The Louie Minor Show
Texas politics from Killeen to Belton to Austin and beyond. Join the conservation with Bell County Commissioner Pct 4 Louie Minor as we dive deep into local government. Interviews with community leaders and the public.
The Louie Minor Show
Compassion vs. Control: Reimagining Animal Services
A crisis is unfolding at the Bell County Animal Shelter. With over 621 animals euthanized since January and the live release rate plummeting from 80% to just 46%, Rescue groups are sounding the alarm and pushing for meaningful reform.
At the heart of this issue lies a fundamental mission conflict. The Sheriff's Department, which currently oversees the animal shelter, is primarily focused on animal control for public safety—managing rabies concerns, handling loose livestock, and investigating animal cruelty cases. However, this mission doesn't necessarily prioritize animal adoption or welfare. As County Judge Blackburn noted during budget discussions, the current facility "was never intended to operate like what I would consider a shelter."
The stark numbers tell a troubling story. In June alone, 60 dogs were euthanized while 67 were adopted. For cats, the situation was even more dire: 126 euthanized compared to just 43 adopted. According to animal advocates, this dramatic increase in euthanasia stems from a new policy requiring a certain number of kennels to remain empty at all times—creating a devastating choice between adoption or euthanasia when space runs short.
Commissioner Minor has gathered input from rescue organizations, shelter volunteers, and concerned citizens to develop solutions. The most promising immediate step is the creation of an Outreach Coordinator position—someone dedicated to working with rescue groups, developing foster programs, and increasing adoption rates. This position would report directly to the Commissioner's Court rather than the Sheriff's Department, allowing for focused attention on adoption outcomes.
Longer-term discussions include potentially separating shelter operations from animal control entirely, a model that has proven successful in other counties. However, facility limitations present immediate challenges, as the current building wasn't designed with proper separation for sick and healthy animals.
Your voice matters in this crucial debate. The next Commissioner's Court meeting on August 11th at 9am will address budget allocations, including funding for this vital position. Whether you attend in person at the Bell County Historic Courthouse or register to participate virtually, your support can help transform Bell County into a community that values and protects its most vulnerable animals.
welcome. You're listening to the louis minor show. I'm your host, bell county, commissioner, louis minor. Today is august 8th 2005 and we have a lot of stuff to cover. There's a lot of things going on and the county. So let's get to it. Let's get to the agenda for Monday, august 11th, at nine in the morning at the Bell County Historic Courthouse in downtown Belton, as always, we have the invocation. As always, we have the invocation pledge of allegiance, and then we have considered dates for public hearings and for the approval of the budget and tax rate. Item A is first tax rate public hearing, august 20th 2025 at 6 pm. B budget public hearing, august 25th 2025 at 9 am. Second, tax rate public hearing, august 25th 2005 at 9 am and then adoption of the 2026 budget and tax rate, august 25th 2025 at 9 am. So those are items that we'll consider. Next item is presentation of the proposed FY 2026 budget. County judge will give his little budget presentation. Then, item five discuss and consider elected official salaries for FY 2026. Item six discuss and consider funding outreach coordinator for Bell County Animal Shelter FY 2026. Reach Coordinator for Bell County Animal Shelter FY2026. Item 7, discuss and Consider Funding Additional Clerk Position for JP2 and JP3, place 2, and FY2026. Then we have Item 8, discuss and Consider Funding Increase for Rodenbridge, rodenbridge director salary and FY 2026. Then, finally, we have consider approval of the proposed tax rate for notice of public hearing purposes for the FY 2026 budget tax rate. So that one is key because once we send out that public notice we cannot go above. Whatever that public notice is, we can always go lower but we cannot go above. So just FYI for that part, and that's it for Monday's meeting that we'll be discussing.
Speaker 1:So what's going on in Texas? State Democrats, the Democratic caucus, house caucus has fled the state has broke quorum because the Republicans are trying to redistrict our congressional seats because President Trump has directed them to. So I was at a rally redistricting hearing down at the Capitol. You know people are not happy, people are upset and I don't blame them. You know, mid redistricting it's been done once before, it's been done once before. But they're trying to get five seats out of Texas. So for them to do that, the proposed map has some crazy lines and it's really a shame what they're doing. They did say you know, supreme Court ruled a couple years ago that you can gerrymander for political purposes but you cannot gerrymander for race and those are, you know, pretty hand in hand. As far as you know, majority minority districts typically vote Democratic, and so they're going to pack those, crack those, and it's going to be allowed.
Speaker 1:So it's a real shame what they're doing, this power grab, but it's not going unanswered. Not going unanswered. Illinois, new York and California, all are threatening to do the same thing. So yeah, so I text, I have Representative John Busey's cell phone number he's a longtime friend of mine Representative Gina Hinojosa, vicki Goodwin, josie Garcia I text them all encouragement and support and thanking them for standing up for Texans and that we're not going to allow this to happen. But locally, one of the things that I talked about that's going to be on Monday is funding a position called the Outreach Coordinator. So let me kind of bring to you why all this is coming up. So I'll play a little clip.
