There we go.

We're going to wait a few minutes to start the meeting.

We don't have a quorum, but we do have one more person uh that we're expecting, and that will give us our quorum.

And you know what?

She decided to come in remotely.

So it was Renee.

She was going to be there, but now she's okay.

So is he traveling up to Santa Fe every day?

Offices is part.

Let me know what you need in IL.

Okay, I do not know what we can make.

I guess we can do that.

Connie, do you want me to move over?

I mean you can if you want.

No, it's okay.

I'm I'm settled.

Yeah, next slide.

I think it's over here.

Oh, I shouldn't have to.

So Renee just tech, she's outside, doors are locked.

Bianca.

Hey there.

Hi.

Is it Renee we're waiting for?

She's on to come through.

We can.

I'm I'm outside.

The doors are locked.

No.

Anybody can hear me?

Oh hey guys, Renee is outside City Hall.

The doors are locked.

All right, by the way.

Okay.

Daughters of the American Revolution.

Thanks.

We all have an ancestor that served in the American Revolution.

We do a lot.

Yeah.

So many different different I could every weekend I could be someplace.

Just in the state.

Uh we're having something at the um Albuquerque Downtown Library.

Putting in uh different displays.

And then first Saturday in June.

We're um we're having a um round table discussion or forum.

Yeah, at the um Natural History Museum.

Okay.

Renee.

I won't find Ellen, not the question.

You ready?

Yeah, there we are.

I'd like to call the meeting of the Parks and Rec Commission to order for the May 18th, 2026 meeting at 604.

Would everyone please join me in Pledge of Allegiance?

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

Under God, an indivisible with liberty and justice crawl.

First item on our agenda is the approval of the March 16th, 2026 minutes.

I'd like to call for a motion to accept them.

I make a motion to accept the March 2026 minutes.

Do I have a second?

Any discussion?

Who is the second?

Do a roll call.

Uh Commissioner Herrera.

Do you approve the minutes?

Yes, approved.

Uh Commissioner Edwards.

Yes.

Commissioner French Barger.

Yes.

Commissioner Leading.

Yes.

The minutes are approved.

Next on the agenda is staff presentations, reports, and comments.

First up is Diane Sonier with Projects Update.

She's the project's division manager, and I do not see Diane.

Are you going to give her a report?

I am here.

Oh, okay.

Diane, you're on.

Um, thank you, and welcome, Commissioner Edwards in person.

Can I hear you very um so this evening can't hear you, Diane?

You can't hear me at all.

Can you hear me now?

Hello.

We can hear you now.

Okay, thank you.

So um I will give a quick um summary this evening.

Um we have been wrapping up quite a few of our FY26 projects.

One that was underway in the April meeting, and that we were in the process of completing was the CDBG COVID-funded shade structure and picnic tables and benches at the Star Heights Park.

And that's been completed.

It turned out really well.

Um, it's a 30 by 30 shade structure with three benches.

Um, actually, yes, three benches and two picnic tables.

And um hopefully it will, if ever necessary, again serve its purpose of being an outdoor gathering space, um, and just in general, be a great gathering space for people utilizing the park going forward.

But again, um, there were no city matching matching funds or anything like that required.

So it's great that that project was completed.

Um, we do still have two other um projects at the park, the first one being replacement of the shade topper, some playground equipment, and the playground surfacing, both the artificial turf and the wood fiber.

We are just trying to get some updated cost estimates, and it may be possible that we could even replace the water fountain, and that would be primarily with funds from the 2024 Geo Bond.

And um, then there are some additional funds for the site that will ensure that we can pay for all of those improvements.

Um, then as part of the um, let's see 2020 for no, I'm confused.

Part of the um, yes, 2024 CDBG grant.

We had installed the skate park there, and as part of the 2024 Geo bonds, we had installed or replaced the basketball courts that were asphalt and had been deteriorating with new concrete basketball courts.

So the park is getting quite the refresher is being um updated pretty well.

Um, the other projects that were in process with would include the design and ultimate fabrication and installation of some monument signs at campus park as well as purchasing the benches and picnic tables to go under the shade structures that were constructed as part of phase two of campus park construction.

So that we're in the process of procurement for that.

Then we are also hopefully wrapping up this month, the expansion of the Broadmoor Senior Center with their multi-purpose room and the outdoor terrace and site landscaping.

So hopefully we'll be able to do a ribbon cutting or at least get people in there using the facility or outside using the terrace by June of this year.

We have also been working with our wild and fire coordinator, the forestry division, and right now also touching base with MRGCD, which is the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District to look at ways that we can work on and try and mitigate some of the extreme drought conditions that we're seeing in the Rio Rancho Bosqui and honestly along all of the Boski within the Middle Rio Grande region of the state.

