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>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE. WELCOME TO OUR CITY COUNCIL BUDGET SESSION. THE SECOND LEG OF OUR TWO A DAY TODAY.
THE TIME 2:03 P.M. ON AUGUST 27. MADAM CLERK, COULD YOU READ THE ROLL.
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>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: ALL RIGHT. WE'LL DO THIS AFTERNOON JUST LIKE WE DID THIS MORNING, SO ONE SET OF PRESENTATIONS, THEN WE'LL GET INTO OUR FULL
DISCUSSION. >> WALSH: THREE ITEMS OR THREE DEPARTMENTS THIS AFTERNOON. WE'LL START OFF WITH ANNUAL CARE SERVICES, SOLID WASTE
AND DEVELOPMENT SERVICE. MIKE WILL KICK US OFF. >> GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. I'M MIKE SHANNON, INTERIM DIRECTOR OF ANIMAL CARE SERVICES. TODAY A COUPLE THINGS WE'RE GOING TO GO OVER, CERTAINLY OUR FY 25 PROPOSED BUDGET. I WANT TO TALK A LITTLE ABOUT OUR DEPARTMENT IN GENERAL, AN OVERVIEW, ANN THICK ABOUT SOME RESULTS FROM THIS PAST FISCAL YEAR.
BIG PICTURE AGAIN IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET, OUR GENERAL FUND, THERE'S AN INCREASE PROPOSED FUNDING FOR ACS GOING FROM 28.5 TO 32.3, SO 13% INCREASE.
WE'LL WALK THROUGH WHAT THAT ENTAILS, BUT IT WILL INCLUDE A NUMBER OF NEW POSITIONS, SOME IN THE FIELD, SOME ANIMAL CARE OFFICERS, AS WELL AS STANDING UP TWO SPAY AND NEUTER CLINICS AND A COUPLE OF REORGANIZATION POSITIONS.
LET'S GO OVER A FEW THINGS. SO LET'S GO BACK AND JUST TALK A LITTLE ABOUT WHY WE'RE HERE, WHY ANIMAL CARE SERVICE IS HERE. YOU ALL ADOPTED A STRATEGIC PLAN THAT ACS WENT THROUGH ABOUT A YEAR OF A AGO AND TALKED ABOUT FIVE KEY PRIORITIES. THOSE ARE LISTED HERE. IN ITSELF SIMPLE EFFORT FORM, ANIMAL CARE SERVICES' GOAL IS KEEP OUR PEOPLE AND COMMUNITY SAFE, KEEP OUR ANIMALS SAFE, PROTECT THE ANIMALS. FOSTER POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPS WITH OUR NEIGHBORS, NEIGHBORHOODS, PARTNERS IN THE ANIMAL WELFARE COMMUNITY. WE WANT TO ABSOLUTELY SUPPORT THE PLACEMENT OF PETS IN FOREVER HOMES AND ABSOLUTELY NEED TO INVEST AND GROW OUR HEALTHY WORKFORCE. SO THOSE WERE THE FIVE PILLARS THAT WE WENT THROUGH. AS A DEPARTMENT WAS BLESSED AND APPROVED LAST YEAR, BUT A LOT OF WORK WENT INTO THAT, A LOT OF GROUPS CONTRIBUTED TO THAT.
THAT'S REALLY WHAT WE ARE STARTING WITH AND OUR PROPOSED BUDGET IS REFLECTIVE OF THESE FIVE KEY PRIORITIES. SO TALKING A LITTLE ABOUT OUR DEPARTMENT AND HOW IT WORKS, MANY OF YOU KNOW, BUT LET'S PUT IT UP HERE.
OUR FOUR DIVISIONS, ANIMAL CARE SERVICES. WE HAVE A NUMBER OF FIELD STAFF, THOSE ARE OFFICERS RESPONDING TO CALLS OF SERVICE WHETHER IT BE FIRST RESPONSE, WHETHER IT'S INVESTIGATING CALLS FOR BITES OR AGGRESSIVE AND DANGEROUS DOGS. CRUELTY INVESTIGATIONS WHERE ANIMALS ARE NOT -- THEY ARE NOT TREATED PROPERLY BY THEIR OWNERS. AND WE ALSO HAVE A TEAM CALLED CASE IS A, CASE MANAGEMENT TEAM TO DO PROACTIVE WORK IN OUR MINUTES. THAT'S A BIG CHUNK OF OUR 245 PROPOSED STAFF, BUT WE ALSO HAVE OUR PLACEMENT AND SHELTER OPERATIONS. THOSE OF YOU THAT HAVE BEEN ON THE CAMPUS NEXT TO THE FOOD BANK, THAT'S WHERE WE'RE ACTUALLY -- ANY ANIMAL THAT COMES THROUGH OUR FACILITY, THE DOGS AND CATS, WE'RE WORKING WITH OUR TEAMS THAT DOES ADOPTION, WE BUILD A FOSTER NETWORK, PEOPLE WHO CARE FOR ANIMALS IN THEIR HOMES. WE WORK WITH OUR RESCUE PARTNERS THAT PULL THOUSANDS OF ANIMALS EACH YEAR FROM OUR FACILITY AND FIND FOREVER HOMES FOR THOSE ANIMALS. WE ACTUALLY HAVE TEAM MEMBERS THAT WORKDAY TO DAY ON THE CARE OF THE ANIMALS WHILE THEY ARE IN OUR FACILITY AS WELL AS WORK ON TRAINING AND BEHAVIOR ENRICHMENT, ET CETERA. WE ALSO HAVE A CLINIC, A VET CLINIC ON SITE. WE DO A LOT OF SURGERIES THERE.
GENERAL VET CARE. WE HAVE SPAY AND NEUTER SURGERIES IN-HOUSE AT THE ACS FACILITY. ANY SPECIALTY SURGERIES AND GENERAL PET WELLNESS GOES THROUGH THAT VET CLINIC. OUR SUPPORT SERVICES TEAM, EDUCATION AND OUTREACH TO OUR COMMUNITY ON THE IMPORTANCE OF NOT ONLY FOLLOWING THE RULES, KNOWING
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WHAT THE RULES ARE, BUT BEING A RESPONSIBLE PET OWNER, AS WELL AS HOW TO ADOPT, HOW TO GET LIVE OUTCOMES FOR OUR ANIMALS. A LOT OF OPEN RECORDS COMES THROUGH THERE. OUR FISCAL TEAM COMMUNICATIONS AND VOLUNTEER SERVICES. IT'S NOT ON THIS SLIDE, BUT I DO WANT TO PUT -- JUST TAKE A SECOND TO RECOGNIZE THE ANIMAL CARE ADVISORY BOARD IS A HUGE SUPPORT PIECE. THEY ARE NOT A DIVISION OF OURS, THEY ARE SEPARATE, BUT AN INTEGRAL PART OF WHAT WE DO. WE HAVE FOUR OF OUR ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS HERE BEHIND ME. I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO THEIR SUPPORT. RITA, KAREN, SUSAN, KATHY ARE HERE.I THINK YOU KNOW THEM WELL. HUGE SUPPORTERS OF ANIMAL WELFARE IN OUR CITY.
WE COULDN'T DO THE WORK WE DO WITHOUT THEM, AND THE REST OF THE BOARD MEMBERS.
I SHOULD PROBABLY ALSO SAY THERE'S A FIFTH BOARD MEMBER HERE, AMIN TOHMAZ, WE HAVE TO THANK HIM AWELL, THE MAYOR APPOINTEE, SO THANK YOU, MAYOR.
LET'S TALK A LITTLE ABOUT WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING IN THE PAST YEAR.
LAST YEAR AT THIS TIME THERE WAS A LOT OF CONVERSATION AND A BIG INVESTMENT INTO ANIMAL CARE SERVICES TO ENSURE THAT WE HIT SOME KEY METRICS AND MADE IMPROVEMENTS. WHAT THIS SLIDE SHOWS IS IN EVERY ONE OF THOSE METRICS WE HAVE INCREASED AND MADE POSITIVE MOVEMENTS. WE HAVE MOVED THE NEEDLE.
YOU'LL LOOK, CALLS RECEIVED. CRITICAL CALLS RECEIVED, ABOUT TWO-THIRDS OF THE CALLS WE GET FROM OUR COMMUNITY, HAS INCREASED TO 56,000.
WE THOUGHT IT WAS GOING TO BE ABOUT 50,000 LIKE LAST YEAR, ABOUT A 13% INCREASE IN CALLS. SO MORE CALLS FOR SERVICE IS WHAT WE'RE RECEIVING.
BUT THE NUMBER ONE THING WE TALKED ABOUT LAST YEAR WAS TALKING ABOUT CRITICAL CALL RESPONSE RATE. WE IDENTIFIED THE NEED FOR ADDITIONAL STAFF BECAUSE WE KNEW GETTING TO 44% OF THE CRITICAL CALLS WAS NOT GOOD ENOUGH.
WE PUT OUT A PLAN THAT WAS APPROVED LAST YEAR TO IN TWO TO THREE YEARS MOVE THAT TO 100% RESPONSE RATE. WE SAID THIS YEAR WE WOULD GET TO 64%.
WE'RE AT 59% IF YOU LOOK AT THE YEAR TOTAL, BUT WE'RE MOVING TO AND AT THE END OF THE YEAR WE'LL BE AT 64%. WE HAD TO HIRE NEW STAFF SO THEY WEREN'T WORKING AT THE CLIP AS A FULL TRAINED OFFICER IN THAT FIRST QUARTER, SECOND QUARTER OF THE YEAR, BUT I'LL TALK MORE ABOUT THAT IN THE NEXT SLIDE.
DANGEROUS DOG COMPLIANCE. ABSOLUTELY HAD TO INCREASE THAT.
55 TO 80%. OF THE ANIMALS THAT ARE DEEMED DANGEROUS IN OUR CITY AND THEY HAVE TO FOLLOW A SET OF RULES, WE HAVE TO GO BACK AND VERIFY THAT PET OWNER IS FOLLOWING THOSE TEN REQUIREMENTS TO KEEP THAT ANIMAL IN THEIR HOUSEHOLD.
THERE'S ABOUT 117 OF THOSE. WE HAVE A DANGEROUS DOG REGISTRY.
WE GO BACK AND DO REINSPECTIONS ON THOSE TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF THOSE ARE EITHER IN COMPLIANCE OR COME INTO COMPLIANCE. THERE IS A TIME LINE THEY HAVE TO HAVE OF 30 DAYS. THAT'S WHY IT'S NOT 100%. WE ARE GOING BACK AND VERIFYING EVERY SINGLE ONE OR TO BRING THEM INTO COMPLIANCE.
LASTLY, JUST THE CITATIONS, ONE OF THE MEASURES WE LOOKED AT AND WE SAID WE NEED TO HOLD OUR PET OWNERS MORE RESPONSIBLE. WE HAVE A LARGE PET PROBLEM OR ANIMAL PROBLEM IN THE CITY. MOST OF THOSE STRAY ANIMALS, THEY ARE OWNED. THE ONES WE FIND IN THE STREETS THAT ARE CALLED, THEY ARE OWNED. 90% IS THE ESTIMATE. SO WE NEED TO HOLD OUR COMMUNITY MORE RESPONSIBLE. WE'VE ALMOST DOUBLED THE CRIMINAL CITATIONS ISSUED THIS YEAR AND WE'LL HAVE AN OVERALL 50% INCREASE IN CITATIONS.
WE WANT TO HELP PEOPLE THAT NEED HELP FIRST. WE WANT TO EDUCATE PEOPLE, BUT WE KNOW MANY PEOPLE WE'VE INCREASED THIS YEAR. SO GOING BACK TO CRITICAL CALLS, THIS IS ANOTHER IMPROVEMENT THAT WE'RE ASKING FOR IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET.
IT'S ACTUALLY 14 MORE FIRST RESPONSE OFFICERS. IT'S ACTUALLY 12 OFFICERS AND TWO SUPERVISORS TO CREATE A NEW SHIFT. BUT WHAT I WANT YOU TO FOCUS ON THERE IS WE WERE AT 46% AT THE END OF LAST YEAR, IF YOU JUST LOOK AT QUARTER TO QUARTER. AT THE END OF THIS YEAR, THE QUARTER WILL BE AROUND 64%.
WE NEED TO GET TO 100%. THESE 14 FIRST RESPONDERS WILL GET US TO 100% BY JANUARY 2026. WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT WE'LL HIRE MORE.
WE HAVE A CURRENT -- WE ACTUALLY HAVE TWO CADET CLASSES RIGHT NOW HAPPENING INCLUDING ONE THAT'S GOING TO GRADUATE NEXT MONTH, 12 OFFICERS WILL GO INTO THE FIELD. ANOTHER CADET CLASS, I'M SORRY, THE LARGEST TODAY CADET CLASS THAT WILL GRADUATE BEFORE THANKSGIVING.
THOSE WILL BE UNDERSTAND THE FIELD TRAINED UP AND PRODUCING AT A HIGH LEVEL
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AROUND MIDYEAR SO THAT'S KEY FOR WHAT WE'RE DOING. , WHILE IT'S CRITICAL TO GET TO THOSE CRITICAL CALLS, IT'S ALSO -- WE KNOW THAT SPAY AND NEUTER IS THE OTHER MAJOR PRIORITY. IF IT'S NOT 1A, IT'S 1B. WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO INCREASE THE SPAY AND NEUTER OPPORTUNITIES AND INVESTMENT IN OUR COMMUNITY BECAUSE WE CAN PICK UP AS MANY ANIMALS AS WE WANT, LIVE RELEASE, ADOPTIONS, RESCUE, BUT WE HAVE GOT TO GET CONTROL OF THE PET POPULATION. THIS YEAR WE WENT FROM 23 TO 33,000 SPAY AND NEUTER SITUATION. -- SURGERIES.STILL WORKING WITH CHALLENGES THROUGH OUR VET COMMUNITY BUT WE HAVE TO GET THAT UP HIGHER BUT THAT'S A GOOD TREND. WITH THE IMPROVEMENT, WE'RE TARGETING OVER 41,000 SPAY AND NEUTER SURGERIES THIS YEAR.
HOW ARE WE GOING TO DO THAT? WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE OFFERING THEM AT THE AC CLINIC ON 151. WE'LL GOING TO CONTINUE OPERATIONS WITH PARTNERS AT THE BROOKS AND BRAC FACILITY, BUT STAND UP AND OPERATE TWO NEW SPAY-NEUTER FACILITIES, ONE ON THE EAST SIDE, ONE ON THE WEST SIDE, AND THAT INCLUDES FUNDING FOR CONTRACT VETS. SO THAT'S 21 POSITIONS THAT WILL BE CITY STAFF THAT -- IT'S LIKE TEN IN EACH CLINIC. OPENED UP THE -- THE PLAN IS OPEN UP FOUR DAYS A WEEK AND NEXT YEAR WE SHOULD GET 8,000 SURGERIES AND THAT SHOULD GROW TO APPROXIMATELY 14,000 SURGERIES PER YEAR JUST AT THOSE TWO FACILITIES. THAT IS A HUGE COMMITMENT. WE KNOW THAT'S A HUGE PART OF THE ISSUE THAT WE NEED TO ADDRESS AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE MOVING FORWARD WITH.
SO I WANT TO CONTINUE TALKING ABOUT SOME OF OUR OTHER MAJOR METRICS AND THE FACT THAT OUR DEPARTMENT HAS MOVED THE NEEDLE IN A POSITIVE DIRECTION THIS YEAR. I THINK IT SAYS A LOT. SO IF YOU LOOK AT THE ANIMALS THAT ARE BEING IMPOUNDED THAT WE'RE COMING ACROSS WHETHER IT'S THE FIELD OFFICERS, RETURNING TO OWNER OR BRING BACK TO THE FACILITY OVER 30,000.
THAT'S 10% MORE THAN WE HAD LAST YEAR. OUR RESCUES, WE ACTUALLY ARE 15% HIGHER, JUST UNDER 1,000 THIS YEAR. SO OUR RESCUE PARTNERS ARE PULLING THOSE ANIMALS TO OUR FACILITIES TO FIND FOREVER HOMES AND AND THROUGHOUT OUR COMMUNITY. ADOPTIONS, WHILE WE DIDN'T HIT THE 6500 GOAL, WE DID INCREASE 16% TO 5687. THAT'S WHERE WE'RE GOING TO BE AT.
SO OUR ADOPTION TEAM, OUR RESCUE TEAM, WORKING REALLY HARD TO MAKE SURE AS MORE ANIMALS ARE COMING IN, MORE CALLS FOR SERVICE, MORE ANIMALS COMING IN, WE HAVE TO WORK EXTREMELY HARD TO MAKE SURE THEY GET OUT AS MANY AS THEY CAN.
LIVE RELEASE WAS 81% LAST YEAR. THE RATE HAS INCREASED TO ALMOST 85%. WE'RE MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
WE ARE NOT WHERE WE WANT TO BE, BUT IT'S THAT TWO OR THREE YEAR PLAN THAT WE TALKED ABOUT LAST YEAR, WE ARE EXECUTING ON THAT AND WILL CONTINUE WORKING TOWARDS THOSE TARGETS THIS UPCOMING YEAR. A COUPLE OTHER ITEMS I WANTED TO MENTION IN THE BUDGET. THERE WAS THAT 400,000 INCREASE OR OUR HIGH-VOLUME PET PARTNERSHIP. THIS WAS AN ITEM APPROVED IN THE BUDGET WITH SAPA, OUR HIGH VOLUME PET PARTNER THAT'S ON THE CAMPUS.
THEY HAVE A BUILDING AT 151. WE INCREASED THE PET INCENTIVE FROM 75 TO 175 PER ANIMAL. THAT WAS APPROVED IN AUGUST, BUT THIS IS THE FUNDING FOR THE NEXT TWO YEARS, $400,000 INCREASE FOR THAT. THEY ARE A TREMENDOUS PARTNER. WE PULL WHOEVER 4,000 ANIMALS FROM OUR FACILITY AND FIND THAT LIVE PLACEMENT SO THEY ARE ONE OF OUR MAIN HIGH-VOLUME PET PARTNERSHIP.
ANOTHER THING TO MENTION, WE WILL CONTINUE AND FINISH THE STRAY ROAMING DOG SURVEY THAT WE STARTED THIS YEAR IN WORKING WITH ST. MARY'S UNIVERSITY AND UTSA.
AND THEN SEE WHAT WE CAN DO OVER TIME TO MEASURE THAT TO SEE IF WE'RE HAVING AN IMPACT WITH ALL THESE STRATEGIES, MORE OFFICERS, MORE SPAY AND NEUTERS, MORE ADOPTION, MORE RESCUE PARTNERS, ET CETERA. EXCITED TO SEE THOSE RESULTS SHOULD COME IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF '25. I'M SURE WE'LL BRING THAT BACK TO DOWN TO SEE THOSE RESULTS. ONE OF THE LAST IMPROVEMENTS THAT I'LL TALK ABOUT IS THE NEED TO CONTINUE TO EDUCATE AND OUT REACH ON OUR COMMUNITY. WE'RE ADDING ONE NEIGHBORHOOD ENGAGEMENT COORDINATOR. THAT PERSON'S SOLE JOB IS GOING TO BE TO INCREASE NEIGHBORHOOD ENGAGEMENT. REALLY AT THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION LEVEL.
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MAKING SURE WE GET OUT THERE AND TOUCH NEIGHBORHOODS AND HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT EDUCATING ON THE CODE, EDUCATING ON RESPONSIBLE PET OWNERSHIP, EDUCATING ON WHAT RESOURCES ARE AVAILABLE AT FREE OR LOW COST IN OUR COMMUNITY.AND ALSO TALK TO THEM ABOUT HOW WE'RE DOING AND PERFORMING IN THE FIELD.
SO THAT'S ONE DEDICATED RESOURCE THERE TO INCREASE THAT EFFORT.
AND THEN $200,000 TO WORK ON MAJOR AD AND EDUCATION CAMPAIGNS RELATED TO PLACEMENT, RESPONSIBLE PET OWNERSHIP, ET CETERA. I USE AN EXAMPLE HERE, THIS IS A DIGITAL BILLBOARD THAT WE ACTUALLY HAVE RUNNING ON THE NEW DIGITAL BILLBOARD PROGRAM YOU ALL APPROVED LAST YEAR. WE GET FREE AD TIME ON DIGITAL BILLBOARDS. SAN ANTONIO SPECIALS, WE HAVE THE BEST ANIMALS TO COME AND ADOPT AT ACS. JEFFREY IS HERE WITH US SO IF YOU WANT TO COME DOWN, PLEASE COME DOWN AND MEET SOME OF OUR FURRY LITTLE FRIENDS.
THAT WAS OFF SCRIPT. I WASN'T SUPPOSED TO SAY ALL THAT.
[LAUGHTER] LASTLY, A COUPLE OF CAPITAL PROJECTS.
THIS INVESTMENT IN ACS, WE ARE GROWING SO WE ARE GOING TO NEED TO PLAN FOR THE FUTURE. THE KENNEL DESIGN IN THIS YEAR'S CAPITAL BUDGET, WE HAVE $800,000 TO DESIGN A NEW KENNEL. WE HAVE 110 KENNEL RUNS IN THE CITY FACILITY RIGHT NOW, 151. THIS WILL ADD 50% MORE.
JUST WITH MORE ANIMALS COMING THROUGH, WE'RE GOING TO NEED MORE STRAY KENNEL SPACE OVER TIME. WE'RE JUST REALLY GETTING READY FOR THAT.
THIS IS PART OF OUR BUDGET THIS YEAR. LASTLY, THE ANIMAL HOSPITAL THAT'S BEEN APPROVED IS PART OF THE 2022 BOND PROJECT. WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO BUILD THAT. THE DESIGN IS JUST ABOUT COMPLETED, IT WILL GO OUT FOR BID AND START CONSTRUCTION NEXT YEAR, OPEN IN 2027.
LASTLY, BEFORE I HAND IT OFF TO OUR NEXT SPEAKER, I DO WANT TO TALK ONE MAJOR ITEM THAT WE STILL HAVE TO TALK ABOUT AND WORK ON THIS YEAR IS CCR SUBMITTED BY THE COUNCILWOMAN ALDERETE GAVITO, WHICH IS RELATED TO DANGEROUS DOG COMPLIANCE AND SOME OF THE STRATEGIES AROUND HOW TO CONTINUE TO TACKLE THAT.
THE CCR DOES REQUEST THESE THREE THINGS, REPEAT FINES FOR VIOLATORS, STERILIZATION POLICIES OF WHAT WE HAVE FOR THOSE FOUND FREE RESTRAINT. THAT WILL BE GOING TO PUBLIC COMMITTEE. IT DID GO TO GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE A COUPLE MONTHS AGO. THAT CONVERSATION WILL BE PART OF OUR PLAN THIS YEAR AND SO LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT. THAT BEING SAID, THAT'S ME
AND I'M GOING TO HAND IT OFF TO -- >> I BELIEVE IT'S ME.
