Rio Rancho Governing Body Meeting: June 25, 2026
Rio Rancho Governing Body Meeting: June 25, 2026
The Rio Rancho Governing Body met on June 25, 2026, at 6:00 PM in Council Chambers. The meeting covered a range of items including proclamations, a council appointment announcement, consent calendar approvals, water rights acquisition, a road reconstruction contract, rezoning and master plan approvals, and a public hearing on a proposed Maverik gas station site plan. Key discussions included water rights purchase progress, traffic and neighborhood compatibility concerns for the gas station, and park design standards.
Consent Calendar
- Approved unanimously: Minutes from the June 11, 2026 meeting; resolutions for disposal of fleet vehicles/equipment (R47), Parks and Recreation property (R48), Library property (R49); budget adjustments (R50, R51); appointment of Jay Morriswala to the Lodger's Tax Advisory Board (D21); and rezoning of Unit 10, Block 33, Lot 98-A from R-1 to C-1 (O7, postponed from June 11).
Public Comments & Testimony
- Stephen Van Horn urged the city to increase transparency on water issues and to revitalize the Public Infrastructure Advisory Board (PIAB), suggesting its charter be revised to allow proactive oversight.
- Mike Jackovich criticized the city for not issuing a single citation for illegal fireworks between June 2023 and July 2025, despite city warnings. He called for enforcement of existing ordinances or repeal of the statute.
- Nadine Mullinari (Rio Rancho Rockets Special Olympics team) publicly recognized and thanked Connie Peterson, Director of Parks and Recreation, for her support of the athletes and organization.
- Jorge Colon Rosa (and many others during the Maverik public hearing) expressed concerns about the proposed gas station's impact on property values, traffic safety, school zone impacts, noise, light pollution, and environmental risks. Multiple speakers urged denial or postponement until independent traffic and safety studies are completed.
Discussion Items
- Appointment Announcement (District 4 Councilor): Mayor Weimer announced his appointment of David Mann to fill the vacant District 4 council seat. Mann is a long-time resident, attorney for Rio Rancho Public Schools. The appointment will be brought before the council at the July 23rd meeting for approval.
- Water Rights Acquisition (D24): The city sought advice and consent to purchase 200 acre-feet of consumptive water rights from Platte Land & Water, LLC for $4.5 million. Deputy Director Gonzalez and staff explained the purchase meets state pumping permit requirements and will keep the city approximately 14–15 years ahead of schedule (through 2040). Councilor Culbreath noted water rights purchases are becoming smaller and more competitive.
- Springer Drive Reconstruction (D25): Director Gottlieb requested approval to award a $2,898,444.71 contract to Albuquerque Asphalt, Inc. for reconstruction including a new sewer line and ADA improvements. Construction is expected to begin in August and take about six months.
- Rancho Alegria Master Plan (R46) & Rezoning (O8): The applicant (Jim Stroger) presented the master plan for a ~66-acre development (350 homes) with pocket parks, traffic calming, and a dog park. Traffic impact study recommendations included improvements at Northern/Rainbow intersections (signal/roundabout by 2037) and pedestrian enhancements. Councillors discussed park size, usability, and smart growth. The plan implements the Northern and Rainbow Specific Area Plan. Both R46 and O8 were approved (6-1, with Councilor Tyler voting no on R46).
- C1 to C2 Rezoning (O10): Approved unanimously for a property on Unit 10, Block A, Lot 6, to allow expansion of an existing business.
- Sagebrush Church Expansion (D22): Postponed to July 23rd to allow proper public notice.
- Maverik Gas Station Site Plan (D23): Applicant (Mr. Piggott) presented plans for a convenience store/fuel station at NM 528 and Obergon. Traffic study approved by city and NMDOT but only allows right-in access from Obergon; no full access from 528. Residents raised safety, noise, light, and school traffic concerns. Councilor List noted major differences from the 2007 approved plan. After discussion, the item was postponed to September 10th to allow applicant to re-engage NMDOT on 528 access and conduct community outreach.
Key Outcomes
- Consent Calendar approved (unanimous).
- D24 (Water rights purchase) approved (6-0).
- D25 (Springer Drive contract) approved (7-0).
- R46 (Rancho Alegria Master Plan) approved (6-1, Councilor Tyler dissenting).
- O8 (Rezoning to R-3) approved (6-1, Councilor Tyler dissenting).
- O10 (C1 to C2 rezoning) approved (7-0).
- D22 (Sagebrush Church expansion) postponed to July 23, 2026.
- D23 (Maverik gas station) postponed to September 10, 2026, pending further review of 528 access and community input.
Meeting Transcript
Good evening. I'd like to call this meeting of the June 25th governing body meeting to order. Councilor Dobson, will you lead us in the pledge? Pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands. One nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Please remain standing for a moment of silence for our to reflect on our first responders as well as all of our men and women overseas and locally that are protecting us from harm's way. Thank you. You may be seated. Okay, first order of business. Please take a moment to sign silence all of your electronic devices when attending the governing body meeting. For the record, I will announce the names of the governing body members when I say your name. Please acknowledge your presence by saying present. Councilor Dabson. Present. Councilor Lynentine. Present. Counselor Tyler. Present. Councilor Culbreth. Present. Councillor List. Present. And of course, Councillor District 4 remains vacant at this time. I'll have an announcement here shortly on the status of that. Moving on to proclamations and awards of merit. There are none. If there's no objection by the council, I'd like to move items 14 and 15 from discussion and deliberation to be heard before the public hearings. Moving on to public forum. Each comment will be limited to two minutes and no more than two hours in total be allotted to public forum comments at any meeting. First up for public forum, Mr. Stephen Van Horn. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Counselors, I would ask that you not set the bookmark to uh skip past me and the video when it's recorded. Um I came tonight uh planning to talk about things that are going on with Representative Stansbury bringing five hundred thousand dollars for that's a water storage project in in Albuquerque. They use terms like this is a key project, and I agree with it. Uh we in Rio Rancho have supposedly the first sort of pilot project of water injection that we still don't know. I still don't know what the status of it is. I would still would like to know. Look forward to information in the water quality report, maybe that tells us a little bit about what's going on. But looking at the agenda tonight, I thought what I would say is something totally different because the people behind me, the developers here really do not want discussion about water. And this is I think the reason why the public infrastructure advisory board doesn't really function, doesn't meet. But public discussion about water, especially now, is very important, very important. And so I want to really encourage the mayor to make appointments to the structure, and I would like the council to consider revising the charter of the this board, making it more than just advisory, but actually proactive, looking at what's happening with our water, water in New Mexico, and be able to give you all advice on governing our water system. We need to protect it. And the only thing that I've seen protected is information about it and public disclosure. And I would ask that that change that there be more openness. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Van Horn.
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