Jul 15, 2024 Commissioners Court Regular

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ARE. LOVE. LIFE LOVE.

LOVE LOVE.

TO THE WORLD. WOW. HELLO.

HOW. HOW.

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TODAY IS MONDAY, JULY 15TH, 2024. COMMISSIONERS COURT IS MEETING IN REGULAR OPEN SESSION.

TODAY WE ARE JOINED BY ASL INTERPRETERS DARIO GARCIA AND TAMARA GASTELUM. COMMISSIONER,

[OPEN MEETING]

[PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE]

[INVOCATION]

ITEM NUMBER FOUR IS THE CONSENT AGENDA COMPOSED OF ITEMS FOUR A THROUGH FOUR W. WE DO HAVE A CORRECTION TO READ IN FOR ITEM FOUR, AN ITEM SHOULD BE GRANT, AWARD, APPROVE AND AUTHORIZE THE PUBLIC WORKS, PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT TO ACCEPT THE EL PASO WATER UTILITIES

[CONSENT AGENDA]

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COMMISSIONER CORONADO. THANK YOU. JUDGE. COMMISSIONERS, IT'S A PRIVILEGE TO INTRODUCE THIS

[A. Approve and adopt a resolution proclaiming July 20, 2024, as “Boxing at the Lake” in El Paso County Texas. Sergio Coronado, Commissioner, Precinct 4, 915-546-2044]

AND WE REALLY APPRECIATE THE INPUT AND THE PROPOSAL FOR THIS PROJECT, YOU KNOW, IN COORDINATION WITH, WITH JUDGE SAMANIEGO'S OFFICE, YOU KNOW, PROMOTING, AMATEUR FIGHTERS FROM EL PASO AND ALLOWING THEM TO OPPORTUNITY TO PERFORM IS REALLY A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR EVERYBODY IN THIS COUNTY. AND THE PROMOTER IS GIVING AWAY TICKETS TO LOCAL, BOXING GYMS. SO THIS GIVES US ANOTHER FIRST OF ITS KIND EVENT AT ASCARATE. SO I'LL GO AHEAD AND READ THE RESOLUTION AT THIS TIME. WHEREAS EL PASO, TEXAS HAS BEEN THE HOME TO SOME OF THE GREATEST BOXERS TO HAVE ENTERED A BOXING RING AND HAVE A LONG, PROUD HISTORY OF PROMOTION OF THIS SWEET SILENCE. AND WHEREAS BOXING AT THE LAKE IS A USA BOXING LBC LOCAL BOXING COMMISSION SANCTIONED EVENT, THIS EVENT WILL SHOWCASE NOT ONLY OUR LOCAL YOUTH BUT OUR OUT OF TOWN ATHLETES AS WELL. ALL PUGILISTS ARE CERTIFIED UNDER USA BOXING AND THIS EVENT WILL COUNT TOWARDS ADVANCING IN FUTURE TOURNAMENTS. THE CARD WILL FEATURE CURRENT NATIONAL CHAMPIONS AND FIRST TIME NOVICES. EL PASO AND SURROUNDING AREAS. BEST AMATEUR TALENT 20 TO 25 BOUTS ON THE FIGHT CARD. AND WHEREAS PARTNERSHIP WITH THE WARRIORS EDGE BOXING, WHO ARE COMMITTED TO DEVELOPING YOUNG ATHLETES TO BECOMING GREAT CHAMPIONS OF THE OLYMPIC PLATFORM AND PRO RANKS AND THE EL PASO SPORTS COMMISSION HAVE ALLOWED FOR THIS FIRST OF ITS KIND EVENT TO SHOWCASE OUR LOCAL TALENT. AND WHEREAS. SATURDAY, JULY 20TH, 7 P.M. AT ASCOT AT THE PARK, THE OPENING BELL WILL SOUND FOR BOXING AT THE LAKE. THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT THE EL PASO COUNTY COMMISSIONERS COURT WISH TO PROCLAIM JULY 20TH, 2024 AS BOXING AT THE LAKE AT ASCARATE. IN AN OFFICIAL RECOGNITION THEREOF, THE COUNTY JUDGE AND THE COMMISSIONERS OF THE COUNTY HERE BY AFFIXED THEIR SIGNATURES. THIS 15TH DAY OF JULY, 2024, SECOND, WE HAD A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER CORONADO, SECOND BY COMMISSIONER LEON. THE VOTING IS OPEN.

ALTHOUGH I DO LIKE IN MY TECHNOLOGY GOING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, MOTION CARRIES.

PODIUM'S YOURS. WELL. GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS LUIS TREVINO, WELCOME. THANK YOU.

SIR, I'M THE OWNER OF WARRIORS EDGE BOXING GYM PROMOTIONS. I ALSO RETIRED FROM THE COUNTY. 27

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THERE ALSO, AS ONE OF OUR GUEST OF HONORS TO KICK OFF FIGHT WEEK FOR RING WARS. SO IT'S A GREAT WEEK OF BOXING HERE IN THE SUN CITY. THANK YOU LUIS TONY, LUPE. GO AHEAD TONY, YOU'RE BEING CALLED ON I KNOW RIGHT? NO, I MEAN FIRST OF ALL, WE COULDN'T DONE IT WITHOUT, TIM STAFF WITH AMY AND LUPE AND DOING THAT AND I TOOK SOME ADVICE FROM COMMISSIONER HOGAN WHEN SHE SAID, YOU NEED TO GO MEET WITH TIM AND HIS STAFF AND WE DID THAT. WE SPENT IT WAS OMAR AND MYSELF. WE SPENT AN HOUR AND I CAN TELL YOU THE LAST CONVERSATION WE HAD AND I WAS LOOKING OUTSIDE THE CONFERENCE WINDOW THERE AND I WAS LIKE, MAN, WHAT IF WE BROUGHT BOXING TO ASCARATE? YOU HAVE THE BORDER AS A BACKDROP AND YOU HAVE THE LAKE. AND I TOLD THEM THAT. AND TIM, CAN YOU DO IT? I GO, LET ME FIND OUT. FIRST THING I DID WHEN I GOT TO MY OFFICE IS I CALL TREVINO AND I GO, WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT BOXING AT THE LAKE? HE GOES, LET'S DO IT. AND THERE BEGAN, AND THAT'S HOW IT STARTED. IT'S A GREAT EVENT. IT'S GOING TO BE AWESOME. GREAT.

I'D LOVE TO HAVE IT AT THE COLISEUM. BUT I MEAN, DOING SOMETHING LIKE THIS, YOU DON'T GET THIS ANYWHERE IN THE U.S WHERE YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE THE BORDER BACKDROP AND A NICE, BEAUTIFUL LAKE AT ASCARATE. SO WE INVITE EVERYONE TO COME OUT, YOU ALL TO COME OUT TO, JUST TO CHECK IT OUT. THIS IS GOING TO BE THE FIRST OF SOMETHING THAT WE LOOK TO DO MORE OF, AS YOU'VE KNOWN WITH WARRIORS EDGE IN THE PAST, THE SPORTS COMMISSION, WE'VE BUILT A REPUTATION. WE BROUGHT RING WARRIORS AND WE BROUGHT BOXING TO THE EL PASO COUNTY COLISEUM. AND LESS THAN A YEAR, WE HAVE THE BIGGEST, ONE OF THE BIGGEST CHAMPIONSHIP FIGHTS AT THE COUNTY COLISEUM.

SO IT'S A REPUTATION THAT WE'RE WE'RE PROUD OF. AND WE'RE GOING TO DO IT HERE AT ASCOT AT THE TWO. SO I THANK YOU ALL. THANK YOU TONY AND TO OUR PARKS DEPARTMENT, ANY ANY COMMENTS THAT YOU WELCOME TO LUPE. WE JUST WANT TO THANK YOU AND WE HOPE TO BRING MORE EVENTS LIKE THIS TO THE PARKS DEPARTMENT AND TO THE COUNTY. THANK YOU. I CAN'T TELL YOU THE EXCITEMENT THAT WE SHOULD HAVE, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A BOXING COMMUNITY, IT'S LONG OVERDUE. WE'VE TALKED A LOT ABOUT IT, BUT NOW IT'S COMING TO FRUITION. AND I REALLY FEEL THAT THIS IS EXCITING. CAN YOU IMAGINE? YOU'RE COMBINING BOXING ASCARATE PARK, THE COLISEUM. I MEAN, I MEAN, IT'S GOT ALL THE ICONIC, YOU KNOW, DIMENSIONS OF OUR COMMUNITY, THE THINGS THAT WE LOVE THE MOST AND A BOXING. I THINK, YOU KNOW, IT'S INTERESTING BECAUSE IT'S A LITTLE AGGRESSIVE. RIGHT. BUT AT THE SAME TIME, IT BRINGS UNITY BECAUSE IT'S SOMETHING WE LOVE. IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S COME A LONG WAYS. IT CONNECTS US WITH JUAREZ INCREDIBLY, BECAUSE WHAT IS A REALLY, YOU KNOW, THE BOXING CAPITAL KIND OF THING. AND, AND BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHER. SO REALLY EXCITED. I'M VERY GLAD THAT COMMISSIONER CORONADO AND I ARE REALLY MAKING SURE THAT THIS HAPPENS, THAT IT BECOMES A GREAT THING. BUT I WANT TO ENCOURAGE THE COMMUNITY THAT IT'S YOU KNOW, WE COULD TEE IT UP, WE COULD DO ALL OF THESE THINGS, BUT WE HAVE TO GET THE COMMUNITY INVOLVED. WE HAVE TO GET THE COMMUNITY REALLY TO APPRECIATE THE IMPORTANCE OF SOMETHING THAT IS PART OF OUR HISTORY. I MEAN, I WE ALL HAVE SOMEONE I HAVE, YOU KNOW, LEFTY, MY, MY, MY COUSIN WAS JUST AN AMAZING BOXER, LOVED BOXING. AND SO WE ALL HAVE A TOUCH POINT TO THAT. MY DAD WAS A HISTORIAN. HE COULD TELL YOU EVERYTHING ABOUT BOXING AND EVERY ELEMENT WITH EVERYONE. HE'S GOT, YOU KNOW, PICTURES WITH DIFFERENT BOXERS. AND SO IT'S VERY EXCITING. AND I KNOW IT'S PART OF OUR HISTORY AND BUT WE ALWAYS HAVE WE'VE ALWAYS SAID, YOU HAVE TO NURTURE AND NURTURE YOUR HISTORY. YOU KNOW, IT DOESN'T JUST SORT OF EVOLVE BY ITSELF. YOU HAVE TO APPRECIATE IT. AND THEN WE COULD BRING IT FORTH TO THE YOUNGER GENERATIONS. SO I THINK THIS IS GOING TO BE GREAT, GREAT EVENT.

BOTH OF THEM ARE JUST GOING TO BE AMAZING, JUST I'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN YOU CANNOT BE, BUT

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OMAR PARKS, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT. AND SO PASS IT BACK TO COMMISSIONER CORONADO. THANK YOU, JUDGE. AND COMMISSIONERS. YOU KNOW, WE'RE REALLY APPRECIATIVE. WE NEED TO BRING MORE EVENTS LIKE THIS. I THINK OUR OUR PARK AT ASCARATE IS REALLY UNDERUTILIZED. WE NEED TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT. AND PROJECTS LIKE THIS ARE REALLY WHAT WILL MAKE OUR COMMUNITY STAND OUT. AND COMMISSIONER OLGUIN, SPONSORING AN EVENT THAT DAY, A TOURNAMENT. SHE AND I WILL BE TAKING PUNCHES IN THE MORNING FROM THE CHESS TOURNAMENT WHERE WE'RE GOING TO COMPETE AGAINST, SOME HIGH SCHOOLERS THAT I'M SURE ARE GOING TO BEAT US, AND THEN LATER ON, MIDDLE SCHOOLERS GET TO SEE SOMEBODY ELSE TAKE PUNCHES. SO, COMMISSIONER, TO EXCUSE ME, HIGH SCHOOL AND MIDDLE SCHOOLERS, HIGH SCHOOL AND MIDDLE SCHOOL TO TRY NOT TO LOSE TO BAD TO THE MIDDLE SCHOOLERS COMMITTEE. WE HAVE TO TRY. BUT ANYWAYS, WE THANK YOU ALL FOR THIS GREAT, GREAT EVENT. AND I'M SURE EVERYBODY WILL BE OUT THERE JOINING US. SO, THANK YOU COMMISSIONER AGAIN. ANY OTHER COMMENTS? OKAY. GO PICTURE. YEAH. NO I JUST THIS IS A WONDERFUL ANOTHER WONDERFUL EXAMPLE OF ALL OF US COLLABORATING TO MAKE AN EVENT LIKE THIS POSSIBLE. SO IT MAKES ME REALLY HAPPY TO SEE WHEN WE CAN, WHEN WE CAN DO EVENTS LIKE THIS. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR HARD WORK. THANK YOU. WE'LL GO DOWN, TOUCH.

THANK YOU GUYS FOR HELPING MAKE THIS HAPPEN. YOU GET THE STORY. YEAH 23 YEARS YOUNGER THAN WE D.

YES. 30 YEARS YOUNGER. AND CARTILAGE IN MY LEFT KNEE. WAS LIKE MY.

ONE OF MY FRIENDS. THAT'S DOWN HERE. BUT WE'LL DO THE SAME TO. YOU. YES. IT'S READY. YES. OKAY OKAY. JESSICA ITEM NUMBER SIX IS PUBLIC COMMENT. WE DO HAVE SEVERAL SPEAKERS SIGNED UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT. FIRST, WE HAVE MISS ELIZABETH CRAWFORD. AND JUST AS A REMINDER, THERE IS A FIVE MINUTE TIME LIMIT FOR PUBLIC COMMENT. I WILL BE KEEPING THE TIME. WHO'S WHO'S GOING TO SPEAK FIRST? WE HAVE ELIZABETH CRAWFORD. GOOD MORNING. OKAY.

[PUBLIC COMMENT]

VIETNAMESE BACKGROUND SEAN CARSON, A 40 YEAR OLD OFFICER. ON THE NIGHT OF DECEMBER 25TH, 2005, IN THE THICK FOG AND RAIN, THEY DROPPED OFF FLARES ON THE KEARNY SIDE OF THE BRIDGE.

SHARED HOLIDAY WISHES WITH OTHER OFFICERS THERE, AND WERE ENROUTE, RETURNING TO JERSEY CITY. WHAT THEY DIDN'T KNOW WAS THAT THE CENTER SPAN OF THIS DRAWBRIDGE HAD BEEN RAISED SO A TUGBOAT COULD PASS. THEIR VEHICLE PLUNGED INTO THE FRIGID HACKENSACK RIVER. THEY DIED THAT NIGHT. A TRAGEDY THERE, BLINDED BY THE FOG. OUR NATION AND OUR WORLD HAS BEEN BLINDED BY A FOG THAT IS FAR MORE SERIOUS THAN PHYSICAL FOG. A SPIRITUAL FOG, OR, TO BE MORE ACCURATE, A SPIRITUAL, A SPIRITUAL DARKNESS ON JULY 14TH HAS BEEN DESIGNATED. I'M SORRY. JULY 16TH HAS BEEN DESIGNATED AS INTERNATIONAL DRAG DAY. THE DRAG QUEEN MOVEMENT AND THE LGBTQ MOVEMENT HAS SWEPT OUR NATION, OUR WORLD, ONE OF THEIR KEY TACTICS IS THE INDOCTRINATION OF CHILDREN AND TEENS IN OUR PUBLIC LIBRARIES. BEFORE YOU QUICKLY LABEL THIS AS HATE SPEECH, PLEASE LISTEN. THIS ISSUE IS NOT A DISTANT ONE IN MY LIFE. IT'S AFFECTED MY FAMILY. I LOST A

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MY ILLNESS IS SEASONAL. SO AT THIS MOMENT, I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE, THEY, THE BOARD, DID NOT APPROVE MY, MY SERVICES FOR THE MENTAL HEALTH. THEY THEY WAS BASED ON AN IMPROPER ASSESSMENT IN THE ASTHMA TEST. AND THAT TEST WAS GIVEN TO ME INCORRECTLY. AND, THEY ONCE THAT HAPPENS, THE DOMINO EFFECT TAKES INTO EFFECT EVERYTHING WHEN THEY DID THAT, EVERYTHING SHOULD HAVE BEEN DROPPED. AND I SHOULD HAVE BEEN AUTOMATICALLY, AUTOMATICALLY, RESCHEDULED FOR ANOTHER ASSESSMENT TEST. AND THEY DID NOT TOOK INTO CONSIDERATION THAT. SO ANOTHER THING IS THAT THEY, THEY DID NOT, THEY WENT AHEAD AND TOOK THEIR ADVISEMENT ON, ON THE NEW DIAGNOSTIC THAT WAS DONE TO ME, WHICH WAS IMPROPERLY DONE. AND SHE ADMITTED IN THE HEARING, SO THAT I DON'T KNOW HOW IT WORKED. IT WENT IT DID NOT TAKE THE DOMINO EFFECT. SO I HAD THREE DOCTORS LETTERS STATING THAT I'M MENTALLY ILL WITH MY ILLNESS AND EVERYTHING STAYED THERE.

EVERYTHING THEY NEED. EVERYBODY TOLD ME, YOU GOT A LONG CASE. EVEN EVEN YOU GUYS WERE SURPRISED ON THIS ISSUE, SO I'M STILL PENDING NOW. THE OTHER, LAST MONTH I HAD AN INCONVENIENCE. I WENT TO AN EMERGENCY TO PICK UP MY MOM. MY ARMS. NOW THEY DON'T WANT TO GIVE ME RECORDS. THEY DON'T WANT TO GIVE ME THAT. LET ME INSIDE THE BUILDING, I WENT TO COMMISSION, THE BOARD MEETING, AND THEY REFUSED TO LET ME IN. SO I'M GOING TO NEED HELP WITH YOU GUYS SO THEY CAN LET ME IN FOR THIS MONTH'S MEETING, BECAUSE THEY DON'T WANT ME TO TALK TO THE BOARD MEMBERS SO THEY CAN FIND OUT WHAT'S GOING ON, OR I'M GOING TO NEED YOUR HELP SO WE CAN FIND OUT. SO WE CAN TELL THEM WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE ISSUES RIGHT NOW. WELL ON THAT, RIGHT NOW, THE REASON I'M NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO GO THAT MUCH THIS MONTH BECAUSE I'M PREPARING MYSELF FOR, FOR, IN AUGUST, THE AUGUST, I THINK IT'S THE 10TH TO THE 12TH. I'M GOING TO BE FIGHTING LAS VEGAS, WE GOT REGISTERED, SO I'M READY TO GO FOR THAT FIGHT. AND, AND, HOPEFULLY FOR THE, FOR THE LAKE, FOR THE FIGHTS FOR THE LAKE. I'LL BE COMPETING, BUT, TWO GUYS ALREADY DROPPED OUT. THEY DON'T WANT TO FIGHT ME. SO IT'S KIND OF HARD FINDING OPPONENTS FOR

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YOU KNOW, PASO AN EXHIBITION, WITH TREVINO FOR ME THIS WEEKEN. TRAIN. HE HAD NEVER SEEN ME TRAIN, SPARRING. I DID A LITTLE BIT OF A SHOW, AN EXHIBITION SHOW. AND, HE WAS A VERY SURPRISED ON HOW I LOOKED. AND, HE TOLD ME ONE THING, PETE, YOU CRAZY? I AM, I TOLD HIM THAT'S MY NICKNAME. CRAZY. SO. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH, EVERYBODY. AND, HOPEFULLY, DURING THE WEEK, I'LL BE PASSING BY, MR. JUDGE, I WOULD LIKE TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT ANOTHER ISSUE THAT'S GOING ON.

DO YOU HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF TIME FOR ME OR DURING THE WEEK OR SOMETHING? IT'S GOING TO TAKE A COUPLE OF MINUTES ON THIS ISSUE. SO, I'M GOING TO SWING BY IF YOU AVAILABLE. SO THANK YOU GUYS AND HAVE A NICE DAY. OKAY. PEDRO, YOU TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF. COMING BACK AND TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF. YEAH DO YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS BACK? PARDON ME. OKAY. THANK YOU. OKAY. I'LL SEE YOU.

OKAY. YOU TAKE CARE. THANK YOU. OKAY. OUR NEXT SPEAKER WE HAVE IS MR. LUIS ARMENDARIZ. IT WILL BE MR. LUIS ARMENDARIZ AND TALINA ARMENDARIZ TOGETHER. GOOD, GOOD MORNING. GOOD VISITA ES PORQUE TENEMOS UN NEGOCIO DE TRANSPORTES UBICADO EN DOS DE CUATRO. BETTER RICA AVENUE ES UNA DE LAS CALLES A ALDANA'S A LA CALLE ZARAGOZA. ENTRE TIERRA A ESTE DE ZARAGOZA ES UNA CALLE HABIA ESTADO HABILITADO POR BASTANTES ANOS. PERO CUANDO SE COMENZO CON EL PROYECTO DE LOS CAMIONES EN TODO ES LA CALLE ZARAGOZA A NOSOTROS NO CERRARON LA CALLE PUSIERON UNAS BARRERAS DE CONCRETO Y DEBIDO A ESO, PUES YA NOSOTROS NO TENEMOS ACCESO INMEDIATO A NUESTRA COMPANIA COMO LES DIGO. ES UNA COMPANIA DE TRANSPORTES. ESTE ESTAMOS TENIENDO MUCHAS DIFICULTADES PORQUE ESTAMOS ATRAVESANDO POR UNA PROPIEDAD PRIVADA. QUÉ ES EL UNICO ACCESO. TENEMOS PARA LLEGAR A NUESTRO NEGOCIO. ES DE LA CALLE. NO ESTA HABILITADO ES UNA CALLE DE TIERRA A LITERALMENTE COMO LES DIGO ESTAMOS ATRAVESANDO POR UN TERRENO. QUÉ ES PROPIEDAD PRIVADA. NO HAY NADA AHI. PERO PUES FUE NUESTRO UNICO ACCESO HABIAMOS HABLADO YA ANTERIORMENTE ESTE CON EL COMISIONADO CON EL PERSONAL DEL COMISIONADO LEON NOS DIJERON ELLOS NO TENIAN RESOLUTION A ESTO. HABLAMOS TAMBIÉN CON OBRAS PUBLICAS NOS DIJERON HABIA HABLAR DIRECTAMENTE CON USTED JUEZ, PERO LA VERDAD PUES NADIE NOS HA RESUELTO NADA. ESTE ES NUESTRA UNICA PETISYON. SI PUDIERAN ESTABLECER NOS LA CALLE A PONER PAVIMENTO. NO TENEMOS MANERA DE UN ACCESO INMEDIATO ACCESO DIRECTO Y ESTAMOS BATALLANDO MUCHO COMO LES DIGO LAS CAMPANITAS SON 18 WHEELERS SE CON LA REYNA PORQUE VIENE ENCARGADOS. ENTONCES ME ESPOSO TIENE ENTRAR Y CON SU CAMIONETA. LOS CAMIONES CARGADOS ES MUCHO PROBLEMA. ESTE AHORA CON LA LLUVIAS FUE TREMENDO Y IGUAL CUANDO ESTAS HECHO PUES IGUAL ARENA NO PERMITE EL TRANSPORTE AVANZA. NO SÉ SI PUDIERAN AYUDARNOS CON ESO NO CON SU TIEMPO Y PARA VENIR AQUI. SI PASÉ POR AHI ESTA LA SITUACION EST NORMAL. IF YOU COULD FOLLOW UP PLEASE. ON ON THAT WITH THEM.

AND NORMALLY THE DIRECTORA DE OBRAS PUBLICAS ELLA ESTE YO YO YO PUEDO PERO ELLA LE PUEDE VER LA GUIA NECESARIA PARA KAY PODEMOS PERO CIVIC TAN DIFICIL ESTA ESTA SITUACION AHI INCLUSIVE A HACER ARRIBA INCLUSIVE HACE COMO DOS O TRES SEMANAS EN LAS MAQUINAS TRABAJANDO AHI UN ASFALTO. PERO CUENTA CON LA CAIXA DE NOSOTROS. ESTAMOS LA RODEAN SI. ENTONCES A VER NO QUEREMOS ASFALTO TAMPOCO VERDAD. PERO SI. QUÉ NOS DEN UN ACCESO MEJOR. TENEMOS O SI LA GENTE VAI TIRA BASURA LIMPIAR NOSOTROS Y AL OTRO DIA EN ESE BASURA. TODO PALMAS TODO LO Q LA GENTE DE LA COMO CASI NO PASA NADIE POR AHI. ENTONCES NOSOTROS ESTAMOS PARA ATRAVESAR POR UN

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GOOD MORNING. GOOD MORNING. GOOD MORNING, COMMISSIONERS COUNTY JUDGE. GOOD MORNING, FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THE RECENT STUDIES. THE COMMUNITY INPUT, INPUT EVENTS YOU WERE HAVING ON ON THE BUDGET AND THE ROADS AND ALL, I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT. AND I REMEMBER HAVING GIULIANA AND JUDGE SAMANIEGO. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, I'M HERE BECAUSE WE HAVE SIMILAR TO THE GENTLEMAN THAT JUST SPOKE, AS YOU KNOW, THE EAST, THE FAR EAST, EL PASO IS GROWING TREMENDOUSLY. THERE'S A LOT OF HOMES AND THERE'S A LOT OF BUSINESSES, AND EACH SECTION OF LAND HAS ABOUT 128 PARCELS, SO MAYBE 100, UP TO 128 OWNERS. THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE PUTTING UP WAREHOUSES AND ALL SORTS OF BUSINESSES AND A LOT OF HOUSING COMMUNITIES. A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO GET FROM JOE BATTLE TO HORIZON AND SOME OF THOSE AREAS BACK AND FORTH. AND, MANY OF US AND I'VE TALKED TO A LOT OF OUR I'M IN THAT AREA, A LOT OF OUR NEIGHBORS, WOULD LIKE MORE ROADS. RIGHT NOW WE HAVE DIRT ROADS, AS WAS MENTIONED BY THE COUPLE THAT SPOKE AND THE ROADS ARE TERRIBLE, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT RAINS. AND IF THERE WERE MORE ROADS BUILT, EVEN IF THERE WERE SMALL TEMPORARY ROADS WITH ASPHALT TWO LANES, I KNOW THAT THE FUTURE ROADS WILL BE. MANY OF THEM ARE PROPOSED OR PLANNED TO BE SIX LANE ROADS BECAUSE THEY'RE MAJOR ARTERIES. BUT RIGHT NOW, TO DO LIKE TWO LANES, YOU KNOW, TEMPORARY LIKE YOU, YOU DID, AN EXCELLENT JOB WITH TIERRA ESTE. YOU CONNECTED FROM VISTA EL SOL TO PELICANO ONE MILE. THESE ARE TYPICALLY ROADS ARE CONNECTED BY. THEY'RE ONE MILE APART. SO BETWEEN, SAY, BOB HOPE. PELICANO. VISTA DEL SOL, WINDERMERE. THEY'RE ALL ABOUT ONE MILE APART BETWEEN, YOU KNOW, AND THEN BETWEEN AND FROM FROM EAST TO WEST AND FROM NORTH TO SOUTH. THEY'RE ALL IMAGINE LIKE ONE MILE SQUARES. SO MANY OF US ARE WOULD LIKE TO ASK FOR YOU TO THINK ABOUT, CONSIDER, WORKING WITH US TO BUILD, YOU KNOW, SMALL ROADS TO ALLEVIATE THE TRAFFIC AND JUST THE TERRIBLE ROADS THAT RIGHT NOW WE USE FOR OUR BUSINESSES. THERE'S A LOT OF BUSINESSES THERE NOW. IT'S GROWN INCREDIBLY QUICK.

AND, THAT WOULD BE SO, SO, SO HELPFUL FOR US. THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU. I WANT TO THANK YOU.

SAID SHE'S A BREATH OF FRESH AIR. HE HE DOESN'T ONLY BRING PROBLEMS, WE BRING SOLUTIONS.

