Jun 09, 2025 Budget Hearings FY 2025-2026

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METRO TV WILL START IN 30S.

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[Call to Order]

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[Roll Call]

JOSEPH. COUNCILMAN. BASS. COUNCILMAN. OWEN. AND COUNCILWOMAN. PARISH. RIGHT.

JOINING ME VIRTUALLY IS COUNCILWOMAN MCCRANIE. I BELIEVE THAT CAPTURES EVERYBODY. OKAY, GOOD. AND I WOULD ASK IF THE CLERK WOULD PLEASE READ THE REQUIRED NOTICE FOR VIRTUAL MEETINGS. THIS MEETING IS BEING HELD PURSUANT TO KARA 6122 SIX AND COUNCIL RULE FIVE, A READ IN FULL. THANK YOU. WE WILL CONTINUE OUR HEARINGS WITH THE LOUISVILLE FREE PUBLIC LIBRARY

[ ID 25-0229     Louisville Free Public Library]

DEPARTMENTS WILL NOT MAKE OPENING STATEMENTS, AND WE WILL BEGIN IMMEDIATELY WITH COUNCIL MEMBER QUESTIONS. I WANT TO REMIND YOU BEFORE WE START DISCUSSING THE LOUISVILLE FREE PUBLIC LIBRARIES, $30.1 MILLION PROPOSED OPERATING BUDGET AND 10.3 CAPITAL BUDGET. THERE ARE SOME FINANCIAL SYSTEM CONVERSION ISSUES THAT WILL MAKE COMPARISONS BETWEEN THE PROJECTED FY 26 BUDGET AND THE FY 24 AND FY 25. UNRELIABLE FY 26 INCLUDES FEDERAL GRANTS AND THE RESTRICTED AREA, BUT FY 25 REVISED DOES NOT CONTAIN FEDERAL GRANTS, AND ANY STATE FUNDING LISTED IS PROBABLY AGENCY FUNDS. WELCOME, DIRECTOR SEXTON SMITH, IT'S GOOD TO HAVE YOU BACK IN CHAMBERS. IT DOESN'T FEEL ODD TO ME BECAUSE I'M STILL ON THE SAME SIDE OF THE RAIL. I'M GUESSING IT'S A LITTLE DIFFERENT SITTING WHERE YOU'RE SITTING. WELL, IT'S A TRUE HONOR AND A PRIVILEGE TO BE SITTING HERE IN THIS AUSPICIOUS CHAMBER ONCE AGAIN. SO THANK YOU FOR WELCOMING ME.

WELL, WE'RE GRATEFUL THAT YOU'RE BACK AND LOOK FORWARD TO WHAT WHAT YOU HAVE TO SHARE ABOUT LIBRARIES. DIRECTOR SEXTON SMITH, LET ME START OFF BY ASKING WHY THE LOUISVILLE FREE PUBLIC LIBRARIES BUDGET INCLUDES $1 MILLION FOR ADDITIONAL LIBRARY BOOKS AND MATERIALS.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT QUESTION. AND AS WE LOOKED AT THE UPCOMING YEAR, WE WANTED TO BE ABLE TO MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE IN THE WAIT TIMES THAT WE HAVE FOR OUR BOOKS IN ALL OF THE METRO COUNCIL DISTRICTS, BECAUSE THE 17 OPERATING BRANCHES ARE SERVING ALL DISTRICTS, AND RIGHT NOW WE ARE AVERAGING 40 DAY WAIT ON EBOOKS, AND AT TIMES WE HAVE PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY WAITING UP TO SIX MONTHS FOR SOME OF OUR PAPER BOOKS, AND THAT'S JUST SIMPLY NOT ACCEPTABLE. AND SO THAT'S WHY WE ARE REQUESTING THE $1 MILLION. THANK YOU. AND YOU MENTIONED EBOOKS. THAT'S BEEN A CONVERSATION THAT SEVERAL OF US ON THE COUNCIL HAVE HEARD FROM FOLKS WHO ARE WAITING THE 40 PLUS DAYS FOR EBOOKS. AND I DON'T KNOW, I DON'T NEED AN EXACT BREAKDOWN, BUT COULD YOU SPEAK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW THIS MILLION WOULD BE USED IN TERMS OF WHEN WE PURCHASE MATERIALS, WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE? YES, THE PROJECTION IS TO SPEND 50% OF THAT ON EBOOKS TO BEGIN WITH AS SOON AS WE POSSIBLY COULD. GREAT, THANKS. AND THEN FINALLY. I WANTED TO ASK ABOUT THE TWO TWO POSITIONS THAT WILL BE NECESSARY FOR THE FERN CREEK LIBRARY OPERATIONS.

WILL TWO POSITIONS BE SUFFICIENT, OR WILL WE BE MOVING FOLKS FROM OTHER LIBRARIES TO FERN CREEK TO KIND OF GET THINGS GOING? ALL RIGHT, THAT'S ANOTHER GREAT QUESTION. THE TWO POSITIONS AT WE NEED FUNDING ARE FOR FERN CREE FOR AGET, YES, ASSIANT MANER A A MANAGER.

AND SO WE NEED T INVI TBEE B BUILDING RELATIONSHIPSN THE AREA. ONCE WE ARE UP AND RUNNING IN THE SUCCEEDING BUDGET YEAR, WE WOULD WE WILL THEN BE PROPOSING ADDITIONAL FUNDS FOR OPERATING. YES, THERE WILL BE MORE THAN TWO INDIVIDUALS WORKING AT THE FERN CREEK LIBRARY. GREAT. THANK YOU. FIRST THANK YOU FOR QUESTIONS. IS COUNCILMAN WINKLER. THANK YOU. AND DIRECTOR SEXTON SMITH, I WANT TO PIGGYBACK OFF OF CHAIR KRAMER'S QUESTION. AND I KNOW YOU ANSWERED THE QUE SPECIF TO STAFFING OF FERN CREEK, BUT LIKE TO ASK A JUST SYSTEM WIDE. CAN YOU SPEAK TO, YOU KNOW, WHETHER THIS BUDGET HAS AN APPROPRIATE LEVEL OF STAFFING, GIVEN THE NUMBER OF LIBRARIES THAT WE'VE RENOVATED AND REOPENED IN THE LAST YEAR, OR WHETHER WE'RE STILL BEYOND THE SORT OF MORE MEAGER SIDE OF STAFFING? ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION. MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT WE ARE COMFORTABLE AND CONFIDENT WITH THE NUMBERS THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE FOR STAFFING. AND I'M ALSO VERY PLEASED TO REPORT THAT OUR TURNOVER RATE AT THE LIBRARY IS BEEN DRASTICALLY REDUCED IN THE LAST YEAR, AND OUR NUMBER OF VACANT POSITIONS ARE SITTING AT 40 THIS YEAR VERSUS 70 VACANCIES

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AND BUT THE GOOD NEWS IS THEY'RE EXTREMELY POPULAR. THEY SERVE THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY. THEY'RE NOT TIED TO A PARTICULAR BRANCH. SO EVERYONE IN THE IN THE COMMUNITY HAS ACCESS TO THESE

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BUT IS SOME OF THAT 1,000,001 MILLION MATCHED TO STOCK NEW LIBRARIES? MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT WE DO HAVE WE WILL BE USING THIS TO STOCK OUR PORTLAND BRANCH. AND THEN I NEED TO SEEK VERIFICATION. FROM THE. ALL RIGHT. SO I APOLOGIZE FOR THAT. COUNCILWOMAN SHAMIKA PARISH.

RIGHT. OUR THE MONEY THAT WE HAVE NOW WILL HELP US WITH THE OPENING DAY COLLECTION. AND THEN THERE WILL BE THE ONGOING COLLECTION. PART OF THAT PART HAS COMES FROM THE CAPITAL CAMPAIGN, AND THE PART COMES FROM OUR OPERATING BUDGET. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

MY NEXT QUESTION, WHICH I JUST LOOKED AT, IT WASN'T IN MY ORIGINAL QUESTIONS, BUT JUST IT RELATES TO YOUR ORG CHART. AND IT JUST STUCK OUT TO ME. AND I'M TRYING TO FIND IT UNTIL I FIND THAT. BUT LET'S MAKE MY SECOND QUESTION AROUND ONE. WE SEE THAT ON THE LOUISVILLE FREE PUBLIC LIBRARY RANKS VERY LOW ON THE BENCHMARK CITIES REPORT. IT ALSO LOOKS LIKE WE SPEND ON THE LOWER END OF SPECTRUM, YOU KNOW, COMPARED TO OUR PEER CITIES. AND I DO BELIEVE THAT LIBRARIES NEED TO BE FUNDED MORE. AND I WOULD DEFINITELY SUPPORT A REFERENDUM FOR THAT. BUT IS THERE ANY EFFORT TO IMPROVE THE RANKINGS, ESPECIALLY AS IT RELATES TO THE SQUARE FEET OF LIBRARY SPACE? AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, I'M GETTING TO THE LIBRARY AND HOW SMALL IT IS AND HOW HIGHLY FREQUENTLY IT'S

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SOME OF THE DATA IS DONE ON A STATE LEVEL. THE DATA THAT I THINK YOU'RE ASKING ME ABOUT IS SPECIFICALLY RELATED TO THE STANDARDS AND BENCHMARKS USED BY THE KENTUCKY DATA GATHERING FROM THE ANNUAL REPORTS THAT ARE SUBMITTED BY ALL THE LIBRARIES IN THE COMMONWEALTH OF KENTUCKY.

THERE'S FIVE KEY METRICS. YOU MENTIONED THE FIFTH METRIC OR THE FOURTH METRIC. THE FOURTH METRIC IS THE SQUARE FEET PER CAPITA, THE METRIC THAT IS THE GOAL THAT WE TRY TO ATTAIN IS POINT SIX SQUARE FEET PER CAPITA. AND WE ARE FALLING IN THE BOTTOM FOURTH QUARTILE HERE AT THE LOUISVILLE FREE PUBLIC LIBRARY, MEANING FOR THE NUMBER OF FOLKS THAT LIVE IN JEFFERSON COUNTY AND THE NUMBER OF SQUARE FEET WE HAVE FOR LIBRARIES, WE ARE NOWHERE NEAR AT THE LEVEL OF OTHER PUBLIC LIBRARIES ACROSS THE COMMONWEALTH OF KENTUCKY. DOES THAT ADDRESS THE QUESTION? I'M NOT SUPPOSED TO ASK QUESTIONS. DOES THAT ADDRESS YOUR QUESTION, MA'AM? YOU YOU DEFINITELY FRAMED IT AND YOU HAVE ADDRESSED IT. WHAT IS THERE A PLAN TO DEAL WITH THAT? IS SHIVELY GOING TO BE BACK ON THE RADAR AND OTHER SMALLER LIBRARIES? WHAT IS THE PLAN TO PUT MORE FUNDING TOWARDS THAT? BECAUSE I DON'T SEE THEM LISTED IN THIS. AND WHAT I HAVE BEFORE ME IS YOUR BUDGET, GOALS AND PLANS. I DON'T SEE IT SPECIFICALLY LISTED. RIGHT. AND THE CURRENT BUDGET CONVERSATION THAT WE'RE HAVING TODAY THAT IS FOCUSED ON THE CURRENT COMMITMENTS SO THAT WE CAN FINISH THE FERN CREEK CONSTRUCTION, THE RENOVATION AT MAIN, AND GET PORTLAND OPEN IN IN YOUR PACKET IS THE FACILITIES PLAN FOR THE NEXT TEN YEARS, AND WE WILL FOCUS MOST MIGHTILY ON THE FIRST FIVE YEARS OF THAT. AND IN THAT YOU WILL SEE SHIVELY IS LISTED AS ONE OF THE KEY POINTS TO BE LOOKING AT, BUT NOT IN THIS PARTICULAR BUDGET. THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION. THANK YOU. AND I'LL BE BACK NEXT YEAR WITH THAT. BUT THE LAST QUESTION, CHAIR, MR. CHAIR, KEEPING IT TO THREE, THAT YOU HAD CHANGES AROUND THE EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT SECTION. AND I SEE THAT IT APPEARS THAT THE EQUITY ASSESSMENT DIVISION NAME WAS CHANGED TO LIBRARY EXPERIENCES AND NOW REPORTS TO THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR. CORRECT. EARHART. IT LOOKS LIKE. WHY WAS THIS CHANGE MADE? THAT CHANGE WAS MADE PRIOR TO MY ARRIVAL. AND IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO HAVE DIRECTOR EARHART COMMENT ON THAT AT THIS TIME, I CAN ASK HER TO JOIN ME AT THE PODIUM. THAT WOULD BE GREAT. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT. DIRECTOR, IF YOU WOULD INTRODUCE YOURSELF WITH YOUR NAME AND TITLE. SURE. MY NAME IS CARRICK EARHART AND I AM THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC SERVICES. SO THE WHEN THE PREVIOUS DIRECTOR ANNOUNCED HIS RETIREMENT, THAT WAS WHEN IT WAS DECIDED TO MOVE THAT POSITION UNDER ME SO THAT WE COULD MAKE SURE THERE WAS NO GAP IN OPERATIONS AS WE CONTINUED TO MOVE FORWARD. SO THAT'S KIND OF WHAT CHANGED ON THE ORG CHART.

AND WHAT WAS THE I'M SORRY, WHAT WAS THE SECOND PART OF THE QUESTION? THE OTHER PART OF THE QUESTION WAS IT THE NAME WAS CHANGED FROM LIBRARY FROM EQUITY ASSESSMENT DIVISION WAS CHANGED TO LIBRARY EXPERIENCES. RIGHT. AS WE'VE EMBARKED ON THAT WORK AND TRIED TO DIG INTO THE DIFFERENT PIECES OF THE PUZZLE OF HOW TO GET MORE PEOPLE TO USE OUR LIBRARY AND MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY FEELS WELCOME. WE'VE DISCOVERED IT'S PRETTY BROAD, AND SO WE ARE FOCUSING ON EVERY USER'S EXPERIENCE THAT COMES INTO THE LIBRARY AND HOW WE CAN MAKE THEM FEEL MOST COMFORTABLE AND WELCOME WITHIN OUR SPACES. THANK YOU. AND THE LAST FOLLOW UP IS DOES THAT INCLUDE CONTENT LIKE THE TYPES OF AUTHORS, THE TYPES OF PROGRAMING? ALL OF THAT IS WITH THAT. IT CERTAINLY DOES.

YES. THANK YOU. YEP. THANK YOU. WE'RE JOINED IN CHAMBERS BY COUNCILMAN PIAGENTINI AND COUNCILWOMAN CHAPPELL. THEY'VE BOTH BEEN HERE FOR A BIT. COUNCILMAN LINENGER THANK YOU.

