El Paso will once again see a round of ambitious community projects thanks to an infusion of $19 million in federal funds.
U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar recently announced 15 projects included in a package of appropriations bills aimed at everything from improving water services, providing better housing for service members and expanding food assistance services.
The community project funding process is a reworked version of the earlier earmarks, which Escobar said were often misused by members of Congress. The new process, revamped for greater transparency, allows organizations and local governments from communities across the country to apply for funding.
"It is highly competitive," Escobar, D-El Paso, said during a news conference Friday, April 5. "There is obviously a lot of need in the community and it is really difficult to make some of these decisions, picking one project over another, because they are all so worthy ... "
And while Escobar lauded the funding as a win for El Paso, she noted the uphill battle she and other congressional Democrats faced in securing funding for their communities.
"When House Democrats were in the majority, we used to divide the pot of money evenly ... regardless of who represented that community in Congress," she said. "Unfortunately, we're in the minority now and our Republican colleagues have decided to do it differently and have awarded their communities far greater funding than what we have been allowed to provide our own communities."
"I'm excited that the day we regain the majority we can begin to restore equity and parity, so that all American communities alike, regardless of who represents them in Congress, can have the ability to access these badly-needed funds."
Many of the funding recipients were on hand for Escobar's news conference at the Blue Flame Building in Downtown El Paso, where they took turns at once praising Escobar and detailing the projects they have in the offing.
City to receive $500,000 to establish Business One-Stop Shop
Among those on hand to discuss their projects was Mirella Craigo, assistant director of small business assistance for the city International and Economic Development Department.
The city is slated to receive $500,000 to acquire a new facility to house the Business One-Stop Shop (BOSS) program, which Craigo said would be a boon for small businesses that make up a large part of El Paso's economy.
"Eight-five percent of our business here in El Paso are small, but yet they have a very tremendous impact in our community" she said. "They're not just the backbone of our economy, they are the lifeblood of our community. They drive job creation and contribute to the vibrancy and fabric of our El Paso landscape."
Craigo recalled how many small businesses had difficulty accessing resources during the COVID-19 pandemic, which spurned the city to act. Over the last four years, she said, her office has been meeting with community partners to bolster support for small businesses.
"Launching this Business One-Stop Shop, which is something that we're incredibly excited about and very proud to announce, will really help our businesses thrive," she said. "It will help them be resilient and continue to grow."
"Our vision for the Business One-Stop Shop (is) being the corner store for small businesses in El Paso, fostering entrepreneurship, and an ecosystem that empowers local businesses," Craigo continued. "And with this appropriation, launching at the airport, showcasing that we are open for business."
Sun Metro to receive $720,000 for micro-transit program
The city is also on track to receive $720,000 to increase offerings at Sun Metro with a micro-transit program. The funding will go toward purchasing a small fleet of micro-transit vehicles, as well as the related infrastructure and accessories.
"Sun Metro transports 20,000 individuals a day, to and from their destination," said city Mass Transit Director Anthony DeKeyzer. "This grant here is going to help us do that."
"It's going to help us with our initiative of 'Sun Metro Rising,'" he continued. "We are going to implement a micro-transit piece to that 'Sun Metro Rising.' It's going to help us transport those 20,000 people to and from their destination, to get to the doctor, to get to the hospital, to get to work. It's going to help and touch 20,000 people every single day."
El Pasoans Fighting Hunger Food Bank to receive $800,000 to expand service
The El Pasoans Fighting Hunger Food Bank will receive a boost of $800,000 to establish a distribution center in historically underserved areas in West El Paso County.
"For the food bank, what this means is that we will be able to better serve the West Side of our community," said El Pasoans Fighting Hunger CEO Susan Goodell. "Think about Vinton, think about Anthony, Canutillo, Westway, and the West Side of El Paso that have been underserved since the pandemic."
The food bank had a West Side facility on Doniphan that had to be closed after the pandemic. The federal funds now on the way, Goodell said, would allow the food bank to begin amending the roughly 15 acres it owns along the Canutillo-El Paso border and "build a facility capable of restoring that food that (the food bank provided during COVID ... "
That service gap means the food bank has been moving millions of pounds of food to vulnerable families using multiple trucks.
"For the first time in years we will be able to do this from a facility, and adequately do this job," Goodell said.
What other projects were funded?
By far the largest allocation went to Fort Bliss, which will receive $7.2 million to provide better housing for service members, but a multitude of other projects also received funding.
Following is a list of the other 11 projects receiving community project funding:
- $850,000 for the construction of a ground water storage tank at Nuevo Hueco Tanks
- $500,000 to service pipelines in the Gateway West-Sparks Water Project
- $959,752 to upgrade and expand the existing Wastewater Treatment Plant in Anthony
- $959,752 for the final design and construction of an arsenic treatment plant in Anthony
- $963,000 for aerospace digital engineering research in collaboration with El Paso manufacturers
- $975,000 for the creation of a flood warning system in El Paso County
- $550,000 to purchase rural utility vehicles to remove illegally dumped waste
- $1.05 million to rehabilitate six buildings in Socorro's historic Rio Vista Farm
- $850,000 to develop the Terminal Bridge Reconstruction Project at the El Paso International Airport
- $963,000 to purchase license plate recognition cameras to be placed in high-traffic areas
- $1.4 million to replace an aging generator and add power storage at University Medical Center.
