Good morning. Good morning. I want to give a warm welcome to everyone who is joining us in Council Chambers this morning. Thank you for being here. Miss Prime. Yes, good morning and welcome to the presentation of the mayor's proclamations. This morning we have Mayor Pro Tem Alexandra Chavez present and presiding. We begin with a pledge of allegiance and this morning to lead us in the pledge, we have students from Coach Wally Hartley PK8 School at the invitation of City Representative Diana Maldonado Rocha. We have Paloma Weisinger Kason Johnson, Harper Wine, Aurora Daniel Ian Mention Darwin Pimentel Vince Bernal, Valentina Castro Ali Alayka Kaylee Boo Isabella Salas Lux Arenas Kaylee Cueto and Keanu Curtis. I pledge 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. Honor the Texas flag. I pledge allegiance to thee, Texas, one state under God, one and indivisible. And you all are free to leave. Thank you, guys. Thank you, guys. Good job. Okay, that brings us to the mayor's proclamations. For those of you receiving a proclamation, your group will have up to 4 minutes collectively to speak at the podium and receive the proclamation. After you receive the proclamation, you will be invited to take a photo with the council. The first proclamation is Sexual Awareness Month 2026. Representative Rocha. Thank you, Mayor Pro Tem Chavez. If I can have those that are here, I see them in the audience. I saw them this morning. There they are. Here we go. Thank you for coming to City Hall today. I'm going to read your proclamation. Whereas sexual violence affects individuals and families across all communities and backgrounds, causing lasting trauma and significant harm. Studies indicate that one in three women and one in six men experience some form of sexual violence in their lifetime. Bless you. With many cases going unreported, highlighting the urgent need for awareness, prevention, and survivor support. Excuse me. And whereas the Center Against Sexual and Family Violence has served the city of El Paso with comprehensive prevention, advocacy, support, and education for survivors of sexual assault and their families. This past year, CASFV answered over 500 sexual assault calls on their crisis hotline, provided sexual assault services to more than 1,000 survivors, and responded to over 240 hospital accompaniment calls across area hospitals. And whereas CASFV works tirelessly to provide safe shelter, crisis intervention, counseling services, legal advocacy, and community education to help survivors heal and thrive while fostering awareness in the community to reduce stigma and encourage reporting of sexual violence. And whereas Sexual Assault Awareness Month is an annual opportunity to raise public awareness about sexual violence, honor survivors, and reaffirm a shared commitment to prevention, healing, and community support. And whereas CASFV's theme, Consent Is Loud, emphasizes the importance of clear communication, mutual respect, affirmative consent, and community accountability in preventing sexual violence. And whereas educating individuals and communities about consent, healthy relationships, bystander intervention, and equitable treatment strengthen safety and respect across all settings, helping to reduce the prevalence of sexual assault and fostering a Excuse me, and fostering a culture of accountability and care. Now, therefore, be it proclaimed by the mayor and council of the city of El Paso that the month of April 2026 shall be known as Sexual Assault Awareness Month 2026, signed by the honorable Mayor Renard Johnson. Good morning. Good morning. Uh it's truly an honor to be here with you, representatives and Mayor Pro Tem. Uh my name is Sandra Nava Garcia. I'm the executive director to the Center Against Sexual and Family Violence. And as Ms. Rocha mentioned, um sexual assault affects all individuals, and it affects our community, and it affects our households, uh family members, just everyone across the board. And often times, it's something that we're really unprepared for. And so, in our true theme this this particular month of Consent Is Loud, we want to be able to emphasize that consent should be clear, it should be active, it should be ongoing, never assumed or implied. And I think those are really important words because I think often times we believe that you ask once, and that's just the answer for for here until the end of time. The center really is focused this month, and it's not because it's just this month that we talk about it. It's this month that we focus on it and train in in in ensuring that try to get more individuals and more emphasis to the cause. But this conversation is very much like our theme is continuous and is ongoing year after year. These are services that we provide both to um individuals in the hospital, in person, on the phone, via chat, however it is that the individual wants to access the services because as understand that it's difficult to come forward. You obviously know we're also your local domestic violence program and I think that those individuals victimized by domestic violence are more likely to come forward and and receive services, whereas our survivors of sexual assault is really more of a challenge. And so think of, you know, God forbid anyone in this room today, you're living your most normal life. Tonight something happens and tomorrow your world has been flipped upside down and all you want to do is go back to yesterday. And so we are there to be able to provide to those individuals from the yesterday and from even going forward. So often times I think one of the messages we want to make sure that survivors know is that