CHAIR. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. I WANT TO COME BACK TO THE CIRCULATION QUESTION. OBVIOUSLY,

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WHAT KIND OF SUSTAINED INVESTMENT IS IT GOING TO TAKE IF WE IF WE ARE GETTING A MILLION FROM OUR BUDGET AND A MILLION FROM FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY, OR WE'RE INVESTING 2 MILLION NEXT YEAR AT THIS RATE, HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE BEFORE WE ARE MEETING THE COMMUNITY'S EXPECTATIONS ON CIRCULATION, ESPECIALLY AS WE ARE, AS PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED, LOOKING TO EXPAND THE SYSTEM? YES. AND SO THAT'S AN EXCELLENT QUESTION. I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE JODIE HAMILTON TO JOIN ME BACK UP AT THE PODIUM IF HE WOULD. AND AS JODIE MAKES HIS WAY TO THE PODIUM, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THIS WILL BE A CONSTANTLY EVER EVOLVING CHALLENGE AND AN OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR COMMUNITY TO STAY ON PAR WITH OTHER COLLECTIONS, BECAUSE THE VISION OF OUR LOUISVILLE ADVISORY COMMISSION IS THAT THE LOUISVILLE FREE PUBLIC LIBRARY WILL BE ON PAR OR BETTER THAN THE BEST LIBRARIES IN THE UNITED STATES. AND RIGHT NOW, WE ARE FALLING IN THE BOTTOM FOURTH QUARTILE IN RANKINGS OF AMOUNT OF DOLLARS THAT WE ARE SPENDING ON OUR COLLECTION. SO WE FIND OURSELVES WITH AN OPPORTUNITY TO CATCH UP, BUT THEN WE'LL CONSTANTLY BE WANTING TO IMPROVE THAT COLLECTION. I THINK MR. HAMILTON MIGHT BE ABLE TO PROVIDE SOME MORE SPECIFIC INFORMATION AROUND THAT. THANK YOU. YES. SO RIGHT NOW, IN ORDER TO REDUCE THE WAIT TIMES INITIALLY, IT WILL REQUIRE SEVERAL HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS TO GET US DOWN TO A LEVEL THAT IS NOT WAITING SIX MONTHS FOR YOUR BOOK. AND THEN ONCE WE REACH THAT LEVEL, WE WILL BE ABLE TO. I THINK WE RIGHT NOW WE'RE WE'RE SPENDING AROUND 1.2 MILLION ON EBOOKS, GIVE OR TAKE. AND I THINK IF WE ARE ABLE TO, WITH FUTURE FUNDING, KEEP THAT, YOU KNOW, A LITTLE BIT HIGHER. ONCE WE DO THIS INITIAL INVESTMENT THAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO. KEEP THOSE HOLD LEVELS DOWN TO A REASONABLE AMOUNT. AND THEN ON THE. SO THE MEDIAN LEVEL FOR OUR PEER CITIES THAT WE'RE TRYING TO REACH IS ABOUT FIVE. LET'S SEE, I THINK IT'S ABOUT $5 PER CAPITA SPENDING ON THE ON THE COLLECTION. AND THIS PLAN, THIS THIS FUNDING THAT'S PROPOSED WILL GET US TO THAT LEVEL. AND, YOU KNOW, AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, IN FUTURE BUDGETS WE'LL JUST HAVE TO. TO WORK ON IT AND SEE WHAT WE CAN DO TO JUST KEEP US KIND OF AT THE MEDIAN, GET US UP TO THE MEDIAN LEVEL OF OUR PEER CITIES. JUST A QUICK FOLLOW UP TO THAT, BECAUSE HOLD TIMES ONLY REALLY TELL ONE PART OF THE STORY, BECAUSE WE ALSO, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT THERE HAS BEEN SOME DROPS IN CIRCULATION BECAUSE OF THE AGE OF OUR MATERIALS. SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT IT'S, YOU KNOW, CAN I WOULD HOPE THAT WE'RE TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, ADDRESS THAT AS WELL. I MEAN, THAT THAT'S A CONCERN TO ME. ABSOLUTELY. AND I AGREE THAT'S SO WE HAVE I HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT EBOOKS A LOT. BUT YOU KNOW, HALF OF THIS MONEY WILL BE GOING TOWARDS PRINT MATERIALS, PAPER, PHYSICAL BOOKS THAT WILL REFRESH THE COLLECTION. WE WILL BE LOOKING AT CHILDREN'S MATERIALS VERY CLOSELY, AND SOME OF THOSE EVERGREEN TITLES, THE CLASSICS, TO MAKE SURE WE ALWAYS HAVE THOSE ON HAND. AND, YOU KNOW, IT IS IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE DEFINITELY ARE LOOKING AT. AND IN ADDITION, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT THE PARK, THE PORTLAND LIBRARY COMING ONLINE AND THOSE THAT ENTIRE COLLECTION WAS PURCHASED WITH CAPITAL FUNDING, WHICH IS OUTSIDE OF THIS. AND WE'LL HAVE THE FERN CREEK LIBRARY WITH 50,000 NEW ITEMS, WHICH IS ALSO CAPITAL, WHICH WILL HELP THE ENTIRE COLLECTION. BECAUSE WE ARE NOT WE ARE ONE COLLECTION. WE HAVE 18 LOCATIONS, BUT WE ARE ONE COLLECTION. EVERYONE CAN CHECK OUT BOOKS FROM ANYWHERE. SO YOU KNOW, THESE CAPITAL PROJECTS WILL HELP WITH THIS AS WELL, BECAUSE THAT THOSE COLLECTIONS WILL COME FROM THAT THAT MONEY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. MY NEXT QUESTION IS ON OPERATIONS. SO AS YOU MENTIONED, THERE ARE FEWER OPEN POSITIONS AND WE HAVE REDUCED TURNOVER, WHICH IS GREAT. BUT THEN MANY OF THE STAFF AT LFL ARE PART TIME. AND MY UNDERSTANDING IS WE ARE RUNNING INTO SOME PROBLEMS ON ON HIRING DUE TO THE LIMITATIONS OF PART TIME. HAS THERE BEEN ANY CONSIDERATION ON BENEFITS FOR PART TIME EMPLOYEES FOR THE LIBRARY IN ORDER TO BOLSTER THOSE NUMBERS? ALL RIGHT, THAT'S A VERY GOOD QUESTION. AND I HAVE NOT BEEN INVOLVED IN ANY CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THAT. OKAY. AND THEN MY FINAL QUESTION AND WE ARE WE'RE WE ARE ENCOURAGED BY THE CHAIR NOT TO ASK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, OUR PARKS, OUR

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BASICALLY EVERY SINGLE PRIORITY GROUP, ONE PROJECT IS IN AREAS OF EITHER STAGNANT OR DECREASING POPULATION, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF ONE PROJECT. AND I'M CURIOUS AS TO HOW WE'RE THINKING ABOUT PRIORITIZING THE AREAS OF GROWTH, BECAUSE, I MEAN, SANS ONE, THERE ISN'T ONE LIBRARY

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AND MY ENTIRE DISTRICT STANDS, A SMALL PORTION OF IT IS OUTSIDE THE GENE SNYDER. THE GENE SNYDER IS A BIG SECTION OF MY OF MY WESTERN BORDER. SO HOW ARE WE THINKING ABOUT PRIORITIZING BOTH PROGRAMING SPEND BUT ALSO CAPITAL EXPENDITURES BY POPULATION MOVEMENTS? ALL RIGHT, COUNCILMAN PIAGENTINI, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION. AND IT'S A LONG TERM VIEW. MUST BE TAKEN, IS WHAT I THINK I HEAR YOU SAYING AS WELL. SO WHAT WE ARE DOING RIGHT NOW, SINCE WE'VE HAD AN EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP CHANGE JUST IN THE LAST SEVERAL WEEKS, AND WE ARE NOW PREPARING FOR THIS BUDGET, WE ARE VERY FOCUSED ON THE CURRENT COMMITMENTS AT HAND, AND THAT WILL TAKE US THROUGH A PERIOD OF TIME. BECAUSE YOU MENTIONED PORTLAND PARKLAND AND FERN CREEK. ALSO, I WANT TO KEEP REMINDING FOLKS THE TOP OF MIND AWARENESS IS THE MAIN RENOVATION, AND THAT IS A LARGE SCALE PROJECT AS WELL. SO ONCE WE GET ONCE WE ARE START MOVING WITH THESE CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS OR OPERATING, I WOULD ENTERTAIN AND WELCOME PLANNING, PUBLIC OPINION AND CONVERSATION ABOUT THIS FACILITIES PLAN THAT WAS FINALIZED BEFORE I ARRIVED. AND I THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE MORE CONVERSATION TO TAKE IN NEW INFORMATION AS WE GO FORWARD. I WOULD LIKE TO BE ABLE TO GIVE YOU WHAT I THINK IS GOING TO HAPPEN IN FIVE YEARS FROM NOW, OR 7 OR 8 YEARS FROM NOW, BUT I THINK IT IT WILL SERVE US BEST IF WE STAY. IF I STAY VERY FOCUSED ON THESE CURRENT COMMITMENTS THAT WE HAVE, I DO THINK THE DEMOGRAPHICS ARE IMPORTANT. THE OTHER THING THAT'S ALSO IMPORTANT THAT I'VE OBSERVED, BECAUSE IN MY SECOND, THIRD AND FOURTH DAY, SERVING AS YOUR INTERIM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE LIBRARY SYSTEM, I MADE SURE I DID THE MOST IMPORTANT THING, AND THAT WAS TO FOCUS ON THE PEOPLE THAT WORK AT THE LIBRARIES. AND SO I VISITED ALL 17 LOCATIONS AND MET EVERYONE THAT WAS WORKING THAT WEEK, AND WENT BACK THE FOLLOWING WEEK AND THE WEEK AFTER, SO I COULD ULTIMATELY MEET EVERYONE THAT WORKED IN THE LIBRARY. AND I NOTICED SOME THINGS. NOT ALL LIBRARIES HAVE THE SAME TYPE OF FACILITIES AND ALL OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, SO THE ATTENTION MUST BE PAID TO SOME OF OUR LOCATIONS THAT ARE NEEDING SOME THINGS.

WE'VE NOT BEEN ASKED YET ABOUT DEFERRED MAINTENANCE, BUT WE DO HAVE A DEFERRED MAINTENANCE PLAN THAT I WOULD LIKE TO FOCUS ON THAT AS WELL. BUT THAT WILL NOT KEEP US FROM DREAMING BIG AND LOOKING AT THE POPULATION GROWTH AND THE GEOGRAPHIC POSITION OF THAT POPULATION. I THINK THAT'S WHAT I HEAR YOU SAYING, THAT YOU'RE VERY INTERESTED IN DOING. WELL. YEAH. BECAUSE I MEAN, AS A, AS A, AS A SPECIFIC EXAMPLE, THE SECOND SMALLEST, DO YOU KNOW WHAT THE SECOND SMALLEST LIBRARY IN THE WHOLE LIBRARY SYSTEM IS BY SQUARE FOOTAGE? WELL, I RECOGNIZE THAT SMILE ON YOUR FACE, SIR. WE'VE WORKED TOGETHER A LONG TIME. YES, WE HAVE. SO IT'S. I WAS THERE LAST WEEK. BY THE WAY, IT'S THE MIDDLETOWN LIBRARY. RIGHT. AND IT'S THE FIFTH IN CIRCULATION. HIGHER THAN THE SOUTHWEST REGIONAL, HIGHER THAN THE MAIN LIBRARY. THAT LITTLE LIBRARY THAT I HAD TO KILL. I HAD TO MANEUVER. I HAD TO MOVE MOUNTAINS AND HILLS IN ORDER TO GET REOPENED. AFTER THE PRIOR ADMINISTRATION CLOSED IT. AND I WILL AGREE WITH YOU THAT THE STAFF ARE INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT. GLAD WE FINALLY GOTTEN SOME RAISES. FULL DISCLOSURE DURING DURING COVID, I HAD TO THREATEN THE PRIOR ADMINISTRATION TO ADVOCATE TO PAY THE STAFF WHEN THEY WERE FURLOUGHED BECAUSE THEIR THEIR MONEY WAS THEY WERE CAUGHT UP IN THE WHOLE UNEMPLOYMENT DEBACLE AT THE STATE. AND I WAS APPALLED BY THE FACT THAT I WAS GETTING CALLS FROM LIBRARY WORKERS THAT THEY HAD $5 LEFT IN THE BANK, AND I CALLED THE MAYOR'S OFFICE AND THREATENED HIM IN ORDER TO ADVOCATE FOR THE STATE TO GET THEM PAID, WHICH FINALLY MATERIALIZED. SO, YEAH, THE STAFF IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT. AND MY LAST THING IS I DO SEE ACROSS THE BOARD WITH SOME EXCEPTIONS, BUT IN AGGREGATE WE SEE A DECLINE IN CIRCULATION. THE POPULATION ACROSS THE CITY IS FLAT, RIGHT? IT'S NOT DOWN, IT'S NOT UP. IT'S MOVING AROUND. OKAY. BUT IT'S BUT IT'S NOT JUST JEFFERSON COUNTY. IF WE TAKE IT ON MASS, WE'RE FAIRLY FLAT TO WHAT DO WE BELIEVE THE REDUCTION IN CIRCULATION BROADLY IS ATTRIBUTABLE TO. ALL RIGHT. THAT'S AN EXCELLENT QUESTION.

LET ME BRING IT BACK TO THE BUDGET. JUST TO BE CLEAR, BECAUSE I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE IT'S TIED TO SOMETHING WE'RE TRYING TO ADDRESS THE BUDGET, FOR EXAMPLE, IF IT'S TIED TO THE

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IF NOT, IT'S SOMETHING WE HAVE TO ADDRESS IN A FUTURE BUDGET CYCLE. AND I JUST WANT TO UNDERSTAND, DO WE KNOW WHY THAT'S HAPPENING? I DO NOT PERSONALLY KNOW EXACTLY WHY THAT'S HAPPENING. I HAVE OPINIONS AND OBSERVATIONS THAT I COULD OFFER ABOUT THAT. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IF PAUL BURNS THINKS THAT HE MAY HAVE A RESPONSE TO THAT. AND IF NOT, WHO WOULD YOU LIKE TO NOMINATE? AND MADAM INTERIM DIRECTOR, MISS BARBARA SEXTON SMITH. THANK YOU SIR.

YES. IF I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT TITLE EXACTLY TO DESCRIBE TO YOU AT THIS POINT, YOU'VE HAD SO MANY. SO BUT LET ME JUST PUT IT THIS WAY. IF WE DON'T HAVE 100% ANSWER, THEN IT'D BE GOOD IF WE COULD SORT OF TEASE THAT OUT BEFORE THE NEXT BUDGET CYCLE, BECAUSE I DO WANT TO MAKE SURE IF IT'S IF IT'S JUST DEMOGRAPHIC CHANGES OR RELATED TO SOMETHING OUTSIDE OF OUR CONTROL, THAT'S ONE THING. AND IF IT'S JUST A TREND IN THE ATTITUDES OF OUR POPULATION, BUT IF THERE'S SOMETHING ELSE WE CAN BE FIXING, AND IF THAT'S A REFLECTION OF US NOT ADDRESSING SOMETHING, I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE ADDRESS IT IN THE NEXT BUDGET CYCLE. THAT'S WHAT I'M GETTING AT. ALL RIGHT.

WELL, AND ONE OBSERVATION I THINK THAT IS MERITS BEING PUT ON THE TABLE FOR CONVERSATION WOULD BE ONE BRANCH WAS OPEN. THAT'S PORTLAND AT ONE POINT AND IT'S NOT BEEN OPEN AND OPERATING. SO YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE THOSE NUMBERS OUT OF THE CIRCULATION. THAT'S JUST ONE OBSERVATION. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. GREAT QUESTIONS. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN PARKER. YES THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. LIBRARIES. EVERY DEPARTMENT THAT COMES BEFORE US, THEY'RE ALWAYS ASKED, ESPECIALLY IF THEY DO PROGRAMING. WHAT IS THE MEASURABLE OUTCOMES OF YOUR PROGRAMING? AND YOU GUYS DIDN'T SUPPLY ANY OUTCOMES. SO DO YOU KNOW WHY THAT WAS NOT SUPPLIED OR WAS DATA NOT COLLECTED OR WAS THAT JUST AN OVERSIGHT? COUNCILWOMAN PARKER, WE WILL GET BACK WITH YOU WITH THAT RESPONSE. OKAY. AND THEN ONE OTHER QUESTION, ONE OF YOUR CURRENT PROGRAMS, THIS YEAR, THE 1000 BOOKS BEFORE KINDERGARTEN, I BELIEVE, WAS NOT INCLUDED. SO DO YOU KNOW WHY THAT WAS NOT INCLUDED? DO YOU HAVE A PROGRAM DIRECTOR HERE? DO I HAVE A PROGRAM DIRECTOR HERE? THAT WOULD BE KAREK WOULD BE ABLE TO ANSWER. WE'RE GOING TO GET BACK TO YOU ON THAT QUESTION, BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO MAKE A GUESS. OKAY. BUT THOSE ARE GREAT QUESTIONS. OKAY. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. WHAT I DID FOCUS ON IS I HAVE DATA THAT. BUT I DIDN'T THINK THAT'S WHAT YOU WERE LOOKING FOR. THE NUMBERS OF PROGRAMS, THE NUMBERS OF ATTENDEES AND SO FORTH. IS THAT WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING FOR? THAT'S WHAT PEOPLE SUPPLY, THOSE TYPES OF THINGS. AND IT'S NOT. IT MAY BE WHAT SOME OF US MIGHT BE LOOKING FOR, BUT I PERSONALLY, IF THERE IS A PROGRAM, I LIKE TO SEE WHAT NOT JUST HOW MANY PEOPLE ATTENDED, BUT IF IT'S A PROGRAM WITH A PURPOSE, WAS YOUR PURPOSE MET? I MEAN, DID IT'S HARD. I DON'T KNOW WHY IT'S DIFFICULT FOR WE GO THROUGH THE SAME THING WITH THE EXTERNAL GRANT AGENCIES AS WELL. THEY JUST CAN'T FIGURE OUT HOW TO GIVE US THE ANSWERS FOR MEASURABLE OUTCOMES. LIKE HOW DID THE PEOPLE ACTUALLY BENEFIT FROM THE PROGRAM? WHAT CHANGED THEIR LIFE? WHAT ARE THEY DOING NOW THAT THEY WEREN'T DOING BEFORE? SO THAT'S SORT OF THE, YOU KNOW, KIND OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR, RIGHT? AND THOSE ARE ALL REALLY GREAT QUESTIONS. AND SO, FOR EXAMPLE, FOR A MACRO ANSWER TO THAT JUST LAST MONTH, IF YOU WANT TO LOOK AT THE MOST RELEVANT OBJECTIVE CRITERIA THAT WHAT WHAT ARE WE EXPERIENCING RIGHT NOW? 20,348 PEOPLE ATTENDED PROGRAMS IN YOUR LIBRARY LOCATIONS AND ALL OF OUR DISTRICTS. AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT THAT, THEN THERE WERE 28,266 TIMES THAT PEOPLE ACTUALLY ACCESSED A SESSION ON OUR COMPUTERS. NOW, WHEN I SEE NUMBERS LIKE THAT, 28,266 PEOPLE LOGGING ONTO A COMPUTER, AND I'M IN THE BRANCH AT SHIVELY, WHERE I'VE BEEN A NUMBER OF TIMES, FOLKS AT THE SHIVELY BRANCH. WHEN I WAS THERE, THEY CAME UP TO ME AND THEY RECOGNIZED ME, AND THEY SAID, MA'AM, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THESE COMPUTERS. IF IT WEREN'T FOR THESE COMPUTERS, I WOULD NOT BE ABLE. AND THEN THEY SHARED PERSONAL EXPERIENCES WITH ME. AND THEN IF I LOOK AT OTHER PROGRAM NUMBERS, YOU MAY BE THINKING, WELL, IS ANYBODY USING THE LIBRARY SPACE? WE HAVE THESE PHYSICAL SPACES. JUST LAST MONTH, 383 ROOMS WERE BOOKED AT THE LIBRARIES. AND YOU SAY,

