El Paso city council approves million-dollar contract for Climate Action Plan creation

KFOX 14
by Julia Spencer | Aylin Herrera
Wednesday, January 3, 2024

EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — El Paso's City Council approved the agenda item to pay over a million dollars to form a Climate Action Plan during their meeting on Wednesday.

The Climate Action Plan would commit the City of El Paso to signing a four-year contract with AECOM Technical Services Inc., paying them $1,239,235 to draft the plan.

This plan plays into the passing of 3 propositions by voters for a more renewable and sustainable city.

Of those three propositions, Proposition C mandates the issuance of $5,200,000 General Obligation Bonds towards renewable energy and resource use efficiency improvements and planning.

This also includes the creation of the Office of Climate and Sustainability within the City of El Paso.

The proposition barely passed with 50.63% in favor.

These propositions were passed on November 8, 2022.

Now over one year later, the city is preparing to spend that bond money.

El Pasoans at the meeting said they did not agree with the approval of the contract.

"We are concerned with their decision to do this when that million dollars could be spent to more directly address the problem of pollution and the climate crisis here locally," said Miguel Escoto.

The main argument from El Pasoans was that the firm was not from El Paso.

Another concern from citizens was that they were not part of the decision to start the project.

Nicole Alderete Ferrini with the city office of sustainability said the firm's expertise is needed to generate projects that will help reduce pollution.

Alderete added that both her office and AECOM will work with the public and local environmental organizations to form the final climate action plan.

"Some of the things that we’ll be working on is gathering all the input we can from all the public that we have available, that being high school students that’s being the general public," said George Pinal the senior transportation project manager for AECOM.

"[It] gives us the opportunity to make the change that we have all been talking about for so long bringing on the consultant AECOM we are talking about the best in the world," said Alderete Ferrini.

Alderete Ferrini said the project would not use taxpayer money and would instead be funded through grants and money allocated for environmental improvements when Proposition C passed.

The Office of Climate and Sustainability's objectives towards the city action plan are:

• Address the specific impacts of the global climate crisis as they relate to the urban desert environment and vulnerable populations of the Chihuahuan Desert.
• Ensure consistent and transparent collaboration inclusive of all interested stakeholders and community members assuring tangible results and appropriate public accountability.
• Pursue a wide range of policy vehicles and funding resources to advance the City of El Paso a leader in addressing the global climate crisis while balancing affordability and equity concerns for the community of El Paso.