Welcome to the 37th meeting of the 26th Council.

We will come to order on September 20 on September 3rd, 2025.

All counselors are present this evening with Councillor Pena being on Zoom.

We're going to begin the meeting with a moment of silence and then the Pledge of Allegiance in English and then in 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, Gov TV on Comcast Channel 16, the Gov TV website, YouTube, and Zoom webinar.

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

Also, this meeting is closed captioning 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.

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

Please call 505 768 3100 for assistance during business hours Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.

to 5 p.m.

The council will take a break at approximately 7 o'clock 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.

I will provide one warning to anyone causing a disruption upon the second or continued disruption, that individual will be asked to leave the chambers and if necessary, security will be asked to escort that person out of the chambers.

Such removal from the council chambers will be effective for the remainder of the meeting.

If continued disruptions occur, I may recess the meeting until order is restored and if necessary may clear the chambers of persons participating in the disturbance.

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

We're going to start this evening with proclamations and presentations.

Councilor Pena has the first proclamation recognizing the 10th annual celebration for National Recovery Month.

Counselor Pena.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Since I wasn't able to attend this evening, I would, I don't have the proclamation in front of me.

So if Councilor Grau perhaps would kind of leave the charts on it, I would appreciate it.

And I want to thank everyone who's here on behalf of his proclamation for recovery.

Thank you.

Counselor Grout.

Thank you, Madam President.

Thank you, Counselor Pena.

Um this is for the we're recognizing the 10th annual celebration of National Recovery Month.

Accepting this evening are Mark Garnard, he's the program manager of peer recovery and engagement with the New Mexico Health Care Authority, and long-standing ACR community commun uh committee member, Jennifer Weiss Burke, Executive Director of Serenity Mesa and one of the founding members of ACR.

Teresa Chavez, she's the project manager for Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Mexico and a longstanding ACR committee member.

And Aaron Vega, he's the community art facilitator and curator, a long-standing ACR community member.

So I'm glad you all are here.

Whereas National Recovery Month is a national observance held every September to educate Americans that substance use treatment and mental health supports can enable those with mental health and or substance use disorders to live a healthy and rewarding life.

And whereas the National Recognized Recovery Month began in 1989 as Treatment Works Month, which honored the work of substance use treatment professionals in the field.

In 1988, the observance was modified as National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month, expanding to include include celebrating the accomplishments of individuals in recovery from substance use disorders.

The observance evolved once again in 2011 to National Recovery Month to include all aspects of behavioral behavioral health.

And whereas over the past decade, a local volunteer-driven initiative, spearheaded by representatives from a variety of local agencies and organizations called Albuquerque celebrates recovery, has hosted annual events focused on accepting, welcoming, and embracing all paths that lead to recovery while building strength in the community.

And whereas Albuquerque celebrates recovery advocates, advocates and supports individuals with substance use and mental health disorders by providing an avenue to achieve and sustain long-term recovery and to reinforce the positive message that behavioral health is essentially essential to the overall health of our community.

And that prevents prevention works, treatment is effective, and people can recover.

And whereas the city of Albuquerque, City Council Office and Department of Health, Housing, and Homelessness, in collaboration with Albuquerque Celebrates Recovery, community-based organizations, managed care organizations, the state of New Mexico's behavioral health services division, and Bernalieu County's Behavioral Health Authority are hosting a recovery art show at Casa Cultura on September 5th, and a recovery pow-out and main event on September 12th at Civic Plaza.

And whereas the 10th anniversary of Albuquerque celebrates recovery event will bring together over 1,000 attendees and more than 75 providers, and will celebrate will be celebrated throughout the month of September to increase awareness and understanding of substance use and mental health disorders and to celebrate the gains of those in recovery.

Be it proclaimed that the council, the governing body of the city of Albuquerque, hereby declares September 2025 as National Recovery Month.

That's a lot.

You guys are doing a lot of things.

Counselor Pena, I want to go back to you to start.

Thank you.

I just want to say I think that Ms.

Weiss and all her people over there at Serenity Mesa is just doing some outstanding work with our youth right.

I really think that it really starts with prevention and intervention.

I just really want to credit her to all the work she's done in really building a wonderful, a wonderful facility there that supports our youth.

And um I and I'm proud to sponsor some resources for Serenity Mesa, and then I know since Councilor Grout and People Porn have been elected, they have joined me in sponsoring the great work that they do over there.

So I just really want to congratulate you.

And I feel like at some point the person that used to call me initially for this was Alan Carriaga, and he every year on time like Bachwork, he would call me to let me know that it's that time of the year.

You know, we have a long me and him have a long history, and you know him with his own recovery and his own journey, and then also, you know, we relate because obviously, you know, I have family members who went down that path as well.

And so I just want to, you know, in memory of uh Don, I think maybe we need to name it after after him this next coming year, um, just to always recognize him.

But thank you, Jennifer, and I'm sure um you have some words to say about the work you're doing.

So thank you.

Ladies, thank you so much.

Go ahead, say a few words.

Thank you.

Thank you for having us today.

Um, I have with me Teresa and Aaron, and uh we have been involved.

We're a small portion of a large group of volunteers that put this event on every year.

Um, we have members from multiple providers throughout the city of Albuquerque and also employees of the city of Albuquerque as well.

So we it takes a village to put this event on.

It's our 10-year anniversary.

We are completely sold out on tables, so we have 96 providers that will be at the event next Friday.

So Friday the 12th at Civic Plaza.

Um, if you can take a few minutes just to come down and browse through the tables, there'll be resources from all over the place.

And so it's a great place if you need to refer somebody if they need help, or you know, just to have people who are in recovery come and celebrate because that's what it's all about.

It's not about some of the the negative aspects that go into substance use and addiction, it's about celebrating the people who who are in recovery and then also offering resources for people who still need help.

So Aaron Vega heads up our art show, which is this Friday, so it's at Casa del Cultura, um, and it'll be amazing.

So please try and join join her at that event this Friday, and then the following week next Friday will be our main event with our um celebration from 10 to 2 and then our powwow right after that.

So thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you all.

Counselors, any questions or comments?

I have one.

Counselor Grout.

Where is Casa Cultura?

It is located off the central in the roundabout.

Um Champe, Al Chant, also known as El Chante.

Explain Robertson Park, you know the Robertson Park.

Okay.

Eighth and central.

Okay.

Eighth and central.

Yes.

Okay, very good from five to seven.

Five to seven.

Very good.

Thank you.

And we do have students from Serenity Mesa who will have art that I worked with them this weekend on that will be selling their art amongst amazing artists.

So I'm I'm looking forward to it and sharing amazing art.

Very good.

Thank you.

Thank you for all you do.

Uh, we're going to give you a round of applause, and then if you want to go ahead and come on up and gather your proclamation, that would be lovely.

Oh thank you.

Congratulations.

Thank you for all of it.

Counselor Pena, while they're doing that, if you want to add a couple things, my apologies for not circling back to you.

No, no.

Thank you, Madam President.

I I know they're also having a benefit.

Um, Stephen Michael Casada, um, they're having a golf tournament, and they're gonna be the recipients sort of mesa of the um proceeds from that.

Yeah, so real excited for them.

Thank you.

Moving on to our second proclamation, Counselor Grout.

Thank you, Madam President.

Um, I'm going to ask Miss Jennifer Weisberg, uh, again, the executive director of Serenity Mesa, and one of the founding members of ACR, and David Burke, the director of programming and facility facilities of Serenity Mesa.

We are recognizing their 10th anniversary of Serenity Mesa.

Um, I think you all know that I, along with several counselors here, we are we love what Serenity Mesa provides for our community.

It's a model that works, and they've done some great things, and it came out of adversity, and they've turned that into something wonderful for others to um to celebrate recovery and so forth.

So um, Counselor Pinot, do you have the script?

I don't.

Okay, okay, I'll go ahead and read it.

Whereas Serenity Mesa was established by Healing Addiction in our community in 2015 to offer treatment for young people ages 14 to 20 with substance abuse disorders, and whereas the 90-day program at Serenity Mesa includes evidence-based programming, housing in a sober living community, individual and group therapy, life skills, training, high school education, and GED prep, job readiness, medication management, education on living a healthy lifestyle, community engagement and service, and connecting to a sense of purpose, and whereas a large part of the treatment program includes teaching responsibility and the clients at Serenity Mesa take care of the campus as it were their own home, which leads to a healthy sense of accomplishment, valuable life skills, and self-sufficiency.

And whereas recovery from substance abuse is more than just abstinence abstinence from drugs and alcohol, it's about finding a new and meaningful meaningful life where drugs and alcohol have no place, and learning that a sober life can be fun, healthy, and is achievable.

And whereas Serenity Mesa also offers transitional housing and housing navigation services for program graduates, and whereas Serenity Mesa opened a medical detox facility on their campus in 2024, so that no young person who's ready to change their life must be turned away because they have they haven't detoxed.

And whereas Serenity Mesa celebrated its 10th anniversary in May, be it proclaimed that the council, the governing body of the city of Albuquerque, congratulates Serenity Mesa on its 10 years of helping young people become self-sufficient, maintain positive and healthy relationships, and a bill and build a new life without substances.

Counselor Grout, if you want to go ahead and continue.

Thank you.

I just um I just think that this is probably the premier um program in our community.

It just one of them, I should say there are several good ones, but this one this one really touches a lot of people and and has good results, and that is what we're looking for when we are working with spending taxpayer dollars.

And that is what we're looking for when we are working with spending taxpayer dollars.

We can see the the um the benefits, we can see the results, and I know that your heart and all that you've got in it is working, and it's and I've visited the the Serenity Mesa on many occasions, and I can see the residents there, they love they love where they are, they are very respectful, they're very um they're proud of their accomplishments, what they've done, and they um and they take great pride in caring for the the facility and their home, and um so I just want this program to grow and grow and grow and grow any kind of need that we have.

So, with that, I'm gonna let you tell us about what you're doing.

Great.

Well, thank you, everybody.

Thank you so much for the proclamation.

It means the world to us.

Um, you know, we opened pretty much just on a wing in a prayer 10 years ago.

We started the process actually in 2012, and it took us about three years before we were able to have a facility and funding to where we could actually start start opening.

Um, and the city of Albuquerque was the very first contract that we obtained to be able to provide operating expenses to start hiring staff.

So you guys have been with us since the very beginning, and um continue to be with us in all of our challenges and growth opportunities and everything.

So I really appreciate everything that each and every one of you have done to support us along the way because it does it takes a village and it it takes um a lot of other providers in the community to help us be successful.

Um, you know, Robert Chavez is behind me with YDI.

We work with them very closely, and um they've been mentors to us because they've been around a long time and they kind of know how to navigate things, so they've been a huge part of our success as well in helping us navigate, and that's I think what's really important, and that's what's really special about a lot of the youth providers is that we work together.

We don't see each other as competition, we see each other as a way to help each individual person get the help that they need, whether that's treatment, housing, counseling, whatever services it is, um, you know, we come together to provide those services as a community, and I appreciate the fact that um that we're allowed to do the work that we do because it is near and dear to my heart.

These services didn't exist um when my son was struggling with his addiction, and I wish we had a place like Serenity Mesa for him because I think he probably would have done so much better than he did, and I'm just thankful that we have the services that we can provide to the young people that are struggling right now because the numbers aren't getting any smaller, unfortunately.

And you see in the news, there's there's just an influx of crime among youth, and I do believe that prevention and intervention is the key to to solving a lot of that.

Thank you, thank you, counselors.

Any questions or comments?

Counselor Sanchez.

Thank you, Madam President.

I just want to say that um you guys have an amazing facility.

Serenity Mesa is top notch, and when I've been to visit, just the amount, the passion that goes into it, and then the way you've set up the tours so that we can see that you are really making a difference.

And I was so impressed that uh some of the people that were actually staying at Serenity and Mesa had their stories to tell.

And when you hear those stories, it really resonates to this council and to me that you are doing the job and doing it right and and getting it done.

So I just wanted to say thank you for taking care of the youth, the individuals that are attending Serenity New Mesa and making sure that when they leave, they're in a whole different state.

So thank you so much.

I appreciate you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

You didn't take me, Counselor Grout.

Thank you.

Who did you bring with you?

Okay, so we have a couple of our staff.

I want to make sure that there isn't anybody that's snuck in with you.

Oh, they're back there.

You guys want to come up?

So we have we have um some of our staff.

Um, my husband David, who you guys know, our clinical director is um Zach Fadilla, and then one of our HR administrators, Corey, and then one of our case managers slash life skills navigators, Davina, she works in our housing program, and we have one of our BHTs, Johnny.

And we have a lot.

We have Sherisa, who's our program manager, and Shanita, and all of our kids.

So we brought the kids that we have today.

So I wanted them to experience this as well, and just kind of um, you know, it's it's important, I think, for them that they get to be kids again when they're at Serenity Mesa, and that's one of the things that we really try and allow for is taking them to events like this and taking them out so that they can see that people are um pulling for them and they do want them to succeed and get better, and then a lot of the events of the community, you know, that we take them to allow them to just be teenagers because that's yeah, that's what they deserve.

So thank you.

Thank you, everybody, and thank you for coming down here because we really are encouraged by your bravery and what you all are doing too.

Uh if you all want to come up too for right now, that would be great.

We'll give you your confirmation.

Oh proud thank you very much, appreciate all appreciate all your work.

Thank you.

Okay, thank you.

Councillors, we're going to need to take a roll call vote on the next motions for those of you that want to be present.

Uh we're moving on to the journal.

I move approval of the August 18th journal.

Second, second.

There's a motion and a second by councilor Rogers this time.

Counselors, uh, any discussion.

All those in favor, go ahead and signify by uh once Miss Montoya calls you.

Councilor Baca.

Yes, Councilor Champagne, yes, Councilor Peoplecorn, yes, Councilor Grout, Counselor Lewis.

Counselor Lewis.

This is a motion to approve the journal.

Oh, yes, that was going grout counselor penia, yeah.

Counselor Rogers, yes, counselor Sanchez, yes, President Bissau, yes, passes on an 8-0 vote.

Counselors for moving on to communications and introductions.

Are there any letter changes to the letter of introduction?

I'll begin by moving that the rules be suspended for the purpose of placing OC 46 on tonight's agenda for action.

OC46 is the reappointment of Robert J.

Aragon to the accountability and government oversight committee.

Second, there's a motion and a second by councillor Sanchez.

Uh please indicate uh your support once the clerk calls you.

Ms.

Montoya, Councilor Baca, yes, Counselor Champagne, yes, Counselor Peoplecorn, yes, Councilor Lewis, yes, Vice President Pena, yes, Councilor Rogers, yes, Councilor Sanchez, yes, President Mason.

Yes, passes on an 80 vote, Councilor Rogers, Peoplecorn, Pena, or Grout.

Thank you, Madam President.

I'd like to move that the rules be suspended for the purpose of placing R 188 on tonight's agenda for action.

R8 188 is authorizing the acceptance of funds from the state of New Mexico and appropriating funding for specific homeless services programs and facility improvements and to a specific affordable housing project.

Second, there's a motion and a second by Councilor Feblecorn, Madam Clerk, Councilor Baca, yes, Councilor Champagne, yes, Councilor Feblecorn, yes, Councilor Lewis, yes, Vice President Pena, yeah.

Counselor Rogers, yes, Councillor Sanchez, yes, President Bassan, yes, passes on an eight zero vote.

Counselors, any other changes to the letter of introduction.

I move approval of the letter of introduction.

There's a second by Councilor Feeplecorn, Madam Clerk, Councilor Bacca.

Yes, Councillor Champagne, yes, Councilor Feeplecorn, yes, Councilor Lewis, yes, Counselor Penya, yeah.

Councilor Rogers, yes, Counselor Sanchez, yes, President Bassan, yes.

Passes on an eight zero vote.

There are no reports of committees tonight, and we will move on to deferrals and withdrawals.

Any deferrals or withdrawals at this time, counselors.

Seeing none, we're gonna move on to the consent agenda.

Are there any changes to the letter on to the consent agenda?

Councilor Champagne, yes.

Uh Madam President, I'd like to pull uh item.

Well, I don't know which item it is, EC2546 and Councillor Grout.

Madam President, I'd like to pull O 2592.

Thank you.

Um, and I know that we didn't go through the actual title of it.

Councilor Grout, we're on you right now.

Okay, it's um 92 is amending um amending 5-8-6 prohibiting prohibited activities of the Albuquerque open space management ordinance to include overlooked animals.

Thank you.

And then for individuals on tonight's consent agenda who are being appointed to serve on border commission.

Thank you for your willingness to serve.

I move approval.

What counselors, before I move approval, are there any other changes to the consent agenda?

I move approval of the consent agenda.

There's a second by counselor Rogers.

Madam Clerk.

Councilor Backa?

Yes.

Councilor Champagne.

Yes.

Counselor People Corn?

Yes.

Counselor Grout.

Yes.

Councilor Lewis.

Yes.

Vice President Pena.

Yes.

Councilor Rogers?

Yes.

Counselor Sanchez?

Yes.

President Bassan?

Yes.

Pass this unanimously.

Councilor Champagne, we're going to go back to you for EC2546.

Thank you, Madam President.

EC25466 is the quarter, fourth quarter of FY25's ABQ ride quarterly security report with APD, ACS, and Metro Security data.

I just had a few questions about the report and kind of want to see if we can either get some answers or kind of just give a brief a briefing of what this report is saying and intending to do moving forward.

Please, Madam President, Councilor Champagne, our team is coming in right now.

Director Keener's right behind you.

She was very rapid and no pun intended with the whole transit.

I know they were standing in the raw rawing in there.

Good evening, Director.

Good evening.

Director, thank you for being here tonight.

I just kind of wanted to just give you uh if you could give just a kind of a brief of what this quarterly report is indicating.

Um what it's provided, what information it's provided to you and what steps you're gonna be moving forward based on this information.

So council president and counselor champagne.

Um, so yes, so these quarterly reports are part of uh the ordinance that um that was passed a couple years ago that we have to submit quarterly reports to um council about transit safety and security.

So these reports include data that comes from um our different safety uh partners that we have from APD from Metro Security and from ACS.

So we're doing this by quarter.

So this is May or April, May, and June is the quarter that is currently reported.

Um we do break these reports down just because there's a lot of data on there to try and make them a little bit easier to understand.

And I will say that that we are working through this right now with our consultants' uh parametrics to try and get a better dashboard in place that are gonna give us better KPIs and help us to really understand where we're having issues in a more timely fashion.

As of right now, the data is really tough for us to pool and assemble.

It's a very manual process.

Um we do it just once a quarter when we're looking at these um these numbers and reporting to um to council just because it is such a heavy lift.

So um we do break it up by class A and Class B reports.

Um, our class A are the more serious reports, so you can see on on this report here, class A is looking at items like vandalism, um assault battery fights, um, narcotics, those types of things.

And then we look at sort of your more lower level um incidents that occur, um, like more of the quality of life issues, uh loitering, um, those kinds of things that you'll see in the class B reports here.

Um, in this case here, we also are breaking it up by what we are calling proactive and reactive calls.

Um, so in a majority of the calls that you'll see are actually proactive checks that are happening out there.

So those are our transit safety officers that are out in the fields just actively doing field briefings, tactical plans, those kinds of things.

Um, our metro security partners do that as well.

Just to kind of give you an idea of what that presence is like.

Um I will say over the past one, two, three, five reports that we have had um and turned into council are our class A, which is our most serious, are typically anywhere between 50 to 150 um reports that we get in a quarterly basis.

