The Bosque and Untied Blue Ribbons

Begin the countdown: T minus Eight days until the beginning of the 2012 PSB Strategic Planning meetings on Thursday and Friday, October 11^th and 12^th at the TecH20 Center starting at 8 a.m. each morning. Environmental/Conservation community members: Big Red Circles on your calendars for these upcoming days.  PSB/EPWU: extra coffee and Krispy Kremes, s’il vous plait.

One item certain to be on the Strategic Planning agenda – water for the Rio Bosque. Let’s do some catching up since elpasonaturally reported some dramatic revelations at the September PSB meeting. Last week EPWU Vice President, John Balliew, briefed Open Space Advisory Board members about the Rio Bosque and set the record straight. In summary, here are the facts:

1.       The water which the Bustamante plant currently empties into the Riverside canal (or drain) is slightly treated effluent which is permitted by the TCEQ.

2.       That water is returned to the Water Improvement District without charge by conditions set in the Rio Grande Project Implementing Contract among the Bureau of Reclamation, the WID, and the PSB.

3.       One strategy for getting water to the Bosque was to use the Bosque as part of a larger water treatment scheme – the multi-million dollar seeming Rube Goldberg devised by Malcolm Pirnie. That was “Plan A”. Unfortunately, salts and metals in the Bosque soil would have added additional long-term expenses to water treatment.

4.       Thus “Plan B” created by Balliew – a $440,000 pipeline to the Bosque with several outlets to spread the water more evenly. Construction could begin soon.  But what kind of water would flow through the pipe?

5.       Slightly treated effluent is permitted to be returned to the river. It would not be permissible to use this water directly on the Bosque. Permissible water must be purple pipe quality – reclaimed water, i.e., effluent that has been filtered and re-disinfected.

6.       New problem: by the rules and regulations of bond covenants, our water utility would have to sell the water to the Bosque as it does to other City’s parks. There is some debate here, but an easy solution would be to transfer the Bosque from the City inventory to the PSB inventory. If there are measures (say a conservation easement) which guarantee that the Bosque would remain an educational/research wetland preserve with UTEP as a partner, that transfer should be attractive to conservationists.

Elpasonaturally doesn’t just see light at the end of the tunnel  - but sunrise on the wetland alive with the melodies of many merry species of birds. One can even begin to hear the Mormon Tabernacle Choir singing Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus.

What’s driving water to the Bosque? The question is better asked “Who’s driving water to the Bosque?” Elpasonaturally has learned through the engineering grapevine that John Balliew has been pushing for a solution and is making it happen. Bringing much needed water to the Bosque efficiently, is not just a matter of turning a valve. The question is whether there can still be a temporary solution that can bring water there now and relieve John Sproul from his Sisythusian task of hauling water by truck day after day. What’s in it for El Paso if Balliew succeeds – an $18Million eco-tourist bonanza.

One other little tidbit: the EPWU person most trusted by conservation groups: John Balliew.

Joint Resolution Article 1 Revision Recommended

Click on title or icon on bottom right-hand corner to enlarge.

One last matter to catch up on – the Mayor’s Blue Ribbon Committee, now untied from their task since a joint meeting of the City Council and PSB last week approved their proposals. Just read the Chris Roberts EP Times story, Rules for PSB land sales clarified. In essence there is really not much difference between what was and what will be. The PSB will continue to determine when land is inexpedient and can be sold. Sections “D” and “E” of the new provision spell out more specific goals and guidelines for determining inexpediency.  Of importance to conservationists are two provisions. In the provision for land sales of more than 25 acres (Item “C” in the revised provision), “open space” is defined as one of the public facilities that the PSB must transfer to the City without cost. This is huge. Moreover, in Item “D” “preserving open spaces and critical arroyos” is listed as a goal when considering land sale opportunities.  Elpasonaturally believes that PSB Chairman and Blue Ribbon member, Ed Escudero, was very helpful in adding this important verbiage. Making open space a criteria for inexpediency all by itself would have been the giant leap – but this one small step should be appreciated by El Pasoans who cherish their natural heritage.

You can view the slideshow Recommendations from the City of El Paso Advisory Committee on PSB Land Management presented to the joint meeting of the City Council and PSB last Wednesday.

Next to finally for this e-letter: there have been expressions of optimism about our ongoing water supply. Caution may be the better attitude. Please read some thoughts by PSB member (and the doctor of Copernicus, my Flame Point Siamese), Dr. Rick Bonart.

And finally, finally: fall weather is perfect for hiking, mountain biking, climbing, planting and just getting outdoors. There are so many great, organized hikes now. Celebration of Our Mountains is in full swing. Also check out El Paso Hiking Group, Guadalupe Mountains National Park Meetup Group,  Las Cruces & El Paso Adventurists, and Peak Fitness Challenge. See the Franklin Mountains State Park October hiking and events schedule.  Scenic Drive is open to all hikers, bicyclists, walkers, strollers (with attached parent), even Chihuahuas (with attached human) every Sunday from 6 to 11 a.m.  One not-to-miss educational lecture this week: Dr. Paul Hyder will be talking about rattlesnakes on Thursday, October 4^th, at 6:15ish (following a Master Naturalist chapter meeting) at the El Paso Garden Center, 3105 Grant Avenue. (Map).  And take an arroyo walk, visit archaeological sites and buy native plants for your garden at Keystone Heritage Park this Saturday, October 6^th.

How Much Water?

If you are able, there are 3 big reasons to attend tomorrow’s Public Service Board Meeting at the El Paso Water Utilities Building 1154 Hawkins Blvd. (Map) at 9 a.m. :

First there is Item 13 on the agenda.  Dr. Bill Hutchison will give a presentation on the El Paso Municipal Water Supply: Availability, Development and Management. Read the attachment to the agenda regarding his bio and background with the water utility and his expertise. (BTW, if you use Chrome as your web browser, you will not be able to open any EPWU attachment. You will have to switch to Internet Explorer. I do not know how well other browsers work with the site. EPWU staff does not seem willing to make their site more user friendly to all El Pasoans.) In May 2006, Dr. Hutchison published his doctoral dissertation written at UTEP under the guidance of Dr. John Walton. I understand that Dr. Walton will be in attendance at tomorrow’s PSB meeting.  CEO Archuleta has asked Hutchison to give an overview of regional water resources, groundwater modeling and interpretation, discuss the Far West Texas Water Plan, water districts and their authority, regional modeling and plans for our future.

