Good evening.

I'd like to welcome you to the June 8th, 5 30 p.m.

meeting of the Animal Welfare Commission tonight.

You can view this on Channel 24 and on TGovonline.org.

We will now call the meeting to order.

Christine Kunzweiler here.

Teresa Burkett present.

Suarez present.

And of course, we have Sherry Carrier, our Animal Service Director.

And I'd also like to introduce Hope Angley and from she's the GH2 architect that will give our presentation in just a little bit.

We're very excited to see that.

And members of the public, would you like to introduce yourself?

GM Lyon.

Alright.

And Miss Hall said she's on her way.

Alright, thank you.

Alright.

Has everybody had a chance to look at the minutes?

Move to approve the minute from our May 11th.

Alright.

Can I have a roll call, please?

Yes.

Jamie, yes.

Kingsweiler, yes.

The motion has passed for the minutes, is submitted by the staff.

Alright, now I think we're on to item number three new Animal Services Facility presentation from the GH2 architects and TAS staff.

And I'll just kind of uh start this off to say that this has been in the works for 13 years.

So the funding that we got in different years and from different uh places is 13.8 million dollars.

We've got some some extra money since then, but this is just we thought it would be neat to just kind of give you an update of where the renderings started and where we are today, and then um just to keep in mind that we're hopeful that we would get the keys by the end of September.

Fingers crossed, but it does depend on the weather and other circumstances, and we've had a lot of rain, so um we're hope to get them the end of September, and we'll we'll probably do another update maybe later before we actually get the keys.

So we wanted to do this.

We were hoping more people would be here from the public so that they could see kind of where we are today.

But um we'll have these available if anybody's interested.

If you all know people that are interested, just let me know.

Yeah, so as Sherry said, um, it's it's been under construction for a little over a year now.

Um, and so a lot has happened in that time, and we're excited to kind of share and talk about it.

Um this is just kind of a broad overview of what's been happening the last year.

Obviously, started out with footings July of last year.

Um, September, we had our slab placed and kind of set, you know, obviously set the tone for everything else.

Um, our topping out, which I'm sure some of you may have even attended, um, was October of last year.

After that, they were doing um exterior framing, uh getting all of that uh the building closed in so you can really see what it looks like.

Um there in that lower right uh photograph there, kind of um getting waterproofing on and doing some of those more technical important things to keep water out of the building, um, and then uh really just exterior finishes, um, getting some of these systems in like HVAC and plumbing and everything for our functional building.

So uh and Sherry and I will kind of tag team, so she might chime in as we kind of go through this, but uh we just wanted to highlight really quickly.

If you haven't seen the plan in a while, here's kind of an overview of what it looks like.

Um I don't know if you can see my mouse.

You can't, but um, in the lower left there, you've got kind of admin spaces all across the top side.

You've got your kennels.

Um lower right, you have some of your clinic and surgical spaces.

Just to the left of that of that, we have uh cat adoption spaces, straight cat space, um, and then of course, your main entry is there in the very center on the on the south side at the bottom there.

So all the spaces in yellow.

We're gonna kind of look at the renderings and then see kind of where it's at today.

So we're gonna start with the lobby and entry space.

Um, this is so different than obviously the existing facility.

It's gonna uh we're we really wanted to emphasize a welcoming space.

Um, uh lots of it's very wide, so that if multiple dogs are kind of walking past each other, they there won't be uh there's lots of room to kind of navigate that.

Um you'll see it in a minute, but to the left is our uh conference room to the right is our cat spaces, um, and then of course to the north again we've got all of our dog adoption spaces up there.

And just to point out the meeting space, we don't have a meeting room now, and our team fortunately has grown, and we've we've actually kept it staffed, and hopefully we'll continue to do that.

But it's uh difficult for us to be in a break room that is really meant for 10 people, and especially on Wednesdays when everybody's there, so just to have this space and then an additional space that I hope we'll talk about in a few minutes is um definitely just a better environment for our team, and um you can do some trainings in there, and then community members can also use that space too if they want to have a meeting at the facility.

Um also just quickly point out the on the upper left there, you can see where our future mural is gonna go, and uh the Tulsa Arts Commission is working on uh getting the local artist uh solicited for that right now, which is really fun.

So we have two art projects.

One will go like outside the cat uh catio, and we've started getting some of those um submissions in.

So it's really kind of cool to look at those and see what it's gonna look like or propose what it's gonna look like.

But the the mural there should have uh our dogs and cats that we've had in the facility, so um that's really so actual, yeah.

