Rio Rancho Planning and Zoning Board and Governing Body Meetings – August 11, 2026

The supplied agenda covers the August 11, 2026 Planning and Zoning Board meeting, scheduled for 6:00 PM in City Council Chambers. The raw transcript also includes a separate governing body session on the same date, containing public forum, public hearings, resolutions, budget and personnel actions, and a council appointment. The Planning and Zoning Board approved most land-use items and postponed one subdivision request; the governing body approved development projects, the FY27 budget, and a personnel policy change. The transcript ends before a recorded vote is shown for one council appointment.

Consent Calendar

• The Planning and Zoning Board approved the July 28, 2026 meeting minutes by roll-call vote.
• The governing body consent calendar was also approved by roll-call vote.

Planning and Zoning Board – Public Hearings

• Final Plat – High Range 5, Phase 2 (LGI Homes): Approved. The 33.957-acre R-4 site will be platted into 171 single-family lots and 10 tracts, dedicating 6.9407 acres of right-of-way. The adjacent High Range 5 park, platted in Phase 1, is approximately 2.78 acres. Staff recommended approval.
• Subdivision Variance and Preliminary/Final Plat – Diana Reid Trujillo: Postponed to September 8, 2026. Staff recommended denial of the requests to split one R-1 lot at 1225 Villa Road SE into two lots because the property lacks paved roadway, sidewalks, and city wastewater access. The applicant requested the split for family use and said her name had been misspelled as Reed and should be spelled Reid.
• Daycare Facility Site Plan – Montano (Plaza Rio Lot B): Approved with recommendation to the governing body. The proposed daycare on SU-zoned land will include enhanced landscaping, evergreen buffers, a six-foot wall, and an approximately 17-foot-tall stucco building. An additional governing body approval was noted for later that week.
• Carport Setback Variance – JoAnn Valdez: Approved 3–2, with Richardson, Fischer-Pedraza, and Hankins voting yes and Lampson and Gabaldon voting no. The variance allows a 300-square-foot carport to encroach 15 feet into the required rear setback at 4700 Snowy Owl Road NE, contrary to staff’s denial recommendation. The applicant said she had been told initially that no permit was needed.
• Lot Width Variance – Ismael Arreola: Approved unanimously. The 50-foot-wide R-1 lot at 836 Northern Boulevard NE is an antiquated platted lot; the applicant owns no adjacent lots, so the overlay combination requirement did not apply.
• Zoning Interpretation – Vista Montebella Oeste: Approved. The board clarified zoning for 20 split-zoned lots consistent with staff’s Exhibit A, based on vacated right-of-way centerlines and the zoning district covering the majority of each lot.
• Zoning Interpretation – Montreal Subdivision: Approved. The board interpreted Montreal Phase 1, Block 2, Lot 22 as R-1 and Montreal Phase 2, Block 3, Lot 5 as R-4.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No public speakers registered for Planning and Zoning items 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, or 9; none spoke on items 3 and 4 before the postponement.
• A Rio Rancho Regional Chamber of Commerce representative, referred to as Jerry, gave an extended presentation to the Mayor/Council portion of the meeting. He described chamber programs, cited 47,000 outbound daily commuters and $3.1 billion in external payroll, and raised the possibility of a $20,000 city membership and economic-development MOU with no operational funding. No vote was recorded on that request.
• During the governing body public forum, Stephen Van Horn raised concerns about the city’s water report, saying the public needs more visibility into whether the water table is declining, and he criticized report photos as implying the water is always safe despite precautions listed for vulnerable populations.
• Mike Jackovich spoke against the proposed removal of Juan Martinez from the Public Infrastructure Advisory Board, saying removal of a volunteer for asking questions was despicable. Jackovich also alleged he had been blackballed from advisory board appointments after criticizing a road bond list.
• During the R55 public hearing, Stephen Van Horn asked whether the annexation into Bernalillo would affect city water service. The city manager confirmed the county complex has received city water for nearly 20 years.

Governing Body – Discussion and Deliberation

• Closed Session: The Mayor stated the governing body met at 5:00 PM in closed session under NMSA 10-15-1 H(2) for limited personnel matters and the annual city manager evaluation; no action was taken.
• D22 – Sagebrush Church Site Plan Expansion: Approved. The amendment allows an approximately 6,968-square-foot addition. Mixed-use parking rules reduced the parking requirement to 262 spaces; the site provides 274 spaces, and observed Sunday peak occupancy was 153 and 199 spaces on May 3 and May 10, 2026.
• O-11 – Indoor Soccer Facility Zoning: Approved. The ordinance changed Unit 16, Block BB, Lots 17A, 18A, and 20A through 24A from NC to SU for neighborhood commercial plus indoor soccer. The Planning and Zoning Board recommended approval on June 23, 2026.
• D39 – Village Retail/Office/Restaurant Site Plan: Approved for property behind Blake’s Lotaburger in The Village.
• R55 – Sandoval County/Bernalillo Annexation Resolution: Approved. The resolution supports annexation of approximately 7.8 acres of city land into the Town of Bernalillo to expand the 13th Judicial District Court complex and county facilities.
• R56 – Sale of 0.56 Acres of City Park Land: Approved 4–2, with Colbreth, List, Dobson, and Mayor Weimer voting yes and Tyler and Lennington voting no. The sale would allow access improvements for a proposed multifamily/retail project near Camino de los Montoyas and Camino Entrada. Opponents cited density and conflict concerns; city staff said access was required for any development at the corner.
• D40 – Western Hills Drive Reconstruction Award: Approved. Contract awarded to TLC Company Inc. for $2,340,943.55, including NM gross receipts taxes. Work includes full-depth roadway replacement, sidewalks, three fire hydrants, ADA ramp improvements, and patch/seal work; construction is expected to begin in September and last about six months.
• D41 – Loma Colorado Boulevard Extension Design Award: Approved. Contract awarded to NV5 Inc. for $1,981,694.15, including design of the Broadmoor-to-Chessman extension, a roundabout at Loma Colorado and Chessman, a drainage crossing, and signal and lighting improvements. Design is expected to take approximately two to two-and-a-half years.
• R57 – FY27 Final Budget: Approved. Changes from the interim budget include recognition of actual FY26 ending cash, carry-forward encumbrances, deferred city hall renovation and improvement projects, and approximately $381,000 for ASME, union, and non-union reclassifications and longevity pay. The budget maintains structural balance and a 25% general fund reserve.
• R58 – Personnel Policy Amendments: Approved. The resolution revises PERA enhancement pay for non-union employees by adding a 5–9 year service tier and increasing 10-, 15-, and 20-year tiers, and extends the benefit to non-union communications management. FY27 cost is $48,648, effective August 10, 2026.
• D42 – Appointment of David Mann as District 4 Councillor: Discussed. Councillors List, Dobson, and Colbreth supported the appointment; Councillors Lennington and Tyler raised conflict-of-interest concerns because Mann is general counsel for Rio Rancho Public Schools and had briefly withdrawn from consideration. The transcript ends before a roll-call vote is recorded, and it also includes a swearing-in ceremony for David Mann earlier in the recording, so the final outcome is not clear from the provided source.

Key Outcomes

• Planning and Zoning Board approved the High Range 5 Final Plat, the daycare site plan, the Arreola lot-width variance, and two zoning interpretations. It approved the Valdez carport variance 3–2 and postponed the Trujillo variance and plat to September 8, 2026.
• Governing body approved D22, O-11, D39, R55, R56, D40, D41, R57, R58, and the consent calendar.
• The transcript does not include a completed vote on D42; the supplied agenda and transcript also conflict on the timing of David Mann’s swearing-in.