[00:05:51]
          COUNTY ENGAGED WITH OUR RESIDENTS TO ADDRESS THEIR NEEDS AND PREPARE FOR THE 
          [00:05:55]
FUTURE. SEE WHAT EL PASO COUNTY HAS GOING ON THIS SUMMER. EL PASO COUNTY'S PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT HELD WEEKLY INFORMATION AND FEEDBACK SESSIONS AT ASCOT AT THE PARK. 
          THESE MEETINGS CONCERNED THE PROPOSED IMPROVEMENTS TO THE PARK AND CHANGES TO THE LAKES AT ASCARATE. THE SESSIONS ALLOWED RESIDENTS TO SEE CONCEPTS OF WHAT IS PLANNED AND TO PROVIDE THEIR INPUT ON WHAT THEY WANT, INCLUDING THEIR PREFERENCES FOR THE LARGE AND SMALL LAKES. AT ASCARATE. EL PASO COUNTY IS DEDICATED TO INCLUDE THE PUBLIC THROUGHOUT THE COMPLETION OF THIS CRITICAL PROJECT. THE EL PASO COUNTY COMMUNITY SERVICES OFFICE OF NEW AMERICANS RECENTLY HOSTED A LARGE SCALE COMMUNITY LISTENING SESSION AND RESOURCE FAIR AS PART OF THE GATEWAYS FOR GROWTH TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE GRANT AWARDED TO EL PASO COUNTY. THE EVENT BROUGHT TOGETHER 60 ATTENDEES REPRESENTING 40 PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS, INCLUDING NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, INTERFAITH EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, AND HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS. THE EVENT FEATURED AN INTERACTIVE FORMAT DESIGNED TO ENCOURAGE MEANINGFUL DIALOG AND COLLABORATION, RATHER THAN A TRADITIONAL CONFERENCE SETUP. 
          PARTICIPANTS ENGAGED IN FACILITATED SMALL GROUP DISCUSSIONS, SHARED IDEAS AND RECOMMENDATIONS, AND NETWORKED WITH ORGANIZATIONS WORKING TO STRENGTHEN OUR COMMUNITY. 
          FEEDBACK GATHERED DURING THE LISTENING SESSION WILL HELP INFORM THE DEVELOPMENT OF EL PASO COUNTY'S WELCOMING STRATEGIC PLAN, A COMMUNITY DRIVEN ROADMAP THAT WILL IDENTIFY PRIORITIES AND STRATEGIES TO MAKE OUR REGION MORE WELCOMING, INCLUSIVE AND CONNECTED. SEVEN YEARS AGO, OUR COMMUNITY CHANGED BECAUSE OF A HORRIBLE TRAGEDY. TO HONOR THE VICTIMS OF AUGUST 3RD, 2019 WALMART SHOOTING. COMMUNITY LEADERS, VICTIMS, FAMILIES AND RESIDENTS GATHERED AT THE PARK HEALING GARDEN ON AUGUST 2ND TO HOLD A VIGIL IN THEIR HONOR. 
          THE EVENT INCLUDED A PRAYER SERVICE, MOMENT OF SILENCE, READING OF NAMES AND RELEASE OF WHITE DOVES. EL PASO COUNTY REMAINS COMMITTED TO PROVIDE A SPACE IN THE HEALING GARDEN FOR OUR COMMUNITY TO MEDITATE, REFLECT AND HONOR OUR LOST COMMUNITY MEMBERS. THE COMMISSIONERS COURT AND EL PASO COUNTY HOSPITAL DISTRICT HELD A JOINT SPECIAL SESSION MEETING TO DISCUSS THE 2027 TAX RATE FOR THE COUNTY'S PUBLIC HOSPITAL. THE HOSPITAL DISTRICT OVERSEES UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER, EL PASO CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL AND EL PASO HEALTH HOSPITAL. ADMINISTRATION PROPOSED A NO NEW REVENUE TAX RATE OF 0.236904 FOR FISCAL YEAR 2027. IF THIS RATE IS APPROVED LATER THIS MONTH, THIS WOULD MEAN THAT THE PORTION OF YOUR PROPERTY TAXES DEDICATED TO OUR COUNTY HOSPITAL WOULD NOT INCREASE. HOSPITAL BOARD MEMBERS AND COUNTY COMMISSIONERS APPROVED THE PROPOSED RATE, AND THE COURT IS SCHEDULED TO ADOPT IT TOWARDS THE END OF AUGUST. THAT DOES IT FOR THIS EDITION OF COUNTY CONNECTS. STAY TUNED AND MAKE SURE TO STAY CONNECTED WITH EL PASO COUNTY. 
          [00:11:49]
EVERY DAY, EL PASO COUNTY WORKS TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR OUR RESIDENTS. SOMETIMES THAT WORK HAPPENS HERE AT HOME. SOMETIMES IT TAKES US ACROSS TEXAS, ACROSS THE NATION AND AROUND THE WORLD. COUNTY LEADERS ADVOCATE FOR INFRASTRUCTURE, PUBLIC SAFETY, VETERANS SERVICES, TRANSPORTATION, AND MENTAL HEALTH PRIORITIES IMPORTANT TO OUR RESIDENTS. THROUGH LEGISLATIVE MEETINGS, FUNDING REQUESTS, AND VARIOUS POLICY DISCUSSIONS, YOUR COUNTY IS WORKING TO ENSURE EL PASO'S VOICE IS HEARD. STRONG PARTNERSHIPS HELP BRING RESOURCES, EXPERTISE AND OPPORTUNITIES BACK TO EL PASO COUNTY. THROUGH COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS WITH OUR STATE AND FEDERAL PARTNERS, OUR POSITION ON CRITICAL MATTERS CAN BE SHARED AND HEARD BY THOSE MAKING DECISIONS AT THE HIGHEST LEVELS. PARTICIPATION IN ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES, TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES, AND OTHER PROFESSIONAL NETWORKS, ALSO ALLOWS COUNTY LEADERS TO LEARN FROM SUCCESSFUL PROGRAMS ACROSS. LIVE FROM EL PASO COUNTY, TEXAS, THE VETERANS CAPITAL OF THE USA. FROM INSIDE THE ALICIA CHACON COMMISSIONERS COURTROOM OF THE ENRIQUE MORENO COUNTY COURTHOUSE. YOU ARE WATCHING THE EL PASO COUNTY COMMISSIONERS COURT MEETING. GOOD MORNING, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN. TODAY IS MONDAY, AUGUST 24TH, 2026. COMMISSIONERS COURT IS MEETING IN REGULAR OPEN SESSION. THIS MORNING, WE'RE JOINED BY ASL INTERPRETERS DARIO GARCIA, KATYA GARCIA, AND SELENA SALLOUM. COMMISSIONER OLGUIN, WOULD YOU LIKE TO INTRODUCE THIS MORNING'S PLEDGE GROUP? YES. THANK YOU. GOOD MORNING EVERYONE. SO THIS MORNING WE ARE BEING JOINED BY THE FIFTH GRADE DUAL LANGUAGE STUDENTS AT DOCTOR SUE, A SHOOK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE WITH US. AND I JUST WANT TO TAKE REALLY QUICKLY A MOMENT TO THANK PRINCIPAL CRISTINA SANCHEZ CERVERA FOR MAKING IT POSSIBLE FOR THE STUDENTS TO BE WITH US THIS MORNING. THANK YOU. 
          [1. OPEN MEETING]
WELCOME. PLEASE RISE FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. ARE YOU READY, STUDENTS? OF THE UNITED 
          [2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE]
STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS. ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. THE TEXAS FLAG. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THEE. 
          TEXAS. ONE STATE UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE. PLEASE REMAIN STANDING FOR A MOMENT OF SILENCE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. GREAT JOB. WE APPRECIATE THIS MAKES OUR 
          [00:15:04]
DAY A LOT HAPPIER. THANK YOU. HAVE A GOOD DAY. NEXT, WE'LL RECEIVE AN INVOCATION FROM RABBI BEN ZEIDMAN WITH TEMPLE MOUNT SINAI. WELCOME. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH. COUNTY JUDGE. 
          SAMANIEGO. COMMISSIONERS. BUTLER. STOUT. HOLGUIN. CORONADO. IN HONOR OF OUR COUNTRY'S 250TH YEAR, THE JEWISH COMMUNITY HAS BEEN REFLECTING DEEPLY ON THE UNIQUE 
          [3. INVOCATION]
EXPERIENCE HERE IN OUR COUNTRY AND OUR COMMUNITY. THE CORE VALUES OF OUR FOUNDERS ESTABLISHED A CULTURE OF FREEDOM WHICH ENABLED ALL PEOPLE, INCLUDING JEWISH PEOPLE, TO SUPPORT AND PARTICIPATE IN SOCIETY. SINCE AMERICA'S EARLIEST DAYS, IN WAYS WHICH WERE NOT PERMITTED FOR 2000 YEARS OF JEWISH HISTORY ANYWHERE ELSE. FAMOUSLY, PRESIDENT GEORGE WASHINGTON WROTE IN RESPONSE TO A LETTER WRITTEN BY THE JEWISH CONGREGATION IN NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND, IN AUGUST OF 1790. HIS WORDS WILL, I PRAY, MOTIVATE YOU AND ALL OF US IN THE WORK OF GOVERNMENT TODAY? WASHINGTON WROTE UNIVERSALLY, IF WE HAVE WISDOM TO MAKE THE BEST USE OF THE ADVANTAGES WITH WHICH WE ARE NOW FAVORED, WE CANNOT FAIL UNDER THE JUST ADMINISTRATION OF A GOOD GOVERNMENT TO BECOME A GREAT AND HAPPY PEOPLE. IT IS NOW NO MORE THAT TOLERATION IS SPOKEN OF AS IF IT WAS BY THE INDULGENCE OF ONE CLASS OF PEOPLE THAT ANOTHER ENJOYED THE EXERCISE OF THEIR INHERENT NATURAL RIGHTS, FOR HAPPILY, THIS GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES, WHICH GIVES TO BIGOTRY NO SANCTION, TO PERSECUTION, NO ASSISTANCE, REQUIRES ONLY THAT THEY WHO LIVE UNDER ITS PROTECTION SHOULD DEMEAN THEMSELVES AS GOOD CITIZENS IN GIVING IT ON ALL OCCASIONS THEIR EFFECTUAL SUPPORT, AND PERHAPS WITH SOME PREMONITION TO THE RISING ANTISEMITISM WE ARE EXPERIENCING IN OUR COUNTRY AND OUR COMMUNITY TODAY, ALONG WITH RISING HATE AGAINST ALL PEOPLE. WASHINGTON CONCLUDED HIS LETTER IN 1790 THIS WAY MAY THE CHILDREN OF THE STOCK OF ABRAHAM, WHO DWELL IN THIS LAND CONTINUE TO MERIT AND ENJOY THE GOODWILL OF ALL OF THE OTHER INHABITANTS, WHILE EVERYONE SHALL SIT IN SAFETY UNDER HIS OWN VINE AND FIG TREE, AND THERE SHALL BE NONE TO MAKE HIM AFRAID. WE PRAY THAT THE WORK OF GOVERNMENT. MAY YOUR WORK HERE TODAY BE A SOURCE OF STRENGTH FOR OUR COMMUNITY, AND EVERY INDIVIDUAL WHO LIVES WITHIN IT. MAY WE ALL FIND WAYS TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE WORKING TO SUPPORT EVERY GOOD EFFORT TO ESTABLISH JUSTICE, FREEDOM AND PEACE. AMEN. THANK YOU RABBI. ALWAYS WELCOME HERE. THANK YOU. JUDGE. DO YOU HAVE ANY OPENING REMARKS FOR US THIS MORNING? YEAH. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE THAT AND WELCOME ALL OF YOU HERE. WE HAVE TWO GREAT RESOLUTIONS. AND WE KEEP SAYING THAT WE YOU KNOW, WE FEEL SO GOOD ABOUT RECOGNIZING THE INDIVIDUALS AND THE ORGANIZATIONS IN OUR COMMUNITY. 
          IT'S ONE OF THE, THE THINGS THAT REALLY HIGHLIGHTS OUR COMMISSIONERS COURT. ON BEHALF OF THE COMMISSIONERS AND MYSELF, WE ALWAYS ARE VERY PLEASED AND VERY THANKFUL THAT YOU COME AND JOIN US DURING COMMISSIONERS COURT. SO WE THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. I HOPE YOU HAVE A GREAT MONDAY AND VERY AND A VERY, VERY BLESSED WEEK. THANK YOU SIR. ITEM NUMBER FOUR IS THE CONSENT AGENDA COMPOSED OF ITEMS FOR A THROUGH FOR A G. DO WE HAVE ANY ITEMS THAT MEMBERS OF THE COURT OR THE PUBLIC WOULD LIKE TO PULL FOR INDIVIDUAL DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE. MOVE TO APPROVE. SUSAN. THANK YOU JUDGE. WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE FROM JUDGE 
          [4. CONSENT AGENDA]
SAMANIEGO AND A SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER CORONADO. THE VOTING IS OPEN. I WILL I THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER. I THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER BUTLER. I THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER STOUT. MOTION CARRIES. ITEM NUMBER FIVE A RESOLUTIONS A PROVEN. ADOPT A RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING RICARDO PEPI FOR HIS SELECTION TO THE UNITED STATES MEN'S NATIONAL TEAM FOR THE 2026 FIFA WORLD CUP AND DECLARING AUGUST 24TH, 2026 AS RICARDO PEPI DAY IN EL PASO COUNTY, TEXAS. WELL, THANK YOU. I'M VERY PRIVILEGED. WE DID NOT WANT TO LET THIS ONE GO BY. RICARDO PEPI HAS DONE SUCH 
          [5. RESOLUTIONS]
          [A. Approve and adopt a resolution recognizing Ricardo Pepi for his selection to the United States Men’s National Team for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and declaring August 24, 2026, as “Ricardo Pepi Day” in El Paso County, Texas.
Ricardo A. Samaniego, County Judge, County Judge's Office, 915-273-3591]
A AN AMAZING JOB TO KEEP US ON THE MAP. BEING FROM EL PASO, WE'RE VERY PROUD OF HIM. SO WE'RE VERY GRATEFUL THAT WE'RE ABLE TO HE NOT ABLE TO BE HERE TODAY, BUT HE'S ONLINE AND 
          [00:20:03]
WE'LL HEAR FROM HIM IN A FEW MINUTES. AFTER I READ THE RESOLUTION WAS. EL PASO HAS A LONG AND PROUD TRADITION OF SOCCER THAT BRINGS TOGETHER PEOPLE OF ALL AGES, BACKGROUNDS, AND CULTURES SERVING AS A UNIFYING FORCE THROUGHOUT THE BORDERLAND AND REFLECTING THE STRONG BINATIONAL TIES THAT DEFINE OUR REGION. AND WHEREAS PLAYERS SUCH AS RICARDO PEPI, WHO WAS BORN IN SAN ELIZARIO, TEXAS ON JANUARY 9TH, 2003 TO ANNETTE AND DANIEL PEPI, EXEMPLIFYING THE TALENT, DETERMINATION AND PASSION FOR SOCCER THAT STRIVE IN THE BORDERLAND REGION, INSPIRING FUTURE GENERATIONS THROUGH HIS ACHIEVEMENTS ON THE NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL STAGE. WHEREAS, FROM AN EARLY AGE, RICARDO DEMONSTRATED AN EXTRAORDINARY COMMITMENT TO PURSUING HIS DREAM OF BECOMING A PROFESSIONAL SOCCER PLAYER. 
          AND AT THE AGE OF 12, HE AND HIS FAMILY MOVED TO THE DALLAS AREA TO CONTINUE PROVIDING HIM WITH OPPORTUNITIES TO DEVELOP HIS TALENT AND ADVANCE HIS SOCCER CAREER. AND WHEREAS RICARDO'S DEDICATION AND TALENT LED HIM TO THE FC DALLAS, WHERE HE SIGNED HIS FIRST PROFESSIONAL CONTRACT AT THE AGE OF 15, BEGINNING A PROFESSIONAL CAREER THAT WOULD TAKE HIM FROM TEXAS TO THE HIGHEST LEVELS OF INTERNATIONAL SOCCER AND WAS. RICARDO CONTINUED TO DISTINGUISH HIMSELF AS ONE OF THE NATION'S MOST PROMISING YOUNG PLAYERS, MAKING HIS DEBUT WITH THE UNITED STATES MEN'S NATIONAL TEAM AT JUST 18 YEARS OLD AND SUBSEQUENTLY COMPLETING A RECORD SETTING MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER TRANSFER TO GERMANY, WHERE HE CONTINUED HIS PROFESSIONAL CAREER ON THE INTERNATIONAL STAGE. AND WHEREAS IN 2026, AFTER FIVE YEARS OF PLAYING PROFESSIONALLY IN EUROPE, RICARDO PEPI ACHIEVED ONE OF THE HIGHEST HONORS IN THE SPORT BY BEING SELECTED TO REPRESENT THE UNITED STATES MEN'S NATIONAL TEAM IN THE FIFA WORLD CUP 2026, JOINING THE WORLD'S MOST PRESTIGIOUS SOCCER TOURNAMENT AND SERVING AS AN INSPIRATION TO YOUNG ATHLETES ACROSS EL PASO COUNTY, THE STATE OF TEXAS AND THE NATION. NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT THE EL PASO COUNTY JUDGE AND COMMISSIONERS COURT HEREBY CONGRATULATES RICARDO PEPI FOR HIS ELECTION TO THE UNITED STATES MEN'S NATIONAL TEAM FOR 2026 FIFA WORLD CUP AND DECLARE AUGUST THE 24TH 2026. AS RICARDO PEPI DAY SIGNED THIS 24TH DAY OF AUGUST 2026, WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE FROM JUDGE SAMANIEGO AND A SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER STOUT. VOTING IS OPEN. I THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER. MOTION CARRIES. I KNOW YOU. I KNOW YOU'RE KNOWN AS PEPPY, BUT I LIKE THE NAME RICARDO A LITTLE BIT BETTER BECAUSE THAT'S IT'S ALMOST OKAY. BUT SO PEPPY. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE. AND WE'LL ALSO HEAR FROM YOUR MANAGER. BUT IF YOU'D LIKE TO GIVE US A FEW WORDS AND LET US KNOW ABOUT YOUR JOURNEY, YOU CAN UNMUTE. RICARDO. THERE YOU GO. HEY, HEY, THANK YOU, YOUR HONOR, FOR THIS INCREDIBLE, YOU KNOW, RECOGNITION. I'M DEEPLY GRATEFUL AND HONORED TO RECEIVE THIS RECOGNITION FROM THE CITY OF EL PASO. AND NO MATTER WHERE MY SPORTS TAKES ME, I'LL ALWAYS CARRY THE PRIDE AND THE CULTURE OF EL PASO WITH ME. I'M PROUD TO REPRESENT MY CITY, MY COMMUNITY. AND IT TRULY MEANS A LOT TO TO ME, TO MY FAMILY. AND YOU KNOW, THANK YOU FOR ALL THE LOVE AND SUPPORT. APPRECIATE THAT TOO MUCH. I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW MUCH IT MAKES US FEEL GOOD WHEN YOU SAY NO MATTER WHERE YOU GO, YOU'RE GOING TO REMEMBER EL PASO. THIS IS A GREAT PLACE. PEOPLE LIKE YOURSELVES HAVE GREAT SUCCESSES, AND IT REALLY HELPS US, RICARDO, TO BE ABLE TO GET PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND THERE'S MUCH MORE TO EL PASO THAN THEY THINK. THERE'S MORE TO EL PASO THAN THE NARRATIVES THAT GO AROUND. 
          AND IT'S INDIVIDUALS LIKE YOU THAT MAKE SUCH A DIFFERENCE. SO I KNOW YOU'RE GOING TO BE OUR GREAT AMBASSADOR FOR A LONG TIME. AND ANYTIME YOU COME BACK TO EL PASO, WE'RE GOING TO BE HERE FOR YOU AS WELL. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT. JAIME. IF YOU WANT TO ADD A. 
          ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU, JUDGE SAMANIEGO. AND OF COURSE, EVERYONE WHO HELPED OUT AND WHO IS HERE TODAY TO CELEBRATE THIS RESOLUTION. ON BEHALF OF THE PEPI FAMILY AND MYSELF, WE JUST WANT TO EXPRESS THE IMPORTANCE THAT THE EL PASO COMMUNITY HAS TO US. RICARDO CARRIES THE VALUES INSTILLED IN HIM BY THIS COMMUNITY AND ITS WONDERFUL PEOPLE. VALUES LIKE TOGETHERNESS, FAMILY, HARD WORK, RESPECT, AND ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT TO SERVE OTHERS. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT RICARDO HAS ALWAYS BEEN AWARE OF AND TRIED TO ACCOMPLISH FOR HIS COMMUNITY 
          [00:25:04]
IS VISIBILITY. YOU CAN'T CHANGE WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW AND DON'T SEE. SO THROUGH VISIBILITY AND STAYING CONNECTED TO HIS COMMUNITY, I KNOW RICARDO HOPES TO GUIDE, INSPIRE AND HELP NOT ONLY HIS COMMUNITY, BUT ALSO THE YOUNGER GENERATIONS TO COME. SO RICARDO, ON BEHALF OF YOUR FAMILY AND EVERYONE HERE, WE'RE PROUD OF WHO YOU ARE AND THE SACRIFICES YOU MADE AND THE PERSEVERANCE YOU CONTINUE TO DEMONSTRATE. AND WITH THAT, I HAND THAT OVER TO YOU, JUDGE SAMANIEGO. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. SIMON, I WANT TO HEAR FROM OUR COMMISSIONER FROM THE AREA. I'D LOVE TO HEAR FROM HER AS WELL. THANK YOU, JUDGE RICARDO. SO MY NAME IS ELIANA OLGUIN AND I'M THE EL PASO COUNTY COMMISSIONER WHO ACTUALLY REPRESENTS THE AREA WHERE SAN ELIZARIO IS LOCATED. AND I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW HOW MUCH EXCITEMENT AND HOW MUCH LOVE WAS BEING SENT YOUR WAY BY THE RESIDENTS OF SAN ELIZARIO DURING THE WORLD CUP. IT WAS SUCH AN INCREDIBLE FEELING. EVERY TIME I WENT TO SAN ELIZARIO CONSTANTLY IN THE PARK, YOU SEE KIDS RUNNING, PLAYING SOCCER, AND ALL OF THEM WERE SAYING, I'M GOING TO BE LIKE PEPE ONE DAY. AND SO I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW THE INCREDIBLE EFFECT THAT YOU HAD ON THE RESIDENTS AND THE CHILDREN, AND PARTICULARLY THE STUDENT ATHLETES OF YOUR HOMETOWN IN SAN ELIZARIO. SO I HOPE YOU FELT ALL OF THE LOVE THAT THEY WERE SENDING YOUR WAY, BECAUSE YOU WERE DEFINITELY IN THEIR PRAYERS EVERY SINGLE DAY. RICARDO. AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE YOUR RESOLUTION. WE'LL TRY TO GET IT TO YOU AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. WE'RE GOING TO SEE IF WE COULD PUT YOU UP THERE ON THE SCREEN AND HAVE THE COMMISSIONER AND MYSELF TAKE A PICTURE, IF YOU DON'T MIND. SO WE'LL GO DOWN THERE. THANK YOU. GRACIAS. STAND BY. WE'RE GOING TO TAKE A PICTURE WITH YOUR WEBCAMS ON STAND BY. 
          ITEM NUMBER FIVE. BE APPROVE AND ADOPT A RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING CANDLELIGHTERS OF EL PASO FOR ITS DEDICATION TO SUPPORTING CHILDREN AND FAMILIES AFFECTED BY CHILDHOOD CANCER, AND FOR ITS INVALUABLE SERVICE AND CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE PEOPLE OF EL PASO COUNTY, TEXAS. THANK YOU. THIS IS SO SPECIAL. OBVIOUSLY. ALSO, WE HAVE UMC 
          [B. Approve and adopt a resolution recognizing Candlelighters of El Paso for its dedication to supporting children and families affected by childhood cancer and for its invaluable service and contributions to the people of El Paso County, Texas.
Ricardo A. Samaniego, County Judge, County Judge's Office, 915-273-3591]
HERE, AND OF COURSE, THERE'S A GREAT CONNECTION TO THE CANDLELIGHTERS WITH UMC AND OUR CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL AND THIS BEAUTIFUL FAMILY THAT THAT'S JOINING US. SO VERY, VERY, VERY HEARTFELT AND, AND VERY THANKFUL TO BE ABLE TO READ THIS, THIS RESOLUTION. WHEREAS CANDLELIGHTERS OF EL PASO HAS SERVED AS A SOURCE OF HOPE, STRENGTH, COMPASSION AND SUPPORT FOR CHILDREN DIAGNOSED WITH CANCER AND THEIR FAMILIES THROUGHOUT EL PASO. AND THE BORDERLAND COMMUNITY WITH A CHILDHOOD CANCER DIAGNOSIS AFFECTS NOT ONLY THE CHILD UNDERGOING TREATMENT, BUT THE ENTIRE FAMILY, BRINGING EMOTIONAL, PHYSICAL AND FINANCIAL CHALLENGES THAT NO FAMILY SHOULD FACE ALONE. WHEREAS, CANDLELIGHTERS OF EL PASO PROVIDES CRITICAL PROGRAMS AND SERVICES AT NO COST TO THE FAMILY IT SERVES, INCLUDING EMERGENCY FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE, PSYCHOLOGICAL SUPPORT, EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES, THERAPEUTIC PROGRAMS, FAMILY ACTIVITIES, AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR CHILDREN AND THEIR SIBLINGS TO EXPERIENCE MOMENTS OF JOY DURING EXTRAORDINARY DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES AND THROUGH THE GENEROSITY OF DONORS, VOLUNTEERS, HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS, BUSINESSES AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS. CANDLELIGHTERS OF EL PASO HAS BUILT A COMPASSIONATE NETWORK OF SUPPORT AND CONTINUES TO SERVE PATIENTS, SURVIVORS, SIBLINGS, PARENTS AND FAMILIES 
          [00:30:06]
LONG AFTER TREATMENT ENDS. AND WHEREAS, THE SEPTEMBER DURING CHILDHOOD CANCER AWARENESS MONTH, COMMUNITIES UNITE TO HONOR CHILDREN CURRENTLY FIGHTING CANCER. CELEBRATE SURVIVORS. REMEMBER THOSE WHO HAVE LOST THEIR LIVES, RECOGNIZE THE STRENGTH OF THEIR FAMILIES, AND RAISE AWARENESS OF THE CONTINUED NEED TO SUPPORT CHILDREN AFFECTED BY CANCER. AND WHEREAS, CANDLELIGHTERS OF EL PASO FURTHERS THIS MISSION TO ITS ANNUAL WALK OF HOPE, BRINGING TOGETHER CHILDHOOD CANCER FAMILIES, SURVIVAL HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS, COMMUNITY LEADERS, VOLUNTEERS AND RESIDENTS ACROSS THE BORDERLAND. 
          IN A POWERFUL DEMONSTRATION OF REMEMBRANCE, AWARENESS, HOPE AND UNITY. WHEREAS, THE 2026 CANDLELIGHTERS WALK OF HOPE TO BE HELD ON SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER THE 12TH, 2026 AT ESCALANTE PARK, PROVIDES AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE COMMUNITY TO HONOR EVERY CHILD WHO HAS FOUGHT CHILDHOOD CANCER. CELEBRATE SURVIVORS, REMEMBER OUR ANGELS, SUPPORT THEIR FAMILIES AND REAFFIRM THAT NO FAMILY SHOULD FACE CHILDHOOD CANCER ALONE. WHEREAS, CANDLELIGHTERS OF EL PASO'S DEDICATION DEMONSTRATES THE EXTRAORDINARY IMPACT THAT COMPASSION, ADVOCACY, COLLABORATION, AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT CAN HAVE IN THE LIVES OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES FACING CHILDHOOD CANCER. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT THE EL PASO COUNTY JUDGE AND COMMISSIONERS COURT RECOGNIZES AND COMMENDS CANDLELIGHTERS OF EL PASO FOR ITS UNWAVERING COMMITMENT TO CHILDREN AND FAMILIES AFFECTED BY CHILDHOOD CANCER AND FOR ITS INVALUABLE SERVICE TO THE EL PASO AND BORDERLAND COMMUNITY, AND ENCOURAGES THE COMMUNITY TO JOIN CANDLELIGHTERS OF EL PASO DURING CHILDHOOD CANCER AWARENESS MONTH AND AT THE 2026 CANDLELIGHTERS WALK OF HOPE. SEPTEMBER THE 12TH, 2026 TO HONOR CHILDHOOD CANCER WARRIORS, CELEBRATE OUR SURVIVORS, REMEMBER OUR ANGELS, SUPPORT THEIR FAMILIES AND CONTINUE BUILDING A BORDERLAND COMMUNITY WHERE NO FAMILY CHILDHOOD CANCER ALONE SIGNED THE 24TH DAY OF AUGUST 2026. WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE FROM JUDGE SAMANIEGO, A SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER OLGUIN. THE VOTING IS OPEN. I THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER BUTLER. MOTION CARRIES. THANK YOU. WELCOME. GOOD MORNING. GOOD MORNING JUDGE. GOOD MORNING COMMISSIONERS. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING US HERE TODAY. CANDLELIGHTERS HAS BEEN SERVING THE COMMUNITY FOR 43 YEARS, WAS STARTED BY PARENT ADVOCATES AND CONTINUE TO HAVE AMAZING ROLE WITH THE AGENCY TODAY, WITHOUT OUR PARENTS AND OUR SIBLINGS SUPPORTING THE PATIENTS AND REALLY SHOWING US HOW TO TRAVEL THIS JOURNEY, WE WOULDN'T BE AS STRONG AS WE ARE. SO I HAVE SOME REALLY SPECIAL PEOPLE BEHIND ME THAT I WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE. MY NAME IS MELISSA ATKINS. I'M THE CEO OF CANDLELIGHTERS, BUT I'M REALLY THE LEAST IMPORTANT PERSON HERE TODAY. I HAVE MY STAFF BEHIND ME WHO ARE SOME OF THE MOST DEDICATED NONPROFIT PROFESSIONALS IN THE COMMUNITY, AND I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO TAKE A MOMENT TO HIGHLIGHT THEM. I HAVE LORENA MARIA, MISS TONY HIDING BEHIND ME, MISS NORMA AND HAILEY. THEY HAVE BEEN. 
          SOME OF THEM HAVE BEEN WITH THE AGENCY FOR ALMOST 30 YEARS, WHICH IS A REALLY SPECIAL PLACE TO BE AND NONPROFIT SERVICE. THEN I HAVE SOME REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT PEOPLE HERE WITH ME TODAY. I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE MICHELLE AND STEVIE, WHO ARE THE CANDLELIGHTERS KING AND QUEEN. THEY ARE TWO PATIENTS WHO ARE VERY BRAVELY FIGHTING CANCER, AND I WOULD LIKE FOR THE COURT TO HEAR FROM THEIR VOICES. THANK YOU. WELCOME, STEVIE. YOU WANT TO GO FIRST, OR WOULD YOU LET THE LADY FIRST, I GUESS WOULD BE THE. WE'LL LET HER SPEAK FIRST. THANK YOU. 
          JUDGE. I'M. I'M GLAD TO BE HERE TODAY. SEEING YOU ALL HERE AND GLAD TO SEE EVERYONE AT CANDLELIGHTERS HERE WITH WITH US. STEVIE HAS BEEN MY MY HERO, HIS YOUR FAMILY. UNBELIEVABLE. 
          I THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR OUR FRIENDSHIP AND FOR ALWAYS. THAT COURAGE THAT YOU HAVE. IT'S REALLY ADMIRABLE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, STEVIE. WELCOME. GOOD. GOOD MORNING, JUDGE, AND NICE TO EVERYONE TO BE HERE, BECAUSE THE CANDLELIGHTERS IS THE BEST, BECAUSE I'M REALLY GLAD TO BE HERE TO BRAVE WITH CANCER BECAUSE IT'S SO DIFFICULT. HAVE CANCER. SO 
          [00:35:09]
THERAPY IS. RADIATIONS EVERYTHING THAT HER PAIN EVERYTHING AND CANDLELIGHTERS THEY MAKE BETTER, BETTER LIFE TO YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COURAGE. THANK YOU. I ALSO WANTED TO BRING ATTENTION TO TWO REALLY IMPORTANT PEOPLE BEHIND ME. THERE'S TWO BIG BROTHERS, CARLOS AND MARIO. CANDLELIGHTERS SERVES THE ENTIRE FAMILY, WHICH INCLUDES THE SIBLINGS. THE SIBLINGS ALSO GO THROUGH THIS JOURNEY. WE SAY THAT WHILE THE PATIENT GETS DIAGNOSED, THE ENTIRE FAMILY GETS CANCER. THEIR LIVES ALSO CHANGE. SO I ALSO WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT TWO REALLY AMAZING BIG BROTHERS WHO HAVE DONE REALLY INCREDIBLE WORK FOR THE AGENCY, FOR THEIR FAMILIES. SO THANK YOU AGAIN. IT'S A CLUB NOBODY WANTS TO BE A PART OF. 
          BUT ONCE YOU BECOME A PART OF CANDLELIGHTERS, WE HOLD ON TO YOU PRETTY FIERCELY. THANK YOU. 
          I'D LOVE TO HEAR. DO YOU WANT TO SAY A FEW WORDS? I ALWAYS ENJOY YOUR YOUR WORDS. GOOD MORNING, JUDGE AND COMMISSIONERS. THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH FOR RECOGNIZING CANDLELIGHTERS TODAY AND REALLY FOR ALL THE SUPPORT THAT ESPECIALLY JUDGE YOU HAVE GIVEN TO THE CANDLELIGHTERS COMMUNITY AND THE ONCOLOGY FAMILIES. THANK YOU GUYS. THANK YOU. YEAH. 
          GOOD. HELLO. GOOD MORNING. THANKS FOR BEING US HERE. IT'S REALLY NICE TO BE HERE. IT'S A REALLY BIG SUPPORT FOR US, FOR ALL OF OUR FAMILY. THEY THEY DO THIS. THEY MAKE THIS LIKE MORE EASY TO LIVE BECAUSE IT'S REALLY HARD TO ALL THE FAMILIES. SO IT'S A REALLY GOOD ORGANIZATION THAT THEY HELP US A LOT. AND THANKS FOR BEING US HERE. THANK YOU. AND WE HOPE TO SEE EVERYONE THERE. ON SEPTEMBER THE 12TH. IT ESCALATED BECAUSE I CAN'T TELL YOU WHEN THE COMMUNITY RALLIES, YOU COULD SEE HOW PEOPLE FEEL DIFFERENT. THE CHILDREN FEEL MORE COURAGE. THEY FEEL MORE EXCITED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THEIR CHALLENGES ARE VERY DIFFICULT. 
          AND AS WE'VE SAID HERE SEVERAL TIMES, THE FAMILY. BUT FELICIDADES ON YOUR NEW PLACE. 
          IT'S AMAZING. IT JUST HAS THIS COMFORT FEELING THAT, I DON'T KNOW, I JUST DIDN'T WANT TO LEAVE. I JUST WANTED TO SIT AROUND FOR A LITTLE WHILE BECAUSE IT'S SO ACCOMMODATING AND IT FEELS SO MUCH LIKE A HOME AND SO FELICIDADES FOR THAT AS WELL. SO WE'RE GOING TO TAKE A PICTURE WITH ALL OF YOU, IF YOU DON'T MIND. SO THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. 
          [00:40:42]
ITEM NUMBER SIX IS PUBLIC COMMENT. WE HAVE THREE SPEAKERS FOR PUBLIC COMMENT THIS MORNING. I'D LIKE TO GET STARTED WITH. MARTY LOYA. AND I'D JUST LIKE TO REMIND SPEAKERS THAT PUBLIC COMMENT IS LIMITED TO FIVE MINUTES PER PERSON. EVERYBODY 
          [6. PUBLIC COMMENT]
WILL BE TIMED. THANK YOU. DO WE HAVE MARTY LOYA IN THE AUDIENCE? OKAY, WE'LL CONTINUE ON WITH PUBLIC COMMENT THAT WAS SUBMITTED. WE RECEIVED THIS THIS MORNING. THIS IS ON BEHALF OF ARMANDO RODRIGUEZ COPYING ALSO RALPH CARRASCO. THE COMMENTS BEGIN. DEAR COUNTY JUDGE AND COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, WE ARE WRITING ON BEHALF OF OUR MEMBERS AT THE UNION OF MONTANA VISTA LANDOWNERS AND EMPOWERING AREA COMMUNITIES AND HOUSEHOLDS EACH. EACH IS A MEMBER OF THE SEMBRANDO ESPERANZA COALITION, WHICH IS ALSO SUPPORTING THE UNION OF LANDOWNERS. WE ASK THAT YOU VOTE YES ON INTERVENING IN EL PASO ELECTRIC'S APPLICATION BEFORE THE PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION CONTROL NUMBER 60016 FOR THE PINE AND CALIENTE TRANSMISSION LINE PROJECT ON SATURDAY, AUGUST 22ND AT A MEETING HOSTED BY OUR COUNTY COMMISSIONER, PRECINCT ONE JACKIE BUTLER, THE EL PASO ELECTRIC COMPANY, INFORMED US THAT 1300 LANDOWNERS IN MONTANA, VISTA AND HOMESTEAD MEADOWS HAVE RECEIVED WRITTEN NOTICES THAT THEY MAY BE IMPACTED BY 340 345 KILO KILO VOLTAGE TRANSMISSION LINES JUST FOR THE PINE SUBSTATION AND CALIENTE SUBSTATION. THE PINE SUBSTATION IS LOCATED AT THE INTERSECTION OF LA PINE AVENUE AND APPLETON STREET, SOUTH OF MONTANA AVENUE, US 621 80. WE DO NOT KNOW HOW MANY OF OUR MEMBERS AND NEIGHBORS WILL BE IMPACTED BY THE TRANSMISSION LINES FOR THE PINES, FOR THE PINE SUBSTATION AND MCLEOD SUBSTATION NEXT TO THE META AI DATA CENTER. WHILE THESE ARE SEPARATE PROJECTS WITH DIFFERENT PROPOSED ROUTES AND TIMELINES, OUR COMMUNITIES OF MONTANA VISTA AND HOMESTEAD MEADOWS WILL BE IMPACTED BY BOTH. AS YOU CAN SEE IN THE PROJECT OVERVIEWS. WHILE WE HOPE THAT MANY OF OUR MEMBERS AND NEIGHBORS ARE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE AS INTERVENORS AND PROTESTERS BEFORE THE PUBLIC COMMISSION OF TEXAS, THE PROCESS IS NOT DESIGNED FOR PEOPLE WHO FACE THE BIGGEST IMPACT, BUT DO NOT HAVE THE RESOURCES FOR LEGAL REPRESENTATION. WE NEED THE COUNTY TO INTERVENE AND REPRESENT OUR CONCERNS BEFORE THE PUC TEAM. WITHOUT YOUR INTERVENTION, EBP MAY BE ALLOWED TO PICK THE PATH OF LEAST RESISTANCE INSTEAD OF CHOOSING A PATH THAT WILL LEAST DISRUPT THE LIVES OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE LONG STRUGGLED TO OWN A PIECE OF THE AMERICAN DREAM, MONTANA VISTA AND HOMESTEAD MEADOWS RESIDENTS ALREADY LIVE NEXT TO EL PASO ELECTRIC'S MONTANA POWER STATION. AT NO POINT HAVE WE BEEN COMPENSATED FOR THE AIR, NOISE AND LIGHT POLLUTION IT HAS BROUGHT TO OUR COMMUNITY. WE. WHY MUST OUR COMMUNITY CONTINUE TO BEAR THE BURDEN OF PROVIDING ELECTRICITY TO THE REST OF THE COUNTRY? WHY? WHY? WE NEED YOU TO HOLD EPP TO ACCOUNT AND ENSURE THAT THIS TRANSMISSION LINE IS EVEN NEEDED. FOR INSTANCE, WE BELIEVE THE TRANSMISSION LINE SHOULD GO THROUGH MONTANA, US 621 80 AND AWAY FROM OUR FAMILIES, HOMES AND LIVES. IN ADDITION, IF EPP IS ALLOWED TO BUILD A TRANSMISSION SYSTEM, ALL OF US WILL BE IMPACTED BECAUSE THE COST OF TRANSMISSION LINES. THIS CASE AND A FUTURE RELATED CASE WILL BE PASSED ON TO US AS EL PASO ELECTRIC CUSTOMERS. PLEASE STAND WITH US. SINCERELY, ARMANDO RODRIGUEZ, PRESIDENT, UNION OF MONTANA VISTA LANDOWNERS, AND RALPH CARRASCO, PRESIDENT, EMPOWERING AREA COMMUNITIES AND HOUSEHOLDS, EACH. END OF COMMENT. AND OUR LAST COMMENT COMES FROM ELIZABETH CRAWFORD. HER COMMENTS BEGIN. GOOD MORNING, JUDGE AND COMMISSIONERS, COUNTY JUDGE AND COMMISSIONERS. I AM 
          [00:45:02]
HAVING. I AM HAVING OPPORTUNITY TO SPEND A FEW DAYS IN ALBUQUERQUE, THE EPICENTER OF THE ABORTION INDUSTRY AND THE LATE TERM ABORTION DESTINATION HUB OF A LARGE NUMBER OF WOMEN FROM ACROSS THE NATION, AND SADLY, MANY SPECIFICALLY FROM. WORLD POPULATION DAY IS RECOGNIZED BY THE UNITED NATIONS EVERY SUMMER. THE THEME OF THE 2026 WORLD POPULATION DAY HAS BEEN REALIZING THE ASPIRATIONS AND HOPES OF YOUNG PEOPLE TODAY AND FOR THE FUTURE. 
