[Music]
good morning everyone I am calling this
meeting to order and thank you all for
being here and do you all have a copy of
the agenda yeah okay good okay so I've
called this meeting to order and we will
now do the Pledge of Allegiance please
stand
miss Becky Roku boy remember Quintero
Borman berdahl Hahn is absent we'll
remember it the stove a present remember
Gonzalez president remember Ellen's is
absent
remember doll hunt is present we
remember Gandhara
here for remember Sanchez present
chairperson Flores present are there any
changes to the agenda madam chair Clint
Thakur animal service center Mesilla
Valley executive director yes we do have
some changes to the agenda the one is
going to be under committee reports
number three facilities Commissioner
Sanchez board member Sanchez is not the
committee chair I'm going to be taking
the duty of reporting on that today
would you please run that by me again
yes under reports presentations see
committee reports number three's
facilities are you talking about
item five sure I have cc3 under
facilities Manuel Sanchez is not the
committee chair of that committee you
are no but I'm going to be I'm going to
be taking care of that report today who
is a committee chair do now that is
unclear in the minutes it just states
who is on the committee does not stay
who is the chair who determines who the
chair is the committee the committee so
will the committee be meeting soon yes
they will will you then decide as a
committee who the chair will be yes we
will so for today's purposes you're the
acting committee chair president I would
love to if that's within my right or
your right to claim you those that I
would love to well that sounds wonderful
thank you thank you and that's all and
that's it okay thank you any other
changes anybody else okay we'll move on
to the minutes do i do do i make my
announcement now
okay so in review of the minutes I saw
that at page 3 line 37 there was
something missing and what was missing
was at the mayor pro-tem gun that I
requested an audit based on the person
that's under discussion items beginning
at page
excuse me line 26 page 3 line 26 the
personnel shortfall issue so I want to
make sure that the minutes reflect that
that that request was made and since
you're here councillor gong a mayor
pro-tem gun data did you request a
financial audit or an independent audit
of that issue financial audit financial
great so madam chair just for
clarification I believe what's in the
the meeting packet or the agenda packet
it's actually on page 4 under discussion
items I believe right you're talking
discussion items section a your page 3 I
believe oh I'm ok
page 3 you're looking at a action items
page 3 yes ma'am yes madam chair so I
think it's we're on legenda packets page
4 beginning at line 14 I just bring her
for discussion purposes so that people
were following from the if they had the
agenda packet oh excuse me I see what
you're saying
Thank you Thank You Commissioner Sanchez
or vice chair yes okay all these labels
okay so
yes I have the original so forgive my
error are there any other changes to the
minutes or additions or clarifications
okay Becky but I'm sure that motion that
we approve the minutes from the board
meeting on January 23rd 2020 as with the
requested amendments is there a second
second
so moved and second any discussion no
discussion on that Becky we remember
debates estuve a yes
remember Gandhara yes well member
Sanchez yes chairperson Flores yes
please note for the record mr. Ellen's
has arrived
we'll go on to item five on the agenda
reports and presentations
the first one is city and county a CEO
report city animal control and County
Animal Control
good morning comes with good morning can
you state your name for the record
please I'm officer Lawrence senior a CEO
what was your first name sir William
Lawrence thank you
yeah
good morning board members
Mary Lee ward dunya and County Animal
Control encode supervisor I'll be here
just in case you have any questions as
well thank you okay so I'll be
presenting our stats for the month of
January of this year you can hit f5 it
hit the enabling edit button up at the
top on the ribbon with the mouse and
then hit at five f5 I you've got to do
the white box that says enable editing
keep going right and down just a little
oh then you can hit f5 and it'll do your
PowerPoint okay so for the month of
January we picked up a total of 221
animals with a hundred and ninety six of
them going to this the animal service
center in Mencia Valley of those dog or
of those animals we had a total of nine
owner release dogs
one owner release of a cat a hundred and
thirty three straight dogs forty two
stray cats
Karen welfare holds eight injured
animals and we had a one rabies
quarantine at the shelter and on top of
that we had to quarantine holds at our
core health facility and we had one as
well for a cruelty hold so our total
number of animals at the shelter were
one hundred ninety six of those that are
not counted where the twenty-one dead
animals and we had a one snake home for
the infield returned to owners we were
able to return home fifty eight animals
we scanned a total of 255 of course we
don't scan the snakes livestock any
vicious animals and some dead on most
that we we can't we were we found 58
microchips resulting in the 58 returned
so our types of calls for the month we
responded to 839 we of those calls we
had a total of 29 injured animals 13
cruelty calls 58 vicious animals 17
bites we were able to get compliance or
we educated the public on 74 licensing
and microchips as well as 60 permits 77
rabies vaccinations and 34 carrier
maintenance or other ordinance
violations we also went to court on 20
cases and out of those cases we had 26
charges that resulted in 49.5 hours plus
13 hour and of those hours there was
also 13 hours of overtime
we had one warrant that was issued we
had six guilty pleas and of those guilty
pleas we were able to get a total of
$600 of donations to the animal service
center Mesilla Valley we had 41
dismissed due to complain ours I'm sorry
for dismissed for compliance and we had
our one deferred sentence so far
continued spay and neuter project
are we poor today are up to date we have
a total of 183 cats that have been fixed
and 379 dogs we have redeemed to 12 of
562 snap vouchers for continued
educational outreach that Redemption
just for the month or two date that's to
date okay for our continued educational
outreach and Asus project we have
concentrated on the Placitas area we
have done 87 self-initiated properties
we saw a increase of 16% in compliance
we picked up a total of six point zero
one tons of trash and for operational
community sweep complicity
we visited 119 homes we have found 49
violations and at this point we're still
pending compliance and issuing citations
and that's all we got for today you have
any questions any questions I have a
couple of questions okay why do you do
trash collection I mean thank you but I
mean is that part of your job
description or part of the duties that I
can answer that because we are animal
control and code enforcement and we part
of our our overall goal is voluntary
compliance and environmental safety and
with that we are also involved with
grants and illegal dumping partnerships
and so with the trash we don't actually
collect the trash but that's the
community that's cleaning up the trash
so we go out and when we do these ASIS
projects we start out by going into the
communities by going door-to-door and
educating the communities on the
violations we see so it's an animal
control officer it's a codes officer
it's Planning and Zoning we go
door-to-door and we educate them on
whatever we're seeing in violation we
give them a way to come in compliance so
we go back and we let them know that
there's going to be a roll-off in their
community that's funded through a grant
process and that roll-off we'll come
back to that community and give them a
way to come in compliance for free so
instead of saying hey you've got all
this trash and your death and your and
your on your property and more than
likely it'll end up in the desert
because these are rural areas it'll end
up in the right place which is in a
dumpster
and so those are the those are the
tonnage that's been reported that we've
been putting out the complete containers
that have been the communities have been
cleaning them thank you Miss award and
that so the 119 homes that you visited
is part of that that the hunter 19 homes
is separate from the Aces we have two
projects going on we have our aces
projects which is our
at Animal Control and code enforcement
environmental survey and then separately
from that we've started a separate
project called our operation community
sweep and that is more of a it's an
education but it's more of I'm gonna
hold you in complete in I'm gonna hold
you accountable type of project and so
it will will hinder some citations out
of that depending on the circumstances
and so do you go back to check whether
they've coming light so for the Aces
like the Aces will have our initial
project we offer the way the resource to
come into compliance then the following
month we go back to that same community
and then we look at whatever the
violations are that also gives us
something measurable we can where I can
give you this 16 percent increase in
compliance or did we not see any
compliance that allows me to have
something that actually can be measured
on our success rate and see what we have
thank you miss Orden thank you mr.
Lawrence any questions at this point
chair I think this had his light first
okay Mary Lou in regard to the your
grant sounds like stuff I have you been
with them excuse me not to your grants
how successful have they been very good
we've got the raid grant was the first
initial grant we apply for that was
several years ago that was through our
Department apply for it ourselves and we
got awarded it on our first try and that
was to promote our our Carlos the coyote
the actual calendar that was put out
there the recycling fun fact calendar
and it actually paid for lazy the lizard
costume that you see out there all the
costumes the the comic books the the
books everything that you see is paid
for through the flow control money which
is the environmental money that we have
for the county for the illegal dumping
partnerships so that has funded a lot of
these outreach program
because that money has earmarked for
outreach for the community but it also
has given us the opportunity to obtain
extra equipment and things that we need
for the codes department and a lead
position for the coats department which
we would not have been able to do
because of them how many grams do you
have right now we our department is
housing the Keep America Beautiful grant
and then we are also housing this flow
control I call it flow control which is
the the solid waste just supposed to yes
sir and the Keep America Beautiful how
often you guys do this the Keep America
Beautiful is something that is applied
for once a year and every year it
changes their scope changes every year
so this past year it changes as a
beautification so it looks at a
beautification so it mostly goes towards
New Mexico true and so right now we're
looking at beautification projects
throughout the community and that's how
we're in line mint with that grant you
could basically all the to the all the
towns in the county absolutely get every
one of them yeah that's where the no
Mesa if you look at La Mesa the the ball
park in La Mesa got cleaned up we had
the beautification of the ballpark where
the mural got put up with the painting
of that that came from the mexico true
the the the grant okay see the one in
Mesquite there and somebody know lime
yan
how have you been look at don't kill an
opera or knowing that my basic I'm sorry
that's be usable that's City yeah so we
don't touch that
yeah thank you thank you any other
questions
manager if I might I don't have a
question uh yes ma'am we have a new
mission we have a new ex officio member
from the county Jeanne I don't could you
introduce yourself you already haven't
been I'm Jeanne Quintero and I'm right
now doing a collateral duty as the
interim manager over codes but my actual
job position with the county is a staff
attorney thank you thank you very much
Thank You mr. Allens any other questions
thank you thank you very much for your
presentation mr. Lawrence and thank you
for assisting supervisor ward thank you
thank you welcome thank you you too
good morning madam chair members of the
board my name is Geno Jimenez on the
animal control supervisor for the city
of Las Cruces I'm going to present you
the numbers for January to 2020
so for January 2020 we responded to four
hundred five hundred and forty-three
reported strays of those 294 were goe
meaning the officer didn't have any
contact with that animal we were able to
apprehend 249 if you look at the numbers
that were gone they were taken to the
shelter or a total of 220 one hundred
and forty four of them were cats I mean
dogs and seventy six were cats we were
able to filled RTO twenty nine animals
and we were unsuccessful in 24 that
brings our total to 53 identifiable
animals here is our three-year
comparison for our stray calls as you
can see were pretty consistent as for
the past three years as far as our three
year comparison were filled our Till's
last month we were considerably lower
than the two previous years and this
next slide was at the request of board
member Sanchez this is our 2018-2019
identifiable animal comparison across
the board I mean we're only off by 50/50
from one year to the next I can't
explain that high number in 2018 where
we had 113 and then come January the
following month we had 114 identify all
animals I can't explain that spike but
it was there for her December and
January
go moving on the reasons for owner
releasing animals these are the reasons
that citizens gave us for giving up
their animals one was moving could not
take their dog with them another one was
killed another dog that was two dogs
that were taking the animal service
center for and euthanasia request one
was the animal the owner was arrested of
course he could not care for himself or
the dog one was unable to feed or get
veterinary care for their animals that
was two that were owner released another
one was a dog keeps escaping and has now
bitten so they no longer one in that
animal and another one is overwhelmed
with puppies and feces they owner
released a total of eight another one
was a rental they were moving into a
rental property that would not allow
dogs so they owner released two and
finally the citizen was felt that she
was too old to handle a large dog so she
owner released that animal in this next
slide you'll see the reasons why we were
unable to filled RTO 19 of those where
there was no contact by phone or at the
residence typically that tells me that
they may have been at work unavailable
couldn't get off work to come home
multiple reasons phone numbers not
correct address they've moved and the
chip may have not been updated many many
reasons one was the owner that was
unable to leave work even though the
officer made contact with them to let
them know that we had picked up their
animal they were unable to leave work to
come do a filled RTO another one was the
owner was out of town for a total of
three dogs two that same owner one only
identifiable trait remarks on that
animal was a rabies tag the vet office
was closed at that time another one was
a chip that was registered to a local
vet and again the office was closed
those two came at my night crew
so those impounds were done after
business hours for that veterinary and
then finally one chip was registered to
the animal service center however
no owner information was provided on
that microchip information here is my
stream app has requested however we're
having some connectivity issues between
my computer at my office and this
computer we're trying to work that out
with IT so what I can do is next month
present January and February smap's but
as of right right as I was coming up
here we were still trying to work on it
so not able to present the stream apps
however this is a screenshot of the
impounds I know it's not very clear but
this is a screenshot of the maps for of
that map for all our impounds of January
2020 within the city once at that
connectivity issue is taken care of I
can actually zoom in and out on a
particular district or zone if you will
