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CIAC accepts El Paso Water impact-fee and capital-projects report; committee files required semiannual report
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Summary
On April 10, 2025, the Capital Improvements Advisory Committee heard a presentation from El Paso Water on water and wastewater impact fees, capital improvement program budgets and collections, then voted to accept the report and to file the statutorily required semiannual report with City Council.
The Capital Improvements Advisory Committee accepted El Paso Water’s report on the water and wastewater impact-fee program for the period Sept. 1, 2024, through Feb. 28, 2025, and voted to file a separate semiannual report required under Chapter 395 of the Texas Local Government Code with El Paso City Council.
Gustav Hurtado, fiscal operations manager for El Paso Water, gave the presentation, saying the report covers subdivisions, the impact-fee rates approved in May 2024, capital project budgets and collections through the end of the reporting period. Hurtado said the committee’s packet lists 203 subdivisions as of Feb. 28, 2025, 36 of which are recorded, and 67 subdivisions that remain in process. He told the committee six subdivisions were new during the reporting period: one in the Northeast, two in the West and three on the East Side.
Hurtado said the impact-fee rates adopted in May 2024 reflect a 28% increase over rates that had been in place since February 2009. He told members the increased rates apply to development platted after the May 2024 adoption and that no collections under the new rates had posted during the report period because fees are collected when applicants request new water service and meters.
On capital projects, Hurtado reported the water program budget totaled $521.7 million, with $106.9 million incurred to date (the presentation notes some incurred costs predate the current budget). For wastewater, he reported a budget of $727.2 million and $117 million incurred to date. Hurtado showed photos of several projects, including a major wastewater treatment plant that he described as one of the utility’s largest projects and noted has tens of millions of dollars already spent.
Committee members asked questions about projects that were listed as “removed” from the program and about project-management practices. Renata Reynova, water capital projects manager, said projects marked removed were ones the utility determined no longer were needed (for example, an anticipated pump-station upgrade that was not required). Jeff Tepsick, utility assistant CFO for El Paso Water, responded to budget questions, noting the multi-year CIP is updated annually and that actual costs will vary from estimates; he also said that when impact fees do not cover project costs the utility may need to issue debt, which will ultimately affect ratepayers.
On collections, Hurtado said the utility has collected about $21.2 million in impact fees since the program’s inception under the 2009 rate structure, with about $4.2 million from the Northeast, $6.3 million from the West and $10.7 million from the East Side, figures shown in the report packet.
After the presentation, Committee member Shane Mercer moved to accept the El Paso Water report; David Marino seconded. The committee voted in favor. The committee later voted to file the semiannual report required under Chapter 395 of the Texas Local Government Code, and it approved minutes from its Nov. 14, 2024, meeting by separate motions and unanimous voice votes.
The committee’s next agenda will include election of a chair after a member announced April 10 that this was their final meeting and that a replacement candidate had been identified by the district representative. The committee’s staff indicated orientation meetings are typically held for new members.
