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2026-09-21 - City Council

Summary

Built from the official action summary (minutes, Legistar status Final). It records motions and votes only, not discussion.

  • Monday, September 21, 2026, the 18th meeting of the 27th Council, convened at 5:00 p.m. and adjourned at 8:44 p.m. All nine councilors present at roll call. President Peña led the Pledge of Allegiance in English and Bassan in Spanish. The journal of September 9, 2026 was approved.
  • Committee report (Finance and Government Operations Committee, September 14): EC-26-246 (2027 Administration Priority Capital and Policy Requests) postponed to October 5, 2026, 8-0 (Baca excused).
  • Consent agenda: 26 items, all passed 9-0 except the postponement of R-26-57 to October 19, 2026 (9-0). Items included residential parking permits, two quarterly litigation reports (receipt noted), 13 mayoral appointments, the Internal Audit FY2027 audit plan (R-26-52), grant acceptances, a tax abatement for La Curva, reasonable-notice rules and the 2027 meeting calendar.
  • Economic development: the No Bull Prime Meats LEDA project (O-26-59) passed 7-2; the Sichler Farms redevelopment tax abatement (R-26-60) passed 9-0.
  • Appeals: the Solar Road fence permit appeal (AC-26-06) was granted 7-2 with findings to follow; the Yale Boulevard overnight shelter findings (AC-26-07) were accepted 6-3; five digital billboard conversion appeals by Lindmark Companies (AC-26-09 to AC-26-13) were each denied on the Land Use Hearing Officer's recommendation, 7-2.
  • Approvals: Final Objectives Report postponed to October 5 (7-1, Baca excused); two awards approved 7-0 with two excused; the Council's state legislative program received as amended 8-0; the Board of Ethics appointment was tabled and later confirmed 6-2.
  • Final action: R-26-62 extending the Main Street corridor designation passed 8-0.
  • Passed 9-0 on Peña's motions: EC-26-176 (residential parking permits for the Parking Division lot, Hannett Avenue Northeast); EC-26-202 (notice of an Aviation Department application to the Federal Railroad Administration CRISI program) and EC-26-241 (notice of an Aviation application to the state Site Readiness Fund), both approved; EC-26-224 and EC-26-225 (Legal Department quarterly litigation reports for Q2 and Q3 of FY2026, greater than 10,000), receipt noted; EC-26-240 (Early Head Start quarterly report, April through June 2026), receipt noted.
  • Confirmed 9-0: Dr. Mindy J. Brown and Mr. Evan J. Sandoval (Para Transit Advisory Board); Mr. George T.M. Dietrich III, Nathan Thomas Johnson, Dara Osher (re-appointment) and Althea May Atherton (re-appointment) (Transit Advisory Board); Erik M. Harriger (Biological Park Board); Sarah Katie Mock (Arts Board); Elizabeth (Beth) E. Black (re-appointment, Older Americans Act Advisory Council); and four appointees to the Youth Advisory Council (names omitted).
  • Passed 9-0: R-26-52 (approves the Office of Internal Audit FY2027 audit plan as submitted by the Accountability in Government Oversight Committee, Bassan, by request); R-26-53 (accepts National Recreation and Parks Association, Nike and U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee grant funds for coaching training and appropriates them to Youth and Family Services, Peña, by request); R-26-59 (accepts a state Department of Health grant for a mosquito surveillance program and appropriates it to Environmental Health in FY2026 and FY2027, Bassan, by request).

Council Meeting Notice Rules

  • R-26-63 (determining reasonable notice of public meetings of the City Council, Peña) passed 9-0.
  • R-26-64 (setting the official list of Council meetings from January 2027 through December 2027, Peña) passed 9-0.

La Curva Redevelopment Tax Abatement

  • R-26-61 (redevelopment tax abatement for the La Curva development project in the Historic Central Metropolitan Redevelopment Area, Baca, by request) passed 9-0 on the consent agenda.