A tribute to our animals that have been there, and then I didn't say this before, but uh obviously the get to know cat rooms we don't have right now, so that's nice that you can go in and take an animal in and see you know how you fit with the animal and um just a very different environment.

Right now, you can't we don't have any place to do that, and you just literally go to the kennel and kind of see how they interact.

So here's just a side-by-side, kind of a similar perspective of what is has happened.

This photo was taken last week, as were all the construction photos you'll see.

Um so you can see they've done a lot of interior framing, they have drywall going up.

Um you can see where they're starting to put um storefront slash just windows in at the back where that get to know you room is um and they'll continue to kind of work on those windows and everything as we uh progress through construction.

So just a couple more that big open space will obviously be our reception desk as well.

And feel free.

If there are any questions throughout the presentation, feel free to ask.

This is that conference room.

We love the ceiling, yeah.

Yeah, the ceiling element will be a lot of fun.

Some brand logo up there, the light is pretty cool.

So we'll have a TV on that back wall.

Um, again, the windows, they're still they're getting ready to work more on those.

Um, our door frames are in.

And yeah, it'll be a great bright space.

Here's another view of that lobby and entry space from the other side, basically looking at where you're gonna enter from just to give you another view.

So we wanted uh like an adopt, like a yay, I'm adopted umcha wall.

Gotcha wall.

Yeah, thank you.

A gotcha wall to be able to take a photo with the pet, and so we're gonna have that there on the left.

Um, just some space dedicated for that.

And there'll be in the front the large tennis balls.

Um, what do you call those things?

Yeah, bollards, yeah.

So that like people couldn't hit the building, but yeah, there'll be real tennis balls out there.

And of course, there's a pit bull in the picture.

So, typical dog.

So, just another view.

Um, you can see they're doing tile installation.

Um, there's a lot of uh cinder block and tile in spaces where there's gonna be a lot of heavy cleaning, so um that's why that's in those spaces there.

Um, and again, yeah, you'll when you walk in, you'll be able to just go straight right if you're looking for a cat, um, or or go to the whole north side if you're looking for a dog.

So it kind of keeping those areas separate so that there's a more of a fear-free design where cats and dogs aren't interacting interacting as much and shouldn't really cross paths.

Um here's our volunteer workroom.

Um, so we've got that tile in the back is is still gonna be there.

Um let's see, it's just a this doubles as uh our break room as well, so it'll be a good space for you know briefing right before you're about to go volunteer, um taking a moment if you need it to take lunch, um getting something done on a computer.

Yeah, it's nice to have those computers because for most of our kennel staff, intake staff, like they don't have computers to get all the information that they need.

So to be able to come in and sit down and do what they need to do is gonna be really beneficial for them as well.

So some of the things you can see that backer board is where they're gonna get the tile, that black strip there.

We've got outlets and plumbing connections kind of roughed into place, and then you can see the ceilings, the lights, the lights are in.

Um they're getting ready to put uh drywall up there, and then some acoustic ceiling tiles and and things of that nature.

Here's our open office space.

Um there are lots of closed offices as well, but this is um a shared working space.

This is our uh kind of our office manager and coordinator area.

So there'll be several people in there.

They're doing day-to-day functions, but um and they chose the bright yellow wall for that area.

I think we chose something a little bit more subtle for the offices, but uh for them to be able to sit in there and actually see outside and you know, just have a really good environment.

Um I think it's gonna be really good for them and for their mental health and the jobs that they do on a daily basis.

Yep.

This is kind of taking going back to where the reception was.

This is looking down the hallways at the kennel pods.

Um we wanted to find do uh colorway finding so that it's easier if you go in there and you say, I have looked online, I really like this chihuahua, I want to go find it.

Um they can say, Well, that's an orange three, and so you can go straight to that kennel pod.

Um, another note on this is that right now at the shelter, there's just one big open space for the most part for all the animals.

Um I think it's gonna be a lot more calm environment for people that are looking for animals.

I mean, it's not uncommon for people to walk into the main dog area and they come out and they're they're weeping.

I mean, it's just that overwhelming to some people because there's that many dogs back there, so to be able to go into a pod with 21 kennels is very different.

Are the pods going to be separated out like small dogs will be in orange pod or or the there'll be more on this side is more adoptable dogs, but on the I guess it would be the east side, um, is the like the bite section, um, the legal pending, um maybe some that are um contained for whatever reason, but these will be more adoptable dogs.

And if we need to like shut a pod down, I mean we have the proper HVAC C system and actual true isolation space now that I mean we don't actually have any at the current facility, and what we've done just to maintain and try to keep illness away.

