Welcome to El Paso Metro’s week in review. This section is updated every Tuesday night.
City Council Review
- Approved an agreement with El Paso Community Foundation to conduct an assessment of the Plaza Theater;
- Accepted grants to display artwork at El Paso Museum of Art;
- Awarded an additional six month contract to City lobbyist Hector Gutierrez;
- Approved nomination of Fermin Acosta to the Public Service Board;
- Extended moratorium for issuance of permits for off-premise signs for 90 days;
- Approved an ordinance requiring mechanical, electrical, plumbing and gas contractors to be licensed in order to participate in the apprenticeship program;
- Road rage ordinance was referred for legislative review.
Other news
- In its continuing effort to provide regional and national sports coverage, Jaime Sanchez, sports editor for ElPasoMetro.com, will cover the Olympics in Utah. Jaime Sanchez has covered the Sun Bowl, the Dallas Mavericks and local sports for the ElPasoMetro.com since October of 2001.
- Jaime O. Perez will offer a seminar on marketing businesses and products through the internet and opportunities for export. The workshop is conducted by chips-bits-bytes.com at Gabriel’s Café on February 7th at 6:30 pm. For more information, call 845-0707;
- El Paso County declines to participate in the Tax Increment Finance (TIF) Districts to force negotiation with the City of El Paso; County Attorney refuses to recuse himself on the issue despite strong perception of conflict-of-interest instead he has assigned Lee Shapleigh to advise the County. The problem is that Lee Shapleigh is married to Senator Elliot Shapleigh, another close political ally of Mayor Caballero;
- Thousands of voter registration cards returned to Helen Jamison’s county elections office with bad addresses. The office has been criticized for years for its apparent incompetence and lack of professionalism;
- Local ShoeSpring sales are increasing dramatically which is good news for El Paso;
- For the umpteenth time, a group of government officials have been taken to Colonias to look at conditions. Residents are expected to look particularly powerless, hungry and dirty for the cameras;
- Valor Business Solutions, a local telephone service provider, has closed its doors;
- Mayor Ray Caballero and Paul Strelzin flew together to Mexico City along with 80 other people in a junket billed as an El Paso “promotion”.
