City Charter Election Nearing: May 12th
On February 20, 2007 City Council voted to hold
a Charter election along with the four City Council district elections
on May 12, 2007. The purpose of amending the City Charter was to
accomplish three major objectives that include:
- Complete the changes necessary to conform to a Council-Manager
form of government.
- Adjust the City Charter where it conflicts with State law.
- Modernize provisions where there are opportunities to create
cost savings and efficiencies.
City Manager and staff have been working on the Charter amendments
since mid -summer. The proposed changes come from input received
at 11 different meetings. City Council members, City administration,
City employee work groups and a citizen review panel all had the
opportunity to review the Charter and make recommendations.
To view the current City Charter, the proposed changes and the
full proposition ordinance in their entirety, visit the City website
at www.elpasotexas.gov and click on the City Election Propositions
link under the “News and Notices” section.
Non Uniformed Pension Contributions Proposed to Increase
The Board of Trustees of the City Employees' Pension Fund has been working with the City Manager's Office for over a year to determine the best way to improve the funding of the City Employees' Pension Fund. A recent actuarial review conducted by Buck Consultants, the Fund's Actuary Firm, determined that the current contribution rates were not enough to keep the fund actuarially sound over a reasonable period of time. The overall funding of the plan was not sound as of the actuarial valuation date of September 1, 2007. It has been over twenty years since the employees or the employer has contributed more to the pension plan. Retirees are living longer requiring the fund to pay out money for a longer period of time. In addition, the decline in the stock market in 2000-2002 had an adverse impact on financial position of the Fund.
In order to improve the Fund's funding status, the Board of Trustees submitted a Funding Proposal to the City Manager's Office. The Board met with representatives of the El Paso Municipal Employees' Association and received feedback regarding the Funding Proposal. The Board and the City Managers Office have developed a plan to improve the financial position of the Fund.
The plan developed by the Board and the City Manager's Office will require an increase in employee contributions by one percent (1%), and an increase in the City's contributions by one and four tenths percent (1.4%). The employee contributions will be changed to pre-tax contributions. By changing to pre-tax contributions the employees will be able to defer the tax on their pension contributions until they retire. The effect of pre-taxing contributions will be to decrease the effect of the increase on an employee's net pay. For example, if an employee's tax rate is thirteen percent or more the employee may receive more net pay because of the change to pre-tax contributions. However, if the employee's tax rate is less than thirteen percent then the employee will notice a reduction in net pay.
A pension ordinance amendment, increasing employee pension contributions on a pre-tax basis, among other changes, will be introduced on April 17, 2007. There will be a public hearing regarding the proposed ordinance amendment on May 1, 2007. The first pay period when the increased contribution is scheduled to take effect will be with the paycheck issued on May 25, 2007. Should you have questions regarding the pension ordinance amendment please contact the Pension Office at 541-4765.
Consider a Career with the El Paso Fire Department
 Have you ever thought of a fire department career? As a non-uniform city employee you have an opportunity to do just that. The department is currently seeking pre-certified Firefighters and Emergency Medical Technicians. The El Paso Community College has a firefighter and EMT certification courses that can assist you to be qualified to take the entrance Fire Team video and the Candidate Physical Ability test, oral interview and drug screening.
There are three semesters at (Two 16-week semesters and one10-week semester in a part time evening class.). City employees have Tuition Reimbursement (Two courses per semester), and the ability to get Pell grants, and student loans. If you have been in the military you could be eligible for the GI Bill.
Contact Richard Bahena (915) 831-2289 at EPCC, or EPCC Counselor Oscar Velasquez at 831-2850. Starting salary for firefighter is $ 2,100.00 a month. Fire Department contact is Chief Donald Marron (915) 771-1004, or Fire Training Chief Alan Parsons at 775-7300. Check out the city web site under Fire Department to get detailed information about the El Paso Fire Department.
Environmental Services Kicks-Off City's Curbside Recycling Program!
JOIN THE CELEBRATION
April 22, 2007 from 11 am to 2 pm
Eastwood Park (also known as Album Park)
Bring the entire family and celebrate the arrival of El Paso's curbside recycling program.
Food, drinks and entertainment for the kids will be provided. This is your program, El Paso!!
Curbside Recycling benefits everyone who lives in our community and beyond.
The items that CAN be recycled are:
- Aluminum cans
- Tin cans
- #1 and #2 plastics
- Magazines, Junk Mail, Phone Books
- Newspaper
- Cardboard
Remember, that starting April 22nd, you are able to put out
your recycling bin on the curb along with your gray trash bin on your
designated pick-up day!!
