Health and Human Services Committee Meeting Transcript 6/22/2016 Title: ATXN 24/7 Recording Channel: 6 - ATXN Recorded On: 6/22/2016 6:00:00 AM Original Air Date: 6/22/2016 Transcript Generated by SnapStream ================================== [9:16:41 AM] >> Troxclair: Hello, thank for being here today. I'm councilmember troxclair and I'm chairing for mayor pro tem tovo who can't be with us but is probably watching on TV. I'm going to call the audit and finance committee meeting to order. >> Houston: Good morning, I'm councilmember ora Houston and the -- we have a quorum of the health and human services committee here. Councilmember Garza, troxclair and myself. Mayor pro tem tovo is watching us on TV and I'm calling our meeting to order at 9:16, 9:16 on Wednesday morning. >> Troxclair: I don't see anybody signed up for citizens communication, but I do see some people signed up for item number 3 that we'll go ahead and take up. So is Larry tucker here? All right, sorry, we're going to do the approval of the minutes first. So audit and finance committee, have you all had a chance to review the minutes? Any changes or corrections? Is there a motion to approve the minutes? Councilmember Renteria moves. Councilmember pool seconds. All in favor? Minutes are approved. So Mr. Tucker. >> Good morning, councilmembers. I've invited up to the dais vice chair Robert Shaw, vice chair of the animal advisory commission as well as commissioner Craig Naser to join me. I just wanted to provide a [9:18:42 AM] brief overview from our last meeting on this agenda item which is that when we -- years ago several councils back prior to all of you when we made the amendment to the bylaws for the -- to the animal advisory commission, chapter 823 of the Texas health and safety code was included that -- it was worded in a way that we could advise -- the animal advisory commission could advise both the Austin city council and the Travis county commissioners court. When we made that amendment change to the bylaws, the amendment to the bylaws, we failed to put in verbiage that stated we expanded our scope of work to advise council on any animal welfare issues in Travis county. And at that time while we could -- the amendment failed to mention Travis county commissioners court, it only said that we could advise Austin city council. So there was -- I think that was probably an oversight. So as part of this bylaws change, we are asking that you expand our scope of work to also now advise the Travis county commissioners court, which was likely an oversight. We already advise them on chapter 823 of the Texas health and safety code, but the amendment needs to -- hopefully you will vote to expand us to be able to advise them on any animal welfare issues in Travis county. >> Troxclair: Thank you. Did you have any comments to make? >> Yeah, I wanted to just go over briefly some of the history -- historical information. I'm sorry. This is Robert Shaw. I'm Robert Shaw, vice chair of the animal advisory commission. I wanted to go over the history in response to judge [9:20:43 AM] Elkhart's letter to Mayor Adler,requesting two additional members. On February 16, animal advisory commission unanimously approved motion to extend scope of the bylaws allowing advising Travis county commissioners court on animal welfare issues. On may 16th the audit and finance committee referred to matter of expanding the animal advisory commission to the Aniamal Advisory Commission. On June 7th, Travis county commissioners court unanimously approved request for two additional members. On June 13 animal advisory commission unanimously approved motion for recommendation to add two additional members recommended by Travis county. So Travis county currently contributes $1.4 million to the animal services budget. $11.5 million, which is approximately about 13%. And expanding the aac by two members will give the county approximately 15% representation of a 13- member commission. In addition, adding two members will allow the county and the city to work together more closely, which is very much needed to find some common ground so we can work together. So thank you so much. >> Hello, my name is Craig Naser. Also on the animal advisory commission. The issues between the city and the county on animals are very complicated because although, you know, they have different authorities and abilities to make laws, the -- the shelter is serving the entire county. And so the problems that arise in the shelter are influenced by many areas of the county under many jurisdictions. [9:22:44 AM] And this is a very complicated issue. We're just starting to look into it as the county grows, as the population grows, these problems come up about what we're doing. So having looked at these and talked to a lot of people about that, I think that the two people for the reasons of the financial input and also just the general knowledge of the county about what's going on, I think that's a good place to start because what we have to do is -- is contact people not only in the little cities but in the nonjurisdictional areas. So it's a complicated issue. I think two people is the right number for us and I think it's a really good idea to proceed this direction because this impacts what goes on right outside the city impacts what happens in the city and in our shelter. >> Troxclair: Thank you for being here and for that information. Members, are there any questions? >> Pool: I'll go ahead and make a motion to approve item number 3 so we can get that specific on the table. >> Troxclair: Okay. Councilmember pool makes a motion to approve it. Is there -- >> Renteria: I'll second that, and we're going to change the article 2-2 -- improve article 2-2 and [inaudible]? >> Yes. >> Renteria: Okay. >> Houston: Councilmember troxclair, can we have a conversation? >> Troxclair: Yeah. >> Houston: Councilmember Garza. >> Garza: I'll make the [9:24:45 AM] motion. It's item number 1 on health and human services so I move that we approve item 1. With the same -- >> Houston: With the same language. >> Garza: Yes. >> Houston: Staff recommendation. Thank you so much. I second that. >> Troxclair: I just want to clarify. So the adding the language to advise the city council and the commissioners court, this was a staff recommendation and there weren't any concerns about adding that ability? >> Hi, Dina, commissions coordinator. We're going to go over it in more detail in item number 4. There was -- to add two members, staff agreed with this recommendation as the council audit and finance committee agreed with the recommendation. There was one addition to the board bylaws. Besides adding the language for the commissioners court in article 2-2, which staff also recommended, applying the second part of the recommendation from the animal advisory commission requested the appointees fall under the language in section 2-4-1 that's listed in our city code to state for a board member with 11 or more members, each councilmember shall nominate one board member to serve is on the board and the mayor shall nominate the other four members. That is the subject of the recommendation that staff does not recommend changing. The recommendations would come from Travis county, but they would be formally approved by the entire council and not just the mayor is what staff is recommending. >> Troxclair: Thank you for that clarification. So are you -- are you -- should we only vote as a joint committee, should we only vote on adding the two members and then this additional language is only for the audit and finance committee? >> Yes, ma'am. >> Troxclair: Okay. >> I believe. [9:26:47 AM] >> Yes, because city code requires the audit and finance committee sign of on the bylaws changes. >> Troxclair: Should we do that now or -- >> I think either way. And I believe on item 4 you do have one other commission that you are approving bylaws changes for so you may want to take that up separately. >> Houston: So let me go ahead and take the vote on our part of this and then that will close that out and then you all can discuss your part. Okay? >> Troxclair: Okay. >> Houston: I'll call the question. All in favor of councilmember Garza's motion to approve the two additions to the animal advisory commission, please let it known by saying aye. All opposed? It passes unanimously. >> Troxclair: Thanks. Are you adjourning? >> Houston: No, no, I'll wait until you all finish your part. >> Troxclair: Okay. So why don't we -- it sounds like it might be easier for us to just take a vote on the additional two members and then take any additional language separately. So you want to amend your motion? >> Renteria: She went ahead and moved to pass item 3. >> Troxclair: So to add the additional two board members. All in favor? Okay. And that passes unanimously with mayor pro tem off the dais. >> We're done with 3. Thank you. >> Troxclair: All right. >> Houston: Troxclair, health and human services is going to adjourn their meeting at 9:29 on Wednesday morning. Thank you for allowing us to sit in on this.