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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - 20030925APPROVED 213!2004 MINUTES ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS PUBLIC HEARING ON ANIMAL SHELTER OPERATIONS September 25, 2003 The Orange County Board of Commissioners met for a Public Hearing on Animal Shelter Operation on Thursday, September 25, 20Q3 at 7:30 p.m. at the Southern Human Services Center in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Chair Margaret Brown and Commissioners Moses Carey, Jr., Stephen Halkiotis and Barry Jacobs COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ABSENT: Commissioner Alice Gordon COUNTY ATTORNEY PRESENT: Geoffrey Gledhill, Sean Borhanian COUNTY STAFF PRESENT: County Manager John M. Link, Jr., Assistant County Managers Rod Visser and Gwen Harvey and Clerk to the Board Donna S. Baker {All other staff members will be identified appropriately below) NOTE: ALL DOCUMENTS REFERRED TO IN THESE MINUTES ARE IN THE PERMANENT AGENDA FILE IN THE CLERK'S OFFICE Assistant Manager Gwen Harvey welcomed everyone to the public hearing. Gwen Harvey said that the presentation tonight was a summary of what is contained in the two full reports from HSUS and the County staff. Both of these reports are available on the County website. Orientation & Overview- Gwen Harvey, Assistant County Manager: Gwen Harvey said that on August 2$t" there was a joint meeting of the APS Board, the Board of Health, and the Board of County Commissioners with a report from Kate Pullen, representing the Humane Society of the United States. She gave a summary of the PowerPoint presentation, which follows: Overview of Animal Services Consultation Report of the Animal Protection Society of Orange County Presented by Kate Pullen, Director Animal Sheltering Issues August, 2003 Process Overview • Animal Services Consultation {ASC) process • Public comment • Dispute Settlement Center Report -valuable • Special one an one meeting with community advocates • Team selection • Report delivery -preliminary -final Agencies With the Most Success Have Used the Report As; • Springboard for strategic planning -short and long term -county and APS • Status of where we are now and where we need to go • Opportunity for change • Opportunity to prioritize community goals and apply the needed budget and staffing to achieve those goals Recommendations • When taken out of context are damaging and hinder progress • Many hinge on others and should be considered in tandem • Many cannot be implemented overnight -allow time for changes to be considered and made -some may be years down the road • Will need the dedication of time, energy, and commitment from shelter and the county staff Animal Management • Streamline process -adoption, behavior evaluationlselection criteria • Promote healthy and behaviorally sound animals =increased positive public perception • Utilize agency vet to full capacity of talent: pediatric spay/neuter and disease management • Establish a euthanasia protocol based on the reality of the facility. Provide time and space for those with stronger potential far re-homing Management • Increase accountability for staff • Process/procedures -compare what is expected and written to actual process • Ensure the "basics" of the program are met before spending the time and funds to expand the scope to include new ideaslprograms • Establish excellent statistical reporting to reflect agency reality and impact to citizens and county • Utilize strategic plan to work smarter and more focused so energy does not become dilute and programs ineffective Field Services • Infrastructure weakness -Lack of effective computerization and adequate staffing • Update and use SOPS to ensure consistency • Formalize training • Gaod working relationship with APS Comment • Although the concerns highlighted here and in the report must be addressed they are not unique or uncommon to shelters across the country Gwen Harvey emphasized that the staff report was truly a work in progress and not a final document for decision-making. Preliminary Staff Report Animal Shelter Operations August 28, 2003 Recent Improvements • General Shelter Medicine and Health Care • Disease Control and Sanitation • Isolation, Incoming Animals, Vaccinations • Ventilation • General Repairs Shelter Siting and Construction • Two Sites Under Active Consideration . Chapel Hill Property ^ County Landfill Property • Project Timeline ^ Must Vacate Current Site by December 31, 2006 . Project Planning for New Shelter Should Begin January 2004 Models of Organizational Arrangements All 100 Counties in North Carolina Surveyed 62 Responded Potential Model • Assumptions ^ Continue present operational hours of the shelter ^ Must staff shelter 7 days a week to care for animals ^ Includes after hours response on limited basis . Assumes limited reliance on volunteer staff . Contracts for spaytneuter of adopted animals Potential Budget • Current Arrangement, APS Contract ^ Annual Contribution $428,818 • County Administration ^ First Year Estimated Cost $1,108,038 {Includes 19 positions and start-up equipment} ^ Second Year Estimated Cost $964,943 Transition Models 1 ~ Model: Transfer APS Non Management and Establish Interim Management . Timeline: 4-5 Months 2"d Model: Open Recruitment