Miss Bryan.

Yes, sir, and I have the honor of reading the proclamation, which says, whereas the El Paso Police Department Chaplaincy program has faithfully served members of the department and the community of El Paso on an interdenominational and non-sectarian basis since the mid-1970s, representing nearly 50 years of continuous service.

And whereas, although no official record exists documenting the program's exact beginning, its longstanding presence reflects a deep and enduring commitment to spiritual care, compassion, and community service within the city of El Paso.

And whereas the chaplaincy program is comprised of qualified and recognized faith leaders from the community, each with a minimum of three years of ministry experience, who volunteer their time as a personal commitment to service and are available on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

And whereas a primary mission of the El Paso Police Chaplaincy is to provide spiritual and emotional support to more than 1,400 sworn officers and civilian employees of the El Paso Police Department as well as to their families.

And whereas by extension of this mission, police chaplains also stand ready to serve the broader community of El Paso, Texas, offering nonsectarian and interdenominational spiritual care during times of need.

And whereas police chaplains serve in a wide range of circumstances, including ceremonial, community-based, and crisis situations by offering invocations and benedictions at graduations, award ceremonies, city council meetings, and public events, as well as providing spiritual support during death notifications, critical incidents, stress management, faith-based counseling, funerals, weddings, and other moments when their presence is requested.

And whereas in times of uncertainty and hardship, the chaplain's presence provides calm, understanding, and reassurance, reminding all involved that they are not alone.

And whereas the City of El Paso proudly recognizes the dedicated service of El Paso Police Department chaplains, including David Mayfield, Senior Chaplain Joe Morata, Dr.

Robert Hemphill, Rabbi Levi Greenberg, Larry Boone, and Sam Froni, Chaplain Emeritus, whose leadership, faith, and volunteer service continue to strengthen the department and the community.

And whereas the city further acknowledges Sergeant Javier Sambrano, who serves as the El Paso Police Department Chaplaincy Program Coordinator, for his leadership and support in ensuring the continued success and effectiveness of this program.

Now therefore be a proclaimed by the mayor and council of the city of El Paso, recognizing and honoring the El Paso Police Department Chaplaincy program for its nearly 50 years of dedicated service, compassion and spiritual care to the Department and the people of El Paso, and extend sincere appreciation to all chaplains and supporters who make this vital program possible.

January 20th, 2026 shall be known as the El Paso Police Department Chaplain Day, signed by our Honorable Mayor Renard Johnson.

Good morning.

Good morning.

Well, I'll start.

Sure.

Well, first of all, thank you very much for this recognition.

Those of you on the council have heard me speak often enough that you know that I believe service to be one of the highest human callings.

I am very appreciative, not only of this recognition, but of the opportunity afforded us by the El Paso Police Department and by this council to be of service to the men and women of the police department and our fellow citizens of this city of El Paso.

He's uh tasked with the unveilable job of coordinating six very independent-minded chaplains as evidenced by the fact that he could only get half of us here this morning.

Um again, I simply say thank you very much for the opportunity to serve.

Thank you.

I'm Robert Hempel.

I served as a Methodist minister and uh received my ordination.

But when I reached a certain age, I said you have to retire.

And I felt like I can't retire from this type of work.

And a couple of years ago I had Sergeant uh Brown and his band come to my church, and we did a New Orleans style 19 June celebration in church.

A lot of people showed up, and then they heard me play piano, and then I was invited to his band.

And I found that this is a good opportunity for me to continue to serve the community.

I thank the police department, the city council for giving me that opportunity to continue to serve the community, and I enjoyed his work, and I've obviously told some of the people that I do more with the police department than I did with the church.

So thank you for this opportunity.

God bless you.

I don't have much to add.

Thank you for the recognition.

Um I would like to say a special thank you to Sergeant Sombrano.

Uh not just for coordinating everything that's going on in the police department, but also being a true friend and partner in ensuring the security of our places of worship.

Um very recently during Hanukkah when we had um real concerns about things that were going on around the world.

Sergeant Sembrano was there to take my phone call.

He even showed up in full regalia.

And we appreciate that very much, and I appreciate the fact that the city recognizes this small but important part of the police department and the service that it provides to the department and to the city at large.

God bless you.

Of course, we're very appreciative of uh the recognition, and so we'd like to uh thank you for the for the support.

Um the chaplains have done a wonderful job for uh many years uh helping not only the uh community but our officers have been there when uh many hard times uh happen in uh uh personal lives and and actually even in in professional lives.

And so that it is uh definitely uh great support for all of our officers and the community.

Uh one thing that I would like to uh add too is of course uh anybody that is interested in becoming part of the chaplaincy, anybody that is a uh ordained uh minister that is interested in serving, we invite them to uh take that opportunity and be involved and and join this uh great group of uh chaplains that that we have here in the in the city of El Paso and serving the police department.

Thank you all very much.

Well, thank you guys for you know volunteering 24 hours a day, excuse me, seven days a week, and stepping up like you do with the care and compassion that you bring this community.

Uh simply being there when individuals are often at their lowest point, struggling with stress, trauma, grief, our personnel challenges, you guys are always there to to support.

And like previously mentioned, uh just your presence brings calm and reassurance that we are not alone during these difficult times.

And on behalf of all of our employees and our sworn public safety officers and our civilian employees, we want to just simply say thank you guys, because we could not do this without you.

So thank you guys so much.

And I think next we got to figure out how to get into the band.

Thank you guys.

And the next proclamation is Crystal Poppen Day.

Representative Rocha.

Yes, sir.

Thank you so much, Mayor.

Welcome, Crystal.

Thank you for welcome.

I should say welcome back.

Yes.

You're becoming a staple around here.

Thank you.

I appreciate all of you.

Let me read your proclamation.

Whereas Crystal Poppen, an El Paso-born Mexican American rapper, actress, and creative entrepreneur who attended Austin High School has proudly represented the culture and spirit of the borderland through her music, community impact, and artistic achievements, and began her music journey in 2012, inspired by the hip hop tapes her parents played on the way to school.

And whereas in 2019, Crystal Poppen had the honor of opening for Cardi B, marking a significant milestone in her career, and solidifying her position in the hip hop scene.

And whereas she has opened and performed at TNA wrestling events and previously debuted her song Undeniable Forever as the entrance theme for American professional wrestler wrestler Tessa Blanchard, further expanding her reach into the world of sports entertainment.

And whereas Crystal Poppin also released the music video for her single Champions, featuring Texas hip hop legend Paul Wall, which was filmed at the Don Haskins Center at the University of Texas at El Paso, and at Chicano Park under the spaghetti bowl, and is on its way to reaching one million views on YouTube, demonstrating her growing digital impact and widespread audience engagement, and whereas in 2023, Crystal Poppin expanded her artistic career into acting, making her feature film debut in the independent movie Lost Souls, which won second place at the Tri-Becka Film Festival in New York City, marking another major achievement in her creative journey.

And whereas Crystal Poppen continues to uplift her community, currently organizing a fundraiser with our Lady of Assumption Church in support of the Young Dynasty Sports Academy, showing her deep commitment to empowering youth in the borderland.

And whereas through her distinct style, authentic voice, and strong digital presence, Crystal Poppen has earned millions of views and streams across social media and music streaming platforms, establishing herself as one of the top streaming Latina female rappers in Texas.

And whereas Crystal Poppen has earned the title of best artist in El Paso, Texas, for five consecutive years.

Thank you for the incredible honor of officially recognizing Crystal Poppin' Day.

Before I begin, my team members from Habitat for Humanity and I would love to invite everyone to the first ever Crystal Poppin' for a Purpose Fest 2026, happening January 31st at Our Lady of Assumption Church from 12 p.m.

to 7 p.m.

We'll also be kicking off the day with a parade at 10 a.m.

and the parade route can be found on my social media.

With that in mind, I'd like to begin by sharing a verse from the Bible that recently resonated with me and helped me shape my message today.

Romans 5, verses 2 through 5.

We boast in the hope of the glory of God, and not only that, but we also boast in our afflictions because we know that affliction produces endurance.

Endurance produces proven character, and proven character produces hope.

This hope will not disappoint us because God's love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit through who was given to us.

Like many of us listening today, I have also been afflicted in my life.

I have suffered incredible pain and loss.

Though I didn't know it at the time, God was holding me through it, and he knew my affliction would create an endurance within me, not only in my heart and my mind, but in my very soul.

This endurance has helped me carry the weight of my world and turn it into fuel for creation.

I don't know how people typically deal with their pain, but I found a way to let it all out on the pages of my journals.

These are the times I rarely speak about, but I feel it's important on such a day as this to explain to you all how I got here.

I didn't have dreams of fame and fortune early in my life.

I had dreams of peace in my heart and to be loved, and the only way I could find peace was to write everything I felt inside.

After sharing my writings with a few people, I was encouraged to record them.

I never thought of myself as a musician before, but I decided to try it.

After finding myself in a studio one day, I recorded my first song, and it was love at first sight.

I felt a spark ignite within me that I never felt before.

The spark grew into a burning passion and has been the vehicle of my purpose ever since.

This career has taken me places I've never dreamed of before, and I'm grateful to God for it all.

Through my endurance, I learned that you are not to complain.

And though it's nice to receive something from someone, never expect anything from anyone.

No one owes you anything in this life simply because you work hard.

So when someone takes a moment to recognize you, appreciate it always, and with incredible gratitude, and I definitely do.

Thank you to anyone who has taken a moment to encourage me to listen to a song, to come out to a live show, support my music in any way, or just check in on me to see how I'm doing.

Your support gives me hope for what the future can look like.

If my character can inspire someone to have faith in themselves to do what they love and to help others do the same, then God's plan is working.

I've accepted the fact that you never have the good without the bad in this life, and the world is full of broken people, but never let the bad things people say hit your heart.

Throw it in the furnace where your passion burns and use it as fuel to go further.

Never forget the haters keep the engagement numbers up.

People always ask me for advice, especially creatives who are just starting out.

My best advice is not a cheat code or a secret formula to success.

It's a simple theory I live by every day.

Call on God above, keep your head down, stay out of people's business, and work on bettering yourself every single day.

Remember, there's always someone out there working harder than you, especially that one girl, Crystal Poppin.

Thank you once again, City Council, for the honor of Crystal Poppin' Day.

Thank you, friends and family, my team who uh have always had my back.

Thank you, El Paso, for not only shaping my character, but for embracing one of your very own who was born of this soil and grown on this side of the sun.

Thank you, Central Side Nine Will Five.

For teaching me how to endure.

The lessons you taught me will never be forgotten and will forever be woven in the fabric of my being.

And most of all, thank you, God and Jesus Christ, for never leaving me.

Though I was tossed in the water, I never went under.

You were always on time.

Before I go, I remind you of the verse.

Once again, affliction proffliction produces endurance.

Endurance produces proving character.

And proving character produces a hope.

Thank you.

Representative Rocha.

Thank you, Mayor.

And Crystal, you know, we we came across each other uh recently.

I know you have some some of your your family here, your team.

And I see Taylor, Candace, and Monica in there.

Yes, all yes, I see you guys, Monica.

Um, but one thing that I want to want to say is that before we were able to finish, or when we finish the proclamation, there's one really important piece that you have done in this short amount of time, and it it's been a huge hit.

And you also created another song called The Moment.

Yes, and that was inspired by Stephanie Hahn, right?

And so unfortunately that didn't make it to the proclamation because of the timing on the language.

But I just uh would like just if it's okay with you, Mayor, to be able just to talk a little bit about that because it's something that we would have liked to have included in the proclamation, but you just turned that around so quickly.

Like I don't even know how you did that.

So if you could.

Yes, um, so I created a song for our local boxing champion Stephanie Hahn.

Um she just went to Puerto Rico to fight her biggest fight against Holly Home, and she invited me to walk her out to the ring in front of national television, and it was incredible.

It was amazing to have two El Paso women on the main stage to represent the city, and it was an incredible honor, and it's something that I will always remember.

And the song is out, so you guys can go check it out.

And it's it's about her.

She inspired me to write that song.

Very good.

Representative Nino.

Thank you, Mayor, and congrats, Crystal.

I I got to meet Crystal about six, seven years ago.

And it's great to see the work that you have done, continue to do, and it's exciting to see the work that you you'll do in the future.

I'm gonna read you a quick quote.

It says, Our talents are the gifts that God gives to us.

What we make of our talents is our gift back to God.

It's one of my favorite quote by Leo Buscalilla.

And um, and thank you, Crystal, for sharing your talents with us and with the world.

Thank you.

Thank you.

And Crystal, so many so many songs to talk about, as we talked about earlier.

Um I don't stop dropping them.

I know, keep keep dropping them, okay.

Um I watched some of them on YouTube, and and some of my favorites are Poppin.

And of course, your collab with Paul Wall Champions was really, really good.

Um as Representative uh Roach has said, you know, we the nation enjoyed watching you with your ring walk uh with Stephanie Hahn singing the moment.

You know, everyone in El Paso at that moment had a lot of pride to watch you walk into that ring singing that song.

So we cannot thank you enough as a community for always representing the 915 and keeping us on the national uh um uh stage and international because you have traveled everywhere.

I don't know how you're doing it, but you do it.

You know, I see you from wrestling to to boxing, so you're you're everywhere, but and thank you for always uh as I said earlier, filming in El Paso and making your music videos here.

And you are seen and you are loved by this community, okay?

Thank you, ma'am.

So you keep it up.

We're so proud of you.

Thank you.

Thank you, Crystal.

Congratulations.

Thank you.

You want to go on Representative Rocha?

Crystal, if you could introduce your team that's here, because I know you have your mom here.

You guys are gonna have to stand up anyway.

So I'm gonna have to come take pictures.

You're just gonna have to come take pictures anyway.

So you might as well introduce yourself.

Mama popping.

This mama pop in, everybody.

Sister Papa Naomi.

My DJ, my best friend, my day one, 3 a.m.

And then we have my security guard over there fresh.

And it's the homie right here.

And of course, Habitat for Humanity.

We have Taylor Moreno, Monica Fierro, and Zarel de Gallego who are helping me put together Crystal Poppin' for a Purpose Fest 2026.

Very good.

Congratulations.

All right, you guys did the work for us.

This looks great.

Big smile.

And the next proclamation is Habitat for Humanity Day.

Representative Nino.

Thank you, Mayor.

And if IT could please play the short video.

And this is something we could be very proud of.

What makes today truly special is what this home represents.

It represents a fresh start, a safe place.

It will be a place where a mother and her children who will build memories.

When you build homes for a living, you realize pretty quickly that a house is more than just woody concrete.

It's where life happens.

It's where families come together, kids grow up.

That's why Habitat for Humanity means so much to me.

Thank you, IT.

Mayor, it's an honor to recognize an organization that puts compassion into action and turns hope into homeownership.

Habitat for human humanity reminds us that strong communities are built when neighbors come together to lift one another up.

So thank you for the lives that you have changed, disability you've created, and the futures that you continue to build right here in El Paso.

And this is a great example of, as I mentioned, when community comes together.

So thank you to Tropicana Homes with our title, window team, AD Electric, Big Of Plumbing, GCC, Sun City Materials, Expert HVAC Airbnb, Los Carmina, Home Depot, HBI, Frontier Door Cabinets, Mr.

Amires, Warrior Allegiance, San Antonio in Home Health, Dominguez Installation, L and W Supply, Commercial Print Solutions, J FM Enterprises, Garage Doors and M, Doors and More, ABC Supply, R Precision Medal, and GAF.

And I mentioned all of them because they all came together to contribute and make this home a reality, which is located in District Five.

So proclamation for the city of El Paso, Texas.

Whereas Habitat for Humanity of El Paso was established in 1981 with a mission to bring people together to build homes, communities, and hope.

And whereas since it's founding, Habitat for Humanity of El Paso has served as a vital partner in addressing the need for safe, decent, and affordable housing for hardworking families throughout our region.

And whereas Habitat for Humanity is in the process of completing their 69th new home built for the El Paso community, making a historic milestone that transformed the life of a local family and has laid the foundation for decades for continued service.

And we asked throughout the power of volunteerism, community partnership, and donor support, Habitat for Humanity has provided opportunities for stability, dignity, and generational progress to countless families.

And whereas the City of El Paso recognizes the extraordinary leadership, dedication, and compassion demonstrated by Habitat for Humanity's board of directors, staff, volunteers, homeowners, and supporters who embody the spirit of service that strengthens our entire community.

And whereas the impact of Habitat for Humanity extends far beyond its construction projects, inspiring civic engagement, fostering neighborhood revalorization, and creating pathways to a brighter future for families across El Paso.

Now, therefore, be it proclaimed by the mayor and the council of the city of El Paso, honoring and celebrating and expressing a deep appreciation for Habitat for Humanity of El Paso, January 20, 2026 shall be known as Habitat for Humanity Day, signed by the Honorable Mayor Renard Johnson.

Good morning.

Good morning, Mayor, esteemed City Council representatives and members of our community.

My name is Pete Moody, and I have the distinct honor of being the executive director for Habitat of Humanity of El Paso.

I'm joined this morning by Taylor Marinos, member of our staff, and many members of our board of directors.

On behalf of Habitat of Humanity El Paso, thank you for this proclamation and for recognizing the importance of affordable home ownership in our city.

It is nice to see many of you today who have stepped up in recent weeks to be part of Habitat's efforts.

From Mayor Johnson to Representative Rocha, Representative El Salvedo, and Representative Nino, and fellow honoree Christa Poppen.

We are truly honored by today's acknowledgement and grateful for your support of our mission.

At Habitat, we believe that a home is the foundation for everything else in life.

It is where families find stability, children grow and learn, and futures are built.

When families have a safe and affordable place to call home, entire neighborhoods, and ultimately our city are stronger.

What makes Habitats work in El Paso especially meaningful is the way our community shows up.

Volunteers, donors, city leaders, and partner families come together with a shared purpose to create opportunity and hope through home ownership and critical home repairs.

That collaboration reflects the very best of El Paso.

This proclamation sends a powerful message that the city of El Paso understands housing is not just a social issue, but a critical component of economic development, educational success, and overall quality of life.

Your leadership and hopefully soon a partnership helps make it possible for us to continue serving hardworking families across our community.

Thank you for standing with Habitat for Humanity and for championing efforts that strengthen strengthens families and neighborhoods.

We are proud to work alongside you and look forward to continuing this important work together.

Thank you again for this honor.

Does the team want to come up and introduce themselves?

Yep.

Right here.

Good morning.

My name is Wilson Nendez.

I have the honor of being the Vice President of Habitat for Humanity Board.

Thank you for having us.

Appreciate today.

Morning, Council.

Uh Matt Paulisotti with Jordan Foster.

I've been with Habitat for a few years now.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to be here in the recognition.

Greatly appreciate it.

Brent Rosen with El Paso Impact Consulting.

Thank you.

Hello, thank you so much.

I'm with K Fox 14 and CBS 4, but I also sit on the Restart Committee, the Home Selection Committee, and the Marketing Committee.

And I want to thank you all for the recognition.

Thank you so much.

Oh, and my name's Morning Guffiro.

Hi, thank you, Mayor Johnson, for having us and council.

Um I'm extremely grateful to be part of such a great organization.

My name is Zerol de Gallego.

I'm a local realtor.

I'm a board member and a part of the marketing committee.

Good morning, Council and Major.

Thank you so much for hanging having us here and for the good recognition.

My name is Diego Burciaga.

I am the chair of the marketing committee for Habitat for Humanity.

And it's a pleasure for to be here.

Thank you so much.

Fantastic.

Good morning, Council and dear friends.

Taylor Moreno, uh, executive director of uh development and community outreach.

Thank you so much for recognizing us today and allowing us to be here and be partners with y'all.

Thank you.

Got it.

Representative Rocha.

Thank you, Mayor.

And and I know we've been uh we've been seeing a lot of each other lately.

Well, some, not all, sorry.

But it's been a lot of fun.

