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The following are frequently asked questions for each City Department. You may search for specific words or phrases, or shorten the list by selecting a specific category.
City Attorney
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No. The City Attorney only provides legal advice to the Governing Body, City Manager and Staff. Citizens requiring private legal advice need to consult a private attorney. The NM Bar Association can help in this matter. Their phone number is (505) 797-6000.
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We have Notice of Tort Claim forms in our office that you will need to fill out and complete with written estimates/repair receipts attached. We then forward to our insurance carrier.
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Depending on the amount, either Magistrate Court in Bernalillo or Sandoval County District Court. They have packets you can pick up for a nominal fee if you would like to do this on your own. You can call Magistrate Court at (505) 867-5202 or the District Court Clerk’s office at (505) 867-2376.
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You will need to go to the Sandoval County District Court. One of the judges will need to sign the order for it to be in effect. You may contact the District Court Clerk’s office for more information (505) 867-2376.
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Northern NM Legal Services can be reached at 1-800-373-9881.
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City Clerk
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If an issue is part of the agenda, the presiding officer always asks for public input. If it is in reference to an issue not on the agenda, the Governing Body reserves the public forum section at the beginning of the meeting for public input.
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The Governing Body meetings are on the second and fourth Wednesday of each month, at 7:00 pm in the Council Chambers of City Hall, 3900 Southern Boulevard. Agendas for the meeting are available in the Office of the City Clerk at least 24-hours before each meeting.
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The Sandoval County Clerk is the voter registrar. Voter registration forms may be obtained from the office of the City Clerk or at the Motor Vehicle City Listing. For additional voter registration, contact the County Clerk at (505) 867-7572.
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Municipal Elections are held on even-numbered years. The next election in Rio Rancho will be held in March 2004. The election will include councilor for Districts 1, 4, and 6. The March 2006 election will include a Mayor, a Councilor from districts 2, 3, and 5 and a Municipal Judge.
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Any person intending to engage in business must register with the City Clerk. The City Clerk's office will provide the steps required to become a home-based or commercial business.
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Convention and Visitor's Bureau
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Although the City limits of Rio Rancho and Albuquerque abut one another, the City centers are approximately 15 minutes apart. Santa Fe is approximately 50 minutes north of Rio Rancho.
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We are happy to mail our brochures anywhere in the world.
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At the Chamber of Commerce located in the New Mexico Bank & Trust Building on Southern Blvd at Hwy 528.
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Please call Development Services (505) 891-5005 or the Sandoval County Assessor (505) 867-7562.
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No, but we will forward your request to the Chamber of Commerce and they will mail a relocation packet to you.
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Financial Services
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The City of Rio Rancho currently accepts cash and checks, debit and credit cards (Visa, Mastercard and Discover). Debit and Credit cards are not accepted at all City locations. To find out which locations are currently accepting credit cards please call Financial Services at (505) 891-5010.
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You may call Financial Services at (505) 891-5010 and ask for the accounts payable clerk that is assigned to your business account.
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Please call Financial Services at (505) 891-5010 and ask for the Special Assessment Billing Clerk.
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Competitive Sealed Bids – All procurement is achieved by competitive sealed bids except when competitive sealed proposals are authorized for small purchases, sole sources, emergency procurement or for purchases under existing contracts. An Invitation for Bid (IFB) is a solicited competitive sealed bid for the purpose of procuring services, construction or items of tangible personal property. A Request for Proposal (RFP) is a solicited competitive sealed proposal for the purpose of procuring professional services or when the Purchasing office makes a determination that the use of competitive sealed bidding is either not practicable or advantageous to the City.
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A vendor who wishes to do business within the municipal limits is required to obtain a City Business Registration. In addition, it is recommended that your business register as a vendor at the City of Rio Rancho. Registration information is available on the
Purchasing Website
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Human Resources
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You can find out information about job openings and related application information by clicking on the following link.
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Library
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The Loma Colorado Main Library is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday. The Esther Bone Memorial Library is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday and Wednesday, noon to 8 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday, and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday and Saturday. The Loma Colorado Main Library is at 755 Loma Colorado Drive NE in Rio Rancho. Directions from Albuquerque:
* From downtown Albuquerque, take I-25 to the Alameda exit and go west to the intersection of Alameda and Coors, where Alameda becomes Rio Rancho Boulevard (NM 528).
* Continue on NM 528 up the hill, past the Intel plant.