Um this last quarter here is actually showing about 50 of them, which is a is a 50% reduction from the prior quarter, the prior year.

Um also on top of that, you'll see that our class A is typically about um about a very small percent.

Class A percent of reactive calls is usually around an eight to um seven percent of the call volume that we get, um, and that's actually down 13% from fiscal year 24 to fiscal year 25 Q4.

And then um the class A percent of the total is even less, about one percent of what we've got out there.

So there is a lot of proactive calls that we are um proactive behaviors that we are out there and doing.

Um, typically that's about 43 43 percent of um or excuse me, about 80 percent of the calls that we have are are proactive calls versus our reactive calls.

And I know you've probably seen some of the um the reports and the news that has been out there on the transit safety, and you'll they'll talk about like a total of 5,000 to 7,000 calls, which you're seeing here.

And again, I just want to reiterate that a majority of those are actually proactive responses from our safety partners.

Thank you, Madam President and Director.

What do you mean proactive response?

Um Council President and Councillor Champagne.

When I talk about proactive response again, those are uh your field briefings.

So Loomis in Louisiana is a good indication of of what that looks like.

Um here recently they've started doing more field briefings now that we have our TSOs back out more active and mobile, um, where they'll meeting there in the morning and and having briefings that you know are proactive just out in the field.

Um also just different TAC plans that they have as well.

And I do have um both uh commander um Bartlett and Deputy Commander McElroy here who are in charge of the TSO team as well.

If either of you want to provide any clarification on that.

And the question was about proactive versus reactive.

Yeah.

Yes, Commander, just uh a proactive response is what it what the term was, and I'm just kind of clarification on proactive response compared to a responsive deal or a proactive approach.

Sure.

Yeah, you know, a proactive approach is anything that we show up for that we've identified ourselves as an issue that needs to be addressed.

Um it could be something like a field briefing, it could be like an individual who uh is a down and out of a bus stop or an individual who's violating the rules to ride at the bus stop that we've seen and we haven't had a a report on from a another community member.

Okay, Madam President.

Uh Commander, is there a reason why we were taking a TAC plan approach and not just manning in um in a patrol way on the buses?

Just to clarify, uh President Bazan and Council Champagne, um, just to clarify your question, is your question why don't we have folks riding buses more so than at the platforms?

Yeah, as a as a as a patrol way, instead of um attack it seems like it's a TAC plan approach.

We identify issues and we'll do an attack plan in that area, you know, we'll attack it or we'll we'll focus in this one area, this one problem because we've identified it instead of a more of a random patrol approach of just being on the buses and presence.

I I think we're doing all the above.

So if it's okay, I'll talk a little bit about the in the entire layered approach if that's okay.

So um and this is after reviewing some cities that are kind of uh comparable to ours in size and transit, right?

So when we talk about our layered approach, there's there's a non-sworn element, a sworn element, there is a TAC plan portion, but there is also uh a portion where there's proactive patrol and random areas, right?

So um, and we do have bus borders, but we also have presence at the platforms um and communication with our law enforcement personnel.

So for starters, we have our police service aids.

I'm sure you're all aware that they've been riding the buses now for uh a little bit over a year.

Um and I know that this data captures quantitative results, but I'll just tell you qualitatively.

Um we've had one PSA in that program since the beginning, and and she has not had a fight on her bus.

And she's been riding the art route now for over a year.

Um there have been times where she has had to call the police for different law enforcement related things, um, but never any physical violence towards her.

Um that's our PSAs who are riding the bus, right?

The next levels are transit safety officers.

Transit safety officers do do certain uh intentional plans like field briefings.

Um where we two of the locations where we get uh a lot of concerning calls are fourth and all and Louisiana and Lomas, right?

Um previously Indiana and Central.

Um so we do do field briefings in those areas periodically and and more of to show presence, but also if there's individuals violating the rules to ride, then we'll address those there too.

Um I think the thing one of the things that stands out to me that's super different nowadays than when uh you were both patrolmen and I was a patrolman, right?

Is I'm sure we all saw transit security, and we we didn't really know what they were doing, we didn't really know what their mission was, and we really had no communication.

But um, now that they're enmeshed within APD, we have a direct line of communication.

Um, we have more control over operations and stuff like that.

So that's our third layer is the sworn law enforcement element.

Um the reason specifically we don't solely do uh bus riders, um, and and this is after consulting with some other police departments is you know they make that specific bus safe and that bus alone, right?

But we want to really uh get the most bang for our book, so to speak.

So if I have people do bus boardings at a at a problem stop, so say I have a problem stop at fourth and all, and I have uh a field briefing there.

But while they're there, maybe five or six buses come through.

And every time a bus comes through, a transit safety officer gets on, makes his presence known, introduces themselves to the driver and the passengers and moves along.

He's he's had a touch point with that bus, and he might be able to have that touch point with five buses at the same stop instead of just one bus for the whole day.

That makes sense.

Councilor Shannon.

Yes.

Thank you, Madam President.

Um I do think it's a it's a it's a multifaceted approach.

I mean, you you want to have one person instead of just touching one bus a day, they're touching multiple, but the PSA has been on that one route and hasn't had a fight.

So it shows that the presence alone is is establishing that uh a calmness within there that without that presence can develop another stuff.

So it's interesting the approach on it.

So um and just in if I'm reading the report right or wrong, please correct me.

Um it seems like there's been an increase in calls for service on buses and and at bus stops.

Is that was I reading it right over the past quarter?

And I can address that too.

So um, Madam President, Councillor Champagne.

So one of the things that that Director Keener and I are constantly trying to do is really just uh better our approach, right?

Every we we meet, we talk frequently, um, and we're always trying to figure out how we can do things better.

So during those three months of this quarterly report, uh the transit safety officers were actually assigned 24-7 to the Alvarado Transportation Center, right?

So during this time, uh we only had mobile transit support from transit safety officers doing proactive work um when we had uh overtime shifts, right?

During this period of time, it started in early April and it went to mid-July.

We were staffing the ATC 24-7.

Um we tried that approach, right?

And we realized you know we lost some coverage in those mobile areas.

Yeah, that but that's why you see the decrease.

Okay, or I'm sorry, the increase.

The increase.

Okay, perfect.

Um thank you, Madam President.

That's all my questions.

There's any other questions on that.

Councilor Rogers?

Thank you, Madam President.

I have a great question while you're here, uh uh commander.

Um, I know I had spoken with some of the transit safety officers under APD, and there is a standard operating procedure for transport from like let's say there is a loiterer that's maybe unsheltered and wants to get to a shelter.

So we know that that exists already, but they aren't able to transport because there wasn't plexiglass in their vehicles so that they could transport.

So I'm wondering if that's something we could work together to get fixed so that they can actually get folks to gateway, perhaps, for help and off you know, if they want that.

Um is that something that's come to your attention?

Madam President, uh Councilor Rogers, uh, I would never turn down any help.

Um so if there's any way we can collaborate in order to um you know address social vulnerabilities and help folks get to where they need to go, I'm all for it.

Um, to be very specific about that specific standard operating procedure.

I think what we're trying to balance there is um collaboration with ACS who transports already without plexiglass, um, and also you know, balancing folks who legitimately have a social vulnerability with transportation and those who would uh abuse that privilege and um for lack of better terms, treat our transfer safety transit safety officers like taxis.

Thank you, Madam President.

Definitely don't want that, but I think it could be another avenue to get folks to help if they need it, especially in my district where people are using the bus as a cooling station sometimes.

Um if we can actually get them to a cooling station, not our buses, I think it would it would help a lot of different issues that we're seeing.

So I'd love to talk offline about that.

Yes, ma'am.

Thank you.

Counselor's any other counselor Sanchez?

Thank you, Madam President.

I just want to um commander just real specifically, how are you actually uh breaking down the communication so that the communication is instant between transit security?

Do they have uh police radios now?

Absolut yes, absolutely.

I specifically mentioned the experience we had when we were patrolmen because like I said, like we had no communication with transit safety officers.

So our transit safety officers um have all been through our CGIS clearance process, so they are on the same area command airs that our police officers are on.

Um, and additionally, they do have transit radios, and we've also put it in their um kind of like their daily mission that in addition to the having both the radios, um, our transit safety supervisors actually are mandated to go check in with transit dispatch during their shift at least once.

Thank you.

I appreciate that.

Any other questions, Counselors?

Councillor Stampine, would you like to make a motion?

Make a motion to uh receipt be noted.

Okay, there's a motion and a second by councillor Rogers, Madam Clerk, Councilor Backa?

Yes, Councilor Champagne, yes, Councilor Fidelcler, yes.

Counselor Grout, yes, Counselor Lewis, yes, Councilor Pena Councillor Penya Councillor Rogers, yes, Counselor Sanchez, yes, President Bassan?

Yes.

Vice President Pinya that passes on an 8-0, but thank you.

We're gonna move on to 092.

Which was pulled off of consent by Councillor Grout, but Counselor Cablecorn.

Thank you, Madam President.

O 92 is amending 586 prohibited activities of the Albuquerque Open Space Management Ordinance to include overlooked animals.

I'll move a due pass.

Second.

There's a motion and a second by Councilor Grout.

We're going to start with Councillor Grout with questions and comments.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I I see the need for a little bit of change in here, but I also see some questions that could come up.

So I would like to ask a couple of questions to the administration.

Would this prevent the environmental health department from spraying mosquitoes in the open space?

Madam President, Councillor Grout, we have Deputy Director Mark Demena here from Environmental Health Department that can speak to our current practices related to mosquito spraying and the impact that have.

Good evening, Director.

Evening, Council.

To your question, Councilor Grout, yeah, we we do think there would be some uh the way that it's worded is very blanket right now.

And while environmental health definitely supports the conservation uh effort that is put forth with that, including for invertebrates, there would be uh the way that it's blanket worded right now would cause us concern uh with mosquito control or other invertebrates that we would sometimes look at, like fleas and ticks and that type of thing.

Very good, thank you.

Um do you spray for mosquitoes in the open space?

Uh Madam President, Councillor Grout, we do spray for mosquitoes in open spaces and city parks, golf courses, that type of thing.

I know um, Madam President, we have had a lot of mosquitoes this year, and so this is this.

Um I think that um while I I know that the changes needed, the amendments are needed to this ordinance.

I think we can um there has been a little bit of concern about um the wording a little bit, and we don't want to um cause any undue um consequences, and so um councillor Basson and I have a couple of um amendments.

Excuse me, we'd like to offer um we have spoken with counselor feeblecorn, and I think that we've come to I think it will benefit everybody and still um the the what's intended will still happen.

So I would like to offer floor amendment number one to O 2592 on page one line 18 amend 5-8-6.

Um we're not that one the next one.

We're not gonna be moving one of the amendments.

The first one we're not going to move.

So we are going we would like to add in one more word um into paragraph F for wildlife.

No person shall intentionally feed harm hunt.

Um, and this amendment makes it clear that animals shall not be fed in open space areas.

Second.

Councillors, any questions or comments?

Councilor Backa?

Thank you, madam president.

Um, I I like the bill just so everybody knows and support it.

Although I preferred your other amendment about the invertebrates simply because as a former teacher, we would go down there with students and collect macro invertebrates to do studies and so forth.

And so that would also be one of those issues where it's like yeah, you kind of put kids in violation of it.

So in any case, I just want to put that on the record, but I support the bill.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Councilor Peoplecorn.

Thank you, Madam President.

Just wanted to thank the sponsors of this amendment for adding in this feeding.

Um, I think we have all learned over the years that we're not supposed to be feeding wildlife, but it certainly is a good idea to include that in the actual ordinance.

So thank you.

Anything from the administration.

Thank you, Councillor Grout.

I urge your support.

Madam Clerk.

Councilor Backer.

Yes.

Councilor Champagne.

Yes.

Counselor Peoplecorn?

Yes.

Counselor Grout?

Yes.

Counselor Lewis?

Yes.

Vice President Pena?

Yes.

Councilor Rogers.

Yes.

Counselor Sanchez?

Yes.

President Bassan?

Yes.

Passes unanimously.

Before we move on to the next amendment, I just want to say that your iPads have been updated because there is a little bit of a change on what's printed in front of you, Councillors.

On this next amendment, your iPads are updated, and what will be displayed on the screen should be updated as well.

Counselor Grout.

Thank you, Madam President.

I'd like to offer floor amendment number two to O 2592.

This is in this on page one, line 22.

We're going to add a little bit more at the very end, with the exception of activities conducted by approved government entities.

Species that are deemed a public health concern are exempted from the protections of this prohibition.

And this amendment allows for government entities to remove invasive and or disease carrying species.

Second.

Counselors, any questions or comments?

Anything from the administration.

All right.

Councilor Graff to close.

I um ask for your support.

Madam Clerk.

Councilor Baca.

Yes.

Councilor Champagne.

Yes.

Councilor People Corn?

Yes.

Councillor Graff.

Yes.

Counselor Lewis?

Yes.

Vice President Pena.

Yes.

Councilor Rogers.

Yes.

Counselor Sanchez.

Yes.

President Bassan?

Yes.

Pass this unanimously.

Counselors, any other questions or comments on the bill as amended.

Councilor Fablecorn to close.

Thank you, Madam President.

Again, this bill was requested by our open space division staff who have had some issues around things that we've had publicly noticed, like fishing, still happening in those areas.

And looking at those reports, we realized that we did not have the proper protections in our ordinance for all the animals.

And so this is just adding that.

I really appreciate the work by the two sponsors of the amendments today to fine-tune it and look forward to making sure that we give our open space experts the support they need in law.

Adam Clerk.

Councillor Bacca.

Yes.

Councilor Champagne.

Yes.

Councillor Papercorn?

Yes.

Counselor Grout.

Yes.

Councilor Lewis?

Yes.

Vice President Pena.

Yes.

Councilor Rogers?

Yes.

Counselor Sanchez.

Yes.

President Bassan?

Yes.

Passes unanimously.

We're moving on to announcements tonight.

Counselor Champagne.

Councilor Champagne.

Yes.

We're on announcements.

Oh.

Let's move to announcements.

Oh, I have a bunch.

All right.

There will be a finance and government operations committee meeting on Monday, September 8th at 5 p.m.

in these chambers, the Vincey E.

Griego Chambers, basement level of the Albuquerque City Government Center.

This will be a hybrid meeting.

I will also be hosting a summer of nonviolence.

On September 13th, we will be hold uh holding a three on three tournament with ACS and Kenny Thomas at the Holiday Park Community Center from 9 to 2.

Please visit my city council website for registration if you guys want to participate.

If not, come out and support the other players and teams that are out there.

Councilor Caplecorn.

Madam President, the land use planning and zoning committee meeting on Wednesday, September 10th is canceled.

Moving on to financial instruments, there are none.

There are also no appeals, so we're going to move on to general public comment.

Members of the public can provide live public comments to the council in person or virtually if they have signed up for public comment for the instructions published on the agenda and on our website Friday.

The public comment ground rules are that each participant will have two minutes to present.

Comments are to be addressed to the counselors only through the council president.

And any disruptive conduct will result in removal from the meeting.

There is a two-minute time limit and a bell will ring to indicate your time is up.

Mr.

Cornelius, if you'll please call the name of the first speaker.

And if you are on deck after that, please start working your way down to the front.

Thank you, Madam President.

Our first speaker's friend Chusco Artis, followed by Dr.

Lisa Christofferson.

It looks like Mr.

Artis has passed his opportunity right now.

He's declining it, so we're going to move on, please.

Thank you.

Dr.

Lisa Christofferson, followed by Let's Author.

Good evening, President Basson.

City Councilors, my name is Lisa Christofferson.

I'm from District 3.

Due process is what I'm here to talk about, but I'd like to because Albuquerque ride is something I have started doing.

I'm an ambassador riding the bus.

I want to thank Dwayne Baker and the city of Albuquerque provided this opportunity.

I had never ridden a public bus ever in Albuquerque.

Now I ride it every single weekend.

I love it.

I spend hours and hours.

And so I'm among Burkenios who volunteer to ride on the Albuquerque buses.

I should have brought my lime green shirt.

We ride on the weekends.

Althea, she rides three to four days a week, hours and hours and hours personally, and also as a volunteer.

So I appreciate the approach of the transit officers as a behavior specialist.

Being trauma informed is truly crucial.

They have made friendships with these people as they are on the different stations.

It makes a difference them not being on the bus and having like, you know, just volunteers.

Here's how you get to hear when people are upset, etc.

So I highly support not having police on the bus because you have some volunteers.

We need more.

I'm sure Dwayne Baker would love some phone calls.

Concerns with law enforcement violating the fifth and the 14th amendments.

U.S.

citizens have been unlawfully detained in this city.

We just got pictures today.

Um and it's very concerning because Albuquerque police uh are in this picture with ICE.

I'll show it, yes, to whomever would like it.

So we're very concerned that this is had two today.

For the general public, because the city council should already know, due process rights are for any humans that are on the U.S.

soil.

Any and all persons within the country's borders are entitled to fair legal proceedings.

I do not understand why this uh spoken just voted it in two weeks ago, expressly saying the city council did that they have to have a legal warrant to detain anybody in public spaces.

It is possible you all can do it.

I said council people.

Thank you, Madam President.

Just quickly, Dr.

Christopherson, can you send me those pictures, please?

Yes, sir.

Thank you Let's Otto, followed by Brick Jonasi.

Okay.

Forgive me.

Uh Madam President, Council members, and uh fellow Albuquerque uh residents.

The topic tonight is police accountability.

Why are they on the side?

I don't care what they're gonna say.

It affects everyone and determines the fundamental trust of the city on this law.

When those sworn to protect the city, abuse the power, the entire community suffers.

In a city where police seem out of control of their own decided where misconduct is common and accountability is rare.

Faith and justice is tested and broken.

The cost of unchecked authority is devastating.

It erodes public trust, especially for those victimized by the system that fails to protect them.

It leads to wrongful convictions.

It leads it's costing innocent people their freedom.

It encourages a culture of impunity when officers believe they are above the law.

And it costs the city millions that could be invested in schools, parks, and neighborhoods.

Real change is needed beyond acknowledgement of the problem.

Accountable.

It means to be transparent.

Independent oversight with citizens that have a real voice.

It means strengthening the hiring and training standards to ensure that officers value integrity and community respect.

It also means clear public discipline for misconduct.

So that officers and the public know the unethical behavior will not be tolerated.

Rebuilding the city starts with rebuilding trust.

This means holding the police and their leaders accountable for their actions.

It's a collective responsibility to ensure that those are meant to protect are held to this highest standard of justice.

The goal is to work together to build a city where justice for everyone without exception.

Thank you.

I'm sorry, hold on one moment, please.

Councillor Champagne.

Thank you.

Thank you, Madam President.

It's not necessarily a question for the presenter, but I had brought this up probably about a month ago after visiting downtown that this was the procedure to clear out most of the uh um facilities or you know, restaurants, bars from there.

They're sitting on each corner blasting this for 15 minutes.

I was advised that it wasn't part of the SOP, but it's a practice of crowd control.

But as you can see, it's really not controlling anything, just being a nuisance.

So I'm kind of curious on why this is continuing.

Madam CAO.

Uh Madam President, Councilor Champagne, I'm happy to have um APD have a continuing conversation uh with you regarding this.

I think they've uh shared why they believe that it is a way for crowd disbursement in their discussions with you and their written responses.

So we can we can have that continued discussion if you'd like.

Madam President and CEO single, do you think it is?

