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SONIA, CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, SIR. I CAN 30S.
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AND. SONIA, IS THERE ANYBODY IN CHAMBERS, COUNCILMAN BENSON'S HERE. OKAY. YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ARE[00:15:47]
COMING IN FOR THE BUDGET, AND, COUNCILWOMAN FOWLER IS HERE. OKAY, THIS IS THE REGULAR[00:15:54]
MEETING OF THE LOUISVILLE METRO COUNCIL COMMITTEE ON COMMITTEES. TODAY IS TUESDAY, JUNE 4TH, 2024. THE TIME IS CURRENTLY 4:00. THIS MEETING IS BEING HELD PURSUANT TO CRS 61 .826 AND COUNCIL RULE FIVE A AND METRO COUNCIL PRESIDENT MARCUS WINKLER AND AM JOINED BY VICE CHAIR, COUNCILMAN PAUL MCCRANEY, COUNCILMAN SCOTT REED. COUNCILWOMAN FOWLER IS IN CHAMBERS. COUNCILMAN BENSON IS IN CHAMBERS. AND I BELIEVE WE'LL BE JOINED MOMENTARILY, BY COUNCILMAN KRAMER AND COUNCILMAN HAWKINS, OUR ONLY OUT OF BUSINESS IS NEW BUSINESS. ITEM ONE, WILL BE ASSIGNED TO THE METRO COUNCIL, A SPECIAL LEGISLATION. SO WE'LL HEAR THAT IN COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE ON THURSDAY, AND THEN THE FOLLOWING LEGISLATION WILL BE ASSIGNED TO COMMITTEES. ITEMS TWO THROUGH SIX WILL BE ASSIGNED TO THE BUDGET COMMITTEE. ITEMS SEVEN THROUGH NINE WILL BE ASSIGNED TO EQUITY, COMMUNITY AFFAIRS, HOUSING, HEALTH AND EDUCATION COMMITTEE, ITEMS 23 THROUGH 27 WILL BE ASSIGNED TO LABOR, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE. ITEM 28 WILL BE ASSIGNED TO PARKS AND SUSTAINABILITY ITEMS 29 THROUGH 43 WILL BE ASSIGNED TO PLANNING AND ZONING AND ITEMS 44 AND 45 WILL BE ASSIGNED TO THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE, COLLEAGUES, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS WITH THESE ASSIGNMENTS? MOTION TO ADJOURN. IT'S HERE. I BELIEVE WE'VE BEEN JOINED BY, COUNCILMAN KRAMER, SO HEARING, NONE, AND WITHOUT ANY FURTHER BUSINESS OR ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION. WITHOUT OBJECTION.COMMITTEE ON COMMITTEES IS ADJONED. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.
TESTING FOR WEBEX. TESTING FOR WEBEX.
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METRO TV WILL GET STARTED IN ONE MINUTE. PLEASE.[00:34:57]
I'D LIKE TO CALL OUR BUDGET HEARINGS TO ORDER, THIS IS OUR LAST DAY OF BUDGET HEARINGS. I[00:35:04]
KNOW YOU'RE DISAPPOINTED, RICK BLACKWELL, CHAIR OF THE BUDGET COMMITTEE. I'M JOINED BY MY VICE[00:35:10]
CHAIR. COUNCILMAN KRAMER. HE WAS HERE A SECOND AGO. I'M SURE HE'LL BE BACK. ALSO COMMITTEE MEMBERS, VIRTUALLY. COUNCILWOMAN PARRISH, RIGHT, COUNCILWOMAN MCCRANEY, COUNCILWOMAN RENA WEBBER, COUNCILMAN. OWEN. COUNCILWOMAN PARKER IN THE CHAMBERS WITH ME AND COUNCILWOMAN FOWLER. COUNCILMAN PIACENTINI, ALSO, COUNCILMAN BENSON AND COUNCILMAN, COUNCILWOMAN RUY AND COUNCILWOMAN HAWKINS IS VIRTUAL AS WELL. OH, HE WAS HERE A SECOND AGO. WHERE'D HE GO? OH, NO. YEAH. COUNCILWOMAN BENSON JUST EXPLAINED WHERE HE IS. TO THE PUBLIC, SO HE'LL BE RIGHT BACK. ALL RIGHT. WILL THE CLERK PLEASE READ OUR MEETING ANNOUNCEMENT? THIS MEETING IS BEING HELD PURSUANT TO CRS 61.826 AND COUNCIL RULE FIVE, A READ IN FULL. OKAY WE'LL BEGIN OUR HEARINGS WITH METRO ANIMAL SERVICES FOLLOWED IMMEDIATELY, BY LOUISVILLE ZOO AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN GET THEM CHANGED UP. REMINDER THAT WE ORIGINALLY HAD A HEARING SCHEDULED FOR, TARC TODAY AT 615, BUT WE'VE CANCELED THAT HEARING. WE'VE ALSO CANCELED AT THIS POINT, THE BUDGET CALLBACK SESSIONS SCHEDULED FOR JUNE 5TH, 10TH, AND 13TH. WE HAVE TWO MORE MEETINGS PLANNED JUNE 13TH FOR OUR NORMAL BUDGET COMMITTEE AND A SPECIAL COMMITTEE MEETING ON JUNE 17TH TO CONSIDER AMENDMENTS TO THE FISCAL YEAR 25 OPERATING AND CAPITAL BUDGET ORDINANCES, REMINDER TO COUNCIL MEMBERS, TO, MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE, ON THE WALL ON THE SECOND FLOOR THAT ANY, SUGGESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE FOR MOVING FORWARD WITH, CONSIDERING FOR THE AMENDMENT. AS A REMINDER, DEPARTMENTS WILL NOT MAKE OPENING COMMENTS WILL BEGIN IMMEDIATELY WITH COUNCIL QUESTIONS. I DO WANT TO REMIND EVERYONE THAT BEFORE WE START DISCUSSING METRO ANIMAL SERVICES 6.6 MILLION PROPOSED OPERATING BUDGET, THAT THE FINANCIAL SYSTEM IS STILL MAKES THE DISTORTIONS BETWEEN THE COMPARISONS BETWEEN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET AND, THE LAST TWO YEARS. SO, WELCOME. AND, I WANT TO START BY ASKING ABOUT SOME OF THE AT LEAST ONE OF THE CHANGES IN THE PARK DEPARTMENT IN TERMS OF SERVICE LEVEL. SO THE MAYOR'S PROPOSED $234,000 IN THIS BUDGET FOR NEW ANIMAL CARE POSITIONS. SO CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, WHAT AN ANIMAL CARE POSITION IS AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, WHY THEY'RE NECESSARY? DEFINITELY SO WE'RE ASKING FOR ONE ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICER POSITION THAT WILL ADD ANOTHER OFFICER TO THE STREET, RIGHT NOW, I'M SORRY, ADAM HAMILTON. I'M THE INTERIM DIRECTOR OF METRO ANIMAL SERVICES. SO BACK ON THE ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICER POSITION WILL ADD AN EXTRA PERSON TO THE STREET. WILL ALLOW US TO CATCH MORE STRAY ANIMALS, GET MORE DANGEROUS ANIMALS OFF THE STREET. WE ALSO HAVE AN ADOPTION COORDINATOR. THIS WILL ALLOW US TO ADOPT MORE ANIMALS. BE AT MORE EVENTS, AND TO CLEAN AND TAKE CARE OF THE ANIMALS. WE'RE ALSO ASKING FOR A FOSTER COORDINATOR SO THAT POSITION WILL ASSIST OUR CURRENT FOSTER COORDINATOR. BECAUSE OUR FOSTER PROGRAM HAS EXPANDED SO MUCH THIS YEAR THAT WE NEED AN EXTRA BODY TO HANDLE THE LOAD THAT'S COMING IN. WE ALSO ARE LOOKING AT, HIRING A VET TECH. THIS WILL BE AN ADDITIONAL POSITION IN THE VET, WHICH WILL ADD MORE EXPERIENCE TO OUR VET DEPARTMENT . VERY GOOD. SO WHAT DOES THE, WITH WITH THE ADDITIONAL, ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICER? HOW MANY DOES THAT GIVE US ON THE STREET? THAT WILL GIVE US 16 POSITIONS ON THE STREET, 16 ON THE STREET, AND THEN, YOU MENTIONED THE ADOPTION COORDINATOR AND THE FOSTER COORDINATOR. SO YOU SAID, ANOTHER FOSTER COORDINATOR. SO YOU HAVE TWO COORDINATORS OR THIS IS A IS THIS AN ASSISTANT TO THE COORDINATOR? THIS WILL BE TWO FOSTER COORDINATORS. TWO FOSTER COORDINATORS. I NEED TO CORRECT MYSELF. THERE WILL BE 18 ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICERS, 18 OKAY. AND THEN THE VET TECH IS WHAT IT SOUNDS LIKE. YES. IT'S A IT'S A VET TECH, IT'S A LICENSED VET TECH. WE HAVE NOT HAD ONE OF THOSE IN A WHILE AT THE SHELTER. GOTCHA. OKAY, I SEE US IN THE QUEUE, COUNCILMAN KRAMER. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR, I JUST WONDERED IF YOU COULD SPEAK A LITTLE BIT TO, THE GRANT WE RECEIVED FROM ASPCA IN THE PAST, FOR $200,000. I'M ASSUMING WE'RE REAPPLYING FOR THAT GRANT, WHICH IS THAT A SAFE ASSUMPTION IN THE PAST, WE'VE BEEN AWARDED, A GRANT THROUGH ASPCA IN ORDER FOR US TO[00:40:09]
CONTRACT WITH THE KENTUCKY HUMANE SOCIETY FOR SPAY AND NEUTERING SERVICES. DO WE NOT ARE WE NOT CONTRACTING WITH THEM? WE DO NOT CURRENTLY HAVE A GRANT TO DO THAT. SO WE'RE ASKING WE'RE ASKING FOR $200,000 IN THE BUDGET TO SPAY AND NEUTER. BUT TO HELP SPAY NEUTER.SO WE'RE GOING TO BE CONTRACTING THROUGH CS KENTUCKY HUMANE SOCIETY SO THAT WE CAN DO MORE SPAY NEUTERS. WE'RE ESTIMATING HOPEFULLY AROUND 4000 ANIMALS CAN BE ALTERED. SO HOW DO WE PAY FOR THAT SPAY AND NEUTER GRANT OR CONTRACT WITH CS WITH THE KENTUCKY HUMANE SOCIETY IN THE PAST, I AM NOT SURE HOW WE DID IT IN THE PAST. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. WELL I CAN FIND OUT. YEAH, DIG AROUND IF YOU DON'T MIND. AND, THERE WAS A GRANT FROM THE ASPCA, AND I'M CURIOUS IF THAT GRANT COMES THROUGH AGAIN. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR US? SO. BUT I DO REMEMBER WE DID HAVE WHEN WE WORKED WITH A SPCA AS A PARTNERSHIP. BUT I KNOW THAT THAT PARTNERSHIP WAS ONLY FOR FIVE YEARS AND HAS RUN OUT. THERE WE GO. SO THAT MIGHT BE WHAT IS IT POSSIBLE WE COULD RENEW THAT PARTNERSHIP? WE CAN TRY. YEAH, THEY PICK CITIES. SURE DEPENDING ON NEED. SO WE CAN DEFINITELY LOOK INTO IT. GOOD. THANKS. YEAH. I WOULD HOPE AFTER FIVE YEARS, WE'VE DEMONSTRATED THE NEED RIGHT? YES. OKAY, GOOD, YOU'RE YOU'RE LOOKING AT REDUCTION IN EXPENSES OF 165. WHERE EXACTLY ARE YOU GOING TO REDUCE $156,500? OKAY. SO WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT THE OTHER SERVICES IN HERE. WE'RE GOING TO USE FRIENDS OF METRO ANIMAL SERVICES TO HELP WITH THE EXTRA COST. SOME OF THE COSTS THAT WE'VE ASKED FOR IN THE BUDGET, WE'RE HOPING TO SAVE ON THAT WE WILL NOT NEED ALL OF IT, TEMPORARY SERVICES IS ONE OF THE ONES THAT IS IN THERE, JUST IN CASE WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, A SHORTFALL OF STAFF OR WE HAVE TO CLEAN KENNELS. SO WE'RE HOPING NOT TO USE IT. IF WE STAY FULL, THEN WE SHOULD BE OKAY, OTHER THAN THAT, WE LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, HIRING AND THEN SEEING, YOU KNOW, THE SHORTFALLS THROUGH HIRING. OKAY, GREAT. THANK YOU.
