El Paso City Council Work Session - August 17, 2026
El Paso City Council Work Session - August 17, 2026
The El Paso City Council held a work session on August 17, 2026 starting at 9:00 AM and ending at 5:21 PM. The meeting included an annual stormwater utility report, a resolution for an updated Sister Cities Agreement with Chihuahua, and executive session discussions on utility matters, economic development, and legal consultations. The council took action on three executive session items and unanimously approved the Sister Cities resolution.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Ms. Osman spoke against the stormwater utility report (Item 1), criticizing the utility’s approach and alleging projects cause harm. She stated that residents do not trust El Paso Water and that the fee has not been used effectively.
- Ms. Osman also spoke against the Sister Cities Agreement (Item 2), questioning the city’s authority to enter international agreements, citing security risks, and objecting to existing sister city relationships.
Discussion Items
- Item 1 – Annual Report by El Paso Water on Stormwater Utility
- Gisela Dagnino, Chief Operations Officer for Stormwater, presented the annual update. Key points:
- The stormwater utility was created after the 2006 flood disaster to develop a master plan, fund maintenance, and reduce flood risk.
- Since 2008, over $400 million has been invested in drainage infrastructure. For every $1 paid in fees by a typical residential customer, $2.38 has been invested back into the community.
- The original master plan estimated $650 million in construction needs; the remaining cost has grown to approximately $875 million due to rising costs, evolving standards, and city growth.
- Completed four construction projects in the last fiscal year; five under construction; three preparing for construction; 15 in planning and design.
- The system is maintained by a team of 41 front-line staff covering the entire city.
- Secured over $24 million in grant funding; another $28 million requested.
- 21,000 properties have been removed from the flood zone since the utility’s inception.
- Council members discussed maintenance schedules, partnerships with TxDOT, the Army Corps of Engineers, weed control, graffiti, and affordability concerns. Representative Acevedo requested updated project priority lists and CIP information. Representative Fierro asked about public outreach.
- Gisela Dagnino, Chief Operations Officer for Stormwater, presented the annual update. Key points:
- Item 2 – Resolution to Execute Updated Sister Cities Agreement with Chihuahua, Mexico
- Israel Alvarado, Business Service Coordinator, presented the proposed agreement. Key updates:
- The original agreement was signed in 2002 and expanded in 2008. The 2026 update broadens cooperation to include innovation, entrepreneurship, workforce development, environmental sustainability, and stronger foreign direct investment collaboration.
- No financial obligations for the city.
- The agreement supports the city’s international policy agenda adopted in April 2025.
- Anticipated signing during Mayor Johnson’s visit to Chihuahua on August 25, 2026.
- Council discussion confirmed federal authorization for sister city agreements; no expenditure required.
- Israel Alvarado, Business Service Coordinator, presented the proposed agreement. Key updates:
Executive Session Items (Closed to Public)
- The council retired into executive session at 9:56 AM and reconvened at 1:32 PM after a special meeting. They discussed seven items under Texas Government Code sections on attorney consultation, real property, economic development negotiations, and personnel. The following actions were taken in open session:
- EX1 (Application of El Paso Electric Co. System Resiliency Plan) – No action.
- EX2 (El Paso Electric Co. Petition to Extend EV Ready Pilot Program Tariffs) – Initially approved, then reconsidered and approved again. Motion carried: the city attorney (in consultation with city manager) is authorized to accept the settlement and execute necessary documents.
- EX3 (Application of El Paso Electric Co. to Change Rates) – No action.
- EX4 (Legal Consultation on Chapter 380 Agreement with Wurldwide LLC) – No action.
- EX5 (Economic development opportunities – Bafar Holdings Inc.) – Motion passed (5-0, with Representative Chavez abstaining due to family ties) directing the Economic and International Development Department to return an amendment to the Chapter 380 agreement for council consideration at the next meeting.
- EX6 (Economic development opportunities – L & F Distributors LLC) – Motion passed unanimously (Representatives Trejo and Canales absent) directing the department to return an amendment for council consideration. Mayor and Representative Acevedo disclosed campaign contributions from principals of the organization.
