AND SO THE STRATEGIC PLAN WILL TAKE THOSE 10 STORIES, AND THEY'RE MORE OF PERSONAS OF, UM, DESCRIBING DIFFERENT TYPES OF POPULATIONS THAT USE THE LIBRARY SYSTEM AND WHAT THEIR NEEDS ARE.
IS THAT THE TACTIC? WHAT WHAT'S THE TACTIC IN THE STRATEGIC PLAN? THE TACTIC IS TO, UM, TO GO OUT AND, AND JUST ESSENTIALLY DEVELOP SERVICES AND RESOURCES THAT SUPPORT THE COMMUNITY'S NEEDS.
SO IT'S GOING TO BE, UM, BY USING THE PERSONAS OR STAFF ARE GOING TO, UM, IDENTIFY WITH THE PERSONA, AND THEN WE WILL TAKE THAT AND, AND DEVELOP RESOURCES, SERVICES THAT SUPPORT THAT PERSONA.
AND THEN OUR BOARD WILL THEN, UM, WORK WITH US TO PRIORITIZE THOSE PERSONAS TO THEN LAUNCH IN THE COM.
SORRY, I'M NOT FOLLOWING YOU YET 'CAUSE MY MIND IS STUCK ON THIS OTHER QUESTION, SO YOU'RE PROBABLY GONNA HAVE TO REPEAT THAT LATER, BUT, OKAY.
UM, YOU SAID THAT THE CURRENT PLAN IS STILL RELEVANT BECAUSE WE STILL USE THOSE TACTICS.
WE FURTHER EDUCATION, WE ARE A COMMUNITY RESOURCE OF, UM, OF BEING A COMMUNITY CENTER TO OFFER VOTING AND, AND COMMUNITY, UM, SERVICES IN THE SENSE OF WE'RE WE VITAL LOCATIONS AND NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS USES.
SO WE'RE A COMMUNITY GATHERING PLACE.
SO THOSE ARE THE, THE CURRENT, UM, THREADS OF OUR COMMUNITY, OF OUR STRATEGIC PLAN OF FURTHERING LIFELONG EDUCATION IN OUR COMMUNITY, UM, BEING A COMMUNITY ANCHOR ASSET, UM, HAVING FACILITIES THAT ARE, UM, ADEQUATE TO MEET THE NEEDS OF OUR COMMUNITY.
SO THOSE ARE OUR CURRENT, UM, I GUESS, TACTICS OF OUR, UM, STRATEGIC PLAN RIGHT NOW.
UM, I DO HAVE MORE, SORRY, I DO HAVE MORE COMMENTS.
UH, BUT LET'S GO TO THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, COUNCIL AND CASTILLO.
AND THANK YOU JESSICA, FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UM, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT IN 2011, THERE
[00:15:01]
WAS A SIMILAR STRATEGIC PLAN DEVELOPED.UM, DO YOU ALL INTEND TO GO BACK AND EVALUATE, UH, WHAT WAS IDENTIFIED WITHIN THE 2011 PLAN? UH, FOR EXAMPLE, RIGHT.
UM, WITHIN THE 2011 PLAN, AN OVERWHELMING 94% OF THE RESPONDENTS EXPRESSED THE NEED FOR MORE COMPUTERS FOR THE PUBLIC.
UH, DO WE INTEND TO GO BACK TO SEE HOW MUCH WE'VE INCREASED, UM, COMPUTERS WITHIN EACH LIBRARY LOCATION IN COMPARISON TO 2011? UM, DO WE INTEND TO GO BACK AND CHECK OFF, UM, WHERE WE'VE, UH, MADE IMPROVEMENTS AND INVESTMENTS TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE CONCERNS BROUGHT UP IN 2011? WE DO, WE DO THAT CONTINUOUSLY AS PART OF THE 2011 STRATEGIC PLAN.
WE DID GO BACK TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE, THAT IT WASN'T SOMETHING THAT WAS JUST PUT ON THE SHELF AND, AND, YOU KNOW, JUST A PLANNING PROCESS, JUST A PLAN.
SO WE DID VERY MUCH USE OUR STRATEGIC PLAN, FOR EXAMPLE.
UM, WE HAVE A, UH, IT ROADMAP, UM, THAT WAS DEVELOPED LATER ON THAT WAS PARTLY INFLUENCED BY THE NEED OF TECHNOLOGY, UH, RESOURCES THAT WAS IDENTIFIED AS PART OF THE 2011 STRATEGIC PLAN.
SO WE HAVE GONE BACK WHETHER OR NOT WE'RE GONNA DO SPECIFIC COUNTING OF COMPUTERS, WE COULD CERTAINLY DO THAT.
WE'VE ADDED LIBRARY LOCATIONS.
UM, SOME LIKE LOCATIONS HAVE EXPANDED DUE TO BOND PROJECTS.
AND SO, UM, WE ARE ALSO INTRODUCING, UM, AN IPAD CHECKOUT PROGRAM FOR SENIORS MM-HMM.
SO, SO WE'VE, UM, INCREASED THE ABILITY TO ACCESS, UM, THE INTERNET OR COMPUTERS.
UH, IT MAY NOT BE, PER SE A DESKTOP.
WE HAVE LAPTOP CHECKOUT STATIONS, FOR EXAMPLE.
SO WE'VE, WE HAVE DEFINITELY MADE A CONCERTED EFFORT TO, UM, ADJUST AND INCREASE OFFERINGS.
AND I, I THINK LOOKING AT THOSE METRICS WOULD BE HELPFUL, RIGHT? 'CAUSE THE 2011, UH, STRATEGIC PLAN ALSO HIGHLIGHTED THAT 44% OF LIBRARY STAFF WOULD LEAVE THAT OUR PUBLIC LIBRARY SUPPORT FACILITIES NEEDED, UH, MAINTENANCE.
RIGHT? SO I THINK THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR CITY COUNCIL TO REVIEW.
SO THAT WAY WHEN WE'RE HAVING, UH, CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT CONVERSATIONS OR BOND CONVERSATIONS, WE'LL HAVE AN IDEA OF WHAT THAT BUDGET SHOULD LOOK LIKE, RIGHT? MAYBE WE NEED TO ADVOCATE FOR FAR MORE TO INVEST IN IMPROVING OUR LIBRARIES.
UM, SO THAT'S HELPFUL TO KNOW THAT YOU'RE CONSTANTLY LOOKING AT THOSE METRICS FOR THE FOCUS GROUPS THAT ARE GOING TO BE EVALUATING THE DRAFT PLAN, IS THAT MADE UP PRIMARILY OF OUR LIBRARY BOARD APPOINTEES OR COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO ARE THE STAKEHOLDERS IN THAT GROUP? SO, FOR, UM, TO, FOR THE EVALUATION OR THE REVIEW OF THE DRAFT STRATEGIC PLAN, WHICH WILL TAKE PLACE, UM, CLOSE TO THE SPRING OF, OR EARLY 2023, UM, THAT, IT DEFINITELY WILL BE THE LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES WHO WILL ADOPT THE PLAN.
UM, IT'LL BE A PUBLIC MEETING, BUT WE'LL ALSO GO BACK INTO THE COMMUNITY TO SHARE OUR FINDINGS MM-HMM.
AND JUST TO BE SURE THAT WE LISTENED AND, AND WE HEARD EXACTLY WHAT, UM, THE COMMUNITY NEEDS.
AND I HAVE TO COMMEND YOU AND YOUR TEAM, RIGHT? OFTENTIMES I GET INVITED TO BLOCK WALK, AND WHAT WE'RE DOING IS JUST DOING LIT DROPS, RIGHT? LEAVING SOMETHING ON THE GATE.
BUT WHEN BLOCK WALKING WITH YOU ALL, WE ARE KNOCKING ON DOORS, ENGAGING COMMUNITY, ASKING QUESTIONS, DOCUMENTING THEIR RESPONSE.
SO, UH, THAT'S REALLY GREAT WORK, IMPACTFUL, AND, UH, I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING, UM, THE, THE COMPLETED STRATEGIC PLAN.
AND IF I MAY, I, I WOULD BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T ACKNOWLEDGE, UM, CITY MANAGEMENT IN SUPPORTING THE RESOURCES FOR OUR LIBRARY BUILDINGS.
WE ARE CURRENTLY ALL OF OUR LIBRARY FACILITIES.
UM, WE'VE GRADED AS A GRADE A, WE HAVE MADE TREMENDOUS STRIDES IN IMPROVEMENTS AND MAINTENANCE OF OUR LIBRARY FACILITIES.
SO WE ARE VERY, UM, THRILLED WITH THE SUPPORT THAT WE'VE RECEIVED IN THROUGH THE BUDGET PROCESS AND THE BOND AS WELL TO HELP US MAINTAIN OUR FACILITIES.
UM, COUNCILMAN MCKEE RODRIGUEZ AND COUNCILMAN VILLA, ARE YOU, DO YOU WANNA CUE IN AS WELL? UH, YES, PLEASE.
WE'LL, WE'LL GO AFTER COUNCILMAN MCCUE RODRIGUEZ, GO AHEAD.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE, I'M EXCITED.
THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS I WANNA GO WITH THIS, RIGHT? UM, I GUESS, SO AT THE BASE LEVEL, ONE OF THE GOALS IS TO FIGURE OUT, UM, YOU KNOW, LEVEL OF SERVICES.
SO THERE'S THE POTENTIAL THAT WE'LL PHASE IN NEW SERVICES, AND THEN ALSO POTENTIALLY THAT SOME LIBRARIES WILL PHASE OUT SERVICES.
IS THAT ACCURATE? YEAH, WE DEFINITELY, UM, UH, UM, DRIVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DO NOT PROVIDE A COOKIE CUTTER APPROACH TO LIBRARY SERVICES.
EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD, EVERY COMMUNITY IS DIFFERENT.
AND SO ABSOLUTELY, WE WILL LOOK TO SEE WHAT IS NEEDED, WHAT PERHAPS COULD BE PHASED OUT AND MAYBE, UM, DIRECTED TO A DIFFERENT LOCATION.
UM, I'M ALSO WONDERING, WILL THIS, UH, STRATEGIC PLAN INCLUDE, UM, RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS?
[00:20:02]
IT WILL NOT PROVIDE VERY DETAILED RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS.WE DO WORK CLOSELY WITH, UM, THE LIBRARY'S, UM, SUPPORT SERVICES TEAM TO IDENTIFY THAT, UM, AS THE BOND PROCESS, YOU KNOW, EVERY, WE'RE WE GEAR UP REGULARLY FOR BOND, WE ALWAYS HAVE A, A RUNNING LIST OF PHASE TWO OF PROJECTS OR, YOU KNOW, KEEP THAT ON THE LIST FOR AS WE, UM, UM, HIT EITHER CHALLENGES OR NEW SERVICES, THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, SO WE'LL, IT'LL DEFINITELY, UM, GIVE US THE ABILITY TO THINK IN THAT WAY, BUT IT'S NOT GOING TO BE A, UM, A CHECKLIST OR A RUNNING LIST.
WE, WE DO DEFINITELY ALWAYS, UM, ARE AWARE OF THE NEEDS AND OF OUR BUILDINGS AND, AND HAVE A, A RUNNING LIST OF, OF HOW TO IMPROVE THEM WHEN THE OPPORTUNITY ARISES, SUCH AS THE BOND OR, UM, CITY'S BUDGET PROCESS.
AND, AND OUR BOARD IS ALSO VERY ENGAGED IN THAT AS WELL.
I GUESS WHAT I WONDER, AND MAYBE THIS IS A MR. MCCARRY QUESTION, NOT, NOT ONE THAT REQUIRES AN ANSWER RIGHT NOW, BUT, UM, HOW DO WE MORE PROACTIVELY EMPOWER OUR DEPARTMENTS TO, TO IDENTIFY THEIR NEEDS, RIGHT? CAPITAL IMPROVE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS ARE SOME OF THE ONES THAT I FEEL LIKE DON'T, HAP CAN'T HAPPEN EVERY SINGLE YEAR AT THE SCALE THAT SOMETIMES SOME OF OUR BUILDINGS NEED.