whether you need us today, tomorrow, a year from now, 5 years from now, that's what the center is here to provide. Support, direction, options and resources for you to access. This year and we'll we'll share one with you as we have every awareness month we come up with a calendar of events to heighten and kind of keep that conversation going and hopefully that conversation continues at home. And so this year we kicked off the month with teal day on the 7th. We do have this really impactful I really love our our theme of what were you wearing? So this is a um an art piece if you will where we'll put we'll pull clothing of survivors that have described what they were wearing when they were victimized. We pull them and we display them. And so this year we're working with an artist Michael Fierro and he has the display at Bassett Center. And it's where the old New York and companies to be like in the middle part of Bassett if you're trying to figure out where it's at. And so what it has is description of what that survivor has described happened. And because he's an artist he went one step further and created the scenery like if it happened while camping. Different just kind of scenery that he kind of created which I think really allows for more impact. And so what I will tell you is that the most difficult thing to look around is just to look around this room. And so the our display show what you're wearing every single day. And so I think that that's probably the biggest impact. People think that it's individuals in certain circumstances, at certain places that are victimized and it's not that way. It could be any one of us. And so we invite you to go to that particular exhibit. It's there till the 25th. We also have our classic pickleball spring into action that we're going to be doing for our fundraiser. We'd love you all to join us on the 26th of April and then we have denim day on the 29th which will also be screening a movie on the lawn at traffic art space and so you're more than welcome to join us there as well. We do have some individuals from the center that came with us. So it's our director of client services, one of our board members and our associate director of sexual assault services along with our development director. So it's truly an honor to be here with you this morning. Thank you. Thank you so much. Does everyone want to introduce themselves that's standing behind you? Sure. Hi, good morning. Thank you so much for the time. My name is Yasmine Perez. I'm the director of client services for the center. Good morning. Good morning everyone. My name is Guadalupe Rubio and I am the director of development with the center. Thank you. Good morning. Good morning everyone. My name is Sarah Silva and I'm the associate director of sexual assault services at the center. Good morning. Good morning everyone. I'm Cynthia Ortega and part of the board for CASFV. Good morning. Thank you all for being here. Studies show that one in three women and one in six men experience sexual violence with many incidents as you just mentioned go going unreported underscoring the need for community awareness and prevention. So throughout the month of April we want to encourage our community, our residents to support survivors, promote education and engage in prevention and help build a culture rooted in safety, dignity and respect for all. Thank you so much for being here. Thank you for your time. Representative Rocha. One quick question. On the crisis hotline, how does one contact you? So it's the 593-7300 and it's confidential 24 hours a day. We also have a chat feature that's available. Thank you. How do they access the chat? Is it through that number? It's through the website. The website will pop up and show you that information. And again we intake people at all times of the day. We do have a 24-hour hospital accompaniment team that these lovely young neat ladies supervise. And so 24 hours a day right now we have an advocate on call just standing by if, you know, God needed that we need to go to the hospital and accompany someone. Thank you for that. I appreciate it. >> You're very welcome. And the next proclamation is Desert Conference of Texas and Gallaudet's Convocation. Representative Fierro. No, Representative Niño. Excuse me, sorry. Yes. Thank you, Mayor Pro Tem. You have the honorees come and join us. Good morning. Good morning. It's an honor to read today's proclamation. Proclamation for the city of El Paso, Texas. Whereas in June 1893 the Ancient Egyptian Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine was organized and established under the leadership of John George Jones and the auxiliary the Imperial Court Daughters was established in 1910. Whereas both were established as benevolent and charitable organizations whose members are dedicated to the principles of fostering civic, economic and educational development and programs throughout the community. And whereas the Oral Temple number nine of the AEO AONMS and Oral Court number 20 Imperial Court Daughters of El Paso, Texas will host its annual state Desert Conference of Texas and Gallaudet's April 16th through the 18th, 2026 at the Wyndham Hotel. And whereas the goal of the Desert Conference of Texas and Gallaudet's Convocation is to bring membership together to enhance their mission, renew their purpose, further enrich the hosting community through charity, benevolence, education and pay tribute to those who have sacrificed their lives daily for our freedom, the military service members. Now therefore be it proclaimed by the mayor and the council of the city of El Paso offering best wishes to the Desert of Texas