- EX7 (Legal consultation on employee evaluations and duties) – No action.
Key Outcomes
- Approved (unanimous): Resolution authorizing the mayor to execute an updated Sister Cities Agreement with Chihuahua, Mexico.
- Approved (after reconsideration): Settlement in El Paso Electric Company’s EV Ready pilot program tariff extension (EX2).
- Approved (5-0, one abstention): Directive to staff to return an amendment to the Chapter 380 agreement with Bafar Holdings Inc. (EX5).
- Approved (unanimous): Directive to staff to return an amendment to the Chapter 380 agreement with L & F Distributors LLC (EX6).
- No action taken on EX1, EX3, EX4, EX7.
- The work session adjourned at 5:21 PM.
Meeting Transcript
Good morning. This is a work session of the El Paso City Council for Monday, August 17, 2026. It is 9 o'clock AM. Mayor Johnson is present and presiding in Council Chambers along with Mayor Protein Chavez, Representative Acevedo, Representative Malonado Rocha, Representative Boya Trejo, and alternate Mayor Pro Tem Fierro. Mayor, we have a quorum. Okay, Representative Fier, would you lead us on the Pledge of Allegiance, please? Thank you, Mayor. I pledge allegiance of the United States of America. And to the Republicans, one nation under the individual with liberty and justice fraud. Our champion. Okay, Miss Brian, believe that brings us to item number one. Yes, sir. And item number one is annual report by El Paso Water on the state of the stormwater utility. Okay. Good morning. Good morning, everyone. Yes. Yes. Well, um, my name is Gisela Dagnino. I am the utility chief operations officer for stormwater. And this morning I'll be providing the annual update on the stormwater utility through the end of February 2026, which is the end of our fiscal year. The stormwater utility was creating after the 2006 flood disaster to develop a master plan, establish dedicated funding that also helps pay for maintenance, and implement projects that reduce flood risk throughout El Paso. Um authorities were divided between the city of El Paso and El Paso Water, and the city manages floodplain regulations and development requirements through your planning and um and inspections department, meaning that they are responsible for managing impact for development to ensure that neighboring properties and downstream properties um uh do not flood. And EP water may manages stormwater infrastructure that is in place, we perform maintenance of the system and we manage capital improvements to move runoff away from property. So in other words, EP water focuses on engineered conveyance systems while the city focuses on floodplain management and evaluates watershed scale flood behavior, regulatory compliance, and long-term risk reduction. And today we maintain a large and growing system. And because needs always always exceed uh funding, projects are prioritized using objective criteria. And one question that we often hear is how do you decide which projects get built first? So the answer is that the projects are not selected selected based on who calls more. They are prioritized through a structured and transparent process, but equally important is public input. So when the stormwater utility was recruit first created in 2008, um community leaders recognized that the stormwater fees would only be successful if residents had a a voice in how they were spent. Um and subsequently, the stormwater focused group and later the stormwater task force were established, and these groups reviewed priorities, discussed community concerns, and helped shape recommendation regarding scoring criteria and um project priorities. The goal here is to ensure that stormwater investments reflect both engineering needs and the community priorities. And this process produces a projects that move into our CIP or our capital improvement program. We have projects underway in every phase across the entire city. Last year we completed four construction projects. We had five projects under construction. We had three projects preparing for construction in the current fiscal year. And we had 15 projects in planning and design. And as you can see, work is planned and in progress throughout the whole city. And now we'll look at key accomplishments. The animal services pond improvements increased storage capacity and protection of nearby city infrastructure. The project was completed in December 2025. And current construction projects focus on storage, conveyance, and system reliability. These are some of the ones that are in construction. At Saipan Pond and Magnolia Pump Station, we improve pump efficiency through sediment basins and trash rack implementation. And this is because there was a lot of trash getting into the pump stations and they wouldn't turn on. So now with this, the trash gets collected before it goes into the pump station. The Willrooth Pond is one of our signature projects. It will capture approximately 100 million gallons of runoff and remove more than 600 properties from the flood zone.
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