A positive way as a citizen.

You're not a trained officer.

In your opinion, do you think it's a very productive way of getting people out of the downtown area immediately at two o'clock when they're all shuffling out?

Uh Madam President, Councilor Champagne, I don't have context for that exact video that we just viewed, and so I don't know what occurred before the video.

Um and so to speak to whether or not uh as a whether or not it's an appropriate law enforcement act in that moment would be without um me considering all of the facts.

So I don't want to pass judgment based upon the video we saw.

I'm happy to have, like I said, happy happy to have further discussion about whether or not it's effective based upon the conditions that they experience and what at the time.

Okay, and Madam President, well, then can we set up a time for the downtown commander and lieutenant?

Grave lieutenant, obviously, because it's in the graveyard area, but our time zone to meet and so I'd love an explanation.

Madam President, Councilor Champagne, happy to do we will do that.

Thank you for Madam President.

Councillor Baca.

Thank you, Madam President.

If you can add me to that meeting, um, as you know, I'm I'm out there pretty regularly, and there's a lot of challenges late at night, so I don't want to say that's that's completely wrong.

Simultaneously, I do get complaints from residents who live all in central because there are quite a few people who actually live all in central, and this is a big big issue for them.

Thank you.

Mr.

Cornelius.

Thank you, Madam President.

Brick Jonasi, followed by Arcelia Asaiz Gastellum.

Uh Madam President, Counselors, uh Councillor Champagne, Councilor Baca, thank you for addressing that directly.

Um, it is an issue.

Um, it's been a practice for quite some time since I've been here in this city, for sure.

Um, and it's really not just sirens, it's actually blaring horns as well.

Um I didn't hear any horns in that one.

Um I've captured it multiple times, others have captured it multiple times.

It's horses also.

Horses are not only uh driving the people in the same manner, going up onto the sidewalks, pooping on the sidewalks.

Uh, you know, when somebody's walking by, there's poop on the street.

Uh not as much of a big deal, but when it's on the sidewalks, it's kind of a big deal.

Um, yeah, the that's that's a pretty serious issue.

Um, and I do understand that there are challenges, like you mentioned.

Um, you know, you don't want people to get into fights and that sort of thing.

Of course, that's you know the preventative um standard.

Uh, but again, you know, when it comes to our constitutional rights, you know, unless somebody's committing a crime.

Um, I've really personally never understood what the need for interaction is.

Um, most people don't want to talk to the cops.

Most people, especially coming out of the bar.

Um, and a lot of times, too, folks might have had a beer or two.

Um, so driving them to their cars with horses and vehicles and that sort of thing uh is putting them into their cars sooner than probably the alcohol might wear off.

So that's actually endangering the public more if you ask me to ask them to go ahead and get into their cars and drive away.

Um so, like I said, I appreciate you addressing that directly.

Um, let's see if we can't get this all.

Thank you.

Arcelia Sais Gastellan, followed by Janet Sayers.

Thank you, Madam President and Council members.

Uh, my name is Arcelia Sais Gastelum.

Thank you for pronouncing that right.

Uh, and I'm a resident of Albuquerque.

I'm here today because I wanted to bring to your attention the dire state of renting uh in our city.

I currently reside at the El Dorado Apartments by Twelfth Incriegos.

Uh, when I moved in almost two years ago, I was the youngest resident by at least 20 years.

The people of my Tranquil community are people who have made their homes in these apartments for decades.

They are veterans who have remodeled their units of their own accord.

They are mothers who live two to five minutes away from their children.

They are people who wanted nothing but to continue living quiet, independent lives with dignity.

We were recently purchased by Tefoya property management, and last week we were notified that our rents would be going up by a minimum of 200 and would continue increasing by $50 every three months.

I know I won't be able to afford it anymore, and my neighbors who are living off of their pensions and social security absolutely won't be able to afford it.

In the 10 years that I've been a renter, never have I experienced this extreme and malicious extent of price gouging with such a profound disregard for our senior citizens.

It is my understanding that this company and every other property management company coming into our city is legally entitled and allowed to enact these practices despite the worsening housing crisis in our city.

My neighbors served this country, they contributed to making our communities better.

They have survived losses and hardships, and they are still grieving the passing of the previous owner and the stepping down of our former property manager.

Then we deserve to be treated better than this.

Thank you.

Janet Sayers, followed by Tad Numitsky.

Um good evening, Madam President, members of the council.

Um I am here tonight.

I'm Janet Sayers, resident of uh district nine, and I am here tonight on behalf of the Library Advisory Board, just to give you an update about our information campaign that we started last month to make elected officials aware of our uh downtown 50-year-old um HVAC system at at the main library, and I'm um just to review that again that the the main library is not only a branch, but it is also the genealogy center for the entire uh Burnley L County, if not the state of New Mexico.

Um it's the administrative hub for all of uh the uh things that happen in the library system.

It is where people also donate books to the friends of the library, and then through the monthly sales and the uh library bookstore, they raise over a hundred thousand dollars um every year, and that helps pay for the the summer reading program.

And then lastly, it is a place of of respite on really hot and really uh cold days.

So, where are we in our quest to find, not to find, to uh to get over two million dollars uh committed from various elected officials.

Councillor Baca uh led us off last month by saying he would uh do a hundred thousand dollars from his uh capital outlay, uh excuse me, uh well, CIP, it's okay, you know what I mean.

All right, 100,000.

Uh Bernal County Commissioner uh Barbara Baca uh is will be submit uh supporting us with $50,000.

Senator Debbie O'Malley is going to be contributing a hundred thousand dollars towards this, and uh just last week, Senator Heather Bergman's and I'm gonna be working the Northeast Heights with everyone I've ever met in the last 50 years.

So she will be contributing 50,000.

We have appointments with a variety of other elected officials to to just make them aware that this is really a countywide effort.

Thank you very much.

And thank you for the serenity, Mesa recognition.

That was a very moving thing.

Tad Numisky, followed by Joseph Griego.

Would you give me an overhead?

Okay, my name is Ted Yemiski.

Back to Punch Bay.

Well, here is the council for getting rules and regulation to the public.

Show me here.

Here is another screw up, but city council.

And lying the public.

How you think legislation in the consensus agenda?

I'll show you right here to everyone.

And every one of you said yes.

Without public input.

Well, real estate.

You closed what is Donald Wan Country Club?

No.

That's what used to dump.

You bank south.

That was dump.

All over.

And city end up selling the developers for the premium price.

High price.

Done on one of us.

It was financing by one credit here.

Just because that's what city dump.

Okay, that's enough.

Safer for later.

Thank you.

Joseph Griego, followed by Lily Oilette.

Good evening, Madam President.

Council members, my name is Joe Segrero.

I am the market president for Chicanos por La Causa, and we operate a couple of contracts for the city of Albuquerque.

Chicanos for La Causa has been in New Mexico since the late 60s, early 70s as an affiliate or partner of other non-for-profit agencies.

More recently in 2008, Chicanos por la causa became completely stationed in New Mexico with offices in Albuquerque, Espanola.

We are now opening an office in Mora, Las Vegas, and we have an office in Las Cruces.

We operate several grants throughout the state and contracts.

And what we're we are a non-for-profit in the state of New Mexico.

We have been here, like I said, since 2008 established as a non-for-profit.

Prior to that, it was always through a partnership or affiliation.

We have operated through grants and contracts and federal grants.

We operate Head Starter, Head Start, Pre-K, CACFP, foster grandparents, the senior companion programs, community action agencies throughout the state.

I think that the big part with Chicanos por la causa and our foothold in the state of New Mexico more recently with our opening of our Albuquerque offices here in Albuquerque and our current contracts with the city have allowed us to become more affiliated with the state of New Mexico.

And we look forward to working with the city as well as other state contracts that we have within the state.

We do hire everybody local.

I'm a local life resident of New Mexico.

With the exception that when we do take over a grant or a contract, we do transition staff in to help stand up a program, but they're only here temporarily.

And that's it.

Questions.

Thank you.

Council Rogers.

Thank you, Madam President.

Thank you for your public comment.

I just have one question that I've been asking over and over every contract that we approve for your company.

Since you've been in New Mexico so long, where are you with your Medicaid application to be able to build for Medicaid?

So we are in the process of uh applying for the Medicaid reimbursement, the application piece.

I'm gonna say hopefully within two months we'll be we're in the process of submitting all the paperwork.

Thank you very much.

Thank you, sir, for being here.

Lily Oilette, followed by Melinda Montoya.

Hello, council members.

Thank you for sharing a moment of your time with me.

My name's Lily Willette.

I'm a nurse educator for UNM.

I'm speaking today on behalf of Gateway West and some of this funding that's also going for Chicanos for La Casa and the work that they're doing in the homeless shelters in Albuquerque.

I had the honor of working with nursing students at Gateway West for about three weeks.

We're continuing our partnership with Gateway West throughout the fall semester.

My students and I got to spend a good amount of time in the dorms with the residents at Gateway West, interacting with them and seeing some of their barriers to permanent housing, but also to identify some of the medically vulnerable residents so that Gateway West had an idea of who they were prioritizing to permanent housing based on their excessive needs.

Folks that are currently out at Gateway West, many of them are incredibly medically vulnerable and not providing a safe place for them to live is contributing to worsening standards.

And the better services that we're able to provide for housing really is going to decrease our hospitalizations that are perhaps unnecessary and get a little bit more flow through our inpatient hospital systems.

That's all I have to say.

Thank you.

Melinda Montoya, followed by Anami Das.

Hi.

Good evening, Council President and Council members.

My name is Melinda Montoya.

So on July 22nd, I lost my daughter Kayla when she was struck and killed.

Crossing Carlisle on Dalmore.

On that crosswalk with the flashing lights and no ground marking near our home.

Kayla had crossed that crossing hundreds of times, both as a pedestrian and a cyclist, but this time she didn't make it home.

She was 19 years old, a childhood brain tumor survivor who lived with epilepsy and still chose kindness and joy every day.

She loved biking because it gave her a sense of freedom and accomplishment, and she was coming home from work at Esperanza that day on her bike that she just fixed.

And that freedom was taken away from her in an instant.

So in the last 43 days since her death, I've become painfully aware of how unsafe the streets are for the most vulnerable.

And by most vulnerable, I mean those not in cars.

And every day I see the driver speeding, failing to yield, and treating shared roadways if they only belong to vehicles.

So I'm just asking everyone to take a hard look at your districts.

Many of our so-called shared roads have speed limits from 20 to 55 miles per hour, as outlined by our city of Albuquerque bike map.

And just to know at 35 miles per hour, the speed limit where Kayla died.

It takes 200 to 250 feet for a car to stop.

And we know speeds as low as 15 miles per hour.

A pedestrian or a cyclist will face severe injury or death if hit.

So I urge you to visit a vulnerable site in your district to crossing a school zone, a hospital outside of the school zone times.

Stand there and feel whether or not you feel safe.

And also drive, take note of the signage, the changes in speeds in the pedestrians and other vulnerable users, and use that experience to help guide thoughtful policy, including speed reductions, road diets in high risk areas, and please listen to the specialists in the fields, and let's move to vision zero.

And thank you, everybody that showed up last night at Bike EBQ and letting us know what your mission is for safety in this community because everybody deserves to come home.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Anami Das followed by Scooter Vidal.

Hi, all uh Madam President, counselors.

I um I'm actually gonna skip the uh the second comment that I signed up for later and talk about that now.

Um there have been a lot of very um necessary uh public discussions about accountability with homeless services and especially around the gateway.

Um those questions are legitimate, and some of those allegations are ones I've made myself.

Um however, uh, with the things that are on the agenda for tonight, I think it's important to remind the council that withholding funds is not a form of accountability.

Accountability is something that is built when community and providers and uh city officials all sit down and actually address what's going on rather than uh I don't know, complaining about like a blank check or whatever.

Thanks, Hill.

Scooter Vidal, followed by Brandon Cottle on Zoom.

Brandon Cottle, followed by Eleanor Walther.

Brandon, go ahead.

Hi, thank you, members of the city council.

I appreciate you taking the time to listen to me today.

My name is Brandon Call.

I'm a veteran of the US Army, and while I did not grow up here at Albuquerque, is now my home.

I want to express my gratitude for the work of the city working hand in hand with many community organizations to build a stronger, healthier, safe Albuquerque for all.

I think we all recognize this is challenging work, and we have a long road ahead of us.

While I have a job and a roof over my head, there are many who do not.

I meet them as I go around about my day.

There are many who work two and three jobs.

There are many who do not have reliable transportation.

You are very intimately familiar with the needs of our community.

For this meeting specifically, I would ask the council to consider the positive long-term benefits of R175.

It will support affordability.

The positive ripple effects as outlined in the city's comprehensive plan, which I am very impressed with, by the way, having been in a lot of places around the world and around the U.S.

This is a positive step for all residents, and it's another step in building the Albuquerque of the future.

Please approve R 175.

Thank you for your time.

Madam President Eleanor Walther dropped off Zoom.

And Nicole Finch is not findable.

So up next we have Saniah Overmeyer.

Can anyone hear me?

Yes, we can hear you.

Okay.

Thank you.

Um I am so nervous.

I've never spoken one of these things before.

Um I thank you for listening to me.

Um I'm one of the people that reside at um El Dorado apartments.

Um yeah just spoke on that so eloquently, by the way.

Um yeah, I I just feel like we're being forced out of our homes.

You know, um, my apartment is definitely not worth over a thousand a month.

I have black mold in my closet, which I think I've removed.

I'm sure I'll come back.

Um there's my front door is there it's open and it there's a gap.

So all my air conditioning, cool air is going outside, all the hot air is coming inside.

I'm cooling the outdoors.

Come winter, I will be the cold air will be coming in, in other words.

My front gate looks like worse than section eight, it's just falling apart.

And um I don't know.

I don't even know what else to think or say, you know.

Um maybe just buy a tent and live under the bridge with the rest of them because I'm not gonna be able to afford $50 increase every three months, plus the outrageous renter wanting to get from us now.

Oh, and I see my time ticking away.

But I thank you for listening to me.

And um thank you.

Councilor Baca.

Thank you, Madam President.

Um, Dr.

Single, can we have zoning?

Go out and take a look at those apartments.

Madam CAO, Madam President, Councilor Vaca, we will absolutely follow up both with our consumer protection team and um code and zoning.

Mr.

Cornelius.

Madam President, that concludes general public comment.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Counselors, we're gonna move on to final actions tonight.

We're gonna begin with R 188, Councillors Rogers Feeblecorn, Penny and Grout.

Thank you, Madam President.

R 188 is authorizing the acceptance of funds from the state of New Mexico and appropriating funding for specific homeless services programs and facility improvements and to a specific affordable housing project.

Second, there's a motion and a second by Councilor Feblecorn.

Counselor uh Rogers.

Thank you, Madam President.

This is um appropriating funding that we got from the state of New Mexico through our legislative session for housing and homeless services, and I urge your support.

Counselors, we're gonna go to public comment first, and then we'll go to questions and comments.

Thank you, Madam President.

We have James Shanley signed up to speak.

Madam President, Counselors, my name is James Shanley.

I reside in District 7.

You have to excuse me.

I grabbed the wrong paper.

I apologize for the delay.

This council has presided over much of the massive outlay to establish and slowly bring online the gateway system with the best of intentions, but a glacial pace of functional implementation.

Albuquerque has today essentially the same level of crisis and derivative impact on our community from a population of unsheltered people living in miserable and often desperate condition on our streets.

As you consider authorizing the 21,839, 604 839,64 appropriation and the 45,000 dollar transfer costs of R25188.

Because our present remedial strategy places higher priority on physical and operational edifice than on immediate and direct remedy.

You are the body having the most power in our city to demand performance metrics and accountability.

Please use it with wisdom and compassion infused with urgency.

Thank you.

Madam President, that concludes comment on the site.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Counselors, any comments or questions?

I will just say uh, you know.

I've said it before, so I'm gonna say it again.

I am not a fan of the gateways, but we have them.

So let's make them work.

And I'm not going to look a gift horse in the face.

And the state wants to give us money.

I really hope that we put it to good use and that we actually truly help people in need.

So counselors with oh, Counselor Champlain.

Thank you, Madam President.

Um, I kind of feel the same way as you do.

Uh, we've we've put in a lot of money in the gateway system uh with very little results that we see on the city streets every day.

Um I know that we hear numbers being thrown around uh, you know, servicing a thousand people a day on it.

Um if that was the case, or again, we would see less homeless people, we'd see less people on the street, we'd see less trouble.

Uh we see less people needing services.

Um again, this isn't our money, it's the state money coming in, so it's not coming from our budget, but I I hold a lot of reservations in the sense of when this runs out in a year, and does gateway does the administration then come to us and say, Well, we're we're we're running on this, now you have to fund it because the state won't.

So I hold a lot of reservations with that in that sense.

We've put in so much money already.

Um I don't think we're getting we're getting, I don't think we're getting any results for our our efforts.

We shouldn't be getting, well, we're not getting the results we should be getting for our efforts.

So um I don't see supporting this, so thank you.

Counselor Lewis.

Thank you, Madam President.

So, you know, I'm looking at the the memo here from the cabinet secretary.

And uh I I just I don't think I've ever seen anything like this.

Um I think it's fine, and certainly the state's right to um to give uh incredible amount of detail to the compliance and the uh um the expectations that uh the city of Albuquerque you know or the the state has of the city to perform.

Um you know, it's just unusual.

And I don't know if maybe our staff can comment on that.

I mean, would you summarize of our staff that is that has analyzed this?

Um would you would you summarize just uh some of the um you know I mean what are the requirements that the state's given us on this because it just doesn't seem like something that I we usually see uh when it comes to uh passing on money for you know for any kind of you know services and things like that.

So uh Miss Stiles, I think uh Council the President, Counselor Lewis.

Are you referring to the the deadlines and like the um the accountability for the funding um absolutely yes?

And so I can give you some details on that.

Um there are several deadlines that uh the state has written into the um the IGA and uh they include that uh weekly on Tuesday beginning two weeks after the effective date.

Uh we're to submit required data that is set forth in the IGA um two weeks after the effective date, we're to submit a map of trash pickup for each facility to be approved in writing by the department.

Two weeks after the effective date, uh, we're to deliver operational plans for all funded programs monthly, no later than 10 days after the end of each calendar month, we're to submit request for payment funded um to request payment for funded programs, um, as is attached in the IGA.

Uh December 15th, we're to submit a draft written plan for securing operational funding moving forward.

Um, by December 31st, we are to submit a final written plan for securing operational funding.

Uh by April 1st of 2026, we're to provide a written certification of all facility improvements um that are complete.

And by June 10th of 2026, we are to uh have a final invoice and final report on um in a form that is also attached to the IGA.

Thank you.

And Madam Chair, Madam President.

Um, again, I just think that's unusual.

I mean, this is written by a cabinet chair um, you know, formerly who you know worked for the city of Albuquerque.

Um, and and I I can absolutely see why.

My only assumption is that um that the governor uh that this cabinet secretary are probably not real confident that this money um is gonna be used wisely if there weren't a pretty heavy amount of requirements attached to it.

So I just wanted to uh you know, I'll just maybe ask uh Ms.

Single.

Um I mean, you know, I'm I'm sure you're gonna say yes, but I mean, do you feel confident that uh um that you all can perform on a uh on an agreement like this with a large amount of money and you know, I mean, look, I think it's a good example of what we should require every time the city council um uh gives money to you, especially for gateway, because I think if we'd have done this, you know, with all the other money that we gave you for gateway and everything else, then I think we probably would have had a lot more progress done on it, um, and we'd be serving a lot more people by now.