The issues really are how much water do we have and how much can we count on in the future especially in the context of continuing drought, population growth, continuing sprawl and the impact of global warming and climate change. A good resource to understand the impact of climate change on El Paso is a presentation given by NOAA and National Weather Service meteorologist and forecaster, David Novlan, gave to the Trans-Pecos Chapter of the Texas Master Naturalists last Thursday evening. You can view the slide show that accompanied his talk. Although you don’t have the advantage of his talk, you can learn much by carefully studying each frame.

Part of the EPWU strategy is to begin importation of water from areas east of El Paso in the near future. Because of water shortages all over the state, region, nation and world, pushback from local authorities is going to make importation harder not easier. At the last Mayor’s Blue Ribbon Committee, Ted Houghton made exactly that point. One hopes that he will be heard out about the matter. Witness the politics in Milam County, Texas.  The authority of water districts will trump water use plans. Witness the problem in Odessa, Texas.  Lawsuits to allow New Mexico farmers the right to pump  groundwater near the Rio Grande which will drain what comes to El Paso and the rest of Texas are making their way through the courts.  For its part, New Mexico is struggling with many of the same issues and water wars are shaping up over the Colorado River water. And, let’s not forget Chihuahua.

Bottom line: Dr. Hutchison is a must hear. Let’s hope that he talks straight and does not try to bend things for the EPWU official line. Water is scarce. That scarcity is growing. We need to speak openly and honestly.

Next on the agenda is Item 14, a presentation on the Rio Bosque Wetlands Park by John Sproul. The Bosque is a prime example of things just not making sense – a sign of back room deals and water arithmetic just not checking out.  Effluent is treated at the EPWU’s Bustamante plant.  About 7,800 acre feet of treated effluent water per year which could go to the Bosque gets dumped back into a drain controlled by the Water District and never makes it to the Bosque. (Once in a drain or canal of the Water District, the water belongs to the District.) Although the EPWU purchases river water from the Water District, this treated effluent (which is not river water of course) goes to the district as a freebie. And that’s just the start. The 7800 acre feet is what could go the Bosque.  The average output from Bustamante Waste Water Treatment Plant averages 28 MGD (Million Gallons per Day).  Purple pipe water goes for $.96 per Ccf (a Ccf is 100 cubic feet, or 748 gallons).  (28,000,000 MGD/748 Gal) X $.96 = $35,935/day.  That’s quite a windfall that the Water District gets for free! Why?

Also to divert water from the Bustamante directly to the Bosque requires a modification of a permit with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). (To see the permit go to the Central Registry Query.  Type in Bustamante for Regulated Entity and select wastewater for the program.  Leave all other fields blank.  When the Bustamante WWTP's information comes up on the screen, scroll down to the link for permit number WQ0010408010.  This link will take you to a page from which View Permit allows you to download the permit.) Changing a permit may allow the TCEQ to add more requirements and the EPWU in the past has expressed that they don’t want the hassle.  Or is it a hassle? Many believe that simple political persuasion will make a change of the permit easy. So, why can’t the Bosque get water and why is there seemingly no effort to get water to them from the Bustamante and, instead, to dump water back into canals and drains controlled by the Water District as a free gift to the District?

Which brings us to the third  big reason to attend the PSB meeting tomorrow. Item 15 is a presentation by Malcolm Pirnie/Arcadis on the feasibility of providing reclaimed water to Rio Bosque and on the potential for a potable reuse project using effluent from the Roberto R. Bustamante Wastewater Treatment Plant and the Rio Bosque Wetlands. See the Malcolm Pirnie/Arcadis presentation to OSAB in August. This presentation goes hand in hand with Item 14 and it and Item 14 are part of that place where the rubber hits the road when it comes to Item 13.

Tomorrow is a PSB not to miss.

Finally, another don’t miss meeting is next Monday’s (September 17) meeting of the Mayor’s Blue Ribbon Committee at 8 a.m. in the City Council chambers. The question was whether that Committee would do all that it was created to do. Read the blog post. It seemed that, now that the PSB control of land management is in the bag, other issues about water management, open space and a water use budget might be dropped. Again, TxDOT’s Ted Houghton was raising some powerful questions about water districts and water importation at the last meeting. Are we now going to just drop them? The Mayor’s new agenda may be giving more leeway for completing the Blue Ribbon’s tasks.

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.

Take Me Out to the Ballpark . . . and the Arena

Mayor Cook’s Blue Ribbon Advisory Committee on PSB Land Management met yesterday. You can read my post on what happened.  That post includes the complete presentation on land management given by Pat Adauto. It’s an education. It also includes the resolution proposed by the PSB and passed by the Committee as that resolution was finally amended. Finally, the good news: the Committee rescinded its earlier proposal which in essence stripped the PSB of its land management role especially determining inexpediency.

The ballpark issue remains controversial. This evening several City Council representatives are giving town hall meetings to discuss that issue.  City Representatives Steve Ortega, Dr. Michiel Noe, Cortney Niland, Ann Morgan Lilly, Emma Acosta and Susie Byrd will host these meetings from 7 to 8 p.m.  The purpose of the meetings was announced this way: “City Reps. want to ensure that the public has the correct information on the downtown ballpark project.”

Meeting locations are as follows: 

• Mission Valley Regional Command - 9011 Escobar Dr. (Ortega & Noe)
• Westside Regional Command - 4801 Osborne Dr. (Niland & Lilly)
• Nolan Richardson Rec. Center - 4435 Maxwell Ave. (Acosta & Byrd)

Get more information online as well.