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BUT I'M TALKING ABOUT SPECIFICALLY PROGRAMING THE SPECIFIC PROGRAMS, LIKE FOR INSTANCE, MAYBE 30 PEOPLE CAME TO THIS PROGRAM AND 15 OF THOSE PEOPLE ACTUALLY, WHILE THEY WERE THERE, CHECKED OUT A BOOK OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT ANYWAY. OH, WELL, THEN I CAN TELL YOU, DURING SUMMER READING, THERE WERE AS MANY AS 40,000 STUDENTS SIGNED UP FOR SUMMER READING LAST YEAR, AND THEY ARE SIGNING UP RIGHT NOW. WE CAN GET YOU SOME DATA ON THAT, BUT I CAN TELL YOU FROM ACTUALLY BEING BOOTS ON THE GROUND PHYSICALLY IN THE LIBRARY LOCATIONS AND WATCHING THE GUARDIANS, THE ADULTS BRINGING CHILDREN IN AND OUT OF THE LIBRARY WITH BAGS, LITERALLY BAGS OF BOOKS. I KNOW THOSE CHILDREN ARE DOING BETTER. I KNOW THAT WE ARE TRYING TO RESOLVE SUMMER READING LOSS. I KNOW THAT WE ARE TEACHING READING SKILLS TO CHILDREN ALL OVER AND ADULTS ALL OVER THIS COUNTY. THE THOUSAND BOOKS BY KINDERGARTEN THAT IS PART OF THE. YOU CAN SIGN UP FOR THAT IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO AT ONE OF THE LIBRARIES, SO WE CAN GET YOU SOME MORE DATA. WE'LL WORK ON THAT. OKAY. AND I THINK IT JUST IT WOULD BE USEFUL FOR YOU GUYS TO KNOW, OKAY, THESE THESE PROGRAMS WERE GREAT BECAUSE THESE WERE THE OUTCOMES. AND MAYBE WE WON'T DO THIS PROGRAM NEXT YEAR. YOU KNOW, WE'LL DO A DIFFERENT PROGRAM SO WELL. AND I KNOW THERE ARE THERE ARE SOME A PROGRAM THAT I WAS NOT AWARE OF THAT I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE TAKE ADVANTAGE OF. AND IS IT COLLEGE PREPARATORY AND TEST TAKING PROGRAMING? EACH AND EVERY DAY I ENCOUNTER SOMEONE IN ONE OF THE LIBRARIES, AND I WILL STRIKE UP A CONVERSATION AND ASK WHY THEY'RE THERE, AND MANY TIMES THEY'RE COMING TO USE THE COMPUTERS SO THEY CAN TAKE THE TEST THAT THEY NEED TO TAKE. SO THEN THEY CAN APPLY FOR THE JOB THAT THEY WANT TO APPLY FOR, OR APPLY FOR THE SCHOOL, OR THE CERTIFICATION THAT THEY WANT TO APPLY FOR. AND HOW WE MEASURE THAT, WE WOULD NEED TO KNOW THEN DO THOSE FOLKS ACTUALLY GO ON AND ACHIEVE THAT? I BELIEVE THEY DO. I THINK YOU'RE LOOKING FOR SOME FACTUAL DATA FOR THAT. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN PARKER.

COUNCILMAN MITCHELL THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. THANK YOU, INTERIM DIRECTOR ROBERTS. I APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE. THANK YOU FOR THE LIBRARY AND FOR EVERYTHING THEY DO. I HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS OF THREE, TO BE EXACT, BUT I'LL START WITH WHAT IS THE STATUS OF THE DEFERRED MAINTENANCE FOR FY 25 AND WHERE ARE WE AT WITH THAT AS WE LEAD INTO 26? OKAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT QUESTION. SO OUR DEFERRED MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE RIGHT NOW WE HAVE WE'RE PROJECTING ABOUT 11.5 MILLION IN DEFERRED MAINTENANCE. AND THE PLAN AND WHAT WE WOULD THAT DEFERRED MAINTENANCE LIST INCLUDES A ROOF AND FIVE BOILERS AT THE MAIN LOCATION. IT IT ALSO INCLUDES THE EXTERIOR INSULATION FINISHING SYSTEM FOR BON AIR. AND THEN CRESCENT HILL HAS INTERIOR FINISHES THAT ARE IN NEED OF MAINTENANCE. THAT WOULD BE FLOORING, PAINTING, LED LIGHTING AND ALSO AT CRESCENT HILL. WE STILL HAVE SOME REMAINING EXTERIOR INSULATION FINISHING SYSTEMS AND THEN ELEVATOR MODERNIZATION FOR IROQUOIS, SHAWNEE AND WESTERN IS

[00:55:06]

THAT'S NOT IN FY 25 AND FY 25. THERE IS A THERE'S A LIST OF ITEMS THAT HAVE BEEN COMPLETED.

DID YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT THOSE ITEMS? I JUST WANTED TO KNOW THAT YOU'RE ON TRACK TO HAVE ALL OF THOSE COMPLETED BY THE END OF THIS FISCAL YEAR. I KNOW THAT WE ARE ON TRACK WITH DEFERRED MAINTENANCE OF THIS YEAR. HOWEVER, I WILL HAVE TO ASK DOUG FOSTER TO COME TO THE PODIUM TO GIVE YOU AN EXACT ANSWER, AS IF EVERY SINGLE ITEM HAS BEEN DONE. THANK YOU AND THANK YOU FOR CLARIFYING THAT FOR US. PLEASE, I APPRECIATE THAT. SO. OKAY, MR. FOSTER, IF YOU'LL INTRODUCE YOURSELF IN YOUR POSITION. HI. MY NAME IS DOUG FOSTER. I'M THE MANAGER OF DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION FOR THE LOUISVILLE FREE PUBLIC LIBRARY. THE LIST THAT BARBARA HAD READ OFF WAS MAINTENANCE THAT WE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO TAKE CARE OF DUE TO FUNDING. WE'VE BEEN UPGRADING QUITE A FEW THINGS PROTECTING ENVELOPES, ROOFS, THINGS LIKE THAT. YOU KNOW, THE CURRENT YEAR, SOME OF THE STUFF THAT WE'VE DONE, SECURITY SYSTEMS, CAMERAS, I THINK, COUNCILWOMAN PARKER, I BELIEVE FOR FUNDING AT NORTHEAST FOR THAT MUCH APPRECIATED AS WELL AS HISTORIC WINDOWS AT CRESCENT HILL GOT A PROJECT UNDERWAY. WE'RE REPLACING THOSE WINDOWS AND DOING UPGRADES TO HVAC AND CONCRETE WORK, LANDSCAPING TO GET THE FACILITIES UP TO WHERE, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE THEY'RE NICE WHEN PEOPLE ARRIVE THERE SO THAT THERE'S THEY RECEIVE PEOPLE.

WELL, THE OTHER STUFF, YOU KNOW, FIRE ALARM PANELS, WE'VE HAD A LOT OF FIRE ALARM SYSTEMS. WHENEVER YOU UPGRADE YOUR ELEVATORS, THERE'S NEW FIRE CODES. WE HAVE TO UPGRADE THOSE SYSTEMS WE'RE GOING THROUGH AND UPGRADING EVERYTHING AS THE AS WE GET INTO A PROJECT, SOME OF THAT LARGER STUFF, LIKE THE MAIN ROOF IS, YOU KNOW, A SIGNIFICANT IT'LL HAVE TO BE A CAPITAL OUTLAY PROJECT AS WELL AS REPLACING THE OFFICE. SO THOSE WILL BE THINGS IN FUTURE BUDGET CYCLES THAT WILL REQUEST THAT ADDITIONAL FUNDS. THANK YOU, MR. FOSTER. MAYBE THIS NEXT QUESTION IS PROBABLY DIRECTED TO YOU, IF THAT'S OKAY. CAN I FOLLOW UP ON THAT, PLEASE? THANK YOU. I LISTEN FOR, YOU KNOW, I HAVE THE A LIST OF THINGS THAT ARE ON THAT YOU MENTIONED. RIGHT. SO WE THERE'S MONEY IN FY 25. THE EXPECTATION WAS THAT WE WOULD FINISH ALL OF THIS DEFERRED MAINTENANCE. THE QUESTION WAS HAVE WE HAVE WE FINISHED AT ALL. AND IF WE HAVEN'T FINISHED IT ALL, WILL IT ALL BE FINISHED? WILL YOU HAVE THE RESOURCES FROM FY 25 BUDGET TO COMPLETE ALL THOSE PROJECTS? I LISTENED AND PROBABLY DIDN'T KEEP UP QUICKLY AND I APOLOGIZE. THAT'S ON ME.

BUT I HEARD YOU SAY CAMERAS. I'M ASSUMING THAT'S FOR BOTH THE NORTHEAST, NORTHEAST AND SOUTHWEST REGIONAL. I HEARD YOU SAY WINDOWS AT CRESCENT HILL, BUT I DIDN'T HEAR YOU MENTION FRONT STEPS. I HEARD YOU TALK ABOUT. I DID NOT HEAR YOU MENTION PARKING LOT REFURBISHMENT OR THE MAIN LIBRARY CONCRETE WORK. YOU DID MENTION HVAC IMPROVEMENTS IS THAT I'M ASSUMING THAT'S AT THE MAIN BRANCH. YOU SAID SOMETHING ABOUT ALARM PANELS. I'M ASSUMING THAT'S AT NEWBURGH, BUT NO. AND YOU SAID SOMETHING ABOUT ELEVATOR. BUT I'M ASSUMING THAT'S AT BON AIR. AND AGAIN, SO I'VE GOT THE LIST. YES. MORE SUCCINCTLY, THE QUESTION IS THIS WILL EVERYTHING ON THIS LIST BE FINISHED WITH FY 25 BUDGET AT THE END OF THIS FISCAL YEAR? AND IF NOT, THOSE PROJECTS THAT ARE LEFT TO BE FINISHED, WILL YOU HAVE ENOUGH MONEY LEFT FROM THE FY 25 BUDGET TO FINISH THE PROJECTS THAT ARE ON THIS LIST? THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I'M NOT TRYING TO STEP ON YOUR TOES. I THINK THAT WAS THE QUESTION. YES, EVERYTHING THAT WE'VE UNDERTAKEN FOR FY 25 SHOULD BE COMPLETED. I THINK THE ONLY EXCEPTION MAY BE THE RESTROOMS. I THINK WE HAD MENTIONED THAT FOR BON AIR, DUE TO OTHER THINGS THAT COME UP, FIRE ALARMS, THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT HAVE EMERGENCY REPAIRS, THE WE HAVE MOVED THE BON AIR RESTROOM RENOVATION TO FY 26, AND THAT'S PART OF THE CAPITAL REQUEST. EVERYTHING THAT WE DO HAVE CURRENTLY GOING ON PARKING LOT AT CRESCENT HILL HAS BEEN REDONE. WE'VE UPGRADED THE ELEVATOR AT BON AIR FIRE ALARM PANELS, SO ALL OF THAT WORK IS COMPLETE. OKAY. DOES THAT SATISFY YOU? THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT YOU WERE. YES, THAT'S WHAT I WAS GOING FOR. BUT MY NEXT QUESTION, MR. FOSTER, IS DIRECTED TO YOU, I THINK, AS WELL. WHO AND HOW DO WE DO THE PROCUREMENT PROCESS FOR CONSTRUCTION AND MAINTENANCE, WHETHER DEFERRED MAINTENANCE, WHETHER JUST DAY TO DAY MAINTENANCE, WHETHER IT'S BUILT OUT, WHATEVER PROCUREMENT WE NEED TO DO, WHAT IS THE

[01:00:06]

DONE THIS WAY JUST TO GET A $50,000 SINK INSTALLED. I GUESS IT'S JUST USING THAT WE HAVEN'T DONE A STUDY ON. I GUESS THE FEASIBILITY BETWEEN HAVING AN IN-HOUSE MAINTENANCE DEPARTMENT AND GOING OUTSIDE TO CONTRACTORS. I THINK WITH THE IN-HOUSE, WE GET A BETTER RESPONSE. WE CAN BETTER DIRECT OUR FORCES TO TAKE CARE OF THINGS ON AN IMMEDIATE BASIS VERSUS CALLING SOMEONE. AND I'LL BE THERE IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS TYPE OF SITUATION, BECAUSE WE NEED TO TAKE CARE OF THINGS RIGHT NOW TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN PEOPLE ENTER THE BUILDING, THEY'RE SAFE, YOU KNOW, AND THINGS LOOK GOOD. WE FOLLOW STATE PROCUREMENT JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE. ALL THE PUBLIC WORKS. SO ANYTHING, ANYTIME WE GET ABOVE A THRESHOLD OF 50,000, YES, WE ARE KIND OF RELEGATED TO A CONTRACT. THERE ARE A FEW MAINTENANCE CONTRACTS THAT METRO HAS THAT ALLOWS US TO GET A LITTLE BIT HIGHER, BUT THAT IS KIND OF THE BASIC THRESHOLD FOR PRETTY MUCH ANYBODY WITH METRO. THANK YOU, MR. FOSTER. APPRECIATE ALL YOUR WORK. AND THEN MY THIRD QUESTION, MR. CHAIR, WE HAVE OBVIOUSLY A GROWING POPULATION OF HISPANICS AND DIVERSE ETHNICITIES IN IN OUR COMMUNITIES. WHAT ARE WE DOING AS A LIBRARY TO ADDRESS THESE POPULATIONS AND HELPING THEM NAVIGATE THEIR WAY IN OUR SOCIETY? YOU KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, WITH THE HISPANIC POPULATION, I THINK IT'S UP 247% IN JEFFERSON COUNTY. SO HOW ARE HOW IS THE LIBRARY AND WHAT ARE THEY DOING TO HELP NAVIGATE AND HELP PEOPLE SET UP FOR SUCCESS? ALL RIGHT.

THAT'S A REALLY GREAT QUESTION. AND I WOULD LIKE TO ASK, WITH MR. BURNS OR MISS EARHART, I'D LIKE TO TAKE THAT QUESTION, PLEASE. ALRIGHT. I'M INVITING TO THE PODIUM DIRECTOR CARRICK EARHART. HELLO. WE'RE TAKING ON SEVERAL THINGS. ONE THING WE'VE DONE IN THE LAST YEAR OR SO IS WE HAVE SEVERAL POSITIONS WITHIN THE SYSTEM THAT ARE SPECIFICALLY FOCUSED ON SUPPORTING THAT DEMOGRAPHIC, AND WE HAVE PULLED THEM TOGETHER INTO A GROUP SO THAT THEY CAN COORDINATE AND BE MORE EFFECTIVE. I FEEL LIKE THAT'S REALLY HELPED. WE HAVE A THAT SOFTWARE PROGRAM CALLED VOYANCE. SO WE HAVE ON THE SPOT TRANSLATION SERVICES FOR ANYONE WHO REQUIRES IT. WE HAVE STARTED HIRING MORE BILINGUAL STAFF IN BRANCHES THAT HAVE SHOWN A NEED FOR THAT. DOES THAT KIND OF GET TO THE QUESTION? YEAH, IT COVERS IT. IT'S JUST KIND OF A 30,000 FOOT VIEW. BUT I APPRECIATE THAT. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. I NEGLECTED TO POINT OUT A BIT AGO THAT WE WERE JOINED BY COUNCILWOMAN HAWKINS. SHE JOINED US ONLINE. COUNCILWOMAN I MEAN, COUNCILMAN JOSEPH. HELLO. THANK

[01:05:06]

[01:10:04]

COULD I HAVE THEM STAND AND WE GIVE THEM A NICE WELCOME. FRIENDS OF FERN CREEK STAND.

THEY HAVE BEEN SO GREAT TO WORK WITH, AND IT'S REALLY THEIR FEATHER IN THE HAT THERE. SO THANK YOU CHAIR. GREAT. THANK YOU. THAT CONCLUDES THE LIST OF FOLKS THAT ARE IN THE QUEUE FOR QUESTIONS. I TAKE THAT BACK. ANDREW OWEN HAS SNEAKED INTO THE QUEUE. I JUST HAVE A QUICK ONE, MR. CHAIRMAN. I HAVE TRIED TO BE IN THE QUEUE AND I'M NOT HEARD FROM EITHER OF YOU AS CHAIR OR CO-CHAIR. AND SO I, I HOPE THAT I HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO ASK COUNCIL QUESTION. COUNCILWOMAN, WERE IGNORING YOU ON PURPOSE. AS SOON AS AS SOON AS COUNCILMAN OWEN IS FINISHED, I'LL COME YOUR WAY. THANK YOU. CHAIR. DIRECTOR. DIRECTOR. SEXTON. SMITH, I AFTER YOU TALKED ABOUT THE TIME YOU SPENT AT THE LIBRARIES MEETING WITH THE STAFF, IT IT BROUGHT REMINDED ME THE FIRST COUPLE OF YEARS I WAS ON COUNCIL, I MANY OF THE STAFF MEMBERS REACHED OUT TO ME AND WERE CONCERNED ABOUT THEIR SAFETY AT THE, AT THE BRANCHES. AND SO I KNOW WE'VE DONE SOME ADDRESSING THROUGH TECHNOLOGY, CAMERAS, SOME OTHER THINGS LIKE THAT. I WAS WONDERING WHETHER YOU HEARD ANY OF THAT WHEN YOU WERE MEETING WITH THE STAFF ON SITE, KIND OF PEOPLE EXPRESSING THAT SAME CONCERN. AND IF YOU DID, WHETHER WE HAVE MORE THINGS ADDRESSED IN THIS BUDGET THAT WOULD HELP DEAL WITH THAT, THAT SAFETY ISSUE. WE HAVE A NUMBER OF ITEMS THAT WE'RE ADDRESSING AND LISTENING AND WORKING DIRECTLY WITH OUR TEAM MEMBERS AT THE VARIOUS BRANCHES THAT HAVE EXPRESSED THESE SIMILAR CONCERNS TO ME. TO MY KNOWLEDGE, THOUGH, THEY'RE NOT BUDGET CONCERNS, THEY ARE MORE ABOUT. I HAVE BROUGHT TO THE TABLE PARTNERING ORGANIZATIONS WHO ARE WILLING TO COME IN AND START PARTNERING WITH US AND A FEW OF OUR BRANCHES WHERE WE WERE SEEING SOME UNPLANNED, UNEXPECTED DISRUPTIVE BEHAVIORS. AND WE'VE SEEN SOME PRETTY TREMENDOUS PROGRESS ANECDOTALLY JUST IN THE LAST FOUR WEEKS THAT I'M VERY PLEASED TO LET YOU KNOW ABOUT THAT. BUT THERE'S NOT THERE AREN'T ANY BUDGET RAMIFICATIONS IN THIS TO THIS PARTICULAR CONVERSATION. BUT YES, WE'RE ADDRESSING THE COMMENTS FROM OUR TEAM MEMBERS, THOSE THAT HAVE ADDRESSED SOME SAFETY CONCERNS AND SITUATIONS, AND WE ARE ADDRESSING THOSE TOGETHER.

