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Council adopts updated public right-of-way rules and raises permit fees
Summary
Council approved a second-reading ordinance updating Chapter 96 (Use of Public Right-of-Way), clarifying procedures for directional boring, conduit use, potholing and raising the base fee schedule by 25%.
The Rio Rancho City Council approved the second reading of an ordinance updating municipal code Chapter 96 governing use of the public right-of-way, including new rules for directional boring, potholing, conduit use and an updated fee schedule.
City Manager Matt Geisel summarized the ordinance as an update to a code originally adopted in February 2010 and subsequently modified. Geisel said the changes respond to a rapid expansion of telecommunications and fiber work in the city and aim to reduce repeated roadway penetrations by encouraging use of existing city conduit and the least-invasive installation methods where possible.
The ordinance increases the base fee schedule by 25% (staff said that an inflation calculation would have justified about a 40% increase and an activity cost-recovery analysis suggested about 35%; council adopted the lower 25% figure). New fees were added for directional boring and potholing and an updated degradation fee was included. Geisel clarified that permit fees and the ordinance’s requirements will be applied based on the date a permit is approved; permits pulled before the ordinance’s effective date will be governed by the existing rules.
No members of the public were signed up to speak on the item. Councilors asked clarifying questions about retroactivity; staff confirmed effective dates are tied to permit approval dates. The ordinance passed on roll call.