          THIS THEME WAS BASED ON AN INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF OVER 100,000 YOUTH FROM OVER 70 NATIONS. THE SURVEY, WHICH IS TITLED LIVES, CHOICES AND FUTURES, OPENS WITH PART ONE YOUR LIFE AND FAMILY ASPIRATIONS, ADAPTING THE UNITED NATIONS FUND FOR POPULATION ACTIVITIES. THE UNFPA'S CORE FOCUS. IT SURVEYED WHAT ISSUES SHAPED PERSONAL CHOICES AND THIS SECTION STUDIED LOCAL PERSPECTIVES ON FAMILY DECISIONS AND LIFE PLANNING. THE SURVEY ASKED YOUNG PEOPLE QUESTIONS ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS, PARENTHOOD, FAMILY LIFE, THEIR FUTURES, AND WHAT THEY PERCEIVED AS STANDING IN THE WAY OF THEIR PLANS. THE UNITED NATIONS AND PLANNED PARENTHOOD INTERNATIONAL CLOSELY COLLABORATE IN WORLDWIDE INITIATIVES. THE QUESTION OF WHAT YOUNG PEOPLE FEEL IS STANDING IN THEIR WAY IS NO DOUBT, IN MANY CASES, A EUPHEMISM FOR AN UNPLANNED PREGNANCY. THE WEBSITE PEOPLE.COM GIVES THE QUOTES OF A NUMBER OF WOMEN WHO HAVE ABORTED THEIR BABIES. A FAMOUS ACTRESS IS RECORDED ON THE WEBSITE AS SAYING I FEEL SO EMOTIONAL. IT'S SUCH A GRAVE DECISION AND IT STAYS WITH YOU. SEVERAL LINES DOWN IN THE QUOTE, SHE JUSTIFIES HERSELF WITH THE WORDS, I WOULDN'T HAVE MY LIFE. I WOULDN'T HAVE HAD THE CAREER I HAD. I WOULDN'T HAVE HAD ANYTHING. THE ONLY CORRECT ANSWER TO SUCH REASONING IS THE WARNING IS THE WARNING SPOKEN BY THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. WHAT SHALL IT PROFIT A MAN IF HE SHOULD GAIN THE WHOLE WORLD AND LOSE HIS OWN SOUL? THAT IS THE. THE PENETRATING QUESTION OF JESUS CHRIST, AS HE ASKED THE CORE QUESTION OF WHO IS MASTER OF OUR LIVES, US OR HIM? I AM THANKFUL THAT THE VERY NEXT CHAPTER IN THE GOSPEL OF MARK SPEAKS OF JESUS TRANSFIGURATION AND HIS APPROACHING PASSION ON CAVALRY TO WIPE AWAY THE SINS OF ALL THOSE WHO WHO REPENT THEIR SINS AND BELIEVE THE GOSPEL. I AM THANKFUL THAT THIS SUMMER INCLUDES THE OBSERVANCE OF SOMETHING. IN ADDITION TO WORLD POPULATION DAY, AUGUST 29TH IS NAMED THE PRO-LIFE GENERATION SIDEWALK DAY, ON WHICH MANY YOUNG PEOPLE ACROSS AMERICA WILL BE ON THE STREETS, DECLARING TO OUR NATION THAT NO ABORTION IS OKAY. THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE AND I HOPE YOU HAVE A REALLY GOOD DAY. 
          END OF COMMENT. AND THIS COMPLETES ALL OF OUR PUBLIC COMMENTS THIS MORNING, JUDGE. 
          THANK YOU. WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT. OH I'M SORRY JUDGE. THANK YOU COUNTY JUDGE. NEXT. 
          YEAH. I JUST WANTED TO TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY. SOMETIMES PEOPLE THINK SOME, YOU KNOW, BEHIND THE SCENES SOME GREAT THINGS HAPPEN. BUT WE DON'T GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO RECOGNIZE YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO USE THE THE COURTHOUSE AS A PLACE FOR CULTURE, FOR ART. AND EVERYBODY BELIEVES THAT IF, YOU KNOW, WE SHOULD BE THAT WE SHOULD BE KIND OF THAT, THAT CENTERPIECE OF LETTING THE WHOLE COUNTY KNOW ABOUT THE THINGS WE LOVE, THE THINGS WE BELIEVE IN. SO WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BRING IN AN INCREDIBLE LADY WHO SHE'S WORLD RENOWNED. SHE'S A FAMOUS PHOTOGRAPHER. AND WHAT SHE DOES, SHE ACTUALLY ALL OF THESE PEOPLE THAT YOU SEE RIGHT NOW, SHE ACTUALLY SPENDS TIME WITH THEM, LIVES WITH THEM. AND THEN WHEN SHE'S READY, SHE'LL TAKE PICTURES OF THEM. AND SHE SAID SOMETHING VERY BEAUTIFUL AT THE AT OUR GRAND OPENING. AND THAT IS THAT YOU CAN'T STEAL A PICTURE. YOU GOT TO WIN A PICTURE. YOU GOT TO KNOW THAT THAT PERSON FEELS GOOD ABOUT PROVIDING THAT PICTURE FOR YOU. 
          SO AMAZING WORK. AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAD TO DO IS WE HAD TO COME UP WITH A STRUCTURE TO BE ABLE TO PLACE THESE AMAZING PICTURES SO YOU WOULD BE ABLE TO SEE THEM. I'M HOPING THAT YOU DO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY. THEY'RE OUTSIDE HERE AROUND THE LOBBY WHERE THE ELECTION IS ARE HELD. AND IT'S A BEAUTIFUL DISPLAY OF INDIGENOUS. SOME OF THESE INDIVIDUALS WERE HERE THEMSELVES, SO WE'RE VERY PROUD TO HAVE THEM. BUT IN ORDER TO DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT, IT REQUIRES A LOT OF QUICK WORK AND A LOT OF CREATIVITY. SO WE HAD PUBLIC WORKS. YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS I SAID AHEAD OF TIME, I SAID, I KNOW IF WE 
          [00:50:01]
ASKED PUBLIC WORKS, THE CHANCES ARE IT'S GOING TO BE BETTER THAN WHAT WE THINK. AND OBVIOUSLY THAT'S WHAT TOOK PLACE. SO IF YOU DON'T MIND, IF YOU WANT TO BRING YOUR TEAM UP HERE SO WE COULD RECOGNIZE THEM. IF YOU DON'T MIND, IF YOU WOULD COME UP HERE AND. VERNEY, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TEAM. YOU KNOW, IT'S THE LEADERSHIP ALLOWS THE CREATIVITY TO BE ABLE TO TO TO COME OUT. SO WE'RE VERY, VERY FORTUNATE THAT THERE WAS A VERY SUCCESSFUL PROGRAM AND WE'LL BE ABLE TO USE THE STRUCTURES THAT WERE MADE FOR THE PICTURES. WE'LL BE ABLE TO USE THEM IN EVERY POSSIBLE WAY HERE ON NOW. SO IT WASN'T JUST A ONE TIME THING, BUT I REALLY, I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW HOW TO EXPRESS THE FACT THAT I KNEW THAT IT WAS GOING TO BE BETTER THAN I THOUGHT. AND IT HAPPENED, AS I SAID EARLIER. SO WE WANT TO GO AHEAD AND DO THAT AND RECOGNIZE EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU FOR THAT. SO WE'VE GOT YOUR CERTIFICATES HERE. SO. SO OKAY, SO I'LL GO THROUGH THE LIST. IT'S MARCIAL, AMAYA, BEN, TRISTA, FRANK, TRISTA, FRANK ROJAS, ARTURO HERNANDEZ, FERNEY HERNANDEZ. AND THEN ALSO TO RECOGNIZE VIVIANA HERNANDEZ BECAUSE IT WAS THE NOT ONLY THE BUILDING OF THE STRUCTURES, BUT THE COORDINATION AND BEING ABLE TO ESTABLISH THEM. SO IN THAT CATEGORY, IT'S SAMMY ZAMBRANO, GILBERT, GIGI GUERRERO, JOEL SALIDO, AARON SIDA, GRACIELA ACOSTA, AND VIVIAN HERNANDEZ. 
          SO WE'LL PRESENT THEM TO YOU AND. 
          THANK YOU. APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU ALL YOU GUYS DO. JUDGE WILL YOU ALL ARE COMING UP THERE FOR THE PHOTO. I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR RECOGNIZING FERNIE FOR THIS AND THE TEAM FOR THIS. I WILL TELL YOU, WE SEE THIS ALL THE TIME FROM FERNIE AND THE TEAM. YOU GO OUT TO OUR LIGHTS ON THE LAKE, AND SO MANY OF THE DISPLAYS HAVE BEEN BUILT BY FERNIE AND THE TEAM. YOU LOOK AT THE TIME THAT WE HAD A KENNEL BUILT AND GRASS GROWING. 
          BY THE TIME WE WERE ABLE TO GET ONE ORDERED AND IN PLACE FROM A COMPANY. SO THIS CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE WORK BY THIS TEAM IS SOMETHING WE SEE REGULARLY. THANK YOU FOR RECOGNIZING THEM. 
          NORMA. THANK YOU FOR YOUR GREAT TEAM. WE APPRECIATE YOU SHARING THEM WITH US. THANK YOU. ITEM NUMBER SEVEN A FROM REGULAR AGENDA, DISCUSS AND TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION TO ADOPT THE 2026 PROPERTY TAX RATE ON BEHALF AND FOR THE EL PASO COUNTY HOSPITAL DISTRICT DOING BUSINESS AS UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER OF EL PASO, IN ACCORDANCE WITH TEXAS HEALTH 
          [A. Discuss and take appropriate action to adopt the 2026 Property Tax Rate on behalf and for the El Paso County Hospital District d/b/a University Medical Center of El Paso in accordance with Texas Health and Safety Code section 281.121(a).
R. Jacob Cintron, District President & CEO, University Medical Center/EPCHD, 915-521-7600]
AND SAFETY CODE. SECTION TWO EIGHT, 1.121 A. WELCOME, JACOB. THANK YOU, JUDGE AND 
          [00:55:10]
COMMISSIONERS, FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT OUR FISCAL YEAR 2027 BUDGET. 
          MICHAEL NUNEZ, OUR CHIEF DISTRICT CFO, WILL BE GOING OVER SOME DETAILS, BUT WE'RE PROUD TO PRESENT A BUDGET THAT REFLECTS A NO NEW REVENUE RATE, AS WELL AS INCLUDES A AN INCREASE IN OUR MINIMUM WAGE FROM 1550 TO $16 AN HOUR. AND AS THE ONLY LEVEL ONE TRAUMA CENTER THAT'S PROVIDED COMPREHENSIVE STROKE, THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF EPILEPSY ACCREDITATION BURN AND PROGRAMS FOR OUR COMMUNITY. WE'RE PROUD THAT WE CONTINUE TO EXPAND OUR SERVICES, CONTINUE TO PROVIDE CARE FOR ALL THOSE THAT COME TO OUR COMMUNITY. AND EVEN THOUGH OUR UNCOMPENSATED CARE IS ABOUT $250 MILLION A YEAR THAT WE'RE ABLE TO DO THAT AT A NO NEW REVENUE RATE FROM A TAX STANDPOINT, WHICH IS A REDUCTION OF ABOUT 2% FROM LAST YEAR'S TAX RATE. AND OVER THE LAST SIX YEARS WOULD REFLECT A 12% REDUCTION. SO WITH THAT, I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE OUR DISTRICT CFO, MICHAEL NUNEZ, TO GO OVER SOME OF THE DETAILS. 
          THANK YOU JACOB. WELCOME, MICHAEL. GOOD MORNING COMMISSIONERS. AS WE'RE GOING TO BE GOING OVER THE 2027 PROPOSED OPERATING CAPITAL AND DEBT SERVICE BUDGETS. TO RECAP, BACK IN AUGUST OF FOURTH, WE DID HAVE A JOINT WORK SESSION BETWEEN THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AND ALSO THE UMC BOARD OF MANAGERS. SO WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW IN 2027, WE DO HAVE A PROPOSED REVENUE BUDGET OF ABOUT 2.144 BILLION ACROSS THE BOARD. THIS REPRESENTS ALMOST ABOUT A 2% INCREASE IN PATIENT VOLUMES FOR UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER AND ALSO FOR EL PASO CHILDREN'S. AND ON THE EXPENSE SIDE, WE DO PRESENT A BUDGET OF 2.132 BILLION. AND AS JACOB MENTIONED, SOME OF OUR ASSOCIATE PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE, WE DO PLAN TO A A 2% MERIT FOR OUR ASSOCIATES. WE DO ALSO PLAN TO INCREASE THE TEXAS COUNTY AND DISTRICT RETIREMENT SYSTEM EMPLOYER MATCH FROM 200% TO 225%, AND THEN ALSO INCREASED THE MINIMUM WAGE FROM 1550 TO $16 AN HOUR. ALL THESE HAPPENING IN 2027. THE OVERALL DISTRICT NET POSITION CHANGE FOR FOR 2027 YOU HAVE ON HERE IS GOING TO BE OVERALL ABOUT A $12 MILLION INCREASE. WE DO HAVE THE THE COMPONENTS BY, BY EACH OF THE COMPONENTS UNITS UMC, EL PASO CHILDREN'S, EL PASO HEALTH, AND THEN ALSO THE FOUNDATIONS IN TERMS OF OUR TAX RATE, WHAT WE ARE DOING THIS YEAR, WE ARE DECREASING THE TAX RATE. OUR CURRENT TAX RATE IN 2026 RIGHT NOW IS ABOUT $0.24 FOR 2027. THAT'S GOING TO DECREASE TO 23.6 CENTS OVERALL. WITH THE OVERALL TAX BASE, WE DO EXPECT TO HAVE PROPERTY TAX REVENUES ABOUT 182,000,136 MILLION FOR MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS, AND THEN 46 MILLION FOR THE PAYMENT OF THE OF THE HOSPITAL'S GENERAL OBLIGATION DEBT. WHEN YOU LOOK AT OUR TAX RATE GOING BACK TO 2017, YOU'LL SEE HERE THAT OUR OUR PROPOSED TAX RATE FOR 2027 IS ALMOST IDENTICAL TO WHERE WE WERE TEN YEARS AGO, BACK IN 2017. IN 2017, WE WERE AT 23.4 CENTS. AND CURRENTLY, RIGHT NOW WE ARE PROPOSING A TAX RATE OF ABOUT 23.6 CENTS. WHEN YOU LOOK AT HISTORICALLY NOW HERE, UNIVERSITY EL PASO, WE'RE HISTORICALLY ABOUT 8 TO 9% OF THE COUNTY'S TAX RATE. YOU'LL SEE WE'RE ABOUT 8.6% LAST YEAR AT 9.1%. AND ALTHOUGH THIS ILLUSTRATES THROUGH LAST YEAR THAT FIVE OF THE LAST SIX YEARS WE HAVE ADOPTED EITHER THE NO NEW REVENUE RATE OR THE NO NEW REVENUE, MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS RATE. SO WHEN YOU NOW WE ADD ON 2027, THAT WILL MAKE IT NOW SIX OF THE LAST SEVEN YEARS THAT WE'VE ADOPTED, EITHER THE NO NEW REVENUE RATE OR THE NO NEW REVENUE, MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS RATE, OUR PROPOSED CAPITAL BUDGET OVERALL IS ABOUT 43 MILLION FOR 2027, 17 MILLION FOR UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER, EL PASO, EL PASO CHILDREN'S, ABOUT 23 MILLION, AND EL PASO HEALTH AT ABOUT 2.8 MILLION. AND THEN FINALLY, OUR DEBT SERVICE BUDGET OF ABOUT 48.8 MILLION. NOW, WHAT IS PROPERTY TAX SUPPORTED IS ABOUT 45.5 MILLION. 
          AND IT COVERS OUR 2025 BONDS, OUR 2024 REFUNDING AND OUR 2017 REFUNDING. THERE IS ONE BOND ISSUE WHICH IS REVENUE REFUNDING, AND THESE ARE PAID FOR BY HOSPITAL REVENUES AND NOT BY THE PROPERTY TAX PAYER. SO WITH THAT, THAT IS A SUMMARY OF OUR OPERATING BUDGETS, OUR CAPITAL BUDGETS AND DEBT SERVICE BUDGETS AND TAX RATE FOR OUR 2027 PROPOSED YEAR. ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU. MICHAEL. JACOB. IF THERE ARE NO QUESTIONS, WE WOULD REQUEST 
          [01:00:04]
APPROVAL OF OUR BUDGET AND TAX RATE REAL QUICK. I DO HAVE 111 QUICK QUESTION. WHAT I DIDN'T I DIDN'T SEE IT ON THE WORKSHEET, BUT MAYBE I MISSED IT. CAN Y'ALL LET US KNOW WHAT THE THE IMPACT TO THE AVERAGE VALUED HOME IS GOING TO BE DOLLARS AND CENTS WISE. YES. AND, AND I'M DOING THIS BY MY RECOLLECTION, THERE WAS A, THERE WAS AN ADDITIONAL PAGE HERE ON THIS SLIDE. BUT WITH PROPERTY TAX VALUE ON AN AVERAGE HOMEOWNER, I BELIEVE IS ABOUT 230 INCREASE IN ABOUT 240 000. EVEN WITH THAT, WITH THE INCREASE IN THE AVERAGE HOME VALUE, I THINK I THINK WAS ABOUT 9 OR $10 A YEAR. TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION THE DECREASE IN THE TAX RATE FROM $0.24 TO 23.6 CENTS. OKAY. THANK YOU. JACOB, JUST WANT TO COMPLIMENT YOUR TEAM FROM ALL OF US, YOU KNOW, TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT AND NOT PASS THAT BURDEN ON TO THE AND MATCH WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH HERE AT COMMISSIONERS COURT. BUT WHEN YOU LISTEN TO ALL THE THINGS THAT YOU WANT TO GET DONE, THE THINGS THAT YOU'RE, THE CHALLENGES THAT YOU HAVE, IT'S VERY ADMIRABLE THAT YOU WERE ABLE TO COME UP WITH THIS KIND OF A BUDGET. SO WE'RE ALL VERY THANKFUL. I'M SURE THE COMMUNITY IS VERY THANKFUL FOR WHAT YOU'RE DOING, JUDGE. WELL, VERY FORTUNATE. WE HAVE GOOD PARTNERS WITH TEXAS TECH, FOR EXAMPLE, AND WE'RE TEACHING FACILITIES. SO WE HAVE ABOUT 4000 STUDENTS THAT GO THROUGH OUR CAMPUS EVERY YEAR, ABOUT 270 SOME ODD 276 RESIDENTS AND FELLOWS THAT ARE PHYSICIANS IN TRAINING. SO HOPEFULLY, NOT ONLY ARE WE INCREASING THE TYPE OF SERVICE WE PROVIDE, NOT ONLY ARE WE INCREASING THE LEVEL OF CARE WE PROVIDE, BUT WE'RE ALSO TRAINING FUTURE HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS THAT MANY WILL STAY IN EL PASO TO SUPPORT US AND OUR GROWING COMMUNITY. SO WE'RE REALLY PROUD OF THAT. 
          COMMISSIONER CORONADO. THANK YOU. JUDGE. YOU KNOW, I JUST WANT TO COMMEND BECAUSE SOME OF THE PUBLIC DOESN'T KNOW THAT THE MAJORITY OF THE FUNDING THAT UMC ARE, YOU KNOW, HOSPITAL AND THE DISTRICT, RIGHT. THE IT COMES FROM IS NOT FROM TAX MONEY FROM THE TAXPAYERS. YOU ALL ARE THE ONLY ONES, THE ONLY TAXING ENTITY THAT RAISES MORE REVENUE THAN WHAT YOU COLLECT IN TAXES. AND I MEAN, NOT JUST A LITTLE BIT, LIKE QUITE A BIT. AND FOR THE PUBLIC TO KNOW, YOU KNOW, RATED AMONG THE TOP HOSPITALS IN THE COUNTRY, ESPECIALLY THE TOP 100 FOR SPINAL SURGERY, YOU KNOW, YOUR ELITE LEVEL AND MATERNAL CARE PEOPLE THAT DON'T KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, LEVEL ONE TRAUMA CENTER WITHIN 270 MILES, THIS IS IT. THIS IS THE PLACE TO COME. SO, YOU KNOW, AND A LOT OF GREAT NEW THINGS THAT THE PUBLIC HAS VOTED ON BECAUSE OF THE STEWARDSHIP OF THE ORGANIZATION THAT YOU ALL HAVE DONE. WE SOON WILL BE GETTING, YOU KNOW, CANCER CENTER, BURN CENTER, THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE SHOULD HAVE HAD QUITE A LONG TIME AGO BECAUSE WE AS, AS A COUNTY ARE TRUSTED WITH PROVIDING INDIGENT HEALTH CARE. 
          BUT YOU GUYS GO WAY ABOVE AND BEYOND. AND SO, YOU KNOW, ON BEHALF OF THE COMMUNITY AND THE COMMISSIONERS COURT, I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR, YOU KNOW, THE GREAT WORK THAT YOU ALL DO. 
          SO IT'S MY HONOR TO APPROVE THIS BUDGET. THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER, FOR HIGHLIGHTING THAT. I THINK IT'S THE KIND OF THING THAT THE COMMUNITY WILL FEEL VERY PROUD OF BEING, BEING ABLE TO GET THAT KIND OF SERVICE AND QUALITY SERVICE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. YES, COMMISSIONER BUTLER, THANK YOU, JUDGE AND COMMISSIONERS, I JUST WANT TO ECHO WHAT'S ALREADY BEEN SAID AND ALSO ADD THAT WE HAD A REALLY INFORMATIVE HEARING TO GO OVER YOUR BUDGET AND TO ASK QUESTIONS ALONG WITH THE UMC BOARD MEMBERS. SO I APPRECIATE THAT THOROUGH PROCESS THAT WE GO THROUGH TO, TO HAVE OUR QUESTIONS ADDRESSED AND ANSWERED. AND ONE IMPORTANT THING THAT THAT I THINK IS, IS A GOOD REMINDER TO US ALL IS THAT UMC IS RESPONSIBLE AND OUR HOSPITAL DISTRICT ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR, FOR COVERING UNCOMPENSATED CARE IN THE COUNTY. THAT IS A STATUTORY RESPONSIBILITY THAT COUNTIES AND HOSPITAL DISTRICTS HAVE IS TO IS TO MAKE SURE THAT IF SOMEBODY NEEDS HEALTH CARE, THEY'RE RECEIVING IT, WHETHER THEY CAN PAY FOR IT OR NOT. SO REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR, YOUR DILIGENCE AND MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE ABLE TO PROVIDE THOSE SERVICES AS A COUNTY WITHOUT RAISING TAXES AND STICKING TO THE NO NEW REVENUE RATE. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT. THANK YOU. COMMISSIONER BUTLER WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE. TRULY, I'VE GOT A GREAT TEAM, BUT WE ALSO HAVE A GREAT BOARD, AND WE HAVE A GREAT GROUP OF COMMISSIONERS THAT TRULY AND JUDGE THAT, WITHOUT WHICH WE COULDN'T DO THIS. YOU KNOW, 130 MILLION IS WHAT WE GET IN MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS. 
          [01:05:04]
MORE OR LESS. OUR UNCOMPENSATED CARE IS DOUBLE THAT. SO WE HAVE TO MAKE UP THAT DIFFERENCE WITH FUNDS THAT WE GENERATE ON OUR OWN. AND COMMISSIONER CORONADO, AS YOU MENTIONED, OF OUR TOTAL REVENUE BUDGET, ONLY 8% FOR THE DISTRICT COMES FROM PROPERTY TAXES. AND WE REALLY TRY TO DO OUR BEST FOR OUR COMMUNITY AND NOT ONLY NOT RAISING TAXES AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. WE KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF CHALLENGES FACING US IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS, BUT ALSO TO BE ABLE TO INCREASE THE SERVICES WHEN WE GET THE CANCER CENTER GOING UP IN PARTNERSHIP WITH TEXAS TECH, THERE'LL BE MORE RESEARCH BEING DONE. WE'LL BE ABLE TO DO RADIATION THERAPY ALONG WITH THE CHEMOTHERAPY WE PROVIDE, AND WE'RE RECRUITING A GREAT MANY FINE PHYSICIANS TO OUR COMMUNITY TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT. SO OUR GOAL IS TO PROVIDE THE BEST POSSIBLE CARE IN OUR COMMUNITY FOR ALL MEMBERS OF THE CITY AND COUNTY. THANK YOU AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR TEAM AS WELL. THANKS. I DO BELIEVE, JUDGE, DO YOU HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU THERE ARE THERE ARE TWO MOTIONS, ONE TO ADDRESS ITEM SEVEN, A YES ON THE TAX RATE, AND THEN ALSO SEVEN B ON THE. 
          THANK YOU. SO I'LL READ THE. I'M SORRY, JUDGE, WE COULD WE WE'RE REQUESTING TO READ BOTH IN. THANK YOU. YES. SO I'VE READ ITEM SEVEN A IN ITEM SEVEN. B IS TO DISCUSS AND TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION TO APPROVE THE EL PASO COUNTY HOSPITAL DISTRICT DOING BUSINESS AS. 
          UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER OF EL PASO FISCAL YEAR 2027 ANNUAL BUDGET. IN ACCORDANCE WITH TEXAS HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE. SECTION 281.091 B. THANK YOU CESAR. IN ACCORDANCE WITH 
          [B. Discuss and take appropriate action to approve the El Paso County Hospital District d/b/a University Medical Center of El Paso Fiscal Year 2027 Annual Budget in accordance with Texas Health and Safety Code section 281.091(b).
R. Jacob Cintron, District President & CEO, University Medical Center/EPCHD, 915-521-7600]
SECTION 26.05 TEXAS TAX CODE, THE ADOPTION OF A TAX RATE FOR A UNIT OF GOVERNMENT MUST BE VOTED ON IN TWO PARTS ONE FOR THE TAX RATE FOR THE MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS OF THE GOVERNMENTAL UNIT, AND THE SECOND FOR THE TAX RATE FOR THE PAYMENT OF PRINCIPAL AND DEBT OF THE GOVERNMENTAL UNIT. AS SUCH, I WILL READ TWO MOTIONS INTO THE RECORD, EACH OF WHICH WILL REQUIRE A VOTE. MOTION NUMBER ONE, ON BEHALF OF THE EL PASO COUNTY HOSPITAL DISTRICT, I MOVED TO ADOPT THE NO NEW REVENUE TAX RATE OF 23.690 $0.04 PER $100 OF VALUATION, WHICH IS EFFECTIVELY A 1.66% DECREASE IN THE TAX RATE, WHICH CONSISTS OF A RATE OF 17.663 $0.01 PER $100, ASSESSED VALUE FOR THE PURPOSE OF MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS OF THE EL PASO COUNTY HOSPITAL DISTRICT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2027, AND FURTHER, TO AUTHORIZE THE COUNTY JUDGE TO EXECUTE AN ORDER REFLECTING SAME. WAIT A SECOND. WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE FROM COMMISSIONER OLGUIN AND A SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER CORONADO. THE VOTING IS. SORRY. 
          VOTING IS OPEN. MY SYSTEM'S NOT RESPONDING, I VOTE. I THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER BUTLER. MOTION CARRIES. THANK YOU. MOTION NUMBER TWO. ON BEHALF OF THE EL PASO COUNTY HOSPITAL DISTRICT, I MOVE TO ADOPT A NO NEW REVENUE TAX RATE OF 23.690 $0.04 PER $100 OF VALUATION, WHICH IS EFFECTIVELY A 1.66% DECREASE IN THE TAX RATE, WHICH CONSISTS OF A RATE OF 6.027 $0.03 PER $100. ASSESSED VALUE FOR THE PAYMENT OF PRINCIPAL AND INTEREST OF THE DEBT OF THE EL PASO COUNTY HOSPITAL DISTRICT, AND FURTHER, TO AUTHORIZE THE COUNTY JUDGE TO EXECUTE AN ORDER REFLECTING SAME. SO THE MOTION TO APPROVE THE FISCAL YEAR 2027 OPERATING CAPITAL AND DEBT SERVICE BUDGETS FOR THE EL PASO COUNTY HOSPITAL DISTRICT. JUDGE. IT'S ONLY THE ONE YOU JUST READ. WE NEED A MOTION ON WHAT YOU PREVIOUSLY JUST READ. IT WAS JUST THE MOTION. NUMBER TWO IS WE JUST NEED A MOTION ON THAT PART. OKAY. THANK YOU. JUDGE, WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE FROM COMMISSIONER OLGUIN. A SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER CORONADO. VOTING IS OPEN. MISSED OUT. THANK YOU. MOTION CARRIES. JUDGE, I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT NOW WITH THESE TWO BUDGETS FROM THE COUNTY AND OR RATHER THE TAX RATES AND THAT WE ARE NOW AT PARITY WITH RAISING THE MINIMUM LEVEL TO $16, BOTH THE COUNTY AND THE HOSPITAL DISTRICT. SO I THINK A GOOD WAY FORWARD. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. 
          SORRY. NOW WE JUST NEED THE THIRD MOTION. WE NEED THE THIRD MOTION WITH REGARD TO THE BUDGET. THE THIRD PAGE. SO THE ONE I READ AHEAD OF TIME MOTION TO APPROVE THE FISCAL YEAR 2027 
          [01:10:04]
OPERATING CAPITAL AND DEBT SERVICE BUDGET FOR THE EL PASO COUNTY HOSPITAL DISTRICT. WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE FROM COMMISSIONER STOUT, A SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER OLGUIN. THE VOTING IS OPEN. MOTION CARRIES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. YEAH. WE CAN WE CAN GO AHEAD AND. THANK YOU. ITEM NUMBER SEVEN C RECEIVE A PRESENTATION FROM THE EL PASO COUNTY 911 DISTRICT AND APPROVE THE PROPOSED FISCAL YEAR 2027 BUDGET. WELCOME, SCOTT. GOOD MORNING. GOOD MORNING, JUDGE AND COMMISSIONERS. MY NAME IS SCOTT CALDERWOOD. I AM THE 
          [C. Receive a presentation from the El Paso County 911 District and approve the proposed Fiscal Year 2027 budget.
Ricardo A. Samaniego, County Judge, County Judge's Office, 915-273-3591]
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE EL PASO COUNTY 911 DISTRICT. IT'S THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN. WE'LL BRING OUR BUDGET BEFORE YOU. THE DISTRICT'S BUDGET PRETTY MUCH CAME IN FLAT, AND I HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK WITH SEVERAL OF YOU. SO WE WE HAD A A NET INCREASE OF 0.2% ON OUR ON OUR OVERALL BUDGET, THERE WAS QUITE AN INCREASE ON OUR ADMINISTRATIVE COST, PRIMARILY DUE TO EMPLOYEE SALARY AND UNFORESEEN HEALTH CARE INSURANCE COSTS RISING. 
          THE BIG STORY FOR THE DISTRICT IS THAT WE ARE ONCE AGAIN, THIS YEAR, OUR BUDGET EXCEEDS OUR REVENUE BY OVER $1 MILLION. WE HAVE A FUNDING ISSUE THAT IS NEEDING TO BE RESOLVED AT THE STATE LEVEL. AS YOU GUYS KNOW, WE ARE FEE BASED. WE DON'T HAVE ANY KIND OF TAXING POWER. WE HAVE NOT RAISED OUR WIRE LINE RATE IN SINCE 2014. WE HAVE NO INTENTION OF DOING THAT. WE HAVE WE HAVE BEEN WORKING AT THE STATE LEVEL FOR SEVERAL YEARS TO, TO SEE IF WE CAN HAVE THE STATE ADDRESS AND HELP US MODERNIZE OUR FEE STRUCTURE. THAT IS SOMETHING SUSTAINABLE, SOMETHING THAT KEEPS UP WITH INFLATION AND SOMETHING WHERE WE WON'T HAVE TO CONTINUE TO GO BACK TO THE STATE LEGISLATURE YEAR AFTER YEAR TO. TO, TO TRY AND FIX IT. I'M I'M OPTIMISTIC THAT WE'LL DO THAT. BUT NONETHELESS, WE ARE WE ARE PULLING THIS YEAR, 1.06, 7 MILLION OUT OF OUR RAINY DAY FUND TO TO CONTINUE. BUT WE HAVE WE HAVE NOT HAD TO CUT ANY OF OUR PROGRAMS THIS YEAR. WE'RE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE SOLUTIONS TO ALL OF THE AGENCIES WITHIN EL PASO COUNTY. ON THE PLUS SIDE, WE'RE BRINGING IN NEW TECHNOLOGIES. 
          THIS YEAR. WE WILL BE IMPLEMENTING IN MAY BRAND NEW 911 CALL HANDLING SYSTEM IN A BRAND NEW 911 ECOSYSTEM THAT ALLOWS EL PASO TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF SOME OF THE LATEST AND NEWEST NEXT GENERATION TECHNOLOGIES. THESE WILL PROVIDE ENHANCED SERVICES TO ALL THE CITIZENS WITHIN EL PASO COUNTY BY WAY OF BETTER LOCATION SERVICES, SHORTER WAIT TIMES, AND A BETTER ABILITY TO MATCH THE ACTUAL RESOURCE TO THE NEED. SO. IF. ANYBODY HAS ANY QUESTIONS, THAT'S JUST I WANT TO JUST TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO THANK YOU FOR THE TIME YOU'VE TAKEN. I'M I'M VERY IMPRESSED WITH THE KIND OF TECHNOLOGY THAT YOU'VE BEEN SEEKING AND HOW EL PASO REPRESENTS ONE OF THE BEST IN THE COUNTRY. AND I FEEL THAT PASSION FOR YOU TO WANT TO BE THAT, YOU KNOW, THE HIGHEST LEVEL IN, IN ALL THINGS. AND I WAS TELLING BETSY THAT I DID CONNECT YOU WITH LISA. I HOPE YOU WERE ABLE TO MEET ON, ON SOME OF THE LEGISLATION THAT MIGHT HELP YOU BE EVEN MORE SUCCESSFUL. SO, SCOTT, THANK YOU FOR THE TIME AND FOR YOUR PASSION FOR FOR THIS FOR THIS CENTER. THANKS, JUDGE. EL PASO ACTUALLY HAS AMAZING PUBLIC SAFETY AT AT ALL LEVELS AT CITY AND COUNTY AND EVEN OUR SMALLER JURISDICTIONS. AND SO WE JUST WANT TO DO OUR PART TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN EMPOWER THEM WITH MORE INFORMATION AND QUICKER AND FASTER RESPONSE TIMES. THANK YOU. SIR. WE HAVE 
          [01:15:13]
A MOTION TO APPROVE THE EL PASO COUNTY 911 DISTRICT FY 27 PROPOSED BUDGET MOTION BY COMMISSIONER STOUT. SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER BUTLER. VOTING IS OPEN. I THANK YOU, JUDGE. 
          MOTION CARRIES. THANK YOU SCOTT. GOOD LUCK ON YOUR. THANK YOU GOING FORWARD. THANKS. ITEM NUMBER SEVEN D RECEIVE A PRESENTATION, DISCUSS AND TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION ON THE FISCAL YEAR 2026 2027 BUDGET AND PROPERTY TAX RATE FOR EMERGENCY SERVICE DISTRICT NUMBER ONE. WELCOME. GOOD MORNING. JUDGE. COMMISSIONERS. CHIEF. CHRIS MENENDEZ, FIRE 
          [D. Receive a presentation, discuss and take appropriate action on the Fiscal Year 2026-2027 budget and property tax rate for Emergency Service District #1.
Carmen Arrieta-Candelaria, Director, Budget and Finance, 915-273-3726]
CHIEF FOR EMERGENCY SERVICES DISTRICT NUMBER ONE. WITH ME TO MY SIDE, I HAVE MRS. CATHERINE AMES, OUR ADMINISTRATOR. SO TODAY WE'LL BE DISCUSSING OUR 2627 BUDGET AND SEEKING THE BOARD'S APPROVAL TO ADOPT IT. THIS YEAR'S BUDGET WAS A FOCUS ON OUR SERVICES THAT WE ALREADY PROVIDE, AND ALSO TALKED ABOUT SERVICES INTERNALLY WITH OUR STAFF. SO AS ALWAYS, I ALWAYS START OFF WITH OUR MISSION AND OUR VISION. OUR MISSION IS BASED UPON TO PROVIDE COST EFFICIENT QUALITY SERVICES THROUGH THE USE OF VOLUNTEER AND CAREER PERSONNEL IN COOPERATION WITH PUBLIC AGENCIES, UTILIZING STATE OF THE ART EQUIPMENT, TECHNIQUES AND TECHNOLOGY. WITH OUR MISSION, WE HAVE A VISION WHICH IS TO PROVIDE EXCEPTIONAL, COMMUNITY FOCUSED EMERGENCY SERVICES DISTRICT TO OUR COMMUNITY. SOME OF THE OVERVIEW FOR OUR DISTRICT, FOR THE PUBLIC, AND FOR OUR BOARD COMMISSIONERS. HERE IS. WE CURRENTLY COVER 148MI■!S. WE HAE TWO FIRE STATIONS, ONE AT HQ OR ONE ADMINISTRATIVE BUILDING. WE HAVE SEEN A GROWTH IN OUR COMMUNITY OF ABOUT 13.4%, AND OUR STAFFING INCLUDES 36 CAREER FIREFIGHTERS. WE'RE ASKING FOR A THREE ADDITIONAL. THIS COMING YEAR, 61 VOLUNTEERS. AS. WE ARE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR VOLUNTEERS AND WE HIRE THEM QUARTERLY. WE HAVE 11 ADMIN STAFF AND 11 FIRE MARSHALS IN THE FIRE MARSHAL'S OFFICE. SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF OUR DISTRICT. WE HAVE THE NEW OFFICE. PRIOR TO THIS, WE HAD A PORTABLE OFFICE, AND NOW WE HAVE AN ADMINISTRATIVE BUILDING THAT CAN HOUSE OUR ADMIN AND OUR FIRE MARSHALS. IT ALSO HAS A BOARDROOM THAT SERVES OUR COMMISSIONERS AND THE COMMISSIONERS MEETINGS, PUBLIC EVENTS, AND WE ALSO HAVE TRAININGS WITH OTHER LEO OR LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES THROUGHOUT THE AREA. WE DID ALSO CREATE A MAINTENANCE BUILDING IN WHICH WE HAVE TWO MECHANICS ON STAFF, WHICH ALLOWED US TO SPEED UP REPAIR ON OUR APPARATUS TO GET THOSE UNITS TURNED AROUND IN A MUCH FASTER FASHION, AND THEN ALSO SAVE US FUNDING BY UTILIZING IN-HOUSE PERSONNEL. WITH THAT, WE ALSO HAVE THEM RESPONDING 24 HOURS A DAY. WHEN A TRUCK DOES GO DOWN, THEY ARE ABLE TO RESPOND TO CURBSIDE SERVICE, GET THAT TRUCK BACK IN SERVICE AND BRING IT BACK TO THE HEADQUARTERS IN CASE IT NEEDS FURTHER FIXING OR CONTINUOUS RESPONSE. FOR CALLS FOR SERVICE. WE ALSO ADDED A LOGISTICS WAREHOUSE. WE HAVE A LOGISTICS COORDINATOR IN WHICH THAT HAS CONTROLLED ORDERING, HAS STOPPED DUPLICATION. IT HAS ALSO ALLOWED US TO HAVE A BETTER TRACK ON OUR INVENTORY AND HAVE THE ACCOUNTABILITY FOR EQUIPMENT THAT GOES OUT TO OUR STATIONS, THAT WE PROVIDE SERVICE TO. ALSO, WE DID A RENOVATION AT STATION NUMBER ONE, IN WHICH WE WERE ABLE TO INCREASE OPERATION CAPACITY FROM THE CURRENT NINE THAT WE HAVE TO. 18 POTENTIALLY FOR THE FUTURE GROWTH. SOME OF OUR SPECIAL TEAMS. WE HAVE THE COUNTY SEARCH AND RESCUE TEAM, 12 MEMBERS OF. OF THE 32, THE 32 ENCOMPASSES THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE, STATE PARKS AND FIRE DEPARTMENTS FROM EMERGENCY SERVICE DISTRICT NUMBER TWO, WE HAVE AN ALL HAZARDS TEAM, WHICH IS IN COOPERATION WITH THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE, SIX MEMBERS THAT PROVIDE SERVICES FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT. WE ALSO HAVE TYPHUS GROUP THAT PROVIDES SERVICES TO OUTLYING AREAS IN WHICH ALLOWS THEM TO GAIN THAT KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE ON MAJOR INCIDENTS. SO IF IT WAS TO HAPPEN HERE, WE HAVE THAT KNOW HOW AND HOW TO HANDLE A LARGE SCALE INCIDENTS IF THEY 
          [01:20:01]
WERE TO OCCUR WITH THAT, WE HAVE A WILDLAND TEAM, 28 MEMBERS THAT PROVIDE SERVICES TO OUR COMMUNITY AND HONOR GUARD, WHICH WAS ESTABLISHED ALSO THIS YEAR. EIGHT MEMBERS, THEY HAVE BEEN DEDICATED TO GOING OUT TO DIFFERENT EVENTS AROUND THE COMMUNITY, AND WE HOPE THAT THEY WILL BE PARTICIPATING IN THE NINE OVER 11 CEREMONY IN SEPTEMBER. AND WE HOPE TO SEE YOU ALL THERE FOR THE CEREMONY AT UTEP. CALLS FOR SERVICE. THIS IS A FIVE YEAR TREND. WE'VE SEEN AN INCREASE OF ABOUT 34.6%. WE'RE TARGETED TO HIT ABOUT 1500 BY YEAR END. AND SO SOME OF THE INTERESTING FACTS. WE HAVE SEEN A DECREASE IN FIRES. AND YOU CAN SEE THAT IN THE COMPARISON CHART THAT'S BELOW HERE. AND WE ATTRIBUTE THAT TO OUR FIRE MARSHALS THAT ARE IN HOUSE THAT ARE ABLE TO GO OUT AND ASSIST WITH DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF THE COMMUNITY. AND SO THEY ALLOW FOR THE CODE ENFORCEMENT ONE ON ONE. THEY ARE ABLE TO PROVIDE PUBLIC EDUCATION NOT ONLY WHEN THEY GO OUT TO DO THOSE INSPECTIONS, THEY TALK TO THE PEOPLE AND PUT THE WHY BEHIND THE THE MANDATORY PARTS OF THE CODE. AND SO THEY ASSIST IN EDUCATING THE COMMUNITY WITH THE FIRE CODE VIOLATIONS AND ARE A VALUABLE ASSET TO THE COMMUNITY. SO THE FIRE INCIDENT TYPES WE HAVE KIND OF TALKING ABOUT SPECIFICALLY FIRES, WE HAD 105 OUTSIDE FIRES AND 42 STRUCTURE FIRES, WHICH ENCOMPASSES BOTH INTERNAL LOCAL DISTRICT AND THEN ALSO PROVIDING AUTOMATIC AID TO THE SURROUNDING DISTRICT. IN 2025, WE HAD 13 IN DISTRICT, TEN OUT OF DISTRICT, AND IN 2024 WE HAD 11 IN DISTRICT AND 16 OUT OF DISTRICT. RUN VOLUME. AS MENTIONED, WE'RE EXPECTED TO HIT 55,800 CALLS THIS YEAR. IN TEN YEARS, WE'RE PROJECTED TO HIT OVER 7800 CALLS. AND SO WE ARE PLANNING FOR THAT AS WE MOVE ALONG EACH CALL. FACT HERE RUNS FOR COST OF SERVICE IS ABOUT $3,271 PER CALL. AND THAT'S BASED UPON THE BUDGET AND BASED UPON THE CALL VOLUME IS HOW THAT NUMBER WAS DERIVED. 
