After four hours of discussion Monday night, city councilors finally voted on a series of proposed changes to the city charter, including how many votes a candidate needs to win an election. The meeting — the last until Aug. 5 — wrapped up after 1 a.m. Three of the four amendments were approved and will […]
Elise Kaplan
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Zoning to increase duplexes, overnight shelters fails at City Council
A push to reform the city’s zoning laws to allow more duplex construction has failed for a second year. An amendment to the city’s codes would have greenlighted conversions of existing single-family homes into duplexes in areas designated as urban centers, main street areas and those near mass transit. A measure to allow for new […]
Posted inBernalillo County, Local Gov.
County manager finalists to meet community
Bernalillo County residents are invited to meet the final candidates for county manager Tuesday evening. Marcos Gonzales, Joseph Lessard and Cindy Chavez are vying to replace County Manager Julie Morgas Baca, who is retiring June 30. HOW TO PARTICIPATE – CANDIDATE FORUM WHEN: 5 p.m. June 18WHERE: Ken Sanchez Commission Chambers in BernalilloCounty@Alvarado Square, 415 […]
Posted inAlbuquerque, Courts, Justice & Safety
Hot town, summer in the city: APD expands resources Downtown
The Albuquerque Police Department will start increasing its presence Downtown this summer with specialty units, including horse mounted, tactical and traffic officers and those who are assigned to the Targeted Enforcement Active Monitoring (TEAMS) overtime program. According to APD, at the beginning of summer, they noticed an increase in people gathering Downtown. Officers since then […]
Posted inAlbuquerque
Study links pollution to low birth weight in New Mexico
The authors of a new study say they have found a link between industrial air pollution in New Mexico and the state’s higher-than-average rates of babies with low birth weight. The study, conducted by a team that includes members from the University of New Mexico, found that the relevant emissions were largely concentrated in the […]
Posted inAlbuquerque, Housing & Homelessness
Rage rooms, escape rooms as addiction treatment
A nonprofit that operates intensive outpatient counseling and a methadone clinic for people experiencing homelessness and those with addiction and mental health disorders is expanding in Albuquerque’s International District. On July 1, State of the Heart Recovery is set to add a barber school and rooms for “experiential experiences” — like an escape room, paint […]
Posted inBernalillo County, Local Gov.
Bernalillo County commission broke transparency law
State investigators determined Bernalillo County commissioners violated the open meetings law when they established a process for choosing a new county manager. This means the commission will have to meet again to re-do their deliberations in public. The New Mexico Department of Justice notified county officials in a letter Thursday that it found the commission […]
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What to expect: councilors expected to vote on city charter, zoning changes
Controversial city charter amendments, zoning changes and legislation to create a commission for the Route 66 Visitors Center — which was built in 2022 but has yet to open — will be debated at the Albuquerque City Council meeting on Monday. City charter changes After postponing them twice, city councilors are expected to vote on […]
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How to beat the heat in Albuquerque
Summer has arrived and the heat has returned to New Mexico. In Albuquerque, the temperature reached over 100 degrees Thursday. Temperatures across the state are expected to reach triple digits this summer as well. Because of that, the New Mexico Department of Health (DOH) announced a heat advisory suggesting people take extra precautions when they […]
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Overnight shelters, wall heights, boats in the front yard: See what zoning changes could be coming
City councilors plan to discuss several zoning amendments at their Monday meeting that could impact neighborhoods or businesses across Albuquerque. The 11 proposals to the Integrated Development Ordinance (IDO) touch on overnight shelters, duplexes, fence height and landscaping requirements. Amendments already expected to be debated propose the following: Read more about this issue here. HOW […]