New ASAC Members Motivated

The recent Animal Shelter Advisory Committee had one regular agenda item on it, an orientation for new board members given by an Assistant City Attorney.  Shelter Chief Morgan Chegwidden created the agenda, saying she wanted to give Committee members ample time for that discussion.  

Two members expressed concern about the limited agenda, believing their representation mattered for a shelter facing multiple issues.

Morgan became Shelter Chief in summer 2017 and has seven years experience onboarding new ASAC committee members.  This was the second meeting for new appointees.  

The August ASAC meeting saw new members asking questions about items that could not be discussed as they were not on the regular agenda.  Morgan said those would need to be saved for a future agenda.  It's hard to save them for a future meeting if they are not included in the minutes, which they were not.

Items not discussed in last Thursday's meeting include:

1. Recent closure of the shelter for dog intake due to distemper outbreak 10-11-24
2. The rapid increase in animal to human bites over the last two fiscal years
3. Status of preparation of temporary shelter
4. Timeline for seeking bids for shelter renovation (Council originally approved financing in March 2023, funds received in April 2023)
5. Shelter capacity 
6.  Enforcement of ordinances 
7.  Budget 
8.  Barriers for the public to access shelter services

Items 5-8 were the "off topic areas" raised by new ASAC members in the August meeting.  

Morgan stated the committee's sole aim is to ensure compliance with Texas law, making it sound like discussing the arrangements with Concho Valley PAWS off limits.  That ignores the committee's history:

On October 17, 2019 the ASAC met to tackle agenda item "new RFP for an expanded scope of services for shelter adoptions."  One ASAC member turned to PAWS Executive Director Jenie Wilson and said, "You are going to bid on it again." A motion was made to approve the RFP as presented. PAWS Wilson seconded the motion, then said "Oh, I shouldn't do that." Assistant City Manager Michael Dane said the Committee needed to give the appearance of an arm's length handling of the process.

That was two years into Morgan's current job.  

In 2021 Morgan "educated" the ASAC on the history of the Community Cat ordinance, which is not Texas law.  She was not the Shelter Chief when that ordinance was adopted and had virtually no contact with the only area rescue that stepped up to serve as a Community Cat sponsoring organization.  Morgan's storytelling was generally unanchored from reality.

Last week the public heard the real story behind highly attended ASAC meetings that failed to reach a quorum.  "The people that did not show up (Chair and Vice Chair) were very aware of the public comments that were coming."

I imagine new ASAC members may never get a chance to talk about issues important to area citizens, City Council members, veterinarians and people who want to walk their neighborhoods and not be approached by loose dogs (much less physically attacked).  That's a growing but unreported problem in our community.

So much is not being talked about.

ASAC Chair's Stunning Admission

Yesterday's Animal Shelter Advisory Committee (ASAC) meeting included a stunning admission by the Chairperson that a prior planned meeting did not reach a quorum because the top two officers wanted to avoid planned public comment and "did not show up."

The closed captioning for that admission is below:

It's likely the Chair referred to the June 2017 meeting where the public turned out to speak to a number of animal related issues.  However, nearly the same thing happened in October 2023.  

The 2017 meeting was not held because ASAC Chair and PAWS Director Jenie Wilson resigned by letter six days before the meeting.  Wilson sat in the audience the day the meeting did not occur.  She later rescinded her resignation, so the practical impact of her action was denying citizens their right to speak.

A February 2018 meeting did not happen because there was no agenda posted, meaning there was not a room full of disappointed people.  However, the intent may have been the same. 

The October 2023 non-meeting occurred with several vacant board positions.  Communications from the Chair and Vice Chair show both "forgot" about the meeting.  The public was turned away despite having a majority, three of the five current ASAC members, in attendance.  City staff conspired not to hold another ASAC meeting in 2023 which meant the city did not meet its own ordinance requirement for three meetings per calendar year.

City boards cannot get public feedback or input if they do not meet.  Gaming a quorum to avoid hearing from the public seems devious, even despicable.  A functional, accountable City Council should be appalled by this prospect, even more so by its historical admission. 

ASAC Agenda Missing Issues Raised by New Members

The October Animal Shelter Advisory Committee (ASAC) agenda has been posted.  It includes:

3. Consent Agenda 

a. Consider approving the August 15, 2024 Animal Shelter Advisory Committee regular meeting minutes (Morgan Chegwidden) 

b. Consideration of monthly shelter performance for August 2024 (Morgan Chegwidden) 

c. Consideration of monthly shelter performance for September 2024 (Morgan Chegwidden) 

4. Regular Agenda 

a. Committee member orientation (Presentation made by Assistant City Attorney Kathleen Dabbert) 

In August new ASAC members asked questions/raised issues during the meeting (which the agenda did not accommodate).  Oddly, Director of Neighborhood and Family Services Bob Salas talked about the new temporary shelter during public comment and even mentioned they had identified a location.  When a new member asked about that location they were told they could only talk about items on the agenda.

Shelter Chief, staff liaison and ASAC board member Morgan Chegwidden verbally placed the non-discussion of the following topics into "future agenda items."  They include: 

Shelter capacity 

Enforcement of ordinances 

Budget 

Barriers for the public to access shelter services

The August minutes do not reflect items raised by new committee members and they are missing from the October agenda, which simply has a board orientation by the new Assistant City Attorney Kathleen Dabbert.  Dabbert is new to supporting the ASAC as "City attorney Holly Voth announced her resignation from the City of San Angelo" (August meeting minutes).

