Good morning everybody. This is Eduardo Calvo. I'm executive director of the El Paso MO. Uh for those out there in on cyerspace letting you know that we're going to start the meeting in about a couple minutes and uh so bear with us. Um it'll be two or three minutes more. Thank you. What is that? All right. Good morning everybody. Uh again, my name is Eduardo Calon, the executive director of the El Paso MO. Welcome to the um the July meeting of the Transportation Policy Board. So uh before we begin, we have to take care of some some business here. uh Chair Blanco and and Vice Chair Perea are not in attendance. So, the first thing we need to do is is elect um a chair for this for this meeting. So, with that, >> I make a motion that we elect um Mayor Johnson as chair of the meeting. Is there a second? >> All those in favor? >> Right. >> Thank you, mayor. >> All right. >> You are chair. >> I appreciate it. Thank you. Well, good morning everyone and welcome to the the meeting. Today's a little bit of a different meeting because we have the county commissioners court and the TPB board at the same time. So, it's going to feel a little bit different than we're we're used to. But, I do want to call this meeting to order and I want to ask the county administrator and Michelle to do the same on her side. >> Thank you, Mayor Johnson. Today is Friday, July 18th, 2025. It is 9:07 a.m. and a quorum of the county commissioner's court is present at the El Paso Metropolitan Planning Organization meeting. >> All right. So with that uh we will proceed to the pledge of >> allegiance. Allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> Would you take roll call, please? >> We'll do. >> All right. Um, starting with Chair Cesar Blanco, Vice Chair, uh, Mayor Pere. Um, El Paso County Commissioner Jackie Butler. U, Mayor Rudy Cruz. Representative Chris Canales, Mayor Ramono, Mayor Miguel Chakon, um, Representative Alejandra Chavez, Senator Joseph Cvantes, Erin Chavaria, >> Anthony Daiser here, >> Representative Ariero, Commissioner Gloria Gos, >> Representative Mary Gonzalez, Eva Hernandez, Commissioner Elan, >> Morning, Present. >> Mayor Rena Johnson. >> Present. >> Martin Lman. >> Uh, city manager Dion Mack. Representative Joe Mury. >> Representative Eddie Morales. Mayor Diana Muro. >> Tony Navarees. >> Representative Claudia Oras. Representative Vince Perez. Mayor Rachel Gintana. Mayor Andrea here, >> Judge Ricardo here, >> Representative Sarah Silva and Tomasinho here. >> All right. So, we do have quorum. >> We have Michelle [Music] >> for the county commissioner's court. Present are county judge Ricardo Sango, Commissioner Iliano Olin, and Commissioner Jackie Butler. All right, Eduardo, let's take any public comment that we have. >> Any public comment, Mold? >> No public comment. >> We don't have any public comment for commissioner's court either. >> Eduardo, would you lay out any of the the ground rules that we you need for today? Ground rules. >> Um, no. I think we proceed now with the uh >> Oh, okay. Sorry. >> I apologize. Thank you for your patience with us. As a matter of expedience and because the commissioner's court has adopted the EPMPO agenda with only changes necessary to acknowledge rules or laws that apply to the commissioner county commissioner's court, EPMPO's reading of each agenda item is also considered readin for the county commissioner's court. In the event there is any action taken by individual members of the commissioner's court, such action will be deemed taken in his or her capacity as an EPMPL member and not the El Paso Commissioner's Court. And therefore, no commissioner's court action will be noted after each agenda item. >> Everyone has an opportunity to look at the minutes from the June 20th board meeting, TPP board meeting. And if you have had an opportunity to do that, I would entertain a motion to approve them. >> Second motion and a second. All those in favor? >> Any opposed? >> All right. Motion carries. All right. Item number two is discussion and action to consider approval of an amendment to the re to the amended regional mobility strategy RMS 2050 metropolitan transportation plan MTP and the RMS 20252028 transportation improvement program TIP to increase FTA 5307 program funding from 14,91,39 to $18,461,074 for a revised total project cost of $18,461,74 for the capital maintenance fiscal year 525 5307 project in fiscal year 2026 and this is a Sunmetro project and we have a brief uh presentation from Andreas Lucero. >> Good morning. My name is Andres Lucero. I'm a transportation analyst here at the no. Um so today um I'm going to be presenting the amendment for Sun Metro. So I just want to do a little bit background information. Um you can move to the next slide please. Um so the transportation improvement plan known as the TIP is the NOS's 4-year physically constrained plan. which projects will be funded and when. The TIP helps to implement our long range master transportation plan known as the MTP. The state transportation improvement program known as a STIP is equivalent document to the TIP but for the entire state. Whenever we program or change something in the TIP, we also do it