Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutASAB Annual Report Work Plan 2018 2019 final WORKING DOCUMENT NAME OF BOARD: Animal Services Advisory Board Report Period: 2018-2019 ORANGE COUNTY ADVISORY BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS ANNUAL REPORT/WORK PLAN FOR COUNTY COMMISSIONERS The Board of Commissioners welcomes input from various advisory boards and commissions in preparation for its annual planning retreat. Please complete the following information, limited to the front and back of this form. Other background materials may be provided as a supplement to, but not as a substitute for, this form. Board/Commission Name: Animal Services Advisory Board (ASAB) Person to address the BOCC at Work Session—if applicable and contact information: Currently, Maureane Hoffman, ASAB Chair; and/or Molly Mullin, ASAV Vice-Chair. Primary County Staff Contact: Bob Marotto, Animal Services Director How many times per month does this board/commission meet, including any special meetings and sub-committee meetings? The ASAB has a monthly meeting except for the months of July and December. These meetings ensure that there is sufficient time to listen to stakeholders and address issues and concerns in a deliberate and timely manner. Three (3) ASAB members serve on the Animal Services Hearing Panel Pool. They chair the appeal hearing panels convened under the Unified Animal Ordinance. Each month there are between two (2) and four (4) appeal hearings. Three members of the ASAB serve on the review committee for the Pat Sanford Animal Welfare Award. Every fall the committee reviews applications and makes a selection based upon award criteria. Finally, the ASAB sometimes creates task forces to address specific issues in greater depth. Recently, one examined how Orange County Animal Services might approach the owners of surrendered animals that are suffering as a result of some kind of neglect. Brief Statement of Board/Commission’s Assigned Charge and Responsibilities. The ASAB serves as a sounding board for policy issues raised by residents or identified by the BOCC. Residents are referred to the ASAB as a critical step in any consideration of stakeholder concerns, before bringing an item to the Board of County Commissioners. Integral to this general responsibility is a concern with ensuring that the practices and outcomes of Orange County Animal Services meet or exceed prevailing professional standards. A good illustration is the ASAB’s support for the county’s Community Spay and Neuter Program and its effort to manage free roaming cats in more proactive and humane ways. The board has also supported Animal Services in exploring how to serve underserved parts of our county. Also integral to this responsibility is receiving feedback from the board members who serve on the Animal Services Hearing Panel Pool. This is one basis for the ASAB to working with staff to maintain a list of challenges and problems that may be addressed through the amendment of the Unified Animal Ordinance. Finally, the ASAB is concerned with the human aspects of animal issues as well as animal welfare. Fundamental to this concern is the relation of animals to public health and safety. Indeed, one board member is the veterinarian for Orange County Health Board. What are your Board/Commission’s most important accomplishments? The ASAB continued to work with staff and stakeholders managing pet overpopulation in Orange County. Free-roaming cats have been of great significance to recent efforts in this area, and among other things, the ASAB and staff together have sought to establish strong working relations with community partners Including the Agricultural Preservation Board. Central to this effort has been the creation of a “working barn cat” program. Within the last year more than 150 working barn cats have been sterilized, vaccinated, microchipped and vaccinated through this program. This innovative and important program has received very positive coverage in the media including a feature article in the Herald Sun and News and Observer (see Attachment A). Also, the board worked closely with Animal Services staff and one of the county’s staff attorneys to develop some needed amendments for the Unified Animal Ordinance. These were developed on the basis of the county’s experience with the Unified Animal Ordinance since its adoption early in 2016. The BOCC adopted these amendments in November of 2018. This is also an excellent illustration of the interdependence of the ASAB and the Animal Services Hearing Panel Pool. One of the ordinance amendments allowed for the review and revocation of a dangerous animal declaration made under the ordinance. This amendment was developed because of concerns voiced by members of the Hearing Panel Pool that lifelong declarations and restrictions were onerous and unreasonable. In a related vein, the ASAB has collaborated with staff to develop several recommendations for the county’s legislative agenda. As can be seen from Attachment B, these include a number of recommended changes to the state’s dangerous dog law. Specifically, they would allow for the review of potentially dangerous dog