I'M ASSUMING THAT YOU CAN'T, BILL MEDICARE FOR ANY OF THESE EXPENSES. SO YOU MIGHT HEAR FROM COUNCILMAN WEBER THIS SESSION. COUNCILWOMAN FOWLER. OKAY. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR, WOW. OKAY, THE ADOPTION COORDINATOR. IS THAT MEAN? WE ONLY HAVE ONE, OR IS THIS AN ADDITION TO ONE THAT WE ALREADY HAVE? WE HAVE MANY ADOPTION COORDINATORS RIGHT NOW. HOW MANY, 27. 27. OH, OKAY. BUT THE ADOPTION COORDINATORS DO MORE THAN JUST ADOPT. SURE. SO THEY'RE CLEANING. THEY'RE FEEDING, THEY'RE DOING ADOPTIONS, THEY'RE DOING INTAKE. THEY DO PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHING AT THE SHELTER. YES. SO I HAD A QUESTION ABOUT, WE JUST RECENTLY, IN THE LAST HOUR, SENT YOU AN EMAIL ABOUT AN ABANDONED HOUSE WITH CATS AND KITTENS. I WANT TO KNOW WHEN YOU GO OUT THERE. AND I KNOW YOU PROBABLY GATHER, TRAP THEM, BRING THEM TO , GET THEM NEUTERED, SPAYED, CLIP THEIR EARS. WILL YOU DO THAT? ALSO TO THE KITTENS? I MEAN, I KNOW YOU'LL SPAY AND NEUTER THE KITTENS, BUT WOULD THEY NOT BE, PUT UP FOR ADOPTION? OR ARE YOU JUST FULL RIGHT NOW? WITH KITTENS? WE ARE FULL WITH KITTENS, RIGHT NOW, BUT WE CAN ALWAYS LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE CERTAIN PARAMETERS FOR WHETHER WE TRAP, NEUTER AND RETURN CATS. SO THAT WOULD BE ONE THING WE'D HAVE TO LOOK AT IF THE CATS ARE IN THE HOUSE, THAT'S GOING TO BE SOMETHING SEPARATE THAN IF THE CATS WERE OUTSIDE OF THE HOUSE. OKAY. YEAH. I MEAN, THE HOUSE HAS BEEN BOARDED UP, TORN DOWN, BOARDED UP, AND YES, A BIG LONG. SO IT PROBABLY WOULD BE GOOD IF THEY WEREN'T RETURNED THERE, BECAUSE. RIGHT NOW THEY'RE TRYING TO DO SOMETHING ELSE. BUT, TO THAT ANYWAY, THAT'S NEITHER HERE NOR THERE, BUT I APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK YOU DO AND DO YOU FEEL LIKE THAT YOU HAVE WHAT YOU NEED TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN AND, SPAIN AND NEUTERING AS MANY ANIMALS AS WE CAN OR IS THERE ANOTHER ASK THAT MAYBE YOU WERE AFRAID TO ASK FOR MORE? I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW, AFRAID MIGHT NOT BE THE RIGHT WORD, BUT RELUCTANT. I KNOW WITH THESE POSITIONS WE HAVE TO KEEP THEM FULL. THAT'S THAT'S WHERE WE STRUGGLE. IF WE STAYED FULL CONSTANTLY, WE WOULD NOT HAVE ANY ISSUES JUST KEEPING PEOPLE STAYING AT THE SHELTER, SAYING RETAINING YOUR EMPLOYEES, THAT
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THAT IS OUR BIG ISSUE RIGHT NOW IS RETAINING, SO WHAT DO THEY COME IN STARTING OUT, WHAT IS THEIR STARTING OUT RATE? AN ADOPTION COORDINATOR STARTS OUT AT 1679, AN ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICER STARTS OUT AT 1803. SO WE HAVE PEOPLE THAT COME IN, AND THEN WITHIN A COUPLE MONTHS, THEY FIGURE OUT THAT THIS IS NOT AN EASY JOB. THEY'RE NOT GOING TO PLAY WITH, YOU KNOW, PUPPIES AND KITTENS ALL DAY. THEY HAVE, YOU KNOW, REAL WORK. THEY HAVE TO DO. AND THEY QUICKLY, YOU KNOW, MOVE ON SOMEWHERE ELSE THAT'S GOING TO PAY MUCH MORE THAN WHAT WE CAN PAY. SURE. YEAH AND YOUR EMPLOYEES ARE UNION EMPLOYEES? YES. OVERTHAT'S ME. OKAY. AND SO WHEN THEY DID THE, COMPENSATION STUDY, DID THAT IMPROVE ANY OF THE, THE RATES, HOURLY RATES, IT IMPROVED FOR THE NONUNION. SO WE'RE STILL IN NEGOTIATIONS FOR THE UNION EMPLOYEES. OKAY. AND DO YOU KNOW WHEN THAT'S, WHEN IS THAT CONTRACT UP? IT WAS ALREADY UP. IT'S ALREADY UP. OKAY. WE, I THINK NEXT MONTH THEY'RE STARTING NEGOTIATIONS WITH THEM. OKAY. THANK YOU. I WANT TO POINT OUT THAT WE'VE BEEN JOINED VIRTUALLY BY COUNCILMAN REED. COUNCILWOMAN CHAPEL, COUNCILWOMAN MCCRANEY, I THINK THAT'S IT, COUNCILWOMAN RUBY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU GUYS DO. I KNOW IT'S A TOUGH JOB OUT THERE, WHAT IS THE PROGRESS ON GETTING THE SPAY AND NEUTER BACK TO THE LEVEL THAT IT NEEDS TO BE AT TO CONTROL OUR OVERPOPULATION WHEN WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO. SO SO WITH COVID, A LOT OF ANIMALS DID NOT GET SPAYED AND NEUTERED. SO NOW WE HAVE JUST, OVER ABUNDANCE OF ANIMALS. AND WE'RE SEEING IT EVERY DAY BEING TURNED INTO THE SHELTER. SO WE ARE LOOKING AT SPAY NEUTERING, MICROCHIPPING, EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN SO THAT WE CAN EITHER STOP THE OVERPOPULATION OR WE CAN GET THE PETS BACK TO THEIR OWNERS. OKAY SO YOU SAID YOU EXPECT TO DO 4000 SPAY NEUTERS WITH THE 200,000. THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HOPING TO DO. OKAY, HOW MUCH OF A DENT IS THAT GOING TO MAKE? IT'LL MAKE A DENT. BUT WE STILL HAVE A LOT OF A LOT OF WORK TO DO. OKAY. WHAT ABOUT USING VOUCHERS TO LET PEOPLE USE THEIR OWN VETERINARIAN? WE HAVE CONSIDERED THAT. YES. OKAY. SO HAVE YOU MADE ARRANGEMENTS TO GETTING THESE VOUCHERS OUT? NOT YET. THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S THAT'S COMING IN THE WORKS. WE'VE BEEN DISCUSSING. YOU KNOW, IF WE GET THE 200,000, WHAT HOW ARE WE GOING TO DO IT? SO WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH KENTUCKY HUMANE SOCIETY, TRYING TO FIGURE OUT THE BEST PLAN TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL THE ANIMALS THAT GET CAN GET ALTERED. A LOT OF THE PROBLEM IS WE GIVE OUT VOUCHERS, BUT NOBODY SHOWS UP. SO WE'VE GOT TO START THINKING ABOUT HOW ARE WE GOING TO GET TO THE PEOPLE THAT AREN'T GOING TO BRING THE ANIMAL IN THEMSELVES? SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE TO DISCUSS. YEAH, IT SEEMS LIKE THE VOUCHERS COULD BE TIME LIMITED, AND IF THEY'RE NOT USED WITHIN 30 DAYS, THEN THEY BECOME VOID AND YOU CAN GET THAT MONEY BACK. YES. OKAY. AND ALSO YOU'RE STILL OVER CAPACITY. SPAY NEUTER PROBLEM, SO HOW MUCH OVER CAPACITY ARE YOU. OH RIGHT NOW. WELL RIGHT NOW WE PRETTY MUCH HAVE, YOU KNOW, 2 TO 3 KENNELS AT A DAY OPEN. SO WE ARE CONSTANTLY HAVING TO MOVE ANIMALS AROUND TO MAKE ROOM FOR THE ANIMALS THAT ARE COMING IN. WE PUSH FOSTER FOR ALL THE PEOPLE THAT DO COME IN. BUT, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE DON'T WANT TO FOSTER ANIMALS ALL THE TIME. SO WE'RE WE'RE EXPANDING OUR FOSTER PROGRAM JUST TO TRY TO MAKE ROOM FOR ALL THE ANIMALS THAT ARE COMING IN. OKAY. AND, I KNOW OTHER FACILITIES ARE HAVING THE SAME TROUBLES. YOU ARE ALL YOU ALL ARE. DO YOU ACCEPT DOGS AND CATS FROM OTHER FACILITIES WHEN THEY GET OVERFULL? WE DO NOT, WE STAY FULL CONSTANTLY. I'D LIKE TO HELP OTHER AGENCIES OUT, BUT AT THIS POINT WE DO NOT HAVE THE CAPACITY TO DO SO. OKAY. THANK YOU. FOLLOW UP ON HER QUESTION. SO IF YOU'RE THE 200,000 WILL DO FOR YOU THINK ESTIMATE 4000. SO AND YOU SAID IT WILL MAKE A DENT AND WON'T SOLVE IT, BUT DIDN'T MAKE A DENT SIGNIFICANT, HOPE, WHAT WOULD BE YOUR CAPACITY FOR THE YEAR? FOR WHAT? FOR SURGERY. SO YES, IT WILL ALL DEPEND. OUR OUR STAFF CAN DO SURGERY AS WELL . SO THOSE NUMBERS WILL VARY JUST DEPENDING ON HOW MANY[00:50:01]
ANIMALS WE HAVE. SO I'M HOPING LET'S SEE WHAT OUR LAST ONE WAS. SO. SO WOULD IT BE SO LAST YEAR WE DID CLOSE TO 4000. SO IF WE DO 4000 AND WE USE 4000 WITH THE 200,000, THAT WILL MAKE A SIGNIFICANT DENT. AND SO WAS THE 4000. 4000 FOR THE YEAR IS CAPACITY OR 4000 YEARS. WHEN WE RAN OUT OF MONEY, THAT'S WHEN WE RUN OUT OF MONEY. THEN WE CAN WE WILL ALSO DO 4000 AT THE SHELTER . SO OUR STAFF WILL ALSO BE DOING SPAY NEUTER SURGERY. SO WE DO SPAY NEUTER SURGERY EVERY DAY AT METRO ANIMAL SERVICES. SO THIS IS 4000. IN ADDITION TO THAT. YES. IN ADDITION THAT WE WON'T BE DOING AT METRO ANIMAL SERVICES WILL BE CONTRACTING OUT THROUGH KENTUCKY HUMANE SOCIETY OR SOMEONE ELSE TO DO THOSE SERVICES FOR US. GOTCHA. SO YOU DO 4000, WE CONTRACT OUT 4000.SO WE'RE REALLY DOING 8000 IN A YEAR, RIGHT? FOR $200,000. WELL, AND THEN THE EXPENSES YOU HAVE.
YES. WHICH WE'RE NOT COUNTING OR I GUESS WE COULD COUNT, COUNCILMAN PIAGENTINI, YOU. I'M TRYING NOT TO, AND I WON'T USE AN ANIMAL ANALOGY, BUT I'M NOT TRYING TO KEEP ON THE SAME TRAIN. BUT I THINK I JUST NEED SLIGHTLY MORE SPECIFICS. WE DO 4000. WE'RE BUDGETING FOR $200,000 MORE, WHICH WOULD GIVE US ANOTHER 4000 SPAY NEUTERING SERVICES. WHEN YOU SAY MAKE A DENT, WHAT WOULD IT TAKE TO DO 100% OF THE ANIMALS THAT SHOULD BE SPAYED AND NEUTERED FROM YOUR FACILITY EVERY YEAR? THAT WILL HAVE TO BE A NUMBER I CAN FIGURE OUT FOR YOU. I DON'T HAVE THAT NUMBER RIGHT NOW IN FRONT OF ME. IT HAD I'D HAVE TO GO BACK AND LOOK AT STATS TO SEE HOW MANY ANIMALS ARE COMING IN, HOW MANY ARE GOING OUT TO GIVE YOU A MORE SPECIFIC NUMBER, OKAY. BLUNTLY, A LITTLE DISAPPOINTED WITH THAT ANSWER. I THINK IT'S, YOU KNOW, YOU JUST STATED THAT 4000 IS GOING TO MAKE A DENT. WELL, YOU KNOW, IS IT A 50% DENT? IS IT 20? LIKE, WE DON'T EVEN HAVE A SENSE OF ORDER OF MAGNITUDE OF WHAT YOU'VE ASKED US TO PUT. YOU KNOW, ESSENTIALLY YOU'VE ASKED FOR THIS ADDITIONAL $200,000. I THINK IT SOUNDS LIKE WE'RE WILLING TO DO IT, BUT WE STILL HAVE NO PERSPECTIVE. AND IT'S A LITTLE SHOCKING THAT YOU DON'T HAVE THIS ANSWER ON, YOU KNOW, ORDER OF MAGNITUDE. RIGHT? I'M NOT SAYING DOWN TO THE NUMBER, BUT, YOU KNOW, DO YOU NEED TO DO 12,000 A YEAR? SO THIS GETS YOU TO TWO THIRDS. DO YOU NEED TO DO 16,000 A YEAR? YOU KNOW, I MEAN, THE FACT THAT WE DON'T KNOW THAT BROAD BASED NUMBER AND HOW MUCH THIS IS THAT IT'S DISAPPOINTING.
I THINK WE DO NEED THAT INFORMATION. I'D ASK FOR YOU TO FOLLOW UP WITH US ON THAT. HOW OFTEN AND HOW WHAT WHAT WHAT IS ANY EXCUSE THAT SOMEBODY MIGHT HAVE TO AVOID GETTING LIKE. SO YOU HAVE A PET, SOMEBODY SAYS, HEY, THAT'S MINE. AND YOU'RE GETTING READY TO SPAY OR NEUTER THEM. AND THEY SAY, NO, I DON'T. IS THERE? I'M ASSUMING THERE'S A WAIVER PROCESS FOR THAT, CORRECT? YES. HOW OFTEN DO PEOPLE GET APPROVED ON THE WAIVER AND WHY? SO WHAT THEY CAN DO IS THEY CAN CONTEST THE SURGERY. SO WE WILL THEN SEND THEM TO COURT, AND THE COURT WILL THEN DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT THEY HAVE TO SPAY AND NEUTER THE PET, IF THE PET COMES IN LICENSED, THEY DON'T HAVE TO BE SPAYED NEUTERED TO GO OUT. BUT WE DON'T SEE MANY PEOPLE COMING IN WITH CURRENT LICENSES WHEN. OKAY, JUST TO BE CLEAR, WHEN YOU SAY LICENSED, YOU MEAN THEY'VE JUST BEEN LICENSED WITH METRO ANIMAL SERVICES? NOT THAT THERE'S ANOTHER LICENSE THAT THEY HAVE FOR BREEDING, FOR EXAMPLE. CORRECT. YOU HAD TO HAVE A METRO ANIMAL LICENSE.
OKAY. IT SEEMS TO ME I DON'T KNOW WHY THAT WOULD BE AN EXCEPTION BECAUSE UNLESS THEY'RE RUNNING A LEGITIMATE BREEDING OPERATION, THERE'D BE NO REASON FOR THEM NOT TO. WHICH BRINGS ME TO MY NEXT. NEXT QUESTION IS HOW ARE YOU ENFORCING AND HOW IN THIS BUDGET, DO YOU HAVE ENOUGH ENFORCEMENT FOR WHAT I'LL CALL BACKYARD BREEDERS, UNLICENSED, NOT LEGITIMATE BREEDERS? WELL, WE DON'T SEE AS MANY AS WE THINK THEY'RE OUT THERE, BUT WE RESPOND TO THE CALLS WHEN THEY COME IN. SO WHAT THEY DO IS THEY WILL BE CITED WHEN WE FIND THEM, AND THEY WILL HAVE TO LICENSE THE ANIMALS THAT THEY HAVE, WE HAVE ENFORCEMENT THAT CAN DO IT. WE JUST HAVE TO GET THE CALLS AND WE HAVE TO BE ADVISED OF THE SITUATION. SO JUST TO COME BACK TO THE ONE THING, JUST TO BE CLEAR OR WHAT IS IT A POLICY OR A LAW THAT ALLOWS SOMEBODY WHO HAS THE DOG LICENSE TO TAKE THE DOG OUT WITHOUT BEING SPAYED OR NEUTERED? THAT WOULD BE THE ORDINANCE. IT'S IN THE ORDINANCE. YES. OKAY, THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN. COUNCILWOMAN PARKER. THANK YOU, COULD YOU
