Albuquerque City Council Meeting - May 19, 2025
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Albuquerque City Council Meeting - May 19, 2025
The Albuquerque City Council convened on Monday, May 19, 2025, at 5:00 PM in the Vincent E. Griego Chambers. The meeting included proclamations, reports, public comments, and final actions on several resolutions, including the FY2026 budget, a fiber internet installation moratorium, a police gas card pilot program, and a senior housing development. Council President Brook Bassan was excused; eight councilors were present.
Consent Calendar
- EC-25-381 (Environmental Planning Commission appointment of Eric W. Nelius) – Confirmed.
- EC-25-386 (Metropolitan Parks and Recreation Advisory Board appointment of Mark A. Gering) – Confirmed.
- EC-25-387, EC-25-388, EC-25-389 (Risk First Supplemental Agreements for outside counsel) – Withdrawn by Administration.
- EC-25-390 (Second Supplemental Agreement with Jones, Skelton & Hochuli, PLC) – Approved.
- EC-25-391 (Transportation Infrastructure Tax Report) – Receipt noted.
- EC-25-392 (Age-Friendly Quarterly Update Q3 FY2025) – Receipt noted.
- EC-25-396, EC-25-397 (Airline operating agreement supplements) – Approved.
- R-25-146 (Local election resolution for November 4, 2025) – Passed.
- R-25-148 (Volterra Public Improvement District director appointment) – Passed.
- R-25-149 (HUD Continuum of Care Grant application) – Passed.
- R-25-150 (Trails Public Improvement District director appointments) – Passed.
- R-25-151 (Saltillo Public Improvement District director appointment) – Passed.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Amy Hassal expressed concern about proposed budget cuts to affordable housing (89% cut), homeless support services (18% cut), and the ART bus line, and urged investment in property inspection and maintenance.
- Anami Das criticized the city for not using budget to house the unhoused, citing over 1,700 available rentals and the cost of $35 million to rent them.
- Teresa Garcia (DVSA Commission chair) requested $6.15 million for domestic violence/sexual assault services, noting previous unfunded requests led to staff cuts and service reductions.
- Tom Guralnik (Outpost Performance Space) thanked the council for support and noted the NEA rescinded a $25,000 grant.
- Dr. Lisa Christofferson questioned the mayor's trip to DC, police chief rhetoric, and city inaccessibility.
- Joshua Lucero (AFSCME union secretary) requested additional funding for dispatch employees, noting they work up to 155 hours biweekly and are underpaid.
- Stephanie Gomez (AFSCME Local 2962) asked the council to match the mayor's appropriation for union employees and highlighted lack of raises.
- Nikhil Ananda questioned the call for National Guard given violent crime is down double digits.
- Brick Jonasy suggested using YouTube for public comments and criticized policing spending.
- Kerry Daly complained about fiber optic installation damaging his property.
- Chris Davis (city bus driver) described hazards from riders and called for more support.
- Marslan Costner cited a report that APD killed the most people per capita among large U.S. cities in 2024 and opposed police raises.
- Kristen Lee (Explora) thanked council and announced the children's museum conference and early learning center construction.
- Mama Zeke expressed disappointment with the city's handling of homelessness.
- Sachi Watase (NM Asian Family Center) supported DVSA funding and noted increased demand and federal funding uncertainty.
- Lewis Montoya (blue-collar union) requested a raise for members.
- Darcy Raybold (Three Sisters Kitchen) asked to reconsider financial support for food business training.
- Christy Lee Rodriguez spoke in favor of fiber optic internet installation, calling it a necessary infrastructure upgrade.
- Olga Santana (El Centro) supported DVSA funding and opposed civil immigration enforcement by police.
- Lori Chavez (state attorney) raised legal concerns about a proposed independent building permit office.
- Lilia Avila (Three Sisters Kitchen graduate) expressed gratitude for the program and asked for continued support.
- Stanley Peplinski supported the fiber moratorium and described damage from contractors.
- Tad Numirsky objected to the police gas card program citing potential abuse and lack of oversight.
- Janet Sayers questioned who is paying for the National Guard and suggested that money could fund employee raises.
- Marcelin Costner (again) and Sachi Watase (again) repeated support for DVSA funding.
