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OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD

Record of Proceedings

Mass Transit Department Board Meeting - January 6, 2026

City Council — Tuesday, January 6, 2026

BodyEl Paso, Texas

SessionCity Council

DateTuesday, January 6, 2026

StatusFILED

Video Record

0:00 / 28:11

Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

0:16

What do you all want to talk about?

0:21

We'll do that one.

0:22

As soon as we do this, we'll do that.

0:24

Okay.

0:27

Good morning.

0:28

This is a meeting of the El Paso City.

0:30

No, of the Mass Transit Department Board meeting for January 6, 2026.

0:37

It is 11:31 a.m.

0:42

Present in presiding is Chair Johnson and also present in council chambers.

0:47

Our board members Chavez, Acevedo, Trejo, Nino, Fierro, Limon, and Canales.

0:57

Mayor, we do have a member of the public signed up to speak.

1:01

Okay.

1:02

And that's Mr.

1:03

Diego Grajales.

1:06

Would you be so kind to come up to the podium?

1:11

His topic is mismanagement of Sun Metro.

1:21

Good morning.

1:24

Give me one second because it's I think it's frozen.

1:29

There you go.

1:30

Okay.

1:32

Good morning, Council.

1:34

Good morning, Council.

1:35

My name is Diego Garhalas, and I live at 1700 Hawthorne Street, El Paso.

1:41

I'm a retired project manager for 30 years, and I've been riding the Sun Metro bus line for the past three years from the experiences I have witnessed.

1:51

Sun Metro is broken.

1:53

Sun Metro is failing the citizens of El Paso County.

1:57

The supervisor of operations, Robert Dominguez, should be replaced with somebody who follows policy and procedures that look out for the citizens that pay to use Sun Metro.

2:10

Sun Metro drivers have a federal CDL license and violate federal law by using their cell phones behind the wheel.

2:18

And some of the Sun Metro drivers do not speak English, which also violates federal law.

2:25

I have spoken to several senior drivers and rookie drivers, and the senior drivers do whatever they want and disregard policies and procedures.

2:35

I have had conversations with rookie drivers, and they tell me that in training there are policies and procedures set in place.

2:48

But when they are out of training and they speak to senior drivers, these policies and procedures are now disregarded.

2:58

On top of that, the bus supervisors who are former drivers turned a blind eye to drivers' incompetence.

3:08

I have met with customer service manager at Sun Metro headquarters, Cecilia, for a half hour in November.

3:16

And she told me that she would call me to give me a ticket number about my complaint.

3:22

She never called.

3:24

This tells me that the customer service supervisor, David Garcia, should also be replaced.

3:29

His leadership is non-existent.

3:33

Please stop the ad campaign that Sun Metro has all over town.

3:37

That Sun Metro welcomes bicycles on the bus.

3:41

This is not true.

3:43

Bike racks are always broken, and I have told many drivers and supervisors of these problems, and no one is fixing the problem.

3:58

I've seen it happen.

4:00

El Paso Transit.

4:01

When the bus driver, El Paso Trend Authority, when the bus driver is seated and the driver pulls away from the bay, the driver could care less what happens on the bus.

4:11

I have witnessed people drinking beer, smoking, playing loud music, and the bus driver could care less.

4:18

El Paso Transit Authority.

4:32

Also, electric scooters have the ability to do it.

4:36

Thank you, Mr.

4:37

Garhales.

4:37

Your three minutes are up.

4:39

Thank you.

4:42

All matters listed under the consent agenda will be considered by Mass Transit Department Board to be routine and will be enacted by one motion unless separate discussion is requested by board members.

4:54

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

5:00

When the vote has been taken, if an item has been called out for separate discussion, has not been called out for separate discussion, the item has been approved.

5:07

The Mass Transit Department Board may, however, reconsider any item at any time during the meeting.

5:14

Okay, is there a motion to approve the consent move to approve the consent agenda?

5:18

Is there any discussion on any of the items in the consent?

5:22

Ms.

5:23

Nunz.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Public Transit█████████████████████████████████████████████67%

Public Safety█████████13%

Procedural███████10%

Fiscal Sustainability███5%

Community Engagement███5%

Summary of Proceedings

Mass Transit Department Board Meeting - January 6, 2026

The Mass Transit Department Board convened on January 6, 2026, at 11:31 a.m. in the council chambers, presided over by Chair Johnson with members Chavez, Acevedo, Trejo, Nino, Fierro, Limon, and Canales present. The meeting addressed public testimony regarding operational mismanagement, approved the consent agenda unanimously, and heard a comprehensive operational update from Sun Metro leadership highlighting financial efficiencies, ridership recovery, and improved safety metrics.

Consent Calendar

Items 1 (December 2nd minutes), 3 (Sun Metro agency safety plan), and 4 (Sun Metro's Title Six program update) were approved unanimously on a single motion moved by Board Member Canales and seconded by Board Member Limon.

Public Comments & Testimony

Diego Garhales (Resident, 1700 Hawthorne Street, El Paso):
- Expressed full support for the immediate replacement of Operations Supervisor Robert Dominguez, citing his failure to enforce policies; positioned that current leadership allows drivers to disregard federal and internal rules.
- Stated with absolute certainty that Sun Metro drivers hold federal CDL licenses but violate federal law by using cell phones while driving.
- Expressed concern that drivers who do not speak English are violating federal law, noting this is a known issue among both senior and rookie drivers.
- Argued that senior drivers actively disregard policies and procedures, and that rookie drivers learn these behaviors after training.
- Demanded the replacement of Customer Service Supervisor David Garcia, characterizing his leadership as "non-existent" and citing a failure to follow up on a complaint ticket.
- Opposed the "Sun Metro welcomes bicycles" ad campaign, stating it is false because bike racks are consistently broken and no one has fixed the issue for years.
- Expressed strong criticism of the El Paso Transit Authority's response to on-board misconduct (drinking, smoking, loud music), stating drivers "could care less" when passengers violate rules.

