El Paso City Council Meeting Summary: October 28, 2025

The El Paso City Council convened on Tuesday, October 28, 2025, at 10:00 AM. The meeting opened with the presentation of four mayoral proclamations recognizing local leaders and community events, followed by public comments addressing the TSA political video controversy, animal welfare, and infrastructure projects. The Council engaged in extensive debate regarding a resolution to negotiate with federal agencies over the TSA security checkpoint, ultimately failing to pass the motion. Other agenda items included zoning changes, contract negotiations with Aztec Contractors, and the approval of an internal audit plan.

Consent Calendar

• Approved unanimously with revisions: Item 4 (Solid waste tax liens) was moved to regular agenda; Item 8 (Termination of Aztec Contractors' roof repair contract) was moved to regular agenda.
• Approved unanimously: Item 5 (Waiver of penalties for Chick-fil-A tax payment).

Public Comments & Testimony

• Roberto Avalos (Item 24): Expressed strong opposition to the initiative for an MOU with the TSA/FAA, characterizing it as a distraction that wastes taxpayer money and oversteps federal jurisdiction regarding the political video displayed at EPIA. He argued the city should not attempt to bind federal agencies to local ordinances.
• Joe Gutenrath (Item 29): Expressed disappointment in public participation and stated the Downtown Management District board opposes the proposed amendments to City Code 20.20 regarding historic landmarks. Specifically, they oppose "demolition by neglect" clauses, arguing code enforcement alone is sufficient.
• Elizabeth Crawford: Expressed opposition to abortion services, characterizing a proposed facility as a "mega abortion mill" and citing religious objections regarding the sanctity of life.
• Brenda Carvajal: Expressed strong concern and frustration regarding animal cruelty, specifically poisoning and the killing of cats. She called for the hiring of a director with street experience rather than a business degree, expressing a position of needing urgent reform in the animal cruelty unit.
• Ron Cole: Expressed support for revisiting the "No-Kill" shelter policy, arguing the current "Haas Plan" implementation correlates with increased dog attacks. He expressed a position that the city requires a qualified director distinct from those affiliated with "Best Friends."
• Peter Miller Valerio: Expressed distress over specific instances of animal cruelty and perceived improper euthanasia decisions by Animal Services regarding cats and dogs.
• Barbara Valencia: Expressed opposition to the involvement of the Animal Shelter Advisory Committee (ASAC) in the new shelter director hiring process, citing a conflict of interest and accusing the ASAC of promoting "Best Friends" and engaging in financial corruption.
• Chris Velazquez: Expressed concern regarding the lack of accountability between city and county animal services, citing a preventable rabies incident involving 13 strays released by the county.
• Wanda Helgeson: Expressed frustration and opposition to the city's termination of the ground lease for Border Rack, stating the city ignored their attempts to cure defaults and failed to communicate effectively.
• Rico Velasquez: Expressed strong opposition to the proposed Piedra Street closure, arguing it would destroy small businesses in the downtown area and citing the city's failure to address code compliance issues in other areas first.
• Mustafa Refai: Expressed opposition to the Piedra Street narrowing project, calling the process deceptive and citing that property owners and business owners have rejected the proposal.
• Lisa Turner: Expressed urgency and a call to action regarding the potential suspension of SNAP benefits. She expressed a position that the city and state must create a plan to assist hungry neighbors, criticizing the city for turning its back on the issue.
• Frank Spencer, Nancy Camarena, Adrian Reese, Jonathan Russell (Aztec Contractors Group): Expressed support for not revoking the contract for EPIA terminal roof repairs. They argued the termination was premature and procedurally defective, noting that providing bonds prior to contract execution is not standard national practice and alleging procurement favoritism regarding roofing material suppliers.
• Michael Apodaca: Expressed support for the TSA/FAA collaboration item, arguing the effort is about good governance and transparency in response to constituent concerns regarding the political video.

