HomeMy WebLinkAboutASAB minutes 022019 Orange County Animal Services
1601 Eubanks Road, Chapel Hill, NC 27516
919-942-PETS (7387)
ANIMAL SERVICES ADVISORY BOARD (ASAB)
6:30 to 8:00 p.m.
Wednesday,February 20,2019
Meeting Summary
MEMBERS PRESENT: Maureane Hoffman (Chair), Molly Mullin (Vice-Chair), Evelyn
Daniel, Susan Elmore, Beth Grooms, Diane Obeid, Lee Pickett, Amanda Schwoerke (Secretary),
Bryan Stuart, Edmund Tiryakian
MEMBERS ABSENT: Lisa Wells
STAFF PRESENT: Bob Marotto (Animal Services Director); Andi Morgan (Animal Services
Asst. Director); Cooper Hatch (Program Coordinator); Rachel Plast (Administrative Assistant)
GUESTS PRESENT: Casey Ferrell; Lucia Welborne
Call to order: 6:37 p.m.
Review and adoption of the Agenda: approved, after removing "Outside Agency Review
Committee" because there were no applications
Summary of January 16,2019,meeting: approved, after amending the minutes to add Susan
Elmore's name to the list of subcommittee members
Review of public participation guidelines: Not reviewed
General Public Comments on items not on agenda: None
Membership Updates:
• Bob Marotto introduced Casey Ferrell, an ASAB applicant, and spoke about his
experiences of working with Mr. Ferrell previously. He recommended Mr. Ferrell highly.
• Mr. Ferrell discussed his background and interest in serving on the ASAB; answered
ASAB member questions; and asked questions about the ASAB.
• Approved motion to nominate Mr. Ferrell and Lucia Welborne to the ASAB.
• Bob Marotto will move forward expeditiously with presenting the nominations to the
BOCC. If the nominations are approved, Mr. Ferrell (at-large member of Orange County)
and Ms. Welborne (member with background in animal welfare/animal advocacy) will
fill the final two vacancies on the ASAB.
Animal Services Advisory Board Updates:
Old Business
• Spay-Neuter Day
o Bob Marotto reported that the BOCC adopted the resolution naming February 26,
2019, Spay-Neuter Day in Orange County.
• Division 5 of the Unified Animal Ordinance
o Bryan Stuart(subcommittee chair) reported on the amendments to Sec. 4-182,
Division 5,proposed by the subcommittee appointed to review and clarify the
section's language.
o Subcommittee members answered questions about the proposed amendments.
o Bryan Stuart also discussed the subcommittee's list of possible future
amendments that the ASAB might consider proposing to Division 5.
o Bob Marotto reported on his discussions with Anne-Marie Tesco (county
attorney) and Bonnie Hammersley (county manager) about the ASAB's desire to
propose amendments to Division 5.
o Approved motion to accept the proposed amended language for eventual
recommendation to the BOCC.
o Approved motion to constitute a task force to review the policy issues raised by
the subcommittee, as well as additional policy issues.
o Bryan Stuart (chair), Edmund Tiryakian, Amanda Schwoerke, Susan Elmore, Bob
Marotto, and Irene Phipps were appointed to the working group, and were
charged with reporting to the ASAB in three months.
New Business
■ 2018 Program Report for Orange County's Community Spay and Neuter Program
o Cooper Hatch reported on the spay and neuter program. Highlights included:
■ Thanks to a grant from the Petrie Foundation, Animal Services was able to
provide spay/neuter services to people with higher incomes.
■ The community pets program spayed and neutered a total of 602 cats and
dogs in partnership with AnimalKind and SNAP-NC.
■ Animal Services euthanized the fewest animals in its history last year.
o Cooper Hatch, Bob Marotto, and Andi Morgan answered questions from ASAB
members about the program.
■ Protocols for Items Brought Forward to the ASAB from Residents and Others
o The ASAB discussed whether there should be a process, by which the ASAB
communicates to the BOCC that residents or others have communicated policy
issues/concerns/requests to the ASAB, on which the ASAB chose not to take
official action.
o Bob Marotto advocated for such a procedure to be part of the ASAB's standard
operating procedure going forward. He discussed the issue with Bonnie
Hammersley(county manager) who agreed that it would be appropriate to draft an
informational memo to the BOCC in such circumstances.
o After discussion, the ASAB agreed to institute such a procedure moving forward.
o Bob Marotto was charged with drafting an informational memo regarding a recent
resident request(concerning free-roaming cats), for review and voting by the
ASAB at its next meeting.
■ Budget and Recommended Fee Adjustments
o Bob Marotto asked the ASAB to support Animal Services' proposed budget and
fee adjustments. The issue has arisen because the County Manager asked Animal
Services to prepare a continuation budget.
o Bob Marotto explained each proposed fee change, and reported that Animal
Services' proposed budget is approximately$2.2 million, with revenues of about
$700,000.
o ASAB members asked questions about the proposed fee changes.
o Approved a motion to support Animal Service's proposed fee adjustments.
■ Animal Services Updates
o Bob Marotto gave updates on the local dog-fighting case; the dog-walking trail;
the BOCC's legislative agenda; and Animal Services' musical enrichment project.
o The ASAB was also introduced to Rachel Plast, a new administrative assistant at
Animal Services. One of Ms. Plast's responsibilities will be to help support the
ASAB; another will be to help the hearing panels pool. Ms. Plast will be joining
ASAB meetings going forward.
Adjournment and next meeting:
• The meeting was adjourned at 8:17 p.m. The next meeting is March 20, 2019, at 6:30
p.m., Orange County Animal Services Center.
Minutes taken: Amanda Schwoerke