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2026-08-17 - City Council

Summary

Built from the official action summary (minutes, Legistar status Final). It records motions and votes only, not discussion. The Council President's agenda review of the same day is on 2026-08-17 - President.

  • Monday, August 17, 2026, the 16th meeting of the 27th Council, convened at 5:00 p.m. in the Council chambers and adjourned at 10:51 p.m. All nine councilors were present at roll call. President Peña led the Pledge of Allegiance in English and Bassan led it in Spanish. Peña was later recorded excused on several votes (see below).
  • The Council failed to override the Mayor's veto of R-26-30, a charter amendment proposition on Article V, Section 4: 4-5 on Vice-President Champine's motion, so the veto stands (see Charter Article V Amendment Veto).
  • Committee reports from the August 10 Finance and Government Operations Committee (2026-08-10 - Finance and Government Operations Committee) and the August 12 Land Use, Planning, and Zoning Committee (2026-08-12 - Land Use, Planning, and Zoning Committee) were received.
  • Withdrawn by Administration, 9-0 on Peña's motion: EC-26-160, an agreement with Homewise, Inc. to use $2,835,000.00 in Housing and Neighborhood Economic Development Funds for a home owner rehabilitation program.
  • Withdrawn by sponsor, 9-0: O-26-57, Peña's proposed 0.4875% municipal gross receipts tax, the "Community Investment Tax," to take effect July 1, 2027 if approved by voters.
  • Passed on consent, 9-0 each: 15 appointment and re-appointment confirmations (Greater Albuquerque Recreational Trails Committee, Youth Advisory Council, EMS Providers Advisory Committee twice, EMS Medical Control Board, Older American's Act Advisory Council, Greater Albuquerque Active Transportation Committee, Housing and Neighborhood Economic Development Committee, Affordable Housing Committee, Albuquerque Museum Board of Trustees twice, and the Balloon Museum Board of Trustees three times), two first supplemental agreements for outside counsel legal services (Garcia Law Group, LLC and Park and Associates), the grant applications report for January through June 2026 (receipt noted), and the filing of an application for the FY25 Choice Neighborhood Implementation Grant (EC-26-204).
  • Postponed on consent, 9-0: EC-26-209 (Final Objectives Report for Fiscal Year 2026) to September 9, 2026, and R-26-57 (state capital outlay funds, Fiebelkorn) to September 21, 2026.
  • Peña was recorded excused on the Securin ordinance and on everything from the Yale Boulevard appeal onward, so those votes are 8 or fewer.
  • Financial instruments: the Dreamcatcher Sawmill Hotel industrial revenue bond passed as amended, 8-1; three Local Economic Development Act projects (Securin, Quantinuum, BlackVe) all passed.
  • Final actions: the Public Purchases social services definition ordinance (O-26-50) passed 8-0; a zoning map amendment for about 165 acres at 6000 Alexander Dr. NE (O-26-51) passed 8-0; the City Attorney and Legal Department ordinance (O-26-54) passed 6-2; the budget proposal and oversight ordinance (O-26-58) passed 8-0; R-26-51 was amended and postponed to September 9; the NMFA water project grant agreement (R-26-54) passed as amended 8-0.

Charter Article V Amendment Veto

  • EC-26-222, veto of R-26-30 (a proposition for the next city election on an amendment to Article V, Section 4 of the City Charter, with the form of the question and ballot designation clause), taken under Other Business. Champine moved to override; the attempt failed 4-5. For: Champine, Fiebelkorn, Grout, Lewis. Against: Baca, Bassan, Peña, Rogers, Telles.

Homewise Rehabilitation Agreement

  • EC-26-160 (Homewise, Inc., $2,835,000.00 from the Housing and Neighborhood Economic Development Funds to administer a home owner rehabilitation program) was withdrawn by Administration, 9-0, under Deferrals/Withdrawals.

Community Investment Tax Proposal

  • O-26-57 (Peña) would have imposed a 0.4875% municipal gross receipts tax called the "Community Investment Tax," effective July 1, 2027 upon voter approval, for municipal operations and maintenance (including employee wages) and community enhancement projects with related debt service. Withdrawn by sponsor, 9-0.

State capital outlay project scope changes

  • R-26-57 (Fiebelkorn), dedicating state capital outlay funds to specific projects and phases and requiring Council approval of scope changes, postponed to September 21, 2026, 9-0, on Peña's motion under the consent agenda.