The next time these stated concerns can be discussed in the ASAC meeting is January 2025.  That's a full five months after they were initially raised.  

Stonewalling is not "excellence" for citizens donating their time and expertise to City of San Angelo boards.  It makes me wonder if staff even want their input.   When did ignoring board members become a "best management practice?" 

Animal Bites Soar in San Angelo

 

Animal to human bites soared in San Angelo over the last two fiscal years.  The period of rapid increase coincided with City Council's decision to enact a maximum cap on the Animal Shelter population,

City statistics showed animal to human bites had fallen  to 169 in FY ended 2022.  The COVID-19 pandemic changed animal ownership patterns and more responsible pet ownership may have contributed to this decline.  

Animal to human bites rose by 95 or 56% in FY ended 2023 and 80 or 30% more in FY ended 2024.  

Since City leadership and City Council enacted the hard cap on shelter population animal to human bites have more than doubled (up 103%).  That's a telling statistic for a city citing public safety as a top priority.

City Attorney James' Lasting Impact

City Attorney Theresa James finished her last day of employment in San Angelo.  She is headed to Fort Worth to serve as Deputy City Attorney, responsible for legislative affairs.  

The City of San Angelo Facebook page recognized her contributions with:

Together with her staff, she leaves a lasting impact in this community. Theresa was an integral part of undertakings like ADA compliance/accessibility upgrades within the city, the newest trash contract negotiations, executing contracts for the purchase and sale of the Ford Ranch, and so much more.

City Attorney James was instrumental in imposing restrictions on public information requests and the recent move to restrict public comment to those who register prior to meeting.  That effectively prohibits someone sitting in Council Chambers (who did not register) from making public comment based on deliberations by the Mayor and Council members.  Citizens do not know what elected officials will say prior to the meeting.     

James also led the special citation effort for citizens who'd retrieved their pet from the Animal Shelter but had not yet gotten the required spay/neuter surgery.  Council approved a part time position for that project, which was completed by Attorney James daughter.  Getting information on that effort was a significant challenge. 

Council inquired as to "high volume" public information requestors issues.  In my case most PIRs involved Animal Services.  Shelter Chief Morgan Chegwidden speaks often about being "data driven," however remarkably little information is provided on the city website or shared with the Animal Shelter Advisory Committee.  Public information requests are often the only tool available to citizens seeking further information on any topic.

I did check out Fort Worth's PIR policies.  That City tries to put information on its website for the public to access.  

Fort Worth is recruiting a full time veterinarian.  Their job posting included:

The City of Fort Worth has a progressive animal welfare program that enjoys broad based support from elected officials, industry, residents, and animal welfare agencies.  On April, 23 - 25, 2021, the city celebrated the grand opening of its new state of the art North Animal Campus paid for by a $13.5M bond program approved by the residents of Fort Worth in 2018.  The new campus boasts a fully equipped veterinary hospital for shelter pets along with five separate dog kennels, each with 10 enrichment yards, a cat ward with windows for every cat and staff and volunteer space overlooking the 7.5 acres campus.  At the Fort Worth Animal Shelter, each day is filled with diverse opportunities. We work closely with veterinary technicians, customer service representatives, kennel technicians, animal control officers, and partner organizations to be at the forefront of animal welfare. Come see why over 120 dedicated animal welfare staff call The City of Fort Worth home. The Fort Worth Animal Campuses are open seven days per week.

James oversaw the legal side of the shelter's "no kill" evolution which choked off shelter intake (starting in 2019) and resulted in third world levels of loose pets on city streets.  Animal to human bites soared as city streets became a dumping ground and irresponsible owners allowed their dogs to breed.

The Augusta Chronicle reported:

When no-kill shelters are full, workers are forced to turn away people surrendering their animal – even in dire circumstances, Sites said. Often it leads to more crowding in the shelter and more stress on the animals and on the staff, she said. And there would be more strays living in the streets creating a dangerous situation for the animals and humans.

San Angelo has been there for quite some time.  

a taxpayer-supported shelter is obligated to take any animal

Not in San Angelo.  Yes, the City Attorney's impact is lasting in the Animal Services arena, but clearly not in a good way.

Update 10-19-24:   The current ASAC Chair stated that a prior quorum did not occur because the Chair and Vice Chair stayed away to avoid providing a forum for public comment.

Animal Shelter's July Request to Council

Shelter Chief Morgan Chegwidden's memo to her boss Michael Dane was shared with City Council members.

Morgan cited the large number of loose dogs but ignored the shelter's role in chocking off shelter intake over the last five years and returning unaltered dogs to irresponsible pet owners.

Council seems unable to do the most basic problem solving in the animal arena.  They approved borrowing $2 million for two projects in early 2023.  One was an urgently needed Animal Shelter renovation.

The traffic light at Knickerbocker and Twin Mountain Road progressed quickly.  By City Council's April 4, 2023 meeting the traffic light had been bid and a vendor recommended.

That same April 2023 Council approved the budget amendment relative to the $2 million short term bond.

The bond has long been repaid.  Shelter renovations are 18 months late relative to staff's original representation.  Morgan's timeline in her July 10, 2024 memo to council makes it sound like it will take nine more months before shelter renovations are complete (July 2025). 

City Council's patience is puzzling to many citizens, especially those concerned about San Angelo's loose dog problem.  It's only grown each year.   

Council Meeting on Oct. 1 Requires Public Comment Registration

San Angelo City Council has a full agenda for its first meeting requiring citizens to register in order to offer public comment.  The agenda has twenty items. seventeen on the Consent agenda, and three on the Regular agenda.  

