And welcome to City Council.

It's good to fill all the energy in the room.

We're going to have a great day.

So good morning to you guys.

El Paso, good morning, City Council.

Good morning, Ms.

Prime.

We're ready to go to work.

Thank you, Mayor.

And good morning and welcome to the presentation of the mayor's proclamations.

This morning we began with a pledge of allegiance.

And to lead us in the pledge, we have students from Isleta Elementary School, Isleta Middle School, and Lancaster Elementary School.

At the invitation of City Representative Lily Limon, we have Damien Martinez, Elena Martinez, and Roxana Martinez.

Ms.

Brian, our first proclamation.

Yes, Mayor, this morning we'll begin with a proclamation for David El Carrasco Job Court graduation day.

Okay, Representative Rocha.

Representative Lamont.

Good morning, Mayor.

Good morning, City Representatives.

Good morning.

My name is Mr.

Arturo Aguilar.

I am the community liaison for the David El Carrasco Job Course Center.

You know, we're going to we're going to read something for you real quick.

Okay, awesome.

And then you nice to meet you, though.

Okay.

Thank you, sir.

This is a proclamation from the City of El Paso, Texas, whereas the David L.

Carrasco Job Course Center in El Paso provides free vocational training, academic education, and supportive residential life to low-income youth aged six to twenty-four.

And whereas the center offers programs in culinary arts, facilities maintenance, HVAC, repair and automotive services, office administration, rehabilit rehabilitation, and welding.

And whereas the institution was founded in 1970.

And whereas David El Carrasco carried forward his family's longstanding commitment to education and vocational training in El Paso.

His grandfather founded a vocational school in the area, and his father headed the job corps before it was renamed in his memory.

His vision established a lasting institution dedicated to helping local youth build brighter futures.

And whereas the David El Carrasco Job Corps Center, an outstanding vocational and academic education training program for the youth for the youth of El Paso and its surrounding areas, it's celebrating its 55th year.

And whereas during these 55 years, the David El Carrasco Job Course Center has provided much needed assistance and attention to students by helping them become responsible, employable, and productive citizens.

And whereas the City of El Paso commends the 2025 graduating class of the David El Carrasco Job Corps Center as they celebrate their accomplishments.

Now, therefore, be it proclaimed by the mayor and council of the City El Paso that August 20th shall be known as a David El Carrasco Job Corps graduation day signed by the Honorable Mayor Renard Johnson Ike Viva David Carrasco.

Good morning.

Good morning.

Good morning, Mr.

Mayor.

How are you?

Good, good.

You want to say some words?

Yes, I do.

Yes.

First and foremost, thank you.

Thank you for uh for the invitation, the proclamation.

Um I do want to share with everybody.

Uh we do have our our graduation coming up tomorrow.

Uh thank you for thank you for for being there.

Thank you for honoring us with uh with your with your presence.

Um we do have 225 graduates from uh from El Paso.

Out of those, it is gonna be 178 are from uh from the local El Paso County area.

Okay.

Out of those, uh 66 have already confirmed.

Okay, so they will be there tomorrow.

Um and who I have with me here today is part of our part of our student uh government association and part of our staff.

And I would like for them to introduce themselves so you guys can know more about them and uh what we produce at David El Carrasco Job Corps.

Good morning.

Good morning, sir.

How are you doing today?

Good.

Pretty good.

I apologize.

So good morning.

My name is Job Sunigamos.

I am the student body president here at the David El Carrasco Job Corps.

I am part of the graduating class for 2025, and I'm pretty excited because I was accepted into their advanced training program over in Utah Clearfield, and I hope to get into the airspace welding program.

Wow, congratulations.

Yeah.

Good morning.

My name is Alison Delgado.

I am the vice president for a student government association.

I am currently doing my second trade, which is automotive.

My first one was welding, and hopefully, once I finish, I'll be able to get into the military.

Oh, fantastic.

Hi, I'm Ria, and I am the secretary of SEA, and my trade as auto, and thank you guys.

Thank you.

Good morning.

My name is Isaac Hernandez.

I am the safety officer of SGA.

I've completed welding, and now I'm an automotive.

And once I'm done, I'm planning to go to the Navy.

Thank you.

Fantastic.

Hi, my name is Cheyenne Nulti.

Um, I am from Andover, Kansas, and I came to El Paso, and I am on my second trade, my first trade was HVAC, and I'm now in facility maintenance.

Thank you.

Good morning, Mayor.

Good morning.

Awesome to be here again this year.

Ms.

Limon, awesome again.

Thank you for those words.

I if you notice, we've got some females in hard trades.

And that's the reason that I brought them so they'll everybody the young ladies, the little girls here in the audience knows it can be done.

Um completed and will be going on.

So my name is Eva Mariscal.

I am the Student Government Association Advisor and also the um center standards and incentives manager there at the program, former student since 1983, been there for a while.

Um the job course, as everybody knows, has gone through a little bumpy road.

We continue pushing forward and hope to be there again for another year.

So again, thank you, Mary Johnson, for being there with us.

Whether person in person or virtually, we welcome your your wise words.

So I will go ahead and and our next uh presenter here is Ms.

Vaya, she's our executive assistant.

She has been uh behind this program as well as the graduation.

She's making it an awesome job.

So, Christy.

Good morning, good morning, good morning, Mayor.

Good morning.

Uh again, uh, as she said, my name is Christy Valle.

I'm the executive assistant at the David Al Crossco job core uh campus, and um I'm very very proud of all of our students.

I do oversee uh all of the events, especially the graduation.

Um, and I want to thank you for honoring us uh with your commencement speech.

Uh, we look forward to that, and I am happy for our students to receive those words from you.

Um like I said, we're we're very proud of all of our students.

They come to us, um, some with challenges, some with uh not being able to afford college, and we give them that place to grow and um pave those paths that they need.

So thank you.

Thank you to the city uh for everything.

Well, congratulations.

Well, congratulations to each and every one of you.

My and I'm very excited and honored to be speaking at your commencement ceremony tomorrow, and I'm looking forward to that.

But uh 55 years is is a long time, and we need you here for another 50 years of for what you're doing.

And just heard some incredible stories from the students, aerospace, military, automotive, and HVAC.

I mean, congratulations, you guys are turning out some truly gems for this community and and elsewhere in the country.

So keep doing up, keep doing uh the good work and uh the city of El Paso is behind you guys.

So congratulations.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

All right, let's do two rolls.

If you're a little shorter, go ahead and identify yourselves.

That looks great, and let's go to the actual okay, Ms.

Pry.

Yes, sir.

And for those of you receiving a proclamation, your group will have up to six minutes collectively at the podium.

That brings us to the next proclamation, which is Vietnam veterans of America.

And the proclamation reads, whereas the Vietnam Veterans of America BVA Texas State Council TSC convention is scheduled for Friday and Saturday, October 3rd through the 4th, 2025 at the Hotel Windham El Paso Airport.

And whereas the BBA chapter 574 and chapter 844 will host the BBA, TSC, and all the BBA members throughout the state of Texas.

And whereas the Vietnam Veterans of America, Texas State Council offers college scholarships to BBA descendants for a better future for both veterans, families, and the community.

And whereas the TSC coordinates over 35 chapters in Texas through outreach, advocacy, and service.

The BBA Texas State Council honors a pledge and continues to improve the lives of those who served.

And whereas a Vietnam Veterans of America, Texas State Council remains dedicated to its mission.

Never again will one generation of veterans abandon another.

And now therefore be a proclaimed by the mayor and council of the city of El Paso that October 3rd through the 4th, 2025, shall be known as Vietnam Veterans of America, Texas State Council Day, signed by our honorable mayor, Bernard Johnson.

Good morning.

Good morning.

Good to see you guys again.

Just got back from uh New Orleans for the National Convention for the Vietnam veterans.

Kind of a sore throat, but I got a spokesman from Push Country Show, which is very unusual, okay?

Because I'm both kind of long-winded.

But I'm here representing the state of Texas, all 36 chapters within the state of Texas.

And uh it's been a fabulous, fabulous 50 years of our of our rough making with the Vietnam veterans of America.

Uh we know our days are limited, and we we want to thank you, the city, for everything that you've done for us and hope all of y'all can join us on October the first to the fourth.

We have a uh state convention at the Wingdam Hotel.

And as we had discussed before, and everybody's welcome to come and join us.

It's gonna be one of the great finales hopefully here in El Paso.

Fantastic, it's gonna be the best.

You've got uh a bunch of veterans there with you.

They want to introduce themselves.

Sure.

Go ahead.

Go ahead.

Good morning.

My name is Gil Blancas.

I'm vice president of 844, and uh we are so excited about this opportunity.

Um we've been fighting the recognition for a number of years, and now we've got the recognition.

You know, we it's been uh we just said celebrated uh the uh 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War, which was you know the the also the end of the draft, and a lot of you know that many of us all of us I think were drafted, and uh for whatever reason ended up in in Vietnam.

So we're very excited about this, and we're very excited about the proclamation that we're about to just for about to receive.

So thank you very much on our behalf.

Yeah, congratulations.

Good morning.

Good morning.

My name is Connie Pena.

I am uh a Marine.

I served during Vietnam, but I did not go to Vietnam.

I am the treasurer for Chapter 574, and uh we hope to see you there for our convention.

We have a lot of goodies, a lot of three, so you have fun.

Thank you.

Hi, I'm I'm Steve Norbert.

Good morning.

I've served in Vietnam and Van Rang.

And uh hope that you all can come to the conference because we've got some silent auctions there, and there are wonderful gifts that you can get for Christmas early.

So to see you all there.

Great.

Good morning, Mayor.

Good morning, good morning uh council.

Thank you for this honor.

Uh what can I say?

First of all, I'm very proud to have served this beautiful, beautiful, big country of ours, and I'm very proud to be from El Paso.

I serve at Tanzanutor base, I was in the Air Force and flew all over Vietnam from the north to the south.

And I thank you for this honor again.

And I hope to see you there at the state convention in October.

Thank you, sir.

Good morning.

I'm Prince McKenzie, and I served two tours of duty in Vietnam.

And one Captain Ron Dawson was missing an action.

We remember them.

And I'm proud to have served in the U.S.

Navy in Vietnam in what they call the brownwater navy.

And that's special because we supported the Ninth Infantry Army Division.

And we toured nine months out there, and I survived.

And the next proclamation is El Paso Surf two thousand eight girls soccer test.

Good morning.

As you approach.

Good morning.

Give me just a second while everybody gets here.

Mayor, one of the first um events that I was invited to when I was sworn in was to come out on a Saturday and watch these young ladies play against uh a team from Phoenix, and I was talking to the parents.

The parents are probably some of the most important people on every successful team, as I'm sure the coach will attest.

And there was so much pride out there, and they were just incredibly happy with all that had taken place.

And so in my mind I thought, I think they're gonna make it all the way to the top.

And so it is with great honor that I read this proclamation.

Says where whereas El Paso Surf two thousand eight girls' soccer team is comprised of talented high school players from across the borderland, united by passion, dedication, and competitive spirit.

And whereas the team began their journey with the creation of the EP select program designed to give local players greater exposure and the opportunity to compete at a higher level.

And whereas their growth and ambition led them to join the El Paso Surf Soccer Club, earning the opportunity to compete in the development player league, a national platform dedicated to helping players reach their highest potential.

Whereas their undefeated sixth season and championship victory brought home the title of twenty twenty-five DPL national champions, filling our community with pride and showcasing the excellence of local athletes on the national level.

Their mission has always been to provide the best opportunities, the highest level competition and the clear pathway for players in our community to grow into the athletes and leaders they aspire to be.

Now, therefore, be it proclaimed by the mayor and city council of the city of El Paso that August 19th, 2025 shall be known as El Paso Surf 2008 Girls, DPL national champions.

And it's signed by the Honorable Mayor Renard Johnson.

Good morning.

Good morning.

Good morning.

Mayor and Council and Ms.

Limon.

I don't know if you remember me.

So I'm happy to see you.

And um I guess I turned out all right.

You turned out all right.

Commendable.

We both I just um I just want to thank everybody here, um, audience and our our parents or staff, our girls for the hard work and and um giving us this um the opportunity you know and the and the gift to to bring this this gold home and and be recognized.

You know, we did really put El Paso on the map.

Um for someone that travels a lot.

Um, you know, I I go to a lot of places, and and there's people I know El Paso, but they know it very little.

And this time around when the girls did what they did, uh we had a lot of people talking about El Paso.

So uh I am a very proud El Paso native, and and uh and I'm very very excited and and happy and proud to to be part of all this.

Uh standing.

Um coach Jaime.

Hello.

Good morning, coach.

Uh Coach Jaime Gonzalez.

Uh I want to say thank you.

Thank you for the for this honor.

And uh congratulations to the girls again.

I can't tell you enough how proud I am of you.

Y'all put the hard work and hard work pays off.

Uh, you guys put El Paso on the map, and uh congratulations, girls.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Coach, can we have an introduce themselves?

Yes, we'll start with uh well.

We have uh uh assistant coach uh Brenda Gonzalez.

She's being shy over there, huh?

But they will start from that end, uh Willie.

And their schools and your school, please.

Good morning.

My name is good morning.

My name is Emily Gonzalez, and I go to Eastwood High School.

Oh, Eastwood.

Good morning.

My name is Gabriela Rodriguez, and I go to Riverside High School.

Um good morning, my name is Caitlin Favela, and I go to Parkland High School.

Hi, good morning.

My name is Camila Rivera, and I go to Parkland High School.

Good morning, my name is Nicole Kignonas, and I go to East Lake High School.

Good morning, my name is Christo Gonzalez, and I go to Islay Caicho.

Good morning, my name is Renato Perez, and I go to high school.

Hi, good morning.

My name is Jeslin Alvarado, and I go to Cat State High School.

Good morning, my name is Alondra Munoz and I go to Isaiah High School.

Good morning, my name is Dualascano, and I go to El Dorado High School.

Good morning, my name is Paulet Prashovnik, and I go to Franklin High School.

Good morning, my name is Jasabel Varado, and I go to guest in high school.

Good morning, my name is Kaylin Miller, and I go to Parkland High School.

Good morning, my name is Juliana Roballi, and I go to El Dorado High School.

Good morning.

My name is Genesis Hernandez, and I go to El Dorado High School.

Well, good morning to each and every one of you, and and who says El Paso can't compete.

Right.

You know, who says?

Yeah.

Undefeated.

You beat out teams from Colorado, California, Florida, and Georgia.

And you're from El Paso, Texas.

And I know the coaches have told you this, but we know what kind of work you put in to get to where you're at to get to this level.

We know that it takes a lot of hard work at school with your parents, with the coaching.

You guys probably wake up early and train late, so we understand what you put in to bring this home to El Paso, but I guarantee you some of these other states know El Paso's name right now.

So thank you guys for getting that done.

Congratulations.

I know.

As always.

And the final proclamation this morning is International Overdose Awareness Day.

Representative Rocha.

Thank you so much.

Thank you, Miss Prime.

I'm gonna give everybody an opportunity to stand up.

And this one, I know we just got off of a really beautiful high here, and this is something that's very near and dear to my heart.

A lot of people don't know that my first husband passed from an accidental overdose.

Sorry.

But um he would have been fifty-three on Sunday.

And there's there's not enough attention on this, and so giving this proclamation is near and dear to me, and thank you for all the work that you guys do to bring awareness to this.

Something that's so important.

So I'm gonna read it now.

I'm gonna compose myself.

Whereas since its inception in two thousand one, August thirty first has been recognized as International Overdose Awareness Day, and across the globe, communities, government entities, and nonprofit organizations host events to raise awareness and commemorate individuals impacted by overdose.

And whereas International Overdose Awareness Day is the world's largest annual campaign to bring an end to overdose to remember without stigma those who have been affected and to acknowledge the ongoing grief carried by families, friends, and communities.

This day is an opportunity to educate the public about overdose as one of the most critical public health challenges of our time.

And to encourage conversations and actions rooted in evidence-based prevention and compassionate drug policy.

It is also a time to recognize the deep emotional impact experienced by loved ones whose family members or friends have suffered an overdose.

And whereas the city of El Paso joins in the global effort to offer a safe and respectful space for people to honor their loved ones, many for the first time without guilt, shame, or silence, to foster inclusive and non-denominational participation in international overdose awareness day activities, to share accurate information on the realities of both fatal and non-fatal overdose, to affirm the worth, dignity, and humanity of people who currently or formally use substances, to spark meaningful dialogue on overdose prevention, harm reduction, and supportive drug policies, to connect our community to essential services and supports available in our region to reduce substance related harm through education and compassionate research informed approaches to increase awareness among El Pasuans about the risks associated with overdose and the tools we have to prevent it.

Whereas on August 31st, El Pasuans are encouraged to stand with the El Paso Harm Reduction Alliance in recognition of International Overdose Awareness Day to uplift those affected, reduce stigma, and affirm that overdose is a preventable public health issue.

Now, therefore, be it proclaimed by the mayor and council of the city of El Paso that August 31st, 2025 shall be known as International Overdose Awareness Day, signed by the Honorable Mayor Renard Johnson.

Good morning.

Good morning.

Thank you, Representative Rocha.

I'm so sorry about your loss.

Mayor, Council members, and community members.

Every August 31st, people all over the world gather together to recognize International Overdose Awareness Day, a day that honors the many lives lost to overdose and recognizes the devastating grief of those who are left behind and affirms our commitment to ending these preventable deaths and saving lives.

I forgot to introduce myself.

My name is Jamie Bailey.

I'm a person in long-term recovery.

I'm a peer recovery support specialist for Project Vida, and co-chair and co-founder of the El Paso Harm Reduction Alliance.

Overdoses affect everyone and do not discriminate.

They touch every community, generation, every background.

Here in El Paso, we have lost friends, family members, neighbors, and co-workers.

Each number in the statistics represents not only a policy failure, but a name, a story, and a person who was deeply loved.

The good news is we can change policy.

We know how to help people stay alive, heal, and thrive.

This day is not only about remembrance, but about action.

It is about raising awareness, reducing stigma, and ensuring that people feel safe asking for help.

It is about advocating for access to life-saving and evidence-based harm reduction, treatment, and recovery support so that lives can be saved.

We honor the courage of those in recovery, the dedication of first responders, health care providers, and peer support specialists, and the love and persistence of families and friends who refuse to give up hope.

On this International Overdose Awareness Day, we recommit ourselves as a city to compassion, evidence-based solutions, and the belief that every life has value.

Together, we can work together towards a future where no life is lost to overdose.

Thank you.

Good morning, Council.

Good morning, um, Representative Rocha, thank you for being vulnerable and for um sponsoring this proclamation.

Um Council, my name is Christopher Bailey.

I'm a person in long-term recovery.

I'm a project coordinator with Project V The Health Center, a recovery support specialist, and I'm also a harm reductionist.

We want to thank you all for issuing this proclamation for International Overdose Awareness Day.

It sends a powerful signal to our community that El Paso acknowledges this crisis and values every life.

If I might, proclamations must also be paired with action because the reality here is stark.

In El Paso County, the overdose death rate has nearly doubled in just a few years, rising from 11.3 deaths per 100,000 residents in 2018 to more than 21.8 per 100,000 by 2023.

Fentanyl is now implicated in more than half of all of our overdose deaths.

These statistics represent our neighbors, our classmates, our co-workers, families and loved ones.

People in every district of this city have buried a loved one because of overdose.

Parents are raising grandchildren because their adult children are now gone.

The tragedy is that we know what works.

Last year, nationwide, in stark contrast, the CDC reported a nearly 27% national decline in overdose deaths.