AND HE'S GOT HE'S ALWAYS WANTING TO. AND WE'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO INTERACT TOO MUCH WITH WITH IN PUBLIC COMMENTS. BUT JUST ON THE, YOU KNOW, JUST WANTED TO, THANK HIM FOR HOW HE APPROACHES THINGS HERE IN OUR COMMUNITY. THANK YOU. SERGIO. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER FOR PUBLIC COMMENT IS MR. JUAN F PINA. GOOD MORNING, I'M BASICALLY JUST IN THE SAME PAGE AS THEM. WE WORK IN THAT AREA. WE LIVE IN THAT AREA. IT'S VERY, PROBLEMATIC TO COME IN AND OUT ALL DAY, EVERY DAY, WE'RE OFFERING THE SAME, SAME SOLUTION AS HECTOR, YOU KNOW, PROPOSING RELIEF ROUTES, VISTA DEL SOL WOULD BE A VERY GOOD, RELIEF ROUTE IF IT WOULD BE ABLE TO CONTINUE WHERE IT ENDS. RIGHT NOW, WE'RE WILLING TO, YOU KNOW, WORK WHATEVER YOU, YOU KNOW, LABOR, WHATEVER, YOU KNOW, WE WORK AROUND THAT AREA. SO I OWN A CONSTRUCTION COMPANY. I'M I'M I'M ALL, FORWARD TO YOU KNOW, COME UP WITH NEW IDEAS, NEW NEW WAYS TO RELIEVE THESE, THESE PROBLEMS BECAUSE IT'S YOU KNOW, 30, 45 MINUTE WAIT EVERY SINGLE TIME YOU CROSS THROUGH THESE AREAS. THANK YOU. WE'RE VERY PROUD OF ANOTHER INDIVIDUAL. THE WHOLE GROUP HAS BEEN VERY SUPPORTIVE OF FINDING SOLUTIONS. THANK YOU. YEAH. JUDGE COMMISSIONERS, I'D LIKE TO MAKE

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COMMISSIONER. I JUST WANT TO MAKE ADDITIONAL COMMENT, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE HAVE COMPANIES COME IN, THEY, YOU KNOW, THEY TEND TO PROMISE A LOT UNTIL WE GET THEM IN HERE. BUT I JUST WANT TO THANK, SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC BECAUSE THEY FROM THE VERY BEGINNING, THEY SAID THEY WANTED TO BE INVOLVED IN THE IN THE COMMUNITY. AND I'VE BEEN SEEING MORE OF THAT. SO, PLUS EVERYBODY ELSE THAT PARTICIPATED IN YOUR EVENT, BUT JUST VERY THANKFUL THAT WHEN COMPANIES COME TO EL PASO, THEY DON'T JUST COME TO MAKE MONEY, BUT TO GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY. AND THAT'S ONE OF THE ONE. THEY'VE BEEN A GREAT PARTNER. THANK YOU. ITEM NUMBER SEVEN, PRESENTATION SEVEN A RECEIVE A PRESENTATION FROM PROJECT ARIBA AND TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION. GOOD MORNING. JUDGES AND COMMISSIONERS. GOOD MORNING. JOHN. HOW ARE YOU, EVERY YEAR WE

[A. Receive a presentation from Project Arriba and take appropriate action. John Sarah, Director, Budget and Finance, 915-546-2262]

OVERALL, IF YOU LOOK AT THIS GRAPH, THIS IS FROM FISCAL YEAR 16 TO THE PRESENT FISCAL YEAR 24, OVER THE LAST NINE YEARS, THE COUNTY OF EL PASO HAS BEEN AN OUTSTANDING PARTNER WITH

[00:45:02]

OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS, THE COUNTY HAS BEEN SO FAITHFUL IN INVESTING IN HUMAN CAPITAL AT $150,000 PER YEAR. WHAT DID OUR AGENCY BENEFIT OR ASSIST THE EL PASO COMMUNITY IN OVER THE LAST NINE YEARS? WELL, WE'VE HELPED CREATE 178 NEW JOBS FOR RURAL COUNTY PARTICIPANTS ON AVERAGE, WHEN JOB PLACED, THEY EARNED WAGES ABOUT $52,000 A YEAR. THEY CAME INTO OUR PROGRAM MAKING ABOUT $7,500 A YEAR. SO THAT'S A HUGE INCREASE IN THEIR PAY. THIS RESULTS IN ABOUT A $9.2 MILLION IN ANNUAL PAYROLL TO THE RULE COUNTY PARTICIPANTS, WHICH EQUATES TO ABOUT A 12 TO 1 BACK OF ENVELOPE RETURN ON ON INVESTMENT OF COUNTY FUNDS TO WHAT NOW ACTUAL PAYROLL DOLLARS ARE LOOKING LIKE I'VE BROKEN THIS DOWN INTO THREE GRAPHS HERE. WE'VE WE'VE, OVER THE LAST NINE YEARS, SERVED 307 RURAL COUNTY PARTICIPANTS OF THAT. WE'VE GRADUATED 191 AND JOB PLACED 178. I WILL THEN BREAK DOWN EACH OF THOSE INDEPENDENTLY OF THE 307 THAT WE HAVE SPONSORED OVER THE LAST NINE YEARS, 125 HAVE BEEN STUDENTS WHO WANT TO GO INTO THE BACHELOR'S OF SCIENCE IN NURSING, WHICH IS A MAJOR NEED FOR OUR LOCAL REGIONAL HEALTH CARE PARTNERS. WE ALSO HAVE 85 THAT ARE THAT WERE INTERESTED IN NURSING, 44IN THE LICENSED VOCATIONAL NURSING AND 53IN ALL OTHER ALLIED HEALTH AND OTHER DEMAND OCCUPATIONS. BREAKING THAT DOWN A LITTLE BIT MORE OF THE 191 THAT HAVE GRADUATED, WE HAVE GRADUATED 94 BSNS FROM THE RURAL COUNTY, 41 REGISTERED NURSES. AND THOSE ARE THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE DEGREED NURSES, 32 LICENSED VOCATIONAL NURSES. AGAIN, THROUGH OUR COMMUNITY COLLEGE PARTNER AND 24 ALLIED HEALTH AND OTHER. AND SO WHAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT IS OF THAT, HOW MANY HAVE BEEN JOB PLACED RIGHT NOW? 178 HAVE BEEN JOB PLACED OVER THE LAST NINE YEARS, 89 HAVE BEEN IN THE BACHELOR'S OF SCIENCE AND NURSING, 37 ARE INS, 32 LVNS AND 20 ALLIED HEALTH, AS WELL AS OTHER DEMAND OCCUPATIONS. HERE'S A QUICK LOOK OF OUR CONTRACT EXPENDITURES FROM TEN 123. AS OF THE CLOSE OF MAY, 100% OF THE OF THE FUNDING THAT COMES FROM THE COUNTY IS USED FOR PROGRAM EXPENSES, MOST OF IT IS DIRECT PARTICIPANT SERVICES TO INCLUDE TUITION, BOOKS, MATERIALS AND SUPPLIES, AND THEN 8% IN CASE MANAGEMENT, TO DATE, AS OF THE CLOSE OF MAY, WE HAVE SPENT $83,000 OF THE 150,000. HAD YOUR AGENCY NOT RECEIVED EL PASO COUNTY'S CONTRIBUTION, WHAT WOULD YOUR AGENCY HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH? HERE'S JUST AN ASTOUNDING PICTURE. IF YOU LOOKED OVER THE LAST NINE YEARS, THESE ARE 256 RURAL COUNTY CITIZENS THAT WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO HELP OVER THE LAST NINE YEARS. YOU CAN SEE THAT IN FISCAL YEAR 23, BECAUSE OF OUR PARTNERSHIP THROUGH ARPA FUNDING, WE HAD A REALLY BIG, ENROLLMENT YEAR THAT YEAR FOR THE RURAL COUNTY AS WELL AS OVERALL FOR THE ENTIRE CITY LIMITS OF EL PASO. BUT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO HELP 256 RURAL COUNTY PARTICIPANTS. IF WE HAD NOT RECEIVED THIS FUNDING, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN MUCH MORE DIFFICULT TO BE ABLE TO HELP THESE INDIVIDUALS. HOW MANY STUDENTS DID YOUR AGENCY ASSIST IN? WHAT WAS YOUR TARGET AND WHAT WHAT DID YOU REACH? SO IF WE LOOKED AT TODAY'S CURRENT CONTRACT THAT WE'RE IN, THE ORANGE REPRESENTS WHAT WE'RE CONTRACTUALLY OBLIGATED TO DO. AND THE BLUE IS WHAT WE HAVE ACTUALLY DONE. SO WE'RE CONTRACTUALLY OBLIGATED TO SERVE 60 PEOPLE. AND WE ARE HAVE SERVED NOW 94 INDIVIDUALS. WE'RE CONTRACTUALLY OBLIGATED TO GRADUATE 13. WE GRADUATED 21. AND JOB PLACE 15 OF THE 13 THAT WE ARE CONTRACTUALLY OBLIGATED TO DO. WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE IN IMPACT TO EL PASO? THE HUNT INSTITUTE FOR GLOBAL COMPETITIVENESS HAS PROVIDED THIS DATA BASED ON THE DATA THAT WE HAVE GIVEN TO THEM. BUT FOR EVERY DOLLAR THAT'S INVESTED OF COUNTY FUNDS, $28 IS BEING RETURNED BACK INTO THIS COMMUNITY. WE HAVE NOW SUPPORTED ABOUT $31.6 MILLION IN TOTAL INVESTMENT OVER THE LIFE OF THE PROGRAM, WHICH IS HOW THEY IMPLY THIS BENEFIT TO COST RATIO. THE HUNT INSTITUTE ALSO, PROVIDED DATA ON THAT PROJECT. ARIBA HAS NOW ADDED $893 MILLION, IN

[00:50:09]

AND SO WE'VE DONE VERY WELL THIS TIME. YES THAT'S VERY GOOD TO HEAR. THANK YOU. YES, MA'AM.

YES, SIR. COMMISSIONER LEON, MR. ORTIZ, OF THE 178, JOB PLACED. IT COMES FROM A POOL OF HOW MANY? SO THAT WAS ABOUT 300 PEOPLE OVER THE LAST NINE YEARS. SO OVER THE LAST NINE YEARS, YOU'VE PLACED 178 OUT OF 300 ODD, NUMBER. MORE OR LESS. CORRECT. AND SO WE HAVE RIGHT NOW ABOUT 90 CURRENTLY IN SCHOOL. AND THEN THE OTHERS, WE HAVE A VERY LOW AMOUNT OF PEOPLE THAT ACTUALLY ATTRITION OUT BECAUSE OF TERMINATIONS, A LOT OF THOSE PEOPLE ARE STILL IN THE PROCESS OF GETTING JOB PLACED, OR WE'RE WAITING ON DATA TO GET TO FIND OUT WHERE THEY HAVE BEEN JOB PLACED. BUT ON AVERAGE, IF YOU LOOK AT PROJECT ARIBA AS A WHOLE, WE HAVE ABOUT A 93% JOB PLACEMENT RATE. SO FOR EVERY 100 PEOPLE THAT ARE GRADUATE, ABOUT 93 GET JOB PLACED WITHIN THAT FISCAL YEAR. AND THEN WE HAVE OVER A 95% STAY HERE IN EL PASO. OKAY. SO THAT HOLDS TRUE FOR THOSE 178, THAT PERCENTAGE THAT YEAH, THAT PERCENTAGE RIGHT THERE. BECAUSE IF WE LOOKED AT KIND OF THE MATH ON IT, YOU KNOW, OVER THE LAST NINE YEARS, ARIBA HAS SERVED 307 RURAL COUNTY PARTICIPANTS. AND WE HAVE TODAY JOB PLACED 178. SO THAT'S A LITTLE BIT OVER. THAT'S ABOUT ALMOST 60% OF THAT COHORT, THE BALANCE OF THOSE IS MADE UP OF THOSE THAT ARE CURRENTLY STILL IN SCHOOL AND THOSE THAT HAVE ATTRITION OUT THAT DID NOT FINISH SCHOOL. AND WE CAN PROVIDE YOU ACTUAL DETAILED NUMBERS ON THAT, IF YOU WOULD LIKE THAT WOULD THAT WOULD BE ACTUALLY THREE THINGS. THOSE THAT HAVE THAT ARE STILL CURRENTLY IN SCHOOL WAITING TO FINISH THOSE THAT HAVE FINISHED SCHOOL. BUT WE'RE WAITING ON DATA TO SEE ABOUT JOB PLACEMENT AND THOSE THAT ATTRITION OUT BECAUSE OF TERMINATION. THEY WEREN'T ABLE TO FINISH SCHOOL.

AND DO YOU HAVE DATA ON WHEN THEY DO LEAVE THE PROGRAM, WHY THEY LEAVE? YES, SIR.

ABSOLUTELY. SO WE DISTINGUISH, TERMINATIONS. THAT'S WHAT WE CALL THEM. WE DISTINGUISH THEM.

THESE ARE POSITIVE POSITIVELY OR NEGATIVELY. A POSITIVE TERMINATION IS SOMEONE WHO, BECAUSE OF A MEDICAL CONDITION, HAS TO LEAVE SCHOOL. EITHER THEIR SPOUSE GOES INTO THE MILITARY, THEY'RE ATTENDING SCHOOL ON THEIR OWN BECAUSE THEY WEREN'T ABLE TO, THEY WEREN'T THEY'RE NOT THAT THEY WEREN'T ABLE TO, BUT THEY HAVE NEEDED TO LEAVE THE CITY TO GO ELSEWHERE.

SO THOSE ARE THOSE ARE POSITIVE THINGS. NEGATIVE THINGS WHICH HAPPEN MORE RARELY WOULD BE INDIVIDUALS THAT, STOP JUST ATTENDING SCHOOL AND WE CAN'T FIND THEM. THAT HAPPENS. THAT'S IT. VERY RARELY, SOMEONE WHO MAY COMMIT FRAUD OR DOESN'T COMPLY WITH PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS. OKAY THESE THESE ARE VERY GOOD NUMBERS. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU SIR THANK YOU. YES. ANYONE ELSE? NO. JUST, I GUESS IT'S OBVIOUS THAT, MYSELF AND THE COMMISSIONER'S JOB CREATION IS, IS REALLY THE SPARK OF SO MANY THINGS. RIGHT. YOU'VE GOT SOMEONE, SOME OF THESE INDIVIDUALS, WOULD PROBABLY HAVE MADE, YOU KNOW, ONE EIGHTH THE AMOUNT BY STAYING WHERE THEY WERE AT THAT POINT, A LOT OF THEM UNEMPLOYED, A LOT OF CHALLENGES THAT NOW BECOME EXTREMELY PRODUCTIVE. I RECALL ONE IN PARTICULAR THAT, YOU KNOW, SHE WAS STRUGGLING KIDS, YOU KNOW, THE WHOLE SITUATION AND NOW SUPERVISES OVER, I THINK, MAYBE OVER 80 NURSES AT THE UMC. AND SO THIS IS A KIND OF A PROGRAM THAT REALLY GIVES, YOU KNOW, THESE INDIVIDUALS AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE THE BEST VERSION OF WHO THEY ARE. AND SO I THANK YOU A LOT OF LIVES AND FAMILIES HAVE CHANGED BECAUSE OF YOUR PROGRAM. THANK YOU SIR. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTNERSHIP.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU. WE'LL TAKE NO ACTION FOR SEVEN A ITEM SEVEN BE RECEIVE A PRESENTATION FROM

[00:55:01]

[B. Receive a presentation from Crime Stoppers and take appropriate action. John Sarah, Director, Budget and Finance, 915-546-2262]

WE'VE BEEN HERE IN EL PASO FOR 45 YEARS, AND WE CONTINUE TO GROW AND WE DO GREAT THINGS, I'M PROUD TO SAY THAT THIS YEAR WE HAVE A COMMUNITY HUB AT BASSETT CENTER, THAT ALLOWS A MORE INTERACTION WITH THE WITH THE CITY OF EL PASO TO DO BETTER THINGS TO PREVENT AND STOP CRIME HERE IN EL PASO. AND THE COMMUNITY. I ALSO WANT TO, INTRODUCE AND I'M PRETTY SURE, YOU GUYS KNOW THE FACE OF EL PASO. I CALL IT, OFFICER ZAMBRANO, WHO'S BEEN PART OF CRIME STOPPERS FOR, FOR MANY YEARS. YES, HE HAS, WE GOT OUR OUR TWO, COORDINATORS FOR CRIME STOPPER, MR. JOHN PETRUCCI'S. OKAY. AND THEN WE ALSO GOT, ROGER TITUS THAT THEY DO A LOT FOR CRIME STOPPERS. AND I GOT HERE, MISS IMELDA LOYA. SHE IS OUR, DOES SO MUCH FOR CRIME STOPPERS. OUR TREASURER. SO VERY IMPORTANT. WELCOME I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SAY SOMETHING. ANYBODY? NO, NO. OKAY WE HAVE A PRESENTATION SO YOU CAN SEE WHAT WE, WE HAVE FOR, FOR MOST OF OUR, OUR STUFF GOES. OKAY THIS IS OUR MISSION. YOU KNOW, WE CARRY OUT, THIS MISSION, IT'S. TO. OUR MISSION IS TO CARRY OUT A COMMUNITY OFFENSIVE AGAINST CRIME BY MOTIVATING THE PUBLIC TO REPORT INFORMATION ABOUT ANY CRIMINAL ACTIVITY THROUGH OUR ANONYMOUS CRIME REPORTING PLATFORM. AND WE REWARDING CITIZENS MONETARILY FOR THEIR COOPERATION, IN 2023, CRIME STOPPERS, HAD A GREAT YEAR, WE HAD 60 ARRESTS, 13 139, CASES CLEARED, WE RECEIVED, 1460 TIPS THAT WERE ASSIGNED. WE GAVE OUT 22,200 IN REWARDS. WE RECOVERED 4400 IN NARCOTICS AND PROPERTY, SEIZED 21,269. THE IMPACT ON CRIME FIGHTING, THE FUNDS, THE SUPPORT OF THE PASO COUNTY HAS PLAYED A SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN, IN IN FIGHTING AGAINST CRIME, IN THESE DIFFERENT WAYS, WE FUNDS HELP CONTINUE TO OUR ANONYMOUS TIP LINE OPERATION, WHICH IS AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC 24 SEVEN AND OUR WEBSITE AT, AT OUR WEBSITE AND THE P3 TIPS APPLICATION. OKAY, WE PROVIDE A SECURE METHOD FOR TRANSMITTING CRUCIAL INFORMATION TO OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT PARTNERS. AND THIS IS, MOST OF EVERY SINGLE TYPE OF LAW ENFORCEMENT WE HAVE HERE IN EL PASO, WHICH IS FROM THE EL PASO POLICE DEPARTMENT ALL THE WAY TO, FBI AND HOMELAND SECURITY. WE ASSIST THE PROGRAM AND OUTREACH INITIATIVES AND SOCIAL MEDIA AND THE COMMUNITY HUB, PROMOTION, HELPS THE CRIME STOPPERS, THE SCHOOL SAFETY PROGRAM, WITH PROMOTIONAL, EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS THROUGHOUT THE PARTNERING CAMPUSES, WE GO OUT TO THE HIGH SCHOOLS, AND WE GIVE OUT, PRESENTATIONS, MATERIALS. SO THEY CAN ALSO PROVIDE ANY, ANY TIPS IF THEY'RE GOING THROUGH ANYTHING IN THE HIGH SCHOOL. SO KEEP OUR SCHOOL SAFE. IF IT WASN'T FOR THE COUNTY'S FUNDING, WE PROBABLY

[01:00:07]

IN COLLABORATION WITH OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT PARTNERS, WE COMPOUND DISTRIBUTE A WEEKLY LIST OF THE MOST WANTED FUGITIVES IN EL PASO COUNTY. OUT OF THAT 113 ARRESTS, 24 TIPS, 15 SELF-SURRENDER AND 73 FIELD WOR. AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, WE HAVE THAT COMMUNITY HUB, AND, IT'S A BEAUTIFUL, FACILITY THAT WE HAVE FOR OUR COMMUNITY. ANYONE'S WELCOME TO GO IN THERE, GET ANY INFORMATION AND, JUST VERY EXCITED ABOUT THAT COMMUNITY HUB, VERY NICE FACILITY.

MILESTONES FOR THE 45 YEARS THAT WE'VE BEEN HERE IN EL PASO, WE'VE DONE 4794 ARRESTS. WE HAVE DONE 6568 CASES CLEARED. $1,253,000 IN REWARDS. 4,512,590 IN PROPERTY, WE RECOVERED OVER 48,876,000. IN NARCOTICS AND TEN WEAPONS. SO AS YOU CAN SEE, THESE ARE, GOOD NUMBERS THAT THAT CRIME STOPPERS HAS HELPED. AND AGAIN, WE WANT TO THANK, THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT FOR ALL YOUR GREAT SUPPORT THAT YOU HAVE GIVEN US ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD AND OUR. SUPPORT FROM CRIME STOPPERS. WE THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU. WELL, WE'RE VERY, EXTREMELY PROUD OF WHAT YOU DO. SO THANK YOU. YOU'VE BEEN THAT FACE. AND THAT SORT OF GIVES US CONFIDENCE THAT THAT YOU'LL FIGURE, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING OUT. BUT I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SAY A FEW WORDS. I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT. SURE. WELL WE LIKE TO, THANK, YOU, JUDGE, AND, ALL OF THE COMMISSIONERS FOR ALL THE SUPPORT THROUGH, THROUGH THE YEARS AS CRIME STOPPERS HAS CONTINUED 45 YEARS OF HELPING OUR CITIZENS IN THIS COUNTY BE ABLE TO HAVE AN ANONYMOUS SOURCE TO PROVIDE INFORMATION TO LAW ENFORCEMENT ON THOSE CONCERNS AND THOSE THINGS THAT THEY SEE IN THEIR COMMUNITY. WE KNOW THAT SAFETY PLAYS A PART, IN MAKING SURE THAT THE COMMUNITY FEELS, THAT THEY'RE ABLE TO ENJOY THEI, THEIR, THEIR COUNTY, THAT THEY'RE ABLE TO ENJOY LIVING IN THEIR COMMUNITY. AND SO CRIME STOPPERS HAS PLAYED A HUGE ROLE IN BEING ABLE TO HELP ALL OF LAW ENFORCEMENT BE ABLE TO SOLVE CRIMES BECAUSE WITH, WITH, WITHOUT THOSE TIPS, IT'S LIKE LOOKING FOR A NEEDLE IN A HAYSTACK. ONCE THAT TIP COMES I, IT'S ABLE TO NARROW IT DOWN. AND WE NEED TO LOOK HERE AND IT SAVES A LOT OF, A LOT OF MANPOWER. IT REALLY IS A HUGE

[01:05:05]

NOW, THE NEXT QUESTION, OF COURSE, IS THE STAFFING. SO, SERGEANT, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANTED TO, BACKFILL ON WHAT I JUST SAID, BUT, I JUST COULDN'T BE PROUDER OF YOU ALL FOR TAKING THE TIME TO MANAGE THIS GREAT ORGANIZATION. AND ALSO, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE HEARD THERE AT THAT LOCATION, YOU HAVE AN ASSET CENTER THAT'S ALSO OPEN TO ORGANIZATIONS LIKE US, AND WE WANT TO HAVE A MEETING THERE THAT WE CAN USE THAT FACILITY. WELL, THE COMMUNITY HUB IS EXACTLY THAT. IT IS A HUB FOR THE COMMUNITY AND ORGANIZATIONS TO BE ABLE TO REACH OUT TO THE COMMUNITY. THE WHOLE GOAL THAT THE BOARD HAD, AND OF COURSE, THERE WITH THAT PARTNERSHIP WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT, IS HAVING A FACILITY WHERE WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE COMMUNITY AND WE'RE ABLE TO PROVIDE THE COMMUNITY OUR CITIZENS, WITH INFORMATION ON HOW THEY CAN STAY SAFE. SO WITH THAT, BEING AT A SHOPPING CENTER, WE THOUGHT, WHAT A BETTER WAY, SOMETHING THAT IS, VERY MUCH, NOT ANY TYPE OF LAW ENFORCEMENT FACILITY, JUST A PLACE IN THE COMMUNITY WHERE THEY CAN GO AND GET INFORMATION ON HOW TO STAY SAFE. AND SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT OF COURSE, IS OPEN TO ALL OF OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT PARTNERS, OUR SHERIFF'S OFFICE, ALL OF OUR, CONSTABLES, AND OF COURSE, OUR, ANY, ANY OTHER NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION THAT HAS IMPORTANT INFORMATION ON HOW CITIZENS CAN KEEP THEMSELVES SAFE, THAT IS OPEN TO THEM. OF COURSE, AT AT NO COST. AND WE HOPE TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE MORE PRESENTATIONS. OUR GOAL, THAT THE BOARD HAS IS TO BE ABLE TO HAVE WEEKLY PRESENTATIONS WHERE WE HAVE A SCHEDULE WHERE EVERY WEEK PEOPLE KNOW THAT THEY CAN GO THERE TO THE CRIME STOPPERS COMMUNITY HUB, AND THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE A GREAT PRESENTATION ON HOW THEY CAN STAY SAFE. THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU FOR THE ADDITIONAL INSIGHT, COMMISSIONER, ON, YOU KNOW, AS WE HAVE LESS LAW ENFORCEMENT OUT THERE, OBVIOUSLY, THE COMMUNITY HELPING OUT REALLY COMPENSATES A LITTLE BIT. AND SO WE THANK YOU FOR

[01:10:06]

OKAY, WE WILL TAKE NO ACTION FOR ITEM SEVEN B, OKAY. ITEM SEVEN C RECEIVE A PRESENTATION AND ACCEPT THE QUARTERLY REPORT FROM THE EL PASO COUNTY HOUSING AUTHORITY. GOOD MORNING. MIGUEL JUST GOOD MORNING, COUNTY JUDGE SAMANIEGO. GOOD MORNING, COMMISSIONERS. VERY NICE TO SEE

[C. Receive a presentation and accept the quarterly report from the El Paso County Housing Authority. Miguel Hernandez, Executive Director, El Paso County Housing Authority, 915-764-3559]

LET ME SEE. THE LARGER MONITOR, THE SMALL MONITOR WENT DOWN. YOU CAN USE THE LARGE ONES AS A REFERENCE. OKAY. AND THIS IS A NEW ONE OKAY. OKAY WELL, IN OUR REPORT, JUDGE SAMANIEGO AND COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, WE LIKE TO PROVIDE YOU, WITH AN UPDATE ON OUR, PROGRESS THAT'S REALIZING OUR VISION. AND MISSION AT A VISION WHERE AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOSTERS A THRIVING COMMUNITY THAT ENHANCES THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR OUR RESIDENTS. AND WE HAVE BEEN DILIGENTLY WORKING ON ACHIEVING THIS VISION. JUST THIS YEAR, WE HAVE SUCCESSFULLY CLOSED ON THE RAD PROGRAM, MAKING MARKING IT A VERY SIGNIFICANT MILESTONE IN OUR JOURNEY. HOWEVER, OUR WORK DID NOT STOP THERE. WE ARE COMMITTED AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT AND EXPANSION. WE, TO STRENGTHEN OUR EFFORTS, WE HAVE ESTABLISHED KEY SUBSIDIARIES THAT WILL SERVE AS CORNERSTONES IN ACHIEVING OUR GOALS. THESE SUBSIDIARIES ARE WHAT WE CONSIDER A STRATEGIC PILLARS THAT WILL SUPPORT THE LONG TERM VISION AND MISSION FOR PROVIDING AFFORDABLE HOUSING, IMPROVING RESIDENTS QUALITY OF LIFE AND ACTUALIZING HOMEOWNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES. SO IN OUR REPORT TODAY, WE'LL EXPAND ON THOSE ITEMS. WE WILL UPDATE YOU ON THE PROGRESS OF RAD. WELL, WE'LL PROVIDE SOME HIGHLIGHTS ON MILESTONES AND VALUES. ADDITIONALLY, WE WILL DISCUSS HOW THE SUBSIDIARIES ARE OUR PILLARS, ARE ACTIVELY PAVING THE PATH FOR GROWTH FOR THE HOUSING AUTHORITY. AND FINALLY, WE'LL PROVIDE AN UPDATE ON THE FAMILY SERVICES INITIATIVES UNDER THE IMPROVING QUALITY OF LIFE FRAMEWORK THAT WILL SHOWCASE A LITTLE BIT OF DATA THAT WE'VE COLLECTED AND SUMMARIZE RECENT FAMILY SERVICES EVENTS. SO WE CLOSED ON THE RAD TRANSACTION THIS MARCH, AND HUD IS GIVING US A STRICT 12 MONTH, PERIOD FOR US TO COMPLETE THE RENOVATIONS AT OUR FABENS APARTMENTS. WE DID SECURE $5 MILLION IN A PORTION OF THAT IS USED TO COVER EXPENSES RELATED TO THE RENOVATIONS, I'M PROUD TO SAY THAT WE ARE ON TRACK WITH THOSE RENOVATIONS, AND WE'RE ACTUALLY AHEAD OF SCHEDULE. NOW, ON THE RIGHT SIDE, YOU'LL SEE THE BULLET POINTS THAT OUTLINED THE VALUE AND SIGNIFICANCE OF RAD. IT IS VERY HUGE FOR FHA, THE RAT IS A REAL ESTATE TRANSACTION, THIS IS, FOR US TO BE APPROVED FOR. RAD DOES TRANSFER THE OWNERSHIP OF THE PROPERTIES FROM HUD OVER TO THE HOUSING AUTHORITY. IT CHANGES THE COMPANY STRUCTURE OF FHA. WE NOW ARE A PARENT COMPANY, AND WE HAVE SUBSIDIARIES THAT ALLOWS US TO HOUSE THAT HOUSING PORTFOLIO AND FUTURE HOUSING PORTFOLIOS, WITH THAT, WE WERE ABLE TO NOW EXECUTE A NEW CONTRACT WITH HUD AS THE OWNERS, AND WE'VE SECURED NEW FUNDING THAT ALLOWS US TO, FUND LONG TERM MAINTENANCE, REPAIRS AND EVEN REPLACE AGING INFRASTRUCTURE. HOWEVER, I THINK THE IMMENSE SIGNIFICANCE AND BIGGEST VALUE IS THAT IT ENABLES US TO HARNESS BOTH PRIVATE AND PUBLIC FUNDING, ALLOWING US TO TAKE ON DEBT AND FINANCE PROJECTS WHERE BEFORE WE COULDN'T. NOW THE HOUSING HOUSING AUTHORITY OF OUR SIZE, RAD REPRESENTS A FINANCIAL TRANSFORMATION OPPORTUNITY. SO WITH THE SUPPORT OF OUR LOCAL PARTNERS, CAN TAKE ON FINANCIAL OBLIGATIONS TO INVEST IN BUILDING NEW AFFORDABLE APARTMENTS WITH EACH HOUSING PROJECT, IT INCREASES THE HOUSING AUTHORITY'S EQUITY. WE'RE ABLE TO INCREASE AND GENERATE NEW CASH FLOW. IT ENHANCES OUR CREDIT WORTHINESS FOR FUTURE LOANS, AND IT HELPS US BUILD THE NAME TO SECURE FUTURE COMPETITIVE FUNDING SOURCES TO FULFILL OUR MISSION IN PROVIDING AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN OUR COMMUNITY. NOW, IN THESE NEXT SLIDES, WE'LL SHOW YOU THE RENOVATION PROJECTS. SOME WE HAVE STARTED AND SOME HAVE BEEN COMPLETED. AND THIS FIRST SLIDE IS OUR ROOFS AT, SANCHEZ. THEY

[01:15:04]

ONCE WE'VE IDENTIFIED THE LOCATION, WE'LL BE ABLE TO DETERMINE WHICH GROUP WE CAN SERVE BEST. HOWEVER, WE CAN TELL YOU THAT THERE IS A HIGH DEMAND FOR OUR CONVERSATION WITH THE VA TO TRY TO FOCUS ON VETERAN, FOCUSED COMMUNITIES. THE IMPLEMENTATION BOX THAT YOU SEE TO THE RIGHT, KIND OF OUTLINES WHAT WE'RE FOLLOWING RIGHT NOW, OUR BOARD MEMBERS HAVE AUTHORIZED US TO PROCURE NEW CONSULTANTS THAT HAVE BEEN HELPING US WITH ACTIVELY LOOKING FOR LAND. SO WE'RE LOOKING AT BOTH FAR EAST AND FAR WEST OF THE COUNTY, THEY'VE ALSO BEEN ABLE TO HELP US CONNECT WITH OTHER VITAL RESOURCES, LIKE LENDERS AND EXPERT SERVICES LIKE ARCHITECTS AND ENGINEERS. NOW, WITH NEW RESOURCES AT OUR DISPOSAL, WE FORESEE SECURING LAND AND COMPLETING THE NECESSARY PREPARATIONS TO START NEW CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS WITHIN THE NEXT 12 TO 24 MONTHS, AND WE'LL BE BACK TO PROVIDE, UPDATES THROUGH OUR QUARTERLY REPORTS. NOW, THE PROJECT VISION OF THIS, PROPERTY THAT WE WANT TO BUILD, YOU KNOW, WE ENVISIONED THIS NEW, NEW LOCATION TO NOT ONLY ADDRESS THE HOUSING NEEDS, BUT FOR THIS PROJECT TO COMBINE, TO BE A MIXED TYPE OF PROPERTY THAT NOT ONLY INCLUDES AFFORDABLE HOUSING, BUT ALSO COMMERCIAL USE. WE ARE PROVIDING TWO CASE STUDIES THAT WE FEEL WOULD BE BENEFICIAL TO EL PASO. THE FIRST ONE YOU SEE, THERE IS A HOUSING MODEL IN RICHMOND, TEXAS, AND ANOTHER HOUSING MODEL IN CLARK COUNTY, NEVADA. WHAT THIS HAS DONE IS THAT IT CREATES SOME COMMERCIAL SPACE AREA THAT GIVES A WALKING, ACCESS TO THE RESIDENTS THERE, SO THEY HAVE ACCESS TO BUSINESSES, BUT IT ALSO HAS BEEN PROMOTING ENTREPRENEUR AND, ENDEAVORS. AND SO THAT'S BEEN A VERY POPULAR WHAT WE'VE NOTICED IS THAT THESE PROJECTS ARE ALSO MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL TO THE MUNICIPALITIES THERE, BECAUSE IT DOES CREATE JOB OPPORTUNITIES, BUT IT ALSO INCREASES THE MUNICIPALITY'S REVENUE, WHICH IN TURN PROVIDES ADDITIONAL PUBLIC SERVICES TO THE RESIDENTS. NOW, IN THIS OTHER SLIDE, WE INTRODUCE ANOTHER PILLAR OF OUR INITIATIVE TO EXPAND AND GROW OUR SERVICES, WE JUST THE IRS JUST APPROVED OUR 500 AND 1C3 APPLICATION FOR OUR NEW NONPROFIT. THIS THIS FIRST QUARTER, THE NONPROFIT IS CALLED IMPROVING QUALITY OF LIFE FAMILY SERVICES AND IN SHORT, WE REFER TO IT AS EQUAL. EQUAL IS DEDICATED TO SECURING, FUNDING EXCLUSIVELY FOR PROVIDING SERVICES THAT PROMOTE FAMILY SELF-SUFFICIENCY. SERVICES OUR OUR CLIENTS THAT WE'VE, YOU KNOW, WE SERVICE ON A DAILY BASIS. WE HEAR THEM OUT THERE, SPREAD OUT THROUGH FABENS, TORNILLO, CLINT SPARKS, CANUTILLO, WESTWAY AND THE HOMESTEAD AREAS, YOU KNOW, THEY TELL US THE SIGNIFICANT SERVICE GAPS THAT THEY'RE EXPERIENCING.

