Jun 09, 2022 CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION

[ CITY OF BAYTOWN NOTICE OF MEETING CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 2022 5:30 P.M. COUNCIL CHAMBER, CITY HALL 2401 MARKET STREET, BAYTOWN, TEXAS 77520 AGENDA CALL TO ORDER AND ANNOUNCEMENT OF QUORUM ]

[00:00:21]

SO I'LL NOW CALL THIS MEETING OF THE BAYTOWN CITY COUNCIL ORDER.

IT IS THURSDAY, JUNE 9TH.

IT IS 5:37 PM WE DO HAVE A QUORUM.

WE ARE IN BAYTOWN CITY HALL COUNCIL CHAMBERS.

WE'LL BE, UH, LED IN OUR PLEDGE AND INVOCATION, UH, THIS EVENING BY COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, CHARLES JOHNSON OF DISTRICT THREE.

WE, THIS IS WORK SESSION.

WORK SESSION.

YOU ARE WANTING TO GET APPROVED? I AM.

OKAY.

SO IT IS, IT'S UNTIL 5:37 PM UH, WE ARE IN WORK SESSION.

WE

[a. Receive and discuss a presentation from the Animal Control Advisory Committee recommending a Community Cat Program. ]

UM, AND SO WE HAVE ITEM ONE A, RECEIVE AND DISCUSS A PRESENTATION FROM THE ANIMAL CONTROL ADVISORY COMMITTEE, UH, RECOMMENDING A COMMUNITY CAT PROGRAM.

UH, MR. GRAY, THIS HAS YOUR NAME, UH, AS THE PRIMARY ON THIS DISCUSSION.

UH, YES, SIR.

UH, GOOD AFTERNOON, COUNCIL AND MAYOR.

I'M GONNA DO A BRIEF INTRO, AND THEN I'M GONNA HAND IT OVER.

OKAY.

UH, FOR THE COMMITTEE TO DO THEIR PRESENTATION, UM, LIKE THE ITEM SAYS, THE COMMITTEE, THE ANIMAL CONTROL ADVISORY COMMITTEE, WILL BE PRESENTING THEIR RECOMMENDATION FOR HAVING A COMMUNITY CAP PROGRAM HERE IN BAYTOWN.

HERE TO REPRESENT THE COMMITTEE ARE, UH, CHAIRPERSON ELLEN HOLLOWAY AND DR.

FRANCISCO ALVAREZ.

ALSO IN ATTENDANCE, OUR OTHER MEMBERS, WE HAVE, UH, JIMMY GARCIA, WHO IS THE HEALTH DESIGNEE, AND THEN A MR. ALBERTO CONTRERAS, WHO IS A CITIZEN REP FOR THE, UH, COMMITTEE.

IN ADDITION TO THE, TO THOSE MEMBERS, WE ALSO HAVE JUSTIN GONZALEZ FROM BEST FRIENDS ANIMAL SOCIETY.

HE'S HERE WITH, WITH THE COMMITTEE, AND FOR THE COMMITTEE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS ON HIS ORGANIZATION SUPPORT.

BEFORE I TURN IT OVER TO THE COMMITTEE, I, I WANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT THE COMMUNITY CAT PROGRAM, BY ITSELF, WILL NOT BE AN END ALL TO OUR CAT ISSUES, UH, TO EXECUTE A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.

IT'LL TAKE SOME REVISION OF THE ORDINANCE, UM, BUT THE COMMITTEE IS AWARE OF THIS AND, UH, HAD PRELIMINARY DISCUSSIONS ABOUT IT, AND WE'LL DISCUSS IT MORE IN THE FUTURE BASED ON COMMENTS AND DIRECTIONS.

UM, GIVEN THIS AFTERNOON BY COUNSEL, UM, WITH ALL THAT SAID, I WOULD NOW LIKE TO TURN IT OVER TO DR. ALVAREZ, WHO IS THE VETERINARIAN REPRESENTATIVE FOR THE COMMITTEE.

GOOD AFTERNOON, COUNSEL.

THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.

UM, I TITLED THIS PRESENTATION FELINE FRIEND OR FOE, BECAUSE IF ANY OF YOU GUYS KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT CATS, IT DEPENDS ON WHERE THE CAT'S MINDSET IS THAT DAY IS, WHETHER THEY'RE YOUR FRIEND OR THEY'RE YOUR ENEMY.

SO, AND IT KIND OF GOES TO, TO FAVOR WITH THAT WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TODAY AS FAR AS OUR, OUR ISSUE HERE IN, IN BAYTOWN WITH, UM, THE FERAL CAT POPULATION.

SO, UM, I AM GONNA TALK TO YOU ABOUT A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT THINGS HERE.

WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE FERAL, THE FERAL CAT ISSUE.

WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT THE COMMUNITY CAT PROGRAM, WHAT IT IS, HOW MUCH WE THINK IT'S GONNA COST, AND SOME OF THE PROS AND CONS TO THE, TO THAT, UH, PROGRAM.

UM, WE'RE ALSO GONNA TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE CITIZEN'S CONCERNS THAT WE'VE HEARD.

UM, I'M GONNA, UH, TALK TO YOU GUYS A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT THE A VMA, UH, RECOMMENDS IN THESE SITUATIONS, AND WE WILL FINISH WITH SOME CLOSING REMARKS.

OKAY.

SO, UM, I FEEL LIKE I CAN TALK TO YOU GUYS ABOUT THIS BECAUSE I AM A, A VETERINARIAN IN THE COMMUNITY.

I WAS BORN AND RAISED HERE IN BAYTOWN.

I'VE, UH, GRADUATED FROM TEXAS A M UNIVERSITY WITH A DOCTOR OF VETERINARY MEDICINE IN 2017.

UM, I WAS, UM, I'VE BEEN A MEMBER OF THE ANIMAL CONTROL ADVISORY COMMITTEE SINCE LAST YEAR.

AND SO I'VE, I, I FEEL LIKE I'M, I FEEL VERY COMFORTABLE TALKING ABOUT ALL ASPECTS OF THIS ISSUE, UM, AND, AND WHAT, YOU KNOW, AM THANKFUL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO, TO BE HERE TODAY, TO, TO DISCUSS THESE THINGS WITH YOU.

SO, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S THE ISSUE, RIGHT? THIS IS THE ISSUE HERE.

UH, FERAL CAT CATS IN BAYTOWN, WE, THERE'S NUMEROUS, UH, CATS IN BAYTOWN.

I, YOU GUYS DRIVE AROUND AND, YOU KNOW, GO AROUND THE STATE STREETS AND THE, THE, THE ALLEYS AND WHATNOT.

YOU KNOW, YOU SEE ALL THESE CATS RUNNING AROUND OUT THERE.

AND, UM, HERE WE HAVE A PICTURE OF A FEW OF 'EM HERE AT NIGHT.