The largest single year drop ever recorded.

That progress was not accidental.

It was driven by evidence-based harm reduction strategies, naloxone distribution, fit-nil test strips, peer recovery support, and pathways into treatment.

Communities that embrace these tools are saving lives.

El Paso has unspent opioid abatement funds.

These dollars are meant exactly for this crisis.

But without a clear strategy, they risk sitting idle or risk being misspent.

While the deaths continue.

Your predecessors committed to forming a task force of subject matter experts to guide how these funds should be deployed.

I am here to ask you to renew and act on that commitment.

With your leadership, we can move from proclamation to implementation.

From words on paper to life saved in our streets, our homes, and in our families.

Every light we honor at the vigil on August 31st is a reminder that El Paso cannot afford to wait.

Every light we honor this week is a life we could have saved.

Let us make no more families in El Paso have to mourn in silence.

And while we cannot bring back the lives we've lost, together we can make sure there are no more empty chairs at our tables.

Thank you.

Viva El Paso at Paso Viva.

Thank you.

Good morning.

Good morning.

My name is Joey Montes.

I am an outreach coordinator for Recovery Alliance of El Paso.

I am also a proud member of the El Paso Harm Reduction Alliance.

And I want to thank you all for being there.

And you, I'm sorry for your loss, of course.

Thank you all for providing us the support that we need.

I've recently been working on a lot of outreach product projects with code enforcement, police department agencies that I never thought were going to be out there to help us to understand.

But we're all learning together, and we're doing our best to better provide the supportive services in our efforts to educate people on uh overdose prevention response and awareness.

Thank you.

Thank you.

No one else wants to come up.

Yeah.

Thank you.

Good morning.

Um good morning.

My name is Christine Zimmerley.

And I'm uh speaking as someone in long-term recovery, having faced substance use, mental health challenges, incarceration.

I'm also an overdose survivor.

And I'm standing here today as a member of the El Paso community on behalf of the El Paso Harm Reduction Alliance.

My condolences for your loss.

My condolences to anyone who's lost someone to overdose in this community.

We've seen the impact.

We reach out.

People reach out, they get help, they stay alive thanks to access, peer connection and education, harm reduction, and overdose and prevention efforts are saving lives.

We do see the impact.

And today I just wanted to invite everyone, friends, family, neighbors, city council, the mayor.

I would like to invite you to attend our overdose awareness vigil on Saturday, August 31st at 6.30 p.m.

at Houston Park.

Please come stand with us to honor lives lost, support those battling, and to affirm that no one in El Paso has to walk this path alone.

Thank you.

Good morning.

Good morning, Council.

Good morning, Mayor.

My name is Jason Acosta.

I'm a person in long-term recovery.

I just wanted to say that I'm very glad to serve alongside these people to uh put on this event and uh help bring awareness to uh people who are in long-term recovery and people who may be suffering from the loss of people.

My condolences, Ms.

Fortell.

Thank you.

Bringing this to light, and there's many of us in this room that have lost someone, you know, friends, family, and co-workers to to an overdose.

So you're you're speaking to a lot of people that this has affected.

Um, you know, every life does matter.

You know, I heard that said, and it does, it does matter.

And I want to also offer my condolences to Representative Roacher for and putting yourself out there.

I mean, um, a lot of us weren't aware of that, so thank you for sharing that with us.

Um because it it did it means a lot to us.

So thank you for doing that, and thank you guys for all that you're doing.

Thank you.

Okay, Miss Prime, I think we're ready.

Yes, Mayor.

If everyone can please take their seats, the meeting is about to begin.

Did they pass out a sheet?

Good morning.

This is a meeting of the Alpasa City Council for Tuesday, August nineteenth, twenty twenty-five.

Mayor Johnson is present and presiding in Council Chambers along with Mayor Po Tem Chavez, Representative Acevedo, Representative Madonna Lorocha, Representative Boyetrejo, Representative Nino, Alternate Mayor Pro Tem Piero, Representative Limon and Representative Canales.

It is ten oh one AM.

And we begin the meeting with an invocation delivered by El Paso Police Chaplain and Rabbi at Chabalubavich, Levi Greenberg.

Look favorably upon the mayor, the members of the City Council, and all of us gathered here this morning, and bestow upon us the joy of life, good health and prosperity.

Bless these distinguished individuals who have been chosen to make laws and decisions for the citizens of our city with wisdom and understanding in their noble pursuit of justice and equality.

These laws also include the importance of serving God alone, respecting God's name, and the prohibitions against murder, theft, adultery, and cruelty against all living creatures.

Next week marks the beginning of the Jewish month of Elul.

This month serves as a time for introspection and self-improvement in preparation for the Jewish New Year celebrated on Rosh Hashanah, which is approximately five weeks away.

Throughout the month, it is customary to blow a chauffeur, a ram's horn, in a specified series of sounds.

This simple sound of the chauffeur serves as a spiritual wake-up call to us all.

A reminder that our existence on earth is for a divine purpose and goal.

It reminds us that the entire world is measured by a giant scale, where the sides of good and evil are equally balanced.

One good deed, word or thought from a single individual can tip the scales in the right direction and usher in an era of true peace and tranquility for the entire universe.

It reminds us of our mission and capacity to make this world a better place by leading lives rich with meaning and guided by a moral compass, a life suffused with acts of charity and caring for others.

Almighty God, give us the strength to always remember these truths and live by them.

May our city serve as a beacon of light for people of all faiths and walks of life.

May El Paso help achieve the goal so powerfully stated in our Pledge of Allegiance so that America is truly one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

And let us say Amen.

Thank you, Rabbi.

Miss Bryan.

Yes, Mayor, that brings us to call to the public.

And the city, the El Paso City Council is a local government body charged with serving the citizens, and the meetings must be focused on the meetings at charge.

The city council meetings are public meetings under the Texas Open Meetings Act.

Public comment is an accommodation and not a requirement of city council.

All persons in attendance are expected to display civility and decorum that is respectful to other persons without the use of insulting, profane, threatening, or abusive language.

Public comment will not be used for personal attacks, nor may any member of the public use this form for political statements or campaigning.

Please note that during call to the public, the city council may not deliberate or decide any subject that is not on the agenda.

However, Council may propose that a topic brought forth be posted on a future agenda.

Representative Nino.

Thank you, Mayor.

And before we get started, I do want to recognize former city of Representative Henry Rivetta for joining us today.

Thank you for being here.

Mayor Representative Lima.

Mayor, we also have former representative Anne Morgan Lilly present today.

Welcome, M.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Miss Bryan.

Yes, Mayor.

This morning we have 11 people that signed up to speak for call to the public.

We'll begin with Claudia Contera Stiller.

Her topic is support the police, animal services, and the cats of El Paso.

Good morning, ma'am.

You have three minutes.

Good morning.

Hi, good morning.

I want to start with giving thanks to everybody that took part of yesterday's ceremony where the pet pantries were launched, and it was very nice to see everybody there.

And I want to give thanks for our leader that he included the cats, just as every awesome leader should do, especially if they love the animals.

And I brought I brought this plate because I got it yesterday.

I also brought a badge from Animal Services.

It's a cat with an ear clipped.

Uh TNR, it's for trap meter return.

And I think it's very awesome because for me it's a dream come true to see a pet pantry in all the libraries.

I law I know a lot of people that struggle a lot to feed their fur babies at my cadmam.

And I want to invite everybody to always report animal cruelty because some victims cannot dial 911, like the dogs and the cats.

And also I want to uh motivate everybody to help the animals in the streets and to always take very seriously whenever someone reports animal cruelty, because it takes a lot for someone to report animal cruelty.

I've been reporting animal cruelty for a long time.

My oldest cat just turned nine.

And I want to explain the importance of this flag to me.

The blue line represents the line that separates the white from the black, like the evil from the from the good.

And I think it's very important for us to support more the police department.

And also I want to give thanks because of the overdose awareness.

It's very important to provide narcan to the addicted community.

And also to support the blue.

Today is my only day off.

I chose Tuesdays to be my only day off, so I could be here.

I deal with a lot of elderly people with Parkinson's.

And I want to have a police department for them for them in the future.

So sometimes family members are not near, and their only help is 911.

So the red line represents the fire department and the green line, either military or border patrol.

So I want to express my gratitude to all the law enforcement and to Chief Basillas also.

If I were to be almost like if I were to be about to commit suicide, and if I saw a police officer running across I-10 to save me, my first words would be thank you, officer, for running across the freeway to try to help me, not to ask for the badge number.

That's my per that's my opinion.

And I've seen a lot of animals in the I 10, and I have never never tried to save an animal on I 10 because it's a death sentence.

Thank you, police officers.

Thank you.

Thank you.

The next speaker is Chris Velez.

Chris Veles.

Followed by Barbara Valencia, Ron Como.

Good morning, you have to do that.

Good morning.

Good morning.

Good morning.

Talked to you guys about two weeks ago.

Um, one of the things about animal services is uh basically the lack of importance it has within the city, the lack of education, and then also the fact that we don't make it a priority.

Okay, like um the ASAC Animal Welfare Committee, right?

You guys haven't published the meetings for the past year.

Only January is published right now.

I just looked on your website just to make sure.

If you look at your little drop-down menu, only January is posted.

So we're missing February, March, April, May, and June, July.

Also, the July report for animal services for last month hasn't been published, and it's already what the 19th.

So that's a report.

It's a basic, basic report.

It doesn't give us any great insight, it doesn't give us great information, it's just basic numbers, and it hasn't been published.

So talking on that, um, I looked at liked like like shelters to El Paso Animal Services, right?

Same size scalability.

And one thing I found is when we talk about the leadership in these shelters.

Uh, every uh shelter director came in with animal experience.

They all had four to five years, they all had their their kawa certification.

Do you guys know what a kawa certification is?

It's um the certified animal welfare administrator, and it's like the platinum standard of animal welfare.

And every director in most of these uh shelters is required to have it within three years, just because to have that certification, you have to have three years of leadership in an animal full in an animal leadership position.

And our director hasn't gotten that, and he's been there for five years, right?

Also, most of them require to have their ACO, animal control officer training, which is 500 bucks and 20 hours online.

Our director hasn't even done that.

So our director's been there for five years and he hasn't done that.

And then I was looking at when you guys originally hired the animal services director, the requirements, which were uh degree, which our current director does not have.

He does have eight years of professional admin experience, but he doesn't have uh, well, he does have not and not or four years of animal management experience, which he didn't have.

He has the eight years of professional admin experience.

License, uh, he never got his kawa within one year of appointment.

That was one of your requirements, and he didn't do it.

Okay.

Uh County, they specifically said that you will get that license, you will get your Kawa within your first three years.

You will get your ACO within your first year.

So county animal services is actually being more proactive as to who they're hiring.

So it kind of seems to us that we're working already like at half speed, and it's unfair to us, the animal community to have that person in charge when they're not going to meet any of the requirements, they're not trying to meet the requirements, they're just kind of hanging out.

So I'm hoping that if he resigns, that we actually get someone that's qualified, competent, and is trying to do that improvement to get to the standard that we need to help the community.

Thank you, Ms.

Valencia.

Thank you.

The next speaker is Barbara Valencia.

Ms.

Valencia will be followed by Como.

And the topic is animal services, insanity continues.

Good morning, ma'am.

Good morning.

Good morning, everybody.

I'm Barbara Valencia with Huckleberry Hound Dog Rescue.

Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, expecting a different result, giving thousands of taxpayer dollars to a consulting firm that is spin-off of the house and best friend shelter program is pure insanity.

Shelter Savvy has taken the best friend shelter program and repackaged it under their company name.

One look at Shelter Savvy's website and review of her assessment in Denton, Texas, shows her direct connection to Hawes and Best Friends, the ones that put us in this animal crisis to begin with.

Shelter Savi's shelter sheltering methods consist of limited intake, leave or return the animals back onto the streets, promoting non-existent community programs and resources, and putting the onus onto the community members to do the job of animal services.

Sound familiar, it should, because that is the house and best friends way of sheltering.

What this consultant calls progressive and data-driven is in fact a huge failure.

It has failed for the last four and a half years in our city and has been catastrophic for both the animals and the community.

We don't need for the shelter to remain limited intake, to continue leaving strays on the streets to indiscriminately breed, and adding more stray and homeless animals to our out of control pet population for finders of strays to be left holding the bag with no help or resources.

For stray and lost animals to be left on the streets to defend for themselves, resulting in suffering and even painful deaths, little to no animal law enforcement, no high volume, low cost or free span neuter programs, and an apartment of the city that is paid for by taxpayers that does things in secrecy and manipulates statistics and data to deceive the public.

What is even more insane is the fact that our tax dollars are paying for someone in Atlanta, Georgia to fix the shelter in El Paso, Texas, using a one-size-fits-all flawed and failed shelter program.

We have a local group that has over 200 years of experience combined in animal sheltering, animal welfare, and animal rescue.

A local group with boots on the ground that knows intimately the needs of both the animals in our community and our community members.

In 2016, this group developed a viable and successful shelter program where intake at the shelter remained open and no animal was turned away.

And at the same time, their shelter program dramatically increased the live release rates while decreasing euthanasia.

And here's the kicker.

It didn't cost the taxpayers one red cent.

It was free.

Why are we wasting taxpayer money on this continued insanity instead of using the successful group for free?

For four and a half years, the shelter continues to do the same thing over and over again, expecting a different result.

And the city has been complicit.

It's time for all of you to do the job you're elected to and stop the insanity.

Thank you.

The next speaker is Ron Coble, followed by Nasley Pamela de la Hoya, Celinda Ray Cruz, Marisol Sanchez, Luis Cisnetos.

Mr.

Como's topic is shelter not up to standards.

I don't see Mr.

Como in the queue.

We'll move on to Nasli Pamela de la Oya.

Her topic is economic development and animal services.

Good morning.

You have three minutes.

Good morning, everybody.

Mr.

Mayor, members of the city council, thank you for opening this forum for us to go ahead and tell you what it is that we care about.

For me, the number one thing as somebody who believes that El Paso really can be the number one city in the nation is economic development.

So recently we got an advanced manufacturing center, and even though it's more geared toward the defense industry, there are also lots of possibilities, and I think it's a great opportunity to not just have the 17,000 jobs that are estimated for that center to bring by 2030, but I would say that that could be tripled or even quadrupled.

So one of the things that I've noticed is that we have a lot of warehouses here for multinational corporations that are already produced in Ciudad Juarez, but we just have the warehouse.

So I don't think it's just possible.

I think it's actually plausible for us to start bringing processes over from there.

And some of those companies are BRP, Continental AG, 3M, Ansel, Jable, Robert Bosch.

I mean, there are countless ones.

We do have, I think everybody here knows the second highest property taxes in the nation.

Not only for a major city, not only would that help offset this, but it would also help with the brain drain problem that we have here in El Paso.

So instead of people leaving, they would decide to stay and maybe take on a job that pays reasonably well or not reasonably well.

Maybe we can be a little bit more ambitious and say, hey, let's start calling these companies, right?

Because I don't think that it calling the mayor of Ciudad Juarez and seeing if he wants to let some processes uh come over would be something that would be a viable option.

But if we were to actually negotiate with these companies and say, hey, we have this educated workforce.

I mean, we have the El Paso Airport, which is connected to how many cities?

You can get to LA, Mexico City, Waljara, Salt Lake City, Denver, lots of places in a two-hour period.

So the workforce is already here.

Um, you know, we have the demand, and now that we have the center, I think that we need to be more ambitious and actually um really look into what we want the city to look like, which for me it would be the number one city um in job creation.

Uh with the rest of my time, I would like to uh thank you for this new program with the pet pantries that helps a lot of people that not only rescue animals but also um people who might be struggling or who just say, hey, like I'm finding strays, I'll just go ahead and take the stray in and feed it with what they're giving me here instead of taking it directly to the shelter and maybe find somebody on social media that will take the animal.

Thank you so much for your time.

Thank you.

The next speaker is Celinda Ray Cruz.

She will be followed by Marisol Sanchez, Luis Nedos.

Ms.

Cruz's topic is dangerous dog procedures.

Good morning, you have three.

Good morning.

Good morning, everyone.

Buenos días.

Good morning.

Um, early in the morning on September 6, 2014, in 2024, my friend and her dog were attacked by a dog running loose.

This occurred at Baron Park in Northeast El Paso.

The park is adjacent to Baron Elementary School.

After attacking my friend, the dog left and ran from the park, and according to a social media post, Fido, which is the dog's name, was subsequently hit by a car and transported to an animal emergency room for treatment and to be reunited with his owners.

I took my friend to a human emergency room for treatment.

I reported the attack to animal services.

My friend was treated and referred to her doctor and subsequently had to undergo surgery for a complete rotator cuff tear of her left shoulder.

She is still recovering from this attack, the required surgery and the physical therapy.

The definition of a dangerous dog in El Paso Ordinance, Title VII, Animals, is a dog that makes an unprovoked attack on a person that causes bodily injury and occurs in a place other than an enclosure in which the dog was being kept.

We have made several unsuccessful attempts over the last 11 months to follow up on this incident.

The identity of FIDO's owners has been protected by confidentiality.

To our knowledge, this dangerous dog may still be living in the El Paso community near an elementary school.

I submit to counsel that this dog, Fido, has been given more protection under the law than I would have been given.

His information is protected.

Actually, his owner's information is protected.

If I had attacked my friend and caused bodily injury, if I were the perpetrator and subsequently been hit by a car, police would have gone to the emergency room where I was being treated and would have arrested me.

If I had been treated and released, the emergency room would have given the police the information leading to my arrest, and I could not have hidden behind patient confidentiality.

I repeat, Fido, a dog, has been given more protection under the law than I, a human would have been given for an equal offense.

El Paso City Code outlines the procedures for handling dangerous dogs.

To my knowledge, Animal Services does not have or has not been given the tools necessary to follow these dangerous dog procedures and hold the human owners accountable.

No one wants to see an animal euthanized.

These procedures exist to mitigate the risk to public safety and protect the lives of people and animals, including the dangerous dog.

This is not an isolated incident.

I am seeking remedy from El Paso's government officials for the enforcement of the dangerous dog ordinance.

Thank you.

The next speaker is Marisol Sanchez.

Her topic is animal services, and she will be followed by Luis Cisneros.

Good morning.

You have three minutes.

Good morning.

Good morning.

Good morning.

My name is Marisol Sanchez, and I'm here today to share my recent experience with La Paso Animal Services.

Last week I found an injured dog near the target on Joe Battle.

He was weak, injured, and in pain.

I did what any responsible resident would do.

I brought him to safety, gave him food and water, and called 311.

I couldn't do more for the dog, but I asked for help from the people I know, but they couldn't do more either.

311 was my only option.

I waited two hours in the heat with this injured dog because the dog didn't want to move anymore.

He was exhausted and in pain.

Then an animal services officer arrived.

Instead of focusing on the emergency at hand, the officer berated me.

He accused me of cowling animal services too much, threatened that he would stop responding to my address, yelled at me, and told me it was not their job to pick up dogs, even though their website clearly states that animal services is responsible for emergency response and reconnecting lost pets.

He replied he repeated this multiple times.

When I talked to a supervisor, she said she needed to hear his side of the story, and that citizens shouldn't be picking up straits, but they could pick up neighbor pets.

Honestly, a dog that needs help is simply a dog that needs help, no matter what their label is.

I want to emphasize this dog had a medical emergency.

I followed proper procedure by calling 311.

My past calls to animal services were not straits.

They were neighbor pets who were safely returned home.

My last call was the first of January, and I remember the dog clearly.

