Mar 17, 2025 Commissioners Court Regular

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LIVE FROM EL PASO COUNTY, TEXAS, THE VETERANS CAPITAL OF THE USA. FROM INSIDE THE ALICIA COUNTY

[1. OPEN MEETING]

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[2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE]

THANK YOU. AND NOW WE WILL RECEIVE AN INVOCATION BY RABBI LEVI GREENBERG OF CHABAD LUBAVITCH OF EL PASO. GOOD MORNING. GOOD MORNING. BEFORE I BEGIN THE INVOCATION, I WILL DO

[3. INVOCATION]

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LOOK FAVORABLY UPON ALL OF US GATHERED IN THIS CHAMBER. AND BESTOW UPON US THE JOY OF LIFE, GOOD HEALTH, AND PROSPERITY. BLESS THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS WHO HAVE BEEN CHOSEN TO MAKE LAWS AND DECISIONS FOR THE CITIZENS OF OUR COUNTY, WITH WISDOM AND UNDERSTANDING IN THEIR NOBLE PURSUIT OF JUSTICE AND EQUALITY. THIS IS NOT ONLY A CIVIC RESPONSIBILITY, BUT ALSO A HOLY ENDEAVOR. OUR TRADITION TELLS US OF SEVEN UNIVERSAL LAWS GIVEN TO MANKIND BY GOD THROUGH NOAH, ONE OF WHICH INSTRUCTS US TO CREATE A PEACEFUL AND MORAL SOCIETY GOVERNED BY LAW. THESE LAWS ALSO INCLUDE THE IMPORTANCE OF SERVING GOD ALONE, RESPECTING GOD'S NAME, AND THE PROHIBITIONS AGAINST MURDER, THEFT, ADULTERY, AND CRUELTY AGAINST ALL LIVING CREATURES. THIS PAST WEEKEND, THE JEWISH WORLD CELEBRATED THE HOLIDAY OF PURIM, COMMEMORATING THE SALVATION OF THE JEWISH PEOPLE FROM THE GENOCIDAL SCHEMES OF THE EVIL HAMAN IN THE ANCIENT PERSIAN EMPIRE OVER TWO MILLENNIA AGO, AS DESCRIBED IN THE BOOK OF ESTHER. THE MIRACLE OF JEWISH SURVIVAL GAVE BIRTH TO A HOLIDAY OBSERVED WITH BOUNDLESS JOY, AND THE ENTIRE MONTH IS CONSIDERED A MONTH OF JOY. ALTHOUGH JOY IS A MOOD. IT IS OUR MORAL OBLIGATION TO BE JOYOUS ALL THE TIME, NOT BY IGNORING THE REAL PROBLEMS WE FACE, BUT BY REALIZING THAT GOD, THE CREATOR AND MASTER OF THE UNIVERSE, GUIDES EVERY DETAIL OF REALITY AND HAS OUR BEST INTEREST IN MIND WHEN WE APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT WE INHABIT A WORLD GUIDED BY DETAILED DIVINE PROVIDENCE ■AND NOT A LAWLESS JUNGLE, WE ARE NEVER CRUSHED BY OUR CIRCUMSTANCES AND HAVE THE ABILITY TO FACE EVERYTHING JOYFULLY. JOY KNOWS NO BOUNDS. IT BRINGS PEOPLE TOGETHER AND MAKES EVERYTHING POSSIBLE. PLEASE GOD, GIVE STRENGTH TO OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS TO BE COGNIZANT OF YOUR PRESENCE. AND THEY HAVE THE ABILITY TO ELEVATE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR EVERYONE IN OUR REGION, AND TO INSPIRE US ALL TO COME TOGETHER IN UNITY THAT WE TRULY CARE FOR OUR PEERS, SOCIETY, AND OUR ENVIRONMENT AND WORK TOGETHER TO MAKE OUR WORLD A BETTER AND HAPPIER PLACE FOR ALL. MAY OUR BORDERLAND REGION SERVE AS A BEACON OF LIGHT, STRENGTH, AND MORAL COURAGE AS WE DO OUR PART IN PREPARING THE WORLD FOR AN ERA OF GLOBAL PEACE AND TRANQUILITY. MAY THIS OCCUR SPEEDILY IN OUR TIMES AND LET US SAY AMEN. COMMISSIONER STOUT, WOULD YOU LIKE TO MAKE OPENING COMMENTS BEFORE WE BEGIN? YEAH. JUST WANT TO WELCOME EVERYBODY.

THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE THIS MORNING. AS YOU CAN SEE, OUR COUNTY JUDGES IS NOT WITH US THIS MORNING. HE'S ON A BUSINESS TRIP, BUT HE LEFT ME IN CHARGE. AND SO THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE. WE HAVE A LOT OF GREAT RESOLUTIONS AND SOME REALLY IMPORTANT BUSINESS TO GET TO TODAY. SO WE'LL GO AHEAD AND GET ON WITH IT. THANK YOU. ITEM NUMBER FOUR IS THE CONSENT AGENDA COMPOSED OF ITEMS FOUR A THROUGH FOUR A, F. ARE THERE ANY ITEMS MEMBERS OF THE COURT OR PUBLIC WOULD LIKE TO PULL FOR DISCUSSION? ITEM R. ARE THERE ANY OTHERS? OKAY.

[4. CONSENT AGENDA]

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[A. Approve and adopt a resolution recognizing Deputy Chief Marc Marquez for 27 years of service to the Community of El Paso County, Texas. Jackie Butler, Commissioner, Precinct 1, 915-273-3594]

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THANK YOU FOR THE COUNTY. I BELIEVE MY GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT THAT WAS NOT READY. I THINK ALL OF YOU WITH CHILDREN UNDERSTAND WHERE I'M COMING FROM. MY BIGGEST ACCOMPLISHMENT IS I WAS ABLE TO RAISE MY DAUGHTER AND PUT HER THROUGH COLLEGE WHILE WORKING AT JPD, AND SHE WAS ABLE TO GO THROUGH COLLEGE WITHOUT ANY DEBT. LIKE MANY OF US WHO WORKED OUR WAY THROUGH COLLEGE 2 OR 3 JOBS AT A TIME, TAKING MAYBE A COUPLE OF COURSES HERE AND THERE. BUT REALLY, THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS I'M MOST PROUD OF. AND I'LL BE A GRANDFATHER IN JULY, SO I HAVE A LOT TO LOOK FORWARD TO. BUT THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH AND THANK YOU TO MY JPD FAMILY. I'M GOING TO MISS THEM A LOT. I'M GOING TO MISS THEM A LOT. BUT AGAIN, THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH. APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU CHIEF. GOOD MORNING CHIEF ROSIE MEDINA. I WANT TO ECHO EVERYTHING THAT WAS WRITTEN ON THAT RESOLUTION. DEPUTY CHIEF MARCUS WAS MY SUPERVISOR, MY DEPUTY. AS I SERVED AS AS A COORDINATOR AND AS A DIRECTOR FOR THE DEPARTMENT. AND I ATTRIBUTE MY SUCCESS IN GROWING DUE TO HIS LEADERSHIP. I'M VERY, VERY GRATEFUL FOR HIM. AND FOR ALL OF OUR STAFF. DEPUTY CHIEF MARCUS HAS TOUCHED ALL OF US IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER, AND HIS CONTRIBUTIONS TO OUR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. I THANK YOU, CHIEF. GOOD MORNING, COMMISSIONERS COURT. I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR HONORING DEPUTY CHIEF MARK MARCUS TODAY. HE TRULY DESERVES THE HONOR AND THE CELEBRATION.

HE HAS BEEN MY DIRECT SUPERVISOR FOR AT LEAST 20 OF THOSE 27 YEARS, AND HE HAS BEEN A MODEL SUPERVISOR. HE'S HE'S HE DOES REALLY MAKE YOU GROW AND MAKE YOU BECOME A BETTER PERSON, A MORE EDUCATED PERSON, A MORE INSIGHTFUL PERSON THROUGH HIS SUPERVISION. I KNOW I'M GREATLY GOING TO MISS HIM, AND I KNOW SO ARE MANY OTHERS. WE HAVE AS A DEPARTMENT. WE HAVE COME SO MUCH HIGHER THAN WHAT WE WERE. WITHIN THE LAST 20 YEARS. AND I KNOW THAT WE CAN ONLY CONTINUE TO GROW IN THAT ASPECT BECAUSE OF HIS LEADERSHIP AND BECAUSE OF WHAT HE'S GOING TO LEAVE BEHIND.

YOU KNOW, HIS LEGACY, WHICH IS QUITE A BIT. IT WAS SORT OF LIKE GOING THROUGH MEMORY LANE WHEN YOU WERE READING ALL OF THOSE THINGS, BECAUSE I REMEMBER EACH ONE OF THOSE INITIATIVES, AND HE WAS ALWAYS AT THE FOREFRONT. REALLY, REALLY PUSHING THAT FORWARD. AND BECAUSE OF THAT, JPD IS WHERE WE ARE TODAY. SO CONGRATULATIONS, MARK. WE ARE GOING TO MISS YOU. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU. DOES ANYBODY ELSE WANT TO SHARE A FEW WORDS? OH, JUST REAL QUICK.

ALBERT MENDEZ, DEPUTY CHIEF OF FINANCE AND SUPPORT. I'VE BEEN INTERIM CHIEF AND INTERIM DEPUTY CHIEF FOR ABOUT. WELL, AND DEPUTY CHIEF FOR ABOUT THREE YEARS. AND I REALLY WANT TO THANK MARK FOR HIS MENTORSHIP. I KNOW DURING THESE PAST THREE YEARS HE'S REALLY TAUGHT ME A LOT. I ALWAYS SOUGHT FOR HIS GUIDANCE AND MENTORSHIP ON A MULTIPLE OF LEVELS. SO I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU, MARK, FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU'VE DONE FOR ME. WE'VE KNOWN EACH OTHER FOR ABOUT 20 YEARS, AND SO THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU'VE DONE FOR ME. THANK YOU MARK. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. THANK THANK YOU AGAIN, CHIEF, FOR YOUR SERVICE TO THE COUNTY. TO JPD. I KNOW THAT JPD WOULDN'T BE WHAT IT IS TODAY WITHOUT YOU. AND JPD IS A SHINING STAR FOR EL PASO COUNTY.

SO THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SERVICE. CHIEF, YOU'LL BE MISSED. BUT I KNOW THAT YOU'RE NOT GOING TO GO FAR, SO? SO HOPEFULLY WE'LL SEE YOU AGAIN. I WANTED TO WE ALSO HAVE A FLAG TO

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ITEM FIVE BE APPROVED. ADOPT A RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING NATIONAL TRANSIT EMPLOYEE APPRECIATION DAY IN EL PASO COUNTY, TEXAS. OF THE HONOR OF READING THE SECOND RESOLUTION AND HELPING TO

[B. Approve and adopt a resolution recognizing National Transit Employee Appreciation Day in El Paso County, Texas. Jackie Butler, Commissioner, Precinct 1, 915-273-3594]

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WE MAY COME BACK TO YOU ALL IN A FEW WEEKS AND ASK YOU IF YOU WOULD CONSIDER SUCH A ORDINANCE AS WELL. ONE YEAR THERE WAS EVEN GREAT COMMOTION WHEN THERE WAS PROPOSED THAT A FARE INCREASE BE INITIATED FROM FIVE SOLES TO SIX A SOLES SOLES, AND IT'S A KIND OF A COINAGE. I THINK IT'S STILL USED IN PARIS TODAY. BUT EVEN THEN, 360 YEARS AGO, THERE WAS A CONCERN ABOUT THE FARE BEING INCREASED. SO THROUGH THE INITIATIVE OF THE AMERICAN PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION ASSOCIATION, ON MARCH THE 18TH, WE CELEBRATE TRANSIT DRIVER APPRECIATION DAY. AND THIS IS TO COMMEMORATE THE FIRST BUS LINE IN PARIS. TODAY, THERE IS A PLAQUE ON THE SIDE OF ONE OF THESE CARRIAGE HOUSES IN PARIS. AND OF COURSE, THE APPRECIATION EXTENDS TO THE STAFF WHO ALSO PROVIDE BACKGROUND SUPPORT TO TRANSPORTATION DISPATCHERS, VEHICLE MAINTENANCE, TRAINERS AND MANAGEMENT. WE HAVE SEVERAL STAFF FROM OUR EL PASO TRANSIT PROGRAM HERE TODAY WITH US. MORE COULD NOT BE HERE BECAUSE THEY ARE TRANSPORTING PASSENGERS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY TO SCHOOL, OTHERS GOING TO A DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENT TO WORK, TO SHOP OR TO VISIT FAMILY. THEY DRIVE OUR COUNTY VEHICLES EVERY DAY DURING EXTREMELY COLD WEATHER DAYS OR EXTREME HOT DAYS WHEN THE TEMPERATURES EXCEED 100 DEGREES. SOME START AS EARLY AS 430 IN THE MORNING WHEN THEY TRAVEL TO START THEIR DAY, AND AFTER A PRE-TRIP SAFETY INSPECTION, THEY BEGIN THEIR ROUTES FROM DESIGNATED LOCATIONS TO ANTHONY TO FABENS TO HORIZON CITY, MONTANA VISTA, SAN ELIZARIO, AND MANY, MANY POINTS IN BETWEEN. REGULARLY, THE DRIVERS END THEIR DAY LATE INTO THE EVENING. THEY PERFORM A VERY ESSENTIAL FUNCTION FOR THE COUNTY. WITH US TODAY IS MR. MARCO ROSALES. HE IS THE SAFETY MANAGER AND TRAINER. HE HAS 15 YEARS EXPERIENCE IN TRANSPORTATION, THREE WITH THE COUNTY AND 12 WITH ANOTHER LOCAL TRANSPORTATION PROVIDER. HE BEGAN AS A DRIVER, MOVED UP TO BECOME A DISPATCHER, SAFETY TRAINER, CLASSROOM INSTRUCTOR,

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WHEN WE START THIS CONTRACT FROM SEVEN BUSSES TO NOW OVER 30 BUSSES AND I HOPE WE JUST KEEP ON GROWING AND KEEP PEOPLE GOING WHERE THEY NEED TO GO. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO. HELLO. GOOD MORNING EVERYONE. MY NAME IS HECTOR LOPEZ. I'VE BEEN WITH THIS COMPANY SINCE NOVEMBER OF 22. I STARTED DRIVING AS A BUS DRIVER, AND NOW I CURRENTLY HOLDING THE POSITION OF DISPATCH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS AURELIO VALVERDE AND I AM A DRIVER FROM TRANSDEV. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU SO MUCH. I JUST I JUST WANT TO ALSO EXTEND MY, MY GRATITUDE TO EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU FOR THE WORK THAT YOU DO. YOU KNOW, A LOT OF TIMES WE DON'T GET A CHANCE TO THANK TO THANK YOU ALL FOR WHAT YOU DO. BUT YOU KNOW, THIS THIS COURT OVER THE YEARS HAS, I THINK, MADE LEAPS AND BOUNDS WHEN IT COMES TO TRYING TO OFFER THIS SERVICE. AND WE COULDN'T DO IT, THOUGH, WITHOUT EACH OF YOU AND THE WORK THAT YOU DO EVERY SINGLE DAY. AND, YOU KNOW, WE CONTINUE TO TRY TO MAKE MAKE SURE THAT RESIDENTS ARE ABLE TO GET FROM POINT A TO POINT B IN THE EASIEST FASHION POSSIBLE AND THE SAFEST FASHION POSSIBLE. WE CONTINUE TO TRY TO WORK WITH THE CITY TO HAVE SEAMLESS TRANSITION. WHEN PEOPLE ARE COMING FROM THE COUNTY INTO THE CITY AND YOU KNOW, AGAIN, THE WORK THAT YOU ALL DO IS JUST IT.

WE COULDN'T DO IT. WE COULDN'T DO IT. AND THESE PEOPLE COULDN'T GET TO WHERE THEY NEED TO BE.

AND SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. MUCHISIMAS GRACIAS A TODOS POR SU POR SU TRABAJO Y POR SU SERVICIO AL CONDADO. THANK YOU.

ITEM FIVE C APPROVE AND ADOPT A RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING THE WOMEN LEADERS OF AMERICAN LEGION POST 832. ALL RIGHT. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH. I HAVE THE DISTINCT HONOR OF BEING ABLE TO

[C. Approve and adopt a resolution recognizing the women leaders of American Legion Post 832. David Stout, Commissioner, Precinct 2, 915-546-2111]

