Good evening.

Please rise for the Pledge of Allegiance.

Let's see here.

Counselor Lennon, would you lead us, please?

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands.

One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice.

For all please remain standing if we take a moment of silence and reflection for our first responders and the fact that they're always out there putting their lives in harm's way to protect us.

And so with that, let's just take a moment of uh reflection.

Thank you for that.

And go ahead and call this meeting to order.

And I will ask everybody to please silence their cell phones as I take the same advice.

And let's see here.

For the record, I'll announce the names of the governing body members.

And when I say your name, please acknowledge your presence by saying present.

Counselor Dabson.

Present.

Thank you.

Counselor Lennon Time.

Present.

Thank you.

Counselor Tyler, present.

Thank you.

Counselor Weimer.

Present.

Thank you.

Counselor Colbreth.

Present.

Thank you.

And Councilor List.

Thank you.

Okay.

Moving on to public forum.

Do we have anybody signed up to speak?

No, Mr.

Mayor, we do not.

Thank you.

Any comments by counselors?

Hearing none.

Oh, I'm sorry, yes, Councillor List.

Sorry, I'm trying to find my note real quick so I get this correct.

I just wanted to give a shout out to Real Rancho Fire and Rescue.

We have the honor and privilege of this week or next week having our fire chief at a specialized training.

There were applicants from all over the United States and Canada, and only 24 fire chiefs were selected.

And so let me just get this correct.

He is at the Fire Service Executive Development Institute.

And so this is a super huge honor and privilege for the city of Real Rancho.

So congratulations to all the men and women of Real Rancho Fire.

Thank you.

All right.

And just as another quick note, the uh friends and lovers ballooning event is going to be this weekend as well.

So that's uh so we should be hopefully if the weather holds up on Saturday, uh we'll see uh balloons all over the skies of Rio Rancho, and if not, we'll see them on Sunday.

So hopefully see some good weather there, and they're they take off early in the morning, so you gotta get up early to see them.

But so that should be a lot of fun.

Anything else from counselors.

All right, hearing none.

Moving on to the consent calendar.

I'll take a motion to approve the consent calendar, please.

Motion to approve second.

I have a motion and a second.

Uh Ms.

Davis, would you call the roll, please?

Thank you, sir.

Counselor Colbrah.

Yes.

Counselor Weimer.

Yes.

Counselor List.

Yes.

Counselor Tyler.

Yes.

Counselor Lennon Tyne.

Yes.

And Counselor Dabson.

Yes.

The consent calendar is approved.

Thank you.

All right.

Moving on to first reading ordinances.

Uh this is ordinance 01, amending and restating ordinance number 26 enactment 25-21 for the purpose of authorizing the issuance of City Rear Rancho, New Mexico water and wastewater system improvement and refunding revenue bonds series 2026.

Welcome.

Director right director.

Yara.

Sorry.

Mr.

Mayor, thank you.

And counselors.

Um this ordinance is uh re-authorizing the issuance of 25 million dollars in utility revenue bonds.

Uh this body previously uh approved these bonds in November.

Um, unfortunately, the market wasn't right, and our 120 days ran out, so we're asking for reauthorization.

Um the 25 million dollar uh bond is for um funding CIP projects for the water utility.

Um the utility CIP plan totals about 233 million dollars uh for the next five years.

Um this body has um decided to go ahead and fund some of that with with a utility revenue bond in two tranches, one this year and hopefully another and and then next year.

Um additionally, this ordinance is asking uh permission uh if conditions are right to refund some previous bonds and loans uh related to the water utility.

Um we have the opportunity um to refund or basically refinance some of our previous debt for savings of up to two million dollars in the next 20 years for the city.

Um these refundings would um follow the same maturity, the the original debt, so we wouldn't be extending our our debt service out any further.

Um it would not require any rate increase.

Um all of these bonds um are would be uh accommodated within the current rate structure of the utility service.

So I I want to also just mention the new bonds will are estimated to be at an interest rate and all in in what we call all in of about 3.554 percent, which is a pretty good rate for us.

So we do have our bond counsel and financial advisor here if there are any questions.

Thank you.

All righty.

Um I'll take a motion to approve ordinance 01.

Move to approve 01.

Second.

I have a motion and a second.

Do we have anybody signed up to speak on this item?

No, sir, we do not.

Okay, thank you.

Any comments by council.

So let me uh let me just jump in here for just a quick second.

