Well, good morning, everyone, and welcome to the City Council work session.

Ms.

Bryan, I think we're ready to go.

Yes, sir.

Good morning.

This is a work session of the El Paso City Council for Monday, March 2nd, 2026.

It is 9.02 AM.

Mayor Johnson is present and presiding in Council Chambers along with Mayor Pro Tem Chavez, Representative Boyatreco, Representative Nino, and Representative Limon.

Representative Malonado Rocha will be in later this morning.

Mayor, we have a quorum.

Okay.

Representative Nino, would you lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance, please?

Yes, Mayor.

Of course, thank you.

I pledge of allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands.

One nation under God, indivisible liberty and justice for all.

And Ms.

Prime, before we get started, I'm going to ask everyone that's here in Council Chambers and along the dais with us to let's have a moment in silence for the victims in the shooting in Austin, Texas, as well as our servicemen and women that are in harm's way, and of course, the loss of life of the military personnel over the weekend.

So if you would join us in a moment of silence.

Thank you.

Ms.

Bryan.

Mayor just a moment.

Certainly appreciative of the moment of silence, but in retrospect, if I could also add, we lost a giant in immigration services for our community, Carlos Spector, passed away last night, and we'll know we'll hear more about him.

But incredible history of the service that he provided for community.

Our thoughts may heard with his family too.

Thank you.

Ms.

Bryan.

And for the record, alternate mayor Brotempero is also in the meeting.

That brings us to item number one.

And this is a presentation by Benjamin Miranda for endeavors regarding the organization's work in partnership, supporting law enforcement officers, first responders, active duty military members, veterans, and their families, including collaborative efforts that strengthen public safety, workforce stability, wellness, and long-term outcomes.

And the he will also be joined by Jose Lopez from Rio Vista Behavioral Health Hospital, highlighting the hospital's partnerships with national and regional first responder agencies to address acute mental health needs through specialized inpatient and outpatient programs, including an overview of Rio Vista's dedicated first responder program designed to support duty readiness, trauma informed care, and overall cognitive and emotional well-being.

For the record, Representative Acevedo joined the meeting at 9 04.

Okay.

Representative Nino and Representative Chavez.

Thank you, Mayor.

Council Health and Wellness is something that I take very personal.

This past week we completed our strategic plan and identified five key areas of focus economic mobility, public safety, infrastructure, quality alive and good governance.

And within public safety, we made it clear that recruiting and retaining first responders while straightening prevention efforts must be a prior top priority for this council.

This is why I felt it was important for us to bring forward today's presentation from Endeavors and Rio Vista Behavior Health Hospital.

Public safety is not only about equipment, facilities, or response times.

It's also about the physical, cognitive, and emotional well-being of the men and women who serve our community every single day.

Furthermore, we recently adopted the first version of our legislative agenda for the upcoming state legislative session.

That creates an opportunity for us to advocate at a state level for funding and policy support that strengthens programs like these and expands access to critical services for our first responders and their families.

That discussion aligns directly with our strategic priorities and positions us to take a more holistic approach to public safety.

Supporting first responder wellness strengthens our retention, improves readiness, and reinforces the long-term stability of our workforce.

I truly appreciate both Endeavors and also Rio Visa for being here today and for the work that they are doing to support those who protect and serve our country.

And also thank you all, both of you for serving our community, also Mario for your service.

So, Mr.

If Rep Chavez has anything, or if not, then um Mr.

Miranda take it away.

Representative Chavez.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um, and thank you both for Endeavors and Rio Vista for being here today.

Thank you for Representative Nino because it was his idea initially to bring this forward during this work session.

I appreciate uh the effort, Representative Nino.

Um, during my my ride alongs both with the the Westside Regional Command Center and the fire station in my district, it became apparent to me the work that these first responders do day in and day out.

They are in our community putting in their best effort to ensure that we all remain safe.

But with that work comes uh challenges, and they, of course, from time to time experience mental health challenges as well.