Six Days and a Storm After Flores Resignation

Basic research revealed Animal Shelter Director James Flores lied to the Animal Shelter Advisory Committee in his representations as to how other Texas cities handle community cats.  I posted the findings eight days ago.

Two days after publication Flores submitted his resignation "for personal reasons."  At the time members of the public sought answers on:

1)  the city's extermination of Misty, a deaf pit bull-rat terrier mix
2)  the adoption of a sick puppy from the shelter by a disabled vet and his family.  The puppy had distemper and eventually died.
3)  the overall handling of the shelter's distemper outbreak, including the number of dogs euthanized to control the disease, essentially a canine public health investigation.
4)  the city's responsibility/obligation to address dog packs that killed pets and small animals.  The issue arose after a pack(s) killed many pets on Christoval Road and local citizens had to trap the aggressive dogs near a public park.
5)  the city's fining a couple over $700 for their dogs being out and not micro-chipped

City leaders have two more issues to address:

6)  a Shelter Director fabricating community cat survey results for ASAC
7)  the rush to promote someone internally without addressing items 1-6.  

Neighborhood and Family Services Director Bob Salas said more than once "We're not the bad guys here."  Good guys don't twist other people's words or outright lie.  Salas has been the front man for a service that has not come clean on numerous issues.

Members of the public showed up for an Animal Services Advisory Committee wanting city response to their concerns (at least items 1-6 above).  The meeting was cancelled.  A subsection attended the next Council meeting and raised animal service issues.

The work of public interaction and accountability remains to be done.  Bob Salas has proven he is not capable of delivering.  The gentleman who witnessed a horrific heart stick euthanization by city staff shared his concern with Council in public comment in February.  No city leader followed up with him on his concern of animal cruelty on 2-12-17. 

City Manager Daniel Valenzuela has no record of credible investigations, despite repeated opportunities with the Furniture Fiasco and Republic Waste overcharging commercial customers for over a decade.

Eight days after I reported James Flores lied to a public body the city stood ready to make an announcement.  I expected something along the lines of:

The City of El Paso is recruiting nationally for a highly experienced, compassionate, ethical, and dedicated Animal Services Director to manage the day-to-day activities and operations of the newly established Animal Services Department. Animal Services became a stand-alone department in February 2016; previously Animal Services was a division of the City’s Environmental Services Department. The new Animal Services Department has approximately 120 full-time employees organized within the Animal Services Operations, Shelter Operations, Medical Operations, Community Programs, Marketing, and Administration divisions. The FY 2017 Departmental budget is approximately $9.7 million. This position requires a Bachelor’s degree and 8 years of professional administrative experience or animal control experience including 4 years of management or supervisory experience. The starting salary will be dependent on the experience and qualifications of the successful candidate.

Not Surprising San Angelo!  Our announcement stated:

Morgan Chegwidden, the City of San Angelo’s budget manager, has been promoted to assistant director of the Neighborhood/Family Services Department, where she will manage the Animal Shelter and oversee Code Compliance.

Chegwidden served on the board of Sadie's Rescue, which ceased operations several years ago.  There are likely hundreds of citizens who served on the board of a local animal rescue group.  They weren't given the opportunity to apply for the position that appeared to be opening up on July 13, the date Flores resignation would become effective.

It took City leaders a mere six days after accepting Flores resignation to officially appoint Chegwidden.  That included a weekend with a horrific storm for which the city is seeking a disaster designation.  During the three non-weekend work days the city prepared a slick video on Chegwidden's promotion.   This feels too packaged and rushed for an area the city has historically underfunded and poorly managed.

The City rapidly appointed a trusted employee of Assistant City Manager Michael Dane.  Morgan Chegwidden deserves a chance to succeed.  She'll need to prove herself by working through not avoiding, bullying or intimidating.

It appears the Animal Services Advisory Committee was left out of the loop once again.  Also, only one local rescue was invited to the announcement, the one with a $60,000 contract with the city.   Actions speak louder than words and in this promotion a number of them are questionable.

New Shelter Director Morgan Chegwidden has many lingering issues to address if Salas and other city managers allow it.  I hope they don't pass the buck to the guy who's gone.  That wouldn't be honest or have integrity.    

Update 11-4-22:  Street dog packs are back as the Animal Shelter closed off dog intake for the rest of November.  Councilperson Lucy Gonzales noted "dog packs and numerous cats" as she drives around city neighborhoods.

Where is the concern on city's part about Public safety? Feral dog packs running loose, putting other pets and children at risk, the threat of rabies, etc., which is why Animal Control exists.