Is that we've put clear barriers on every kennel, and we have to keep replacing them because the the chemical or the dogs knock them down, and we had colored barriers up there before, but you couldn't see the animals that posed a problem.

So we had great volunteers actually purchased some material and put it up for us, and then we bought more and they came up and put it up for us again, so we couldn't have done that without our volunteers, they're amazing.

Um so we don't have to worry about those things, and that just by itself eliminates so much time and effort from our team, and so much I think um confusion sometimes for the animals and uh them getting upset, trying to keep them calm.

So it's just it's just gonna be a very different environment for everyone that comes into that facility and everybody that works there, and the animals that are in the facility.

Yeah.

Yeah, so the separate pods are gonna do wonders for contamination and for the experience of the people that are going in to adopt animals and or find their stray dog or or whatever it might be, and for the animals themselves.

So here's what that looks like right now, kind of a side by side.

You can see just they're getting the ceilings in there, they've got all their drywall up, installing those windows.

Um there is really whatnot like those big spaces that are in the wall, like there's looks like there's nothing there, but that is the get-to-know rooms when you walk through.

If you haven't been there, so I know some of you have been there, probably most of you, but those big spaces in between are the get to know rooms.

So every two pods has one get to know room, so you can just plenty of space for you to go get to know an animal better.

And this is just the same.

If you turn did a 180 and looked right back at the other side, that's that's what you're seeing down the other way.

And that's I think that's the isolation.

I mean, the yeah, isolation and the dogs that aren't adoptable dogs.

You can kind of see what that looks like there.

And does the color coding extend to that side as well?

Or so this, yeah, the other side had a kind of those warm tones.

This has cooler tones, yeah.

Yeah, we had a couple conversations about the color.

We had a lot of conversations.

Cat adoption space.

Um, you can see from the rendering here, we've got uh kind of the windows and then a catio space, which is enclosed with a wire mesh.

Um, so cats can have that outdoor time, but not be obviously not escape.

Um, it's a safe protected environment for them.

And that's also where the second art project will be going.

Um they discussed doing it outside of there, I think, and maybe doing something that the cats could actually interact with potentially, yeah.

So it'll be up to the artists that they whatever they submit.

But yeah, you can see it's gonna be a very bright space in there.

Uh the concrete curves, so all the where the cages are sitting is gonna be a nice durable material.

Um, those are gonna be permanent, although there are going to be some cages throughout the facility that are movable for like the clinic space, so that you can kind of transition an area from an animal from one area to another.

This is our dog kennels, and again, that color will will uh what that accent color is is on the top will correspond with the color that's outside.

Um, so you can kind of when you're in the space, you can you're like, Oh, I've been to three of these, but I remember the you know, I'm in the orange one.

Um, and it also will be made with acoustic material up there as well, so it'll be good for the dogs barking.

There's a lot of hard surfaces in here because there has to be with it being a cleanable room, and so um, yeah, that we'll have some acoustic in there as well.

And the dog kennels will be very different than what we have now.

Um, should have a swivel feeder at the bottom, and so the dogs don't knock their buckets of water over that kind of stuff.

We do have trench drains that go all along all these kennels, um, which will be great for cleaning.

They're they're their flushable drains, which is a huge difference.

Huge.

We have those drain problems probably once or twice a week.

So it's it's pretty bad.

So this is continuous, and hopefully we won't have those problems in the future.

And also, I mean, back to your point earlier about cleanability, each of these kennels will have uh its own kind of cleaning system, which will be really helpful and again completely different than oh yeah, the current facility.

So different than just regular extra strength water hoses all over the floors, and they can mix mix the product, it mixes itself for the square footage of the room, and we don't have to worry about people getting it on their skin.

This is our clinic and intake space.

Um, so if a foster has a dog and they're like, hey, I, you know, I need to go get the heartworm treatment um and it's scheduled and by an appointment, they can come on into this space at the scheduled time with their with their animal and they can be there during an you know certain exams or um as their animals getting a vaccine, it will really streamline the process um for animal care and and for fosters and everyone involved.

Yeah, if you come to our facility now, if we have heartworm treatments usually scheduled on certain days, it's not abnormal to see dogs before we open to the public.

I mean, we open the office usually about 8 30.

We don't open the kennels till two, but we do those heartworm treatments in the morning, and there's could be dogs laying on a blanket on the floor in the lobby area because we don't have anywhere to do it, so this is way different.

Lots of uh cages and kennel space for animals that are in recovery or about to go through procedure, so yeah, more recovery kennels, which is great.

Um because that way they can recover in here and you don't see them in the kennel where we have to put notes up that says, you know, I'm recovering, I just had surgery.