YOU, UH, YOU SEE, UM, OVER HERE ON THE FAR RIGHT, THE PICTURE OF, YOU KNOW, SOME CITIZEN IN THE COMMUNITY BUILDING A LITTLE HOUSE FOR THESE, YOU KNOW, THIS COLONY OF CATS HERE.

WHAT THE ISSUE IS THAT, YOU KNOW, THESE CATS, YOU KNOW, CAN CARRY DISEASES, CARRY PARASITES.

THEY, YOU KNOW, NOT TO MENTION THE DAMAGE THAT THEY DO TO THE, THE WILDLIFE AND TO, YOU KNOW, PROPERTY OF, OF THE CITIZENS, RIGHT? SO, YOU KNOW, THIS

[00:05:01]

WE ALL, WE ALL REALIZE THAT IT'S NOT THE ONLY, THIS, WE'RE NOT THE ONLY TOWN OR THE ONLY CITY THAT HAS THIS ISSUE.

IT'S, IT'S A WIDESPREAD ISSUE AMONGST MOST AREAS.

UM, AND IT'S BEEN AN ISSUE FOR HUNDREDS OF YEARS.

YOU KNOW, THEY TALK ABOUT IN THE, UM, MIDDLE AGES, THE ISSUE WITH, WITH THE FERAL CATS AND STUFF LIKE THAT.

SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS, IT IS NOT NEW.

AND, AND IT'S, IT'S A PROBLEM THAT, THAT, THAT DEFINITELY NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED.

UM, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE THINGS I, I DIDN'T GET A CHANCE TO PUT IN HERE WAS A, YOU KNOW, THEY SAY A PICTURE'S WORTH, YOU KNOW, A THOUSAND WORDS.

AND I'M GONNA TRY TO USE A THOUSAND WORDS TO DESCRIBE THIS PICTURE THAT I SAW.

BUT, BUT IF YOU THINK ABOUT ONE, UM, ONE FEMALE CAT CAN HAVE THREE LITTERS A YEAR.

UM, YOU KNOW, AND, AND LET'S SAY HALF OF THOSE KITTENS ARE FEMALE, YOU KNOW, HALF MALE, HALF FEMALE, UM, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, RUNNING THE NUMBERS, IF, IF YOU HAVE, LET'S SAY YOU HAD TWO LITTERS A YEAR, AND YOU HAD TWO AND 2.8 KITTENS SURVIVE OUT OF A LITTER, YOU KNOW, IN EIGHT YEARS, THEY'D BE OVER 2 MILLION CATS, YOU KNOW, JUST FROM, JUST FROM THAT ONE FEMALE CAT.

THAT'S UNSPAYED.

NOW THAT'S A CONSERVATIVE ESTIMATE, YOU KNOW, IF MOST CATS WILL HAVE THREE LITTERS AND YOU KNOW, THEY'LL HAVE FOUR OR FIVE KITTENS, YOU KNOW, AND, AND IF ALL OF THOSE SURVIVE, JUST IMAGINE THE NUMBERS.

SO, YOU KNOW, WHAT CAN WE DO? YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT IS, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS THE, THE ANSWER HERE? SO WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT DOING IS PUTTING TOGETHER A COMMUNITY CAT PROGRAM.

WHAT THAT INVOLVES IS, THERE'S TWO PARTS TO IT.

IT'S A TRAP NEUTER RELEASE WHERE JUST LIKE IT SOUNDS, UM, CATS ARE CAPTURED OUT IN THE COMMUNITY.

THEY'RE TAKEN TO A VETERINARIAN OFFICE AND THEY'RE SPAYED NEUTERED, YOU KNOW, THEY MAY BE VACCINATED AND THEY'LL, YOU KNOW, BE TESTED FOR, FOR DISEASES.

UM, AND THEN THAT'S, THAT'S THE TNR PART OF IT.

TRAP NEUTER, RELEASE, THE SHELTER NEUTER RELEASE WOULD, YOU KNOW, TAKE CATS THAT ARE IN THE SHELTER ALREADY THAT MAY SURVIVE FINE IN THE, IN, IN THE OUTDOORS, AND, YOU KNOW, ALLOW THOSE GUYS TO, TO LIVE OUTDOORS.

AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, BASED ON THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU'D HAVE TO HAVE SOMEBODY AT, AT THE SHELTER, UM, YOU KNOW, EVALUATING THESE CATS TO SEE IF WHAT THEIR CHANCES OF SURVIVABILITY, YOU KNOW, OUT IN THE WILD AND STUFF LIKE THAT.

SO, UM, BUT ALL THAT TOGETHER, YOU KNOW, PUTS TOGETHER OUR, OUR COMMUNITY CAT PROGRAM.

SO, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ABOUT, YOU KNOW, SIX MONTHS AGO THE, UM, BEST FRIENDS AT A, UM, A RESCUE ORGANIZATION HAS BEEN, HAS, HAS IMPLEMENTED A PILOT PROGRAM HERE IN BAYTOWN.

AND THEY'VE BEEN, YOU KNOW, TRAPPING, YOU KNOW, UM, FERAL CATS IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS, YOU KNOW, KIND OF BASED OFF PHONE CALLS THAT OF NUISANCE CALLS OR NUISANCE CALLS TO THE ANIMAL SHELTER.

SO THEY'RE GOING OUT TRAPPING THE CATS, TAKING 'EM TO THE VET, GETTING 'EM SPAYED AND NEUTERED, YOU KNOW, AND THEN TURNING THEM LOOSE, YOU KNOW, BACK IN THE, IN THE COMMUNITY.

AND AS OF NOW, THEY'VE, YOU KNOW, DONE ABOUT 231 CATS, YOU KNOW? AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE TALK ABOUT THOSE NUMBERS, YOU KNOW, LET'S SAY HALF OF THOSE CATS WERE FEMALE CATS, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, YOU KNOW, ABOUT, YOU KNOW, 150 OR PLUS CATS THAT ARE FEMALE, YOU KNOW, IMAGINE THE, THE, THE KITTENS THAT WOULDN'T BE BORN BECAUSE OF THESE CATS GETTING SPAYED.

SO, YOU KNOW, AND, AND WE WILL GO IN A LITTLE BIT, UH, MORE INTO IT, BUT, BUT BASICALLY, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT WE'RE HOPING TO GET WITH THIS IS, YOU KNOW, GET THE COMMUNITY INVOLVED.

YOU KNOW, GETTING THEM, YOU KNOW, TO HELP CATCH SOME OF THESE CATS, BRING THEM TO THE VET, YOU KNOW, GETTING THEM, GETTING THEM SPAYED AND NEUTERED, AND SO THAT WE CAN TRY TO ADDRESS SOME OF THIS, UM, THE FERAL CAT POPULATION, YOU KNOW? SO THEN WHAT DOES THAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE, YOU KNOW, FOR COST WISE? SO, YOU KNOW, UM, WHAT THE BEST FRIENDS HAS ESTIMATED SO FAR IS THAT, YOU KNOW, ABOUT TO CLOSE THIS OUT, TO CLOSE THE YEAR OUT, YOU KNOW, ABOUT $70,000, YOU KNOW, YOU'LL BE ABLE TO PAY ABOUT 625 CATS.