But um, yes.

What are your thoughts on these on these requirements, Ms.

Single?

Madam CAO.

Madam President, um, and Councillor Lewis and all council members.

Um I uh I will say that I believe that what we have done is worked carefully with our state um executive, um, Cabinet Secretary Nair, who has been uh engaged in this work for you know since her time at the city previously, and um understanding the legislative um intent when they appropriated the funding for 110 million dollars for housing and homelessness.

Um we've worked really carefully to uh understand their expectations and that they align.

They align with all of our expectations in how we think and imagine that we should be providing services each day to support individuals to move from unsheltered to sheltered um and then from uh sheltered and supported with services to uh housing.

And these metrics and this um the accountability incorporated in this is absolutely agreed upon between uh our department working carefully in the in this work with them.

Um we feel absolutely confident that we can provide uh report this information.

We also have the support from the state as well in terms of supporting our um that function and ensuring that we're increasing our capabilities in that reporting uh in cooperation with the state.

Um I think that this is a signal of um the state making an investment in a system that is designed to support our long-term housing goals within our community.

Uh when they appropriated these funds uh at the legislature, the idea was to ensure that we're thinking about moving someone from the street, and we've heard multiple conversations.

Um those that we we've talked about, individuals who have spoken of in of what they see on the street, what we each see in terms of individual support needed.

Um so when we look at these metrics, we're comfortable with um reporting.

I've said as I shared in briefings with counselors that asked questions regarding this information in these IGAs.

These are public documents, public tracking of information.

Of course, we will protect HIPAA HIPAA protected information, but uh and ensure that we're reporting accurately.

I feel that this investment is a strong statement of everyone uh thinking realizing that if we can get these beds activated and the opportunity for these providers to provide services to individuals that will begin to see um significant impact on our streets as individuals have the support they need rather than it being uh without an option for um supported with case management, medical support, uh how uh safe housing um and safe uh ensuring that they have food and shelter.

Uh so we are comfortable with these metrics and we're comfortable with sharing the tracking of information that we'll be providing.

And Madam President, yeah, I mean I I mean I would assume again I I think everything you said makes sense, and that um we would all I'm more interested in just the requirements that I mean seems like some pretty strenuous requirements on it.

And uh I mean what you would would you recommend that all of our our finance our our money that we fund you for any project like this would be the same?

I mean you I mean you feel good about it, you feel like you can comply with it.

I mean, would this be the standard, I guess, from this point on as far as money that we give you as far as to put those kinds of requirements on it?

Is it is that a good thing?

Uh Madam President, Counselor Lewis, um I think we've made a commitment to report information.

So having requirements that are aligned where we are working together and determining those metrics, which is exactly what this IGA represents.

Um, and based upon my understanding from the cabinet secretary, their IGAs are uh the similar across the state.

This is not um uniquely distinct to Albuquerque over other departments.

I can't speak for them, but that's my understanding.

Um, and so when we work together to talk to the metrics and the opportunity to of measurement, I think we end up with something that we can all agree to and and track together.

Madam President, real quick, was this everything that you guys asked for?

Did you ask for other when it comes to like like like say you there's a big part of gateway and your initiatives, and yet this is pretty specific.

I mean, did you request uh to have the you know the ability to be able to spend some of that money or um did you request money for other things other than these very specific purposes?

Uh Madam President, Counselor Lewis, um we have shared uh with those counselors that attended um our briefings uh that we were asked to provide kind of a wish list of all things if that makes sense, and we worked with uh the cabinet secretary to understand their intentions and their intent in terms of uh real uh focus, and then uh they made decisions based upon their determinations at the uh at the state agency um as to which aligned with their goal where they intended to fund in this first round.

Um so there were other items that we requested, but that were not within their intentions and their plans for this first round of funding.

Yeah, and Madam President, yeah, just just real quick.

I mean it's it's just interesting that um you know you request of us, you know, to fund I mean massive amounts of different aspects of um of services at the gateway and all kinds, uh, and you did that of the state, um, and the state came back with some very specific said we only want you to spend it on this right here, and along with this spending, you're gonna tell us I mean you're gonna give all these requirements that you have to follow to be able to do that.

It's just interesting to me because I I think it also shows uh a real lack of confidence, I think that the state has that the city of Albuquerque is going to perform and use it in a way that's gonna produce the best results, and so they were helping us to be able to do that.

I appreciate that.

I think there should be more of that, especially when we give massive amounts of money to you without a whole lot of with a whole lot of freedom that you have to be able to do whatever you want to it, which for the most part in this regard has shown very little to no results.

Um again, uh you know, I hope I hope that we can you know comply with the requirements the state has given us on this.

Thanks, Madam President.

Counselor Sanchez Thank you, Madam President.

I just wanted to ask Ms.

Stiles a little bit of uh tracking the money.

Um can you explain how the money got to the state agency and then now ends up in our in our hands?

Why didn't it come directly to us?

Ms.

Stiles uh Council President, Councilor Sanchez.

I'm sorry, I don't think I understand the question.

So why does the where's where's the money coming from?

It's coming from the Department of Workforce Solutions, is that correct?

And that in that area?

Council President and Counselor Sanchez, yes.

Okay, so I heard that, and this is something that probably needs to be researched, but I heard um through the grapevine that this money was supposed to be coming directly towards the city of Albuquerque without having to go towards the Department of Work for Solutions, and I think it's along the same lines as and I'm and I just need to follow the money.

So can somebody give me um that background in reference to that?

Because I've heard that that money came from um the governor to Department of Workforce Solutions, and now it's coming to us.

Is that correct?

Madam President Council Madam President, Councillor Um Sanchez.

So the original piece of legislation that was passed by the House of the Senate went to the governor's office, and there was 40 million dollars that was supposed to come directly to the city and 40 million to the state.

The governor line item vetoed the language that said that the money that was put going to be coming to the city, I mean to this to the city and the county, the governor line item that veto.

So that meant that she was the one that the uh the executive branch was going to determine how that money was spent.

Um she then requested that the secretary of um workforce solution help with that process.

So it didn't necessarily go to the the um the department, they just uh the secretary of the department helped facilitate the process to determine how that money was going to be spent.

So that's where I believe the administration, after I'm not wrong, worked with um Secretary Nair to determine where how that money was going to be spent and sent to the city.

Thank you, Madam President.

And that's why we have the amount of I guess regulations that have been put in place that counselor Lewis was talking about.

Is that correct?

Madam President, Counselor Sanchez.

Um I don't know the reason and why we weren't in the room when that happened, but that was a discussion with the administration and with the secretary.

But the administration, I mean that was the governor's, I mean the governor's office essentially working with uh Sarita Naiir, they were the ones that actually made the determination what needed to be in the um the intergovernmental agreement.

Okay, one last question.

So do we have any background in reference to why the governor Light I know vetoed that money to begin with?

Madam President, Councilor Sanchez.

I do not that's probably a discussion that was had on the fourth floor, and that weren't we weren't privy to that.

Thank you.

Counselors, any other questions or comments?

Counselor Grout, and if you want counselor, after you do this, well, let's start with your question.

Okay, thank you, Madam President.

Um, you know, these key dates, I think it's a great timeline, and I think uh the deliverables are is important.

Can we be added to that list of when you um submit a required data as set forth above um reporting period?

Could could you send those to us too so we could I mean we I'd love to see the progress and see that it's being spent wisely and well and in all the things?

Um I think that would give us a lot of confidence too in in its its use, Madam CAO.

Madam President, Councillor Grout, we commit to the um information sharing being shared um so that we all are reporting on and able to discuss um what the outcomes the and the learning that we're having.

Um I I will state that uh in our discussions a big part of this uh in connection with the state and their um engagement is for all of them us to learn about the impact and what what's most effective um and so that there's potential for learning obviously to be replicated and or shared across the state as we know that this is not only an issue in Albuquerque in Brunlio County.

Thank you.

Any other questions or comments, Counselors?

Councilor People Corn.

Thank you, Madam President.

Just during our briefing, I requested kind of ongoing study sessions or briefings, and the CAO sounded very amenable to that.

So I just wanted to make that clear that that that request has been made and it's been accepted.

Um that's my understanding, Dr.

Single.

Madam President, Council People Corn, that's correct.

And uh I don't want to speak for council president, but we had discussed already beginning to work on uh towards scheduling um and working on that calendar.

Thank you.

Counselor Penny, I just want to check in and see if there's anything that you want to add or ask.

This is part of that.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

I guess I'll just add a few comments.

Um, you know, this is a really unique opportunity for us.

I know a few members on on here on city council and at the county really advocated and came together to advocate for this money.

I think it was 110 million dollars, and um and um they were successful, and so it's a really unique opportunity for us to really dive in and be able to utilize this money to address the the various concerns that everybody's talking about here tonight.

Um, you know, I guess I might have a differing opinion, and it's not to change anyone's opinion, but you know, I really um when we're talking about the gateway center, we're talking about um what it's doing and what it's not doing, it's serving people when just a few short years ago our behavior health system in the in New Mexico was done away with.

We had zero to start with, we didn't have anything.

This administration came in and made a commitment to provide this service in our community, and now we have um five different places where this these services are being provided.

Are they exactly where they need to be?

Probably not.

Um, I think we do need to invest additional dollars.

So I'm so glad that these dollars are are are here to be able to provide um to provide the resources, and I really think that we need to invest more.

We talk about having to um address this crisis that we have, and the money that we're putting into it and the money alone that the city of Albuquerque has.

I think we have like 10 million dollars a year for operational money.

I'm not sure how much we have in capital that we've invested, but then you know, the county has I don't know what is it, 20 million.

Some I'm not accurate on these numbers, but 20 million dollars a year, and we're trying to build a system for uh people who are suffering from homelessness and addiction from the ground up.

And I think we've done a a pretty decent job.

And when you when you look at it, what when you look at the the issues, when we're talking about incarcerating someone, I think the rate of incarceration, this was years ago, it was like 35,000 a year.

I think it's upwards of almost 50 now.

Um we have about 1,800 people in our system, whether they're um here in New Mexico that are incarcerated today on a daily basis.

Um, think about the cost that that that is to um and all these people are usually most of the people who are incarcerated are getting out here pretty soon, right?

They're not staying there for long periods of time.

There's some biting criminals that are staying there, but this cost to New Mexicans is um we're doing it from um we're doing it from a uh incarcerate them, but then they get out and then where do they go, right?

So we have to really be diligent about building our behavioral health system.

So I think it's an opportunity for us to have those additional dollars so that we don't have the same complaints that we've not making the investments that we need, and then I think as a city we need to continue to make those investments in a much larger way.

So um thank you.

And I know um Councilor Bassan, um, you know, I I know you have your concerns about the gateway.

Um, but I just want to share that, you know.

I know we both, you know, she was amenable to um being a sponsor on this bill, and and she you know waived that so that so that I can be on.

So thank you so much.

I appreciate it, and I think this is very important for for the city.

Counselor Sanchez.

Thank you.

Um here we are putting more money into the gateway, and I can tell you because I live it every single day that on 60th Street, and I've called the CAO and I've called uh Mr.

Wheeland several times on the facilities that are on 60th street that are 100% ignored.

There's at least 80 units there that have brand spanking new roofs on it.

Um there is uh barracks that keeps on getting broken into on 60th street.

Um finally they've gone over there to fix it.

But that barracks has been sitting on 60th Street and Central for the last four years empty with weeds growing all around it.

You have 80 units of affordable housing that have brand spanking new roofs on, whereas sometimes I see water leaking out into the streets, and I see people going in there and utilizing those things, and they're not even being boarded up.

Um I look over at the I look over at Central and San Mateo, and I see a building that is I don't know how many stories tall that they use a dumpster to block the entrance of that building, and I think they've even found dead people in that building.

And the city owns these properties, and yet they're not doing anything to take care of them.

Um there's there's a lot of issues um that are not being addressed by the city that probably need to be addressed prior to.

And I think that some folks in the media need to take a look at what's happening on 60th Street because I could said there's 80 units, those are 80 housing units that are sitting there vacant and have been sitting vacant for the last four years of my administration, and I've had to call over and over and over to get these things taken care of, and yet they're not being handled.

Um they're still vacant right now.

So if you go by there, you can see that they're vacant.

You can go over there and you can see that police are in there.

There's actual cameras on the kiosk, kiosk cameras that are out there as well.

And I don't know why we're not doing anything there.

We could be putting people in housing right there just by going out there and fixing those units.

Madam CAO.

Thank you, Madam President.

Um Counselor Sanchez, I don't believe the properties you're speaking of are city-owned properties, especially not the one at San Mateo and Central.

There it is a privately owned facility.

The ones on 60th and central are city-owned properties.

Madam President, Councilor Champagne, I believe it's county-owned property, but I will check.

But I am 85% sure that that is county-owned property.

Maybe we can have staff go ahead and double check and confirm too, and make sure to get back with Councilor Sanchez as well on clarifying uh the properties, please.

Counselor Grout.

Thank you.

I have one last thing to ask.

Um, I'm looking at um all the 21 million dollars that the state is giving the city to um invest wisely.

The majority of it is for operations.

So, how are we going to fund these um properties next year?

Madam President, uh, Councillor Grout, um, as we discussed um previously, and it's important in the IGA, um, we are uh where we'll work together to build out a sustainability plan uh for operations that it will owe by I think the deadline is December 31st of this year.

Uh that what my commitment was that we would work um are on doing that with council to ensure that you all are aware of what that intention is as well.

Um, and again, our intent is not to create surprises as we move forward.

Um we are in a place now, as you said, this is operations dollars.

So the investments that we've been discussing previously made have been in the uh capital improvements primarily at um gateway center.

Um we've made as we all know multiple improvements at Gateway West as well during this, and so um when we put these dollars into operation in October, we'll be in a position to be operating and providing um services to individuals in the spaces that we've made these investments in.

Thank you.

Councillor Champagne.

Thank you, Madam President.

Um I'm only 19 months into this new job, but we've spent how many hundreds of thousands of dollars on gateway and it's for capital improvement, and now this is for operation.

Is that correct?

And what I'm hearing?

Do you want to ask the administration from the from administration, please?

Madam President, Counselor Champagne.

Uh, we have made uh we have brought to you all multiple types of contracts.

Uh when we speak about um the dollars of investment that have been previously done.

I think um Councillor Basan and I have talked about this of you know, 70 million dollars of investment in capital projects has been related to um renovations and capital improvements across the gateway network.

Um we have had multiple contracts that have been associated with um uh operations that we've cons uh brought to you all here at council each time we've distinguished those as related to operations so we can um walk through those contracts to that page so uh madam president councillor champagne.

I I don't want to assume that you would like to talk me to walk through the operations contracts.

I just realized you were asking a question about capital investments, so I don't want to, but I am happy to walk through the capital, I'm sorry, the operating contracts that we have brought forward um to you all and what those were for and um the locations.

Well, Madam President, we can probably say how much has been spent on operational up to this point.

I mean if you can quick quick math it.

Counselor Champaign.

I mean, I think the challenge is if we're talking about Gateway Center versus Gateway West and others.

So in this IGA, we have multiple gateway locations that are included in the operational funding.

And so it's understandable parsewers.

It's been presented as the gateway system.

So what is that total?

I mean, you're gonna try to separate them in say it's Gateway West, it's gateway center, it's gateway central, it's gateway junior, it's gateway senior.

You presented as a gateway system.

So what is the system spent operation?

Uh Madam President, Counselor Champaign.

Um I could do fast math, but the reality the hard part of that about that question is they've all opened at different times, and so I'd have to do portions of contracts and all of that.

So it I'm not trying to avoid your question.

I'm just trying to think through how to answer the question.

So for example, um, for the women's housing navigation um contract, it's 1.8 million dollars for 50 beds per night um for women.

So that number is an exact number for a one-year contract, if that makes sense, and then that opens at when we expand to the additional 50 beds, that will be another 1.8 million for that contract, if that makes sense.

And so it's an additional 50 beds.

So the answer is hard to add on operations, it's hard to answer because the women's beds have been open um at Gateway Center since 2002.

Um we will open new beds you know in October with this funding in these contracts.

Gateway West has been open since 2019 with uh available available beds of around 600.

Um those contracts have been uh each year annually different amounts.

Madam President, then if it's been open since 2019 and 2022, and it is the flagship of this administration in the city.

I would I would think that you would know that that it's cost us 150 million in 2019.

In 2020, it was 167.

We spent a little more in 2020, and 2020 it would be a little more knowledgeable.

And I'm not saying you you run a city, I understand that.

So there's a lot of intricate parts of it, but if this is as important as it's being sold to and said so much that it it services a thousand people a day, we would know the details.

Um you would know them a little more familiar in sense of yes, it costs us 200 million dollars every year to run the gateway system, all five entities of it.

Is that an odd question to ask in that Madam President, Councilor Champagne, it's a legitimate question to ask.

Uh guessing which question is going like we prepared materials, believing that we were answering the questions that have been asked.

Um, and we have a few additional questions that were brought forward by counselors in our briefing that were prepared to add those materials that are working to do that.

Um, but you know, we have a full list of every single contract, exactly how many people served, how many people served a night, how many people served a year, the total amount of that contract.

The question now being asked is how much have we spent in operations?

I can add I can add those numbers up and get them for you year by year.

Um we can answer.

We just have to understand the question and the angle that it's coming from.

Yeah, Madam President and uh CAO.

I I don't want to take away from the services that these companies provide.

These companies give uh I'm sure pour out their heart and soul to what their mission is and what they're trying to accomplish.

Uh and and so I don't want to take away from that.

Um it just seems like we are spending money upon money upon money that's from us and now going to the state to saying this is still a problem that we can't even say, hey, we've spent X amount of dollars, um, and these are the results.

It doesn't readily be able to say that.

I if we're trying to sell this in the sense that we should continue funding it funding it, and then it's a successful operation servicing a thousand people a night, that we would be a little more readily prepared to say this is what we've done, this is the results of it.

And it doesn't seem like we're really doing that much, and maybe I'm missing it, but I don't know.

Uh Madam President, one final question on this.

Well, actually, a little question.

It it part of this is going to acquire Jupiter flats that Ramada Hotel.

Um the projects being supported by 22 million in bond financing and 350,000 in outlay.

Um, and that's going to be bought this month.

Is that correct?

Madam President, Councilor Champagne, our intent is to have once we have funding the funding agreement from you all to be in a position to execute a purchase agreement and to complete all of the inspections and everything that happened to do so.

We will then um because it is being purchased with 22.4 million in bond um issuances that will come before this council for that uh activity bond, which is uh something that is approved by city council.

And madam president, then what is the revenue source for the payback on the bonds?

Madam President, Councillor Champagne, it is related, it is a based on the revenue anticipated revenue for rents paid in operating the um facility for the 24 units that will be rented as affordable housing.

Okay, and madam president, and the capital 350,000 from capital is capital outlays coming from the 22 in the bond.

That's where's that coming from?

I'm sorry, I didn't mean to cut you off.

No, you're good.

No, I've you're good.

Madam President, Councillor Champagne.

My understanding is it's direct capital outlay designated for um afford for affordable housing.

From us or from the city or from the state, madam president, sorry.

Uh Madam President, my understanding is it's from the state, but I or like legislative direct capital outlays.

Okay.

Madam President, I think that's all.

Council People Corn.

Thank you, Madam President.

