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2019-03-04 Agenda with Backup
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McKinney St. Denton, Texas 76201 www.cityofdenton.com Legislation Text File #:ID 19-447,Version:1 AGENDA CAPTION Receive a report, hold a discussion, and give staff direction regarding an overview and options for Fire Department recruiting and hiring. City of DentonPage 1 of 1Printed on 3/1/2019 powered by Legistar© City Hall 215 E. McKinney Street Denton, Texas www.cityofdenton.com _____________________________________________________________________________________ AGENDA INFORMATION SHEET DEPARTMENT: Fire CM/ DCM/ ACM: Todd Hileman DATE: March 04, 2019 SUBJECT Receive a report, hold a discussion, and give staff direction regarding an overview and options for Fire Department recruiting and hiring. BACKGROUND Staff has two primary objectives for this work session item and presentation to City Council: 1.Provide a high-level overview of the Fire Department’s current hiring and recruiting practices; and 2.Update Council on the progress since the last update to Council which was November 14, 2017. DISCUSSION 1)Fire Department hiring practices are regulated by three primary bodies: Texas Local Government Code 143 (Civil Service) The purpose of Civil Service is to secure efficient Fire and Police Departments composed of capable personnel who are free from political influence and who have permanent employment tenure as public servants. Outline of general hiring practices. City of Denton Rules and Regulation of the Civil Service Commission Establishes some clarity regarding testing and hiring. Primarily focuses on the local implementation of procedures outlined in Texas Local Government Code Chapter 143. City of Denton Fire Department Meet and Confer Agreement Mutually agreed upon agreement between the City and the Firefighter’s Association (Police have a separate agreement). Original Meet and Confer agreement went into effect in 2006. Can allow for changes in some hiring practices if mutually agreed upon. In the event that either side terminates or does not renew, the Fire Department reverts back to Texas Local Government Code 143 (Civil Service) requirements. 2)How does the City of Denton Fire Department recruit? The Fire Department utilizes a variety of methods to advertise and recruit personnel to take the Fire Department’s entrance examination. The recruiting methods include visiting: local schools, special events, fire academies, and paramedic schools. Additionally, the Fire Department advertises in trade magazines, on social media, through email, and on the City’s website. 3)What are the demographic trends? The graph below shows minority percentages have increased in the past five years. Entrance Examination Demographics 4)What are the options? Keep the current recruiting program that has seen diversity improvements in the past five years. Adjust the hiring requirements. Continue developing the “Home Grown” program in conjunction with Denton ISD and North Central Texas College (NCTC). RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends continuation of recruiting while further examining additional recruiting strategies through our “Homegrown” program. FISCAL INFORMATION Any future changes to the recruitment and hiring process that require additional funding will be submitted as a supplemental request through the budget process. EXHIBITS Exhibit 1 - Agenda Information Sheet Exhibit 2 - Presentation Respectfully submitted: Kenneth Hedges Fire Chief Prepared by: Brad Lahart Assistant Chief/Fire Marshal City Hall City of Denton 215 E. McKinney St. Denton, Texas 76201 www.cityofdenton.com Legislation Text File #:ID 19-445,Version:1 AGENDA CAPTION Receive a report, hold a discussion, and provide staff direction regarding City Council priorities for upcoming work session report topics. City of DentonPage 1 of 1Printed on 3/1/2019 powered by Legistar© City of Denton City Hall 215 E. McKinney Street Denton, Texas www.cityofdenton.com _____________________________________________________________________________________ AGENDA INFORMATION SHEET DEPARTMENT: DCM: Bryan Langley DATE: March 4, 2019 SUBJECT Receive a report, hold a discussion, and provide staff direction regarding City Council priorities for upcoming work session report topics. BACKGROUND Based on feedback provided during the August 25 City Council Retreat, the City Council now holds monthly strategy session discussions to help prioritize future work session requests. Prior to each strategy session discussion, staff distributes a survey to City Council asking them to prioritize potential future work session topics. In preparation for the March 4 strategy session, staff distributed a survey to City Council on Tuesday, February 19. Items on the February 19 survey included topics from previous strategy sessions that have not yet been scheduled for a work session along with all policy-related Informal Staff Reports (ISRs) that were distributed from November 9 - February 15 where a work session is not currently scheduled. Exhibit 3 summarizes the topics that the City Council prioritized in their February 19 survey. Planned Work Session Topics The current list of planned work session topics is attached as Exhibit 2. To-date, work session topics have been scheduled through May 7. This list consists of 36 scheduled items and 8 topics where a date has yet to be determined; topics include some of the highest prioritized items from the November 27 strategy sessions along with other operational requests. Survey Results On Tuesday, February 19, staff emailed a link to an online survey asking the