BC 2011 04 18 Regular - Laserfiche WebLink

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April 18, 2011 (Regular Meeting) Page 403 Jones and Ms. Wacheldorf presented the 2011 Food Policy Retreat Report, mission statement, goals and logo. Their mission statement is "To nurture a sustainable, local food system that benefits all citizens of Cabarrus County and our region." 2011 Food Policy Goals and logo are as follows: • Create a plan to make locally grown foods easier to purchase. • Develop `Local Food in Local Schools' policy. • Identify barriers: Why is there so little vegetable and fruit production in Cabarrus County. • Host a summit to honor all local farming efforts and address the city /country divide. • Establish one successful schoolyard garden and one successful community garden. LOCALLY GROWN LOCALLY GROWN LOCALLY GROWN 5 V 5 T A I N A 2 L E S U P E R t 0 R 5 U 5 T A I N A B L E 15 U P E R I O R 5 U 5 T A I N A B L E 5 U P E R I O R Mr. Jones and Ms. Wacheldorf also responded to questions from the Board and a general discussion ensued on planting a community garden. No action was taken by the Board. (G -4) APPAC - Resolution to Establish a Proactive Animal Adoption Community Commissioner Carruth generally reviewed the following points concerning the APPAC's (Animal Protection & Preservation Advisory Committee) concept to use a full -time animal adoption coordinator /director to increase adoption rates and reduce euthanasia rates: • We are bound by law to provide for animal control in the community: whether wild animals, seized strays or abused /abandoned animals, or owner surrender situations. • In some communities in this state, it is seen as solely a public health issue, and is handled by the Health Department. Ours is handled by the sheriff, and is seen as directly related to public safety. • By law, we are required to hold these animals for a reasonable length of time, minimum of 3 days, to identify the owner. Other than that, we have the full right to euthanize them at that point. For owner surrenders and wild animals, there is no waiting period. • There is a cost - we bear that cost in the operation of a gas chamber to perform these procedures, and in housing the strays that must be held by law. The direct cost of the latter is about $16,000 per year. The indirect cost of euthanizing is not easily captured, but there is a cost, even if not all financial. • As a caring community, we have never directly espoused the position of killing all strays that are not claimed. NC statutes give us the authority to operate and maintain a public animal shelter, to include re- adoption of these animals. • There are many different groups in our community which on a daily basis do the grunt work to try to make a difference. These organizations are filled with hundreds of volunteers who do the work which is equally rewarding, as well as draining physically and emotionally. • Many of the rescue organizations in our community also take in strays and abandoned dogs and cats, which never become part of our shelter stats and operations. • The task of caring and managing the population of strays and homeless companion animals, outside of the small amount of money that is provided for our shelter operations, is performed totally in the private sector, with no public money. In reality, they have never asked for any assistance in doing this.