There we go.

So I call the meeting to order, and let's do the Pledge of Allegiance.

Pledge Allegiance to the fly of the United States of America and to the Republic.

One nation under God.

Okay.

With that, the approval of the last month's minutes.

Do I have a motion to approve last month?

Everybody have a chance to look at them.

Do I have a motion to approve?

I'll make a motion to approve.

Okay.

Okay.

Okay, this is a roll call for the minutes.

Uh Commissioner Romero.

And do you approve the minutes?

Okay.

Um stain.

Uh Commissioner Herrera.

President.

Yes.

Commissioner Edwards.

Commissioner Edwards, do you approve the minutes?

No.

Commissioner Leading.

Present and I approve.

And Commissioner Marsh?

Uh present, I approve.

Okay, let me see if I can get okay.

Um so staff presentations.

Um Diane Soyner?

Sonye.

Okay.

Here in a minute, she said.

Okay.

Um good evening, Commissioners.

Um, I have quite a few projects to give you updates on.

Um, as I promised at the last meeting.

Um there's not a lot underway right now as far as construction because we're kind of in that position between closing out one fiscal year, starting another, and quite a few projects are in design.

So right now, um, some of the projects that are in design include the King Meadows Park parking lot replacement, which would replace the existing asphalt parking lot with a smaller parking lot because the one that's there is greatly oversized for that facility.

Um, and there's two integrated basketball courts in that system, and we would be designing to replace those and a portion of the old asphalt parking lot with three concrete basketball courts, um, and then also a dog park would be in that area.

Um, we may not have complete funding to build all of that with a single phase, so it might be in two phases where of course initially we would demo the existing parking lot and replace the necessary parking spaces of that parking lot.

Um I don't know if somebody needs to let her in.

She I don't know who that is, sorry.

I was distracted.

Anyway, um, also an in design is the Sierra Norte two pickleball courts and park expansion.

So that's phase two of Sierra Norte.

Um again, we're looking at creating a new parking lot there as well as a small turf field and or I should say grass field, some site landscaping, um, possibly um designing an area for a shade structure and the eight pickleball courts and any grading and drainage associated with that.

Then we also have the enchanted hills trail replacement or neighborhood trail replacement project.

Again, that is in design, and that includes the replacement of the 12-foot wide trail that goes from Chayote through the Enchanted Hills neighborhood down to Safe Light following adjacent to Safe Light, Fulcrum all the way to Enchanted Hills, that is funded with a state grant.

And once that design is complete, we would pursue funding actual construction construction in two to in up to two phases through that same state grant.

Then we also have the Rio Rancho Sports Complex North Phase 3.

That design was just completed, and so our hope is we're going to review all of the documents in the bid tab that the landscape architect had provided to us, and then we would go through the bidding process to bid out the construction of that phase three.

Hopefully that will happen this coming fall.

Then the last thing that is in design that has not started yet, but we just wrapped up the conceptual plan for the Rio Rancho Multi-Generation Center, and we will be bringing some of those schematic designs and the programming, which in our instance means how we've allocated space for the list of services or programs we would provide to the public.

We would be bringing that to the commission for your general review and comments at the July meeting.

So those are the items that are in design at this time.

Projects that will start construction in the next coming year.

Hopefully, once they open up our opportunities to use existing contracts to hire contractors to conduct the work would be to purchase and install the benches and picnic tables, trash cans and dogway stations for the phase two component of campus park, to install two monument signs at campus park and the name Campus Park on the restroom building.

As well as to install or replace the skate park at the Rio Rancho Sports Complex.

That is one of the bond election items that came up in this March election.

I don't know if they've actually sold the bonds yet.

So once they've sold those, and once we're in the new fiscal year, we can look at getting estimates and scheduling time to have that equipment delivered and installed.

And then the other bond project was to replace the playground and make park improvements at Sugar Park.

Then we also have already paid for, we're just waiting for the end of the 2026 outdoor pool season to end, is the rainbow pool pump replacement.

And then also waiting for the end of the outdoor pool season would be the Haynes Pool parking lot replacement, just replacing like with like there.

We also have funding to replace the five to twelve-year-old playground structure.

So playgrounds have two to five-year-old child structures and five to twelve-year-old child structures.

That's the industry standards.

So the really big playground structures are typically for older kids.

And the one at Western Winds is due for replacement, so that is on the list, as well as replacing some of the features and repairing some of the features at Star Heights Park, specifically at the playground.

The only other thing that's kind of up in the air right now is we do have a couple of other projects, but we haven't begun those yet.

