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COMMISSION OF ANIMAL CONTROL AND WELFARE
Mailing Address: 1390 Market Street, Room
822
San Francisco, CA 94102
Voice Mail: (415) 252-3817
MINUTES OF MEETING - APRIL 12, 2001
1. CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL
(a) Chair Elissa Eckman convened the April 12, 2001 meeting
of the Commission of Animal Control and Welfare to order at approximately
5:30 p.m. at City Hall, Room 408, San Francisco, California.
Commissioners in attendance: Chair Elissa Eckman, Carl
Friedman, Animal Care & Control, Bill Herndon, S.F.P.D.,Cheryl Bentley,
Chin Chi, Frederick Hobson, and Katherine Tchen. Jack Breslin, S.F.D.P.H.,and
Richard Schulke were absent with permission (I’M NOT SURE ABOUT THIS).
Commission Chair Elissa Eckman presided during all aspects
of the meeting. All 5 commissioners (or their lawful designates) holding valid
appointments being present, the quorum requirement of Section 6 of the Commission’s
"Rules and Regulations" (50% of those eligible to vote) was satisfied.
2. (a) APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES
The Minutes for March 8, 2001 meeting was unanimously
approved.
.
(b) COMMITTEE REPORTS
(1) Report of the Police Department: Deferred
(2) Report of the Health Department: Deferred
(3) Report of the Dept. of Animal Care and Control: Deferred
3. CHAIR’S STATEMENT
a) As a farewell to Commissioner Schulke who would not
be applying for re-appointment, Chair Eckman proposed that the Commission
thank Commissioner Schulke for the many years of work as chair of the Commission
and this proposal was unanimously approved. Chair Eckman will write to the
Board of Supervisors suggesting Schulke be commended by the Board.
b) Chair Eckman distributed copies of the original Commission
Rules and Regulations and the draft of a new version put together by City
Attorney Rosa Sanchez with input from Chair Eckman and Vice-Chair Bentley.
The Chair proposed that all look over the proposed draft and that the May
meeting be devoted solely to discussion and approval of this draft.The proposal
was seconded.
c) Status of letters sent to Board of Supervisors
1. Live-Animal market has been sent, no answer yet.
2. Funding for the Animal Care and Control Dept, sent,
no answer.yet.
3. Removal of Trees sent, no answer yet..
4. Funds for Commission of Animal Control and Welfare,
nothing has come of letter yet. Vice-Chair Bentley reported that she had
talked with Supervisor Peskin regarding this subject and he had said he
would try to get the commission around $1,000. Also, Peskin’s Office is
now writing legislation regarding the live-animal market laws.
5. Letter to District Attorney regarding special prosecutor
for crimes against animals. No answer yet to Commission’s letter. Chair
Eckman emphasized that in the near future the Commission needed to work
on how to follow up these issues..
4) COMMITTEE REPORTS/COMMISSIONER’S REPORTS (Discussion
item)
a) Crime-stopper Posters (anti-dog fighting). Commissioner
Friedman said that due to budget constraints, the Department of Animal Care
and Control may not be able to help fund the posters after all. When asked
if this meant that the posters could not be put out because of lack of funds,
Commissioner Herndon assured that Crime Stoppers is definitely committed to
shouldering at least part of the funding. Commissioner Chi explained that
Sharie Lesniak, the copywriter offering her services to this project, had
talked with Melissa Flowers, but she would be late because she works in Berkeley
so later on in the meeting she would be able to up-date on the latest. Commissioner
Chi agreed to continue pursuing the matter. As Sharie later arrived too late
to be able to speak, the subject was put off to the June, 2001 meeting.
b) Commissioner Chi distributed copies of the draft of
the first pamphlet on cosmetic surgery (Declawing) by Animal Protection Institute
(API) veterinarian Jean Hofve and Commissioner Bentley distributed copies
of the draft letter to be sent to the Board of Supervisors if all commissioners
agreed to API’s draft. Bentley suggested to vote on subject next meeting.
Eckman explained that it would have to be at the June, 2001 meeting because
the May meeting had to concentrate on the rules and regulations issue..
c) Vice-Chair Bentley suggested that to save work and
expense in future all commissioners should receive the minutes through the
Website and this was agreed to.
d) Eckman made a motion, which was seconded, to move up
6c and 6e because Commissioners Friedman and Herndon had to leave early so
it was discussed after 4d but in these minutes they are still mentioned in
the original order. After discussion of items 6c and 6e, City Attorney Sanchez
explained in detail one of the rules of procedure for the commission and that
is: A commissioner raises an agenda item, explains it, and makes a motion
regarding it. Then the motion needs to be seconded by another commissioner.
If the motion is not seconded it, it will not be discussed any further by
the Commissioners, but public comment should still be allowed on the motion.
After this explanation Attorney Sanchez left the meeting due to having just
had oral surgery, but promised to be at the May meeting to discuss in detail
the proposed rules and regulations.
5. OLD BUSINESS
a) Recommendation to the Board of Supervisors concerning
UCSF’s longstanding animal care deficiencies showing disregard for Board’s
prior Resolution requesting that UCSF cut back on animal testing and use humane
methods of testing. (Eckman) (Discussion/Action Item) It was unanimously decided
that the Commission continue to pursue this matter and Chair Eckman volunteered
to write a letter to the Board of Supervisors regarding this issue and promised
to pursue it
6. NEW BUSINESS
a) Recommendation to the Board of Supervisors regarding
educational measures concerning the creation of dog training classes and the
creation of scholarship fund for those in financial need. (Hobson) (Discussion/Action
Item) Commissioners Bentley, Hobson and Tchen voted for it and Commissioners
Eckman and Chi voted against it.The motion did not pass because a quorum needs
4 votes.
b) Resubmission of recommendation to Board of Supervisors
regarding the Owner/Guardian issue. (Commission) (Discussion/Action Item)
Commissioner Chi made a motion to resubmit the recommendation and it was seconded
by Commissioner Bentley.The decision was unanimous to resubmit this recommendation.
Commissioner Chi offered to write the letter concerning this issue which would
be shown to Chair Eckman and passed at the May meeting.
c) Recommendation to Board of Supervisors to increase
the SFPD Canine Unit Budget. (Bentley) (Discussion/Action Item) Commissioner
Bentley dropped this item when she learned that it was an internal matter
within the SFPD and increases in funding should be left up to the Chief of
Police.
d) Recommendation to Board of Supervisors for the elimination
of fares for animals on MUNI by June 1, 2001 (Schulke/Hobson) (Discussion/Action
Item) Commissioner Hobson explained his motion and support for his motion
was unanimous.
e) Recommendation to Board of Supervisors that SFPD and
AC&C increase dog bite fines from $27.50 to $75.00 for first cited bite,
and increase to $150 for second bite and $250 for each bite thereafter (Hobson)
(Discussion/Action Item). No other commissioner seconded this motion so, although
comments both among the commissioners and from the public were made on the
subject, this motion was not put on the agenda for the June meeting. Commissioners
Hobson and Bentley voted for it and Commissioners Eckman, Chi and Tchen voted
against it.
7. PUBLIC COMMENT
6. NON-CALENDARED MATTERS
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned at about 8:30 p.m., a motion
to this affect was made by Commissioner Eckman and seconded by Commissioner
Bentley.
Dated: May 5, 2001 Chin Chi,