[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6501521,"mediaKeyId","5474946-4015ae9869ed1d16a690c24f0c757ff8","parentId",5474946,"title","Rio Rancho governing body approves contracts, final budget and election precincts; postpones several planning items","audioSeconds",510,"startMs",2330000,"endMs",2840000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5474946-4015ae9869ed1d16a690c24f0c757ff8&start=2330&end=2840","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5474946-4015ae9869ed1d16a690c24f0c757ff8/thumbnail_2330000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6501521/Rio-Rancho/Sandoval-County/New-Mexico/Rio-Rancho-governing-body-approves-contracts-final-budget-and-election-precincts-postpones-several-planning-items","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6501521-f891fc9c37ec3cbacd6a31af5c7cef02/orig.mp4?Expires=1775069767&Signature=V1zVYNUbyvG8y6x2R4HLnZMZhT9yd83ZaY-zBsEz3o1EIhYlW5AovnQuK7Efms4k1JpRgaEcOKR6CQX~cB5Wn0fxiEI0fuALgbKBMrUkKAgc2kcoUJMWGZHR2H6s5JkBAEoro1ZyR5yiTJnTAQhIPnUx0NNTfgfkHi7ChjohMOqDQpcD8wg87FgIafETgvbkrA4mSB9ZP0z4lONS7oj~QrWUbS~SOIEJFTH0UJRDl0IfGa2H~gAhmV2AsAqzjjPbTt6nrJ5g-fHYBZ7W34zq2Tq9c3HvGq29f1TG~UV5rddOAQRNCYWLss66v2xb9qeEs3kQBtJCSUF5NGohU2Q7Ug__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Rio Rancho","date","2025-07-24T18:00:00Z","article","At its meeting, the City of Rio Rancho governing body approved multiple contracts and administrative items and took procedural votes to postpone or withdraw several planning items.

Key approvals included:
- D41: Advice and consent to award contract 25-114-PW for citywide median, shoulder and drainage-facility maintenance to Yellowstone Landscape (doing business as Yellowstone Landscape LLC) in the amount of $522,760 (including applicable gross receipts taxes). Staff said the contract covers weed mitigation in medians and shoulders and maintenance of drainage ponds and channels; scope-B drainage work is intended to comply with EPA requirements. Director Gottlieb said an inspection regime and an on-staff right-of-way inspector will monitor vendor performance.

- D42: Advice and consent to award contract 26-003-PW for Lima Road reconstruction (Western Hills Drive to Chestman Drive) to TLC Company LLC for $2,923,008 (including gross receipts taxes). Director Gottlieb said the contract includes full-depth roadway repaving, a new water line and services, curb ramp upgrades and updated traffic signage. Construction was anticipated to start in late August or early September and take approximately seven months.

- O18: Second reading and adoption of an ordinance amending Chapter 37 (taxation) to clarify licensing and auditing requirements for short-term rentals and to establish audit deadlines and penalties for noncompliance. Staff said the changes were required by state lodging-tax auditing rules.

- R81: Resolution designating consolidated voting centers and precinct arrangements for the March 3, 2026 municipal election; staff said precinct consolidation is being set proactively and that early-voting locations will be selected from the same sites.

- R82: Adoption of the fiscal year 2026 final budget. Financial staff reported an updated beginning fund balance and adjustments to revenues, transfers and expenditures. The packet listed a general-fund ending balance of $29.5 million (about 29.2% of reserves), which staff said exceeds the city policy minimum of 25%.

Procedural actions and postponements:
- R80, O19 and D40 (Quail Ranch master-plan addendum, related zone-map amendment and companion site plan) were postponed to the Aug. 14 meeting because staff identified a notification error in mailed notices.
- O20 (an ordinance/agenda item noted as 20 in materials) was withdrawn after staff found inconsistencies in the lot listings; staff said the item will return to the planning and zoning board and later to the governing body.

Public comment on D41: a commenter representing the Northern Meadows Property Owners Association reported tree and lawn damage in that HOA tied to a contractor named Yellowstone, and urged councilors to be aware of past HOA concerns; city staff said inspection and stronger contractual requirements are in place for the new contract.

Votes and roll calls were recorded for each item as part of the meeting record.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Rio Rancho - Governing Body Regular Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","Councilors approved maintenance and reconstruction contracts, adopted the fiscal year 2026 final budget and designated voting centers for the 2026 municipal election; several planning items were postponed for re-notice.","taxTitle","Rio Rancho, Sandoval County, New Mexico","taxId",2726,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6501526,"Rio Rancho approves three site plans: HTO drive-through, AutoZone, Chase Bank",313,1132000,1445000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5474946-4015ae9869ed1d16a690c24f0c757ff8&start=1132&end=1445","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5474946-4015ae9869ed1d16a690c24f0c757ff8/thumbnail_1132000.jpg","/articles/6501526/Rio-Rancho/Sandoval-County/New-Mexico/Rio-Rancho-approves-three-site-plans-HTO-drive-through-AutoZone-Chase-Bank","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6501526-64d4a620ec898c485b81b8706fa5b389/orig.mp4?Expires=1775069767&Signature=fs6gBkRfuKgn~kmK6sRX2BbD3SZeDKEYPDzgOQoQCRKkhijSc7He-Mycd5~zq5apGAZWCgR~R3X1A37vBzUz7MUpSqoZQGSOBBoUi5SJX-GF8V5awJlQHhKuAJXYBR7lL6L-rRGdw9efpkGbT4EzJ8tahoP25yhoFa1cCPocQ76Crp5SZ3QlLYLOrB-TP179UM7TgP5iVmabGBDIHU6XZTAZ5lfsENm6YTgQc0kkq8-DUrSEmCMyHW1sZTvejw6fIlwshavKHOYBwskBU84KSiGWpy-sui9N8Ec3znM~TpjwZTD59~Nzxz3VZ-jr00hJlCSuR8vJsbZgWY16IrT-PA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The City of Rio Rancho governing body voted unanimously to approve three separate site plans for commercial developments: an HTO drive-through (D37), an AutoZone (D38) and a Chase Bank pad site (D39).