And one of the things that I think is so important is to understand that it's not just the housing that you all build, but you briefly mentioned the restore.

And I think it's so important for people to understand what that helps, how we can help.

Um, if we're not in a position to be able to say volunteer, would you all be able to speak a little bit about the restore and where it's at and all the good information?

Thank you.

Yeah, thank you for mentioning that.

Uh the uh we we have a restore.

Restore it is uh basically a thrift store that we have created, and every product that we get there is a donation from the community.

So uh the donations are very important.

We get those donations, we make sure they work, they're cleaned up, and they're reusable, and then we will resell those, hence the name restore.

Those funds that we gain through the restore are then put right back into our projects, our critical home repairs and our home builds.

So, yes, thank you very much for mentioning that.

We're at 8500 dire in the northeast.

Maybe we can represent Lemon.

Thank you, Mayor.

Thank you, Habitat or Humanity Um Board, staff.

When I walked in this morning, I saw this beautiful, absolutely beautiful gift that was placed on each of our place settings.

And I walked in and I thought of two names.

And so I kind of looked out in the crowd.

Liz Thurman and Taylor Moreno.

This is a kind of stuff that they put together.

Beautiful.

Thank you very much for the gift.

Really appreciate it.

We'll use it with pride.

Absolutely.

And again, thank you guys, and and thank you for letting me take part in last week's event.

It was incredible.

And uh what I don't think most people know is that you provide a hand up and not a handout.

And what that means is families contribute with sweat equity, painting, and construction.

And in fact, you guys had offered when we were out at the event to help paint the the following day.

Sorry I wasn't able to make that day of painting.

But again, you know, again, you provide uh a hand up, which is really incredible.

And I will never forget uh the smile on that family's face when we were there in that moment when you know they were talking about that home and the memories they were gonna create, the first Christmases they were gonna have, the graduations they were gonna have.

And that moment in time, I will I will never forget the smile on that family's face.

And I know it takes a village.

I know it takes a village and a lot of volunteers and a lot of the sponsors and supporters that representative Nino uh so eloquently uh talked about the list.

But thank you guys for all that you do for our community.

We know that there's been over twelve hundred families served uh in this community and over sixty-seven homes built, and I believe there might be another one coming online here soon, which I hope we'll keep our fingers crossed.

But we couldn't do it without you guys.

So thank you for what you do, and uh we're glad to support you as a city.

Thank you.

And thank you, Mayor.

Thank you for your salary.

That's gonna go a long way.

Uh you're very welcome.

My pleasure.

You're very welcome.

Congratulations, guys.

Miss Bryan.

Yes, sir, and the final proclamation is La Nube Steam Discovery Center Day.

Good morning.

Good morning, everyone, as you come up forward.

So this is proclamation from the city of El Paso, whereas La Nube Steam Discovery Center, located in downtown El Paso, Texas, has been named the recipient of the internationally renowned hands-on children in museums award twenty twenty-five, one of the highest global honors recognizing excellence, innovation, and impact in children's museums.

And whereas the award was presented at the European Museum Academy meeting in Liverpool, United Kingdom, where La Nube was selected from a distinguished group of five international finalists by representing Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and the United States.

Those were the words I shared at the opening of my presentation at the hands-on awards ceremony in Liverpool, England.

From the very beginning, our vision was bold to create a world-class children's museum and science center that would transform the educational landscape of our region, a center built by the community for the community, one that celebrates the beauty, creativity, and spirit of the Paso do Norte region.

With the strength of an extraordinary partnership amongst the City of El Paso, the El Paso Community Foundation, dedicated community leaders, and most importantly, the people of El Paso.

There was never any doubt this vision could become reality.

Today, La Nube stands as a shining example, not only for our community or for our nation, but for the entire world.

Since opening our doors on August 10th, more than 350,000 guests of all ages have come to discover, create, and innovate.

Each day, nearly 500 students from area schools fill our spaces with joy and curiosity, leaving inspired and excited to learn more.

Teachers explore innovative innovative ways to engage their classrooms and multi-generational families come together to explore, learn, and imagine side by side.

It was an incredible honor and a privilege to represent the City of El Paso, La Nube, and our entire community at the ceremony in England.

In all honesty, we all felt a little bit of intimidation when we saw the other finalists.

Museums in Dubai, Singapore, Budapest, and Blackpool, England.

But as I listened to their presentations, something became very clear.

We belonged and deserved to be on this global stage.

One of the most meaningful moments came when the jurors shared why La Nube was selected.

Their words affirmed that the priorities guiding our work from day one were not only visible, but deeply valued by our peers across the globe.

They recognized our meaningful and intentional community engagement in shaping decisions, programming, and priorities.

They highlighted our unwavering commitment to inclusion, especially our one-of-a-kind, never before done, non-hierarchical bilingual signage, and our daily support for children with autism and sensory sensitivities.

They put a spotlight on one exhibit in particular, Connected Sky, a powerful collaborative experience that connects and celebrates our two border communities.

They acknowledged our dedication to creating career-building opportunities and innovative hiring practice that opened pathways into STEA, education, business, and the arts.

But they were especially moved by the success of La Nube for All.

Not just saying everyone is welcome, but proving it.

While most museums serve one to three percent of visitors through access programs at La Nube, that number is just over 30 percent.

In our first year, that equates to 48,600 El Pasuans and regional visitors.

We set out to build a world-class museum rooted in our values, our community, and our border identity.

We already knew we had succeeded, but this award confirms what we believe from the very beginning.

La Nube is not only a place of learning and wonder, El Paso is not simply a border city.

We are a model of what is possible when vision, purpose, and people come together.

On behalf of the La Nube Board of Directors and the La Nube staff, I want to thank Mayor Renard Johnson and our city council for this honor and recognizing the importance and impact of La Nube and this international award for our community.

We invite everyone to come to La Nube and meet Miffy, who will be with us until September.

Thank you.

Stephanie, congratulations to you and the team.

Do they want to come up and introduce them?

Thank you so much for the recognition.

My name is Mick Martinez, the Vice President for Marketing and Communications.

Good morning, everyone, Carla Salazar, Chief Advanced Officer.

Good morning, everybody.

I'm Miranda Diaz, VP of Talent and Culture.

Good morning, Deanna White, Chief Operating Officer for La Nube.

Thank you so much.

Hi, I'm Chris Nunez, VP of uh Facilities and Exhibits.

Karin Gonzalez, Vice President of Administration and Finance.

Andrea Macias, Grant Program Director.

Good morning, I'm Michael Nelson, Director of Operations of Fab Lab Opaso.

Ben Fife on the board and contract administrator for the city.

Margarita Marie and Borough Directors representing the city.

That's the team, huh?

Congratulations, you guys.

I mean, only the third children's museum in the nation to ever get this award.

And can you tell us a little bit?

Is it Miffy?

So Miffy is a Danish children's character, and it is the award.

It's a traveling award.

She was sort of introduced in the fifties.

Um, she was a big children's character in Europe, and they chose her to represent the spirit and joy of children's museums around the world.

So she came back with me on a plane in a metal case.

We had to get her insured.

Um it was very fun going through customs with her and explaining why I was carrying a bronze bunny with me.

And in September, I will have the honor of flying to Spain to present her to the next children's museum.

Wow.

Congratulations, you guys, very well done.

And you know, uh, all the kids that have gone through there, 350,000 plus kids.

And I was there at the event uh last week when I I told you guys that no matter who you are when you walk in, you just start smiling.

It is a gorgeous facility, and you have put El Paso on the international map, one of three.

So congratulations and keep up the good work.

Thank you, guys.

Yeah, all the cooperative.

Okay, Ms.

Prime.

Good morning.

This is a meeting of the El Paso City Council for Tuesday, January twentieth, twenty twenty six.

Mayor Johnson is present and presiding in council chambers along with Mayor Potem Chavez, Representative Acevedo, Representative Malonado Rocha, Representative Boy Arco, Representative Nino, alternate mayor Pro Tempierro, Representative Limon, and Representative Canales.

It is ten oh two AM, and we begin the meeting with an invocation delivered by El Paso Police Chaplain in Chaba Lubavitch of El Paso, Rabbi Levi Greenberg.

Good morning.

I'm back.

Almighty God, sovereign of the universe.

Look favorably upon the mayor, the honorable members of the city council, all of us gathered in this chamber, and those watching online this morning, and bestow upon us all the joy of life, good health and prosperity.

Next week, we celebrate the 76th anniversary of the leadership of a global spiritual leader of our times, the Lababicherabba, Rabbi Schneerison.

In 1950, in the shadows of the devastation of the Holocaust, the Rebbe galvanized the shattered nation to rebuild and guided millions of others toward a better life with a tremendous focus on the value of the individual.

Based on traditional interpretations of the Bible, he taught that our turbulent world is truly a divine garden, and we are its gardeners to reveal its true beauty through our acts of goodness and kindness.

The Rebbe taught that every individual and every individual action impacts the entire universe.

He emphasized the importance of education and good character and instilled hope for a brighter future in the lives of countless people in America and across the globe.

One of which instructs us to create a peaceful and moral society governed by law.

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

A society guided by these principles is on track to achieve true world peace and tranquility.

Please God, give strength to our elected officials to be got cognizant of your presence, and that they have the ability to elevate the quality of life for everyone in our region and to inspire us all to come together in unity.

That we truly care for our peers, society, and our environment, and work together to make our world a better and happier place for all.

May our borderland region serve as a beacon of light, strength, and moral courage as we do our part in preparing the world for an era of global peace and tranquility.

May this occur speedily in our times, and let us say Amen.

Thank you, Rabbi.

Council, per the rules of order, no use of personal cellular devices, nor personal communication should take place on the dais when the meeting is in session.

Once you obtain the floor from the mayor, you will have up to ten minutes for debate and may speak twice per debatable motion.

Please speak into the microphone and refrain from side conversations at the dais when the meeting is in session.

If you're joining us virtually, please make sure your microphones are muted to reduce any background noise.

That brings us to the public comment on agenda items.

This morning we have Mr.

Roncomo that signed up to speak on item 28.

Item 28 is an ordinance amending Title VII to add a section for vicious dogs.

Good morning.

Good morning.

What a shock, I'm here.

The only thing is it doesn't go far enough because the only thing it's really addressing is uh own dogs.

What about the stray dogs that are doing the attacking?

What are we going to do about those?

You had a bird sanctuary where the stray dogs went in, eight of them and killed everything that moved.

Bret Breed.

What was done with those dogs?

Where would you classify them in your new Title VII agenda?

We're falling short, gentlemen.

Again.

And I gotta ask why when we're dealing with animal services, Title VII, laws about animals, why aren't the rescues being invited in for their input?

You've got Loretta Hyde, Animal Rescue League, 30 years experience.

Why wouldn't somebody like she be invited to participate in any kind of discussion?

We have Texas laws that we don't abide by now.

If we put this in, are we actually going to do something?

Are we going to fix it so it includes all the strays in the streets?

Not just, you know, finding the guy, the owners.

You know, that's that's great.

Giving them back to the owners after they've attacked, that's not great.

They need to be brought in.

They need to be checked.

They need to be quarantined upon the first bite, whether it's animal on animal or animal on human.

But we fall short again.

We don't protect the community.

We're not protecting their pets.

We're not protecting the strays of El Paso.

I've been saying that now for five years.

Policies and procedures, shelter plants that we have in place and have had in place for five years, have failed miserably.

And we sit here and do nothing.

You really want to stop the aggressive dogs.

Stop the strays on the streets.

Find the people that have aggressive dogs.

I agree.

Don't give them back to them like we've been doing for the last five years so that we don't have to intake them.

We don't need any more excuses to limit intake.

Let's fix the problem, folks.

I keep asking.

I don't see anything being done.

Next time I come up with a conversation conversation on that.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Okay, that concludes comment on agenda items at 10.

We now go to call to the public.

The El Paso City Council is a local government charged with serving the citizens, and the meetings must be focused on the meeting 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 forward be posted on a future agenda.

This morning we have eight members of the public that signed up to speak.

The first person is Elizabeth Crawford, Ms.

Crawford's topic is abortion and sanctity of life month.

Good morning, Miss Crawford.

You have three minutes.

Good morning.

Thank you.

I'm just gonna very, very briefly speak on traveling and it's kind of chaotic.

Um, but just in honor of this month being sanctity of life month.

I just want to read a quote from the Lord Jesus Christ, Matthew chapter 25.

The Lord Jesus said, in as much as he have done to one of the least of these my brethren, you have done to me.

Those are the words of the Lord Jesus.

Um little baby promo are the creation of God, and we need to honor them as much.

Thank you so much, and hope you have a good day.

Thank you.

Thank you.

The next speaker is Victoria Hardowin.

I don't see her in the queue.

We'll go with Mr.

Ron Como.

Mr.

Como's topic is constitutional rights to the rescue 1983 animal service.

I did forget to mention county, they should have been involved in the Title VII also.

So first of all, I want to thank you all for the corrections you made at the toxic work environment at the shelter.

I appreciate that there's finally something done.

But I'd like to bring something to light a year and a half ago or so.

I had a meeting, well, we had a meeting, rescues, with this assistant city manager and another person from the city.

We discussed toxic work environment.

I gave them names and phone numbers of people that were describing and quit because of the toxic work environment.

After a couple of weeks, I was told that everything was fine, they were great.

I guess I was losing my mind.

So I guess it took us reading exit interviews to you all to prove that there is a toxic work environment.

So now my question to you all is how many good employees did we lose because we were protecting the problem?

Good question, right?

We could check the exit universe, see how many we lost.

Now Sutland Park, Las Cruces, Horizon, County, everybody's admitting that we have a stray problem publicly.

They're not hiding it anymore.

Las Cruces is blaming the community, of course, but they were on the host plan too.

Leaving stray unaltered animals on the streets creates more strays.

I cannot say it enough.

I cannot say it loudly enough.

Anyone that understands anything knows this is true.

However, everybody's admitting they have a stray problem.

Everybody but El Paso.

You guys put out a post saying, hey, we have a straight problem.

We're going to do this to create, you know, help cure the problem.

Not happening.

Why?

We started it.

We created it.

And we've done nothing about it.

Honestly, what have you done to fix the stray problem?

We're still running Haas.

Tell you what, we're being told they're running on the God.

I can't think of the name of the plan right now.

Nathan Winagrad wrote it.

Anyways.

My comment to that is I tell I give you guys I make a deal with you.

You show in in that shelter plan where it lists anything about managed intake.

I'll walk out that door and I won't come back.

Proof that they are lying about what they're doing.

Anyone else want to do that?

Anyone want to take the challenge?

I'll walk out and I won't come back.

Prove me wrong.

Prove I lied.

I'm here to help.

We are all coming up here to help.

Thank you, Mr.

Como.

The next speaker is Patricia Osman.

Ms.

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

Good morning.

Here we are again another year.

So came uh about a year ago.

Brought up a certain subject.

But I just want to remind not only everybody on the diocesan in this room, but in this city, and whoever else is watching.

First Amendment rights.

Friend of religion is also freedom from religion.

We've got the freedom of press, freedom of assembly.

Right to petition, which is you can protest to your government.

Those are complaints, criticisms.

Now you got the Fourth Amendment.

The right of the people to be secure in their person, houses, papers, effects against unreasonable searches and seizures shall not be violated.

No warrant shall issue upon probable cause.

Supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly described the place to be searched and the persons are things to be seized, right?

Anyway.

Two United States immigration programs from our past.

Y'all were offended by one of the names.

I didn't name it.

That was a U.S.

government program name.

But you weren't offended by the practices.

And I say that because y'all today are still complicit.

Not one of you has spoken out about what is going on.

Quite frankly, our desert death camp for East Montana.

If you're unaware, people from Alc uh Alligator Alcatraz got transferred over here.

People that are being taken in Minnesota in everything that's going on there, and I do know people and I have friends there.

I have been to that city, are being sent over here to the east side.

People are dying over here.

And I'm just gonna let you know that your complicity not speaking out, and thank you, Aceavedo, for being over there at the county event on speaking out for that.

But quite frankly, the blood that's in the bloodshed that's happening in the deaths over there, it's also on your hands.

Because you're being complicit and you don't speak out.

I will with my last breath.

Unfortunately, some people don't.

The next speaker is Jose Gastón Barriga.

Mr.

Barriga's topic is institutional oversight failure and ADA noncompliance.

He will be followed by Priscilla Hernandez, Katie Garcia, and Claudia Contreras Siller.

One for the record.

That's okay.

Good morning.

Okay.

Good morning.

Good mayor on council.

My name is Jose Gaston Barriga, retired US Army.

On November 1st, I have a twenty I had a 24 hours to get to Ecuador regarding my my dying model.

I was trapped by a chain gate and a phantom north lot at the airport that exist in neither El Paso City Ordinance nor airport directing science.

Using a hybrid rollator, I chose the only practical path to ensure I reached my mother's bedside.

We pay Metropolis technology.

SP plus to run more than to run more than those loads.

On January 12th, they settled for 8.75 million in Tennessee for the sa for the exact deceptive sick sickness and confusing practices I encountered.

Yet your staff is fighting me for over 272 dollars.

I'm not here for the money.

Because it was their dog.

The chief internal auditor position remains open since uh vacant since August.

The ADA advisory committee hasn't been hasn't hasn't met in months.

And they just canceled the January 22nd again.

Council, you promote enhanced library car for equity.

In contrast, but pushing app only parking through Metropolis.

You are driving a massive federal audit in April 2026 when new DOJ is DOJ digital standards take effect.

Refund the seniors, fix the ordinance, and fill the auditor position ASAP.

Don't let 272 dollars mistake turn into a nine nine million disaster.

Do the right thing for the veterans and the taxpayers.

Have a great day.

Thank you.

Thank you.

The next speaker is Priscilla Hernandez.

She will be followed by Katie Garcia.

Ms.

Hernandez's topic is ice cream truck vendor prices.

Good morning.

You have three minutes.

Hello, good morning.

Good morning.

We are here in representation of our local vendor.

We are here to speak up for our community of vendors.

Mr.

Caballero is abusing of his position, allowing the leagues to resell the concessions to us at a higher price of 1,800 for two days.

As we know, the leagues are giving the priority to their own vendors, although some of them don't have all of the requirements that the park recreations require.

Also, the leagues don't have the authority to pick their vendors and charge us extra.

Pablo Caballero and Monica Vargas allow the leagues to buy the concessions for $300.

And as I had mentioned above, the parks are being resold.

In conclusion, Mr.

Caballero is taking advantage of his position by fabricating by fabricating false hope to assist and to resolve this issue.

With no outcome as of our acknowledgement, we know the people don't know what actually happens, and we want to bring this up to everyone's attention to find a resolution for all of our vendors.

Thank you.

The next speaker is Katie Garcia, also speaking on the resale.

Yes, you're speaking on the same topic of resale of park concessions.

Good morning.

Hi, good morning.

So we like like our we want to bring this to you guys' attention because we think it's very unfair for us to be charged more or to be recharged because we already paid for that concession.

So I just want to emphasize that that we're paying more than what we already paid.

Thank you.

Thank you.

The final speaker is Claudia Contreras.

Her topic is justicia para todos, justice for all.

Good morning.

Good morning.

Good morning.

I'm gonna say some words in English really fast.

I brought the Mexican flag and the American flag.

I won this price, and I decided to ask for blue roses, so I can give out to the police department and all law enforcement that are in the city with a note.

Thank you very much for your service.

I won 50 eternal roses by Instagram account, eternal blooms by Eli, and decided to ask for blue roses, so I can give out to law enforcement agents.

John 316.

My dream is that one day all Paso Police Department and Sheriff's Office can back up the cats from animal cruelty.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

And I'm gonna give a flower to mayor.

Thank you.

That concludes call to the public.

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 and let's separate discussion as 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.

Thank you, Miss Prime.

I move to approve the consent agenda with the following revisions.

Page three, item three, move item to the regular agenda and take with item 38 per representative Acevedo.