but this is an accurate map here what's
the difference between the blue squares
and the red squares madam chair board
member equalent Islands the blue squares
are dogs
the orange squares are cats and the red
squares are other so that could be
anything other than a cat in a dog and
with that I will stand for any questions
madam chair yes Commissioner mr. Jimenez
I want to I want to say I appreciate you
getting that information on the RTOS I'm
actually surprised that relative I mean
I guess I I was a little just surprised
at how for the most part it's consistent
in terms of field our Tio's or at least
the identification so I yeah there you
go
yeah I wish or at least I come in
comparison to the previous slide you
know I think and it just happens I think
this this this month we were very close
between the county and the city in terms
of the number of identifiable
animals so I wish I said if there's
something that that sticks out and in
the future I would love to see that but
I don't know that at least for that that
chart and I appreciate you pulling it
together I don't know that that I only
you know to have that continuously
because I think as long as you have the
continued numbers I'm okay with it
unless the rest of the board wants to
continue to see that graph I just need
to I appreciate you pulling it for this
meeting I just don't want to create
continued work if unless something
really pops out absolutely sir and and I
I did that because at your request and I
know that you had only requested
2018-2019 comparison so it's really we
have already keep we already keep that
number right here on my slide number two
at the bottom it shows the identifiable
animals but I can see where you were
requesting that comparison a month a
month for those past two years correct
now and that's exactly why I was kind of
curious to see what the trends were and
it's I mean they're so close between
2018 2019 except for that blip that you
mentioned in December of 2018 it's yeah
I said if based off of what I'm seeing
here I would just kind of curious to see
what it looked like when it was trended
out there's nothing at least to me aside
from those outliers it's it's very
consistent and unless we have some
something that's a game-changer that all
of a sudden creates opportunities to to
see this increase significantly I think
I appreciate you pulling this together
for me and I don't know that I'll have
to you know continue to see the Sun on
the slide unless we want to kiss the the
rest of the board wants to continue
seeing it I just want to create more
work I just wanted to play said see this
trend it out over the last four years
and and I appreciate you making that
request because it gives me something
else to look at because if we look at
our trend if we're continually going up
let's just say 50 every year that means
that we're getting more animals
identified you know slowly but it's
happening so
I'll keep that up and it whenever it's
wet requested by a new member
any member of the board I will be able
to pull it up okay thank you sir thank
you
Thank You Commissioner Sanchez any Mayor
Pro Tem ganda thank you madam chair
thank you for your presentation could
you go back to your site on page two
unsuccessful attempt at filled returns
impounded at the shelter and then your
slide three talks specifically about
what those oh no you had another slide
no keep going so unsuccessful these are
the reasons why yes so is there a
liability if you I'm concerned about
owner unable to leave work is there a
liability when you talk to these
individuals to leave the animal at the
house well madam chair what remember
done that yes because there's no way for
us to verify or to confirm that that
animal is going to stay there without
some sort of supervision because
obviously it got out while the owner was
away yeah so just to put it back in the
yard without being able to confirm or be
positive that that almost going to stay
there for the meanwhile till they get
home is a liability liability for us so
of those 20 the 19 no contact by phone
or at residents obviously they had
identification right you were you made
the calls there was no answer now of
those 20 that go to the center are they
are the owners picking them up can we
dig a little deeper to see of those 20
if they're being picked up or they still
at the center what are you my question
sort of combining your efforts to figure
out are they coming to pick them up and
if not why not and then let's see who is
working on when you call your night crew
you said you had there was chips called
the local veterinarian the office was
closed or a rabies tack office was
closed are you still then the next
morning picking a you know Colleen or
does that go to the centers
responsibilities of Colleen and of those
because those to me seemed easier right
to contact the owner and say come and
get them what can we do to get your
animals back to you madam chair done
that in that instance or that scenario
because there was no way to contact the
dog owner of the animal owner then the
animal would automatically be taken to
the animal shelter because I think we've
been programmed that if you're missing
an animal the first place to look is at
the shelter is that the service center
so once that animal is taken by animal
control to the service center all that
information is added into their shelter
live program and then as I believe as
ASD Selter staff updates it they'll see
that we tried to make contact initially
there was none and they I'm sure will
try again
that way that animal isn't staying there
for hopefully a prolonged I guess I
guess what I'm asking is to have to
tighten up a little more in terms of of
on these night shifts if if the
veterinarian isn't there
right I don't understand why we don't
know who who the animal belongs to and
it's registered to a veterinarian right
our process isn't working if the
veterinarian doesn't turn around and say
register in your own your own animal
right right so I know they're very slim
numbers but I think in terms of
coordinating and collaborating with each
other and the veterinarian world all
every little bit helps right to get the
animals out of the shelter not come into
the shelter because they stay there
right people don't want to paid for
various reasons right maybe they can't
afford to those kinds of things so I'm
asking to have a little more
communication with each other in terms
of what these numbers really mean
connecting the center to say did the app
did the the owner come and pick them up
sure I don't know how how difficult that
is to to do that but I'm assuming you
guys are in communication with each
other and we just have to come together
work together I think more fiercely
right to ensure that these animals don't
sit at the at the center absolutely ok I
think that's it issues with connectivity
sorry yes how are we gonna how are we
going to I know you had said you were
you were working with IT but that seems
to continue to be an issue right and and
madam board member done that the reason
is it because I do that work on my
computer on my and this computer here is
only for presentations so I have to kind
of bypass the system and get into
outlook here to try to upload it however
this morning this computer wouldn't
recognize my passwords so that was the
issue this morning with that map okay I
appreciate that
Thank You Gina you're welcome thank you
madam chair miss my betta Stevie thank
you my questions are actually very
similar to board member gondolas
and they were satisfied so thank you
Thank You commissioner
in your report you have a good
connection with the animal animal
shelter in regard to the yeah fall a
follow up calls with the owners I'm
sorry yep
follow up call because it was the owners
after they taking it to the shelter we
do not serve note that so it gets
physically Clint that is one you guys
and you guys have follow up cost of the
with the owners and it's pretty pretty
pretty quickly done Clint that
ground-source executive director yes we
do within within that time whenever the
animals impounded it is overnight we do
it the next day that morning we also
have capability to know if we heard from
them or not and then we then we continue
to follow up until we get either a
letter sent at the very least less known
address so yeah it's a continual fall
across us when I say they give you off
the letter huh awesome okay good job
thank you turn I have a question
Mayor Pro Tem gun that I brought up so
when the vet office is closed do you
call again I mean you have a you have an
ID kxa the rabies tag only but the vet
office is closed so the doggie or the
kitty or the animal just gets them into
the center and there's no follow-up
oh excuse me
I see so just for the record director
Thacker is saying that the center does
follow up on that yes that codes doesn't
but the center does but that's good
thank you for the clarification thank
you any other questions
okay we'll move on thank you very much
Geno go our office
okay next item is our shelter statistics
and activities by Clint Thakur madam
chair board members thank you very much
for this chance to be here today to talk
to you about our happenings in our month
of January for the animal service era
Mesilla Valley currently as of yesterday
we have 443 animals in the center
compared to the 505 that we were there
in 2019 in the same time period our
intake for 2020 is 674 animals broken
down to 418 cats and 400 I'm sorry
418 486 dogs and 187 cats so we have
less animals of each you see there
compared to 2019 Clank can you go back
maybe
so 20 20 dogs you have 486 yes 20 19 you
have four 18 so you do have more dogs
but a lot fewer cats yes thank you
apologize for that thank you for 20 20
219 298 adoptions 93 reclaims 261
rescued 39 community cats 100 euthanasia
for a live release rate for the month of
January at 80 7.4 so quite a bit higher
than what we had at 2019 and again our
benchmark that we like to reach for is
90% 90% is in the industry qualifies as
a no-kill Center it's not saying we're
not gonna kill any animals it's saying
that 90 percent of our animals came in
left alive and that's the percentage
that we always strive for so we were
very close in 2020 which I'm very proud
of our staff are doing that man fair yes
Commissioner Sanchez mr. Thakur I just
had a quick question when we look at the
euthanasia and your live release rates
if there's any owner surrenders or they
an owner requests the euthanasia does
that hit okay I didn't know if that
would hit the number for euthanasia
thank you sir we did 376 surgeries in
2020 broken down there
total visitors is 2552 pretty much the
same as compared to the last January and
that is all for the month however we
have another one for your viewing
pleasure we have our annual report
Bernice is gonna pass that out to you
this report is done every year in
January or February it does the numbers
and the report for the Center for the
entire year the information I'm going to
be presenting are the same graphs and
items that you have in your paper I know
you're going to be tempted to look
through that but the the packet you have
is just more information of the graphs
and things I'm going to talk about here
in the presentation so our methods
intakes continued our highest method of
in taken teams to be stray animals we
did 3030
for dogs and 2388 for cats that again
it's our biggest is the strays
interesting enough the strays coming
from the public is our second highest
and then close their behind is our owner
surrenders which is an incredibly large
number at the 1268 and we are hopeful
you're going to be making a decrease in
that well I say hopefully because in
this coming year we are going to be
start doing some different things for
instance a controlled intake process
where individuals have to make an
appointment if they want to surrender
their animal they have to talk to us and
I did give a reason why they're
surrendering it and we we do have some
work still to do it on that our staff is
going to be going to some training
that's going to be provided by Best
Friends Animal Society and also we need
to build up some resources so somebody
says well I just can't afford to feed my
dog then that's when we would reach out
to another rescue like a food bank for
animals and say why don't you get some
free food help you through this hard
time you're having anything we could do
to keep the animal out of the center now
if they obviously they just
they flat out no I don't want it and
they continue to say no I don't want it
and there's nothing we can do of course
we're gonna take their animal we're not
going to have them take matters into
their own hands it's just anything that
we can do to curb that that 1268 animals
coming in will be beneficial to the
center Vampir yes commissioner Ellen's
cliff what's the difference between
strays Animal Control and strays public
the streets public are animals that are
brought in by the public so I found this
dog wandering loose and they bring it
whereas the a ce o--'s they bring
they've got a report of a call or they
see the animal loose and they bring it
to us so I'll total intake comparison we
went down from last year about 600
animals 500 animals there you'll see
2018 was ten thousand six hundred twenty
six and we dropped down to ten thousand
two hundred and eighty one since 2015
has been pretty consistent so again we
need to continue to we need to do
something different and you're gonna see
I'm gonna continue to repeat that mantra
throughout the coming year whenever
whenever somebody or so my staff thinks
of something for us to do we're gonna
try it because we want to decrease these
numbers that are obviously holding
steady since 2015 our monthly intake
continues the trend that we always have
and has been everywhere I've always been
is as higher in the summertime and fall
and trends down in the winter months I
don't think there's anything we can do
to stay that that's just the way that
people work they're out and about more
they're more active in the summer time
they see more and they're active with
their animals more which means more
animals reduce so it just continues to
be a regular trend in the entire
industry for that our species intake
again dogs are over half of our intake
for annual at fifty eight point zero
percent and then 40.3% for the cats
now our outcome statistics what outcome
means as animals how they left the
center whether it be through adoptions
euthanasia reclaims by owners
rescue transfers and so on this is a
great slide that sums everything up we
adopted out 27% of all of our of the
intake that came in we transfer to
rescue organizations and these are
organizations that can hold on the
animals longer than we can some rescue
organizations are specific like they
like to have golden retrievers or we
have rescues that are saying we'll take
anything and everything dogs and cats we
have some cat specific some dog specific
so we value these organizations without
this help we would never be able to get
to the live release rate and also
successfully fulfill our mission without
them so you see that they did 27% of our
intake we euthanized 18% only 12% were
returned to owners which is against
something we like to continue to work on
expired in the shelter we had to
purchase over 2% of animals passed away
in the shelter expired in foster was one
point seven percent we had less than 1%
goes stolen or missing that does happen
individuals come in they want to look at
a dog and they take it or have instances
of animals that are in foster on foster
care and they we try to call them and to
get you know appointments for them to
bring the animal to an event well phone
numbers disconnected and gone and and
they have the animal so that does this
occurs less than 1% of our intake does
and then wildlife release is less than
half a percent at 0.3% so our adoptions
is a highlight of 2019 we did we did
incredible we did over 2000 or we did
2804 it's the highest ever in the
history of since 2008 of adoptions at
the Animal Center
when we look at some things that I
talked to Bernice about this briefly we
looked at the differences that we did
compared and we've the big one is we've
lowered our adoption price if you
remember in 2018 when I came to you and
I said we took our adoptions and we
averaged them out of all the specials
that we were doing and it came to 25
dollars
so my proposal to the board is why don't
we just reduce the adoption fee to $25
and will continue to have specials and
highlights but for the majority of you