APPRECIATE IT. COUNCILWOMAN MCCRANEY, SORRY I MISSED YOU. YOU WILL HAVE THE LAST QUESTION.

THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN. HELLO, MISS BARBARA SEXTON SMITH, IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU AND HEAR FROM YOU TODAY. I APOLOGIZE FOR MY VOICE. I'M JUST I'M A LITTLE UNDER THE WEATHER. HOWEVER, I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW, BASED ON YOUR ANSWERS TO COUNCILWOMAN PARRISH, RIGHT, IS THE SHIVELY LIBRARY A PART OF THE LOUISVILLE FREE PUBLIC LIBRARY AND FUNDED ACCORDINGLY THROUGH THE LOUISVILLE METRO GOVERNMENT BUDGET. AND IF SO, IS THE SAINT MATTHEWS LIBRARY, WHICH IS CALLED THE ELLON LIBRARY, A PART OF THE LOUISVILLE METRO GOVERNMENT BUDGET? AND IF NOT, CAN YOU EXPLAIN THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE CITY OF SHIVELY AND THE CITY OF SAINT MATTHEWS LIBRARIES? MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THE LIBRARY IN SHIVELY AND THE LIBRARY IN SAINT MATTHEWS ARE PART OF THE OPERATING LOCATIONS INCLUDED IN THE LOUISVILLE FREE PUBLIC LIBRARY SYSTEM, WHICH IS THEREFORE FUNDED BY THE LOUISVILLE METRO GOVERNMENT. THAT IS MY UNDERSTANDING. OKAY, I WAS VERIFYING THAT. THANK YOU MA'AM. VERY GOOD QUESTION. THANK YOU.

ANYTHING ELSE? ALL RIGHT. SEEING NO ONE ELSE IN THE QUEUE, THIS IS A THIS CONCLUDES THIS PUBLIC HEARING. WE'LL TAKE JUST A COUPLE MINUTE BREAK BEFORE WE START BACK WITH METRO ANIMAL SERVICES. I NOTICED THAT THEY'RE HERE. SO WE WILL START BACK PROMPTLY. THANK YOU AGAIN FOR

[01:15:01]

IN.

[01:22:02]

[01:26:41]

[ ID 25-0230     Louisville Metro Animal Services]

COUNCILWOMAN. BASS. COUNCILMAN. OWEN. COUNCILMAN. JOHN. COUNCILMAN. PARKER. COUNCILMAN.

PIAGENTINI. COUNCILWOMAN. CHAPEL. JOINED ONLINE BY COUNCILWOMAN MCCRANEY. SO SINCE THE DEPARTMENTS WERE ASKED NOT TO MAKE OPENING COMMENTS, WE WILL BEGIN IMMEDIATELY WITH COUNCIL MEMBER QUESTIONS CONCERNING ANIMAL SERVICES. $6.9 MILLION OPERATING BUDGET.

WELCOME, DIRECTOR CLINTON. I SEE YOU ARE STRUGGLING WITH A HIGH TURNOVER RATE AND IS TRAINED ON RETAINING EMPLOYEES. DOES MASS STILL HAVE A VOLUNTEER PROGRAM THAT HELPS WITH PLAYGROUPS, WALKS, ETC? IF SO, HAVE THE VOLUNTEERS INCREASED OR DECREASED OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS? AND HOW DO THEY HELP REDUCE THE WORKLOAD OF YOUR EMPLOYEES TO CHANCE TO BRAG ON YOUR VOLUNTEERS? I'M ANDY MCCLELLAN, I'M THE DIRECTOR OF METRO ANIMAL SERVICES, OUR VOLUNTEERS. WE COULD NOT FUNCTION WITHOUT THEM. OUR VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR. SHE HAS DONE A PHENOMENAL JOB. OUR VOLUNTEERS ARE ACTUALLY UP SUBSTANTIALLY. YES, THEY DO PLAYGROUPS. THEY DO FIELD TRIPS, THEY CLEAN, THEY DO LAUNDRY. THEY MAKE TREATS. WITHOUT THEM, WE WOULD NOT FUNCTION. SO I CANNOT THANK THEM ENOUGH. EVERY ALMOST DAILY I'M SEEING NEW FACES COME IN, PEOPLE VOLUNTEERING. SO THE SUPPORT HAS BEEN GREAT. SO THANKS TO ALL THE VOLUNTEERS. IF THEY'RE LISTENING OR WATCHING, WE COULD NOT DO IT WITHOUT YOU ALL GREAT. AND CAN YOU SPEAK A LITTLE BIT TO THE RETENTION OF YOUR EMPLOYEES? FOR SURE, FOR SURE. THAT IS A VERY IMPORTANT TO ME. MY TURNOVER RATE FOR FISCAL YEAR 25 WAS AT 28% 28.6. NOW THAT IS DOWN FROM 36%, WHICH IS AN 8% DECREASE. BUT WE HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO. AND THAT IS SOMETHING I'M FOCUSED IN ON AND IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO ME. SO A FEW THINGS THAT I'VE DONE TO ADJUST IT AND TRY TO IMPROVE EVERYTHING IS STARTED DOING EXIT INTERVIEWS. WHEN I FOUND OUT WE WERE LOSING EMPLOYEE, I MET WITH THEM, FOUND OUT THAT A COUPLE OF THEM WERE LEAVING BECAUSE THE TEN HOUR SHIFTS, THEY WERE GOING TO ANOTHER SHELTER. SO I IMPLEMENTED ON A TEMPORARY BASIS TEN HOUR SHIFTS, AND THAT HAS DEFINITELY SEEMED TO HELP. I'VE CHANGED UP OUR INTERVIEW PROCESS. ANYBODY THAT'S TOURED AT THE SHELTER, THEY KNOW THAT IT CAN SMELL AND IT'S LOUD. AND SO ANYTIME WE INTERVIEW FOLKS NOW, THEY ARE GOING ON A TOUR IN DETAIL, SO THEY'RE NOT SHOCKED

[01:30:06]

CLEANING IS A BIG PART OF WHAT WE DO, AND THEY JUST HAVE TO KNOW WHAT THEY'RE GETTING INTO.

SO THAT HAS HELPED BRINGING IN MORE TRAINING FROM OUR NATIONAL PARTNERS AND FROM METRO GOVERNMENT, SOMETHING I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT IS STARTING SOON, BISSELL PET FOUNDATION IS GOING TO DO THE TRAINING. IT'S FOR COMPASSION FATIGUE FOR ALL OF OUR EMPLOYEES. THEN WE'RE GOING TO DO SOME DISASTER EMERGENCY RESPONSE TRAINING, AND THEN METRO GOVERNMENT IS GOING TO COME IN AND DO SOME DE-ESCALATION AND SOME CUSTOMER SERVICE TRAINING. SO I'M JUST TRYING TO GET THEM AS MUCH TRAINING AND WELLNESS, COMPASSION FATIGUE, ALL THE STUFF JUST TO KEEP THEM, KEEP THEM HAPPY BECAUSE THEY HAVE A VERY DIFFICULT JOB. GREAT. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN PIACENTINI. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. I WANT TO FOCUS ON SPAY AND NEUTERING, BUT I'LL JUST CALL IT NEUTERING. I KNOW IT'S GENDER SPECIFIC, BUT JUST AS A BROAD CATEGORY, JUST TO MAKE THE LANGUAGE EASIER HERE. AS OF LAST YEAR, OR EXCUSE ME, AS OF MARCH 31ST OF THIS YEAR. SO THREE QUARTERS OF THE FISCAL YEAR, THE DEPARTMENT HAD SPENT ABOUT 50, $53,600 ON THOSE SERVICES. AND MAYBE IT'S BURIED IN A DIFFERENT SECTION, BUT WE DIDN'T SEE WHERE THERE WERE A BUDGET ALLOCATION IN THIS BUDGET FOR SPAY AND NEUTERING SERVICES. CAN YOU TALK ABOUT WHY THE 53,000 THAT WAS SPENT YEAR TO DATE? THAT IS FROM WE HAVE TO SEND OUT FOR YOU KNOW, WE HAVE OTHER PLACES THAT DO THE SPAYING AND NEUTERING OTHER VETS THAT WILL HELP US OUT. SO THAT'S WHERE THAT'S COMING FROM. AS FAR AS THE 53,000, THE BIG NUMBER THAT I SAW FOR SPAYING AND NEUTERING IS THE 200,000 THAT'S GOING TO GO TO CJ. AND OBVIOUSLY WE PARTNER WITH THEM WITH THE VOUCHERS. SO THAT'S WHERE A LARGE I MEAN THAT'S WHERE WE HAVE OTHER FUNDS. BUT THAT IS THE CHUNK OF OUR SPAY AND NEUTERING WILL BE PARTNERED WITH CJ'S THROUGH THEM OKAY. SO IT'S IN THE BUDGET AT $200,000. IT'S JUST IN ANOTHER LINE ITEM THAT JUST DOESN'T SAY SPAY AND NEUTERING. THAT'S RIGHT. OKAY. GOTCHA. OKAY. WHAT DOES IT ACTUALLY COST ON A PER UNIT BASIS. SO YOU'RE BUDGETING 200,000. WHAT DOES THIS GENERALLY COST ON A PER UNIT BASIS. IT'S GOING TO VARY BASED ON DOG SIZE CAT SIZE WEIGHTS. BUT WHAT'S THE RANGE LIKE. GIVE ME A WELL FOR I CAN TELL YOU FOR US I DON'T I CAN GIVE YOU A BALLPARK FOR SNIP CLINIC. YEAH.

FOR US JUST OUR COST IS ABOUT $60, BUT THAT'S JUST OUR COST. AND THEN I THINK WITH SNIP, THAT'S IT CAN BE ANYWHERE FROM 100 TO 120. AND I THINK THEY RUN SPECIALS WITH PITBULLS WHERE IT'S LESS SO THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT CAN DEFINITELY HELP US. HOW MANY YOU GIVE OUT VOUCHERS RIGHT. TO HOW MANY OF THEM ARE WHAT PERCENTAGE OF THEM ARE REDEEMED OR REDEEMED? I CAN GIVE YOU THE NUMBERS AS FAR AS BECAUSE THEY TRACK TRACKS ALL OF THAT, RIGHT? BUT I GET A SUMMARY SO I CAN GIVE YOU BASICALLY HOW MANY THEY'VE DONE AND HOW MUCH THEY'VE SPENT, IF THAT WILL HELP YOU. YEAH. HOW MANY HAVE DONE, HOW MANY REDEEMED. AND THAT'LL GIVE ME A PERCENTAGE. RIGHT. IF YOU'VE SO IF YOU'VE HANDED OUT 1500 I'M MAKING THESE NUMBERS UP. LIKE WHAT. WHAT IS IT THEY'VE DONE. THEY'VE DONE 549 SURGERIES OKAY. AND THEN THEY HAVE SPENT $43,183. SO KIND OF SO I CAN WALK YOU THROUGH THE NUMBERS A LITTLE BIT. BUT HOW MANY VOUCHERS DID YOU HAND OUT? WE HAVE HANDED OUT? I'D HAVE TO I'D HAVE TO CHECK. WE HAD 3000. I DON'T KNOW THE EXACT NUMBER RIGHT NOW, BUT I CAN FIND OUT FOR YOU. OKAY. YEAH, THAT THAT'S MY QUESTIO SUR IT SEEMS TO ME. AND WE NEED THE BUDGET TO REFLECT THIS, THAT IF WE'RE HANDING OUT VOUCHERS ANDAYING WE'RE LETTING PEOPLE GO WITH A ANIMAL THAT IS NOT PROPERLY NEUTERED AND WE'RE SAYING, PLEASE DO THIS, OKAY. CORRECT. I WANT TO KNOW HOW MANY AREN'T. AND THEN I WANT TO KNOW HOW CAN WE SET UP A PROCESS. AND IT HAS TO BE REFLECTED IN THE BUDGET, OBVIOUSLY TO REQUIRE THAT.

RIGHT. LIKE I'M THINKING ABOUT, FOR EXAMPLE, AMENDING THE CURRENT ORDINANCE TO RAISE THE TO RAISE THE BAR TO A POINT TO MAKE IT ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO GET AN EXEMPTION FROM FROM GOING THROUGH THAT SERVICE. I KNOW SOME CONTESTED. YES, SHORT OF A MEDICAL NECESSITY THAT THAT A VETERINARIAN DECLARES. OR IF THERE ARE LICENSED BREEDER AND I'M TALKING LICENSED LIKE A

[01:35:02]

THANK YOU, DIRECTOR, FOR BEING HERE. MY FIRST QUESTION IS AROUND DEFERRED MAINTENANCE. IS ARE THERE ANY DEFERRED MAINTENANCE NEEDS NOT BEING ADDRESSED IN FY 25 OR FY 26? NO, SIR. FY 25. WE HAD PAVING AND STRIPPING DONE OF THE PARKING LOT AND THEN FY 26 JUST TALKING WITH FACILITIES. THEY ARE PLANNING ON A COOLING SYSTEM UPGRADE TO THE MAIN BUILDING AND THAT'S ALREADY BEEN SET ASIDE. BUT AS FAR AS ANYTHING ELSE, I'M OKAY AT THIS TIME. I HAVE A FOLLOW UP QUESTION, MR. CHAIR, ON THAT ONE. SO WE HEAR A LOT OF TIMES THAT YOU NEED A BIGGER FACILITY, YOU NEED MORE SPACE, THINGS OF THAT NATURE. WHERE IS THE ARE THOSE CONVERSATIONS BEING BROUGHT UP ANYMORE IN IN CAPITAL PROJECTS? WHAT WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE AND WHAT ARE YOUR NEEDS THERE? I HAVEN'T HEARD TOO MUCH ABOUT NEEDING MORE SPACE. BIGGER SPACE. BUT WHAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DOWN THE ROAD HERE IN THE NOT SO FUTURE IS OUR ANIMAL HOUSE, OUR ADOPTION HOUSE. WE NEED TO MAKE SOME CHANGES SO IT'S A LITTLE MORE INVITING TO THE PUBLIC AND A LITTLE BIT EASIER FOR OUR STAFF TO MAINTAIN AND CARE FOR THE ANIMALS. SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WILL BE ON MY IT IS ON MY RADAR. THAT'LL BE A PRETTY BIG PROJECT, BUT IT'S NOTHING THAT HAS TO GET DONE TODAY. I JUST WANT TO GO THROUGH THE RIGHT STEPS AND MAKE SURE WE GET IT DONE CORRECTLY. OKAY. AND THANK YOU. SO MY NEXT QUESTION IS SO IT'S AROUND LIKE FERAL CATS RIGHT. YOU KNOW YOU AND I HAVE WORKED HANIN HD O THIS SITUATION IN THE PAST FEW MONTHS. CAN YOU HELP ME AND HELP MAYBE MY COLLEAGUEHERE DERSTAND THE PROCE OF FER CAT S W T OF WENT THROUGH. YOU KNOW THE COST IS NOT IT'S MORE OF THE TIME. OUR PARTNERS, ALLEY CAT ADVOCATES DOES ALL OF OUR SPAYING AND NEUTERING DOES. YOU KNOW A LOT OF THAT FOR US. AND THEY ARE A GREAT PARTNER. THEY DO UNBELIEVABLE WORK. YOU KNOW, THE ONLY THING IT COST US IS TIME BECAUSE WE HAVE TO WE'LL GO, YOU KNOW, TAKE THE CATS BACK. AND THEN IF WE HAVE TO GO OUT AND TRAP, WE HAVE TO BE. SO THE COST IS JUST TIME. B IT IS. THAT PROGRAM IS A BEEN A LIFESAVER. OBVIOUSLY I'VE ONLY BEEN HERE A SHORT TIME, BUT JUST HEARING WHAT IT WAS LIKE YEARS AND YEARS AND YEARS AGO, NO, ACA IS A GREAT PARTNER AND IT'S JUST IT'S MORE OF A TIME THING WHERE MY OFFICERS ARE, THEY'RE BUSY AND THAT'S PART OF THEIR JOB IS TO RETURN THE CATS AND GO OUT. AND THEY SOMETIMES HAVE TO TRAP. ACA WILL TRAP FOR US AS WELL, BUT THE COST IS MOSTLY TIME. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN PIERCE. RIGHT. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. AND THANK YOU FOR ANSWERING OUR QUESTIONS. SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES TOUCH ON TOUCHED ON A FEW OF THE THINGS THAT I WANTED TO ASK YOU ABOUT, BUT SPECIFIC TO SINCE WE WERE