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TELL US HOW MANY TIMES THIS PAST YEAR YOU'VE BEEN ON RED ALERT? YOU'VE BEEN AT OVER CAPACITY, I WOULD SAY AT LEAST TEN TIMES THIS YEAR, IT'S A RUNNING THING. WE DON'T ALWAYS ANNOUNCE THAT WE'RE CODE RED, BUT IN GENERAL, WE ARE ALMOST ALWAYS ON SOME SORT OF CODE RED. OKAY. AND IF YOU GOT MORE MONEY IN THE BUDGET , FOR THE SPAY AND NEUTERING, DO YOU HAVE THE STAFF DO YOU HAVE ENOUGH STAFF THERE TO BE ABLE TO HANDLE THE EXTRA WORKLOAD? THAT IS WHY WE WOULD SEND IT OUT THROUGH A CONTRACT, EITHER WITH KENTUCKY HUMANE SOCIETY OR SOMEONE ELSE, SO THAT THEY WOULD THE ANIMALS WOULD GO TO THEM AND NOT TO US. OKAY. AND THEN WHO THEN WHO PAYS FOR THAT? DO DOES L'UM DOES METRO SEND MONEY TO CHS, OR DO THEY JUST TAKE THE COST ON? NO, THEY WOULD BILL US FOR THE SURGERIES THAT THEY DO. OKAY IS THERE A PRICE POINT SIMILAR TO YOURS? YES OKAY. AND ANOTHER QUESTION, A FEW MONTHS AGO, OKAY. JUST CAME TO SOME OF THE FOLKS ON THE COUNCIL AND THEY WERE LOOKING TO THEY WERE WANTING TO, BUILD A NEW CLINIC, BECAUSE THEIR PLACE ON STEEDLY DRIVE IS, I GUESS, PRETTY OLD. AND, OF COURSE, I THINK THEIR COST WAS $2 MILLION, WHICH, YOU KNOW, WE KIND OF KNEW THAT WASN'T GOING TO HAPPEN. BUT BUT WITH ALL THAT BEING SAID, SAY, SAY THAT DID HAPPEN IN THE FUTURE. HOW HOW COMPLEMENTARY WOULD THAT BE FOR METRO ANIMAL SERVICES? THEY WOULD HELP US OUT TREMENDOUSLY. OKAY. KENTUCKY HUMANE SOCIETY IS A GREAT PARTNER TO US. THEY OFTEN TAKE ANIMALS FROM US. THEY ASSIST US WHEN WE NEED ASSISTANCE. SO THEY WILL, YOU KNOW, THEY COULD TAKE ON MORE SURGERIES. THEY COULD TAKE ON HELPING PEOPLE KEEP THEIR PETS AND DOING MORE OF THE PROMOTIONS TO GET, YOU KNOW, ANIMALS MICROCHIPPED, SPAYED NEUTERED, YOU KNOW, ANYTHING LIKE THAT. DO IN YOUR REALM? DO YOU KNOW IF THEY HAVE MORE CAPACITY? I MEAN, COULD THEY TAKE TAKE UP SOME OF THE WORKLOAD MORE OF THE WORKLOAD OFF OF YOU GUYS THAN THEY ALREADY ARE DOING WITH WHERE THEY'RE AT NOW? I CAN'T SPEAK ON THAT. I KNOW THAT THEY USE THE SNIFF CLINIC TO HELP US OUT WITH SURGERIES WHEN WE NEED ASSISTANCE WITH THEM. OH, YOU'RE MUTED. SHE SAID THANK YOU. OH OKAY. GOT IT. AND THAT WAS ALSO COUNCILWOMAN. THAT WAS PERFECT TIMING TO HAVE YOUR CAT COME OVER YOUR SHOULDER. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU KNEW THAT OR NOT. COUNCILWOMAN PARRISH. RIGHT GOOD AFTERNOON, THANK YOU. I WANT FIRST WANTED TO ASK YOU, HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN IN YOUR POSITION? I KNOW THAT THERE WAS SOME CHANGES BEFORE. YEAH, I'VE BEEN HERE SINCE JANUARY. OKAY. AND I, I HEARD YOU MENTION THE.WHAT? YOU CONTRACT OUT. I ACTUALLY THINK YOUR BUDGET ASH ON THIS ONE ON FOR YOUR DEPARTMENT SHOULD BE MORE SO. I ACTUALLY THINK YOU HAVE A GOOD ASK FOR THE GREAT NEED THAT'S OUT THERE, WE GET A LOT OF CALLS ABOUT PEOPLE WHO ARE IN UNINCORPORATED PARTS OF THE DISTRICT AS WELL AS EVEN WHEN, I WAS CAMPAIGNING, FOR MAYOR, I WOULD GO OUT TO PLACES LIKE WATER, WATERSON LAKE OR WATERSON TRAIL, AND THEY AND PLACES OUT IN THE COUNTY. AND THEY WERE SAYING THAT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, HAS BEEN A DISAPPOINTMENT IS THAT THEY FEEL LIKE THEY DON'T GET A LOT OF SUPPORT OF SERVICES FROM LOUISVILLE METRO ANIMAL SERVICES. SO I WANTED TO ASK YOU WHAT PART OF YOUR BUDGET OR WHAT PART OF YOUR WORK GOES OUT THERE? FOR INSTANCE, WHEN I WENT TO THEIR COUNCIL MEETING, THEY SAID THAT THEY HAD A PROBLEM WITH RATS, AND SO THEY BROUGHT IN CATS BECAUSE THEY HAD THAT PROBLEM. AND THEN NOW THE CATS HAVE BEEN THEY'RE OVERPOPULATED AND AT THAT MEETING, AT LEAST SIX OF THE COUNT, YOU KNOW, THREE OF THE COUNCIL PEOPLE AND SIX PEOPLE IN THE AUDIENCE RAISED THEIR HAND FOR CONTRIBUTING THEIR OWN MONIES TOWARDS CAT FOOD AND THINGS LIKE THAT TO TAKE CARE OF THE CATS AND THEY WERE SAYING
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THAT THEY, WHEN THEY'VE REACHED OUT FOR SUPPORT OR EVEN SPAYED OR NEUTERING AND ALL OF THAT STUFF THAT THEY DON'T GET THE SUPPORT. SO I WANTED TO KNOW WHAT ACTUALLY GOES OUT IN THE COUN, OR ARE YOUR SERVICES PRIMARILY IN THE, U KNOW, THE WESTERN OR SOUTHEASTERN PART OF THE COUNTY? OUR SERVICES A WHEN SOMEBODY CALLS, WE RESPOND TO THAT CALL. SO WE HAVE CALLS TO EVERY PART OF JEFFERSON COUNTY RIGHT NOW, OUR CAT CALLS WILL SOMETIMES BE GIVEN TO ALLOCATE ADVOCATES TO HELP OUT, BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THE RESOURCES TO GO OUT AND TRAP ON EVERY SINGLE PERSON WHO HAS STRAY CATS. BUT IF YOU GIVE ME THAT THE INFORMATION, I'LL BE HAPPY TO LOOK INTO IT. THANK YOU. AND MY NEXT QUESTION IS WE EVEN ON MY BLOCK? FOUR DOORS DOWN FROM ME, THERE IS A WOMAN WHO CATCHES THE CAT AND SHE TAKES THEM TO GET THEM FIXED AND RELEASES THEM. AND WE HAVE OTHER PEOPLE IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE COMMUNITY THAT ARE DOING IT THEMSELVES THAT ARE USING THEY'RE USING THEIR OWN DIME TO DO IT. IF THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE IN NEED OF SUPPORT WITH THAT OR INCLUDING, SUPPORT, FOOD AND THINGS LIKE THAT, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT YOUR DEPARTMENT HELPS TO TAKE CARE OF? IS THERE A BUDGET FOR THAT PART? I KNOW THAT THERE'S THE MONIES ALLOTTED FOR SPAY AND NEUTERING, BUT IS THERE SOMETHING THAT HELPS WITH THE COMMUNITY SUPPORT SERVICES FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE TAKEN ON THIS ISSUE THEMSELVES IN THEIR COMMUNITY? SO BETTER ANIMAL SERVICES WHEN WE HAVE EXTRA DONATED FOOD, WE WILL PUT THAT OUT FOR CITIZENS TO COME GET. SO I SEE EVERY DAY PEOPLE COMING IN TO GET FOOD FROM US. SO IF THEY NEED FOOD SUPPLIES, SOMETHING LIKE THAT, THEY CAN COME OUT TO THE SHELTER AND IF WE HAVE THEM, WE'LL BE HAPPY TO GIVE THEM TO THEM. THANK YOU. AND THE LAST QUESTION, MR. CHAIR. THE, SPEAKING OF, THE FOSTERING, ARE THERE, FOSTERING INCENTIVES LIKE WHEN THEY DO FOSTER IF THEY DECIDE TO TRANSITION INTO ADOPTING, ARE THERE FOSTER INCENTIVES AND DO YOU ALL HOST THE CLINICS OR IS THAT ANOTHER DEPARTMENT? FORGIVE ME FOR BEING NEWER TO THE COUNCIL. SNIFF CLINIC IS KENTUCKY HUMANE SOCIETY AND FOR FOSTERING. IF YOU FOSTER, YOU WILL BE THE FIRST ONE. IF YOU CHOOSE TO ADOPT IT, YOU GET THE FIRST CHOICE FOR IT SO THAT THAT'S THE INCENTIVE. WE ALSO PROVIDE FOOD CRATES, WHATEVER YOU NEED TO KEEP THAT ANIMAL AT YOUR HOME WILL PROVIDE FOR YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCILWOMAN FOWLER. COUNCILMAN KRAMER, THANK YOU. FIRST, THANKS FOR BEING HERE, MR. HAMILTON, IT'S. I SHOULD HAVE STARTED WITH THAT LAST TIME SOMEBODY SAID.HOW LONG HAD YOU BEEN HERE? AND I LEANED OVER THE CHAIR AND I SAID, I THINK TEN MINUTES, IT PROBABLY FEELS MORE LIKE TEN MINUTES TO YOU THAN IT DOES TO THE REST OF US. IT'S A LOT TO TRY AND ABSORB BETWEEN JANUARY AND TODAY. SO APPRECIATE YOUR BEING HERE. AND, AND, AND TRYING TO BE AS, I'M TRYING TO HAVE AS MUCH INFORMATION AS POSSIBLE, SO START THERE. AND I'M GOING TO ASK YOU A QUESTION THAT DOESN'T MAKE IT EASIER, YOU KNOW, WE KEEP TALKING ABOUT CATS AS IF THE PROBLEM IS THAT PET OWNERS AREN'T HAVING THEIR PETS SPAYED AND NEUTERED. AND WE'RE OFFERING THROUGH THE HUMANE SOCIETY YOUR OFFER. YOU HAVE YOUR FOLKS WHO ARE DOING THIS. IF I, HAVING SAT HERE FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS NOW AND LISTENED TO THESE CONVERSATIONS, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT I DON'T GET THE SENSE THAT THE GREATEST PART OF THIS PROBLEM IS PET OWNERS, RIGHT, ISN'T IT TRUE THAT THE GREATEST PART OF OUR PROBLEM, EVEN WHEN THE COUNCILMAN FOWLER TALKED ABOUT EARLIER, YOU KNOW, A HOUSE WHERE THERE WERE A BUNCH OF CATS AND KITTENS, THEY IN ALL LIKELIHOOD, THOSE WERE STRAYS, THE SITUATION THAT COUNCILWOMAN, YOU KNOW, SHAMIKA PARISH, RIGHT, MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE HAD GOTTEN THOSE CATS AND LET THEM RUN THE NEIGHBORHOOD IN ORDER TO TAKE CARE OF THE OF THE RATS. AT THAT POINT, THOSE CATS ARE STRAYS, SO I GUESS MY QUESTION IN THERE IS, IS OUR REAL PROBLEM WITH SPAY AND NEUTER? ARE PET OWNERS AREN'T TAKING CARE OF THIS? OR IS OUR REAL PROBLEM, ESPECIALLY WITH CATS IN TERMS OF SPAY AND NEUTER, THAT WE JUST HAVE A HUGE STRAY CAT POPULATION ? TWO PARTS TO THAT. SO YES, WE DO HAVE A LARGE STRAY CAT POPULATION. MOST OF THEM I WOULD SAY ARE SOME OF THEM ARE ALTERED BECAUSE ALLEY CAT ADVOCATES HAVE BEEN ALTERING CATS BEFORE. I EVEN, YOU KNOW, FOR 20 YEARS NOW. PLUS WE ALSO EVERY TIME WE GET A CAT, IF IT MEETS THE CRITERIA, IT GETS ALTERED AND RELEASED. CATS FOR METRO ANIMAL SERVICES IS NOT THE ISSUE. THE DOGS ARE THE ISSUE. SO WHEN WE HAVE MORE DOGS BEING BROUGHT IN AND CAGES WE HAVE, THAT'S WHEN WE HAVE THE ISSUE. WE REALLY DON'T HAVE THAT ISSUE WHEN CATS COME IN, I CAN TALK TO ALLEY CAT ADVOCATES TO SEE HOW MANY CATS THEY'VE TRAPPED IN AND ALTERED
[01:05:01]
AND GET BACK WITH YOU ON THAT ANSWER, BECAUSE I THINK THAT WOULD GIVE YOU A MORE CLEAR VIEW AS TO HOW MANY, HOW MANY ARE OUT THERE THAT WOULD NEED TO BE DONE. STILL, I THINK THAT'S AN IMPORTANT PIECE OF THE EQUATION, IS, YOU KNOW, WE ASK ABOUT ARE WE MAKING A DENT AND EVEN IF WE MADE A DENT, EVEN MADE A CONSIDERABLE DENT IN THE PET CAT POPULATION THAT DOESN'T COMPARE TO WHAT'S GOING ON OUTSIDE OF PETS. RIGHT? SO THAT'S I THINK THAT IS AN IMPORTANT QUESTION TO ASK, I KNOW STRAY DOGS AREN'T QUITE THE SAME PROBLEM THAT STRAY CATS ARE, BUT WE DO STILL HAVE DOGS THAT ARE NOT NECESSARILY NOT NECESSARILY OWNED BY PET OWNERS AS WELL.CORRECT. SO THERE'S DOGS. JUST RECENTLY WE SAW A VIDEO OF A DOG BEING DUMPED. SO WHAT WE STARTED TO SEE IS A LOT MORE STRAY DOGS COMING IN, THAT'S WHY WE WANT TO DO A MICROCHIP PUSH. SO ATEAST IF, YOU KNOW WE FIND STRAY DOGS WANDERING, WE KNOW WHERE THEY BELONG TO. WE CAN TAKE THEM HOME. THE KEY IS TO KEEP. KEEP THEM FROM COMING INTO THE SHELTER AGAIN. THAT PRESUPPOSES THAT THE DOG WAS BORN IN A HOUSEHOLD, AND I DON'T. I'M NOT, I DON'T KNOW, I COULD BE WRONG, BUT I'M GUESSING THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY A SAFE BET. CORRECT. BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF DOGS THAT ARE BORN INTO HOUSEHOLDS. THERE'S A LOT OF DOGS THAT PEOPLE PUT IN THEIR BACKYARDS.
THEY JUMP THE FENCE AND THE OWNER JUST NEVER COMES TO LOOK FOR THEM WITH OTHER DOGS. RIGHT RIGHT. AND AGAIN, I IF SO, AS WE TALK ABOUT AND I DON'T WANT TO I KNOW IT'S BURDENSOME. I DON'T WANT TO OVER YOU KNOW STATE OUR PROBLEM. BUT AT THE SAME TIME WE HAVE TO RECOGNIZE THIS IS BIGGER THAN JUST PETS THAT ARE COMING OUT OF PEOPLE'S HOMES. RIGHT? SO AND I DON'T KNOW EVEN WHAT NUMBER TO START TO PUT THERE. SO, BUT IF YOU'RE AS YOU'RE DIGGING AROUND FOR NUMBERS AND TRYING TO FIGURE OUT IF YOU COULD AT LEAST, YOU KNOW, TAKE A SWIPE AT THAT ONE, JUST, YOU KNOW, THIS IS WHAT WE THINK IT WOULD COST TO CONTINUE TO UP OUR GAME WITH ALLEY CAT ADVOCATES OR IF THERE'S A LIKE ORGANIZATION WITH DOGS, ALTHOUGH I GUESS THERE'S NOT. RIGHT. WE DON'T EVER RELEASE DOGS. NO, WE DON'T DO TRAP NEUTER RETURN FOR DOGS. AND THEN MY NEXT QUESTION, I DID HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THE NEWBURGH ROAD, SHELTER. I'M SURE WE'RE PRETTY EXCITED, BUT FINALLY FINISHED. RIGHT. IT'S NICE TO HAVE THAT DONE. IT'S A BEAUTIFUL FACILITY, I KNOW YOU'RE IN AND IT'S UP AND RUNNING AND LIFE IS GOING AS SMOOTHLY THERE AS IT CAN WITH THE BUILDING. RIGHT. THAT SAID, THERE'S ABOUT $26,500 LEFT IN THAT ACCOUNT. YOU'VE MOVED IT INTO THE MISCELLANEOUS SPECIAL REVENUE, ACCOUNT. DO YOU HAVE WHAT WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO THAT $26,000? IT ORIGINALLY WAS A, CAPITAL BOND ALL THE WAY BACK IN FY. OH NINE. SO I TALKED TO FACILITIES THIS WILL BE USED TOWARDS ANY TYPE OF MAJOR REPAIR THAT'S NEEDED, THEY MENTIONED THERE WOULD BE SOMETHING LIKE AN ENDOWMENT TO WHERE WHEN THERE'S A MAJOR REPAIR THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE. THEY HAVE A MAJOR HVAC REPAIR RIGHT NOW. YES. SO IS IT LIKELY THIS WILL BE USED TO COVER THE HVAC? I CAN'T SPEAK ON THAT. I HAVEN'T TALKED TO THEM ABOUT THAT, BUT IT COULD BE OKAY. GREAT. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN WEBER. THANKS SO MUCH, AND I JUST WANT TO NOTE THAT I APPRECIATED BEING OVER AT LMAS TO FILM, SOME PROMOTION FOR YOUR ADOPTION SERVICES YESTERDAY. I APPRECIATE YOU. CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, AN ISSUE THAT COUNCILMAN PIAGENTINI TALKED, TOUCHED ON, WHICH IS THAT PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT SPAYING AND NEUTERING, OR NOT BEING REQUIRED TO SPAY OR NEUTER THEIR PETS, OR THE ANIMALS THAT THEY ARE RECOVERING AND SORT OF WHAT, WHAT IT SEEMS THAT THAT PROCESS IS NOT WORKING AS INTENDED. CAN YOU TALK ABOUT WHAT HOW THIS BUDGET WILL HELP TO ADDRESS THAT? CAN YOU STATE THAT QUESTION AGAIN? SURE. SORRY. IT SEEMS LIKE A LOT OF ANIMALS ARE BEING RELEASED TO PEOPLE WITHOUT THE INTENDED STATUTORY REQUIREMENT THAT THEY SPAY OR NEUTER. AND I'M HOPING THAT YOU COULD TALK TO HOW THIS BUDGET WILL HELP TO ADDRESS THAT. WELL, WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE FOR PEOPLE WHO DON'T WANT TO ALTER THEIR PETS TO SEND THEM TO COURT, IT'S GOING TO BE UP TO THE COURT TO SAY THAT THEY HAVE TO SPAY AND NEUTER THEM. WE WILL ALWAYS PUSH THAT. EVERYTHING NEEDS TO BE SPAYED NEUTERED, BUT BUT WE WANT TO GIVE THE PEOPLE THEIR DAY IN COURT AS WELL, JUST IN CASE. YOU KNOW, THERE'S A THERE'S A SITUATION WHERE THEY DON'T FEEL THAT THEIR DOG WAS LOOSE, THAT, YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY STOLE IT, SOMETHING OF THAT NATURE, SO PART OF WHAT WE'RE HEARING FROM, FROM SOME OF THE ADVOCATES IS THAT THEY'RE ACTUALLY BEING ENCOURAGED TO NOT DO THAT AND JUST GO AHEAD AND GO TO COURT, AND YOU WON'T REALLY HAVE TO DO THAT. AND WE'VE HEARD THAT PRETTY CONSISTENTLY. I AM NOT AWARE OF THAT. AND I WOULD HOPE THAT OUR STAFF IS NOT DOING THAT. WE SHOULD BE REALLY
[01:10:06]
SPONSORING AND PUTTING OUT THERE THAT SPAY NEUTER IS WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE, I DO KNOW, THOUGH, THAT IF PEOPLE ARE, YOU KNOW, FERM THAT THEY DO NOT WANT TO DO IT, THEN THEY WILL GO TO COURT FOR IT. YEAH, I KNOW THAT IT MAKES SENSE IF THEY IF THEY PROTEST THAT. TOTALLY REASONABLE. I WOULD JUST ENCOURAGE THAT AS PART OF YOUR TRAINING THAT THAT NOT BE THE DEFAULT OR OFFERED AS AN OPTION. THE OPTION SHOULD BE IF THEY PROTEST THEN MAYBE WE DO THAT.YEP I WILL ADDRESS THAT. THANK YOU. CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE WEEKLY AVERAGE OF HOW MANY DOGS ARE BEING EUTHANIZED? WELL, IT'S NOT AS MANY AS YOU WOULD THINK, BUT I WOULD SAY BETWEEN 20 A WEEK, MAYBE MORE. IT JUST DEPENDS ON HOW FULL THE SHELTER IS, HOW MANY ANIMALS COME IN THAT DAY, HOW MANY RESCUES HAVE COME TO TAKE ANIMALS? SO IT WILL VARY WEEKLY.