- Jodi Haramill (rape crisis center) urged $6.15 million for victim services.
- Augustine Romero (union president) called for fair pay for city employees, noting unclassified employees got 5% raises while others lag.
- Joel Via Real (AFSCME) echoed support for employee raises and criticized pitting programs against workers' pay.
- Ann Lynn Hall (Prosperity Works) requested reinstatement of $100,000 for sustainability contracts for energy efficiency upgrades.
- Monet Silva (Coalition for Homelessness) opposed cuts to the 768 Help Line, which handles 1,500–3,500 calls monthly.
Discussion Items
- EC-25-367 (Bosque Assessment and Update Prioritization document) – Receipt noted.
- EC-25-393 (Medical Sheltering and Social Support Services award) – Approved. Discussion included timeline for service start (medical sobering in month four; men's housing and navigation center within a couple months). Councilor Rogers queried bed capacity (men's: 42 beds initially, with expansion to 50 later; medical sobering: up to 50 daily; first responder area: 20 beds).
- R-25-152 (Mid-Region Council of Governments 2045 Metropolitan Plan recommendations) – Passed unanimously. Councilor Fiebelkorn noted a correction from a previous bill.
- R-25-154 (Moratorium on fiber internet installation permits and working group) – Passed as amended. Extensive debate: supporters cited damaged property, sinkholes, lack of contractor accountability; opponents argued it would slow investment and that companies are addressing issues. Amendment No. 1 (by Councilor Champine) revised the moratorium to start September 1, 2025, only if working group plan not approved; allowed existing permits and construction to continue; removed requirement for English-speaking contractors. Working group to include city departments, fiber providers, utilities, and PRC. Council also expressed disappointment with fiber companies' responses.
- R-25-132 (FY2026 Budget appropriations) – Passed as amended after multiple floor amendments. Key amendments:
- Amendment 1 (Councilor Grout, technical): Moved funds between strategic support and parks.
- Amendment 2 (Councilor Sanchez): Reserved $250,000 for Domestic Violence/Sexual Assault Commission.
- Amendment 3 (Councilor Grout, technical): Neutral adjustments.
- Amendment 4 (Councilor Sanchez): Reserved $200,000 for Albuquerque Regional Economic Alliance (AREA).
- Amendment 5 (Councilor Sanchez): Adjusted non‑recurring sponsorships for senior events.
- Amendment 6 (Councilor Baca): Reduced MRA funding by $900,000 (struck because account lacked that amount).
- Amendment 7 (Councilor Fiebelkorn, to delete funding for proposed Office of Permitting) – Failed (3-5).
- Amendment 8 (Vice-President Peña): Reserved $7,000 for AFSCME Green Circle wage adjustments.
- Amendment 9 (Vice-President Peña & Councilor Lewis): Proposed 1% COLA for all employees (except fire) – Failed (4-4).
- Amendment 10 (Councilor Grout): Proposed 0.5% COLA for all employees (except fire) – Passed (6-2).
- Amendment 11 (Vice-President Peña): Proposed $2.3M from opioid settlement for young adult housing/treatment navigation center – Failed.
- Amendment 12 (withdrawn). Final budget passed with 6-2 vote (Lewis and Peña opposed).
- R-25-153 (One-year objectives for FY2026) – Passed unanimously.
- R-25-158 (Pilot program for police gas cards at West Side area commands) – Passed as amended. Debate focused on potential abuse and lack of tracking. Chief noted concerns about preventive maintenance tracking and past abuse. Councilor Lewis argued the northwest command needs a fueling station. Amendment No. 1 (Councilor Lewis) required a report within 45 days analyzing cost savings of constructing a fueling station at the Northwest Area Command – passed. Final vote unanimous.
- R-25-159 (Senior stability cottage development in District 6 using HOME-ARPA funds) – Passed. Councilor Rogers argued it is a minor amendment to the HUD action plan and does not require extensive public comment. Administration expressed concern about HUD rules but council voted to approve.
Key Outcomes
- Consent agenda approved unanimously (8-0).
- EC-25-393 (Medical sheltering contract) approved.
- R-25-154 (Fiber internet moratorium) passed as amended with a working group and conditional September 1 moratorium.
