OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Albuquerque City Council Meeting: April 3, 2024

City Council — Wednesday, April 3, 2024
BodyAlbuquerque, New Mexico
SessionCity Council
DateWednesday, April 3, 2024
StatusFILED
Video Record
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Transcript — Verbatim
0:00

Champ.

0:00

The new skate park area at the park has some unique.

0:27

The seventh meeting of the 26th Council will come to order.

0:30

All counselors are present this evening or will be will have a moment of silence and then the Pledge of Allegiance in English and Spanish.

1:24

That was good.

1:27

Thank you.

1:28

Civic parking passes provided for members of the public.

1:30

You can obtain a parking pass from the council staff.

1:33

Members of the public city staff, the media have the ability to view this meeting in person, online, uh live streams through four different platforms, GOTV, GOVTV and Comcast Channel 16, the GOV TV website, YouTube, Zoom Symmetry webinar, live streams can be assessed uh from most smartphones, tablets, or computers.

1:51

Also, this meeting is closed captioned.

1:52

You may be able to use the closed captioning services on your television or device at this time.

1:57

The video recording of this and all past council meetings will remain available for viewing at any time on the council's website.

2:02

Council staff is available via telephone if members of the public need assistance finding the videos online.

2:07

Please call uh 768-3100 for assistance during business hours, Monday through Friday, 8 to 5.

2:13

Council will take a break, approximately 7 p.m.

2:15

this evening if needed.

2:16

With regard to decorum in the chambers, we want tonight's uh proceedings to be as civil, respectful as possible.

2:22

Please do not make any personal attacks, please no applause or other outbursts during the meeting.

2:26

Meeting will go a lot a lot smoother if we're respectful of one another.

2:30

Uh we have uh several uh proclamations this evening.

2:35

Uh so that's item three on the agenda.

2:37

We'll start with Councillor Champagne.

2:39

Thank you, Mr.

2:40

President.

2:40

Uh I'd like to welcome uh Shannon Lowry, the executive director of the Albuquerque Sane, Kim Stark, executive director of RCCCNM, and Jody Harmillo as the director of their crisis services.

2:55

Um lovely gifts.

3:02

Uh yes, the proclamation uh is recognizing sexual assault awareness month, whereas sexual violence is a widespread preventable public health problem in New Mexico, and whereas the sexual violence is so prevalent in our society that it affects 99% of us.

3:21

If you personally are not a survivor, you are most likely know someone who is.

5:00

Therefore, be it proclaimed that the council, the governing body of the city of Albuquerque, hereby proclaimed the month of April 2024, Sexual Assault Awareness Month in solidarity with all survivors of sexual abuse and assault.

5:10

Wonderful.

5:11

Thank you so much, sir.

5:13

We appreciate it.

5:14

We appreciate the support.

5:16

I know as our sister program, RCC, we couldn't do this work without each other's program.

5:23

And without your continued support, it means so much and being able to touch so many lives and support people during what's sometimes is like the worst day or the worst week or the worst month of their lives.

5:38

And just see them heal.

5:40

So thank you for the proclamation.

5:42

Thank you for the support.

5:44

And thank you for also lighting up the building teal in honor of Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

5:49

We very much appreciate it.

5:52

Thank you.

6:13

Thank you.

6:33

One more proclamation, uh Councillor Pena.

6:37

Thank you, Mr.

6:38

President.

6:38

Um, this proclamation is recognizing the 31st annual Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta celebration on April 13th, 2024.

6:48

Um, we have with us uh to to present to is uh Linda Garcia Benavides, she's the chair of the Recuerdo Cesar Chavez Committee, Lala Gonzalez, event coordinator, Beatriz Valencia, uh committee member, and I don't see Coralie, but she's on my list.

7:04

So Corley Quintana, uh committee member to accept as well.

7:09

So thank you, ladies, for being here.

7:10

We'll just get started um with the proclamation.

