El Paso City Council Regular Meeting - September 16, 2025
El Paso City Council Regular Meeting - September 16, 2025
On September 16, 2025, the El Paso City Council met in regular session from 10:01 a.m. to 2:01 p.m., with a lunch recess from 12:30 p.m. to 1:31 p.m. The meeting included proclamations, public comments, consent agenda approval, and several discussion and action items. All votes were unanimous unless noted.
Proclamations
- In Her Element Foundation – Recognizing Hispanic Heritage Month (September) and the foundation’s work empowering Latinas.
- Communities en Acción – 15th anniversary and awarding the 2025 Latino Legacy Award to Dr. Richard Castro.
- Lincoln Park Day – Celebrating the 21st annual event on September 21, 2025, at Lincoln Park, featuring murals, music, and cultural activities.
- Edgar Scissorhands Day – Honoring barber Edgar Guerrero for his sensory-friendly haircut services for children with autism.
Consent Calendar
- Approved minutes of August 19, 2025, September 3, 2025, and the September 2, 2025 Work Session.
- Approved resolutions for environmental services on-call agreement with WSP USA ($500,000), interlocal agreement for P25 radio system, 2025 City Employees Charitable Campaign guidelines, reappointment of Tanny Berg to Central Appraisal District, appointments to Downtown Management District and various boards, and purchase order increases for security services at international bridges and museums.
- Noted discretionary fund expenditures for July 21–August 20, 2025.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Denise LaBeouf, James Ashby, Terry Ashby, Sammy Hubbard, John Strickland, Elaine Prickett (Rio Grande Honor Flight) – Spoke about the transformative healing experience for veterans, especially Vietnam War veterans, through trips to Washington, D.C. They requested continued community support and noted guardians pay $1,200 each to accompany veterans.
- Mustafa Rifai, Rico Velasquez, Mia Refai – Opposed the proposed Piedras Street closure and beautification project, citing lack of community consultation, harm to small businesses (Rico’s Dewey’s Corner Pub generated over $7.6 million in sales), and non-urgent nature of water line repairs. Requested delay and better communication.
- Elizabeth Crawford – Linked abortion and suicide, advocating for life and noting higher suicide rates among post-abortion women.
- Claudia Contreras Siller, Ron Como, Chris Velez, Barbara Valencia, Wanda Helgeson, Rob Campion, Eric Barbosa, Christian Tercios, Lisa Turner, Daniel Deanda – Topics included animal services (desire for new director, transparency, trap-neuter-return program, independent audit), termination of a ground lease at the airport for Border Rack (emergency preparedness), wage disparity for PCSI workers at the airport (earning $10–$11/hr vs. city minimum $15.75), school violence prevention forum, and an update on Montana Avenue construction (not a city project).
Discussion Items
- Item 20 – Lincoln Park Vehicle Ordinance – Amended to strike requirements for vehicle list and insurance proof, and to remove “at least two weeks” for walkthrough. Approved unanimously.
- Item 21 – FSW Investments Entitlement Amendment – Approved to allow a 45-acre sale to Texas DPS for a regional headquarters, retaining 300 jobs, adding 200 new jobs, and creating 1,500 temporary construction jobs with an $18 million indirect economic impact.
- Item 22 – Adopt-a-Street Program – Approved direction to return within 60 days with recommendations for a program modeled on TxDOT’s Adopt-a-Highway, including options for parks and spots.
- Item 23 – Urban Waters Federal Partnership (UWFP) – Presentation by America Alvarez (USGS). Discussed the need for a city representative on the steering committee and potential funding for an ambassador. Council expressed interest; Representative Acevedo and Trejo will bring back a directive in two weeks.
- Item 24 – Budget Transfer Audit A2025-04 – Accepted audit results; finding that OMB lacked documented policies (since remedied).
- Item 25 – Streets and Maintenance Permits Review Follow-Up Audit A2025-06 – Accepted; noted progress on policies, code updates, and inspection checklists (completion expected December 2025).
- Item 26 – El Paso County 911 District FY2025-2026 Budget – Approved; district faces a shortfall but has long-term plans.