>> SHANNON: DAVID NEWMAN. THANK YOU, DAVID. >> GOOD AMP, MAYOR, CITY COUNCIL. IT'S GOOD TO BE WITH YOU TODAY.
I AM GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT BUDGET.
I'LL GO OVER OUR SERVICES, SOME KEY PERFORMANCE MEASURES, THE RECOMMENDED FEE INCREASE, AND THEN JOSEPHINE, OUR DEPUTY DIRECTOR, WILL FOLLOW UP WITH SOME INITIATIVES AND CHANGES FOR NEXT YEAR. WE HAVE TWO FUNDS WITHIN OUR DEPARTMENT. THERE'S THE SOLID WASTE FUND WHICH FUNDS JUST THAT, SOLID WASTE ACTIVITIES. AND IT IS GOING UP BY ABOUT $10 MILLION BETWEEN FY24 AND 25. THIS IS PRIMARILY DUE TO INCREASES IN PERSONNEL EXPENSES, CONTRACTUAL EXPENSES WHICH WOULD INCLUDE DISPOSAL AS WELL AS PROCESSING, AND FLEET-RELATED EXPENSES. THE SECOND FUND IS THE FLEET FUND. THIS IS AN INTERNAL SERVICES FUND.
WE CHARGE OURSELVES AS WELL AS OUR CITY DEPARTMENTS FOR MAINTAINING AND REPAIRING GARBAGE TRUCKS AND OTHER EQUIPMENT. IT IS GOING UP BY ABOUT $3 MILLION. YOU'LL SEE AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS SLIDE A NET INCREASE OF FIVE POSITIONS. WE'LL TALK MORE ABOUT THE ADDITIONAL POSITIONS.
WE CURRENTLY HAVE 375,000 RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS. WE PROVIDE THOSE CUSTOMERS EVERY SINGLE WEEK RECYCLING COLLECTION, ORGANICS COLLECTION AND GARBAGE COLLECTION. WE ALSO PROVIDE TWO TIMES A YEAR BRUSH DIRECTION AND TWO TIMES A YEAR BULKY COLLECTION. ADDITIONALLY WE HAVE FOUR BULKY WASTE DROPOFF SITES WHERE RESIDENTS CAN BRING OVERSIZED MATERIALS AND DISPOSE OF THAT. WE HAVE A SITE WHERE YOU CAN TAKE BRUSH AND HOPEFULLY PICK UP SOME MULCH ON YOUR WAY OUT, AS WELL AS THREE LOCATIONS WHERE CUSTOMERS CAN SAFELY DISPOSE OF HOUSEHOLD WASTE. WE ALSO HAVE A GROUP THAT MONITORS OLD CITY LANDFILLS, AND A SHOUT-OUT TO OUR FLEET DIVISION.
WE DO A GREAT JOB AND KEEP US ON THE ROAD. YOU CAN FIND THOSE PERFORMANCE MEASURES AND THE STATS IN THE [INAUDIBLE]. CURBSIDE CUSTOMERS HAVE BEEN
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GROWING BETWEEN 3,000 AND 4,000. OUR DEAD ANIMAL COLLECTIONS, THEY DO FLUCTUATE FROM YEAR TO YEAR BUT ARE STAYING SOMEWHAT CONSTANT.FROM THIS PAST YEAR TO THIS YEAR. OUR MISSED CART COLLECTIONS.
SO IF WE MISS SOMEBODY, THEY CALL 311 AND WE GO BACK AND PICK IT UP, THAT DROPPED SUBSTANTIALLY FROM '23 TO '24. WE'RE PLEASED WITH THAT.
THERE MIGHT BE JUST A LITTLE BIT OF GROWTH DUE TO THE ADDITIONAL CUSTOMERS FOR NEXT YEAR. THE SAME GOES WITH CART REPLACEMENTS, CART REPAIRS.
THAT'S PROBABLY THE NUMBER ONE CALL THAT 311 GETS FOR SOLID WASTE THESE DAYS IS A CART REPLACEMENT OR REPAIR. NOW, THE MOST IMPORTANT THING THAT I BELIEVE THAT WE CAN DO FOR OUR CUSTOMER IS PICK UP THE GARBAGE ON THE DAY OF COLLECTION.
AND WE TRY TO DO THAT WHILE EVERYBODY IS AT WORK AND GET IT DONE BEFORE 5:00.
SO THAT'S WHAT THIS NEXT MEASURE IS. 85% OF OUR ROUTES ARE FINISHED AND IN THE YARD BY 5:00 P.M. IF I STRETCH THAT OUT TO 6:00 OR 6:30, THAT'S 100%. THAT'S GOOD, BUT WE CAN DO BETTER AND WE DO HAVE AN INITIATIVE TO HELP TO MAKE THIS BETTER. THE SAME GOES WITH THOSE MISSED CART COLLECTIONS. 5.1 FOR EVERY 10,000 OPPORTUNITIES.
WHEN WE JUST TALK ABOUT CART COLLECTIONS, THERE'S 59 MILLION OPPORTUNITIES.
THAT'S A LOT OF CUSTOMERS, IT'S A LOT OF CARTS. 5.1 IS THE LOWEST I'VE EVER SEEN IT. SO AGAIN, WE'RE THRILLED WITH THAT.
AND JUST THREE YEARS AGO IT WAS ABOVE EIGHT. WE'RE HOPING THAT TREND CONTINUES. I BELIEVE IT WILL. I THINK WE'RE GOING TO HIT THAT MARK AGAIN. WE'RE BEING LITTLE CONSERVATIVE IN THAT TARGET.
I SUSPECT WE'RE GOING TO BE HITTING FIVE OR BETTER. DIVERSION RATE IS THE PERCENTAGE OF WASTE THE CITY COLLECTS AND INSTEAD OF TAKING IT TO A LANDFILL WE -- IT GOES TOWARDS A BENEFICIAL REUSE LIKE RECYCLING OR COMPOSTING.
MOST TEXAS CITIES ARE BETWEEN 20 AND, SAY, 25%. AUSTIN HAS THE HIGHEST DIVERSION RATE AT 39%. SAN ANTONIO IS CURRENTLY AT 33%.
MAYOR, YOU CHALLENGED US TO HAVE A SUSTAINABILITY GOAL AND WHAT WE ARE RECOMMENDING TO YOU AND THE CITY COUNCIL IS 40% DIVERSION RATE BY 2035.
IT'S NOT AN EASY GOAL. THINGS HAVE CHANGED OVER A PERIOD OF TIME.
THE RECYCLING COMMODITIES HAVE CHANGED, GOTTEN LIGHTER, SO IT'S A LITTLE MORE DIFFICULT TO MEET A WEIGHT-BASED GOAL. BUT WE HAVE THE STRATEGIES IN PLACE. WE HAVE RECYCLING, WE HAVE COMPOSTING, AND PERIODICALLY WE LOOK IN THE GARBAGE CART SO WE KNOW WHAT'S IN THERE AND IF WE CAN ENCOURAGE CUSTOMERS TO SIMPLY MOVE THE RECYCLABLES OUT OF THE AND ORGANICS INTO THE ORGANICS CART WE CAN ACHIEVE THIS GOAL. WE JUST NEED TO GET THE WORD OUT. AND SO THAT'S WHAT WE INTENDED TO IS TO FOCUS OUR EDUCATION OUTREACH ACTIVITIES ON INCREASING THE DIVERSION RATE.
WE CHARGE OUR CUSTOMERS BASED ON THE SIZE OF THE GARBAGE CART.
AND WE OFFER THREE DIFFERENT SIZES. THE SMALLEST CART IS THE LOWEST FEE, IT'S AT $14.76. AND THAT RATE HAS NOT CHANGED FOR MANY YEARS.
WE HAVE A MEDIUM SIZE AND LARGE CART. WE ARE RECOMMENDING A 50-CENT PER MONTH INCREASE TO BOTH THE MEDIUM AND THE LARGE.
WE ARE NOT RECOMMENDING A RATE INCREASE TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL FEE WHICH ALL OF OUR CUSTOMERS PAY. ABOUT 76% OF OUR CUSTOMERS HAVE THE LARGE CART.
WHEN YOU ADD THE ENVIRONMENTAL FEE INTO THAT, THE TOTAL IS $33.75.
COMPARED TO DALLAS, WE'RE CERTAINLY LESS THAN THEM AND WAY LESS THAN AUSTIN AT THEIR 63.60 A MONTH. WE INCLUDED EL PASO AND FORT WORTH, BUT THAT'S PROBABLY NOT A FAIR COMPARISON BECAUSE THEY BOTH HAVE LANDFILLS AND THAT SUBSIDIZES THEIR RATE. I MENTIONED ON-TIME COLLECTIONS AND THE MISSED COLLECTIONS AND WHAT WE WILL DO ABOUT THAT TO IMPROVE. THIS YEAR THE CITY COUNCIL AUTHORIZED US TO PURCHASE A SMART COLLECTION SYSTEM. WHAT IS THAT? IT'S A TECHNOLOGY THAT WE'RE GOING TO PUT INTO THE GARBAGE CARTS -- EXCUSE ME, THAT WOULD BE A WASTE -- INTO THE GARBAGE TRUCKS -- TRYING TO HURRY UP HERE -- AND IT WILL DO THREE THINGS. NUMBER ONE, IT WILL ALLOW OUR SUPERVISORS TO ROUTE ALL OF THE ROUTES IN THE MOST EFFICIENT MANNER POSSIBLE. NUMBER TWO, IT WILL PROVIDE
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A NAVIGATIONAL ASSISTANCE TO THE DRIVERS WHICH WILL CERTAINLY BE BENEFICIAL.BUT THE MOST POWERFUL THING IS A SERVICE VERIFICATION. IMAGINE YOUR DAILY TASK IS TO PICK UP BETWEEN 1,000 AND 2,000 CARTS. DID I PICK UP THE STREET, DID I PICK UP THAT STREET? IT'S EASY TO GET CONFUSED. THIS SYSTEM GIVES A VISUAL MAP OF WHAT'S BEEN PICKED UP AND WHAT HASN'T. SO THE DRIVER WILL KNOW, EVERYBODY WILL KNOW. WE'VE WORKED HARD TO GET TO THIS POINT.
IT'S ON CITY COUNCIL'S AGENDA FOR THIS THURSDAY FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.
IF IT'S APPROVED, THE INSTALLATION IS VERY QUICK AND WE EXPECT TO START SEEING BENEFITS FROM THIS BY CHRISTMAS. CITY COUNCIL ALSO AUTHORIZED AN ADDITIONAL $530,000 TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF CLEANUPS OF HOMELESS ENCAMPMENTS. THE GOAL WAS SET AT 700. WE'RE GOING TO BEAT THAT AND DO ABOUT 1100 IN COORDINATION WITH DHS. WE HAVE ALSO BEEN WORKING ON AN ILLEGAL DUMPING CAMPAIGN. IT'S IN PLAY NOW. AND THERE WAS A LOT OF DISCUSSION AT GOAL SETTING. MAYOR, YOU MENTIONED THE CITY OF MONTERREY, AND I WANTED TO SHOW A VIDEO, BUT MY MARKETING MANAGER SAID WE'VE OVERSATURATED THE MARKET AND YOU'VE ALREADY SEEN IT ALL, SO IT IS PLAYING OUT THERE ON COMMERCIALS, IT'S TARGETED AT FOLKS THAT MAY BE CONSIDERING ILLEGAL DUMPING AND WE DON'T WANT THEM TO DO THAT. AND WE HAVE A FEW OTHER THINGS, BUT I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO JOSEPHINE TO FINISH UP HERE.
>> SO THAT ILLEGAL DUMPING CAMPAIGN IS AIMED AT PEOPLE WHO POTENTIALLY COULD BE ILLEGALLY DUMPING. BUT FOR THE STUFF THAT'S ALREADY OUT THERE, I SURE ALL OF YOU KNOW ANDREW AND HIS TEAM AND THEY ARE DOING A FABULOUS JOB.
THIS BUDGET IMPROVEMENT GIVES THEM RESOURCES TO DO EVEN MORE.
WE ARE PROPOSINGTHER ILLEGAL DUMPING CREW AT A COST OF $800,000.
THAT WILL ADD FIVE EMPLOYEES AND RELATED EQUIPMENT. WITH THIS NEW IMPROVEMENT, WE BELIEVE WE'LL BE ABLE TO TO DO AN ADDITIONAL 2,000 ILLEGAL DUMPINGS AS WELL AS 200 HOMELESS CAMP CLEANUP. THERE'S A LOT OF GROWTH IN THE CITY.
HERE'S ONE OF THE NEW SUBDIVISIONS BEING CONSTRUCTED IN COUNCIL DISTRICT 3. WE SEE IN THIS THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE CITY THERE'S A LOT OF HOMES BEING BUILT. WE ARE PROPOSING THE ADDITION OF TWO SIDE-LOAD EQUIPMENT OPERATOR POSITIONS, A FANCY TERM FOR A GARBAGE TRUCK DRIVER.
THESE TWO POSITIONS WILL ALLOW US TO ADD ADDITIONAL ROUTES TO CONTINUE OUR CART COLLECTION SYSTEM AND BE ABLE TO MEET OUR TARGET OF FINISHING OUR ROUTES ON TIME. ONE OF OUR INITIATIVES THAT FOR NEXT YEAR WHICH WE'VE ALREADY STARTED IS A REBRANDING OF OUR MARKETING CAMPAIGN FOR RECYCLING.
WE HAVE HEARD FROM CUSTOMERS AS WELL AS SOME FOLKS IN THIS ROOM THAT OUR RECYCLING PROGRAM IS VERY COMPLICATED, IT'S SCARY, I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO.
SO WHAT WE ARE TELLING FOLKS NOW IS TO RECYCLE WHAT WE'RE CALLING THE CORE FOUR.
WE'RE ASKING ALL RESIDENTS TO FOCUS ON FOUR ITEMS, PLASTIC BOTTLES, GLASS BOTTLES, METAL CANS, PAPER AND CARDBOARD. JUST FOUR THINGS.
SO THERE'S NO NEED TO LOOK FOR RECYCLING NUMBERS ON PLASTICS, NO COMPLICATED LIST OF DO'S AND DON'T'S. WE BELIEVE THAT BY SIMPLIFYING THIS PROGRAM, WE'LL GET MORE PEOPLE TO PARTICIPATE. SO WE ARE NOT NECESSARILY DROPPING ITEMS FROM THE PROGRAM. IF YOU HAVE A PH.D. IN RECYCLING, GO AHEAD AND PUT THAT JUICE BOX IN AND ALL THESE OTHER ITEMS. BUT IF YOU ARE BRAND NEW TO RECYCLING, IF YOU'VE GOTTEN A WARNING IN THE PAST, SAID I'M NOT SURE WHAT TO DO, LET'S START WITH JUST THESE FOUR ITEMS. THROUGHOUT THE YEAR OUR DEPARTMENT IS ALWAYS LOOKING FOR INTERNAL EFFICIENCIES, IS THERE SOMETHING WE CAN DO IN A DIFFERENT WAY. A LOT OF THESE HAPPEN IN THE BACKGROUND AND YOU ARE NEVER AWARE OF THEM. THERE IS ONE IN PARTICULAR, THIS ONE WILL BE VISIBLE TO THE PUBLIC AS WELL AS YOU. OUR BRUSH FACILITY IS CURRENTLY OPEN SEVEN DAYS PER WEEK. WE'VE DONE AN ANALYSIS OF CUSTOMER TRAFFIC AND VERY FEW CUSTOMERS COME ON SUNDAY.
ON AVERAGE WE GET ABOUT 40 CUSTOMERS ON SUNDAYS AND THAT'S IT.
WE ARE PROPOSING TO CLOSE OUR OPERATIONS ON SUNDAYS ONLY.
THIS WOULD ENABLE US TO ELIMINATE ONE CASHIER POSITION GIVING US A SAVINGS OF ABOUT $58,000 A YEAR. THIS POSITION IS CURRENTLY VACANT SO NOBODY WILL LOSE THEIR JOB AND ONLY ABOUT 40 CUSTOMERS WHO VISIT THE FACILITY ON SUNDAY WILL BE
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IMPACTED. OUR BUDGET IS BALANCED AND MAINTAINS OUR CURRENT SERVICE LEVEL THAT WILL ALLOW HIGH CUSTOMER SATISFACTION RATINGS.IT INCLUDES A 50-CENT RATE INCREASE ON THE LARGE AND MEDIUM CART BUT NO INCREASE FOR THE SMALL CART. IT FUNDS AN ILLEGAL DUMPING CREW AS WELL AS TWO POSITIONS FOR CURBSIDE COLLECTIONS. AND WE WILL CONTINUE OUR MARKETING EFFORTS FOR BOTH ILLEGAL DUMPING AS WELL AS RECYCLING.
THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION AND I'LL TURN IT OVER TO AMIN TOHMAZ NEXT.
>> BEST FOR LAST. [LAUGHTER] GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. MY NAME IS AMIN TOHMAZ AND I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT DSD PROPOSED BUDGET. TODAY'S SCENT WILL INCLUDE DEPARTMENT OVERVIEW, FY 25 PROPOSED BUDGET, PROGRAM UPDATES AND IMPROVEMENTS AND EFFICIENCIES FOR FY 25.
DEVELOPMENT SERVICES' PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES IS ISSUE PERMITS FOR RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL PROJECTS THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
OUR TEAMS ARE DEDICATED TO OUR CUSTOMERS AND THEY ARE DIVIDED INTO THREE DIVISIONS. LAND DEVELOPMENT IS FIRST ONE.
IT'S BASICALLY ANY CONSTRUCTION THAT GOATS VERTICALLY, ZONING, TREES, TRAFFIC REVIEWS. BUT LAND DEVELOPMENT IS FOCUSING LATELY ON SHORT-TERM RENTALS AND RESIDENTIAL STREET LIGHTS WHICH I WILL TALK ABOUT LATER IN THIS PRESENTATION. PLAN REVIEW IS RESPONSIBLE FOR REVIEWING AND ISSUING PERMITS FOR COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL PROJECTS. WE HAVE THE TEAM THAT'S BEEN WORKING REALLY WELL. WE MAKE SURE ALL THE SCHOOLS ARE OPEN ON TIME UTILIZING THE SCHOOL TEAM. A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO WE STARTED AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING TEAM, AND AGAIN, THEY ARE VERY SUCCESSFUL AS WELL.
THE LAST DIVISION IS FIELD SERVICES. IT CONSISTS OF BUILDING INSPECTORS, CODE ENFORCEMENT AND GRAFFITI ABATEMENT. AND ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS IS THE SENIOR ASSISTANT PROGRAMS THAT WE STARTED LAST YEAR.
I WILL TALK ABOUT THAT AGAIN THROUGHOUT THE IMPROVEMENTS. SO IF WE'RE TALKING FIVE 25 PROPOSED BUDGET, THE CODE ENFORCEMENT BUDGET HAS INCREASED BY 4.1% COMPARED TO THE ADOPTED FY24 BUDGET. AND THE MAIN REASON FOR THAT IS EMPLOYEE BENEFITS AND SOME IMPROVEMENTS THAT I WILL GO THROUGH. BUT ONE OF THE OTHER MAIN THINGS IS INCREASED AMOUNT IN ABATEMENT CONTRACTS. PRICES WENT UP SO WHEN WE ISSUED NEW CONTRACTS WITH OUR CONTRACTORS TO DO ABATEMENTS, ALL THOSE PRICES WENT UP. DEVELOPMENT SERVICES FUND AS WELL WENT UP BY 3.3%.
MAINLY THAT IS RELATED TO EMPLOYEE BENEFITS. WE DID -- WE ARE ASKING FOR $5.1 MILLION IN FY 25 FOR CAPITAL PROJECTS. 3 MILLION OF THAT WILL BE GOING TOWARDS STREET LIGHTS, NEW STREET LIGHTS, AND 2.1 IS TO CONTINUE THE IMPROVEMENT IN OUR BUILDING THAT WE HAVE BEEN UTILIZING FOR THE LAST 20 YEARS NOW.
OUR TEAM IS 507 EMPLOYEES RIGHT NOW AND WITH SOME EFFICIENCIES THAT I WILL GO THROUGH IN THIS PRESENTATION WE WILL DROP DOWN TO 503. THOSE POSITIONS ARE VACANT AT THE MOMENT SO WE ARE NOT GOING TO OBVIOUSLY LAY OFF ANYBODY.
AS WE CAN SEE HERE FROM THE PERMIT ACTIVITIES, WE KNOW THAT DEVELOPMENT TRENDS ARE HIGHLY ASSOCIATED WITH ECONOMIC CONDITIONS WHICH CAN BE SEEN HERE WITH THE PERMIT ACTIVITY FOR COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL PERMITS.
IF WE ARE LOOKING AT FY 21, IT DID SPIKE SPELL ON THE RESIDENTIAL SIDE AND THE BIG FACTOR IS THE INTEREST RATES. WHEN INTEREST RATE WENT DOWN, THE DEVELOPMENT COST WAS AFFORDABLE AND THEY STARTED BUILDING MORE.
ON THE CONTRARY, FY23 PERMIT ACTIVITY DROPPED AND THAT WAS DUE TO THE SKYROCKETED INTEREST RATES IN FY23. SO BASICALLY MAKES THE CONSTRUCTION COST EXPENSIVE AND NOT AFFORDABLE ANYMORE. WE EXPECT IN FY24 AND 25 TO STABILIZE AS THE ECONOMY CONTINUES TO ADJUST TO CURRENT GLOBAL CONDITIONS. MOVING ON TO DEVELOPMENT SERVICES PERFORMANCE. MEASURES. BEFORE I TALK ABOUT THAT, I JUST WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT TO THANK THE DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY FOR THEIR CONTINUED SUPPORT WITH US. BASICALLY ALL THESE NUMBERS, THEY WERE ESTABLISHED AND
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CREATED WHILE THE DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY WAS ON THE TABLE WITH US AND WE WENT THROUGH ALL THESE NUMBERS AND WE ALL AGREED ON IT.AND THE GOOD NEWS IS WE DID MEET ALL THESE TARGETS THIS YEAR.
AGAIN, TIME IS MONEY FOR CONSTRUCTION. AND AS LONG AS WE ARE EFFICIENT AND OUR REVIEWS AND INSPECTIONS, THE DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY WILL BE SATISFIED AND PROJECTS WILL BE CONTINUED TO SUCCEED.
AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR THE DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY FOR THEIR CONTINUED SUPPORT AS WE CONTINUE TO BUILD SAN ANTONIO. CODE ENFORCEMENT PERFORMANCE MEASURES. AGAIN, I'M PROUD TO SHOW THAT CODE ENFORCEMENT HAS MET THEIR GOALS AS WELL. FROM THE RESPONSE TIME ALL THE WAY TO ABATEMENT OF GRAFFITI SITES. KEEP IN MIND THAT WE WILL REVISIT ALL OUR GOALS AND PERFORMANCE METRICS FOR CODE ENFORCEMENT WHILE WE ARE GOING THROUGH THE STRATEGIC -- CODE ENFORCE MANY STRATEGIC PLAN. I DID TALK ABOUT THAT LAST WEEK WITH PCDC. I DON'T KNOW IF WE WILL END UP WITH THE SAME PERFORMANCE METRICS, BUT THEY WILL BE UPDATED. MOVING ON TO IMPROVEMENTS.
I HAVE MULTIPLE IMPROVEMENTS I WANT TO DISCUSS. ONE IS RESIDENTIAL STREET LIGHTS. SO IN FY22, COUNCIL DID CREATE AND ADOPT THE STREET LIGHT PROGRAM. AND ALLOCATED $5.8 MILLION FOR THIS PROGRAM.
THIS IS ACTUALLY A BIG TASK TO DO. BASICALLY WE ARE PARTNERING WITH DEVELOPMENT SERVICES OBVIOUSLY PARTNERING WITH THE PROPERTY OWNERS AND CPS TO MAKE SURE WE INSTALL THESE LIGHTS. TO DATE, CPS INSTALLED 276 LIGHTS. THE MAJORITY OF THOSE LIGHTS WERE THE WIRED ONES.
ONLY A COUPLE OF SOLAR ONES WERE INSTALLED. THE GOAL HERE IS TO INSTALL 476 LIGHTS, AND BY THE END OF THIS CALENDAR YEAR, WHICH MAKES 100 LIGHTS PER MONTH.
WE ARE ACTUALLY EXPEDITING THE PROCESS, AND THE REASON FOR IT WE ARE USING SOLAR LIGHTS NOW SO WE DON'T NEED TO GET AN EASEMENT OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT SO THAT WILL HELP US TREMENDOUSLY. SO OUR ASK IS TO HAVE $3 MILLION IN THE PROPOSED FY 25 TO ALLOW US TO INSTALL AN ADDITIONAL 282 SOLAR LIGHTS IN FY 25.
I KNOW IT'S A LOT OF INFORMATION. ALL THE DATA, ALL THE INFORMATION, THE MAPS, EVERYTHING WE HAVE IT ON A DASHBOARD ON OUR WEBSITE SO ANYBODY CAN LOOK AT IT. IT'S VERY TRANSPARENT. WE HAVE EVERYTHING THERE.
THE NEXT IMPROVEMENT IS SENIOR ASSIST PROGRAM. THIS STARTED LAST YEAR AS A PILOT PROGRAM AND IT WAS VERY SUCCESSFUL. IT STARTED WITH $10,000 FOR EACH COUNCIL LAST YEAR, AND THE GOAL HERE IS TO HELP ELDERLY AND/OR DISABLED AS LONG AS THEY MEET TWO CONDITIONS. ONE, THEY ARE ON FIXED INCOME, TWO, THEY RECEIVED A CONFIRMED VIOLATION FROM CODE ENFORCEMENT.
LAST YEAR WAS VERY SUCCESSFUL. WE DID PARTNER WITH 74 PROPERTY OWNERS AND ABIT THE VIOLATION AND WE CLEANED UP THE AREA SO IT'S SAFER FOR THEM AND THE NEIGHBORS. OUR ASK THIS YEAR IS TO CONTINUE THIS PROGRAM AND TO HAVE, AGAIN, ANOTHER 100,000 CITYSIDE SO WE CAN HELP MINIMUM 70 TO 80 POTENTIALLY HOMEOWNERS THIS COMING YEAR. SHORT-TERM RENTALS IS ANOTHER IMPROVEMENT.
SHORT-TERM RENTALS STARTED IN 2018 AND WE DID SOME AMENDMENTS TO THE ORDINANCE JUST SEVERAL MONTHS AGO IN JUNE 2024. AND BASICALLY WE UTILIZED A BALANCED TASK FORCE FROM COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND SHORT-TERM RENTAL LEADERSHIPS. THERE WAS FOUR MAJOR ITEMS THAT CAME OUT OF THE AMENDMENTS. ONE IS WE INCREASED THE FEES FOR TYPE 1 AND TYPE 2 SHORT-TERM RENTALS. THE SECOND ONE IS WE PARTNERED WITH PLATFORMS TO ALLOW US TO -- WE PARTNERED WITH THE PLATFORMS TO REMOVE ANY LISTING THAT DOES NOT HAVE AN APPROPRIATE PERMIT NUMBER. THE SECOND THING IS THE PLATFORMS WILL START REMITTING THE HUD TAX TO THE CITY ON A MONTHLY BASIS BY THEMSELVES. THE THIRD ONE WAS CREATED QUIET TIME.
MAINLY FOR PARTY HOUSES. SO WE -- INCREASED ENFORCEMENT.
IT GOES FROM COMPLIANCE MEETINGS WITH THE DIRECTOR ALL THE WAY TO THE PERMITS UP TO THREE YEARS. THE ASK HERE IS TO HAVE ONE DEDICATED CODE OFFICER TO WORK AND ADDRESS COMPLIANCE WITH THE SHORT-TERM RENTAL ORDINANCE.
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THE LAST IMPROVEMENT I WOULD LIKE TO TALK ABOUT IS THE CODE STRATEGIC PLAN.AGAIN, AS WE HAVE ALL SEEN AND WE LOOKED AT, CODE ENFORCEMENT HAS BEEN ADDED AT THE BUDGET PRIORITY IN CURRENT AND PAST CITY SURVEYS.
THIS YEAR WE ARE PROPOSING TO HAVE $50,000 FEEDBACK FROM ALL RELEVANT STAKEHOLDERS. COMMUNITY MEMBERS, NEIGHBORHOOD LEADERS AND SOME AGENCIES AND OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS THAT WE WORK WITH. THE GOAL HERE, AGAIN, IS FOR THE CONSULTANT TO HELP US WITH REVIEW AND UPDATE THE PROCESSES, GOALS AND PERFORMANCE MEASURES BASED ON THE FEEDBACK WE RECEIVE FROM THOSE STAKEHOLDERS. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY KNOWS, CODE ENFORCEMENT HERE IN SAN ANTONIO HAS AN ACCREDITATION, INTERNATIONAL ACCREDITATION SINCE 2018. WE ARE PROUD WE GET THAT.
CODE ENFORCEMENT MEETS ALL THE NATIONAL LEVEL STANDARDS BASICALLY FROM TRAINING AND THE STINT SIX-YEAR CAPITAL AND ENFORCEMENT OF THE -- CONSISTENCY OF THE CODE.
I WOULD BE REMISS IF I DON'T SAY WE ARE NUMBER ONE IN TEXAS AND NO. 4 NATIONWIDE AND WE ARE CONTINUE TO GO HAVE IT SO I THINK WE ARE DOING AWESOME.
MOVING ON TO EFFICIENCIES. THIS IS ONE OF THE BIG EFFICIENCIES WE DID THIS YEAR. IT'S RELATED TO THE BOARDING HOME PROGRAM.
BOARDING HOME PROGRAM WAS ESTABLISHED IN 2013 AND THE GOAL AT THE TIME WAS WE ESTIMATED 300 BOARDING HOMES CITYWIDE. TODAY WE HAVE ONLY SEVEN REGISTERED BOARDING HOMES WITHIN THE CITY. THEREFORE NO DEDICATED IS REQUIRED ANYMORE. WE ARE NOT GOING TO DROP THE TASK TO INSPECT THOSE SEVEN.
THE CURRENT STAFF WILL BASICALLY TAKE OVER THOSE RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES SO WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE INSPECTING THOSE SEVEN LOCATIONS AND MAKE SURE THEY ARE PERMITTED BUT WE DON'T NEED A TEAM. WE ARE REDUCING STAFF BY THREE AND REGRETTING ONE OF THE STAFF TO THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
WITH THAT SAID, THIS CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION. MY TEAM AND I ARE AVAILABLE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE. THANK YOU.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH.
GREAT PRESENTATIONS. WE'LL GET RIGHT INTO DISCUSSION NOW.
WE'LL START WITH COUNCILMEMBER GAVITO. >> GAVITO: THANK YOU, MAYOR. I'M JUST GOING TO START WITH ACS.
THANKS SO MUCH, MIKE, FOR THE PRESENTATION. I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT ACS IS ABLE TO ACHIEVE THEIR GOALS AND HAS THE RESOURCES SODS SO I FULLY SUPPORT THE PERSONNEL INCREASE. WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE ENOUGH BOOTS ON THE GROUND.
I SOUND LIKE A FROG TODAY. WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE ENOUGH BOOTS ON THE GROUND TO BE OUT THERE PICKING UP DOGS. SO I WANT TO FOLLOW UP AND ENSURE THAT WE'RE FOLLOWING UP ON THE CITATIONS THAT WE GIVE RESIDENTS.
HAVE WE LOOKED AT POTENTIALLY ALLOCATING A POSITION DEDICATED SOLELY TO MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE FOLLOWING UP WITH CITATIONS AND ALSO MAKING SURE -- THAT SCARED ME. SORRY. AND MAKING SURE THAT SOMEONE IS ALSO FOLLOWING UP WHEN RESIDENTS ARE TELLING US THAT THEY ARE GOING TO SPAY
AND NEUTER THEIR DOGS. >> SHANNON: YES, WE DID LOOK AT THAT.
WE KNOW THIS HAS BEEN HIGHLIGHTED THROUGH CONVERSATIONS EARLIER THIS YEAR AND WHEN YOU ARE EVERYTHING TO STERILIZATION AGREEMENTS.
WHEN WE PICK UP AN ANIMAL AND RETURN IT TO OWNER EITHER IN THE FIELD OR RECLAIMED, WE HAVE A REQUIREMENT TO GET THAT STERILIZED WITHIN 30 DAYS.
THERE'S A DOCUMENT OFFICERS GIVE. IN THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS, WE HAVEN'T HAD THE STAFF TO FOLLOW UP ON THAT. THE NUMBERS OF FOLLOW-UPS ARE JUST IN THE TENS OR 20% FOLLOW-UPS. THIS YEAR WE'RE UP TO 70% FOLLOW-UPS. SOME STILL NEEDED BECAUSE THEY ARE IN THAT 30%.
WE'VE ISSUED OUT OF THE 1200 STERILIZATION AGREEMENTS THAT WE'VE ISSUED, WE HAVE FOLLOWED UP OVER 70%, 600 CITATIONS. ABOUT 30% HAVE BECOME STERILIZED OR NOT ELIGIBLE. WE ARE CURRENTLY PUTTING IN EMPHASIS WITH CURRENT STAFF DUE TO THE NEED OF MAKING SURE THESE STERILIZATION NUMBERS GROW.
WE KNOW GETTING MORE FIELD STAFF WILL HELP THAT AS WELL, BUT WE DID NOT ADD ADDITIONAL STAFF TO JUST FOCUS SOLE ON THAT. WE'LL DISTRIBUTE IT AMONG TEAM MEMBERS, BUT BE HAPPY TO HAVE MORE CONVERSATION WITH YOU ON THAT.
>> GAVITO: MY THOUGHT THERE IS IF WE HAVE DEDICATED FTES FOCUSED ON
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THE FOLLOW-UP WITH RESIDENTS ON THE SPAY AND NEUTER AGREEMENT OR ON CITATIONS, IT FREES UP OUR ACS OFFICERS TO BE OUT THERE PICKING UP DOGS.WHICH IS ESSENTIALLY WHAT WE NEED THEM TO DO. >> SHANNON: UNDERSTAND,
YEAH. >> GAVITO: I'M GLAD TO SEE CITATIONS HAVE GONE UP ALL AROUND AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE THE STAFFING TO CONTINUE THAT MOMENTUM.
OBVIOUSLY YOU AND I HAVE TALKED, WE NEED TO HOLD PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR IRRESPONSIBLE BEHAVIOR. TODAY THE OWNERS OF THE DOGS WHO ATTACKED MR. NAHARA PLED GUILTY AND FACING UP TO 20 YEARS IN PRISON. WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THERE'S JUSTICE IN THAT CASE. WE NEED TO HOLD PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE BEFORE SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAPPENS AGAIN. I HAD A QUESTION ABOUT WHAT ROLE DO RESPONDERS PLAY
VERSUS ACS PATROL OFFICERS. >> SHANNON: WE REALLY HAVE -- OS ARE ACL OFFICERS.
WE HAVE A TEAM DEDICATED TO RESPONDING TO CALLS. WE HAVE A LIST OF CRITICAL CALLS WHICH IS ABOUT TWO-THIRDS OF THE CALLS THAT WE SEE, AGGRESSIVE, INJURY, SICK THEY GO OUT FIRST. THEY ARE ON SHIFT SEVEN DAYS A WEEK, GENERALLY 24/7.
NOW, WE HAVE THE OTHER -- WE CALL THEM A SPECIALTY TEAM SO IF THERE'S A BITE OR DANGEROUS DOG OR CRUELTY INVESTIGATIONS, THAT'S ANOTHER SET OF TEAM MEMBERS.
THEY ARE ALL ANIMAL CARE OFFICERS, SOME ARE LEAD AND SOME ARE SPECIALTY INVESTIGATORS. THE ADDITIONAL DOZEN OFFICERS THAT WE'RE ASKING FOR WILL GET US 50 RESPONDERS THAT WILL GET TO 100% OF CRITICAL CALLS.
DOES THAT EXPLAIN THE BREAKDOWN THIS THE DIVISION? >> GAVITO: IT DOES.
THANKS FOR THAT CLARIFICATION. THAT'S HELPFUL.
THANKS. I SEE WE MISSED THE MARK FOR OUR 2024 SPAY AND NEUTER GOAL BY 10,000. WAS THAT SIMPLY BECAUSE OF EVENT SHORTAGES OR OTHER
REASONS? >> SHANNON: I WOULD SAY THE CHALLENGE NATIONWIDE IS, NUMBER ONE, MAKING SURE WE GET ENOUGH VETS TO KEEP THESE OPEN FOUR OR FIVE OR SIX DAYS A WEEK, ANY OF THE CLINICS THAT WE'RE SUPPORTING WHETHER IT'S THE ONE AT ACS, ALSO THE ONES AT THE FACILITIES LIKE BROOKS AND BRACKENRIDGE AND SOME OF THERS. BUT ALSO THERE'S BEEN SOMEWHAT OF A CHANGE IN HOW VETS ARE DOING SPAY AND NEUTER SURGERIES. THERE USED TO BE HIGH VOLUME SPAY AND NEUTER SURGERIES, 80 TO 90 A DAY. THE NEW METHOD IS AN AVERAGE OF 30 TO 40 A DAY. JUST THE TECHNIQUES THEY ARE USING.
SO WE KNOW THAT'S SLOWING DOWN A LITTLE BIT OF HOW MANY YOU CAN DO PER DAY, PER MONTH, PER YEAR, BUT THOSE ARE THE CHALLENGES EVERYONE IS FACING IN THE PRIVATE CLINIC WORLD AND US IN OUR SHELTERS AND PARTNERS. THAT'S THE MAIN REASON WHY IT'S HAPPENING, BUT IT'S ONE WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO, YOU KNOW, FACE.
AND WHEN WE OPEN UP THESE TWO CLINICS, WE'RE GOING TO FIND SOME VETS THAT WILL HELP US OUT AND MAKE IT MORE AVAILABLE TO GET THOSE SURGERIES.
>> GAVITO: THANK YOU FOR THAT. WE'RE DEFINITELY EXCITED ABOUT THE SPAY AND NEUTER CLINIC THAT WILL SERVE D5, D1 AND D7 SO THANKS FOR THAT. I ALSO HAD A QUESTION. THANKS FOR HIGHLIGHTING MY LOOSE AND DANGEROUS DOG CCR. WERE THE SPAY AND NEUTER NUMBERS THAT Y'ALL PUT IN THERE ENCOMPASSING WHAT WE NEED TO DO WHEN THE CCR BECOMES POLICY?
>> SHANNON: WELL, I THINK IT'S STILL GOING TO BE PART OF THE CONVERSATION SO IT MAY ADJUST A LITTLE BIT. I THINK THE 41,000 IS GOING TO BE THE RIGHT NUMBER FOR NEXT YEAR. WHATEVER THE POLICY CHANGES IF ANY THAT WE FOCUS ON WITH THAT CCR AND THROUGH THAT CONVERSATION, I'M NOT SURE IF THAT WILL CHANGE THE 41,000, BUT MAYBE IN THE FUTURE. BUT WE RIGHT NOW ARE INCREASING THE FOLLOW-UP ON THOSE STERILIZATION AGREEMENTS.
I KNOW PART OF THE CCR TALKS ABOUT MAYBE WE DO IT BEFORE WE EVEN GIVE IT BACK TO THE OWNER. THAT'S A BIGGER CONVERSATION BECAUSE THAT AFFECTS THE WHOLE SYSTEM OF NOT JUST THE INTAKE OF THE ANIMALS BUT THROUGH THE CLINIC AND THROUGH THE SHELTER ITSELF. SO I THINK FOR RIGHT NOW 41,000 IS THE TARGET FOR NEXT YEAR, BUT AFTER WE HAVE THAT CONVERSATION AND MAKE SOME DECISIONS, WE'LL SEE HOW IT'S AFFECTED. BUT NO MATTER WHAT WE DO, IT HAS TO CONTINUE TO RISE.
>> GAVITO: ABSOLUTELY. I WOULD ALSO SAY BECAUSE I DO THINK, YOU ARE RIGHT, IT'S A HUGE CHANGE ON FIXING EVERY SINGLE DOG THAT ACS TOUCHES NEEDS TO BE FIXED A
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THE THE RESIDENT'S EXPENSE. THAT'S A HUGE OPERATIONAL SHIFT, BUT I'M GOING TOCONTINUE PUSHING UNTIL WE GET THERE. >> SHANNON: YES.
>> GAVITO: ERIK, WERE YOU GOING TO SAY SOMETHING? >> WALSH: I'LL WAIT UNTIL
YOU ARE FINISHED. >> GAVITO: Y'ALL'S ADVERTISEMENTS ARE GOOD.
BIG SOCIAL MEDIA AWARENESS. I DID HAVE A QUESTION, ARE WE GOING TO BE ALSO MARKETING TO RESIDENTS TO INFORM THEM HOW ACS IS GOING TO GET STRICT OTHER
CITATIONS? >> SHANNON: YES. >> GAVITO: I KNOW THAT'S NOT A WARM AND FUZZY MESSAGE, BUT IMPORTANT FOR RESIDENTS TO HEAR SO THEY
KNOW THE SEVERITY OF THE ISSUE. >> SHANNON: IF YOU LOOK AT THE SECOND BULLET, IT'S RESPONSIBLE PET OWNERSHIP AND GUARDIAN OWNERSHIP.
WHAT IS THE LAW, YOU HAVE TO FOLLOW THE LAW, AND IF YOU DON'T, ACS WILL HOLD YOU ACCOUNTABLE. WE WANT TO EDUCATE AND HELP, BUT AT THE SAME TIME THE ENFORCEMENT HAS TO BE ON THE BACK END. WE STARTED THAT INCREASE WITH THE CITATIONS, WE'RE ALREADY COMMUNICATING THAT, BUT WE'RE GOING TO USE THESE DOLLARS TO CREATE THAT CAMPAIGN IN A MUCH BROADER SCOPE.
WHETHER IT'S BIG BILLBOARDS OR AT THE NEIGHBORHOOD ENGAGEMENT LEVEL,
NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION MEETINGS, IT HAS TO HAPPEN. >> GAVITO: ABSOLUTELY.
AND AGAIN, I JUST WANT RESIDENTS TO KNOW THAT HOW MY CCR PROPOSED IF YOU LET YOUR DOG OUT TWO TIMES, WE'RE PROPOSING A $500 FEE AND 7.
>> DOLLARS. THOSE ARE NOT FINES EASY TO WIPE AWAY.
I WANT TO MAKE SURE RESIDENTS ARE FULLY AWARE OF REPERCUSSIONS OF THEIR ACTIONS. LASTLY FOR ACS, I HAD A QUESTION ABOUT THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN 311 AND ACS. OFTENTIMES WE GET CALLS FROM RESIDENTS WHO CALL 311 ABOUT A LOSS DOG AND THEY GET A RESPONSE THE CASE HAS BEEN CLOSED WITHOUT THAT DOG GETTING PICKED UP. WHAT ARE WE DOING TO IMPROVE THAT COMMUNICATION LINE BECAUSE OFTENTIMES RESIDENTS GET FRUSTRATED, THEY ARE LIKE HEY, THIS DOG IS STILL OUT AND THEY END UP CALLING OUR OFFICE.
>> SHANNON: WE WORK WITH 311 QUITE A BIT WHETHER MODIFYING SCRIPTS TO MAKE IT MORE CLEAR AS TO PROCESSES. A COUPLE WEEKS AGO YOU MENTIONED IF YOU ARE TAKING AN ANIMAL AND HOLD IT FOR A BIT, WE WERE SAYING LIKE THREE WEEKS, WE'RE WORKING TO MODIFY THAT, YOU WILL GET A RESPONSE IN A COUPLE OF DAYS TO THE SCHEDULED PAYMENT TO BRING THAT -- APPOINTMENT TO BRING THAT ANIMAL IN OR FIND ITSELF OWNER. WE WORK CLOSELY WITH 311. PART OF THE SOLUTION IS ALSO ENSURING WHATEVER WE PUT IN THE SYSTEM AS ACS OFFICER IS GETTING COMMUNICATED THROUGH THESE 311 SYSTEMS TO RESIDENTS. IT'S SOMETHING WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO WORK ON. IF YOU GET SOME SPECIFICS, I'LL BE HAPPY TO TALK WITH
YOU ABOUT THAT. THERE HE IS. >> GAVITO: I WAS LOOKING
FOR JEFF. >> I WAS UPSTAIRS AND HEARD YOUR QUESTION.
IN ADDITION TO IMPROVING THE NOTES MIKE IS COMMENTING ON THAT THE RESIDENT GETS IN THE EMAIL, WE'VE IMPLEMENTED A QUALITY ASSURANCE TEAM. WHEN PEOPLE RECEIVE THEIR NOTICE THAT THEIR CASE HAS BEEN CLOSED, THEY HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO CLICK RIGHT AWAY IF THEY ARE NOT SATISFIED WITH THE OUTCOME. THAT GETS ROUTED TO THAT TEAM AND THEY WORK WITH THE RESIDENT, WITH THE DEPARTMENT TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT HAPPENED. IS THERE SOMETHING THAT WAS DROPPED HERE, IS THE RESIDENT NOT UNDERSTANDING WHAT HAPPENED. AND A LOT OF TIMES THOSE ARE ACS CASES, THE OFFICERS WILL GO BACK OUT IN THE FIELD AND RESOLVE A PROBLEM THEY'VE IDENTIFIED. WE'VE HAD CASES WHERE FIVE OR SIX CALLS ABOUT THE SAME AGGRESSIVE ANIMAL ALL LISTED DIFFERENT ADDRESSES AND INTERSECTIONS, BUT IT'S THE SAME DOG. ONCE THE TEAM WORKS WITH THEM WE CAN PUT THEM
TOGETHER AND SOLVE THEM. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER.