City Council to indicate either Five of the seven elected officials completed the survey. Table 1 on the next page provides the total weighted score for each topic: Table 1 High Interest WeightedLow Interest WeightedNo Interest WeightedTotal Weighted Subject (3 points per vote) (2 points per vote)(1 point per vote)Score Hickory Street Bicycle Lanes 152017 1 Traffic and Roadway Projects Technology 150116 2 Use of Utility Billing Information for Development Public Hearing Notification 96015 3 Sobering Centers 122115 4 Economic Development Corridor/Small Area Reinvestment Grant Program122115 5 Zero Energy Homes 96015 6 Living Wage for City Contractors 94114 7 Receipt and Use of Gas Well Revenue94114 8 Fireside Park Development 94114 9 Smart City Update 94114 10 Commercial Food Diversion 94114 11 Municipal Broadband94114 12 Red Light Camera Pilot Update 94114 13 Cumberland Children's Home 94114 14 Net Revenue Report on Economic Development Incentives 92213 15 Water and Waste Water Impact Fee-Funded Projects 66113 16 Tree Mitigation Fund Uses 66113 17 Gas Well Setback and Distance Study 92213 18 Gas Well Sampling66113 19 Denton County MHMR Funding Information310013 20 Code Enforcement of Mobile Home Communities64212 21 Back-In Parking on Hickory64212 22 Code Enforcement and CIS Overview64212 23 Horse Drawn Carriage and Horse Back Riding Permit Information 36211 24 Public Safety Use of Doorbell Monitoring Technology 36211 25 Qualified Voter Board Member Requirement62311 26 Use of Project Names for Economic Development Projects 36211 27 City of Dallas Welcoming City Information 34310 28 Municipal IDs34310 29 Overview of the City's Smoking Ordinance34310 30 Develop Statement on the Confederate Monument in the Courthouse Square3249 31 Utility Assistance to Furloughed Federal Government Employees0257 32 A complete listing of survey responses is attached as Exhibit 3 and Exhibit 4. Staff will discuss topics by category and will request Council feedback to confirm which items warrant a future work session presentation. EXHIBITS Exhibit 1 Agenda Information Sheet Exhibit 2 Work Session Schedule Exhibit 3 Summary of Other Requests Exhibit 4 Individual Survey Results Exhibit 5 Combined Survey Results Exhibit 6 Presentation Respectfully submitted: Rachel Wood Chief of Staff Paul Meltzer City Hall City of Denton 215 E. McKinney St. Denton, Texas 76201 www.cityofdenton.com Legislation Text File #:ID 19-408,Version:1 AGENDA CAPTION Receive a report, hold a discussion, and give staff direction regarding the Animal Services operation and operational review. City of DentonPage 1 of 1Printed on 3/1/2019 powered by Legistar© City of Denton City Hall 215 E. McKinney Street Denton, Texas www.cityofdenton.com _____________________________________________________________________________________ AGENDA INFORMATION SHEET DEPARTMENT: Finance CM/ DCM/ ACM: Bryan Langley DATE: March 4, 2019 SUBJECT Receive a report, hold a discussion, and give staff direction regarding the Animal Services operation and operational review. BACKGROUND On October 27, 2018, the Denton Animal Services department transitioned from the Police Department to the Customer Service Division. The reason for this reorganization was to focus Police resources on core public safety functions, while continuing to emphasize, and support a strong customer-focused service delivery model at the Animal Shelter. Since the transition, management has worked diligently to evaluate the operations of the Animal Services division. The evaluation included assessing the organizational structure, staffing levels, and pay; external and internal communications; customer service, phone call volumes, and responsiveness; operating supplies; and volunteer and rescue group support. To address staffing, 2.5 full-time equivalents (FTEs) were added to the Animal Services division, including 1.5 FTEs dedicated to the customer service function and 1 FTE dedicated to a manager function. The division’s phone tree (call flow) has been enhanced and direct phone lines and business cards have been created for the Animal Control staff responsible for responding to resident calls. Daily social media posts are being utilized to promote adoptable animals, events, customer appreciation, and stories and Pet Finder, the online web tool used to promote adoptable animals, is being updated daily. Safety cages for feral/barn cats were installed in December and vestibules on shelter gates were also installed in January. These actions will create an added layer of security to ensure animals are kept safe throughout the shelter facility. Additionally, staff members have met with the public safety dispatch operation and provided updates to the call types, priorities, and response times, and Animal Control field vehicles will be equipped with computer- aided dispatch (CAD) systems to increase the efficiency in responding to calls by the end of February. Also, daily morning meetings were established with the veterinary team and City staff to discuss animal care, daily plans, and execution strategy. Weekly meetings with the Director and the entire division have been established for focus on morale and needs and allow for open dialogue on operational opportunities and direction. Individual staff meetings and team meetings are also being held with direct supervisors to ensure proper coaching, career development and involved management is occurring. Animal Services employees have also increased the use of Shelter Pro software to better capture cases and notes and track the effective completion of cases. Data from Shelter Pro will be used in the future to assess performance and performance