Whether you approve or disapprove the new ballpark or tearing down City Hall and the Insights Museum (and these are emotionally charged issues), there seems to be a common perception that the deals went down in the dark of night without citizen input or involvement. What adds to the alarm is that these issues are coterminous with the Quality of Life Bonds and in the context of an economy still hurting which translated means that people are still hurting. One of the Quality of Life bonds is titled “MUSEUM, CULTURAL, PERFORMING ARTS, AND LIBRARY FACILITIES PROPOSITION”. Hidden in that is the downtown arena. I for one am having a hard time justifying building an arena/performing arts facility when we are building a ballpark, HOT tax notwithstanding.

Finally, and this is what has bothered me the most and keeps bothering me – there is a persistent rumor that the City Manager’s undisclosed plan is to tear down the Abraham Chavez Performing Arts Center (and, of course, Convention Center) and replace it with that “arena” per the bond. Symphony lovers have long complained about the acoustics of the Plaza theater and have indicated a preference for Chavez Center. Unfortunately, the very powerful El Paso Community Foundation insists otherwise. Talk about colonialism.

Blue Ribbon Unties Previous Proposal

Mayor Cook's Blue Ribbon Advisory Committee on PSB Land Management met yesterday in the City Council chambers, on television, with City and PSB staff and members of the conservation community present. In brief, here's what happened.

Pat Adauto gave a presentation about EPWU's Land Management Program giving history, policies, guiding principles, water and land planning and more. You will have a thorough background by reading each slide carefully either by clicking on the title of the presentation below and opening in a new tag or window or clicking on the bottom bar's far right icon. Here it is:
Land Management Program

After the presentation, Adauto and Committee member also PSB Chairman, Ed Escudero, went over a proposed revision to a joint resolution between the City and PSB about land management. It adds language about land sale goals "D", and methodology for land expediency "E". Again read carefully either by clicking on the title and opening in a new tag or window or clicking on the bottom bar's far right icon.
Land Management Program Proposed Revision

Committee members did some tweaking and then passed a motion first rescinding their previous proposal of a new committee to determine if land can be sold and second of all adopting the resolution.

Thankfully the previous proposal was abandoned. That proposal in essence would have taken land management away from the PSB and given it to a Committee of two members of City Council, two from PSB with the Mayor presiding. Most objected to it because it was designed to speed up land sales in total disregard to water conservation management.

The new resolution keeps PSB in control of land management, provides for more transparency between the PSB and City Council, and puts in writing what the criteria are for determining inexpediency.

Now here's the rub: many in the conservation community were hoping for a clear statement that one reasonable condition for declaring property inexpedient should be its intrinsic value as open space. However, land sales goals include the preservation of open spaces and critical arroyos, protecting water supply and so forth. Moreover, item 4 of methodology states as a criteria for inexpediency that "[t]here is adequate water resource supply to serve the land and development contemplated." Item 5 says that the "land will be developed in a manner that will enhance regional watershed management." I.e., not enough adequate water supply + no enhancement of the watershed - no development and certainly preservation of open space could follow.

It was explained to me that, had land preservation been a "method", then there could be no other reason for selling the land. As a goal, land preservation is always a consideration.

Still some are not yet convinced that the resolution goes far enough. There, of course is one more meeting of the blue ribbon to be held September 10 or 17 to consider financial and water use questions followed by a joint City Council and PSB meeting on September 26. There is time for more tweaking as well as perhaps looking at the role of the Open Space Advisory Board regarding land management and its relationship with the PSB and City Council. 

Perhaps one very easy fix is to re-title section D as follows: Land Sales, Preservation and Development Goals. 

On the Eve of the Televised Blue Ribbon

Briefly, here are a couple of points I'd like to make before tomorrow's blue ribbon committee meeting:

First, Dr. Rick Bonart, a PSB member, proposes a Water Use Budget. Currently, a department such as Parks and Recreation can buy all of the water it can with the budget that it has. Instead, they (and others) should be limited to a certain percentage of the water supply - that and no more. A water use budget. 

Second, I'm not sure that I made myself clear in the e-letter yesterday posted on this blog. Some interpreted what I had to say in #2 of that letter was a call to end the 10% of the stormwater fee for purchasing open space. What I was trying to say is that 100% of that 10% should go for purchasing natural open space. As it is now, City Council plays politics with it and spends it on popular shrubs and turf for park ponds for each district. Here we are trying to conserve water which can be done by preserving natural open space in perpetuity but instead we are buying more turf to water! We need to stop that policy now and, in fact, reverse it. Make Parks and Recreation (which already has a bloated budget via the Quality of Life bond) pay it back. Let OSAB and PSB work directly together.

Please read Dr. Bonart's response to Dr. Goodell's letter. It's a comment that he made about that letter. I call your attention to these words:

". . . the Far West Texas 50-year water plan identifies 141k acre feet of water as our sustainable supply (combined from all sources). Last year we used 114k acre feet. In order to achieve the 141k a lot of expensive infrastructure to recycle and distribute will be required.

"Regardless, if the service area population increases at 5%/year as projected, the difference of 27k acre feet will be consumed in 5 to 6 years."

Sustainable supply is what it is all about. Thus, the need for a Water Use Budget and the need to use 100% of the 10% of the stormwater fee to purchase natural open space not more grass to water!

Please Attend Wednesday's Blue Ribbon Meeting

The next meeting of Blue Ribbon Advisory Committee on Public Service Board (PSB) Land Management will be held on Wednesday, August 22^nd at 8:00 a.m. in the City Council Chambers. The meeting will be open and televised.  El Paso’s water future is the key issue. Do we want the PSB to continue to manage land deliberately as part of an overall water conservation effort or do we want to sell land quickly for development and sprawl?  Judy Ackerman has stated it best: “Please invite others to attend and encourage the termination of the “Blue Ribbon” committee.  The reason that the PSB exists is to remove politics from sales of city owned land.  The purpose of the “Blue-Ribbon” committee is to put politics back in land sales.”

