OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Albuquerque City Council Meeting April 7, 2025: Budget, Opioid Funds, and Appeals

City Council — Monday, April 7, 2025
BodyAlbuquerque, New Mexico
SessionCity Council
DateMonday, April 7, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
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Transcript — Verbatim
0:03

Good evening, everyone.

0:05

I would like to call the April 7th, 2025 council meeting to order.

0:09

This is the 29th meeting of the 26th council.

0:12

All counselors are present this evening.

0:14

We're going to begin with a moment of silence and then the Pledge of Allegiance in English and Spanish.

1:03

Civic Plaza parking passes are provided for members of the public.

1:07

You can obtain a parking pass from council staff at the table near the chamber's entrance.

1:11

Members of the public, city staff, and the media have the ability to view this meeting in person and on live streams through four different platforms.

1:24

The live streams can be accessed from most smartphones, tablets, or computers.

1:27

Also, this meeting is closed captioning and you may enable the closed captioning services on your television or device at this time.

1:35

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

1:41

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

1:47

Please call 505-768-310 for assistance during business hours Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.

1:53

to 5 p.m.

1:55

The council will take a break at approximately 7 p.m.

1:57

this evening if needed.

1:58

And with regard to decorum in the chambers, we want tonight's proceeding to be as civil and respectful as possible.

2:04

Please do not make any personal attacks and please no applausing or snapping or any other outburst during the meeting.

2:10

The meeting will go a lot smoother if we are all respectful of one another.

2:16

We are going to proceed on to item agenda item number three, but before we do that, I know that it is something new that we've been doing lately where uh administration QA is happening at the end of the meeting.

2:28

It was a request that we put it back towards the beginning.

2:31

So it is going on to uh agenda item number four, just like it originally used to be.

2:37

It will be something I plan on returning towards the end of the meeting unless there's another request coming out in the future uh moving forward.

2:44

Counselors, moving on to agenda item number three, proclamations and presentations.

2:48

Counselor Lewis, thank you, Madam President.

2:57

Uh we have some folks here tonight, I believe, that are um uh regarding this proclamation on um organ donor uh month in the side of in the in the uh state of New Mexico.

3:09

Those folks here tonight.

3:11

Oh, yeah.

3:12

Come on, come on down.

3:13

We'd love to have you come down to the podium here.

3:25

Ms.

3:25

Espinoza, thanks for being here tonight and everybody.

3:34

Well, these folks represent um some organizations that are very uh close to me and close to my heart and um and championing um some very good things in the state of New Mexico.

3:44

And so I'm gonna um well, you know what?

3:46

Let me let me give you all a chance to would you all before I read the proclamation.

3:49

Let me give you a moment to talk a little bit about organ donation month and uh in the organization.

3:53

Thank you, um, Councilor Lewis, Council President and Council.

3:57

Thank you for having us so much.

3:58

April is National Donate Life Month.

4:01

And so I have with me Antoinette Sweena.

4:03

Her son was a donor hero.

4:05

He was six years old when he passed, and he saved four lives.

4:08

Usually Joel Anthony.

4:10

Um, I have Anne Marie, she's a liberal recipient.

4:12

And her husband Joe's back there.

4:15

He survived.

4:16

He survived with her with me.

4:18

Victoria, who's a liberal recipient, and Dale and Angela, Daryl, sorry, Daryl.

4:24

Daryl received a heart as well.

4:26

So just some of our community here from um Albuquerque that has been touched by organ donation.

4:34

Thank you all.

4:34

Thank you all so much.

4:35

And um, you know, uh years ago, my brother and I uh went and participated in the uh the United States um uh donor games.

4:46

I think that was the call now.

4:48

Yeah, yes.

4:48

What's that?

4:49

The transplant games.

4:50

Transplant games, of course, yeah.

4:51

Transplant games, yeah.