SO WHETHER THE FAMILIES ARE HOUSED UNDER FHA OR NOT, EQUAL AIMS AT SUPPORTING, ANY FAMILY, WHAT WE HOPE IS THAT THESE SERVICES ARE PROVIDED THROUGH EQUAL WILL HELP. STABILIZE THEM,

[01:20:05]

AND ON THIS NEXT SLIDE, WE'LL INTRODUCE OUR NEWEST PILLAR, AND THAT'S THAT'S SUPPORTING HHS MISSION AND GROWTH, AND THIS IS SPECIFICALLY AIMED AT HELPING FAMILIES ACHIEVE HOMEOWNERSHIP.

THE ENTITIES NAME IS CREATING AND PRESERVING HOMEOWNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES GROUP. IN SHORT, CFO, I KNOW IT'S A LOT OF ACRONYMS, THE ENTITY, IS ITS MISSION WILL BE TO EXPAND FUNDING RESOURCES, ESCROW, BUILDING ASSISTANCE, FINANCING AND REAL ESTATE SERVICES. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE HOUSING AUTHORITY RIGHT NOW IS ABLE TO DO AFTER AFTER RAD IS ESTABLISH HOMEOWNERSHIP VOUCHERS. AND SO WITH THAT, WE'RE ABLE TO PARTNER WITH CFO THAT WILL EXPAND THE COLLABORATIVES, LIKE WORKING WITH LENDERS THAT WILL ACCEPT THE VOUCHER TO HELP SUBSIDIZE THE LOAN. AND SO WITH THESE AGREEMENTS, IT JUST MAKES, LOW INCOME RESIDENTS ACHIEVE HOMEOWNERSHIP JUST ONE STEP CLOSER. NOW, CFO IS MEANT TO ADVOCATE FOR THE COMMUNITY SEEKING HOMEOWNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES, OPPORTUNITIES. SO WE HAVE SEEN, THE INTEREST RATES INCREASE. WE HAVE SEEN THE COST OF CONSTRUCTION RISE. AND SO IT POSES A LOT OF BARRIERS FOR THE FAMILIES. SO WHAT WE ENVISION WITH CFO IS THAT WE WOULD BUILD ALLIANCES WITH HOME BUILDERS AND OTHER PARTNERS TO COLLABORATE ON PROJECTS TO BUILD MORE AFFORDABLE HOMES, ENERGY EFFICIENT HOMES. BUT ESTABLISH A PROGRAMS THAT ALLOWS, THOSE NEW HOMEOWNER HOME BUILDERS OUT IN THE COUNTY, ASSIST LOW INCOME RESIDENTS BECOME HOMEOWNERS. SO IN SUMMARY HERE, THESE ARE THE THREE PILLARS THAT ARE SUPPORTING EPC'S GROWTH PLAN. IT'S, IT DOES ALIGN WITH OUR VISION AND MISSION, BUT IT ALSO ALIGNS WITH HUD'S MISSION TO PROVIDE AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND FACILITATE SELF-SUFFICIENCY AND ASSIST, LOW INCOME RESIDENTS TRANSITION OUT OF GOVERNMENT HOUSING AND INTO THEIR OWN HOME. NOW, IN THIS SLIDE, IT PROVIDES AN OVERVIEW OF OUR FAMILY SERVICES PROGRAM, WHICH HAS EXPANDED UNDER EQUAL AS OUR STAFF GROWS. ONE SIGNIFICANT BENEFIT IS THAT THE ABILITY TO COMPILE AND TRACK DATA USING THIS INFORMATION HAS HELPED US GUIDE OUR EFFORTS TO BE MORE STRATEGIC. SO FROM MARCH TO MAY, WE ARE SERVING CLOSE TO 90 FAMILIES PER MONTH ON AVERAGE. THE PIE CHART DOES, INDICATE THAT WE'RE GETTING A SUBSTANTIAL PORTION OF OUR VISITORS BEING VERY, SINGLE MOTHERS, THAT ARE NEEDING ASSISTANCE WITH CHILD CARE AND CHILD ASSISTANCE WITH PARTNERS THAT WE'VE COLLABORATED WITH. WE'RE DOING MONTHLY EVENTS THAT ALLOWS US TO DO LIKE DIAPER DRIVES, EDUCATION. WE HAVE APPLIED FOR A, A GRANT THAT WE'VE OBTAINED FOR THE THIRD YEAR IN A ROW. IT'S CALLED PARENTS AS TEACHERS. AND THIS INITIATIVE FOCUSES ON HELPING PARENTS THAT HAVE CHILDREN FOUR YEARS OF AGE OR YOUNGER. AND THEY GO AND THEY HELP THEM WITH NUTRITION TRAINING AND SCHOOL READINESS. ADDITIONALLY, OUR DATA INDICATES THAT WE GET A LOT OF TRAFFIC FOR FAMILIES NEEDING ASSISTANCE TO APPLY FOR SNAP MEDICAID AND MEDICARE. AND THOSE ARE THINGS THAT WE CONTINUE TO PROVIDE SERVICE. COMING OUT OF THE FABENS OFFICE. AND THEN THIS NEXT SLIDE, WE HAVE AN UPDATE ON OUR ANNUAL BACK TO SCHOOL EVENT.

WE'RE VERY THRILLED THAT AS WE HAVE ADDED MORE STAFF AND MORE SERVICES THAT WE'RE ABLE TO EXPAND THE FAMILY SERVICES EVENTS. SO THIS IS OUR FIRST WEST SIDE, BACK TO SCHOOL EVENT IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CANUTILLO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, A BIG THANK YOU TO EL PASO HEALTH INC AND EL PASOANS FIGHTING HUNGER. THEY'VE BEEN OUR OUR SUPPORTING PARTNER FOR SEVEN CONSECUTIVE YEARS, THIS YEAR, SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC WERE WERE A HUGE SPONSOR. SO WE WERE ABLE TO PROVIDE A LITTLE OVER 200 BACKPACKS, WITH SCHOOL SUPPLIES. PROVIDE FOOD PANTRIES AND ALSO OTHER SERVICES, A BIG

[01:25:06]

SETUP, JUST TO GIVE YOU SOME DATA. LAST YEAR, WE SERVICED SERVICED OVER 800 FAMILIES AT THE FABENS LOCATION, THIS EVENT WILL BE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE COUNTY OF ROADS. BRIDGES. THAT'S WHERE WE WILL HOLD IT. BUT I DO BELIEVE THAT THIS WILL BE THE LAST YEAR. WE WILL DO A DRIVE THROUGH SETUP. WE WANT TO GO BACK TO A WALK IN, EVENT. SO THAT WE CAN HOLD MORE FREE HEALTH SERVICES LIKE FREE IMMUNIZATIONS FOR THE CHILDREN. AND, FREE PHYSICALS, WHAT WE TELL ALL OF OUR SPONSORS AND OUR VOLUNTEERS IS THAT THIS IS NOT JUST A PROGRAM THAT HELPS OUR HOUSING RESIDENTS PREPARE THEIR CHILDREN TO START THE NEW SCHOOL YEAR, THE DATA THAT WE RECEIVED IS THAT PARENTS THAT WE SERVE THAT ARE EXTREMELY LOW INCOME, DO NOT HAVE THE FINANCIAL RESOURCES TO HELP BUY THE THINGS THAT THIS KID NEEDS TO START THE SCHOOL YEAR. SO THE PARENTS EXPERIENCE A LOT OF STRESS, ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION. SO THESE TYPE OF EVENTS HELP AID THOSE THINGS. AND WE'RE HOPING THAT IT ALLOWS THEM TO FOR THE PARENTS TO FOCUS ON OTHER THINGS, LIKE TO ACHIEVE SELF-SUFFICIENCY. AND WITH THAT, THAT THAT ENDS OUR REPORT. OH, ONE THING THAT I WANTED TO MENTION, JUDGE, WHICH IS A POPULAR REQUEST EVERY YEAR, IS ARE YOU GOING TO BE PROVIDING FREE HAIRCUTS FOR US? IT'S SOMETHING THAT THAT WE GET REQUESTED, RIGHT BEFORE COVID, THE COUNTY JUDGE WAS VERY GENEROUS AND PROVIDING LIKE OVER EIGHT STYLISTS, TO PROVIDE FREE HAIRCUTS. IT WAS A HUGE EVENT IN PARTNERSHIP WITH FABENS, THE FABENS HIGH SCHOOL. SO WE'RE HOPING THAT NEXT YEAR WE CAN BRING THAT BACK. NO PRESSURE, BUT WE'RE WE'RE HOPEFUL.

HOPEFULLY IT WILL BE A GREAT ONE. THANK YOU. MCGILL. NOW, I DO HAVE ONE SPECIAL GUEST, TO SHARE A FEW WORDS ON BEHALF OF OUR BOARD, WE HAVE THE VICE CHAIR OF THE ■FSA BOARD, IS TERY LARBY. WELCOME THANK YOU FOR JOINING ME. GILL THANK YOU, YOU KNOW, IT'S BEEN MY HONOR TO BE A PART OF. EXCUSE ME. THE BOARD AT, FSA. AND I WANT TO LET YOU KNOW THAT, I'M FROM EL PASO. I'M SECOND GENERATION HERE, AND THE COUNTY STILL HAS QUITE A BIT OF THE HEART OF THE CITY. NOW WHAT I'VE SEEN AND WHAT THE BOARD SEES IS A VERY FOCUSED, DETERMINED WAY TO STEWARD THE MONEY CORRECTLY. I DON'T WANT TO PLAY DOWN HOW HARD IT WAS TO TRANSITION FROM PUBLIC HOUSING, AND THE GREAT OPPORTUNITY WE HAVE IN FRONT OF US WITH, HUD, THE ABILITY TO BUILD A COMMUNITY RATHER THAN JUST A PLACE TO LIVE. AND SO IT'S VERY EXCITING. THEY ARE THEY STEWARD THINGS WELL, YOU KNOW, HUD WANTS EVERY I DOTTED AND EVERY T CROSSED AND THEY DO IT ALONG THE WAY. THE PEOPLE THAT WORK FOR FSA, THEY DON'T THEY'RE NOT AT A JOB. THEY'RE AT A CAREER. THE LEADERSHIP THAT'S BEING HANDED DOWN. HE'S NOT A BOSS, HE'S A LEADER AND HE'S WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH THE COUNTY. AND WE WANT YOU ALL TO FEEL LIKE YOU CAN COME IN THERE. THERE'S THEY'RE VERY TRANSPARENT. THEY GIVE US ALL THE THINGS THAT THEY NEED BECAUSE THEY NEED TO DO IT FOR HUD, AS WELL. AND THEY'RE SERIOUS ABOUT WHAT THEY'RE DOING. AND WE WOULD LOVE ANY COLLABORATION TO REMEMBER THAT. EL PASO HAS A UNIQUE CULTURE THAT WE GET TO PROTECT. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU FOR ANY ANY COMMENTS. I JUST WANT TO THANK MIGUEL FOR EVERYTHING THAT MSHA DOES FOR THE COMMUNITY THERE IN FABENS. THEY'RE VERY MUCH AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE COMMUNITY AND EVENTS LIKE THE ONE THAT WE'RE HAVING ON THE 27TH. IS IT THE RESIDENTS OF FABENS KNOW THAT MSHA IS THERE FOR THEM? AND SO I'M VERY THANKFUL FOR ALL OF YOUR EFFORTS, AND WE'LL SEE YOU ON THE 27TH. YES, MA'AM. THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER. THANK YOU. I JUST WANT TO ENCOURAGE, I THINK YOU'RE VERY WELL POSITIONED NOW TO. BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I REALLY WANT TO ENCOURAGE IS THAT THE DEVELOPMENT OF MORE RESIDENTIAL OPPORTUNITIES THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY, ONE OF THE VISIONS THAT WE HAVE IS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE LOVE FABENS, WE LOVE CINELLI, WE LOVE AND WE WANT THOSE COMMUNITIES TO BE TO STAY AS A COMMUNITY THAT THEY DON'T FIND IT NECESSARY BECAUSE OF LACK OF HOUSING, THAT THEY, YOU KNOW, THEY START TRAVELING INTO THE CITY AND THEN THEY REALIZE THAT IT'S TOO MUCH TRANSPORTATION MONEY, AND THEN THEY DECIDE THEY'RE GOING TO MOVE INTO THE CITY, WHICH IS FINE. BUT I STILL THINK AND BELIEVE IN THIS IDEA OF COMMUNITY STAYING STRONG. AND, YOU KNOW, I HAD A SMALL BUSINESS

[01:30:03]

[B. Approve the appointment of Commissioner Sergio Coronado’s appointee, Gabriel Williams, to the El Paso County Housing Authority Board for the unexpired term ending May 14, 2026. Betsy C. Keller, Chief Administrator, County Administration, 915-546-2215]

WE'D LIKE TO TAKE THE NEXT BOARD APPOINTMENT. ITEM. ITEM NINE. A POSTPONED JULY 8TH, 2024.

APPROVE THE APPOINTMENT OF COMMISSIONER SERGIO CORONADO'S APPOINTEE, SANDRA GARCIA, TO THE COUNTY OF EL PASO. RISK POOL BOARD FOR THE UNEXPIRED TERM ENDING MAY 17TH, 2026. WELCOME BACK. THANK YOU. JUDGE. COMMISSIONERS AGAIN, RAMON BRACAMONTES COUNTY

[A. (Postponed 7/8/24) Approve the appointment of Commissioner Sergio Coronado’s appointee, Sandra Garcia, to the County of El Paso Risk Pool Board for the unexpired term ending May 17, 2026. Betsy C. Keller, Chief Administrator, County Administration, 915-546-2215]

COMMISSIONERS. THANK YOU. YOU KNOW, I WANT TO WELCOME BACK, DOCTOR SANDRA GARCIA. SHE'S MOVED BACK TO GOD'S COUNTRY, THAT'S CANUTILLO, AND, SHE'S OUR CANDIDATE TO JOIN THE RISK POOL BOARD, HER RESUME IS EXTENSIVE. HOLDING A MASTER'S AND DOCTORATE IN INTERNATIONAL PUBLIC HEALTH AND A MAJOR IN SOCIAL DEMOGRAPHY AND MINORS IN BEHAVIORAL RESEARCH METHODS AND BIOSTATISTICS. FROM HARVARD SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH. SHE'S ALSO A HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATE OF

[01:35:05]

DOCTOR GARCIA, THANK YOU SO MUCH. ALL OF YOU, ESPECIALLY COMMISSIONER CORONADO, JUDGE SAMANIEGO, AND ALL OF THE ALL OF THE COMMISSIONERS COURT. I APPRECIATE YOUR SERVICE. AND IT'S INDEED AN HONOR, HAVING BEEN BACK SIX MONTHS, THERE'S IT'S REALLY TRUE. THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME. AND I COME FROM A FAMILY WITH A LONG HISTORY OF PUBLIC SERVICE. SO IT'S INDEED AN HONOR AND A PRIVILEGE. AND I LOOK FORWARD TO JOINING THE RISK POOL BOARD. I THINK OUR FIRST MEETING IS WEDNESDAY, SO THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. THE RISK BOARD IS ONE OF THOSE THAT THAT WE DON'T REALIZE HOW IMPORTANT IT IS. IT'S OUT THERE. AND BUT WE THANK YOU AND WE RECOGNIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF THAT BOARD. SO DOCTOR GARCIA, WE THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING PART OF THIS AND FOR BEING A VOLUNTEER. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. MY HUMBLE HONOR. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. WE HAVE A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER CORONADO, SECOND BY COMMISSIONER OLGUIN.

THE VOTING IS OPEN. MOTION CARRIES. ITEM EIGHT FROM THE REGULAR AGENDA EIGHT, A RECEIVE A PRESENTATION REGARDING A REQUEST BY THE BOARD OF MANAGERS OF THE EL PASO COUNTY HOSPITAL DISTRICT TO ORDER A BOND ELECTION FOR THE PURPOSE OF FINANCING THE ACQUISITION, CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT AND OR ENLARGEMENT OF FACILITIES OF THE EL PASO COUNTY HOSPITAL

[A. Receive a presentation regarding a request by the Board of Managers of the El Paso County Hospital District to order a bond election for the purpose of financing the acquisition, construction, equipment and/or enlargement of facilities of the El Paso County Hospital District d/b/a University Medical Center of El Paso. R. Jacob Cintron, President & CEO, University Medical Center/EPCHD, 915-521-7600]

GOOD MORNING. YES, SIR. OR TEAM UMC. WELCOME. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE. AND WE'RE GLAD THAT YOU'RE ON BOARD. BUT, JACOBSEN, THRONE PRESIDENT AND CEO OF THE EL PASO COUNTY HOSPITAL DISTRICT, THANK YOU, COMMISSIONERS AND COUNTY JUDGE, WE ARE HERE TO, YOU KNOW, TALK ABOUT OUR, OUR ASSESSMENT OR OUR PLAN IN TERMS OF OUR ABILITY TO MEET SOME OF THE COMMUNITY NEEDS. WE'VE HAD COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENTS PERFORMED, AND, AS YOU KNOW, SOME A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, WE APPROACHED THE COMMISSIONERS RELATED TO A CERTIFICATE OF OBLIGATION BOND.

IT WAS AT THAT TIME, THE VIEW THAT THIS SHOULD BE A GENERAL OBLIGATION BOND TO ALLOW THE PUBLIC TO VOTE ON THIS. AND SO WE MADE A PRESENTATION TO OUR BOARD OF MANAGERS LAST WEEK WHO, APPROVED US APPROACHING THE COMMISSIONERS AND COMMISSIONERS COURT. TO SEEK APPROVAL TO PLACE OUR GENERAL OBLIGATION, BOND, TO GET IT APPROVED BY THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ON OR BEFORE AUGUST 12TH SO THAT IT WOULD BE ON THE NOVEMBER 5TH BALLOT FOR PUBLIC VOTE. IN THIS DESCRIPTION OF WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO, IT IDENTIFIES SOME OF THE NEEDS THAT WE HAVE IDENTIFIED THAT NEED TO BE MET IN ORDER TO MEET OUR COMMUNITY NEEDS. AS YOU KNOW, THIS IS OR YOU MAY NOT KNOW, WE ARE 109 YEARS IN EXISTENCE, AND WE STARTED AS EL PASO GENERAL HOSPITAL. AND IN A FEW MONTHS, WE'LL BE HITTING OUR 110TH ANNIVERSARY, THIS ORGANIZATION HAS BEEN FOCUSED ON PROVIDING CARE FOR THOSE IN NEED AS A PUBLIC HOSPITAL AND AS A SAFETY NET, WHICH IS BASICALLY WHAT IT MEANS IS WE ARE THE THAT SAFETY NET THAT CATCHES THOSE THAT ARE UNABLE TO PROVIDE CARE OR GET CARE. AND SO OUR GOAL AND MISSION IS TO PROVIDE CARE FOR THOSE, REGARDLESS OF THEIR ABILITY TO PAY. WE'RE ALSO A TEACHING HOSPITAL IN PARTNERSHIP NOT ONLY WITH TEXAS TECH SCHOOL OF MEDICINE, BUT WITH UTEP, NMSU, TEXAS TECH AND OTHERS, WHETHER IT BE MAGNET SCHOOLS AT THE HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL, ON UP TO UNIVERSITIES, AND WE PROVIDE TRAINING FOR PHYSICIANS, FOR NURSES, PHYSICAL THERAPISTS, PHARMACISTS AND THE WHOLE GAMUT INDIVIDUALS THAT PROVIDE CARE FOR OUR COMMUNITY, UMC, WE CAN PROVIDE STATISTICS AND YOU'LL BE GETTING THAT SHORTLY. BUT THE KEY FOR ME IS ALWAYS THAT WE PROVIDE CARE. ONE PATIENT AT A TIME. AND WE HAVE ALL BEEN THROUGH, INCLUDING MYSELF, AS PATIENTS OF UMC AND HAVE REALLY BENEFITED FROM THE KIND OF CARE PROVIDED BY THESE HEROES. I AM NOT ONE OF THEM. WE HAVE PHYSICIANS AND NURSES AND PEOPLE THAT PUT HANDS ON PATIENTS THAT ARE TRULY THE HEROES OF OUR COMMUNITY. MY JOB AND OUR JOB IS TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THE TOOLS NECESSARY FOR OUR ORGANIZATION AND OUR CAREGIVERS TO PROVIDE THE BEST CARE POSSIBLE. THIS MEANS ADDRESSING THINGS THAT MAY DEAL WITH TECHNOLOGY, SOME OF WHICH EXIST AT THE OTHER HOSPITALS, BUT WE DON'T HAVE. IT ALSO MEANS BEING ABLE TO PROVIDE ACCESS POINTS FOR INDIVIDUALS THAT NEED PHYSICIANS THAT DON'T HAVE, EASY ACCESS TO PHYSICIANS.

SO IT'S ACCESS POINTS TO PROVIDE THE MEDICAL CARE THAT OUR COMMUNITY NEEDS, WHETHER IT BE AN EMERGENCY THAT REQUIRES NEED TO GO TO LEVEL ONE TRAUMA CENTER OR A LEVEL ONE STROKE CENTER TO SIMPLY I NEED A PRESCRIPTION FILLED OR I NEED TO SEE MY DOCTOR TO SEE HOW I'M DOING,

[01:40:04]

SO, WE DID A COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT AND I JUST WANT TO REMIND YOU, WE ACTUALLY SHARED THESE NEXT COUPLE OF SLIDES AT OUR, OUR JUNE 11TH BOARD OF MANAGERS MEETING. AND THEN WE SHARED SOME OF THIS CONTENT WITH YOU ON JUNE 24TH, WE WORKED WITH SG2, WHICH IS A NATIONAL CONSULTING FIRM THAT WORKS WITH A NUMBER OF, I MEAN, HUNDREDS OF HEALTH CARE SYSTEMS AROUND THE UNITED STATES. THEY DID ANALYSIS ON OUR COMMUNITY, AND THIS IS WHAT THEY IDENTIFIED AS OUR KEY GAPS, SPECIALTY CARE AND HAVING ACCESS TO THAT, THE ACCESS TO PRIMARY CARE, ACUTE BED CAPACIT.

AND ACROSS THE MARKET AND IN PARTICULAR AREAS OF THE MARKET, A REAL GAP. THEY IDENTIFIED WAS INSUFFICIENT INPATIENT PSYCHIATRIC BEDS, WHICH IS A IS A CRITICAL ISSUE THAT WE'RE WORKING ON WITH OTHER COMMUNITY PARTNERS. EXTENDED EXTENDED WAIT TIMES FOR DIAGNOSTICS AND IMAGING, A LACK OF SENIOR FOCUSED CLINICS. AND THEN THE ONE THING THAT WAS CONTINUES TO BE CLEAR IS GAPS IN CANCER CARE IN THE EL PASO AREA. AS WE THOUGHT ABOUT THESE GAPS, WE WANTED TO REMIND YOU OF SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE DONE OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS. AND I'LL JUST HIGHLIGHT A COUPLE, AS YOU'RE AWARE, WE, WE BROUGHT ON THE SURGICAL HOSPITAL ON GEORGE DIETER, WHICH ALLOWS US TO HAVE 40 EXTRA BEDS AND SIX OPERATING ROOMS, AND THAT HOSPITAL HIT ITS OPERATIONS IN JANUARY OF THIS YEAR. WE ALSO HAD A JOINT VENTURE WITH PAM REHAB.

INPATIENT REHAB IS REALLY KEY, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT BEING A LEVEL ONE TRAUMA AND COMPREHENSIVE STROKE THAT TYPE OF RESOURCE IS REALLY VALUABLE FOR OUR PATIENTS. IT ALSO HELPS US TO, TO HELP CONTINUE TO MANAGE THE LENGTH OF STAY FOR OUR PATIENTS. SO THE PATIENTS STAY THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF TIME. NOT TOO SHORT A TIME, BUT NOT TOO LONG AS WELL. AND THEN I ALSO JUST WANT TO HIGHLIGHT, WE WORKED WITH TEXAS TECH TO GET THE $65 MILLION FOR THE COMPREHENSIVE CANCER CENTER FROM THE STATE LEGISLATURE, AND THEN YOU'LL SEE IN PROGRESS. WE'RE BUILDING OUT THE EIGHTH FLOOR OF EL PASO CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL AND THAT'S REALLY A POSITIVE STORY.

THE CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL, FINANCIALLY, HAS REALLY NOT ONLY TURNED A CORNER, BUT BECOME REALLY FINANCIALLY STRONG. AND THEY'RE ACTUALLY PREPAYING ON ON DEBT IN ORDER TO HELP BUILD OUT THAT SPACE. SO THIS IS, AGAIN, THIS IS SG TWOS WORK, AND IT'S SORT OF LOOKING AT WHAT IS THE FUTURE OF HEALTHCARE FOR OUR COMMUNITY. AND ONE VISUAL, IF YOU START WITH THE ORANGE SOLID LINE THAT'S ALONG THE BOTTOM, THAT IS THE NUMBER OF DISCHARGES THAT ARE EXPECTED IN OUR MARKET.

AND IT GOES OUT 20 YEARS. AND SO YOU CAN SEE THE NUMBER OF DISCHARGES IN OUR HOSPITALS IS ACTUALLY EXPECTED TO GO DOWN. THAT'S THE NUMBER OF PATIENTS IS EXPECTED TO GO DOWN. NOW THE ORANGE DOTTED LINE YOU'LL NOTICE IS ACTUALLY THE NUMBER OF HOSPITAL DAYS. SO WHILE THE NUMBER OF PATIENTS IS EXPECTED TO GO DOWN, THE NUMBER OF DAYS IS EXPECTED TO GO UP. AND REALLY WHAT THAT TELLS US IS THAT WE MAY HAVE WE'RE GOING TO HAVE FEWER PATIENTS, BUT THEY'RE GOING TO BE SICKER AND THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE MORE NEEDS. SO THERE'S A NEED FOR AN ADDITIONAL BED CAPACITY, AND IT'S FOR PATIENTS THAT ARE THAT ARE SICKER THAN THE GENERAL

[01:45:01]

AND THEN THE LIGHT ORANGE IS ACTUALLY PATIENTS THAT ARE UNDER OBSERVATION. SO THEY ARE IN A BED, BUT THEY HAVEN'T BEEN FORMALLY ADMITTED. THEY'RE BEING OBSERVED UP TO 24 HOURS TO, TO DETERMINE IF THEY NEED TO BE ADMITTED OR WHETHER THEY CAN BE SENT HOME. SO OUR CAPACITY RIGHT NOW AT THE HOSPITAL IS ABOUT 290 BEDS, AND YOU CAN SEE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE JUMPING ABOVE THAT BLUE LINE, AND THEN AS WE GO FORWARD INTO 2027 AND 2037, BASED ON THE GROWTH THAT I SHOWED YOU ON THE PREVIOUS LINE, WE'RE EXPECTED TO GO FAR BEYOND THAT BLUE LINE. THE 40 BEDS AT THE SURGICAL HOSPITAL WILL HELP SOME. BUT AS WE LOOK FORWARD, WE EXPECT TO SURPASS THAT SIGNIFICANTLY, JUST AS A NOTE THIS MORNING, WE WERE HOLDING 20 PATIENTS IN OUR EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT. SO THOSE ARE PATIENTS THAT ARE WAITING TO GO TO A BED UPSTAIRS, 20 IS ACTUALLY KIND OF LOW FOR US. FOR EXAMPLE, ON JUNE 24TH, WE WERE HOLDING 37 PATIENTS, AND KEEP IN MIND, WE HAVE ABOUT A 45 PATIENT, CAPACITY IN OUR EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT. SO WHEN WE'RE WHEN WE'RE AT 37, ALMOST ALL THE PATIENTS ARE BEING HELD, VERSUS GETTING TO THE BEDS THEY NEED OF THE 20 THAT ARE BEING HELD TODAY, SEVEN ARE WAITING FOR AN ICU BED. SO THESE ARE CRITICAL CARE PATIENTS THAT ARE DOWN IN THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMEN. THEY NEED TO BE UP IN THE ICU, BUT THE ICU IS FULL AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE WORKING TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY GET TO THE RIGHT BED AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. THE OTHER PART OF THIS VISUAL I WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU IS, IF YOU LOOK AT THE BOTTOM, THE 1100 TRANSFER DENIALS OVER A 12 MONTH PERIOD. SO FIRST OF ALL, IF ANY PATIENT SHOWS UP AT OUR HOSPITAL, WE TAKE CARE OF THEM. WE SERVE THEM IN THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT. IF THEY NEED AN INPATIENT BED, WE GET THEM WHERE THEY NEED TO GO. THESE DENIALS ARE ACTUALLY TRANSFER REQUESTS THAT CAME FROM OTHER HOSPITALS. HOSPITALS IN EL PASO AND OUTSIDE OF EL PASO. AND DUE TO CAPACITY NEEDS, WE WERE NOT ABLE TO RECEIVE THOSE TRANSFERS, AND SO ESSENTIALLY THE OTHER HOSPITAL WAS SAYING, LOOK, THE PATIENT NEEDS A HIGHER LEVEL OF CARE.