$25 and that's the difference that we've
seen that and the new face of the center
it's no longer kind of a drudging place
to be there it's a place that people
enjoy we still get comments continually
throughout the day of this is a gorgeous
place I'd love to be here and we're
proud of that so that's we contribute
those changes the 2804 highest has ever
been again dogs continue to be our
highest adoption rate at 62% cats came
in at 34% and other is 4% and other is
anything but cats and dogs we get guinea
pigs and lizards and fish and gerbils
and anything else we actually had rats
that came in and that was always fun
because we've lost them so they were
running around the center but we got
them back don't worry it's not one of
the missings but it was a fun time in
the center for it was pretty stressful
week wasn't it Bernice I think we're
gonna find a domestic eat a rat anywhere
but luckily they're very friendly
now rescues this is an interesting story
animal transfers is rescues we dip down
the lowest of spins since 2000 17
however we in 2016 we did we compared to
it we did really well when talking to
our rescue coordinators adoption
coordinators we agreed that this was be
do one large reason is because of the
sickness that we had in the summertime
with distemper and the rescues Alba shut
down they of course I don't blame them
they did not want a sickness such as
distemper to be there once we got that
back under control to a point where we
were and we actually shut him down as
well we we said we you know only local
and only on animals that we know for
sure don't have that so we are still
doing small amounts of rescues and
individuals here locally but once it we
got under control we continue to do the
law
scale transfers to places we're talking
4550 at a time and we were able to
reinstate those again and going the
other is is we do we have a vastly
larger amount of people that we are
recognized ations we rescue - however
compared to the years past however
they're full it was it was a huge huge
issue of even the breed specifics that
usually ant move animals very quickly
they were full so the golden retriever
rescues the Austria rescues all these
rescues I continue to tell us that they
were full so those are contributed 27
are 2800 animals is still an incredible
number for a center of our size and our
employees just size of two individuals
that work on it so I applaud them for
the efforts and I thank them very much
for their hard work
appreciate that oftentimes our
coordinators are the ones that actually
do the driving so we appreciate that
this is our live release rate you see
for in 2018 for dogs that goes 80% and
cats 73 2019 we're at 82% for dogs 79%
for cats but the one over on the right
is when I'm very proud of 2018 we're at
77 and a half percent for a live release
rate well we were able to increase that
to 80 point nine percent I think we
should call it 81 if we're gonna you
know round up so 2019 81 percent that's
only nine percent away from qualifying
as a mill kill Center compared to what
we came in to when I came in 2017 the
previous director dr. Beth wood did did
a good job of getting the numbers down
if you look at where she took over in
2008 your euthanizing 10,000 animals and
we're down now to less than our nine
percent away from a live release race so
we applaud both efforts and will
continue to push this is not something
that once we hit 90 percent we're gonna
end so we are grateful for that so 81
percent for 2019 a live release rate
our euthanasia breakdown we continue to
take our transparency very seriously and
again all these numbers that I'm talking
to you about today are also posted on
our Facebook pages on a daily basis so
if you have liked us on Facebook you'll
see that we're specific on our
euthanasias as well but the number one
reason is a respiratory signs and the
t-axis for treatment meaning they had
treatment and they didn't respond to the
treatment so we decide for that so 204
I'll just do a few a few of the high
numbers here medical general as 177 that
is just a general medical reason of why
I need to be done and then behavior
aggressive dog animal or dogs have a
hard time in the center they really do
you've imagined that if you communicate
with sight sense and smell all those are
being harassed and attacked every second
of every day inside of a shelter and so
it is behavior and aggressive issues are
going to come out on those animals and
then ringworm is the next one and that's
for most of other cats
ringworm is hard to get rid of we do
treat it we have a ringworm ward and we
do adopt out of that ward
when needed and individuals it's easily
treated we have some incredible rescues
that do just ringworms
helped us with that but again that was
one of the higher ones for you for
euthanasia and then space medical what
that means is animals have a medical
issue that we usually treat however it
is for space the reason why we're
looking at those animals is because we
are out of space but they're euthanized
under because they have a medical
condition or a medical issue it's the
reason why those are saw the highest
reasons
our comparison for euthanasia like you
said 2018 you'll see that our 2008 sorry
you'll see that high number of 10,000
animals and it's gone steadily down in
2019 to 1875 venture was that high rate
yes mr. Allens that high rate in 2008 in
the following years because of the
overcrowding i enlarged I can't tell you
why I wasn't here I do know that is the
first year that the JPA was done between
the city in the county previously before
that the Dona Ana County Humane Society
had controlled the center so 2008 is the
first year that we kept or the center
kept record of that I mean I can go back
and look at the intake that it was but
I'm assuming that the intake was
incredibly high as well so I'm assuming
his her space thank you madam chair and
thank you mr. Thakur if you could go
back just one side please on some of
these euthanasia breakdowns are you do
you have it also recorded on a safer the
space medical farrell do you have that
broken down into cats and dogs
percentage as well we can get that to
you that'd be great thank you thank you
yes commissioner madam chair record
hop-hop do you guys suck transfers dogs
and cats to other states very often at
least every other week yeah what then
the turnout
how many dogs and cat look the average
that you could transfer average is
around 55 to 60 dog cat combination more
dogs than cats go in there do they call
you you guys call them in regard to this
mutual it could be either way if they
want to what I'm speaking of most is our
partner in Arizona by the name of
hallo animal-rescue and so they'll
contact us we have it about every other
week who's a standing arrangement but
they'll call us if they want more and
they'll tell us the number that the
shooting for I want to tell you it's
it's really hard to do it's not like
they call and say hey we want 52 animals
and we just pick them it's it's a lot of
work and so we pick the animals and we
send them to them they pick the animals
from there for the ones they want and if
it's not fifty then we have to come back
and find some more and this is continual
back and forth of what they want because
honestly they are a rescue and that's
how they fund their rescue is selling
adoptable animals and so brief you thank
you yes Commissioner Alice how
successful are you in rescuing pit bulls
well rescuing pit bulls I'd say that I
mean it's hard to say I we adopt out pit
bulls we rescue out pit bulls we'll send
a picture of a dog to a rescue and they
may take it or they may not I would
probably say it's it also depends on
where it's going to in Colorado we have
a hard time of moving pit bulls because
of the ban that Denver has and that's
given them given pit bulls a bad stigma
and they already have one as well but I
don't know it's a hard one to answer I
can get you a number of percentage of
you know how many animals that we're
sending out that are that have those
breed characteristics okay mr. Thacker
apropos of for commissioner Ellen's
question do you get requests for
specific breeds or mixed breeds are
predominantly I think we get more of a
size large medium or small there's what
we get more of thank you
so our attendance continues to stabilize
after our Center was shut down not shut
down with the front lobby from our
remodeling so we in 2019
during that remodeling came as a total
of 20 9601
for public attendance and if I remember
reading that in your booklet that
averages out to more than a hundred per
day and that's just the people that are
signing in because a family of five the
mom may just sign in or the dad or
somebody was there so I believe it's a
lot more than that we continue to
community outreach we have pet of the
week radio we go on on you'll see there
101 gold magic 105 99.5 I've heard I've
been driving when they're on and I love
to hear the stories and the positive way
that the DJ's speak about us
and encouraging people to come to us we
continue to work with the publications
the Sun News and dog Cruces magazine Los
Cruces bolt and American classifieds are
all great help to us actually I was
asked to write an article and the dog
Cruces magazines you'll see that coming
out and in the next publication and then
television we continue to do the
releases to all the new television ads I
have contacts for all of them and then
social media is our real our Facebook
page is a real way that we get
information now and that's also the ASC
MB website where we post on there as
well we have some special events that is
a lot of fun so like in February we did
a meet your match we did awesome Marty
paws cat world domination day was a fun
one we had cat pictures up all
everywhere the pits four-piece Holiday
Food Drive home for the holidays is
always a good one where we team up with
Dona Ana County Humane Society and they
pay for the adoptions that one usually
has the lobby full and a line of people
out the door for a home for the holidays
you see some of the great things we do
here
with the community and we continue to
work with the community and also I want
to expand and this this lust has also
expanded greatly since 2018 many of the
things that we people we have teamed up
with have not in the past so we're
grateful for their help and a system
here's some educational centers or
initiatives that we continue to work on
Job Shadow is a great one they come in
pretty much free labor is what we have
they come in and help us with everything
they're in the center that they're
interested in so they're not always in
the kennels sometimes we have
individuals that work interested in
clerical work so they're in the front
and talking with people I was right
there we continue to have a very
aggressive Wilson Binkley advertising
campaign we did suspend that in these
last six months because of our shortfall
issue however we look forward to
bringing that back up starting in July
and attacking it a new angle we were
pushing numbers and saying you know how
great we've and also come and see the
changes well we're getting a new center
and we're gonna be gearing up for that
and we're also going to be gearing up
for spay and neuter initiatives just
everything we can do to get people to
sterilize their pets and to be aware of
what we are and what we do our villa
volunteer program September was a big
month for a volunteer program we hired
Emily Mira she's our new volunteer
coordinators since then we have seen an
influx large influx of new volunteers
and the cool thing is it's not just one
specific demographic of volunteers it is
all across the spectrum we have
individuals that are senior in age more
seasoned and we have volunteers that
need to have parents come with them so
of all ages it's fantastic to see they
provide support both with the shelter
and offset locations one thing I am
excited to announce hopefully by
mid-march if not sooner we're going to
be doing an online
a training program for volunteers right
now they have to come to an orientation
at the center it's very labor intensive
parking is a pain and the coordinator
Emily it's a burden on her to get that
going every single week so now starting
soon at our website there's a link they
can watch the orientation online in
their pajamas get excited about being
able to come and volunteer at the center
and show up when they would like to just
make contact with Emily via email she'll
get an email that it was washed by this
individual so we're grateful for that
for her desire to move forward and to
make it better we are looking and
interested in the city of Las Cruces is
currently obtaining a volunteer
coordination coordinator program or a
volunteer coordinator volunteer program
able to track volunteers login
information contact information hours
used all that so we won't have to do it
by hand anymore for that so we're
excited right we hear this in the legal
review stage the contract the MOU is so
you're looking forward to hearing more
about that and getting that going here
are some pictures of our volunteers
doing what they do best is just love
them love them the animals and that's
the presentation are there any questions
Commissioner Gonzalez thank you Carrie
great presentations and thank you
awesome
I like the weeks as represented it like
to make one quick question is it on the
people that visit the year the shelter
what's the average of them coming in and
adopting a dog or cat I got to get the
number exactly for you for the average
but I bet we can't do it because we have
the number of people coming in per month
and we have the number of adoptions per
day however it may be skewed because
some people may see the dog then the
previous day
and come in and get it they may see it
online and come in and get it a
different day so but I can get you that
number if you're interested in it yeah
thank you thank you German welcome yes
commissioner Sanchez so one question
there was a slide I think towards the
beginning you talked about outcomes and
it had a pie chart there was about and
if I did my calculations right it was
there was about 10% or 9% that was
missing and I was curious if that was
whether just a just kind of a mix of
things that just those weren't that just
added up to 9 percent or was there just
numbers that might be slightly off I
don't think they're slightly up I think
it's numbers that probably weren't in
there do you know can you see my screen
that's right
all right adopted transfer to euthanize
return expired expired stolen wallet
missing so you're stating that those
don't equal a hundred percent maybe
maybe if I maybe I inputted incorrectly
but if I when I did I think we came up
to about 90 percent is what I had and
that's what I was wondering if there was
just a bunch of other small numbers that
added to that we can review that because
those are all of our outcome options and
it should should be equaling to that
percentage so we'll review that and get
back to you yeah and it's not it's not a
big deal I was just kind of curious if
we're that you know where the numbers
were that additional 10% or if they're
just kind of curious but I did want to
make a comment that something you said
in terms of what you're looking at for
2020 and you're gonna be looking at
ideas that are new and and that may come
from your organization and I just want
to applaud that one of the things that I
feel too often and isn't it's not just
in government but across many
organizations is that people are too
afraid to fail and when I say that is
you know you do
something new and it's not always gonna
work but I think that's how you get to
the point that you get you think outside
that box try something different and new
I the only thing I would say or note is
that as you go and do this is try to if
you can find a way to document lessons
learn best practices so that as you go
along one it's documented so that we
don't repeat mistakes but also if you
were to go back and look at it you can
understand what did you learn you know
what did was approaching it differently
could have could have a different
outcome etc so if you can do something
like that within the organization I
think that would be great but I
absolutely love the fact that you're
looking at other ideas and and willing
to see in look at these other options
and things we might have looked at in
the past and and don't be afraid to fail
I think like I said if something doesn't
work well you know you take the next
next idea up I think that's how we how
we get a step change in our in the