Speaker 2:Advocates met with a Bell County Commissioner about the conditions and practices of the Bell County Animal Shelter. They are raising concerns about the limited space, leadership and, most of all, spike in euthanizations. 6 News reporter Sydney Walker is live in studio to share more about the push to make the shelter no-kill Sydney.
Speaker 3:Over 400 animals have been euthanized by the Bell County Animal Shelter since January. Commissioner Louie Minor, with the help of locals, wants to put an end to that.
Speaker 1:So y'all can understand the processes for Bell County and then how we can help. How y'all can help me.
Speaker 3:Animal lovers in Bell County have been vocal about concerns with the county animal shelter.
Speaker 1:A volunteer emailed all the commissioners and wanted to bring to our attention the increased euthanasia rate.
Speaker 3:Bell County Commissioner Louie Miner listened.
Speaker 1:Since the new sheriff took over, I guess there was a change in policy and that led to increased euthanization of animals.
Speaker 3:He was shocked at what he found.
Speaker 1:The numbers that we got, it was over 621, and to me that's unacceptable.
Speaker 3:In numbers obtained by 6 News, in June, 67 dogs were adopted, but 60 were euthanized. Cats have a larger gap, with only 43 adopted and 126 euthanized.
Speaker 1:Half the animals that you've probably seen at the animal shelter probably won't be here in a week.
Speaker 3:He said. Volunteers told him that the live release rate has dropped from 80 percent to 46. Many blame the sheriff's office. The group in charge of the shelter Minor believes they should no longer be in charge.
Speaker 1:They should not be in the animal shelter business.
Speaker 3:In discussion with local advocates, budgeting was a main topic.
Speaker 1:Authority is over the budget and with that budget we're able to move things around.
Speaker 3:But the main goal making the shelter no-kill.
Speaker 1:We get a no-kill shelter here in Bell County. That's what my goal is. That's what everyone's here goal is.
Speaker 3:Locals had many ideas, from establishing a foster program, emphasizing spay and neuter programs and even creating an outreach coordinator position, all to help Bell County's furry friends.
Speaker 1:I'm no expert in that. I'm going to rely on the experts here to tell us what we need to accomplish that, but I think it's something that can be accomplished because other places are doing it.
Speaker 1:Discussions continue Monday at the next Bell County commissioners meeting Locals are encouraged to attend All righty. Thank you, sydney. So you heard that, that, that that is the problem, that our new sheriff, sheriff Bill Cook, changed policies and you know there's a lot of stuff going on in the county and we don't hear what's going on unless someone brings it to our attention. Person that volunteers at the animal shelter was complaining about the euthanasia rate increasing and that a bunch of animals they estimated hundreds have been unnecessarily euthanized. So I started looking into it. I'm not on the Animal Advisory Board. Commissioner Whitson is on the Animal Advisory Board and supposed to have a vet. There's some people from the Sheriff's Office that are there. A member of the public, ms Anka Ngu from Precinct 4, is on it. So I started getting all these troubling reports of things going on over there and from what I was told is that there's a new policy that tin kennels are supposed to be free either at the beginning of the day or the end of the day because they want to keep room in case something comes in. So there's only one way, at least right now, to free up kennels Either they get adopted or they get euthanized and that's it. So I mean you know I started getting information from the animal advocates, the rescues. There's a bunch of them in Bell County. You know this was not something that I was well informed on, so my guide is the law, the statutes and then best practices of what's going on with other shelters in the area.
Speaker 1:This meeting that I had, I had over 50 people show up to voice their concerns and wanting a no-kill animal shelter, among other things. We were trying to find solutions. At the end of the day, we need to get the rate down and get more animals moved into adoption or another home, their forever home. So what does no kill mean? No kill generally means that you have a 90% live animal placement rate. 90% live animal placement rate, so 90% of the animals that come into the shelter have to go somewhere alive and that's not happening From my understanding. What people told us? That we were at 80%, 85%, something like that. Pretty good, pretty good, not quite no kill, but you know it was a pretty good rate. But after the new sheriff implemented this policy, that got us down to 46% and that's unacceptable. 621 animals dogs and cats have been euthanized in Bell County and that's not acceptable to me and it wasn't acceptable to all the people.
Speaker 1:So I heard them, I started listening to them, I called meetings and I think we're going to try and get some stuff done, at least, at a minimum, hire an outreach coordinator. So after my meeting that what this news clip that I just played from Channel 6 covered we had a meeting of the commissioner's court to talk about increasing the budget, talking about, maybe, staff moving the animal shelter, and we're talking about this now because we're trying to figure out the budget for next year. So this is about a 30-minute clip, a little bit more than 30 minutes, but I want you to hear what the commissioners are saying. I want you to hear what the commissioners are saying. I want you to hear what the judge is saying.
Speaker 1:No one from the shelter or the sheriff's department really spoke during this part. Some of the animal advocates were at the beginning of the meeting and spoke in favor of hiring an outreach coordinator, moving it from the sheriff's department. There's probably about six or seven people, but they left after the beginning of the meeting and then, probably two hours later, we had a chance to revisit the animal shelter. So let me play this for you and you'll be able to hear what we are talking about. So let me pull up this clip.