The agenda makes no mention of the change or procedures someone interested in making public comment must follow.  The City Clerk informed Council at the end of their last meeting that citizens needed to register with her prior to the meeting in order to speak.  The minutes for that instruction state:

City Clerk Heather Stastny reviewed changes to the recently adopted changes to the Public Comment Policy that will go into effect on October 1, 2024.

So someone would needed to have watched the last City Council meeting to know that instruction (117 page views as of today).

To sum up, there is no information on the agenda about the change and no information on the City's website regarding procedures citizens must follow in order to speak on an item.  A search for the mentioned Public Comment Policy produced "no results."

Let's hope Council provides flexibility for citizens during this first meeting under the new rules.  Someone in the room may be struck by the Southern Drag Boat Association wanting the city to waive the $10,000 annual fee for use of Lake Nasworthy for events already conducted in June and September.  

A citizen may have questions about the City taking over Lee Pfluger's nonprofit Concho Christmas Celebration and operating the event through Downtown San Angelo.  An observer may wish to encourage Council not to reduce the Retiree Medical Benefit as implied in the background packet memo.

Citizens in attendance should have the right to offer public comment on the Mayor or City Council members' statements made during the meeting as those are not on the agenda and occur in real time. 

 The City's organizational chart has citizens at the very top.   Let's hope it stays that way.

Update:  The City's Facebook page posted yesterday at 5:00 pm:

People wishing to speak at the City Council meeting must sign in before 8:30 a.m.

The post included the three regular agenda items and has 14 likes.

Update 10-1-24:  Mayor Gunter started off public comment by saying those people in attendance who "filled out a card" will be given the opportunity for public comment but those that did not would not have the chance to share their thoughts with Council during the meeting.  A number of city retirees showed up to speak about proposed changes to retiree health insurance.  Former Police Chief Russell Smith reminded Council of promises made to retirees and the city's history of adjusting them.

Animal Shelter Open Houses Had Poor Attendance, Ended Early

Five months of public meetings produced data from an average of three citizens per meeting.  Shelter Chief Morgan Chegwidden's 7-15-24 report to City Council included

To give citizens an avenue to communicate their concerns, animal services held weekly open house hours for five months from February 2024 through June 2024. Visitors were invited to tour, ask the experts, share concerns and ideas for this come-and-go casual gathering of people motivated to solve San Angelo’s animal concerns. 

About two dozen people attended on 2/7/24 but no more than two individuals reported on any subsequent date.

The meetings were to run through August but stopped the end of June due to poor attendance.  

I would suggest veterinarians are included in the list of people motivated to solve the city's animal concerns.  They might be worthy of a special focus group meeting, since the open houses were held at a time that most veterinarians were working.  That is if someone really wants feedback/public input. 

 Morgan's report suggests that is the case:

To encourage greater participation, we moved the meetings to Thursday evenings and hosted events, such as a pet resource fair and microchip clinic. With no additional attendance, we held our last open house 6/27/24 and will research additional ways to stay in touch with citizens’ needs and requests

Data says the weekly series of open houses was for show.  Three months in it was obviously not fulfilling its stated aim, yet there was no course correction.  

Citizens have taken to contacting their City Council representative to get a response from Animal Services.  I hope they keep doing that.  Maybe elected officials will figure out that something is wrong.

Time will tell if Council's lack of response remains firmly in place.

Lighthouse Employee Mauled by Dog Pack

City of San Angelo records indicate the following occurred:

September 18, 2024:  This morning around 8:00 am , an employee of The Lighthouse for the Blind was attacked by three dogs on N. Malone behind the Lighthouse building. 

It was a brutal attack and the victim is currently at the Emergency Room, blood everywhere, tore up his arm and face. This was disturbing, but the police officer could not get animal control to respond to capture the animals. When asked when the animal control would show up the officer could not give a time of arrival and so he went to the ER to get a statement from the victim. In my opinion, an attack would warrant an immediate response to capture the animals. We are now keeping our employees in the building.

Those came records indicate the city's response:

Citation:  Date/Time: 09/18/2024 12:34PM

The owner of the dogs was given 2 spay or neuter citations and 1 dog at large along with a 24 hour quarantine notice for both dogs for the attack they were both involved in sending the victim to ER for his injuries.

Shelter Chief Morgan Chegwidden informed City Councilman Harry Thomas that same day:

ASO’s responded immediately and all three dogs were impounded – the two that bit and a third unrelated.

That's not in line with the report from the police officer responding to the dog pack attack.  "Responded immediately" is not the same as "could not get Animal Control to respond to capture the animals" or "could not give a time" Animal Control would show up.

The attack happened around 8:00 am, the Animal Control Officer report is at 12:34 pm and Morgan's e-mail to Councilman Thomas was around 5:15 pm.

City Council has Public Safety as a top priority.  It's hard to believe that in the dangerous loose pet arena.

City Council's New Public Comment Registration to Start 10-1-24

City Clerk Heather Stasny previewed the new public comment restrictions at City Council today.  She said:

I just want to remind the public that on October 1st is when the new changes to the public comment policy will go into effect....(Mayor Gunter could not hear) ... 

the public comment that Council approved months ago will go into effect October 1st.  Just to remind citizens they will need to sign in for public comment before the meeting.  Speakers will be called in the order that they signed up giving priority to citizens of San Angelo first.  The times to speak remain the same at three minutes.  Comments must be directed to Council.  Questioning of staff is not appropriate at that time, of course Council has no obligation to respond and comments must be relevant to the authority of the city.