          AND SO YOU CAN SEE AS THE YEARS GO ON, OUR NUMBERS START INCREASING IN REGARDS TO CALL VOLUME. AND WE ANTICIPATE A LARGE SCALE GROWTH OF ABOUT 41% WITHIN TEN YEARS TIME. 
          PERFORMANCE AND THIS IS IMPORTANT HERE IS THE NATIONAL STANDARD IS EIGHT MINUTES. 
          CURRENTLY WE'RE AT SEVEN MINUTES AND 47 SECONDS. LAST YEAR WE'RE AT SIX MINUTES AND 22 SECONDS. WE ATTRIBUTE THIS TO ONE CONSTRUCTION IN THE AREA HORIZON BOULEVARD, PELLICANO, DARRINGTON. AND ALSO, AS OUR COMMUNITY GROWS AND GETS FURTHER FROM OUR FIRE STATIONS THAT INCREASE THEIR RESPONSE TIME, WHAT WE CALL DOOR TO DOOR. AND SO THAT IS DOOR TO DOOR SERVICES FROM THE TIME CALLS WITH, AS YOU SAW MR. CALDERWOOD PRESENTING ON THE THE CALLS FOR SERVICE, SPEEDING THAT UP AND GETTING US OUT THE DOOR TO OUR CONSTITUENTS, TO THEM TO PROVIDE SERVICES THAT ARE NEEDED HERE. I'M GOING TO SHOW A LITTLE VIDEO IN REGARDS TO WHAT WE'VE ACCOMPLISHED THIS PAST YEAR. 
          [01:26:45]
AND SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE MEN AND WOMEN HAVE DONE THAT HAVE BEEN PHENOMENAL WITHIN OUR JURISDICTION. AND SO WE'RE GOING TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE FIRE MARSHAL'S OFFICE AND HOW THE BUDGET DOES SUPPORT THE OFFICE HERE. AND SO IT IS A REVENUE DRIVEN OFFICE IN REGARDS TO OPERATIONS. IT DOES NOT SUPPORT SALARIES BY ANY MEANS. SO I WANT TO MAKE THAT CLEAR. THE BUDGET ASSISTS WITH THAT. AND SO WHAT WE'VE DONE WITH 11 PERSONNEL IS WE'VE DONE 1031 INSPECTIONS THUS FAR. WE'RE EXPECTED TO HIT 2062 CONSTRUCTION PERMITS ISSUED. WE'RE AT 147 CURRENTLY EXPECTED TO HIT 294 ANNUAL INSPECTIONS, CURRENTLY AT 556, EXPECTED TO HIT 953 AND OPERATIONAL PERMITS ISSUED. WE'RE AT 328, EXPECTED TO HIT 562. AND SO THAT IS IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND. CURRENTLY, THIS YEAR, OPERATION EXPENSE IS AT 928,000. AND SO THAT IS WHAT ASSISTS WITH THE FIRE MARSHAL'S OFFICE AND WHAT THEY'VE DONE AND THEIR GREAT WORK INVESTIGATIONS THIS YEAR. THEY'VE DONE 2218 UNINTENTIONAL FOR ARSON AND ARE EITHER PENDING CLOSURE IN REGARDS TO WE HAVE A SUSPECT IN MIND OR IT IS A PENDING ON ONGOING INVESTIGATION. I DO WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THAT IN REGARDS TO THAT OFFICE, THERE ARE FIVE PEACE OFFICERS SERVING AS FIRE ARSON INVESTIGATORS. ONE FIRE INVESTIGATOR WHO IS CERTIFIED TO THE I A, A, I A, OR THERE'S THREE MEMBERS. WE HAVE THREE DEPUTIES CURRENTLY TRAINING TOWARDS FIRE INVESTIGATION INVESTIGATOR CERTIFICATIONS, TWO MEMBERS PENDING TRAINING FIRE INVESTIGATOR AND THEN THIS IS A 24 HOUR CALL FOR SERVICE IN REGARDS TO INSPECTION OF INVESTIGATIONS. BECAUSE AS YOU KNOW, FIRES OCCUR 24 OVER SEVEN. 
          AND SO IT IS NOT AN 8 TO 5 SITUATION THERE. AND SO IN TOTAL, WE HAVE 190 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE WITHIN THAT OFFICE. MANY OF THEM HOLD CERTIFICATIONS TO INCLUDE ADVANCED AND BASIC. A LITTLE UNDERSTANDING ON THAT IS FOR EVERY ADVANCEMENT, IT'S FOUR YEARS. AND SO AS A BASIC INVESTIGATOR, YOU HAVE FOUR YEARS AS YOU MOVE UP TO ADVANCE, ANOTHER FOUR YEARS GIVES YOU THE EIGHT AND THEN CERTIFICATION IS 12 YEARS. AND SO THAT GIVES US THAT TOTAL OF 190 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE BETWEEN THE 11 INVESTIGATORS. THEY ARE ALL CERTIFIED TO T, C, F, P, AND THEY ALL CARRY THE MEDICAL CERTIFICATION, ONE CARRYING A PARAMEDIC CERTIFICATION. AND SO THESE MEMBERS HERE DO MAKE UP OUR INVESTIGATIONS AND OUR PERMITTING AND OPERATIONS FOR THE FIRE MARSHAL'S OFFICE. CHIEF. YES, MA'AM. I'M SORRY, I JUST BEFORE WE MOVE ON, I KNOW RIGHT NOW WE STILL HAVE THE SLIDE WITH THE DIFFERENT PERMITS. NO, BUT ACTUALLY MY QUESTION WAS ON THAT SLIDE BEFORE WE MOVE ON FROM THAT THAT ONE. SO I'M SORRY, THE FIGURE THAT YOU GAVE THE 928,000 IS THAT THE REVENUE GENERATED FROM THE PERMITTING. NO, MA'AM. NO. OKAY. SO WHAT DO YOU KNOW THE REVENUE GENERATED FROM THE PERMITTING. YOU'RE THE EXACT NUMBER HERE. OKAY. SO THE 928 FIGURE THAT YOU REFERENCED WAS I MISSED EXACTLY WHAT THAT THAT'S TODAY. THAT'S WHAT IT'S GOING TO COST FOR US TO OPERATE THIS FISCAL YEAR. OKAY? OKAY. 547,247 OKAY. SO THE REVENUE GENERATED FROM THE PERMITTING PROCESS IS THE 547,000. YES, MA'AM. OKAY, GREAT. THANK YOU. AND SO SOME OF THE THINGS THAT 
          [01:30:02]
OUR FIRE MARSHAL'S ASSIST WITH IS WE'VE TOUCHED REACHED OUT TO 16,545 PEOPLE WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY. AS SUCH, THIS HELPS US IN REDUCING FIRE DEATHS AND INJURIES, ASSIST US WITH SMOKE ALARM OUTREACH. WE DO GIVE SMOKE DETECTORS OUT FOR FREE TO THE COMMUNITY. WE GO OUT AND PHYSICALLY WE GO OUT AND MEET WITH THE THE STUDENTS OF THE SCHOOLS AND TALK TO THEM ABOUT FIRE BEHAVIOR AND ULTIMATELY RECRUIT FOR THE FUTURE FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AS THEY ARE VOLUNTEERS. ALSO EARLY EDUCATION TO KIND OF TELL THEM, YOU KNOW WHAT 911 IS AND HOW TO UTILIZE IT CORRECTLY. AND SO WE WERE ABLE TO THIS YEAR MAKE CONTACT WITH OVER 16000 PEOPLE, WHICH IS PRETTY AMAZING. AND SO WE TALK ABOUT SERVING BEYOND THE SIRENS, AS I MENTIONED, RECRUITING FOR FIREFIGHTERS AS WE GO OUT TO THE PUBLIC AND TALKING WITH THEM. HAZARD COMPLIANT RESPONSE. WE HAVE A LOT OF WE HAVE COMPLAINTS THAT COME IN THAT OUR FIRE MARSHALS ARE ABLE TO GO OUT AND EDUCATE AND TELL THEM WHY WE DO CERTAIN THINGS. AND SO THAT IS HUGE TO RESOLVE ANY TYPE OF MISUNDERSTANDINGS OR ANYTHING THAT MIGHT BE A SIGNIFICANCE TO OUR CONSTITUENTS. WE PARTICIPATE IN COMMUNITY EVENT INSPECTIONS TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR PUBLIC IS SAFE. OUR COMMUNITY DOES THINGS SAFELY AND REDUCES HARM TO ANYBODY THAT MIGHT BE ATTENDING THESE EVENTS. AND THEN, OF COURSE, FIREWORKS SAFETY. DURING THE FIREWORKS SEASON, OUR FIRE MARSHALS ARE OUT ENFORCING, MAKING SURE THAT WHATEVER THE COUNTY ADOPTS DURING THAT TIME IS ENFORCED, AND WE MAKE SURE THAT THE FIREWORKS ARE BEING UTILIZED CORRECTLY. FIREWORKS STANDS ARE ABIDING BY THE CODE, AND THE PUBLIC CAN HAVE FUN, BUT YET DO IT SAFELY. AND SO WITH THAT, I'LL NOW TURN IT OVER TO OUR ADMINISTRATOR, MRS. CATHERINE. NAMES. GOOD MORNING, COMMISSIONER JUDGE CATHERINE AMES, S D ADMINISTRATOR. SO TODAY WE STAND BEFORE YOU TO PROPOSE OUR BUDGET OF $19,280,788 AND A TAX RATE OF $0.10 PER $100 EVALUATION. SO TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR REVENUE GROWTH AND OUR TAXPAYER IMPACT. SO WE ARE PROJECTING AN INCREASED AMOUNT OF COLLECTIONS FOR SALES TAX OF $935,142, WHICH IS AN 11.42% INCREASE OVER OUR CURRENT FISCAL YEAR. OUR SECONDARY INCOME IS OUR PROPERTY TAX REVENUE. WE'RE PROJECTING AN INCREASE OF $395,151, OR 5.11% INCREASE OVER THIS FISCAL YEAR. AND THIS IS DUE TO THE INCREASE OF OUR ROOFTOPS IN OUR DISTRICT BY 1400 PROPERTIES. AND ALSO, JUST TO LET YOU KNOW THAT BY ADOPTING A TEN CENT TAX RATE, WHICH IS ONLY RAISES THE TAXES BY $3.36 FOR THE AVERAGE HOME VALUE, WHICH IS 254,000 IN OUR DISTRICT. SO THE TEN CENT OVER THE NO NEW REVENUE RATE WOULD ONLY INCREASE BY $3.36 PER HOME, OR 1.44% INCREASE FOR EMERGENCY SERVICES IN OUR DISTRICT. SO LET'S TALK A BIT, A BIT OF A DIVISION OF FUNDS IN OUR BUDGET AND OUR CURRENT AND NEW F Y, F Y COMPARISONS. SO TO START, WE ARE CURRENTLY OPERATING ON A BUDGET OF 17.8 MILLION. OUR PROPOSED BUDGET FOR THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR IS 19.2 MILLION, WHICH WOULD BE A 7.1 7.91% INCREASE. SO OUR BUDGET IS DIVIDED INTO FOUR MAJOR CATEGORIES. AND THE FIRST CATEGORY IS OPERATIONS, WHERE BUDGETING 7.4 MILLION IN OPERATIONS, WHICH COMPOSES OF 38.6% OF OUR BUDGET. 
          SECONDARILY IS OUR PAYROLL AND SALARIES AT 6,528,000, WHICH CONSISTS OF 33.9% OF OUR BUDGET, ADDING OPERATIONS AND PAYROLL AND SALARY. THAT BRINGS US TO A TOTAL OPERATING BUDGET OF 13,978,000. THIRDLY, WE HAVE OUR LIABILITY AND INTEREST FOR OUR DEBT RATE, WHICH IS INCREASING TO 3,405,000, WHICH IS 17.7% OF OUR BUDGET. AND LASTLY IS OUR CAPITAL AND OUR CONSTRUCTION BUDGET, WHICH HAS SEEN A DECREASE. WE ARE BUDGETING 1,897,000, WHICH IS 9.8% OF OUR BUDGET. SO ON AUGUST THE 13TH, OUR BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS DID APPROVE A BUDGET OF $19,280,788, WHICH IS AN INCREASE OF $1,413,648. AGAIN, THAT'S 7.91% INCREASE. 
          AND SO OUR BUDGET AGAIN CONSISTS OF THAT LIABILITY AND INTEREST RATE, WHICH IS THE DEBT RATE. WE ARE PROPOSING A LOAN OF 2.1 MILLION IN THE NEW FISCAL YEAR TO PURCHASE EQUIPMENT AND TO REPLACE SOME OF OUR CRITICALLY NEEDED ITEMS IN OUR FIRE SERVICE. SO THIS 
          [01:35:03]
GIVES US AN ANNUAL IMPACT INCREASE OF $325,264 TO THE BUDGET, OR 10.56%. NEXT AREA IS OUR PAYROLL AND SALARIES, WHICH DID INCREASE BY $533,133, OR 8.89%. AND WE DO ATTRIBUTE THIS TO THE EXPANSION OF OUR ADMINISTRATION AND OPERATIONAL STAFFING. AS CHIEF MENENDEZ MENTIONED, WE'RE ADDING THREE ADDITIONAL OPERATIONAL STAFF. IT GIVES US THE PROVISION FOR EMPLOYEE PAY INCREASES AND THE INCREASE IN HEALTH BENEFIT COSTS TO OUR EMPLOYEES. THEN WE HAVE OPERATIONS WHICH DID INCREASE BY 1,940,000 OR 35.23%, AND THIS IS DUE TO THE OPERATIONAL COSTS OF OUR THIRD FACILITY, WHICH IS TOTALLY ONLINE THIS YEAR. LAST YEAR IT WAS NOT. THE IMPACT OF THAT BUILDING DID NOT HIT THE BUDGET. WE'RE ALSO SEEING AN INCREASE IN PERSONNEL SUPPLY COSTS, REPLACEMENT OF DEPARTMENT EQUIPMENT. AND THIS YEAR, AS THE CHIEF MENTIONED, THE THEME OF OUR BUDGET IS INVESTING IN OUR OWN. SO WE WE HAVE BUDGETED MORE OPPORTUNITY TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR STAFF TO KEEP THEM HIGHLY QUALIFIED IN OUR COMMUNITY. THE NEXT ONE IS OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT AND CONSTRUCTION. AS I MENTIONED, IT HAS DECREASED BY 1,385,000 OR 42.21%, AND THIS IS PRIMARILY DUE TO THE COMPLETION OF OUR HEADQUARTERS BUILDING. AND WE ARE ALSO FUNDING A LOAN, AS I HAD MENTIONED, FOR THE NEW FISCAL YEAR FOR EQUIPMENT. SO IN OUR RESERVES BALANCE OUR CURRENT. THE DISTRICT IS FINANCIALLY POSITIONED TO FUND AN EMERGENCY RESERVE EQUAL TO SIX MONTHS OR 180 DAYS OF OPERATING EXPENSES. AND THIS AMOUNT ACTUALLY REFLECTS THE BEST PRACTICES FOR ESDS. SO SOME OF THE CHALLENGES WHEN IT COMES TO FUNDING FOR THE FOR THE YEAR IN ESDS IS, IS THE THAT THE DISTRICT'S HIGH DOLLAR CAPITAL NEEDS ARE CAPPED PROPERTY TAX AT $0.10. AND ALSO WE HAVE LIMITED ABILITY TO RAISE ANY EMERGENCY REVENUE MID-YEAR. SO THIS IN ORDER TO REACH THIS TARGET FOR OUR DISTRICT, WE HAVE INCREASED OUR RESERVE AMOUNT BY 2.21 BY $2.2 MILLION. ON THE NEXT SLIDE. THIS IS THE BREAKDOWN OF OUR REVENUE THAT WILL FUND OUR BUDGET. SO WE BEGIN WITH OUR PROPOSED TAX RATE OF $0.10, WHICH IS THE SAME TAX RATE THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE IN THIS FISCAL YEAR. THIS INCLUDES OUR INS OR OUR DEBT RATE OF 0.042389, WHICH GIVES US A PROPOSED COLLECTION OF 3,442,000. OUR RATE OF 0.057611, WHICH GIVES US A PROJECTED COLLECTION AMOUNT OF 4,679,000. SO FOR OUR OUR PROPERTY COLLECTION, OUR TOTAL PROPOSED AMOUNT IS 8,121,977. AND SO WE'RE ALSO PROPOSING OUR SALES TAX COLLECTION FOR FY 27 TO BE 9,125,589. THIS YEAR. WE ARE ROLLING FORWARD OUR FUND BALANCE, WHICH IS $317,592. AND THIS YEAR WE ARE USING WHAT WE CALL ARBITRAGE EARNINGS. SO I DON'T KNOW IF YOU ALL REMEMBER I'M SPEAKING ABOUT THIS LAST YEAR IS. SO WHEN WE TOOK OUT OUR HEADQUARTERS LOAN, WE TOOK TOOK IT OUT AT A VERY GOOD RATE. BUT OF COURSE THE WORLD CHANGED AND WE WEREN'T ABLE TO BUILD AS QUICKLY AS WE THOUGHT. SO WE INVESTED THE MONEY. AND SO THE GOVERNMENT ALLOWS YOU TO DO SO, BUT YOU HAVE TO PAY ARBITRAGE ON THE FUNDS THAT YOU RAISED OVER THE THE, THE INTEREST RATE OF YOUR LOAN. SO THIS IS THE END OF OUR LOAN PERIOD. AND SO WE MUST SPEND ALL OF THOSE ARBITRAGE FUNDS. SO THIS YEAR WE ARE USING THOSE $1,715,000 TO FUND OUR CAPITAL. AND AGAIN, THIS IS TO COMPLETE OUT THE YEAR. WE HAVE TO HAVE THEM SPENT BY DECEMBER SO WE CAN FILE THE APPROPRIATE DOCUMENTATION WITH THE IRS. SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE USING. AS FOR OUR CAPITAL. AND SO OUR TOTAL BUDGET THIS YEAR $19,280,788.50, AGAIN AN INCREASE OF 7.91% OVER OUR CURRENT FISCAL YEAR AND OUR RESERVE BALANCE, WE HAVE OUR RESERVE, OUR RESERVE BUDGET. WE HAVE IT INTO TWO CATEGORIES. ONE IS OUR CAPITAL PROJECT RESERVES, AND THESE ARE FUNDS THAT WE'RE SETTING ASIDE FOR OUR FUTURE PROJECT FOR THIS YEAR. OUR FUTURE PROJECT PROJECTED IS A THIRD STATION. WE'RE LOOKING AT ANYWHERE FROM 9 TO $10 MILLION FROM LAND, THE BUILDING, ARCHITECT FEES AND FURNISHING. SO WE ARE INCREASING OUR CAPITAL PROJECT RESERVE TO 4,658,000 TO MEET THAT NEED FOR THAT FUTURE PROJECT. AND THEN OUR EMERGENCY RESERVES ARE 6,989,000. AND AGAIN, THIS ALLOWS US TO HAVE 182.5 DAYS OF OPERATIONS IN RESERVE. SO THIS GIVES US OUR TOTAL RESERVE BALANCE OF 
          [01:40:03]
$11,647,117. SO WHAT WE ARE ASKING FROM COMMISSIONERS COURT TODAY IS TO APPROVE THE ESD OPERATING BUDGET OF $19,280,788.50, AND OUR RESERVE BUDGET OF $11,647,117.13. WE'RE FURTHER ASKING FOR THE ADOPTION OF THE TEN CENT TAX RATE, CONSIDERING CONSISTING OF AN M AND O RATE OF 0.057611 AND AN INS OR DEBT RATE OF 0.042389. THIS CONCLUDES OUR PRESENTATION AND WE'RE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU ALL MAY HAVE. THANK YOU. COMMISSIONER BUTLER, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION AND THE INFORMATION. YOU MENTIONED A THIRD FIRE STATION. WHERE WHERE ARE YOU PROJECTING THAT TO BE LOCATED LOCATED? SO WHAT WE DO IS WHEN IT'S TIME TO PURCHASE THE LAND, WE UTILIZE A HEAT MAP TO DETERMINE WHERE OUR MOST OF OUR CALL VOLUME IS GOING TO BE AT RIGHT NOW IS LOOKING MORE TOWARDS PELLICANO AND BERRYVILLE AREA. THAT IS ONE OF THE HOT SPOTS THAT THE COMMUNITY. AND AS YOU KNOW, THE RESIDENTIAL IS GROWING THAT IN THAT AREA. BUT WHEN IT DOES COME TIME TO PURCHASE THAT LAND, WILL UTILIZE THE LATEST DATA AND ANALYTICS TO DETERMINE WHERE IS THE BEST SPOT TO PURCHASE THE LAND FOR A FIVE YEAR OUTLOOK, BECAUSE IT TAKES US AN AVERAGE OF ABOUT FIVE YEARS FROM THE TIME WE DECIDE TO BUILD THE STATION TO THE TIME IT'S OPERATIONAL. THAT INCLUDES LAND, THE TRUCKS, STAFFING, THE PERSONNEL, THE STATION. ALL OF THAT IS AN AVERAGE ABOUT FIVE YEARS. WELL THANK YOU. SO WHAT YEAR ARE WE IN THAT PROCESS? ONE FIRST YEAR. 
          YES, MA'AM. OKAY. ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT WE HAVE, AND I KNOW IT'S NOT AN EASY ONE, BUT I'M TRYING TO TO COMPARE OR, OR MAKE SURE THAT THAT, YOU KNOW, I UNDERSTAND IF THESE THIS ISSUE IS EXISTING IN ESD ONE AS WELL, BUT WE HAVE A LOT OF RESIDENTS IN, IN THE EAST MONTANA, MONTANA, VISTA AREA THAT DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO WATER YET. DO YOU ALL HAVE RESIDENTS IN ESD, ONE THAT DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO WATER THAT YOU KNOW OF? SO THERE'S ONE AREA OUT BY WHAT WE CALL A PARCEL LAKE THAT DOESN'T HAVE WATER IN REGARDS TO. IT'S SIMPLY PEOPLE THAT HAVE BOUGHT LAND AND LITERALLY ARE LIVING IN A CAR. SO THERE IS NO HOMES. IT'S I WOULD LESS THAN HALF A PERCENT, BUT ALL THE 99.5% OF OUR COMMUNITY DOES HAVE HYDRANTS WITHIN THE AREA, OR HAS SOME TYPE OF ADDED WATER TANKS FOR FIRE SUPPRESSION, COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES BEING ONE OF THEM. WE DO HAVE TANKERS THAT PROVIDE THAT WATER THAT IS NEEDED FOR FIRES, BUT AGAIN, IT IS A SMALL, SMALL, SMALL NUMBER. SO IF SOMEBODY CALLS CALLS 911 BECAUSE THEIR HOME IS ON FIRE OR THEIR BUSINESS IS ON FIRE, DO YOU HAVE A MECHANISM TO KNOW WHETHER THERE'S A FIRE HYDRANT ACCESSIBLE ON THEIR PROPERTY? YES, NCAD, WHICH IS A COMPUTER AIDED DISPATCH. OUR MAPS SHOW HYDRANTS IN THE AREA, AND OUR FIREFIGHTERS THAT RESPOND TO THAT PARTICULAR DISTRICT ARE WELL VERSED AND KNOW THAT IF THEY RESPOND TO A PARTICULAR AREA TO RESPOND IN THAT TANKER OR AN APPARATUS THAT CARRIES A LARGE AMOUNT OF WATER. OKAY. AND I KNOW WE'VE TALKED ABOUT FIRE HYDRANTS BEFORE, BUT DOES ESD ONE TEST FIRE HYDRANTS, OR DO YOU RELY ON THE COUNTY OR THE MDS TO DO THAT? WE DO NOT. WE'VE ASKED, AND THEY DO NOT ALLOW US TO IN CERTAIN PARTS OF THE OF THE DISTRICT, THE INFRASTRUCTURE IS VERY OLD. AND SO BY US TESTING THEM, IT WOULD CAUSE MORE DAMAGE. BUT IN OUR AREA WE HAVE HAD GREAT SUCCESS IN REGARDS TO NOT HAVING ISSUES WITH THE WATER. THERE ARE AREAS THAT WE DO KNOW THAT MIGHT HAVE POTENTIAL RISK, BUT AS OF RIGHT NOW, WE'VE NEVER HAD ANY ISSUES WITH OUR HYDRANTS. AND WE HAVE ASKED THE MDS, MUNICIPAL, MUNICIPAL, UTILITY DISTRICTS TO ALLOW US TO GO IN THERE BECAUSE IT HELPS US WITH ISO, AND SO WE USE DATA THAT THEY'VE OBTAINED FROM PRIOR YEARS TO ASSIST US WITH THAT. IS THERE DO YOU HAVE A MECHANISM FOR KNOWING IF THERE ARE ISSUES WITH FIRE HYDRANTS, OR IS JUST LIKE, WE'VE BEEN LUCKY NOT TO RUN INTO AN ISSUE WITH A NON WORKING FIRE HYDRANT THAT'S NEEDED. WE HAVE A GREAT COOPERATION WITH HORIZON MUNICIPAL AND THE MUNICIPAL DISTRICTS, AND WHEN THEY HAVE A HYDRANT GO DOWN, THEY NOTIFY OUR ONE OF US OR OUR DISPATCH, AND OUR DISPATCH SENDS OUT WHAT WE CALL AN EVERBRIDGE SO THAT EVERYBODY GETS NOTIFICATION THAT THEY'RE WORKING ON A PARTICULAR STREET. AND THIS PARTICULAR HYDRANT MAY NOT HAVE ANY WATER, BUT THERE IS A COMMUNICATION WITHIN OUR DISTRICT THAT ALLOWS FOR US TO KNOW THAT THIS HYDRANT MIGHT NOT BE GOOD. DON'T CATCH IT. GRAB ANOTHER HYDRANT. AND WITH THAT WE CARRY 1500FT OF HOSE. OUR HYDROGENS ARE SPACED ABOUT 500FT APART. SO IF THERE IS ONE HYDRANT THAT IS OUT, WE HAVE A CHANCE TO CATCH THE NEXT ONE THAT'S 1000FT OR THAT THIRD ONE, 
          [01:45:02]
WHICH IS AT 1500FT. SO WE DO HAVE OPPORTUNITIES THAT IF WE DO CATCH A HYDRANT, WE CAN CATCH THE NEXT ONE OR THE FOLLOWING ONE. THANK YOU CHIEF, I APPRECIATE IT. THANKS, COMMISSIONER. I SAW FROM YOUR STATISTICS YOUR CALL VOLUME HAS GONE UP, BUT THE CALLS FOR EMS HAVE GONE SLIGHTLY DOWN, WHICH IS A GOOD THING, RIGHT, FOR MEDICAL SERVICES. AND SO I THINK THAT PROBABLY ATTRIBUTABLE TO, YOU KNOW, SAFETY PRECAUTION AND VARIOUS OTHER FACTORS THAT RELATED TO THAT. DEFINITELY MAYBE ELABORATE ON THAT. SO YES, SO WE REACH OUT TO THE COMMUNITY WHEN WE GO OUT TO THESE EVENTS AND KIND OF STRESS THE FACTS OF WHAT IS AN EMERGENCY, YOU KNOW, HOW TO CALL FOR EMERGENCY 911, WHEN TO UTILIZE IT, WHEN NOT TO UTILIZE IT. AND SO EDUCATION IS KEY ON THAT. ONE OF THE FACTORS THAT YOU SAW IS TIFMAS, WHICH I THINK IS WHAT YOU'RE REFERENCING. AND SO THAT IS MORE FOR THE WILDLAND ASPECT OF THINGS. AND SO THAT HAS GONE DOWN AS BECAUSE THE CALLS FOR SERVICE FOR THE STATE OF TEXAS HAS GONE DOWN, I SHOULD SAY THAT'S JUST A REPORTING THAT WE HAVE FOR 2025. WE DON'T HAVE THE NUMBERS YET FOR 2026. WE'RE WORKING ON THOSE. BUT LOCALLY, WILDLAND FIRES HAVE GONE DOWN IN OUR DISTRICT AND CALLS FOR SERVICE OUTSIDE OF OUR DISTRICT, BECAUSE WE DO HAVE AUTOMATIC AID THAT ALLOWS US TO OR ASSISTS OTHER AGENCIES. EMERGENCY SERVICES. NUMBER TWO, TO GET US ROLLING FROM THE INITIAL SETUP OR THE INITIAL CALL THAT COMES IN. AND SO OVERALL, TO SAY THAT EMS CALLS HAVE GONE DOWN. YES, YOU ARE CORRECT IN REGARDS TO THE MAGNITUDE OF THE CALL THAT MIGHT BE CLASSIFIED AS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN A TRUE MEDICAL CALL. THEY GET CLASSIFIED AS MAYBE, YOU KNOW, AN ASSISTANCE CALL. SOMEONE FELL DOWN AND NEEDED TO GET HELP TO GET UP. SO IT JUST DEPENDS ON THE CLASSIFICATION THAT HAPPENS THAT DETERMINES WHAT THAT ACTUAL CALL IS. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. YES, SIR. WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE BUDGET AND TAX RATE FOR THE SD NUMBER ONE FROM COMMISSIONER OLGUIN AND A SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER BUTLER. THE VOTING IS OPEN. I VOTE AYE, I THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER. THANK YOU JUDGE. MOTION CARRIES. THANK YOU COMMISSIONERS. THANK YOU. 
          GOOD JOB CHIEF. THANK YOU. ITEM NUMBER SEVEN E, RECEIVE A PRESENTATION, DISCUSS AND TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION ON THE FISCAL YEAR 2026 2027. BUDGET AND PROPERTY TAX RATE FOR EMERGENCY SERVICE DISTRICT NUMBER TWO. GOOD MORNING, JUDGE AND COMMISSIONERS. THANK YOU 
          [E. Receive a presentation, discuss and take appropriate action on the Fiscal Year 2026-2027 budget and property tax rate for Emergency Service District #2.
Carmen Arrieta-Candelaria, Director, Budget and Finance, 915-273-3726]
FOR HAVING US. CHIEF ESPARZA WITH EL PASO COUNTY IS NUMBER TWO HERE TO PRESENT OUR 2627 YEAR BUDGET. WITH ME IS ALSO CYNTHIA RAY. SHE WILL BE PRESENTING THE FINANCIAL SIDE, AND I DO. COMMISSIONER SANTANA IS ACCOMPANYING US AS A BOARD MEMBER. SO LET'S START OFF WITH A. THE HIGHLIGHTS THAT WE'VE DONE FOR THIS PAST YEAR, RIGHT. EL PASO COUNTY HAS COMPLETED THE ARCHITECTURAL DESIGNS FOR THE SECOND SOCORRO FIRE STATION, WHICH IS GREATLY NEEDED FOR SOCORRO. AND THEN WE HAVE THREE NEW PEACE OFFICERS OUT OF THE SHERIFF'S ACADEMY AND CERTIFIED 20 OF OUR VOLUNTEERS. OUR PUSH IS TO CERTIFY ALL OUR VOLUNTEERS TO THE STANDARD THAT WE SHOULD HAVE HAD. SO EVERY YEAR WE'RE. WE'RE AVERAGING ABOUT 20 TO 25 VOLUNTEERS BEING CERTIFIED. WE'RE CURRENTLY WORKING ON ESTABLISHING THE HONOR GUARD, CERTIFYING 54 ADDITIONAL VOLUNTEERS. WE HAVE 54 OF THEM ON THE ON THE CLASS. WE'RE. THIS YEAR, WE'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING TO HIRE 20 ADDITIONAL FIREFIGHTERS. AND THE FIRST TIME IN 34 YEARS THAT I'VE BEEN WITH THE ESD, THE FULL COUNTY WILL HAVE FULL 24 HOUR PAID STAFF. THESE 20 WILL BE SERVING THE AREA OF CANUTILLO AND MONTANA VISTA AS A 24 HOUR STAFF. WE WILL ALSO BE PURCHASING A QUINT FOR THE CLINT AREA AND UPDATING THE ENCODERS AT ALL FIRE STATIONS. 
          THOSE ENCODERS ARE ALREADY PLUS 20 YEARS OLD AND HAVE BEEN SERVING THOSE STATIONS. THE 911 CALL OVERVIEW AS OF RIGHT NOW, WE SEE FROM 21 WE HAD 10,190 CALLS. RIGHT NOW TO THIS DAY WE HAVE 10,709. THE INCREASE IS DOESN'T LOOK MUCH, BUT WE ARE RUNNING A STEADY UP CLIMB IN CALL VOLUME. WE'LL GIVE YOU A BREAKDOWN HERE IN A MINUTE. THE FIRE BREAKDOWN. WE HAD 65 BRUSH 
          [01:50:02]
FIRES FOR OVER PRESSURE FIRES FOR RUBBISH, 96 RUBBISH FIRES, 38 STRUCTURE FIRES AND 36 VEHICLE FIRES ATTENDED A TOTAL OF 239 FIRE INCIDENTS FOR THE FIRE SIDE OF THE CALL VOLUME. 
          THE MEDICAL BREAKDOWN HERE IS WHAT WE HAVE. WE HAVE 300 RESCUE AND EMS AT 4706. OTHER TYPE OF CALLS THAT WE HAD IS 4310 SPECIAL INCIDENTS, 212 SEVERE WEATHER, 45 FALSE ALARMS AT 281, 600 GOOD INTENT CALLS AND 445 SERVICE CALLS. THE ATTENDED TOTAL 10,470 INCIDENTS. 
          IF YOU PUT ALL THOSE TOGETHER, IT GIVES US A TOTAL OF OUR CALL VOLUME TO SHOW WHERE THE MAJORITY OF OUR CALL RESPONSE IS. OUR AVERAGE RESPONSE TIME IS SEVEN MINUTES, 47 SECONDS. 
          SO EL PASO COUNTY IS THE NUMBER TWO IS ALSO WE'RE GOING TO TOUCH BASE ON THE FIRE MARSHAL'S, SEVEN OF WHOM ARE SWORN OFFICERS, ALSO ARRESTING POWERS AND FIREARMS. QUALIFIED FIRE MARSHALS HAVE EXTENSIVE DUTIES, INCLUDING CODE ENFORCEMENT, BUILDING AND SITE INSPECTIONS, FIRE INVESTIGATIONS, PERMITTING PLAN REVIEW, PUBLIC FIRE SAFETY EDUCATION AND HAZARDOUS MATERIAL OVERSIGHT FOR THE COMPANIES THAT DO HAVE HAZARDOUS MATERIALS. WE DO ALSO PROVIDE BACKUP. WE'RE ALSO ALL FIREFIGHTERS. SO WE ALSO DO PRE CREATE BACKUP FOR THE FIRE TRUCKS THAT ARE THERE BECAUSE WE CAN ALSO SUIT UP. AND WE DO ALSO HAVE THE TRAINING. WE HAVE TO MEET THE REQUIRED TRAINING FOR ALL THE FIRE MARSHALS OF 22 HOURS OF FIREFIGHTING, 20 HOURS OF MEDICAL, 20 HOURS OF HAZMAT AND 40 FOR PEACE OFFICER A YEAR. 
          IN THE FIRE MARSHAL'S. OF COURSE, WE DO HAVE EIGHT ISSUED A STOP WORK ORDERS. WE AVERAGE ABOUT 1000 BUSINESS INSPECTIONS CONDUCTED FOR ARRESTS THIS PAST YEAR FOR ARSON, AND CONDUCTED 28 FIRE INVESTIGATIONS TOTAL. DISTRICT GROWTH. WE'VE SEEN A HUGE GROWTH THIS COMING YEAR FOR THE SOCORRO AREA, AND WE'VE NAMED THEM ALL HERE, UPPER VALLEY. WE'RE GETTING THE SANTA TOWNHOMES AND ANTHONY WEST RIVER MANDARIN, CANUTILLO CROSS LINE, UNIT ONE, SOCORRO CROSS LAND UNIT TWO, SOCORRO UNIT THREE AND SOCORRO HORIZON PARK. UNIT ONE. SOCORRO. AS YOU CAN SEE, A LOT OF IT IS SOCORRO. NOW. WE HAVE ONE IN SAN CARLOS ESTATES AND FABENS. THAT'S A NEW ONE. MONTANA VISTA. WE'RE SEEING THE CARLTON ESTATES UNIT, PHASE ONE AND PHASE TWO. THOSE ARE COMING UP. CONSTRUCTION PERMITS. WE ISSUED 76 NEW CONSTRUCTION PERMITS, AND WE BROKE THEM DOWN BY THE COMMUNITY THAT WE'RE SERVING. AS YOU CAN SEE, CLINT GOT ONE, TORNILLO GOT ONE. FABENS HAD FIVE, SAN YSIDRO HAD ZERO, SOCORRO HAD 39, MONTANA VISTA HAD 14, VINTON HAD SIX, ANTHONY HAD FIVE. CANUTILLO HAD FIVE TOTAL, 577 ISSUED PERMITS FOR FISCAL YEAR. COLLECTED REVENUE FROM OCTOBER 1ST 2025 TO JULY 24TH, 2026. AS YOU CAN SEE, WE GAVE YOU A BREAKDOWN OF MONTANA VISTA. OUT OF THE 14 WAS 42,120 FABENS FIVE 73,749. AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT ON THE FABENS, WE REALLY DON'T HAVE THOSE. THOSE ARE THE NEW SOLAR PANEL FACILITIES THAT ARE GOING NORTH OF THE PARK BACK THERE. THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT ARE GOING OUT THERE. AND MONTANA VISTA, A LOT OF THOSE 14 ARE NEW BUSINESSES THAT ARE TRYING TO UPGRADE THEIR FACILITIES. THE TORNILLO HAD ONE FOR 265. CANUTILLO HAD FIVE 7700 FOR A TOTAL OF 123,000 SEVEN, 28. NOW IN THE. THAT WAS IN THE UNINCORPORATED AREAS. NOW IN THE INCORPORATED AREAS, AS YOU CAN SEE, SOCORRO, BENTON, ANTHONY AND CLINT, THAT CHANGED. WE HAD 826 000 IN PERMIT FEES FROM THOSE AREAS. PERMIT BREAKDOWN. WE'RE GIVING YOU PERMIT BREAKDOWN ON WHAT ALL THOSE PERMITS ENTAIL. WE'RE DOUBLE PERMIT NEW CONSTRUCTION PERMITS, FIRE ALARMS, FIREWORKS, FIRE SPRINKLER, FIXED PIPE SUPPRESSION SYSTEMS, FLAMMABLE COMBUSTIBLE LICENSE INSPECTIONS, MODIFICATION PERMITS, OPEN BURNING, OPERATIONAL AND PRELIMINARY PLAN REVIEW. 
          EVERYTHING IS BEING BROKEN DOWN INTO SEVERAL DIFFERENT SECTIONS. AND WE ALSO BROKEN DOWN IN THE UNINCORPORATED AREA AND INCORPORATED AREAS OF THE COUNTY. THE NEXT UP WILL BE HANDLED BY MISS RAY, AND SHE WILL BE SPEAKING ON THE BUDGET BREAKDOWN. THANK YOU CHIEF. YES, SIR. I THOUGHT YOU SAID CHIEF, BUT WHILE WE'RE WHILE WE'RE HERE BEFORE YOU LEAVE, CHIEF, I 
          [01:55:06]
JUST HAD ONE COMMENT MORE THAN ANYTHING ON THE THE PERMITS THAT YOU WERE JUST REVIEWING. 
