See You in September? Probably Not

All this uncertainty in city politics is tiresome. photo: AdobeStock

It was seven years ago this month that the Board of Supervisors first appointed me to what was then known as the Commission of Animal Control and Welfare. It’s been quite a ride, and though it hasn’t always been easy, I remain forever appreciative of being allowed to serve on such an amazing body. 

A lot has changed since then. For one thing, we’re now known as the Animal Advisory Council, a name change that resulted from the Commission Streamlining Task Force’s recommendations. While some of that commission’s recommendations were seen as problematic, I can’t begin to tell you how sweet it is that our body has a new name that no longer has the word “control” in it. As I’ve said countless times, no one who has ever applied for a seat on this body has ever had any desire to control anyone – especially not animals. Our new name, the Animal Advisory Council, is much more reflective of what we are about and the actual work we do.

One thing that hasn’t changed is the importance of all the animal-related issues the community brings to us that go on to be discussed at our monthly meetings. But right now there’s some question about whether the council will be able to meet in September.  

As I mentioned last month, the changes resulting from the Commission Streamlining Task Force’s recommendations included a new rule limiting how long members of public bodies can continue serving after their appointed terms expire. Under the new requirement, members may serve in a holdover capacity for only 60 days while awaiting reappointment or replacement. At the time, it wasn’t clear exactly what that meant. Did it mean 60 days from the date the new requirement went into effect on June 29, 2026? Or did it apply retroactively to the date when a sitting member’s term actually ended?

Since then I’ve learned that the new rule does apply retroactively to when a member’s term ended, which creates a challenge for our council. In fact, a majority of our council seats had terms that officially ended earlier this year in April, putting us past the 60-day requirement. As a result, we were unable to establish the necessary quorum to hold our regularly scheduled August meeting. 

Ordinarily, the solution to this problem would be relatively straightforward: appointments and reappointments would move through the Board of Supervisors’ Rules Committee. But August also brought the board’s summer recess when committee meetings are generally suspended, providing no opportunity for the necessary appointment hearings to happen in time for our August meeting.

This month will present yet another scheduling challenge. Our council meets early in the month, and with Labor Day falling on the Monday before our scheduled meeting (Monday is the day of the week that the Rules Committee normally meets), we will most likely find ourselves again without enough appointed members to meet in September.

Other city public bodies, including the Sunshine Ordinance Task Force, are experiencing similar challenges and have had to cancel their meetings. I am hopeful that appointment hearings will take place later this month. If so, we could have a majority of our seats filled and be back to regular meetings by October. 

Believe me, after seven years on this body, I have learned that working within the rules of City Hall requires patience. 

So will we see the council meeting in City Hall in September? Probably not. But we’re keeping our fingers and paws crossed that we’ll be on the Rules Committee’s agenda soon and that we’ll be able to see everyone again in October. 

Speaking of which, if you’ve ever been interested in joining the Animal Advisory Council, it isn’t too late to apply for a seat. For more information on the council and a link to the application form, click here.

See you at City Hall…eventually!

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Please be aware that the views and opinions expressed in this column are those of Council Member Torres and do not necessarily reflect the official policies or positions of the Animal Advisory Council.