26th meeting of the parks and recreation commission to order.

Would you all please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance?

Undergone.

First item on the agenda is our consent calendar, which is the approval of the February 16th, 2026 minutes.

Commissioners, have you all had a chance to review those?

Anyone have any comments, changes, corrections?

There being none, may I have a motion to accept them?

May I have a second?

Need a roll call vote.

Commissioner Romero.

Do you approve?

Uh Commissioner Herrera.

Commissioner Edwards, do you approve?

Here and approved.

Commissioner French Barger.

Here and approved.

Commissioner Leedy.

Commissioner Marsh.

Yes, approved here.

The March or the February 16th meetings have been approved.

Thank you.

Next is staff presentations.

We'll start with project update with Diane Sony, our project's division manager.

Good evening, Ms.

Chairwoman.

Commissioners.

First up, we have confirmed that our wood removal contractor will be helping to remove down dead wood in the Rio Rancho Willow Creek Boski before the end of April of this year.

It's a small area that's almost like a blow-down area.

We have had wood removal there before last fall with our fire division, also with one of the local pueblos of downed wood.

And we're just trying to remove material that is a fire hazard in that specific area.

Last year, there was also work done through the forestry division with this same contractor in the north loop of the Willow Creek area as part of a forestry prescription treatment.

We then followed up or also used goats, and I'm hoping to see if I can secure our local galloping goats for a couple of days after this wood is removed to remove some of the duff and some of the non-native vegetation that is grown in amongst these trees.

And I'll provide an update after that work is completed, probably in May.

But one of the smaller little league fields, that's to the west of the somewhat newly constructed concession building, and then also King Meadows parking lot replacement.

Parks that are projects that are in process right now.

Um we also are in the process of ordering the equipment for the Haynes Pool Pump Replacement Project.

The hope is that it will only take a couple of weeks to get the equipment in, and that the replacement can occur before May 1st and the start up of the pool for the 2026 pool season.

We also have funding and have uh are in the process of ordering the equipment for rainbow pool pumps replacement, but due to the timing of the delivery of that, it's likely that that replacement will not occur until after this pool season, the 2026 pool season.

Also, we have our Haynes Pool parking lot replacement that will be scheduled for that work to commence in the fall as well after the pool season has ended.

Right now, that's what we've got in the works.

Um last time I also gave you an update about Broadmoor Senior Center.

There's nothing very significant for me to add to that schedule for you at this time.

And with that, um, for parks and park construction, if you have any questions, I'll I'll stand for those questions.

If not, I'll move on to Keeper Rancho Beautiful.

Any questions?

Remarks?

No, then please move on.

Okay, thank you.

Um so for Keeper Rancho Beautiful.

Um, our staff obviously continue to always clean up a legal dump sites as they have done in the past.

Um they also have I'd just remind you, have around our various public facilities the um kind of recycling drives going on for batteries and for like cords and cables, and then small electronics, which can include tablets, laptops, and small things like cell phones and the like, and you can find those at our libraries here at City Hall, and um come into like the parks and rec office.

You can look for these small cardboard boxes, they say terracycle, they have images of those materials on the front.

And if you want more specific information, you can call the parks and recreation main number and ask for the Keeper Rancho Beautiful division for more information.

Also coming up on April 11th here at City Hall in the parking lot from 10 until noon, we'll be having our 2026, also tied to the Great American Cleanup tree seedling giveaway, where people can drive through and pick up tree seedlings that'll have information about planting, also information about our upcoming uh Great American cleanup, which is the first weekend of May, and I just spaced what date that is.

I kind of want to say it's May 1st, but I don't think that's correct.

Um did you have that on your list for this this evening, Connie?

May 7th.

May 7th, thank you.

I knew I couldn't remember which the first weekend in May was, so thank you for that, um, Commissioner.

Um, so yeah, so in preparation for that, we're kind of letting people know that that's you know coming up as well.

That'll be in the flyers and things that they pick up with their tree seedlings, and um also the clean campus contest continues.

We do have five schools that are participating, so again, excited to see them doing that again.

They they can submit information about everything from like water conservation, uh, litter prevention, various things that deal with things that you would tend to hear about and kids would study during Earth Month, um, but also tying it back into the Great American Cleanup and the anniversary for that event.

So actually, I had a question about the the tree seedling giveaway.

What are you giving away this year?

You know what?

It's a mixture different than before, and we didn't get like the same amount of everyone, so I would have to say I know that we have it posted.

Um there's a um we put it out on social media, I believe, and we also have it at our front desk.

And if you want, I can send those to you.

Um but again, if they check out the city's Facebook or the department's Facebook page, Instagram, um, and also the website, there should be more information about the actual species.

