News and Articles

September 28, 2010 - BCC Meeting Summary

Santa Fe – September 30, 2010 – All five commissioners were present and below is a summary of the actions taken by the Santa Fe Board of County Commissioners:

PRESENTATIONS:
Gus Martinez was named County Employee of the Quarter. The Deputy Assessor stated he was one of the leading appraisers and a great employee. 

Housing Director Dodi Salazar recognized the County employees involved in Habitat for Humanity’s Women Build Project. Honored were: Allison Moore, Marcie Villalpando, Karen Griego, Valerie Huerta-Giron, David Padilla, Arnold Valdez, Nicole Dickson, Travis Shanrock, Fritz Fuchs, Stephanie Ortiz and Deanna Gonzalez.

MATTERS OF PUBLIC CONCERN:
Speaking in favor of the State’s proposed Wild Horse State Park were Patience O’Dowd, Karen Bork and Lynne Pomeranz. They spoke about the project as promoting eco-tourism and economic development for the area.

Stanley resident John Crawford reminded the Board to be mindful of property rights when enacting regulations.

MATTERS FROM THE COMMISSION:
Commissioner Vigil introduced a proclamation declaring Fire Prevention Month and Victoria DeVargas from the Fire Department announced various initiatives to promote awareness, including visits to schools, senior centers, and various other venues throughout the County to talk about fire drills and fire safety.

A resolution was passed unanimously urging congressional action on restoring the financing programs for renewable energy as found in the PACE (Property Assessed Clean Energy) programs. The financing program was delayed by the Federal Housing Administrations (FHA) directives to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Santa Fe County, the City of Santa Fe, and the Town of Edgewood sponsored the resolution jointly.

The Mana del Norte organization was recognized for supporting Hispanic Women of Northern New Mexico in continuing their academic pursuits. Awarded scholarships of $1,000 each this year were: Amy DeHerrera of Pecos, Melinda Lucero of Española, Elena Martinez of Santa Fe, Olga Trujillo of Taos, and Brittney Vasquez of Santa Fe.

Commissioner Stefanics introduced a resolution establishing Santa Fe County’s commitment to take a leadership position to advance the cause of Respect in the Workplace. The resolution promotes awareness of bullying and harassment in the workplace and ensures that all complaints are taken seriously. The resolution passed unanimously.

Also approved unanimously:
• A resolution accepting the South Meadows Extension for County maintenance
• A resolution accepting the SAFER grant for $499,200 for firefighter training, recruitment and retention

By unanimous vote the Commission approved the FY2012-2016 Infrastructure and Capital Improvements Plan (ICIP) with the six top projects:
1) Fire - Countywide self-contained breathing apparatus and protection equipment
2) RECC/911 Center - facility expansion and equipment
3) Public Works – equipment: water trucks, graders, loaders, backhoes, dump trucks
4) Corrections Facility – improvements
5) Public Housing – site improvements
6) The five Commission District projects: Pojoaque Valle Regional Wastewater System, Agua Fria Park, Stanley Fire Station, Eldorado Water and Sanitation District, and the Glorieta Area tank upgrade.

MATTERS FROM THE COUNTY MANAGER
Katherine Miller pointed out that new staff in the Treasurer’s Office has succeeded in bringing in more revenue. She asked Teresa Martinez, Finance Director to outline progress made in cutting the budget through SAVE initiatives as well as provide a monthly progress update.

MATTERS FROM THE COUNTY ATTORNEY
Ordinance 2010-12 County Code of Conduct – The ordinance passed by majority (4-1) roll call vote with Commissioner Anaya clarifying his dissenting vote because he would preferred to have reviewed and incorporated comments from the League of Women Voters. The ordinance will serve to delineate the County’s Code of Conduct and Ethics and promote transparency. A three-person Board of Ethics will be created and a clear distinction between County personnel issues and ethics issues made. Staff was directed to advertise for interested parties to serve on a task force that will review the ordinance and provide recommendations within a six-month period of enactment.

All BCC meetings are broadcast live at www.santafecountynm.gov. To view recorded video of this BCC meeting, go to http://santafecounty.org/video_on_demand/ or check GOV TV Channel 28 listings. Transcripts of the meeting will be available within 10 working days at www.santafecountynm.gov.