Page four, item five, move item to the regular agenda per representative Acevedo.

Page nine, items 30 and 31.

Take items before item 28 for city attorney's office and police department.

Page 12, item thir 43, move item to the forefront of the regular agenda per representative Boyro Trejo.

There's uh motion and a second.

Um Representative Chavez, can you repeat that again?

It's kind of hard to go on the fly when we get a sheet in and we change on the on the file.

So what is it again?

Yes, Mayor.

Page three, item three, move item to the regular agenda and take item, take with item 38 per representative Acevedo.

Bless you.

Page four, item five, move item to the regular agenda per representative Acevedo.

Page nine.

Items 30 and 31.

Take items before item 28 per city attorney's office and police department.

We got those because those are printed, so we're we're good there.

Uh 12.

Item 43, move item to the forefront of the regular agenda per representative Boyra Trejo.

We got that.

Representative Rocha.

Thank you, Mayor.

And and really quickly, upon upon approval of this, I would like just to take a moment to recognize um one of the board appointees that is sitting in the in the audience today, Mr.

J D Cotham.

He is providing and serving or will be serving on the Civil Service Commission.

So thank you, Mr.

Cotham, for being here today.

Appreciate the service that you also um did for many years on El Paso Police Department, and I'm looking forward to you uh serving on this board and commission.

But with that, that that's all I had, Mayor.

Thank you.

Perfect.

Representative Canalis.

There you go.

Mayor, I'd like to move item 10 to the regular agenda as well.

Okay.

Representative Lima.

Mayor, I understand item number five has been uh moved.

I'm sorry, it was uh moved to the regular agenda.

Is that correct?

Um and I don't know if I can do this.

I'd like to postpone that item for two weeks.

Which comes first?

The postponed consideration.

Okay.

Thank you.

Okay.

Okay.

I believe we have uh comment on some consent agenda items.

Yes, Mayor, we have on item number four.

We have Miss Claudia Contreras Siller that signed up to speak on item four, and this is a resolution to amend schedule C to add $50 registration fee for dogs designated as vicious dogs.

Hello, good morning.

I am for um resolution four.

Uh the dogs that have been acting aggressive, they need to be labeled as aggressive.

I'm gonna use an example.

A person was letting out two pigbulls because they had chip.

They were terrorizing their street.

I asked for the address because I could get pictures of these dogs all the way to Ascarate Park and by Marty Robbins.

So I was thinking who's letting them out on this side.

So I found out that the person letting out these dogs lived in behind Marty Robbins.

These dogs were letting out every single night, attacking the entire street.

I was asking for information on Exor, and a neighbor sent me the address.

Uh, what would happen is that these dogs were chasing people, were killing small pets and straight cats.

What would happen by law is that they were getting scanned and returned to the owner, and they were never never labeled as aggressive.

Uh I had videos of those dogs killing cats, taking them by the head.

And when they got surrender, finally um they were not labeled as aggressive.

So I had to go to the police department and tell them that those dogs were very aggressive, and those dogs could not be giving out as a regular adoption because they were used to killing cats all night for three months.

I was after them for two weeks.

And I want to thank the police department and uh animal services for stopping that problem.

So I am for adding another fee to label dogs as aggressive.

You cannot place uh a dog with a family with kids, and it's also for the strays.

There's a lot, a lot of loose animals, especially in the desert.

They stay in the desert and then they go to the houses to start killing cats and dogs.

So every single dog that is aggressive that has chased a person or a kid must be labeled as aggressive uh to prevent you know, like a tragedy.

Please thank you, animal services.

Thank you.

We have Ms.

Osman that signed up to speak on items 18, which is a notation of special project discretionary fund and P card transactions, and item 19, which is notation of campaign contributions.

You know, any time the P card comes up, I'm gonna go through it.

And it's there's always something interesting to me.

Um CLE hours continuing legal education hours.

You don't actually have to travel out of town.

I know that because my status is on dormant.

And if I wanted to re-up that I could do that online and remotely as well.

But as far as uh so that is with the P card.

I up, I don't know if I should do this in any way.

Okay, so that's that's with 18.

Uh in also with that, I'm gonna tell you.

You know what's always bothered me?

Is that y'all go buy your goodies?

Hey, we've already talked about the catering.

In a lot of this, hey, you know what?

Uh, did I go to uh Tamales with Canales?

Yes.

Because he's also still the rep for the neighborhood association in that I oversee.

But um any time y'all get snacks and you take them to the senior centers, you know, okay.

I'm registered at the one of the senior centers myself.

Maybe I shouldn't be offended, but I am.

You know why?

Because that's the same places where the votes are are held.

And it just seems as though you know what, you kind of have a captured audience that you're being off with suites for their votes.

Whether that's the case or not, that's how it looks.

And unless you're given suites to everybody, it shouldn't be a captured audience at a senior center.

Hey, look.

I I think we do quite a bit for the senior centers.

Do they do they have a lot of complaints?

And I'm sure when you all go to the senior centers, you're gonna hear them, right?

You know, the food, it just all sorts of things.

But it does bother me how much money of the taxpayers' dollars are used on things that give the perception that you're purchasing votes.

And what you know, whether that's uh parties or you know, catering for this and that.

And mind you, you know, hey, I I'm sure out of his own pocket those giveaways at Tamales with Canales were out of his own pocket.

But or donations, who knows.

Um it's something that that there is an issue with.

And I think all taxpayers should have an issue with it, not just me pointing it out, because I'm the only one actually reviewing it and looking and telling some of this outrageousness up.

So that is it for 18.

Um in regards to number 19, Mr.

Nina.

Uh I'm gonna say you got votes because constituents voted for you for the bossman.

Wait.

Thank you.

So I have to do both of them at the same time yes, because uh the item is taken together as one vote.

Okay.

Yes, it would have greatly appreciate that.

Thank you.

Ms.

Fry?

Yes, sir.

Is that it on the consent agenda?

That's it on the consent agenda.

The other item one was postponed.

Item five is is there's uh revision to postpone, and then item ten is moved to regular okay.

That works.

So we have a motion and a second on the consent agenda.

Is there any further discussion?

Okay, Miss Bryan.

I'm sorry, who was the second?

I didn't hear a second.

Thank you.

Representative Piero.

The motion was made by Mayor Potem Chavez, seconded by alternate mayor Piero, and this is to approve the consent agenda as revised on that motion, call for the vote.

And the voting session.

And that motion passes unanimously.

Mayor, would you like to take item 10 that was moved to regular?

Yes.

Item 10 is a resolution that rep District 2 representative Josh Acevedo be appointed as a city representative to the Transportation Policy Board for the Metropolitan Planning Organization to replace District 8 Representative Canales effective immediately.

Representative Canales.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um I I wanted to I I wanted to comment and not let the moment pass um this is uh you know we I I was asked if this is a change that I would be in favor of, and and I said no.

Um I have served uh a few years on the MPO and have prepared myself very well for that service.

Um in that time I've been required to take 15 continuing education hours, um, and I've done 44 and a half.

I think it's very important to learn the intricacies of of uh you know Texas 12 funding categories and uh all of the the complexities of transportation planning and so um it's it's a service on on that board that I take very seriously.

Um I I understand if it's the council's desire to make a change.

Um there is a meeting of the MPO this week that I've already prepared for.

I would ask uh if we're going to make this change that we can postpone this item for two weeks so I can attend this final meeting again that I've already uh prepared for and done all the reading for, and we can consider the change in in two weeks' time uh so that the the uh replacement if I am replaced comes into a meeting already prepared.

So I'd move to postpone this item for two weeks.

Second.

Okay, there's a motion and a second.

Any other discussion?

All right, Ms.

Brian, call for the vote.

We do have comment from Ms.

Osmond.

Ms.

Osman, the item is being postponed for two weeks.

Should I still speak?

You can speak regarding the postponement.

Just postpone.

Just upon the postponement.

You know, I can't completely agree with postponed because that's very valid.

Okay, Ms.

Bryan, call for the vote, please.

Yes, sir.

The motion was made by Representative Canales, seconded by Representative Limon, and this is to postpone item 10 for two weeks on that motion, call for the vote.

Mayor, there's a tie.

In the voting session.

All right, let's take the next item.

And the motion fails.

All right, let's take the next item.

So is there gonna be a motion to approve?

Oh sorry.

Yeah, we need a motion to approve.

Motion to approve.

All right, call for the vote.

Ms.

Osman would like to speak.

On item 10?

Yes.

Okay.

Uh can they set up the projector or what happened to it?

It's there, ma'am.

From my understanding when I did the check yes to what the mass transit un uh commission does, or uh uh the board, sorry.

Uh a part of that is uh infrastructure.

Uh am I correct, Mr.

Canales?

So like streets, correct?

Part of part of that?

All right.

So I'm curious as to whether bike lanes are part of that.

Um what that is is that's a photograph of uh what was once a bike lane on piedras going down.

And I took that on the way to Tamales with Canales because I was writing down Piedras to get to Texas because it was being held at Cafe Mayapan.

And now it's blacked out.

If you if you can't see it, it's very faint.

But you do see the diamond, it did say bike lane, and then now it is kind of Ms.

Osman is blacked out.

This is on the appointment.

Okay.

So this is a thing is that whoever is appointed.

Needs to really consider on the fact that there are changes done to the streets, and then all of a sudden y'all just flip it around.

It it it doesn't make sense.

So whether it is Mr.

Canales, Ms.

my representative, Mr.

Avedo.

I think a lot of this, whoever's on the board, needs to take all of this in consideration because these are wasted tax dollars.

It would have been nice to have a bike lane still remaining there.

It's not.

Um I'll speak further on that on another agenda item.

But uh honestly, um I'm not too sure why.

There somebody has to be moved.

Personally, I don't agree, even though both of them in some ways are my representatives.

I I really don't think it should be changed.

Somebody point out that Mr.

Canandas at least brings the numbers when he discusses certain things.

At times we'll admit when he is wrong.

And so that I do appreciate.

So I would say this isn't a change that needs to be made.

It should stay as it is.

And if it was contested, then I I think for some reason everybody should ask why is the mayor making this change.

Is that it?

Motion was made by Mayor Pro Tim Chavez, seconded by Representative Acevedo, and this is to approve item.

I'm sorry, who's the first one?

Yeah, Representative Chavez.

Who is a second on this one?

Thank you.

Representative Chavez.

Thank you, Mayor.

And I want to speak to Representative Canales because I have been serving on that board with him for the last year.

I think his contributions have been extremely valid on that committee on that board.

I know that you have always been very well prepared when showing up to the MPO.

I know that you were part of that board even before I came on.

And it was a pleasure to serve with you on that board.

I know that you made a comment, you know, something about council wanting this.

I I think these appointments are made at the discretion of the mayor and council uh votes to approve or deny his wishes.

Um I don't I don't uh I hope that uh you continue to remain engaged in all things transportation because beyond the MPO, there's a lot of transportation need in our community uh that we deal with here on council as as a council.

So thank you again, Representative Canales, for your contributions to the MPO.

I appreciate them.

Representative Le Mon.

Thank you, Mayor.

I I'm I'm I'm very disappointed with this item on the agenda.

I make it a point, Mayor.

I review every single item on the agenda prior to coming on board.

And then there's some items where there is no backup.

There's nothing other than the normal foreign to place it on the agenda.

And I am asked to vote on two items here that I have no knowledge.

Yet it's evident by the voting that there may have been some communication among some of the board of the council members.

Consistently, I see this.

I'll call it for whatever it is, but I have a real big problem.

We just heard from Representative Canales saying how he is prepared.

I mean, he doesn't wait until the last minute.

There's a meeting this week.

He is already prepared.

And yet we are not even going to afford him the opportunity to hold off on this appointment for two weeks.

And these are plum appointments.

The MPO and the FOAC.

And many of us have requested to be on those boards from the beginning, and we were not allowed to serve.

And yet today there is a change.

And I understand, I value and I respect that you have the ability to do this.

But I feel out of the loop when I have no idea why this is taking place.

And I'm really concerned because I am having to make a vote on something like this.

I would still hope that we could reconsider that vote.

But if not, it's a big disappointment.

Okay.

Representative uh Vierral.

Thank you, Mayor.

And with all due respect to Representative Lamont, I haven't had no communications on what the reasoning and background is on this on these two items.

What I do know is these items are um appointments that are at the will of the mayor.

And if the mayor feels that it's um important and timely, I will absolutely um support it without having a site conversation, Ms.

Lemoy.

That's it.

Thank you.

All right, and before the vote on this one, I appreciate the the extra comments that have been said here at the dais.

But there's eight council members that want to be on a number of boards here at the city.

Uh Representative Canales has said that he's been on this board for two years.

And I think Representative Canales has done an incredible job on the MPO.

And again, I am faced with seven, the eight other individuals that are sitting on this dais that want to be on a number of boards.

He's been on there two years.

So I think we should give others an opportunity to serve on other boards.

Specifically, there's there's FOAC, there's a number of boards that uh council members have come up in and requested.

This particular board has been requested by everyone sitting on the dais.

Everyone.

So if all eight want to be on this board, at what point do you select and put someone on the board?

Representative Canales has done a phenomenal job.

He's been on there two years.

I think it's nothing wrong with any board that I sit on governing boards throughout not only El Paso but the state.

We always rotate members.

So I don't see anything wrong with this.

So Ms.

Prime, would you please call for the vote?

Yes, sir.

The motion was made by Mayor Pro Tem Chavez, seconded by alternate mayor pro tempiero, and this is to approve item 10 on that motion.

Call for the vote.

If you are in teams, please make sure you're unmuted.

In the voting session.

And that motion passes 6 to 2.

Representative Limon Canales voting nay.

The remainder of council voting either motion carries.

Thank you.

Would you like to take item 43 that was moved to the forefront?

Or would you like the introductions?

I don't believe they are here yet, Ms.

Pryce.

We'll have to move that one.

Yes, sir.

Okay.

That brings us to items 20 to 23.

This is the introduction of ordinances.

Okay.

Is there a second?

Second.

All right, Ms.

Pry.

Yes, sir.

The motion was made by Representative Limon.

Seconded by Alternate Mayor Pro Tem Fiero, and this is to approve the first reading of ordinances for items 20 to 23 on that motion.

Call for the vote.

And the voting session.

And that motion passes unanimously.

Item 24 is a public hearing of an ordinance authorizing the conveyance of real property owned by the City of Al Paso to TEPAB properties LLC for the purchase price of $36,227.50.

Such real property legally described as a portion of lot 31, Block 11, Womble Edition.

All right, Ms.

Prime, before we do that, maybe I'm confused, but was it wasn't there some consent agenda items moved, like on page 5, page 9?

There was item three that was moved to regular, but that's going to be taken when item 38.

Correct.

And then item five was postponed for or sorry, item five was postponed for two weeks, and then item 10 has been taken.

Okay.

Perfect.

Good morning.

Good morning, Mayor and Council.

Mary Louis Vinosa with the Real Estate Division for the record.

All right.

This item was brought before council in September of 2025.

City Council vetted this surplus property and it was approved for us to list it.

It was listed in accordance with the exception to the bid and local and notice, local government code section 272.001B1.

This property is on the corner of Yan Dell and I-10, PID number 314206.

It was appraised at $34,000 in October.

The purchase price is $36,227.50 plus closing costs.

And staff is recommending that we sell the property to the abutting property owner.

Any questions on this particular item?

Okay.

There's a motion and a second, I believe.

Is there a motion?

Okay.

Second.

Okay.

Ms.

Bryan?

Yes, sir.

The motion was made by Representative Malonado Rocha.

Seconded by alternate mayor Pro Tem Piero.

And this is to adopt the ordinance on item 24.

There's no public comment on that motion.

Call for the vote.

And the voting session?

And that motion passes unanimously.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Let's take item number 25, Ms.

Pry.

Yes, sir.

Items 25 through 27 are sale of properties for El Paso Water.

Did you want to take them together or separately?

Sure.

And I believe we have a presentation on 27 or no presentation.

Okay.

Item 25 is a public hearing of an ordinance authorizing the city manager to sign a deed and other documents necessary to convey approximately 271 acres of land for the sale price of 7,528,957 for legally property legally described in their several parcels of TMP RR survey block 81 Township 1.

Item 26, a public hearing of an ordinance authorizing the city manager to sign a purchase and sale agreement, a deed and any other documents necessary to convey approximately 400 acres of land for the sale price of $4 million.

Item 27 is a public hearing of an ordinance authorizing the city manager to sign a deed and other documents necessary to convey approximately 1,055 acres of land for the sale price of $420,000.

These are Al Paso water items.

Is there a motion to approve?

All right.

Any discussion on any of these.

Okay, Ms.

Bryan.

Yes, sir.

The motion was made by Alternate Mayor Pro Tem Fiero, seconded by Representative Boyatrejo.

And this is for items 25, 26, and 27, and this is to adopt the ordinances.

And we do have Mr.

Joe Garibai that's signed up for item 27.

Good morning.

Good morning.

So I am Joe Garbay.

I am the chair of the Open Space Advisory Board, and today I am speaking to you as the chair of the Open Space Advisory Board.

OSEP has looked forward to have this land going to the State Park for some time.

From the beginning, we have wanted this.

But we have very specifically asked that this be done with a conservation easement.

It has been our request since the beginning, and we're talking five years ago.

This is not a new request.

For reference, this process started in 2021, I believe.

We're going to save this land.

It's going to cost you $5 million, and it will be saved forever with the conservation easement.

About six months later, PSB comes forward and says, well, we got to alter the deal a little bit.

It's $15 million now, but it'll be with, you know, it'll be saved forever.

It'll happen.

Six months later, City Council, actually the July meeting, City Council said conservation easement.

You directed for a conservation easement.

Six months later in November, you directed for conservation easement.

In December of 2021, the water company came forward and said, you know what?

We got a conservation covenant.

And so we're all good.

In January, like two weeks later, City Council said, Covenant, no, we want a conservation easement.

We have continually pressed for this conservation easement.

We're five years down the process now.

No conservation easement.

We still have the covenant.

For those that don't know, there's a big difference.

A covenant is a pinky promise between the state to the state.

If the state decides that for the good of the public they want to change it, they can change it.

They don't have to ask permission of anybody else but have their own meeting to do this.

A conservation easement brings in a third party, someone who watches this land, and if the state decides to change something, now they have Standee.

They can go to court and they can say, no, don't do this.

You know, you gotta save the land.

It's important to recognize that this was a cost to the citizens of El Paso.

To get that conservation easement, we pay $14.5 million.

I get there by we paid $15 million for the land in total.

They're selling it to the state for five or for a half million dollars.

A $14.5 million decrease in land value.

That decrease is because the land is supposed to be encumbered.

They can no longer do development and stuff like that on the land.

That's why there's this big drop in the price.

And if we don't have the conservation conservation easement, that encumbrance isn't on there, and therefore they can have things happen to the land.

We spent $14.5 million to save this to make sure it happened right.

And I don't see anywhere in this proposal that that's happening.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Okay, Ms.

Brian, we have a motion and second on items 25 through 27.

That's correct, Mayor.

All right.

On that motion.

Call for the vote.

Call for the vote.

And the voting session.

And that motion passes unanimously.

Thank you, Mayor.

Thank you.

And Ms.

Bryan, I believe we're supposed to take items 30 and 31 next.

That's correct.

Next item is number 30.

And this is a discussion and presentation on City of Al Paso's role in the regulation and enforcement of animal-related issues.

Good morning.

Good morning.

Carlos Adamandati's assistant city attorney for the record.

This presentation focuses on animal cases and the role of the departments as well as the courts.

So the first thing to know about animal citations is that all of the cases take place at the municipal court.

Animal services investigates and sites, and prosecutors from the city attorney's office resolve the case in court.

All the citations are Class C misdemeanors.

Generally speaking, that means that there is a max fine of $500 per citation.

So this slide shows some of the most common citations that are held at the municipal court.

These are all Class C citations.