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AND WHEREAS COLONEL LEWIS, A CARTER POST 832, FORMERLY KNOWN AS COLONEL LEWIS, A CARTER POST NUMBER 58 A, HAS A RICH HISTORY OF SERVICE TO VETERANS DATING BACK TO ITS CHARTERING IN THE 1940S. AND WHEREAS THE AMERICAN LEGION'S MEMBERSHIP TRANSCENDS RACE, CREED, COLOR, RELIGION, AND GENDER AS ESTABLISHED BY CONGRESS. AND WHEREAS THE COLONEL LEWIS A CARTER POST 832 HAS BEEN HISTORICALLY DISTINGUISHED BY ITS PREDOMINANTLY BLACK MEMBERSHIP, REFLECTING ITS IMPORTANT ROLE IN REPRESENTING THE BLACK VETERAN COMMUNITY IN EL PASO. AND WHEREAS THE POST IS NAMED FOR IN HONOR OF COLONEL LEWIS, A CARTER, THE FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN REGULAR ARMY CHAPLAIN TO BE PROMOTED TO COLONEL AND THE ONLY CHAPLAIN TO SERVE WITH ALL FOUR REGULAR ARMY BLACK REGIMENTS. AND WHEREAS THE LEADERSHIP POST 832 HAS EVOLVED TO INCLUDE SIGNIFICANT REPRESENTATIONS OF WOMEN VETERANS WITH THE 2023 2024 EXECUTIVE BOARD FEATURING FIVE WOMEN VETERANS AND THE 2024 2025 OFFICERS. CONTINUING THIS LEGACY WITH FOUR WOMEN VETERANS. AND WHEREAS KEISHA CLARK MADE HISTORY AS THE FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN FEMALE COMMANDER OF POST 832 IN 2008 AND 2009, PAVING THE WAY FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS OF WOMEN LEADERS IN THE ORGANIZATION AND THE LEADERSHIP OF WOMEN SUCH AS FIRST VICE COMMANDER RAMONA ARMOR, SECOND VICE COMMANDERS LINDA F JONES, ADJUTANT SHOSHANA JOHNSON, CHAPLAIN JACQUELINE BOYER, FINANCE OFFICER FAITH PRENTICE, AND ADJUTANT KEISHA CLARK AS THE INSTRUMENTAL IN GROWTH AND CONTINUED SUCCESS OF POST 832, WHICH WAS DESIGNATED AS A PURPLE HEART POST IN FEBRUARY. AND NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT DURING THIS MONTH OF MARCH DESIGNATED AS NATIONAL WOMEN'S MONTH, THE EL PASO COUNTY JUDGE AND WOMEN. I'M SORRY AND COMMISSIONERS COURT RECOGNIZES AND CELEBRATES THE LEADERSHIP AND SERVICE OF THE WOMEN VETERANS ON THE 2023, 2024 AND 2024 2025. EXECUTIVE BOARDS OF THE AMERICAN LEGION POST 832, AS WELL AS THE LEGACY OF COLONEL LEWIS A CARTER, FOR THEIR ONGOING CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE VETERAN COMMUNITY AND THE CITY OF EL PASO. SIGNED THIS 17TH DAY OF MARCH 2025. THE HONORABLE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS COURT. DO WE HAVE A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER STOUT? SECOND BY COMMISSIONER CORONADO. THE VOTING IS OPEN. MOTION CARRIES. WELCOME, WELCOME, WELCOME. THE FLOOR IS YOURS. THANK YOU. GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS KEISHA CLARK. I'M CURRENTLY SERVING AS THE ADJUTANT. I WOULD LIKE TO START BY SAYING ECCLESIASTES THREE ONE AND 11. THERE'S A TIME FOR EVERYTHING AND A SEASON FOR EVERY ACTIVITY UNDER THE HEAVENS. HE HAS MADE EVERYTHING BEAUTIFUL IN ITS TIME. HE HAS ALSO SET ETERNITY IN THE HUMAN HEART. AND YET NO ONE CAN FATHOM WHAT GOD HAS DONE FROM THE BEGINNING TO THE END. FIRST, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK GOD FOR EVERYTHING THAT HE HAS DONE AND CONTINUES TO DO IN MY LIFE, MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS, FOR WITHOUT THEM I CAN DO NOTHING. I WOULD LIKE TO GIVE HONOR TO THOSE THAT MADE IT POSSIBLE FOR ME TO BE THE FIRST FEMALE COMMANDER OF POST 832. STARTING. STARTING WITH MY GRANDFATHER WHO SERVED OUR COUNTRY DURING THE WORLD WAR ONE. I'M THE FIRST DAUGHTER OF GRAND AND GREAT GRANDDAUGHTER TO SERVE IN THE US ARMY. CHAPLAIN LEWIS, AS YOU HAVE HEARD, WHO WAS THE EIGHTH AFRICAN-AMERICAN CHAPLAIN TO SERVE IN THE US ARMY AND THE FIRST TO BE PROMOTED TO THE RANK OF COLONEL. THROUGHOUT HIS MILITARY CAREER, HE WAS THE ONLY CHAPLAIN TO SERVE WITH ALL FOUR HISTORICALLY BLACK REGIMENTS. AS A RESULT, POST 832 HAS BEEN NAMED AFTER HIM. NEXT, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK COMMAND SERGEANT MAJOR, THE LATE COMMAND SERGEANT MAJOR JAMES A MCNAIR. HE SERVED THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF THE AMERICAN LEGION AS THE FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN TEXAS DEPARTMENT COMMANDER FROM 2008 TO 2009. IN APPRECIATION OF HIS CONTRIBUTIONS TO OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY. IN 2008, THE MAYOR AND THE CITY COUNCIL OF EL PASO, TEXAS PROCLAIMED SEPTEMBER THE 20TH SHALL BE KNOWN AS JAMES MCNAIR DAY. IT IS BECAUSE OF HIM AND HIS LEADERSHIP THAT I BECAME THE FIRST FEMALE COMMANDER, POST

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THEY HELPED US GET THIS TOGETHER. AND THANK YOU KNOW, THE JUDGE ALSO AND YOU ALL FOR DOING THIS FOR US. AND WE'RE GLAD TO BE HERE. AND THANK YOU FOR HONORING US THIS DAY. THANK YOU. GOOD MORNING. I'VE BEEN HERE A COUPLE TIMES, SO I'M VERY BLESSED. AND YOU'RE NOT GOING TO STOP COMING. OH. YOU KNOW, I HAD TO LOOK UP SOMETHING WHEN I WAS SITTING THERE BECAUSE I WANTED TO PAY PROPER RESPECT. 1781 DEBORAH SAMPSON DRESSED UP AS A MAN IN ORDER TO SERVE IN THE CONTINENTAL ARMY. YES HE DID. WOMEN HAVE BEEN CONTRIBUTING TO THIS NATION SINCE THE BEGINNING, GOING AS SO FAR AS TO DRESS UP AND LIVE AS MEN IN ORDER TO SERVE AND PROTECT. WE STAND TALL BECAUSE WE STAND ON THEIR SHOULDERS. AND AS BLACK WOMEN, IT HAS BEEN EVEN HARDER. IT IS NICE FOR THE RECOGNITION AND WE APPRECIATE IT, BUT WE HAVE TO GIVE DUE WHERE IT'S DUE. AND THOSE WHO CAME BEFORE US WHO WERE TOLD THEY WEREN'T STRONG ENOUGH, THEY WEREN'T SMART ENOUGH, THEY JUST WEREN'T TOUGH ENOUGH. THEY HAVE PROVEN THAT THEY WERE AND THEN SOME. OR WE WOULDN'T BE STANDING HERE IN THIS MOMENT. SO I APPRECIATE THIS SO MUCH. BUT IT GOES TO THOSE WHO CAME BEFORE US. DEFINITELY. AND I WANT TO THANK EL PASO, ALWAYS GIVING LOVE AND SUPPORT AS A BLACK WOMAN, AS AN IMMIGRANT, I BECAME A US CITIZEN HERE IN EL PASO, AS A AFRO-LATINA, AS A MOM, A DAUGHTER AND A SISTER. I APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT YOU SUPPORT EL PASOANS NO MATTER WHAT COLOR, NO MATTER WHAT RELIGION, NO MATTER WHO THEY LOVE, WHAT POLITICAL PARTY. YOU GIVE US LOVE. AND IT'S APPRECIATED, ESPECIALLY FROM THE VETERAN COMMUNITY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR HONORING US. AND I WANT TO THANK RICHARD BRITTON FOR BRINGING ME IN TO THE AMERICAN LEGION. CAN CAN YOU TELL US YOUR NAME? JUST FOR THE RECORD, PLEASE, CAN YOU STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD, JACQUELINE BOYER? THANK YOU, MISS BOYER. I'VE BEEN HERE FOR ABOUT 18 YEARS. I'M ORIGINALLY FROM NEW MEXICO. I WAS BORN IN NEW MEXICO. I JOINED THE MILITARY IN CALIFORNIA. I'VE BEEN ALL OVER THE WORLD. AND I SETTLED HERE BECAUSE MY MOTHER WAS HERE. AND I THINK ABOUT THAT EVERY DAY. EL PASO IS HOME TO ME. THANK YOU. I WANT TO ADD SOMETHING TO MISS JACKIE. WHEN MISS JACKIE JOINED THE ARMY, IT WASN'T. SHE WASN'T ALLOWED TO SERVE IN THE REGULAR ARMY. SHE WAS ONE OF THE WACS.

SO SHE JOINED. BEFORE WE CAN JUST CONSIDER OURSELVES SOLDIERS. SO SHE LED THE WAY.

TO. ALL RIGHT. GOOD. GOOD MORNING EVERYONE. MY NAME IS FAITH PRENTICE, AND I'M THE CURRENT FINANCE OFFICER FOR THE POST 832. AND I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU SO MUCH AGAIN. THAT'S LIKE MY COUNTERPART SAID, WE APPRECIATE YOU ALL HONORING US TODAY. AND WE COULD NOT HAVE

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SHE'S STILL DOING MILITARY WELL DUTIES WITH THE MILITARY. SHE HAS A CIVILIAN JOB ON POST AND SHE WASN'T ABLE TO MAKE IT. BUT SHE'S HERE IN SPIRIT AND THANK HER FOR HER SERVICE AND THANK HER FOR WHAT SHE'S DONE. ALSO FOR THE AMERICAN LEGION POST 832. THANK. WELL. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU, LADIES, ONCE AGAIN FOR NOT JUST YOUR SERVICE IN THE MILITARY. YES, WE HAVE ONE MORE.

OKAY. GOOD MORNING. WELCOME. ANTONIO. THE DISTRICT COMMANDER FOR DISTRICT 16 FOR THE AMERICAN LEGION SOUTHWEST. I'M ALSO A COMMANDER IN ANTHONY, TEXAS. POST 122. I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR DOING THE THINGS YOU DO FOR THE COMMUNITY IN OUR CITY OF EL PASO AND THE COUNTY OF EL PASO. YOU UNDERSTAND THAT WE HAVE SEVEN AMERICAN LEGIONS IN THE COUNTY OF EL PASO. AND THESE YOUNG LADIES FROM 832, I MET ALMOST THREE YEARS AGO AS THE COMMANDER. TWO OF THEM SIT ON MY DISTRICT BOARD. SO I APPRECIATE THAT THEM. MATTER OF FACT, I HAVE THREE WOMEN ON MY DISTRICT BOARD AND MY REGULAR POST. I HAVE TWO WOMEN. I BELIEVE THE WOMEN NEED TO. THEY STEPPED IT UP AND DO THE THINGS THEY NEED TO DO. JUST BY THE WAY THE MEN DO. AND I ENJOY THEM. THEY HELP ME OUT A LOT, ESPECIALLY WITH MY DISTRICT. NOW THAT I BECAME THE DISTRICT COMMANDER A FEW MONTHS AGO. SO JUST TRYING TO HOLD THE POSITION AND HAVE BEEN THE COMMANDER AT THE POST 122 FOR THREE YEARS. BUT LADIES, THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE IT. JOHNSON, I APPRECIATE IT. I'VE KNOWN HER YEARS AGO, YEARS WHEN THEY WERE P.O.W. I WAS A P.O.W. CASUALTY OFFICER FOR SPECIALIST HUTSON AND. AND MISS JOHNSON WAS ANOTHER ONE THAT WAS ASSIGNED WITH ANOTHER INDIVIDUAL BACK IN THE TIME. AND I'M JUST GLAD THAT SHE'S BACK. AND THEY GOT BACK SAFELY AND STUFF. JUST SEEING HER AND I HAVEN'T SEEN HER. WHAT YEAR WAS THAT? 2303. RIGHT. 2003 WHEN I RETIRED OUT OF THE MILITARY, RIGHT BEFORE I RETIRED OUT OF THE MILITARY, MY WIFE WAS A CASUALTY OFFICER FOR FORT BLISS AND ASSIGNED ME TO ONE OF THE POSITIONS AS A FOR THE P.O.W, WHICH WAS SPECIALIST HUTSON. AND THEN SHE HAD OTHER ONES THAT WERE ASSIGNED TO ALL THE ONES THAT WE DIDN'T REALIZE THAT WE DIDN'T KNOW WHETHER THEY WERE ALIVE OR NOT. THAT WAS THE SITUATION AT THE TIME, IN 2003.

SO I'M JUST GLAD TO SEE HER HERE AND ALL THESE LOVELY LADIES. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH AGAIN.

THANK. YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND AGAIN, THANKS TO ALL OF YOU FOR NOT JUST YOUR SERVICE TO THE COUNTRY AS AS MEMBERS IN THE MILITARY, BUT FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO FOR THIS COMMUNITY. I MEAN, I'VE SEEN EVERY ONE OF YOU IN SO MANY DIFFERENT PLACES AND DOING AMAZING THINGS, BEING SUCH AMAZING ROLE MODELS FOR YOUNG WOMEN, FOR YOUNG WOMEN OF COLOR.

AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO UPLIFT THESE TYPES OF STORIES. AND THIS PART OF OUR HISTORY, ESPECIALLY THIS DAY AND AGE, WHEN, YOU KNOW, THE TIMES THAT WE'RE THAT WE'RE LIVING, YOU KNOW, WE'RE KIND OF SLIPPING BACKWARDS INSTEAD OF MOVING FORWARDS, IN MY OPINION.

AND I'M JUST HAPPY AND PROUD THAT WE HAVE THIS TO TALK ABOUT. AND WE CAN AND WE CAN UPLIFT THIS. SO THANK YOU ALL ONCE AGAIN, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU ALL HERE MANY, MANY MORE TIMES. YOU ARE ALWAYS WELCOME HERE. THANK YOU.

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GET A LITTLE CLOSER TOGETHER. READY. 123.

THAT'S RIGHT. WOMEN GOT GAME. CAN WE GET ONE MORE WITH AMERICAN LEGION? THREE? COME ON.

YEAH, MR. JAMES ON THIS ONE. YES. YOU CAN HELP MAKE IT HAPPEN FOR US. IN MY MIND. OKAY. AND SHE WANTED TO.

THANK YOU. WOMEN'S ARMY CORPS TO. 72 TO 78. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. FOR. THAT. MADE MY DAY. ITEM 5DA AN ADOPT A RESOLUTION CONGRATULATING 1116

[D. Approve and adopt a resolution congratulating Eleven Sixteen Hair and Makeup Studio for its grand opening in Downtown El Paso. David Stout, Commissioner, Precinct 2, 915-546-2111]

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FINGERS. I DIDN'T PREPARE A SPEECH OR ANYTHING, SO I'M A LITTLE NERVOUS. BUT MY NAME IS HEATHER DESHAY, AND THIS IS MY INCREDIBLE TEAM AND MY MOM AND MY SON, WHO HAVE COME TO SUPPORT US AND BE A PART OF THIS. IT'S A BIG DEAL FOR US TO BE MOVING INTO DOWNTOWN. WE'VE BEEN SUPER BLESSED TO BE WHERE WE'VE BEEN AT EPIC, AND IT'S HELPED US GROW. AND I THINK THIS NEW JOURNEY INTO DOWNTOWN IS GOING TO BE INCREDIBLE AND AMAZING. SO THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH FOR HONORING US AS WELL. AND LIKE BEING A PART OF THIS NEW START OF THIS JOURNEY WITH US AS WELL.

SO, AND OUR FOUNDATION OF WHO WE ARE AND KIND OF HOW THINGS HAVE BEGUN. WE'RE CALLED 1116. OUR NAME HAS EVOLVED IN DIFFERENT MEANINGS, BUT I FEEL LIKE NOW WHERE WE'RE AT, IT REALLY STEMS FROM THE BIBLE VERSE, ROMANS 1116, WHERE THE FOUNDATION IS STRONG, THE BRANCHES ARE FRUITFUL, AND I CAN 100% SAY THAT MY TEAM IS THE HEARTBEAT OF THE SALON, AND THEY'RE THE STRONGEST BRANCHES THAT I'VE HAD. AND IT'S SO INCREDIBLE TO SEE THE WAY THAT WE'VE GROWN AND THE WAY THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO PROVIDE DIFFERENT SERVICES FOR EL PASO, AND JUST TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE FOR WOMEN AND JUST INSPIRE YOUNG WOMEN. I THINK BEING A WOMAN IN BUSINESS, I OFTEN FIND MYSELF LOOKING BACK AT THE LITTLE GIRL WHO HAD A DREAM, AND IT'S CRAZY TO SEE IT NOW. SO I KNOW SHE'S LIKE DEEP INSIDE, LIKE, WHOA, YOU DID IT! AND I HOPE THAT TO INSPIRE ALL THE YOUNG WOMEN THAT DO HAVE A DREAM, THAT YOU JUST KEEP PURSUING AND KEEP BEING CONSISTENT AND PERSISTENT IN EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO AND BIG THINGS HAPPEN. AND THIS IS KIND OF LIKE AN ORGANIC GROWTH FOR US. IT WASN'T ON THE 2024 BINGO CARD TO COME HERE. AND NOW WE'RE HERE. WE'RE HERE, AND WE'RE ABOUT TO BE MOVING APRIL 2025. SO IT'S INCREDIBLE TO SEE THAT JOURNEY. WE COULDN'T DO THAT WITHOUT ALL OF THE SUPPORT AND THE PEOPLE OF EL PASO. EL PASO IS HOME, AND IT IS INCREDIBLE TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THIS FOR THE PEOPLE OF EL PASO. SO THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH AND THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH. CAN WE HAVE YOUR YOUR TEAM INTRODUCE THEMSELVES? YES PLEASE. THEY'RE ALL GOING TO MAKE SPEECHES OKAY. EVEN BETTER. HI I'M CATHY MUNOZ. WELCOME.

HELLO I'M MICAELA BECKER I'M ONE OF THE NAIL TECHS AT 1116. I'VE BEEN WORKING WITH HEATHER FOR ABOUT THREE YEARS, BUT PRACTICING AS A NAIL TECHNICIAN FOR EIGHT YEARS. I'M EXCITED AND OVERJOYED FOR TO MOVE TO DOWNTOWN. IT'S A BIG MOVE AND WE ABSOLUTELY LOVE EL PASO AND TO PROVIDE ALL THE SERVICES THAT WE'LL PROVIDE FOR EVERYBODY, EVERYBODY IN EL PASO IS JUST AN HONOR TO MAKE THEM HAPPY AND TO SEE THEM SMILE WHEN THEY WALK OUT OF THE SALON. THANK YOU. HI, I'M JASMINE MCCLEARY, ALSO KNOWN AS SUNSHINE. I'M ONE OF THE HAIR AND MAKEUP ARTISTS. AT 1116. I WANT TO THANK THE COMMISSIONERS TODAY FOR YOUR RECOGNITION, YOUR RECOGNITION. IT'S TRULY AN HONOR

[01:10:02]

WE'RE PROVIDING MORE THAN JUST BEAUTY SERVICES. WE'RE HERE TO LISTEN TO PEOPLE THROUGH THEIR HARD TIMES. WE'RE HERE TO CELEBRATE PEOPLE THROUGH THEIR JOYS, AND ESPECIALLY WITH THE YOUNG PEOPLE THAT COME INTO OUR SALONS. WE TRULY TRY TO UPLIFT THEM, UPLIFT THEM AS MUCH AS WE CAN, AND HAVE THEM REALIZE THAT THEIR DREAMS CAN BECOME TRUE. WE'VE HAD THE HONOR OF BEING ABLE TO DO SERVICES OUTSIDE OF THE COUNTRY, AND I THINK WE DEFINITELY HOLD EL PASO IN OUR HEARTS WHENEVER WE DO THAT. SO THANK YOU AGAIN. HI. GOOD MORNING COMMISSIONERS. MY NAME IS SYDNEY CASTILLO. I'M THE BRIDAL COORDINATOR, BUT I'M ALSO A FULL TIME HAIR AND MAKEUP ARTIST. COLOR ALL OF THE THINGS. I'M VERY, VERY HONORED THAT WE'RE GETTING RECOGNITION NOT ONLY LIKE THE GIRLS HAVE SAID AS A WOMAN OWNED BUSINESS, BUT TO BE ABLE TO OFFER OUR SERVICES AND BE CREATIVES DOWNTOWN IS A HUGE DEAL. I THINK IN EL PASO WE HAVE SO MUCH TALENT WE HAVE OUTSIDE OF HAIR AND MAKEUP SERVICES. YOU KNOW, WE COLLABORATE WITH PHOTOGRAPHERS AND OTHER ARTISTS AND IT'S SO NICE TO SEE THAT DOWNTOWN IS FLOURISHING. AND AS ARTISTS, WE HAVE A HUB AND WE HAVE A PLACE. AS JASMINE MENTIONED, A FEW OF US HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO REPRESENT EL PASO OUTSIDE OF THE COUNTRY, OUTSIDE OF TEXAS. THIS IS ALWAYS GOING TO BE HOME AND WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO BE HERE, PROVIDE OUR SERVICES WITHOUT THE SUPPORT OF OUR COMMUNITY AND WITHOUT THE SUPPORT OF YOU ALL. SO I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING US. HI. THANK YOU ALL FOR HAVING 1116 TEAM. MY NAME IS GWEN OLIVARES. I'M HEATHER'S MOM, PROUD MOM. AND THIS IS LOGAN, HER SON, MY GRANDSON. AND THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY. I'M VERY PROUD OF THE TEAM AND ALL THE WORK THAT THEY DO. AND I'M SURE YOU ALL WILL BE TOO, AS YOU COME IN AND EXPERIENCE IT. BUT AGAIN, THANK YOU. APPRECIATE IT. YOU WANT TO SAY HELLO, LOGAN? HE'S THE CEO.