[01:40:07]

SO MY FIRST QUESTION IS AROUND WHY SHOULD US AS COUNCIL PEOPLE, USE OUR LIMITED RESOURCES TO PROVIDE A SERVICE THAT PEOPLE MIGHT, YOU KNOW, WANT PROVIDED BY YOUR SERVICE? AND, AND IF YOU CAN AND YOU MAY NOT BE ABLE TO TONIGHT, BUT IF YOU CAN ZERO IN ON HOW MUCH IT WOULD TAKE FOR YOU ALL TO OFFER MORE OF THOSE SERVICES IN DIFFERENT IN OUR DIFFERENT DISTRICTS, I THINK THAT THAT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL, AND WE'RE DEFINITELY HAPPY TO PARTNER WITH YOU. DO YOU HAVE A FIGURE ON HOW MUCH THAT COST TO HOST TO BE ABLE TO DO MORE MICROCHIPPING AND SPAY AND NEUTERING? YES, WE DO. I THINK LAST YEAR THEY DID SIX LOW COST RABIES CLINICS PROVIDING SERVICES TO OVER 500 ANIMALS. THAT'S WITH METRO COUNCIL MEMBERS. AND WE'VE ALREADY DONE WE JUST DID ONE THIS PAST WEEKEND. SO YES, IT SHOULD BE IN YOUR PACKET, BUT THERE IS A DOLLAR AMOUNT OF KIND OF WHAT OUR COSTS ARE. BUT WE HAVE TO HAVE OBVIOUSLY VET, VET TECH AND VET HELP. ACTUALLY IT'S NOT IN YOUR PACKET, BUT I CAN SEND IT TO YOU. BUT BASICALLY AND DON'T HOLD ME EXACTLY TO THIS FOR PERSONNEL SUPPLIES. THAT IS TO DO OF ROUGHLY I THINK IT'S 200 ANIMALS. THEY SAID YES, ESTIMATE FOR 200 ANIMALS WOULD BE ABOUT $2,438. AND THAT'S WITH US COMING OUT. WE BRING I'M SURE YOU ALL HAVE SEEN IT OR BEEN TO ONE, AND THOSE ARE INVALUABLE BECAUSE WE DO THE MICROCHIP AND WE DO. IT'S A LITTLE DIFFERENT WITH THE SPAY NEUTER JUST BECAUSE OF THE DOWNTIME AND RECOVERY. BUT THE RABIES AND THE MICROCHIPPING, IT'S GREAT. WE HAVE A GREAT RESPONSE FROM THE COMMUNITY, AND IT'S A CHANCE FOR US TO GET OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY BECAUSE LIKE YOU SAID, FOLKS CAN'T GET TO IT. ANDOSE SERVICES AT METRO ANIMAL SERVICES, BUT IT COMES DOWN TO CAPACITY. I'VE GOT TO DO. I'VE GOT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE SPAYING AND NEUTERING OUR ADOPTABLE, THE ONES IN FOSTER, THE ONES COMING IN, AND WE'VE GOT TO TAKE CARE OF THEM SO THAT THAT IS THE FOCUS. BUT ANYTIME WE CAN GET OUT TO THE COMMUNITY, NO, WE ENJOY IT. ALL RIGHT. I APPRECIATE YOU. IF YOU DON'T MIND, I'M GOING TO JUMP IN ON THAT QUESTION BECAUSE I APPRECIATE YOU'RE ASKING IT. OKAY. THERE'S IMMEDIATE FOLLOW UP TO IT. WE HAD A TRAILER TO MAKE THIS MORE POSSIBLE. I BELIEVE THE TRAILER HAD BEEN PARKED FOR A WHILE. DO WE STILL OWN THE TRAILER OR HAVE WE SINCE SOLD THAT OR MOVED ON FROM THAT AS A POSSIBILITY? NO, WE ARE THAT. I'VE HAD THAT BROUGHT UP TO ME A FEW TIMES. SO I AM LOOKING AT WE DO HAVE SEVERAL LARGER TRUCKS. I DON'T KNOW IF WE STILL HAVE THAT MOBILE TRUCK THAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO, BUT WE HAVE SOME TRUCKS THAT ARE CAPABLE AND OF PULLING THE TRAILER. YES. OKAY. YEAH. OR IT WAS A QUESTION OF A CDL AT ONE POINT, HAVING DRIVERS THAT COULD ACTUALLY DRIVE THAT. AND THE SUGGESTION THEN, AND IT'S BEEN A YEAR OR TWO AGO, WAS THAT YOU DIDN'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO GO OUT AND HIRE SOMEONE WITH A CDL, THAT PERHAPS THERE WAS SOMEONE INTERNALLY. SO I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT'S GOING. I THINK IT FEEDS INTO THE QUESTION THAT COUNCILWOMAN PEARCE WRITES ASKING, WE HAVE THE TRAILER, IT HAS ALL THE RESOURCES ON IT. WE HAVE CONSTITUENTS WHO FOR, YOU KNOW, A VARIETY OF REASONS, YOU KNOW, TRAVELING TO YOU IS MORE OF A CHALLENGE. AND SO THE QUESTION IS, IS THERE A PLAN TO GET THAT TRAILER BACK ONLINE? AND IF NOT, WHAT WOULD IT TAKE TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN? AND IF SO, IS THERE A COST IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET? AND I APOLOGIZE FOR CUTTING IN. THANK YOU. WE HAVE DISCUSSED IT, BUT I WASN'T I'M NOT AT THAT POINT YET AS FAR AS A DOLLAR AMOUNT. I'LL BE GLAD TO LOOK INTO IT. I AM 100% OPEN TO IT. I THINK IT'S MY SEVENTH MONTH. SO THERE'S IT'S ON MY LIST, BUT I CAN I CAN PUSH IT FURTHER TO THE TOP, BUT I KNOW IT'S ON MY LIST. I DON'T HAVE A NUMBER IN THIS BUDGET FOR HOW MUCH IT WOULD COST TO GET IT UP AND RUNNING, AND THE CDL, I KNOW WE CAN. THERE'S SOME. I THINK METRO GOVERNMENT ACTUALLY DOES CDL TRAINING NOW, OR THE. I THINK IT'S A MUCH EASIER TO GET.

[01:45:01]

AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THE CHAIR BRINGING THAT IN. I WE ALSO MY FAMILY WE ADOPTED A CAT IN THE LAST SINCE YOU'VE BEEN HERE AND WE'RE WE'RE WE DEFINITELY WANT TO DO OUR PART BOTH IN OUR COMMUNITY AND AS COUNCIL. MY NEXT QUESTION HAS TO DO WITH THE YOUR CHANGING ADOPTION COORDINATOR AND A STAFF HELPER TO TWO KENNEL ATTENDANTS. IS THERE A BUDGETARY IMPACT WITH THIS CHANGE? THERE IS. I'M ASKING FOR TWO NEW POSITIONS AND IT IS IT'S KENNEL ATTENDANT. AND MY HOPE IS AND WHAT THE JOB DESCRIPTION IS, IS THEY WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR CLEANING THE KENNELS, CLEANING THE PLAY AREAS, CLEANING THE TOYS, MAKING SURE ALL THE ANIMALS FOOD AND WATER. SO WE SPEND A WHOLE LOT OF TIME OBVIOUSLY CARING FOR THE ANIMALS. SO WHAT I'VE SEEN IN MY SHORT TIME IS MY ADOPTION COORDINATORS. THAT'S WHO DOES IT. NOW THEY DO IT AND THEY'RE GOING TO STILL HAVE TO HELP. TOS. I WANT TO TRY WITH TWO AND THEN I WANT TO MOVE UP TO MORE IF IT WORKS OUT. BUT I'D SEE MY ADOPTION COORDINATORS CLEAN FOR 4 OR 5 HOURS IN THE MORNING, AND THEN THEY GO TO THE COUNTER AND DEAL WITH THE CUSTOMERS. AND IT'S PROBABLY NOT THE BEST SETUP AS FAR AS THEY'VE JUST CLEANED AND GONE THROUGH ALL THAT 4 OR 5 HOURS. SO WHAT I'M HOPING TO DO IS RELIEVE SOME OF THAT OFF OF THEM, AND THEN THAT WAY I CAN HAVE MY ADOPTION COORDINATORS FOCUSING ON CUSTOMER SERVICE OR POLICIES, DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN TO MAKE SURE ONE WE KNOW THE DOG DOESN'T COME IN OR CAT DOESN'T COME IN, BUT TO FIND THEM A HOME. SO MY HOPE IS TO GET THESE TWO IN THERE. WE'VE HAD INTEREST JUST FROM TALKING ABOUT IT, FROM PEOPLE WHERE THEY KNOW COMING IN, THIS IS YOUR JOB, THIS IS ALL YOU'RE DOING. AND THEN I CAN PUT RESOURCES TOWARDS OTHER THINGS. AND I THINK THAT WILL HELP WITH TURNOVER. JUST DOING EXIT INTERVIEWS, TALKING WITH SOME EMPLOYEES, THE CLEANING IT JUST IT'S ROUGH AND IT GETS TO THEM.

SO WE TRY TO ROTATE IT AND WE TRY TO SPREAD THE LOVE. BUT I'D LIKE TO HAVE START WITH TWO THEN HOPEFULLY GET THAT TO ABOUT FOUR AND THEN TOTALLY HAVE MY ADOPTION COORDINATORS FOCUSED ON WHAT I THINK THEY SHOULD BE DOING. ALL RIGHT. AND MY LAST QUESTION, JUST THINKING ABOUT WE HAVE ONE OF THE PEOPLE IN HERE WHO I HAD TO CALL RECENTLY. I JUST LOST MY DOG OF 11 YEARS AND HAD TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS NEXT. I WANTED TO SEE, ARE YOU ALL A PART OF COORDINATING SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE ALREADY HAPPENING OR YOU'RE SUPPORTING THEM? WHILE I WAS THERE ADOPTING A CAT, I NOTICED THAT PEOPLE WERE BRINGING IN DONATIONS. PEOPLE WERE COMING IN TO GET FREE FOOD AND THINGS LIKE THAT. SO I'M REALLY GLAD THAT YOU DO THAT. BUT I WANT TO HEAR HOW YOU'RE SUPPORTING THESE GROUPS WHO ARE HELPING WITH THE OVERPOPULATION, WHO ARE HELPING PICKING ANIMALS UP THAT HAVE PASSED AND BEEN DECEASED FOR A WHILE, AND ROADWAYS. IS THERE SOME COORDINATION WITH THEM? I KNOW SOME OF THAT ISN'T IN YOUR DEPARTMENT, BUT BECAUSE THERE IS A DIRECT CONNECTION TO THAT, AND OFTEN WHEN PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE GETTING A LOT OF REQUESTS AND YOUR HOURS ARE LIMITED TO 6 P.M. SO WHAT ARE YOU DOING FOR THAT? THOSE TIMES WHERE IT'S LATE AFTER HOURS, AFTER SIX, WHEN WE'RE IN NEED OF THOSE ANIMAL SERVICES WE DON'T HAVE, OBVIOUSLY WE DON'T PICK UP THE DECEASED ANIMALS. WE DON'T PICK THEM UP. THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THAT'S NOT IN OUR BUT, YOU KNOW, WE ALWAYS ARE AVAILABLE. WE HAVE SOMEONE OUT TILL AN OFFICER OUT TILL 1130 AT NIGHT. AND THEN WE'RE AVAILABLE BY CALL OUT. SO IF IT'S AN EMERGENCY THEY CALL 911. BUT IF NOT YOU CAN, THEY CAN STILL REACH US. BUT YOU JUST WE WILL RESPOND OR WE'LL CALL.

BUT I TRY TO, YOU KNOW, AS FAR AS THE CREMATIONS AND ASSISTING WITH THAT, WE JUST HAVE TO BE VERY CAREFUL BECAUSE STATE LAW SAYS IF WE CREMATE AN ANIMAL, WE HAVE TO KEEP THE REMAINS. SO FOR SOME FOLKS, EXCUSE ME, FOR SOME FOLKS, THAT'S VERY DIFFICULT BECAUSE THEY WANT THE REMAINS.

SO AND WE TRY IT'S NOT THE STATE REALLY DOESN'T WANT US DOING IT. WE DO DO IT. BUT NO, IF SOMEONE NEEDS US, THEY CAN. THEY CAN CALL. WE HAVE SOMEONE ALWAYS ON CALL. BUT IF IT'S AN EMERGENCY, HAVE THEM CALL 911. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN OWEN HAD AN IMMEDIATE FOLLOW UP, AND THEN COUNCILMAN CHAPPELL. THANK YOU. IT'S KIND OF PAST, BUT THANK YOU. CHAIR. MY OFFICE WAS ONE OF THE OFFICES THAT PARTNERED RECENTLY TO FOR ONE OF THESE KIND OF CLINICS. AND I THINK AND ANDY, YOU CAN

[01:50:06]

OR WE AS A STAFF TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION, IS ALL RIGHT. WE CAN DO THIS. BUT ARE WE ARE WE BURNING THEM OUT? SO WE'RE WE'RE MORE THAN WELCOME TO DO AS MANY AS WE CAN, BUT IT CAPACITY 100%.

AND I GOTTA HAVE STAFF TO DO IT. AND SOMETIMES THEY JUST NEED A BREAK. COUNCILMAN CHAPPELL.

GREAT THAT THESE LITTLE THINGS JUST LIKE PASS OUT IN YOUR ARMS. BUT FOR ALL THOSE TUNING IN RIGHT HERE, I'VE GOT A TOP OF THE LINE FELINE. AND IT'S AVAILABLE AT LOUISVILLE METRO ANIMAL SERVICES. UP FOR ADOPTION. IT CAN BE FREE IF YOU BOTHER ME. I'LL PAY FOR IT FOR YOU. SO COME AND GET THIS LITTLE CUTIE. IT'S A LEGISLATIVE WHIZ, BUT THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.

IT'S HARD TO GRILL YOU WITH THE KITTEN IN MY HANDS, BUT THANK YOU FOR. WELL, THANK YOU FOR NOT ONLY BRINGING TWO ADORABLE KITTENS TODAY, BUT ALSO TWO ADORABLE PUPPIES. IT'S SO WONDERFUL TO SEE THEM AND THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU DO. JUST FROM VACCINE CLINICS TO JUST THE COMPASSIONATE WORK THAT YOUR EMPLOYEES DO DAY IN AND DAY OUT, YOU DEFINITELY HAVE SOME VICTORIES, SUCH AS INCREASING YOUR FOSTER RATE. SO THAT'S REALLY, REALLY WONDERFUL TO SEE THAT. AND IT SEEMS LIKE THERE'S BEEN FAIRLY POSITIVE RECEPTION TO HOW LMAS HAS BEEN RUNNING, BUT OBVIOUSLY ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT. I WANTED TO GO BACK TO THE SPAY AND NEUTER FOR JUST A MOMENT. SO IN LOUISVILLE, IT'S A CONSERVATIVE ESTIMATE THAT THERE'S ALMOST 120,000 ANIMALS THAT NEED TO BE SPAYED OR NEUTERED, AND ABOUT 100 OR 52,000 OF THOSE ANIMALS WOULD NEED TO BE AT A FREE OR REDUCED RATE IN ORDER TO GET THEM VACCINATED. AND CONSIDERING THAT WE ONLY DID 2800 LAST YEAR, WHICH IT LOOKS LIKE BETWEEN 2023 AND 2024, THERE WAS A DECREASE OF 1175 SPAY AND NEUTER. SO CAN YOU EXPLAIN THE DECREASE AND THEN WHAT WE'RE DOING IN ORDER TO MITIGATE THE OR STOP THE BLEED I GUESS JUST A LITTLE AROUND THAT NUMBER. THE 2000 2802. THAT WAS DEFINITELY JUST ONES THAT WERE PERFORMED AT OUR LOCATION BY OUR VET. AND THEN WE ALSO DID ABOUT 2100 THAT WE PAID FOR FROM OUR PARTNERS, FROM HCA, FROM TAIL END, FROM SNIP. BUT AS FAR AS THE DECLINE, I NOTICED THAT AS WELL. AND WHAT IT WAS IS WE WERE WITHOUT A VET FOR, I WANT TO SAY, APPROXIMATELY 4 OR 5 MONTHS DURING THAT TIME. SO OBVIOUSLY BEING DOWN A VET THAT AFFECTED OUR NUMBERS. SO WHAT WE'VE KIND OF DONE SINCE TO TRY TO SO IT DOESN'T HAPPEN. WE HAVE BEEN FORTUNATE. ONE OF MY BETS RIGHT NOW IS OFF. IT'S BEEN OFF FOR A LITTLE BIT, BUT WE DID A SOCIAL MEDIA KIND OF A CRY FOR HELP. HEY, WE NEED SOME VETS ON CONTRACT TO KIND OF PICK UP THE SLACK WHILE OUR OTHER VETS OUT. AND WE HAVE HAD A COUPLE OF SEVERAL THAT HAVE STEPPED UP AND ARE HELPING US RIGHT NOW. SO WE DON'T HOPEFULLY SEE THAT DROP. AND WE'VE GOT OTHER FOLKS THAT ARE STEPPING UP HELPING US, BUT WE WERE DOWN A VET FOR A WHILE AND THAT AFFECTED IT. BUT WE ARE THIS TIME TRYING TO OFFSET BY HAVING SOME CONTRACT VETS COME IN. WE'VE NEVER HAD MUCH SUCCESS AND WE HERE LATELY. IT IS. IT'S BEEN GREAT TO SEE AND WE HAVE THIS CONVERSATION TOO WITH