The first one up in the corners of the breeding violation.

Those are going to be for failure to obtain a litter permit, as well as unlawful sales, and unlawful advertising.

The next group is neglect violations.

That's going to be for animals left in vehicles, as well as abandonment.

Next, we have standards of care.

Those are for failure to provide shelter, food, water, shade.

And in the next row, you'll see restraint cases.

Those cases are for animal not confined.

That means dogs roaming.

And for chaining an animal with the with a short tie or a chain.

Those are for excessive barking and odors.

In the center there we have the quarantine violations.

Those violations are for failure to quarantine an animal under order.

The next group of violation is the pet groomer violation.

That's for failure to reports, registration violations, as well as violations from the groomer application.

And finally, the most common type of violation at the municipal court are paper violations.

Those are for failure to microchip, register, or vaccinate an animal.

Now, city prosecutors don't always use the fine as a way to resolve a case.

We have several tools at our disposal.

Sometimes the best outcome is to come into compliance.

That means that we'll dismiss a case if the underlying issue is resolved so that we can all move on.

At times we'll assign a pet ownership responsibility course for dismissal.

That's sort of like doing a defensive driving class for a pet owner.

At times we'll assign community service to resolve a case.

And finally, uh in some cases it's appropriate to defer a case, meaning that if there's no further violations during the set period, we'll dismiss the case.

But some violations are more serious and are classified as uh higher misdemeanors or felonies.

These cases will carry the possibility of a fine or jail time.

Some examples of these type of cases are animal fighting, animal cruelty, and livestock and regulation, right livestock regulatory offenses.

These cases are investigated by the El Paso Police Department Animal Cruelty Unit and prosecuted by the District Attorney's Office at the criminal courts.

This slide here is a highlight is the slide here is uh a summary of non-criminal cases that are heard at the municipal court.

In the green box, we have cruelly treated animal cases.

These cases aim to protect animals from harm.

And then two boxes below in orange, we have our two dog attack type cases.

Those seek to protect our community, and down below in blue, we have our two proposed ordinances the vicious dog and aggressive dog determinations.

Those also seek to protect the community and our pets.

Under Texas law, an owner can be dispossessed of his animal if the animal is mistreated.

Cruelly treated is a defined term under the Health and Safety Code, and it encompasses a variety of different behaviors.

If a judge finds that the animal has been cruelly treated, then the animal, the animal can be rescued.

To show how all of this works together, we can take a look at a recent case.

Last summer, animal protection officers were dispatched to an animal welfare check on Dunlap Drive in the Northeast.

When they arrived, they came across many animals outside of the home that were living in substandard conditions.

They noticed some injuries on one of the animals, and they were able to have a few of the animals voluntarily surrendered at that time.

They came back the next day with a signed writ of entry from a judge, and they were able to enter the home, and they also brought with them the animal cruelty unit from the police department.

Now, once inside the home, they came across many more animals that were enclosed in cages, just like in the photos that I've placed here on the slide.

As you can see, there are animals in every nook and cranny of that residence, and the cages were stacked on top of each other.

That allowed for feces and urine to fall on one animal below.

And if you look at the next picture, you'll see an animal in a small cage that doesn't have enough room to turn around.

All the animals were impounded that day, and a hearing was set for a cruelly treated animal case.

At the hearing, I was able to show video of the residence and the conditions the animal were living in.

As for the owners, they were arrested after the investigation, and they're facing criminal charges at the district court.

Okay, we have two types of animal attack cases.

These are for cases where an animal attacks a person.

The first type of case is a serious bodily injury type case.

This is when an animal attacks somebody and their severe bite wounds or severe ripping or tearing of the muscle or fatality.

Now, if the judge sees that the animal responsible or being accused of the attack was responsible, the animals put down.

Witnesses sometimes live near to the pet owners, or even next door to the pet owners whose animals attack them.

Or sometimes the pet owners, oh sorry, sometimes the victim is still hospital at the time is still hospitalized at the time of the hearing.

This slide highlights a case that happened a couple of years ago out on Grass Road at a trailer court.

Three different people were attacked by three pit bulls that were roaming around the trailer court.

The dogs had a history of roaming in that area, and they targeted an elderly lady who was outside of her mobile home.

Now a younger lady came to aid the elderly lady, and she was also attacked.

The only good thing in this case is that the elderly lady was able to survive the attack when she went back inside of her mobile home.

Another neighbor showed up to intervene, and he was also attacked.

Luckily, the two neighbors that came to help survive the attack by climbing a piece of playground equipment nearby.

At the subsequent hearing, only two of the witnesses came.

The elderly lady was still hospitalized.

However, the judge did find that the animals were responsible and they were subsequently destroyed, and the remains were sent to a lab for testing.

Luckily, uh they came back negative.

The other type of dog attack case is the dangerous dog determination.

The dangerous dog determination is when an animal's roanamine and causes serious bodily injury by attack to a person.

Now, in this type of case, the pet owner is allowed to keep his animal if he complies with a few requirements.

First off, the animal would need to be registered with animal services.

The animal would need to be kept in an enclosure or restrained at all times with a sign placed on the enclosure indicating that the dog is a dangerous dog.

The owner would also need to obtain an insurance policy for 100,000.

The owner has 30 days to get into compliance.

And if she doesn't, then the animal would be put down.

Now, one of the things that I deal with as a prosecutor every day at the municipal court is a witness that comes in for an animal not confined case after his or her per uh pet has been attacked or mauled.

And I have to tell that witness that there's nothing that I can do beyond prosecuting the animal not confined violation.

The vicious dog determination seeks to remedy that gap in the law.

So what the vicious dog determination is, it's for animals that are roaming and they attack and cause serious bodily injury or kill another animal.

Now, like the dangerous dog determination, the owner can keep his animal if he follows a few requirements.

First off, the owner would have to take a pet ownership responsibility course and register the animal with animal services.

Animal services would issue a certain tag that would be worn on the collar of the animal at all times.

If there's a change in address, the department needs to be notified.

And if the animal is rehomed, then the new owner has to comply with the same requirements.

However, here we're not asking for an insurance policy.

The other new ordinance is the aggressive dog determination.

This is for animals that chase cyclists, pedestrians, kids on skateboards, or display intimidating behavior towards people in the neighborhood.

Like the other determinations, the pet owner can keep his animal if he complies with a few requirements.

First off, he needs to keep the animal enclosed at all times or restrained on a leash.

And he needs to place a warning sign on the enclosure stating that it's an aggressive dog.

And the owner would also be responsible for taking the pet ownership responsibility course, just like the defendants in court.

So we've designed these proposed ordinances with that gap at the law in mind for animal to animal exposures.

And we've designed it to keep our pets and our community safe from animals that have negative tendencies and behaviors.

What questions do you have for me?

Thank you, Carl.

Representative Chavez?

Thank you, Mayor.

Thank you, Carlos, for the presentation.

I want to speak today about Jade Cerda.

Jade Cerda is a constituent of District One.

I met with her in 2025 in February.

I had just taken office in January, and she was attacked by a mastiff dog outside of her home, a dog that had been reported to animal services five times prior to the attack.

But for whatever reason, because we didn't have an ordinance like this in place, the dog had not been identified, and you know, there basically hadn't had not been taken into custody because uh there was nothing that could be done at that time.

Um as I mentioned, she was viciously attacked by this dog.

The dog was um attacking different parts of her body, and then uh finally uh grabbed a hold of her her head and uh clasped his uh teeth into into her head, and uh she was about to die, except that her daughter's friend came out of the house and with a pocket knife and stabbed the dog and killed the dog, and because of that she survived.

Um EMS arrived and they took her to the hospital and she survived.

Uh it was a very sad uh thing that she had to to go through, um, not only sad but painful.

Um and I'm very happy to see that that we are coming together as a community and as a city to put something forward to prevent these things from happening again in the future.

Um my question is you know, with these ordinances that we are bringing forward, um are we prepared to train um our animal services department and others to ensure that the process is done well so that it doesn't fall through the judicial system, right?

So that things are followed through and people do pay the consequences of of having aggressive dogs and not being able to control them.

Um do we have something already in mind for that?

Uh we do actually.

What we're doing currently is dangerous dog determinations.

And we've designed these proposed ordinances to mimic the dangerous dog protocol.

So a lot of the legal procedure mimics what we already have and already works as a matter of um enforcement um things are done by discretion.

So when an officer identifies a dog that could be considered a vicious dog or an aggressive dog, they can take the steps necessary to uh put those cases into the system.

Sure.

And city prosecutors frequently meet with animal services and the protection officers to give them the necessary information.

We've done training in the past with all of the protection officers, uh, going over the details of a dangerous dog determination.

We could do so with this proposed ordinance.

Um it would look a lot like what we already do.

And that's why we designed the ordinance to look like it does, because we want something that works and something that people are already familiar with.

Carlos, how much time have you dedicated to this?

To these cases, a number of years to this ordinance.

Um it's taken a number of months to get through.

Yeah.

And uh and I appreciate the work that you've done.

I think the message to the community is that we care.

Um and we have to also abide by state law, right?

Um we're restricted in some ways because of that.

And it takes uh a good legal team to put together an ordinance to try to protect our community as much as possible from aggressive or vicious dogs or or what it may be.

Um we care deeply.

I know you care deeply about Al Paso as well, and I want to thank you for this work.

I know that this is one step towards uh making everybody more comfortable in whatever neighborhood they live, wherever they may be, like you just mentioned, skateboarding, bicycle riding, what whatever they may be doing, we want to make sure that people remain uh safe, and and we appreciate that that you're helping us work towards that.

So in honor of Jade Cerda, who is doing well, thankfully, um a positive person with a big spirit and a lot of faith.

She got through that incident, um, but we're hoping to be able to protect others in our community so they don't have to live through something like that.

Thank you, Carlos.

My pleasure, thank you.

Representative, thank you, Mayor, and thank you, Carlos, for putting this together and working on it as well.

I have a couple of questions.

You know, when I got briefed on this, I know that there's three determinations, right?

From the bottom is a cursive dog, vicious dog, and then dangerous, um, which is the state law portion of it.

Um I was seeing that.

Some of these determinations require a warning sign, and then some of them might not require a tag.

Can you kind of specify that?

Um why is it that um on vicious dogs or dangerous dogs?

It doesn't require a tag.

So the vicious dog and the dangerous dog would require a tag that would be issued when the animals registered with animal services.

Okay.

So all of them would require except for the aggressive dog, correct?

The aggressive dog and the vicious dog would uh require a tag, I believe.

Okay, okay.

I just want to get that clarification.

And would all the the three determinations also require a warning sign?

Yes, all of the um enclosures where the animals are kept would need to have a warning sign on the outside at the entry point.

And the language um comes to us from the state law for dangerous dogs, and we've uh used something similar for vicious dogs.

Perfect.

Okay, great.

And uh I think this could be a question for Ms.

Mack.

Um in regards to doing educational outreach, how would we do that determination of ensuring that members of the community one if they've already faced some sort of you know dog attack moving forward that they're aware of these new ordinances and we do some sort of like educational PSA so that they're aware of of what's required?

I will I would like to really see that move forward.

Can I make a quick clarification on my response?

Yeah.

The aggressive dog does not require a tag.

I was mistaken.

It's gonna be uh the vicious dog.

Okay.

So it would just be the vicious dog, not the dangerous dog?

Uh the dangerous dog at this time does not.

That's something that could be implemented in the future.

Okay.

But those rules come to us under the state law.

And um state law does allow for the city to uh have additional requirements for dangerous dogs.

Okay.

And how do we know why that determination was done in regards to dangerous dogs not having a tag versus a vicious dog having a tag?

I'm sorry, I'm sorry.

The state law does the state law does have a tag.

It does, okay.

But clarification on both vicious and dangerous.

On vicious and dangerous.

But not agreed.

But not aggressive, that's correct.

Okay.

Okay.

Sorry about that.

Okay.

No, and I was gonna say do we have to make a motion to to add that to it because I think it would be important to do that.

Okay.

Um I have no further questions, Mayor.

Okay.

Thank you.

Representative Savedo.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um So this is a lot of hard work and I really appreciate it.

And you know, there's a lot of tragic cases that you've highlighted that I think most of us have heard our own stories in in our districts.

And I think this is a long time coming, and this is something that can really be used to help the situation that has been really unfortunate.

But I wanted to ask you a few questions in terms of why is it a $500 max fine?

That's a good question.

I'm glad you asked it.

Class C misdemeanors are capped at $500 by um state law, generally speaking.

Sometimes at the municipal court there's room for higher fines, but only where state law allows for.

Okay, because I I thought it could go from $500 to $2,000.

$2,000 for health and safety, that's correct.

And some other areas.

Generally speaking, there's a $500 max fine, which doesn't mean that the judge will use that fine amount for all cases.

Carlos, can you explain the difference between our municipal ordinances and the state law provisions that cap it at $500?

So we gain our authority to do the dangerous dog designation from state law, which caps it at $500.

If the council was to pass an ordinance under the local rules, under health and safety, you could have up to $2,000 a day as a violation.

That's the distinction.

Okay.

So it's possible that this could go higher if we adopted a local rule to have like local control, I guess, just to make it easier.

Um I think one thing that we have seen in my office quite a bit is the repeat offenders that go to court, they get a fifty dollar fine, and then they continue to have this bad behavior.

So I feel like this is a good step forward, but those loopholes still exist, and I really want to close those loopholes where most of the time I'm not here to be punitive in any sort of way, but there are such bad cases out there that continue to rig this system that I would almost feel that we could have a minimum of a $500 thing and then pass something like Ms.

Neeman said to go up to $2000.

So they're not getting that slap in the wrist for $50 and then just doing the same thing.

Whether they're gonna now do classes and on pet ownership, or I I think there's people that might still do that.

Um so I guess in preparing for this, why were isn't that a consideration to allow us to move forward with a $500 to $2,000?

Okay, for these two proposed ordinances, the idea here is to take action and to ensure safety.

Sometimes a monetary fine is the correct path.

Other times we need to take action, and that's what these ordinances do.

They put requirements on the pet owners, and if those pet owners don't comply within 30 days, then the animals can be impounded and the judge can make a determination of what to do with the animal.

And how are we engaging the judges to tell them about these changes and is there any data that we're collecting?

You know, I I think you probably have certain things that we're still dealing with this owner from 2018 or 2019, and they go to court and it's a $50 fine.

So how are we engaging the judges to let them know that if they continue to go to court and they have the the same charge over and over, they're just going through the same behavior.

Like I I think when you have an ordinance like this that is good, um, but in practice it's completely different.

So I'm I'm really trying to get through those loopholes, if that makes sense.

Right.

The good thing about these cases is that they're all individual settings, so there's more time to analyze um the facts and to hear from both sides.

Whereas when you have a case that's on a docket, the docket sheet might have upwards of 50 cases.

Um the pet owners might not go to court, they might be represented by attorney by attorneys.

Um but when we do a dangerous dog determination, when we do one of the dog attack cases, that's an individual in an individual setting where we have time to get through everything.

We get uh the dog's history, the animal protection officers are able to testify about their knowledge of the animal and the setting, and we get a more complete picture.

So that's really the chance for our judges to get to know the situation before making the determination and finding the best course.

Also, Representative Carlos and his team spend a substantial amount of time training our municipal court judges on these changes, and then they have recurring training.

You have to remember that the judges also have discretion in dealing with these cases.

So as much as Mr.

Armand that is in his team would want to have a better solution out there or better response, it's really up to the judge to determine what is the best approach in having uh an owner come into compliance.

And and that makes sense, and I have great respect for the different branches, right?

That's the judicial branch for the legislative, and I don't want to tell the judges what to do, but at the very least, when this information is being presented, we're making these changes, you know, anecdotal data or just quantitative data can really help them see this person comes to your court 20 times already, and and that it's the same outcome, and and the community is not seeing that progress that they're looking for, and you know, because they come to us and we tell them, well, there's state laws, you know, property laws are really heavy and an animal's considered property.

And then they're like, but they're just so bad.

And I'm like, my hands are tied, and the people get mad at us because we can't do more, and and so I I think that's been a frustration in the two years that I've been here.

You know, there's other cases where I was looking for dogs myself that were chasing and killing cats, and then when I got animal services there, they ran into the property, and then the person that was at the house at the time was underage.

And so that took a few more weeks to finally get somebody over the age of 18 to finally take those dogs away after they had killed several cats throughout the memorial park area.

And then there's other situations where our geography has close to New Mexico, and one of my constituents, I think a lot of people know this story, but um she had an attack and it was a pretty bad attack, and the owner with the dog moved, quote unquote moved to New Mexico, and since they moved to New Mexico, we couldn't do anything about it anymore.

But then the dog was still seen in the neighborhood, is still seen in the neighborhood to this day.

And because they're on file with New Mexico, we can't really do anything unless they do something else.

So those are the things where I want to make sure that we still have that enforcement and we're following up on these cases in different ways.

I know animal services is really strapped, um, and animal services officers are not always um available and we are short-staffed in that area, but how can we continue to have that that animal service officer go out to those places to ensure that what is on the books now is really being enforced.

And that's probably something that the city manager can you know come up with different ways, but um I'm just telling you that this has kind of been since I've been in office, this has been frustrations and I I know that we pass ordinance sometimes and they just stay on the books, and we're not really enforcing them because we're short staffed or there's other different reasons, but I don't want this to go down that path overall.

So I just wanted to say that for the record.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Representative Rocha.

Thank you, Mayor.

And thank you, Garlos, for the for the presentation.

Ms.

Niemann, thank you very much for all the work that all the team has done in bringing this finally to the point where we can present it and hopefully put it into action more than anything.

Just a couple of questions.

You mentioned a writ of entry.

I I I've been I I Ms.

Neiman has explained what the writ of entry is for me, but as far as the timeline goes, would you be able to kind of go through that with me, please, or with everybody on what it takes to get to that writ of entry?

Because essentially that's the point where something can be done with the animal, right?

Whether they're impounded or they are um taken into to custody by animal services.

Okay.

So for example, I talked about the uh recent cruelty case, the cruelty treated animal case that was on Dunlap Drive.

Uh animal services went to the site to investigate.

They were able to view what was available outside, but the pet owners didn't allow them entry into the home.

Because of that, because they had seen the conditions outdoors, they were able to create an affidavit, a sworn affidavit, and present it to a judge with the facts.

And the judge uh from there was was able to sign a writ of entry.

That writ of entry um it's similar to what a warrant is in that it's based on uh facts that are attested to.

Uh it gave them the right to enter the home to look out for the animals, to act in the animals' best interest.

How long does that normally take, Carlos?

I believe that could be done in in a matter of hours.

Okay.

Thank you.

And then you you previously mentioned the Class B misdemeanor.

What does that also run the same uh maximum fine as the Class C does?

Uh it's a different type of misdemeanor.

It's a higher misdemeanor.

The class C is the lowest type of misdemeanor.

That's going to be traffic tickets.

It's these type of uh ordinance citations.

Class B comes to us from the state law.

That's going to be um more serious in that it'll carry a fine and possible incarceration.

On that one.

Is there a max fine on that one?

Um that you'd be able to share.

I know that the max incarceration is six months.

Okay.

Thank you.

And then eighty days.

I appreciate it.

And by any chance, would you happen to know how many cases um your department took on in 25 in regards to animals?

Um these type of individual settings, we we have about uh somewhere around a couple times a month we'll have a case.

Last year it was I think three dangerous dog cases, three serious bottle injury cases, and 14 uh cruelly treated animal cases.

Thank you.

I I know in speaking with interim director uh Michael Washman, we we animal services has uh an opportunity now to track these dangerous dogs, these vicious dogs.

Correct me if I'm wrong, Michael, but and the aggressive dogs.

And so now it's gonna put us in a situation where maybe we have this data that Representative Acevedo is is talking about.

My concern is gonna be uh in in you being able to really take on that additional work, right?

On average, let's say it's 24 cases that you took on in 25 based on the two to three that you've provided.