Speaker 5:Okay.
Speaker 6:We'll get with that, all right.
Speaker 4:Animal shelters. So the animal shelters budget is $620,596.
Speaker 6:Yeah, hang on. Pause there for a second, because I saw that in the handout they did, but when I looked at the budget. I didn't get that, or maybe I'm looking at the wrong sheet. This is what Tina gave me.
Speaker 7:Are you looking in the budget folder? No, no, I'm talking to you.
Speaker 6:No, you're talking to me. I may be looking in the wrong place. Let me find it. What I got was $526,486. That's last year's yes, so the $610 is what's proposed no no no, it says the county spends $625.96. What I see in the budget worksheets is $526.486 is what the amended budget is for FY25.
Speaker 1:That might be for employees.
Speaker 6:That's this current year.
Speaker 7:Yes, what you asked for is what was in the budget for. Fy26.
Speaker 5:What is that?
Speaker 7:That's not what we spent this year.
Speaker 6:What's in the budget for FY26, next year? $620,591. The sheet says the county spends it's $52626 486. That's this year's current, but that's the current budget for this year. What is it? Okay, I just want to make sure. I want to make sure I got the right numbers. What do we got? What do we have budgeted for this? What we're talking about is the budget for next year, correct? Yes, what have we budgeted for that? Six hundred twenty thousand five thousand six. Okay, all right, okay, okay, got it. I just want to make sure. What number? Okay, so of that 625.96.
Speaker 1:527 736 is employee salaries. Uh animal control officers uh. The remaining 92 860 is operational for for the shelter and if you subtract meals lodging uh schools, take all that out of it.
Speaker 6:That's employee related at least 56 900. That I guess is going to yes, correct Stuff like that vaccines, vet services, all that stuff. So we heard our residents wanting increases to that. I think Rescue Magazine on Friday they came and spoke.
Speaker 1:Ron said that he donated 80,000 pounds of food to the shelter last year.
Speaker 6:I don't know if we keep tabs of donations. We do.
Speaker 7:There's a separate revenue and cost center for that.
Speaker 4:So we track all donations to the shelter.
Speaker 6:How much is that? Ten thousand ish and twelve thousand haven't been fed, not no, I mean, that was my question. And when we get to this was I want to add money for food? Are are the animals feeling hungry? That this was. You want to add money for food? Are the animals feeling hungry? No, not that I'm aware of. Not that I'm aware of either.
Speaker 6:But, you know what's your proposal. I was going to bump it up to $7,000. What the food cost? So it's $15,000 right now. First off, we're not running the shelter. That's under the sheriff and the sheriff didn't request that. That's another running the shelter. That's under the sheriff and the sheriff didn't request that. That's another.
Speaker 6:We're assuming when you said that we don't have enough money for food, one would think, just like the judge said, dogs aren't getting fed. I think they're getting fed properly. Well, and they haven't spent the $15,000 that they had budgeted this year. That's what I'm looking at too. They haven't spent the $15,000 that they had budgeted this year. That's what I'm looking at too. They haven't spent the money they. So just because there's a placeholder there does not that's based on historical numbers to say we know we probably need about $15,000 of food. If that were to decrease, or if, for some reason, food costs dealt with, let's say, this year, then we can fix that and add we would fix it.
Speaker 5:We would fix it and add $7,000.
Speaker 6:There will be $30,000. They're not going to get fed. I think the misperception is we only budget $15,000 and we need $21,000. So you guys are short and you're not feeding your dogs. I don't think that happens. They got to look and see what we pay we're feeding everybody and see what we've spent versus what we've done. I just don't think there's a shortfall. There's not a shortfall.
Speaker 7:Because none of that takes into consideration donations of food.
Speaker 6:But historically that's what I was going to ask, it's okay.
Speaker 7:We track monetary donations that come in. We don't track dog food that comes in. We don't track physical items that come in. We don't track dog food that comes in. We don't track physical items that come in, we only track monetary. And then we have an expense department or expense cost center for them to spend those.
Speaker 4:So we're still sending donations. It's not in there If someone comes in and writes a check for $500, that goes into a designated fund that's in there, but if somebody brings in two bags of dog food, that's not.
Speaker 6:It's not a trick, that, but we have actually been inundated with dog food where we had to we have to give it away to some other way where we can store it for them. We'll tell you that too much, but the animal facility control facilities around the county, in Temple there used to be. What's the that food? Dums, dums, dums, dums, dums, dums, dums, dums, dums, dums, dums, dums, dums, dums, dums, dums, dums. Dums, dums.
Speaker 7:Dums, dums I thought there was an agreement with, like PetSmart or Petco, one of those two where they get certain.
Speaker 6:PetSmart sends a truckload. I'm just saying it might be, it's not an area of need. Well, I mean, I wanted to comment on this because you've got to. Also, you can't just see what's budgeted and say we're going to spend that and I calculate we feed the dogs so they're not getting fed. You've got to look and see what's spent and what's not spent and what's needed, and if it's needed we're going to spend it, absolutely, except it was vaccines.