to the STIP. This amendment reflects Sun Metro's project program with the latest assumptions for 5307 funds which are transit funds for large urban areas for fiscal year 2026. This item is to approve the amendment to this project in the MTP and tip to including the amendment in the August amendment to the Texas SIP. Uh next slide please. So the specifics about this request is to amend the capital maintenance FFY255307 project to increase FDA 5307 funding from 14,91,139 to $18,461,74 or a revised total project cost of $18,461,74 in fiscal year 2026. The recommended motion is to amend the amended regional mobility strate strategy RMS 2050 MTP the IMS 20252028 transportation improvement program known as a tip to increase funding for FTA 5307 from 14,91,139 to $18,461,74 in fiscal year 2026. Six. >> Before we take a vote on this item, is there any questions from for Andreas >> hearing? No questions. I would entertain a re uh a motion to approve his recommendation. >> A second. >> Motion and a second. All those in favor? >> Any opposed? All right. Motion carries. Thank you, Andreas. >> Thank you. >> Item number three. >> Yeah, I'm sure Mr. Kaiser is happy with more money on Metro. >> All right. Item number three. Item three is to consider approval of an amendment to the regional mobility strategy RMS 20252028 transportation improvement program TIP to program the border highway connector construction phase project with a total project cost of $170 million contingent upon the provision of funding toward the total project cost from the New Mexico state uh legislature. Uh with this uh mayor, before we we get into the discussion, a little bit of background. Um there was a lot of movement on on this item uh this past week the last few days. So we're going to ask uh um after any discussion if any questions that you that you have uh to amend slightly the the motion. But with this um in in your back in the backup information, you have um a lot of information about the project itself. Um Erin Chavaria here from New Mexico DOT can can answer a lot of the technical questions. Uh this is a border highway connector project that we've been talking about a lot. A very good project that that will provide another access uh point to the Santa Teresa area connecting into SA Park and uh and eventually you know to the uh to the network leading to to Texas and to the city of El Paso. Uh so the the we um also provided you during the week a couple of letters that were that were received from New Mexico DOT and um actually the the last one the response from federal highway is what drives the the the need to amend the uh the the motion and this is to program the project into appendix D of our tip. Uh you may recall that that we've done this a lot for projects on the Texas side. Um this is a little bit uh different because we're doing it on the New Mexico side and uh so that was that explains back and forth and and the fi finally the the green light that we received from federal highway uh which is the last letter that that we uh provided and your backup on I believe it was Wednesday night. So with that u if you have any questions happy to answer. the recommended motion we're seeing there. Is that the one that you wanted amended? >> No, it's Marisol. Do we have the >> So, I know you said you wanted it amended. >> Yes. >> Okay. >> Yes. >> And I could read it to to the record if if that helps. sort. >> Thanks, Aaro. Um, so from my understanding, there's September infra deadline. Uh, did is what's what's the status with the legislaturator's uh funding? Is it obligated? Are they on track? Is there are they going to meet that September uh deadline? >> Sorry, >> you want to answer that, Erin, or >> Sure, Mr. Chair. Um, so so we are uh on track. We're supposed to have a a special session coming up uh before uh August the 18th. Um and then hopefully at that session we will get the the funding for this project. >> Okay. I guess at what point will you know if it's on the uh special session agenda? >> Uh we should know within the next couple of weeks if uh it's uh if we do have a special session, it will be on the agenda. >> Okay. Yeah. And if for whatever reason, let's say if the legislature doesn't, I mean, is are is the funds at risk if if we don't meet that deadline? >> Yeah. If we don't meet the September 30th deadline, then we're state of New Mexico 45 million in progress. >> They understand the urgency. >> Good question. >> So, if I can also clarify the the reason why we we add projects to appendix D. uh the federal rules allow allow us to do this uh so that the project development activities can continue even though the project is not fully funded but uh also we're programming this in fiscal year 28 which for the New Mexico tip um is not a fiscally constrained year so that also you know helps us and gives us more and more comfort and and one of the reasons why we got the letter Federal Highway um you know giving us a green light to to do this but again on On the Texas side, we've done this many times uh so that project development activities can continue even though the funding is not 100% uh established yet. So other activities like approving