Jun 09, 2025 Commissioners Court Regular

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

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[1. OPEN MEETING]

THANK YOU. ACTUALLY, THIS MORNING, WE WILL WE WILL BE LED IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE BY A NEW INTERN HERE ON THE THIRD FLOOR AT COMMISSIONER CORONADO'S OFFICE. JIMENA GUERRERO IS HERE

[2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE]

THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT WILL RECEIVE AN INVOCATION FROM US ARMY GARRISON FORT BLISS CHAPLAIN KEITH ANDREWS. WELCOME, CHAPLAIN. GOOD MORNING. LET US PRAY. DEAR HEAVENLY FATHER, AS

[3. INVOCATION]

JUDGE. DO YOU HAVE SOME OPENING REMARKS FOR US THIS MORNING? HAVE YOU INTRODUCED OR TRANSLATORS JUST TO THAT YOU INCLUDE OR. OH. I'M SORRY. YES. THIS MORNING WE'RE JOINED BY ASL INTERPRETERS TAMARA MARQUEZ AND DARIO GARCIA. THANK YOU. YES, THEY'RE VERY SPECIAL TO US. SO I WANT TO THANK ALL OF YOU FOR BEING HERE. IT'S ALWAYS EXCITING. WE HAVE OUR INCREDIBLE FORT BLISS PARTNERS. JUST CAME FROM THE STATE OF THE UNION. AND THAT WAS AMAZING. IT WAS AMAZING. AND WE GOT TO HEAR FROM GENERAL TAYLOR AS WELL. AND SO VERY A GREAT RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN US AND FORT BLISS. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND TO ALL OF YOU. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. IT'S ALWAYS SUCH A PLEASURE. ON BEHALF OF MYSELF AND OUR COMMISSIONERS, WE ALWAYS WELCOME YOU TO COMMISSIONERS COURT. SO IF YOU DON'T HAVE A CHANCE TO BE HERE, YOU CAN TUNE

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[4. CONSENT AGENDA]

FUNDING IN THE AMOUNT OF $60,000 IS AVAILABLE IN GENERAL FUND GENERAL ADMINISTRATIVE OPERATIONS CONTINGENCIES. FURTHER APPROVE THE TRANSFER OF FUNDS FROM GENERAL FUND GENERAL ADMINISTRATIVE OPERATIONS CONTINGENCIES INTO GENERAL FUND. PUBLIC WORKS ADMINISTRATION CAPITAL PROJECT, LAND CONTRACT NUMBER 2025 0472. WE ALSO HAVE A REQUEST FROM THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATION DEPARTMENT TO PULL ITEM FOR EL FOR DISCUSSION. ARE THERE ANY OTHER ITEMS THAT MEMBERS OF THE COURT OF THE PUBLIC WOULD LIKE TO PULL FOR INDIVIDUAL DISCUSSION? ANY MOVE TO APPROVE? SECOND. WE HAVE A MOTION FROM JUDGE SAMANIEGO AND A SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER CORONADO. THE VOTING IS OPEN. HAVING SOME TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES, I THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER, AS WELL. I VOTE AYE, THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER STOUT, I VOTE AYE. THANK YOU COMMISSIONER. COMMISSIONER HOLGUIN, I THINK MINE CAME UP, BUT IT'S A YES. THANK YOU JUDGE.

I'M JUST FLIPPING BACK AND FORTH. MOTION CARRIES. THANK YOU.

ITEM NUMBER FIVE A FROM RESOLUTIONS APPROVING. ADOPT A RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING AND COMMENDING THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF JUDGE WILLIAM MOODY'S DISTINGUISHED SERVICE WITH EL

[A. Approve and adopt a resolution recognizing and commending the 50th Anniversary of Judge William Moody's distinguished service with El Paso County. Ricardo A. Samaniego, County Judge, County Judge's Office, 915-273-3591]

HE IS HAS A TRIAL, SO WE'LL GO AHEAD AND POSTPONE FOR NEXT MONDAY. THANK YOU. WE HAVE A MOTION FROM JUDGE SAMANIEGO, A SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER STOUT. THE VOTING IS OPEN. I THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER. MOTION CARRIES. ITEM NUMBER FIVE. BE APPROVING. ADOPT A RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING JUNE 12TH, 2025 AS WOMEN VETERANS DAY IN EL PASO COUNTY, TEXAS. COMMISSIONER BUTLER,

[B. Approve and adopt a resolution recognizing June 12, 2025, as Women Veterans Day, in El Paso County, Texas. Jackie Butler, Commissioner, Precinct 1, 915-273-3594]

WE'LL HEAR FROM OUR DISTINGUISHED GUESTS THIS MORNING. WELCOME, EVERYONE.

WHEREAS WHEREAS THROUGHOUT THE HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES, WOMEN HAVE SERVED WITH COURAGE, DISTINCTION AND SACRIFICE IN EVERY BRANCH OF THE ARMED FORCES, DEFENDING OUR FREEDOMS AND CONTRIBUTING SIGNIFICANTLY TO OUR NATIONAL SECURITY. AND WHEREAS, ON JUNE 12TH, 1948, PRESIDENT HARRY S TRUMAN SIGNED THE WOMEN'S ARMED SERVICES INTEGRATION ACT INTO LAW, GRANTING WOMEN THE RIGHT TO SERVE AS PERMANENT REGULAR MEMBERS OF THE UNITED STATES MILITARY, THEREBY MARKING A PIVOTAL MOMENT IN AMERICAN MILITARY AND CIVIL RIGHTS HISTORY. AND WHEREAS WOMEN VETERANS DAY IS OBSERVED ANNUALLY ON JUNE 12TH TO COMMEMORATE THIS HISTORIC MILESTONE AND TO RECOGNIZE THE MORE THAN 3 MILLION WOMEN WHO HAVE SERVED IN UNIFORM BOTH PAST AND PRESENT. AND WHEREAS TODAY WOMEN COMPRISE APPROXIMATELY 17% OF THE ACTIVE DUTY MILITARY AND OVER 10% OF THE VETERAN POPULATION NATIONWIDE. AND HERE IN EL PASO COUNTY, IT IS ESTIMATED THAT OVER 5000 WOMEN VETERANS CALL OUR COMMUNITY HOME, CONTINUING THEIR LEGACY OF SERVICE THROUGH LEADERSHIP, PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT. AND WHEREAS, THROUGHOUT AMERICAN HISTORY, WOMEN HAVE ALWAYS VOLUNTEERED FOR MILITARY SERVICE, FROM THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR TO PRESENT DAY, THEY HAVE NEVER BEEN SUBJECT TO THE DRAFT, YET THEY HAVE STEPPED FORWARD WITH A SENSE OF DUTY AND PATRIOTISM,

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ARMY RETIREE. WOMEN'S VETERANS DAY IS NOT ABOUT SEPARATING US. IT IS ABOUT HONORING US AND RECOGNIZING US AND THE LEGACY THAT THOSE THAT CAME BEFORE US, MAKING SURE THE NEXT GENERATION KNOWS THAT THEY BELONG HERE, TOO. AND WITH THAT, I WANT TO BRING DEBO BECAUSE SHE'S GOT SOMETHING THAT SHE WANTS TO SAY FOR US. WELCOME. GOOD MORNING, COMMISSIONERS. JUDGE DEBO WAKEFIELD, EL PASO VETERAN OF THE YEAR, US ARMY RETIRED. DEAR LORD, AS WE COME TO YOU TO END WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH, LET US NOT FORGET ALL THE WOMEN THAT HAVE SERVED. WE DON'T WANT TO FORGET OUR WOMEN VETERANS FOR ANY REASON. THEY HAVE SERVED AND ARE SERVING IN OUR ARMED FORCES.

WOMEN WHO HAVE ANSWERED THE CALL TO SERVICE, LEAVING FAMILY AND FRIENDS IN THE PURSUIT FOR A BETTER WORLD FOR EVERYONE. WE PRAY FOR HEALING FOR THOSE WHO SUFFER THE HORRIBLE CONSEQUENCES OF WAR. MEND THE RIFTS THAT PIT NATION AGAINST NATION. GIVE US THE GRACE TO FIND ALTERNATIVES TO VENGEANCE AND VIOLENCE. GIVE US THE COURAGE TO ADVOCATE FOR PEACEFUL SOLUTIONS TO OUR CONFLICTS. CENTER OUR HOPES IN YOU SO THAT, LIKE THE PROPHET ISAIAH, WE CAN ENVISION A WORLD WITHOUT WAR. WITH ALL HOPE IN YOUR POWER AND PRESENCE WE PRAY. AMEN. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE IT.

YOU COULD JUST STEP UP AND INTRODUCE YOURSELF. YES. DONNA JUAREZ, THE VETERAN OF THE YEAR FOR 2023, 2024. AND ONLY REASON I, I GAINED THAT AWARD IS BECAUSE OF ALL THE TIME AND SERVICE THAT I SERVED AFTER BEING IN THE MILITARY. AND I JUST WANT TO SAY ON 611, WE HAVE OUR VERY OWN ANTOINETTE AS OUR GUEST SPEAKER, TALKING ABOUT WOMEN IN THE HISTORY OF OUR WOMEN VETERANS. WE ALSO HAVE DEBO. SHE'LL BE DOING OUR PRAYER AND THE MAYOR WILL BE DOING A PROCLAMATION. WE'D LIKE EVERYBODY TO COME OUT. IT IS A WREATH LAYING. WE DO HAVE A WOMEN'S MEMORIAL OUT THERE. I CAN TELL YOU, 5000 WOMEN HERE, AND THERE'S ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR, FIVE, SIX OF US. I KNOW THAT THERE ARE 5000 WOMEN IN THIS COMMUNITY, AND WE WANT THEM TO IF THEY CAN'T BE HERE THIS MORNING BECAUSE OF JOBS OR CAREER OR KIDS, WE WANT THEM OUT THERE. WE HAVE AN EVENT EVERY SINGLE DAY OF THE WEEK AND WE INVITE YOU OUT TO IT. AND THIS IS JUST ONE OF THEM. I'LL MAKE SURE YOU GET GET IT AND I WON'T CONTINUE. STOP SERVING OUR LOCAL NATION AND OUR COMMUNITIES BECAUSE IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. OKAY. GOOD MORNING, MELISSA HARCROW I AM THE WOMEN VETERANS COORDINATOR FOR WEST TEXAS WITH THE TEXAS VETERANS COMMISSION AND A VERY UNAPOLOGETIC ADVOCATE FOR WOMEN AND WOMEN VETERANS. I'M MYSELF AND JENNA HERE WHO WILL PROBABLY SPEAK IN A SECOND. WE WERE JUST NAMED TWO WOMEN VETERAN TRAILBLAZERS BY THE EL PASO, TEXAS WOMEN VETERANS. SO WE'RE VERY HONORED TO RECEIVE THAT RECOGNITION. THANK YOU. SO I DO WANT TO SHARE A FEW EVENTS COMING UP. THESE ARE NOT EXCLUSIVE TO WOMEN VETERANS. PLEASE COME OUT AND JOIN US.

THEY ARE OPEN TO ALL. WHY NOT COME OUT AND LEARN UNDERSTAND WHY WE CELEBRATE WOMEN VETERANS DAY? WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF WOMEN VETERANS DAY, WHICH IS, BY THE WAY, CODIFIED INTO TEXAS LAW BY SB 805. SO IF ANYONE HAS AN ISSUE WITH IT, YOU CAN TAKE IT UP WITH GOVERNOR ABBOTT. SO THE FIRST EVENT COMING UP IS JUNE 11TH AT PROJECT AMISTAD AT 11:30 A.M. I WILL BE SPEAKING THERE

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EPCC WOMEN VETERANS DAY CEREMONY AT THE. NOT VALVERDE THE LOCATION ON VISCOUNT. YES ON JUNE 13TH AND WOMEN VETERANS DAY RUN WALK AND JUNE 14TH IS AT THE OLD GLORY MEMORIAL. DO WE REMEMBER WHAT TIME IT IS? IT'S OKAY. SEVEN. 7 A.M. IF YOU WANT TO SIGN UP, ANYBODY CAN COME AND SEE ME. I HAVE THE LINK, BUT AGAIN, I'M SURE YOU CAN JUST SHOW UP AND JUST ENJOY THE COST TO SIGN UP INCLUDES A SHIRT AND A TUMBLER TO COMMEMORATE THE DAY, BUT JUST COME OUT THERE AND CELEBRATE WITH US, PLEASE. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. GOOD MORNING, I'M JENNIFER GRIFFITH.

I AM THE NEW JUNIOR VICE COMMANDER FOR OUR LOCAL CHAPTER FOR THE DAV, AND I'M ALSO A CRC AMBASSADOR. I DO SUPPORT A LOT OF OUR WOMEN VETERANS. AND I'M SORRY, I JUST WANTED TO INTRODUCE MYSELF. I'M ALSO, I VOLUNTEER WITH DONNA AS THE AS A MENTOR FOR THE VETERANS TREATMENT COURT. THANK YOU. HI ANTHONY, I AM A PEER SERVICE COORDINATOR WITH MILITARY VETERAN PEER NETWORK. I WORK WITH EMERGENCE HEALTH NETWORK HERE IN EL PASO, SO PRETTY MUCH ANYTHING I WANT TO SAY. DONNA POINTED OUT THERE'S 5000 WOMEN VETERANS IN EL PASO, YET YOU ONLY SEE SIX OF US REPRESENTING. THAT'S THE WRONG ANSWER. IT TAKES COMMUNICATION. IT TAKES, YOU KNOW, PROMOTING IT. A LOT OF WOMEN VETERANS DON'T FEEL LIKE THEY DESERVE THE TITLE OF VETERANS, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, WRONG TO SAY, YOU KNOW, PROFESSIONALLY IT'S WRONG. SO, I MEAN, I KNOW THERE'S PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT KNOW WOMEN VETERANS. YOU NEED TO LET THEM KNOW, COME OUT, YOU KNOW, SHOW SUPPORT. THERE IS SUPPORT FOR THEM. THEY'RE NOT ALONE. YOU KNOW, A LOT OF TIMES THEY THINK THEY'RE BY THEMSELVES. NO ONE UNDERSTANDS. YOU KNOW, LOOK AT US. THERE'S SIX OF US. WE'RE ALWAYS ADVOCATING OUT IN THE COMMUNITY. THEY NEED TO COME OUT AND WE'LL GET THEM TAKEN CARE OF. SO THAT'S THE MAIN THING. OH, AND ALSO SORRY, SQUIRREL. SO ALSO I WAS THE BLACK EL PASO VOICE VETERAN OF THE YEAR FOR 2023. AND I AM CURRENTLY SERVING AS THE SENIOR VICE COMMANDER FOR DAV CHAPTER 187. THANK YOU. AND I'M U.S. ARMY RETIRED. THANK YOU. GREAT JOB. THANK YOU AGAIN. I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO COMMISSIONER BUTLER FOR SPONSORING THIS RESOLUTION. IT'S A VERY IMPORTANT RESOLUTION. I DON'T EVER WANT IT TO FALL BEHIND OR GET MISSED. IT'S SOMETHING THAT I THINK WE SHOULD DO AND CELEBRATE EVERY YEAR. WE SHOULD BE CELEBRATING ALL THE AMAZING WOMEN HERE IN THE COUNTY, NOT JUST VETERANS, BECAUSE WE HAVE SO MANY. AMAZING. IF YOU LOOK AROUND THIS ROOM, THERE'S SO MANY AMAZING WOMEN WHO ARE DOING GREAT THINGS FOR US. AND THEN I JUST TRY TO BE AN ADVOCATE AS A SERVICE OFFICER FOR WOMEN. SO I HAVE A VERY LARGE FOLLOWING OF WOMEN VETERAN CLIENTS, AND I TAKE EXTRA SPECIAL CARE OF THEM BECAUSE THEY FEEL LIKE THEY'VE BEEN LEFT OUT AT SOME POINT. SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE ALWAYS FEEL LIKE THEY'RE TAKEN CARE OF AND THAT THEIR VOICE MATTERS. SO THANK YOU, THANK YO, THANK YOU. THIS IS VERY SPECIAL BECAUSE I'VE GOT, YOU KNOW, TWO OF OUR VETERANS OF THE YEAR, DONNA AND DEBO, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND THEY IT'S SO IMPORTANT, YOU KNOW, YOU COME BACK, YOU DO A LOT OF THINGS FOR THE COUNTRY, AND THEN YOU COME BACK TO YOUR OWN COMMUNITY, AND YOU HAVE THIS SPECIAL UNDERSTANDING, NOT ONLY OF VETERANS, BUT OF COMMUNITIES OF SERVICE, OF LEADERSHIP. SO JUST IT'S AMAZING. AND I GET TO SAY, I THOUGHT SOMEBODY'S GOING TO SAY IT, BUT I GET TO SAY, NO SINGLE WOMAN, ALL OF THEM, EVERY SINGLE WOMAN THAT EVER SERVED SERVED AS A VOLUNTEER. YES. WHICH IS VERY DIFFERENT THAN IN THE MEN'S VETERANS. SOME WERE DRAFTED, BUT SINCE THERE'S NO DRAFT, THAT MEANS THAT EVERY SINGLE WOMAN VOLUNTEERED TO BE PART OF THE SERVICE. AND THAT IS A VERY, VERY SPECIAL THING TO BE ABLE TO SAY. AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE'RE MORE AND MORE UNDERSTANDING. YOU KNOW, I WAS THE FIRST TO ADMIT BACK IN 2019 THAT I DIDN'T REALIZE THE IMPACT OF WOMEN. AND WE STARTED THE

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ITEM NUMBER FIVE C APPROVE AND ADOPT A RESOLUTION CELEBRATING THE UNITED STATES ARMY'S 250TH

[C. Approve and adopt a resolution celebrating the United States Army’s 250th Birthday, in El Paso County, Texas. Jackie Butler, Commissioner, Precinct 1, 915-273-3594]

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ARMY CENTRAL MISSION HAS BEEN TO FIGHT AND WIN THE NATION'S WARS. AND WHEREAS THE MOTTO OF THIS WILL DEFEND IS THE CREED BY WHICH THE AMERICAN SOLDIER LIVES AND SERVES. AND WHEREAS NO MATTER WHAT THE CAUSE, LOCATION OR MAGNITUDE OF FUTURE CONFLICTS, THE NATION CAN RELY ON THE U.S. ARMY TO PRODUCE WELL TRAINED, WELL LED, AND HIGHLY MOTIVATED SOLDIERS TO CARRY OUT THE MISSIONS ENTRUSTED TO THEM. AND WHEREAS, THE COMPONENTS OF THE U.S. ARMY TO INCLUDE THE ARMY NATIONAL GUARD, THE U.S. ARMY RESERVES, AND THE REGULAR ARMY HAVE CONTRIBUTED IMMENSELY TO HEALTH AND NATURAL DISASTER RESPONSE. AND WHEREAS MEMBERS OF EL PASO COUNTY HAVE PROUDLY SERVED AND MADE THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE FOR OUR NATION'S FREEDOM WHILE SERVING IN THE UNITED STATES ARMY AND OTHER BRANCHES OF OUR NATION'S MILITARY. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT THE EL PASO COUNTY JUDGE AND COMMISSIONERS COURT HEREBY PROCLAIM JUNE 14TH, 2025, TO BE THE UNITED STATES ARMY'S TWO 50TH BIRTHDAY, EXPRESSING APPRECIATION ON BEHALF OF THE

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AND NOW I THINK WE'VE DONE EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN TO MAKE SURE IT'S GROWN TREMENDOUSLY.

GREAT RELATIONSHIP. VERY PERSONALLY. THE COMMISSIONERS COURT WERE VERY HONORED THAT ONE OF THE WAY WE LEGITIMIZED THE VETERANS CAPITAL WAS GENERAL EISENHOWER REALLY TAKING IT UPON HIMSELF TO TELL PEOPLE HOW IMPORTANT THAT IS, THAT HE TRAVELS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY AND HE SAYS, AND I STILL WILL SAY, IF YOU WANT TO SEE HOW VETERANS ARE TREATED, GO TO EL PASO. AND THAT SAYS A LOT. THIS IS A GENERAL THAT HAS TO BE DIPLOMATIC AS WELL AND HAS TO BE IN DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES. SO WE'RE VERY THANKFUL. WE'RE ALSO VERY THANKFUL TO YOU, COLONEL GALLAGHER, THAT I DON'T KNOW IF IT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE WELCOME YOU IN THIS COMMUNITY. I UNDERSTAND THAT THAT MIGHT BE A CONSIDERATION THAT WELL, ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS THAT CAN HAPPEN IS WHEN SOMEBODY RETIRES AND STAYS HERE IN EL PASO. I MEAN, THEY'VE BEEN ALL OVER THE WORLD. AND WHEN THEY CHOOSE EL PASO, THAT MAKES A BIG, BIG DIFFERENCE FOR US. IT TAKES US TO THE NEXT LEVEL. SO WE'RE VERY FORTUNATE, COLONEL, TO HOPEFULLY, CONSIDERING THAT YOU WILL STAY HERE IN EL PASO. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THIS IS A GREAT HONOR. THIS IS, YOU KNOW, 250 YEARS AND WHY WE'RE YOU KNOW, WHY WE HAVE THE SENSE OF FREEDOM AND WHY I BELIEVE THAT. AND I'LL RELY ON THAT, THAT AS MUCH AS WE HAVE CONCERNS, THE STABILITY OF 250 YEARS ALWAYS GUARANTEES ME, AND I HOPE OTHERS, THAT WE WE'RE A NATION THAT CAN HAVE GLITCHES AND HAVE CHALLENGES. BUT AT THE END, WE'RE GOING TO COME TOGETHER. THIS IS NOTHING NEW.

THROUGHOUT THE FROM CIVIL WARS TO EVERYTHING, WE STAY UNITED AND WE STAY TOGETHER. AND SO WE VERY, VERY PROUD OF THE RELATIONSHIP THAT WE HAVE WITH YOU. AND WE ALWAYS SAY, YOU KNOW, THAT WE'RE ONE ONE IN THE SAME. WE SHOULDN'T HAVE ANY DIFFERENCES. AND THANKS TO YOU, COLONEL, THERE'S BEEN SO MANY OPPORTUNITIES WHERE THEY'VE OPENED UP FORT BLISS TO THE PUBLIC HAVE MADE IT A LOT EASIER AT THE STATE OF THE OF THE MILITARY. IT WAS VERY EASY. I MEAN, THEY WERE THEY WERE TELLING US JUST TO COME IN, WHICH WAS VERY SPECIAL BECAUSE TYPICALLY YOU'RE CONCERNED ABOUT A WAIT OR YOU DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT DOCUMENTS. SO THEY'VE DONE SEVERAL. AND YOU MIGHT WANT TO TALK ABOUT THAT, COLONEL, ABOUT OPENING UP FORT BLISS TO THE PUBLIC SO THAT YOU FEEL BETTER, THAT IT'S NOT THERE'S A FENCE THERE, BUT OBVIOUSLY JUST FOR OBVIOUS REASONS. BUT THE RELATIONSHIP, THERE'S NO FENCE WHEN IT COMES TO RELATIONSHIPS.

SO I'LL PASS IT BACK TO YOU. YOU WANT TO MAKE SOME COMMENTS ABOUT THAT RELATIONSHIP, COLONEL? ABSOLUTELY. WE ARE JUST OVERJOYED AND EXCITED FOR THIS SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP THAT FORT BLISS AND EL PASO HAVE, TO THE POINT YOU JUST MADE JUDGE ABOUT DIFFERENT EVENTS THAT OCCUR. WE NOW HAVE EASE OF ACCESS IN PLACE, SO THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT WE HAD IN PLACE LAST WEEK FOR THE STATE OF THE MILITARY. AND SO IF THERE IS A BIG EVENT THAT IS PLANNED, WE WOULD LOVE TO HOST THAT ON FORT BLISS, LIKE AT THE CENTENNIAL CENTER. WE KNOW PRIOR TO COVID, THERE WERE MANY MORE EVENTS THAT USED TO OCCUR, WHETHER IT WAS HIGH SCHOOL HOMECOMINGS, QUINCEANERAS, OTHER EVENTS LIKE THAT. AND THEN WHEN COVID CAME, IT MADE THAT MUCH MORE DIFFICULT. WE WERE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN TO WELCOME THOSE EVENTS BACK ONTO FORT BLISS. AND SO IF THERE'S A SPECIFIC EVENT, THEN WE CAN PUT IN PLACE VERY SIMPLIFIED AND STREAMLINED ACCESS PROCEDURES FOR THE DURATION OF THAT EVENT, WHICH IS EXACTLY WHAT WE DID LAST WEEK. AND SO WE HOPE THAT THAT WILL REDUCE THE BARRIERS. AND SOMETIMES IT CAN ALMOST BE PSYCHOLOGICAL BARRIERS WHERE FOLKS JUST THINK, OH, THIS IS GOING TO BE VERY DIFFICULT, BUT IT'S ACTUALLY NOT THAT DIFFICULT. WE'VE TRIED TO MAKE IT AS EFFICIENT AND PREDICTABLE AND STREAMLINED AS WE CAN, BECAUSE WE ARE PART OF A SHARED COMMUNITY, AND WE'RE JUST OVERJOYED TO HAVE THIS SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP WITH EL PASO. THANK YOU SO MUCH. BACK TO YOU, COMMISSIONER. THANK YOU. THANK YOU AGAIN, COLONEL GALLAGHER, AND FOR ALL OF FORT BLISS LEADERSHIP FOR ALLOWING US TO

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ITEM NUMBER FIVE, APPROVE AND ADOPT A RESOLUTION COMMENDING OSCAR GALICIA FOR HIS OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENTS IN MARTIAL ARTS AND ACADEMICS, AND COMMENDING OCELOTL MARTIAL ARTS

[D. Approve and adopt a resolution commending Oscar Galicia for his outstanding achievements in martial arts and academics, and commending Ocelotl Martial Arts Academy, a small business dedicated to promoting self-cultivation. David Stout, Sergio Coronado Commissioners, Precinct 2 & 4, 915-273-3559]

THANK YOU JUDGE AND COMMISSIONERS. WHILE OSCAR AND HIS CREW ARE MAKING IT, MAKING THEIR WAY UP TO THE PODIUM, I JUST WANT TO SAY A FEW WORDS BEFORE I READ THE RESOLUTION.