metrics. Additionally, heightened cash controls and processing/posting of payments in Shelter Pro have been established. Management has also worked with staff to assess and establish a process for quarantining animals. Management is working with staff members to reset expectations on the division’s customer service approach for both in-person, phone services and field operations to help transition the division from an enforcement mentality to a service mentality. In addition to the aforementioned improvements, management has identified additional opportunities, priorities and actions taken with a formal action plan. The attached action plan has over 70 identified opportunities, with 65% of them being completed already. Staff plans to continually add items to the plan and address over the next several months. Staff conducted research to secure a professional animal shelter consultant to come in and conduct an objective assessment of the operation. As such, the City engaged Animal Shelter Services, LLC to conduct a comprehensive evaluation and assessment of the Animal Services division including conducting a review of the shelter facility, shelter operations, animal care, fundraising and volunteers, communications and public relations, governance, and vehicles and equipment. For City staff, it was important to engage a professional third-party with significant experience in animal service and shelter operations to complete a neutral review and assessment. Animal Shelter Services, LLC has significant experience in these areas. From December 1-5, 2018, Animal Shelter Services, LLC was onsite to formally conduct the shelter review. Critical Findings: Development of Employee Handbook and Standard Operating Procedures specific to Animal Sheltering Improved process for cleaning and sanitation of all animal housing areas Volunteer Program Development Review of RSVP contracted services Involved Management Staffing Levels & Capacity For Care o ACO I Positions o Customer Service Representative o Volunteer Coordinator Critical Findings Action Taken: To ensure the operation was set up for success, services have been secured to develop the Employee Handbook and Standard Operating Procedures specific to Animal Sheltering and the process and training for proper cleaning and sanitation of all animal housing areas. Additionally, a formal volunteer program is being developed. Furthermore, staffing has been addressed for the Customer Service Representatives and management has been in discussions with RSVP about ensuring contract compliance and addressing improvement areas. Lastly, the management and customer service approach in the operation has significantly changed to ensure effective leadership, accountability, involved management and that a service mentality is delivered. EXHIBITS Exhibit 1: Agenda Information Sheet Exhibit 2: Presentation Exhibit 3: Consultant Final Findings Exhibit 4: Action Plan Respectfully submitted: Tiffany Thomson, 349-7401 Director of Customer Service Denton Animal Shelter Submitted by: Tim Crum, CEO Њ SIX CRITICAL FINDINGS 1 FINDING 1. LACK OF SOPs AND USE OF BEST PRACTICES 2 2 FINDING 2. IMPROPER CLEANING AND SANITATION PRACTICES 3 3 FINDING 3. DEVELOPMENT OF THE VOLUNTEER PROGRAM 6 4 FINDING 4. RSVP CONTRACTUAL REVIEW 7 5 FINDING 5. INVOLVED MANAGEMENT 8 6 FINDING 6. STAFFING LEVELS & CAPACITY FOR CARE 8 OVERVIEW The City of Denton DASopen admission* animal shelter also providing animal control services to the City of Denton and unincorporated Denton County. DAS operates out of the Linda McNatt Animal Care & Adoption Center LMACACat 3717 North Elm Street in Denton (76207). This state-of-the-art facility opened in January 2015 and is considered one of the best animal shelters in the state of Texas. The department, operating under the direction of the Animal Services Supervisor, is currently comprised of 14 employees (inclusive of the Animal Services Supervisor). The department reports to the Director of Customer Service. The City operates the animal shelter and maintains animal control as defined under a myriad of state and local codes/statutes/ordinances such as Texas Constitution and Statutes (i.e. Chapter 823. Animal Shelters; Chapter 826. Rabies; Chapter 828. Dog and Cat Sterilization; Chapter 829. Animal Control Officer Training) and Denton Animal Control Ordinances (Chapter 6) as well as various other Texas Administrative Codes. The City of Denton makes up slightly more than 89 square-miles and is located on the far north end of the DFW metroplex in North Texas on Interstate 35. The City of Denton is also the county seat of Denton County and has a population of 136,268 people according to the U.S. th Census Bureau (in 2017) making Denton the 27 most-populous city in Texas. More than University of North Texas) located within city limits giving the city the characterization of a college town. * As an open admission shelter, DAS must accept any animal (domestic or livestock), regardless of type, breed or condition, surrendered or reported by Denton residents, rescued as stray/abandoned or seized as abused, aggressive/dangerous. Animal Shelter Services, LLC retains ownership of all information contained in this document. Any information contained within this document may not be reproduced, copied, published, distributed or otherwise shared, in whole, or in part, without prior written permission of Animal Shelter Services, LLC, unless mandated by State or Federal Law. Distribution of this document is limited to the City of Denton. Any person or third party that possesses, publishes or distributes this report, in whole or in part, is in violation of copyright infringement