For more information, call (915) 621-6700 or visit www.elpasorecycle.com
Upcoming Presentations Outline Do's and Don'ts of Recycling Program
Environmental Services and Keep El Paso Beautiful will present the how, when and why of recycling at public library branches beginning Tuesday, April 3, 2007. The presentations are meant to give El Paso residents more information about how the curbside recycling program will work. They will be held on the following dates in April at different Public Library locations:
| Tuesday, April 17 |
4:00 PM |
Irving Schwartz Branch
1865 Dean Martin |
| |
| Wednesday, April 18 |
4:00 PM |
Dorris Van Doren Branch
551 Redd Rd. |
The presentations are free and open to the public. For more information call the office of Keep El Paso Beautiful at 544-KEPB.
Butterfield Trail Golf Club on the Horizon
Tom Fazio design slated for June debut in El Paso
 The El Paso landscape will soon welcome Butterfield Trail Golf Club, a championship layout designed by world-renowned architect Tom Fazio and managed by KemperSports. Located an iron shot away from El Paso International Airport, the desert-style course is scheduled to debut this June, but don't wait until opening day to preview this southwestern gem. Log on to the newly launched Web site at www.butterfieldtrailgolf.com, featuring the Butterfield Trail's history, hole-by-hole descriptions, photos and much more. Visitors will soon have the ability to book tee times online.
Festival Celebrates Children, Literacy
 If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then the Public Library and Parks and Recreation departments should be very flattered indeed. Eleven years ago, the two City of El Paso Departments began collaborating on a project to instill good reading habits in children. That event, which began at the Armijo Recreation Center and Library, was called Día de los Niños / Día de los Libros. Today, in El Paso and throughout the country, the event has become a model for hundreds of similar programs.
The first is still the best however and on April 28th, the Original Día de los Niños / Día de los Libros celebration will take place at Washington Park in Central El Paso. This year's special guest will be Dora the Explorer courtesy of Time Warner Cable. The live on-stage entertainment, coordinated by Parks and Recreation, will begin at 11 AM and promises to be the best ever in the history of the event. The library, with the help of Gem's Gems, will give away thousands of free books to children. Parks and Recreation will have a Healthy Hearts with Parks walk beginning at 10 AM. There will be free parking and shuttle service, courtesy of Sun West Charter, from the El Paso County Coliseum. There will be free transportation for children 18 and under to and from the event courtesy of Sun Metro. There will also be many food and activity booths for everyone to enjoy. There is no charge to attend and all activities, books and entertainment are free.
For more information call 543-5468 or visit www.elpasolibrary.org.
New Queues Now at the One Stop Shop!
In an ongoing effort to maximize customer service operations at the One Stop Shop, the Development Services Department now features a queuing system providing an added convenience to customers. The newly implemented Automated Customer Flow Management System provides customers visiting the 5th floor of City Hall an enhanced process for any business transaction they request and expedited customer response times. The system highlights the following features:
- Each customer given a number to track their transaction
- Allows department to capture customer arrival, wait time and queue status in each division of the department
- Bilingual visual and audio utilized to queue customer
The "Q-Flow" system also provides advanced administrative reporting capabilities facilitating the ongoing customer service initiatives set by the newly consolidated department. For more information or questions on the services available at the One Stop Shop, please call 541-4600.
City, State and Local Non-Profit Work Together to "Keep El Paso Beautiful"
 In 2005, Keep El Paso Beautiful (KEPB) was awarded the Governor's Community Achievement Award (GCAA), the most prestigious environmental award offered through Keep Texas Beautiful. The GCAA has brought an award of over $265,000 to El Paso to be used for beautification along a Texas state highway within our city limits. Keep El Paso Beautiful is working in partnership with the Texas Department of Transportation (TXDOT) and the El Paso Street Department to beautify approximately 28 medians along McRae Blvd. (FM2316) from I-10 going north to Montana Ave. (US-62-180.) through the use of landscaping.
In conjunction with this project are the 20 medians located on North Loop Rd. (FM76) from Zaragoza Rd. (FM659) going east about 1/4 mile past Americas Ave. (Loop 375.) The beautification projects of both streets include ADA facilities, irrigation system, ground cover (colored rock), colored stamped concrete, trees and plants.