7:13

So whereas um Cesar Estrada Chavez was a migrant farm worker during the Great Depression and experienced harsh working conditions faced by many agricultural workers, and Dolores Clara Fernandez Huerta continues to fight the harsh working conditions faced by many um agricultural workers, and whereas Chavez y Dolores Huerta have dedicated their life's work towards pursuing equality, justice, and dignity for all Americans, and whereas Cesar Chavez left behind a legacy of humble service and extraordinary achievements, the Lora Swerta continues to this day to fight for equality, justice, and fairness for all Americans, and whereas in 1994, Caesar Chavez was awarded the Medal of Freedom in 2012, Dolores Huerta was also awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

8:06

This is the Americans' highest civil civilian honor, and whereas Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta gave our nation and each of us a unique example to live our lives by a selfless dedication to the rights of all workers, to economic justice, civil rights, environment, environments, justice, peace, nonviolence, and empowerment of the poor and disenfranchised, and whereas after César Chavez died, local community members established the Recuerda César Chavez Committee, whose mission is to educate people about life and work of these great American leaders and to encourage each of us to carry on their values and timeless vision for a better world.

8:55

Today, Dolores Huerta carries on the work of our uh to honor the values and vision that they aspire to and have worked tirelessly towards the future and vision for a better tomorrow.

9:17

And their work legacies as we celebrate the 31st annual celebration of their work on April 13th, 2024.

9:25

Mr.

9:26

President, thank you, ladies, thank you for being here, and congratulations for all your work that you've been doing continuously throughout the years.

9:33

I know it's an all-volunteer board, so we appreciate everything you do and what you've done to keep this legacy alive.

9:41

So if you'd like to say a few words.

9:46

You've brought tears from eyes.

9:48

You know, it's uh a very, very important day.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Public Safety█████████████████████████████████33%
Procedural██████████10%
Public Engagement███████7%
Homelessness██████6%
Public Comment██████6%
Transportation Safety█████5%
Personnel Matters█████5%
Workforce Development████4%
Public Records Management███3%
Summary of Proceedings

Albuquerque City Council Meeting - April 3, 2024

The 26th Council held its seventh meeting on Wednesday, April 3, 2024, at 5:00 PM in the Vincent E. Griego Chambers. All nine councilors were present. The meeting included proclamations, presentations, a lengthy administration question-and-answer period, public comments, and final actions on several ordinances and resolutions. The meeting adjourned at 8:39 PM.

Consent Calendar

  • EC-24-41: Approved (9-0) – 2023 City of Albuquerque Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan corrections.
  • EC-24-43: Approved (9-0) – Mayor’s recommendation of award for RFP-2023-502-DFA-EV (Disclosure Counsel Services).
  • EC-24-46: Receipt noted (9-0) – Revenue & Expense Report for FY2024 Q1.
  • EC-24-55: Confirmed (9-0) – Appointment of Daniel Aragon to the Environmental Planning Commission.
  • EC-24-61: Receipt noted (9-0) – Age-Friendly Quarterly Update for Q1 & Q2 FY2024.
  • EC-24-68: Confirmed (9-0) – Appointment of Sharla Parsons to the Albuquerque Housing Authority Board.
  • EC-24-72: Approved (9-0) – Mayor’s recommendation of award for RFP-2023-501-DFA-EV (Bond Counsel Services).
  • EC-24-81: Confirmed (9-0) – Re-appointment of Gabriel S. Pacyniak to the Albuquerque Energy Council.
  • EC-24-82: Confirmed (9-0) – Appointment of Natalie Carter to the Indicators Progress Commission.
  • EC-24-83: Confirmed (9-0) – Appointment of Jennifer Frank Pontzer to the Indicators Progress Commission.
  • EC-24-84: Confirmed (9-0) – Appointment of Gabriel T. Boyle to the Greater Albuquerque Recreational Trails Committee.
  • EC-24-85: Confirmed (9-0) – Appointment of Dr. Anthony Garland to the Indicators Progress Commission.
  • EC-24-86: Confirmed (9-0) – Appointment of Adrian Carver to the Environmental Planning Commission.
  • EC-24-88: Approved (9-0) – Right of Way Vacation for Santa Clara Dr. SE and Altez St. SE.
  • EC-24-94: Approved (9-0) – Ground Lease between the City and Mesa Media Holdings LLC.
  • EC-24-97: Confirmed (9-0) – Re-appointment of Lynne L. Anker-Unnever to the Older American’s Act Advisory Council.
  • EC-24-98: Confirmed (9-0) – Appointment of Julianna B. Massa to the Greater Albuquerque Recreational Trails Committee.
  • EC-24-99: Confirmed (9-0) – Appointment of Dr. Linda S. Sapochak to the Albuquerque Energy Council.
  • EC-24-100: Confirmed (9-0) – Appointment of Courtney A. Lewis-Utrata to the Small Business Regulatory Committee.
  • OC-24-10: Withdrawn (9-0) – AGO Committee report on City Auditor position.
  • O-24-3: Passed (9-0) – Designation of Central Avenue Bridge Crossing as a City Landmark.
  • R-24-18: Passed (9-0) – Approving alignment of the Rio Grande Trail.
  • R-24-21: Passed (9-0) – Authorizing grant application for disc golf facilities.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Encampment and Homelessness Concerns: Several residents urged the city to provide public restrooms, better encampment protocols, and preserve Coronado Dog Park. Speakers described harsh conditions, lack of notice before sweeps, and the need for sanitation as a human right.
  • No Confidence in Chief Medina: Multiple speakers expressed support for a no-confidence vote, citing the chief’s February 17 accident, his leadership, and the DWI unit scandal. Some called for an outside investigation.
  • Harm Reduction Site: A board member of the New Mexico Harm Reduction Collaborative described an incident where six APD officers approached the building with guns drawn, raising concerns about intimidation.
  • Fourth Amendment: One speaker objected to requiring ID at public school administration offices.

