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OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD

Record of Proceedings

Albuquerque City Council Meeting - May 4, 2026

City Council — Monday, May 4, 2026

BodyAlbuquerque, New Mexico

SessionCity Council

DateMonday, May 4, 2026

StatusFILED

Video Record

0:00 / 3:55:47

Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

0:11

Welcome everyone.

0:12

Today is May 4th.

0:15

May the 4th be with you, according to Vice President Champagne here.

0:20

The 10th meeting of the 27th Council will come to order.

0:24

All counselors are present this evening with Councilor Rogers joining us via Zoom.

0:29

Next, we are on to the moment of silence.

0:32

So please uh join me in the moment of silence, followed by the pledge in English and in Spanish.

1:31

You know, Mr.

1:32

Cornelius just moving forward.

1:34

I think it would be like awesome just to have it in Spanish on the screen.

1:37

So for those, so maybe people can join us both in English and in Spanish.

1:41

That'd be awesome.

1:45

We are now on to uh Vice President Champagne.

1:49

Thank you, Madam President.

1:50

Civic parking classes uh are provided for members of the public.

1:54

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

2:00

Uh 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.

2:13

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

2:18

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

2:25

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

2:31

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

2:36

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

2:41

to 5 p.m.

2:42

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

2:45

this evening if needed.

2:46

And regard with decorum in the chambers.

2:49

We want tonight's proceedings to be as civil and respectful as possible.

2:52

Please do not make any personal attacks and please no applauding, snapping, or outbursts during the meeting.

3:00

The president will provide one warning to anyone causing a disruption.

3:04

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.

3:12

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

3:16

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

3:26

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

3:31

Counselors, we will move on to administration question and answer.

3:36

Counselors have any questions.

3:38

Councilor Basson.

3:40

Mr.

3:40

Vice President, I don't really have a question, but I just wanted to make sure to take a moment to say thank you to Code Enforcement and to the planning department for their proactive work at Lindy's.

3:52

I grew up going to breakfast at that restaurant with my grandpa and visited with Narki, who was the original owner.

3:57

It was sad to see the building fall, but it was really heartwarming to know that there was no one in it.

4:02

And I just wanted to make sure to say a few words just to make sure that code enforcement knows that they are yet again appreciated.

4:12

Thank you, Councilor Person.

4:13

Counselor Grump.

4:14

Thank you, madam, uh Mr.

4:16

Vice President.

4:17

Um I just had not any questions, but just some um comments for Jess Martinez and the youth and family services.

4:26

Thank you for the singing arrow multicultural arts festival.

4:30

It was a very nice day, and we had so many children and families participating, and um, you just have a wonderful staff.

4:38

So I wanted to say thank you for all that they did.

4:42

It made it one a wonderful day for the families.

4:45

And then also to Dave Simon, uh director Dave Simon and Parks and Rec.

4:50

Um, I wanted to say thank you to Gloria Chabis and the parks maintenance staff because the park really looked nice this year.

5:00

Excuse me.

5:00

It was it was a the grass is really green and trimmed and and it was just really pleasant.

5:06

And it was nice to see people out there enjoying the day.

5:09

Um so thank you for all of that.

5:11

And then I wanted to thank you for leading by example.

5:14

You are you are appreciated, so thank you.

5:17

Thank you, Councillor Ground.

5:18

Counselor Bacuman, thank you, Mr.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Homelessness█████████████████████████25%

Public Safety████████████████████████24%

Procedural█████████████████████21%

Engineering And Infrastructure███████7%

Economic Development██████6%

Fiscal Sustainability██████6%

Arts And Culture█████5%

Affordable Housing███3%

Technology and Innovation█1%

Summary of Proceedings

Albuquerque City Council Meeting - May 4, 2026

The Albuquerque City Council held its tenth meeting of the twenty-seventh council on Monday, May 4, 2026, at 5:00 PM in the Vincent E. Griego Chambers. All nine councilors were present. The meeting included a consent calendar, proclamations, public comments, and several legislative items. The meeting adjourned at 9:28 PM.

Consent Calendar

All consent agenda items were approved unanimously (9-0). Items included:

EC-26-56: Recommendation of Award for APD Mental Health & Support Services.
EC-26-59: Metropolitan Redevelopment’s State of New Mexico Trails+ grant request for West Old Town Rail Trail.
EC-26-76: Ground Lease Agreement with Operating Engineers Local 953.
EC-26-78: Insurance and Benefits Survey (receipt noted).
EC-26-80: Revenue & Expense Report for Second Quarter FY2026 (receipt noted).
EC-26-112: Re-appointment of Jessie Hunt to Balloon Museum Board.
EC-26-113: Appointment of Dede Feldman to Indicators Progress Commission.
EC-26-114: Appointment of Daniel C. Martinez to ABQ Volunteers Advisory Board.
OC-26-8: CPOAB Policies and Procedures annual review (receipt noted).
O-26-1: Postponed to May 18, 2026.
O-26-8: Withdrawn by sponsor.
R-26-2: Passed – directing city to update maps reflecting ownership of Montaño Bridge.
R-26-8: Passed – adjusting FY2026 appropriations for fire station bunk room addition.
R-26-9: Passed – establishing ICIP priorities for 2026.

Proclamations & Presentations

Councilor Grout presented a proclamation recognizing May as National Foster Family Appreciation Month. The proclamation was accepted by Marilyn Beck and Ann McKinney from New Mexico Child First Network, and Josiah Garcia (a foster youth soon to be adopted) with his forever parents Martin and Erica Alvarado. Josiah delivered a powerful speech and video urging the community to consider fostering, noting that 2,100 children are in foster care in New Mexico, with 60% in Bernalillo County.