>> GAVITO: I'LL CHIME IN FOR OTHER QUESTIONS. >> WALSH: MAYOR, IN RESPONSE TO ONE OF THE QUESTIONS, AND OF THE CONVERSATION IN GOVERNANCE THAT DAY WAS IT'S ALMOST AS MUCH AND MIKE MENTIONED IT, I WANT TO REEMPHASIZE IT, IT'S MORE ALONG THE LINES OF CHANGING HOW WE PROCESS. SO TO BE -- TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION VERY DIRECTLY, NO, IT'S NOT IN THE 41,000. BUT I THINK ULTIMATELY THE FIRST STEP IS CHANGING OUR PROCESS. THAT MAY MEAN SOME OF THAT 41,000 GET GEARED TOWARD THAT POLICY. THE FURTHER ENHANCEMENT OF THAT IS GOING TO BE SOMETHING WE'LL HAVE TO DEAL WITH DOWN THE ROAD. BUT I THINK, YOU KNOW, GIVEN THAT THE PROCESS IS NOW FOR ANIMALS THAT ARE PICKED UP AND THE RELIANCE ON INDIVIDUALS OR PET OWNERS TO TAKE CARE OF THAT SPAY-NEUTER, TO YOUR FIRST QUESTION, WE MAKE THAT ASSUMPTION. IF WE DON'T MAKE THAT
[00:55:02]
ASSUMPTION, WE MAY HAVE TO CHANGE OUR PROCESS AND UTILIZE FUNDING THAT WE HAVE FOR SPAY-NEUTERS BECAUSE THAT CHART IS KIND OF LIKE TOTAL FUNDING AND IT MAY BE DIRECTED TOWARDS THOSE TYPES OF ANIMALS THAT WE'RE PICKING UP.NOW, MAYBE, AND THIS IS THE POLICY CONVERSATION FOR THE COUNCIL OR THE COMMITTEE, THEN THE FULL COUNCIL, MAYBE WE DO IT FOR THE DOG WE PICKED UP TWICE AND NOT THE DOG WE PICKED UP ONCE. MAYBE WE USE IT ON THE ADDRESS THAT WE'VE HAD TO GO THREE TIMES ON, NOT THE ADDRESS THAT WE'VE EVER HAD TO RESPOND TO.
THERE'S GOING TO BE VARYING LEVELS AND MIKE AND THE TEAM HAVE KIND OF STARTED WORKING
ON THAT PROCESS PIECE SO WE CAN HAVE THAT CONVERSATION. >> GAVITO: THANK YOU.
THANKS, MAYOR. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THAT POLICY CONVERSATION IS GOING
TO COME TO COUNCIL IN B SESSION NEXT. >> WALSH: I THINK PUBLIC SAFETY NEXT. IT WILL EVENTUALLY COME BACK TO FULL COUNCIL.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: COUNCILMEMBER ROCHA GARCIA. >> GARCIA: THANK YOU, MAYOR. I'LL START WITH AMIN AND THE TEAM.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. I WANT TO GIVE A SHOUT-OUT TO OUR CODE OFFICER. HE HAS REALLY HIT THE GROUND RUNNING, DOING A GREAT JOB.
HE ATTENDS OUR NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION MEETINGS AND IS JUST VERY RESPONSIVE TO US AND TO OUR RESIDENTS SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT HE AND YOU KNOW THAT WE APPRECIATE THE COOPERATION THERE. AND THEN I'M ALSO HAPPY TO SEE THE $50,000 GOING TO THE CODE STRATEGIC PLAN. WE'VE HAD MUCH DISCUSSION, I'LL SAY, AT PCDC ABOUT HAVING A COMPASSIONATE TEAM. AND IN PARTICULAR THAT THEY ARE EQUIPPED WITH SOLUTIONS AND ASSISTANCE, NOT JUST WITH FINES AND COURT ORDERS.
AND SO I APPRECIATE THE CONVERSATION CONTINUING ON THAT.
WE NEED A LOT OF HELP THERE, ESPECIALLY WITH SOME OF OUR OLDER RESIDENTS.
AND THEN I'M GOING TO FOCUS MY QUESTIONS ON THE PERMITTING PROCESS.
AND I MAKE IT A POINT TO VISIT THE D4 RESTAURANTS TO SHOWCASE, ONE TO PROMOTE THEM AND TWO JUST TO VISIT WITH THEM AND TALK ABOUT THEIR PROCESS IN OPENING UP A SMALL BUSINESS. EVERY TIME I TALK TO A RESTAURANT OWNER, SEEMS LIKE WE TALK ABOUT HOW THE PERMITTING PROCESS WAS WHAT SLOWED THEM DOWN OR HOW THEY WERE READY MONTHS AGO. WE HAVE A HIGH RATE OF COMPLETION ON SCHEDULE, BUT WHAT IS THE AVERAGE ON SCHEDULE TIME? DO YOU HAVE A TIME LINE THAT
SHOWS THAT? >> SO WE ARE OBLIGATED TO DO THE FIRST REVIEW FOR ANY COMMERCIAL PROJECT WITHIN 18 DAYS, AND WE MEET THAT GOAL AS WE SEE ON THE PERFORMANCE METRICS. NOW, IF WE DO REVIEW IT AND THERE IS DENIAL COMMENTS WE SEND IT BACK AND WAIT FOR THEM. THE PROBLEM SOMETIMES THEY DON'T RESPOND FOR LIKE A MONTH OR TWO. BUT THEN WHEN WE RESPOND BACK TO US, WE DO IT IN HALF THAT TIME, SO 18 DAYS BECOMES NINE DAYS, WE HAVE ONLY NINE DAYS TO REVIEW INITIAL POTENTIALLY THE PERMIT -- ISSUE POTENTIALLY
THE PERMIT. >> GARCIA: I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE A TABLE, I WOULD
LOVE TO SHARE THAT WITH PEOPLE. >> I DON'T HAVE IT HERE, BUT
WE CAN DEFINITELY MAKE ONE AND PROVIDE THAT TO YOU. >> GARCIA: THANK YOU.
THEN ALSO WHEN I WAS FIRST ELECTED TO OFFICE IN 2019, MY VERY FIRST BUDGET, I ASKED FOR A LIGHTING PLAN, MUCH LIKE THE ONE COUNCILMEMBER MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ ASKED FOR CITYWIDE BUT FOR D4 BACK IN THE DAY.
I WAS DISAPPOINTED TO SEE THAT OF ALL THE LIGHTS WARRANTED, ONLY 28% WERE AUTHORIZED. SO I WANT TO APPLAUD THE CREATIVITY THAT YOU ALL HAD IN TRYING TO DO THE ONES THAT DON'T REQUIRE THAT RIGHT-OF-WAY.
AND SO I DO THINK IT'S GOING TO SAVE US MONEY AND TIME. SO I THINK THAT THAT IS A GREAT, GREAT THING TO DO. SO I WANTED TO GIVE YOU KUDOS FOR THAT.
BUT ACCORDING TO WHAT THE -- WHAT WE RECEIVED FROM YOUR OFFICE, THE GAP AREAS IN MY DISTRICT, THEY SAID THAT THOSE LIGHTS WEREN'T WARRANTED BECAUSE OF THE PROXIMITY TO RESIDENTIAL HOMES. AND SPECIFICALLY THE LACK OF LIGHTING THAT I'M TALKING ABOUT IN DISTRICT 4 IS ON PALO~ALTO ROAD.
FROM FAIR MEADOWS TO ARRAGON. WITH THE CURRENT STANDARDS WE'RE NOT ABLE TO ADD TO THE OTHER SIDE. CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHY THAT HAPPENS? BECAUSE I'M SURE IT'S NOT JUST SPECIFIC TO MY
DISTRICT. >> YES. WHEN WE RECEIVED THE IDEA ABOUT RESIDENTIAL STREET LIGHTS, WE WERE PROACTIVE AND WENT AROUND AND INSPECTED EVERY RESIDENTIAL AREA AND LOOKED AT BASICALLY 3,292 MILES OF RESIDENTIAL STREETS. WHAT WE DID FOLLOW IS THE CPS RULES.
YOU NEED TO HAVE LIGHTS, THE MINIMUM IS 300 FEET APART, THE MAX IS 600 FEET APART.
[01:00:02]
IF WE GO OUT THERE AND WE FIND THE LIGHT ON EACH SIDE OR ON THE OTHER SIDE AND THEY ARE WITHIN THAT 600 FEET, THEN WE DON'T IDENTIFY ANY NEED FORADDITIONAL LIGHTS. >> GARCIA: GOT IT. >> IF YOU HAVE A SPECIFIC AREA, WE CAN DEFINITELY RELOOK AT THAT AND ANALYZE IT, BUT WE DID THAT
THROUGHOUT THE CITY. >> GARCIA: GOT IT. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
>> WERE YOU ASKING SPECIFICALLY ALONG PALO~ALTO?
>> GARCIA: UH-HUH. >> WALSH: THAT'S SOMETHING WE CAN LOOK AT.
>> PALO~ALTO IS NOT A RESIDENTIAL AREA. THAT'S THE ANSWER.
>> GARCIA: I'M TALKING ABOUT SPECIFICALLY THE AREA BETWEEN FAIR MEADOWS AND ARRAGAN. THERE WAS A GENTLEMAN HIT BY A CAR AND RESIDENTS SAID IT'S BECAUSE IT'S SO DARK. A COUPLE YEARS AGO THERE WAS BUS ACCIDENT, FOG, THERE'S A COMBINATION OF ISSUES THERE. AND THAT'S WHAT THE RESIDENTS KEEP FOCUSING ON AND THEY THINK IT'S BECAUSE OF THE LIGHT SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE WE TAKE ANOTHER
LOOK BECAUSE THERE'S SEVERAL THINGS GOING ON. >> OKAY.
>> GARCIA: THANK YOU. ON PAGE 369 OF THE BUDGET, YOU HAVE FIVE EXTRA AUTHORIZED POSITIONS, I THINK -- OR YOU HAD AUTHORIZED FROM 2023 TO 2024 FIVE EXTRA ONES, BUT THEY WEREN'T USED. AND SO I'M WONDERING WHAT
HAPPENED THERE. >> THEY WERE NOT USED, YOU SAID?
>> GARCIA: CORRECT. >> THE FIVE POSITIONS, ONE OF THEM IS OHP POSITION.
THREE OF THEM IS CASHIER. AND THE FIFTH ONE IS THE NEW ONE WE ARE TALKING ABOUT.
NO? I'M SORRY, GO AHEAD. >> COUNCILWOMAN, YOU ARE
MENTIONING IN 2023 WE HAD 346 POSITIONS? >> GARCIA: UH-HUH.
>> AND INCREASED TO 351. >> GARCIA: COLLECT. >> THERE WERE FIVE POSITIONS WE ADDED TO THE ACELA AND CONTINUING TO MAINTAIN THAT SYSTEM.
THEN WE'RE REDUCING ONE POSITION, IT'S THE DEVELOPMENT SERVICES POSITION WE NO LONGER NEED BECAUSE OF ACELA. IT DOES A CHECK WHEN THEY SUBMIT THE PLAN, THEY HAVE TO SUBMIT IT COMPLETELY SO THEY NO LONGER NEED THAT
PERSON TO DO THAT COMPLETENESS REVIEW. >> GARCIA: YOU ANSWERED MY NEXT QUESTION. ON THE NEXT PAGE, 153 TO -- WE DROPPED BACK ANOTHER
THREE. >> THAT WAS FOR THE APARTMENT INSPECTIONS THAT WE ADDED IN 2024. OR COUNCIL APPROVED IN '23. THE THREE POSITIONS IS THE
REDUCTION OF THE BOARDING HOMES. >> GARCIA: GOT IT.
THANK YOU, JUSTINA. THOSE ARE ALL MY QUESTIONS AND I'LL TAKEN ON WITH ACS.
ACS, I SAW ON HERE AND I WANT TO THANK RITA WHO IS HERE, OUR APPOINTEE FOR DISTRICT 4, ALSO THE CHAIR. AND I WANT TO THANK HER FOR ALWAYS BEING HERE.
IN THE POSITIONS, YOU ALL HAVE 38 NEW POSITIONS BUDGETED.
21 FOR SPAY-NEUTER, 14 FOR FIRST RESPONDER, ONE FOR NEIGHBORHOOD ENGAGEMENT.
WHAT ARE THE OTHER TWO FOR? >> SHANNON: THE OTHER TWO WILL BE REORG AD TO ASSIST WITH THE INCREASE IN OPEN RECORDS THAT WE'VE RECEIVED. WE GET OVER 1,000 OF THOSE A YEAR NOW. AND THEN ALSO SOME ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANTS
FOR SOME OF THE FUNCTIONS OF THE SUPPORT TEAM. >> GARCIA: ARE WE ADDING
TO OUR LIVE RELEASE TEAM? >> SHANNON: THIS YEAR WE ARE NOT.
>> GARCIA: IS THERE A REASON WHY WE'RE NOT ADDING TO THE LIVE RELEASE TEAM?
>> SHANNON: YEAH, WE COULD USE -- EVERYBODY COULD USE A LOT MORE, BUT I THINK OUR PRIORITIES RIGHT NOW, THE COMPETING PRIORITIES THAT WE HAVE IS CERTAINLY THE CRITICAL CALL RESPONSE, SO THAT'S THE 14 OFFICERS. THEN, YOU KNOW, THE SPAY AND NEUTER CLINICS THAT WE HAVE ALREADY APPROVED THE IDEA TO LEASE AND BUILD OUT, YOU KNOW WE HAVE TO STAFF THOSE UP AND THAT'S ANOTHER CORE PRIORITY.
SO CERTAINLY WE'LL BE WATCHING WITH OUR CURRENT ADOPTION, LIVE RELEASE STAFF. THOSE DIVISIONS ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO BE CHALLENGED, BUT WE'RE MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION WITH OUR LIVE RELEASE RATE NOW AND I THINK WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO MONITOR THAT. OUR PRIORITY ARE CRITICAL CALLS AND GETTING TO 100% AND THAT'S THE REASON BEHIND IT.
>> GARCIA: THE REASON I'M CONCERNED, IF WE'RE ADDING FIRST RESPONDERS AND PICKING UP MORE STRAYS AND THE KENNELS ARE GOING TO BE FULL, THAT MIGHT AFFECT LIVE RELEASE. I KNOW YOU ONLY HAVE 13.6% INCREASE IN YOUR BUDGET, BUT
[01:05:02]
IS IT TOO FAST TO MOVE TO 14 FIRST RESPONDERS AND NOT ADD ANY LIVE RELEASE TEAMMEMBERS? THAT WAS MY QUESTION. >> WALSH: IT'S THE FEEDBACK OF THE COUNCIL. I THINK THE ENFORCEMENT AND CRITICAL CALLS ARE A DEMONSTRATED HIGH PRIORITY. AND FRANKLY, WE DON'T HAVE THE FUNDS TO INCREASE ALL ASPECTS OF THAT DEPARTMENT AND A LOT OF OTHER DEPARTMENTS.
AND WHAT IS A PRIORITY AND I'LL ECHO WHAT MIKE SAID, IS GETTING TO 100% OF CRITICAL CALLS AND MAKING SURE THAT THE INVESTMENT THAT THE COUNCIL PUT IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET AND FOR THE LEASES AND THE RENOVATIONS THAT ARE GOING ON THAT -- THAT WE HAVE STAFF TO OPERATE THOSE TWO SPAY-NEUTER CLINICS. IDEALLY WE WOULD LOVE TO BE IN A POSITION THAT WAS CONTRACTED OUT AND WE DIDN'T HAVE TO ADD POSITIONS, BUT THAT'S NOT THE CASE AND THAT'S NOT THE POSITION WE'RE IN AND THAT WORK IS ONGOING. SO THAT IS A HIGH PRIORITY FOR US.
BUT LIVE RELEASE UNDOTEDLY, I THINK I SAID THIS LAST SUMMER, AS WE'RE FOCUSING ON ENFORCEMENT, LIVE RELEASE IS GOING TO SUFFER. LOOKING BACK THE PAST 12 MONTHS, IT'S GONE UP. AT SOME POINT OUR LIVE RELEASE MAY BE IMPACTED AND THE DEPARTMENT IS GOING TO NEED TO BE AS CREATIVE AS POSSIBLE WITHIN THEIR BUDGET. IT IS ONE OF THE BUDGETS THAT'S GOING UP, HAS THE
HIGHEST PERCENTAGES. >> GARCIA: I'LL CHIME BACK IN, MAYOR.
THANK YOU. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER ROCHA
GARCIA. COUNCILMEMBER WHYTE. >> WHYTE: THANK YOU.
TO START, I THINK IT'S PRETTY CLEAR THAT OUR ANIMAL CARE NETWORK HAS BEEN SORT OF BROKEN FOR SOME TIME. AND SO MIKE, I APPRECIATE YOU STEPPING IN AND ALL THE GOOD WORK YOU'VE DONE JUST SINCE YOU'VE BEEN THERE. I APPRECIATE COUNCILWOMAN ALDERETE GAVITO FOR SORT OF TAKING THE LEAD ON TRYING TO STRAIGHTEN THINGS OUT.
WE'RE INCREASING THE BUDGET 13.6% FROM LAST YEAR. THIS MORNING WE LOOKED AT PUBLIC WORKS WHERE WE WERE ONLY INCREASING THAT BUDGET 3.3%.
WE'VE GOT WHAT I WOULD SAY IS A TWO-PART PROBLEM HERE WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT THESE STRAY ANIMALS. NUMBER ONE, OF COURSE, IT'S A PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUE AND WE'VE SEEN SOME OF THE, YOU KNOW, TRAGEDIES THAT HAVE HAPPENED IN THIS COMMUNITY OVER THE PAST YEAR. AND THEN IT'S ALSO A MATTER OF WHAT CAN WE DO TO TAKE CARE OF THESE ANIMALS ONCE THE CITY GETS THEM. SO REALLY MY ONLY QUESTION, MIKE, IS 38 NEW PEOPLE, IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE HIRING. AND DO WE BELIEVE -- WHEN YOU LOOK AT SLIDE 10, THE PERFORMANCE MEASURES, IT LOOKS LIKE WE FELL A LITTLE BIT SHORT OR WE'RE GOING TO ON OUR ADOPTIONS, OUR RESCUES AND OUR ANIMALS IMPOUNDED OVER WHAT WE TARGETED. ARE THESE 38 NEW PEOPLE GOING TO POSITIONS THAT WE BELIEVE ARE REALLY GOING TO ADDRESS OUR ISSUES?
>> SHANNON: YES. THE SHORT ANSWER IS YES, BUT REMEMBER, THE 38 POSITIONS, 21 ARE TO STAND UP THE SPAY AND NEUTER CLINICS. THOSE WILL NOT AFFECT ADOPTIONS. THIS IS RIGHT AWAY. THEY WILL CERTAINLY EFFECT THE NEED FOR ADOPTIONS LONG TERM, SPAY AND NEUTER THOSE ANIMALS SO THEY DON'T HAVE MULTIPLE LITTERS EACH YEAR. THAT'S THE BIGGEST ADD FOR THE LINE ITEM IN THE BUDGET, IT'S MORE THAN HALF OF THE INCREASE THAT WE'RE PROPOSING WITH THAT 13%.
THEN THE OTHER 14 THAT WE HAVE ARE THE -- THE ANIMAL CARE OFFICERS GOING OUT AND RESPONDING TO THOSE CALLS FOR AGGRESSIVE ANIMALS, INJURED ANIMALS, CRUELTY CONDITIONS, THOSE TYPE OF THINGS. SO THAT'S THE IMPACT.
WILL THAT AFFECT OUR ADOPTION RATE AND THOSE NUMBERS? OUR GOAL IS TO REACH THE TARGETS IN THE FAR RIGHT. SOME OF THAT IS NOT NECESSARILY NEW POSITIONS, BUT HOW CAN WE BE, AS ERIK MENTIONED, EXTRA CREATIVE,
LOOK AT THE EFFICIENCIES TO DO MORE WITH WHAT WE GOT. >> WHYTE: AND YOU AND I HAVE TALKED ABOUT THIS AND I THINK YOU SAID YOU WERE WORKING ON IT.
I REALLY THINK WE NEED TO GET EVERYBODY IN THE SAME ROOM.
ACS AND THEN SOME OF OUR PARTNERS, ANIMAL DEFENSE LEAGUE AND OTHERS THAT ARE IN THIS ANIMAL CARE NETWORK. BECAUSE I AGREE WITH YOU, THERE'S GOT TO BE CREATIVE SOLUTIONS HERE ON WHAT WE CAN DO TO SAVE MORE OF THESE ANIMALS.
>> SHANNON: I TOTALLY AGREE AND I'LL SAY YES, WE ARE COMMITTED TO GETTING ALL OF OUR RESCUE PARTNERS IN A ROOM. I'VE MET WITH SEVERAL OF THEM, ADL, SOME OF THE SMALLER ONES I'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH.
MOVING FORWARD TOGETHER WITH OUR PARTNERS, IT'S ONE OF THOSE FIVE PILLARS IN OUR STRATEGIC PLAN, BUT WE CAN'T DO IT WITHOUT OUR PARTNERS, ABSOLUTELY.
[01:10:01]
>> WHYTE: THANKS, MIKE. DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, CODE ENFORCEMENT.
LISTEN, WE HAD OUR BUDGET TOWN HALL LAST NIGHT AND I AM FOR AN ADDITIONAL CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICER OR TWO. I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THE REST OF MY COLLEAGUES, BUT WE GET NUMEROUS CALLS IN OUR OFFICE ABOUT CODE -- CODE CALLS THAT ARE EITHER NOT FOLLOWED UP ON OR THEY ARE NOT GOTTEN TO IN A TIMELY MANNER. SO I WOULD LIKE TO SEE ANOTHER CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICER OR TWO. VERY HAPPY WE'RE DOING THE ADDITIONAL OFFICER RELATED TO THE SHORT-TERM RENTALS. I THINK THAT'S GREAT.