[01:55:03]

SURE. AND SPEAKING OF MONEY, AND YOU WERE ALSO TALKING ABOUT EMPLOYEES JUST A MOMENT AGO, HIGH TURNOVER RATE. AND THAT'S COMPLETELY UNDERSTANDABLE GIVEN YOUR LINE OF WORK FOR SURE. CAN YOU TALK ABOUT HOW THIS BUDGET IS ADDRESSING EMPLOYEE SALARIES AND AN INCREASE OF SUCH? WELL, UNFORTUNATELY, THE MAJORITY OF THAT IS I GOT MOSTLY UNION EMPLOYEES. SO WE ARE CURRENTLY THEY'RE CURRENTLY IN NEGOTIATIONS. I HOPE I HOPE THEY THAT COMES TO A CLOSE SOON BECAUSE THEY HAVE A VERY TOUGH JOB. AND YOU KNOW, I KNOW THEY'RE ALL WAITING TO SEE WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN. SO LIKE MAJORITY OF MY STUFF IS, YOU KNOW, UNION. SO I'M I'M HOPING THE NEGOTIATIONS ARE GOING WELL AND I HOPE THEY GET A FAIR AND REASONABLE RAISE. AND HOW DOES THAT WORK WITH NEGOTIATIONS HAPPENING NOW? BUT US SETTING A BUDGET AT THE SAME TIME FOR THE UPCOMING YEAR, IS THERE MONEY WITHIN THE BUDGET THAT'S KIND OF ADDED INTO THAT TO PAD FOR AN ANTICIPATED INCREASE, OR IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE TO GO BACK TO AND DO? THAT'S ACTUALLY A BETTER QUESTION FOR. MR. ANGELA DUNN, FOR SURE. HI. ANGIE DUNN CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER SO EVERY YEAR WHEN WE KNOW WE HAVE CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS THAT ARE EITHER IN PROCESS OR COMING UP, WE IT'S AN ESTIMATE. JUST LIKE, YOU KNOW, MOST OF OUR BUDGETS, WE WILL ESTIMATE BASED ON HOWEVER MANY CONTRACTS WE THINK ARE OUT THERE, HOWEVER MANY EMPLOYEES THAT MIGHT BE IMPACTING. AND WE PUT THAT IN WHAT'S CALLED SALARY ADJUSTMENTS, ACCOUNT SORT OF LIVES IN OMB. WE DON'T PUT THEM OUT IN THE INDIVIDUAL DEPARTMENTS UNTIL THOSE CONTRACTS ARE SETTLED. AND THEN ONCE THAT PAY STARTS HAPPENING, WE TRANSFER THE MONEY OUT TO THE TO THE DEPARTMENTS TO COVER THOSE EXPENSES. TYPICALLY, IT'S THE MAYOR'S RESPONSIBILITY TO NEGOTIATE BUDGETS, AND WE STAY AS MUCH OUT OF THAT AS WE POSSIBLY CAN. CONTRACTS. I'M SORRY TO NEGOTIATE CONTRACTS, AND WE STAY OUT OF THAT AS MUCH AS WE POSSIBLY CAN. AND THEN IF IT'S NECESSARY, WHEN IT COMES ACROSS THE STREET, IT'S A YES OR NO VOTE ON OUR PART. SO WE DON'T REALLY ENGAGE IN THAT CONVERSATION AROUND BENEFITS OR PACKAGES OR SALARIES OR THAT'S ALL WORKED OUT ON THE MAYOR'S SIDE STREET. DO YOU HAVE ANY FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS? LAST QUESTION WHY IS $100,000 BEING ADDED FOR NECK OR NECK? I CAN SAY THIS IN MY HEAD NECROPSIES.

YES, AS I SAID, THE EXACT SAME THING AND. SO THAT'S THE MEDICAL LAB TESTING. IT WENT UP FROM 47 TO 100. IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO? I'M FAIRLY SURE THAT IS, BUT LET ME LET ME MAKE SURE. I'M SORRY I DON'T HAVE. THAT'S OKAY. I THINK I'VE GOT IT RIGHT HERE. RIGHT. YES.

POSTMORTEM. YEP. I SEE IT'S CALLED MEDICAL LAB TESTING. SO THE BUDGET WENT UP. THERE'S A COUPLE REASONS. SO THE BUDGET WAS REDUCED BY ALMOST 80,000 IN FY 24 BY MISTAKE. SO THEY ENDED

[02:00:02]

BUT I'M LOOKING INTO THAT BECAUSE IT'S A IT'S A BIG COST. AND THEN WE HAVE TO PHYSICALLY DRIVE UP THERE OR ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICERS. WE HAVE TO PHYSICALLY DRIVE UP THERE, DROP THE ANIMAL, COME BACK. SO THAT'S, YOU KNOW, A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF TIME TO GET TO LEXINGTON AND BACK AND WHEN THEY NEED TO BE OUT DOING OTHER THINGS. SO WE ARE REVIEWING IT AND WE'VE CUT DOWN SOME GOING OVER THE POLICY. I'M TALKING TO OUR HEAD VET. SO NO, BUT THAT'S WHY THERE'S THAT KIND OF DISCREPANCY IN THE AMOUNTS. SURE. LAST ONE YOU HAVE A SOFTWARE INCREASE THAT'S PRETTY SUBSTANTIAL SOFTWARE MAINTENANCE. CAN YOU SPEAK TO THAT? YES. WHAT THAT IS OUR ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICERS. THEY HAVE BASICALLY THEIR IN-CAR COMPUTER, IN-CAR COMPUTER AND IT'S CALLED MDT, BASICALLY MOBILE DATA TERMINAL. WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO REPLACE AND UPGRADE. I THINK IT'S ABOUT 15 OF THEM. IT'S JUST TIME. IT'LL SPEED THINGS UP. IT JUST UPDATES THEIR PROCESSING. BUT THAT'S WHAT IT'S FOR. IT'S FOR OUR ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICERS SO THEY CAN STAY OUT IN THE FIELD, DO THINGS FASTER. SO LET'S STAY AT THAT AMOUNT. OR IS THAT JUST LIKE A LITTLE INFLATED? CORRECT. THAT'S JUST THE REPURCHASE THEM. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. GREAT. SO, DIRECTOR, I HOPE YOU'LL INDULGE US. WE'RE NEARLY AT THE END OF OUR TIME. I'VE GOT FOUR PEOPLE LEFT IN THE QUEUE. I WILL HOLD IT TO THE FOUR PEOPLE THAT ARE IN THE QUEUE SO THAT WE DON'T GO TOO TERRIBLY OVER. BUT IF YOU DON'T MIND HANGING AROUND JUST FOR AN EXTRA FEW MINUTES. THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN BASS. THANK YOU CHAIR. THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE. I ACTUALLY HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS. MAYBE I WANTED TO TOUCH BASE KIND OF ON THE ALLEY CAT PROGRAM, WHERE YOU ALL ARE PICKING UP TRANSPORT AND DROPPING OFF. IS THAT PART OF YOUR BUDGET THAT YOU'RE USING YOUR FUNDS TO USE YOUR EMPLOYEES TO DO ALL OF THAT, OR IS THAT MONEY? THEY'VE ALLOTTED THAT THEY'RE BEING GIVEN NOW THEY DO SOME EXCUSE ME, THEY DO SOME OF THE TRAPPING AND SOME OF THE RETURNING, BUT WE DO. YES, IT IS MY BUDGET. BUT, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE ON OUR CAMPUS AND THEY'RE THEY'RE A GREAT PARTNER TO US. BUT YES, WE DO USE OUR RESOURCES TO RETURN CATS FOR THEM. NOW THEY DO SOME. BUT NO, IT IS OUR RESOURCES. WOULD YOU SAY THAT A LOT OF YOUR OFFICERS ARE BEING USED TO TRANSPORT AND DROP OFF CATS, VERSUS BEING ABLE TO BE OUT IN THE COMMUNITY AND FIGHT SOME OF THESE CASES? THEY'RE DEFINITELY SPENDING TIME DOING THAT. BUT THE ALTERNATIVE IS IT. IT'S JUST A THAT'S BETTER THAN THE ALTERNATIVE, WHICH WOULD BE NOT GOOD FOR CATS AND KITTENS. SO I WOULD LIKE TO AND I'VE TALKED TO TALKED TO THEM ABOUT THAT, ABOUT THEM INCREASING MAYBE WITH VOLUNTEERS. WE JUST IT'S KIND OF DIFFICULT BECAUSE SOMETIMES PEOPLE AREN'T REAL THRILLED WHEN YOU'RE RETURNING CATS TO THE COMMUNITY. SOME FOLKS LOVE IT, SOME FOLKS DON'T. SO IT CAN SOMETIMES BE OUR OFFICERS ARE MORE EXPERIENCED AT IT, AND THEIR VOLUNTEERS ARE AS WELL. BUT NO, IT'S SOMETHING I'M LOOKING INTO BECAUSE IT'S KIND OF LIKE WITH THE DRIVING TO LEXINGTON, I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WAYS TO KEEP MY GUYS AND GIRLS ON THE ROAD. RESPONDING TO STRAY. PUBLIC SAFETY IS OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, IMPORTANT PART. SO THE NUMBER ONE PART. SO NOW I'M LOOKING INTO THAT AND I, I DON'T DISAGREE WITH YOU. IT'S JUST LET US KNOW LIKE THEY'RE GETTING FUNDING FOR THEIR PROGRAM. BUT YOU'RE UTILIZING YOUR BUDGET TO OFFSET THEM. SO I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK AT THAT FOR SURE. WOULD YOU SAY THIS BUDGET PROVIDED IN THIS BUDGET. WOULD YOU SAY IT PROVIDES TRUE 24 HOUR RESPONSE CAPABILITIES FOR ANIMAL SERVICES? BECAUSE I KNOW, LIKE RIGHT NOW YOU ARE 24 HOURS, BUT AFTER HOURS YOUR OPERATORS WILL ONLY COME IF THERE'S A RESPONDER THERE, LIKE POLICE OR FIRE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. AND IF NOT, THEN YOU'RE NOT AVAILABLE. IT DOES. I MEAN, IT'S NOT. SO WE'RE THERE. WE HAVE SOMEONE OUT TILL 1130 AND THEN AT NIGHT AND THEN WE COME IN AT SEVEN. SO YES, THERE IS A PERIOD WHERE WE DON'T HAVE ANYONE OUT. LIKE I SAID, WE HAVE SOMEONE ON CALL AND WE CAN

[02:05:05]

AND ONE OF ONE TIME, JUST AS YOU SAID, THE VETERINARIAN HAD TO COME FROM LEXINGTON. AND SO IN THINKING. AND YOU ALREADY ADDRESSED THIS WITH CONTRACTING WITH OTHER VETERINARIAN CLINICS, WHICH IS WHAT, ALONG THE LINE OF THINKING THAT I WAS HAVING, BECAUSE I'M ALSO IN THE DOG BUSINESS, TOO, AND I HOST EVENTS FOR ADOPTION EVENTS. BUT ANYWAY. WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE TO WITH YOUR OUTREACH? BECAUSE I KNOW YOU'RE DOING A LOT BETTER JOB WITH OUTREACH, AND I KNOW LIABILITY WAS A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO WAS A CONCERN THAT DOESN'T SEEM TO BE AS MUCH OF A CONCERN NOW. NOW, LIKE YOU SAID, IT'S STAFFING. BUT WHAT IF WHEN YOU'RE HOSTING THESE ADOPTION EVENTS OR YOU'VE GOT SOMEBODY THAT'S WILLING TO PARTNER WITH YOU WITH THAT, THE VETERINARIAN CLINICS, IT SEEMS TO ME THEY'D BE A GREAT PARTNER TO PARTNER WITH BECAUSE THEY'VE GOT THEIR BOOTH THERE AND THEIR ADVERTISING, AND THEY CAN GET, YOU KNOW, THEY CAN PROMOTE THEMSELVES. AND SO YOU'VE GOT ADOPTION CLINICS. MAYBE YOU COULD DO MORE OF THEM THAT WAY.

AND THEN GETTING BACK TO, I KNOW WE HAD TO WAIT ON A VETERINARIAN TO GIVE THE VACCINES. IS THERE DOES IT ALWAYS HAVE TO BE A VETERINARIAN. THAT'S I MEAN, CAN NO ONE ELSE BE LICENSED TO GIVE THE VACCINES? BECAUSE IT'S I MEAN, I'M AN OLD ICU NURSE, SO IT SEEMS REAL SIMPLE TO ME, BUT YOU KNOW, VET TECHNICIAN COULD I DON'T KNOW, THERE'S SOME THEY CAN, BUT IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THEY COULD SO THAT THEY WOULD DEFINITELY HELP. AND I DO HAVE A VET TECH POSITION THAT I'VE THAT IT'S A VACANT RIGHT NOW. SO WE WOULD I'M TRYING TO HIRE SOMEONE THEY COULD HELP IN THAT VETERINARIAN ON SITE. YES BUT THEY BUT THE VETS ON SITE THEN THE VET TECH COULD THEN DO THE SHOTS AND THEN THE VET CAN CONTINUE DOING SURGERIES OR DOING WHATEVER. IF YOU HAD A VET THAT CAME THERE, THEY COULD HAVE THEIR OWN STAFF THERE TO DO IT. YES, MA'AM. SO. WHAT ELSE WAS I GOING TO ASK? IF YOU HAD WHAT'S YOUR NUMBER ONE ITEM THAT YOU NEED DONATED? BECAUSE WE COULD ALL PUT IT IN OUR E-NEWSLETTERS. HERE LATELY, I WOULD SAY VET TECH. NO KITTY KITTY LITTER. WAS THAT IT FOR A LITTLE WHILE? BECAUSE IT'S KITTEN SEASON. SO ANYTHING TO DO WITH KITTENS? WE'LL TAKE IT. WE WILL TAKE IT. WE ARE IN. THE KITTENS ARE EVERYWHERE. SO ANYTHING TO DO WITH KITTENS? KITTEN LITTER. THAT'S PROBABLY THE BIGGEST. IF YOU COULD GET THAT TO US IN A

[02:10:05]

AND THEN I HAVE A TEMPORARY IT'S A PART TIME HELPER EMPLOYEE. SO CLOSE BUT NOT THERE. AND WHEN IT COMES TO VOLUNTEERS ABOUT WHERE ARE YOU ALL AT? RIGHT WISE, ARE YOU STEADY WITH WHERE YOU'VE BEEN DOWN WHERE YOU'VE BEEN? WE ARE WE ARE UP SUBSTANTIALLY VOLUNTEER OVER THE LAST AT LEAST YEAR TO TWO YEARS. OUR NUMBERS ARE UP. AND WHAT DO YOU CONTRIBUTE TO? I WAS LOOKING AT THE PACKET THAT WE HAVE AND THE TURNOVER FOR MASS. LIKE WHAT DO YOU WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IS THE BIG ISSUE FOR WHY THERE'S A DECENT HIGH TURNOVER? SURE. I THINK INITIALLY IT'S JUST THE STRESS OF EVERY DAY JUST GOING IN. AND IT'S A HARD WORK, A LOT OF WORK, A LOT OF ANIMALS COMING AND GOING. IT'S TOUGH WORK, LONG HOURS AND THEN PAY PAYS A PART. I MEAN, THAT'S DEFINITELY A PART. THERE'S SOME STUFF THAT WE CAN DEFINITELY AS A MANAGEMENT AND AS STAFF AND AS LEADERS, WE CAN DEFINITELY DO TO IMPROVE IT. AND I THINK I THINK WE'RE SEEING THAT AND I EXPECT IT TO CONTINUE TO IMPROVE. BUT IT'S WAGES, HOURS, THE STRESS, COMPASSION FATIGUE. YOU GOT A LOT OF ANIMALS COME AND GOING. LIKE I SAID THEY CARE A LOT. AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT. IT'S A GOOD PROBLEM TO HAVE THAT THEY CARE SO MUCH. BUT IT IT WEARS ON THEM. ARE MOST OF YOUR EMPLOYEES HOURLY OR ARE THEY ARE THEY ON A SALARY. MOST ARE HOURLY. HOURLY. OKAY. AND THEN MY LAST QUESTION I HAVE IS JUST WHAT IMMEDIATE AND LARGE SCALE BUDGET INVESTMENTS ARE BEING MADE TO TACKLE THE SEVERE PET OVERPOPULATION CRISIS, WOULD YOU SAY? I THINK THE A GOOD PLACE TO START IS THE 200,000 THAT IS GOING TO BE USED FOR SPAY AND NEUTER. THAT'S A GOOD THAT'S A GOOD STARTING POINT. AND IF WE GET EVERYTHING WORKED OUT, I WILL HAVE LIKE IF WE START GOING THROUGH THAT MONEY QUICKLY, I WILL HAVE NO PROBLEM COMING BACK IN HERE AND ASKING FOR MORE. BUT THAT'S PROBABLY THE BIGGEST THING TO TACKLE. THE OVERPOPULATION IS SPAY AND NEUTER, AND THE 200,000 IS A GOOD STARTING POINT. AND IF I CAN SPEND IT, WE ARE GOING TO SPEND IT. I SAY WE IT'S THERE, BUT WE'RE PARTNERS, WE WILL SPEND IT. AND THEN IF WE RUN OUT, I WILL COME BACK AND ASK FOR MORE. OKAY. AND THEN FOR YOU TO GIVE A SHAMELESS PLUG. DO YOU KNOW ABOUT HOW MUCH A SNIP CLINIC COST FOR EACH DISTRICT TO SPONSOR THAT? I'M NOT FOR SURE.