CEO. HE IS OPERATIONS. AWESOME. WELL, THANK YOU ALL AGAIN FOR BEING HERE AND ALLOWING US TO RECOGNIZE A WOMAN OWNED BUSINESS THAT'S COMING DOWNTOWN. YOU KNOW, WE ARE ALWAYS TRYING TO ATTRACT MORE PEOPLE TO COME AND LIVE, WORK AND PLAY DOWNTOWN. AND TO DO THAT, WE NEED TO HAVE AN ARRAY OF BUSINESSES, AN ARRAY OF SERVICES THAT ARE PROVIDED DOWN HERE. AND SO Y'ALL ARE JUST ANOTHER PIECE OF THAT PIECE OF THAT PUZZLE THAT'S THAT'S GOING TO HELP ATTRACT MORE PEOPLE TO BE TO BE DOWN HERE. AND IT'S GREAT TO SEE A BUSINESS THAT'S BEEN AROUND FOR, FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS AND, AND MAKING THIS, MAKING TAKING THIS STEP. I REALLY WISH YOU ALL THE SUCCESS AND MANY, MANY MORE YEARS OF, OF BEING OPEN HERE IN, IN OUR GREAT DOWNTOWN AREA. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. OKAY. CONGRATULATIONS. HONCHO.

CONGRATULATIONS. ITEM NUMBER SIX IS PUBLIC COMMENT. WE DO HAVE THREE SPEAKERS SIGNED UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT. OUR FIRST SPEAKER, WE HAVE MISS ELIZABETH CRAWFORD. AND JUST AS A REMINDER, THERE IS A FIVE MINUTE TIME LIMIT FOR PUBLIC COMMENT. THANK YOU. GOOD MORNING. THANK

[6. PUBLIC COMMENT]

[01:15:03]

PROBABLY MANY OF YOU HAVE SEEN GROUPS OF PEOPLE GATHERED AROUND THE ABORTION CENTERS IN NEW MEXICO BY THE PLANNED PARENTHOOD IN EL PASO, 40 DAYS FOR LIFE STANDING AGAINST ABORTION IN OUR NATION. MARCH 1ST WAS DESIGNATED AS ZERO DISCRIMINATION DAY, AND THIS MONTH WE'VE ALSO HAD THE REMEMBRANCE WEEK OF THE CHILDREN'S AUTHOR DOCTOR SEUSS IN HORTON HEARS A WHO? HIS BOOK.

WE FIND THE FAMOUS QUOTE, A PERSON IS A PERSON, NO MATTER HOW SMALL. WHILE NOT INTENDED TO BE A STATEMENT AGAINST ABORTION, FOR SURE THE STATEMENT APPLIES TO BABIES IN THE WOMB. A PERSON IS A PERSON, NO MATTER HOW SMALL. THESE LITTLE ONES MUST NOT BE DISCRIMINATED AGAINST IN AN ULTIMATE ACT OF DISCRIMINATION. ELIMINATION. MARCH 17TH NAMED SAINT PATRICK'S DAY, WE THINK OF THE NATION OF IRELAND. HOW SAD THAT A NATION THAT STOOD FOR DECADES AGAINST THE SCOURGE OF ABORTION HAS NOW CAVED IN. THEY HAVE GONE BACK TO PAGAN PRACTICES, FOLLOWED IN THE TIME OF THE CELTS AND THE DRUIDS PRACTICES OF CHILD SACRIFICE, ABORTION ON DEMAND. IN OUR DAY, CHILDREN ARE SACRIFICED ON THE ALTAR OF PERSONAL CONVENIENCE FOR THE YOUNGER GENERATION.

OFTEN THE IDEA OF FREE SEX WITHOUT RESPONSIBILITY, ABORTION ON DEMAND TO ACCOMMODATE A CULTURE. MY ROOTS ARE SCOTTISH IRISH, AND I REMEMBER THE LONG TRAIN RIDE WHEN I VISITED SCOTLAND FROM MY DAD'S LITTLE TOWN WHERE HE GREW UP, SANQUHAR, SCOTLAND, INTO GLASGOW, LOOKING AT THE GORGEOUS GREEN COUNTRYSIDE AND YET MOURNING OVER A NATION THAT, FOR THE MOST PART, HAS TURNED ITS BACK ON GOD. NOW IN THE UK, PRO-LIFERS GET ARRESTED FOR STANDING OUTSIDE OF ABORTION CENTERS, EVEN JUST SILENTLY PRAYING. MARCH 25TH HAS BEEN DESIGNATED AS INTERNATIONAL DAY OF THE UNBORN CHILD, WITH THE GOAL OF GUARANTEEING RESPECT FOR HUMAN DIGNITY IN EVERY SITUATION. AND MARCH 31ST, AS WE KNOW, IS A DAY TO REMEMBER THE LIFE OF THE MEXICAN AMERICAN CESAR CHAVEZ, PARTICULARLY HIS WORK AMONG FARM LABORERS AND THE FOUNDING OF THE NATIONAL FARM WORKERS ASSOCIATION. PUTTING ASIDE FOR A MOMENT ALL THE POLITICAL ARGUMENTS AND DIALOG ON THE SITUATION OF IMMIGRATION, BOTH LEGAL AND ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION.

IN REALITY, PERSONALLY, ONE OF THE SADDEST THINGS IN THESE PAST TWO YEARS HAS BEEN SEEING THE HISPANIC YOUNG PEOPLE SHOWING UP IN MASS AT THE ABORTION CENTERS OF OUR NATION IN MASS. WHAT IS THAT? WE AS A NATION WERE SAYING THAT WE WERE WELCOMING THESE PEOPLE TO OUR COUNTRY, AND WE END UP TEACHING THEM OUR WAYS HOW TO SLAUGHTER THEIR VERY OWN CHILDREN. REALLY, MORE THAN ANY OTHER ASPECT OF THE MIGRANT SITUATION, THIS IS THE APEX OF CLIMAX OF TRAGEDY THIS MONTH, AS MANY SEEK TO EARN GOD'S FAVOR BY GIVING UP THINGS FOR LENT. WE NEED TO REALIZE THAT THE GRAVITY AND DEPTH OF OUR SIN, INDIVIDUAL AND CORPORATE, CANNOT BE TAKEN AWAY BY ANYTHING THAT WE DO, BUT CAN ONLY BE TAKEN AWAY THROUGH COMPLETE FAITH IN THE ONE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE OF THE LAMB.

JOHN 129 JOHN SAW JESUS COMING UNTO HIM, AND HE SAID, BEHOLD, THE LAMB OF GOD, WHO TAKES AWAY THE SIN OF THE WORLD IN CHRIST ALONE IS THE HOPE FOR ANY ONE OF US AND FOR OUR NATION THE ONLY HOPE. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER WE HAVE MR. BRIAN STANLEY. GOOD MORNING, COMMISSIONERS BRIAN STANLEY, DOMESTIC RELATIONS OFFICE THIS MORNING. I AM SO PROUD TO ANNOUNCE THAT I WAS LIKE, WHERE ARE YOU THIS MONTH? IS MISS CARMEN HERNANDEZ. EXCUSE ME, 25TH ANNIVERSARY HERE WITH EL PASO COUNTY. SHE WAS BORN HERE IN EL PASO COUNTY. SHE GRADUATED FROM HIGH SCHOOL AT YSLETA AND WENT TO COMMUNITY COLLEGE AND ATTENDED UTEP. SHE HAS TWO CHILDREN. CHRISTINE, HER DAUGHTER, IS CURRENTLY A JUNIOR AT UTEP MAJORING IN BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES, WHILE HER SON, JOSE LUIS, IS SIX YEARS OLD. EACH OF THEM HOLD A SPECIAL PLACE IN HER HEART. SHE LOVES THE EXCITEMENT OF WATCHING MOVIES, THE THRILL OF SHOPPING AND ADVENTURE, EXPLORING NEW PLACES. RECENTLY, SHE TOOK AN UNFORGETTABLE TRIP TO THE BEAUTIFUL SHORES OF CORPUS CHRISTI. CARMEN IS A DEDICATED 25 YEARS HERE WITH EL PASO COUNTY STARTING HER JOURNEY

[01:20:05]

OUR LAST SPEAKER WE HAVE SIGNED UP IS COMMISSIONER CORONADO. THANK YOU. COMMISSIONER, I JUST WANTED TO POINT OUT HOW OUR LOOK AT OUR ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF. ALL IN GREEN. STAND UP GUYS, LOOK, MAN, LOOK AT THAT. HAPPY SAINT PATRICK'S DAY. HAPPY SAINT PATRICK'S DAY. GREAT JOB. YOU KNOW THE TNA EVENT AT THE COUNTY COLISEUM THIS PAST FRIDAY AND SATURDAY WAS REALLY GREAT. AND IT WAS A GREAT EXAMPLE OF WHAT CAN BE DONE HERE IN EL PASO. IT WAS REALLY EXCITING TO SEE THE COLISEUM JUST, I MEAN, COME ALIVE. IT WAS VIBRANT, YOU KNOW, WITH EXCITEMENT. SO I WANT TO THANK THE SPORTS COMMISSION FOR REALLY THEIR WORK IN MAKING THIS HAPPEN. AND I HOPE TO SEE MANY, MANY MORE EVENTS LIKE THIS IN THE FUTURE. AND THE STAFF FROM TNA JUST TOLD ME THAT THEY WERE REALLY PLEASED AT, YOU KNOW, THE WAY THE HOSPITALITY AND THE HELP THAT THEY RECEIVE FROM THE SPORTS COMMISSION AND THE COUNTY. SO THEY WERE THEY WERE VERY, VERY APPRECIATIVE. MOVING.

ONE OTHER THING, COMMISSIONER, OR RATHER, NO, WHITE LIGHTNING AND THE BUSHWACKER DID A LITTLE

[01:25:04]

[A. Receive a presentation from the Office of Congresswoman Veronica Escobar on the U.S. House Appropriations process and congressional budget items. Melissa Carrillo, Deputy County Administrator, County Operations, 915-546-2162]

SO DISTRICT SERVICES. REMINDER THAT WE DO CONGRESSIONAL CASEWORK, JUST LIKE YOU GUYS HELP ON COUNTY CASEWORK WITH YOUR OFFICES. SO WE HAVE A PROCESS FOR ANY OF YOUR CONSTITUENTS. IF FOLKS REACH OUT, WE KNOW THAT FOLKS REACH OUT TO WHOEVER THEY KNOW. RIGHT.

AND YOU ARE THE FACE FOR YOUR COMMUNITY AS WELL. SO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU AND YOUR TEAM ARE AWARE THAT HAPPY TO ALWAYS CONNECT WITH YOUR TEAMS, HAVE DONE THAT A LOT AND CONTINUE TO DO THAT. ANY FEDERAL AGENCY CONCERNS SEND THEM OUR WAY, CONNECT US UP AND WE HAVE A PROCESS. ARE SOME OF THE REMINDERS ON SOME OF THOSE FEDERAL AGENCIES. AND THEN THAT WE HAVE A DIGITAL A DIGITAL FORM THAT CONSTITUENTS CAN FILL OUT AT ANY TIME. BUT OBVIOUSLY, IF THEY DO HAVE ACCESS ISSUES, THERE'S WAYS TO DO IT ON PAPER AS WELL AS THEY CAN COME BY IN PERSON TO OUR OFFICE AND DO THAT OR HAVE IT HAVE IT MAILED TO THEM. IT DOES TAKE OUR FEDERAL AGENCIES SOME TIME, ANYWHERE BETWEEN 30 TO 90 DAYS TO GET US A RESPONSE. WE CAN'T MAKE AN AGENCY MAKE A DECISION IN THAT THE EXACT DECISION THAT A CONSTITUENT MAY WANT, BUT WE CAN MAKE SURE THEY GET A RESPONSE AND THAT THEY GET CLARITY ON THE INFORMATION AND GET AND OFTEN OUR OFFICE REACHING OUT CAN HELP GET THEM AN ANSWER A BIT FASTER. SPEAKING OF CASEWORK, WE LAST YEAR WE DID OVER 1400 CONSTITUENT CASES AND RETURNED OVER 4.2 MILLION FOR EL PASOANS.

BECAUSE OF THAT WORK. AND WE ONE OTHER WAY THAT WE HELP MAKE CONSTITUENT CASEWORK HAPPEN IS WE KNOW THAT JUST STAYING IN OUR OFFICE ISN'T THE ONLY WAY TO DO THAT, OR OUR SOCIAL OR DIGITAL,

[01:30:02]

WE'RE WELCOME TO HAVE YOU OR HAVE FOLKS FROM YOUR STAFF TO JOIN US AS WELL. AND SOME OF THE THINGS WE DO FOR YOUTH, WE'RE REALLY BIG ON YOUTH STUFF, JUST LIKE WE KNOW THE COUNTY WANTS TO WE HAVE AN ART COMPETITION. WE PARTNER WITH THE CITY FOR THE GALLERY DISPLAY, BUT WE'RE COMING UP ON OUR DEADLINE FOR THAT. SO IF YOU HAVE ANY STUDENTS, THERE'S INFO ON OUR WEBSITE OR JUST EMAIL ME IF YOU WANT ANYTHING TO SHARE ON ANY OF YOUR NEWSLETTERS. FOR STUDENTS AND SCHOOLS, IT'S FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS. WE HAVE AN APP CHALLENGE. WE'RE CELEBRATING OUR WINNERS UP IN D.C. IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS, ACTUALLY, AND THAT'S FOR SIXTH THROUGH 12TH GRADE THROUGH 12TH GRADE. AND THEN WE HAVE A YOUTH ADVISORY COUNCIL AND THE UPDATE HERE. WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR THREE YEARS NOW, BUT IT'S BECOME SO POPULAR THAT WE'RE ALSO GOING TO DO NOT ONLY A SCHOOL YEAR VERSION, BUT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A SUMMER CLASS AS WELL. SO ANY STUDENTS THAT ARE 10TH THROUGH 12TH GRADERS, FEEL FREE TO ENCOURAGE THEM TO APPLY. FOR OUR YOUTH ADVISORY COUNCIL, WE HAVE USUALLY COHORTS OF ABOUT 25 TO 30 STUDENTS AND TRY TO REPRESENT ALL AREAS OF EL PASO IN TEXAS, 16 AND ALSO WE HAVE INTERNSHIPS. WE KNOW SOME OF YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH OUR INTERNSHIPS PROGRAM, BUT WE'RE COMING UP ON OUR DEADLINE FOR OUR SUMMER INTERNSHIPS. BUT THERE'S BOTH D.C. AND D DISTRICT OFFICE INTERNSHIPS AND OUR SERVICE ACADEMY NOMINATION PROCESS. WE JUST ROUNDED OUT THIS LAST YEAR'S ONE, BUT WE'LL BE STARTING AGAIN AND ACTIVELY PROMOTING FOR THAT. WE ALSO HAVE A WAY TO GET BOOKS. I THINK WE'VE DONE THIS. I DON'T KNOW IF WE'VE DONE THIS WITH ILLUMINA OUT IN THE COUNTY SIDE YET, BUT WE CAN GET BOOKS FROM THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS AND BRING THEM TO NONPROFITS OR OTHER ORGANIZATIONS IN THE COMMUNITY.

AND HAPPY TO GET LIBRARY OF CONGRESS BOOKS OUT TO YOU. WE ALSO HAVE GRANT SERVICES.

OBVIOUSLY, THE GRANTS LANDSCAPE HAS BEEN PRETTY COMPLICATED AS OF RECENT AS I LOOK AT YOU ALL.

SO OUR GRANTS NEWSLETTER HAS BEEN A LITTLE LESS FREQUENT, BUT ALSO WITH EXISTING GRANTS WE REALLY WANT TO HEAR FROM. WE WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH THE COUNTY STAFF AND TRY TO CONTINUE TO STAY UPDATED IF THERE ARE ANY ISSUES THAT COME FORWARD WITH GRANTS. BUT ALSO WE'RE PROMOTING, YOU KNOW, EXISTING GNOPHOS NOTICES OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES AND RFPS OUT THERE. WE CAN PROVIDE LETTERS OF SUPPORT, AND WE CAN ALSO PROVIDE RESEARCH SERVICES FOR AVAILABLE GRANTS ON A SPECIFIC TOPIC. LOTS MORE INFORMATION HERE. BUT JUST BRIEFLY, WHEN YOU'RE IN DC, I KNOW SOME OF YOU GOT TO ENJOY A TOUR RECENTLY WHEN SOME OF YOU WERE IN DC AND ONE OF OUR DC INTERNS, I THINK, GAVE SOME COUNTY FOLKS A TOUR. BUT THAT'S JUST ONE OF THE MANY THINGS AT THE AT THE CAPITOL. WE CAN DO WHITE HOUSE TOURS. WE ALSO DO RECOGNITION FOR CONSTITUENTS FOR DIFFERENT THINGS. SO I KNOW YOU GUYS DO A LOT OF YOUR OWN RECOGNIZING, BUT THERE'S SOMETHING YOU THINK SHOULD BE FLAGGED FOR OUR TEAM AS WELL. FEEL FREE TO SHARE THAT ALONG.

AND THAT'S MY PORTION. SO I'M GOING TO GO BACK TO THE BEGINNING SO BEN CAN GO. ANY QUESTIONS ON MY END. THANK YOU. THANK YOU EMILY. IT'S ALWAYS GREAT TO BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT WHAT SERVICES ARE PROVIDED BY THE, THE CONGRESSWOMAN'S OFFICE. AND I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE TO OUR COMMUNITY AND YOUR ACCESSIBILITY, ESPECIALLY TO MY OFFICE. AND, YOU KNOW, KIND OF WADING THROUGH THESE UNCHARTED WATERS THAT WERE THAT WERE GOING THROUGH RIGHT NOW AND JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL RIGHT NOW. BUT BUT YOU DO A GREAT JOB. AND, AND I WANTED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT. WELL THANK YOU. IT'S A GREAT TEAM. AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTNERSHIP. I'LL LET BEN GO. THANK YOU. GOOD MORNING, COMMISSIONERS BEN HARRISON, THE CONGRESSMAN LEGISLATIVE DIRECTOR, HAVE PRESENTED TO THE COURT BEFORE, WAS WITH THE CONGRESSMAN FROM 2019 TO 2022. BUT BACK IN THIS NEW CAPACITY AND VERY EXCITED TO BE BACK WORKING FOR EL PASO. SO TO START OFF, WANTED TO FLAG, AS BETSY MENTIONED, THE CONGRESSWOMAN IS ON NEW COMMITTEES THIS CONGRESS. BUT PRIOR TO THIS SHE WAS ON THE ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE, THE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE, AND THE ETHICS COMMITTEE. SHE IS NOW A MEMBER OF THE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE AND THE BUDGET COMMITTEE. SHE'S THE FIRST MEMBER TO BE ON THE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE FOR THIS DISTRICT SINCE 1997, I BELIEVE, SINCE REP RON COLEMAN WAS IN OFFICE. SUBCOMMITTEE ON MILITARY CONSTRUCTION AND VETERANS AFFAIRS AND THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY. WE'LL DIVE INTO THOSE LATER IN THE PRESENTATION. BUT WE'RE EXCITED. IT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR THE COMMUNITY. AND WE'LL DIVE MORE INTO WHAT WHAT IT COULD MEAN JUST TO PROVIDE A QUICK UPDATE ON WHAT, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE GOINGS ON IN WASHINGTON. FIRST OFF, WANTED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE BUDGET RECONCILIATION PROCESS GOING THROUGH RIGHT NOW. WANTED TO

[01:35:02]

THIS BUDGET RECONCILIATION ROUND IS WHAT FOLKS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE AISLE ARE GOING TO BE USING TO PUSH THROUGH THEIR PRIORITIES FOR THIS CONGRESS. IT IS LOOKING LIKE THEY WOULD LIKE TO USE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO PASS MASSIVE TAX CUTS FOR THE WEALTHY. ON OUR END, OUR MAJOR CONCERN IS THE CUTS THAT WE'RE POTENTIALLY GOING TO SEE TO MAJOR PROGRAMS. YOU KNOW, JUST ONE OF THE EXAMPLES WE HAVE UP THERE LIKELY WILL CUT $880 BILLION FROM MEDICAID.

