PSB Forms Water Smart Home Advisory Committee

There’s important news at the bottom of this letter.

First – some congratulations are in order.  Mr. Henry Gallardo joins the PSB. He takes over the “General Business Management” seat previously held by Ms. Maria Teran. We certainly thank Ms. Teran for her many years of service. Mr. Gallardo’s online bio is brief but he has been quite involved in our community. He is the incoming Board Chairman for the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce; he’s an Executive Board Member on the Foundation for the Diocese of El Paso; Gallardo is a current member of the Paso del Norte Group and works with the Boys & Girls Club. This list is just the start. “I am a lifelong El Pasoan who is deeply committed to the long term success of our community,” Gallardo says.

Congratulations also to the new officers of the PSB: Richard T. Schoephoerster, Chairman; Katherine Brennand, Vice Chairwoman; and David Nemir, Secretary Treasurer. Again, many thanks to former chairman, Ed Escudero, who opened things up to the public –especially the conservation community. That brought about increased understanding on both sides. Dr. Schoephoerster voiced a desire to work with me – but, by that, I’m sure he meant those with more environmental/open space concerns. Dittos back to him.

The PSB is taking application to fill the Financial Management seat vacated by Mr. Escudero.

By the way, why is there no Environmental/Conservation seat on the PSB? Shouldn’t there be one? Hmmm?

Perhaps the most important action taken by the PSB was the appointment of a Water Smart Home Committee.  The work of this committee represents the ongoing conservation legacy of Ed Archuleta who proposed this idea at the last two PSB strategic planning meetings.  He  introduced the presentation given by Ms. Christina Montoya. Wednesday’s meeting was the last Mr. Archuleta will attend as President/CEO. John Balliew now officially leads the water utility. The Committee will identify water saving technologies, devices and appliances or methods for the home; identify implementation challenges with city codes and requirements; and prepare a final report for the PSB and City Council.

Here is the presentation with a list of members:

Water Smart Home Advisory Committee by jimhtolbert434

Katherine Brennand recommended adding Jennifer Barr. I also was surprised not to see Jennifer’s name on the original list. I was also looking for Katie Updike and Dr. John Walton, an engineer, hydrologist and UTEP professor who has personally made home and landscaping improvements for rainwater management at his residence. He wrote the local book on the subject shall we say.

Meetings are tentatively scheduled for Mondays, February 18, March 4 and 11 from 6 to 8 p.m. TecH2O will be the venue. The meetings will be opened to the public.

Bill Hoover, the President of the local El Paso chapter of Texas Master Naturalists, sent out word about a new rain garden smart phone app. Speaking of Master Naturalists, training to be one starts very soon. Find out how, why, when and where.

Do check out a new camp, home and garden store: Reliance Outdoor Supply. It has camp gear, survival gear, rainwater harvesting equipment, hydroponics (soon), and food storage solutions. It’s located at 1060 Doniphan Park Circle, Suite F at Doniphan and Sunland Park.  (Map)

Finally, in the next few days you will receive two or three more e-letters which will include updates about the Asarco stack and the entrance into the Tom Mays Unit of the FMSP.  I will be catching up with you this week. I apologize for the gaps between publications. As most of you have probably heard or read, I am running for the District 2 City Council seat. I will be sending out an official announcement before too long. I’m already discovering that I have less time for all my projects because of this new and exciting endeavor. I’ll do the best that I can though to keep you informed and updated with news you don’t usually get in the mass media.  The El Paso Hiker e-letter will get rolled into this one for a while. Please keep visiting elpasonaturally. I post new things there more frequently than I write this e-letter. Thank you for supporting and advocating sustainability and conservation here in the greater El Paso southwest region of our beautiful Chihuahuan Desert.  We may be into the third week of the year. Nevertheless, may each of you have a very happy, prosperous and healthy 2013.

Save Arts Funding in El Paso

How we treat our environment and relate to our ecosystem are just two facets of what makes life for us and our grandchildren’s grandchildren sustainable. But sustainability also has to do with cultural issues and what it is to be truly human.

Our ancestors who lived more than 40,000 years ago were not much different anatomically from us today. However for over a million years before a marvelous event of 40,000 years ago man-made artifacts consisted of nothing more than crude tools and weapons fashioned mainly from rocks. Then something happened. Archaeologists call it the Great Leap Forward for it was a quantum leap in culture that would affect humanity and human society henceforth. Suddenly, there were paintings, carvings, figurines, ornaments and murals such as those at the Lascaux Caves.  Human culture, the brilliant blooms of the human spirit, was born not from engineering or mathematics or scientific achievements – but from art. Indeed, art not only preceded all other human discoveries, it foreshadowed, foresaw and nurtured them.

Whenever a government cuts funding for the arts, it is a fatal mistake. There is plenty of research to suggest that children enriched by fine arts do better than other students. There is something about the warp and woof of our brains that, with a musical tempo or a swirl of color and shape, our minds conceive quantum mechanics and relativity, unlock genetic codes and can solve Fermat’s Theorem or twist a Rubik’s cube so that each side has a single-color. It is always foolish to cut-back on the arts to penny-pinch a budget to balance. Any municipality that does this, does so with an atavist’s nostalgia for the good old days before the Great Leap Forward. It does so with total disregard of what makes a City vibrant and worth living in and worth visiting.

Yet, the City of El Paso is on the verge tomorrow of de-funding the arts. Item 5A on tomorrow’s agenda introduces an ordinance to cut funding for the arts for (they claim) six years. The public hearing for this ordinance is scheduled for June 26^th but it would be great to contact your representative now and nip this one in the bud.  There are many good reasons for City Council members to say “NO” now and Arts Advocate, Katherine Brennand (who is also a member of the PSB), makes the case. Please read her powerful argument to deep six this new ordinance at its introduction.  Then, please contact your City representative. (Just click on the image of your rep and follow the links to contact.)