JUST BASED ON ALL THE OTHER VARIABLES AT THE SHELTER. FOR THE SUMMERTIME, WE WILL SEE A LOT MORE INTAKE THAN WE DO IN THE WINTER, SO IT JUST VARIES BY HOW MANY KENNELS WE HAVE AVAILABLE AND HOW MANY ANIMALS THAT ARE COMING IN. GOT IT. AND THEN DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY DOGS ARE GOING OUT TO RESCUE WEEKLY? NOT ENOUGH FOR RESCUE, THE RESCUES ARE FULL, SO RIGHT NOW IT'S HARD TO FIND RESCUES TO TAKE ANIMALS. WE HAVE A TRANSPORT THIS WEEK WHERE WE'RE TAKING ABOUT 20. THEY'RE BUT THAT'S NOT GOING TO MAKE YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE ANIMALS THAT ARE IN FOSTER ANIMALS THAT ARE AT THE SHELTER WHILE IT GIVES US A BREAK. YOU KNOW, WE ALL HAVE 20 MORE COME IN THIS WEEKEND. OKAY. GOT IT, AND I KNOW WE TALKED ABOUT THIS A LITTLE BIT YESTERDAY, BUT JUST FOR THOSE WHO HAVE ASKED, CAN YOU SPEAK A LITTLE BIT TO THE VOICEMAIL ISSUES THAT THAT YOU ALL HAVE BEEN HAVING? SO WE'VE BEEN DEALING WITH THE PHONE TREE NOW FOR A WHILE. WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF REDOING THE PHONE TREE AGAIN. THIS PHONE TREE WILL BE SIMPLER. ONLY HAVE ABOUT FOUR DIFFERENT OPTIONS, AND WE ARE IN THE TESTING PHASE OF IT NOW TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S GOING TO WORK PROPERLY AND IT'S GOING TO GET THROUGH EVERY TIME. INSTEAD OF, YOU KNOW, THE PROBLEMS THAT WE'RE HAVING NOW WHERE SOME PEOPLE CANNOT GET THROUGH. YEAH, WELL, AS I MENTIONED, I HAD THAT PROBLEM THE OTHER NIGHT. SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT, BEING A SOLUTION, QUICK ONE AND THEN I'LL GET BACK IN THE QUEUE, WHAT ARE THE ADOPTION RATES RELATIVE TO A YEAR AGO? WELL, WE'RE WE'RE WE'RE PRETTY MUCH HOLDING STEADY RIGHT NOW. BUT WITH THE ADOPTION RATES THAT WE HAVE, IT'S JUST NOT ENOUGH TO MAINTAIN. SO WE DEFINITELY NEED MORE PEOPLE TO COME GET THEIR PETS VERSUS, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO ADOPT OUR WAY OUT. THAT'S ALSO WHY WE'RE LOOKING AT SPAY NEUTER, BECAUSE WE CAN'T ADOPT OUR WAY OUT OF THIS PROBLEM RIGHT NOW. WE'VE GOT TO HAVE MORE PET SPAY NEUTER. WE GOT TO HAVE OWNERS COME AND GET THEIR ANIMALS AND BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR PETS. GREAT, THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND I'LL JUST END WITH THIS, WHAT IS IT THAT WE WHO ARE WATCHING AND, METRO COUNCIL MEMBERS CAN DO TO HELP YOU AT THIS POINT? YOU KNOW, A MICROCHIP ORDINANCE WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD LOOK FOR, TRYING TO MANDATE, MANDATE MICROCHIPPING. WE'LL ALSO LOOK AT EXPANDING LICENSING , MAYBE DOING A LIFETIME LICENSE TO WHERE THEY ONLY HAD TO PURCHASE A LICENSE ONCE TO TRY TO GET AS MANY LICENSES OUT THERE AND GET ANIMALS REGISTERED . YEAH. GREAT. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN CHAPPELL. THANK YOU, I REALLY LOVE THIS ANIMAL FOCUS BUDGET HEARING THAT WE'RE HAVING TODAY, I JUST WANT TO SAY THE ZOO AND THE HUMANE SOCIETY COME WITH ANIMALS. SO NEXT YEAR, IF YOU WANT TO BRING ONE OF YOUR ADOPTED TAILS, THAT'D BE GREAT TO SEE THEM. BUT I'LL ALWAYS SAY IT. THE WORKERS AT LMAS ARE SOME OF THE HARDEST WORKING, IF NOT THE HARDEST WORKING FOLKS IN LOUISVILLE METRO, AND I THANK THEM SO VERY MUCH EVERY SINGLE DAY FOR DOING THEIR DIFFICULT, DIFFICULT JOBS, NOT ONLY PHYSICALLY, BUT ALSO EMOTIONALLY , ORGANIZATIONAL CHART NO REAL NOTES GIVE YOU A BEAT. IT LOOKS GOOD, BUT THAT DOES BRING ME TO MY FIRST QUESTION, WHERE IS YOUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR? BOTH. NOW AND ON YOUR ORGANIZATIONAL CHART, WE DO NOT HAVE AN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR. IS OZZIE GIBSON NO LONGER WITH US? HE IS CURRENTLY WITH TARC, WE DO NOT HAVE A DIRECTOR IN PLACE. I'M
[01:15:09]
THE INTERIM FOR NOW. SO HIS PHOTO ON PAGE ONE OF THIS REPORT IS JUST AN ERROR. THAT WAS WHEN WE STARTED. WE DID NOT KNOW IF IT WAS GOING TO BE HIM OR ME. OKAY AND I LOOK FORWARD TO GETTING TO KNOW YOU. I NEED TO COME SEE YOU ANYWAYS, BECAUSE MY PARENTS ARE LOOKING FOR A DOG. I MIGHT BE LOOKING FOR AN EIGHTH ANIMAL TO ADD TO MY BROOD, SO WE'LL SEE, CAN YOU SPEAK TO THE INCREASE IN FUNDING FOR FRIENDS OF METRO ANIMAL SERVICES? SO WE USE FRIENDS OF METRO ANIMAL SERVICES A LOT, CURRENTLY THEY ARE PROVIDING FREE REDEMPTION FEES, SO, SO EVERY ANY PERSON THAT COMES IN THAT WANTS TO GET THEIR ANIMAL OUT, THEY ARE COVERING THE REDEMPTION COST FOR THEM, THEY'VE ALSO GIVEN US MONEY FOR ADVERTISEMENT. SO WE CAN GET, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE TO THE SHELTER. THEY ARE PAYING FOR SENDING OFFICERS TO THE NATIONAL ANIMAL CONTROL ASSOCIATION TRAININGS AND, THEY JUST RECENTLY DID THE MICROCHIPS FOR, FOR ALL OF THE POLICE DIVISIONS.SO NOW POLICE HAVE A MICROCHIP SCANNER. IF THEY PICK UP A DOG, THEY CAN SCAN IT AND FIND IT A WAY HOME TO ON THEIR WEBSITE AND FRIENDS OF METRO ANIMAL SERVICES. I'M NOT COMING FOR THEM BECAUSE THEY DO A GREAT JOB. BUT, ON THEIR WEBSITE IT SAYS THAT THEY DO A LOT OF WORK.
AND FUND RAISING FOR LOUISVILLE METRO ANIMAL SERVICES IS THAT THROUGH CAPITAL PROJECTS LIKE YOU'RE SAYING THOSE SCANNERS OR OR, IS THERE A AN ACCOUNT THAT THAT MONEY GOES INTO? I GUESS WHERE I'M GETTING TO IS HOW MUCH MONEY DID THEY RAISE, SAY, IN CALENDAR YEAR 2023? AND YOU CAN GET BACK. I WOULD HAVE TO GET BACK. YEAH. I DO NOT HAVE THAT NUMBER. THERE'S A HUGE JUMP IN LICENSING NUMBERS. WHAT CHANGED? I CAN TRY TO FIND IT. SO IN 2023, IT LOOKS LIKE ABOUT, LET'S SAY 37,000. OH NEVER MIND. THAT LAST COLUMN IS NOT THAT NUMBER. I THOUGHT IT WENT FROM 37,000 TO 204,000, YOU TALKED ABOUT A MICROCHIP ORDINANCE, AND I RECALL A CONVERSATION WHERE, IT WAS BEING TOSSED AROUND THAT MAYBE A LIFETIME LICENSE COULD BE ISSUED AS, WHEN SOMEONE GETS A MICROCHIP, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT'S STILL BEING CONSIDERED? AND. YEAH, BECAUSE SO MICROCHIPPING TO US TAKES EFFECT MORE THAN A TAG. WE DON'T SEE ANIMALS COMING IN ANYMORE WITH TAGS ON. SO MICROCHIPS ARE HOW WE FIND MOST OF THE OWNERS THAT WE HAVE. DOGS THAT GET LOOSE USUALLY DON'T HAVE A COLLAR ON. SO A MICROCHIP WOULD BE A MUCH BETTER SOLUTION. YOU CAN'T STEAL A DOG'S, YOU KNOW, MICROCHIP. IT'S GOING TO BE IN THERE. IT'S JUST THE ONLY THING WITH MICROCHIPPING IS THEY GOT TO KEEP THE INFORMATION UP TO DATE. AND THAT'S THE PROBLEM WE SEE NOW WITH THEM IS THEY DON'T KEEP THEM UP TO DATE. IT IS IT IS CUMBERSOME TO KEEP THAT UP TO DATE, ONE MORE PASSWORD TO KEEP TRACK OF. RIGHT, BUT I KNOW THAT I NEED TO BE MORE DILIGENT IN THAT. SO I HOPE THAT OTHER FOLKS CAN DO THAT AS WELL, AND ALSO ADMINISTRATIVELY, YOU KNOW, DOING A YEARLY LICENSE, YOU KNOW, THAT TAKES UP A LOT OF TIME. SO IF WE'RE ABLE TO DO THAT AS A LIFETIME, THAT WOULD BE WONDERFUL, CAN YOU SPEAK TO HOW YOUR PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS ARE SUPPORTED IN THIS BUDGET, WE DEPEND ON THEM A LOT. AND WHILE I THINK THAT WE SHOULD PROBABLY LEAN ON THEM MORE, IS THERE ANY MONEY THAT'S GOING TOWARDS HELPING THEM CARRY OUT THEIR MISSION SO WE CAN BETTER CARRY OUT OURS? I KNOW THAT WE HAVE MONEY THAT GOES TO, ALLEY CAT ADVOCATES. SO THEY HELP DO THE TRAPPING, AND THEY ALSO ARE DOING SPAY NEUTER FOR ALL THE CATS THAT ARE COMING IN THAT ARE CONSIDERED COMMUNITY CATS, IN TERMS OF KENTUCKY HUMANE SOCIETY, I CANNOT GIVE YOU AN ANSWER ON THAT ONE. BUT ALLEY CATS IS OUT OF ALL THE ANIMAL ORGANIZATIONS WITHIN LOUISVILLE, IS PROBABLY THE ONLY ONE THAT GETS SUPPORT FUNDING FROM LOUISVILLE METRO ANIMAL SERVICES. AND THEY THEY ASSIST US WITH DOING A LOT OF THE COMMUNITY CAT CALLS THAT THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT ABLE TO DO AS AS MUCH AS THEY CAN DO IN TERMS OF TRAPPING AND GETTING PEOPLE TO TRAP. THEY ARE THE EXPERTS AT THAT. AND THEY'RE A GREAT ORGANIZATION AND THEY HAVE THAT TNR PROGRAM DOWN TO A SCIENCE. SO THANK YOU.
COUNCILMAN OWEN. THANKS, CHAIR. THANKS, ADAM, FOR BEING HERE, A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE ASKED THE QUESTIONS THAT I HAD. I JUST WANT TO SAY JUST VERY GENERALLY, I THINK YOU CAN TELL FROM THE QUESTIONS THAT WE'RE ASKING THAT WE ARE VERY SYMPATHETIC TO THE TO THE SITUATION THAT LMAS IS IN. AND I WOULD JUST SAY, MAKE SURE THAT YOU LEVERAGE BOTH THE MEMBERS OF COUNCIL WHO ARE
[01:20:08]
CONCERNED ABOUT TRYING TO GET OUT IN FRONT OF THIS AND BEING MORE PROACTIVE AS AS PROACTIVE AS WE CAN ABOUT THIS SITUATION, AND THE ADVOCATES IN THE COMMUNITY, I THINK THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO CARE DEEPLY ABOUT THIS ISSUE, AND I WOULD JUST ENCOURAGE YOU ALL TO USE US AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. I KNOW THAT WE'RE GOING TO GET SERIOUS HERE ABOUT A ABOUT A CHIP ORDINANCE.I WANT TO BE A PART OF THAT, BUT I ALSO I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU HEAR ME SAYING I'M, I'M HEARING IT FROM ALL THE QUESTIONS THAT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE INVEST IN THIS ISSUE SO THAT WE CAN TRY TO GET OUT FROM BEHIND IT, I'M I'M A PERSON WHO THINKS THAT WE HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF THE THOSE THAT ARE THE LEAST AMONG US AND OUR ANIMALS ARE ARE PART OF THAT.
AND SO. SO, DO YOU THINK I WANT TO COME BACK TO THE CSRC ASK OF $2 MILLION? BASED ON THE CONVERSATIONS THAT I HAD WITH THEM, I THINK THAT THAT WOULD BE ENORMOUS. ENORMOUSLY HELPFUL BOTH TO THEM AND TO LMAS. IS THERE ANY MORE THAT YOU CAN SAY ABOUT THAT? AND WHEN WE THINK ABOUT HOW WE CAN INVEST OUR MONEY TO TRY TO GET OUT OF THIS PROBLEM, WHERE IS THE BEST PLACE TO INVEST THAT MONEY, IN YOUR OPINION? TO ME, THEY ARE. THEY WOULD PROVIDE US WITH A LOT OF SERVICES, A LOT OF SERVICES TO THE COMMUNITY. SO THEY HAVE A HELP LINE RIGHT NOW THAT THEY USE THAT CAN HELP PEOPLE IN ALL DIFFERENT TYPES OF SITUATIONS. THE SPAY NEUTER CRISIS THEY COULD HELP IN BECAUSE THEY HAVE THE RESOURCES TO DO IT, THE NEW THE BUILDING THAT THEY'RE WANTING TO BUILD CAN ASSIST WITH A LOT OF OTHER THINGS, ESPECIALLY LIKE TRAINING THOSE TYPES OF ISSUES THAT, YOU KNOW, WE JUST DON'T HAVE THE SPACE OF THE TIME RIGHT NOW TO DO AS WE WANT TO CARE FOR OUR ANIMALS HERE. SO IT WOULD BE A GREAT PARTNERSHIP. SO CAN I, CAN I JUST FOLLOW UP AND SAY, WOULD WOULD A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF MONEY INVESTED IN THEIR NEW BUILDING BE A BETTER SOURCE OF OUR FUNDS THAN MAYBE A DIRECT INVESTMENT IN LMAS AT THIS POINT? AND I DON'T MEAN THAT, I JUST MEAN IT. I MEAN THAT FROM A CAPACITY STANDPOINT. I SAY WE STILL NEED WHAT WE HAVE BECAUSE WE'RE WE'RE NOW I MEAN, IF WE WERE FULL STAFF, WE'D BE OKAY. BUT RIGHT NOW, KEEPING STAFF HERE, KEEPING STAFF AVAILABLE IS NOT SOMETHING WE DO. SO WE NEED ALL THE HELP RIGHT NOW THAT WE CAN GET. SO IT'S AN IT'S A IT'S A BOTH AND AS OR AS OPPOSED TO AN END.
CORRECT. OKAY THANK YOU. THANK YOU I APPRECIATE IT. COUNCILWOMAN FOWLER, THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR, SO I'VE GOT A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS. ONE WITH THE, THE TRAP AND ALLEY CAT I KNOW WAS LOCATED THERE ON YOUR CAMPUS, WHICH IS A GREAT, IT'S WONDERFUL TO HAVE THEM RIGHT THERE, BUT I LIVE IN A RURAL AREA. I HAVE CATS DUMPED IN MY. I MEAN, IT'S LIKE THERE'S A NEON SIGN ON THE FRONT OF MY HOUSE THAT SAYS DUMP ALL STRAY CATS HERE OR CATS YOU DON'T WANT, SO I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW MANY I HAVE BROUGHT TO ALLEY CAT TO HAVE THEIR EARS CLIPPED. AND OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, I FEED THEM. BUT MY QUESTION IS, HOW DO THEY NOT BECOME MY RESPONSIBILITY TO ME AFTER THEY'VE BEEN? I KNOW I DON'T KNOW IF ARE THEY MY RESPONSIBILITY? AM I REQUIRED TO LICENSE THEM AND, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, THEY'RE NOT LIKE, LOVEY DOVEY CATS THAT ARE SET UP IN THE BACKYARD AND PET, YOU KNOW, BUT THEY ARE FED. HOW DOES THAT WORK? SO UNDER THE ORDINANCE, THEY ARE NOT REQUIRED TO BE LICENSED, IF THERE'S MEDICAL ISSUES CONCERNING THEM, THEN METRO ANIMAL SERVICES STEPS IN AND, YOU KNOW, WILL EVALUATE THE CAT AND DETERMINE THE OUTCOME FOR THAT CAT. OKAY IF YOU HAVE MORE CATS, YOU KNOW, WE CAN BRING A TRAP OUT TO YOU AND HELP TRAP. OR WE CAN REFER YOU TO ALLEY CATS WHO CAN, YOU KNOW, PROVIDE TRAPPING SERVICES AS WELL. USUALLY THEY'RE PREGNANT, SO, YOU KNOW, I HAVE PET THE MAMA IN THE GARAGE AND LET HER BIRTH THOSE BABIES AND MAKE SURE THEY'RE NOT WILD AND. AND THEN I FIND THEM HOMES. BUT IT'S JUST NUTS, I WANTED TO ASK ABOUT, THE MICROCHIP ORDINANCE. I'M HAPPY TO SPONSOR THAT, AND BUT MY QUESTION IS WHETHER OR NOT THAT WOULD ALSO INCLUDE A MECHANISM TO LICENSE THEM IF THAT'S NOT ALREADY SOMETHING THAT'S DONE WHEN THEY'RE MICROCHIPPED, HOW DOES THAT WORK? CAN YOU FOLLOW UP ON ON THE MICROCHIPPING TO REQUIRE PEOPLE TO HAVE THEIR ANIMALS LICENSED? SO SO WE'VE
[01:25:07]
SEEN IN SOME COMMUNITIES WHERE THE MICROCHIP IS THE LICENSE. SO THAT COULD BE A SOMETHING THAT WE TRANSITION TO, TO WHERE THE MICROCHIP IS TECHNICALLY YOUR METRO LICENSE AT THAT POINT.RIGHT. IT WOULD JUST HAVE TO BE WHERE THE PERSON WOULD HAVE TO KEEP IT UP TO DATE AND THEN THE RABIES VACCINE WOULD HAVE TO BE SENT EACH YEAR OR EVERY THREE YEARS, DEPENDING ON WHAT RABIES YOU GET TOO. METRO ANIMAL SERVICES FOR US TO KEEP THAT UP TO DATE IN OUR COMPUTERS, THE CHIP WOULD BE REGISTERED TO METRO AT METRO ANIMAL SERVICES. SO WE WOULD ALWAYS HAVE THAT IN OUR DATABASE. THEY WOULD JUST CALL US TO GET IT UPDATED AND THEY COULD USE, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER CHIP COMPANY IT IS TO REGISTER IT AS WELL. SO I'M SURE THERE'S A GENERAL COST THAT YOU HAVE IN YOUR MIND ON HOW MUCH IT WOULD COST TO CHIP UP ONE DOG, I MEAN, AND HOW AND THIS IS, IS THIS SOMETHING THAT YOU'RE WANTING TO REQUIRE THE OWNERS TO DO, OR ARE YOU PLANNING ON DOING SOME TYPE OF, I KNOW, CLINIC TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN? AND HOW WHAT'S WHAT'S THE THOUGHT ON THAT? SO WE COULD DO A CLINIC AND CHARGE COSTS FOR THE MICROCHIP, CURRENTLY WE CHARGE $25 FOR A MICROCHIP, BUT WHAT IS THE COST TO METRO ANIMAL SERVICES? WE ARE RIGHT AROUND TEN AND $11. OKAY, OKAY. FOR MICROCHIP. SO WE COULD DO A CHIP AT COST. THEY COULD COME THROUGH AS ALMOST LIKE A DRIVE IN CLINIC AND GET THE ANIMAL MICROCHIP AND UP TO DATE. OKAY. I THINK. OH, SO YOUR PREDECESSOR, MISS BOOK? I HAD HER CELL PHONE NUMBER. I DON'T HAVE YOURS. AND WHEN I HAVE A PET EMERGENCY IN MY DISTRICT, I KNOW I SPEAK FOR MORE THAN JUST MYSELF, WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO GET THROUGH TO YOU, IF YOU DON'T MIND, TO SHARE THAT WITH US. I WOULD APPRECIATE IT. AND WE WON'T ABUSE IT. I SURE WILL, THANK YOU. I'LL FIND. DON'T DO IT RIGHT THIS SECOND. YEAH, YEAH . EMAIL. REALLY BAD IDEA. WHAT IS THE COST, CURRENT COST OF A LICENSE, JUST DEPENDS. SO IF IT'S AN UNALTERED ANIMAL, IT'S $60. IF IT'S ALTERED, IT'S $10. OKAY, COUNCILWOMAN PIAGENTINI.