BUT I THINK WE CAN DO MORE HERE, AND AGAIN, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT DIRECTLY IMPACTS OUR RESIDENTS' DAY TO DAY LIVES. WHEN THESE CODE CALLS AREN'T GETTING HANDLED PROPERLY, IT NEGATIVELY IMPACTS THEIR DAY DAY SO MY QUESTION HERE IS MEASURING SUCCESS ON THESE CODE CALLS AND HOW ARE WE ADVISING RESIDENTS WHEN THEIR CASES ARE CLOSED? AND IF IT'S BEEN HANDLED SUCCESSFULLY.
>> SURE. SO BASICALLY, I MEAN, BASED ON THE CURRENT PERFORMANCE MEASURES WE HAVE, THE SUCCESS IS NUMBER ONE WHEN THEY CALL 311 IN REGARDS TO ANY CODE VIOLATION, WE NEED TO RESPOND TO THAT CALL WITHIN TWO DAYS.
SO WE MONITOR THAT. I DID SHOW YOU THE PERFORMANCE MEASURES THAT WE DID MEET THAT GOAL. THE SECOND ONE IS THAT WE FOLLOW UP ON THE CASE AND WE WOULD LIKE TO CLOSE THAT CASE WITHIN 45 DAYS. AND AGAIN, 90% OF THE CASES ARE CLOSED WITHIN 45 DAYS. THAT MEANS WE MET OUR GOAL AND THAT'S HOW WE MEASURE THAT. NOW, IN DISTRICT 10 YEAR TO DATE NOW WE RECEIVE MANY CALLS FROM 311 AND THE TEAM DID 4,019 PROACTIVE CALLS, SO A TOTAL OF ABOUT 10,000 CASES THAT WE DID IN DISTRICT 10 THIS YEAR. SO JUST THE AMOUNT OF CALLS WE HAVE FROM OUR DISTRICT IS NOT AS HIGH AS OTHER DISTRICTS, SO WE DISTRIBUTE THE CODE OFFICERS DEPENDING ON THE NEED AND THE AMOUNT OF CALLS WE RECEIVE FROM
THAT AREA. >> WHYTE: I KNOW MY TEAM HAS SOME QUESTIONS ACTUALLY RELATED TO CALLS THAT WE'VE GOTTEN OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS THAT MAYBE I'LL TALK TO YOU ABOUT OFFLINE BECAUSE WE'RE CERTAINLY HAVING SOME ISSUES GETTING SOME OF THE CODE CALLS HANDLED, FOLLOWED UP ON AND SUCCESSFULLY RESOLVED.
I DO WANT TO HIGHLIGHT HERE SLIDE 12 RELATED TO THE BOARDING HOMES, AND I GUESS THIS IS REALLY JUST A COMMENT HERE THAT WE FOUND AN INEFFICIENCY HERE, AND WE'RE REDUCING SOME OF THE RESOURCES THAT WE'VE PUT IN THAT DIRECTION.
I THINK IT WAS ANTICIPATED THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE WERE 300 BOARDING HOMES THAT WOULD NEED TO BE REGISTER AND INSPECTED, HOWEVER, THERE'S CERTAINLY A LOT LESS AND WE'VE FOUND A WAY TO REDUCE THE INCIDENT EFFICIENCY IN TERMS OF THE RESOURCES WE'RE ALLOCATING TOWARDS THIS. IF I COULD GIVE ANOTHER PLUG TO ZERO-BASED BUDGETING, THIS IS THE KIND OF THING THAT WE WILL FIND WHEN WE DO DEEP DIVES WITHIN ALL OF OUR DEPARTMENTS AND TRY TO STREAMLINE WHAT WE'RE DOING. DO YOU LIKE THAT? ALL RIGHT, ALL RIGHT.
MOVING ON TO SOLID WASTE, SECOND YEAR IN A ROW WE'VE INCREASED FEES.
DO WE LOOK AT ANY ALTERNATIVES TO INCREASING THE FEES HERE ON THE GARBAGE
CANS? >> YOU KNOW, THE ALTERNATIVE WOULD BE A CHANGE OF OUR SERVICE OR A REDUCTION OF OUR SERVICE. IT SEEMS FROM THE CITY COUNCIL THAT OUR SERVICE IS A GOOD SERVICE, IT'S ONE THAT IN THE RECENT CUSTOMER SATISFACTION SURVEY WE GOT A 97%, 97 OUT OF 100. IT DOESN'T GET MUCH BETTER THAN THAT ON THE QUALITY OF OUR SERVICES. SO I THINK THAT'S THE OPTION, BUT TO MAINTAIN THE SERVICES IT WOULD REQUIRE A RATE INCREASE.
>> WHYTE: OKAY. IN TERMS OF THESE BRUSH SITES, WE'RE CLOSING THEM ON
SUNDAYS, IS THAT RIGHT? >> THAT'S WHAT WE'RE RECOMMENDING IS TO CLOSE ON SUNDAY. WE GET ON AVERAGE 90-PLUS CUSTOMERS SIX DAYS A WEEK.
ON SUNDAYS WE GET 40 OR LESS. AND SO WE'RE RECOMMENDING TO CLOSE IT TO SAVE ON NOT JUST THAT ONE POSITION, BUT TO ALSO PROVIDE A LITTLE BIT BETTER QUALITY OF LIFE FOR OUR FOLKS THAT WORK OUT THERE.
[01:15:04]
>> WHYTE: SO SUNDAY IS THE DAY THAT THE LEAST AMOUNT OF PEOPLE USE THESE BRUSH
SITES? >> THAT'S CORRECT. >> WHYTE: WOW, I WOULDN'T HAVE GUESSED THAT. OKAY. AND LET ME ASK YOU ABOUT SHOPPING CARTS. YOU GUYS ARE PICKING THESE UP AND THEY'RE ALL OVER THE PLACE IT SEEMS IN A LOT OF AREAS. IS THERE AN ADDITIONAL COST
TO PICKING UP THESE SHOPPING CARTS? >> WE PICK UP ABOUT 2500, QUITE A FEW. AND A LOT OF THEM HAVE TRASH IN THEM, THEY HAVE PRETTY NASTY STUFF IN THEM, SO MOST OF THEM ARE BEING DISPOSED OF.
IF IT IS A SIMPLE METAL SHOPPING CART AND WE CAN RECYCLE IT, WE WILL DO THAT, BUT IT'S PART OF EITHER OUR ILLEGAL DUMPING OR THE CLEANUP OF THE HOMELESS ENCAMPMENTS SO THE COST IS EMBEDDED IN THOSE OPERATIONS.
>> WHYTE: WE'D LIKE TO IF POSSIBLE AND WE'RE LOOKING AT OFFERING A CCR IN THIS REGARD, BUT MAYBE WE CAN CUT OUT SOME RED TAPE AND GET A -- MAYBE LIKE A HEAT MAP OF WHERE THESE SHOPPING CARTS ARE BEING PICKED UP. IS THAT SOMETHING WE COULD
DO? >> CERTAINLY. WE CAN DEFINITELY DO THAT.
>> WHYTE: ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU. THAT'S ALL, MAYOR.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER WHYTE. WHITE COURAGE.
>> COURAGE: THANK YOU, MAYOR. I'LL START OFF WITH ACS.
HOW IS THE -- HAS THE ACS STAFF RECRUITMENT GONE? AND I'LL PUT IT THIS WAY, HOW MANY PEOPLE START A TRAINING CLASS WITH US, HOW MANY PEOPLE FINISH THAT
TRAINING CLASS? SO HOW HAS THAT BEEN GOING? >> SO MOST OF OUR TEAM MEMBERS THAT START A CADET CLASS, THEY DO FINISH. SO FOR EXAMPLE, RIGHT NOW WE HAVE ABOUT TO GRADUATE IN SEPTEMBER, I BELIEVE THEY STARTED WITH APPROXIMATELY 15 -- 14, I'M SORRY. THEY STARTED WITH 14. WE'RE AT 12 RIGHT NOW.
WE ANTICIPATE THOSE 12 WILL GRADUATE. AND THAT NUMBER, THAT
PERCENTAGE IS FAIRLY COMMON AND HAS BEEN FOR YEARS. >> COURAGE: THAT'S ALL RIGHT, I UNDERSTAND THAT. I WANT TO ASK ANOTHER QUESTION RELATED TO THIS ONE. HOW WELL IS ACS RETAINING STAFF OF ALL KINDS OVER THE
LAST FEW YEARS? >> I DON'T HAVE -- I DON'T HAVE THE NUMBERS.
I MEAN, WE COULD GET YOU A REPORT ON AVERAGE NUMBER OF STAFF.
WE HAVE ADDED AND DO HAVE A LOT OF NEW STAFF. WITH THE 29 POSITIONS THAT WERE ADDED LAST YEAR. WE ALSO HAVE AGAIN A 22 CADET CLASS THAT WE'VE STARTED THAT WILL GRADUATE AT THANKSGIVING TIME, JUST BEFORE THANKSGIVING.
BUT I'D HAVE TO FOLLOW UP WITH YOU, COUNCILMAN, AND GET THAT DATA FOR YOU.
>> COURAGE: I KNOW THERE'S BEEN SO MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT ACS, I WONDERED IF
PEOPLE HAVE SAID I DON'T WANT TO BE HERE. >> IT'S A TOUGH GIG.
I'VE BEEN HERE FIVE OR SIX WEEKS. IT'S A TOUGH GIG, LIKE A LOT OF DEPARTMENTS. THE TEAM MEMBERS I'VE MET, THEY'RE COMMITTED.
THEIR MORALE IS GENERALLY PRETTY GOOD, BUT THEY COULD ALWAYS USE THE SUPPORT OF
CERTAINLY OUR LEADERSHIP HERE. >> COURAGE: THANKS.
WHAT HAVE WE GOT ABOUT SPAY AND NEUTERING EVERY ANIMAL THAT WE'VE -- THAT WE PICK UP? WHAT WOULD BE THE COST FOR THAT?
>> WELL, THAT'S THE CONVERSATION WE WERE HAVING ABOUT THE COUNCILWOMAN'S CCR THAT WE'LL BRING TO PUBLIC SAFETY HERE IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS.
WE HAVEN'T FULLY ANALYZED WHAT THAT COST WOULD LOOK LIKE.
THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS THAT WOULD HAVE TO HAPPEN. PROBABLY POLICY AND OPERATIONALLY. WE HAD THOSE FOUR DIVISIONS BUT THREE OF THE DIVISIONS WOULD SIGNIFICANTLY BE MODIFIED. SO I DON'T HAVE A NUMBER FOR YOU. THAT'S SOMETHING I KNOW THAT WE'LL BE TALKING ABOUT AS
PART OF THAT CCR AND REVIEW PROCESS. >> COURAGE: DO YOU THINK THAT'S ANY FEDERAL, STATE LAWS OR ANY -- OR ANY PERSONAL PROPERTY LAWS THAT
WOULD COME INTO PLAY? >> ABSOLUTELY. THERE ARE LAWS AT HOW THE ANIMALS CAN BE HANDLED AT THE LOCAL AND STATE LEVEL. SO THIS WHOLE CONVERSATION THAT WILL GO THROUGH WITH THIS K, WE'LL HAVE -- THIS CCR, WE'LL HAVE THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE HEAVILY INVOLVED IN THAT. I THINK SOME PRELIMINARY RESEARCH HAS BEEN DONE. I'M NOT FULLY VERSED TODAY TO TALK TOO MUCH ABOUT IT, BUT WE'LL BE GOING THROUGH IT PRETTY DEEPLY MAKING SURE THAT WHATEVER WE DO WE HAVE
TO FOLLOW OUR STATE AND LOCAL LAWS. >> COURAGE: I GUESS WE HAVEN'T HEARD ANYTHING ABOUT THE ANIMALS WE'VE BEEN EUTHANIZING FROM ANY STATE AUTHORITY SO I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ANY LAW WE NEED TO WORRY ABOUT THERE.
>> JUST TO JUMP IN ON THAT, THE ONES THAT GET EUTHANIZ ED BY ACS, IN OUR CARE WE
[01:20:06]
FOLLOW STATE LAW AND AFTER THAT HE THEY BECAME OUR PROPERTY.SO WE FOLLOW THAT DELINEATION 100% AND WE'RE VERY CAREFUL ABOUT THAT.
I'VE HAD A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS ALREADY ABOUT GETTING UP TO SPEED ON SOME OF THEM. REST ASSURED WE'RE IN LINE WITH STATE LAW ON THAT.
>> HAVE THERE BEEN ANY MORE DISCUSSIONS ON MOBILE SPAY AND NEUTERING AS AN OPTION AND THAT WAS THAT LOOKED AT AS AN EXPENSE? BECAUSE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT NOW HAVING TWO BRICK AND MORTAR ONES THAT WE'LL BE OPENING WITH I PRESUME A BIGGER STAFF THAN MAYBE A MOBILE UNIT WOULD HAVE. HAS THERE BEEN ANY FURTHER
DISCUSSION ON THAT? >> COUNCIL MEMBER, WE LOOKED AT THAT, BUT WHEN WE FOUND OURSELVES IN A POSITION WHERE WE WOULD HAVE TO OPERATE THOSE SPAY AND NEUTER CLINICS, THOSE BECAME THE HIGHER PRIORITY. WE CONTEMPLATED AND I THINK WE TALKED ABOUT IT DURING THE TRIAL BUDGET LOOKING AT ADDING A VEHICLE, AND THE PRODUCTION BETWEEN -- THAT WE ANTICIPATE GETTING OUT OF THE TWO SPAY/NEUTER CLINICS THAT ARE ALREADY INCLUDED IN THE BUDGET IS, FRANKLY TENFOLD, MORE THAN TENFOLD
IN TERMS OF SURGERIES. >> COURAGE: OKAY. RELATED TO THOSE NEW CLINICS AND EVEN EXPANDING OUR OWN HOSPITAL AT ACS, WHERE ARE WE GOING TO FIND THE VETS?
>> THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE STILL RECRUITING RIGHT NOW.
WE HAVE OUR HEAD VET AND OUR TEAM ACTUALLY WORKING WITH OUR VET COMMUNITY HERE, GOING TO OPEN MEETINGS AT THEIR VET ASSOCIATION MEETINGS, TALKING ABOUT THE TWO NEW CLINICS. THEY KNOW ABOUT THE HOSPITAL COMING OUT IN A COUPLE OF YEARS. AND THEN WE'RE HAVING INDIVIDUAL CONVERSATIONS KIND OF VET TO VET TALKING ABOUT WE HAVE THIS OPPORTUNITY, THIS NEED, AND THIS IS WHAT THE BENEFIT FOR WORKING FOR THE CITY AS A CONTRACTED VET OR A FULL-TIME VET. SO THAT'S A CONVERSATION THAT WE'RE GOING TO KEEP HAVING, KEEP RECRUITING, BUT THAT'S A CHALLENGE WE'LL HAVE TO FACE HEAD ON.
>> IT'S BEEN A CHALLENGE, HASN'T IT, GETTING ENOUGH VETS CONSISTENTLY KEEPING VETS AT THE CLINIC OVER THE YEARS? AND JUST WONDERING HOW MANY VETERINARIANS ARE GOING TO GIVE UP THEIR PRACTICE FOR X AMOUNT OF HOURS A DAY OR X
AMOUNT OF DAYS A WEEK. >> WELL, WE HAD TROUBLE DURING -- AFTER THE PANDEMIC RECRUITING VETS. WE HAVE THREE VETS NOW ON STAFF.
AND MUCH LIKE MIKE MENTIONED EARLIER, THE VETS ARE A LITTLE BIT MORE SELECTIVE.
IT'S GOING TO COST US MORE MONEY FOR CONTRACT VETS, BUT IT'S A SERVICE THAT'S
NECESSARY. >> COURAGE: OKAY. THAT'S KIND OF WHAT I WANTED TO HEAR. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT FOUR DAYS A WEEK FOR THOSE NEW CLINICS, AND WHAT WILL BE THE HOURS THEY'LL BE OPERATING?
>> WE REALLY HAVEN'T GOTTEN THAT FAR YET ON THEM, BUT, YOU KNOW, A FOUR DAYS A WEEK AT 10 HOURS, YOU KNOW, A DAY IS REALLY THE STAFFING COMPONENT.
10 POSITIONS HERE, 10 POSITIONS IN THE OTHER CLINIC WITH A MANAGER THAT WILL KIND OF OVERSEE BOTH. SO THAT'S THE MODEL THAT WE THINK WOULD BE BEST TO GET STARTED WITH. I CAN GET YOU BACK. BUT I DON'T KNOW IF WE'LL HAVE THE HOURS READY ANY TIME IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS, BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'LL WORK AND DEVELOP. BUT WE WANT TO MAKE IT AS ACCESSIBLE AND POSSIBLE AND MAKE IT AS EASY FOR PEOPLE TO GET THERE, WHETHER IN AUDIO]. WHETHER IT'S FROM VOLUNTEERS HELPING US GET VETS FROM PEOPLE TO CLINICS AND BACK, OR ANOTHER METHOD, BUT WE'LL CERTAINLY KEEP YOU POSTED.
>> COURAGE: I KNOW IN THE CHART ON THE TABLE PAGE 8 IT TALKS ABOUT A TARGET OF 41,170 TO BE SPAYED OR NEUTERED IN 2025. AND IT SAYS IN-HOUSE.
WOULD THAT BE JUST AT THE ACS FACILITY OR WOULD THAT BE AT THE NEW ONES
ALTOGETHER? >> IN-HOUSE IS AT THE ACS FACILITY.
THE TWO NEW SPAY AND NEUTER CLIPPINGS ARE IN THE -- WOULD BE IN THE OTHER TWO BLUES. THE BLUE AND THE AQUA I GUESS IT'S CALLED.
>> COURAGE: WHAT IS THE BLACK CATEGORY FOR IT, WHICH IS MOST OF ALL, IT SAYS FREE
COMMUNITY? >> SO WE SUBSIDIZE FREE SPAY AND NEUTER SURGERIES IN AND AROUND MULTIPLE CLINICS. AND OF COURSE WE HAVE A HIGH NEED FOR SPAY AND NEUTERED SURGERIES. AND THEY GENERALLY COST A LOT OF MONEY.
SO WE SUBSIDIZE THAT, WE HAVE A BUDGET FOR THAT. SO CERTAINLY THOSE ARE THE HIGHEST DEMAND, HIGHEST NEED, AND THOSE ARE ALLOCATED TO CERTAIN Z ZIP CODES WHERE WE USE EQUITY SCORES AND INCOME LEVELS TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR THOSE.
>> COURAGE: OKAY. THANKS, MIKE. >> YOU'RE WELCOME.
>> COURAGE: LET ME ASK ABOUT SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT.
I JUST WOULD LIKE TO KNOW DO WE MONITOR THE REPEAT DUMPING LOCATIONS?
HOW DO WE DO THAT? >> WE DO. >> COURAGE: I DON'T WANT
[01:25:04]
TO GIVE AWAY ANY TRADE SECRETS. >> NO.
WE ACTUALLY TAKE PICTURES BEFORE AND AFTER. WE KEEP IT ON SOME SORT OF ELECTRONIC SYSTEM. I'M NOT A TECH PERSON. AND WE PROBABLY HAVE A MAP OR AT LEAST A LOCATION BY COUNCIL DISTRICTS AS A BACKUP, BUT WE DO KEEP TRACK
OF ALL OF THEM. >> OKAY. SO WE HAVE CAMERAS THERE TO CATCH THE REPEAT VIOLATORS WHO PROBABLY USE THE SAME LOCATIONS.
>> RIGHT. WE DO HAVE SOME CAMERAS AND WE'RE ACTUALLY USING THE CAMERAS TO HELP US IDENTIFY THE TIMES THAT THEY'RE DUMPING BECAUSE WE ARE WORKING WITH SAPD ON SOME COVERT OPERATIONS TO CATCH FOLKS DOING THAT.
>> COURAGE: GOOD. WHAT ARE THE FINES FOR THESE REPEAT OFFENDERS?
>> I DON'T KNOW, BUT THEY TEND TO BE HIGHER THAN JUST ILLEGAL DUMPING BECAUSE THE FOLKS THEY DO CATCH TEND TO HAVE OTHER WARRANTS AND OTHER THINGS ON THEIR
RECORD. >> COURAGE: OKAY. THANKS.
>> SURE. >> COURAGE: AND AMIN, AS FAR AS DSD GOES, HOW MANY CALLS RELATED TO CODE COMPLIANCE DO YOU GET IN A MONTH?
>> ME PERSONALLY? [LAUGHTER]. I GET A LOT OF CALLS.
IN A TYPICAL MONTH WE GET ABOUT 300 CALLS A DAY. >> ABOUT 300 CALLS A DAY.
HOW MANY OF THOSE COME IN AT NIGHT? HOW MANY OF THOSE ARE
RELATED TO PEOPLE CALLING AT NIGHT? >> NOT THAT MANY.
THE MAJORITY OF THE CALLS, THE VIOLATIONS THAT WE SEE, OVER 55% OF THE VIOLATIONS CITYWIDE ARE TALL GRASS. NOBODY CALLS FOR TALL GRASS AFTER HOURS.
WE DON'T GET THAT MANY CALLS AT NIGHT. >> COURAGE: OKAY.
I'LL COME BACK AND ASK YOU A COUPLE MORE QUESTIONS A LITTLE BIT LATER.
THANKS. THANKS, MAYOR. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO.
>> CASTILLO: THANK YOU. I'D LIKE TO START WIT SERVICE. I HAVE THE SAME QUESTIONS.
I CAN'T EXPRESS HOW GRATEFUL DISTRICT FIVE RESIDENTS ARE WHEN THEY HEAR THAT WE ARE INVESTING IN A SPAY/NEUTER CLINIC AND ALSO FOR THE ADVOCACY OF THE COUNCIL MEMBER TO ENSURE THAT WE HAD A CENTRAL LOCATION THAT WOULD SERVE SEVEN, FIVE AND ONE. IT'S A MUCH NEEDED SERVICE. GRATEFUL FOR KAREN SPEAR WHO IS ALWAYS PRESENT AND WAS AT THE BUDGET TOWN HALL MEETING AS WELL AND EXTREMELY GRATEFUL FOR THE TEAM AND OFFICER SMITH. SHE'S BEEN VERY PRESENT AT OUR NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION MEETINGS, JUST SHARING INFORMATION AND JUST REALLY GREAT TO HAVE HER THERE TO ENSURE THAT OUR NEIGHBORHOODS ARE INFORMED ABOUT THE TYPE OF ENFORCEMENT THAT'S TAKING PLACE.
ALSO GRATEFUL FOR THE CCR THAT COUNCILMAN ALDERETE PUT FORWARD.
I'M EXTREMELY SUPPORTIVE OF INCREASING THE FINES FOR RESPONSIBLE PET OWNERS BECAUSE IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CONTINUE TO SEE AND OUR TEAM FIELDS THOSE CALLS ABOUT STRAY AND ROAMING ANIMALS AND THE MAJORITY OF WHICH HAVE OWNERS.