YOU PROVIDE THAT HIGHER LEVEL OF CARE. CAN YOU ACCEPT THE PATIENT? AND SO, WHEN WE DON'T ACCEPT THE PATIENT, LIKE IN THE CASE OF THESE TRANSFER DENIALS, THE PATIENT EITHER STAYS WHERE THEY ARE AND THE HOSPITAL MANAGES THE PATIENT. I'M SURE THEY DO. ABSOLUTELY. THEIR BEST TO TAKE CARE OF THE PATIENT, OR THE PATIENT ENDS UP LEAVING TOWN TO GET CARE ELSEWHERE. SO AFTER ASSESSING OUR NEEDS, WE ARE BRINGING TO YOU TODAY THE PROJECTS AND WE HOPE TO MEET WITH YOU AGAIN BEFORE AUGUST 12TH, THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO BE CONSIDERED FOR THE VOTERS TO, TO LOOK AT ON NOVEMBER 5TH. THERE'S FOUR BUCKETS OF PROJECTS, AND I'LL WORK THROUGH EACH BUCKET, THE FIRST BUCKET IS REALLY LOOKING AT THE MAIN UMC CAMPUS AND, AS YOU SEE, SURGICAL SUITES, WE'RE REALLY LOOKING TO ADD FOUR OPERATING ROOMS, TWO OF THOSE OPERATING ROOMS WILL BE HYBRID ORS. THERE'LL BE ONE HYBRID OR ON THE UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER SIDE AND ONE ON THE EL PASO CHILDREN'S SIDE. AND AS I THINK I'VE SHARED WITH YOU BEFORE, HYBRID ORS ARE A SPECIAL, SPECIALIZED KIND OF OPERATING ROOM THAT ARE FLEXIBLE. THEY CAN BE USED FOR MULTIPLE PURPOSES, THEY'RE REALLY IMPORTANT FROM A TRAINING PURPOSE. THEY'RE REALLY IMPORTANT FOR CERTAIN TYPES OF CASES THAT WE AREN'T ABLE TO FULLY SERVE TODAY. AND THEY ALSO AFFECT OUR RECRUITING. I KNOW, TEXAS TECH WAS LOOKING AT RECRUITING A VASCULAR SURGEON.

AND BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE A HYBRID O.R, THAT CANDIDATE FELT LIKE WE WEREN'T A GOOD FIT FOR THEIR FOR THEIR FUTURE. WE'RE THE ONLY HEALTH SYSTEM IN EL PASO THAT DOESN'T HAVE A HYBRID RR, SO THIS IS A CRITICAL PIECE OF WHAT WE NEED. WE'RE LOOKING AT TWO CARDIAC CATHETERIZATION LABS, AN EXTENDED OBSERVATION UNIT OF 25 BEDS. THE INTENT HERE IS TO TAKE THE EIGHTH FLOOR

[01:50:04]

[01:55:04]

THE CENTRAL SPECIALTY CLINIC IS A BUILDING THAT TEXAS TECH CURRENTLY OWNS, AND THEY'RE BUILDING ANOTHER SPECIALTY CLINIC ON THE EAST SIDE OF REYNOLDS. AND SO WE WE'RE PROPOSING TO PURCHASE THAT BUILDING, WHICH WOULD ALLOW US TO HAVE SOME FLEXIBILITY WITH SOME OF THE SERVICES THAT ARE SORT OF SQUEEZED INTO DIFFERENT PLACES IN THE CENTRAL AREA. AND THEN THE EAST SIDE REHABILITATION SERVICES. WE HAVE AN EAST SIDE REHAB AT OUR WEST CLINIC, AND WE DON'T HAVE ONE AT THE EAST CLINIC. AND SO THAT WOULD ALLOW PATIENTS TO GET CARE IN THE SAME SITE AS WHERE THEY RECEIVE THEIR THEIR PRIMARY AND SPECIALTY CARE ON THE EAST SIDE.

THE LAST BUCKET IS THE COMPREHENSIVE CANCER CENTER. AND AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, REPRESENTATIVE GONZALEZ, REALLY DID GREAT WORK IN THE LEGISLATURE TO GET $65 MILLION FOR THE CANCER CENTER. WE CONTINUE TO WORK WITH TEXAS TECH TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT TOGETHER, WE HAVE A CENTER THAT SERVES THE NEEDS OF OUR COMMUNITY. AND SO WE ARE PROPOSING FUNDS TO HELP WITH THE COMPLETION OF THIS PROJECT. SO WITH THAT, I'M GOING TO HAND IT OVER TO OUR CFO, MICHAEL NUNEZ, AND HE'S GOING TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE FINANCIAL IMPACT. THANK YOU, JOHN. WELCOME, MICHAEL. GOOD MORNING, COMMISSIONERS MICHAEL NUNEZ, HOSPITAL DISTRICT CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER FOR THE EL PASO COUNTY HOSPITAL DISTRICT, WHERE WE ARE LOOKING RIGHT NOW IN TERMS OF THE ANTICIPATED, BOND PROJECT, ASK IS ABOUT 397 MILLION. NOW, IN TERMS OF THE TIMELINE THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT, NOVEMBER 1ST, NOVEMBER OF 2024 WILL BE THE SCHEDULED, GENERAL OBLIGATION BOND ELECTION. SECOND UP, IF THAT WERE TO BE SUCCESSFUL, WE WOULD BE LOOKING AT A AT A BOND SALE IN THE SPRING OF 2025. NOW, WE'RE CURRENTLY KEEPING OUR EYES ON ON INTEREST RATES RIGHT NOW IN TERMS OF EVERYTHING, THERE ARE ABOUT FOUR MORE, SCHEDULED, FEDERAL RESERVE BOARD MEETINGS IN JULY, SEPTEMBER, NOVEMBER, DECEMBER. AND THERE ARE NOW STARTING TO BE DISCUSSIONS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, PERHAPS INTEREST RATE DECLINES AS THE ECONOMY CONTINUES TO SLOW DOWN AND INFLATION CONTINUES TO BE TAMED. NOW, A COUPLE OF OTHER, ASSUMPTIONS WE HAVE RIGHT HERE IS THAT NOW WE ARE ABOUT TEN DAYS AWAY FROM JULY 25TH, WHEN THE CENTRAL APPRAISAL DISTRICT WILL RELEASE THEIR FINAL JANUARY 1ST, 2024, PROPERTY TAX VALUES.

WE DO HAVE ESTIMATES IN TERMS OF WHAT THOSE NUMBERS ARE RIGHT NOW, BASED UPON FIGURES PROVIDED ALREADY BY THE CENTRAL APPRAISAL DISTRICT, AND THEN ALSO AS TO WHAT WE EXPECT THEM TO BE JANUARY 1ST OF 2025. NOW THIS, IS SUCCESSFUL AND THIS BOND SALE, THE PROPERTY TAX IMPACT WILL NOT BEGIN UNTIL OCTOBER 1ST OF 2025, WHICH IS OUR FISCAL 2026, YEAR. NOW IN TERMS OF AT LEAST CURRENTLY, RIGHT NOW, BASED UPON NOW AS OF JANUARY 1ST, 2023, THE AVERAGE TAXABLE VALUE OF AN EL PASO COUNTY PROPERTY WAS 191,000. WE'RE ESTIMATING THAT TO INCREASE TO ABOUT UP 211 210,000 FOR JANUARY 1ST, 2024. AGAIN, THOSE NUMBERS ARE GOING TO BE FINALIZED HERE ON ON JULY 25TH. AND THEN JULY 1ST OF 2025, AN ESTIMATE OF ABOUT $220,000 FOR AN AVERAGE PROPERTY TAXABLE VALUE IN EL PASO COUNTY. SO WITH THAT, THE BOND IS CURRENTLY, PLANNED TO BE STRUCTURED IN IN TWO COMPONENTS. THERE'S GOING TO BE WHAT WE CALL THE BRICKS AND MORTAR, WHICH IS GOING TO BE AMORTIZED OVER A 30 YEAR PERIOD. AND THEN ALSO THE EQUIPMENT OVER THE FIRST TEN YEARS OF THE OF THE BOND. SO WITH THAT, THERE'S GOING TO BE DIFFERENT. TAX RATE IMPLICATIONS BETWEEN THE FIRST TEN YEARS AND THEN YEARS 11 THROUGH 20, BASED UPON AN AVERAGE PROPERTY HOME VALUE OF ABOUT 200, 220,000, WE'RE ESTIMATING AS OF JANUARY ONE, 2025, THERE WILL BE A MONTHLY IMPACT OF ABOUT $7.95 FOR THE FIRST TEN YEARS, YEARS 11 THROUGH 20. THAT WOULD

[02:00:05]

SO, YOU KNOW WHAT WE WANTED TO DO IS JUST KIND OF HIGHLIGHT WHAT WHAT WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS IF WE WAIT ON THESE PROJECTS? WE KNOW THE PROJECTS ARE NEEDED. IT'S JUST A MATTER OF WHEN, YOU KNOW, WE WILL CONTINUE TO BE HOLDING PATIENTS, WHICH WE'VE WE'VE BEEN IN THIS SITUATION FOR SEVERAL YEARS NOW. THOSE TRANSFERS FROM OTHER HOSPITALS WILL, WILL UNFORTUNATELY NOT BE ABLE TO SERVE, THE BURN PATIENTS AGAIN ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO BE CHALLENGED BY HAVING TO LEAVE TOWN, THE CANCER CENTER, WILL WILL REALLY HAVE TO CONTINUE TO LOOK FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDING. AND, REGARDLESS, WE WILL BE WE TRYING TO GET THOSE FUNDS, ANY FUNDS WE CAN OUT OF THE LEGISLATURE, THE HYBRID ORS WILL WILL CONTINUE TO HAVE PROBABLY SOME OF THOSE RECRUITMENT ISSUES AND THE ABILITY TO DO THE CERTAIN TYPES OF CASES THAT ARE DONE THERE. AND THE MRIS ALSO WILL AFFECT THE PATIENT EXPERIENCE AT THE MAIN HOSPITAL.

SO, YOU KNOW, AND THERE'S MORE DETAIL HERE, BUT BUT I'LL LET YOU ALL TAKE A LOOK AT THAT ON YOUR OWN, JUST THE LAST THING I WILL SAY. AND THEN I'M GOING TO HAND IT BACK TO JACOB IS JUST NEXT STEPS, AND SO, YOU KNOW, ON JULY 9TH WAS WHEN THE BOARD OF MANAGERS MET TO ADOPTED THE RESOLUTION, ALLOWING US TO COME FORWARD TO YOU, WE CAME TO YOU IMMEDIATELY HERE ON JULY 15TH.

PRIOR TO AUGUST 12TH IS WHEN WE WOULD REQUEST THAT YOU CONSIDER, ADOPTING AN ORDER CALLING FOR A BOND ELECTION, AUGUST TO NOVEMBER IS WHERE WE'LL BE LOOKING TO DO OUTREACH, ASSUMING THAT WE ARE ON THE BOND ELECTION AND PROVIDE UPDATES BOTH TO YOURSELVES AND TO OUR BOARD OF MANAGERS. AND THEN KNOWING THAT THE ELECTION WOULD BE ON NOVEMBER 5TH, WITH EARLY VOTING.

SO WITH THAT, I'LL HAND IT BACK TO JACOB. THANK YOU. THANK YOU JOHN. THANK YOU, JOHN AND MICHAEL, FOR YOUR PRESENTATION, YOU KNOW, ULTIMATELY, WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT OUR COMMUNITY NEEDS. AND IF YOU ASK PEOPLE, THEY'RE GOING TO SAY, PARKING, WAIT TIMES IN THE ED OR IN THE CLINICS OR ACCESS POINTS. WHEN WE BUILT THE JOE BATTLE CLINIC, WHICH IS NOW OUR BUSIEST CLINIC OF OUR CLINIC SYSTEM, IT HIT ITS GROWTH, ITS GROWTH PROJECTIONS, A FIVE YEAR GROWTH PROJECTION IN THE FIRST YEAR. SO SOME OF THESE THINGS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT ARE REALLY CRITICAL FOR US TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THE CARE OUR COMMUNITY NEEDS. AND YOU'VE SEEN THE DESCRIPTIONS AND SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT ADDRESSES AREAS THROUGHOUT OUR REGION, AS WELL AS AT THE MAIN CAMPUS. AND AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, WE'RE NOT THE HEROES, THE PHYSICIANS, THE NURSES, THE CAREGIVERS. THEY'RE THE HEROES. THEY'RE THE ONES THAT WELCOME OUR OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT NEED THE CARE WE PROVIDE. AND THEY DESERVE THE BEST CARE POSSIBLE, WHETHER IT BE A BURN CENTER SO THAT WE MINIMIZE THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE DISPLACED BY HAVING TO GO OUT OF TOWN, DURING A VERY DIFFICULT SITUATION, TO BE ABLE TO PERFORM VASCULAR AND HEART VALVE CASES AT OUR AT OUR FACILITY THAT OUR COMMUNITY NEEDS, OR WHETHER IT BE JUST PROVIDING ADDITIONAL CRITICAL CARE BEDS OR ADDITIONAL, REGULAR BEDS SO THAT WE'RE NOT HOLDING PATIENTS IN THE ED THAT ARE WAITING ON A BED. AND, YOU KNOW, THE THING ABOUT THE EQUIPMENT, THINGS LIKE AN MRI, WE SHOULD NOT BE WAKING SOMEONE UP TO BE ABLE TO GET AN MRI DONE BECAUSE IT'S BUSY DOING OTHER PROCEDURES DURING THE DAY. YOU ALL HAVE ALWAYS BEEN OUR GREATEST SUPPORT. WITHOUT YOU, WE CAN'T PROCEED BEYOND THIS. I REMEMBER WHEN WE WERE LOOKING AT THE CO, BOND, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT WAS IT? I THINK JOHN QUOTED SOMEONE SAYING, I STAND UNDER THE SHADE OF A TREE THAT SOMEBODY PLANTED MANY YEARS AGO. THE THINGS WE DO TODAY ARE

[02:05:07]

THESE ARE GERIATRICIAN. HE LOOKS VERY YOUNG TO BE A GERIATRICIAN. YES. EVERY TIME HE SEES ME, HE WANTS ME TO SIGN UP AS A PATIENT WITH HIM. SO KEEP WORKING ON IT. DOCTOR, YOU CAN GET MY CARD. YOU CAN CALL FOR AN APPOINTMENT LATER. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME, JUDGE SAMANIEGO AND COMMISSIONERS. MY NAME IS DOCTOR ISMAEL RODRIGUEZ. AND AS JACOB MENTIONED, I'M. I'M AN ETERNAL UMC INTERNAL MEDICINE DOCTOR, AND I SPECIALIZE IN PROVIDING GERIATRIC CARE, GERIATRIC BOARD CERTIFIED AND I'VE BEEN AT THE UMC FAMILY FOR ABOUT 11 YEARS NOW, SEVEN YEARS AGO I WAS ASKED AND GIVEN THE TASK OF CREATING THE GERIATRIC CLINIC, AND WE HAD CLINICS. AT THE TIME, THERE WERE VERY SUCCESSFUL IN PROVIDING PRIMARY CARE. AND ABOUT SEVEN YEARS AGO, WE STARTED BRANCHING OUT AND PROVIDING SPECIALIZED CARE IN OUR CLINICS. AND WE STARTED THAT PROJECT WITH THE GERIATRIC CLINIC. AND IT WAS VERY PROUD, TO HAVE CREATED THE CLINIC AND BE VERY SUCCESSFUL FROM FROM DAY ONE. IT WAS A, A VERY BUSY CLINIC RIGHT FROM THE BEGINNING, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO MIGHT NOT KNOW, GERIATRIC MEDICINE DOCTOR IS A DOCTOR THAT SPECIALIZES IN CARE FOR PEOPLE THAT ARE 65 AND OVER. AND WE ALSO SPECIALIZE IN THE CONDITIONS THAT ARE VERY COMMON IN THAT AGE GROUP, WE ALSO, SORRY ABOUT THAT. LET ME GET MY NOTES UP AND RUNNING. SO IN THE TIME THAT I'VE BEEN AT UMC, WE STARTED THE CLINIC, BY MYSELF PRETTY MUCH. AND WITH THE SUPPORT OF THE HOSPITAL'S TEAM, WE STARTED GROWING THAT CLINIC TO THE POINT THAT WE SAW WE NEED MORE HELP. RIGHT. AND THERE ARE TWO BIG ISSUES WITH GERIATRIC MEDICINE. ONE OF IS THE. AND THE TWO MOST IMPORTANT REALLY IS THE SHORTAGE OF SPECIALIZED DOCTORS IN THE UNITED STATES, THERE'S AN AVERAGE OF 3.6 GERIATRIC DOCTORS PER 10,000 PEOPLE IN EL PASO BACK OF THE ENVELOPE CALCULATIONS, BY KNOWING MY COLLEAGUES. RIGHT. WE HAVE ABOUT 1.5. IT'S VERY, VERY LOW. SO WE NEED A LOT MORE A LOT MORE SUPPORT IN THAT, IN THAT AREA. AND AS THE PRESENTATION MENTIONED, WE WE'RE EXPERIENCING A BIG POPULATION SHIFT WHERE BY 20, 30, 100% OF THE BABY BOOMER GENERATION WILL BE 65 AND OVER. AND THAT CHUNK OF POPULATION, IF YOU WILL, WILL COMPRISE ABOUT 20% OF THE TOTAL POPULATION. SO WE CAN EXPECT THE NEXT 20, 30 YEARS TO BE VERY BUSY FOR US TO PUT A LOT OF STRAIN ON THE HEALTH CARE SYSTEM, BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT AGE GROUP IS THE ONE THAT REQUIRES THE MOST AMOUNT OF CARE, RIGHT. SO WE AT UMC, WE'RE TRYING TO STAY AHEAD OF THE CURVE AND CREATING AN ACCESS, YOU KNOW, MORE ACCESS TO PATIENT CARE. I ONLY PROVIDE SERVICES AT THE EASTSIDE CLINIC, TWO YEARS AGO, WE WERE ABLE TO HIRE A SECOND LOCAL GERIATRICIAN THAT CURRENTLY OFFERS SERVICES ON THE WEST SIDE CLINIC, DOCTOR AGUIRRE, WE'RE VERY PROUD OF THAT. AND IN ABOUT TWO MONTHS, WE WERE ABLE TO HIRE A LOCAL DOCTOR THAT WAS OUT OF EL PASO, AND WE'RE BRINGING HIM BACK HOME, AND HE'LL BE PROVIDING SERVICES AT THE YSLETA AND FABENS COMMUNITY. RIGHT. IT'S ONLY A, YOU KNOW, A LITTLE BIT. AND CONTRIBUTING TO THAT 1.5 THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE, AND WE, OF COURSE, NEED A LOT MORE, WE ARE, TRUE. THE LAST SEVEN YEARS WE'VE CREATED COMMUNITY PARTNERS, YOUTH HAVE BEEN A VERY IMPORTANT ONE. THEY WERE LOOKING TO, TO SEE HOW THEY CAN TRAIN CERTAIN OTHER SCHOOLS AND GERIATRICS. AND WE COLLABORATED WITH THEM IN CREATING CERTIFICATES OF GERIATRICS FOR. SO NOW, STUDENTS FROM THE SCHOOL OF NURSING, SOCIAL WORK, PHYSICAL THERAPY, AND OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY, IF THEY

[02:10:04]

THANK YOU. THANK YOU DOCTOR RODRIGUEZ. IF YOU HAVE AN EXTRA CARD, I THINK JUDGE SAMANIEGO WOULD LIKE A CARD. BUT, I WILL TELL YOU, CREDIT IS DUE ALSO, WHO'S NOT HERE? I SEE HIM ON THE SCREEN AS COMMISSIONER STOUT. HE HAS BEEN THE A CHAMPION FOR GERIATRIC CARE, ALONG WITH, DAVEY JOHNSON. WE HAD A MEETING WITH HER LAST WEEK. AN AMAZING WOMAN IN HER 90S WHO IS AN ADVOCATE, A CHAMPION FOR PROVIDING THIS LEVEL OF CARE. SHE TRAVELED WITH US TO HOUSTON, ALONG WITH THE COMMISSIONER AND OTHERS, AND WE LEARNED A LOT ABOUT THIS. AND SO OUR GOAL IS TO NOT ONLY BE A, AGE FRIENDLY, GERIATRIC CLINIC, BUT ALSO TO HAVE A GERIATRIC LEVEL ONE, ED AND THEN NOW IN TRAUMA, THEY'RE ALSO TALKING ABOUT GERIATRIC TRAUMA. SO CERTAINLY SINCE I'M IN THAT BABY BOOMER AREA, I'M CERTAINLY INTERESTED IN MAKING SURE THAT WE DO THIS RIGHT NOW.

NEXT WE'LL HAVE DOCTOR TYROC. HE'S OUR CHIEF OF SURGERY. CHIEF OF TRAUMA. TRULY A PERSON THAT PEOPLE WILL APPROACH AND SAY, YOU SAVED MY LIFE. AND HALF THE TIME I DON'T THINK HE REALIZES THE IMPACT HE'S MADE ON THOSE INDIVIDUALS AND THEIR FUTURES. AND SO HE IS SOMEONE I TRULY RESPECT AND, WHO'S ACTUALLY DONE WORK ON ME. SO DON'T BLAME HIM FOR HOW I LOOK. THIS IS THE WAY IT IS. BUT, HE IS AN AMAZING PHYSICIAN AND AN AMAZING PROFESSOR WHO TEACHES MANY OF OUR YOUNG SURGEONS TO BE, OUR NEXT LINE OF DEFENSE. WE FULLY AGREE ON THAT. THANK YOU. WHAT AN HONOR TO HAVE YOU, DOCTOR. WELL, GOOD MORNING. HE'S BEING TOO KIND. FIRST OF ALL, IT'S A TEAM EFFORT. ALWAYS IN SURGERY OR MEDICINE. IT'S NOT JUST ONE PERSON. IT'S THE NURSES. IT'S THE OTHER DOCTORS. IT'S ALL THE STAFF AT THE HOSPITAL. SO I'M ELLEN TAREK, I THINK YOU SAID I'M THE CHAIR OF SURGERY AND I WANT TO SAY GOOD MORNING TO ALL OF YOU, INCLUDING MR. STOUT DOWN THERE IN FLORIDA, I THINK. SO I CAME HERE IN 1997 RIGHT OUT OF FELLOWSHIP. NEXT MONTH I'LL BE HERE 27 YEARS. I GUESS NOBODY ELSE WANTED ME. THAT'S WHY I STAYED HERE. BUT THAT'S NOT THE REAL REASON. THE REASON IS I SAW SOMETHING OVER THE HORIZON. I SAW THIS CAMPUS, ALBERTA CAMPUS.

SO MUCH POTENTIAL. PLUS, IF ANY PLACE NEEDED DOCTORS AND MORE NURSES, IT'S THE EL PASO REGION.

YOU ALL KNOW THAT. AND I SEE ALL THE EVOLUTION I SAW. TEXAS, I'M SORRY, THOMPSON HOSPITAL, I LIKE TO CALL IT STILL THOMPSON. SOMETIMES IT JUST FEELS GOOD. BECOME UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER, I THINK IN 2008 OR SO, I SAW EL PASO, TEXAS TECH, EL PASO GROW FROM A REGIONAL CAMPUS IN THE LUBBOCK SYSTEM TO OUR OWN MEDICAL SCHOOL. AROUND 2008 OR 2009, AND THEN BECOME A SEPARATE

[02:15:06]

BUT I SAW US MOVE FROM 1200 TRAUMA ADMISSIONS IN 1997, AND A LEVEL TWO TRAUMA CENTER IN 1998, TO A LEVEL ONE TRAUMA CENTER IN 2001. WE ARE NOW AVERAGING OVER 3900 TRAUMA ADMISSIONS PER YEAR FOR THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS OF THAT, ABOUT 650 TO 700 HAVE SOMETHING WE KNOW IS AN INJURY SEVERITY SCORE GREATER THAN 15, WHICH MEANS THEY SEVERELY INJURED TRAUMA PATIENTS. YOU HAVE TO HAVE AT LEAST 240 TO MAKE YOURSELF A LEVEL ONE TRAUMA CENTER. WE'VE EASILY EXCEEDED THAT SINCE 2002. ACTUALLY, 2001. WE COVER A POPULATION OF 1.25 MILLION INDIVIDUALS IN FAR WEST TEXAS AND SOUTHERN NEW MEXICO. THAT'S 44,000MI■!S. PEOPLE DEPED ON US 42 TO 44% OF OUR TRAUMA POPULATION THAT WE ADMIT COME TO US IN TRANSFER. I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT JUST NEW MEXICO OR OUTSIDE OF EL PASO COUNTY, BUT EVEN THE CITY OF EL PASO FROM THE OTHER HOSPITALS, THAT'S ABOUT 6600 PATIENTS A YEAR THAT COME TO UMC, BECAUSE THE OTHER PLACES DO NOT HAVE THE SPECIALTY CARE THAT WE HAVE. THAT'S WHAT A LEVEL ONE DOES FOR YOU. GOING OUTSIDE OF BEING THE TRAUMA CENTER, I ALWAYS TELL MY SURGICAL CANDIDATES, I INTERVIEW MY SURGICAL CATCHMENT AREA FOR SPECIALTY SURGICAL CARE IS 1.25 MILLION PEOPLE. OBVIOUSLY SOME ARE KIDS, BUT WE'RE RECRUITING FOR PEDIATRIC SURGERY ALSO. THAT'S A LARGE POPULATION BECAUSE THESE OTHER HOSPITALS DO NOT HAVE THE SPECIALTY CARE IN THE LAST SIX WEEKS, I'VE INTERVIEWED 11 CANDIDATES OF SIX DIFFERENT SURGICAL SPECIALTIES. COME TO EL PASO BECAUSE WE NEED THAT HERE. THE POPULATION DESERVES THAT. BUT I CAN BE HONEST, TO BE HONEST WITH YOU, IT'S HARD TO LOOK THEM IN THE EYE AND TELL THEM, BECAUSE THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT SURGEONS WILL ALWAYS ASK, DO YOU HAVE O.R. AVAILABILITY? WHAT'S YOUR TURNOVER TIME AND I HAVE TO BE HONEST WITH THEM. I GO, IT'S NOT THAT GOOD. WE'RE A COUNTY HOSPITAL. COUNTY HOSPITALS. WE DEAL WITH CRISIS, I TALK TO MY COUNTERPARTS AT BEN TAUB. THEY HAD 41 PATIENTS LAST WEEK SITTING WAITING FOR BEDS IN THEIR HOSPITAL. AND THEY HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. BUT THEIR INNER CITY COUNTY HOSPITAL.

HARRIS COUNTY. BUT WE'RE WE'RE FACING THAT. I THINK JOHN OR JOHN MENTIONED THAT THERE WAS, 20 SOMETHING PATIENTS WAITING. I JUST GOT AN UPDATE. THAT'S TRUE. WE'RE ACTUALLY DOWN TO 18. IT WAS 25 AT 7 A.M. IT FLUCTUATES, BUT WE HAD TEN PATIENTS IN THE ED WAITING FOR ICU BEDS. AND MANY OF THOSE ARE ON THE VENTILATOR. WE ALSO HAVE, WHICH HE DIDN'T MENTION FIVE PATIENTS IN THE RECOVERY ROOM THAT ARE ICU STATUS BECAUSE WE HAVE NO PLACE TO PUT THEM ON THE SECOND FLOOR OR THE THIRD FLOOR. SO WE'RE PUTTING ICU PATIENTS ALL OVER THE HOSPITAL. I WAS ON CALL THIS WEEKEND. WE DO 12 HOUR SHIFTS ON WEEKENDS, SEVEN 8 TO £0.07. I ROUNDED ON 37 ICU PATIENTS IN THE SURGICAL ICU. ON SATURDAY, WE MOVED 12 OF THEM OUT. BUT ON SUNDAY WHEN I CAME BACK AFTER THE NIGHT SHIFT, I HAD 38 PATIENTS IN THE ICU BECAUSE 12 MOVED OUT, BUT 13 MOVED IN. THAT'S THE WAY WE JUST KEEP MOVING. PATIENTS WE TALK ABOUT MORE OUTPATIENT CARE, BUT MORE HIGHER ACUITY PATIENTS LENGTH OF STAY. THAT'S BECAUSE HOSPITALS SEE SICKER PATIENTS.

SO THE VOLUME IS JUST SO GREAT. THERE WAS MENTION ABOUT A HYBRID O.R. YES. IT'S GREAT FOR TRAINING, BUT IT'S EVEN BETTER FOR PATIENT CARE. I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU TWO EXAMPLES JUST FROM LAST WEEK. I'M TRYING TO NOT VIOLATE HIPAA OR ANYTHING, BUT WE HAD ONE PATIENT, TERRIBLE LIVER TRAUMA. THE LIVER WAS SHATTERED. THERE WERE SOME OTHER INJURIES, TOO. BUT WE'LL FOCUS ON THE LIVER. THE SURGEON IMMEDIATELY TOOK THE PATIENT TO THE ER, GOT MULTIPLE UNITS OF BLOOD. AND WHAT DID THEY HAVE TO DO RIGHT AFTER THE SURGERY, THEY WENT DOWN THE HALLWAY TO OUR CARDIAC CATH LAB FOR EMBOLIZATION BECAUSE THERE WERE SOME PARTS OF THE LIVER THAT ARE INTERNAL TO THE LIVER. THE ORGAN THAT THEY COULD NOT REACH WITHOUT CAUSING MORE TROUBLE.

