El Paso City Council Regular Meeting – April 29, 2025

The El Paso City Council held a regular meeting on April 29, 2025, beginning at 9:02 AM and adjourning at 4:50 PM, with a lunch recess from 12:55 PM to 2:01 PM. The meeting included ceremonial proclamations, approval of a consent agenda (as revised), discussion and votes on multiple items including the reprogramming of 2012 Quality of Life Bond funds for trails, a contract award for the Mountain to River Trail, adoption of bond ordinances for water/sewer and drainage, acceptance of pension actuarial audits, board appointments, amendments to meeting rules, elimination of library overdue fines, various procurement and contract awards, and several grant applications for federal funding.

Consent Calendar

• Approved as revised: The consent agenda was approved 7-1 (Representative Acevedo opposed) after revisions including deletion of item 6 (mayoral appointment to TIRZ 5), movement of items 29, 34, 35, and 38 to the regular agenda, deletion of item 25 (Animal Shelter annual update, to be rescheduled), and movement of items 7-12 (TIRZ 5 appointments) to the regular agenda.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Josie Avila (District 4 resident) opposed deprogramming the Donald to Dyer and Skyline to Loma Real trails, stating the Northeast is underserved and the process lacked community input.
• Dr. Rick Bonart and Dr. Sharon Bonart (OSAB and community advocates) argued that the proposed Mountain to River Trail alignment was not the intended natural surface trail and that funds should be reallocated to Northeast trails or a bridge crossing. They noted OSAB had recommended a different route in 2021.
• Joe Garibay (chair of Open Space Advisory Board) expressed disappointment that the deprogramming issue was not brought before OSAB before council, and urged postponement for OSAB review.
• Arvis Jones (Northeast resident, senior) urged preservation of funding for Northeast trails, citing health and equity benefits.
• Lisa Enriquez (president of We Hike) stressed the need for accessible infrastructure for people with disabilities in the Northeast.
• Iris Gamboa (We Hike board member) echoed concerns about pedestrian safety and equity.
• Claudia Contreras Siller discussed animal cruelty against cats, urging stronger judicial action.
• Ron Como criticized the Animal Services Department's hiring process and lack of progress in adoptions, calling for a qualified director.
• Darnell Johnson III spoke on homelessness, proposing categorical solutions including free apartments, exchange with immigrants, and military-led enforcement.
• Richard Schechter filed a complaint against El Paso Water with the PUC, alleging poor customer service and lack of communication, urging council to exercise regulatory oversight.
• Amber Bettis commented on the proposed changes to public comment timing, urging that citizens be allowed to hear council debate before speaking on agenda items.

Discussion Items

• Item 29: Reprogramming 2012 Quality of Life Bond Trails – Extensive debate on deprogramming four trails (Donald to Dyer, Skyline to Loma Real, Westside Community, Wayfinding) totaling ~$1.77 million, and transferring funds plus $433,000 in interest proceeds to the Mountain to River Trail, Montana to I-10 trail, and Tierra del Este trail. Staff cited cost overruns and design challenges. Representative Trejo argued the process was flawed and the Northeast was underserved; others noted that without the transfer, all three receiving projects would stall. The motion passed 5-4 after a failed attempt to divide the question and a motion to postpone.
• Item 30: Award of Mountain to River Trail Phase I – Contract awarded to Martinez Bros, Contractors LLC for $1,146,031.87. Public comment from Joe Garibay and Dr. Bonart opposed the alignment as not matching original intent. The motion passed 7-2 (Trejo and Limon opposed).
• Items 34 & 35: Bond Ordinances for Water/Sewer and Drainage Refunding – Authorization for issuance of up to $339.4 million in Water and Sewer Revenue Refunding Bonds and up to $73.6 million in Municipal Drainage Utility System Revenue Refunding Bonds, both passed unanimously.
• Item 38: Actuarial Audit Reports – Foster and Foster actuaries presented findings on the City Employee Pension Trust Fund (as of 9/1/2022) and Firemen and Policemen's Pension Fund (as of 1/1/2024), concluding no material deficiencies. Recommendations included consideration of lowering the interest rate assumption for police/fire. The report was accepted unanimously.
• Items 7-12: TIRZ 5 Board Appointments – Mayor Johnson appointed seven individuals to the Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone #5 board. Representative Limon opposed, expressing concern that all appointees reside in Districts 1 or 8 and noting campaign contributions. The motion passed 7-1.
• Items 21 & 22: Discretionary Fund Expenditures – Approved: $1,200 for Mother's Day event at Memorial Senior Center (District 2) and $6,400 for Movies in the Park series (District 6), both unanimously.
• Items 23 & 24: Amendments to Council Meeting Rules – After extensive debate and multiple amendments, council approved: (1) elimination of the Monday Agenda Review meeting (item 23); (2) revised Rules of Order (item 24) setting ceremonial items from 9-10 AM, public comment (agenda and non-agenda) at 10 AM with 3 minutes per item (reduced from 3 minutes for call-to-public), a set lunch recess from 12:30-1:30 PM, and a revised speaking rule limiting council members to twice per main motion (10 mins each) and once per other debatable motions, effective for regular meetings and work sessions. Sign-up deadline set at 9 AM meeting day. Item 23 passed unanimously; item 24 passed 7-1 (Acevedo opposed).
• Item 31: Oracle Software Agreement – Approved unanimously, continuation of Financial and HR management system.
• Item 32: On-Call Horizontal Construction 2025 – Approved unanimously, $16 million aggregate for two firms (Keystone GC and Amstar) for city infrastructure.
• Item 33: Geotechnical Engineering On-Call Agreements – Approved unanimously, five firms each up to $500,000.
• Item 36: Library Overdue Fines Elimination – Ordinance approved unanimously to set overdue fines to $0 and forgive outstanding balances. Presentation noted annual revenue of ~$25,000 but collection costs of ~$24,000.
• Item 37: Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention Grant – Approved unanimously, $2,023,985 grant request with cash match of $596,445.
• Items 39-41: Community Project Funding Applications – Approved unanimously: $11.8 million for Fire Station 12 (no match); $4 million for Ysleta Port of Entry design ($800,000 city match from P3 funds); $3 million for Innovation Factory Phase II (no match).
• Item 42: Texas Department of Transportation State Infrastructure Bank Loans – Approved unanimously, authorizing up to $39.12 million in low-interest loans over four years to fund local match for transportation projects, as an alternative to capital asset sales.

Key Outcomes

• Consent Agenda revised and approved (7-1): Items deleted or moved as noted.
• Trail reprogramming (Item 29) approved (5-4): Fund transfers from Northeast and other trails to Mountain to River, Montana, and Tierra del Este trails.
• Mountain to River Trail Phase I contract awarded (7-2): $1,146,031.87 to Martinez Bros.
• Water/Sewer and Drainage bond ordinances adopted (unanimous): Authorized up to $339.4M and $73.6M respectively.
• Pension audit reports accepted (unanimous): No material deficiencies found.
• TIRZ 5 board appointments approved (7-1): Seven appointees confirmed.
• Discretionary funds for District 2 and 6 events approved (unanimous).
• Council meeting rules amended: Agenda Review eliminated; new speaking and public comment times adopted; proclamations remain on Tuesday only.
• Library fines eliminated (unanimous): Effective immediately, overdue fines set to $0 and outstanding balances forgiven.
• Grant applications for motor vehicle crime, fire station, port of entry, and innovation factory approved (all unanimous).
• SIB loan program authorized (unanimous): Up to $39.12M for transportation project match over four years.
• Contracts awarded: Oracle software renewal, horizontal construction, and geotechnical services (all unanimous).