OH. I'M SORRY. OKAY. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I DON'T SEE ANYBODY ELSE IN THE QUEUE. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING. THANK YOU. WE'LL START WITH THE ZOO. AS SOON AS WE CAN GET OURSELVES TOGETHER. OVER HERE.
DAN, IF YOU HAD TOLD ME YOU WERE BRINGING A. YOU HAD TOLD ME YOU WERE BRINGING A PENGUIN INTO THE CHAMBERS. I WOULD NEVER HAVE LEFT HIM. WE HAVE A FALCON TO. ANDREW.
[01:32:04]
GIVE THAT MAN EVERYTHING HE ASKED FOR IN THE BUDGET. I WAS THINKING THE SAME THING OF ALL DAYS. I'M NOT IN CHAMBERS. I'M MISSING IT. I WAS JUST THERE FOR MOTHER'S DAY. I JUST. MY ONLY QUESTION IS, ARE YOU GOING TO BRING BACK THE TRAIN? OH, GREAT. GREAT.DON'T PENGUINS HOLD COURT? WE NEED. WE NEED THEM TO COME AND RUN SOME THINGS.
OH, WE TRIED TO STEAL YOUR NECKLACE. YEAH NO. YOU KNOW. I MEAN. ALL RIGHT. ALL. RIGHT.
YEAH. WE'RE WE'RE GETTING READY TO ROLL HERE. WHAT'S THAT? THERE'S A GRANT TO READ. OH, YEAH? YEAH TAKE. YOU TAKE SOME. MONEY I DO. YEAH. WE'RE GONNA WE'RE GOING TO NEED TO. YEAH, WE'RE GOING TO NEED TO START ASKING SOME QUESTIONS, TO PEOPLE OTHER THAN PENGUINS.
THAT'S GREAT. WE ALREADY DID. WE ALREADY ASK IF THE PENGUIN WAS A BIRD.
[01:35:32]
ALL RIGHT. OKAY, SO LET'S. LET'S WE WERE ALL. YEP YEP. THAT'S ME. IT'S MY. IT'S MY. WE'LL GET IT.SO WE WERE WE WERE ALL ON TIME A MINUTE AGO. THANK YOU. MARK THANK YOU. DANA MADISON AND SUN.
SOUNDS LIKE. EVERY. WHAT'S THAT? YEAH. NO NO NO NO, WE DID. OKAY. WE'LL, GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED ON OUR LAST BUDGET HEARING, RICK BLACKWELL, A CHAIR WITH ME IS MY VICE CHAIR.
COUNCILMAN KRAMER, ALSO VIRTUALLY. COUNCILWOMAN PARRISH. RIGHT. COUNCILWOMAN MCCRANIE, COUNCILMAN RENA WEBBER, COUNCILMAN OWEN, AND COUNCILMAN HUDSON, IN CHAMBERS.
COUNCILWOMAN FOWLER AND COUNCILWOMAN, PIACENTINI. ALSO COUNCILWOMAN HOPKINS, COUNCILWOMAN COUNCIL MAN BENSON. I THINK I HAD EVERYBODY, AS A REMINDER, DEPARTMENTS DON'T MAKE OPENING COMMENTS. THEY DO BRING ANIMALS, HOWEVER, AND SO WE WILL BEGIN, SORT OF IMMEDIATELY WITH COUNCIL MEMBER QUESTIONS, WANT TO REMIND EVERYONE BEFORE WE START THE LOUISVILLE ZOO'S $20.5 MILLION PROPOSED OPERATING BUDGET AND 600,000 PROPOSED CAPITAL BUDGET, IS DIFFICULT TO COMPARE WITH OTHER YEARS BECAUSE OF THE REPORTING INTERESTS, WELCOME, DIRECTOR, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT TODAY IS YOUR BIRTHDAY, AND I CAN'T IMAGINE A BETTER WAY TO SPEND IT THAN TO BE AT BUDGET HEARINGS. YEAH. SO YOU'RE SO YOU'RE WELCOME FOR THAT PRESENT A BETTER PRESENT.
AND I BROUGHT ALONG, OUR TWO ASSISTANT DIRECTORS AS WELL, STEPHANIE MOORE AND STEVE TAYLOR WITH ME AS WELL. ALL RIGHT. COUNCILMAN KRAMER SAID IT LOOKS LIKE THEY LOOK LIKE KOALA BEARS TO YOU. WELL, THE REASON THEY'RE THE REASON THEY'RE HERE IS WE JUST FOUND OUT, STEVE, JUST LET ME KNOW THAT THE OUR TWO KOALAS HAVE LANDED FROM, FROM CALIFORNIA. WE GOT THEM HERE. WE GOT ALL THE PERMISSIONS, AND, THEY HAVE GOTTEN HERE SAFELY. SO WE'RE GLAD TO BE ABLE TO ANNOUNCE THAT. OKAY, GOOD. SO I HAVE A QUESTION. I'LL START WITH, AND THAT IS, THAT YOU ARE IT APPEARS IN THE TURNOVER RATES THAT YOU ARE DOING VERY, VERY WELL IN TERMS OF HIRING, MAINTAINING, KEEPING FOLKS, AND SO I WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO SHARE WHAT THE SECRET SAUCE IS FOR KEEPING PEOPLE AND DOING SUCH A GREAT JOB WITH THE TURNOVER, WHAT YOU THINK ATTRIBUTES THAT IS ATTRIBUTABLE TO THAT? WELL I APPRECIATE THAT VERY MUCH. AND THANK YOU, I THINK WE WE'RE FORTUNATE WE HAVE VERY MISSION DRIVEN PEOPLE, I, I THINK THAT THEY ENJOY THE WORK THEY'RE DOING. I CERTAINLY LOVE BEING THE DIRECTOR OF THE LOUISVILLE ZOO, AND IT'S A JOB I'VE WANTED FOR MANY YEARS, WE'RE FORTUNATE THAT WE'VE BEEN SUCCESSFUL. AND I THINK OUR STAFF SEEMS TO BE EXCITED TO BE PART OF SOMETHING THAT'S MOVING FORWARD. KIA'S MISSION DRIVEN THERE, COUNCILMAN PIAGENTINI, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. AND, DAN, IT'S GREAT TO SEE YOU AND YOUR TEAM, LOVE, LOVE HAVING YOU HERE FOR. FOR LOTS OF REASONS. FIRST, I WANTED TO ASK ABOUT YOUR ATTENDANCE THIS YEAR, I KNOW WE'VE TALKED SIDEBAR, BUT YOU ALSO PUT IT IN YOUR IN YOUR DOCUMENTS. OBVIOUSLY, THERE'S A HUGE IMPACT ON YOUR BUDGET AND ABILITY TO GENERATE REVENUE. CAN YOU TALK ABOUT YOUR ATTENDANCE? THAT SEEMS LIKE A RECORD THIS YEAR. AND CAN YOU TALK ABOUT WHAT THE TREND LOOKS LIKE, HOW THAT'S IMPACTING, YOUR REVENUE AND ALL THAT? WELL, WE WE'RE ASKING METRO COUNCIL IF YOU COULD CONTROL THE WEATHER FOR US ON OUR BEHALF. THAT WOULD BE
[01:40:04]
THAT WOULD BE AWESOME, RIGHT NOW, I THINK STEPHANIE AND I WERE SPEAKING EARLIER. I WOULD IMAGINE EVEN WITH THE RAIN, WE HAD A PRETTY GOOD DAY TODAY. I THINK WE'RE PROBABLY AT ABOUT 8010 THOUSAND FOR THE. YOU SEE IT ABOUT THAT ABOUT EIGHT, EIGHT, TEN WITH THE REST OF THIS MONTH TO GO. SO, THAT'S A GOOD TREND FOR US. WE'RE AHEAD OF THE GAME. WE'RE STILL 16,000 PEOPLE AHEAD OF OUR PROJECTED, WHICH IS 884. WE WENT CONSERVATIVE JUST IN CASE. WE ALWAYS DO. BUT IF ALL GOES WELL, WE SHOULD EASILY BE ABOVE 900,000 FOR THE YEAR. AND JUST TO PUT IT IN CONTEXT, THE BEST WE'VE EVER DONE WAS WHEN GLACIER RUN WAS OPENED AND THAT WAS, BACK IN 2012, BRAND NEW MASSIVE EXHIBIT AND THAT WAS 945,000, SOMETHING LIKE THAT. SO KOALAS ARE GOING TO BE REALLY POPULAR. I WISH WE HAD THEM LAST MONTH. AND THEN, CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THE PROGRESS ON KENTUCKY TRAILS, AND I KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE STILL IN THE BEGINNING OF THE FUNDRAISING PHASE, BUT YOU CAN GIVE US A SENSE OF, LIKE, THE TIMELINE AND WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE. WE'RE WE'RE STILL IN THE DESIGN PHASE OF KENTUCKY TRAIL, SOMETHING THAT'S LARGE. WE HAVEN'T EVER DONE A THIS KIND OF, EXPANSION BEFORE, YOU KNOW, 17.5 ACRES OUT OF THAT 20 OR SO THAT'S AVAILABLE TO US. WE WE'RE STILL IN THE VERY QUIET PHASE OF FUNDRAISING, BUT WE HAVE ABOUT $17.5 MILLION TOWARDS, TOWARDS THE PROJECT, AND WE, WE'RE CONTINUING TO PUSH FORWARD. YOU KNOW, WE HAD GOTTEN OUR FIRST STATE MONEY EVER WITH $10 MILLION. AND THEN THAT COMPELLED THE CITY TO GIVE US A $5 MILLION MATCH UNDER THE FISHER ADMINISTRATION, WE ARE VERY EAGER TO HAVE, MAYOR GREENBERG, PUT HIS SUPPORT IN IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS AS WELL, BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO LEAVE HIM OUT OF THE MIX. THAT WOULD BE JUST UNFAIR TO THE TO THE MAYOR, AND SO, SO WE'LL CONTINUE TO, TO PUSH FORWARD AS, AS FAST AND HARD AS WE CAN. BUT THEN THERE'S THE CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENT PHASE. SO WE'RE MOVING LIKE YOU WOULD FOR A PROJECT OF THIS SIZE. IT TYPICALLY TAKES ALMOST A YEAR TO DO ALL THE DESIGN. AND THEN IT TAKES ANOTHER PROBABLY T MONTHS, 8 TO 10 MONTHS TO DO THE CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS. AND TH THERE'S SITE OR SITE WORK TO DO AND SO FORTH AND SO ON. AND THEN, OR 2 QUICK QSTIONS ABOU THE AMALSD W ASKEOUMAED W GNG HEOMMITTED TO A CONSTITUENT. WOULD ASK ABOUT, THE, ELEPHANT EXHIBIT, I THINK I KNOW THE ANSWER, BUT IF YOU COULD TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED THERE, WHY THE DECISION MADE IN THE BACKGROUND AND MOVING THE ELEPHANT EXAMPLES, YOU KNOW, IT'S A IT WAS A VERY DIFFICULT DECISION. WE'VE HAD ELEPHANTS AT THE LOUISVILLE ZOO FOR ALMOST THE ENTIRE TIME. THERE'S BEEN A LOUISVILLE ZOO. SO MORE THAN A HALF A CENTURY, WITH ELEPHANTS, WE DOWN TO TWO ELEPHANTS, THE ASSOCIAON OF ZOOS AND AQUARIUMS MANDATES AT LEAST THREE FOR, BECAUSE OF SOCIAL STRUCTURE, THOUGH, THAT IS WOEFULLY INADEQUATE. I'VE SPENT A GOOD PORTION OF MY 40 YEARS DOING THIS, WORKING DIRECTLY WITH ELEPHANTS. AND I CAN TELL YOU, WE, WE WOULD HAVE TO DO A MAJOR, MAJOR EXPANSION ON THE ELEPHANT EXHIBIT IN ORDER TO REALLY ACCOMMODATE THE KIND OF SOCIAL STRUCTURE THAT YOU'D WANT TO HAVE YOUR ELEPHANTS ENJOY. SO YOU HAVE MULTI-GENERATIONAL, MULTI-GENERATIONAL HERD, YOU WOULD HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BREED. YOU'D HAVE YOUNGSTERS WHO WOULD HAVE EACH OTHER, WITH WHOM TO PLAY. AND, AND I JUST DON'T SEE THAT FOR US. RIGHT AT THIS TIME, WE MADE THE DECISION TO MOVE THE ELEPHANTS NEXT SPRING TO THE ELEPHANT SANCTUARY IN HOHENWALD, TENNESSEE, IT'S A IT'S ACCREDITED BY THE ASSOCIATION OF ZOOS AND AQUARIUMS, JUST LIKE WE ARE. IT IS A REMARKABLE FACILITY. TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF LAND. I'VE BEEN THERE. IT IS, IT'S NOT OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, BUT IF ANYBODY WANTS TO VISIT, I WILL. I'LL MAKE A CALL ON YOUR BEHALF. I DIDN'T WANT US TO MISS OUR PLACE IN THE QUEUE MORE AND MORE FACILITIES AROUND THE COUNTRY ARE DECIDING TO, TO, YOU KNOW, TO FORFEIT THEIR ELEPHANTS AND SEND THEM TO THIS SANCTUARY, ESPECIALLY AS THEY GET OLDER. IT'S NOT TO SAY THAT WE WILL NEVER HAVE ELEPHANTS HERE AGAIN, BUT I WOULD SAY TO DO THE KIND OF ELEPHANT ENCLOSURE HABITAT THAT WE'D WANT TO. IT'S UPWARDS OF $100 MILLION. SO NASHVILLE SENT THEIR ELEPHANTS TO, THE SANCTUARY. KNOXVILLE SENT THEIR ELEPHANTS TO THE SANCTUARY. I LIST GOES ON AND ON. CINCINNATI WAS THE EXCEPTION. THEY DECIDED[01:45:04]
TO SPEND ABOUT $130 MILLION AND BUILD ADDITIONAL FACILITIES FOR THEIR ELEPHANTS. AND THEY BROUGHT A THEY BROUGHT FOUR ELEPHANTS IN FROM DUBLIN TO JOIN THE ANIMALS THEY HAVE. BUT THEY DID IT THE RIGHT WAY. THEY HAVE A THEY HAVE A FEMALE AND HER DAUGHTER, HER GRANDSON. AND THEN THIS OLDER FEMALES SON WHO IS ABOUT THE SAME AGE AS THEIR GRANDSON. SO THE BOTTOM LINE IS WE CAN'T GIVE TO THE ELEPHANTS WHAT THE SANCTUARY COULD BE, BUT WE WILL MOVE THE RHINOS THERE.THE WHITE RHINOS. AND WE'RE LOOKING AT PERHAPS HAVING A COPY IF ANYBODY KNOWS WHAT THEY ARE.
THE THEY'RE THE ONLY OTHER GIRAFFE RELATIVE, THAT STILL EXISTS ON THE PLANET. AND WE WOULD HAVE THEM AT, AT RHINO, BUT WE WOULD DO A LOT OF ENHANCEMENTS TO THOSE AREAS.