Discussion Items

Police Chief Accident Investigation & No-Confidence Resolution

  • Administration Update: The administration provided updates on the February 17 accident involving Chief Medina. The crash review board ruled the accident non-preventable. Internal affairs is investigating, including two additional complaints from CPOA. The investigation will be reviewed by the district attorney, state police, an independent monitor, and potentially the DOJ.
  • Councilor Questions: Councilors questioned the crash review board’s process, the lack of notes, and the potential bias because board members report to the chief. Commander Martinez and Sergeant Stone explained the board’s criteria: a preventable crash is one where the driver could have avoided it; a non-preventable crash is one where the driver exercised normal judgment and could not avoid it. They testified that Chief Medina faced an immediate threat of a firearm and moved forward to escape, leading to the unanimous non-preventable ruling.
  • OC-24-7 (No Confidence): Councilor Sanchez moved to approve the resolution, then moved to defer for two weeks. The deferral failed 4-5 (Champine, Grout, Lewis, Sanchez for; Baca, Bassan, Fiebelkorn, Peña, Rogers against). The resolution was then withdrawn unanimously.

Homelessness & Encampment Response

  • Councilor Rogers reported an encampment operation in her district where individuals were not offered shelter or storage, and ACS was not present. She requested notifications for future operations. Deputy CAO Whalen explained that ACS often goes out before sweeps and that outreach providers are embedded with solid waste. He promised to follow up on the specific case.

West Side Shelter & Gateway Center

  • Councilor Grout asked about kitchens at the West Side Emergency Shelter (WEC) and Gateway. A warming kitchen was installed at WEC (cost $475,000) rather than a full kitchen (estimated $1.5 million). Catering costs for WEC were $1.7 million budgeted, with $1.2 million spent. The Gateway has a full commercial kitchen run by a contractor; a warming kitchen was added for the shelter area. The men’s overflow shelter at Gateway served 173 individuals over five months; 7 went to permanent housing, 9 to family, 3 to motels, and the rest to other shelters when it closed March 31.

Quarter-Cent Transportation Tax

  • Councilor Grout led a discussion on the tax, which generates about $52–57 million annually. The city has bonded against it, paying $3 million/year in debt service until 2040. Full repaving of all city streets (4,600 lane miles) would cost $1.7–2.3 billion. Currently, about 200 miles are repaved per year using various methods. COO Montoya confirmed the city follows a five-year assessment and intends to prioritize poor-condition roads equitably across districts.

Other Topics

  • Jewish Community Protection: Councilor Bassan asked about efforts to protect the Jewish community. APD described relationships with clergy, real-time crime center monitoring, and joint terrorism task force involvement.
  • R3 Human Feces Cleanup: Dr. Single confirmed the contract is operational; 311 has updated scripts. Councilor Fiebelkorn clarified the program is not a pilot.
  • Class & Comp Study: Administration plans to brief unions within 30 days.
  • Harm Reduction Complaint: Councilor Rogers raised a formal complaint from the New Mexico Department of Health about APD detaining patients at a harm reduction site. Administration will follow up.
  • Mandatory Briefing: Councilor Sanchez asked about a required briefing by Chief Medina; administration said it was not unusual and would look into content.