* Stay on NM 528 for about 1.2 miles, until you come to the intersection for High Resort Boulevard. Make a left on High Resort.
* Stay on High Resort Boulevard for about 1.6 miles, until you come to Broadmoor Drive. Make a right on Broadmoor.
* Travel about 0.3 miles on Broadmoor to Loma Colorado Drive. Make a right on Loma Colorado. The library is about 0.2 miles from the Broadmoor intersection, past Rio Rancho High School, on the west side of the road. The Esther Bone Memorial Library is at 950 Pinetree Road SE in Rio Rancho. Directions from Albuquerque: Take Highway 528 north past Intel until you get to Southern Boulevard. The Smith's Supermarket shopping center will be on your right. Go west (left) on Southern to the second stoplight at Pinetree. Turn right onto Pinetree. We are just past the post office at 950 Pinetree Road. If you are coming from the north, take 528 south to Southern Boulevard, turn right on Southern, then follow the same directions. The Star Heights Learning Center is at 800 Polaris Blvd. SE in Rio Rancho. Its hours change seasonally. Call 891-3938 for information.
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Library membership is open to all New Mexico residents. You need a valid picture ID and proof of residency. These can be one and the same. If you have an address that is different from what is on your ID, you will need to bring in something with your current address on it.
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The Loma Colorado Main Library accepts donations of books and other media. Some of the items are added into the library collection, while others are sold by the Friends of the Library. To drop off donations, drive around to the back of the library and put them in the small, wooden building that is marked "Donated by Handy Dans." The Esther Bone Memorial Library no longer takes donations.
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The Loma Colorado Main Library has 30 computers available to the public, 22 in the adults' section and eight in the children's and teens' sections. The Esther Bone Branch Library has eight public access computers that may be used by patrons of all ages. They have Internet access, Microsoft Word, Excel, Power Point, online databases, and many other programs. Printouts are 15 cents per page for black and white, 50 cents for color. You must have a valid library card to use a computer.
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We have books, videocassettes, DVDs, books on audiocassette, books on CD, and music CDs available for checkout. We also have magazines and newspapers, which do not check out, with the exception of children's and teen magazines (see question #6, below). With a regular adult card, you may check out up to 50 items at a time. Of those 50 items, you may check out a maximum of five CDs, five DVDs, and five audiobooks at one time. You may take out as many books and as many VHS tapes as you want, up to the maximum of 50. You may keep books, both print and audio, for three weeks. You may renew them twice (by phone, on the library's web page, or in the library) if no one has reserved them. You may keep movies and music (DVDs, VHS tapes, and CDs) for one week. Movies and music cannot be renewed.
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We have one coin-operated photocopy machine for black-and-white copies at each library. Copies are 15 cents per page. At this time we do not offer fax or scanner services.
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Currently, juvenile and teen magazines may be checked out for three weeks. Adult magazines do not circulate. We also have online databases of magazine articles that can be searched at the library or from home via the library web page. Visit the "Search Databases" page for more information.
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We have several rooms that can be reserved, depending on availability. A contract must be signed and room rental fees are charged, depending on the type of organization. For more information and room availability, please call (505) 896-5013, Ext. 3081. We also have small study rooms that are available on a first-come, first-served basis. See the "About the Library/Study Rooms" link for more information.
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Yes. It may take a day or two to arrive at one library from the other.
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Parks, Recreation and Community Services
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All events are listed on the City's Calendar. You can view this calendar at the City's homepage by clicking on the banner at the top of this page.
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Public Safety
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You may call the burn line at (505) 891-7268 to find out if you can burn.
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You can apply at two locations. The Rio Rancho Department of Public Safety at 500 Quantum Road or at City Hall, 3200 Civic Center Circle NE in the Human Resources Office.
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Children less than one year of age shall be properly secured in a rear- facing child passenger restraint device that meets federal standards, in the rear seat vehicle or in the front seat of the vehicle if the passenger- side air bag is deactivated. Children one year of age through four years of age, regardless of weight, or children who weigh less than forty pounds, regardless of age, shall be properly secured in a child passenger restraint device that meets federal standards; and children five years of age through twelve years of age shall be secured in the rear seat of a motor vehicle equipped with a rear seat, unless all available seating positions are occupied by passengers twelve years of age or younger; and children thirteen through seventeen years of age shall be secured by a safety belt in the front seat or rear seat of the vehicle.
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You should call Animal Control at (505) 891-7237 to report barking dogs.
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For emergencies, please immediately call 911. For non emergencies, please call (505) 891-5933 to talk with a representative from the Traffic Division.
