Discriminatory housing practices—Notification of city attorney.
El Paso City Code § 17.20.110
in effect17.20.110 - Discriminatory housing practices—Notification of city attorney.
A. Except as otherwise provided in subsection B of this section, if the grievance officer determines that there is probable cause to believe that a discriminatory housing practice alleged in a complaint has been committed, the grievance officer shall promptly notify the city attorney in writing of the identification of the actor and the discriminatory housing practice and direct that appropriate action be taken using the grievance officer's subpoena power if necessary. The grievance officer has the power to grant actual damages or to arrange to have the dispute adjudicated in court, at the expense of the office of the grievance officer, the claim to an award of actual damages, to an aggrieved person. The grievance officer is further authorized to seek injunctive or equitable relief in a court of competent jurisdiction, as well as assess a civil penalty or arrange to have the matter adjudicated in court at the grievance officer's agency's expenses, and may assess an award of punitive damages against the actor. It is further intended that the complainant may instead seek enforcement through a judicial election procedure with the remedies available under the above-referenced Act brought at the grievance officer's expense on behalf of the complainant.
B. After the grievance officer attempts a conciliation under Section 17.20.090, the grievance officer may postpone the notification to the city attorney required under subsection A of this section for a period of not more than thirty days after notification to the actor of a complaint (as required under Section 17.20.070(D)). However, if a conciliation agreement is executed during the thirty-day period of postponement, the grievance officer is not required to notify the city attorney of the identification of the actor or of a discriminatory housing practice specified in the conciliation agreement (as provided in Section 17.20.090(F)(1)) unless the grievance officer determines that the agreement has been violated.
C. Notification required under subsection A of this section is not a prerequisite to prosecution or referral to HUD as a discriminatory housing practice under this chapter. This section does not limit any communications, otherwise lawful, between the grievance officer and the city attorney.
(Ord. No. 19138, § 1, 2-2-2021)
Source: City of El Paso, City Code and City Charter (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/tx/el_paso/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT17HO_CH17.20FAHOOR_17.20.110DIHOPROTATFetched: 10/28/2026