Dreamcatcher Sawmill Hotel Revenue Bond

  • O-26-38 (Baca, by request) authorizes a taxable industrial revenue bond, Series 2026, with a maximum principal amount of $40,520,267 for the Dreamcatcher Sawmill Hotel, a dual branded Hampton Inn and Home2 Suites with an anticipated 135 guestrooms. Peña's Amendment No. 1 failed 1-8 (only Peña for). Baca's Amendment No. 2 carried 6-3 (against: Bassan, Peña, Rogers). Passed as amended 8-1 on Baca's motion (against: Peña).

Securin LEDA Project

  • O-26-52 (Bassan, by request): Local Economic Development Act project to support Securin, Inc.'s expansion of cybersecurity technology operations. Passed 8-0 on Bassan's motion; Peña excused.

Quantinuum LEDA Project

  • O-26-53 (Bassan, by request): Local Economic Development Act project for a quantum computing facility with photonics and ion-trapping labs. Passed 9-0 on Bassan's motion.

BlackVe LEDA Project

  • O-26-56 (Rogers, by request): Local Economic Development Act project for a 55,000 square foot satellite design, manufacturing and operations facility at the MaxQ Campus adjacent to Kirtland Air Force Base. Passed 9-0 on Rogers's motion.

Yale Boulevard Overnight Shelter Appeal

  • AC-26-07: the Yale Village Neighborhood Association and D. Love's Restaurants, LLC appeal the Zoning Hearing Examiner's approval of a conditional use for an overnight shelter at 2300 Yale Blvd SE, zoned NR-LM. Rogers moved to reject the Land Use Hearing Officer recommendation and place the matter on the September 9, 2026 Council agenda for a full hearing. Carried 7-1 (against: Bassan; Peña excused). For: Baca, Champine, Fiebelkorn, Grout, Lewis, Rogers, Telles.

Outside counsel and Uptown Connect

  • EC-26-126, first supplemental agreement adding funds for outside counsel legal services with Modrall Sperling: approved 7-1 on Champine's motion (against: Telles; Peña excused).

Uptown Connect lease agreement

  • EC-26-210, development agreement for the Uptown Connect Affordable Housing Project with Family Housing Development Corporation, using Workforce Housing Trust Funds and state capital outlay funding for new construction of a multi-family rental housing project. Marked with an asterisk on the agenda. Fiebelkorn moved approval; carried 8-0 (Peña excused).
  • O-26-54 (Fiebelkorn, Champine) amends ROA 1994, Chapter 2, Article 7, Part 2 on the City Attorney and the City Legal Department and repeals Section 3-2-5 of the Code of Resolutions. Fiebelkorn moved passage; carried 6-2. For: Baca, Champine, Fiebelkorn, Grout, Lewis, Telles. Against: Bassan, Rogers. Peña excused. The Mayor later vetoed it and the Council overrode the veto on 2026-09-09 - City Council (see City Attorney Ordinance Veto).

Budget Proposal Oversight Ordinance

  • O-26-58 (Peña, Grout) amends Chapter 2, Article 11 of the Code of Ordinances to improve the City's budget proposal processes and strengthen oversight and accountability. Grout's Amendment No. 1 failed 4-4 (for: Bassan, Champine, Grout, Lewis; against: Baca, Fiebelkorn, Rogers, Telles). Grout then moved to suspend the rules to extend the meeting to 11:00 p.m.; carried 6-2 (against: Baca, Rogers). Passed 8-0 on Grout's motion; Peña, a sponsor, was excused.

Affordable Housing Project Funding Direction

  • R-26-51 (Grout, Rogers) directs the City Administration to use state capital outlay funding for project No. 24-I2699 for The Cottages at 161 Chama affordable housing development and to facilitate the determination that StreetVision Housing Strategies is a qualifying grantee. Rogers's Amendment No. 1 carried 8-0; Rogers then moved to postpone as amended to September 9, 2026; carried 8-0 (Peña excused).

John Street Pump Station Grant

  • R-26-54 (Baca) authorizes a New Mexico Finance Authority Water Project Fund grant agreement totaling $6,160,000 for design and construction of the John St. Pump Station and Gravity Pond, diversion of the Williams St. 72-inch storm drain and Broadway Blvd. 66-inch storm drain, and upsizing a storm drain in the Barelas Ditch to a 30-inch pipe. Baca's Amendment No. 1 carried 8-0; passed as amended 8-0 (Peña excused).

Other final actions

  • O-26-50 (Baca, Grout, Rogers) amends the Public Purchases Ordinance on the definition of social services and department references: passed 8-0 on Baca's motion.
  • O-26-51 (Bassan, by request) adopts a zoning map amendment from NR-SU to NR-LM for about 165 acres of Tract A, Plat of Tract A, City of Albuquerque Water Treatment Facility, at 6000 Alexander Dr. NE, owned by the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority: passed 8-0 on Bassan's motion.

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