Speaker 5:We don't want to over-money it.
Speaker 7:I mean that's the thing, Because they do have those donations.
Speaker 6:And I think that we didn't cut anything with the animal control. What they requested is what they thought they needed because they're running it. We actually gave them a couple more people, I think, over the last couple years.
Speaker 1:The animal service contract that does not include vaccines or does include vaccines.
Speaker 7:It includes whatever we pay coming out of the operating budget to the vets.
Speaker 6:Whatever they see fit. But we buy vaccines at the shelter and not rabies, because the vet has to do that but the puppy vaccine, kitten vaccines and the what do you call it? We buy that and we administrate it. Well, that's what was surprising to me when she said that there were some that went home without vaccines. I'm like, well, how do you know that? Because even if you have a dog that comes in on a 70-hour hold and we vaccinate it, it can still get parvo a day later Because that, particularly depending on the age, you've got to have three to four boosters before that really holds and boosters before that really holds, and a dog that's malnourished doesn't have a good efficacy of the vaccine. Anyway, you can give it five vaccines and it'll go home and get parvo the next day if it hits somebody with parvo.
Speaker 6:So just because a dog got parvo when it got home does not mean it wasn't vaccinated.
Speaker 6:That I would depend more on Chuck and the crew there to let me know if they were vaccinated or not, because I think we keep records of that and we should know if we didn't vaccinate one, and there may be reasons not to vaccinate one. I mean, I know veterinarians that had a dog that come in that was not healthy and said don't give it the vaccine because the vaccine, if it's not an entirely killed virus, could cause more problems than good and won't vaccinate them until they're healthy and then vaccinate them. So, typically, when we raise those that you're talking about raising right now as we went through their budget hearings, we're looking at every one of those, yeah, and when you see that we either are right at spending everything we still have a half a year to go and we probably need to bump that up or, if we're not spending, but a quarter of it and you'll see what you spent the year before the year before. There's no sense in doubling it if you're not going to spend it.
Speaker 7:And I'm looking at their donations cost center. It looks like they spend some of that on those vaccines.
Speaker 6:I think most of that's spent on vaccines, if I recall. I appreciate the spend out. Yeah, this is handy. They did the Public Accountability for Animal Welfare Association, I guess, but I think they did some really good work putting this together. One thing I wanted to ask is like in Lampasas County, if it's 42, are there any cities that have animal patrol or animal shelters, Like in Bell County? Yeah, we have three. We have three others than that as far as number of kennels, and I have no clue how much Temple or Killeen or whoever else has Heights, Heights. So if you're going to compare and again I'm not sure if any of these other counties have cities Like the city of Lampas yeah, the city of Lampas, I don't know. I was going to ask that question, that was my issue. But my question on both the food and vaccines for phase one suggestion is I think those needs are being met right now. I don't know that there needs to be an infusion of additional dollars or resources there. I don't think. Sorry, we keep interrupting.
Speaker 4:No, no, no I enjoy the discussion.
Speaker 1:The MOU agreements that we have with the other cities, I guess.
Speaker 6:I've never seen any of those for animal control services, I think we have a copy of them upstairs.
Speaker 6:I'm just curious when the last time those were updated? Do we have any requirements onto the city as far as vaccines or any of these things that we have to do? I know Salado's is a flat $5,000 fee a year and that was based on how many animals they were generally taking in. And we did that one two years ago, maybe three. It was very long ago because I helped facilitate that Belton. They were being billed individually and it was coming up to about $3,500 a year and Salado said look, we don't want to, we'll just make it $5,000. And they just paid that. Um, I don't know what button's agreement is, but part of belton's agreement does include an animal control officer, because they do all their own animal control. Just use our facility, right, and their animal control officer helps in our facility too when he's not picking up animals. Um, so those are used. I mean, I don't remember seeing them come across our desk.
Speaker 7:I don't know.
Speaker 6:Any time recently.
Speaker 7:As far as I can recall, they're evergreen.
Speaker 6:They've been there a long time.
Speaker 7:So later.
Speaker 6:Are you updating them? Yeah, but to me that begs kind of a bigger, broader question, kind of all of this. And again, I appreciate what they laid out in their handout there. They laid out in their handout there Conceptually, depending upon what the court wants to do with what I would call the mission of animal control, because I think what's being proposed is a different mission than what we have right now.