and subject to damages up to $150,000 under United States federal copyright law. ©Animal Shelter Services LLC 2018. Ћ The City of Denton contracted with Animal Shelter Services to conduct an animal shelter evaluation of DAS that included a review of organizational policies and procedures with an on- site review of practices. The evaluators who conducted this evaluation consisted of Tim Crum (lead evaluator) and Kelly Martin. Tim and Kelly reviewed operational policy and procedure documents provided by the department before, during and after the on-site evaluation. The on-site evaluation took place over a five-day period from December 1-5, 2018, consisting of observing, documenting, interviewing and meeting shelter staff, volunteers, shelter visitors and city officials about the various aspects of shelter operations. Often time the most helpful insights are obtained through casual, but confidential, conversations with staff, board members, volunteers and visitors. These conversations allow the evaluators an opportunity to gauge internal and external attitudes and perceptions regarding the organization observations frequently reveal strengths and weaknesses that have an impact on the operations and reputation of the entire department. This document summarizes the findings of our review of organizational policies & procedures along with observations and information gathered during our five-day, on-site review. FINDING 1. LACK OF SOP AND USE OF BEST PRACTICES DAS does not have an Employee Manual although some of what would normally be contained in an Employee Manual is published in the Denton Police Department Animal Services Policy Book. Training of employees, especially those at the ACO I-level, is unsystematic because each employee appears to be trained by different employees. As one ACO I commented to the than him (pointing to another ACO I). He learned it a different way than me and I like doing it this way This is the result of not having a Standard Operating Procedures altogether. The evaluation team was also informed by multiple employees (both ACO I & ACO II) that the lead vet tech from RSVP was the person in charge of developing and overseeing cleaning practices including usage of cleaning agents. RECOMMENDATION(S) An Employee Manual is critical to the operational success of the department since it helps to orient new employees to the department and the various policies and procedures that guide work practices and employee behavior, while also offering the department some level of protection from litigation. Since DAS lacks both an Employee Manual and a formalized & Animal Shelter Services, LLC retains ownership of all information contained in this document. Any information contained within this document may not be reproduced, copied, published, distributed or otherwise shared, in whole, or in part, without prior written permission of Animal Shelter Services, LLC, unless mandated by State or Federal Law. Distribution of this document is limited to the City of Denton. Any person or third party that possesses, publishes or distributes this report, in whole or in part, is in violation of copyright infringement and subject to damages up to $150,000 under United States federal copyright law. ©Animal Shelter Services LLC 2018. Ќ standardized training program, the evaluation team noticed knowledge of and application of policies and procedures, especially the cleaning process. Inconsistent application of policies and procedures could result in infectious disease outbreaks and disagreements among staff leading to poor morale. DAS would benefit by developing and implementing a comprehensive Employee Manual followed by a standardized training and on-boarding process for all new employees. Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are at the core of animal shelter operations because they provide direction to staff and define accountability, thereby allowing supervisors the ability to manage. They also address issues pertaining to human and pet health and safety which, in many instances, have regulatory or legal implications, not to mention consequences for personal safety. Good shelter operations are dependent on two factors: (1) well written Standard Operating Procedures that are based on industry best practices, and (2) managers who actively supervise employees by walking the halls to ensure compliance with the SOPs. While the current Denton Police Department Animal Services Policy Book is acceptable, the entire document could benefit by being re-formatted and re-written to include more detail about policies. Further compounding the current SOPs is supervision of DAS staff as they perform their duties. The Animal Shelter Supervisor and Kennel Supervisor must be involved by actively managing staff which is best accomplished by walking the halls a few times each day to check in on staff and provide guidance, support and mentoring. FINDING 2. IMPROPER CLEANING AND SANITATION PRACTICES The cleaning process at DAS is mandated by one dozen Denton Police Department Animal Services Policies: i. AS3.3.15 Cleaning and Sanitizing; ii. AS3.3.16 Dog Prep/Evaluation (Intake) Room; iii. AS3.3.17 Cats: Stray and Isolation Kennels; iv. AS3.3.18 Dogs: Stray and Isolation Kennels; v. AS3.3.19 Cleaning Quarantine Areas; vi. AS3.3.22 Euthanasia Room; vii. AS3.3.24 Dog Visitation/Get Acquainted Rooms; viii. AS3.3.25 Dog Adoption/Display Rooms; ix. AS3.3.26 Cat Visitation/Get Acquainted Room; x. AS3.3.27 Cat Colony Rooms & Sunroom; Animal Shelter Services, LLC retains ownership of all information contained in this document. Any information contained within this document may not be