Somebody thinks something's wrong with the dog.

So here's what that's looking like.

Same things as before.

We've got lighting up, we've we're they're getting ready to install tile in these rooms, and um all the cadavetry is gonna go up in the next three weeks or so.

So they're excited about that.

That'll be a huge difference.

And our doctor will actually have an office, the supervisor and the doctor, because right now we use it like for ringworm for the office area has a washing machine in it, so those days are gonna be gone, and I'm sure they're happy about it.

This is the surgery suite.

Um, we're going from two surgery tables to three, which is awesome.

So even more space to do all the procedures that Tulse Animal Services does every year.

Um, and you'd think I mean it's not a big deal, but the lamps are a huge deal.

Um just because the ones we had were like probably a hundred years old and we had to take them down because they weren't working.

So we literally bought like little lamps for them to use so to be able to see bright spaces and outdoor area, those totally different environment for them.

So that's great.

That's gonna be really good change.

You can see those it's hard to tell.

These little black um squares kind of up in the ceiling is where those surgery lights are gonna go.

So those are some supports for those floor outlets for those tables, those special surgery tables.

And then we can move to outside.

So the Sally port, um, we weren't sure if we were gonna get in the beginning.

Um due to funding, and so we were able to to get that, which is gonna be huge, hugely impactful.

Um, secure space for them to drop animals off and pick them up.

Um, it'll just be much safer.

Um plus a space to wash down the vehicles where they're bringing animals in from all over.

Yeah, every load that comes in, they have to wash their trucks out every time with the product.

And just to go on back to the pods for a second.

Um we wouldn't have, we got an extra two pods with 42 kennels because of lead gift from the Bernstein Foundation, so we wouldn't have been able to have extra 42 kennels and unless it would have been for that organization.

Right.

So you can see what that looks like kind of side by side there.

Basically all of the exterior for the most part is is up at this point, which is awesome.

Um, and there's a giant fan in that uh Sallyport area, which is great.

I mean, we don't have anything like that now, and I think are we getting some storage racks in there too?

Yeah, yes, yeah.

So you could be driving your truck in now, and there's sometimes we have to clean uh kennels and other things or airplane crates in there and they leave them in there so they're in the way and then they have to move them so they'll have a place to put them.

And if the exterior is pretty well done, rain shouldn't matter now.

Right.

Hopefully.

I think some of the site work, yeah.

Right.

So they're still doing this.

Yeah.

Yeah.

It is, it's huge for sure.

It's just the overall building.

Here's what it looks like now.

You can see where the catios are.

That again, that wire meshes up.

Um so the catio is you can really feel what the space is gonna feel like.

Um roofing is on.

We have just all of our exterior building materials.

And we're talking about signage right now.

Um obviously the front with the name, but um kind of what the logo is at the very beginning when you come in.

We're discussing that, and then what all the signage will say and where it's going.

And here's our our last slide on this.

Just kind of shows those how it's coming along.

So and I'll send the I'll cop I'll copy you all, I'll send you a copy for you wanna share it or use it for any kind of presentation purposes.

Thank you very much.

Absolutely.

And uh yeah, we appreciate all your architects at GHT.

We really appreciate it and can't wait till it's open.

Absolutely.

And thank you for putting this together.

I just said kind of last week.

Like, hey, do you think this is a good idea?

And yeah.

Just jumped on it and it looks great.

I think it's really helpful.

See the current looks currently with what it is having that comparison side to side is really helpful for sure.

Yeah, it's hard when you're even walking through it to be like, wait, which space am I in again?

It's all the same right now.

So it'll it's gonna change so dramatically in the next few weeks, even.

Oh, wow.

Because of it, the casework going in, all the cabinets, the finishes, and just like minor what seems to be minor for some people that's really large for us is, you know, to have a fully functioning laundry room.

Right.

So you have two dryers and two washers, and you know, a place to bathe the dogs that's not in a folding area, you know, that you're trying to fold laundry, and an actual station to wash the dog bowls uh instead of having it in the kennel area.

Just so many differences that are making it easier and um I think the our team will definitely benefit and I think cleaning time will probably um be reduced, like how long it takes us to clean, and we're hoping if we get the staff that we need with uh next year's budget that we can open earlier.

I mean that's our goal.

We would like to open at noon instead of two.

Yeah.

That'd be amazing.

Once it's open, do you think we'll be able to have our commission meetings there?

I don't know if they can televise them there or not.

I mean, we can always ask, but I don't know.

I just know the park board goes to different park facilities every time, and it doesn't matter if it's televised or not.

Yeah, I don't know.

I I'll have to check on how.

