Ahead of the 60-day state legislative session, most of Sandoval County’s legislators gathered Jan. 6 for the annual capital outlay meeting in the Rio Rancho Public Schools boardroom. The event allowed community members to engage with representatives, learn about priorities, request funding for projects and share input.
Rio Rancho Mayor Gregg Hull, representing the City of Vision, presented a $17 million capital outlay plan. He sought state support for key projects to improve infrastructure, public safety and quality of life. Hull urged legislative partnerships to meet the city’s growing needs.
“The number one priority for the citizens of Rio Rancho is roads, roads, and then once you get those roads fixed, stop people from speeding on them,” Hull said.
The city’s requests, ranging from $500,000 to $5 million, were organized into three categories—quality of life, public safety and public infrastructure.
Outlay Requests
Hull said the nine requests presented were the priorities the city council established for this session.
The first set of requests focused on quality of life.
The city is asking for $1.3 million to build a new youth baseball field at Sports Complex North. The funds will cover grading, site improvements and the construction of a 225-foot field, including lighting, bleachers and landscaping.
“Little League is a big business in Rio Rancho and there’s constant demand for more fields,” Hull said.
Next, the city seeks $627,000 to build a pedestrian pathway connecting the Rio Rancho Aquatic Center and Loma Colorado Library. The funds will also provide additional parking for large events and reduce the walking distance between the two facilities.
The third request is for $700,000 to reconstruct the parking lot serving Esther Bone Memorial Library and Veterans Monument Park. The city has already secured $200,000 in state funding and $100,000 from Sandoval County for the $1 million project.
The city also seeks $500,000 to create a learn-and-play space at Loma Colorado Main Library. The space would feature children’s museum-quality exhibits, including science activities, climbing areas and parent-child reading spaces. The city plans to invest $100,000 to begin the design process this spring.
The next group focuses on public safety, including improvements for both the fire and police departments.
One of the city’s major requests is $5 million to build a new fire and rescue station near Unser Blvd and Cabazon Blvd. The new fire station would be designated Fire and Rescue Station 8.
According to Hull, the station will help meet the needs of the growing population south of Northern Blvd, including areas along Southern Blvd and Los Diamantes area.
The city has secured just over $1 million in state funding and identified additional sources, including the General Fund, to cover the remaining $10 million in construction, equipment, and apparatus costs. Currently in the design phase, the city expects a groundbreaking later this year.
The city also seeks $800,000 to build an additional bay for Fire Station 3. Hull said the bay would accommodate specialized vehicles to help the station respond to wildland calls and rapid water rescue in the Bosque.
The final public safety request is for $600,000 to replace and equip six police vehicles, replacing those with high mileage.
Two public infrastructure requests total $9.5 million.
The city seeks $5 million to reconstruct Unser Blvd Phase IIB, which includes widening the roadway, improving intersections, improving safety features, and establishing new pedestrian facilities from Cherry Road to Paseo del Volcan (NM 347).
Hull said the project’s cost has nearly doubled from $12 million in 2011 to $30 million. The city has secured $11 million in federal funding and committed $2 million in local match funding.
The final request is for $4.5 million to expand the city’s Aquifer Reinjection System. The funding would support the construction of a second injection well and advanced water treatment equipment. The system uses treated wastewater to replenish the aquifer.
According to Hull, the expansion will double the amount of water the city can inject into the aquifer. The city is ready to begin the expansion project immediately.
Since the system became operational in 2017, about 300 million gallons of water have been reinjected into the aquifer. The city is also anticipating $1.76 million in Congressionally directed spending for the project, pending ratification.
As a person that lives in the other Sandoval County on the east side of the mountain, I found at the meeting that the legislatures there didn’t care at all about us. I was told to go talk to my legislators (one lives in Bernalillo County and the other lives in Santa Fe County) that both have more than 1 county in their district. It is so nice to hear of all the wonderful improvements happening on the west side of the mountain while we have no schools, a volunteer fire department, no police department and dirt roads that might get graded twice a year if we’re lucky.
Congratulations!