for a successful event. April 16th through the 18th, 2026 shall be known as Desert Conference of Texas and Gallaudet's Convocation. Signed by the honorable Mayor Bernard Johnson. Thank you. Good morning, council council members. Thank you for the proclamation today. I just want to tell you about a few things that we have going on. That's public program that's free to the public. We have the our public program beginning Thursday night at 7:00 p.m. where the mayor will be our guest speaker. We'll be giving out scholarships, community donations and we'll salute we'll give a salute to our military. So we have a little military program we would get we were going to do. Then Friday morning we have our memorial which is a tribute to our deceased members. Um and then Friday night we have what's called a hospitality dance at the Wyndham as well. And then Saturday we have our deputies ball as we continue to uh have our meetings. But then you know uh hopefully the city manager can come and tell tell a little bit about the city while we have a over 200 visitors that's going to be here so they can see what El Paso is really all about. So thank you again for your time. I have with me members of my desert staff. I have a my desert organizer Michael Hall my desert high priest and prophet Nate Gasson. I have members of the oral court. We have the illustrious commander Shana Battle her first lieutenant miss Dorothy Byrd and miss Lauren Gasson. Thank you and and welcome to city hall. Thank you. We we are happy that you will will be celebrating your Texas Gala and days convocation and we want to congratulate you in your mission of expanding charitable work promoting education and honoring our military service. So Thank you. I'm happy that the the mayor will be your guest speaker and the city manager will also be supporting your efforts. So thank you so much for your service to our community. >> Thank you. These gentlemen are a little taller so I'm saying let me make sure I get this. How tall do you think they are? I don't if I fall I don't get a video. I'm pretty sure it's just my thumb but I look like a bone. And the next proclamation is Guardians of the Children Sun City Chapter Day. Good morning. Good morning. Welcome. The proclamation reads whereas the city of El Paso is committed to protecting the safety dignity and well-being of all children and to raising awareness about the prevention of child abuse in all of its forms and whereas April is recognized nationally as child abuse prevention month a time dedicated to education advocacy and community collaboration to ensure that children grow up safe supportive and nurturing environments and whereas Guardians of the Children International established in June 2006 and its Sun City Chapter established in June 2015 are dedicated to recognizing and responding to the threat of child abuse while empowering children through education advocacy and unwavering support serving the El Paso community with a team of committed volunteers and whereas the Sun City Chapter works collaboratively with local organizations and agencies including child protective services the El Paso Center against sexual and family violence communities in school the El Paso motorcycle Coalition the District Attorney's office law enforcement and other partners to provide education anti-bullying outreach and coordinated efforts to prevent child abuse and support victims. And whereas through programs such as little guardian mentorship program the organization provides advocacy and emotional support to children involved in the judicial process and continues to support them through critical stages of their development ensuring long-term stability encouragement and empowerment. And whereas through its ongoing efforts in education mentorship advocacy and community partnership Guardians of the Children Sun City Chapter has made a meaningful and lasting impact on the lives of vulnerable children and families throughout the El Paso community. Now therefore be it proclaimed by the mayor and council of the city of El Paso honoring the organizations unwavering commitment to protecting children raising awareness and fostering a safer and more compassionate community for all April 14th 2026 shall be known as Guardians of the Children Sun City Chapter Day signed by the honorable mayor Renard Johnson. Congratulations. The mission of the Guardians of the Children is to recognize and react to child abuse and to educate the public to do the same. To serve as advocates to provide strength and stability to families in crisis and to be an answer to the prayer of an abused child or teen for courage support and protection. Don't let your silence drown out their cries. This proclamation is a great honor and we are very grateful to the city of El Paso and our esteemed council for recognizing our efforts in this very important mission one that I hope that we all share as a community. As Guardians we come from all walks of life. Our chapter in our chapter alone we have educators business owners and operators radio celebrity computer techs customs and border patrol mental health professionals reservist veterans employees in corporate America and homemakers. The common ground is our love for children and the desire to help them through what is arguably the most difficult time in their lives. The Guardians of the Children International as you mentioned is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year in June and our own chapter is celebrating its 11th anniversary this June. In Texas there are approximately 650,000 reports of child abuse annually. In 2024 there were approximately 136,650 investigations statewide with 51,985 confirmed cases of child abuse. Approximately 75% of these cases are some forms of neglect. 