WE'RE GOING TO, THEY'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA PURCHASE SOME THINGS TO HELP DETER SOME OF THE CATS FOR, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WHO DON'T, DON'T WANT CATS IN THE COMMUNITY AT ALL.

YOU KNOW? UH, SO THERE'LL BE CERTAIN THINGS THAT THEY CAN USE, UM, TO HELP, YOU KNOW, GET, KEEP THOSE CATS OUTTA YOUR YARD IF, IF YOU SO CHOOSE NOT TO, YOU KNOW, HAVE THOSE CATS, WHICH, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T, AND I, YOU KNOW, I PERSONALLY DON'T EITHER.

YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY TEAR UP YOUR FLOWER GARDEN, THEY, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY SCRATCH UP YOUR CAR, YOU KNOW, AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

SO, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE'S SOME THINGS THAT YOU CAN DO TO TRY TO DETER THOSE.

NOW ARE THOSE A HUNDRED PERCENT NOW, AND WE'LL GET INTO THAT JUST A LITTLE BIT HERE, BUT SOME OF, HERE, HERE WE GO, THE PROS AND CONS.

SO, YOU KNOW, THE, THE BIG PROS HERE ARE THAT YOU'RE GONNA REDUCE THE NUMBER OF FREE ROAMING CATS,

[00:10:01]

IF WE REDUCE THE NUMBER OF KITTENS, AND WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO REDUCE THE, THE, THE NUMBER OVERALL, EVENTUALLY, EVENTUALLY, THOSE CAT NUMBERS ARE GONNA GO DOWN.

JUST LIKE ANYTHING ELSE.

WE'RE PROBABLY NEVER GONNA BE ABLE TO GET RID OF ALL CATS THAT ARE, THAT ARE FERAL, BUT WE'RE GONNA TRY TO REDUCE THOSE NUMBERS INTO SOMETHING A LITTLE MORE MANAGEABLE THAN WHAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW.

WE'RE GONNA HELP REDUCE THE, THE, THE BEHAVIOR, THE, THE MATING BEHAVIORS WHERE THEY'RE SPRAYING ON STUFF AND, YOU KNOW, KIND OF SCRATCHING STUFF UP AROUND THE HOUSE AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

YOU'RE GONNA REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF, IF WE REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF CATS WE HAVE, THEN WE'RE GONNA REDUCE THE POTENTIAL FOR ZOONOTIC DISEASES, DISEASES THAT ARE CONTAGIOUS TO PEOPLE.

UM, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE CONS ABOUT THE, THE, THE PROGRAM IS THAT WE'RE RELEASING THESE CATS, YOU KNOW, BACK INTO THE COMMUNITY THAT, THAT THEN THEY, AND THEY CAN CAUSE MORE DAMAGE, BUT OVERALL, THE PROS OUTWEIGH THE CONS BY FAR.

YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT, YOU KNOW, THIS ISN'T A PERFECT PROGRAM, BUT IT'S GONNA REDUCE THE NUMBERS EVENTUALLY.

AND ONCE WE GET THOSE NUMBERS DOWN, THEN IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S A LITTLE MORE MANAGEABLE.

SO NOW, INSTEAD OF GOING, YOU KNOW, NOW YOUR NEIGHBOR'S FEEDING 20 CATS, WELL, YOU GET 'EM ALL SPAYED AND NEUTERED, AND THEY'RE NOT HAVING, YOU KNOW, 20 CATS A YEAR, YOU KNOW, 20 EXTRA CATS.

YOU, YOU QUIT THAT.

AND THEN AS YOU KNOW, AS THEY, AS TIME GOES ON AND THEY START TO PASS AWAY, THAT THAT POPULATION GETS SMALLER AND SMALLER AND SMALLER, IF WE DON'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT RIGHT NOW, THAT PERSON THAT'S FEEDING THOSE CATS IS NOW, RIGHT NOW THEY HAVE 20, THEN THEY HAVE 40, THEN THEY HAVE 60.

AND, YOU KNOW, THE, THE NUMBERS GO UP FROM THERE.

SO, UM, YOU KNOW, AND, AND, AND, AND I GET IT, THE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE CITIZEN'S CONCERN, YOU KNOW, THOSE DETERRENTS THAT THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, THEY'RE NOT A HUNDRED PERCENT.

SOME OF 'EM ARE GONNA WORK, THEY'RE GONNA WORK FOR SOME CATS, THEY'RE GONNA WORK FOR SOME PEOPLE.

IT MAY NOT WORK IN OTHER SITUATIONS, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY DON'T, YOU KNOW, THEY DON'T LIKE CATS ON THE PROPERTY.

I MEAN, THAT, THAT PICTURE RIGHT THERE, TEXTBOOK, YOU KNOW, CATS IN THE FLOWER GARDEN TEARING UP YOUR FLOWER BED.

I MEAN, YOU HEAR THAT ALL THE TIME.

YOU, I HEAR THAT FROM CLIENTS THAT COME TO THE OFFICE, YOU KNOW, THAT, HEY, WHAT CAN I DO TO GET RID OF THIS CAT OR THIS OR THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT, I GET IT.

YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT IF, WHEN THERE, WHEN THERE'S DESTRUCTION GOING ON ON PEOPLE'S PROPERTY, ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY HAVE AN ANIMAL THAT THEY DIDN'T EVEN WANT IT, IT'S A CONCERN, YOU KNOW? UH, BUT MY, MY, OUR, THE, THE, UM, COMMITTEE'S THOUGHT IS THAT, YEAH, THAT'S A PROBLEM, BUT IF WE DON'T SPAY AND NEUTER HIM, THAT PROBLEM'S JUST GONNA GET BIGGER AND BIGGER AND BIGGER.

SO LET'S SPAY AND NEUTER.

SO AT LEAST WE DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT ANY OF THE, UM, OF THEIR PROGENY COMING BACK AND DOING THE SAME THING.

SO, YOU KNOW, IN GETTING PRE PREPARED FOR THIS, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT VETERINARIANS, WE ALL, UH, WE WE'RE KIND OF GUIDED BY WHAT, WHAT THE A VMA SAYS.

THEY HAVE, THE A VMA IS THE AMERICAN VETERINARY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION, AND IT'S A, A, A GROUP OF ABOUT A HUNDRED THOUSAND VETERINARIANS.

AND THEY, THEY GIVE US GUIDELINES AS TO, FROM EVERYTHING FROM ANESTHESIA TO PROCEDURES, TO, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS ETHICAL, YOU KNOW? AND SO WE ARE, WE'RE, WE'RE VERY MUCH UPHELD TO THOSE GUIDELINES.

AND SO THEY EVEN HAVE A STATEMENT ON, YOU KNOW, FREE ROAMING, ABANDONED, AND FERAL CATS.

