* WARNING: THIS IS AN UNOFFICIAL, INTRODUCTORY COPY OF THE BILL.
THE OFFICIAL COPY CONSIDERED BY THE CITY COUNCIL IS THE FIRST READER COPY.
INTRODUCTORY*
CITY OF BALTIMORE
COUNCIL BILL R
(Resolution)
Introduced by: Councilmembers Clarke, Curran
A RESOLUTION ENTITLED
A COUNCIL RESOLUTION concerning
Title
City Council Support for Board of Estimates' Funding to Promote Continued Progress in Achieving Highest Standards in the Protection, Care, and Handling of Baltimore City's Domestic and Wildlife Animals
FOR the purpose of urging the Board of Estimates to provide the necessary budget support to promote the continued progress of Baltimore City's Animal Shelter and Animal Control operations and capital needs for fiscal year 2007.
Body
WHEREAS, In the past year, Baltimore City's Animal Shelter, 301 Stockholm Street, has tripled the adoption rate and diminished the euthanasia rate of animals in its care, as compared to the previous year as well as to prior annual rates.
WHEREAS, In that same one-year period, the agency has rescued more than 300 abandoned, neglected, and injured dogs, cats, and wildlife animals a month and has engaged scores of animal welfare volunteers in assisting with every aspect of its operations.
WHEREAS, To promote and ensure successful adoptions and a healthy shelter environment, the City of Baltimore has already provided the funds to provide vaccine for every animal entering its Animal Shelter in this current fiscal year 2006 and requires the funding to continue this practice in 2007.
WHEREAS, One essential new budget item is the addition of a full-time veterinarian to the Animal Control and Shelter staff so as to evaluate, document, and testify in court to animal abuse, cruelty, and neglect, a function that volunteer veterinarians cannot afford to perform, and so as to administer medications for Shelter animals as well as to perform in-house spay / neutering of all Shelter resident animals.
WHEREAS, Another essential new budget item is the upgrading of Animal Control and Animal Shelter computer software and data input capacity so as to provide on-street and 24-hour computer access to animal licensing / multi-animal permit information and so as to track Shelter animals from admission through adoption within the Shelter.
WHEREAS, The capacity of Animal Control / the Animal Shelter to directly issue annual licenses and multi-animal permits and the addition of desperately-needed clerical and enforcement personnel to handle this task will permit the agency to pursue increased enforcement of licensure and increased City revenues.
WHEREAS, Increased licensure revenues are thereby assured for an agency now too short-staffed and too under-"tech"-ed to follow-up on citations for lack of licensure and rabies shots.
WHEREAS, The increased revenues of strict licensure enforcement will more than support the increased costs of additional enforcement officers and computer accessibility.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF BALTIMORE, That the Baltimore City Council does hereby urge the Baltimore Board of Estimates to increase the FY2007 budget of Animal Control / the Animal Shelter to fund the need for additional animal enforcement officers, for one new environmental sanitarian, for two new data entry personnel and for the in-house computer software required to track animal licensure as well as every animal's history after intake into the City's Animal Shelter.
AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That in FY 2007, all excess licensure fees over projected estimates be directed for further enhancements to Baltimore City's Animal Control and Shelter operations.
AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That sufficient capital funds be provided in FY 2007 for improved plumbing, air handlers and gate improvements to benefit Baltimore City's Animal Shelter and the animals who live there.
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