THEY HAD TO EMBOLIZE THAT. THAT'S WHAT A CATH LAB HAD TO DO FOR US. THAT'S WHAT A HYBRID OPERATING ROOM DOES. YOU DO YOUR SURGICAL PART, THEN YOU GET SOMEBODY ELSE TO DO THE ENDOVASCULAR PART, EITHER A NEUROSURGEON OR VASCULAR SURGEON, CARDIOTHORACIC SURGEON OR CARDIOLOGIST. ANOTHER EXAMPLE, NON TRAUMA PATIENT CAME IN. I WAS ON CALL, I CALLED THE VASCULAR SURGEON BECAUSE WE HAD A PATIENT WITH A RUPTURED ABDOMINAL AORTIC ANEURYSMS. THE BIG THE ARTERY THAT TAKES BLOOD FROM THE HEART. IT'S ABOUT TWO TWO THIRDS THE SIZE OF A WATER

[02:20:02]

ALSO HE WENT TO THEIR JOB FAIR AT THEIR MAJOR VASCULAR SOCIETY. EVERY PERSON HE TALKED TO, THE YOUNG GRADUATES SAID, YOU DON'T HAVE A HYBRID OR HE SAYS, NO, BUT WE'RE TRYING TO GET ONE. AND THEY SAID, WELL, YOU KNOW, THAT'S PRETTY STANDARD. NOW WE ACTUALLY INTERVIEWED A CANDIDATE ABOUT TWO MONTHS AGO AND HE SAYS, I THOUGHT UMC WAS THE FLAGSHIP HOSPITAL. I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU DON'T HAVE A HYBRID. THE TWO PRIVATE HOSPITAL ENTITIES IN THE CITY GOT HYBRIDS IN 2014. TEN YEARS AGO, WILLIAM BEAUMONT, ARMY MEDICAL CENTER GOT THEIR HYBRID OR IN 2020, I BELIEVE, AND WE'RE STILL STRUGGLING FOR THAT. SO IT'S A NECESSITY. BURN CARE. YOU SAW ME STEP OUT A FEW MINUTES AGO. THERE'S A PATIENT WITH A MAJOR BURN IN ANOTHER HOSPITAL IN EL PASO THAT THEY WANT TO SHIP TO US, AND WE SAID THE PATIENT EXCEEDS OUR CAPABILITY. IT'S A 35% BURN. MAJOR BURN. USUALLY IF IT'S MORE THAN 20, WE TRY TO SHIP THOSE OUT AND REALLY SHOULD BE SHIPPING OUT 20 PERCENTERS, BUT WE TRY TO KEEP THOSE FOR THE SAKE OF THE PATIENTS AND THE PATIENTS REFUSING TO GO TO LUBBOCK, RIGHT NOW. BUT WE'RE GOING TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DO.

THEY'RE TRYING TO TALK TO THE PATIENT TO KEEP THEM OR TO TRANSFER FROM HERE TO THAT PLACE. BUT UMC SHOULD NOT TAKE THAT PATIENT. THAT BEING SAID, WE'RE SEEING ABOUT 90 SEVERELY BURNED PATIENTS A YEAR ON AVERAGE FOR THE LAST FOUR YEARS. WE'RE KEEPING 75% OF THEM. SO THREE OUT OF FOUR THAT ACTUALLY MEET AMERICAN BURN ASSOCIATION CRITERIA TO GO TO A BURN CENTER WE'RE KEEPING, BECAUSE LUBBOCK IS 345 MILES AWAY. THEY ARE OVER CAPACITY AND QUITE OFTEN IN THE EARLY SPRING OR THE WINTER TIME. WE CAN'T FLY FROM HERE TO THERE BECAUSE THE WEATHER IS BAD IN THE LUBBOCK AREA. SO IT'S NOT THE RIGHT THING FOR THE PATIENTS TO SHIP THEM OUT. JOHN MENTIONED THAT, BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE TOP 30 CITIES IN THE COUNTRY, BASED ON POPULATION, EL PASO IS RANKED 22ND. 23 IF YOU USE WASHINGTON DC AS THE CITY, THERE'S ONLY TWO CITIES THAT DOES NOT HAVE A BURN CENTER. EL PASO HAS A DUBIOUS DISTINCTION NOT HAVING ONE, AND CHARLOTTE NORTH CAROLINA, BUT CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA HAS 180 MILES AWAY AND ANOTHER ONE THAT'S 140 MILES AWAY. SO THEY HAVE THAT IN THEIR REGION. BUT EL PASO IS AN ISLAND TO ITSELF IN BURN CARE.

SO WE REALLY NEED TO WORK ON THE BURN PROGRAM. I THINK WE ALL THINK THAT. SO I'M GOING TO WRAP IT UP. FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THE TIME. UMC IS A BEACON TO THE REGION. IT REALLY IS. I REALLY THINK WE ARE ON THE CUSP OF MOVING TO THE NEXT LEVEL. I'VE SEEN THE EVOLUTION, BUT WE REALLY, REALLY NEED TO GET THE INFRASTRUCTURE, THE HYBRID OR THE BURN PROGRAM, MORE ICU BEDS, MORE FLOOR BEDS. THE GROWTH AROUND THE CITY HELP WITH THE CANCER CENTER. THAT'S A LOT OF THE SURGEONS I'M INTERVIEWING. ARE SURGICAL SPECIALISTS, ONCOLOGIC SPECIALISTS. SO PLEASE, PLEASE HELP US. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. DOCTOR, DOCTOR, BEFORE YOU SIT DOWN, GO AHEAD. COMMISSIONER YES, SIR. I'M SORRY TO INTERRUPT, JUDGE. NO, THANK YOU, DOCTOR. AND YOU SAID IT FIRST, JACOB, THAT YOU'VE SAVED A LOT OF LIVES. AND I'M A LIVING EXAMPLE OF THAT. BACK IN 2009, AND I WAS FLOWN IN AGO. WOW. THAT LONG AGO? YEAH, I WAS FLOWN IN FROM SOUTHERN NEW MEXICO. BUT HAD I GONE ANYWHERE ELSE, YOU'D BE LOOKING AT ANOTHER COMMISSIONER RIGHT NOW. LESSER COMMISSIONER. BUT BUT BUT I'VE GOT TO TELL YOU THAT, WHEN I WATCHED THE NEWS AND I SEE ALL THESE TRAUMA PATIENTS, WHETHER IT BE, TRAUMA BURN A SEVERE ILLNESS THAT THAT ARE GOING TO UMC, I THINK TO MYSELF, YOU KNOW, I HAVE FAMILY MEMBERS. IF ANYTHING HAPPENS, I WANT THE FACILITIES TO BE AVAILABLE TO TAKE THOSE PATIENTS IN. AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE FIGHTING FOR. IF YOU REMEMBER, BACK IN 2013 WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE CLINICS, WE HAD SO MUCH OPPOSITION, TO THAT I HAD SO MANY CALLS. WE HAD THIS COURTROOM FULL OF PEOPLE THE DAY OF THE VOTE, BUT WE DID IT. AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I HEARD WAS THAT YOU'LL NEVER FILL UP THAT EAST SIDE CLINIC. AND I THINK IT WAS WITHIN A COUPLE OF WEEKS THAT IT WAS FULL. SO THERE IS A NEED, WE'RE SEVERELY UNDERSERVED HERE IN EL PASO, AND I REALLY DO APPRECIATE WHAT YOU'VE DONE. NUMBER ONE, FOR ME. AND NUMBER TWO, TEAM EFFORT

[02:25:04]

THAT'S THE BOTTOM LINE. SO THIS IS NOT A LUXURY. NO. THIS IS A NECESSITY. IT IS A NEED. THANK YOU. THANK YOU DOCTOR. THANK YOU COMMISSIONER. AND THANK YOU DOCTOR FOR GREAT INSIGHTS. THANK YOU. I WILL TELL YOU THAT DOCTOR TYLER IS VERY HUMBLE, BUT IT IS HIS TEAM THAT IS ALWAYS HERE. 24 OVER SEVEN, YEAR ROUND. THEY WERE HERE WHEN WE HAD THE AUGUST 13TH SHOOTING. THE OUR PHYSICIANS ARE THERE WHEN WE HAVE THE COVID CHALLENGES, THEY ARE THERE EVERY DAY, FULLY STAFFED. WE HAVE GROWN IN TERMS OF THE NUMBER OF SPECIALISTS WE PROVIDE. WE HAVE SPECIALISTS THAT ARE NOT AVAILABLE ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE CITY. AND WE'RE PROUD OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE DONE FOR OUR COMMUNITY. BUT AS YOU CAN SEE, THEY NEED THE TOOLS, THE INSTRUMENTS, THE SPACE TO WORK IN ORDER TO CONTINUE THAT WORK. SO, YOU KNOW, WE LEAVE IT IN YOUR HANDS AND, AND HOPEFULLY, ON OR BEFORE AUGUST 12TH, WE'LL GET YOUR APPROVAL TO BE ABLE TO PROCEED WITH A, WITH A PLACING THE GEO BOND ON THE NOVEMBER 5TH BALLOT. THANK YOU. JACOB, I JUST WANT TO COMMENT, YOU KNOW, YOU LEARN A LOT FROM INTERVIEWS AND I GOT INTERVIEWED YESTERDAY AND A COUPLE OF TIMES THEY'VE ASKED ME THAT IF WE'RE IN CONFLICT SINCE WE'RE GOING OUT TO BOND AND UMC IS GOING OUT TO BOND, AND OBVIOUSLY I SAY, NO, IT'S JUST IT'S A DIFFERENT DIMENSION.

YOU'RE VERY WELL ALIGNED WITH WHAT WE WANT IN OUR BOND. IT'S WHAT IS IT? QUALITY OF LIFE, ACCESSIBILITY. AND YOU'RE ENHANCING THAT. YOU'RE ENHANCING THAT. AND YOU MENTIONED IT FROM EVEN FROM TRANSPORTATION TO EDUCATION TO HEALTH CARE. ALL OF THESE THINGS, THE, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO GET OUR PEOPLE TO STAY HERE INSTEAD OF GOING SOMEWHERE, WE KNOW THE IMPACT THAT IT HAS ON FAMILIES HAVING TO LEAVE EL PASO AND SO WE'RE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE VERY WELL ALIGNED AND LIKE I SAID, IT'S IT WAS VERY IMPORTANT FOR ME TO BE ABLE TO EXPRESS THAT THERE IS NOT A CONFLICT. OR THEY WERE FIGHTING EACH OTHER TO SEE WHO GETS THE BOND, THE NEXT QUESTION WAS, WOULDN'T THAT ADD MUCH MORE MONEY TO THE BOND? AND I SAY, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT ABOUT ADDING MONEY, IT'S ABOUT WHAT IS IT THAT THE COMMUNITY NEEDS? AND SOMETIMES WE TAKE LONG TO GO OUT TO BOND. WE WERE HESITANT. WE TAKE LONG. AND THEN THAT BUILDS UP. AND I SAID, IF WE DON'T DO IT NOW, YOU'RE GOING TO SEE BIGGER, BIGGER BONDS COMING YOUR WAY BECAUSE WE'RE HAVING TO ADDRESS THE INCREASE, INCREASE THE INFLATION, ALL OF THESE THINGS THAT HAVE TO TAKE PLACE.

SO ON A PERSONAL LEVEL, I CAN'T SPEAK FOR THE COMMISSIONERS. I THINK WE'RE A TREMENDOUSLY WELL ALIGNED. AND THAT WHATEVER THE TWO BONDS COMING TOGETHER REALLY IS A SYNERGISM THAT WE NEED IN THIS COMMUNITY AT THIS POINT IN TIME. SO I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. THANK YOU, TEAM DOCTORS, FOR BEING ABLE TO TAKE YOUR TIME. I KEEP I KNOW HOW DOCTORS TEND TO BE AND YOU'RE PROBABLY SAYING I COULD BE OVER THERE HELPING PATIENTS, BUT THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY AND ALLOWING THE COMMUNITY TO UNDERSTAND, THIS IS ALL ABOUT EDUCATION. I THINK THOSE ARE SOME MISCONCEPTIONS. WE SAW IT IN THE IN THE CERTIFICATE OF OBLIGATION. I WAS JUST AMAZED AT THE MISCONCEPTIONS, THE MISINFORMATION THAT TOOK PLACE. AND OUR GOAL IS THAT WE DON'T HAVE THAT, THAT THE COMMUNITY TRULY, TRULY UNDERSTANDS WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO VOTE FOR. AND THE IMPACT IT'S GOING TO HAVE. AND THE LAST THING I CAN TELL YOU, ONE OF THE THINGS I'VE LEARNED MORE THAN ANYTHING, THE MOST EXPENSIVE COST OF HEALTH CARE IS DELAYED TREATMENT. IT IS THE MOST EXPENSIVE. IT'S GOING IN WITH WITH A COUPLE OF ISSUES NOT BEING ABLE TO BE ASSISTED.

YOU WALK IN AWAY, DECIDING YOU'RE NOT GOING TO GET HELP BECAUSE IT TOOK TOO MUCH TIME.

YOU WERE NOT SEEN IT, YOU KNOW, IN A TIMELY MANNER. A YEAR LATER, THAT COULD BE 1015 TIMES THE COST TO THE COMMUNITY AND TO OUR PUBLIC AND TO THE MONEY THAT WE USE. SO, THIS DELAYED CARE IS REALLY WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT. I THINK THE TWO THINGS ARE ACCESSIBILITY AND THEN THE DELAYED CARE THAT IF WE DON'T, IF WE DELAY TREATMENT, IT'S EXTREMELY, EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE TO OUR COMMUNITY. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. THANK YOU. AND THEN I'VE GOT, COMMISSIONER OLGUIN. GOOD MORNING. JACOB. I JUST HAD A COUPLE OF QUICK QUESTIONS FOR MICHAEL, GOOD MORNING MICHAEL. GOOD MORNING, SO IF THE VOTERS APPROVE THE 397 MILLION, WHAT IS THE TOTAL DEBT SERVICE GOING TO BE? THE TOTAL OKAY, THE TOTAL DEBT SERVICE, IF I HAVE THAT.

[02:30:22]

OKAY THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER CORONADO, PLEASE. THANK YOU. JUDGE. YOU KNOW, MY TAKEAWAY FROM THIS PRESENTATION IS THAT, NOT ONLY DO WE NEED THIS, BUT THIS IS REALLY WHAT THIS PROPOSAL IS, IS JUST TO KEEP UP WITH THE CURRENT NEEDS. WE'RE. YOU KNOW, THEY'RE NOT ASKING FOR ANYTHING BEYOND WHAT WE ARE CURRENTLY NEEDING. THAT IS REALLY CRITICAL TO OUR COMMUNITY. I MEAN, THESE THESE ARE THIS IS A STATE MANDATED SERVICE FOR US TO PROVIDE INDIGENT HEALTH CARE TO THE COMMUNITY. AND UNFORTUNATELY, THE STATE DOESN'T HELP US AS MUCH AS THEY SHOULD. AND THEY COULD VERY EASILY, EXPAND MEDICAID, TO OUR COMMUNITY. A LOT OF OTHER CONSERVATIVE STATES HAVE DONE IT, AND RECEIVE WE'RE TURNING AWAY BILLIONS OF DOLLARS EVERY YEAR. AND SO, YOU KNOW, OUR COMMUNITY, WE ARE NOT THIRD RATE FROM THE REST OF THE STATE OF TEXAS. OUR COMMUNITY DESERVES THIS, THE OTHER TAKEAWAY I HAVE IS THAT FROM THESE PROJECTS THAT ARE PROPOSED, IT'S AN EQUITY ISSUE, REALLY, THAT ALL THE OUTLYING AREAS IN THE AREAS WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY NEED TO HAVE SOME OF THE SAME ACCESS TO THESE SERVICES THAT OTHER PLACES DO. AND SO WE HAVE A REALLY EXTENSIVE COUNTY THAT, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF MILES IN BETWEEN ANTHONY AND WAY PAST FABENS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, TORNILLO. AND AFTERWARDS, SO THIS IS THIS IS TO ME IS JUST IT'S A NECESSITY. AND IT'S ABOUT EQUITY. IT'S ABOUT TREATING OUR COMMUNITY RIGHT WITH THE SERVICES THEY NEED. WE DON'T WANT THEM TO GO HAVE TO LEAVE TOWN. SOME OF THEM JUST CAN'T DO THAT. AND, YOU KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, THE BURDEN, AS THE DOCTOR POINTED OUT, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES WE CAN'T TREAT THESE AND WE FORCE OUR INDIVIDUALS, OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS WITH THESE WHO HAVE DIRE NEED FOR THESE SERVICES THAT WE SEND THEM. WE JUST CAN'T HANDLE IS TO LET THEM ON THEIR OWN. THAT IS UNACCEPTABLE TO ME. IT IS TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE. AND, YOU KNOW, AND I GET IT. OUR COMMUNITY IS, YOU KNOW, CONCERNED ABOUT TAXES, BUT YOU KNOW, THIS IS THIS IS DIRE SERVICES. WE'RE REQUIRED TO PROVIDE. AND IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT, YOU KNOW, IT'S CRITICAL SERVICES THAT WE NEED. THESE ARE NOT SOMETHING THAT'S, YOU KNOW, LUXURY ITEMS. THIS IS ACTUAL NECESSITY. ESSENTIAL. SERVICES THAT WE SHOULD BE PROVIDING TO OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS, THE OTHER TAKEAWAY I HAVE IS THAT, YES, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE ISSUES WITH TAXES, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT WE'RE NOT A PROPERTY. POOR. POOR IS A WRONG TERM. WE ARE PROPERTY ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED. OKAY THERE'S A DIFFERENCE. AND WE NEED TO DO AS MUCH FOR OUR COMMUNITY AS WE CAN, AND WE NEED TO LET THEM HAVE THAT DECISION, THAT POWER TO DECIDE. DO YOU NEED THESE SERVICES? DO YOU WANT THESE SERVICES THAT WE DESPERATELY NEED? AND I THINK THE COMMUNITY IS GOING TO STEP FORWARD AND SAY, ABSOLUTELY, BECAUSE THIS ISN'T JUST ABOUT IT. IT'S NOT JUST QUALITY OF LIFE. OKAY, THIS IS PERSONAL TO A LOT OF PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY. VERY PERSONAL. I EXPERIENCED THAT, MANY YEARS AGO WITH MY OWN DAUGHTER THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE ESSENTIAL SERVICES, AND WE HAD TO GO TO FORT WORTH FOR A CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL. THANKFULLY, WE HAVE ONE NOW. AND SO I, YOU KNOW, I'M JUST, YOU KNOW, THIS ISN'T. I WISH WE COULD DO MORE, BUT I UNDERSTAND WE NEED TO BE CONSERVATIVE ABOUT WHAT WE SPEND ON. BUT THESE ARE REALLY CRITICAL. ESSENTIAL NEEDS. AND I THINK THIS IS JUST.

I WISH WE COULD DO MORE. AND IT'S, YOU KNOW, AND I AGREE WITH YOU, JUDGE. THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT, IS IN DISALIGNMENT BECAUSE WE'RE GOING OUT. THESE ARE JUST NEEDS. AND

[02:35:04]

[A. Discuss and take appropriate action to use the El Paso County Courthouse for a youth chess tournament to take place July 20, 2024. Further, take appropriate action to waive parking and security expenses for the event. Commissioner David Stout & Commissioner Illiana Holguin, Precincts 2 & 3, 915-546-2111]

SO WE'RE LOOKING AT MAYBE ABOUT 30 CARS THAT WE MIGHT NEED TO WAIVE THE PARKING FEE FOR AT $5

[02:40:03]

PARTICULARLY WANT TO THANK ALSO OUR COUNTY ATTORNEY, CHRISTINA SANCHEZ, WHO CAME IN WITH A LOT OF SUPPORT, AND JUST A GREAT, GREAT PARTNERSHIP. THANKS TO THE STAFF AND MICHELLE GAINES OFFICE AS WELL, GABRIELLA, JAVIER AND KAYLA AND PAULINA IN MY OFFICE. YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT CHESS IS REALLY, REALLY FUN. I PROBABLY WOULD GET MY PANTS BEAT OFF BY BY ANY OF THOSE KIDS, BUT, I THINK IT'S JUST A GREAT, GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO BE A PART OF THI. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU BOTH.

GREAT EVENT. THANK YOU. WELCOME. YES HELLO, EVERYBODY. MY NAME IS JOSE PLASENCIA. AND THANK YOU, AND I'M ALSO TEXAS CHESS ASSOCIATION REPRESENTATIVE FOR DISTRICT FOUR, WHICH IS A LARGE AREA ALL THE WAY FROM EL PASO, ALL THE WAY TO EAST, GOING TOWARDS MIDLAND AND ALL THE WAY SOUTH TO PRESIDIO. I'M ALSO THE COACH WITH, ALONG WITH MY COLLEAGUE KARINA, WE'RE THE CHESS COACHES AT SEGUNDO BARRIO CHESS CLUB, WHICH IS ALSO AN OFFSPRING OF THE SEGUNDO BARRIO FOOTBALL CLUB. AS WELL, WE JUST WANTED TO TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE PAIN POINTS, WHY CHESS IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR OUR YOUTH, CHESS IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR OUR YOUTH. BECAUSE IT'S AN EXERCISE FOR THEIR BRAIN. YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THE A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT THAT CHESS TEACHES IS PATIENCE, CRITICAL THINKING, SPORTSMANSHIP, ETIQUETTE, AND, OF COURSE, SELF-ESTEEM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE NOTICED IS THAT OUR KIDS GENERALLY DO VERY WELL WHEN THEY GO OUTSIDE OF THE CITY AND COMPETE, SUCH AS, MISS ELIANA HOLGUIN'S DAUGHTER. BUT THE FACT IS THAT THERE IS NOT A LOT OF HISPANIC KIDS PARTICIPATING IN SOME OF THESE TOURNAMENTS. AND THAT'S ONE THING THAT CHESS HELPS THEM AND ALLEVIATES THIS SELF-ESTEEM ISSUE. AND SOMETIMES IT MIGHT BE FROM COMING UP FROM OUR HISPANIC YOUTH THAT SOMETIMES WE THINK THAT SOME OF THESE OTHER KIDS, YOU KNOW, ARE FROM KOREA, FROM INDIA, FROM RUSSIA, THAT THEY MIGHT BE A LITTLE BIT SMARTER THAN US. BUT I THINK THIS BREAKS THE BARRIER AND MAKES MAKES EVERYBODY NOT JUST IN THE HISPANIC COMMUNITY BUT THROUGHOUT THE CITY, GIVES THEM SELF PRIDE. AND ALSO ACHIEVING THAT SUCCESS. SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THAT, CHESS CHESS HELPS ALLEVIATE. AND I'VE ALSO SEEN A LOT OF, A LOT. AND I WOULD LIKE TO PRESENT MAYBE NEXT TIME A LOT OF DATA AND GRAPHS AND JUST HOW MUCH CHESS HELPS THE KIDS IN THE STAR TEST AS WELL. WE HAVE SEEN THAT. AS A TEACHER MYSELF, I HAVE SEEN THE GROWTH IN SOME OF OUR CHESS STUDENTS THAT HAVE, BEEN IN CHESS. HOW MUCH GREATER THEY DO IN THE STAR TEST AS WELL. ANOTHER THING TOO IS THAT, THERE'S A LARGE AREA IN THE SOUTH TEXAS IN THE BROWNSVILLE, MCALLEN, EDINBURG AREA THAT ALSO HAS KIND OF THE SAME DEMOGRAPHICS AS EL PASO, THAT BEING A HISPANIC COMMUNITY, BEING ON THE BORDER AS WELL, AND HAVING THE LOW INCOME. AND WE HAVE SEEN WE HAVE SEEN THOSE COUNTIES IN THE SOUTH TEXAS EXPLODED. AND BY THE WAY, THAT MEANS THEIR GRADES HAVE GONE UP.

AND NOT ONLY THAT, BUT WE ALSO HAVE THE HIGHEST PARTICIPATION, IN THE WHOLE UNITED STATES FROM THAT AREA IN STATE TOURNAMENTS. AND ALSO THE STRONGEST CHESS PLAYERS ARE COMING FROM SOUTH TEXAS. SO THAT'S WHAT WE KIND OF WANT TO REPLICATE. AND NOT ONLY THAT, BUT SHOW YOU SOME DATA AND GRAPHS AS LONG AS WITH, ALONG WITH THE SCHOOL, SCHOOL BOARD AND TELL THEM HOW CHESS IS NOT JUST, YOU KNOW, SOME SOME TYPE OF GAME, BUT IT'S ALSO SHOWS SPORTSMANSHIP, CRITICAL THINKING AS WELL. AND THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT WE WERE TRYING TO ACHIEVE HERE BY DOING THIS. AND I WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY FOR THEIR UNDIVIDED ATTENTION HERE, COMMISSIONER DAVID STOUT AND EVERYBODY ELSE HERE FOR ALLOWING US TO PRESENT HERE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU JOSE. WELL, YOU'RE A PERFECT EXAMPLE. YOU'RE A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF SOMEONE THAT THAT UNDERSTOOD CHESS AND HOW IT HELPS YOU ON A PERSONAL LEVEL, AND THEY'RE NOT ANY SMARTER. WHAT IT IS, IS THEY HAVE MORE

[02:45:05]

ONE OF THEM IS THE EXPOSURE HERE TO THE COURTHOUSE, WE'RE GETTING BETTER AND BETTER AS BEING SEEN MORE. I'VE BEEN ASKING MORE GROUPS, SO WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A GROUP COMING IN FROM MICHIGAN THIS WEEK AS WELL, COMING INTO OUR COURTHOUSE. AND THEY GET AMAZED BECAUSE THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S ILLUSIONARY. LIKE WHAT? WHAT IS THAT COURTHOUSE? AND THEY GET TO FIND OUT WHAT IT IS.

SO I THANK YOU FOR THAT GREAT, GREAT ACTIVITY. GREAT EVENT, AND LET US KNOW HOW WE COULD SUPPORT IT. BUT YOU'VE GOT TWO COMMISSIONERS THAT ARE GOING TO BE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THIS. AND THEN YOU'VE GOT ONE PARTICIPATING. AWESOME. I PARTICIPATE, BUT THE PANDEMIC, I'M JUST KIDDING. WE ALWAYS BLAME EVERYTHING ON THE PANDEMIC. SO I THOUGHT I'D TAKE THAT ADVANTAGE OF. BUT IT'S GOING TO BE EXCITING, BUT I LOVE THE FACT THAT THE HIGHLIGHTING OF OUR TALENT AND ALSO THIS COMMUNITY, TALK ABOUT ERADICATING NARRATIVES ABOUT PERCEPTIONS AND STEREOTYPES IS BY BEING INVOLVED, WINNING THESE TOURNAMENTS. AND IT CHANGES PEOPLE'S MIND ABOUT WHO ARE, YOU KNOW, OUR YOUTH HERE AND ON THE BORDER COMMUNITY. SO THANK YOU, JOSE. YEAH, I JUST WANTED TO TOUCH UP ON SOMETHING MY COLLEAGUE HAD TO LEAVE. BUT, RIGHT NOW, TO AN EMERGENCY. BUT HE WANTED TO TELL YOU THAT ONE OF HIS FONDEST MEMORIES WAS HAVING THESE LAWYERS CHESS TOURNAMENT. SO FROM FROM HIS CHILDHOOD, HE WANTED TO TELL YOU THAT HE. HE REMEMBERS ALL THESE MEMORIES FROM GROWING UP AND HAVING THESE LAWYERS CHESS TOURNAMENT. AND HE'S VERY HAPPY TO CONTINUE THAT, THAT, THAT HISTORY, I MEAN, THAT THAT PATTERN AS WELL. THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE THAT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. AND CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT I BELIEVE THAT FOR THE STUDENTS WHO ARE ABLE TO DEFEAT THE LAWYERS IN THEIR GAMES, THEIR TROPHY WILL SAY, I BE A LAWYER. YES, I BEAT YEAH, I BEAT A LAWYER A REALLY GREAT WAY TO INTRODUCE THESE KIDS TO THE LEGAL PROFESSION. SO I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THIS EVENT. THANK GREAT JOB, GREAT JOB. THANK YOU. THANK YOU COMMISSIONER CORONADO. YES, COMMISSIONER. I FULLY SUPPORT THIS, YOU KNOW, I HAD THE PLEASURE OF, YOU KNOW, PLAYING SOME OF OUR STUDENTS BACK, WHEN I WAS A LOT YOUNGER. STILL A LAWYER, AND THIS ONE PARTICULAR STUDENT THAT, WAS FROM CANUTILLO, I KEPT PLAYING HIM, AND I WOULD BEAT HIM ALL THE TIME. AND EVENTUALLY, ONE DAY, HE WAS STILL IN HIGH SCHOOL. HE BEAT ME. AND IT WAS HE WAS JUST ECSTATIC ABOUT IT.

OF COURSE, I KIND OF JUST TURNED AWAY WITHOUT SAYING ANYTHING. RIGHT? BEAT TO A PULP. BUT THAT STUDENT WENT ON, TO SERVE IN THE GULF WAR. HE HE HAD GOT HIS MASTER'S DEGREE. HE SERVED. HE WAS AT THE ACADEMY. AIR FORCE ACADEMY. EVENTUALLY HE WENT ON TO HARVARD LAW SCHOOL, BECAME A LAWYER, IS NOT A PRACTICING ATTORNEY IN AUSTIN. AND SO, YOU KNOW, IT IS SOMETHING GREAT FOR THESE STUDENTS THAT THEY CAN SAY, I'VE BEEN A LAWYER AND I'M GOING TO TRY TO WIN, BUT I HAVE A FEELING I'M GOING TO GET BEAT TO A PULP. GREAT TESTIMONIAL. THANK YOU. WE HAVE A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER ELGIN, SECOND BY COMMISSIONER CORONADO. THE VOTING IS OPEN. MOTION CARRIES.

THANK YOU EVERYONE. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. GREAT EVENT. OKAY. WOULD YOU LIKE TO TAKE A BREAK AND RECESS NOW? YES. OKAY. COMMISSIONERS COURT WILL RECESS FOR ONE HOUR. IT IS 12:19 P.M.

[02:51:27]

NEED.

IT'S IMPORTANT FOR YOUR CHILDREN TO STAY CURRENT ON ALL THEIR ROUTINE VACCINES. ALSO, CHILDREN FIVE AND OLDER ARE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR THE COVID 19 VACCINE. I'M CURRENT AND ALL MY VACCINES AND I ALSO GET THE COVID VACCINE. SO I AND MY LOVED ONES CAN BE PROTECTED. YOU AND YOUR KIDS SHOULD GET THE VACCINE TOO, AND IF YOU'VE ALREADY GOTTEN THE VACCINE, YOU SHOULD GET YOUR BOOSTER FOR YOUR CHILD'S ROUTINE VACCINES. VISIT EP HEALTH.COM. WE KNOW HOW MUCH YOU LOVE YOUR CHILDREN SO REMEMBER, DON'T HESITATE, VACCINATE IS IMPORTANT. Q SUS HIJOS TENGAN TODAS SUS VACUNAS. ADEMAS DE LA VACUNA SALTENAS LOS NINOS MAS DE CINCO ANOS, AHORA SON ELEGIBLES PARA LA VACUNA DE COVID, NUEVE LA VACUNA COVID-19 ES GRATIS PARA LAS VACUNAS RUTINAS DE SUS HIJOS. VISITA EP HEALTH.COM SABEMOS CUANTO A TUS HIJOS, ASI Q RECUERDA NO LO DUDES VACCINAT.