UH, AND YOU CAN LOOK THAT UP ON THE, UH, THE AVMA'S WEBSITE THERE.

UM, BUT JUST KIND OF ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THEY TALK ABOUT IN THERE IS THAT THEY ENCOURAGE STATE AND LOCAL ORDINANCES TO, TO IMPLEMENT THESE TYPES OF PROGRAMS AND USING THESE LONG, NON-LETHAL STRATEGIES, UM, THE COMMUNITY CAT PROGRAM, AND INCREASING FUNDING FOR ANIMAL CONTROL.

THOSE ARE THINGS THAT THE A VMA FEELS LIKE, UM, ARE IMPORTANT AND TO, AND BEING GOOD STEWARDS OF THE, OF THE COMMUNITY AS FAR AS THE, AS THE ANIMALS GO.

UM, SO THAT'S WHY I PUT THAT IN THERE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I, WHEN PREPARING FOR THIS, I WAS LIKE, WELL, I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHERE, YOU KNOW, WHERE VETERINARIANS STAND ON THIS ISSUE.

YOU KNOW, IT'S A VERY COMPLICATED ISSUE WITH, WITH, WITH SEVERAL DIFFERENT, YOU KNOW, IDEAS AND, AND, AND, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, AND IT'S, IT'S, IT'S A PROBLEM.

AND I DON'T THINK THERE'S GONNA BE ONE GOOD SOLUTION.

THIS IS A SOLUTION.

IT'S NOT THE END ALL BE ALL.

IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT THE, IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT GONNA TAKE CARE OF EVERYTHING, BUT IT'S A START, YOU KNOW? AND, AND WE'RE ALREADY TALKING IN THE, IN THE COMMITTEE ABOUT OTHER CHANGES TO ORDINANCES TO TRY TO HELP THIS OUT EVEN EVEN MORE.

SO THAT'S KIND OF WHERE WE'RE AT WITH THAT, YOU KNOW, AND KIND OF CLOSING, UM, YOU KNOW, WE TALKED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE FERAL CAT ISSUE IN, IN, UM, IN BAYTOWN, WE TALKED ABOUT THE COMMUNITY CAT PROGRAM, AND YOU KNOW, WHAT IT IS AND HOW MUCH IT'S GONNA COST, AND, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE PROS

[00:15:01]

YOU KNOW, I, I WANT TO SAY IT AT THIS, YOU KNOW, THAT, UM, AT THE END OF THE DAY, YOU KNOW, IT'S MY JOB AS A VETERINARIAN TO BE THE ADVOCATE FOR THESE ANIMALS.

AND, YOU KNOW, IF, IF THIS PROGRAM CAN REDUCE, YOU KNOW, THE AMOUNT OF CATS THAT COME INTO MY OFFICE THAT HAVE BEEN HIT BY A CAR, THAT HAVE NO OWNER, THAT HAVE, YOU KNOW, NO, NOBODY BUT A GOOD CITIZEN ATTACHED TO THEM, UM, IF IT REDUCES THE NUMBER OF KITTENS THAT COME IN DEHYDRATED AND COVERED IN FLEAS AND, YOU KNOW, FULL OF WORMS THAT, THAT NOBODY, YOU KNOW, THAT NOBODY CAN TAKE CARE OF, THEN I THINK WE AS A, AS A COMMUNITY, AS A CITY HAVE, HAVE DONE OUR, OUR PART, YOU KNOW, REDUCING THESE NUMBERS IS GONNA HELP DECREASE THAT.

IT'S GOING TO, UM, IT'S GONNA HELP, UM, US AS A, AS A COMMUNITY COME TOGETHER TO HELP THESE ANIMALS THAT, THAT NOBODY ELSE CARES FOR.

SO, LAY, YOU KNOW, UM, COUNCIL MEMBERS IS THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE ANIMAL CONTROL COMMITTEE FOR THE CITY OF BAYTOWN TO SUPPORT THE IMPLEMENTATION OF A COMMUNITY CAP PROGRAM.

THANK YOU GUYS.

AND WE'LL TAKE ANY QUESTIONS YOU GUYS MAY HAVE.

OKAY.

THANK YOU.

UH, DR. ALVAREZ, UH, I'D LIKE TO OPEN IT UP TO ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM COUNSEL, UH, EITHER FOR DR. ALVAREZ OR ANY 'CAUSE ANY REALLY ANY MEMBERS, MR. GRAY OR ANY OF THE ANIMAL CONTROL ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEMBERS.

UM, I HAVE A QUESTION.

HOW DO WE, I'M JUST CURIOUS, HOW DO WE HANDLE COMPLAINTS TODAY? IF WE GET A CALL TODAY FROM A CITIZEN THAT HAS A CAT THAT'S A NUISANCE, WHAT DO WE DO? WELL, WE DO TAKE A LOOK AT IT, UM, GOING FORWARD INTO THE FUTURE, UM, THE ORDINANCE, THERE'S, THERE'S ONLY REALLY A COUPLE OF ITEMS IN THE ORDINANCE THAT, THAT SPEAK TO A CAT NUISANCE, UM, MEOWING AND DAMAGING PUBLIC PROPERTY.

UH, SO WE TAKE A LOOK AT THE PARTICULAR SITUATION AND WHAT IS GOING ON TO WHAT IS THE NUISANCE.

UM, AND SO WE DO RESPOND, WE EVALUATE.

AND THAT, THAT TO ME, IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO LOOK AT, UH, GOING FORWARD WITH THIS PROGRAM, UM, IS TO REVISE THE ORDINANCE AND LAY OUT SOME MORE CRITERIA, MORE SPECIFICS, UH, SIMILAR TO WHAT WE DID FOR A NUISANCE DOG.

WE DON'T REALLY HAVE A TERM FOR WHAT, WHAT IS DEEMED A NUISANCE CAT.

UM, SO THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD NEED TO COME BACK WITH, OR THE COMMITTEE WILL TAKE A LOOK AT THAT.

BUT WE, WE DO LOOK AT IT BASED ON THE, UH, WHAT EXACTLY IS GIVEN THE, THE CITIZEN, THE, THE ANGST TO, TO CALL AND WHAT THE COMPLAINT IS.

UM, OKAY.

YEAH.

I MEAN, IN MY OPINION, I JUST DON'T SEE, UM, I, I GUESS I WANNA SEE THAT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.

YOU KNOW, I, BECAUSE I THINK AT THE END OF THE DAY, THAT'S THE CAUSE, UM, THAT WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO GET IS, YOU KNOW, I HAVE A, IT, IT'S ABOUT, I KNOW THIS IS A COMMUNITY PROGRAM TO ADDRESS LARGE NUMBERS OF CATS, BUT THE CALLS ARE ABOUT THAT ONE CAT THAT, YOU KNOW, IS THAT IT'S, IT IS A NUISANCE TO THAT ONE RESIDENT.

AND SO I, I'D LIKE TO SEE A MORE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TO ADDRESS THAT.