AND SO WE HAVE TO WAIT FIVE YEARS.
BUT THEN BY THAT POINT, IT'S KIND OF A BATTLE BETWEEN INTERNAL, UH, DEPARTMENTS AND EXTERNAL EXTERNAL ORGANIZATIONS, AND THEN COMMUNITY NEEDS AND ALL OF THAT.
AND SO HOW DO WE MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T HAVE SITUATIONS LIKE ELLA, AUSTIN OR CARVER LIBRARY WHERE THINGS GO SO LONG WITHOUT IMPROVEMENT.
AND SO I, MY HOPE IS THAT MAYBE WHAT WE GET IS LIKE A, I DON'T KNOW, ONGOING, ONGOING CAPITAL NEEDS ASSESSMENT FOR DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS AND FACILITIES AND MAYBE A, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
THAT'S WHY I'M, I, I WILL TELL YOU THIS, COUNCILMAN THAT RAMIRO, HE DOES A GREAT JOB OF TAGGING IN HIS COWORKERS, HIS STAFF, AND ROMERO, I'LL LET YOU EXPLAIN SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU DO TO ANSWER THAT.
SO WE HAVE, LET ME, LET ME EXPLAIN IT THIS WAY.
THE REASON THIS STR STRATEGIC PLAN DOES NOT HAVE A FACILITIES COMPONENT IS THAT WE HAVE A BUILT IN PROCESS WHERE WE CONSTANTLY EVALUATE ALL OF OUR FACILITIES.
JESSICA REPORTED THAT CURRENTLY ALL OF OUR FACILITIES ARE RATED A, OKAY, SO NOW GRANT YOU, I WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE THAT SOME OF OUR FACILITIES STRUGGLING WITH SOME OF THE H V A C SYSTEMS AND WE'RE ON IT, BUT BASED ON CERTAIN CRITERIA IN TERMS OF, UH, LIFE SYSTEMS. SO THE LIFESPAN OF A SYSTEM, UM, H V A C, ROOF FLOORING, UM, THERE'S A PROCESS INTERNALLY.
SO WE USE THAT PROCESS, THAT, THAT ASSESSMENT OF FACILITIES, I'M GOING TO, TO ASK DURING THE BUDGET PROCESS.
UH, SO THIS YEAR, IN THIS YEAR'S ADOPTED BUDGET, WE HAVE A, A $3 MILLION, $3 MILLION WAS ALLOCATED FOR VARIOUS FACILITIES IMPROVEMENTS.
IT'S BASED ON THAT INTERNAL ASSESSMENT AND PLAN.
FOR EXAMPLE, THIS YEAR, IT'S TIME TO REPLACE THE ROOF AT THIS PARTICULAR FACILITY NEXT YEAR OR EVEN THE SAME YEAR, IT'S TIME TO REPLACE THESE, THIS H V A SYSTEM AT THIS OTHER FACILITY.
SO WE HAVE AN ONGOING PROCESS TO KEEP OUR FACILITIES FRESH BECAUSE WE BELIEVE THAT PART OF THE LIBRARY EXPERIENCE FOR OUR PATRONS SHOULD BE A USER FRIENDLY FACILITY.
ONE THAT'S CLEAN, THAT INSTILLS PRIDE IN THE COMMUNITY, THAT'S FUNCTIONAL, THAT'S OPERATING, THAT'S COOL WHEN IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE COOLING THIS SUMMER AND HEATED IN THE WINTER.
AND THAT'S FUNCTIONING, PROVIDING A, AN ENVIRONMENT THAT'S CONDUCIVE TO LEARNING AND PARTICIPATING IN LIBRARY EXPERIENCES.
SO WE HAVE AN INTERNAL PROCESS, AN ASSESSMENT PROCESS, AND WE USE THAT PROCESS TO THEN ASK CITY MANAGEMENT FOR FUNDING.
OKAY, IT'S TIME TO REPLACE THIS OR THIS AND THIS.
DOES THAT EXPLAIN? YES, IT DOES.
UM, AND I'LL ADD, UM, I GUESS MY NEXT FEW QUESTIONS OR THINGS I'M GONNA SAY ARE, THERE'S QUESTION COMPONENTS, BUT THEY ALSO KIND OF GUIDE WHAT I, THEY'RE GUIDING MY, MY INPUT, RIGHT? UM, ONE OF THE THINGS IS THAT SOMETIMES WHEN YOU GO TO PEOPLE AND YOU ASK THEM QUESTIONS OR YOU ASK THEM LIKE, WHAT DO YOU NEED? UM, SOMETIMES LIKE, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WE DON'T KNOW.
AND IF SOMETHING HAS NOT BEEN POSSIBLE PREVIOUSLY OR WE'VE BEEN TOLD THAT SOMETHING IS IMPOSSIBLE, I'M NOT NECESSARILY GONNA ADD THAT TO THE TOP OF MY LIST OF THINGS THAT I'D LIKE TO SEE SERVICES WISE OR OTHERWISE.
AND SO, SOMETHING THAT, UM, I HAD MENTIONED DURING THE BUDGET WAS CREATOR SPACE, AND WE'RE GONNA HAVE OUR CARVER LIBRARY CONVERSATION, RIGHT? BUT I WANT US TO THINK OUTSIDE OF THE BOX OF SERVICES TO INCLUDE THINGS THAT MAY NOT INITIALLY COME UP WHEN PEOPLE THINK OF A TRADITIONAL LIBRARY.
UM, SO WHAT A CREATOR SPACE TO ME WOULD LOOK LIKE WOULD INCLUDE, UM, TECHNOLOGY FOR THINGS LIKE PODCAST PRODUCTION, FILMING, THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.
UH, MULTI-USE SPACES IN THAT WAY WHERE PEOPLE CAN BE CREATIVE AND DO SOMETHING.
[00:25:01]
AND, UM, JUST WANTED TO THROW THAT THERE.UH, I HAD OFFICE HOURS YESTERDAY AT THE MOLLY PRUITT LIBRARY.
THEN LAST WEEK I WAS AT THE CARVER LIBRARY.
I HAVEN'T YET DONE IT AT SCHAEFER LIBRARY, BUT SCHAEFER IS ONE OF MY FAVORITES.
UM, I'LL ASK, WHAT IS THE, UM, THIS IS GETTING INTO SERVICES A BIT, BUT WHAT'S THE USE? AND I UNDERSTAND IF YOU DON'T HAVE THIS PERCENTAGE, RIGHT, BUT WHAT'S THE USAGE RATE OF THE ENHANCED LIBRARY CARD? ALRIGHT, I CAN TELL YOU WE HAD 400 CARDS ISSUED SO FAR.
UM, SO I, I DON'T HAVE SOMETHING TO COMPARE IN, IN TERMS OF NO WORRIES.
UM, I CAN TELL YOU THAT WE'RE DISCUSSING NOW HOW WE, HOW WE CAN PROVIDE MORE AWARENESS.
I'LL TELL YOU WHY I ASKED THE QUESTION.
AWARENESS OF THE EXISTENCE OF THAT CARD.
THE REASON I ASK THE QUESTION IS BECAUSE I'M WONDERING IF THERE'S BEEN AN, UM, ANY CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY OF WORKING WITH OUR HOUSELESS OUTREACH TEAMS, UM, TO SEE HOW WE CAN GET THESE FORMS OF PHOTO ID FOR OUR UNSHELTERED POPULATION.
IS THAT SOMETHING THAT'S ALREADY HAPPENING? NO.
THE DESIRE TO DO THAT IS THERE, BUT WE HAVEN'T TAKEN ACTION, QUITE FRANKLY.
IF THERE'S ANY WAY THAT WE CAN PROVIDE SUPPORT, LET US KNOW.
YOU OFFER AN ASSISTANCE, OF COURSE WE'RE GOING TO EMBRACE IT AND, AND, AND ACCEPT IT.
NO, WE, SERIOUSLY, WE'RE HAVING THAT CONVERSATION.
SO WE HAVE THIS ENHANCED CARD.
UH, WE'VE HAD SO FAR ISSUED 400.
THAT'S NOT, FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, NOT A LOT.
I THINK THERE'S A HIGHER NEED FOR THAT.
SO WHAT ELSE CAN WE DO TO, TO BRING AWARENESS THAT THIS CARD EXISTS AND IT'S ACCESSIBLE, AND HOW CAN WE FACILITATE THAT ACCESS? AND CERTAINLY WORKING WITH YOU IS ONE WAY.
UM, I GUESS I'M ALSO WONDERING, UH, ABOUT THE, THE DATA COLLECTION, RIGHT? SO HOW DO WE ENGAGE LIBRARY SPACES FOR, UM, YOU KNOW, ORGANIZATIONS TO UTILIZE AND ACTIVATE THE SPACES? WE HAD A LOT OF CONVERSATION ABOUT, UM, SENIOR CENTERS BEING USED FOR COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS AFTER HOURS.
BUT I THINK OF LIBRARIES AS VERY SIMILAR TO COMMUNITY, UH, COMMUNITY, UH, WHAT ARE THOSE THINGS CALLED? CENTERS, COMMUNITY CENTERS,
UM, AND SO I'M WONDERING, UH, IF WE'VE ENGAGED ORGANIZATIONS AND THE LIKE TO SEE HOW THEY MIGHT BE ABLE TO UTILIZE THOSE SPACES WE HAVE.
AND WE CONTINUE TO THAT AND DO THAT.
WE CONSIDER LIBRARIES TO BE THE THIRD PLACE.
AND SO WE PROVIDE SPACES FOR NOT ONLY NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS, BUT ALSO GROUPS WITHIN THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT WE SERVE AND INVITE 'EM TO UTILIZE AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE, OF OUR MEETING SPACE.
AND SO WE HAVE QUILTING CLUBS, WE HAVE BOOK CLUBS, WE HAVE WOODWORKING CLUBS, WOODWORKING.
UM, AND SO THAT'S JUST A SAMPLING OF SOME OF THE MANY GROUPS THAT HAVE THAT TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE SPACE THAT'S AVAILABLE.
'CAUSE WE BELIEVE THE, OUR BUILDINGS ARE BELONG TO THE PUBLIC AND THEY SHOULD BE UTILIZED BY THE PUBLIC.
JUST THE MER THE MERCH UPDATE.
SO I'M GLAD COUNCILWOMAN CASTILLO BROUGHT UP THE 2011 NEED FOR COMPUTERS.
I THINK, UH, IT WAS RIGHT TO PAUSE BECAUSE WE SAW THAT THE, UM, DIGITAL DIVIDE IS REAL AND THAT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE, UM, ADDRESSING THAT ISSUE.
SO ARE YOU GOING, ARE Y'ALL PLANNING TO COME BACK AND, AND GIVE US AN UPDATE REGARDING, UM, OR IS IT THE, THE INFORMATION REGARDING DIGITAL LITERACY ACCESS, BECAUSE WE KNOW YOU GUYS ARE AN ACCESS POINT AND THEN WHAT YOU'RE DOING TO CONNECT THEM, WHETHER IT'S CHECKOUT OF THE DEVICES, HAVING MORE COMPUTERS AT, UH, THE LIBRARY.
I KNOW AT MISSION LIBRARY WE DO HAVE, UH, COMPUTERS THAT ARE ACCESSIBLE, BUT THEY'RE LIKE ALL SCATTERED THROUGHOUT THE LIBRARY.
SO WE'RE NOT SURE WHERE, UM, HOW, HOW THEY'RE IN USE AND, AND UM, AND, AND HOW THEY'RE USING THEM.
SO DO YOU HAVE INFORMATION ON THAT? ALRIGHT, SO THE FIRST QUESTION THAT, IF I RECALL CORRECTLY, AND YOU CAN CORRECT ME, IS DO WE HAVE ANY PLANS TO COME AND PROVIDE AN OVERVIEW OF WHAT THE LIBRARY IS DOING TO ADVANCE DIGITAL INCLUSION? IS WHAT I, THAT'S WHAT I HEARD.
AM I CORRECT? SO YES, THAT'S THE QUESTION.