OBVIOUSLY, A HUGE CONCERN FOR EL PASO AND FOR THE CONGRESSWOMAN JUST GIVEN, YOU KNOW, THE NUMBER OF FOLKS, ONE, THE NUMBER OF FOLKS IN EL PASO COUNTY WHO RELY ON MEDICAID, BUT ALSO, YOU KNOW, JUST THE OVERARCHING EFFECTS OF WHAT THOSE CUTS COULD MEAN FOR NOT JUST EL PASOANS, BUT FOR LOCAL HOSPITAL SERVICES LIKE UMC AND THE LIKE. YOU KNOW, I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT YOU MAY HEAR IN THE COMING WEEKS ABOUT THIS IS THAT PART OF THESE CUTS WILL BE COVERED THROUGH TARIFFS.

YOU KNOW, IT HAS NOT BEEN SHOWN HOW MUCH REVENUE IS GOING TO BE COMING IN FROM THESE NEW TARIFFS THAT ARE BEING PUT INTO PLACE. BUT WE HAVE STRONG REASON TO BELIEVE THAT THESE REVENUES ARE NOT GOING TO COVER THE CUTS THAT THEY ARE LOOKING TO MAKE IN THIS BUDGET RECONCILIATION PROCESS.

SO, YOU KNOW, I DID WANT TO THANK THE COURT FOR AND COMMISSIONERS FOR SENDING A LETTER TO OUR OFFICE EXPRESSING CONCERN OVER THIS PROCESS. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. PLEASE KEEP MAKING YOUR VOICES KNOWN AND HEARD. I WON'T GO THROUGH THIS ENTIRE SLIDE AGAIN. THIS IS HOW THIS HOW THIS PROCESS COULD AFFECT EL PASO. BUT AGAIN WANT TO ZERO IN ON THE MEDICAID PORTION. YOU KNOW, 130,000 PEOPLE IN TEXAS, 16 JUST TEXAS 16. SO THIS IS AN ENTIRE THIS IS NOT JUST ALL OF EL PASO COUNTY. ARE AT RISK OF LOSING THEIR HEALTH CARE, YOU KNOW, UNDER THIS UNDER THIS BUDGET RECONCILIATION. 82,000 CHILDREN ARE ON MEDICAID AS WELL, WITH 17,000 SENIORS. BUT MEDICAID IS THE PORTION WE'RE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT. BUT THERE ARE OTHER PROGRAMS THAT COULD ALSO BE HIT AS WELL. SNAP, ACA, A LOT OF OTHER ITEMS OF CONCERN. SO I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE KEEPING YOU FOLKS AWARE OF THIS, THIS THE TIMELINE FOR THIS. I THINK THEY'RE VERY AMBITIOUS. THEY WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A BILL RECONCILED, OR THEY HAVE TO MATCH UP WITH THE SENATE. THEY WOULD LIKE TO DO THAT SOMETIME IN APRIL. THAT'S VERY AMBITIOUS.

AND WE'LL SEE IF THEY CAN DO THAT. BUT OF COURSE, WE'LL KEEP THE COURT COMMISSIONERS UPDATED ABOUT THIS PROCESS AS IT MOVES FORWARD. NOW, I WANT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT CONTINUING RESOLUTION. SO YOU ALL MAY HAVE HEARD LAST WEEK THINGS CAME TO A HEAD ON FEDERAL FUNDING. AND SINCE DECEMBER FOR FISCAL YEAR 25, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN RUNNING UNDER A CONTINUING RESOLUTION, WHICH JUST MEANS WE RUN ON FISCAL YEAR 24 FUNDING LEVELS AND WE DON'T DO ANYTHING NEW. HOWEVER, YOU KNOW, LAST WEEK, UNFORTUNATELY, THE MAJORITY PUSHED THROUGH A NEW CONTINUING RESOLUTION THAT CONTAINED A LOT OF CUTS. A LOT OF ITEMS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE DIDN'T NECESSARILY AGREE. WE DON'T AGREE WITH. AND AT THE VERY END, WE WERE WE WERE ENCOURAGING AS MEMBERS OF THE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE DISCUSSION AND NEGOTIATION ON A FULL FISCAL YEAR 25 FUNDING PACKAGE, WHICH WOULD ALLOW US TO ALLOCATE FUNDING WHERE CONGRESS BELIEVES IT NEEDS TO BE FUNDED. UNFORTUNATELY, THAT DID NOT HAPPEN. SO WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? YOU KNOW, AGAIN, RIGHT NOW THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT ARE UNCERTAIN. BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IS CERTAIN IS THAT A LOT OF PROGRAMS ARE BEING CUT. A LOT OF EMPLOYEE FEDERAL EMPLOYEES WHO ADMINISTER, ADMINISTER THESE PROGRAMS ARE BEING FIRED. THE LEGALITIES OF THESE ARE VERY QUESTIONABLE. SO THIS CONTINUING RESOLUTION WILL JUST ALLOW THAT TO KEEP HAPPENING. YOU KNOW, WE'RE SEEING THIS ISSUE ACROSS AGENCIES FROM THE SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION TO DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, WHICH I NOTE UP THERE. YOU KNOW, THESE ARE THESE REDUCTION IN WORKFORCES ARE, YOU KNOW, INCREDIBLY DISTURBING ONE, BECAUSE THESE EMPLOYEES, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE PUBLIC SERVANTS. THEY'RE HERE. THEY'RE LOOKING TO SERVE THEIR THEIR NATION IN THIS

[01:40:04]

SO WE'RE INCREDIBLY CONCERNED ABOUT THAT. I JUST WANTED TO NOTE ONE OF THE CUTS THAT WAS INCLUDED IN THE CONTINUING RESOLUTION, A CUT TO THE TOXIC EXPOSURES FUND, WHICH WAS PASSED UNDER THE WHICH IS PART OF THE PACT ACT, WHICH A LOT OF OUR COUNTY VETERANS ARE APPLYING FOR. SO WE'RE JUST REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT THIS MOVING FORWARD. AND WE'LL NOTE IT NOW.

BUT I TALK ABOUT IT LATER ON IN THIS CONTINUING RESOLUTION. WE DO NOT HAVE FISCAL YEAR 25 COMMUNITY PROJECTS. SO THOSE PROJECTS ARE AT THIS POINT, FOR LACK OF A BETTER TERM, DEAD.

BECAUSE THEY WERE JUST NOT INCLUDED IN THIS BILL. BUT WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT LATER ON. BUT I WANT TO NOTE THAT UP FRONT HERE. SO APPROPRIATIONS. SO I BELIEVE THE COMMISSIONERS, YOU ALL HAVE RECEIVED THIS BEFORE, BUT I WANTED TO PRESENT IT AGAIN IN A NEW LIGHT. NOW THAT THE CONGRESSMAN IS ON THE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE. YOU KNOW, THESE ARE THE 12 BILLS THAT CONGRESS SHOULD BE PASSING EVERY YEAR TO HELP FUND OUR GOVERNMENT, RANGING FROM AGRICULTURE TO MILITARY, CONSTRUCTION AND VETERANS AFFAIRS, TRANSPORTATION, HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT. THE IMPORTANT THING TO KNOW ABOUT THESE BILLS IS THAT THEY IT IS CONGRESS'S. IT IS OUR PREROGATIVE AS CONGRESS TO ALLOCATE THE FUNDING AND DIRECT DIRECT THE FUNDING AS TO WHERE IT NEEDS TO GO. AND THESE BILLS ALLOW US TO DO THAT. NOW THAT SHE'S ON THE COMMITTEE, SHE GETS BITES AT THE APPLE OF FOR EACH OF THESE BILLS AND THESE SUBCOMMITTEES. SO ALTHOUGH SHE'S NOT NECESSARILY ON, YOU KNOW, LET'S SAY THE LABOR AND HHS EDUCATION SUBCOMMITTEE, SHE'S STILL THE CONGRESSWOMAN IS ABLE TO PUT IN REQUESTS FOR FUNDING FOR REPORT LANGUAGE AND THINGS LIKE THAT. AND WE'RE EXCITED THAT HER BEING ON THE COMMITTEE MEANS IT WILL BE A PRIORITY MOVING FORWARD. SO JUST TO PUT SHED SOME LIGHT ON JUST HOW LARGE THESE JURISDICTIONS ARE FOR THE SUBCOMMITTEES, AGAIN, IT'S A LITTLE SMALL, I APOLOGIZE, BUT I REALLY WANTED TO HAMMER HOME THE POINT OF JUST FOR THE LABOR HHS SUBCOMMITTEE, LOOKING AT ALL THE AGENCIES THAT ARE THAT ARE FUNDED THROUGH THIS BILL, DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND AND DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR, ALL THE WAY DOWN TO SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION. SO, AGAIN, WE'RE EXCITED TO BE ABLE TO USE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO HELP INFLUENCE AND SHAPE POLICY IN SOME OF THESE IN SOME OF THESE INSTANCES. AND WE'RE EXCITED TO HEAR FROM THE COMMUNITY AS TO WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO BE SEEING. YOU KNOW, IF THEY'RE HAVING ISSUES WITH THEIR WITH THEIR WITH THEIR LOCAL AGENCY OR GRANTS OR THINGS LIKE THAT, WE'RE EXCITED TO TRY TO USE THIS PROCESS TO HELP PUSH THE BALL FORWARD. SO JUST TO QUICKLY TALK ABOUT THE CONGRESSMAN'S SUBCOMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS AND THEIR JURISDICTIONS. SO SHE IS NOW ON MILITARY AFFAIRS, MILITARY CONSTRUCTION AND VETERANS AFFAIRS, A VERY A GREAT SUBCOMMITTEE FOR OUR FOR THE DISTRICT AND THE COUNTY. JUST GIVEN THE PREVALENCE OF THE NUMBER OF VETERANS WE HAVE HERE, BUT ALSO THE PRESENCE OF FORT BLISS AND ALL THE MILITARY CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS OCCURRING THERE. SO WE'RE EXCITED TO BE ON THAT SUBCOMMITTEE. AGAIN, THESE ARE ALL THE AREAS WHERE SHE HAS DIRECT JURISDICTION. AGAIN, SHE'S BECAUSE SHE HAS SHE HAS SHE IS ON THIS SUBCOMMITTEE. SHE'S ABLE TO ATTEND THOSE HEARINGS, ASK THE QUESTIONS OF THESE WITNESSES. AND WE'RE EXCITED TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT.

AND THEN HER NEXT SUBCOMMITTEE IS THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY. ON THE ON OUR COMMITTEE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE WEBSITE, THE JURISDICTION JUST SAYS DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY. OBVIOUSLY, THERE'S A LOT OF AGENCIES WITHIN THAT. SO I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT SOME. WE HAVE SOME JURISDICTION OVER USCIS, COAST GUARD, FEMA, CYBERSECURITY AND INFRASTRUCTURE SECURITY AGENCY, ICE, TSA, ALL THESE AGENCIES THAT ARE CRITICAL TO THE COMMUNITY. AND WE'RE EXCITED TO BE ABLE TO HONE IN ON THEM AND, YOU KNOW, ALLOCATE FUNDING TO PRIORITIES AT EL PASO COUNTY IS SEEING. SO JUST TO BREAK DOWN AGAIN GO WE'LL GO QUICKLY THE TYPES OF REQUESTS WE SEE ON THE APPROPRIATIONS SIDE. WE ARE ABLE TO SPECIFICALLY REQUEST SPECIFIC FUNDING LEVELS FOR DIFFERENT FEDERAL AGENCIES THROUGH THESE THROUGH THESE BILLS. I ALWAYS USE THE EXAMPLE. I'VE USED THE EXAMPLE OF THE POISON CONTROL PROGRAM FOR A LONG TIME. BECAUSE IT'S A PROGRAM THAT NOT A LOT OF FOLKS USUALLY THINK ABOUT, BUT IT'S AN INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT PROGRAM FOR AREAS LIKE WEST TEXAS AND EL PASO. SO I PROVIDE EXAMPLE, IF YOU'D LIKE TO ALLOCATE $50 MILLION TO THE POISON CONTROL PROGRAM, THE WEST TEXAS REGIONAL POISON CENTER IS LIKELY AT UMC IS LIKELY TO SEE AN INCREASE IN FUNDING IF THIS FUNDING WERE TO COME DOWN. JUST AN EXAMPLE. WE'RE EXCITED BECAUSE PRIOR TO BEING ON THE COMMITTEE, WE WERE

[01:45:03]

YOU KNOW, A MILLION. 1.25 MILLION FOR THE COUNTY. FOR A NEW ANIMAL SHELTER. 1.1 MILLION FOR EAST MONTANA WATER TOWER. 850,000 FOR THE CORBIN ZAMBRANO COMMUNITY CENTER. 850,000 FOR VOCATIONAL TRAINING AT THE JUVENILE DETENTION CENTER. THESE PROJECTS ARE NOT GOING TO BE FUNDED FOR THIS YEAR. THAT BEING SAID, I'LL I'LL TALK ABOUT THIS A LITTLE BIT MORE IN A COUPLE SLIDES THERE. WE'RE INTERESTED IN CONTINUING CONVERSATIONS WITH THE COUNTY ABOUT THESE PROJECTS, AND MORE PROJECTS CONTINUED THAT WERE NOT FUNDED IN THIS, IN THIS CONTINUING RESOLUTION, FISCAL YEAR 26 COMMUNITY PROJECT PROCESS, WE ARE STILL GOING TO BE SELECTING 15 PROJECTS FOR

[01:50:01]

WE, I THINK, GOT GUIDANCE. YOU KNOW, ON A MONDAY AND THE DEADLINE WAS THE NEXT FRIDAY OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. SO THIS WHILE WE DON'T HAVE A DEADLINE RIGHT NOW, WE EXPECT THIS TO BE INCREDIBLY AN INCREDIBLY FAST TURNAROUND. SO RIGHT NOW WHAT I HAVE ON OUR WEBSITE AND I NEED TO UPDATE IT WITH THIS NEW INFORMATION ABOUT ROLLOVERS FOR FISCAL YEAR 25, BECAUSE I WASN'T EXPECTING THAT THIS WAS GOING TO HAPPEN. WHAT I HAVE RIGHT NOW IS AN INTEREST FORM. TO MAKE SURE I'M GETTING I'M CAPTURING THESE GOOD IDEAS FROM THE COMMUNITY. ONCE THAT NEW GUIDANCE IS OUT, WE WILL UPDATE OUR FORMS. TELL FOLKS TO RESUBMIT THEIR PROJECTS USING THIS FORM. BUT NOW IS THE TIME TO BE. AND I JUST TOLD BETSY THIS AS WELL. NOW'S THE TIME TO BE THINKING ABOUT THESE PROJECTS. IF YOU ALL WOULD LIKE TO SUBMIT THE SAME PROJECTS, THAT WORKS FOR US. BUT NOW IS THE TIME TO BE THINKING ABOUT THOSE THAT THOSE PROJECTS AND THOSE PRIORITIES. IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS, THAT EMAIL IS ONE THAT I MONITOR AND I AM THE ONE WHO RESPONDS ON THAT END. SO LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU ALL ON THESE PROJECTS. AND WITH THAT, I'LL TAKE QUESTIONS.

IF THERE ARE ANY, ANY ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU. PERFECT. ALL RIGHT. COMMISSIONER WILL WORK WITH YOU ALL. WE'LL GO THROUGH THE PROJECTS AND THEIR TIMING AND WHETHER OR NOT IT WILL BE ABLE TO WAIT. BECAUSE EVEN WHEN WE APPLY, IF WE'RE AWARDED, THERE'S STILL SEVERAL STEPS TO GET THE FUNDING. SO BY PUSHING IT OUT ANOTHER YEAR, WE'D STILL BE LOOKING AT PROBABLY REALISTICALLY FY 27 TIME FRAME BEFORE WE GET THE FUNDING. SO WE'LL LOOK THROUGH THEM AND SEE IF ANY OF THEM HAVE A TIME SENSITIVE ISSUE, AND BRING THAT BACK FOR DISCUSSION WITH THE COURT. AND JUST AS A SIDE, WE SINCE THIS PROGRAM RETURNED, I THINK IN 2022, I BELIEVE THE COUNTY HAS RECEIVED ABOUT $14 MILLION IN FUNDING THROUGH THE CONGRESSWOMAN'S OFFICE FOR VARIOUS PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS. AND I BELIEVE WE ALSO HAVE RECEIVED SOME ADDITIONAL FUNDING THROUGH OUR OTHER MEMBER OF CONGRESS OFFICE AS WELL. SO THESE THESE PROGRAMS, THIS THIS PROGRAM HAS BEEN VERY IMPACTFUL. AND THAT'S JUST THE COUNTY'S PORTION. AND OF COURSE, WHILE WE GET OUR FAIR SHARE, THERE'S OTHER FUNDING THAT'S GOING TO OTHER OTHER ENTITIES THAT IMPACT US AS WELL. AND SO WE LOOK FORWARD TO THE PROGRAM RETURNING AND VISITING THIS AGAIN WITH THE COURT IN THE NEAR FUTURE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU BEN. THANK YOU. OKAY, SO I THINK WE THERE'S A COUPLE OF ITEMS WE WANT TO TAKE BEFORE WE, WE BREAK FOR LUNCH. THE ITEM ON THE BUDGET. IT'S NUMBER 13, RIGHT? WE WANTED TO DO ITEM 13 BEFORE WE BROKE FOR LUNCH. YES, SIR. AND COMMISSIONER CORONADO ALSO ASKED TO HEAR THE MPO ITEM. BEFORE WE DO THE CO ITEM. SO IF POSSIBLE, I DON'T KNOW IF WE CAN HEAR THE MPO ITEM. JOSE, CAN WE MAKE ARRANGEMENTS? OKAY. THANK YOU.