They will sign up with City Clerk or the deputy, which will be right here (the staff desk next to the raised City Council seating) before the meeting starts.

The new rules mean citizens will not be able to respond to any comments by the Mayor or Councilmembers during an agenda item.  Their positions on any item are not included in the background packet.  

Council practice is for the Mayor to interject her thoughts first on agenda items.  It takes a brave Councilmember to challenge her position, thus most members avoid comment during the meeting.

Today's City Council had few members of the public in attendance.  One person referenced the permission to speak change and wondered how to do that.  That opened the door for staff to preview the new rules.

Listening to someone (who took the time out of their day to attend) for three minutes is a small gift for an elected official/public servant to grant.  I imagine Council watchers got the hint that citizen feedback is generally unwanted.  

Government should be responsive to the people.  It will be interesting to see what happens when an item compels many people to attend.  Will the rules cause complications, extending the meeting length to deal with the new bureaucracy?

We shall find out how these "reasonable rules" work when many citizens wish to have their voice heard on an agenda item.

ASAC Meets & Welcomes New Members

San Angelo's Animal Shelter Advisory Committee welcomed three new members.  The meeting kicked off with public comment.  Director of Neighborhood and Family Service Bob Salas stated the temporary shelter is being permitted and he expects construction to begin in a month or so.

New board member Penny Roberts asked about the location of the temporary facility.  Shelter Chief Morgan Chegwidden said she would get Roberts a presentation as "they want us to be careful and not dialogue in this section."  Sharing a fact with a new board member relative to earlier public comment by a city leader hardly seems like dialogue.

I took the liberty of including information on the temporary shelter's location in the above image.  New board members asked questions during the meeting which the agenda did not accommodate.  So future agenda items include:

1. Shelter capacity
2. Enforcement of ordinances
3. Budget 
4. Barriers for the public to access shelter services

Morgan admitted the ASAC failed to comply with city ordinance by only meeting twice in 2023.  She did not say city leaders had over two months to schedule and hold a committee meeting but chose not to do so.  Bob Salas instructed Morgan not to reschedule, according to an 11-14-23 internal e-mail.

Bob, missed you at 4pm – wanted to clarify this messaging. Brian’s referencing a reschedule of ASAC but you’d previously discussed proceeding with the 2024 calendar with no additions. Will there be a meeting in the near future?

Nope, as Bob instructed there were "no additions."  Salas gave an update on the temporary Animal Shelter but provided no information on renovating the existing facility (City Council approved financing for the project in early 2023).  The last official word was the project would go out for bids in May.  That is yet to happen.

New board members have much to learn.  I hope staff answers as many questions in public as possible.  That is the open and transparent thing to do.

Gov. Abbott Issues New Hospital Regulation

The Hill reported:

Beginning Nov. 1, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is directing hospitals in Texas to gather data on “patients who are not lawfully present in the United States,” as well as the number of inpatient discharges and emergency visits and the costs of care.

The Texas Hospital Association responded with:

Texas Governor Greg Abbott“This would be a new requirement, and we are reviewing it as quickly as possible. Right now, hospitals don’t ask about patient immigration status as a condition of treatment. Hospitals are required by law to provide life-saving treatment to anyone, regardless of ability to pay or status.”

That's less than three months for hospital electronic medical record systems to add this field.  Surely, the Texas Health and Human Service Commission has ways of estimating the financial cost of treating undocumented persons in Texas hospitals.  

Texas has not participated in Medicaid expansion and as a result:

there are about 5 million uninsured Texans

The Governor left federal money to pay for hospital care on the table since he was sworn into office.  He passed over a bonus for recalcitrant states, those yet to participate. 

Hospitals have a difficult job to begin with.  Gov. Abbott just made it harder for those providing and those seeking care. It's a shame.

Update 8-12-24:  Gov. Abbott and the political Red Team have turned hospitals into no treatment zones for women with ectopic pregnancies.  New Mexico is recruiting Texas OB/GYN physicians as a result.

Council Subsidizes Businesses, Cracks Down on People

San Angelo City Council approved the sale of 17 acres in the Industrial Park to LTG Real Estate Group LLC in Grapevine, Texas.  The property was appraised in January at $48,000 per acre.  Council approved selling the property for $25,000 per acre due to site issues.  

The Development Corporation approved the item in their July meeting.

The City approved a tax rate as part of the budget process.  Council stressed that fees should reflect the cost of providing the service during a previous budget meeting.  That seems to conflict with today's discounted land sale.

A citizen spoke during public comment about an upcoming Tom Green County Appraisal District board meeting.  She encouraged people to attend and shared her concerns about the board appointment process as well as the move to appraise properties annually instead of once every three years.  

Tax abatement for significant capital projects that provide some measure of employment also passed 7-0 in today's meeting.  In order to receive tax breaks up to 85% applicants must provide at least one full time job.  

Corporations as a whole did much better than financially stressed citizens as Council restricted the ability for homeless people to be in certain areas from 10 pm to 6 am with a camping ordinance change.  The head of San Angelo's Homeless Coalition thought he had five minutes to offer public comment as an affected party but was cut off at three.

Citizens should take advantage of free and open public comment while it lasts.  Today's meeting, had it occurred in October would've had far fewer public comments.  

Update:  City Council raised the tax rate from 70.42 cents per hundred valuation to 75.57 cents,  That nickel increase is a 7.3 percent increase in the tax rate.  Inflation is not going away for San Angelo homeowners.  Neither the prior rate nor the increase were included in the City Council background packet.  Truth in Taxation and transparency should ensure that information is shared as a bare minimum.

