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OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD

Record of Proceedings

El Paso City Council Meeting - May 26, 2026: Data Center Policy, Proclamations, and Grants

City Council — Tuesday, May 26, 2026

BodyEl Paso, Texas

SessionCity Council

DateTuesday, May 26, 2026

StatusFILED

Video Record

0:00 / 6:29:17

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

1:03

Well, good morning, everyone, and welcome to City Council Chambers.

1:06

Miss Brian, I believe we're ready to get started.

1:09

Yes, sir.

1:10

Good morning, and welcome to the presentation of the mayor's proclamations.

1:13

We begin with a pledge of allegiance, and this morning to lead us in the pledge, our students from Loreto Elementary School, at the invitation of City Representative Lili Limon, we have Camila Lopez and Paris Linda.

3:52

How many years have you been serving?

3:56

That's why we need term limits.

4:05

Fantastic.

4:06

Okay, Miss Bryan.

4:08

Yes, sir.

4:09

That brings us to the mayor's proclamations.

4:12

For those of you receiving a proclamation, once I announce your proclamation, I invite you to come up to the podium.

4:17

Once the proclamation is read, you will have up to four minutes collectively to speak at the podium.

4:24

The first proclamation is Ami Stad 50th anniversary.

4:31

Thank you, Mayor.

4:33

Come on up, come on up.

4:37

Proclamation, City of El Paso, Texas.

4:40

Whereas in 1976, Miss Lucy G.

4:44

Acosta, a devoted community advocate and leader of Lulac District 4, co-founded LULAC Project Amistad, alongside Alfred Hawkes and Raquel M.

4:55

Perez, formerly incorporated under Texas law on May 13th, 1985, with a mission rooted in the belief that every member of our community deserves access to dignified, compassionate, and effective social services.

5:09

And whereas Amistad has faithfully served El Paso for 50 consecutive years, growing from a single transportation program into an institution offering 30 programs addressing health care access, housing stability, financial management, disability services, veterans assistance, and homelessness, serving over 50,000 individuals and operating as the only state-designated aging, disability, and transportation resource center in West Texas.

5:36

And whereas Amistad's transportation program has grown to a fleet of more than 42 vehicles, performing over 18,000 trips and one million miles annually, while also serving as court-appointed legal guardian for over 450 vulnerable individuals across El Paso County and six other West Texas counties.

5:57

And whereas Amistad operates the only 24-7 outreach street outreach program for persons experiencing homelessness in El Paso through its El Camino a Casa initiative, reducing police response times from 18 hours to 20 to 30 minutes, and its money management program in operation since 1982 has achieved a 99% client eviction and utility disconnection prevention rate.

6:21

And whereas Amistad has been recognized by the Texas legislature, the Office of the Governor, the Adult Protective Services Silver Star Board as a champion for vulnerable adults, and has been voted among El Paso's top nonprofits by El Paso Inc.

6:37

in 2020, 2023, and 2024 to 2025.

6:42

And whereas, under the leadership of Chief Executive Officer Andrea Ramirez, Amistad maintains over $5 million in operating and investment accounts, 193 days of cash on hand, and a culture of fiscal accountability that reflects the organization's core values of respect, honesty, integrity, service, and excellence.

7:02

Now, therefore, be it proclaimed by the mayor and city council of the city of El Paso that May 30th, 2026 shall be known as Amistad's 50th Anniversary Celebration Day, signed by our Honorable Mayor Bernard Johnson.

7:21

Welcome and congratulations.

7:23

Good morning.

7:24

Good morning, sir.

7:25

Good morning, Mayor and our City Council members.

7:28

My name is Andrea Amidas.

7:29

I am the Chief Executive Officer of Amistad.

7:32

I have been with Amistad 16 years, serving as the chief executive officer for six.

7:37

Um, our founder, Lucy G.

7:39

Acosta, of course, 50 years ago, so beautiful, so brave, so fierce, so loving, known as Mama Bear.

7:48

Um, and so today, our team here, we have our board members, we have our corporate management team, program managers and supervisors, we stand in front of you just to tell you thank you.

8:00

Thank you for trusting us in loving your constituents in taking care of them, in making sure that we advocate, connect, and deliver exceptional social services, making sure that we improve and provide that dignity to their life.

8:16

And so I just want to thank you all for everything.

