Minutes 04-04-2019 Work Session - Laserfiche WebLink

Browse Search

3 • Unified Animal Ordinance and Legislation: The ASAB will continue to coordinate with staff to identify and address "issues" in the administration of the ordinance in areas that may be subject to administrative appeal. As in the past, it is expected that this may bring forth recommendations for ordinance amendments based upon the experience of the Animal Services Hearing Panel Pool with the appeal process. The ASAB will also continue to work with staff to identify legal changes that may be addressed by the BOCC through the County's legislative agenda. Commissioner Price referred to dog walking trails/easements, and asked if there are issues with this. Maureane Hoffman said no, and the issue is that these easements were not initially well communicated to Animal Services staff and the advisory board. She said this communication failure has been addressed. Bob Marotto said they are working now with Duke and OWASA's easements, as well as Solid Waste. He said they are working with the Town of Chapel Hill regarding a brook that runs through the area near the landfill. Commissioner Bedford asked if any lessons were learned during the hurricanes. Bob Marotto said the department has been at the edge of a newer approach of housing animals in the context of emergencies, and this year's hurricanes prompted a need to co-locate pets in the same building as their owners. He said a lesson learned was the importance of recruiting more volunteers to help with the co-location. Maureane Hoffman said it also showed the commitment of the Animal Services staff to working both the shelters and the facility. Chair Rich asked if there is an update on the number of free roaming cats. Bob Marotto said this remains a real challenge, but up to 200 cats have been sterilized through the working barn cat program. He said this will be a long term effort to make any significant impact. Commissioner McKee arrived at 7:18 p.m. Maureane Hoffman said it is hard to get hard data on the free roaming cats, and this problem is best addressed intensively, one area at a time. • Arts Commission Tim Hoke, Chair Tim Hoke reviewed some of the Arts Commission's accomplishments: • Hosted annual Arts Grants Program. Thirty-eight, or 57%, of the 67 applications were funded. Of the funded applications, 32% were first-time applicants. Requested funding totaled$163,859, with $61,394 available for disbursement. • Served as ambassadors and panelists for the Emerging Artist Program, the Annual Piedmont Laureate Program, and the 4th US Congressional District High School Art Competition. • Served as county lead for Arts Day 2018, gathering local arts supporters to advocate for public arts support through Arts North Carolina. • In partnership with the Hillsborough Arts Council, hosted 2nd Annual Paint it Orange: Plein Air Paint-out & Wet Paint Sale, as a fundraiser for OCAC and HAC, drawing artists from four states. • Coordinated "Arts Moments" to kick off each Board of County Commissioners meeting in 2018 featuring local writers.