I'LL FIND OUT FOR YOU. I'D BE INTERESTED TO KNOW. THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME. I SAID FOUR, BUT APPARENTLY WE HAVE ONE IMMEDIATE FOLLOW UP. JUST A QUICK FOLLOW UP. IS THERE A BUDGET? PROVISIONS FOR INCREASING SALARIES IN THIS BUDGET FOR YOUR STAFF? THE MAJORITY OF MY STAFF, LIKE WE SAID EARLIER ON, ARE IN THE. UNION. I'M DRAWING A BLANK, SO THAT WON'T BE DECIDED BY US.

BUT I BELIEVE THE MAYOR'S ALREADY ANNOUNCED NON SALARIED EMPLOYEES. THERE IS A RAISE, SO I HOPE THAT ANSWERS IT. YOU'RE WELCOME. THANK YOU. I DID HAVE ONE THAT I REALLY KIND OF WANT TO GET AN ANSWER. YOU HAVE IN 3023 FY 23, YOU HAD A REMAINING BALANCE IN YOUR MISCELLANEOUS SPECIAL REVENUE OKAY. AND THAT SAME LINE, YOU HAVE 26,884. YOU ALSO HAVE $242,042 IN MISCELLANEOUS SPECIAL REVENUE. THAT STILL THAT HAS THE SAME BALANCE. SO FROM 23, 24, 25, THAT BALANCE HASN'T CHANGED, BUT THAT MISCELLANEOUS SPECIAL REVENUE HAS TO BE SPENT IN A VERY SPECIFIC WAY. WE HAD BORROWED MONEY ALSO, AND WE SPENT THE BORROWED MONEY. I'M WONDERING WHAT IS THE DEAL THAT WE CAN'T SEEM TO SPEND THIS MISCELLANEOUS SPECIAL REVENUE? AND WHY IS IT THAT WE DIDN'T USE THE BONDED MONEY? BUT WHY DO WE NOT USE THIS MONEY? BECAUSE WE CAN FREE THAT BONDED MONEY UP TO DO OTHER THINGS. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING AND I'LL HAVE TO MIGHT HAVE TO DEFER SOME, BUT IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE ARE A COUPLE OF FUNDS THAT WERE

[02:15:05]

[ ID 25-0231     Louisville Zoo]

[02:27:15]

[02:27:22]

[02:30:03]

SAM. COUNCILMAN. COUNCILMAN. WOOLRIDGE. COUNCILMEMBER. HUDSON. COUNCILMAN. CHAPPELL.

COUNCILMAN. PIAGENTINI AND COUNCILMAN. PARKER. JOINING US ONLINE IS COUNCILWOMAN MCCRANIE BELIEVE THAT CAPTURES EVERYBODY. AS A REMINDER, DEPARTMENTS WILL NOT BE MAKING OPENING COMMENTS.

AND WE WILL BEGIN IMMEDIATELY WITH COUNCIL MEMBER QUESTIONS. WELL, AS IMMEDIATELY AS WE CAN, IN LIGHT OF THE FACT THAT WE WERE DISTRACTED FOR A MOMENT, I WANT TO REMIND EVERYONE BEFORE WE START DISCUSSING LOUISVILLE ZOO'S $21 MILLION PROPOSED OPERATING BUDGET AND $600,000 PROPOSED CAPITAL BUDGET, THAT THE FINANCIAL SYSTEM CONVERSION ISSUE IN FY 25 CONTINUES TO DISTORT COMPARISONS BETWEEN FY 24, FY 25, AND FY 26. REPORTED STATE FUNDS ARE ACTUALLY AGENCY RECEIPTS, AND THE FEDERAL EXPECTED GRANTS ARE RECORDED IN RESTRICTED FUNDS. WELCOME.

DIRECTOR MALONEY, LET ME START OFF BY STATING THAT THE LOUISVILLE ZOO'S BUDGET INCLUDES FUNDING FOR A NEW AMBASSADOR ANIMAL PROGRAM COORDINATOR. THE POSITION WILL BE FILLED IN CALENDAR YEAR 26 AND ITS BENEFITS WILL NOT EXCEED 90,000. WHAT WILL BE THE FUNCTIONS OF THE NEW POSITION? HOW MAY CURRENT EXISTING PERSONNEL BE ASSIGNED TO THE ANIMAL AMBASSADOR PROGRAM, AND WHAT IS THE TOTAL ANTICIPATED COST FOR THE PROGRAM? SURE, AND I MAY BRING UP ASSISTANT ZOO DIRECTOR STEVE TAYLOR AS WELL TO ANSWER SOME OF THOSE QUESTIONS, BUT I JUST WANT TO LET YOU KNOW THAT THIS THIS WHOLE META ZOO RENOVATION IS, IS IT WAS INTENDED AND IS ACCOMPLISHED TO GIVE THE PROGRAM ANIMALS A MUCH BETTER QUALITY OF LIFE WHILE STILL BEING ABLE TO PROVIDE THESE CLOSE ENCOUNTER OPPORTUNITIES FOR GUESTS THAT CAN BE BOOKED AHEAD OF TIME. AND WE CAN ALSO DO IT WITH SCHOOL GROUPS AND SUCH. WE SEE A REVENUE GENERATING OPPORTUNITY OUT OF THOSE PROGRAMS. WE ALSO KNOW THAT THERE'S MORE AND MORE SCHOOL GROUPS ARE COMING BACK. WE'RE WE'RE ALMOST BACK TO PRE-COVID LEVEL AND UP TO WE HAVE MORE THAN 50,000 COME AT LAST YEAR. I IMAGINE IT'LL BE AROUND THE SAME NOW. SO STEVE, DO YOU WANT TO COME UP AND ANSWER SOME OF THOSE QUESTIONS, PLEASE? SURE. GOOD AFTERNOON.

YES. SO THIS IS A POSITION THAT I'VE BEEN WANTING FOR A LONG TIME, AT LEAST 11 YEARS. AS DAN SAID, WE KNOW THAT ZOO GUESTS WANT MORE EXPERIENCES, MORE INTERACTIVE THINGS TO DO WHEN THEY'RE AT THE ZOO. AND SO OUR ANIMAL AMBASSADORS LIKE THE BEAVER, THE BARN OWL, ANIMALS LIKE THAT. WE REALLY NEED SOMEONE WHO HAS A SKILL SET THAT CAN HELP US RAISE THOSE ANIMALS AND UTILIZE THEM IN A WAY THAT WE CAN REACH OUT TO OUR GUESTS, GO ON OUTREACHES, AND JUST MEET THE NEEDS OF THE PEOPLE THAT WANT TO COME TO THE ZOO. WHAT WERE THE OTHER? DO WE ANSWER THE

[02:35:04]

[02:40:04]

BECAUSE I'M LOOKING AT YOUR TURNOVER RATES SINCE 2021, WE ACTUALLY GO BACK THAT FAR IN THE CHART 11.48%, 11.72%. THE AVERAGE FOR THE CITY WAS 17%, SO YOU'RE WELL BELOW AVERAGE. SINCE THEN, THE RATES FOR THE CITY WERE AT 24, 20 AND 13%. YOU WERE AT 7.3% AND 3% IN TURNOVER.

RIGHT. JUST IT'S AN INCREDIBLE FEAT. AND CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT YOU GUYS HAVE DONE, BOTH FROM A PAY. BUT I MEAN, WHAT WHAT'S THE REASON YOU'RE ABLE TO RETAIN THE STAFF? HOW DO YOU GUYS ACCOMPLISH THAT AND WHAT CAN BE LEARNED FROM OTHER DEPARTMENTS WHO STRUGGLE IN THIS RESPECT? LET'S PUT IT THAT WAY. YOU KNOW, I THINK WE ARE BLESSED. I MEAN, WE'RE OUR FOLKS ARE MISSION DRIVEN, CERTAINLY THE ONES THAT ARE WORKING WITH THE ANIMALS. BUT I WILL TELL YOU THIS, ONE OF OUR WE HAVE A MECHANIC THAT STARTED WITH US THREE YEARS AGO, MAYBE SEVEN. JOSH. YEAH, THREE YEARS AGO. SO HE AND I, WE WERE I WAS ON DUTY. WE EACH TAKE UP WE EACH TAKE TURNS WORKING ON THE WEEKEND. AND I WAS ON A SUNDAY. THIS IS JUST A FEW WEEKS AGO I WAS SPEAKING TO OUR MECHANIC. SO HERE'S SOMEONE WHO'S NOT AN ANIMAL PERSON, ONE OF OUR CRAFTSPEOPLE. AND HE I JUST I JUST CHECKED IN WITH HIM. I SAID, HEY, HOW ARE THINGS GOING? AND HE SAID, YOU KNOW, I JUST LOVE BEING HERE. HE SAID. AND THEN WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT MORE AND, AND HE SAID, YOU KNOW, I COULD BE MAKING MORE MONEY SOMEWHERE ELSE. HE SAID, BUT I JUST LOVE BEING HERE. HE STARTED TALKING ABOUT SOME OF HIS OTHER JOBS. HE'S I DIDN'T FEEL AS PASSIONATE ABOUT IT. SO I THINK I THINK WE'RE BLESSED IN THAT WAY. AND, AND IT'S AGAIN AND I'M, I'M NOT TRYING TO DOWNPLAY, DOWNPLAY ANY OF OUR EFFORTS. WE'RE GOING THROUGH STRATEGIC STRATEGIC PLANNING RIGHT NOW. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE OUR CULTURE IS EVEN BETTER. BUT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE WE WORK AT A ZOO. AND, YOU KNOW, I MADE THE JOKE TO THE MAYOR WHEN HE CAME OUT LAST YEAR. I THINK HE'S NOW UNDERSTANDING MY SENSE OF HUMOR. HE SAID, WELL, YOU SEEM TO REALLY LOVE BEING HERE. I SAID, I LOVE MY JOB, MR. MAYOR. I SAID, PLEASE DON'T MAKE ME GO TO TARC, YOU KNOW. SO HE AND HE LOOKED AT ME AND I AND I WAS JUST MAKING A JOKE, YOU KNOW, I SAID, THAT'S THAT'S I'LL LET OZZY DO THAT. HE CAN HE CAN HANDLE IT. SO, SO I THINK WE HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY. SO I MEAN, I AGAIN, I DON'T WANT TO I DON'T WANT TO DOWNPLAY ANYTHING.

BUT WE'RE WE'RE FORTUNATE. WELL, AND I THINK YOU CREATE THAT OBVIOUSLY YOU'VE HAD A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON THAT CULTURE. I MEAN THE NUMBERS REFLECT THAT. SO AND THEN MY NON

[02:45:04]

AND IT SEEMS LIKE THE ADMINISTRATION'S PLAN WE DON'T OUTYEAR BUDGET, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE THE PLAN IS TO MAINTAIN THAT. AND MY QUESTION IS THAT JUST PUTS US IN ANOTHER SCENARIO WHERE WE'RE GOING TO BE BEHIND THE BALL. SO DO WE HAVE A PLAN OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS TO RAMP THAT UP AND GET IN FRONT OF THAT PROBLEM? YEAH. AND I CAN TELL YOU, I MEAN, THE 600 WE ALWAYS HAVE, WE'RE ALWAYS GOING TO HAVE 10 TO $12 MILLION WORTH OF STUFF. WE DO MORE THAN $600,000 WORTH OF WORK BECAUSE WE'RE GENERATING OUR REVENUE, AND WE'RE TRYING TO HOLD ON TO AS MUCH OF OUR SURPLUS AS POSSIBLE. BUT AS ASSISTANT ZOO DIRECTOR STEPHANIE MORRIS, SHE WANTED TO COME UP AND JUST SAY A FEW WORDS ABOUT THAT BECAUSE STEPHANIE HAS HER FINGER ON THIS PULSE. THANK YOU. HI. WE DO. WE ARE VERY HAPPY TO GET THIS. FOR THE RECORD, PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND YOUR POSITION. STEPHANIE MOORE, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR AT THE LOUISVILLE ZOO. THANK YOU. WE'RE THRILLED TO GET THE FUNDING $600,000. WE DO HAVE A PROJECTS LIST THAT WE MAINTAIN AND THOSE NEEDS AND PRIORITIES ARE CONSTANTLY EVOLVING, JUST BASED ON DIFFERENT EXHIBIT NEEDS. WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH THE ANIMALS, JUST THE FACILITY ITSELF. WE ARE LUCKY TO PARTNER WITH THE LOUISVILLE ZOO FOUNDATION, WHO CAN APPLY FOR SOME FUNDING OR HELP SUPPORT SOME OF THOSE CAPITAL PROJECTS AS WELL. AND OVER THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS, WE'VE GENERATED PARKING LOT OR PARKING REVENUE THAT HAS GONE TO HELP FUND CAPITAL FUNDING AS WELL. SO IT'S A IT'S EVER JUGGLING THOSE PRIORITIES AND KIND OF WHAT WHAT NEEDS TO BE THE TOP ITEM OF THE DAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU, MR. VICE CHAIR. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN PERISH. RIGHT. THANK YOU, MR. VICE CHAIR. AND THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. VICE CHAIR IS SO ON POINT WITH YOU ALREADY SOFTENED US ALL THE WAY. BUT I SEE THE LIBRARIES AS JUST AS I MEAN THE ZOO. JUST AS IMPORTANT PILLAR AS THE LIBRARIES ARE. SO THEY'RE SO IMPORTANT FOR OUR CITY AND COMMUNITY. SO MY QUESTIONS ARE AROUND MAKING SURE YOU ALL HAVE ENOUGH. AS COUNCILMAN PIAGENTINI KIND OF TOOK MY QUESTION AROUND THE 10 MILLION AND ONLY GETTING 600,000 IN THIS BUDGET, MY QUESTION WAS AROUND WHY WAS NOTHING SPENT IN NINE MONTHS FROM THE GENERAL REPAIR CATEGORY? STEPHANIE WILL TAKE. OKAY. THANK YOU. SO WE LIKE I SAID, WE JUST HAVE PRIORITIES THAT WE'RE TRYING TO JUGGLE. ONE THAT WE'VE KNOWN IS COMING IS THE TRANSFER OF THE ELEPHANTS TO THE ELEPHANT SANCTUARY IN TENNESSEE. TO THE GOAL IS TO MOVE THE RHINOCEROS INTO THAT EXHIBIT SPACE. AND WE KNOW THERE'S GOING TO BE EXTENSIVE RENOVATIONS THAT'S DONE. SO WE'VE BEEN HOLDING SOME OF THOSE FUNDS ASIDE JUST UNTIL WE GET A BETTER BALLPARK. WE NEEDED THE ELEPHANTS TO BE IN THEIR RETIREMENT HOME, AND THEN WE'LL HAVE OUR STAFF COME IN AND CONTRACTORS COME IN AND REALLY DO AN EXTENSIVE EVALUATION OF WHAT WE NEED TO DO FOR THAT FACILITY. THANK YOU. EXCELLENT ANSWER. AND SO THE STATUS OF THE ANIMAL AMBASSADOR CENTER THAT'S NOT CONNECTED TO THE ELEPHANT SITUATION. OKAY. NO, IT IS NOT THAT CONSTRUCTION ACTUALLY. WE HAVE ONE BENCH THAT WE'RE WAITING ON TO BE INSTALLED. AND THEN THAT FACILITY WILL BE COMPLETE AND WE'LL START MOVING ANIMALS BACK IN. STEVE MENTIONED THE ANIMAL AMBASSADOR COORDINATOR. THAT WILL BE KIND OF THEIR JOB. THEY'LL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR MOVING ANIMALS BACK INTO THAT FACILITY AND GETTING THAT PROGRAMING UP AND RUNNING. ONCE THAT'S COMPLETE. THANK YOU. AND MY LAST QUESTION, REALLY HAPPY TO HEAR ABOUT THE TRAIN AND TRAM. THAT'S ONE OF MY FAVORITE THINGS. AND I ALWAYS ATTEND ON MOTHER'S DAY. WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THE FAMILY PAST, AS I BELIEVE MR. CHAIR IS RIGHT, LIKE AFTER A FEW VISITS, YOU KNOW THAT THEY PAY FOR THEMSELVES. BUT IS THE FAMILY DESCRIBED AS JUST TWO PARENTS AND TWO KIDS? BECAUSE AS A MOM OF SIX, I'VE ALWAYS HAD TO PAY A LOT MORE. I THINK IT'S MORE THAT I THINK THE FAMILY PASS GOES UP TO, IS IT? IT'S SIX PEOPLE IN TOTAL. WE HAVE FOR OUR FAMILY LEVEL MEMBERSHIP, YOU CAN HAVE TWO NAMED ADULTS OR ONE NAMED ADULT AND A GUEST. SO DEPENDING ON YOUR SITUATION OR CIRCUMSTANCE, WHEN MY CHILDREN WERE YOUNGER, IT WAS MYSELF AND MY MOM BECAUSE I'M A SINGLE MOM, AND THEN YOU CAN HAVE UP TO SIX KIDS ON THAT PATH. EXCELLENT. SPREADING THE NEWS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. I'VE NO FURTHER FOLKS IN THE QUEUE. I FOUND IF I PUSHED THE BUTTON, I CAN. I CAN JUST ERASE PEOPLE FROM THE QUEUE. OH, YOU. I WAS SO JUST CLICK IN THE BUTTON IS NOT A GOOD IDEA. COUNCILMAN HUDSON, COUNCILMAN HUDSON AND COUNCILMAN CHAPPELL. THANK YOU. SORRY. I APOLOGIZE FOR THE SENSE OF HUMOR. AGAIN, GREAT NEWS ON THE TRAIN. NOTHING SUCCEEDS LIKE SUCCESS. AND THE TRUNK LINE MAGAZINE IS HAS A LEVEL OF