things that we do every day so I applaud
you all I think what you've done in 2019
is it's I applaud you for all that you
and your team yeah that's why a lot of
the stress is that this is a team effort
even this presentation bernice worked
very hard on it and presented it all I
have done is stand up here in front of
you and spat out the numbers that she's
computed so I'm gonna give special
thanks to her we're doing our yearly
report and we'll sit down and do the
math on this and see I see where we're
wrong and get the board an updated I
count on that or an explanation very
good thank you mr. Thacker thank you
Thank You commissioner yes it is off its
90 point something 90.2 so we have to
watch out with Commissioner Sanchez he's
a numbers guy what's that MIT training
any other questions
oh I do mayor pro-tem gunden thank you
madam chair thank you Clint
Bernice all the staff I know how hard
you work and how difficult the work is
especially the leader and
your introductory letter it was very sad
but yet how true right how true that the
the different cases that are coming in
some are very very sad and you can get
real angry with humans about how we
mistreat our animals and then all in the
same time seeing people who just love
their animals or people who are excited
about going over there and rescuing
right an animal and so I my hats off to
all of you for the work it you should be
really really proud I know the kind of
team that you've developed there and I'm
proud of of that so with that said I now
that we have this information this is
golden in my mind and I would like to
recommend a request of the board that we
move into some Stratego
to do some strategic planning I think
that's extremely important having the
information that we have I know that
we're having a work session next week on
Thursday to talk about the budget and
maybe we need to also do some planning
around what our priorities are going to
be for the next five years we have a new
board I think this is an important time
to really start doing some metrics in
terms of okay how are we going to affect
the change of the library release right
you had talked about we're just 9% away
from this live release rate right that
we want a 90 percent if you will and you
you have some ideas about spayed and
neutering and I feel I don't know what
you have planned for this budget work
session but I really feel we need to
have an idea of what our priorities are
going to be in order to set the budget
in my mind so that is my right
thank you theme park
the resolution is gonna be coming later
you're gonna see is for us to accept the
money of the scholarship for the
executive leadership certificate that
program has accepted into you one of the
things I'm going to leave that program
with is a strategic plan so that would
be incredible help with I'm in the midst
of when I'm in the midst of developing
it to sit down and do a work session on
that and that would be invaluable I'd
love that
so absolutely expect that for the future
yeah so I don't know if we can hire a
consultant or someone who has sort of
that or from best friends you've gotten
a lot of TA from from them and I know
that they've come out and sort of looked
at the center and the various
programming that we have but I'd like to
definitely encourage the board to agree
to doing some strategic planning with
your staff with our their counterparts
out in the community all the advocates
and what I think that's again very
important so thank you thank you madam
chair for madam chair oh excuse me miss
Quintero thank you and mr. Thacker thank
you for your presentation I have one
question for you regarding I guess an
aspect of your volunteer program the
Magistrate Courts the district courts
are municipal I'll have the ability to
sentence somebody to do community
service and of course the shelter is on
that list of available sites to do that
is that working out for you do you have
anyone doing that and and you do
different training with these people
than you would for a regular volunteer
tract so community service is something
that we we enjoy having we don't plan on
them I bet we have probably a new person
every week on average it comes but again
we don't plan so we don't schedule them
to clean on the kennels we think that
generally we
do is have them work around the center
laundry pick up trash unify landscaping
things like that so we don't do we don't
have to do the training for animal
handling and things like that with them
occasionally if somebody is with this
long term if they have a lot community
service then we will train them give
them course on you know on cleaning and
then we can schedule them in there but
again they're it's their famously what
the right where to say is but it's
they're not dependable to show up
sometimes so we have a hard time
scheduling around those it's funny in
the community service they sign up and
they expect to love dogs and kitties all
the time and we give them a pooper
scooper and a shovel and say let's get
to work and so they usually don't last
very long and do you screen them for
appropriateness before yeah would accept
them to do community service so they
can't be they have their docket that
they are sentenced with and so no animal
are no animal abuse and no violent
crimes all right thank you thank you
I believe Bernice wanted to address the
numbers Bernice Navarro I just wanted to
clarify on those numbers that the
percentages those are the animals the
percentage of say the adopted ones
there's the percentage of how many were
adopted versus of how many came into the
shelter so it's not of the outcomes or
anything so we had 10,000 to 81 that
came into the shelter and 27 percent of
those that came in were adopted out so
thank you
I do have one more thing I'd like to
talk to the board about some one of the
things that we're looking at changing
and I wanted to notify the board and
also get input from the board and also
from the public is breed identification
and bring identification is something
that has been changing throughout
America and using it or not what I'm
talking about is is you have a small dog
that has short hair and has a short tail
immediately you think chihuahua and what
is that Chihuahua known for Annoying
barking ankle-biting and so on when so
we call it a chihuahua and now for the
rest of that animal's life it's going to
be known as a chihuahua and if somebody
does not like chihuahuas they won't have
anything to do with it another one is a
pitbull if we sent in or if we say an
animal is a pit bull or a pit mix we're
in realities it could be a lab mix it
could be quainter mix anything because
we're looking at characteristics you
know the large head and the smaller body
large chest so we are doing that dog to
get adopted and probably close to I
don't want to say zero but that's the
majority of our animals in the center
that spend a long time our pit and pit
mixes so we say so I have something here
from Maddie's fund is a well known
industry and animal industry studies
that they do and programs that they have
and I'd like to read this to you says
for Florida shelters Jacksonville Animal
Care and Protective Services the
Jacksonville Humane Society Berrien
County Animal Services and Tallahassee
Animal Services participated in a study
for staff members at each of the four
shelters indicated what breeds they
thought 30 dogs were for a total of 16
observers and a hundred and twenty dogs
of those 120 dogs 55 were identified as
pit bulls by shelter staff but only 25
were identified as pit bulls by DNA
analysis so we have 55 animals the
staffs that are pit bulls but DNA says
only 20
five where pitbulls additionally the
staff missed identifying 20% of the dogs
who are pit bulls by DNA while only 8%
of the true pit bulls were identified by
all staff members these poor track
records for correctly identifying Brees
particularly important say study authors
because in many municipalities dogs
identified as pit bulls are not offered
for adoption or are subject to local
breed bans preventing their adoption or
ownership even in areas without
restrictive ordinances or shelter
practices or oh I'm sorry or shelter
policies pit bulls are usually
stigmatized as undesirable labeling a
dog as a pitbull can result in
difficulty finding him a home or even
his death and I couldn't agree more
we want people to fall in love with the
animal not with the breed and that's
going to be kind of our mantra going
forward as we incorporate this or if we
incorporate it you said I wanted to get
the information from the board and also
from the public so we I can't say how
many times somebody comes in the shelter
and they fall in love with the dog and
they're the one of my staff is out there
showing the dog and they said what breed
is it and then say it's a pit or a pit
mix and like oh I don't want that yes
maybe something else and the staff is
flabbergasted you fell in love with this
dog or just because we've said that like
no I don't don't want it so we have the
stigma and the misrepresentation and we
want people to fall in love with the
animal not the breed so I would like to
get feedback from the board of your
thoughts on this just let you know this
is not a far-fetched idea that I'm
coming up with I know Espanola
you know Santa Fe and I know I believe
Albuquerque is also doing away with
breeds and I know several places
throughout America is also getting
shelters South America are gonna be the
breeds as well so feedback please tell
me your thoughts on this your thoughts
councillor abate to Suvi thank you madam
chair
often i want to say that i think it's a
it's a good idea to be able to fall in
love just with the animal not
necessarily with the breed but looking
at this how will we address i know that
a lot of families if they're adding to
their pack or they have other animals of
you know cats birds things like that
oftentimes people look or try to avoid
certain breeds that they know have a
higher disposition to perhaps want to
chase or something like that so how
would we sort of address those needs of
clients coming into the shelter to just
recognize that that that is a factor
sometimes for families that's a great
observation and all that you said it can
be done with training i think i think
there might be an issue with animals
coming in and saying you know this
canoeing kept or tries to corner my cat
or it's attacking my birds and those are
things that we would have to be ready
for and have resources in place and be
able to say here's how you can get away
from that behavior because all those
things are behavior i know that some
things are hard-wired into animals to do
from from centuries of centuries of
breeding and if they're hardwired to
learn that they're also hard wired to
learn commands and behavior as well so i
think those can be mitigated but that's
a very good point here we go thank you
and then moving forward when we work
with the rescues you had mentioned
before with working with colorado where
they do have breed restrictions do we
still need to disclose I would assume a
breed if we were to try to rescue it out
to those areas I I believe what we do I
believe it's what we do is correct in
the way that we all we do is we send
information to them and they choose the
animal so we're gonna place the burden
enough to done them they look on our
website of what animals that they want
and we some to them and that's currently
what we're doing breed is often like I
said it's large medium small breed is
really not a worry for him right now
especially when I'm thinking of Denver
or I think of Colorado we have Colorado
puppy rescue that we send puppies to and
again it's it's on them that they want
these animals in and so the identifier
then that you guys would use would just
be kind of small medium and large breeds
yes okay thank you thank you madam chair
and thank you counselor yes Commissioner
Owens is there any legal liability if
you don't reveal to a prospective
adopter that the dog has pitbull lines
of blood the only way we could know that
for sure is with a DNA test like I said
I know a lot of labs that have a big
blocky head and when they come into a
center they would be called a pit mix
and we if we say that there's a flipside
there might be liability with us
labeling a dog of hit-mix and it's not
and if the DNA is done and shows that
it's not are we going to be liable for
that so if we open up the liability page
it's it's going to be long and and
lengthy well I don't know of any studies
or case rulings that come out and say
that yes there is liability there but
what if you fail to disclose if we have
the information absolutely we need like
a KC dog turned over it's a for-sure
tire it spans for staff Shire pit bull
dogs then yes we would label that animal
as knowing it's this breed but what if
you called it a large breed and
something happens after the drug is
taken home attacks and the owner does a
DNA and comes back and said you should
have disclosed this dogs line but I
couldn't disclose if I don't know what
it is Janey you were a lawyer what do
you think
forgot that okay it just depends on the
circumstances a case-by-case if there
was knowledge that was not disclosed
then there could be a liability issue
but if there's no obligation on the part
of a shelter or rescue agency to do a
DNA test to to affirm something that
that's kind of in the gray area there
and and I think it just depends on what
you're looking at if the dog has a
history of biting or if the dog has some
issues at the shelter or the rescue that
they're at and then it gets adopted out
anyway there there has to be the
disclosure of that behavior not
necessarily breed related so I think you
can look at liability in the number of
different levels and a number of
different circumstances it's hard to
answer and we currently do that if the
animal has a history we do disclose that
to the adopter and that could be a
history of running it could be a history
of biting it could you know if it has a
history that we do disclose madam chair
yes board members will remind you and
Clinton the animal control officers in
the Alpha in the field and in the
audience they are fully aware of the
potential dangerous dog and the
dangerous dog statutes so those are very
clear those results in quarantine issues
either on the property or at the shelter
which impact shelter operations so a dog
bite a dog biting another dog dog biting
livestock a dog biting the human there
is a process under state statute that
goes down a legal mechanism to control
that many times Mary Lou and Geno can
step in here though there have been
times that the there's been court order
you can aja because the dog was
determined to be dangerous or
potentially dangerous and so there is
also surrender so that is covered by the
statute and it is a legal process it is
a judicial process so those dogs aren't
going out the door so to speak they're
hopefully going home
staying at somebody's home or they're
being euthanized as appropriate it is a
complex process and never perfect so you
need to keep that in mind
Gino and Mary Lou will probably also
tell you they have known runners they
have my grandfather always said once you
had a dog that knew how to jump a fence
he always enjoyed jumping a fence so and
it's not limited to dogs so there are
attributes of certain animals but I will
also say there are no bad dogs there are
only bad owners and so it is incumbent
on us to remind people that there are
pet ownership responsibilities including
proper care and training of the animal
we can only do so much so I like the
idea Clint if I look at a dog and I
assume it's a pitbull or if I assume
it's a chihuahua that's my assumption
and I need they need to fall in love
with the animal and they need to do a
little research on their own if they're
making that assumption but I actually
think that's a policy decision that does
need to be coming to this board because
then that ensures that we've given
thought to it and the staff are saying
I'm not gonna answer that question I'm
not gonna pay for a DNA test I'm not
going to make those assumptions I can
tell you this is a small breed under 25
pounds it's a medium breed under 50
pounds it's a large breed over 50
it's a giant breed because it's an over
a hundred pounds you know
so people need to make their own
assumptions and I think its own come but
in that back as a policy to this board
and saying that we've decided this as a
board this is what we want our shelter
to do we're not making any assumptions
you can make your own thank you mr.