Please visit the elpasonaturally post Update on Sad Blue Committee for more background.  EPWU Public Information Specialist, Martin Bartlett, has provided some strong bullet points for keeping PSB doing what it has been doing since 1952.  See the post, Why the PSB Should Continue to Manage City Land.

Elpasonaturally continues to call for making the preservation of land as natural open space in perpetuity as one of the reasons why land should be declared inexpedient by the PSB and set aside rather than put on the market. (A reasonable condition for declaring property inexpedient is its intrinsic value as open space.)  Here are a few more action items for City Council to take rather than forming a committee to hurry-up land sales:

1.       The City is using too much water for turf parks. ( 20% of this year’s river water!)  We need to limit turf parks by setting a limit on the municipal water supply available for turf parks to a max of 10% of the project river water per year.  Conservation of water requires a transition to natural open space and passive recreation.

2.       The City Council needs to get out of the relationship between the Open Space Advisory Board (OSAB) and PSB regarding spending the 10% of your stormwater fee for open space.  This is really a PSB budget item and City Council needs to stop draining those funds and PSB needs to stand up to Council.  

3.       An OSAB member needs to be allowed to participate in land negotiations conducted by the PSB on open space land purchases.

4.       And again, dissolve the Blue Ribbon Committee and start putting more time and effort into strategic planning (both PSB and the City working together) about our water future in light of global warming, water shortage and drought.

Low flow shower heads and house by house rainwater harvesting make sense and do make a difference locally – but they are just drops in the bucket compared to the overall water issues currently facing us. Marshall Carter-Tripp wrote to say:

“I attended the Rain Harvesting session today. [TecH20 workshop this past Saturday.]  Reasonably informative.   But I kept thinking that this is in the category of the deck chairs on the Titanic.  If we save and use some rainwater, fine, we can reduce our reliance on city water.   We personally don't have the storage capacity to live off the grid as it were.   And of course, as rainfall totals drop, where are we going?  If every new house in EP had to have harvesting capacity installed, even if we retrofitted every house in EP, would that help?  At 4500 gallons a year total from a roof, seems unlikely to keep the problem under control, especially if we continue the headlong expansion of the city. Low-flow toilets, efficient washers, Yada Yada.   Helpful but . . .

“That big gorilla over there in the corner is our totally wasteful and totally unsustainable agriculture, which cannot be fed by rainwater harvesting.  (Nor can all those new swimming pools going in around the City.) What we are doing now is promoting minor actions that make a small number of people feel that something important is being done while we ignore that gorilla and his twin, "how many people can live in the Paso del Norte region?  Have we already reached that number?  What happens in 2042?”

It is time to look more critically at our choices of water hungry crops, irrigation canals subject to evaporation, and a water district out of our control – and more out of our control since the number of people who can vote in Water Improvement District #1 was cut dramatically through legislation by State Senator José Rodriguez. WID Manager, Jesus “Chuy” Reyes, won’t answer questions about voting rights denied.

There are those who are more optimistic about El Paso’s water future. Dr. Phil Goodell, THE Dean of Geology and a hero of mine, believes El Paso with its desalinization plant and prospects for importing water will have water for “hundreds” of years even if that water is much more expensive. I suspect that the truth lies somewhere between the most pessimistic assumptions and centuries of time. Do read, Dr. Goodell’s email to me posted here. Whatever the case, for sure his optimism is yet another reason to let PSB continue to manage land and water conservation. Manage with more transparency for sure. Manage as part of a comprehensive El Paso strategy for its water future, definitely. And manage with more environmental/conservation experts on the Board and less tied to development and industry and less whose institutions benefit from PSB/EPWU largesse.

Finally, if you don’t believe that global warming, long-term drought and water shortage are issues, just turn on the news. A reader just pointed out that last winter the north rim of the Grand Canyon received eight inches of snow when the average is 142 inches! Here’s a quick read about drought impact including links to more information. Cut to the chase? Just go to the Drought Mitigation Center.

Why the PSB Should Continue to Manage City Land

This coming Wednesday at 8 a.m. in the City Council chambers the Blue Ribbon Committee looking at PSB land management will once again meet - this time in full view of the public and televised. Bulldozing Ted "TxDOT" Houghton will not be able to complain about the meeting being open rather than closed. 

The PSB exists to remove politics from sales of city owned land. It would seem that the Blue Ribbon Committee so far wants to put politics back into land sales.

In a response to an email from activist, Judy Ackerman, Martin Bartlett, Public Information Specialist for the EPWU, sent the following reasons for keeping the status quo - i.e., letting the PSB manage land and determine when the land will be sold:

0816 Ackerman Request

Update on Sad Blue Ribbon Committee

There has been a change of venue for the Blue Ribbon Advisory Committee on Public Service Board (PSB) Land Management. The next meeting will be held on Wednesday, August 22^nd at 8:00 a.m. in the City Council Chambers. The meeting will be open and televised. Now that more and more thoughtful El Pasoans are learning that this committee is making recommendations that will compromise El Paso’s water future, there is a greater urgency to open their deliberations to the public. In fact, many are now calling for the dissolution of this committee. Elpasonaturally hopes that will mean that the City will put more time and effort into strategic planning about our water future in light of global warming, water shortage and drought.

In  an email which I sent earlier today to Ed Archuleta, President and CEO of PSB/EPWU and Ed Escudero, Chairman of the PSB, I made a few suggestions:

·         Although the petition for preserving the scenic corridor has led to several benefits already, one negative result was the creation of the Blue Ribbon Committee because of the animosity over the intense struggle with the PSB to preserve any of that land. It’s a negative now because the Committee has been co-opted by a group whose objectives are totally opposite of land and water conservation. Instead they are motivated by the instant gratification of profit on the one hand, and the City’s urgent need for more revenue on the other.

