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- - 1 <br /> ORANGE COUNTY <br /> BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br /> ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br /> Meeting Date: October 28, 2002 <br /> Action Agenda <br /> Item No. 2 <br /> SUBJECT: Proposed External Evaluation of the Orange County Animal Shelter and Public <br /> Comment Period <br /> DEPARTMENT: Manager's Office PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No <br /> Health <br /> ATTACHMENT(S): <br /> American Humane Association (AHA) INFORMATION CONTACT: <br /> Description Gwen Harvey, ext 2307 <br /> Humane Society of America (HSUS) Rosemary Summers, ext 2411 <br /> Description TELEPHONE NUMBERS: <br /> HSUS Materials Hillsborough 732-8181 <br /> Reference Check Report Chapel Hill 968-4501 <br /> Correspondence from APS Board to Durham 688-7331 <br /> Board of Commissioners 10/17/2002 Mebane 336-227-2031 <br /> PURPOSE: To consider entering into a contract for an external evaluation of the Orange <br /> County Animal Shelter, to provide staff direction on the scope of work for the proposed external <br /> evaluation, and to receive public comment on the scope of work, especially emphasis areas and <br /> suggestions for meaningful public involvement. <br /> BACKGROUND: <br /> Several residents raised concerns at the BOCC meeting on September 3 regarding the <br /> operation of the Orange County Animal Shelter and the contract that the County has with the <br /> Animal Protection Society of Orange County (APS) to provide those shelter services. A follow- <br /> up report was provided to the Board of Commissioners at their regular meeting on October 1. <br /> During the meeting on October 1, Commissioners discussed the possibility of contracting with <br /> an external organization for an evaluation of the Animal Shelter and directed staff to gather <br /> more information about each respective national agency that has conducted similar studies. An <br /> external assessment would provide an unbiased view of shelter operations and offer <br /> benchmarks with other organizations providing shelter services nationwide. The following <br /> issues have been identified either through public comment, Commissioner comment or Board of <br /> Health Committee as appropriate for inclusion in the external assessment:. <br /> • Program and management improvements <br /> • Public interaction and customer service/satisfaction <br /> • Considerations for the design, maintenance, and programming of any new facility <br /> • Continued review and consideration of best disease management practices <br /> • Adoption policies (ensuring that healthy animals are adopted) <br /> • Provisions for effective, low-cost spay/neuter operations <br />