MARTIAL ARTS IS ENCOMPASS ENCOMPASSES ANY FIGHTING ART. ALTHOUGH WE TYPICALLY ASSOCIATE

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OCELOT'S DESCRIPTION OF ITS TEACHING MODEL, WHICH IS TO TEACH PEOPLE TO PERFORM WITH HIGH EXPRESSION OF MARTIAL SKILL TEMPERED BY RESTRAINT, MARRYING THE PURPOSE OF MARTIAL ARTS WITH THE CULTIVATION OF OUR BETTER SELVES. AND BY THE DESCRIPTIONS I READ ABOUT HOW OSCAR APPLIES THIS APPROACH TO MARTIAL ARTS ACADEMICS AND TO THIS COMMUNITY. SO I'M CO-SPONSORING THIS RESOLUTION WITH MY FRIEND DOWN THERE AT THE END, COMMISSIONER CORONADO, BECAUSE OSCAR IS A PRECINCT FOUR RESIDENT CONSTITUENT, BUT ALSO IS IN PRECINCT TWO. SO, COMMISSIONER, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY WORDS YOU WANT TO SAY BEFORE I READ THE RESOLUTION, OR IF YOU WANT TO WAIT UNTIL AFTER. I'LL WAIT TILL AFTER. OKAY, GREAT. SO I'LL GO AHEAD AND READ THE RESOLUTION AND THEN WE'LL HEAR FROM YOU. HEAR FROM YOU ALL. THANK YOU. THE RESOLUTION STATES WHEREAS MARTIAL ARTS ACADEMY, ESTABLISHED IN 2022, IN EL PASO, OFFERS A DIVERSE RANGE OF MARTIAL ARTS DESIGNED TO EMPOWER INDIVIDUALS WITH CONFIDENCE, DISCIPLINE AND STRENGTH BOTH MENTALLY AND PHYSICALLY. AND WHEREAS OSCAR GALICIA IS A DEDICATED ATHLETE AND STUDENT FROM EL PASO, TEXAS, WHO HAS DEMONSTRATED EXCEPTIONAL SKILL AND COMMITMENT IN BOTH BRAZILIAN JIU JITSU AND JUDO. AND WHEREAS, IN JANUARY 2025, OSCAR WAS AWARDED HIS BROWN BELT IN JUDO BY SENSEI NATHAN WESTBROOK, MARKING A SIGNIFICANT MILESTONE IN HIS MARTIAL ARTS JOURNEY.

FURTHER, HE HAS REPRESENTED EL PASO AND SEVERAL MARTIAL ARTS ACADEMY AT NUMEROUS REGIONAL AND NATIONAL COMPETITIONS, EARNING ACCOLADES AND RECOGNITION FOR HIS PERFORMANCES, AND CONTRIBUTED TO THE COMMUNITY BY ASSISTING AND INSTRUCTING CHILDREN'S CLASSES, FOSTERING DISCIPLINE AND CONFIDENCE IN YOUNG ATHLETES. AND WHEREAS, IN ADDITION TO HIS ATHLETIC PURSUITS, OSCAR IS PURSUING A BACHELOR'S DEGREE IN CIVIL ENGINEERING AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT EL PASO, WITH ASPIRATIONS TO FURTHER HIS EDUCATION AND CAREER IN STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING. AND WHEREAS THESE ENDEAVORS EMBODY THE MISSION OF MARTIAL ARTS ACADEMY, FOUNDED ON THE NAME OF THE NARWHAL WORD FOR JAGUAR JAGUAR, THIS HONORS THE AZTEC JAGUAR WARRIORS WHO HAD TO PROVE THEMSELVES BY CAPTURING NOT KILLING THEIR ENEMIES, THEREFORE PROVING THEIR STRENGTH THROUGH CONTROL RATHER THAN DESTRUCTION. THIS IS HOW STUDENTS AT OCELOTL ACADEMY ARE TAUGHT. THEY TRAIN TO SUBMIT, NOT TO HARM, TO CONTROL, NOT TO DESTROY. AND NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, THAT THE EL PASO COUNTY JUDGE AND COMMISSIONERS COURT COMMEND OSCAR GALICIA FOR HIS OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENTS IN MARTIAL ARTS AND ACADEMICS AND COMMENDS MARTIAL ARTS ACADEMY, A SMALL BUSINESS DEDICATED TO PROMOTING SELF-CULTIVATION, SIGNED THIS NINTH DAY OF JUNE 2025. THE HONORABLE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS COURT. JUDGE.

WE'RE CO-SPONSORS ON THE SECOND BECAUSE I KNOW WE'RE GOOD. JUST PUT GO TO A SECOND. THANK YOU SIR. YEAH. WE HAVE A MOTION FROM COMMISSIONER STOUT AND A SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER CORONADO. THE VOTING IS OPEN. MOTION CARRIES. GREAT. WELCOME. THANK YOU. CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU. THE FLOOR IS YOURS. GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS OSCAR GALICIA. I'M CURRENTLY A STUDENT. I'M A JUNIOR STUDYING CIVIL ENGINEERING, LIKE YOU SAID. I WANT TO SAY GOOD MORNING TO ALL THE COMMISSIONERS, THE GUESTS AND EVERYBODY THAT'S HERE TODAY. THANK YOU FOR HAVING US. FIRST, I WANT TO SINCERELY THANK YOU FOR THIS RECOGNITION, NOT JUST FOR THE HONOR ITSELF, BUT FOR WHAT IT REPRESENTS. REPRESENTING EL PASO AND UTEP HAS MEANT THE WORLD TO ME, AND NOT JUST AS AN ATHLETE, BUT ALSO AS A STUDENT THAT'S WORKING TOWARDS THIS FUTURE. I WANT TO GIVE A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO JACOB, A TEAMMATE AND A FRIEND. SOMEONE WHO TRUSTED ENOUGH, TRUSTED ME ENOUGH TO PUT MY NAME FORWARD FOR THIS RESOLUTION. I ALSO WANT TO THANK MY COMMUNITY AT OCELOT FOR ALL MY TEAMMATES, MY COACHES, MY PROFESSOR IVAN RIOS AND MY AUNT LILY. IT'S THANKS TO ALL OF THEIR TEACHINGS THAT I'M ABLE TO STAND HERE TODAY. THE DOJO IS MORE THAN JUST A PLACE TO TRAIN FOR ME. IT'S MY SECOND HOME. IT'S BECAME MY SECOND HOME SINCE I STARTED TRAINING BACK IN

[00:55:02]

I AM A SECOND DEGREE BLACK BELT IN JUDO. I AM THE HEAD INSTRUCTOR FOR OCELOT MARTIAL ARTS. I'M ALSO THE HEAD INSTRUCTOR FOR SLEEPING DRAGON MARTIAL JUDO OUT OF VETERANS PARK FOR PARKS AND RECS HERE IN EL PASO. EXCELLENT. I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR HONORING OSCAR HONORING MARTIAL ARTS. FUN FACT ABOUT BOTH MY CLUBS. BOTH WERE FOUNDED BY VETERANS AND A CURRENT MEMBER OF THE ARMED FORCES. SLEEPING DRAGON JUDO WAS FOUNDED BY MARINE VET HOWARD HEWETT, ALSO CO-FOUNDER HOWARD. UNFORTUNATELY, HOWARD HEWETT IS NOW PAST AND STILL LIVING MARINE VET AND WITH WILKES AND OCELOT, WAS FOUNDED BY NOW LIEUTENANT COLONEL JUSTIN NGUYEN. AND I MYSELF AM ESPECIALLY WAS WAS A SPECIALIST IN ARMED FORCES. EXCELLENT IN ARMY. OTHER THAN THAT, JUDO HAS PLAYED A BIG PART IN MY LIFE IN THE LAST 1011 YEARS SINCE I WALKED INTO VETERAN. ACTUALLY NOLAN RICHARDSON, REC CENTER AND LEARNED THE NAME OF SENSEI ADRIAN LEYVA. HE'S A FOURTH DEGREE BLACK BELT IN JUDO. HE FIRST STARTED TEACHING MY DAUGHTER. I SAW HOW IT IMPACTED HER LIFE. SO I'M LIKE, LET ME GET SOME OF THAT. SO THEN AS SHE GREW, I GREW AND I FELL IN LOVE WITH THE NEW SPORT THAT I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW EXISTED, JUST ROUGHLY ABOUT TEN YEARS AGO. BUT NOW I CONTINUE TO TEACH AND LIKE THE PROMISE THAT I GAVE MY SENSEI.

AS LONG AS THE STUDENTS SHOW UP, I'LL SHOW UP. THANK YOU. ESPECIALLY FOR INCLUDING VETERANS. THANK YOU. ESPECIALLY ON THIS PARTICULAR DAY. THANK YOU. GOOD MORNING. GOOD MORNING, APOSTLE GEORGE AND COMMISSIONER SCOTT, THANK YOU VERY, VERY MUCH. MY NAME IS LILIANA SANCHEZ AND I AM THE FOUNDER OF MARTIAL ARTS ACADEMY. I AM A CO-OWNER ALONG WITH PROFESSOR RIOS. HE'S A BLACK BELT IN JUJITSU. FOR ME, WHAT I REALLY WANT TO SAY IS HOW PROUD I AM FROM OUR SENSEI, FROM MY TEAM, FROM OSCAR. FOR ALL THE WORK THAT THEY PUT IN, NOT JUST REPRESENTING OUR ACADEMY, BUT REPRESENTING UTEP, REPRESENTING EL PASO, TO ME AS GROWING UP FROM EL PASO, IT WAS SO EXCITING. YOU GUYS HAVE NO IDEA TO SEE OSCAR BEATING UNIVERSITIES LIKE UT AUSTIN, TEXAS TECH AND GOING TO BOSTON AND BEATING OTHER SCHOOLS THAT THEY HAVE NEVER HEARD OF WHO UTEP OR EL PASO IS? THEY WERE LIKE, WHERE IS THIS CLUB FROM? WHAT CITY DO YOU GUYS HAVE JUDO? AND TO ME IT WAS JUST LIKE INCREDIBLE. TAKING THIRD PLACE AND REPRESENTING OUR CITY AND OUR CLUB AND UNIVERSITY WAS JUST A HUGE, HUGE HONOR. AND SO FOR US TO BE RECOGNIZED HERE TODAY, IT IS A HUGE MILESTONE. SO I CAN'T THANK YOU ENOUGH FOR GIVING US THAT TIME TO BE HERE AS A MARTIAL ARTS ACADEMY. GREW UP FROM THE LOVE OF SELF-DEFENSE, FROM I MYSELF DIDN'T FINISH SCHOOL BECAUSE I GOT BULLIED SO MUCH, SO I DID NOT FINISH HIGH SCHOOL. FOR ME, OCELOT, IT'S A PART OF ME AND IT'S THE PART OF OUR TEAM WHERE WE ARE CONSTANTLY STRIVING TO TEACH NOT ONLY SELF-DEFENSE, RESILIENCE, RESPECT, SELF RESPECT. AND THAT IS OUR THE ESSENCE AND SOUL OF THIS ACADEMY. WE TEACH OUR KIDS, WE PROMOTE THE SPORT. BUT IT'S NOT JUST A PHYSICAL SPORT, IT'S ALSO A MENTAL SPORT IN THE COMMUNITY AND SUPPORTED SPORT. SO WITH THAT SAID, WE JUST WANT TO ALSO PUT IT OUT THERE THAT IF THERE'S ANY KIDS OR ADULTS THAT ARE GOING THROUGH ANY SORT OF STRUGGLES WITH SELF-DEFENSE OR BULLYING, WE EXTEND A HAND COMPLETELY FREE OF CHARGE. SO WE WELCOME EVERYBODY. THIS IS AGAIN A COMMUNITY THAT IS VERY SUPPORTIVE AND THAT IT IMPACTS NOT JUST ON THE SPORT, BUT IT ALSO IMPACTS PEOPLE'S LIVES. SO

[01:00:02]

COMMISSIONER. COMMISSIONER CORONADO THANK YOU JUDGE. AND THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER STOUT.

YOU KNOW, OSCAR, I JUST WANT TO CONGRATULATE YOU AND YOUR GROUP AND, YOU KNOW, YOUR YOUR TEAM.

REALLY? BECAUSE I EARLY ON, I DELVED INTO BOTH THOSE DISCIPLINES, THE ENGINEERING AND THE MARTIAL ARTS. BUT IT TAKES A LOT OF DEDICATION, PERSEVERANCE. BUT YOU KNOW WHAT? YOU GET TO LEARN FROM THAT. YOU GET TO LEARN RESPECT AND RESTRAINT. AND YOU BECOME A ROLE MODEL FOR OUR COMMUNITY AND NOT JUST FOR WHERE YOU LIVE IN PRECINCT FOUR, BUT FOR THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY. AND IT'S PEOPLE LIKE YOU AND YOUR TEAM THAT REALLY, YOU KNOW, SHINE ON EL PASO IN TERMS OF WHAT PEOPLE CAN BECOME AND HOW RESPECTFUL AND DEDICATED YOU CAN BE, NOT JUST TO SPORTS BUT TO ACADEMIA. AND SO I WANT TO THANK YOU AND YOUR TEAM FOR YOUR DEDICATION AND FOR, YOU KNOW, THEM PARTICIPATING IN YOUR, YOU KNOW, DEVELOPMENT AS A GREAT HUMAN BEING, BECAUSE THAT'S REALLY WHAT IT IS. AND SO I THANK YOU AGAIN. AND, YOU KNOW, KEEP GOING. THANK YOU, OSCAR AND BOTH OF YOU. BUT OSCAR, THANK YOU SO MUCH. WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT HERE AT COMMISSIONERS COURT THE IMPORTANCE OF ROLE MODELING AND THE STRUGGLES THAT STUDENTS WENT THROUGH DURING THE PANDEMIC. AND IT SORT OF MOVED THINGS AROUND A LITTLE BIT. SO THANK YOU ALSO FOR OFFERING.

THERE'S A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, YOUNG PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT ARE A LITTLE CONFUSED, YOU KNOW, DIDN'T, YOU KNOW, STILL DEALING WITH THE IMPACT OF WHAT HAPPENED TO THEM, SOME MORE THAN OTHERS.

BUT THERE'S A LOT OF YOUNG PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT NEED YOUR HELP. TWO OF MY KIDS, ACTUALLY, AT A VERY YOUNG AGE, GOT BLACK BELTS. BOTH MICHAEL AND ELISA, THEY'RE BOTH ATTORNEYS, SO I DON'T KNOW IF THAT MEANS ANYTHING. THEY WENT FROM BLACK BELT TO ATTORNEYS, BUT I SAW THAT COMPLETE DISCIPLINE, THAT THAT MENTAL ABILITY MORE SO THAN PHYSICAL. THEY JUST HAVE THAT SENSE OF UNDERSTANDING TO BE ABLE TO GO THROUGH THE WHOLE, YOU KNOW, EACH ONE OF THE BELTS AND GET TO THAT POINT WAS RELENTLESS. BUT THEY CAME OUT SO MUCH BETTER AND JUST SO FOCUSED ON, ON LIFE AND, AND APPRECIATION. FOR SOME REASON, I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT WORKED, BUT IT WAS A TREMENDOUS APPRECIATION OF LIFE THAT THEY HAVE AND BECAME VERY SUCCESSFUL. SO THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO. I THINK OUR OUR YOUNG PEOPLE NEED THAT. AND I THANK COMMISSIONER CORONADO, COMMISSIONER STOUT, FOR THIS GREAT RESOLUTION AND KEEP US ON THE MAP. OSCAR PASO NEEDS TO BE ON THE MAP AT A NATIONAL LEVEL, AND I KNOW YOU'RE GOING TO BE A CONTRIBUTOR TO THAT. SO THANK YOU, THANK YOU. BACK TO. I JUST WANT TO SAY THANKS AGAIN AND CONGRATULATIONS. AND WHEN YOU WHEN YOU GRADUATE COME WORK FOR THE COUNTY. WE HAVE YOU KNOW WE HAVE ENGINEERS WORKING FOR US HERE AT THE COUNTY TOO. SO WE COULD USE YOUR EXPERTISE. THANK YOU.

FOR MAKING ME. I HAVE TO TELL YOU THAT I GOT THANK YOU VERY MUCH. APPRECIATE. IT. AND.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. FOR.

[01:05:24]

[E. Approve and adopt a resolution to recognize Agua Dulce native, Bryant Y. Valenzuela, for his academic accomplishments. Iliana Holguin, Commissioner, Precinct 3, 915-273-3594]

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT THE EL PASO COUNTY JUDGE AND COMMISSIONERS COURT DOES HEREBY RECOGNIZE AND HONOR BRYANT Y. VALENZUELA FOR HIS EXTRAORDINARY ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS, HIS ADVOCACY FOR HISTORICALLY UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES, AND HIS UNWAVERING COMMITMENT TO UPLIFTING LATINO VOICES AND INCREASING REPRESENTATION IN THE ARTS, ENTERTAINMENT, AND MEDIA INDUSTRIES. MISTER VALENZUELA STANDS AS A PROUD PRODUCT OF THE AGUA DULCE COLONIA, AND A SHINING EXAMPLE OF WHAT IS POSSIBLE WHEN TALENT, TENACITY, AND PURPOSE MEET OPPORTUNITY. IN OFFICIAL RECOGNITION THEREOF, THE COMMISSIONERS COURT HEREBY AFFIXES THEIR SIGNATURES. THIS NINTH DAY OF JUNE 2025. SO WE HAVE A MOTION FROM COMMISSIONER OLGUIN AND A SECOND FROM JUDGE SAMANIEGO. THE VOTING IS OPEN AND MOTION CARRIES. ALL RIGHT.

WELL, BRIAN, YOU DON'T LOOK A YEAR UNDER 80. MY GOODNESS, HE'S DONE SO MUCH AT SUCH A YOUNG AGE. SO THANK YOU. WONDERFUL. THANK YOU. WE'D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU. OF COURSE. SO FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER OLGUIN, FOR SPONSORING THIS RESOLUTION. AND THANK YOU TO MY FRIENDS THAT CAME IN FROM OUT OF TOWN, WHO ALSO GRADUATED FROM HARVARD, THAT CAME TO SEE THIS EVENT TODAY. SO AGAIN, MY NAME IS BRIAN VALENZUELA. I WAS BORN AND RAISED IN COLONIA, OUTSIDE OF HORIZON CITY TO A FAMILY OF FIVE, MY PARENTS AND TWO OLDER BROTHERS. MY PARENTS WERE BORN AND RAISED IN CIUDAD JUAREZ, CHIHUAHUA, MEXICO AND MOVED TO THE UNITED STATES SOON AFTER.

THEY SOON SOON AFTER, THEY BEGAN TO FORM A FAMILY, WANTING THEIR CHILDREN TO BENEFIT FROM THE PRIVILEGES PRIVILEGES THAT COME WITH AMERICAN CITIZENSHIP. THEY MOVED TO THE COLONIA AT A TIME WHERE HORIZON WAS NOTHING BUT A LARGE, DISTANT ROAD, AND THE COLONIA ONLY STRETCHED AS FAR AS AGUACLARA STREET, NOTHING BUT DESERT SURROUNDING THEIR SMALL TRAILER HOME. MY FAMILY LIVED IN

[01:10:04]

EVERYBODY LIVES THE SAME. IT'S A HUGE GOAL FOR US. AND PEOPLE LIKE YOURSELF GIVE US THE CONFIDENCE THAT THAT WE NEED TO ONE DAY, AS WE ALWAYS SAY, EVERYBODY SHOULD LIVE THE SAME NO MATTER WHAT ZIP CODE YOU LIVE IN, BUT EVERYBODY SHOULD LIVE THE SAME WITH THE SAME DIGNITY, THE SAME RESOURCES. SO I THINK YOU'RE GOING TO BE AN AMAZING SPOKESMAN FOR THE REST OF THE COUNTRY AS TO, YOU KNOW, THE KINDS OF INDIVIDUALS THAT YOU'D BE SURPRISED WHEN YOU GO TO THESE SCIENCE FAIRS AND EVERYTHING. THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE FROM FABENS, FROM TORNILLO THAT COME OUT AND WIN SOME OF THESE CONTESTS AND, YOU KNOW, SIGNS, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST AMAZING. BUT THANK YOU FOR BEING THAT AMAZING REPRESENTATIVE AND COMMISSIONER. THANK YOU, AS ALWAYS, FOR

[01:15:04]

COMMISSIONER BUTLER, THEN COMMISSIONER STOUT, PLEASE. THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER, FOR THIS RESOLUTION. AND, BRYAN, THANK YOU FOR YOUR ADVOCACY AND YOUR YOUR LENDING YOUR VOICE TO STUDENTS IN EL PASO. WHEN YOU'RE TALKING. I STARTED GETTING THIS RUSH OF MEMORIES BECAUSE I'M FROM MONTANA VISTA. AND I REMEMBER WHEN I WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL, I WENT TO MOUNTAIN VIEW AND I WAS TRYING TO DECIDE WHERE TO GO TO COLLEGE. AS A FIRST GENERATION COLLEGE STUDENT, MIGRANT PARENTS AS WELL, I, I WAS ON MY OWN. I DIDN'T NOBODY WAS THERE TO HELP OR GUIDE, GUIDE ME OR MANY MOST OF THE STUDENTS IN MY SCHOOL. SO WE RELIED HEAVILY ON OUR COUNSELORS. BUT EVEN MY COUNSELORS TOLD ME, YOU KNOW, YOU WON'T GET INTO A HARVARD OR A. A SCHOOL OF THAT CALIBER. WHEN I TOLD THEM THAT I WAS APPLYING TO VASSAR, THEY TOLD ME TO AIM A LITTLE LOWER AND THAT MY CHANCES OF GETTING ACCEPTED WERE VERY LOW. AND THEN WHEN I DID GET ACCEPTED, THEY TOLD ME, WELL, DON'T GET YOUR HOPES UP BECAUSE IT'S VERY EXPENSIVE AND YOU MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO GO. SO LUCKILY THERE'S STILL COLLEGE INSTITUTIONS LIKE HARVARD, LIKE VASSAR, THAT HAVE VERY GENEROUS FINANCIAL AID PACKAGES. AND I WAS ABLE TO GO ALSO ON A ON A FULL RIDE. BUT I REMEMBER WHEN I READ YOUR OP ED THINKING THAT WAS MY STORY, TOO. AND, AND I KNOW PERSONALLY FROM MY EXPERIENCE AND ALSO FROM THE EXPERIENCE OF A LOT OF THE PEOPLE I WENT TO SCHOOL WITH, THAT WE USUALLY CARRY THESE CHALLENGES QUIETLY AND KIND OF ARE JUST, JUST RESILIENT. AND WE BEAR THROUGH IT BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE WERE RAISED TO DO, ESPECIALLY IN AREAS LIKE IOWA AND MONTANA VISTA. AND SO I JUST WANT TO SAY I APPRECIATE YOU VERY MUCH. I HOPE THAT YOU'LL CONTINUE TO BE AN ADVOCATE. THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR WONDERFUL ACCOMPLISHMENTS. AND DON'T FORGET ABOUT EL PASO. I HOPE YOU CONTINUE TO COME BACK AND TO TELL YOUR STORY AND TO INSPIRE FUTURE GENERATIONS OF STUDENTS. THANK YOU.

COMMISSIONER. COMMISSIONER STOUT, I WANT TO ECHO THE SENTIMENTS OF MY COLLEAGUES.

CONGRATULATIONS ON ON. BEING SUCH A SHINING STAR AND REPRESENTING EL PASO SO WELL.

AND NOW YOU'RE GOING TO GO TO CALIFORNIA TO WORK FOR THE BEST AGENCY. I'M KIND OF BIASED BECAUSE A FAMILY MEMBER OF MINE ACTUALLY CO-FOUNDED THAT AGENCY. AND SO I'M VERY HAPPY TO SEE SOMEBODY FROM EL PASO THAT'S GOING TO GO GO WORK FOR CREATIVE ARTISTS. BUT THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR, FOR, FOR WHAT YOU'VE DONE. AND I KNOW YOU WON'T FORGET EL PASO AND YOU'LL COME BACK AND YOU'LL KEEP US IN, IN YOUR THOUGHTS AND IN THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING, I'M SURE. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. COMMISSIONER. COMMISSIONER. WELL, I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU AGAIN. THANK YOU FOR REMEMBERING WHO YOU ARE, WHERE YOU COME FROM, AND FOR RECOGNIZING THOSE THAT CAME BEFORE YOU. AS YOU CAN TELL, WE ARE ALL INCREDIBLY PROUD OF YOU AND WE CAN'T WAIT TO SEE WHAT YOU WILL ACCOMPLISH NEXT. IF WE COULD GIVE BRYANT ONE MORE BIG COMMISSIONER. THANK

[01:20:02]

ITEM NUMBER FIVE F APPROVE AND ADOPT A RESOLUTION TO DECLARE THE MONTH OF JUNE 2025 AS ELDER

[F. Approve and adopt a resolution to declare the month of June 2025 as Elder Abuse Prevention Month in El Paso County, Texas. Iliana Holguin, Commissioner, Precinct 3, 915-273-3594]

IT IS ALSO MY HONOR TO PRESENT THIS RESOLUTION. WE PRESENT THIS RESOLUTION EVERY YEAR, BUT IT IS SUCH AN IMPORTANT, IMPORTANT TOPIC. AND THANK YOU, GRACE, FOR ALWAYS GIVING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE. LET ME GO AHEAD AND READ THE RESOLUTION AND THEN WE'D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU AND FROM JESUS. WHEREAS THE CITIZENS OF EL PASO, TEXAS HAVE ALWAYS CONTRIBUTED TO THE GENERAL WELFARE, PARTICULARLY TO THE SAFETY AND WELL-BEING OF OUR CITIZENS WHO ARE ELDERLY AND DISABLED. AND WHEREAS, THE DEPARTMENT OF FAMILY AND PROTECTIVE SERVICES, ADULT PROTECTIVE SERVICES, HAS PROVIDED PROTECTIVE SERVICES TO CITIZENS WHO ARE ELDERLY AND DISABLED. AND WHEREAS, ABUSE OF THE ABUSE OF THE ELDERLY AND PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES IN DOMESTIC AND INSTITUTIONAL SETTINGS IS A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM AFFECTING HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE ACROSS THE COUNTY. AND WHEREAS ELDER ABUSE HAPPENS TO MEN AND WOMEN OF ALL INCOME LEVELS, ALL CULTURAL AND ETHNIC GROUPS, WHETHER THEY ARE IN GOOD HEALTH OR INCAPACITATED IN SOME WAY, IN POOR NEIGHBORHOODS AND IN SUBURBIA. AND WHEREAS THERE IS A NEED TO CONTINUE TO RAISE PUBLIC AWARENESS REGARDING THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE PROBLEM AND THE LEGAL MANDATE THAT ANY PERSON WITH KNOWLEDGE OF ABUSE, NEGLECTED OR EXPLOITED ELDERLY INDIVIDUALS OR INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES MUST REPORT TO THE DEPARTMENT OF FAMILY AND PROTECTIVE SERVICES ADULT PROTECTIVE SERVICES THROUGH THE TEXAS HOTLINE ONE (800) 252-5400. AND WHEREAS, IN OBSERVANCE OF WORLD ELDER ABUSE AWARENESS DAY, COMMUNITIES ACROSS TEXAS WILL COMMEMORATE GO PURPLE DAY ON JUNE 13TH, 2025, BY WEARING PURPLE TO RAISE AWARENESS AND SHOW SOLIDARITY WITH VICTIMS OF ELDER ABUSE. AND PURPLE SUNDAY ON JUNE 15TH, 2025, A DAY OF PRAYER CREATED TO UNIFY FAITH BASED COMMUNITIES AND LIFTING UP VICTIMS AND SURVIVORS, REMINDING THEM THAT THEY ARE NOT FORGOTTEN AND THAT THEY DO NOT PRAY ALONE. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE EL PASO COUNTY JUDGE AND COMMISSIONERS COURT THAT THE MONTH OF JUNE 2025 BE DECLARED AS ELDER ABUSE PREVENTION MONTH, SIGNED THIS NINTH DAY OF JUNE 2025. WE HAVE A MOTION FROM