reproduced, copied, published, distributed or otherwise shared, in whole, or in part, without prior written permission of Animal Shelter Services, LLC, unless mandated by State or Federal Law. Distribution of this document is limited to the City of Denton. Any person or third party that possesses, publishes or distributes this report, in whole or in part, is in violation of copyright infringement and subject to damages up to $150,000 under United States federal copyright law. ©Animal Shelter Services LLC 2018. Ѝ xi. AS3.3.28 Outdoor Fenced Exercise & Visitation Areas; xii. AS3.3.29 Dog Visitation/Get Acquainted Patio The policies lack any real procedures, or steps, to be meaningful enough for staff to fully understand what they are to do. There are numerous directives in the The policies do not make any mention of Personal Protective Equipment* (commonly referred to as PPE). The use of PPE is designed to reduce the risk to staff from possible hazards including exposure of skin and mucous membranes, the transmission of pathogens between animals by staff and the contamination of personal clothing. Some form of PPE must be worn in all situations, including any contact with animals and their environment. Animals with known or suspected infectious disease will require more PPE. Examples of PPE are: disposable gloves, eye goggles, non-slip waterproof boots, disposable gown, hair protection, and ear plugs. The policies lack any mention of the specific chemical cleaning and disinfecting agents that are used to clean and sanitize. The policies also fail to mention the Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) and the associated precautions, hazards statements, precautionary statements, first aid measures and toxicological information. DAS staff have both a need and a right to know the identities of the chemicals they are exposed to when working and the hazard associated with them. They also need to know what protective measures are appropriate to prevent adverse effects from occurring. The requirement for MSDSs for hazardous chemicals utilized in workplaces is set forth under OSHA's Hazard Communication Standard (HCS), 29 CFR 1910.1200. While the department did make available the MSDS sheets in a binder kept on the counter top in the Squad Room; most DAS staff, when asked, were unaware of the term MSDS, their importance, or even the location of the MSDS binder. sentence and the section makes no reference as to the specific disinfectant foamer. However, the shelter uses two different disinfectant foamers Rescue and ProVet Logic Concentrated Disinfectant Cleaner & Deodorizer. Each chemical has different dilution ratios and contact time depending on the use (situation). For example, Rescue has a 5-minute contact time when used at a ratio of 1:64 for the daily cleaning of all animal housing areas, but should be mixed at a ratio of 1:32 and have a 10-minute contact time for Quarantine and High-Risk areas. Therefore, the policy is poorly written and provides erroneous information. By following this policy, staff could inadvertently create a situation leading to an infectious outbreak. One of the most concerning aspects of the cleaning process is what the evaluation team witnessed in the Isolation hallway (southeastern portion of the building). Because the floor in Animal Shelter Services, LLC retains ownership of all information contained in this document. Any information contained within this document may not be reproduced, copied, published, distributed or otherwise shared, in whole, or in part, without prior written permission of Animal Shelter Services, LLC, unless mandated by State or Federal Law. Distribution of this document is limited to the City of Denton. Any person or third party that possesses, publishes or distributes this report, in whole or in part, is in violation of copyright infringement and subject to damages up to $150,000 under United States federal copyright law. ©Animal Shelter Services LLC 2018. Ў this hallway lacks a drain, any waste water and liquid cleaning agents must be pushed (by squeegee) toward the exit door at the end of the hallway. In order for any liquid to be removed from the hallway and exit to the outside, all liquid must be forcibly pushed over the threshold thereby contaminating the interior wall and making a cesspool of pathogens and chemicals agents outside this door. RECOMMENDATIONS An entirely new cleaning manual must be developed and implemented and staff re-trained, including reference to cleaning supplies and Safety Material Sheets. The facility requires a capital improvement project in order to put a drain in this hallway, or the staff must use a shop vacuum to clean up any liquid remains from the back hallway. Cat Cleaning The actual cleaning practices, as well as the written policies for cleaning and sanitation of cat cages is flawed. RECOMMENDATIONS (Cat Cleaning) Overall, the entire cleaning and disinfecting process for cats is compromised. The written policies are too generic and not within industry best practices. Bad cleaning practices will continue until DAS re-writes cleaning policies according to best practices We recommend an entire overhaul of the entire cleaning and disinfecting process: 1. Cleaning and disinfecting protocols must be re-written so they are within industry best practices and in consideration of the cleaning agents being used. 2. All written protocols must Include warnings and cautions and reference the MSDS. 3. Staff must be re-trained on cleaning and disinfecting techniques. 