>> I AM OFFICIALLY CALLING OUR MEETING TO ORDER.
[CALL TO ORDER/GENERAL COMMENTS]
[00:00:02]
THE FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS IS TO REVIEW[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
THE MINUTES AND APPROVE THEM AS WRITTEN IF EVERYONE IS IN AGREEMENT.I'LL NEED A MOTION AND A SECOND.
>> I'D LIKE TO SECOND THAT, PLEASE.
[LAUGHTER] THE MINUTES ARE APPROVED AS WRITTEN.
[2. Report on shelter statistical data.]
NEXT IS THE REPORT ON THE SHELTER STATISTICS.THAT DOESN'T SEEM TO BE A PROBLEM HERE.
AT LEAST BY THE MARCH AND FEBRUARY, WE'RE RUNNING PRETTY FULL UP THERE.
>> CURRENTLY, WE HAVE SUPERVISOR BILLY HAUSEN, AND ASIO CARRASCO, SO TWO.
>> WE HAVE A PART-TIME OFFICER WORKING 30 HOURS A WEEK?
>> WE HAVE TWO FULL-TIME, ONE PART-TIME?
>> ARE WE REACHING OUT TO HIRE OR WHAT ARE WE DOING?
>> VIGOROUSLY? HOW MANY ARE WE LOOKING FOR?
>> FULL STAFF, WE WILL BE BACK TO FIVE EMPLOYEES.
>> WE'RE LOOKING TO FULL STAFF?
>> OKAY. DO WE HAVE OPPORTUNITIES? DO WE HAVE PEOPLE COMING IN?
>> THAT'S A GOOD THING. ANYBODY ELSE? WILDLIFE. CAN WE TALK ABOUT WILDLIFE FOR A MOMENT? [LAUGHTER] BUT I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT AFTER MY CONVERSATION MOMENTS AGO WITH THE CITY MANAGER, WITH JIMMY AND MAYOR BOYTER, THAT THE COYOTE SITUATION CERTAINLY IS UNDER CONVERSATION. I WANT TO CALL YOU BOBBY.
[LAUGHTER] MONDAY MORNING, AND I DON'T WANT TO MAKE THIS ALL ABOUT ME, IT'S NOT ABOUT ME, MY PROPERTY IS BETWEEN CIRCLE AND SHIRLEY WAY.
8:30 IN THE MORNING, I WENT DOWN TO CHECK, I'VE GOT HERRINGS NESTING SO I GO AND CHECK ON THEM.
OF COURSE, BECAUSE I HAVE OLD GRAY MARE, I HAVE TO WATCH MYSELF GOING DOWN THE STAIRS NOW.
I'M TRYING TO GET DOWN THE STAIRS AND SEE MY BIRDS AND ALL OF A SUDDEN, [NOISE] ALREADY GOT THREE.
ON THE WEST BANK, VERY HEALTHY, APPEARED TO ME TO BE VERY HEALTHY.
VERY LARGE, BUT I DO HAVE CONCERNS THAT THEY'RE HERE AND I'M NOT SAYING THAT IT IS A CITY PROBLEM.
I'M SAYING THAT AS A COMMUNITY, WE CAN ALL DO A BETTER JOB. ALL OF US.
WHETHER WE GET THESE DRAINAGE EASEMENTS CLEANED OUT FROM THE TRASH, THE DEBRIS, THE GARBAGE WHICH BRINGS IN THE RODENTS, WHICH COYOTES THRIVE ON.
WHETHER OR NOT WE CAN GET CODE OUT TO CHECK THESE DUMPSTERS, ENSURE THEY'RE NOT OVERFLOWING.
I THINK MOST IMPORTANTLY IS CITIZENS HAVE GOT TO STOP FREE FEEDING THESE ANIMALS, [NOISE] I'M SORRY, AND CATS.
WE DON'T HAVE THE MANPOWER, I DON'T BELIEVE, TO GET PROACTIVE TO GET OUT IN THE STREETS.
CITY MANAGER AND THE MAYOR, THERE IS CONVERSATION AND I'M THRILLED TO DEATH ABOUT THAT.
I JUST I'M THRILLED, BUT MAYBE SOME SIGNAGE.
SOMETHING DIFFERENT THAT WOULD CATCH THE EYE OF A CITIZEN.
LET'S PUT ONE BY THE TRAFFIC BOXES.
PEOPLE ARE LOOKING AT THE TRAFFIC BOXES, WELL, LET'S PUT A SIGN THERE.
