HomeMy WebLinkAboutASAB Meeting Summary 04212021 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, April 21, 2021
Virtual Meeting Summary
MEMBERS PRESENT: Edmund Tiryakian (Chair), Bryan Stuart (Vice Chair), Casey Ferrell
(Secretary), Lee Pickett, Sunita Driehuys, Meggie Romick, Lori Gershon, Susan Spinks, Sue
Millager, Amanda Schwoerke, Lori Gershon, Allan Polak
ABSENT: Amanda Schwoerke, Dawn Roberts
STAFF PRESENT: Bonnie Hammersley (County Manager), Vicki Jones (Interim Animal Services
Director), Rachel Plast (Administrative Assistant)
Call to order: 6:30 p.m.
Virtual meeting voting guidelines: Bryan Stuart, ASAB Vice-Chair
Review and adoption of the agenda:
• Amend: Update to Amanda Schwoerke's position on the board & move New Business up
to first slot in the agenda
Vote (Motion/2nd)
Amanda Schwoerke
Bryan Stuart Y (Motion)
Sue Millager Y
Lee Pickett Y
Ed Tiryakian Y
Lucia Welborne n/a (tech difficulties)
Sunita Driehuys Y
Casey Ferrell Y
Meggie Romick Y
Allan Polak Y
Susan Spinks Y
Lori Gershon Y (2nd)
Dawn Roberts
New Business
• County Manager, Bonnie Hammersley: Consultancy on Veterinary Services
o Consultant: Dr. Josie Robertson, veterinarian and consultant, has experience
consulting in Wake County and other NC counties
o Brought on in April 2020, has continued to evaluate the veterinary needs of
OCAS
o Provided pros/cons to three models: on-staff, hybrid, or contractor
o No decision will be made until new Director is on board, who will make a
recommendation to County Manager (who will recommend to BOCC)
o Bonnie: no opinion one way or the other, will look to new Director for
recommendation
o Hiring freeze will not affect the staffing of the potential veterinarian position
o Expecting announcement of new Director as soon as next week
o Request from ASAB for documentation of consultant's
work/report/recommendations
■ County Manager to look into it
• Petco Grand for Kitten Foster Program
o Petco Love received a $25k grant to provide needed medications, vaccines, and
medical care for kittens in the foster program at OCAS. The grant funds will also
be used to increase the amount and quality of care provided in order to help
even more kittens in the program grow strong and remain healthy in their foster
homes.
Review and approval of March 2021 meeting summary
Vote (Motion/2"d)
Amanda Schwoerke
Bryan Stuart Y
Sue Millager Y (Motion)
Lee Pickett Y
Ed Tiryakian Y
Lucia Welborne n/a (tech difficulties)
Sunita Driehuys Y
Casey Ferrell Y
Meggie Romick Y
Allan Polak Y
Susan Spinks Y (2"d)
Lori Gershon Y
Dawn Roberts
Review of public participation guidelines: Bryan Stuart, ASAB Vice-Chair
General public comments on items not on agenda:
• N/A
Monthly Meeting Attendance Record (confirm completion): confirmed
New Business
• Review Final Submission for BOCC for meeting on 4/22
o NOTES
Animal Services Advisory Board
• Update on Amanda Schwoerkes' board status
o Amanda tendered her resignation from the ASAB effective immediately (her
husband accepted a job at Harvard; her family will be moving)
o Will need to fill now-vacated ASAB position (representative from Town of Chapel
Hill) and Hearing Panel Chair position
• Review Final Submission for BOCC for meeting on 4/22
o Share-out of ASAB report to BOCC with explanation of revisions/amendments
■ Discussion ensued about the scope of the exploration of the board
makeup with regard to racial/ethnic diversity; discomfort with language
was expressed by ASAB members Gershon, Polak, and Stuart
■ Discussion also addressed language around the moving of ASAB meetings
to different locations around the county and whether that was a settled
matter or should be positioned as part of the Racial Equity Task Force's
work
■ Motion to include recommendation to the BOCC that the ASAB host its
meetings in locations other than the Eubanks Road facility separate from
any details about the Racial Equity Task Force
Vote (Motion/2nd)
Amanda Schwoerke
Bryan Stuart Y (2nd)
Sue Millager Y
Lee Pickett Y
Ed Tiryakian Y
Lucia Welborne Y
Sunita Driehuys Y
Casey Ferrell Y
Meggie Romick Y
Allan Polak Y
Susan Spinks Y
Lori Gershon Y (Motion)
Dawn Roberts
Old Business:
• Shelter Requirements for Livestock Guardian Dogs: Discussion
o Discussion about whether to table issue until new Director is installed and can be
consulted with given the additional administrative burden that the Task Force's
recommendation will put on ASAB.
o Motion to continue this discussion in the May ASAB meeting:
Vote (Motion/2"d)
Amanda Schwoerke
Bryan Stuart Y
Sue Millager n/a (logged off)
Lee Pickett Y
Ed Tiryakian Y
Lucia Welborne abstention
Sunita Driehuys Y
Casey Ferrell Y
Meggie Romick Y (2.d)
Allan Polak Y
Susan Spinks Y
Lori Gershon Y (Motion)
Dawn Roberts
• Update from Wild and Dangerous Animal Committee
o Task Force is down to Stuart and Tiryakian, who met to discuss and found
conflicts between the Division 5 language and the Division 4 language; will need
to meet again to resolve those conflicts.
• Update on Criteria for Dangerous Dog Declarations for Minor Incidents
o Will make a recommendation to the BOCC as outlined in the ASAB report to
BOCC.
Informational Items
• March 2021 Monthly Statistics for Sheltering Operations
• March 2021 Monthly Statistics for Field Services
Informal Discussion
• N/A
Adjournment: Meeting adjourned at 8:10 p.m.