I've never called animal services with with reports of any of the dogs in the desert, although they should pick up the dogs in the desert too.

A lost dog is a lost dog everywhere.

Yet I was treated with hostility and made to feel like a burden for doing the right thing.

This is not just about me.

This reflects a broken system where residents are discouraged from reporting animals in distress, where injured animals risk being left on the street, and where employees are placed under policies that make them lash out at the very community they're supposed to serve.

El Paso Animal Services had a 22 million budget, 22 million dollar budget.

But if residents are being told it's not their job to respond to animals in need, then what is the money paying for?

I urge this council to review animal services policies that prevent officers from helping residents and animals, hold staff accountable for how they treat the public and animals, reevaluate the leadership at the shelter and current shelter plan, which is clearly failing both our animals and our community.

I should not be afraid of being blacklisted for calling 311 about a dog in distress.

No resident should.

And shelter policies will not stop me from picking up every animal I come across because I will never keep driving if I see an animal in need.

Thank you, Miss Sanchez.

Thank you.

The next speaker is Luis C.

Snettles.

Luis C.

Snettles.

I don't see Luis Cisnetos coming forward.

Elizabeth Crawford, Ms.

Crawford's topic is abortion and violence in the borderplex.

Good morning, Miss Crawford, Star 6, please to unmute your telephone.

You have three minutes, please.

Good morning.

Good morning.

Thank you.

Good morning.

I was in Juarez for a few days last week.

I met a little girl who that was just killed, probably cartel related.

Fenseless murder going on right across our border.

The proverbs in God's word speaks of the eyes of the Lord in every place, beholding the evil and the good, keeping watch over the evil and the good.

But what about the fenceless murder going on just across our state border?

Las Cruz has ramping up for its multi-million dollar abortion expansion.

As we know, many clients in New Mexico are from El Paso.

I would like to read some quotes of abortionists and former abortionists regarding the horror of abortion.

Quote, I got to where I couldn't stand to look at the little bodies anymore.

Dr.

Beverly McMillan, former abortionist and founder of an abortion mill in Jackson, Mississippi, who came out of the industry.

Several other quote.

Sorrow, quite apart from the sense of shame.

Sorrow, quite apart from the census shame, is exhibited in some way by virtually every woman whom I performed an abortion.

And that's 20,000 as of 1995.

The thorough is revealed by the fact that most women cry at some point during the experience.

The grieving process may last on several days to several years.

Another quote, we know that it's killing, but the state permits killing under certain circumstances.

Coleman Boyd, an emergency room surgeon, served day after day after day there outside that abortion center with his beautiful family.

They saved countless babies and adopted a number of them.

I was texting with Coleman last night and this morning, and I listened to more of his story.

He said that when he was in medical school, it was a given they were taught that you treat both mother and baby in the womb as patients.

Both are human beings.

They're not dogs, they're not giraffes, they're not elephants, they are people created in the very image of God.

Coleman said that he went to medical school when he was 20 years old to get rich.

That was his goal.

But God got a hold of his wife when he was in medical school and changed his heart.

And now he his the direction of his life has totally changed.

They have adopted many of these children.

They have 14 children now and have committed their lives to bathing babies in the womb.

Isaiah chapter 55, verse 7.

Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man who thought and let him return to the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

Thank you.

Hope you have a good day.

Thank you.

The next speaker is Patricia Osmond, followed by Joe Silva.

Ms.

Osman's topic is transparency, First Amendment, civil rights of citizens, and undue influence of donors and vendors.

Good morning.

Well, good morning again.

Good morning.

I see my rip has left.

I hate coming over here.

I don't I don't do it because I want to.

But I did it this time again, not only because of the budget and some of the stuff on the agenda, but because I got a phone call from a crying citizen of El Paso in Representative Fierro's district, who previously contact who I made contact with while Mayor Liser was in office.

And who Miss Dion Mack tried to rush away from me at that time.

But I have a crying message for me to help her because you all won't.

But the fact that most of y'all really don't care about the citizens.

Donors not helping the citizens.

You're basically robbing the poor for the rich.

I it it's it's shameful.

It's shameful that citizens have to call one another to see if somebody if they will help because you all have failed them.

It's heartbreaking.

I would put it on, but I don't want to hear it again because she has called me numerous times.

I'm gonna email to absolutely every one of you all again that I emailed the last city council so that there was no plausible deniability anymore again.

And I will keep filing reports then because it's shameful.

It's shameful that you really you just sit there, let it go over your heads and don't care.

As long as you get, and it's not for the party and throwing back the gila shots that we think, as long as you get that little trip elsewhere with those donated dollars or taxpayer dollars.

The next speaker is Joe Silva.

Joe Silva.

I don't see him coming forward.

Mr.

Como are you in the queue, sir?

If so, star six, please to unmute your microphone.

Ron Como?

Star 6, please to unmute your microphone.

I don't see his phone number in the queue.

Uh council, that concludes call to the public.

Okay.

That brings us to the consent agenda in council for this meeting.

Per the rules.

Hello.

Hello.

Hello.

May I have your name, ma'am?

Hello?

Your name is called to the public, ma'am.

We'll call you at the time your item is taken.

Council per the rules of order, no use of personal cellular devices, nor personal communication should take place on the day as well.

The meeting is in session.

Once you obtain the floor from the mayor, you will have up to 10 minutes for debate.

I may speak twice per item.

Please speak into the microphone.

I'm sorry.

Hello?

Please speak into the microphone and refrain from site conversations at the day as well.

For those of you joining us virtually, please make sure your microphones are muted to reduce any background noise.

That brings us to the consent agenda.

All matters listed under the consent agenda will be considered by city council to be routine and will be enacted by one motion unless separate discussion is requested by council members.

Prior to the vote, members of the audience may ask questions regarding items on the consent agenda when the vote has been taken.

If an item has not been called out for separate discussion, the item has been approved.

Council may, however, reconsider any item at any time during the meeting.

Mayor Pro 10.

Thank you, Ms.

Prime.

I make a motion to approve the consent agenda with the following revisions.

Page 22, item 68, move to the forefront of the regular agenda after the public hearings per representative Boyar Trejo.

Page 22, item 72, take item at 12 p.m.

per representative Acevedo.

Can you repeat those?

Yes.

I make a motion to approve the consent agenda with the following revisions.

Page 22, item 68.

Move to the forefront of the regular agenda after the public hearings per representative Boyart Trejo.

Page 22, item 72, take item at 12 noon per representative Acevedo.

Okay, we have a motion.

Is there a second to approve?

All right, Ms.

Prime, we have call to we have some more uh public comment.

Yes, Mayor, we have Miss Osman.

She signed up to speak on item number seven, and item number seven is a list of solid waste leads posted with the agenda.

So I've spoken about liens before, and I've asked more than one year coming coming in front of city council, and I'll do it again.

That instead of putting liens on properties, perhaps some of our city council members will spend some of their discretionary funds or put together volunteer groups to help some of these senior citizens because there's a lot of these liens in district two, my district.

Mind you, they go from 325 dollars, which is lean on somebody's home, to 2800 in district one, Ms.

Chavez's district.

This is something that just a small community project, a little bit out of your discretionary fund, maybe twice a month.

What help?

Buy some water because y'all spend a lot of a lot of money, and I'll get to that later, on food.

But people in our community shouldn't have all these liens on their properties for the for the weeds, especially as people in the past have spoken, and at the community meeting that I had miss with Asavedo, again it was brought up.

There's a lot of senior citizens in this area who are on a fixed budget or don't have the health to go out there and do it.

Yes, you could contact, yeah.

Yes, you could contact, yeah, y'all could even put together, like it was suggested there, adult super uh supervision, juvenile supervision, some of the high schools, any type of volunteer work.

If you get interns and you have volunteers in your offices, you could do that to help the community so that the those same citizens and seniors don't have to have loans on their properties, or these liens, sorry, liens on their properties.

There's other ways to handle this instead of further making it harder for the citizens, quite frankly, the poorer citizens of our community, because if they didn't have $20 to hire the kid in the neighborhood, how are they gonna have 300 plus to pay off these liens?

It's just there's there's no care and consideration for the actual citizens of this town.

Ms.

Osman also signed up to speak on item 26, and this is a notation of P card transactions.

So the P card.

Like I said, I was gonna get to uh money on food, P card transactions when you go through it, just add it up alone, and I'm I'm sure I was probably lowballing this because I was just picking out clear food.

Our city council management for meetings with staff, 4,610 and 69 cents was spent just on Delhi food feeding you guys.

Most people in the offices around downtown have to Uber eats their food or go to Luigi's or or wherever else.

They don't get it paid on the taxpayer dime, which is exactly what the P card shows is happening.

Almost five thousand dollars mere food for people here in this room.

I mean, not back here, but over here.

Is that good for the budget?

Is that coming out of your discretionary funds?

Or is that general funds?

Well, it's P card, right?

Either way, this is a whole day of budgets in money ill spent.

You're gonna you're you're hitting the little guys all the time, but you have no problem spending the taxpayers' money.

Most taxpayers can't go order out and get takeout as much as the P Card is showing our council members are getting.

So again, this is a whole day of budgets.

Y'all are the ones that slammed the agenda with so much, a lot of it on the consent agenda to hope y'all could slide it through, which is a little shady tactic.

But it's reported on campaign finance.

Maybe I shouldn't, I may maybe none of us citizens should be surprised coming from somebody who worked at Enron.

But reporting, oh, near $38,000 in contributions tells me it's not for the past here in August campaign, it's for future campaign.

Same person, same person that got nearly $38,000, at least so far, just reporting right now.

Clawed back $70,000 in January into their discretionary fund.

Is asking for $54,000 from the budget for each one of y'all to have six thousand dollars in travel expenses.

So that $70,000 wasn't enough.

The campaign money isn't enough.

Let's keep hitting the little guy.

Let's keep hitting the citizens.

The budget, it's about the budget, right?

It's about fiscal responsibility.

And everything on this agenda.

And these donations say it's not about the citizens of El Paso.

Because I know I I've been in the homes of some of these donors.

Whether that's Sierra Crest One, the Robertsons.

They are the Elon Musk of El Paso.

Citizens are waking up.

Because of what's happening nationwide, but it starts local.

And it seems as though locally.

And all these donations.

Means uh El Paso's dead, because y'all don't care.

Those donations prove it.

Mayor that concludes public comment on the consent agenda.

All right, thank you.

So we have a motion and a second to approve the consent agenda.

Is there any further discussion?

Hearing none, seeing none, Ms.

Prime, call for the vote.

Yes, sir.

The motion was made by Mayor Pro Tem Chavez, seconded by alternate Mayor Pro Tempierro to approve the consent agenda as revised on that motion.

Call for the vote.

Mayor Pro Tem Chavez.

Aye, thank you.

And the voting session.

And that motion passes unanimously.

And council, I failed to call the people that signed up to speak at 10 a.m.

on agenda items.

Okay.

So if I may do that now.

Speaking on item 43, we have Enrique Moreno Romero, Enrique Romero.

He signed up to speak at 10 on item 43.

And item 43 is the resolution to approve the budget.

Good morning.

Good morning, Mayor and members of this honorable council.

My name is Enrique Romero, and I am the grassroots engagement director for the Libre Initiative.

First and foremost, I want to thank you for your leadership and acknowledge the positive step you've taken in lowering the city's tax rate.

This decision sends an important message to the taxpayers that you recognize the burden families face and are working to provide some relief, and it helps the in the efforts of working towards true property tax reform, not just for El Paso, but for Texans across the state.

The end result is that hardworking families still see higher tax bills year after year despite this rate adjustment.

This puts a strain on families who are already doing the higher dealing with higher cost of living living from groceries to utilities to housing.

It also raises concerns about affordability in our community and whether El Paso families will be able to continue building their lives and searching for their version of the American dream here without being priced out of their homes here in El Paso.

Well, contrary to popular belief, Enrique the Crazy Libre guy is not against progress, it's not it's not against any, you know interesting things that might happen to El Paso, but the reason why a ray bring these concerns is because once upon a time I used to be a resource navigator for a nonprofit which navigated people to resources that may have had an positive impact in their lives because they were high need families.

I used to see the hardships on a daily basis, those hardships that El Pasoans go through just to live, whether it's food insecurity, affordable health care, or even just paying their bills.

This is why I care about whenever people are being taxed out or taxes become a burden.

I especially according to the Census Bureau, a little over 18%, or El Paso has a poverty rate of a little bit over between 18 to 18.5%, which is higher than the national average.

This is why I can't, in good conscience, sit idly and not raise concern or awareness to these subjects, of course, that people face under daily lives.

I urge the city council to keep working towards long-term solutions that balance the need for city revenue and financial reality of El Pasoans.

And contrary to popular belief, I would love to work with all of you so we can come together and finally have some true property tax reform, not just for El Pasoans, but Texans across the state.

Thank you very much for your time.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

The next speaker is Richard Dayu.

Richard Dayu.

Mr.

Dayoub signed up to speak on items 46 and 47.

Item 46 is a public hearing of an ordinance to amend the language regarding the uptown parking benefit district.

And number 47 is also an ordinance amending Title 12 to amend references and languages regarding uptown parking benefit district.

Good morning, sir.

You'll have to do that.

Good morning clarification.

I did sign up to speak on 46 through 50, but uh it's all the same statement anyway, so I won't take any more than three minutes.

Thank you, Mr.

Good Morning.

Good morning, Mayor, members of council.

Uh for the record, Richard Dayup, Thunderbird Management Consulting.

I am a registered lobbyist with the city.

I'll state to you at the outset that all of these items need to be deferred to a later date that allows for ample time to communicate with our entire community and to do so with accurate information on what these proposed changes to the code will actually mean to their neighborhoods.

I've attended several of the community meetings during which city staff provided their brief presentations on the uptown downtown plan.

The one consistent thread through each of these meetings, the audiences were confused and concerned.

We already have a policy regarding ADUs, but in the new proposed code, the city would remove the current requirement for the property owner to reside on the premises.

This policy change alone will open the door for out-of-town developers to acquire residential properties, build ADUs, and maximize rent revenues.

If the stated goal is to encourage infill development to build more affordable, quote unquote housing to meet the growing demand, this plan won't get us there.

It will only serve to increase rent rates, defeating the very purpose of the plan.

The proposed change to eliminate on-site parking requirements may make sense in some areas of the community, especially for commercial retail and multifamily development, but not in residential areas.

Excuse me, surface streets are already congested enough without encouraging the elimination of on-site parking to maximize rent rates and encourage non-residents to use quote unquote free parking rather than pay for parking in designated areas.

And how will these policies affect the city's plan to modify code related to the historic landmark commission?

How will proliferation of ADUs and congested street parking affect the values of homes that have been given historic designations?

You only need to look as far as your nearest community park on a busy weekend or when parents are dropping off or picking up their elementary and middle school children from schools each day to see how quickly parking becomes a problem.

Imagine that situation on a daily basis, every day, every night.

Any revisions to the current code must protect and preserve our legacy neighborhoods across the city.

These decisions are not reversible once made and will impact our community for decades to come.

Much more work is needed to create code that makes sense for El Paso.

Thank you.

Thank you, Richard.

Also signed up to speak at 10 is Linda Troncoso.

Linda Troncoso.

She signed up for items 48, 49, and 50.

And these are the Title 20 amendments.

Good morning, ma'am.

Good morning.

Good morning, Mayor, Council.

Um thank you for having me.

Uh Richard stole a little bit of my thunder, but I am here to address the changes in Title 20.

Specifically, I wanted to point out, and I've had the opportunity to meet with a few of you, that the changes that are proposed under the current changes and definitions and the parking already exist in your code.

And a perfect example of that is item 50, where you all are going to take action on 100% parking reduction right now for a property on Rio Grande.

That is a perfect example of the fact that Title 20 right now, if somebody wants to put an ADU on the on the property line with a zero lot line set back, you come to the city planning department, you ask for a variance, and you go before the zoning board of adjustments.

How do I know that?

I sat on the zoning board of adjustments for eight years.

We saw those all the time.

Each of those neighbors then could come in and say, I like my neighbor, I support it, or I have concerns, and here's why.

And the city got to take that input on in the decision.

By allowing zero flat line setbacks by right, you've taken that neighbor's opportunity to weigh in away from them.

Another point.

As we talk about the opportunity for non-owners to own these properties with ADUs, it opens it up to outside investment.

That's definitely one of the things that Richard addressed.

But we've all seen those signs in the rights of way where they say, do you want to sell your home?

We pay cash.

It's not, there are local investors, there are regional investors, there are national investors that want to buy properties all over the place.

What does that mean?

That means your neighbors' properties could turn into rentals.

And exactly what Richard was mentioning is spot on.

Part of the documentation that you've been provided shows that there's a shortage in housing of 100,000 units.

That's specifically for homes properties.

That's where you're looking for some assistance in the financing in the affordability of those properties.

By putting an ADU in somebody's backyard, you're not creating an affordable opportunity.

If I went to build an ADU right now, I'm gonna spend $100 a foot trying to put that in.

If that's an 800 square foot ADU, that's $80,000.

I'm gonna charge market rate to make up for what I what it cost me to build that thing.

That does not help your affordability problem.

So we're defeating the purpose of what we're trying to achieve in increasing housing in increasing the value of properties by doing that.

And when you add on the idea of putting 100% parking reduction, you're exacerbating the problem.

I think I attended several of the public meetings where the neighbors vocally complained in the Rio Grande area, the Montana area, just like in the Mesa and Stanton area, about what parking does to the neighborhood, about the congestion, about the traffic, and about the safety.

You already have these opportunities in your code to address these issues.

Thank you for your time.

Thank you, Linda.

Also I'm speaking on 48, 49, and 50 is Anne Lily.

Robert Rometo will follow.

Representative Lily.

Good morning, ma'am.

You have to do that.

Good morning, representative.

This is my first time on this side.

Because for 10 years I was a city council representative for district one.

And how that happened was in 2005 when I was elected.

It was a year they went from two years to four years.

And we drove drew straws to see who got the two years, and I did.

So I got two years, and then I ran again two times, so that's why I got 10 years, and that's unusual.

But I'm seeing it from the other side now.

And uh I just want to mention that I'm concerned about this Title 2, as the two previous speakers have spoken about, and that the fact that I was on vacation in August and there was a city meeting, and I wasn't able to go, so a lot of what I heard is probably just kind of gossip, but fear gossip about the parking and about the the units, and it it's for downtown.

Now let me explain that I was the city council representative for district one, which is now eight, pretty much, and district eight was Beto O'Rourke and Carla.

And so now with redistricting, it's changed.

But I've really heard from a lot of people in my area when since I've gotten home about this.

And people were, we, my district right then, we were down here all the time complaining and begging because they were going to build what we thought were inappropriate structures in our in my district.

And finally, Carlos said, you know, I'm tired of seeing you all, and you're tired of being down here.

Do something about it.

So we met with city planning for months, probably a year, and we came up with the City of El Paso project planning that is the area, the rim university areas that has the overlay.

They didn't want to be historic, but we have another overlay.

So we worked with it.

It was presented to the state of Texas and El Paso, and I'm going to give you this.

One the City of El Paso project planning an award for the Rim University Neighborhood Plan.

And it beat out Fort Worth and Houston that had professional planners come in and do this.

My point is that if you just allow people to work with the city and take their time and you hear them and you present your plan, that it works out for the best for everybody.

And this has been so rushed.

And I I ask you, please give it a little breathing room, meet with the public, and let us have a chance to explain our concerns about just what you've heard from Richard Mayub and the representatives.

So thank you.

Thank you, Representative.