[01:25:02]

WELCOME, GRACE. GOOD MORNING. GOOD MORNING. THANK YOU, AND GOOD MORNING, HONORABLE COUNTY JUDGE SAMANIEGO, COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AND COUNTY OFFICIALS. MY NAME IS GRACE ORTIZ, AND I'M THE FAITH BASED AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SPECIALIST FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF FAMILY PROTECTIVE SERVICES, ADULT PROTECTIVE SERVICES. THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER LINH, FOR SUPPORTING ELDER ABUSE AWARENESS MONTH WITH A COUNTY RESOLUTION. ADULT PROTECTIVE SERVICES IS A STATE AGENCY AND WE INVESTIGATE CASES OF ABUSE, NEGLECT AND EXPLOITATION OF THE ELDERLY AND PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES. WE SERVE TEXAS RESIDENTS WHO ARE AGE 65 OR OLDER, OR ANYONE 18 TO 64 THAT HAS A SUBSTANTIAL IMPAIRMENT. ADULT PROTECTIVE SERVICES HAS BEEN WORKING ON A NEW INITIATIVE FOR THE LAST YEAR AND A HALF, AND IT'S CALLED PARTNERING TO PROTECT. OUR GOAL IS TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS WITH COMMUNITY PARTNERS. TOGETHER, WE CAN MOVE MOUNTAINS. TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE POSITIVE IMPACT IN OUR COMMUNITY. WE CAN DO OUR JOBS BETTER AND SERVE THE VULNERABLE IN OUR COMMUNITY. WE CAN'T DO IT ALONE AND WE NEED OUR PARTNERS. I DO WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT I WANT TO THANK ALL OF OUR PARTNERS THAT CAME TO SUPPORT US TODAY. THERE ARE SEVERAL DATES THAT MISS OLGUIN, COMMISSIONER OLGUIN MENTIONED. JUNE 13TH IS GO PURPLE DAY. WE'RE ASKING THE COMMUNITY TO WEAR PURPLE AND SUPPORT OUR CAUSE. JUNE 15TH IS WORLD ELDER ABUSE AWARENESS DAY, AND THAT IS PURPLE SUNDAY DAY OF PRAYER, WHERE WE'RE ASKING CHURCHES TO TAKE FIVE MINUTES FROM THEIR SERVICES TO PRAY FOR OUR STAFF WHO ARE OUT THERE WORKING THE STREETS, TRYING TO HELP THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO REALLY NEED IT, AND FOR THE VICTIMS OF ABUSE, NEGLECT AND EXPLOITATION. AND LASTLY, THE 26, WE'RE HOSTING A BANK SYMPOSIUM. IT'S CALLED IT'S PARTNER PARTNERING PROTECT OR IT PAYS TO PARTNER WITH APS. IT'S AN EDUCATION DAY AND IT'S VITAL AND IMPORTANT PROTECTING THE VULNERABLE IN OUR COMMUNITY. WE'RE INVITING LOCAL BANKS TO LEARN ABOUT, TO ATTEND AND LEARN ABOUT EXPLOITATION, SCAMS, FRAUD AND HOW TO PARTNER WITH US SO THAT WE CAN HAVE, AGAIN, A POSITIVE IMPACT IN OUR COMMUNITY. TODAY, I HAVE A SMALL GIFT FOR YOU. IT IS A LAPEL PIN AND I WANT YOU TO WEAR IT ON JUNE THE 13TH AND THE ENTIRE MONTH OF JUNE SO THAT YOU CAN SUPPORT OUR CAUSE. GET THOSE CONVERSATIONS GOING ABOUT WHAT APS DOES IN THE COMMUNITY. I CHALLENGE EACH OF YOU AND EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN OUR COMMUNITY. GET INVOLVED. BE A BUDDY TO A SENIOR. WE ALL KNOW SOMEBODY IN OUR LIVES WHO'S ELDERLY, WHO IS FAMILY, FRIENDS, NEIGHBORS, WHATEVER IT IS, CHECK ON THEM ON THOSE REALLY HOT DAYS THAT WE'RE EXPERIENCING RIGHT NOW. WE WANT TO AVOID TRAGEDY, SOMETHING THAT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED. AS SIMPLE AS A PHONE CALL. CHECK ON THEM, MAKE SURE THEY'VE TAKEN THEIR MEDS, RUN ERRANDS FOR THEM, DON'T LEAVE THEM IN A CAR. DO THE RIGHT THING. GET INVOLVED. WE NEED TO BE THE VOICE FOR THOSE WHO CANNOT PROTECT THEMSELVES. AND IF YOU SUSPECT THEY'RE BEING ABUSED, NEGLECTED OR EXPLOITED, PLEASE CALL ADULT PROTECTIVE SERVICES AT ONE (800) 252-5400. WE ARE HERE TO HELP AND WE WANT TO HELP. IT'S INEVITABLE. ONE DAY I'M GOING TO BE AN OLDER TEXAN. THERE'S NO DOUBT ABOUT IT. BUT MY WISH IS THAT WHEN I'M AN OLDER TEXAN, THERE WILL BE INDIVIDUALS IN THE COMMUNITY, SUCH AS THOSE AROUND ME AND IN FRONT OF ME, WHO WILL HAVE A VOICE FOR THOSE FOR ME AND THOSE WHO NEED IT THE MOST. THANK YOU.

I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE OUR PROGRAM ADMINISTRATOR, MR. JESUS SANCHEZ. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. WELCOME. THANK YOU, GRAYSON, AND THANK YOU, COMMISSIONERS. HONORABLE JUDGE SAMANIEGO, I WANT TO THANK COMMISSIONER FOR BRINGING THIS RESOLUTION. YOU'VE ALWAYS BEEN VERY SUPPORTIVE OF US AND OF OUR WORK AND ARE VERY APPRECIATIVE. I'M PARAPHRASING. I THINK IT WAS THEODORE ROOSEVELT THAT SAID THAT WE CAN'T MAKE THIS COUNTRY A GOOD PLACE FOR ANYONE TO LIVE IN, UNLESS WE MAKE IT GOOD FOR EVERYONE TO LIVE IN. AND I'M VERY PROUD TO LEAD A GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT WORK EVERY DAY TO PROTECT THE ELDERLY AND THE DISABLED IN OUR COMMUNITY FROM ABUSE, NEGLECT AND EXPLOITATION. BUT NOT ONLY THAT, PROVIDE THEM AN ARRAY OF SERVICES TO IMPROVE THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE AS THEY DESERVE TO BE. LAST YEAR, WE INVESTIGATED ALMOST 4000 CASES OF ABUSE, NEGLECT AND EXPLOITATION THAT RUN THE MYRIAD OF NEEDS, SOME AS SIMPLE AS SOMEONE NEEDING MEDICATIONS OR EDUCATION ABOUT THE DIFFERENT SERVICES THAT LIVE IN THE COMMUNITY, BUT ALSO THOSE VERY SEVERE CASES WHERE WE HAD TO USE OUR LEGAL AUTHORITY TO REMOVE SOMEONE FROM THEIR HOME, FROM THEIR OWN PROTECTION. AND I'M VERY PROUD THAT WE HAVE A GROUP OF PEOPLE, VERY DEDICATED PEOPLE THAT ARE OUT THERE ENGAGING THOSE CASES ONE ON ONE. BUT WE NEED EVERYONE'S INVOLVEMENT TO BE EYES AND VOICES FOR THOSE THAT NEED OUR HELP. AND SO I INVITE ALL OF YOU AND EVERYONE THAT'S LISTENING TO HELP US AND TO COME AND LEARN ABOUT US AND COME AND COLLABORATE WITH US AND PARTNER WITH US SO THAT MAYBE SOMEDAY WE CAN MAKE ABUSE,

[01:30:07]

THE COUNTY AND OUR PARTNERSHIP AS WELL AS WAS SAID, MISS GRACE SAID, IT TAKES A COMMUNITY TO DO THIS, THIS WORK. AND SO I WANT TO ALSO THANK THE COUNTY FOR THEIR WORK AND SUPPORT OF OLDER ADULTS THAT LIVE HERE IN OUR IN OUR REGION. AND JUST TO REMIND EVERYONE THAT AGING IS A PRIVILEGE, OBVIOUSLY WE'RE ALL DOING IT. SO THAT'S A GOOD THING. AND THOSE ARE ALL THINGS THAT WE SHOULD ASPIRE TO CONTINUE TO AGE WELL AND TO LIVE A LIFE OF DIGNITY AND RESPECT.

SO THANK YOU FOR THIS RECOGNITION TODAY, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY FOR THE WORK AND SUPPORT THAT THE STAFF DOES. AND WE WANT TO ALSO RECOGNIZE THAT IT'S NOT EASY WORK. AND I HATE THAT THAT IT HAS TO EXIST. BUT WE'RE GRATEFUL TO THE WORK THAT ADULT PROTECTIVE SERVICES DOES IN OUR COMMUNITY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU DO AND YOUR ORGANIZATION. IT'S VERY MUCH APPRECIATED BY THE COUNTY. THANK YOU. MR. JAMES BACA, JUDGE. COMMISSIONERS, GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR HAVING US. I AM JAMES BACA. I'M THE VICE PRESIDENT OF OPERATIONS FOR BMV, THE ALL INCLUSIVE SENIOR HEALTH SERVICES. WE SERVE 850 OF EL PASO'S MOST FRAIL SENIORS. SO WE OVER THE YEARS HAVE WORKED WITH GRACIE AND APS IN SUPPORT. SHE AND HER AGENCY OF SUPPORT OF OUR MISSION. AND UNFORTUNATELY, AND I'M SAD TO SAY THAT OFTEN WE HAVE TO UTILIZE APPS AND SERVICES BECAUSE THE FOLKS THAT COME INTO THE PROGRAMS THAT WE ARE PRIVILEGED TO TAKE CARE OF ARE IN SITUATIONS WHERE THEY ARE INCURRING ABUSE OF SOME SORT, FINANCIALLY OR PHYSICALLY OR SELF-NEGLECT. SO WE WORK WITH GRACIE'S TEAM AND THEY READILY HELP US AND WE HELP THOSE FOLKS. SO I WANT TO THANK HER, HER TEAM, HER UNWAVERING COMMITMENT TO THE MISSION SERVING EL PASO SENIOR, ELDERLY, MOST FRAIL, THOSE MOST IN NEED, AND TO THE JUDGE AND COMMISSIONERS AND SUPPORTING US AND SUPPORTING APS AND MY ESTEEMED COLLEAGUES HERE IN SUPPORT THAT MISSION AS WELL. SO THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH, JAMES. THANK YOU. AND ROSEMARY CASTILLO, JUST AN INCREDIBLE INDIVIDUAL. AND THE DAUGHTERS HERE AS WELL, BUT I HAPPEN.

THAT'S SOME BACKGROUND MUSIC FOR. I WAS VERY PRIVILEGED THAT I WAS THE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD FOR BIENVENIDA. AND I GOT TO SEE THE INCREDIBLE PASSION AND TREATING THEM AT. YOU COULDN'T IF YOU DIDN'T HAD ALL THE MONEY IN THE WORLD AND YOU WANTED TO PUT SOMEONE, HAVE SOMEONE BE SERVICED, YOU COULDN'T COMPETE WITH WHAT THEY DO. IT'S JUST AN AMAZING ORGANIZATION. BUT I GOT TO SORT OF SENSE THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT APPRECIATION FOR THEM. SO THANK YOU, JAMES. AND PLEASE, THANK RULES FOR US FOR HER CONTINUED WORK WILL DO. THANK YOU FOR YOUR KIND WORDS, JUDGE.

I'LL MAKE SURE TO PASS THAT TO REGARDS, MISS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE OR JUST INTRODUCE YOURSELVES PLEASE. AS YOU. GOOD MORNING. GOOD MORNING COMMISSIONERS. MY NAME IS ALMA TREJO AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE RESOLUTION. I'VE WITNESSED FIRSTHAND THE WORK THAT APS DOES, AND I ECHO EVERYBODY'S SENTIMENT. I WISH THIS WORK WASN'T NECESSARY, BUT IT IS.

WE'RE PROUD PARTNERS, THE COUNTY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE. WE'RE PROUD PARTNERS IN THESE CASES.

UNFORTUNATELY, SOME OF THESE CASES DO HAVE TO GO TO COURT, AND WE'RE THE ONES WHO TAKE CARE OF THOSE CASES. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU DO. AND IT'S AN HONOR TO BE A PARTNER WITH THEM. AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR ADVOCACY. IT'S VERY, VERY IMPORTANT. YEAH. HI.

GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS JESSICA RUBIO. I'M AN INVESTIGATOR SPECIALIST WITH APS. THANK YOU.

[01:35:02]

I'M WITH THE COUNTY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE AND I WORK WITH THE ELDER PROTECTION UNIT, AS WELL AS PART OF THE SILVER STAR BOARD WITH APS. AND WE PARTNERED TOGETHER TO SUPPORT THEM IN ANY RESOURCES OR ANYTHING THEY NEED. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. JUDGE DUCEY'S BEEN HERE FOR JUST LIKE I HAVE.

WE WERE FIRST AT THE COUNTY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE A LONG, LONG TIME BEFORE THIS COURTHOUSE EXISTED. AT THAT TIME, THEY WERE ACCEPTING EIGHTH GRADERS TO BE WORKING IN. GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS MICHELLE SALINAS, AND I'M WITH THE ALL INCLUSIVE SENIOR HEALTH. I AM THE DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATION AND GROWTH. I HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL THOSE BEAUTIFUL SENIORS ARE COMING IN AND WE'RE SERVING THEM. I'M VERY HONORED TO BE HERE. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HONORING APS, GREAT PARTNERS, GREAT REFERRALS, LOVE WHAT THEY DO AND TRUST THAT THEY'LL ALWAYS DO THE BEST FOR OUR SENIORS. THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE IT. GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS RAQUEL MURPHY. I AM THE ADMIN FOR APS. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. GOOD MORNING. I'M JOSEPH ROSALE.

I'M ALSO AN ADMIN FOR APS. THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE? EVERYBODY WE GOT WE GOT EVERYBODY THAT JUST ONE ONE COMMENT. YOU KNOW YOU'RE NOT GOING TO BE AN EXCEPTIONAL SOCIETY IF YOU DON'T TAKE CARE OF THE ELDERLY WHO HAVE CONTRIBUTED, HAVE DONE A LOT, HAVE LIVED IN OUR COMMUNITY. AND IT'S NOT GOING TO, YOU KNOW, WE CANNOT CALL OURSELVES, YOU KNOW, WE ALWAYS SAY EL PASO TO KNOW US, TO LOVE US. BUT I THINK WE ALSO HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE ELDERLY ARE BEING ABLE TO GET THE SERVICE AND THE TREATMENT AND THE DIGNITY THAT THEY DESERVE. I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANYTHING WORSE THAN NOT GETTING OLDER AND NOT HAVING BEEN ABLE TO BE DIGNIFIED, BUT BY THE PEOPLE AROUND YOU. SO AND SINCE I'VE ALREADY REACHED THAT AGE, COULD YOU TELL THE BLOGGERS TO BE NICE TO ME? SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH, COMMISSIONER OLGUIN. THANK YOU JUDGE. THANK YOU ALL AGAIN FOR THE INCREDIBLE WORK THAT EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU DO IN OUR COMMUNITY EVERY SINGLE DAY.

AS HAS BEEN MENTIONED SEVERAL TIMES, WE ALL WISH THAT THIS WORK WAS NOT NECESSARY, AND WE HOPE THAT ONE DAY IT WON'T BE NECESSARY. BUT UNTIL THEN, WE ARE INCREDIBLY THANKFUL THAT WE HAVE YOU ALL ON THE FRONT LINES, FIGHTING EACH AND EVERY DAY FOR THE SENIORS AND THE DISABLED IN OUR COMMUNITY. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK. THANK YOU COMMISSIONER. ALL RIGHT.

ARE YOU? THANK YOU. ARE YOU GOOD MORNING. I THINK I.

THANK YOU FOR. HAVING.

[01:40:44]

[G. Approve and adopt a resolution recognizing June 14, 2025, as "Flag Day" in El Paso County, Texas. Sergio Coronado, Commissioner, Precinct 4, 915-273-3596]

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT THE COMMISSIONERS COURT OF EL PASO COUNTY, TEXAS, DOES HEREBY RECOGNIZE AND PROCLAIM JUNE 14TH, 2025, AS FLAG DAY IN EL PASO COUNTY AND ENCOURAGES ALL RESIDENTS TO PROUDLY DISPLAY THE AMERICAN FLAG. VISIT OLD GLORY MEMORIAL, PARTICIPATE IN EDUCATIONAL AND PATRIOTIC ACTIVITIES, AND REFLECT ON THE ENDURING PRINCIPLES FOR WHICH IT STANDS TO BE SIGNED. THIS NINTH DAY OF JUNE 2025 BY THE HONORABLE COMMISSIONERS, THE HONORABLE COUNTY JUDGE. WE HAVE A MOTION FROM COMMISSIONER CORONADO AND A SECOND FROM JUDGE

[01:45:02]

WELL, THANK YOU, SIR. THANK YOU FOR THIS INVITATION. THIS IS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL FLAG IN THE WORLD. AND IT HITS. I'M WITH EL PASO FLAGS ACROSS AMERICA BECAUSE I LOVE THIS COUNTRY. I LOVE WHAT THAT FLAG STANDS FOR. AND I WILL STAND FOR THAT FLAG. WE INVITE YOU ALL OUT. MANY PEOPLE DON'T KNOW THAT THE FOLDS IN A FLAG HAVE MEANING. THERE ARE 12 FOLDS IN EACH ONE HAS A MEANING. YOU COME TO OUR CEREMONY AND I'LL TELL YOU WHAT THAT MEANING IS. I CAN'T TELL YOU HERE. I JUST I DON'T WANT TO TAKE ALL YOUR TIME. BUT YOU COME, YOU COME. LISTEN TO HOW IMPORTANT THE FOLDS IN THAT FLAG ARE. AND FOR EVERY FOLD. SEE A VET. SEE SOMEONE WHO HAS SACRIFICED. COME SEE OUR OUR HALLOWED GROUND. WALK THAT GROUND. EL PASO NEEDS TO SEE THIS. IT'S AMAZING HOW MANY PEOPLE IN EL PASO DO NOT KNOW WE EXIST. WE'VE BEEN THERE 22 YEARS AND MANY PEOPLE HAVE NEVER BEEN THERE. THEY SEE THIS BIG FLAGPOLE AND BEAUTIFUL FLAG AND SAY, OH, THAT'S NICE AND DRIVE BY. WE'VE GOT TO FIND A WAY TO MAKE THEM STOP. AND I'M GOING TO BE ASKING YOU FOR SIGNAGE. WE NEED SIGNAGE TO POINT. THAT'S OLD GLORY MEMORIAL FLAG SITE. GO HONOR THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO HAVE MADE THIS COUNTRY WHAT IT IS. GOD BLESS YOU. THANK YOU. GOD BLESS YOU AS WELL. THANK YOU. WAKEFIELD. I'M ALSO THE CHAPLAIN FOR FLAGS ACROSS AMERICA.

ANOTHER HAT THAT I WEAR. I'M HONORED TO SAY THAT NOT ONLY DO WE TEACH ADULTS ABOUT THE AMERICAN FLAG, BUT THE ELKS ALSO TEACH CHILDREN HOW TO FOLD THE FLAG PROPERLY. AND THE MEANING OF THE FLAG. WHEN THE FLAGS ARE RETIRED, WE CUT THE STARS OUT AND GIVE YOU A LITTLE PACKET THAT TELLS YOU THE HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES. OLD GLORY FLAG. AS A VETERAN THAT HAS SERVED, I AM PROUD TO STAND EACH AND EVERY DAY FOR WHATEVER ORGANIZATION THAT I BELONG TO AND SALUTE IN HONOR OF THOSE OF US THAT HAVE SERVED AND THOSE OF US THAT GAVE ALL. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. DEBUT. GLORIA NICHOLSON, VICE PRESIDENT, 2019. IT'S A BEAUTIFUL SIGHT. COME OUT AND CHECK US OUT. WE HAVE FOOD TRUCKS ON WEDNESDAYS BETWEEN 6 AND 9 AND WE REALLY APPRECIATE ALL OF YOUR SUPPORT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ANTOINETTE. GOOD MORNING, JUDGE AND COMMISSIONERS. AGAIN, NOT ONLY IS FLAGS ACROSS AMERICA THIS BEAUTIFUL SIGHT, BUT IT HOUSES THE THESE INCREDIBLE MEMORIALS TO VETERANS OF DIFFERENT ERAS. THERE'S A WOMEN'S VETERANS MEMORIAL. THERE'S A VIETNAM VETERAN MEMORIAL. I THINK WE'RE WORKING ON A GULF. GULF WAR, 2ND OF AUGUST, PERSIAN GULF WAR, PERSIAN GULF WAR MEMORIAL. SO IT HAS A GREAT SIGNIFICANCE IN THE VETERAN COMMUNITY. AND THAT BEING SAID, ABOUT 6 TO 8 MONTHS AGO, CLIFF AND DONNA CALLED ME AND ASKED FOR A BANNER BECAUSE THEY WANT TO PROUDLY REPRESENT THE VETERANS CAPITAL AT THAT

[01:50:05]

GREAT JOB. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. AND THAT.

[01:55:35]

[6. PUBLIC COMMENT]

WE GOT A LOT OF AVAILABLE SPACE IN THE IN THE ALREADY ESTABLISHED PART OF EL PASO THAT THAT I THINK WE SHOULD BE PUSHING SOME OF THIS WAREHOUSING GROWTH. THERE'S NO THERE'S NO THERE'S NO CONTROL ON IT. AND WE'RE JUST THROWING THESE WAREHOUSES NOW. WE'RE HAVING TO SET UP FIRE DEPARTMENT BECAUSE LIKE I SAY, I DO, I DO SOME OF THE DECAL WORK FOR THE ISD'S.

ALSO THE FIRE TRUCKS. WHEN, WHEN, WHEN THERE'S NO THERE'S NO UNIFORM PLANNING, THERE'S NO UNIFORM, ANYTHING. YOU GUYS THREW A BUNCH OF THE COUNTY, THREW A BUNCH OF MEDIANS IN. SO CORAL FIRE DEPARTMENT NEVER EVEN ATTEMPTED TO TRY TO MAKE A U-TURN WITH THEIR WITH THEIR FIRE TRUCKS. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS NEVER NOTIFIED IF THEY COULD MAKE. NOW I GOT TRUCKS TURNING IN MY BUSINESS TO MAKE A U-TURN. THAT THOSE THOSE CURBS WAS WERE WAS ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF A MESS.

ANIMAL CONTROL. IT'S NICE THAT WE'RE A NO KILL SHELTER, BUT GUESS WHAT? YOU'RE FORCING US TO KILL THESE DOGS. I'M A FARMER, I HAVE SHEEP. SO WHEN YOU GET STRAYS THAT JUMP IN AND PEOPLE DUMP THEM OUT THERE, SAY, HEY, IT'S A NICE NEIGHBORHOOD. SO PEOPLE TAKE THESE ANIMALS AND DUMP THEM. AND GUESS WHAT? THEY'RE CITY DOGS. THEY'RE GOING TO CHASE OUR SHEEP. THEY'RE GOING TO CHASE OUR ANIMALS. AND GUESS WHAT? JAMES HAS TO SHOOT THEM. AND GUESS WHAT? JAMES GETS THEM. AND EITHER I THROW THEM AWAY OR I HAUL THEM UP INTO THE DESERT. AND THAT THAT IS BAD BECAUSE WE'RE DOING YOUR GUYS'S JOB. I KNOW THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT IS TRYING TO MAKE ANOTHER FACILITY THERE TO HOLD MORE ANIMALS, BUT IT'S IT SHOULDN'T BE THE JOB OF THE CITIZENS TO BE CONTROLLING THESE ANIMALS. AND I MAKE A POINT OF CALLING THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE ALL THE TIME SAYING, I WANT TO REPORT ON THESE DOGS THAT ARE GETTING SHOT, BECAUSE THIS NEIGHBOR SHOOTS HIM, THIS NEIGHBOR FEEDS HIM. SO IT JUST IT JUST PERPETUATES THE PROBLEM.

BUT IT'S NOT JUST THAT TOO. IT'S WE GET A HAILSTORM AND SUDDENLY WE GET ILLEGAL DUMPING THAT GOES CRAZY. WE'RE RAMPANT ILLEGAL DUMPING. AND TRY CALLING THAT SHERIFF'S NUMBER. SAY, HEY, I RIDE DIRT BIKES. SO I'M ALL OVER THE DESERT AND I CATCH A GUY DUMPING. I TRY TO TAKE PICTURES OF THEIR LICENSE PLATES, TRY CALLING THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE AND GETTING SOMEBODY TO COME OUT THERE. THEY'LL SAY, IS THAT YOUR PROPERTY? THAT'S THE FIRST QUESTION THEY ASK YOU. IS THAT YOUR PROPERTY? I SAY, NO, WE CAN'T DO NOTHING ABOUT IT. I FOUND A MAILBOX IN THE DESERT THAT WAS STOLEN FROM THE CLINT AREA. IT TOOK IT TOOK IT TOOK TWO HOURS. AND THAT WAS INITIAL

[02:00:01]

COMMISSIONER BUTLER. GOOD MORNING. THANK YOU. I JUST WANTED TO TAKE A COUPLE OF MINUTES TO RECOGNIZE SOME OF OUR COUNTY STAFF. WE HAD A BUSY WEEKEND IN PRECINCT ONE. AND SO I'M EXCITED TO SHARE WITH THE COURT A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT WE WERE DOING ON FRIDAY EVENING. WE HAD OUR MOVIES AT THE PARK, AT ESTRELLA PARK. WE HAD AN AMAZING TURNOUT, AND IT WAS IN COLLABORATION WITH THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE. THEY DID A GREAT JOB. THEY BROUGHT A LOT OF ACTIVITIES AND FOOD TO THE COMMUNITY THERE, BUT I WANT TO RECOGNIZE PARKS AND RECREATION. THEY REALLY WENT ABOVE AND BEYOND BRINGING IN THE WATER SLIDE AND PORTA POTTIES. SO WE HAD BATHROOMS AVAILABLE FOR, FOR OUR CONSTITUENTS AND, AND THE MOVIE. AND SO THEY WERE WONDERFUL. EVERYBODY HAD A REALLY GREAT TIME. WE ALSO GOT A SPONSORSHIP FROM ONE OAK. I THINK IT'S THE FIRST TIME THAT THEY'VE, YOU KNOW, PARTICIPATED WITH THE COUNTY ON ANYTHING. AND WE WERE ABLE TO PROVIDE SNOW CONES AND POPCORN TO THE ATTENDEES THERE THANKS TO THEIR SPONSORSHIP. SO I JUST WANTED TO, TO, TO BETSY TO, TO LET YOU KNOW HOW APPRECIATIVE WE ARE OF THEIR, THEIR WORK, THEIR HARD WORK. AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR TEAM AS WELL. AND THEN ON SATURDAY WE HAD A. AN ART EXHIBIT AT THE EASTSIDE ANNEX. SO WE HAVE A COMMUNITY ROOM THERE THAT I'M SURE YOU'RE ALL FAMILIAR WITH THAT WAS WAS FULL OF EMPTY WALLS, AND WE WERE ABLE TO PARTNER WITH A LOCAL SCHOOL, THE PASO DEL NORTE FINE ARTS ACADEMY, AND THEY BROUGHT IN ART FROM RANGING FROM PRE-K TO FIFTH GRADE STUDENTS. AND MY TEAM WAS ABLE TO PUT THOSE UP ON THE WALLS AS AN ART GALLERY. AND WE HAVE SOME PICTURES. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE RECEIVED THEM YET, BUT OUR ALEXIS, BUT I WANTED TO SHOW

[02:05:04]

THANK YOU SO MUCH. YOU KNOW, JIMENA IS A GRADUATE OF NEW MEXICO STATE UNIVERSITY. SHE'S GOT A DEGREE IN PSYCHOLOGY. SHE WANTS TO GO TO UTEP AND GET A DEGREE IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION.