WE'RE HAPPY AND REPORT TO THIS COMMITTEE ALL THE THINGS THAT THE LIBRARY DOES TO ADVANCE DIGITAL INCLUSION.
AND, AND THERE'S A LOT, NOT ONLY DO LIBRARIES PROVIDE ACCESS TO PUBLIC COMPUTERS, LIBRARIES PROVIDE ACCESS TO WIFI NOT ONLY INTERNALLY, BUT EXTERNALLY.
WHEN THE LIBRARY IS CLOSED, THE BRANCH LIBRARY IS CLOSED, PEOPLE CAN STILL ACCESS THE WIFI.
WE PROVIDE DIGITAL LITERACY ON, ON THE FLY.
IN OTHER WORDS, SOMEONE COMES IN
[00:30:01]
AND THEY MAY HAVE VERY LITTLE KNOWLEDGE ON HOW TO UTILIZE THE PUBLIC COMPUTER AND NAVIGATE THE INTERNET, USE THE MOUSE.WE PROVIDE THAT KIND OF DIGITAL LITERACY ON THE SPOT.
UM, THOSE TWO, THOSE ARE JUST A FEW EXAMPLES OF HOW THE LIBRARY ADVANCES, UH, DIGITAL INCLUSION.
UH, SO WE CAN CERTAINLY PROVIDE A, A, A REPORT ON EVERYTHING WE DO IN THAT REGARD.
AND THEN JUST TO, UH, KIND OF ECHO WHAT, UH, COUNCILMAN MCKEE RODRIGUEZ SAID, I, I, I KNOW THAT YOU GUYS HAVE A PLAN IN TERMS OF WHAT Y'ALL ARE GOING TO DO AT THE DIFFERENT LIBRARIES FOR MAINTENANCE AND UPKEEP.
I THINK THE ONE THING THAT I SAW THIS YEAR IS PAN-AMERICAN HAD SOME, UM, UP UPGRADES COMING, AND THEN THE RESIDENTS START TO CHIME IN, OH, WE'D LIKE TO SEE BETTER SIGNAGE.
SO I THINK WHEN WE, WHEN Y'ALL TALK STRATEGIC PLAN, UNDERSTANDING THAT, UM, WHEN THOSE, WHETHER IT'S HVAC OR YOU A NEW ADDITION OR IMPROVING SOMETHING THAT THE PATRONS OF THE LIBRARY TEND TO LOOK AROUND AND START TO THINK ABOUT WHAT ELSE CAN BE IMPROVED.
AND THAT'S THE ONE THING IN TERMS OF THE, THE STRATEGIC IS, IS UNDERSTANDING YOU.
YOU MAY HAVE A PLAN, WHICH IS GREAT AND, UH, IN MAINTENANCE, BUT WHEN THEY SEE SOMETHING IMPROVING, THEY WANNA SEE SOMETHING ELSE THAT THEY FEEL LIKE NEEDS IMPROVEMENT.
IF MAY I RESPOND TO THAT? THAT OKAY.
THAT'S A VERY GOOD SUGGESTION.
AND, UH, I FAILED TO MENTION THAT AS PART OF REFRESHING OUR BUILDINGS, WE DO RECONFIGURE SPACES, AS YOU RECALL, REIS, UH, IT WAS BASICALLY TRANSFORMED AS PART OF A BOND PROJECT.
UH, BUT WE TOOK ADVANTAGE OF, OF, OF THAT PROJECT AND OTHER PROJECTS THAT ARE FACILITY MAINTENANCE RELATED TO MAKE IMPROVEMENTS CREATED, MORE ENHANCED, UH, TEEN AREA, FOR EXAMPLE.
YES, YOU'RE, YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY CORRECT.
WE, WE NEED TO CONTINUE THAT GOAL OF CREATING SPACES THAT, UH, THAT ARE DYNAMIC AND THAT ARE INVITING AND, UH, THAT IN THAT INSTILL READING AND, AND USING OF THE LIBRARY RESOURCES.
UM, COUNCILMAN MKE RODRIGUEZ, YOU HAD ONE MORE COUNCILWOMAN CASTILLO, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE? NO.
I KNOW DURING THE BUDGET WE BROUGHT UP, UM, A MERCH PROGRAM FOR EXTRA REVENUE.
UM, AND SO I'M WONDERING IF YOU GUYS HAVE, HAVE GOTTEN TO HAVE ANY OTHER CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THAT? MERCHANDISE? MERCHANDISE, MERCHANDISE, YES.
LIKE SHIRTS, BUTTONS, PINS, ALL KINDS OF THINGS.
WE HAVE NOT HAD ANY SERIOUS CONVERSATIONS, BUT WE, WE WILL KNOW.
WE ALSO, BRANDING IS VERY IMPORTANT TO ME.
UM, SO JUST TO, UH, WRAP UP THE NEEDS ASSESSMENT IS ONGOING OR IS THAT PART COMPLETE ALREADY? THE COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT ACTUALLY WRAPS UP TODAY WHAT GAP DATA GATHERING, AND THEN WE WILL RECEIVE A FORMAL REPORT FROM OUR CONSULTANTS BY THE END OF THE MONTH, AND THEN WE WILL LAUNCH THE STRATEGIC PLAN.
UM, IS IT POSSIBLE FOR US TO SEE THE RESULTS OF THE NEEDS ASSESSMENT BEFORE ABSOLUTELY.
THE STRATEGIC PLAN IS COMPLETE.
UM, SO COMMITTEE MEMBERS LET ME KNOW IF YOU'D LIKE FOR THAT TO COME TO COMMITTEE OR TO JUST GET EMAILED TO YOU.
NO, YOU'RE LIKE, I GET A LOT OF EMAIL AS IT IS.
WHAT WHATEVER YOU DECIDE IS CHAIR
CAN WE, CAN WE PUT THAT ON OUR LIST FOR A FUTURE BRIEFING? YES, WE CAN.
AND WILL THAT INCLUDE, UM, HOW MUCH DATA WAS COLLECTED FROM WHICH AREAS? I'M SURE WE'RE ALL WANTING TO KNOW, YOU KNOW, HOW MANY PEOPLE FROM DISTRICT, WHATEVER, YOU KNOW.
SO WE, WE CAN TELL YOU ABSOLUTELY HOW MANY IN-PERSON SURVEYS WERE CONDUCTED AND WHICH LOCATIONS, HOW MANY ONLINE USER AND NON-USER SURVEYS, AND THEN WHICH, UM, EITHER DISTRICTS THEY RESIDE IN OR LIBRARIES THAT THEY CLAIMED AS THEIR HOME LIBRARY.
UM, WE CAN SHARE WITH YOU, UM, OUR TARGETED BLOCK WALKING AND HOW MANY PARTICIPATED IN THAT, HOW MANY PARTICIPATED IN THE SURVEY IF THEY WERE NOT HOME RESULTING FROM THAT AND WHICH AREAS THAT THEY LIVE IN.
SO WE ABSOLUTELY CAN SHARE THAT.
UM, I DO, UM, I DO WANNA GO BACK TO THIS COMMENT THAT COUNCILMAN MCKEE RODRIGUEZ MADE AND
BUT I THOUGHT OF IT BEFORE YOU EVEN WERE ON COUNCIL.
UM, ACTUALLY, IN TERMS OF OTHER THINGS YOU CAN GET AT THE LIBRARY, LIKE THE COUNCILMAN SAID, WE, IF, UM, A LIBRARY USER HAS NOT BEEN TO ANOTHER CITY, RIGHT, TO LOOK AT WHAT THEY OFFER THERE, IT MAY NOT OCCUR TO THEM THAT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THEY CAN GET AT
[00:35:01]
A LIBRARY.UM, AND I'M JUST WONDERING WHAT IS THE PROCESS FOR, UM, POSSIBLY EXPANDING THE TYPES OF SERVICES THAT ARE OFFERED, WHETHER IT'S A MAKERSPACE, A RECORDING STUDIO, A SCIENCE LABORATORY WITH A MICROSCOPE, UM, YOU KNOW WHAT I YEAH, YEAH.
IS THAT PART OF OUR COLLECTION? CURRENTLY? WE DO NOT DO THAT.
UM, AND I THINK AT ONE POINT THEY WERE LOOKING AT, LORI HAD TOLD ME THEY WERE WORKING ON THIS, UH, UM, KIND OF LIKE A CITY PASS, A MUSEUM PASS WHERE YOU CAN GO, YOU CHECK IT OUT, AND THEN THAT LETS YOU GET INTO SEVERAL MUSEUMS. SO I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S GONNA COME UP IN YOUR COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT.
I MEAN, MAYBE SOME OF YOUR BOARD MEMBERS WILL, WILL PROPOSE IT.
UM, BUT HOW CAN WE, I GUESS I'M, I'M INTERESTED IN INTEGRATING SOME OF THAT STUFF.
WHAT, WHAT PROCESS WOULD YOU RECOMMEND THAT, THAT WE TAKE TO DO THAT? SO WHAT WE, OUR CONSULTANTS, WHEN THEY DEVELOPED AND CRAFTED THE VARIOUS, UM, DATA GATHERING IT, WE DEFINITELY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THEIR USE OF LIBRARY, OR NOT USE OF LIBRARY, BUT WE, THE, THE QUESTIONS WERE EXPANDED SO THAT IT WASN'T FOCUSED ON HOW DO YOU USE THE LIBRARY? 'CAUSE YOU'RE RIGHT, COUNCILMAN MCKEE RODRIGUEZ, IF YOU ONLY KNOW, UH, WHAT, YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE MISSING.
SO SOME OF THE QUESTIONS WERE, WERE PHRASED IN A WAY THAT RATHER GOT TO, YOU KNOW, WHAT DO YOU, WHAT WOULD HELP YOU ACHIEVE X GOAL? OR, YOU KNOW, TECHNOLOGY WISE, WHAT TECHNOLOGY, JUST NOT EVEN LIBRARY RELATED, BUT JUST TECHNOLOGY DO YOU USE OR DO YOU, WHY DO YOU NEED TECHNOLOGY? SO THOSE KIND OF OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS SO THAT WE COULD REALLY GET A SENSE OF WHAT THE COMMUNITY NEEDS.
NOT THINKING IN THE BOX OF A LIBRARY, BUT JUST NEEDS OVERALL AND TRYING TO SEE HOW THE LIBRARY COULD, UM, PERHAPS BRIDGE THAT NEED OR BRIDGE THAT WITH A PARTNER COMING IN TO PARTNER WITH THE LIBRARY TO MEET A NEED.
UM, SO WE'RE, WE'RE DEFINITELY GOING TO LOOK AT THAT AS PART OF OUR, UM, STRATEGIC PLAN.
BUT IN ADDITION TO THE STRATEGIC PLAN, WE HAVE AN ONGOING PROCESS OF JUST LISTENING TO OUR COMMUNITY, LISTENING TO OUR, OUR BRANCH MANAGERS, OUR STAFF WHO ARE FRONTLINE.
THEY, YOU KNOW, FOLKS COME IN AND ARE CONSISTENTLY ASKING FOR ONE SERVICE THAT WE MAY NOT OFFER IT, IT TRICKLES UP.
AND, AND WE CAN LOOK AT THAT TO SEE IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE ABLE TO OFFER.
THIS ENHANCED LIBRARY CARD WAS EXACTLY THAT.
UM, WE LISTENED TO THE NEED OF THE COMMUNITY, UH, FIGURED OUT HOW TO, TO DO THIS WORKING WITH CITY LEGAL, UM, AND OTHER CITY MANAGEMENT.
AND WE FIGURED A WAY TO DO IT.
AND SO IT'S JUST LISTENING TO THE COMMUNITY AND, AND OUR STAFF IS REALLY VERY GOOD AT CUSTOMER SERVICE AND, AND HELPING TO, UM, REALLY UNDERSTAND THE NEEDS OF THEIR SPECIFIC COMMUNITIES.