4. Supervisors must do a better job at actively managing staff by observing work as it is being performed; demonstrating, advocating and mentoring proper cleaning techniques; and making sure that human and financial resources are being used efficiently. Dog Cleaning As with the cat cleaning, the actual cleaning practices (and written policies) for dogs are poorly written and carried out. RECOMMENDATIONS (Dog Cleaning) Overall, the entire cleaning and disinfecting process for dogs is also compromised. The written policies are too generic and not within industry best practices. Bad cleaning practices will continue until DAS re-writes cleaning policies according to best practices. It will also require active management by the kennel supervisor who knows and understands cleaning best practices in order to train and mentor staff on proper cleaning techniques. We recommend an entire overhaul of the entire cleaning and disinfecting process: 1. Cleaning and disinfecting protocols must be re-written so they are within industry best Animal Shelter Services, LLC retains ownership of all information contained in this document. Any information contained within this document may not be reproduced, copied, published, distributed or otherwise shared, in whole, or in part, without prior written permission of Animal Shelter Services, LLC, unless mandated by State or Federal Law. Distribution of this document is limited to the City of Denton. Any person or third party that possesses, publishes or distributes this report, in whole or in part, is in violation of copyright infringement and subject to damages up to $150,000 under United States federal copyright law. ©Animal Shelter Services LLC 2018. Џ practices and in consideration of the cleaning agents being used. 2. All written protocols must include warnings and cautions and reference the MSDS. 3. Staff must be re-trained on cleaning and disinfecting techniques. 4. The kennel supervisor must do a better job at actively managing staff by observing work as it is being performed; demonstrating, advocating and mentoring proper cleaning techniques; and making sure that human and financial resources are being used efficiently. FINDING 3. DEVELOPMENT OF THE VOLUNTEER PROGRAM DAS offers a volunteer program for residents that is currently overseen by the Kennel Supervisor. According to DAS, there are currently 194 active volunteers. Volunteer opportunities are limited to: dog socialization, cat socialization, cleaning cages/kennels/ doing laundry or dishes. The following is the description of the volunteer program that appears at https://www.cityofdenton.com/en-us/volunteer. (This link is accessed by clicking on a link that https://www.cityofdenton.com/en-us/residents/health-safety/animal-services). Volunteer at the Animal Shelter Volunteers give their hearts, their time, and their all to make every day special for the animals waiting to be adopted. Volunteers fill a variety of roles to help support our shelter staff - from dog walking to assisting with animal care and adoptions. Volunteers must attend an orientation session before interacting with shelter pets. We accept volunteers as young as age 13. Although DAS offers volunteer opportunities, the program is loosely run because the staff person responsible for the program does not have the time to manage the program and the number of people in the program. This results in a program that is poorly managed and under- utilized. The department does not have: a Volunteer Manual (with Policies and Procedures, Volunteer job descriptions, Goals, objectives & expectations, A Volunteer Code of Conduct, If a resident wants to volunteer, they complete a basic form (name, email & phone) and then choose an orientation date. The orientation takes about two hours and is required prior to handling animals. Once completed, a person can volunteer whenever they want. (Volunteers under the age of 18 require a parent to be present while they volunteer). When a person volunteers they simply show up at the shelter during open hours of operation, sign in using an iPad, then take a "volunteer" lanyard and drape it around their neck then go to Animal Shelter Services, LLC retains ownership of all information contained in this document. Any information contained within this document may not be reproduced, copied, published, distributed or otherwise shared, in whole, or in part, without prior written permission of Animal Shelter Services, LLC, unless mandated by State or Federal Law. Distribution of this document is limited to the City of Denton. Any person or third party that possesses, publishes or distributes this report, in whole or in part, is in violation of copyright infringement and subject to damages up to $150,000 under United States federal copyright law. ©Animal Shelter Services LLC 2018. А their area to perform volunteer duties. Because the volunteer program lacks structure, volunteers are not supervised nor provided any formal guidance or structure and who have free reign of the majority of the facility. Although a volunteer orientation is offered, it covers volunteer basics, some dos and , and basic animal handling. These types of situations are greatly reduced when a program is run by a full-time volunteer manager who can oversee volunteers as they work. RECOMMENDATION(S) The current volunteer program is loosely structured and offers little, if any, supervision. Volunteers have almost unlimited access to all pets despite having no real formalized training or education on the proper care and handling of animals. However, the volunteer program can be a great asset to DAS. In order to get the most out of a volunteer program, we recommend DAS invest in creating a full-time volunteer manager position. This person will be solely responsible for