declarations; for dogs declared potentially dangerous to interact with a certified trainer in a secure area without being muzzled; and for there to be an evaluation of dogs seized in dog fighting cases in order to make a final determination as to whether they are dangerous. The ASAB worked with staff to develop several other important deliverables. One was to develop a more satisfactory procedural approach to animals suffering from neglect that are surrendered to Animal Services. Another was a coordinated effort between Animal Services and the county’s Homelessness Coordinator to identify community resources that can be tapped to help care for pets belonging to the homeless as they undergo different transitions. Others included the review of outside agency funding applications and applications for the annual Pat Sanford Animal Welfare Award. The ASAB also supported staff in developing and working within community partnerships. As previously mentioned, there is ongoing contact with the Agricultural Preservation Board regarding the working barn cat program. Staff has also been working with the county’s Homelessness Coordinator, human service providers and others to develop resources for pets belonging to people who are homeless or experiencing problems with housing. There has also been initial discussion about the possibility of Orange County Animal Services working with Orange County Adult Care Home Advisory Committee to introduce pets into assisted living facilities in Orange County. Finally, the ASAB continued to assist the BOCC in ensuring that board vacancies are filled in a timely and effective manner. It routinely makes recommendations to the BOCC based upon interviews with candidates for vacant positions. It also provides each new member with an orientation, which includes an introduction to the board, a review of county policies for boards and commissions, and an overview of Animal Services operations. List of Specific Tasks, Events, or Functions Performed or Sponsored Annually. In addition to activities mentioned above, the board sometimes hosts partner organizations, supports the annual Open House, and provides its own appreciation for all Animal Services staff. As indicated earlier, members of the board are available to serve on task forces charged with the in depth review of a specific issue of concern from the standpoint of operations, programs or policies. Describe this board/commission’s activities/accomplishments in carrying out BOCC goal(s)/priorities, if applicable. Work done by the ASAB in coordination with Animal Services staff touches several principles and priorities. Three principles and priorities seem noteworthy with respect to the ASAB in calendar year 2018. These are: Sustainable Services • Supported strategic plan for managing pet overpopulation to control Costs as well as reduce the use of euthanasia for population control. • Supported efforts to advance the plan for managing free roaming cats in Orange County as part of the overall strategic plan. • Supported efforts to meet or exceed professional standards within the field of animal welfare and animal services. Making County Government Accessible, Understandable and Transparent • Served as a sounding board for stakeholder concerns about animal issues and animal related policies. • Coordinated openly and effectively with the BOCC and County Manager (including vetting and recommending candidates for ASAB vacancies). • Made recommendations regarding various animal issues and worked with staff to put forward needed amendments to the Unified Animal Ordinance. Advisory Board Roles and Responsibilities • Provided a setting for stakeholder communication about various animal-related matters. • Sustained ASAB by vetting candidates for board vacancies, making recommendations to the BOCC, and conducting orientations for new members. If your board/commission played the role of an Element Lead Advisory Board involved in the 2030 Comprehensive Plan preparation process, please indicate your board’s activities/accomplishments as they may relate to the Comprehensive Plan’s goals or objectives. (The Element Lead Advisory Boards include: Planning Board, EDC, OUTBoard, Commission for the Environment, Historic Preservation Commission, Agriculture Preservation Board, Affordable Housing Board, Recreation and Parks Advisory Council) Not applicable. Identify any activities this board/commission expects to carry out in 2019 as they relate to established BOCC goals and priorities. If applicable, is there a fiscal impact (i.e., funding, staff time, other resources) associated with these proposed activities (please list). The ASAB expects to be especially concerned with several areas in 2019. These are: Sustainable Services • Support strategic plan for managing pet overpopulation to control costs as well as to reduce the use of euthanasia a means of population control. • Support efforts to advance the plan for managing free roaming cats in Orange County as part of the overall strategic plan. Support efforts to meet or exceed professional standards within the field of animal welfare and animal service. Making County Government Accessible, Understandable and