And hopefully I'll have something to report to you at the next meeting about what some of our next steps will be as we're in the process of coordinating a variety of things.

And as I mentioned at the last meeting, we've also been working with a design firm who helped design the previous phases of sports complex north to update the plan sets for sports complex north phase three, which would be the construction of another little league field with artificial turf with bleachers, lighting, dugouts, a complete field, and we hope to have that before the end of this month so that we can start putting together bid documents so that phase of construction can go out to bid.

And the city did recently receive funding from the state to help make up the difference for what the city already had in park impact fees for that project.

Then we're also in process of design to replace or redesign, I should say, and reconfigure and resurface the King Meadows Park parking lot, and finally the Enchanted Hills Trail replacement, which goes along the neighborhood trail and the incantado channel easement from Chote, kind of going for a stretch northeast through the Enchanted Hills neighborhood to Springer, then to pick it up again from Springer going through Mountain View Park across Santa Fe Hills along the channel, or I guess it's in Arroyo, but it's it's been channelized all the way past spring sprint, then on to Fulcrum to looper around and meet up with Enchanted Hills Boulevard, and that was part of a New Mexico Recreation Trail Plus grant that the city received.

And right now we just have design funding for that.

And once the design is complete, which at this point it looks like they should be done and have all final plans and bid documents to the city by early October of this year, we would then apply for the next phase of the Trails Plus grant, which would be construction, and at over a million dollars per each of the two phases of that project, the city would have to provide a 50-50 match.

But this is replacing the surfacing with a better base course and asphalt surfacing than what exists now along about 3.3 miles of 12-foot-wide trail.

So that's pretty significant.

And so again, we're in the process of designing that, and then finally, finally, um, we are we've decided on, or I should say, leadership has decided on the layout of what will now be designed for the Sierra Norte II Park expansion.

It's phase two, and it includes eight pickleball courts, a parking lot, a grass lawn, and some pedestrian access, as well as the zoning required street landscaping.

So just a lot of things are in planning right now, and once the new fiscal year starts and we get closer to probably the end of August, we'll be able to see more procurement for actual services for some of these things.

And two of the upcoming projects, once we know that the bonds have sold from the 2026 bond election, would be the procurement of the equipment to replace the skate park equipment at the Rio Rancho Sports Complex and to replace the playground structures and some other features at Sugar Park.

So we can look forward to that in the near future.

And with that, I will stand for any questions.

Any questions, Commissioners?

Thank you, Diane.

Next we have parts of facilities update.

Charles Fernandez, Superintendent.

Hello, Commissioners.

Well, kind of like the way I've been starting out my last reports.

I give you uh kind of just a little rundown of our crew and and what we have.

We've almost uh in previous months had employed all our positions, but uh it's just an ongoing thing, and right now we are down six people, which is a lot, so it's making things hard this time of the year.

We're still working on weed control that's ongoing.

We didn't get to spray everything the way we would have wanted to with trying to start up the parks, greening them up, doing still doing the fertilizing and air rating.

So the weed control is ongoing.

We're spraying when we can when it's not windy, and other times doing manual weeding, and um, I think we're doing a pretty good job all in all, but uh it's just an ongoing thing with with trying to get the parks going.

With that being said, this year we've had a lot of water breaks throughout the city.

It just seems like every week the supervisors are coming forward with another another water break.

Sometimes it's a zone break, sometimes it's a um a main water line, uh main water line for our system, not not the city main water line, but um which could mean a day or two days without a park getting water, and it's just kind of been uh ongoing thing as fittings get get worn and old.

Um so we've been experiencing that taking away time already being shorthanded, but we are just ongoing getting it done.

Uh this next week will be a week from today, Memorial Day.

So we'll be getting Veterans Park ready to the next level ready starting on Wednesday.

We'll get out there more, then we'll clean cut it on Friday, and when we clean cut it, we pick up the clippings.

So we use a mower that'll gather the the clippings and have it uh real clean cut looking, and so as the week goes on, we'll spend more and more time on it, having it set for Monday, and then we're assisting um the rec side getting chairs and being on site for uh helping to set up and tear down.

Um we're still also continuing doing our mid-year projects that we've discussed before.

A lot of those projects are done through an outside contractor, so that's not affecting city staff.

So you may, as you go by different parks, see site furnishings being installed, which I like seeing that at some of these older parks where tables might be bent and just worn rusted through.

So we're doing a lot of upgrades.

I know I've talked about it for um the last at least two months after mid-year was approved, but it's just taken time to have an installer, but it is ongoing and it's happening.