Old rate:  70.42 cents per $100 valuation

New rate: 75.57 cents per $100 valuation 

Increase:  5.15 cents or 7.3%

Tom Green County Appraisal District Uses Valuebase

The City of San Angelo is waiting for final appraisals from the Tom Green County Appraisal District.  Those valuations are needed to finish the city's budget.  Valuations have been an issue for several years as the District first caught up on property valuations, then did likewise with land values.  

Concho Valley Homepage reported on last year's valuations:

Dozens of property owners crowded into the Tom Green County Appraisal District Review Board meeting Thursday, May 11, 2023, and dozens more waited outside. Almost all of them were looking for answers about why their property appraisals had increased so much.

People were angry and looking for answers.  The responsible folks were not in the room.

Ryan Newlin, the owner of ERA Newlin and Company real estate in San Angelo, said that the State Comptroller’s office sets property values.

“The State of Texas mandates what the tax office does,” said Newlin. “It comes out of the Comptroller’s office.”

Appraisals are driven by the State of Texas.  In 2023:

The Tom Green County Appraisal District delivered over 50,000 notices of appraised value this year, according to the press release. While mass appraisals are done by the appraisal district, Johnson shared that protesting values and resolving protests will be done on a case-to-case basis.  

Citizens may not be aware of the vendor currently assisting the Appraisal District with mass appraisals.  It's Austin based Valuebase. Tom Green County is listed as one of four localities on Valuebase's website.

That website states:

An automated valuation model (AVM), or mass appraisal model, is a service that uses mathematical equations to value properties by analyzing relevant data points and making comparisons across a large number of properties. By taking into account features such as size, sale conditions, and quality of construction, as well as statistical measurements of amenities, location, and depreciation, AVMs provide a fast, fair and cost-effective conclusion of a property’s value.

So who is behind Valuebase?  The Texas Comptroller's Taxable Entity Search provided no information.

A search using Geo Land Solutions, Valuebase's prior name, also produced no information.

Pitchbook shows the firm began in 2022 and had two funding rounds.  The latest $6.3 million funding round was led by Narya Capital.  

America's tech dynasty is backing Narya Capital, Peter Thiel, Marc Andreessen and Eric Schmidt.  Narya founder, J.D. Vance was just named Vice President under former President Donald Trump.  Narya backer Vivek Ramaswamy has been cited as a possible Senate replacement for Vance after the election.

J. D. Vance stepped away from Narya Capital when he was elected to the U.S. Senate.  His latest financial disclosure form show he holds both limited partner and general partner stakes in Narya.  That means he is in a position to profit from Narya's Valuebase holdings.

Valuebase is small peanuts for this group of tech bros, however their work will impact thousands of real people very soon.  Citizens have been angry over the last few appraisal cycles.  If this round comes back bad again, who are the people to blame?  It could be artificial intelligence.

Valuebase CEO Will Jarvis said his company is "delivering cutting-edge solutions that empower governments with world-class AI valuation models."

Artificial intelligence can utilize incorrect or outdated information.  AI brings to mind an impenetrable system.   

It all seems structured to de-power people.  The accountable people aren't in the Appraisal District board room, the software uses "precision tailored" algorithms and those profiting from the process live in a world separate and distinct from the common person.  

J.D. Vance may not forget his upbringing.  Citizens in Tom Green County need Vance to see them as they deal with their latest valuation.  Big changes could cause some to struggle.

Update:  WaPo wrote about tech bros sudden love for Trump and the Red Team.  The Guardian did as well.  

Update 8-8-24:  A citizen spoke in public comment at San Angelo City Council regarding the Appraisal District's shift to appraising properties annually, instead of once every three years.  She encouraged people to attend the upcoming Tom Green County Appraisal District board meeting.

City Council to Hold Budget Session

San Angelo City Council will hold a budget workshop after their regular meeting.  Staff will present General Fund budget plans for a number of city departments. 

The draft budget for Animal Services is $1,350,000 for the upcoming fiscal year.  This is a $96,000 increase from the original budget for this fiscal year.  It will be interesting to hear Shelter Chief Morgan Chegwidden's presentation to Council given San Angelo's ever increasing loose pet crisis.  Morgan informed Council of a dog pack around the 2000 block of Bryant Blvd. in their last meeting.  She did so in public comment (which Council may alter on Tuesday).

A separate capital improvement project for the Animal Shelter has lingered since April 2023 when the city received financing specifically for that renovation.  Project complexity pushed finished construction back from January 2024 to April 2024.

Construction Manager Al Torres informed Council the project would be bid in May.  That is yet to happen.   The City's capital improvement plan shows a November 2024 completion date but that is hard to believe given the project is expected to take six months.  Will it be finished by January 2025?

Below is CIP information from the city's website (beware the poor contrast resolution).

 A screenshot of that page shows its unread ability:

I requested a custom PDF to see if that improved resolution and readability.  The process took just over 15 minutes and the document received was dramatically better.  See the print screen below:

City Council prioritized compliance with the Americans for Disabilities Act and staff have working hard on changes.  Clear.gov needs to do likewise for the web based CIP document.  

It remains to be seen if Council asks about shelter renovations while Morgan is answering operating budget questions.  There are few signs that a strategic review is underway regarding Pets Alive/Best Friends Animal Society policies and "community sheltering" practices incorporated by Animal Services.  An invitation to do so has been outstanding for years.