The landscape design of the medians on McRae Blvd. will be similar to the recently landscaped medians on Mesa St. (SH20), which were completed in 2006 under Keep El Paso Beautiful's 2001 GCAA and through TXDOT.
The approximate cost of the project is $1.5 million. The project began construction in January 2007 and is expected to be completed late summer of 2007.
Parks and Recreation to unveil new City Facility
Westside Community Center and Sports Complex is ready to Open on April 27 at 2:00 p.m.
The Westside Community Center located at 7400 High Ridge in west El Paso will have a grand opening celebration at 2:00 p.m. on April 27. The center which is almost a mirror image of the Eastwood Recreation Center in east El Paso will have two gymnasiums, a weight room facility, and other amenities that will accommodate the large amount of anticipated attendance on the west side. The Park located next to the center will be called Westside Park and will house sports fields.
The community center will also have an extensive youth development program for area children and the variety of recreational sports leagues. A neighboring park will encircle the huge complex which will have sports fields, playground equipment along with future development of a skate park and a dog park.
The facility was built from the 2000 Quality of Life Bonds.
The center director will be Claire Ribas and the Westside Community Center will be open Monday through Fridays from 2:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. and on Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Join the Disabled Parking Enforcement Team
Disabled Parking Volunteer Enforcers are committed to improve the quality of life for the disabled citizens of El Paso.
These dedicated individuals work in teams, scanning local parking areas and ensure motorists compliance with disabled parking laws. Volunteers issue citation to motorists who violate the law.
Volunteers are always needed to help continue the operation of the program!! To become a Disabled Parking Volunteer Enforcer, an application must be submitted. A background check will be conducted, followed by passing an oral interview. The process follows with fingerprinting and a photo ID. Requirements for the program are that volunteers be a U.S. Citizen, 21 years or older, have a High School Diploma/GED, be of good moral character and not have been convicted of a felony.
Training consists of disabled parking laws, citation procedures, radio training, defensive driving and sexual harassment training. If you have taken a Defensive Driving course, bring your original certificate for approval. Defensive Driving is renewed every three years. Sexual Harassment Training is mandated by the City of El Paso. A Registration Form must be completed and submitted in order to attend the training. The training information is noted on the registration form.
Disabled Parking Volunteer Enforcers do not and must not carry firearms or weapons of any kind. Thus under state law, only non-commissioned security officers are acceptable into the Disabled Parking Enforcement Program. Security Officers are not required to take the radio, defensive driving training or the sexual harassment class, unless they want to volunteer with the DPE Program when away from work.
To sign-up and help your community within this program, please call 564-7349 for more information.
City of El Paso Community Development Week
April 9 – 15, 2007
The Department of Community and Human Development hosted the 2007 Community Development Week from April 9 - 15th.
The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program is a major source of funding for the City of El Paso's Community and Human Development Department. CDBG is an annual formula grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) available for designated low-and-moderate income communities. Funded projects include parks, street and drainage improvements, public facilities, housing and social service programs. Since 1975, over $300 million of CDBG funding has been allocated toward the improvement and betterment of El Paso's low-and-moderate income neighborhoods. CDBG gives the community the flexibility to decide how to meet the needs of low-and-moderate income neighborhoods and persons.
CDBG public improvement projects improve safety and living conditions for low-income neighborhood residents. This program also increases recreational opportunities and enhances neighborhood pride. Community Development projects change the face of low-and-moderate income neighborhoods through rehabilitation, providing decent, safe, and affordable housing for low-income families. It also provides needed funding to social service programs for low-income El Pasoans.
SCHEDULE OF CD WEEK ACTIVITIES:
Monday, April 9th to Friday, April 13th
Community Development Program Display
City Hall - 2 Civic Center Plaza (1st Floor)
Examples of projects Community Development Block Grant has funded throughout the years.
Tuesday, April 10th - 9:00 am
City Council Proclamation - Proclaiming April 9-15th as Community Development Week in El Paso
City Hall (City Council Chambers) - 2 Civic Center Plaza
Mr. Bill Slesinger, Director for Project Vida spoke on the importance of CDBG and the positive impact it has made in their programs and participants. He also presented Mayor and Council with the signatures received during our Petition Drive to save the CDBG Program from further cuts. Ms. Soraya Ayub, Public Information Officer for the Department of Community and Human Development invited Mayor, City Council and the public to join us in celebrating CD Week during all of the activities scheduled throughout the week.