della Han Commissioner Sanchez thank you
madam chair mr. Thakur I just had a
question in terms of how much do we have
any idea outside of our service center
Webb
cite any third-party websites that the
data goes to do we have any data to know
or understand how many adoptions are
associated with like a third-party
website where the data is taken into and
then utilized in there using their
search engine so let me understand what
you're saying you're asking me is are
there other places on the internet or
anywhere that takes our data breed will
say and utilizes that as an adoption as
a means of adoption so you're asking
that is absolutely correct okay
so yes there are there are multiple
places that do that we would simply not
provide the information but change it to
large medium or small and that's how
they would pull the information and the
reason I ask is I think that given this
day and age and I think it was similar
to what councilor bethis tuve was
mentioning in that when people are doing
searches online before they come to the
service center they will do a search
when they think they want a certain type
of breed or certain breeds and so if
they don't see it it doesn't get it
doesn't come up in their search and so I
just wondered if that would affect any
any possible outcomes or at least
they're the people that would come to
the service center because they don't
see that as a search results the the
other the on the other hand I can
understand where people can fall in love
with a dog different than what they're
looking for you know if they were to
just simply go through and look at every
you know something that's in the shelter
well you know I can speak personally our
our pet didn't come from the shelter I
know we were looking around for a
certain type of breed and ended up going
which would have been a large breed and
then we ended up going small breed just
because we fell in love with with it but
so I can see both sides of it where
sometimes a breed or a label can can
drive people away from what they might
be that that turn out might be the
perfect match for them so I can see that
I I would be in support of going in this
direction I just was kind of curious as
to preventing or trying to make sure
that we didn't lose out on people that
might be willing to come to the service
center because they see a certain dog
that or cat or
whatever maybe that might they might
want to adopt thank you miss ward I
believe you wanted to contribute to this
presentation thank you thank you sure
married award Dona Ana County just to
give the board an insight years ago when
we implemented our court whole facility
which is our evidence facility for live
evidence animals prior to that facility
we would have animals attacking
livestock or bite animals or vicious and
or dangerous animals that were housed at
the shelter when those animals are held
at the shelter we would just keep track
of the numbers that were or housed at
the shelter for these incidents when
they started being housed at the
facility that we have now we started
keeping all the statistical data for
those animals including the breeds to
our surprise we found out was not the
pit bulls that we were thinking that
we're going to be these grand numbers it
was German Shepherds and Huskies that
were the ones doing the dirty deed most
of the time so these breeds I think
keeping track of the breeds like this
gave us more of an insight when we were
going out work in these cases and
looking at some of the some of the
information and the educational outreach
we could provide to the public when we
were out there into the community so I
just wanted to put that information out
there thank you Miss Ward any questions
for mr. Thacker madam chair did you
excuse me did you I think that like when
you want you have to put your light on
to be recognized thank you well you know
we talked a little bit about the
information that's available on the
internet about breeds and I think it's
not that it's wrong necessarily but it's
misleading and so they always put out
lists and the veterinarian say
these are the 10 most dangerous dog
breeds and and they say and these 10
dogs are the stupidest dogs you could
have and these dogs aren't good around
children but when you sit and read it it
just has misinformation for example a
Great Dane is on the list for most
dangerous dog but why because its size
because it could knock somebody down but
does that meet our definition of
dangerous that we talk about when we
talk about dangerous dogs has nothing to
do with it so I I guess I do you have
any educational materials or educational
information to share with someone who
comes in and says well I'd like to adopt
this dog but they're a pit bull and
they're dangerous is there something you
can counter with that attitude which
might help the adoption rate for pit
mixes anyway that's a great comment and
the answer is we we don't do by breed
but we have information in our adoption
packet that says you need to we call it
a suggestion of three hold on to animal
you know it takes three days to get it
especially with your gonna comfort with
your home three weeks to get associated
with your schedule and three months to
become part of your family
so we don't have a breed specific thing
but that's definitely something that we
could have available to for education
it's a great idea if I may apropos of
your comment miss Kincaid oh I think
though that if if the center was to do
that you might have a liability issue
there and the reason is because well
first of all you're not entirely sure
unless you've done a DNA test on that
animal number two have you had the
animal under your control or a direction
or whatever to observe certain behaviors
so and I think to put something in a
pamphlet or a packet of a given animal
might be misleading and might be
problematic I that's just my opinion
it's a good sign I as
somebody comes to me and says I'd like
to adopt this dog but it looks like a
pit bull and I'm worried about that and
we would say well if you're worried
about that breed here's some educational
information about the breed and I think
that's what more the universe being said
is it's not us saying it's a pit bull
here's information on it yes if you
would like more information on your
concerns that you may have here's
information on I see it as as then
searching it out not us and I was having
it and I would agree with that because
it's not that you're you would ever say
that a dog is not a liability because
given the right situation with the right
people and and the right facts any dog
is gonna bite maybe for whatever reason
so you can't ever guarantee that this is
a dog that's never going to bite but you
can give informational I mean they're
going to do their own research hopefully
you're going to point them where to go
and then just say don't believe
everything you read on the internet
about a dog because every dog is
different and and to kind of give like I
guess educational tips for bringing a
dog home and integrating them into the
family which I think you're already
doing yes I just you know I just hate
people to get on the internet and
believe everything they say on there
because it's most of the time misleading
and and incorrect so think that was my
point
I think Abraham Lincoln's said the same
thing about the Internet are there any
other questions commissioner Ellen's
Clinton are you gonna bring us a formal
proposal to be voted on at some point it
sounds like with it being policy David
Dolan was saying that it would need to
be approved by I think it would have to
be reviewed by a legal department
especially it would probably have to be
consistent with or Oh taking into
account what the state statute might be
but the excuse me would be something you
might do that by next board meeting okay
so you would you take it to attorney
Vega Brown first we have our own legal
attorney oh we have our own legal
attorney oh who is
Ben Jung was his name I don't I forgot
so oh because we're a bored independent
excuse me I'm sorry I'm still in the
counselor mode
mr. Jung is with Martinez and my nap oh
thank you so thank you Miss JA Han so I
I just okay
well we'll figure it out but it's true
because I've I had an AKC lab and people
would say oh he's a pit bull or he's got
some pit bull and he was a KC and he was
a pure lab but he had that white chest
and he had that big head and it was
probably a throwback gene to the
Newfoundland woods which is their bread
from and pepper was the mildest thing
you could ever meet he'd lick you to
death maybe and he did knock over my
then-husband who was six feet tall and a
hundred and sixty or eighty panels or
whatever he just knocked him down
because he came up behind him just happy
to play with him and he didn't you know
knock him down but but I I do like your
idea very much because it does bring to
mind how pepper was perceived because he
was black I think it would've been a
yellow lap and he would have been at
least but he was perfect you know the
tail and the ears and everything so I I
do like your idea very very much but I
do have a question if you were to send
puppies that you're not sure what the
breed is but they might be pit bull
puppies and you send them to Colorado
well do they do DNA on animals before
they they kill them well to assure that
it isn't a dangerous breed further
statute er it's only Denver the only a
city of Denver
okay they used to be able to move those
animals and if the rescue is quite rapid
or the Colorado puppy rescue is quite
wet for a reputable if they grow up and
they have those characteristics and if
they can't move them they're not going
to euthanize them they'll ship them out
somewhere else where they can get
adopted out okay good thank you thank
you very much any other questions I just
look forward to the public input part
that we have towards the end of the
meeting about this if anybody has
something to say yes well we do have
public input but that's down the because
we're only on item 5b so we have quite a
ways to go but we do have public input
at which time people will be able to
voice their opinions or comments Thank
You mr. Thacker on to committee reports
mr. dolla Hann finance madam chair board
members will start with amador giving
them financial report and then I'll talk
about the Finance Committee meeting that
we had like last week chair members and
board members and we'll service my name
is I'm Lloyd Espinosa I am one of the
accountants put the safety las cruces
that I'm assigned to animal services mr.
Dahlin do you want me to discuss the
audited financial statement results or
the unaudited monthly financials names
okay
so again I'll be presenting the Animal
Services Center of the musya Valley's
monthly financial statements for the
period ending January 31st 2020 looking
at page 1 of your financial statements
or packet rather that is the statement
of net position the general fund the
first column you have cash balance of
280 mm you have a receivable balance of
ninety one thousand India eighty-eight
thousand of that is to do from the Dona
Ana County which was received in
February you have total liabilities of
seventeen thousand sixty one thousand of
that is para liabilities and eight
thousand is monies out to the vendors
and that money was paid the vendors were
actually paid in the month of February
revenues collected in advance is at
about four thousand that is a
bestfriends grant that has not been
expended as of February however the
balance of maybe about a thousand four
hundred and ninety and then you have an
unassigned balance of two hundred and
ninety nine thousand when we over to the
next column the capital projects funds
you have a restricted or actually it
should be restricted I apologize for
that a restricted fund balance of three
thousand five hundred dollars and that
is for the cat room Stern donation
looking at page two or actually page
three just the operational highlights
the change in that position specifically
for the general fund fund seventy four
forty you have total revenues at 1
million seven hundred and seventy five
thousand do you have total expenditures
of 1 million five hundred and seventy
six thousand after the transfer of
seventy eight thousand to the capital
funds you have a net change in plan
balance of 122 thousand taken a look at
the budget actuals the budget parameter
for the month of January is at fifty
eight point three percent total revenues
overall is that sixty one point five
percent
that's easily about the budget parameter
and that's mainly due because of the
Johanna and the city of Las Cruces
contribution they pay twenty two percent
upfront in July and then after that it's
a monthly allocation throughout the the
remaining months total expenditures
they're below the budget parameter and
there are about fifty five point seven
percent your memo does does identify
some of the revenue line items if you'd
like me to discuss that or would just
like to just stick with the with the
summary on the presentation are you open
for questions I'm just asking if you
want me to discuss anything further more
details of the revenues and more details
of the expenditures are you good with uh
with the overall total revenues and
total expenditures would anybody like
clarification or expansion on that yes
please okay so looking at the revenue
classifications one of the first things
you look at is vaccination revenues
there are at sixty one point two percent
and again keeping in mind that our
budget parameters at fifty eight point
three percent and that percentage of
budget is due to a vaccination clinic
that the animal services held in
September as I mentioned again the
on-site adoptions are at sixty-five
sixty-five sixty-six percent or four
point five percent the average the
budget averaged parameter I think they
have a they had some good good turnouts
in the month of August September and and
January again we've already discussed
the Dona Ana counter bution and the city
of Las Cruces contribution they they
paid twenty two percent of the one point
two million in July and then it's
allocated through the remaining months
the city of Anthony revenues I believe
that was under budget that's why you
have a hundred and twenty four point
three percent budget parameter look at
that your expenditures you have total
temporary agencies at eleven point seven
percent above the parameter or threshold
just the Senators in the process of the
becoming completely staffed insurance
expenditures there at 67.7% and as I've
mentioned before your workman's comp any
other liability insurance 'as we we pay
them directly
we don't accrual and then allocate them
over a period of 12 months and then
lastly there is a page six in your
financial paper financial packet and
that gives that kind of gives you a
monthly trend of the up to January and
then the last page page number seven
that is just any summary of any grants
or donations and the only one that
remains is the capital donation right
and now I am open for any questions
thank you are there any questions there
are no questions thank you very much
next item is the executive report
committee report mr. Allens sorry madam
chair only I had a finance committee
report Amador does the actual financial
statements for the month I give a quick
financial report we had a Finance
Committee last Thursday commish Consular
a beta Stewie was with me mr. Sandt
Commissioner Sanchez was unable to
attend on the committee plant and staff
from both the budget and on the
accounting office were there we went
through the January financials we talked
about some stuff Clint brought up the
need for the budget work session which
is next Friday the fifth he had already
coordinated that that's a good thing
we're gonna have some detailed
discussions there later on your agenda
today we also discussed the acceptance
of the audit or the consolidate
comprehensive annual financial report
for the JPA so that's really all we
discussed if memory serves me correct so
Amador
will present the financial report when
it comes back to that item on the agenda
so that's it
and ma'am chair I apologize there on the
executive committee the committee chair
for that is actually the chair so I'm
sorry that that was still as like mr.
Allens so you're on the hot seat you
don't have villains to kick around it
anymore now you have me to kick around
so there's no kicking around so the
executive committee is comprised of mr.
Thacker mr. Allens as Immediate Past
Chair and mr. Sanchez mr. chair mr.
Sanchez was not a advised of the meeting
making my misfeasance but we did discuss
various things so the mr. Mike Puccini
did a I need help on this mr. mr.
Thacker you're the one that mentioned
that he did a management analysis and it
was reviewed and he said that we can
benefit from line items
yes panel director and could you
elaborate them absolutely so our budget
we're gonna be talking about on next
Thursday
Mike Roisin our new management analysis
was able to look and see that we're not
really allocating money to a program our
budgeting it very well so he proposed to
me to break it down into categories a
director's budget a operations budget
which includes the front staff and all
of our major companies our operations
and then our medical staff so all that's
sticking out and then our kennel staff
so those four budgets are for areas in
the shelter and then it's all kind of
grouped up to one big budget that we
have so we're able to better say medical
needs this much money and kennels needs
this much money we're in the past it was
just one big budget it was very hard to
track it was hard to say well we saved
this much money for for the medical
portion but we need something over here
for kennels so here that great idea
doing that so that's gonna be part and
that's what we discussed in the
executive committee we also discussed
briefly the breed identification issue
that we wanted to talk about here the
board which we have done and then I
believe that's all well we also
discussed whether the city and I think
it was Commissioner Ellen's who brought
this up he wanted to know whether the
city wanted to have its own department
independent of the of the county and
bringing bringing us under the city
umbrella right so you're saying correct
correct bringing that department excuse
me animal services under the umbrella of
the city and there was also a okay that
was it you're correct and thank you very
much mr. Thacker for your assistance is
