OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Rio Rancho Governing Body Meeting February 26, 2026

Meeting Portal — Thursday, February 26, 2026
BodyRio Rancho, New Mexico
SessionMeeting Portal
DateThursday, February 26, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 54:44

Transcript — Verbatim
0:00

Good evening, if you'd rise for the Pledge of Allegiance, please.

0:04

Let me see.

0:06

Counselor Dabson, if you would lead us, please.

0:08

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

0:16

One nation under God and indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

0:21

Thank you.

0:22

And if you would remain standing again, um unfortunately, we saw this past week a um one of our uh BCSO sheriff's officers uh lost their lives in the line of duty, Sergeant uh Schleitman.

0:38

And so uh just reminds us daily of what a dangerous job it is to uh to be a law enforcement officer and put your life on the line each and every day, uh trying to protect the the community at large.

0:52

And so with that, I'd like to take a moment of silence and remembrance, reflection, and prayer for uh the Schlappman family and BCSO as they process this loss.

1:15

Thank you.

1:16

You may be seated as I call this meeting to order.

1:19

Um for Schlatman family.

1:24

Uh the uh for Sergeant Slatman, the services are gonna be Monday at 10 a.m.

1:28

here in Rio Rancho at the Rio Rancho Event Center, and we're honored to uh provide that assistance uh and and uh in this time of need uh as the community processes that loss.

1:42

So more details are online if you want to look those up at 10 a.m.

1:46

Monday at the Rear Rancho Event Center.

1:48

Okay, and I'll ask everybody please silence your electronic devices uh while attending the governing body meeting.

1:55

And for the record, I will announce the names of governing body members.

1:58

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

2:03

Is that me?

2:05

That's never happened before.

2:06

Present.

2:07

Okay, counselor Dabson.

2:10

Oh, present.

2:11

Thank you, Councillor Lennon.

2:13

Present.

2:14

Thank you.

2:14

Counselor Tyler, present.

2:16

Thank you.

2:16

Counselor Weimer, present.

2:18

Thank you, Councillor Culbreth.

2:20

Present.

2:20

Thank you, and Counselor List.

2:22

Present.

2:22

Thank you.

2:23

All right.

2:24

Moving on to public forum.

2:27

We have uh people uh three signed up to speak.

2:29

Each comment will be limited to two minutes, and no more than two hours in total will be allotted for public forum.

2:35

Um and so first up, Mr.

2:37

Van Horn.

2:41

Let's go.

2:44

Good evening, Ms.

2:45

Mayor Councillors.

2:47

Last time I was here, I gave you some information about the document I have here.

2:55

This is a city document.

2:56

I found out I was surprised that uh one of the counselors didn't know what this is.

3:01

This is a water quality report.

3:03

It's called City of Rio Rancho 2024 Consumer Confidence Report.

3:08

Each year, the city puts out a document like this.

3:12

Usually it's in January, but uh we're a little late this year.

3:17

What I'd like to draw your attention to, since you're the acting utilities commission or waters commission or whatever, on the page where it gives some precautions specifically about tap water really should not be given to infants or people with certain medical conditions, and what I draw your attention to is the picture.

3:41

The pictures that are on this page do not really tell you that there's something that you take notice of.

3:49

And so what I'd ask the governing body to consider, I I think you're probably gonna be asked to look at the new one when it when they make it, is actually put pictures that draw attention to the issue.

4:04

The issue is as you see in this picture that infants may be vulnerable to contaminants in re in the Rio Rancho Tapwater, more vulnerable than the general population.

4:16

And so I'm just asking you to really make sure that this document is uh a good information piece, and it draws attention to things that really need to be drawn.

4:29

If uh if you want to put a kid's picture on the page, I I gave you another alternative, a baby smiling, but it has again the words, the things that really need to be drawn to attention.

4:42

A lot of people can look at this and just scan it and see the smiling faces and think, oh, there's no problem here and move on.

4:51

We we shouldn't do that.

4:52

Thank you.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Engineering And Infrastructure█████████████████████████████████████████████45%
Procedural███████████████15%
Public Engagement███████████11%
Water And Wastewater Management████████8%
Disability Rights██████6%
Mental Health Awareness██████6%
Public Safety████4%
Transportation Safety███3%
Technology and Innovation██2%
Summary of Proceedings

Rio Rancho Governing Body Meeting – February 26, 2026

The Regular Governing Body Meeting of the City of Rio Rancho convened at 6:00 PM on February 26, 2026, in Council Chambers and adjourned at 6:56 PM. The meeting opened with a moment of silence for a fallen Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Sergeant. All seven Governing Body members were present. The Consent Calendar was approved unanimously (6‑0), and three public hearings were held, each resulting in unanimous approval (6‑0). The City Manager reported on the upcoming March 3 Municipal Election and announced that U.S. News & World Report ranked Rio Rancho the #1 Best Place to Live in New Mexico.