There's we've had some install at Cabazone at the bottom field take place where there's benches and trash cans, and it's just gonna be throughout the city.

Uh we're working tomorrow at uh sports complex north, and then it's just gonna vary depending on how many are going where, but it's really throughout the city.

So if you go by the parks, you may or may not see them or see new uh site furnishings already installed.

So um again, that's pretty exciting to see.

With that, that's really all about I got it seems kind of like more of the same as we still get into summer than our air rating, of course, will will drop off, and we're just about done fertilizing, so that won't happen anymore, and then we'll just continue with with the rest trying to keep the parks green as possible.

So um, I'll be happy to try to answer any questions if you have any for me.

Any questions, commissioners?

There being none, I'd like to thank you, Charles, and we'll move on.

Thank you.

Aquatics division manager Bianca Baca.

Good evening, Commissioners.

Well, we're excited.

Outdoor is ready to go for this weekend.

Opening day will be Saturday.

Opening day for this weekend will be CavaZone, Haynes, and Rainbow Pool.

However, we are short staffed, so we will go Saturday through Monday at all three pools.

Rainbow will continue to stay open all the way until August 9th.

Haynes and CavaZone will not be open next week.

Graduations for high school is really late this year, so that's a big pool of our lifeguards.

And school is still in sessions.

So with Memorial Day being early this year, we don't have enough staff to safely operate.

So we will pick back up again at the other pools starting the next Saturday.

Let's see here.

We have a busy week coming ahead.

So tomorrow, Rainbow and Rio Rancho Aquatic Center.

We have a few end of school rentals.

Last week we had Sam Dave and Maggie Cordova.

This week we have Hemis and Puesta del Sol.

Sixth grade Lincoln Middle School this week.

And we also have returner lifeguard refresher training that was on Saturday and today, currently going on right now.

So I stepped away for a sec.

Wednesday, we have our NEO code of conduct for our aquatic seasonal employees.

Thursday we have swim lesson training outdoor at Rainbow.

We teach the new guards and refresh the veteran guards on swim lesson curriculum, technique, and what else?

Thursday, Friday, we have basic leadership training and facility training, and that is for our leadership team to teach them the systems, chemical checks, and get them ready for their staff.

I forgot to mention the a park above splash pad will be opened.

We usually try to get that in on Friday.

Saturday's a little busy to get out there to turn it on.

So Friday we will have water going, and everyone will be happy at the splash pad.

Um let's see.

Normally we have anywhere from 50 to 58 lifeguards.

So we're really short this year.

In order for us to operate safely, it's going to have to be at Cabazone.

So Cabazone this year, unless I get new lifeguards, and we are working on putting a new training together.

Cabazone will be closed on Mondays and Tuesdays all summer.

Monday, Wednesday, Friday mornings, but we cannot accommodate that.

So we are moving the swim team rental to rainbow on Mondays and Wednesdays.

We have Mako outdoor at Rainbow on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

So programming is good.

We're making it work.

And Rio Rancho Aquatic Center, depending if uh availability looks really good for these lifeguards.

We're hoping that we stay regular hours as same as last year.

Wednesday through Thursday, noon to five.

And let me see.

And that's it in a nutshell.

If you have any questions, I'd be happy to answer.

Any questions, Commissioners?

Thank you, Bianca.

Thank you.

Next we have our deputy director's report, Noah Trujillo.

Good evening, Commissioners.

Wanted to go over a couple things with you guys.

We just concluded our Rio Rancho Youth Basketball Spring League.

This was the first year we had done that just because there was interest and there was probably a need there was a need that we could feel in the community and in the metro area in general.

There's not a lot of youth uh spring basketball leagues going on.

So we had 120 kids registered for that.

It was six weeks long.

And like I said, we just come uh we just concluded it this last weekend, and I'm pretty sure we'll keep going with that in uh moving on.

Um I wanted to share some some summer stats with you all just to give you an idea on how many people were hiring throughout for the summer.

Uh Bianca alluded to it.

So we have about 60 um aquatics employees.

She obviously pointed out the 38 lifeguards.

There's other employees in that 60 number, and then for camp counselors, we're close or for camps, we're close to 70 or excuse me, 40 higher, so approximately a hundred uh seasonal employees between aquatics and our camps.

Camps are full at all locations.

Um we'll be at five locations: the hub, Cabazon, Haynes, Star Heights, and Sabana Grande.

Uh camp will be nine weeks starting June 1st and ending uh July 31st.

So parents should be happy this year because there's no lag between when the end of school is and when camp starts.

So school ends on a Friday, camp starts on a Monday.

So uh they should be happy about that.

