OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Rio Rancho Governing Body Regular Meeting June 26, 2025

Meeting Portal — Thursday, June 26, 2025
BodyRio Rancho, New Mexico
SessionMeeting Portal
DateThursday, June 26, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
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Transcript — Verbatim
4:18

By counselors.

4:20

Mr.

4:20

Deputy Mayor, this is Councillor Tyler.

4:22

Yes, Counselor Tyler.

4:24

Um, I appreciate the comments by Beth.

4:26

Uh, I will be reaching out to you, Beth, and we will I will take a look at it and address any of your concerns.

4:31

So I appreciate it.

4:34

Thank you, Counselor Tyler.

4:36

Okay, seeing and hearing no one else, we'll move on to the um consent calendar.

4:42

Can I get a motion on the consent calendar?

4:44

I move to accept the consent calendar.

4:48

Okay, and we'll call the role on the consent calendar.

4:53

Counselor Tyler.

5:00

Counselor List.

5:00

Yes.

5:01

Counselor Colbreth.

5:02

Yes.

5:02

And Deputy Mayor Lynn and Tyne.

5:04

Yes.

5:05

The consent calendar is approved.

5:07

Thank you very much.

5:08

Moving on to boards and commissions.

5:10

We have uh no nothing to hear there.

5:13

And so moving on to public hearings.

5:15

Uh anyone with a pecuniary interest in on an item or under under public hearing and wishing to address the governing body shall register with the city clerk.

5:24

Uh each comment will be limited to two minutes.

5:26

This hearing will be handled in accordance with the rules of procedure.

5:30

Section 3.4 and strict decorum will be maintained.

5:34

Uh this evening we're looking at D34.

5:37

This is a site plan approval for an expansion of the MAC Center at the property legally described as Loma, Colorado track P-1-C-A.

5:48

And we have uh Miss Amy Recon to present.

5:52

Good evening.

5:53

Uh so the item in front of you tonight is going to be uh D 34, so it's a site plan for the approval for the expansion of the MAC center.

6:01

Um and so that property is located on Loma, Colorado, uh tracked P1CA.

6:07

And uh so this is a location map.

6:13

And then here's the site plan that was included in your agenda briefing memorandum.

6:17

And so they are looking at putting some outdoor turf.

6:21

Um and so it would be taking over some parking spaces, but what you'll see at the north side of the building is they are going to be putting in additional parking.

6:30

Uh so it will not only replace what they're covering, but add uh additional spots as well.

6:37

Uh here is an elevation of what the fence is going to look like.

6:41

So it is um a standard fence on the bottom, but they are putting some wit windscreen on the top uh to keep all of the sports equipment inside of the area.

6:50

Um, and so it will be a little bit taller than uh fences generally are.

6:55

Uh with that, um, one of the things to note with this is generally site plans only come to governing body.

7:00

This one uh their ordinance actually does require that it goes to planning and zoning board for review as well.

7:06

The planning and zoning board did review this uh recommended approval, and I will stand for any questions.

7:12

Okay, thank you.

7:14

Um can I get a motion on this item D34?

7:17

I move to approve D34.

7:19

Second okay, and is there anyone from the public signed to sign up to speak on this item?

7:25

No, Deputy Mayor, but the applicant himself is on the line, is on Zoom.

7:31

Okay, uh applicant, thank you so much for being here.

7:34

Is there anything you'd like to uh add before we move to any counselor discussion?

7:41

No, nothing in particular, just we really appreciate Rio Rancho and the direction that's going in, and this is just another um opportunity for us to invest in the community again.

7:49

So thank you all for everything you keep doing for the city.

7:53

Okay, thank you so much.

7:54

Okay, we'll open up to any counselor comment or discussion uh if there's anyone that wants to uh go at this time.

8:03

Mr.

8:04

Deputy Mayor Yes, Mayor Hull.

8:08

Yes, thank you.