But one that we did submit for funding was to add exercise equipment to phase two, the outdoor terrace at the Broadmoor Senior Center.

And while SIPCAC, the city's capital, oh, what is SIPCAC stand for?

I'm sorry, I apologize.

I've forgotten what that acronym stands for right now, but it's their capital improvement kind of board, and they review all of these proposals.

Well, they oversee the city's allocation of community development block grant funding from HUD, the federal program.

But right now that funding has yet to have been approved by the feds for the next year.

So it is unclear at what time that will move forward, but I believe the city has submitted at least for the governing body a report that they will approve, and then it can go to HUD if the funds are approved for this fiscal year, this coming fiscal year by the federal government, and then hopefully that project would be included in that.

And then hopefully that project would be included in that.

If for some reason that federal program goes away, as the administration had said they wished it would, or they had planned for it to go away, the city would look at alternative funding for that exercise equipment so we could complete the full build out of the terrace, and the city had requested it, I believe, if not once, twice of the state, and it had been turned down, and that was through the aging and long-term services department.

But if we were to say we didn't have alternate funding, it is possible we could also go back to the state and make requests again.

That's my understanding at least.

So tomorrow I will be giving a presentation to the Sandoval County Master Gardeners and the Rio Rancho Boski, talking about the history of the Rio Rancho Bosque, how it became the way it is right now.

It is very drought stressed, and then what the near-term future for that facility looks like, especially as a habitat.

There's a lot of regional things and obviously global things that are happening that we do not have control over, but we still try to get the word out and let people understand how our Boski is functioning.

I think that's it.

I don't think I have anything new to offer for keep Rio Rancho Beautiful at this time.

So with that, I will stand for any questions.

Any questions?

Yes, I've seen a lot of people asking questions about the multi-generational center on Facebook groups, and a lot of people having a lot of feedback.

Would it be appropriate to invite them to the presentation that will be made in the future that you mentioned?

So Commissioner, yes, we give a presentation, but we don't respond to questions in those settings.

If they wish, I don't know, I would have to defer to Connie as the director.

How if if people want to direct questions, there's a process that has already been followed, direction that we had been given, and a process that we continue to follow related to the conceptual planning.

I think the biggest takeaway though, and you'll see that in the July presentation, is we have tried to create a facility that allows for a great deal of flexibility.

For example, and I don't know if I get way off track.

You you bring me back on track, Connie.

An example is one of the biggest trends, and I use that term meaning trend, meaning it may not stay, it may go.

Some of our youth, the questions related to safety with online gaming, it is it only local gaming, things like that.

There's concepts and planning for that that we haven't explored yet, but uh making sure that when we design the building that it has the capacity to provide power, space, and cooling for servers if we were to take that route, as well as focusing on all of the directly social activities, programs, sports, things like that.

That's kind of the key focus, but again, trying to keep it as flexible as possible so that as things change, we can adapt as well as possible.

I don't know if that really answered your question, but certainly it's a public meeting.

Anyone from the public is welcome to attend or to watch online.

So I'm sorry, the question was by Commissioner Edwards.

Um Commissioner Edwards to look for your name.

Um was um she had been seeing a lot of comments on Facebook related to the multi-generation center, and um if it could bring those questions to the next meeting, and then obviously I responded as I did that they can come and listen.

They don't necessarily have an opportunity to um have a rebuttal or ask questions in that meeting, um, but we will maybe also find a way that people can submit questions if that would be of interest.

Yeah, Commissioner Edwards.

We've also been speaking just recently and very briefly, nothing's planned yet, but we will be having a I don't know if I want to call it a town hall meeting, but we're going to try and schedule something probably at Sabana Grande Recreation Center so that the public can come and look at renderings and ask questions.

Uh we're just in the very entry-level conversations of that so that people can provide input or ideas and uh engage with staff and the architect on the project.

Great, thank you.

Are there any other questions?

Okay, with that, we'll move to the next thing on our agenda.

Charles Fernandez, he's uh online.

Good evening, commissioners.

Um, I really don't have a whole lot of new uh items to report this month.

We're still kind of repeating what I've been saying the last few meetings, so we're still shorthanded in staffing.

So we're looking at six down right now, and we're still working on weeds.

So with being shorthanded, that's just an ongoing process working on the weeds.

So we're doing that.

Um we're both spraying and then just removing manually.

I think we're doing a pretty good job, but um, there are some areas where we need to just keep at it and uh get them removed and then spray.

