Austin (Tex.). Boards and Commissions. Animal Advisory Commission Records

An Inventory of a Collection

Administrative History

Boards and commissions are an established feature of Austin's municipal government and provide citizens an opportunity to participate in the City's governmental process and lend a more diverse viewpoint for the City Council to consider. They are created by the City Council as the need arises and dissolved if the need for the particular board or commission ends or if the purpose of the board/commission needs to be altered.

The Animal Advisory Commission was established in 1992 by ordinance 920528-I which dissolved the Animal Shelter Advisory Committee. The Ordinance establishing the Animal Advisory Commission has been amended and updated due to a recodification of the city code through the years, but the Commission's responsibility of advising the city council and the Travis County Commissioners Court on compliance with Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 823 has remained intact.

The current 2012 ordinance (20091217-046) reads that the commission shall advise the city council and the Travis County Commissioners Court on compliance with Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 823 (Animal Shelters); advise council on animal welfare policies and on budget priorities identified by the Commission and the community, except on issues related to the administration of the Animal Services Division; promote collaboration between the City and interested parties relating to animal welfare in the city; identify proactive, creative approaches to engage and facilitate communication within animal welfare community; and foster and assist the development of animal welfare programs in the community. See Section 2-1-102 of the City Code for more details on the duties of the Animal Advisory Commission.

Scope and Contents

The Administrative Records series (1992-2008) consists of the various ordinances that pertain to the Animal Commission, mission statements and bylaws and assorted documents outlining the rules and regulations for commission meetings.

The Meeting Agenda and Minutes series (2000-2010) comprises of the bulk of the collection and consists of meeting agendas and minutes (sometimes referred to as meeting summaries), attendance rosters, handwritten notes, reports of operations, financial information, requests to speak and other support materials for all meetings held by the Austin Animal Advisory Commission (formally the Animal Shelter Advisory Committee) from October 2000 through August 2010. These records focus on plans to reduce euthanasia, increase adoptions, and decrease shelter intake. Highlights of the collection include material on the building of the new Animal Services Center and the No Kill implementations policies.

The Reports series (2010) consists of two reported titled "No Kill Implementation Plan" and "Implementation Plan to Reduce Animal Intake and Increase Live Animal Outcomes" created by the Animal Advisory Commission and city staff.

Restrictions

Restrictions on Access

Open to all users.

Restrictions on Use

None.

Related Material

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Austin(Tex.). Boards and Commissions. Animal Advisory Commission Records (AR.2011.040). Austin History Center, Austin Public Library, Texas.

Acquisition Information

Donor #: City of Austin Records Transfer

Donation Date: 2011

Processing Information

Finding aid created and encoded by Rachel Panella in 2012.

Detailed Description of the Collection