PLEASE STOP FEEDING THE WILDLIFE.
NO, I'M NOT SAYING THIS IS ENTIRELY A CITY PROBLEM,
[00:05:01]
I THINK WE ALL CAN DO A BETTER JOB.THANK YOU. MICHELLE, WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN COLLEYVILLE? NOTHING?
>> I DON'T KNOW. I LOVE THE WILDLIFE, I LOVE THE ANIMALS.
YOU GUYS KNOW ME, BUT WHEN THESE ANIMALS NOW BECOME A PUBLIC SAFETY PROBLEM, DALLAS HAS GOT THEIR HANDS FULL RIGHT NOW.
I DON'T WANT TO SEE THAT HERE.
I DON'T WANT TO SEE THAT IN OUR CITY.
FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, THEY'RE EVERYWHERE.
>> I BELIEVE YOU'RE RIGHT. I WROTE DOWN SOME OF YOUR IDEAS AS FAR AS CLEANING UP, MONITORING DUMPSTERS, AND GETTING THOSE WORDS OUT AND EVEN SIGNAGE.
WE ALSO, JUST SO YOU KNOW, WE REACH OUT TO TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE FOR ADVISEMENT ON HOW TO HANDLE THE SITUATION, WHAT ARE THE BEST IDEAS.
THEIR ADVICE TO US AS FAR AS RELOCATING IS NOT AN OPTION BECAUSE THEY WILL NOT SURVIVE IT.
TRAPPING IS OUT OF THE QUESTION.
LET'S SAY, AS CITIZENS AND STUFF, WE DO A BETTER JOB OF KEEPING OUR AREAS CLEAN, THEY'LL EVENTUALLY MOVE ON AND GO SOMEWHERE ELSE.
>> DO YOU DO IT EDUCATIONAL, EVERY SPRING?
>> CAN YOU TURN ON YOUR MICROPHONE, IF IT'S NOT ON?
>> CAN YOU-ALL HEAR ME? ONE THING THAT I DO IS EVERY SPRING, EARLY SPRING, AND EARLY FALL, I DO HAVE A GUEST SPEAKER FROM DIFFERENT AREAS.
TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE JUST CAME OUT NOT TOO LONG AGO.
I CHOOSE A SUBJECT, USUALLY IT'S ON URBAN WILDLIFE.
WE INVITE OUR CITIZENS, WE PUT IT OUT FOR A COUPLE OF MONTHS, AND THAT'S ONE THING THAT WE DO TALK ABOUT IS HOW TO COHABITATE AND WHAT HAZING MEANS AND WHAT WE CAN DO AS WELL AS WE DO A LOT OF PUBLIC EDUCATION ON OUR CITY WEBSITE, WE SEND OUT STUFF IN THE WATER BILL.
THE PROBLEMS THAT YOU CAN CAUSE AND EDUCATING ANY TIME I STOP TO TALK TO PEOPLE ABOUT COYOTES OR OTHER URBAN WILDLIFE.
WE EDUCATE, ONE BIG THING IS, DO NOT FEED THEM BECAUSE YOU CAN CAUSE ISSUES.
I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH KNOWLEDGE YOU HAVE OR TALK TO ANYBODY OVER THAT AREA, OVER IN DALLAS.
I HAVE A LOT OF CONNECTIONS AND ONE OF THE THINGS THEY DID FIND OUT IS BECAUSE THEY DID HAVE PEOPLE FEEDING OVER THERE.
THAT'S CAUSED ISSUES AND THE COYOTES DON'T KNOW THAT WE'RE NOT ALL A FOOD SOURCE, ONCE THEY GET TRAINED IN THINKING THAT ONE PERSON IS GOING FEED THEM, THEY ALL THINK.
ALSO, YEARS AGO, THROUGH TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE AND TEXAS A&M, THEY ACTUALLY DID STUDIES IN AN AREA AND THEY TOOK OUT OVER 200 COYOTES EITHER BY SHOOTING THEM, POISON THEM, OR OTHER MEANS OF TRAPPING THEM.
WITHIN FOUR YEARS, THOSE STUDIES JUST SHOWED THAT NOT ONLY DID THEY RETURN, BUT THEY RETURNED IN DOUBLE NUMBERS.
WE DO KNOW THAT DOES NOT WORK.
WHY, YOU SAY? BECAUSE WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE TAKE OUT, MOTHER NATURE IS GOING TO WIN EVERY TIME NO MATTER WHAT.
