Council postpones vote on plan providing 25 sports fields in Central El Paso

El Paso city reps approved a motion to postpone a vote for another five weeks regarding a plan providing 25 sports fields for those living in central El Paso.

The 2012 Quality of Life bond program approved scattered flat fields funds in the amount of $5,000,000. Back then City Council reps recognized central El Paso was lacking in fields compared to the east and west parts of the city.

At Tuesday’s meeting, Parks and Recreation Director Tracy Novak told city reps the city was contacted by El Paso Independent School District Trustee and former city rep Susannah Byrd, who had concerns that two of the sites proposed by the city in the recommended plan were not in the central planning area, but rather close to or butting the central planning area, and therefore were not in terms with the bond.

Novak said when the bond ordinance was passed, the project did indicate central El Paso.

He said the next concern brought up was that the bond called for only new flat fields.

“In my interpretation review of the bond ordinance it’s very broad that you can use existing parks you can renovate, expand you can build new. It gives the city council the ability to approach the deficit in many different ways,” Novak said.

Novak also reiterated the city would not claim 100% availability for joint use sites. He said the fields would only be used when schools aren’t using them, like on the weekends, after school or summertime.

Novak said Byrd also indicated the EPISD school sites up for potential disposal can be conveyed to the city for $1 a year, but the entire EPISD board would have to agree.

“Frankly this was a surprise for us,” Novak said. “We’ve had many meetings with EPISD where we identify potential sites over a period of time…at no time did they convey to the city they’d be willing to do that at a dollar a year. It’s always been termed as a fair market value or a land swap.”

There was a discussion about moving forward with a vote to approve, with out including any negotiations, discussion with EPISD.

But ultimately reps approved a motion to postpone made by Representative Alexsandra Annello. Rep Perez and Morgan voted against postponement. Representative Perez and Morgan voted no.