[01:55:03]

SO WE CAN WE CAN IF WE CAN'T GET THROUGH THINGS BEFORE LUNCH, WE CAN HAVE THAT THE MPO ITEM RIGHT BEFORE THE, THE CAPITAL ITEMS. YEAH. MY ONLY CONCERN WOULD BE GOING TOO FAR PAST ONE, SINCE WE'VE ALREADY NOTIFIED THE PUBLIC THAT THESE TWO PARTICULAR ITEMS WERE GOING TO BE HEARD AT ABOUT ONE. SO I DON'T KNOW IF IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE TO MAYBE COME BACK FROM LUNCH A LITTLE BIT SOONER TO HEAR THE MPO ITEM. YEAH, LET'S LET'S PLAY IT BY EAR. LET'S SEE HOW HOW FAR WE GET THROUGH THE BUDGET ITEM. AND, AND THEN WE'LL SEE IF WE HAVE TIME TO, TO BREAK A LITTLE BIT EARLIER, BREAK IN AT 12. POSSIBLY. YEAH. POSSIBLY EARLIER. YEAH. POSSIBLY EARLIER IF WE IF WE GET IF WE CAN. BUT. OKAY. MISS FERRO. THANK YOU. ITEM 13 BUDGET AND FINANCE 13 A RECEIVE A PRESENTATION REGARDING EL PASO COUNTY FY 25 BUDGET UPDATES AND OVERVIEW. OH, EXCUSE ME, GABBY FERRO WITH THE BUDGET AND FINANCE DEPARTMENT. GOOD MORNING, COMMISSIONERS. TODAY I

[A. Receive a presentation regarding El Paso County FY25 budget updates and overview. Melissa Carrillo, Deputy County Administrator, County Operations, 915-546-2162]

SO LOOKING AT OUR BUDGET REGISTER, THERE WERE SOME CHANGES FROM LAST MONTH. YOU CAN SEE TWO NEW LINES OF OUR GRANT MATCH AND. AND THERE IS SOMETHING MISSING ON THIS REGISTER. I WILL MAKE SURE THAT IT GETS UPDATED AND SENT OUT TO ALL OF YOU. BUT WE SEE TWO NEW LINES THAT ARE A GRANT MATCH AND OUR OTHER GRANT MATCH COMMITMENTS. THESE WERE GRANTS THAT WERE APPROVED BY THE COURT THROUGHOUT THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY. SOME OF THESE WERE MOVED OVER FROM OUR POTENTIAL LIST OR OUR POTENTIAL REGISTER THAT WE WILL SEE ON THE NEXT SLIDE, BUT THEY TOTALED TO A LITTLE OVER 200,000 ON GRANT MATCH COMMITMENTS THAT WE HAVE MADE. THE LINE THAT IS ACTUALLY MISSING HERE IS OUR CHILDCARE TAX EXEMPTION. THAT IS ONE THAT WAS APPROVED BY THE COURT DURING FISCAL YEAR 2024. AND THIS DOES NOT AFFECT THE AMOUNT THAT IS ON OUR REGISTER, BUT IT DOES AFFECT THE RATE THAT IS ON THE REGISTER. SO IDEALLY, THAT RATE BEING THAT THE MAX, THE CHILD CARE TAX EXEMPTION IS A $9 MILLION IMPACT. THE RATE THAT REFLECTS ON THAT IS 0.013565, WHICH SHOULD BRING THAT TAX RATE VALUE TO 0.021908. AND WHEN

[02:00:04]

THAT IS THAT IS COMING FROM THOSE EXEMPTIONS, MEANING THAT THE NO NEW REVENUE TAX RATE MAY INCREASE. AND AS A REMINDER, SHOULD WE ADOPT THIS TAX RATE, THERE IS NO ADDITIONAL REVENUE THAT COMES IN WITH THAT. NO NEW REVENUE TAX RATE. SO WE WILL SEE THE SAME REVENUE NEXT YEAR THAT WE'RE SEEING THIS YEAR. GABBY, IF I COULD JUMP IN RIGHT THERE. SO WHEN WE DID THE CHILDCARE, THE CERTIFIED CHILDCARE BUSINESS EXEMPTION, THAT IS ABOUT I BELIEVE IT'S ABOUT A 300. I DID THE MATH LAST WEEK. I CAN'T REMEMBER THE ACTUAL REVENUE DECLINE IN MONEY IS APPROXIMATELY $360,000 REVENUE DECLINE. AND WHAT WHAT GABBY IS SAYING IS BASICALLY YOU CAN ADJUST YOUR NO NEW REVENUE TAX RATE TO ACCOUNT FOR THAT LOSS OF REVENUE. SO YOU'RE TO KEEP GETTING THE SAME AMOUNT OF REVENUE. YOUR TAX RATE GOES UP. AND SO OR THE COURT COULD CHOOSE NOT TO DO THAT AND LOSE OR BASICALLY TAKE THE LOSS OF REVENUE FROM THE EXEMPTION. AND THEN WE WOULD HAVE TO FIND SOMEWHERE TO REDUCE EXPENSES. EQUALLY, IF WE DIDN'T DO THE NO NEW REVENUE. AND BETSY, THOSE CALCULATIONS, LIKE THE CALCULATIONS THAT YOU SAID YOU MADE LAST WEEK, THAT'S ALL DEPENDENT ON WHETHER OR NOT THE BUSINESSES CHOOSE TO CLAIM THE EXEMPTION. I MEAN, OR IS THAT ALREADY PREDETERMINED? I BELIEVE IF THEY FILE WITH CAD AND I'LL HAVE TO DOUBLE CHECK THIS, MAYBE JESSICA OR GABBY. NO, BUT IF A BUSINESS FILES AND PROVES THAT THEY'RE A CERTIFIED CHILDCARE PROVIDER, I THINK THAT EXEMPTION CONTINUES, BUT I. I'LL NEED TO VERIFY THAT IF THEY'RE WE CAN DEFINITELY VERIFY THAT. OKAY. I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND HOW CERTAIN THE NUMBER, THE CALCULATION THAT YOU MADE IS OR IF THAT CAN POTENTIALLY CHANGE.

WELL, WE'LL DOUBLE CHECK WITH CENTRAL APPRAISAL DISTRICT AND SEE HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE ALREADY OR OR WHAT THE STATUS IS OF THAT. YES, MA'AM. THANK YOU. US STAND BY. WE'RE PULLING UP THE CORRECT PRESENTATION. COMMISSIONER. THERE'S CURRENTLY 20 BUSINESSES THAT CLASSIFY THAT ARE CLASSIFIED WITH THE CHILDCARE EXEMPTION RATE. OKAY. DO WE KNOW WHAT THE AMOUNT OF THE EXEMPTION THE TOTAL TAXABLE VALUE IS ABOUT $9 MILLION. AND THAT'S WHERE I COME UP WITH THE THREE APPROXIMATELY AND 360,000 I BELIEVE OKAY. AND HOW WILL WE VERIFY THAT THE WHEN THEY'RE RENTING THAT THE I GUESS THE OWNER OF THE PROPERTY IS EXACTLY REDUCING THEIR COST. YES. THAT'S THE WAY IT'S SUPPOSED TO WORK. RIGHT. I WILL HAVE TO DOUBLE CHECK. I DON'T KNOW HOW CAD HOW CAD EXTENDS IT TO SOMEONE WHO'S LEASING THAT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO GET THAT BREAK FROM THE OWNER OF THE PROPERTY, COMMISSIONER JESSICA GARZA.

BUDGET AND FINANCE, YOU ARE CORRECT. IF YOU'RE LEASING THE SPACE, THE REQUIREMENT OF THE STATUTE IS THAT THE OWNER OF THE PROPERTY REDUCE YOUR RENT EQUAL TO THE AMOUNT OF THE EXEMPTION.

WE NEED TO ASK HOW THEY'RE VERIFYING THAT. WE'LL HAVE TO FIND OUT. RIGHT. WE NEED TO ASK THOSE BUSINESSES THAT IN FACT, THAT'S HAPPENING FOR THEM TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S HAPPENING.

OTHERWISE IT'S WE'RE SUBSIDIZING THE WRONG PEOPLE. RIGHT. WE'LL MAKE SURE TO FOLLOW UP ON THAT.

THANK YOU. REGARDING THE RESTORING REGISTER. AND THANK YOU FOR PULLING UP THE SLIDE.

THERE HAVE BEEN NO UPDATES TO THIS REGISTER AT THIS MOMENT. AND THAT THAT SECTION IS JUST SOMETHING WE'RE TRACKING. IF THE COURT WERE TO PUT THESE THINGS BACK INTO THIS BUDGET, THESE ARE THINGS THAT WERE CUT OUT. AND THERE'S ACTUALLY A COUPLE OF OTHER THINGS THAT WERE CUT OUT OF BUDGET LAST YEAR THAT ARE LESS, LESS THAN AMOUNTS LIKE 200,000 CUT FROM TRAVEL, OTHER AREAS WE CUT FROM PERSONNEL CONTINGENCIES. BUT THESE ARE SOME OF THE LARGE ONES THAT THE COURT CUT LAST YEAR THAT IF YOU WERE TO RESTORE THEM, WHAT THE IMPACT WOULD BE. SO WE'RE JUST TRACKING THAT AS WE CONTINUE INTO THE BUDGET PROCESS. THANK YOU, BETSY, AND OUR POTENTIAL FUTURE IMPACTS THIS SLIDE. THESE ITEMS ARE CURRENTLY AT A COST OF TWO POINT OF 3.27 MILLION, WHICH IS A SLIGHT DECREASE FROM LAST MONTH. AND THIS IS DUE TO EITHER SOME ENTRIES NO LONGER BEING NEEDED. OR AS I MENTIONED IN THE PREVIOUS SLIDE, SOME OF THOSE GRANT MATCHES GOT MOVED OVER TO

[02:05:03]

THERE HAS BEEN TALKS OR EVEN LOSS OF FEDERAL SUPPORT OR GRANTS TO LOCAL AGENCIES AND OTHER FEDERAL IMPACTS THAT MAY BE HEADED OUR WAY. WE ALSO HEARD ABOUT THE TARIFFS AND THE IMPACTS THAT THOSE MAY HAVE TO US, AND THE POTENTIAL FOR PROPERTY TAX DELINQUENCIES. SO TOMORROW AT 1 P.M, OUR DEPARTMENT, ALONG WITH THE COUNTY, COUNTY AUDITORS AND HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENTS, WILL BE HAVING OUR FISCAL YEAR 26 INFORMATIONAL SESSION. AND WE WANTED TO, AS WE PREPARE TO WHAT THAT MAY END UP LOOKING LIKE, WE DID JUST WANT TO GO OVER THESE CHALLENGES AND JUST, YOU KNOW, KNOW THAT WE NEED TO WORK TOGETHER AS A COUNTY FOR THE GOOD OF THE COUNTY AT THIS TIME. IF THERE ARE NO FURTHER QUESTIONS, THIS CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION. ANY MEMBERS OF THE COURT HAVE QUESTIONS I DO WANT TO SAY WHEN IT WHEN IT COMES TO THE FEDERAL GRANTS AND THE FEDERAL EMPLOYEE LAYOFFS, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE NEED TO BE PROACTIVE IN LOOKING AT WHERE WE CAN TRY TO RE SITUATE EMPLOYEES AT THE COUNTY THAT MIGHT BE LOSING THEIR POSITIONS BECAUSE OF THAT, SO THAT SO THAT THEY DON'T LOSE THEIR COUNTY EMPLOYMENT. AND THEN IF, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK AT IF WE HAVE ANY OTHER ADDITIONAL VACANCIES IN POSITIONS, I DON'T KNOW IF WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING A HIRING FREEZE WITH OUR OWN BUDGET, BUT WE NEED TO CONTEMPLATE LOOKING AT TRYING TO SUPPORT THE FEDERAL EMPLOYEES THAT HAVE BEEN LAID OFF. I KNOW OTHER COUNTIES ARE TALKING ABOUT DOING THAT AS WELL. I DON'T KNOW IF WE HAVE THE BUDGET TO DO THAT, BUT IT'S A CONVERSATION THAT WE NEED TO HAVE. YES, SIR.

WE ARE ALSO IT'S A IT'S A DISCUSSION THAT WE'VE HAD TOO, THAT THERE ARE ALSO COUNTY EMPLOYEES WHO HAVE LEFT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. AND THEN THERE ARE AREAS WHERE WE HAVE HAD HIRING CHALLENGES, LIKE OUR ATTORNEYS, FOR EXAMPLE. AND I KNOW WE'VE HAD ATTORNEYS LEAVE TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, LIKE TRYING TO DO MORE OUTREACH TO REMIND THEM OF THE OPENINGS WE DO HAVE TO THOSE WHO MAY BE BEING LAID OFF FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND THEN ON OUR FEDERAL GRANTS, IT IS OVER. IT'S ALMOST 70 PEOPLE WHO ARE FUNDED BY FEDERAL GRANTS AT THE COUNTY.

AND SO IF THERE'S A REDUCTION IN THAT, IT'S SIGNIFICANT. AND SO LOOKING AT OUR VACANCIES, WE OUR POLICY DOES GIVE US PRIORITY TO REHIRE PEOPLE WHO ARE LAID OFF FROM THE COUNTY WHO ARE INTERESTED AND QUALIFIED TO RETURN FOR VACANT POSITIONS. ADDITIONALLY, I MEAN, EVERY THIS MORNING I LOOKED AT THE NEWS THAT THEY SEND OUT FROM COOK, FROM NEWS ACROSS THE STATE, AND I WOULD SAY AT LEAST FOUR OF THEM TALKED ABOUT LAYOFFS, MAJOR LAYOFFS THAT WE WILL FILL,

[02:10:05]

[D. Receive a presentation from the El Paso Metropolitan Planning Organization regarding the Borderplex Safe Mobility Plan. Jose M. Landeros, Deputy County Administrator, Strategic Capital Development, 915-273-3592]

[02:15:01]

AND SOME OF THESE ARE GOING TO TAKE THE FORM OF, OF POLICIES AND, AND PROGRAMS THAT CAN BE PUT IN PLACE IN ORDER TO REACH THE GOAL ESTABLISHED BY THIS PLAN. WE'RE ALSO IT ALSO SHOULD BE NOTED BECAUSE IT'S IMPORTANT THAT THERE DOES STILL APPEAR AT THIS TIME TO BE ONE ADDITIONAL YEAR LEFT OF SAFE STREETS FOR ALL FUNDING AND OR ENTITIES ARE ELIGIBLE FOR IMPLEMENTATION FUNDS IF THEIR PROJECTS ARE CONTAINED WITHIN THE PROJECT LIST OF A SAFETY ACTION PLAN, SUCH AS BEING DEVELOPED WITH THIS. SO, ANY ENTITY IN OUR MPO JURISDICTION, WHICH COVERS THE ENTIRETY OF EL PASO COUNTY, AS WELL AS SMALL PORTIONS OF DONA ANA AND OTERO COUNTIES IN NEW MEXICO. EVERYONE WITH PROJECTS IN THIS PLAN CAN INDEPENDENTLY APPLY FOR THE 2026 SAFE STREETS FOR ALL PROGRAM, AND ALSO WHEN OTHER PROGRAMS COME ON BOARD. HAVING YOUR PROJECTS, HAVING HAVING THE SAFETY ISSUES DOCUMENTED IN SOMETHING LIKE THIS IS COMPELLING FOR OTHER FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE, WHETHER THAT'S THROUGH USDOT OR OTHER FUNDING ENTITIES. AND THEN LASTLY, THE APPROACH THAT'S BEING TAKEN IN THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THIS PLAN AND WHAT IT'S ULTIMATELY GOING TO RECOMMEND ALIGNS WITH THE NATIONAL ROADWAY SAFETY STRATEGY, WHICH WE HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE INFORMATION ON NEXT SLIDE. SO FIRST OF ALL, WE'RE JUST A REITERATION OF THE GOALS REDUCING CRASHES AND FATALITIES, HAVING A DATA DRIVEN APPROACH AS WELL AS INPUT FROM OUR COMMUNITY. AND THERE'S GOING TO BE SOME INFORMATION ON THIS IN UPCOMING SLIDES. BUT WE HAVE THUS FAR WE'VE DONE AN INTERACTIVE MAPPING EXERCISE, WHICH I'LL BE ELABORATING ON IN A BIT. AND WE ALSO CURRENTLY HAVE A SURVEY OUT FOR ANYONE IN THE PUBLIC TO COMPLETE ASKING ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCE WITH THE ROADWAYS IN OUR REGION, AND THEN ALSO PLAN FOR FUNDING NEEDS TO IMPLEMENT PROJECTS. SO NOT ONLY DO WE WANT TO DISCUSS THE PROJECTS THAT WE NEED, WE ALSO WANT TO DISCUSS VIABLE STRATEGIES FOR HAVING THEM COME TO BE. SO HERE'S THE SAFE SYSTEM APPROACH. THIS IS THE NATIONWIDE ACCEPTED APPROACH THAT WAS ALLUDED TO A COUPLE SLIDES AGO.

THESE ARE THE BASIC TENETS THAT UNDERPIN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE BORDERPLEX SAFE MOBILITY PLAN.