the vene document which allows for to continue with rideaway acquisition and other other activities. So it's it's it's unusual and it's the first time that we do it on the New Mexico side, but we've done it in, you know, before. So we feel very comfortable with this. Any other questions for Eduardo on this item number uh three? Just to be clear, we're just striking that language that's highlighted in yellow. >> Correct. Adding appendix D and then striking the last part. So I can read the recommended motion to the record if Okay. All right. So, so the revised recommended motion would be to approve an amendment to the regional mobility strategy RMS 2025 2028 transportation improvement program TIP to program the border highway connector BHC construction phase project in appendix D with a total project cost of $170 million. >> Any further discussion on this item? All right. Hearing none, I would entertain a motion to approve this move. >> Second. >> There's a motion and a second. All those in favor? >> Any opposed? >> All right. The motion carries. Item number four. >> Right. Item number four is consider authorizing the executive director to sign a letter of support for text fiscal year 2026 unified transportation program. Um in your backup, we provided the draft of the letter. Um we were very excited. the that for in the draft UTP that hopefully will get approved in August by the Texas Transportation Commission, uh we were awarded $150 million for the Borderland Expressway project uh for phase three of the project. Uh that is really really good news because as if you recall the the Borderland Expressway was split into three phases uh some time ago. Phase the oppos. >> Item number five is one. >> All right. Item five is to consider authorizing the executive director to execute our Inc. for the border highway connector phase 2 project management plan in an amount not to exceed $85,000. So on this one, if you recall, uh we've been talking about the border highway connector phase 2 project as um so what the past item was to to program the construction phase. What we're calling phase two is really to look at the potential impacts of building this project, the impacts to the local network once it connects to McNut in the city of Sland Park. We know that all that traffic will, you know, try to move find their way to other parts of of the metropolitan area, mostly uh into El Paso. So, we we've had concerns that that some of the facilities um in in that vicinity may be impacted. So, so we went and and had a good conversation with the New Mexico Border Authority and we actually received $2 million from the New Mexico uh legislature uh to do this study, this phase two. So, we selected the we went through the uh procurement and thanks again to the city of El Paso C for helping us with with that. selected HDR uh last month. He gave us a green light to negotiate the the master agreement which we did and now we bring you task order number one. Now the specifics of task order number one, it's a it's a relatively small uh task order with a limited scope uh so that we can get them working um and um you know start them up with the basic stuff like developing the project management plan and some early public and stakeholder uh planning activities um in the light of the international border crossing strategic plan that we're going to talk about later. these two projects have a lot of overlap. So, we thought it was really important to to bring them on board to make sure that the two teams are working together and uh and doing a good job in in coordinating and avoid duplication or or even worse, you know, going in in opposite directions. So the um the actual task order is for about um maybe the the task order is for $77,57043. So the item was written just to make sure that we did not exceed that. >> Do you have the ability to mute the hot mic that's on right now? Thank you. >> Are there any questions on on this item number or hearing? No questions. I would entertain a motion to [Music] >> motion to approve. So moved. >> There's a motion and a second. All those in favor. [Music] >> Motion carries. Will you back up on the uh executive executive director's report? >> All right. For item six, the executive director's report. I've got two items. Uh starting with the IBC strategic plan. Um we have a a handout here that we wanted to to share with you. It's the one of the initial work products which which is just a fact sheet uh of the program. Um so we one of the first activities that we're planning and and many of you already received invitations for this is to have a the kickoff stakeholder meeting which is happening on August the 6th uh at the Chamisal uh 10 in the morning to noon. Um we are very very excited to to get this this uh uh activity started. There's a lot of uh a lot of concern obviously but also a lot of interest on the Mexican side as well. Uh we we are inviting you know all the key stakeholders on the public sector, private sector on the Mexican side as well. So with this meeting you know we want to officially kick off the the work. uh it's important to have the support of of of everybody in these types of meetings, you