          THAT'S REALLY INTERESTING INFORMATION TO SEE HOW MANY PERMITS FOR DIFFERENT REASONS YOUR OFFICE IS PROCESSING, ESPECIALLY THE NEW CONSTRUCTION PERMITS. I WONDER IF THERE'S A WAY FOR OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT TO KNOW WHAT THOSE WHEN THOSE PERMITS ARE APPROVED, SO THAT WE JUST HAVE MORE AWARENESS OF NEW BUSINESSES THAT ARE GOING UP IN, IN, IN AREAS OUTSIDE OF THE CITY OF EL PASO, IF THAT MAKES SENSE. WE CAN. YEAH. DO YOU WANT ON THE UNINCORPORATED AREAS OR THE MUNICIPALITIES OUTSIDE OF THE CITY OF EL PASO? I THINK ALL OF IT IS IS HELPFUL. I MEAN, I'M I'M INTERESTED IN ALL OF IT. NOT A PROBLEM. THANK YOU. GOOD MORNING, JUDGE. COMMISSIONERS CYNTHIA RAY, BUDGET AND FINANCE SUPERVISOR FOR ISD TWO. AND I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE. I HAVE A BUDGET BREAKDOWN FOR YOU FOR THE 2627 FISCAL YEAR. WE HAVE A TOTAL BUDGET OF 23,935,707. THAT'S BROKEN DOWN INTO OUR TOTAL RESOURCES. AND I HAVE A. THIS ONE'S GOING TO BE 12,578,963 CAPITAL PROJECTS, 8,875,000. 
          AND THEN WE HAVE THE DEBT SERVICE 2,481,744. THIS IS BROKEN DOWN INTO THE FOUR. 
          DIFFERENT CATEGORIES. OUR. HERE'S OUR BUDGET OVERVIEW. THAT 23,935,707 FOR THE 2627 FISCAL YEAR IS AN INCREASE OF 1,356,008 670, OR A 6.01 INCREASE FROM LAST YEAR'S BUDGET. IT'S BROKEN DOWN INTO OUR PERSONNEL. THIS REFLECTS AN INCREASE OF 2,286,251, OR 41.14% INCREASE, FOR THE UPCOMING FISCAL YEAR. THIS IS DRIVEN BY EMPLOYEE PAY SCALE ADJUSTMENTS AND THE PLANNED ADDITION OF 18 NEW FIREFIGHTER POSITIONS, AS WELL AS TWO LIEUTENANT POSITIONS. THE DEBT SERVICE. WE HAVE AN INCREASE OF 115,498, OR A 4.88% INCREASE, AND THIS IS DUE TO A NEW LOAN FOR THE PURCHASE OF SIX ENCODERS FOR THE FIRE STATIONS AND A NEW QUINT FOR CLINT, OUR CLINT FIRE DEPARTMENT. IN OUR OPERATIONS, OUR CATEGORY INCREASED BY 955,543, OR A 25.28% INCREASE FOR THIS COMING YEAR. AND THIS IS DUE TO HIGHER OPERATING COSTS, INCLUDING INCREASES IN UTILITIES, FUEL, EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE, AND ALSO THE CONTRACTED SERVICES FOR THE RADIO SYSTEM FEES. THE CAPITAL PROJECTS. WE HAVE AN INCREASE OF $982,016, AND IT'S A 12.44% INCREASE. AND THIS REFLECTS FUNDING FOR THE NEW LOAN. THAT WE HAVE FOR THE AS I MENTIONED, FOR THE SIX ENCODERS THAT WE WILL BE. THAT WILL BE FOR THE NEW THE SIX FIRE STATIONS AND THE QUINT, THE NEW QUINT FOR CLINT FIRE STATION. WE WILL ALSO BE ROLLING ROLL OVER. WE HAVE A ROLLOVER FUNDING FOR. THE SOCORRO. THE NEW SOCORRO FIRE STATION. THAT'S 6.5 MILLION. THAT WILL BE ROLLED OVER. SO HERE WE HAVE A BUDGET RECAP. AS I MENTIONED, THE BUDGET THAT WAS ADOPTED ON AUGUST 11TH BY ESD TWO WAS 23,000,935 707. AND AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, IT'S A 6.01% INCREASE FROM LAST YEAR. WE HAVE A BREAKDOWN HERE. WE WILL BE THE PROPERTY TAX. THAT WAS ADOPTED WAS .090398. THE INS 
          [02:00:10]
RATE IS 0.028740. AND THE TAX RATE IS 0.061658. WE WILL BE GENERATING PROPERTY TAX INCOME OF 7,684,487. SALES TAX IS 6,169,142. AND THEN WE WILL BE. FROM CODE ENFORCEMENT. WE'RE PROJECTING 500 AND 500,000. AND THEN AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, ALSO THE FUND ROLLOVER FOR THE NEW SOCORRO FIRE STATION, THAT'S THE 6.5 MILLION. THE NEW LOAN FOR THE ENCODERS. AND THE QUINT IS 2,375,000. WE WILL BE TRANSFERRING FROM OUR RESERVE IN THE AMOUNT OF $707,078 TO COMPLETE THE TO BALANCE THE BUDGET AND THE RESERVE BALANCE, ESTIMATED WOULD BE 4,192,988. 
          AND THAT'S A 33% OF THE OPERATING BUDGET. THIS. THIS BUDGET REFLECTS THE DISTRICT'S COMMITMENT TO STRENGTHENING EMERGENCY RESPONSE THROUGH EXPANDING PERSONNEL, ADDRESSING RISING INSURANCE AND OPERATIONAL COSTS, AND INVESTING IN CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURES. WITH THE NEW STATION, THE NEW SOCORRO FIRE STATION. THIS CONCLUDES OUR PRESENTATION AND IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS. CYNTHIA, I DID HAVE A QUESTION. SO WE SAW IN A PRIOR SLIDE THE REVENUE FROM THE PERMITS WAS ABOUT 826 000. BUT WHAT ARE THE EXPENSES RELATED TO THAT? WHAT'S THE BUDGET RELATED FOR THE THE FIRE MARSHAL? THAT WOULD BE THE. SO THE FOR THE OPERATIONAL WOULD BE FIRE MARSHALS. THIS IS SOMETHING I DON'T THINK SHE ASKED. WE CAN GET BACK TO YOU. OKAY? OKAY. YEAH. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE HOW THE REVENUE COMPARES TO THE EXPENDITURES. THANK YOU COMMISSIONERS. I WANT TO THANK CYNTHIA. IT'S HER FIRST TIME. SHE. YOU CAN TELL SHE WAS VERY NERVOUS. I THINK SHE DID. OKAY. SO GREAT. THANK YOU FOR THAT. THANK YOU. GOOD JOB. CHIEF. I HAVE SIMILAR QUESTIONS TO WHAT I ASKED ESD ONE. SO WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS BEFORE ABOUT HOW WE RESPOND TO AREAS THAT ARE NOT SERVICED BY WATER CURRENTLY. DOES ESD TWO HAVE A SYSTEM FOR MAPPING THOSE WATER INFRASTRUCTURE GAPS AND AND HOW, HOW YOU ALL RESPOND TO INCIDENTS THAT HAPPEN IN THOSE AREAS? WE DO. WE ALL HAVE THE SAME CAD SYSTEM THAT'S PLOTTING THESE HYDRANTS. HOWEVER, NOW THAT WE HAVE SOME FULL STAFF AND WE'RE ADDING MORE, WE WILL BEGIN THE ANNUAL HYDRANT TESTING OF ALL THESE AREAS. 
          WELL, WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING IS MAKING SURE THAT THEY FLOW AND THAT THEY'RE ACTUALLY THERE BECAUSE THE ONES THAT WE HAVE ON THE PLOT AND MAPS, SOME OF THEM ARE NOT EVEN THERE ANYMORE. 
          SO THOSE ARE THINGS THAT WE ARE NOW LOOKING AT. WE NEVER DID IT BECAUSE WE HAD NOTHING BUT THE VOLUNTEER STAFF, RIGHT? BUT NOW THAT WE HAVE 24 HOUR STAFF, WE ARE MAKING THEM GO OUT THERE. 
          THE ONLY THING THAT WE CANNOT DO, BECAUSE IT TAKES A LOT OF TIME TO DO IT, IS THE FIVE YEAR FLOW TEST, AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BE LEANING ON ALL THE WATER DISTRICTS TO COMPLETE THEIR FIVE YEAR ANNUAL TEST. WE WILL WE CAN CONDUCT INSPECTIONS ANNUALLY, MAKE SURE THAT THE HYDRANT IS FUNCTIONING, WORKING, BUT WE ARE GOING TO BE DOING THOSE NOW. SO JUST TO CONFIRM, YOU DO HAVE A MAP, MAYBE IT'S OUT OF DATE WHERE FIRE HYDRANTS EXIST AND WHERE WE HAVE DWELLINGS IN THE COUNTY THAT ARE EITHER SERVICED OR NOT SERVICED BY FIRE HYDRANTS. OUR NEW OUR NEW SYSTEM IS NOW PLOTTED WITH UP TO DATE INFORMATION. OKAY. BECAUSE WE'RE STRUGGLING TO, TO UNDERSTAND HOW MANY OF OUR RESIDENTS LIVE WITHOUT ACCESS TO WATER. AND SO MAYBE THAT COULD HELP US. AND I DO THINK SIMILAR SITUATION WHERE IT'S NOT, IT'S PROVIDED BY DIFFERENT UTILITY DISTRICTS OR DIFFERENT UTILITY PROVIDERS. LOWER VALLEY WATER DISTRICT WATER DISTRICT NUMBER 1 OR 4 CAN REMEMBER WATER DISTRICT. YOU ALL THE CITY OF EL PASO, I THINK THERE'S TEN WATER SYSTEMS WITHIN OUR AREA. SO IT'S IT'S DIFFICULT TO IDENTIFY WHO OWNS WHAT. THEY'RE ALL CONNECTED SIMULTANEOUSLY TO ONE ANOTHER, 
          [02:05:05]
BUT NOBODY SEEMS TO KNOW. AND WE DON'T KNOW HOW BIG THE LINES ARE. ALL WE KNOW IS THAT WHEN WE GET A COMPLAINT THAT YOU'VE BEEN TURNING ALL THESE HYDRANTS AND THE WATER IS COMING OUT BROWN, SO WE ARE TRYING, BUT IT'S VERY DIFFICULT. WITH SO MANY WATER SYSTEMS GOING AROUND. 
          WE HAD A HOME IN MONTANA VISTA THAT UNFORTUNATELY BURNED DOWN BACK IN MARCH, AND I, FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, RESPONDERS DIDN'T KNOW THAT THERE WASN'T A HYDRANT CLOSE ENOUGH UNTIL THEY RESPONDED AND THEN HAD TO GO BACK AND GET A PUMPER AND, AND THEN, AND THEN GO BACK TO THE HOME. AND OBVIOUSLY THE HOME WAS WAS LOST BY THEN. AND SO I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHAT, WHAT MECHANISMS OR TECHNOLOGIES IN PLACE TO, TO PREVENT THAT FROM HAPPENING AGAIN. SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE PUSHING FOR, COMMISSIONER, AND LIKE I SAID EARLIER, WE'RE TRAINING EVERY ONE OF OUR VOLUNTEERS AND EVERY ONE OF THE STAFF TO BE FULLY CERTIFIED FIREFIGHTERS. 
          BUT NOT ONLY THAT, WE'RE PUSHING FOR ALSO VOLUNTEERS TO BE PART OF THE STIPEND PROGRAM TO WHERE THEY SHOULD ALWAYS BE LEAVING THAT FIRE STATION WITH A FIRE TRUCK. ALL THE STAFF THAT WE'RE HIRING WILL BE RESPONDING 24 OVER SEVEN WITH A LADDER TRUCK AND A PUMPER. OKAY, SO IT'S JUST A STAFFING ISSUE. YOU THINK STAFFING ISSUE. BUT IF THEY HAD KNOWN THAT THERE WAS NO WATER AT THAT HOME, THEY WOULD HAVE JUST GONE OUT WITH A PUMPER. WE ARE TRAINING EVERYBODY TO BE AWARE OF THEIR COMMUNITY AREAS THAT THEY RESPOND TO. I CAN'T SAY WHO RESPONDED OR WHO IT IS BECAUSE I DON'T REALLY KNOW, BUT I CAN LOOK INTO IT AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY GET THE ADEQUATE TRAINING THAT THEY NEED. AND WHAT I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND IS IF WE HAVE THE ADEQUATE INFORMATION, RIGHT, LIKE SYSTEMS OF INFORMATION, TO KNOW EXACTLY WHERE THOSE HOMES ARE SO THAT, YOU KNOW, IF SOMEBODY IS RESPONDING, THEY KNOW I NEED TO TAKE A PUMPER INSTEAD OF HAVING TO UNDERSTAND THAT, I'LL GIVE YOU A AREA OF MONTANA VISTA, HUECO TANKS AREA. WE KNOW THAT IF WE GET A CALL THERE, WE'RE TAKING AS MUCH WATER AS WE CAN. 
          THAT'S THE EASY ONE. YEAH, THAT'S AN EASY ONE. BUT THERE'S OTHER AREAS WITHIN THE MONTANA VISTA PROPER THAT WE STILL DON'T HAVE CONNECTION TO WATER IN SOME CERTAIN AREAS. AND PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO CREATE BUSINESSES AND PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO PUT THEIR HOMES THERE. 
          OKAY. WELL, I'M DEFINITELY INTERESTED IN SEEING HOW WE CAN WORK TOGETHER AND PRIORITIZE THAT EFFORT. YOU KNOW, I THINK IT IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO ON THE PUBLIC WORKS SIDE IS TO UNDERSTAND WHERE THOSE GAPS IN WATER INFRASTRUCTURE ARE. AND SO I THINK IT ONLY MAKES SENSE THAT WE PARTNER WITH THE ESD TO, TO MAKE SURE THAT AT THE AT THE EMERGENCY RESPONSE LEVEL, WE ALSO UNDERSTAND THOSE GAPS, AND I WILL GIVE PROPS TO LOWER VALLEY WATER DISTRICTS. THEY ACTUALLY ARE TAKING THE APPROACH TO HIRE A COMPANY THAT IS NOT ONLY EVALUATING AND TESTING THEIR HYDRANTS, BUT ACTUALLY ENSURING THAT THEY'RE ACTUALLY THERE WHERE THEY'RE HAVE THEM PLOTTED. SO THEY'RE GETTING A FULL REPORT ON THAT AS WELL. YEAH. WELL, WE DON'T HAVE THE LOWER VALLEY WATER DISTRICT IN MONTANA VISTA. SO. 
          WHAT IS THE TOTAL BUDGET FOR THE NEW FIRE STATION IN SOCORRO? 6.5 MILLION. THAT'S THE TOTAL BUDGET THAT YOU ALL HAVE ASSIGNED TO IT. CORRECT. OKAY. OKAY. THANK YOU. CESAR. WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE FY 2027 BUDGET AND TAX RATE FOR EMERGENCY SERVICES. DISTRICT NUMBER TWO FROM JUDGE SAMANIEGO AND A SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER OLGUIN. THE VOTING IS OPEN. 
          MOTION CARRIES. THANK YOU, CHIEF. JUDGE. WITH YOUR PERMISSION, I'D LIKE TO SKIP DOWN TO ITEM NUMBER NINE, THE HUMAN RESOURCE ITEMS. ITEM NUMBER NINE A FROM HUMAN RESOURCES POSTPONED JULY 27TH, 2026 AND AUGUST 10TH, 2026. RECEIVE A PRESENTATION, DISCUSS AND PROVIDE FEEDBACK TO THE COUNTY. STRATEGIC PLAN. GOAL 7.2 FACILITY BENEFITS EQUITY ASSESSMENT. GOOD MORNING, JUDGE AND COMMISSIONERS. ACOSTA WITH THE HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT 
          [A. (Postponed 7/27/26, 8/10/26) Receive a presentation, discuss, and provide feedback to the County’s Strategic Plan, Goal 7.2 Facility Benefits Equity Assessment.
Sam Trujillo, Interim Chief Human Resources Officer, Human Resources Department, 915-273-3520]
IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE STRATEGIC GOAL OF VALUING THE EL PASO COUNTY FAMILY AND MAINTAINING AN A+ WORKFORCE, THE HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT WAS TASKED WITH FACILITY, FACILITY BENEFITS EQUITY ASSESSMENT STRATEGIC GOAL TO ENSURE ALL EMPLOYEES, REGARDLESS OF THE WORK LOCATION OR DEPARTMENT SIZE, HAVE EQUITABLE ACCESS TO BENEFIT AND WELLNESS RESOURCES. 
          IN THIS PRESENTATION, WE WILL SHARE OUR COMPREHENSIVE ASSESSMENT WHICH EVALUATES WHY 
          [02:10:04]
EQUITY AND ACCESS MATTERS AND HOW EMPLOYEES BENEFIT AND WELLNESS RESOURCES ARE DISTRIBUTED ACROSS COUNTY, FACILITIES AND POPULATION. OUR WELLNESS TEAM WILL WALK US THROUGH THE CURRENT BENEFIT AND WELLNESS SERVICES, EMPLOYEE POPULATION DISTRIBUTION, SERVICE, ACCESSIBILITY OPPORTUNITIES TO IMPROVE EQUITABLE ACCESS AND STRATEGIES MOVING FORWARD. TO GET US STARTED, I WILL TURN THIS PRESENTATION OVER TO OUR WELLNESS COORDINATOR, SENIOR SABIEN SOLIS. GOOD MORNING, JUDGE AND COMMISSIONERS. I HAVE A LENGTHY PRESENTATION TODAY, SO IF YOU WANT ME TO PAUSE OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, JUST LET ME KNOW AS WE GET THROUGH TODAY'S INFORMATION. BUT THE HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT HAS LED THE WAY IN DELIVERING COMPREHENSIVE SERVICES AND PROGRAMS, WHICH INCLUDE PREVENTATIVE AND CONDITION MANAGEMENT RESOURCES. OUR VIRTUAL SERVICES ARE DELIVERED THROUGH THREE PRIMARY CHANNELS. WE HAVE ON SITE PROGRAMING, VIRTUAL RESOURCES AND HYBRID TRAININGS. NOW, KEY SERVICES INCLUDE THE ONSITE WELLNESS TRAININGS THAT WE PROVIDE AND AT HOME KITS, ON SITE HEALTH FAIRS AND VENDOR EVENTS, HYBRID TRAININGS AND EDUCATIONAL SEMINARS, ON SITE AND VIRTUAL CONDITION MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS THAT INCLUDE WEIGHT LOSS AND LIFESTYLE IMPROVEMENT, AND A COMPREHENSIVE ONLINE WELLNESS PORTAL. THE BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD WELLNESS PORTAL PROVIDES EMPLOYEES WITH PERSONALIZED HEALTH ASSESSMENTS. NOW, THIS IS KEY BECAUSE IT LEADS INTO PERSONALIZED, STRUCTURED HEALTH IMPROVEMENT PROGRAMS, ACTIVITY TRACKING TOOLS, AND INCENTIVE OPPORTUNITIES THAT REWARD PROACTIVE ENGAGEMENT. IN ADDITION TO THIS, THE COUNTY HAS ALSO AN ONSITE EMPLOYEE CLINIC WITH A $5 COPAY AND UMC CLINICS AROUND THE CITY, WHICH I'LL BE REVIEWING ON THE NEXT SLIDE. THROUGH A STRATEGIC COMBINATION OF ONSITE AND VIRTUAL RESOURCES, WE'RE ABLE TO PROVIDE ACCESS TO PREVENTATIVE HEALTH STRATEGY SERVICES TO 100% OF OUR EMPLOYEE POPULATION, WHICH HELP EMPLOYEES MANAGE THEIR CHRONIC CONDITIONS. ON THIS SLIDE, YOU'LL SEE THE UMC COUNTY CLINICS LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT THE CITY. AS YOU CAN SEE, THERE ARE OUR CLINICS ON EVERY SIDE OF TOWN MAKING HEALTH CARE SERVICES CONVENIENT AND ACCESSIBLE FOR ALL COUNTY EMPLOYEES. IN ADDITION, MEDICAL SERVICES ARE AVAILABLE AT THE COUNTY COURTHOUSE CLINIC. AND IF YOU MAY RECALL, SINCE MARCH 2024, COUNTY EMPLOYEES AND THEIR COVERED DEPENDENTS ENROLLED IN COUNTY HEALTH PLAN PAY JUST $5 FOR ANY SERVICE PROVIDED AT THE CLINIC. SINCE THIS BENEFIT WAS INTRODUCED, CLINIC UTILIZATION HAS NEARLY DOUBLED AND MONTHLY VISITS. 
          THIS SIGNIFICANT INCREASE DEMONSTRATES THE VALUE OF THE BENEFIT AND SHOWS EMPLOYEES ARE ACTIVELY TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE CONVENIENT, AFFORDABLE, AFFORDABLE HEALTH CARE SERVICES AVAILABLE TO THEM. NOW, OUR EMPLOYEE POPULATION IS DISTRIBUTED ACROSS MULTIPLE COUNTY FACILITIES. THROUGH OUR ANALYSIS, WE IDENTIFIED THAT THE FIVE PRIMARY LOCATIONS REPRESENT 83.5% OF OUR TOTAL EMPLOYEE WORKFORCE. THE REMAINING EMPLOYEES WORK ACROSS NUMEROUS SMALLER COUNTY FACILITIES WITH MANY THAN FEW, MANY FEWER THAN 30 EMPLOYEES PER SITE. THESE SMALLER LOCATIONS PRESENT LOGISTICAL CHALLENGES FOR ONSITE PROGRAMING, WHICH INCLUDE MINIMUM PARTICIPATION REQUIREMENTS FOR SCREENINGS, AS SHARED BY CATAPULT, OUR HEALTH SCREENING SERVICE PROVIDER AND VENDOR ATTENDANCE THRESHOLDS FOR HEALTH FAIRS AND ON SITE EVENTS. NOW, OUR LARGEST FACILITIES DRIVE IMPACT AND PLANNING, AND WHEN FOCUSING ON THE TOP FIVE FACILITIES BY EMPLOYEE POPULATION, WE SEE THAT A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF THE WORKFORCE IS CONCENTRATED IN THE DOWNTOWN DEPARTMENTS SHERIFF'S OFFICE AND THE JUVENILE PROBATION DEPARTMENT. BECAUSE THESE LOCATIONS HOUSE THE MAJORITY OF OUR EMPLOYEES, THEY PROVIDE THE GREATEST OPPORTUNITY TO DELIVER HIGH IMPACT INITIATIVES, ADDRESS CHRONIC HEALTH CONDITIONS AND INCREASE PARTICIPATION IN PREVENTATIVE HEALTH PROGRAMS. AS A RESULT, THESE LOCATIONS OFTEN SERVE AS THE PRIMARY SITES FOR LARGE SCALE EVENTS AND INITIATIVES. THIS SLIDE ILLUSTRATES HOW SERVICES ARE CURRENTLY DISTRIBUTED ACROSS THE TOTAL EMPLOYEE POPULATION, AND IT HELPS US IDENTIFY WHICH EMPLOYEE GROUPS ARE BEING SERVED, WHICH LOCATIONS HAVE CONSISTENT ACCESS TO ONSITE SERVICES, AND WHERE OPPORTUNITIES EXIST FOR EXPANDED ENGAGEMENT. KEY CONSIDERATIONS INCLUDE PROGRAMS WITH MINIMAL PARTICIPATION REQUIREMENTS. FOR EXAMPLE, OUR ON SITE SCREENINGS REQUIRE A MINIMUM ATTENDANCE THRESHOLD. THESE APPLY ADDITIONAL COSTS TO THE COUNTY SHOULD MINIMAL ATTENDANCE NOT BE MET. IN ADDITION, VENDOR SUPPORTED INITIATIVES SUCH AS THE HEALTH FAIR INCLUDE PARTICIPATION REQUIREMENTS. NOW, WHILE THESE REQUIREMENTS MAY APPEAR LIMITING, WE VIEW THEM AS OPPORTUNITIES TO INNOVATE OUR 
          [02:15:03]
DELIVERY STRATEGIES. A STRONG EXAMPLE OF THIS IS OUR NEW PARTNERSHIP WITH WONDER HEALTH. 
          THEY DELIVER A COMPREHENSIVE WEIGHT LOSS PROGRAM ACCESSIBLE TO EMPLOYEES REGARDLESS OF THEIR LOCATION, ENSURING ENSURING GREATER ACCESS IN THIS KEY DEMOGRAPHIC. OUR ONSITE TRAININGS CURRENTLY SIT AT 53% POPULATION EXPOSURE, BUT THIS DOES NOT ACCOUNT FOR OUR ABILITY TO HOST HYBRID TRAININGS. THESE TRAINING COURSES HAVE BEEN UTILIZED IN THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, WHERE EMPLOYEES CAN BENEFIT FROM THE TRAINING BEING PRESENTED BOTH IN PERSON AND VIRTUALLY. NOW, OUR FITNESS AND WELLNESS CENTER EQUIPMENT CONTINUATION AS PART OF THE PLAN FOR THE EQUIPMENT OF THE FITNESS AND WELLNESS CENTER, WE'LL CONTINUE TO UPGRADE AND REPLACE EQUIPMENT TO BETTER SUPPORT EMPLOYEE HEALTH AND WELLNESS. AS NEW EQUIPMENT IS ADDED. EXISTING EQUIPMENT SUCH AS TREADMILLS, ELLIPTICALS AND STRENGTH MACHINES WILL BE STRATEGICALLY, STRATEGICALLY TRANSFERRED TO OTHER COUNTY LOCATIONS THROUGH THE PURCHASING DEPARTMENT. THIS IS TO INCREASE ACCESS TO THE EXERCISE EQUIPMENT FOR EMPLOYEES ACROSS OUR ORGANIZATION. THE TRANSFERRED EQUIPMENT WILL REQUIRE CERTAIN CRITERIA THAT THE DEPARTMENTS WOULD NEED TO MEET, SUCH AS HAVING A DESIGNATED AREA WHERE EQUIPMENT CAN BE PLACED SAFELY AND BE USED FOR TRACKING PURPOSES. OUR GOAL IS TO PLACE THE EQUIPMENT IN LOCATIONS WHERE IT WILL BE USED EFFECTIVELY, SUPPORT EMPLOYEE ACCESS AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, PREVENT WASTE. THIS EXPANSION WILL INCLUDE SUPPORT FOR OUR SETUP AND THE START OF THE OPERATIONS AT THESE NEW LOCATIONS, HELPING US BRIDGE THE GAP BETWEEN THE DEMAND FOR WELLNESS RESOURCES AND OUR ABILITY TO MEET THE DEMAND. 
          WHERE THE COURT'S GOAL IS TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE. NOW, OUR STRATEGY RELIES HEAVILY ON VIRTUAL AND HYBRID SOLUTIONS TO ADDRESS THE GAPS ACROSS THE FACILITIES. IT IS INTENTIONALLY DESIGNED TO ADDRESS THE MOST SIGNIFICANT DRIVERS OF CHRONIC DISEASE RISK WITHIN OUR WORKFORCE. WE INTEGRATE PREVENTION, EDUCATION AND CONDITION MANAGEMENT INTO A COHESIVE SYSTEM THAT ENHANCES BOTH ACCESSIBILITY AND ITS EFFECTIVENESS. OUR VIRTUAL RESOURCES INCLUDE THE TELADOC SOLUTIONS FOR HYPERTENSIVE AND DIABETES MANAGEMENT. WONDER HEALTH, A CLINICALLY SUPPORTED WEIGHT LOSS PROGRAM. WELL ON TARGET, OUR COMPREHENSIVE WELLNESS PORTAL, AND INCENTIVIZING HEALTH RISK ASSESSMENTS AND PROGRAM PERSONALIZATION USE TO IMPROVE OVERALL HEALTH AND VIRTUAL WELLNESS TRAININGS. THESE RESOURCES ARE SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED TO ADDRESS THE MOST PREVALENT CHRONIC DISEASE RISK WITHIN OUR OUR WORKFORCE. THESE INCLUDE HYPERTENSION, PREDIABETES, DIABETES, AND WEIGHT MANAGEMENT. BY INTEGRATING THESE PROGRAMS INTO A VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENT, WE ENSURE THAT EMPLOYEES AT SMALLER OR REMOTE LOCATIONS RECEIVE THE SAME LEVEL OF SUPPORT AS OUR LARGER FACILITIES, SO MOVING FORWARD, OUR GOAL IS TO STRENGTHEN EQUITABLE ACCESS TO RESOURCES ACROSS ALL FACILITIES. OUR STRATEGY INCLUDES EXPANDING HYBRID TRAININGS TO REACH BOTH ON SITE AND REMOTE EMPLOYEES, INCREASING CENTRALIZED EVENTS THAT BRING EMPLOYEES FROM SMALLER FACILITIES TOGETHER, ENHANCING VIRTUAL RESOURCES AND PARTICIPATION INCENTIVES. AND IN A SUCCESSFUL EXAMPLE OF THIS IS THE PUBLIC WORKS ANNUAL TRAINING EVENT THAT WAS HELD AT THE SCOTT AT THE PAVILION. THIS EVENT ALLOWED EMPLOYEES FROM MULTIPLE WAREHOUSES TO GATHER IN A CENTRALIZED LOCATION, AND THEY WERE PROVIDED ON SITE SCREENINGS, EDUCATIONAL TRAINING SESSIONS, AND ACCESS TO VENDORS. THIS MODEL DEMONSTRATES HOW CENTRALIZED PROGRAMING CAN EXTEND SERVICES TO EMPLOYEES WHO OTHERWISE MIGHT HAVE THAT LIMITED ACCESS. NOW, IMPLEMENTING EXPANDED SERVICES ACROSS OUR ENTIRE STRATEGIC PROGRAM IS GOING TO REQUIRE US TO HAVE LONG TERM COST CONTAINMENT. THIS MAY INCLUDE CHRONIC DISEASE TREATMENT, EMPLOYEE ABSENTEEISM, AND HEALTH CARE UTILIZATION. BY FOCUSING ON PREVENTION AND EARLY INTERVENTION IN EDUCATION, WE SUPPORT EMPLOYEES HEALTH OUTCOMES AND ORGANIZATIONAL SUSTAINABILITY. CURRENTLY, FUNDING THESE INITIATIVES ARE PRIMARILY FOR ARE FROM THE COUNTY'S RISK FUND, WHICH INCLUDE THE SALARIES FOR THE WELLNESS COORDINATOR, SENIOR AND WELLNESS COORDINATOR, AND THROUGH OUR 100 K ANNUAL BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2027, WE ANTICIPATE MAINTAINING THE CURRENT BUDGET BUDGET THROUGH OUR RISK POOL FUND. NOW, IN CONCLUSION, THE HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT WELLNESS TEAM HAS CONDUCTED THIS ASSESSMENT TO ENSURE THAT OUR PROGRAMS ARE EQUITABLE, ACCESSIBLE AND IMPACTFUL ACROSS ALL FACILITIES. AND AS MENTIONED EARLIER IN THE PRESENTATION, THE RESULTS OF THE ASSESSMENT IDENTIFIED THAT 83.5% OF COUNTY EMPLOYEES HAVE ACCESS TO ON SITE SERVICES, RESULTING IN HIGHER, HIGHER, EQUITABLE ACCESS FOR THE RESOURCES. THE FINDINGS 
          [02:20:01]
DEMONSTRATE THAT WE PROVIDE A STRONG FOUNDATION OF RESOURCES SUPPORTED BOTH BY ON SITE AND VIRTUAL SERVICES. HOWEVER, TO GET THE COUNTY CLOSER TO 100%, WE WILL CONTINUE TO REFINE OUR STRATEGY TO EXPAND PARTICIPATION, IMPROVE ACCESS AND ADDRESS CHRONIC HEALTH CONDITIONS ACROSS OUR WORKFORCE. SO AT THIS TIME, I'D LIKE TO OPEN UP TO ANY QUESTIONS REGARDING THE INFORMATION WE COVERED TODAY. PERFECT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU ALL. GREAT JOB. 
          I JUST WANT TO SAY I, I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, BUT JUST JUST A COMMENT. AND I WANT TO THANK OUR HR TEAM FOR CONTINUING THIS WORK. I MEAN, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE, WHAT WE TALK ABOUT WHEN WE, YOU KNOW, WANT TO EXTEND SOMETHING LIKE COMMUNITY WIDE WHEN IT COMES TO, YOU KNOW, PREVENTIVE HEALTH CARE, LOOKING AT PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE TO ATTACK THE ROOT CAUSE OF, OF THE DISEASES THAT, THAT PLAGUE OUR COMMUNITY. AND I KNOW MANY OF OUR EMPLOYEES SUFFER FROM SOME OF THESE DISEASES AS WELL. AND SO, YOU KNOW, I, FOR ONE, AM VERY PROUD OF THE FACT THAT WE OFFER THESE BENEFITS TO OUR TO OUR COMMUNITY, TO OUR FAMILY. 
          AND WE'RE AND WE'RE TAKING CARE OF THEM. SO THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH FOR FOR YOUR WORK. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION. THANK YOU. COMMISSIONER. 
          ITEM NUMBER NINE B, RECEIVE A PRESENTATION AND DISCUSS AND TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION ON EXPANDING COUNTY HOLIDAY LEAVE. GOOD MORNING. ONCE AGAIN, ACOSTA WITH THE HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT. DURING THE MARCH 19TH, 2026 SPECIAL COMMISSIONERS COURT 
          [B. Receive a presentation and discuss and take appropriate action on expanding County Holiday leave.
Sam Trujillo, Interim Chief Human Resources Officer, Human Resources Department, 915-273-3520]
MEETING, THE HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT PRESENTED THE COURT WITH RESEARCH AND POLICY OPTIONS RELATED TO THE COUNTY STRATEGIC PLAN GOAL 7.5, WHICH EVALUATED THE FEASIBILITY OF IMPLEMENTING AN ALTERNATIVE WORK WEEK. FOLLOWING THE COURT'S DIRECTION, THE HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT REDIRECTED ITS FOCUS TO EVALUATE OPPORTUNITIES TO EXPAND EMPLOYEE HOLIDAY LEAVE AS AN ALTERNATIVE STRATEGY FOR SUPPORTING EMPLOYEE WELL-BEING AND ORGANIZATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS. TODAY'S PRESENTATION SUMMARIZES THE RESULT OF THAT EVALUATION. OUR ASSESSMENT EXAMINED HOW EXPANDING HOLIDAY LEAVE CAN ADVANCE THE COUNTY STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES BY ENHANCING EMPLOYEE RECRUITMENT, RETENTION, ENGAGEMENT, AND WORK LIFE BALANCE WHILE CONTINUING TO SUPPORT EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE COUNTY OPERATIONS. OUR PRESENTATION WILL COVER FOUR PRIMARY AREAS. THE RESULT OF THE EMPLOYEE SURVEY CONDUCTED EARLIER THIS YEAR REGARDING THE ADDITIONAL HOLIDAYS THE COMMISSIONERS COURT APPROVED AT THE END OF DECEMBER AND EARLY JANUARY. A COMPARISON OF HOLIDAY LEAVE PRACTICES AMONGST OTHER TEXAS COUNTIES. COUNTY EMPLOYEE LEAVE USAGE TRENDS AND SEVERAL HOLIDAY LEAVE OPTIONS FOR THE COURT'S CONSIDERATION. AT THIS TIME, I WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE JENNIFER DE LA FUENTE FROM OUR EMPLOYEE RELATIONS AND DEVELOPMENT TEAM, WHO WILL PROVIDE AN OVERVIEW OF THE SURVEY RESULTS. THANK YOU. WELCOME. GOOD MORNING, JUDGE COMMISSIONERS JENNIFER DE LA FUENTE WITH THE HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT ON FEBRUARY 10TH, 2026, AT THE REQUEST OF COMMISSIONER STOUT'S OFFICE, HR DISTRIBUTED A SURVEY REGARDING THE ADDITIONAL HOLIDAY LEAVE APPROVED AT THE END OF DECEMBER AND BEGINNING OF JANUARY. AS I MENTIONED, THE PURPOSE WAS TO UNDERSTAND EMPLOYEES OVERALL EXPERIENCE, TRANSITION BACK TO WORK, PERCEPTION OF THE LENGTH OF LEAVE, BENEFITS EXPERIENCED AND BENEFITS EMPLOYEES WOULD LIKE CONSIDERED IN THE FUTURE. THE SURVEY WAS SENT TO 2988 COUNTY EMPLOYEES. HR RECEIVED 863 RESPONSES WITH WHICH REPRESENTS 29% RESPONSE RATE. OVERALL, EMPLOYEES FEEDBACK WAS POSITIVE. OF THE 863 RESPONDENTS, 636 WERE NON EXEMPT, 224 WERE EXEMPT AND THREE DID NOT DISCLOSE THEIR FLSA STATUS. OVERALL FEEDBACK WAS POSITIVE, WITH 64% RATED THE EXPERIENCE AS VERY POSITIVE AND 14% RATED IT AS SOMEWHAT POSITIVE. COMBINED, 78% OF RESPONDENTS RATED THE ADDITIONAL HOLIDAY LEAVE POSITIVE POSITIVELY, 12% WERE NEUTRAL, WHILE 5% REPORTED A SOMEWHAT NEGATIVE EXPERIENCE AND 5% REPORTED A VERY NEGATIVE 
          [02:25:03]
EXPERIENCE. POSITIVE RESPONSES WERE STRONG ACROSS BOTH FLSA GROUPS, WITH NONEXEMPT EMPLOYEES REPRESENTING THE LARGEST RESPONSE GROUP. WE WILL PROVIDE ADDITIONAL DETAILS ON THE CHALLENGES REPORTED, INCLUDING THE CONCERNS REFLECTED IN THE NEGATIVE RESPONSES. EMPLOYEES WERE ASKED WHETHER THEY HAD CHALLENGES TRANSITIONING BACK TO WORK AFTER THE EXTENDED HOLIDAY LEAVE. OVERALL, 601 EMPLOYEES, OR ABOUT 70%, REPORTED NO TRANSITION CHALLENGES. THE REMAINING 262 EMPLOYEES REPORTED CHALLENGES RANGING FROM MINOR TO SIGNIFICANT. THE MOST COMMON CONCERN WAS BACKLOG OR INCREASED WORKLOAD REPORTED BY 114 EMPLOYEES. OTHER COMMENTS INCLUDED OPERATIONAL CHALLENGES, CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS, ESSENTIAL EMPLOYEES NOT BEING ABLE TO TAKE THE LEAVE, AND DIFFICULTY RETURNING TO NORMAL WORK ROUTINES. EMPLOYEES WERE ALSO ASKED WHETHER THE LENGTH OF THE ADDITIONAL HOLIDAY LEAVE FELT APPROPRIATE. THE MAJORITY, 604 EMPLOYEES, SAID THAT THE LENGTH WAS APPROPRIATE, 78 FELT IT WAS TOO SHORT, 43 FELT IT WAS TOO LONG AND 107 HAD NO OPINION AND 31 SELECTED OTHER. 
          OVERALL, RESPONDENTS VIEWED THE LEAVE DURATION AS APPROPRIATE. THIS SHOWS A GENERAL SUPPORT FOR THE LENGTH OF THE ADDITIONAL HOLIDAY LEAVE PERIOD. WE ALSO WANTED TO UNDERSTAND THE BENEFITS EMPLOYEES EXPERIENCE FROM THE ADDITIONAL HOLIDAY LEAVE, AND WHICH BENEFITS THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE CONSIDERED IN THE FUTURE. THE TOP REPORTED BENEFIT WAS THE ABILITY TO MANAGE PERSONAL AND FAMILY OBLIGATIONS. SELECTED 608 TIMES, REDUCED STRESS FOLLOWED WITH FIVE I'M SORRY. REDUCED STRESS FOLLOWED WITH 550 SELECTIONS AND IMPROVED WORK LIFE BALANCE WITH 490 SELECTIONS FOR FUTURE CONSIDERATION. COST OF LIVING INCREASES RANKED FIRST WITH 758 SELECTIONS, AND HOLIDAY LEAVE RANKED SECOND WITH 612 SELECTIONS. ACCRUED, PAID TIME OFF AND FLEXIBLE WORK SCHEDULES ALSO RANKED HIGHLY OVERALL. 
          EMPLOYEES RANKED EMPLOYEES IDENTIFIED HOLIDAY LEAVE AS MEANINGFUL WHILE ALSO EMPHASIZING COMPENSATION AND FLEXIBILITY. FOLLOWING THE SURVEY REVIEW, HR COMPARED EL PASO COUNTY'S HOLIDAY SCHEDULE WITH 14 OTHER TEXAS COUNTIES. THE COMPARISON SHOWED THAT MOST COUNTIES RECOGNIZED A COMMON BASELINE OF MAJOR HOLIDAYS, INCLUDING NEW YEAR'S DAY, MARTIN LUTHER KING JUNIOR DAY, MEMORIAL DAY, JUNETEENTH, INDEPENDENCE DAY, LABOR DAY, THANKSGIVING, CHRISTMAS EVE, AND CHRISTMAS DAY. EL PASO COUNTY ALIGNS WITH MANY OF THOSE COMMON PRACTICES. OTHER HOLIDAYS, SUCH AS PRESIDENT'S DAY, FARMWORKERS APPRECIATION DAY, INDIGENOUS PEOPLE DAY, FLOATING HOLIDAYS AND ADDITIONAL HOLIDAYS VARY MORE, VERY MORE ACROSS COUNTIES. THIS COMPARISON PROVIDES CONTEXT FOR WHERE EL PASO COUNTY IS CONSISTENT WITH OTHER COUNTIES AND WHERE THEY MAY BE FLEXIBILITY FOR FUTURE CONSIDERATION. I WILL NOW TURN IT OVER TO COURTNEY CANALES TO REVIEW USAGE TRENDS AND OPTIONS. 