GOOD AFTERNOON, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN. HAPPY 4TH OF JULY. WE ARE FRECUENCIA. SOMEBODY MAKE SOME NOISE. SO TODAY WE ARE CELEBRATING THE 4TH OF JULY HERE AT ASCARATE PARK. WE'RE IN A COUPLE OF HOURS. ONCE IT GETS DARK, WE'LL HAVE A BEAUTIFUL FIREWORKS DISPLAY FOR THE COMMUNITY. YOU KNOW, ASCARATE PARK IS THE HEART OF EL PASO COUNTY, THIS IS OUR COUNTY PARK WHERE FAMILIES FOR GENERATIONS HAVE LOVED TO COME AND PLAY AND FISH. SO WE'RE REALLY HAPPY TO BE ABLE TO OPEN UP THE PARK ON THE 4TH OF JULY. SO HOPEFULLY IF THERE'S FAMILIES OUT THERE THAT WEREN'T ABLE TO MAKE IT THIS YEAR, WE DEFINITELY WANT TO INVITE THEM TO JOIN US NEXT YEAR. HEY WE'RE GETTING OUR 4TH OF JULY GLASSES. YEAH JULY 4TH. THIS YEAR WE'RE DOING OUR VIP EVENT, WHICH I'M STANDING IN FRONT OF RIGHT NOW HERE AT THE PAVILION. OUR SPECIAL EVENTS AREA. IT'S THE FIRST TIME WE'VE DONE IT HERE. SO IT'S WHERE YOU GET YOUR OWN PERSONAL TABLE. YOU HAVE, AREAS WHERE YOU CAN PLAY GAMES. WE HAVE BLOW UP SLIDES FOR THE CHILDREN. WE EVEN HAVE A MOVIE INDOORS. IF THE KIDS WOULD PREFER TO WATCH A MOVIE OVER FIREWORKS. BUT THE TICKETS FOR OUR VIP AREA THIS YEAR WERE $45 FOR ADULTS, AND THEY PROVIDED A BRISKET DINNER. AND THEN FOR THE REST OF THE PUBLIC, NOT AT THE VIP EVENT. WE HAVE MULTIPLE FOOD TRUCKS OVER HERE AT THE SPECIAL

[02:55:01]

I'M I FEEL VERY COMFORTABLE. I'M VERY GRATEFUL THAT WE HAVE SOMETHING LIKE THIS EXISTING, YOU KNOW, WHERE I'M HERE WITH MY THREE BOYS. YOU KNOW, WE'RE IN A SAFE ENVIRONMENT. I CAN'T ASK FOR MORE. REALLY HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY, EL PASO. I LOVE.

THAT WAS COOL. WE ARE AT EL PASO'S LARGEST ALL ABILITIES PLAYGROUND. THIS IS A PROJECT THAT HAS BEEN MANY YEARS IN THE MAKING. BUT I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU AGAIN. AND THIS HAS BEEN A BEAUTIFUL PROJECT. AND EVERYONE IN THE COMMUNITY IS SO EXCITED. YOU KNOW, THIS IS A GREAT PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE ORGANIZATION MOMS ON BOARD, THE NONPROFIT, THE COUNTY OF EL PASO, THE TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE DEPARTMENT. TOGETHER, WE CREATED THE PLAN OF HAVING THREE ALL ABILITIES PARKS INSTEAD OF JUST ONE, SO THAT WE COULD HAVE REACHED ALL CORNERS OF THE COUNTY. WOW SO THERE'S THE FIRST ONE THAT OPENED WAS GALLEGOS PARK IN THE FAR WEST, AND FAR EAST WAS RISINGER IN FABENS. AND THIS ONE FINALLY TODAY, CENTRAL ASCARATE ONE, TWO, THREE WAY. THE FLOORING IS ALSO SPECIALLY MADE AND CONDUCIVE TO FOLKS WITH WITH DIFFERENT TYPES OF ABILITIES. AND SO, YOU KNOW WE'VE GOT SLIDES. I MEAN IT'S A GREAT PLAYGROUND SWINGS. THERE YOU GO. READY THE AMENITIES AND THE PLAY STRUCTURES ARE MORE INCLUSIVE.

THEY ALLOW FOR WHEELED DEVICES TO BE UTILIZED. SO FOR EXAMPLE, THIS ONE OVER HERE, THE SWAY.

FUN. IT'S A SEESAW. BUT A CHILD OR A PERSON WHO'S USING A WHEELED A WHEELCHAIR DOES NOT NEED TO EXIT THEIR WHEELCHAIR. THEY CAN, WHEEL INTO IT AND EXPERIENCE THE FUN. AND I REALLY WANT TO THANK EVERYONE FOR MAKING THIS HAPPEN. I REALLY APPRECIATE IT. WELL, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. THANKS FOR JOINING US. WELCOME. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PARK? IT'S VERY GOOD OBVIOUSLY. AND I KIND OF LIKE IT. GREAT. WELL ARE YOU GOING TO GO PLAY? YEAH. ALL RIGHT. HAVE FUN, HAVE FUN. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT, THIS IS ALL ABOUT, RIGHT, CADEN AND HIS CLASSMATES AT RIVERSIDE ELEMENTARY WHO JOINED US TODAY.

IT JUST OPENS UP THAT THAT COMMUNICATION AND THAT COMMUNITY, KIDS WITHOUT DISABILITIES WILL NOT THEIR PLAY ISN'T IMPACTED WITH NOW HAVING KIDS WITH DISABILITIES COME AND JOIN THEM. SO IT OPENS UP THAT DIALOG. IT OPENS UP THAT RELATIONSHIP AND THAT COMMUNICATION AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, THAT UNDERSTANDING OF EVERYBODY IN OUR HUMANITY.

WALKING AROUND TODAY WITHOUT YOUR IDENTIFICATION AND SEE HOW MANY TIMES YOU REACH FOR YOUR WALLET AND IF YOU DON'T HAVE IT, WHAT YOU CANNOT DO. VERY EXCITED, HAPPY AND PROUD THAT THAT THIS PROJECT HAS FINALLY COME TO FRUITION. BECAUSE THIS IS AN INITIATIVE THAT THE COUNTY STARTED WORKING ON, ALONG WITH BORDER NETWORK FOR HUMAN RIGHTS. MANY MANY YEARS AGO, NINE, ALMOST TEN YEARS AGO. I KNOW THE GOVERNMENT WORKED SLOW, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE PERSEVERED AND WE DIDN'T GIVE UP. WE DID HAVE TO TALK TO ALL OF OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS LIBRARY CARD WOULD BE ACCEPTED AS A FORM OF ID, AND I'M REALLY HAPPY TO REPORT THAT EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS WHY THIS PROGRAM IS IMPORTANT. IT'S A VERY GOOD PROGRAM THAT CAME OVER HERE, ESPECIALLY HERE IN FABENS, THE COMMUNITY NEEDS SOMETHING LIKE THIS, TO BE ENHANCED AND FOR EVERYBODY TO KNOW. AND IT WILL HELP ALL OF US. YOU HAVE A DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES WHO JUST CAN'T GET THAT STATE ISSUED ID, BUT BECAUSE THEY HAVE ACCESS TO THIS ENHANCED LIBRARY CARD, THEY'LL BE ABLE TO ENGAGE IN A LOT OF ACTIVITIES THAT THEY WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO OTHERWISE.

THIS IS GOING TO HELP PEOPLE ACCESS BANKING SERVICES, HEALTHCARE, MEDICAL SERVICES. IT

[03:00:04]

[03:05:01]

[03:10:04]

SOMEBODY MAKE SOME NOISE. SO TODAY WE ARE CELEBRATING THE 4TH OF JULY HERE AT ASCARATE PARK.

WE'RE IN A COUPLE OF HOURS. ONCE IT GETS DARK, WE'LL HAVE A BEAUTIFUL FIREWORKS DISPLAY FOR THE COMMUNITY. YOU KNOW, ASCARATE PARK IS THE HEART OF EL PASO COUNTY, THIS IS OUR COUNTY PARK WHERE FAMILIES FOR GENERATIONS HAVE LOVED TO COME AND PLAY AND FISH, SO WE'RE REALLY HAPPY TO BE ABLE TO OPEN UP THE PARK ON THE 4TH OF JULY. SO HOPEFULLY IF THERE'S FAMILIES OUT THERE THAT WEREN'T ABLE TO MAKE IT THIS YEAR, WE DEFINITELY WANT TO INVITE THEM TO JOIN US NEXT YEAR. HEY WE'RE GETTING OUR 4TH OF JULY GLASSES. YEAH. PUT THEM JULY 4TH. THIS YEAR WE'RE DOING OUR VIP EVENT, WHICH I'M STANDING IN FRONT OF RIGHT NOW HERE AT THE PAVILION, OUR SPECIAL EVENTS AREA. IT'S THE FIRST TIME WE'VE DONE IT HERE. SO IT'S WHERE YOU GET YOUR OWN PERSONAL TABLE. YOU HAVE, AREAS WHERE YOU CAN PLAY GAMES. WE HAVE BLOW UP SLIDES FOR THE CHILDREN. WE EVEN HAVE A MOVIE INDOORS. IF THE KIDS WOULD PREFER TO WATCH A MOVIE OVER FIREWORKS, BUT THE TICKETS FOR OUR VIP AREA THIS YEAR WERE $45 FOR ADULTS, AND THAT PROVIDED A BRISKET DINNER. AND THEN FOR THE REST OF THE PUBLIC, NOT AT THE VIP EVENT. WE HAVE MULTIPLE FOOD TRUCKS OVER HERE AT THE SPECIAL EVENTS AREA AND ON OUR LAWN. IF YOU HAVE NOT BEEN TO A FIREWORKS SHOW IN A SCOUT AT THE PARK, COME ON OUT. IT'S A IT'S A FUN TIME. PEOPLE ARE ENJOYING IT.

YOU KNOW, PARKS ARE A PLACE OF DEMOCRACY WHERE WE ALL, YOU KNOW, ALL WALKS OF LIFE ARE COMING TOGETHER AND SHARING. SO THAT'S KIND OF THE BEAUTY OF IT HERE ON INDEPENDENCE DAY. YEAH.

HIGH FIVE. TODAY IS THE 4TH OF JULY OF THIS YEAR, 2024. I WAS NOT KNOWING WHAT TO DO HERE IN EL PASO AS A NEW RESIDENT, AND I LOOKED INTO SOME RESOURCES. I WAS ABLE TO DISCOVER THAT HERE IN ASCARATE PARK THEY HAD A GREAT FIREWORKS EVENT. THERE'S A NEW RESIDENT HERE TO THE COUNTY OF EL PASO. I'M QUITE IMPRESSED. I'M I FEEL VERY COMFORTABLE. I'M VERY GRATEFUL THAT WE HAVE SOMETHING LIKE THIS EXISTING, YOU KNOW, WHERE I'M HERE WITH MY THREE BOYS. YOU KNOW, WE'RE IN A SAFE ENVIRONMENT. I CAN'T ASK FOR MORE. I'M REALLY HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY. EL PASO. I LOVE.

THAT WAS COOL. WE ARE AT EL PASO'S LARGEST ALL ABILITIES PLAYGROUND. THIS IS A PROJECT THAT HAS BEEN MANY YEARS IN THE MAKING. BUT I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU AGAIN. AND THIS HAS BEEN A BEAUTIFUL PROJECT. AND EVERYONE IN THE COMMUNITY IS SO EXCITED. YOU KNOW, THIS IS A GREAT PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE ORGANIZATION MOMS ON BOARD, THE NONPROFIT, THE COUNTY OF EL PASO, THE TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE DEPARTMENT. TOGETHER WE CREATED THE PLAN OF HAVING THREE ALL ABILITIES PARKS INSTEAD OF JUST ONE. SO THAT WE COULD HAVE REACHED ALL CORNERS OF THE COUNTY. WOW SO THERE'S THE FIRST ONE THAT OPENED WAS GALLEGOS PARK IN THE FAR WEST AND FAR EAST WAS RISINGER IN FABENS. AND THIS ONE FINALLY TODAY, CENTRAL ASCARATE ONE, TWO, THREE WAY.

THE FLOORING IS ALSO ESPECIALLY MADE AND CONDUCIVE TO FOLKS WITH WITH DIFFERENT TYPES OF ABILITIES. AND SO YOU KNOW WE'VE GOT SLIDES I MEAN IT'S A GREAT PLAYGROUND SWINGS. THERE YOU GO.

[03:15:06]

I REALLY APPRECIATE IT. WELL, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. THANKS FOR JOINING US. YOU'RE WELCOME.

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PARK? IT'S VERY GOOD, OBVIOUSLY. AND I KIND OF LIKE IT. GREAT. WELL ARE YOU GOING TO GO PLAY? YEAH. ALL RIGHT. HAVE FUN, HAVE FUN. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU.

THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT, THIS IS ALL ABOUT, RIGHT? CADEN AND HIS CLASSMATES AT RIVERSIDE ELEMENTARY WHO JOINED US TODAY. IT JUST OPENS UP THAT THAT COMMUNICATION AND THAT COMMUNITY, KIDS WITHOUT DISABILITIES WILL NOT. THEIR PLAY ISN'T IMPACTED WITH NOW HAVING KIDS WITH DISABILITIES COME AND JOIN THEM. SO IT OPENS UP THAT DIALOG. IT OPENS UP THAT RELATIONSHIP AND THAT COMMUNICATION AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, THAT UNDERSTANDING OF EVERYBODY IN OUR HUMANITY. WALK AROUND A DAY WITHOUT YOUR IDENTIFICATION AND SEE HOW MANY TIMES YOU REACH FOR YOUR WALLET. AND IF YOU DON'T HAVE IT, WHAT YOU CANNOT DO VERY EXCITED, HAPPY AND PROUD THAT THAT THIS PROJECT HAS FINALLY COME TO FRUITION. BECAUSE THIS IS AN INITIATIVE THAT THE COUNTY STARTED WORKING ON, ALONG WITH BORDER NETWORK FOR HUMAN RIGHTS MANY, MANY YEARS AGO. NINE, ALMOST TEN YEARS AGO, I KNOW THE GOVERNMENT WORKS SLOW, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE PERSEVERED AND WE DIDN'T GIVE UP. WE DID HAVE TO TALK TO ALL OF OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS LIBRARY CARD WOULD BE ACCEPTED AS A FORM OF ID, AND I'M REALLY HAPPY TO REPORT THAT EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS WHY THIS PROGRAM IS IMPORTANT. IT'S A VERY GOOD PROGRAM THAT CAME OVER HERE, ESPECIALLY HERE IN FABENS, THE COMMUNITY NEEDS SOMETHING LIKE THIS, TO BE ENHANCED AND FOR EVERYBODY TO KNOW. AND IT WILL HELP ALL OF US. YOU HAVE A DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES WHO JUST CAN'T GET THAT STATE ISSUED ID, BUT BECAUSE THEY HAVE ACCESS TO THIS ENHANCED LIBRARY CARD, THEY'LL BE ABLE TO ENGAGE IN A LOT OF ACTIVITIES THAT THEY WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO OTHERWISE. THIS IS GOING TO HELP PEOPLE ACCESS BANKING SERVICES, HEALTH CARE, MEDICAL SERVICES. IT'LL HELP FOLKS WITH SCHOOLS WITH LIBRARIES, YOU'VE GOT FOLKS WHO NEED TO BE ABLE TO GET COPIES OF THEIR KIDS BIRTH CERTIFICATES FROM THE COUNTY CLERK, WHO CAN NOW USE THIS ID TO DO THAT AS WELL. YOU HAVE PEOPLE WHO MAYBE DON'T HAVE AN ID AND SO ARE AFRAID TO REPORT THAT THEY'VE BEEN THE VICTIM OF A CRIME TO POLICE, BECAUSE THEY KNOW THAT THE POLICE MIGHT ASK THEM FOR ID. SO NOW HAVING THIS ENHANCED LIBRARY CARD WILL GIVE THEM THAT SECURITY THAT THEY KNOW THEY CAN CALL AND ASK THE POLICE FOR HELP. THIS IS A GREAT EXAMPLE OF A PARTNERSHIP THAT WE HAVE WITH THE CITY. WE CAN DO MORE OF THESE. I THINK IF WE TRY, WE ARE PROVIDING ONE MORE LEVEL OF INCLUSIVITY FOR ALL OF THE RESIDENTS HERE IN EL PASO.

THAT'S WHAT I THINK THE COUNTY HAS ESPOUSED. THE VALUE OF, BEING INCLUSIVE AND THIS, I THINK, EMBODIES THAT. I BET YOU'VE HEARD ABOUT ROUTE 66, BUT WHAT ABOUT THE MISSION TRAIL? IT MAY BE ONLY NINE MILES LONG, BUT IT'S A VERY SPECIAL PART OF THE AREA NEAR EL PASO. AND IT MIGHT JUST BE A FUN VACATION FOR THE ENTIRE FAMILY. EL PASO COUNTY COMMISSIONER OF PRECINCT 13, ILIANA HOLGUIN, JOINS ME THIS MORNING. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE. THANK YOU, DARYL, FOR THE INVITATION. EL PASO, I'VE HEARD ABOUT EL PASO. I'VE NEVER BEEN, BUT NOW I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU EVERYTHING I CAN ABOUT EL PASO. AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE. BECAUSE WE WANT TO INVITE PEOPLE TO COME AND GET TO KNOW EL PASO. SPECIFICALLY, WE'RE KICKING OFF THE TOURIST SEASON ALONG THE MISSION TRAIL, WHICH, LIKE YOU SAID, IS A NINE MILE STRETCH OF ROAD ENCOMPASSING THREE HISTORIC MISSIONS. THESE MISSIONS REPRESENT ABOUT 350 YEARS OF OUR CULTURE, OUR HISTORY, OUR TRADITIONS. ON ANY GIVEN WEEKEND, YOU CAN STILL SEE WEDDINGS BEING PERFORMED QUINCEANERAS THE TIGUA CULTURAL DANCERS. SO THESE ARE STILL ACTIVE MISSIONS THAT ARE VERY MUCH A PART OF THE COMMUNITY. WE HAVE WONDERFUL ART GALLERIES THERE. IF YOU LIKE ART, WE'VE GOT GREAT RESTAURANTS, A BREWERY, CAFES AND OF COURSE, THE SPEAKING ROCK ENTERTAINMENT CENTER, WHICH OFFERS FREE CONCERTS EVERY SINGLE WEEKEND.

SO I MUST SAY, EL PASO HAS TO BE A MUST VISIT DESTINATION BECAUSE THEY DON'T MAKE DOCUMENTARIES ABOUT ANYTHING. NOWADAYS, THERE'S A DOCUMENTARY THAT WAS JUST MADE ABOUT EL PASO. YEAH, WE'RE VERY PROUD OF ALL OF THE NATIONAL ATTENTION THAT EL PASO IS RECEIVING, AND JUST TO

[03:20:03]

SO FOR EXAMPLE, NEAR THE SOCORRO MISSION IN SOCORRO, TEXAS, WE HAVE A NEW BREWERY, WE HAVE A CAFE. WE HAVE SOME GREAT RESTAURANTS, AND THEN IF YOU WANT TO GO TO THE YSLETA MISSION, THAT'S WHERE WE IT'S LOCATED RIGHT NEXT TO SPEAKING ROCK ENTERTAINMENT CENTER, WHERE, AS I MENTIONED, THEY HAVE A LOT OF FREE CONCERTS. YOU ALSO HAVE A LOT OF TIGUA POTTERY. SO THAT'S THE HOME OF THE YSLETA DEL SUR PUEBLO. SO YOU HAVE A LOT OF NATIVE POTTERY THERE.

THEY BAKE THEIR BREAD FRESH IN THE OVEN, SO YOU CAN SEE HOW BREAD IS BAKED IN THE OLD TRADITION. SO IT'S JUST REALLY GREAT. THERE'S PLENTY FOR EVERYONE TO ENJOY. IT SOUNDS LIKE IT'S A LOT OF HISTORY, BUT YOU GUYS HAVE INCORPORATED A LOT OF ENTERTAINMENT TO BRING THAT INTO LEARNING HISTORY ABOUT EL PASO. DEFINITELY. SO WE'RE REALLY PROUD OF OUR HERITAGE AND OUR TRADITIONS. AND ONE OF THE NEATEST THINGS I THINK ABOUT THE MISSIONS IS THAT THEY'RE STILL VERY ACTIVE PARTS OF OUR COMMUNITY. SO A LOT OF TIMES YOU GO TO HISTORICAL PLACES AND YOU KNOW, THEY'RE ROPED OFF AND YOU CAN'T REALLY GO IN. YOU KIND OF HAVE TO SEE THEM FROM AFAR. AND THAT'S NOT THE CASE WITH OUR MISSIONS, WITH OUR MISSIONS, THEY'RE STILL VERY ACTIVE. SO MASS IS STILL HELD THERE ON SUNDAYS. OKAY. SO FOR SOMEONE WHO'S NEVER BEEN TO EL PASO, WHAT'S THE PERFECT BLUEPRINT TO REALLY ENJOY EL PASO FOR THE FIRST TIME? WELL, WE HAVE SO MUCH TO DO. WE HAVE SO MANY ATTRACTIONS, SO DEFINITELY, YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO START WITH THE MISSION TRAIL. WE WANT TO INVITE EVERYONE TO COME OUT TO THE MISSION TRAIL, BUT WE ALSO HAVE WATER PARKS. WE ALSO HAVE A BASEBALL STADIUM. SO WE HAVE A LOT TO DO IN EL PASO. AND I THINK A LOT OF TIMES EL PASO IS YOU KNOW, FOLKS KIND OF DRIVE THROUGH EL PASO ON THEIR WAY TO SOMEWHERE ELSE, BUT IT'S JUST SO WORTH IT TO STOP FOR A FEW DAYS AND SPEND TIME IN EL PASO. WE DEFINITELY WANT EL PASO TO BECOME A DESTINATION. CITY COMMISSIONER ILIANA HOLGUIN THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING ME THIS MORNING. THANK YOU FOR THE INVITATION. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO LEARN MORE INFORMATION ABOUT EL PASO OR PLANNING YOUR VACATION TO THIS AMAZING DESTINATION, YOU CAN GO TO THE WEBSITE YOU SEE ON YOUR SCREEN.

[03:27:37]

THIS YEAR WE'RE DOING OUR VIP EVENT, WHICH I'M STANDING IN FRONT OF RIGHT NOW HERE AT THE PAVILION. OUR SPECIAL EVENTS AREA. IT'S THE FIRST TIME WE'VE DONE IT HERE. SO IT'S WHERE YOU GET YOUR OWN PERSONAL TABLE. YOU HAVE, AREAS WHERE YOU CAN PLAY GAMES. WE HAVE BLOW UP SLIDES FOR THE CHILDREN. WE EVEN HAVE A MOVIE INDOORS. IF THE KIDS WOULD PREFER TO WATCH A MOVIE OVER FIREWORKS, BUT THE TICKETS FOR OUR VIP AREA THIS YEAR WERE $45 FOR ADULTS, AND THAT PROVIDED A

[03:30:01]

HIGH FIVE. TODAY IS THE 4TH OF JULY OF THIS YEAR, 2024. I WAS NOT KNOWING WHAT TO DO HERE IN EL PASO AS A NEW RESIDENT, AND I LOOKED INTO SOME RESOURCES, I WAS ABLE TO DISCOVER THAT HERE IN ASCARATE PARK, THEY HAD A GREAT FIREWORKS EVENT. THERE'S A NEW RESIDENT HERE TO THE COUNTY OF EL PASO. I'M QUITE IMPRESSED. I'M I FEEL VERY COMFORTABLE. I'M VERY GRATEFUL THAT WE HAVE SOMETHING LIKE THIS EXISTING, YOU KNOW, WHERE I'M HERE WITH MY THREE BOYS. YOU KNOW, WE'RE IN A SAFE ENVIRONMENT. I CAN'T ASK FOR MORE. REALLY HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY, EL PASO. I LOVE.

THAT WAS COOL. WE ARE AT EL PASO'S LARGEST ALL ABILITIES PLAYGROUND. THIS IS A PROJECT THAT HAS BEEN MANY YEARS IN THE MAKING. BUT I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU AGAIN. AND THIS HAS BEEN A BEAUTIFUL PROJECT. AND EVERYONE IN THE COMMUNITY IS SO EXCITED. YOU KNOW, THIS IS A GREAT PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE ORGANIZATION MOMS ON BOARD, THE NONPROFIT, THE COUNTY OF EL PASO, THE TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE DEPARTMENT. TOGETHER, WE CREATED THE PLAN OF HAVING THREE ALL ABILITIES PARKS INSTEAD OF JUST ONE, SO THAT WE COULD HAVE REACHED ALL CORNERS OF THE COUNTY. WOW SO THERE'S THE FIRST ONE THAT OPENED WAS GALLEGOS PARK IN THE FAR WEST, AND FAR EAST WAS RISINGER IN FABENS. AND THIS ONE FINALLY TODAY, CENTRAL ASCARATE ONE, TWO, THREE WAY. THE FLOORING IS ALSO SPECIALLY MADE AND CONDUCIVE TO FOLKS WITH WITH DIFFERENT TYPES OF ABILITIES. AND SO, YOU KNOW WE'VE GOT SLIDES. I MEAN IT'S A GREAT PLAYGROUND SWINGS. THERE YOU GO. READY AT THE AMENITIES. AND THE PLAY STRUCTURES ARE MORE INCLUSIVE. THEY ALLOW FOR WHEELED DEVICES TO BE UTILIZED. SO FOR EXAMPLE, THIS ONE OVER HERE, THE SWAY FUN. IT'S A SEESAW. BUT A CHILD OR A PERSON WHO'S USING A WHEELED A WHEELCHAIR DOES NOT NEED TO EXIT THEIR WHEELCHAIR. THEY CAN, WHEEL INTO IT AND EXPERIENCE THE FUN. AND I REALLY WANT TO THANK EVERYONE FOR MAKING THIS HAPPEN. I REALLY APPRECIATE IT. WELL, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. THANKS FOR JOINING US. YOU'RE WELCOME. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PARK? IT'S VERY GOOD, OBVIOUSLY. AND I KIND OF LIKE IT. GREAT. WELL, ARE YOU GOING TO GO PLAY? YEAH.

ALL RIGHT. HAVE FUN, HAVE FUN. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT, THIS IS ALL ABOUT, RIGHT, CADEN AND HIS CLASSMATES AT RIVERSIDE ELEMENTARY WHO JOINED US TODAY.

IT JUST OPENS UP THAT THAT COMMUNICATION AND THAT COMMUNITY, KIDS WITHOUT DISABILITIES WILL NOT THEIR PLAY ISN'T IMPACTED WITH NOW HAVING KIDS WITH DISABILITIES COME AND JOIN THEM. SO IT OPENS UP THAT DIALOG. IT OPENS UP THAT RELATIONSHIP. AND THAT COMMUNICATION AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, THAT UNDERSTANDING OF EVERYBODY IN OUR HUMANITY.

WALK AROUND A DAY WITHOUT YOUR IDENTIFICATION AND SEE HOW MANY TIMES YOU REACH FOR YOUR WALLET.