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By law, you are obligated to report any motor vehicle accident if it causes damage in excess of $500 or causes an injury.
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Contact the State Department of Public Safety at 1-505-842-3082.
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Citations issued for violations of a City of Rio Rancho municipal ordinance may be paid in person at the Rio Rancho Municipal Court, 500 Quantum Rd. SE. Citations issued by State or County law enforcement officers may be paid in person at Magistrate Court, 681 Camino del Pueblo, Bernalillo, NM or by mail to the address noted on the back of the citation.
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The law requires drivers to immediately pull to the right and stop on the approach of an emergency vehicle running with lights and/or siren engaged. By approach, the law means from any direction: from behind, side or on-coming. The reason for requiring motorists to pull to the right and stop is so that the emergency vehicle may safely proceed through traffic to their destination. Emergency vehicle operators are instructed to use the center-most lane when responding to an emergency. If you are driving in the same direction as the emergency vehicle and they need to make a right turn, the emergency vehicle cannot safely execute this maneuver until you have either stopped or passed; stopping is the safest action. If you are meeting an emergency vehicle that needs to turn left and if you continue moving, the emergency vehicle must stop and wait for you to clear the intersection before they can safely make a left turn. Emergency vehicle operators are instructed to remain very cognizant of other traffic on the roadway. Therefore, your cooperation while driving, pulling to the right and stopping, makes the roads safer for us all.
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Public Works
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The city only participates in the construction of system improvements that include collector streets, such as Western Hills, Pecos Loop, 40th Street and arterial streets such as Southern Blvd and Northern Blvd. Residential streets are built by private developers. In older platted areas, that responsibility belongs to the homeowners. This can be accomplished through the formation of a special assessment district (SAD). See Next Item.
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A Special Assessment District is a process that requires all property owners in the participating district to pay for their share of public infrastructure improvements. These improvements may include roadway paving, storm drainage systems, water and sewer improvements.
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In many cases, having a sign replaced or installed is as simple as calling Public Works and asking for it. After a brief engineering review to check if the sign is appropriate, it will be ordered and installed. This process takes four to six weeks. Public Works will not put up stop signs whose sole purpose is to control speed and will typically not install speed limit signs on every residential road. Studies have shown that unwarranted stop signs do little to control speed and that they are routinely run by drivers. All entries to residential areas have 25 mph signs posted and putting a sign up on all residential roads is a needless expense. Another commonly requested sign is the "Children At Play" sign. This sign is no longer recognized by the Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices as recommended signing.
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Public Works conducts a warrant study at the intersection in question. The warrant study determines the total number of cars on each approach, total delay for vehicles on the side street, as well as the number of accidents. The values from the study are then compared with values found in the Manual for Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD). If the number of cars counted equals or exceeds the number given in the MUTCD, then the city will consider installing a signal. If, however, an intersection is functioning efficiently and safely, the city will not put up a signal even if the volumes meet MUTCD standards. Obtaining funds for installation of a new signal is also a consideration. A new traffic signal ranges in cost from approximately $100,000 to $300,000 depending on the location and type of roadway geometric improvements required to accommodate its placement. Funding is allocated annually and no traffic signal project can begin until funding is appropriated.
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Roadway projects can be classified in two categories:
Rehabilitation and
Reconstruction/New Construction.
Public Works maintains a Pavement Management System, which is an inventory of all city roadway facilities. The roadways are classified by roadway type (Major Arterials, Minor Arterials, Collectors and Residential) as well as Pavement Condition Index (PCI) and Pavement Condition Rating (PCR). Other relevant data such as structural features (number of lanes, medians, curb and gutter, water valves, bike paths, etc.) are listed. The overall length and width of each roadway segment is also shown. This data base serves as a baseline indicating which city streets are in need of rehabilitation. At present, Public Works schedules a major rehabilitation project once a year to address collector and arterial streets. A recent example includes the rehabilitation work done on Ridgecrest, Broadmoor and High Resort. Sandoval County Public Infrastructure in coordination with the City of Rio Rancho has set out to pave several collector roadways around the city each year (Abrazo, Chessman and Kim Road in 2002).Major roadway projects that would increase the volume capacity of a roadway or address safety deficiencies follow a different process. Examples of major roadway projects include the Golf Course Road Widening Project, Unser Blvd and Northern Blvd Widening Projects. That process goes along the following lines. Each year the city updates its Infrastructure Capital Improvements Program (ICIP). Each department is responsible for submitting an outline and summary of needed capital improvement projects. The ICIP committee prioritizes these projects and then the Governing Body approves or modifies these priorities. Public Infrastructure is charged with identifying potential funding sources for these projects (Local, State and Federal). Qualifying roadway projects may be eligible for funding through the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP). Funding categories include Surface Transportation Urban (STPU) and Surface Transportation Enhancement (STPE) which are federal funds that require a 20% and 25% local match, respectively. Rio Rancho projects would compete with other projects in our region for inclusion for funding in the Albuquerque Metropolitan Planning Area (AMPA) Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) as administered by the Mid Region Council of Governments (MRCOG). An approved TIP becomes part of the STIP once approved and adopted by the Urban Transportation Policy and Planning Board (UTPPB) and finally the State Highway Commission (NMSHTD). Other funding sources include Municipal Arterial Project (MAP) funds and Cooperative Project (COOP) funds administered by the State Highway and Transportation City Listing. These are state monies competed for both on the local and statewide level. In other words it may take years to complete new road construction, but the planning process is an ongoing one.