8:09

Uh I just like to say thank you to the McDermott for their continued investment in Rio Rancho.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Personnel Matters█████████████████████████████████████37%
Procedural█████████████████████21%
Public Safety█████████████████████21%
Community Engagement███████7%
Engineering And Infrastructure█████5%
Economic Development████4%
Budget Equity Analysis███3%
Homelessness██2%
Summary of Proceedings

Rio Rancho Governing Body Regular Meeting June 26, 2025

The Rio Rancho Governing Body met on June 26, 2025, at 6:00 PM in Council Chambers, with Deputy Mayor Jeremy Lenentine presiding due to Mayor Greggory Hull attending remotely. The meeting lasted approximately 41 minutes and covered consent items, public hearings, ordinance readings, and resolutions. All votes were unanimous (6-0) except where noted due to a recusal.

Consent Calendar

  • Approved minutes of the June 12, 2025 Regular Meeting.
  • R68: Budget adjustment to various funds for fiscal year 2025.
  • R69: Disposal of Library and Information Services Department property.
  • R70: Disposal of Parks, Recreation, and Community Services – Aquatics Division equipment.
  • R71: Disposal of Parks, Recreation, and Community Services equipment.
  • R72: Budget adjustment to the Utilities Operations Fund (501).
  • D33: Appointment of Delores Williams to the Senior Services Advisory Board.
  • All items approved by a 6-0 vote.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Public Forum: Beth Dehler spoke on a non-agenda item. Councilor Bob Tyler indicated he would follow up.
  • Public Hearing on D34 (MAC Center Expansion): No public registered to speak; the applicant (McDermott Athletic Center) briefly thanked the city via Zoom.
  • Public Hearing on D35 (CDBG Action Plan): No public comment.
  • R74 (Fire Chief Appointment): Sean Gerdemann, President of IAFF Local 4877, expressed full support for appointing James Wenzel as Fire Chief on behalf of the rank-and-file firefighters.

Discussion Items

  • D34 – Site Plan Approval for MAC Center Expansion: Amy Rincon, Director of Development Services, presented a proposal to add an approximately 16,000-square-foot outdoor turf field at 801 Loma Colorado Blvd. NE, replacing some parking but adding more on the north side. The Planning and Zoning Board recommended approval on June 10, 2025. Mayor Hull clarified that the expansion is a private investment, not a city expenditure. Councilors expressed appreciation for community investment. Approved unanimously (6-0).

  • D35 – Public Hearing for CDBG Third Annual Action Plan (FY2025-2026): Public hearing held; no comments received. This was a non-action item; the related resolution (R73) was considered later.

  • O16 – Second Reading: Ordinance Amending Chapter 97 (Alarm Systems): City Manager Matt Geisel presented ordinance updates renaming the "Sandoval County Regional Dispatch Center" to "Rio Rancho Emergency Communications Center" due to the city establishing its own public safety answering point effective July 1, 2025. Approved unanimously (6-0).

  • O18 – First Reading: Ordinance Amending Chapter 37 (Taxation – Lodgers' Tax): Incoming Director of Financial Services Stephanie Yarra presented amendments to include short-term rental units in lodgers' tax auditing provisions, per state statute. Changes include clarifying vendor license requirements, establishing an annual audit minimum for short-term rentals, deadlines for responding to audit requests, and a penalty for non-response within 15 days. Approved unanimously (6-0).

  • R73 – Resolution Adopting CDBG Third Annual Action Plan: Director of Financial Services Carole Jaramillo explained the city's $493,138 allocation from HUD. The plan funds: ADA ramp remediation on Lincoln Avenue ($200,000), St. Felix Pantry homelessness prevention ($23,660), Haven House shelter services ($36,723), Sandoval County Permanent Supportive Housing ($13,588), Rebuilding Together Sandoval County ($169,167), and $50,000 for planning and administration. The 30-day public comment period (May 27 – June 26) received no comments. Approved unanimously (6-0).