5:00

been touched by organ donation thank you all thank you all so much and um you know uh years ago my brother and I uh went and participated in the uh the United States um uh donor games I think that was the call it now yeah yes what's that the transplant games transplant games of course yeah transplant games yeah my brother competed and went there to uh support them and uh a lot of the folks from uh around New Mexico and we we just had a phenomenal time and and uh really enjoy getting to know the um the donor community donate live community around new mexico a lot of just incredibly amazing people and and doing doing some phenomenal great things you know for our for our city and for our state so thank you all so much I'm gonna read this proclamation uh whereas one organ donor can save the lives of up to eight people and prove the lives of up to 75 others with eye and tissue donation whereas more than 100,000 patients currently wait for life saving organ transplants across the nation including more than 500 new Mexicans and whereas 90 new Mexican organ donors saved 207 lives in 2004 24 and whereas three hospitals in our state had their very first organ donors and four hospitals supported a record number of donor heroes last year whereas all new Mexicans can register to be organ donors regardless of their age or medical history and whereas we truly honor those who gave the extraordinary gift of life through living and deceased organ donation and whereas we encourage every new Mexican to register as a donor on their driver's license or ID card at the motor vehicle division or online at donatelife new Mexico.org and donate life nm.org and talk to their family about their decision uh be it proclaimed that the council the governing body of the city of Albuquerque hereby proclaims the month of April 2025 as donate life month great would you all like to say anything else any others maybe I I just want to thank you for this because before this I wasn't aware that the member any type of owner you know it just wasn't my culture back then and uh when I got sick and it ended up being a hereditary gene that I have my mother and my brother both died of liver issues as well I started realizing that it's it's it is a big problem and you know especially nowadays with with the food we're eating the way we're our lifestyle is it's just gonna get worse and we uh we need to just continue to you know raise awareness yeah if we can I think it's important to note that if we think about the pit right in our lobos there are as many people waiting for a life saving transplant to pack the pit six times so that's how many people are currently waiting in the U.S.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Public Safety██████████████████18%
Procedural████████████████16%
Land Use Planning███████████████15%
Mental Health Awareness████████████12%
Public Records Management███████7%
Public Engagement█████5%
Economic Development████4%
Community Engagement████4%
Substance Abuse Prevention████4%
Summary of Proceedings

Albuquerque City Council Meeting - April 7, 2025

The Albuquerque City Council convened on Monday, April 7, 2025, at 5:00 PM in the Vincent E. Griego Chambers. The meeting covered a wide range of issues including proclamations, a presentation on IPRA, multiple appeals, the 2025-2034 Capital Implementation Program, and the contentious allocation of opioid settlement funds. The council also addressed a corrective statement regarding Open Meetings Act violations from a prior meeting. All nine councilors were present.

Proclamations & Presentations

  • Organ Donor Month: Councilor Lewis presented a proclamation recognizing April 2025 as Donate Life Month. Celina Espinoza of New Mexico Donor Services accepted, noting that 90 New Mexican organ donors saved 207 lives in 2024, and that the state's registration rate rose from 53% to 56%.
  • Sexual Assault Awareness Month: Councilor Champine presented a proclamation for Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Speakers noted that in 2024, the Rape Crisis Center of Central New Mexico assisted 1,313 survivors (ages 2 months to 89 years), and APD's Sex Crimes Unit reported 592 sex crimes.
  • IPRA Study: The New Mexico Municipal League presented findings from a six-month study of the Inspection of Public Records Act (IPRA), noting a 46% increase in staff dedicated to IPRA and a 71% increase in compensation since 2020. LexisNexis alone accounts for 15% of requests among surveyed governments. They recommended fee schedules, longer response times, and standardized online intake forms.