SO IT, I GUESS WHAT I'M WONDERING IS WHEN YOU COME BACK WITH THE NEEDS ASSESSMENT, ARE WE GONNA SEE ANY OF THESE THINGS IN THERE? OR IF WE DON'T SEE THEM, IS IT GONNA BE LIKE, WELL, NO, THEY, THEY SHOULDN'T BE DONE.
UM, WHEN WE COME BACK WITH THE COMMUNITY NEEDS, THE COMMUNITY NEEDS WILL BE, THIS IS THE NEED.
AND THEN WE WILL PAIR THAT FOR THE STRATEGIC PLAN IN MARCH OF 2023 WHEN WE DEVELOP THE STRATEGIC PLAN BASED ON THE NEED.
SO WE WILL ABSOLUTELY SHARE WITH YOU WHAT THE NEED IS.
UM, BUT THEN WE'RE TAKING IT ONE STEP FURTHER AND LOOKING AT THAT NEED AND HOW THE LIBRARY CAN HELP.
AND, UM, BRIDGING EITHER CONNECTIONS OR SERVICES AND RESOURCES TO FILL THOSE GAPS.
WE'LL, WE'LL HAVE TO STAY ENGAGED ON THAT.
UM, I'M JUST NOT SURE SOME, SOME OF THESE NON-TRADITIONAL USES MIGHT COME UP.
UM, I KNOW YOU, YOU SAID THAT YOU ASKED WHAT TECHNOLOGIES DO YOU USE, BUT IT'S QUITE POSSIBLE THAT PEOPLE DON'T EVEN, YOU KNOW, KIDS MAY NOT KNOW OF THAT TECHNOLOGY YET, BUT THE LIBRARY BECOMES A PLACE FOR THEM TO LEARN ABOUT IT AND TAKE THOSE SKILLS AWAY.
AND, AND I'M NOT, I'M NOT, UH, IGNORANT OF THE FACT THAT THAT MEANS MORE MONEY AND MORE STAFF.
AND, UM, WE'RE PREPARED TO, AT LEAST I'M PREPARED TO, TO LOOK FOR THAT.
IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE ALL, UH, SUPPORTIVE OF, YOU'LL JUST SELL ENOUGH T-SHIRTS THAT THAT'S HOW YOU'RE GONNA PAY FOR IT.
UM, AND THEN I, I KNOW I'VE MENTIONED THIS BEFORE, UM, AND I'VE BEEN SHOT DOWN, BUT IT WORKS IN OTHER CITIES, COFFEE SHOPS IN THE LIBRARIES.
UM, I'VE BEEN TOLD LOTS OF REASONS WHY IT WON'T WORK, BUT, UH, YOU GOTTA TELL ME HOW THEY'RE DOING IT IN OTHER PLACES THEN, BECAUSE IT, IT, IT WORKS TO ATTRACT ADDITION, UH, UM, MORE PEOPLE TO THE LIBRARY.
AND IT MAKES IT MORE OF A COMMUNITY AND GATHERING SPACE.
EXACTLY WHAT YOU WERE SAYING WAS THE TACTIC CURRENTLY.
SO IS THAT, HOW DO WE GET THAT UNDER CONSIDERATION? UM, AT THE CENTRAL LIBRARY, MAYBE ABOUT 10 YEARS AGO, WE DID HAVE A COFFEE SHOP AND, AND WE WORKED REALLY HARD TO HELP SUSTAIN IT.
[00:40:01]
IN WHO RAN A COFFEE SHOP.UM, AND THAT MODEL DIDN'T WORK FOR WHATEVER REASON AT THAT TIME.
AND THEN WE ALSO TRIED TO GET COFFEE STATIONS, UM, AT WHICH WERE MORE OF VENDING MACHINES AT VARIOUS LIBRARIES TO TRY AND JUST KIND OF BRIDGE THAT.
UM, OF COURSE THAT DIDN'T, THAT WAS A, A, A INITIATIVE THAT JUST PHASED OUT.
BUT THERE'S ALWAYS, IT'S A NEW TIME, NEW ERA.
IT'S ALWAYS, YOU KNOW, WE CAN ALWAYS LOOK AT NEW WAYS TO GATHER, UH, BECOME THAT GATHERING PLACE AND, AND CONTINUE TO BE THAT THIRD PLACE.
AND IT, UM, I WOULD ALSO RECOMMEND TALKING TO OTHER, UM, LIBRARIES WHERE THAT WORKS.
UM, MAYBE, UM, THERE'S SOMETHING THAT WE DON'T HAVE HERE THAT WE NEED TO, TO ACCOUNT FOR.
UM, SO I WILL BE HAPPY WITH THE PLAN IF IT HAS A COFFEE SHOP.
UM, I'M SURE IT'S GONNA BE A GREAT, A GREAT PLAN.
UH, BUT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WILL ULTIMATELY BE APPROVED BY THE LIBRARY BOARD, RIGHT? THAT IS, WE WILL, FOR US.
IT'S AN F YI, IS THAT CORRECT? YES.
SINCE THE LIBRARY BOARD IS, IS THE GOVERNING BOARD APPOINTED BY MAYOR AND COUNCIL? YES.
IT'S NOT AN ADVISORY BOARD, IT'S ACTUALLY GOVERNING BOARD.
UM, ANY FINAL COMMENTS, QUESTIONS? YES, SIR.
UM, WELL, ONE, I'LL SAY I WOULD LOVE TO SEE ALL OF THE THINGS THAT COUNCILMAN SANDOVAL MENTIONED.
I WOULD LOVE TO TEST THE CARVER LIBRARY SINCE IT'S GONNA BE EXPANDING.
YOU KNOW, MAYBE WE COULD TEST IT OUT FOR, YOU KNOW, A CUTE LITTLE COFFEE SHOP.
WE DON'T HAVE A BARNES AND NOBLE OR NOTHING IN DISTRICT TWO, SO WE CAN MAKE, IF WE COULD MAKE IT HAPPEN, I'D LOVE IT.
UM, I'M WONDERING, SINCE THE LIBRARY BOARD IS, UH, MORE THAN ADVISE, UH, MORE THAN AN ADVISORY IN NATURE, DOES THAT LIMIT, UM, HOW WE CAN TALK TO OUR BOARD MEMBERS ABOUT, OR OUR APPOINTEES ABOUT THIS OR ABOUT WHAT THEIR NO, YOU'RE, THEY'RE YOUR REPRESENTATIVES ON THE LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES.
BOARD MEMBERS PLAY A VERY IMPORTANT ROLE.
UH, THEY'RE ENGAGED, THEY PROVIDE FEEDBACK.
UM, YEAH, NO, IT'S A VERY ENGAGED BOARD AND, AND THEY PARTICIPATE IN THE VISIONING OF THE LIBRARY SYSTEM.
THE REASON I ASK IS BECAUSE THERE'S CERTAIN LIMITATIONS ON THE WAY THAT, UM, I CAN TALK TO MY TOURS APPOINTEES OR H D R C ABOUT CERTAIN ISSUES.
THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH FOR THIS BRIEFING.
EXTREMELY INFORMATIVE, AND I'M GLAD WE, UM, GOT ON THIS DIALOGUE.
UM, WE'LL MOVE ON TO, UH, THE NEXT ITEM.
UM, MADAM CLERK, IF YOU WANNA READ THE CAPTION.
ITEM NUMBER THREE IS THE COMMUNITY ANIMAL SUPPORT AND ASSISTANCE CASA CASE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM.
READY? GOOD AFTERNOON, COMMITTEE MEMBERS, MY NAME IS SHANNON SIMS. I'M THE DIRECTOR OF ANIMAL CARE SERVICES.
UH, THE PURPOSE OF THIS PRESENTATION IS TO PROVIDE A BRIEFING ON THE COMMUNITY ANIMAL SUPPORT AND ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, ALL OTHERWISE KNOWN AS CASA.
UH, IF, IF YOU'LL RECALL IN THE F Y 22 BUDGET, UH, THIS WAS AN INITIATIVE.
THIS WAS THE INITIATIVE THAT CAME FORWARD, UH, TO DEVELOP A CASE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM, UH, FOR, UH, ANIMAL RELATED, UH, INFRACTIONS WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.
THIS PRESENTATION, I BELIEVE, IS TIMELY AS WE ENTER A NEW FISCAL YEAR IN WHICH WE ARE NOW FULLY OPERATIONAL AND STAFFED FOR THE CASA PROGRAM.
DURING THIS EARLY DEVELOPMENT OF THE PROGRAM, A C S DEVELOPED A MISSION STATEMENT THAT HELP, UH, HELPS OUR TEAM STAY FOCUSED ON THE GOALS AND PRIORITIES OF THE PROGRAM.
THE MISSION HAS STATED AS FOLLOWS, THE COMMUNITY ANIMAL SUPPORT AND ASSISTANCE PROGRAM PROVIDES RESOURCES TO SAN ANTONIO'S COMMUNITY TO ASSIST FAMILIES AND INDIVIDUALS IN MAKING KNOWLEDGEABLE AND COMPASSIONATE DECISIONS ABOUT THEIR PETS.
OUR CASA TEAM INCLUDES ONE DIVISION MANAGER AND FOUR CASE COORDINATORS.
THE MANAGER, KATE POWELL, WHO'S WITH US TODAY, COMES WITH AN EXTENSIVE BACKGROUND IN ANIMAL WELFARE AND ALSO HAS A DEGREE IN SOCIAL WORK.
ALL OF OUR CASE COORDINATORS ARE BILINGUAL.
THEY HAVE EX EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE IN ANIMAL WELFARE AS WELL.
THE CASE COORDINATORS WERE ALL INTERNAL HIRES FROM A C S STAFF WITH TWO COMING FROM OUR LIVE RELEASE DEPARTMENT, ONE FROM FIELD OPERATIONS, AND ONE FROM OUR CLINIC.
THIS DIVERSITY PROVIDES A HOLISTIC VIEW THAT HAS POSITIVELY SHAPED THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE CASA PROGRAM.
AS WE'VE STOOD IT UP OVER THE LAST YEAR, ALL OF OUR CASA COORDINATORS WILL BE STATE CERTIFIED ANIMAL CARE OFFICERS.
AND THE REASON WE WENT DOWN THIS ROAD IS, UH, FOR A COUPLE OF REASONS.
NUMBER ONE, UH, THEY CAN WRITE CITATIONS BOTH CRIMINAL AND CIVIL, SHOULD IT ESCALATE TO SUCH A POINT THAT THEY DO HAVE TO, UH, THEY, THEY'RE NOT GETTING BUY-IN FROM THE INDIVIDUALS THAT THEY'RE WORKING WITH.
UH, THEY CAN ALSO CREATE BITE REPORTS IF NEEDED IN THE FIELD, WHICH WE ACTUALLY FOUND WHEN WE FIRST STARTED ROLLING THEM OUT WAS ESSENTIAL IN THEIR MISSION, MISSION TASKINGS
[00:45:01]
AS NEEDED, THEY HAVE BEEN ISSUED A C O UNIFORMS AS THIS HELPS WITH ENFORCEMENT.WHENEVER A CASA CASE BECOMES WILLFUL NEGLECT OR THE INDIVIDUAL STOPS COOPERATING.
ADDITIONALLY FOR SAFETY, UH, WHEN APPROACHING A POTENTIAL SAFETY ISSUE OR DANGEROUS SITUATION, A UNIFORM PROVIDES A MORE RESPECTED AND LEGITIMIZED PRESENCE.
UH, WITH ALL OF THAT SAID, PLEASE KEEP IN MIND, 90% OF THE TIME THESE INDIVIDUALS WILL BE OUT, UH, IN THE COMMUNITY, IN THEIR CIVILIAN, UH, CIVILIAN STREET CLOTHES.
UH, HOWEVER, PROVIDING THEM WITH THIS CASE, UH, WITH THE ABILITY TO WEAR UNIFORMS, UH, IS AN OPTION THAT, THAT WE FOUND TO BE HELPFUL AS WE STARTED ROLLING THE PROGRAM OUT.
AT A C S, WE'RE WORKING TO INCORPORATE EQUITY INTO ALL OF OUR PRACTICES.
OUR PRIMARY VEHICLE FOR EQUITY WILL BE THE CASA PROGRAM.