15% are physical abuse and 10% are sexual abuse or trafficking. That's approximately 20,498 children being physically abused and 13,665 being sexually abused or trafficked annually. In the fiscal year 2025 there were 124 child deaths in Texas due to abuse. 124. These are all unacceptable numbers. Any number over zero is unacceptable. Sadly these are only the cases that get reported. It's estimated that only one in every three cases gets reported. That means of the approximate 52,000 confirmed cases equates to a true number of abused children reaching an excess of 156,000 annually. Our mission is not complete until every young person has a childhood where they can live absent of the fear of abuse and just be kids. Until then when a child calls we ride. I invite the El Paso community to Barnett Harley-Davidson this Saturday at 12:00 noon. We will be having child abuse prevention and awareness month event where we will have approximately 14 community partners serving the El Paso community for families and children who are in crisis. We'll have food we'll have fun we'll have a lot of games and a lot of motorcycles. So we hope to see you all there. Thank you so very much. Thank you. Could everyone please introduce themselves? >> Of course. I am Doc I'm the president of our chapter. Tech vice president. Riggs sergeant of arms Guardians of the Children Sun City. Treads treasurer. I'm Repeat the secretary. Hi I'm Repeat the secretary. Curls the court liaison. Sunflower events coordinator. Julieta Grajeda they call me Gnome on the road and I'm a supporter. Sweets, I'm the child liaison. I'm two. Nice to meet all of you. Gator with Guardians of the Children. Thank you. I'm Shakes. I'm the founding member of our chapter. Kiss member. Hi, I'm Buttons, a member. Livewire. Well, thank you. Thank you all. For me, all of you are a signal of hope for children in our community and beyond. Thank you for taking care of of the most vulnerable and the voiceless in our community and for encouraging all of us to speak up for them as well. Thank you for the work that you're doing. Thank you so much for being here. Ish, we can have you in the middle. And the next proclamation is City of Socorro 40th anniversary of incorporation day. Okay, now representative Fierro. >> Thank you, Mayor Pro Tem, for allowing me to read this proclamation. Everybody will kind of come up. Great. Welcome. We we need the native son from Socorro to join us up here, though. Please. Come up here. Yes, Cideo Torres, the executive director of NAMI. Thank you again, Mayor Pro Tem. Whereas the city of Socorro, Texas is one of the oldest communities in El Paso region with rich history rooted in culture, faith, resilience, and community pride and was officially incorporated as a municipality on April 5th, 1986, making 40 years of continued growth, governance, and service to its residents. And through consistent population growth documented by ongoing census tracking has expanded to just under 40,000 residents and continues to grow steadily as El Paso County's second largest city, reflecting its enduring appeal as a place to live, work, and raise a family. Whereas over the past four decades, the city of Socorro has evolved into a vibrant, diverse city committed to preserving its historical legacy while planning thoughtfully for the future and demonstrating its steadfast commitment to celebrating, promoting, protecting, and preserving its unique cultural heritage through investing along the mission trail. The achievement of the National Historic Landmark designation for the Rio Vista Farm. Whereas the city of Socorro is widely recognized for its welcoming hospitality, well-attended community events, the tremendous civic pride demonstrated by Socorrans who actively celebrate, support, and invest in their city. Whereas the city of Socorro is constantly recognized as one of the top 100 safest cities in Texas to live, work, play, reflecting its commitment to public safety, quality of life, and the well-being of the residents and visitors. Whereas a celebration of the Socorro's City Socorro's 40th anniversary provides an opportunity to honor the leadership employees volunteers and residents whose dedication and service has contributed to the city's success and progress. Now, therefore, be proclaimed by the mayor and council of the city of El Paso encouraging all residents to recognize and celebrate this milestone and to continue the partnership between our neighboring communities. April 5th, 2026 be known as a City of Socorro 40th anniversary of incorporation day. Signed, Honorable Mayor Oscar Johnson. Welcome. Good morning, Mayor Pro Tem and city council members. My name is Victor Betis, deputy city manager for the city of Socorro. And before I continue, I'd like to invite our fantastic members of our contingent this morning to introduce themselves. Good morning, Robert Rojas, proud chief of police for the city of Socorro. Good morning, Officer Ignacio Frausto for the city of Socorro. Uh good morning, uh Lieutenant Juan Favela. Good morning, Lieutenant Rodriguez. Good morning, Isabella Betis, community liaison coordinator for the city of Socorro. Good morning, Rosendo Sedillo, transit coordinator with the city of Socorro. Good morning, Isidro Torres, proud resident of city of Socorro. And last but not least, Xochitl Marquez, who is our fantastic multimedia specialist. On behalf of the city of Socorro, we are honored to recognize and celebrate our 40th anniversary of incorporation. For 40 years, we have grown into a proud