maintaining the program and managing volunteers. This one paid position, can lead to having dozens of other volunteer positions. Positions which will alleviate the work of staff and help to improve morale and could ultimately help reduce overtime hours. Once a volunteer manager is hired, he/she should re-structure the volunteer program to have: A finite number of volunteer job positions. Formalized recruitment, interview and selection process for each volunteer position. Volunteer meetings on a regular basis. Measurable objectives for each job position. Volunteer performance reviews (90-day probationary review period, then annually). Budget. Comprehensive and standardized training and orientation. Time requirements for shifts and expected length of service. DAS should also develop Volunteer T-Shirts and all volunteers should be assigned or have to purcha-shirt (most shelters make Volunteers purchase the shirt for $10). FINDING 4. RSVPS CONTRACTUAL REVIEW Veterinary medical care at DAS is provided by RSVP (Relief Services for Veterinary Supply of Veterinary Services). There appears to be confusion regarding the services being provided by RSVP and what the company is contractually obligated to perform. Animal Shelter Services, LLC retains ownership of all information contained in this document. Any information contained within this document may not be reproduced, copied, published, distributed or otherwise shared, in whole, or in part, without prior written permission of Animal Shelter Services, LLC, unless mandated by State or Federal Law. Distribution of this document is limited to the City of Denton. Any person or third party that possesses, publishes or distributes this report, in whole or in part, is in violation of copyright infringement and subject to damages up to $150,000 under United States federal copyright law. ©Animal Shelter Services LLC 2018. Б RECOMMENDATION(S) We recommend the City of Denton conduct an audit of its Contract with RSVP. The City of Denton should ask RSVP to provide confirmation of all of the services it is providing to DAS. FINDING 5. INVOLVED MANAGEMENT Both the Animal Shelter Supervisor and the Kennel Supervisor are faced with three primary problems: 1. Having more responsibilities on their position than time to perform the tasks 2. Meeting the demand for services with current staffing levels 3. Being involved (actively managing and interacting with staff) on a daily basis as staff performed work tasks. RECOMMENDATION(S) The Animal Shelter Supervisor and Kennel Supervisor must be coached and mentored to provide better managerial support to staff, which is best achieved through constant and regular interaction (what we refer to as active management). FINDING 6. STAFFING LEVELS The evaluation team would like to offer high praise to the entire ACO I & ACO II team. These employees demonstrated they are hard-working, dedicated to the health and well-being of animals in their care and desirous of wanting to do well in their jobs. ACO I. This is the entry position for workers at the shelter. These positions are responsible for basic animal care and feeding, along with animal health exams, along with a myriad of other animal-related duties, and customer service. The evaluation team was impressed with the ACO I enthusiasm and dedication to the animals. ACO II. This position is a graduated level from ACO I, which obviously requires more experience at the shelter along with internal certification to perform euthanasia. ACO II work in the field and perform animal control duties. The evaluation team was impressed the ACO II staff. Customer Service Representative. This position is responsible for handling customers at the front counter, handling incoming calls, dealing with adoptions and lost and found, providing customer service and performing administrative tasks. DAS could provide better customer service to its patrons with a friendlier and customer-oriented focus. Animal Shelter Services, LLC retains ownership of all information contained in this document. Any information contained within this document may not be reproduced, copied, published, distributed or otherwise shared, in whole, or in part, without prior written permission of Animal Shelter Services, LLC, unless mandated by State or Federal Law. Distribution of this document is limited to the City of Denton. Any person or third party that possesses, publishes or distributes this report, in whole or in part, is in violation of copyright infringement and subject to damages up to $150,000 under United States federal copyright law. ©Animal Shelter Services LLC 2018. В RECOMMENDATIONS (Staffing) Overall, the ACO I & II staff is the strength of the entire department, while the management could be improved. If management is not strengthened, then employee morale will remain low and turn-over will continue. Based on observance and feedback about individuals and their positions, we make the following recommendations: 1. Supervisors must do a better job of managing his job and staying focused on task while also taking charge of personnel matters. 