AND WHEN FOLKS ARE CALLING US TO REPORT IT, THEY KNOW WHO THE DOG BELONGS TO.
SO PLEASED TO SEE AND EXCITED TO SEE THAT ITEM MOVE FORWARD TO PUBLIC SAFETY. AND JUST GRATEFUL FOR THE OVERALL WORK THAT Y'ALL ARE DOING. I KNOW ANIMAL CARE SERVICE OFFICERS ARE -- I WOULD IMAGINE BURNT OUT, RIGHT, FOR A REALLY LONG TIME THEY'VE BEEN ASKED TO DO SO MUCH WITH SO LITTLE AND RESOURCES. AND RECENTLY THEY'RE SEEING AN INVESTMENT IN THE SUPPORT. SO GRATEFUL TO SEE OUR CITY EMPLOYEES RECEIVE THE SUPPORT THEY NEED, EXPANDING THE TEAM.
I DID HAVE A SIMILAR CONCERN REGARDING NOT NECESSARILY THE INCREASE IN OFFICERS, BECAUSE THEY'RE VERY MUCH NEEDED, BUT THE NEXT PIECE, RIGHT, THE SPACE COMPONENT ON WHERE ARE WE GOING TO PLACE THESE ANIMALS. AND I UNDERSTAND THERE'S AN ANIMAL NETWORK THAT YOU CONTINUE TO BE IN CONVERSATION WITH, BUT JUST ENSURING THAT THERE'S PLACES FOR THE ANIMALS TO GO IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
AND THEN JUST GRATEFUL FOR WHOEVER Y'ALL HAVE DO YOUR COMS. IT'S SOME OF THE BEST COMS IN MANY OF OUR CITY DEPARTMENTS, JUST HOW THEY MARKET THE ANIMALS, THE PETRANGA THAT TOOK PLACE. AND SOMETHING I HEAR FROM RESIDENTS IN PARTICULAR IS IF WE CAN INVEST IN REDUCED ADOPTION RATE DAYS TO HAVE MORE OF THOSE TO GET MORE OF THOSE OUT OF THE KENNELS AND INTO HOMES.
THOSE ARE MY COMMENTS FOR ANIMAL CARE SERVICE. THANKS, MIKE.
AND I'LL MOVE ON TO SOLID WASTE. OUR TEAM IS EXTREMELY GRATEFUL FOR THE SOLID WASTE TEAM, ILLEGAL DUMPING IS A HUGE ISSUE IN OUR COMMUNITY. I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO ATTEND TWO NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION MEETINGS ON TWO VERY DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE DISTRICT, THE SOUTHSIDE AND THE WESTSIDE, AND TWO OF THEM NEIGHBOR ILLEGAL -- THE DUMPING SITES, RIGHT? AND THEY ARE CONCERNED THAT THEY HAVE BEEN OBSERVING ILLEGAL DUMPING AROUND THE
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SITES. AND THEY'RE UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT FOLKS ARE GOING TO DUMP AT A CITY SITE, BUT SOME OF THE MATERIAL WAS NOT ACCEPTED THERE SO SINCE THEY'RE GETTING TURNED AWAY THEY'RE JUST DUMPING IT IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS. I'M NOT TOO SURE IF THERE'S A TREND THAT Y'ALL HAVE SEENAROUND SOME OF THE CITY FACILITIES. >> I HAVEN'T SEEN THAT.
WE DO TURN FOLKS AWAY THAT MIGHT BE A COMMERCIAL THAT'S NOT SUPPOSED TO BE USING THAT SITE, BUT WE DON'T SEE THAT THEY'RE DUMPING SOMEWHERE NEARBY.
>> CASTILLO: OKAY. AND WHAT WE ALSO HEAR FROM COMMUNITY IS REQUESTS TO HAVE IT ACCESSIBLE TO FOLKS DESPITE HAVING A CPS BILL. AND I SHARED THAT YOU ALL PAY FOR THE SERVICE AND ARE WE COMFORTABLE WITH FOLKS WHO ARE NOT CONTRIBUTING TO THIS TO NOT USE THE SERVICE, AND THEY SAID YES. WE WOULD RATHER COVER THIS COST THAN HAVE COMMUNITY DUMP IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS. IS THERE OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO HAVE MORE FREE DAYS WITH THE EXCEPTION OF COMMERCIAL USE? BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND THAT THE CONCERN MAY BE THAT WE'LL HAVE COMMERCIAL USERS TAKE UP THE BULK OF THE CAPACITY AT THESE SITES. IS THERE OPPORTUNITY FOR US
TO EXPLORE SOMETHING LIKE THAT? >> I THINK THAT IF WE DID OPEN IT UP WE WOULD BE OVERRUN IN A MATTER OF MINUTES AND THEN OUR CUSTOMERS OR OUR RESIDENTS COULDN'T USE IT. WHAT I WOULD OFFER UP IS THAT WE HAVE THE DIAL-A-TRAILER, WE ATTEMPTED TO CHANGE THE NAME OF IT LAST YEAR, BUT DIAL-A-TRAILER SEEMS TO HAVE STUCK.
WE STILL HAVE CAPACITY, WE HAVE THOSE ON CAPACITIES AND COMMUNITIES CAN USE IT AND WE'LL DO -- AND WE COME TO THEM, THAT'S THE BETTER PART.
SO THERE'S. >> DE DIAL-A-TRAILER, WE CONTINUE TO HAVE THOSE DAYS AND THERE'S A FEW OTHER OPTIONS AS WELL.
BUT I WOULD PUSH THE DIAL-A-TRAILER. >> CASTILLO: THANK YOU FOR THAT. CAN WE GO TO THE SLIDE WITH THE FIGHT DIRTY CAMPAIGN? I HAVE A COUPLE OF RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE MARKETING OF THIS CAMPAIGN.
I THINK WHAT WOULD BE MOST I IMPACTFUL AND I WAS TALKING TO ESPERANZA NEIGHBORHOOD ABOUT THE FIGHT LIKE DIRTY CAMPAIGN BECAUSE I HAD A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS ABOUT IT. WHAT THEY RECOMMENDED WAS SOMETHING MORE AGGRESSIVE, RIGHT, BECAUSE IT IS ILLEGAL AND IT'S ILLEGAL DUMPING. AND WHAT THEY ENVISIONED WAS SOMETHING WITH RED AND BLUE FLASHING LIGHTS AND THE BED OF A TRUCK WITH GARBAGE JUST HIGHLIGHTING THE IMPACT OF IT BEING ILLEGAL. AND OF COURSE HIGHLIGHTING THAT YOU CAN CALL 311 TO REPORT ILLEGAL DUMPING. SO THEY WANT TO SEE A MORE AGGRESSIVE APPROACH TO THE ILLEGAL DUMPING THAT'S TAKING PLACE IN DISTRICT 5.
SO IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT COULD BE INTEGRATED INTO THE BILLBOARDS, I THINK THEY
WOULD APPRECIATE THAT. >> SURE. >> CASTILLO: THANK YOU, DAVID. MOVING ON TO DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, OF COURSE GRATEFUL TO SEE THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE A TEAM TO TACKLE SHORT-TERM RENTALS.
I WAS REWATCHING A GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE MEETING THAT WAS DISCUSSING OUR DART COSTS RECOVERY CCR. AND I WANTED TO THANK COUNCILMAN HAVRDA ON ASKING QUESTIONS ON WHEN WE WOULD DISCUSS THIS FURTHER. I BELIEVE DURING THE MEETING ERIK MENTIONED THAT WE WOULD HAVE IT DURING THE BUDGET CONVERSATION ON POTENTIALLY CREATING FEES FOR DART. I UNDERSTAND THAT LEADING UP TO PROPERTY BECOMING DART THERE ARE VIOLATIONS AND CITATIONS ISSUED, BUT WHEN THERE'S THE ENFORCEMENT -- THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO GO TO ONE OF THE DART PROPERTIES.
THERE'S SO MANY CITY RESOURCES, AND THE INTENT OF THE CCR WAS HOW CAN WE ENSURE THAT THERE'S A FEE ASSOCIATED WITH ALL THE COSTS FOR THAT EVENT WHEN IT'S BEING DARTED, RIGHT? AND HOW CAN THE CITY CAPTURE THAT FUNDING TO ENSURE THAT THEY'RE BEING HELD ACCOUNTABLE? BECAUSE OFTEN TIMES WE SEE IT -- IT'S A LOT OF CITY RESOURCES AND IT'S NOT BEING RECAPTURED.
AND I UNDERSTAND LEADING UP TO IT BEING A DART CITATIONS ARE ISSUED.
AND IT IF THAT'S AN OPPORTUNITY THAT WE CAN SEE WITH THIS UPCOMING BUDGET IS
A FEE ASSOCIATED WITH DART PROPERTIES. >> COUNCILMAN, THAT C IS COMING TO -- CCR IS COMING TO COMMITTEE FOR DISCUSSION BUT WE ARE HAVING PROPOSALS
FOR THE COMMITTEE FOR DISCUSSION. >> CASTILLO: THANK YOU.
ON ANOTHER NOTE, EXTREMELY GRATEFUL TO SEE THE FUNDING TOWARDS THE CODE ENFORCEMENT STRATEGIC PLAN, SO THANK YOU, DR. ROCHA, WE HAD A GREAT DISCUSSION DURING PLANNING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT. AND THE SENIOR CODE COMPLIANCE FUND IS SOMETHING THAT EVERYONE ON OUR TEAM IS VERY GRATEFUL FOR BECAUSE SHE FIELDS THE CODE COMPLIANCE CALLS. GRATEFUL TO SEE THAT THERE'S THERE. I'M HOPEFUL THAT WE CAN INCREASE THE FUNDING.
DURING COMMITTEE I EXPRESSED THE -- NOT NECESSARILY THE CONCERN, BUT JUST THE MANAGING OF THE EXPECTATIONS. I UNDERSTAND THERE'S STILL AN ALLOWANCE, BUT THERE'S JUST SUCH A HIGH NEED. AND IF IT'S BEING SHARED AT NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS THAT THIS RESOURCE IS AVAILABLE, SOMETIMES I GET A
[01:35:01]
LITTLE WORRIED IN THAT D5 WON'T HAVE ENOUGH FUNDS. I UNDERSTAND WITH THIS BUDGET IT WILL BE A FIRST COME, FIRST SERVE BASIS. BUT IN THE CASE THAT WE ZEROOUT THAT FUND, HOW DO WE INTEND TO PROVIDE SERVICES? >> WELL, I MEAN, IF 100,000 WAS APPROVED FOR THIS COMING YEAR, WE'RE GOING TO UTILIZE.
AND IF WE GET TO A POINT WHERE WE RUN OUT OF FUNDS, A DISCUSSION WILL HAPPEN WITH THE CITY MANAGER AND WE WILL SEE WHAT WE CAN DO. I'M LIMITED TO THAT AMOUNT.
>> CASTILLO: OKAY, THANK YOU FOR THAT. AND I ALSO WANTED TO THANK DEVELOPMENT SERVICES STAFF FOR -- ESPECIALLY THE PLANNERS THAT FIELD THE CONSTITUENTS THAT ARE APPLYING FOR A REZONING, WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE, REQUIRES AN EXTREME DETAILED EXPERIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE OF ZONING AND ALL THOSE MOVING PIECES. SO JUST EXTREMELY GRATEFUL FOR THEM.
AND IN REGARDS TO EMPLOYEE COMPENSATION, RIGHT, IT'S MORE FOR A DIFFERENT DEPARTMENT FOR HR, BUT THOSE FOLKS DO A LOT, MANAGE A LOT OF DIFFERENT CASES, PERSONALITIES, AND IT REQUIRES JUST EXTREME DETAIL AND KNOWLEDGE.
AND I JUST WANT TO ENSURE THAT THEY'RE BEING COMPENSATED AND HAVE OPPORTUNITY TO MOVE UP AS WELL. THOSE ARE ALL MY COMMENTS.
THANK YOU, AMIN. THANK YOU, MAYOR. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK
YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER. COUNCIL MEMBER VIAGRAN. >>
>> WE'LL START WITH SOLID WASTE. WE DO THE DIAL-A-TRAILER.
WE DO IT ALL THE TIME IN DISTRICT THREE. IT'S ONE OF THE EVENTS IN THE COMMUNITY. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THAT. I DID WANT TO TALK ABOUT SLIDE 8 WITH THE SOLID WASTE MONTHLY FEES. CAN YOU GET -- SO IF THE LARGE IS 76% OF OUR RESIDENTS HAVE THAT, CAN YOU GIVE ME THE PERCENTAGE OF
HOW MANY HAVE SMALL AND HOW MANY HAVE MEDIUM? >> SMALL IS 14, AND MEDIUM
IS 12, RIGHT? 10, THANK YOU. >>
>> VIAGRAN:. SO WHAT I'D REALLY LIKE TO DO, AND I'LL WORK WITH YOU ON DOING LIKE A BIG SWITCH. MAYBE WE DO IT QUARTERLY. IF PEOPLE ARE LOOKING AT -- BECAUSE ACTUALLY WHAT WE COULD DO IS IF 76% ARE AT THAT 96-GALLON, THEY COULD ACTUALLY REDUCE IT IF THEY MOVE TO THE MEDIUM. SO WHAT I'D REALLY LIKE TO SEE IS MAYBE DO A BIG SWITCH, BUT WE DO IT WHEN IT'S MOST CONVENIENT ON THE ROUTE. SO IF YOU GUYS COULD PICK A TREND WHERE IT'S LIKE FIRST OF THE MONTH, IT'S AN EASY -- IT'S AN EASY SWITCH, OR LAST OF THE MONTH OR THE THIRD WEEK, IF WE COULD DO THAT AROUND THE DISTRICT SPECIFICALLY OR CITYWIDE SO THAT PEOPLE KNOW, HEY, WE PUT OUT YOUR 96-GALLON, WE'RE GOING TO DUMP IT, WE'RE GOING TO TAKE IT AND WE'RE GOING TO LEAVE YOU EITHER A MEDIUM OR A SMALL IF THEY REQUEST SMALL. IF THEY DON'T REQUEST SMALL THE BIG SWITCH IS JUST TO MEDIUM. BECAUSE I THINK WHEN WE TALK ABOUT OUR ENVIRONMENTAL NEEDS, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE LANDFILL, IT'S GETTING PEOPLE TO THINK ABOUT WHAT -- THE CORE FOUR THAT CAN GO INTO THE RECYCLE AND TO START WITH THE COMPOSTING IN THAT GREEN BIN.& SO I'D REALLY LIKE TO WORK ON THAT DOING A BIG SWITCH.
YOU KNOW I THINK YOUR FLEET IS DOING A GREAT JOB AND I GO TO THE RODEO THAT SOLID WASTE DOES AND EVERY TIME I SEE THAT I THINK ABOUT THE STREET, THE CARS THAT PARK ON THE STREET AND WHEN THEY HAVE TO MANEUVER THAT, WHICH IS WHY I DON'T LIKE CARS PARKING ON THE STREET FOR A LOT OF REASONS, BUT THAT'S ONE OF THEM.
AND I INVITE MY COLLEAGUES TO GO OUT THERE AND REALLY MAKE SURE THAT THEY UNDERSTAND WHAT THE DRIVERS ARE DEALING WITH. OTHER THAN THAT I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU ON TRYING TO KEEP THOSE PLASTIC BAGS OUT OF THE RIVER, BUT YOU GUYS ARE DOING A GREAT JOB. THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU. >> VIAGRAN: ALL RIGHT. NEXT UP IS DSD.
ON THE SOLAR LIGHTS, CAN YOU GET US INFORMATION ON CAN WE DO MORE THAN THE 282 THAT WE'RE GOING TO CURRENTLY DO? AND WOULD THAT IMPACT THE COST? CAN YOU GET US THAT INFORMATION? AND IF YOU DON'T HAVE IT NOW, IF YOU COULD JUST GET IT TO US BEFORE BUDGET?
>> YOU WANT TO KNOW HOW MUCH IT WOULD BE IF WE ADD ADDITIONAL -- BOTH THE 282,
LIKE THE UNIT PRICE? >> VIAGRAN: INSTEAD OF DOING THE -- IF WE WENT
SOLAR INSTEAD OF DOING THE -- >> THE 282 IS SOLAR.
>> VIAGRAN: YEAH. ARE WE GOING ABOVE THAT NUMBER OR IS ALL OUR NEW
LIGHTS GOING TO BE SOLAR? >> ALL THE LIGHTS WILL BE SOLAR.
>> VIAGRAN: ALL RIGHT. >> SO THE 282 SOLAR LIGHTS IS BASICALLY BASED ON THE
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THREE MILLION DOLLARS. SO WE CAN INSTALL UP TO 282 SOLAR LIGHTS WITH THE$3 MILLION. >> VIAGRAN: OKAY. I THOUGHT WE WERE GOING TO DO SOME NON-SOLAR AND I WAS GOING TO HAVE AN ISSUE WITH THAT.
BUT IF WHAT WE'RE DOING IS 282 AND WE'RE DOING THEM ALL SOLAR, THAT'S GREAT.
THE OTHER IS I APPRECIATE THE CODE STRATEGIC PLAN AND I UNDERSTAND STRATEGIC PLANS ARE ALWAYS KIND OF ASPIRATIONAL, I FEEL, BUT I THINK WE'RE AT THE POINT WHERE WHEN YOU'RE GOING TO BRING IN THE CONSULTANT THAT THEY GET IN THE SPECIFICS AND THEY DON'T STAY TOO GENERAL. SO ACS, THAT'S WHAT I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT NEXT, YOUR GENERAL STRATEGIC PLAN.
BECAUSE I THINK THAT THE -- IT'S IN THE DETAILS AND IN WHAT THE RESIDENTS WANT.
AND I THINK IF YOUR CONSULTANT COMES IN AND THEY GET MORE SPECIFIC AND MORE INTO THE KIND OF WEEDS AND THE PARTICULARS WITH THE RESIDENTS, IF THE STRATEGIC PLAN IS GOING TO BE MORE EFFECTIVE. SO I REALLY WANT TO SEE THAT. AND THEY'RE GOING TO ASK FOR EVENINGS, THEY'RE GOING TO ASK FOR PROACTIVE, AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT'S REPRESENTATIVE IN THE
STRATEGIC PLAN MOVING FORWARD. >> YES.
WHEN I TALK TO PCPD LAST WEEK WE DID WRITE IT DOWN AND THAT WOULD BE ONE OF THE
POINTS THAT WE DISCUSS WITH THE COMMUNITY. >> VIAGRAN: OKAY, THANK YOU. ACS, AND IT'S MIKE NOW. I HAVEN'T GONE THROUGH MY STORIED HISTORY WITH ACS WHILE I'VE BEEN ON THIS SESSION SO I'LL START WITH JUST A FEW STORIES. SO MY FIRST DART I WENT OUT TO AND I'VE GOT POLICE THERE, THE WHOLE TEAM AND ACS OFFICERS. AND THERE ARE -- THEY HAD JUST DONE A PULL FROM THAT HOUSE OF I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY ANIMALS.
AND THEY HAVE TO GET THE GEAR ON, THEY GO IN AND THEY GO OUT AND THEY ARE VISIBLY UPSET, AND IT'S BECAUSE THE DOGS THAT THEY HAD REMOVED WERE BACK IN THAT HOME.
AND THAT WAS MY FIRST EXPERIENCE. AND GRANTED THE DOGS HAD GONE TO A PARTNER, BUT TO SEE THEM HAVE TO COME OUT WITH THAT DISCOURAGEMENT WAS -- WAS DIFFICULT, BECAUSE THEY HAD JUST DONE THEIR JOB AND PULLED THE ANIMALS OUT BUT TO COULD GO IN AND SEE THE SAME ANIMALS WAS EXTREMELY DISCOURAGING.
AND SINCE THEN I'VE BEEN -- THE TEAM CAN TELL YOU, I'VE BEEN ASKING QUESTIONS AND TRY TO WORK TO SEE HOW DO WE MOVE FORWARD AND GET THESE RESOLUTIONS.
I WAS VERY APPRECIATIVE OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN, HOWEVER, IT WAS JUST A LITTLE TOO GENERAL. AND I DO, LIKE COUNCILMAN COURAGE WANT TO KNOW WHAT THOSE ARE. WHEN YOU WALK IN AND THE DOG IS IN THE SAME HOUSE AND THE WOMAN ACTUALLY TOOK ONE OF THE DOGS, JUMPED IN HER CAR AND DROVE AWAY.
AND IT WAS JUST THAT KIND OF THING THAT THEY FACE. I CAN HEAR IN ONE CONVERSATION FROM A RESIDENT THAT THEY TALKED TO SOMEONE FROM ACS THAT GAVE THEM HORRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE, BUT IN THE SAME INCIDENT THEY TALKED TO SOMEONE THAT THEY KNEW WAS COMPASSIONATE AND WANTING TO HELP THE ANIMALS AND WANTED TO HELP THEM. SO I THINK -- I THINK IT IS A DIFFICULT JOB THEY DO.
I THINK WHEN WE LOOK AT THEIR WORK ENVIRONMENT, WE NEED TO LOOK AT THEIR MENTAL HEALTH BECAUSE THEY ARE IN THERE AND THEY'RE TRYING TO ENFORCE THE LAW LIKE WE WOULD WITH THE FIRE OR WITH THE POLICE. AND THEN WHAT'S HARD IS WE ASK THEM OR WE TELL THEM OR THEY SIGN UP TO SAY, YES, WE ARE GOING TO EUTHANIZE THAT DOG THAT YOU PICK UP. AND THAT'S WHY SOME PEOPLE DON'T CALL.
SO WITH EVERY STAFF YOU'RE BRINGING THAT'S GOING TO PICK UP A DOG, MY RESIDENTS, THAT OFFICER KNOWS, THAT BY A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TIME THAT DOG MAY NO LONGER BE THERE. SO ADOPTIONS IS KEY. AND IT HAS BEEN A CONSTANT.
ONE OF MY SUPER AMBASSADORS, EMILY CASSO, WAS CALLING ME OUT ON SOCIAL MEDIA CONSTANTLY ABOUTNT WHAT I WAS GOING TO DO WITH THE DOGS. AND I WAS LIKE, WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO? AND NOW MONTHLY SHE IS GRABBING DOGS, PUTTING THEM IN A PETCO TRANSPORTATION AND TAKING THEM TO GET FIXED.
