Swisstack announces transition team

Six groups to study various city government issues, ideas

By Eric Maddy
The SCORE

Mayor Tom Swisstack announced a six-part, 53-member transition team to look at issues and ideas for Rio Rancho city government and to set standards and benchmarks for his two-year term of office.

Each team has a citizen chairman and city councilor assigned as a facilitator for what is labeled a “focus group” for each area of study.  The groups range in size for seven for fiscial/financial issues to 11 for development.

Swisstack is giving each focus group five weeks to develop their recommendations and report back to him.  Funding will come from leftover campaign funds and the program is being coordinated by Judi Walker, Swisstack’s campaign manager, through the Rio Rancho Regional Chamber of Commerce. The chamber is offering administrative assistance and will provide a link from its web site to a new web site providing specific information on the group, said Debbi Moore,  the chief executive officer of the RRRCC who will chair one group (administration) and serve on another (business/economic development).

Swisstack said he will also be meeting personally with various groups, including homeowner’s associations, business and civic groups. He also a planning to announce the final details of a series of at least 12 public forums no later than Tuesday, with meetings planned over an eight-week period and at least one in every council district.

Swisstack said he is asking the groups to focus on three questions: the top three things that are working well, the top three things that if improved could have the greatest impact on the city and how each area of study provides service to the public.

He said it would be up to each chairperson to schedule the meetings and decided how to gather information, and to decide if the meetings would be public.

Here is a complete list of focus groups, with chairperson, city councilor and members listed alphabetically

Fiscal/financial

Chair: Karen Delle Site, accountant, Atkinson and Company and president of the Rio Rancho Regional Chamber of Commerce.

Councilor: Marilyn Salzman, District 6

Members:
Robert Apodaca, New Mexico Department of Finance;
James Jimenez, former city administrator and chief of staff to Gov. Bill Richardson;
 Jeff Varela, retired official with the state’s Public Employee Retirement Association;
Geoff Wagner, First Community Bank.

Business/Economic Development

Chair: Don Chalmers, owner, Don Chalmers Ford

Councilor: Patty Thomas, District 2

Members:
Julian Garza, owner, area McDonalds restaurants;
Jami Grindatto, Intel;
Debbie Hays, Sandoval County manager;
Ray Johnson, owner, Ray’s Ace Hardware;
Debbi Moore, CEO, Rio Rancho Chamber of Commerce;
Noreen Scott, CEO, Rio Rancho Economic Development Corp.;
Judi Snow, director, Rio Rancho Convention and Visitors  Bureau;
Matt Spangler, Lastrapes, Spangler & Pacheco.

Administration
Debbi More, CEO, Rio Rancho Regional Chamber of Commerce

Councilor: Larry Naranjo, District 5

Members:

Cindy Benz, president of the local chapter of ASCME, the union that represents non-public safety city employees
J.D. Bullington, citizen
Bob Gallagher, director, New Mexico Oil and Gas Assn.
David Harris, vice president for finance, UNM;
Kim Hedrick, Presbyterian Healthcare Services
Thaddeus Lucero, Bernalillo County
Glenn Walters, owner, GW Enterprises
Kathryn Winograd, president, CNM