WHEN WE TAKE OUT THESE NUMBERS, WHAT HAPPENS IS THE NATURAL FOOD SOURCE GOES UP.
BUNNIES HAVE MORE BUNNIES, SQUIRRELS HAVE MORE SQUIRRELS, BECAUSE YOU DON'T HAVE THE NATURAL RESOURCE TAKING THOSE OUT.
WHEN THE FOOD SOURCE GOES UP AND THE COYOTES LEARN THAT THIS AREA IS VACANT, THE OTHER ONES THAT WERE IN OTHER AREAS NOW START MOVING IN BECAUSE WHEN THE MOTHERS START KICKING OFF THEIR YOUNG, THEY NEED SOMEWHERE TO GO.
THEY END UP MOVING IN, THEY TAKE OVER, SO YOU HAVE A LOT OF JUVENILE COYOTES THAT DON'T KNOW THE RULES [LAUGHTER] AND THEY START CAUSING HAVOC IN THE AREA.
WHAT HAPPENS IS WHEN THEY START BREEDING, SINCE THE FOOD SOURCE IS SO HIGH, THEN WHAT THEY DO IS THEY HAVE LARGER LITTERS.
ACTUALLY, MOTHER NATURE IS WONDERFUL.
SHE WILL REPLENISH HERSELF, WE WILL NEVER WIN.
WHEN WE START REMOVING, YOU TALKED ABOUT TRAPPING, YOU TALKED ABOUT REMOVING THEM, YOU'RE GOING TO CAUSE MORE OF AN ISSUE.
WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS MAKE SURE OUR CITIZENS ARE NOT FEEDING, MAKE SURE THEY UNDERSTAND THE DANGERS OF DOING THAT BECAUSE REMOVING THEM IS NOT GOING TO HELP, WE'RE GOING TO MAKE OUR PROBLEM WORSE.
THEN YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE JUVENILES COME IN THAT HAVEN'T BEEN TAUGHT THE RULES.
>> WERE IN AGREEMENT THEN IT'S A FOOD SOURCE.
>> YES, MA'AM. WELL, SEEING LIKE RIGHT NOW WITH OUR STRUGGLING AT THE SHELTER WITH STAFFING.
[00:10:02]
CERTAINLY I DON'T EXPECT THAT YOU'RE GOING TO BE OUT THERE TRYING TO EDUCATE THE COMMUNITY ON STOP FEEDING THE ANIMALS, YOU GOT ENOUGH TO TAKE CARE OF RIGHT NOW.BUT I DON'T KNOW, PERHAPS AN ANNOUNCEMENT, IT'S CITY COUNCIL, TO OUR CITIZENS MAYBE, I DON'T KNOW.
REMINDING THEM, PLEASE STOP THIS FREE FEEDING.
THAT WOULD EVEN MEAN, I KNOW PEOPLE FEED THEIR ANIMALS OUTSIDE, BUT OKAY, FINE, FEED THEM OUTSIDE BUT MAKE SURE YOU'RE NOT LEAVING FOOD LAYING AROUND OUTSIDE. IT'S A FOOD SOURCE.
>> MOVING ON, IS THERE ANY OTHER NEW BUSINESS WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT?
>> OH, I HAVE THIS ONE MORE THING.
>> I THINK IT'S BEEN TAKEN CARE OF.
ZEUS, [LAUGHTER] THE WORLD'S TALLEST DOG LIVES IN BEDFORD, TEXAS.
NOW I HAVE THE MOST WONDERFUL BULLDOGS IN BEDFORD, TEXAS, BUT THEY'RE NOT THE TALLEST.
CAN WE GET A CITY PROCLAMATION OR KEY TO THE DOG PARK OR SOMETHING TO RECOGNIZE THAT THIS DOG IS ONE OF OUR PET CITIZENS?
>> I'VE BEEN ADVISED THAT WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF FEELING OUT TO THE OWNER.
>> WE'RE WORKING TOWARDS SOMETHING.
>> ISN'T THAT GREAT. THAT IS SO GREAT.
HE DRINKS OUT OF THE KITCHEN SINK.
>> YOU DON'T HAVE TO PICK HIM UP.
>> THANK YOU, DR. REED. THANK YOU, EVERYBODY.
NO. THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME MY TIME.
>> I APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU.
>> IF WE DON'T HAVE ANY NEW BUSINESS, I WILL NEED A MOTION TO CLOSE THE MEETING.
>> SECOND THAT MOTION, PLEASE.
>> MEETING ADJOURNED. [LAUGHTER]
>> THANK YOU.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.