I just wanted to um bring us back to reality, which is that um this all started with the Middle Rio Grande Housing Collaborative that this body um created, and we have worked with um our ourselves, the county, the administration for several years now to develop this request for affordable housing dollars.

Um the legislature was kind enough to provide that funding.

I would like to thank Chair Small and all the members of the appropriations committee, and then also Chair Munoz and all the members of the Senate Finance Committee, because that line item stayed in that budget through the whole entire process.

And then, yes, the governor did line item veto, but she kept the money and made sure that Secretary Nyer was available, was able to get the money to us to do affordable housing in the city of Albuquerque and in Bernalillo County.

And I really thank both the governor and Secretary Nyer for that.

Um I'm thrilled that 80 plus million dollars is coming to our community to provide affordable housing dollars.

We need a lot more, but this is a really great start, and so I just wanted to um show that we are very thankful to the state legislature.

There is additional funding available, and we certainly hope that they will continue to consider us in the future.

So thank you.

Counselor, since this is an appropriating bill, it does need to have two hearings for the public to be able to ask further questions moving forward.

I'm going to make a motion for a deferral to September 15th.

Second.

There's a motion and multiple seconds.

Madam Clerk.

Councilor Backa.

Yes.

Councilor Champlain.

Yes.

Counselor People Corn.

Yes.

Councilor Graham?

Yes.

Councilor Lewis.

Yes.

Vice President Pinyon?

No.

Yes.

Councilor Rogers.

Yes.

Counselor Sanchez.

Yes.

President Passat.

Yes.

Passes unanimously.

So, Counselors, I did move that one up from final actions before approvals because the next approvals have to do with some of this bill as well.

Uh, we're going to leave some of the additional final actions for later this evening.

We're going to move on to approvals.

Right now, we have EC426.

Request approval to add funds to the professional service agreement with Chicanos for La Casa to operate Gateway Women's Nav Housing Navigation Expansion.

I move approval.

Second.

There's a motion and multiple seconds before we do any discussion.

Let's go ahead and go to public comments.

Thank you, Madam President.

We have Dr.

Lisa Christofferson, followed by Joseph Griego.

Thank you very much.

I voted in the affirmative for the November 2019 bond request that was put to the voters to us in Burke for a one-stop location for wraparound services, rehab, shelter.

Um, and I had the privilege while I was doing my doctoral study to be on the judge's staff when that lawsuit came through.

Asbestos was unknown in that 70-year-old loveless medical building before it was purchased.

So for the record, the city never should have purchased that building without going to stakeholders around the loveless building because now we're limited by the neighbors and their uh discontent.

Concerns from the neighbors did limit, and so absolutely we need accountability for our taxpayer monies.

My concern is that we ignore the concerns sometimes expressed by those people directly affected by the decisions that are being made by this administration.

This mayor's reactiveness versus community proactive engagement was seen when the National Guard was called in.

They came after the thought to come and ask us how we felt about it.

So we should have built new.

All of that said, how are Bucanos to trust this city mayor, this city?

Um because yeah, it's not uh city money, but it's state money, right?

That's still taxpayer money.

It's not like there's a tree that is growing uh millions and millions of dollars.

So I'm concerned.

Appointment only shelters.

I mean, that's not what I voted for.

Maybe I misunderstood.

Um so as we work with unhoused people, um, have had occasion, of course, as you know with the youth.

Um, but we have adults.

Well, they're okay, they're ready to go someplace, and because it's appointment only, and you have to be connected to a nonprofit entity to be able to even access.

How is that gonna change?

So, yes, we need um, yes, we need a place to put people, uh, but it not being available to the unhoused, only to those who are connected.

That's not what I voted for.

Joseph Griego, followed by Lily Oulet.

Madam Chair, members of the council.

Uh, I think one of the big things in regards to the funding you were talking about regarding uh the state, I think is that as we operate the shelters, as we operate the gateway, as we operate services for uh the unhoused the homeless, is finding the opportunity and the partners to be able to transition them.

That's the biggest piece.

You heard earlier tonight of the cost of rent and the rent going up for these individuals.

That is a fact happening across the state across the country where people can't afford their rent.

It's not because they're not trying to, it's not because they're not working hard, it's because of the current economy we live in in the in the state the country is in at this point.

If we don't have the partners, it's hard to transition people to the next level.

How do you get them there if you don't have the partners, if you don't have the housing?

And I think that's the biggest piece that is an obstacle for any non-for-profit dealing with trying to get to the next level, get these people to the next level is having those partners, having the availability for housing.

And so without the additional funding, without the operational dollars to be able to place them and to get them where they need to be, you're still gonna run into the same problem year after year after year.

And so I think it's great that the state gave the money and um and the you ask them for the accountability, but I think the piece is really where do we place these people?

Though that affordable housing, those voucher systems are important in order for us to be able to place them.

Once we can place them, there's that training piece that comes with it.

We can get them on their feet, we can get them, but once again, it's that affordable housing that is going to be necessary.

We're seeing this in Rio Riva County, we're seeing this in San Miguel County, we're seeing this in Las Cruces.

It's not just here.

That affordable housing is an issue and will continue to be an issue as you heard people speaking, their rent going up by 250 bucks every three months.

At some point, rent is as much as a mortgage also.

Um Lily O'Eli.

Unless she's on Zoom, Mr.

Cornelius, I did see her walk out earlier.

Thank you, Madam President.

Also, Isabel Felix and Aaron Garcia are not on Zoom, so that does conclude comment.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Counselors were on EZ 426.

Any questions or comments counselor Baca?

Thank you, Madam President.

Um, just a quick, you know, we did meet myself and Councilor Rogers and Councillor February Korn with the administration on uh on a few a few meetings on this topic after the last uh last council meeting about this.

Um you know, big thank you to Dr.

Verple for for her help.

Um, there's still a lot to go through, but uh we've made some pretty good first steps, I'd say in understanding this and getting this uh issue under under rain.

So thank you to the administration for for putting in some work and time on this.

I appreciate it.

Um, and as far as this funding, I mean, this is an agreement with the with the uh the governor's administration, and so you know they've done their own uh due diligence.

So I'm I'm good on this one.

I urge others to support it.

Counselors, any other questions or comments?

Councilor Rogers.

Thank you, Madam President.

I just have some questions for Chicano por la casa, if possible.

Mr.

Griebo, if you don't mind coming up to answer questions, it would be great unless we want to go ahead and have the administration and Dr.

Rablu.

No, thank you.

My questions are for the operator.

Um I spend a lot of time speaking with my unsheltered constituents because they're my constituents, and a lot of people think they don't vote, they do.

Um, and so one of the things that I'm hearing about at the gateway east, right?

The this would be the women's navigation, and it kind of goes to the public comment or two about access to the gateway center.

Something we're gonna be working on that we I'm asking your help with is our good neighbor agreement.

So a lot of folks, we have to for district six.

We have got to as a community re-look at the good neighbor agreement that says we've agreed with our neighborhoods that the gateway would not be a walk-up center.

Why we agreed to that, I don't know.

Um, but people cannot go to walk up to Gateway right now and get the help that they need.

So that's number one.

The biggest thing that we need to do as a community together is come up with a better good neighbor agreement so that way folks, because right now my neighbors they're over it.

They're the compassion fatigue that I'm seeing across the community.

I used to have to train nurses on, and I'm seeing it across the community, and it is dangerous when people lose their compassion for human suffering.

That's what we have happening.

Um, so I would like to work with you with our team, um, Jennifer McDonald to really redo that good neighbor agreement.

And as the provider for that, you have to be front and center and helping us with that work.

Um, and then also just uh a some type of a loop back feedback system.

Um, I think would be something great for the residents that that live there and some of the things that they come to me about that I'm urging them to come to you about that we can work on.

But I think well, regardless of what money we put into the gateway, it will not be successful if people cannot go there for help when they need it and when they're ready for it.

Because right now that's not happening, it's just not happening.

So I just wanted to personally ask you for help with that, because I think that is where we can get somewhere.

We can get this place booming and move and being the hub that we all want it to be.

We all need it to be.

I desperately need it to be for my district, a place people could walk up and get the help that they need, whatever that is.

And so I would really love your help with that too.

So we will commit to helping.

Thank you.

I'm working on whatever we need to.

Thank you very much.

Counselors, any other questions or comments?

The motion is for moving, it's for approval of EC426, Madam Clerk.

Councilor Backa?

Yes, Councilor Champagne.

No.

Councilor February, yes.

Councilor Brad.

Yes.

Councilor Lewis?

Yes.

Vice President Pinya.

Yes.

Councilor Rogers, yes.

Councilor Sanchez.

No.

Uh President Brasson, yes.

Okay.

Passes on the 7-2 vote.

Moving on to EC427.

Request approval to add funds to a professional services agreement with community bridges to operate Gateway Men's Housing Navigation Expansion.

I move approval.

Second.

There's a motion and a second by Council People Corn.

If we go to public comment, please.

Thank you, Madam President.

Anne Marie Johnston.

Followed by Amelia, who's not here.

Thank you.

Good evening, Madam President, Chamber, members of Council.

My name is Ann Marie Johnston, and I'm here representing Community Bridges Incorporated.

Since our founding in 1982, we have grown into a national behavioral health agency dedicated to serving some of the community's most vulnerable populations, those facing mental health challenges, substance use disorders, and homelessness.

What makes community bridges unique is our full continuum of care.

This includes sobering centers, detox, crisis stabilization, inpatient residential treatment, housing, shelter outreach, and long-term recovery supports.

We meet people where they are and operate under a no-wrong door philosophy, ensuring that anyone who walks through our doors receives the help and support that they need.

We also bring extensive experience working alongside community leaders in municipalities to design and operate shelters that truly serve the needs of the vulnerable population.

Our approach is always collaborative, rooted in partnership and focused on building solutions that work for the entire community.

Here in Albuquerque, we are proud to be operating the gateway first responders receiving center, providing immediate crisis support and a safe alternative to emergency rooms, jails, and parks.

And soon we will also be operating the housing navigation and treatment center and an essential expansion that will allow us to move more people from crisis and instability towards healing housing and hope.

This expansion is critical for a city.

It represents more than just added services.

It is a commitment to solutions to reducing homelessness, to improving public safety, and to strength strengthening the health and well-being of our community.

Thank you.

Madam President, thank you.

That concludes comment.

Counselor's questions or comments.

I just have one.

Counselor Grout.

Thank you, Madam President.

I have a question about how long does it take once you have clients stabilized?

How long does it take to get them into housing?

So that does depend on the housing resources that are available in the community.

Our goal is 90 to 120 days.

Would you say that there's a bottleneck in the system?

Um I don't think that I could answer that right now because we are a brand new provider to Albuquerque.

Okay.

Will you get back to us on that?

Sure.

Thank you.

That's it.

Any other questions, comments?

Counselor Sanchez?

Thank you.

Um everybody knows it's obvious I'm running for mayor, but one of the things that comes out every single time by the individuals who are doing the service providing is I'm hearing now that people are bragging about Mayor Keller buying me a Corvette, Mayor Keller buying me my next new house because of a nonprofit.

So I'm just very very curious as to what's going on and how this money is being spent.

So what I was looking for is I just want to know how much money do you pay yourself out of this contract?

I'm five percent out of this contract.

Okay, and what does that come to?

Um I would have to look at it.

I would have to look at what five percent is of that actual contract.

Okay.

Is that something that we can figure out real quickly here on the dias?

Anybody?

Ms.

Gliton, are you able to figure out the math on that or miss styles or somebody?

Council President, Counselor Sanchez.

I will see if I can find it.

It'll take me a few minutes.

What's the total amount of the contract?

1.3 million.

So can you figure out what 5% of 1.3 million is?

It's one point.

No, I'm not 5% of the entire contract.

I'm 5% of my salary.

So your salary is 5% of 1.5 million?

No.

My salary.

Do you want to know what my salary is?

I'm just curious as to how much we're trying to.

I want to I want to make sure that we're not spending the money on and just providing a um livelihood for someone who's maybe not doing the job.

I just need to know that the job is being done.

Ms.

Keefe, can you please explain if there's any legal issues with Councilor Sanchez asking questions about the salary of a potential of a contract with the city of Albuquerque?

Um Council President, I would say no.

He's free to ask the question.

Um, of course, uh the response is what you know, there doesn't necessarily need to be a response, but he's free to ask the question.

Counselor Sanchez, you may proceed.

Madam President, but point of order.

Are we asking as a candidate for mayor?

Are we asking as a city council?

We're asking as a company.

Because in my opinion, counselors, counselors, if you can please make sure to direct through the president, I would be grateful.

Thank you, Madam President.

Counselor Sanchez.

I am not.

I'm asking that as a city counselor, protecting the assets of the city of Albuquerque from the legislative body that I am being elected to.

Madam President.

Uh Councillor Rogers, and then I'm gonna let Councillor Sanchez continue with his questions, and you're free to answer or not.

Thank you, Madam President.

I would just say then don't make the prefits to your statement about being a mayor candidate because it's hard for me to understand the difference.

And then you ask your question.

You didn't ask your question saying I'm city counselor.

You got it.

I'm okay with that.

Just to be clear for the public for sure.

Please, counselor Sanchez.

What my line of questioning is because we need to make sure that we are doing the right things every single time that we put money forth into these new contracts.

Um I don't like hearing from other people that are bragging about how much they've made off the city, and then we're also talking about making sure that we're getting people off the streets when uh an administrator of an or of uh of a certain um service is living in a beautiful house and driving an amazing car.

I just don't think that uh that I think that everybody should have a reasonable um salary if you're gonna be providing a reasonable service, and I don't think that somebody should be taking advantage of the city.

That's my point.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councillor Sanchez.

Counselor Rogers.

Thank you, Madam President.

Um, I just have a couple questions for Councilor Sanchez.

Why didn't you ask the man the same question from Chicano's La Pla por la casa?

I can ask him the same question right now, counselors.

If you can please direct your questions through the president, I will be grateful.

Thank you.

Thank you, Madam President.

Thank you, Madam President.

I would also like to point out that in our packet, if you would read it before you came to the Counselor Rogers.

That sorry, ma'am, this is important to me that we it's important to me that we have decorum, please.

You may ask, but please talk to me through this so that we can maintain decorum without constant interruption.

Happy to, ma'am.

Thank you.

But my my point is for for some for us in this body to have that line of questioning.

But I can't point out that the question the answers to the question that this man is asking are in our packets.

It has everything about the budget, how much percentage of everybody's salary, how much all of that is in our packet.

And so I would just suggest that we read that before we ask these questions.

Thank you.

Because that's not okay for us as a body.

I can't sit here and watch that and let it slide on as long as I'm sitting here.

Thank you, Madam President.

Thank you, Counselor.

Counselor Peoplecorn.

Thank you, Madam President.

Just quick questions for um Dr.

Single, I believe, and thank you so much for being here and answering questions that I feel were inappropriate, but we do appreciate you being here.

Um, Dr.

Single, um I assume that all of these contracts went through a pretty vigorous um process by which the um the winning bids were chosen.

Can you talk through that process?

Madam CAO, Madam President, Councilor People Corn, thank you for the question.

Um I think that we work very carefully with our legal team to create our contracts.

Um we work through um every part of it, including the budgets to ensure that we both negotiate these contracts based upon the services and the scopes that we have written, um, and then we work to ensure that those scopes are then budgeted for.

Um so uh I think it's important to note that in your packet, and I there isn't a page number, I apologize, but um appendix number four specifically um outlines every single member of the personnel in this contract in the portion of that they would be paid from the contract.

Um, and you know, it's in important to note that it includes the percent of the FTE as well.

So you and we understand exactly how much time an individual is spending on each contract.

Um, and it is uh in reflection of the in this case with um community bridges, for example, they will have three contracts that we then understand that there's efficiencies um across those contracts.

Thank you, madam president, and just to follow up on that, um, Dr.

Single.

I assume that um with all the information in our packet, um, I know the answer to this question, but I'm gonna ask it to get it on the record.

Did the mayor have any any in-person um responsibilities in choosing the contract uh winners?

Uh Madam President, Council People Corn, uh Mayor Keller had no role in this contract's details or the selection of these organizations.

Staff worked carefully to ensure that we had an appropriate provider that had the um ability to perform on these skills, and they were qualified based upon the qualifications of the organization and the entity.

Thank you, Madam President.

Counselor Sanchez.

Thank you, Madam President.

Just a quick comment based on based on uh my comments.

I don't I know that not everybody sitting in the audience has access to this.

I know that not everybody that is uh listening on on TV is is actually have access to this.

So my questioning is appropriate.

Um we need to know where our money is being sent.

We're elected to the legislative body, and we need to know where the people's money is being spent.

And I think that's an extremely extremely appropriate way to uh find out what's going on and then ask the questions in public.

We do that all the time to clarify certain things for the public, and it's very, very important that the public understands what's going on and where their money is being spent.

Thank you.

Madam CAO.

Madam President, thank you.

Just to respond specifically and directly based upon the appendix for the last item, senior director of shelters and outreach to answer your questions specifically about this contract.

Um317 dollars is going to the senior director of shelters and outreach, which is the individual you were addressing.

Thank you, Madam CAO.

Counselors, the motion is for approval of EC427.

Madam Clerk.

Councilor Bacca.

Yes.

Councillor Champagne.

No.

Counselor Papacorn, yes.

Councilor Grout?

Yes.

Councilor Lewis.

Yes.

Vice President Pena.

Yes.

Councilor Rogers.

Yes.

Councilor Sanchez.

No.

President Bassan, yes.

Passes on a 7-2 vote.

EC428 requests authorization to establish a professional service agreement with Youth Development Incorporated, otherwise known as YDI, to provide young adult sheltering case management and housing navigation services.

I move approval.

Second.

Thank you, Madam President.

Dr.

Lisa Christofferson, followed by Diana Lopez.

I was gonna uh start with speaking in support.

My hi, hi, hi, hi thankfulness uh TYDI.

Um, but uh President Bassan um as a female, I do acknowledge that the say we both of these request approval, request approval to add funds, to add funds.

The optics is what we might look up, think about when a man was not questioned, but the female was, and rigorously, the optics on that sitting here is disgusting as a female.

I would how do we raise an objection to being subjected to that kind of misogyny?

I understand uh the I we need to know where our money is going.

I support that very well.

It just did not feel very well sitting in listening to that.

So YDI came in when we needed job core, when job core was closing down.

YDI took a lot of our youth, the 12 uh young people that were living in tunnels uh in District 3.

YDI came in and helped with those young people when CYFD uh was not available.

So thank you, thank you, thank you to YDI support them.

They need a lot more money because they're taking until the youth shelter gets open, they are taking care of a lot of kids that have slipped through the cracks in in CYFD.

And what happens if people are not understanding uh children will run away, and because there's a high turnover of case managers and uh social workers at CYFD, it is possible as what happened to my young girl by the time she came back onto the radar, her case managers had changed, and they didn't even they weren't even looking for her because she was not on their uh caseload originally.

So, this we do have young people out on our streets, and YDI provides a tremendous service, and I'm very thankful to them.

Thank you.

Diana Lopez, followed by Robert.

I'm sorry, Councilor Sanchez.

Sorry.

Thank you.

Um, just wanted to make a quick comment.

I have the same question for the uh for Mr.

Grego as well.

Um so if Mr.

Grego can answer that question back in reference to the same questions in reference of salary.

It's the same question.

Mr.

Griego, I don't need you to come up here.

It's the bottom line is is I was trying to make sure that I'm doing what's right to protect the citizens of Albuquerque's money.

