DEPARTMENT: Animal Care Services
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Heber Lefgren
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: City Wide
SUBJECT:
An update on the proposed recommended revisions to Chapter 5 of the City Code and the ACS Strategic Plan that were approved by the Animal Care Services Advisory Board.
SUMMARY:
An update on the proposed recommended revisions to Chapter 5 of the City Code and the ACS Strategic Plan that were approved by the Animal Care Services Advisory Board.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
In September 2011, the Animal Care Service Department (ACS) updated its Strategic Plan by focusing on three key Departmental Priorities: (1) Enhanced enforcement; (2) Controlling the stray animal population; and (3) Increasing the City’s Live Release rate. In FY 2015, ACS added a fourth Strategic Priority to engage and educate the community.
During the February 8, 2017 “B” Session, ACS provided City Council with an update on key ACS FY 2017 initiatives. One of those initiatives included revising and updating the ACS Strategic Plan and Chapter 5 of the City Code.
Between February and June 2017, ACS held nine community meetings across the City and collected over 1,000 surveys from the public and stakeholders. The surveys provided community input regarding local animal laws and the current applicability of the ACS Strategic priorities.
During the June 15 “B” Session, ACS provided City Council an update on the ACS engagement process and presented to the council the survey results. ACS also presented to City Council for discussion preliminary recommended revisions to the City Code based on the feedback received.
Between June and August 2017, ACS held five additional community meetings across the City to receive feedback on the preliminary recommended revisions to Chapter 5 of the City Code. During that time, ACS collected over additional 4,000 surveys from the public and stakeholders regarding updates to local animal laws and enhancements to the ACS Strategic Plan.
The Animal Care Services Advisory Board has been briefed at every regularly scheduled Board meetings since February 2017 and also created a Chapter 5 Subcommittee to assist in the revision process. The Chapter 5 Subcommittee was comprised of Rita Braeutigam, ACS Board Chair; Karen Speer, ACS Board Secretary; Val Moore, ACS Board Member; and, ACS staff members Heber Lefgren, Director; Shannon Sims, Assistant Director; Michael Rodriguez, Assistant to the Director and ACS City Attorney liaison Monica Hernandez. The Chapter 5 Subcommittee held four meetings throughout the community outreach process to review the recommended changes line by line and provide input.
Based upon the feedback received between June and August 2017 (from community and the Advisory Board Subcommittee), ACS made additional adjustments to the preliminary recommendations and presented them to the ACS Advisory Board on August 16th. Those recommendations were unanimously approved by the board members to be sent to City Council for discussion and consideration for approval.
ISSUE:
This presentation will provide City Council with the recommended revisions to Chapter 5 of the City Code and the ACS Strategic Plan. These recommendations were discussed with and unanimously approved by the ACS Advisory Board to be sent to City Council for discussion and consideration for approval.
ALTERNATIVES:
This item is for Briefing purposes only
FISCAL IMPACT:
This item is for Briefing purposes only
RECOMMENDATION:
This item is for Briefing purposes only