Update 7-16-24:  Morgan did not appear before council during their budget workshop.  Finance Director Tina Dierschke covered the $232,000 for temporary shelter facilities, saying they had previously been approved by Council.

The city plans to use federal COVID funds for the temporary shelter.  Staff provided no updates on the timeline for either shelter renovation.  This may be the slowest urgent renovation project in San Angelo history.  

After October 1st the city will not take public comment for workshop meetings.  Council approved staff recommended changes but passed on moving public comment to the end of City Council meetings.

City to Further Restrain Public Comment

San Angelo City Council will entertain staff recommendations to reign in comments from the public.  A major move involves shifting open public comment from the beginning of the meeting to the end.  The resolution states:

Any member of the public attending a regular open meeting that wishes to address the governing body or board may do so either during the open public comment period at the end of the meeting or during the agenda item at the meeting when the presiding officer calls for public comment on that item. There will be no public comments taken at workshops or special meetings where no action will be taken.

The agenda shows the item relative to public comment in the Consent portion.  Items in this section are often approved en masse with no discussion or public comment, unless pulled by a Council member.

Consent Agenda

j.  Consider a resolution amending reasonable rules for public comment to be effective October 1, 2024. (Heather Stastny)

Staff's memo to Council states: 

Public comment will be allowed during all regular City Council and City board meetings. No public comment will be taken at special meetings or workshops where no business will be conducted.

Each member of the public wishing to speak shall be required to sign in with the City Clerk or Board Secretary prior to the meeting starting and indicate the item they wish to speak on. The City Clerk or Board Secretary will call names in order with City residents being given priority to speak first.

Members of the public may only speak about the items they indicated on the sign-in sheet and should be comments related to the authority of the City.

Documents or slides to be projected at the meeting will only be accepted for agenda items and not the open public comment period.

These rules will become effective as of October 1, 2024.

No public comment will be taken at workshops or special meetings?  Tuesday Council will hold a budget workshop (on the General Fund which covers many city departments).  Animal Services shows nearly a $100,000 increase from the current budget.  Many citizens are concerned about our significant loose pet problem, caused in part by years of shelter shutoff and releasing thousands of unaltered dogs from the shelter to owners.  This workshop includes public comment.  Does the proposed change mean next year during the budget process City Council will omit/not allow public comment?

City Council meetings are a significant time commitment for a member of the public.  Gone will be the opportunity to slip in for an agenda item, make public comment and then leave.  People will have to show up early enough to do the sign in with City Clerk.  I imagine that will close at a specific time, 8:20 or 8:25 am.  

There will be no opportunity for someone in attendance to contribute their thoughts or knowledge on a spur of the moment basis.  Citizens interested in running for City Council often reacted to city business in public comment.  

The City Clerk will call names for people signed up for that item to come forward.  If someone is not on the list their comments will not be allowed.

The City frequently conducts public hearings in Council and other board meetings.  It will now institute rules for public unhearing.  This feels unnecessary and a more than a little "tone deaf."

In December 2022 Council restricted public information requests.  In July 2024 it may limit public comments.  These moves raise questions about its desire to serve the public.

At the top of the City's organizational chart sits "Citizens of San Angelo."   The public will learn Tuesday if Council answers to citizens or is there to serve staff.

Update 7-16-24:  City Council approved all public comment changes but one.  Public comment will remain at the beginning of the meeting and not be moved to the end.  

Yesterday the city asked for citizen comments via its news feed.

Austin Animal Shelter Closes Intake

The City of Austin closed dog and cat intake to the public.  Their news release states:

Intake is now restricted to emergencies only which includes animals that have life-threatening injury or illness, or animals that present a clear public safety risk.

How is a citizen to know if a found pet has life threatening injury or illness?  Instructions to the public include:

AAC asks that residents who need assistance with an injured animal take the following steps:

• Call 311, advise them that you need assistance with a sick or injured animal and ask to speak with an Animal Protection Officer.
• Wait for the Animal Protection Officer to pick up the animal. Do not bring the animal to the shelter.
• If you have found a loose pet that is not injured, please visit AAC’s Lost and Found Pet website for guidance.

The City of San Angelo closed shelter intake in November 2022.  "Community sheltering" means a drastic increase in unaltered, loose dogs in city neighborhoods.  Shelter Chief Morgan Chegwidden informed City Council during public comment that Animal Control self-initiated a search for an unreported animal pack near Bryant Boulevard and Knickerbocker Road.  The officers were unable to locate the pack during patrols but had "an initial contact" where the dogs appeared to be owned and socialized.  

Morgan mentioned that people are not calling for services but sharing information online.  People don't call for services as Animal Control is frequently unresponsive to requests because the shelter is full.  The city's strategy is effectively "let them roam unaltered."  Anyone who finds a loose dog is put on a "path to shelter acceptance."  San Angelo citizens can thank Pets Alive (which originated in Austin) and Best Friends Animal Society for making shelter services inaccessible. 

The City of Austin just entered the "Intake Closed" zone.  It may result in fewer shelter deaths but dogs die from lack of food, water and shelter, as well as environmental hazards (cars, dog packs and cruel people).  The numbers game just shifts the location of death and imparts much greater suffering.

How long before Austin becomes like a third world country with loose dogs packing up and roaming?  It's widespread in San Angelo.  

Mayor Gunter responded to Morgan's update on the Bryant Boulevard dog pack.  She said she would ask two nearby restaurant owners to stop their employees from providing food and water for the dogs (in the midst of numerous heat warnings).  