Consent Calendar

  • Minutes of February 12, 2026 Regular Meeting – Approved.
  • R13 – Resolution approving Public Works application for NMDOT FY 2026/2027 Local Government Road Fund Cooperative Program.
  • R14 – Resolution authorizing a budget adjustment to the Recreation Activities Fund (206) and Recreation Development Fund (310).
  • D1 – Appointment of Dorothy Onikute‑Thompson to the Ethics Panel.
  • Motion to approve carried 6 FOR, 0 AGAINST.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Stephan vanHorn – Criticized the City’s 2024 Consumer Confidence Report water quality document, stating the images do not draw sufficient attention to warnings that tap water may be unsafe for infants or immunocompromised individuals. He asked the Governing Body to ensure future editions use more prominent imagery. Council later noted that similar federally required warnings have been published for decades and that the City’s water meets all federal standards for naturally occurring arsenic (<10 ppb).
  • Pat Socci (1716 Lee Luke NE) – Requested a curb cut at her property to allow walker access over the curb, citing safety concerns (gas line running below house). She stated she had spoken with the ADA coordinator and wanted the request on record. Councilors acknowledged the request.
  • Alan Silverman – Expressed concerns about the mental health system, describing hostility toward critics and difficulty adjudicating disputes. He said he had discussed these issues with Police Chief Steele.
  • Rigo B. Antonio Meza (property owner off Rainbow Boulevard) – Attended to learn about the proposed Corridor Overlay Zone (O3); offered no opposition.

Discussion Items

R15 – Resolution Adopting the Cielo Bonito Master Plan & O2 – Zone Map Amendment to R‑4

  • Presented together by Director Amy Rincon. The 47.44‑acre site at Will Pitt and Patrulo was originally proposed for 351 homes; the new master plan reduces that to 270 single‑family lots. The zoning changes from TZ/R‑3 to R‑4 (Single‑Family Residential). The applicant, Nicosha Schedlbauer, noted the plan meets the 90% ownership threshold (95% achieved), provides 2.5 acres of central parkland (exceeding the 2.2‑acre requirement) plus a 1.3‑acre linear park, and that a traffic study showed no mitigation needed. Several councilors praised the revisions. The Planning & Zoning Board recommended approval on February 10, 2026. The motion to adopt R15 passed 6‑0; O2 passed 6‑0.

O3 – Ordinance Amending the Official Zone Map for a Corridor Overlay Zone on Rainbow Boulevard

  • Director Rincon explained the overlay establishes enhanced front setbacks (additional 28 feet or 56 feet, depending on location) along Rainbow Boulevard from the southern city limit to the northern limit. The purpose is to preserve future right‑of‑way for widening the road to a principal arterial (156‑foot right‑of‑way; current is 100 feet). No current construction or property acquisition is planned. Councilor Tyler expressed concern about taking usable land from owners without immediate compensation. Councilor List clarified that when the city eventually needs the land, it will purchase the required footage from owners at appraised value. Councilor Dabson and Councilor Culbreath supported the long‑term planning. The Planning & Zoning Board recommended approval (4‑1) on February 10, 2026. The motion to approve O3 carried 6‑0.

Key Outcomes

  • Consent Calendar – Approved unanimously (6‑0).
  • R15 (Cielo Bonito Master Plan) – Adopted unanimously (6‑0).
  • O2 (Zone Map Amendment to R‑4) – Adopted unanimously (6‑0).
  • O3 (Rainbow Boulevard Corridor Overlay Zone) – Adopted unanimously (6‑0).
  • City Manager Report – Encouraged voter turnout in the March 3, 2026 Municipal Election; early voting ends February 28. Announced Rio Rancho ranked #1 Best Place to Live in New Mexico by U.S. News & World Report (national rank 244).
  • Adjournment – at 6:56 PM.

Meeting Transcript

Good evening, if you'd rise for the Pledge of Allegiance, please. Let me see. Counselor Dabson, if you would lead us, please. Pledge of allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands. One nation under God and indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Thank you. And if you would remain standing again, um unfortunately, we saw this past week a um one of our uh BCSO sheriff's officers uh lost their lives in the line of duty, Sergeant uh Schleitman. And so uh just reminds us daily of what a dangerous job it is to uh to be a law enforcement officer and put your life on the line each and every day, uh trying to protect the the community at large. And so with that, I'd like to take a moment of silence and remembrance, reflection, and prayer for uh the Schlappman family and BCSO as they process this loss. Thank you. You may be seated as I call this meeting to order. Um for Schlatman family. Uh the uh for Sergeant Slatman, the services are gonna be Monday at 10 a.m. here in Rio Rancho at the Rio Rancho Event Center, and we're honored to uh provide that assistance uh and and uh in this time of need uh as the community processes that loss. So more details are online if you want to look those up at 10 a.m. Monday at the Rear Rancho Event Center. Okay, and I'll ask everybody please silence your electronic devices uh while attending the governing body meeting. And for the record, I will announce the names of governing body members. When I say your name, please acknowledge your presence by saying present. Is that me? That's never happened before. Present. Okay, counselor Dabson. Oh, present. Thank you, Councillor Lennon. Present. Thank you. Counselor Tyler, present. Thank you. Counselor Weimer, present. Thank you, Councillor Culbreth. Present. Thank you, and Counselor List. Present. Thank you. All right. Moving on to public forum. We have uh people uh three signed up to speak. Each comment will be limited to two minutes, and no more than two hours in total will be allotted for public forum. Um and so first up, Mr. Van Horn. Let's go. Good evening, Ms. Mayor Councillors. Last time I was here, I gave you some information about the document I have here. This is a city document. I found out I was surprised that uh one of the counselors didn't know what this is. This is a water quality report. It's called City of Rio Rancho 2024 Consumer Confidence Report. Each year, the city puts out a document like this.

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