Park and Zoo officials told the council Aug. 19 they intend to enclose the Washington Park Zoo aviary to extend the exhibit’s season, reduce animal stress during twice-yearly transfers and help meet USDA standards. The council accepted the ordinance on first reading and carried it to the next meeting for second reading.

Shannon Eason, park superintendent, told the council the appropriation would be funded from the park concession nonreverting fund (fund number 2507) and that the request is to move cash already on hand into the fiscal-year budget to complete construction. Eason said the project is nearly fully engineered and described it as "urgent" because the current seasonal structure requires moving birds in and out and closes during inclement weather.

Jamie Huss, zoo director, said the aviary is one of the zoo’s most popular exhibits and that enclosing it would allow the zoo to operate year‑round in a climate‑controlled space, reducing stress on birds and enabling compliance with evolving avian disease (avian flu) guidelines. Huss noted the aviary’s revenue potential, saying, "Last year, the zoo sold 16,326 seed sticks for a dollar a piece," and suggested extending the season could increase that revenue.

Action details: the ordinance setting an additional appropriation in the park concession nonreverting fund (2507) was introduced by Councilman Dabney on first reading. Council members asked to be added as cosponsors and the ordinance was carried over for second reading at the next council meeting.

Why it matters: city officials said the enclosure protects bird health, supports USDA-code compliance and can extend an earned-revenue attraction to more of the year. Parks staff said identified funding sources include gifts and donations, endowment funds and existing capital outlay budget items; the specific appropriation amount was unclear in the audio transcript distributed with the meeting video and will be confirmed in the ordinance packet at the next meeting.

Discussion vs. decision: the meeting recorded first-reading introduction and cosponsor additions; the council did not vote to finalize the appropriation on Aug. 19 and the item will return for further action.

Ending: Parks staff will provide the full appropriation request and budget breakdown at the council’s next meeting.