FINAL QUESTION, MR. CHAIR. JUST AGAIN, ANIMAL WELFARE QUESTION. THE SLOW DEATHS IS DO BOTH SUNNY AND SEBASTIAN SWITCH? WE DO. I DON'T THINK STEVE AT THIS POINT, DO WE? IS IT FERN AND SUNNY WHO SWITCH OR DO YOU SWITCH FERN AND SUNNY. SO FERNS DURING THE EXPERIENCE NOW? YEAH. YOU SHOULD GO UP TO THE MIC. YES. WE HAVE THREE SLOTS. FERN, SUNNY AND SEBASTIAN. OH, STEVE TAYLOR, OUR ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FOR COLLECTIONS AND COLLECTIONS. CONSERVATION EDUCATION. YES. AND THEY ALL HAVE EXTREMELY DIFFERENT PERSONALITIES. SO SO SUNNY WAS THE ONE THAT ORIGINALLY DID THE EXPERIENCES THAT PEOPLE WOULD PAY TO COME IN AND SEE, WE'VE ROTATED HER OUT AND WE HAVE A FEMALE NAMED FERN, AND SHE'S REALLY TAKEN TO THAT. TODAY WE HAD SUNNY GO OUTSIDE, SO WE'RE PREPARING THE OUTSIDE EXHIBIT THAT'S RIGHT NEXT TO WHERE THE EXPERIENCE TAKES PLACE . AND SHE ACTUALLY WENT OUT FOR THE FIRST TIME ON HER OWN. AND SPENT SOME TIME OUT THERE. SO WITH SLOTHS, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE NOT THE FASTEST CREATURES IN THE WORLD. SO IT TAKES A LITTLE BIT OF TIME FOR THEM TO WARM UP AND TO BE ABLE TO MAKE CHANGES, THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR THEM TO DO. SO YES. ALL THREE OF THOSE SLOW MOTHS WILL HAVE ROLES AS AMBASSADOR ANIMALS FOR THE SPECIES. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN. SO FOLLOW UP, WHEN YOU SAID ABOUT THE CINCINNATI, THE SPENDING, THE 130 MILLION, A LOT OF MONEY, THEY I ASSUME THEY HAVE A DIFFERENT FUNDING STRUCTURE THAN WHAT WE HAVE HERE, THEY DO THEY HAVE A THEY DO HAVE A BENEFIT OF A OF A CITY TAX THAT COMES THEIR WAY, A DEDICATED TAX, THE DEDICATED YOU KNOW, WHAT IT IS.
YEAH. I CAN FIND IT OUT FOR YOU, COUNCILMAN. I'M NOT SURE, STEPHANIE, DO YOU KNOW STEPHANIE IS GOING TO FIND IT FOR US? OKAY. YEAH. YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE IT TODAY. YES. OKAY, COUNCILWOMAN RUBY, BUT THAT BY BY THE WAY, JUST THAT THAT ISN'T THERE. I MEAN, THEY'RE REALLY GOOD AT WHAT THEY DO IS, YOU KNOW, I THINK I MATTER WHAT THEY DO, I THEIR DIRECTOR IS A GOOD FRIEND OF MINE, SO I TAKE NOTHING AWAY FROM THEIR ABILITIES. SURE. YEAH, NOR DO I, THEY JUST JUST POINTING OUT IF YOU GOT A DEDICATED FUNDING SOURCE THAT'S. WE CAN SAY THEY DON'T DESERVE WE. NO WE DON'T, THEY DON'T DESERVE ALL THAT MONEY. WE KNOW THAT FOR SURE.
THEY'RE GOOD PEOPLE. FOR THE RECORD, I DID NOT SAY THAT, COUNCILWOMAN RAY. OKAY. THANK YOU. FIRST OF ALL, I THINK PART OF THE SECRET TO WHY YOU'RE RETAINING EMPLOYEES IS BECAUSE IT'S PROBABLY A LOT MORE FUN TO WORK THERE. I'D BE THERE IN A HEARTBEAT. SO, I NOTICED THAT JUST LIKE EVERY OTHER CITY AGENCY, YOU GOT A BIG PILE OF DEFERRED MAINTENANCE. AND IT'S ALSO IN YOUR BUDGET FOR A WELCOME PLAZA. SO WHICH IS A HIGHER PRIORITY FOR YOU RIGHT NOW TO HAVE THIS NEW WELCOME PLAZA OR TO GET MORE OF YOUR DEFERRED MAINTENANCE TAKEN CARE OF? I THINK THAT WELCOME PLAZA WAS DO YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT I THINK THAT I THERE'S A LOT OF PROJECTS ON THERE THAT ARE OLDER PROJECTS, AND I THINK THAT MIGHT BE ONE OF THEM. STEPHANIEOORE, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF THE LOUISVILLE ZOO. THAT IS AN OLD CAPITAL ACCOUNT, THAT IS NO LONGER IN USE, I THINK THAT THAT PROBABLY JUST NEEDS TO BE CLOSED OUT, BUT IT WAS FROM A PROJECT, WHERE WE DID SOME WORK. AND I WANT TO SAY, STEVE, 2000 AND A WHILE AGO, A GOOD WHILE AGO. SO A WHILE AGO. BUT THAT THAT IS AN OLD PROJECT THAT WAS COMPLETED. I THINK THAT WHAT'S HANGING ON IS JUST THE REMAINING BUDGET AUTHORITY FOR THAT. OKAY. WHAT ABOUT, IT WAS ALSO NOTED IN OUR, BOOKLET THAT, THERE'S A LOT OF BITS AND PIECES IN OTHER ACCOUNTS THAT HAVE JUST BEEN LEFT, IS THERE ANY WAY TO GATHER THAT TOGETHER? HOW MUCH IS THERE TO HELP ADDRESS YOUR DEFERRED MAINTENANCE? SO WE MAINTAIN AN ONGOING LIST OF ALL OF OUR PROJECTS. DEFERRED MAINTENANCE PROJECTS, EXHIBITS, FACILITY IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO DO, WE MANAGE EACH ONE OF THOSE BUCKETS, AND SOMETIMES SOME OF THOSE LITTLE AMOUNTS END UP AS WE'VE HAD A SAVINGS ON A
[01:50:06]
PROJECT OR HAD SOMETHING ELSE OCCUR THAT TOOK PRIORITY. AND WE DID NOT UTILIZE THAT. THE FUNDS THAT WE ORIGINALLY BUDGETED FOR A PROJECT. SO WE CONSTANTLY ARE LOOKING AT UTILIZING THOSE LITTLE, LITTLE BITS OF POCKETS OF REVENUE THAT WE HAVE IN THERE , FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN WE WERE REDOING SOME OF THE WORK FOR KOALA, WE'VE SPREAD THAT OUT OVER A COUPLE OF ACCOUNTS THAT HAD SMALLER BALANCES TO KIND OF GET THOSE GONE OFF OF OUR BOOKS ALSO, AND MAKE SURE WE'RE SPENDING EVERYTHING THAT WE HAVE. OKAY. THANK YOU. AND ONE LAST QUESTION. EVERYBODY ELSE TALKED ABOUT THEIR FAVORITE ANIMALS. I WANT TO ASK ABOUT THE CAROUSEL CONSERVATION IS THAT IN RIGHT NOW, IT IS IT FOR 105 YEAR OLD CAROUSEL? IT IS IN REMARKABLE SHAPE. ACTUALLY. WE HAVE MAINTENANCE DONE EVERY YEAR. WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF SLOWLY REPLACING ANIMALS. WE'VE JUST ADDED SOME NEW ANIMALS TO THE CAROUSEL THIS YEAR, LOOKING AT ADDING SOME ADDITIONAL ANIMALS NEXT YEAR. RED PANDA, MEERKATS OR TWO THAT I THINK ARE ON OUR LIST THAT WILL BE HAND-CARVED AND ADDED TO THE CAROUSEL, THAT LIKE I SAID, THE CAROUSEL IS 105 YEARS OLD AND WE'VE ONLY HAD ONE MAJOR, PIECE BREAK THAT WAS ORIGINAL TO THE CAROUSEL, BUT WE WERE ABLE TO WORK WITH OUR VENDOR AND GET THAT REPLACED FROM A MOLD THAT HE WAS ABLE TO DEVELOP FOR THAT PIECE. BUT IT'S FANTASTIC. IT'S ONE OF THE FAN FAVORITES. KIDS LOVE IT. PLEASE COME OUT AND TAKE A RIDE ON IT. I TAKE A RIDE ON IT. IF I NEED A SMILE FOR A DAY. WELL, AND WE, WE HAVE THE WE HAD IT SHUT DOWN JUST DURING THE COLDEST MONTHS BECAUSE IT WAS ALL BEING REPAINTED. SO I, I KNOW I'VE HAD A NUMBER OF YOU HAVE VISITED. I'M, I'M JUST AS PROUD AS THE FACT THAT WE ARE PAINTING THE ENTIRE PERIMETER FENCE. IT'S GOING TO TAKE US ANOTHER THREE YEARS. BUT WE ARE WE ARE TAKING OFF CHUNKS AND PAINTING THAT WHILE I'D LOVE TO REDO THE ENTIRE FRONT ENTRY WAY, RIGHT NOW, WHAT WE HAD DONE IN THE IN IN LIEU OF THAT IS THAT WE'VE, WE UPGRADED THE FRONT RELANDSCAPED, WE PUT UP AN ACTUAL SIGN THAT IS NOW OUR LOGO. THAT'S BEEN THE LOGO FOR THE LAST 40 YEARS, BUT THE ONE THAT'S UP THERE WAS THERE FOR A MUCH LONGER, AND IT'S LIGHTED NOW, WE ALSO JUST COMPLETED, THERE'S A MURAL THAT'S UP THERE. THE WE WILL PUT IT OUT TO BID, AND WE HAVE A MURAL THAT'S AS YOU COME IN, YOU'LL SEE IT OFF TO YOUR TO YOUR RIGHT UNDER THAT COVERED AREA. AND WE'RE CONTINUING TO TRY TO, TO MAKE SURE THAT MAINTAINING AND IMPROVING THE ASSET IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO US. AND WE'RE ALWAYS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WAYS TO DO THAT, JUST TO ADD ON OUR ON THE CAROUSEL AND AT OUR ADMINISTRATION BUILDING, WE HAVE SOLAR PANELS. THE CAROUSEL SOLAR PANELS WERE ADDED. I BELIEVE, IN 2016, AND THAT WAS A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE SIERRA CLUB. AND IT IT'S GREAT. IT ACTUALLY WILL HELP POWER THE CAROUSEL. I THINK IT DOES THAT ON MOST SUNNY DAYS IN THE SUMMER AS WELL. IS IT A CAROUSEL? AN EXTRA EXPENSE? IT IS. IT'S AN EXTRA TICKET, IT IS INCLUDED WITH SOME MEMBERSHIPS, BUT IT'S A I DON'T WANT TO MISQUOTE THE PRICE. I DON'T REMEMBER IT OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, BUT IT IS. YOU CAN GET A SINGLE TICKET OR AN ALL DAY TICKET FOR THE CAROUSEL IMPLICATIONS. THAT'S WHAT COUNCILWOMAN RUBY MEANT TO ASK. I'M SORRY. THE BUDGET IMPLICATES. SO DOES IT BRING? IS IT IS IT JUST KIND OF THAT NEUTRAL, OR DOES IT BRING. OH NO IT IT'S THAT THE COST TO OPERATE IT. OUR LARGEST COST ON AN ANNUAL BASIS IS ACTUALLY THE HORSES THAT WE HAVE BEEN REPLACING. BUT WE HAVE MADE A PLAN OVER THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS AND WILL CONTINUE FOR ANOTHER YEAR OR TWO TO REPLACE THE HORSES WITH THESE HAND-CARVED ANIMALS IN IN LINE WITH THE CONSERVATION THEME OF THE CAROUSEL, BUT THE REVENUE FROM THE CAROUSEL MORE THAN PAYS FOR ITS FOR ITSELF AND CONTRIBUTES TO OUR OPERATIONS. GREAT. OKAY SO HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO GET A NEW ANIMAL? AND WHAT HAPPENS TO THE ONES YOU TAKE OFF? SO THE NEW ANIMALS THAT WE HAVE ON THE CAROUSEL ARE HAND-CARVED. THEY'RE WOOD VERSUS THE FIBERGLASS, HORSES THAT WE HAD.SO TYPICALLY WE LIKE TO LOOK, IF THERE IS A DONOR WHO WOULD LIKE TO PURCHASE ONE OF THOSE ANIMALS, TYPICALLY, I BELIEVE THAT THAT DONOR PRICE IS ABOUT $5,000 FOR A CARVED ANIMAL. AND WE'VE HAD SEVERAL PEOPLE OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS CONTRIBUTE FUNDS FOR THAT. BUT THEN WE IDENTIFY FUNDING OUT OF SOME OF OUR CAPITAL OR OPERATING BUDGETS TO, DO THE WE TRY TO DO FOUR HORSES A YEAR, AND IF WE ARE NOT ABLE TO GET A DONOR FOR A HORSE, WE WILL PAY FOR THAT OUT OF OUR BUDGET. OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. COUNCILWOMAN CHAPEL. ALL RIGHT.
I'LL JUST SAY IT AGAIN. HAPPY BIRTHDAY. THANK YOU FOR BEING WITH US. THANK YOU, I'M A BIG ZOO FANATIC, AND WE'VE HAD A LOT OF CONVERSATION ABOUT THAT. AND I'M JUST REALLY IMPRESSED WITH EVERYTHING THAT YOU'VE GOT GOING ON OVER AT THE ZOO, FIRST OFF, ORGANIZATIONAL CHART, I'M GOING TO GIVE IT A B. I WOULD HAVE LIKED TO HAVE SEEN SOME COLOR CODING TO IT, BUT OTHERWISE IT'S A PRETTY GOOD ORGANIZATIONAL CHART. WE'VE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT THE ELEPHANTS, AND I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND, AND I THINK THAT THAT WAS A TOUGH DECISION, BUT A NECESSARY ONE,
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BUT WE'VE HAD A LOT OF OTHER REALLY GREAT ACQUISITIONS IN THE LAST YEAR, SOME OF THE BIGGER ONES PEOPLE MIGHT KNOW THE RED PANDAS, KOALAS, A POLAR BEAR, A BONGO, CAN YOU SPEAK TO THE ACQUISITIONS THAT YOU HAVE MADE WITH YOUR ANIMALS IN THE PAST, LAST YEAR, AND THEN ANYTHING THAT'S PROJECTED AND THEN WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT? OBVIOUSLY, CONSERVATION IS A BIG PART OF THAT ACQUISITION, MODEL. BUT WHAT DRIVES FROM A BUDGETARY STANDPOINT WHAT ANIMALS YOU'RE PURSUING? SURE SO ONE OF THE THINGS WE KNOW FOR ANY MODERN ZOO OR AQUARIUM EXPERIENCE NOW, PEOPLE REALLY WANT TO GET A CHANCE TO GET CLOSER TO THE ANIMALS AND ENCOUNTER THEM IF YOU CAN. AND AS LONG AS WE ARE DOING OUR BEST TO PROMOTE AND PRESERVE THEIR WELFARE, THERE'S NO REASON WHY WE CAN'T DO THAT. SO, FOR EXAMPLE, THE JAGUAR EXHIBIT THEIR CAGE. REALLY? IT WAS A REALLY, REALLY MEDIOCRE AND SUBPAR JAGUAR EXHIBIT. AND AS MUCH AS WE LOVE LEBRON, HE WAS BORN IN THE AKRON ZOO, SO HE WAS NAMED LEBRON. AND WE LOVED HIM. HE'S A GREAT CAT. HE DESERVED BETTER. AND THE ASSOCIATION OF ZOOS AND AQUARIUMS HAD CITED IN OUR PREVIOUS ACCREDITATION INSPECTION. EVERY FIVE YEARS YOU'RE INSPECTED FOR ACCREDITATION. WE PASSED OUR LAST ONE, BUT ONE OF THE REASONS WE WERE ABLE TO GET PAST IT WAS IN THE PREVIOUS INSPECTION, ACCREDITATION INSPECTION. THEY WANTED US TO EXPAND THE HOLDING OF THE JAGUAR AREA, WHICH WOULD HAVE COST ABOUT A HALF $1 MILLION. IT DIDN'T MAKE ANY SENSE. THE HABITAT WASN'T VERY GOOD. SO SPENDING THE MONEY IN A BACK AREA DIDN'T MAKE ANY SENSE AT ALL. SO WE SENT HIM TO LITTLE ROCK ZOO. HE'S GOT A BRAND NEW EXHIBIT AND A GIRLFRIEND, AND HE'S DOING GREAT. THE RED PANDA, ON THE OTHER HAND, WE REALLY WERE ABLE TO REDO THAT WHOLE AREA, RENOVATE THE EXISTING AREA. BUT REALLY ENHANCE IT. AND IT'S GREAT FOR THE RED PANDA AND WE'RE GETTING ANOTHER ONE FROM THE KNOXVILLE ZOO. SHE'LL BE COMING SOON, AND PEOPLE WILL BE ABLE TO GO IN WITH THE RED PANDAS FOR AN ENCOUNTER, FOR A SPECIAL ENCOUNTER. AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT YOU COULD DO WITH THE JAGUAR, BUT IT'S PROBABLY JUST A ONE TIME ENCOUNTER WITH THE JAGUAR. THAT'S A JOKE FOR ANYBODY WHO'S PAYING ATTENTION. ANYWAY. SO WITH THE ELEPHANTS LEAVING AS MUCH AS I, I DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM GO. THE RHINOS WILL TAKE WHAT WAS THE TRAINING WALL THERE? MAKE SOME IMPROVEMENTS AND BE ABLE TO DO A RHINO ENCOUNTER RIGHT THERE IN FRONT OF FRONT OF THE GUESTS. AND SIMILAR. WE HOPE WITH THE OKAPI IF WE WERE ABLE TO GET THEM SO I THINK AS WE LOOK TO SEE WHAT CAN WE DO, WHAT WHAT CAN, WHAT CAN ANIMALS OFFER FOR IN TERMS OF THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET THEM UP CLOSE? IF IT IF IT DOESN'T TAKE A TOLL ON THEM AND IT'S DONE IN A WAY THAT, THAT IS IN ACCORDANCE WITH ALL OUR, OUR WELFARE PRACTICES, I THINK IT'S A GOOD WAY TO DECIDE WHICH ANIMALS WE'RE WE WOULD GET. THE KOALAS HAVEN'T BEEN HERE IN 23 YEARS, AND THEY WERE ONLY HERE FOR SIX MONTHS BACK WHEN THEY DID SHORT TERM LOANS, WHICH PROBABLY ARE NOT THAT GOOD FOR THE ANIMALS. SO OUR INTENTION IS TO HAVE THESE THESE TWO GUYS HERE. HOPEFULLY WE'LL TRADE ONE OUT NOT TOO DISTANT FUTURE AND GET A FEMALE. BUT WE'LL BE ONE OF ONLY 11 ZOOS IN THE IN NORTH AMERICA THAT HAVE KOALAS. IS THERE ANYTHING PLANNED TO GO IN BECAUSE THE RHINOS ARE GOING WHERE THE ELEPHANTS WERE? IS THERE ANYTHING PLANNED AS OF YET FOR WHERE THE RHINOS ARE? SO OKAPI ARE THE ARE THESE IF YOU'VE EVER SEEN THEM THEY'RE PROBABLY A I DON'T KNOW STEVE 6 OR 700 POUND ANIMAL. AND THEY ARE THE LAST OF THE EXISTING GIRAFFE RELATIVES. THEY'RE EXTRAORDINARILY ATTRACTIVE ANIMAL FROM EQUATORIAL AFRICA, MAINLY FROM THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, BUT THEY'RE A FOREST ANIMAL. THEY'RE CALM. AND I THINK THEY'LL BE AN ANIMAL. THAT WOULD BE UNCOUNTABLE, JUST LIKE, JUST LIKE THE RHINOS WOULD BE. AND THEY MAKE SENSE THERE BECAUSE YOU CAN PLANT UP THAT AREA AND IT WOULD ACCOMMODATE THEM. WELL OKAPI ARE SO BEAUTIFUL. SO THAT'S GOING TO BE SUCH AN EXCITING ADDITION. YEAH.I CAN'T PROMISE THAT'S OUR INTENTION. I HAVE TO SEE WHAT'S A WHAT'S AVAILABLE OUT THERE.
