Rio Rancho City Council Meeting Summary - November 13, 2025

The Rio Rancho City Council convened to address items related to the "Project Ranger" facility, a solid rocket motor manufacturing site by Castilian Corporation located outside city limits in Sandoval County. The meeting featured presentations from cast staff, New Mexico Economic Development officials, and the applicant, followed by public testimony and extensive council deliberation regarding safety, fire response, and road infrastructure. While the governing body recognized the project's economic benefits and national security importance, significant concerns were raised by Councilors and residents regarding the lack of prior inclusion in the decision-making process, the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) complexities, and the absence of a binding agreement ensuring fire department safety protocols. The Council approved three resolutions with specific amendments to codify future commitments between the city, county, and fire department.

Consent Calendar

• Approved unanimously. No specific items or dissenting votes were recorded beyond the general approval of the calendar.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Steve Van Horn: Expressed strong opposition to the water service resolution (R135), arguing that breaking the long-standing policy against providing services outside city limits sets a dangerous precedent where economic development ($650 million projected impact) overrides community safety and water sustainability, especially given recent local toxicity issues (chromium plume).
• Mr. [First Name Unknown] (Resident): Expressed deep concern regarding the environmental strain on Rio Rancho's aquifer, the proximity of the facility to residents, and the lack of safety information provided to the community until the eleventh hour. He questioned whether national security interests should come at the expense of citizen health and land safety.
• Secretary Darden (Resident/Employer): Expressed worry about the environmental impact, specifically water usage (estimated 8 million gallons/year or 50 households), and the potential threat to the national security labs (Kirtland AFB). He questioned if the economic growth is worth the risk to citizens and the land.
• Jay Block (Former Air Force Officer, Senator): Expressed full support for the project, framing it as a critical national security necessity to close the gap with Chinese and Russian hypersonic capabilities. He urged the Council to support the project to secure high-paying jobs and national defense interests.
• Wayne Johnson (Sandoval County Manager): Stated that the county team is available to answer safety and road questions, expressing the county's full support for the project.
• Ron Bohannon (Professional Engineer): Expressed strong support, citing the site's high elevation relative to groundwater as a minor contamination risk. He argued the project represents a strategic opportunity to industrialize local technology from Los Alamos and Sandia Labs.
• Jerry Schello: Expressed strong support, highlighting the $650 million economic impact, the creation of 300 local jobs, and the necessity for the Paseo de Volcan road extension to connect the community.
• Councilor Weimer (via public comment): Expressed frustration that his district and others were excluded from early planning, noting that the company's own team previously dismissed questions when asked for information months prior.

Discussion Items

• Project Ranger Overview (City Manager, EDD Director, Applicant): The project involves $100M+ investment in Year 1, creating 300 jobs (avg. $100k salary) over five years. It involves manufacturing solid rocket motors and final assembly of "All-Up Rounds" (hypersonic missiles). The applicant clarified they will not synthesize ammonium perchlorate, will not launch missiles, and will not perform plating. Safety standards rely on DoD Std 4145, which allows for remote operations and specific building spacing but includes variances requesting no sprinklers in hazardous buildings (approved by State Fire Marshal) and no hydrants for hazardous buildings (deferred to local AHJ). The applicant emphasized the project's strategic urgency due to geopolitical instability.
• Fire Safety & Authority Having Jurisdiction (Chief Wentzel): Chief Wentzel highlighted the complexity of the "automatic aid" agreement. Rio Rancho Fire is the primary responder, but Sandoval County is the AHJ (Authority Having Jurisdiction) for the land, while the State Fire Marshal oversees code enforcement. He noted concerns about response times from Station 2, increased unit out-of-service hours, and the potential negative impact on Rio Rancho's ISO 2 rating. He emphasized that the site requires 15-18 hour responses for hazardous materials incidents, necessitating out-of-state resources (Albuquerque, NM State Police, Civil Defense) for major incidents. He expressed difficulty in getting a definitive "yes" on safety without a formalized MOU.
• Council Deliberation: Councilors Tyler and Linnantime raised concerns about the lack of early community involvement and the competitive nature of the project (potential to go elsewhere). Councilor Colbreth expressed hesitation regarding the lack of sprinklers in non-hazardous buildings and the clear definition of decision-making authority. Councilor List stated she could not support the vote until safety protocols were fully defined in writing. Councilors Dabson and Weimer expressed support for the project but demanded clarification on the "meat on the bones" regarding safety agreements.
• Proposed Amendments (City Manager Geisel): The City Manager proposed two amendments to the Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA):
  1. Require a written MOU between the City, County, and State Fire Marshal to define roles (AHJ, plan review, inspections, pre-incident planning) prior to fund release, ensuring Rio Rancho Fire Rescue has a seat at the table.
  2. Require a written MOU detailing the Paseo de Volcan road construction plan (funding, timing, maintenance) prior to fund release.

Key Outcomes

• Resolution 136 (IGA with Sandoval County): Approved 6-1 (Councilor Colbreth voted No) with two amendments passed. The amendments mandate the creation of an MOU defining Fire/Safety roles and an MOU defining the Paseo de Volcan road construction plan. The resolution will not go into effect/funds will not be released until these MOUs are finalized. A follow-up report and potential community meetings are scheduled for the December 18, 2025 meeting.
• Resolution 135 (Water/Wastewater Services): Approved 5-2 (Councilors Colbreth and Tyler voted No). The City Manager is authorized to negotiate an agreement to provide water (and potentially wastewater) services to the facility, marking an exception to the city's long-standing policy against providing services outside city limits.
• Resolution 134 (Budget Adjustment): Approved 5-2 (Councilor Colbreth voted No). Authorizes a $1 million budget adjustment for the City Manager to fund the Road Construction (Paseo de Volcan) project associated with Project Ranger.
• Timeline: The project cannot begin operations or bring energetic materials to the site until Q4 2026 at the earliest, providing time to finalize the required emergency response plans, MoUs, and community outreach.