          THANK YOU. JENNIFER COURTNEY CANALES WITH THE HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT. IN ADDITION TO REVIEWING THE SURVEY FEEDBACK AND PRACTICES AMONG OTHER COUNTIES, HR ALSO EXAMINED HISTORICAL EMPLOYEE LEAVE USAGE TO IDENTIFY WHEN EMPLOYEES MOST FREQUENTLY TAKE LEAVE THROUGHOUT THE FISCAL YEAR. THE PEAK MONTH VARIED ACROSS THE FISCAL YEARS. 
          REVIEWED IN FY 23, JUNE HAD THE HIGHEST LEAVE USAGE, FOLLOWED BY DECEMBER. IN FY 24. DECEMBER WAS THE PEAK MONTH, WITH JULY AS THE SECOND HIGHEST MONTH IN FY 25. MAY RECORDED THE HIGHEST USAGE, FOLLOWED BY NOVEMBER AND FOR FY 26 TO DATE, OCTOBER IS THE HIGHEST MONTH, FOLLOWED BY APRIL. IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE OCTOBER SHOWED THE HIGHEST LEAVE USAGE MONTH AFTER THE ADDITIONAL HOLIDAYS PROVIDED IN DECEMBER THROUGH JANUARY. ALTHOUGH PEAK MONTHS CHANGE FROM YEAR TO YEAR. HIGHER LEAVE USAGE USAGE STAYED CONSTANT ACROSS SUMMER MONTHS. THE FALL AND WINTER HOLIDAY PERIODS, AND OTHER SEASONAL BREAKS. DECEMBER WAS AMONG THE HIGHER USAGE MONTH IN FY 23 AND FY 24 AND FY 25, FOLLOWING THE ADDITIONAL ADDITION OF EXTENDED HOLIDAY LEAVE, DECEMBER USAGE WAS LOWER THAN IN THE TWO PRIOR FISCAL YEARS. BECAUSE FY 26 DATA IS 
          [02:30:05]
STILL INCOMPLETE, THOSE RESULTS SHOULD BE VIEWED AS PRELIMINARY. AFTER REVIEWING EMPLOYEE FEEDBACK PRACTICES AMONG OTHER COUNTIES AND LEAVE USAGE TRENDS, HR PRESENTED AND DISCUSSED THE OPTIONS WITH DEPARTMENT HEADS AND SOUGHT THEIR FEEDBACK. HR IS PRESENTING FIVE OPTIONS FOR COMMISSIONERS COURT CONSIDERATION. HOWEVER, THE COURT MAY SELECT ONE OPTION OR COMBINE ELEMENTS FROM MULTIPLE OPTIONS. OPTION ONE THROUGH THREE ARE BASED ON PREVIOUS DIRECTION. OPTION ONE PROVIDES FIVE CALENDAR DAYS TO CREATE A WINTER HOLIDAY BREAK BETWEEN DECEMBER 26TH AND DECEMBER 30TH. OPTION TWO PROVIDES FIVE CALENDAR DAYS DURING THE SECOND WEEK OF MARCH FOR SPRING BREAK, AND THE SPECIFIC DATES MAY VARY DEPENDING ON THE CALENDAR. 
          OPTION THREE PROVIDES NEAR INDEPENDENCE DAY. THAT SPECIFIC DATE MAY VARY DEPENDING ON WHEN JULY 4TH IS OBSERVED. NOW, OPTIONS FOUR AND FIVE WERE ADDED BASED ON RESEARCH INVOLVING OTHER COUNTIES AND COUNTY HISTORICAL LEAVE USE, USAGE TRENDS, AND DEPARTMENT HEAD FEEDBACK. SO OPTION FOUR PROVIDES FIVE CALENDAR DAYS DURING THE FIRST WEEK OF OCTOBER. THE SPECIFIC DATES MAY VARY DEPENDING ON THE CALENDAR, AND OPTION FIVE PROVIDES FIVE FLOATING HOLIDAYS THAT EMPLOYEES MAY USE DURING THE FISCAL YEAR. AT THIS TIME, HR IS REQUESTING DIRECTION FROM COMMISSIONERS COURT REGARDING THE PREFERRED APPROACH SO THAT ANY NECESSARY POLICY REVISIONS MAY BE DEVELOPED. WE'RE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. THIS CONCLUDES THE PRESENTATION ON ADDITIONAL HOLIDAY LEAVE AND SURVEY FEEDBACK. HR IS AVAILABLE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS AND RECEIVE THE COURT'S DIRECTION ON THE PREFERRED OPTIONS OR NEXT STEPS FOR POLICY REVISIONS. COMMISSIONERS, THANK YOU FOR FOR LOOKING INTO THIS ONCE AGAIN FOR IN FOR INDULGING MY OFFICE'S REQUEST TO LOOK INTO THIS, I THINK IT'S. REALLY IMPORTANT TO, TO KIND OF PAY ATTENTION OF, OF TRENDS AND SUCH. I JUST HAD A, I JUST HAD A QUESTION RIGHT NOW. SO YOU PUT UP ON ONE OF THE, ON ONE OF THE, THE SLIDES, THE, THE, THE PAID HOLIDAYS THAT WE GET OFTEN, I THINK IT'S 15 OR 16 PAID HOLIDAYS. AND WHAT IS, WHAT IS THE ACTUAL TIME OFF THAT THE PTO THAT WE GIVE PEOPLE. THAT WORK HERE. BUT LIKE WHAT, WHAT IS IT'S IT DEPENDS ON THEIR YEARS OF SERVICE, RIGHT? SO CAN, CAN, CAN, CAN YOU, CAN YOU ALL GO OVER THAT FOR, FOR ME REAL QUICK? YES, WE CAN. 0 TO 5 YEARS IS TWO WEEKS OR BASICALLY 40 HOURS, 40 HOURS. AND THEN AT FIVE YEARS TO WE START GOING UP A DAY, A YEAR AFTER THAT IN FIVE YEAR INCREMENTS USUALLY. SO BY THE TIME YOU HAVE BEEN HERE, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT I THINK IT'S AT 15 YEARS, YOU MAX OUT AT FOUR WEEKS OF ACCRUED LEAVE PER YEAR, OKAY. AND YOU ARE ALLOWED TO CARRY OVER A YEAR'S WORTH, BASICALLY OF ACCRUAL. SO YOU CAN MAX OUT AT TWO YEARS WORTH OF ACCRUALS. SO IF YOU'VE BEEN HERE MORE THAN 15 YEARS, YOU CAN CARRY UP TO EIGHT WEEKS. BUT EVERYTHING OVER THAT YOU LOSE. OKAY. YEAH. 
          AND I APPRECIATE THAT CONTEXT. I THINK UNITED STATES IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE ONLY COUNTRIES THAT DOESN'T HAVE LIKE. A NATIONALLY, I GUESS, APPROVED OR MANDATED AMOUNT OF TIME OFF THAT OR PTO THAT FOLKS GET. BUT YOU LOOK AT A LOT OF OTHER DEVELOPED COUNTRIES, THE EUROPEAN UNION, IT'S 20 DAYS A YEAR. AND HERE. SO SO HERE WE'RE DOING WHAT STARTING OFF, YOU GET YOU GET TEN DAYS, RIGHT? AND THEN YOU CAN BUILD UP TO, YOU CAN BUILD UP TO, TO EIGHT WEEKS FULL TOTAL. RIGHT? YES, SIR. CARRYING OVER. SO AND I THINK, I THINK THIS IS A A GOOD STEP. I THINK IT'S A GOOD STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. I THINK THAT RESEARCH HAS SHOWN THAT HAS SHOWED THAT THAT MORE TIME OFF FOR FOLKS CREATES HIGHER PRODUCTIVITY. THERE'S SOME RECENT RESEARCH DONE BY ERNST AND YOUNG THAT SHOWED THAT EVERY ADDITIONAL TEN HOURS OF VACATION TIME THAT AN EMPLOYEE TAKES THEIR URINE PERFORMANCE REVIEWS IMPROVED BY 8%. HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW STUDIED OR DID SOME TRACKING OF COMPANIES WITH MANDATORY TIME OF POLICIES, AND FOUND THAT STRUCTURED, MANDATORY VACATION LED TO A 13% INCREASE IN TOTAL PRODUCTIVITY. 
          [02:35:06]
WHEN EMPLOYEES RETURN FROM THEIR BREAKS, THEIR THEIR BRAINS SHOW UP TO TO A 30% 31% IMPROVEMENT IN PROCESSING SPEED AND OVERALL OPTIMISM. AND YOU HAVE LOWER UNPLANNED ABSENTEEISM WHEN COMPANIES OR ORGANIZATIONS DON'T PROVIDE ADEQUATE TIME OFF, EMPLOYEES ARE FORCED TO TAKE UNPLANNED SICK DAYS DUE TO CHRONIC STRESS, AND ORGANIZED PTO ALLOWS WORKERS TO SCHEDULE BREAKS, WHICH DRASTICALLY LOWERS CORPORATE, CORPORATE LOSS AND ORGANIZATIONAL LOSS. THAT'S CAUSED BY BY THESE SUDDEN, STRESSFUL ABSENCES. AND WHEN IT COMES TO PSYCHOLOGICAL DRIVERS, CONTINUOUS WORK WITHOUT COGNITIVE DETACHMENT LEADS TO THE STEADY DECLINE IN CONCENTRATION AND INCREASE IN HUMAN ERROR, AND TIME OFF ALLOWS THE PREFRONTAL CORTEX TO RESET, RESTORING WORKERS ATTENTION SPAN. DATA FROM UCLA INDICATES THAT TREATING TIME OFF AS A STRUCTURAL BASELINE MAKES EMPLOYEES FEEL VALUED AS HUMAN BEINGS, WHICH I THINK IS SOMETHING THAT'S IMPORTANT FOR US HERE. IT'S STRONGLY ASSOCIATED WITH ANTICIPATED INCREASE IN JOB SATISFACTION, HIGHER ENGAGEMENT, AND REDUCED TURNOVER, AND IT SPARKS CREATIVITY. STEPPING AWAY FROM DAILY REPETITIVE WORK ALSO ALLOWS THE MIND TO ENTER A DEFAULT MODE NETWORK, WHICH IS VITAL FOR CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING AND FINDING INNOVATIVE BUSINESS SOLUTIONS. SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT THIS REALLY IS SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD WE SHOULD DO. I DON'T KNOW WHAT, WHAT OPTIONS I WOULD, I WOULD THINK THAT FLOATING HOLIDAYS SO THAT FOLKS CAN, CAN CHOOSE WHEN, WHEN THEY WOULD TAKE OFF THEIR, THEIR HOLIDAY WOULD, YOU KNOW, PROVIDE MAXIMUM BENEFIT TO, TO FOLKS. BUT DID, DID Y'ALL FIND OUT FROM THE SURVEY OR DID WE, DID WE SURVEY FOLKS ON WHETHER ON WHICH THEY FELT WOULD BE THE BEST OPTION? WE PROVIDED SOME FEEDBACK TO OR THIS PRESENTATION IN THE DETAILS TO THE DEPARTMENT HEADS AND ELECTED OFFICIALS TO TAKE BACK. AND WE DID RECEIVE SOME FEEDBACK, WHICH INCLUDED THE FLOATING HOLIDAYS. AND THEN THAT LAST OPTION. YEAH, SORRY, IT WAS THE THE FLOATING HOLIDAY COMMISSIONERS AND JUDGE, I'D ASK THAT WE GO BACK AND ASK BECAUSE THE FIRST THING THAT I SAW AND WHAT I HEARD THE MOST WAS THAT PEOPLE APPRECIATED THAT WE WERE CLOSED. BECAUSE WHEN YOU TAKE OFF VACATION, IT'S OFTEN NOT LIKE BEING ON VACATION BECAUSE YOU'RE EVERYBODY ELSE IS WORKING AND YOU'RE COMING BACK TO A BACKLOG. 
          THERE WERE SOME DEPARTMENTS THAT, REGARDLESS OF WHAT WE DO, HAVE TO OPERATE 24 OVER SEVEN, AND THEY DON'T FEEL THAT REGARDLESS OF WHETHER WE DO FLOATING HOLIDAYS OR OR CLOSED DAYS. BUT I HEARD OVERWHELMINGLY THAT PEOPLE APPRECIATED THAT WE WERE CLOSED AND SO THAT THEY ACTUALLY APPRECIATED THE COURT PICKING FIVE DAYS AND CLOSING THE COURTHOUSE. AND GENERALLY THE I THINK FROM THE PUBLIC PERSPECTIVE, THE IT'S HARDER TO DO THAT THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. BUT AT THE HOLIDAY TIME, IT'S MUCH SLOWER BETWEEN CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR'S. AND THAT SEEMED TO NOT BE AS IMPACTFUL TO THE PUBLIC. BUT IF YOU'RE CONTEMPLATING THAT, WHAT, YOU KNOW, CONSIDERING SOMETHING OTHER THAN THAT, I THINK IT WOULD BE BETTER TO GO BACK AND ASK BECAUSE WE DID NOT ASK WHAT YOU WOULD PREFER. THEY WENT BACK AND ASKED, HOW DID THIS BREAK IMPACT YOU? TALKING ABOUT THE SPECIFIC BREAK? AND I MEAN, I THINK I THINK IT MIGHT BE A GOOD IDEA TO ASK, BUT, YOU KNOW, I DO WANT TO SAY THAT THERE'S THERE IS SOME RESEARCH OUT THERE THAT TALKS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, FREQUENT SHORTER VACATIONS ARE MORE EFFECTIVE THAN LONGER VACATIONS. SO IF YOU'RE GIVING SOMEBODY TWO AND A HALF WEEKS OFF DURING CHRISTMAS OR THREE WEEKS OFF DURING CHRISTMAS, IT IT MAY NOT YIELD THE MOST SUSTAINED PRODUCTIVITY GAINS AS, AS OPPOSED TO LIKE LETTING THEM CHOOSE AND THEN HAVING A LONG WEEKEND HERE OR A COUPLE LONGER WEEKENDS HERE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. SO I JUST WANTED TO THROW THAT OUT THERE. AND I'D ALSO BE CURIOUS HOW MANY PEOPLE LOSE LEAVE AND AT WHAT RATE? YEAH, THAT WOULD BE THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING TO, TO, TO LOOK INTO AS WELL. I JUST WANTED TO MAKE A COMMENT ABOUT LIKE, IF WE COULD PUT THE FIVE OPTIONS BACK. 
          SO JUST A COMMENT ABOUT OPTION TWO AND OPTION FOUR. I IMAGINE THAT THOSE ARE RELATED, FOR EXAMPLE, THE DAYS IN MARCH OR BECAUSE OF SPRING BREAK AND THE DAYS IN OCTOBER. I KNOW SOME OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS HAVE INTERSESSION THE FALL BREAK, BUT I WOULD JUST CAUTION THAT HOW MANY TOTAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS DO WE HAVE IN EL PASO COUNTY? LIKE NINE. AND VERY RARELY ARE THEY ALL ON THE SAME SCHEDULE. THEY'RE ALL WITHIN LIKE THREE WEEKS OFF. YEAH. SO EVEN WITH 
          [02:40:02]
MY TWO DAUGHTERS, VERY RARELY DO THEY HAVE SPRING BREAK AT THE SAME WEEK IN MARCH, MY DAUGHTER YAZD, SHE'S AT ONE OF THE EARLY COLLEGES, SO THEY DON'T EVEN GET THAT FALL BREAK THAT A LOT OF THE OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICTS GET. SO I. OPTION TWO AND FOUR, I THINK, ARE NOT GOING TO BE VERY HELPFUL JUST BECAUSE I DON'T THINK YOU'RE GOING TO GET A LOT OF EMPLOYEES WHO ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO BENEFIT NECESSARILY BECAUSE OF THE DIFFERENT SCHEDULES OF THE DIFFERENT SCHOOL DISTRICTS. I KIND OF FEEL LIKE, BETSY, I THINK THE WINTER BREAK IS REALLY NICE BECAUSE IT IS SLOW. IT'S A LOT SLOWER THAN OTHER TIMES OF THE YEAR, AND A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE TAKING TIME OFF AROUND THAT TIME ANYWAY. SO IF WE COULD PROVIDE THOSE HOLIDAYS, THEN THEY WOULDN'T. THEY COULD USE THEIR VACATION TIME FOR OTHER PARTS OF THE YEAR AND FOR PLANNING PURPOSES. I THINK THAT'S JUST GOING TO BE MUCH EASIER THAN THE FLOATING HOLIDAYS, JUST SO THAT EVERYONE KNOWS FROM THE ONSET AND CAN PLAN AROUND THAT. I AGREE, YOU KNOW, HAVING WORKED HERE OVER THE YEARS, I KNOW THAT DURING THE LAST TWO WEEKS OF DECEMBER, THINGS SLOWED DOWN. A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, BOTH JUDGES AND A LOT OF PEOPLE TAKE OFF. SO IT'S A REDUCED CALENDAR TO BEGIN WITH. AND I THINK IT PROVIDES A MORE BENEFIT BECAUSE IT PAIRS IT WITH OTHER HOLIDAYS ALREADY THAT WE'RE GIVING THEM, AND IT GIVES THEM A MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF TIME OFF, WHICH I THINK IS PROBABLY WE'LL PROBABLY SEE THAT, THAT THAT'S PROBABLY GOING TO BE THE NUMBER ONE CHOICE. YOU KNOW, FROM ALL THOSE OTHER CHOICES, I BET YOU THAT'S GOING TO BE THE NUMBER ONE CHOICE FOR EMPLOYEES ANYWAYS. OKAY. THANK YOU COMMISSIONERS. SO WHAT I'M HEARING IS GO BACK, SURVEY, SEE WHAT PEOPLE PREFER AND BRING BACK THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE COURT, BUT DO NOT INCLUDE GO BACK TO THE CHOICES, PLEASE. 
          SORRY. OCTOBER AND MARCH DON'T INCLUDE THE OCTOBER OR MARCH OPTION. JUST OFFER A WINTER HOLIDAY BREAK ONE THREE AND FIVE, ONE, THREE AND FIVE. THAT OKAY WITH THE COURT? YOU KNOW THE OTHER THING ABOUT OFFERING THEM THAT WHERE THEY TAKE THEM AT DIFFERENT TIMES, YOU KNOW, ALSO, YOU KNOW, IN OTHER WORDS, THE IT'S GOING TO BE DURING TIMES WHEN OBVIOUSLY THERE'S STILL WORK GOING ON. THE GREAT THING ABOUT THE DECEMBER HOLIDAYS IS THAT EVERYBODY STOPPED. AND LIKE YOU SAID, BETSY, COMING BACK IS A LOT LESS PROBLEMATIC TO BACKLOG THAN THE OTHER TIMES BECAUSE THE OTHER TIMES I CAN SEE ARE ALL REALLY FAIRLY BUSY AT TIMES DURING THE YEAR, INCLUDING MARCH, INCLUDING, YOU KNOW, MAYBE JUST JULY 4TH WEEKEND. 
          BUT APART FROM THAT, EVERYBODY'S PRETTY MUCH FULL SCHEDULE. AND I THINK IT PROVIDES THE LEAST. I GUESS, PROBLEMS FOR DEPARTMENTS, FOR PEOPLE TAKING OFF DURING THOSE TIMES. WELL, SO DECEMBER, I THINK WOULD BE THE LEAST PROBLEMATIC FOR ANY DEPARTMENT SINCE WE'RE ALL CLOSED. YEAH, I AGREE, I THINK OPTION ONE MAKES THE MAKES THE MOST SENSE RIGHT NOW. I UNDERSTAND, I UNDERSTAND THE REASONS FOR THE OTHERS. COMMISSIONERS DOUBT, BUT I, I FEEL I FEEL MOST COMFORTABLE GOING WITH OPTION ONE NOW. AND WE SAW THEIR NUMBER ONE CHOICE WAS COLA THIS YEAR. IT'S BOTH. SO I GUESS THE QUESTION IS DO YOU WANT US TO GO BACK AND SURVEY OR DO YOU WANT TO GO WITH OPTION ONE. I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO GO BACK AND SURVEY. 
          I THINK WE'LL END UP IN THE SAME PLACE. I'M SORRY. DO YOU WANT TO DO WHAT I'M SAYING? THAT. I MEAN, IF WE GO SURVEY, YOU'RE GOING TO GET THE SAME RESULT. YEAH. WE'RE GOING TO GET THE SAME RESULTS. AND I THINK THE WINTER I MEAN THE CHRISTMAS HAS ALWAYS BEEN VERY ATTRACTIVE TO. THEN WE WOULD ASK FOR A MOTION FOR TO APPROVE OPTION ONE. AND HR WILL GO BACK AND MODIFY THE POLICY AND BRING IT BACK. YEAH. SO, SO I AGREE. I THINK OPTION ONE IS THE BEST. 
          BUT I THINK WE ALSO NEED TO LEAVE OURSELVES A LITTLE BIT OF FLEXIBILITY. SO LIKE FOR EXAMPLE, AND EVERY YEAR IS DIFFERENT BECAUSE JULY 4TH FALLS ON A DIFFERENT DAY EVERY YEAR, BUT MAYBE LEAVE OURSELVES A LITTLE BIT OF FLEXIBILITY SO THAT MAYBE WE CAN DO A THREE DAY 4TH OF JULY WEEKEND, DEPENDING ON WHEN THE FOURTH ACTUALLY FALLS ON, BECAUSE I THINK THAT PEOPLE WOULD ALSO APPRECIATE THAT'S KIND OF MID YEAR. SO I, I HATE TO KIND OF PIGEONHOLE OURSELVES JUST INTO ONE THING, BUT I, BUT I AGREE, I THINK OVERALL THE WINTER HOLIDAY WOULD BE THE BEST OPTION, BUT JUST WITH THAT CAVEAT THAT WE CAN LEAVE OURSELVES A LITTLE BIT OF A, OF A FLEXIBILITY TO FOR THE 4TH OF JULY, DEPENDING ON WHEN THAT 
          [02:45:05]
FALLS. YES, MA'AM. AND THEN ALSO, I THINK ON HR SCREEN, IT SHOWS SPECIFIC DATES. AND I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD USE SPECIFIC DATES. I THINK THAT WILL BE A RECOMMENDATION ON THE HOLIDAY CALENDAR EVERY YEAR. DEPENDING ON THE DATES LIKE THIS YEAR, IT WOULD FALL, I IMAGINE, DECEMBER 22ND BECAUSE SOME OF THOSE DAYS ARE ALREADY HOLIDAYS. AND SO THERE'D BE YOU'D PICK UP FIVE DAYS THAT YOU'D HAVE COMMISSIONERS COURT ON THE 21ST IF YOU WANTED, AND THEN THE 22ND, 23RD, 28TH, 29TH AND 30TH WOULD BE THE ADDITIONAL HOLIDAYS. AND THEY WOULD BRING THAT BACK EACH YEAR WITH THE HOLIDAY CALENDAR. THEY WOULD ADDRESS THAT EACH YEAR IN THE HOLIDAY CALENDAR. YEAH. AND DEPENDING ON WHAT LIKE WE JUST HAD JULY UP ON THE SCREEN TOO. 
          I MEAN, MAYBE INSTEAD OF THE 22ND THAT WE COULD PUT AN EXTRA DAY AROUND, WHERE ARE WE, YOU KNOW, MAYBE FRIDAY, THE 2ND OF JULY, A LITTLE BIT LONGER WEEKEND FOR THE FIFTH OR THE FIFTH, I GUESS, BECAUSE THAT'S A SUBSTITUTE. THE FIFTH IS, OH, WE ALREADY GET THAT ONE. OKAY. 
          SO THEN MAYBE WE DO WANT TO DO LIKE THE SECOND, I DON'T KNOW, BUT JUST TO, TO RETAIN A LITTLE BIT OF FLEXIBILITY AROUND THE JULY 4TH HOLIDAY TO, OKAY. SO THE MOTION WOULD BE OPTION ONE WITH ADDED FLEXIBILITY AROUND JULY 4TH. AND THEN WE'LL BRING THE POLICY BACK FOR REVIEW AND APPROVAL. HOW ARE WE GOING TO DECIDE WHETHER ONE YEAR WE HAVE THE EXTRA DAY IN JULY OR NOT? THAT'S HOW ARE WE GOING TO DECIDE THAT? I THINK IT WILL DEPEND ON WHEN THE DAY FALLS. 
          SO IF IT FALLS ON A FRIDAY, YOU MAY SAY, OKAY, FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY IS ENOUGH. IF IT FALLS ON A THURSDAY, YOU MAY WANT TO GIVE THURSDAY FRIDAY. SO IT'LL DEPEND ON WHERE IT FALLS EACH YEAR. SO I THINK HR WOULD HAVE TO COME LOOK AT BRING IT BACK EACH YEAR. EVERY YEAR WE DECIDE, OKAY, OKAY, SO THE MOTION WOULD BE TO APPROVE OPTION ONE AND JUST LEAVE CALENDAR DAYS WITHOUT SPECIFYING A NUMBER, WITHOUT SPECIFYING DATES. FIVE CALENDAR DAYS DURING WINTER HOLIDAY BREAK AND ADD FLEXIBILITY AROUND 4TH OF JULY. AND HR WILL BRING THAT BACK IN A POLICY FORMAT, BUT THIS WILL JUST PROVIDE THEM THE DIRECTION TO DO THAT. ALL RIGHT. WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE FROM COMMISSIONER CORONADO AND A SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER BUTLER. 
          VOTING IS OPEN. AGAIN. THANK YOU ALL FOR FOR INDULGING OUR OUR WORK TO DO THIS. APPRECIATE IT. I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT. COMMISSIONER. MOTION CARRIES. THANK YOU. JUDGE. OKAY. 
          COMMISSIONERS COURT WILL RECESS FOR ONE HOUR. IT IS 12:18 P.M. 
          [02:51:43]
FROM JULY TO AUGUST. EL PASO COUNTY ENGAGED WITH OUR RESIDENTS TO ADDRESS THEIR NEEDS AND PREPARE FOR THE FUTURE. SEE WHAT EL PASO COUNTY HAS GOING ON THIS SUMMER. EL PASO COUNTY'S PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT HELD WEEKLY INFORMATION AND FEEDBACK SESSIONS AT ASCOT AT THE PARK. THESE MEETINGS CONCERN THE PROPOSED IMPROVEMENTS TO THE PARK AND CHANGES TO THE LAKES AT ASCARATE. THE SESSIONS ALLOWED RESIDENTS TO SEE CONCEPTS OF WHAT IS PLANNED AND TO PROVIDE THEIR INPUT ON WHAT THEY WANT, INCLUDING THEIR PREFERENCES FOR THE LARGE AND SMALL LAKES. AT ASCARATE, EL PASO COUNTY IS DEDICATED TO INCLUDE THE PUBLIC THROUGHOUT THE COMPLETION OF THIS CRITICAL PROJECT. THE EL PASO COUNTY COMMUNITY SERVICES OFFICE OF NEW AMERICANS RECENTLY HOSTED A LARGE SCALE COMMUNITY LISTENING SESSION AND RESOURCE FAIR AS PART OF THE GATEWAYS FOR GROWTH TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE GRANT AWARDED TO EL PASO COUNTY. THE EVENT BROUGHT TOGETHER 60 ATTENDEES REPRESENTING 40 PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS, INCLUDING NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, INTERFAITH EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, AND HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS. THE EVENT FEATURED AN INTERACTIVE FORMAT DESIGNED TO ENCOURAGE MEANINGFUL DIALOG AND COLLABORATION, RATHER THAN A TRADITIONAL CONFERENCE SETUP. PARTICIPANTS ENGAGE IN FACILITATED SMALL GROUP DISCUSSIONS, SHARED IDEAS AND RECOMMENDATIONS, AND NETWORKED WITH ORGANIZATIONS WORKING TO STRENGTHEN OUR COMMUNITY. FEEDBACK GATHERED DURING THE LISTENING SESSION WILL HELP INFORM THE DEVELOPMENT OF EL PASO COUNTY'S WELCOMING STRATEGIC PLAN, A COMMUNITY DRIVEN ROADMAP THAT WILL IDENTIFY PRIORITIES AND STRATEGIES TO MAKE OUR REGION MORE WELCOMING, INCLUSIVE AND CONNECTED. SEVEN YEARS AGO, OUR COMMUNITY CHANGED BECAUSE OF A HORRIBLE TRAGEDY. TO HONOR THE VICTIMS OF AUGUST 3RD, 2019 WALMART SHOOTING COMMUNITY LEADERS, VICTIMS, FAMILIES AND RESIDENTS GATHERED AT THE PARK HEALING GARDEN ON AUGUST 2ND TO HOLD A VIGIL IN THEIR HONOR. THE EVENT INCLUDED A PRAYER SERVICE, MOMENT OF SILENCE, READING OF NAMES AND RELEASE OF WHITE DOVES. EL PASO COUNTY REMAINS COMMITTED TO PROVIDE A SPACE IN THE HEALING GARDEN FOR OUR COMMUNITY TO MEDITATE, REFLECT AND HONOR OUR LOST COMMUNITY MEMBERS. THE COMMISSIONERS COURT AND EL PASO COUNTY HOSPITAL DISTRICT HELD A JOINT SPECIAL SESSION MEETING TO DISCUSS THE 2027 TAX RATE FOR THE COUNTY'S PUBLIC HOSPITAL. THE HOSPITAL DISTRICT OVERSEES UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER, EL PASO CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL AND EL PASO HEALTH HOSPITAL. ADMINISTRATION PROPOSED A NO NEW REVENUE TAX RATE OF 0.236904 FOR FISCAL YEAR 2027. IF THIS RATE IS APPROVED LATER THIS MONTH, THIS WOULD MEAN THAT THE PORTION OF YOUR PROPERTY TAXES DEDICATED TO OUR COUNTY HOSPITAL WOULD NOT INCREASE. HOSPITAL BOARD MEMBERS AND COUNTY COMMISSIONERS APPROVED THE PROPOSED RATE, AND THE COURT IS SCHEDULED TO ADOPT IT TOWARDS THE END OF AUGUST. THAT DOES IT 
          [02:55:06]
FOR THIS EDITION OF COUNTY CONNECTS. STAY TUNED AND MAKE SURE TO STAY CONNECTED WITH EL PASO COUNTY. 
          EVERY DAY. EL PASO COUNTY WORKS TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR OUR RESIDENTS. SOMETIMES THAT WORK HAPPENS HERE AT HOME. SOMETIMES IT TAKES US ACROSS TEXAS, ACROSS THE NATION AND AROUND THE WORLD. COUNTY LEADERS ADVOCATE FOR INFRASTRUCTURE, PUBLIC SAFETY, VETERANS SERVICES, TRANSPORTATION, AND MENTAL HEALTH PRIORITIES IMPORTANT TO OUR RESIDENTS THROUGH LEGISLATIVE MEETINGS, FUNDING REQUESTS, AND VARIOUS POLICY DISCUSSIONS. YOUR COUNTY IS WORKING TO ENSURE EL PASO'S VOICE IS HEARD. STRONG PARTNERSHIPS HELP BRING RESOURCES, EXPERTISE AND OPPORTUNITIES BACK TO EL PASO COUNTY. THROUGH COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS WITH OUR STATE AND FEDERAL PARTNERS, OUR POSITION ON CRITICAL MATTERS CAN BE SHARED AND HEARD BY THOSE MAKING DECISIONS AT THE HIGHEST LEVELS. PARTICIPATION IN ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES, TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES AND OTHER PROFESSIONAL NETWORKS, ALSO ALLOWS COUNTY LEADERS TO LEARN FROM SUCCESSFUL PROGRAMS ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND BRING INNOVATIVE IDEAS BACK HOME. EL PASO COUNTY'S COMMITMENT TO ECONOMIC GROWTH EXTENDS FAR BEYOND OUR BORDERS. THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, ELECTED OFFICIALS AND STAFF TRAVEL ACROSS TEXAS, THE UNITED STATES AND INTERNATIONALLY TO PROMOTE EL PASO AS A PREMIER DESTINATION FOR BUSINESS INVESTMENT AND EXPANSION. THESE EFFORTS ALLOW US TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS WITH INDUSTRY LEADERS, SHOWCASE OUR REGION'S UNIQUE ADVANTAGES, AND COMPETE FOR NEW JOBS AND ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES. THE TRUE MEASURE OF SUCCESS IS NOT WHERE WE TRAVEL TO, BUT WHAT WE BROUGHT HOME. AT THE MIDPOINT OF 2026. OUR GRANT PORTFOLIO REMAINS STRONG AND PRODUCTIVE. TO DATE, WE HAVE APPLIED FOR A TOTAL OF 50 FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES, WITH 21 AWARDS SECURED, RESULTING IN MORE THAN $15.6 MILLION IN GRANT FUNDING AWARDED. EVERY TRIP REPRESENTS ONE PURPOSE SERVING THE PEOPLE OF EL PASO COUNTY. WHETHER ADVOCATING IN AUSTIN, COLLABORATING IN WASHINGTON, OR BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS ACROSS BORDERS, OUR MISSION REMAINS THE SAME CREATING OPPORTUNITIES, DELIVERING SERVICES, AND BUILDING A STRONGER FUTURE FOR 
          [03:00:02]
OUR COMMUNITY. 
          FROM JULY TO AUGUST, EL PASO COUNTY ENGAGED WITH OUR RESIDENTS TO ADDRESS THEIR NEEDS AND PREPARE FOR THE FUTURE. SEE WHAT EL PASO COUNTY HAS GOING ON THIS SUMMER. EL PASO COUNTY'S PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT HELD WEEKLY INFORMATION AND FEEDBACK SESSIONS AT ASCOT AT THE PARK. THESE MEETINGS CONCERN THE PROPOSED IMPROVEMENTS TO THE PARK AND CHANGES TO THE LAKES AT ASCARATE. THE SESSIONS ALLOWED RESIDENTS TO SEE CONCEPTS OF WHAT IS PLANNED AND TO PROVIDE THEIR INPUT ON WHAT THEY WANT, INCLUDING THEIR PREFERENCES FOR THE LARGE AND SMALL LAKES. AT ASCARATE. EL PASO COUNTY IS DEDICATED TO INCLUDE THE PUBLIC THROUGHOUT THE COMPLETION OF THIS CRITICAL PROJECT. THE EL PASO COUNTY COMMUNITY SERVICES OFFICE OF NEW AMERICANS RECENTLY HOSTED A LARGE SCALE COMMUNITY LISTENING SESSION AND RESOURCE FAIR AS PART OF THE GATEWAYS FOR GROWTH TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE GRANT AWARDED TO EL PASO COUNTY. THE EVENT BROUGHT TOGETHER 60 ATTENDEES REPRESENTING 40 PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS, INCLUDING NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, INTERFAITH EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, AND HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS. THE EVENT FEATURED AN INTERACTIVE FORMAT DESIGNED TO ENCOURAGE MEANINGFUL DIALOG AND COLLABORATION, RATHER THAN A TRADITIONAL CONFERENCE SETUP. PARTICIPANTS ENGAGE IN FACILITATED SMALL GROUP DISCUSSIONS, SHARED IDEAS AND RECOMMENDATIONS, AND NETWORKED WITH ORGANIZATIONS WORKING TO STRENGTHEN OUR COMMUNITY. FEEDBACK GATHERED DURING THE LISTENING SESSION WILL HELP INFORM THE DEVELOPMENT OF EL PASO COUNTY'S WELCOMING STRATEGIC PLAN, A COMMUNITY DRIVEN ROADMAP THAT WILL IDENTIFY PRIORITIES AND STRATEGIES TO MAKE OUR REGION MORE WELCOMING, INCLUSIVE AND CONNECTED. SEVEN YEARS AGO, OUR COMMUNITY CHANGED BECAUSE OF A HORRIBLE TRAGEDY. TO HONOR THE VICTIMS OF AUGUST 3RD, 2019, WALMART SHOOTING, COMMUNITY LEADERS, VICTIMS, FAMILIES AND RESIDENTS GATHERED AT THE PARK HEALING GARDEN ON AUGUST 2ND TO 
          [03:05:01]
HOLD A VIGIL IN THEIR HONOR. THE EVENT INCLUDED A PRAYER SERVICE, MOMENT OF SILENCE, READING OF NAMES AND RELEASE OF WHITE DOVES. EL PASO COUNTY REMAINS COMMITTED TO PROVIDE A SPACE IN THE HEALING GARDEN FOR OUR COMMUNITY TO MEDITATE, REFLECT AND HONOR OUR LOST COMMUNITY MEMBERS. THE COMMISSIONERS COURT AND EL PASO COUNTY HOSPITAL DISTRICT HELD A JOINT SPECIAL SESSION MEETING TO DISCUSS THE 2027 TAX RATE FOR THE COUNTY'S PUBLIC HOSPITAL. THE HOSPITAL DISTRICT OVERSEES UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER, EL PASO CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL AND EL PASO HEALTH HOSPITAL. ADMINISTRATION PROPOSED A NO NEW REVENUE TAX RATE OF 0.236904 FOR FISCAL YEAR 2027. IF THIS RATE IS APPROVED LATER THIS MONTH, THIS WOULD MEAN THAT THE PORTION OF YOUR PROPERTY TAXES DEDICATED TO OUR COUNTY HOSPITAL WOULD NOT INCREASE. HOSPITAL BOARD MEMBERS AND COUNTY COMMISSIONERS APPROVED THE PROPOSED RATE, AND THE COURT IS SCHEDULED TO ADOPT IT TOWARDS THE END OF AUGUST. THAT DOES IT FOR THIS EDITION OF COUNTY CONNECTS. STAY TUNED AND MAKE SURE TO STAY CONNECTED WITH EL PASO COUNTY. 
          EVERY DAY. EL PASO COUNTY WORKS TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR OUR RESIDENTS. SOMETIMES THAT WORK HAPPENS HERE AT HOME. SOMETIMES IT TAKES US ACROSS TEXAS, ACROSS THE NATION AND AROUND THE WORLD. COUNTY LEADERS ADVOCATE FOR INFRASTRUCTURE, PUBLIC SAFETY, VETERANS SERVICES, TRANSPORTATION, AND MENTAL HEALTH PRIORITIES IMPORTANT TO OUR RESIDENTS THROUGH LEGISLATIVE MEETINGS, FUNDING REQUESTS, AND VARIOUS POLICY DISCUSSIONS. YOUR COUNTY IS WORKING TO ENSURE EL PASO'S VOICE IS HEARD. STRONG PARTNERSHIPS HELP BRING RESOURCES, EXPERTISE AND OPPORTUNITIES BACK TO EL PASO COUNTY. THROUGH COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS WITH OUR STATE AND FEDERAL PARTNERS, OUR POSITION ON CRITICAL MATTERS CAN BE SHARED AND HEARD BY THOSE MAKING DECISIONS AT THE HIGHEST LEVELS. PARTICIPATION IN ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES, TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES AND OTHER PROFESSIONAL NETWORKS, ALSO ALLOWS COUNTY LEADERS TO LEARN FROM SUCCESSFUL PROGRAMS ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND BRING INNOVATIVE IDEAS BACK HOME. EL PASO COUNTY'S COMMITMENT TO ECONOMIC GROWTH EXTENDS FAR BEYOND OUR 
          [03:10:04]
BORDERS. THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, ELECTED OFFICIALS AND STAFF TRAVEL ACROSS TEXAS, THE UNITED STATES AND INTERNATIONALLY TO PROMOTE EL PASO AS A PREMIER DESTINATION FOR BUSINESS INVESTMENT AND EXPANSION. THESE EFFORTS ALLOW US TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS WITH INDUSTRY LEADERS, SHOWCASE OUR REGION'S UNIQUE ADVANTAGES, AND COMPETE FOR NEW JOBS AND ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES. THE TRUE MEASURE OF SUCCESS IS NOT WHERE WE TRAVEL TO, BUT WHAT WE BROUGHT HOME. AT THE MIDPOINT OF 2026. OUR GRANT PORTFOLIO REMAINS STRONG AND PRODUCTIVE. TO DATE, WE HAVE APPLIED FOR A TOTAL OF 50 FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES, WITH 21 AWARDS SECURED, RESULTING IN MORE THAN $15.6 MILLION IN GRANT FUNDING AWARDED. EVERY TRIP REPRESENTS ONE PURPOSE SERVING THE PEOPLE OF EL PASO COUNTY. WHETHER ADVOCATING IN AUSTIN, COLLABORATING IN WASHINGTON, OR BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS ACROSS BORDERS, OUR MISSION REMAINS THE SAME CREATING OPPORTUNITIES, DELIVERING SERVICES, AND BUILDING A STRONGER FUTURE FOR OUR COMMUNITY. 
