Parks and Recreation Committee approves minutes, hears project updates and event schedule

The Rio Rancho Parks and Recreation Committee approved its November minutes and then heard a series of staff reports on March 18 that covered completed accessibility work, playground projects, upcoming community events and seasonal hiring.

Projects Division Manager Diane Sornier summarized recent volunteer cleanups and the department’s tree recycling program, saying the city collected over 650 trees for mulching. She outlined a backyard‑refuge class and a pollinator workshop held in partnership with the local Soil and Water Conservation District and the Xerces Society and urged residents to ‘‘please leave the leaf litter, for our pollinators,’’ to protect native bumblebees and other insects.

Sornier announced an April 20 backyard‑refuge class at 8:30 a.m. followed by a drive‑through tree seedling giveaway at City Hall from 10 a.m. to noon; each participant will receive three plant species including an Afghan pine, plus either an Arizona ash or Arizona sycamore, and a golden or wax currant. She also noted the Great American Cleanup is scheduled for May 4 and that event registration is available on the city website under the Keep Rio Rancho Beautiful page.

On capital projects, Sornier reported completion of ADA access improvements to Field 7 at the Rio Rancho Sports Complex — including handicap parking, sidewalks to the bleachers and dugout gate modifications — funded primarily with Community Development Block Grant (HUD) dollars and supplemented from departmental funds. She said Via Baja playground replacement and accessible surfacing are complete, Enchanted Hills has a new playground pending a finance change order, and demolition has started at Rio Vista playground with an aim to finish park improvements before the school year ends.

Sornier described a Bureau of Reclamation channel‑widening project near the Willow Creek Loop that added low‑ and high‑flow channels intended to slow runoff, increase infiltration and create habitat for native species such as the silvery minnow. She said contractors installed new trail alignments and pole plantings of cottonwoods as part of wrap up.

Superintendent Charles Fernandez told the committee crews are turning on irrigation systems, conducting weed prevention and that Havasu Park’s dog‑park wood chips were removed and will be replaced with about 400 tons of crusher‑fine surfacing to improve durability and reduce weeds. Fernandez said the parks department remains short two full‑time employees but has interviews scheduled and that savings from recycled wood chips will be reused at the sports complex.

Fernandez and Sornier both described sharp cost increases on routine supplies that have strained maintenance budgets: trash bags and dog‑waste bags are more expensive and have longer lead times, a pallet of cold‑mix asphalt has roughly doubled in price, wood‑chip deliveries rose significantly, and some irrigation supplies are many times their previous cost. Fernandez said the department requested midyear budget increases to cover maintenance and repair line items.

Deputy Director Noah Trujillo said summer hiring is proceeding and that the city currently has roughly 140 open positions across aquatics and summer camps. He confirmed summer camp registration opens April 8, and outlined upcoming events including Eggs and Bacon on April 6, Park in the Park on April 27, a Juneteenth celebration June 22 at Haines, and a likely fireworks‑only July 4 while Campus Park is under construction.

Director Connie Peterson provided a three‑month highlights recap — including Winterfest on Dec. 1 (estimated 3,000–5,000 attendees), pet‑food drives and vendor markets — and said staff spent December and January preparing the FY25 budget and requested modest increases primarily for maintenance work.

The committee had no public hearings and no one signed up for public forum. The chair adjourned the meeting at 6:47 p.m.