SO. WELL, WELCOME ABOARD. WELCOME. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. AND ONE OTHER THING I JUST WANT TO SAY WE HAD A COUPLE OF EVENTS OUT IN THE PRECINCT FOR LAST SATURDAY, NOT THIS PAST SATURDAY, BUT THIS WEEK AGO, THIS PAST SATURDAY, WE HAD A GREAT TURNOUT FOR THE RIBBON CUTTING OF THE SKATE PARK AT GALLEGOS PARK, AND THEN THE WEEK BEFORE THAT, THE RIBBON CUTTING FOR THE PLAYGROUND IN THE BASKETBALL COURT AT WESTWAY. WE HAD A GREAT TURNOUT AT WESTWAY.

WE HAD PROBABLY ABOUT 80 TO 100 PEOPLE SHOW UP ON SATURDAY MORNING. LIKEWISE AT GALLEGOS PARK. AND LAURA AND I AND STEPHEN AND MARTY, WE COOKED HOT DOGS FOR THE PEOPLE THERE. AND SO IT WAS A GREAT OUTING, AND WE THANK THE COMMUNITY FOR SHOWING UP. I THINK IT'S A GREAT TIME TO HAVE THOSE WHEN THE COMMUNITY REALLY CAN SHOW UP. AND IT SHOWED THE TURNOUT THAT WE HAD FOR THOSE FOR THOSE TWO RIBBON CUTTINGS OUT THERE, THEY REALLY APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU COMMISSIONER. THANK YOU. COMMISSIONER. DO WE HAVE ANYBODY ELSE IN THE AUDIENCE THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK IN PUBLIC COMMENT THAT HAS NOT SIGNED UP? THANK YOU. THIS CONCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENT. ITEM NUMBER SEVEN A BOARD APPOINTMENTS APPROVE THE APPOINTMENTS OF NATALIE LITTLEFIELD, CODY SCHAFFER AND SHERRI WELSH TO THE EL PASO COUNTY, WEST TEXAS, SPACEPORT

[A. Approve the appointments of Natalie Littlefield, Cody Shafer, and Shery Welsh to the El Paso County West Texas Spaceport Development Corporation Board for the unexpired two-year term, ending June 1, 2026. Betsy C. Keller, Chief Administrator, County Administration, 915-273-3600]

[02:10:01]

BUT BETSY OR JOSE? OH, THERE HE IS. WELCOME, CODY. THREE GREAT INCREDIBLE MEMBERS. THANK YOU.

CODY, YOU WANT TO COMMENT ON YOUR. YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. I JUST WANT TO SAY IT'S ABSOLUTELY A PLEASURE TO BE ABLE TO BE A PART OF THIS BOARD. AND I JUST WANT TO THANK THE COMMISSIONERS FOR THIS. I THINK THIS IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR AREA. APOLOGIZE AGAIN. I'M HERE IN VAN HORN, TEXAS. SO REPRESENTING OUR COMMUNITY DOWN IN FAR WEST TEXAS. BUT AGAIN, VERY EXCITED TO GET ROLLING WITH THIS AND APPRECIATE YOUR TIME TODAY. THANK YOU. WE APPRECIATE YOU FOR THAT. THANK YOU. BETSY. WE'RE JUST THE COURT ASKED US TO REACH OUT AND IDENTIFY NEW APPOINTEES AND THINK WITH SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON. WE COULD NOT HAVE BETTER CANDIDATES FOR THE COURT'S CONSIDERATION. THANK YOU TO JOSE FOR THE REACHING OUT AND MICHELLE FOR THE PROCESSING. AND WE HOPE YOU WILL GIVE US A FAVORABLE MOTION AND VOTE FOR THESE CANDIDATES.

YEAH. GREAT CANDIDATES. I MEAN, NOT CANDIDATES. WELL, UNTIL WE VOTE, BUT THEY'RE AMAZING. YOU KNOW, DOCTOR WELSH NATALIE JUST HAD A LOT OF INTERACTION WITH HER AT THE BORDERPLEX. SO CONGRATULATIONS ON ON YOUR BOARD. THANK YOU. WE HAVE A MOTION FROM JUDGE SAMANIEGO, A SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER BUTLER. VOTING IS OPEN. MOTION CARRIES. ITEM NUMBER EIGHT A FROM COUNTY ADMINISTRATION. POSTPONED JUNE 2ND, 2025. AND WE DO HAVE A CORRECTION TO READ INTO THE ITEM

[A. (Postponed 06/02/25) Receive a presentation, and discuss and take appropriate action regarding the sale, use and possession of fireworks for the July 4th, 2025 period. Melissa Carrillo, Deputy County Administrator, County Operations, 915-273-3582]

I'M SO SORRY I DIDN'T DISCLOSE THIS, BUT BEFORE NUMBER TWO FOR THE COMMISSIONERS COURT TO BAN STICKS AND FINS, THE KBDI MUST BE ABOVE THE 575 THRESHOLD. AND IT IS AS OF TODAY. WE'RE AT 710, I BELIEVE. AND THEN FOR THE THIRD ONE, ALSO MEET THE 575 KBDI EXCEED RESTRICTIONS AUTHORIZED BY THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE. IT COULD BE ISSUED AT ANY TIME, AND IT LASTS SEVEN DAYS UNLESS THE COURT EXTENDS IT. BUT IF THE DECLARATION EXCEEDS THE RESTRICTIONS AUTHORIZED ON THE CODE, THEN THEN IT HAS TO. IT CAN ONLY LAST 60 HOURS UNLESS THE GOVERNOR GRANTS AN EXTENSION. AND THEN IF WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, I THINK I HAVE THE UPDATED NUMBERS FOR CONTEXT. SO THE KBDI, AS I SAID, AND I'M SORRY, I UPLOADED THIS

[02:15:03]

BUT THIS MORNING WE ARE AT 710. AND THEN SOME OF THE KPI AVERAGES FOR THE SURROUNDING AREAS ON THIS SLIDE. AS YOU CAN SEE, PRESIDIO AT 750. CULBERSON IS A 696, JEFF DAVIS AT 665, BREWSTER AT 694 AND HUDSPETH AT 692. CAN WE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE? THEN WE ALWAYS ALSO LOOK AT THE FORECAST FIRE DANGER, EVEN THOUGH FOR THE ORDER OF BANNING ANY KIND OF FIREWORK, WE ONLY LOOK AT THE KBDI BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE SAYS THAT WE HAVE TO ABIDE BY. BUT ALSO FOR CONTEXT, WE HAVE THE FIRE DANGER. RIGHT NOW, THE COUNTY IS IN WHAT THEY MENTIONED ON THE MAP AS A HIGH RATING FOR THE YEAR. ACCORDING TO NATIONAL FIRE DANGER RATING SYSTEM, THE NFHS. AND THEN WE ALSO LOOK AT THE NEXT SLIDE PLEASE, THAT HAS THE DROUGHT INDEX, THE U.S. DROUGHT MONITOR. RIGHT NOW, PART OF OUR COUNTY IS IN AN EXTREME DROUGHT.

AND THE OTHER OR THE MAJORITY OF THE COUNTIES IN EXCEPTIONAL DROUGHT, WHICH IS THE HIGHEST, UNLESS WE GET ANY RAIN, I THINK, I MEAN, THIS CANNOT GET ANY HIGHER. SO IT IS PRETTY HIGH RIGHT NOW. SO THIS IS JUST SOMETHING ELSE TO CONSIDER WHEN TAKING ACTION. COULD WE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE UNLESS THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS. THE RECOMMENDATION LIKE I MENTIONED SINCE WE ARE THE KBDI IS ABOVE THE 575 THRESHOLD, YOU COULD APPROVE AND ADOPT THE ORDER THAT IS POSTED ON THE BACKUP. BANNING ROCKETS WITH STICKS AND MISSILES WITH FINS, AND BY TAKING ACTION, WE WOULD BE IN COMPLIANCE WITH WHAT THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODES ALLOWS YOU ALL TO DO. THAT'S ALL I HAVE. UNLESS THERE'S QUESTIONS OR IF LEGAL HAS ANY OTHER. AND ALISA, JUST TO CONFIRM, THIS IS THE RECOMMENDATION THAT STAFF HAS MADE FOR THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS THAT THE COURT HAS FOLLOWED, CORRECT. WITH THE BANNING OF THE ROCKETS AND THE STICKS AND FINS. WOULD YOU LIKE TO A FEW COMMENTS, JUST COMMENTS. WE'VE BEEN WORKING CLOSELY WITH ALISA AND MY OFFICE AND THE VENDORS. WE'VE WORKED VERY CLOSELY WITH THEM. AT A VERY START, THEY'RE WILLING TO GIVE UP THE STICKS AND FINS AND COOPERATE WITH THAT. BUT WE ALSO TRY TO HELP THEM BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO MAKE, YOU KNOW, ORDER, THEY HAVE TO BUY, PURCHASE ALL THE FIREWORKS AND JUST WANT TO THANK THEM FOR, YOU KNOW, HOW THEY THE CLEANUP, THE SUPPORT THAT THEY GIVE US. AND NOW THERE'S MORE COMMUNITY EFFORT. AS YOU REMEMBER, THE 911 IS WILLING. I CONNECTED THEM TO THEM AND THEY'RE WILLING TO HELP OUT WITH THE CLEANUP AS WELL. SO WE'RE JUST VERY FORTUNATE. AND JUST TO THE PUBLIC, I WANT THEM TO UNDERSTAND THAT A LOT OF THE SALES IS TO REALLY HELP COMMUNITIES AND HELP SCHOOLS. AND THEY HAVE VOLUNTEERS AND THEN THEY HAVE PAID VOLUNTEERS ALSO. AND SO IT'S A IT'S A VERY GOOD BUSINESS, A GREAT RELATIONSHIP THAT WE HAVE WITH THEM. AND AT THE SAME TIME, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR COMMUNITY IS SAFE. SO GO AHEAD.

THANK YOU. JUDGE I'M GOING COMMISSIONERS I'M FERNANDO VIRAMONTES WITH TNT FIREWORKS I'VE BEEN A FIREWORKS VENDOR OUT HERE IN EL PASO COUNTY FOR PROBABLY 50 PLUS YEARS. I STARTED AT WHEN I WAS A KID, AT TEN YEARS OLD SELLING FIREWORKS. SO I'VE BEEN, YOU KNOW, THEY DIDN'T HAVE LAWS THAT SAID YOU COULDN'T DO THAT AT TEN YEARS OLD. BUT ANYWAY, I WANT TO THANK YOU GUYS FOR GIVING US THE PRIVILEGE OF SELLING FIREWORKS. I TELL MY CUSTOMERS I HAVE OVER 30 MANAGERS IN THE EL PASO, NEW MEXICO AREA AND I TELL THEM EVERY YEAR IT IS A PRIVILEGE TO BE ABLE TO SELL FIREWORKS. DON'T YOU THINK AT ANY POINT THAT IT IS YOUR RIGHT? IT IS A PRIVILEGE. AND THAT'S MY FIRST PART OF THEIR MESSAGE WITH MR. NEVAREZ AND MYSELF. WE'RE REALLY GOOD TEAM PLAYERS TOGETHER, AND MR. WILDMAN AND MR. W COMPANY, WE DO TALK TO EACH OTHER. WE GOT SOME PSA COMING UP ON ON SAFETY ESPECIALLY BECAUSE YOU KNOW WE DO HAVE THOSE DROUGHT CONDITIONS. AND YOU KNOW IT'S BEST TO. CELEBRATE IN ON PROPERTIES THAT ARE CLEAR AND BARREN, YOU KNOW, FREE OF THE OF THE BRUSH AND STUFF LIKE THAT. WE ALSO WITH THE ESD'S LAST MEETING WE HAD WITH THE MR. SOMEBODY IS SORRY, IS WE AS AN INDUSTRY REALLY NEED TO SUPPORT AND POLICE OURSELVES. SO THE STICKS AND FINS. I WOULD LIKE TO COMMISSIONERS COURT IF SOMEBODY COULD DRAFT SOMETHING AFTER TODAY'S MEETING AND WHATEVER RESOLUTION YOU PASS THAT I COULD

[02:20:03]

[02:25:04]

HIS GOAL THIS YEAR IS ZERO FATALITIES. THAT'S THE BAR THAT WE HAVE THAT SOMEBODY WON'T DIE.

AND SO I KNOW THAT ADDING FIREWORKS TO AN ALREADY VOLATILE AND REALLY HARD TO. OVERSEE AREA LIKE RED SANDS MAKES EVERYBODY LESS SAFE. WE KNOW THAT WHEN FIREWORKS ARE FLOWN IN UNINCORPORATED AREAS, WHENEVER THEY'RE FLOWN, HELICOPTERS AREN'T ABLE TO RESPOND TO INJURIES. SO IF WE NEEDED TO AIR FLIGHT SOMEBODY OUT OF MONTANA VISTA LIKE WE DID LAST WEEK, WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO DO THAT BECAUSE FIREWORKS ARE BEING FLOWN. ASIDE FROM THAT, WE DO.

ALTHOUGH ALTHOUGH TRASH PICKUP HAS IMPROVED, I MEAN, PEOPLE GO INTO COUNTY ROADS AND PRIVATE PROPERTY, POP FIREWORKS, AND THAT TRASH REMAINS AND WE SEE IT. I STILL PICK UP FIREWORK LITTER A YEAR LATER FROM LAST YEAR AND YEARS PRIOR. THE IMPACT TO OUR ANIMALS IN MONTANA VISTA, THE, THE, OUR DOGS SUFFER A LOT. I MEAN, THE CONSTANT COMPLAINT THAT WE'VE GOTTEN IN OUR OFFICE AND, AND THE WHAT WE HEAR FROM OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, OUR, OUR DOGS RUNNING AWAY WITH THE FIREWORKS.

AND WE KNOW WE HEAR IT FROM OUR ANIMAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT AS WELL. AND THEN ONE THING THAT THAT I'VE WITNESSED PERSONALLY IS, IS OUR VETERANS ALSO SUFFER WITH FIREWORKS IN OUR COMMUNITY.

SO IT TRIGGERS PTSD. AND I'VE I'VE PERSONALLY GONE THROUGH THAT. AND I KNOW THAT A LOT OF OUR NEIGHBORS HAVE TOO. I'VE SPOKEN TO A LOT OF PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, WITHIN THE HOA AND PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN MONTANA VISTA. EVERYBODY THAT I'VE SPOKEN TO IS SUPPORTIVE OF FIREWORKS BANS, INCLUDING OUR MONTANA VISTA FIRE RESCUE VOLUNTEERS AND OUR SHERIFF'S OFFICE DEPUTIES, BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT PEOPLE ARE STILL GOING TO GO OUT INTO THESE AREAS TO CELEBRATE WHETHER WE HAVE FIREWORKS OR NOT. FIREWORKS AT AN ELEMENT, I THINK OF DANGER AND RISK AND MAKE OUR COMMUNITY LESS SAFE, STRETCH OUR EMERGENCY SERVICES. AND SO I WOULD ASK YOU, JUDGE, TO CONSIDER, WELL, I UNDERSTAND THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF FIREWORKS TO PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY. I THINK THAT WE SHOULD TAKE THE RISK TO SAFETY SERIOUSLY. AND SO I WOULD ASK YOU TO CONSIDER BANNING ALL FIREWORKS UNDER YOUR PURVIEW. ONE OF THE CONSIDERATIONS WE HAD IS THAT WHEN WE BAN NEW MEXICO DOESN'T BAN THEM. AND SO WE HAVE THAT ISSUE OF THEM COMING FROM ANOTHER PLACE THEY'RE GOING TO USE NO MATTER WHAT WE DO. AND ALL WE DO IS LOSE A LOT OF REVENUE BECAUSE THEN IT MAKES NEW MEXICO VERY ATTRACTIVE. SO NOW YOU'VE GOT PEOPLE BUYING THEM IN NEW MEXICO, COMING INTO EL PASO. AND, AND I KNOW BACK IN, IN THE HISTORY OF THIS IS THAT WE'VE TRIED BANNING BUT YOU NEVER SEE LESS FIREWORKS. ALL YOU SEE IS THAT THEY COME FROM, FROM NEW MEXICO. AND SO THAT WAS ONE OF THE BIG CONSIDERATIONS THAT, THAT WE HAD. JUDGE. YES, COMMISSIONER. THANK YOU. JUDGE.

MR. MONTES, TELL US ABOUT YOUR EFFORTS IN TERMS OF THE CLEANUP AND WHERE YOU HAVE PROPOSED FOR THIS YEAR. EVERY VENDOR HAS A CLEANUP DEPOSIT FOR THEIR PARTICULAR AREA. THEN TNT AND MRS. WILDMAN FROM MR. DEBBIE'S COMPANY, WE PUT UP THE MONEY FOR THE ROLL OFF CONTAINERS. RED SANDS. WE'VE DONE THAT BEFORE. THE MY GROUPS THEY THEY GET AN EXTRA $500 CHECK DEPENDING ON WHERE THEY GO TO PICK UP MORE TRASH BECAUSE I DON'T LIKE I AGREE WITH YOU. HEY, IF YOU'RE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND YOU SEE THAT TRASH OR ANYBODY ELSE YOU NEED TO TELL US, CONTACT US, WE'LL GET IT PICKED UP. WE HAD THE ZOOLOGICAL COMMUNITY A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO. THAT GROUP WENT TO RED SANDS BECAUSE THEY ALSO HAD A FOUR WHEEL DRIVE TYPE GROUP AND WE PAID THEM. I THINK IT WAS LIKE 750 BUCKS FOR YOU GUYS. YOU KNOW, THEY CALLED ME. AND TNT IS VERY GENEROUS ABOUT DOING THAT, GETTING IT CLEANED UP. YES, I UNDERSTAND MONTANA VISTA. I'VE BEEN OUT THERE FOR A LONG TIME. AND YOU KNOW, IT'S A IT'S NOT. IN THE OLD DAYS IT WAS A WAR ZONE. I DON'T KNOW HOW

[02:30:05]

WELL, RIGHT NOW WE GOT SO MUCH GOING ON DURING DURING MY ORIENTATION. THAT WILL BE ONE OF THE BIG TOPICS COMING UP. SO I HAVE MY FIREWORKS TNT ORIENTATION ON THE 22ND ON A SUNDAY. AND ANYONE'S WELCOME TO COME TO IT. I WILL PUT OUT A MESSAGE TO THE COUNTY AND TO THE ESD IF THEY WOULD LIKE TO BE THERE. SO, YOU KNOW, THAT WOULD BE ANOTHER WAY TO COMMUNICATE AND TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE ISSUES WE NEED TO TAKE CARE. WE WILL BE TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, SPECIAL FOCUS ON ON RED SANDS AND WHAT WE COULD DO LEGALLY. AND BECAUSE I KNOW THAT'S THE PRIMARY ONE, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF WE COULD BLAME THE FIREWORKS ON ON THE DEATH MORE SO THAN THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE THAT ARE THERE. IT'S JUST IT'S A CELEBRATORY EVERY WEEKEND PLACE THAT PEOPLE GO. YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN OUT THERE TO A COUPLE OF TIMES WITH MY ATVS, BUT, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST YOU GET A LOT OF PEOPLE TOGETHER, YOU GET ALCOHOL INVOLVED, YOU GET WHATEVER THOSE THINGS. AND WE ALL KNOW IT. AND, YOU KNOW, FIREWORKS ATTRACTS MORE PEOPLE. OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, YOU LIKE TO SHOOT THEM OFF OUT THERE. SO MAYBE IF WE PUT OUT THESE MESSAGES EARLIER AND TRY AND GET PEOPLE, WE ACTUALLY ALSO HAND OUT TRASH BAGS AT OUR STANDS AND THEY'LL MAKE A PILE OF TRASH AND THEY WILL PICK IT UP, STUFF LIKE THAT. SO I THINK WE NEED TO DO A BETTER JOB AND BE MORE FOCUSED ON IT AND, AND GET THE WORD OUT TO THE COMMUNITY THAT, HEY, COME ON, WE DON'T WANT TO LOSE THE SALE AND USE OF FIREWORKS, SO LET'S HELP EACH OTHER OUT. I THINK THAT SHOULD BE A BIG MESSAGE AND I APPRECIATE THAT. I KNOW IT'S GOTTEN BETTER IN BOTH THE OUTLYING AREAS IN THE NORTHWEST AND THE FAR EAST SIDE. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE A COMMITMENT TO AN EXPANDED EFFORT FOR THE CLEANUP EFFORT AND THE SAFETY ISSUES. BUT OTHER THAN THAT, YOU KNOW, I THINK I'M IN SUPPORT OF THIS, AND I THINK IT'S THINGS CHANGE DIFFERENTLY THAN JUDGE. I THINK YOU HAVE THE DISCRETION TO BE ABLE TO ACT. AND SO THANK YOU. YES, SIR. THANK YOU.

AND I JUST WANTED TO I JUST WANTED TO ADD MY $0.02. I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, I, I. I TEND TO AGREE WITH, WITH COMMISSIONER BUTLER AND HER ASSESSMENT, I THINK I'VE HELD PRETTY STEADY TO THAT. OVER THE YEARS THAT WE'VE, THAT WE'VE, THAT WE'VE WORKED TOGETHER AND I, YOU KNOW, I THINK SAFETY IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IN OUR AND WHETHER IT'S PEOPLE OR ANIMALS OR, AND OF COURSE THE, THE LITTERING AND THE TRASH IS, IS AN ISSUE AS WELL FOR ME. THANK YOU. THERE'S A PROPOSED MOTION ON THE FLOOR TO APPROVE AND ADOPT AN EXECUTIVE ORDER.

ORDER BANNING THE SALE OF ROCKETS WITH STICKS AND MISSILES WITH FINS DURING THE JULY 4TH HOLIDAY SEASON. JUNE 24TH THROUGH JULY 25TH THROUGH JULY 4TH, 2025. PERIOD COMING OUT ON THE. THANK YOU. WE HAVE A MOTION FROM JUDGE SAMANIEGO AND A SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER OLGUIN.

[02:35:08]

WOULD YOU LIKE TO CONTINUE WITH ANOTHER ITEM OR WOULD YOU LIKE TO GO? WHAT DO YOU THINK? JUDGE? IT'S UP TO YOU. WE DO NEED TO TRY TO MOVE TIMELY THIS AFTERNOON TO BE ABLE TO BE FINISHED WITH EVERYTHING EXCEPT FOR YOUR INTERVIEWS BY 230. SO WOULD YOU LIKE TO TAKE ONE MORE ITEM BEFORE YOU BREAK AND TAKE A SHORT BREAK, OR DO YOU WANT TO? WHICH ITEM WOULD YOU RECOMMEND? WE COULD PROBABLY DO EITHER THE TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY ITEM OR THE LANGUAGE ITEM PRIOR TO THE BREAK. I THINK THE SECOND ONE WOULD BE BETTER. I THINK THE LANGUAGE. YES, YES, OKAY. AND I BELIEVE I HAVE IRENE ON THE ONLINE. SHE'S STILL HERE ACTUALLY.

SO THAT WOULD BE ITEM NUMBER NINE A FROM HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES APPROVE AND AUTHORIZE THE ADOPTION OF THE COUNTY WIDE LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENCY POLICY FOR EL PASO COUNTY.

[A. Approve and authorize the adoption of the Countywide Limited English Proficiency (LEP) Policy for El Paso County. (#7761-OP) Irene Gutierrez, Executive Director, Community Services, 915-273-3485]

SO WE'RE BRINGING YOU TODAY A POLICY THAT WE, OUR DEPARTMENT TOOK THE LEAD ON DRAFTING AFTER WE RECEIVED AN AUDIT COMPLIANCE REVIEW FROM FEMA FOR ONE OF OUR HUMANITARIAN GRANTS LAST YEAR.

