El Paso City Council Meeting - October 27, 2026

The El Paso City Council met in Council Chambers on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, from 10:08 a.m. to 8:19 p.m., with Mayor Renard Johnson presiding. The meeting included proclamations, public comment, consent agenda action, first readings, presentations, and a range of discussion items. Council recessed from 1:34 p.m. to 3:23 p.m., including an executive session on Joseph Pickup v. City of El Paso; no action was taken.

Proclamations & Recognitions

• Recognized Municipal Court Week (Nov. 2-6, 2026). Presiding Judge David Boni and Judge Michelle Morales highlighted court operations and the Teen Court program.
• Proclaimed October 2026 as Physical Therapy Month. The 34th annual Run, Walk and Roll fundraiser was held Oct. 25, 2026 at Ascarate Park; proceeds benefit the United Spinal Association, GEPD, and student scholarships.
• Honored El Paso Holy Royal Arch Chapter No. 90 for service including Juneteenth meals, book drives, cap/gown donations, holiday food and candy events, and mentorship.
• Recognized UMC El Paso's 25th anniversary of Level One Trauma Center designation on Oct. 27, 2026. UMC officials said it is the only Level 1 trauma center within a 270-mile radius, has treated over 70,000 trauma patients since designation, and had more than 3,700 trauma admissions last year.
• Recognized Radford School's 116th anniversary. Officials reported that 100% of its 2026 graduates are headed to four-year colleges, with average scholarship awards of about $100,000 per senior.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Morning public comment covered downtown building safety and Transmountain truck traffic. Michael Clark supported safety inspections and said private property owners must be responsible for maintenance; he said he was neutral on Transmountain truck restrictions but urged proactive safety measures. Mary O'Geen supported restrictions, citing commercial-vehicle brake checks, lower speeds, and right-lane rules. Raul Caspañera urged an immediate ban on commercial traffic over Trans Mountain and use of SH 404. Sherry Mendig called for proactive infrastructure maintenance and stronger truck inspections before departures.
• Many speakers urged closure of Camp East Montana. Organizations and residents represented included Border Network for Human Rights, Texas Civil Rights Project, ACLU of Texas, Sembrando Esperanza, Borderland Rainbow Center, Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center, Indivisible 915, and community members. They described deaths, measles/TB outbreaks, medical neglect, spoiled food, abuse, lack of legal access, and solitary confinement. Angelica Ramirez described the death of a detainee, Francisco, from septic shock. Charlotte Weiss described an 84-year-old detainee with medication denial and multiple quarantines. Mary O'Geen asked where detainees would be transferred if the facility closed.
• During call to the public, Carl Dewire, NAACP El Paso branch president, urged community and school responses to the KKK costume incident. Other speakers raised animal services, street-light reporting, Chapter 380 incentives, data centers, travel/P-card concerns, and anti-abortion/pro-life views. Council suspended rules to allow additional speakers on several items.

Consent Calendar and Ordinances

• Approved the consent agenda as revised, including excusing an absent council member, moving items to the regular agenda, deleting items 18-22 and 38 per code enforcement and purchasing, revising item 42 to add Texas Municipal League support language, and adjusting item 45 timing. The vote was unanimous.
• Approved first-reading ordinances for items 17, 23, 24, 25, and 26 unanimously.
• Patricia Osman, during public comment on consent items, questioned P-card discrepancies, discretionary fund reporting, and donor influence.