So adding these additional pieces to it, would you be able to absorb that rather easily?

So I want to talk a little bit about that.

Not every dog bite ends up with the serious bodily injury or dangerous dog determination.

Sometimes the pet owners realize that their animal uh has these tendencies and the animals um are euthanized and they never the cases never go anywhere because the animal is gone.

Okay.

Uh as far as our ability to absorb the case, we have about five of us working in prosecution.

We have a rotation.

Uh, usually these cases are set for an afternoon docket when there's nobody there in the courts.

We have most of our courts during the morning.

Uh we should be able to handle um a lot more of those.

Okay.

Thank you.

I appreciate it.

Thank you.

Representative Canales.

Thank you, Mayor.

Yeah, first of all, thank you, Carlos and Mona and Michael, and everybody who's worked hard to uh bring these forward.

I know this item is not actually the consideration of the Title VII amendments, so I can talk more about those later.

But uh hearing some of the concerns brought up by the council, they mirror a lot of the same things that were brought up by the Animal Shelter Advisory Committee.

I wanted to make it clear for the council the uh committee considered these items both in the December meeting and then wanted to continue the conversation, had some some questions they wanted more information on, continued the conversation into the January meeting and did vote unanimously to recommend approval of the Title VII amendments.

Um but a lot of the things that they brought up mirrored uh things that the council is bringing up today.

And so I uh like I wanted to talk maybe about uh fine congruency.

I know there was an uh you know uh members of council are asking about why the fines are set where they are.

Um I know there was a consideration that we didn't want to create a situation where the fine for a dog attacking a dog was greater than the fine for a dog attacking a human.

Um state law sets that the $500 maximum uh for the dangerous dog, and so if we went above that, it would create that that kind of incongruency where you know we would we would be punishing uh people for a dog, a dog on animal attack more than a dog on human attack.

Um but again, I think the the excellent tool that the new uh proposal creates is the the possibility of impoundment in in cases of noncompliance.

And so um if we had a case where there is a repeat offender, the real health and safety intervention is being able to remove that that animal from the owner who's not being responsible.

Um, would you say that that is correct?

I believe that's correct.

The determination, once the animal is determined to be dangerous, vicious, or aggressive, the first requirement is keeping the dog restrained at all times.

If it's out roaming again, then the animal can be impounded.

And that's where the power of the new uh proposed ordinances lie.

And so there wouldn't be necessarily a case where someone could just continue to eat repeated fines for this type of violation because impoundment would be the next step.

Correct.

Correct.

And then the city by ordinance uh can only create up to a class C misdemeanor, is that correct?

We're not able to impose a class B?

No, that would have to be done by the legislature.

Okay.

Uh but in this particular case we could theoretically impose a greater fine if we so choose.

But again, we run into that kind of congruency issue.

Uh that's true as well.

Yeah.

There's some limitations uh that are given by the legislature, state law.

Okay.

Yeah.

Um I'll just say for the again for the council's benefit, in the ASAC meeting, a lot of these things were discussed and people talked about all different potential additions that could be made to this um in time.

I think it was understood uh that this is a good thing to have on the books and get it working and see how it's working.

Um of course the council can always make tweaks to this.

Uh the ASAC has asked to be updated.

Uh I believe it was in six months after adoption, and then uh, you know, kind of in in six-month increments after that to make sure that they're they're on top of how this is being implemented and uh they can make further recommendations to the council.

But they did uh unanimously recommend this in its in its current proposed form.

Thank you, Mayor.

All right, thank you, Carlos.

Uh Carlos, quick question.

Uh how many members are in the animal cruelty unit at the El Paso PD?

You know, I don't have that information.

I know that they're going to be presenting today, so that's a good question for them.

I don't know too much about the animal cruelty unit because we don't work with them.

We work with animal services.

The animal cruelty unit uh works with prosecutors uh from the district attorney's office, and they prosecute in those courts.

Okay.

Very good.

Carlos, thank you.

Thank you.

We're gonna take item number 31, Ms.

Fry.

Yes, sir.

Item 31 is discussion and presentation on legislative bills from the Texas 89th legislative session that affect animal cruelty investigations.

Good morning.

Good morning.

Good morning, Mayor and Council.

My name is Lawrence Luhan.

I'm the commander for the major crimes division of the El Paso Police Department, which consists and includes the animal cruelty investigations unit.

I'm here to provide you with an overview of the ACIU unit, the animal cruelty investigations unit, as well as the 2025 legislative updates that were passed by the 89th legislature and that went into effect September 1st of 2025.

Okay.

Okay.

And they respond to cases of animal cruelty to livestock animals and non-lifestock animals.

Where livestock animals are commonly referred to or animals that we know to be commonly raised under agricultural practices, such as cattle, sheep, swine, goats, etc.

And a non-lifestock animal is a domesticated living creature, including any stray or fetal cat or dog that has not been previously captured or is not a livestock animal.

We respond to these types of cases that come in from 911.

We work closely with our community partners to include animal services.

We work with Fort Bliss with the Office of the District Attorney, as well with other law enforcement agencies within the city of El Paso.

The animal cruelty investigations unit is different than animal services in that we investigate or we conduct criminal investigations of animal cruelty.

Animal services issue citations for violation of Title VII of the municipal code, and they present their citations to municipal court, whereas the animal cruelty investigation unit presents their cases to the Office of the District Attorney.

Two different missions, but we work together to get uh justice for the community of El Paso and for the animals that live in our community.

We work together.

The animal cruelty unit uh receives both formal training through TCO, which is the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards, as well as through Animal Services and the Humane Society.

They receive on-the-job training from their senior investigators, as well as take you are receiving outside training through the Texas Animal Control Association.

The animal uh cruelty investigation, and y'all were asking questions about the penalties.

In cases involving organized dog fighting or extreme cruelty, the courts are able to impose additional conditions like psychological evaluations, community service, or restrictions on future pet ownership.

Uh animal cruelty is defined as a torturing, poisoning, killing, failing to provide for, abandonment, bodily injury, causing to fight, transportation or confinement in cruel manner, using as a lure, seriously overworking an animal and sexual abuse or contact.

The penalties can range from a Class A misdemeanor, which can lead up to one year uh incarceration and up to a $4,000 fine, all the way to a state jail felony, a third degree state jail felony, which can lead up to 180 days to two years incarceration and or a fine up to 10,000 dollars.

And there are other uh levels within that.

Uh killing in a cruel manner carries the same type of penalty as the state jail, as does causing to fight another animal.

The animal cruelty investigation works hard to work with our community partners and to get information out to the general community.

They take part in community presentations and events with other organizations throughout the city of El Paso, as well as conducting media interviews and public service announcements.

Some of the work uh for the year 2025, where there were 231 case investigations, 53 warrants, 45 arrests, and 236 uh animal cruelty tips that came into our hotline.

And for the question that was asked earlier, how do we keep track?

We keep annual stats of what this un uh unit uh does on an annual basis to see how we're doing.

Uh from 24 to 25, we have seen an increase from 165 total case investigations up to 231 from 24 to 25.

It's unfortunate that this unit, you know, investigates terrible and shocking cases of abuse, but this unit exists to provide justice to those who do not have a voice in our community.

That's the animals, the animals who can't speak up about not being fed, the animals that can't speak up about being tortured or being left out in the cold.

And as an example, I will speak uh I will demonstrate or show to you guys two cases that our unit worked on.

This first case is a case of failing to reasonably provide food, water, shelter, and confinement in a cruel manner.

We worked this case along with animal services, uh, who advised us and notified us of what they had faced out in the field.

Uh in the end, we were able to charge the owners of this of these animals with cruelty to non-lifestock animals, uh, which is a third-degree felony and a 10,000 dollar bond, as well as cruelty to non-lifestock animals uh slash failing to provide for these animals, resulting in the seizure of these 25 canines and their arrest.

The case has not gone to court yet, so that's still pending.

And in this case, it's tragic that many of the animals, when they were provided with medical assistance, were found to have foreign materials in their intestines and in their stomach.

Max is our next case.

Max is a French bulldog, and this is also a case of failing to reasonably provide food, water, and medical care for Max, the French bulldog.

We worked along also with animal services, we're able to conduct the seizure of Max and looked into it and provided him medical attention.

And also in this case, it was shown that he had foreign objects in his stomach and his intestines.

Now many people will ask, well, what does that mean?

Why is it, why is there a significance of foreign objects in an animal's stomach?

And it's typically because that animal is starving and has gotten to the point where they'll eat anything to try to get some kind of nourishment into their system.

In this case also, the owners were charged with cruelty to non-lifestock animals, failing to provide for the animals, and this is clearly a case of failing to reasonably provide food, water, and shelter.

And the best part about this story, and also in the previous cases that Max now has a forever home.

He's back to normal.

You see his image on the right.

He's back chubby like any French bulldog should be, because I've never seen a thin French bulldog, they're always kind of short and stubby and chubby.

But we did find, like I said, forever homes for this case and for some of the animals in the previous case.

So moving forward, I'll get into the House Bill and Senate bills that were passed in the last legislature.

House Bill 285 is commonly referred to as Poncho's Law.

It amends a penal code and was authored by State Rep Claudia Ordaz of District 79.

Poncho's law adds uh criminal negligence to the state's animal cruelty statute and holds pet service businesses accountable for the harm or death to animals in their care.

In this case, Poncho died due to negligence of a pet grooming business, and this bill aims to protect pets from that type of harm.

Senate Bill 1245 is a taking of certain sheep, amending the Parks and Wildlife Wildlife Code, and was authored by Senator Cesar Blanco of District 29.

This allows qualified landowners or their agents to use helicopters to take depredating Audad sheep, where depredating means the destruction of property.

So in cases where sheep are causing destruction to the property of the owners, they are allowed to take uh these sheep from their private property through the use of helicopters.

Senate Bill 261 deals with cell cultured protein, amending the health and safety code.

It ensures that only beef and other animal proteins raised by traditional natural methods are sold to consumers.

It makes it illegal to sell or offer cell cultured protein for human consumption.

So some might ask, so what's cell cultured protein?

Cell cultured protein means a food product derived from harvesting animal cells and artificially replicating those cells in a growth medium to produce tissue.

So it's it's not real uh uh animal proteins.

It's important to note that the unlawfulness of selling or the offering of cell cultured protein will expire September 1st of 2027.

Senate Bill 2155 deals with the regulation of vet professionals and their facilities.

This amends the occupations code and requires all veterinary facilities to include mobile and remote veterinary services to now register with the Texas Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners.

Senate Bill 1568 relates to specialty license plates, amending the transportation code relating to the issuance of animal-friendly license plates, and requires a Department of Motor Vehicles to, in addition to the currently shown license plate that you have up there on your screen, uh, to include the words that uh to include the words spay, neuter, and adopt.

So you'll be seeing a different type of license plate in the in the near future once they start getting these out.

Senate Bill 305 deals with passing of certain vehicle vehicles, amending the transportation code.

It relates to the criminal offense of passing certain vehicles on the highway and amends the state's move over law by adding two vehicles, most importantly, animal control vehicles and vehicles operated by an employee of a local authority issuing parking citations.

Motorists must slow down or move over for these types of vehicles when they are stopped on the side of the highway.

This enhances the safety of these employees that are out there doing their jobs on a daily basis.

It also requires that these vehicles use visual visual signals that are approved and authorized by the transportation code.

House Bill 2731 relates to roadside vendors and solicitors.

It amends the transportation code applying to counties with a population of more than 200,000 and that border the United Mexican states.

A commissioner's court may regulate activities in these unincorporated areas that occur in the parking lot or on the right-of-way of a public highway or road.

It prohibits the counties from banning the sale of livestock.

Senate Bill 1948, fire prevention standards, amends the local government code, and it's not directly related to animal cruelty, however, it does state that a governmental entity may not adopt or enforce an ordinance order, rule, or other measure that requires the installation of a fire protection sprinkler system in certain agricultural facilities.

And to wrap things up, I'd like to say I'm very proud of the ACIU unit of the El Paso Police Department.

These men and women work long hours, they're dedicated to their job.

They're available 24-7 on a call-out basis.

So we receive a call at night from one of our patrol officers, and it's a case of animal abuse or cruelty to an animal, they will go out and respond to that.

I want to thank you guys for your time for this time this morning and let you know that uh you know the ECIU works hard not only for our residents but also for its animals, those that don't have a voice in the City of El Paso.

I'd be more than happy to answer any questions.

Very good.

Thank you for the presentation.

Representative Chavez.

Thank you, Mayor.

Thank you, Commander Lujan, for your presentation.

I had the privilege of doing a ride along with the Westside Regional Command Center uh last year.

And during that ride along, we uh arrested a couple for animal cruelty.

And I think that it was an something that was being investigated for a while.

And when we returned to the command center to book the couple, um I could I could just tell that everybody was so proud for having finally you know completed you know this case, completed it in a way, right?

Because there was still a process after that.

But I know that the department is working really hard.

I have two fur babies at home, and um animal cruelty is something that's you know really looked down upon as it should be in our community.

So I just want to thank you, your efforts and all of the department's efforts in terms of of getting animal cruelty, you know, taking care of in our community.

It's so important to take care of our pets.

They are part of our families.

And I know that you take an oath to protect and serve, and like you just mentioned, we honor that you're protecting and serving the people and the animals that don't have a voice in our community.

So thank you for that.

I appreciate your work.

I'll be sure to share that with the team because they're the ones that are boots on the ground getting things done all hours of the day and night.

Any other questions for Commander Lahan?

Commander, thank you.

Thank your team as well.

Thank you so much.

All right, Mr.

We're gonna take item number 43.

Yes, sir.

Item 43 is a presentation to council on the status of the Northeast Water Main Break and El Paso Waters Repair and Recovery Effort.

Good morning, Mayor, Council.

I appreciate the opportunity to come before you today.

I'd like to start off with uh with an apology for the uh inconvenience that we caused the citizens of El Paso.

Uh so I know that Representative uh Trejo was uh impacted, my own house was impacted.

Uh many El Paso water utilities employees were impacted, but uh we did uh come together and and work as a as a community to get this thing fixed and get water service restored as soon as possible.

So I have a little presentation to provide, and then I'll be happy to answer questions.

So uh what happened?

So we have a uh movement of water that comes north and south in El Paso, depending on the season.

So during the summertime, primarily when we have water from the Rio Grande, water moves from south to north.

And uh when there is no water in the Rio Grande, such as this point in time, water moves from wells in northeast and it moves uh south into the system.

So the main line that moves that water from north to south uh broke uh Saturday evening.

Uh and I'll short share a timeline here in just a minute.

But how the break affected the distribution system.

So it interrupted the possibility of water moving from those wells to the reservoirs that serve the the affected area.

Uh so as soon as the break came in, our our crews responded.

Uh we worked together with the Office of Emergency Management.

And uh we uh our our crews work very diligently to repair the repair the break.

Now, we're also we always invest in in proactively in replacement projects.

Much of our budget is rehabilitation and replacement.

This particular year and in last year, when we talked about rehabilitation and replacement is primarily plant projects.

But we do have, we always have water main projects going on, and I'll show you some of those things, and along with the next steps.

So we received a call from from our our dispatch dispatch crews, and we found a large 36-inch diameter uh water main break and near Gishwind Avenue.

And unfortunately, because of the proximity to the from the homes to the water line, some of the water made its way into neighboring homes and onto the streets.

So when we got there, we diverted the water.

There was an open space at the toe of the stormwater dam there that we could divert the water into to get it off the streets.

And uh and we worked diligently to isolate the break by means of uh closing valves that would not allow further water to come into the main brake site.

So these are scenes of the of the pipe.

So from the left you can see that uh the pipe has been exposed there.

We're cutting, cutting through the steel jacket, pulling out the affected piece, and then uh repair, and then the last segment that you see there is a is a uh an opening where a device will be inserted in there to install some valves to further help isolate the line in the event something like this happens.

This particular type of pipe is a is a composite pipe that has consists of a mortar lining, a steel jacket, reinforcing wire around it, and then it's in encased in concrete.

Uh so this this line is is old, but it has been inspected regularly and has been found in good condition uh recently.

In fact, even in this particular case, the particular piece of pipe that was damaged was uh in poor condition, but on both sides of it, the pipeline was perfectly good.

Okay, so this is this is the area.

So when we drew this area, we have a regulatory responsibility when when there's a loss of pressure to implement a boil water notice.

That's it's a state requirement.

And so we drew this map to try to make sure that to make sure that all of that affected area was in there.

Some areas within this map never did uh run out of run out of water.

In some cases, some of these areas the water was restored within a few hours.

In some cases, it was several days before water was restored.

But in any case, whenever you have a pressure drop below 25 PSI, TCQ requirements kicked in, and uh, and so we implemented the precautionary boil water notice.

And we're estimating 38,000 uh connections, that's homes and businesses that had a little or no water service for part of this time frame.

So, like I mentioned, some customers had service restored within eight hours, many more within 48 hours, and a small number it took 72 hours to get their uh service restored.

Okay, so we worked very closely with uh this the city on this to uh initiate our emergency response protocols.

On on our side, our engineers were reviewing schematics to determine how we could reroute uh water in the system to start uh repressurizing from other means as we could.

We had our logistics staff uh plus volunteers, which I'll get to in just a minute, arranged for water distribution sites.

Our quality team uh interacted with TCAQ as as required.

Our customer service was ramped up, call center was ramped up to receive more calls, and then we engaged with media and we had a constant presence at the uh city county OEM.

So water distribution uh we worked immediately to stand up four water distribution sites with water tankers and bottled water.

Now these sites were chosen primarily for ease of access because we knew that there were going to be a large number, possibly of vehicles and people coming in.

Uh and then we added uh three more sites uh later on in the in the event uh to make sure uh we we had bottled water, we had many uh contractors, volunteers, volunteer organization step up to provide uh bottled water in addition to what what we could do.

So I mentioned briefly the boiled water notice.

So uh when whenever something happens for any any reason you have a a mechanical failure and elect electrical electrical failure where there's a loss of pressure in the system, TCQ requires a boiled water notice to be issued to the affected area.

And so we we do that through all means of of communication.

Uh it was lifted on January 15th, four days after it was it was issued, and we gave also instructions on how to uh come back to normal.

But uh the boiled water notice is specifically for water that is that is consumed.

We had a lot of questions about about that, but it doesn't you can take a shower, it's perfectly perfectly fine.

Okay, so communication.

We had daily press conferences with the mayor, uh council member, emergency operations, and we had a significant amount of news coverage.

Uh we had scripts that we provided to the 311 operators for for their use.

We issued 10 news releases and media advisories, a lot of social media and uh and stakeholder outreach, especially with the schools.

Uh we have we maintain close contact with the schools at any point in time that's going to interrupt their uh the potential for classes to happen.

Okay, so uh property damage claims.

So it 115 in the in the morning are our damaged claims people were on site meeting with the we the affected customers.

The good thing is the damage area appears to be limited to the the site of the main break itself, and our teams are still continuing to respond to those claims and assess primarily the one family that was most impacted who uh had the house right in front of the area of the main break.

Okay, so I mentioned we we do every year do water line replacement projects.

So in 2526, uh we have a continuation of the airway boulevard uh water line replacement.

And let me just give you a little parenthetical uh piece of information at this point.

So when we have a main break, we have a main break probably every day.

Uh most of them are small and inconsequential.

So the smaller the diameter, the less consequences there are to uh uh private property to the streets and and roadways and to the public.

But when we have larger diameter mains, and and this would be 16-inch and larger, the consequence of a break is much higher.

So we spend a lot of time and effort proactively uh replacing.

So we have been working on on airway, and uh and again when you have a a major thoroughfare such as airway, there's a lot of inconvenience, a lot of traffic that has to be rerouted.

Uh so we take that into into consideration.

Uh so likewise on on uh Yandel and other big uh transmission main.

And then we have a little bit further east, we have a very large water main, a 48-inch that uh is associated with the loop 375 Montana Spurs 601 uh work, so all that has to be has to be replaced.