CASA PRIMARILY WORKS IN AREAS OF EQUITY WITH AN EQUITY ATLAS SCORE OF SEVEN OR HIGHER.
UH, IF YOU LOOK AT THE MAP IN FRONT OF YOU RIGHT NOW, YOU'RE GONNA NOTICE THE DARKER, UH, COLORS ARE GOING TO BE THE HIGHERS OF, UH, OF THE AREAS OF HIGHER INEQUITY AS, AS DETERMINED BY THE EQUITY ATLAS.
YOU'LL NOTICE THAT THE PRIMARY AREAS OF CONCERN ARE GONNA BE IN THE CENTRAL, UH, CENTRAL CITY AREA, AS WELL AS THE SOUTH, UH, OFF TO THE EAST AND THE WEST A LITTLE BIT.
UM, HOWEVER, THERE ARE POCKETS OF THIS EQUITY ATLAS SCORE SEVEN OR HIGHER IN EVERY DISTRICT WITHIN THE CITY.
OKAY, DAY-TO-DAY, CASA IS MANAGING INDIVIDUAL CASES USING THIS LENS OF EQUITY.
WE HAVE TWO PRIMARY WAYS THAT WE IDENTIFY CASES FOR CASA.
THE FIRST METHOD IS, UH, UTILIZING PROACTIVE PATROLS IN HIGH CALL DENSITY AREAS AS IDENTIFIED THROUGH OUR CALL FOR SERVICE HEAT MAP.
THE SECOND METHOD IS THROUGH DIRECT REFERRALS.
UH, THESE REFERRALS COME, UH, IN, IN THE FORM OF OFFICERS OUT IN THE FIELD.
THEY SEE SOMETHING, THEY SEE A VIOLATION THAT CAN BE READILY RECTIFIED THROUGH SOME RESOURCES OR SOME EDUCATION.
AND SO THEY DEVELOP, THEY WRITE WHAT'S CALLED A NOTICE VIOLATION.
IN THE PAST, THESE FOLLOW-UPS WERE ALWAYS CONDUCTED BY OUR CRUELTY INVESTIGATORS WHO TYPICALLY FILE CRIMINAL CASES.
UH, WHAT IS HAPPENING NOW IS CASA AND THE CRUELTY INVESTIGATORS SIT DOWN EVERY MORNING.
THEY GO THROUGH THESE NOTICES OF VIOLATION, FIND THE ONES THAT ENTAIL WILLFUL NEGLECT.
THOSE GO OVER TO MY CRUELTY INVESTIGATORS, AND THEN THEY IDENTIFY THOSE THAT COULD BE, UH, POTENTIALLY RESOLVED THROUGH THE PROVISION OF SOME RE RESOURCES, EDUCATION AND TRAINING OF ALL THE PROJECTS AND GOALS FOR F Y 23, FINDING INCREASED SPAY NEUTER CAPACITY HAS TO BE OUR PRIORITY.
AS I, UH, HAD, UH, HAD HIGHLIGHTED DURING THE BUDGET BRIEFING AS WELL.
ONE OF THE ORIGINAL CONCEPTS WITH CASA WAS TO PROVIDE SPAY NEUTER VOUCHERS TO THE PUBLIC FOR FREE AND LOW COST SPAY NEUTER OPTIONS.
AFTER SPEAKING WITH OUR PARTNERS AT BROOKS AND BRACKENRIDGE, IT WAS REITERATED THAT THEIR CAPACITY CONSISTENTLY IS FULL.
SOME WOULD HONOR VOUCHERS, BUT IT WOULD BE AT THE EXPENSE OF ANOTHER SPAY NEUTER PROGRAM TO THE COMMUNITY.
ESSENTIALLY, IT WOULD BE ROBBING PETER TO PAY PAUL, AND IT WOULDN'T REALLY MOVE THE NEEDLE IN TERMS OF INCREASING OUR CAPACITY FOR SPAY AND NEUTER IN THE CITY.
IN ORDER TO COMBAT THIS CHALLENGE, THE CASA TEAM HAS BEEN WORKING DIRECTLY WITH MYSELF AND MY ASSISTANT TO THE DIRECTOR, SHANNON OSCAR GABRIELSSON, TO IDENTIFY ADDITIONAL CLINICS IN SAN ANTONIO.
AND WE'VE ALREADY BEGUN REACHING OUT.
WE'VE RECEIVED POSITIVE FEEDBACK FROM A COUPLE OF OUR LARGER, UH, CORPORATE STYLE PRIVATE CLINICS, AND THE CONVERSATION IS ONGOING.
THE GOAL WITH THESE CONVERSATIONS IS TO HELP THE V UH, HELP THE VOUCHER PROGRAM THAT WILL INCREASE OUR SPAY AND NEUTER AVAILABILITY FOR THIS CASA PROGRAM.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE MAP THAT'S ON THE CURRENT SLIDE, UH, THE DOTS THAT ARE ON THIS MAP INDICATE WHERE SPAY NEUTER CLINICS ARE WITHIN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
IT'S, IT'S VERY, VERY APPARENT THAT THERE IS A, A, A HUGE INEQUITY RIGHT NOW WHEN WE TALK ABOUT SPAY NEUTER AVAILABILITY FROM THE NORTH OF SAN ANTONIO DOWN TO THE SOUTHERN AREAS AND OFF TO THE EAST.
UH, SO THE INTENT OF BEING ABLE TO WORK WITH THESE SMALLER CLINICS IS TO GAIN CAPACITY SO THAT EVEN THOUGH WE'RE NOT NECESSARILY BUILDING A SPAY NEUTER CLINIC IN THAT VETERINARY DESERT, WE'RE PROVIDING TRANSPORTATION AND RESOURCES TO MOVE THOSE ANIMALS THAT NEED THE SPAY AND NEUTER TO THE AREAS THAT DO HAVE THAT CAPACITY.
CASA IS ALSO HAVING GREAT SUCCESS WITH OWNER SURRENDER PREVENTION, AND WE'LL EXPAND THIS IN F Y 23.
ANY OWNER SURRENDER REQUEST THAT IS NOT DEEMED AS AN EMERGENCY IS NOW BEING REFERRED TO THE CASA MANAGERS.
CASA WILL ENGAGE WITH EACH OWNER WHO IS REQUESTED AN OWNER SURRENDER, AND HOPEFULLY IT'S A RESOURCE ISSUE THAT WE CAN ADDRESS AND KEEP THE PET OUT OF OUR SHELTER.
ONE EXAMPLE OF THIS WOULD BE AN ANIMAL THAT CONSISTENTLY JUMPS A FENCE, DIGS UNDER A FENCE, OR GETS OUT OF ITS ENCLOSURE.
UH, BY CASA BEING ABLE TO GO TO THAT LOCATION, PROVIDE A HUMANE TETHER DOG HOUSE ADEQUATE SHADE, AND ENSURE THAT ANIMAL HAS FOOD, WATER, AND SHELTER, UH, WE CAN KEEP THAT ANIMAL IN THE HOUSE
[00:50:01]
AND KEEP IT OUT OF OUR SHELTER AND OUT OF THE CITY'S CARE.TO DATE, CASA HAS ALREADY SUCCESSFULLY, UH, KEPT OVER 112 ANIMALS FROM COMING INTO THE SHELTER.
WHO WOULD O OTHERWISE WOULD HAVE COME IN? AND KEEP IN MIND, THIS IS IN THE LAST PART OF THE YEAR, WHENEVER, UH, WE FINALLY HAD EVERYONE TRAINED, COMPLETELY STAFFED AND OUT IN THE FIELD.
OUR GOAL FOR THE NEXT YEAR IS TO REACH 320 FAMILIES IN SIMILAR SITUATIONS.
FURTHERMORE, CASA HAS BEEN DOCUMENTING THE REASONS EACH OF THESE FAMILIES FEEL THAT THEY NEED TO OWN OR SURRENDER THEIR PETS.
THIS IS GOING TO ALLOW CASA TO DEVELOP MORE CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS ON HOW TO KEEP PETS IN HOMES IN THE FUTURE.
AND THIS INFORMATION IS GOING TO BE CRITICAL AS WE FINALIZE OUR STRATEGIC PLAN.
KEEPING PETS IN THE HOMES AND OUT OF THE SHELTER HAS TO BE A PRIORITY, UH, AS WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT STRATEGIC PLAN.
PIGGYBACKING OFF THE PROACTIVE FIELD APPROACH, UH, WHICH INCLUDED GOING INTO HIGH DENSITY CITATION AND RECIDIVISM AREAS, WE LOOK TO EXPAND THIS IDEA FURTHER IN F Y 23.
THE IDEA IS TO FOCUS ON ONE COUNCIL DISTRICT AND ENGAGE IN AREAS THAT MEET THE IDENTIFIED CRITERIA AND BEGIN MEETING WITH RESIDENTS PROVIDING EDUCATION ONSITE MICROCHIPPING, TANGIBLE RESOURCES, AND TO HELP THE RESIDENTS CONNECT WITH LOW COST SPAY NEUTER OPTIONS.
THIS IDEA IS TO CREATE, UH, THE IDEA IS TO CREATE A CASA LED OPERATION THAT INCLUDES A MULTIDISCIPLINARY TEAM TO CONDUCT A FOCUS APPROACH WITHIN THESE TARGETED AREAS IN COLLABORATION WITH THE A C S DISTRICT, OFFICERS THAT ALREADY KNOW THESE AREAS, THE BEST, AND THE COUNCIL DISTRICTS IN WHICH THAT THEY'LL BE OPERATING.
CASA WILL IDENTIFY CENSUS TRACKS IN GREATEST NEED, AND WE'LL WORK WITH THE STAKEHOLDERS ON CONDUCTING A THREE WEEK CANVASSING ON THESE IDENTIFIED AREAS.
IN THIS EXAMPLE, UH, THAT WE HAVE UP THERE RIGHT NOW, THE, THE, UH, MAP, WE'VE SELECTED JUST A STREET MAP OF D FIVE.
THERE ARE APPROXIMATELY 35 CENSUS TRACKED AREAS IN THIS DISTRICT THAT CAN TIE DEMOGRAPHICS SUCH AS EDUCATION ATTAINMENT, AND INCOME.
TO ENSURE THAT WE MAINTAIN OUR FOCUS ON THE EQUITY LENS OF THE CITY.
THIS DATA WILL BE CROSS-REFERENCED WITH OUR CALL FOR SERVICE DATA TO ENSURE MAXIMUM IMPACT TO THE COMMUNITY AND TO THE RESIDENTS INSIDE THAT COMMUNITY.
THE INTENT OF THESE EVENTS IS TO PROVIDE HIGH IMPACT RESOURCES TO LARGE GROUPS OF PET OWNERS.
THIS IS NOT A TYPICAL NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING.
IT IS THE FOCUS IS ON PROVIDING RESOURCES TO PETS AT THE LOCATION, SUCH AS MICRO SHIPPING AND SPAY NEUTER VOUCHERS.
CASA FOLLOW CASA ALSO FOLLOWS UP ON ALL RESOURCES THAT ARE BEING DISTRIBUTED TO ENSURE COMPLIANCE WITH THE ORDINANCE, NOT ONLY TODAY, BUT MOVING INTO THE FUTURE.
PARTNERSHIPS ARE GOING TO BE A VITAL, UH, PART OF THE SUCCESS OF THE CA UH, CASA CAMPAIGN.
AND IN TURN, THE SAN ANTONIO COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE.
WE'VE PARTNERED WITH DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES HOMELESS DIVISION, AND WE'LL PARTICIPATE AT TWO DIFFERENT EVENTS EVERY MONTH, PROVIDING RESOURCES TO INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE HOUSELESS OR AT RISK OF BECOMING HOUSELESS, PROVIDING MICROCHIPPING FOOD, COLLAPSIBLE WATER CONTAINERS, COLLARS, AND LEASHES.
UH, WE, UH, ANTICIPATE ATTENDING ROUGHLY 50 EVENTS WITH THEM IN THE COMING YEAR.
OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH METRO HEALTH VIOLENCE PREVENTION PROVIDES EMERGENCY HOUSING KITS SO THAT VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CAN TAKE ANIMALS WITH THEM WHILE THEY'RE ESCAPING ABUSIVE SITUATIONS INTO THE EMERGENCY HOUSING THAT THEY NEED TO GO INTO.
ADDITIONALLY, THE CASA TEAM IS WORKING WITH METRO HEALTH TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH HOTELS THAT HAVE CONTRACTS WITH THE CITY TO INCREASE THE ABILITY TO HAVE ANIMALS STAY WITH, UH, WITH THESE VICTIMS. THE LAST ONE THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH RIGHT NOW, I'M, I'M, IS THE, UH, THE MEALS ON WHEELS AND A MEALS PROGRAM.
UH, THIS PROGRAM PROVIDES PET FOOD FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO DO NOT HAVE THE MEANS TO STOCK UP ON THEIR OWN FOOD.
UH, THIS IS A MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL RELATIONSHIP WHERE CASA AND MEALS ON WHEELS, UH, PROVIDE REFERRALS TO INDIVIDUALS IN THE COMMUNITY WHO QUALIFY FOR SERVICES.
AS OF TODAY, WE PROVIDED SEVERAL REFERRALS TO ANNA MILLS AND CASA HAS PRESENTED TO MEALS ON WHEELS TWICE ON WHAT CONSTITUTES COMPLIANCE WITH THE LAW IN, IN REFERENCE TO ANIMALS, AS WELL AS RED FLAGS THAT THEY MAY SEE IN THE FIELD WHERE WE MAY NEED TO GET INVOLVED.
AND FINALLY, DAISY CARESS IS SAN ANTONIO FOOD BANK'S PET SUPPORT DIVISION.
CASA PROVIDES REFERRALS FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE TRANSPORTATION AVAILABILITY, BUT ARE STILL IN NEED OF PET FOOD.
WE ALSO ASSIST RESIDENTS WITH CONNECTING TO S A F, UH, S A F B AND DAISY CARESS TO RECEIVE NOT ONLY FOOD FOR THE ANIMAL, BUT ALSO FOR FOOD FOR THEMSELVES TO TAKE CARE OF THE CRITICAL NEEDS THAT THEY HAVE.
FINALLY, AS WE DEVELOPED CASA, UH, WE HAD TO IDENTIFY METRICS TO IDENTIFY, YOU KNOW, DEFINE OUR SUCCESS.
UH, THE THREE METRICS THAT WE IDENTIFIED WERE RECIDIVISM, WHICH WE DEFINED
[00:55:01]
AS AN INDIVIDUAL PERSON WHO RECEIVES A, A SPECIFIC CITATION FOR A, A, YOU KNOW, SPECIFIC TYPE OF VIOLATION.AND HAVING ANYONE THAT HAS MORE THAN ONE OF THOSE WITHIN A ROLLING 365 DAY PERIOD IS HOW WE DEFINE THE RECIDIVISM.
THE SECOND METRIC IS THE NUMBER OF OWNER SURRENDERS CASA, UH, INTERVENES IN AND IS ABLE TO STOP.
AND THE THIRD IS THE NUMBER OF FAMILIES IMPACTED BY CASA.
UH, AS YOU CAN SEE BY THE CHART, UH, DURING THE BRIEF PERIOD THAT WE HAD THE TEAM COMPLETELY UP AND OPERATIONAL IN F F Y 22, WE WERE ABLE TO DECREASE THE RECIDIVISM RATES BY ABOUT 2.6%.
OUR GOAL IS TO, UH, ACHIEVE ANOTHER 2.5% FOR F Y 23, UH, FOR OWNER SURRENDERS.
UH, AGAIN, THIS YEAR IN A VERY BRIEF PERIOD, WE WERE ABLE TO DIVERT 112 ANIMALS, KEEPING THEM IN THEIR HOMES.
AND WE ANTICIPATE, UH, ALMOST TRIPLING THAT IN F Y 23 AND FINALLY IMPACTED FAMILIES.
THOSE THAT HAVE RECEIVED SOME TYPE OF TANGIBLE RESOURCE, UH, SPAY, NEUTER, UH, EDUCATION, ANY OF THE ABOVE.
UH, WE WERE ABLE TO IMPACT 2,159, UH, FAMILIES IN, UH, IN THE THIRD AND FOURTH QUARTER OF F Y 22.
AND WE ANTICIPATE MORE THAN DOUBLING THAT IN F Y 23 AS COSTA GETS A FULL YEAR UNDER THEIR BELT WITH F Y 23, UH, I ANTICIPATE THIS GREATLY IMPACTING RESPONSIBLE PET OWNERSHIP, AS WELL AS ENHANCING OUR ENFORCEMENT RESPONSE TO CALLS FOR SERVICE.
AS MANY OF THESE CALLS THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY SENDING OFFICERS OUT TO END UP HAVING A CASE MANAGER GO TO, UH, THIS ENSURES THAT WE KEEP INDIVIDUALS OUT OF A MUNICIPAL COURT SYSTEM AND RECTIFY THE PROBLEMS AT THE FIRST, UH, FIRST OPPORTUNITY POSSIBLE.
AND MADAM CHAIR, THAT CONCLUDES MY BRIEF.
UM, I, I'LL JUST, UM, GIVE A COUPLE OF COMMENTS BEFORE I, I TURN IT OVER.
UM, IN TERMS OF THE SPAY AND NEUTER BOTTLENECK, I, I FELT THAT, UM, I DID, UH, FOSTER A COUPLE OF PUPPIES, UM, WHEN I WAS SEVEN MONTHS PREGNANT.
I DO NOT RECOMMEND THAT AT ALL,
UM, AND, UH, SO I WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT BECAUSE THEY WERE ALMOST EIGHT WEEKS OLD, AND AT EIGHT WEEKS OLD, THEY GET, YOU KNOW, THEY CAN GO IN FOR THEIR SPAY OR NEUTER.
THEY WERE, THEY WERE FROM THE SAME LITTER.
UH, I THOUGHT, OKAY, I'M, I CAN DO THIS FOR TWO WEEKS, RIGHT? AND WHEN I GOT HOME AND I MADE THE CALL, THERE'S A HUGE WEIGHT.
SO THAT MEANT I ACTUALLY HAD THEM FOR MANY, MANY MORE WEEKS THAN THAN I HAD ANTICIPATED.
AND THEN I WASN'T ABLE TO MOVE AS, AS EASILY.
UM, SO NO, THAT'S, THAT'S REAL.
SO I'M REALLY GLAD THAT YOU'RE, UH, THAT YOU'RE WORKING ON THAT.
UH, I BET D THREE HAS A LOT TO SAY ABOUT THIS, BUT, UH, HOW ABOUT WE GO IN NUMERICAL ORDER, UH, THIS TIME? SO TWO, THREE, THEN FIVE, IF THAT'S OKAY.
I WANNA START OFF, I WANNA THANK ALL OF THOSE WHO WORK FOR A C S, UM, AND ESPECIALLY OUR CASA TEAM.
UM, WE KNOW YOU OFTEN DO THANK THANKLESS WORK AND WE APPRECIATE WHO, AND I GET A LOT OF VERY UGLY, UM, A C S RELATED DMS. AND, BUT YOU KNOW, I SIGNED UP TO BE AN ELECTED OFFICIAL.
THERE'S A NUMBER OF STAFF MEMBERS WHO GET UGLY DMS AND MESSAGES AND ATTACKS THAT ARE UNWARRANTED AND STUFF AND DIRECT MESSAGES.
UM, AND SO I, I WANTED TO, WANTED TO NAME THAT, RIGHT? A C S AND ANIMAL CARE ISSUES ARE A BIG FOCUS OF MINE, UM, BECAUSE WE RECEIVED MANY CALLS AND VISITS FROM CONSTITUENTS ABOUT STRAY, UM, AND OR DANGEROUS ANIMALS NEGLECT CASES AND THE EXPLOSION IN, UH, POPULATION OF PUPPIES AND KITTENS.
AND I'M GLAD TO SEE THAT THIS IS A PROACTIVE TEAM AND WE'D LOVE TO CONNECT THESE TEAM MEMBERS WITH OUR NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS, UM, ESPECIALLY THOSE WITH THE MOST CONCERNS AND LET THEM KNOW, HEY, MAYBE WE'RE NOT MOVING AT THE SPEED THAT YOU WOULD LIKE, BUT WE ARE MOVING AND I WANT YOU TO, I WANT TO INTRODUCE YOU TO OUR TEAM THAT IS DOING A LOT OF REALLY AMAZING WORK.
UM, SO I'M HAPPY TO MAKE THOSE CONNECTIONS AND WOULD LOVE TO DO SO.
UM, IT'S ALSO A, A PASSION OF MINE FOR, AS I SAID, A NUMBER OF REASONS, RIGHT? BUT IT'S ALSO SUCH A VERY UNIQUE CHALLENGE IN THAT YOUR ISSUE AND YOUR TASK MOVES A CODE VIOLATION IS PRETTY STU YOU KNOW, IT IS WHERE IT IS A POTHOLE IS WHERE IT IS.
IT'S NOT MOVING NOWHERE EXCEPT FOR UNDER VERY EXTREME CIRCUMSTANCES.
AND SO I, I ALSO WANT TO NAME THAT AND I APPRECIATE IT.
UM, I'M WONDERING, YOU KNOW, ON, ON NUMBER SIX OR ON SLIDE NUMBER SIX, UH, LOOKING AT THE FINDING SPAY NEUTER FACILITIES OR JUST THE SPAY NEUTER FACILITY, ONE OF THE NEED IS IDENTIFYING ADDITIONAL CAPACITY.
AND I LOOK AT DISTRICT TWO AND I'M LIKE THE BIG AREAS THAT ARE LIKE DENVER HIDES, DIGNITY HILL, GOVERNMENT HILL, UM, WHERE WE GET A LOT OF, I HAVE OPEN,
[01:00:01]
OPEN OFFICE HOURS IN DENVER HEIGHTS, AND IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT ISSUE SOMEBODY COMES TO ME WITH, THEY WILL ALSO HAVE AN ISSUE ABOUT A STRAY ANIMAL, AND WE CAN SEE IT BECAUSE WE'RE IN DENVER.AND SO I, I JUST WANTED, WHAT IS IT THAT I CAN DO TO HELP YOU? WHAT IS IT THAT I CAN DO TO INCREASE OUR CAPACITY? ARE THERE LOCATIONS THAT MAYBE I CAN HELP FACILITATE GAPS AND SEE IF MAYBE WE CAN HAVE, I, I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS, BUT IF MAYBE IT'S A LOCATION ISSUE OR IF IT'S SOMETHING MAYBE YOU'RE HAVING DIFFICULTY REACHING A CERTAIN, UH, ORGANIZATION OR BUSINESS AND DISTRICT TWO THAT COULD BE BENEFICIAL TO YOU.
I'VE FOUND THAT WHEN THE COUNCIL PERSON REACHES OUT, YOU SOMETIMES GET A GREATER RESPONSE THAN IF IT'S SOMEBODY FROM THE CITY.
AND SO I, I WANT TO BE A RESOURCE, AND WHEN PEOPLE ASK, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE YOU DOING ABOUT THE STRAY ANIMAL POPULATION? OR WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE? I DON'T WANNA JUST POINT TO THE WORK THAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING AND DOING WITHOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, WITHOUT ACCESS TO THE APPROPRIATE RESOURCES.
I ALSO WANNA BE ABLE TO SAY, YOU KNOW, I AM HELPING YOU DO SOMETHING.
AND IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT I CAN DO, I, LIKE, I WOULD REALLY, MAYBE WE, MAYBE WE SHOULD START HAVING MONTHLY CONVERSATIONS.
I WOULD LOVE, I WOULD LOVE TO DO THAT.
AND I, I WANT TO DO MORE THAN I FEEL LIKE I'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO THUS FAR.
AND SO I, IF THERE'S SOMETHING I CAN DO TO FILL THAT GAP IN SOME WAY, I WOULD LOVE TO DO THAT.