And that's um my report for this evening.

Any questions, Commissioners?

There being none, uh thank you, Noah.

Uh, we'll move on to the director's report.

Uh good evening, commissioners.

Um, my report is short this evening, but I'd like to highlight a few upcoming community events and programs that are going to be happening here in Rio Rancho over the next few months.

Um I provided a handout and I'll briefly touch on each of those um bullets in the handout.

Uh, first, on that first on that first page, I'd like to recognize the winners from the 24th annual Park in the Park Car Show.

Uh that was held at Campus Park a couple weeks ago.

We had a great turnout this year.

We had 203 classic cars.

Um, and as you can see, I don't want to go through and name all those uh winners, but um everything from custom builds to trucks, low riders.

Uh, we had a lot of really fun cars on display.

And so I wanted to thank everybody who participated in that show and everybody who helped make it another uh successful event for our community, and just say congratulations to all the winners.

Uh, the next page uh from the Keeper Rancho Beautiful program.

I just wanted to note that in partnership with Sandoval County Landfill, uh, we're gonna be offering free half day landfill days from 8 to 12.

Uh the first one was this past Saturday, and the upcoming dates are September 19th and November 21st.

Uh residents who have any questions about what's accepted at at the landfill can call can contact Sandoval County for that information.

Uh next, our annual Memorial Day ceremony will take place on Monday, May 25th at 10 a.m.

at Veterans Memorial Park.

That's the park located next to Esther Bone Library.

The community is invited to join us as we honor the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice while recognizing all the branches of the military.

Uh the theme for this year's Dune Juneteenth.

The next page is um actually I've got my pages all turned around here.

That's the last page.

Um the theme for this year's Juneteenth is celebrating freedom, remembering the Unsung Heroes.

Uh the event for the event uh Juneteenth will take place on Saturday, June 20th, uh, from 10 to 2 at Haynes Park.

This also is a free event.

Uh it's for all ages.

It's gonna feature live entertainment, including a Caribbean band, some gospel performances by Dan Diana Bethany, the Omenca dancers, an unsung heroes skit, uh, and quite a bit more.

Uh the event is presented in partnership with Rio Rancho Sandoval County in ACP.

And if anybody needs more information about that, they can call us here at City Hall.

Now I'm back to the Fourth of July celebration.

Uh that event is going to be held on Saturday, July 4th from 5 p.m.

to 9 30 p.m.

over here at campus park.

Festivities include a parade, uh, a performance by the Rio Grande Symphonic Band, followed by the New Mexico Philharmonic.

We'll have food trucks, the beer garden, and of course the fireworks around 9:30.

Residents are also encouraged to visit the 1776 exhibit that's located at Loma Colorado Library earlier in the day.

The exhibit features historical documents, timelines, and several displays that highlight the ideals of liberty, independence, and the individuals who shape the nation's early history.

It's uh designed to provide visitors with interactive and informative look at America's founding and is appropriate for all ages.

So we're hoping citizens take advantage of that.

As part of the Fourth of July celebration, we're excited to bring back the bike parade for kids and families as part of this year's uh Fourth of July celebration.

It's something that we hosted about 10 years ago when the parade was held in the morning, and then we got away from it and we decided to bring it back this year with an evening twist.

So the participation in the parade is free, but advanced uh online registration is required.

Um we're gonna be hosting the bike decorating contest from 5 to 5 30, uh right up at the RIA Rancho Event Center.

And the participants are encouraged to decorate their bikes and patriotic themes, and we're gonna have prizes not just for the parade floats, but also for the the c the the the bike flow categories.

Um and then lastly, or not lastly, next we have uh for dads and kids.

Uh they're invited to celebrate at in the Father's Day Tea event that's on Saturday, June 6th from 130 to 330 at Cabazon Community Center.

Um activities include crafts, snacks, uh miniature golf, and prizes for the top teams, and registration for that is required.

Um I believe the deadline is May 29th.

And finally, Cabozone Parks shop local markets are going to continue throughout the summer and fall, featuring handmade and homegrown goods from local artisans.

The next market date is June 27th from 10 to 3.

And food trucks will also be on site.

And admission is free for spectators at these events as well.

And that is all I have for you today, unless you have questions for me.

Are there any questions, Commissioners?

Thank you, Connie.

Next on our agenda is uh public hearings, which we have none at this time.

And uh we have no discussion and deliberation on any items.

Commissioners, do you have any comments or qu uh additional questions that you would like to ask the staff?

Do we have any public forum?

Anyone sign up for public forum?

No, they did not.

Okay, so we do not have public forum.

So I am going to adjourn the meeting at 6.33 p.m.