Our next speaker is Robert Rometo.

Robert Romero also signed up to speak on 48, 49, and 50.

He will be followed by Marcy Carrillo.

Good morning.

You have three minutes.

Good morning.

Good morning, Mayor, City Council members, Robert Rometo for the record.

I'm here today to speak against items 48, 49, and 50.

I'm here to speak against them, not because I'm against development, but because we should be for responsible entitled development.

The proposed Title 20 amendments will create additional density with the existing neighborhoods by changing the existing ADU standards and allowing a hundred percent parking reduction for infill development.

While I appreciate the intent behind the proposal to encourage growth and affordability, I believe that creating density warrants a traffic impact study on the existing roadway network.

Performing a traffic impact study is crucial for several reasons.

It can forecast future traffic trips.

This is critical for making informed decisions about the project's impact.

It will evaluate impacts on roadway network, roadway intersections, roadway segments, access and egress points for emergencies.

It will help identify potential issues such as increased congestion, longer delays at traffic signals, safety concerns for all users, including pedestrians and cyclists.

Isn't just for identifying problems, it's about finding solutions and recommend mitigations for any negative impacts.

Removing the parking requirement for off-street for new developments doesn't eliminate the cars.

It just simply displaces them onto our existing neighborhoods.

A blanket 100% parking reduction without proper review will lead to a severe screen on our neighborhood parking.

Excuse me.

Our residential streets are already at near capacity in many areas with UTIP student parking, graduations, concerts, etc.

Introducing new dense developments without dedicated parking will turn a tight situation into an even worse one.

Mayor and council members.

The parking study is missing the parking study that was completed is missing all the traffic impacts betting through utility companies, safety studies, walkability studies, bike studies.

We are making a decision based on only a parking study.

We need a more in-depth study to make these decisions.

Thank you.

Thank you.

The next speaker is Marcy Cabrillo.

Ms.

Carrillo will be followed by Veronica Carvajal.

Good morning, ma'am.

Good morning.

Good morning, Mayor Council.

My name is Marcy Carrio.

I am the vice president of the Mission Valley Civic Association, and as well as the chair of the Paso Neighborhood Coalition and a dear resident of Mission Valley.

Miss Lelina Montes, our representative.

I'm here to speak against the ADUs and the parking situation.

Currently on my street, I am living in an area where someone has done something similar to this, and they have subdivided the house into four rentals.

We live on a curve.

We have many, many people that are coming and going, and honestly, if we do this and we allow it, it's going to be citywide.

It's not just going to affect the uptown downtown area, it's going to affect all of us, especially Mission Valley.

We have a lot of infill lots that people can buy cheaply.

Go ahead and convert them, and we don't know our neighbors.

The house that I'm speaking of is exactly that.

The gentleman lives in Albuquerque.

We cannot get a hold of him.

He'll come every once in a blue moon.

But we're left with the parties, the trash, the cars, cars being worked on, and it's unfortunate that it's come to this.

If the city, you all just give us an opportunity, and what's on the books is great.

What we're good thinking of doing isn't going to help us.

It's going to make us a city of renters.

As for the parking, I'm seeing the parking.

Our streets are really bad, especially in the Mission Valley.

We have really bad streets.

Adding additional parking to roads.

I have one of the widest roads, but when these people are parking, it's very narrow to get that curve.

So please, I wouldn't uh approve this or put this back on.

Thank you.

Thank you.

The next speaker on item 48 is Veronica Caravajal.

She will be followed by Mary Bardosh.

Ms.

Carvajal, good morning.

You have three minutes.

Good morning, Mayor and Council and Veronica Carvajal.

I am here today or talking to you today in my personal capacity.

I live in District 2.

I oppose the two proposed zoning little changes related to parking requirements and accessory drawing units because at this point the city has not shown that they will actually achieve the stated purpose of increasing housing units for all pastulans within the city limits.

These changes are not being accompanied by any of the following.

One, they're not being accompanied by a prohibition that they be used for short-term rentals like Airbnb.

Two, they're not being accompanied by an increase in increased investment in public transportation that would reduce the need for vehicles.

Three, they're not being accompanied by incentives or requirements for property owners to provide affordable rental housing.

Four, they're not accompanied by incentives and assistance for first-time home buyers who want to live in the city but cannot afford both city and county property taxes, so they move to the county.

And five, they're not accompanied by an increase in city services that will alleviate overcrowding, such as more frequent trash collection and designated resident-only parking and enforcement.

These are all issues that have come up in South Central Neighborhoods where the city planning commission has authorized quadruplexes and larger units next to single-family homes that are already dealing with non-residents parking in their neighborhoods.

These include students at the medical school and people who park and then walk over to the Bridge of the Americas.

If the city really wants to increase both long-term long-term rental housing and home ownership for all Pasoans, it should start with the abandoned homes, commercial buildings, and EPISD schools, except for Bellison.

They're part of the litigation.

If the city really wants to increase homeownership, it needs to work with local banks and help all pastulans access loans to both buy and repair homes in the neighborhood that they love and grew up in.

They deserve to build generational wealth with property ownership.

I'm guessing that none of you um are renters and that none of you want your children to be lifelong renters.

Other old pastulates deserve that opportunity inside the city limits.

I ask you to vote no on these two changes because without any guardrails, these changes will only encourage centrification, and those who stand to benefit are developers, realtors, and Airbnb hosts, and other short-term rental owners.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Mary Bardoshe, she also signed up on 48, 49 and 50.

She will be followed by Alba Villagaran.

Good morning.

Good morning.

Council members and mayor.

Good morning.

Uh this is a grave time in El Paso's illustrious history.

Sadly, destructive and very permanent agenda items have been pushed before the people's representatives here today in City Council.

The annihilation and elimination of functioning, peaceful, family-oriented life in safe, beautiful neighborhoods, is being shoved desperately through the legal system without the people's consent.

No vetting, no presentations, no announcements, nothing that reached the public's ears or eyes until this month on August 5th.

And even then, only a very few have heard of the zoning phases, with even fewer truly understanding the depths and breadths of the disastrous citywide zoning of private property neighborhoods and parking that affect businesses as well as residential life.

I am a current place property owner who has lived in El Paso for over 40 years.

I know the city and its people very well.

We are not Austin or Houston, and we're not Los Angeles.

We do not have high density that comes from a strong economy, nor do we have the migration that leads to the need for more housing.

In fact, more people have left El Paso in the last 10 years than have arrived.

Out of the 550 homes in Kern, not one of the people I spoke with about these agenda items had ever heard of them.

Why?

The first phase placed on today's agenda that is citywide and affects the entire population of El Paso was jammed through by a very few individuals.

On the chat the chat platform El Paso comments on Reddit, a post read, eliminate single family zoning.

Chris Canales repres responded to that post with, and I quote, if I could get that passed right now, I would do it 100%.

This isn't exactly that, but it has some similar effects.

End quote.

This is unacceptable.

Chris is my city representative.

He is to represent the constituents, the majority of his constituents that even know about this diabolical plan are 100% against it.

I respectfully ask Chris to speak for the people he represents and kill these items immediately today.

The citizens and stakeholders who are here today to oppose the zoning changes, which is exactly what this is, fully understand the ramifications of these changes because they are intelligent people.

Many are involved in the net development of this city in one way or another and see clearly the dismal failure of this path if taken.

We are all deeply care about our city for ourselves and for future generations, and we want to see it thrive.

These proposed changes are irreversible and will utterly destroy El Paso by changing its landscape forever.

You are elected officials by the citizens of El Paso.

You are entrusted with a duty and obligation to represent the people's wishes and directions for how their city functions.

With that being said, you must kill these items immediately.

Thank you.

Thank you.

The next speaker is Elva Villagran.

Alva Villagran.

She will be followed by Jamie Fisher.

Good morning, ma'am.

Good morning.

Good morning, Mayor and Council.

My name is El Babia Gran, and my coordinator for the South Guardian Association.

I oppose the ADU, please leave it as it is.

The new ADA ordinance would allow more cars in the neighborhoods and wouldn't allow us to park there.

It would be a congestion also.

Think about that.

The owner is not required to be here.

That is not good.

Please don't change the ordinance.

Thank you.

Thank you.

The next speaker is Jamie Fisher.

Jamie Fisher.

Ms.

Fisher signed up to speak on item 68, and this is a resolution approving the project recommendations in the neighborhood for the neighborhood improvement program.

Good morning, Freeman.

Good morning, Mayor Johnson City Council, Ms.

Mack, Mr.

Caballero.

Yeah, I'm here to talk about the NIP, which is money that's already been approved by the voters.

The very first item you're going to see when you look at it is a pickleball court for Mary Francis Keesling Park.

And there are also two requests for District 7.

So three years ago, we didn't have a single court in El Paso.

They had eight courts in Las Cruces and they had eight courts in Redoso and five in Carlsbad, but we didn't have any.

So the county said, we'll take a tennis court and we'll convert it into four pickleball.

We were thrilled.

We sent everybody down there to play.

People who'd call from out of town, they say, where do we play?

We say go to a scarate.

But we knew because the concrete was 60 years old, you're already nodding.

It's gonna crack.

And it did.

And unfortunately, they tried to fix it in July, and it didn't go well.

The there's an issue with the paint that was used, the balls are skidding, they're not bouncing.

So what I'm asking for today, the moral of the story is let's spend a little bit more money up front and use something that will last longer.

And the thing I'm asking about is called post-tension concrete.

And Mr.

Canales, you all got one.

Yeah, you know, it's in uh Madeline Park has one of these courts.

They can last 25 years, whereas a typical court construction would last only 10.

And I'm sure that Mr.

Caballero would appreciate not having to fix the cracks every 10 years or so.

So post-tension uses steel cables, it's in the concrete, you pour, you let it set a little bit, and then you tighten the cables, and it makes it very dense, very uh firm.

It's not the same thing as rebar.

So anyway, that's what we're hoping.

If you all do approve, it's not a given.

If you do approve these NIPs with these pickleball courts or whatever courts you build next, can we please use post-tension and stop fixing the cracks?

So, Mary Francis Park, uh, Mary Francis Keysling Park.

Uh, 20 years ago, they got a playscape and a couple of grass fields, nothing since.

So they've been waiting a very long time.

Um that court, if you put one there, it will be the first one on the west side.

Right now we have a 30 minute drive down to Escarte to play there, or we got 30 minutes over the mountain to play at Skyline.

Thank you for Skyline.

But these people have been waiting a long time.

And when I talked to them, they not only supported pickleball, they said, can we please put something in this park?

It's time.

So I think some of the people are gonna talk more about the two parks in on the east side.

I'm not as familiar with those.

We hope you will support these recommendations.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next speaker is Victor Baracas.

Victor Barajas also signed up for item 68, and he'll be followed by Chelsea Mirror and Diana Ramirez.

Good morning.

Good morning.

Good morning.

Good morning, everyone.

Uh, my name is Victor Barajas.

I'm the president of the Central Neighborhood Association, and I'm here to ask for your full support for the landscaping at Granby Park.

Although the NIP proposal calls for landscaping and the addition of trees.

What we're asking for is a shift in our city's park landscaping strategy to incorporate native and adapted plants alongside native shade trees, creating a pollinator garden.

This approach offers significant ecological and economic advantages.

This last landscaping approach supports local biodiversity and connects the community with its national environment.

This is more sustainable because this plants are adapted to the old paso heat.

They require minimal care, once established, which decreases the need for frequent lawn mowing and high water use.

This free subpark maintenance, staffed who focus on other community needs, resulting in a more efficient use of resources and taxpayer dollars.

These native plants include grasses, wildflowers, and shrubs that provide a crucial habitat and food resources for native wildlife, such as birds, bees and butterflies, which are essential for pollination and pest control.

I moved to the strict two a few years back, and I saw all the needs around me.

I've taken the time and energy advocating for this community.

For those of us that have lived here, we felt for a very long time that our neighborhood has been neglected.

Whenever I travel to other sites of town and I see the amenities they have, I do wonder when will our churn be.

We've have several school closures.

We suffer from constant speeding across the district, and this NIP proposal feels like uh like an opportunity to increase our quality of life and for the city to invest in our community.

Unfortunately, our community faces high rates of health conditions, such as and a crucial factor in managing these is having a safe, comfortable place to be active.

Summer heat in El Paso makes Ramview Park unusable during most of the day.

The added shade from native trees will make it a generally usable space year-round.

Encouraging residents to walk, stretch, and gather in a cooler, safer environment.

This initiative is not a costly luxury, it's a smart, practical investment.

This means we're not creating a burden on our city's budget.

Instead, we're building a park that will be self-sustaining, beautiful, and functional for generations.

It's a one-time investment that will deliver a lifetime of returns for our people, our health, and our community spirits.

Again, thank you for your time and hour to support this, adding trees and investing in a vision of a park full of native pollinator plants.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

Next speaker is Chelsea Mirror.

Chelsea Mirror, also on item 68, followed by Diana Ramirez, also on item 68.

Good morning.

You have three minutes.

Hi, good morning.

Good morning.

Good morning.

My name's Chelsea Muir.

I didn't also want to speak in support of the native plant landscaping in Grandview Park.

So I'm originally from California.

I moved to El Paso about three years ago.

I originally lived in District 8.

I lived closer to parks, um Memorial Park and Mission Hills Park, and um I'm a runner, enjoy being outside, and um spent a lot of time in those parks um and noticed a lot of families, a lot of runners, a lot of people using those parks.

Um and then um in the last year I moved to District 2.

Now I live about half a mile away from Grandview Park, and I really have made the park a big part of my routine.

Um I run by it most mornings and um tend to see um the same people out walking their dogs.

I see um people are out playing basketball in the evenings, and so people use the park, um but really late in the evening, very early in the mornings.

The park really seems very underutilized compared to other parks that I've lived in around town.

I what I've noticed is that it's a lot more barren, a lot more ex overexposed compared to other parks that I've lived in in other parts of town.

Um and I've really loved living near this park.

I've lived love living in this part of town.

It's a historical neighborhood, it's felt very welcoming.

Um it's a beautiful open area with a lot of potential, and um that's why I'm really enthusiastic about this proposal to invest in native landscaping of the park, to invest in the park as a community resource.

Um I've loved living in this neighborhood.

Um it's been very welcoming to me, and um I encourage the council to approve this proposal um to invest in the park um as a make it even more of an anchor for the community life in the Grandview neighborhood um and to invest in the park as to make this investment for many generations to come.

Um thank you very much.

Thank you.

The next speaker is Diana Ramidez.

She will be followed by Alay Yanias.

Good morning.

That is my son, and he's not here.

He had a test today, so he couldn't make it.

So you can scratch them up with this.

Thank you.

Hi, uh, good morning, Mayor and Council.

My name is Diana Ramirez.

I'm the vice president of the Central Neighborhood Association.

Um, and thank you.

Thank you all for considering our project.

Thanks to city staff for recommending our project.

Uh, we're very proud of the process that our neighborhood association undertook to choose this project because we have a youth council on our inner as part of our neighborhood association.

And um, our youth council, led by our chair Itzel Delgado, who will speak in a minute.

Um we they did a lot of this work.

We asked first the we asked us our neighborhood association members what were their top priorities.

And then we took the top four and we did a survey, and the youth council surveyed uh people at Amigo, at Delicious, at the Border Burger, at the park, at the recenter, the pickleball players.

We just surveyed almost 200 surveys were collected by our youth council, and that's how we got to this project.

Everybody overwhelmingly wanted trees, wanted more shade.

So um we're we're really proud of our kids for taking this lead and showing their love for the neighborhood and the park.

And it's super important now after the closing of Rusk Elementary because until EPISD repurposes the building, it's gonna be an eyesore right next to the park.

So I urge this council to work more closely with EPISD leadership to find ways to invest in the core of our city and prevent sprawl that shutters are walkable community schools, which is why I also support items 48 through 50 with guardrails that favor families over investors.

So this investment is Grandview Park and Central El Paso is a step in that direction, and this is gonna make our park more attractive to kids and young families.

We're proud of the engagement of our youth council and the leadership of Representative Acevedo, District 2 staff and department staff in making this happen.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

The next speaker is Eduardo Talamantes.

Mr.

Talamantes is also signed up for item 68.

He'll be followed by Ana Duenas and Arvis Jones.

Good morning.

Good morning.

Good morning, Mayor Representatives.

Thank you very much for having me here.

I'm here to talk about my NIP project uh proposal.

I was uh told that it was not recommended by the NIP.

And the reason it is I'm trying to see if I can garner some support from you all.

I live on in the mission browser been there 46 years.

And on Rollsway Street, we have an easement at the city for as long as I've been here than I owning it.

It's always been a struggle to get them to clean it up.

I've been after them for years to clean it up.

It's deteriorated.

It's always been a nice sore, a dumping site.

People dump trash, tires, oil.

It's been overgrown with trees or have they they lived or I lived for lifetime.

They were falling down.

And the sad thing about it is we can get no help as far as improvements.

I had Mr.

Rivetta come down with me when he was our city rep three times.

He came down, we looked at it three times, and he made a and I I brought some pictures.

I don't know if they brought the pictures here.

No.

Oh, well, here you go.

Anyway, when you first looked at it, it was an eyesore.

He was appalled at the situation.

Those trees were falling down.

There were holes in it.

You could actually live inside the tree.

They were so old and so big.

There was no water to them.

They were getting water from the canal, Franklin Canal.

What I proposed was take the trees down because they were dangerous.

Plant some native trees.

Put a land, some mild landscaping there to make it nice.

People live right in front of it, and they have to see this thing every day.

I drive by it every day, and it's looked horrible.

Miss Limona was there also.

She saw it.

Anyway, we would like to see some.

I guess some landscaping that you know I was told it was cost too much for what I wanted.

So we try to taper taper it down.

So for some landscaping, at least for now, there was a fence, also, excuse me, between the canal and the easement.

The fence was all dilapidated, had no transpensing signs because they didn't want people going in on the canal, but there were no gates.

Well, nobody wanted to fix it because it cost too much.

So I called the water district because the city said it wasn't theirs.

The irrigational water district came down and they spent a lot of time taking that fence down, and they were very helpful.

Mr.

Ronellas went out of his way to make sure we got it all done.

He had to do it in phases, you couldn't do it all at one time.

Which it really was a big help.

So I'm hoping that you all can at least look into this and give me some support in this because I would like to go back to the neighbors and tell them look, the city can do something for you if you put your minds together and work with them.

Thank you.

Thank you.

And Mr.

Palamantes, we did get your picture, so I will share them with Council.

We did get the pictures, I'll share them with council.

The next speaker is Anna Duenis.

I believe she had to leave.

We'll move on to Arvis Jones, also on item 68, followed by Marcy Cali.

Good morning.

Good morning.

Good morning, Mayor and members of City Council.

My name is Arvis Jones, and I'm part of the North Hills Neighborhood Association.

I am here to respectfully request your support for an NIP project that would bring much needed amenities to the Chuck Heinrich Park.

Chuck Heimart Park covers 97 acres and is home to the annual falling officers memorial ceremony held each year, which draws families and community members together to honor our heroes.

Despite the size and importance of the park, its amenities are limited.

Currently, there are only eight park benches in a small part playground area.

As a result, families who attend events and spend time at the park often end up sitting on the ground or bringing their own canopies for shade and comfort.

The proposed project would be a covered pavilion with six picnic tables, two trash receptacles, and a cornhole game.

This is a modest request, but meaningful enhancement that would provide families a designated space to gather to eat and enjoy recreational activities.

It would also serve as a first step toward creating a more welcoming and functioning environment at our park.