UM, COULD WE ADDRESS THAT ADDRESS HOW THAT, UH, WE YEAH.

SPECIFICALLY WHAT WE DID FROM OUR SIDE.

OH, OKAY.

UH, ANY QUESTIONS? WELL, I'M NOT GONNA GET INTO IT.

YEAH.

OH, YOU'RE NOT GONNA GET INTO TONIGHT.

NO, I'M NOT, BECAUSE, WELL, I, WELL, FOR, FOR INFORMATION, AT LEAST FOR INFORMATIONAL, I MEAN, YEAH.

AND, AND I HAVE THE SAME ISSUES, UM, MY COLLEAGUE BROUGHT OUT.

UM, THERE AREN'T, THERE IS A NUISANCE SECTION IN THE CODE.

WHAT, WHAT DO WE DO WHEN SOMEBODY CALLS AND SAYS, I'VE GOT A NUISANCE RACCOON.

DO YOU ALL COME OUT AND EVALUATE THAT? OR WHAT DO YOU DO? WELL, WE WOULD GO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT.

IT'S A WILD ANIMAL.

IT'S A WILD ANIMAL, RIGHT? YES, SIR.

SPREADS THE DISEASES AND SO FORTH.

AND THE VETERINARIAN CLEARLY STATED THAT A FERAL CAT SPREADS DISEASES, UH, CAUSES THOSE ISSUES.

AND, AND AGAIN, I'M NOT OPPOSED TO THE CONCEPT OF TNR, BUT, BUT WE'VE GOTTA DEAL WITH WHAT WE DEAL WITH THROUGH THE NUISANCE CALLS.

SO, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOTTA DEAL WITH THAT.

WE'VE ALSO GOT TO DEAL WITH THE FRONT END OF THE SYSTEM, AND WE CAN DO EVERYTHING WE WANT TO DOWNSTREAM.

BUT IF WE'RE NOT DOING SOMETHING UPSTREAM, IT DOESN'T MATTER.

'CAUSE I MEAN, THE POND WILL ALWAYS BE FULL NO MATTER WHAT WE DO.

SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT IS ONE OF THOSE THINGS.

BUT, BUT, BUT I AGREE.

YOU KNOW, THE CALLS I GET AND I GET

[00:20:01]

UM, SO WE GOTTA FIGURE OUT A WAY TO RESOLVE THAT.

'CAUSE IT'S THE ONESIES, IT'S NOT THE MASS.

I AGREE.

WE GOTTA WORK ON, ON THE NUMBERS, BUT IT'S THE ONESIES THAT ARE CAUSING ISSUES.

SO, YEAH.

THANK YOU.

YES, SIR.

SO I THINK YOU BOTH BRING UP A, YOU KNOW, GREAT POINT.

YOU KNOW, AND, AND, AND THE, THE ONESIES ARE DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT, THAT WE PROBABLY NEED TO GET SOME MORE, YOU KNOW, SOME MORE CLARITY ON, AND THAT'S SOMETHING WE'LL TAKE BACK AND WORK ON.

BUT, YOU KNOW, IF, IF WE DON'T DO THIS COMMUNITY CAT PROGRAM, THE ONESIES ARE GONNA BE MINIS.

YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? BECAUSE IT'S JUST GOING TO, WE'RE JUST, THEY'RE JUST GONNA CONTINUE TO EXPLODE.

SO IF YOU'RE GETTING ONE OR TWO CALLS A WEEK, THOSE CALLS ARE GONNA BE FIVE AND SIX CALLS A WEEK, BECAUSE THERE'S JUST GONNA BE THAT MORE, THAT MINI MORE CATS.

SO I AGREE WITH YOU GUYS, DEFINITELY THERE NEEDS TO BE SOME MORE WORK ON THE FRONT END OF THAT.

UM, BUT, BUT IT, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE CAN IMPLEMENT NOW.

IT'S NOT VERY DIFFICULT TO DO, YOU KNOW, IN THE GRAND SCHEME OF THINGS, IT'S NOT TERRIBLY EXPENSIVE.

AND WE CAN TRY TO HOPEFULLY DOWNSTREAM, YOU KNOW, GET, GET THOSE NUMBERS TO, TO MORE MANAGEABLE AMOUNT.

THANK YOU.

YES, SIR.

WHAT WAS THE COST OF THE, OF THE PROGRAM AGAIN? 70,000.

70,000.

I BELIEVE THE SLIDE SHOWED 70,000 WAS THE, UM, SUPPORT THAT BEST FRIENDS, UH, WAS WILLING TO, UH, PARTICIPATE WITH.

AND DID IT SHOW A BREAKDOWN OF HOW THAT MONEY WOULD BE SPENT? UH, YES, SIR.

I THINK IT GO BACK TO, THERE YOU GO.

THERE IT, IT'S OKAY.

UM, NOT ONLY DO I GET CALLS ABOUT THE MINI CATS, I HAVE HAD SOME NEGATIVE EXPERIENCES WITH THE SINGLES AND THE COUPLES, I GUESS YOU COULD SAY.

UM, SO MUCH SO THAT WE HAVE AN ORDINANCE THAT TALKS THAT DEALS WITH STRAY DOGS OR DOGS THAT DON'T HAVE RESPONSIBLE OWNERS.

I'VE ACTUALLY HAD NEIGHBORS COME, I'VE SEEN THEM WALKING AROUND LOOKING FOR THEIR CAT A COUPLE OF TIMES.

THEIR CAT WAS IN MY YARD WREAKING HAVOC, SO MUCH SO TO THE POINT THAT I GOT A TICKET BECAUSE MY DOGS WERE BARKING AT THE CAT OVERNIGHT.

I LIKE WHAT I'M SEEING HERE, BUT LIKE BOTH OF YOU SAID, WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING UPSTREAM ALSO.

UM, DOING SOMETHING UPSTREAM IS PROBABLY GONNA TAKE CARE OF MORE, MORE SO OF THE COMPLAINTS THAT I KNOW THAT I'M RECEIVING FROM MY NEIGHBORHOOD.

UM, I CAN SAY THIS IF IT'S GOING TO HELP GET THE NUMBERS DOWN, BECAUSE WHEN I GOT ON COUNCIL, WE DIDN'T HAVE THAT VERY, I DIDN'T SEE VERY MANY CATS ROAMING THE STREETS, SO TO SPEAK.

UM, NOT ONLY HAVE I SEEN THEM, BUT I HAVE A CONSTITUENT BACK THERE, MR. SHRIMP BANK WHO'S SEEN THEM.

AM I RIGHT? YES, SIR.

THERE YOU GO.

AND THE POPULATION IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD HAS REALLY BLOWN UP.

I WOULD LIKE TO SEE US COME UP WITH A PLAN, AND I HOPE SOONER RATHER THAN LATER ON WHAT IS GOING TO BE DONE FOR IRRESPONSIBLE CAT OWNERS, UM, WAYS THAT THEY CAN BE, BE IDENTIFIED AND BE MADE TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR CAT.

