By Jesse Jones — Tonight, the Albuquerque City Council will consider a new African American Advisory Board and a measure revising staffing rules for Albuquerque Fire Rescue.
Sponsored by Councilor Nichole Rogers, ordinance O-26-11 would create an African American Advisory Board to advise the mayor on issues affecting African Americans. The board would focus on economic mobility, public health, cultural heritage and support for missing and murdered Black families.
The 15-member panel would include representatives from designated organizations and community experts, subject to appointment and City Council confirmation.
The council will also consider a resolution, R-26-4, from Council President Klarissa Peña and Councilor Tammy Fiebelkorn to revise last year’s paramedic staffing rule, which sparked a separation-of-powers lawsuit between Mayor Tim Keller and the Albuquerque City Council before they settled in February with an agreement that established a joint review process with the Albuquerque Area Fire Fighters IAFF Local 244.
The new version drops the paramedic-specific requirement, instead calling for at least two firefighters on each rescue unit and requiring the city to meet and confer with the firefighters’ union before making future staffing changes.
Another item on the agenda is Councilor Renée Grout’s resolution R-25-205 which has been postponed three times. It would require Albuquerque Fire Rescue, the Police Department and the Albuquerque Community Safety to submit quarterly operations reports covering staffing, call volume, response times, training, community outreach, program outcomes and fiscal data.
Two quarterly reports are on the consent calendar: the Q1 FY2026 IPRA report and the Q2 ABQ RIDE security report covering APD, ACS and Metro Security operations.
The council will also meet in closed session to discuss a legal dispute over Mesa Film Studio. The Environmental Planning Commission approved a site plan for the studio on about 60 acres of the Double Eagle II Airport property. Last May, Naeva, a Native-led nonprofit, and the West Side Coalition of Neighborhood Associations appealed the April 23, 2025 city decision that denied their previous appeal (case AC-25-01).
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