8:19

Thank you for trusting us, thank you for believing in us, and thank you for being really our champions.

8:25

Thank you.

8:26

Does anyone have anything we'd like to say?

8:33

So a lot of you know Miss Ketha Fiero, but she was a great friend of our founder, Lucy Acosta, and she is our president emeritus.

8:43

Good morning.

8:45

Thank you, good morning, Mr.

8:47

Mayor, and City Council members, for your support all the time.

8:55

And I thank you for always being there for us.

9:00

What would we do without Amistad?

9:04

Can you think?

9:06

Can you put yourself in that position that you're homeless, you have nowhere to live, you have nowhere to go.

9:13

Where would you go?

9:15

But we have Amistad.

9:17

And we've had it for 50 years, thank God.

9:20

Thank Lucy and all of its supporters and everybody in El Paso who supports Amistad.

9:27

Who gives, who donates to Amistad, so that hundreds of people in Al Paso wouldn't that be homeless?

9:38

They have a home to go to.

9:39

They have somebody to look after them.

9:29

They have somebody to guide their lives.

9:46

And they have not anything like that worrying.

9:52

Anybody that is under the the wing of Amistad.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Economic Development█████████████████████21%

Miscellaneous██████████████14%

Public Safety██████████10%

Environmental Protection██████████10%

Community Engagement█████████9%

Code Enforcement███████7%

Engineering And Infrastructure██████6%

Procedural█████5%

Transportation Safety█████5%

Summary of Proceedings

El Paso City Council Meeting - May 26, 2026

The El Paso City Council convened on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, at 10:18 AM in Council Chambers, with Mayor Bernard Johnson presiding. The meeting featured five proclamations, extensive public comment on data centers, adoption of a policy against recruiting hyperscale data centers, and approval of several contracts and resolutions. The meeting was recessed from 12:34 PM to 1:34 PM and adjourned at 4:34 PM. Council will reconvene on May 27, 2026, at 9:00 AM for a work session.

Proclamations

Amistad 50th Anniversary: Recognized Amistad for 50 years of service, including 30 programs, a transportation fleet of over 42 vehicles performing 18,000 trips and 1 million miles annually, a 24/7 street outreach program reducing police response times, and a money management program with a 99% eviction prevention rate. CEO Andrea Ramirez and board members spoke.
2026 Top Cops Award: Honored Officers Mark Betis and Amairani Hinez for their courageous response to an active shooter on June 1, 2025, during which Officer Hinez sustained a leg wound and applied a tourniquet. State Senator Cesar Blanco presented a state resolution. Police Chief and union president praised their heroism.
NEBA Small Business Impact Day: Recognized the Northeast Business Alliance for 26 years of supporting Northeast El Paso businesses through networking, education, and scholarships. Board members and founding members spoke.
Interpreter Appreciation Day: Honored El Paso Sign Language Interpreters, a woman-owned business founded by a Child of Deaf Adults, for over 17 years of providing ASL interpreting services. CEO Tamara Marquez and team spoke.
National Apprenticeship Week: Recognized Independent Electrical Contractors El Paso Chapter (IEC) for nearly 60 years of training electricians via a U.S. Department of Labor Registered Apprenticeship Program. Executive Director Sarah Navarro noted 110 current apprentices starting at $12-$16/hour.

Public Comments & Testimony

Item 22 (Data Centers): Over 20 speakers (including Jonathan Zion, Courtney Barraza, James Barraza, Juan Gomez, Cynthia Lozano, Serenity de la Torre, Andrew Grenier, Mary Woodruff, Claire Wells, and others) spoke overwhelmingly in support of the item. Key points:
- Water consumption: Meta’s data center uses up to 2.5 million gallons/day, equivalent to ~10,870 households; El Paso Water CEO expressed concern at 10 such centers (20 million gallons/day).
- Energy: The data center requires 366 megawatts, equivalent to adding 353,000 cars for emissions; El Paso Electric is building a $473 million gas plant to support it.
- Jobs: Only 50 permanent jobs, compared to thousands during construction; many noted a single fast-food restaurant provides similar employment.
- Environmental impacts: Air pollution from diesel generators, heat island effect (projected 15-30°F temperature increase nearby), and water quality concerns (citing Georgia examples).
- Economic incentives: 80% tax abatement, $7.5 million infrastructure grant, and restrictions on water conservation measures; speakers demanded cancellation of the 380 agreement with Meta.
- Legal arguments: Some cited the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) restricting Chinese components in data centers as a potential basis to void contracts.
Consent Agenda Item 9: Patricia Osman questioned travel expenses for city officials (e.g., $605 for ICMA conference).
Call to the Public (non-agenda): Topics included veteran battlefield trauma and abortion, the EP Hunt scavenger hunt, misspending of funds, animal cruelty and pigeon trappers, El Dorado High School architecture competition, Piedra Street closure impact on businesses, transparency and First Amendment rights, and opposition to the Deck Plaza project.