BUT WE'LL WE'LL START LAYING THE GROUNDWORK FOR THAT FOR SURE. I'LL BE MANIFESTING THAT AS WELL AS LIKE CASSOWARIES OR, TAMARINS. I'D LOVE TO SEE THOSE AS WELL. WE HAVE A CASTLE. WE DO HAVE A CASSOWARY NAMED BRUCE. RIGHT. IT WAS ME, OKAY. I'M TRYING TO THINK. I THINK IT MIGHT BE, BUT ANYWAY, HE'S, HE'S COMING ALONG REALLY WELL, AND WE AND PEOPLE GO TO MEET HIM. HE'S HE'S A LOT OF FUN, I DON'T THINK WE HAVE ANY TAMARINS RIGHT NOW, BUT WE'LL KEEP THAT IN MIND.
SURE. WE WILL BE OKAY CREATING THE EXHIBIT FOR THE CASSOWARY THIS YEAR. THAT'S RIGHT. YEAH.
DOWN. WHICH WE'RE REALLY UPLIFTING THAT AUSTRALIA AREA I THINK THAT NEEDED TO. AND THAT'S
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WHY THE KOALAS ARE COMING. IT'S ALL PART OF THAT ENHANCEMENT AND AMAZING, LAST QUESTION. THIS ISN'T A QUESTION, BUT I'LL GO AHEAD AND GET IT OUT OF THE WAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BRINGING BACK ORCHESTRA, REALLY EXCITED TO SEE THAT BACK AT THE LOUISVILLE ZOO. ALSO, GOOD LUCK WITH ZOOFARI THIS WEEKEND. IT'S A BIG FUNDRAISER FOR OUR FRIENDS OF THE ZOO, EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE AND THE WHOLE GROUP HAVE REALLY KNOCKED IT OUT OF THE PARK. WE'VE SOLD OUT 35 TABLES, WE'RE GOING BACK TO A MORE FORMAL, FORMAL WEAR FOR THE EVENING, BUT WITH ORCHESTRA, I APPRECIATE THAT, WITHOUT, GRAHAM PARKER AND TEDDY ABRAMS BEING JUST AS INTERESTED IN BRINGING THIS, IT WOULDN'T HAVE WORKED. BUT WE DID . TALKING ABOUT ENHANCING THE ASSET WE PUT IN A NEW STAGE AND BANDSHELL LAST YEAR, AND THAT GRAHAM REALLY LIKED WHAT WE HAD DONE THERE. IT WAS TIME BECAUSE THE STAGE WAS REALLY DANGEROUS. I THINK THEY WOULD HAVE FALLEN THROUGH IT AT THAT TIME. BUT, BUT THAT THAT ORCHESTRA IS PROBABLY THE SECOND MOST FREQUENT QUESTION I GET IN THE COMMUNITY BEHIND WHEN ARE YOU BRINGING THE TRAIN BACK? SO I'M REALLY EXCITED THAT WORK IS COMING BACK. THE FACT THAT WE COULD DO IT FOR THIS SUMMER IS A REAL TESTAMENT TO THE COOPERATION BETWEEN, ELO AND THE ZOO, AND YOU HAVE AN ELECTRIC TRAIN COMING, IT'LL BE ELECTRIC TRAIN. THAT'S CORRECT. IT'S THE SAME ONE. IT'S THE SAME MODEL THAT COLUMBUS ZOO USES, AND ABOUT THE SAME AMOUNT OF TRACK. AND THAT'S BEEN FUNDED, IT'LL BE PART OF KENTUCKY TRAILS. OKAY, AND UNFORTUNATELY, BACK TO BUDGET QUESTIONS, WILD LIGHTS. HOW MUCH DO WE SPEND ON THAT, AND THEN HOW MUCH DO WE MAKE FROM IT? YEAH THIS IS THE FIFTH SEASON OF A FIFTH YEAR OF A FIVE YEAR CONTRACT. AND I WILL TELL YOU, WE DON'T WE DON'T PUT MONEY UP FRONT TO ON YOU, THE COMPANY PLUS A THIRD, THIRD PARTY, CONTRIBUTES TOWARDS THE MARKETING, BUT WE NET VERY LITTLE OUT OF THE OUT OF THE ENDEAVOR, SO WE'RE REALLY WEIGHING AGAINST, YOU KNOW, WHAT IT DOES FOR WHAT ARE WE GETTING OUT OF IT? WHAT DOES THE COMMUNITY GET OUT OF IT? AND WHAT IS THE IMPACT ON THE STAFF? BECAUSE IT GOES FROM 7 TO 11, 7 TO 11 THURSDAYS THROUGH SUNDAY.SO WE REARRANGE A LOT OF SCHEDULES TO MAKE IT WORK, BUT IT'S BEAUTIFUL AND IT'S GREAT, BUT WE WOULDN'T LEAVE THE COMMUNITY IN A LURCH. WE WANT TO BRING BACK A CONCERT SERIES, YOU KNOW, NOT JUST HAVE ONE, YOU KNOW, ONE OFF THIS YEAR, WE'RE ABLE TO SQUEEZE IN ORCHESTRA, BUT WE'D LIKE TO START DOING MORE THINGS, MORE HAPPY HOURS. PROBABLY BECAUSE PEOPLE SEEM TO LIKE THOSE. AND WE'RE TRYING TO ENGAGE. WE TEND TO LOSE PEOPLE. WE TEND TO LOSE PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, BY THE TIME THEY'RE GETTING INTO HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE AND WE DON'T GET THEM BACK. USUALLY UNTIL THEY HAVE CHILDREN. WE DON'T GET BACK OLDER ADULTS UNTIL THEY HAVE GRANDCHILDREN. SO THIS THESE HAPPY HOURS AND OTHER THINGS THAT WE DO THAT ARE MORE, GEARED TOWARDS ADULTS SEEMS TO HELP. ALL RIGHT. WELL, THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH. AND, NO DISRESPECT TO THE PREVIOUS DIRECTOR BECAUSE HE WAS GREAT, BUT I FELT LIKE OUR ZOO WAS REALLY STARTING TO TURN INTO, A THEME PARK AND A SPLASH PARK FOR KIDS. AND SO I'M REALLY APPRECIATIVE TO SEE THAT ANIMAL EMPHASIS, ESPECIALLY ON ANIMAL CARE, COMING BACK TO OUR ZOO. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL OF THAT. YOU'RE WELCOME. IT'S ALWAYS A BALANCE THOUGH. YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHAT IT COMES DOWN TO. WE WANT YOU KNOW AND KEEPING IN MIND I DON'T JUDGE. WE WANT PEOPLE TO COME AND ENJOY THE ZOO IF THEY COME BECAUSE THEY JUST WANT TO WEAR THE KIDS OUT, THAT'S GREAT. IF THEY WANT TO COME FOR A FAMILY OUTING, THEY WANT TO COME AND ENJOY A BOURBON. SO SLUSHY. I'M FINE WITH THAT. I APPRECIATE THEM COMING, BUT HOPEFULLY WE CAN HELP INSPIRE THEM AND THEY LEARN A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT WILDLIFE IN THE PROCESS. OKAY. COUNCILMAN KRAMER, THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR, I HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS. FIRST, AND I THINK THIS IS A FOLLOW UP TO A QUESTION THAT YOU'D ALREADY GOTTEN, SOMEBODY MENTIONED A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT SMALL POTS, BUT ACTUALLY, WHEN I'M LOOKING AT IT, YOU'VE GOT A NUMBER OF THEM, ONE THROUGH FIVE, OPEN GENERAL REPAIRS ACCOUNTS, AND THEY'RE ALL CALLED GENERAL REPAIRS, AND IT IS NOT A SMALL QUANTITY OF MONEY. I'M ONE OF THEM HAS 371,000 OTHER ONE, 226,000, SO THAT'S QUITE A BIT OF MONEY AND, AND A BUNCH OF DIFFERENT GENERAL REPAIRS ACCOUNTS. HOW DO YOU KNOW WHICH GENERAL REPAIRS ACCOUNT YOU'RE GOING TO GO INTO? HOW DO YOU DECIDE WHICH ONE ARE YOU GOING TO CLOSE AS AN ACCOUNTING MATTER? AARON, I'M LOOKING AT YOU AS AN ACCOUNTING MATTER. IS THAT NOT SOMETHING? CAN'T WE JUST COMBINE THEM ALL INTO ONE GENERAL REPAIRS ACCOUNT? STEPHANIE MORGAN, HELP US WITH.
BUT I CAN ALSO HELP YOU AS SOON AS SHE'S DONE. GO AHEAD, SO THE 371 IS THE FUNDING WE JUST RECEIVED FOR THIS PAST OR THE CURRENT BUDGET YEAR THAT WE'RE IN. SO OUT OF THAT, WE HAD FENCE REPAIRS, THE KOALA RENOVATION WAS A PART OF THAT. WHEN I WAS REFERRING TO THE SMALLER POTS, WE PUT THE WE TOOK FROM THOSE SMALLER AMOUNTS THAT HAD BUDGET REMAINING, PUT SOME OF THE EXPENSE TO THAT. AND THEN THE REMAINDER BALANCE WENT AGAINST OUR CURRENT YEAR CAPITAL,
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FUNDING THAT WE RECEIVED. SO WE TYPICALLY GO THROUGH AND HAVE AN ONGOING LIST OF PROJECTS AND DEFERRED MAINTENANCE OR OTHER FACILITY OR EXHIBIT IMPROVEMENTS AND WE TRACK EACH COST CENTER INDIVIDUALLY, EACH CAPITAL BUDGET THAT WE HAVE. AND WE'LL MAKE A PLAN OF, HERE'S THE FIVE WE'D LIKE TO DO AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR. AND AS WE GO THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, THAT CHANGES AND EBBS AND FLOWS OVER TIME BASED ON THE NEEDS OF THE ZOO AT THE TIME. OKAY SO I MEAN, I MIGHT BE IT MIGHT BE TOO MUCH. I HOW DO YOU DECIDE WHICH GENERAL REPAIRS ACCOUNT YOU'RE GOING TO TAKE MONEY OUT OF? SO WE TYPICALLY IF WE HAVE A PROJECT THAT'S ONGOING, SO EACH ONE OF THESE GENERAL REPAIRS ACCOUNTS HAS A SPECIFIC PROJECT. IT HAS MULTIPLE PROJECTS THAT ARE IN. RIGHT. SO WE'LL GO TO THE OLDEST ONE FIRST AND WE'LL TYPICALLY THERE WILL BE MAYBE A PROJECT WAS $100,000, BUT IT CAME IN AT 95. ONCE WE ACTUALLY HAD THE EXPENSES. SO WE HAD BUDGETED THAT FULL 100. AND WITH THAT REMAINING 5000, WE'LL APPLY IT TO THE NEXT PROJECT THAT WE USE. SO IT'S KIND OF A ROTATING BASIS, AND WE DO WE DO END UP WITH LITTLE SAVINGS HERE AND THERE ON PROJECTS. AND THAT'S WHERE WE GET THOSE BALANCES FROM OKAY. SO I'M GOING TO GET SPECIFIC ON JUST A COUPLE THINGS OKAY, YOUR POINT OF SALE SYSTEM, IT LOOKS LIKE YOU'VE GOT 50,000 LEFT OVER, IS THAT THE NEW GADGETS THAT YOU USE WHEN YOU GET IN YOUR OLD CARDS DON'T WORK ANYMORE BECAUSE YOU HAVE DIFFERENT READERS. THAT IS PART OF IT, WE HAD THAT'S AN ARTIFACT OF IT, BUT IT IS. PLEASE TELL ME THAT THAT'S WORKING VERY WELL FOR YOU AND THAT IT WAS A GOOD, FINANCIAL CHOICE. IT WAS A GOOD CHOICE. OVERALL, I UNDERSTAND THAT IT IS FRUSTRATING TO SOME OF OUR MEMBERS WHEN YOU COME TO THE ZOO, BECAUSE WE DO HAVE TO ISSUE NEW CARDS TO MEMBERS, IF YOU'RE COMING, I WOULD RECOMMEND COMING ON A WEEKDAY AFTERNOON IF YOU HAVE THE AVAILABILITY TO AND STOP BY SO THAT IF YOU WANT TO COME ON A WEEKEND DAY, IT DOESN'T SLOW YOU DOWN WHEN YOU'RE TRYING TO GET INTO THE ZOO. BUT FOR OUR PURPOSES OF FINANCIAL TRACKING AND OPERATION , DUAL REPORTING MEMBERSHIPS, IT IS. IT'S BEEN GREAT, THAT THAT WAS, FUNDED BY A PORTION OF THAT. IT DID COME OUT OF THAT ACCOUNT, BUT, THE FULL 700, WAS IT STARTING AT 703,000? YES, MA'AM. YES, THAT IS, THAT IS OUR PARKING LOT REVENUE THAT WE STILL ARE HAVING THE ABILITY TO TRANSFER OVER TO FUND CAPITAL PROJECTS. SO THAT WAS FUNDED FROM OUR PARKING LOT REVENUES.AND THE 50,000 IS THE REMAINING BALANCE THAT WE WILL APPLY, JUST LIKE ALL OF THE OTHER PROJECTS.
GREAT. THANK YOU. WE WERE CAUGHT UP IN THAT. AND, TO YOUR TO THE ZOO'S CREDIT, AS FRUSTRATING AS IT IS ON A WEEKEND WHEN YOU SHOW UP WITH YOUR GRANDKIDS AND YOU HAVE TO GET A NEW CARD AND WAIT, THIS RIDICULOUS LONG LINE, YOU GUYS HAD TOLD US FOR MONTHS AHEAD OF TIME THAT WE NEEDED TO GET THIS NEW CARD, WE JUST DIDN'T PAY AS CLOSE ATTENTION AS WE PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE. AND THEN THE DAY. I APPRECIATE THAT. THANK YOU. YES. SO JUST AS WELL. SO THE PUBLIC KNOWS IT, YOU KNOW, THAT WAS MY FAULT. SO IF YOU HAD TO STAND IN THAT LONG LINE AND YOU GOT PLENTY OF NOTICE, I'M SORRY. I JUST DON'T JUST DON'T COMPLAIN TOO LOUDLY TO ME, AND THEN JUST ONE MORE.
AND THIS ONE'S EVEN MORE TONGUE IN CHEEK THAN THAT ONE, I'M ASSUMING THAT YOU ARE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO DO WITH THE $0.02 THAT ARE LEFT IN THE AFRICAN PRIMATES, AND NOW WE'RE THRILLED WE WILL UTILIZE THAT $0.02, THAT WE WILL FIND A PROJECT TO APPLY THAT TO.