AND IF YOU DON'T HAVE IT, WHAT YOU CANNOT DO. VERY EXCITED, HAPPY AND PROUD THAT THAT THIS PROJECT HAS FINALLY COME TO FRUITION. BECAUSE THIS IS AN INITIATIVE THAT THE COUNTY STARTED WORKING ON, ALONG WITH BORDER NETWORK FOR HUMAN RIGHTS, MANY, MANY YEARS AGO, NINE, ALMOST TEN YEARS AGO, I KNOW THE GOVERNMENT WORKS SLOW, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE PERSEVERED AND WE DIDN'T GIVE UP. WE DID HAVE TO TALK TO ALL OF OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS LIBRARY CARD WOULD BE ACCEPTED AS A FORM OF ID, AND I'M REALLY HAPPY TO REPORT THAT EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS WHY THIS PROGRAM IS IMPORTANT. IT'S A VERY GOOD PROGRAM THAT CAME OVER HERE, ESPECIALLY HERE IN FABENS, THE COMMUNITY NEEDS SOMETHING LIKE THIS, TO BE ENHANCED AND FOR EVERYBODY TO KNOW. AND IT WILL HELP ALL OF US. YOU HAVE A DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES WHO JUST CAN'T GET THAT STATE ISSUED ID, BUT BECAUSE THEY HAVE ACCESS TO THIS ENHANCED LIBRARY CARD,

[03:35:04]

THIS IS GOING TO HELP PEOPLE ACCESS BANKING SERVICES, HEALTHCARE, MEDICAL SERVICES. IT WILL HELP FOLKS WITH SCHOOLS WITH LIBRARIES, YOU'VE GOT FOLKS WHO NEED TO BE ABLE TO GET COPIES OF THEIR KIDS BIRTH CERTIFICATES FROM THE COUNTY CLERK WHO CAN NOW USE THIS ID TO DO THAT AS WELL. YOU HAVE PEOPLE WHO MAYBE DON'T HAVE AN ID AND SO ARE AFRAID TO REPORT THAT THEY'VE BEEN THE VICTIM OF A CRIME TO POLICE BECAUSE THEY KNOW THAT THE POLICE MIGHT ASK THEM FOR ID. SO NOW HAVING THIS ENHANCED LIBRARY CARD WILL GIVE THEM THAT SECURITY THAT THEY KNOW THEY CAN CALL AND ASK THE POLICE FOR HELP. THIS IS A GREAT EXAMPLE OF A PARTNERSHIP THAT WE HAVE WITH THE CITY. WE CAN DO MORE OF THESE. I THINK IF WE TRY, WE ARE PROVIDING ONE MORE LEVEL OF INCLUSIVITY FOR ALL OF THE RESIDENTS HERE IN EL PASO. THAT'S WHAT I THINK THE COUNTY HAS ESPOUSED. THE VALUE OF, BEING INCLUSIVE. AND THIS, I THINK, EMBODIES THAT. I BET YOU'VE HEARD ABOUT ROUTE 66, BUT WHAT ABOUT THE MISSION TRAIL? IT MAY BE ONLY NINE MILES LONG, BUT IT'S A VERY SPECIAL PART OF THE AREA NEAR EL PASO, AND IT MIGHT JUST BE A FUN VACATION FOR THE ENTIRE FAMILY. EL PASO COUNTY COMMISSIONER OF PRECINCT 13, ILIANA HOLGUIN, JOINS ME THIS MORNING. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE. THANK YOU, DARYL, FOR THE INVITATION. EL PASO, I'VE HEARD ABOUT EL PASO. I'VE NEVER BEEN. BUT NOW I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU EVERYTHING I CAN ABOUT EL PASO. AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE, BECAUSE WE WANT TO INVITE PEOPLE TO COME AND GET TO KNOW EL PASO. SPECIFICALLY, WE'RE KICKING OFF THE TOURIST SEASON ALONG THE MISSION TRAIL, WHICH, LIKE YOU SAID, IS A NINE MILE STRETCH OF ROAD ENCOMPASSING THREE HISTORIC MISSIONS. THESE MISSIONS REPRESENT ABOUT 350 YEARS OF OUR CULTURE, OUR HISTORY, OUR TRADITIONS. ON ANY GIVEN WEEKEND, YOU CAN STILL SEE WEDDINGS BEING PERFORMED QUINCEANERAS THE TIGUA CULTURAL DANCERS. SO THESE ARE STILL ACTIVE MISSIONS THAT ARE VERY MUCH A PART OF THE COMMUNITY. WE HAVE WONDERFUL ART GALLERIES THERE. IF YOU LIKE ART, WE'VE GOT GREAT RESTAURANTS, A BREWERY, CAFES, AND OF COURSE THE SPEAKING ROCK ENTERTAINMENT CENTER, WHICH OFFERS FREE CONCERTS EVERY SINGLE WEEKEND. SO I MUST SAY, EL PASO HAS TO BE A MUST VISIT DESTINATION BECAUSE THEY DON'T MAKE DOCUMENTARIES ABOUT ANYTHING NOWADAYS. THERE'S A DOCUMENTARY THAT WAS JUST MADE ABOUT EL PASO. YEAH, WE'RE VERY PROUD OF ALL OF THE NATIONAL ATTENTION THAT EL PASO IS RECEIVING. AND JUST TO MENTION SOME MORE RECOGNITIONS THAT WE'RE VERY, VERY PROUD OF. SO FOR 2023, TEXAS TRAVEL MAGAZINE NAMED THE MISSION TRAIL THE BEST HISTORIC SITE IN TEXAS AND ONE OF THE SMALL COMMUNITIES LOCATED ALONG THE MISSION TRAIL. SAN ELIZARIO THE CITY OF SAN ELIZARIO, WHICH IS HOME TO THE PRESIDIO CHAPEL OF SAN ELIZARIO, WAS NAMED THE BEST HISTORIC SMALL TOWN IN AMERICA FOR 2023 BY USA TODAY. AND WHAT'S SPECIAL THAT YOU GUYS? I'M SURE YOU GUYS ARE GOING TO HAVE A LOT OF THINGS THAT ARE GOING TO BE HAPPENING OVER THE SUMMER, BUT THERE'S SOME SPECIAL STUFF THAT WILL BE HAPPENING THIS SUMMER.

WELL ON ANY THIRD SUNDAY OF THE MONTH, FOLKS CAN COME DOWN TO SAN ELIZARIO WHERE WE HAVE AN ART MARKET. WE HAVE A LOT OF WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL LOCAL ARTISTS WHO WILL SHOW OFF ALL OF THEIR ARTISTRY. WE ALSO HAVE A REENACTMENT OF BILLY THE KID BREAKING INTO THE WHAT WAS THEN THE EL PASO COUNTY JAIL TO BREAK OUT A FRIEND OF HIS FROM JAIL. SO WE HAVE SOME LOCAL ACTORS WHO DO A REENACTMENT, AND IT'S JUST A VERY FUN ENVIRONMENT. THERE'S A LOT TO DO, A LOT TO SEE. YOU CAN WALK AROUND, OF COURSE, EXPLORE THE CHAPEL. AND WE ALSO HAVE A LOT OF GREAT RESTAURANTS AND NEW BUSINESSES THAT HAVE OPENED UP. SO, FOR EXAMPLE, NEAR THE SOCORRO MISSION IN SOCORRO, TEXAS, WE HAVE A NEW BREWERY, WE HAVE A CAFE, WE HAVE SOME GREAT RESTAURANTS, AND THEN IF YOU WANT TO GO TO THE YSLETA MISSION, THAT'S WHERE WE IT'S LOCATED. RIGHT NEXT TO SPEAKING ROCK ENTERTAINMENT CENTER, WHERE, AS I MENTIONED, THEY HAVE A LOT OF FREE CONCERTS. YOU ALSO HAVE A LOT OF TIGUA POTTERY. SO THAT'S THE HOME OF THE YSLETA DEL SUR PUEBLO. SO YOU HAVE A LOT OF NATIVE POTTERY THERE. THEY BAKE THEIR BREAD FRESH IN THE OVEN SO YOU CAN SEE HOW BREAD IS BAKED IN THE OLD TRADITION. SO IT'S JUST REALLY GREAT. THERE'S PLENTY FOR EVERYONE TO ENJOY. IT SOUNDS LIKE IT'S A LOT OF HISTORY, BUT YOU GUYS HAVE INCORPORATED A LOT OF ENTERTAINMENT TO BRING THAT INTO LEARNING HISTORY. ABOUT EL PASO. DEFINITELY. SO WE'RE REALLY PROUD OF OUR HERITAGE AND OUR TRADITIONS, AND ONE OF THE NEATEST THINGS I THINK ABOUT THE MISSIONS IS THAT THEY'RE STILL VERY ACTIVE PARTS OF OUR COMMUNITY. SO A LOT OF TIMES YOU GO TO HISTORICAL PLACES AND YOU KNOW, THEY'RE ROPED OFF AND YOU CAN'T REALLY GO IN. YOU KIND OF HAVE TO SEE THEM FROM AFAR. AND THAT'S NOT THE CASE WITH OUR MISSIONS, WITH OUR MISSIONS, THEY'RE STILL VERY ACTIVE. SO MASS IS STILL HELD THERE ON SUNDAYS. OKAY. SO FOR SOMEONE WHO'S NEVER BEEN TO EL PASO, WHAT'S THE PERFECT BLUEPRINT TO REALLY ENJOY EL PASO FOR THE

[03:40:02]

[03:45:11]

I'M I FEEL VERY COMFORTABLE. I'M VERY GRATEFUL THAT WE HAVE SOMETHING LIKE THIS EXISTING, YOU KNOW, WHERE I'M HERE WITH MY THREE BOYS. YOU KNOW, WE'RE IN A SAFE ENVIRONMENT. I CAN'T ASK FOR MORE. REALLY HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY, EL PASO. HELL.

THAT WAS COOL. WE ARE AT EL PASO'S LARGEST ALL ABILITIES PLAYGROUND. THIS IS A PROJECT THAT HAS BEEN MANY YEARS IN THE MAKING. BUT I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU AGAIN. AND THIS HAS BEEN A BEAUTIFUL PROJECT. AND EVERYONE IN THE COMMUNITY IS SO EXCITED. YOU KNOW, THIS IS A GREAT PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE ORGANIZATION MOMS ON BOARD, THE NONPROFIT, THE COUNTY OF EL PASO, THE TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE DEPARTMENT. TOGETHER, WE CREATED THE PLAN OF HAVING THREE ALL ABILITIES PARKS INSTEAD OF JUST ONE, SO THAT WE COULD HAVE REACHED ALL CORNERS OF THE COUNTY. WOW SO THERE'S THE FIRST ONE THAT OPENED WAS GALLEGOS PARK IN THE FAR WEST AND FAR EAST WAS RISINGER IN FABENS. AND THIS ONE FINALLY TODAY, CENTRAL ASCARATE ONE, TWO, THREE. THE FLOORING IS ALSO ESPECIALLY MADE IN CONDUCIVE TO FOLKS WITH WITH DIFFERENT TYPES

[03:50:08]

YOU GO. READY THE AMENITIES AND THE PLAY STRUCTURES ARE MORE INCLUSIVE. THEY ALLOW FOR WHEELED DEVICES TO BE UTILIZED. SO FOR EXAMPLE, THIS ONE OVER HERE, THE SWAY. FUN. IT'S A SEESAW, BUT A CHILD OR A PERSON WHO'S USING A WHEELED A WHEELCHAIR DOES NOT NEED TO EXIT THEIR WHEELCHAIR. THEY CAN, WHEEL INTO IT AND EXPERIENCE TH, THE FUN. AND I REALLY WANT TO THANK EVERYONE FOR MAKING THIS HAPPEN. I REALLY APPRECIATE IT. WELL, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.

THANKS FOR JOINING US. YOU'RE WELCOME. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PARK? IT'S VERY GOOD, OBVIOUSLY. AND I KIND OF LIKE IT. GREAT. WELL ARE YOU GOING TO GO PLAY? YEAH. ALL RIGHT. HAVE FUN, HAVE FUN. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT, THIS IS ALL ABOUT, RIGHT, CADEN AND HIS CLASSMATES AT RIVERSIDE ELEMENTARY WHO JOINED US TODAY. IT JUST OPENS UP THAT THAT COMMUNICATION AND THAT COMMUNITY, KIDS WITHOUT DISABILITIES WILL NOT THEIR PLAY ISN'T IMPACTED WITH NOW HAVING KIDS WITH DISABILITIES COME AND JOIN THEM. SO IT OPENS UP THAT DIALOG. IT OPENS UP THAT RELATIONSHIP. AND THAT COMMUNICATION AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, THAT UNDERSTANDING OF EVERYBODY IN OUR HUMANITY. WALK AROUND A DAY WITHOUT YOUR IDENTIFICATION AND SEE HOW MANY TIMES YOU REACH FOR YOUR WALLET. AND IF YOU DON'T HAVE IT, WHAT YOU CANNOT DO. VERY EXCITED, HAPPY AND PROUD THAT THAT THIS PROJECT HAS FINALLY COME TO FRUITION. BECAUSE THIS IS AN INITIATIVE THAT THE COUNTY STARTED WORKING ON, ALONG WITH BORDER NETWORK FOR HUMAN RIGHTS. MANY, MANY YEARS AGO, NINE, ALMOST TEN YEARS AGO, I KNOW THE GOVERNMENT WORKS SLOW, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE PERSEVERED AND WE DIDN'T GIVE UP. WE DID HAVE TO TALK TO ALL OF OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS LIBRARY CARD WOULD BE ACCEPTED AS A FORM OF ID, AND I'M REALLY HAPPY TO REPORT THAT EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS WHY THIS PROGRAM IS IMPORTANT. IT'S A VERY GOOD PROGRAM THAT CAME OVER HERE, ESPECIALLY HERE IN FABENS, THE COMMUNITY NEEDS SOMETHING LIKE THIS, TO BE ENHANCED AND FOR EVERYBODY TO KNOW. AND IT WILL HELP ALL OF US. YOU HAVE A DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES WHO JUST CAN'T GET THAT STATE ISSUED ID, BUT BECAUSE THEY HAVE ACCESS TO THIS ENHANCED LIBRARY CARD, THEY'LL BE ABLE TO ENGAGE IN A LOT OF ACTIVITIES THAT THEY WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO OTHERWISE. THIS IS GOING TO HELP PEOPLE ACCESS BANKING SERVICES, HEALTHCARE, MEDICAL SERVICES. IT WILL HELP FOLKS WITH SCHOOLS, WITH LIBRARIES. YOU'VE GOT FOLKS WHO NEED TO BE ABLE TO GET COPIES OF THEIR KIDS BIRTH CERTIFICATES FROM THE COUNTY CLERK, WHO CAN NOW USE THIS ID TO DO THAT AS WELL. YOU HAVE PEOPLE WHO MAYBE DON'T HAVE AN ID AND SO ARE AFRAID TO REPORT THAT THEY'VE BEEN THE VICTIM OF A CRIME TO POLICE, BECAUSE THEY KNOW THAT THE POLICE MIGHT ASK THEM FOR ID. SO NOW HAVING THIS ENHANCED LIBRARY CARD WILL GIVE THEM THAT SECURITY THAT THEY KNOW THEY CAN CALL AND ASK THE POLICE FOR HELP. THIS IS A GREAT EXAMPLE OF A PARTNERSHIP THAT WE HAVE WITH THE CITY. WE CAN DO MORE OF THESE. I THINK IF WE TR, WE ARE PROVIDING ONE MORE LEVEL OF INCLUSIVITY FOR ALL OF THE RESIDENTS HERE IN EL PASO. THAT'S WHAT I THINK THE COUNTY HAS ESPOUSED. THE VALUE OF, BEING INCLUSIVE AND THIS, I THINK, EMBODIES THAT. I BET YOU'VE HEARD ABOUT ROUTE 66, BUT WHAT ABOUT THE MISSION TRAIL? IT MAY BE ONLY NINE MILES LONG, BUT IT'S A VERY SPECIAL PART OF THE AREA NEAR EL PASO. AND IT MIGHT JUST BE A FUN VACATION FOR THE ENTIRE FAMILY. EL PASO COUNTY COMMISSIONER OF PRECINCT 13, ILIANA HOLGUIN, JOINS ME THIS MORNING. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE. NO, THANK YOU, DARYL, FOR THE INVITATION. EL PASO, I'VE HEARD ABOUT EL PASO.

I'VE NEVER BEEN. BUT NOW I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU. EVERYTHING I CAN ABOUT EL PASO. AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE. BECAUSE WE WANT TO INVITE PEOPLE TO COME AND GET TO KNOW EL PASO. SPECIFICALLY, WE'RE KICKING OFF THE TOURIST SEASON ALONG THE MISSION TRAIL, WHICH, LIKE YOU SAID, IS A NINE MILE STRETCH OF ROAD ENCOMPASSING THREE HISTORIC MISSIONS. THESE MISSIONS REPRESENT ABOUT 350 YEARS OF OUR CULTURE, OUR HISTORY, OUR TRADITIONS ON ANY GIVEN WEEKEND, YOU CAN STILL SEE WEDDINGS BEING PERFORMED QUINCEANERAS THE TIGUA CULTURAL DANCERS. SO THESE ARE STILL ACTIVE MISSIONS THAT ARE VERY MUCH A PART OF THE COMMUNITY. WE HAVE WONDERFUL ART GALLERIES THERE. IF YOU LIKE ART, WE'VE GOT GREAT RESTAURANTS, A BREWERY, CAFES AND OF COURSE, THE SPEAKING ROCK ENTERTAINMENT CENTER, WHICH OFFERS FREE CONCERTS EVERY SINGLE WEEKEND. SO I MUST SAY, EL PASO HAS TO BE A MUST VISIT DESTINATION BECAUSE THEY DON'T MAKE DOCUMENTARIES ABOUT ANYTHING. NOWADAYS. THERE'S A DOCUMENTARY THAT WAS JUST MADE

[03:55:04]

SO FOR EXAMPLE, NEAR THE SOCORRO MISSION IN SOCORRO, TEXAS, WE HAVE A NEW BREWERY, WE HAVE A CAFE. WE HAVE SOME GREAT RESTAURANTS, AND THEN IF YOU WANT TO GO TO THE YSLETA MISSION, THAT'S WHERE WE IT'S LOCATED RIGHT NEXT TO SPEAKING ROCK ENTERTAINMENT CENTER, WHERE, AS I MENTIONED, THEY HAVE A LOT OF FREE CONCERTS. YOU ALSO HAVE A LOT OF TIGUA POTTERY. SO THAT'S THE HOME OF THE YSLETA DEL SUR PUEBLO. SO YOU HAVE A LOT OF NATIVE POTTERY THERE.

THEY BAKE THEIR BREAD FRESH IN THE OVEN, SO YOU CAN SEE HOW BREAD IS BAKED IN THE OLD TRADITION. SO IT'S JUST REALLY GREAT. THERE'S PLENTY FOR EVERYONE TO ENJOY. IT SOUNDS LIKE IT'S A LOT OF HISTORY, BUT YOU GUYS HAVE INCORPORATED A LOT OF ENTERTAINMENT TO BRING THAT INTO LEARNING HISTORY. ABOUT EL PASO. DEFINITELY. SO WE'RE REALLY PROUD OF OUR HERITAGE AND OUR TRADITIONS. AND ONE OF THE NEATEST THINGS I THINK ABOUT THE MISSIONS IS THAT THEY'RE STILL VERY ACTIVE PARTS OF OUR COMMUNITY. SO A LOT OF TIMES YOU GO TO HISTORICAL PLACES AND YOU KNOW, THEY'RE ROPED OFF AND YOU CAN'T REALLY GO IN. YOU KIND OF HAVE TO SEE THEM FROM AFAR. AND THAT'S NOT THE CASE WITH OUR MISSIONS. WITH OUR MISSIONS, THEY'RE STILL VERY ACTIVE. SO MASS IS STILL HELD THERE ON SUNDAYS. OKAY. SO FOR SOMEONE WHO'S NEVER BEEN TO EL PASO, WHAT'S THE PERFECT BLUEPRINT TO REALLY ENJOY EL PASO FOR THE FIRST TIME? WELL, WE HAVE SO MUCH TO DO. WE HAVE SO MANY ATTRACTIONS, SO DEFINITELY, YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO START WITH THE MISSION TRAIL. WE WANT TO INVITE EVERYONE TO COME OUT TO THE MISSION TRAIL, BUT WE ALSO HAVE WATER PARKS. WE ALSO HAVE A BASEBALL STADIUM. SO WE HAVE A LOT TO DO IN EL PASO. AND I THINK A LOT OF TIMES EL PASO IS YOU KNOW, FOLKS KIND OF DRIVE THROUGH EL PASO ON THEIR WAY TO SOMEWHERE ELSE, BUT IT'S JUST SO WORTH IT TO STOP FOR A FEW DAYS AND SPEND TIME IN EL PASO. WE DEFINITELY WANT EL PASO TO BECOME A DESTINATION. CITY COMMISSIONER ILIANA HOLGUIN THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING ME THIS MORNING. THANK YOU FOR THE INVITATION. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO LEARN MORE INFORMATION ABOUT EL PASO OR PLANNING YOUR VACATION TO THIS AMAZING DESTINATION, YOU CAN GO TO THE WEBSITE YOU SEE ON YOUR SCREEN.

GO AHEAD. COMMISSIONERS COURT HAS RECONVENED TO REGULAR OPEN SESSION. WE'D LIKE TO GO TO THE

[R. Approve and authorize the County Judge to sign an agreement with MNK Architects, LLC. for the provision of professional services related to the design services for the Agrilife Office at the Ascarate Annex Site. Funding is available in CP-CO23A-MMANNEX-RENOVATIONS. (Contract No. 2024-0253) Norma Rivera-Palacios, Executive Director, Public Works, 915-273-3330]

[04:00:04]

NO, ONLY THESE TWO. OH, I'M SORRY, GO AHEAD. JOSE. NO COMMISSIONER. THIS IS WE HAVE FUNDS, AND THIS IS JUST FOR DESIGN. IF THE COURT I MEAN, IF THESE PROJECTS MOVE FORWARD TO BE FUNDED THROUGH THE COST OR GEOS, THEN THAT WOULD BE AN OPTION. BUT IF THAT'S NOT THE CASE, THEN WE WOULD HAVE THESE PROJECTS SHOVEL READY AND WE WOULD BE, ELIGIBLE TO GO AND APPLY FOR OTHER GRANTS OR OTHER SOURCES OF LOOK FOR OTHER SOURCES OF FUNDING TO FUND THESE TWO PROJECTS. SO IF THE BONDS ARE APPROVED, WHETHER IT'S A GEO OR A CO, THEN THESE FUNDS FOR THESE SERVICES WILL COME OUT OF THE BOND PROCEEDS OR NO, NO, I BELIEVE THESE, THESE HAVE BEEN ACCOUNTED FOR IN THE PROJECT COST THAT WE'VE SEEN. SO THESE WOULD ACTUALLY BE, SPENT NOW WE COULD DO A WE AND I APOLOGIZE. SO WITH COUNTY ADMINISTRATION, WE COULD ADD FUNDING, A FUNDING REIMBURSEMENT RESOLUTION TO THE ORDER TO ALLOW US TO RECOVER ANY COSTS THAT WE MAY HAVE INCURRED.

BUT I BELIEVE THESE PROJECTS HAVE ACTUALLY ALREADY HAD THIS DESIGN ACCOUNTED FOR, AND THE PROJECT COST HAS BEEN SHARED WITH THE BOC AND WITH THE COMMISSIONERS COURT. OKAY AND SO THE, THE FUNDS ARE BUDGETED ALREADY FOR THESE TWO SPECIFIC FOR THE DESIGN WORK, FOR THESE TWO SPECIFIC PROJECTS. THEY'RE ALREADY IN OUR BUDGET, I BELIEVE. SO YES, MA'AM. EVEN THE CORBIN ZAMBRANO EVEN HAS A GRANT THAT WILL BE USED FOR THAT PROJECT. THERE'S SOME AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT FUNDING ASSOCIATED WITH THAT ONE AS WELL. I THINK IT'S A IT'S A COMBINATION OF, OF AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT FUNDING AND SOME OF THE OPIOID SETTLEMENT MONEY THAT'S BEEN MADE AVAILABLE. AND THAT'S THE TOTAL 800 OR THE 800 IS ON TOP OF WHATEVER OTHER MONIES ARE AVAILABLE. DO YOU NOT KNOW THE EXACT BREAKDOWN, JOEL? I DON'T KNOW IF STILL HAS MORE INFORMATION TO KEEP TAGGING PEOPLE UNTIL WE CAN COMPLETELY ANSWER YOUR QUESTION.

COMMISSIONER GOOD AFTERNOON, COMMISSIONERS. JOEL BISHOP WITH COUNTY ADMINISTRATION, COUNTY JUDGE. THE THREE FUNDING SOURCES FOR THE DEMOLITION AND DESIGN ARE FROM THE OPIOID SETTLEMENT THAT WAS A 500,000 ABOUT, I THINK, 1.25 MILLION FROM ARPA. AND THEN THERE'S ANOTHER 850,000 COMING IN FROM THE, A CONGRESSIONAL GRANT FROM CONGRESSWOMAN ESCOBAR. SO THOSE BETWEEN THOSE THREE AND THAT WILL BE FOR MORE OF THE DIRT WORK. THAT'S COMING. BUT, THE DESIGN IS ALREADY COVERED AND IS NOT PART OF THE BOND. AND THAT REDUCED THE BOND AMOUNT. SO THEY DID AN ADJUSTMENT AND IT REDUCED IT. FOR IT PROPORTIONATELY. OKAY. GREAT. AND THE SAME IS TRUE FOR THE AGRILIFE OFFICE AT ASCARATE, THAT FUNDING, IS SEPARATE AND APART FROM THE BOND PROCEEDS. YES COMMISSIONER. SO THAT ONE IS ACTUALLY FUNDED THROUGH, A PREVIOUS DEBT ISSUANCE THAT WE DID IN 2023. THE INITIAL THOUGHT WAS THE FUNDING THAT HAD BEEN PUT INTO THAT COULD HAVE DONE THE DESIGN AND THE CONSTRUCTION. BUT AFTER MEETING WITH ALL THE OFFICES INVOLVED, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT A LARGER SPACE WAS NEEDED. AND SO THAT'S THE REASON WHY THAT TURNED INTO A LARGER BOND PROJECT. AND YOU SEE THAT ONE ON YOUR PROJECT LISTING. BUT THE IDEA HERE IS, AS MISS PALACIOS MENTIONED, TO GET THE DESIGN GOING AT THE MINIMUM, AT THE MINIMUM, HAVE A SHOVEL READY PROJECT. ONCE THAT PROJECT COMES AND THEN IDENTIFY THE FUNDING OF THE CONSTRUCTION FUNDS FOR THAT PROJECT. OKAY GREAT. THOSE ARE ALL MY QUESTIONS.

OKAY. WE HAVE A MOTION BY JUDGE SAMANIEGO, SECOND BY COMMISSIONER OLGUIN. THE VOTING IS OPEN. MOTION CARRIES. AND NOW TO ITEM TEN. B, DISCUSS AND TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION TO DIRECT STAFF TO INCLUDE THE SUN BOWL IMPROVEMENTS FOR FURTHER CONSIDERATION IN ANY POTENTIAL CAPITAL FUNDING ITEMS. WELL, THANK YOU. JUST WANTED MORE THAN ANYTHING WANTED THE OPPORTUNITY.

[B. Discuss and take appropriate action to direct staff to include the Sun Bowl improvements for further consideration in any potential capital funding items. Ricardo A. Samaniego, County Judge, County Judge’s Office, 915-546-2098]

[04:05:03]

THEY'RE LIMITED TO, TO THAT BECAUSE RIGHT NOW THE ENTRANCE IS VERY NARROW, THE FACT THAT THAT WE GET A LOT OF GREAT COMMENTS FROM THE SUN BOWL, I MEAN, SECOND OLDEST SUN BOWL IN THE COUNTRY AND IT YET IT HAS HORRIBLE FACILITIES FOR THE GUEST OR THE, THE, THE GUEST TEAM, AND EVEN THE ONE FOR THE ACTUAL THE TEAMS ARE NOT THAT THAT. WELL BUT THE, THE ONES THAT ARE PRETTY DEPLORABLE ARE THE ONES FOR THE GUEST TEAM, HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO TALK TO BERNIE OLIVAS, WHO'S THE PRESIDENT OF THE SUN BOWL ASSOCIATION, AND HE ALSO FEELS THAT THAT WE'RE LOSING OUT ON OPPORTUNITIES. THEY THEY DO STRUGGLE IF THERE'S ANY OPPORTUNITY FOR SOMEBODY NOT TO WANT TO PLAY AT THE SUN BOWL WHEN IT'S BY BY THE, THE STANDINGS AND THE WAY THE SEASON ENDS, SOMETIMES THEY'RE SORT OF, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE PIGEONHOLED INTO CERTAIN SUN BOWLS. I MEAN TO CERTAIN BOWLS. BUT WHEN THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO CHOOSE, IT'S ALWAYS A FACILITY THAT GETS THEM TO GET THE LESSER TEAM. AND SO LIKE I SAID, I JUST WANTED AN OPPORTUNITY TO SEE WHAT WAS FELT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THIS IDEA OF TAKING IT TO THE, TO THE VOTER INSTEAD OF US SORT OF ELIMINATING IT. I REALIZE THE HUGE CHALLENGES THAT WHENEVER YOU PUT SOMETHING IN, LIKE THIS, THEN YOU ALSO HAVE TO TAKE SOMETHING OUT. AND THEN I'M VERY AWARE OF THAT. BUT I STILL THINK IT'S A REVENUE OPPORTUNITY. IT DOES HAVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE. IT DOES PUT US AT A DIFFERENT SITUATION, AS A COMMUNITY. I MEAN, THERE'S NOTHING THAT'S GOING TO RAISE OR STANDARD AS A COMMUNITY THAN HAVING THAT EXPOSURE OF EVENTS AND CONCERTS COMING IN, REMEMBER, YOU KNOW, THE LA HOYA, MOST 45,000 PEOPLE WENT THERE AND, YOU KNOW, IT WAS PRETTY EXCITING TO HAVE THAT NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN ONE PLACE. AND I STILL THINK WE HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY TO THINK ABOUT. AND I'VE BEEN PUSHING HARD, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S GOING TO BRING REVENUE VERSUS WHAT'S GOING TO BE AN EXPENSE OF REVENUE CAN THEN ADDRESS SOME OTHER SITUATIONS LIKE INFRASTRUCTURE AND SO FORTH, THAT WE COULD DO FROM OUR BUDGET IF WE INCREASE, YOU KNOW, THE OPPORTUNITY TO, TO GET MORE MONEY INTO OUR COMMUNITY. SO THAT'S WHAT I JUST WANTED, JUST TO SEE AND HEAR WHERE EVERYBODY'S AT AND LET THE COMMUNITY KNOW, BECAUSE THEY'VE THEY SAID, WE STILL DON'T UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW WHAT, WHAT'S GOING ON AS FAR AS WHAT THEIR PERCEPTION IS OF THE SUN BOWL OR HAVE HEARD MORE, DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THAT AND SO THAT'S THAT WAS THE INTENT OF THIS BRINGING IT UP AGAIN. COMMISSIONER CORONADO. JUDGE, THANK YOU, COMMISSIONERS, YOU KNOW, I'M I'M IN FAVOR OF THIS PROJECT. I JUST KNOW BECAUSE OF THE COMPETING PROJECTS THAT WE

[04:10:04]

I'D BE INTERESTED IN PURSUING OTHER, RESOURCES TO TRY AND GET THIS, BECAUSE I THINK IT'S SOMETHING REALLY VALUABLE TO THE COMMUNITY. YOU'RE RIGHT. IT COULD NOT JUST BRING REVENUE, BUT IT CAN BRING ON, YOU KNOW, TOURISM, TO THE CITY. AND IT'S CLEAR, I MEAN, BECAUSE FOR THESE LARGE CONCERTS, I KNOW I'VE GONE OUT OF TOWN TO PHOENIX, SAN ANTONIO, DALLAS BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THEM, WE CAN'T ATTRACT THEM. AND SO I, YOU KNOW, I'M ALL IN FAVOR OF THIS. I JUST NEED, YOU KNOW, I WISH TO SEE HOW WE CAN FUND THIS, I MEAN, THERE'S REALLY NO OTHER AVENUE FOR MODESTY. THE PROJECTS WE DID OTHER THAN MAYBE TAKING A LITTLE BIT FROM WHAT'S PROPOSED AT THE COLISEUM. I'M ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MAINTENANCE THAT THE COLISEUM NEEDS, WHICH IS ABOUT 29, 30 MILLION. AND THEN THERE'S ANOTHER 30 MILLION THAT GOES BEHIND TO A SMALLER VENUE FOR MUSIC, BUT I DON'T I DON'T THINK EVEN THAT IS ENOUGH TO FUND THE 900 MILLION. THAT SYMBOL IS ASKING, BUT I THINK IT'S A WORTHWHILE PROJECT, I'M IN FAVOR OF EXPLORING WHATEVER OTHER RESOURCES WE MAY HAVE FOR IT. I THINK IT'D BE GREAT FOR THE COMMUNITY, WE CAN FINALLY START ATTRACTING, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE TO COME TO OUR CITY FROM OUT OF TOWN AND ENJOY THE OTHER AMENITIES THAT WE HAVE, LIKE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE MISSIONS AND OUR OUR MOUNTAINS, OUR NEIGHBOR CITIES, I JUST WISH WE HAD MORE RESOURCES AVAILABLE. I THINK ONE OF THE OBJECTIVES I HAD IS TO LET THE COMMUNITY KNOW THAT WE, WE UNDERSTAND HOW IMPORTANT THIS IS, BUT THERE WERE LIMITED, YOU KNOW, WE'RE LIMITED OF HOW DO WE GET THE 99 MILLION TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT. BUT I DIDN'T WANT THE COMMUNITY TO THINK THAT WE AS AS DISCORD, DIDN'T UNDERSTAND THE IMPACT THAT THE IMPROVEMENT.