Also in regard to our sustainability as a people and culture, we need to be mindful of the education we provide our children and all citizens. We are all familiar with the sickening scandals that have rocked the El Paso Independent School District. Thanks to real public heroes such as former Senator Eliot Shapleigh and diligent journalists such as those at the El Paso Times, we know the story. Yesterday the Times took the unprecedented but necessary step of publishing an editorial on its front page.  That piece written by the editorial board of the paper called for the immediate resignation of five of the EPISD board members. The El Paso Times is right. They also published the names of the five board members who should resign now and gave their email addresses. They urged readers to email these persons and demand their resignation. The Times editorial board wrote: "It will take a strong public outcry to get these board members to finally do the right thing."


Here are the names and email addresses:

David Dodge, jaddodge@earthlink.net  

Patricia Hughes, phughes@episd.org  

Isela Castañon-Williams, miselacw@yahoo.com  

Russell Wiggs, russell.wiggs.b4mc@statefarm.com  

Joel Barrios, jbarrios@episd.org

Please email them if you agree that they should go. 

Don't De-Fund the Arts

El Paso Arts Advocate, Katherine Brennand (who is also a member of the PSB) fought for a 2% for the Arts ordinance for years.  Cities all over the country were already funding arts in this manner - some at 1%, some at 2%. In fact, the federal government passed a law (as did the State) years ago that required that any construction paid for with state or federal funds had to set aside a certain portion for public art.  Beginning in the 90's, Katherine began efforts to see El Paso take similar action. Such an ordinance eventually passed although, under Mayor Joe Wardy, it skipped and jumped around, and the ordinance changed from including revenue bonds to not including Certificates of Obligation. But in 2006 City Council finalized the 2% ordinance to include ALL bonds. Therefore, any municipal construction would include 2% for Public Art. Now Council is being asked to consider waiving that source of funding from the Street Infrastructure Capital Plan. An ordinance will be introduced tomorrow (Item 5A on the Agenda) with public hearing tentatively scheduled for June 26th. One hopes Council will deep six this matter now. The introduction to the ordinance suggests that in lieu of the 2% requirement, "street construction projects will incorporate a public art component as part of the design." (See attachment to the agenda item.)

Ms. Brennand writes:

"The commitment has been made that, if the 2% is waived for 6 years, then, in lieu of that requirement, the City would incorporate art into each of the reconstruction projects.  The rationale is that when the larger Quality of Life bond issue is presented in the Fall, Public Art will be adequately funded.

An alternative, suggested by the mayor, is to reduce the 2% to 1%, given the size of the obligations.

Any responsible, committed arts advocate will question these proposals for the following reasons:

• Without a doubt, having a 2% for the Arts Ordinance is quite enviable, although many, many cities across the country have this same ordinance.  In El Paso’s case, it took about 20 years of hard and consistent work to achieve this goal.  Once the 2% is suspended for any reason, and for such a lengthy time, it will be extremely difficult to get it reinstated….no matter the promises.

• How can the City be promoting a Quality of Life bond issue, and, at the same time, want to cut a fundamental funding base of Public Art?

• This sends a message to our artists, to our community, and, most importantly, to our children, that the arts can be funded whimsically….or not.

• It sets a precedent.  Even if the 2% for the Arts is reinstated in 2019 (!) what is to keep this from happening again?

• If the City is making the commitment to incorporate art into the road construction projects, which will cost money, why not leave the 2% in place and let those monies pay the expense?

• 2% of these bond issues is a minuscule amount compared to the city’s needs.  Is it being said that with the 2% going to the arts that it’s too much??  If that is the case, why aren’t we intelligently discussing  alternatives that will keep the 2% ordinance, but will augment/enhance  how we are using it?  Perhaps the amendment  should  include salaries and/or administrative costs for the Public Art program.  Why has there not been an opportunity to discuss proposals that could greatly benefit the community and the City?

• The 2% for the Arts from bond issues is the ONLY source of funding for this program.  As we know, bond elections happen every few years, not once a month.  Budgeting for the Public Art Program is difficult.  Administrative costs for the program cannot be taken from the 2%.  That means  cash flow for the program can be compared to a roller coaster ride. Without bond elections, the monies from the 2% for the Arts diminish quickly.

• El Pasoans seem to be very excited about a Quality of Life bond issue. The economic impact  from it should be impressive  This city is on the move….things are happening….we are “growing up”… young people are excited!  Suspending the 2% for the Arts for any reason at this point is completely regressive and will not be well received.  Reducing it from 2% to 1%  is even worse.

The arts are NOT the icing on the cake . . . they are more like the flour and butter.  They hold us together, soothe our souls, lift our spirits, give us hope.  It is a known fact that some children stay in school and do not drop out because of their interest in an art form - theatre, dance, painting.   It is also documented that children who are exposed to the arts score significantly higher on the ACT and SAT.  It is the creative output from the arts that we leave to future generations: the terra cotta warriors and horses from Xian, China, rock art paintings and murals that have endured for thousands of years, the renown works of Renaissance painters, the output of great literary artists, the great architectural edifices.  The list is endless.

 So, why do we EVER diminish the importance of artistic endeavor???  But we do!  We are doing it right now with the proposal to suspend the 2% from the streets infrastructure bond issue.  And, here’s a question.  Can we afford to make this cut?  The answer is simply: 'NO, WE CANNOT!'"