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County accepts EPATS transition plan to create an independent regional transit corporation
Summary
The court accepted a formal transition plan outlining how El Paso Area Transportation Services (EPATS) will separate from county government and become an independent local government corporation, setting a target separation date of Sept. 30 and asking staff to pursue asset transfers, contracts and service agreements.
The El Paso County Commissioner's Court on April 20 accepted a documented transition plan to move El Paso Area Transportation Services (EPATS) toward independent status as a local government corporation.
John Ando, transit executive director, told the court the plan lays out staffing options, funding sources, asset-transfer procedures and the agreements that would be required to move EPATS out of county government while preserving contracted services. He said the roadmap aims for a separation target of Sept. 30 and described the main operational issues the plan addresses: staffing (county employees vs. EPATS employees), cash-flow needs tied to local matches and federal funding, transfer of assets and existing contracts, and future lease/ownership arrangements for a planned transit operations and maintenance facility.
"This plan lays the foundation on how we're going to get to the finish line," Ando said. The EPATS board reviewed the draft and provided feedback; commissioners voted to accept the plan and directed county staff and attorneys to complete the steps needed for implementation.
What the plan includes: a staffing and organizational outline for a stand-alone EPATS; identification of required service-level agreements between EPATS and county departments (finance, HR, risk); a schedule for grant and asset transfers; and preliminary financing for a new operations-and-maintenance facility. The court emphasized preserving employee protections and ensuring cash-flow for the new entity.
Why it matters: Making EPATS an independent local-government corporation is intended to give the region a focused entity for coordinated transit service while setting explicit contractual relationships with county departments for shared services. Commissioners said they expect multiple follow-up items (asset transfers, master service agreements, and a lease or financing approval for the maintenance facility) to return to the court for approval.
Next steps: Transit and county attorneys will finalize legal documents, draft service agreements for county-provided work, and bring specific asset-transfer or lease items back to commissioner's court for approval.
