EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14\/CBS4) \u2014 El Paso Mayor Renard Johnson recently discussed several pressing issues facing the community on KFOX14 Community Conversations, including a major water main break in Northeast El Paso and the construction of a $1.5 billion data center.<\/p>\n
The water main break, which occurred in northeast El Paso, left many residents without water for several days. <\/p>\n
“It was unfortunate,” Johnson said, noting that a 36-inch pipe burst. <\/p>\n
He emphasized the city’s efforts to prevent future incidents, stating, “We’re looking at a kind of a postmortem of what happened and what we can do better.”<\/p>\n
Johnson also addressed the recent approval of a rate increase, which he voted against. <\/p>\n
“It’s tough right now for a lot of the residents here,” he said, citing rising costs in water, gas, and electricity. He explained, “I felt that, you know, at this time that that was too steep of a double-digit increase.”<\/p>\n
Regarding the new data center, Johnson highlighted the importance of protecting El Paso’s natural resources. <\/p>\n
“Data centers are usually very water-intensive,” he said, adding that the city council is committed to implementing measures to safeguard these resources. <\/p>\n
Johnson has reached out to other mayors to learn how they manage data centers in their communities.<\/p>\n
Looking ahead, Johnson shared his four pillars for the city: economic development, infrastructure, public safety, and quality of life. <\/p>\n
He announced a new international flight from El Paso International Airport to Chihuahua and the addition of 18 police officers and 23 firefighters, thanks to grants. <\/p>\n
“We’ve been really hard working on getting grants and making sure that we can work on public safety in my four pillars,” he said.<\/p>\n
WATCH FULL INTERVIEW:<\/p>\n
Community Conversations: El Paso mayor addresses water main break, utility rates, & goals<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
RECOMMENDED: Community Conversations: Thorn Bridge and Mesa exit set to open this week<\/a><\/p>\n