Jim Benson of Santa Fe balances on a seesaw with his son Kaleb Benson, 7, and his girlfriend, Jade Blackadar, at Fort Marcy park on Friday. The city will receive $5 million in state capital outlay for renovations to the park, which wasn’t on its list of allocations but was added by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham as part of her ongoing beautification work in Santa Fe.
Santa Fe County Magistrate Court Judge Donita Sena works through a docket of video arraignments and first appearances in her courtroom Friday. The Administrative Office of the Courts is set to receive $11 million in state capital outlay to build a new court on the south side of Santa Fe.
Magistrate Court administrator Maria Sanchez points out Friday how suspects in custody have to move through narrow hallways used by employees, which presents a security risk. The Administrative Office of the Courts is set to receive $11 million in state capital outlay to build a new court on the south side of Santa Fe. The current facility on Galisteo Street has inadequate parking, had problems such as mold and a roof leak and is generally too small, the agency’s director said.
Cindy Piatt of Santa Fe walks across one of the pedestrian bridges at Fort Marcy Park on Friday. The $5 million in capital outlay money for Fort Marcy will help with lighting, compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the baseball field and other upgrades.
Jim Benson of Santa Fe balances on a seesaw with his son Kaleb Benson, 7, and his girlfriend, Jade Blackadar, at Fort Marcy park on Friday. The city will receive $5 million in state capital outlay for renovations to the park, which wasn’t on its list of allocations but was added by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham as part of her ongoing beautification work in Santa Fe.
Local government officials around Santa Fe expressed optimism last week about the funding they expected to receive from the completed legislative session for capital projects, despite the allocation coming in lower than requested.
The 13 state lawmakers who represent areas of Santa Fe County were granted about $43 million combined from the Legislature to allocate to capital projects. That’s far less than the amounts requested by local governments, tribal governments and community organizations. State capital outlay requests from the city and county alone totaled $150 million and $70 million, respectively.
The city will receive about $18.9 million, according to a tally compiled by an analyst, and the county about $11.4 million. That’s out of a total $1.4 billion allocated statewide and nearly $143 million across Santa Fe County, including for major road projects, state government construction and money for museums, colleges and state-chartered K-12 schools.
Some of the biggest-ticket items in the county are $40 million for improvements to Interstate 25 between N.M. 599 and the Eldorado exit; $11 million for a new Santa Fe County Magistrate Court; $8 million to upgrade the Pojoaque Pueblo-owned Downs at Santa Fe; and $7.5 million earmarked for “city park projects statewide.”
Santa Fe County Magistrate Court Judge Donita Sena works through a docket of video arraignments and first appearances in her courtroom Friday. The Administrative Office of the Courts is set to receive $11 million in state capital outlay to build a new court on the south side of Santa Fe.
On the city of Santa Fe’s list of allocations is $5 million for Fort Marcy Park that wasn’t on the City Council’s wish list.
It came straight from Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham as part of her ongoing beautification work in Santa Fe, Mayor Alan Webber said. “She really felt that was a priority she wanted to put her personal mark on, and I appreciate it.”
Meanwhile, the city received just $1.6 million for the start of a new wastewater treatment plant — a fraction of the $88 million it had requested. Total estimates to replace an aging plant that’s often in disrepair range from $210 million to $360 million.
Chris Nordstrum, a spokesman for Senate Democrats, said, “Across the board, the asks are always greater than the availability” of funding. “It’s just part of the process that they generally get portions of what they’re looking for and need to figure out other ways to make up the difference.”
Webber called the overall appropriations for Santa Fe “a real vote of confidence in the city.”
“It appears the city is positioned to receive a very favorable capital outlay funding package,” added J.D. Bullington, a lobbyist for the city.
The city had been blocked from accessing some of its state capital outlay for projects approved in previous years due to overdue annual audits. At a breakfast with Santa Fe’s legislative delegates before the session, city officials said they would be caught up with late audits by the start of the upcoming fiscal year and asked lawmakers not to let the one outstanding audit for fiscal year 2023 affect their consideration of new funding requests.
