The Head of HDHHS

Thank you for your interest, Ms. Marks. I cannot presume that my proposed alternative to Gerry Fusco is a "plan" because it would first require approval of others who, like me, want radical improvements at BARC with the animal's welfare as our prime concern. But since you asked, this is my personal view:
Immediately discontinue the consulting arrangement with Gerry Fusco and allocate those funds to (1) hire an interim BARC director agreeable to a newly created Advisory Committee and (2) effect infrastructure and personnel changes (see below).

Form an Advisory Committee (please bear in mind I am not familiar with state or city ordinances concerning the constitution of this type of committee) of:

3 BARC volunteers selected by their peers
2 Animal advocates who have already appeared before the City Council
3 Shelter managers invited as expert advisors
2 Non-BARC shelter veterinarians invited as expert advisors

The Advisory Committee will meet with a representation (not to exceed 10 individuals) of the City Council and DHHS to:

Hire an interim BARC director agreeable to the Committee.
Pinpoint the essential immediate changes required to set BARC on the course to becoming a cruelty-free, high-adoption, transparently-managed city animal shelter.
Set future goals toward further improvements at BARC.

This meeting to be followed soon after by another of smaller representations of both BARC volunteers and advisors, and city officials to determine ways and means to achieve the goals of the first meeting. Financial personnel would be included in this second meeting.

Implementation of essential changes to begin immediately.

Again, this is strictly my opinion of how proceed and I would have to seek a consensus among other Houston citizens who, like me, want a vastly improved BARC. Toward that end: Jerry Fusco is not the answer.
Any "plan" must take into consideration the advice and cooperation of animal advocates.

Thank you very much for your attention to this important matter.

Dolores Proubasta

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Dear Dolores,

Thanks for your thoughtful reply. I agree with you about community involvement-that was the purpose of the MCV engagement, which we believe was successful and which we will sustain. There are 31 stakeholders in that process, many of whom work at BARC daily. Gerry is engaged with them, and they are part of the solution. There is also an Animal Advisory Council that has been dormant the last couple of years and which we are repopulating. And we do intend to hire, and we have adequate funding for, a new bureau chief. Gerry's specialty is turnaround; he has a track record of doing this in a number of troubled companies. Our goal is to have him fix the people and process problems we have at BARC so that a new bureau chief has a chance to succeed. These are not either/or propositions, but "both." Gerry's skill set is vital to ensure a restructured BARC; a great bureau chief is vital to manage a newly engineered BARC as Gerry departs. I hope you will give me the chance to make a difference, and I do appreciate your correspondence and careful response.

Elena

Elena M. Marks, JD, MPH
Director of Health and Environmental Policy

Mayor's Office
City of Houston
901 Bagby, 3rd Floor
Houston, Texas 77002
phone: 832.393.1081
fax: 832.393.1084