UM, I'M GONNA WANNA LOOK AT THIS A LITTLE BIT MORE AND THEN PROBABLY TALK TO STAFF TO GET SOME MORE RECOMMENDATIONS TO SEE WHAT ARE THE OPTIONS WE MAY HAVE THAT WE COULD PARTNER WITH THIS.

UM, BUT THANK YOU FOR COMING OUT TONIGHT AND THANK THE STAFF OF THE COMMITTEE FOR COMING OUT TONIGHT.

ALSO, I REALLY APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT YOU ALL HAVE DONE IN PUTTING THIS TOGETHER AND THEN COME INTO THIS WORK SESSION TO, UM, EDUCATE US A LITTLE BIT MORE ON WHAT WE COULD DO HERE.

UH, THANK YOU.

YEAH, I JUST, UH, WANTED TO JUST, UH, MENTION OTHER, OTHER THINGS THAT ARE COMING DOWN THE PIPELINE AS FAR AS THE ANIMAL, UM, THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE, UH, TO KIND OF ADDRESS WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.

UH, WE'RE, WE'RE WORKING ON GETTING AN ORDINANCE PUT TOGETHER FOR EVERY DOG, EVERY CAT IN THE CITY MUST BE MICROCHIP.

AND WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN WITH THAT IS THEN THAT NUISANCE CAT THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT IS GONNA

[00:25:01]

IT'S GONNA POP UP A MICROCHIP NUMBER, AND WE'RE GONNA KNOW WHO THAT CAT BELONGS TO, AND THEN MAYBE WE CAN PUT TOGETHER SOMETHING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, A FINE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT FOR THEIR CATS, YOU KNOW, RUNNING LOOSE IN, IN THE CITY.

SO THAT'S SOMETHING ELSE THAT WE'RE, YOU KNOW, WORKING ON AND SHOULD BE COMING DOWN THE PIPELINE HERE PRETTY SOON.

WHAT HAPPENS TO THE NUISANCE CATS THAT GET REPORTED ON MULTIPLE TIMES THAT ARE STRAYS THAT DON'T HAVE AN OWNER, IS CAN WE HAVE SOMETHING WRITTEN IN ORDINANCE DEALING WITH THAT ALSO? UH, YES, SIR.

THAT, SO JUST TO CLARIFY, WHEN YOU'RE TALKING UPSTREAM SOLUTIONS MM-HMM .

UM, LIKE DR. ALVAREZ SAYS, REQUIRING A CHIP SO THAT WE KNOW WHO OWNS THE CAT.

UM, THEY, WE ALSO, UM, PROBABLY NEED TO LOOK AT WHAT CONSTITUTES A NUISANCE CAT, AND THEN THE MECHANISM TO REMOVE THE CAT, YOU KNOW, IF, WHETHER IT'S COMPLAINT DRIVEN, UM, OR AT LEAST HAVE PROVISIONS IN THERE ON THE UPSTREAM SIDE.

AND THEN ALSO TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, REQUIRING SPAY AND NEUTER FOR, YOU KNOW, CAT OWNERS THAT ARE GONNA LET THEIR CATS ROAM AT LARGE.

BECAUSE CURRENTLY CATS ARE ALLOWED TO ROAM AT LARGE.

UM, AND SO THAT'S SOMETHING ELSE THAT MAYBE AN UPSTREAM OPTION OF REQUIRING.

IF YOU'RE GONNA LET THEM DO THAT, THEY NEED TO BE S SPRAYED AND NEUTERED, UH, SO THAT, YOU KNOW, WE CAN GET A LITTLE BIT MORE PROACTIVE AND SUPPLEMENT THE, THE SAME PROGRAM WITH THE, UH, COMMUNITY CAP PROGRAM.

SO IT'S PARTICIPATORY SPAY AND NEUTER.

UM, THAT, AND THAT'S SOME OF THE THINGS THAT THE COMMITTEE HAS, HAS BROUGHT UP AND TALKED ABOUT.

AND, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S GONNA BE DISCUSSED IN THE, THE NEXT MEETING.

I'M SURE I HAD ALSO HEARD WHENEVER WE WERE DISCUSSING DOGS, THAT THERE WERE PROGRAMS WHERE DOGS WERE NEEDED IN OTHER AREAS OF THE COUNTRY, AND MAYBE TRANSPORTING THEM THERE DO IS, ARE, ARE THOSE SAME OPTIONS AVAILABLE FOR CATS? WELL, I, I DON'T THINK IT'S AS FREQUENT AN OPTION.

UM, I THINK THE REQUIREMENTS AND, UM, TO TRANSPORT, THEY HAVE TO BE SPAYED, NEUTERED, AND VACCINATED FULLY.

MM-HMM .

AND THEN THEY HAVE TO HAVE A, A PLACE TO GO.

MM-HMM .

UM, I THINK UP NORTH IS, IS A LOT OF POTENTIAL, UH, WHERE IT GETS REALLY COLD DURING THE WINTER, UM, YOU KNOW, TRANSPORTING CATS UP IN THAT DIRECTION.

WE, WE, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THAT, BUT WE HAVEN'T, UH, EXPLORED THAT OPTION YET.

BUT IT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT WE'LL, WE'LL BE LOOKING AT.

OKAY.

ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? I'LL, I'LL MAKE MINE.

UM, I, I HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS.

I, YOU KNOW, UM, I DO, I DO WANT TO GET MORE INFORMATION ON, ON THE PROGRAM.

I, I THINK THAT WHAT WE'VE SEEN TO REALLY CURTAIL SOME OF THE NUMBERS AT THE ANIMAL CONTROL CENTER ITSELF, EVEN, EVEN WITHOUT THE NEW FACILITY, UM, IT'S BASED OFF PROGRAMMING AND, AND, AND DOING DIFFERENT THINGS THAN, THAN WE HAVE IN THE PAST.

SO WE HAD PRETTY, A LOT OF GOOD SUCCESS.

A LOT OF IT WAS PARTNERSHIPS WITH, WITH, UH, ANIMAL ADVOCACY GROUPS AND FOSTERING GROUPS AND SO ON.

SO WE HAVE, WE HAVE TO CONTINUE THAT.

SO I THINK I'M GONNA BE OPEN-MINDED ABOUT THE COMMUNITY CAT PROGRAM.

UM, I'M, I'M, AS DR.

ALVARS SAID, I DON'T, I DON'T BELIEVE THERE'S A ONE SIZE FITS ALL, AND, AND YOU ARE GONNA HAVE NUISANCE ANIMALS, DOGS, CATS, WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE.

WE DO NEED TO ADDRESS THOSE, UM, IN SOME, IN SOME FORM OR FASHION.

I LIKE THE IDEA IF THERE, IF THERE IS AREAS OF THE COUNTRY THAT, THAT IN A SENSE ARE, DON'T HAVE THE ISSUE THAT WE HAVE, THEN, UM, LET'S TRY TO PARTNER.