Transparent • Serve as a sounding board for issues and policy concerns. • Coordinate with staff to advise the BOCC and County Manager regarding strategic initiatives and public policy. • Identify needed amendments to the UAO based upon the experience of the Animal Services Hearing Panel Pool. Advisory Board Roles and Responsibilities • Provide a setting for stakeholder communication about animal- related matters • Providing leadership to the appeal hearing panels by having three (3) board members be part of the Animal Services Hearing Panel Pool and chair the hearing panels • Recommend ASAB applicants to the BOCC and orient new members to the role and responsibility of the advisory board. • Supporting the Pat Sanford Animal Welfare Grant with board members serving along with staff on the annual grant application review panel. What are the concerns or emerging issues your board has identified for the upcoming year that it plans to address, or wishes to bring to the Commissioners’ attention? Managing Pet Overpopulation: The board will continue to work with staff to implement a plan for managing free roaming cats. In particular, the board will work with staff to coordinate with the Agricultural Preservation Board and other entities to advance the “working farm cat” program. The board will also continue to work with staff to develop and sustain community partnerships and resources for addressing the challenges presented by free roaming cats. More generally, the board will work with staff to ensure that organizational forms and practices responsible for the county’s success in managing over population are recognized, supported and extended into the future. This is a critical commitment to ensure that pet overpopulation is managed in the long run in Orange County in a humane as well as cost effective manner. Easement Area Dog Walking Trails: The ASAB is continuing to support staff in ensuring that dog walking trails are recreated in the area of the new OWASA and Duke Energy Easements. The board also plans to continue to support Animal Services working with other county staff to ensure that the entrance and presentation of the Animal Services Center is not compromised by these easements. Doing so is critical to the intent of making the Animal Service Center an attractive and welcoming facility, an actual destination for the community. Community Centers and Services: The board will continue to work with staff to consider how to best implement community-oriented developments in the fields of animal welfare and animal services in Orange County. It is expected that Animal Services will continue to work toward partnering with established community centers in Orange County to build stronger community relations through which various services and resources can become better known. This is an opportunity to provide these services to underserved areas of the county in new and different ways that are becoming more prominent in the field of animal services and animal welfare. Community Partners and Services: The ASAB plans to continue to support staff in pursuing, developing, and sustaining community partnerships. As mentioned earlier, these are varied. In the case of the working barn cat program, they include Independent Animal Rescue as well as the Agricultural Board. They also include the possibility of working with Orange County Adult Care Home Advisory Committee to introduce pets into assisted living facilities in Orange County, And they include assorted community partners from diverse areas of service in the case of resources for pets belonging to homeless individuals or people experiencing housing crises. Unified Animal Ordinance and Legislation: The ASAB will continue to coordinate with staff to identify and address “issues” in the administration of the ordinance in areas that may be subject to administrative appeal. As in the past, it is expected that this may bring forth recommendations for ordinance amendments based upon the experience of the Animal Services Hearing Panel Pool with the appeal process. The AS AB will also continue to work with staff to identify legal changes that may be addressed by the BOCC through the county’s legislative agenda. ASAB Vacancies and Other Deliverables: The board will continue to assist the BOCC in ensuring that board vacancies are filled in a timely and effective manner. It will make recommendations for vacancies to the BOCC based upon interactive candidate interviews. The board will also provide each new member with an orientation, which includes an introduction to the board, a review of county policies for boards and commissions, and an overview of Animal Services operations. In addition, the ASAB will continue to collaborate with Animal Services on other deliverables. These will include reviewing outside agency funding applications and reviewing applications for the annual Pat Sanford Animal Welfare Award. If past experience holds true for the coming year, other tasks deserving the attention of the ASAB and staff will emerge in the course of the year as a result of service challenges and/or stakeholders concerns. Approved December 13, 2018 Bob Marotto, Animal Services Director