- Items 27 & 28 – South Mesa Hills I Housing Project – Approved resolutions for $12 million in tax-exempt bonds and no-objection certification; all 64 units affordable; project total cost $25 million.
- Item 29 – Budget Transfer of $3.6 Million for Debt Service – Approved; funds from 2018 bond proceeds to service debt; $500,000 also allocated for Veterans Recreation Center repairs (fire suppression, HVAC, etc.).
Key Outcomes
- Consent agenda approved unanimously.
- First reading of ordinances (Items 16–19) approved unanimously; public hearings set for October 14, 2025.
- All regular agenda items (20–29) approved unanimously.
- Council recessed for lunch from 12:30 p.m. to 1:31 p.m.
- Meeting adjourned at 2:01 p.m.
Meeting Transcript
The council chambers. We can feel the energy in the room, which is exciting, and we are ready to get started. Miss Fry. Yes, sir. Good morning, everyone. Welcome to the presentation of the mayor's proclamations. We begin this morning with a pledge of allegiance. And to lead us, we have students from Presa Elementary School at the invitation of City Representative Lily Limon. This morning we have Ashton Buzzani. Ezekiel Cuevas. Ivan Delgado. Melody Flores. Jonathan Marupo. All right. There you go. All right, ready? That brings us to the mayor's proclamations. For those of you receiving a proclamation, your group will have up to six minutes collectively to speak at the podium and receive your proclamation. The first proclamation is in her element foundation, Hispanic Heritage Month. Si se puede and Reb Chavez says they're coming up, right? I just want to let the public know that you know flu season is approaching, and for those of you that would like a free flu shot, we're giving them away upstairs today. So if you want to get a flu shot, you can upstairs today at City Hall. Okay. Thank you, Mayor. Ladies from Inner Element, if you could please come up. Thank you, Mayor, and I'm excited to kick off Hispanic Heritage Month. Um Inher Element Foundation is a great organization that empowers uh Latinas and in the city of El Paso. I happen to participate in a program they had, uh mentorship program actually for our youth. So this uh a few years ago I was a mentor for a high school student here in our community and it was a great experience, so I encourage others to do the same. So the proclamation reads, whereas Hispanic Heritage Month is a time to honor the history, culture, leadership, and countless contributions of Hispanic and Latino communities to our nation and our region, and whereas Inher Element Foundation is dedicated to advancing the social and economic power of underserved communities by creating pathways to leadership through civic engagement, professional development, and access to opportunities, and whereas the foundation commemorates Hispanic Heritage Month through its annual CISEP conference, a gathering that empowers, educates, and inspires individuals across the borderplex region to step fully into their potential personally, professionally, and politically. And whereas this year's conference, held on October fifteenth, two thousand twenty-five with the theme Latinas in Action, a cult to serve, will showcase the leadership of local change makers from nonprofits, governments, public safety, and elected office who embody service to community and inspire others to lead. And whereas in her element foundations, CICEPUDE conference reflects resilience, leadership, and the vital role Latinas play in strengthening our communities and shaping the future. Now therefore be it proclaimed by the mayor and council of the City of Al Paso, recognizing September as CISEPUDE Month in honor of the leadership service and contributions of Latinas and the entire Hispanic community. Um independence day. I am deeply grateful for the empowerment and the community that in her element foundation has provided for me and other women in this in this um program. Congratulations. I just want to say that I haven't been as involved, you know, uh professionally uh with the group, but I've seen so many good things come from it. All these wonderful women that that uh her element and uh has inspired. Um I was uh in the in the in the in the business world, it wasn't available to me. So it's it's a wonderful um experience to be part of it, and uh I hope that more women will get involved and uh help the Hispanic community to grow because we have so much to offer. Us our litas, you can stand on our shoulders and go from there. Oh, very nice, thank you. Representative Trehall. Thank you, Mayor. Thank you to these wonderful ladies who are standing here today. Uh you know, what is a mentor? A mentor is someone who sees the best in you and wants you to help you through what those challenges in life. And and a mentor is not just it's not an age thing, it's someone who sees the best sees the best in you and wants to help. And I appreciate these ladies for being here. We had a few other ladies that were gonna that were gonna come and they got stuck in traffic.
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