I ALSO, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I DON'T KNOW IF I ASKED, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE A FULL RECIDIVISM REPORT OF WHY FOLKS CONTINUE TO OFFEND AND ON THE SLIDE RELATED TO RECIDIVISM, IT WAS THAT ONE.
UM, IT, OKAY, SO IF I DO THE, IF I DID THE MATH CORRECTLY, THERE WERE ABOUT 4,307 SURRENDERS IF IT DECREASED BY 112.
AND, AND KEEP IN MIND, SIR, UH, THE FIRST ROUGHLY EIGHT MONTHS OF THE FISCAL YEAR WAS THE HIRING PROCESS TRAINING THESE GUYS, WE REALLY ONLY HAD, UH, THE CASA TEAM RUNNING ON ALL CYLINDERS FOR ABOUT THE LAST THREE MONTHS OF THE YEAR.
I'M JUST TRYING TO, I'M REALLY, I PROMISE YOU I'M NOT TRYING TO, IT'S NOT A GOTCHA, NO, NO.
I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THE MATH OF IF 112, IS THAT THE 2.6% THAT WAS DECREASED? OH, NO.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S A DIFFERENCE.
THE, THE 112 ARE OWNER SURRENDERS, SO THAT'S AN INDIVIDUAL WHO WAS GOING TO SURRENDER THEIR PET TO A C S.
UH, WHEREAS IN RECIDIVISM, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT INDI INDIVIDUALS THAT HAVE RECEIVED CITATIONS.
I MISUNDERSTOOD THE, AND SO IMPACTED FAMILIES WOULD BE THE OWNERS AND REC.
WHAT IS THE, HMM, WHAT IS THE ACTUAL NUMBER OF CASES OF RECIDIVISM THAT DECREASED, IF THAT MAKES SENSE? SO, I, I, I DON'T HAVE THE ACTUAL NUMBER OF CASES PER SE.
UM, BUT WHAT WE, WHAT WE NOTED LAST YEAR, UH, WAS 30% RECIDIVISM.
BASICALLY WE WERE SEEING THE SAME PEOPLE.
30% OF THE CITATIONS WE WERE WRITING WERE ENDING UP IN COURT FOR THE EXACT SAME VIOLATION MULTIPLE TIMES WITHIN A 365 DAY PERIOD.
AND WHAT WE SAW OVER THIS LAST YEAR, UH, IS THAT REDUCED DOWN TO ABOUT 27%, 27.5%.
I GUESS THAT'S MY QUE I GUESS THAT'S WHY I ASK, UM, IF IT'S POSSIBLE FOR US TO RECEIVE THE FULL RECIDIVISM REPORT.
AND IF IT DOES IT INCLUDE A LIST OF LIKE, REASONS WHY FOLKS CONTINUE TO, UH, OFFEND, AND THEN IS THERE AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE CONVERSATION ABOUT INCENTIVES FOR CHANGED BEHAVIOR FOR THAT POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT, SUCH AS, UM, MAYBE PARTNERSHIPS WITH LARGE PET STORES TO OFFER FOOD, LEASHES, TOYS, THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.
AND I CAN TELL YOU ONE OF THE, UH, A COUPLE OF THE THINGS THAT WE SEE RECIDIVISM IN MOST FREQUENTLY IS THE SAME PERSON.
YOU KNOW, THE, THE ANIMAL CONTINUES TO GET OUTTA THE PROPERTY.
UH, ANOTHER ONE IS, YOU KNOW, ANYTIME WE SHOW UP, KINDA LIKE WHEN, UH, YOU GET PULLED OVER FOR A SPEEDING VIOLATION, WE ASK FOR PROOF OF RABIES AND PROOF OF MICROCHIPS.
SO GETTING THAT, THAT MICROCHIP ONE AND DONE AS MANY OF THOSE AS WE CAN GET DONE, AND MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE THOSE VACCINATION CLINICS IN THOSE COMMUNITIES, UH, WHERE WE, THAT ARE IN THE GREATEST NEED, THOSE ARE GONNA BE, UH, A LOT OF THE PRIMARY ONES THAT WE SEE JUST KIND OF OVER AND OVER AND OVER.
AND I GUESS MY LAST RECOMMENDATION WILL BE MERCH.
I KNOW THAT I, I GO, I KNOW Y'ALL SAW THE, ALL OF THE, ALL THE PET SUPPLIES, RIGHT.
BUT I WOULD, I WOULD ROCK A, YOU KNOW, ADOPT DON'T SHOP.
I WOULD DO SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE, UM, SOME MERCH FROM Y'ALL AS WELL.
AND I THINK WE HAVE A LARGE COMMUNITY OF FOLK WHO WOULD SUPPORT, AND MAYBE THEY DON'T WALK OUT WITH A PUPPY OR A KITTY, BUT THEY WALK OUT WITH
[01:05:01]
A SHIRT.YOUR, YOUR WORDS ARE MUSIC TO, UH, MY CHIEF OPERATION OFFICERS YEARS
SHE'S BEEN PUSHING ME PUSHING FOR THAT FOR ABOUT SIX YEARS.
YOU KNOW WHAT, YOU SHOULD, YOU SHOULD BRAND IT, BRAND A C S, BUT ALSO BRAND LIKE THE COUNCIL TERM WHEN, WHEN THOSE T-SHIRTS WERE MADE AND THEN A FUTURE COUNCIL, THEY CAN MAKE THEIRS.
BUT, BUT OURS COULD HAVE LIKE OUR, I CAN DESIGN SOME STUFF FOR Y'ALL REAL QUICK.
LET'S, LET'S, LET'S MAKE IT HAPPEN.
THANK YOU, SHANNON, FOR THIS PRESENTATION.
IF WE LOOK ON THE SLIDE FOR SPAY AND NEUTER CAPACITY, UM, YOU KNOW, THE BROOKS, UH, SITE HAS BEEN TOP OF MY PRIORITY TO MAKE MAKING SURE IT, UM, IT CAN HIT 100%.
I KNOW THAT WE HAVE A CHALLENGE WITH VETS, AND I KNOW WE HAVE THE CHALLENGE WITH THE SPAY AND NEUTER VOUCHERS, SO I'M REALLY HOPING THAT WE CAN FIGURE THAT THIS OUT.
MAYBE GET, I DON'T KNOW, ROAMING VETS TO COME INTO THAT, UM, BROOKS CLINIC TO, TO PROVIDE, UH, SPAY AND NEUTER, UM, OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE RESIDENTS.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE PROBLEMS WELL BECAUSE I TELL YOU ALL THE TIME ABOUT, UH, WHERE WE, WHAT WE HAVE ON THE SOUTH SIDE, ALONG BY THE RIVER, UH, PETS ARE GETTING DUMPED OR THEY'RE ESCAPING AND JOINING PACKS, SOUTH SIDE LIONS, UM, THE RURAL AREAS.
UM, THE ONE THING I DO WANNA SEE US MOVE WITH THIS CASA PROGRAM IS WORKING WITH OUR, UM, OPPORTUNITY HOME SAN ANTONIO AND THE RESIDENTS THAT HAVE PETS THERE, AND MAKING SURE THAT MAYBE WE DO SOME SPECIFIC PROGRAMMING FOR THEM ABOUT, UM, KEEPING THEIR, THEIR PET SAFE.
'CAUSE I KNOW, UM, AND SOMETIMES THE PETS JUST CAN'T RESIST IT.
THEY'RE RIGHT THERE ALONG THE RIVER AND THEY HEAR THE OTHER DOGS, SO THEY, THEY, THEY LEAVE AND, YOU KNOW, GO AWAY FOR A WHILE.
AND THEN WE HAVE THAT PROBLEM.
BUT I'D LIKE TO SEE WORKING WITH THOSE APARTMENTS ALONG THE WAY.
WHAT I'D ALSO LIKE TO SEE IS, UM, OR WHAT I LIKE THAT I'M SEEING IS THAT THESE, THEY'RE NOT GOING IN, UM, WITH THE UNIFORM NECESSARILY IN THE BEGINNING.
IT'S JUST THEM HAVING A CONVERSATION WITH MY, UM, WITH THE RESIDENTS OF DISTRICT THREE.
UM, IF YOU WANT TO MAKE IT OUT TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION MEETINGS AND HAVE THE TEAM, WHICH I HOPE THEY, THE TEAM STAYS FOR A VERY LONG TIME, UH, COME OUT AND VISIT WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS, I WOULD LOVE THAT BECAUSE I THINK EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION CAN IDENTIFY, UH, SOMEBODY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD THAT IS EITHER TAKING CARE OF, UH, THE STRAYS, WHETHER THEY'RE FEEDING THEM OR IS TRYING TO, TO TAKE CARE OF, TAKE CARE OF THE SITUATION ON THEIR OWN.
AND MAYBE THEY NEED TO GET CONNECTED WITH THE CASA GROUP ON HOW TO TALK TO THEIR NEIGHBORS ABOUT BEING RESPONSIBLE PET OWNERS.
SO, YOU KNOW, MY RESIDENTS, AND YOU WERE THERE AT THE TOWN HALL MEETING ABUNDANTLY, IF THEY WERE GIVEN A CHOICE WHERE TO SPEND MONEY AND THE, THE CHOICES WERE, UM, A REBATE OR A C S, THEY WOULD'VE VOTED FOR A C S BUT THAT WASN'T THE CHOICE THAT THEY WERE GIVEN.
SO I JUST, I JUST HOPE THAT WE CAN SEE, UM, UM, MORE HAPPEN.
AND CAN YOU EXPLAIN MORE ABOUT THE SPAY AND NEUTER VOUCHERS AND WHEN WE'LL BE SEEING THOSE PROGRAMS? YES, MA'AM.
SO, UH, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE, FOR THE COMMENTS, MA'AM.
UH, I SEE THE CASA PROGRAM AS WE GET THIS FIRST FULL YEAR UNDER US, UH, FOR MANY, MANY YEARS.
YOU KNOW, YOU ALL PROBABLY RECALL EVERY YEAR IT WAS WE WANTED MORE OFFICERS, WE WANTED MORE OFFICERS, AND I THINK THAT THIS IS GOING TO ALLOW US TO TACK IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION WHERE I THINK THE OFFICERS WOULD BE OKAY IF WE WOULD TAKE THE RESPONSIBLE PET OWNERSHIP PIECE OFF OF 'EM.
AND THAT'S A LOT OF WHAT CASA IS GONNA HELP US WITH.
UM, BUT IN, IN REFERENCE TO THE, UH, KIND OF WHERE WE'RE GOING WITH THE VOUCHER PROGRAM, UH, I DON'T WANNA STEAL CAPACITY AWAY FROM AN ALREADY FLOODED SYSTEM AT BRACKENRIDGE AND BROOKS AND, YOU KNOW, TO GET THOSE, THOSE VOUCHERS, I WANNA LEAVE THOSE OUT THERE FOR THE NORMAL COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT ARE COMING IN USING THE ZIP CODE GRANTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO WHAT WE'VE DONE IS WE'VE GOT ABOUT SEVEN CLINICS RIGHT NOW THAT WE'RE IN DISCUSSION WITH THAT ARE ACTIVE PRIVATE CLINICS IN SAN ANTONIO THAT, UH, IT LOOKS LIKE THEY'RE VERY, VERY WILLING TO STEP UP AND PROVIDE US SOME CAPACITY, AND MAYBE IT'S ONLY 5, 6, 10 A WEEK AT THIS CLINIC.
BUT BEING ABLE TO GIVE THAT TO KATE'S TEAM AS STRICTLY VOUCHER BASED AND BE ABLE TO AID THOSE IN, IN NEED OF TRANSPORTATION ISSUES, UH, YOU KNOW, LIKE THAT, LIKE THIS MAP THAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT SAYS, YOU KNOW, UH, MORE THAN LIKELY THESE FOLKS ARE NOT GOING TO BE DIRECTLY IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOODS.
