El Paso City Council Regular Meeting – September 29, 2026

The El Paso City Council met on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, at 9:00 AM in Council Chambers and virtually. Mayor Renard U. Johnson presided. The meeting began with proclamations and included a consent agenda, public comment, discussion on 15 regular agenda items, and votes on various resolutions, ordinances, and procurement awards.

Proclamations & Recognitions

• Archtober Month: Proclaimed October 2026 as Archtober Month, celebrating architecture and design with events including a Lego build, walking tours, and a STEAM fall camp at La Nube Children’s Museum. AIA El Paso chapter president John Reyes and others spoke.
• Digital Inclusion Week & Cybersecurity Awareness Month: Proclaimed October 4–10 as Digital Inclusion Week and October 2026 as Cybersecurity Awareness Month. Andrea Tires of Borderplex Connect described the digital divide and programs distributing Wi-Fi hotspots and skills training.
• Childhood Cancer Awareness Month: Proclaimed September 2026 as El Paso Children’s Hospital Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Ali Valdespino noted that the hospital’s pediatric oncology unit has diagnosed over 1,000 new patients since 2014 and is the only COG center within 278 miles. A childhood cancer survivor, Rebel, rang the bell.
• Sergeant Jose L. Magdaleno Day: Honored Sgt. Magdaleno for his Vietnam War service and receipt of the Purple Heart after a 50‑year delay. He received the Silver Star and other decorations.
• Robert Ash Retirement Celebration: Recognized Robert Ash for 35 years of service as executive director and legal advisor to the City of El Paso Employees Retirement Trust. Council members thanked him and his family.

Consent Calendar

• The consent agenda was approved with revisions: Item 26 (fee schedule amendment for Animal Services and Code Enforcement) was postponed for two weeks; Item 27 (amendment to Chapter 380 Agreement for 201 East San Antonio) was deleted per the Economic & International Development Department.
• Routine approvals included:
  • Interlocal agreement with UMC for blood product stewardship (Item 3).
  • MOU with FBI for EMT trainings (Item 4).
  • Site development plan at 424 Redd Road (Item 5).
  • Termination and new Multiple Use Agreement for Lincoln Park (Items 6 & 7 – pulled for separate discussion and approved after questions).
  • Assignment of vending machine contract (Item 8).
  • License agreement with El Paso Community Foundation’s Borderland Rescue Fund for pet food/hygiene storage (Item 9).
  • Board appointment of Nathan Coleman to Accessibility Advisory Committee (Item 10).
  • Notation items (delinquent hotel tax, P‑Card transactions, campaign contributions) (Items 11‑14).
  • Purchase orders for police motorcycle parts, zoo improvements, rodents/rabbits, zoo hay, and other procurements (Items 15‑18).

Public Comments & Testimony

• Wanda Helgison (Border Rack) spoke in support of consent item 3, the blood product interlocal agreement, citing trauma death statistics and the need for pre‑hospital whole blood.
• Marco Sanchez opposed Item 28 (alcohol exception near Americas High School), citing recent security incidents at the school and the 300‑foot buffer zone’s importance.
• Mary Olgeen spoke against items 29‑32 (SIB loans for bike paths), arguing bike lanes are little used and poorly maintained, and questioned the need for more debt.
• Patricia Osman raised concerns on the consent agenda: conflict of interest on Item 9, uncollected hotel taxes, and questioned a $1,250 P‑Card expense to Fair Data LLC, a political consulting firm. She also criticized the alcohol exception on Item 28.
• During Call to the Public, multiple citizens addressed non‑agenda topics: Mary Olgeen on water manhole damage on Westside streets; Patricia Osman on First Amendment rights; Marco Sanchez on AI literacy programs; JD Martinez on alleged mistreatment at a city dump; John Moniz on economic development; Claudia Contreras on speed bumps, animal safety, and school bus conditions; Marcy Chavez on high electric bills and distrust of city leadership.

Discussion Items

• Item 19: Ordinance authorizing sale of 0.5‑acre surplus property (Continental Industrial Park) to Double H Contracting, Inc. for $209,228 (above appraised value). Approved unanimously.
• Item 20: Special permit for infill development (duplex) at 8009 Mitzie Ram Place, reducing lot width from 70 to 50 feet. Staff reported two opposition emails citing traffic/parking concerns. Approved unanimously.
• Item 21: Ordinance requiring disclosures on commercial solicitations related to water quality/safety. Representative Canales explained it targets companies impersonating public utilities. Approved unanimously.
• Item 22: Resolution authorizing up to $1,000 from District 8 discretionary funds for an NAACP civil rights exhibit at the El Paso Museum of History, coinciding with the 89th annual Texas NAACP convention. Approved unanimously.
• Items 23‑25: Procurement approvals: toll system maintenance ($250,000, one year, sole source), Bibliotheca library equipment ($241,700.53, three years, sole source), and armored car services from Night Eyes Protective Services ($3,869,712, three years, best value). All approved unanimously.
• Item 28: Request for alcohol sales exception within 300 feet of a daycare/school (Paso del Norte Children’s Development Center) at 12275 Pellicano. The applicant Shalem Haribhai stated the prior bar operated 13 years with minimal issues. Council failed the motion 3‑5 (Rocha, Fierro, Canales in favor; Chavez, Acevedo, Boyar Trejo, Niño, Limon opposed).
• Items 29‑32: Four related resolutions accepting State Infrastructure Bank loans totaling $4,401,000 for Buffalo Soldier/Brown Street Shared Use Path and Downtown Bicycle/McRae Boulevard Shared Use Path projects, at 3.56% interest over 25 years, and rescinding previous capital asset sale fund allocations for the local match. Staff noted executed SIB loans now total $29.087 million for FY24‑28 TIP. Approved unanimously.
• Item 33: Resolution authorizing submission of a $4 million grant application to Meta’s “Future is for Everyone” fund for the El Paso Climate Action Implementation Program, with three components: solar lights ($2M), water smart systems at parks ($1M), and Vision Zero quick‑build projects near schools ($1M). No city match required. Representatives Trejo, Limón, Acevedo, and Chavez requested that school lists be revisited for equity (Ysleta ISD, Canutillo, etc.). Approved unanimously.

Key Outcomes

• Consent agenda approved with revisions postponing Item 26 and deleting Item 27.
• Items 6 & 7 (Lincoln Park MUA) approved after separate discussion (unanimous).
• Item 28 (alcohol exception) failed on a 3‑5 vote.
• All other discussion items passed unanimously, including property sale, infill development permit, water disclosure ordinance, NAACP exhibit funding, three procurements, four SIB loan resolutions, and the Meta grant application.
• No motions were reconsidered during the meeting.

The meeting adjourned at 12:00 PM.