Speaker 6:I think animal control, the animal control facility that we have, really was never intended to operate like what I would consider a shelter to the outer shelter. That's not what it is. It's a facility and it's primarily aimed at meeting public safety needs. I think that's the prime directive and I think that's the mission that the Sheriff's Department and Animal Control has been given. I think what we've heard the past couple of meetings is comments from some that they want to see a different mission adopted, and I think what we do, especially when you get down to everything past the food and the vaccines, depends on what the mission is. What's the mission we want to adopt, so to speak, for animal services, and there's all kinds of questions afloat on that. But I mean, you know, like the outreach coordinator, for example, I am fully supportive of that. I think having some sort of person dedicated to work with those outside agencies and to better coordinate efforts is needed, especially if we're going to adopt a different mission. The challenge I have with it is can we make that work without we've got some governance issues? I mean, if that position were funded, would it work for the sheriff and to me, I kind of see the sheriff's position and the animal control division position as not geared toward again sheltering missions. That's not what their aim is. And so where do you set that up? How do you set that up? And then the facility. I don't think the facility was designed or is being operated in a manner that facilitates a new mission. I don't think it does. But I mean, I think there's just a whole lot of collateral issues that just kind of flow from do we want to adopt a new mission for animal services? That is more than just funding a position, which, again, I think there does need to be a position like that, and I think that position can facilitate a change in mission if we're going to change that mission, because right now the sheriff's job is animal control and they do that very well.
Speaker 6:Now there's some people who don't like the way that's going on because we euthanize a lot of animals because of that, but understand most of those animals that come in that we euthanize, I mean they're very unhealthy, they're rabid, they're they're not adoptable because most of what we picked up is not a little fluffy off the street.
Speaker 6:So the ones that we do pick up that are fluffy, and then we've got too much space, we don't have enough space and they're considering euthanizing them simply for space. That adoption coordinator could move those quicker quicker through having good relationships with all the rescues that work very well around here and move those quicker and get those out of there until we can have another facility, potentially shelter, if we decide to go there. I know you mentioned this building here in Belton, but that would require purchasing and it looked like it needs to be cleaned up. Yeah, it needs some TLC. I mean we still have that building that we're about to get from CCS and Temple, yeah, but that's going to need a lot of work to make it Kenwood, kenwood you're going to have to start foundation, strokes, a lot of it, draining and washing out and all that kind of stuff.
Speaker 6:I guess that I was a little bit disappointed in that. I think everyone that spoke the impression and even I guess that's what the news was here to pick up is that we're underfunding the Animal Control Center, of which we're not. We're not underfunding food, we're not underfunding vaccinations and all that stuff, because no one looked at the amount of what we're spending. They just looked at what we have budgeted and then they're making their own assumptions and calculations that we don't have enough money in there to feed these animals. That's what's disappointing and that's not the message here. Two years ago we spent just under $400,000 on that facility and two years ago we all sat up here and the sheriff said we need more help, we need more stuff, we need more space then and we bumped that up to $526,000 last year, which I don't think we quite spent all of it. It was budgeted but we were pretty close to it and then $610,000 this year. We added another $92,000 this year to facilitate that for health and everything. So we have been making improvements to that. As a matter of fact, we have a whole new regime that now has focused on that even more.
Speaker 6:And the only animal control board meeting we had this year was in March, which we were supposed to have in quarterly. I went to one other meeting the year before because they never the folks that were running it at that time only scheduled one, so we didn't get to talk all about them. But this year we've had the one in March, we had another one scheduled this last month which we had, and all these same people do, and they want to address the court. So they came and addressed the court. That's all fine, but I think all these things they're wanting to do. As a matter of fact, at that animal control meeting we had and they were talking about it, we said we are doing these things, we're looking at these options right now and even having conversations about a CIP, if we need to expand the facility that we have or buy another facility as a shelter. To expand the facility that we have or buy another facility as a shelter, that's a regime, you know, that's a culture change for us. But, um, we are in the process of those.
Speaker 6:I I don't disagree with any of that, but I don't.
Speaker 6:I I thought we had put enough money in the budget this year, with me looking at it, knowing what we're talking about the animal patrol, that we were facilitating the things that the new animal patrol staff wanted to facilitate, and I think a lot of this came about because we've got a couple of individuals that disagree over how that place is being run, which we're always going to have that, and so because of that we had some more discussions, which are great, but I I think a big, which I don't believe we fix in this budget cycle at all big discussion is do we want to have the sheriff just be animal control and maybe us or somebody else handle a shelter facility and change what we're doing now, or do we want to remain animal control?
Speaker 6:And I think, even if we just remain animal control, I think that person that we're talking about, some outreach type coordinator, could work at that animal control office and much better at full time. Just keep anything that comes as adoptable after it's 72 hours it's going to a rescue somewhere and and that we could do without having to buy something even if we're going to buy, he runs the door.
Speaker 8:You know your boots on the ground and you have us with boots on the ground, you know the county.
Speaker 4:He wants to know about JP's of days past. Which one, mads Turner? Yeah, you know, floyd Campbell I did yes, precinct One came to county jail every day, seven days a week.
Speaker 5:Four days a week.
Speaker 4:Back in the days when you came to work in the county to serve the people. Bigger picture than just animal control facility. Animal control for the Sheriff's Department. Several things To enforce the ordinance that this court adopted in 2011. Okay, that's rabies control. Second mission loose livestock Falls under agricultural code. If a cow is running down Main Street in Killeen Texas, it's the sheriff's responsibility, it's not KPD's. It's all one picture. That's why, when we were putting together a transition last fall, that came up. We need one person to manage all things livestock related, animal related. So that's kind of where we're at. I think it's great. I've got some ideas that I think I'd like to workshop with the court in a few weeks. We're still putting them together.