Yeah, look at that, because I'd I'd like to be on site and feel present there.

That's a great idea.

If we can do occasional field trip maybe, I like that idea.

Permission to you've got that conference room in the new facilities, yeah.

Okay, I'm still needing the space.

Yeah.

Well, I'll ask.

I don't know if we had a large crowd, um, yeah.

Um that would work.

But oh that's true for public.

We can see.

That's what the salary port is for, right?

The building would be open till six, so that might pose a problem too because we'd be open to the public and uh um we'd be in that space.

Just making the request, yeah.

Yeah, I'll ask.

It seems like having some of the window space in the vet clinic and other areas.

I know your team has had just basically solid wall.

This will make a huge difference as well, just in some of the past conversations around just morale and call for staff to have some of these improved facilities.

So that's exciting.

It's just a whole different environment for them and people coming in.

Uh, we want the city to be proud of the facility and um want them to know that it's theirs, all right.

We'll go on to item number four, and that's old business.

There's no items for that, and item number five.

There's no items for that.

And number six, do we have any public comments?

Was there any objection if we moved or asked the city council to have our meetings every ever month instead of every month?

There was a problem with that.

Because the ordinance, and that's what we'd have to ask the city council to change.

Right, right.

And we'll have to talk to Sherry.

About that.

But I want to start that process.

Oh yes, thank you for the opportunity to speak.

I just had a couple of comments and Hope was kind enough.

I brought the four plans and she explained a couple of things to me.

So if I may though, if I have other questions, is it allowed uh to ask you about that?

Sure.

I know I had asked uh if you looked at this that I handed out back a couple of years ago, Jamie Praishaw.

When some of the plans came out and I asked her about it, but she said she couldn't speak to me about it.

Okay.

Um so anyway, I'm glad to know now that I can.

I guess now that everything's published, I can.

So that's why I brought the a couple of items to the commission meeting.

Uh and one of them was if I may ask about these the cat housing.

This was listed as an extra more money extra, but yet uh when I presented it first or wanted to to Jamie, uh, and then to the commission, there were cautions about against them, against the style okay from some notable uh shelter medicine programs like at Cornell and UC Davis, pretty top-notch shelter medicine.

So anyway, can you check or is there a way to check for me?

Uh to know if these in fact are the H the Cat housing.

They're not.

So we have just the mesh, the metal.

Yeah, they are not, we do not have the funding for those right now.

Well, so are is it did anybody read the cautions though as to why you should not use them?

Um we discussed the the type of housing and there was no huge red flags about it.

Well, according to Cornell and UC Davis, there are, so I guess somebody here knows better.

Uh okay, so that and um it's the Sally port.

Um that was really good news, but I am wondering why that was you know, that's industry standard to have a c enclosed dedicated um area so that animals can't escape to unload to offload and get them into the building, but yet um GH2 considered that an extra.

So are is the building pretty much to industry standard to for municipal shelters, which is a different animal than a private shelter.

Absolutely, yeah.

I in my opinion, I I believe that it is to standard, yes.

I think it exceeds standards in in many ways.

Oh, many ways.

I know Jamie mentioned I don't know how many.

Well, when these were drawn, they had built one, one municipal shelter.

Okay.

So I don't know how many now.

I'm not sure what the number is, but we have done others since this one as well.

Okay, okay.

Um, our one of the architects that's on the team actually worked at a different place, and that was like when she had done several.

Yeah, right.

Animal arts, or I'm not sure what it's called.

Okay, so she was the primary designer on that.

Okay.

Um I think that's all.

You pretty well answered all the other stuff.

Uh do you know what the uh percentage of people space to animal space is in there?

I would need to look at look at the drawings too.

Okay.

So it'd be okay if I emailed you just to ask a few questions like that, or you do an open record request.

Well, I did, and that's they sent me the floor plans that were so small they were not readable.

So I had to take them to a print shop and get them enlarged and you know, and as always, I've told you if you just call me and tell me what you want this for and we can talk about it.

It doesn't matter what I want it for, it's just simply an open record.

So if you want to do an open record request, you're more than welcome to do that.

Okay, I will, and I have done four uh uh monthly reports from the second quarter of 25, and I still don't have those, so could you check out?

I need an answer about those.

And that's not on this agenda to discuss, but you would you're right.

Sorry, you're right.

Well, you did bring up open records though.

Well that's pertaining to this request for the building.

Okay, all right, thank you.

All right, thank you for your comments.

I think we're on to adjournment.

Thank you for being late as well.

So we have to adjourn.

Thank you very much.

Yeah, absolutely.

Thank you guys.