with Staff Hiring by Animal Services Director . Timeline: 8-10 Months 3~d Model: Open Recruitment with Concurrent County Hiring of Director and Staff . Timeline: About 6 Months Other items to address would be capital equipment/supplies, program services, veterinary services, and wildlife care. In closing, since August 28t" the Board of County Commissioners has received one communication from APS. This was provided in a letter and in a formal presentation to the Board an September 16t" during the public comment portion of the regular meeting. The letter addresses their ongoing need for funding. The staff is actively pursuing review of this and they will bring a recommendation to the Board of County Commissioners on October 21St Public Comment: Elfriede Illiano said that she recently joined the APS Board. She has lived in Chapel Hill since 1969. She challenged the claim that APS has lost the community's trust. She said that people are tired of the never-ending accusations against APS. She asked why an evaluation by HSUS was not done under the other director. She asked why the negative comments and finger painting only started after Schopler's departure as the APS veterinarian. She asked why his friends only voiced criticism after he was gone. She said that it is passible that this campaign has never been about animal welfare. She said that the animals at APS are treated with respect and concern by a caring staff. Her family has donated land to the APS shelter for the purpose of animal protection. They have been repeatedly contacted by members of the opposition not to give the land to APS since, "they are finished as an organization anyway." They have been encouraged to give it to Piedmont Wildlife instead. She said that they refuse to do this because they have not lost faith in the APS. Jean Connerat said that she has been nominated three times far the APS Board and has not been elected yet. She made reference to the volunteers at the shelter that work without any compensation. She knows that the organization has made mistakes but all organizations do. She asked the Board not to throw away this great human resource. People that work on the line bring to this process something that cannot be reduced to dollars and cents. Elliot Cramer distributed a handout. He said that the HSUS report is a cause for alarm. He said that Kate Pullen struggled to find good things to say about APS. He gave a history of APS. He said that APS has served its purpose admirably except for the last 20 months. APS now says it needs $138,Q00 in additional funding to continue operation of the shelter. If the County rejects this, APS pledges to continue its operation and financial support until January 1 ~. He said that APS offered its cooperation in an orderly transition to operation by the County or another agency. He said that this is an offer the County cannot refuse. He suggested a budget consistent with what the Board asked for. It includes a County takeover at the same level of service and the cost to the County is little different from what continued APS operation will cost. He said that a quick transition is necessary and possible in the next three months. He included a statement made to the APS Board. Pat Beyle distributed a handout. She is President of the APS Board of Directors. She made a statement on behalf of the APS Board. She said that this controversy has created an enormous headache for them and the County. She said that APS has enjoyed a good relationship with Orange County since 1979. They would very much like to continue this partnership with the County. They asked for a meeting between the APS Board and the Board of County Commissioners where there can be a two-way dialogue as to who should operate the shelter in the future. She urged the Board to hold this meeting as soon as possible. She asked the Board not to make a final decision until it has met with the APS Board directly. Ann Peterson is an APS Board member. She continued with Pat Beyle's statement. Regarding the financial considerations, the Board of County Commissioners needs to hear the APS Board's perspective an these matters. APS has contributed thousands of their own privately raised dollars each year to subsidize the County funds to operate the shelter. APS has also given many man-hours to operate the shelter. She said that they think that, given this service, the very least the County could do is meet with them one on one before making a decision about the future of the shelter. Robert Schopler said that whoever runs the Orange County shelter will be contacted by the public concerning injured wildlife or situations that could put the public or wildlife in danger. He said that the Piedmont Wildlife Center is proud to have service to residents of Orange County and surrounding communities over the past year. The PWC was formed after the APS abandoned its wildlife program about one year ago. It is a 501 (C) 3 organization that supports wildlife through rehabilitation, education, and scientific study. To date, they have cared for over 1,OQ0 animals. They also field calls from the public with questions about wildlife. They put on programs about wildlife issues in the schools. They employ two full-time wildlife veterinarians and afull-time wildlife assistant. They have a temporary