SO, AS YOU KNOW, WE HAD SEVERAL GRANTS FOR OUR MIGRANT OPERATIONS FROM FEMA. AND THE FEDERAL GRANTS OFTEN DO SORT OF DESK REVIEWS OF THOSE GRANTS AS WE'RE GOING THROUGH THE EXPENSE MOTION THROUGH THEM. AND SO WE RECEIVED A MONITORING REVIEW FOR ONE OF OUR GRANTS, AND WE SAW WE GOT A FINDING FOR NOT HAVING A LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENCY PLAN IN PLACE FOR OUR GRANT. AND SO WE TOOK STOCK OF PERHAPS MAYBE HR HAD SOMETHING, MAYBE OTHER DEPARTMENTS HAD SOMETHING. AND SO THIS PLAN AND THIS POLICY WAS BORN OUT OF THAT DESK REVIEW. AND SO WE NEEDED TO IDENTIFY SORT OF A COUNTY WIDE POLICY. THERE WERE WE FOUND THAT A LOT OF DEPARTMENTS HAD PIECEMEAL POLICIES, PROJECTS, SPECIFIC POLICIES FOR THEIR INDIVIDUAL FEDERAL GRANTS. BUT WE DIDN'T HAVE SORT OF A COMPREHENSIVE, STANDARDIZED PLAN FOR THE COUNTY THAT WE COULD USE FOR ANY FEDERAL GRANT THAT WE RECEIVE. AND SO WE PROCEEDED THROUGH OUR OWN INTERNAL DEPARTMENT FUNDS TO PROCURE AND HIRE A CONSULTANT THAT SPECIALIZES IN DEVELOPING THESE PLANS FOR GOVERNMENTS SO THAT WE COULD PUT TOGETHER A COUNTY WIDE POLICY FOR THE COUNTY. LIKE I MENTIONED, SOME DEPARTMENTS ALREADY HAD INDIVIDUAL PROJECTS, SPECIFIC POLICIES IN PLACE, FOR EXAMPLE, PUBLIC WORKS IN THEIR TRANSIT HAD A POLICY IN PLACE, BUT IT REFERENCED COMMUTERS AND THEIR FIXED TRANSIT ROUTES. SO IT WAS VERY SPECIFIC TO THEIR PROGRAM. BUT THERE WASN'T WE DIDN'T FIND A OVERALL POLICY IN PLACE FOR THE COUNTY. ALSO, CREATING A POLICY LIKE THIS NOT ONLY HELPS US BEING COMPLIANT WITH THE FEDERAL GRANTS THAT THE COUNTY RECEIVES OVERALL, BUT IT ALSO COULD SERVE AS SUPPORT FOR YOUR INITIATIVES TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE ACCESS TO CONSTITUENTS

[02:40:02]

BUT WHAT THIS ORDER DIDN'T DO IT. IT DIDN'T REVOKE THE PREVIOUS ORDER WITH, AS IT PERTAINS TO TITLE SIX OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT. BUT IT DID ALSO DID NOT REVOKE ACCESS FOR LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENCY. AND SO THERE WAS A LITTLE BIT OF CONFUSION THERE. SHOULD WE STOP WITH THIS PROCESS OR SHOULD WE CONTINUE GOING WITH THIS POLICY AND PLAN IN PLACE, BUT WITHIN THE ORDER THAT THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ISSUED DECLARING ENGLISH AS A SECOND AS THE OFFICIAL LANGUAGE OF THE UNITED STATES, IT CLEARLY STATES THAT IT IS PRIMARILY FOR FEDERAL AGENCIES WITHIN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND DEPARTMENTS WITHIN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, AND IT LEAVES IT UP TO EVERYONE'S DISCRETION TO CONTINUE TO KEEP THEIR LANGUAGE AND MULTILINGUAL SERVICES IN PLACE. IT DOESN'T SAY THAT WE HAVE TO REMOVE ANY OF THOSE SERVICES. IT JUST SAYS ENGLISH IS AN OFFICIAL LANGUAGE. BUT IF YOU ALREADY HAVE THESE PROGRAMS AND SERVICES IN PLACE FOR A LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENCY INDIVIDUALS, IT'S UP TO YOUR DISCRETION WHETHER YOU WANT TO CONTINUE OR OR REVOKE THEM. BUT NONETHELESS, DESPITE THAT EXECUTIVE ORDER, THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT UNDER TITLE SIX HAS NOT BEEN REVOKED. AND THIS PARTICULAR LANGUAGE ACCESS IS STILL REQUIRED UNDER THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT. AND SO EVERYONE THAT RECEIVES FEDERAL GRANTS FROM THE COUNTY HAS TO COMPLY WITH TITLE SIX. SO REGARDLESS OF THE ENGLISH ONLY EXECUTIVE ORDER, THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT IS STILL IN PLACE. WE STILL HAVE TO COMPLY AND WE STILL SHOULD PROVIDE LIMITED LANGUAGE SERVICES FOR THOSE THAT DON'T SPEAK ENGLISH.

IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT. AGAIN, APPLYING THIS POLICY KEEPS US IN COMPLIANCE WITH TITLE SIX. BUT I WANTED TO CLARIFY BECAUSE I KNOW THERE'S QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT. EXECUTIVE ORDER, THE ENGLISH ONLY. AND SHOULD WE CONTINUE TO DO THIS? IT'S AT OUR DISCRETION IF WE WANT TO CONTINUE. AND REGARDLESS OF THAT, WE STILL HAVE TO COMPLY WITH TITLE SIX OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT. WE PROCEEDED WITH THE CONSULTANT, WHO THEN DID AN ASSESSMENT COUNTY WIDE. SO THEY SENT AN ASSESSMENT AND A SURVEY. MANY OF COUNTY DEPARTMENTS THE CITY RIGHT NOW RECEIVED A SURVEY AND COMPLETED IT. I'M NOT SURE IF YOUR OFFICES DID TOO, BUT WE SORT OF THE CONSULTANT TALLIED EVERYONE'S NEEDS AND GAPS IN LANGUAGE NEEDS WITHIN THEIR INDIVIDUAL DEPARTMENTS. WHAT WE FOUND, OF COURSE, IS THAT 30% OF RESIDENTS IN EL PASO ARE LEP INDIVIDUALS. OBVIOUSLY, SPANISH IS THE MOST COMMON LANGUAGE SPOKEN OUTSIDE OF ENGLISH, FOLLOWED BY KOREAN, GERMAN, CHINESE AND TAGALOG, WHICH IS A DIALECT OF THE PHILIPPINES. NEXT. NEXT TO THAT BULLET POINT IS THE GRAPHIC DETAILING THE POPULATION HERE IN EL PASO. BASED ON SOME OF THE CENSUS DATA AS WELL AND SOME OF THE LANGUAGES SPOKEN, WHAT WE SAW FROM THIS ASSESSMENT IN IN PARTICULAR INTERVIEWING SOME OF THE COUNTY DEPARTMENTS, WAS THAT WE SAW A SLIGHT INCREASE IN FRENCH CREOLE NEEDS WITHIN OUR COUNTY DEPARTMENTS, AND WE ATTRIBUTE THAT TO A SLIGHT INCREASE IN HAITIAN MIGRATION INTO OUR COMMUNITY. AND SO WE DO SEE THAT AS IN ADDITION TO KOREAN, GERMAN AND CHINESE, FRENCH CREOLE IS ALSO A SORT OF RISING NEED IN EL PASO RIGHT NOW. SO THAT WAS JUST KIND OF A INTERESTING TIDBIT IN IN OUR ASSESSMENT THAT WE SAW. THE POLICY THAT IS BEFORE YOU WAS REVIEWED BY THE CIVIL SERVICE. OBVIOUSLY, IT WAS VETTED BY THE COUNTY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE. IT WAS APPROVED BY THE CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION ON MAY 6TH OF 2025.

AGAIN, IT PROVIDES GUIDANCE ON LANGUAGE NEEDS WITHIN THE COUNTY AS A WHOLE, TRANSLATION, INTERPRETATION AND GUIDANCE FOR OUR DEPARTMENT TO TRACK THE EFFICACY OF HOW THAT POLICY IS BEING IMPLEMENTED. THIS POLICY WILL GUIDE US IN OUR IMPLEMENTATION OF THE I SPEAK 915 LANGUAGE ACCESS PILOT PROGRAM THAT WAS APPROVED BY THIS COURT AND APPROVED FUNDING THROUGH ARPA, AND THAT IS A LANGUAGE ACCESS PROGRAM THAT WILL BE EMBEDDED IN TEN DEPARTMENTS THAT WE'RE GOING TO PILOT WITH. THEY'RE GOING TO RECEIVE TEN. EACH DEPARTMENT WILL RECEIVE LAPTOPS, IPADS WITH VIDEO CAPABILITY AND LANGUAGE LINE SERVICES, SO THAT WHEN A

[02:45:02]

[02:53:42]

WELL, WE'LL TALK TO HER ABOUT THAT. NOW, IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN OUT TO A PARK IN A WHILE, YOU.

WELL, I KNOW, SHOW ME AROUND IF YOU HAVEN'T. THERE'S A THERE'S AN ALL INCLUSIVE PARK RIGHT HERE. FOR KIDS. THAT MEANS THAT KIDS OF EVERY ABILITY, EVERY TASTE CAN COME AND HAVE A FANTASTIC TIME. I THINK THE BEST PART ABOUT THIS LITTLE PARK RIGHT HERE IS, OF COURSE, ALL THE EQUIPMENT IS BRAND NEW AND IT HAS SWINGS. IT HAS THINGS TO CLIMB ON, IT HAS ANYTHING THAT MAKES NOISE. YEAH, WE'RE GOING THERE NEXT. AND I THINK YOU KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT. I'M NOT SURE WHAT THAT IS RIGHT THERE, BUT IT'S A LOT OF FUN. A LOT OF FUN. I'VE SEEN THAT. THEY'VE ALSO CHANGED A PARK A LOT BECAUSE THEY'VE ADDED BASEBALL FIELDS. DO YOU GUYS PLAY BASEBALL? YES. WHO PLAYS BASEBALL? DIEGO DOES WHAT LUCAS. YOU DO TOO. YEAH. ALL RIGHT, I LOVE IT. IT'S MY. IT'S MY FAVORITE SPORT IN THE WORLD. MY KIDS, WHEN THEY WERE YOUR AGE, USED TO PLAY THAT TOO. NOW JOINING ME NOW IS THE MOM OF THOSE TWO ADORABLE KIDS THAT YOU

[02:55:05]

IT IS. DOES THIS GET PACKED DURING THE WEEKENDS AND STUFF LIKE THAT? YEAH. YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY RIGHT NOW IT'S GETTING WARMER AND THE NIGHTS BEAUTIFUL PARK OUT HERE IT IS.

SO AND THE IMPROVEMENTS ARE JUST BEGINNING. YES I UNDERSTAND WE'RE GOING TO SEE SOME PICKLEBALL COURTS. YES. OKAY. WHERE ARE YOUR SONS. BECAUSE I LIKE TO MAKE NOISE. OKAY. YOU WANT TO GRAB ONE HERE. COME ON, COME ON LUCAS, GRAB ONE. DON'T BE SHY. EVER. OH, YOU WANT MINE? OKAY. GO AHEAD. ARE WE READY? WELL, YOU CAN'T HAVE THEM BOTH. YOU CAN'T HAVE THEM BOTH. THAT'S YOU CRAZY KIDS TODAY THINKING THAT YOU GET THEM ALL. OKAY, DON'T GO ANYWHERE. YOU STAY WITH KTSM NINE NEWS.

THANK YOU FOR TUNING IN TO KTSM NINE NEWS AT SIX SMALL TOWN SPOTLIGHT. I'M ANDY MORGAN AND I'M MONICA CORTEZ. SO WE ARE COMING TO YOU LIVE FROM THE CLUBHOUSE HERE IN ASCARATE PARK.

THAT IS REALLY CLOSE TO THAT. LOOKING AT THE GOLF COURSE THIS ENTIRE TIME, ANDY, IT LOOKS REALLY PRETTY. BUT I WILL TELL YOU THIS, WHEN WE CAME OUT HERE TO RECORD SOME OF THE STORIES, SOME OF THE COMPLAINTS, IF YOU WILL, FROM SOME OF THE PATRONS HERE WERE, HEY, I WANT TO SEE RENOVATIONS COMING INTO THIS PART OF THE AREA. AND OF COURSE, THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT VOTERS PASSED AND APPROVED IN TERMS OF SOME OF THOSE GO BONDS THAT YOU SAW ON THE BALLOT IN NOVEMBER.

SOME UPGRADES ARE COMING HERE TO ASCOT PARK. WE'RE GOING TO COVER SOME OF THAT, BUT A LOT TO DO HERE AT ASCOT PARK, THAT'S FOR SURE. WHETHER YOU'RE ON THE LAKE, YOU'RE BOATING, YOU'RE FISHING, WHETHER YOU'RE HERE AT THE GOLF COURSE, WHETHER YOU'RE PLAYING PICKLEBALL. I KNOW YOU GOT TO EXPERIENCE THAT FOR THE FIRST TIME, WHICH IS EXCITING. AS WELL AS THE FAMILY AQUATIC CENTER IS ALWAYS A FAVORITE. ABSOLUTELY. SO I GOT A CHANCE TO SPEAK WITH COUNTY OFFICIALS ABOUT THE RENOVATIONS AND SOME OF THE AMENITIES HERE AT THE PARK. TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT THEY HAD TO SAY. THE PARK WAS COMPLETED IN 1940. 48 ACRE LAKE WITH A LAKESIDE BOARDWALK, PICNIC AREAS, A GOLF COURSE AND PLAYGROUNDS. AND NEARLY A CENTURY LATER, WHILE SOME FEATURES AND ATTRACTIONS HAVE CHANGED, THE PARK'S ORIGINAL DESIGN AND INTENT HASN'T.

BEGINNING IN THE MID 1850S, ALL THE UNITED STATES LARGER CITIES WERE DESIGNING WHAT THEY CALLED PASSIVE PARKS. IT WAS PLACES WHERE YOU COULD GO, YOU COULD WALK, YOU COULD POSSIBLY RIDE A HORSE, YOU COULD PLAY SPORTS. THE INTENT WAS MULTIPLE USE. AND OBVIOUSLY THAT'S WHAT YOU SEE HERE. NOW BACK IN 2021, EL PASO COUNTY ADOPTED A MASTER PLAN FOR ITS PARKS, ASKING THE COMMUNITY TO SHARE THEIR VIEWS ON WHAT THE PARKS NEEDED, PROVIDING A BLUEPRINT FOR WORK TO BEGIN LOOKING AT AMENITIES THAT WE WILL ADD IN THE FUTURE. NEW AND IMPROVED PICNIC AREAS, THE WALKING AREAS, PLANTING MORE TREES. I THINK WE PLANTED JUST IN THE PAST TWO YEARS. WE PLANTED ABOUT 150 TREES. OVER THE YEARS, ATTRACTIONS HAVE COME AND GONE, RACE TRACKS AND DRAG BOATS, RAVES AND FISHING TOURNAMENTS AND OF COURSE THE CHILDHOOD ICON. MANY EL PASOANS STILL ASSOCIATE WITH THE SPRAWLING PARK, ALONG WITH THE AGE OLD QUESTION WHAT WOULD YOU

[03:00:01]

ENJOY THE NATURE. HAVE SOME FUN. LEONARDO IS AN OUTDOOR ENTHUSIAST, AND THE HIKING BIKE TRAIL THAT'S RIGHT AT THE ENTRANCE TO ASCARATE PARK IS HIS NEW FAVORITE SPOT. WE'LL JUST BIKE ALONG THIS TRAIL SOMETIMES. GO ALONG THE PARK. THE PLAYA DRAIN TRAIL IS A UNIQUE TRAIL STRETCHING ALMOST SEVEN PICTURESQUE MILES FROM ASCARATE, THE PARK ALL THE WAY TO CAPISTRANO PARK IN THE LOWER VALLEY. IT'S PART OF THIS LINEAR PARK PROGRAM THAT THE COUNTY AND THE CITY AND THE PASO DEL NORTE HEALTH FOUNDATION HAVE BEEN WORKING ON. COMMISSIONER DAVID STOUT SAYS THE TRAIL IS ONLY A SMALL PART OF A MUCH BIGGER PROJECT, A 75 MILE COUNTYWIDE TRAIL, TO BE EXACT. THE IDEA IS TO IS TO BUILD A LINEAR PARK OR HIKING BIKE TRAIL THAT SPANS BASICALLY FROM THE BORDER WITH DONA ANA COUNTY IN NEW MEXICO TO THE BORDER WITH HUDSPETH COUNTY ON THE EASTERN SIDE OF EL PASO COUNTY. THE PASO DEL NORTE TRAIL, WHICH BROKE GROUND IN 2018 AIMED AT DEVELOPING A COUNTYWIDE TRAIL, IS NOW PROMOTING HEALTHY LIVING FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS. WHEN IT'S NOT SO SUNNY, WE'LL COME HERE TO LIKE JUST GO ON THE BIKES. WHILE THE PROJECT ISN'T COMPLETE, THE TRAILS THAT ARE OPEN ARE METHODICALLY BEING CONNECTED.

PIECES OF TRANQUIL TRAILS CONNECTING NEIGHBORHOODS THROUGHOUT COUNTY, SOMETHING STOUT SAYS IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR THE COMMUNITY. YOU KNOW, THE MORE OPPORTUNITIES THAT PEOPLE HAVE, I THINK THE HEALTHIER OUR COMMUNITY IS GOING TO BE. LEONARDO AGREES. THE WINDING TRAILS, NOT ONLY STITCHING THE COUNTY TOGETHER, BUT BRINGING HIS FAMILY CLOSER AS WELL BECAUSE IT MAKES US STRONGER BOND RATHER THAN JUST BEING THERE AT HOME. A COOL VISION FOR THIS TRAIL. JOINING US NOW IS TIM FULTON, THE DIRECTOR OF PARKS AND RECREATION. TIM, THANKS SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE WITH US. THANK YOU. YOU KNOW, AND, TIM, WE KIND OF TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT IT AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SHOW. AND THAT WAS, YOU KNOW, OUR VIEWERS, OUR

[03:05:03]

THEY'RE LEARNING BASEBALL. AND I MEAN, THAT'S FROM AGES FOUR AND UNDER, ALL THE WAY UP TO OUR 12, ALMOST 13 YEAR OLDS. AND THE GROWTH IS TREMENDOUS LAST YEAR FOR OUR SUMMER LEAGUE, WHICH IS USUALLY OUR OUR SHORTER LEAGUE, WE WERE AT 150. I THINK WE'RE GOING TO HIT 250 TEAMS. THAT'S NOT PLAYERS, TEAMS. SO WE'RE BUSTING AT THE SEAMS AT THE SPORTS PARK. WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMMODATE THIS GROWTH AND IT'S A BIG CHALLENGE. THE OTHER THING WE'RE DOING, WE GOT KUDOS ABOUT HOW WELL WE MAINTAIN OUR SPORTS PARK, BUT THEY WANT TO SEE OUR FIELDS HERE IN THE CITY AT THAT SAME LEVEL. SO BEN VALDEZ, WHO'S OUR MAINTENANCE MANAGER, HIS TEAM AND HIM ARE WORKING TO IMPROVE OUR DIAMOND FIELDS. AND I THINK IF YOU TAKE A DRIVE AROUND, YOU SEE THEY'RE LOOKING BETTER AND BETTER THIS SEASON. ALSO, OUR FOCUS THIS YEAR IS GOING TO BE ON OUR FLAT FIELDS.

WE'VE GOT SOCCER PROGRAMS. WE'VE GOT AN INCREDIBLY LARGE YOUTH TACKLE AND TOUCH FOOTBALL PROGRAM THAT A PRIVATE ORGANIZATION RUNS HERE IN THE PARK. AND ANY GIVEN SATURDAY MORNING, THE PARK IS JUST HOPPING WITH LOTS OF ACTIVITY.

[03:15:34]

[03:15:39]

IT IS. DOES THIS GET PACKED DURING THE WEEKENDS AND STUFF LIKE THAT? YEAH. YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY RIGHT NOW, IT'S GETTING WARMER. AND THE NIGHTS BEAUTIFUL PARK OUT HERE IT IS.

SO. AND THE IMPROVEMENTS ARE JUST BEGINNING. YES I UNDERSTAND WE'RE GOING TO SEE SOME PICKLEBALL COURTS. YES. OKAY. WHERE ARE YOUR SONS. BECAUSE I LIKE TO MAKE NOISE. OKAY. YOU WANT TO GRAB ONE HERE? COME ON, COME ON LUCAS, GRAB ONE. DON'T BE SHY. EVER. OH, YOU WANT MINE? OKAY. GO AHEAD. ARE WE READY? WELL, YOU CAN'T HAVE THEM BOTH. YOU CAN'T HAVE THEM BOTH. THAT'S YOU CRAZY KIDS TODAY THINKING THAT YOU GET THEM ALL. OKAY, DON'T GO ANYWHERE. YOU STAY WITH KTSM NINE NEWS.

THANK YOU FOR TUNING IN TO KTSM NINE NEWS AT SIX SMALL TOWN SPOTLIGHT. I'M ANDY MORGAN AND I'M MONICA CORTEZ. SO WE ARE COMING TO YOU LIVE FROM THE CLUBHOUSE HERE IN ASCARATE PARK.

THAT IS REALLY CLOSE TO THAT. LOOKING AT THE GOLF COURSE THIS ENTIRE TIME, AND IT LOOKS REALLY PRETTY. BUT I WILL TELL YOU THIS, WHEN WE CAME OUT HERE TO RECORD SOME OF THE STORIES, SOME OF THE COMPLAINTS, IF YOU WILL, FROM SOME OF THE PATRONS HERE WERE, HEY, I WANT TO SEE RENOVATIONS COMING INTO THIS PART OF THE AREA. AND OF COURSE, THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT VOTERS PASSED AND APPROVED IN TERMS OF SOME OF THOSE GO BONDS THAT YOU SAW ON THE BALLOT IN NOVEMBER.

[03:20:04]

BEGINNING IN THE MID 1850S, ALL THE UNITED STATES LARGER CITIES WERE DESIGNING WHAT THEY CALLED PASSIVE PARKS. IT WAS PLACES WHERE YOU COULD GO, YOU COULD WALK, YOU COULD POSSIBLY RIDE A HORSE. YOU COULD PLAY SPORTS. THE INTENT WAS MULTIPLE USE. AND OBVIOUSLY THAT'S WHAT YOU SEE HERE. NOW. BACK IN 2021, EL PASO COUNTY ADOPTED A MASTER PLAN FOR ITS PARKS, ASKING THE COMMUNITY TO SHARE THEIR VIEWS ON WHAT THE PARKS NEEDED, PROVIDING A BLUEPRINT FOR WORK TO BEGIN LOOKING AT AMENITIES THAT WE WILL ADD IN THE FUTURE. NEW AND IMPROVED PICNIC AREAS. THE WALKING AREAS, PLANTING MORE TREES. I THINK WE PLANTED JUST IN THE PAST TWO YEARS. WE PLANTED ABOUT 150 TREES. OVER THE YEARS, ATTRACTIONS HAVE COME AND GONE. RACETRACKS AND DRAG BOATS, RAVES AND FISHING TOURNAMENTS AND OF COURSE, THE CHILDHOOD ICON. MANY EL PASOANS STILL ASSOCIATE WITH THE SPRAWLING PARK, ALONG WITH THE AGE OLD QUESTION WHAT WOULD YOU DO TO GO TO WESTERN PLAYLAND? THE AMUSEMENT PARK'S FORMER FOOTPRINT HAS BEEN UPGRADED, MAKING WAY FOR MORE AND DIFFERENT ATTRACTIONS. WE ARE GOING TO BE REDOING THE AREA RIGHT OVER HERE WHERE WESTERN PLAYLAND USED TO BE. WE'RE CREATING A FESTIVAL AREA. WE'RE GOING TO BE PUTTING IN UNDERGROUND ELECTRIC SO THAT WE CAN BRING IN DIFFERENT SHOWS AND DIFFERENT PROGRAMING. AS FOR THE LAKE, THE UPKEEP AND MAINTENANCE IS JUST THE START. PREVIOUSLY, COUNTY OFFICIALS MENTIONED THEY WOULD HAVE TO DRAIN THE LAKE TO CLEAN IT, BUT COMMISSIONER DAVID STOUT SAYS THEY MAY HAVE FOUND A BETTER OPTION. THERE'S A CLAY LINER AT THE BOTTOM OF THE LAKE, BUT WE FOUND OUT THROUGH ANALYSIS THAT THE LINER IS IN GOOD SHAPE. IT'S INTACT. WE'RE LOOKING AT POSSIBLY DOING NOW IS JUST DREDGING THE LAKE AND CLEANING SOME OF THE GUNK OUT OF THERE. I DON'T THINK WE'RE GOING TO NEED TO DRAIN THE LAKE IN THE END. WHAT MAKES THIS PARK AND THE LAKE SUCH AN IMPORTANT PIECE OF THE SUN? CITY'S TAPESTRY ISN'T NECESSARILY THE AMENITIES, BUT RATHER THE LOCATION. YOU HAVE THE FRANKLIN MOUNTAINS, YOU HAVE THE JUAREZ MOUNTAINS. YOU CAN LOOK AND YOU JUST SEE WHAT A GREAT PLACE WE ARE. I MEAN, IT'S THE COMING TOGETHER OF TWO COUNTRIES, THREE STATES, AND IT'S RIGHT HERE. AND THAT'S PRETTY UNIQUE IN THE WORLD IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT.

ENJOY THE NATURE. HAVE SOME FUN. LEONARDO IS AN OUTDOOR ENTHUSIAST, AND THE HIKING BIKE

[03:25:03]

PIECES OF TRANQUIL TRAILS CONNECTING NEIGHBORHOODS THROUGHOUT COUNTY, SOMETHING STOUT SAYS IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR THE COMMUNITY. YOU KNOW, THE MORE OPPORTUNITIES THAT PEOPLE HAVE, I THINK THE HEALTHIER OUR COMMUNITY IS GOING TO BE. LEONARDO AGREES. THE WINDING TRAILS, NOT ONLY STITCHING THE COUNTY TOGETHER, BUT BRINGING HIS FAMILY CLOSER AS WELL BECAUSE IT MAKES A STRONGER BOND RATHER THAN JUST BEING THERE AT HOME. THE COOL VISION FOR THIS TRAIL. JOINING US NOW IS TIM FULTON, THE DIRECTOR OF PARKS AND RECREATION. TIM, THANKS SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE WITH US. THANK YOU. YEAH. YOU KNOW, AND TIM, WE KIND OF TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT IT AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SHOW. AND THAT WAS, YOU KNOW, OUR VIEWERS, OUR AUDIENCE ARE VERY INVESTED IN ASCARATE. THEY WERE ASKING ABOUT THE LAKE WHEN WE'RE CLEANING THAT. BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT GOLF COURSES HERE. TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE MAINTENANCE OF IT. SURE. WELL, IT'S A LOT OF MAINTENANCE, AS EVERYONE KNOWS. I MEAN, IT TAKES A LOT OF WATER TO KEEP A GOLF COURSE GREEN, AND THAT'S OUR EXPECTATION. BUT RECENTLY WE HIRED A NEW GOLF COURSE. SUPERINTENDENT BRAD WEISS AND BRAD'S COME IN WITH A TON OF EXPERIENCE. I MEAN, LOTS AND LOTS OF YEARS OF EXPERIENCE. AND ONE OF THE THINGS BRAD IS DOING, HE'S REALLY TRYING TO GET OUR GREENS UP TO PRIMO CONDITION. WE ALSO ARE LOOKING AT OUR FAIRWAYS. WE REQUIRED SOME DIFFERENT MAINTENANCE. OUR FAIRWAYS HAD LOTS OF WEEDS. SO WE WANT TO ADDRESS THAT. THE OTHER THING WE'RE LOOKING AT HOW DO WE MANAGE OUR WATER. SO SOME OF THE THINGS WE'RE DOING IS WE'RE APPLYING PRODUCT TO OUR FAIRWAYS OR GREENS, WHICH WILL HELP THE SOIL ABSORB THAT WATER AND HOLD IT IN BETTER, SO THAT WE HOPEFULLY ARE GOING TO REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF WATER WE'RE USING ON OUR COURSES AND CUT OUR COSTS DOWN MORE AND AT THE SAME TIME IMPROVE THAT MAINTENANCE. CERTAINLY A LOT TO MANAGE A GOLF COURSE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DESERT. ALSO A LOT TO MANAGE. YOU GUYS HAVE HAD A GREAT RESPONSE. IT SEEMS LIKE FROM YOUR YOUTH LEAGUES AND PLAYING KIDS, PLAYING SPORTS HERE AT ASCOT PARK, BUT IN TURN ALSO A LOT OF WEAR AND TEAR ON SOME OF THOSE YOUTH LEAGUE FIELDS. YEAH, YOU KNOW, IT'S GREAT TO SEE BECAUSE OVER AND OVER WE HEAR HOW MUCH TIME OUR KIDS SPEND IN FRONT OF OUR SCREENS. BUT LET ME TELL YOU, THE KIDDOS OUT AT OUR SPORTS PARK, THEY'RE OUT THERE INTERACTING WITH EACH OTHER.