Administration Q&A

  • Mayor's 'Agitate' Comment: Councilor Lewis questioned the CAO about Mayor Keller's use of the word "agitate" at a rally. The CAO said the administration had not discussed the statement, and that no specific legislation or litigation was being pursued. Councilor Lewis called the language "irresponsible," while Councilor Fiebelkorn defended it, saying the mayor was encouraging public engagement.
  • Federal Funding Cuts: The CAO expressed concern over potential federal funding cuts, mentioning 50 police officer positions and other grants. Councilor Lewis criticized the administration for not budgeting for these risks, noting the city's $1.5 billion budget. The CAO said the city is monitoring all federal funding and would return to the council if cuts occur.
  • Inspector General Reports: Discussion on the status of nine Inspector General reports. CFO Sourisseau stated the AGO board had concerns about their accuracy and timeliness, while Councilor Lewis and the City Attorney clarified the process. City Attorney Keefe noted the board could approve, not approve, or defer the reports.

Consent Calendar

  • All items approved unanimously (8-0, Councilor Lewis excused):
    • EC-25-312: Property exchange at 2245 Louisiana Blvd NE for Kimo Park.
    • EC-25-313: WE CARE Training award.
    • EC-25-315: Workers' Comp medical bill review.
    • EC-25-316: Land lease with Honeywell Federal Manufacturing.
    • Appointments to various boards (EC-25-339, EC-25-346, EC-25-347, EC-25-348, EC-25-349, EC-25-350, EC-25-351, EC-25-352).
    • Various reports (EC-25-341, EC-25-344, EC-25-345).
    • O-25-74: CEED Block Grant acceptance.

Appeals

  • AC-24-28 (Volcano Cliffs Preliminary Plat): The council accepted the Land Use Hearing Officer's recommendation to uphold the DHO's approval of the preliminary plat, voting 8-1 (Peña against).
  • AC-25-01 (Mesa Film Studio): This was a full hearing on an appeal by neighborhood associations (SFVNA, WSCONA, NAVA) and individuals against the EPC's approval of a site plan for a film studio at Double Eagle II Airport. The LUHO recommended granting the appeal, but the council voted 9-0 to deny the appeal and uphold the EPC, with new findings to be adopted at the next meeting. Councilors cited the project's potential for jobs (approximately 1,200 jobs per year) and economic development on the West Side, and noted the applicant's mitigation efforts such as setbacks and height reductions.

Discussion Items

  • O-25-79 (Geltmore Karsten Industrial Revenue Bond): Approved unanimously (9-0) as substituted. The $5.6 million bond will renovate a 56,000 sq ft building at 2810 Karsten Ct SE for manufacturing, creating over 80 jobs in seven years.
  • EC-25-319 (Pilot Program for Homeless Employment): Approved 8-1 (Champine against). The program will provide employment and support for individuals experiencing homelessness, with funding for 16 participants at a time.
  • R-25-117 (2025-2034 Capital Implementation Program): Passed unanimously (9-0) as substituted and amended. The plan allocates over $21 million for GO bond projects, including $5 million for Health, Housing & Homelessness facilities, funding for the International Mariachi Music Hall of Fame, and ACS fleet vehicles.
  • R-25-123 (Downtown MRA Boundary Expansion): Passed unanimously (9-0) as amended, adding the McClellan Park and Railroad MRA areas and a parcel at Broadway and Lomas.
  • R-25-128 (Opioid Settlement Implementation Plan): After extensive public comment and debate, the council passed the plan as amended 8-1 (Peña against). The plan allocates $21 million in FY25 to:
    • $2 million for small/medium provider grants
    • $10 million for provider infrastructure (amended to include services)
    • $1.8 million for APS Crossroads program
    • Remaining funds to the administration for programs within guardrails (60% intervention/treatment, 40% prevention), with restrictions on law enforcement and safe use sites.
    • An amendment to lift the recurring funding limitation for FY26 failed 2-7.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • General Public Comments: Residents raised concerns about: staffing at the Office of Civil Rights, opioid settlement fund allocation, foster home shortages, District 6 funding, Civic Plaza fees, vacant properties and homelessness, Parks & Recreation funding, APD private security, IPRA redactions, the Rethink I-25 initiative, and an incident with a Waste Management employee.
  • Opioid Settlement Bill (R-25-128): Over 20 speakers testified, including:
    • Support for funding APS Crossroads and school-based behavioral health programs (multiple counselors and supporters, including a student letter).
    • Support for funding treatment and services rather than infrastructure (pharmacist, treatment providers, social workers).
    • Concern about the need for both capital and operational funding (Serenity Mesa).
    • Comments from Vital Strategies (over 1,700 constituents engaged) and Heading Home (lost 9 clients to overdose last year).