Speaker 4:But let me describe the animal shelter that we found when we got here. Two words dumpster fire. I had a visit on a Saturday morning with another member of the board of the shelter board that told me that it started spiraling about two and a half years ago. You were here, I wasn't. I was happily retired. I was only here a year ago on the animal board. Anyway, that's true. The last time I sat on that board it the animal board. Anyway, that's true. The last time I sat on that board it was Commissioner Driver, driver, yeah, so there's a whole lot of issues to be addressed. My custodian of record I've asked her to come in case there's any mentioning about records, because she has been inundated with open records requests from these people to the point where we can't get anything else done. She also has to worry about subpoenas and discovery for court expunctions and things along that nature. So we're trying to get them out as much as we can and we're not trying to hide anything from anybody. But when you go to the dumpster that's on fire, it's hard to find these records. Once you do find them, you find clumps of stuff that's been stapled together. You've got to take time to I think 16 hours. You worked on one last week. One request 16 hours later. So we got a plan putting it together. We hope to bring it back to you in a few weeks in the workshop. Let you know which way we're heading.
Speaker 4:Your own point about having someone be that coordinator and if we did have a separate facility as an adoption facility, that person could manage that aspect. If not, have that one person working with our animal shelter folks so that, once that animal can leave the shelter coordinate with these different adoption groups. Some of them, I think, are breed specific and those okay. So if you don't have any Dachshunds today or any German Shepherd, then they got to go somewhere else and some of the confusion in the last couple of weeks one person was upset because somebody else got a dog that they were supposed to get or something like that, and then some some words were said about having vaccination papers. That's not what the ordinance says, that's just what people came up with. So we got to get protocols in place. We've got to get planned and move forward, but you're not going to get away from an animal shelter as long as you want the sheriff to enforce your rabies ordinance. Do I have any questions?
Speaker 6:How do you think the sheriff would react to an outreach coordinator that did not work for him?
Speaker 4:I think that would be great. I think he would accept that as a wonderful thing. I've kind of tossed that around this weekend Having that person that's not associated, not a part of a group, a non-profit group, not a part of the sheriff's office, it's an independent person.
Speaker 6:Because again, as you said, as we've said again, the mission for Animal Control Division is not necessarily focused on adoptions and foster homes and all those things. Not at all. It's just not focused. And I'm not throwing a rock at that. As you've outlined, you've got other duties that that facility has to do.
Speaker 6:But that said, if the mission is going to change or expand and I didn't take you know, russell, I didn't necessarily take the comments to be that we weren't spending enough on food or vaccines, that kind of stuff I took the comments to mean we want to see euthanasia rates drop, we want to see foster opportunities for the animals to increase, we want to see those kinds of things. I saw that too. But when they speak specifically on the dollar amount for dog food, specifically on vaccine, we don't have enough money in there to raise it, I think those are the ones that are misinformed on not having enough. I promise you, everyone's thinking they're thinking that we don't have enough money to feed these dogs. No, I 100% agree with that.
Speaker 6:I think and I hopefully would dispel a little bit of that today that there is those are not, those are funded. I'm just saying I think their push was let's increase, let's expand our services in those areas so that we can reach some objectives in terms of getting dogs adopted and cats and animals and all that kind of stuff. And to me the partnership that we have to have with these private agencies and entities around the county is critical. I mean, whether we have another facility or whether we utilize the capacity that might be out there with those existing private shelters that are in the place or other public shelters that might be in place. Have that what I would call a liaison position, not under the sheriff, so that they can liaison with those private agencies, but would need full support, full access, all that kind of stuff to animal services for that One of the things we're approaching as far as that records management.
Speaker 4:We have a steering committee that meets first Tuesday of every month with Adam. Steering committee that meets first Tuesday of every month with Adam and it's specifically to go over software and development things that the Sheriff's office is using. What are using is antiquated. Where do we need to go forward? This covers everything from body camera footage to uh uh, jail surveillance. First, one thing. Another Tomorrow is our August meeting and on our agenda is for Adam's crew to develop a software program that's usable for us within the shelter that's not antiquated like they currently have. That way we will be able to produce record information much faster At our fingertips. So Adam's already gave the thumbs up. We're moving forward with that, so we hope to have her software that be accessible.
Speaker 8:It's nothing in our statutes that are directed to us by the state that we need to have an animal shelter, but we do have to take care of situations where they are breaking the law or creating problems. We have to take care of the animal control as part of our program.
Speaker 6:So we expand that. But you have to shelter animals for 72 hours before you can do anything with them to make sure they get an opportunity to pick their animal up. They get bored. You've got rabies quarantine. It's got to be there 10 days Understood, Understood, all of that.
Speaker 8:So my thing, is as the rent's done. We need, we need need the shelter and the adoption and all of that people who are involved in that. They're really going to care about it and just like all these other adoption agencies. When I get the laugh from my control auditor, is it me? Is it me, not you at all? Okay, my suggestion would be there is a way for us to just draw out of the same between animal control and shelter, and try to privatize that aspect, kind of like we do with typically any clinic, if that saves us some money.