San Angelo followed Austin which got us into a loose dog mess.  Now Austin is following San Angelo in leaving them out on the streets.  Can various city leaders stop playing a numbers game and deal with what is?

Rapidly Growing Pet Population within San Angelo

Concho Valley PAWS announced a special fundraising opportunity where donations would be matched up to $25,000.  The story by Concho Valley Homepage referred to a "rapidly growing pet population within San Angelo."

The City of San Angelo and Concho Valley PAWS teamed up in 2017.  This was several years after City Council passed mandatory spay/neuter for pets and a microchip requirement.  Director of Neighborhood and Family Services Bob Salas suggested these moves would mean fewer strays in the streets and reduce litters of unwanted puppies and kittens.  Citizens wanting to breed their pet needed to obtain a breeder's permit.  Staff stated they'd give citizens a year to comply with the new ordinances and then begin enforcement.  PAWS suggested their work as shelter adoption coordinator would free up staff time for ordinance enforcement.

San Angelo's street animal population grew with each shelter intake restriction (2019).  Owner surrenders went from nearly 3,000 in 2016 to 77 in 2021.  That same year Fox West Texas reported:

San Angelo has been known for having an influx of stray cats and dogs roaming the streets. 

Western Veterinary Hospital owner Dr. Gary Hodges said he gets about 30 calls at his animal hospital about stray dogs walking through the streets. He says it has been worse than ever over the last few years.

In that news report Animal Services recommended citizens not approach a stray dog  and for people to call Animal Control Officer to handle the situation.  Carlos Carillo instructed citizens, saying "We'll go out there and try to get the animal off their property."  

The stray problem got much worse after Council capped the dog population at 180 dogs (2022).  Getting the shelter to make a stray pet visit went from difficult to nearly impossible.  The shelter became a long stay hotel for large, unaltered dogs.

Owners continued to retrieve their unaltered dog(s) from the shelter.  A city effort to track and fine pet owners for failing to spay/neuter their shelter stray went mostly nowhere (less than 10% impact).  Of 674 unaltered pets released from the shelter in FY 2022, 606 remained still reported as unaltered as of June 2023.  

Puppies became a major cause of shelter overcrowding (rising from 507 in FY 2016 to 883 in FY 2022, an increase of 75%).  Only a handful of owners bothered with the required breeder's permit and the city was sparse in issuing citations to offenders.

The rapidly growing street pet population in San Angelo came from years of partnership between the City, PAWS, Pets Alive and Best Friends Animal Society.    Spay/neuter is not a Pets Alive measure and Best Friends was fine with Petsmart allowing unaltered animals    The New Yorker reported:

... Best Friends opposes laws requiring that pets be sterilized, on the ground that such laws are costly to poor people and difficult to enforce, and it did not object to a recent decision by PetSmart Charities, which has been a funder of Best Friends, to suspend its requirement that young animals be fixed before being adopted from a PetSmart store.

Many members of the public are tired of city leaders foisting falsehoods and City Council's "get along-go along" approach to Animal Services not serving the public.  The rapidly growing pet population within San Angelo has no end in sight.  That's a bad path to be on.

Update 6-29-24:   Citizens of Danville. Virginia are in the early stages of dealing with Best Friends.  The Humane Society leader there stated:

“Point A is where we are now with too many animals, too few good homes, and so much neglect and cruelty.  Point C is what every animal welfare organization wants: To not euthanize healthy animals because of space. No-kill proponents want to go from Point A to Point C now. The only immediate way to do that is to close shelter doors.

We have to go through Point B which is to spay/neuter and make sure animals are not neglected or abused. We do not believe animals should be warehoused in shelters for years. Adoption partners, and we have very good ones, do not take animals they believe they won’t be able to find homes for.”

Regarding her dealings with Best Friends Animal Society:

“The misinformation and outright lies astound me.”

Welcome to our world.  City Council should revisit Animal Services in their strategic planning sessions.  

Update 6-30-24:  Concho Valley Homepage reported on a PAWS adoption event at Petco.  The story stated:

Concho Valley Paws is dedicated to saving as many pets as possible from the San Angelo Animal Shelter by facilitating adoptions and running various volunteer and foster programs. 

The lines between the city shelter and PAWS can be difficult to discern.  I imagine there is some fatigue regarding the shelter's frequent publication of dog euthanasia lists.  That may have rubbed off on local donors.  

Update 8-7-24:  A former BFAS PR person noted their lack of focus on spay/neuter:

When asked about Best Friends’ spay/neuter initiatives, she answered that they were “not talking enough about spay-neuter, and they've sort of pushed that to the side, and that was one of the things I was told should not be my focus as a PR person and I was very frustrated by that…” Martin also believes that people need to spay and neuter their pets.

Endless loose dogs, endless fundraising opportunities....

Animal Shelter Communications with City Council

The first four months of 2024 saw frequent communication between members of City Council and Animal Services leadership.  Mayor Brenda Gunter contacted city leaders regarding a "dangerous dog situation" the afternoon of Friday, January 19th.  It contained the message below:

On 1/15/24, 3:00p we were in our front yard. Suddenly, a light brown male pit bull weighing between 75-100lbs approached. It was wearing a large black handler’s collar, had cropped ears, and a groomed/clean appearance. 

The dog was aggressive and began growling at my 8yr old son. I grabbed the dog by the collar and told my kids to run into the house. The dog was barking at them and trying to get out of my grasp. 