FIRST OF ALL, DEATH AND SERIOUS INJURY IS UNACCEPTABLE. AND ALSO WE NEED TO PLAN AN ACCOUNT FOR THE INEVITABLE MISTAKES THAT HUMAN BEINGS WILL MAKE. WE ARE ALL ERROR PRONE AND WE ARE ALSO SOME BONE AND MUSCLE WRAPPED IN A SKIN THAT DOES NOT WITHSTAND COLLISIONS WELL, AND THIS IS A PROBLEM REGARDLESS OF THE MODE OF TRAVEL. AND THIS THIS PLAN IS GOING TO ADDRESS ALL MODES OF TRAVEL, NOT SIMPLY CARS ON OUR HIGHWAYS. THIS IS GOING TO COVER ALL MODES OF TRANSPORTATION, WHETHER THAT'S AS A PEDESTRIAN OR A BICYCLIST, OR SOMEONE USING A MOBILITY AID. IT'S GOING TO DISCUSS CAR TRAFFIC, IT'S GOING TO DISCUSS FREIGHT, IT'S GOING TO DISCUSS ALL OF OUR FACILITY TYPES AND ALL OF OUR USER TYPES IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THIS, OF OUR COMPREHENSIVE SAFETY STRATEGY. THAT IS WHAT COMPRISES OUR SYSTEM, AND THAT IS WHAT OUR PLAN IS GOING TO ADDRESS. AND IT'S GOING TO ADDRESS THESE THINGS REGARDLESS OF OWNERSHIP. SO IT'S NOT MERELY LOOKING AT TXDOT ON SYSTEM, IT'S GOING TO BE LOOKING AT ALL OF THE FACILITIES IN OUR MPO JURISDICTION. AND THEN HERE IS OUR PROJECT PROCESS AND SCHEDULE. YOU CAN SEE IN THE LITTLE YELLOW BOX WHERE WE'RE AT, THIS PROJECT KICKED OFF IN THE FALL OF THIS YEAR, AND WE HAVE BEEN WORKING THROUGHOUT THE FALL AND WINTER TO GET TO WHERE WE ARE. AND RIGHT NOW WE ARE PRESENTING WHAT WE'VE DONE THUS FAR, AS WELL AS MAKING FOLKS AWARE OF WHAT'S COMING UP, BECAUSE WE DO HAVE SOME PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT THAT STARTS TODAY, AS WELL AS OUR LIVE SURVEY. AND THEN AFTER WE GATHER THIS ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, WE ARE GOING TO USE THIS, PLUS THE EXISTING CONDITIONS ANALYSIS THAT'S BEEN COMPLETED. AND WE'RE GOING TO START WORKING ON THE ACTUAL MEAT AND POTATOES, WHICH IS THE POLICIES, THE PROJECT LIST. JUST JUST HOW ARE WE ONCE WE SEE WHERE WE ARE AND WE KNOW WHERE WE WANT TO BE, WHICH IS A SYSTEM THAT'S FREE OF COLLISIONS AND FATALITIES AND SERIOUS INJURIES. HOW DO WE GET THERE? WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO? AND SO

[02:20:03]

BUT I WANTED TO TAKE A MOMENT AFTER THAT GREAT INTRODUCTION AND TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE DATA AND THE APPROACH THAT WE'VE TAKEN, WHAT WE FOUND, AND HOW WE'RE GOING TO BE USING THIS MOVING FORWARD. SO THE FIRST STEP IN OUR DATA ANALYSIS WAS TO GATHER THE DATA THAT WAS AVAILABLE FOR BOTH TEXAS AND NEW MEXICO. DOT. AND SO THERE WAS A PROCESS INVOLVED IN MARRYING THAT TOGETHER, TWO DIFFERENT SOURCES, THERE WERE SOME DIFFERENT INFORMATION AVAILABLE, AND WE HAD TO RATIONALIZE SOME OF THE INFORMATION THAT WE SAW IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE A HOLISTIC VIEW OF WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE ENTIRE MPO AREA. THE REGION IS UNIQUE. THERE ARE NOT THAT MANY MPOS THAT COVER MULTIPLE STATES LIKE LIKE YOURS DOES. AND SO THIS IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO HIGHLIGHT THE GOOD WORK THAT'S BEING DONE DOWN THERE, AND HOPEFULLY USE THIS AS BOTH A ROADMAP AND A CASE STUDY MOVING FORWARD. WE DEVELOPED A HIGH INJURY NETWORK. THIS APPROACH IS USING SOME BEST PRACTICES IN THE FORM OF THE SLIDING WINDOW METHOD, TO IDENTIFY WHAT PORTIONS OF THE ROADWAY NETWORK ARE. MOST HAVE EXPERIENCED THE GREATEST NUMBER OF CRASHES. WE USE DATA, AS WE SAID, FROM BOTH TXDOT AND NEW MEXICO'S CRASH SYSTEMS, AND WE FIRST ASSIGN THAT TO THE ROADWAY NETWORK WITHIN THE REGION. SOME OF THAT WAS BEING DONE PROGRAMMATICALLY OR AUTOMATICALLY. SOME OF IT REQUIRED SOME MANUAL REVIEW WHEN CRASHES DIDN'T NEATLY FALL ALONG THE NETWORK. BUT AT THE END, WE WERE CONFIDENT THAT WE WERE ABLE TO PLOT THE FATAL AND SERIOUS INJURY CRASHES. AND USING THE WEIGHTING SYSTEM THAT IS APPLIED BY TXDOT FOR THEIR HIGHWAY SAFETY IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM, WE WEIGHTED FATAL AND SERIOUS INJURY CRASHES TO IDENTIFY THOSE SEGMENTS THAT HAD THE MOST SEVERE RELATIVE CRASHES. I SHOULD NOTE THAT IT'S NOT THAT WE CHOSE TXDOT OVER NEW MEXICO SYSTEM, IT'S THAT TXDOT IS PUBLISHED IN NEW MEXICO, DIDN'T HAVE A PARTICULAR WEIGHTING SYSTEM TO USE, SO WE WANTED TO USE ONE THAT WAS CONSISTENT AND ALREADY WITHIN THE AREA. SO NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. FROM THAT, FROM ASSIGNING THOSE CRASHES, WE WERE ABLE TO FIND THAT A HIGH INJURY NETWORK OF ABOUT 10% OF THE ROADWAYS WITHIN THE MPO AREA REPRESENTED OVER 76% OF THE FATAL AND SERIOUS INJURY CRASHES FROM. THAT MEANS THAT IF WE ARE ABLE TO ADDRESS OUR EFFORTS ON THAT 1 IN 10 MILES OF ROADWAYS WITHIN THE REGION, WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO SEE OVER SEVEN AND A HALF TIMES RETURN. ON REDUCING FATAL AND SERIOUS INJURY CRASHES WITHIN THE REGION. THAT IS A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER, BUT THAT SHOWS THAT THE PROBLEM IS MANAGEABLE. WHILE IT WOULD BE GREAT IF WE COULD ELIMINATE ALL FATALITIES AND ALL INJURIES TOMORROW ACROSS THE ENTIRE NETWORK, WE KNOW THAT'S NOT TRUE. THIS PLAN IS GOING TO SERVE AS A ROADMAP FOR HELPING TO IDENTIFY THOSE STRATEGIES AND LOCATIONS OF CONCERN. BUT AS A START, 1 IN 10 MILES WON'T GIVE A GREAT RETURN ON REDUCING FATALITIES AND SERIOUS INJURIES FOR ALL USERS WITHIN THE MPO AREA. ANDREW, REAL QUICK, PLEASE. ANDREW, REAL QUICK, SORRY, THIS IS COMMISSIONER STOUT. CAN YOU DEFINE CENTERLINE MILES FOR ME? SURE. A CENTERLINE MILE IS ESSENTIALLY AN IMAGINARY LINE RUNNING DOWN THE CENTER OF A ROADWAY. IT DOES NOT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE NUMBER OF LANES. IF A ROADWAY IS DIVIDED, LIKE A

[02:25:01]

THIS REALLY IS HOPING TO BE THE ROADMAP FOR IMPROVING TRANSPORTATION SAFETY THROUGHOUT THE REGION. IF FUNDING WAS INFINITE, WE WOULDN'T HAVE TO DO THIS. WE COULD JUST KEEP DOING PROJECTS AND BUILDING THINGS UNTIL WE GOT IT RIGHT. BUT WE KNOW THAT'S NOT THE CASE. SO UNDERSTANDING OUR CONCERNS, PRIORITIZING THOSE NEEDS, HAVING COUNTERMEASURES AND POLICIES AND PROJECTS AVAILABLE THAT WHEN THE FUNDING AND THE TIMING IS AVAILABLE CAN BE IMPLEMENTED, IS GOING TO BE KEY TO MAKING A DIFFERENCE, TO DRIVING DOWN FATALITIES ON OUR WAY TO ZERO.

YOU CAN PARTICIPATE AND COLLABORATE. YOU CAN PROVIDE YOUR OWN DIRECT INPUT AND HELP DIRECT THE PLANNING PROCESS. WE HOPE TO BE BACK TO SPEAK TO YOU AGAIN LATER IN THIS PROCESS, AS WE'RE WORKING ON THE PLAN TO UPDATE YOU CONTINUALLY WITH OUR FINDINGS OF WHAT WE FOUND WITHIN THE REGION, RECOGNIZING THAT MANY OF YOUR AGENCIES ARE GOING TO BE THE ONES BUILDING AND FUNDING THESE PROJECTS, AND LOOKING FOR FEDERAL ASSISTANCE OR LOCAL ASSISTANCE TO HELP MAKE THESE A REALITY AND HELP SPREAD THE WORD. WE REALLY WANT TO ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO PARTICIPATE. THE SURVEY STARTED IN FEBRUARY. WE'RE GOING TO BE LEAVING IT OPEN SO THAT WE CAN

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THANK YOU ANDREW. SO I CLICKED ON THE QR CODE FROM MY PHONE THAT YOU HAD POSTED FOR THE MAP.

AND IT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFICULT BECAUSE THE MAP HAS SO MUCH INFORMATION TO REALLY ACCESS IT.

SO THEN I WENT ON TO THE WEBSITE, BUT I CAN'T SEEM TO FIND IT ON THE WEBSITE. IS THERE A WAY TO ACCESS THE MAP THAT. YEAH, THAT QR CODE. OH, THERE IT IS. OKAY, SO WE HAVE TO LOOK FOR DASHBOARDS OKAY. OKAY. SO THEN IT'S NOT ON THE BECAUSE I'M ON THE BORDERPLEX SAFE.ORG WEBSITE.

THAT'S NOT WHERE I CAN'T ACCESS THIS SAME MAP AT THIS WEBSITE THEN. I'M JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN EXPLAIN TO PEOPLE IF IT'S TOO DIFFICULT FOR THEM TO SEE THIS ON THEIR PHONE, HOW THEY CAN GET THEY CAN FIND IT ON THE WEBSITE, BECAUSE IT IS HARD TO SEE ALL OF THIS INFORMATION JUST FROM YOUR SMALL PHONE SCREEN. IS THERE A WAY WE CAN LINK THIS MAP? I KNOW THERE'S A THAT LONG ADDRESS THAT WAS UNDERNEATH THE QR CODE, BUT CAN THERE BE A LINK ON THE BORDERPLEX SAFE.ORG WEBSITE TO THIS MAP? I YES, I'M SURE THERE IS. AND IF IT'S NOT OVER THERE, THAT'S AN OVERSIGHT. AND WE WILL MAKE SURE THERE'S A PROMINENT LINK FOR THAT. OKAY. GREAT.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER CORONADO. THANK YO. COMMISSIONER, I WANTED TO ASK A QUESTION ABOUT ASCENSION ROAD. IF THE MPO IS CONSIDERING THIS AS A PROJECT, AND IF NOT, WHY NOT? WELL, I MEAN, ASCENSION AS A AS A ROADWAY PROJECT WOULD BE THE A SEPARATE ISSUE. I THINK RIGHT NOW, WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT, IF ASCENSION, THE CURRENT STATUS OF ASCENSION, IF THAT IS ON THE HIGH INJURY NETWORK THAT ANDREW IDENTIFIED, OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, IT WILL BE AN EMPHASIS AREA. I AM NOT SURE IT IS. BUT IF WE CAN MAYBE LOOK AT THE MAP VERY QUICKLY AND WE CAN IDENTIFY ASCENSION. WELL, WE SOME OF OUR, OUR LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICT CAME AND TOLD US THAT IT WAS FOR THEM. THERE WAS A FATALITY RECENTLY. YEAH, YEAH. WE SEE YOU SEE THERE ON THE MAP IF YOU MOVE TO THE EAST A LITTLE BIT MORE, A LITTLE MORE, WE CAN IDENTIFY HORIZON BOULEVARD AND GO DOWN A LITTLE BIT. THERE YOU GO. YEAH. SO YOU SEE THERE SOME SEGMENTS OF ASCENSION THAT APPEAR IN BLUE. YEAH. AND ANDREW HELP ME OUT HERE. WHAT IS THE BLUE. WHAT IS THE RANGE FOR BLUE. I DON'T KNOW THE NUMBERS OFFHAND, BUT IF YOU CLICK ON ON THE SEGMENT, YOU'LL BE ABLE TO SEE HOW THOSE FALL. THE DOTS REPRESENT THE ACTUAL CRASHES. AND THE BLUE SEGMENTS REPRESENT THOSE FACILITIES, THOSE PARTS OF THE NETWORK THAT WERE WITHIN THAT TOP 10% OF FATAL AND SERIOUS INJURY CRASHES. SO. SO THE PART THAT'S BEING ON SCREEN RIGHT NOW, YOU CAN SEE THAT BLUE SEGMENT THERE WOULD BE IN THE TOP 10% BY WEIGHTED CRASHES. SO THAT SEGMENT IS EXPERIENCED MORE THAN THE AVERAGE NUMBER OF FATAL OR SERIOUS INJURY CRASHES. SO COMMISSIONER, THE IDEA HERE OF THE PLAN IS TO, YOU KNOW, NOT ONLY JUST IDENTIFY THE HIGH INJURY NETWORK, BUT ALSO COME UP WITH A NUMBER OF COUNTERMEASURES. RIGHT. SO THOSE COUNTERMEASURES COULD BE COULD BE PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS, COULD BE EDUCATIONAL PROJECTS, COULD BE OTHER TYPES OF POLICIES AND PROGRAMS AND SO ON. IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO BE A PROJECT TO, YOU KNOW, UPGRADE OR TO OR A SAFETY LIGHTING. ALTHOUGH MANY OF THESE PROJECTS THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE IDENTIFYING DO HAVE AN INFRASTRUCTURE ELEMENT LIKE SAFETY, MAYBE GUARDRAILS OR, YOU KNOW, RUMBLE STRIPS ON SOME OF THE MORE RURAL AREAS AND, AND SO ON. BUT, BUT, BUT THE PLAN WILL IDENTIFY THE AREAS LIKE ANDREW SAID, THE HIGH INJURY NETWORK WHERE A BIG CHUNK OF THE FATALITIES AND SERIOUS INJURIES ARE ARE CONCENTRATED. SO WE CAN ADDRESS THOSE. AND ONCE WE COMPLETE THE PLAN, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THAT IS GOOD ABOUT HAVING A PLAN IS THAT NOW EACH

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YEAH, I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT Y'ALL ARE LOOKING AT THAT, BECAUSE TO ME, THAT SEEMS THAT THAT'S YOU KNOW, WE'VE SEEN IT ON THE WEST SIDE WHERE ROADWAYS, YOU KNOW, WHEN I-10 CONSTRUCTION GET DIVERTED TO DONOVAN AND ALL OF A SUDDEN WE HAVE MORE CRASHES ON DONOVAN. I MEAN, IT'S JUST YEAH, I MEAN, IT IS IT THAT THAT CONGESTION IS IN A HIGHER INJURY CRITERIA BECAUSE VEHICLES ARE GOING SLOWER AND THEY MAY BE MORE LIKE FENDER BENDER TYPE OF ACCIDENTS THAN HIGHER SPEED, YOU KNOW, HIGHER VELOCITY THAT ACTUALLY END UP IN DEATH. YEAH. I THINK THAT THERE'S A CORRELATION TO SPEED AND THE, YOU KNOW, THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE, OF THE INCIDENT. RIGHT. ANDREW, YOU WANT TO ELABORATE ON THAT. YEAH. THERE'S SOME RESEARCH ABOUT THAT. AND ON ONE HAND WE'VE SEEN THAT VERY LOW TRAFFIC VOLUMES WILL OFTEN LEAD TO INCREASED

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WORKING WITH SCHOOL DISTRICTS, WORKING WITH OTHER LARGE EMPLOYERS FOR DRIVER TRAINING AND SAFER VEHICLES IS KEY AS WELL. AND HOPEFULLY ADVOCATING, AS WE SAID EARLIER IN THE MEETING, FOR POLICIES AND PROCEDURES TO CONTINUE TO DEVELOP SAFER VEHICLES AS THEY ARE ON THE ROADWAYS. THANK YOU. HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I JUST IF I COULD MAKE ONE COMMENT, I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU, EDUARDO AND ANNE AND HARRISON, OF COURSE, FOR MAKING SUCH A GREAT EFFORT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE GOING TO ALL OF THE PARTS OF THE COUNTY AS POSSIBLE TO TRY TO COLLECT AS MUCH DATA. AND THANK YOU FOR SHARING THE PRESENTATION WITH MY OFFICE.

WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO FILL IN SOME OF THOSE GAPS. WE KNOW YOU GUYS CAN'T GO EVERYWHERE, BUT I'M JUST REALLY THANKFUL THAT YOU REALLY ARE MAKING THAT EFFORT. SO WE TRY TO COLLECT AS MUCH DATA FROM EVERY SINGLE PART OF THE COUNTY AS POSSIBLE. SO THANK YOU. ANNE, I KNOW YOU'VE BEEN WORKING CLOSELY WITH OSCAR IN MY OFFICE SO THAT HE CAN ALSO START SPREADING THE WORD TO A LOT OF OUR SMALLER MUNICIPALITIES BECAUSE WE NEED THEM TO PARTICIPATE, RIGHT? IF WE WANT GOOD DATA, WE NEED AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE TO PARTICIPATE. SO THANK YOU, EDUARDO. THANK YOU ANNE. THANK YOU AGAIN VERY MUCH FOR, YOU KNOW, HELPING OUT AND MAKING THIS, THIS PLAN, YOU KNOW, A REALITY AND WILL BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO COME BACK AGAIN. AND,

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THERE IS THIS THIS GLOBAL MOVEMENT KNOWN AS VISION ZERO. AND I'M GOING TO DESCRIBE A LITTLE BIT OF IT. THERE WAS A PIECE IN THE ON THE BBC THAT THAT KIND OF DESCRIBED IT, BUT IT SAYS FROM A VERY EARLY POINT IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE MOTORCAR, THE INDUSTRY DECIDED TO FOCUS ON THE ATTENTION OF LAWMAKERS AWAY FROM THE INHERENT DANGEROUSNESS OF CARS TO THE ACTIONS OF PERSONS BEHIND THE WHEEL. PEDESTRIANS AND PEDESTRIANS WERE OFTEN INVOLVED IN CRASHES, TOO. SO CAR MANUFACTURERS MANUFACTURERS LOBBIED FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF HIGHWAYS THAT EXCLUDED THEM, BUT WHICH ALSO ENCOURAGED PEOPLE TO DRIVE FASTER. THE RESULTING IDEA THAT STILL PERSISTS TODAY, PERSISTS TODAY TO SOME DEGREE, COULD BE CONSIDERED AS AN AS ANALOGOUS TO THE INFAMOUS SLOGAN FROM THE NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA CARS DON'T KILL PEOPLE, PEOPLE DO. THAT OUTLOOK IS CHANGING, THOUGH. WHILE THE US IS LAGGING BEHIND EUROPE AND AUSTRALIA IN IMPROVING ROAD SAFETY, THERE'S AN INCREASINGLY SAFE SYSTEMS APPROACH INSPIRED BY STRATEGIES SUCH AS VISION ZERO, THE CAR CENTRIC APPROACH TO ROAD SAFETY THAT DOMINATED CAR, CITY AND STREET DESIGNS FOR DECADES, AND THE FOCUS ON REGULATING DRIVER BEHAVIOR IS CHANGING IN FAVOR OF REDESIGNING AND UPGRADING ROAD INFRASTRUCTURE. AND SO I WANTED TO MENTION THAT BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THE CITY HAS ADOPTED VISION ZERO, I THINK AND I THINK THE COUNTY SHOULD LOOK AT DOING SO AS WELL. AND MAYBE THAT'S SOMETHING I NEED TO BRING UP IN STRATEGIC PLANNING. I DON'T KNOW WHAT WHAT WE NEED TO DO ABOUT THAT. BUT, YOU KNOW, WE HOPEFULLY HAVE A, YOU KNOW, THE BRIDGE OF THE AMERICAS PORT REDESIGN COMING. AND WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, THE MASSIVE INVESTMENT IN I-10, YOU KNOW, WHICH I DON'T OPPOSE NECESSARILY. WHAT I HAVE OPPOSED IS EXPANSION OF THAT'S MEANT TO ENCOURAGE MORE CROSS COUNTRY TRUCK TRAFFIC THROUGH EL PASO'S CORE, AND MORE OF THE SAME APPROACH TO DESIGNING THESE TYPES OF HIGHWAYS. BUT, YOU KNOW, I'M REALLY HOPEFUL THAT WE CAN STILL MAKE THAT PROJECT BETTER. AND IDEALLY, YOU KNOW, SINKING THE HIGHWAY AND RECONNECTING NORTH AND SOUTH CENTRAL EL PASO. BUT IF WE CAN'T DO THE IDEAL, WE STILL NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S A SAFER FACILITY. AND THE COUNTY ALSO HAS SEVERAL ROAD FACILITY PROJECTS. AND WITH THE GROWTH IN THE UNINCORPORATED AREAS, YOU KNOW, WE'RE THAT WE'VE BEEN SUPPORTING. AND SO I GUESS MY QUESTION IS, WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO TO TRY TO ADOPT THE VISION ZERO AS, AS A COUNTY? WE CAN WE CAN TALK ABOUT IT IN STRATEGIC PLANNING OR IN ANOTHER EVENT, I GUESS ANOTHER MEETING. BUT I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK AT THAT.

