PAWS Shelter Litter Disconnect

The City of San Angelo and Concho Valley PAWS frequently cite their close working relationship in serving the needs of shelter animals.  The Animal Shelter experienced bouts of overcrowding due to litters of kittens and puppies.  

The city's website refers citizens with kittens to PAWS Mommy & Me program via a link.

Everything about PAWS Mommy & Me program is dogs and puppies, not cats and kittens.  

This collaboration, if someone is able to navigate the marketing disconnect, has consequences:

I understand that if I at any time change my mind and surrender the puppies to the Shelter, give them away, abandon them or sell them, I have nullified our agreement and will be required to reimburse Concho Valley PAWS for all of the veterinary expense associated with the mother dog and litter but not limited to the cost of the mother dog's spay and vaccinations as well as any vaccines given to the puppies.

One might expect a seven year, close collaboration to not confuse citizens and for there not to be financial penalties for using one partner vs. the other.  That is if the goal really is to serve.

"Energy Storage Company": Peregrine Energy's Zeppelin Energy Storage & Technology Towers

On August 23, 2024 Assistant City Manager Michael Dane sent letters to Tom Green County Judge Lane Carter and SAISD Superintendent Dr. Chris Moran.  The letter stated:

The City of San Angelo City Council intends to hold a Public Hearing regarding a request by Technology Towers, LLC to designate its property located at the easterly 12.9 acres of land, more or less, out of a 32 acre tract of land, more or less, out of Survey 1114, Abstract No. 8036, F. Tankersley, Tom Green County, Texas, and being more particularly described as Parcel 2 in that certain Warranty Deed dated June 1, 2007, of record at Instrument No. 633054, Official Public Records, Tom Green County, Texas (see attached) as a reinvestment zone for purposes of obtaining an abatement of the increase in City of San Angelo ad valorem taxes resulting from a proposed capital investment by Zeppelin Energy Storage LLC of up to 160 Million Dollars in business personal property.

Dane presented this item to City Council on September 3, 2024.  

His slide with "company information" never identified any of the companies involved, Peregrine Energy, Zeppelin Energy Storage, Technology Towers or McGuire Woods Consulting LLC. (on behalf of Peregrine Energy).

Michael Dane did mention a ten year tax abatement Council recently awarded and assured elected officials that this abatement was for a shorter period of time (also for far more money-$ amount not shared).  

Technology Towers received that ten year abatement for improvements planned at the former Sitel Building, another fact not shared in the September 3rd City Council meeting.

Council's public support for Technology Towers projects include three different subsidies.

 The body of the letter sent to Tom Green County and San Angelo Independent School district is below:

The economic development analysis projects virtually no employment from the project over its ten year life.

That's what staff knew that Council and the public did not hear on September 3rd.  Peregrine Energy is private equity funded on both the equity and debt side.  It's rather Grinch like to save private equity investors millions, while foisting new health insurance deductibles on retired city workers.  

The Zeppelin Energy Storage LLC tax abatement agreement must come back before Council.  It would be nice to hear someone ask about wisdom of significant tax abatement when retirees on fixed, low incomes cannot afford their next medicine refill, a hospital test or outpatient surgery.

Animal Services Visited Home of Dog Attack in August & September

 

City records show Animal Control visited the address of the recent dog attack on ACO Floyd Bias in August and September.  Two visits on September 6th resulted in citations for two unaltered dogs and not having a multi-pet owners permit, required for people with more than 7 dogs.  

Social media reports indicate that between the citations on 9-6 and the 11-6 attack the owner tried to surrender dogs to the Animal Shelter, but were refused.  City documents did not address this contention.  

It's not clear the unaltered dogs cited for failure to spay/neuter on 9-6 are the same dogs that perpetrated the attack on 11-6 as their microchip numbers were not included on the citations.  However, it is likely that they were the same dogs as the owner mostly had small dogs.

City records from the day of the attack showed the two dogs had a "bite history."  No additional information addressed this categorization.

The reports indicate the City was aware of unaltered large dogs, the home having more than seven dogs and stray/loose dogs at this location.  SAPD is conducting an investigation into the incident but is yet to share information with the public.

ACO Floyd Bias continues to recover and his family has set up a GoFundMe account for donations toward the cost of his medical care.

In their next meeting City Council may or may not address this situation, where citizens and professionals are being seriously harmed by loose dog(s).  ACO Bias is just the latest and most publicized.