It didn't matter who I asked, it's just a a question, and if I offended you, I apologize.

That wasn't what what I was meaning to do at all.

I wanted to just protect this money that belongs to the citizens of Albuquerque.

Thank you.

Mr.

Cornelius.

Thank you, Madam President.

Diana Lopez, followed by Robert Chavez.

Good evening, Council President Bassan, Vice President Penya, and Council members, thank you for the opportunity to address this body this evening.

I am here to urge and ask for support for EC 25428, which YDI did.

I'm sorry, my name is Diana Lopez, and I'm with Youth Development Incorporated.

I'm a vice president there.

And quite frankly, was very pleased and honored and humbled when received notice that we had been selected.

This is a project that is so critically needed, as uh Madam President, Councilor Grout, you know, all of you know.

Uh YDI has been operating for 54 years, and one of our first programs established was a shelter program for youth age 12 to 17.

That program continues to operate 49 years later with very positive results.

In 1990, we established a transitional living program to serve older young people to prepare them for independence.

That program has an 83% success rate of graduating young people into their own homes.

Thank you.

Currently, we have a rapid rehousing program through the city.

We have served double what we were contracted for, and there's a 93% success rate of those clients, we call them graduating into permanent housing and their own home.

So we I heard loud and clear from the council earlier that outcomes are very critical.

In addition to quality of care outcomes are critical for YDI as well.

And thank you for putting your trust in us for this program.

We welcome visitors, questions, and uh come visit us when we're up and running, ask us about outcomes, we'll be glad to share.

Thank you very much.

Robert Chavez.

Good evening, President Bethon and Counselors.

My name is Robert Chavez.

I'm the CEO of the development of YDI.

For transparency, as Diana has indicated, we're the proposed contractor for EC2548 428.

I'm here to respectfully ask for your yes vote to authorize this agreement.

EC 25428 fills a clear gap for 18 to 20 years 24 year olds.

The city zone's needs assessment calls out a shortage of emergency shelters and navigation specifically for aged young adults 18 to 24.

EC25428 directly addresses the gap by funding age appropriate shelter case management and housing navigation.

EC2548 when paired shelter with navigating EC2548 pairs shelter with navigating navigation to housing.

For us, this is this is just not about overnight beds.

It's wraparound services focused on quick stabilization, individualized case plans, direct navigation to permanent housing and supports.

That's exactly how you return how you reduce returns to homeliness and improve safety and stability for young people.

As Diana had indicated, YDI is a proven local provider.

We've been doing this work for nearly 25, nearly 55 years.

We have the capacity for this work.

YDI has decades of decades of experience in operating youth shelters and extensive case management as stated.

EC2548 will also connect our youth with other YDI and community support services.

For example, high school covency training services, work skills.

With 30, 60 90-day follow-ups that are required.

This aligns the city's youth homelessness strategy and complement other gateway expansion.

So thank you.

Questions.

Thank you, sir.

Thank you.

Madam President, that concludes comment.

Thank you.

Councillors, any questions or comments?

Councillor Grout.

Thank you, Madam President.

This I am so excited for this contract.

This um passing this contract has been important to me for the last three and a half years.

Um, Councilor February and Council Busan and I started working on this three years ago.

And to see it come to fruition is um a dream come true.

Um everybody that knows me knows that I have a heart for children.

And we can't, well, we can't some parents, some children don't have parents to guide them to teach them.

So um we're we we need to do that, and this facility, this um this place, this home is going to help a lot of kids, and it's going to have a lot of services available to help these kids, these young adults become independent.

And I um I'm thrilled that YDI has been chosen for this job.

We have been um for the last year, we have been um working and um monthly.

We've been getting updates on this um this facility, and I am I'm just beside myself with excitement for the kids and these young adults and the possibilities that they can become um independent and taking care of themselves and feeling good about themselves.

Um, and so I um I can't wait for this to open, and um I hope that everybody will support this.

Council People Corn.

Thank you, Madam President.

I too want to just say how excited I am to see this happening.

Um, this is a really wonderful project, and it's really needed.

I I think we can all agree on a couple of things, and one of them is no young person in our community should ever be unhoused.

And so I am so grateful that we were able to do this.

I just want to do a little timeline because it was pretty impressive if if I do say so myself.

Um it took us a little over two years to raise the funds to do this project.

That is pretty fast.

Um, and it wouldn't have happened without my my fellow counselors um Basan and Grout.

And then I want to thank um Dr.

Single because when she took office, I was very frustrated that we had not found something, and very quickly, the administration did find the perfect place in the middle of district seven, very very exciting, um, to do that.

And then we've been remodeling it.

It will be about a year when it is opened in February, and we will have a place for a lot of young people who are currently unhoused to go and live and learn all kinds of things that they need to know life skills, how to cook, how to manage their their um finances, all of the things that you don't know if you are a young person who was unhoused, and I can say that because I was a young person who was unhoused, and I didn't know how to do any of those things, and I'm so excited that we're gonna give the young people in our community the opportunity to have that help.

Um so I just want to really quickly thank um my fellow counselors again, and also the legislators.

So many of our state senators and representatives gave a lot of money to this project, and also Congresswoman Stansbury, who has been a supporter since the beginning, and so this is the example of what we can do when we work together.

We can help people who are unhoused, particularly young people, and we welcome you in district seven.

We are so excited that this is happening, and I'm um beyond words thanking my fellow counselors for all their support throughout this entire process.

Councilor Champagne.

Thank you, Madam President.

Um I can't follow that up.

That was a closing.

I don't need to say anything else on that.

Thank you.

No.

Wow.

Counselors, I just I I also am thankful for the collaboration for the hard work that has been put into this.

And it's not every day that in city government we get to check something off the list.

So it'll be really nice when this really happens, and we get to because there is definitely an end in sight with this one, and I'm very excited about it.

And YDI has been very responsive about some other issues in district four in particular, working with neighbors who had huge concerns about things, and it really started out as a very I would say actually getting to the point of an aggressive conversation between constituents and what YDI was doing.

They came to the table head on, listening and willing to work and help and improve, and everyone left there feeling better, and since that meeting, I haven't heard from them since.

Not YDI, haven't heard from the constituents.

So I'm gonna go with no news is good news on that.

But YDI has they're they're not scared of a difficult conversation and really trying to stand behind what their their mission is and what their goals are to truly and genuinely selflessly help people.

So uh I don't know if counselor Pena or anybody else, do you have anything further?

Counselors?

Counselor Pena, did you have anything to add?

I just um thank you, Madam President.

I'll just add, yes, YDI worked there for many years.

Um there's some incredible people doing some great work for a long long time.

And Diana is so nice to see you, and and she's one of the uh pillars of that organization, and really um her department has grown, and and um she's a great and tremendous leader there at YEA.

So congratulations, you all councillors.

The motion is for approval of EC428, Madam Clerk.

Counselor Baca, yes, Councilor Champagne, yes, Councillor People.

Yes, Councilor Grout, yes, Councilor Lewis, yes, Vice President Pena, yes.

Councilor Rogers, yes, Counselor Sanchez, yes, President Passan, yes, passes unanimously.

EC464 report of R 25154 broadband working group.

I move a receipt be noted.

Second, there's a motion and a second from councillors grout and champagne.

There is no public comment that I see.

Counselors, any questions or comments?

Seeing oh, Councilor Champagne.

Thank you, Madam President.

Um, upon I guess approval of this receipt being noted, or if it isn't or it isn't, uh there will be a uh public forum uh later on this month in my district at uh holiday community center based on not only the results of this, but then the also the results of the working group.

So I wanted to let people know that that's going to be uh moving forward with this result or with this uh uh information that there will be a this function.

Thank you.

Any other questions or comments, counselors?

The motion is for receipt be noted of EC464, Madam Clerk.

Counselor Bacca Yes, Councilor Champagne, yes, Counselor People?

Yes, Counselor Group, yes, Counselor Lewis, yes, Vice President Pena, yes, Counselor Rogers, yes, Counselor Sanchez, yes, President Passan?

Yes, passes unanimously.

We will take a break and come back at five minutes after eight o'clock.

Thank you, everybody.

Welcome back.

We are on final actions.

O 91, Councilor Bacca.

Thank you, Madam President.

Uh 091 creating a new section 9, Article 21, Chapter 14, ROA 1994 to establish the preserving Albuquerque through critical housing program to provide structural housing repairs to income qualified homeowners and preserve long-term housing stability.

Move due class.

Second, there's a motion and a second by Councilor Feblecorn.

Counselor Bacca.

Uh thank you.

I'd move floor substitute.

It is in your iPads.

If anybody would like to see, uh worked on this with the administration and our own staff.

There was just some technical issues that we need to do thanks to the passing of 095, our our last council meeting.

Second, there's a motion and a second by counselor feeble corn.

Uh counselors, any questions or comments on the floor?

Substitute.

Madam Clerk, all the if you want to take the roll call.

Counselor Bacca.

Yes.

Counselor Champlain?

Yes.

Counselor Feblecorn.

Yes.

Counselor Grout.

Yes.

Counselor Lewis.

Yes.

Vice President Pena.

Yes.

Counselor Rogers.

Yes.

Counselor Sanchez?

Yes.

President Passun.

Yes.

Councilor Bacca, we're back on your bill as substituted.

Thank you, Madam President.

I moved referral as substitution.

Before you before you make a deferral, I didn't know if you wanted to open it all, but I would like to we had public comment, and then if there's any questions or comments before we deliver.

Oh, I don't have.

Okay.

So let's go ahead and go to public comment then.

Thank you, Madam President.

We have Lisa Huval on Zoom.

Good evening, Madam President, members of the council.

I understand the bill will be deferred for a vote, but I did uh just want to speak in support of 091.

Um, as many of you know, Homewise is currently administering a uh owner-occupied home rehab program that's funded through City of Albuquerque ARPA dollars thanks to uh Council Councillor Pena's support several years ago.

Um the program is really successful.

We'll be able to help 62 homeowners by the time the program is done, complete um repairs to folks' homes that uh improve quality of life, health and safety.

Um we get we've gotten really positive feedback from community members who are who have been part of the program about the difference that it has made in their lives.

Um but the need for this kind of um assistance is really deep.

We've really just scratched the surface of being able to uh serve 62 homeowners.

So we're very much in support of kind of creating this structure for an owner-occupied home rehab program, and our hope is that um the city will be able to find funding to attach to this program going forward so that we can serve more people.

So thank you for the opportunity to speak this evening.

Madam President, thank you.

That concludes comments.

Thank you, Councilor Grout.

Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair, uh, Madam President.

I have a few questions, counselor.

Um, where will the funding for these loans come from?

Uh as of right now, the thank you, Madam President.

Um, as of right now, there's no funding attached to this bill.

I felt the um myself and the administration that uh step step one is codifying the the existing program, and then if we so choose next year during the budget cycle, we can put some funding towards this.

But creating the program would be uh step one.

Councilor Grout, thank you, Madam President.

Counselor, um, what department will administer the loan program?

Uh so the bill is currently written, currently can it's written as we could administrate it or a third-party entity could manage this.

So currently, as uh Ms.

Hobel stated, uh, HomeWise is running it um through ARPA funds that uh Councilor Pena actually helped uh appropriate way back.

I have two more questions, Councilor.

Um, will participants be required to be up to date on their taxes and mortgage payments?

Um I don't know that we Madam President, I don't know that we added anything into it on that.

Um there are there are other guardrails on this, however, uh, to make sure only it's only for structural improvements, uh safety improvements, it can't be used for you know just making somebody's house uh pretty.

It also has uh uh income requirements, so I ideally this would be you know disabled veteran or senior citizen keeping them in their home.

Thank you.

And final question is there a particular group or city department that's asking for this, uh no, this came from the administration itself, and I'm I'm I myself am very supportive of this program.

Okay, thank you.

That's all council people core.

Thank you, madam president.

Um, just two questions.

One is I you know, in this, there's not a um reference to an actual provider, but it does sound like there is a has been a provider chosen.

Is that is it still up for um an opening to other community members to um propose to be a part of this program, or do we have the implementer already chosen?

Madam President, uh no nobody has chosen the original program, the homewise was chosen using those ARPA funds.

Uh, with with this legislation that there nobody has been chosen at this point.

Um thank you.

And Madam President, last question.

Just I I love the list of the things that are um allowed in the scope of repairs, but I did note that there were um no kind of energy efficiency measures that would reduce energy burden for low-income folks, and I was just wondering why those were left out of the comprehensive list of options.

All right, thank you.

Thank you, Madam President.

Um, we should have added that into the floor substitute.

Is that correct, Abby?

Style three.

Uh Madam Chair, Counselor Feblecorn, the floor sub has on page three, line 23, it uh says repairs should utilize energy efficient materials, equipment, and components whenever possible.

Thank you, Madam President.

So that's saying that we should um that we should use a f energy efficient materials, but we're not allowing energy efficiency upgrades like um insulation, things like that.

And so my question was around actual energy efficiency measures being added to the scope rather than prioritizing, and I love that we're you know, prioritizing energy efficiency materials, but actually adding to the scope things that would reduce energy burden is something that I would like to see, unless there's some reason that the scope is the way it is.

Madam President, yeah, I I am open to a friendly amendment in that in that regard.

That that was the intent of the amendment we did put in.

So if we wanted to adjust that, I'm I'm fine next when we hear it.

Great.

Thank you, Madam President.

Thank you, Councillor.

Counselor Rogers.

Thank you, Madam President.

I just wanted to ask for some follow-ups from HomeWise.

I had asked for updated data from HomeWise for the last three million dollars that went out.

I see that Councilor Backer received a nice email from HomeWise.

I checked my box.

Um asking the question about where did the money go from the last time?

I think we did see during a council meeting the demographic breakdown and the fact that they did not help a lot of folks in the 80% to AMI.

So I am not okay with this money continuing to go to a provider that we know did not do what they were supposed to do with the funding.

So how is this going to go out to RFP so that we can get a different pro another provider can bid on this contract?

Councilor Rogers, who are you directing your question to the administration?

Thank you.

Thank you, Madam President.

Madam President and Councilor Rogers, uh, if we receive funding that is uh so if there is funding appropriated, whether that is through our regular budget or if we seek uh grants and other funding that would be made available, um, we would be in a position to competitively um put out uh a res for a response from proposers for meeting the requirements that are within the ordinance.

I think the nice thing the the value that um putting this in ordinance adds is that it is a codified program with those requirements listed here, um, and that would be related to the scope that would be put out for um comp anyone to compete for um uh for that contract.

Uh additionally, I think um counselor Baca was clear that we could administer the program or we could use uh a contractor, but I think the scope would be written for those services based upon what's written in in this ordinance.

Thank you, madam C or Madam President.

So can we expressly say that in here that this money will be given out in an RFQ or an RFP?

Because I don't have the I I wanted to say that it sh it should not just be chosen by the administration, that it needs to go through uh at which time I will be happy to recruit other providers.

We we I I have to stress this again for the public and for my colleagues.

We already know that this provider did not help a lot of folks, and and Councilor Backer was nice enough to share the presentation that you sent to him, but not the rest of the council that shows you didn't help a lot of people in the 80% AMI.

So we already know this provider didn't do the job, and we want to continue to give them funding.

So I don't think that's a question, Madam President, other than I cannot support this without knowing it that we're going to open it up for other providers who can do a good job, like other people.

Counselor Rogers, I might suggest it's my understanding that we're going to have a deferral on this because of the substitution that in the time frame until September 15th.

It's I mean, if you would like to work on an amendment, then I think that that's something that you can definitely consider and talk to staff on.

Thank you, Councilor Penya.

Uh thank you, Madam President.

No, I put my hand down on so sorry.

That's okay, thank you.

Counselors, any other questions or comments?

Counselor Backa.

Thank you, Madam President.

I moved the furless as substituted to September 15th council meeting.

Second.

There's a motion and a second by counselor feeblecorn and grout.

Madam Clerk.

Counselor Backa.

Yes.

Councilor Champlain.

Yes.

Counselor Papercorn.

Yes.

Counselor Grub.

Yes.

Counselor Lewis.

Yes.

Vice President Pena.

Yes.

Councilor Rogers.

Yes.

Counselor Sanchez.

Yes.

President Passon.

Yes.

Passes unanimously.

Moving on to final action letter B, Councilor Pena, 093.

Thank you, Madam President.

093 is an annexation of approximately five acres in the northerly and southernly portion of track 464, Unit 7 of the Trisco Land Gran located north of stage road southwest between 82nd and Coral Drive and amending the official zoning map to establish our R1A zoning.

Thank you, Counselor.

093 is a quasi-judicial request, which requires special procedures to allow the applicant, staff, and the public the opportunity to speak.

This agenda item will proceed as follows.

Council planning staff will have a presentation of five minutes.

The applicant's presentation will be 10 minutes.

Testimony by public speakers, two minutes each.

Rebuttal by applicant is five minutes.

Cross examination by anyone who spoke during public comment will get another two minutes.

And comments by the planning department, if any will be up to five minutes.

Then council planning staff will have closing comments, if any, up to five minutes.

City staff and the applicant must be sworn in if you will be speaking on this item as a staff member or applicant.

And you're here in the room, please raise your hand, your right hand.

Do you affirm under penalty of perjury that your testimony today will be true?

Thank you.

Mr.

Cox, will you please begin with your introduction?

President Passan and Counselors.

Yeah, I will just run through a quick presentation, still getting used to the mic.

Proposed annexation 02593.

Basically, the request is bringing in uh five acres of land in the southwest area quadrant of our city.

Uh this is made up of two different parcels.

Um the current zoning in the county is A1, which stands for rural agriculture, and the request from the applicant is to bring it in uh to the city under the R1A zoning, which it is uh surrounded on all sides by.

Um R1A zoning is single family, kind of our smallest subtype, um, and is what you kind of find um a majority of within this part of the city.

Uh the timeline uh for this request um started at the Bernalio County Commission, uh, which has to approve it before it comes over to the city.

Uh that was approved uh January 14th uh at their regular meeting.

This is the first time we've seen an annexation since 2018.

Uh it does not happen often.

Um, but if you notice in maps provided in the write-up, um, it is fully surrounded by city land all around it.

Um it then goes to the environmental planning commission, uh, and it was recommended for approval at their May 15th hearing, and we are here tonight for its final hearing.

When a uh piece of county land comes into the city, it automatically means that they have to uh abide by all city regulations and policies, which one uh they have to now um abide by the Albuquerque comprehensive plan, uh but more importantly, and more tied to development, it also has to um adhere to all infrastructure requirements that are laid out in the DPM or other regulations, whether that is uh street and road design, sidewalks, drainage, um anything that might go into the public right-of-way and now comes under the city's um kind of jurisdiction.

Uh but also the applicant has also agreed as required under annexation to adhere to city policies regarding land dedication.

Um, and so that could be in some instances we ask for um a new landscape buffer along streets or something along those lines.

Um the last bit that I want to point out is that annexations do come with increased revenue for the city.

While this is a relatively small amount, um it starts out as these two different parcels valued at uh currently $9,766 and 27,364.

Um that is assuredly to go up once the land is approved or improved uh and developed upon.

Um, and so the city will see uh some increased revenue from property tax, uh, but I don't have that exact number as to what we can expect.

Um, but thank you here for any questions y'all may have.

Thank you.

We'll move on to the applicant's presentation.

Do we do we have an applicant here to present?

No.

Okay.

Uh then we will move on to the testimony by public speakers.

