Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
specifically with Andy Saks, to talk about the parameters by which they would help the <br />public process of having focus groups, having citizens be able to express themselves in <br />groups of discussion and so forth. I'll let Rosie and Gwen speak more to that in terms of <br />what their discussions with Andy were. That amount, based on our preliminary <br />discussions, would be another $2,500 or so, making the total cost of the process and <br />analysis of the present animal shelter as it's run by APS is something in the <br />neighborhood of $21,000 as a total cost. We are recommending that that money come <br />from the fund balance that can be replenished with the advent of the additional half-cent <br />sales tax beginning the first quarter of next calendar year. So tonight, we are <br />recommending that the Board proceed with the contract with the Humane Society of the <br />United States, and also proceed with further refined discussion and negotiation with <br />Andy Saks and the Dispute Settlement Center for them to help us in the public process. <br />Rosemary Summers: I only have one thing to add in the discussions with Mr. <br />Saks. He is not available to begin the project until January. That actually does not delay <br />our project that much, because there is the initial period where the APS would have to <br />gather the data to send in to the HSUS consultation team. So those things would <br />overlap Mr. Saks' starting the project for the focus groups and the APS staff gathering <br />information that the HSUS requests of them. So it dovetails fairly nicely in that regard. I <br />will say that the one thing that is not included in the cast that may be a small additional <br />charge is if the Board wishes to have the HSUS staff, a staff member come and actually <br />present the findings to a joint Board meeting, their expenses are not included in the <br />proposal. As we discussed that with them by telephone, they said that they would only <br />need to cover the costs of their plane fare and their hotel stay to do that. They are more <br />than willing to consider doing that. I would be happy to answer any questions. <br />Commissioner Halkiotis: I would like to speak to that, because I think that's <br />critically important. If the audit report was done by Ken Chavious and presented by Ken <br />Chavious, it doesn't have the same validation to it as an outside agency that comes in. <br />And I think it's really powerful that that particular piece needs to be done by the agency <br />that does the study. If you were to present it, somebody may object to that. If <br />somebody else were to present it on staff, there could be objections to that. Having the <br />group present the study that did the study, I think is a powerful message, and I <br />personally would subscribe to doing that. <br />Rosemary Summers: Well, we in fact had that idea after we got the original bid <br />from them. <br />Commissioner Carey: I might comment that at the Board of Health meeting last <br />week, the Board of Health shares that view that you just expressed. <br />Commissioner Brawn: I just had one question about this Dispute Settlement <br />Center process. It says here that suggested groups, residents would be selected who <br />have adopted from the shelter, and those who have been rejected for adoption and other <br />groups. I guess I was maybe concerned about how groups would be chosen. <br />Rosemary Summers: One of the things that Mr. Saks has suggested is that we <br />would farm a small steering committee with him to help select the groups, to define the <br />groups that would actually be selected and included in the focus groups. He suggested <br />that that steering committee be a small group, but be representative of different <br />viewpoints. And then we could come to an agreement in that group about who would be <br />