AND SHE'S TRYING TO MAKE THAT IMPACT. BUT THIS PROBLEM WITH THIS AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT WE'RE PUTTING FORWARD, WE NEED TO GO INTO THE RESIDENTS AND
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ASK THE RESIDENTS WHAT THEY NEED. AND THEY WANT THEM AT BROOKS TOO. AND BECAUSE OF BROOKS SITUATION THEY'RE ONLY OPEN THREE DAYS A WEEK. IF I GO INTO A NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION THEY'RE GOING TO SAY THEY WANT A SPEC OFFICER THAT THEY CAN COUNT ON EVENINGS AND WEEKENDS TO COME AND DRIVE AROUND AND LOOK AT THE ANIMALS. IF WE TALK TO THE PEOPLE THAT COME WEEK AFTER WEEK, THEY'RE GOING TO WANT MORE ADOPTIONS.AND IT'S A BIG ASK. AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD THAT WE HAVE THIS, BUT WE NEED TO LOOK FORWARD ABOUT WHAT DO WE DO IF THE PEOPLE DO NOT COME TO THE SPAY AND NEUTER CLINICS AT LAS PALMAS. HOW ARE WE GOING TO CHANGE A WHOLE MINDSET THAT THINKS THIS IS GOING TO COST TOO MUCH MONEY OR IT'S MY DOG, I DON'T NEED TO GET IT FIXED.
SO THIS IS A HUGE PROBLEM, AND THE ANSWER IS WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.
AND IT'S GOING TO CHANGE DISTRICT BY DISTRICT. SOME OF MY RESIDENTS THINK IT IS OKAY TO LET THEIR DOGS GO OUT AT NIGHT AND JUST ROAM.
THAT'S WHAT THEY THINK. AND ACS DID A GREAT JOB AND WE HAD TO PICK THEM UP AND CITE PEOPLE AND LET THEM KNOW IT'S NOT AN OKAY THING TO DO.
SO I REALLY THINK THAT AS YOU MOVE FORWARD AND YOU LOOK AT THE IMPROVEMENT, I DON'T WANT SO MANY CRITICAL CALLS, BUT WHAT CAN WE DO TO REDUCE THAT.
[BUZZER]. SO I THERE'S A LOT TO DO THERE.
I APPRECIATE THE WORK OF ACS. I THINK YOU HAVE A MONUMENTAL TASK AHEAD OF YOU, MIKE, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING HOW WE GET SOME CHANGES AND TAKING -- GETTING A NEW DIRECTOR IF WE NEED IT AND HOW YOU CAN PREPARE JUST AN EASY PATH FOR THEM. THANK YOU.
[LAUGHTER]. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: COUNCIL MEMBER HAVRDA.
>> HAVRDA: DON'T WORRY, MIKE, DON'T WORRY. OF COURSE, I'LL START WITH ACS. I HAVE A SPECIAL INTEREST IN ACS BECAUSE IT HAPPENS TO BE IN MY DISTRICT A AND I WAS OUT THERE NOT LONG AGO AND TOOK MY DAUGHTER AND REALLY JUST A LOT OF PEOPLE SAID THIS TODAY BUT WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE PASSION THAT OUR ACS EMPLOYEES HAVE FOR THE WORK THEY DO. IT'S BEEN SOME TIME NOW, BUT I DID A RIDE ALONG WITH AN ACS OFFICER AND IT WAS SCARY.
I MEAN, PEOPLE DON'T WANT THEM SNOOPING AROUND THEIR YARDS LOOKING AT THEIR DOGS THAT ARE TETHERED OR DON'T HAVE WATER IN THE HOT SUN AND ALL THE REASONS WHY PEOPLE CALL ACS TO COME LOOK OUT AT THEIR NEIGHBORS, HOW THEY'RE TREATING THEIR ANIMALS. AND THERE WERE TIMES WHEN WE WOULD SEE THE ACS OFFICER GOING RUNNING AFTER A DOG AND THEN A RESIDENT GOING RUNNING AFTER THE ACS OFFICER. IT'S NOT AN EASY JOB, SO I REALLY THANK ALL OF THE ACS OFFICERS THAT ARE OUT THERE DOING THE WORK. I HAPPENED TO BE THERE WHEN THE BIGGEST CLASS EVER WAS IN -- IN TRAINING AND IT WAS NICE TO SEE SO MANY PEOPLE THAT CARE ABOUT OUR COMMUNITY AND WANT TO DO THIS WORK EVEN THOUGH IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO DO. ONE OTHER QUICK KIND OF STORY, I DID A TV SPOT WITH ACS JUST TO TRY TO GET SOME MORE ANIMALS ADOPTED, AND I WAS WATCHING IT AND WE WERE IN THE GREEN ROOM WATCHING ONE OF THE CITY EMPLOYEES, ACS EMPLOYEES THAT HAD FOSTERED I WANT TO SAY IT WAS LIKE FIVE PUPPIES. SHE HAD TWO OF THE PUPPIES THERE AND SHE WAS TALKING ABOUT THEM LIKE THEY WERE HER LITTLE BABIES.
SHE KNEW EXACTLY WHEN THEY WERE GOING TO USE THE RESTROOM, ALL THE THINGS YOU KNOW WHEN YOU HAVE A NEWBORN BABY. AND SHE WAS WRANGLING WITH TWO DOGS AND SHE HAD THEM OUT, WE HAD THEM ON CAMERA. SHE WENT HOME TO FIVE FOSTER DOGS. AND I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY MORE SHE HAD OTHER THAN THOSE PUPPIES, BUT SHE WAS SO PASSIONATE ABOUT IT. COULDN'T GET ENOUGH PEOPLE TO FOSTER SO SHE JUST TOOK THESE PUPPIES HOME. IT WAS PRETTY INCREDIBLE.
THE FIRST QUESTION I'LL ASK IS I DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING IN THE PRESENTATION ABOUT FOSTERING AND SUPPORTING FOSTER ORGANIZATIONS. ARE WE -- IS THAT SOMETHING
THAT WE'RE DISCUSSING? >> ABSOLUTELY. OUR FOSTER NETWORK, ANYONE WILLING TO HELP, RESCUE COMMUNITY OR GROUPS, THAT'S ABSOLUTELY PART OF OUR PLAN. WE DO IT NOW BUT WE HAVE TO DO IT MORE AND MORE.
IF WE HAVE TO HAVE MORE ANIMALS COMING THROUGH OUR FACILITY, WHICH IS PART OF THE CONVERSATION THAT SOME OF YOUR COLLEAGUES HAVE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT, THAT'S THE CONVERSATION WE'RE HAVING. SO WE NEED TO GROW THAT NETWORK MORE AND MORE, WHETHER IT BE ADVERTISING, YOU KNOW, WE'RE HAVING A MEGA ADOPTION EVENT IN OCTOBER CALLED DOGTOBER, MORE INFO TO COME, WE'RE GROWING INTERNALLY CITY STAFF TO FOSTER AND WE'RE INCENTIVIZING THAT FOR CITY STAFF AND WE WANT TO GROW THAT AND BECOME THE NORM FOR OUR 13,000 CITY STAFF
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MEMBERS, FOR EXAMPLE. AND THEN OTHERS IN THE COMMUNITY, WE ABSOLUTELY NEED TO GROW THE FOSTER NETWORK AND OUR RESCUE NETWORK AND OUR ADOPTERS, ET CETERA, ET CETERA. WE'RE EXIT EXCITED ABOUT THAT CHALLENGE, BUT IT'S AHUGE PART OF IT. >> THANK YOU. I ALSO WANT TO TALK ABOUT THOSE ARE PRETTY AMBITIOUS GOALS OF INCREASING SURGERIES AND WHEN I WAS THERE I VERY CLEARLY WALKED AWAY KNOWING THAT ACS NEEDS MORE FUNDING, MORE SPACE AND MORE COMMUNITY SUPPORT. SPECIFICALLY FOR THE SPAY AND NEUTER THERE WAS SO MUCH ACTIVITY AND REALLY GETTING THE CARE THAT WAS SEEN FOR THOSE ANIMALS WAS REALLY IMPORTANT, FOR JUST THE GENERAL PUBLIC TO KNOW. NOT EVERYBODY GETS TO GO INTO THAT SURGERY ROOM AND SEE THE CARE AND THE LOVE THAT WAS -- THAT THESE ANIMALS ARE RECEIVING. BUT THAT IS THE KEY FOR ME. I THINK IT'S EDUCATION.
WE TALK A LOT ABOUT THAT AND ALSO SPAY AND NEUTER. THERE ARE COMMUNITIES I'VE LENDER FROM A LOT OF THESE ANIMAL RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS THAT DON'T REALLY HAVE A STRAY AND ROAMING DOG PROBLEM, BUT THERE ARE JUST DIFFERENT KINDS OF COMMUNITIES AND THEY MAYBE HAVE BEEN BETTER EDUCATED ON HOW TO -- YOU NEED TO SPAY AND NEUTER YOUR DOG AND WHY. ALL THE KIND OF CULTURAL REASONS MAYBE WHY -- WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE DON'T WANT THEM TO BE SPAITED BUT WE NEED TO GIVE THEM THAT EDUCATION AND ASSISTANCE.
I DO HAVE A LOT CONCERN, I KNOW WE'LL GET TO POLICY DISCUSSION LATER, BUT I HAVE A POLICY FOR INCREASING FEES ONLY BECAUSE THERE ARE WELL MEANING, WELL INTENTIONED PEOPLE WHO THINK THEY CAN'T AFFORD TO GET THEIR DOG SPAYED AND NEWTERED AND MAYBE DON'T UNDERSTAND -- ARE NOT AWARE OF ALL THE FREE AND LOW COST SPAY AND NEUTER AND THEY'RE THE ONES WHO ARE GETTING PENALIZED. I WANT TO MAKE SURE WHEN WE ARE TALK ABOUT THAT THAT WE'RE ALSO -- THAT IS A LITTLE SCARY.
IT'S JARRING. THAT WE'RE TAKING THAT OPPORTUNITY TO HELP THEM.
IF SOMEBODY IS CITED, ALSO THIS IS WHERE YOU CAN GO, THESE DIFFERENT SPACES.
PLACES. >> IT'S SIMILAR TO WHAT WE'VE DONE IN CODE ENFORCEMENT. WE HAVE TO HELP THE PEOPLE WHO NEED HELP, EDUCATE THE PEOPLE WHO NEED TO KNOW THE RULES AND IF THEY KNOW THE RULES THEY WOULD PROBABLY FOLLOW THEM. AND THEN REALLY ENFORCE ON REPEAT VIOLATORS OR THOSE PEOPLE WHO DON'T REALLY CARE AND THEY'RE JUST GOING TO GO AGAINST THE RULES.
I THINK WE NEED TO HOLD THOSE PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE. AND THAT'S PART OF OUR JOB, THAT'S THE CONVERSATION WE'RE HAVING NOT ONLY DAILY NOW, BUT AS WE GEAR UP TO THE CONVERSATION WITH THE C CCR. SO I TOTALLY IDEA THAT IT
NEEDS TO BE BOTH. >> HAVRDA: THANK YOU. I THINK THAT'S IT, THANK YOU, MIKE. I AM PUMPED ABOUT THE MEGA ADOPTION EVENTS.
OCTOBER, I'M ON IT. THANK YOU. REAL QUICK JUST THANK YOU TO KATHIE DAVIS. I'M NOT SURE IF SHE'S HEAR. I'M SORRY, THANK YOU FOR YOUR DEDICATION TO THIS. AND REALLY A LIFELONG COMMITMENT TO ANIMAL CARE, SO THANK YOU. FOR DSD, THANK YOU, I MEAN, FOR THE PRESENTATION.
WE HAD A TOWN HALL MEETING NOT THAT LONG AGO SPECIFICALLY ABOUT CODE AND IT WAS PROBABLY THE HIGHEST ATTENDANCE RATE I'VE EVER RECEIVED FOR A DISTRICT 6 EVENT, JUST A LOT OF, AGAIN, LIKE ACS, A LOT OF NEED FOR EDUCATION.
SO I'M THANKFUL FOR THE ADS AND THE EDUCATION PIECES THAT YOU'RE PUTTING OUT THERE. IF THERE'S ANY WAY WE CAN GET THESE INFOGRAPHICS AND ALL THIS, SO WE CAN MAKE SURE TO PUSH THAT OUT TO COMMUNITY, THERE WAS AN -- I THINK EVERY DISTRICT 6 CODE OFFICER WAS THERE THAT SERVES DISTRICT 6 AND THEY ALL ANSWERED A WHOLE BUNCH OF QUESTIONS. WE ALL LENDER SOMETHING NEW WHEN WE TALKED TO CODE SO WE WERE REALLY THANKFUL THAT THEY CAME OUT.
SO 26% OF DISTRICT 6 CALLS TO 311 ARE FOR DSD. THE ONLY THING THAT'S HIGHER IS SOLID WASTE. AND PROBABLY LIKE YOU MENTIONED, IT'S BECAUSE THEIR BINS ARE MISSING, RIGHT, THEY NEED REPAIR, THEY NEED REPLACING.
BUT THAT'S A BIG CONCERN IN MY DISTRICT SO I'M REALLY THANKFUL THAT YOU GUYS WENT OUT. WITH REGARD TO THE RESIDENTIAL STREET LIKE GAP PROGRAM THAT AS MENTIONED, I'M VERY SUPPORTIVE, IT'S A PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUE.
AND THE PRIORITY FOR FOCUS AREAS, DO THEY -- I THINK IT'S -- I'M NOT SURE WHAT SLIDE IT WAS, BUT YOU MENTIONED THE PRIORITY FOCUS AREAS, SCHOOLS --
>> CRIME HOT SPOTS, SCHOOLS. >> CRIME HOT SPOTS, VISION ZERO. I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE PRIORITIZING THE PATHWAY TO SCHOOLS AND BUS STOPS. NOT TOO LONG AGO THERE WAS A WOMAN KILLED NOT TOO FAR FROM CABEL ELEMENTARY AND THERE WAS NO STREET LIGHT THERE, NOW THERE IS.
BUT MAKING SURE THAT THE PATHWAY FROM NEIGHBORHOODS TO NEARBY SCHOOLS ARE ALSO WELL LIT AND NOT JUST DIRECTLY AROUND THE SCHOOLS.
AND AS WELL AS BUS STOPS WHERE PEDESTRIANS ARE GOING TO PUBLIC POINTS OF ACCESS.
[01:55:06]
THAT'S REALLY ALL I HAD FOR YOU. THANK YOU.AND THEN FOR SOLID WASTE, THANK YOU. I MENTIONED THIS IS PROBABLY THE TOP CALL WE GET FOR 311. BUT IT'S NOT USUALLY FOR COMPLAINT OF SERVICE, IT'S JUST THE GREEN BIN DIDN'T MAKE IT BACK FOR WHATEVER REASON, RIGHT, OR AFTER A STORM, THAT KIND OF THING. I THINK I'M REALLY THANKFUL FOR THE WORK THAT YOU DO. Y'ALL'S WORK NEEDS ALMOST CONSTANT ATTENTION.
NOT ONLY DO WE HAVE THE MOST CALLS ABOUT SOLID WASTE, BUT THEY'RE QUICK AND PEOPLE NOTICE RIGHT AWAY WHEN THEIR BINS ARE MISSING, FOR WHATEVER REASON THEIR TRASH WASN'T PICKED UP THAT DAY, THEY CALL RIGHT AWAY. THEY KNOW EXACTLY WHEN THEY EXPECT IT -- TO Y'ALL'S CREDIT YOU RUN PRETTY MUCH LIKE A CLOCK.
I KNOW EXACTLY WHAT TIME MY TRASH, MY RECYCLING, COMPOST, ALL THAT COMES, BECAUSE IT'S JUST PRETTY -- IT'S VERY WELL RUN, SO I THANK YOU FOR THAT.
CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE -- DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA OR ANY THOUGHTS ON WHY YOU THINK THE ILLEGAL DUMPING HAS BEEN INCREASED? IS IT JUST THE GROWTH OF THE
CITY? >> I WISH I KNEW THAT ANSWER AND THEN WE COULD SOLVE IT.
IT'S ALWAYS EXISTED TO SOME DEGREE AND THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS, THAT'S A BIG REASON WHY WE'VE CREATED THESE BULKY WASTE SITES. THIS IS EXPENSIVE TO USE A REGULAR LANDFILL AND THAT'S WHY WE HAVE THEM. AND BY THE WAY, A LITTLE BIT OFF TRACK BECAUSE I'M TRYING TO THINK OF AN ANSWER FOR YOU.
>> HAVRDA: IT'S OKAY. I'M JUST CURIOUS. >> I DON'T KNOW.
I DON'T KNOW. >> HAVRDA: THANK YOU. WE'LL WORK ON THAT TOGETHER. I JUST WANT TO MENTION TOO THAT ERIK AND I WERE ACTUALLY AT A MEETING A FEW WEEKS AGO AND THERE WAS SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT GOES INTO THE RECYCLING BIN SO I APPRECIATE THE CORE FOUR, BUT THIS IS A PRETTY ENGAGED, PRETTY AWARE GROUP. THEY WERE ASKING VERY SPECIFIC, YOU KNOW, QUESTIONS ABOUT TYPES OF RECYCLING.
SO IF THERE'S AN INFOGRAPHIC FOR THAT AS WELL, I THINK THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL.
SOME OF THEM THOUGHT THAT YOU COULDN'T RECYCLE GLASS BOTTLES, FOR EXAMPLE.
>> THOUGHT THAT YOU COULD NOT. >> HAVRDA: THEY COULD NOT, YEAH. SO ANYWAY, IF THERE'S SOME INFORMATION TO PUT OUT FOR
AS WELL. >> HAVRDA: THANK YOU. THANKS, MAYOR.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER HAVRDA.
COUNCIL MEMBER GAVITO. >> GAVITO: JUST TO CIRCLE BACK ON DSD AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION. YOU KNOW, MY OFFICE, WE WERE SO DESPITED TO BRING THE SENIOR ASSISTANCE PROGRAM. IT WAS VERY HELPFUL WITH SOME DISTRICTS ACROSS THE CITY AND WE'RE REALLY HAPPY TO SEE ANOTHER $100,000 ALLOCATED TO CONTINUE THIS.
CAN YOU TALK TO US ABOUT WHAT LESSONS WERE LENDER FROM THE PILOT AND WHAT LESSONS LENDER THAT WE HAVE FROM THE PILOT AND HOW THAT WILL BE APPLIED GOING
FORWARD? >> SURE. SO WHEN WE STARTED THIS PROGRAM THE FIRST THING WE DID IS WE EDUCATED OUR CODE OFFICERS WITH THE PROGRAM AND WE DID MULTIPLE TRAININGS. WHAT WE NOTICED IS AFTER A COUPLE OF MONTHS THEY START FORGETTING SO WE STARTED DOING THAT ON A REGULAR BASIS. THAT'S ONE THING WE LENDER FROM THE PROGRAM IS TO CONTINUE THE EDUCATION. THE SECOND THING IS WE DID START INFORMING THE COUNCIL OFFICES ABOUT THE PROGRAM THEY DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT IT OR THEY WERE NOT AWARE OF IT.
THE OTHER THING IS WE ACTUALLY ACTUALLY MAKING SURE, AGAIN, THE BIGGEST ITEM AND HOW WE FIND THIS OUT IS CODE OFFICERS IN THE FIELD.
SO WHEN THEY SEE THE RESIDENT COMING OUT THEY NEED TO START ASKING SOME QUESTIONS. AND BASED ON THOSE QUESTIONS I WANT TO SAY THEY ARE PREQUALIFIED FOR THE PROGRAM AND GIVE THEM THE FORM WE HAVE IN HARD COPY.
WE HAVE HARD COPIES WITH US IN THE VEHICLE AND WE HAVE IT ONLINE JUST IN CASE.
AS LONG AS WE PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION IMMEDIATELY THEY FILL IT OUT AND IT'S EXTREMELY SIMPLE PROCESS, COUPLE OF QUESTIONS, THEY SIGN IT AND WE TECHNICALLY START THAT PROCESS. THE OTHER THING WE LENDER IS ORIGINALLY LAST YEAR WE DID PUT 10,000 IN EACH DISTRICT AND WE NOTICED AFTER SEVERAL MONTHS FIVE DISTRICTS UTILIZED ALL THEIR MONEY AND OTHERS DID NOT. AND WE WENT BACK TO PCDC AND REALLOCATED THE MONEY AND PUT IT ALL IN A POOL AND ALLOWED EVERYBODY TO UTILIZE IT. SO THAT'S WHY THIS YEAR WE'RE GOING TO SAY OH, THE MONEY GOING TO GO IN ONE POT AND FIRST COME, FIRST SERVE.
SO THAT DOESN'T SLOW US DOWN. >> GAVITO: YEAH, THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I WAS WANTING TO GET TO BECAUSE I AM CURIOUS TO SEE A BREAKDOWN BY DISTRICT OF THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WE HELPED IN THIS LAST YEAR'S PROGRAM, AND TO SEE WITH IT BEING A POOL OF MONEY WHAT THAT CHANGE WILL LOOK LIKE.
SO THOSE ARE GOING TO BE SOME STATS I'M GOING TO LOOK OUT FOR.
I HAD HEARD AND I JUST WANT TO VERIFY THAT THE ISSUE THAT THE PROGRAM COMMONLY
[02:00:04]
WAS USED FOR WAS REMOVING DEAD TREES, IS THAT CORRECT?>> WE GET, YES, A LOT OF BASICALLY CASES WITH DEAD TREES, THAT IS CORRECT, BUT I'M NOT GOING TO SAY THE MAJORITY OF THEM BUT WE DO RECEIVE A LOT OF THOSE CASES, WHICH THEY ARE MORE EXPENSIVE SO HOPEFULLY THIS COMING YEAR WE DON'T GET THAT MANY DEAD TREES AND WE CAN UTILIZE MORE MONEY TO HELP MORE CITIZENS
THROUGHOUT. >> GAVITO: OKAY. I AGAIN WANT TO THANK BOTH YOU AND MIKE FOR Y'ALL'S HELP IN PUSHING THE PILOT PROGRAM THROUGH.
>> WE APPRECIATE THE IDEA. >> GAVITO: THANK YOU. I DID ALSO WANT TO PIGGYBACK OFF OF COUNCILMAN WHITE'S COMMENTS TO ADD CODE OFFICERS.
YOU HAD MENTIONED THAT YOU ALL ARE -- CODE IS CURRENTLY MEETING THE GOALS THAT YOU ALL SET OUT FOR -- YOU ALL ARE ADDRESSING THEM, I FORGET WHAT PERIOD OF TIME
YOU WERE SAYING IT. >> IN 2012-2013 TIME FRAME, I WOULD SAY 2012, CODE ENFORCEMENT MERGED WITH DSD AND AT THE TIME THEY REVIEWED EVERY PERFORMANCE METRICS AND THEY ACTUALLY GOT IT APPROVED BY COUNCIL AT THE TIME.