THEY'RE LEARNING BASEBALL. AND I MEAN, THAT'S FROM AGES FOUR AND UNDER, ALL THE WAY UP TO OUR 12, ALMOST 13 YEAR OLDS. AND THE GROWTH IS TREMENDOUS LAST YEAR FOR OUR SUMMER LEAGUE, WHICH IS USUALLY OUR OUR SHORTER LEAGUE, WE WERE AT 150. I THINK WE'RE GOING TO HIT 250 TEAMS. THAT'S NOT PLAYERS, TEAMS. SO WE'RE BUSTING AT THE SEAMS AT THE SPORTS PARK. WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMMODATE THIS GROWTH AND IT'S A BIG CHALLENGE. THE OTHER THING WE'RE DOING, WE GOT KUDOS ABOUT HOW WELL WE MAINTAIN OUR SPORTS PARK, BUT THEY WANT TO SEE OUR FIELDS HERE IN THE CITY AT THAT SAME LEVEL. SO BEN VALLEZ, WHO'S OUR MAINTENANCE MANAGER, HIS TEAM AND HIM ARE WORKING TO IMPROVE OUR DIAMOND FIELDS. AND I THINK IF YOU TAKE A DRIVE AROUND, YOU SEE THEY'RE LOOKING BETTER AND BETTER THIS SEASON. ALSO, OUR FOCUS THIS YEAR IS GOING TO BE ON OUR FLAT FIELDS.

WE'VE GOT SOCCER PROGRAMS. WE'VE GOT AN INCREDIBLY LARGE YOUTH TACKLE AND TOUCH FOOTBALL PROGRAM THAT A PRIVATE ORGANIZATION RUNS HERE IN THE PARK. AND ANY GIVEN SATURDAY MORNING, THE PARK IS JUST HOPPING WITH LOTS OF ACTIVITY.

[03:37:25]

[03:37:31]

YOU DO TOO. YEAH. ALL RIGHT I LOVE THAT'S MY. IT'S MY FAVORITE SPORT IN THE WORLD. MY KIDS WHEN THEY WERE YOUR AGE USED TO PLAY THAT TOO. NOW JOINING ME NOW IS THE MOM OF THOSE TWO ADORABLE KIDS THAT YOU JUST SAW, DESIREE GONZALEZ. NICE TO SEE YOU. NICE TO SEE YOU. WOW, IT'S SO BEAUTIFUL OUT HERE. IT IS. DOES THIS GET PACKED DURING THE WEEKENDS AND STUFF LIKE THAT? YEAH. YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY RIGHT NOW IT'S GETTING WARMER. AND THE NIGHTS. BEAUTIFUL PARK OUT HERE IT IS. SO. AND THE IMPROVEMENTS ARE JUST BEGINNING. YES I UNDERSTAND WE'RE GOING TO SEE SOME PICKLEBALL COURTS. YES. OKAY. WHERE ARE YOUR SONS. BECAUSE I LIKE TO MAKE NOISE.

OKAY. YOU WANT TO GRAB ONE HERE? COME ON, COME ON, LUCAS, GRAB ONE. DON'T BE SHY. EVER. OH, YOU WANT MINE? OKAY. GO AHEAD. ARE WE READY? WELL, YOU CAN'T HAVE THEM BOTH. YOU CAN'T HAVE THEM BOTH. THAT'S YOU CRAZY KIDS TODAY THINKING THAT YOU GET THEM ALL. OKAY, DON'T GO ANYWHERE.

YOU STAY WITH KTSM NINE NEWS.

[03:41:21]

THAT IS REALLY CLOSE TO THAT. LOOKING AT THE GOLF COURSE THIS ENTIRE TIME, AND IT LOOKS REALLY PRETTY. BUT I WILL TELL YOU THIS, WHEN WE CAME OUT HERE TO RECORD SOME OF THE STORIES, SOME OF THE COMPLAINTS, IF YOU WILL, FROM SOME OF THE PATRONS HERE WERE, HEY, I WANT TO SEE RENOVATIONS COMING INTO THIS PART OF THE AREA. AND OF COURSE, THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT VOTERS PASSED AND APPROVED IN TERMS OF SOME OF THOSE GO BONDS THAT YOU SAW ON THE BALLOT IN NOVEMBER.

SOME UPGRADES ARE COMING HERE TO ESCORT PARK. WE'RE GOING TO COVER SOME OF THAT, BUT A LOT TO DO HERE AT ASCARATE PARK, THAT'S FOR SURE. WHETHER YOU'RE ON THE LAKE, YOU'RE BOATING, YOU'RE FISHING, WHETHER YOU'RE HERE AT THE GOLF COURSE, WHETHER YOU'RE PLAYING PICKLEBALL. I KNOW YOU GOT TO EXPERIENCE THAT FOR THE FIRST TIME, WHICH IS EXCITING. AS WELL AS THE FAMILY AQUATIC CENTER IS ALWAYS A FAVORITE. ABSOLUTELY. SO I GOT A CHANCE TO SPEAK WITH COUNTY OFFICIALS ABOUT THE RENOVATIONS AND SOME OF THE AMENITIES HERE AT THE PARK. TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT THEY HAD TO SAY. THE PARK WAS COMPLETED IN 1940. 48 ACRE LAKE WITH A LAKESIDE BOARDWALK, PICNIC AREAS, A GOLF COURSE AND PLAYGROUNDS. AND NEARLY A CENTURY LATER, WHILE SOME FEATURES AND ATTRACTIONS HAVE CHANGED, THE PARK'S ORIGINAL DESIGN AND INTENT HASN'T.

BEGINNING IN THE MID 1850S, ALL OF THE UNITED STATES LARGER CITIES WERE DESIGNING WHAT THEY CALLED PASSIVE PARKS. IT WAS PLACES WHERE YOU COULD GO, YOU COULD WALK, YOU COULD POSSIBLY RIDE A HORSE, YOU COULD PLAY SPORTS. THE INTENT WAS MULTIPLE USE. AND OBVIOUSLY THAT'S WHAT YOU SEE HERE. NOW, BACK IN 2021, EL PASO COUNTY ADOPTED A MASTER PLAN FOR ITS PARKS, ASKING THE COMMUNITY TO SHARE THEIR VIEWS ON WHAT THE PARKS NEEDED, PROVIDING A BLUEPRINT FOR WORK TO BEGIN LOOKING AT AMENITIES THAT WE WILL ADD IN THE FUTURE. NEW AND IMPROVED PICNIC AREAS.

THE WALKING AREAS, PLANTING MORE TREES. I THINK WE PLANTED JUST IN THE PAST TWO YEARS. WE PLANTED ABOUT 150 TREES. OVER THE YEARS, ATTRACTIONS HAVE COME AND GONE. RACE TRACKS AND DRAG BOATS, RAVES AND FISHING TOURNAMENTS AND OF COURSE THE CHILDHOOD ICON. MANY EL PASOANS STILL ASSOCIATE WITH THE SPRAWLING PARK, ALONG WITH THE AGE OLD QUESTION WHAT WOULD YOU DO TO GO TO WESTERN PLAYLAND? THE AMUSEMENT PARK'S FORMER FOOTPRINT HAS BEEN UPGRADED, MAKING WAY FOR MORE AND DIFFERENT ATTRACTIONS. WE ARE GOING TO BE REDOING THE AREA RIGHT OVER HERE WHERE WESTERN PLAYLAND USED TO BE. WE'RE CREATING A FESTIVAL AREA. WE'RE GOING TO BE PUTTING IN UNDERGROUND ELECTRIC SO THAT WE CAN BRING IN DIFFERENT SHOWS AND DIFFERENT PROGRAMING. AS FOR THE LAKE, THE UPKEEP AND MAINTENANCE IS JUST THE START. PREVIOUSLY, COUNTY OFFICIALS MENTIONED THEY WOULD HAVE TO DRAIN THE LAKE TO CLEAN IT, BUT COMMISSIONER DAVID STOUT SAYS THEY MAY HAVE FOUND A BETTER OPTION. THERE'S A CLAY LINER AT THE BOTTOM OF THE LAKE, BUT WE'VE FOUND OUT THROUGH ANALYSIS THAT THE LINER IS IN GOOD SHAPE. IT'S INTACT. WE'RE LOOKING AT POSSIBLY DOING NOW IS JUST DREDGING THE LAKE AND CLEANING SOME OF THE GUNK OUT OF THERE. I DON'T THINK WE'RE GOING TO NEED TO DRAIN THE LAKE IN THE END. WHAT MAKES THIS PARK AND THE LAKE SUCH AN IMPORTANT PIECE OF THE SUN? CITY'S TAPESTRY ISN'T NECESSARILY THE AMENITIES, BUT RATHER THE LOCATION. YOU HAVE THE FRANKLIN MOUNTAINS, YOU HAVE THE JUAREZ MOUNTAINS. YOU CAN LOOK AND YOU JUST SEE WHAT A GREAT PLACE WE ARE. I MEAN, IT'S THE COMING TOGETHER OF TWO COUNTRIES, THREE STATES, AND IT'S RIGHT HERE. AND THAT'S PRETTY UNIQUE IN THE WORLD IF

[03:45:01]

ENJOY THE NATURE. HAVE SOME FUN. LEONARDO IS AN OUTDOOR ENTHUSIAST, AND THE HIKING BIKE TRAIL THAT'S RIGHT AT THE ENTRANCE TO ASCARATE PARK IS HIS NEW FAVORITE SPOT. WE'LL JUST BIKE ALONG THIS TRAIL SOMETIMES. GO ALONG THE PARK. THE PLAYA DRAIN TRAIL IS A UNIQUE TRAIL STRETCHING ALMOST SEVEN PICTURESQUE MILES FROM ESCALANTE PARK ALL THE WAY TO CAPISTRANO PARK IN THE LOWER VALLEY. IT'S PART OF THIS LINEAR PARK PROGRAM THAT THE COUNTY AND THE CITY AND THE PASO DEL NORTE HEALTH FOUNDATION HAVE BEEN WORKING ON, COMMISSIONER DAVID STOUT SAYS THE TRAIL IS ONLY A SMALL PART OF A MUCH BIGGER PROJECT, A 75 MILE COUNTYWIDE TRAIL, TO BE EXACT. THE IDEA IS TO IS TO BUILD A LINEAR PARK OR HIKE AND BIKE TRAIL THAT SPANS BASICALLY FROM THE BORDER WITH DONA ANA COUNTY IN NEW MEXICO TO THE BORDER WITH HUDSPETH COUNTY ON THE EASTERN SIDE OF EL PASO COUNTY. THE PASO DEL NORTE TRAIL, WHICH BROKE GROUND IN 2018, AIMED AT DEVELOPING A COUNTYWIDE TRAIL, IS NOW PROMOTING HEALTHY LIVING FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS. WHEN IT'S NOT SO SUNNY, WE'LL COME HERE TO LIKE JUST GO ON THE BIKES. WHILE THE PROJECT ISN'T COMPLETE, THE TRAILS THAT ARE OPEN ARE METHODICALLY BEING CONNECTED.

PIECES OF TRANQUIL TRAILS CONNECTING NEIGHBORHOODS THROUGHOUT COUNTY, SOMETHING STOUT SAYS IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR THE COMMUNITY. YOU KNOW, THE MORE OPPORTUNITIES THAT PEOPLE HAVE, I THINK THE HEALTHIER OUR COMMUNITY IS GOING TO BE. LEONARDO AGREES. THE WINDING TRAILS, NOT ONLY STITCHING THE COUNTY TOGETHER, BUT BRINGING HIS FAMILY CLOSER AS WELL BECAUSE IT MAKES A STRONGER BOND RATHER THAN JUST BEING THERE AT HOME. SUCH A COOL VISION FOR THIS TRAIL. JOINING US NOW IS TIM FULTON, THE DIRECTOR OF PARKS AND RECREATION. TIM, THANKS SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE WITH US. THANK YOU. YEAH. YOU KNOW, AND TIM, WE KIND OF TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT IT AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SHOW. AND THAT WAS, YOU KNOW, OUR VIEWERS, OUR AUDIENCE ARE VERY INVESTED IN ASCARATE. THEY WERE ASKING ABOUT THE LAKE WHEN WE'RE CLEANING THAT. BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT GOLF COURSES HERE. TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE MAINTENANCE OF IT. SURE. WELL, IT'S A LOT OF MAINTENANCE, AS EVERYONE KNOWS. I MEAN, IT TAKES A LOT OF WATER TO KEEP A GOLF COURSE GREEN, AND THAT'S OUR EXPECTATION. BUT RECENTLY WE HIRED A NEW GOLF COURSE. SUPERINTENDENT BRAD WEISS AND BRAD'S COME IN WITH A TON OF EXPERIENCE. I MEAN, LOTS AND LOTS OF YEARS OF EXPERIENCE. AND ONE OF THE THINGS BRAD IS DOING, HE'S REALLY TRYING TO GET OUR GREENS UP TO PRIMO CONDITION. WE ALSO ARE LOOKING AT OUR FAIRWAYS. WE REQUIRED SOME DIFFERENT MAINTENANCE. OUR FAIRWAYS HAD LOTS OF WEEDS. SO WE WANT TO ADDRESS THAT. THE OTHER THING WE'RE LOOKING AT HOW DO WE MANAGE OUR WATER. SO SOME OF THE THINGS WE'RE DOING IS WE'RE APPLYING PRODUCT TO OUR FAIRWAYS OR GREENS, WHICH WILL HELP THE SOIL ABSORB THAT WATER AND HOLD IT IN BETTER, SO THAT WE HOPEFULLY ARE GOING TO REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF WATER WE'RE USING ON OUR COURSES AND CUT OUR COSTS DOWN MORE AND AT THE SAME TIME IMPROVE THAT MAINTENANCE. CERTAINLY A LOT TO MANAGE A GOLF COURSE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DESERT. ALSO A LOT TO MANAGE. YOU GUYS HAVE HAD A GREAT RESPONSE. IT SEEMS LIKE FROM YOUR YOUTH LEAGUES AND PLAYING KIDS PLAYING SPORTS HERE AT ASCOT PARK, BUT IN TURN ALSO A

[03:50:05]

THEY'RE LEARNING BASEBALL. AND I MEAN, THAT'S FROM AGES FOUR AND UNDER, ALL THE WAY UP TO OUR 12, ALMOST 13 YEAR OLDS. AND THE GROWTH IS TREMENDOUS LAST YEAR FOR OUR SUMMER LEAGUE, WHICH IS USUALLY OUR OUR SHORTER LEAGUE, WE WERE AT 150. I THINK WE'RE GOING TO HIT 250 TEAMS. THAT'S NOT PLAYERS, TEAMS. SO WE'RE BUSTING AT THE SEAMS AT THE SPORTS PARK. WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMMODATE THIS GROWTH AND IT'S A BIG CHALLENGE. THE OTHER THING WE'RE DOING, WE GOT KUDOS ABOUT HOW WELL WE MAINTAIN OUR SPORTS PARK, BUT THEY WANT TO SEE OUR FIELDS HERE IN THE SKY AT THAT SAME LEVEL. SO BEN VALLEZ, WHO'S OUR MAINTENANCE MANAGER, HIS TEAM AND HIM ARE WORKING TO IMPROVE OUR DIAMOND FIELDS. AND I THINK IF YOU TAKE A DRIVE AROUND, YOU SEE THEY'RE LOOKING BETTER AND BETTER THIS SEASON. ALSO, OUR FOCUS THIS YEAR IS GOING TO BE ON OUR FLAT FIELDS.

WE'VE GOT SOCCER PROGRAMS, WE'VE GOT AN INCREDIBLY LARGE YOUTH TACKLE AND TOUCH FOOTBALL PROGRAM THAT A PRIVATE ORGANIZATION RUNS HERE IN THE PARK. AND ANY GIVEN SATURDAY MORNING, THE PARK IS JUST HOPPING WITH LOTS OF ACTIVITY.

[03:59:17]

[04:00:04]

OKAY. WHERE ARE YOUR SONS. BECAUSE I LIKE TO MAKE NOISE. OKAY. YOU WANT TO GRAB ONE HERE? COME ON, COME ON, LUCAS, GRAB ONE. DON'T BE SHY. EVER. OH, YOU WANT MINE? OKAY. GO AHEAD. ARE WE READY? WELL, YOU CAN'T HAVE THEM BOTH. YOU CAN'T HAVE THEM BOTH. THAT'S YOU CRAZY KIDS TODAY THINKING THAT YOU GET THEM ALL. OKAY, DON'T GO ANYWHERE. YOU STAY WITH KTSM NINE NEWS.

GO AHEAD. COMMISSIONERS COURT HAS RECONVENED INTO REGULAR OPEN SESSION. IT IS 1:33 P.M. WE'RE

[B. Discuss and take appropriate action to accept the El Paso Transportation Authority, LGC ("ETA, LGC") recommendation to reduce public transit service within the City of Socorro, pursuant to the City of Socorro’s decision to not participate in the ETA, LGC. Jose M. Landeros, Deputy County Administrator, Strategic Capital Development, 915-273-3592]

COURT ITEM EIGHT B REQUESTS THAT THE COUNTY CONSIDER ACCEPTING THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE EL PASO TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY. I'LL REFER TO IT AS MTA BOARD OF DIRECTORS TO ELIMINATE FIXED ROUTE PUBLIC SERVICE TRANSPORTATION WITHIN THE CITY OF SOCORRO. HERE'S A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF HOW WE GOT TO THIS POINT. IN THE SUMMER OF 2023, THE SOCORRO CITY COUNCIL VOTED MULTIPLE TIMES TO OPT OUT OF PARTICIPATING IN THE REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION PARTNERSHIP FRAMEWORK AND DECLINED TO ENTER INTO AN INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT WITH EL PASO TRANSPORTATION SERVICES, AS HAS BEEN DONE BY SAN ELIZARIO CLINT HORIZON, ANTHONY, AND VINTON. IN RESPONSE, THE MTA BOARD INITIATED A FORMAL SERVICE REDUCTION STUDY, THE TEXAS A&M TRANSPORTATION INSTITUTE. T.I. WAS ENGAGED TO DEVELOP A DATA DRIVEN METHODOLOGY FOR EVALUATING OPTIONS IN AREAS NO LONGER CONTRIBUTING TO THE REGIONAL SYSTEM. THE STUDY WAS COMPLETED IN MID 2024, ABOUT A YEAR AGO, AND PRESENTED PUBLICLY TO THE MTA BOARD OF DIRECTORS ON SEPTEMBER THE 18TH, 2024. FOLLOWING THAT PRESENTATION, THE BOARD ADOPTED AN OPTION AND THAT BEING WHICH WOULD FULLY ELIMINATE FIXED ROUTE SERVICES WITHIN THE CITY OF SOCORRO,

[04:05:02]

COMMISSIONER, YOU WANT TO SORT OF DEBRIEF US A LITTLE BIT? YEAH. SO WE'VE BEEN HAVING THESE DISCUSSIONS WITH SOCORRO. WELL, I MEAN, WE STARTED MANY, MANY, MANY YEARS AGO. BUT WITHIN THE PAST FEW YEARS, WHEN IT BECAME APPARENT THAT THEY WERE CONSIDERING NOT JOINING THE LGC AND I'VE MADE NUMEROUS PRESENTATIONS TO THEM. MR. VINALES, THANK YOU. YOU'VE TRAVELED OUT THERE. WE'VE HAD EDUARDO CALVO FROM THE MPO GO OUT THERE. COMMISSIONER LEON ALSO WENT OUT TO SPEAK TO THE CITY COUNCIL, BUT UNFORTUNATELY THEY'VE DECIDED THAT THEY WANT TO ESTABLISH THEIR OWN SERVICE, WHICH UNFORTUNATELY I THINK IS GOING TO VERY NEGATIVELY IMPACT THE RESIDENTS OF SOCORRO BECAUSE THEIR MICROTRANSIT SERVICE REALLY IT'S BASICALLY THEY'VE DECIDED TO UTILIZE THE FIVE SMALL PASSENGER VANS THAT THEY CURRENTLY HAVE AND PROVIDE ON CALL SERVICE. SO YOU WOULD CALL, MAKE AN APPOINTMENT, THE VAN WOULD PICK YOU UP AND DROP YOU OFF AT THE SITE WHERE YOU WANT TO BE DROPPED OFF, BUT THAT'S GOING TO AFFECT PEOPLE WHO ARE WANTING TO COME INTO SOCORRO FROM ANOTHER PART OF THE COUNTY, AS WELL AS, PRESUMABLY, SOCORRO RESIDENTS WHO WANT TO TRAVEL TO ANOTHER PART OF THE COUNTY. BUT THAT IS THE ROUTE THAT THEY'VE TAKEN. THE COMMISSION, THE CITY COUNCIL AGAIN VOTED UNANIMOUSLY TO MOVE IN THAT DIRECTION THIS PAST WEEK, LAST THURSDAY, I THINK THE LGC STAFF HAS MADE EVERY EFFORT TO RELAY TO THEM THE BENEFITS OF JOINING THE LGC, BUT UNFORTUNATELY THEY'VE THEY'VE CHOSEN NOT TO GO THAT ROUTE. AND, YOU KNOW, AS WE'RE SEEING COMPANIES MOVING INTO THE AREA, THAT'S UNFORTUNATE BECAUSE YOU KNOW, WE'RE ALWAYS TRYING TO PUSH FOR, YOU KNOW, DON'T USE YOUR CAR, FIND OTHER MEANS. AND IF YOU'VE GOT MORE PEOPLE IN ONE VEHICLE, THAT'S OBVIOUSLY AN ADVANTAGE. WHEN YOU HAVE A COMPANY LIKE THE ONE THAT JUST CAME IN AND HAVE 514 EMPLOYEES, WE COULD ALWAYS PROMOTE THE IDEA OF TAKING THAT TRANSIT TO THESE LOCATIONS. AND THERE'S A LOT OF OTHER CONCERNS, BUT JUST

[04:10:07]

COMMISSIONER PLAN IN THEIR THEIR SERVICE THAT THEY'RE GOING TO. WHAT ARE THEIR PLANS? HOW SOON ARE THEY GOING TO TRY TO IMPLEMENT THIS, AND ARE THEY GOING TO OFFER PARATRANSIT SERVICES? COMMISSIONER WAS THERE WAS A QUESTION, ACTUALLY, MAYOR CRUZ ASKED IF THEY WERE READY BECAUSE THE LGC WILL STOP PROVIDING SERVICES AS OF JUNE 30TH. SO AS OF JULY 1ST, THERE WILL BE NO MORE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION IN SOCORRO, UNLESS THE CITY OF SOCORRO IS ABLE TO STAND UP THEIR MODEL. AND THE MAYOR DID ASK, AND THE INDICATION WAS THAT STAFF WOULD BE PREPARED WITH THEIR FIVE VANS THAT THEY USE TO START ACCEPTING RESERVATIONS AS OF JULY 1ST. SO, SO WE HOPE THAT THAT IS THE CASE AND THAT THE RESIDENTS OF SOCORRO DON'T SEE A DISRUPTION.

THEY DON'T HAVE DEDICATED ROUTES, RIGHT? NO, NO, IT'S A YOU CALL BY APPOINTMENT, CALL BY APPOINTMENT. AND WHAT SOMETIMES I DON'T THINK THEY REALIZE IS THAT IT'S NOT ONLY GOING TO AFFECT THE INDIVIDUALS IN SOCORRO DRIVING OUT, BUT INDIVIDUALS FROM HORIZON CITY, FROM CLINT, FROM YSLETA, FROM TORNILLO, GOING INTO SOCORRO, BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE A LOT OF THEM GO TO SHOP, BECAUSE SOCORRO, AS YOU KNOW, IS THE SECOND LARGEST CITY IN THE COUNTY. AND SO INDIVIDUALS THAT WOULD GO TO SOCORRO ARE BUSSES ARE JUST GOING TO DRIVE STRAIGHT THROUGH STUDENTS. THERE'S SOME STUDENTS THAT GO TO SCHOOL AT VARIOUS SCHOOLS THERE, AND THEY WON'T BE ABLE TO GET OFF OR GET ON OUR BUSSES. BUSSES WILL JUST DRIVE STRAIGHT THROUGH. YEAH, THAT'S THAT'S THAT'S DISAPPOINTING BECAUSE RIGHT NOW OUR TEAM IS WORKING WITH THE CITY WITH RESPECT TO, YOU KNOW, THE PEOPLE THAT ARE GOING TO BE IN THE PROMISE PROGRAM AND IN THE ENTIRE COUNTY TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE SERVICES TO THOSE PEOPLE THAT ARE GOING TO, YOU KNOW, TRAVEL AND NOT JUST TO UTEP, EPCC, BUT TO OTHER WORKFORCE TRAINING, YOU KNOW, OTHER BUSINESSES, EDUCATIONAL AND WORKFORCE TRAINING. AND WE'RE WORKING WITH ONE OF THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS TO TRY AND GET THAT DONE. AND ALONG WITH UTEP. AND IT'S UNFORTUNATE THAT OUR SERVICE WILL NOT BE ABLE THOSE PEOPLE, THOSE STUDENTS THAT WOULD BE PART OF THE PROMISE PROGRAM IN SOCORRO ARE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT. THAT'S VERY DISAPPOINTING.

AND WE'RE TALKING IN LEGAL THIS MORNING. IS THE FACT THAT THEY CAN'T THEY WON'T BE ABLE TO PROVIDE TRANSPORTATION TO DISABLED. AND IS THAT A COULD THAT BE AN ISSUE OR REASON FOR THEM TO ALMOST WANT US TO DO THAT COMPONENT? BECAUSE, I MEAN, THAT'S EVEN A SECONDARY HIT WOULD BE PEOPLE THAT ARE NOT ABLE TO GET INTO THOSE VANS WOULD BE IS THAT. YES. MICHELLE MARTINEZ, ASSISTANT COUNTY ATTORNEY THANK YOU. THANK YOU JUDGE. GOOD AFTERNOON. JUDGE.