Okay, so we uh in and we're continuing in the 26th budget coming up.

Uh we have the referred to as the well collector, those are lines that take water from the wells directly to reservoirs.

Uh we have our large diameter pipeline condition assessment.

So let me mention that just briefly.

Uh on our small diameter pipes, which we have throughout the system, these are typically like eight inch.

We have at every intersection, we have microphones that are attached to the pipe.

Those that information is uh is read and we can determine whether or not there's a leak in in the pipe.

A leak would be an event that would be something that would come up possibly before a main break.

Unfortunately, as the pipe diameters get larger, the ability to hear, so to speak, a main break through that kind of acoustic monitoring uh disappears.

And so what we have to do is uh uh something different, which is to either insert a microphone directly into the pipe or to put in a robotic device into the pipe uh that moves along inside the pipe and determines the condition of the pipe, either the wall thickness, the amount of steel, any of the reinforcing wire breaks, that sort of thing.

So every year we do we do that.

We have a a long long-standing contract for many many years that we've used the contractor to do that assessment for us.

Uh we also are working to coordination with TexTot on our utility replacement and relocation as part of the I-10 project, and we're replacing a another 24-inch line in Buffalo Soldier.

Okay, so next steps.

Well, we we continue to work on the incident.

We're gonna do a formal after action debrief, come up with lessons learned in addition to that.

The pipeline segment itself, the pipe, uh was taken away and it's being examined right now by engineers.

They'll take samples back to the laboratory to do analysis, and that's gonna take some time before we get all that done.

We're also doing an economic impact analysis on our customers to find out what uh what sort of adverse uh impact was on the community, and there'll be many more things to come, especially in the area of communication.

So we'd like to thank many people, and I'm not going to read the list because I'm afraid that I'm going to forget somebody if I read it, but uh, we had a lot of people come together, a lot of long-standing partners that we work with.

And uh I I would like to just point out that we always work very closely at staff level with uh with fire department, with the police department, and with city staff to make sure that we work seamlessly together for the benefit of the customers.

Now, our own utility employees.

So we have people, of course, that respond to the main brain.

Uh they they dig up, they cut the pipe, they put in the new piece of pipe, and those those guys working very diligently.

We have another group of people who isolate the system.

We refer to them as valve crews, so they're going out and about closing valves, opening valves as as needed.

But the people who were not necessarily the employees who are not necessarily involved in the main break response themselves, they freed up themselves and volunteered to man uh the water stations.

Uh we also delivered water to about 200 customers that were unable to come to the uh to the sites where we had the water distributed.

We had our water quality teams, our laboratory people out collecting samples all through this uh time frame.

So a lot of our other employees that are not necessarily directly involved in the main break came together to help out.

So I think that's the end of my presentation.

I'd be happy to answer any questions.

Thank you, John.

Uh Representative Rocha.

I mean, trail.

Thank you, Mayor.

Thank you, John, for that update.

Uh I'm going to share a few thoughts.

Uh my perspective and and concerns that were shared with me with our constituents.

And uh, you know, I want to start with a quote.

And the quote says, You can't hold people accountable for what you never made clear.

Clarity is kindness, and accountability is respect.

So I just wanted to share that for food for thought.

Uh I do have a statement, I'm going to read it because there's a lot that I need to share, and I want to make sure I don't leave anything out.

While the water main break is common across El Paso and cities nationwide, the scale of this incident was not.

The impact to our community was very profound.

This was one of the largest water main breaks in El Paso's history, impacting over 100,000 residents and several homes at the site where the break took place.

The most severe impact was on the Ariano family of 10 who are now displaced, and two of their pets were lost.

The emergency impacted all of Northeast in my district, and some areas of District 2 and District 8.

The communities experienced school closures across two districts, including two colleges, daycares, charter schools, and parochial schools.

This led families to difficult decisions between work and child care.

Schools had to reopen under the water boil advisory, and students couldn't wash their hands after bathroom breaks.

Toddlers and babies were sponge-bathed for four days.

Incomes were lost, and businesses were forced to close.

This was a major disruption.

Also of serious concern was the delayed emergency notification, as residents did not receive alerts on their phones explaining what was occurring until Monday evening.

And when they contacted El Paso Water for assistance, they were unable to reach a customer service representatives because calls went unanswered.

Our community truly endured hardship and was tested, but it responded with resilience and patience.

Neighbors helped one another, businesses donated water, volunteers came forward.

And I want to thank the community for coming together, supporting one another, and working collectively.

This is El Paso Strong.

This is comunidad.

Water is a fundamental resource.

It is essential to health, safety, daily life, and human dignity.

I want to thank Al Paso Waters team that was on the ground distributing water, and their dedication throughout this emergency.

From the employees who assisted the community to those working day and night in extremely cold conditions to the leadership providing updates while working towards restoration.

These efforts did not go unnoticed.

My staff and I also remained engaged.

We worked directly with students, I mean with residents to identify locations in need.

We coordinated efforts with community partners, secured water donations, and distributed them to assisted living centers, senior centers, and neighborhoods.

I attended the Office of Emergency Management briefings, provided input on locations in need, attended press conferences and provided update at community meetings and media interviews to keep the community updated.

This emergency revealed several things.

It exposed the vulnerabilities of our aging water infrastructure and brought to view the need for urgent improvements.

It made clear the need for proper preparation and planning, the importance of identifying and stabilizing aging infrastructure, the responsibility of expanding systems to meet growth, and a crucial component of clear timely communication and effective response to the community during emergencies.

The public service board does that.

Accountability requires a transparent evaluation of this event, identifying gaps, and implementing corrective measures to strengthen system performance and emergency response.

I'll be bringing this back to our council next meeting and proposing amendments to the 2021 resolution that requires quarterly reporting from El Paso Water.

I've given each council member and mayor a copy of this resolution.

I want to point out specifically some sections in this resolution.

And section one, five uh section one B5 has the emergency response and recovery.

Section one requires quarterly reporting, which include system status reports, customer satisfaction, enterprise resiliency, includes safety measures, disaster planning, and emergency response and recovery.

And in Section 3, operational coordination under D is emergency operations and reporting.

E3 mentions key projects, all of which require quarterly system reporting.

When was the last time this report was done to City Council?

I'm not sure when we did the last quarterly reporting.

Okay.

We can take a look at that.

We must ensure accountability and transparency and provide clear information on how critical infrastructure is maintained and how emergencies are handled.

This includes regular public briefings to provide updates on infrastructure maintenance process, emergency preparedness and response, system redundancies, lessons learned, and a prioritized list of at-risk assets based on age, failure history, and potential community impact.

When an emergency of this magnitude hits our community, it's crucial that a communicate communication plan is in place and one that includes timely notification on official channels and specific multilingual outreach.

Notifications should reflect the community and should include, but not limited to English and Spanish, but should include Vietnamese, Korean, and German.

Emergency response is not only operational, it's also human.

It requires empathy, respect, awareness when engaging with residents who are living through an emergency.

That responsibility extends to all parts of response, including public meetings held during or immediately following an emergency.

The timing of the budget meeting should have should have been taken into account, combining a budget and rate discussion and decision while reviewing a major water main failure with residents who were still without water and under a water boil advisory was not appropriate and did not allow for meaningful public engagement.

Considering delay, delaying the budget considerations until service was restored and residents had been provided with full and transparent account of what occurred should have been considered.

At last week's public service board meeting, a young woman who was still without water for the fourth day entered the meeting visibly frustrated and upset and disrupted the meeting.

While she did not follow the process for public comment, her level of frustration and distress reflected what many residents were experiencing.

I believe PSB should have paused the meeting and acknowledge the level of frustration the residents were experiencing.

During public comments, residents came forward with voices trembling, not from fear, but from the effort to maintain composure while sharing their frustration.

More than 400 residents signed a petition requesting that the rate increase be denied, and many residents sought acknowledgement of their hardship while in enduring this crisis.

An effective emergency response must include intentional listening and situational awareness, even when process must be maintained.

There is value in pausing to acknowledge resident frustration and the real impacts being experienced.

Doing so does not diminish governance or order.

It strengthens public trust, reinforces accountability, and recognizes that human impact behind operational decisions.

A truly effective response must include intentional listening and a genuine acknowledgement of the lived experiences of those impacted.

What I am sharing today is not to blame, complain, or condemn.

But to examine where did performance not meet expectations?

And what corrective steps are being taken, learning from it and making necessary corrections to strengthen systems and moving forward.

I am aware I am limited on time and the amount of time I have to speak.

I have a few questions, and some of which are from our community members.

It's important that I ask them and that they hear your response.

And so my first question is while the water company may have certain legal immunities, there remains a responsibility to address the damage caused to the family that lost their home and priceless possessions.

What steps will be taken to provide support and remediation to the family whose home was lost?

Okay.

So first of all, thank you for your your remarks.

In the case of the Ariano family, uh we are housing them at the moment, trying to improve that situation.

We have a structural engineer on site today to evaluate the home again.

We made some efforts to try to stabilize the home.

And so once hopefully they give us the go-ahead, we can uh go in there and remove the effects, get everything everything cleaned up, and then make an assessment of whether or not the house is salvageable.

And uh at the same time we are uh making uh plans to perhaps purchase the house and then and then help the family into a into a new home if it becomes necessary.

Have they been able to go back and get any of their belongings?

Not as yet.

So the the engineer was there, the structural engineer was there this morning, and I have not heard what what transpired at that point.

Okay.

Um has the family been referred to resources or nonprofit that can help them with clothing?

Okay.

Were shred-off valves installed in the replacement?

So uh I would hesitate to say yes.

I'm almost certain yes.

Uh it is some of you know anything.

Okay, so they are telling me yes, so yes.

Okay.

When was the main previously inspected?

So about three to five years ago, the the main was damaged by a contractor, and at that point in time when it was when it was repaired, it was determined to be an excellent condition.

Okay.

And there was no corrosion noticed at that time.

No corrosion was noted at that time.

Okay.

Will any of the funds from the 2026 budget be allocated or redirected towards system improvements in that area affected?

Well, I think before we can talk about how what what budgetary impacts we have to we have to come up with some improvements that need to be made.

So as part of our lessons learned as part of our traction report, we will determine are there some other inner connections that need to be made to loop the system further, and and we'll go ahead and proceed as expeditiously as possible to put those in.

Thank you.

When was the affected water main already asked that question?

What statistical or quantitative methods are used to proactively identify any risk pipeline?

Okay.

So we have a whole number of different things that are done.

So uh first of all, we have uh we have an engineering report that we refer to as our single point of failure analysis, so that if we have a case like this where a s a failure uh has a has a a single failure, has a large uh standing consequence.

We have a report of that.

We have uh condition assessment that goes on uh throughout the system.

And then in addition to that, there's a regular program of replacement and rehabilitation.

So I talked about these techniques that are used to determine the structural integrity of the pipe, whether the pipe leaks or not.

So in general terms, if a pipe is structurally sound and it's not leaking, it doesn't really matter whether it's 50 years old or 100 years old.

It used to be the the model was you get a pipe that's 40 years old, you you think about replacing it at that point in time.

But but pipe materials are better than they used to be, and it and to uh to preserve the uh fiscal resources that we have, we have been working towards that model.

Condition assessment, leak detection.

As long as it's not leaking and structurally sound, the pipe can remain in service.

And so we do that on a on a regular basis.

But in some cases, we just do the replacement.

And and the reason for that could be uh different.

So one thing is these technologies that we're talking about are not inexpensive to utilize.

In some cases, it's more cost effective simply to replace a piece of pipe than to go through that exercise of the of the in investigation.

And so we do just regular proactive replacement as well.

Okay.

So what is the maintenance plan look like for for those older pipelines?

So we have a we have a comprehensive uh plan and we have uh we have a list of those locations that need to be replaced or rehabilitated and and we crank projects out every single year.

Uh was there any need to uh tap into reserves for this emergency?

To uh to fund the you're talking about uh financial reserves to fund the repair at this point in time, no.

Okay.

And you you already touched on this a little bit, but hindsight, what would you do differently?

Well, the i in in hindsight, it's always better to have some other point of interconnection.

Uh but it pr practically speaking, there are limits to uh to how how you can do that and uh whether or not it's practical to do that.

But uh what I'm gonna concentrate on is other points of connection, making sure that that if something like this happens again, we can shrink the area as much as possible.

Okay.

Thank you, John.

Appreciate it.

Thank you.

Thank you for all your your help and support in coming to our meetings.

Thank you.

Representative Massavero.

Thank you, Mayor.

I um want to thank uh Representative Boyotrejo for her vulnerability and for everything you said.

I I echo everything you said and um I appreciate how proactive you were and I know you were out there day in, day out.

I know the the mayor was out there.

Um I want to also thank your your staffs.

I there there was a lot of things happening and it was um just admirable to see both of you and your staffs out there and just want to thank you and I want to continue with with the good of this situation where I want to thank everybody that was on slide 15 and really want to pull specifics out.

Um our police and fire were out there, Chief Killings, Chief Basillas, Mario Diagostino.

Um really thankful to all of you and OEM and coming together that Dallas company that brought in their their help to fix the pipe faster.

I think that's something to also say.

Um want to thank Laura Cruz Acosta helping with all the comms work that El Paso Water and coordinating with them.

I I think that was really helpful to get information out there.

Um Rene Leon, really thankful to to you.

I know you're in the audience um really keeping us informed, up to date, um getting our calls and staying calm throughout the the situation.

Um all the people that were at the distribution sites um providing water on pretty much all day basis.

Uh that was hard work to be doing that in the cold and um providing water to people.

I I really am thankful for that.

Um I do want to get into several questions that I have.

Um some uh my colleague just asked, um, so I won't ask again, but more more than anything, I I want to start with our office of emergency management and the role that you as uh a department of the city have played in OEM prior to this break.

So for for many years we have been part of part of OAM, and wh whenever they stand up, if it there's a water issue, we have personnel who who have gone.

So over the years it has been different people, but now we have our own uh section that's specifically uh dealing with that, and we had a dedicated we have a dedicated person who is is there and of course we have substitutes that can come in, but we have a dedicated team of people specifically to deal with uh these kinds of emergencies and coordination with the OEM.

Okay, so now that this has happened, you're gonna have a bigger presence at OEM is what you're saying?

I think we have the sufficient presence there, yes.

Have you done any sort of trainings that um could be preventative, you know, um if a main line breaks, if there's flooding, do you have scenario playing out, scenarios playing out that your team knows exactly what to do as soon as something like this may happen?

Yes, we have done those, yes.

Okay.

When was the last time you did that?

I I don't know right off the top of my head.

Okay.

And then um this pipe was fifty years old and then it turned out to be seventy years old.

So how many more of these pipes are throughout the city that are 70 years old that were installed in the 50s?

I I couldn't I couldn't tell you specifically, but I'm sure there are more, as I mentioned many different times.

Much of the underground infrastructure in the city was put in in a post-World War II building boom, and so it's now 70, 80, so many years old.

And in terms of prioritization, something that has been said at the at the press conferences is this incident is gonna make prioritization for these pipes come up to the forefront, and I'm sure you're still sifting through that, but what does that mean?

You're gonna start replacing them?

Are you using are you gonna deprior pre deprioritize other areas that need um infrastructure?

So in this in this particular case, before we do anything, we're gonna do we already have the inspection of the pipe schedule.

So that'll be we're working on the segment that was taken out, and then we'll look at the rest of the pipe as kind of step one in dealing with that particular pipe.

But I don't think that we need to redirect resources away from our other replacement projects.

I think we can continue uh with those as as scheduled because of course they're they're all important.

Okay.

And how many times have we been under a boil notice as a community?

Okay, so uh we have had some small areas where some limited areas were under boiling water notice, but it's extremely rare.

Okay.

So this is probably the most severe case ever.

As far as I can remember, yes.

Yeah.

Okay.

And I also um have had a lot of conversations with with constituents um over the last week, whether it was on social media or in person or anywhere that I would run into them, um, some phone calls, you know, people reaching out to to get some help with um the crisis that was happening.

And I I want to move into a lot of what I think were weaknesses in this operation.

And and I think, you know, as crisis is happening, there there's always gonna be some weak points, but uh the the weak points that I saw in this were really, in my opinion, that the El Paso Water was unprepared to handle some of these things, and I want to go over those things just because constituents have reached out and they they have a lot of feelings about this.

Um in terms of the maps that were initially provided, it had Murchison intersecting US 54.

So as soon as that was shared, people started reaching out.

How Murchison doesn't even intersect with US 54.

And I I think that I want to hope that that's a lesson learned that you're gonna provide better maps to the community so they know exactly what is being affected, um, if they're affected and for how long they're gonna be affected, because it just wasn't wasn't great.

And then when the boil notice was was issued, it took a few days to kind of have that FAQ people were saying, Well, can I shower?

Can I wash my dishes?

Can I why do I have to boil water to cook?

There were a lot of those things that could have been answered.

There were people that were reaching out to me that were saying, Well, I have a 93-year-old mother, this is one case, and I don't want to have her shower, so now I'm boiling water and then um showering her with the boiled water.

And that was not something that our citizens should have been um exposed to, and I think communication could have been a lot better in that sense.

I don't know if you have anything to say to that.

So let me start with the maps.

So uh when the map was first generated, yeah, it was an unfortunate uh issue.

But basically the idea was if you would extend Marcuson Murchison to a railroad, then that was the general area.

So we try to keep it uh keep the map where everybody that was affected was in there.

We fine-tuned it to remove some of the unaffected areas, but still even with the map that we ended up with, there are areas in there that were not affected by the by either the by the outage or low or low pressure.

Now, in terms of uh the boiled water commu communication, we have a lot of standard information on our website.

And I realize that there's people who who do not access the website and who don't have that ability or perhaps interest in in doing so, but primarily that's where you find the information.

And uh if you do a simple search on boiled water in the state of Texas, the TCAQ has abundant information.

We have information on our on our webpage.

And then as these questions came to us as well, we tried to put that out on social media.

Uh so again, the the boiled water nonus is for the water that you drink primarily, and it is precautionary in nature.

I might uh point out that during this process, so we have our team out there collecting samples, doing analysis, and never determined that there was any a point in time which the water was contaminated.

So it's it is it is precautionary.

Uh but by the same token, you don't need to go overboard with with the precautions.

So we we try to provide the information that comes straight from the state of Texas to make it uh clear and and concise and keep it within the bounds that the state provides.

Yeah, and and I think you know, you know, I I know you included goals that are coming up in slide 14.

And I think uh I'm an accurate map maker, little things that could be integrated into OEM.

I I really if we're in in this situation again with other things, you know, whether it's stormwater or a pipe breaking.

I I hope that we could have that more integrated response into OEM.

So OEM could say, oh, well, we have a map maker over here, or you know, because I I think that was also part of the issue where there was a lot of lag waiting on El Paso water in in terms of communication or help with communication, stuff like that that I saw when I was going to these briefings and getting briefed before and then going through the press conference.

So those are low-hanging fruit that can be addressed easily, but they're so important and critical to the community in terms of getting that information out there.

Representative, can I comment on one thing I forgot to mention when we were talking about so part the the issue the making of the maps is one thing, but behind that is finding out what areas are exactly what areas are out of service.

And I think we're in the process right now, we're in the throes of installing our our uh AMI metering system, and we do believe that there's information that can come back to that real-time information that can come back from that to help us to accurately identify what areas that we do need to map in.

So thank you for your comments.

Okay, and then um I um how much time I'm okay.

I'll come back.

Yeah, we'll bring you back.

Okay, thank you.

Representative Trail.

We're playing tag team here.

I just I I forgot to mention thank you to the city, you know, for Mayor for the assistance that he provided also in making sure that there was water uh, you know, that that was added, the three more sites.

Uh I want to thank you, Mayor, for taking that initiative.

I also want to thank the city, you know, the city employees and staff.

And thank you, uh Acevedo for for bringing that up.