We typically try to give a deciduous species, an evergreen species, and then something that bears either pollen or fruits.

Um, and so it just depends on what the state grow out center, their nursery has available because you every year in December it opens up and everybody buys everything all at once, and so you never know exactly what you're gonna get.

You put things in your cart, but you don't know if you're gonna get it.

So I I apologize, I don't recall what that is this.

Since there would be more than three available, can we choose three?

They come pre-packaged.

That's a good question, um, Ms.

Chairwoman.

Um, it's going to be if we have one of each within the quantities, we try to make at least 300 or so to give away.

And again, they're all pre-packaged, they come as bare roots, so we have to wrap them the day before.

And in order to expedite things and stop backups into the street, because it will, it used to back up all the way around in the street.

Um, we try to avoid that, especially since there'll be a special event going on at the event center that's that same day.

Um we just pre-package everything and you pick it up and you take them.

So thank you.

Are you that's it with for your correct presentation?

Are there any questions or any other uh comments from the commissioners?

Zoom?

No.

Okay.

Then we'll move on to the parks and uh facilities update.

Uh Charles Fernandez, our superintendent.

Hello, commissioners.

Um, as always, I'd like to give you an update on the employee situation.

So I am happy from last month that I had uh I had presented it.

We were bringing about seven new employees, and they in fact did start.

So currently we're down three employees with one starting Monday.

So I'm pretty happy that we're only gonna be down two people, and um hopefully we can get those filled.

But um compared to what we've been in the past, um I'm pretty happy with that.

So um we'll see how that goes.

Um, as far as an update out in the field, it's not too uh much to share with you from last month.

We did end up completely transitioning from the winter projects, we're no longer doing those to just working on the spring startup.

And so I had kind of filled you in on what that entails, but um as we're turning on the water and wanting to do adjustments and set times, we're uh finding quite a few line breaks throughout the city.

So we're currently repairing those.

Um that takes a little bit of time, but we're getting it done, so it kind of seems to be um a little bit more than usual this year, but we are getting them fixed.

Um and then doing weed control at the same time when it's not windy, which it's been a lot lately.

So when it is windy, again, we just do uh manual weeding.

Um the mornings when it is calm, we take advantage of that and and uh try to put down some some spray to do um the preventative weeds from growing um and do the pre-emergent.

Uh this last week we did put up some banners at the city center area.

If you have been to City Hall, you may have noticed them.

So we had some around the park that say campus park on the banners, and throughout the rest of the city center area, they say those banners say city center with various pictures on them.

So they're up, they look nice, and uh I think the crew that uh helped me put them up and um so far they look pretty good.

The they're holding up with the wind and everything, so that's good.

Um in the next few weeks after we get water going and that kind of settles down, getting all the repairs and adjustments made.

We'll be looking at planting 40 trees.

I may have mentioned that before, and so we'll still be doing that, and those will go throughout the city.

Keeper Rancho Beautiful is also gonna be planting some trees, so we may work with them and and planting together and deciding where they all go, but uh that'll be a nice addition to the city to have probably 50 to 60 trees with uh what keeper Retro Beautiful is is adding to our 40.

And that's really about all I got, unless uh if you have any questions, I can try to answer them for you.

Any questions, Commissioners?

I think we have one.

Hi, um I yes, Mr.

Fernandez, I have a question for you.

This is Commissioner Edwards, and uh this may tie to keep prevents up beautiful as well.

But uh recently, my student who's an elementary student participated in some efforts in Albuquerque related to planting trees and Boski restoration, but in Albuquerque in Berlin County.

And I was just curious as to whether or not we've ever considered localizing those efforts and having students in real rancho schools participate in some of these things uh as part of a school project, as opposed to well, I think it's great that we're community, you know, contributing to uh the Tingley Beach area in Albuquerque.

I think our Willow Creek area and other areas around our community could benefit from our students beginning to become stakeholders at a young age here.

So I just wanted to ask that.

I know that was a lot, but um let me know if you have any questions about what I'm trying to say.

Um no, Commissioner, um, we have worked with various volunteer groups in the past, and that is probably something a little bit more with Keeper Rancher Beautiful.

I don't know if maybe Diane can jump in and and uh fill you in more on how uh that kind of sequences, but when uh we're asked, we do work with various groups.

It's been from Legal Scouts to Girl Scouts to churches to just different volunteer groups at different areas.

Sometimes they prefer a certain park, but I don't know if Diane, if maybe you can jump in and um elaborate a little bit more on that.

Certainly, um, Commissioner, we have worked with some of the schools in the past, often on their own campus.

As it relates to, say, our Willow Creek Boski right now.

We are not doing any specific plantings because our boski can be very dry compared to portions of the Albuquerque Boski.

