Well we could go ahead and get started.

Um I think at least for my benefit, maybe a couple of other folks.

Same for you.

I think maybe some introductions would be good.

Um so I'll start.

Maybe we'll go this way.

So I'll have Jason Gordon, I'm mayor.

Ben Joven, six Ward Alderman.

Uh Erica Gunn, the executive director of the Humane Society.

I'm Kelly Eccles from the board of the Humane Society.

And Tyson Danner from the board.

Julie Gillespie from the board.

Kyle Grip, Alderman at large.

Tim Faney, we're on the board.

Jasmine Newton, Alder Woman at large.

Matt Lenin and Eighth Ward Alderman.

Mark Holloway, seven to autumn.

Tim Dunn, second.

Well about third board alderman.

Jade Bertholder, fourth board elder woman.

All right.

So I think I don't necessarily know how to proceed at this point.

So it doesn't have a set agenda, but I think you know, broadly speaking, we're coming up.

Um we're you know, trying to get our heads and arms around some of this these issues related to our contractual relationship.

So I I'll let you maybe say a few words if you'd like to get us started.

Yeah, I mean, I think it would be helpful for us kind of what questions to council have for us to help us know kind of where to go with the conversation because we've had a lot of conversation with staff, so just kind of wondering what questions are the same or different, and what can we answer for you guys about that, and then kind of what our path forward would be.

Sure.

I'm Randy Rockwell.

I'm on the uh board with the inmates today.

Thank you.

So yeah, um I'll what's the current proposal?

Yeah, we sent um the offer for what we would provide past June 30th.

Um staff asked us to provide that because there was the talk of them transitioning those services within the into Davenport so that they are providing shelter and animal control services.

So we provided what that would be of what we could do.

That would be an additional six months past the current June 30th contract, and then um Mr.

Gleason sent another proposal back on March 20th.

So that was just Friday afternoon, so we don't have a response for that yet because it's only been about four business days, so we haven't gotten to review all of that together as a group.

So was that a was that his counter um sort of beliefs on March 20th?

Tim, was that what that was?

It was and actually uh Mayor uh that that came um somewhat unexpectedly.

Uh I had requested a meeting, just to introduce myself.

Since I was now the permanent city administrator, I wanted to meet uh Erica, you know, regardless of uh you know where uh this relationship was gonna go.

Uh we're gonna be working together, you know, whether it's in the short term or or longer term.

And I think the uh vice chair of the board, uh Kelly, and I apologize for not knowing her last name or having a pulled up uh in that conversation uh probably two, three weeks ago, it came up uh that uh Humane Society was in fact expecting uh a possibility of uh a counter proposal of the letter that we received, I believe on February 4th, uh we definitely did not take it that way.

And I said something in that meeting about it, and uh thought uh you know it would be prudent for us to actually put pen to paper and submit a proposal, a counter in this case, uh, and see if we can't find something that uh helps both of us uh given the uh very important mission uh that uh that we're trying to provide the community.

So do you view that counter as a like a counter to remain in a contractual relationship for an extended period of time, or do you view that more as a we'll we'll buy some time as you guys separate and do your own thing.

How are you viewing that counter maybe?

Yeah, I mean I think after our discussion with Tim, which was great.

Tim, thank you for reaching out and doing that.

That was very nice.

Um I think for us, you know, we've been told since around January that there would be a transition of services.

So for us, when we expected a counter was more so when we sent that February 4th offer for what we could do past June 30th for an initial, was thinking that there would be some sort of some form of communication after that.

Um I let the city staff know by email that you know I was out of the office that Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Monday, and then I'd be back Tuesday so we could talk about what the next steps were and if there were any questions.

So we were kind of as surprised as a lot of people regarding the press announcement.

I definitely can see how our offer on February 4th would feel like a transition, but it is because that's what we were being told by city staff.

Was that that was the only option moving forward was a transition of services.

Um so we so we expected the counter to be and how we kind of take this is that transition of where do we go next with transitioning services from the Humane Society of Scott County for both animal control and animal shelter services to the city of Davenport, understanding that there's obviously a lot that goes into that.

And if I could provide additional clarity in through our board discussions, I think since that time we've we've thought about the trajectory of our organization and our own financial health, and that's uh that's exclusively the path that we're interested in exploring is a transition of services.

Um specifically with animal protection officers and services, whether there's maybe more discussion about the sheltering component.

I think uh the board is open to that conversation.