AND SINCE THEN THAT'S WHAT WE ARE FOLLOWING. >> GAVITO: AND THAT'S MY POINT BECAUSE I'M WONDERING IF THAT GOAL SHOULD BE REASSESSED BECAUSE IF OUR RESIDENTS ARE TELLING US, HEY, THEY'RE NOT ADDRESSING CODE ISSUES QUICK ENOUGH, WHICH IS SOMETHING I'M HEARING AND I THINK A LOT OF US ARE HEARING, THEN MAYBE IT'S TIME TO REASSESS OUR GOALS FOR HOW RESPONSIVE WE'RE BEING TO OUR
RESIDENTS? >> YES. AND THAT'S ACTUALLY PART OF THE CODE ENFORCEMENT STRATEGIC PLAN AND WE'RE ASKING FOR THE 50,000 TO HIRE A CONSULTANT TO HELP US WITH THE PROCESS. AND MY VISION IS, YES, NOT TO LOOK AT IT AS BIG PICTURE, ACTUALLY TO GO DOWN TO EVERY SINGLE PERFORMANCE METRICS WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE IS THAT APPROPRIATE OR NOT? PLUS DO WE NEED TO ADD ANY
OTHER PERFORMANCE MEASURES. >> GAVITO: WHEN DO YOU THINK THE CONSULTANT IS GOING TO GIVE US THEIR FINDINGS? BECAUSE, AGAIN, FOR ME THE FINDINGS ARE CLEAR, OUR RESIDENTS WANT CODE TO BE RESPONDING QUICKER AND SO WHEN WILL WE GET THOSE FINDINGS AND BE ABLE TO IMPLEMENT CHANGE?
>> OBVIOUSLY UNTIL THE BUDGET IS APPROVED WE CANNOT HIRE THEM, BUT WE WANT TO MOVE AS FAST AS WE COULD. I KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, WITH ACS THE STRATEGIC PLAN TOOK ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF. I'M REALLY WANT TO TRY TO FINISH IT IN A YEAR.
I DON'T WANT TO SAY SIX MONTHS BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW IF I CAN.
>> THE GOAL IS TO HAVE THAT READY FOR COUNCIL TO LOOK AT AS WE GO INTO NEXT YEAR'S
BUDGET PROCESS. >> GAVITO: OKAY. SOUNDS GOOD.
AND I DID HAVE ONE QUICK QUESTION FOR SOLID WASTE. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: WHY
DON'T WE -- WELL. GO AHEAD. >> GAVITO: SORRY.
JUST REALLY QUICK, MY OFFICE FILED A CCR TO HELP ADDRESS OAK WILT.
IT'S BEEN A HUGE ISSUE IN SEVERAL NEIGHBORHOODS. A RESIDENT BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION THAT THE COLLECTION SHOULD COINCIDE WITH OAK WILT SEASON.
IS THE CITY DOING ANYTHING FOR THIS FOR IMPACTED NEIGHBORHOODS FOR OAK WILT?
>> WE CHANGED THE SCHEDULE AS BEST WE COULD SEVERAL YEARS AGO SO THAT IT DID COINCIDE WITH THE BEST MONTHS TO TRIM TREES. WE TRY TO AVOID THE SPRINGTIME WHEN OAK WILT IS ACTIVE. IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO DO BECAUSE WE DO A BRUSH THEN BULKY, BRUSH THEN BULKY AND THE HOLIDAYS AND ALL THAT STUFF, BUT RIGHT NOW WE DO, WE CONTINUE TO STAY OUT OF THE ACTIVE OAK WILT AREAS
DURING THE TIME FRAME THAT YOU JUST MENTIONED. >> GAVITO: OKAY.
THANK YOU FOR THAT. THANKS, MAYOR. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA.
>> GARCIA: THANK YOU, MAYOR. I'LL START OFF WITH THE SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENT AND THEN COME BACK TO ACS. THANK YOU, DAVID, FOR THE PRESENTATION AND WE'RE FANS OF ANDREW AND THE WHOLE TEAM AND WE'RE GRATEFUL.
>> ME TOO. >> WE'RE GRATEFUL FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU ALL DO.
I DIDN'T HAVE THIS SLIDE, BACKUP SLIDE, BUT I JUST WANTED TO SHOW HOW CRITICAL IT IS AND WHY I'M ALWAYS ASKING ABOUT THE HOT SHOT TEAM AND THE ILLEGAL DUMPING TEAM. BUT THE ONE THAT SHOWS -- THERE IT IS.
SO 2,726 STOPS IS LIKE DOUBLE, MORE THAN DOUBLE WHAT ANYONE HAS UP THERE IN MY DISTRICT ALONE. TONS, OH MY GOD. I HADN'T EAST AUSTIN SEEN THAT BACKUP SLIDE UNTIL -- I HADN'T SEEN THAT BACKUP SLIDE UNTIL YOU PULLED IT UP AWHILE AGO. AND THIS IS A LOT. I FEEL LIKE I HAVE RESIDENTS CALLING ME EVERYDAY, RIGHT? AND LIKE THEY HAVE MY MOBILE NUMBER, THEY HAVE MY STAFF'S MOBILE NUMBER, AND SO I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU BECAUSE YOU ALL ARE REALLY RESPONSIVE, BUT I DO THINK THAT BACK TO THE POINT I MADE A FEW MONTHS AGO, WE
[02:05:01]
NEED TO FIGURE OUT SOMETHING LIKE WITH TECHNOLOGY. SO I'M GRATEFUL THAT THERE'S AN OPERATION, A COVERT OPERATION TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHO IS DOING THIS ILLEGAL DUMPING. WE'VE HAD RESIDENTS THAT TAKE PICTURES.I THINK I TOLD YOU THAT I CHASED SOMEONE DOWN LAST YEAR AND ERIK TOLD ME NOT TO DO THAT AND MY TEAM TOLD ME NOT TO DO THAT ANYMORE. BUT MY RESIDENTS ARE DOING THAT TOO, RIGHT? AND SO THERE'S VISIBLY FRUSTRATED AND WE COME AND WE CLEAN UP AND THEY'RE SO GRATEFUL. AND LITERALLY JUST HOURS LATER IT'S THERE. SO I'M JUST TRYING TO DO WHATEVER PLUG I CAN MAKE FOR PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, ANY TECHNOLOGY THAT WE CAN FIGURE OUT TO FIND -- YOU SEE THIS IS MY ALMOST NUMBER ONE PROBLEM IN THE DISTRICT, RIGHT, SO IT COMES UP ALL THE TIME. SO I GUESS WHAT I WANTED TO SAY IS THANK YOU FOR IN AUDIO]. YOU GO OUT THERE AND WE'VE GOT TO BE A LITTLE BIT MORE CREATIVE IN ADDRESSING THIS SOLUTION. BUT WE HAVE A LOT OF RESIDENTS THAT THEY FEEL BAD, RIGHT? THEY FEEL SAD THAT THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD IS NOT TAKEN CARE OF SOMETIMES, BUT I NEED TO SHOW THEM THIS CHART, RIGHT, AND I NEED TO SHOW THEM LIKE HOW ACTIVE YOU ALL ARE AND I DON'T KNOW HOW THEY GET AWAY WITH IT, BUT WE HAVE A LOT OF REMOTE PARTS IN OUR AREA AND I ASSUME THAT'S WHY. MORE PEOPLE TRAVEL THERE. I DO THINK THAT THE ILLEGAL DUMPING CREWS IS DESPERATELY NEEDED SO LIGHTING SIGNS, CAMERAS, ANYTHING, RIGHT, THAT WOULD MAKE PEOPLE THINK DEVICE I THINK IS GOING TO BE IMPORTANT.
SO THE OTHER ITEM THAT WE HAVE IS THE BULKY COLLE COLLECTION, I HAD ASKED ABOUT LIKE AN ADDITIONAL BRUSH COLLECTION A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO DURING THE BUDGET CYCLE AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT WOULD TAKE FOR A BULKY COLLECTION, BUT I KNOW THERE'S BULKY COLLECTION IN MY AREA THIS WEEK IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD.
BY THE WAY, MY KID JUST TEXTED EARLIER TO ASK IF Y'ALL WILL STILL COLLECT IN THE RAIN. HE JUST DIDN'T WANT TO TAKE OUR STUFF OUT IS WHAT HE WAS TRYING TO DO. [LAUGHTER] BUT WE HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT ASK FOR THAT SO DO YOU HAVE THAT? IS THAT OFTEN WITH THE BULKY THAT PEOPLE ARE ASKING? IT WAS A LOT MORE WITH THE ADDED BRUSH, BUT ALSO DO YOU HAVE PEOPLE ASKING FOR
ADDITIONAL BULKY ITEM PICKUP? >> NOT TO US, NOT TO OUR
MEANS. >> OKAY. SO I WAS JUST WONDERING AND I HADN'T ASKED THAT QUESTION. THOSE ARE ALL MY QUESTIONS FOR YOU ALL. I'LL GO BACK TO ACS BECAUSE MIKE SHANNON HAS THE COOLEST DOG SOCKS ON TODAY. I'LL GIVE HIM SOME ADDITIONAL TIME.
BACK TO MY POINT ON THE LIVE RELEASE RATE, IT'S 83%. AND I'M JUST -- ARE WE STILL
DESIGNATED A NO-KILL SHELTER WITH THAT RATE? >> NO, I DON'T THINK --
THAT'S NOT A TERM WE USE, YEAH. >> GARCIA: OKAY.
SO HOW LONG HAVE WE NOT HAD THAT DESIGNATION NOW? >> I'M GOING TO GO BACK IN HISTORY. ACTUALLY, KATHIE DAVIS CAN COME UP TO THE PODIUM -- JUST KIDDING, KATHIE. SO THE DEFINITION OF NO KILL HAS TAKEN ON A WHOLE BUNCH OF ANGLES. WE HAD DEFINED IN AN EARLY 2011, 2012 STRATEGIC PLAN THAT NO KILL FOR US WAS GOING TO BE NORTH OF 90%, MINIMUM 90%.
AND THE IDEA WAS THAT THERE ARE SOME DOGS THAT ARE JUST INJURED OR IN A CONDITION THAT THEY CAN'T BE ADOPTED BUT THE GOAL WAS TO WORK WITH PARTNERS, GET THEM RESCUED, OR ADOPTED. WE HELD WITH THAT FOR A TIME.
WE STARTED TO SEE CHALLENGES WITH THE PANDEMIC AND WE STARTED TO SEE A DECREASE, MAYBE DURING THE PANDEMIC IT STARTED DIPPING A LITTLE BIT.
AND THAT'S WHETHER WE'RE AT. SO NOW, SOME PEOPLE DEFINE NO KILL AS 100%, LIKE 100%. AND -- BUT THAT HAS NOT BEEN OUR DEFINITION.
OBVIOUSLY I THINK WE WOULD LIKE TO GET BACK TO THAT 90% OR NORTH EVENTUALLY, BUT IT'S TAKING MOVING THREE BALLS AT ONCE DOWN THE FIELD, THE ENFORCEMENT, THE
SPAY/NEUTER AND THE PARTNERSHIPS WITH RESCUES. >> GARCIA: WELL, THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION. AND I DO -- I APPRECIATE THE FOSTER EFFORTS THAT Y'ALL ARE PUTTING FORWARD. YOU JUST SENT AN E-BLAST TO ALL THE CITY EMPLOYEES FOR
OUR DOGTOBER FEST THAT YOU'RE CALLING -- >> WE DID THAT LAST YEAR AND WE OFFERED EMPLOYEES FOR FOUR HOURS OF LEAVE AND WE HAD OVER 200 EMPLOYEES TAKE
>> AN EVENT IN HOUSTON. THIS YEAR THE DOGTOBER EVENT ON OCTOBER 26TH WE'RE
[02:10:04]
OFFERING EMPLOYEES SIX HOURS OF LEAVE IF THEY FOSTER THE ANIMALS NOW AND HOLD THEMUNTIL THE EVENT. >> GARCIA: THAT'S AWESOME.
I THINK WE NEED CREATIVE IDEAS FOR THAT. I HAVE RESIDENTS WHO CRY
BECAUSE THEY AREN'T SUPPOSED TO FEED. >> COUNCIL MEMBERS CAN
FOSTER TOO. >> TIMOTHY WON'T LET ME. >> I THINK THEY DO
ACTUALLY. COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE. >> COURAGE: THANK YOU.
I JUST WANT TO GET BACK TO AMIN AGAIN ON A COUPLE OF DSD COMMENTS, QUESTIONS.
HOW MANY CODE COMPLIANCE OFFICERS DO YOU ACTUALLY HAVE ON STAFF OR WHEN YOU'RE
FULLY STAFFED, WHICH I KNOW YOU'RE WORKING ON? >> 102.
>> 102. OUT OF HOW MANY TOTAL STAFF MEMBERS IN THE WHOLE
DEPARTMENT? FOR DSD. >> DSD, 503.
>> COURAGE: OKAY. AND WHAT'S THE SCHEDULE FOR THOSE OFFICERS, CODE COMPLIANCE OFFICERS? IS IT LIKE 9:00 TO 5:00 MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY?
>> 8:45 TO 4:30 SOME OF THEM. AND SOME OF THEM DO FOUR TENS SO THEY WORK FROM SEVEN IN THE MORNING UNTIL 6:00 IN THE EVENING.
>> COURAGE: AND WHAT ABOUT WEEKENDS? >> ON SATURDAY WE HAVE A SKELETON CREW. WE HAVE BETWEEN 12 TO 15 CODE OFFICERS THAT THEY WORK
ON SATURDAY. >> COURAGE: OKAY. YOU SAID YOU'VE DESIGNATED ONE CODE OFFICER NOW TO WORK WITH SHORT-TERM RENTALS, IS THAT RIGHT?
>> YES, WE ARE ASKING FOR ONE IN THE BUDGET, YES. >> COURAGE: AND THE LAST I HEARD WE THOUGHT WE WERE GOING TO BE HAVING A LOT OF OTHER SHORT-TERM RENTALS KIND OF ADMIT TO BEING OPERATING AND COME FORWARD AND PAY THEIR FEE AND GET IN THE SYSTEM. AND I WAS HEARING SOMETHING LIKE IT COULD BE AS MANY AS 4,000 IN THE CITY. AND HAVING ONE CODE OFFICER FOR 4,000 UNITS LIKE THAT I THINK IS NOT REALLY MEETING WHAT THE EXPECTATIONS MIGHT BE.
FOR EXAMPLE, TO BECOME AN ACCEPTABLE SHORT-TERM RENTAL, WHAT DOES THE
PROPERTY OWNER NEED TO DO? >> THEY NEED TO APPLY FOR A PERMIT, IT GOES THROUGH THE PROCESS. AND IF THEY'RE ACCEPTED BASED ON THE DENSITY, IF IT'S TYPE 2 OBVIOUSLY, SHORT-TERM RENTAL. IF THEY MEET THE DENSITY
CONDITION, THEN WE ISSUE THE PERMIT. >> COURAGE: YEAH, BUT THAT'S THE PROCESS THEY NEED TO GO THROUGH? DO THEY NEED TO BE INSPECTED TO SEE THAT THEY HAVE CERTAIN MINIMUM REQUIR REQUIREMENTS?
>> IT IS SELF-CERTIFIED. THEY NEED TO PROVIDE US DOCUMENTS SAYING THEY DO HAVE EVERYTHING THAT IS REQUIRED. WE DO NOT INSPECT IT.
>> COURAGE: WE JUST ASSUME THEY'RE TELLING US -- >> CORRECT.
>> COURAGE: THE SAME ONES WHO DIDN'T TELL US ORIGINALLY THEY WERE DOING IT, IN SOME CASES. THAT'S A COMMENTARY, I GUESS.
BUT MY BASIC CONCERN IS I DON'T THINK ONE IS ENOUGH, BUT ALSO, A LOT OF PROBLEMS THAT WE HEAR AS COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE RESILIENTED TO NIGHTTIME PROBLEMS, -- ARE RELATED TO NIGHTTIME PROBLEMS WHETHER IT'S SHORT-TERM PARTY HOUSES OR BARS OR RESTAURANTS THAT HAVE OUTDOOR ENTERTAINMENT, PLAYING LOUD MUSIC.
AND YOU KNOW, I MENTIONED THIS BEFORE. I THINK THAT WE NEED TO BE HAVING CODE COMPLIANCE OFFICERS WHO WILL WORK NIGHTS TO KEEP AN EYE ON THESE THINGS AND REPORT THOSE THINGS SO THAT WE CAN HOLD THOSE PROPERTY OWNERS ACCOUNTABLE. AND YOU'RE NOT GOING TO FIND THAT OUT AT 3:30 IN THE AN.
YOU WILL HEAR IT AT ABOUT 11, 12, ONE, TWO IN THE MORNING.
AND WE ALREADY KNOW THESE PARTY HOUSES ARE GOING ON AND WE HAVE 2300 POLICE OFFICERS AND THEY'RE TRYING TO COVER EVERYTHING IN THE CITY, PREDOMINANTLY LOOKING FOR BAD GUYS. AND SO I'M SURE THAT LOWER ON THEIR LIST IS GOING TO BE A NOISY RESTAURANT, A BAR OR A HOUSE PARTY THAT THEY DON'T SEE AS THEY DRIVE BY.
NOW, I KNOW PART OF THE CONCERN WAS THAT, WELL, WE DON'T WANT OUR CODE COMPLIANCE OFFICERS GOING OUT THERE AND BEING UNSAFE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT -- IN AN UNSAFE CONDITION. WELL, YOU KNOW, WE GOT THE POLICE OFFICERS OUT THERE, WE'VE GOT THE FIRE, THE FIREMEN OUT THERE AT NIGHT. YOU KNOW, WE HAVE PEOPLE WHO WORK AT THE CONVENTION CENTER AND PEOPLE WHO WORK AT THE ALAMODOME, AND THEY WALK OUT OF THOSE JOBS LATE AT NIGHT JUST TO GO HOME. I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO TELL CODE COMPLIANCE TO GO UP TO SOMEBODY AND SAY, YOU'RE DOING SOMETHING THAT'S A CODE VIOLATION, HOWEVER, THEY CAN GO WITH THEIR METERS AND TEST AND RECORD AND THEN GO BACK TO THE OFFICE AND FILE. OR THEY CAN GO AHEAD AND DRIVE BY AND SEE A WILD PARTY HOUSE THAT'S GOING ON.
[02:15:05]
AND SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT WE SHOULD BE USING SOME OF THOSE CODE COMPLIANCE OFFICERS TO ADDRESS THOSE CONCERNS THAT GO ON AFTER NORMAL HOURS.AND WHY DO YOU THINK WE SHOULDN'T? >> SO FIRST OF ALL, THE NOISE ORDINANCE TODAY IS ENFORCED BY PD, NOT BY CODE ENFORCEMENT.
A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO WE DID A TRIAL PILOT PROGRAM JUST TO SEE IF CODE ENFORCEMENT CAN HAVE AN EFFECT DID EXACTLY WHAT YOU MENTIONED, COUNCILMAN, IS WE WE OUT THERE, I WENT MULTIPLE NIGHTS, AND WE GO TO HOUSE PARTIES, FOR EXAMPLE.
I WENT TO ONE, THERE WAS ABOUT 50 PEOPLE YELLING, SCREAMING, PROBABLY HALF DRUNK. WE ARE NOT GOING TO STOP THERE.
SO WHAT WE DID IS WE VERIFIED THE CASE, WE CALLED PD, PD WENT OUT THERE.
IF PD DOESN'T GO OUT TO A PARTY, FOR EXAMPLE, EVEN IF WE ISSUE A CITATION, WE DIDN'T RESOLVE THE ISSUE. WHEN PD SHOWED UP THEY DID SHUT DOWN THE PARTY, SO THEY STOPPED THE NOISE, THEY STOPPED EVERYTHING. SO BASICALLY THE SOLUTION IS, AGAIN, WE ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH ANY WEAPONS OR INTO A PARTY WITH 50 PEOPLE
THERE UNPREPARED. >> COURAGE: BUT YOU DID SAY THEY COULD WRITE A
CITATION. >> WE CAN, WE CAN, BUT AGAIN, THAT'S NOT GOING TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE RIGHT AT THIS MOMENT, AND WE WERE GETTING FIVE, SIX, SEVEN
CALLS LIKE BACK TO BACK FOR THAT ONE SPECIFIC LOCATION. >> COURAGE: WE JUST WANT TO SEE THEM NOT CONTINUE AND IF YOU CITE THESE PEOPLE MAYBE THEY WILL STOP
ALLOWING IT TO CONTINUE. ANYWAY, I'M THROUGH. >> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON THESE PRESENTATIONS? JUST A COUPLE OF COMMENTS. I'M IN AGREEMENT WITH MY COLLEAGUES ON THE GRATITUDE. , MIKE AND TEAM, FOR PROGRESS ON THE STRATEGIC PLAN. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO CONTINUE TO KEEP UP OUR PROMISES IN THAT REGARD SO I'M GLAD THAT THERE HASN'T BEEN ANY CHANGES IN TERMS OF THE LEVEL OF RESOURCES AND THE GOALS THAT Y'ALL ARE SETTING. I WOULD JUST CAUTION, YOU KNOW, AS HEADLINES FADE, SOMETIMES PRIORITIES CHANGE, BUT IN MY VIEW MAKING SURE THAT WE CONTINUE THE STRONG ENFORCEMENT AGAINST OWNERS WHO ARE NOT KEEPING THEIR DOGS ON THEIR PROPERTY, WHO ARE POTENTIALLY FLYING UNDER THE RADAR OF DANGEROUS DOG CITATIONS, THOSE TO ME ARE THE NUMBER ONE PRIORITIES OF THE DEPARTMENT. ADDRESSING THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMPONENT, ERIK MENTIONED THREE BALLS MOVING DOWN THE FIELD, I THINK THE ENFORCEMENT OF DANGEROUS DOGS IS ACTUALLY THE NUMBER ONE PRIORITY FOR THE DEPARTMENT AS WE GET CLOSER TO OUR -- WHETHER WE CALL IT OR NOT NO-KILL GOALS, WE ALL WANT TO SEE LOWER EUTHANASIA RATES AND I THINK THAT IS OWNER RESPONSIBILITY AND THAT WE REDUCE THE NUMBER OF DOGS THAT ARE ROAMING OUT IN THE COMMUNITY CREATING NEW PROBLEMS. SO GREAT WOULD WITH WORK. LOOKING FORWARD TO CONTINUING. NO COMMENTS FOR SOLID WASTE.
YOU GUYS, I DISAGREE WITH COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO, I THINK THAT SOLID WASTE HAS THE BEST CREATIVE, BUT I DO LIKE THOSE IDEAS. AND I MEAN, THE CODE ENFORCEMENT, CREATIVE IS COMING UP STRONG, SO KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK, Y'ALL.
GREAT JOB. WITH THAT, I THINK WE'RE DONE.
WE DON'T HAVE AN EXEC TODAY, SO IT'S 4:22 P.M. ON 27TH OF AUGUST, 2024, AND WE ARE ADJOURNED. GREAT JOB, EVERYBODY. THANKS.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.