OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Rio Rancho Governing Body Meeting - May 22, 2025

Meeting Portal — Thursday, May 22, 2025
BodyRio Rancho, New Mexico
SessionMeeting Portal
DateThursday, May 22, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
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Transcript — Verbatim
0:11

Thank you.

0:12

Please remain standing as we take a moment of uh silence and reflection for our law enforcement officers or firefighters, first responders that uh serve our community.

0:22

Uh last week was uh law enforcement appreciation week and uh had a really wonderful uh memorial uh hosted by Rio Rancho Police uh last week, and so we certainly appreciate each and every one of them and want to keep them in our thoughts and prayers.

0:46

Thank you for that.

0:47

You may be seated.

0:49

Okay, uh, as we call the meeting to order.

0:51

Uh please silence all electronic devices while attending the governing body meeting.

0:55

And for the record, I'll announce the names of the governing body members that are here.

1:01

When I say your name, please acknowledge your presence by saying present, counselor Dabson.

1:05

Present.

1:06

Thank you.

1:06

Councilor Linentine has been excused, Councillor Tyler, present.

1:10

Thank you, Councillor Weimer, present.

1:13

Thank you, Councilor Colbreth.

1:14

Present.

1:14

Thank you, Counselor List.

1:16

Present.

1:16

Thank you.

1:17

All right.

1:18

Moving on to public forum.

1:20

Uh we have Casey Robinson.

1:33

Mr.

1:34

Mayor, members of the governing body.

1:36

Casey Robinson.

1:38

Um, so a few months ago, maybe a little more than a few months ago, I remember sitting in the back in a pretty empty meeting, and you had a present you had a presentation from Easy Fiber.

1:47

And boy, did I smile because that sounded really nice, and I didn't want to give the money to the people who destroyed all of our front yards.

1:55

And everything Easy Fiber said sounded really nice.

1:58

Now I assume most of you are following the news because you're our civic leaders, and I'm sure you are.

2:03

Um it's they've been a nightmare in the city of Albuquerque, a nightmare to the point where their mayor has decided to put a halt on their construction until they've come back to the table and fix what's going on.

2:15

So I'm sure you're already in uh you know in the loop, but I just want to say let's make sure we're on top of that, because we all know what we went through before.

2:25

I have a second quick thing.

2:26

I'm gonna read a quote from a local leader.

2:28

Let's see if you remember this.

2:30

I'm appalled.

2:31

This is uh after uh the assassination attempt on then former president and candidate Trump uh now president.

2:39

I'm appalled by this unspeakable act of violence.

2:41

When it now's the important part.

2:43

When opinions differ, violence is never the answer.

2:45

It is time to step back and begin to communicate with each other.

2:49

We're all Americans, we are better than this.

2:52

Mayor Hull, that's you who said that.

2:53

Yep.

2:54

It's a great statement.

2:55

I'd like to remind you that what next month is, that you and I have had a disagreement for about three and a half years that you've promised me a phone call on.

3:03

It's time to communicate.

3:06

Thank you.

3:09

Stephen Van Horn.

3:17

Good evening, Mr.

3:19

Mayor, Counselors.

3:20

First off, I want to say thank you to all the counselors who listened to the people two weeks ago and voted against losing local control of city elections to the state.

3:33

I will also say thank you on behalf of many in the city who have thanked the Almighty for the stand that you all took.

3:42

Um the mayor, since it was a failure by uh Thai vote, seems like it's a missed opportunity.

3:52

Um second, I wanted to draw your attention to an item on the consent agenda tonight, the 2024 annual report from the public infrastructure advisory board.

4:05

Here it is.

4:26

But primarily my concern is with water, the water system, and what I know and have warned you about previously.

4:37

And if you look at this, compared to the reports that the utilities commission used to bring that would actually inform the governing body, the true status of utilities.

4:53

This is an embarrassment, really.

4:56

It it's it's I look at this and I ask why.

5:00

Have we got to the point where government bodies that have the name of advisory and are supposed to bring an annual report?

5:11

Produce things like this, and and then you make decisions based on nothing.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Procedural███████████████████████████████31%
Land Use Planning███████████████████████23%
Public Safety███████████11%
Public Works████████8%
Budget Equity Analysis███████7%
Public Health Funding██████6%
Mental Health Awareness██████6%
Education████4%
Capital Improvement Planning████4%
Summary of Proceedings

Rio Rancho Governing Body Meeting - May 22, 2025

The Rio Rancho Governing Body met on May 22, 2025, at 6:00 PM in Council Chambers. The meeting included approval of the consent calendar, public hearings on a master plan amendment and zoning change, a public hearing on the FY2026 budget and ICIP, and adoption of several resolutions. All votes were unanimous (6-0) with Councilor Jeremy Lenentine absent.