SO YOUR ACCOUNTING PEOPLE WILL SWEEP THAT UP. THANKS. AND COUNCILMAN, AND THIS IS NOT THE FIRST BY THE WAY, DEPARTMENT, I'VE MENTIONED WHEN YOU HAVE SUCH A SMALL BALANCE, IT WOULD BE NICE. IT IS IT IS A SMALL THING. $0.02 IS THE SMALLEST. WE'D LIKE TO BE ABLE TO CLEAN THOSE THINGS UP. JUST JUST SO IT'S. I'M CLEAR. IT'S JUST AT ANY GIVEN TIME, WE HAVE 12 TO $15 MILLION OF DIFFERENT PROJECTS. WE DO OUR BEST TO BE AS RESPONSIBLE AS POSSIBLE. AND STEPHANIE HAS A REALLY GOOD JOB AT, AT HEMMING IN WHEN I THIS WE HAD A CONVERSATION PROBABLY JUST TWO AND A HALF WEEKS AGO AND I CAME IN, I SAID, WELL, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT THIS, THIS, THIS. AND SHE SAID, YOU KNOW, I, I, WE HAVE A LOT OF THINGS THAT ARE AHEAD OF THE AND SHE THEN SAID, WELL, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE I'M TRYING TO SAVE A LITTLE BIT IN CASE WE HAVE AN HVAC SYSTEM BREAKDOWN BECAUSE WE BOTH IN THE ORANGUTAN AND THE GORILLA AREA, WE KNOW THAT THOSE ARE OLDER. SO WE TRY OUR BEST TO GO AS RESPONSIBLY ABOUT. AND I KNOW YOU'RE NOT INFERRING OTHERWISE, BUT THERE ARE TIMES WHEN WE KNOW WE'RE WE PRIDE OURSELVES IN OUR ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT AND OUR SELF-RELIANCE, SO WE'RE ALWAYS TRYING TO TAKE CARE OF THOSE, THOSE THINGS AND TRY AND AT LEAST SAVE SOME CONTINGENCY THERE. SO GREAT. THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK AND FOR BEING HERE TONIGHT. COUNCILWOMAN PARRISH. RIGHT THANK YOU, FIRST, THANK YOU FOR TALKING ABOUT THE BALANCE OF IT ALL AND LOOKING AT , ZOO. THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO ME. WHICH THE CINCINNATI ZOO, AND I KNOW THAT ALL OF THE ZOOS SET CERTAIN STANDARDS. AND IT'S REALLY GOOD TO KNOW WHAT OUR ZOO WILL OFFER AND WHERE PEOPLE CAN VENTURE 100 MILES UP THE ROAD AND FIND ADDITIONAL THINGS. I
[02:10:01]
WAS SAD TO SEE THAT WHAT WHEN I LEARNED ABOUT THE ELEPHANTS, BUT DEFINITELY UNDERSTAND. AS A MOTHER OF SIX AND GRANDMOTHER OF FOUR, I SEE THE ZOO A LOT EVERY YEAR FOR THE LAST 20. WELL, MY OLDEST IS 32, SO I REALLY HAVE SEEN THE GROWTH AND THE CHANGES. AND THANKS FOR ANSWERING MY QUESTION AROUND THE TRAIN AND, YEAH. SO MY QUESTION NOW I SEE HOW YOU SPEND THE BUDGET. I KNOW YOU MAKE A DOLLAR OUT OF $0.15. I SEE THE CHANGES. YOU CAN VISUALLY SEE IT WHEN YOU VISIT THE ZOO, BUT I DIDN'T SEE A LOT ON THE FEDERAL FUNDING SIDE AND JUST WANT TO KNOW WHERE THINGS ARE FEDERALLY. ARE YOU SEEKING MORE SUPPORT OR, YOU KNOW, AND DO YOU HAVE ANY FUTURE PROJECTS AND ARE YOU EVEN, YOU KNOW, LIKE ACTIVELY GOING AFTER FEDERAL GRANTS IS THE I THINK, STEPHANIE, WAS THAT SOME OF THE MISLABELED ARE WE TALKING ABOUT THERE? WE, WE CURRENTLY DON'T HAVE ANY FEDERAL FUNDS, IN OUR PROGRAM, WE WITH KENTUCKY TRAILS, WE ARE LOOKING AT DIFFERENT, FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES AND GRANTS THAT MAY BE AVAILABLE. SO WE ARE IN THE BEGINNING OF RESEARCHING SEVERAL OF THOSE, BUT THAT IS ON OUR, THAT IS ON OUR LIST OR AGENDA THAT WE WILL BE LOOKING TOWARDS THOSE FUNDING SOURCES FOR KENTUCKY TRAILS. WE WERE ABLE TO WE WERE ABLE TO FINALLY, FILL A POSITION THAT DEALS WITH EXTERNAL PARTNERSHIPS. AND PART OF WHAT THIS PERSON DOES IS, IS GRANTS, WE ALSO FEEL LIKE WE MIGHT HAVE A SHOT AT SOME, SOME EARMARKS, BUT EARMARKS DON'T TEND TO BE REALLY SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNTS OF MONEY, WE KNOW OUR FRIENDS AT THE WATERFRONT, DEBORAH BILICKI AND I COMPARE NOTES ALL THE TIME, AND WE KNOW WHAT IT WENT INTO, WHAT IT TOOK TO GET THE GRANT, THE FEDERAL GRANT THAT THEY WERE. I THINK THEY'RE ABOUT TO SECURE OR THEY'VE SECURED IT. SO WE'D LOVE TO BE ABLE TO FOLLOW IN THEIR FOOTSTEPS, WE KNOW THAT THERE'S SOME THERE'S SOME POTS OF MONEY OUT THERE. WE'LL WE'LL DO OUR BEST TO GET AS AMBITIOUS ABOUT THAT AS POSSIBLE. OKAY. THANK YOU FOR THAT. AND THE LAST QUESTION IS, I SEE THAT THE PARKING AND THE REVENUE. AND I'M GLAD THAT YOU'RE GETTING SOMETHING FROM THAT. AND JUST BEING THERE. MOTHER'S DAY, WE WERE FORCED TO PARK ON THE GRASS AND WE PAID THE FEE. IS THERE ANY PLAN, EXPANSION OR DEVELOPMENT AROUND THE PARKING LOT? I KNOW IN MOST PARTS OF THE CITY WE WANT TO SEE THEM REDUCE THE HEAT ISLANDS AND USAGE, BUT YOURS GET A GREAT DEAL OF USAGE. SO IS THERE ANY PLANS AROUND OR ANY DEVELOPMENT PLANS WITH THE PARKING? I, I HATE TO SEE US, HATE TO SEE US TAKE THAT, THAT AREA AND BLACKTOP IT. BUT WE WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO MASTER PLAN, DO SOME ADDITIONAL MASTER PLANNING, THE AREA THAT WE HAD HOPED TO RELOCATE OUR ESSENTIAL SERVICES, LIKE THE ANIMAL HOSPITAL, THE COMMISSARY, ANIMAL COMMISSARY, THE FACILITIES. THAT'S THE AREA THAT COLLAPSED. YOU KNOW, THE MINE, THE FORMER MINE THAT'S BELOW PART OF THE ZOO. WE'RE JUST FORTUNATE THAT THERE WAS NO NOBODY. NO PEOPLE OR ANIMALS OR STRUCTURES THERE, JUST SO PEOPLE UNDERSTAND, WE'RE STILL IN LITIGATION ON THAT. WE HAVE, WE HAVE AN OCTOBER DATE TO GO TOWARDS. BUT WE WERE SUED BY THE LOUISVILLE UNDERGROUND. SO IT'S AN UNUSUAL SITUATION, TO SAY THE LEAST, THE OTHER PART OF THIS IS, I THINK, AS WE GO TO MASTER PLANNING AND I, I, I, I, I REALLY BELIEVE IN MY HEART THAT WITHIN THE DECADE, THERE WILL BE PEOPLE I THINK THE WAY PEOPLE DRIVE AND SELF DRIVING CARS AND VARIOUS OTHER THINGS.I'M NOT SURE. I'M NOT EVEN SURE IF WE NEED THE PARKING RIGHT THERE ON SITE. I THINK WE START LOOKING AT THOSE PROPERTIES. I'VE SPOKEN WITH JEFF O'BRIEN. IF THERE'S ADJACENT PROPERTIES WHERE WE CAN, WE CAN LOOK TO ACQUIRE LATER ON. BUT BUT I THINK IT'S GOING TO CHANGE A LOT . SO WHATEVER WE DO IN MASTER PLANNING, I'D LIKE TO MAKE IT MORE LIKE ALMOST ENOUGH PULL OUT SO PEOPLE CAN GET DROPPED OFF BY THEIR BY THEIR CARS. I DON'T THINK THAT'S TRUE. AND I DON'T THINK THAT'S TOO IMAGINATIVE. I THINK IT'S PRETTY, PRETTY PRACTICAL. YES, MA'AM. THANK YOU. AND THAT MY, THE WHAT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT AND WORRYING ABOUT SINKHOLES AND THINKING ABOUT OUT OF LOUISVILLE, THAT YOU ALL ARE LOCATED IN ONE OF THE MOST HILLY AREAS THAT WE HAVE. AND THINKING ABOUT PEOPLE PARKING CARS ON THE GRASSY KNOLLS AND THE IN THE GRASS AND ALONGSIDE THE ZOO AND AROUND THE ZOO. I WAS JUST WONDERING, HAVE YOU LOOKED AT ALL OF THAT AND IF THAT, IS THERE ANY LONG TERM PLANNING AROUND THAT? IS IT STABLE ENOUGH TO MAINTAIN THE WAY IT'S GOING WHILE YOU DEVELOP A MASTER PLAN THAT CAN FIT THE NEEDS? WELL, WE'LL WE'LL TAKE A CLOSE LOOK AT THAT FOR SURE, IT'S BEEN AGAIN, WE DIDN'T EVEN REALLY WANT TO RESEAL AND RESTRIPE WITH ANOTHER DARK PARKING LOT IF WE DIDN'T HAVE TO, BUT IT WAS IN SUCH BAD SHAPE , WE JUST HAD TO PROVE IT. AND AGAIN, WE WANT PEOPLE TO FEEL LIKE THEY'RE COMING TO A PLACE THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S INTENTIONAL AND TO TELL YOU THE TRUTH, AT LEAST IN MY
[02:15:04]
EXPERIENCE, MOST PEOPLE DON'T NOTICE WHEN THINGS LOOK GOOD. THEY THEY REALLY ONLY NOTICE WHEN IT LOOKS BAD. COULDN'T AGREE WITH YOU MORE ON THAT ONE, COUNCILMAN KRAMER. SO ALONG THAT SAME LINE, SOME NUMBER OF YEARS AGO, THERE WAS A CONVERSATION ABOUT, BECAUSE OF THERE'S SO MUCH JUST BECAUSE OF THE BLACKTOP, THERE WAS SOME CONVERSATION AROUND THE POSSIBILITY OF DOING A SOLAR FARM, MY UNDERSTANDING IS YOU CAN PARK UP UNDER THOSE, AND I KNOW THERE WAS SOME CONVERSATION AROUND THAT WITH THE PREVIOUS ZOO. WAS THAT COST PROHIBITIVE? AND AS YOU LOOK AT WHAT YOU'RE DOING, IS IT POSSIBLE WITH NEW TECHNOLOGIES TO REVISIT THAT, OR IS THAT THE KIND OF THING THAT WE'VE BEEN THERE, DONE THAT? HERE ARE THE REASONS IT WILL NEVER WORK. NO, I THINK THAT CERTAINLY THERE'S BEEN OTHER ZOOS THAT HAVE CREATED THOSE, YOU KNOW, SOME COVERED PARKING, I WOULD CONSIDER ALL OF THAT. I WILL TELL YOU, FOR KENTUCKY TRAILS, WE ARE VERY SERIOUS ABOUT GEOTHERMAL TO BE ABLE TO, TO, COOL AND HEAT A COUPLE OF THE, THE BIG BUILDINGS IN KENTUCKY TRAILS. THERE'S NOT THERE'S NOT A HUGE NUMBER OF BUILDINGS THERE, BUT WE WE'D LIKE TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT. AND ONE OF THE ADVANTAGES, UNLIKE THE AIRPORT OR THE HIGHLAND BAPTIST CHURCH, WE DON'T HAVE TO DRILL VERTICAL WELLS. THERE'S ENOUGH SPACE THAT AS LONG AS YOU GET IT AT LEAST FIVE FEET BELOW GROUND, WE HAVE ENOUGH SPACE WHERE WE CAN LAY THE, THE HOSING AND PIPING. HORIZONTAL. AND I THINK IT'LL SAVE US A LOT OF MONEY. I THINK IT'S I THINK IT'S VERY DOABLE AND ACHIEVABLE. AND WE CERTAINLY LOOK AT MORE, MORE PHOTOVOLTAIC, OPPORTUNITIES FOR KENTUCKY TRAILS AS WELL. GREAT. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN WEBER. SO I WAS ACTUALLY JUST TALKING TO A VENDOR IN MICHIGAN ABOUT THE COVERED PARKING PIECES. AND THE TECH IS PRETTY EASY. TOTALLY DOABLE. ALSO MIGHT HELP US WITH ONE OF THE EQUITY ISSUES THAT WE'RE GOING TO FACE AS A CITY, WHICH IS EQUITABLE ACCESS TO CHARGING. SO YOU THINK ABOUT ALL OF THE MULTIFAMILY UNITS AROUND THAT ARE COMPLICATED FOR PEOPLE TO DO. I MEAN, THAT IS AN ADDITIONAL COMPONENT THAT WOULD, YOU KNOW, MIGHT ALSO HELP IN AND IT'S BILLABLE TO MEDICARE. WELL I'LL GET TO THAT, AND BECAUSE SHE'S NOT IN THE ROOM, DANA MARTIN. WE COULD POTENTIALLY PUT IT IN THE CAPITAL BUDGET AND BOND IT, BECAUSE THERE'S AN ONGOING REVENUE STREAM THERE, AND THEN IT DOESN'T EVEN COME OUT OF GENERAL FUND WHILE WE DO THAT KIND OF INVESTMENT. OKAY.WHAT'S THAT? AND IT WOULD PAY FOR ITSELF, WHICH IT TURNS OUT SOME OF OUR COLLEAGUES REALLY LIKE. I LIKE THOSE THINGS TOO, WE LIKE IT BECAUSE THIS IS MY ROLE. I JUST WANT TO KNOW, DO YOU KNOW IF ANY OF THE ANIMALS CURRENTLY AT THE ZOO COULD BE REGISTERED AS THERAPY ANIMALS AND THUS THE VISITORS COULD BE BILLABLE TO MEDICAID? YOU ALL THOUGHT I COULDN'T DO IT? YES THE, IF YOU, YOU KNOW, IF YOU KNOW OF ANY MEMBERS OF COUNCIL THAT SEEM TO BE ABLE TO QUALIFY FOR SUCH A, FOR SUCH AN OPPORTUNITY, WE'RE MORE THAN HAPPY TO, TO ENTERTAIN THAT COUNCILMAN, WE APPRECIATE YOUR SERVICE AS A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT EIGHT. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL YOU DO. THANK YOU. OKAY COUNCILWOMAN ROY, YOU DARED ME. OKAY. I'M GOING TO BE REALLY QUICK IF YOU WANT TO SEE WHAT ONE OF THOSE SOLAR PARKING SHELTERS LOOK LIKE. MY PREVIOUS HOUSE IS THE ONLY ONE IN THE CITY THAT HAD ONE. WHEN IT WAS BUILT. SO I CAN TAKE YOU OVER THERE AND SHOW YOU WHAT THEY LOOK LIKE. YEAH, AND THAT ONE MIGHT BE THERE MIGHT BE FEDERAL MONEY AVAILABLE FOR SOMETHING LIKE THAT AS WELL. YEAH. YEP. SO WE'RE HOPING WE'RE CERTAINLY HOPING FOR OUR GEOTHERMAL THAT THERE'D BE FEDERAL MONEY. WE'VE ALREADY INVESTED AND THAT THE WHAT WE FOUND OUT THOUGH IS THAT A LOT OF LIKE, EVEN THE AIRPORT THEY YOU'RE ROLLING THE DICE A LITTLE BIT. YOU'RE YOU THE WAY IT'S WAY IT'S REIMBURSED TO YOU IS, DOESN'T MEAN IT'S GUARANTEED, BUT IT'S A GOOD CHANCE. SO ALL RIGHT, THOSE ARE OUR LAST PERSON IN THE QUEUE. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH. WE APPRECIATE THE VISIT, YOU'RE SHARING YOUR BIRTHDAY WITH US AND ALL THE INFORMATION. THANK YOU SO MUCH. WE, WE THANK YOU SO MUCH. HAVE A GOOD REST OF YOUR BIRTHDAY. I CAN'T IMAGINE IT WOULD GET BETTER THAN THIS, BUT I HOPE SOMEHOW IT DOES. THE, THERE'S A THERE'S A COCKTAIL WAITING FOR ME SOMEWHERE. CHAMBERS BOURBON SLUSHIE. YOU MENTIONED THREE TIMES. THANK YOU ALL. THANK YOU. I DO WANT TO THANK ALL MY COLLEAGUES FOR THE TIME AND ATTENTION THAT YOU'VE GIVEN TO THESE 233 HEARINGS THAT WE'VE HAD SINCE MAY 6TH, ALSO, THANK THE CLERKS, METRO TV, ANGELA DUNN, WHO'S NOT IN THE ROOM, AARON JACKSON, WHO IS, AND, MY CO-CHAIR, COUNCILMAN KRAMER IS A REMINDER, AS ANNOUNCED AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING, WE HAVE CANCELED A BUDGET CALLBACK. SESSIONS ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED FOR THE FIFTH, 10TH, AND 13TH.
SO, COUNCIL MEMBERS, YOU HAVE SOME FREE TIME IN YOUR BUDGET. WE HAVE TWO MORE MEETINGS
[02:20:03]
PLANNED JUNE 13TH FOR OUR NORMAL BUDGET MEETING. AND OUR SPECIAL BUDGET COMMITTEE MEETING ON JUNE 17TH TO CONSIDER AMENDMENTS, PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT YOU GET YOUR SUGGESTIONS FOR AMENDMENTS IF YOU HAVE NOT DONE SO ALREADY EITHER. ON THE BOARD, ON THE SECOND FLOOR, OR TO ONE OF US, SO THAT WE CAN GET THOSE INCLUDED IN THE DRAFTS. THE AMENDED VERSIONS OF THE BUDGET ORDINANCE WILL BE CONSIDERED ON JUNE 20TH. WITHOUT OBJECTION, THE MEETING IS ADJOURNED.* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.