          FROM JULY TO AUGUST, EL PASO COUNTY ENGAGED WITH OUR RESIDENTS TO ADDRESS THEIR NEEDS AND PREPARE FOR THE FUTURE. SEE WHAT EL PASO COUNTY HAS GOING ON THIS SUMMER. EL PASO COUNTY'S PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT HELD WEEKLY INFORMATION AND FEEDBACK SESSIONS AT ASCOT AT THE PARK. THESE MEETINGS CONCERNED THE PROPOSED IMPROVEMENTS TO THE PARK AND CHANGES TO THE LAKE'S AT ASCARATE. THE SESSIONS ALLOWED RESIDENTS TO SEE CONCEPTS OF WHAT IS PLANNED AND TO PROVIDE THEIR INPUT ON WHAT THEY WANT, INCLUDING THEIR PREFERENCES FOR THE LARGE AND SMALL LAKES. AT ASCARATE. EL PASO COUNTY IS DEDICATED TO INCLUDE THE PUBLIC THROUGHOUT THE COMPLETION OF THIS CRITICAL PROJECT. THE EL PASO COUNTY COMMUNITY SERVICES OFFICE OF NEW AMERICANS RECENTLY HOSTED A LARGE SCALE COMMUNITY LISTENING SESSION AND RESOURCE FAIR AS PART OF THE GATEWAYS FOR GROWTH TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE GRANT 
          [03:15:01]
AWARDED TO EL PASO COUNTY. THE EVENT BROUGHT TOGETHER 60 ATTENDEES REPRESENTING 40 PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS, INCLUDING NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, INTERFAITH EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, AND HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS. THE EVENT FEATURED AN INTERACTIVE FORMAT DESIGNED TO ENCOURAGE MEANINGFUL DIALOG AND COLLABORATION, RATHER THAN A TRADITIONAL CONFERENCE SETUP. PARTICIPANTS ENGAGED IN FACILITATED SMALL GROUP DISCUSSIONS, SHARED IDEAS AND RECOMMENDATIONS, AND NETWORKED WITH ORGANIZATIONS WORKING TO STRENGTHEN OUR COMMUNITY. FEEDBACK GATHERED DURING THE LISTENING SESSION WILL HELP INFORM THE DEVELOPMENT OF EL PASO COUNTY'S WELCOMING STRATEGIC PLAN, A COMMUNITY DRIVEN ROADMAP THAT WILL IDENTIFY PRIORITIES AND STRATEGIES TO MAKE OUR REGION MORE WELCOMING, INCLUSIVE AND CONNECTED. SEVEN YEARS AGO, OUR COMMUNITY CHANGED BECAUSE OF A HORRIBLE TRAGEDY. TO HONOR THE VICTIMS OF AUGUST 3RD, 2019 WALMART SHOOTING, COMMUNITY LEADERS, VICTIMS, FAMILIES AND RESIDENTS GATHERED AT THE PARK HEALING GARDEN ON AUGUST 2ND TO HOLD A VIGIL IN THEIR HONOR. THE EVENT INCLUDED A PRAYER SERVICE, MOMENT OF SILENCE, READING OF NAMES AND RELEASE OF WHITE DOVES. EL PASO COUNTY REMAINS COMMITTED TO PROVIDE A SPACE IN THE HEALING GARDEN FOR OUR COMMUNITY TO MEDITATE, REFLECT AND HONOR OUR LOST COMMUNITY MEMBERS. THE COMMISSIONERS COURT AND EL PASO COUNTY HOSPITAL DISTRICT HELD A JOINT SPECIAL SESSION MEETING TO DISCUSS THE 2027 TAX RATE FOR THE COUNTY'S PUBLIC HOSPITAL. THE HOSPITAL DISTRICT OVERSEES UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER, EL PASO CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL AND EL PASO HEALTH HOSPITAL. ADMINISTRATION PROPOSED A NO NEW REVENUE TAX RATE OF 0.236904 FOR FISCAL YEAR 2027. IF THIS RATE IS APPROVED LATER THIS MONTH, THIS WOULD MEAN THAT THE PORTION OF YOUR PROPERTY TAXES DEDICATED TO OUR COUNTY HOSPITAL WOULD NOT INCREASE. HOSPITAL BOARD MEMBERS AND COUNTY COMMISSIONERS APPROVED THE PROPOSED RATE, AND THE COURT IS SCHEDULED TO ADOPT IT TOWARDS THE END OF AUGUST. THAT DOES IT FOR THIS EDITION OF COUNTY CONNECTS. STAY TUNED AND MAKE SURE TO STAY CONNECTED WITH EL PASO COUNTY. 
          [03:20:02]
EVERY DAY. EL PASO COUNTY WORKS TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR OUR RESIDENTS. SOMETIMES THAT WORK HAPPENS HERE AT HOME. SOMETIMES IT TAKES US ACROSS TEXAS, ACROSS THE NATION AND AROUND THE WORLD. COUNTY LEADERS ADVOCATE FOR INFRASTRUCTURE, PUBLIC SAFETY, VETERANS SERVICES, TRANSPORTATION, AND MENTAL HEALTH PRIORITIES IMPORTANT TO OUR RESIDENTS THROUGH LEGISLATIVE MEETINGS, FUNDING REQUESTS, AND VARIOUS POLICY DISCUSSIONS. YOUR COUNTY IS WORKING TO ENSURE EL PASO'S VOICE IS HEARD. STRONG PARTNERSHIPS HELP BRING RESOURCES, EXPERTISE AND OPPORTUNITIES BACK TO EL PASO COUNTY. THROUGH COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS WITH OUR STATE AND FEDERAL PARTNERS, OUR POSITION ON CRITICAL MATTERS CAN BE SHARED AND HEARD BY THOSE MAKING DECISIONS AT THE HIGHEST LEVELS. PARTICIPATION IN ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES, TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES, AND OTHER PROFESSIONAL NETWORKS, ALSO ALLOWS COUNTY LEADERS TO LEARN FROM SUCCESSFUL PROGRAMS ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND BRING INNOVATIVE IDEAS BACK HOME. EL PASO COUNTY'S COMMITMENT TO ECONOMIC GROWTH EXTENDS FAR BEYOND OUR BORDERS. THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, ELECTED OFFICIALS AND STAFF TRAVEL ACROSS TEXAS, THE UNITED STATES AND INTERNATIONALLY TO PROMOTE EL PASO AS A PREMIER DESTINATION FOR BUSINESS INVESTMENT AND EXPANSION. THESE EFFORTS ALLOW US TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS WITH INDUSTRY LEADERS, SHOWCASE OUR REGION'S UNIQUE ADVANTAGES, AND COMPETE FOR NEW JOBS AND ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES. THE TRUE MEASURE OF SUCCESS IS NOT WHERE WE TRAVEL TO, BUT WHAT WE BROUGHT HOME. AT THE MIDPOINT OF 2026. OUR GRANT PORTFOLIO REMAINS STRONG AND PRODUCTIVE. 
          TO DATE, WE HAVE APPLIED FOR A TOTAL OF 50 FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES, WITH 21 AWARDS SECURED, RESULTING IN MORE THAN $15.6 MILLION IN GRANT FUNDING AWARDED. EVERY TRIP REPRESENTS ONE PURPOSE SERVING THE PEOPLE OF EL PASO COUNTY. WHETHER ADVOCATING IN AUSTIN, COLLABORATING IN WASHINGTON, OR BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS ACROSS BORDERS, OUR MISSION REMAINS THE SAME CREATING OPPORTUNITIES, DELIVERING SERVICES, AND BUILDING A STRONGER FUTURE FOR OUR COMMUNITY. 
          [03:25:11]
FROM JULY TO AUGUST, EL PASO COUNTY ENGAGED WITH OUR RESIDENTS TO ADDRESS THEIR NEEDS AND PREPARE FOR THE FUTURE. SEE WHAT EL PASO COUNTY HAS GOING ON THIS SUMMER. EL PASO COUNTY'S PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT HELD WEEKLY INFORMATION AND FEEDBACK SESSIONS AT ASCOT AT THE PARK. THESE MEETINGS CONCERNED THE PROPOSED IMPROVEMENTS TO THE PARK AND CHANGES TO THE LAKE'S AT ASCARATE. THE SESSIONS ALLOWED RESIDENTS TO SEE CONCEPTS OF WHAT IS PLANNED AND TO PROVIDE THEIR INPUT ON WHAT THEY WANT, INCLUDING THEIR PREFERENCES FOR THE LARGE AND SMALL LAKES. AT ASCARATE. EL PASO COUNTY IS DEDICATED TO INCLUDE THE PUBLIC THROUGHOUT THE COMPLETION OF THIS CRITICAL PROJECT. THE EL PASO COUNTY COMMUNITY SERVICES OFFICE OF NEW AMERICANS RECENTLY HOSTED A LARGE SCALE COMMUNITY LISTENING SESSION AND RESOURCE FAIR AS PART OF THE GATEWAYS FOR GROWTH TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE GRANT AWARDED TO EL PASO COUNTY. THE EVENT BROUGHT TOGETHER 60 ATTENDEES REPRESENTING 40 PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS, INCLUDING NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, INTERFAITH EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, AND HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS. THE EVENT FEATURED AN INTERACTIVE FORMAT DESIGNED TO ENCOURAGE MEANINGFUL DIALOG AND COLLABORATION, RATHER THAN A TRADITIONAL CONFERENCE SETUP. PARTICIPANTS ENGAGED IN FACILITATED SMALL GROUP DISCUSSIONS, SHARED IDEAS AND RECOMMENDATIONS, AND NETWORKED WITH ORGANIZATIONS WORKING TO STRENGTHEN OUR COMMUNITY. FEEDBACK GATHERED DURING THE LISTENING SESSION WILL HELP INFORM THE DEVELOPMENT OF EL PASO COUNTY'S WELCOMING STRATEGIC PLAN, A COMMUNITY DRIVEN ROADMAP THAT WILL IDENTIFY PRIORITIES AND STRATEGIES TO MAKE OUR REGION MORE WELCOMING, INCLUSIVE AND CONNECTED. SEVEN YEARS AGO, OUR COMMUNITY CHANGED BECAUSE OF A HORRIBLE TRAGEDY. TO HONOR THE VICTIMS OF AUGUST 3RD, 2019 WALMART SHOOTING, COMMUNITY LEADERS, VICTIMS, FAMILIES AND RESIDENTS GATHERED AT THE PARK HEALING GARDEN ON AUGUST 2ND TO HOLD A VIGIL IN THEIR HONOR. THE EVENT INCLUDED A PRAYER SERVICE, MOMENT OF SILENCE, READING OF NAMES AND RELEASE OF WHITE DOVES. EL PASO COUNTY REMAINS COMMITTED TO PROVIDE A SPACE IN THE HEALING GARDEN FOR OUR COMMUNITY TO MEDITATE, REFLECT AND HONOR OUR LOST COMMUNITY MEMBERS. THE COMMISSIONERS COURT AND EL PASO COUNTY HOSPITAL DISTRICT HELD A JOINT SPECIAL SESSION MEETING TO DISCUSS THE 2027 TAX RATE FOR THE COUNTY'S PUBLIC HOSPITAL. THE HOSPITAL DISTRICT OVERSEES UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER, EL PASO CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL AND EL PASO HEALTH HOSPITAL. ADMINISTRATION PROPOSED A NO NEW REVENUE TAX RATE OF 0.236904 FOR FISCAL YEAR 2027. IF THIS RATE IS APPROVED LATER THIS MONTH, THIS WOULD MEAN THAT THE PORTION OF YOUR PROPERTY TAXES DEDICATED TO OUR COUNTY HOSPITAL WOULD NOT INCREASE. HOSPITAL BOARD MEMBERS AND COUNTY COMMISSIONERS APPROVED THE PROPOSED RATE, AND THE COURT IS SCHEDULED TO ADOPT IT TOWARDS THE END OF AUGUST. THAT DOES IT FOR THIS EDITION OF COUNTY CONNECTS. STAY TUNED AND MAKE SURE TO STAY CONNECTED WITH EL PASO COUNTY. 
          [03:31:11]
EVERY DAY. EL PASO COUNTY WORKS TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR OUR RESIDENTS. SOMETIMES THAT WORK HAPPENS HERE AT HOME. SOMETIMES IT TAKES US ACROSS TEXAS, ACROSS THE NATION AND AROUND THE WORLD. COUNTY LEADERS ADVOCATE FOR INFRASTRUCTURE, PUBLIC SAFETY, VETERANS SERVICES, TRANSPORTATION, AND MENTAL HEALTH PRIORITIES IMPORTANT TO OUR RESIDENTS THROUGH LEGISLATIVE MEETINGS, FUNDING REQUESTS, AND VARIOUS POLICY DISCUSSIONS. YOUR COUNTY IS WORKING TO ENSURE EL PASO'S VOICE IS HEARD. STRONG PARTNERSHIPS HELP BRING RESOURCES, EXPERTISE AND OPPORTUNITIES BACK TO EL PASO COUNTY. THROUGH COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS WITH OUR STATE AND FEDERAL PARTNERS, OUR POSITION ON CRITICAL MATTERS CAN BE SHARED AND HEARD BY THOSE MAKING DECISIONS AT THE HIGHEST LEVELS. PARTICIPATION IN ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES, TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES AND OTHER PROFESSIONAL NETWORKS, ALSO ALLOWS COUNTY LEADERS TO LEARN FROM SUCCESSFUL PROGRAMS ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND BRING INNOVATIVE IDEAS BACK HOME. EL PASO COUNTY'S COMMITMENT TO ECONOMIC GROWTH EXTENDS FAR BEYOND OUR BORDERS. THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, ELECTED OFFICIALS AND STAFF TRAVEL ACROSS TEXAS, THE UNITED STATES AND INTERNATIONALLY TO PROMOTE EL PASO AS A PREMIER DESTINATION FOR BUSINESS INVESTMENT AND EXPANSION. THESE EFFORTS ALLOW US TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS WITH INDUSTRY LEADERS, SHOWCASE OUR REGION'S UNIQUE ADVANTAGES, AND COMPETE FOR NEW JOBS AND ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES. THE TRUE MEASURE OF SUCCESS IS NOT WHERE WE TRAVEL TO, BUT WHAT WE BROUGHT HOME AT THE MIDPOINT OF 2026. OUR GRANT PORTFOLIO REMAINS STRONG AND PRODUCTIVE. TO DATE, WE HAVE APPLIED FOR A TOTAL OF 50 FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES, WITH 21 AWARDS SECURED, RESULTING IN MORE THAN $15.6 MILLION IN GRANT FUNDING AWARDED. EVERY TRIP REPRESENTS ONE PURPOSE SERVING THE PEOPLE OF EL PASO COUNTY. WHETHER ADVOCATING IN AUSTIN, COLLABORATING IN WASHINGTON, OR BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS ACROSS BORDERS, OUR MISSION REMAINS THE SAME CREATING OPPORTUNITIES, DELIVERING SERVICES, AND BUILDING A STRONGER FUTURE FOR OUR COMMUNITY. 
          [03:36:21]
FROM JULY TO AUGUST, EL PASO COUNTY ENGAGED WITH OUR RESIDENTS TO ADDRESS THEIR NEEDS AND PREPARE FOR THE FUTURE. SEE WHAT EL PASO COUNTY HAS GOING ON THIS SUMMER. EL PASO COUNTY'S PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT HELD WEEKLY INFORMATION AND FEEDBACK SESSIONS AT ASCOT AT THE PARK. THESE MEETINGS CONCERN THE PROPOSED IMPROVEMENTS TO THE PARK AND CHANGES TO THE LAKES AT ASCARATE. THE SESSIONS ALLOWED RESIDENTS TO SEE CONCEPTS OF WHAT IS PLANNED AND TO PROVIDE THEIR INPUT ON WHAT THEY WANT, INCLUDING THEIR PREFERENCES FOR THE LARGE AND SMALL LAKES. AT ASCARATE. EL PASO COUNTY IS DEDICATED TO INCLUDE THE PUBLIC THROUGHOUT THE COMPLETION OF THIS CRITICAL PROJECT. THE EL PASO COUNTY COMMUNITY SERVICES OFFICE OF NEW AMERICANS RECENTLY HOSTED A LARGE SCALE COMMUNITY LISTENING SESSION AND RESOURCE FAIR AS PART OF THE GATEWAYS FOR GROWTH TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE GRANT AWARDED TO EL PASO COUNTY. THE EVENT BROUGHT TOGETHER 60 ATTENDEES REPRESENTING 40 PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS, INCLUDING NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, INTERFAITH EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, AND HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS. THE EVENT FEATURED AN INTERACTIVE FORMAT DESIGNED TO ENCOURAGE MEANINGFUL DIALOG AND COLLABORATION, RATHER THAN A TRADITIONAL CONFERENCE SETUP. PARTICIPANTS ENGAGE IN FACILITATED SMALL GROUP DISCUSSIONS, SHARED IDEAS AND RECOMMENDATIONS, AND NETWORKED WITH ORGANIZATIONS WORKING TO STRENGTHEN OUR COMMUNITY. FEEDBACK GATHERED DURING THE LISTENING SESSION WILL HELP INFORM THE DEVELOPMENT OF EL PASO COUNTY'S WELCOMING STRATEGIC PLAN, A COMMUNITY DRIVEN ROADMAP THAT WILL IDENTIFY PRIORITIES AND STRATEGIES TO MAKE OUR REGION MORE WELCOMING, INCLUSIVE AND CONNECTED. SEVEN YEARS AGO, OUR COMMUNITY CHANGED BECAUSE OF A HORRIBLE TRAGEDY. TO HONOR THE VICTIMS OF AUGUST 3RD, 2019 WALMART SHOOTING, COMMUNITY LEADERS, VICTIMS, FAMILIES AND RESIDENTS GATHERED AT THE PARK HEALING GARDEN ON AUGUST 2ND TO HOLD A VIGIL IN THEIR HONOR. THE EVENT INCLUDED A PRAYER SERVICE, MOMENT OF SILENCE, READING OF NAMES AND RELEASE OF WHITE DOVES. EL PASO COUNTY REMAINS COMMITTED TO PROVIDE A SPACE IN THE HEALING GARDEN FOR OUR COMMUNITY TO MEDITATE, REFLECT AND HONOR OUR LOST COMMUNITY MEMBERS. THE COMMISSIONERS COURT AND EL PASO COUNTY HOSPITAL DISTRICT HELD A JOINT SPECIAL SESSION MEETING TO DISCUSS THE 2027 TAX RATE FOR THE COUNTY'S PUBLIC HOSPITAL. THE HOSPITAL DISTRICT OVERSEES UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER, EL PASO CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL AND EL PASO HEALTH HOSPITAL. ADMINISTRATION PROPOSED A NO NEW REVENUE TAX RATE OF 0.236904 FOR FISCAL YEAR 2027. IF THIS RATE IS APPROVED LATER THIS MONTH, THIS WOULD MEAN THAT THE PORTION OF YOUR PROPERTY TAXES DEDICATED TO OUR COUNTY HOSPITAL WOULD NOT INCREASE. HOSPITAL BOARD MEMBERS AND COUNTY COMMISSIONERS APPROVED THE PROPOSED RATE, AND THE COURT IS SCHEDULED TO ADOPT IT TOWARDS THE END OF AUGUST. THAT DOES IT FOR THIS EDITION OF COUNTY CONNECTS. STAY TUNED AND MAKE SURE TO STAY CONNECTED WITH EL PASO COUNTY. 
          [03:42:21]
EVERY DAY. EL PASO COUNTY WORKS TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR OUR RESIDENTS. SOMETIMES THAT WORK HAPPENS HERE AT HOME. SOMETIMES IT TAKES US ACROSS TEXAS, ACROSS THE NATION AND AROUND THE WORLD. COUNTY LEADERS ADVOCATE FOR INFRASTRUCTURE, PUBLIC SAFETY, VETERANS SERVICES, TRANSPORTATION, AND MENTAL HEALTH PRIORITIES IMPORTANT TO OUR RESIDENTS. THROUGH LEGISLATIVE MEETINGS, FUNDING REQUESTS, AND VARIOUS POLICY DISCUSSIONS, YOUR COUNTY IS WORKING TO ENSURE EL PASO'S VOICE IS HEARD. STRONG PARTNERSHIPS HELP BRING RESOURCES, EXPERTISE AND OPPORTUNITIES BACK TO EL PASO COUNTY. THROUGH COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS WITH OUR STATE AND FEDERAL PARTNERS, OUR POSITION ON CRITICAL MATTERS CAN BE SHARED AND HEARD BY THOSE MAKING DECISIONS AT THE HIGHEST LEVELS. PARTICIPATION IN ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES, TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES AND OTHER PROFESSIONAL NETWORKS, ALSO ALLOWS COUNTY LEADERS TO LEARN FROM SUCCESSFUL PROGRAMS ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND BRING INNOVATIVE IDEAS BACK HOME. EL PASO COUNTY'S COMMITMENT TO ECONOMIC GROWTH EXTENDS FAR BEYOND OUR BORDERS. THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, ELECTED OFFICIALS AND STAFF TRAVEL ACROSS TEXAS, THE UNITED STATES AND INTERNATIONALLY TO PROMOTE EL PASO AS A PREMIER DESTINATION FOR BUSINESS INVESTMENT AND EXPANSION. THESE EFFORTS ALLOW US TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS WITH INDUSTRY LEADERS, SHOWCASE OUR REGION'S UNIQUE ADVANTAGES, AND COMPETE FOR NEW JOBS AND ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES. THE TRUE MEASURE OF SUCCESS IS NOT WHERE WE TRAVEL TO, BUT WHAT WE BROUGHT HOME. AT THE MIDPOINT OF 2026, OUR GRANT PORTFOLIO REMAINS STRONG AND PRODUCTIVE TO DATE. 
          WE HAVE APPLIED FOR A TOTAL OF 50 FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES, WITH 21 AWARDS SECURED, RESULTING IN MORE THAN $15.6 MILLION IN GRANT FUNDING AWARDED. EVERY TRIP REPRESENTS ONE PURPOSE SERVING THE PEOPLE OF EL PASO COUNTY. WHETHER ADVOCATING IN AUSTIN, COLLABORATING IN WASHINGTON, OR BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS ACROSS BORDERS. OUR MISSION REMAINS THE SAME CREATING OPPORTUNITIES, DELIVERING SERVICES, AND BUILDING A STRONGER FUTURE FOR OUR COMMUNITY. 
          [03:47:31]
FROM JULY TO AUGUST, EL PASO COUNTY ENGAGED WITH OUR RESIDENTS TO ADDRESS THEIR NEEDS AND PREPARE FOR THE FUTURE. SEE WHAT EL PASO COUNTY HAS GOING ON THIS SUMMER. EL PASO COUNTY'S PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT HELD WEEKLY INFORMATION AND FEEDBACK SESSIONS AT ASCOT AT THE PARK. THESE MEETINGS CONCERN THE PROPOSED IMPROVEMENTS TO THE PARK AND CHANGES TO THE LAKES AT ASCARATE. THE SESSIONS ALLOWED RESIDENTS TO SEE CONCEPTS OF WHAT IS PLANNED AND TO PROVIDE THEIR INPUT ON WHAT THEY WANT, INCLUDING THEIR PREFERENCES FOR THE LARGE AND SMALL LAKES. AT ASCARATE. EL PASO COUNTY IS DEDICATED TO INCLUDE THE PUBLIC THROUGHOUT THE COMPLETION OF THIS CRITICAL PROJECT. THE EL PASO COUNTY COMMUNITY SERVICES OFFICE OF NEW AMERICANS RECENTLY HOSTED A LARGE SCALE COMMUNITY LISTENING SESSION AND RESOURCE FAIR AS PART OF THE GATEWAYS FOR GROWTH TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE GRANT AWARDED TO EL PASO COUNTY. THE EVENT BROUGHT TOGETHER 60 ATTENDEES REPRESENTING 40 PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS, INCLUDING NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, INTERFAITH EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, AND HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS. THE EVENT FEATURED AN INTERACTIVE FORMAT DESIGNED TO ENCOURAGE MEANINGFUL DIALOG AND COLLABORATION, RATHER THAN A TRADITIONAL CONFERENCE SETUP. PARTICIPANTS ENGAGE IN FACILITATED SMALL GROUP DISCUSSIONS, SHARED IDEAS AND RECOMMENDATIONS, AND NETWORKED WITH ORGANIZATIONS WORKING TO STRENGTHEN OUR COMMUNITY. FEEDBACK GATHERED DURING THE LISTENING SESSION WILL HELP INFORM THE DEVELOPMENT OF EL PASO COUNTY'S WELCOMING STRATEGIC PLAN, A COMMUNITY DRIVEN ROADMAP THAT WILL IDENTIFY PRIORITIES AND STRATEGIES TO MAKE OUR REGION MORE WELCOMING, INCLUSIVE AND CONNECTED. SEVEN YEARS AGO, OUR COMMUNITY CHANGED BECAUSE OF A HORRIBLE TRAGEDY. TO HONOR THE VICTIMS OF AUGUST 3RD, 2019 WALMART SHOOTING. COMMUNITY LEADERS, VICTIMS, FAMILIES AND RESIDENTS GATHERED AT THE PARK HEALING GARDEN ON AUGUST 2ND TO HOLD A VIGIL IN THEIR HONOR. THE EVENT INCLUDED A PRAYER SERVICE, MOMENT OF SILENCE, READING OF NAMES AND RELEASE OF WHITE DOVES. EL PASO COUNTY REMAINS COMMITTED TO PROVIDE A SPACE IN THE HEALING GARDEN FOR OUR COMMUNITY TO MEDITATE, REFLECT AND HONOR OUR LOST COMMUNITY MEMBERS. THE COMMISSIONERS COURT AND EL PASO COUNTY HOSPITAL DISTRICT HELD A 
          [03:50:07]
JOINT SPECIAL SESSION MEETING TO DISCUSS THE 2027 TAX RATE FOR THE COUNTY'S PUBLIC HOSPITAL. THE HOSPITAL DISTRICT OVERSEES UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER, EL PASO CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL AND EL PASO HEALTH HOSPITAL. ADMINISTRATION PROPOSED A NO NEW REVENUE TAX RATE OF 0.236904 FOR FISCAL YEAR 2027. IF THIS RATE IS APPROVED LATER THIS MONTH, THIS WOULD MEAN THAT THE PORTION OF YOUR PROPERTY TAXES DEDICATED TO OUR COUNTY HOSPITAL WOULD NOT INCREASE. HOSPITAL BOARD MEMBERS AND COUNTY COMMISSIONERS APPROVED THE PROPOSED RATE, AND THE COURT IS SCHEDULED TO ADOPT IT TOWARDS THE END OF AUGUST. THAT DOES IT FOR THIS EDITION OF COUNTY CONNECTS. STAY TUNED AND MAKE SURE TO STAY CONNECTED WITH EL PASO COUNTY. 
          EVERY DAY, EL PASO COUNTY WORKS TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR OUR RESIDENTS. SOMETIMES THAT WORK HAPPENS HERE AT HOME. SOMETIMES IT TAKES US ACROSS TEXAS, ACROSS THE NATION AND AROUND THE WORLD. COUNTY LEADERS ADVOCATE FOR INFRASTRUCTURE, PUBLIC SAFETY, VETERANS SERVICES, TRANSPORTATION, AND MENTAL HEALTH PRIORITIES IMPORTANT TO OUR RESIDENTS. THROUGH LEGISLATIVE MEETINGS, FUNDING REQUESTS, AND VARIOUS POLICY DISCUSSIONS, YOUR COUNTY IS WORKING TO ENSURE EL PASO'S VOICE IS HEARD. STRONG PARTNERSHIPS HELP BRING RESOURCES, EXPERTISE AND OPPORTUNITIES BACK TO EL PASO COUNTY. THROUGH COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS WITH OUR STATE AND FEDERAL PARTNERS, OUR POSITION ON CRITICAL MATTERS CAN BE SHARED AND HEARD BY THOSE MAKING DECISIONS AT THE HIGHEST LEVELS. PARTICIPATION IN ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES, TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES AND OTHER PROFESSIONAL NETWORKS, ALSO ALLOWS COUNTY LEADERS TO LEARN FROM SUCCESSFUL PROGRAMS ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND BRING INNOVATIVE IDEAS BACK HOME. EL PASO COUNTY'S COMMITMENT TO ECONOMIC GROWTH EXTENDS FAR BEYOND OUR BORDERS. THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, ELECTED OFFICIALS AND STAFF TRAVEL ACROSS TEXAS, THE UNITED STATES AND INTERNATIONALLY TO PROMOTE EL PASO AS A PREMIER DESTINATION FOR BUSINESS INVESTMENT AND EXPANSION. THESE EFFORTS ALLOW US TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS WITH INDUSTRY LEADERS, SHOWCASE OUR REGION'S UNIQUE ADVANTAGES, AND COMPETE FOR NEW JOBS AND ECONOMIC 
          [03:55:04]
OPPORTUNITIES. THE TRUE MEASURE OF SUCCESS IS NOT WHERE WE TRAVEL TO, BUT WHAT WE BROUGHT HOME. AT THE MIDPOINT OF 2026, OUR GRANT PORTFOLIO REMAINS STRONG AND PRODUCTIVE. TO DATE, WE HAVE APPLIED FOR A TOTAL OF 50 FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES, WITH 21 AWARDS SECURED, RESULTING IN MORE THAN $15.6 MILLION IN GRANT FUNDING AWARDED. EVERY TRIP REPRESENTS ONE PURPOSE SERVING THE PEOPLE OF EL PASO COUNTY. WHETHER ADVOCATING IN AUSTIN, COLLABORATING IN WASHINGTON, OR BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS ACROSS BORDERS, OUR MISSION REMAINS THE SAME CREATING OPPORTUNITIES, DELIVERING SERVICES, AND BUILDING A STRONGER FUTURE FOR OUR COMMUNITY. 
          FROM JULY TO AUGUST, EL PASO COUNTY ENGAGED WITH OUR RESIDENTS TO ADDRESS THEIR NEEDS AND PREPARE FOR THE FUTURE. SEE WHAT EL PASO COUNTY HAS GOING ON THIS SUMMER. EL PASO COUNTY'S PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT HELD WEEKLY INFORMATION AND FEEDBACK SESSIONS AT ASCOT AT THE PARK. THESE MEETINGS CONCERNED THE PROPOSED IMPROVEMENTS TO THE PARK AND CHANGES TO THE LAKES AT ASCARATE. THE SESSIONS ALLOWED RESIDENTS TO SEE CONCEPTS OF WHAT IS PLANNED AND TO PROVIDE THEIR INPUT ON WHAT THEY WANT, INCLUDING THEIR PREFERENCES FOR THE LARGE AND SMALL LAKES. AT ASCARATE. EL PASO COUNTY IS DEDICATED TO INCLUDE THE PUBLIC THROUGHOUT THE COMPLETION OF THIS CRITICAL PROJECT. THE EL PASO COUNTY COMMUNITY SERVICES OFFICE OF NEW AMERICANS RECENTLY HOSTED A LARGE SCALE COMMUNITY LISTENING SESSION AND RESOURCE FAIR AS PART OF THE GATEWAYS FOR GROWTH TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE GRANT AWARDED TO EL PASO COUNTY. THE EVENT BROUGHT TOGETHER 60 ATTENDEES REPRESENTING 40 PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS, INCLUDING NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, INTERFAITH EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, AND HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS. THE EVENT FEATURED AN INTERACTIVE FORMAT DESIGNED TO ENCOURAGE MEANINGFUL DIALOG AND COLLABORATION, RATHER THAN 
          [04:00:02]
A TRADITIONAL CONFERENCE SETUP. PARTICIPANTS ENGAGED IN FACILITATED SMALL GROUP DISCUSSIONS, SHARED IDEAS AND RECOMMENDATIONS, AND NETWORKED WITH ORGANIZATIONS WORKING TO STRENGTHEN OUR COMMUNITY. FEEDBACK GATHERED DURING THE LISTENING SESSION WILL HELP INFORM THE DEVELOPMENT OF EL PASO COUNTY'S WELCOMING STRATEGIC PLAN, A COMMUNITY DRIVEN ROADMAP THAT WILL IDENTIFY PRIORITIES AND STRATEGIES TO MAKE OUR REGION MORE WELCOMING, INCLUSIVE AND CONNECTED. SEVEN YEARS AGO, OUR COMMUNITY CHANGED BECAUSE OF A HORRIBLE TRAGEDY. TO HONOR THE VICTIMS OF AUGUST 3RD, 2019. WALMART SHOOTING. COMMUNITY LEADERS, VICTIMS, FAMILIES AND RESIDENTS GATHERED AT THE PARK HEALING GARDEN ON AUGUST 2ND TO HOLD A VIGIL IN THEIR HONOR. THE EVENT INCLUDED A PRAYER SERVICE, MOMENT OF SILENCE, READING OF NAMES AND RELEASE OF WHITE DOVES. EL PASO COUNTY REMAINS COMMITTED TO PROVIDE A SPACE IN THE HEALING GARDEN FOR OUR COMMUNITY TO MEDITATE, REFLECT AND HONOR OUR LOST COMMUNITY MEMBERS. THE COMMISSIONERS COURT AND EL PASO COUNTY HOSPITAL DISTRICT HELD A JOINT SPECIAL SESSION MEETING TO DISCUSS THE 2027 TAX RATE FOR THE COUNTY'S PUBLIC HOSPITAL. THE HOSPITAL DISTRICT OVERSEES UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER, EL PASO CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL AND EL PASO HEALTH HOSPITAL. ADMINISTRATION PROPOSED A NO NEW REVENUE TAX RATE OF 0.236904 FOR FISCAL YEAR 2027. IF THIS RATE IS APPROVED LATER THIS MONTH, THIS WOULD MEAN THAT THE PORTION OF YOUR PROPERTY TAXES DEDICATED TO OUR COUNTY HOSPITAL WOULD NOT INCREASE. HOSPITAL BOARD MEMBERS AND COUNTY COMMISSIONERS APPROVED THE PROPOSED RATE, AND THE COURT IS SCHEDULED TO ADOPT IT TOWARDS THE END OF AUGUST. THAT DOES IT FOR THIS EDITION OF COUNTY CONNECTS. STAY TUNED AND MAKE SURE TO STAY CONNECTED WITH EL PASO COUNTY. 
          COMMISSIONERS COURT HAS RECONVENED INTO REGULAR OPEN SESSION. IT IS 1:34 P.M. JUDGE, WE HAVE A FEW ITEMS THAT WE NEED TO RECONSIDER. FOR SOME CHANGES. 
          IF I CAN START OUT WITH ITEM NUMBER. FOUR W FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA. FOR W IS GO BOND 24, PRE1I1. APPROVE AND AUTHORIZE THE COUNTY JUDGE TO SIGN AND FINALIZE THE CONSTRUCTION MANAGER AT RISK WITH DAM CONSTRUCTION COMPANY INCORPORATED OF EL PASO, TEXAS, 
          [04:05:04]
FOR THE EL PASO COUNTY ANIMAL SHELTER, FUNDS ARE AVAILABLE IN CPBD24ISSUEB PROP P E, PROFESSIONAL SERVICES. COCP30280000004318080102000124P. CONTRACT NUMBER 2026 0435. IF WE COULD PLEASE HAVE A MOTION TO RECONSIDER THE ITEM. WE HAVE A SECOND. I'LL SECOND. 
          COMMISSIONER. COMMISSIONER. THANK YOU. I'M SORRY. OKAY. WE HAVE A MOTION FROM JUDGE SAMANIEGO AND A SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER OLGUIN TO RECONSIDER. VOTING IS OPEN. I VOTE AYE, THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER. COMMISSIONER STOUT. THANK YOU. MOTION CARRIES. WE NEEDED TO READ IN A CORRECTION, WHICH I MISSED EARLIER. LET ME JUST GET THAT TOGETHER. THE ITEM, AS IT SHOULD READ IS GO BOND APPROVING. AUTHORIZE THE COUNTY JUDGE TO SIGN AND FINALIZE THE CONSTRUCTION MANAGER AT RISK WITH TEX CONSTRUCTION COMPANY INCORPORATED OF EL PASO, TEXAS, FOR THE EL PASO COUNTY ANIMAL SHELTER. FUNDS ARE AVAILABLE IN E ONE COUNTY ANIMAL SHELTER. CONTRACT NUMBER 2026 0435. YOU CAN HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE ITEM AS CORRECTED. WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE FROM COMMISSIONER CORONADO AND A SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER OLGUIN. THE VOTING IS OPEN. MOTION CARRIES. NEXT, I'D LIKE TO READ ITEM NUMBER SEVEN D, RECEIVE A PRESENTATION, DISCUSS AND TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION ON THE FISCAL YEAR 2026 2027. BUDGET AND PROPERTY TAX RATE FOR EMERGENCY SERVICE DISTRICT NUMBER ONE. WE HAVE A MOTION TO RECONSIDER THE ITEM, PLEASE. WE HAVE A MOTION FROM COMMISSIONER BUTLER AND A SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER STOUT TO RECONSIDER. THE VOTING IS OPEN. 
          MISTER BUTLER. THANK YOU. MOTION CARRIES. 
          JUST ONE MOMENT, PLEASE. 
          OKAY. FOR THIS ITEM, I JUST NEED TO READ THE BUDGET AND TAX RATE INTO THE RECORD. 
          SO FOR ITEM NUMBER SEVEN, D IS TO APPROVE THE FISCAL YEAR 2027 BUDGET AND TAX RATE FOR EMERGENCY SERVICES DISTRICT NUMBER ONE, WHICH IS COMPOSED OF THE FOLLOWING. A TAX RATE OF 0.100000, WHICH IS MADE UP OF AN MNO OF 0.57611 AND AN INS OF 0.042389, FOR A TOTAL OPERATING 
          [04:10:13]
BUDGET OF $19,280,788.50, AND A RESERVE BUDGET OF $11,647,117.13. WE COULD HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE. WE HAVE A MOTION FROM JUDGE SAMANIEGO AND A SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER OLGUIN. THE VOTING IS OPEN. MOTION CARRIES. AND THEN FOR ITEM NUMBER SEVEN E, RECEIVE A PRESENTATION, DISCUSS AND TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION ON THE FISCAL YEAR 20 2620 2027 BUDGET AND PROPERTY TAX RATE FOR EMERGENCY SERVICE. DISTRICT NUMBER TWO, IF WE COULD HAVE A MOTION TO RECONSIDER, PLEASE, WE HAVE A MOTION TO RECONSIDER FROM JUDGE SAMANIEGO AND A SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER BUTLER. VOTING IS OPEN. MOTION CARRIES. AND THEN FOR FOR THE RECORD, I'D LIKE TO READ IT IN. I'D READ IN THE MOTION APPROVE THE FISCAL YEAR 2027 BUDGET AND TAX RATE FOR EMERGENCY SERVICES. DISTRICT NUMBER TWO, WHICH IS COMPOSED OF THE FOLLOWING. A TAX RATE OF 0.090398, WHICH IS MADE UP OF AN I AND S OF 0.028740 AND AN MNO OF 0.061658 FOR A TOTAL BUDGET OF $23,935,707. WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE FROM JUDGE SAMANIEGO AND A SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER CORONADO. VOTING IS OPEN. MOTION CARRIES. THANK YOU. 
          COURT. WOULD YOU LIKE TO START WITH ITEM EIGHT A. OKAY, SURE. ITEM NUMBER TEN A FROM PUBLIC WORKS. RECEIVE A PRESENTATION FROM THE PUBLIC WORKS, PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT REGARDING THE PROPOSED NEW FEE SCHEDULES. FURTHER, APPROVE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NEW FEE SCHEDULE AS PRESENTED AND AUTHORIZE THE IMPLEMENTATION TO TAKE EFFECT ON OCTOBER 1ST, 2026, AS PER LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE. TITLE TEN SUBTITLE B CHAPTER 316. GOOD AFTERNOON, 
          [A. Receive a presentation from the Public Works- Parks and Recreation Department regarding the proposed new fee schedules. Further, approve the implementation of the new Fee Schedule as presented and authorize the implementation to take effect on October 1, 2026. as per Local Government Code, Title 10, Subtitle B, Chapter 316.
Timothy Fulton, Director, Parks and Recreation, 915-273-3501]
JUDGE COMMISSIONERS, I'M TIM FULTON, PARKS AND RECREATION. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO INTRODUCE MY SUPPORT TEAM. OVER HERE WE HAVE AMY WHEELER, OUR ASSISTANT DIRECTOR. WE ALSO HAVE OUR ADMIN TEAM WITH YASMEEN GALINDO AS WELL AS OUR ONE OF OUR NEW TEAM MEMBERS, GREG CASTILLO, WHO IS AN ADMIN SERVICES SPECIALIST. I'M INTRODUCING THEM BECAUSE THEY PLAYED AN INSTRUMENTAL ROLE IN HELPING US DEVISE THESE FEES. WE DID APPEAR IN FRONT OF THE COURT ON JUNE 1ST TO DISCUSS OUR FEES. WE GOT SOME GREAT FEEDBACK FROM THE COURT, AND SO WE COME BACK TO PRESENT THE OUTCOME OF THAT PRESENTATION. SO ONE OF THE THINGS WE WERE ASKED TO DO IS LOOKING AT ALIGNING OUR FEES WITH THE NATIONAL RECREATION AND PARK ASSOCIATION. AND WE ALSO WERE LOOKING AT HOW DO WE IMPROVE OUR FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY WHILE MAINTAINING AFFORDABLE FEES FOR OUR PUBLIC. AND LIKE I MENTIONED, WE WANT TO ALIGN THESE FEES WITH THE RECOMMENDATIONS BY THE NATIONAL PARKS AND RECREATION SERVICE. 
          AND THEN WE ALSO ARE LOOKING, HOW DO WE REDUCE SOME ALLIANCE OR RELIANCE UPON OUR OUR TAX RATES? SO THIS IS WHAT OUR TEAM HAS FOUND FROM THE NATIONAL RECREATION AND PARK ASSOCIATION. 
