Fresh Local Democracy: Speak Up Now!
City officials are starting the process for an audit of the SF Zoo. photo: AdobeStock
Like many of you, democracy has been on my mind these days. If there is one thing we've learned from the November election, we remain a nation divided. Yes, it's by a narrow margin, but it’s one that has made for a stunning outcome. While half the country is celebrating, the other half is despondent. Keep this between us; I am in the latter half.
How do we readjust this asymmetrical political balance? Oh, how I wish I had a five-step plan. I don't. I only know what I’m doing with my fellow commissioners and animal welfare activists to promote democracy. We're keeping it local and clean, exercising all the advocacy levers available to us. Our cause is for the welfare of animals.
The Report
Animal welfare advocacy became a much more public exercise after the Animal Control and Welfare Commission approved a report detailing animal welfare issues at the San Francisco Zoo. This report, prepared by the animal welfare advisors on the Joint Zoo Committee with the help of animal welfare activists and current and former zoo employees, landed hard. While some have labeled the report contributors as ne'er-do-wells or rabble-rousers (I’m paraphrasing here), we prefer the late U.S. Representative John Lewis’s phrase - “good trouble" - to describe our brand of activism. We want change for the better, and the report provides an opportunity for change. Are you in? If so, read on.
First, Some History
Bear with me; this backstory would benefit from a whiteboard. But lacking one, here goes.
I was appointed to the Animal Control and Welfare Commission (a.k.a. the Animal Commission) by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 2015. In September of that year, I also agreed to represent the Animal Commission by holding one of the two Animal Welfare Advisor seats on the Joint Zoo/Recreation and Park Committee (JZC).
Joseph Spinelli, DVM, occupies the other seat, and I dare you to find a more compassionate, honorable, and righteous man. He also has a long history with the zoo, beginning when he was a child in the 1930s visiting a then relatively new San Francisco Zoo. I have no doubt those visits planted the seed for his career as a veterinarian. At 87, he is as active as ever, and his contributions and experience helped frame our response to some serious accusations from the media about the state of the San Francisco Zoo.
What is the JZC?
The City of San Francisco and the nonprofit San Francisco Zoological Society (SFZS) signed a Memo of Understanding (MOU) in 1993. The MOU is a 200+ page contract outlining, among other things, the oversight of the public/private partnership between the two parties. It also established the Joint Zoo Committee (JZC), which includes three of the city’s Recreation and Parks Commissioners and three members of the SFZS Board of Directors.
The JZC’s purpose is to hold regular public meetings to discuss and hear public testimony regarding policies affecting the zoo, including the setting of fees, new animal exhibits, animal acquisition and disposition policies, land use, and capital and operating budgets. The JZC is an advisory committee and does not have legislative authority beyond what’s set forth in the MOU.
According to Sally Stephens, former chair of the Animal Commission and my predecessor on the JZC, two non-voting animal welfare advisors were added to the JZC in 2009 after the tragic tiger incident in December 2007. Let me repeat: Dr. Spinelli and I are non-voting animal welfare advisors on an advisory committee with no legislative authority. But the JZC has an MOU and a set of rules, although old and in need of an update. We leaned heavily on both documents when preparing our report.
JZC Advisors' Role
As advisors on the Joint Zoo Committee, Dr. Spinelli and I respond to issues regarding animal welfare that arise at the SF Zoo. This means we meet with people who express concerns, take a tour, and talk with employees or former staff to better understand the issue. Then we try to resolve it or make recommendations for a resolution.
Our only goal is to report our findings honestly, fairly, and accurately, highlighting successes or calling out areas needing improvement. We recognize our limits yet strive to promote animal welfare and good governance, an essential requirement of all public bodies. We encourage you to read the report for yourself, but the purpose of this article is to focus on the democratic process behind the report, not all the details contained in it.
Good Governance Can Be Complicated
In a public/private partnership, good governance can be complicated. So was the history leading to the establishment of the SFZS to operate the zoo, taking over from its previous operator, the City of San Francisco. As noted above, the Memo of Understanding clarifies the rules of engagement between these two entities. Some of these requirements include the following:
Public Access to Records and Information (Section 16.2)
The SFZS must respond to requests for public records as outlined in the California Public Records Act and the state’s open meeting law, also known as the Brown Act. In summary, the SFZS must provide the public access to information concerning the operation of the SF Zoo to the same extent that such information would have been available to the public, according to local ordinances, if the department (in this case, the City of San Francisco) had continued to operate the zoo.Performance Audit (Charter Section 2.114)
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors, under the authority granted by Charter Section 2.114, may conduct a performance audit of the San Francisco Zoo, a provision supported by recent history. In 2003, the city hired an independent audit of the SF Zoo whose report is still publicly available. Similarly, our recent report recommends that the city conduct an independent audit of the SF Zoo again and make its findings publicly available.
The City of San Francisco is the guardian of the animals of the SF Zoo and, as previously noted, our report was our response to animal welfare concerns raised by activists, the media, and the zoo's current and former staff. Unfortunately, the reaction from zoo administrators has been to dismiss the report as inaccurate and defamatory, and we're at an impasse. So what's next?
Audit Votes Coming Up
In October, Supervisor Myrna Melgar presented a motion to the Board of Supervisors requesting an audit of the zoo. On December 5, the Board of Supervisors Government Audit & Oversight Committee will review her motion, and on December 10, the entire Board of Supervisors will vote on whether to approve an audit. The Animal Commission strongly encourages citizens to attend these meetings and comment when possible. Learn how here: sfbos.org
Opportunity vs. Threat - Speak Up Now
As I mentioned, our report landed hard. To some, it amounted to a hit piece that damages and threatens the zoo. For others, the recommended audit represents an opportunity for the zoo to revisit its contract with the city, which could use some updates. It also reminds the zoo of its obligation to operate openly with its public partner.
For those frustrated by the state of our nation, please consider getting involved at the local level. This issue is an excellent place to start. We are only asking for transparency and good governance, the most basic building blocks of democracy.
San Francisco, are you ready to make some positive changes for your zoo? Now is the time to make your voice heard. I hope you will.
LATE BREAKING NEWS:
While the editors at Bay Woof are eager to press the send button, I feel I need to add one quick update. On December 5 the Government Audit & Oversight Committee approved the recommendation for an audit of the San Francisco Zoo. This means the recommendation for the audit is heading to the Board of Supervisors for a vote on December 10. If you're curious to know how it all unfolded, visit the city's website. Here’s a link to the full recording of the whole meeting.
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The next meeting of the Commission of Animal Control and Welfare will be held at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, January 9, 2025, in City Hall, Room 408, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, San Francisco, CA 94102. Agendas are published 72 hours prior to the meeting. Information about remote access to meetings is available at sf.gov/animalcommission.
The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of Commissioner Tobin and do not necessarily reflect the official policies or positions of the Commission of Animal Control and Welfare.