A portion of the $625,000 that's available through the NIP program for the areas can be allocated to support this project.

By doing so, we would be directly improving the quality of life for the Northeast El Paso community, and ensuring that Chuck Heinrich Park continues to be a place of pride, remembrance, and enjoyment for all of our residents.

Thank you for your time and consideration, and I do hope this is favorably approved.

Thank you.

Thank you.

The next speaker is Marcy Cabrillo.

Also speaking on item 68 along with Debbie Torres, Itzel del Galo, Dora Oaxaca Rivera.

Good morning.

Good morning.

Good morning once again, mayor and council.

My name is Marcy Carrio, and I'm speaking on behalf of um uh I'm a member of the Sunny Fields Neighborhood Association, and we had a letter prepared to support Mr.

Talamante, the gentleman before, about 8300 block of Roseway.

Our letter reads, we're supported Mr.

Talamantes' endeavor to clean and beautify this easement, which is located at 8300 Roseway.

It's parallel to the Franklin Canal, and the only other neighbor on the other side is one large commercial car lot.

Through the representatives of years and years of neglect, we were able to work with Mr.

Rivera to help get this beautified.

We take part in our community.

We would really like the landscaping just to finish off the project.

We're not asking to start from the beginning.

It's about 75% complete.

So our neighbors could have a good place to walk, to have a good place not to have dumping and just to beautify our neighborhood.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

The next speaker is Debbie Torres.

Followed by Itzel Delgado, Dora Oaxaca Rivera.

See Lali Delgado.

Good morning.

Good morning.

Good morning.

Good morning, Mayor and Council.

For the record, my name is Debbie Torres.

I'm president of the Pueblo Viejo Neighborhood Association in District 7.

I've come to speak on item 68 in opposition of the item.

Local redistricting is the process of redrawing boundaries of electoral districts for local government bodies like city councils, school boards, or county commissions.

Al Paso's last redistricting took place after the 2020 census, becoming effective January 1st, 2022.

One resulting problem of this redistricting is that the boundaries of some neighborhood associations are overlapping across two districts.

This issue has surfaced in regards to the neighborhood improvement funding, otherwise known as the NIP.

Case in point, the 2025 NIP allocations, because the boundaries of the Ralph T.

Cloud Neighborhood Association overlap between District 3 and District 7.

That neighborhood association not only applied for but was awarded NIP funds from both District 3 and District 7.

This situation is not an equitable one.

The idea of double dipping is all good for Roth T cloud.

But more importantly, it takes away funding from other neighborhood associations.

The logical and fair resolution to this situation would be to require the neighborhood association to submit an NIP to either one district or the other, but not both.

Why was this issue never addressed and resolved by neighborhood services?

It sullies the entire process.

This concludes my remarks.

Thank you.

Thank you.

The next speaker is Itzel Delgado.

Also item 68, followed by Dora Oaxaca Rivera.

Good morning.

Good morning.

Good morning.

Our city's youth and young professionals are here, and we would like to be counted.

We are here despite high school classes, college classes, internships, or even new jobs.

We are here because our neighborhood and our city's quality of life needs improvement, and we would like to stay in El Paso.

We would like our city to be greener literally and figuratively.

And we would like to invest in our future and the future of our families' well-being.

Planting trees is the investment our community needs.

I want to thank the City of El Paso for moving our grant forward.

I want to thank the Central Neighborhood Association for bringing this opportunity to our membership and our community.

I, along with many other youth, spent a lot of time polling our neighbors on which projects they would prefer.

I enjoyed speaking with kids, new moms, and elderly neighbors to gather signatures because I also want generational input through conversations.

Everyone enjoys the life and the relief that trees bring to a community.

We ask that your vote reflect our future and the request of the future taxpayers of El Paso.

We want trees and we need your vote to count.

And sorry, and we need your vote today to provide cool shade and quality of life tomorrow.

Thank you.

Thank you.

The next speaker is Dora Oaxaca Rivera, followed by C Lali Delgado.

Good morning.

Good morning.

Good morning.

I'm waiting for our neighborhood leadership to come up front with me.

Thank you.

And um good morning, Mayor and Council.

Good morning.

I want to introduce our neighborhood leadership first.

This is Mr.

Luis Mata, our vice president, and Mr.

José Luis.

I'm sorry, I just salas.

Mr.

José Luis Salas, our president.

And I want to start by just by letting you know that I am the committee chair for the projects for the legacy projects for the Las Palmas Neighborhood Association.

We want to extend our sincere gratitude to the citizens of El Paso who supported the 2022 Community Progress Bond.

Because of their vote, five million dollars were dedicated to neighborhood improvement projects across our city that will bring meaningful improvements to our neighborhoods.

I extend a heartfelt thank you to Las Palmas Neighborhood Association leadership and neighbors for working collectively to ensure the addition of two pickleball courts.

I am grateful to my neighbors for the vote of confidence and trust they placed in me to write and submit the application for this important initiative.

The following are key highlights of the application that was submitted.

Pickleball is one of the fastest growing sports in El Paso.

It is multi-generational, easy to learn, and far less physical demanding than tennis and other sports.

On March 7th, 2024, the Las Palmas Neighborhood Association voted unanimously to approve and submit an NIP application for the development of pickable courts at Argyle Park with more than 300,000 residents in East Al Paso.

Access to Pickleball Courts remains limited.

Argo Park is a seven nine is in the 79936 zip code, sits adjacent to the Las Palmas neighborhood and surrounding industrial areas.

It serves several neighborhoods, welcomes visitors from across El Paso and nearby hotels, and has a popular dog park.

Argyle Park is well positioned to attract a diverse active community.

Most importantly, this community's investment will expand wellness, recreational options for residents of all ages.

It aligns with city council's strategic priorities and meets the demand for the free use of dedicated pickleball courts.

Together with your support, we can improve our neighborhood parks and build healthier, more connected neighborhoods.

We ask for your vote to approve this project, and thank you.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

The next speaker is Lali Delgado.

Ms.

Delgado will be followed by Janet Alipio.

And that will be the end of the speakers that signed up to at 10 o'clock.

Good morning.

Good morning, everyone.

I would like to start off by thanking the city of El Paso for moving the Central Neighborhood Association's grant forward to potentially plant native trees at Grandview Park.

So as a recent out of state college graduate, I am so excited to be back home in the El Paso that I grew up in.

I'm taking some time to regenerate my being and taking priority my mental health.

So going to Grandview has been uh key this past summer for me uh to re-involve myself in community and resources.

I've gone multiple times to play volleyball with my sister who just spoke earlier.

Shout out to her.

Um, indoors and outdoors.

I've brought my dogs to run, walk, and fetch.

Um but that is when I noticed that though I love my park, there is an apparent lack of areas of rest and shade because there are hardly any trees.

I actually had to redirect a friend picnic from going to Grandview, which is walking distance for us, and we had to go to memorial instead for that reason.

Um, because there is not much option to lay a blanket down outside of the direct sun.

I am here to advocate for those in the community that choose to make use of our public spaces in a world where our generations are immersed in our digital technologies, such as myself.

I am very guilty of being in constant uh doom scrolling mode.

I would love to instead have a park walking distance from me in which I'd be able to put my screens down, sit under a tree to sketch, draw, um, rest with my dog, or have friends over for a girl's picnic.

Um I come here to ask that your vote take into account the wellness of our future so that I not only use the trees now, but that in the future I could be the Viejita that tosses seeds to the pigeons under a brand, a bench under a tree.

So, yeah, thank you so much.

Thank you.

The next speaker is Janet Alipio, also on item 68.

Good morning, ma'am.

Your microphone is ready.

You have three minutes.

Thank you.

Hi, I wanted to speak on behalf of the enchanted field um neighborhood association.

I'm part of the leadership team, Mayor.

Uh can you guys?

Okay.

Um so thank you first of all.

Um to the city council for considering the petition to bring a page on to the enchanted field.

In the mini family thing with here incorporated practice.

It is in the fitting that our largest park reflects the needs of the community, providing a safe family family where children can play and neighbors can gather.

Now Playden will truly match the investment we all make in this community and would be a tremendous asset for everyone in Enchanted Hill.

Just as important, I dare ask that the playground include a shade.

As a parent of three children in just four, eight, and eleven and tracing now for unfaith and uncomfortable pleasure for in our possible um without a shade, without shaded equipment.

Can we change your signatures?

Putting children at risk of burn speed exhaustion and other seed related illnesses.

Can you put year round safely and possibly, including in the evenings before bedtime routine?

We greatly appreciate your support and you get need.

A shaded playground would be meaningful in fluid for all families.

Any lasting reflection as a city's investment in our community.

Thank you again.

I I really hope you consider giving us a playground.

Um hopefully we'll shave it just for the sake of our family here.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Council, that's everyone that signed up to speak at 10 o'clock.

Okay, Ms.

Bryan, you want to convene the mass transit meeting?

Yes, Mayor.

Is there a motion to recess?

Second.

There's a motion and a second to recess a regular city council meeting.

All in favor?

Aye.

Aye.

Anyone opposed?

The meeting is in recess at 11 40 a.m.

We need to do the district budget.

I'm sorry, Mayor.

Uh the city's budget needs to be adopted for the mass transit.

So is there a motion to reconvene?

There's a motion and a second to reconvene.

All in favor?

Aye.

Aye.

Anyone opposed?

The meeting is back in session at 11 40.

Good catch, Robert.

Mayor, would you like to go to the introduction of ordinances?

Please.

Okay.

We're on page number 13.

These are the first reading of ordinances.

These are items 36 to 42.

Okay, there's a motion and a second.

Any discussion?

Ms.

Prime.

There's a motion made by Representative Limon, seconded by alternate mayor pro tempiero to approve the first reading of ordinances.

These are items 36 to 42.

On that motion, call for the vote.

Ms.

Prime, my computer isn't working.

I Mayor Pro Tem Chavez.

Yeah, my computer isn't working.

Aye.

Thank you.

Thank you.

The voting session is open.

You gotta go in and out sometimes.

Alternate Mayor Pro Tempiero.

Oh computer issue.

Thank you, sir.

And the voting session.

And that motion passes unanimously.

And IT is coming around to assist you all.

That brings us to page number 15, and these are the budget items starting with item number 43.

And this is discussion and action on a resolution that the proposed budget has amended for the city of Al Paso, followed by the city manager with city clerk on July 18, 2025, is hereby approved and adopted by the city council as the annual budget for the fiscal year 2025-2026, which begins on September 1st, 2025 and ends on August 31st, 2026.

Good morning, Robert.

Good morning, Mayor City Council.

So we have three separate items related to the budget, and then we do have the individual item on the mass transit agenda.

So item 43 is the approval of the resolution of the budget.

Um and so this item again is the overall approval of the budget.

We do have the council action incorporated from yesterday on this particular item, though we would ask for a motion from Representative Lamon on her comment yesterday about the district seven six thousand dollars.

And if the council votes on that, we'll make sure that that changes reflected into the budget that will be adopted.

Okay.

Representative Lamont.

So does that come you can do that motion now if you like, and then that way we can have that incorporated and that'll be reflected as part of the adopted budget.

Okay.

Yes, based on the motion that was made yesterday.

I wish to request that the allocation of six thousand dollars that was appropriated to all council representatives not be placed in the district seven budget.

But it remains in the general fund.

We do not want an allocation to travel.

Thank you.

Okay.

Second.

That's a motion.

Is there a second?

Second.

We have a motion and a second.

Any discussion?

Ms.

Crying.

Yes, Mayor.

The motion was made by Representative Limon, seconded by alternate mayor pro-tend Piero.

And this is to amend the budget and request that the allocation of six thousand dollars not be included in district seventh budget.

On that motion call for the vote.

Thank you.

And the voting session.

And that motion passes unanimously.

Item number 44.

So we need to go back to 43.

So that was an amendment to the to the budget resolution.

So also just for the council's awareness.

So as part of the backup that is posted, we did make an amendment to the budget resolution items 29 and 30 again related to the use of the travel funds.

We made it clear that those funds will be exempted from as part of the rollover.

And so that was the one minor change.

You'll see that reflected again in the budget resolution that is posted as backup.

If council will like, I do have the presentation again.

It's all of the same information that you all have already seen.

Would you guys like to see the presentation?

No.

Okay.

Representative Canalis.

Thank you, Mayor.

I move to approve item 43.

There's a motion and a second.

Any discussion on item 43?

We do have public comment, Mayor.

Okay.

Let's take public comment.

Yes, sir.

We have Ms.

Patricia Osmond.

So the motion yesterday gave no time for any citizens to really come in, comment, unless they were paying attention yesterday.

Um slid under the door, the rug, whatever you want to call it.

Um I do appreciate that Miss Limon is refusing those.

She was steadfast yesterday, she's steadfast today.

Mr.

Fierro voted no yesterday, along with Ms.

Limon.

But it appears as though that 6,000 added to this budget.

All the freshmen decided to vote for it because they're hoping for a next time too.

But I can't believe that adding $6,000 to a budget is even acceptable.

But if you're spending five almost $5,000 every couple of months of taxpayer money for takeout for you all, I understand why you think it is.

Some of y'all have tens of thousands in your discretionary fund to be used for travel.

You're already getting taxpayered funds.

And to add another $54,000 to that is an insult to every taxpaying citizen.

And showing you don't you don't care.

Somebody campaigned on fiscal responsibility.

Y'all are gonna pass this because there's a lot of things slid in there.

And you don't care.

You don't care about all the senior citizens, even though oh, a whole buck fifty toss back.

That's nothing.

That honestly, it's a slap in the face.

You're taking 4600 of food supplements, but let's toss a buck fifty at the seniors and disabled.

Wow.

Really nice.

I hope you all understand how you're killing the future of this city.

Some of y'all don't care because your real estate developers are more in mind than the citizens of the city in the future.

Say goodbye to your children when they all take off.

I could close the public comment on this item, mayor.

Okay.

Is there any further discussion on item 43?

All right, Miss Brian hearing none seeing none, please call for the vote.

Yes, sir.

The motion was made by Representative Canales, seconded by Representative Maldonado Rocha to approve item 43 on that motion, call for the vote.

And the voting session?

And that motion passes 7 to 1.

Representative Limon voting nay.

The remainder of council voting aye.

The motion carries.

The next item is number 44, and this is discussion in action to ratify the property tax reflected in the annual budget for FY2025-2026 for the city of Al Paso.

Okay.

Robert?

And this is just again, it's an action that's required by the state and the local government code is just ratifying essentially the vote that you all just took.

The state does require separate action to ratify.

Okay.

Is there a motion?

Motion two.

We have a motion and a second.

Representative Nino.

Thank you, Mayor.

Robert, one super quick question.

I was reviewing the budget cover pages for this year and the previous year.

And one simple question that I had was the city ever collected zero dollars in additional property taxes, even if we have adopted no new revenue or any other uh process.

So the only time that happened was our fiscal year 2021, so would have been in August of 2020.

We all are very well aware of what we were going through at the time we're going through COVID, so that was the only time that we actually had a decrease in the property tax revenue.

Um and in that year in particular, actually, the city's overall budget decreased by 16 million dollars.

So again, we took a lot of reductions that year to get through unfortunately what we're going through at the time with the COVID impact.

Thank you for that.

I was just trying to get clarification when I saw the budget cover page and uh reviewing the previous year's budgets.

I wanted to ensure that you know, overall we are also proposing or were essentially adopting the lowest property tax rate in the last 10 years.

Correct.

Okay, sir, that's correct.

No, no further questions.

Thank you.

Any further discussion on item number 44?

All right, hearing none seeing that, Ms.

Prime call for the vote.

Yes, sir.

The motion was made by Representative Maldonado Rocha, seconded by Representative Oriatrejo, and this is to ratify the property tax reflected in the annual budget on that motion.

Well, Miss Osman signed up on this one council.

In regards to the property tax rate, I'm just gonna bring up some little inconsistencies I heard at previous meetings when people were pointing fingers, and I'm not gonna put, you know, some people who put up decepticons and so forth.

And it's not in blogs, like some people like to say.

It's independent media.

But it seems as though the same tactic that our previous mayor Dean Margot threw out is what ends up happening.

Try to say you're uh not really raising the tax rate because the values will jack up.

De Margo flat out, told everybody in at CAD to uh raise the property values, and they kept getting raised at a much higher rate, and it's not market rate.

But I believe city council does have an interest at CAD.

I but I if am I mistaken that there's not a an appointment on the board at CAD from City Council?

I don't know if legal could answer that or not.

But either way, that would then place the city of having an interest.

It's not pointing a finger here, pointing a finger there, because the tax rate and CAD and what happens at CAD or central appraisal district, it is all entwined.

Y'all using the same DMAGO tactics doesn't mean we still don't have some of the highest taxes in Texas.

We do.

You're pricing out every senior citizen, every child, every grandchild out of this city all for real estate developers on the backs of those ever-growing tax rates, so that you could just keep funneling more tax dollars to real estate developers, not necessarily improving the city, because if you were really truly carrying and improving the city, you'd be doing something more for the youth.

But the tax rate, you you could pretend, oh, it didn't get higher, but you know what?

He maybe y'all forgot.

A bunch of that went down after the housing market crash.

We're starting to hit there again.

If y'all aren't paying attention to that, Airbnbs, short-term rentals, that market's crashing.

A lot of that's gonna get dumped.

The insurance markets that home actual buyers, residents, not real estate developers cannot get insurance on home homes to get a mortgage is tanking the market.

Thank you, Miss Osman.

Okay, Miss Brown, we have a motion and a second on item number 44.

Yes, sir.

Call for the vote.

Please and the voting session.

And that motion passes 7 to 1.

Representative Limon Voting.

Okay.

That brings us to item 45.

Okay.

And this is discussion in action on an ordinance leaving the FY2025-2026 taxes.

Robert?

So again, this is the final election, and we do have a specific motion that doesn't need to be brought into the record.

Representative Chavez.

Thank you, Mayor.

I move that the property tax rate be increased by the adoption of a tax rate of 0.759649, which is effectively a 4.3% increase in the tax rate.

There's a motion, is there a second?

Second.

Okay.

We have public comment.

It's the same thing.

Okay.

We have a motion and seconds.

Any discussion on item number 45.

All right.

Hearing none saying then, Miss Prime call for the vote.

Yes, so the motion was made by Mayor Pro Tem Chavez, seconded by Representative Madonado Rocha, and this is that the property tax rate be increased by the adoption of a tax rate of 0.759649, which is effectively a 4.3% increase in the tax rate on that motion.

Call for the vote.

And the voting session.

And that motion passes 7 to 1.

Representative Limon Voting King.

Okay, thank you.

Will council like to recess now for mass transit?

Is there a motion?

Move to recess.

There's a motion and a second to recess a regular city council meeting.

All in favor?

Anyone opposed?

And the meeting is in recess at 11:55 a.m.

in order to conduct the mass transit department board meeting.

58 a.m.

Okay, we're gonna move item number 72 up on page 22.

And then we'll take item number 68.

Yes, sir.

Item 72 is discussion in action regarding recruitment options on the search for a chief internal audit.

Good morning.

Good morning, mayor and council Mary Wiggins, Chief Human Resources Officer.

Here for item number 72.

All right, so we're here today to discuss the chief internal auditor recruitment options.

This came from two weeks ago.

We had council gave us the directive on August 5th to direct the city manager and city attorney to present options on a search for a chief internal auditor to include both internal and external options for y'all to look at.

During this presentation, we're gonna talk about what those recruitment options are.

And then our final recommendation.

So for our options for internal, um, we of course uh we are able to handle the recruitment of our chief internal auditor with our current human resources staff.