BECAUSE LIKE YOU SAID, MAYBE WE DON'T DO IT NOW, BUT I THINK IF THE COMMUNITY UNDERSTANDS AND HEARS THAT, IT COULD BE VERY, VERY VALUABLE TO OUR COMMUNITY. AND SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, LIKE I SAID, IT'S NOT SO MUCH THAT I THOUGHT WE COULD DO IT BECAUSE OF THE. I KEPT THINKING, WHERE DO WE GET THE MONEY FROM? AND THAT'S WHAT'S THE BIG CHALLENGE, BUT I DO WANT THE COMMUNITY TO KNOW THAT WE'RE NOT DISMISSING IT, BECAUSE I THINK THAT WAS THE IMPRESSION AND THE FEEDBACK I GOT IS WE'RE DISMISSING THE IMPACT THAT IT WOULD HAVE OF HAVING THESE LARGE CONCERTS IN OUR COMMUNITY. AND BUT NOW WE COULD SAY, YOU KNOW, WE DO APPRECIATE THAT, WE'RE OUR BIGGEST CHALLENGE IS WHERE DO WE GET THE MONEY FROM? AND THAT'S, THAT'S I JUST WANTED THE COMMUNITY TO KNOW THAT WE'RE SORT OF HAVE OUR HANDS TIED, BUT THAT WE'RE NOT DISMISSING THAT IT WOULD BE A HUGE IMPACT, BECAUSE THAT'S THE IMPRESSION I GOT FROM THE FEEDBACK WAS THAT THAT WE WEREN'T CONSIDERING. AND I HAVE TO EXPLAIN THE WHAT I TAKE THE MONEY FROM AND THAT SORT OF SATISFIED. SO I WANTED A BROADER, FORUM TO BE ABLE TO EXPLAIN TO THE COMMUNITY THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT DISMISSING IT. IT'S JUST THAT IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO CHALLENGE AGAINST PARKS, AGAINST INFRASTRUCTURE, AGAINST WATER, AGAINST THOSE THINGS. SO THAT THAT WAS THE MAIN OBJECTIVE THAT I HAD. JUDGE, CAN I, CAN I SPEAK FOR SURE? ABSOLUTELY. CAN YOU HEAR ME? I JUST, YOU KNOW, WANT TO, YOU KNOW, MAKE SURE THAT THAT THAT IT'S VERY CLEAR, TO THE PUBLIC AND TO THE REST OF THE COURT, MY THOUGHTS AND, YOU KNOW, I'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH DOCTOR WILSON AND WITH MR. CENTER AS WELL AS FOLKS AT THE SUN BOWL ASSOCIATION, AND I LET THEM KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, I COULDN'T I COULDN'T SUPPORT, THE COUNTY PAYING FOR THIS PROJECT.

IT'S NOT OUR, NOT OUR, OUR OUR, BUILDING, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT THEY PROPOSE SOME TYPE OF, INCOME STRUCTURE THAT MIGHT BE POSSIBLE, BUT THAT WOULD, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT EVEN COMPLETELY

[04:15:05]

[04:20:07]

[A. (ARP Project No. 1160) Approve and authorize the County Judge to sign the interlocal agreement with the Camino Real Regional Mobility Authority for the completion of a study of the County’s Tornillo port of entry in the amount of $1,350,000. Funding is available in SG-ARPLAN21-OPERATING EX. (Contract No. 2024-0211) Roberto Ransom, Director, Economic Development, 915-546-2177]

GOOD AFTERNOON. JUDGE. COMMISSIONERS WITH COUNTY ADMINISTRATION ON BEHALF OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. THIS IS PHASE ONE OF TWO PHASES FOR OUR ONGOING EFFORTS TO CONTINUE TO EXPAND ACTIVITY AT, THE TORNILLO PORT OF ENTRY. THAT IS GOING TO, AT THIS POINT, INCLUDE, SOME CRITICAL TASKS ASSOCIATED WITH TRYING TO ACTIVATE, INDUSTRY AWARENESS OF THE PORT OF ENTRY WITH MAQUILAS IN CIUDAD JUAREZ. AND SO TODAY'S ACTION IS, IS TO AUTHORIZE US TO BEGIN THOSE, FIRST SET OF PLANS AND ACTIVITIES WITH THE CAMINO REAL REGIONAL MOBILITY AUTHORITY.

WE'LL BE HEAVILY INVOLVED IN COORDINATION WITH LOCAL STAKEHOLDERS, INCLUDING THE EL PASO MPO, SO THAT WE CAN UNDERSTAND HOW ANY CHANGES TO TRAFFIC ARE GOING TO AFFECT THE REGIONAL TRAFFIC MODEL THAT THE EL PASO MPO HAS TO JUST HELP INFORM WHAT INFRASTRUCTURE MIGHT BE COMING. AND I MENTIONED THIS AS ONE OF TWO PHASES. THE LARGER PHASE IS THE PROJECT THAT IS FUNDED THROUGH CONGRESSIONAL CONGRESSIONAL PROJECT FUNDING. THE COMMUNITY PROJECT FUNDING, EXCUSE ME, THROUGH CONGRESSMAN TONY GONZALEZ'S OFFICE, WHICH WILL ACTUALLY HELP US MASTER PLAN THE AREA BETWEEN THE FABENS AIRPORT AND THE TORNILLO PORT OF ENTRY. AND SO WITH THAT, THE DEPARTMENT WOULD ASK FOR YOUR FAVORABLE CONSIDERATION, AND WE'RE AVAILABLE TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS THAT THE COURT MAY HAVE. I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, BUT I DID WANT TO THANK YOU, JOSE AND DANIEL AND ROBERTO. EVERYONE WHO HAS BEEN WORKING SO HARD TO MAKE SURE THAT, THE TORNILLO PORT OF ENTRY IS UTILIZED, TO THE EXTENT THAT IT WAS MEANT TO BE UTILIZED.

IT'S A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF OUR PORT OF ENTRY SYSTEM IN EL PASO, AND UNFORTUNATELY, IT JUST HASN'T BEEN UTILIZED SUFFICIENTLY UP UNTIL NOW. BUT I WANT TO THANK ALL OF OUR STAFF FOR ALL OF THE INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF WORK THAT YOU ALL ARE DOING, I KNOW THAT, WE'RE GOING TO SEE WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO SEE INCREASES IN THE TRUCK TRAFFIC BECAUSE WE'VE ALREADY SEEN SOME OF THOSE INCREASES BECAUSE OF THE WORK THAT YOU ALL ARE DOING. BUT I'M CONFIDENT THAT THAT WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO SEE THOSE INCREASES. SO THANK YOU. IF I CAN ADD TO WHAT COMMISSIONER OLGUIN HAS SAID, THAT WHEN WE WERE OVER AT THE CATTLEMEN'S ON THAT, REUNION, THE VAST MAJORITY OF THEM SAID THAT THEY CROSSED OVER ON THE TORNILLO, SAID THAT THEY WERE VERY IMPRESSED WITH THE WORK THAT THE MEXICAN SIDE HAS DONE NOW, AND IT SAVED THEM SOME OF THEM, IT TOOK LONGER FOR THEM TO DRIVE FROM WHEREVER THEY CAME FROM TO JUAREZ THAN THEY DID TO, JUST CROSS OVER. SO AND SOME OF THEM THAT WENT THE OTHER WAY STAYED MORE IN LINE THAN IT TOOK THEM TO GET TO, TO JUAREZ. SO, A LOT OF WORK AND IT'S, APPRECIATED, SIR. IT'S ACTUALLY ONE OF THE BIG DATA POINTS THAT WILL BE DEVELOPED THROUGH THIS PROCESS IS A COST BENEFIT STUDY SO THAT WE CAN SHARE WITH MAQUILAS WHO ARE VERY EFFICIENT. JUDGE WITH YOUR TIME IN CEMENTOS CHIHUAHUA, VERY AWARE OF THE COMMITMENT TO PRODUCTIVITY AND EFFICIENCY. AND SO WHAT THIS WILL DO IS GIVE TANGIBLE DATA POINTS TO MAQUILAS AND THEIR AND THEIR ADMINISTRATION AND THEIR MANAGERS TO KNOW AT WHAT POINT IT BECOMES MORE COST EFFICIENT TO DRIVE OUT TO THE PORT OF ENTRY IN TORNILLO. AND AS WE CONTINUE TO SEE THAT DEVELOPMENT THAT LEADS TO MORE INTEREST IN DEVELOPING INDUSTRIAL PARKS AND OTHER SUPPORTING INFRASTRUCTURE IN THAT AREA. AND THAT'S SO IMPORTANT BECAUSE RIGHT NOW, I THINK WHAT DOMINATES THE CONVERSATION WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE TORNILLO PORT OF ENTRY IS, OH, IT'S SO FAR. BUT I THINK ONCE THEY START SEEING THE DATA ABOUT HOW MUCH TIME AND PRODUCTIVITY, AND LESS GOODS WILL BE LOST, I MEAN, I THINK

[04:25:03]

AND SO IT IS VERY FEASIBLE TO EXPAND IT RIGHT NOW. I SAW THE, THE PROPOSALS FOR, FOR THE EXPANSION, NOT JUST OF THE PERSONAL TRAFFIC, BUT THE COMMERCIAL TRAFFIC. EVEN NOW, THEY'RE ABLE TO HOLD QUITE A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT. AND IF WE'RE ABLE TO GET THE AND I'M SURE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WILL COOPERATE IN DEVELOPING SOME OF THE OTHER INFRASTRUCTURE, AND THE PERSONNEL NEEDS TO BE ABLE TO MAKE IT A COMPLETELY FULL FLEDGED, COMMERCIAL TRAFFIC. I KNOW THERE'S SOME NEEDS THERE FOR SOME PARTICULAR TYPE OF, OF, I GUESS, PRODUCTS THAT ARE GOING TO BE IN THERE THAT NEED ADDITIONAL INSPECTION FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ON THE MEXICAN SIDE, ON OUR SIDE. AND I THINK WHEN THAT GETS DEVELOPED, I THINK IT WILL REALLY EVEN SEE MORE OF AN INCREASE OUT THERE. SO I'M ALL IN FAVOR OF THIS. AND WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THERE WAS NOT A LOT OF TRAFFIC. WELL, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS NO INFRASTRUCTURE THERE. AND THE AMOUNT OF INVESTMENT THAT THEY'VE MADE, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ON THE MEXICAN SIDE HAS MADE SUCH AN INVESTMENT, AND THEY'RE DEVELOPING THINGS THAT HAVE A LOT OF PLANS FOR. AND I THINK THIS IS GOING TO GENERATE IT'S NOT JUST GOING TO BE A MATTER OF OPENING OR I MEAN, PEOPLE COMING THROUGH, BUT I THINK IT'S THIS ATTRACTION OF DEVELOPING THAT BOTH SIDES OF I MEAN, I'M EXCITED ABOUT WHAT IT COULD DO TO OUR SIDE, BUT ON THEIR SIDE, THEY'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THE DEVELOPMENT OF THOSE COMMUNITIES THAT ARE IN THOSE AREAS. SO I THINK IT'S A HUGE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE. MOTION CARRIES. THANK YOU. JUDGE. COMMISSIONERS AND I'D ALSO BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T THANK THE TEAM AND LEADERSHIP IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND ALSO OUR COORDINATION WITH THE PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS ON THIS MULTIDISCIPLINARY ITEM. SO THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SUPPORT. THANK YOU JOSE. THANK YOU DANIEL ROBERTO, THANK YOU. ITEM 12 GRANT APPLICATIONS 12 A APPROVE AND AUTHORIZE THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE COORDINATION DEPARTMENT TO APPLY FOR THE BJA, FY 24 SECOND CHANCE ACT, IMPROVING REENTRY EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT OUTCOMES PROGRAM FROM OCTOBER 1ST, 2024 TO SEPTEMBER 30TH,

[A. GRANT APPLICATION – Approve and authorize the Criminal Justice Coordination Department to apply for the BJA FY24 Second Chance Act Improving Reentry Education and Employment Outcomes program from October 1, 2024, to September 30, 2027, in the amount of $900,000 with no County cash match. (Contract No. 2024-0528) Catherine Jones, Director, Criminal Justice Coordination, 915-273-3353]

[04:30:04]

YEAH, I'M VERY, VERY SUPPORTIVE OF THIS. I THINK THIS IS, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THOSE THINGS WHERE WE CAN JUMP START OUR NOT JUST OUR REENTRY, BUT OUR OUR PROMISE PROGRAM. AND I REALLY SEE WE'VE MET WITH A LOT OF ORGANIZATIONS THROUGHOUT OUR COUNTY. I JUST MET WITH THE SBA LAST, LAST WEEK, IT'S NOT ONLY TO GET THESE INDIVIDUALS TRAINED AND CERTIFIED OR GET CONTINUE THEIR EDUCATION, BUT WE KNOW THAT SOME OF THESE INDIVIDUALS WILL EVEN BE INTERESTED IN STARTING THEIR OWN BUSINESS. AND SO TO THAT EFFECT, THE SBA WILL BE ABLE TO PARTNER REFER PEOPLE TO THEM WITH RESPECT TO, PROVIDING LOANS FOR THESE INDIVIDUALS TO START THEIR OWN BUSINESSES. SO IT'S NOT JUST A TRAINING AND CERTIFICATION. AND, ISSUE WITH THESE PEOPLE. WE WANT THEM TO BECOME THEIR OWN BUSINESS OWNERS, SO WE'RE GOING TO EXPLORE THE FULL GAMUT OF REALLY FOCUSING ON THESE JUSTICE INVOLVED INDIVIDUALS, GET THEM THAT TRAINING AND DIVERT THEM AWAY FROM THE SYSTEM AT THE SAME TIME, SAVING RESOURCES AND MONEY FROM THE JUSTICE SYSTEM TO HAVE TO SUPERVISE THEM. WE KNOW, THE STATISTICS THAT, YOU KNOW, IF THEY GET INVOLVED IN PROGRAMS AND TRAININGS AND CERTIFICATIONS LIKE THIS, THAT PROBABLY ALMOST HALF OF THEM JUST BECAUSE OF THIS PROGRAM, DO NOT RETURN. AND SO THAT IN ITSELF IS JUST A GREAT INVESTMENT TO KEEP THESE INDIVIDUALS FROM GOING. AND, AND EVEN THOSE I THINK THE PERCENTAGES ARE EVEN HIGHER, AS FAR AS THE RECIDIVISM, RECIDIVISM RATES FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS WITH THE LOWER OFFENSES, WE KNOW OUR DIVERSION PROGRAM HERE WORKS, HAVING A DIVERSION PROGRAM, EVEN FOR THE PEOPLE INVOLVED IN SOME OF THESE, LOWER, LOWER LEVEL. I DON'T WANT TO CALL THEM INSIGNIFICANT CASES BECAUSE THERE'S VICTIMS RELATED TO THAT. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THESE INDIVIDUALS UNDERSTAND, BUT WE KNOW THAT THAT 93% OF THE PEOPLE ARRESTED IN OUR COUNTY HAVE NOTHING MORE THAN A HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATION. IF THEY HAVE THAT 93% AND THAT GOES VERY WELL INTO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE THE LAST, WHERE 24 OUT OF 25 METROS IN THE STATE IN NEW JOB CREATION. AND I THINK THIS IS GOING TO REALLY HELP AND FOCUS ON INDIVIDUALS THAT HAVE ALL THESE, OBSTACLES, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HELP THEM, GET THROUGH AND NOT COME BACK TO THE SYSTEM. SO THANK YOU, CHRIS AND CATHERINE, FOR THIS IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO REALLY JUMP START THIS. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE BY COMMISSIONER STOUT. SECOND BY JUDGE SAMANIEGO. THE VOTING IS OPEN. MOTION CARRIES. THANK YOU. GOOD LUCK WITH THAT. THANKS BEFORE WE GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION, WE ARE GOING TO BE ASKING ITEM 13 C FROM EXECUTIVE SESSION PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 551.071, DISCUSS LEGAL RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES REGARDING LITIGATION STYLED UNITED STATES VERSUS TEXAS. NUMBER 2450149. COUNTY ATTORNEY'S FILE NUMBER 016523 PL, ALONG WITH ITS CORRESPONDING REGULAR SESSION ITEM 14 BE, DISCUSS AND TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION REGARDING LEGAL RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES REGARDING

[04:35:03]

[B. Discuss and take appropriate action regarding legal rights and responsibilities regarding litigation styled United States v. Texas, No. 24-50149, County Attorney’s File No. 0165-23-PL. Bernardo Cruz, Assistant County Attorney, County Attorney's Office, 915-273-3247]

[EXECUTIVE SESSION Only the members of the Commissioners Court have a right to attend an executive session, except that legal counsel must be present if the executive session is held pursuant to Government Code section 551.071. In addition to legal counsel, Commissioners Court may include in executive session certain officers and employees if it finds that (1) their participation is necessary to the matter under consideration; (2) their interests are not adverse to the county, and (3) their presence will not waive the attorney client privilege. Generally, the Chief Administrator, Budget Executive Director, County Clerk's representatives, and County Auditor's Office representatives attend the closed session items based on the enumerated criteria, and certain other persons may attend based on the above-listed criteria or as otherwise provided by law.]

WE.

IT'S IMPORTANT FOR YOUR CHILDREN TO STAY CURRENT ON ALL THEIR ROUTINE VACCINES. ALSO, CHILDREN FIVE AND OLDER ARE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR THE COVID 19 VACCINE. I'M CURRENT AND ALL MY VACCINES, AND I ALSO GET THE COVID VACCINE. SO I AND MY LOVED ONES CAN BE PROTECTED. YOU AND YOUR KIDS SHOULD GET THE VACCINE TOO. AND IF YOU'VE ALREADY GOTTEN THE VACCINE, YOU SHOULD GET YOUR

[04:40:02]

SOMEBODY MAKE SOME NOISE. SO TODAY WE ARE CELEBRATING THE 4TH OF JULY HERE AT ASCARATE PARK.

WE'RE IN A COUPLE OF HOURS. ONCE IT GETS DARK, WE'LL HAVE A BEAUTIFUL FIREWORKS DISPLAY FOR THE COMMUNITY. YOU KNOW, ASCARATE PARK IS THE HEART OF EL PASO COUNTY, THIS IS OUR COUNTY PARK WHERE FAMILIES FOR GENERATIONS HAVE LOVED TO COME AND PLAY AND FISH, SO WE'RE REALLY HAPPY TO BE ABLE TO OPEN UP THE PARK ON THE 4TH OF JULY. SO HOPEFULLY IF THERE'S FAMILIES OUT THERE THAT WEREN'T ABLE TO MAKE IT THIS YEAR, WE DEFINITELY WANT TO INVITE THEM TO JOIN US NEXT YEAR. HEY WE'RE GETTING OUR 4TH OF JULY GLASSES. YEAH IT'S JULY 4TH THIS YEAR. WE'RE DOING OUR VIP EVENT, WHICH I'M STANDING IN FRONT OF RIGHT NOW HERE AT THE PAVILION, OUR SPECIAL EVENTS AREA. IT'S THE FIRST TIME WE'VE DONE IT HERE, SO IT'S WHERE YOU GET YOUR OWN PERSONAL TABLE. YOU HAVE, AREAS WHERE YOU CAN PLAY GAMES. WE HAVE BLOW UP SLIDES FOR THE CHILDREN. WE EVEN HAVE A MOVIE INDOORS. IF THE KIDS WOULD PREFER TO WATCH A MOVIE OVER FIREWORKS, BUT THE TICKETS FOR OUR VIP AREA THIS YEAR WERE $45 FOR ADULTS, AND THEY PROVIDED A BRISKET DINNER. AND THEN FOR THE REST OF THE PUBLIC, NOT AT THE VIP EVENT. WE HAVE MULTIPLE FOOD TRUCKS OVER HERE AT THE SPECIAL EVENTS AREA AND ON OUR LAWN. IF YOU HAVE NOT BEEN TO A FIREWORKS SHOW IN A SCOUT AT THE PARK, COME ON OUT. IT'S A IT'S A FUN TIME. PEOPLE ARE ENJOYING IT.

YOU KNOW, PARKS ARE A PLACE OF DEMOCRACY WHERE WE ALL, YOU KNOW, ALL WALKS OF LIFE ARE COMING TOGETHER AND SHARING. SO THAT'S KIND OF THE BEAUTY OF IT HERE ON INDEPENDENCE DAY. YEAH TODAY IS THE 4TH OF JULY OF THIS YEAR, 2024. I WAS NOT KNOWING WHAT TO DO HERE IN EL PASO AS A NEW RESIDENT. AND I LOOKED INTO SOME RESOURCES, I WAS ABLE TO DISCOVER THAT HERE IN ASCARATE PARK THEY HAD A GREAT FIREWORKS EVENT. THERE'S A NEW RESIDENT HERE TO THE COUNTY OF EL PASO.

I'M QUITE IMPRESSED. I'M I FEEL VERY COMFORTABLE. I'M VERY GRATEFUL THAT WE HAVE SOMETHING LIKE THIS EXISTING. YOU KNOW, WHERE I'M HERE WITH MY THREE BOYS. YOU KNOW, WE'RE IN A SAFE ENVIRONMENT. I CAN'T ASK FOR MORE. REALLY. A HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY. EL PASO. I LOVE.

THAT WAS COOL. WE ARE AT EL PASO'S LARGEST ALL ABILITIES PLAYGROUND. THIS IS A PROJECT THAT HAS BEEN MANY YEARS IN THE MAKING. BUT I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU AGAIN. AND THIS HAS BEEN A BEAUTIFUL PROJECT. AND EVERYONE IN THE COMMUNITY IS SO EXCITED. YOU KNOW, THIS IS A GREAT PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE ORGANIZATION MOMS ON BOARD, THE NONPROFIT, THE COUNTY OF EL PASO, THE TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE DEPARTMENT. TOGETHER, WE CREATED THE PLAN OF HAVING THREE ALL ABILITIES PARKS INSTEAD OF JUST ONE, SO THAT WE COULD HAVE REACHED ALL CORNERS OF THE COUNTY. WOW SO THERE'S THE FIRST ONE THAT OPENED WAS GALLEGOS PARK IN THE FAR WEST AND FAR EAST WAS RISINGER IN FABENS. AND THIS ONE FINALLY TODAY, CENTRAL ASCARATE ONE, TWO, THREE WAY. THE FLOORING IS ALSO ESPECIALLY MADE IN CONDUCIVE TO FOLKS WITH WITH DIFFERENT TYPES OF ABILITIES. AND SO YOU KNOW WE'VE GOT SLIDES I MEAN IT'S A GREAT PLAYGROUND SWINGS. THERE YOU GO. READY THE AMENITIES AND THE PLAY STRUCTURES ARE MORE INCLUSIVE.

THEY ALLOW FOR WHEELED DEVICES TO BE UTILIZED. SO FOR EXAMPLE THIS ONE OVER HERE, THE SWAY FUN. IT'S THE SEESAW. BUT A CHILD OR A PERSON WHO'S USING A WHEELED A WHEELCHAIR DOES NOT

[04:45:06]

IT JUST OPENS UP THAT THAT COMMUNICATION AND THAT COMMUNITY, KIDS WITHOUT DISABILITIES WILL NOT. THEIR PLAY ISN'T IMPACTED WITH NOW HAVING KIDS WITH DISABILITIES COME AND JOIN THEM. SO IT OPENS UP THAT DIALOG. IT OPENS UP THAT RELATIONSHIP AND THAT COMMUNICATION AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, THAT UNDERSTANDING OF EVERYBODY IN OUR HUMANITY. WE WALK AROUND A DAY WITHOUT YOUR IDENTIFICATION AND SEE HOW MANY TIMES YOU REACH FOR YOUR WALLET.

AND IF YOU DON'T HAVE IT, WHAT YOU CANNOT DO VERY EXCITED, HAPPY AND PROUD THAT THAT THIS PROJECT HAS FINALLY COME TO FRUITION. BECAUSE THIS IS AN INITIATIVE THAT THE COUNTY STARTED WORKING ON, ALONG WITH BORDER NETWORK FOR HUMAN RIGHTS MANY, MANY YEARS AGO. NINE, ALMOST TEN YEARS AGO, I KNOW THE GOVERNMENT WORKS SLOW, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE PERSEVERED AND WE DIDN'T GIVE UP. WE DID HAVE TO TALK TO ALL OF OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS LIBRARY CARD WOULD BE ACCEPTED AS A FORM OF ID AND I'M REALLY HAPPY TO REPORT THAT EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS WHY THIS PROGRAM IS IMPORTANT. IT'S A VERY GOOD PROGRAM THAT CAME OVER HERE, ESPECIALLY HERE IN FABENS. THE COMMUNITY NEEDS SOMETHING LIKE THIS. TO BE ENHANCED AND FOR EVERYBODY TO KNOW. AND IT WILL HELP ALL OF US. YOU HAVE A DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES WHO JUST CAN'T GET THAT STATE ISSUED ID, BUT BECAUSE THEY HAVE ACCESS TO THIS ENHANCED LIBRARY CARD, THEY'LL BE ABLE TO ENGAGE IN A LOT OF ACTIVITIES THAT THEY WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO OTHERWISE.

THIS IS GOING TO HELP PEOPLE ACCESS BANKING SERVICES, HEALTHCARE, MEDICAL SERVICES.

IT'LL HELP FOLKS WITH SCHOOLS, WITH LIBRARIES. YOU'VE GOT FOLKS WHO NEED TO BE ABLE TO GET COPIES OF THEIR KIDS BIRTH CERTIFICATES FROM THE COUNTY CLERK, WHO CAN NOW USE THIS ID TO DO THAT AS WELL. YOU HAVE PEOPLE WHO MAYBE DON'T HAVE AN ID AND SO ARE AFRAID TO REPORT THAT THEY'VE BEEN THE VICTIM OF A CRIME TO POLICE BECAUSE THEY KNOW THAT THE POLICE MIGHT ASK THEM FOR ID. SO NOW HAVING THIS ENHANCED LIBRARY CARD WILL GIVE THEM THAT SECURITY THAT THEY KNOW THEY CAN CALL AND ASK THE POLICE FOR HELP. THIS IS A GREAT EXAMPLE OF A PARTNERSHIP THAT WE HAVE WITH THE CITY. WE CAN DO MORE OF THESE. I THINK IF WE TRY, WE ARE PROVIDING ONE MORE LEVEL OF INCLUSIVITY FOR ALL OF THE RESIDENTS HERE IN EL PASO. THAT'S WHAT I THINK THE COUNTY HAS ESPOUSED. THE VALUE OF, BEING INCLUSIVE. AND THIS, I THINK, EMBODIES THAT. I BET YOU'VE HEARD ABOUT ROUTE 66, BUT WHAT ABOUT THE MISSION TRAIL? IT MAY BE ONLY NINE MILES LONG, BUT IT'S A VERY SPECIAL PART OF THE AREA NEAR EL PASO. AND IT MIGHT JUST BE A FUN VACATION FOR THE ENTIRE FAMILY. EL PASO COUNTY COMMISSIONER OF PRECINCT 13, ILIANA HOLGUIN, JOINS ME THIS MORNING. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE. NO, THANK YOU, DARYL, FOR THE INVITATION. EL PASO, I'VE HEARD ABOUT EL PASO. I'VE NEVER BEEN, BUT NOW I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU EVERYTHING I CAN ABOUT EL PASO. AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE. BECAUSE WE WANT TO INVITE PEOPLE TO COME AND GET TO KNOW EL PASO. SPECIFICALLY, WE'RE KICKING OFF THE TOURIST SEASON ALONG THE MISSION TRAIL, WHICH, LIKE YOU SAID, IS A NINE MILE STRETCH OF ROAD ENCOMPASSING THREE HISTORIC MISSIONS. THESE MISSIONS REPRESENT ABOUT 350 YEARS OF OUR CULTURE, OUR HISTORY, OUR TRADITIONS. ON ANY GIVEN WEEKEND, YOU CAN STILL SEE WEDDINGS BEING PERFORMED QUINCEANERAS THE TIGUA CULTURAL DANCERS. SO THESE ARE STILL ACTIVE MISSIONS THAT ARE VERY MUCH A PART OF THE COMMUNITY. WE HAVE WONDERFUL ART GALLERIES THERE. IF YOU LIKE ART, WE'VE GOT GREAT RESTAURANTS, A BREWERY, CAFES, AND OF COURSE THE SPEAKING ROCK ENTERTAINMENT CENTER, WHICH OFFERS FREE CONCERTS EVERY SINGLE WEEKEND. SO I MUST SAY, EL PASO HAS TO BE A MUST VISIT DESTINATION BECAUSE THEY DON'T MAKE DOCUMENTARIES ABOUT ANYTHING NOWADAYS. THERE'S A DOCUMENTARY THAT WAS JUST MADE ABOUT EL PASO. YEAH, WE'RE VERY PROUD OF ALL OF THE NATIONAL ATTENTION THAT EL PASO IS RECEIVING. AND JUST TO MENTION SOME MORE RECOGNITIONS THAT WE'RE VERY, VERY PROUD OF. SO FOR 2023, TEXAS TRAVEL MAGAZINE NAMED THE MISSION TRAIL THE BEST HISTORIC SITE IN TEXAS AND ONE OF THE SMALL COMMUNITIES LOCATED ALONG THE MISSION TRAIL SAN ELIZARIO THE CITY OF SAN ELIZARIO, WHICH IS HOME TO THE PRESIDIO CHAPEL OF SAN ELIZARIO, WAS NAMED THE BEST HISTORIC SMALL TOWN IN AMERICA FOR 2023 BY USA TODAY. AND WHAT'S SPECIAL

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COMMISSIONERS COURT HAS RECONVENED TO REGULAR OPEN SESSION ITEM 14 A DISCUSS AND TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION TO DECREASE THE FINANCIAL AND OPERATIONAL IMPACT TO EL PASO COUNTY AS IT PERTAINS TO LAW ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS BY THE STATE, INCLUDING ARRESTS ALONG

[A. Discuss and take appropriate action to decrease the financial and operational impact to El Paso County as it pertains to law enforcement actions by the State, including arrests along the El Paso border. Christina Sanchez, County Attorney, County Attorney's Office, 915-273-3247]