I released the dog once they were safely inside. He then turned to me aggressively barking, growling, and jumping as I retreated into my vehicle parked on the street. The dog circled my yard defecating and urinating, pawed at my front door, and occupied my garage for 5-10 minutes before leaving. I called Animal Control and followed the voicemail instructions to call police dispatch and they said an officer would investigate. 

This dog was not a stray and posed a serious threat to me and my children. I have also been pursued by an aggressive collared/tagged Rottweiler while walking down our street. I see loose dogs in our neighborhood multiple times each week. Just this morning as I went to work, there was a stray female pit mix on my front porch seeking shelter. 

This stems from poor animal control and terrible dog owners. We no longer feel safe in our front yard without being legally armed and prepared to use defensive force. 

Irresponsible pet owners should be held more accountable, massive pit bulls roaming freely should induce a stiff penalty. This city has a severe stray animal problem. Our Animal Control Department can be improved so that citizens feel safe. SAPD doesn't have time to respond to every threatening dog report. 

City response by Shelter Chief Morgan Chegwidden the afternoon of Monday, January 22nd.:

Thank you for bringing this incident to our attention, I apologize that this happened. No family should live in fear of enjoying their neighborhood. You did all the right things in following the voicemail prompt for police support when animal services was closed for the holiday and only responding to emergency calls. The on-call animal services officer wasn’t dispatched because the request was mistakenly communicated as a friendly loose dog so he stayed on scene at a different case. We’re following up with police to understand the miscommunication and prevent this from happening in the future. We’ll provide additional patrol in the area to prevent loose dogs, enforce secure enclosure requirements, and cite owners in violation. Please feel free to reach out to me for additional concerns.

Morgan's response sought no additional information, pictures or additional experiences with that dog since their initial unfulfilled request for help.   Morgan heard a variation of "no family should live in fear of enjoying their neighborhood" over a year prior.   A PAWS volunteer did so at the Animal Shelter Advisory Committee Meeting.  She said it was no longer safe to walk a dog in any city neighborhood.  

Three days before the Mayor's e-mail Morgan presented the loose dog situation to City Council.  Council took no action on 1-16-24.  City staff started weekly Animal Shelter Open Houses.  Morgan's 2-2-24 memo to Council stated:

Public commenters and City Council expressed concerns about the number of loose pets and worrisome incidents of aggressive dogs. Council discussed an incident where a dog pack attacked more than one pet in their August 2023 Strategic Planning Session.  The fear was that a child would be injured or killed in such an attack.

On March 8th an eleven year old boy was attacked by a 72 pound pit bull after getting off the bus.  The child screamed for help and was assisted by two men, one of whom also sustained injuries from dog bites.  

The child sustained injuries to their left arm, while the fifty seven year old adult was bitten in the arms and leg.  The Animal Control officer described the wounds to both the child and adult as "severe", "painful deep cuts and gashes."

  

Both victims were transferred to Shannon ER for treatment.

Councilman Harry Thomas followed up on the incident.  Morgan's March 14th e-mail warned Mr. Thomas that the "photos are graphic".  They reveal the damage a dangerous dog can do to a child, one quickly aided by nearby adults.  Morgan informed the Councilman the aggressive dog (quarantined at Animal Services) would be euthanized on March 22nd.

That same March 22nd a citizen wrote Councilman Harry Thomas:

I am writing to express my concern about the aggressive dog problem in the alley (between two East San Angelo streets). I have contacted animal control on multiple occasions, as well as contacted the police regarding a specific aggressive dog that consistently escapes its owner's property and initiates fights with other dogs. This dog has also attempted to attack my dogs through my fence. 

Despite my repeated reports, animal control has failed to take any action to address this situation. I understand that shelters are often full, but I believe that fines and penalties would be an effective way to encourage the irresponsible owner of this dog to take responsibility for their pet. 

I have witnessed numerous instances of neighbors having to chase this dog away from their homes and families. It is only a matter of time before someone is injured or property damage occurs. 

I am frustrated by the lack of proactive action from animal control. Why do we wait for a situation to escalate before taking action? I am at a loss for what else I can do to protect my dogs and my community from this dangerous animal. 

If animal control is unable or unwilling to assist me, I would appreciate any advice or guidance you can provide on how to address this issue.

Councilman Thomas again followed up with Animal Services.  This case involved two frequently loose dogs, one unaltered.  One month after the initial visit the dogs had continued escaping their enclosure and the unaltered one had not been fixed.

 

Who knows what the next six months will bring?  Will weekly open houses continue to vector concerned citizens away from Council?  Will City Council continue complimenting Animal Services leadership that is attached to Pets Alive, Best Friends Animal Society philosophy and programs?  

 

Will citizens continue sharing their concerns about loose pets left to fend for themselves in neighborhoods, aka "community sheltering"?   How many of those loose dogs will have puppies?  How many will attack or harm other pets?  How many will attack people?  And how much of any of that will be made public?

 

The city's "let them roam unaltered" policy requires endurance for man and beast alike.

Update 6-14-24:  The April Animal Shelter Advisory Committee did not have any dangerous dog information regarding "dog bites boy and man."  One might expect the dog's rabies status to be shared with the committee.  That was known as the dog was euthanized on March 22nd.

Update 6-28-24:  San Angelo Live reported:

On Thursday, June 27, 2024, the Snyder Police Department issued a statement and identified a man who was attacked and killed by two dogs.

The article had no information on the two dogs other than they were in custody and the owner has been identified. 

The City of Andrews Animal Shelter is a partner with Best Friends Animal Society, just like the City of San Angelo. The City of Snyder does not have a relationship with Best Friends.