Rio Rancho advances Project Ranger infrastructure talks and a $1M budget adjustment as fire chief flags safety and response issues

Rio Rancho officials presented three related resolutions tied to Project Ranger and took steps to authorize staff to advance infrastructure negotiations while first‑responder leaders pressed for clarity on safety and operational roles.

City Manager (name not provided in the transcript) told the council there are three narrow action items: a budget adjustment of $1,000,000 for economic development expenditures tied to Project Ranger (R‑134); authorization for the city manager to negotiate and enter agreements for water and potentially wastewater services for Project Ranger / Castilian Corporation (R‑135); and approval of an intergovernmental agreement with Sandoval County under the Local Economic Development Act to support extension of Paseo Del Volcan from Unser to Rainbow (R‑136). The manager said the Paseo Del Volcan extension is estimated at about $20 million to reach city limits and that funding is identified for phase 1 (roughly $10 million) while funding for phase 2 remains to be determined.

Fire Chief James Winslow (Rio Rancho Fire Rescue) outlined three areas of concern: limited and inconsistent early communication, operational impacts on call volume and unit availability, and clarity about the authority having jurisdiction (AHJ) and permitting for high‑hazard facilities. He said Project Ranger would likely increase routine calls (fire alarms, EMS and motor vehicle accidents) and could pull resources from Station 6 and Station 2, creating coverage gaps that require planning. Chief Winslow also described a recent variance request to the State Fire Marshal and the Construction Industries Division that sought exemptions (for hazardous buildings) from fire sprinkler and hydrant requirements based on Department of Defense standards; the State Fire Marshal approved the no‑sprinkler request but deferred any hydrant exception to the local AHJ (Sandoval County). Winslow said the city is working with the company and Sandoval County to ensure hydrants are placed for non‑hazardous buildings, to finalize an MOU clarifying roles and to pursue a plume study; he said pre‑incident planning and annual inspections will be necessary.

City staff emphasized the planning value of Paseo Del Volcan as a long‑range route to improve access to the site and keep construction and employee traffic out of the Northern Meadows neighborhood. The manager and fire chief said next steps include finalizing details of water‑service negotiations, clarifying hydrant and suppression placement with the county and state, completing a plume study if necessary, and updating the automatic‑aid agreement (expected review in 2026/2027).

Council recessed after staff presentations and planned Q&A and applicant presentations to follow after the break.