Amy Rincon, director of development services, presented each application and told the governing body that staff had reviewed the plans and recommended approval. For the HTO drive-through near Sarah and NM 528, Rincon said staff reviewed site circulation, grading and landscape plans and “finds and recommends that the board does approve this site plan.” Councilors asked about logo treatment and about traffic and queuing during the store’s opening; Rincon said staff will work with the applicant on variable-message signs and on queuing options along the internal drive and Grande Boulevard to reduce spillover onto adjacent streets.

The AutoZone plan covered a pad near Northern and Loma Colorado, adjacent to a Lowe’s. Rincon said some parking and landscaping shown on the concept drawings lie outside the existing lot lines and will require an access agreement with the neighboring parcel. An applicant representative completed an oath on the record during the hearing. Rincon told council that staff found the AutoZone plan in compliance with the relevant site-plan standards but that an access agreement and easement language would be required as a condition of approval.

A public commenter, Casey Robinson, opposed the Chase Bank site in the village area and urged the city to prioritize credit unions instead. Robinson said in public comment, “Chase Bank has been found guilty of giving higher mortgage rates to African American and Hispanic customers of the same credit profile” and listed other corporate compliance complaints; those claims were presented as his view and were not contested by the council during the meeting.

Votes: each site plan carried by voice and roll-call vote with the governing body recording unanimous approval for D37, D38 and D39.

Why it matters: the three approvals clear the way for new commercial investment at busy corners across Rio Rancho; council discussion focused on traffic management during openings and on the need for proper off-site access agreements to protect neighboring parcels.","The governing body approved three commercial site plans—an HTO drive-through, an AutoZone and a Chase Bank pad site—after staff presentations and brief council questions about traffic, queuing and off-site access. A public commenter opposed the Chase Bank based on banking-practice concerns.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6501531,"Rio Rancho residents urge city to address repeat flooding in District 1",490,170000,660000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5474946-4015ae9869ed1d16a690c24f0c757ff8&start=170&end=660","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5474946-4015ae9869ed1d16a690c24f0c757ff8/thumbnail_170000.jpg","/articles/6501531/Rio-Rancho/Sandoval-County/New-Mexico/Rio-Rancho-residents-urge-city-to-address-repeat-flooding-in-District-1","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6501531-bd40550e726b025a809ca272a4c33285/orig.mp4?Expires=1775069767&Signature=AVDl1TA41O8e-QxEVqyo82nNKNJiLQHWVRzk~KwjkHYWyyxV9joQppDDWNFWPndaMFhoxz-IZFvY5Llz2DoF6jm93KMuAt7rRvUkT1lhgpYW8a-X4rYsRshyLGuxU~d4aLsAZSrekEDDqjUvlCZrtDHxzkXUxFXOIChrVwV~YYZF~~wtOBM-4bVRS1B81k2xBGRvRsjeXaXfFx5k5qB7ZVY4XJPZXnF7havWXKOgNlW4HiZfrOo3gH5hWqu1fod6EDrAsK9r4RqTleHDZtolX6zEhNKD~SPNtxDhSDCa3OKQcLkfBAh5uHJDUVJcekcZipecarr40bng7csyMJ6i3g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Several residents of Rio Rancho’s District 1 used the public-comment period of the governing body meeting to press the city for faster action on recurring stormwater flooding that they said has damaged yards and threatened homes.

Richard Witte, a Rio Rancho resident, said he has had “already 3 feet of water in my yard” during recent storms and urged the city to redirect runoff away from residences. He suggested adding culverts and directing water toward existing evaporation ponds or a city-owned parcel at Northern and Ninth Avenue.

Nicole Perea, who said she moved to Rio Rancho about three years ago, described the most recent storm as “the worst” she had seen and said the neighborhood lacks stormwater infrastructure. Aaron Sanchez and Ryan Perea also spoke, urging the council to map stormwater flows and consider ditches, culverts and catch basins. Ryan Perea said, “As our community grows, the responsibility of the city … to maintain and upgrade storm water drainage infrastructure should be at the top of the list.”

Mayor Hall acknowledged the comments and said city engineers are reviewing the issue and have been communicating with residents. No council motion or vote on a study or capital project was recorded during the meeting; staff said they would follow up with residents.

Why it matters: residents described ongoing property impacts and at least one neighborhood report of a death connected to recent flooding in the broader region, prompting calls for concrete mitigation rather than temporary grading. The comments reflect neighborhood-level infrastructure concerns that can affect property, public safety and future development planning.

The city did not set a timetable or identify a specific funding source at the meeting. Residents and the mayor said staff would investigate and communicate next steps to affected households.","Multiple District 1 residents told the governing body they experienced severe yard flooding after recent storms and asked the city to prioritize stormwater fixes such as culverts, ditches and evaporation-pond routing; city officials said engineering staff are reviewing the issue but no formal action was taken.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Rio Rancho governing body approves contracts, final budget and election precincts; postpones several planning items

Rio Rancho approves three site plans: HTO drive-through, AutoZone, Chase Bank

Rio Rancho residents urge city to address repeat flooding in District 1