Discussion Items

Operational Update on Mass Transit Department/Sun Metro (Presenter: Anthony):
- Highlighted that the fund balance is projected to increase by $11 million this year and another $8 million over the next three years.
- Reported saving $1.8 million in cost avoidance through internal contract reviews and noted that $2.4 million in discretionary grants were secured this year.
- Noted an $8 million budget decrease for FY2026 despite absorbing salary increases of $3.25 per hour for 650 employees (approx. $4 million cost).
- Celebrated a reduction in overtime by $1 million in 2025, with a projection to reduce another $500,000 in the coming year.
- Confirmed the hiring rate has exceeded the attrition rate for the first time in five years.
- Stated that the On-Time Performance (OTP) remains within the "Sun Metro band of excellence" (90-92 percent), outperforming the 80 percent industry standard, despite a temporary dip in July and August due to new software implementation.
- Announced a 168 percent ridership increase in FY24 for the Streetcar, followed by a continued 48.5 percent growth, outpacing the industry by over 85 percent.
- Reported a 17 percent decrease in preventable accidents and a 13 percent decrease in total overall accidents.
- Acknowledged that average vehicle age is now 3.6 years, which is 8.2 years under the start of the current leadership team, and noted that 64 lift vehicles are part of a recent $120 million fleet purchase.
- Discussed a decline in vacancies to 16.7 percent in 2025 from 22.5 percent in 2023, with turnover rates 26 percent lower than the industry average for general employees and 13.5 percent lower for drivers.
- Explained that monthly valid operational complaints decreased by 7.1 percent in 2025, though total customer service calls increased by 15.27 percent due to route inquiries.
- Announced that "Sun Metro Rising" route optimization is scheduled for June implementation.
- Confirmed ongoing partnerships with Fort Bliss for soldier transportation and the relocation of Greyhound services to the UTTP.
Board Member Responses:
- Board Member Chavez: Expressed full support and congratulations for the department's efficiencies, including overtime reductions and grant acquisitions, and noted constituent gratitude for LIFT service.
- Board Member Rocha: Expressed strong appreciation for the department's leadership style, describing it as "firm but fair," and commended the team for resolving constituent issues regarding LIFT and general service.
- Board Member Limon: Praised the safety plan, specifically identifying the $97 million in federal funding (page 25) and safety performance measures (page 40) as key indicators of success.

Key Outcomes

Approval of Consent Agenda: The consent agenda was approved unanimously without further discussion.
Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned at 11:50 a.m. on a motion made by Board Member Limon and seconded by Board Member Canales.

Meeting Transcript

What do you all want to talk about? We'll do that one. As soon as we do this, we'll do that. Okay. Good morning. This is a meeting of the El Paso City. No, of the Mass Transit Department Board meeting for January 6, 2026. It is 11:31 a.m. Present in presiding is Chair Johnson and also present in council chambers. Our board members Chavez, Acevedo, Trejo, Nino, Fierro, Limon, and Canales. Mayor, we do have a member of the public signed up to speak. Okay. And that's Mr. Diego Grajales. Would you be so kind to come up to the podium? His topic is mismanagement of Sun Metro. Good morning. Give me one second because it's I think it's frozen. There you go. Okay. Good morning, Council. Good morning, Council. My name is Diego Garhalas, and I live at 1700 Hawthorne Street, El Paso. I'm a retired project manager for 30 years, and I've been riding the Sun Metro bus line for the past three years from the experiences I have witnessed. Sun Metro is broken. Sun Metro is failing the citizens of El Paso County. The supervisor of operations, Robert Dominguez, should be replaced with somebody who follows policy and procedures that look out for the citizens that pay to use Sun Metro. Sun Metro drivers have a federal CDL license and violate federal law by using their cell phones behind the wheel. And some of the Sun Metro drivers do not speak English, which also violates federal law. I have spoken to several senior drivers and rookie drivers, and the senior drivers do whatever they want and disregard policies and procedures. I have had conversations with rookie drivers, and they tell me that in training there are policies and procedures set in place. But when they are out of training and they speak to senior drivers, these policies and procedures are now disregarded. On top of that, the bus supervisors who are former drivers turned a blind eye to drivers' incompetence. I have met with customer service manager at Sun Metro headquarters, Cecilia, for a half hour in November. And she told me that she would call me to give me a ticket number about my complaint. She never called. This tells me that the customer service supervisor, David Garcia, should also be replaced. His leadership is non-existent. Please stop the ad campaign that Sun Metro has all over town. That Sun Metro welcomes bicycles on the bus. This is not true. Bike racks are always broken, and I have told many drivers and supervisors of these problems, and no one is fixing the problem. I've seen it happen. El Paso Transit. When the bus driver, El Paso Trend Authority, when the bus driver is seated and the driver pulls away from the bay, the driver could care less what happens on the bus. I have witnessed people drinking beer, smoking, playing loud music, and the bus driver could care less. El Paso Transit Authority. Also, electric scooters have the ability to do it. Thank you, Mr. Garhales.

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