I I forgot to mention I do I do uh I am very grateful to the city and and Laura Cruz, who was also there starting on on Saturday.

I mean Sunday.

So I just wanted to say that.

Thank you.

You're welcome.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um so I I also want to touch on public trust and I think one of those goals should be on what what's the plan to regain public trust because I think that this crisis has really eroded public trust in in the utility, and I'm hearing that a lot from constituents.

So is there a plan on how to regain that trust?

So I think as we go through our after action uh report, we'll we might have some ideas on that.

Uh but again, this is uh in and I had this discussion with Representative Boyer Trejo who correctly stated that John the people don't care about this, but the this was truly an unprecedented event.

So uh something did happen.

We responded as uh fast as we possibly could to get everything corrected.

And I understand that that doesn't really mean that much to the public.

So we do need to really delve in and figure out uh what we need to do in that aspect.

Yeah, and I I think the preparation can can be a lot more, and that's why I'm really honing in on that.

Um working with OEM, working with the city on that to come together and and get, you know, even water out faster and stuff like that.

I also um have been getting a lot of questions from the community, and and this is where I feel that the story should have really focused on how fast we were breaking the pipe and we shouldn't have had this question, but I was getting it a lot.

Um you weren't around.

And I want to understand what that choice was that you made to not be around.

Okay, I'll tell you the question.

So first of all, I I was around, right?

So it all of our publicly, publicly and private you were probably right.

Yeah.

Uh what I was trying to do was concentrate on the budget.

Uh we have a perfectly good team of of people to work together, and Gilbert Trejo is the one who was closest to all the people who were involved in the in the response uh on the pipemain break, the engineers, all that are under his control and direction, and he did a perfectly good job uh of doing that.

Uh I concentrated on trying to finish up the budget presentation and and get that done.

Yeah, and and um really thankful to Gilbert, the team of execs that were out there, they did a fantastic job, but I think I'm the first person to say I don't like when people micromanage or anything like that.

And and I think this wasn't a case of that where you would let your team out.

I think people wanted to see you out there and hear from you directly to hear how things were gonna be okay.

In terms of preparing for the budget for the PSB, was that something that had to happen last week, or could it have been postponed a week or two because of the crisis at hand?

I'm not sure that it could have been postponed, Representative Acevedo.

I think that uh part of our after action will look into that.

And and I know that Representative Boyo Trejo's comments included uh some of that that we'll we'll definitely look at.

But uh we have a a long-standing calendar of events that pertain to the budget and and I felt bound by that at that point in time.

Okay, yeah, I I think that's something that we definitely need to look into.

I I think that um if we were in that situation, Ms.

Mack would have said something like, well, I think we could do another week or we could do a few more days to to move this.

Um and and I think that would have made a lot more sense whether it was happening this week or in or next week, I think it would have made a difference for the people because then we get to the PSB meeting, and I I want to talk to you about the PSB meeting.

You know, um my colleague really painted the picture on the person that was arrested in a really nice way, and um or painted the picture in a nice way, not that she was arrested in a nice way, and I think what we saw really illustrated uh portrait of how well Pastelins were feeling.

And I understand that there were things that were happening with that person, you know, they said they were media and then they were taken out and then they came back in.

I I understand what happened there.

But there were a lot of people that were frustrated throughout the the affected area.

And I think it comes down to governance of that PSB meeting.

I I do put some accountability on the on the PSB in terms of how that meeting was chaired and the response that the PSB took in terms of that.

I think what um Representative Boyer said earlier about pausing the meeting to talk to this person could have been employed and it wasn't, and it turned into this unfortunate situation.

And you know, there's been things that I've seen with El Paso Water since my time on council, and one of the things that I've seen done is um somebody has some sort of story or a crisis or some sort of anecdote that they're sharing, and El Paso Water people have said, call that number instead of sitting down with that person and saying, let me get these details and I will be in contact.

I I think that's my definition of customer service.

That's what we do in my office.

It might be different from El Paso Water, but those little things make a difference.

I think there's been a long-standing resolution that allows the PSB to govern El Paso Water.

And I'm a big fan of the PSB model and how it's there.

But I think there's some blame to put on the PSB over this too, because they should be providing that accountability over the utility.

And last week, when there was an emergency item on the Northeast Pipe Break, there was just thank yous for the staff, which was great.

We should be thanking the staff for all the incredible work that they're doing.

But there were no questions.

And there's no accountability coming from the PSB.

So I think there's a lot of soul searching that some PSB members need to have, honestly.

There needs to be some training on governance.

And um, you know, this whole idea of PSB members are not elected, and we do this to not be really political and make sure that the water doesn't become a political issue, and that's why I'm a big fan of this PSB model.

But I think over the last five, ten years it's become a lot more political, and decisions have been made more in a political sense.

So I really want to see something change with the PSB.

I don't want to get rid of it by any means, but there needs to be more accountability over that body, and that body needs to be providing more accountability over the water utility.

I don't know if you have anything to say to that.

Okay, so let me start with the with the meeting.

So I want to make sure that everybody understands that that anybody that came to that meeting and wanted to speak about the budget got to speak.

Whether they signed up or not, whether they signed up for a different item, they were allowed to speak, even though a time limit was placed, they went beyond the time limit.

I I don't think that anybody was really shut down prematurely.

So a lot of comments uh were uh heard and and I think that uh in terms of pausing the meeting, I I I understand exactly what Representative Trejo was was explaining.

I I get it completely.

So we will uh talk about that.

But I'd like to talk about the board members.

So the board members also receive a lot of comments.

Their information is widely posted, that their uh circles of influence come to them and then they provide that information to us.

Hey, we heard about this, what's going on here, we'd like you to do this kind of thing.

So we're constantly getting that kind of feedback from the public service board and and acting on it.

And I forgot to mention in the case of this this meeting, also comments were solicited uh for pe from people who couldn't attend the meeting, and those comments were read during the course of the meeting as well.

And and I I saw that that they did that, but more I think there's a lot of things that the utility is doing well, and I've said this before infrastructure, and I understand that this board is very rubber stamped because how could you say no to certain things that you're you're putting up forward?

The last few people that we've selected to the PSB uh or appointed to this the PSB, one thing that I've asked them to do is bring more accountability, and I'm not seeing that.

And it's okay to bring accountability, it it's through questioning, it's through saying how could we do this better?

I have not seen one PSB member out there saying any of this.

And and I think we really need to change that in terms of the training.

Maybe they're not equipped with media training or whatever it is, but we provide accountability as a council, absolutely, but they should be that extension of us to provide that accountability, and I'm hoping that'll be part of your goals.

Um the last thing that I I wanted to bring up is I I want to know how many millions of gallons were lost at some point.

I know that's probably being calculated.

And are customers gonna be charged for not having water or not having great water service that they expect the quality um is have do you have an answer for that?

Because last week they didn't have an answer yet.

And now that this is kind of putting um pastas, I want to know what is happening there.

Yeah, let me start with the water.

Was it the 11?

15 million gallons of water we feel are lost.

Now what I mentioned during the course of my my presentation was the economic analysis, so too uh to the point that you you asked about we're trying to figure out what is the economic impact and what should be done about it.

Okay, so you'll you'll have an answer soon in terms of crediting customers or not charging them.

Yes.

Yes.

We'll we'll come up with some recommendation and take it to the public service board to take a look at it.

Okay.

I hope they ask questions about that.

Thank you.

Representative Rocha.

Thank you, Mayor.

And and thank you, John, for being out here and and your team and your staff.

I really appreciate it.

I I'm gonna respectfully disagree with Rep Acevedo on what the PSB board does, um, or at least in in my experience.

I was at the November meeting when the budget was proposed.

There were a lot of questions that were asked by the PSB during that meeting.

I was at the December meeting as well, and there were questions there.

There was an evening meeting, I believe, um, when that was done.

I also attended the um the tech H2O uh portion that you all provided.

There were some PSB members that were available at that time that were listening to what the constituents or people, I guess water customers that were out there asking, and they were engaging in that.

And then I was at the January meeting for for the budget.

So while they may not be um elected officials, I can honestly say we don't have an onboarding for our piece either.

And so, you know, I would hope that that in their professional capacities that they um that they do represent in the different spots that they that they represent, that's the piece that they're representing.

And so I I do understand where Rep Acevedo is is coming from, but um but in my experience with the PSB that's not been the case.

So I don't know what the what the reasons were.

I know that there's a lot of um people that are upset about the the rate increase.

We all are impacted unfortunately by that.

Um and so I'm not sure what the what the purposes are as far as what um you know how they voted or why they voted that way.

I know some did share their reasoning behind that in the January meeting or you know, in last week's meeting.

And so I just want to make sure that that we do set that straight, at least from my experience.

I encourage everybody to attend the PSB meetings, um, whether you attend them online or you attend them in person uh to get to get a uh a fail-safe.

He's correct.

We do go in and we do um appoint these people and these individuals, and there's a selection committee that that does take part in that.

Um but I just want to make sure that I that I share my experience as well, and it's not a holistic view of what uh what Rep Acevedo's experience is.

So, but thank you.

Thank you, John, and thank you, team, for restoring the water.

I know from doing business, you'll you'll do the right thing when it comes to uh looking at what that post or that debrief provides and what the full impacts are.

And I know that we'll work very well together to be able to create um something that that is hopefully acceptable by by those customers that were impacted.

But thank you again.

Thank you.

Appreciate it.

Representative Lamont.

Thank you, Mayor.

John, I I would be the last whoever throw a stone in your at you.

I'm very I'm very conscious of the buck stops here.

And boy, the buck stopped on your desk this past week.

And what uh horrendous situation uh to be in.

My my thought is simply that just like it's been stated before the community was hurt.

The community was angry, the community was I mean really upset.

And I would just hope that whatever way and clearly understanding something's gonna happen, something's gonna happen at this meeting, someone's gonna speak up, someone's gonna barge in, that that could be taken into consideration for future meetings so that that woman wasn't dragged out.

I have no idea what she said.

I wasn't at the meeting, but the visual image of it is what I was left with.

And just to hope that we could have better understanding.

I I know that not every person that comes is gonna be an Alicia that's calm, restrained, but gets it done.

But that was my only concern, John, that I was I I hope that I wish that hadn't happened.

And and it hurts me.

Uh when it happened here at City Hall several years ago as well, and I just hope that we become a little bit more conscious of of dealing with people.

Thank you, John.

Okay, so thank you.

And but and believe me, you know, it bothers me, bothers me deeply.

Uh so I I consider myself to be highly accessible.

So if you send me an email, if you if you call, you know, I'll pick I I pick up the phone.

And uh, and so any question that you want to address to me is perfectly fine.

But just let me just say hypothetically speaking, if I go to the bathroom and I come out, that's not the time to jump me.

Yeah.

Representative uh Chavez.

Thank you, Mayor.

Thank you, John, for the presentation.

District one was not impacted, but uh definitely empathize with the broader community because I know that a lot of people did get affected by this water break and and suffered for for some time there.

So I just want to speak to the improvements that you're making overall in our community in our city.

I know that you've made several and are making several in District One in terms of improving the infrastructure there.

So my message to the community is you know, yes, there is always a little of inconvenience involved when these uh improvements are being done, especially through road closures, and sometimes these uh improvements take longer than expected.

That's that's what's happened in District One specifically, and these inconveniences are dragged further along because of those you know, things that you did not foresee when you break the street and and look underneath, you know, you you many times find things that you were not expecting, and that's why these improvements take longer than expected.

But I know that you are working towards identifying where you need to make these improvements to your infrastructure, and I know that you are trying to do it as quickly as possible.

So to the community at large, you know, although they may experience experience inconveniences, uh it is a necessity that we do make these improvements to our infrastructure, and thank you to El Paso Water for identifying them.

I know that you know, sometimes uh the process in that is not perfect, but I know that you are working hard towards achieving it.

So we appreciate it, and we thank you for your presentation today.

Thank you.

And John, I know you have been standing there for almost an hour, but I'm just gonna add just a few comments here.

Um I sit on the PSB board as well, and I think you have a very capable board.

You have engineers on that board, you have civic uh people, and there has been some very, very I've been there over a little bit over a year, and we do have some very robust conversations about uh whether it's the budget, whether it's expansion, uh what have you at that PSB board.

I will remind council that the members that are sitting on the PSB board were approved on this dais.

So we've got to take some ownership of of of the members that are sitting there, which I think, in my opinion, are very, very capable uh individuals from this community uh that are doing a tremendous job.

An incredible amount of stress was was happening during the water break.

That was my first opportunity to uh be at the emergency operations center to work with your staff to work with the many volunteers that that came there to work.

Until you're in it, you can't describe it or explain it.

Uh I don't think anyone from El Paso water utilities woke up that day and wanted a water break.

And so for your water warriors that were out there in 20 degree weather, 30 degree weather, you know, I'm gonna add the thanks that the council members are already added to that.

I do want to thank the council members too as well, because they were very, very engaged and wanting to know how could they help, how could they get, you know, whatever they could do, many of them delivered water uh themselves.

I would be remiss if I did not thank um uh just a few additional people in addition to slide 15.

They they were probably on there, but I would like to call them out.

They they were probably on there, but I would like to call them out.

But you had a number of community partners that came out to to support and offer whatever they could.

That included, you know, whether it was grocery stores or financial institutions that really stepped up.

But I got to give a big shout out to our our partners at Fort Bliss, Texas.

Because within hours of the request that we needed an additional uh water uh HIPAA or water buffalo, they were ready to deliver whatever they could to make sure that the El Paso residents were not suffering.

So to know that we have community partners, we have our Fort Bliss partners, we have our city employees, IT.

It takes a lot when you stand up the the OEM and and we're we're in engaged in something that is moving that fluid and that fast.

So again, my thanks to to everyone that uh did that worked there.

Thank you to the PSB board that were there at the the uh the meetings.

Uh we we had a meeting that night at uh I believe it was 6 30 on Sunday night that I happened to be there.

Representative uh Trey Ho was there as well and and others.

So I just wanted to offer my thanks to you guys.

I know it was a very tough time.

I empathize with the community.

My parents live out there, my brother lives out there, my aunt.

And I can tell you some of them were were without water too.

So uh it was tough on on everybody.

Um but John, thank you again.

And Ms.

Prime, I believe we have public comment on this item.

Yes, sir.

We have Ms.

Osman that's signed up to speak.

Yeah, thank you, John.

Good afternoon.

I I know Ms.

Prime typically says that speaking is not a requirement, but quite frankly, it's a First Amendment right.

Uh petition the government for redress of grievances.

In other words, criticize your government because you're using our tax dollars.

And uh Paso Water happens to be a municipality utility.

Okay, it's a municipal utility.

So it is a public entity.

So people had all the right, Ms.

Trejo, to uh go over there, sit off their grievances.

Um I just I saw that footage as well, Miss Limon.

Yeah, I I didn't make it to that because there was a lot of other a lot of other issues I was dealing with, but uh what stood out to me during this time is that y'all mentioned the public meetings, little public announcements you had.

Most a lot of citizens couldn't even see that.

They'd had no idea where to find those videos online.

So I was constantly getting those and sharing those links to the press conferences.

Another issue.

You know what?

Yeah, communication.

I get a notice from Spectrum when my internet goes out even for a few minutes by text and on the app.

El Paso Electric, the gas company, different uh different other utilities.

They all have your information.

If you are late on a bill, they will let you be no.

Wait, pass due.

But water, El Paso Water, just prove that they are in unprepared.

Okay.

So it makes me wonder because of all of this, and the issues at the rate hike when we asked about Meta in all of everything that was going on with Meta and being prepared in how our government allowed it.

How could you say it was y'all are gonna be prepared for that?

Because this proves you're not.

Something's gonna happen, and we're not prepared.

This is proof that we're not even prepared to handle what we currently have, and then y'all are adding on top of that.

There's a lot.

I mean, the NDA was brought up in all Mr.

Ballou could say was, yeah, I know it looks sus repeatedly.

So no.

The lack of trust, it is gone.

It was gone during the rate hike meetings.

I agree.

It should have been postponed.

And I watched that online.

It was a it was a disgrace.

It was a slap in the face to everybody in this town.

Thank you.

And the statement that I refer to is for call to the public portion, which is for non-agenda items only.

So that doesn't apply that only refers to item.

Okay, Ms.

Prime, I think we're coming up on a lunch.

Mayor, I'd like to make a motion that we recess for one hour for lunch, please.

Okay.

This time there's a motion.

Is there a second?

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

All in favor?

Aye.

Anyone opposed?

And the city council meeting is in recess at 12 58 p.m.

and we'll reconvene in one hour.

All right, Miss Prime, we're going to start on item 28 when we come back.

Yes, sir.

Thank you.

Okay, Ms.

Bryan, I believe we're ready.

Yes, is there a motion to reconvene?

Second.

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

All in favor?

Aye.

Anyone opposed?

The meeting is back in session at 2.02 p.m.

Okay.

Ms.

Bryan, do you have to take 28 and 29 together?

Yes.

Item 28 is a public hearing of an ordinance amending Title 7.

Animals to add Section 7.12.070, Vicious Dogs.

And an ordinance amending Title 7 Animals to add Section 7.12.080 aggressive dogs.

Item 29 is a public hearing of an ordinance amending Title 7 Animals.

Chapter 7.04 definitions and administration section 7.04.010 definitions to amend the definition of animal, amend the order of definitions, and add new definitions.

Okay, is there a motion to approve this item?

Second.

All right.

Good afternoon.

Hello, hello.

So my name is Michael, the interim director for El Paso Animal Services.

Here to talk about the proposed new ordinances.

So kind of a recap, if I will.

I know there were some questions when Carlos was giving his kind of his thing on municipal and how that uh is in relation to animal services.

Um so I want to clear up some stuff for District 5.

Uh every dog that is deemed aggressive, vicious, or dangerous, has a sign that will have a notice saying, hey, this animal is dangerous, vicious, or aggressive.

That's a standard across the board.

Where it does differ a little bit is between the vicious dog and the dangerous dog.

So again, same signage that has to have vicious or it has to have dangerous, but those dogs also have to have a collar that says dangerous or vicious.

So the aggression side of this, um, those dogs do not have a collar that has the aggression on that collar.

So I hope that clears up a little bit.

Uh the other stuff that got brought up during Carlos' presentation is uh educational.

So again, how are we rolling out education?

So obviously this is the first step.

Um we are throwing stuff on our social media um as soon as this meeting concludes.

If y'all vote uh an approval of this, um that's kind of more for external communication, um, putting out a bunch of social media posts and stuff like that.

As far as internal communication, I know District 1 brought up uh what are we doing to kind of train those APOs?

Um so we do morning briefings, uh, that's a standard every day.

Um, and then we do monthly meetings that's more robust to tackle bigger issues.

So that training uh will be at the topic of our uh trainings moving forward for at least a couple months because I know it's gonna be a lot for people to digest as part of our APO team.

So I wanted to kind of clear that up a little bit.

Um so yeah, so we're here to talk about uh vicious dog and aggressive dog.

Um I have here um is dangerous dog again.

This is a state law, uh, just kind of more of a refresher if you will.

So again, dangerous dog is a dog that has to be at large, it causes a bodily injury, and it's an unprovoked attack.

So again, this is state law.

This isn't anything that we can change.

So this is a dog that has gone out and has bit somebody.

At that point, I can deem that dog dangerous.

And so what Carlos mentioned, there's a couple challenges.

Again, it's person focused, it's uh not really focused on the animals, it's reactionary.

Uh doesn't allow for progression or education by the public.

I show up, I deem the dog dangerous.

Um there's no uh potential for the people to fix the issues.

Uh dangerous dog in general is pretty vague on what it entails, and then the dog is deemed dangerous for life.

So again, we're here to talk about adding the vicious dog and the aggressive dog ordinances.

So we'll start with aggression.

So aggressive dogs are means that a dog is menacing or interfering with public movement, like chasing pedestrians, vehicles, or threatening behavior toward a person or animal while at large.

