Way Under the Radar: OSAB NOT Advised about Stormwater Budget Meeting

Why wasn't OSAB advised about this meeting at the EPWU?


Here's the official notice about a stormwater budget meeting that was emailed today:

NOTICE OF A SPECIAL BUDGET REVIEW MEETING
OF THE PUBLIC SERVICE BOARD
CITY OF EL PASO

6:00 P.M., MONDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2013

The Chair of the Public Service Board has called a meeting of the Board for Monday, November 11, 2013, at 6:00 p.m., to be held in the Public Service Board Meeting Room located at 1154 Hawkins Boulevard, El Paso, Texas.

CALL TO ORDER
ESTABLISHMENT OF A QUORUM 
MOMENT OF SILENT PRAYER
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

REGULAR AGENDA

1.
Budget Workshop – FY 2014-15 Stormwater Operating and Capital Budget; Proposed Rules and Regulation Changes.

2.
Public Comment: The PSB will permit public comment on any item not on the agenda. The Chair may impose reasonable time limits for each speaker. 

EXECUTIVE SESSION

The Public Service Board will retire in Executive Session pursuant to Section 3.5A of the El Paso City Charter and the Texas Government Code, Sections 551.071 through 551.076.  (The items listed below are matters of the sort to be discussed in Executive Session; however, the Public Service Board may move to Executive Session any item of this agenda, consistent with the terms of the Open Meetings Act.)

                                                 Section 551.071             Consultation with Attorney
                                                 Section 551.072             Deliberation regarding Real Property

Any action as a result of these discussions will be taken at the re-opening of this meeting or at a subsequent meeting.

Adjournment.


Of course, 10% of stormwater fees go to the purchase of open space. The City's Open Space Advisory Board is responsible for advising Council regarding the disbursement of these fees. A list of priorities is part of the Open Space Master Plan.

So, why wasn't OSAB advised about this meeting at the EPWU?

Consumer/Citizen Advocacy PSB member, Rick Bonart, commented:

Here's the deal. People should show Monday. The pressure is on and here's why.

We get about $17 million in revenue for stormwater total.

$7.5 Million goes to O and M, $1.7 Million to Open Space, 4.5 to debt service which leaves only $3 Million a year for new projects. 

There are hundreds of millions of dollars of shit we have to still fix. Check it out: The freeway can't even stay open for a 10 year rain event and new construction by developers is still without a stormwater impact fee and they are old school not GI/LID so we have to build extra big facilities to handle stormwater.

Well we are looking at a rate increase. And the good news is if we increase the rates then money money comes in and 10 percent of more is more!

The bad news: whenever the fund builds up, your money gets used for park ponds. Ask yourself what was the last funded OS purchase.

Worse news they may eyeball your $1.7 Million and decide it's too much and cap it or eliminate.


Regardless the CIP for OS will be presented and a list of projects for funding will be show. So this is where your input can add or remove projects!