The Committee on Health and Environmental Protection was called to order 20 minutes late, only to be recessed roughly six minutes later, after no one was on hand to answer questions about the only agenda item: changes to the city’s Commission Animal Care and Control. Only Chris Norberg from the city’s Law Department came to testify, but couldn’t “speak to what the substance” of the ordinance was, or why increasing the membership of the committee from nine to eleven, requiring city residency for appointees, and a mandating member of the business community serve on the commission were necessary.

Attendance: Chairman George Cardenas (12), Proco Joe Moreno (1), Brian Hopkins (2), Toni Foulkes (16), Michael Zalewski (23), Walter Burnett Jr. (27), Ariel Reboyras (30), Deb Mell (33), Carlos Ramirez-Rosa (35), Gilbert Villegas (36), Harry Osterman (48)

“We’re increasing the membership but we don’t know who that is, we don’t know what that will mean, or what that will do, but let’s vote on it. That’s a hell of a committee meeting,” Chairman George Cardenas (12) said sarcastically, calling for a recess until the Department of Public Health could elaborate.

More than a dozen other items have been introduced, but not heard by the Health committee, including Ald. Jason Ervin’s (28) mental health clinics ordinance, hearings on “state-sponsored euthanasia” at Animal Care and Control from Ald. Raymond Lopez (15), and a pet waste removal ordinance from Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa (35).