Red tape trumps reason

Just when we thought the decision to reassign Richmond Animal Care and Control (RAC&C) could not be delayed another time, City Council proved us wrong, and in doing so, sacrificed sound judgment for more bureaucracy.

After nearly three months of discussing the ultimate placement of RAC&C within the City structure, and pouring over national and statewide studies, reading and hearing the recommendations of national and local thought leaders in animal welfare, examining the placement of other local animal control agencies in County governments, conducting polls among their own constituents, and receiving hundreds of emails and phone calls from residents in their districts, a majority of City Council members last night voted to temporarily place RAC&C under the direct supervision of the deputy chief administrative officer for operations for six months while they establish a commission to research the division’s most appropriate placement.

Huh? I thought that is what Council had been doing since the beginning of February. Apparently the answers to their questions and the results of their own research didn’t jive with the wishes and desires of the City Administration, and so, we must form a commission at taxpayer’s expense to collect more information.

While City Administration has advocated for RAC&C’s reassignment to the Department of Public Works (DPW) or as an independent agency, national and local humane organizations, including the Richmond SPCA, and Richmond residents have consistently urged that RAC&C, an important law enforcement and public safety agency, be moved to the Police Department. The rationale for this opinion can be found in a prior blog post.

Yesterday evening, close to a dozen people appeared before Council to oppose relocation of RAC&C to DPW or as a standalone division. We provided sound reasons for this view and were joined in the audience by an additional 20 or more people who shared the same judgment. Not a single person spoke in favor of either of the City Administration’s proposed reassignment options. And, shocker, no representative from City Administration was present to publicly express a cogent argument for administration’s proposals.

Despite these facts, five out of eight members of Council took the position that a commission must be created to glean additional information and to examine best practices (Bruce Tyler, Reva Trammell and Doug Conner voted against the paper). If the work product of the commission is to have intellectual value and to be accepted as a fair and well-informed analysis, then the commission must include representatives from the Richmond SPCA, the Richmond Animal Welfare Foundation and possibly national humane organizations.

Comments made by a Council member at the conclusion of the discussion last night implied that the controversy reflects that RAC&C is broken and requires fixing in an effort to deflect attention from the real problem which is inadequate and unsupportive supervision at higher levels within the City Administration. RAC&C is a dynamic and progressive division led by Program Manager Jody Jones. During her tenure, the agency has distinguished itself as one of the best animal care and control agencies in the state and country despite the lack of support the agency has received from upper level management for many years.  Reassignment to Police would insure that RAC&C receives the support and resources it needs to continue to excel and grow and to deliver the best services possible to the pets and people of Richmond.

If the commission is sincere and serious in its efforts to place RAC&C where it truly belongs and includes the representatives of outside humane organizations mentioned above, it will arrive at the right decision, which is undoubtedly the Police Department. Or, it could cover the issue with even more red tape than it already has and delay the decision for yet another six months. Tick tock. Tick tock.

We are grateful to Councilmen Tyler, Trammell and Conner for having the courage and leadership to oppose the City Administration’s proposals and to advocate for the reassignment of RAC&C to the Police Department.

Tamsen Kingry is the chief operating officer for the Richmond SPCA. To read her complete biography, and that of our other bloggers, please click here.

Comments

[Melissa Bollbach]

Sad to see that my councilwoman Kathy Graziano didn't vote the way I and so many other constituents asked her to. She helps our dogs by being a great champion for our parks, but the Hills & Heights neighborhoods would benefit greatly from an empowered RAC&C. I'll write her a letter asking her to reconsider by the time the next vote comes around.

After all these years of discord between city administrators and City Council, this is the issue where Council decides to blindly support the administration? Sad.

[Mike LaBelle]

This is an email from Councilman Samuels in
response to an email I sent all member s of city council on the issue of the RAC&C.

Mike,

Thanks for writing. I know how important this issue is to people. There seems to be confusion regarding what Council how council voted.

The option presented to council was keep RACC in General Services OR make it an independent department. Moving it to the police was not an option.

Unfortunately, had we voted against the amended ordinance, RACC would not have gone to the Police but would remain in General Services - a department which would have only had one agency - RACC.

I felt that receiving appropriate funding & staffing under the direct supervision of a DCAO while this matter is carefully considered was better than having it remain in a defunct department.

Virginia Beach and other localities have ACC in Public Works and while I do not believe it should be placed there, I do not want it to remain in the Department of General services either.

Since putting it in the Police was not an option presented in any ordinance on which we voted, it was impossible for us to place it there.

Thanks again for writing me.

Yours,
Charles

Charles R. Samuels
804-646-6532 (office)
804-690-0898 (cell)

________________________________________
From: Mike LaBelle
To: Hilbert, Chris A. - Council Member; Graziano, Kathy C. - Council Member; Robertson, Ellen F. - Council Member; Tyler, Bruce W. - Council Member; Samuels, Charles R. - Council Member; Jewell, E. Martin . - Council Member; Newbille, Cynthia I. - Council Member; Trammell, Reva M. - Council Member; Conner, Douglas G. - Council Member
Sent: Sun May 02 09:34:04 2010
Subject: Richmond Animal Control
Dear Council Members,

I was extremely upset to learn that city council has voted to defer a decision on the control of Richmond Animal Care & Control For six months, while the city studies the issue?? AGAIN….

The only council members that did not vote for this decision were Bruce Tyler, Reva Trammel and Doug Connor.

You have looked at national and statewide studies, reading and hearing the recommendations of national and local leaders in animal welfare, examining the placement of other local animal control agencies in County governments, conducting polls among their own constituents, and receiving hundreds of emails and phone calls from residents in their districts.

The overwhelming evidence CLEARLY shows that the proper place for Animal Control is under the control and guidance of the Richmond Police Department.

But yet after all this and knowing that the right thing to do was to put the RCA&C under the purview of the RPD, the council for some strange reason has deferred judgment so that the city may spend more of our tax dollars to study the issue more thoroughly, what are you thinking?? Have you not learned that after having spent three months researching the issue and hearing from experts from far and wide that what you have done makes no sense, does nothing for the welfare of the animals in the city, wastes the taxpayer dollars and allows a division of the city-(DPW) who has no experience whatsoever in managing animal welfare to be given control of this operation.

Not a single person spoke in favor of either of the City Administration’s proposed reassignment options, this during the last council meeting where this issue was brought up April 26, 2010.

Your job is to represent the residents of the city, not to bow to the whim of the mayor or his executive staff. The residents, experts and studies as well as surrounding localities have all presented to you what the right thing to do was and you have chosen to ignore their advice and ignore the consensus view.

Please put the results of the many studies, the recommendations of local and national experts, the opinions of residents and the desires of all for proper re-assignment of RAC&C to the RPD, all evidence and opinion points to this being the correct path to follow.

Mike LaBelle
Bellevue Resident