Consent Calendar

  • Approved minutes of May 2, 2025 Special Work Session and May 8, 2025 Regular Meeting.
  • Approved R50 (Budget Adjustment to General Fund), R51 (Disposal of Library Property), R52 (Budget Adjustment to 2024 G.O. Bond Fund), R53 (Disposal of Police Property), R54 (Budget Adjustment to SSGRT Bond and Debt Service Funds).
  • Accepted D27, Public Infrastructure Advisory Board 2024 Annual Report.
  • Appointed Patricia French Barger to Parks and Recreation Commission, Fred Radosevich to Planning and Zoning Board, and Robert Gabaldon to Planning and Zoning Board.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Casey Robinson expressed concerns about Easy Fiber's construction issues in Albuquerque, urging the city to monitor the company's performance in Rio Rancho. He also referenced a past statement by Mayor Hull about political violence, requesting a promised phone call.
  • Stephen vanHorn thanked councilors for voting against state control of city elections. He criticized the PIAB 2024 annual report as inadequate, particularly regarding water system information, and urged the governing body to seek better data.
  • Michael Farrell attempted to thank the council for delaying a master plan vote two weeks prior but was cut off as the topic was a pending agenda item.
  • Alan Silverman proposed creating a think tank to address mental health issues, criticizing the current system and UNM. He described his involuntary commitment as a negative experience and called for new approaches.

Discussion Items

  • R55 & O15 – Lomas Encantadas Master Plan Amendment and Zone Change: Director Amy Rincon presented the requests. The amendment expands the master plan boundary by 40.77 acres and updates figures. The zone change reclassifies approximately 33.11 acres from R-1 to R-4 to allow higher density, increasing total planned units to 2,330. The Planning and Zoning Board recommended approval. Councilor Bob Tyler expressed concern about maintaining a 100-foot buffer between R-1 and existing neighborhoods; the applicant confirmed the buffer remains and in some areas is increased. Councilor Paul Wymer clarified that the new area matches abutting R-4 zoning. Both resolutions passed 6-0.
  • Public Hearing for FY2026 Budget: No speakers. Closed.
  • Public Hearing for FY2026-2030 ICIP: No speakers. Closed.
  • R56 – FY2026 Balanced Budget: Director Carole Jaramillo presented. The $119.3 million general fund includes $103.2 million in expenditures, $27.2 million in transfers, and a 27.4% ending fund balance (exceeding the 25% policy). Nine new positions (6 public safety, 2 public works, 1 HR), 4% COLA, and 15% health insurance increase. Utilities include a 3% rate increase, ending balance of $10.7 million (119 days cash). No public comment. Approved 6-0.
  • R57 – FY2026-2030 ICIP: The five-year plan includes 115 projects totaling $690.9 million. FY2026 has 83 projects at $272.9 million, with $185.8 million pay-as-you-go, $71.7 million debt, and $15.3 million unidentified. 48% growth-related, 52% non-growth. Approved 6-0.
  • R58 – Nuisance Property at 3905 El Puno: City Manager Matt Geisel presented. The property is declared a public nuisance due to debris, lack of utility service, and fire damage. Owner has 10 days to act or city will abate and place a lien. Councilor Tyler commended staff for action. Approved 6-0.

Key Outcomes

  • Consent Calendar: Approved 6-0.
  • R55 (Master Plan Amendment): Approved 6-0.
  • O15 (Zone Change): Approved 6-0.
  • R56 (FY2026 Budget): Approved 6-0.
  • R57 (ICIP): Approved 6-0.
  • R58 (Nuisance Abatement): Approved 6-0.
  • All votes were unanimous with Councilor Lenentine absent. The next meeting for final budget adoption is scheduled for July 24, 2025.

Meeting Transcript

Thank you. Please remain standing as we take a moment of uh silence and reflection for our law enforcement officers or firefighters, first responders that uh serve our community. Uh last week was uh law enforcement appreciation week and uh had a really wonderful uh memorial uh hosted by Rio Rancho Police uh last week, and so we certainly appreciate each and every one of them and want to keep them in our thoughts and prayers. Thank you for that. You may be seated. Okay, uh, as we call the meeting to order. Uh please silence all electronic devices while attending the governing body meeting. And for the record, I'll announce the names of the governing body members that are here. When I say your name, please acknowledge your presence by saying present, counselor Dabson. Present. Thank you. Councilor Linentine has been excused, Councillor Tyler, present. Thank you, Councillor Weimer, present. Thank you, Councilor Colbreth. Present. Thank you, Counselor List. Present. Thank you. All right. Moving on to public forum. Uh we have Casey Robinson. Mr. Mayor, members of the governing body. Casey Robinson. Um, so a few months ago, maybe a little more than a few months ago, I remember sitting in the back in a pretty empty meeting, and you had a present you had a presentation from Easy Fiber. And boy, did I smile because that sounded really nice, and I didn't want to give the money to the people who destroyed all of our front yards. And everything Easy Fiber said sounded really nice. Now I assume most of you are following the news because you're our civic leaders, and I'm sure you are. Um it's they've been a nightmare in the city of Albuquerque, a nightmare to the point where their mayor has decided to put a halt on their construction until they've come back to the table and fix what's going on. So I'm sure you're already in uh you know in the loop, but I just want to say let's make sure we're on top of that, because we all know what we went through before. I have a second quick thing. I'm gonna read a quote from a local leader. Let's see if you remember this. I'm appalled. This is uh after uh the assassination attempt on then former president and candidate Trump uh now president. I'm appalled by this unspeakable act of violence. When it now's the important part. When opinions differ, violence is never the answer. It is time to step back and begin to communicate with each other. We're all Americans, we are better than this. Mayor Hull, that's you who said that. Yep. It's a great statement. I'd like to remind you that what next month is, that you and I have had a disagreement for about three and a half years that you've promised me a phone call on. It's time to communicate. Thank you. Stephen Van Horn. Good evening, Mr. Mayor, Counselors. First off, I want to say thank you to all the counselors who listened to the people two weeks ago and voted against losing local control of city elections to the state.

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