rehabilitation facility in Orange County. He continued to speak about the accomplishments of PWC. Joseph Lobuglio is the President of the Board of Directors at the Piedmont Wildlife Center. He asked that the Board add to its criteria the willingness for the organization that will run the shelter to work with the Piedmont Wildlife Center. He said that this cooperation has not been forthcoming from the APS. He said that APS continues to associate Dr. Schopler with the lawsuit against them. He cited several examples where the APS did not mention the PWC as an alternative to their disbanded wildlife program. He mentioned an APS Board meeting that he attended where Ann Peterson said that there is nothing that the PWC could do for the APS. He said that when there is confusion and delay regarding wildlife, it increases the chances of harm for the public and the wildlife. Jesse Kaufman said that she became a member of the APS Board in April. Her interest in accepting this position was to ensure that humane standards govern life both for the animals and the people that serve at the shelter. She said that the old administration took advantage of the people, but she does not see this happening under the new direction of Laura Walters. She made reference to the high number of strays brought in from the unincorporated areas of Orange County. She said that the County does not contribute funds towards education and outreach. She is Chair of the Education and Outreach Committee at APS and she started to initiate collaboration with Animal Control in May to reach unincorporated areas of the County. The collaboration came to a halt in June because it was unclear about the relationship between the County and APS. She spoke about the low amount of funds contributed by the County. Gina Burns introduced her family and said that they are foster parents of animals and volunteers at APS. They are ignorant to all of these issues. She said that if anything comes out of this mess, they would like to see volunteers be kept as an integral part of the operation. They want to see volunteering be instrumental and they want to see education. The community needs to be educated about their responsibility to spay and neuter animals. Jay Burns said there are clearly dedicated staff and volunteers at the shelter and the Piedmont Wildlife Center and he suggested that the County support both of these operations. He thinks that both groups need to work together. Kendall Page is an APS Board member and lifetime resident of Orange County. She requested that the Board move forward to work with the APS and to commit collectively to establishing a first class shelter in the community. She feels very strongly about implementing the recommendations from HSUS. In the process of waiting for this report, the operations of the shelter have struggled in her opinion due to bad press, individual agendas, and delays by the County. She said that it is unfair to the workers at the shelter to not know from one month to the next what will happen. She said that the longer this goes on, the more the shelter will suffer. Cathy Nakayama is in the Nurse Practitioner's program at UNC. She is very interested in the physical needs of the animals as well as the emotional needs. She has adopted dogs from the APS. She spoke about the wonderful treatment of the animals by the staff. She is disgusted with Orange County because the facility is horrible and the pay for the staff is very low. John Guibert is an APS Board member. He said that their request for funding was based on several factors. The annual costs of operating the shelter have increased. The bad press and the controversy have also prevented them from obtaining adequate funding from the community. Also, continued subsidization of the shelter by APS over the years has led to a dwindling of their cash reserves. He said that APS provides a number of animal welfare programs and services to the community separate from the shelter. He said that the APS is not going broke, but the ability to provide these other programs would be threatened if the current situation were allowed to continue much longer. They are asking the Board of County Commissioners to make a decision no later than January 31, 2004 about the operation of the shelter. Dian Fowle said that she has adopted four animals in four other states. She applauded the APS. She told her story about adopting a dog at the APS and the positive experience she had. One of the workers came to her home to help her with two dogs that she adopted. She encouraged the Board of County Commissioners to take into consideration the dedication of the staff and the volunteers. Daniel Textoris said that he was on the APS Board in the early 90's and he is again. He said that they want to see the best come out of this. He and his wife volunteer with various organizations. He spoke about his experiences on other boards where he has visited sites. He suggested that every member of the Board of County Commissioners visit the shelter. Amy Eller said that she is a new staff member at APS. She is the Volunteer and Education Coordinator. She said that there was a very strong volunteer program at APS and the volunteers are really dedicated. Regarding education, she just spent some time at the Orange County Schools doing