          WE FOLLOWED THIS FRAMEWORK THE BEST THAT WE COULD. SO WE'RE LOOKING AT LIKE COMMUNITY EVENTS. THESE ARE USUALLY FREE COMMUNITY EVENTS ARE OPEN TO ALL THE PUBLIC, USUALLY EITHER A VERY NOMINAL FEE OR NO FEE AT ALL. SO AN EXAMPLE MIGHT BE LIGHTS ON OUR LAKE. IT MIGHT BE 4TH OF JULY. SO WE LOOK AT THINGS LIKE THAT. WE ALSO LOOKED AT THE RECOMMENDATION FOR THE SWIMMING POOLS BECAUSE I KNOW THAT HAD A LOT OF DISCUSSION. SO OUR NEIGHBORHOOD 
          [04:15:01]
POOLS, THE POOLS THAT WE FIND IN GALLEGOS PARK, AS WELL AS RISINGER PARK, THOSE ARE CONSIDERED NEIGHBORHOOD POOLS. SO YOU SEE THE RECOVERY RATE ON THOSE AS RECOMMENDED. AND THEN WE HAVE OUR REGIONAL AQUATIC CENTERS, WHICH WOULD BE OUR POOL AT ASCOT PARK. IT'S ATTRACTING PEOPLE THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY AND OUTLYING AREAS. YOUTH SPORTS. AGAIN, WE DO WANT TO RECOVER SOME COSTS ON THAT, BUT ALSO KEEP IT RELATIVELY AFFORDABLE BECAUSE WE ARE SERVING OUR YOUTH, ESPECIALLY YOUTH WITH SPECIAL NEEDS YOUTH, YOUTH THAT MAY BE AT RISK. OUR ADULT SPORTS, WE'RE TRYING TO RECOVER AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE ON THAT AS RECOMMENDED. AND GENERALLY THAT'S GOING TO BE LOOKING AT 75 TO 100%. AND THEN GOLF COURSES, BECAUSE GOLF COURSES ARE EXPENSIVE TO MAINTAIN, IT SERVES A UNIQUE PART OF OUR POPULATION. AND SOME CASES IT'S OVER 100% RECOVERY. AND THEN OUR COMMERCIAL EVENTS AND RENTALS, THESE ARE EVENTS THAT WOULD THEY PROFIT FROM COUNTY RESOURCES. SO THOSE COULD BE LIKE PRIVATE MUSIC FESTIVALS. I THINK IT'S SOMETHING LIKE MICHELADA FEST, WHERE THERE IS A FEE TO COME TO THAT FESTIVAL, AND THEN OTHER THINGS WHERE THEY'RE CHARGING A FEE TO THE PUBLIC, NOT OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. I ALSO TOUCHED BASE LAST TIME ON OUR PARKING FEES, HISTORICALLY, WHAT WE WERE LOOKING AT. SO WE HAD WE COLLECTED WHAT WE GENERATED ON PARKING FEES BASED ON OUR HISTORICAL FEE SOMETIME AGO OF $2 EVERY WEEKEND. BUT WE WERE ALSO ASKED, OR WE WERE TASKED TO DO A LITTLE BIT MORE RESEARCH INTO THIS, DO SOME MORE OUTREACH, WHICH WE DID. AND SO OUR CURRENT FEES, THE ONES THAT HAVE BEEN IN EXISTENCE SINCE 2024, IT'S $5 PER VEHICLE. WHENEVER WE HAVE A HOLIDAY, SAY LIKE LABOR DAY COMING UP OR A LARGE EVENT THAT'S FROM 1000 TO ALMOST 4000 PEOPLE. AND THEN ONCE WE HAVE OVER 4000 PEOPLE, WE CHARGE THE $10 FEE. AND SO YOU CAN SEE ON THE RIGHT THERE WHAT OUR REVENUE HAS BEEN. NOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE STARTED LOOKING AT A LITTLE BIT CLOSER IN THAT DATA WE COLLECTED, THAT WE HAD SOME EVENTS THAT, BECAUSE OF UNIQUE CIRCUMSTANCES, DID NOT COME BACK TO A PARK. THE BIG FAIR WAS ONE. SO THAT DID IMPACT US AND THAT WASN'T BASED ON FEES OR ANYTHING. SO THEY DID NOT COME BACK. AND IT WAS A SUBSTANTIAL REVENUE GENERATOR. IT WASN'T ANYTHING THAT THE COUNTY HAD DONE. IT WAS WITHIN THEIR OWN ORGANIZATION. AND SO OUR RECOMMENDATION IS NO CHANGES IN OUR PARKING FEES. WE ARE CONFIDENT THAT WE CAN SUSTAIN THIS. WE CAN COVER IT WITH OUR STAFF. AND BECAUSE WE GET MINIMAL IMPACT, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF A FEW EVENTS, WE WANT TO KEEP IT THE SAME. I ALSO WANT TO ADD THAT WE ALSO HAVE YEARLY PASSES MADE AVAILABLE FOR AN ANNUAL PASS. 
          IT'S $50 FOR A SEASONAL PASS, IT'S $30 NOW. THE NUMBER OF DAYS WE HAVE THE TOLL BOOTH OPEN AND CHARGE. THAT PARKING FEE VARIES DEPENDING ON THE NUMBER OF LARGE EVENTS. 
          HOLIDAYS USUALLY STAY PRETTY MUCH THE SAME, SO WE'RE GOING TO EXPECT OUR REVENUE TO STAY PRETTY CLOSE TO WHAT IT'S ALWAYS BEEN. NOW WITH, WITH THOSE ORGANIZATIONS THAT SOMETIMES ASK FOR A WAIVER, THAT PARKING FEE, WHAT WE'RE PRESENTING, WHAT WE'VE HAD IN LEGAL REVIEW, IS A FEE WAIVER POLICY THAT WE WILL BE PRESENTING TO THE COURT FOR YOUR REVIEW AND HOPEFULLY APPROVAL REASON WE'RE DOING THIS. WE THINK IT WILL STREAMLINE THE PROCESS, MAKE IT EASIER FOR THE COURT TO MAKE THOSE TYPE OF DECISIONS. 
          THERE'S NO CHANGES IN THE OVERALL SPECIAL EVENTS. WHAT WE WE'RE WE'RE GOING TO BE REMOVING LANGUAGE IN THERE THAT WE FIND IS CONFUSING TO THE PUBLIC, BUT THE FEES WILL STAY EXACTLY THE SAME ON THOSE. OUR AQUATIC FEES. AND THAT WAS ONE THAT THE COURT DID GIVE US QUITE A BIT OF USEFUL FEEDBACK ON. SO WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT THE IDEA THAT REGIONAL POOL FOR A SCOTTISH A SCOTTISH POOL AGAIN, IS THE $3 GENERAL ADMISSION, NO CHANGE THERE. AND THEN $2 FOR OUR YOUTH, WHICH IS 17 AND UNDER 60 PLUS. THAT'S SENIORS, OUR VETERANS, OUR FIRST RESPONDERS, AND OF COURSE, OUR COUNTY EMPLOYEES. AND THEN WITH GALLEGOS AND VETERANS PARK, OUR POOLS, WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT, KEEPING IT THE SAME. WE HAVE THAT $2 GENERAL ADMISSION AND THEN A DOLLAR FOR THOSE SPECIAL GROUPS THERE. WHAT WE DO, WHAT WE ARE ADDING, WHAT WE WANT THE COURT TO LOOK AT IS BECAUSE THIS WAS SOMETHING WE HEARD FEEDBACK ON WAS A SEASONAL SWIM PASS, AND THIS WILL RUN FROM MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND TO THE END OF THE SEASON, WHICH IS GENERALLY TOWARDS THE END OF JULY GOING INTO LABOR DAY OR EXCUSE ME, 
          [04:20:06]
AUGUST INTO LABOR DAY. SO THE GENERAL ADMISSION, IT'S $30 FOR THE WHOLE SUMMER SEASON FOR YOUTH AND OUR SPECIAL GROUPS, IT'LL BE $20. AND THEN WE ADDED A $1 FEE FOR A REPLACEMENT CARD ON THERE. WE ALSO ARE ADDING MAKING SOME CHANGES HERE IN OUR OUR RECOMMENDING CHANGES FOR OUR LANE RENTALS AND AQUATICS PROGRAMS. SO FOR NOT FOR PROFIT GROUPS THAT WANT TO RENT SOME OF THE LANES. SO IT'S GOING TO BE ALIGNED WITH THE MARKET. WE LOOKED AT WHAT IS THE CITY CHARGING? WHAT ARE OTHER GROUPS CHARGING OUT THERE. SO THAT FEE WILL IS 18 TO $20 DEPENDING ON ITS LONG COURSE. THAT'S THE WHOLE LENGTH OF A POOL 50M. AM I RIGHT ON THAT, AMY. AND THEN THE SHORT COURSE, WHICH WOULD BE THE SIDE OF THE POOL. SO THERE'S 21 LANES WHEN WE MAKE IT A SHORT COURSE AND THE ENTIRE POOL CAN BE FOR THE SHORT COURSE, WHICH IS 21 LANES CAN BE RENTED FOR $380 AN HOUR. THAT'S OUR NOT FOR PROFIT RATE, WHICH WOULD ALIGN WITH MANY OF OUR SWIM YOUTH SWIM TEAMS. AND AGAIN, THE RATIONALE, IT'S AS, AS WE MENTIONED EARLIER, WHY WE WENT THAT ROUTE FOR PRIVATE. WE ALSO HAVE A HUGE DEMAND FOR PRIVATE SWIM LESSONS. THIS WOULD BE IF WE WANT TO TEACH A YOUTH OR AN ADULT SWIM LESSONS, NOT AS PART OF A CLASS, JUST THAT ONE ON ONE. AND IT'S $40 FOR A 30 MINUTE SESSION. AND THEY HAVE BEEN IN HIGH DEMAND AT ALL THREE OF OUR SWIMMING FACILITIES. WE HAVE ADJUSTED OUR CLASS PRICING FOR $48 A GROUP LESSON, AND THEN $150 FOR THOSE LESSONS THAT LEAD TO CERTIFICATION. THAT WOULD BE LIKE YOUR LIFEGUARD TRAININGS. THAT WOULD BE LIKE YOUR WATER SAFETY INSTRUCTOR TRAININGS. 
          OUR POOL RENTALS. WE'RE BASING THIS OFF. WE WANT TO SIMPLIFY THINGS BECAUSE FRANKLY, I THINK WE HAD A LOT OF CUSTOMERS IN OUR PREVIOUS LANGUAGE WHO WERE A LITTLE CONFUSED TRYING TO UNDERSTAND. SO WE, WE CAME IN WITH THIS PROPOSAL OF A TIERED PRICING SYSTEM, AND IT'S REPLACING MULTIPLE SMALL TIERS. SO FOR TWO HOURS, $200, THREE HOURS, 254 HOURS, 300. AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE THE EXCLUSIVE FULL USE OF THE POOL FOR, SAY, A PRIVATE POOL PARTY FOR 500 WITH A MAXIMUM OF FOUR HOURS. AND AGAIN, WE TRY TO WORK OUR RENTALS AND THINGS LIKE THAT AROUND OUR PUBLIC HOURS SO THAT WE CAN ACCOMMODATE ALL THE USE OUT THERE. THE OTHER THING WE WERE LOOKING AT IS POOL PARTY OPTIONS. SO WE HAVE $100 NONEXCLUSIVE. SO IF YOU WANT TO HAVE A POOL PARTY, BUT THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS GOING TO BE THERE TOO FOR $100, WE CAN DO THAT. AND THAT IS SOMETHING WE'VE HAD A LOT OF PEOPLE ASK ABOUT AND WANT TO SEE. AND THEN WITH ALL OF OURS, WE ARE CHARGING A PREP. THAT'S BEFORE THE PARTY BEGINS. OUR STAFF, OUR LIFEGUARDS NEED TO CLEAN THE POOL, GET IT READY FOR THE PRIVATE RENTALS. AND SO WE'RE WE'RE CHARGING $150 AT A PARTY. THE TWO SMALLER POOLS, WE CHARGE 50. AND THIS IS ONLY FOR OUR EXCLUSIVE RENTALS, NOT THE ONES THAT WILL BE SHARED. AND AGAIN, OUR RATIONALE BEHIND THAT IS REFLECTING WHAT OUR COST IS. STAFFING FOR LIFEGUARDS, AS WE ALL KNOW, SOMETIMES IT'S CHALLENGING. SO WE WANT TO BE COMPETITIVE WITH OUR SALARIES. SO AGAIN, TO HELP RECOVER SOME OF THOSE COSTS. THE OTHER THING WITH THE IF YOU LOOK ON THE RIGHT SIDE, WE'LL HAVE OUR ADDITIONAL RENTALS POLICIES AND CLEANUPS. WE'VE UPDATED OUR PRICING, WE'VE CHANGED LANGUAGE. WE ALSO HAVE A PICNIC AREA. WE REMOVED THE STANDALONE PRICING. THIS IS OUTSIDE OF A POOL JUST FOR CLARITY. SO WE REMOVED THAT. SO NOW IT'S IT'S TIED WITH THE POOL. WHEN YOU RENT THE POOL, YOU AUTOMATICALLY GET THE PICNIC AREA. OUR CANCELLATION POLICIES ARE THE SAME ACROSS THE BOARD. WE FOLLOW THAT 30 DAY RULE. SO AS LONG AS YOU'RE CANCELING 30 DAYS PRIOR, IT'S A FULL REFUND. SO WE WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT. ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT ANYTHING I HAVE COVERED? I DID WANT TO THANK YOU, TIM. I THINK IT'S GOING TO IT MAKES A BIG DIFFERENCE THAT WE WERE ABLE TO KEEP THE FEE STRUCTURE FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD POOLS THE SAME AND NOT INCREASE THAT. I THINK THAT THAT'S GOING TO ENSURE THAT OUR COMMUNITY, AND PARTICULARLY THE KIDS IN OUR COMMUNITY, ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO KEEP ENJOYING THEIR THEIR COMMUNITY POOL. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. YOU'RE WELCOME. COMMISSIONER. AND THEN VERY 
          [04:25:04]
QUICKLY GOING OVER OUR OUR GOLF COURSES, WE DO HAVE SOME SLIGHT INCREASES THERE BECAUSE WE HAVE INCURRED SOME ADDITIONAL COSTS. SO WITH OUR CART RENTALS, THEY'RE GOING UP $1. SO FOR THAT SOLO USE, WHICH IF YOU WANT TO PLAY 18 HOLES OF GOLF, WE'RE GOING FROM 16 TO 17 AGAIN TO COVER SOME OF THOSE ADDITIONAL COSTS. THE FOR THE FULL CART WITH TWO RIDERS, THEY JUST SPLIT THE COSTS. AND THEN WE ALSO FOR A DISCOUNT, WE SELL THE 18 HOLE PUNCH. THAT WILL GO UP $10 FROM 160 TO 170. AND AGAIN, REMEMBER, WE'RE TRYING TO RECOVER 100% OF OUR COSTS ON OUR GOLF COURSE. THERE'S NO OTHER MAJOR CHANGES. THE MEMBERSHIP PRICING, AGAIN, WE DID GO UP REFLECTING VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT OUR CARTS, THE ADULT THE QUARTERLY MEMBERSHIP DID RISE $16 OR. OUR RECOMMENDATION IS TO DO THAT FOR SENIORS. WE'RE GOING FROM 140 TO 163, WHICH WOULD BE A 23% INCREASE. AND AGAIN, BECAUSE IT COSTS AS WELL AS THE INCREASED DEMAND, WE WE SEE ON OUR COURSES, OUR COURSE. THE UPDATED SENIOR, THE NOTE THAT OUR GOLF PRO WANT TO ADD ON THAT IS THOSE TIMES. THE TEE TIMES AVAILABLE ARE SATURDAYS OR 12 P.M. AND THEN 10 P.M. OR EXCUSE ME, 10 A.M. ON SUNDAYS. SO WE'LL REFLECT THAT IN ANY PROPOSED CHANGES WITH OUR FEES. AND THEN WE WILL STICK WITH THE WE OFFER THE PARKING DISCOUNT WHERE BASICALLY YOU BRING YOUR SEAT FROM PARKING. AND THAT GOES TO CREDIT TOWARDS OUR PRO SHOP. NO CHANGES THERE. THE CHANGES THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT THE SPORTS PARK AND THIS IS WITH OUR ADULT SOFTBALL AGAIN, LOOKING AT CLOSE TO 100% RECOVERY, WE HAVE A NEW FEE OF $600. AND THIS WILL INCLUDE TEN GAMES THAT THEY COULD PLAY AS WELL AS THE AWARDS FIRST THROUGH THIRD PLACE. SO THIS WOULD BE LOOKING FOR ANY SORT OF ADULT SOFTBALL TOURNAMENTS WE WOULD RUN. WE ARE ALSO LOOKING TO SIMPLIFY OUR LEAGUE STRUCTURES. WE WILL STANDARDIZE IT WITH YEAR ROUND PRICING, SO THERE WON'T BE VARIATIONS FROM SEASON TO SEASON. THEY'LL STAY THE SAME. AND I DID SPEAK ABOUT THIS LAST TIME TO THE COURT, BUT ONE OF THE NEW PROGRAMS WE WILL BE INTRODUCING, HOPEFULLY IF THIS IS APPROVED, WILL BE A PARENT CLASS BECAUSE OF SOME INCIDENTS THAT WEREN'T POSITIVE THAT OCCURRED WITH PARENTS AT THE SPORTS PARK. WE'RE ASKING ALL PARENTS TO ATTEND A COURSE AND IT'S BASICALLY LEARNING THE ETHICS, THE SPORTSMANSHIP INVOLVED WITH YOUTH AND YOUTH SPORTS, AND THEN GETTING THE PARENTS TO PARTICIPATE IN THAT. 
          SO THAT WILL COST $5 PER PARENT, PER CLASS. AND THEN OUR GAME PROTEST FEE, WHICH IS ALWAYS BEEN A FEE FOR US, BUT WE WANT TO MOVE AWAY FROM CASH. IT USED TO BE THEY COULD PAY $100 CASH TO HAVE A PROTEST, A CALL OR A GAME. WE WILL JUST GO TO CARD ONLY ON THAT. AND THEN WITH OUR BATTING CAGES, WHICH WE SEE AS A GREAT RESOURCE, WE DO WANT TO TAP IN THE DEMAND FOR THE USE. 
          SO NOW WE'LL BE OFFERING $80 SEASONAL PASS FOR INDIVIDUALS FAMILY UP TO FOUR PEOPLE. IT'S $240. PLAYERS AND COACHES ARE EXEMPT. AND OUR YOUTH PROGRAM AND THEN USABLE FOR LEAGUES TOURNAMENTS. EVEN IF AN INDIVIDUAL WANTS TO COME UP AND USE THE BATTING CAGE FOR PRACTICE OR SOMETHING, WE DO ALLOW THAT. AND SO OUR UPDATES ON THE BATTING CAGES IS PER USE. 
          THAT'S 15 BALLS ARE THROWN AT YOU. AND HOPEFULLY I HIT ALL 15. THAT'S $2.50. HOURLY UNLIMITED USE IS THAT WOULD BE AS MANY BALLS AS YOU WANT TO BAT AT IN AN HOUR IS $25. AND THEN WE'RE ADJUSTING THE HOURS FOR THE OPERATION TO BETTER SERVE THE PUBLIC. AND AGAIN, THIS IS TO HELP RECOVER SOME OF OUR COSTS OF MAINTAINING THOSE BATTING CAGES. AND THE STAFF THAT HAS TO SERVE, YOU KNOW, THAT USE. FOR OUR FIELD RENTALS, THESE ARE ALL OF OUR FIELDS THROUGHOUT OUR COUNTY FACILITIES. RESERVATION FEE. WE ARE REMOVING THAT. WE WON'T BE ASKING FOR A RESERVATION FEE. IT'S INCLUDED IN THE RENTAL PRICING. SO WE KEEP THAT SEPARATE. WE THINK THAT WILL SIMPLIFY THINGS. AND THEN WE HAVE OUR UPDATED PRICING WITH PREP. IT'S $36.25. AGAIN TO REFLECT OUR ACTUAL COSTS OF PREPPING THOSE FIELDS. THE FIELD RENTAL WITH NO PREP IS $25, AND THEN ADDITIONAL FIELD PREP. ANYTHING THAT GOES BEYOND 
          [04:30:02]
MARKING THE BASELINES OR THINGS LIKE THAT IS AN ADDITIONAL $20. WE'VE REMOVED THE AUTOMATIC NOT FOR PROFIT FEE SINCE WE ARE GOING TO BE MOVING TOWARDS THE WAIVER BASE FEES, AND IT WILL ALIGN THAT WITH THE CITY OF EL PASO PRICING. WE DID LOOK AT WHAT ARE THEY CHARGING FOR THE RENTAL OF THEIR DIAMOND FIELDS. AND THEN WE HAVE OUR TOURNAMENT AND EVENT FEE CHANGES. IT'S NOW WE'RE RECOMMENDING $35 PER FIELD PER HOUR, AND THAT'S A MINIMUM OF FOUR FIELDS FOR FOUR HOURS, AGAIN FOR TOURNAMENT USE. AND AGAIN, THAT ALIGNS WITH THE CITY OF EL PASO ARE NOT FOR PROFIT. TOURNAMENT RENTAL WOULD BE $25. SO THERE IS A DISCOUNT THERE. AND THEN WE ALSO ARE INCLUDING OUR DAILY CLEANUP FEE, A $250 AND THEN $100 FOR COUNTY PARKS. AND AGAIN, I WANT TO STRESS TOURNAMENTS, NOT YOUTH PLAY ARE NOT WITHIN THE COUNTY'S YOUTH PROGRAM. 
          CANCELLATION FEE IS $60. ADHERING TO THAT 30 DAY RULE. SO IF YOU CANCEL WITHIN 30 DAYS, THE FEE STILL IS $60 FOR THAT AND THEN THE REST OF YOUR FEES ARE RETURNED. SECURITY DEPOSIT AND THAT HAS TO BE IS 500 PAID 30 DAYS IN ADVANCE TO HOLD THAT FIELD. SO WE PREVENT ANY LAST MINUTE CHANGES ON THAT. AND AGAIN, OUR RATIONALE FOLLOWING THE NATIONAL RECREATION AND PARK ASSOCIATION ON TOURNAMENTS IS TO RECOVER AS MUCH OF OUR COSTS AS POSSIBLE. SO AGAIN, WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT HERE IS WE WANT TO KEEP OUR PRICING AFFORDABLE. WE WANT TO ENCOURAGE OUR OUR FOLKS HERE IN EL PASO COUNTY TO USE OUR FACILITIES, USE OUR POOLS, USE OUR PICKLEBALL COURTS, AND KEEPING THOSE PRICES VERY COMPETITIVE AND AFFORDABLE BECAUSE WE KNOW WE HAVE A UNIQUE POPULATION. MOST OF THE COUNTY IS LOWER INCOME, SO WE DON'T WANT TO DO ANYTHING THAT'S A HARDSHIP. BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WHERE CAN WE RECOVER SOME OF OUR COSTS TO KEEP OUR FACILITIES RUNNING AT THEIR VERY BEST? SO OUR RECOMMENDATION TO THE COURT WOULD BE TO APPROVE THE FISCAL YEAR 27 FEES THAT WE THAT I PRESENTED HERE, AND AUTHORIZE THE IMPLEMENTATION ON OCTOBER 1ST, 2026. ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME? THANK YOU. WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE FROM JUDGE SAMANIEGO, A SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER CORONADO. VOTING IS OPEN. MOTION CARRIES. THANK YOU, TIM AND TEAM. THANK YOU. JUDGE, IS IT OKAY IF WE DO EIGHT LAST BECAUSE WE HAVE OTHER PEOPLE HERE AND I'LL BE HERE FOR EIGHT FOR SURE. SURE. SO IF WE COULD KEEP GOING AND THEN WE CAN COME BACK TO EIGHT. ITEM NUMBER 11, A GRANT APPLICATIONS GRANT APPLICATION APPROVE AND AUTHORIZE THE EL PASO COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE TO APPLY FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 26. BRIDGING IMMIGRATION RELATED DEFICITS. 
          EXPERIENCED NATIONWIDE PROGRAM ROUND TWO GRANT OPPORTUNITY FOR THE GRANT PERIOD BEGINNING OCTOBER 1ST, 2026 TO SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2031 IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $85 MILLION. NO COUNTY 
          [A. GRANT APPLICATION - Approve and authorize the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office to apply for the FY26 Bridging Immigration-Related Deficits Experienced Nationwide Program - Round 2 grant opportunity for the grant period beginning October 1, 2026, to September 30, 2031, in an amount not to exceed $85,000,000.  No County cash match is required, pending final review and approval from the County Attorney‘s Office.  (Contract No. 2026-0557)
Oscar Ugarte, Sheriff, EPCSO, 915-273-3800]
CASH MATCH IS REQUIRED PENDING FINAL REVIEW AND APPROVAL FROM THE COUNTY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE. 
          CONTRACT NUMBER 2026 0557. GOOD AFTERNOON, JUDGE COMMISSIONERS, I'M ISELLA COOPER WITH BUDGET AND FINANCE DEPARTMENT. THE GRANTS DIVISION. WITH THE COURT'S DIRECTION, WE HAVE COMPLETED THE FY 26 BIDEN APPLICATION. ROUND TWO. FIRST, I WANT TO GO OVER POWERPOINT REAL QUICK. THE FIRST IS A LITTLE BIT OF WHAT THE GRANT WILL FUND. IT HAS THREE CATEGORIES. THE FIRST ONE IS HIRING OF SWORN AND NON SWORN LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL. THE SECOND ONE IS TECHNOLOGY AND EQUIPMENT WHICH INCLUDES SUBSCRIPTIONS, TRAINING, MAINTENANCE OF EQUIPMENT AND ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY. THE THIRD ONE IS CONSTRUCTION, MAJOR CONSTRUCTION OR RENOVATION, EXPANSION AND MODERNIZATIONS. IN THIS APPLICATION, THE EL PASO COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE WILL BE REQUESTING FUNDING FOR PERSONNEL 18 LAW ENFORCEMENT POSITIONS, 82 DETENTION OFFICER POSITIONS AND ONE MECHANIC POSITION. WE WILL ALSO REQUEST 
          [04:35:06]
FOR VEHICLES WHICH INCLUDES BUSSES, VANS, SUVS, TRUCKS, UTV AND A BEARCAT. THE EQUIPMENT WILL INCLUDE A LIGHT TOWER, RADIOS, BODY ARMOR, MASKS AND KITCHEN EQUIPMENT, AND OF COURSE, THE MODERNIZATION OF DOORS, CAMERAS, INTERCOM SYSTEMS AND GENERATORS. THE TOTAL APPLICATION REQUEST IS $84,803,837, WHICH IS MADE UP OF 12.1 MILLION FOR VEHICLES, 7.7 MILLION FOR EQUIPMENT, 6.6 FOR MODERNIZATION, 28 MILLION FOR PRIOR COST, 25.8 FOR OOPS, I'M SORRY 28. PERSONNEL 25.8 FOR PRIOR COSTS AND 4.4 MILLION FOR INDIRECT COSTS. IF AWARDED, THIS GRANT WILL ALLOW US TO HAVE EFFICIENCIES IN STAFFING BY REDUCING THE OVERTIME AND ALSO BY ALLOWING US TO PURCHASE NEW EQUIPMENT TO REPLACE OLD EQUIPMENT. SO SUSTAINABILITY WILL CONSIST OF THE PERSONNEL COST. THERE WERE TWO WAYS IN WHICH WE CALCULATED HOW MANY POSITIONS TO REQUEST IN THIS APPLICATION. THE FIRST ONE WAS FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT POSITION. 
          THAT ONE WAS BASED ON A RECENT LAW ENFORCEMENT STUDY THAT RECOMMENDED THAT SIX OFFICERS, SIX NEW OFFICERS BE ADDED EVERY YEAR. THE DETENTION OFFICERS POSITION, THAT ONE WAS CALCULATED BASED ON THE OVERTIME COSTS. SO THE TOTAL ESTIMATED COST PER YEAR WOULD BE AROUND $9,340,748. THIS GRANT WILL PAY FOR PERSONNEL FOR A TOTAL OF THREE YEARS. SO BEFORE THE END OF THOSE THREE YEARS, WE WOULD COME BACK TO THE COURT FOR TO DECIDE ON WHAT WOULD HAPPEN TO THOSE POSITIONS. AND WITH THAT. I'LL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. AND WE ALSO HAVE SOME OFFICERS THAT ARE HERE. COMMISSIONER, COMMISSIONER STOUT, DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING? YEAH. OKAY. I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THIS BECAUSE IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT DETENTION OF INDIVIDUALS THAT HAVE. SOME KIND OF A IMMIGRATION ISSUE BUT HAVE A STATE CRIMINAL CHARGE, WE'RE REQUIRED TO TAKE THOSE ANYWAYS. IF THERE'S LOCALLY. RIGHT. SO GOOD AFTERNOON. JUDGE COMMISSIONERS. PATRICK KELLY, CHIEF DEPUTY, EL PASO COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE WE'RE ALREADY REQUIRED TO TAKE THOSE IF THEY'RE HERE LOCALLY. SO QUESTION IS, WOULD WE BE TAKING OTHERS OR TWO? WOULD WE BE TAKING THEM POST ADJUDICATION? OR MY UNDERSTANDING IS AT LEAST AS WE PRACTICE IT RIGHT NOW, IT WOULD BE ANYBODY BROUGHT IN WITH CRIMINAL CHARGES, WHETHER THEY'RE IMMIGRANTS OR NOT. WE ARE WORKING WITH THE MARSHAL SERVICE. AS YOU KNOW, WE DETAIN AND HOLD THEIR PRISONERS UNDER THE MARSHALS SERVICE, WHETHER WHATEVER FEDERAL CRIMINAL CHARGES THEY HAVE ON THEM OR MISDEMEANOR STATE FELONY CHARGES UNTIL THEY'RE ADJUDICATED THROUGH THE COURTS. AND THEN, OF COURSE, THE IMMIGRATION SYSTEM WILL ROTATE THEM THROUGH THEIR COURTS. MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT WE ARE NOT GOING TO BE OUT ACTIVELY HUNTING IMMIGRATION VIOLATIONS. SO, OF COURSE, ANOTHER AGENCY BRINGS THEM IN ON CHARGES. WE WILL WE WILL STILL RETAIN THEM UNTIL THEIR COURTS FOR THE STATE OR MUNICIPAL CHARGES ARE ADJUDICATED, AT WHICH TIME THEN THE ICE OR FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, IF THEY'RE NOT MARSHALS, PRISONERS WILL HAVE 48 HOURS TO COME AND PICK THEM UP OUT OF OUR CUSTODY. OKAY. AND LAST TIME, LAST TIME YOU DISCUSSED THAT WE WERE GOING TO BE THE OPTION WAS TO TRY AND APPLY FOR A FACILITY, BUT THAT WOULD REQUIRE US TO DETAIN THEM POST ADJUDICATION OR NO, I BELIEVE THE COURT WAS THE ONES THAT CHOSE NOT TO GO AFTER THE FACILITIES. WE WE DID WANT THE FACILITIES. HOWEVER, THERE WAS A QUESTION FROM THE COURT AS TO WHAT ROLE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WOULD PLAY AS FAR AS CLAIMING BED SPACE OR MANDATING HOW WE HOLD THEIR PRISONERS, OR HOW MANY PRISONERS WE WOULD BE REQUIRED TO HOLD. OBVIOUSLY, THOSE THINGS WE DON'T KNOW. CORRECT. AND THEY WEREN'T PART OF THE GRANT APPLICATION EITHER. 
          GOOD AFTERNOON. COMMISSIONERS RUBEN ALVAREZ, ASSISTANT COUNTY ATTORNEY CHIEF KELLY IS CORRECT. 
          [04:40:01]
THE DIRECTION THAT THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE UNDERSTOOD FROM THE COURT WAS TO NOT GO AHEAD AND MOVE FORWARD WITH AT LEAST THE THE BUILDING OF NEW FACILITIES, DETENTION FACILITIES. AND SO I HAVE COMPLETED THE THE NARRATIVE, THE APPLICATION THAT THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE HAS PREPARED. AND IT MATCHES THE THE DIRECTION THAT THE COURT GAVE TO THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE. SO JUST JUST TO BE TO BE CLEAR, LIKE ANY OF THIS OTHER FUNDING IS NOT TIED. LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE, THE I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY DEALS THAT WE'RE ASKING FOR THE OR THE POSITIONS FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT. THEY YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE. EMPLOYED TO. ARREST OR DETAIN MIGRANTS AS PART OF THE GRANT. WE WOULD NOT BE ARRESTING OR DETAINING MIGRANTS AS THE SOLE SOURCE. AS FAR AS THE OFFICERS GO. THEY THEY WOULD ALREADY BE THE DETENTION SIDE, NOT THE LAW ENFORCEMENT SIDE. THE LAW ENFORCEMENT SIDE WOULD BE SEPARATE WHERE WE ARE REQUESTING SIX OVER THE PREVIOUS BASED ON THE PREVIOUS STUDY PER YEAR. THE DETENTION WAS STRICTLY DEALING WITH THE PROJECTION OF POTENTIAL OVERTIME, DEALING WITH CURRENT OVERTIME, AND HOW WE COULD RESOLVE THE OVERTIME ISSUE THROUGH ADDITIONAL STAFFING. 
          BUT AS FAR AS HOW WE USE THOSE OFFICERS, WE WOULD USE THEM THE WAY WE CURRENTLY USE THEM, UNLESS THE GRANT WERE TO TIE IT IN ANOTHER DIRECTION, SUCH AS THE PHYSICAL FACILITIES, AND THAT WE WON'T KNOW UNTIL WE SUBMIT THE GRANT. AND IF WE'RE AWARDED IT, I'M SURE IT WILL COME WITH SOME OTHER STIPULATIONS. YEAH, I GUESS I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT APPROVING THESE THINGS. AND I KNOW THAT WE'RE WE'RE JUST GOING, APPLYING, APPROVING, APPLYING FOR THE GRANT RIGHT NOW. BUT, YOU KNOW, IF ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM, THIS MEANS THAT WE HAVE TO DO MORE ON 287 G OR IF WE HAVE TO, IF THIS MONEY OR THESE POSITIONS OR THE, THE, THE THINGS THAT WE PURCHASE WITH THIS MONEY, YOU KNOW, HAS TO BE UTILIZED FOR ANYTHING THAT HAS TO DO WITH, WITH, WITH IMMIGRANT DETENTION OR ARREST. I THINK WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO ANSWER MORE OF THE LEGALITIES AS FAR AS THE GRANT GOES. YES. GOOD QUESTION COMMISSIONER. AS A REMINDER, ALTHOUGH THE WHOLE CRIMINAL ILLEGAL ALIEN IS A BIG AND CONCERNING USE OF WORDS, IT IS ALSO THIS. THIS GRANT IS ALSO FOR HUMAN SMUGGLING AND AND DRUG SMUGGLING. SO IT'S NOT JUST IMMIGRATION RELATED, BUT ALTHOUGH THE THE, THE QUESTIONS AND THE CONCERNS THAT THE COUNTY DOES HAVE RELATE TO IMMIGRATION, WE AGAIN, WE'RE AT LEAST FROM WHAT I'VE REVIEWED AND APPROVED. NO, THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE WOULDN'T BE OBLIGATED TO DO A AN AFFIRMATIVE IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT. BUT IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE'LL KEEP A CLOSE EYE WHENEVER THE GRANT CONDITIONS COME IN. AND AGAIN, WE MORE OR LESS KNOW WHAT THOSE CONDITIONS WILL HAVE. BUT AGAIN, ONCE THEY DO COME IN, WE'LL WE'LL MAKE SURE TO KEEP THE COUNTY'S CONCERN IN MIND. THANK YOU. 
          QUESTIONS OR NO? COMMISSIONER? NO. WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE FROM COMMISSIONER BUTLER, SECOND FROM JUDGE SAMANIEGO. THE VOTING IS OPEN. MOTION CARRIES. 
          JUDGE. COMMISSIONERS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ITEM NUMBER 12 A BUDGET AND FINANCE RECEIVE A PRESENTATION ON THE FISCAL YEAR 2026 SHERIFF'S OFFICE BUDGET. GOOD AFTERNOON. CARMEN CANDELARIA, BUDGET AND FINANCE DIRECTOR. JUDGE. COMMISSIONERS. I'M HERE TO GIVE AN UPDATE ON THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE FOR THIS FISCAL YEAR. THIS IS OUR WEEKLY PRESENTATION WITH REGARDS TO 
          [A. Receive a presentation on the Fiscal Year 2026 Sheriff's Office Budget.
Carmen Arrieta-Candelaria, Director, Budget and Finance, 915-273-3726]
WHERE THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE BUDGET IS. SO HERE LOOKING AS OF 817 2026. SO THIS THIS IS THE INFORMATION THAT COMES RIGHT OFF THE SYSTEM. SO HERE YOU HAVE A SUMMARY DOCUMENT 
          [04:45:02]
THAT LISTS THE ADOPTED REVISED BUDGET. OUR SALARIES AND FRINGES AND OPERATING EXPENSES AND TOTAL YEAR TO DATE AS WELL AS THE ENCUMBRANCES YEAR TO DATE, HOW MUCH WE'VE SPENT AND COMMITTED YEAR TODAY AND THEN REMAINING BUDGET. SO RIGHT NOW, WHAT WE HAVE SPENT TO DATE IS 128,835,985, COMPARED TO A BUDGET REVISED BUDGET OF 142,610,496, LEAVING $13,774,511. SO LOOKING FIRST AT THE BUDGET AND WHERE WE'RE AT, THIS IS THE NET CHANGE FOR THE BUDGET. YEAR TO DATE, 6,187,473. AND THIS IS COMPRISED OF VARIOUS BUDGET TRANSFERS THAT WE HAVE MADE MOST. WE'VE BROUGHT TO THE COURT OF 5,138,745. THAT WAS THE TRANSFER FOR THE CLEET RELATED INCREASE THAT WE BUDGETED CENTRALLY AND THEN MOVE IT DURING THE YEAR. BUT INCLUDED IN THAT IS ALSO $1,440,000 THAT WE'VE TRANSFERRED OVER FOR THE THREE MAINTENANCE DIVISIONS OVER TO THE SHERIFF OFFICE DURING THE YEAR. SIMILARLY, FOR OPERATING EXPENSES, WE'VE TRANSFERRED 569,000 175, OF WHICH 512,000 OF THAT IS FOR THOSE THREE MAINTENANCE DIVISIONS. WE'VE ALSO HAD SOME TRANSFERS IN FOR PRIOR YEAR ENCUMBRANCES THAT WE'VE CARRIED OVER A 503,045. AND WE'VE ALSO HAD SOME BUDGET TRANSFERS DUE TO SOME PURCHASE ORDERS THAT WERE CLOSED DURING THE YEAR 23,482. SO NOW LET'S LOOK AT OUR EXPENDITURES TO DATE AND WHERE WE'RE AT. AS WE'RE FINALIZING THE YEAR. SO FIRST WE HAVE AGAINST THAT BUDGET OF 142,610,000, WE HAVE SPENT 101,750,781 OF SALARIES AND FRINGES, AND THEN OPERATING EXPENSES OF $22,137,002, FOR TOTAL ACTUAL OF 123,887,000. SO SO FAR, WE'VE SPENT 86.98% OF THE TOTAL BUDGET THAT HAS BEEN SPENT, 71.7, TWO OF THAT IS IN SALARIES. AND THEN 15.26 IS IN OPERATING EXPENSES. AT THIS POINT IN TIME, 90.43% OF THE SALARY AND BENEFITS BUDGET HAS BEEN SPENT. 84.62 IS THE TARGET SPENT BASED ON THE NUMBER OF PAYROLLS THAT WE HAVE ALREADY GONE THROUGH, THE 26 PAYROLLS THAT WE HAVE FOR THE YEAR WE'VE SPENT, OUR TARGET IS 84.62, AND WE SPENT 90.43%. SOME OF THAT, OF COURSE, IS IN OVERTIME. AND I WOULD LIKE TO REPORT THAT MOST OVERTIME BUDGETS HAVE ALREADY BEEN EXCEEDED. NOW WE ONLY HAVE ONE ITEM IN THE MAINTENANCE DIVISION THAT HAS A TOTAL OF $6,016 BUDGET REMAINING. INCLUDED IN THE OPERATING EXPENSES ARE OUR MEAL CONTRACTS, AND THOSE ARE EXPECTED TO EXCEED THE CURRENT BUDGETED AMOUNT, A $1.5 MILLION USE OF THE CONTINGENCY FUND IS COMING FORWARD TO THE COURT FOR YOUR APPROVAL, AND SO THAT WILL ADD TO THAT TO THE BUDGET AMOUNT FOR THOSE COSTS, OUR ENCUMBRANCES OR ENCUMBRANCES HAVE GONE DOWN FROM THE PRIOR REPORT. AS WE CONTINUE TO PAY OFF OUR MEDICAL AND JAIL DETENTION CONTRACTS. SO OF THE $4,948,000 REMAINING IN OUR ENCUMBRANCES TO DATE FOR 4,230,000, OR 88% OF THAT TOTAL ENCUMBRANCES, IS MADE UP OF THE MEDICAL JAIL AND DETENTION CONTRACTS, AND WE ANTICIPATE THAT 100% OF THAT EXPENDITURE WILL MATERIALIZE BY YEAR END. SO RECOGNIZING THAT 4.2, AT LEAST OF THE 4.9 WILL BE EXPENDED, I MOVED TO AN EXPENDITURE COLUMN. OUR PROJECTED YEAR TO SPEND, AND THEN AS OF 930, 26 IS. IS A TOTAL OF EXCUSE ME. LET ME GO BACK. SO OUR TOTAL OF WHAT WE SPENT TO DATE IS 128 MILLION 835. AND THE REMAINING BUDGET IS 13,000,774. SO IF YOU TAKE JUST THE OPERATING EXPENSES, NOT THE GRANT MATCH, BUT TAKE THE 13,000,006, SIX, FOUR, 130 AND YOU CARRY THAT OVER. THEN WE LOOK AT WHAT WHAT DO WE HAVE LEFT TO SPEND FOR THE YEAR? RIGHT? SO FIRST WE HAVE OUR SALARIES FOR THE REMAINING PAY PERIODS THAT WE HAVE. AND THAT'S A TOTAL OF 13 MILLION 857821. AND THEN WE LOOK AT OUR OVERTIME EXPENSE. SO WE HAD A LITTLE BIT OF LESS OVERTIME. IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE, OUR OVERTIME WENT SLIGHTLY DOWN 1,833,000 IS LEFT TO SPEND FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR. AND THEN 
          [04:50:01]
WE HAVE, OF COURSE, THAT MEAL CONTRACT THAT WE'RE GOING TO BRING FORWARD 1,560,000. SO AT THIS POINT IN TIME, OUR PROJECTED DEFICIT FOR THE YEAR IS $3,587,066. NO FURTHER. 