COMMISSIONERS. MR. MARTINEZ, ASSISTANT COUNTY ATTORNEY. SO THERE COULD BE A PROBLEM WITH ENDING THE SERVICE AND NOT PROVIDING THE ADA PARATRANSIT SERVICES. SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WILL NEED TO BE CONTINUED TO BE PROVIDED, SO LONG AS THERE IS A FIXED ROUTE THAT TRAVERSES THROUGH SOCORRO. OKAY. ANY OTHER COMMENTS? ANYTHING THAT WE NEED TO DISCUSS? I GUESS IT'S MORE JUST A UNDERSTANDING THE FACTS THAT HAS TAKEN PLACE. THERE'S NO ACTION ON THIS, ACTUALLY, THERE'S THERE IS A PROPOSED MOTION. JUDGE. WE HAVE A MOTION FROM COMMISSIONER BUTLER, SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER CORONADO, TO APPROVE THE RECOMMENDATION. AND ASSISTANT COUNTY ATTORNEY. I'M JUST VERIFYING WHETHER THE MOTION SHOULD ALSO INCLUDE PARATRANSIT SERVICES. IT SHOULD NOT STAY PERFECT. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. YOUR VOTE. JUDGE. YES, I BUT I CAN'T THANK YOU.

MOTION CARRIES. THANK YOU. AND THEN THE FOLLOWING SIDE NOTE WHEN I WAS IN THE ARMY AND WE HAD 30 DAYS LEFT BEFORE WE LEFT THE ARMY, THE MILITARY, WE HAD A COUNTDOWN. SO TODAY I'M STARTING MY COUNTDOWN WITH THE COUNTY BECAUSE 30 DAYS FROM NOW THE NEW DIRECTOR IS GOING TO TAKE OVER.

SO I'M 30 DAYS AWAY FROM LEAVING THE SERVICES WITH THE COUNTY. BUT I WANT TO THANK THE COURT. I WANT TO THANK COMMISSIONER BUTLER, COMMISSIONER LEON, AND OF COURSE, MR. LANDEROS FOR THEIR SUPPORT. IT'S BEEN IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A 4 TO 5 MONTH PERIOD, BUT IT'S GOING TO BE 11

[04:15:05]

[L. Approve and authorize the reallocation of funds, closeout of projects, establishment of new projects, and other matters related to the 2016 General Obligation Refunding Bonds Series D, Tax Anticipation Note 2022, and Certificates of Obligation 2023 Series A & B to facilitate the closeout of legacy debt, accelerate the spend down of tax-exempt proceeds, and align project implementation with strategic and financial planning goals. Further, authorize the Chief Administrator and County Auditor to finalize accounts and adjust individual account balances related to the proposed transfers contained herein as needed and report back to the Court any necessary adjustments made. Jose M. Landeros, Deputy County Administrator, Strategic Capital Development, 915-273-3592]

AND WE'D ALSO DEPROGRAM $40,000 FROM THE NEWLY COMPLETED ONE MEETING SYSTEM PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION. THESE STEPS WOULD COLLECTIVELY RETURN ABOUT $1.5 MILLION TO THE RESERVE, INCREASING THAT AMOUNT TO 1.794 MILLION. AND FROM THAT, WE WOULD ALSO THEN ADD THE DOMAIN MIGRATION PROJECT FROM 2016 INTO 2022, AND ALSO $188,000 TO LAUNCH A WEBSITE MODERNIZATION AND ADA COMPLIANCE UPGRADE PROJECT. THAT IS A NEW PROJECT THAT IS SOMETHING THAT THE COMMUNICATIONS DIVISION HAS BEEN WORKING ON. AFTER THESE REALLOCATIONS, THE FINAL UNPROGRAMED RESERVE BALANCE UNDER TAX NOTE 2022 WOULD BE $1.35 MILLION. MOVING NOW ON TO THE LARGER SET OF PROPOSALS UNDER 2023 CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATION, BOTH SERIES A AND B, THESE CHANGES FOCUS ON AGAIN ACCELERATING THE SPEND DOWN OF TAX EXEMPT DEBT UNDER SERIES A AND CONSOLIDATING PARK PROJECTS FOR UNDER SERIES B, WE PROPOSE TRANSFERRING THREE PROJECTS FROM

[04:20:02]

TO BALANCE, TWO PROJECTS WILL SHIFT FROM A TO B, AND THAT IS THE ISLAND PAVING AT $1.1 MILLION. AND AGAIN, THAT'S TO COMBINE THEM WITH THE OTHER SCOTT AT THE PROJECTS AND ALSO THE SLED ANNEX SENIOR NUTRITION KITCHEN IN $6 MILLION AND SPEAKING WITH COMMUNITY SERVICES AND PUBLIC WORKS, THE SPEND DOWN OF THE GRANT FUNDS. AND THESE FUNDS WILL TAKE LONGER THAN IS GOING TO BE ALLOWED UNDER THE DEBT ISSUANCE. AND SO TRANSFERRING IT TO THE TAXABLE ISSUANCE ENSURES THAT THERE'S ADEQUATE TIME FOR THE COUNTY TO SPEND THOSE FUNDS AND REMAIN IN COMPLIANCE WITH ALL FEDERAL RULES AND REGULATIONS. AFTER THESE TRANSFERS, THE REMAINING RESERVE UNDER SERIES A WILL BE $1.372 MILLION, AND IN SERIES B, THREE IS SCOTT AT THE PARK.

PROJECT STRINGS WILL BE CLOSED OUT AND REESTABLISHED AS A SINGLE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION EFFORT, SO THE PROJECTS WILL BE CLOSED OUT JUST UNDER $8 MILLION. THE FUNDS WILL BE TRANSFERRED TO THE RESERVE, BRINGING THAT RESERVE AMOUNT UP TO $18 MILLION. AND THEN WE'LL ESTABLISH THE NEW PROJECTS THAT ARE GOING TO BE $9.1 MILLION FOR THE SCOTT AT THE PARK ENTRANCE FESTIVAL AND ISLAND PAVING EFFORTS. AND AGAIN, THAT'S TO COMBINE EVERYTHING UNDER ONE SINGLE PROJECT, $6 MILLION TO REESTABLISH THE SENIOR NUTRITION KITCHEN AND THEN $792,000 TO RESOLVE A SHORTFALL IN THE SPORTS PARK ENTRANCE RENOVATION PROJECT, SO THAT $792,000 WILL BE ADDED TO THE EXISTING 750,000 THAT IS ALREADY PROGRAMED FOR THE SPORTS PARK ENTRANCE RENOVATION PROJECT. THAT WILL LEAVE THE FINAL SERIES B RESERVE BALANCE OF $2.26 MILLION. THESE CHANGES ARE ANTICIPATED TO INCREASE THE COUNTY'S CURRENT SPEND DOWN OF TAX EXEMPT PROCEEDS UNDER 23 A, FROM ABOUT 11% TO 40%, BECAUSE A LOT OF THE PROJECTS THAT ARE MOVING INTO A HAVE ALREADY BEEN EXPENSED OR COMPLETED. AND SO THAT WILL INCREASE OUR SPEND DOWN, WHICH PUTS US IN A GOOD POSITION. THESE ACTIONS RESPONSIBLY PROPOSE TO CLOSE OUT LEGACY DEBT, REALLOCATE BALANCES FROM COMPLETED WORK, CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THE EFFORTS ORIGINALLY IDENTIFIED, AND AS SUCH, WE PROPOSE THE FOLLOWING MOTION FOR THE COURT'S CONSIDERATION. THIS.

THIS MOTION HAS BEEN SHARED WITH THE AGENDA TEAM. APPROVE AN AUTHORIZED REALLOCATION OF FUNDS, CLOSE OUT OF PROJECTS, ESTABLISHMENT OF NEW PROJECTS, AND OTHER MATTERS RELATED TO THE 2016 GENERAL OBLIGATION REFUNDING BOND SERIES D TAX ANTICIPATION OF 2022 AND CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATION 2023, SERIES A AND B TO FACILITATE THE CLOSEOUT OF LEGACY DEBT.

ACCELERATE THE SPEND DOWN OF TAX EXEMPT PROCEEDS, AND ALIGN PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION WITH STRATEGIC AND FINANCIAL PLANNING GOALS AS PRESENTED BY CAPITAL PLANNING AND CONTAINED HEREIN.

FURTHER AUTHORIZE THE CHIEF ADMINISTRATOR AND COUNTY AUDITOR TO FINALIZE ACCOUNTS AND ADJUST INDIVIDUAL ACCOUNT BALANCES RELATED TO THE PROPOSED TRANSFERS CONTAINED HEREIN AS NEEDED, AND REPORT BACK TO THE COURT ON ANY ADJUSTMENTS MADE. WE ASK FOR YOUR FAVORABLE CONSIDERATION AND ARE AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS. ADDITIONALLY, COMMISSIONER CORONADO'S OFFICE HAS A PRESENTATION RELATED TO A SEPARATE REQUEST FOR FUNDING UNDER TAX NOTE 2022 THAT HAS BEEN ATTACHED TO THIS ITEM. NOW WE'LL TURN IT OVER TO THE COMMISSIONER AND TO MISS MARISA NUNEZ. CAN I JUST ASK A QUESTION REALLY QUICKLY? SO IS THE 2016 SERIES D IS THAT THE OLDEST DEBT ISSUANCE THAT WE STILL HAVE ACTIVE, OR DO WE STILL HAVE OLDER DEBT ISSUANCES? THAT IS THE OLDEST, BUT THERE IS A SERIES C THAT WAS SPECIFICALLY AUTHORIZED FOR THE FABENS AIRPORT, THAT THE COUNTY AUDITOR'S OFFICE ARE GOING BACK AND EVALUATING THE EXPENSES IN THAT SO THAT WE CAN CLOSE THAT OUT. INITIALLY, WE HAD PROPOSED TO TRY AND CLOSE OUT BOTH SERIES C AND D AT THIS POINT, BECAUSE THE DUE DILIGENCE IS STILL UNDERWAY FOR SEE, WE'RE ABLE TO ONLY CLOSE OUT D. BUT IN THE COMING WEEKS WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO PROPOSE CLOSING OUT C AS WELL. AND THEN THE OLDEST DEBT WOULD BE 2022 AT THAT POINT. GREAT. AND THEN DO WE THINK I KNOW THAT THE AUDITORS ARE STILL LOOKING AT THE EXPENSES, BUT DO WE THINK THERE MIGHT BE SOME CONTINGENCY RESERVES LEFT IN SERIES C, OR DO WE THINK THAT PROBABLY ALL OF THOSE FUNDS WERE EXPENDED? NO, I BELIEVE ALL THOSE FUNDS ARE GOING TO BE EXPENSED. SO WE'RE JUST GOING TO CLOSE IT OUT. YES, MA'AM. AND SO OUR GOAL IS TO WHAT MAY HAPPEN IS IF WE DO LIKE SIMILAR TO WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH D, IF WE HAVE A PROJECT THAT IS ELIGIBLE IN A NEWER DEBT ISSUANCE, WE MAY TRANSFER EXPENSES FROM THE NEWER DEBT ISSUANCE TO THE OLDER TO CLOSE THAT OUT AND THEN MOVE THE OLDER PROJECT INTO THE NEWER DEBT ISSUANCE. AND THAT MAY FREE UP SOME FUNDS FOR CONTINGENCY AS

[04:25:04]

THAT'S ONE OF THE HOLES IN THE CEILING CURRENTLY. THERE'S SOME THAT ARE IN THE KITCHEN WHERE MEALS ARE PREPARED. THERE'S ISSUES IN BOTH THE WOMEN'S AND THE MEN'S RESTROOMS, TRIP HAZARDS, SOME MISSING ELECTRICAL PLATES. THE DOOR JAMBS ARE ROTTING. I DON'T KNOW IF I'M ABLE TO PLAY IT. AND MIGUEL, YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO HELP ME ON THIS. SO COMMUNITY SERVICES SENT US THIS VIDEO, AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN HEAR THAT. THE WATER FROM THE SEALED ROOM. SO THERE

[04:30:06]

AND THIS WAS RECENT. THIS WAS TWO WEEKS AGO. THE ROOF IS ALSO IN NEED OF QUITE A BIT OF REPAIRS. WHEN I WAS OUT THERE A FEW WEEKS AGO, GIVING FLIERS FOR THE RIBBON CUTTINGS THAT WE WERE HOSTING, ONE OF THE SECURITY LIGHTS ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE FACILITY HAD FALLEN OFF AND SO THE WIRES WERE JUST LEFT EXPOSED. AND SO WE'RE HOPING THAT THE COURT WOULD CONSIDER INVESTING IN THE FACILITY. WHILE WE KNOW THAT THE GEO BOND HAS FUNDS AVAILABLE TO BE ABLE TO PUT INTO A RECREATION FACILITY, THAT FUNDING MIGHT SUPPORT NEW CONSTRUCTION OR LAND ACQUISITION. AS WE KNOW, GALLEGOS PARK IS SOMETHING THAT WE LEASE. WE DO NOT OWN THE LAND THAT IT IS ON, AND THOSE EFFORTS ARE GOING TO TAKE YEARS, RIGHT? IT'S GOING TO TAKE US SOME TIME TO BE ABLE TO ACQUIRE THE LAND AND TO INVEST IN A POTENTIAL NEW FACILITY OR BUILD ONE. IN THE MEANTIME, THOUGH, THIS FACILITY IS REALLY, REALLY ACTIVE. SO THIS IS A PHOTO FROM THEIR 4TH OF JULY CELEBRATION LAST YEAR. IT WAS PACKED. WE HAD A REALLY GREAT MOTHER'S DAY CELEBRATION THAT THEY INVITED US TO A FEW WEEKS AGO OR LAST MONTH. THEY BROUGHT LIVE MUSIC LIKE THEY CROWDSOURCED TO BE ABLE TO BRING A TWO PERSON BAND. IT WAS AMAZING. THERE WAS DANCING AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE. YEAH, COMMISSIONER AND MISS LAURA WENT OFF. THEY HAD A GREAT TIME, BUT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS RENOVATION INVESTS IN THE FACILITY THAT'S CURRENTLY HOUSING OUR ELDERLY COMMUNITY. WE WANT TO PROTECT OUR OUR ELDERLY POPULATION, AND WE ALSO WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THAT JUST BECAUSE THIS BUILDING MIGHT NOT BE IN USE IN THE FUTURE DOESN'T MEAN WE SHOULDN'T INVEST IN IT NOW. IT'S STILL ACTIVE, AND WHATEVER COMES OUT OF THE GEO FUND, THE GEO BOND CAN COMPLEMENT OR ENHANCE THIS BUILDING. I THINK I'VE COVERED EVERYTHING HERE. SO I DID WANT TO MENTION JUST THAT. THE LANGUAGE FROM THE 2022 TAX NOTE DOES ALLOW US TO DO THIS TYPE OF WORK. WE WOULD BE EQUIPPING A FACILITY THAT IS LOCATED WITHIN A COUNTY PARK. WE DID SPEAK WITH PUBLIC WORKS AND FACILITIES AND SO MANY OF THE REPAIRS THAT ARE NEEDED, SUCH AS LIKE THE HOLES IN THE ROOF, SOME OF THE WATER DAMAGE AND WHATNOT. IT'S PROGRAMED INTO REPAIRS THAT FACILITIES WILL BE TACKLING STARTING IN AUGUST OF THIS YEAR.

HOWEVER, THE ROOF MIGHT EXPERIENCE A SHORTFALL, AND SO THAT'S WHERE WE WOULD BE ASKING FOR THE COURT'S CONSIDERATION TO FUND A ROOF REPAIR. THE TOTAL ESTIMATE THAT WE HAVE CURRENTLY AS OF PRESENT IS 88,550. SECOND COMPONENT TO WHAT WE'RE BRINGING TO YOU ALL TODAY IS A GREENHOUSE AND GARDEN PROPOSAL TO BE LOCATED AT THE REAR OF THE FACILITY. THIS PARTICULAR INITIATIVE IS LOOKING TO EXPAND THE USE OF OUTDOOR OF THE OUTDOORS BEHIND THE FACILITY.

THERE'S CURRENTLY A PIECE OF CONCRETE THAT'S LAID OUT BEHIND THE FACILITY. THAT'S WHERE WE WOULD BE LOOKING TO INSTALL A GREENHOUSE AND OR A GARDEN. WE OUR OFFICE WORKED WITH TEXAS AGRILIFE EXTENSION TO BRING A SPRING VEGETABLE WORKSHOP TO OUR SENIORS BACK IN APRIL. IT WAS WILDLY SUCCESSFUL. THEY'VE ALREADY THEY'RE ALREADY HOLDING US ACCOUNTABLE TO HAVE A SECOND SESSION. AND SO THIS WOULD BE BUILDING ON PROGRAMING TO KEEP OUR SENIORS ACTIVE, TO BRING NUTRITION EDUCATION AND ALLOW THEM TO USE THE SKILLS THAT THEY'RE LEARNING DURING THESE DIFFERENT TYPES OF WORKSHOPS. THIS IS THE AREA THAT WE WOULD BE LOOKING AT. SO AT THE CENTER, YOU'LL SEE THE COMMUNITY CENTER. THAT CONCRETE SLAB IS WHERE THERE'S DOORS DIRECTLY TO ENTER TO THE BACK OF THAT FACILITY. AND WE'D BE LOOKING TO CLOSE OFF THIS AREA HERE. GIAGOS PARK IS A REALLY GOOD LOCATION FOR THIS TYPE OF INITIATIVE. IT'S CENTRALLY LOCATED WITHIN PRECINCT FOUR. WE HAVE A COMMUNITY GARDEN AT ASCARATE, THE COUNTY'S OTHER REGIONAL PARK, AND SO WE'D LIKE TO SEE THE SAME TYPE OF INVESTMENT IN THIS REGIONAL PARK WHERE WE HAVE COLONIAS. THE COMPONENTS OF THIS PROJECT WOULD INCLUDE A PATIO AND A GARDEN. SO WE WOULD LOOK AT AN AWNING TO BE ABLE TO PROTECT PEOPLE FROM THE SUN, SHOULD THEY CHOOSE TO SIT IN THE

[04:35:03]

[04:40:02]

[04:45:04]

[04:50:47]

I'M NOT SURE WHAT THAT IS RIGHT THERE, BUT IT'S A LOT OF FUN. A LOT OF FUN. I'VE SEEN THAT.

THEY'VE ALSO CHANGED ASCARATE PARK A LOT BECAUSE THEY'VE ADDED BASEBALL FIELDS. DO YOU GUYS PLAY BASEBALL? YES. WHO PLAYS BASEBALL? DIEGO DOES WHAT LUCAS. YOU DO TOO. YEAH. ALL RIGHT, I LOVE IT. IT'S MY. IT'S MY FAVORITE SPORT IN THE WORLD. MY KIDS WHEN THEY WERE YOUR AGE, USED TO PLAY THAT TOO. NOW JOINING ME NOW IS THE MOM OF THOSE TWO ADORABLE KIDS THAT YOU JUST SAW, DESIREE GONZALEZ. NICE TO SEE YOU. NICE TO SEE YOU. WOW, IT'S SO BEAUTIFUL OUT HERE.

IT IS. DOES THIS GET PACKED DURING THE WEEKENDS AND STUFF LIKE THAT? YEAH. YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY RIGHT NOW IT'S GETTING WARMER AND THE NIGHTS BEAUTIFUL PARK OUT HERE IT IS.

SO AND THE IMPROVEMENTS ARE JUST BEGINNING. YES I UNDERSTAND WE'RE GOING TO SEE SOME PICKLEBALL COURTS. YES. OKAY. WHERE ARE YOUR SONS. BECAUSE I LIKE TO MAKE NOISE. OKAY. YOU WANT TO GRAB ONE HERE. COME ON, COME ON LUCAS, GRAB ONE. DON'T BE SHY. EVER. OH, YOU WANT MINE? OKAY. GO AHEAD. ARE WE READY? WELL, YOU CAN'T HAVE THEM BOTH. YOU CAN'T HAVE THEM BOTH. THAT'S YOU CRAZY KIDS TODAY THINKING THAT YOU GET THEM ALL. OKAY, DON'T GO ANYWHERE. YOU STAY WITH KTSM NINE NEWS.

THANK YOU FOR TUNING IN TO KTSM NINE NEWS AT SIX SMALL TOWN SPOTLIGHT. I'M ANDY MORGAN AND I'M MONICA CORTEZ. SO WE ARE COMING TO YOU LIVE FROM THE CLUBHOUSE HERE IN ASCARATE PARK.

THAT IS REALLY CLOSE TO THAT. LOOKING AT THE GOLF COURSE THIS ENTIRE TIME, AND IT LOOKS REALLY PRETTY. BUT I WILL TELL YOU THIS, WHEN WE CAME OUT HERE TO RECORD SOME OF THE STORIES, SOME

[04:55:05]

SOME UPGRADES ARE COMING HERE TO ASCOT PARK. WE'RE GOING TO COVER SOME OF THAT, BUT A LOT TO DO HERE AT ASCOT PARK, THAT'S FOR SURE. WHETHER YOU'RE ON THE LAKE, YOU'RE BOATING, YOU'RE FISHING, WHETHER YOU'RE HERE AT THE GOLF COURSE, WHETHER YOU'RE PLAYING PICKLEBALL. I KNOW YOU GOT TO EXPERIENCE THAT FOR THE FIRST TIME, WHICH IS EXCITING. AS WELL AS THE FAMILY AQUATIC CENTER IS ALWAYS A FAVORITE. ABSOLUTELY. SO I GOT A CHANCE TO SPEAK WITH COUNTY OFFICIALS ABOUT THE RENOVATIONS AND SOME OF THE AMENITIES HERE AT THE PARK. TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT THEY HAD TO SAY. THE PARK WAS COMPLETED IN 1940. A 48 ACRE LAKE WITH A LAKESIDE BOARDWALK, PICNIC AREAS, A GOLF COURSE AND PLAYGROUNDS. AND NEARLY A CENTURY LATER, WHILE SOME FEATURES AND ATTRACTIONS HAVE CHANGED, THE PARK'S ORIGINAL DESIGN AND INTENT HASN'T.

BEGINNING IN THE MID 1850S, ALL OF THE UNITED STATES LARGER CITIES WERE DESIGNING WHAT THEY CALLED PASSIVE PARKS. IT WAS PLACES WHERE YOU COULD GO, YOU COULD WALK, YOU COULD POSSIBLY RIDE A HORSE. YOU COULD PLAY SPORTS. THE INTENT WAS MULTIPLE USE. AND OBVIOUSLY THAT'S WHAT YOU SEE HERE. NOW BACK IN 2021, EL PASO COUNTY ADOPTED A MASTER PLAN FOR ITS PARKS, ASKING THE COMMUNITY TO SHARE THEIR VIEWS ON WHAT PARKS NEEDED, PROVIDING A BLUEPRINT FOR WORK TO BEGIN LOOKING AT AMENITIES THAT WE WILL ADD IN THE FUTURE. NEW AND IMPROVED PICNIC AREAS, THE WALKING AREAS, PLANTING MORE TREES. I THINK WE PLANTED JUST IN THE PAST TWO YEARS. WE PLANTED ABOUT 150 TREES. OVER THE YEARS, ATTRACTIONS HAVE COME AND GONE. RACETRACKS AND DRAG BOATS, RAVES AND FISHING TOURNAMENTS AND OF COURSE, THE CHILDHOOD ICON. MANY EL PASOANS STILL ASSOCIATE WITH THE SPRAWLING PARK, ALONG WITH THE AGE OLD QUESTION WHAT WOULD YOU DO TO GO TO WESTERN PLAYLAND, THE AMUSEMENT PARK'S FORMER FOOTPRINT HAS BEEN UPGRADED, MAKING WAY FOR MORE AND DIFFERENT ATTRACTIONS. WE ARE GOING TO BE REDOING THE AREA RIGHT OVER HERE WHERE WESTERN PLAYLAND USED TO BE. WE'RE CREATING A FESTIVAL AREA. WE'RE GOING TO BE PUTTING IN UNDERGROUND ELECTRIC SO THAT WE CAN BRING IN DIFFERENT SHOWS AND DIFFERENT PROGRAMING. AS FOR THE LAKE, THE UPKEEP AND MAINTENANCE IS JUST THE START. PREVIOUSLY, COUNTY OFFICIALS MENTIONED THEY WOULD HAVE TO DRAIN THE LAKE TO CLEAN IT, BUT COMMISSIONER DAVID STOUT SAYS THEY MAY HAVE FOUND A BETTER OPTION. THERE'S A CLAY LINER AT THE BOTTOM OF THE LAKE, BUT WE'VE FOUND OUT THROUGH ANALYSIS THAT THE LINER IS IN GOOD SHAPE. IT'S INTACT. WE'RE LOOKING AT POSSIBLY DOING NOW IS JUST DREDGING THE LAKE AND CLEANING SOME OF THE GUNK OUT OF THERE. I DON'T THINK WE'RE GOING TO NEED TO DRAIN THE LAKE IN THE END. WHAT MAKES THIS PARK AND THE LAKE SUCH AN IMPORTANT PIECE OF THE SUN? CITY'S TAPESTRY ISN'T NECESSARILY THE AMENITIES, BUT RATHER THE LOCATION. YOU HAVE THE FRANKLIN MOUNTAINS, YOU HAVE THE JUAREZ MOUNTAINS. YOU CAN LOOK AND YOU JUST SEE WHAT A GREAT PLACE WE ARE. I MEAN, IT'S THE COMING TOGETHER OF TWO COUNTRIES, THREE STATES, AND IT'S RIGHT HERE. AND THAT'S PRETTY UNIQUE IN THE WORLD IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT.

[05:00:11]

PIECES OF TRANQUIL TRAILS CONNECTING NEIGHBORHOODS THROUGHOUT COUNTY, SOMETHING STOUT SAYS IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR THE COMMUNITY. YOU KNOW, THE MORE OPPORTUNITIES THAT PEOPLE HAVE, I THINK THE HEALTHIER OUR COMMUNITY IS GOING TO BE. LEONARDO AGREES. THE WINDING TRAILS, NOT ONLY STITCHING THE COUNTY TOGETHER, BUT BRINGING HIS FAMILY CLOSER AS WELL BECAUSE IT MAKES A STRONGER BOND RATHER THAN JUST BEING THERE AT HOME. THAT'S A COOL VISION FOR THIS TRAIL. JOINING US NOW IS TIM FULTON, THE DIRECTOR OF PARKS AND RECREATION. TIM, THANKS SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE WITH US. THANK YOU. YEAH. YOU KNOW, AND TIM, WE KIND OF TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT IT AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SHOW. AND THAT WAS, YOU KNOW, OUR VIEWERS, OUR AUDIENCE VERY INVESTED IN ASCARATE. THEY WERE ASKING ABOUT THE LAKE WHEN WE'RE CLEANING THAT. BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT GOLF COURSES HERE. TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE MAINTENANCE OF IT. SURE. WELL, IT'S A LOT OF MAINTENANCE, AS EVERYONE KNOWS. I MEAN, IT TAKES A LOT OF WATER TO KEEP A GOLF COURSE GREEN, AND THAT'S OUR EXPECTATION. BUT RECENTLY WE HIRED A NEW GOLF COURSE. SUPERINTENDENT BRAD WEISS AND BRAD'S COME IN WITH A TON OF EXPERIENCE. I MEAN, LOTS AND LOTS OF YEARS OF EXPERIENCE. AND ONE OF THE THINGS BRAD IS DOING, HE'S REALLY TRYING TO GET OUR GREENS UP TO PRIMO CONDITION. WE ALSO ARE LOOKING AT OUR FAIRWAYS. WE REQUIRED SOME DIFFERENT MAINTENANCE. OUR FAIRWAYS HAD LOTS OF WEEDS. SO WE WANT TO ADDRESS THAT. THE OTHER THING WE'RE LOOKING AT HOW DO WE MANAGE OUR WATER. SO SOME OF THE THINGS WE'RE DOING IS WE'RE APPLYING PRODUCT TO OUR FAIRWAYS OR GREENS, WHICH WILL HELP THE SOIL ABSORB THAT WATER AND HOLD IT IN BETTER, SO THAT WE HOPEFULLY ARE GOING TO REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF WATER WE'RE USING ON OUR COURSES AND CUT OUR COSTS DOWN MORE AND AT THE SAME TIME IMPROVE THAT MAINTENANCE. CERTAINLY A LOT TO MANAGE A GOLF COURSE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DESERT. ALSO A LOT TO MANAGE. YOU GUYS HAVE HAD A GREAT RESPONSE. IT SEEMS LIKE FROM YOUR YOUTH LEAGUES AND PLAYING KIDS, PLAYING SPORTS HERE AT SCOTT PARK, BUT IN TURN ALSO A LOT OF WEAR AND TEAR ON SOME OF THOSE YOUTH LEAGUE FIELDS. YEAH, YOU KNOW, IT'S GREAT TO SEE BECAUSE OVER AND OVER WE HEAR HOW MUCH TIME OUR KIDS SPEND IN FRONT OF OUR SCREENS. BUT LET ME TELL YOU, THE KIDDOS OUT AT OUR SPORTS PARK, THEY'RE OUT THERE INTERACTING WITH EACH OTHER.