Speaker 5:We've got $625,000. The general now cost us $400,000. We take care of the $200,000. We facilitate that private entity.
Speaker 6:And then that way we've got equal managing that are there. But there's also an issue of the facility that we currently have now is not designed to be a shelter. It is really just an intake unit, because if you have a healthy dog that needs to get sent out somewhere, it's in there with all the same air and everything as all the sick animals and you bring somebody in to show them. This dog down here and they got to see all that too.
Speaker 4:it's hard to adopt, that's right, and and medically they need to be segregated, I agree, especially when they're young final mission on that, when I said it, more than just maintaining a shelter animal control officers also responsible for investigating and assisting in the prosecution of many criminal cases. Last Friday, precinct 4, we got a call to an abandoned house that had two very obviously deceased dogs and then one live dog that was obviously malnourished and underfed and hadn't had water in a while and obtained warrants to collect the two deceased dogs and the live dog. We fortunately got the live dog. I think it took a while. That night we got it to a vet and got it in good shape. I think it's at the shelter now being taken care of, but it's actually evidence in a criminal case now being taken care of, but it's actually, uh, evidence in a criminal case. So that's totally different than adopting.
Speaker 6:animals are totally different than there's going to be those kinds of animals and others that are not going to be adopted, just, and maybe that will help. But but I mean there may be some vicious dogs that you'll up, there may be some dogs that are not able to. There's not going to leave, they're not leaving. That's why no-kill as I understand it, the definition of no-kill facility is 90% out, but 10% don't make it out. But those no-kill shelters are not animal control facilities. Right, no-kill shelters are not animal control.
Speaker 6:So we can take animal control and do everything that needs to be done there and help the animals come out of there and go to a shelter and have a no-kill shelter pretty easily, I think. And I also think it doesn't necessarily need to be us doing it because we have so many. I mean, you've met them, they're really good at what they do. If we had any use of those folks who come down there all the time and want to get animals from us, as a matter of fact, some of the biggest complaints we've gotten are they won't give us the animal. They would take the animal if we would give it to them. That's why I think the outreach coordinator would be able to better facilitate that and make sure if that animal needs to be out of that facility go to looking for somebody to take it today, once it's past 72 hours or whatever the case might be.
Speaker 6:So are we going to find a outreach coordinator? I wrote that down as an item vote on. Actually, do we have a suggested salary? Well, they suggested 37 plus benefits and more than I think a couple of people said they thought that was more than adequate.
Speaker 8:So Steve, who did that? That's deputy clerk one 37. How do we kind of fix that there are more extractives on markets? Where would that person report? You said it would be an independent.
Speaker 6:The county judge.
Speaker 6:Do you have a recommendation? I would suggest that we get that and get those MOUs and understand what we're doing, because even right now, what I'm hearing is, even if we get 10 dogs tomorrow that are adoptable, we've got a spot to put them with 40 dogs that are sick. See, my thinking was that's one of the tasks that you get to the outreach program, but you should go develop the MOU, develop a plan, bring it forward. Okay, instead of well, that should, yeah, 100% be what we change the mission so that position can report to the court. Then I don't think so. I mean, who else is it going to report to the sheriff? The sheriff of the court? I would not put it in the sheriff Because I think they're two different missions.
Speaker 7:Yeah, so Bob's not in here.
Speaker 8:She just threw you right under the bus. They've learned.
Speaker 6:Jeff, they don't look at all the way into that chair back there, the only area that we have to potentially program is that control center. For now, I think we're going to get into a CIP discussion and there's going to be suggestions about that. We're going to get into a CIP discussion and there's going to be suggestions about that. But even if that's the only facility we have, again, it seems to me like the coordinator could be tasked to go out and identify capacity that's in the private sector and you work with that?
Speaker 6:Doing a foster program. I think we've got a list that we've got right now. We got a list, the other day 50 people.
Speaker 5:Yes, yes, that's what I'm saying. We mobilize and help support the people that are going to have interest in our community.
Speaker 6:And I think we should do that before we go buy or build another facility yes, I agree, before we go buy or build another facility. And then we're the person that obviously has got to be involved with your program A hundred percent. Obviously, this person is going to have to tell your people or you what you should and shouldn't do. No, not tell they're getting animal when they've done what they're meant to do. And that's why I asked one of my questions was is the sheriff receptive to somebody working in that facility helping liaison between the private agencies and the sheriff's office?
Speaker 6:And I thought the answer was yes, we're going to have to work on the standard operation SOPs because they're tasked with something. And then somebody goes and says, no, we're going to take all these over here, we're going to isolate all these kennels, we're going to, we're going to ask that, all these chemicals, we're going to clean them up, and you cannot put a, you all get in there. That's sick or wanting to get sick. Okay, that's my point. Yes, so there's no, there's no space. This person can go say I'm going to run a program?