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The city has recently begun a traffic calming program. Traffic calming consists of a variety of methods, from speed humps to traffic circles to rumble strips, used to slow down or divert drivers on a residential street. Filling out a Citizen Concern Form will be enough to have your street considered for action. The Dept. of Public Safety also participates with programs that target specific areas and streets. See next question.
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A grading permit is required for any construction or development related grading, clearing, grubbing or earthwork. Typically a grading permit is approved as part of the building permit and no separate process is required. When the only work to be done is grading, or when it is desirable to proceed with grading prior to a building permit being issued, it is necessary to acquire a grading permit from Public Works. This department provides an information packet entitled "Summary of Grading Permit Requirements" that includes directions for completing a grading permit application.
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Public Works will do a speed study on the street. The speeds and volumes are then compared to city standards to see if a speed hump would be effective at slowing the majority of traffic on the street. Emergency response routes, including all collectors and arterials, are not eligible for speed humps. Stiff suspension vehicles such as fire trucks and ambulances are particularly affected by speed humps and it is the City's view that placing certain types of traffic calming devices on these roads will increase emergency response time, placing lives in danger. For a list of EMS routes, contact the Department of Public Safety at (505) 891-5900.
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A curb cut permit allows an individual property owner to access an adjoining city roadway. Although un-paved roads have no curb and gutter, a "curb cut" permit is still required to ensure that the private driveway is located and constructed correctly. To get a curb cut permit it is necessary to come to Public Works and complete an application. A sketch of the proposed access point will need to be included with the application, as well as the contractors' name, address and license number. Upon approval of the permit, a fee of $50.00 is required. Instructions and the curb cut permit are available for download in the
Forms and Documents section.
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There are many unmaintained roads within the City of Rio Rancho. If you are building on a lot where the only access is by an unmaintained road, you may ask that the road be graded by the Department of Public Works. Public Works schedules regular road grading only on streets with occupied homes. A road opening must be requested in writing to Public Works, which should include the address of the lot to be accessed and a sketch or map of the property.
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Please click on link for answers to questions on Utility Billing.
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Utilities
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To open a new account or reactivate water service, every customer must fill out an application. All information must be filled in. The completed application can be brought into our office located at 4100 Southern Blvd., Suite 100, mailed to us, faxed to (505) 891-5204 or you can fill out our online application and submit it electronically. Once your application is received, a customer service representative will open your new account on the day you request.
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A $25.00 administrative fee will be charged to your account. A deposit of $100.00 is required but can be waived if you are an established water service customer with good credit history or if you have a letter of credit showing a good credit history from another Utility Company to include gas, electric or water. The deposit can usually be charged to your account. If you have not received your letter of credit from your former Utility Company at the time you apply for a water service account, you may have it faxed to (505) 891-5204 and the deposit charge will be removed from your account.
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You may call the office at (505) 891-5020 or come into the office to finalize your account. The Utility will endeavor to act upon telephone or verbal orders to discontinue service, but in the event of a dispute, only a written notice will be considered proof of notification. A form is available for this purpose and can be faxed to you.
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Call our office at (505) 891-5020 and report it. After normal working hours or on the weekend, call (505) 880-9021.
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Yes, we offer incentives of up to $100.00 on qualified purchases of low-flow toilets, high efficiency washing machines and hot water recirculating pumps. Call (505) 896-8715 for more information.
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