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HomeMy WebLinkAboutASAB Meeting Summary 05.15.24 Meeting Minutes Approved ANIMAL SERVICES ADVISORY BOARD (ASAB) 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Wednesday, May 15, 2024 Community Room at OCAS 1601 Eubanks Rd, Chapel Hill,NC 27516 MEMBERS PRESENT: Lee Pickett(Chair),Allan Polak(Vice Chair), Sunita Driehuys (Secretary), Debby Hill, Paula Kotarakos, Judy Miller, Cathy Munnier, Kim Rider, Lucia Welborne Members ABSENT: Michael Delafield, Dawn Roberts STAFF PRESENT: Holly Pittman, Tiani Stamey PUBLIC PRESENT: Carol McCanna, Annie Goldberg, Caroline Loop Call to order: 6:30 PM Review and adoption of the meeting agenda: Vote (Motion/2nd) Mike Delafield absent Sunita Driehuys aye Debby Hill aye Paula Kotarakos aye Judy Miller 2nd Cathy Munnier motion Lee Pickett aye Allan Polak aye Kimberly Rider aye Dawn Roberts absent Lucia Welborne aye Page 1 of 6 Review and approval of April, 2024 ASAB meeting summary: Vote (Motion/2nd) Mike Delafield absent Sunita Driehuys aye Debby Hill aye Paula Kotarakos 2nd Judy Miller aye Cathy Munnier aye Lee Pickett aye Allan Polak aye Kimberly Rider motion Dawn Roberts absent Lucia Welborne aye Public Participation Guidelines: limit of 3 minutes at today's meeting. Can submit more information by email for inclusion as an agenda item for discussion at a future meeting General Public Comments (not on agenda): Carol McCanna presents: A letter regarding pit bulls with the assertion that these are dangerous dogs that should be banned. Her dog (Cocker spaniel)was attacked by a loose pit bull last year and she would like this breed to be restricted in Orange County. Caroline Loop—Wake County Environmental Services (Wake County Animal Services is one of their divisions)—they don't have an advisory board, so she is attending this meeting to Page 2 of 6 understand how Orange County's ASAB functions. She knows Dr. Strong through Wake County employment. New Business: Elections for Officers for ASAB for the coming year 1. Election of Secretary—term is from January-December 2024. We are voting now to keep terms in compliance with BOCC guidelines. Only nomination is Sunita Driehuys to continue in this role, as she has for the past 18 months. Vote (Motion/2nd) Mike Delafield absent Sunita Driehuys abstain Debby Hill 2nd Paula Kotarakos aye Judy Miller aye Cathy Munmer aye Lee Pickett aye Allan Polak motion Kimberly Rider aye Dawn Roberts absent Lucia Welborne aye Page 3of6 2. Chair and Vice Chair position election will beat June, 2024 meeting a. Lee Pickett will be stepping down from chair position when her term ends in July. Allan Polak will be nominated to chair position b. We have an opening for the vice chair position and are taking nominations for both positions. Debby Hill has offered to be nominated for vice chair position Monthly Meeting Attendance Record : Confirmed through approval of meeting minutes Animal Services Advisory Board: Current Vacancies 1. Currently have 2 vacancies on ASAB Town of Hillsborough and Non-Municipality positions are open 2. Lucia Welborne will be finishing her 2nd term June 30, 2024. Animal Welfare & Advocacy position will be open then 3. Debby Hill and Michael Delafield will be coming up for reappointment to the board at the June, 2024 meeting 4. Annie Goldberg has submitted an application to ASAB and attended today's meeting. She is a school counselor in Alamance County who lives in Orange County and graduated from UNC and loves animals and owns and fosters dogs. 5. Motion to recommend Annie Goldberg to BOCC for appointment to ASAB Vote (Motion/2"d) Mike Delafield absent Sunita Driehuys aye Debby Hill aye Paula Kotarakos aye Judy Miller aye Cathy Munmer 2nd Lee Pickett aye Allan Polak aye Page 4 of 6 Kimberly Rider motion Dawn Roberts absent Lucia Welbome aye Old Business: None Information Items: OCAS developments update by Assistant Director Tiani Stamey 1. Rabies clinic at Cedar Grove Park in Hillsborough on June 22 , 9am-noon 2. Paws in the Pasture with Blue Dog Farm on May 25th in partnership with Paws 4 Ever. Will have adoptable dogs, catch and release in pond, food trucks 3. Dog adoption special currently until June 29th—adoption fee is $50 and cats are 2 for the price of 1. We are currently near capacity with dogs. 4. Kitten season has started and foster program is working well 5. Woofgang Bakery and Grooming has offered free baths for dogs adopted through June 291h 6. County budget will be presented on May 28th to BOCC—OCAS is requesting similar amount to last year. 7. County Manager position that Bonnie Hammersley is vacating has not been officially filled yet 8. OCAS is fully staffed at this time—there is one opening for NC A&T intern, but otherwise full. Also have veterinary students from NCSU rotating through. Informal Discussion: 1. Discussion about breed-specific legislation with general consensus that this is not an effective means of preventing dangerous dog encounters or bites. Socialization, desensitization and proper training of all dogs is more effective. 2. Discussion about getting an update on former ASAB Chair, Ed Teriyakian's, idea to lobby for the state legislature to adopt the 18 month appeal of dangerous dog designation that Orange County has in place. 3. Lucia Welborne would like an update on the fighting dogs issue that was discussed several years ago 4. Paula Kotarakos presented update on the current effort in the U.K. to ban XL Bullies. This effort is not going well, due to the challenges of defining what an XL Bully dog is. Next Meeting: Vote to change the date from June 19' (county holiday) to June 12th Vote (Motion/2 d) Mike Delafield absent Sunita Driehuys aye Page 5of6 Debby Hill 2nd Paula Kotarakos aye Judy Miller aye Cathy Munmer motion Lee Pickett aye Allan Polak aye Kimberly Rider aye Dawn Roberts absent Lucia Welborne aye Adjournment: Meeting adjourned at 7:30 p.m. Vote (Motion/2nd) Mike Delafield absent Sunita Driehuys aye Debby Hill aye Paula Kotarakos aye Judy Miller aye Cathy Munnier motion Lee Pickett aye Allan Polak aye Kimberly Rider 2nd Dawn Roberts absent Lucia Welborne aye Page 6 of 6