there anything else you'd like to add
Commissioner Allen's that was discussed
there that I didn't know there have been
informal discussions as I understand it
between City and County representatives
as to what happens to this board if in
fact when the new facility is built the
city takes it over and how will the
county compensate
the animal service center for instance
would still be a gross contribution or
will it be per animal picked up and
delivered not resolved but I mean this
is the nature of the discussion and what
is the county's responsibility for
governance regarding the animal service
center these are issues that will and
need to be resolved not today but in the
future there's going to be a discussion
and I don't see any difference with the
county's involvement whether we build a
new center or not it's right now
currently the center is owned by the
city and the new and also the land that
asan is owned by the city the same thing
is gonna be when we build a new center
it's gonna be owned by the city it's
still gonna be there's gonna be an
increase in budget because now I'm
operating two buildings instead of just
one
so I have to do you know twice as much
the utilities and all those but the only
thing that you mentioned I could see
that would be different is if the city
decides to have a desire to change the
way that they are billed if they no
longer want to do a 50/50 split of the
costs or etc but but where I stand right
now is the executive director I this day
and I don't plan on changing or have
anything changed because of those
centers being built that's the way I see
it but I've noticed a lot of city
employees so you have to talk to the
city about probably madam chair yes
madam
they are attempt yes thank you
we have had at least one joint work
session with this county and the city to
discuss the idea of moving the center
into the city I know there had been
informal communications with a
the former manager city manager with
manager Macias and so if that is you
know the will of this board and we've
talked about having subsequent joint
meetings with the county and that hasn't
happened so if if the board wishes to
you know move in that direction we we
can we can talk about having a joint
meeting with city and county officials
to sort of talk about what the city has
developed now the city did present an
idea because we've have looked at it as
a city of what the issues are in
concerns now we have a new board right
and so a lot of actually a lot of work
has been done from the city's side to
look at what it would take for the
center tip or for the center to move
into the city in terms of complete sort
of responsibility with the idea of Qaumi
continuing to provide the financials for
that so David can you madam chair if I
may
can we course update the new the new
members here of the board in terms of
what all those discussions have been
like and sort of where we are at at this
point madam chair madam mayor pro-temp
in late 2007 there was a proposal by the
previous city manager to look at
bringing the animal service center into
essentially an operational department of
the city and that 2007 right to any 17
oh I'm sorry you are correct
2017 my apologies it was late 2017
essentially creating the animal service
center as a department within its
command chain so as for those of you who
aren't familiar the only employee of the
City Council is a city manager he hires
all employees the input the controlling
factors of the City Council is they hire
the city manager they adopt the budget
they adopt city policy they adopt
ordinances and resolutions
implementation they also help control
through the budget the organizational
structure of the city that is clear
within our Charter then what would
happen under the proposal is animal
service center becomes a department that
would report through the chain of
command to the city manager who is the
city councils only employee and our
proposal at the time which we were still
supportive of there would be an Animal
Care and Control advisory board similar
to the City Council's Planning and
Zoning Commission or parks and rec
advisory board under that proposal there
would be lay persons and specialty
persons appointed by the council to that
board and there could be county
representation that was not thought out
that was not fleshed out or any way
shape or form one proposal was as part
of the city bringing it under the city
operations as a department it the
shelter would be merged with County City
Animal Control would become part of that
department because they do work
regularly together currently City Animal
Control as part of the police department
its codes enforcement function so that
would change that's part of the proposal
then there was an expanded proposal to
look at taking over County Animal
Control under that merge Department we
don't feel at this point that what we
called phase 2 at that time is a viable
option economically for either entity
there are just differences that occur
between our equipment and Pratt
this is at the animal control level
which are okay because they need to be
because we are working in different
settings that was our assessment at the
time in 2018 we need to come back to the
City Council there are some information
that we need to update from the 2017
late 2017 analysis we now have two more
years worth of data from the shelter on
adoptions and so forth the long term
issues are the we have to resolve a para
issue which I just found information
about from para themselves that is not
that big of an issue the animal service
center is their own para plan within
para unlike some other joint powers
agreement those employees of the other
joint powers agreement are in our para
pool for example south central solid
waste and merv de they're in the city's
para pool
animal service center is not like that I
think it had to do with the timing as to
when it was done these are complicated
issues that we have to resolve but we
found out that that's not the most
complicated issue our original proposal
and I just had discussions yesterday on
giving information what we had done to
the county assistant county manager and
miss Quintero yesterday about what we
had done in 2017 giving them opportunity
to develop time for questions that they
may have from the county's perspective
that we may not have thought of so that
happened yesterday so and I'm sharing
with them information as they come up
with questions
the original proposal is there would be
a for a set period of time there would
be a flat dollar amount coming from the
county to help with the transition but
in the long term it would be on a per
animal fee basis right now my rough
number
are 60% of the animals come from the
city 40% come from the county that's
just been historical I think that's a
fairly fair assessment Clint as
executive director and you as the board
have moved forward on some much-needed
improvements one of them is the other
entities in the county the other whether
it's White Sands Missile Range or the
other incorporated communities we have
unified their fee for a per animal fee
basis so we have a mechanism by which to
accommodate billing for the animals the
city would not bill itself for animals
we are efficient in that regards it
would just be part of the budget the
county would ultimately could recognize
some savings because instead of a flat
agreed-upon annual fee it would be based
on a per animal fee basis we could do
that on a monthly basis or we could do
that on an annual basis based on the
historical trend and then that's what we
do with merv our fee is based on
historical calls with merv de so those
are nuances that we have to work out as
I understand it we were going to have a
city work session first that was the
mayor's request and I'm working to get
on that calendar because not every
member of the City Council is fully
aware of the 2017 proposal and they're a
bunch of nuances and then we would
continue working with the county and we
would start in involving ASC m/v staff
there are some efficiencies gained by
this legal expenses liability expenses
other things that are already part of a
city organization that ASC m/v has to
pay for now so there are some recognized
savings there we do have to work out
where it would be in the revenue stream
because if money comes in it it goes
into the general fund if it's a general
fund activity but there are mechanisms
for
we can restrict that activity so license
and registration fees adoption fees the
county's money could go into a special
revenue fund and so forth so there are a
bunch of nuances that we will present to
the council a SC MV staff will be part
of that before we present to Council and
then we'll go to the county do the
County at that point it's not likely to
happen between now and the end of the
fiscal year and probably if it's going
to move forward it's probably best to
happen next fiscal year end next June
30th there are some you can do it at any
time I can tell you we can do it at any
time once that decision is made however
there are some financial implications
from the audit and the books that makes
it more efficient for us to do at a
fiscal year change but we can actually
I've seen it done both ways I've seen it
done at a fiscal year and I've also seen
it done during the fiscal year so it is
just easier at the end of a fiscal year
but we if that's the desire of the two
political entities that make up the
joint powers agreement that create the
SEM V we can do that that's it in a
five-minute nutshell maybe a few minutes
longer than five minutes
so sorry for taking so much time but
that's where we are mr. Dolan I do have
a question so the fiscal year would end
in 2021
so they CMB and the city and the county
are both on a July 1 to June 30th so it
would be June 30th in my opinion the
earliest we could do it would be June
30th of 2021 yes that's what I want to
clarify thank you very much thank you
mr. Dolan anything else mr. I'm sorry
I'm so sorry my question that's okay yes
yeah mr. dollar hand and to the board I
one of the things that I think we should
look at also is not only a flat fee but
also a fee for housing the
I mean for the building of the a second
building right I I think we need to
consider that as well as we continue the
dialogue because I mean we passed a geo
bond from the city's perspective to
build a new facility to include the
adoption side that will now where you
currently are at and and there is
nothing in there that the county has put
in any funding towards that so I want
I'd like for us to have a conversation
about that specific fee as well so thank
you we so counselor that is a very good
point and that is something that to be
aware of and I will remind this and I
say this often city residents are County
residents and so that's always something
I keep in mind the Geo bond is pledged
by property tax increases for Las Cruces
residents that will be paid for over the
years through that property tax
assessment we have not looked at that
fee as a per fee basis we also haven't
discussed with a Clint and his staff as
would that per animal fee basis change
and would there be a factor such as that
most of the fees to house the animals
are paid by the adopter or the person
who's stray animal was at the shelter
for a number of days correct so those
those are nuances that we have to do
that may not be a direct fee but it may
be built into our fee structure with the
county and we do need to have that
discussion so thank you that is a very
good point
thank you David Thank You mr. Thacker
and madam chair and thank you that was a
excellent question
is that the conclusion or for the
executive community yes I'm ready for
the next 100 that's right you are ready
your facilities Thank You mr. Thakur
so the Facilities Committee did not meet
the time was supposed to me I was
currently was in a training outside of
the states so we did not have the
meeting however I do want to update you
on the new center plans there's a 60
percent completion of blueprints will be
turned in in March so excited that that
continues to move forward I appreciate
the input we're getting from my
co-workers from our staff they are I
send out every time we get an update I
send information out the most recent was
in the lobby they want to have an area
for children to be able to entertain
themselves so we have already made a
commitment that there's going to be
either chalk paint or chalkboards
mounted to the walls on a lower level
with chalk that kids can have fun drop
pictures while their parents or
caretakers are taking care of business
so it was great to get that feedback
from our staff on that so those
continues it's a daily communication
with the architect and with their
special advisor
Larry Connolly that I appreciate
everything that's going on there on
their part to complete that to our our
other thing going on right now the
center is our HVAC project that is
underway it did start in mid-february
we've had two project meetings so far
right now it has a July 13th completion
date to have everything completed and
this is doing a brand new roof on the
entire Center and also converting from
swamp coolers to actual HVAC so heating
and air we are excited for that addition
however it is taking some time there are
some growing pains for instance on March
5th we are going to acknowledge e dark
we're going to be losing our internet
connection just for a day so this is
something that everybody we have to
Bernice is helping us remember what a
pencil and a pen is and paper and we are
we're going to be losing phones so we
have we have to look at forwarding our
phones to cell phones or utilizing our
older analog see if that lines still
alive everything's all in plant our own
place to take care of these things but
it's a challenge that we are willing to
work with because we see the great
results from it and we're used to it
because we were very displaced at the
when the remodeling portion was
happening so we're excited that to go on
the completion date was delayed a little
bit because of our bad weather that we
had high winds snow rain for some reason
they don't want to work on a roof when
it's snowing or when there's high winds
so we understand that the city is in
charge of that project and they're doing
a fabulous job having individual there
every single day keeping track of how
that's going forward so currently right
now they're doing the roof removal
portion of that and we're just excited
to see how it goes on that's my present
for the Facilities Committee
thank you mr. Thacker any questions from
the board
mayor pre-camp Matt madam chair Thank
You mr. Thacker in terms of the facility
and the new build what kind of
conversations are being had around
sustainability putting solar and those
kinds of things already off the bat I'm
finding that through our geo bond
projects there's not a lot of
communication because of the cost and I
think either we pay now or pay later so
I I think it in the long run if we are
already speaking to any of our new
builds we should have we should have
that conversation in terms of solar that
conversation has already taken place we
are very excited about it they are I
don't know if it was a grant or money
was awarded to the project but it's to
start solar so we will have the PVC
panels on it will not be a hundred
percent coverage but it is be able to
expand on that do you have anything you
want to add on that David that's awesome
mr. Thakur that was part of the
architectural design presentation as
well wasn't it it was we did not have
the information at that time that we
were awarded the money but that was the
lead plan was to have that ready to go
for solar right so we're glad this is a
addition that we got money for that
thank you thank you madam chair board
members on the sustainability going to
the Solar the city has said about
set-asides to sustainability funds for
that very purpose for the county members
you may not know we have a long term
goal to reduce our electric utility
usage to more renewable resources
whether that's a renewable energy
through solar or geothermal and so forth
our first goal is in 2022 that's quarter
percent based on 19 2007 numbers don't
hold me to that year and then then 2030
and then to be a hundred percent so we
have two avenues available to us using
that sustainability fund to put solar on
there or we've also just entered into a
contract for purchase power agreement
based on our review of the building's
future size and so forth we're going to
use the sustainability funds the
purchase power agreement is a little
more expensive for us and it's more
beneficial to use it in in other areas
are water wells some of our utility
operations it has opportunity to expand
elsewhere in the future we got really
lucky because it was the key time for us
to make those design considerations to
accommodate solar so it's worked out
really well we're just using other funds
to put them in as part of the project
and and they will go in last so okay
okay mr. chair mr. Dahle ahem I love
that idea but it's not to capacity right
it's not a hundred percent and I like to
hear what that would look
like year-to-year not forgetting because
it I just I can't imagine the the energy
that's going to be expended expended
there and so I'd like like us to on the
board to familiarize ourselves make sure
that at our budget time that that we're
moving towards that because I'm assuming
that it will be coming out of the asam
B's budget and maybe any grant
opportunities that we may look at to
help to get to a hundred percent madam
chair counselor you're correct we will
we will work on those estimates based on
the first phase we have to look at other
phases and other opportunities grants
future years
sustainability funding funding to expand
the system that can be accommodated
within the new building we also need to
look at the existing building they're
doing work now that that building is not
going to go away so those are those are
part of every building that we're
looking at the city and and that
includes the existing and the future
building at asam V so we will work on
those numbers with you and it you are
correct
a SCM v's electric bill and water bill
does come out of their operating budget
so they have to pay that we are looking
at some innovative things within the new
building that will help with some cost
savings elsewhere landfill fees and so
forth so that's it's an exciting project
so we'll we will get there Thank You mr.
