At its October 14, 2020 meeting, the City Commission approved a referral to the Neighborhoods and Quality of Life Committee (NQLC) to discuss a motion made by the Animal Welfare Committee (AWFC) at its September 22, 2020 meeting.

During its September 22, 2020 meeting, the AWFC passed a motion, urging the City Commission to endorse the usage of a vacant building formerly occupied by a division of the Parking Department located at 8128 Collins Avenue, for the purposes of trap, neuter, vaccinate, and rescue/release (NTVR) activities as well as for a potential adoption center by SoBe Cats, its partners, Saving Sage, and other interested nonprofits.

Consistent with a prior referral to the Finance and Economic Resiliency Committee (FERC) requesting the City to identify a potential adoption facility site for NTVR services, the AWFC also is requesting the City Commission consider a five-year minimum contract commitment for this purpose which could include cost sharing for maintenance and building repairs as a consideration.

The AWFC believes this will add other benefits to the area as this would create a functioning facility which compliments the recent activation of the West Lots with the skate park as well as the nearby dog parks in North Shore Park.

Last year's AWFC motion with regards to a pet adoption facility entailed the potential purchase of a 2,000 square feet building located on 71st Street, which could also possibly be used as an TNVR facility.  The building, formerly used as a dentist office, was on sale for $750,000, of which $375,000 would be contributed by a private donor.  Budgets for Fiscal Year 2019 had already been allocated and the consideration to purchase any pet adoption facility would have required a capital budget amendment as well as a funding source to be identified.  The sale never materialized.  Direction was provided to explore other possibilities.

TNVR services have been conducted at a trailer leased by the City.  The annual lease of the trailer ended on September 30, 2020, and the location for services transitioned to  a couple of rooms in the City owned vacant building at 8128 Collins Avenue.   

The total FY21 budget for TNVR services is: $34,000 representing the City's support of the program.  Last year, the trailer lease cost $14,000 of the budgeted amount.  Reallocating a portion of that cost to cover utilities and other incidental costs of the building seemed prudent to dedicate as much of the remaining budget to the program.  Currently, since 2012, only about a third of the City's 15,000 feral cats have been spayed or neutered to prevent the population from exploding.  Thus the need to maximize the budgeted amount to getting these cats the required surgeries.

This building had been eyed to be part of the North Beach Yard.  However, that project never materialized and currently there are no immediate plans for the building or the site.  However, the West Lots do represent a significant redevelopment opportunity for North Beach.

Results from the 2019 Resident Survey show that 69% of resident's perception of the City with regards to overall quality of City services rated as very satisfied, satisfied.  In order to continue maintaining excellent standards in this area, the Administration could work with SoBe Cats, their partnering non-profit entities and Property Management to pursue a formal lease type arrangement to occupy and purpose the currently vacant building.