·         Marketability should not be the only reason for declaring land inexpedient for the utility’s uses. Preserving land in its natural open state in perpetuity is and should be a very valid reason as part of a water conservation strategy. Besides taking land out of the system for development will only increase the value of other, scarcer land.

·         A closer working relationship between the PSB and the Open Space Advisory Board would be to the advantage of all El Pasoans. The desire to take politics out of water management led to the creation of the PSB. Yet, preserving open space per the master plan remains difficult because of politics. Rather than purchasing more natural open space or working on valuable projects such as Feather Lake, we find ourselves buying water thirsty sod and shrubs for a host of park ponds with more such “parks” being contemplated – even announced by City Engineer Alan Shubert at a recent meeting of City Council.

·         Seats on the PSB must include more conservationists and environmentalists.

 

Both Mr. Archuleta and Mr. Escudero met yesterday with Senator José Rodriguez’s Environmental Committee chaired by Dr. Richard Teschner. Several  points were made:

·         Although the PSB does determine whether land is inexpedient, the final decision of what to do with the land belongs to City Council.

·         PSB wants to know what they can do better or what problems there may be so that they can fix them.

·         PSB keeps the city staff informed and the Mayor sits on the PSB.  PSB briefs each new City Council member one on one.  PSB is willing to brief City Council verbally or in writing as often as needed.

·         The first Blue Ribbon Committee meeting didn’t even follow the agenda. Discussion began about taking decision-making about inexpediency away from the PSB.

·         The PSB is and has been the best place to manage land and water together apart from politics.

·         The PSB is not a broken system. [What may be more broken is the City’s ability to deal with budget, debt and revenue.]

·         PSB members carefully and thoroughly debate issues with water conservation first in mind.

·         The PSB prevents leap frog development.

·         PSB has been a leader in determining that water hungry industries either do not come to El Paso or have conservation plans if they do. [Remember the issue of water foot prints. Many industries bring good jobs without having heavy water needs.]

·         The PSB welcomes a better organized environmental community because that means being able to work more effectively with them.

Judy Ackerman, a member of the Senator’s committee, took some notes and you can read her summary as well.

It may be good to let the City Planning Department master plan – but taking the management of land and water away from the PSB and removing the key decision about determination of inexpediency would be disastrous for the short and long-term sustainability of El Paso, Texas.

Two things: in spite of the “battle” over the corridor and inanities of declaring a vacant lot as natural open space, conservationists and the PSB should be natural allies. Setting aside land in perpetuity as a reason for determining inexpediency and working more closely with open space advocates can only foster this better relationship. Throwing the baby out with the bath water will only serve the interests of those who prefer the bulldozer to water in your pipes.

Just know that the sustainability of our water supply is not just a local issue and will require much more than the important steps each and all of us take for water conservation in El Paso. It’s a regional/national/global issue. Whether it is the overuse of water in the Ogallala Aquifer or the demands on the Colorado River Basin, the scarcity, control and management of water will be the single most important issue of the 21^st Century. What has been going on in Western U.S. water policy impacts us here in El Paso.  We are just now beginning to see the consequences of bad water policies by generations of decision makers. Let’s make good ones in El Paso, Texas. Selling land for a quickie profit rather than carefully and conservatively managing our land and water is a prescription for disaster.

Finally, please do go to and bookmark Kids First/Reform EPISD and sign the petition.  Like them on Facebook.

Summary of Meeting with Rodriguez Environmental Committee

I will say more about yesterday's meeting of Senator Rodriguez's Environmental Committee with Ed Archuleta and Ed Escudero in an e-letter to go out in just a bit. In the meantime, here are some notes taken by Judy Ackerman, a member of that Committee. They have not been checked for accuracy and Judy admits that they may reflect her biases. Nevertheless, it seems that she covers much of what was said. I have not corrected typos:

"Ed Escudero (EE) started with an overview of what the PSB does for the best interest of El Pasoans managing water and land.  EE explained the complicated bond process.  He praised PSB staff, who are experts with extensive experience in water, management and finance issue.   Audits come back with no errors.  PSB members have studied issues for years.  Board members are diverse, dedicated, work hard and do their homework.   They do not always agree, but respect each other and have learned to work together.  The Blue Ribbon committee cannot gain needrd knowledge in a short time.  City Council suggested that BSP look to Albuquerque and San Antonio for best practices, but at the same time those cities were looking to El Paso as the leader in these issues.    EE did not realize that PSB needs to sing its own praises to make City Council aware of El Paso’s supremacy in water management.

"Ed Archuleta (EA) praised Environmental groups getting their act together.  When EA came to EPWU, it was easy to chew up the land without objection.  EA praised Susie Azar for leading on water conservation and impact fees and praised former Mayor Chew for his comments on not building too fast – Mayor Chew had no ulterior motive for his comments.

"PSB keeps the city staff informed and the Mayor sits on the BPS.  PSB briefs each new City Council member one on one.  PSB is willing to brief City Council verbally or in writing as often as needed.

"In 2012 there was an MOU between the City and PSB on the process of selling City land.  Plots less than 25 acres follow a process.  Lots of more than 25 acres must follow the City’s Master Plan and comply with all city codes, plans and policies.

"We need a more clear definition of when land is “inexpedient”.  The Blue Ribbon committee appears to want to take the decision process of when to sell land away from the PSB so that the city can capture some profit from the sale.  This violates the whole concept of the creation of the PSB – removing politics from land sales.  If the City takes money for land sales away from the PSB, then the price of water will go up – a backdoor or hidden tax.

"By law, the PSB can only own 3,000 acres in the lower valley and they are at that limit.  That is land with irrigation water rights.

"PSB spends about $50 mil / yr.

"Westway Colonia was a success.

"Dr. Bill Hutchison, former EPWU Water Resources Manager, will speak at the PSB meeting in Sep.  He is the expert and might speak at other venues.

"PSB is currently using a new USGS model that took five years to develop.  