Discussion Items

• Item 3 - Poet Laureate Program: Approved unanimously. Established the program as an official cultural arts program administered by the Museums and Cultural Affairs Department; the poet laureate will receive $4,000 per year for a two-year term, funded by hotel occupancy tax. Applications are expected to open after approval, with a finalist in March and the term beginning in May.
• Item 8 - Board Appointment: Approved unanimously. Reginald D. Maynard was appointed to the Veterans Advisory Committee.
• Item 34 - Camp East Montana: Approved unanimously. Directed the city manager and city attorney to draft a resolution calling for closure of ERO El Paso Camp East Montana and return to council within 30 days, including human/civil-rights concerns, public health risks, lack of transparency, and taxpayer-funding issues.
• Item 45 - Fort Bliss Grant: Approved unanimously. Authorized submission of a $5 million Defense Economic Adjustment Assistance Grant application to the Texas Military Preparedness Commission for the Barreras Gate Vehicle Barrier Control System Modernization Project, with no city match and the city acting as fiscal agent.
• Items 31 and 30 - Driving Change Safe Ride Initiative: Approved a memorandum of understanding with Donor Charm entities and authorized $10,000 in District 5 discretionary funds for a safe-ride/impaired-driving prevention pilot, including $20 ride vouchers and return rides. Item 31 passed 6-1; an amendment requiring a fee-structure report for private funds within 45 days was added. Item 30 passed unanimously.
• Item 27 - Downtown Building Safety Plan: Approved unanimously after amendments. Directed the city manager to develop a plan for safety inspections of buildings over two stories in the downtown management district and downtown planning area, report back in 45 days with findings and a feasibility plan, evaluate requiring property owners to obtain and fund qualified inspections, and address procedures for correcting violations within 30 days. Initial emphasis was placed on nine listed properties.
• Item 28 - Transmountain Truck Restrictions: Approved unanimously. Directed coordination with TxDOT to evaluate and pursue restrictions on heavy commercial traffic on Trans Mountain Road, review alternative designated truck routes, and report back in 30 days. An amendment added banning oversize/overweight state permits. EPPD reported 142 commercial vehicle inspections, more than 400 violations, and 50 vehicles placed out of service from Oct. 21-25, 2026.
• Item 29 - Veterans Business Accelerator: Approved unanimously. Authorized use of $10,000 in District 5 discretionary funds for the program.
• Item 32 - Travel Expense Disclosure: Approved unanimously. Directed the city attorney to prepare a resolution requiring public disclosure of city-funded travel expenses by council members and the mayor on the next regular agenda after travel is completed and reconciled, and to place the resolution on the next regular agenda.
• Item 33 - Latino Art Now: Approved unanimously. Authorized $2,500 in District 8 discretionary funds for free public cultural and educational events at city museums during the Latino Art Now conference, Nov. 19-21, 2026.
• Item 35 - National Infrastructure Bank: Approved unanimously. Directed preparation of a resolution supporting HR 5356, the National Infrastructure Bank Act of 2025, for adoption within 30 days and sharing with federal, state, and local officials.
• Item 36 - El Paso Electric Update: Presentation only. EPE reported a $47.2 million fuel refund (about $17.54 per month for average customers from August through October), a $43 million fuel overcollection to carry forward, a proposed $52 million transmission cost recovery (about $0.98 per month), and four pending transmission CCN applications with route-dependent cost estimates: East Wind to Rattlesnake $23.3M-$30M; Pine to Caliente $76M-$96M; Tuskegee to Pine $89M-$150M; Pine to McCloud $106M-$128M. No action was taken.
• Item 39 - Legate Company Chapter 380 Amendment: Approved unanimously. Extended the certificate-of-occupancy deadline to March 31, 2027, and reduced incentives from $32,944 to $29,639 by forfeiting the construction materials rebate and building construction fee rebate.
• Item 37 - GAF Ramp Rehabilitation: Approved unanimously. Awarded solicitation 2026-0448 to CI Constructors Inc. for $12,096,647.56, with contract time revised to consecutive calendar days.
• Item 40 - Hispanic Chamber Amendment: Approved 6-1. Removed the women-owned small business certification requirement and adjusted year-two metrics in the Procurement Excellence Boot Camp agreement, reducing year-two funding proportionately to about $26,036.62. Representative Limon voted no.
• Item 41 - Stony Hill Open Space: Approved unanimously. Authorized purchase of about 63 acres for $3 million using remaining 2012 Quality of Life open-space bond funds, below the $3.46 million appraisal, and accepted a no-cost 20-foot access easement.
• Item 42 - Non-ERCOT Ratepayer Protections: Approved unanimously. Directed presentation of the draft Texas Non-ERCOT Ratepayer Protection Act to the El Paso state legislative delegation and submission of a similar resolution to the Texas Municipal League for support.
• Item 44 - Solar Lights Public Safety Program: Approved unanimously. Authorized a $2 million Community Project Funding request to Congresswoman Veronica Escobar for Phase 2 of the El Paso Solar Lights Public Safety Program, with no city match.
• Item 43 - State Legislative Agenda Amendments: Approved unanimously. Added support for El Paso Water's customer affordability program funded by non-rate revenue and broader utility affordability language.

Key Outcomes

• Major directives approved: Camp East Montana closure-resolution draft due in 30 days; Transmountain truck-restriction report due in 30 days; downtown building-safety plan/feasibility report due in 45 days.
• Funding authorizations approved: $5 million grant application for Fort Bliss; $12,096,647.56 ramp rehabilitation award; $3 million Stony Hill acquisition; $2 million solar-lights request; $10,000 for safe-ride pilot; $10,000 for veterans accelerator; $2,500 for Latino Art Now events.
• Votes were unanimous except item 31 (6-1) and item 40 (6-1).
• The meeting adjourned at 8:19 p.m. after council members submitted comments for items 28, 31, 42, and 43.