But we're um it's just an ongoing process, and with the rain, of course, that's good, but it's gonna hit the areas that we did not spray, but I think we're pretty much getting a handle of it.

And then um, so now we've shifted to just growing season maintenance.

Uh, we're not doing the startup anymore for spring startup.

So um this is now just keeping the irrigation going, keeping the parks green, cutting, but we've done all our aerating and for the most part all our fertilizing.

So um we've still been dealing with irrigation breaks, but um we've done a pretty good job of repairing those quickly so it doesn't affect the the turf.

And the other thing that's still going on is the site printers I've talked about throughout the city.

That's still ongoing, so we've had some upgrades in areas and we still have more upgrades as well as some other projects going on throughout the city.

So you'll you'll continue to see that not just in this coming month, but probably for the next two to three months, and then we'll look at what we'll need to do thereafter.

But um the one new item that I wanted to mention is we'll be getting campus park ready for the fourth of July event.

So I think the park already looks good now, but we really try to step it up and make it look even better.

So we'll be working on that, and then we'll be working with Noah on the park decorations, and so that will consist of getting the large bucket truck from utilities or public works and putting up the decorations, the flags around the Skyroom, and if there's any other spots that that are needed that um in working with NOAA that we uh we'll work on together.

And I think that's really about all I have.

Unless you have any uh questions for me, I can try to answer for you.

Uh any questions for Charles?

No.

Okay.

Okay, so then uh we'll move to uh Bianca uh aquatics uh report uh Bianca's oh there we go.

Hi, good evening, commissioners.

So we're full blast on summer season with aquatics.

Um we had swim lessons session three that started June 1st today.

We actually started swim lessons session four, and that's at Haynes Rainbow and the Rio Rancho Aquatic Center.

So we're doing really well with our swim lessons as of right now.

We have level three and four seashells and sun horse.

We have not one vacancy left, so those classes are full.

So that's a plus to know that all of our classes are filling up and all wait listed people that we will take.

They have been called and contacted.

At Rainbow right now, we have two club teams, and they practice uh Monday, Wednesdays, and Tuesday, Thursday mornings from seven to nine.

All rentals right now through August.

This is at Haynes Rainbow and the Rio Rancho Aquatic Center.

They are completely full.

So we're booked through August.

I have a few open availability weekend days at Haynes, but that's a plus too that we're getting rented up and revenues continuing to rise with our rentals.

So that's a plus.

Summer programming hours at the Rio Rancho Aquatic Center are now summer session.

So open recreation swim for everybody is Wednesday through Sunday, 12 p.m.

to 5 p.m.

It is every day, Monday through Sunday, 12 to 6 at Hanes and Rainbow.

And Cabazone is Wednesday through Sunday, 12 to 6.

Charles, I just wanted to say thank you.

We did we do have two new benches at the Aquatic Center.

They look very nice, and it's good for everyone that's waiting now to get in when we're at full capacity.

So thank you for that.

Are there any questions for Bianca?

No.

No.

Okay.

Um so next on our list is Noah, but he's not here.

Um, were you going to give Noah's report?

No.

So then we move to Connie.

All right.

Uh good evening, Commissioners.

I am going to provide you an update on the parks and recreation activities and highlight several upcoming summer events and programs that we have throughout the city.

Uh to begin, I'd like to recognize the upcoming Juneteenth celebration that's taking place this weekend in partnership with the Sandoval County Rio Rancho NAACP.

Um, several community organizations, volunteers, performers, and of course, our very own uh city parks and rec staff.

I've provided you the flyer and the program that we're gonna be handing out this weekend on Saturday at Haynes Park so that they can follow along with the event.

This year's theme for Juneteenth is Remembering African American Unsung Heroes.

This, of course, honors the individuals who contribute who contributed to history but yet are sometimes underrepresented in traditional narratives.

So we hope this program brings together residents of all ages for an afternoon of education, cultural expression, and just overall community connection.

Um, as you can see by the uh brochure, uh the event will feature welcoming remarks and a proclamation from the mayor and deputy mayor Colbright, uh, the Pledge of Allegiance, an invocation by Reverend Johnny McChristian, and a performance of Lift Every Voice and Sing.

Programming will also include storytelling and historical presentations highlighting African American unsung heroes, including portrayals of figures such as Marshall Bass Reeves, uh Robert Smalls, Claudette Colvin, Septima Clark, Judge Vance West, and Janice George Groves.

