NYC Council Committee Panel, June 7, 2013
It was a packed room at the June 7, 2013 hearing of the New York City Council Health Committee to entertain testimony on certain issues affecting NYC animals and the AC&C. Committee members came and went throughout the 3 hour hearing, but Chairperson Maria del Carmen Arroyo stayed throughout, always exercising firm but polite control of speakers and Q&A.
This is a link to an official video of the entire 3-hour hearing.
There were 4 formal agenda items … all involving the City’s Department of Health:
- A resolution for the NYS legislature to give NYC jurisdiction over all pet shops in the City (sponsored by Council member Crowley).
- A proposed bill to create a NYC Animal Abuse Registry (sponsored by Council member Vallone, Jr.).
- A resolution for the NYS legislature to allow NYC to increase the base fee and surcharge for dog licenses (sponsored by Health Chairperson Arroyo).
- A review of “strategies to increase live outcomes” at the AC&C.
Items 1 and 3 entailed important (and to non-lawyers) sometimes arcane legal issues. Thus, some of the speakers were attorneys from both the private and public sector.
Below are our favorite exchanges from the hearing (identifying the point in the video (by hour/minute/second) in which each exchange begins):
Councilmember Peter Vallone, Jr. discusses the importance of an Animal Abuse Registry (6 minutes/20 seconds).
Councilmember Peter Vallone, Jr.
Deputy Health Commissioner Daniel Kass (8 min/19 seconds) describes the DOH’s professed commitment to the AC&C and claimed advances under AC&C Executive Director Risa Weinstock’s leadership. He criticizes the proposed animal abuse registry bill as drafted, arguing that the DOH does not have the ability or means to enforce it and that it just won’t work. As for how much the base licensing fee should be increased, the DOH is working on finding just the right “sweet spot.” He admits the DOH automated system is “clunky,” but they’re working on that too. All is well.
June 7, 2013 hearing: Weinstock (Left) and Kass
AC&C Executive Director Risa Weinstock (16 minutes) discusses claimed progress at the AC&C, both before and now under her leadership. (Both the Kass and Weinstock presentations are required viewing for anyone planning to attend the June 14th AC&C Board meeting. Listen carefully to their presentations so you can prepare questions to ask the Board on June 14th.)
Council Member Vallone (35 min/40 sec) is outraged by Kass’s criticism of the Animal Abuse Registry bill. Vallone challenges the DOH’s professed commitment to animal care. He also brands Local Law 59 a cheap fix seized on by Mayor Bloomberg to avoid having to spend (TRANSLATION: “waste”) money on animal shelters for the Bronx and Queens.
The exchange between Vallone and Kass is priceless, as it serves to bring out verbal heights of hypocrisy from the DOH representative. Kass fires back at Vallone, insisting that the council member is talking about ancient history, because (per Kass) things are very,very different now. The DOH does care about animals. It really, really does.
Esther Koslow of Shelter Reform Action Committee (2 hrs/29 min/42 sec) echoes Council member Vallone’s skepticism of the DOH’s claimed commitment to animal care issues, including all the items on the hearing agenda.
Bottom line: Koslow argues that the DOH should be removed from all matters involving animal care.
June 7, 2013 hearing, Esther Koslow for SRAC
And rather than talk solely of “live outcomes” at the AC&C, Koslow argues that “sick outcomes” should have been on the meeting agenda. She notes that the AC&C hasn’t made a dent in its almost 100% infection rate . She also observes that the AC&C still hasn’t hired a medical director.
Allie Feldman (Director of NYClass) (2 hrs/37 mins/39 secs) expresses support for the increased licensing fee, an animal abuse registry, and City jurisdiction over all pet shops. She also notes that a lack of City commitment has resulted in an “overburdened” and “underfunded” shelter system. “A first class city like New York deserves a first class shelter in every borough.” She ends her presentation by questioning whether Speaker Christine Quinn engineered the timing of this hearing – held just 3 months before the Mayoral primary – so Quinn could claim she’s concerned about animals … despite having shown no such concern during her previous 8 years as Speaker.
Chris Green, Head of Legislative Affairs for the Animal League Defense Fund (2 hours/45 min/25 sec) testifies in support of the Animal Abuse Registry. He disputes challenges made by the ASPCA to the creation of an effective registry, and notes that the ALDF will commit $10,000 to its creation.
The hearing was a good civics lesson in the strengths and weaknesses of our City government. The City Council’s Health Committee has direct oversight of the Department of Health. And the reason why the Committee has any interest whatsoever in the AC&C is because the DOH controls the AC&C and uses taxpayer dollars (meager though they may be) to fund this system. .
For years the DOH has finagled and lied its way around any meaningful AC&C oversight or reform. For example, no one in city government has thought to audit the DOH books to find out how that department spends monies supposedly allocated to animal issues. (NOTE: The AC&C is subsumed under the DOH’s “Veterinary and Pest Control Services” division. Pets. Roaches. The same.)
The DOH is also in charge of dog licensing and the Animal Control Population Fund which dog licensing fees fund. Yet, no one has an idea about the “administrative” costs the DOH deducts from the fees gathered.
New Yorkers are increasingly motivated by and vocal about animal protection issues. City Council members would do well to see which way the wind is blowing and get on the right side of these issues and challenge the DOH and the Mayor’s Office for real reform. (See the Stringer Report.)
The City Council’s Health Committee has the power to expose all that’s wrong with the DOH’s control of the AC&C. By doing so, the Committee can bring both political and moral pressure on the Mayor’s Office to remove the DOH from control over the AC&C.
We thank Chairperson Arroyo for holding yesterday’s hearing. And we look forward to her followup on the many questions Arroyo raised during the April 2013 hearing and documents and information she requested that the DOH and the AC&C.
Arroyo and members of her staff visited the Bronx receiving center and the Manhattan shelter recently. (32 min/50 sec). She praised the staff, but said “space is a problem, particularly at the Manhattan shelter.” In fact, “the space is fairly limited.” She asked Weinstock and Kass: “Is there some project that can be done to improve the space and provide more amenities to the animals in the shelter?” She didn’t demand an answer right away, but she wanted to hear.
What Chairperson Arroyo didn’t realize is that she muttered a word forbidden from the DOH/AC&C lexicon: “space.” The DOH forbids the AC&C from saying it lacks “space.” That would imply that there should be more shelters (as in the Bronx and Queens).
We look forward to hearing about that “space” conversation between Arroyo and the DOH/AC&C.