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Corrales council asks mayor to negotiate with Rio Rancho after a traffic camera was installed on village land
Summary
Councilors directed the mayor to discuss options with Rio Rancho after a contractor placed a Rio Rancho traffic (Flock‑style) camera on Corrales property; staff said the vendor placed the pole a short distance over the boundary, the device retains images about 30 days, and access/subscription arrangements are possible.
Councilors voted to ask the mayor to raise the placement of a Rio Rancho traffic camera that contractors installed partially on Corrales property.
Councilor Alenbrook described the placement as an encroachment and said the contractor had placed the pole inside the Corrales boundary rather than on Rio Rancho property. Police staff said the camera is a Flock‑style unit that reads license plates and retains color photographs for about 30 days unless footage is downloaded for an active investigation. Chief Vic told the council that the camera was placed by a vendor working for Rio Rancho and that the vendor appears to have set the mount slightly across the jurisdictional line when locating the pole.
Councilors discussed options including asking Rio Rancho to move the pole off village property, securing village access or a subscription to data from that camera, or negotiating compensation for the lease of a small area of village right‑of‑way. "A neighboring municipality basically invaded our land and established a service that they pay for that we have no control over," Councilor Alenbrook said. The council voted to direct the mayor to contact Rio Rancho leadership to negotiate a solution "favorable to Corrales," which could include relocation of the camera or an operational agreement.
Police staff noted that Rio Rancho and Albuquerque operate similar camera networks and that, if Corrales needed footage for a particular incident within the vendor’s retention window, Rio Rancho would typically provide that data on request. Staff also described national vendor practices and the subscription model—vendors charge jurisdictions per camera per year for ongoing access—but said Corrales currently has no subscription to that camera and is not paying for it.
The motion passed on a voice vote. The mayor said he will contact Rio Rancho staff to seek an amicable resolution and to discuss whether shared access or other compensating arrangements make sense given upcoming collaborative projects between the two jurisdictions.