The celebration will also include musical performances by Anna by Diana Bethany, uh cultural performances by the Akhmeka Omenca Nigerian Youth Group, and it's going to conclude with music and dancing led by the Zionnep Caribbean band.

Vendors and community partners will uh be there as well to help create a really fun family-friendly atmosphere throughout the event.

So I hope you'll join us if you have time.

Um I want to thank in advance the Rio Rancho Sanoval County and AAACP, specifically Barbara Bowdeson and her husband Herb Bonison, all the performers and presenters, um, all the volunteers and the vendors and our city staff and the community partners for their work in bringing this really meaningful meaningful celebration together.

Um to summer programming.

Parks and continues to offer a wide variety of opportunities for residents of all ages.

Summer camp is currently underway at all five community centers across the city, providing safe, structured and engaging recreational opportunities for kids throughout the summer months.

The recreation centers are also continue to offer programming, including fitness classes, arts and crafts, sports activities, leagues, dance, pickleball, and all other recreation opportunities for all ages.

As Bianca noted, aquatics programming is also in full swing with swim lessons, recreational swimming, and water-based and land-based fitness opportunities available throughout the summer season at all the outdoor pools and the indoor aquatic center.

The department also continues its commitment to the environmental stewardship this summer through Keep Rancho Beautiful.

During the summers, KARB typically supports neighborhoods and volunteer-led cleanups by providing supplies and resources to residents or community groups that reach out to us.

Looking ahead a few weeks, the city will host the annual Fourth of July celebration over here at Campus Park.

That's Saturday, July 4th from 5 30 to 9 30 p.m.

right here again at Campus Park, the whole city center area.

The event features the parade, a performance by the New Mexico Philharmonic, a performance by the Rio Gran Symphonic Band, food trucks, and of course the fireworks display.

As always, parade registration is free for participants and parade floats, but registration is required by June 26th, which is next Friday.

Residents can register online or contact us here at City Hall for more information.

Attendees throughout the event are also welcome to bring blankets and coolers.

However, glass containers and alcohol are not permitted in the park or the surrounding areas, but alcohol is allowed in the designated area at the park that's set up by the Rio Rancho Events Center.

I do want to highlight that this year's 4th of July also includes a really cool educational opportunity available this summer at the Loma, Colorado Main Library.

From July 1st through September 12th, the library is hosting a traveling museum exhibition called Declaration 1776, The Big Bang of Modern Democracy.

And the exhibit explores the historical significance and global impact of the Declaration of Independence and examines how the idea that all men are created equal was a revolutionary concept at the time, which ended up shaping modern democratic thought around the world, not just here in the United States.

Showing how countries and peoples just across the world have drawn inspiration from the American Declaration of 1776 in their own movements for independence.

So as part of the nation's lead up to the big 250 anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, this exhibit over at Loma Colorado offers a really cool educational experience for visitors of all ages.

So I hope you guys check that out.

We're encouraging residents to visit the Loma Colorado Library during the exhibition period to experience this unique opportunity, especially in connection with our Fourth of July programming.

And the Loma Colorado Library will be open on the 4th of July so that people can stop by and see that exhibit and then hopefully come over to the park afterwards.

And then finally, I would like to extend an invitation to the commissioners to participate in the Fourth of July parade festivities, including serving as a float judge, like you guys have always done.

Judges are asked to arrive at 4:30 in the upper parking lot of the Rio Rancho Event Center.

So if you're interested, just text me or email me, and I'll be looking out for you.

It's only week three of summer as we continue through the summer.

All of our departments remain focused on providing fun, high quality recreation programs and opportunities throughout the city.

Hopefully bringing our residents together.

So that's all I have for you tonight.

Any questions for Cardi?

I didn't hear something that normally happens in previous years, and that is the movies in the park.

Is that happening this year?

Commissioner Edwards, the music in the park, is that what you said?

No, the movies in the park.

The movies in the park.

Yeah.

We stopped doing that program last year, partially due to short staffing, but also we just we had such issues with weather almost every event that the event kept getting canceled, and those movies are relatively expensive because we have to pay for a license to rent them.

So after gosh, eight years of just battling the winds and the rains and the inclement weather, we just decided it it wasn't worth it.

Thank you.

Any other questions?

Hi, Connie.

I had a question.

Um for the 4th of July.

Did you say that there was another performance group besides the Philharmic Phil?

Uh we've got the the Rio Grande Symphonic Band performing first, and they've performed before, and then the Philharmonic will perform following the Rio Grande Symphonic Band.

Okay, thank you.

Any other questions?

Um I'd like to make a comment.