and vibrant community grounded in our history, culture, and traditions. This milestone reflects the strength and dedication of our residents, past and present, who have helped shape our city. We would also like to thank the city of El Paso for its continued partnership and support as we grow together in the region. We are proud to commemorate this special occasion with you and thank you very much. Thank you, Victor, and and all of you for coming and for being here and congratulations on your 40th anniversary. We also appreciate your partnership with the city of El Paso and we look forward to working together closely with you in in this in many projects in the in the future. Thank you so much for being here. >> I will happily take the photo for you if you want to leave the spot. You're more than welcome to join them. I can take your I can tell she's feeling shy. No, thank you. I appreciate you. And the final proclamation is Mission Save the Earth Month. Representative Acevedo. Thank you, Mayor Pro Tem. I'm excited to read this proclamation. Proclamation City of El Paso, Texas. Whereas, for more than half a century, Earth Day launched in 1970, a day intended to raise awareness and appreciation of the Earth's natural environment. And whereas, all people in the El Paso community, regardless of race, age, income, or gender, have a moral right to a healthy, sustainable environment. And whereas, commemorating Earth Day in the region highlights environmental initiatives related to climate change, recycling, and waste reduction. And whereas, the City of El Paso Environmental Services Department annually hosts an Earth Day celebration to educate the community about programs promoting sustainability and environmental change. And whereas, a healthy and sustainable environment can be achieved on the community level by encouraging residents to engage in activities such as cleanups to be agents of change for the common good. And whereas, the City of El Paso's Environmental Services will host its annual Earth Day celebration at 6:00 p.m. on April 11th at the City of El Paso Municipal Services Center, um 7968 Sun Bowl Drive, which was this past weekend. Um now, therefore, be it proclaimed by the Mayor and Council of the City of El Paso that the city's Environmental Services Department be recognized and commended for their hard work, dedication, and commitment to the community. April 2026 shall be known as Mission Save the Earth Month. Signed the Honorable Renard Johnson. Uh Nicholas Evaristo with Environmental Services. Uh thank you for the proclamation. You know, as the United States uh prepares to celebrate their 56th anniversary of Earth Day on April 22nd, um this was our 15th year celebrating here with the City of El Paso. So, it was our quinceañera this past this past weekend as everybody's calling it behind me. Um as Environmental Services, we don't just pick up trash, recycling, clean the medians. We also try to educate as much as possible to recycle, reduce, and reuse, and take care of El Paso as much as we can. If it wasn't for the staff behind me, they're the ones that put everything together. I I get a lot of the credit, but it's really them that do all the work. They make sure we have the vendors, the food trucks, the entertainment, everything that has to do with Earth Day. And they're also the ones that if any of you have taken the recycling class, it's their voices that you hear in the recycling class that are providing all the information that is needed for the residents. So, before I keep going, I want them to come up and introduce themselves. Hello, I'm Priscilla Cavazos. I'm Community Outreach and Educational Supervisor. Good morning, everyone. My name is Sarah Harris, and I'm an Outreach Specialist. Good morning, everyone. My name is Erin Quintana, and I'm an Outreach Specialist. Good morning, everyone. My name is Annie Barron, and I am an Outreach Specialist. Good morning. My name is Priscilla Lopez, and I'm an Outreach Specialist. Good morning, everyone. My name is Maricela Vasquez, and I'm also an Outreach Specialist. Good morning, everybody. My name is Philip, and I'm an Outreach Specialist. Morning, everybody. Uh Jesus Yamaguchy, Assistant Director. And then, we also have Mundo behind us, but we don't want to break the the fourth wall letting them know who who's behind the mask. So, we'll we'll let him know. He's He's at all our events. Um in in addition, I want to let let you know, like when we do the community cleanups, these are also the staff that help and take care of all the community cleanups, organize the roll off uh um that show up to the event and help out with all the equipment. So, I'm very grateful for the staff and everything they do because without them, none of this would be possible. So, thank you for the proclamation. Thank you, Nick and team. Representative Niño. Thank you, Mayor Pro Tem, and Nick and the entire team. I am extremely grateful for all the work that you all do. And you know, I know you kind of touch base on the community cleanups. And you know, it's all of our responsibility, you know, to come together and really take care of our community. And I'm very grateful for all the work that you all have done over the years to ensure that, you know, not just the regular trash pickup, but also cleaning our streets, our medians, our neighborhoods, and also for collaborating with us um in our community cleanups. And I'm going to take this time to also invite members of the community where we'll have a cleanup this Saturday in District 5 on the corner of Montwood and Rich Beam, and we invite members of the public to bring bulk trash. And again, the