SO WE'VE GOTTA FIND WAYS TO MAKE SURE
[01:10:01]
THAT WE GET THEM THERE.SO THOSE, THAT CAPACITY FROM THESE PRIVATE CLINICS WILL BE SPECIFICALLY FOR THE CASA PROGRAM TO KIND OF MAKE SURE THAT THOSE FOLKS THAT HAVE BEEN IN VIOLATION, WE CAN GET THEM OUTTA TROUBLE WITH MUNICIPAL COURTS, GET THE ANIMAL STERILIZED, AND GET THEM IN GOOD STANDING.
DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, MA'AM? YES.
UM, IS THAT ALL COUNCILWOMAN? YES.
THANK YOU SHANNON, FOR THE PRESENTATION.
SLIDE THREE, UH, TOP RIGHT CORNER WITH KATE.
ISN'T THAT THE CUTEST DOG EVER?
HE'S HER SCREEN SCREENSAVER AS WELL.
AND I, I WILL SAY A C SS DOES HAVE SOME NICE SWAG.
I HAVE SOME COOL SUNGLASSES THAT I PICKED UP WHEN I WANNA GO ADOPT, BAM BAM, Y'ALL ARE SET OUT SURVEYING, UM, THE FOLKS OUT THERE LOOKING TO POTENTIALLY ADOPT.
AND, UH, WHEN I'M OUT IN COMMUNITY, PEOPLE ARE LIKE, OH, THERE'S A NICE SUNGLASSES.
I WAS LIKE A C S IF YOU ADOPT A PET, YOU COULD GET SUNGLASSES, SUNGLASSES, A WATER BOTTLE, WE'LL SET YOU UP
BUT, UH, I REALLY APPRECIATE THE MULTIDISCIPLINARY APPROACH THAT Y'ALL TAKING, UH, WITH CONNECTING CONSTITUENTS TO RESOURCES AND FILLING THOSE GAPS THAT EXIST OUT IN COMMUNITY.
WITH THE, THE DATA THAT Y'ALL HAVE BEEN ABLE TO COLLECT SO FAR WITH, UH, DIVERTING PEOPLE AWAY FROM HAVING TO SURRENDER THEIR ANIMAL, WHAT IS THE MOST COMMON PATTERN THAT SOMEONE'S, UH, COMING IN AND SAYING, I HAVE TO GIVE THEM UP BECAUSE OF A, B, C, D? WHAT'S THE MOST FREQUENT? UH, SO ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S, SO THE KIND OF THE BEAUTY IN THE PROGRAM MM-HMM.
THEY, THEY, THEY DON'T HAVE THE RESOURCES TO BE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE LAW.
AND A LOT OF TIMES KATE'S TEAM'S ABLE TO GO OUT THERE, PROVIDE A DOG HOUSE, YOU KNOW, HEY, WE CAN'T AFFORD A DOG HOUSE, AND I KEEP GETTING CITATIONS FOR A DOG HOUSE.
SO WE GIVE 'EM THE TETHER AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND A LOT OF TIMES JUST BEING ABLE TO SAY, YOU'RE NOT GONNA HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT CITATIONS IF YOU USE THESE ITEMS AND THESE TRAINING TECHNIQUES THAT WE'RE GIVING YOU, A LOT OF TIMES, THAT'S ENOUGH.
NOW, WE DO ALSO RUN INTO, UH, A LOT OF FOLKS, PARTICULARLY WITH THE ECONOMIC SITUATION RIGHT NOW THAT SAY, MY, MY SITUATION HAS CHANGED.
I CAN'T AFFORD PET FOOD ANYMORE.
AND THAT'S WHERE PARTNERING WITH, UH, MEALS ON WHEELS, WITH THE ANNA MEALS PROGRAM, PARTICULARLY FOR THE ELDERLY AS WELL AS SAN ANTONIO FOOD BANK THROUGH DAISY CARES TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE, UH, THAT, THAT KIND OF SUPPORT THAT'S ONGOING.
AND THOSE PARTNERSHIPS ARE IMPORTANT.
YESTERDAY WE HAD A CONSTITUENT COME IN AND SHE WAS EXPRESSING HOW, YOU KNOW, THE COST OF UTILITIES IS GETTING EXPENSIVE AND SHE HAS ALL THESE CATS AND IT'S JUST, SHE DOESN'T KNOW HOW SHE'S GOING TO CONTINUE TO FEED THEM.
AND I TRIED CONNECTING HER, OR I, I, I RECOMMENDED RATHER MEALS ON WHEELS AND SHE'S LIKE, I DON'T QUALIFY 'CAUSE I'M NOT HOME BOUND.
I WAS LIKE, OKAY, WELL WOULD YOU ALL RESEARCH AND SEE WHO AND WHAT WE COULD CONNECT YOU WITH TO HELP PROVIDE THAT FOOD, UM, FOR HER CATS? SO I, I'M REALLY EXCITED TO SEE THAT YOU ALL HAVE ALREADY IDENTIFIED THE PARTNERS TO CONNECT COMMUNITY WITH WHO MAY BE STRUGGLING, UH, TO KEEP FOOD ON, LIKE NOT JUST THEIR TABLE, BUT FOR THEIR PETS AS WELL, RIGHT? YES, MA'AM.
UM, SO FOR, LET ME PULL UP A SLIDE FOR THOSE WHO, LET'S SEE, FOR THE IMPACTED FAMILIES, IS IT THE SAME AS, IS IT THE PATTERN THE SAME AS THOSE WHO ARE SURRENDERING THEIR PETS? OR ARE THEY DESCRIBING THE SAME SITUATION WITH, UH, JUST NOT BEING ABLE TO AFFORD, UM, TO TAKE CARE OF THE PET? YEAH, THERE'S, THERE'S, THERE'S A PRETTY, A PRETTY WIDE ARRAY OF, OF INDIVIDUAL ITEMS. THE MAJORITY OF THEM BOIL DOWN TO THOSE TWO, THOSE TWO MAIN KIND OF STICKING POINTS OF I CAN'T PROVIDE FOR MY PET.
I CAN'T AFFORD VACCINES FOR IT, I CAN'T AFFORD TO GET IT SPAYED, NEUTERED TO BE IN COMPLIANCE.
'CAUSE IT, I GOT A TICKET FROM BEING FREE OR RESTRAINT MM-HMM.
AND THEN FOLLOWING THAT ON WITH, UH, YOU KNOW, DO ARE ARE YOU ABLE TO CARE FOR THE PET FROM A FOOD PERSPECTIVE, FROM A VACCINATION PERSPECTIVE.
THOSE HAVE BEEN REALLY THE TWO MAJOR STICKING POINTS AND, UH, UH, I, AND THEY'RE MUTUALLY SUPPORTIVE.
AND SO SHE CAN ALSO PUT THEM IN THROUGH SAN ANTONIO FOOD BANK TO KIND OF KILL TWO BIRDS WITH ONE STONE, GET HER FOOD AND THE ANIMAL'S FOOD IN ONE LOCATION.
AND SIMILARLY FOR THOSE WHO WHO QUALIFY FOR MEALS ON WHEELS MM-HMM.
[01:15:01]
IT REALLY IS AMAZING THE MODEL THAT Y'ALL HAVE, UH, CREATED AND ARE IMPLEMENTING.UM, THOSE ARE ALL MY QUESTIONS FOR NOW.
I DID HAVE ONE, BUT I'LL SHOOT AN EMAIL.
OH, MY, MY QUESTION WAS, UM, RIGHT WITHIN DISTRICT FIVE, WE HAVE A LOT OF CONCERNS AROUND, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, THIS AROUND THE DUMPING OF ANIMALS AND DO WE HAVE ANY METRICS OF ANYONE OR THE AMOUNT OF INDIVIDUALS BEING CAUGHT FOR DUMPING ANIMALS AND WHAT THAT MAY LOOK LIKE? IT'S, IT'S VERY, VERY, IT'S A VERY SMALL PERCENTAGE THAT WE'RE ABLE TO CATCH BECAUSE WITHOUT, UH, SOMEONE READILY AVAILABLE THAT EITHER GETS A PLATE NUMBER MM-HMM.
CLEARLY BY THE TIME WE RESPOND, THE THE DEED'S DONE, THE PERSON'S GONE, THE ANIMAL'S THERE.
UH, BUT UNLESS WE HAVE SOMETHING DIRECT, EITHER CLOSE CIRCUIT, UH, CAMERAS FROM A NEIGHBOR YEAH.
SOMETHING LIKE THAT, WE TYPICALLY AREN'T ABLE TO FIND THEM.
THAT'S THE BEAUTY THOUGH, OF REALLY PUSHING MICROCHIPPING MM-HMM.
AND IF THEY DON'T WANT THE ANIMAL, THE LAST THING WE WANT IS THEM TO GO THE ANIMAL TO GO BACK INTO AN UNLOVING HOME.
UH, BUT AT LEAST IF WE KNOW THEY'RE THE OWNER, THEY CAN OWNER SURRENDER IT, WHICH ALLOWS US TO IMMEDIATELY GET THE ANIMAL OUT OF THE SHELTER.
UH, BUT I WILL ADD THAT BAM BAM WAS FOUND AT WOODLAWN PARK AND THAT ADDS TO STORY, AND I ALWAYS SAY HE'S LIKE MY LITTLE BOUGIE WEST SIDE DOG.
AND I THINK LIKE, PUTTING THAT ON THE KENNEL WOULD BE LIKE, I DON'T KNOW, WOULD ADD TO THE STORY OF THE DOGS FOR PEOPLE TO ADOPT
I DO HAVE TO ADD, UH, SOMETIMES I JUST SCROLL THROUGH THE ADOPTABLE PETS PAGE, EVEN THOUGH I'M NOT IN ANY POSITION TO ADOPT A DOG RIGHT NOW, BUT I, I WANNA KNOW MORE ABOUT THEM.
I'M, I'M SURE THAT TAKES STAFF TIME, BUT LIKE, WHERE WOULD THEY FOUND, ARE THEY IN A LITTER? WHAT ARE THEY LIKE? SO YOU ACTUALLY DO HAVE MORE INFORMATION ON THE ONES THAT ARE, UM, UP FOR EUTHANASIA, RIGHT? LIKE THERE'S A REPORT ON THEM AND, AND THAT WILL GET MORE COMPREHENSIVE ON ALL THE ANIMALS.
SO ALL THOSE MEDICAL NOTES AND BEHAVIOR NOTES AND THINGS LIKE THAT CAN GO IN EARLY IN THE PROCESS.
UM, YES, COUNCILMAN, I GUESS WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR IN EMERGE IS, YOU KNOW, IT'S TEXAS FASHION WEEK.
I'M EXPECTING SOME COUTURE LOOKS FROM EVERY CITY DEPARTMENT.
YOU TO PICK A PILOT DEPARTMENT
PLEASE LET IT COME MY WAY FIRST.
YOU KNOW, I THINK SOLID WASTE WOULD YEAH.
OH, WE'LL GIVE OUT A T-SHIRT AND YOU'LL HAVE EVERYBODY HELPING YOU CLEAN UP.
UM, UM, I WAS GONNA, UM, I ACTUALLY HAVE A FUNNY STORY.
UH, SO IT WAS THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL AND S I S D AND I THINK I'VE TOLD YOU, UH, I HAVE A FRIEND WHO WORKS AT A SCHOOL IN YOUR DISTRICT AND UM, THEY HAD, I DON'T KNOW IF THEY WERE STRAY DOGS, BUT THEY WERE LOOSE DOGS AND THERE WERE FOUR OF 'EM AND THERE WAS A PACK OF WILD CHIHUAHUAS THAT WAS
THEY WENT ON THE PLAYGROUND AND THE KIDS COULDN'T PLAY BECAUSE THEY WERE LIKE CHASING THE, THE KIDS OFF.
SO, UM, THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK.
DID YOU, WHAT ENDED UP HAPPENING WITH THEM? I WAS SHAKING MY HEAD BECAUSE I'VE SEEN MANY PACKS OF WILD CHIHUAHUAS
ANYWAY, THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR WORK.
UM, THAT CONCLUDES THIS, UH, OUR, OUR LAST ITEM.
SO, UM, THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED.
WE'LL SEE YOU ON OCTOBER 27TH.