I I talked to Connie about a little bit about this.

I was I just want to let you guys know.

I I had an opportunity to go to an event at the Skyroom was the Women's Veterans Um celebration, and I could I can't tell you how all of them came up to me and told me I've never seen this before.

I love this place.

They love the acoustics, and um they were not aware of this area.

So I about how many stages and all this and come back for all the events, but I just wanted to tell you that um that feedback that they love the place and we're very impressed with it.

Oh thanks, Commissioner.

I appreciate that.

And we've got the signage.

Yeah, we've got the signage, yeah.

Very cool.

Uh yes.

Pleurubus.

Any other uh uh comments from the members?

Public forum.

We don't have a public forum.

I have one more comment.

Oh, one more comment?

Yes.

Um I just would like to um mention that I have attended um movies before in the park, of course, but uh spent some time in Colorado a couple of years ago, and a lot of the indoor pools do what's called a dive-in movie night, and that is not affected by the weather.

So maybe that's something we could just sort of like think about in the future, you know, how we could do maybe once a month have a family movie night, and then the screen wouldn't blow over.

So just uh just a thought.

Thanks, Commissioner Edwards.

I like that idea.

Bianca's online, I'm sure she'll mull that over.

I I Bianca, you're online.

We've had some movies at the outdoor pools, haven't we?

Um we have not had those.

Um I don't know, uh Renee, maybe it wasn't you that I spoke with this.

The hard part for that is lighting, because we need to have the lighting for a safety issue, so we want to make sure that we can see everybody in the water.

And the hard part to that is we don't allow flotation devices.

So I know at some of the other um parks that have this event, they're on uh inner tubes and things like that.

So that's another obstruction of view towards the bottom of the pool.

Um so yeah, I think what I do think is that that's a good conversation starter for us to get some ideas and you know, maybe it if we use the party room, maybe if we uh can have it at inside the pool, maybe shallow water only.

I do think that's a conversation we can definitely have.

It sounds fun and exciting and engaging as long as we keep it safe.

Thanks, Commissioner.

Thank you.

And I'd be happy to volunteer if we can get any events going.

I volunteer my time and help.

Thank you.

I I noticed they're uh the block has uh yeah, I got it.

Uh entertainment uh music, but they also have movies.

I noticed on the summer uh at the new multi restaurant shopping thing that the that they're gonna be.

Yeah, Commissioner noticed that as well.

Yeah.

Some of our HOAs around the community sponsor events also.

Um for a while they were they were borrowing our specific screen, which is a blow-up screen, and they were experiencing the same problem that the spring the screen just does not withstand wind at all.

So for us, that screen has to be used indoors, or it just does not it's it it just doesn't work well in the wind, but yeah, I I I don't know what kind of spring str uh I don't know, I'm not familiar with the screen that the block is using, but I mean ours is also probably 16 or 17 years old.

That's probably there's probably oh, is it on the wall?

Yeah, I was gonna say there's probably newer screens out there as well that are not as bendy as as the current screen we have.

Yeah.

Um question also.

Um July fourth, is it is there gonna be any kind of um spotlight on the two hundred fifty, or is it just kind of yes, there is a um there is a spotlight on the two fifty.

We um the city manager's office is setting up a uh a a station and they're gonna be giving away um I I guess just giveaways.

I'm not sure what the giveaways are to celebrate the two hundred and fifty, and I'm sure the proclamation itself will also um include that as well.

And I know that the city master city manager city manager's office is also partnered with a outside agency to just be included on uh a list of what communities are are uh are participating in the two hundred and fiftieth anniversary, and our city is participating in that.

We're not necessarily doing anything different.

We're just adding ourselves to the list of the state events that are taking place.

Um we just we're just gonna be included in that we mentioned.

I'm sure it'll be mentioned, yeah.

Um, Connie, can I mention something?

Yes, Charles.

I I think that we'll be decorating the Skyrim a little bit more than we have in the past because of the two fifty celebration.

Yeah, you're correct.

I I do recall we've bought additional um decorations this year as well.

Thank you.

Um, can I also mention that Doctor Lisa Lening Leading?

I I uh talking to her, she was nominated for the two hundred and fifty flags.

Um a uh sh she's a New Mexico hero.

So she was nominated by one of her students.

And it was now bite up and oh Commissioner, that's exciting.

Congratulations.

For all her work.

Yeah.

Well deserved.

Well deserved.

Congratulations.

Okay, any any more comments or questions?

Well, with that, uh I call for the meeting to be adjourned.