programs for the children. She said that the staff was wonderful and also very dedicated. She wants APS to have the chance to continue to grow. Pat Sanford said that she had been employed by APS since 1989. She was speaking as an advocate far the emergency animal rescue service. She spoke about her on-call experience over the years. She urged the Board not to scrap this program. Cynthia Wise said that she was the longest serving APS Board member -serving for over 25 years. She said that in the 1970's APS had animals in foster homes and the headquarters was in a small room with two phones and a volunteer. Volunteers went to foster homes and gave vaccines and transported animals to vets and otherfoster homes. In May of 1979, the new shelter opened in Orange County. Since then, both the APS and the shelter have grown and flourished. She said that the APS Board remains dedicated. She said that the shelter staff was the unsung heroes. She said that since the incorporation of APS, the Orange County community has viewed APS as the place to go for help with animals. Suzy Cooke said that she has been a volunteer, foster parent and adog-training instructor. For the past three years, she has been an APS Board member. She gave the top ten reasons for continuing the contract with APS: 10. The media has had more fun making snide comments about us than Dave Letterman did about Bill Clinton. 9. Animal Control likes us -they really like us. 8. Our shelter technicians know all the new ways to scoop poop and clean up cat litter. 6. The Cruelty Investigators don't throw up anymore when they go to investigate a case. 5. The staff that drive our vans are used to the 2 a.m. runs to pick up animals. 4. We've found homes for potbelly pigs, roosters, chickens, peacocks. 3. Our volunteers are rabid. Last year alone, we volunteered nearly 30,000 hours. 2. Our Board of Directors is being sued for their volunteer efforts and most of them are still here. 1. We already know the names of all those mice that live in the walls. Beverly Rockhill's staterrrertt is as follows: My name is Beverly Rackhill. I am a faculty member in cancer epidemiology at UNC. I am a lifetime member of the APS, and my name is actually on the plaque as having donated the aviary to the APS. I made a statement at a BOCC meeting earlier in September about why I ended years of volunteering and substantial donating to the APS. I know that the staff at APS care deeply about animals. And I truly believe that the individuals on the APS board, and the leaders of APS, care about animals. I am also sure that we could say with equal sincerity that safety engineers at NASA care profoundly about astronauts' lives. Nonetheless, the board of safety experts at NASA had the grace and dignity to resign last week, quietly, with no excuses or blaming of others, when they realized they could no longer serve effectively in their roles in the wake of the Columbia tragedy. As rigorous studies of leadership and management styles tell us, the concept of groupthink is very real. At APS, this concept comes to life. The board members whose individual concern for animals is undisputed present a defensive, hostile, and condescending unified front to the public. Donations are dawn, adoptions are dawn, and volunteering is down. I have a wide circle of contacts in the professional, church, and animal welfare communities. Let me assure you that, in contrast to (APS board president} Ms. Beyle's statement, this is not all about Mr. Cramer and Ms. Reitman. Let me assure you that, in contrast to Ms. Illeano's {APS board member} statement, we in the public DO have the ability to sift fact from fiction. None of us are being brainwashed by the media, by Mr. Cramer, or by Ms. Reitman. I find such insinuations against us, the public, and against our journalists to be but further signs of disrespect and condescension. Commissioners, trust your intuition and your heart here. No one in this room, not even Mr. Cramer or Ms. Reitman, wants to see the institution of the APS go under. But no one wants incompetent, defensive, and as you may infer from public comments here, even deceptive leadership. I wonder what you must think, Commissioners, about this ninth-inning request for a large sum of funds accompanied by the concomitant threat to cease operations if the request is not granted. What about tonight's request for a private meeting with you? I know what this all sounds like to me. And I know that as a public servant myself, such behavior would be reprehensible, even while perhaps not technically illegal. What has this done to your trust and good will about this leadership, Commissioners? I urge you not to be swayed by individual anecdotes or pictures of animals. Such blatant appeals to emotion make a good story on either side of the debate, but have no place in this public argument. I urge you also to think rigorously about the information offered here tonight. The information that the volunteer family offered in good faith, about the staff member mentioning the PWC with regard to the injured turtle, is not inconsistent with what Dr. Schopler and Mr. LoBuglio stated, about some board members stonewalling the PWC. In fact, that is the whole problem we are discussing here tonight. No one in this room has a problem with the intentions and