AND IF I MAY, COMMISSIONER, THAT THAT'S A VERY GOOD POINT BECAUSE AS AN MPO, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ARE REQUIRED TO DO AS PART OF THE FEDERAL GUIDELINES IS TO ADOPT A TARGETS FOR AND ONE OF THE TARGETS THAT WE ARE THAT WE AS YOU WELL KNOW, COMMISSIONER OLGUIN, IS SAFETY, RIGHT. AND SO AS AN MP, WE HAVE THE OPTION OF EITHER ADOPTING, ADOPTING WHAT THE TEX DOT IS TARGETING OR COME UP WITH OUR OWN WHEN IT COMES TO PAVEMENT AND WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, ONE, ONE OF THE OTHER, YOU KNOW, PERFORMANCE MEASURES. YEAH. YOU CAN ARGUE WHAT THE TARGET IS AND ALL THAT. BUT WHEN IT COMES TO SAFETY AND FATALITIES, ESPECIALLY, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS WHAT IS THE TARGET. RIGHT. THE TARGET HAS TO BE ZERO. RIGHT? I MEAN IT'S AN ASPIRATIONAL TARGET AT THIS POINT BECAUSE IT, YOU KNOW, IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO ACHIEVE IT FROM ONE DAY TO ANOTHER. RIGHT. BUT BUT WE REALLY SHOULD THINK TO YOUR POINT, COMMISSIONER, THAT, YOU KNOW, WE ALL SHOULD BE ADOPTING, YOU KNOW, ZERO AS, AS A TARGET. I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY OTHER NUMBER THAT THAT IS ACCEPTABLE. AND ALONG THOSE LINES, WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT DEVELOPING A TARGET OR MAYBE LIKE A PROFILERS, I MEAN, HAVE WE I MEAN DEVELOPED LIKE A PROFILE OR IDENTIFIED CHARACTERISTICS OF DANGEROUS ROADS. IS THAT SOMETHING I THINK THE AND ANDREW, YOU CAN CHIME IN IF YOU CAN. AND I DON'T WANT TO TAKE MORE AND MORE TIME. I KNOW THAT YOU'RE ON A BUT BUT THAT IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THAT'S GOING TO COME OUT OF THIS PLAN TO REALLY UNDERSTAND THE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE FEATURES OF THE HIGH INJURY NETWORK. AND, YOU KNOW, OF COURSE, WE KNOW SPEED AND SOME GEOMETRY FOR SOME OF THE, THE AREAS, MAYBE A BAD CURVE OR SOME THINGS THAT COULD BE FIXED WITH, WITH AN INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT. BUT I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT TO ELABORATE. ANDREW. YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. THAT IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE DEVELOPING IS OUR NEXT STEPS, IS THOSE DIFFERENT FEATURES AND DATA THAT WE HAVE AND ARE IS AVAILABLE THAT IS CORRELATED WITH HIGHER NUMBERS OF SEVERE CRASHES, WHETHER IT'S AGAIN, LIGHTING OR SPEED OR POSTED SPEED OR NUMBER OF LANES. SKEWED INTERSECTIONS IS AN EXAMPLE. THERE ARE LOTS OF THINGS THAT THAT HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO BE RELEVANT AROUND THE COUNTRY, INTERNATIONALLY AS WELL. IT'S A MATTER OF NARROWING IT DOWN TO THE DATA THAT'S

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THANK YOU ALL. THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. OKAY. WE WANT TO GO AHEAD AND RECESS FOR LUNCH. WE'LL COME BACK AT 1:00. COMMISSIONERS COURT WILL RECESS UNTIL 1:00. IT IS 12:21 P.M.

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[A. (ITEM TO BE HEARD AT APPROXIMATELY 1:00 P.M.) Discuss and take appropriate action regarding the allocation, reprogramming, and structuring of existing County debt proceeds and potential future debt issuances, including authorizing the creation of new projects, the removal or modification of previously approved projects, the transfer of funds between eligible issuances, public awareness and outreach of these issuances, and the reallocation of funds within existing projects. Jose M. Landeros, Deputy County Administrator, Strategic Capital Development, 915-546-2159]

WE HAVE TWO ITEMS ON YOUR AGENDA, THIS ONE THAT WAS JUST READ INTO THE RECORD, AS WELL AS TEN B, WHICH CONTINUE THE COURT'S CONVERSATION. CAN WE READ IN TEN B AS WELL, JESSICA, JUST SO WE CAN. YES, SIR. ITEM TEN B DISCUSS AND CONSIDER ADOPTION OF A RESOLUTION OF THE COMMISSIONERS COURT OF EL PASO COUNTY, TEXAS, DIRECTING PUBLICATION OF NOTICE OF INTENTION TO ISSUE COMBINATION TAX AND SURPLUS REVENUE CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATION IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $54 MILLION TO FUND STREET IMPROVEMENTS, UTILITY SYSTEM IMPROVEMENTS, FLOOD CONTROL IMPROVEMENTS, AND HVAC IMPROVEMENTS AT THE FAMILY YOUTH SERVICES CENTER, AND RESOLVING OTHER MATTERS RELATING TO THE SUBJECT. CONTRACT NUMBER 2025 0253. AND JUST FOR INFORMATION, WE DO HAVE SEVERAL SPEAKERS SIGNED UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS ITEM. THANK YOU COMMISSIONER. SO THIS CONTINUES THE COURT'S CONVERSATION ABOUT CAPITAL PLANNING. AS WE ALL KNOW, LAST YEAR WE UNDERTOOK A DELIBERATE AND EXTENSIVE PLANNING PROCESS TO ARRIVE AT TWO OUTCOMES. THIS IS THE SECOND ONE. THE FIRST ONE WAS THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT BOND THAT WAS PUT OUT TO VOTERS IN NOVEMBER OF 2024, OF WHICH THREE OF THE PROPOSITIONS PROPOSED BY THE BY THE COUNTY WERE SUCCESSFUL AND APPROVED BY VOTERS. THE SECOND COMPONENT OF THAT PLANNING EFFORT INCLUDED A FINANCE PLAN THAT'S RELATED TO THE ESSENTIAL PUBLIC PURPOSE INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS. THESE ARE THE PROJECTS THAT WE ISSUE THAT DO DO NOT IMPACT THE COUNTY'S TAX RATE ON THE DEBT SIDE. AND THIS IS BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT WE ARE RETIRING OLD DEBT. AND THAT DEBT, ONCE PAID OFF, ALLOWS US TO ISSUE NEW DEBT IN ITS PLACE TO CONTINUE TO FUND ONGOING MAINTENANCE AND INVESTMENTS IN IN ESSENTIAL INFRASTRUCTURE AS ALLOWED BY TEXAS STATUTE. SO THE PROPOSAL THAT HAS BEEN ARRIVED AT, BASED ON THE DIRECTION FROM THE FROM THE COURT OVER THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS, WAS TO PURSUE A CERTIFICATE OF OBLIGATION FOR ESSENTIAL PUBLIC PURPOSE. CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATION ARE APPROVED BY THE COMMISSIONERS COURT AND INVOLVE A TWO STEP PROCESS, THE FIRST OF WHICH IS THE SECOND AGENDA ITEM THAT'S BEEN INTO THE RECORD, WHICH IS THE ADOPTION OF A NOTICE OF INTENT. IF APPROVED BY THE COMMISSIONERS COURT, THAT BEGINS THE MANDATORY 45 DAY WAITING PERIOD BEFORE THE COUNTY CAN ACT ON THAT. IF THE COURT DOES APPROVE THE NOI TODAY, THE COURT COULD CONSIDER THE AUTHORIZATION OF THE SALE OF A CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATION ON MAY 5TH, 2025. IT IS DURING THIS TIME THAT RESIDENTS ARE ALSO AUTHORIZED TO SUBMIT FEEDBACK TO THE COMMISSIONERS COURT THROUGH PUBLIC COMMENT. THEY CAN ALSO COLLECT SIGNATURES TO PETITION THE ISSUANCE OF THE CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATION AND IF THEY MEET THE STATUTORY THRESHOLDS AND THOSE SIGNATURES ARE VERIFIED BY THE COUNTY CLERK, THEN THE COURT HAS THE OPTION OF EITHER SENDING THAT OUT TO VOTERS OR DECIDING TO DEVELOP ANOTHER FINANCE PLAN FOR ANY OF THOSE IMPROVED PROPOSED IMPROVEMENTS. THE DIRECTION THE COURT PROVIDED TO STAFF DURING THE SPECIAL SESSION LAST MONTH, IN FEBRUARY, WAS TO STRUCTURE THE $52 MILLION CERTIFICATE OF OBLIGATION. YOU CAN SEE HERE THAT THAT AMOUNT

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BECAUSE MANY OF THESE PROJECTS ARE SHOVEL READY AND DO NOT ANY DO NOT INVOLVE ANY PROPOSED PRIVATE USE, THE STRUCTURE WOULD BE PROPOSED AS A TAX EXEMPT DEBT ISSUANCE THAT ALLOWS US TO SECURE A LOWER INTEREST COST AT THE END OF THE DAY. AND AGAIN, THIS IS STRUCTURED UNDER THE EXISTING FIVE CENT ESSENTIAL PUBLIC PURPOSE FUNDS, WHICH ALLOWS US TO ISSUE THIS DEBT WITHOUT INCREASING THE COUNTY'S DEBT SERVICE TAX RATE. HERE IS THAT SUMMARY IN THE FORMAT THAT THE COURT HAS SEEN IN THE PUBLIC IS SEEN AS WELL. YOU CAN SEE HERE THAT THIS IS WHAT THE COURT HAD PREVIOUSLY GIVEN US DIRECTION TO PURSUE, WHICH WAS SCENARIO D, BUT THE ONLY DIFFERENCE IS THAT PROJECT FUND UNDER THE COE HAS BEEN INCREASED TO 54 MILLION INSTEAD OF 52 MILLION. IN THE EVENT THAT THE VALUATION COMES BACK NEXT MONTH. AND IT'S ACTUALLY NOT AS AND ACTUALLY SHRINKS OR STAYS FLAT AND DOES NOT GROW AS ANTICIPATED, YOUR ITEM TODAY ALLOWS YOU TO GO UP TO $54 MILLION. THERE'S NO OBLIGATION THAT THE COURT ISSUE, THE $54 MILLION. YOU CAN ALWAYS SCALE THAT BACK IF YOU NEED TO, TO ENSURE THAT YOU'RE WITHIN YOUR FIVE CENT LIMIT, OR IN THE EVENT THAT THE COURT AND FURTHER, THE COURT IS NOT OBLIGATED AT ALL TO APPROVE THE AUTHORIZATION OF SALE AFTER 46 DAYS. SO TODAY IS JUST BEGINS THE PROCESS OF WAITING. THOSE THOSE 40, THOSE 46 STATUTORILY REQUIRED DAYS DURING THE SPECIAL SESSION IN FEBRUARY, THE QUESTION WAS ASKED OF STAFF IF THERE WAS A POTENTIAL TO CONSIDER AN ISSUANCE THAT ISSUED A TAX NOTE IN LIEU OF A CERTIFICATE OF OBLIGATION THAT WOULD ALSO PRESERVE THE ABILITY TO FINANCE THE WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD LOANS AND THE STATE INFRASTRUCTURE BANK LOANS. AND SO WE WENT BACK TO STIFEL AND ASKED WHAT THOSE NUMBERS COULD LOOK LIKE. YOU CAN SEE HERE THAT THERE IS A POSSIBILITY OF ISSUING A $20 MILLION TAX NOTE.

TAX NOTES, AGAIN, ARE APPROVED IN ONE STEP, ONE ACTION BY THE COMMISSIONERS COURT. IT'S JUST A SIMPLE AGENDA ITEM THAT ALLOWS US TO DO THAT. THE INTEREST RATES ARE MUCH LOWER THAN A CERTIFICATE OF OBLIGATION, AND THE REPAYMENT TERMS ARE ALSO LOWER. YOU HAVE A MAXIMUM OF SEVEN YEARS TO PAY BACK A TAX NOTE, VERSUS THE 30 YEARS THAT WE'RE PROPOSING FOR A CERTIFICATE OF OBLIGATION. BUT YOU CAN SEE HERE THE AMOUNT OF PROJECTS THAT CAN BE FUNDED ARE REDUCED BY ABOUT $34 MILLION. AND IT LOOKS LIKE THE SAVINGS IS ABOUT 11 MILLION. IS THAT RIGHT? I'LL HAVE TO CONFIRM THE SAVINGS ON IT IS ABOUT JOSE. I DID CHECK INTO THAT. SO I MEAN, YOU'RE FINANCING LESS AND OVER A SHORTER PERIOD OF TIME. SO THE SAVINGS AND INTEREST IS BETWEEN 10 TO $11 MILLION. BUT IT WOULDN'T DO ALL THE PROJECTS. NO. AND YOU HAVE TO COUNT THAT THOSE PROJECTS BY THE TIME YOU ARE ABLE TO DO THEM. WHAT HOW MUCH HAS THE HOW HAVE THEY BEEN IMPACTED? THE PROPOSED PROJECT LISTING. AGAIN, THIS IS LARGELY UNCHANGED FROM THE PREVIOUS PRESENTATION THAT WE GAVE YOU ALL THE ADDITION IS THAT LAST BULLET POINT, THE HVAC SERVICES MODERNIZATION $2 MILLION. BUT YOU CAN SEE THAT WE ARE CARRYING FORWARD TWO PROJECTS, THE AUSTIN

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SO THIS IS THE BUILDING LOCATED AT THE INTERSECTION OF DELTA AND FONSECA NEAR SCOTT. AT THE PARK.

THE HVAC UNITS IN THE AREA, THERE'S EIGHT IN TOTAL, I BELIEVE FIVE THAT HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED IN THAT EXHIBIT ARE PROPOSED TO BE RENOVATED. THEY'VE MET THEIR USEFUL END OF LIFE DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS, ESPECIALLY IN THE LAST FEW SUMMERS WHEN WE'VE HAD SIGNIFICANT LENGTHS OF TRIPLE DIGIT HEAT. THEIR OFFICES HAVE HAD TO RELY ON THESE MOBILE UNITS AS THE ONE THAT YOU CAN SEE THERE ON THE SCREEN TO PROVIDE SERVICE, AND THIS HAS GONE ON FOR A FEW SUMMERS NOW. AND SO THIS WOULD MITIGATE THAT, ENSURE THAT THAT FACILITY AND THE RESIDENTS THAT IT SERVES AND THE EMPLOYEES THAT WORK THERE CAN HAVE ACCESS TO A SAFE WORKING ENVIRONMENT IN TERMS OF CLIMATE, WE HAD TO DO THE SAME THING AT THE JAIL. YES, SIR.

FIRST FLOOR. SO THIS IS THE TIMELINE. WE HAD NOT SEEN THIS TIMELINE IN ANY OF THE PRESENTATIONS THAT WE PUT FORTH BEFORE THE COURT, BUT DID WANT TO AGAIN HIGHLIGHT THE FACT THAT THIS IS A PROCESS. THIS IS A CONTINUATION OF THE PROCESS THAT WE BEGAN ALMOST TWO YEARS AGO.

AND THIS REALLY REFLECTS, I THINK, THE COUNTY'S DELIBERATE PLANNING PROCESS AND ESTIMATING THE AMOUNT OF DEBT THAT IS GOING TO BE ISSUED TO MINIMIZE THE IMPACT TO TAXPAYERS WHILE STILL MEETING THE NEEDS OF OUR ESSENTIAL INFRASTRUCTURE THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY. AND SO THE TIMELINE WHERE WE ARE TODAY IS THAT YELLOW BULLET ON THE ON THE BOTTOM ROW, THE COURT WILL CONSIDER THE NOTICE OF INTENT FOR THE ISSUANCE OF THE 2025 CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATION OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL MONTHS. PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT, FINANCIAL COORDINATION, WORKING WITH BOND COUNCIL, OUR FINANCIAL ADVISORS TO PREPARE THE ISSUANCE AND THEN CULMINATING IN THE COURT CONSIDERING AUTHORIZING THE CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATION ON MAY 5TH. TODAY'S ACTION DOES NOT REQUIRE THE COURT TO AUTHORIZE THE SALE. IT ALLOWS THIS PROCESS TO BEGIN AND WOULD END ON MAY

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ANYTHING, ANY KIND OF BOND OR ANYTHING, WE'RE ALWAYS TOLD IT'S NOT GOING TO HURT YOU. IT'S NOT GOING TO HURT YOU, IT'S NOT GOING TO HURT YOU. BUT JUST IN MY TIME OF BEING A HOMEOWNER, IT DOES HURT US. WE'RE PAYING SUCH HIGH TAXES RIGHT NOW THAT IT'S IMPOSSIBLE FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE TO RETIRE. AND I ASK THAT YOU PLEASE CONSIDER WHEN PASSING THIS STUFF. A LOT OF US ARE TOO OLD TO WORK, YOU KNOW, SOME OF US HAVE HAD CANCER AND WE'VE HAD OTHER THINGS, AND WE'RE NOT ABLE TO GO BACK TO WORK ANYMORE. SO THE HIGHER THE TAXES GO, WE'RE YOU KNOW, SOME ARE FORCED TO SELL THEIR HOUSES BECAUSE THEY CAN'T AFFORD THE TAXES ON THEM. AND THAT'S WHY A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE DELINQUENT. SO PLEASE, BEFORE YOU DO PASS THIS, PLEASE CONSIDER ANOTHER MAYBE ANOTHER WAY TO GET THE MONEY, BUT NOT THE CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATION. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER SIGNED UP IS MR. MAX GROSSMAN. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, COMMISSIONERS. GOOD AFTERNOON TO YOU. SO $54 MILLION CERTIFICATE OF OBLIGATION AMOUNTING TO $96.4 MILLION IN PRINCIPAL AND INTEREST. OVER THE NEXT 30 YEARS. I WILL BE DEAD BEFORE THAT IS PAID OFF. I HAVE ALWAYS BELIEVED, AND I'LL SAY IT AGAIN, THAT CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATION FOR NON EMERGENCY PURPOSES ARE UN-AMERICAN AND ANTI-DEMOCRATIC. JUST BECAUSE IT'S LEGAL COMMISSIONERS DOES NOT MAKE IT RIGHT. THE CERTIFICATE OF OBLIGATION ACT OF 1971 FOR A LONG TIME WAS FOR EMERGENCIES ONLY, AND THEN IT GOT CORRUPTED IN THE LEGISLATURE WITH ALL KINDS OF LOOPHOLES THAT ALLOW NOW FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND OTHER PURPOSES. MOST COUNTIES IN TEXAS ARE FAR MORE DISCIPLINED THAN OUR LOCAL TAXING ENTITIES IN THIS REGARD. CITY OF EL PASO OWES $852 MILLION IN PRINCIPAL AND INTEREST ON TENCO'S, WHICH IS MORE THAN THE FIVE LARGEST CITIES COMBINED. AND FOR A LONG TIME THE COUNTY HAS ACTED RESPONSIBLY IN THIS REGARD AND PUT UP GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS AND ALLOWED THE VOTERS TO DECIDE ON LARGE DEBT ISSUES. YES, I KNOW WATER INFRASTRUCTURE IS IMPORTANT. YES, ROADS ARE CRITICAL, BUT THEN THAT WILL BE EASY TO MAKE THE CASE TO THE VOTERS. TRADITIONALLY, THE VOTERS OF EL PASO HAVE APPROVED EMERGENCY ITEMS AND CRITICALLY IMPORTANT ITEMS BY ISSUING A CO OR A REVENUE BOND, YOU ARE TELLING THE VOTERS, WE DON'T TRUST YOU. WE'RE GOING TO DO IT OUR WAY, AND THAT'S IT. MR. LANDEROS IS VERY CAPABLE. HE'S AN IMPRESSIVE NUMBERS CRUNCHER, BUT WHEN HE SAYS THAT THIS WILL NOT IMPACT TAXES, THAT'S