AND, AND I GUESS THAT'S AN ALTERNATIVE TO, UH, OBVIOUSLY AN END RESULT THAT WE DON'T, THAT A LOT OF US DO NOT WANNA SUPPORT AS FAR AS THE EUTHANIZATION OF, OF ANIMALS.

UM, I WILL TELL YOU, THE DATA I'M LOOKING FOR WOULD BE WHERE HAS THIS BEEN IMPLEMENTED? THE, THE CAT PROGRAM ITSELF? WHAT DOES THE DATA LOOK LIKE? BECAUSE I, I WILL BE, IF I SUPPORT IT, I I REALLY WANT US TO MONITOR THE DATA, UM, WHAT LOCATIONS ARE BEST AND MOST SUCCESSFUL IN A COMMUNITY.

UH, BAYTOWN, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A LOT OF RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOODS, BUT WE'RE ALSO NEAR SOME RURAL AREAS THROUGHOUT MM-HMM .

AND SO I WANNA MAKE SURE WHEN LOCATIONS ARE SELECTED THAT WE'RE SELECTING SITES, AND MAYBE WE START OFF KIND OF RUNNING OR, OR WALKING BEFORE RUNNING, UM, WITH SOME, SOME PILOT SITES FIRST AND GATHER SOME DATA.

UM, AND A LITTLE BIT, I'LL TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT OF STORY WHILE I'LL, I THINK THIS MAY GO, BUT, UH, I, I AM INTERESTED IN THE DATA AND, AND WHAT CITIES HAS HAD SUCCESS.

I'M SURE THERE'S CITIES THAT HAVE DIFFERENT EXAMPLES.

UM, AGAIN, IT'S NOT GONNA BE A ONE SIZE FITS ALL PROGRAM.

UH, EARLY ON WHEN I FIRST BECAME A COUNCILMAN IN DISTRICT THREE IN LANTERN PARK, UM, I TELL THIS STORY A LITTLE BIT, BUT IN LANTERN PARK, UM, I THINK IT WAS A COUNCIL MEMBER FOR THREE, FOUR MONTHS.

AND I GOT A CALL FROM A CITIZEN SAYING, HEY, I HAVE ALL THESE CATS.

I HAVE LIKE 30 CATS IN MY YARD, YOU KNOW, PLEASE DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.

SO HOTSHOT, NEW COUNCILMAN CONTACTED, UM, ANIMAL CONTROL AND THERE WAS TRAPPED SENT OUT, AND A LOT OF THE CATS WERE TRAPPED FAIRLY QUICKLY.

SO I THOUGHT,

[00:30:01]

I GOT A CALL A FEW DAYS LATER FROM THE NEIGHBOR THAT WAS FEEDING ALL THE CATS.

AND SO, UH, YOU CAN SEE WHERE IT IS NOT GONNA BE SOMETHING WHERE WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA SATISFY EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM.

IT'S NOT GONNA BE AN ISSUE.

WE'RE GONNA SATISFY EVERY ISSUE THAT THAT IS IN OUR COMMUNITY, BUT I THINK WE NEED TO MAKE A, UH, A VERY GOOD AND SMART STRATEGIC APPROACH TO WHATEVER PROGRAM MAY DEVELOP AND WHATEVER PROGRAM MAY, MAY OR MAY NOT BE PASSED BY CITY COUNCIL.

AND SO I THINK WE HAVE TO BEAR THAT IN MIND.

IS, IS HOW, HOW DO WE REALLY CURTAIL, UM, THE ISSUES THAT WE HAVE? UH, YOU KNOW, THERE'S SOME NEIGHBORS, LIKE THEY SAID, THEY MAY, THEY MAY LIKE CATS COMING THROUGH THE YARD, KEEPING RODENTS AWAY, BUT YOU HAVE OTHERS, LIKE, I DON'T WANT THEM ON MY VEHICLE OR IN MY FLOWER GARDEN.

SO, UM, BUT I AM INTERESTED, I WILL BE OPEN-MINDED TO, TO, TO, TO MAKE, MAKE A DECISION BASED OFF OF HOW WE CAN BE MOST SUCCESSFUL AND HOW, UH, WHAT DATA ALREADY EXISTS.

AND THEN MONITORING DATA AFTER, IF WE DO, IF WE DO IMPLEMENT SOME KIND OF PROGRAM.

SO I'LL LEAVE IT AT THAT FOR THIS AT THIS POINT.

OKAY.

UH, WITH THAT, I THINK WE'LL MOVE ON TO ITEM, UNLESS THERE'S ANY OTHER COMMENTS.

UH, IS THERE ANY COMMENTS FROM EITHER STAFF, DR. ALVAREZ OR ANY OF THE, THE ANIMAL CONTROL COMMITTEE? THERE'S GOOD OPPORTUNITY NOW IF, IF THEY WANNA DO THAT? UH, YES.

I WOULD LIKE TO, UH, LET JUSTIN OKAY.

FROM BEST FRIENDS SPEAK.

OKAY.

THANK YOU TO WHAT THEY'VE DONE AND WHAT THEY'VE SEEN.

OKAY.

UM, NOT ONLY HERE, BUT I THINK HE CAN MAYBE OKAY.

GIVE SOME BACKGROUND ON A QUICK BRIEF, JUST A MINUTE OR TWO, IF YOU DON'T MIND.

UH, GOOD AFTERNOON, COUNSEL.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.

UM, YEAH, ACTUALLY JUST DID WANT TO ADDRESS A FEW OF THE QUESTIONS THAT WAS POSED, UM, SPECIFICALLY ABOUT, UM, UPSTREAM ISSUES AND, UM, SINGLE CATS.

UM, SO WHAT WE HAVE FOUND IS A LOT OF TIMES THOSE SINGLE CATS, UM, AS YOU MENTIONED BEFORE, AREN'T A SINGLE CAT.

THEY'RE TIED TO A GROUP OF CATS THAT A NEIGHBOR IS FEEDING.

AND SO THAT IS WHERE THE, THE SNR PORTION OF THE PROGRAM COMES INTO.

UM, SO WE DO ENCOURAGE THE SHELTERS TO INTAKE THOSE CATS AND THEN PROCEED TO PERFORM SURGERY VACCINATIONS AND RETURN THE CAT TO THE VICINITY, NOT, NOT THAT PERSON'S PROPERTY.

AGAIN, WE RESPECT, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE'S DESIRES TO KEEP THEIR, TO KEEP CATS OFF THEIR PROPERTY.

AND WE DO HAVE DETERRENTS, UM, ACTUALLY HAVE WORKED WITH, UH, MR. BYRON.

AND, UM, YOU KNOW, LIKE, UH, DR. ALVAREZ SAYS IT'S NOT A ONE SIZE FITS ALL.

SOMETIMES YOU DO HAVE TO GET CREATIVE.