Our bank is higher right now in the Willow Creek area.

Our water table is below 15 feet, or I should say, I don't know what it is, it's like greater than 15 feet deep.

And so it's very hard to do pole plantings or other plantings without watering it.

We don't get any flood inundation in the majority of our boski.

A lot of what you see along the river is actually outside of the city limits.

Um, I believe that there's a good chance that your your project that you're talking about was probably tied to the Ciudad Soil and Water Conservation Districts.

Um, I was gonna say watershed, it's not their watershed stewards program, but they do um an in-classroom and school program, and they have been trying to identify places within Rio Rancho that we could accommodate up to 80 or more students to do an hour, hour and a half long project, and we simply don't have that at this time, or the ability to go back and water any new vegetation.

Um so at this time we're not planning that, but we are open to something that's more scalable to the options we do have.

So in the past, as Charles said, we have done it.

We have also done some projects at our parks, not just with Girl Scouts but with some of the schools.

But um, right now it's not obvious that we have those opportunities, but we're certainly open to them if if um schools would like to propose it, especially on their own campuses.

We used to again tie through the clean campus contest program support if they wanted to create, say, a pollinator garden or things like that.

But again, it then falls on the school district to make sure they have maintenance staff throughout the summer to actually water that vegetation so that it can take and even be maintained in the coming school year.

Often a lot of those activities tend to focus around Earth Month, and again, that's in April, so we seldom have students there for more than a month once the activity has taken place and without classrooms or teachers there to water those improvements.

We've often seen them die off.

So the school district has also backed away from that, and that's probably more information than you even wanted to have.

Um, but um certainly you can always reach out to Nick Dahl.

He is our keep Rio Rancho Beautiful coordinator.

His last name is spelled D A H L.

And um certainly going into the next school uh year.

I'm sure that we could look at doing something appropriate.

Yeah, it just seems like there's a maybe there's a missed opportunity and just a coordination of entities could be helpful.

And I'm even thinking um, you know, Commissioner Fernandez or excuse me, uh Mr.

Fernandez was talking about workforce, and I'm thinking about high school students, right?

And you know, maybe there's an opportunity for a volunteer group there when workforce is low, if he's got 50 trees to plant.

Um maybe there's a group of of young men and women that would be willing to volunteer time to help get some of those projects done that may not be a liability issue.

But I don't want to, I don't want to hold the meeting up.

Um, I just uh was was hearing and thinking and being aware out in our own community and wondering if there's an effort there.

So I'll talk to Mr.

Dole, and maybe we can start cooking something up for next school year.

Thank you.

Thank you, Commissioner Edwards, for your comments.

Next, we have uh the aquatics division manager, Bianca Bacca reporting.

Commissioners, uh Bianca's not here, so I will be um doing her report.

No, are you gonna do the report?

I will.

Please then.

Uh good evening, commissioners.

Um the focus for aquatics right now is obviously summer planning.

Um seasonal positions opened uh the beginning of March, so March 2nd.

Uh they've held uh some recruiting events at the local high schools at Real Rancho Rio Rancho High School, Cleveland High School, Cebola High School, and Explore Academy.

So they're obviously trying to get their workforce up and ready to go for the summer.

Um then next week uh Bianco wanted me to report to you all that we will start prepping outdoor pools for the summer season.

And that is the aquatics report.

Any questions, Commissioners?

Uh Commissioner Edwards here.

Um, do we have a uh or do you have a social media um graphic that can be shared for lifeguard recruiting?

I'd be happy to share that.

Yes, um there should be one up right now for all summer positions, um, so that can be shared.

If not, I can uh we can I can email it to you as well.

Yeah, okay.

Thank you.

You're welcome.

Next, we have deputy director's report.

Uh Noah Trujillo, our deputy director.

Um, so just a couple things again.

Um I think the the focus obviously right now is summer uh for both aquatics and um the department as well.

We have other things going on, obviously, but recruiting all those summer positions for our summer camps, uh a new program that we've recently uh launched.

I mean, it's new and in that it's in a different season, our spring basketball league.

Um the registration opens for that at the end of Sunday.

Uh that league will take place um beginning of April through the end of May.

And then it is officially, I guess, event season within the department.

So we have our spring craft show uh this weekend at Sabana Grande Community Center, and then uh the following weekend we have our eggs and bacon event at Cabazon.

Following that, we have a shop local event at Cavazan, and then the weekend after that, we have a rummage sale at Capazon, and then two weeks after that leads us into uh one of our the signature events for the department, which is Park in the Park, which will take place here at Campus Park.

Just an update over the next taking you through the end of April there.

Any questions?

Thank you.

Next, we have our director's report, Connie Peterson.

Good evening, commissioners.

