Municue

Civil Service Commission · 6:00 PM · Main Conference Room, 300 North Campbell – 2ND Floor

El Paso's Civil Service Commission conducted its February 2026 annual business meeting, electing a new Chair and Vice-Chair, assigning a hearing officer to three pending employee disciplinary appeals, and ruling on a suspension appeal that produced a split 4-2 vote alongside a failed competing motion. Vote tallies on the contested appeal did not account for all commissioners present, and the formal motion record misidentified the appellant.
24 items2 contestedMinutes ✓View official source →

Analysis incorporates data from the official meeting minutes, including vote outcomes, attendance, and public testimony.

Analysis

Governance & Oversight

The Commission handled its annual organizational business: adopting the 2026 meeting calendar, electing a new Chair and Vice-Chair, and assigning a hearing officer to three pending employee disciplinary appeals.[#2][#3][#4][#5][#6]

Key Decisions

Passed: 4 to 2
The hearing officer's recommendation on Diego Arias's 3-day suspension appeal (El Paso Museum and Cultural Affairs Department) produced two competing motions: one passed 4-2 and a second failed 2-4.[#7]

Insights by Role

Journalist

HighHigh significance — major decision, large financial impact, or broad community effectThe Commission's ruling on Diego Arias's suspension appeal (BC-1718, El Paso Museum and Cultural Affairs Department) produced vote tallies that don't reconcile with attendance, and the official motion language misidentifies the appellant — both worth confirming with the Commission clerk.

Lobbyist

MediumMedium significance — notable action worth trackingThe Commission elected a new Chair and Vice-Chair (BC-1715, BC-1716) and assigned a hearing officer to three pending disciplinary appeals (BC-1714) — Samantha Sapien (Zoo Department), Rosa Montes (Parks & Recreation), and Fernando Martinez (EPPD/Code Enforcement Bureau) — the cases most likely to come before the Commission for final action in the near term.

Charts & Data

18 items(6 procedural hidden)

The official vote outcome for each item
(e.g., Approved, Denied, Held)

AI-generated summaries. Click to expand for original text.

Notice is hereby given that a meeting of the Civil Service Commission of the City of El Paso will be conducted on the above date and time.

Members of the public may view the meeting via the following means: Via the City’s website. http://www.elpasotexas.gov/videos Via television on City15, YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/cityofelpa

In compliance with the requirement that the City provide two-way communication for members of the public, members of the public may communicate with the Civil Service Commission during public comment,

At the prompt please enter the corresponding Conference ID: 289 710 845 123 6

If you wish to sign up to speak please contact Symone Menchaca at MenchacaS@elpasotexas.gov or (915) 212-1242, no later than by the start of the meeting.

The following member(s) of the Civil Service Commission will be present via video conference: [ NONE ]

A quorum of five Commissioners must be present and participate in the meeting.

All matters listed under the Consent Agenda below will be considered by the Commission to be routine and will be enacted by one motion in the form listed below. There will be no separate discussion of

#2Notation providing the schedule of the 2026 Civil Service Commission monthly meetings.

Passed Unanimously

#3Notation of hearing officer assignments for three employee disciplinary appeals: a 3-day suspension and two terminations.

Passed Unanimously

#4Annual election of the Chair of the Civil Service Commission.

Passed Unanimously

#5Annual election of the Vice-Chair of the Civil Service Commission.

Passed Unanimously

#6A PowerPoint presentation to the Civil Service Commission covering the Commission's role and responsibilities, the City's Code of Conduct, and the Virtual Attendance Policy, presented by Assistant City Attorney Roberto Aguinaga.

No Action Taken

#7Discussion and action on a Hearing Officer's Report and Recommendation regarding a 3-day suspension of Diego Arias of the El Paso Museum and Cultural Affairs Department, under Civil Service Commission Ordinance 8065 for incompetence/negligence, refusal to follow a lawful order, and just cause.

Passed: 4 to 2

The Civil Service Commission may retire into Executive Session pursuant to Civil Service Commission Rule 1, Section 11(a) and the Texas Government Code, Section 551, Subchapter D to discuss any of the

Sign language interpreters will be provided for this meeting upon request. Requests must be made to Symone Menchaca at MenchacaS@elpasotexas.gov a minimum of 48 hours prior to the date and time of thi

If you need Spanish Translation Services, please email MenchacaS@elpasotexas.gov at least 48 hours in advance of the meeting.

Posted this 5th day of February 2026 at 1:00 PM by Symone Menchaca.

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