We've been you know doing uh many different of the director level recruitments this year, including DCMs, and we are prepared to take this on.

We also, if you want to look at external, uh, we have one firm that we have, Robert Half and Associates, um, we're able to use this uh firm through a cooperative agreement that we have on EP marketplace.

If we were um if you were to go with this firm, the cost for that would be 30 percent of the total um compensation for the first year annual salary for that position.

So internal timeline.

This is um kind of what it would look like.

Um if we were to go internal, you you see the different there's days and weeks, um, those are all not consecutive, which means once one starts, we go straight into the other one.

A lot of depends upon scheduling and so forth, but this is uh an estimate of what it would probably look like.

Um throwing direction.

All right.

So the candidate selection process, um, we are recommending that we would contract with Lee Reem.

I believe most of you are familiar with Miss Ream outside council as a recruitment facilitator.

Um we would advertise the recruitment and many of the industry specific sites for approximately four weeks.

Um, and we we have I have those um on the presentation, but probably about six to eight different sites we've identified so far.

Um applications would be evaluated in accordance with the education and experience that's listed on the job spec.

Um so the ones that are qualified that are deemed to have qualified, those applications would be submitted to each of you for your consideration, and then council members will select your top five applicants to interview.

Those top five would then be tallied together by the facilitator, and then the total top five would be the ones recommended for interviews.

Uh recruitment facilitator uh would work with council to develop the interview questions.

You want to make sure you have the right questions.

The recruitment facilitator would work with council to develop an applicant scoring sheet.

The recruitment facilitator will work with council to develop interview panels in accordance with our charter.

Council will interview the selected candidates, would be the top five that you have selected, and then council will score all the qualified applicants using the applicant scoring sheet and submit those to the recruitment facilitator for a final tally, and then council, of course, would vote on your selection.

If you were to go with an external timeline, the timeline for the most part it looks the same as the internal timeline, but the difference would be with an external um firm, you're gonna be pretty much at at their mercy of when we can schedule different things.

There would be because they will be handling more than probably one recruitment, so we we have to be a little bit flexible with their schedule.

These are the sites that we're recommending that we would advertise for our chief internal auditor.

Um they're ones that have been identified that would you know we want to make sure that we have a good saturation of the market to make sure that we have a qualified candidates, plenty of qualified candidates to bring forward to you for consideration.

And so, in summary, our final recommendation, we are of course recommending that the city human resources staff uh be directed to advertise and handle the recruitment of the chief internal auditor position that we would handle this internally, and we recommend that we would um we would have Miss Lee Reim outside council be contracted to serve as the recruitment facilitator for this position.

And I'll take any questions.

Okay, there's a motion motion and second.

Uh representative Nino.

No, I'm sorry, Pierre.

I'm the taller one, sir.

Mayor the question is very simple.

We've had the opportunity, us as a as a body to work with Miss Reams, and it's the so far the experience has been professional.

It's been I mean, she she just I think she does a wonderful job.

My only question would be is does she have experience in fulfilling a role like like you're asking her to do?

Miss Wiggins, I know Miss Reem is is on the teams call if we need her to.

Oh no, I don't want to ask her.

We feel Miss Reims is qualified.

She she has um she's worked with us before uh very closely, um, and she's worked with you very closely before, and that's two very important um qualifications.

Uh, to be able, she's able to guide she worked with us uh closely also on some other different recruitments that we've had.

So yeah, I feel that she's qualified to be able to move us forward on this.

Okay, go again.

Um I I wasn't questioning your credentials.

She's a wonderful person.

Yes, she's done great job keeping us uh focused and in line and moving forward.

I just wanted to make sure that she had experience in a role like this.

So thank you, Mayor.

Okay, representative Trahill.

Thank you, Mayor.

I uh hi, I have a couple of questions.

Um with Robert Half, the 30% uh is expected on the salary.

What would be the salary range for this position?

So the salary range, what we would are what our recommendation, our recommendation is gonna be to you.

First off, is that I am going to this afternoon send out the job specs to each of you for you to look at the job spec and make sure that you're you know in agreement with the qualifications.

Um there, you know, we we have whatever the men and the max is and so we have done an um we did a survey, we've gone out to see what you know the our comparator cities have for chief internal auditors, and so we'll be prepared at that point to recommend in you know whenever I send all this out, we'll recommend a salary.

Well, usually we do like a 25,000 dollar hiring, you know, kind of range to be able so we have you know some play there, and then I'll also send out the recruitment brochure so that you can um see what we're recommending for for how we're gonna post the position.

But it it's we'll rate the recommendation to you, you know, of where we think it would be, and then council will agree or make recommendations.

So what was the previous salary?

His previous salary, I I can't give you the exact, I believe it was like one around 180.

I can't give you the exact figures of that.

Okay.

And uh with uh Miss Ream is there an additional fee for her to help uh recruit?

What uh what are her fees or what is that cost?

There is a fee.

I would have to get exactly what that fee is.

We already have Ms.

Ream Um on container, container, retainer.

Um so we use her for different things, not a container.

Uh we have around retainer, but I can't speak to the exactly doing know what the she's on the call.

Okay, so Ms.

Reem, you're if you could answer that question, please.

Yes.

Can you hear me?

Yes.

Okay.

Uh I believe the rate uh that I uh charge for my service is 275 dollars an hour.

Um and that's been the rate for several years now, and we have not raised it.

Okay.

And how many hours do you anticipate this being to hire to help us hire?

Um it's it's hard to really uh give you a firm number, but I would say based on the schedule that you have outlined, we are talking about I would say two to three meetings in which I would be involved, and it would then be the length of those meetings.

Um so uh that's what we would uh that's what I would anticipate at this point.

Okay, each meeting is what an hour?

How many hours are we anticipating?

It depends just the rough figure.

Yeah.

I would say I would anticipate that we're talking about um if it so last time I assisted you in the interviews uh of your city manager candidates, and so um I was part of the process of handling the interviews of the finalists, and that was a couple of fairly lengthy days, and so um you know that that would be longer uh of an engagement, I would say.

So I would say we're talking about I mean I'll just give you a ballpark of maybe about 20 hours total of what's involved.

Okay, thank you.

Uh and then another question.

Uh are you are is there consideration to hire local is that a focus as well?

Or are we looking nationally?

We'll look nationally.

Okay.

Okay.

Thank you.

Those are the questions I have.

Okay.

Representative.

Thank you, Mayor.

And thank you for putting this together, Mary.

I know you've been working hard on this and you got it to us within the the last two weeks, so I appreciate it.

I I think the the process outlined here is great.

Um my preference was to not move forward with uh an external search firm.

Not a fan of search firms.

And overall, I think Miss Ream has been really instrumental with our three employees, and she has a lot of institutional knowledge that she brings to the table.

So I think it's it's great to kind of pair your department with her, and I think it'll it'll give us an excellent process.

One one thing that um I'm thinking about I was not happy with um the city manager process that played out last summer.

And one thing that I did not like was that um the mayor unilaterally just had a press conference and said these are the top candidates and they're getting interviewed.

I I thought that that was wrong, so I wanted to make an amendment.

The prior mayor, not Mayor Johnson.

Sorry.

Um I don't remember that.

I wanted to make an amendment to to the to the current motion.

And it reads, I move to add a step to the outline hiring process that once city council selects their top five applicants, a special meeting or work session council meeting will take place to collectively select the number of candidates that will move forward to the interview process.

That that works.

Yeah, and so this just ensures that we will have um a meeting, okay.

Here are all the candidates that everybody selected.

Here are the top how many of these do you want to interview?

Three, four, five, six, seven, eight, and we as a body act on that, and then we go out and do the interviews.

So that's the thought behind this.

Okay.

So we have a an amendment to the motion.

Discussion on the amendment.

Representative?

Was there a second meeting?

Yes.

Yes, that's a good question.

Yeah, I have a question.

So as when we get the the interview, the information, the resumes, we're gonna select five each, right?

Correct.

Then that information is gonna go to I imagine Lee.

Correct.

And she'll disseminate it, put together a list.

She'll tally that and then we'll take you know the top five from your recommendations.

So then we're gonna meet in a special meeting.

Excuse me.

And discuss or re-shuffle or re-vote on what that list is.

That's a part I'm a little bit gray on.

No, that's not the intent.

I think that we we could have a discussion on saying, well, maybe we just want to do the top three that people did, or we want to do six because there were some ties here, and now we're leaving somebody out because they were ranked one point less, and we're not just going automatically with the top five.

So I understand that we would take, you know, we'll tally everything and we'll come back and we can just give you like the total scores in that session.

We can show you the total scores.

You can look and see who the candidates are, and then you you will choose from there.

You know, I we all agree that these top three is probably enough, or he's saying it could be you you want to go even down to the sixth person, but y'all would decide at that point you would have to vote on what you you know how many you want to interview.

I I think it increases transparency and it adds a lot of um feedback from the whole council as we have three employees and we should make sure that this process is going to be fair and everybody's gonna have their voice.

Okay, any further discussion on the amendment?

Yes, I have no point in clarification.

Thank you, Mayor.

So the applicant screening and recommendation of semifinalists, that's pretty much what we're talking about, right?

So we will review all applications and then each individual council member would score or create their top five, and then once we tally all of that up, that's when we're gonna start having the conversation of our top as a body to make the decision as a body, correct?

Correct.

So the applicant applicant screening and recommendations is done by the council, not by anyone else, correct?

Say that again.

The applic applicant screening and recommendation of semifinalists is done by the body by the council.

Correct.

Okay.

I just wanted to tell you.

I just want to clarify though that there is an initial step of ensuring that what you see that they've met the minimum qualifications.

Okay.

So we won't be sending you 80 applications.

We will have done some vetting to make sure that what you see has fits that job description, fits all the minimum requirements, and then you have an opportunity to make that shorter.

Right.

Okay.

Okay.

Thank you for the qualifications.

And just um Representative Treho to your question, it was 187 as the current.

Further discussion on this amendment.

Representative Chavez?

Thank you, Mayor.

Um regarding the qualifications you just mentioned, Mary, will the qualifications be the same as uh I guess in the past, or are you going to be making a new list of qualifications?

How are you going to decide that?

It's the job spec that we've used in the past.

And so what we did was we've already gone out to our comparator cities to see you know what what is everybody else um requiring.

Um I believe we're gonna add one extra recommendation that you consider, but other than that, it the the job spec was pretty much spot on with all the other job specs that we've done comparisons.

Okay, but that list of qualifications is gonna be decided by whomever we decide does the recruiting process.

In this case, if we decide to go internally, it would be you for that list of qualifications.

Well, the qualifications are the ones that are on there now.

Um and I think we're maybe looking at one other certification that we're recommending, but for the but it it would be us, you know.

And so even if we went with an external, they're gonna take the job spec we have now and and submit it for your consideration as well.

Okay, the motion on the on the floor right now is the amendment.

Yes, I was gonna hold this for after this.

So we have an amendment on the floor.

Any more discussion on the amendment hearing then seeing then Ms.

Brian call for the vote for the amendment.

Yes, sir, and the motion was made by representative Acevedo, seconded by Representative Madonada Rocha, and this is to add a step to the outline hiring process at one city council selects their top five applicants, a special meeting, work session, council meeting will take place to collectively select the number of candidates that will move forward to the interview process on that amendment.

Representative Limon.

Thank you.

In the voting session, and that motion passes unanimously.

Representative Fierro not present.

We're back on the main motion.

Representative Chavez.

Thank you, Mayor, and thank you, Mary, for this presentation.

I I echo the sentiment of Representative Acevedo.

You know, I do agree that maybe we should do this internally.

I I I have full confidence in in your staff and in Ms.

Reem as well.

I do feel that this is a very important decision.

And although we shouldn't rush it, we should definitely do it in a timely manner because it will only increase the trust that we have with our uh community and as well as uh accountability.

So this position is extremely important.

We hope that it's gonna be one that will be for the long term that you know increases again transparency and trust.

So we need to do this in a way that you know we fill this position as quickly as possible without rushing it, because it is a very, very important position in our city.

So thank you for the work, Mary.

Agreed.

We have very qualified staff that's ready to hit the hit the ground running.

Representative Acevedo.

Thank you, Mayor.

So now we want to talk a little bit about the timeline, Mary.

So you're you're thinking this will be I believe three to four months.

Well, so we're we're talking like start from right now to the person sitting in the seat.

So there's so many factors that are in between.

So I think the timeline is is a great timeline.

It's just you know how we fit things in.

It's how easily.

So for example, when I sent out the job spec, if we can we all agree that goes faster, and so it all just depends on making sure that that we keep that momentum going.

Um understanding again, this is a very important position, but I think it I think that's reasonable.

Okay.

So and I it's four to six months is what it's I think three or four months is what I'm ideally hoping for.

We're we're being safe there.

Yeah, and then the holidays might get and that's the reason we were thinking that as well.

I mean, we're we would love to have it before the holidays, but if we go into the holidays, that's gonna be taken into consideration.

You also had to consider if you do choose someone that's not local out of town, they may have to give notice, they may have to sell a house.

So we tried to build all those factors in just in case.

Okay.

And then um from my understanding, we were gonna have some say on the job description.

So I was understanding that the first two weeks when you're setting up meetings with council, we're going over the job description, similar to what we did with the city managers.

Correct.

And I'll I'll send that out to you this afternoon.

Okay.

So that you can start looking at it.

That and the brochure.

Yeah, and I think it it adds um a little to what Representative Chavez was saying.

You know, is it the same one?

Um, which is fine, but I think having our input on saying maybe include another line here or something, include this information will strengthen the overall job description.

And then um in terms of interview questions.

So you won't get the brochure today.

You'll get the brochure after you approve the job spec, which makes sense.

But we we have one um we have a like a tentative draft that we can show you what it would look like, but it won't be the brochure that's going out until you approve the job spec.

That makes total sense.

And and I think um one other thing that I wanted to ask in terms of how this is um put together in terms of the project milestones on interview questions, or those can we also suggest that when we're talking to you in the in the process to say um take into consideration, maybe asking these questions just so we could also customize it to you know what has happened in the past, what we are expecting in the future, that way we also have some customization in that sense from the process.

If you're ready to already, if you have some interview questions, you're already wanting to submit.

Absolutely.

You know, we can discuss those.

I'll take those and I can turn those over to Ms.

Rain.

Okay.

I appreciate that.

Thank you.

And Mary, everyone will get the same questions across.

Yes.

Okay, all right.

All right, any further discussion on this one.

All right, before I call for the vote, uh, Mary, I think this is good.

Your your process that you've outlined, having served on a number of searches.

I think this is a good way you outlined it.

And I think you know, when we look at what the former internal auditor was making, if you do the math at 30 percent, if you were to hire an external firm to do that, that's about 54,000.

Right.

Using Ms.

Reem, it's gonna be about 7500.

So I think this is a good process.

So Ms.

Bryan, call for the vote.

We do have public comments.

Okay.

We have Ms.

Osman signed up to speak.

Okay.

Good afternoon.

I think Mr.

Acevedo Fierro and Canales should have expected me to be here for this.

The rest of you might not know the history.

But um I had reported to Mr.

Caldaron, our former city auditor.

Corrupt practices that were going on within purchasing, community human development.

And those practices continued for quite some time.

He also was investigating city council members because a citizen had brought up P Card issues.

And that led to a lawsuit.

Mr.

Cadarun, the last time I was in here, I spoke to him.

And on that audit, because we were talking about all the audits that his department was supposed to move forward.

Was community and human development.

And specifically, he had stated his department was set up to audit exactly the issue and the corruption.

And I have documented proof and it is on public record that there was corruption within this community and human development environment.

This is on the recruitment of the auditor.

Yes.

Okay.

All of that is on public record.

The chief auditor was going to look into all of that.

And then suddenly he's pushed out before it's supposed to get audited.

And we know he's pushed out.

I'm not the only citizen that's brought it up in public that he was pushed out.

And no different than when I came and I spoke to shut down the process Maheir Lieser was going to do with the city manager.

You are correct, Assado.

Nobody liked the process because it was going to be internal.

Why?

Because all it was going to lead to is a continuation of the status quo of corruption within our city to keep it local.

Because our internal hiring has not been the best.

That's why it needs to be external.

So that that person is completely impartial and is not influenced by any director, any city manager, any city attorney, like the lawsuits, the last one had to deal with, or any city council pressure.

It needs to be external.

And that $50 some odd thousand dollars is less than the travel expenses you all just voted yourself.

To make sure our tax dollars are well managed and looked after.

Because right now, too much is sliding under the rug.

Y'all are getting through, and we're stamping stuff that should not be.

Contracts to your own employees.

But then again, we did have a mayor before that did a contract to himself.

You've reached three minutes.

Represent Canales.

Thank you, Mayor.

I think it's just important to clarify for the record what's being proposed today is a nationwide external search being conducted by our internal human resources staff.

Uh what Mayor Liser had proposed previously was a search only encompassing internal candidates.

And so very different uh situations between the two.

I think it's important to state that for the record.

Thank you, Mayor.

Thank you for clarifying that.

Okay, we have a motion second.

Any further discussion on item 72?

All right, hearing none, Ms.

Ryan call for the vote.

Yes, sir.

The motion was made by Representative Limon, seconded by alternate mayor pro tempiero, and this is to direct the city human resources staff to advertise and handle the recruitment of the chief internal auditor position, and that leave ream outside council be contracted to serve as a recruitment facilitator for this position.

And to add a step to the outline hiring process that one city council selects our top five applicants, a special meeting, a work session council meeting will take place to collectively select the number of candidates that will move forward to the interview process on that motion.

Call for the vote and the voting session.

And that motion passes unanimously.

Okay, Ms.

Bryan, I I hate to move things around.

We're gonna take number sixty-eight now.

Yes, sir.

And then I'm gonna take 48, 49, and 50, because there's members of the public that have been here for quite some time.

Yes, sir.

So item number 68 is discussion in action on a resolution approving the project recommendations that sets forth in exhibit A of the resolution for the neighborhood improvement program, NIT funded under the 2022 Community Progress Bond.

NIT funded under the 2022 community progress bond.

Good afternoon, Nicole Rodriguez, Director of Community Human Development.

Today's presentation is providing a summary of funding recommendations for the neighborhood improvement program under the community progress bond.

So the neighborhood improvement program offers city rec uh city recognized neighborhood associations the chance to request small-scale permanent improvements on city-owned right-of-way.

Examples of some NIP projects that we funded in the past include benches, playground amenities, and walking trails, and they're all intended to improve the quality of life within their neighborhoods.

I want to take a moment to really highlight the work of all of the departments involved needing to pull all of the recommendations together.

The community human development department is the facilitator of the neighborhood improvement program.

We work directly with our neighborhood associations in providing type, you know, any type of technical assistance or the recognition of a neighborhood association.

But in order to provide these recommendations today, it requires three separate departments and working with them in order to ensure that we provide quality projects.

So we have the parks and recreation department, and they make the feasibility determination on projects in city parks and trails.

We have our streets and maintenance department, and they make feasibility determinations on projects within city streets, medians, and curbs, and then our capital improvement department, which they determine the financial and design feasibility after the approval of the recommendations.

Capital improvement takes over the process in the actual implementation.

So just to go over the neighborhood improvement program timeline.

Following the voter approval, we spent a significant time in redesigning the NIP process.

We did this within feedback from previous funding rounds and then input from our neighborhood associations.

In spring of 2024, we launched the revamp application process and introduced the new NIP product catalog to help standardize the request and improve the project clarity.

Once applications were submitted, multiple departments, including our department, parks, streets and maintenance, and CID conducted feasibility site visits at each of the proposed locations to assess the project viability.