Discussion Items

Consent Agenda: Approved with revisions to items 25 (name correction), 31 (moved to forefront), and 32 (budget revision). Public comment on item 9 was heard before final approval.
Item 16 & 17 (Fire Code Amendments): Adopted ordinances updating the fire prevention code to include 2021 International Fire Code and allowing third-party fire plan review/inspection, aligning with Texas House Bill 14. Staff noted this expands a successful program since 2005.
Item 18 (Zoning Change – 7912 North Loop): Proposed rezoning from R3 to SD for a restaurant. Public comment opposed due to parking, traffic, and safety concerns. Council postponed for two weeks.
Item 19 (Zoning Change – Edgar Park): Rezoned from R4 to A2 for a multifamily development. Approved unanimously.
Item 22 (Data Center Policy): Council adopted a policy direction that the city will not actively recruit, pursue, or incentivize future hyperscale data centers, and will not offer tax abatements, rebates, or grants for such projects. The policy remains in effect until reversed by council. Mayor Johnson stated he does not want more data centers in El Paso. Staff will continue developing a comprehensive data center policy framework, with a draft sustainability research document going live on the city website. The item passed unanimously after over two hours of public comment.
Item 23 (Future Land Use Map) : Presentation on engagement process for updates, with 27 workshops, 5,600 data points, and 570 participants. Summer open houses are planned, with adoption expected in early fall.
Item 24 (Anti-Littering & Illegal Dumping) : Management update on a cross-functional team focusing on prevention, education, and abatement. Highlights include:
- Formalized community partnerships with volunteer groups (e.g., Desert Rescue 915, EP Trash Mob) providing free disposal for 12 cleanups/year.
- District-led cleanups increased from 2 to 3 per year (FY27 budget $43,200).
- $20 single-use Citizen Collection Station passes for commercial/residential properties (no water bill required), launching fall 2026.
- Enhanced enforcement: 27 pole-mounted cameras available, solar cameras being procured (~$8,500 each), and proactive patrols.
- Illegal dumping cases: 84 incidents abated as of April 2026 (up from 32 average in 2023-2025).
- Public education campaign to include bilingual social media, short videos, and posters.
Item 25 (Build Back Better Grant) : Awarded $9.46 million in contracts for advanced manufacturing, aerospace, and defense programs. Seven tasks include recruitment, workforce development, certifications (ISO, AS9100), ITAR compliance, and connecting local firms to prime contractors. Grant must close by September 30, 2027. Approved 7-1.
Item 26 (Barricade Rental Services) : Awarded 3-year contract to Apache Barricade (estimated $1.37 million) with a 2-year option. Approved unanimously.
Item 27 (Street Markings) : Awarded 3-year contract to Jebico Markings Inc. (estimated $1.53 million) for thermoplastic markings. Approved unanimously.
Item 28 (Veterinary Supplies) : Awarded contracts to three suppliers (total $7.70 million). Approved unanimously.
Item 29 (Mutual Aid Agreement with Fort Bliss) : Approved amendment updating fire/emergency response areas, including the Texas National Defense Area along the Rio Grande (River Miles 0-18) and Montana Avenue properties, but excluding Camp East Montana (now private). City will negotiate separate reimbursement for Camp East Montana.
Item 30 & 32 (Budget Transfers) : Transferred $4.44 million for fire station designs and $212,045.65 from bond savings to the Sun City Lights project. Both approved unanimously.

