Looking ahead

Council to review zoning ordinance

RIO RANCHO — City councilors on Wednesday are set to discuss and vote on the second reading of an ordinance that will make sweeping changes to the city’s planning and zoning rules.

The changes affect residential, commercial and industrial development. Among other things, they would increase the maximum permitted height of a buildings in a commercial and industrial areas.

Councilors will also vote on an ordinance changing the April through September watering restriction hours to conform with those in the Albuquerque Bernalillo Water Utility Authority area, which prohibits spray irrigation between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m.

And councilors will hear public comment on a plan to restructure a loan the city took out in 2006 to fund infrastructure improvements in a portion of northern Rio Rancho designated as Special Assessment District 6.

The loan was backed with payments assessed on property owners in the district. Since the economic downturn in 2008 delinquency rates have reached 50 percent.

Discussion opens on closed meeting

CORRALES — Village councilors are scheduled to hold an open discussion at their Tuesday meeting about issues that were covered in a closed-door meeting on Jan. 11 where a representative from the state Environment Department was present.

The state Attorney General directed Mayor Phil Gasteyer to hold the discussion to address a complaint by two city councilors that the closed session violated the state Open Meetings Act.

The assistant attorney general who investigated the complaint said the presence of the Environment Department representative meant the closed-door discussion didn’t fall within the “attorney-privileged communication” provision of the law which allows meetings to be closed.

— Rio West, Albuquerque Journal and Rio Rancho Observer reports
— This article appeared on page 06 of the Albuquerque Journal