"Impact fees are a step in the right direction, but not sufficient.  The City still subsidizes development at city taxpayer’s expense.   By TX law, water rights cannot be included in the impact fees.

"PSB is currently paying $35 / acre foot for brackish water from Bliss and $280 / acre foot for river water (paid to the irrigation district).  PSB could take more water from the river.  Desalination is expensive.  We can get more water, but it will cost more.

"Wildwood Canyon was a success.

"PSB had success in reducing the number of small independent water utilities in the area.

"PSB works with REDCo on businesses that want to more to El Paso.  They need to NOT waste water.  The jean factories used too much water.

"City Council members who say, “Just drill more wells,” clearly are ignorant of water issues and should NOT be in charge of making any decisions on land or water.

"Don’t rush to sell land if you want to get the most value from it.  The land value can go up dramatically based on development of private land.

"Blue Ribbon committee should go away.  In the meantime, the public should attend Blue Ribbon committee meetings.

"Richard T.  – There are many Environmental organizations.  How can we help?

"Judy Ackerman – Praised for EA and PSB on their visionary work on water conservation leading to national and worldwide recognition by educating the public.  Can the PSB do similar education on the link between land, water, and population issues?  Answer:  Yes.  Christina Montoya is working on education issues now.  How can local Environmental Organizations help?  Answer:  Get the word out with newsletters, etc. 

"Rick Bonart – focus on NE and NW master plans.

"EA –  We need to think regionally El Paso County, Doña Anna Co NM, 6 counties in W. TX.  We need to work on not just Smart Growth, but Smart Buildings that are water and energy efficient.  We need revised laws on solar power.  The Desalination plant wants to use solar energy but is currently prohibited. 

"Ceci suggested the PSB should bring their legislative issues to Senator Rodriguez. 

"Sherry Bonart pointed out that putting grass in park ponds is a waste of water – stop it.  PSB members only get paid $20 / month."

Environmental Committee Invites Archuleta

I previously reported that PSB Chairman, Ed Escudero, will be meeting tomorrow (Thursday, August 9) with Senator José Rodriguez's Environmental Committee. That meeting will take place at 2 p.m. at 100 N. Ochoa. Members of the Committee voted unanimously to invite PSB/EPWU CEO Ed Archuleta as well. The vote was held after Mr. Escudero urged the Committee to include Mr. Archuleta. The Environmental Committee wishes to be updated about the Mayor's Blue Ribbon Committee and attempts to speed-up the process of selling City land managed by the PSB for development. (See post.)

Environmental Committee Chairman Richard Teschner has said that, although he will not go along with the Committee recommending any particular land management plan, he will allow the forum. According to Teschner, ". . . while as chair of the committee I will not go along with our supporting or opposing a particular committee-structure plan, I nonetheless see no harm in our providing a private forum for discussing these vital, water-related concerns."

Unfortunately, he seems to be limiting the forum to the membership of the Committee while attempting not to publicize the event to the general public even though he admits his committee is the only "envirocentric" committee currently meeting to discuss this topic.

This meeting is a good opportunity to encourage the PSB/EPWU to declare land as "inexpedient" to water/stormwater/sewage needs in order to preserve that land in perpetuity as natural open space as part of a water management strategy in light of drought, global warming and water shortage. Removing more acreage from development will only make the market value of developable land more expensive and, thus, more profitable for the water utility and City.

Meetings such as the Senator's Enviromental Community are by law open to the public.

Sustaining a City: Water and Education

Water and human minds are too precious to waste – especially here in El Paso. Here are the scoops:

Center stage now on the conservation front is the Mayor’s Blue Ribbon Committee on PSB Land Management. Some facts:

·         Tens of thousands of acres of City of El Paso land is managed by the Public Service Board.

·         It is the PSB that determines when land is “inexpedient” to the water utility and can be sold on the market for development, quarrying or other uses.

·         Land has been deemed inexpedient because it is not needed for utility infrastructure and conveyance, stormwater management,  water harvesting or conservation or the like and there is a market for the land – i.e., a developer or business wants the land.

·         Historically the PSB has been slow to declare land inexpedient and put it on the market.  Their additional  concern has been managing the scarcity of water.

Now comes a number of El Pasoans with City Council Rep. Cortney Niland leading the charge saying that land should be sold more quickly for development in order to spur economic growth. Sounds good – just one problem. El Paso is running out of water. Estimates show that we are only 30 years away from having to import water which will be quite expensive and it is not guaranteed that we will even be able to import when the time comes. More and more local communities are beginning to prevent water from leaving their locale because they face the same critical water shortages.

At the last Blue Ribbon Committee meeting, Niland (not a member but in attendance) argued that the 30 year estimate for needing to import water is a scare tactic. She further suggested that all we need to do is drill more wells. Some geological insight here will be helpful. El Paso draws water not just from the Rio Grande in season but from two underwater “lakes” – the Hueco and the Mesilla Bolsons. Those lakes are like bowls filled with water. Put a few straws in the bowl and start sucking and the water table begins to drop. Put a bunch more straws in the bowl, and you run out of water faster.  But, some argue, the bolsons are recharged with rain water and water from other sources seeping into the ground. Trouble is – the recharge is now negative. Why? This summer gives all of us good empirical evidence: prolonged drought and global warming which will lead to more prolonged drought.

So, shouldn’t there be another reason to declare land inexpedient and not just to sell it for development or industrial uses? More and more – much more – City land should be set aside as preserved natural open space in perpetuity. Why? Because we just don’t have the water and the climate is heating up meaning we aren’t going to be getting the water to recharge the bolsons and swell the Rio Grande. Besides, putting more land under conservation easements as natural open space will only make land to be sold for development more valuable because of supply and demand. As El Pasoans we stand to make more money on our land.

