Procrastinators, Unite! February is the Real New Year

It’s February, which for those of us who tend to put things off until the very last minute (or even later), is often the true start of the new year. 

Raise your hand if you’re still trying to complete - or even start - things you had hoped to accomplish before the end of 2022. No worries. February can be your second chance to tackle them. Did you find those 31-day challenges in January just a little too challenging? Maybe a 28-day challenge in February might be more attractive. So come on, fellow procrastinators. Let’s embrace February as the month to get things done!

What do I hope to accomplish at the Animal Commission this year? First, I want to continue to make our meetings more community-based and to hear more directly from those doing compassionate work throughout our city. I also hope to better anticipate the level of public engagement for some of our agenda items and schedule accordingly. No one wants a meeting to go on through the night, and I think we can avoid that with better planning. 

On a personal note, I hope to speak more clearly and succinctly at meetings and do away with those dreadful hesitation sounds I’m prone to making. In fact, if I could just eliminate “uh”, “ah,” and “hmmm” from my vocabulary that alone might shave 30 minutes off of our meetings.

So what’s ahead for the Animal Commission? Starting in March, we’re scheduled to resume in-person meetings at City Hall for the first time since the start of the pandemic (this means our last remote meeting will be held this month on Thursday, February 9). Now I should add that the March in-person meeting is  tentatively scheduled because we’ve been down this road before, only to be told otherwise at the last minute. But for now we’re penciling in our in-person commission meetings starting in March, with more info on that format change to come.

For some commission members, March will be the first time to actually meet each other in person. A few who were appointed during the COVID shutdowns know the rest of us only on-screen so this will be a big change. Even though I’ll miss the convenience of attending remote meetings at home, I do look forward to meeting in City Hall again and being able to interact with my fellow commissioners and members of the public.

I also hope to continue the commission’s discussions around healthy cats and kittens and the Department of Animal Care and Control’s admission policy. We’ve had some excellent presentations on this important issue during the past few months, including passionate public comments. I hope to have one more presenter on this topic at our February meeting, followed by a discussion and a possible vote on a recommendation at our March meeting.

Another issue commissioners feel strongly about involves glue traps. Last year, the nonprofit group WildCare gave a presentation on the horrors of glue traps and shared heartbreaking stories about some of the patients they saw at their wildlife hospital as a result. The commission hopes to provide better community outreach about the hazards of glue traps and may propose legislation to ban the sale and use of these inhumane devices in our city.

Finally, although it may not technically fall within the jurisdiction of our commission, I’d like to bring about a better understanding between our city government and those of us who serve as volunteers on commissions. As someone who has spent most of his life volunteering for various nonprofits and political campaigns, the difference between that work and what I and others have experienced volunteering with the city is astonishing. Outside city government, volunteers typically receive encouragement and appreciation, and generally experience a feeling of accomplishment. But when volunteering with the city, there is little engagement and too many times volunteers are left feeling stymied. This may come down to a simple lack of honest communication. If city staff and leaders were more open to communicating with those of us who are volunteering our time, we could all accomplish so much more.

It’s been said that 2023 will be a year for change and new directions, which sounds wonderful to me. In fact, I believe 2023 might be a very good year for everyone. Or dare I say, there’s no “uh”, “ah,” or “hmmm” about it - I know that 2023 will be a very good year!!

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The next meeting of the Commission of Animal Control and Welfare will be held at 5:30 p.m., Thursday, February 9. The meeting can be viewed here. Members of the public who wish to provide comments during meetings may do so by calling (415) 655-0003 and entering access code: 2459 426 8458, then #. When the public comment period is announced, callers should enter *3 to be added to the speakers’ queue. There is a two-minute limit for comments.

For additional information about the Commission of Animal Control and Welfare, please visit our website. Meeting agendas, minutes, and supporting documents may also be found on our website. Agendas for upcoming meetings are published at least 72 hours before the meeting.

Please be aware that the views and opinions expressed in this column are those of Commissioner Torres and do not necessarily reflect the official policies or positions of the Commission of Animal Control and Welfare.