Uh, tonight I've provided you several flyers, um, most of which Noah just mentioned to you.

So that's got more information on the flyers, more specific information that you can take with you.

And that is uh highlighting a lot of the upcoming um uh special events that we have in the community.

Um we can uh briefly go over those if you would like.

Uh I've also included a copy of our new uh Rio Rancho Public Art Guide, um, which the Arch Art Commission has worked on very hard to develop, and I wanted to share that with you as well.

I think it's a pretty neat document.

Um that's the document that looks like this, and um commissioners um Edwards and Herrera all email the to the link to that guide as well.

Um the Rio Rancho Public Art Guide highlights a lot of the city's growing collection of of public artwork, and it serves both as an educational resource and a self-guided tour for residents and visitors.

Um as you can see, the guide explains uh the role public art plays in strengthening the community identity, enhancing civic spaces, and reflecting the culture and history of our community.

Um it showcases a variety of public art installations located throughout the city and provides background on the artists, the locations and themes behind each piece.

Overall, the guide encourages residents and visitors to explore these artworks around Rio Rancho and recognize the cultural, social and economic value that public art brings to the community.

And I didn't know if you wanted to add to that, Diane.

Only that um there is a link on the city's website, and so um maybe if Connie can send it to all commissioners, and we encourage you to share it.

It's meant to, it has some some kind of hyperlinks in it, but it's meant so that people, even if they're out and about the city, if they want to check out is that part of the city's art collection or not, or if I'm in this area, is there something near me?

Um there are keyed codes for each of the pieces indicating where they can they are located within the city, and um there's information about the artists themselves and again as Connie had indicated.

You know, you can kind of see how it ties into Rio Rancho's identity, and um a lot of it lends itself to the the nature that we see around us in Rio Rancho, but also the unique culture that we're hoping to develop as a city.

So with that, um definitely check out the website as well.

Yeah, and I'll send you guys a link as well.

There's a link on your on, I believe on my report that I can send you the link via email so you can just click on it.

Um also before you are marketing materials for several of the upcoming programs and special events hosted by our department.

Um residents can find additional information and register for these programs through our city's online activeness system, which is available on the city's website at R RnM.gov.

Uh the first flyer is the one that I'll send you all electronically.

We just talked about it.

It's the seasonal hiring announcement.

Um, as Noah pointed out, applications opened on March 2nd, and they're gonna remain open throughout the summer season.

We're currently hiring for several positions, including pool managers, head lifeguards, lifeguards, junior lifeguards, cashiers for the pools, summer camp supervisors, summer camp counselors, and summer camp junior counselors.

So these seasonal positions also help support our summer aquatics programs, camps, and community services throughout the city.

Um moving into upcoming events, uh Noah said, like Noah said, we've got a flyer there for the spring fling at Sabrana Grande Recreation Center.

This event features local vendors, crafts, family friendly activities for residents to enjoy together as we welcome the spring season, which feels almost like summer here coming up at the end of the week.

Next on March 28th, we have our eggs and bacon event at Cabazone Park from 10 to 2.

This is a pet friendly Easter event that includes a pet egg hunt, costume contest, photos with the Easter bunny, pet adoptions, uh, and vendors offering pet related goods.

Uh food trucks will be on site, and the event is open to all ages.

Following that, on April 4th, we host the shop local market.

It's the first one of the season.

That's also at Cabezone Park, which highlights local vendors and small businesses from throughout the community and provides residents an opportunity to support support local entrepreneurs.

On April 11th, we'll host the spring cleaning rummage sale again at Cabazone Park, giving residents the opportunity to shop for secondhand items.

They can declutter their homes and participate in a community marketplace.

And on April 25th, we're going to host the Park in the Park Car Show.

This is a long-standing community event featuring classic antique and custom vehicles on the display for the community to enjoy right here at Campus Park here at City Center.

And finally, on May 25th, the city will hold its Memorial Day ceremony at Veterans Park where members of the community can honor and remember those who have served and sacrificed for our community.

And then lastly, I provided you the March Senior Services and Activities Events newsletter.

And if you guys don't have any, or I guess I just stand for questions.

And then I can email you commissioners' copies of those flyers as well, so you can see those.

Whoever did it, I'm sure it was a group effort, but it was the art commission worked on it.

Diane could elaborate, but they did, they worked really hard on it and they were several months on it.

Yes, absolutely.

All right.

Uh nor do we have discussion and deliberation on anything.

Um I'll open this up for comments by by members.

Anyone have a comment?

Okay, and I do not believe we had anyone sign up for public forum, right?

We have a an observer, but an observer.

Okay.

All right.

Well, if there's no other business, then um I will adjourn the meeting at exactly 6:30,