And today we're here with the recommendation of the council approval phase.

Project design will begin in 2026 with construction completion anticipated in 2029.

So just to go over the numbers again, five million dollars was approved by the community progress bond.

We divided those dollars amongst all eight representative districts, giving a total allocation of 625,000 for each representative district.

We received 72 applications with 11 and 11.5 million dollars worth of project requests.

And today we bring uh bring forth 28 project recommendations.

I also want to highlight something uh in partnership with our um capital improvement department.

Historically, we would have set aside 25 percent of our NIP funding for the engineering and design to support the project implementation.

There was 1.4 million dollars in cost savings from completed NIP projects under the 2012 Quality of Life Bond Projects.

These unspent quality of life NIP funds will help us cover engineering and design for the current round, and so this allowed us to have the complete entire five million dollars for implementation and didn't have to take any money for design.

Uh we're gonna combine the two to deliver the five million dollars.

And so I get into the award recommendations by district.

This is uh referred to as exhibit A within the resolution, and so the NIP award recommendations for district one.

There's a total project uh number of projects is seven.

District two, four projects, district three, four projects, district four, three projects, district five, two projects, district six, one project, district seven, four projects, and district eight, three projects.

So our next steps would we would contact all of the neighborhood associations following the approval.

Then CID will immediately begin working on design and the implementation, leading us to an anticipated uh construction completion date of 2029.

And with that, I'd take any questions.

Is there a motion to approve?

So thank you, Mayor, and thank you, Nicole and City Manager and all of the team for work on working on this.

Uh the NIP has been something that I've been following up ever since the voters did approve the five million in 2022.

And I know that some of the challenges in district five were the fact that there wasn't a lot of active neighborhood associations.

So when I knew that there was going to be $625,000 in each district, I wanted to ensure that we were able to uh keep that funding within the district.

And I'm very grateful I want to give a a great thank you to Miss Lucy Ampingo who's here today.

She's a president of the Upper East Side uh Association in District 5, which I you know I had a lot of communication with her and helped establish a neighborhood association.

Also Elmer uh Feich just left, but he's the president of the Dietra Bayes States Neighborhood Association also in district five that were created weeks before the uh deadline to submit for the NIP project, just because again, I wanted to ensure that the funding remained within the district.

And I just wanted to thank you and and thank the staff because I know how important um this is for the neighborhood associations in my district.

You know, they've been advocating for a lot of things, and I think themselves as someone who uh has the you know those roots within the neighborhood, um it was important for them to have that input.

So I'm very excited to support this item and I'm looking forward to you, you know, empowering our neighborhood associations even further.

Thank you, Representative.

Representative Rocha?

Thank you, Mayor, and thank you, Nicole, for uh meeting with me last week and kind of walking through this.

Uh I've been in touch with almost all neighborhood associations, I believe, um, except for one.

However, I know we have are they still here?

Is Julie Udias still here from Ralph Cloud?

She was here earlier.

And I know that this is something that each of the associations have been um wanting, they've been looking forward to.

I appreciate one thing that I didn't hear was the new scoring process that you have that in my opinion makes it equitable for being able to determine the projects.

Um was were the was that scoring provided to the associations in your conversations?

The individual scores, like the how they how they fared.

No, no, um, they can request or do an open records.

Yeah, we can we can talk about it as well.

It it's just more uh to try to make it as fair because I think there was some belief to some degree that that one association was favored over another or you know, so forth.

But um that presentation really helped me understand the holistic approach.

And so I want to thank you and your team and all the other departments that came together.

One to do the feasibility studies because out of doing that, out of all the ones, the projects that were submitted is uh is a it's a big effort and a big lift.

So thank you for doing that.

I know that there were some associations in my district that were ups disappointed, not really upset, but disappointed that their submissions didn't come to fruition, but that doesn't stop there.

You know, I know that um this particular program is definitely something that we're looking forward to in bringing that quality of life feel to four of the locations within within district three.

So thank you, Nicole, to you and your team and to all the other departments that helped out in not only doing the feasibility studies but having those conversations with the associations and you know coming to to the submissions and what we hope to adopt today.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Representative canalism.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um, yes, very happy with the improvement of the process.

I've seen several rounds of NIP now, and I think this is the the fairest process that we've ever uh put forward.

So thank you for making those changes.

Um I know you mentioned the varying numbers of projects by district.

I I think it's important to clarify.

Can you run through very quickly the total estimated cost in each district?

Yes, because those are those are equivalent.

So while the regardless of the number of projects.

Correct.

So while there are varying uh differences in how many projects a district is getting, each district will receive the same amount of funding.

So the the total investment within each district is six hundred and twenty-five thousand.

Thank you.

And then um I think just a message to the applicants in my district there were many.

So the ones who who unfortunately are not the recommended projects um who I anticipate the council will approve today I think it's important to note that we I and I think the departments also are remain committed to trying to find ways to uh improve what they submitted and and get those projects ready in a different way.

I think they're all valuable projects for the communities.

Unfortunately it's a limited amount of funds and we we had to go through this process to to select but uh I want folks to understand we we remain committed to helping them make those a reality into the future.

So thank you.

Yes thank you.

Representative Trejo thank you mayor.

Nicole thank you for uh and your department and all the other departments for putting this and bringing this forth and helping uh create change in quality of life in El Paso.

Also I want to thank all the neighborhood associations that participated in this and and took the time to submit the applications.

I want to thank you for caring about our community for advocating for helping create positive change within the Northeast with your voice and I also want to congratulate all those who rewarded thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you Nicole representative thank you mayor thank you so much for all your team's time investment uh in district six um I I have to share with everybody Nicole spent a lot of time um holding our hand helping us fill out the application helping us uh choose some of the items that that the the park needed and so we have a very very happy uh neighborhood association hopefully in the near future we'll have more neighborhood associations but but this is uh great and thank you for you and all your team for everything you did for us thank you sir thank you mayor and Nicole I just echo everything that my colleagues are saying and I know that NIP has been difficult there's there's a lot of emotions that go into NIP.

And with 11 and a half million dollars worth of requests but five million dollars in the bank it makes it difficult to move forward.

Yeah absolutely and and I think it also is a great exercise for our neighborhood associations to really come together and submit something for consideration that they want to see within the area that they live and I think that's why I love NIP so much and I know there's also the the thing of oh well the criteria didn't work let's improve it and you went and did that and um I I think there was still going to be motions no matter what happened in terms of process but I I was pleased with the process overall um when it comes down to my district we had 11 submissions three of them were not feasible and then there was eight that were scored right and so can you explain a little bit on what not feasible means so the eligibility criteria requires that the first off it needs to be submitted by a neighborhood association.

So if somebody submitted an application they're given the opportunity to form the neighborhood association in advance of today's meeting so provided that they uh form then they're eligible but without a recognized neighborhood association that's considered not feasible it also needs to be on a city uh owned right of way and then budget is also in consideration so if there was a capital intensive project that exceeded the six hundred and twenty five thousand dollar per district allotment we didn't consider that feasible as well okay thank you for that clarification and as I was looking through the four projects that were selected for being awarded in my district I was having some conversations with some of these neighborhood associations and for example we we discussed in my office how Valverde and Barrio Lincoln Park had both said they wanted security cameras and security cameras is not really a feasible thing and I kind of wanted you to explain why they're not feasible.

Yes in consultation with the parks department the their recommendation is that is provided that a recreation center or staff is attached to the certain location that allows better management of cameras and so the security cameras always work best when there's staff or somebody able to to monitor them at a park where their staff is not necessarily assigned um you know to man the park eight to five it makes it very difficult to actually it makes it less feasible so the recommendation was uh to provide security cameras at uh recreation centers over parks okay thank you for that clarification and so as I'm seeing um the Central Neighborhood Association they received the the most money out of all the projects and I talked to Barrio Lincoln Park as well and butterlink um agreed that it was okay to not move forward with their project their their biggest thing was this was the third thing on their list having benches and their their focus is really more on solar lights and

Thank you for that clarification.

And so as I'm seeing um central neighborhood association, they received the the most money out of all the projects.

And um I talked to Barrio Lincoln Park as well, and Barrio Lincoln Park um agreed that it was okay to not move forward with their project.

Their their biggest thing was this was the third thing on their list having benches and their their focus is really more on solar lights and security cameras, and we're gonna work through that a little bit more.

So um I also talked to the Central Neighborhood Association and we had good conversations, they were here earlier for public comment, and I explained the situation that happened with the Mountainside Neighborhood Association, where um I I think with some the application could have been a little strengthened.

There was a key piece that was left out by the neighborhood association, and that was the contributions that Judy Ackerman has had in that area, and she she was a trailblazer for open space, played a huge role in making Casting Arrange a national monument.

And this this would be a big project that would help um this neighborhood honor her legacy, and unfortunately that was left out, and so put us in this position that we're in here today.

And so through my conversations with um Barrio Lincoln Park Central Neighborhood Association, I I did want to make a floor amendment to this.

Okay.

Um I wouldn't have done this without consulting the neighborhood associations that were awarded.

Um, so they know that this is happening.

They were happy um to kind of figure something else out and um at least Barrio Lincoln Park.

Um we'll work on on something else.

And then Central Neighborhood Association said, you know, we're we have a whole plan, we we're happy to do this, um, you know, kind of share it around.

And so um what I I want to do here is the other thing that I wanted to consider is that my district is in three parts.

It's the Northeast, Central, and South Central.

And the Northeast, as my colleague um that I get to share with the Northeast with she hears it, Representative Boyer Trejo, you know, the Northeast never gets anything.

And as I was looking at that and having the Northeast omit it from any any project that gave me um some heartburn.

And so because of all those reasons, I I want to move to amend exhibit A with the following changes.

One Central Neighborhood Association, Grandview Park reduce the total project budget from 439,000 to 395,000.

Two, Barrio Lincoln Neighborhood Association, Lincoln Park, omit the proposed project and the amount of $33,000.

Three, Mountainsite Neighborhood Association, Stony Hill Drive, add a new project consisting of a walking trail with striping along the street site beginning at Alabama and extending to Stony Hill Drive with a pr project estimate of 77,000 dollars.

All right, we have an amendment on the floor.

Is there a second?

Second.

Okay.

And I sent you the language, Ms.

Pride.

We have an amendment.

We had a second, Ms.

Prime.

Any discussion on you might we gotta read this one back though.

It was and I and I'll forward it to Council so you can see it.

There's only three, correct?

Three changes.

Yeah, so it's it's um taking away money from one project and then defunding one project, and then taking that collective and adding it to one of the projects that wasn't on the list that did not make it forward on the list but was considered.

So I have two amends exhibit A with the following changes.

Number one, Central Appraisal Association Grandview Park reduce the total project budget from 439,000 to 395,000.

Number two, Barrio Lincoln Neighborhood Association Lincoln Park omit the proposed project in the amount of 33,000 dollars, and number three mountainside neighborhood association, Stony Hill Drive, add a new project consisting of a walking trail trail with striping along the street site beginning at Alabama and extending to Stony Hill Drive with a project estimate of 77,000 dollars.

Okay.

Is there a discussion on this amendment?

Represent Canales.

Thank you, Mayor.

Just to clarify, is the the project that's being added, was that an originally submitted project by a neighborhood association that was not selected?

Correct.

Okay.

So that's already priced out.

Staff has already done the work for estimation and stability has been completed, yes.

Okay, thank you.

Okay.

Any more discussion on this amendment?

All right, Ms.

Brian, call for this vote.

Yes, sir.

And so the motion was made by Representative Acevedo, seconded by Mayor Pro Tem Chavez.

And this is to amend the resolution on item 68 as previously read into the record on that motion.

Call for the vote.

And the voting session.

And that motion passes unanimously.

Alternate Mayor Potem Pietro not present.

All right, back on the main motion.

Representative Chavez.

Thank you, Mary.

And thank you, Nicole, for this presentation.

And the reason why I specifically have been waiting so much for the results of this is because this is where I want to spend some of my discretionary funds.

And here again is going to be an opportunity for me to hopefully, you know, partner with parks and rec, streets and maintenance and others at the city so that we can definitely make a bigger investment into district one.

So I'm I'm you know uh aware of the fact that things cost more money now than they did in 2022 when the when the bond was passed.

But uh I do think that there has been a lot of work put into this, and this is you know a great overall result, you know, in terms of trying to get the the biggest bank for our buck type of thing and trying to distribute that I know took a lot of work.

Again, you know, being able to fund seven projects, you know, not all of them in their entirety, I understand, but you know, still trying to distribute those funds around the district.

I know was challenging, and so I appreciate the work that you've put into it.

And I look forward to seeing these come to fruition.

Do we have a timeline more or less when you think these will be completed?

Uh Yvette says 2029.

2029.

Estimated 2029?

Yes.

Yes, okay.

Well, I'm sure I'm sure it will be in phases and you know, in different in different for different reasons depending on the the scope of work.

So thank you once again, Nicole.

Representative Lamont.

Thank you.

I I just looked over to the mayor and said 2029, right before I'm done.

That'll be the end of my my term.

Nicole, thank you very much.

I think that this is really a uh a fabulous project.

Um I am very pleased with the amenities that are coming to district seven.

It's it's a shame that so many of the pickleball uh enthusiasts have already left the building, but they were all here and really commenting on on the limited number of pickleball courts in our city.

So we will end up having two at Argyle Park and then two at the Ralph Cloud um park as well.

And I know that there was one person here today, and I can really I can tell you that I empathize.

So Mr.

Delamantes, I'm not sure if he's even still here, but um I uh we have limited limited uh discretionary money, but I know exactly the area that he's talking about, and I will be working with him and the community.

Um I will begin pretty soon uh um undertaking a master gardener course for the year, and that's gonna be one of my focuses that we can do something out in that area.

So he's the one that came forward today and certainly will be looking to see how we can uh kind of close a little bit of gap that he's been working on for so many years.

So Nicole, thank you for all the work that you all have done and the leadership that you've undertaken in all the different groups.

Really appreciate the work.

Yeah, Nicole, um hearing from our youth earlier about the quality of life.

I want to join their neighborhood association, yeah.

Yeah, uh so the neighborhood improvement program is something that's good for all of El Paso and to hear pickleball courts, ping pong tables, chess tables, landscaping, solar lights, cameras, it goes on and on, and it goes across uh the city of El Paso and the amounts as Representative Canales mentioned are pretty much even through each district.

So congratulations on getting this done.

But we have to vote on it.

I just have one.

Uh Representative.

Mayor.

I just have a question because when I was looking at the different um sheets, and and then it was even reiterated right now.

Why it's hard for me to imagine how a bench is at a cost of eleven thousand dollars.

So uh and I can have Ivet uh explain further if I don't do this justice.

And I can understand that you're gonna have to put you know concrete or something.

Irrigation modifications and and other considerations.

So each each park dependent on the site conditions would require uh different assessments.

And and and yeah, you bet if you can add anything else to it.

I think eleven thousand dollars for one park bench seems like a bit high.

Good morning, Mayor and Council um Iberadnanda, the city manager's office.

Um one of the things with being a public entity, we need to make sure that all the contractors adhere to the bacon Davis wages, and so not only the material but also the cost for labor does increase more than if a builder was to put one in on a park during their land development.

So that does um attribute to some of the cost increases.

Perhaps something we would need to work on.

There's got to be a way.

There's gotta be a better way because the city can't continue to pay exorbitant prices for commodities or for things.

You would think we would get a better price, not a higher price.

But we'll talk about it another time.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Representative Fierra.

Yeah, thank you, Mayor.

Uh, on that project uh on the park bench, isn't it three benches?

Uh which project are we talking about?

33 minutes.

Okay.

I think I might question answer.

I got I got my question answer.

Oh thank you.

All right, we'll get uh Miss Prime, call for the vote.

We have public comment, sure.

Yes, we have Jose Luis Salas.

Thank you.

Teresa Seele.

She's not there.

Followed by Sylvia Carrion, Fred Evans, Patricia Osman, Teresa Seeley.

No.

So let's put it up.

Let's carrion.

Are we still in morning?

No, go after you.

Good afternoon.

Silvia Carrion, the present president of the Mission Valley Civic Association, and I come to request my NIP project was for shades covering the children's playground at Capistrano Park, located in the Isleta district.

We requested these shades for the playground along with shades for bleach or baseball bleachers back in 2020 through a CDBG grant.

Our project was awarded, but the representative at the time was district six, did not approve our project since they she lost the area to redistricting.

After a long battle with city staff, um our request for the shades for the bleachers was completed in 2023, but not the playground that that was left out.

We applied for the NIP uh in January of 2025.

The city accepted our original signatures, which is 144 signatures that we used from the 2020 bomb uh project.

Our request of the playground shade was not accepted for this for this year.

If you look at the projects awarded for all the districts, many requested landscaping exercise equipment, solar lighting, security cameras, pickleball courts, and other activities that did not include shade.

We are requesting protection, we are requesting protection for the from the sun for the children.

They go to the playground.

But sometimes they can't play because it's too hot.

I also noted that the Ralph G.

Cloud Neighborhood Association was awarded two projects, one in district three and one in district seven.

On page six of this presentation, they show a 1.4 million dollars savings from the completed NIP projects out of the 2012 bond.

I spoke with Ms.

Nicole Rodriguez about the money.

She's um stated that it was for engineering or something like that cost.

Um design, you we already know what uh shade cost should be looked like.

I think this money could be used to try and help me with Capistrano.

This is the last run of the NIPs for 20 from the 2012 bond.

We will not be able to apply for a playground shade again.

All of these projects from every district is still pending approval from this council.

And I pray that you please consider the playground of Capistrano Park.

You know, we're not gonna get another chance.

There is a million four hundred thousand, and whether it's design cost or whatever it costs, I think we can look in like the what sorry, we have a hot mic.

I apologize for that.

I get 10 seconds more.

No, that's okay.

No, but really, yeah, you know, the kids really need the shade.

They have the trees out there and everything, but the that doesn't have a shade.

Thank you.

Thank you.

The next speaker is Fred Evans, followed by Patricia Osman.

Lucy Ellen Pingle.

Good afternoon.

Afternoon, I'm Fred Evans.

I'm the president of the Five Points Development Association.

We're the second oldest neighborhood association in El Paso for 39 years, nearly 40 years.

We've been advocating for businesses and residents in the Five Points area.

Five Points area is a large area.

It runs from Cotton Street on the west all the way to U.S.

54 on the east from the freeway all the way up to the railroad tracks and takes the curb with the railroad tracks and goes up to where Pershing becomes Dyer Street on the toward the gate, the Persian Gate.

It's a large area.

In that in that entire area, we have the Mary Webb Park and the Leona Washington Recreation Center down on Missouri Street, uh close to the freeway.

There's nothing else.

There are three little parks that are on Waco Street, ironically, and they're all within about five blocks of each other.

They're small neighborhood parks.

Austin Park, probably most people know it's a triangle where Waco and Montana meet.

Uh it's a nice little park.

I've walked it uh when I was a little boy, we went through to church ice cream socials and things where I found memories of it.

But there's nothing in it.

I mean, there are trees there, but there are no benches, there are no tables, there's no equipment, there's nothing there.

So what we requested was two covered tables and two benches so that people could sit there and enjoy that park.

It needs more work, it needs a tree replaced and some lighting, and I've spoken to parks about looking at that.

We're uh grateful for being selected to get this far in the process, and we certainly hope that the council will approve this expenditure uh because we we have nothing in the other parks either, and it's something I think is a needed amenity.

