This is your weekly news roundup, which takes a quick look at some developments in government, politics, education, environment and other topics across El Paso.
EPPD Officially Opens Far Eastside Regional Command Center
The city of El Paso marked the opening of the new El Paso Police Department Upper East Side Regional Command Center during a ribbon-cutting ceremony Wednesday, Sept. 25, attended by city and police leaders as well as members of the public.
The $39 million complex, part of the 2019 voter-approved $413 million public safety bond, increases the number of EPPD regional command centers to six and is the first new command center opened in more than two decades. The new facility features administrative offices, secured parking, holding cells, interrogation rooms, a fitness center, a community room, a municipal court bond area and public art.
Police Chief Peter Pacillas said the command center allows EPPD to establish a stronger presence as well as enhance safety and security on the Far Eastside, one of the city’s fastest-growing areas. The facility is located at 14301 Pebble Hills Blvd., about three miles east of Loop 375.
“A heartfelt thank you to the citizens of El Paso that gifted this to the El Paso Police Department to enable us to police the community and be part of the community out here,” Pacillas said. “I can assure you, every single police officer that comes into work, every civilian and every volunteer comes into work with one function in mind — to keep this community safe.”
The new regional command center is one of two public safety bond projects marking progress this week on the Far Eastside. The city will host a groundbreaking ceremony Friday, Sept. 27, for its $5.4 million Fire Station No. 38. The station will be located in the 14300 block of Pebble Hills Boulevard, near the new police facility.
While various projects in the voter-approved $413 million public safety bond from 2019 are advancing, concerns have been raised over increased post-pandemic construction prices that may cost taxpayers millions more than projected.
About $221 million of the bond is allocated to police facilities, including $90 million for new police headquarters. The remaining $191.2 million will go to fire facilities, including $29.6 million toward new Fire Department headquarters. Both headquarters will be located at the future site of a joint training facility in Northeast El Paso.
City Settles Whistleblower Lawsuit with Internal Auditor
The city this week settled a whistleblower lawsuit filed against it by longtime Chief Internal Auditor Edmundo Calderon in December 2023. Details of the settlement were not immediately available. That comes after El Paso County Court at Law 6 Judge M. Sue Kurita denied the city’s plea to the jurisdiction hearing Monday. The City Council aimed to settle the lawsuit a week before the hearing, but the hearing was held as scheduled. The City Council Monday voted out of executive session to again try to negotiate a settlement with Calderon.
The lawsuit claimed retaliation following an audit of elected officials’ use of tax-payer funded gas cards. The alleged retaliation included not giving Calderon an employment contract after the City Charter election in May 2023 changed oversight of the auditor from the city manager to the City Council – making the position a hire of the council like that of the city attorney and city manager who work under contract.
Calderon was seeking an employment contract and monetary damages of at least $250,000, but not over $1 million. He has served in that role since 2005.
The City Council on Tuesday also approved hiring an outside consultant to review its Internal Audit Charter – the formal document which outlines the internal audit department’s responsibilities and authority – for best practices and possible updates.
The action comes ahead of the appointment of new Financial Audit and Oversight Committee members in January, when the new mayor and up to six new city representatives take office. The FOAC is made up of the chief internal auditor, the city manager and four members of the City Council approved by the council itself. The FOAC chair – a position now held by city Rep. Brian Kennedy, who is running for mayor and will have to give up his representative seat regardless of whether he wins – has direct oversight of the internal auditor.
El Paso Children’s Hospital on Oct. 31, 2022. (Corrie Boudreaux/El Paso Matters)
El Paso Children’s Hospital Opens New Epilepsy Monitoring Unit
El Paso Children’s Hospital held the grand opening of its new eighth-floor buildout and epilepsy monitoring unit on Thursday. The eighth floor of the nonprofit hospital features 26 new beds and an epilepsy monitoring unit, which plays a critical role in evaluating and treating seizures. El Paso Children’s Hospital is a subsidiary of University Medical Center of El Paso, which presented eighth-floor plans to the El Paso County Commissioners Court last year as part of its budget.
Sun Bowl Audit Deleted From Audit Committee Agenda
The city’s Financial Audit and Oversight Committee deleted an item from its Sept. 17 agenda that would have allowed the city’s chief internal auditor to discuss findings of an audit of the Sun Bowl Association’s motor vehicle rental tax revenue.
The audit was requested in February by Mayor Oscar Leeser, whose Hyundai of El Paso’s national corporation was the title sponsor of the game for eight years. Leeser did not say why he requested the audit. It was not clear when the audit would be placed back on a future agenda.
As per an agreement with the nonprofit, the city gives the association funds from rental car taxes – a major funding source of the annual college bowl game. The audit, which was completed June 26 and was posted as backup on the FOAC meeting agenda, identified two “regular findings” as a result of the audit.
One of the findings was that reports the Office of the Comptroller provides to the Sun Bowl Association detailing the amount of rental car revenue collected are not in a user-friendly format. The association was also submitting payment requests on an annual basis rather than a quarterly basis as required.
The audit stated that the Sun Bowl Association has about $8.7 million available for Sun Bowl game team payments and authorized expenses, which is broken up into $4.2 million in the city treasury as of 2024 and $4.5 million in an escrow account with a certificate of deposit as of 2023, the audit shows.
El Paso-area Schools Join Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program
Fourteen elementary schools in the El Paso area are participating this school year in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program. The federally-assisted program provides free fruits and vegetables to children with the goal of introducing new and different varieties, and to increase eating of unprocessed produce. A USDA study found that students at participating schools eat more fruits and vegetables than students at non-participating schools. The El Paso schools are:
Canutillo ISD: Deanna Davenport Elementary
Fabens ISD: Fabens Elementary, O’Donnell Intermediate
Socorro ISD: Campestre Elementary
Tornillo ISD: Tornillo Intermediate
Ysleta ISD: Capistrano Elementary, North Loop Elementary, Parkland Elementary, Pasodale Elementary, Riverside Elementary, REL Washington International School, Thomas Manor Elementary, Ysleta Elementary
Charter schools: La Fe Preparatory School
The post Upper East Side EPPD command center opens; city settles auditor’s whistleblower lawsuit; more El Paso news appeared first on El Paso Matters.
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