Key Outcomes

Policy adopted: No future incentivization or recruitment of hyperscale data centers (unanimous).
Contracts approved: Build Back Better grant ($9.46M), barricade rental, street markings, veterinary supplies, and fire code updates.
Zoning postponed: Item 18 (North Loop restaurant) postponed for two weeks.
Budget transfers approved: $4.44M for fire stations and $212K for Sun City Lights.
Mutual aid amendment approved: Continued fire/EMS coverage for Fort Bliss and designated defense areas, excluding Camp East Montana.

Meeting Transcript

Well, good morning, everyone, and welcome to City Council Chambers. Miss Brian, I believe we're ready to get started. Yes, sir. Good morning, and welcome to the presentation of the mayor's proclamations. We begin with a pledge of allegiance, and this morning to lead us in the pledge, our students from Loreto Elementary School, at the invitation of City Representative Lili Limon, we have Camila Lopez and Paris Linda. How many years have you been serving? That's why we need term limits. Fantastic. Okay, Miss Bryan. Yes, sir. That brings us to the mayor's proclamations. For those of you receiving a proclamation, once I announce your proclamation, I invite you to come up to the podium. Once the proclamation is read, you will have up to four minutes collectively to speak at the podium. The first proclamation is Ami Stad 50th anniversary. Thank you, Mayor. Come on up, come on up. Proclamation, City of El Paso, Texas. Whereas in 1976, Miss Lucy G. Acosta, a devoted community advocate and leader of Lulac District 4, co-founded LULAC Project Amistad, alongside Alfred Hawkes and Raquel M. Perez, formerly incorporated under Texas law on May 13th, 1985, with a mission rooted in the belief that every member of our community deserves access to dignified, compassionate, and effective social services. And whereas Amistad has faithfully served El Paso for 50 consecutive years, growing from a single transportation program into an institution offering 30 programs addressing health care access, housing stability, financial management, disability services, veterans assistance, and homelessness, serving over 50,000 individuals and operating as the only state-designated aging, disability, and transportation resource center in West Texas. And whereas Amistad's transportation program has grown to a fleet of more than 42 vehicles, performing over 18,000 trips and one million miles annually, while also serving as court-appointed legal guardian for over 450 vulnerable individuals across El Paso County and six other West Texas counties. And whereas Amistad operates the only 24-7 outreach street outreach program for persons experiencing homelessness in El Paso through its El Camino a Casa initiative, reducing police response times from 18 hours to 20 to 30 minutes, and its money management program in operation since 1982 has achieved a 99% client eviction and utility disconnection prevention rate. And whereas Amistad has been recognized by the Texas legislature, the Office of the Governor, the Adult Protective Services Silver Star Board as a champion for vulnerable adults, and has been voted among El Paso's top nonprofits by El Paso Inc. in 2020, 2023, and 2024 to 2025. And whereas, under the leadership of Chief Executive Officer Andrea Ramirez, Amistad maintains over $5 million in operating and investment accounts, 193 days of cash on hand, and a culture of fiscal accountability that reflects the organization's core values of respect, honesty, integrity, service, and excellence. Now, therefore, be it proclaimed by the mayor and city council of the city of El Paso that May 30th, 2026 shall be known as Amistad's 50th Anniversary Celebration Day, signed by our Honorable Mayor Bernard Johnson. Welcome and congratulations. Good morning. Good morning, sir. Good morning, Mayor and our City Council members. My name is Andrea Amidas. I am the Chief Executive Officer of Amistad. I have been with Amistad 16 years, serving as the chief executive officer for six. Um, our founder, Lucy G. Acosta, of course, 50 years ago, so beautiful, so brave, so fierce, so loving, known as Mama Bear. Um, and so today, our team here, we have our board members, we have our corporate management team, program managers and supervisors, we stand in front of you just to tell you thank you. Thank you for trusting us in loving your constituents in taking care of them, in making sure that we advocate, connect, and deliver exceptional social services, making sure that we improve and provide that dignity to their life. And so I just want to thank you all for everything. Thank you for trusting us, thank you for believing in us, and thank you for being really our champions. Thank you. Does anyone have anything we'd like to say? So a lot of you know Miss Ketha Fiero, but she was a great friend of our founder, Lucy Acosta, and she is our president emeritus. Good morning. Thank you, good morning, Mr. Mayor, and City Council members, for your support all the time. And I thank you for always being there for us. What would we do without Amistad? Can you think? Can you put yourself in that position that you're homeless, you have nowhere to live, you have nowhere to go.

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