  • R74 – Resolution Confirming and Hiring James Wenzel as Fire & Rescue Department Director/Chief: Councilor Nicole List recused herself due to a family member in the fire department. City Manager Matt Geisel described a rigorous selection process (February interviews, case studies, writing samples) that selected James Wenzel, a 15.5-year veteran of the department who has served as firefighter/EMT, engineer, captain, battalion chief, fire marshal, and deputy chief. Outgoing Chief James DeFillippo (retiring August 28, 2025) strongly endorsed Wenzel. Mayor Hull and all councilors voiced support, highlighting succession planning and community roots. Wenzel's effective date is July 28, 2025, as chief designate until DeFillippo's retirement. Approved 6-0 (with List recused).

  • R75 – Resolution Affirming and Authorizing 75% Pick-Up of PERA Member Contributions: Director of Human Resources Loyola Martinez stated the city has historically paid 75% of the employee portion of PERA contributions, as reflected in collective bargaining agreements. An updated resolution is required for PERA documentation. Approved unanimously (6-0).

Key Outcomes

  • All consent calendar items, public hearing items, ordinance readings, and resolutions were approved by 6-0 votes (R74 with one recusal).
  • James Wenzel confirmed as Fire Chief effective July 28, 2025.
  • The CDBG Third Annual Action Plan adopted, funding seven projects totaling $493,138.
  • The lodgers' tax ordinance updated to regulate short-term rentals.
  • The alarm ordinance amended to reflect the new dispatch center name.
  • City Manager announced upcoming events: a meet-and-greet for Councilors Dabson and Culbreath on June 28 at Cavazan Park (11 a.m.–1 p.m.) and a July 4th celebration on July 3 at Campus Park with activities starting at 5:15 p.m.
  • Meeting adjourned at 6:41 p.m.

Meeting Transcript

By counselors. Mr. Deputy Mayor, this is Councillor Tyler. Yes, Counselor Tyler. Um, I appreciate the comments by Beth. Uh, I will be reaching out to you, Beth, and we will I will take a look at it and address any of your concerns. So I appreciate it. Thank you, Counselor Tyler. Okay, seeing and hearing no one else, we'll move on to the um consent calendar. Can I get a motion on the consent calendar? I move to accept the consent calendar. Okay, and we'll call the role on the consent calendar. Counselor Tyler. Counselor List. Yes. Counselor Colbreth. Yes. And Deputy Mayor Lynn and Tyne. Yes. The consent calendar is approved. Thank you very much. Moving on to boards and commissions. We have uh no nothing to hear there. And so moving on to public hearings. Uh anyone with a pecuniary interest in on an item or under under public hearing and wishing to address the governing body shall register with the city clerk. Uh each comment will be limited to two minutes. This hearing will be handled in accordance with the rules of procedure. Section 3.4 and strict decorum will be maintained. Uh this evening we're looking at D34. This is a site plan approval for an expansion of the MAC Center at the property legally described as Loma, Colorado track P-1-C-A. And we have uh Miss Amy Recon to present. Good evening. Uh so the item in front of you tonight is going to be uh D 34, so it's a site plan for the approval for the expansion of the MAC center. Um and so that property is located on Loma, Colorado, uh tracked P1CA. And uh so this is a location map. And then here's the site plan that was included in your agenda briefing memorandum. And so they are looking at putting some outdoor turf. Um and so it would be taking over some parking spaces, but what you'll see at the north side of the building is they are going to be putting in additional parking. Uh so it will not only replace what they're covering, but add uh additional spots as well. Uh here is an elevation of what the fence is going to look like. So it is um a standard fence on the bottom, but they are putting some wit windscreen on the top uh to keep all of the sports equipment inside of the area. Um, and so it will be a little bit taller than uh fences generally are. Uh with that, um, one of the things to note with this is generally site plans only come to governing body. This one uh their ordinance actually does require that it goes to planning and zoning board for review as well. The planning and zoning board did review this uh recommended approval, and I will stand for any questions. Okay, thank you. Um can I get a motion on this item D34? I move to approve D34. Second okay, and is there anyone from the public signed to sign up to speak on this item? No, Deputy Mayor, but the applicant himself is on the line, is on Zoom.

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