Thank you, Madam President.

We have Tad Mimitzki sign up to speak.

Mr.

Nomensky.

Because this is labeled as testimony.

I'm going to ask you to please raise your right hand.

Do you affirm under penalty of perjury that your testimony today will be true?

Yes, I do.

Thank you.

You may proceed.

Okay.

Well, let me start from the top.

Also give example.

Land use and etc.

And plain in development.

Yes, good to have a friend.

Water.

They belong.

It is big baby.

Remain to be seen.

For Clarisha Pena.

She'd be in a followed with committee.

Etc.

And also buying and selling to the city.

Other properties.

So now they'll be omali.

Now give me example.

They want to order the building.

Because all they know what to do.

City.

680 acres of 768.

Now what about real protocol?

That isn't that another another council project.

So anyway, we can go on and on.

Like I said, that remained to be seen.

Nancy Pelosi.

And Hilary Clinton.

They are gone.

Just because they were doing it as here, City Council acting pretty much them away.

Thank you.

That concludes comment from the public.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Since there is no applicant present, we will skip rebuttal and then therefore also skipping cross-examination.

Comments by the planning department, if any.

Good evening.

Good evening, Council President, Councillors.

I don't have much to add.

Matt gave a good high-level overview.

What I will say is that the EPC recommended this for approval unanimously, finding that it met the criteria in the IDO for approval of an annexation and the zone map amendment.

Those findings are incorporated into the ordinance that's in front of you tonight.

Thank you.

Moving right along then, going back to the closing comments from council planning staff, Mr.

Cox.

Council President, no closing comments.

All right, Counselors, any questions or comments?

Councilor Baca.

Thank you, Madam President.

Prime land here.

Why are we zoning it R1 only?

Is it possible to upzone?

I I imagine 60 town homes will be a higher taxable than uh you know 10 single-family homes.

Mr.

Cox.

Um, Council President, uh, Councillor Baca, I may look to the planning department to explain how we we determine future land use.

Uh I imagine it is also to avoid spot zoning.

Um, as that is a criteria we have to um consider when looking at this.

Thanks, Mike.

Council President Bassan, Councilor Bacca.

Um, with these applications that come in to the planning department, part of it is the request that by the property owner themselves as well.

So they made a request for R1 zoning, I believe, based on the surrounding properties all being zoned the same way.

Um, and so we analyze requests, and the EPC makes the recommendations based on what gets submitted to them.

Um, and so that's how it kind of moved through the process that way.

Councilor Backa.

Councillor Sanchez.

I'm good.

I found it.

Okay, any other questions or comments?

All right.

Well, the motion is for a due pass.

Thank you, Mr.

Boss.

The motion is for a due pass.

Uh Madam President.

Yes.

Um, I believe we have an amendment that we need to move.

Okay, do we have an amendment?

Sorry, yes.

Well, we we uh Madam President, we did discover um during the break that there was uh small amendment that needs to be made.

There's a compilation clause in this particular piece of legislation, and that needs to be removed because we don't compile this.

Okay, who has that amendment?

Who's moving that amendment?

Councilor Penya?

Okay, thank you, Councilor Penya.

Go ahead.

Thank you, Madam President.

If we can put the yes, thank you so much.

So this is for amendment number one on page 17 line um 11 through 14.

Remove section six in its entirety and renumber the subsequent section, and then there's the deletion.

So explanation of this amendment is annexations do not get codified into the revised ordinances of Albuquerque, New Mexico.

1994 comp uh compilation clause is unnecessary.

There's a motion and a second by Councillor Grout.

Counselors, any questions or comments on that?

All right, Councilor Penya.

I apologize for skipping over your clothes as well.

Thank you for making this motion.

Uh Madam Clerk.

Councilor Baka?

Yes.

Councillor Champagne.

Yes.

Councillor Papercorn?

Yes.

Councillor Grout.

Yes.

Counselor Lewis.

Yes.

Vice President Penya.

Yes.

Councilor Rogers.

Yes.

Counselor Sanchez.

Yes.

President Bassan?

Yes.

Passes unanimously.

Councilor Pena, do you have anything to close?

Please proceed.

Um, thank you, Madam President.

Um, just to say that uh, you know, um, this annexation is one of probably many that should be coming down the pipe here pretty soon.

This one was specifically requested by the developer to do this, but we have some little areas within the within the city, um city of Albuquerque that is very checkable.

One side of the road is city, one side of the um road is county, and vice versa.

You'll have you'll go down a street, and then they'll have some houses.

Three of the houses are city, three of the houses are county.

So we really I think we need to tidy up some of those loose ends.

It's not related to this, but um, this is one of those ones as you can see the surrounding property all around it is city, and then there's the one little sliver is county.

So um I heard your support.

Thank you.

The motion is for a due pass to 093, Madam Clerk as amended.

Correct.

Um, Councilor Baka.

Yes, Councilor Champagne, yes, Councilor Papel Corn, yes, Councilor Grout, yes, Councilor Lewis, yes, Vice President Pena, yes, Councilor Rogers.

Yes, Councilor Sanchez, yes, President Bassan, yes, passes unanimously.

R170, Councilor Rogers.

Thank you, Madam President.

R 170 is designated approximately 23 acres in the San Mateo Boulevard area between Central Avenue and Lomas Boulevard as blighted and approving an amendment to the boundary of the Central Highland Upper Knob Hill Metropolitan Redevelopment Area to include approximately 23 acres and approving a corresponding non-substantial amendment to the Central Highland Upper Knob Hill metropolitan area plan.

I move a due pass.

Second, there's a motion and a second by Councilor Peoplecorn.

Councillor Rogers.

I'm actually I'm gonna go to public comment first, and then we'll come back for your open.

Thank you, Madam President.

We have Tad Numinsky's sign up to speak.

Thank you.

So anybody, Councilor Rogers.

From Central Central North.

This tallest video isn't a city.

You're doing anything against these people.

Oh no.

Mr.

Neminsky, it's not a question and answer time.

Please that's my comment.

That's not question.

Okay.

That's my comment.

She's not doing again you think of uh about it.

What about your neighborhood?

Oh all the way along the central avenue from your house.

All the way to the U Bank.

And here well, because those are the mobile homes by four people.

They need a vote for them for me.

Isn't that true?

Yes.

Now you're going after smaller businesses.

Above also north from Lomas.

That's a like strip.

That's a I think of what's build.

Well there is La Ro standard.

So that's all.

Thank you.

Madam President, that concludes comment.

Thank you.

Councilor Rogers, if you want to open.

Thank you, Madam President.

I'm excited about this because this will not go against our local businesses there, but actually help our local businesses there who don't necessarily get the benefits of MRA benefits like tax abatements to do some much needed improvements on their facilities, their buildings, their businesses.

And really what this is doing is it's just expanding our current Central Highland Upper Knob Hill Metropolitan Redevelopment Area.

The public commenter mentioned our San Mateo Towers.

They're already included in the MRA and are getting these benefits so that we can get it online.

Really excited that they got their getting their permits to begin that work on the San Mateo Towers.

So this is just doing the exact same thing for the business owners along the stretch of San Mateo up to Louisiana.

I'm really excited about what we can do there.

And I urge your support.

Thank you.

Before we go to a close counselors, any questions or comments?

Councilor Grout.

Thank you, Madam President.

Were the businesses, the property owners along this area were they contacted?

Absolutely.

Thank you, Madam President.

Sorry.

Yes, we did.

We had some neighborhood meetings, not just with business owners but neighborhood associations.

This had to go to the ADC, at which time some of them were in support of this.

So it absolutely did do a lot of I always love community engagement.

So in addition to the normal process, we did some extra.

So um thank you, Madam President.

The um what did the business owners did?

Were there any business owners that were not in support of it?

Thank you, Madam President.

We had a couple that can that were concerned about the title of blighted and what that might mean for that designation.

Um and so we were able to explain to them it's just it that is the reality of this stretch of San Mateo.

Um, and in order to be able to give them some resources to help with facelifts to the commercial businesses, different things like that, they understood that this was a necessary step in order to get to the benefits that they could take advantage of.

So we did hear a little bit about that from a couple of the business owners, but we did have one in particular that came to speak sickler farms that have been in the neighborhood for 30 years that are really looking forward to these tax benefits specifically through our MRA to actually expand their location and make it a farm to table restaurant that'll operate all year round instead of just chili season when they're roasting chili on the corner there on Lomas and San Mateo.

So we did have some businesses that were absolutely excited about what this can do for their businesses.

Okay, thank you.

Ike that this is where I am every day.

Um, and so I am just very curious because there's a lot of businesses that I actually use in that area, and I'm just curious if they were included in that discussion.

Thank you.

Counselors, any other questions or comments?

Councilor Rogers to close.

Thank you, Madam President.

I urge your support and I thank you for that question about the business owners because they are really important and really at their request are really doing this.

I'm really excited to be working with them and to make sure that they can get the resources that they need to improve where they've been for 30.

I mean, these business owners have been there for a long time and doing it themselves.

So it'll be really great to get them some benefits.

Thank you.

The motion is for a due pass of R170, Madam Clerk.

Councilor Baca.

Yes, Councillor Champagne.

Yes.

Councillor People Courtney?

Yes.

Counselor Grout.

Yes.

Counselor Lewis.

Yes.

Vice President Pena.

Yes.

Councilor Rogers.

Yes.

Counselor Sanchez.

Yes.

President Basson?

Yes.

Passes unanimously.

Moving on to R 175, Councilor Peoplehorn.

Thank you, Madam President.

R175 is adopting an amendment to the Albuquerque Barnleo County comprehensive plan to change the designation of segments of the Rio Grande Boulevard Northwest, Indian School Road Northwest, and Manal Boulevard from multimodal corridors to major transit corridor.

And the do you pass?

Second.

There's a motion and a second from Councillor Champagne.

Council Peoplehorn to open.

Thank you, Madam President.

So this there's been a lot of misunderstanding about this, so I'll just start with all this bill does is update our comprehensive plan to um realize the fact that we are now going to be going to more frequent bus routes on this stretch of road.

And so there's been a lot of thought about, you know, you can do the the buses without this and all kinds of things.

And I just want to say all we're doing is saying that the new transit route is happening.

It is passed, it is going to happen.

And we are just updating our comprehensive plan to show that reality.

Um so that really is all that's in here.

Um and I'm happy to hear from public comment.

Counselor, just to confirm, are there any amendments?

Before I go to public comment.

Yes, would you like for me to move the amendments?

Uh yes.

Okay.

I think if you're okay with that, I guess we should move some amendments and then go to public comment for their requests.

Thank you, Madam President.

I'm sorry, I forgot that that's how we were doing it now, but I do appreciate that.

All right, I'm gonna move floor amendment number one, which is on page 10.

Insert the following new section four after line 30 and renumber subsequent sections.

And as you'll see on the screen, it is just a correction of the um names we had Minal Boulevard, and it's actually legally called the Manal Extension.

Um there's striping on Manal Boulevard Northwest, Manal Extension Northwest, and Indian School Um Road Northwest between Los Tomasas and Drive.

So we just this is a technical correction that um the neighbors pointed out.

We had some kind of dated um language here.

So just moving that um floor amendment number one.

There's a motion and a second by councillor Rogers.

Councillors, any discussion about the amendment.

Madam Clerk.

Councilor Backa.

Yes.

Councillor Champaign.

Yes.

Councilor Fabric.

Yes.

Councilor Grout?

Yes.

Councillor Lewis, yes.

Vice President Pena, yes.

Councilor Rogers, yes.

Councilor Sanchez?

Yes.

President Brasson, yes.

Passes unanimously.

We're back on R 175 as amended.

Any other amendments, counselors?

Let's go ahead and go to public comment, please.

Thank you, Madam President.

Our first speaker is Loretta Noranjo Lopez, followed by Mark Bailon.

Good evening, Councillor President and Councillors.

My name is Loretta Naranjo Lopez.

I'm here on behalf of the Santa Barbara Martinez Town Neighborhood Association.

And we recommend that the city council reman R25175 back to the city planning department in order for staff to meet with all the neighborhoods impacted by this decision.

Um the re um we also, if you if if the council is pushing to move this forward, we would recommend denial of resolution 25175.

Uh, the reason is that the neighborhood associations were not allowed to give input in this major decision and their recommendations have not been implemented.

Um the city council has authority to amend the ABC comprehensive pump, but not until their constituents have full knowledge of what is being proposed and why it's being proposed, and the the recommendations have been heard and implemented.

This resolution is a major update and will environmentally impact Martinez Town Santa Barbara neighborhood, which is already impacted by the pollution from the freeways and the air permits that the environmental department has permitted in the neighborhood.

Um the current environmental impacts affects our children's learning ability, and I have provided the health um impact report by uh Bernalillo County Place Matters, and I would urge you to read that.

Um the proposed major transit sent transit quarters next to an area of consistency, and there should be more efforts to provide regulations to protect and preserve these areas.

The Santa Barbara Martinez town uh would like the improvement to the public transit, but we would like a diff a deferral to engage more people and to understand what will be the impacts with these proposed changes if you decide to go forward.

We would recommend that you not include West of I-25.

So I would like to thank you for this opportunity to speak Mark Bylone, followed by Ian Gates.

Good evening, Council President Basson and Councillors.

I'm Mark Bylone, Transportation Improvement Program Coordinator at the Mid Region Metropolitan Planning Organization, a division of the mid-region council of governments.

The MR MPO fully supports the redesignations of segments of Rio Grande, Indian School, and Manal as major transit corridors.

The MPO worked extensively with ABQ Ride on the ride forward network recovery program, and we're keen to see Minal have increased frequency given the nature of its road or of the road, its users, and its identity as a critical east-west connection north of I-40.

The next logical step in approving and implementing the ride forward is to redesignate and match what will already be happening along this route.

The Metropolitan Transportation Plan calls out that most successful, the most of the most successful of the ABQ ride routes, like Central Avenue, connect and serve major activity centers.

A lesson ride forward, the ride forward plan takes seriously and seeks to replicate here.

Additionally, Minal provides the linearity and mix of uses that would maximize the investment ABQ ride would be putting into the increased frequency, serving more people more often to more destinations along a single route.

Our Metropolitan Transportation Plan, which was approved by policy leaders from across the region, including members of this council, explicitly calls for frequent transit service where appropriate and an increase in multimodal options that provide more choices to the traveling public.

We believe that this proposal does both.

Please join us in our support of R25175.

Thank you.

Ian Gates, followed by James Shanley.

James Shanley, followed by Brandon Cottle on Zoom.

Madam President, Counselor, um I don't want to bore you with uh another preaching from the corridor survey guy, but I would like to uh just offer for consideration as this measure is implemented the a recognition that there is an extraordinary discontiguity along the section of Minal for which uh this resolution is targeting, and that within that those discontiguous segments are some areas that desperately are going to need traffic calming if this is not going to result in just more bus service to an area that is really not practically uh pedestrian friendly or bike friendly.

Uh this this corridor ranges from high density uh housing oriented people's dreamland of of townhouse development and apartments to uh areas of commercial devastation punctuated by uh diesel fumes spewing truck stops uh and and gas stations and collapsed uh out-of-business buildings.

So I I hope that in along with the bus route implementation and the 330-foot perimeter up zone housing with shorter neighborhood edges, that some real consideration will be given to some detailed refinement uh to make this zone really uh uh an upgrade to the city and not simply a change in designation on the map.

Thank you.

Brandon Cottle, followed by Jordan McConnell.

Hello, uh City Council again.

This is Brandon Cottle.

Um, I would like to again encourage you to consider uh passing this.

Um Albuquerque is positioned at a unique point in time in which we can really uh take care of our own residents, our neighbors, and this is but one incremental uh step in a positive direction.

All of you are very well versed in the pros and cons of this, and I would urge you to uh pass this.

Thank you very much.

Jordan McConnell, followed by Luis Sutherland.

Good evening, Council President Bassan and Counselors.

My name is Jordan McConnell.

I serve on the City of Albuquerque's transit advisory board.

It is in that capacity that I'm speaking tonight.

On August 28th, our board unanimously passed a resolution in support of R175, which designates Minal Boulevard as a major transit corridor.

We believe this designation is critical for several reasons.

First, under the ABQ ride forward plan, Minal will soon have buses running every 15 minutes or less, yet it's our only high-frequency corridor not already designated as such.

This change simply aligns our land use map with the transit service the city is planning to deliver.

Second, the designation is consistent with the comprehensive plan and the IDO ensures future development along Minal will support transit, walkability, and safe multimodal access instead of reinforcing car-only patterns.

Third, this action has strong community support.

The Indian Pueblo Cultural Center endorsed the redesignation, recognizing that more reliable and frequent transit will better connect residents and visitors to an important cultural and economic hub.

We were pleased to see that this engagement took place.

Finally, by designating Minal as a major transit corridor, the council affirms the people first vision of policy 5.1.10 of the comprehensive plan, which prioritizes pedestrians, cyclists, and transit users while also improving system efficiency and ridership.

On behalf of our transit advisory board, I urge you to adopt R25175 and bring Minal Boulevard into alignment with Albuquerque's transit future.

Thank you.

Luis Sutherland, followed by Peggy Norton.

Hello, can you hear me okay?

Yes, we can hear you.

Madam President and Council members, my name is Louise Sutherland.

I thank you for the opportunity to speak.

I'm here to express my support for resolution 175.

Changing the designation of segments of uh on segments of Rio Grande, Indian School and Manal from multimodal corridor to a major transit corridor will allow the ABQ ride forward network plan to flourish and in turn reduce noise and congestion along these roads.

Uh this resolution allows for appropriate growth by giving business owners and developers the ability to right size their parking lots, which opens up space for, as an example, more seating at a restaurant, uh, more bowling lanes, and frankly, for whatever the owner sees fit.

Uh it also allows for mixed use development, which uh is known to work hand in hand with mass transit.

This combination works and it works well.

Thank chocolate and peanut butter.

Uh please support resolution 175 to make Albuquerque develop into a more walkable, vibrant, and pleasant city.

Thank you for your time.

Peggy Norton, followed by Joseph Greenwood.

Good evening, Madam President and Counselors.

Mr.

Greenland, Peggy Norton, and then uh Joseph Greenwood.

Thank you.

The North Valley Coalition submitted letters and does not support this recent designation for West of I-25 of Minal.

East of I-25 to Louisiana is very different from the valley.

We support increasing public transit, but that could be done today without this change if there were resources.

Minal is the only east-west multimodal corridor, and this has become reality in the valley.

Emphasizing pedestrians, bicycles, public transit, horses, and private vehicles.

Changing it to major transit changes development to auto-oriented, as noted in the comprehensive plan.

We have some sizeful properties we would like to see oriented toward multimodal friendly development, different from the American Square area.

Multimodal is rooted in complete streets whose design is nicely presented in the DPM, but often not followed.

At our presentation, not a public meeting.

Increasing transit was the goal of this change, but it is not needed to comply with the comp plan.

Nothing defines high frequency.

The Valley Corridor is not similar to other major transit corridors.

Coors, Montgomery, which has 40-minute bus frequency, Louisiana, San Mateo.

Wyoming is multimodal, but it has no bike lanes, where I looked at it around I-40.

We are soon to start our community planning area assessment, and this change could wait until that process is done.

Bus in increase is uh probably three to five years out from what uh transportation stated.

There is at least one area, Jefferson that has segmented corridor designations, so that's also possible.

Please keep Minal multimodal west of I-25.

I also want to express support for many of the letters of opposition.