Wednesday, April 11th - 1:00 pm
Rescue Mission's Grand Opening for their Claude Barry Manufacturing Facility Grand Opening to be called:
MISSION WORKS BUILDING located at 116 Ruhlen Court
The Rescue Mission's Claude Barry Manufacturing Facility was funded by the Department of Community and Human Development's Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) for a total of $159,220.
Renovation of a 6,500 square foot building, into a light-duty manufacturing and assembly facility to employ a minimum of seven homeless and/or disabled persons.
Friday, April 13th - 1:00 pm
West Side Health Center Grand Opening located at 5195 Mace
The Westside Health Center was funded by the Department of Community and Human Development's Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) for a total of $321,077.
Enlargement of the waiting areas on the north and south sides of the building by adding 1,200 square feet to each side; removal of the current air conditioning system and replacing it with a refrigeration system; and addressed issues of accessibility.
Saturday, April 14th - 7:00 am - 3pm
Neighborhood Clean-Up for the Chamizal area from 7am-11am.
Estrella Rivera Park Grand Opening and Neighborhood Picnic from 12pm-3pm located at 3200 Rivera Avenue
The Department of Community and Human Development along with other local stores, non-profit organizations, and City Departments came together to conduct a Neighborhood Clean-Up for the Chamizal neighborhood. The clean-up headquarters where the volunteers will meet is located at Zavala Elementary (51 N. Hammett) and will begin at 7:00 a.m. Residents in that area were asked to place all items at the curb for collection by Friday - the night before the clean-up will take place. Elderly or disabled residents not able to bring items out of their yard were urged to call Neighborhood Services at 541-4377 to arrange volunteers to assist them.
Home Depot has also partnered with us and will be renovating the exterior for Project Vida's facility (free of charge). Immediately after the Clean-Up at 12:00pm the residents joined us for the Grand Opening of the NEWLY renovated Estrella Rivera Park located at 3200 Rivera Avenue. In conjunction with the Grand Opening the residents enjoyed the neighborhood picnic with free food, drinks, games, raffle prizes, jumping balloon, balloons, face painting and much, much more!
 - Full Summary / Photos
EL PASO CICLOVIA: Take the Parks to the Streets
It’s a call citywide to step outside! It’s the
first Ciclovia to hit city streets and it’s coming near you
this May! Every Sunday in May from 7:00 am-11:00am, Rim Road, Scenic
Drive, McKelligon Canyon Road and portions of Alabama Street will
be closed to motor vehicles; and pedestrians, cyclists, rollerbladers
and walkers will take over bringing a new level of fun to the Sun
City for everyone to enjoy.
A collective opportunity for engaging community activity fit for
all ages, the concept of Ciclovia began in Bogotá, Columbia
over 20 years ago and now nearly a million people fill the roads
every Sunday morning to participate in the activities. In 2003,
the City of Juarez introduced Ciclovia to North America with about
60,000 people taking to the streets. El Paso is one of the pioneers
in bringing this exciting event to the United States and has received
the attention of Governor Rick Perry as a recognized official Texas
Roundup Fitness Initiative. With almost $100,000 dollars in private
sector donations, the event counts with strong community support
and encourages new ways to entice people outdoors while promoting
innovative ways to exercise.
To help make this event as successful as possible, the following
are a few tips the public should keep in mind in planning for this
event:
Ciclovia IS
- A temporary space in which the community can interact through
activities and exercise
Ciclovia IS NOT
- A race or parade
- A trail, path or bike lane
- Just for kids
Restrictions and standards to apply include:
- Existing street restrictions on parking ( parking on driveways
along the route is prohibited)
- Street Vendors need to have a permit to provide their services
on the main arterials next to the parks (selling of products or
stopping along or on the route is prohibited)
- Parking areas are designated on the five parks on the route
including, Tom Lea Park (Lower), Rim Road Park, Arroyo Park, Newman
Park and Scenic Drive Park.
- Some additional parking areas will be available
Ciclovia hits the streets on May 6th, 13th, 20th and 27th
For more information, log on to the Internet at www.cicloviaelpaso.com.
- Ciclovia Route Map
- Ciclovia Flyer
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From September 2006 thru February 2007, the Street Department's Graffiti Removal Team has received 2,694 service requests for graffiti removal and cleaned approximately 667,477 square feet of graffiti at 5,135 sites. This is a 55% increase in the amount of graffiti cleaned in the same time period of the last fiscal year and an increase of 62% in the number of service requests for graffiti removal. 