(Click on the image above to make it larger)

City Council Knows

San Angelo's City Council expressed concern in August 2023 about aggressive dogs potentially harming children and fragile residents.  It took seven months for an eleven year old child to be attacked after getting off a school bus.  The next two major attacks communicated to City Council involved a disabled person and elderly man.  Last week a professional city employee was critically injured in a horrific attack.  

The public was only informed of the most recent incident.  A SAPD investigation is underway and hopefully will shed light on the incident.  

Council also knew of a disturbing pattern of increased animal attacks on people.

One elected officials response to this graph?  "Good information." 

It's only "good" if leaders act on it.... 

Animal Control Officer Critically Injured

City officials asked for prayers for an Animal Control Officer after he was attacked by two aggressive dogs and sustained major injuries yesterday.  The Officer was responding to a call regarding multiple loose dogs, a chronic problem in San Angelo.  The owner had ten dogs.  Two "got loose" and attacked the ACO.  SAPD and other Animal Control personnel assisted as best they could until the Fire Department arrived.  The injured ACO was transferred to a Lubbock hospital and according to City Manager Daniel Valenzuela is in critical condition.  

Pray for ACO Floyd Bias.  He needs and deserves our prayers for healing and restoration, as do others in our community.

Other residents attacked and severely injured by dogs this year include:

1. An eleven year old boy who'd gotten off the bus. 
2. A 57 year old man who ran to the aid of the boy being attacked
3. A Lighthouse for the Blind employee was attacked in their outside break area by a dog pack
4. An elderly man was attacked at his neighborhood mailbox and transferred to a San Antonio hospital for surgery and treatment.  He may still be there.

City officials are aware of these incidents and more.  No severe dog attack has made the local media until today's press conference.

City Manager Daniel Valenzuela said citizens should not approach an unattended dog if seen.  This is in direct contrast to Animal Services "community sheltering" for loose dogs.  

City officials are aware of the dramatic rise in animal to human bites the last two fiscal years.  The increase occurred after City Council approved a hard cap on the shelter dog population, which left more dogs on the street.  

 

Animal Shelter Chief Morgan Chegwidden informed Council in March that residents had reached a breaking point regarding our community's dog crisis.  

It appears the city has reached another breaking point, one that involves serious injury to one of their own.  Add patience to prayer for the investigation needs to be concluded and for City Council and the public to hear the results.  Surely, they will act to reduce the burden of community sheltering and the corresponding public safety risks.

Update:  Fox West Texas ran a story on the dog attack on the ACO.  San Angelo Live did likewise.  Concho Valley Homepage joined in too.  The City ran a press release in addition to the press briefing.

Update 11-8-24:  The Standard Times did a story on the tragic attack.

Update 11-9-24:  ACO Floyd Bias' condition has been upgraded to stable.  Keep the prayers coming.

Update 11-10-24:  Nearly four months ago two pit bulls on Cloud Street got loose and bit a woman.

City to Hold Press Conference on Injured Animal Control Officer

From City of San Angelo Public Information Officer:

SAPD and the City of San Angelo will be holding a press conference today at 2:30 pm about this issue (injured Animal Control Officer, incident happened yesterday). It will be streamed live to the SAPD Facebook page and to Optimum channel 17. The video will be available on our YouTube channel later today once the press conference ends.

City Council Picks Up Tab for Reduced Retiree Health Insurance Benefit

A full house showed up for the November 5th City Council meeting.  Most wanted to speak about the retiree health benefit, a promise made by management during a time San Angelo provided the lowest wages in Texas for staff.  

Council voted to reduce the retiree health benefit by adding a $500 health deductible and a $250 charge for outpatient surgery. Many retirees get less than $500 a month from their public pension while others get between $500 and $1,000. 

The current Police Chief suggested a fund be established to help those retirees who cannot meet the new financial burdens imposed.  

City Council voted to pay the whole tab for the increase to retiree insurance, albeit with the benefit reduction.

Not one person mentioned the 85% tax abatement to a private equity backed battery storage project that Council approved in September.  The 9-17 background packet stated:

The applicant intends to invest approximately $160,000,000 in capital improvements and is requesting a three (3) YEAR, 85% Abatement of ad valorem taxes.

The Inflation Reduction Act provides incentives for battery storage systems.  UtilityDrive reported in 2022:

.....standalone storage systems will be eligible for a 30 percent investment tax credit (ITC) — and up to 70 percent with additional incentives.

Private equity backed Peregrine Energy is behind the Zeppelin Energy Storage LLC project.  As for new job creatiion Zeppelin's presentation to Tom Green County Commissioners stated:

Operated remotely with periodic site maintenance.

Yes, city retirees scraping by on a measly pension, you get to pay more for your care while wealthy investors get huge tax breaks.