honesty of APS staff. Mr. Textoris and Ms. Illeano, it is illegal for Dr. Schopler to use the APS aviary. If you are not clear about why, you have not received proper information from your `leaders.' Remember: groupthink leads to poor leadership, the creation of walls, and an inability to perform expected duties. The APS board and leadership is a textbook example. Anne-Marie Meyer said that there are many benefits for working as anon-profit. She said that over the past few years, the APS leadership has proven to be ineffective at fulfilling the most basic needs of the County shelter. She said that the leadership should have spent their time and energy on gathering information. Judith Reitman's statement is as follows: APS's Board is pleading for its life I but it is the Board and the director -not the excellent field personnel and wonderful volunteers, who have put APS's neck on the chopping block, by actions such as this: APS is asking the County for money, yet it refuses to take its awn member dues as occurred today. This afternoon I had a distressing experience at APS when I attempted to renew my membership and Elliot Cramer's membership. I presented my two checks to Laura Walters. She told me she would "Put these aside" and took the checks and walked away. When I realized that I had not gotten a receipt, I asked to see Walters again and asked for a receipt. She refused, saying I should mail in my checks. When I asked why this was necessary, she outright refused my checks, either as renewals or as new memberships. She then walked into Darra Das's office and asked Darra to call the police. The police came and I explained my simple intent to them. The police spoke to Walters who requested I leave the premise because of the "disturbance." There was no disturbance; I merely wanted to give APS $50 to renew memberships, but I left without incident. I went to the office of APS attorney Ron Merritt who refused my checks just as his secretary was writing a receipt. I will have a copy of the police report to you and the press tomorrow. What right do Walters and the APS attorney have to further endanger the financial condition of APS by refusing money that APS claims it badly needs? APS has said that they want the County to pony up more money. Why should the County give APS more money when they are rejecting member renewals? In fact APS has sent out NO renewal notices for almost two years, as long as Walters has been in charge. APS's own bylaws state: "Membership shall be open to all interested persons on payment of dues." This has been the case far over 2Q years. When the County or another agency takes over shelter operation {and it must), how can residents be assured that this police state mentality will no longer be part of shelter protocol? It is partly a matter of oversight, and of retaining any competent staff and certainly volunteers, wonderful volunteers. It is about hiring competent and ethical management that has no blight on his or her reputation, as Laura Walters had in Arkansas, as we now know. I suggest that you to create a citizen's advisory board that will work along with the County to ensure processes are democratic and that remedial action is taken immediately in case of risk to animal health. All shelter records must be open to the public at the shelter for inspection. The County has a long way to go to rebuild public confidence in our shelter. Indeed, the shelter Walters ran in Arkansas was faced with a similar credibility problem by the time Walters left to come to Chapel Hill. We can return to our former status, hopefully surpass it, but it will take diligence on the part of BOC and our community. Thank you for the actions you have taken which reflect the community desire for change at our animal shelter. Jill Bone asked about the financial situation. She made reference to the $20 million bond for parks and recreation. She suggested having a band far a new shelter facility. Bannie Norwood said that it is difficult far her to know where to stand. She has been affiliated with the shelter for 17 years. She said that there will continue to be good staff and there will continue to be problems. She said that another example of what is going on at APS is that they want a closed session with the County Commissioners. She said that there needs to be an open door policy with anyone that pays taxes in this County to be able to use what is there. The administration needs to allow this and not run and hide behind doors and waste taxpayers' money calling the police. Alex Kent said that he has been a volunteer at the shelter for five years. He said that the hassles of the management are hurting the operation. He said that there is no discrimination of dogs kept and there is good fiscal management. He said that the shelter has a good staff. Steven Kaufman said that he and his wife are teachers and his wife is a volunteer at the shelter. He is impressed with the enthusiasm of the staff and valunteers. He is nat an animal lover, but he does have respect for the amount of time spent by the staff and volunteers. He is amazed at the controversy surrounding this. He asked the Board to please come to some decision quickly. Jackie Allen said that she has lived in Carrboro for ten years and she has adopted from the shelter. She said that she has