THEY'RE LEARNING BASEBALL. AND I MEAN, THAT'S FROM AGES FOUR AND UNDER, ALL THE WAY UP TO OUR 12, ALMOST 13 YEAR OLDS. AND THE GROWTH IS TREMENDOUS LAST YEAR FOR OUR SUMMER LEAGUE, WHICH IS USUALLY OUR OUR SHORTER LEAGUE, WE WERE AT 150. I THINK WE'RE GOING TO HIT 250 TEAMS. THAT'S NOT PLAYERS, TEAMS. SO WE'RE BUSTING AT THE SEAMS AT THE SPORTS PARK. WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMMODATE THIS GROWTH AND IT'S A BIG CHALLENGE. THE OTHER THING WE'RE DOING, WE GOT KUDOS ABOUT HOW WELL WE MAINTAIN OUR SPORTS PARK, BUT THEY WANT TO SEE OUR FIELDS HERE IN THE SKY AT THAT SAME LEVEL. SO BEN VALLEZ, WHO'S OUR MAINTENANCE MANAGER, HIS TEAM AND HIM ARE WORKING TO IMPROVE OUR DIAMOND FIELDS. AND I THINK IF YOU TAKE A DRIVE AROUND, YOU SEE THEY'RE LOOKING BETTER AND BETTER THIS SEASON. ALSO, OUR FOCUS THIS YEAR IS GOING TO BE ON OUR FLAT FIELDS.

WE'VE GOT SOCCER PROGRAMS, WE'VE GOT AN INCREDIBLY LARGE YOUTH TACKLE AND TOUCH FOOTBALL PROGRAM THAT A PRIVATE ORGANIZATION RUNS HERE IN THE PARK. AND ANY GIVEN SATURDAY MORNING, THE PARK IS JUST HOPPING WITH LOTS OF ACTIVITY.

[05:12:40]

[05:12:48]

DO YOU GUYS PLAY BASEBALL? YES. WHO PLAYS BASEBALL? DIEGO DOES WHAT LUCAS. YOU DO TOO. YEAH.

ALL RIGHT, I LOVE THAT'S MY. IT'S MY FAVORITE SPORT IN THE WORLD. MY KIDS WHEN THEY WERE YOUR AGE USED TO PLAY THAT TOO. NOW JOINING ME NOW IS THE MOM OF THOSE TWO ADORABLE KIDS THAT YOU JUST SAW, DESIREE GONZALEZ. NICE TO SEE YOU. NICE TO SEE YOU. WOW, IT'S SO BEAUTIFUL OUT HERE.

IT IS. DOES THIS GET PACKED DURING THE WEEKENDS AND STUFF LIKE THAT? YEAH. YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY RIGHT NOW, IT'S GETTING WARMER. AND THE NIGHTS. BEAUTIFUL PARK OUT HERE IT IS.

SO. AND THE IMPROVEMENTS ARE JUST BEGINNING. YES I UNDERSTAND WE'RE GOING TO SEE SOME PICKLEBALL COURTS. YES. OKAY. WHERE ARE YOUR SONS. BECAUSE I LIKE TO MAKE NOISE. OKAY. YOU WANT TO GRAB ONE HERE? COME ON, COME ON, LUCAS, GRAB ONE. DON'T BE SHY. EVER. OH, YOU WANT MINE? OKAY. GO AHEAD. ARE WE READY? WELL, YOU CAN'T HAVE THEM BOTH. YOU CAN'T HAVE THEM BOTH. THAT'S YOU CRAZY KIDS TODAY THINKING THAT YOU GET THEM ALL. OKAY, DON'T GO ANYWHERE. YOU STAY WITH KTSM NINE NEWS.

[05:16:35]

THAT IS REALLY CLOSE TO THAT. LOOKING AT THE GOLF COURSE THIS ENTIRE TIME, AND IT LOOKS REALLY PRETTY. BUT I WILL TELL YOU THIS, WHEN WE CAME OUT HERE TO RECORD SOME OF THE STORIES, SOME OF THE COMPLAINTS, IF YOU WILL, FROM SOME OF THE PATRONS HERE WERE, HEY, I WANT TO SEE RENOVATIONS COMING INTO THIS PART OF THE AREA. AND OF COURSE, THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT VOTERS PASSED AND APPROVED IN TERMS OF SOME OF THOSE GO BONDS THAT YOU SAW ON THE BALLOT IN NOVEMBER.

SOME UPGRADES ARE COMING HERE TO ESCALATE. PARK. WE'RE GOING TO COVER SOME OF THAT, BUT A LOT TO DO HERE AT ASCOT PARK, THAT'S FOR SURE. WHETHER YOU'RE ON THE LAKE, YOU'RE BOATING, YOU'RE FISHING, WHETHER YOU'RE HERE AT THE GOLF COURSE, WHETHER YOU'RE PLAYING PICKLEBALL. I KNOW YOU GOT TO EXPERIENCE THAT FOR THE FIRST TIME, WHICH IS EXCITING. AS WELL AS THE FAMILY AQUATIC CENTER IS ALWAYS A FAVORITE. ABSOLUTELY. SO I GOT A CHANCE TO SPEAK WITH COUNTY OFFICIALS ABOUT THE RENOVATIONS AND SOME OF THE AMENITIES HERE AT THE PARK. TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT THEY HAD TO SAY. THE PARK WAS COMPLETED IN 1940. 48 ACRE LAKE WITH A LAKESIDE BOARDWALK, PICNIC AREAS, A GOLF COURSE AND PLAYGROUNDS. AND NEARLY A CENTURY LATER, WHILE SOME FEATURES AND ATTRACTIONS HAVE CHANGED, THE PARK'S ORIGINAL DESIGN AND INTENT HASN'T.

BEGINNING IN THE MID 1850S, ALL OF THE UNITED STATES LARGER CITIES WERE DESIGNING WHAT THEY CALLED PASSIVE PARKS. IT WAS PLACES WHERE YOU COULD GO, YOU COULD WALK, YOU COULD POSSIBLY RIDE A HORSE, YOU COULD PLAY SPORTS. THE INTENT WAS MULTIPLE USE. AND OBVIOUSLY THAT'S WHAT YOU SEE HERE. NOW BACK IN 2021, EL PASO COUNTY ADOPTED A MASTER PLAN FOR ITS PARKS, ASKING THE COMMUNITY TO SHARE THEIR VIEWS ON WHAT THE PARKS NEEDED, PROVIDING A BLUEPRINT FOR WORK TO BEGIN LOOKING AT AMENITIES THAT WE WILL ADD IN THE FUTURE. NEW AND IMPROVED PICNIC AREAS, THE WALKING AREAS, PLANTING MORE TREES. I THINK WE PLANTED JUST IN THE PAST TWO YEARS. WE PLANTED ABOUT 150 TREES. OVER THE YEARS, ATTRACTIONS HAVE COME AND GONE, RACE TRACKS AND DRAG BOATS, RAVES AND FISHING TOURNAMENTS AND OF COURSE THE CHILDHOOD ICON. MANY EL PASOANS STILL ASSOCIATE WITH THE SPRAWLING PARK, ALONG WITH THE AGE OLD QUESTION WHAT WOULD YOU DO TO GO TO WESTERN PLAYLAND? THE AMUSEMENT PARK'S FORMER FOOTPRINT HAS BEEN UPGRADED, MAKING WAY FOR MORE AND DIFFERENT ATTRACTIONS. WE ARE GOING TO BE REDOING THE AREA RIGHT OVER HERE WHERE WESTERN PLAYLAND USED TO BE. WE'RE CREATING A FESTIVAL AREA. WE'RE GOING TO BE PUTTING IN UNDERGROUND ELECTRIC SO THAT WE CAN BRING IN DIFFERENT SHOWS AND DIFFERENT PROGRAMING. AS FOR THE LAKE, THE UPKEEP AND MAINTENANCE IS JUST THE START. PREVIOUSLY, COUNTY OFFICIALS MENTIONED THEY WOULD HAVE TO DRAIN THE LAKE TO CLEAN IT, BUT COMMISSIONER DAVID STOUT SAYS THEY MAY HAVE FOUND A BETTER OPTION. THERE'S A CLAY LINER AT THE BOTTOM OF THE LAKE, BUT WE'VE FOUND OUT THROUGH ANALYSIS THAT THE LINER IS IN GOOD SHAPE. IT'S INTACT. WE'RE LOOKING AT POSSIBLY DOING NOW IS JUST DREDGING THE LAKE AND CLEANING SOME OF THE GUNK OUT OF THERE. I DON'T THINK WE'RE GOING TO NEED TO DRAIN THE LAKE IN THE END. WHAT MAKES THIS PARK AND THE LAKE SUCH AN IMPORTANT PIECE OF THE SUN? CITY'S TAPESTRY ISN'T NECESSARILY THE AMENITIES, BUT RATHER THE LOCATION. YOU HAVE THE FRANKLIN MOUNTAINS, YOU HAVE THE JUAREZ MOUNTAINS. YOU

[05:20:02]

ENJOY THE NATURE. HAVE SOME FUN. LEONARDO IS AN OUTDOOR ENTHUSIAST, AND THE HIKING BIKE TRAIL THAT'S RIGHT AT THE ENTRANCE TO THE PARK IS HIS NEW FAVORITE SPOT. WE'LL JUST BIKE ALONG THIS TRAIL SOMETIMES. GO ALONG THE PARK. THE PLAYA DRAIN TRAIL IS A UNIQUE TRAIL STRETCHING ALMOST SEVEN PICTURESQUE MILES FROM ASCARATE PARK ALL THE WAY TO CAPISTRANO PARK IN THE LOWER VALLEY. IT'S PART OF THIS LINEAR PARK PROGRAM THAT THE COUNTY AND THE CITY AND THE PASO DEL NORTE HEALTH FOUNDATION HAVE BEEN WORKING ON. COMMISSIONER DAVID STOUT SAYS THE TRAIL IS ONLY A SMALL PART OF A MUCH BIGGER PROJECT, A 75 MILE COUNTYWIDE TRAIL, TO BE EXACT. THE IDEA IS TO IS TO BUILD A LINEAR PARK OR HIKE AND BIKE TRAIL THAT SPANS BASICALLY FROM THE BORDER WITH DONA ANA COUNTY IN NEW MEXICO TO THE BORDER WITH HUDSPETH COUNTY ON THE EASTERN SIDE OF EL PASO COUNTY. THE PASO DEL NORTE TRAIL, WHICH BROKE GROUND IN 2018, AIMED AT DEVELOPING A COUNTYWIDE TRAIL, IS NOW PROMOTING HEALTHY LIVING FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS. WHEN IT'S NOT SO SUNNY, WE'LL COME HERE TO LIKE JUST GO ON THE BIKES. WHILE THE PROJECT ISN'T COMPLETE, THE TRAILS THAT ARE OPEN ARE METHODICALLY BEING CONNECTED.

PIECES OF TRANQUIL TRAILS CONNECTING NEIGHBORHOODS THROUGHOUT COUNTY, SOMETHING STOUT SAYS IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR THE COMMUNITY. YOU KNOW, THE MORE OPPORTUNITIES THAT PEOPLE HAVE, I THINK THE HEALTHIER OUR COMMUNITY IS GOING TO BE. LEONARDO AGREES. THE WINDING TRAILS, NOT ONLY STITCHING THE COUNTY TOGETHER, BUT BRINGING HIS FAMILY CLOSER AS WELL BECAUSE IT MAKES US STRONGER BOND RATHER THAN JUST BEING THERE AT HOME. THIS TRAIL AND JOINING US NOW IS TIM FULTON, THE DIRECTOR OF PARKS AND RECREATION. TIM, THANKS SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE WITH US. THANK YOU. YOU KNOW, AND, TIM, WE KIND OF TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT IT AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SHOW. AND THAT WAS, YOU KNOW, OUR VIEWERS, OUR AUDIENCE ARE VERY INVESTED IN ASCARATE. THEY WERE ASKING ABOUT THE LAKE WHEN WE'RE CLEANING THAT. BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT GOLF COURSES HERE. TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE MAINTENANCE OF IT. SURE. WELL, IT'S A LOT OF MAINTENANCE, AS EVERYONE KNOWS. I MEAN, IT TAKES A LOT OF WATER TO KEEP A GOLF COURSE GREEN, AND THAT'S OUR EXPECTATION. BUT RECENTLY WE HIRED A NEW GOLF COURSE. SUPERINTENDENT BRAD WEISS AND BRAD'S COME IN WITH A TON OF EXPERIENCE. I MEAN, LOTS AND LOTS OF YEARS OF EXPERIENCE. AND ONE OF THE THINGS BRAD IS DOING, HE'S REALLY TRYING TO GET OUR GREENS UP TO PRIMO CONDITION. WE ALSO ARE LOOKING AT OUR FAIRWAYS. WE REQUIRED SOME DIFFERENT MAINTENANCE. OUR FAIRWAYS HAD LOTS OF WEEDS. SO WE WANT TO ADDRESS THAT. THE OTHER THING WE'RE LOOKING AT HOW DO WE MANAGE OUR WATER. SO SOME OF THE THINGS WE'RE DOING IS WE'RE APPLYING PRODUCT TO OUR FAIRWAYS OR GREENS, WHICH WILL HELP THE SOIL ABSORB THAT WATER AND HOLD IT IN BETTER SO THAT WE HOPEFULLY ARE GOING TO REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF WATER WE'RE USING ON OUR COURSES AND CUT OUR COSTS DOWN MORE AND AT THE SAME TIME IMPROVE THAT MAINTENANCE.

[05:25:06]

YOU GUYS HAVE HAD A GREAT RESPONSE. IT SEEMS LIKE FROM YOUR YOUTH LEAGUES AND PLAYING KIDS PLAYING SPORTS HERE AT ASCOT PARK, BUT IN TURN ALSO A LOT OF WEAR AND TEAR ON SOME OF THOSE YOUTH LEAGUE FIELDS. YEAH, YOU KNOW, IT'S GREAT TO SEE BECAUSE OVER AND OVER WE HEAR HOW MUCH TIME OUR KIDS SPEND IN FRONT OF OUR SCREENS. BUT LET ME TELL YOU, THE KIDDOS OUT AT OUR SPORTS PARK, THEY'RE OUT THERE INTERACTING WITH EACH OTHER. THEY'RE LEARNING BASEBALL. AND I MEAN, THAT'S FROM AGES FOUR AND UNDER, ALL THE WAY UP TO OUR 12, ALMOST 13 YEAR OLDS. AND THE GROWTH IS TREMENDOUS LAST YEAR FOR OUR SUMMER LEAGUE, WHICH IS USUALLY OUR OUR SHORTER LEAGUE, WE WERE AT 150. I THINK WE'RE GOING TO HIT 250 TEAMS. THAT'S NOT PLAYERS, TEAMS. SO WE'RE BUSTING AT THE SEAMS AT THE SPORTS PARK. WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMMODATE THIS GROWTH AND IT'S A BIG CHALLENGE. THE OTHER THING WE'RE DOING, WE GOT KUDOS ABOUT HOW WELL WE MAINTAIN OUR SPORTS PARK, BUT THEY WANT TO SEE OUR FIELDS HERE IN THE CITY AT THAT SAME LEVEL. SO BEN VALLEZ, WHO'S OUR MAINTENANCE MANAGER, HIS TEAM AND HIM ARE WORKING TO IMPROVE OUR DIAMOND FIELDS. AND I THINK IF YOU TAKE A DRIVE AROUND, YOU SEE THEY'RE LOOKING BETTER AND BETTER THIS SEASON.

ALSO, OUR FOCUS THIS YEAR IS GOING TO BE ON OUR FLAT FIELDS. WE'VE GOT SOCCER PROGRAMS, WE'VE GOT AN INCREDIBLY LARGE YOUTH TACKLE AND TOUCH FOOTBALL PROGRAM THAT A PRIVATE ORGANIZATION RUNS HERE IN THE PARK. AND ANY GIVEN SATURDAY MORNING, THE PARK IS JUST HOPPING WITH LOTS OF ACTIVITY.

[05:34:30]

[05:35:04]

I'VE SEEN THAT. THEY'VE ALSO CHANGED A PARK A LOT BECAUSE THEY'VE ADDED BASEBALL FIELDS.

DO YOU GUYS PLAY BASEBALL? YES. WHO PLAYS BASEBALL? DIEGO DOES WHAT LUCAS. YOU DO TOO. YEAH.

ALL RIGHT I LOVE THAT'S MY. IT'S MY FAVORITE SPORT IN THE WORLD. MY KIDS WHEN THEY WERE YOUR AGE USED TO PLAY THAT TOO. NOW JOINING ME NOW IS THE MOM OF THOSE TWO ADORABLE KIDS THAT YOU JUST SAW, DESIREE GONZALEZ. NICE TO SEE YOU. NICE TO SEE YOU. WOW, IT'S SO BEAUTIFUL OUT HERE.

IT IS. DOES THIS GET PACKED DURING THE WEEKENDS AND STUFF LIKE THAT? YEAH. YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY RIGHT NOW IT'S GETTING WARMER AND THE NIGHTS BEAUTIFUL PARK OUT HERE IT IS.

SO AND THE IMPROVEMENTS ARE JUST BEGINNING. YES I UNDERSTAND WE'RE GOING TO SEE SOME PICKLEBALL COURTS. YES. OKAY. WHERE ARE YOUR SONS. BECAUSE I LIKE TO MAKE NOISE. OKAY. YOU WANT TO GRAB ONE HERE. COME ON, COME ON LUCAS, GRAB ONE. DON'T BE SHY. EVER. OH, YOU WANT MINE? OKAY. GO AHEAD. ARE WE READY? WELL, YOU CAN'T HAVE THEM BOTH. YOU CAN'T HAVE THEM BOTH. THAT'S YOU CRAZY KIDS TODAY THINKING THAT YOU GET THEM ALL. OKAY, DON'T GO ANYWHERE. YOU STAY WITH KTSM NINE NEWS.

THANK YOU FOR TUNING IN TO KTSM NINE NEWS AT SIX SMALL TOWN SPOTLIGHT. I'M ANDY MORGAN AND I'M MONICA CORTEZ. SO WE ARE COMING TO YOU LIVE FROM THE CLUBHOUSE HERE IN ASCARATE PARK.

THAT IS REALLY CLOSE TO THAT. LOOKING AT THE GOLF COURSE THIS ENTIRE TIME. ANDY, IT LOOKS REALLY PRETTY. BUT I WILL TELL YOU THIS, WHEN WE CAME OUT HERE TO RECORD SOME OF THE STORIES, SOME OF THE COMPLAINTS, IF YOU WILL, FROM SOME OF THE PATRONS HERE WERE, HEY, I WANT TO SEE RENOVATIONS COMING INTO THIS PART OF THE AREA. AND OF COURSE, THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT VOTERS PASSED AND APPROVED IN TERMS OF SOME OF THOSE GO BONDS THAT YOU SAW ON THE BALLOT IN NOVEMBER.

SOME UPGRADES ARE COMING HERE TO ESCORT PARK. WE'RE GOING TO COVER SOME OF THAT, BUT A LOT TO DO HERE AT ASCOT PARK, THAT'S FOR SURE. WHETHER YOU'RE ON THE LAKE OR BOATING, YOU'RE FISHING, WHETHER YOU'RE HERE AT THE GOLF COURSE, WHETHER YOU'RE PLAYING PICKLEBALL. I KNOW YOU GOT TO EXPERIENCE THAT FOR THE FIRST TIME, WHICH IS EXCITING. AS WELL AS THE FAMILY AQUATIC CENTER IS ALWAYS A FAVORITE. ABSOLUTELY. SO I GOT A CHANCE TO SPEAK WITH COUNTY OFFICIALS ABOUT THE RENOVATIONS AND SOME OF THE AMENITIES HERE AT THE PARK. TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT THEY HAD TO SAY.

THE PARK WAS COMPLETED IN 1940. 48 ACRE LAKE WITH A LAKESIDE BOARDWALK, PICNIC AREAS, A GOLF COURSE AND PLAYGROUNDS. AND NEARLY A CENTURY LATER, WHILE SOME FEATURES AND ATTRACTIONS HAVE CHANGED, THE PARK'S ORIGINAL DESIGN AND INTENT HASN'T. BEGINNING IN THE MID 1850S, ALL OF THE UNITED STATES LARGER CITIES WERE DESIGNING WHAT THEY CALLED PASSIVE PARKS.

IT WAS PLACES WHERE YOU COULD GO, YOU COULD WALK, YOU COULD POSSIBLY RIDE A HORSE, YOU COULD

[05:40:01]

BACK IN 2021, EL PASO COUNTY ADOPTED A MASTER PLAN FOR ITS PARKS, ASKING THE COMMUNITY TO SHARE THEIR VIEWS ON WHAT PARKS NEEDED, PROVIDING A BLUEPRINT FOR WORK TO BEGIN LOOKING AT AMENITIES THAT WE WILL ADD IN THE FUTURE. NEW AND IMPROVED PICNIC AREAS, THE WALKING AREAS, PLANTING MORE TREES. I THINK WE PLANTED JUST IN THE PAST TWO YEARS. WE PLANTED ABOUT 150 TREES. OVER THE YEARS, ATTRACTIONS HAVE COME AND GONE, RACE TRACKS AND DRAG BOATS, RAVES AND FISHING TOURNAMENTS AND OF COURSE THE CHILDHOOD ICON. MANY EL PASOANS STILL ASSOCIATE WITH THE SPRAWLING PARK, ALONG WITH THE AGE OLD QUESTION WHAT WOULD YOU DO TO GO TO WESTERN PLAYLAND? THE AMUSEMENT PARK'S FORMER FOOTPRINT HAS BEEN UPGRADED, MAKING WAY FOR MORE AND DIFFERENT ATTRACTIONS. WE ARE GOING TO BE REDOING THE AREA RIGHT OVER HERE WHERE WESTERN PLAYLAND USED TO BE. WE'RE CREATING A FESTIVAL AREA. WE'RE GOING TO BE PUTTING IN AN UNDERGROUND ELECTRIC SO THAT WE CAN BRING IN DIFFERENT SHOWS AND DIFFERENT PROGRAMING. AS FOR THE LAKE, THE UPKEEP AND MAINTENANCE IS JUST THE START. PREVIOUSLY, COUNTY OFFICIALS MENTIONED THEY WOULD HAVE TO DRAIN THE LAKE TO CLEAN IT, BUT COMMISSIONER DAVID STOUT SAYS THEY MAY HAVE FOUND A BETTER OPTION. THERE'S A CLAY LINER AT THE BOTTOM OF THE LAKE, BUT WE'VE FOUND OUT THROUGH ANALYSIS THAT THE LINER IS IN GOOD SHAPE. IT'S INTACT. WE'RE LOOKING AT POSSIBLY DOING NOW IS JUST DREDGING THE LAKE AND CLEANING SOME OF THE GUNK OUT OF THERE. I DON'T THINK WE'RE GOING TO NEED TO DRAIN THE LAKE IN THE END. WHAT MAKES THIS PARK AND THE LAKE SUCH AN IMPORTANT PIECE OF THE SUN? CITY'S TAPESTRY ISN'T NECESSARILY THE AMENITIES, BUT RATHER THE LOCATION. YOU HAVE THE FRANKLIN MOUNTAINS, YOU HAVE THE JUAREZ MOUNTAINS. YOU CAN LOOK AND YOU JUST SEE WHAT A GREAT PLACE WE ARE. I MEAN, IT'S THE COMING TOGETHER OF TWO COUNTRIES, THREE STATES, AND IT'S RIGHT HERE. AND THAT'S PRETTY UNIQUE IN THE WORLD IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT.

ENJOY THE NATURE. HAVE SOME FUN. LEONARDO IS AN OUTDOOR ENTHUSIAST, AND THE HIKING BIKE TRAIL THAT'S RIGHT AT THE ENTRANCE TO ASCARATE PARK IS HIS NEW FAVORITE SPOT. WE'LL JUST BIKE ALONG THIS TRAIL SOMETIMES. GO ALONG THE PARK. THE PLAYA DRAIN TRAIL IS A UNIQUE TRAIL STRETCHING ALMOST SEVEN PICTURESQUE MILES FROM ASCOT PARK ALL THE WAY TO CAPISTRANO PARK IN THE LOWER VALLEY. IT'S PART OF THIS LINEAR PARK PROGRAM THAT THE COUNTY AND THE CITY AND THE PASO DEL NORTE HEALTH FOUNDATION HAVE BEEN WORKING ON, COMMISSIONER DAVID STOUT SAYS THE TRAIL IS ONLY A SMALL PART OF A MUCH BIGGER PROJECT, A 75 MILE COUNTYWIDE TRAIL, TO BE EXACT. THE IDEA IS TO IS TO BUILD A LINEAR PARK OR HIKING BIKE TRAIL THAT SPANS BASICALLY FROM THE BORDER WITH DONA ANA COUNTY IN NEW MEXICO TO THE BORDER WITH HUDSPETH COUNTY ON THE EASTERN SIDE OF EL PASO COUNTY. THE PASO DEL NORTE TRAIL, WHICH BROKE GROUND IN 2018, AIMED AT DEVELOPING A COUNTY WIDE TRAIL, IS NOW PROMOTING HEALTHY LIVING FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS. WHEN IT'S NOT SO SUNNY, WE'LL COME HERE TO LIKE, JUST GO ON THE BIKES.

[05:45:03]