State capital outlay project scope changes

  • R-26-57 (Fiebelkorn; dedicates state capital outlay funds to specific projects and phases and requires Council approval of scope changes) was postponed to October 19, 2026, 9-0, on Peña's motion.

Administration Priority Capital Requests

  • EC-26-246 postponed to October 5, 2026, 8-0 (Baca excused), on Peña's motion.

No Bull Prime Meats LEDA Project

  • O-26-59 (Bassan, by request) approves a Local Economic Development Act project with No Bull Prime Meats, LLC to expand its meat processing facility with cold dry storage, HVAC improvements and smoke rooms, authorizes the project participation agreement and appropriates funds.
  • Telles moved to postpone to October 5, 2026; the motion failed for lack of a second.
  • Bassan moved passage. Carried 7-2: for Baca, Bassan, Champine, Grout, Lewis, Peña, Rogers; against Fiebelkorn and Telles.

Sichler Farms LEDA project

  • R-26-60 (redevelopment tax abatement for the Sichler Farms development project in the Central Highland/Upper Nob Hill Metropolitan Redevelopment Area, Rogers, by request), under Financial Instruments. Rogers moved passage; carried 9-0.

Solar Road Fence Permit Appeal

  • AC-26-06: the appellant appeals the Zoning Hearing Examiner's approval of a major wall/fence permit on the front property line of a lot on Solar Road NW, zoned R-1.
  • Baca moved to grant the appeal and reverse the Zoning Hearing Examiner, with findings to be adopted at a later meeting. Carried 7-2: for Baca, Fiebelkorn, Grout, Lewis, Peña, Rogers, Telles; against Bassan and Champine.

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 a Yale Boulevard SE property, zoned NR-LM.
  • Rogers moved to accept the findings for adoption. Carried 6-3: for Baca, Champine, Grout, Lewis, Peña, Rogers; against Bassan, Fiebelkorn, Telles.

Digital Billboard Conversion Appeals

  • AC-26-09 to AC-26-13: Lindmark Companies appeals five Planning staff decisions denying sign permits to convert billboards to digital, at properties on Montbel Loop NE (zoned NR-GM), Montano Road NW (MX-M), Gibson Boulevard SE (MX-M), Osuna Road NE (NR-LM) and San Mateo Boulevard NE (MX-M).
  • On each, Fiebelkorn moved to accept the Land Use Hearing Officer's recommendation and findings. Each carried 7-2: for Baca, Champine, Fiebelkorn, Grout, Lewis, Rogers, Telles; against Bassan and Peña.

City Council Legislative Program

  • OC-26-18 (Council legislative program for the first session of the 58th New Mexico Legislature): Grout moved Amendment No. 1 and Amendment No. 2, each carried 7-0 (Baca and Bassan excused). Peña moved receipt be noted as amended, carried 8-0 (Baca excused).

Board Of Ethics Appointment

  • OC-26-17 (appointment to the Board of Ethics, Timothy L. Allen selected): Peña moved to table it, carried 8-0 (Baca excused).
  • Later in the meeting Peña moved to remove it from the table, carried 7-1 (against Champine; Baca excused), then that Timothy L. Allen be confirmed, carried 6-2: for Bassan, Champine, Grout, Lewis, Peña, Rogers; against Fiebelkorn and Telles.

Main Street Corridor Extension

  • R-26-62 (amends the Albuquerque/Bernalillo County Comprehensive Plan to extend the Main Street corridor designation from Wyoming Boulevard to Tramway Boulevard, Grout and Rogers, by request) passed 8-0 on Grout's motion (Baca excused).

Other approvals

  • EC-26-209 (Final Objectives Report for FY2026) postponed to October 5, 2026, 7-1 on Grout's motion (Bassan against, Baca excused).
  • EC-26-211 (award for environmental maintenance, hospitality and safety services) and EC-26-218 (golf course concessions award, Ladera Golf Course) approved 7-0 (Baca and Bassan excused).
  • EC-26-263 (Fifth Supplemental Agreement adding funds for outside counsel legal services with Holland & Hart, LLP) approved 8-0 (Baca excused).

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