          THESE ARE SOME OF OUR KEY ASSUMPTIONS, IS THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO SPEND FURTHER ON OPERATING BUDGETS OTHER THAN WHAT'S BEEN ENCUMBERED, BUT WE THINK THAT THAT, OF COURSE, WILL THERE'S OTHER EXPENSES THAT COME IN ARE FUEL, UTILITIES AND SO FORTH. SO IT MAY CONTINUE TO ADD TO THAT DEFICIT. WE DO LOOK VERY CLOSELY AT OUR SALARY EXPENSES, AND WE WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE TO DETERMINE WHAT THAT NUMBER WILL BE, AS WELL AS THE OVERTIME. AND SO WE FEEL PRETTY COMFORTABLE WITH THOSE NUMBERS. 
          THERE WE MEET, WE MET AGAIN WITH THE SHERIFF AND HIS TEAM TO GO OVER THIS PARTICULAR ANALYSIS. AND AND IT'S A VERY, VERY COLLABORATIVE. AND WE'RE WATCHING THIS VERY CLOSELY AND OF COURSE, WORKING WITH ONE ANOTHER TO GET INFORMATION FROM THEM SO THAT WE CAN GIVE YOU A GOOD ESTIMATE. OKAY. SO WITH THAT, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS RELATED TO THIS REPORT? SO, CARMEN, HAVE YOU ALL ALSO LOOKED AT NORMALLY YOU LOOK AT WITH DEPARTMENTS, IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE BUDGET THAT COULD HELP COVER THE DEFICIT? AND HERE THAT YOU'RE SAYING AFTER LOOKING AT EVERYTHING, YOU BELIEVE THERE WILL BE A $3.5 MILLION DEFICIT? THAT'S WHAT WE PROJECT. THE ONLY THING WE MIGHT HAVE OUTSTANDING IS THE GRANTS THAT WE WE WE MAY HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO TRANSFER SOME OF THIS MONEY OVER TO GRANTS. AND SO THAT SHOULD GIVE SOME RELIEF. AND WHEN WOULD WE KNOW THAT? CARMEN. WE'RE WORKING WITH THE AUDITOR'S OFFICE. TYPICALLY IT'S NOT TILL THE END OF SEPTEMBER WHEN WE REALLY KNOW WHERE WE'RE GOING TO END UP. THEY DO MAKE QUARTERLY ADJUSTMENTS ALONG THE WAY, AND I WOULD ASSUME THAT WE STILL HAVE ONE MORE QUARTER LEFT. BUT BUT PERHAPS MAYBE MISS CHAVEZ HERE MIGHT HAVE SOME MORE INFORMATION. GOOD AFTERNOON, JUDGE AND COMMISSIONERS. DANIEL CHAVEZ, BUDGET OPERATIONS MANAGER WITH THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE. I DID JUST WANT TO TOUCH ON SOME OF THE OVERTIME EXPENSES. THEY ARE GRANT RELATED. AND SO I DO FEEL THAT SOMETIMES IT IS A LITTLE OVERSTATED BECAUSE THE THE WHEN THE OVERTIME HITS, IT HITS THE GENERAL FUND ACCOUNT. AND THEN LATER ON, THE AUDITORS HAVE TO DO THAT TRANSFER OUT BACK TO THE GRANT. SO I'M ACTUALLY WORKING WITH THE AUDITORS TO SEE IF MOVING FORWARD, IT CAN JUST AUTOMATICALLY HIT THE GROUND ACCOUNT. SO IT DOESN'T REFLECT THAT OVERSTATEMENT IN THE OVERTIME AND IT HITS APPROPRIATELY. SO I DID JUST WANT TO KIND OF TOUCH ON ON THAT AS WELL. SO ARE THERE OUTSTANDING OVERTIME AMOUNTS NOW THAT NEED TO BE TRANSFERRED FROM. YES. EVERY. AND IT SEEMS LIKE LOOKING BACK AT SOME OF THE OVERTIME ACCOUNTS THERE ARE THEY'RE TRANSFERRING IT OUT EVERY PAY PERIOD, DEPENDING ON THE CERTAIN ACCOUNT OR THE CERTAIN GRANT. I'M SORRY. AND SO LIKE WITH STONE GARDEN, WE JUST RECENTLY GOT THAT ONE APPROVED. AND SO THE PAST 3:02 PAY PERIODS, IT'S REFLECTING IN GENERAL FUND. AND SO THEY WON'T BE TRANSFERRING OUT THOSE EXPENSES FOR LIKE 3 TO 4 MONTHS. THEY DO IT ON A QUARTERLY BASIS. 
          AND SO I THINK JULY 18TH PAY PERIOD, IT WAS APPROXIMATELY LIKE 41,000 THAT WILL BE TRANSFERRED OUT. AND THEN I BELIEVE THE LAST EIGHT ONE PAY PERIOD, THAT WAS LIKE 38,000. 
          SO IT'S ROUGHLY AROUND 40,000 EVERY PAY PERIOD THAT WILL BE TRANSFERRED OUT. BUT THEY DON'T DO IT UNTIL AT THE END OF THAT QUARTER. THANK YOU. THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE WANT TO WORK ON WITH THE AUDITOR'S OFFICE AS WELL, IS JUST TO BE ABLE TO CODE THINGS DIRECTLY INTO A GRANT SO THAT WE CAN HAVE MORE REAL TIME KNOWLEDGE, BECAUSE WE'RE MAKING MANAGEMENT. 
          YOU ALL ARE MAKING DECISIONS BASED ON THE WORK THAT WE'RE BRINGING FORWARD. SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR OUR RECORDS ARE AS ACCURATE AND AS UP TO DATE AS POSSIBLE. BUT THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE WE WANT TO IMPROVE ON. WELL, THIS NUMBER IS GOES UP EVERY WEEK THAT WE GET THIS UPDATE. SO. THAT THAT'S DEFINITELY CONCERNING. BUT WE WERE ALSO PENDING. I THINK CHIEF TSCHIDA SAID THAT THEY WERE LOOKING AT THE THE MEAL EXPENSES TO TRY TO RECONCILE THAT, AS I'M ASSUMING THAT'S STILL ONGOING. YES, THAT I, I DISCUSSED THAT ACTUALLY WITH CHIEF GAILEY. AND YES, THERE ARE THEY ARE STILL WORKING ON THAT. I JUST SPOKE WITH HIM BRIEFLY LAST WEEK. OKAY. AND CARMEN, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR. I KNOW YOU ALL LOOKED THROUGH THE BILLING ON THE. IT'S KIND OF WHAT STARTED THAT REVIEW AND I JUST, I, IT'S ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF WHERE OUR BUDGET TEAM IS REALLY, OUR ANALYSTS HAVE REALLY STEPPED IT UP A NOTCH. THEY, THEY SAW SOME THINGS TO BROUGHT IT TO THE SHERIFF'S ATTENTION. AND IT, IT STARTED THAT WHOLE PROCESS. AND I APPRECIATE YOU LOOKING OUT AND HAVING THE TEAM LOOK OUT 
          [04:55:02]
FOR FOR ALL OF US. ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
          ITEM NUMBER 12 B APPROVED BUDGET AMENDMENT NUMBER 40 A TO THE EL PASO COUNTY'S 2025 2026 OPERATING BUDGET. THIS BUDGETARY AMENDMENT IS TO TRANSFER APPROPRIATIONS IN THE AMOUNT OF $116,323 WITHIN THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE. GENERAL FUND TO SUPPORT OPERATIONAL AND 
          [B. Approve budget amendment No.40(a) to the El Paso County’s 2025-2026 operating budget. This budgetary amendment is to transfer appropriations in the amount of $116,323.00 within the Sheriff’s Office general fund to support operational and facility needs. Funds were reallocated across the Jail Annex, CID, Patrol, Courthouse Security, Law, Academy, and Maintenance divisions to purchase replacement chairs, a drone, ammunition, academy equipment, furniture, and supplies. Additional transfers supported bathroom repairs and replacements at multiple substations, including items, flooring, electrical work, and needed supplies for headquarters. This budgetary amendment will not increase or decrease the County of El Paso's 2025-2026 overall operating budget of $669,361,276.80.
Carmen Arrieta-Candelaria, Director, Budget and Finance, 915-273-3726]
FACILITY NEEDS. FUNDS WERE REALLOCATED ACROSS THE JAIL ANNEX, CID PATROL, COURTHOUSE, SECURITY LAW ACADEMY AND MAINTENANCE DIVISIONS TO PURCHASE REPLACEMENT CHAIRS, A DRONE, AMMUNITION ACADEMY, EQUIPMENT, FURNITURE AND SUPPLIES, ADDITIONAL TRANSFERS, SUPPORTED BATHROOM REPAIRS AND REPLACEMENTS AT MULTIPLE SUBSTATIONS, INCLUDING ITEMS, FLOORING, ELECTRICAL WORK AND NEEDED SUPPLIES FOR HEADQUARTERS. THIS BUDGETARY AMENDMENT WILL NOT INCREASE OR DECREASE. THE COUNTY OF EL PASO'S 2025 2026 OVERALL OPERATING BUDGET OF 669,361,260, $276.80. AGAIN, FOR THE RECORD, CARMEN CANDELARIA, BUDGET AND FINANCE DIRECTOR, JUDGE COMMISSIONERS. THIS IS A BUDGET AMENDMENT FOR THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE, AND MOST OF THESE ITEMS ARE IN LINE WITH OUR. WITH EXPECTATIONS FOR THESE KINDS OF TRANSFERS DURING THE YEAR. THERE'S QUITE A NUMBER OF THEM IN VARIOUS DIVISIONS, BUT NONE THAT WE THAT WE WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT. THESE ARE JUST IN THE NORMAL COURSE OF OPERATIONS FOR THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE. JUDGE. COMMISSIONERS. SORRY. CARMEN. MELISSA CARRILLO COUNTY OPERATIONS. JUST ONE POINT OF CLARIFICATION FOR THE COURT'S AWARENESS. SO WHEN YOU SEE THE DRONE AS ONE OF THE EQUIPMENT ITEMS TO BE PURCHASED, THAT DOES NOT INCLUDE THE INSURANCE THAT WILL BE NEEDED TO COVER THE NEW DRONE IF THIS ITEM IS APPROVED. AND FOR THE COURT'S AWARENESS, YET AGAIN, IT'S 1831 ACCORDING TO HR. IN TERMS OF INSURANCE FOR THE YEAR TO COVER THIS NEW PIECE OF EQUIPMENT. SO JUST $1,831. SO JUST WANTING TO MAKE SURE YOU'RE FULLY AWARE, BUT THAT'S AN ADDITIONAL AMOUNT OR THAT'S ALREADY INCLUDED AS PART OF NOT INCLUDED ON THE NEW DRONE, IT WOULD NEED TO BE ADDED TO OUR INSURANCE POLICIES TO COVER. OKAY. WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE FROM COMMISSIONER BUTLER. IS THERE A SECOND? THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER CORONADO. WE HAVE A SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER CORONADO. VOTING IS OPEN. MOTION CARRIES. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. GOING BACK TO ITEM NUMBER EIGHT A FROM COUNTY ADMINISTRATION, DISCUSS AND TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION TO CONSIDER ESTABLISHING ADDITIONAL REGULARLY SCHEDULED SPECIAL COMMISSIONERS COURT MEETINGS. GOOD AFTERNOON, JUDGE COMMISSIONERS, I PUT THIS ITEM ON JUST TO HAVE A CONVERSATION TO SEE IF THE COURT WOULD BE INTERESTED IN SCHEDULING A SECOND SPECIAL MEETING EVERY MONTH AND HAVING A SET SCHEDULE TO DO SO. AND THE REASON WE ARE ASKING FOR THIS TO BE CONSIDERED IS THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL TIMES WHERE THE COURT HAS EITHER REQUESTED A SPECIAL MEETING ON A TOPIC, AND WE HAVE. THE COURT IS, AS YOU ALL KNOW, 
          [A. Discuss and take appropriate action to consider establishing additional regularly scheduled Special Commissioners Court meetings.  
Betsy C. Keller, Chief Administrator, County Administration, 915-273-3600]
YOU ALL HAVE LOTS OF COMMITTEES. YOU HAVE LOTS OF DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS YOU REPRESENT THE COUNTY ON. AND THAT WITHOUT HAVING A SET DATE, FINDING A DATE FOR THOSE SPECIAL MEETINGS HAS BECOME INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT. ADDITIONALLY, WE ARE NOW PACKING A LOT OF ITEMS INTO ONE THURSDAY SPECIAL SESSION THAT ORIGINALLY THE THURSDAY SPECIAL SESSIONS WERE SUPPOSED TO BE A LITTLE BIT LIGHTER OF A AGENDA SO THAT YOU COULD HAVE SPEND SOME TIME IN A WORK SESSION SETTING DISCUSSING THINGS A LITTLE BIT MORE, GIVING FEEDBACK, JUST HAVING MORE TIME. BUT WE ARE NOW SEEING THAT THOSE AGENDAS SOMETIMES HAVE 15 TO 20 ITEMS ON THEM, AND THEY'RE BECOMING LIKE ANOTHER FULL BLOWN MEETING. SO WE WANTED TO SEE IF IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO THE COURT TO HAVE A SECOND ESTABLISHED SPECIAL MEETING EVERY MONTH. RIGHT NOW, YOUR SPECIAL MEETING IS ON THE THIRD THURSDAY, CORRECT? CAESAR. THIRD THURSDAY OF EVERY MONTH. 
          [05:00:06]
IF YOU WANTED TO HAVE ONE ON THE FIRST AND THIRD THURSDAY, WE COULD DO THAT. THE ONE THING ABOUT HAVING THEM ON THE FIRST AND THIRD THURSDAY IS YOUR BUSINESS MEETINGS ARE NORMALLY THE SECOND AND FOURTH MEETING OF THE MONTH, SO IT DOESN'T ALLOW ENOUGH TIME WITH THE NEW OPEN MEETINGS ACT REQUIREMENT TO ADD SOMETHING TO THE NEXT MONDAY, WHICH WOULD BE THE BUSINESS MEETING. IF YOU WANT TO ADD SOMETHING, IT'LL NOW BE ADDED TO A RESOLUTION MEETING FROM THE SPECIAL MEETING, IF THAT MAKES SENSE. SO YOU CAN STAY ON THE FIRST AND THIRD IF YOU'D LIKE. OR YOU COULD DO THE FIRST AND THIRD IF YOU'D LIKE, BUT JUST KNOW THAT IF WE ADD SOMETHING FROM THAT TO THE NEXT AVAILABLE MEETING, IT'S GOING TO BE A RESOLUTION MEETING. IT GETS ADDED TO. SO JUST WANTED TO OPEN IT UP FOR DISCUSSION AND FEEDBACK FROM THE COURT ON WHAT YOU WOULD PREFER ON THE SECOND ONE. IS THERE ANY WAY TO LIMIT IT TO FOUR HOURS? BECAUSE, I MEAN, IT'S REALLY TAKES SO MUCH OUT OF OUR TIME, ALL THE THINGS WE HAVE TO DO. BUT I THOUGHT MAYBE KNOWING THAT FOUR HOURS IS GOING TO TAKE A LOT OF PRESSURE OFF THE OTHER ONE, BUT NOT WORRY ABOUT WHETHER IT'S GOING TO BE THE FULL DAY OR NOT. I THINK THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL. 
          WE CAN DEFINITELY WORK TO TO SAY WE WILL MANAGE THE AGENDA, TO TRY TO MAKE IT A MORE MANAGEABLE TIME FRAME TO TO LIMIT. THE OTHER THING TOO, IS ONE OF THEM LIKE THAT ONE, FOR EXAMPLE, WE WOULDN'T HAVE LIKE THE BOND UPDATE ON THE, THE SECOND SPECIAL MEETING OR THE, THE ADDED SPECIAL MEETING. SO WE COULD REDUCE AND WE WOULDN'T HAVE THE COMMUNITY UPDATES ON THE ADDED MEETING, LIKE THE STRATEGIC UPDATES WE'VE BEEN GETTING FROM OTHER COMMUNITIES. 
          SO WE COULD WORK TO TRY TO MANAGE TO HAVE BETWEEN THE TWO LESS ITEMS AND LESS TIME. 
          WHAT'S HARD IS NOT KNOWING IF IT'S GOING TO BE 4 HOURS OR 10 HOURS. AND I THINK IF THE SECOND ONE, WE KNEW IT WAS GOING TO BE HALF DAY, THEN AT LEAST WE COULD PROGRAM THINGS IN IN THE AFTERNOON. BUT THE OTHER THING. YES, SIR. AND THE OTHER THING WE WE DID OUR TEAM WENT BACK AND LOOKED. AND FROM THE SPECIAL SESSIONS WE'VE HAD 53 I THINK, ITEMS THAT WE'VE POSTPONED BECAUSE THEY'VE GONE LONGER THAN WE EXPECTED. AND THAT'S IN ADDITION TO I'VE ASKED DEPARTMENTS LIKE TIMING WISE, IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT WASN'T TIME SENSITIVE, BUT IT WAS GOING TO BE WE ALREADY HAD A VERY FULL THURSDAY AGENDA. I'VE ASKED THEM THERE WAS TWO PRESENTATIONS ON TODAY FROM HR BECAUSE OUR THURSDAY MEETING, THE THURSDAY MEETING IT WAS GOING TO BE ON WAS A HEAVY AGENDA, AND THEY WEREN'T AS TIME SENSITIVE. SO WE ASKED THEM TO MOVE THEM. SO 53 POSTPONEMENTS IN ADDITION TO US ALREADY TRYING TO MANAGE AND MOVE MOVE THEM AROUND. AND WE JUST THOUGHT IT MAY BE EASIER FOR YOU ALL IF YOU HAD A SET DAY ON YOUR CALENDAR, YOU KNEW TO HOLD. AND IF WE END UP WITH IN A MONTH WHERE WE DON'T HAVE A NEED FOR A SECOND SPECIAL MEETING, YOU CAN ALWAYS CANCEL IT, BUT IT WOULD JUST GIVE US A RESERVED DATE. THERE'S EXAMPLE, THERE'S TWO SPECIAL MEETINGS WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO SCHEDULE FOR OVER FOUR WEEKS, AT LEAST ONE ON LEGISLATIVE AND ONE ON THE JUSTICE SYSTEM. AND WE'VE JUST REALLY HAD A DIFFICULT TIME FINDING DATES. YEAH, I AGREE, I THINK IT MAKES IT EASIER FOR EVERYONE IF WE'VE GOT DATES SET ASIDE. AND LIKE YOU SAID, IF IT TURNS OUT WE DON'T HAVE VERY MANY ITEMS OR ANY ITEMS AT ALL, WE CAN ALWAYS CANCEL THEM, BUT AT LEAST WE'VE GOT THOSE DATES SET. I KNOW MICHELLE SOMETIMES STRUGGLES WITH TRYING TO SCHEDULE A MEETING AND TRYING TO GET EVERYONE'S AVAILABILITY, SO I THINK THAT'S A GOOD IDEA TO HAVE THAT ALREADY, THAT THOSE DATES, THE THURSDAYS SET ASIDE AND THE FIRST AND THIRD MAKES SENSE TO ME. OKAY. ANY OTHER THOUGHTS ABOUT FIRST AND THIRD? DOES THAT WORK FOR EVERYONE? OKAY. WE WILL. WE WOULD ASK FOR THE COURT TO TAKE ACTION TO APPROVE HAVING. I'M SORRY, LET ME DOUBLE CHECK THAT. TAKE ACTION TO APPROVE ESTABLISHING A SPECIAL COMMISSIONERS COURT MEETINGS FOR THE FIRST AND THIRD THURSDAY OF EACH MONTH. 
          [05:05:11]
BEGINNING IN THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER. YES, PLEASE. WOULD YOU ALL BE AVAILABLE? THAT'S NEXT THURSDAY OR. YES, NEXT. NOT THIS THURSDAY, BUT THE FOLLOWING THURSDAY. OR DO YOU WANT TO START IN OCTOBER? DO YOU ALREADY HAVE ITEMS THAT YOU WOULD NEED US TO HEAR? I DON'T THINK WE'D BE READY TO POST IN TIME FOR THE FIRST OF THE SEPTEMBER 1ST, SO I THINK WE HAVE TO GO OCTOBER. YEAH, I THINK THAT'S FINE. WITH THE FISCAL YEAR. OKAY. WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE FROM COMMISSIONER, A SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER BUTLER. VOTING IS OPEN. MOTION CARRIES. THANK YOU. COMMISSIONERS COURT WILL NOW RECESS INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION TO DISCUSS ITEMS 13 A THROUGH 13 D PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE, SECTION 551.071 COMMISSIONERS COURT WILL RECONVENE TO TAKE OFFICIAL ACTION. IT IS 2:36 P.M. 
          [13. EXECUTIVE SESSION
Only the members of the Commissioners Court have a right to attend an executive session,
except that legal counsel must be present if the executive session is held pursuant to
Government Code section 551.071. In addition to legal counsel, Commissioners Court may
include in executive session certain officers and employees if it finds that (1) their
participation is necessary to the matter under consideration; (2) their interests are not
adverse to the county, and (3) their presence will not waive the attorney client privilege.
Generally, the Chief Administrator, Commissioners Court Recorders, and Audio/Visual staff attend the closed session items
based on the enumerated criteria, and certain other persons may attend based on the above-listed
criteria or as otherwise provided by law.]
FROM JULY TO AUGUST, EL PASO COUNTY ENGAGED WITH OUR RESIDENTS TO ADDRESS THEIR NEEDS AND PREPARE FOR THE FUTURE. SEE WHAT EL PASO COUNTY HAS GOING ON THIS SUMMER. EL PASO COUNTY'S PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT HELD WEEKLY INFORMATION AND FEEDBACK SESSIONS AT ASCOT AT THE PARK. THESE MEETINGS CONCERN THE PROPOSED IMPROVEMENTS TO THE PARK AND CHANGES TO THE LAKES AT ASCARATE. THE SESSIONS ALLOWED RESIDENTS TO SEE CONCEPTS OF WHAT IS PLANNED AND TO PROVIDE THEIR INPUT ON WHAT THEY WANT, INCLUDING THEIR PREFERENCES FOR THE LARGE AND SMALL LAKES. AT ASCARATE. EL PASO COUNTY IS DEDICATED TO INCLUDE THE PUBLIC THROUGHOUT THE COMPLETION OF THIS CRITICAL PROJECT. THE EL PASO COUNTY 
          [05:10:05]
COMMUNITY SERVICES OFFICE OF NEW AMERICANS RECENTLY HOSTED A LARGE SCALE COMMUNITY LISTENING SESSION AND RESOURCE FAIR AS PART OF THE GATEWAYS FOR GROWTH TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE GRANT AWARDED TO EL PASO COUNTY. THE EVENT BROUGHT TOGETHER 60 ATTENDEES REPRESENTING 40 PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS, INCLUDING NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, INTERFAITH EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, AND HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS. THE EVENT FEATURED AN INTERACTIVE FORMAT DESIGNED TO ENCOURAGE MEANINGFUL DIALOG AND COLLABORATION, RATHER THAN A TRADITIONAL CONFERENCE SETUP. PARTICIPANTS ENGAGE IN FACILITATED SMALL GROUP DISCUSSIONS, SHARED IDEAS AND RECOMMENDATIONS, AND NETWORKED WITH ORGANIZATIONS WORKING TO STRENGTHEN OUR COMMUNITY. FEEDBACK GATHERED DURING THE LISTENING SESSION WILL HELP INFORM THE DEVELOPMENT OF EL PASO COUNTY'S WELCOMING STRATEGIC PLAN, A COMMUNITY DRIVEN ROADMAP THAT WILL IDENTIFY PRIORITIES AND STRATEGIES TO MAKE OUR REGION MORE WELCOMING, INCLUSIVE AND CONNECTED. SEVEN YEARS AGO, OUR COMMUNITY CHANGED BECAUSE OF A HORRIBLE TRAGEDY. TO HONOR THE VICTIMS OF AUGUST 3RD, 2019, WALMART SHOOTING COMMUNITY LEADERS, VICTIMS, FAMILIES AND RESIDENTS GATHERED AT THE PARK HEALING GARDEN ON AUGUST 2ND TO HOLD A VIGIL IN THEIR HONOR. THE EVENT INCLUDED A PRAYER SERVICE, MOMENT OF SILENCE, READING OF NAMES AND RELEASE OF WHITE DOVES. EL PASO COUNTY REMAINS COMMITTED TO PROVIDE A SPACE IN THE HEALING GARDEN FOR OUR COMMUNITY TO MEDITATE, REFLECT AND HONOR OUR LOST COMMUNITY MEMBERS. THE COMMISSIONERS COURT AND EL PASO COUNTY HOSPITAL DISTRICT HELD A JOINT SPECIAL SESSION MEETING TO DISCUSS THE 2027 TAX RATE FOR THE COUNTY'S PUBLIC HOSPITAL. THE HOSPITAL DISTRICT OVERSEES UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER, EL PASO CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL AND EL PASO HEALTH HOSPITAL. ADMINISTRATION PROPOSED A NO NEW REVENUE TAX RATE OF 0.236904 FOR FISCAL YEAR 2027. IF THIS RATE IS APPROVED LATER THIS MONTH, THIS WOULD MEAN THAT THE PORTION OF YOUR PROPERTY TAXES DEDICATED TO OUR COUNTY HOSPITAL WOULD NOT INCREASE. HOSPITAL BOARD MEMBERS AND COUNTY COMMISSIONERS APPROVED THE PROPOSED RATE, AND THE COURT IS SCHEDULED TO ADOPT IT TOWARDS THE END OF AUGUST. THAT DOES IT FOR THIS EDITION OF COUNTY CONNECTS. STAY TUNED AND MAKE SURE TO STAY CONNECTED WITH EL PASO COUNTY. 
          [05:15:17]
EVERY DAY. EL PASO COUNTY WORKS TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR OUR RESIDENTS. SOMETIMES THAT WORK HAPPENS HERE AT HOME. SOMETIMES IT TAKES US ACROSS TEXAS, ACROSS THE NATION AND AROUND THE WORLD. COUNTY LEADERS ADVOCATE FOR INFRASTRUCTURE, PUBLIC SAFETY, VETERANS SERVICES, TRANSPORTATION, AND MENTAL HEALTH PRIORITIES IMPORTANT TO OUR RESIDENTS THROUGH LEGISLATIVE MEETINGS, FUNDING REQUESTS, AND VARIOUS POLICY DISCUSSIONS. YOUR COUNTY IS WORKING TO ENSURE EL PASO'S VOICE IS HEARD. STRONG PARTNERSHIPS HELP BRING RESOURCES, EXPERTISE AND OPPORTUNITIES BACK TO EL PASO COUNTY. THROUGH COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS WITH OUR STATE AND FEDERAL PARTNERS, OUR POSITION ON CRITICAL MATTERS CAN BE SHARED AND HEARD BY THOSE MAKING DECISIONS AT THE HIGHEST LEVELS. PARTICIPATION IN ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES, TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES, AND OTHER PROFESSIONAL NETWORKS, ALSO ALLOWS COUNTY LEADERS TO LEARN FROM SUCCESSFUL PROGRAMS ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND BRING INNOVATIVE IDEAS BACK HOME. EL PASO COUNTY'S COMMITMENT TO ECONOMIC GROWTH EXTENDS FAR BEYOND OUR BORDERS. THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, ELECTED OFFICIALS AND STAFF TRAVEL ACROSS TEXAS, THE UNITED STATES AND INTERNATIONALLY TO PROMOTE EL PASO AS A PREMIER DESTINATION FOR BUSINESS INVESTMENT AND EXPANSION. THESE EFFORTS ALLOW US TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS WITH INDUSTRY LEADERS, SHOWCASE OUR REGION'S UNIQUE ADVANTAGES, AND COMPETE FOR NEW JOBS AND ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES. THE TRUE MEASURE OF SUCCESS IS NOT WHERE WE TRAVEL TO, BUT WHAT WE BROUGHT HOME. AT THE MIDPOINT OF 2026. OUR GRANT PORTFOLIO REMAINS STRONG AND PRODUCTIVE. 
          TO DATE, WE HAVE APPLIED FOR A TOTAL OF 50 FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES, WITH 21 AWARDS SECURED, RESULTING IN MORE THAN $15.6 MILLION IN GRANT FUNDING AWARDED. EVERY TRIP REPRESENTS ONE PURPOSE SERVING THE PEOPLE OF EL PASO COUNTY. WHETHER ADVOCATING IN AUSTIN, COLLABORATING IN WASHINGTON, OR BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS ACROSS BORDERS, OUR MISSION REMAINS THE SAME CREATING OPPORTUNITIES, DELIVERING SERVICES, AND BUILDING A STRONGER FUTURE FOR OUR COMMUNITY. 
          [05:20:26]
FROM JULY TO AUGUST, EL PASO COUNTY ENGAGED WITH OUR RESIDENTS TO ADDRESS THEIR NEEDS AND PREPARE FOR THE FUTURE. SEE WHAT EL PASO COUNTY HAS GOING ON THIS SUMMER. EL PASO COUNTY'S PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT HELD WEEKLY INFORMATION AND FEEDBACK SESSIONS AT ASCOT AT THE PARK. THESE MEETINGS CONCERN THE PROPOSED IMPROVEMENTS TO THE PARK AND CHANGES TO THE LAKE'S AT ASCARATE. THE SESSIONS ALLOWED RESIDENTS TO SEE CONCEPTS OF WHAT IS PLANNED AND TO PROVIDE THEIR INPUT ON WHAT THEY WANT, INCLUDING THEIR PREFERENCES FOR THE LARGE AND SMALL LAKES. AT ASCARATE. EL PASO COUNTY IS DEDICATED TO INCLUDE THE PUBLIC THROUGHOUT THE COMPLETION OF THIS CRITICAL PROJECT. THE EL PASO COUNTY COMMUNITY SERVICES OFFICE OF NEW AMERICANS RECENTLY HOSTED A LARGE SCALE COMMUNITY LISTENING SESSION AND RESOURCE FAIR AS PART OF THE GATEWAYS FOR GROWTH TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE GRANT AWARDED TO EL PASO COUNTY. THE EVENT BROUGHT TOGETHER 60 ATTENDEES REPRESENTING 40 PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS, INCLUDING NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, INTERFAITH EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, AND HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS. THE EVENT FEATURED AN INTERACTIVE FORMAT DESIGNED TO ENCOURAGE MEANINGFUL DIALOG AND COLLABORATION, RATHER THAN A TRADITIONAL CONFERENCE SETUP. PARTICIPANTS ENGAGE IN FACILITATED SMALL GROUP DISCUSSIONS, SHARED IDEAS AND RECOMMENDATIONS, AND NETWORKED WITH ORGANIZATIONS WORKING TO STRENGTHEN OUR COMMUNITY. FEEDBACK GATHERED DURING THE LISTENING SESSION WILL HELP INFORM THE DEVELOPMENT OF EL PASO COUNTY'S WELCOMING STRATEGIC PLAN, A COMMUNITY DRIVEN ROADMAP THAT WILL IDENTIFY PRIORITIES AND STRATEGIES TO MAKE OUR REGION MORE WELCOMING, INCLUSIVE AND CONNECTED. SEVEN YEARS AGO, OUR COMMUNITY CHANGED BECAUSE OF A HORRIBLE TRAGEDY. TO HONOR THE VICTIMS OF AUGUST 3RD, 2019, WALMART SHOOTING COMMUNITY LEADERS, VICTIMS, FAMILIES AND RESIDENTS GATHERED AT THE PARK HEALING GARDEN ON AUGUST 2ND TO HOLD A VIGIL IN THEIR HONOR. THE EVENT INCLUDED A PRAYER SERVICE, MOMENT OF SILENCE, READING OF NAMES AND RELEASE OF WHITE DOVES. EL PASO COUNTY REMAINS COMMITTED TO PROVIDE A SPACE IN THE HEALING GARDEN FOR OUR COMMUNITY TO MEDITATE, REFLECT AND HONOR OUR LOST COMMUNITY MEMBERS. THE COMMISSIONERS COURT AND EL PASO COUNTY HOSPITAL DISTRICT HELD A JOINT SPECIAL SESSION MEETING TO DISCUSS THE 2027 TAX RATE FOR THE COUNTY'S PUBLIC HOSPITAL. THE HOSPITAL DISTRICT OVERSEES UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER, EL PASO CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL AND EL PASO HEALTH HOSPITAL. ADMINISTRATION PROPOSED A NO NEW REVENUE TAX RATE OF 0.236904 FOR FISCAL YEAR 2027. IF THIS RATE IS APPROVED LATER THIS MONTH, THIS WOULD MEAN THAT THE PORTION OF YOUR PROPERTY TAXES DEDICATED TO OUR COUNTY HOSPITAL WOULD NOT INCREASE. HOSPITAL BOARD MEMBERS AND COUNTY COMMISSIONERS APPROVED THE PROPOSED RATE, AND THE COURT IS SCHEDULED TO ADOPT IT TOWARDS THE END OF AUGUST. THAT DOES IT FOR THIS EDITION OF COUNTY CONNECTS. STAY TUNED AND MAKE SURE TO STAY CONNECTED WITH EL PASO COUNTY. 
          [05:26:26]
EVERY DAY. EL PASO COUNTY WORKS TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR OUR RESIDENTS. SOMETIMES THAT WORK HAPPENS HERE AT HOME. SOMETIMES IT TAKES US ACROSS TEXAS, ACROSS THE NATION AND AROUND THE WORLD. COUNTY LEADERS ADVOCATE FOR INFRASTRUCTURE, PUBLIC SAFETY, VETERANS SERVICES, TRANSPORTATION, AND MENTAL HEALTH PRIORITIES IMPORTANT TO OUR RESIDENTS THROUGH LEGISLATIVE MEETINGS, FUNDING REQUESTS, AND VARIOUS POLICY DISCUSSIONS. YOUR COUNTY IS WORKING TO ENSURE EL PASO'S VOICE IS HEARD. STRONG PARTNERSHIPS HELP BRING RESOURCES, EXPERTISE AND OPPORTUNITIES BACK TO EL PASO COUNTY. THROUGH COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS WITH OUR STATE AND FEDERAL PARTNERS. OUR POSITION. 
          GO AHEAD. COMMISSIONERS COURT HAS RECONVENED INTO REGULAR OPEN SESSION. IT IS 2:57 P.M. 
          WE'RE ON ITEM NUMBER 14 A DISCUSS AND TAKE ACTION REGARDING ELECTRICAL TRANSMISSION LINES GOING THROUGH EL PASO COUNTY COUNTY ATTORNEYS FILE NUMBER 000926 A 
          [14. REGULAR SESSION]
JUDGE. I DO HAVE PUBLIC COMMENT TO READ IN FOR THIS THAT WAS SUBMITTED. THIS IS THE. OUR OFFICE. I'M SURE IT MIGHT BE THE SAME PUBLIC COMMENT THAT WE RECEIVED IN OUR OFFICE, WHICH WAS ALSO THE SAME PUBLIC COMMENT YOU READ INTO THE RECORD THIS MORNING, CORRECT? ACTUALLY, NO. THIS IS A SEPARATE ONE FROM VERONICA CARBAJAL. OKAY, GREAT. THANK YOU. SO ONCE AGAIN, THIS THIS COMMENT IS FROM VERONICA CARBAJAL. HER COMMENT BEGINS, DEAR COUNTY JUDGE AND COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, I'M VERONICA CARBAJAL, AN ORGANIZER WITH THE SEMBRANDO ESPERANZA COALITION, EMPOWERING AREA COMMUNITIES AND HOUSEHOLDS. EACH IS ONE OF OUR FOUNDING MEMBERS. FOR THE LAST FEW MONTHS, WE HAVE ALSO BEEN SUPPORTING THE UNION OF MONTANA VISTA LANDOWNERS. MEMBERS OF BOTH ORGANIZATIONS WILL BE IMPACTED BY THESE PROPOSED TRANSMISSION LINES. SEMBRANDO ESPERANZA MEMBERS HAVE PARTICIPATED AS BOTH INTERVENORS AND PROTESTERS IN TWO CASES BEFORE THE PUBLIC UTILITY COMMISSION OF TEXAS INVOLVING EL PASO ELECTRIC. THESE WERE THE RATE. THESE WERE THE RATE CASES IN THE SUMMER OF 2025 AND THE PENDING CASE REGARDING THE MCLEOD GENERATORS FOR THE META AI DATA CENTER PARTICIPATING. PARTICIPATING IN THE PROCESS HAS NOT BEEN EASY. THE SYSTEM IS NOT DESIGNED TO INVOLVE THOSE MOST IMPACTED BY THE COMMISSION'S DECISIONS. WE ARE GRATEFUL THAT THE CITY OF EL PASO HAS INTERVENED IN BOTH MATTERS, AND URGE YOU TO STAND WITH OUR COMMUNITY AND INTERVENE IN THIS NEW CASE. DOCKET NUMBER 60016. END OF COMMENT. ASSISTANT COUNTY ATTORNEY. SO THE MOTION FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION WOULD BE TO APPROVE AND AUTHORIZE THE EL PASO COUNTY ATTORNEY, ON BEHALF OF EL PASO COUNTY, TO FORMALLY REQUEST TO INTERVENE IN A TEXAS PUBLIC UTILITY COMMISSION POC PROCEEDING PERTAINING TO THE APPLICATION OF EL PASO ELECTRIC COMPANY TO AMEND ITS CERTIFICATE OF CONVENIENCE AND NECESSITY FOR THE PINE TO CALIENTE 345 KV TRANSMISSION LINE IN EL PASO COUNTY. PUC NUMBER 60016, AND TO TAKE ALL 
          [05:30:02]
ACTIONS REASONABLY NECESSARY TO INCLUDE ENTERING INTO RELEVANT PROFESSIONAL SERVICES SERVICES AGREEMENTS FOR THAT MATTER, PURSUANT TO THE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES EXEMPTION UNDER TEXAS LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE, SECTION TWO, 62.024, SUBSECTION A, SUBSECTION FOUR. WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE FROM COMMISSIONER BUTLER AND A SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER STOUT. 
          THE VOTING IS OPEN. MOTION CARRIES. JUDGE, CAN I JUST MAKE A COMMENT? I'D LIKE TO THANK THE COURT FOR SUPPORTING THIS EFFORT AND THANK OUR COUNTY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE FOR MOVING VERY QUICKLY ON PROVIDING SOME POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS FOR US TO TO BE ABLE TO HAVE SOME MEANINGFUL COMMUNITY INPUT IN THIS PROCESS. SO THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SUPPORT. THANK YOU. 
          ITEM NUMBER 14. B DISCUSS AND TAKE ACTION REGARDING PENDING LITIGATION STYLED NASHVILLE ET AL. VERSUS DHS. CAUSE NUMBER 126 CV 02886. COUNTY ATTORNEY CASE NUMBER 000126. PAD. AND ASSISTANT COUNTY ATTORNEY. WE'RE NOT REQUESTING ANY ACTION FOR THIS ITEM. THANK YOU ALL. 
          NO ACTION FOR ITEM NUMBER 14 B. AND ITEM NUMBER 14 C POSTPONED AUGUST 17TH, 2026. DISCUSS AND TAKE ACTION ON THE PENDING CLAIM OF LEOPOLDO AGUILAR COUNTY ATTORNEYS FILE NUMBER 019125 LC. ANNA SCHUMACHER, ASSISTANT COUNTY ATTORNEY WE ARE REQUESTING A MOTION TO PLEASE DENY THIS CLAIM. THANK YOU. WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE FROM JUDGE SAMANIEGO, A 
          [B. Discuss and take action regarding pending litigation styled Nashville, et al., v. DHS, Cause Number 1:26-CV-02886; County Attorney case number 0001.26.PL-AD.
Bernardo Cruz, Assistant County Attorney, County Attorney's Office, 915-273-3247]
SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER CORONADO TO DENY THE CLAIM. VOTING IS OPEN. I VOTE AYE. 
          [C. (Postponed 8/17/26) Discuss and take action on the pending claim of Leopoldo Aguilar; County Attorney’s file number 0191-25-LC.
Ian Kaplan, Assistant County Attorney, County Attorney's Office, 915-273-3247]
THANK YOU. COMMISSIONER. MOTION CARRIES. AND THAT COMPLETES ALL THE ITEMS ON THE AGENDA, JUDGE. 
          WISHING ALL OF YOU A GREAT WEEK. ENJOY THE WEEK, SIR. PRODUCTION TEAM. BUT. AS LEADERS. THIS CONCLUDES TODAY'S MEETING AT 3:03 P.M.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.