Public Comments & Testimony

Numerous members of the public spoke on a variety of issues:

Flamenco Works: Several speakers (including Jesus Munoz, Amalia Munoz, and parents) urged the council to restore funding for Flamenco Works, which was proposed to be cut to zero. They highlighted the organization's community impact, serving 6,000+ constituents annually, and its role in downtown revitalization.
O-26-14 (Enhanced Service and Safety Zone): Many speakers opposed the ordinance, arguing it criminalizes homelessness and is ineffective. Speakers such as Ilsa Beale, Marcelin Costner, Dr. Lisa Christofferson, and others expressed concerns about civil liberties, displacement, and the lack of affordable housing. Some business owners, like Adam Silverman and Zane Vihill, supported the ordinance, citing safety concerns.
Budget and Services: Speakers commented on proposed cuts to ABQ Ride, the need for more housing, and support for the Rail Trail and bike lanes.
Other: A speaker from the IPS think tank claimed staged media events; a resident spoke about the collapse of Lindy's Diner and the need for building inspections.

Discussion Items

O-26-14 – Enhanced Service and Safety Zone Ordinance (Baca): After extensive debate and multiple amendments, the council passed the ordinance 6-3. Amendments included:

Amendment 1 (Telles) – removed criminal penalties – failed 3-6.
Amendment 2 (Fiebelkorn) – removed "sit" from prohibited activities – failed 4-5.
Amendment 3 (Fiebelkorn) – required warning before citation/arrest – passed 9-0.
Amendment 4 (Telles) – non-punitive enforcement – failed 4-5.
Amendment 5 (Telles) – quarterly reporting – passed 5-4.
Amendment 6 (Telles) – required funding plan and BID analysis – failed 3-6.
Amendment 7 (Baca) – First Amendment exemption – passed 9-0. The final bill passed 6-3 (Baca, Bassan, Champine, Grout, Lewis, Peña in favor; Fiebelkorn, Rogers, Telles opposed).

O-26-23 – Police Oversight Ordinance (Grout, Fiebelkorn, Rogers): The council adopted an amendment (8-0, Baca excused) clarifying CPOA jurisdiction over APD non-sworn personnel. The bill was then postponed to May 18, 2026 (8-0).

EC-26-144 – Capital Implementation Program Indirect Overhead (IDOH): Failed 2-7. Only Bassan and Peña voted in favor.

OC-26-7 – On-Call Planning Services for City Council: Approved as amended (9-0).

R-26-6 – Near Heights Blight Designation: Passed 7-0 (Grout recused, Baca excused).

R-26-15 – 2026 Action Plan for CDBG, HOME, ESG, WHTF: Passed unanimously after an amendment clarifying workforce housing trust fund appropriation.

R-26-19 – CEED Block Grant Amendment: Passed unanimously.

Key Outcomes

O-26-14 passed 6-3 with amendments, creating a framework for enhanced service and safety zones.
O-26-23 will return May 18 after further stakeholder meetings.
EC-26-144 failed (2-7), rejecting the 5% IDOH rate.
Veto Override Attempt Failed: The mayor's veto of O-26-22 (cooling system performance requirements) was not overridden (5-4 in favor, short of the required 6 votes).
Consent agenda and most other items approved unanimously.
The council received an update on the Lindy's Diner collapse and building code enforcement.

Meeting Transcript

Welcome everyone. Today is May 4th. May the 4th be with you, according to Vice President Champagne here. The 10th meeting of the 27th Council will come to order. All counselors are present this evening with Councilor Rogers joining us via Zoom. Next, we are on to the moment of silence. So please uh join me in the moment of silence, followed by the pledge in English and in Spanish. You know, Mr. Cornelius just moving forward. I think it would be like awesome just to have it in Spanish on the screen. So for those, so maybe people can join us both in English and in Spanish. That'd be awesome. We are now on to uh Vice President Champagne. Thank you, Madam President. Civic parking classes uh are provided for members of the public. You can obtain your parking pass from the council staff at the table near the back of the chamber's entrance. Uh 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. This live streams can be accessed from most smartphones, tablets, or computers. Also, this meeting is closed captioned, and you may enable the closed captioning services on your television or device at this time. The video recording of this and all past council meetings will remain available for viewing at any time on the city council's website. Council staff is available via telephone if members of the public need assistance finding the videos online. Please call 768-310 for assistance during business hours Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The council will take a break at approximately 7 p.m. this evening if needed. And regard with 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 applauding, snapping, or outbursts during the meeting. The president 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 city council chambers will be effective for the remainder of the meeting. If continued disruptions occur, the president may recess the meeting until order is restored, and if necessary, may clear the chambers of persons participating in that disturbance. The meeting will go a lot smoother if we are respectful of one another. Counselors, we will move on to administration question and answer. Counselors have any questions. Councilor Basson. Mr. Vice President, I don't really have a question, but I just wanted to make sure to take a moment to say thank you to Code Enforcement and to the planning department for their proactive work at Lindy's. I grew up going to breakfast at that restaurant with my grandpa and visited with Narki, who was the original owner. It was sad to see the building fall, but it was really heartwarming to know that there was no one in it. And I just wanted to make sure to say a few words just to make sure that code enforcement knows that they are yet again appreciated. Thank you, Councilor Person. Counselor Grump. Thank you, madam, uh Mr. Vice President. Um I just had not any questions, but just some um comments for Jess Martinez and the youth and family services. Thank you for the singing arrow multicultural arts festival. It was a very nice day, and we had so many children and families participating, and um, you just have a wonderful staff. So I wanted to say thank you for all that they did. It made it one a wonderful day for the families.

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