Donham Thank You mr. Thakur thank you
Matt Thank You mr. Don Thank You mayor
pro-tem Thank You mr. Thakur
next is zero in seven update and Miss
Jean Gilbert will present
good morning ASC MB Board of Directors
I'm gene Gilbert and I'm the secretary
for the Coalition for pets and people
this is a listing of the six community
organizations that are going to be
featured in this month's presentation
the other groups here in the area will
be highlighted in next month's repeat
report excuse me
okay and here are the coalition
activities for January and February and
they include meetings for the task force
and a meeting with the Dona Ana County
Humane Society Director April Anaya
talking about ways that we can network
and support each other having the same
goal to help the animal shelter and
coalition chair recon met with safe
havens volunteer coordinator Tricia
Quillin and talked about the calls that
they receive for animals in need the
coalition leadership set goals for 2020
which you see listed here the Coalition
has adopted a new logo because the 0 & 7
goal has the time has lapsed on that
so our byline right now is we feel
summarizes really what all of the
organizations need is we all need human
resources so our our buzz word is
volunteer and this is a slide on the dog
park coalition and they held a board of
directors meeting of February the 12th
to plan their annual meeting in some of
their year's events in addition to the
board meeting the dog color of the dog
park coalition holds intermittent
socials birthday celebrations for their
dogs and they hold monthly wash downs of
the park on the first Saturday of
the month dog part members are currently
exploring strategies to get security
lighting at the park and here you see
pictured the president on pictured on
the right is Kevin Armstrong and this
slide is on the las cruces pet network
which helps animals like this or
orphaned dog who came to the network's
attention through a phone call seeking
help the network tries to find solutions
and resources so that we can bypass the
animal shelter and by posting notices on
social media and we have a direct
distribution email list that we use and
we make calls to advocates and to rescue
organizations to help help animals the
New Mexico forever homes Animal Rescue
is based in Alamogordo and they've been
rescuing animals in need since 2005 and
they received their 501 3 status in 2015
there they work diligently to assist
animals in this region which are mostly
dogs out of the shelter's where where
animals are at risk of euthanasia
and they transport them to cities and
states where the animals are received by
no-kill rescues and interesting to know
that many of these animals involved in
this transfer and I know Clint has
referenced it too but these many of them
find adoptive families within less than
two two weeks
here you see Denise buyer who's
affiliated a team member of engage paws
and she's rescuing doing a transport of
this Australian Penelope from the ASC MV
to a rescue arranged by forever homes
animal rescue their rescue numbers who
are 728 dogs and 83 cats
totaling eight hundred and
811 animals that forever homes animal
rescue help during the year 2019 and of
those numbers 52 of the dogs and I know
it was a slide that I had last year came
from the ruff reporting case in Deming
here are a couple of dogs that were
relinquished to the Animal Services
Center and lost to found pets and New
Mexico forever homes Animal Rescue
advocated for these two dogs Kane and
Dexter they came in very bad condition
to the shelter and both dogs now are
doing quite well and have made
significant gains the black dog there is
with Foster Schneider and a lot of us
have been following her on Facebook to
see what the progress has been for the
for these dogs safe haven animal
sanctuary is a limited admission shelter
and no-kill sanctuary located on the
East Mesa and they house approximately
90 animals
mazie pictured here is one of the their
recent adoptions and in addition to
their adoption promotions that Petsmart
in other locations safe haven also
promotes her animals on the radio like
this little Henry and I actually saw it
live streams with the little dog being
serenaded by the musicians that say
nothing but a hound dog safe-haven
receives 25 to 60 phone calls a day for
animals in need with fifty to sixty
percent of those calls for surrender
relinquishment have fallen that category
Ric met recently with Trish Quillin and
their volunteer coordinator and talked
about the type of calls they get 25
percent of those calls on in the
relinquishment or surrender category
come from caretakers of elderly people
who are either in hospice
they've died and they're looking for a
place for the animals safe haven held a
three-day mobile spay neuter clinic in
January and that resulted in 150 I'm
sorry
158 spay and neuters which i think is
amazing
here are some groups that have donated
to safe haven the Newman Center and the
Animus U students both hold held either
a fundraiser or a donation event for the
sanctuary snap spay neuter action
program had has a clinic scheduled
through June and you see a listing here
that goes through April and it's there
scheduled with the paws and hoofs mobile
clinic that comes to their site their
snap issued two hundred and forty-six
six spay neuter vouchers for the month
of January with a hundred and forty nine
of those four dogs and ninety-seven for
cats in addition to the clinics and
issuing vouchers snap participates in
vaccination clinics and they recently
worked with county aces in Barrino with
and this is an opportunity for them to
promote spay and neuter and stamp says
they've seen an increase in and demand
because of the grant from the county
uncage paws zora is micro microchip
miracle the start
pictured here she was discarded mama dog
found in the desert and was rescued and
placed in uncaged paws last litter
program and that was about a year and a
half ago because of all the trauma that
Zora suffered she was slow to trust
people and she ended up escaping from
her foster home in November 2018
but the new beginning and the good news
is a Good Samaritan rescued her it was
able to rescue her that she was on the
run that they were able to rescue her
because she was being attacked by by
dogs by a by a group of dogs and this is
14 months after she escaped that she was
rescued and she suffered severe injuries
and her back leg had to be amputated and
here you see Dora pictured with Jennifer
clients who is a member of the uncaged
paws last litter team but the reason I'm
showing this slide is because it's an
illustration of the success of uncaged
paws programs their foster an adoption
program their last litter and their
check the chip which they're going to be
resuming in March projects say the
kitten is going to hold an annual their
annual kitty litter which is an enormous
and wonderful jewelry sale and that will
be Friday and Saturday March 27th and
28th proceeds go to help cats in the
community and to help local cat
organizations Dona Ana County Maine
Society will host their first yappy hour
of the season on March the 18th
lacombe's winery and this is a very fun
people in pet social which runs through
October they hold monthly yappy hours
and I'm going to end the slide with this
adopt rescue foster volunteer and donate
we need to dramatically increase our
participation resources in these
categories and then Oh Clint referenced
you know how very close we are now to
Tokyo and so by people engaging and
volunteering and do these kinds of
things not only can we increase
the resources but when when we do see
consistency in reaching no kill
hopefully because of participation and
support from the community we will be
able to sustain it so please help Plus
Chris has become a no-kill community
thank you are there any questions yes
there are Mayor Pro Tem young madam
chair thank you miss Gilbert I
appreciate you coming every month and
giving out all the information and I'm
honoring from the zero to seven if there
were some commonalities in the reporting
for example like each of the entities
that participate in the zero and seven
if they could be collecting information
like number of animals where they come
from like you mentioned in one of the
slides I think I took notes from the
safe haven that there were 90 animals
right in the new specific that has 90
now their facility houses 90 yeah so 90
animals so I'm wondering if the
reporting can be similar to what we're
asking the city and county plus the
center so that we have an idea because
what struck me was and then you kind of
broke it down a little further with the
safe-haven numbers 25 percent are
relinquished right because of Elder
either there have been in hospice or
they're no longer living and they've had
to give up the animals so to me it's
important to sort of look to see some
commonalities and ways by which we can
work together right in terms of like how
many are foster adopt are they coming
specifically from other communities like
Alamogordo and grab because I know
sometimes they do do that right
but also things like the chip program
numbers there I'm just trying to find a
way that as we're collecting information
that we're seeing how we're affecting
each other's programs right and how or
what other specific categories that
maybe we mean need to be emphasizing in
terms oh I'm thinking around the
strategic planning session that I had
recommended so it's important to have
these these numbers in my mind so well I
think you know I as often as I can
I every month I include for the board
members packets the reports from the
different groups and so the data that
I'm giving you is what I'm able to get
from sure and so that's why I may not be
able to be able to cover all the bases
there but I'll I'll continue we Rick and
I are the leadership at the coalition
and one of the goals has been that we're
going to meet with the representatives
and there are some of them that do
report on a regular basis and I know APA
is one who has been very consistent
every month reporting all their stats
but this time they transferred their
system over to an another one so next
month they'll make up for the loss in
their report this month but I guess the
short of it is is that there is going to
be some inconsistency but we'll continue
to work on it as much as we can in
getting as much data as we can an
organization like New Mexico forever
homes because their reach tall I
personally would be interested in
knowing what the numbers are that
they're helping from Las Cruces and
maybe just contacting them in
individually I write because the end of
the day that advocates right and the the
number of these groups are trying to
help either take from the center so
they're not they're not there for so
long and or
right towards zero and seven each all of
the organizations they have different
mission statement sure of course by and
large we all are trying to help our
shelter become no-kill but so it's the
data is going to vary based on their the
NIH and I understand depending on what
they're doing but if if we could get
information and working together right
to ensure that we have our priorities
set forth to move you know to a no-kill
because I think that's what all of us
want right
and so I I was hoping that as your
coalition meets and gets stronger that
you two can you know help effect some of
these numbers and you are yeah so those
are some of my questions like your chip
program the numbers how many vouchers
are being used right how many are out
there how many are being used in and and
then what are the issues when we can't
get people back to use their voucher
those were those are just some of my
comments and because it will be
something for a snap is to find out what
the vouchers are that are actually
redeemed because the numbers we're
getting are the vouchers that have been
issued mm-hmm thank you James
thank you so much there's one more
question for you I believe okay
cancer betas steuby thank you madam
chair thank you so much for all the hard
work that I mean all these organizations
do in the community i I am one of those
that looks online at the different
stories and and sees you know those
successes and sometimes those
heartbreaking stories but I know you all
work very very hard so thank you so much
for that service one of my questions was
just very related to board member got us
which is if we had some of that data and
maybe mr. Thacker might know some of
this as well on how many animals are
getting taken from these local
organizations
because I know that we do a lot like
with pelo which is in Arizona you said
but how many were able to give to local
organizations and then using those
numbers against how many they're picking
up from just community members as well
well I know Clint does the daily
Facebook posting with a breakdown of all
of the really the activities that are
happening there at the center related to
animals and I would imagine that those
are listed there yeah yes we have it
broke down by what rescue takes what I
don't have the other information you're
asking about that have to come from the
rescues you know how many comes in
straight to them how many of they're
helping out but if I can if you like I
get that number for you that'd be great
thank you and then later on at least we
can compare those data you know so but
thank you so much for all the work any
other questions
thank you miss Gilbert thank you next on
the agenda is our action items madam
chair on the first item resolution 20
dash zero zero six I'll present the
second item Amador Espinoza will present
and then Klinsmann to do that that the
last one before you as a budget
adjustment to your capital account it is
in this fiscal year but it's due to we
had a heavy reduction in revenue from
the grant revenue line item for $21,000
that was revenue we had received last
year timing of the budget we hadn't
adjusted it this year now that the audit
is through we need to make this
adjustment because it occurred in this
fiscal year and then there's a net
positive amount for the animal service
center on sixteen thousand six fifty
four
on the capital line item that has also
been spent that was on the previous
building improvements so that's in your
exhibit a on that resolution that's a
reduction of 21,000 on the revenue side
and an authorizing expenditure of 16,000
6:54 on the budget line item but that's
a that's a net positive thank you mr.
Donham any questions of mr. cohan his
may I have a motion to approve so moved
second thank you it has been any
discussion
roll call please remember Gonzalez yes I
remember a ass today
yes we'll remember Ellen's mr. Ellen's
can I have that on the voyage thank you
will member can Dada yes
remember Sanchez yes chairperson Flores
yes
the next resolution will be presented by
mr. Amador Espinoza thank you madam
chair again my name is Amma the oldest
Binoche I and one of the accounts of the
city of Las Cruces and I'm assigned to
the animal service center members of the
board this is a summary of the 2019
audit results just a quick view the
city's accounting program which is us we
prepare the financial statements however
it is the center's response the center
is responsible for the financial
statement content the independent
auditors report if you look at your
audited financial statement and that is
on page 62
we are their manager so the auditors
opinion of the financial statements is a
unmodified opinion and not of my
modified opinion means that it is the
best opinion available and as you know
and as you can read there in page 62 it
states that there were no material
weakness identified and there were no
significant deficiencies identified in
the overall audit of the financial
statements I will touch a little bit
regarding the repeat offense here in in
a few minutes if you just bear with me
again the financial statements are
presented fairly in accordance with
accounting principles with accounting
with accounting principles generally
accepted in the United States a quick
overview of total expenses or rather
total expenditures and revenues this is
a comparative between FY 16 all the way
up through FY 19 revenues are in the
orange and total expenditures are in the
green where I 516 you'll see revenues
are at two points 2.3 million and
expenditures are at 1.9 moving on to FY
9 FY 17 revenues are at 2.3 million and
expenditures are 2.1 FY 18 you have
revenues at 2.5 I'm sorry you have
expenditures that exceed revenues at
2.18 and that was probably the same for
FY step 2017 excuse me and then for FY
19 you have expenditures that are have
4.1 million and revenues at 2.9 million
due to that expenditure increase a lot
of it during FY 19 we did have the
capital project fund there was about 1.3
million I believe that that was for the
building improvements it was an expense
to the center and then since the
building is owned by the city that
except that capitalization goes to the
city
to discuss the the repeat findings we
had a finding it is it's regarding
internal controls over cash receipts it
is repeated and modified modified just
basically means it has emphases of
matter meaning its it's put there for a
reason the auditors want you to know
there was a finding in the previous
audit year what they did is they tested
forty deposits and six of those forty
deposits were not deposited within 24
hours and then one of those forty
deposits did not have signature on the
cash slip any questions kills our Vedas
to be yes thank you madam chair um for
those deposits were we able to find out
if those were deposits that happened on
the weekend or during the weekday that's
a good question
we did did provide that resource for you
there was one that was deposited on July
5th 2018 which was on a Thursday there
was one that was deposited on August 18
2018 it was on a Saturday but it wasn't
deposited on Monday it was deposited
even a day after the Monday we had
another deposit on August 21st 2018
which was on a Tuesday and then another
deposit on August 31st 2018 which is on
a Friday
you're welcome I
mayor pro-tem Godzilla thank you madam
chair Thank You mr. Espinoza for your
presentation in this particular audit
with the issues that we discussed last
time around the shortfall of personnel
funding would that have been detected by
this audit firm actually it wouldn't
madam chair councillors gondola if you
look at page 16
I love you audited financial statements
give me a minute to find it it's
regarding mr. so tell me the page number
I'm looking for I think you bear with
her man thank you
it's on page 26 rather and so looking at
note 1 summary of significant accounting
policies and it talks about budgets if
you read through it and right towards
the end of the of the the paragraph is
just that if fun is not overspent it is
in compliance with state law the budget
may be amended by the center board
however approval of the state of New
Mexico Department of Finance and
Administration must be obtained to
provide it increases so to answer your
question that type of a personnel issue
where they didn't budget for for for a
shortfall of a personnel is not
something that a financial audit would
find it is more of a internal it's
something between the center between the
budget Department and I believe also the
HR department as their as their
forecasting for the next fiscal year
because because what they're looking for
when the auditors are looking for is
what you bought did what you bought it
budgeted for did you overspend in
actuals not necessarily did you did you
budget a shortfall
okay so we weren't at that point but we
would have been right if if we were at a
certain point and overspent perhaps
correct if our actuals that some sort if
our actuals actual payroll expenses or
expenditures were spent and our actual
exceeded the amount budgeted then it
would have been considered a finding and
then depending on the amount of the
finding it could have been a material
weakness or significant deficiency okay
so I also understand when these auditors
come you would say you meaning the city
or the Animal Services Center would say
why are we you know sue t something
percent of our budget you know I knew
there was an issue according to mr.
Thacker
and so you would say you would say
there's a red flag here I want you to
check into this right we don't have
enough funding specifically for the
number of
employees that we have right so then
they would go in and check spot check
correct I'm not sure I'm understanding
the question is if you're asking the
question that there was a shortfall that
when the center and the budget
department did not budget for those say
for example six or seven employees that
would not be immediately obvious and now
if you told the auditors that that would
be an issue that wouldn't particularly
be a finding it's not a financial audit
finding as a Viette they're looking at
budget actuals and they're looking at
whether your actuals exceed seed your
your your budget and amount so it would
be more of a maternal issue of why they
didn't legit or why you know they they
accidentally you know forgot to budget
for six positions network field at that
time okay all right thank you mr.
spender
madam chair madam chair board members
council down there please remember that
this audit was for fiscal year nineteen
that ended last June 30th the the issue
that we're having now is in this year's
budget process and I believe it it is a
issue a collective issue that needs to
be resolved between the city's Human
Resources acting on behalf of the ASC MB
as the fiscal as our budget office and
animal service staff it is a collective
effort we have only so much accurate
data in human resources it's dependent
on the staff at the animal service
center to verify that and make sure we
have the right positions and then that's
a joint effort between those two
departments to make sure budget has the
right information we're going through
that on the city's budget now that
should be part of our discussion next
week as well as part of our work session
because we at the city level when we do
budgeting we verify every person in
every position if they're filled or is
it a true and legitimate vacant position
based on when we were too
being the budget so it is a joint effort
but it does need to be done and I'd I
will I think what we need to offer it
the city is have a sit-down between
Human Resources ASCO MV and the budget
office and go through that discussion I
don't know that we need a full audit we
need to figure out who's in what
positions where now who is previously in
positions that became vacant and verify
those with Bernice and others and make
sure we have the right inventory of
staff I think we don't need to be
spending money in my opinion on an
auditor until such time as we at least
had that sit-down discussion and go
through that as a staff that would be my
recommendation thank you any other
questions for mr. Espinoza thank you mr.