So Director Yara and uh City Manager uh and city city staff.

I just want to say thank you because of your hard work and the financial position that the city's in right now and our bond ratings being upgraded, we're able to refinance some old existing debt here.

And what makes me happy is when we could save the taxpayers, you know, between one and a half and two million dollars in interest.

And we've done this over the years as the city's financial position has improved.

Uh watching our bond ratings go up and and when creating a system of stability and predictability is really what the bond agencies look for.

The other thing is is that when we look at this particular deal, when we go to issue bonds, there is nobody out there, no other organization out there that is more critical and probing on city budgetary city resources, credibility than the bonding agencies because they want to make sure that their investors you know are protected and that the risk is minimal.

And so I just want to acknowledge that it's because of the hard work of city staff and the support of this governing body that has brought us to a place where once again we're able to take some old debt and refinance it and actually save the ratepayers some money in this particular case.

Um, in this particular case, between one and a half and two million dollars.

So thank you for your diligence.

Thank you for your hard work.

Thank you about Mr.

City Manager.

I know you're you're constantly watching over this as well, and uh just really safeguarding and stewarding the public trust.

And so I want to I want to commend staff for that.

It's why we're ranked as one of the is uh we're nationally recognized as a best place to live.

We're nationally recognized, you know, all the GFOA budget awards the that we've received, um, and then subsequently we've got an audit report that's gonna come here in just a minute, and I think we're gonna see some good news there, but uh I just want to acknowledge and make sure that the uh that the citizens understand that this team, this staff, I gotta say, is probably the best team, the best staff, the most qualified staff that the city's ever had.

And I appreciate everything you do.

And so uh that being said, um, I just want to uh thank you guys for for really working hard to get this done.

We appreciate it.

Thank you, Mayor.

Did you I didn't know if you were calling for the floor or not?

I'm sorry.

Mr.

Mayor, I I concur 100% with your discussion there.

We have we've received so many awards, and in the past we've talked here about the awards that the finance department has received and about our budget and how it's in such an excellent position.

It's awesome to see the hard work you guys are doing, and it's much appreciated by I know everyone up here on this council.

So thank you so much for your hard work.

Thank you.

We appreciate the support of the governing body and the fiscally responsible policies that you have maintained for the city.

Thank you.

Any third further comments from uh the council.

All right, hearing none.

I have a motion and a second oh one.

Miss Davis, could you call the roll, please?

Thank you, sir.

Counselor List.

Yes.

Counselor Lynn and Time.

Yes.

Counselor Weimer.

Yes.

Counselor Dabson.

Yes.

Counselor Tyler.

Yes.

Counselor Colbright.

Yes.

The first reading is approved.

Thank you.

Okay, moving on to R 12 resolution to accept and approve the fiscal year 2025.

Audit report, Director Yara.

Yes, thank you, Mayor and Councillors.

Um this resolution is to basically approve the fiscal year 2025 audit that was um uh done for us by Hingle and Landers LLC.

They are new auditors for us this year.

Um Farley Vander is here if there are any questions.

Um he does have a presentation if he'd like to see it.

Um I will stand for any questions.

I will also note that we did not have any audit findings either in the our financial audit or the single audit of federal boards.

So that's a great accomplishment that we've maintained.

Perfect.

We'll go ahead and get that presentation that you know that so that way we've got it.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Well, good evening, uh Mayor and Council members.

Yeah, I have a short presentation just to give uh the results of the 2025 audit.

And I apologize if we can get you to state your name and and your and your uh affiliation for the record, please.

And my name is Farley Banner.

I'm the president of Hinkle and Landers uh, and our firm conducted the 2025 audit for the city of Rio Rancho.

Thank you.

Oh, we don't have the presentation.

If you wanted to move on, yeah, I'll go ahead and hit the highlights here for the president.

For the results of the audit.

So um the audit uh as I think most people are aware, um it's under the office of the state auditor's office.

Uh so um we it engaged in and uh uh gave you an audit uh opinion.

Uh there's two opinions really.

There's the opinion on the financial statements are they materially correct or not.

So, yes, it was uh your financials were clean, and in other words, uh we believe the numbers that you read in the in that audit report are materially correct.

And then the other opinion that is given out by the auditors is on the compliance with the federal awards.

So that was also clean opinion.

So in other words, we believe that the city is in compliance with uh that with your federal monies.

And just to hit any uh a few other highlights, um let's see what we want to hit.

