Council directs staff to draft MOU with Sunland Park to share development and public-safety information

The El Paso City Council unanimously approved a resolution on July 8 directing the city manager and city attorney to coordinate with the City of Sunland Park, New Mexico, to craft a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for the timely exchange of development and public-safety information along the shared Texas–New Mexico boundary.

Mayor Pro Tem Chavez, who brought the item, said District 1 shares roughly 10 miles of border with Sunland Park and that municipal decisions on one side can directly affect safety, traffic, and quality of life on the other. “The purpose of developing a memorandum of understanding is about establishing a proactive and collaborative partnership with our neighbors in New Mexico rather than a reactive one,” she said.

Nut graf: The MOU—directed to be drafted and returned to council within 60 days—will not supersede each city’s ordinances but is intended to open formal lines of communication around permitting, zoning and public-safety developments so both municipalities can plan and respond cooperatively.

Council asked staff about the legal authority for such an agreement. City Attorney Neiman told council that Texas law allows municipalities to enter memoranda of understanding or interlocal agreements with other government entities and that the proposed MOU would be a coordination and notification mechanism rather than a service-sharing contract.

Chavez said the nearby communities have already had several informal meetings and that the MOU will formalize notification procedures for developments that could affect traffic, public safety, or infrastructure on the Texas side. The resolution passed unanimously, and staff was directed to return within 60 days with a draft MOU for council consideration.

Ending: Councilmembers said they expected a draft MOU to set contact points and notification timelines so both cities can jointly anticipate and manage cross-border impacts.