Rio Rancho council approves restaurant license, multifamily site plan, public-safety storage contract, library parking renovation and well rehabilitation

The Rio Rancho governing body approved several consent and contract items during its regularly scheduled meeting.

The council granted local district approval for Fuego Enterprises LLC d/b/a Laguna Burger to serve beer and wine at 2401 New Mexico Highway 528 (Item D5). There were no public comments on the application and the motion passed on a roll-call vote of the members present.

Planning staff presented Item D6, the Encore Multifamily Subdivision site plan: an 11-acre site proposed to be split into 28 lots with 2 to 7 units per lot and approximately 109 units at full buildout. Staff recommended approval with findings and conditions; the governing body voted to approve the site plan.

For Item D7, the governing body considered advice and consent to award a contract to Young Guns Construction LLC for a 4,800-square-foot engineered metal heavy-equipment storage structure at the police headquarters (500 Quantum Road). Police staff described the need to protect specialized vehicles from weather and wildlife, estimated an eight-month construction timeline and provided an estimated construction cost in the meeting record. Mayor Hall and another councilor recused themselves from D7 to avoid the appearance of impropriety; the council approved the award with those recusals noted.

Item D8 was a recommendation to award the Esther Bone Memorial Library parking lot reconstruction to Albuquerque Asphalt. The presentation listed project scope (full pavement reconstruction, new storm drain system, reconstructed driveway access, new communications conduit and conversion of parking-lot lights to LED) and funding sources including state capital outlay, general obligation bond proceeds and the city general fund; councilors expressed support and the award was approved.

On Item D9, the council approved an agreement to rehabilitate Well 19 with Pump Tech, LLC d/b/a Alpha Southwest. Staff explained rehabilitation is generally preferred to redrilling because of cost differences, quoted a rehabilitation amount including gross receipts tax, and said the well could produce about 2,000,000 gallons per day and be back in production by late June or early July 2026.

All items on the consent calendar and the identified contracts were approved by roll-call votes during the meeting. Where recusals occurred (D7), the meeting record notes the mayor and one councilor stepped aside before the vote.