AND, UM, SO THAT'S WHY WE DO ENCOURAGE LOCAL, UH, VOLUNTEERS, UH, SHELTER STAFF AND RESCUE GROUPS TO MAINTAIN THAT ONGOING RELATIONSHIP.

THEY HAVE MORE ACCESS TO THESE COMMUNITIES THAN WE DO.

YOU KNOW, WE'RE KIND OF SPREAD ALL OVER, UM, THE GREATER HOUSTON AREA.

UH, SO WE, WE DO HAVE SOLUTIONS THERE, AND THAT IS A PART OF OUR COMPREHENSIVE, UM, UH, FUNDING HERE IS TO PROVIDE THAT TRAINING.

UM, AND THE $70,000 IS WHAT WE ARE PROPOSING TO OFFER TO HELP FUND THAT.

UM, THAT IS OUR ESTIMATE FOR A SIX MONTH PERIOD.

UM, SO A, A YEARLY, UH, COMMUNITY CAP PROGRAM WOULD LOOK MORE IN THE RANGE OF, UH, 140,000.

UM, SO YEAH, SO, SO AGAIN, TO REITERATE THAT IS OUR, OUR, UH, ANSWER TO THAT UP THOSE UPSTREAM ISSUES OF THOSE SINGLE CATS.

AND, UM, UM, I'M HAPPY TO ELABORATE ON FUTURE DAYS.

AND, UM, WELL, I, I HAVE A QUICK QUESTION.

UM, YES, SIR, ON THAT.

SO MY UNDERSTANDING AND, AND HOPEFULLY MY MEMORY SERVES ME RIGHT ON THIS.

SO IS IT WHERE I THINK IF YOU HAVE FIVE, IS IT FIVE, UM, DOGS? ARE YOU CONSIDERED A KENNEL? IS THAT, IS THAT THE CASE? I'M NOT SURE IF IT'S CHANGED OR NOT, BUT MM-HMM .

IF YOU FOUR, IS IT FOUR? SO IF YOU HAVE FOUR, IS IT FOUR IS THE MAX OR FOUR IS A KENNEL? FOUR IS A KENNEL.

SO FOUR, IF YOU HAVE FOUR DOGS AND YOU'RE THE, YOU'RE THE SINGLE OWNER OF THOSE, SO YOU'RE CONSIDERED A KENNEL, OR YOU HAVE FOUR DOGS, PERIOD.

YEAH.

FOUR OR MORE DOGS, YOU WOULD BE CONSIDERED A KENNEL AND YOU, AND YOU HAVE TO REGISTER WITH THE STATE, OR WE, WE HAVE A, A ORDINANCE, UH, PROVISION IN OUR ORDINANCE THAT WOULD REQUIRE, UH, REGISTRATION AND WE WOULD INSPECT TO MAKE SURE YOU HAVE ENOUGH ROOM.

AND IS THAT DRIVEN? SO, SO WITH THAT, THAT, THAT THRESHOLD OF FOUR, WHAT IS THE ORIGIN OF THAT? IS THAT A SOMETHING BY THE STATE, OR IS IT JUST LOCAL? I BELIEVE IT'S, UH, I THINK IT'S JUST LOCAL.

OKAY.

UM, THAT, UH, THAT WAS REVISED BACK IN 2020.

I THINK IT INITIALLY WAS, IT WAS FIVE AT ONE TIME.

FIVE OR MORE.

AND NOW IT WAS REDUCED TO FOUR OR MORE.

SO MY MEMORY DID SERVE ME.

RIGHT.

YES, SIR.

ALL RIGHT.

SPOT ON.

SO WITH THAT, IS THERE SOMETHING WE COULD MAYBE LOOK, 'CAUSE 'CAUSE THAT'S WHERE, LIKE MY EXAMPLE I HAD IN LANTERN PARK WHERE, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE OBVIOUSLY I THINK 30 CATS IS, IS OBVIOUSLY A LOT FOR ANY SINGLE FAMILY HOME.

AND SO HOW, IS THERE SOMETHING WE COULD DO, LIKE WHEN THAT HAPPENS, WHEN THEY, WHEN YOU HAVE SOMEBODY THAT HAS MULTIPLE, MULTIPLE CATS, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE COULD ALSO SOMEHOW ADDRESS? UH, IF, IF I MAY.

UH, YEAH, WE HAVE SEEN OTHER MUNICIPALITIES, UM, UH, FOR EXAMPLE, THE CITY OF HOUSTON HAS A, WHAT THEY CALL A COLONY CAT MANAGER.

OKAY.

UM, WHERE THEY REGISTER WITH THE CITY.

UM, AND PART OF THAT IS THE ENFORCEMENT OF, YOU KNOW, YOU

[00:35:01]

SO THE CITY IS AWARE OF THOSE FOLKS AND, UM, CAN, YOU KNOW, ENFORCE, UM, WITH FINES AND, AND THINGS LIKE THAT? WELL, MY, MY, MY THINKING ON THAT WOULD BE AS, AS THE COUNCILMAN MENTIONED, AS FAR AS WHAT WE REALLY ARE SEEKING IS RESPONSIBLE PET OWNERS.

MM-HMM .

SO IF YOU DO HAVE, UM, THAT MANY CATS IN A SENSE, THEN YOU'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR DOING THE THINGS IF IT'S SPAY, NEUTER, MICROCHIP, OR WHATEVER ELSE.

SO THAT WOULD, THAT WOULD, THAT WOULD JUST BE MY TAKE.

SO, BUT I DO APPRECIATE OBVIOUSLY BEST FRIENDS AND, AND WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO DO.

I HOPE WE CAN GET SOMEWHERE AND, AND, AND TRY TO DEVELOP AND ESTABLISH A PROGRAM THAT, THAT IN A SENSE WILL ONE, ADDRESS THE NEED, UM, AND ALSO ADDRESS THE NUISANCE ISSUES.

HOW DO, HOW DO WE DO THAT? AND CERTAINLY THE LAST THING WE WANNA DO IS EUTHANIZE ANY ANIMALS, UM, UNLESS THEY, UNLESS THERE'S OBVIOUSLY A MEDICAL REASON OR, BUT I GUESS, UH, VETERINARY SCIENCE OR MEDICAL SCIENCE REASON THAT WE HAVE TO, SO THAT'S WHERE I'M AT, AT IT, ON IT RIGHT NOW.

SO, OKAY.

I THINK WE'LL MOVE ON.

THANK YOU.

SO MOVE

[b. Discuss any or all of the agenda items on the City Council Regular Meeting Agenda for June 9, 2022, which is attached below.]

SO IS THERE ANYBODY THAT HAS ANYTHING THEY'D LIKE TO PULL FOR DISCUSSION NOW WHILE WE HAVE TIME? OKAY.

IF NOT, THEN, UH, BEING THAT BAYTOWN CITY COUNCIL, UH, DURING WORK SESSION HAS MET, HAS ADDRESSED EACH POSTED, UH, AGENDA ITEM, THIS MEETING OF WORK SESSION IS NOW AJOUR.