The Blue Ribbon Committee voted at their last meeting to recommend to City Council a new committee to determine whether land is inexpedient. This committee would be composed of the Mayor as Chair, two City Council representatives and two PSB representatives including the PSB Chair. This committee would do in essence what the PSB now does but faster – sell land for development . . . spur economic development at least until El Paso runs out of water and we repeat the lesson of the Mayans and the Anasazis of Chaco Canyon. This isn’t far-fetched and it isn’t a scare tactic.

One agrees that there needs to be better communication between the City and the PSB. The Blue Ribbon Committee also voted to suggest that the City’s CFO and Deputy City Manager in PSB financial meetings which will foster better communication (except that DCM Bill Studer who sits on the Blue Ribbon Committee didn’t seem at all thrilled with the additional work load of PSB meetings as well). Certainly we want better communication but let’s not be quick to change a relationship that has worked very well even if the process has been more judicious and conservative which is really what is in the best interest of El Paso.  Unfortunately, the PSB has employed the same reasoning as Niland and her backers would – sell land for its marketability and profit to the City and not as a key policy to conserve water by conserving land in perpetuity. Changing that policy (that zeitgeist really) is what needs to happen not usurping land management from the PSB.

So – two suggestions:

1.       Make setting land aside in its natural state forever the first reason for declaring City land managed by the PSB inexpedient. Marketing should be only the second reason.

2.       Don’t waste time on Blue Ribbon Committees based on economic development (and more revenue for the City – their real intent as demonstrated by a Ted Houghton motion).  Form now a Task Force on long range City planning as the City faces climate change, prolonged drought and increasing water shortages. Those issues should be the critical concerns and not speeding up land sales for the instant gratification of a few.

Upcoming elpasonaturally e-letters will discuss these issues further. The primary issues – the issues that drive all others – is the growing shortage of water and the control of that water. For now, read a letter to Rep. Niland from one of El Paso’s most respected jurists, Justice David Chew, who also served on City Council. Also watch Blue Gold – World Water Wars. See free water conservation movies on August 3 (tomorrow) and August 17 in McKelligon Canyon at 8 p.m. sponsored by the FMSP. (The ads say $1 – but the movies will be free.) Attend a seminar on rainfall capture at TecH20 on August 18 beginning at 10:30 a.m. And go see the film Chaco on Sunday, August 19^th, at 2 p.m. at the El Paso Museum of Archaeology.

The sustainability of this home that we call “El Paso” drastically depends on water. It also depends on an educated citizenry. Minds must not be wasted and the El Paso Independent School District needs reform now. The dereliction of each and every member of the Board of Directors of EPISD has been well chronicled in the El Paso Times recently. Nixonian attempts to hide, conduct audits in the dark, admissions of ignorance and ever-shifting stories and excuses are the identifying qualities of the current Board of Directors.

You don’t need to have a child or grandchild in the school system. As citizens we all depend on having a well-educated citizenry for the good of our “commonwealth” and community together. More of our tax money goes to the district which manages a budget much larger than the City, County and Airport combined.

Please go to and bookmark Kids First/Reform EPISD and sign the petition.  Like them on Facebook. If you can, please attend Senator Shapleigh’s second Town Hall Meeting this evening at 5:30 p.m. at UTEP’s Union Cinema located in the Union Building.  (#24 on campus map; 109 on Union Complex map)

Finally, probably one of the best restaurants from the Pecos to the Pacific is Ardovino’s Desert Crossing nestled beneath the west side of Mount Cristo Rey in Sunland Park, NM. (Map) Their brunch menu is the envy of the region. All this month (August) a portion of their proceeds from Sunday brunch (10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.) will go to the Southwest Environmental Center. Be sure you read SWEC’s Summer 2012 newsletter, the Mesquite Grill.

Finally finally, there are some must see videos – blasts from the past, old videos that Rick LoBello of the El Paso Zoo is preserving. See In Memory of the Last Wild Mexican Wolf shot on 8MM in the late 1970s and what may be the first film with sound documentary of the Chihuahuan Desert – the 1982 Land of Lost Borders narrated by Burgess Meredith. Although many of you may know Meredith as Mickey in the Rocky movies, those of you who are older will recall that he was the Penguin on television’s Batman. 

PSB Chair to Meet with Rodriguez Environmental Committee

Elpasonaturally has learned that PSB Chairman, Mr. Ed Escudero, has accepted an invitation to meet with Senator José Rodriguez's Environmental Committee on August 9 at 2 p.m. at 100 North Ochoa Street.


Here's the email chain which should be read from top to bottom:

From: "Teschner, Richard" 

Date: July 30, 2012 4:38:30 PM MDT

Subject: Ed Escudero accepts the invitation to attend our Thurs., Aug. 9 meeting

Good afternoon, all.

I’m pleased to announce that Ed Escudero, current Chair of the Public Service Board, has accepted the invitation (see below) to meet with us this coming Thursday, August 9^th and discuss the decision by the majority of the members of the recently-convened ‘Blue Ribbon’ committee regarding the role the PSB should play in recommending which parcels of City of El Paso land should be sold. From meetings of other committees (the UTEP “Campus Transformation Project” committee) I know Mr. Escudero personally and I think that you will enjoy getting to know him as well. And as you’re aware from the piece in the Times (see the attachment’s first item), members of City Council have declared themselves to be in favor of accelerating the sale of City-owned land, including land that adjoins the Franklin Mountains State Park.

See you Thursday, August 9^th at 2 p.m. at 100 N. Ochoa Street!

Richard

From: Ed Escudero
Sent: Monday, July 30, 2012 3:54 PM
To: Teschner, Richard
Subject: RE: An invitation to engage in committee conversation

Richard,

I gladly accept your invitation to attend this meeting.  Please let me know if anything changes regarding time or place.

Thank you for the invitation,  See you on August 9^th.

Regards,

Ed Escudero   

From: Teschner, Richard 
Sent: Wednesday, July 25, 2012 10:20 AM
To: Ed Escudero
Subject: An invitation to engage in committee conversation

Good morning, Mr. Escudero.