Um that's what folks mostly are interested in is the you know the results of the audit and finding-wise, which you've already uh been brought to your attention.

There was no findings to report.

There's no findings last year that in other words, sometimes you have to look at those and see if they're resolved.

But there's um very straightforward, nothing there to talk about, and then no findings this year.

So other than that, I can stand for any questions or discussion.

Sorry, great, thank you.

Um let me let me get a motion in a second, and then we'll open it up to the council.

Take a motion to uh approve the resolution to accept and approve the fiscal year 2025 audit report.

I move to approve R 12.

Second.

I have a motion and second comments by council, Mr.

Mayor.

Yes, thank you.

Um thank you both to the uh finance office but to the entire staff because it takes an entire team to ensure that this audit findings um are as clean as they are and have historically been.

Um, and that's part of how you know we as a government and governing body are able to ensure that we can provide trustworthy services and fiscal responsibility for the taxpayer dollars.

Um, so I very much appreciate that.

Also the findings and the information that's here is public and publicly available, um, and so presenting that way in a way that uh demonstrates transparency and showing uh the community um how we are using those resources, um, but then they can also see that they're being used responsibly.

So thank you to your staff, but thank you to the entire team.

Thank you.

That's all, Mr.

Mayor.

Thank you.

Counselors.

Well, let me just say once again before we move on to a vote here.

Thank you to city staff and uh director Yara and your team for working diligently to make sure that we have yet another clean no findings audit.

That's uh that's fantastic, and that is a uh well, this is your first one, so you set the bar pretty high there.

I don't know.

Sorry, no pressure.

Anyway, but uh we certainly appreciate it.

Once again, it takes it takes uh a really, really, really special team to accomplish this, and it it takes a team that is paying attention to detail.

It takes a team that is highly specialized in understanding what they're doing, and so the fact that we have an audit company coming in and uh affirming that we're in the right direction and we're doing things correctly and that we're being transparent and um accountable to the citizens uh trust.

And I say that because I I hear this, I hear chatter, whether it's on social media or just wherever.

Um the city should be audited.

I love that statement.

I do.

Yes, we should by law, every year.

So when I hear somebody say the city should be audited, um it it reflects a lack of knowledge that every government agency under law is required to be audited annually, and so we appreciate the audit firms that step in and work closely with our staff to make sure that everything's being done right and affirm the direction that we're moving in.

So with that, I just want to say thank you to everybody again for the hard work and the positive results because it shows once again it reflects on the quality of team that we have here at the City of Rio Rancho.

I have a motion and a second.

Thank you, sir.

Counselor Weimer, yes, counselor list, yes, counselor Jabson, Counselor Culbrith, yes, Councilor Lennon Time, yes, and counselor Tyler.

Yes.

R12 is approved.

Okay, that concludes our regularly scheduled agenda.

I'll move on to the city manager's report.

Mr.

City Manager, Mr.

Mayor, members of the governing body, um happy Valentine's Day.

Thank you.

Be sweet to each other for a few minutes at least.

Um, out on that.

Yeah, on balance voting.

Um I don't know if there's anything more uh you know romantic than to go vote with uh your your family members.

Um we have expanded early voting starting this Saturday um from 9 a.m.

to six p.m.

this early voting.

Uh we'll run through the 28th.

This expanded early voting.

We currently have the uh Broadmore Senior Center open.

Um but starting on Saturday, February 14th through February 28th, um, from 9 a.m.

to 6 p.m.

Tuesday through Saturday starts this Saturday, so that'll be you know be on be there on Saturday, then back again on Tuesday.

Loma, Colorado Main Library, Sabana Grande.

Um D in the old MVD building, the hub in Enchanted Hills, and on Southern Boulevard at 2345 Southern Boulevard in Suite C2.

That is 2345 Southern Boulevard is kind of the uh little uh shopping strip center in the middle of Southern Boulevard.

There's a subway, a baskin robins, um Risa dentals dentals just to kind of recognize the Domino's pizza.

It's uh that little area there.

So uh again starts the Saturday at 9 a.m.

Uh very you know a great Valentine's Day gift for you and your loved ones.

Go vote.

Thank you.

Go vote.

Absolutely.

That is romantic.

But that's not better than a dozen roses.

I don't know what is.

So I think I'll think this should put out Valentine, be my Valentine.

Come vote.

That's a great one.

All right, if there's nothing else, uh we are adjourned.

Thank you.