City capital projects funded by lawmakers this year include $4.5 million for an access road to the Santa Fe Regional Airport, $3.4 million for the Municipal Recreation Complex’s Soccer Valley expansion and $2 million for Phase 2 of the ongoing airport expansion.
The city also received appropriations to install sewer lines on Vereda de Valencia ($160,000) and Jemez Road ($210,000), two streets off Airport Road. Santa Fe Rep. Linda Serrato previously had secured money for the work, but more was needed due to rising construction costs. Both projects have been long awaited by residents, who currently rely on septic tanks many say are old and failing.
Scott Hussion, executive director of the Northern Soccer Club and creator of the ”Mucho Soccer” campaign to get more fields built in the city, said he was grateful for the funds for the Soccer Valley expansion, just over a quarter of what was requested.
Cindy Piatt of Santa Fe walks across one of the pedestrian bridges at Fort Marcy Park on Friday. The $5 million in capital outlay money for Fort Marcy will help with lighting, compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the baseball field and other upgrades.
However, he said he was frustrated the expansion received less than the $5 million for Fort Marcy Park and the $8 million for The Downs.
“Meanwhile, our kids are literally packed onto fields,” he said.
The money for Fort Marcy will help with lighting, compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the baseball field and other upgrades.
“There’s a lot of work to make it a much better facility, not only for big events like Zozobra but just for people having fun,” Webber said.
It’s unclear whether any of the work will be complete in time for the Burning of Zozobra and its 100th anniversary celebration in late August. Webber said that will depend in part how the city Public Works Department decides to parcel it out.
Santa Fe County received some funding for each of its priority projects. The Legislature fully funded only one request — $420,000 to improve Avenida Vista Grande Bridge — but that’s to be expected, said county Intergovernmental Outreach Coordinator Hvtce Miller.
County leaders are “always looking” for additional funding mechanisms to bring projects over the finish line, he said.
Among the largest appropriations for the county was over $5.7 million to expand the sewer system in Agua Fría village, where failing septic systems have threatened to contaminate shallow wells.
Lawmakers also appropriated $1 million for a sewer system in Glorieta.
An affordable housing project prioritized by county commissioners may have had less luck.
Magistrate Court administrator Maria Sanchez points out Friday how suspects in custody have to move through narrow hallways used by employees, which presents a security risk. The Administrative Office of the Courts is set to receive $11 million in state capital outlay to build a new court on the south side of Santa Fe. The current facility on Galisteo Street has inadequate parking, had problems such as mold and a roof leak and is generally too small, the agency’s director said.
The county requested $10 million to help fund construction of a complex called Nueva Acequia on the city’s south side, estimated to cost over $40 million. Lawmakers allocated $475,000.
The appropriation is, “of course, disappointing,” but “we’ll just keep trying to find the money for affordable housing; I’m not giving up,” said Commissioner Anna Hansen, a longtime proponent of the project.
Hansen called the appropriation for sewers in Agua Fría “incredible,” given the project is not flashy. “We’re always grateful for whatever money we get,” she said.
The Administrative Office of the Courts is overseeing plans to build a new Magistrate Court on the city’s south side, behind Kohl’s and near the New Mexico State Police Training Academy on a 9-acre, state-owned parcel. The project has been planned for years, agency Director Artie Pepin said.
The $11 million allocated in this session will be added to $22 million the Legislature previously appropriated for the $43 million project, he added.
Pepin said he hopes construction will begin this summer and the building will open for use in 2025, hinging on another roughly $10 million from the Legislature next year.
The existing court facility, on Galisteo Street, has inadequate parking, had problems such as mold and a roof leak and is generally too small, Pepin said. The new three-story building will add one courtroom, for a total of five.
People charged with crimes must now move through hallways used by employees, which presents a security risk, he added.
“We’re really excited about now being able to do something we’ve known for a long time we really wanted to do so that folks who come to the Magistrate Court in Santa Fe will really have a first-class court,” Pepin said.