know, elected officials, private sector and so on. But but really what the um what is very important for us is that in in parallel we are going to be establishing work groups so that the technical folks can really get together and and develop this strategic plan. Um I think we've presented this this plan to you all several times. Um, in general terms, the idea is to look at our six border crossings as a system to to see what what efficiencies we can find by operating them as a system instead of looking at them as six individual uh crossings. But at the same time, the the idea here is to build on on several of the of the uh efforts that are going on right now. Um the city of El Paso for example uh we know that that there's some funding going on. It's not a my understanding is not fully approved yet. And uh we have Roberto Tinero here if you if there are any questions about that but that funding is to do a feasibility study for the Saragoa bridge itself. Um which is a great thing right what we need to do is build on that and and use that information as well to feed our regional um analysis. the same thing building on what the El Paso County is doing specific to the to the Tornado crossing the the economic plan that that you guys are doing, judge. Um the idea really is to to build on that complement and use that information and make sure that whatever we do is consistent with what you you're doing there as well with with the city. And and finally, the same thing with all the stuff that is going on with on the New Mexico side for Santa Teresa. Uh there was an announce announcement recently by the Mexican federal government about a big initiative to develop what they're calling a polo deoyo which is a a major um you know development um that's going to get take time but but it's really to promote uh industry and and on the Mexican side on the side. So obviously that that would be a good uh a good initiative for the Santaesa uh uh region as well. And again we have Herardo Pierro here from the New Mexico Border Authority. So with that uh very excited that that we're going to kick off this this um the study and and hopefully many of you can can join and help us and participate uh elected officials, your technical folks as well. and uh and we'll keep keep you posted as we go through the the analysis. >> You want to give us the dates and times one more time. >> Like so the the meeting the kickoff meeting is August the 6th and it'll be at the Chamisal and the the big room and 10 to noon. And if you have any questions, u you know, feel free to send me a note or call me. Um, again, if you have any other questions, we can move on. >> Very good. All right. Item number B. >> Okay. Item B is the New Mexico State Legislature Transportation Infrastructure Revenue Subcommittee meeting held on July 16th. That was actually on Wednesday. Um again this is a another important event. Uh the subcommittee held a meeting here in Santa Teresa at the New Mexico Border Authority uh offices. Uh we were invited to make a presentation to talk about the you know in general about the MO. Um one of the things that that I found a little bit interesting was that similar to what happens on the Texas side, many of the legislators um that came here are, you know, from the northern part of the state, right? Albuquerque, Santa Fe, and some of the comments I were that I heard from them were was that they haven't been here. It's like, oh, wow. You know, Santa Theesa is growing. There's a lot of movement and so on. And uh one of my remarks was like, well, you guys have to be here. Similar to what happens in Texas that we sometimes feel that uh that the rest of the state doesn't pay a lot of attention to us. So that's why it's so important for us to be out there and and talking to them, inviting them, participating, but also for them to come and and see us. So I think that that was a a very successful uh meeting and uh we we thank you for the opportunity to present uh you know the stuff on the no uh important as well because this committee is important for the border highway connector for the funding that we were talking about earlier. So it was important for for us to also state as you know the impact of the border highway connector project at the regional level right again you know as an we we look at the at the region right so this is obviously focusing on New Mexico and the benefits for Santa Teresa but at the same time you know as an we bring the we try to bring the the regional analysis so that they're not thinking just about their bubble so for us it's important to look at at the entire impact for for the region. So hopefully Aaron, they they left the meeting with a good flavor and and they'll help you. >> I hope so too. >> So with that, uh that's all I have. Mayor, >> all you have any questions for any of the executive director's report? >> I'm definitely going to hit that. So, all right. Uh, I don't believe we have any items for executive session either, as well. >> No, we don't. >> Our next meeting will be on August 22nd at 9:00 a.m. And I would, uh, entertain a motion to adjourn. >> Second, all in favor? >> We are at 9:33. All the meetings has