Will the Mayor's Blue Ribbon Committee Do Its Work?

Although the PSB's land management role has now been rescued at the Mayor's Blue Ribbon Committee, it would seem that the PSB now would prefer to let sleeping dogs lie. Yet, not everyone is happy with the resolution and the continuing issue that a reasonable condition for declaring property inexpedient is its intrinsic value as open space. 

The Mayor's Blue Ribbon Committee on Land Management Practices and Policies of the PSB was created by resolution of the El Paso City Council on June 12, 2012. Item 4 of the Resolution clearly states what the purview of the committee is:


"The Committee will review the following items, but not be limited to these items [emphasis mine], in providing recommendations on the land management practices and policies of the PSB:

Land use,
Revenue sharing practices and policies,
Designation of real estate as inexpedient to the System, 
Processes for selling real estate,
Open space,
Growth,
Water resource management, and 
Asset management"


One Committee member, Charlie Wakeem (who is also the Chairman of the City's Open Space Advisory Board) in an email to the Mayor's Executive Assistant, Diana Nuñez, requested that the following items be added to the September 17, 2012 Blue Ribbon agenda:

1. Review and amend the MOU resolution of August 22 [see link above]
2. Independent audit to determine cost and benefits between PSB and City [consistent with review of "revenue sharing practices and policies" of June 12th resolution above]
3. Open Space funding policy and procedures under the Ordinance Establishing the Municipal Drainage Utility [consistent with "Open space" and "revenue sharing" items
4. Create a sustainable water budget [consistent and critical to "water resource management and asset management" in the resolution]

What was the Mayor's response? Ms. Nuñez emailed Mr. Wakeem:

"I presented your request to Mayor Cook and he believes that your agenda items are not part of the list of items that the advisory committee was tasked to provide a recommendation on. Also, in my humble opinion, I doubt that there will be time available to discuss any additional matters as we only have one more meeting before the joint meeting on September 26th where the recommendations will be presented to Council and the PSB."

When were we in such a hurry? Re-scheduling never occurs? Determining inexpediency is just one issue. And, as I have said, the response is not entirely satisfactory. There is more here than meets the eye. Or, to use one of Mayor Cook's favorite expressions: "No good deed goes unpunished." Now that the PSB/EPWU have gotten help from the environmental/conservation community, they are prepared to turn on them with a vengeance. It's Hitler reassuring Chamberlain. Wait and see. More later.

By the way, here's a copy of the Resolution creating the Blue Ribbon Committee signed by Mayor John Cook:

Advisory Committee on Public Service Board Land Management
To enlarge, click on title or icon on bottom right above.