City of Rio Rancho Governing Body Work Session – September 19, 2025

The Governing Body met in a work session on September 19, 2025, at 1:30 PM in Council Chambers to receive updates on the 2023-2028 Strategic Plan, review the 2025 Citizen Survey results, and discuss the City Manager's goals and priorities for the 2025-2026 fiscal year. No public comment was taken. The session lasted until 2:32 PM.

Strategic Plan Update

Ryan Chavez, Assistant to the City Manager for Policy and Planning, presented an update on the 2023-2028 Strategic Plan, highlighting progress across five key service areas: Quality of Life, Community & Economic Development, Infrastructure, Public Safety, and Organizational Excellence. Key accomplishments include:

• Campus Park Phase 2: 100% complete.
• Broadmore Senior Center Phase 2: 70% complete.
• Multi-generational recreation facility: initial planning 70% complete.
• Home repair assistance program: 100% complete.
• New library cardholders: 45,000 of 50,000 goal achieved.
• College Boulevard Phase 1: construction complete.
• Development process manual: 70% complete (expected by end of 2025).
• Impact fee schedule: complete.
• Utilities rate schedule: 100% complete.
• New CAD dispatch and RMS systems: 100% implemented.
• Multi-year staffing plan: 85% complete.
• Career professional development program: 70% implemented.
• FY25 new volunteers: 272.

Mayor Hull expressed satisfaction with progress, noting the city is on a positive trajectory.

Citizen Survey Results

Ryan Chavez presented results from the 2025 National Community Survey, conducted by the National Research Center and Polco. The survey was sent to 3,000 households; 329 completed the statistically valid survey (11% response rate), and an additional 296 responded via an open link. The margin of error is ±5.4 percentage points at a 95% confidence level.

Key findings:

• 90% of residents are likely to recommend Rio Rancho and remain for the next five years (exceeds national benchmarks).
• 97% feel very or somewhat safe in their neighborhood during the day.
• 93% rate fire services as excellent or good.
• Ratings for Rio Rancho as a place to visit improved from 35% to 52% excellent/good.
• Cost of living (50% excellent/good) exceeded the national average.
• Mobility (ease of travel by car, bicycle, walking) showed the largest gap between importance (78% essential/very important) and quality (25% excellent/good).
• Parks and recreation measures rated below national averages.
• 7 in 10 residents support changing to a plurality voting system.
• Residents favor continuing General Obligation Bonds for roadways if no property tax increase, and support retaining the current oversized vehicle parking code.

Mayor Hull commented that many improvements likely reflect recovery from the pandemic, citing increases in quality of life (77% to 85%), recommendation likelihood (81% to 90%), and perceived safety from property crime (64% to 90%). Councilor Wymer asked about the response rate; Chavez noted declining participation is common in repeated surveys.

City Manager Goals and Priorities / Planning Calendar

City Manager Matt Geisel presented a 12-month planning calendar (July 2025 – June 2026) and a list of potential policy topics for exploration. He proposed five formal goals for FY26:

1. Utility revenue bond issuance – to support water infrastructure.
2. Initiate construction of UNSER Boulevard Phase 2 (widening from Cherry to PDV).
3. Initiate construction of Fire Station 8.
4. Explore additional sale and long-term lease/easement of cell tower leases (proceeds to permanent fund).
5. Initiate a pilot youth after-school program.

Councilors expressed interest in additional topics:

• Councilor Tyler: civil monetary penalties, increased funding for weed control, and a comprehensive nuisance ordinance (including parking, dust, panhandling).
• Councilor Culbreath: property maintenance code to address issues upstream of abatement, and long-term financial planning (multi-year sources and uses).
• Councilor Wymer: property maintenance code with attention to staff impact.
• Councilor Dapson: property maintenance code and exploring cultural amenities (e.g., theater, museum) to address survey gaps.
• Mayor Hull: civil monetary penalties and noted parks/recreation investments (Campus Park, library, senior center) were paid without debt.

City Manager Geisel summarized direction: integrate a broad nuisance bucket (property maintenance, dust control, parking) along with civil monetary penalties and multi-year financial planning into the work plan.

Key Outcomes

• No formal votes were taken; the work session was informational and directional.
• The Governing Body gave consensus to pursue updates to the nuisance/property maintenance code, consider civil monetary penalties, and conduct multi-year financial planning.
• Councilor Tyler requested future budget consideration for additional weed control funding.
• The five proposed FY26 goals (utility bonds, UNSER Phase 2, Fire Station 8, cell tower leases, youth after-school program) received apparent support, with Councilor Culbreath specifically praising the youth program's public safety benefits.
• Staff will integrate these directions into the planning calendar and report back to the Governing Body.