- R-25-132 (FY2026 Budget) passed as amended with a 2.5% COLA for most employees ($2.02M reserved) and several program adjustments. Final vote: 6-2.
- R-25-153 (One-year objectives) passed.
- R-25-158 (Police gas card pilot) passed as amended.
- R-25-159 (Senior cottage development) passed.
- The meeting adjourned at 10:19 PM.
Meeting Transcript
A next item on the agenda is we have a moment of silence, and we'll start with the Pledge Allegiance in English and then uh in Spanish. Please join me in the pledge. Congratulations to the United States of America and to the report for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. 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 live streams throughout different four different platforms GovTV, Comcast Channel 16, the Gov TV website, YouTube, and Zoob webinar. The live streams can be accessed from access from most smartphones, tablets, and computers. Also, this meeting is closed captioned, 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. City Council staff is available via telephone if members of the public need assistance, finding videos online. Please call 505768-3100 for assistance during business hours, Monday through Friday, um 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The council will take a break at approximately 7 p.m. this evening if needed with regard to decorum in the chambers. We want tonight's proceedings to be as civil and respectful as possible. Please do not make any personal attacks and please no applause, snapping, or other outbursts during the meeting. The meeting will go a lot smoother if we are all respectful of one another. So we are now on to proclamations and presentations. Um we have a presentation by um Miss Casey. She is a president and CEO of the Albuquerque Regional Economic Alliance area who will provide an update. Very good. That's that one's much closer because I'm not very tall. Uh good evening, Council, Vice President and Counselors. It is an honor and a privilege to give you a very brief update tonight on the work that the Albuquerque Regional Economic Alliance has been doing for the last year on contract with the city. Um so I'll first start. I think uh they can see my slide. Perfect. Um, so just as a refresher, area is a 501c3 nonprofit, and it's very important to us that uh our mission statement uh is uh is pretty widely recognized that we lead and execute strategic uh strategies that are designed to grow and diversify the economic base and really raise the quality of life for all. And I know that we have that in common. We're also celebrating our 65th anniversary year, which is pretty exciting as an organization in this community in different forms. Well, tonight is a very brief update. I did want to offer, um, I'm always happy to, and and we'll be uh hopefully reaching out to maybe do some more in-depth briefings and updates throughout the year with all of you as your as your schedules and interests permit. Um, based on the quarterly updates that we provide as part of our RFP contract with the city, these are some very high-level highlights and some of the deliverables in that contract that we've been honored to uh to provide in the past year. We do deliver monthly briefings with the City of Albuquerque economic development staff where we walk through all of our activity in depth. Um, we have hosted two site consultant visits. We've actually got memorandums of understanding with seven different brokerage firms in the region for partnership and commercial real estate. Um, we have provided custom industry data reports, research reports, and material like that for the contract in the city's branding for use by the economic development department, as well as presentations and other materials. We have represented the community and the region at numerous trade shows and conferences. Um, and you can see there's a lot of other information in here that I won't read the entire list for you, but there's some examples of the material. If anyone in the community ever wants to see what we've been up to, we also publish quarterly reports publicly on our website and annual reports for everyone to see. If you look at the bottom of the slide, this is just a tally of the economic impacts of the projects we've worked on for announcement since last July 1, just since last July 1, and if they all come to fruition, what would happen in the first three years of that outcome? And if they all come to fruition, what would happen in the first three years of that outcome? One of the things I wanted to share is we also do business retention and expansion outreach on behalf of the city and the region. And in since July 1, we've actually done an online outreach with 70 responses, and we've actually done 41 calls, meeting with businesses individually to understand what their challenges are. And as you can see on the slides, probably not a shock to everyone, but the biggest challenges are workforce challenges, community challenges such as quality of life, crime public safety, taxes and regulatory burdens, and then obviously infrastructure and logistics constraints. We use this information to inform the work that we're going to do and how we drive our strategic plan forward and how we prioritize the work we're doing. So this is just a very high-level summary of their responses that we'll be spending a lot of time working on. I'm really excited to report that we had great success working in lockstep with all of our regional partners, also the state economic development department in providing data and education as to the need for site readiness. We are, it is really amazing the bills that were passed this year around this issue.
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