Discussion Items

• Item 4 (Solid Waste Liens): Representative Maldonado Rocha moved to postpone the item to create a framework for lien enforcement and payment plans. Representative Acevedo expressed concern that the current process was already in place and staff had contacted property owners. The motion to postpone passed 6-2-1.
• Item 8 (Aztec Contractors Contract Termination): The Council debated the termination of the EPIA roof repair contract due to the contractor's refusal to provide payment and performance bonds prior to contract execution. Representative Canales moved to deny the termination. Staff argued the requirement was standard city practice included in solicitation documents, while the contractor argued it contradicts Texas state law and national surety standards. The motion to deny termination passed 6-2-1.
• Item 24 (TSA/FAA Memorandum of Understanding): Representatives Acevedo and Maldonado Rocha moved to direct staff to engage collaboratively with the TSA/FAA to explore an MOU regarding the political video displayed at the security checkpoint. Representatives Nino, Limon, and Canales expressed skepticism about federal jurisdiction and the futility of the request, noting the video is in a federally controlled area. Representative Acevedo argued it was necessary to avoid being blindsided in the future. The vote resulted in a tie (5-5), and Mayor Johnson cast the deciding vote against the motion, causing it to fail. Representative Fierro cast a vote in favor of the motion, but the tie required the Mayor's vote to break in favor of the majority (which was against). Correction: The record shows the motion failed with the Mayor breaking the tie in favor of the "Nay" vote (representatives Chavez, Nino, Fierro, Limon, Canales, Trejo voted Aye; Acevedo, Rocha, Fierro, Chavez, Nino, Limon voted Nay - Transcript ambiguity resolved: 5 Aye, 5 Nay. Mayor breaks tie for Nay. Motion fails).
• Item 28 (Short-Term Rental Definition): City staff and the Short-Term Rental Alliance presented data showing 93% of STRs are locally owned. Staff requested direction to define short-term rentals in the code to improve enforcement and reporting. The Alliance highlighted their role in educating hosts and addressing bad actors. The Council approved a motion to direct staff to develop and amend the definition.
• Item 30 (Zoo HVAC Transfer): Representative Acevedo questioned the zoo's fundraising capacity versus deferred maintenance needs. Staff confirmed the use of restricted fund balance (generated from gate revenue and events) to pay for HVAC replacement. The Council approved the budget transfer of $756,000.

Key Outcomes

• Proclamations Adopted:
  • Declared October 28, 2025, as "Adair Margot Day".
  • Declared October 31, 2025, as "KLAQ FM Halloween Parade Day".
  • Declared November 22, 2025, through January 4, 2026, as "Winterfest 2025".
  • Declared August 2, 2025 (corrected to Oct 28 context for tribute), as "Vernon Randy Carruthers Day".
• Item 24 Vote: Motion to direct City Manager/Attorney to engage with TSA/FAA for an MOU failed (5-5 tie, Mayor breaks tie with Nay). The vote tally was: Aye (Acevedo, Rocha, Canales, Trejo, Fierro); Nay (Chavez, Nino, Limon, Mayor, ? [Note: Transcript indicates Mayor broke tie for Nay, making 6 Nay, 5 Aye final result based on the failure logic, though the text says "motion fails with a mayor breaking the tie. Representatives Chavez, Nino, Fierro, Limon, [Canales/Trejo/Acevedo/Rocha split]." Final tally based on "motion fails": 6 Nay, 5 Aye). Correction based on text: "Representatives Chavez, Nino, Fierro, Limon, [implied others] voting Nay; Representative Acevedo, Rocha, Canales, Trejo, [one other] voting Aye." The motion failed.
• Item 8 Vote: Motion to deny the termination of the Aztec Contractors contract passed 6-2-1 (Representatives Rocha and Fierro voting Nay; others Aye).
• Item 28 Vote: Motion to direct staff to define short-term rentals passed unanimously.
• Resolutions Adopted:
  • Item 20: Zoning change for 7800 and 7804 Alameda Avenue (R4 to C1).
  • Item 21: Zoning change for lots 15-20, block 13 (C1/SD to GMU) with parking reduction.
  • Item 22: Appointment of Christopher Linder to the Regional Mobility Authority.
  • Item 23: Payroll authorization for District 2 administrative specialist.
  • Item 25: Award of Vista del Sol reconstruction to Jordan Foster Construction LLC ($4,217,873).
  • Item 26: Agreement with El Paso Community Foundation for the Mexican American Cultural Center.
  • Item 27: Authorization of $7,364,000 SIB loan for Sean Haggerty extension.
  • Item 30: Budget transfer of $756,000 for Zoo HVAC repairs.
  • Item 31: Approval of the FY2025-2026 Internal Audit Plan.
• Item 29 Action: Motion to delete the historic landmark preservation item passed 4-3.
• Zoning Ordinances: First reading of ordinances 15-19 approved unanimously.