The Duke City’s nearly 300 parks will get up to $2 million for emergency turf repairs after the City Council voted 8-1 on Monday to use leftover money from last year’s budget. The measure, R-25-183, sponsored by Councilor Dan Lewis, passed after two delays since August, while councilors and the administration debated whether dying turf […]
Category: Local Gov.
Posted inLocal Gov.
‘Alarm bells of the highest order’: APD chief’s testimony reveals years of deleted police texts to avoid public records
Albuquerque Police Chief Harold Medina testified under oath in a lawsuit that he routinely deletes text messages about official business, a practice legal experts said violates a state law that requires government agencies to keep communications for at least one year. In an October whistleblower case, Medina said he and other high-ranking APD officials have […]
Posted inCity Hall
Forgotten ballot question won’t be on runoff ballot, either
A proposal to put a missing charter amendment on next year’s ballot was pushed back Monday as the Albuquerque City Council still needs the required public hearings before it can be approved. The amendment was mistakenly left off the Nov. 4 municipal ballot. Two measures sponsored by Councilor Joaquín Baca would let voters decide in […]
Posted inLocal Gov.
Council tees up rezoning for Westland housing, Menaul redevelopment, In-N-Out and Target development on Gibson
Several major land use items are on the Albuquerque City Council agenda Monday, Nov. 17, including rezoning near the University of New Mexico’s South Campus, along with updates to a struggling commercial corridor and a Westside master plan vote. Councilor Nichole Rogers will introduce Ordinance O-25-101, which would rezone about 35 acres of UNM-owned land […]
Posted inLocal Gov.
What happened to ABQ’s transit security dashboard?
Albuquerque residents looking for ABQ RIDE real-time transit security data now find only a broken link where the city’s Metro Security dashboard used to be. The dashboard previously showed security call data that City Desk used to report on transit safety trends. Officials said the agency isn’t cutting transparency. Instead, it’s preparing a full data […]
Posted inHousing & Homelessness
What’s in a name? City Council blocks administration from rebranding Juniper Flats apartments as “Gateway”
The Albuquerque City Council unanimously approved Resolution R-25-201 Nov. 5, preserving the “Juniper Flats” name for the 204-unit, 55-and-older senior apartment complex under renovation at 25 Hotel Circle NE in District 9. Though part of the city’s Gateway Network, the measure ensures Juniper Flats remains distinct from the Gateway shelter system, providing permanent, affordable housing […]
Posted inLocal Gov.
A mom’s mission: After losing her daughter in a cycling crash, ABQ mom convinced city council to make traffic laws better for bikes, pedestrians
Days after 19-year-old Kayla Vanlandingham was struck and killed while cycling across Carlisle Boulevard in July, her mother, Melinda Montoya, met with District 7 City Councilor Tammy Fiebelkorn to ask, “How do we make things better for others?” That question sparked a four-month push that ended Wednesday, Nov. 5, when the Albuquerque City Council unanimously […]
Posted inLocal Gov.
Drivers beware: City’s new traffic code gives bikes, pedestrians more safe space
This week, Albuquerque’s City Council passed the first major bicycle and pedestrian safety updates to the city’s traffic safety code since 1974. The change came after an Albuquerque mother began asking councilors to write better laws after her daughter, Kayla Vanlandingham, 19, was killed in a bicycling accident in July. According to a summary of […]
Posted inLocal Gov.
ABQ fast-tracks solar permits as credits canceled by “Big, Beautiful Bill” are set to expire at year-end
Albuquerque homeowners wanting to install solar panels at home had better hurry before federal incentives canceled by President Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” expire in December. Fortunately for procrastinators, the city is here to help. The City Council voted unanimously on Monday, Oct. 20, to fast-track residential solar permits through the end of 2025, helping residents […]
Posted inLocal Gov.
Councilors question timing of “Gateway” rebrand of city’s “Juniper Flats” hotel converted to senior housing
City Councilors on Monday, Oct. 20, urged the Keller administration to rethink its plan to rebrand the under-renovation Juniper Flats senior apartments after signage with the “Juniper Flats” project name was already installed. During the City Council’s question-and-answer period, District 9 City Councilor Renée Grout said the new name could make the permanent affordable housing […]