Key Outcomes

  • Approved: Consent agenda, O-25-79, R-25-117, R-25-123, R-25-128 (8-1), and EC-25-319 (8-1).
  • Denied: AC-25-01 appeal (9-0) with findings to be adopted April 21.
  • Deferred: Adoption of findings for AC-25-01 to April 21.
  • Failed: Amendment to expand provider grant funds to services (5-4 approved, but failed to lift recurring limit? Actually amendment to add services passed 5-4; amendment to lift recurring limit failed 2-7).
  • Corrective Statement: Issued to address two technical OMA violations from the October 21, 2024 meeting.
  • Meetings Scheduled: Finance & Government Operations Committee (April 14), Land Use, Planning & Zoning Committee (April 16).

Meeting Transcript

Good evening, everyone. I would like to call the April 7th, 2025 council meeting to order. This is the 29th meeting of the 26th council. All counselors are present this evening. We're going to begin with a moment of silence and then the Pledge of Allegiance in English and Spanish. Civic Plaza parking passes are provided for members of the public. You can obtain a parking pass from council staff at the table near the chamber's entrance. Members of the public, city staff, and the media have the ability to view this meeting in person and on live streams through four different platforms. The live streams can be accessed from most smartphones, tablets, or computers. Also, this meeting is closed captioning and you may enable 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 city council's website. Council staff is available via telephone if members of the public need assistance, finding the videos online. Please call 505-768-310 for assistance during business hours Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The council will take a break at approximately 7 p.m. this evening if needed. And with regard to decorum in the chambers, we want tonight's proceeding to be as civil and respectful as possible. Please do not make any personal attacks and please no applausing or snapping or any other outburst during the meeting. The meeting will go a lot smoother if we are all respectful of one another. We are going to proceed on to item agenda item number three, but before we do that, I know that it is something new that we've been doing lately where uh administration QA is happening at the end of the meeting. It was a request that we put it back towards the beginning. So it is going on to uh agenda item number four, just like it originally used to be. It will be something I plan on returning towards the end of the meeting unless there's another request coming out in the future uh moving forward. Counselors, moving on to agenda item number three, proclamations and presentations. Counselor Lewis, thank you, Madam President. Uh we have some folks here tonight, I believe, that are um uh regarding this proclamation on um organ donor uh month in the side of in the in the uh state of New Mexico. Those folks here tonight. Oh, yeah. Come on, come on down. We'd love to have you come down to the podium here. Ms. Espinoza, thanks for being here tonight and everybody. Well, these folks represent um some organizations that are very uh close to me and close to my heart and um and championing um some very good things in the state of New Mexico. And so I'm gonna um well, you know what? Let me let me give you all a chance to would you all before I read the proclamation. Let me give you a moment to talk a little bit about organ donation month and uh in the organization. Thank you, um, Councilor Lewis, Council President and Council. Thank you for having us so much. April is National Donate Life Month. And so I have with me Antoinette Sweena. Her son was a donor hero. He was six years old when he passed, and he saved four lives. Usually Joel Anthony. Um, I have Anne Marie, she's a liberal recipient. And her husband Joe's back there. He survived. He survived with her with me. Victoria, who's a liberal recipient, and Dale and Angela, Daryl, sorry, Daryl. Daryl received a heart as well. So just some of our community here from um Albuquerque that has been touched by organ donation.

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