El Paso City Council Regular Meeting - August 19, 2025

The El Paso City Council met on August 19, 2025, at 9:00 AM in Council Chambers and virtually. The meeting included proclamations, public comment, approval of the FY 2025-2026 budget and property tax rate, adoption of several ordinances, and discussion on housing policy, internal auditor recruitment, and neighborhood improvement projects. The meeting adjourned at 4:54 PM.

Consent Calendar

• Approved the consent agenda as revised, including approval of minutes, resolutions, contracts, and appointments. Notable items included a second amendment to the ground lease with ELP Land Holdings I, LLC (Airport), a ground lease with Cattle Baron Restaurant, Inc., a Fire Prevention and Safety grant of $948,769.33, a drug testing contract with Fastest Labs of El Paso ($196,250), approval of solid waste liens, interlocal agreements with EPISD for shared facilities, and establishment of several advisory boards (Animal Shelter, Parks and Recreation, Museums and Cultural Affairs, Open Space, Committee on Border Relations) and dissolution of the Regional Renewable Energy Advisory Council. Also approved were amendments to the Camino Real Regional Mobility Authority agreement, advance funding agreements for Traffic Management Center upgrades (Phase 4 and 5), a pharmacist contract, termination of a contract with Legend + White Animal Health Corp., acceptance of the Service and Assessment Plan for Public Improvement District No. 2, a multiple use agreement with TxDOT for a trailhead, board re-appointments, tax refunds, donations, and campaign contribution notations. Procurement awards included police motorcycles ($652,065.84), janitorial services ($3,903,881.25), overhead door maintenance ($1,250,000), traffic signal installation ($1,278,120.25), animal food ($1,476,648), and traffic signal installation.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Animal Services: Multiple speakers criticized the city's animal shelter policies, including lack of transparency, failure to enforce dangerous dog ordinances, and hostility from officers. Speakers urged council to review policies and leadership.
• Title 20 Amendments (Items 48-50): Over 20 speakers opposed the proposed changes to accessory dwelling units (ADUs), off-street parking requirements, and definitions. Concerns included lack of public outreach, potential for investor-owned rental properties, increased congestion, reduced property values, and insufficient data on parking demand. Two speakers supported the changes, citing housing affordability and infill development.
• Neighborhood Improvement Program (NIP): Several speakers supported specific NIP projects, including pickleball courts, native landscaping, and playground equipment. One speaker opposed due to overlapping district boundaries for the Ralph T. Cloud Neighborhood Association.
• Budget and Tax Rate: Patricia Osmond criticized the $6,000 travel allocation for council members and the property tax rate, arguing it burdens seniors and low-income residents.
• Other: Enrique Romero (Libre Initiative) urged property tax reform. Richard Dayoub, Linda Troncoso, and others spoke against the Uptown Parking Benefit District amendments and Title 20 changes.

Discussion Items

• FY 2025-2026 Budget and Tax Levy (Items 43-45): The council adopted the proposed budget, ratified the property tax rate of $0.759649 per $100 valuation (a 4.3% increase over the effective rate), and levied the tax. The budget includes a $6,000 travel allocation for each council member, but Representative Lily Limón requested that the $6,000 not be included in District 7's budget (approved unanimously). The budget was adopted 7-1 (Limón opposed).
• Chief Internal Auditor Recruitment (Item 72): The council directed city human resources staff to conduct a nationwide search with Lee Ream as facilitator, added a step for a special meeting to select the number of candidates to interview, and approved the process. The cost of an external search firm would have been ~$54,000, while Ms. Ream's fee is approximately $5,500 (20 hours at $275/hour).
• Neighborhood Improvement Program (Item 68): The council approved 28 projects totaling $5 million from the 2022 Community Progress Bond, with $625,000 per district. Representative Acevedo moved an amendment to reallocate funds among three projects in District 2 (approved unanimously). Construction is expected to be completed by 2029.
• Accessory Dwelling Units and Parking (Items 48-50): The council considered but ultimately deleted these items after extensive public opposition. A motion to delete passed 5-3 (Acevedo, Trejo, Niño, Fierro, Limón in favor; Canales, Chavez, Maldonado-Rocha opposed). Staff had proposed allowing ADUs citywide with no owner-occupancy requirement and eliminating off-street parking minimums in the downtown-uptown area. Representative Canales offered amendments to retain owner-occupancy in single-family zones and to exclude the Rim Area Neighborhood Conservancy Overlay, but these were not adopted.
• Uptown Parking Benefit District (Items 46-47): The council approved amendments to restructure the advisory committee and expand the boundary to allow use of accumulated funds ($400,000+) for parking enforcement in adjacent neighborhoods. Item 46 passed unanimously; Item 47 passed 6-2 (Trejo, Limón opposed).
• Sound and Food Ordinances (Items 60-62): The council adopted amendments to align with state laws (SB 1008, HB 2844), including exemptions for restaurants from outdoor sound permits, decibel limits (70 dBA, 75 dBC), and fee adjustments for food establishment inspections. Approved 7-1 (Acevedo opposed).
• Weed Abatement (Item 64): Directed the city manager to present a plan within two weeks addressing weed overgrowth on medians and other areas, including staffing, schedules, and public communication.
• Hotel Occupancy Tax Audit (Item 69): Accepted the results of Round 9, which identified $1,417,289 in additional taxes owed by 20 hotels (15 paid, 4 under re-audit, 1 on payment plan). Approved an amendment to provide quarterly status updates to council.

Key Outcomes

• Budget Adopted: FY 2025-2026 budget approved (7-1). Property tax rate set at $0.759649 (7-1).
• Chief Internal Auditor Search: Internal HR recruitment approved with Lee Ream as facilitator; council will select top five and then vote on number to interview.
• NIP Projects Approved: 28 projects totaling $5 million, with amendments to District 2 allocations.
• Title 20 Amendments Deleted: Items 48-50 removed after public opposition (5-3 vote).
• Uptown Parking Benefit District Revisions Approved: Board reforms and boundary expansion passed.
• Sound and Food Ordinances Adopted: Alignments with state law approved (7-1).
• Weed Abatement Plan Requested: City manager to report within two weeks.
• Hotel Tax Audit Updates: Quarterly status reports to be provided to council.
• Other Items: All remaining agenda items (63-71) approved unanimously or with noted votes.