PRESENTER: Presenter
Bryan V. Ruiz, Neighborhood Services Manager
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SUBJECT: Title
Discuss and consider potential amendments to the current trap-neuter-return ordinance, as well as community outreach options to gather public input on potential changes.
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DEPARTMENT: Neighborhood & Community Planning
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COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: All
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
The current Feral Cat Colony ordinance was adopted by City Council in 2014 and provided a framework to allow Trap, Neuter and Return (TNR) within the city. As the city has evolved over the past 12 years the TNR program has not seen any amendments.
The Animal Services Advisory Board held a public hearing on July 22, 2026, to discuss the possibility of amending the current ordinance. During that meeting the board recommended the City review other jurisdictions’ related ordinances.
Eleven of the benchmark cities have current ordinances that relate to trap neuter return or community cat programs. The Board may wish to discuss and provide recommendations on specific verbiage they would like to see in a draft ordinance, as well as suggest community outreach options. Such options may include public meetings, a community survey, or other suggestions. Outreach allows the public to share their input and help the board gauge overall community response and opinions on this topic.
ISSUE:
The community has changed dramatically since the adoption of the current TNR ordinance. Due to the population and demographic changes, there is a need to update and clarify expectations for city staff, TNR program coordinators, and the public. With the potential amending of this ordinance, it could provide better defined roles for each group who would be participating in the program. Over time, multiple organizations have administered the TNR program, with the Humane Society currently serving as the managing entity. As with all code amendments, we can review against other jurisdictions’ ordinances to learn opportunities to improve our ordinance in ways that work best for our community.
STRATEGIC PLAN REFERENCE:
☐Economic Mobility ☐Enhanced Connectivity ☐Community Identity
☒Organizational Excellence ☒Community Well-Being ☐N/A
• Organizational Excellence: An updated TNR ordinance enhances Organizational Excellence by using data to guide resource allocation and reduce repeat service calls. It also strengthens interagency teamwork, improving coordination and delivering more efficient, high-quality services to residents.
• Community Well-Being: An updated TNR ordinance will enhance Community Well-Being by reducing free roaming cat population, minimizing nuisance behaviors, and improving public health through sterilization and rabies vaccination. Additionally, providing structured, humane management of community cats supports safer neighborhoods and improves overall quality of life for residents.
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN REFERENCE:
Envision New Braunfels supports improving Animal Welfare by encouraging proactive partnerships with nonprofit organizations that advance community wellbeing. These principles shape updates to the city’s animal ordinances, including policies that formally recognize and support humane Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) practices for managing community cats.
• Action 1.11: Update policies and codes to achieve development patterns that implement the goals of this plan.
• Action 3.6: Pro-actively provide a regulatory environment that remains business and resident friendly.
• Action 8.2: Leverage city/community/private partners to plan for future community growth.
• Action 8.3: Foster opportunities for collaboration with local non-profits.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The fiscal impact of this item encompasses City employee time to research, conduct public outreach, develop a code amendment, shepherd it through the public hearing process, and implement it.
Recommendation
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff requests the board:
• provide guidance on the information they recommend be used when considering amendments to the ordinance,
• make suggestions on preferred benchmark city ordinances to reference, and
• offer recommendations on various different public input/community engagement tools that would work best in our community on this topic.