seen very bad shelters in other places. She said that the shelter in Orange County was very goad and the animals are well cared for. The animals that she adapts are healthy. Ellen Weiss said that she is a faculty member at UNC. She started rescuing feral cats at UNC and this has brought her to APS. She has no doubt that the staff is dedicated and caring. She also acknowledges that the kind of concerns brought up in the HSUS report are not uncommon. She has been disturbed about the problems in the shelter that the public brought up and they were ignored. This seemed to lead to the necessity of bringing HSUS into this. A lot of the problems brought up by HSUS were the same as those brought up by the public. She is disturbed because APS said that the report was not an indication of the public's concerns. She said that if the County chooses to form a task force, it should have professionals in shelter management in addition to those from APS. She said that there are programs that can reduce euthanasia and she encouraged the Board to look at this. Marcey Waters said that she is a citizen and it is clear that the staff is dedicated but she sees that the problem with disease control is the result of the administration. She asked how long this has been a problem, how long there have been inadequate standard operating procedures, and how well trained the director actually is. She feels that the response of the APS has been reactionary. Erin Furr submitted an absentee statement, which follows: My name is Erin Furr and I'm a Board member for the Animal Protection Society of Orange County. In light of the controversy over the last year from a few critics; it's important for you to know what APS is really doing for the animals of Orange County. I have been a volunteer for 4 years and a board member far the past year and a half. I have been involved with the APS long before all of the controversy about lawsuits, wildlife and whatever else our critics have thrown our way. Yes-we can improve upon many things regarding the facility and operations but as with any animal shelter, there will always be room for improvement. We appreciate the detailed report recently released by the HSUS and we will strive to implement those recommendations in a manner that best suits the needs of our animals and this community. But the APS is not just about managing and operating an animal shelter. There are many other programs that APS provides that also benefit this community. For instance, we have a very successful volunteer program that is critical to the animals' welfare. With more than 100 active volunteers, they participate in everything from dog walking to adoption counseling. Volunteers are the roots of our organization and anyone is welcome to join. The foster program is another priority of the APS. I have been a long time foster mom and can proudly say that I have placed 20 different dogs into permanent homes. The faster program has helped save so many animals lives. Nursing back to health a sick animal or giving life to a new litter of kittens or puppies is very rewarding and I urge the community to participate in this worthwhile program. The EARS program, which stands for Emergency Animal Rescue Service is provided exclusively by APS. The AP5 staff is on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, assisting anything from a deer hit by a car, to a vicious animal, to an animal in distress. Our low cost spay and neuter program has been instrumental in stemming the tide of unwanted animals in Orange County. Our subsidized program offers law income residents an affordable way in which to get their pets quality veterinary care. This region is unfortunately home to a growing network of pit bull fighters, which is a felony crime in North Carolina. In response, APS provides Orange County with two staff members trained and certified as cruelty investigators who routinely work with local law enforcement to stop known acts of violence to animals. We also provide agencies across the state with annual training opportunities in animal control and cruelty investigation. Educating our children is another APS priority. Our programs range from weeklong summer camps to making presentations in local schools, to visiting church groups and preschools. We are targeting areas in Orange County to help educate the community on spaying and neutering and providing ways for them to attain this service. The APS offers many other programs that benefit this community. My concern is if another organization takes over the shelter what will happen to all these wonderful programs? We get too many animals in to just wait in the shelter to find a new family-we simply do not have enough room. The animals need these other outlets to try to have a chance to live. Thank you for your time. Kris Bergstrand submitted an absentee statement, which is incorporated by reference. Nancy Easterling submitted an absentee statement, which is incorporated by reference. Closing Remarks -Board of Commissioners John Link said that the next time the Board of County Commissioners will consider this issue will be October 21St A motion was made by Commissioner Carey, seconded by Commissioner Halkiotis to adjourn the meeting at 9:15 p.m. VOTE: UNANIMOUS Margaret Brown, Chair Donna S. Baker Clerk to the Board