2. anagement needs to provide more and better support to employees. Capacity for Care Every animal shelter has what is referred to as a maximum capacity for care. The animal population in a shelter must not exceed that level. Factors that determine capacity for care include: the number of appropriate animal housing units; staffing for programs or services; staff training; average length of stay; total number of reclaims, adoptions, transfers, release, or other outcomes. As one can see from the list above, many factors can impact the capacity for care. Several factors are currently impacting capacity for care at DAS: poor cleaning, sanitation and disinfecting practices (and written protocols) improperly trained staff and workers lack of active management inadequate number of workers * Adequate staffing must be available to ensure that each critical point of service (e.g., vaccination or medical evaluation, animal receiving, or a physical move to adoption) is delivered promptly. The National Animal Control Association (NACA) and the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS 2010) recommend a minimum of 15 minutes of care time per day for feeding and cleaning each animal housed in the shelter (9 minutes for cleaning and 6 minutes for feeding). th The following chart is a breakdown of animals in the DAS system on December 5: Cat Dog Other Total 106 65 0 171 With 171 animals in the shelter, a minimum of 2,565 minutes (or 42-¾ hours) of staff time is needed to feed and clean each animal housed at DAS. (171 animals @ 15 minutes/animal) On that particular day, there were six staff members to clean and feed the 171 animal Animal Shelter Services, LLC retains ownership of all information contained in this document. Any information contained within this document may not be reproduced, copied, published, distributed or otherwise shared, in whole, or in part, without prior written permission of Animal Shelter Services, LLC, unless mandated by State or Federal Law. Distribution of this document is limited to the City of Denton. Any person or third party that possesses, publishes or distributes this report, in whole or in part, is in violation of copyright infringement and subject to damages up to $150,000 under United States federal copyright law. ©Animal Shelter Services LLC 2018. ЊЉ cages/kennels. Using the national standard, this would require each of the six staff persons needing 7-1/8 hours simply to clean and feed their portion of animals. With required lunch break, this results in staff only having time to clean and feed animals. While DAS meets its Capacity for Care , since there would be no additional time to do anything else. One person calling off would result in the other five needing an additional 30-minutes of work just to meet its Capacity for Care. As currently structured, any shelter emergencies, or someone needing to leave early, would also result in more time needed by all the other staff. Furthermore, Capacity for Care does not account for other responsibilities of the staff such as: processing animals at intake, prepping animals for surgery, showing animals to prospective adopters, providing customer service, entering information into Shelter Pro, handling internal calls, dealing with fractious and aggressive animals, responding to urgent situations and other administrative tasks. According to the Capacity for Care formula (which does not take into account other staff responsibilities), DAS is short-staffed by at least two ACO I-positions for animal cleaning and feeding. RECOMMENDATIONS While DAS does meet its Capacity for Care, it also means the staff does not have time for anything other than cleaning and feeding animals. That is a formula for low morale and high- turn-over. In order to appropriately staff DAS so that staff can accomplish all of its duties, it requires a minimum of two additional ACO I-positions per work day just to meet the cleaning and feeding of animals. Therefore, the Capacity for Care formula justifies and recommends DAS create a minimum of two more ACO I-positions just to meet the minimum standard for cleaning and feeding animals. This does not take into consideration shelter customer service demands and needs, nor field services for animal control. The National Animal Care and Control Association recommends that each animal care and control shelter be staffed each day with the appropriate number of kennel personnel to ensure that the facility, and every animal within, is maintained at, or in excess of, minimum care standards. Animal housing facilities should be operated so that each animal is properly cared for in a safe and humane manner and a safe working environment for employees is maintained. It is the responsibility of the facility to maintain a staffing level that ensures that the standards are met on a daily basis and that every animal housed within is provided the highest level of care. DAS is staffed with six employees per day. Therefore, the Minimum Kennel Staffing needs justifies and recommends DAS create a minimum of three more ACO I positions just to meet the minimum kennel staffing levels. Our recommendation is for DAS to create two additional ACO I-positions and one additional position for Customer Service. Animal Shelter Services, LLC retains ownership of all information contained in this document. Any information contained within this document may not be reproduced, copied, published, distributed or otherwise shared, in whole, or in part, without prior written permission of Animal Shelter Services, LLC, unless mandated by State or Federal Law. Distribution of this document is limited to the City of Denton. Any person or third party that possesses, publishes or distributes this report, in whole or in part, is in violation of copyright infringement and subject to damages up to $150,000 under United States federal copyright law. ©Animal Shelter Services LLC 2018. City Hall City of Denton 215 E. McKinney St. Denton, Texas 76201 www.cityofdenton.com Legislation Text File #:ID 19-465,Version:1 AGENDA CAPTION Conduct a walking tour of the Linda McNatt Animal Care and Adoption Center, located at 3717 N. Elm Street. City of DentonPage 1 of 1Printed on 3/1/2019 powered by Legistar©