Key Outcomes

  • Bond Issuances: O-24-4 (General Obligation Bonds, up to $111,850,000) and R-24-17 (Bid Resolution) were both passed as substituted (9-0) after floor substitutes corrected dates and minor details.
  • Complete Streets Amendment: O-24-6 passed (9-0), adding Green Stormwater Infrastructure definitions and requirements for medians and landscape buffers.
  • Northern Sand Dunes Acquisition: R-24-16 passed (9-0), authorizing a grant application for federal Land and Water Conservation Fund to acquire the property for open space.
  • Priority Housing Permitting: R-24-22 was deferred to April 15, 2024, after councilors requested more time to review the map of centers and corridors.
  • Line-Item Veto: EC-24-102 (veto of R-24-8) was sustained without motion to override.
  • Deferrals: R-24-29 (Opioid Settlement Funds) postponed to April 15; OC-24-7 (No Confidence) withdrawn; R-24-22 (Priority Housing) postponed to April 15.
  • Appointments and Confirmations: All consent agenda items confirmed, including EC-24-95 (Samantha Salazar to Energy Council) and R-24-28 (grant application for financial empowerment fund).

Meeting Transcript

Champ. The new skate park area at the park has some unique. The seventh meeting of the 26th Council will come to order. All counselors are present this evening or will be will have a moment of silence and then the Pledge of Allegiance in English and Spanish. That was good. Thank you. Civic parking passes provided for members of the public. You can obtain a parking pass from the council staff. Members of the public city staff, the media have the ability to view this meeting in person, online, uh live streams through four different platforms, GOTV, GOVTV and Comcast Channel 16, the GOV TV website, YouTube, Zoom Symmetry webinar, live streams can be assessed uh from most smartphones, tablets, or computers. Also, this meeting is closed captioned. You may be able to use the closed captioning services on your television or device at this time. The video recording of this and all past council meetings will remain available for viewing at any time on the council's website. Council staff is available via telephone if members of the public need assistance finding the videos online. Please call uh 768-3100 for assistance during business hours, Monday through Friday, 8 to 5. Council will take a break, approximately 7 p.m. this evening if needed. With regard to decorum in the chambers, we want tonight's uh proceedings to be as civil, respectful as possible. Please do not make any personal attacks, please no applause or other outbursts during the meeting. Meeting will go a lot a lot smoother if we're respectful of one another. Uh we have uh several uh proclamations this evening. Uh so that's item three on the agenda. We'll start with Councillor Champagne. Thank you, Mr. President. Uh I'd like to welcome uh Shannon Lowry, the executive director of the Albuquerque Sane, Kim Stark, executive director of RCCCNM, and Jody Harmillo as the director of their crisis services. Um lovely gifts. Uh yes, the proclamation uh is recognizing sexual assault awareness month, whereas sexual violence is a widespread preventable public health problem in New Mexico, and whereas the sexual violence is so prevalent in our society that it affects 99% of us. If you personally are not a survivor, you are most likely know someone who is. Therefore, be it proclaimed that the council, the governing body of the city of Albuquerque, hereby proclaimed the month of April 2024, Sexual Assault Awareness Month in solidarity with all survivors of sexual abuse and assault. Wonderful. Thank you so much, sir. We appreciate it. We appreciate the support. I know as our sister program, RCC, we couldn't do this work without each other's program. And without your continued support, it means so much and being able to touch so many lives and support people during what's sometimes is like the worst day or the worst week or the worst month of their lives. And just see them heal. So thank you for the proclamation. Thank you for the support. And thank you for also lighting up the building teal in honor of Sexual Assault Awareness Month. We very much appreciate it. Thank you. Thank you. One more proclamation, uh Councillor Pena. Thank you, Mr. President. Um, this proclamation is recognizing the 31st annual Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta celebration on April 13th, 2024. Um, we have with us uh to to present to is uh Linda Garcia Benavides, she's the chair of the Recuerdo Cesar Chavez Committee, Lala Gonzalez, event coordinator, Beatriz Valencia, uh committee member, and I don't see Coralie, but she's on my list. So Corley Quintana, uh committee member to accept as well. So thank you, ladies, for being here. We'll just get started um with the proclamation.

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