[02:50:07]

SALAMANDER. AND BUT IT'S AN ANIMAL THAT'S ON DECLINE. US FISH AND WILDLIFE HAS LISTED IT OR WANTS TO LIST IT AS AN ENDANGERED SPECIES. SO FISH AND WILDLIFE ACTUALLY REACHED OUT TO US AND SAID, WOULD YOU PARTNER WITH US? WE WOULD LOVE TO BE THAT. SO WE'RE WORKING TOGETHER RIGHT NOW TO GET SET UP SO THAT THIS FALL WE CAN ACTUALLY RECEIVE HELLBENDER EGGS OUT OF THE STREAMS HERE IN KENTUCKY AND HELP THEM RECOVER THAT SPECIES. AWESOME. YOU'RE ALSO A PART OF KENTUCKY DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE RESOURCES. ACTUALLY FOUND SOME SOME MONEY FOR US AS WELL. YES, YES. WELL, I'M I'M DELIGHTED TO HEAR THAT THAT RELATIONSHIP IS ALREADY ESTABLISHED AND HEALTHY. BUT IF THIS BODY CAN HELP IN ANY WAY, THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE SITTING IN THIS ROOM THAT HAVE CONNECTIONS WITH THE STATE AND VICE VERSA. THAT'S AWESOME. I'M READY TO TALK ANYTIME. YEAH, I'M AT THE ZOO. YOU CAN FIND ME ALMOST ANY DAY OF THE WEEK.

THANK YOU. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. BY THE WAY, I JUST WANT TO SHARE THAT STEVE, AS IN AUGUST IS AUGUST YOUR ANNIVERSARY? STEVE WILL BE 50 YEARS AS A ZOO PROFESSIONAL. SO.

COUNCILWOMAN CHAPEL, SORRY. I'M GLAD THAT COUNCILMAN HUDSON BROUGHT UP THE TRUNK LINE, BECAUSE THE NEW ISSUE CAME IN MY MAILBOX TODAY. SO IT WAS REALLY COOL AND I JUST THUMBED THROUGH IT. SO EXCITED TO CHECK IT OUT. I ALWAYS ENJOY GETTING THAT. AS A ZOO MEMBER, COULD YOU SPEAK TO THE TIMELINE ABOUT THE RHINOCEROS EXHIBIT, AND IS THAT A COST THAT WE SHOULD ANTICIPATE HAVING TO ASSIST WITH IN FUTURE BUDGETS? IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'RE KIND OF SQUIRRELING SOME MONEY AWAY TO ASSIST WITH THE RENOVATION, BUT I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH THE RENOVATION WOULD COST.

AND THEN YOU'D PROBABLY ALSO HAVE TO ADAPT THE RHINOCEROS EXHIBIT. AND I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH A COPIES COST. YEAH. SO AND JUST SO YOU KNOW, THE ANIMALS THEMSELVES WERE NOT PURCHASING, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, ZOOS LEND AND TRADE ANIMALS AND DO DIFFERENT THINGS. NOBODY'S BETTER AT SQUIRRELING THE MONEY AWAY THAN STEPHANIE. SO SHE'S SHE'S BEEN GUARDING THAT MONEY VERY, VERY CAREFULLY. AND TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WOULD HAVE ENOUGH RESOURCES FOR BOTH AREAS, WE WILL WE'LL

[02:55:08]

AND ANYWAY, WE HAVE TO WE'RE AS ENTREPRENEURS, WE'RE REALLY ENTREPRENEURIAL ABOUT THESE THINGS. ALWAYS WELCOME MORE. WE ALWAYS COULD USE MORE. BUT WE YOU KNOW, WE UNDERSTAND HOW THESE THINGS WORK. AND SPEAKING OF THE TRUNK LINE, THE FEATURE IS THE DINO PALOOZA. AND I WAS JUST WONDERING IF YOU COULD KIND OF SPEAK TO THE TOTAL COST OF THAT EVENT AND WHAT REVENUE IT BRINGS TO THE ZOO. I KNOW THAT RECENTLY THERE WAS AN NDEF BY A COUPLE COUNCIL MEMBERS TO, I THINK, THE TUNE OF LESS THAN $3,000. I SEE IT HAS A BIG SPONSOR, FORD. SO I WAS JUST WONDERING WHAT THE FINANCIAL IMPACT OF AN EVENT LIKE THAT IS ON OUR ZOO. YEAH WE WILL. I'M GOING TO BRING STEPHANIE UP TO DO THAT, BUT I'D LIKE TO RECOGNIZE THE COUNCIL MEMBER, PIAGENTINI AND COUNCIL MEMBER RAYMOND, BECAUSE BOTH OF THEM TEAMED TOGETHER AND SPONSORED ONE OF OUR ONE OF OUR EXHIBITS IN DINOSAUR. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT. SO DIANA PALOOZA IS IN A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE VENDOR DINO DAWN. IT'S DON LESSEM WHO IS ACTUALLY. IF YOU'VE EVER WATCHED JURASSIC PARK, HE WAS A CONSULTING PALEONTOLOGIST ON THE ORIGINAL JURASSIC PARK MOVIE WITH STEVEN SPIELBERG, AND HAS A DINOSAUR NAMED AFTER HIM, THE LESSEMSAURUS THAT WE HAVE A REPLICA OF AT THE ZOO. SO IF YOU COME OUT THAT WAY, YOU'LL BE ABLE TO SEE THAT DINOSAUR. THE TOTAL CONTRACT WITH THEM WAS $265,000. WE DID THAT, ENTERED INTO THAT CONTRACT, I BELIEVE, IN THE FALL WITH SOME UPFRONT PAYMENTS FOR THE TRANSPORTATION AND SHIPPING, AND WE RECEIVE SPONSORSHIPS. AND THEN WE ALSO WORK WITH OUR PARTNER ON DYNAMIC PRICING SO THAT WHEN WE HAVE AN EXHIBIT LIKE THAT, WE INCREASE OUR DYNAMIC PRICING A LITTLE BIT TO HELP OFFSET THAT COST AS WELL. SO WE HAVE A VENDOR WE WORK WITH WHO HAS A WHO HAS A COLUMNIST, AND ALGORITHMS THAT LOOK AT WEATHER AND EXHIBITS GOING ON, AND WE ADJUST THAT WAY. SO WE RECAPTURE IF THERE ARE PAID ATTENDANCE. THANK YOU. AND JUST WHILE I'VE GOT THE MICROPHONE, I'VE ENJOYED GOING TO THINGS LIKE TRIVIA AT THE ZOO, EVEN THOUGH I THINK IT'S RIGGED, BUT HERE NOR THERE, I NEVER WENT, BUT, YOU KNOW, JUST GOING TO GIVE A PLUG FOR THOSE EXTENDED HOURS FOR ADULTS WITH NO CHILDREN, WHO DON'T WANT TO DRINK OR SOCIALIZE AND JUST WANT TO STROLL THROUGH THE PARK, I FEEL LIKE THERE'D BE A GOOD MARKET FOR THAT, IF NOT JUST ME.

WELL, WE. YES, AND WE'RE ALSO WORKING, JUST SO YOU KNOW, WE'RE WORKING SO THAT WE HAVE SOME SPECIAL, SPECIAL EVENINGS WHERE PEOPLE CAN BRING THEIR DOGS AS WELL. OH, YEAH. SO WE'RE WE WANTED TO BE THE FIRST TO, TO DO IT. WE'RE WE'RE NOT WE'LL BE LIKE THE THIRD ZOO TO DO IT. BUT WE BELIEVE THAT THAT THERE'S, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ARE WILLING TO, TO, TO PAY TO COME AND, AND BE ABLE TO TAKE THEIR, THEIR DOGS PLACES AS WELL. JUST JUST SO PEOPLE ARE AWARE, WHILE IT'S NOT THE EVENING, THE WALKING GROUP THAT WE HAVE, WE WEREN'T ABLE TO GET A SPONSOR FOR THAT THIS YEAR. NORTON DECIDED THEY DIDN'T WANT TO SPONSOR IT, AND WE WENT AHEAD AND DID IT ANYWAY. AND WE HAVE FIVE, 500, OVER 500 PEOPLE WERE SIGNED UP FOR THIS. THERE'S NO CHARGE TO THEM AND THEY CAN COME INTO THE ZOO, YOU KNOW, BEFORE THE HOUR IS OPEN. WE FELT THAT IT WAS A SERVICE THAT WE STILL WANTED TO PROVIDE, EVEN WITHOUT A SPONSOR. IT SOUNDS LIKE BEING AN EARLY BIRD WOULD SERVE ME JUST. COUNCILMAN PIAGENTINI, JUST A FOLLOW UP. YEAH, I WILL SAY. SO. YOU GUYS HAVE. I THINK THE ZOO DOES A TREMENDOUS JOB IN CREATING THOSE DIFFERENT EXPERIENCES AND THEN, YOU KNOW, MONETIZING IT. RIGHT? LIKE THE THINGS THAT ARE UNIQUE, RIGHT? WE KEEP THE OVERALL COST OF THE ZOO LOW, RIGHT. AND GIVE PEOPLE OPPORTUNITIES TO BE THERE. AND AT THE SAME TIME, I KNOW THE SLOTH, THE SLOTH EXPERIENCE THAT LIKE BOOKS OUT INSTANTANEOUSLY. CAN YOU CAN YOU SPEAK TO QUICKLY SOME OF THE OTHER EXPERIENCES LIKE THAT, THAT WE PAID EXPERIENCES THAT WILL BE ADDITIONAL REVENUE GENERATORS AND THEN AND THEN ALSO THE EXPENSE SIDE, BECAUSE THE EXPENSE SIDE IS LIKE NEXT TO NOTHING TO DO THESE THINGS, BUT THEY'RE TREMENDOUS REVENUE GENERATORS. CAN YOU TALK ABOUT WHAT YOUR PLANS ARE RELATED TO THAT? SURE. THANK YOU. THANKS FOR THAT. YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW PEOPLE CAN GO OUT ON THE DECK, THEY CAN BOOK, THEY GO ON DECK TO SEE THE SEAL AND SEA LION FEEDING AND TRAINING OPPORTUNITY THERE. THEY CAN GO AND GET A CHANCE TO TOUCH A RHINO AND ENCOUNTER A RHINO. LITTLE PENGUINS ARE THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM AS WELL. BUT PART OF WHAT WE DO IS WE LOOK TO ADD THE GIANT TORTOISES.

SO THAT'S THAT'S LIMITED TO THE IT HAS TO BE WARM ENOUGH BECAUSE THEY, THEY SPEND A LOT OF TIME

[03:00:04]

AND THIS IS WHAT STEVE IS WORKING ON WITH STEPHANIE AND THE CREW IS TO HAVE DAVE PURCHASE OPPORTUNITIES, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW YOU GOT TO BOOK THEM AHEAD OF TIME. I WANT I WANT PEOPLE TO BECOME BE ABLE TO COME UP AND PEOPLE UNDERSTAND IF THEY CAN BE BOOKED AHEAD, JUST LIKE DISTILLERY TOURS. AND IF THEY'RE NOT AVAILABLE, THEY'RE NOT AVAILABLE. BUT IF PEOPLE COME WALK UP AND THERE'S SLOTS AVAILABLE, I WANT THEM TO BE ABLE TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT. SO, YOU KNOW, AND SOME OF THE MONEY GOES TOWARDS CONSERVATION AND SOME OF THE MONEY WILL GO TOWARDS OUR STAFF DEVELOPMENT FUND. BUT, YOU KNOW, ANYTIME WE CAN WE CAN TRY TO CONVERT SOME OF THIS AND, AND EVERYBODY GETS A CHANCE TO WIN. WE'LL ALWAYS LOOK FOR THOSE. THANK YOU. AND I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS A SOFTBALL QUESTION OR A CHALLENGING ONE, BUT A NUMBER OF YEARS AGO WE HAD A CONVERSATION ABOUT SOLAR PANELS AND REDUCING THE ZOO'S OVERALL. ELECTRICITY DRAW AND THE EXPENSE THAT'S ASSOCIATED WITH IT. THERE WAS CONVERSATION ABOUT POTENTIALLY SOLAR PANELS OVER A GOOD CHUNK OF YOUR PARKING LOT, SO THAT FOLKS WOULD ACTUALLY PARK UNDER THE SOLAR PANELS. I DON'T REMEMBER ALL OF THE CONVERSATION. IT SEEMS TO ME LIKE ONE OF THE CHALLENGES THAT WE FACED WAS THAT IN ZOOS WHERE THIS HAD BEEN DONE, PEOPLE BUMP INTO THE POLES THAT HOLD SOLAR PANEL AND, YOU KNOW, YOU END UP WITH DAMAGE THE PANELS AS WELL AS DAMAGE THE CARS AND, YOU KNOW, CLAIMS AND ALL THAT. ONE WOULD THINK THAT THERE'D BE WAY TO MITIGATE THAT. I'M JUST WONDERING IF THAT CONVERSATION AROUND SOLAR ENERGY AT E ZOO HAS KIND OF TAKEN A BK SEAT, OR IF WE'RE STILL ACTIVELY CONSIDERINGITHER SOLAR PANELS IN THE PARKING LOT OR SOLAR PANELS ON BUILDINGS, WHAT ISHE COERSAONROD USING SOLAR SOLAR ERG THERE S I THI THAT'SRETTYOODIZE'S PENSE.F WE COULD FIND A SPONSOR FOR THAT, THAT THAT WOULD PROBABLY BE BE HELPFUL. BUT BUT IN KENTUCKY TRAILS WE'RE LOOKING AT ANY OF THE ANY OF THOSE ROOF LIGHTS, ANY OF THOSE ROOFTOPS. SO WE KNOW THAT, FOR EXAMPLE, THE WHERE THE TRAIN WILL BE STORED, THAT IT'S A PERFECT PITCH THERE, WE'LL BE ABLE TO DO IT. THE KENTUCKY CONSERVATION CENTER, WE WERE LOOKING AT GEOTHERMAL. WE WORKED REALLY HARD FOR THE GEOTHERMAL PART. WE EVEN THOUGHT WE COULD WE COULD RUN IT HORIZONTALLY BECAUSE IF YOU GET IT DOWN A CERTAIN AMOUNT, BUT YOU GOT TO WE JUST WE JUST DIDN'T HAVE IT WASN'T AS FEASIBLE. WE CAN'T GO DOWN EVEN THOUGH THE MINE DOES NOT EXTEND, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE CAVERN THEY CALL IT. BUT IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S A FORMER LIMESTONE MINE. IT DOESN'T EXTEND UNDER KENTUCKY TRAILS, BUT THEY STILL OWN THE RIGHTS TO IT. SO IF WE WERE TO DRILL DOWN, WE'D HAVE TO GET PERMISSION FROM FROM THE LOUISVILLE UNDERGROUND. AND THEY HAVEN'T BEEN THE BEST, YOU KNOW, BEST NEIGHBORS. WE'RE STILL IN LITIGATION OVER THE COLLAPSE, SO I'M NOT SURE WE WANT TO GO UP THAT STEEP HILL.

BUT THE WATER FEATURE THAT WE'RE WE WILL BE CREATING IN KENTUCKY TRAILS IS NOT JUST THERE TO PUT KAYAKS ON WHICH WE WILL. IT'S ALSO THERE TO MANAGE THE WATER. IT COMES IN THERE AND IT'LL BE A CLOSED, CLOSED LOOP. AND IT'LL BE AS WE TRY TO MAKE IT AS ENERGY LIGHT AS POSSIBLE. BUT IT WILL ALSO A LOT. IT'LL ALIGN WITH THE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES OF MSD WHEN IT COMES TO BEARGRASS

[03:05:04]

BUT RIGHT NOW THE CAROUSEL HAS SOLAR, HAS PHOTOVOLTAIC, AND SO DOES THE ADMIN BUILDING. GREAT.

THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE? SEEING NO ONE ELSE IN THE QUEUE WE ARE RIGHT ON TIME. SO THIS CONCLUDES

[Adjournment Note: Agendas are followed at the discretion of the Chair. While an item may be listed, it does not mean all items will be heard and/or acted upon by the Committee.]

THANKS. YEAH.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.