I have to say that I share Representative Lamone's uh surprise at the cost because we asked for two each, we got one each, we're grateful for that, but the cost for a covered table and a bench is 103,000.

And I'm a little surprised, but um if if we qualify again, I'm happy we appreciate we appreciate being selected.

I would also like to recognize Tracy Carter, one of our members who uh spearheaded this project, got out and got the signatures, met with the parks people, did a tremendous job with it.

She wasn't able to be here today, and I agree to speak for.

So again, once again, uh thank you for the opportunity, and we would ask for your vote.

Thank you.

Thank you, Fred.

Next speaker is Patricia Osmond, followed by Lucille Pingo and Nadia Antowan.

Really quick, if I could ask my district Brett, Mr.

Acevedo, if you could clarify um the walking path on Alabama, that's basically on magnetic, right?

And it's gonna go from like Fred Wilson.

Alabama is on Fred Wilson.

No, it's on it's on Stony Hill.

So off of Alabama from Alabama all the way to the top of Sunny Hill.

Stony Hill is exactly where.

Right before Alabama turns into magnetic.

Okay.

I thought Morningside was a little further where you had your uh fall festival, but it must be mistaken because I know there's no walking path on magnetic and it really does need it.

So I was someone appreciated if that was the case, but it's not, so that's fine.

Um but like another speaker had had pointed out, there is an issue with uh neighborhood services in regards to how the associations are put together, how they're managed and so forth.

It took me a very long time to actually take over the association in my area because for over four years nobody could get a hold of the previous person that had control of it.

Our repasavedo couldn't do it for me.

It took a lot of wrangling for me to finally be able to get that guy to commit to stepping down because he was not answering calls, he wasn't doing anything for over four years, so that I could, but I wasn't able to do it in time to apply for any of these projects.

He wasn't doing anything for over four years, so that I could, but I wasn't able to do it in time to apply for any of these projects.

So I hope our area does get something later on.

Although there's a park, which is Newman Park, has no representation whatsoever, and I've been I had spoken to see if that could be part of our area since I butt up against that.

And I butt up against five points as well.

Um just so you know, I I do I do appreciate some of the work at Grandview, but you should know that there's a video out there that has over 112,500 views of a lost hidden skate park built right behind what the old Dairy Queen was, and nobody really services it other than like the roller derby girls.

It's you know, some of us there in the area that kind of into skating.

Um that actually brings people to to the city, and that that is like it's a very well-known video out there in a very no well populated community in the skater community.

And I'm saying like roller skating, not just skateboarding or what have you, uh, just as much as pickaball is.

So if you could do something for that area, that'd be great.

Thank you.

The next speaker is Lucia Umpingo, followed by Nadia Antowan.

Good afternoon.

Good afternoon, Mayor, City Council, City Manager, everybody.

My name is Lucy Ampinkle, and I'm the president of the Upper East Neighborhood Association.

I'm here to ask today to ask your approval for my NIP request application ending in 5170.

It's for the minor park.

Um if you could all please approve that.

The reason I'm asking is because when I got the email from neighborhood services, they said it was recommended, but didn't really say it was going to be approved, so I'm here to ask for your approval.

We are a new community in the Far East.

All our parks there don't have anything.

We have maybe a playground, but we're lacking so many things, the trees and just everything because it's a new community, so that's why I'm asking to see my request was for a basketball court at Miners Park, you know, back in 1960 something, they were the Southwestern University, and all the streets around there are uh the names of the basketball players, Willie Cager, Togo Riley, all of them.

So when we when I came across the miners park, it doesn't even have a basketball court.

So everybody, all of the neighbors around there were saying it's called Miners Park, but there's not even a basketball court for the kids to play, and all our parks in that area.

I'm in charge of like 15 parks, so if I could just get this one with uh Elisa basketball court and the other items that I'm requesting, I would really appreciate it.

And um the trees, um, if they could put trees that actually give shade, a lot of the trees are just ornamental.

So we need a lot of trees that actually will give shade 10 years from now.

Thank you.

Thank you.

The final speaker is Nadia Antoine.

Good afternoon.

Good afternoon.

Um good afternoon, council members.

I have to read off because I get nervous, but uh my name is Nadia Antoine.

I'm the co-chair for the Franklin Neighborhood Association and serve on the neighborhood coalition board representative uh representing the Northwest area.

I understand this was the last year for the NIP, and that's why the budget was 600,000 versus the 100,000 that has been in past years.

So it sounds like it's a lot of money, but really it's only this year that it's been a lot of money.

Previously, we've been begging for a hundred thousand dollars per district.

Just want to reiterate that.

In all these years, neighborhood associations met with city staff, multiple departments, including parks, streets, and neighborhood services to discuss possible projects.

We spend time meeting with our associations, collecting signatures, begging for pee-ly amounts of dollars.

Today I want to introduce the El Paso Improvement Plan.

Sorry, I get nervous.

Um, where it's not only the citizens that fund improvements, but those who owe it to the citizens to have a quality of life that their customers and El Paso citizens deserve.

We need to require that builders and developers put it put in and put into their plans to have equip parks, safety features instead of requiring for us to beg to beg for after the fact.

I invite you to look at the catalog that that was provided to us.

The costs are ridiculous.

Thank you for pointing that out, Miss Limon.

They are above and beyond.

I assume the city has to use approved vendors where builders are not so um, but builders are not confined to those those vendors.

While I congratulate Enchanted Hills in our district one for the 300,000 dollars that they just received for the park for equipping their parks, they are a brand new development, and that should have been required of the developer.

There's no reason that we come in after the fact and now put in equipment into the park.

That should have been part of the requirements of the developer.

Um sorry.

Um I understand that there may be new requirements of the new developments, but it's so frustrating that this always comes after the fact, always too little too late.

El Paso.

I still don't know or believe that sufficient requirements have been determined on the new developments.

Let's use those city department reps and citizens from neighborhood associations to help determine what is truly needed of new developments so that the burden is taken off of us in the future and can be addressed when the development comes into place.

Maybe we need to require all those developers who have benefited off the backs of citizens to fund the parks.

They they should have developed in the first place.

We can increase fees or consider other options, but what has been done so far has failed us.

Let's start the El Paso improvement plan and demand better of the builders and developers that make money off the backs of El Paso citizens and often sadly fund your campaigns and require you to vote against the citizens.

You are supposed to serve.

So I hope this will be considered and that we put the burden back on the developers who are making money off these areas.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Mayor, that concludes public comment on this item.

Representative Nino.

Thank you, Mayor.

And I think this is I don't know if this is a question or request.

I know that when I got briefed, I also asked about the cost, you know, in 2029.

Since the projects are essentially could be completed in 2029.

I asked if there was inflation or any uh costs that were taking into account when it we were gonna be executing these projects.

But if there's a way to look into the smaller scale projects that could essentially be done in a much quicker process to have some cost savings and and you know if there is any cost savings looking into for their uh collaboration with those neighborhoods associations to see if they could be additional amenities that could be added to those parks.

I think that would be appreciated.

Um just because like I said, I I know that you know we don't know what anything is gonna cost by 2029, even five million dollars when this was approved.

We could have possibly done a lot of other projects, but I just want to take that into if you guys could take that into account and consideration.

Yes, and everything listed is a project estimate.

The money, the 625,000, the investment will remain 625,000.

So if a project comes in under budget, we'll use it for uh additional amenities.

Um so the investment amount 625,000 will remain in your all's district and in the districts and the project site locations that are included.

We include the project estimates as a basis to get to the 625,000 investment.

So I hope that clarifies that.

Thank you for that.

Thank you.

All right, Miss Brian call for the vote.

Yes, Mayor, the motion was made by representative Limon, secondary by alternate mayor pro tempierror to approve the resolution as revised on that motion.

Call for the vote.

Okay, the voting session, and that motion passes unanimously.

All right, Miss Prime, I know I said we're going to take items 48, 49, and 50, but I'm feeling energy here that we need a five-minute break because they've been sitting for four hours.

So if we can have five minutes, we're gonna come back and move these to the top.

We need a motion to recess to these five minutes.

There's a motion and a second to recess for five minutes.

All in favor?

Aye.

Anyone opposed?

The meeting is in recess at 109 p.m.

The Mayor Pro Tem Chavez All right, Miss Brian.

Council, is there a motion to reconvene?

There's a motion and a second to reconvene.

The council meeting, all in favor?

Aye.

Anyone opposed?

The meeting is back in session at 122 p.m.

We are on page number 16.

Mayor, you said items 48, 49, and 50.

Yes.

Since they're related, I'll read them into the record.

Item 48 is a public hearing of an ordinance amending and replacing in its entirety the following provisions of the El Paso City Code, Title 20, zoning, chapter 10, supplemental use regulation, section 035, accessory dwelling unit ADU to update requirements for accessory dwelling units.

Item 49 is a public hearing of an ordinance amending and replacing in its entirety the following provisions of Paso City Code Title 20 zoning, chapter 20.02, general provisions and definitions, article two definitions, and item 50 is a public hearing of an ordinance amending Title 20, zoning chapter 14, off-street parking, loading, and storage standards.

Article 1, vehicular parking, Section 50 parking requirements and standards, and section 70 parking reductions to remove off-street parking requirements for development located in set certain areas of the city.

Good morning, Alex.

Sorry.

Good afternoon.

Good afternoon.

Alex Huffman with Urban Planning and Design for the Record.

Okay.

I'm joined today by my colleague Daniela Cassada, who will also be giving a portion of this presentation.

Okay.

So these items that are before you today are part of uh overarching housing strategy for the city.

And these strategies come out of approved and adopted master plans.

And we have two that were adopted by City Council in 2022 and 2023 being the Alameda Corridor Plan and then the downtown uptown and surrounding neighborhoods master plan.

And the goal here today, and what this starts is the implementation process of those approved master plans.

The overarching strategies as part of those master plans really focuses on housing.

And so the amendments that are presented today and that will follow in future phases really focus on increasing housing production, with the following outcomes being our goal.

First is to address housing affordability, second is housing choice, third is to reduce and remove barriers to development, and then fourth to reinvest in priority areas.

The actions before council today do not solve these problems.

It is one of many solutions that are being proposed to help address these things.

So the overarching reason that we're looking at these things is first is uh to look at um the amount of money that is needed to support construction costs.

Uh rents are a reflection of construction costs, and so we need to make sure that we help support projects that work that pencil.

Second is that we need to look at housing affordability specifically by increasing housing supply.

And so uh off-street parking requirements and accessory dwelling units again are two ways that we can help to increase housing supply in our city.

And third is uh to address the the market demand.

Uh so we looked at uh as part of the downtown uptown plan, uh, what type of uh residential development and then the uses that come alongside of that is possible over the next several years, and it identified the opportunity to capture 10,000 housing units, the majority of which will be located uh south of Interstate 10, but it's looking at the entire master plan area.

So the way that we're proposing to address this is by looking at the code amendments that are before us today.

Again, these are targeted, they're they're in fill.

Um we're not necessarily looking at making changes uh to increase housing supply citywide.

And like we mentioned that as part of these changes, this is just the first phase of multiple phases to help bring forward some additional items that will help address the housing related issues.

So just take a step back and give a little bit of context as to why we're talking about housing, is first to talk a little bit about how uh there's a significant need for low-income housing and a housing in general throughout our city.

So this is an article that recently just came out where it identified that the housing authority has a wait list currently of a hundred thousand people uh needing affordable housing.

Second is that we recently received as part of our comprehensive plan our housing needs assessment, and the box that's highlighted at the bottom identifies the city's existing housing shortage.

So right now we're short about 18,000 units in the city, the majority of which are rental units.

Uh, to give a little bit of context to these numbers, we need to triple our production of housing for the next 12 years to catch up just to the baseline.

And so there's a significant housing shortage.

This housing shortage then is reflected by housing affordability.

And this is uh the red line being represented the percent of income uh that is eaten up by housing costs, and we can see that even though there's this perception that El Paso is an affordable market, we've been teetering that line of housing affordability where after the pandemic it has accelerated and is significantly uh above that line, where people right now are spending on a median uh basis 45% of their income when we include things like property taxes, interest, and then of course their payment.

So, how do we get there?

How do we look at ways to produce additional housing units?

There's really two different approaches that we propose.

Uh the first of which is to legalize much of what is existing.

And so when we say that, what we mean is that we're going to propose a series of quick fixes like the ones before council today that help to loosen existing requirements to help facilitate more growth, more development, more housing.

And then secondarily, a longer term goal is looking at things like creating new tools, and so that could be in the form of uh density bonus programs, it could be in the form of uh new zoning districts that facilitate development that currently is not permitted in the city.

But again, we're really focused on that first, which is legalize much of what is existing because this is the lowest common denominator.

This is how we can get there in the most incremental way possible.

And so this is the proposed phasing of the project.

Again, we're only here today discussing phase one, which is definitions, off-street parking requirements, and accessory dwelling units.

But for full transparency, these are other items that we're going to be looking at to otherwise support this housing goal that we have for the city and for our residents.

So the reason that we're really focused on this area is today for the parking requirements is because again, this is where we have adopted master plans.

So the areas in blue are representing where we have approved master plans on the books.

The area in green is our older areas of the city, which were developed prior to the city having zoning regulations.

And so when we talk about how do we create flexibility and why we're focusing on these areas, the reason that we focus on these areas is because what is on the ground today does not match our code in terms of the requirements.

It has never met the requirements of the code because it was developed prior to us having zoning.

And so, really, what we're trying to do is to focus and create new tools to create flexibility where there currently is very little for staff to do anything administratively.

So the first uh change that we're proposing is the off-street parking requirements.

And so the reason that off-street parking requirements are an important part of this conversation is because with any particular parcel or land, there is a series of trade-offs, and that's because our parking requirements are based on the square footage of buildings, or in the case of residential, uh, it's the number of units.

And there gets to a point where uh a building can't be any larger because of what ends up getting capped out with the amount of space that's required for off-street parking requirements.

We also have landscape requirements, and so you get to a point again where you can't do anything else with existing property without looking at parking requirements.

And so, how this plays out is uh in this slide, we can see that with something as simple as a fourplex, our code currently requires two spaces per unit.

So we would have to have eight parking spaces per ordinance.

And as we start to delegate more and more space for off-street parking, we can see that the land area that is required increases at the same time that density is decreasing.

And so, within the context of our study area, again for the downtown, uptown, and surrounding neighborhoods master plan, a particular parcel of land would have to be 8,600 square feet in order to accommodate enough off-street parking to support something like a quadplex.

We can see that only 26% of all parcels within our study area could actually support that amount of space.

The trade-off there is going to be that absent looking at something like parking requirements, what is there today will be there until there's some other type of flexibility granted to these properties.

What's there is going to be locked in perpetuity unless we make modifications.

So, to talk about an example very specifically, uh, we can see that this is a development application that was before city council.

This was the Noestress and Yora project.

Again, making that connection to that need for additional affordable housing units.

This particular project called for 133 units, and that's what the left part of the slide shows.

Parking occupied about 25% of the site.

Now, because of opposition to the request that uh was looking at reducing the parking requirements, the number of units dropped from 133 down to 80, so a net loss of 53 housing units at the same time that parking area increased uh to 50% of the site.

And in this instance, this is uh is a clear example of how our parking requirements end up reducing the number of housing units that are possible on it on a given site.

So the reason that we're talking about eliminating parking minimums again is because the downtown plan that was adopted by uh city council looked at the opportunity to increase housing within the study area with by 10,000 housing units.

And again, the majority of those are located within the core, again south of interstate 10.

And so, what that does is that it allows for space that would otherwise be reserved for off-street parking to instead be used for housing units.

So the change that we're proposing uh primarily affects the areas that are going to be north of Interstate 10.

Today there is no requirement for off-street parking south of the of the highway and downtown.

And so to make that recommendation, what we started was looking at how much parking currently exists within the study area.

So there's right now about 14,000 parking spaces, the majority of which are on street.

We have additional private lots and then off-street parking that's part of commercial development with the total of about 27,000 parking spaces.

The typical street within our study area is about 70 feet, and per our city code, they are required to provide on-street parking.

And so, to help support the recommendation, what was done was that we did a parking occupancy study between October 2023 and February 2024, and for context, we did the study back then because this was part of a recommendation that was going to city council last year.

And we analyzed this area between Rim, Kansas, north to Baltimore, and then west to Mesa.

And the reason that we analyzed this particular corridor is because the original boundary included all of these streets.

Since that time, we have since moved the boundary further west, but that is why those particular streets were analyzed.

We did take into account that we wanted to make sure we're getting all the parking calculations when UTEP was in session, recognizing that they're a major driver or those students are a major driver of parking demand.

And so what do we find?

Again, looking at average daily utilization rates, we found that for the most part parking occupancy is at or below 30%.

There were a few exceptions to that, one of which was Cincinnati, about 70%.

And then Boston and Kirby were which were just a tad above 30%.

The red line across the top is what we call a target occupancy rate.

So that means that there's one space available at all times.

And so what we see here in this graphic is that on a typical day, averaged across all hours of the day, we can find at least one parking space on all of the streets where we are proposed where we were proposing to reduce the parking requirements.

So what happens if the market assessment that had identified all of this development?

Um what happens if there is no change to the off-street parking requirements?

So this area in purple here is the amount of space that off-street parking would consume with 10,000 housing units, 145,000 square feet of retail, and 290,000 square feet of office.

It would be 54 city blocks of nothing but surface parking.

So with that, I'm going to hand it off to Daniela Cesado, who's going to be covering accessory dwelling units.

Good afternoon, Mayor and Council Daniela Casada for Urban Planning and Design for the record.

So we're going to start the conversation about accessory dwelling units with the images that you see right now on the screen.

These are existing conditions in our urban core in the older neighborhoods, as my colleague mentioned, when uh or prior to the zoning restrictions that currently don't allow the accessory dwelling units as you see them in the images, right up against the rear or side property lines.

And in our proposed amendments, what we're trying to do is make it easier for the conversion of existing accessory structures that find themselves in these conditions and for the rest of the city to also embrace this type of neighborhood character.

So this is a list of the overview.

I'm sorry, this is the overview of the proposed changes.

And one, the last one is just a clarification.

So as we see the proposed amendments, we're making first for ADUs to be allowed in all residential districts.

That means that not only in single family residential lots, but also in multifamily.

So for example, a property that has uh five plaques or a six plex and has additional land to provide an additional unit because the ADU allows one more unit under these proposed amendments would be allowed by right.

Uh to accompany this amendment, we're also proposing that the owner occupancy requirement be removed, understanding that in said uh multifamily properties, it's very likely the owner does not reside.

So these are accompanying proposed amendments.

The next amendment we're proposing is to the minimum lot requirement for the ADU.

There's already a base zoning minimum lot requirement, and so all we're proposing is that we stick to that.

So whatever the base zoning minimum lot requirement is, that's going to be the same one for the ADU.

The next is bedrooms.

Currently, there is a cap on bedrooms for ADUs to just one.

We're proposing to create more flexibility for property owners to decide along with their designers how many bedrooms they could fit in accordance with the existing cap sizes to the ADUs as well as to the fire safety requirements that come along with the building permitting process.

So, in other words, we're not going to dictate, we're going to allow flexibilities for homeowners to have that option.

And then the the other, or the last excuse me, um, amendment we're proposing is to the rear and side setbacks to be reduced to zero.

Um, important to note though is that currently the rear lot setback can already be allowed to be zero in properties that are butt and alley.

What we're doing is extending that flexibility to the rest of the city as ADUs are allowed in the entire city currently.

The side yard line would be the proposed amendment that would apply as a new amendment.

And that being allowed to be reduced to zero.