Espinoza but I do have a comment for mr.
Dahle hen this to me is very unnerving
as a city councilor and as a member of
this board but particularly as a member
of the City Council for its it's to me
so it should just be so automatic that
the budget Department knows that that we
don't have those employees or we need
these employees and it seems that Human
Resources would have that information
and it would be something that would
just be a matter of fact and so it's
disconcerting it's something that we can
discuss later perhaps it's a city it's a
city issue but because it is impacting
animal services what concerns me is
where else might this be happening and
that's very disconcerting for me mr.
Dahle and and I think it's something
that we have to address as a City
Council in a work session or whatever it
is to whatever it takes you know send
out a notice
oh ma or whatever but it's something
that we really have to discuss it's very
disconcerting it's actually kind of
scary and I'm happy that mayor pro-tem
Uganda jumped in at our last meeting and
said I want an audit and I think that
what mr. Espinoza has stated is that an
audit wouldn't have found and it didn't
and that's why it doesn't show up in the
audit report so perhaps you're right
that a nod isn't going to help but it's
but yes what would you like to say madam
chair members of the board another thing
to consider is conducting another audit
I mean the numbers the numbers on the
financial statements aren't gonna change
those are legitimate actual expenditures
for the fiscal year so those numbers
aren't going to change what what we're
talking about is and what madam gonnna
does probably asking is why was it
overlooked why was there a shortfall in
determining these the number of just
positions that's required for the animal
service to function in full capacity and
yet we didn't budget for the full
capacity and that that is david allah
has indicated you know it's a it's a
it's a discussion that that the director
of the animal service center HR and and
budget need to have i will add one more
thing to it thank you miss just yes
madam chair zoo dalian you are correct
it should be concerning and we need to
resolve the issue no doubt i will tell
you because this was last fiscal year's
audit and we're we have to be careful
because we're getting off the topic and
technically we should be talking about
this honor but last year's budget was
Clint's first full budget was it not so
it is a learning curve for him as well
and for everyone involved and so this is
an unfortunate accident that should not
have happened and it can be resolved I
know it can
yes it should be concerning and I'm
working really hard with Clint that we
can solve this problem in next year's
budget as well and that will be a very
healthy discussion next week Thank You
mr. Dullahan and I hope you're having
those hearty discussions and other
departments as well thank you mister yes
councillor mayor protomatter thank you
the other the other part that is
concerning and and I'll say this
publicly I said it in another board
meeting that we have a joint powers of
agreement is we need to be invited to
these entrance and exit exams it's one
of my first times that I was not invited
to that I understand why that happened
and and we've brought up things like
open meetings act and and the
invitations went to certain people I
know that I've said this at nauseam
another at the City Council on it the
South Central Solid Waste Authority
board but it's it's important that and I
I think if I remember correctly the
county was invited is what I was told
through the south central solid waste
authority but we're a joint powers and
this is your first time sitting on this
board in and so I understand all the all
the nuances and a new team and you know
that kind of thing but someone has to
raise that right you don't see people
someone needs to say was our board chair
was our members invited we police
ourselves pretty well in terms of having
more than three people we put quorum
notices out and and I just I just want
to be clear that I'd like to have
opportunity to be invited to this stuff
probably now I'm the most seasoned
person on this
group until I'm not so I so it's
important to have the history there as
well
I think in and so and I also want to
encourage staff on the city side to
really work I know this is in addition
to the job duties that you already have
but um I'd like to encourage the
collaboration and the coordination from
these with these other joint powers of
agreement you know entities because I
think it's important and in Clinton and
I have had this conversation lap in
December about what my expectation is in
terms of him in terms of reaching out
and ensuring that we get these things
taken care of so thank you thank you
Mayor Pro Tem Gandara yes Chelsea Medina
from for a week from the city of Las
Cruces too presently exit and excuse me
which department finance department
thank you to address the exit and
entrance conferences we are changing our
meetings for next year to have them
separate this was the first year we
tried it as one but next year we are
having separate meetings and in the this
meeting right here we did have mr.
Eckman and miss Flores attend this exit
conference
it can't be miss Flores it could be mr.
Eckman
it was Jackie O on the joint one sorry
I'm yeah I'm sorry you're correct
sorry so
madam chair it's alright excuse me yes
counselor later Stewie thank you I'm so
looking at the back of this exit
conference and it lists the people that
were in attendance in it lists counselor
Flores here was is that not correct then
miss
she was there you were yes I was there
you just need to realize that she was
there is city counselor she wasn't on
the ASC MV board at that time that's why
and it was a joint one between the City
Council and all of our GPAs who we are
the fiscal agent for and that's what is
presented us with difficulties is
because we can't result in the closed
meeting on the exit conference we can't
result in a quorum of the board or the
City Council so that's why we're going
back to separate meetings so we can we
can meet in a closed meeting on the exit
conference in the internet on the exit
conference as this board but not as a
City Council that's why thank you
excuse me any other questions any other
comments thank you very much mr.
Espinoza and thank you thank you
no matter of chair I need a motion no no
that has been was that the moment I
don't think there's a motion yes I need
a motion on resolution number 2020 - 0 7
a resolution authorizing the governing
board for the Animal Services Center of
Messiah of the Mesilla Valley to approve
the annual financial report for the year
ending June 30 2019 our motion I move
approval second second board member
Gonzalez yes
boomer bait the stove a no remember
Ellen's yes
remember Gandhara no we remember Sanchez
yes chairperson Flores no
next on the agenda is resolution - 0 - 0
8 except $5,000 from Best Friends
Animal Society for the executive
leadership training program and some
backers I need a motion sorry
so moved thank you second discussion or
mr. Thakur I believe I believe everybody
knows what this is for the scholarship
for me to attend the executive
leadership training so scholarship money
is there any discussion on this roll
call please
oh I'm sorry
there there is I'm sorry Commissioner
Sanchez
no I didn't have I did have any
discussion I apologize
oh but you have your line up I do I
apologize about
oh excuse my roll call please remember
Gonzales yeah but my rep bait that's to
be yes remember Ellen's yes thank you
board member Gandhara yes we remember
Sanchez yes
chairperson Flores yes
next item is public input is Laura
Duncan here is Duncan you asked to speak
how many people will be speaking on
excuse me help participate in public
input 1 and miss Duncan ok step forward
miss Duncan you have five minutes
that better please excuse my nerves
first time I've ever done this and a
little emotional so I'm one of the 10%
unsuccess stores hidden successful
stories regarding an animal that was
brought into the services center and I
felt it was worth your time knowing what
happened please keep your body mouth
close to the okay the other microphone
thank you yes so just a quick backtrack
in September of 2018 a mother cat
brought her three kittens to my barn and
since that point of time we have raised
them love them adored them they become
part of the family they're basically
semi-feral at this point I can touch
them pet them play with them
fast-forward to November of nineteen
about mid-november one of my cats one of
my beloved cats went missing because we
live right at the edge of the orchards
right off of highway 478 south Maine
right out of Mesilla Park I assumed that
that cat had probably been lost to a
predator because they're coyotes and
owls in the area and they mourned his
loss as well as the rest of his little
family fast forward again to January
17th I happened to be talking to the
former handyman of my neighbor and I was
mentioned because he still care takes
the property that has a right next door
to me just right over the wall I
mentioned to him that I have feral cats
just because I didn't want anything else
to be happening I know that some cats
aren't welcomed and they are they do
range a little bit not much but I wanted
him to know that I'd had feral cats and
they were important to me before I even
gotten the words out of my mouth he said
by any chance are you missing a gray
tabby a dark gray tabby I said yes he
says well here's what happened on
November 13th I went onto the property
I found the dark gray tabby entangled in
some horse corralling by his
foot he said I released him the hind
foot was injured I put him in a box a
plastic container took him up to Animal
Services Center and turned him in said I
was told that he would be medically
treated and that he would they would
quote unquote try to find him home
that was on January 17th which was a
Friday and went home immediately called
Services Center try and find out what
had happened to my cat the only
information I got was he was euthanized
that was it I found out I could get
records information so the following
Tuesday not Monday because there it was
closed for Martin Luther King Day the
following Tuesday went down filled out
forms on the spot turned them in
requesting records on what had happened
I got called on Friday of that week they
were ready
I showed up Saturday morning and picked
up the records I found the records to be
woefully inadequate
there was an intake memo which simply
said euthanasia and intake memo there's
a form here that says gray tabby nothing
else marked not neutered male female not
scanned nothing there's nothing on this
form find her information form which has
the name of Carol Carol on the and the
address that is the owner of the
property and the property in which he is
found but carol carol did not bring the
cat in the cat was brought in by kurt
huff who is that caretaker
Carol Carol was a 72 year old disabled
woman who didn't drive because that
information was so sparse and seemingly
inadequate to me on that Saturday that I
was there I asked if I could speak to a
supervisor in this regard I was shown to
the office of Paul Richardson to discuss
what had happened to my cat he looked in
his computer and he could find no record
of any medical information on the cat no
record of what the injury was how severe
the injury was if there is any medical
exam
done basically there was nothing except
they in took him at 8 o'clock in the
morning and they put him down between
5:00 to 5:30 at night that cat had been
taken along with his mother and his
brothers and sisters to Mesilla Valley
Animal Services Services Center in
December of 2018 for spay neuter 's
rabies chips everything that cat was
chipped Animal Services Center states to
me although there's nothing on the forms
that they scanned him and found no
evidence of a chip I questioned that
since they inserted the chip themselves
I questioned that they tried hard enough
they either didn't try they didn't try
hard enough or the chip is not was not
placed at the time the result is that I
had a cat who was dearly loved who I
would have done anything to save he
could have lived with an amputated foot
if it was just a foot and Curt Huff says
it was just a foot I would have done
anything to save that cat Animal
Services Center when when talking to mr.
Richardson has gone so far as to tell me
that I'm incorrect that Kurt Huff it
couldn't have brought him in because
they can only record information as to
who the finder is under the name of the
individual who absolutely brings that
animal II and I'm saying I'm sorry
you're wrong your records are wrong
because Carol did not drive and in fact
Kara was so disabled she died the next
week from a fall on her property I have
first-hand information from the
gentleman who found the cat rescued the
cat brought him in left him under the
assumption that he is Duncan medics
please I just wanted you to know that
there are animals that are brought in
that are chipped that are owned that are
loved that are being euthanized without
proper medical attention he sat in a
cage for eight hours without proper
medical attention was euthanized without
being without me being notified have
done everything as an owner that I knew
to do to take
this animal and his siblings just don't
get I'm very sorry for your loss very
sorry thank you for being here today
Frank vice president Humane Society so
yeah five minutes sir
thank you look first of all I'll say
with all exceptions considered this has
been a very positive meeting
I'm very impressed about the questions
you asked the clarification we got and
the movement that's been going on and
I've been involved with this effort
about 20 years now this is probably one
of the very few positive really positive
meetings I've been to so thank you
the I've got just a couple of quick
things to check the chip program is
keeping up with our microchipping and by
the end of next month our organization
will have done 10,000 tips here in Dona
Ana County Los Cruces surrounding area
that helps keep the animals out of the
shelter which is really a big deal we
need to make sure that all the
organizations that are working in
collaboration with the shelter are
recognized for keeping animals out our
our goal they say you know our goal is
to intercept the animals going into the
shelter and not get them out of the
shelter but keep them out by doing what
we do and I'm finalizing two adoptions
today not to give us any undue credit
because a lot of organizations doing
that but a lot of the effort that we see
in lowering numbers and improving has to
be given credit to all the organizations
that are working in a collaborative
effort and that has not been an easy and
easy road to to go down a year the DNR
chips like a miss miss been of litter
last name is Laura that she's talking
about those are those are all registered
with us if it's a colony and they're
Richard with a company so if there is a
chip in an animal if it's not registered
at the shelter which their which they
want to have done it will be registered
at the company within reverts back to
the name of the colony that it goes to
and as we're working with the task force
I think because I'm meeting this
afternoon use itself variety but this
afternoon I have a stack of almost
10,000 data sheets that I'm going to
take to the shelter because they want to
register them at the shelter but but the
fallback is they're all registered with
the company they do need to be
registered correctly and as you heard
earlier today one of the chips was
measured with them a veterinary clinic
that's really where somebody's probably
told hey we tipped your animal you need
to call this number get registered they
didn't do it and it was registered with
the veterinary clinic because of the
ones that sold this yep we have that
happen occasionally where they don't get
in for whatever reason we don't get a
paper back to us to do it and we go back
to the company and find out who they
distribute the chip to we call the vet
clinic we get it done and you can follow
up on it there's one question I would
like to ask in a day in addition to
trying to kind of tighten up on our
oversights our errors like the cat we're
talking about on the the paperwork it
says outcomes missing I look at those
every time every meeting we can we have
a look at the missing and all of those
that go through the shelter and come out
missing should have a chip and we should
have some record a meaning of returned
or all of these I believe is 77 that
went missing from the shelter for
whatever reason for whatever category
they're in were none of them returned
with a chip it would be nice to have
that particular little piece of
information on there but keep in mind
that I really feel like this has been a
very positive meeting we've still got
lots of problems we are working so much
better and I'm not meant to do this and
I apologize for putting it last I want
to come into animal control departments
they're their activities they're working
collaboratively and all that is so
impressive right now I can't I can't
enough about now Thank You those
organizations are started to really
truly network and we need to keep that
up encourage it thank you
Thank You mr. price any other anyone
else okay thank you everyone and now we
go for board comments any comments from
the board
everyone's commented out through at
lunch time I have no comments I need a
motion to adjourn so moved
we don't need a roll call
no so we're adjourned thank you
everybody