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AND SO WE'VE GOT ALREADY MORE THAN A BILLION AND A HALF IN PRINCIPAL AND INTEREST ADDED ON TO OUR 10.5 BILLION, WHICH IS WHAT THE FIVE TAXING ENTITIES AND WATER CURRENTLY OWE. WE ARE NOW VERY FAR OUT OF KILTER WITH THE REST OF TEXAS. IT IS DANGEROUS THAT EL PASO COUNTY BORDERS NEW MEXICO, WHERE TAXATION IS LOW. YES, THEY'VE GOT AN INCOME TAX AND IT USED TO BE A WASH. BUT GUESS WHAT? NOW IT'S LIKE THIS. OKAY, NOW THERE IS A MAJOR INCENTIVE, ESPECIALLY FOR RETIREES, TO ABANDON THIS COUNTY IN FAVOR OF LOWER TAXATION. AND THEY CAN STILL WORK IN TEXAS. LOOK AT THE SPRAWLING NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN SANTA TERESA. THOUSANDS OF HOMES GOING UP, ALMOST ALL OF THEM EL PASOANS WHO WORK HERE BUT LIVE THERE. THE AVERAGE OUTGOING HOUSEHOLD INCOME IS $60,000, ACCORDING TO SOME OF THE PUNDITS. SO, YOU KNOW, I HOPE THAT YOU TAKE ACCOUNT OF THESE THINGS. I HOPE THAT YOU ISSUE GOES INSTEAD OF CHAOS, WHICH IS THE DEMOCRATIC, CORRECT WAY OF DOING THINGS. NOT SAYING THESE ARE NOT WORTHY ITEMS, I'M JUST SAYING PAY FOR THEM ABOVE BOARD. LET ME A TAX PAYING CITIZEN AND HOMEOWNER VOTE ON LARGE DEBT ISSUES. DO NOT DENY ME THAT RIGHT? THAT'S ALL I'M SAYING. THERE IS A RISK THAT THE LIBRE INITIATIVE COULD STEP IN AGAIN AND SHOOT THIS DOWN BY PETITION, AS THEY DID WITH THE UMC BOND A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO. THAT IS ALSO SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE CONSIDERED, SO I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK. WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, I WISH YOU A GREAT AFTERNOON. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, WE HAVE MR. MIKE BARNES. GOOD AFTERNOON, COMMISSIONERS. MY NAME IS MIKE BARNES. I AM A RESIDENT OUT IN MONTANA VISTA. AMONG A LOT OF OTHER THINGS. I COME TO YOU TODAY AS A COUNTY RESIDENT OF THE MONTANA VISTA AREA, WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS THE ASCENSION ROAD AND HILLCREST WATER INITIATIVES IN NUMEROUS LOCAL MEETINGS. THESE AREAS HAVE OF INTEREST HAVE BEEN ON THE FOREFRONT OF CONCERNS IN REGARDS TO ASCENSION ROAD. THANK YOU FOR ADDRESSING THIS. AS A HIGH USER OF TRANSPORTING HAY BACK AND FORTH TO MY FARM QUITE A BIT, I HAVE SEEN QUITE A BIT OF THE CONSTANT DECLINE IN THIS ROAD STRUCTURE AND COMMUNITY AND

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I AM GLAD OUR COUNTY IS ADDRESSING THIS ISSUE. FOR A TIME NOW, I HAVE MAINTAINED CLEAN, POTABLE AND NON POTABLE WATER IN IBC TANKS FROM ON MY FARM. FOR MY NEIGHBORS WHO DON'T HAVE WATER AND FOR THEIR FAMILIES AS WELL AS THEIR FARMS. AS A COMMISSIONER OF OUR VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENTS, I HAVE DEALT WITH THIS IMPORTANCE OF WATER IN THIS COMMUNITY IN BOTH FOR OUR FIRE RESPONDERS AS WELL AS OUR ISO RATINGS FOR THE PROPERTY OWNERS. FROM A COMMUNITY STANDPOINT, LONG TERM COST SAVINGS WITH FAILING WATER INFRASTRUCTURE, HEALTH RISK AND ECONOMIC STAGNATION REMAINS A CONCERN WITH THE FAMILIES WHO RESIDE THERE. AS WE'VE SEEN IN OUR OWN MUD WHERE I LIVE, THE COST OF REPAIRS ARE NOW OUTWEIGHING THE COST OF REPLACEMENT. AGAIN, I'D LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU. I STAND IN SUPPORT OF YOUR DECISION. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER WE HAVE IS MR. JOAQUIN DURAN. HI, EVERYONE. MY NAME IS JOAQUIN DURAN, AND I'M HERE TO DISCUSS OR TALK ON ON BEHALF OF HILLCREST WATER PROJECT. I AM ONE OF THOSE. I WAS ONE OF THOSE FAMILIES WHO LIVED IN ONE OF THOSE AREAS WHO DIDN'T HAVE WATER. AND IT WAS VERY FRUSTRATING. IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT, AND IT WAS NOT NICE. GROWING UP LIKE THAT, WATCHING MY DAD GOING THROUGH THAT STRUGGLE, THAT WAS SOMETHING I DIDN'T WANT TO SEE. AND THAT'S WHAT MOVED ME INTO WORKING FOR WATER AND TRYING TO HELP THESE COMMUNITIES. AND IT'S BEEN GREAT. IT'S BEEN A LIFE CHANGING MOMENT AND I HOPE THIS HAPPENS TO HILLCREST. HAVING TO WORK AND SEE THOSE FAMILIES GO THROUGH THAT STRUGGLE IS SOMETHING I DON'T WANT TO WATCH FOR EL PASO.

I WANT EVERYBODY IN EL PASO TO HAVE RUNNING WATER. WATER IS A HUMAN RIGHT, AND I'M FOR IT FOR THIS. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER IS MISS CATHERINE ROSE. ROSE. LUCERO. COMMISSIONERS, I FIRST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THE COURAGE TO BRING THESE ITEMS UP TO FOR US TO SPEAK ON. AND WE ELECTED SUCH COURAGEOUS AND INTELLIGENT PEOPLE. AND THE DECISIONS TO DO THIS ARE IN YOUR HANDS. AND SO THANK YOU FOR THE COURAGE TO DO THIS. AND I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT I SUPPORT YOU.

I SUPPORT THESE DECISIONS BECAUSE AS YOU JUST HEARD, WATER IS A BASIC HUMAN RIGHT THAT EVERYBODY, EVERY EL PASO AND DESERVES. AND IT'S FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT EVEN IT DOES NOT NEED TO BE PUT TO THE VOTERS TO DECIDE WHO GETS WATER AND WHO DOESN'T. WE PUT YOU ALL HERE AND I KNOW YOU WILL MAKE THE RIGHT DECISION. I TRUST IN YOU GUYS AND THE PEOPLE OF HILLCREST AND THE PEOPLE IN EL PASO COUNTY THAT DON'T HAVE WATER. THEY TRUST IN YOU. WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO ANY WORK THAT IS NECESSARY TO SUPPORT WATER AND WASTEWATER PROJECTS IN EL PASO COUNTY. I'M SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF MYSELF AS A AS A RESIDENT OF EL PASO, BUT I DO WANT TO BE TRANSPARENT. I DO WORK FOR A NONPROFIT CALLED DIG DEEP THAT WORKS TIRELESSLY TO HELP PEOPLE GET WATER. I WORKED HELPING PEOPLE GET WATER SINCE 2009 BECAUSE IT BAFFLES ME. IN THIS DAY AND AGE, WHERE WE ARE IN 2025, THAT WE STILL HAVE PEOPLE WITHOUT WATER AND I. I KNOW EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU. THAT'S SOMETHING THAT AND THE JUDGE TO THE DECISIONS ARE MADE AS A BODY AND YOU ARE A CAPABLE BODY. AND I KNOW THAT WATER AND WASTEWATER IS SOMETHING THAT EVERY EL PASO. AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU ALL ALSO HAVE FOUGHT FOR. AND SO I WANT TO THANK YOU. THAT'S IT. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS MISS HALEY HAIRSTON. GOOD AFTERNOON COMMISSIONERS. MY NAME IS HALEY HAIRSTON, AND I THINK WE'RE A BIG COMMUNITY OF EL PASO. WE SHOULDN'T HAVE TO ARGUE WHO GETS WATER OR NOT. EL PASO HAS ALWAYS BEEN THERE TO HELP PEOPLE IN NEED. THAT IS WHAT THE COMMUNITY IS KNOWN FOR. AND LIKE MY MOM SAID AND MR. JACK SAID, IT IS A

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IT'S A FINANCIAL TRAP. I URGE YOU ALL COMMISSIONERS, TO VOTE AGAINST THE CERTIFICATE OF OBLIGATION AND SEEK ALTERNATIVES THAT DO NOT BURDEN OUR COMMUNITY WITH UNNECESSARY DEBT. THE PEOPLE DESERVE A SAY AND THEY DESERVE BETTER. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE OPPORTUNITY. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER WE HAVE MISS JENNY SOLO. HI. CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES. GO AHEAD. OKAY.

HI, COMMISSIONERS. MY NAME IS JENNY SOLO, AND I'M CALLING TODAY WITH SERIOUS CONCERNS ABOUT THE PROPOSED 54,000,000IN CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATION. I'M NOT SPEAKING JUST FOR MYSELF.

I'M ALSO REPRESENTING MANY NEIGHBORS AND FELLOW RESIDENTS OF EL PASO COUNTY WHO COULDN'T TAKE THE TIME OFF WORK TO BE HERE OR CALL THEMSELVES. WE SHARE THESE KEY CONCERNS AND WORRIES, AND FRANKLY, IF YOU'RE GOING TO DISREGARD OUR COLLECTIVE VOICES AND VOTE IN FAVOR OF THIS DESPITE OUR STRONG OPPOSITION, THEN AT THE VERY LEAST, THE JUDGE SAMANIEGO SHOULD BE PRESENT TO CAST THAT DECIDING VOTE. IT'S CRUCIAL THAT OUR COUNTY JUDGE IS HERE TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR A DECISION THAT'S SO CLEARLY GOES AGAINST THE CONCERNS OF SO MANY OF US, ESPECIALLY WHEN THIS SIGNIFICANT DEBT IS BEING CONSIDERED WITHOUT SEEKING VOTER APPROVAL. THINK ABOUT IT THIS WAY THEY WANT TO SPEND A LOT OF MONEY, $33.5 MILLION TO HELP BRING WATER TO JUST 70 HOMES IN THE EASTERN PART OF THE COUNTY. AND ANOTHER CHUNK OF MONEY WILL GO TO BUILD A SEWER SYSTEM FOR ONLY ABOUT 450 HOMES, LIKE IN PONDEROSA AND SCHUMANN ESTATES. THAT'S A HUGE AMOUNT OF MONEY, MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO HELP A VERY SMALL NUMBER OF HOMES GET

[04:10:04]

MANY OF US ARE WORKING HARD JUST TO PAY OUR EXISTING BILLS, AND CAN'T EVEN AFFORD TO TAKE TIME OFF TO FIGHT THIS, AND WE FEEL THIS DEEPLY. MEANWHILE, HERE IN EL PASO COUNTY, WE'RE SEEING OUR BILLS GO UP FOR THE WATER. WE ALREADY USE THE ELECTRICITY THAT KEEPS OUR LINE ON EVEN THE TAXES ON OUR HOME. IT'S GETTING HARDER FOR REGULAR FOLKS, ESPECIALLY OUR OLDER NEIGHBORS AND FAMILIES WHO DON'T HAVE A LOT OF EXTRA MONEY TO PAY FOR EVERYTHING. MANY OF THE PEOPLE I'M TALKING ABOUT TODAY ARE WORRIED ABOUT HOW THIS WILL IMPACT THEIR ALREADY TIGHT BUDGETS, AND WE'RE CONSIDERING NOW TAKING ON THIS $5,554 MILLION DEBT WITHOUT GIVING THE VOTERS OF EL PASO A SAY. THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT FINANCIAL INSTITUTION AND DECISION THAT WILL IMPACT ALL OF US, AND IT'S BEING PUSHED FORWARD WITHOUT OUR DIRECT APPROVAL. AND IF WE'RE GOING TO BE ASKED TO TAKE ON MORE DEBT, WHICH WE'LL ALL HAVE TO PAY SOMEHOW NOW OR LATER TO HELP US, VERY SMALL NUMBER OF HOMES SET UP AT AN UNBELIEVABLY HIGH COST PER CONNECTION AND WITHOUT OUR CONSENT AS VOTERS. THEN IT'S JUST UNFAIR. IF DEVELOPERS CHOOSE TO BUILD IN AREAS REQUIRING NEW INFRASTRUCTURE, PERHAPS THEY SHOULD BEAR THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF THOSE COSTS, NOT THE ALREADY BURDENED TAXPAYERS ACROSS EL PASO COUNTY, AND ESPECIALLY NOT WITHOUT OUR DIRECT VOTE. WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT EVERYONE IN EL PASO COUNTY WHO YOU ALL REPRESENT, INCLUDING THOSE WHO CAN'T BE HERE TODAY DUE TO WORK AND OTHER OBLIGATIONS. SPENDING SO MUCH MONEY FOR A SMALL, MINUSCULE PERCENTAGE OF OUR POPULATION AT SUCH AN EXORBITANT COST PER HOME, ALL WITHOUT VOTER APPROVAL DOESN'T SEEM FAIR OR DEMOCRATIC TO THE REST OF US WHO ARE JUST TRYING TO MAKE ENDS MEET. IF YOU'RE TRULY GOING TO VOTE AGAINST OUR CLEAR WISHES AND NOT LISTEN TO OUR CONCERNS ABOUT THE FINANCIAL BURDEN THIS WILL PLACE ON US, THEN JUDGE SAMANIEGO NEEDS TO BE HERE TO BE ACCOUNTABLE FOR THAT DECISION. LET'S FOCUS ON MAKING THINGS BETTER FOR ALL OF US, NOT JUST A FEW NEW PLACES. UNREASONABLE PRICE, AND WITHOUT OUR VOTE.

PLEASE RECONSIDER BORROWING THIS $54 MILLION. AND IF YOU DON'T ENSURE THAT THE JUDGE IS PRESENT FOR THAT VOTE. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER WE HAVE MISS MARIA CASARES. HELLO, THIS IS MARIA.

YES. HELLO. CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, PLEASE GO AHEAD. OKAY. THANK YOU. I'M SORRY. I'M COMING IN FROM SAN ANTONIO. YOU KNOW, INCREDIBLY, I'M DRIVING INTO SAN ANTONIO RIGHT NOW, AND I'M SEEING DESERT. NOTHING BUT DESERT. WHEN YOU MOVE OUT HERE INTO THE EAST SIDE, YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE GETTING. THERE'S NO INFRASTRUCTURE OUT HERE. YOU MOVE OUT HERE BECAUSE THE LAND IS CHEAP. AND THAT'S WHERE YOU CAN AFFORD TO BUY. THAT'S WHY YOU MOVE OUT HERE. YOU KNOW THAT YOU'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE WATER. YOU KNOW THAT YOU'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE A LOT OF THINGS. AND THEN YOU EXPECT ME. AND I HATE TO SAY JUST ME, BUT FOR ME PERSONALLY, IT JUST FEELS LIKE IT'S ME BECAUSE I SEE WHERE EVERYBODY ELSE GETS. AND THEN I SEE THE GREAT NEED THAT IS THE OTHER PEOPLE HAVE SAID NEED. WE ALL NEED, AND WE ALL WANT. RIGHT? ALL OF US NEED AND WE ALL WANT WATER. YES, IT IS A BASIC NECESSITY FOR ALL OF US, BUT BUT IF I'M GOING TO MOVE INTO EAST EL PASO WHERE THERE'S NOTHING AND THEN EXPECT EVERYBODY ELSE TO PAY FOR IT, NO, THAT'S NOT RIGHT. THAT'S NOT FAIR. AND I REALIZE THAT LIFE ISN'T FAIR. BUT WHEN YOU'RE EXPECTING ME TO PAY, AS SOMEBODY SAID, HALF $1 MILLION. TO FUND 520 HOMES, THAT'S JUST OUTRAGEOUS. I EXPECT ACCOUNTABILITY TO WORK FOR IT. I WANT TO KNOW WHERE EVERY BIT OF THAT MONEY IS GOING, BECAUSE YOU'RE TAKING FROM MY POCKETBOOK. YOU'RE TAKING FROM MY CHILDREN'S POCKETBOOK. OH, AND MY CHILDREN, YOU KNOW WHAT? THEY DIDN'T LIKE EL PASO. THEY COULDN'T AFFORD TO LIVE HERE. SO THEY LIVE IN SAN ANTONIO, WHICH MEANS I HAVE TO DRIVE TO SAN ANTONIO EVERY SIX WEEKS TO GO SEE MY GRANDBABY. BECAUSE YOU HAVE PRICED US OUT OF YOUR PRICING, US OUT OF OUR HOMES. I WENT OUT TO LOOK FOR A HOME THIS WEEKEND, AND I FRANKLY CANNOT WAIT TO LEAVE HERE BECAUSE I CAN'T AFFORD TO LIVE HERE. I CAN LIVE IN THE OUTSKIRTS OF SAN ANTONIO. I CAN'T LIVE IN SAN ANTONIO PROPER, BUT I CAN LIVE OUT THERE AND HAVE A VERY NICE HOME. PLEASE, JUDGE, SOMEONE NEEDS TO BE THERE. HE NEEDS TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE. SEE? HE'S LEAVING YOU STUDENTS TO PUT THE

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ON.

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