Speaker 6:Oh yeah, there is. The program is outside that facility, at least initially. Initially they have to come into the sheriff's. They have to. Once they get the 72 hours, they end it off.
Speaker 5:That's what the coordinator does is to sit dogs during that 72 hours.
Speaker 8:So everybody out there at the control area.
Speaker 5:That's what the coordinator does is to sit dogs during that 72 hours.
Speaker 6:So there's more than just a dog out there at the control area. You wrote off these 16 kennels. Yeah, 72 hours looks 100% sheriff.
Speaker 1:That's right, they do whatever they need to do, they won't be exposed to it and they all get there.
Speaker 5:They're 72 hours that average coordinator.
Speaker 6:Get there, you're in 72 hours that average coordinator is going to be lacing that animal, you don't know if it's healthy or not.
Speaker 5:It may not exhibit anything yet. That's why it's going to be put on hold.
Speaker 6:There is no way to separate it. There isn't until that sitting jar is over, and then you've got to have triage, you've got to check them.
Speaker 5:You've got to vaccinate them, triage, you got time checking them, you vaccinated them, you worked them, and then they need to get together because we have a lot of money in the current. But how well, out of this six hundred, what? Ten thousand dollars a sec, fine, 620 640. Is that budget so tight that you can't carve out 45 000?
Speaker 6:or whatever dollars. Yeah, so people now, almost almost entirely, I wouldn't be able to carve it out exactly salary savings that you get early, mm-hmm, that's not where I.
Speaker 4:That's not where I'm at.
Speaker 6:I did a test on which item was first, and that Same question as the clerk.
Speaker 6:Where would that position fall under? I don't know, I don't know, precinct 2. Let me ask you this we have a vet, county vet, that you're not included by us. She, she is the vet for animal patrol. Um, would it be reasonable to allow that personal report to that vet, to the animal advisory committee or to the advisory committee? I wouldn't do that. I think they need to report to a county employee or elected official, not to. That board is made made up of non-county folks. No, but who else?
Speaker 4:is on the board. Commissioner was Our vet no.
Speaker 6:I think the vet is on the board. I know, but is he employed by us? No, so we're going to put a county employee under the direction of a non-county employee.
Speaker 5:I wouldn't do that. I mean they're kind of on my list.
Speaker 6:I'm not saying that physician shouldn't work with that board. I'm not thinking at all. If it's not the sheriff, it needs to be commissioners. For me, my first choice would be sheriff. I'm not thinking, sheriff.
Speaker 8:I'm thinking sheriff and I'm thinking commissioners for me and I see that mentioned. There's another thing to go to.
Speaker 6:We're here a while, we're here a while. We didn't get the CIP, but I guess we're going to talk about that here a second.
Speaker 5:Well, I don't know I don't have any more. I've got to leave. At know I don't have any more.
Speaker 7:I'm good, we need to go. Does it have to be an employee or could it be a contribution to one of the rescues? That they designate a person.
Speaker 5:Contract no.
Speaker 6:That's like picking your favorite child, yeah. I think it needs to be an employee of the county alright, I guess we can resolve that, assuming the position gets identified as something we want to designate where it's going to go sounds like commissioners court, alright. So before you leave identified as something we want to designate where it's going to go. Sounds like commissioner's court is what it's in. All right, so before you leave, is there Tina? Yes, cip discussion yes.
Speaker 7:If I recall, can we talk about that on the 11th?
Speaker 5:Yes, Right, yes.
Speaker 1:So now you heard the clip and at the end of it it seems hopeful right that we're going to hire an outreach coordinator and that we're going to be able to place that outreach coordinator under the commissioner's court Commissioner's Court with the long-term goal of separating shelter operations and animal control operations, what I think everyone wants. So that was a good thing. I left this positive. I was talking to some of the animal rights advocates and they were happy and ecstatic about that. But the next day after this meeting this meeting was on Tuesday. Oh no, it was on Monday. This meeting was on Monday this week. After that, that Tuesday, I got word that the sheriff is against an outreach coordinator that is not under his office, that he doesn't have any control over.
Speaker 1:So you know that's going to be the source of contention on Monday, of engagement and advocating and staying it. You know, reaching out to your elected officials, we're going to do something, but what we do is up to you. Remember that what we do is up to you. So stay engaged. Remember that what we do is up to you, so stay engaged. I hope you're able to come out Monday. If not, you can go on the Commissioner's Court website.
Speaker 1:Look at our agenda. There's ways that you can participate if you're not able to come in person. If you want to participate for a conference link, you just have to register with Shelly Koston, our county clerk, at least one hour prior to the 9 am meeting on August 11th and you can testify from your home or from work, or from your car or wherever you're at you could testify. So let's utilize all of our resources that we have to stay engaged and hopefully at our next meeting, our next podcast, we'll have some good news for you. So stay tuned, stay engaged. There is a meeting tomorrow Project 2026, that the Coalition of Black Democrats are putting on of Bell County, so I'll be attending that, I'll be a panelist on that, and so I'm looking forward to all this good stuff that's going on this weekend and I will talk to you next week. We'll be you next time.