I am wondering whether you’d be interested in dropping by the next (monthly) meeting of State Senator José Rodríguez’s Environmental Committee, which I chair. This committee, up and running since September 2011, provides the senator with ideas and texts for bills he might wish to consider introducing in Austin; we also discussion local environmental issues but take no public stand on them. To date we’ve written five drafts of bills, all of which are currently being vetted by the senator’s Austin staff and two of which stand a very good chance of being introduced in the next legislative session. Our committee meets in a small conference room at the senator’s offices at 100 N. Ochoa Street, 79901. The next meeting is Thursday, August 9, at 2 p.m. Our meetings typically last 75-90 minutes. Of great interest to our committee at the present time (and of course to the El Paso community at large) is the decision by the majority of the members of the recently-convened “Blue Ribbon” committee regarding the role the PSB should play in recommending which parcels of City of El Paso land should be sold. I personally commend your own minoritarian stance on this issue (and I’ve said so in the letter to the editor I e-submitted yesterday afternoon; let’s see if it gets published!). The other members of the Environmental Committee are the senator’s administrative assistant Mrs. Ceci Rodríguez (no relation), Mark Benítez, Chico Domínguez (a long-time Lower Valley alcalde), Kevin von Finger, Judy Ackerman, Rick Provencio and Pat White.

Sincerely,

Richard Teschner

Chair, Senator José Rodríguez’s Environmental Committee

Water Scarcity, City Land and Development

There are some who, in the name of economic development, want to speed-up the sale of city-owned land for development. Most of this land is in the hands of the PSB which has historically been slow to declare land inexpedient - i.e., okay to sell. If land is required for utility infrastructure, flood control or the like, it won't be sold. If the land isn't required for those things and is good deal on the market, it will be sold. Although I've been critical of the PSB's failure to conserve land and their CEO's tight-fistedness in working out any immediate compromise in NW El Paso, I see the value of a land management strategy that is judicious, slow, deliberate and conservative. At the heart of such management should be the need to conserve the City's precious little water supply - a supply getting lower year by year. Factor in drought and global climate change and that scarcity is scary.  By some conservative estimates, El Paso is only 30 years away from needing to import water - a solution not necessarily guaranteed because of shifting political policies and realities in other localities - again because of dramatically decreasing supplies of water. 


Yet, some in the City and on City Council seem hell-bent to sell land faster for development. The Mayor's Blue Ribbon Committee on PSB land management policies has met twice now. At their last meeting on July 16, they voted 5 to 3 to recommend that a new committee be formed to determine whether land is inexpedient. The committee would consist of 5 members: the Mayor as Chair, 2 City Council representatives and 2 PSB members including the sitting Chairperson. They would short circuit what the PSB currently does more carefully: declare land fit to sell.


The Blue Ribbon Committee seems to be dominated by Bulldozing Ted "TxDOT" Haughton who has made it clear that there is only one reason to sell land: to make money and make it now. He was the one who made the motion for a new committee. His initial motion called for more money out of land sales and water revenues to go to the City. When asked by OSAB Chairman, Charlie Wakeem, to remove the additional revenues from his motion, he replied, "I was just trying to get you more money." TxDOT Ted employs a Kindergarten rhetorical style. He bullies by interrupting speakers and saying "you're wrong" or similar as someone makes a point contrary to his own. Haughton is also the one who has not enjoyed the extra audience of PSB member, Dr. Rick Bonart, myself and, at the July 16th meeting, Chris Roberts from the El Paso Times. At both meetings he has asked whether the proceedings were closed. After all, bulldozing TxDOT Ted prefers to do the people's business behind closed doors without the people. When his horrific recommendations finally get sent to City Council (and the PSB?), one hopes that the people will show up because at stake is the most valuable commodity in El Paso: WATER.


Also at the last Blue Ribbon Committee, Rep. Cortney Niland actively engaged the committee. She suggested that estimates of rapidly diminishing water supply are scare tactics and that the solution to our water problems is to drill more wells. If the lakes are running dry (and that is what the bolsons are that help supply our water - underground lakes from the ancient Lake Cabeza de Vaca - then all the drilling on either side of the mountain will find no additional water. 


Read Chris Roberts EP Times story about the blue ribbon meeting and Ms. Niland's comments. Unfortunately, the clueless EP Times Editorial Board endorsed the joint committee and stated that Niland is right that faster land sales means more jobs - well, at least, construction jobs.


Keep in mind that Niland's big campaign contributors are from the development, mortgage and insurance industries especially through the Citizens for Prosperity PAC. The top contributors to that PAC are from the very industries who would benefit from an expedited process to sell City of El Paso land. The El Paso Times (the same paper that rushes to endorse a scheme to sell land based on market benefits rather than water conservation) reported during last year's campaign that Gerald Rubin's River Oak Properties was giving Niland free office space.  They reported that Citizens for Prosperity gave Niland nearly $25,000.


It's not all about economic expansion and jobs. It's also about the City with a bloated budget finding more revenue sources. Behind the move to control the water utility more tightly is a need for greater revenue. If the City succeeds, expect your water bill to go up - and I mean way up. If the City is also successful in expanding the economy by developing land more quickly without regard to water supply, expect a boom and then imagine a site not unlike Chaco Canyon, where a long drought finally brought down the advanced Anasazi Culture. Imagine, El Paso including its new ballpark some day looking like this:

Photo by James Gordon, Chaco Canyon

Sorry, guess those are scare-tactics. However, just for once it would be nice to know that our El Paso developers and friends made decisions not just on the basis of the immediate gratification of exorbitant wealth but with a sense of community and what is good for their grandchildren's grandchildren. 


What's another reason for declaring land inexpedient? Conservation of that land in its natural state in perpetuity by conservation easements. Wouldn't it have been great if the PSB/EPWU's CEO had embraced that policy rather than attempting to keep the power to control sales to himself. Those who want economic expansion now only want to be more efficient than Mr. Archuleta and the PSB. But efficiency shouldn't be the issue. Saving our water for future generations should be.