Thank you.

Joseph Greenland, followed by Evelyn Rivera.

Good evening, Councilman and Joseph Greenwood.

When I first moved to Albuquerque in 2013, I lived in University Heights next to UNM.

And I had a job in the Northeast Heights of Wyoming and Montgomery.

My personal experience of using the bus routes in the heights made it clear to me how vital these corridors are to moving people throughout the city.

Additionally, in my time of perusing group stores, restaurants, gift shops, as well as my friends' homes along Minal, I've seen the urgency to make it safer and more accessible for all the citizens who are dependent on its daily navigation.

Just as Wilmess and Montgomery already are, Minal deserves the status of being a major transit corridor as an important east west artery in our city.

In addition to these considerations, I want to thank the city for working so hard to revitalize Manol through the MRA designation.

I agree that more residential development would be a significant improvement for this area, and combining that with a major transit corridor would be mutually beneficial for both efforts.

High capacity transit for Manal's residents would provide a more dignified experience in their daily lives.

I come to speak from my own personal experiences, as well as on the behalf of many members of strong towns for the necessity of voting yes on this conversion.

It's an essential step forward to making Albuquerque a more state accessible and incrementally better city.

Thank you.

Evelyn Rivera, followed by Merritt Tully.

Good evening, Madam President and Council members.

My name is Evelyn Rivera.

I'm a former residential real estate appraiser who lives in District One.

Please vote no.

I believe this resolution is another attack on single family homeowners under the false narrative that the city needs an additional 50,000 housing units.

Recent market statistics from the National Association of Realtors describe our multifamily market segment as weak with the 7.6% vacancy rate.

Upzoning will not magically create more housing and definitely not affordable housing.

The 200 single family residences located in the corridor between Carlisle Boulevard and Louisiana Boulevard have not been notified of this change and would be adversely affected by increased decification and multifamily development.

Thank you for this opportunity to speak.

Council President Bassan, Councillors, good evening.

I'm Merritt Tully.

I'm here speaking for Near North Fallon Neighborhood Association.

I'm the association's current president.

We want to thank the sponsor, Council Feeblecorn, for meeting with us and working to amend our 175 to address a major concern.

That is losing the decades of work put in by the community, New Mexico's Pueblos, and the city to create a much safer and welcoming area for pedestrians, bicyclists, and vehicles in the 12th Minal area.

The roundabouts, narrow traffic lanes, bike lanes, wide shaded sidewalks, crosswalks, and pedestrian refuges, these have all increased foot traffic throughout the area and have supported substantial economic revitalization.

And we want to build on this.

We do agree buses added to the stretch of the corridor west of 12th Street to Rio Grande Boulevard would be great.

As I said at LUPS, we've asked for this before for buses to go further west to serve all the houses and large apartment complexes along Indian School Road.

That said, I can't say tonight that we support the redesignation of Minal and Indian School to Major Transit.

Our board hasn't met or voted since our 175 was amended at the LUPS hearing.

Back in July, we voted to oppose the redesignation west of I-40, where the character of Minal is so very different than Minal east of I-40, and so different than other major transit corridors like Montgomery.

In August, we voted to ask that the 12th Minal improvements we work so hard to get be protected.

But we've not discussed a revisit on our no vote since our board meets next week.

And I'm aware that they are outstanding concerns about the increased commercialization that major transit corridors are meant to foster, which we don't need, and the impact on areas of consistency with existing housing.

We do need again.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Madam President, that concludes comment.

Counselors, we're going to go to discussion.

Councilor Champagne.

Thank you, Madam President.

Just a handful of questions.

Um based on some of the comments we heard tonight was and the sponsor can ask this or the administration because it's by request.

Uh the neighborhoods come contacted and involvement into what detail were those neighborhoods' discussions.

Council People Clark.

Thank you, Madam President.

So this went through the entire process, and I will um hand it over to Mr.

Cox to go through the whole list because it was a lot.

But I will just start by saying this bill went through the EPC and received approval there.

It was considered by Gatsy and received approval there.

It got the it went through TAB and got a resolution in support of it.

We went out to the Indian Public Cultural Center and they approved it.

And then it went through LUPS and now it is here tonight.

But I did ask Mr.

Cox before the meeting to develop a timeline of all the notifications, including the notifications of neighborhood associations.

So if it's okay, Madam President, I'd like to have him read that out.

We can get the if that's okay with you, because you have the floor.

Councilor Champagne has the floor, so is it all right?

I would prefer that because the quick the question was around the neighborhood associations.

I get LUPs in the committees and the big players like the Indian Cultural Center, but the neighborhoods that were involved.

So Council President and Councilor Champaign.

But per the IDO, we were required to notify all neighborhood associations via email.

That went out May 8th.

On May 15th, we submitted to EPC.

On May 21st, we met with the near North Valley Neighborhood Association.

On June 3rd, we met with the near or the North Valley Neighborhood Coalition.

That led us up to June 26 when we excuse me, presented to the Environmental Planning Commission.

Within that uh recommendation of approval, they also had a finding of condition to go uh engage and meet with the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center.

And so uh in between the IPCC and Environmental Planning Commission on July 14th, we met with Gatsy or the Greater Albuquerque Active Transportation Committee who recommended to support the bill.

Uh we then met with the Mark Thompson, who is over the IPCC's real estate and development arm, uh, and we met with them and they supported um this amendment as well, deciding that it would uh add transportation and transit to the area and um complement their style of development that they're doing in the center uh where the IPCC is.

Uh we then brought it to the LUPS committee on August 13th.

Um it was sent without recommendation to council, but then within that time we met with the transit advisory board on August 14th, and also August 28th, where you heard um a resolution was passed.

And so within all that, um we did meet with all neighborhood associations that requested a meeting, being the North Valley Coalition and the near North Valley Neighborhood Association.

Councillor Shepine.

Thank you, Madam President.

Ums was made is uh being not being bike friendly, or it's gonna impede bike friendliness along Manal.

Is that I don't remember seeing bike lanes on it.

Um, Council President, uh Councilor Champaign.

Um there are bike lanes along um Indian School as you go farther west.

Um but frankly, and this is kind of the point I made during environmental planning commission hearing as well.

What the DPM uh sets out for design guidelines for major transit corridors is more in line with what we already see west of I-25 and east of I-25, you have um speed limits up to 45 miles per hour, like varies between the uh Louisiana and I-25 from like 40, 45, 35 in different locations.

Um but the ultimate goal is to prioritize transit and then get people to those bus stops in a safe and efficient way.

And so that's where you see language around improved pedestrianization infrastructure as well as bike lanes, um, and how we usually get those is through road diets with already existing uh right of way.

Um so I guess the the character towards a slower um roadway can be seen west of I-25, and that's what would be hoped to be brought east of I-25 as well.

Okay, thank you.

Uh in Madam President, or there are sidewalks along Manal, pretty much this whole corridor.

So there is a lot of pedestrian stuff, so there isn't any areas to address that kind of concern that this was impede pedestrian walkway, so on and so forth.

I'm correct correct, and I'm not missing a section of town that doesn't have a sidewalk along Manal, correct?

Uh Council President, Councilor Champagne, not to my knowledge, I think you're spot on.

Thank you.

Uh and Madam President, the last two questions were probably for transit, if I can get them to come down just and I think I asked this before, Director, but the frequency that we're running at along Manal.

And and I just want some verification on this if I could, but Madam President, if the frequency we were running on Manal currently is 35 to 40 minutes.

Or it was commented that we're going to be down to 12 minutes or seven minutes or better.

Uh Council President and Councilor Champagne.

Yes, it's currently at 40 minutes frequency.

Our plan is to get down to 15 minutes.

Okay, Madam President, what is the timeline of that?

Um the timeline for that actually, we are uh making some adjustments here in December as it looking like to start phase one, um, where we'll be able to get um the headways, the frequency down to 30 minutes on the weekdays, and then we're anticipating another change around early 2027 that would get us down to 30 minutes on the weekends, and then finally about mid-2027.

Um, we believe that we'll be able to um complete the transition, and that would get us down to the 15 minute headways on the short line.

Okay, thank you, madam president and director.

Do we currently know how many passengers ride the Manal Corridor today?

Um, Council President and Councilor Champagne, I don't have that information on me right now, but it is one of our our very busy routes.

It's uh it's a um high ridership route.

Okay.

Thank you, Madam President.

That's all counselors.

Any other questions or comments?

Counselor Grout?

Thank you, Madam President.

I follow up to that.

How come it takes two years to implement it down to 15 minutes?

Uh Council President Bassan and Councillor Grout.

So, as you know, we are still currently in our staffing challenges.

Um, so um if we can start kicking up the the hiring, which we have been here, um, as I mentioned at LUPS, we're down to about um the mid-80s in our vacancies, which is huge for us.

We are coming down from about a high of 115 vacancies at one point.

So um we're able to start the implementation of the first phase.

This is just being, you know, kind of continuing our trend right now, but as we can continue to keep ticking up on the drivers, and this also includes mechanics too, which we are starting to see a little bit more of a turnaround on that, but it is a little slower in bringing those back.

So it's based on the number of drivers and the number of mechanics that we think we need to bring along in order to make these changes, and that's how we have pieced it out and put the phases together.

Thank you.

One follow-up question, ma'am.

Um what what is how do you anticipate getting these additional drivers like what's the plan to do that?

Uh council president and um counselor grouts.

The plan is to continue to um recruit, and honestly, a lot of it has been focused here lately too on retention.

Um, we're really seeing a big turnaround in that and keeping the drivers that we're bringing on so that we're not constantly replacing drivers that we've spent a lot of time and energy on training.

So that's been a big help for us to see these numbers start to go down, and we believe as we continue to focus on that, it will make it easier for us to onboard new drivers.

Thank you.

Counselors, any other questions or comments?

Councilor Sanchez.

Thank you, Madam President.

I think you just answered my question in reference to it, so we don't have enough drivers to handle the situation, so I think we should revisit this in 2027.

Um when we have enough drivers and we have the sufficient capacity.

Um right now, I think it's a little bit premature, so I'm gonna I'm gonna probably say no to this.

This is going from Manal all the way up to Rio Grande, and I'm not sure if all the listeners that are out can uh anyone that's watching our our meeting right now knows that it's that much of a of a distance.

It's from the mall on Louisiana all the way to Rio Grande.

And if we don't have the capacity to be doing it now, then we're gonna be straining in other areas.

So at this point, I think we need to build the capacity, and then at that point we can probably revisit this.

That's just my opinion.

Councilor Pena.

Thank you, Madam President.

Um I was listening in on about the community input.

I was hearing the timeline.

Um, you know, I'm supportive of this.

I was just wanting to hear from some of the the um residents who spoke who who said that they weren't um properly notified.

I was just wondering is there any way that maybe Councilor People would consider a two-week deferral to be able to talk to some of the neighbors who said that their voices weren't heard?

Um I know I don't know, Miss Naraco is still in the audience, but I'd like to hear from her real briefly about what some of her concerns are that are not being heard.

Ms.

Naranja Lopez, if you want to come down, please.

And thank you.

I just would like to state um chair uh president and counselors that as a professional planner, we always go out to the community and and get their input on how what they see about any any issue that we bring to them regarding any impacts or or issues in the neighborhood that we're bringing.

And this didn't happen in our neighborhoods.

And the meeting they had with the North Valley Coalition was just with the leadership of the coalition, it wasn't with the rest of the neighborhoods.

We weren't informed of anything about this until it went to LUPS.

That was the first time we heard anything.

So we're saying take it back, give us time.

Thank you.

I was just wanting to hear if she was, you know, maybe you know, and I don't know if this is even on the table, but if you know we did a deferral that you could meet with Council People Corn to remain some of her concerns, maybe those things can be added.

I just know that what we've done, you know, there's this real big push to um Madam President to have housing and you know, transit, and I think we're all supportive of that.

I think we know this is a big issue in the city, and it's something that we need to address.

Um it's just that some of the older historic neighborhoods um seem to with this the required notification to some of the neighborhood associations has has kind of lacked a little, if you will.

I mean, I know there was something in the Alamosa neighborhood as well that you know um a developer.

I told the neighborhood association that they didn't even necessarily need to talk to them.

So, you know, I just think in good faith, I don't want to delay this.

I think um Council Februar's real passionate, just the same way I am about some of the things in in the district, but I'm I'm just wondering if you know there's an opportunity to sit down with Councilor February and and talk about some of your concerns.

Maybe those are some of the things that she can make some changes to.

If you know, I don't know what the will of the council is, but that would just be one of my suggestions of counselor people corn if you're amenable to that.

Council is Councillor Penilla, thank you.

And yes, we're willing to meet with you to uh discuss this further.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Council People Corn.

Madam President, was that a motion?

No, I don't think there was a motion.

It sounded to me from what I was hearing that Councillor Penya was asking you if you would be willing to consider deferral.

Counselor Penya, please correct me if I'm wrong.

That's correct.

I I just wanted to, you know, ask Councilor People Korn at her discretion whether she wanted to you know we sit down and meet with you know some of these neighborhoods.

I know she's from Martinez now, which is the historic neighborhood under served, you know.

Um we always talk about you know the voices of the community and make sure that it's community voices are being heard.

So just thought it would be a good instead of you know remanding it back or doing any of that kind of stuff.

Council February.

Thank you, Madam President.

Do I have the floor to yes?

Thank you.

Um so I just want to verify with Mr.

Cox, if possible, that notification was sent out to all neighborhood associations in May.

Can you verify that?

Um Council President Basan and Council of Feeblecorn, yes.

Um, I can verify that and have an exact list of what that email or who that email was sent out to.

Thank you, Madam President.

And did it go to every neighborhood association?

Um Council President Bassan, Councillor Februar, uh, yes, as required per the IDO for citywide policy amendments.

Okay, thank you, Madam President.

And can we just verify that all the folks that talked here tonight that said they didn't receive the notification actually did?

Um council uh council president, counselor feeblecorn.

Uh yes, we have uh SB Martinez Town at gmail.com uh in the list of those uh email addresses.

Thank you, Madam President.

And so Mr.

Cox, have we fast tracked this process at all?

Have any steps been skipped?

Uh council president, counselor feeble corn, no.

Okay.

So I madam president, I you know, I I really do get annoyed when we fast track things and we hear things without the proper process, um, but this is not one of those cases.

This was notified in um May, it was sent to the EPC.

Uh it was heard by Gatsy, it was heard by TAB, it was um there were meetings with neighborhood associations, there were meetings with the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center.

There were meetings with the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center.

Um I've personally had meetings with neighborhood associations that reached out and wanted that.

Um it went through LUPS and now it's here.

So I really don't see a failure in this process of notification.

And so I'm certainly open if somebody else is willing to make those those proposals to change the timeline, but I believe that this bill has gone through all the necessary timeline and um and it's time to pass it.

Um so if I can continue with some other questions, um so one of the things we heard tonight, Mr.

Cox is that um this changes the design of the road um between multimodal and major transit.

So can you just tell me what the speed limit requirements for multimodal are?

Um council president, counselor feeble corn uh for multimodal uh within comprehensive plan centers, it is 30 to 35 miles per hour, and outside of comprehensive plan centers, it is 35 to 40 miles per hour.

And what is it for major uh inside centers it is 30 to 35 miles per hour, and outside centers it is 35 to 40 miles per hour.

So no change.

No change.

Um, and then what about um landscaping buffer zones?

What was it in multimodal?

Um council president, counselor feeble corn, it is six to eight feet uh across the board.

And what is it in major transit?

Six to eight feet across the board.

So no change.

No change.

Um what about sidewalk widths in multimodal?

Um inside centers it is ten to twelve feet uh for sidewalk width, and outside centers it is six to ten feet for sidewalk width.

Um assuming to go forward.

What is it in major transit?

Um inside center, it is 10 to 12 feet for sidewalk width, and outside center it is six to ten feet for sidewalk width.

So no change.

No change.

And what was multimodal's bike lane width?

Uh council president, uh counselor feeble corn.

Um inside center, it is five to six and a half feet, and outside center it is six to seven feet.

Um in major transit?

Five to six and a half feet and six to seven feet, uh, no change.

So no change.

Uh what about bike buffer in multimodal?

Um council president, counselor feeble corn.

Um inside center it is zero to three feet, uh, and outside center it is one and a half to three feet.

And in major transit?

Uh it is zero to three feet inside center and one and a half to three feet outside of a center.

So no change.

No change.

All right.

Um well, travel lane width.

What was it in multimodal?

Um, council president, counselor feeble corn.

Uh, the only difference between roadway design between multimodal corridor and a major transit corridor is that the drive aisle uh widths are 10 to 11 feet in multimodal and 10 to 12 feet in major transit, and that is based on um buses needing a wider lane.

Thank you, madam president.

And has um I believe that you told us in our write-up that ABQ ride has has indicated that they do not plan to use that extra foot.

Um council uh council president, counselor feeble corn in recent roadway designs uh all around town.

Uh we have been told by ABQ Ride that 11 feet is adequate uh for bus travel.

Okay, so it really will in result in no change to the structure of the roads.

Um Mr.

Cox, can you talk to me about there was a lot of conversation around how this is going to become less pedestrian friendly?

Is that the case?

Uh councilor president or council president, uh counselor feeble corn.

Um that is not the case uh through major transit corridors.

We actually prioritize pedestrian design um more so than multimodal corridors ensuring a safe route to bus stops from within neighborhoods or other corridors nearby.

Thank you, Madam President.

So both multimodal and major transit corridors quote maximize pedestrian connections to transit stations, stops, and between adjacent developments.

Is that correct, Mr.

Cox?

That is correct.

But Madam President, only major transit corridors include, quote, maximized pedestrian connections across the street.

Is that true, Mr.

Cox?

That is correct.

So there's actually more protections for pedestrians in major transit corridors than there are in multimodal corridors.

Correct.

Okay.

So I just I wanted to get all that out there because there's just been so much misinformation about what this actually does.

The last thing I wanted to talk about was this idea.

We heard it a lot tonight that we are upzoning.

Does this proposal that we're looking at today change the zoning of any parcel within the city of Albuquerque?

Uh Council President, uh Councilor Feeblecorn.

No, it does not.

Okay.

Um, and so does this proposal that's work that we're looking at today um change any commercial zoning to single family or by or vice versa.

Does it change any zone that is single family now to anything else?

No, it does not.

Okay, thank you.

Um okay.

Thank you, madam chair.

Counselor's any other questions or comments.

My mouth is dry.

Yes, all right.

Seeing none, Councilor Feeblecorn to close.

Thank you, Madam President.

Again, the bus routes are changing.

We went through a two-year process with um the ABQ ride new route plan.

It had immense amounts of public input, and what we learned was that folks want more frequent buses on Manal, and so that is going to happen.

Um, and that is independent of this legislation.

All the legislation before us today does is update our comp plan to that new reality, which is that the people of Albuquerque have asked for and are going to get more frequent bus service on Manol, and it goes all the way across.

Yes, it starts at Louisiana and it goes to Rio Grande because that's where the bus route goes.

And so again, I there's a lot of misunderstanding, but that is all the bill before us does.

So with that, urge your support.

The motion is for a due pass of R 175 as amended.

Madam Clerk.

Councilor Bacca.

No.

Councillor Champagne.

Yes.

Councilor Papercorn, yes.

Counselor Grout?

Yes.

Counselor Lewis.

Yes.

Vice President Pena.

Yes.

Councillor Rogers.

Yes.

Counselor Sanchez?

No.

President Bassan.

Yes.