And so what are the requirements once a dog is deemed aggressive?

That dog has to be leashed at all times and in a secured enclosure.

Again, that mimics what Carlos was saying as far as dangerous dogs.

Um they have to post a visible warning sign saying, hey, this dog is aggressive.

That goes back to kind of the clarification.

And they have to complete a responsible pet ownership approved Texas courts class.

So you can find that at TDLR, so Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.

There's specifically two classes that they could take.

One is Texas court classes and the other one's Paul EDU.

You can look those up individually, or if you go to that TDLR, you can find both of those there.

And so they have to do those courses once that dog is deemed aggressive.

And so what does the what's the solution?

Once I deem a dog aggressive, what kind of solutions are we expecting to get from that?

So again, it allows for educational opportunities.

If a dog gets out is chasing uh children, chasing a child on a scooter, chasing a mailman, whatever the case may be, I can show up and kind of forewarn that individual, hey, your dog is acting in an aggressive manner.

I need you to get that uh checked out, get them restrained, or do whatever you need to do because the next time it shows up on my desk, it could be deemed aggressive.

Um it allows for some proactivity.

So again, kind of allowing the public to understand what aggression means from our APO.

Hey, I'm this close to deeming this dog aggressive, so please fix it.

Um it's safety focused for repeat offenders.

So what we're trying to do is uh these ordinance are getting put into place, or we're asking that they get put into place because we're trying to tackle two things.

We're trying to make the public uh more responsible pet owners.

So again, trying to focus on animal welfare.

Um, but we're also looking mainly at the safety of the public.

We don't want animals out there that could be pose a danger, uh again, chasing people or actively biting people or animals.

Um, and so I like to use the example of two dogs in Montoya.

Um, some of our challenges uh with this aggressive dog stuff is we have gone out to a property on Montoya 13 times.

These dogs are getting out, they're chasing people, they're chasing kids, they're chasing normal people walking down the street.

So all I can do as the interim director is issue a citation.

I can't necessarily do anything about it.

So what ends up happening is the public gets frustrated.

Animal services show up, they didn't do anything.

I think Chris kind of touched on it a little bit before lunch.

Um, some some of these individuals can just eat that cost, right?

They can the citation doesn't mean anything, I'm not learning anything from it.

And so we're trying to put a stop to that.

So we want these people to be responsible pet owners.

Um, but again, we're trying to look out for the safety of the public.

So with this case, again, 13 times of non-confinement, it's it's not appropriate for us to show up there and not do anything.

So we're trying to get something in place to where we can hold response people responsible by taking better care of their pets.

And so uh again, this allows for our animal protection officers also to be a little bit more efficient.

So again, instead of an APO officer going out there 13 times, maybe they address another situation down the street, or maybe they go up and pick up a straight dog uh across on the west side or whatever the case may be.

So we're trying to fix that with the aggressive dog as a solution.

So the second aspect, the second ordinance is a vicious dog.

So again, a vicious dog means a dog that causes severe injury to or kills a domestic animal, livestock, or foul, except for when it's hunting and a hunting capacity.

So again, if we're kind of tailing in on that dangerous dog conversation, I have to wait for a dog to bite somebody to be deemed dangerous.

What we're trying to do is clean that up.

So we're trying to protect the animals in our community.

Again, we talk about safety, we're talking about proper animal welfare.

So we're looking at the safety of the animals in our care too in the public.

And so this vicious dog ordinance would help protect that.

This vicious dog ordinance mimics dangerous dogs in a lot of ways.

Um, but this is more animal focused, whereas dangerous dog is more people focused.

So some of the requirements in order to be a dog to be deemed uh vicious, the dog has to be leashed at all times or in a secured enclosure.

Again, this is mimicking what dangerous dog is, the state law.

They have to post a warning, vicious dog sign, again, mimicking the dangerous dog sign that is in place for dangerous dogs.

And then they have to complete a responsible pet owner approved course by Texas courts, and again, just a refresher because I know we talked about it in the aggressive one.

Uh that's the TDLR, Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.

Uh, there's two different courses on there.

So once your dog has been deemed vicious, you are required to take one of those courses.

And so, what we're trying to do with the solutions again, there's challenges with our dangerous dogs.

So the solutions for the vicious dogs, again, it allows us that that opportunity to educate the public.

So we don't want dogs out there turning from aggression to vicious to dangerous.

We're trying to tackle that on the front end.

So if we can educate the public, hey, your dog is going down a uh down the wrong road.

We want to make sure you kind of have all the information you need to make sure it doesn't turn into a dangerous dog.

This vicious dog allows us to do that.

Again, it's proactive, it's safety focused.

I use the example of Ditto, he's a nine-year-old pit bull.

This nine-year-old Pitbull is walking down the street with his owner, these two dogs, two Bipples, uh got out and ended up attacking and killing Ditto.

And so again, some of the challenges that we face with the Texas law, the dangerous dogs, is I show up, I issue a citation for non-confinement to these two dogs.

And what happens?

Nothing happens, right?

And so we want the public to understand that we're there to help.

Um the public is frustrated that we show up and we just issue citations, but they want recourse for their animals.

It's they should not have to walk down the street in fear that their dog may or may not get attacked by another animal.

And so that's our example of ditto.

And again, it allows us our APOs to be a little bit more uh efficient when they're going out there and taking care of business.

So we talked about in the first couple slides uh some of the challenges.

And so a dog is deemed dangerous for life once it is deemed dangerous.

And so I'm sure a lot of y'all are animal owners.

Um I heard some of y'all are uh y'all have some fluffies at home.

I don't I do not have any fluffies, my dogs are hairless.

Um what is not fair to these animals.

I mean, we're we're focused on the people and the people that are not taking care of their animals.

But again, if I have a six-month-old puppy who happened to go chasing after a mailman, I don't want to deem that dog aggressive for life.

And so this gives the opportunity for those animals to come off those designations.

Again, dangerous dog is deemed dangerous for life.

The aggressive and vicious dog, we are we're putting in a place for those animals to come off of that list.

And so, in order to come off that list, the aggressive dog has to be in compliance for at least one year and then show a uh proof of spay and neutering.

Again, we don't want these animals breeding other aggressive dogs or breeding other vicious dogs or getting to that point, they are dangerous.

Um just because they've been in compliance for one year and just because they have a proof of spay neutering um does not guarantee that will they will be uh the removal of that designation.

So I could come back and say, hey, we still got to work on some things before we end up uh taking this designation off.

And so the difference between the aggressive dog and the dangerous dog or the vicious dog is again the vicious dog has three years of compliance with the proof of spay and neutering.

So again, if we're going back to the requirements for the aggressive and vicious dog, again, we're talking about being enclosed or on leash.

Uh they have to have posted warning signs.

If they're out of compliance for any one of those things, we could come back and seize those animals for impoundment.

And so we don't want to get to that point.

So again, our height, our main focus is going to be the educational aspect before these animals get designated as aggressive or vicious.

And so, just as a recap, again, dangerous dog is a state mandate.

That's something that we cannot change.

That causes injury to a person.

So there's some holes in that.

We want to protect the community, we want to protect the community's pets.

So we're proposing aggressive dog and we're proposing vicious dog.

Aggressive dog city ordinance is an animal that is threatening behavior towards people or animals.

Again, if this animal is just chasing a child that's on its bike running around the park, we don't want those animals out there turning into vicious dogs or potentially turning into dangerous dogs.

And then the vicious dog is a causing severe injury to or kills an animal.

So again, a little bit of a recourse for the people that are out there with their animals and another animal attacks their animals, we can deem that dog vicious, and then at that point, if at any point they're out of compliance, we can again seize that animal or impound that animal.

And so, like Chris had mentioned, uh district date, this presentation was presented to our ASAC community uh our committee uh back on December 10th, and then I think it was like July 14th.

Um January 14th, July 14th, January 14th.

Um, and again, it was unanimously approved.

Um and so, yeah, that's kind of where we're at.

Um, if y'all have any questions, I'd be more than happy to take them.

I would have to say before I start, I would like to give a shout out to all the staff.

I know they're working really hard today.

Um, so huge shout out to those guys, uh specifically the animal care team.

They're doing a lot.

So yeah, I'm open to any questions y'all have.

Thanks, Michael.

Representative Canalis.

Thank you, Mayor.

Yeah.

I'll repeat what you just said just to be clear because the committee did ask that I specifically deliver the message on the committee's behalf as as the chair.

They voted unanimously to recommend the approval of the ordinance changes as uh presented by Animal Services.

And so they wanted to deliver the message.

As I said earlier, just repeating again for anyone just tuning into the meeting now, that they feel like it's an important uh step to get this language into the code.

Um they had suggestions for things that might change into the future, but wanted to see how this gets rolled out.

Um they asked for some uh biannual or I guess semi-annual uh updates on the implementation and uh the cases that come through so that they can potentially recommend adjustments to the council.

Um so thank you uh Michael and uh again, Carlos and Mona and everybody else uh who's been and Josette who just walked in, has been diligently working on this.

Uh I think it uh is a an important first step.

Uh I'm glad that the committee agreed.

Uh and thank you for taking the extra time and delaying this coming to the council in order to bring it to the Animal Shelter Advisory Committee.

I think it's uh an important step that we take to get the committee feedback on on a major change like this.

So thanks.

I'm happy to support it today.

Thank you.

Representative Nino.

Thank you, Mayor, and thank you, Michael, and also to the entire team for working on this.

I have one super quick question on the dangerous dog.

I know that's a state mandate and uh on slide number three how it states some of the challenges where it doesn't allow for progression or education.

Um and that's specifically for the courses that the courts allow, correct?

So it's a great question.

So dangerous dog, it's the the progression aspect is again I have to wait for that animal to bite somebody.

And so when we're talking about that progression aspect is a dog, and typically a dog doesn't go straight from zero to a hundred where it's attacking people.

And so if we can tackle that on the front end by with these aggressive ordinance and with this potential vicious ordinance, we're we're getting that opportunity to educate the public before it gets to that point.

Perfect.

And so as as far as the dangerous dog aspect goes, again, it's kind of retroactive.

I'm waiting for it to bite.

And so it's really, hey, your dog did something and then I show up and deem it dangerous.

So there's really no opportunity to educate the public until the event has already occurred.

And so what we're trying to do specifically with that aggressive one is kind of give them that opportunity to say, hey, this dog is acting inappropriately, and it could lead to more.

And so we want to tackle that before it gets to that point.

Great.

No, thank you for clarifying that.

I just wanted to ensure that if there was a person that had a dangerous dog that went from step zero to a hundred, that if they do you know deem that dog as a dangerous dog, that they also get some sort of education of being a responsible pet owner, although the dog is going to be deemed dangerous for life, but that there's still some sort of educational aspect to it of them being aware of again being a responsible pet owner.

Yeah, once I once I am a dog dangerous, uh they do get a packet of all the kind of requirements that it entails, and again, you you need to be in compliance, or it could get to the opportunity where you don't have your animal anymore.

Perfect.

All right.

Well, thank you for your presentation.

No further questions.

Michael, before I go to Representative Roach, a quick question on the dangerous dogs.

Do we know how many are classified in our community dangerous or vicious?

So yeah, it's a great question.

Um in general, most of the dogs that we deem dangerous don't ever get labeled dangerous.

The people either surrender the animals or if it does go down that dangerous route.

I mean, it's like uh Carlos had mentioned it's very few.

And so kind of what District 3 was talking about when Carlos gave his presentation.

We don't really have a mechanism to track the the animals before they get deemed dangerous, right?

So again, I'm about to hand over this letter to deem your dog dangerous, and they just automatically surrender those animals.

And so what we're doing moving forward is tracking that number.

So if I have 50 dogs that I'm about to deem dangerous, how many of those turn into owner surrenders compared to actually turning into dangerous dogs?

Very good.

Representative Rocha.

Thank you, Mayor.

And that was actually my question.

So great question.

So thank you for explaining that, Michael, and thank you for the presentation.

I think it's super important to be able to move this in in the right step forward uh for the community.

So I just wanted to take a moment to thank you and thank uh Josette, Carlos, Mona, and and all the team just to be able to work on this and and put this forward.

And for all the work that the ASAC committee did, uh probably bombarding you with questions and and being prepared and bringing that to us today.

I think it's a great step forward in the community.

So thank you again.

Representative Chavez?

Thank you, Mayor, and thank you, Michael, for the presentation.

What a huge undertaking, right?

I mean, you have a big responsibility, and I think you're doing it very well.

So I wanted to congratulate you for that.

And I know that there's a lot of people behind you helping you uh do this.

So I appreciate the work from the legal team as well as others in your department.

So how many animals or do you think that this uh new ordinance will apply to?

How many animals do you deal with on a daily basis?

Well, on a daily basis, uh we took in twenty-seven thousand total animals in twenty twenty-five.

Um to answer specifically your question, my hope is is zero.

I hope I never have to get down this rabbit hole of deeming a dog aggressive, vicious, or dish uh dangerous because we're being proactive and taking care of our animals.

Um it's tough to say specifically how many aggressive dogs we could potentially have in the community.

Um I know it's kind of an uh aggression could mean something to one person and not something to another person.

Um and so kind of going to what Chris Canales had mentioned, um we're gonna be tracking that data for the first I mean as soon as we install it, but for the first six months we're gonna be heavy on it uh to see how many animals we ended up deeming aggression before we actually submitted the aggression paperwork.

Um but again, my hope is my hope is zero.

I hope people take care of their animals.

I don't want these dogs going up and down the street attacking the same people or chasing after kids.

Um I hope we can tackle that from an education aspect uh through our APO team.

And and I thank you for commenting on creating a database and finding the true numbers behind all of these uh labels.

Um I would just encourage you to continue doing that because so many times we ask for data and for whatever reason sometimes you know it hasn't been tracked or whatever the case might be.

And I think it's so important that we that we understand uh what is really occurring.

Um I know that most pets and most dogs in our community are part of families that love them and are very well taken care of.

And so I agree with you.

I hope that there's little to none that we have to label as such.

Thank you so much.

Yeah, no worries.

And yeah, I I agree.

I mean, I think a majority of the uh public isn't going to be affected by these ordinances.

Um again, we just we're trying to ra wrangle up some of the ones that A are not listening or or B, maybe they're not fully educated um as far as the proper animal welfare, and so this gives us that opportunity to do it.

And kind of going back to uh your constituent uh from last year.

I mean, yeah, I mean, we went out there five times and there was nothing to show for it.

And so if we would have been able to deem this dog aggressive, we could have potentially done something now hindsight.

50-50, right?

But uh again, what we're trying to do is prevent that from happening again, whether it's your constituent or any of the other constituents in y'all's districts.

Very good.

Any other questions for Michael?

All right, Ms.

Prime, we're gonna take the vote on items 28 and 29.

Yes, sir.

The motion was made by Representative Limon, seconded by Representative Ganales, and this is to adopt the ordinances on items 28 and 29.

There's no further public comment on that motion.

Call for the vote.

And the voting session.

And that motion passes unanimously.

Representatives Boría Treco and Limon not present.

All right, Ms.

Brian, we're gonna move to items number 40 and 41 since I have the chief here and the assistant chief.

We'll take those two items.

Yes, sir.

Item number 40 is discussion and action on a resolution authorizing the city manager or design to ratify the outstanding invoice owed to Gold Belt Security LLC, totaling $50,000 relating to services rendered to the El Paso Police Department for Higgs police training and to sign any related paperwork.

Did you want 41 together?

No, we'll do them separate.

Thank you.

Is there a motion to approve this?

All right.

Good afternoon, Chief.

Good afternoon, Mayor.

City Council, good afternoon.

Assistant Chiponus for the record.

So we're asking for a ratification to the outstanding invoice.

Okay.

Okay.

Ms.

Bryan, I believe we have public comment on this item.

Yes, sir.

We have Ms.

Osman that signed up to speak.

Uh uh Representative Canalis.

Thank you, Mayor.

Yeah, I just had a couple of questions about this expense.

I know the initial or at least part of it.

I I found an older document in the confiscated funds budget request from 2025 that this was partially at least paid for with confiscated funds.

What would be the source of funds for this additional $50,000 expense?

And uh for this one it's going to be general fund.

General fund, okay.

And is this coming from an existing allocation of general fund from the police department or is it uh other funds?

So it's uh the fund that we have.

We have the money in our account to go ahead and pay for that.

Okay.

Um and then I guess I'm just trying to understand what exactly the like how exactly the costs were incurred in addition to the the initial payment to the to the company.

For training, correct?

Yes, that this was uh our uh defensive tactics uh training that uh we had all our officers go through.

And uh when COVID happened, we started getting behind um with the training and uh the invoicing uh coming in from the company.

Because we weren't doing this kind of uh training because it was uh you gotta put hands on people.

Got it.

Okay.

But this is an amount above the uh initially approved amount for the contract.

This is this is uh the amount that was uh approved uh throughout the life of the contract.

And so you're just asking for ratification because it falls outside of the original contract period?

Yes, well, we because we need uh PO uh issued for it to be able to pay it.

Understood.

And well, but presumably the rest of it was also paid through POs, but it that the ratification is because the the other expenses were paid within the term of the contract, and this is coming after.

Yes, sir.

Okay, nine.

That's exactly it.

Got it.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mayor.

All right.

We have public comment, Ms.

Bryan?

Yes, we have Ms.

Osman.

This is just on 40, right?

This is just 40.

Yes, ma'am.

I just want to clarify for the public or city council, especially due to uh the fact that we are on national news because although it is not EPPD, but the death of somebody due to a chokehold at uh our desert death camp or East Montana detention center.

Uh is exactly what this training is.

Just i if you didn't check into what hits police training is.

Uh part of it is emphasizing officer safety through nervous skeletal system control.

Those are chokeholds.

Okay.

Uh this is actually training, it's a subsidiary of global security, it's military training.

I'm gonna tell you I don't agree with um the fact that we are known on the books, on the maps, as a police city.

Okay.

Nor do I agree with our PD, who is supposed to serve the public and the people, to be trained militarily.

All right?

And I say that because I was at the protests, the George Fo protest, uh George Floyd protests, where PD decided to corral everybody down in the pit by Memorial Park.

And then started with their rubber bullets and everything else.

Uh tear gas, the whole nine.

If it wasn't for the fact that I knew exactly what was about to happen, I started telling people do not let them corral you.

Don't go down there.

And my daughter, my people that I knew.

I told them to stay up here, stay closer.

I can tell you what's gonna happen.

And I numerous people ask me, how do you know?

Because I have done the research on this type of police, these tactics.

They're military tactics.

And they shouldn't be in a city police department.

Okay.

We already have enough deaths.

We have enough deaths at the jail and everything else.

And yeah, you all are you all are paying for people for a PD to choke people out.

Yeah, even a 78-year-old neighbor that I had because I had to call, because nobody could get him some mental help.

And that's on video.

I I've got that on video.

Okay.

Cops came back.

He's like, hey, did you see what happened?

Yeah.

It was the exact same thing.

So the fact that y'all have no problem spending money to militarize or police.

That's a big issue.

Just want to point that out.

Mayor, may I allow the chief to discuss a new training that was implemented last month?

I just think it should be on the record.

Absolutely.

So what we're asking for is for services that are already rendered.

Chokeholes are outlawed by state law.

We cannot we don't use those.

So we we couldn't even fathom using chokeholes in our training.

Second of all, we uh we uh started a new training.

We have uh at least 10 instructors.

It's called Gracie's uh system.

It's basically a jujitsu.

Uh all our officers are currently going through this training.

It's a new uh defensive tactic training.

So this is uh for an outstanding invoice.

Yes, sir.

Service services are already rendered.

Um we got the invoices late, so that's that's why we had to ask for this ratification to be able to pay this invoice.

Okay.

Any further discussions for uh Assistant Chief Brionis or the Chief Speaker ?

All right, Ms.

Brown, we have a motion and a second.

Would you please call for the vote?