[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6254501,"mediaKeyId","3173303-b5bf1748116b0feafc04bc504715bef6","parentId",3173303,"title","Santa Fe council finance committee hears Planning and Land Use budget, staff outline digital permitting, general plan and code updates","audioSeconds",1486,"startMs",230000,"endMs",1716000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3173303-b5bf1748116b0feafc04bc504715bef6&start=230&end=1716","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3173303-b5bf1748116b0feafc04bc504715bef6/thumbnail_230000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6254501/Santa-Fe/Santa-Fe-County/New-Mexico/Santa-Fe-council-finance-committee-hears-Planning-and-Land-Use-budget-staff-outline-digital-permitting-general-plan-and-code-updates","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6254501-3581543c9215d8f39cf3da6cf6c4e9e9/orig.mp4?Expires=1771147491&Signature=cxxez2BIkRFDJ~TqiQuHQpd4bE~yitZx8pqvj-Yc-2xfIVruCURH2mQ0kcepjj32~HQKpXAdIbuxdGFUFAIPyrewHcXpt2sEUNpofWu6bm9nQgsKSP2sQAZZLJpQ7mHFo4GxvNOF9oJD1fPtADHUsAvByOD7tL537t9P9I0lTM4Br~OY9fn~MN1RM76wZc55djXzfZGQ1S-V9MOi3a4Rbbj0rRS9trCDmgAtHxMipRFcETCEmL5YxF6q7O-GhMGMijHQXt4NgANapl2eOrreRVHji2iRKGac5KXfEYBPhhffzHC63l4j~QuyUup4VkJeMJ6CwA7ibQRUp9YN1-dBrw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of Santa Fe, NM","date","2025-05-01T23:13:01.23Z","article","The Santa Fe Finance Committee on March 4 reviewed the Planning and Land Use department's fiscal year 2026 budget request, hearing a presentation from Planning and Land Use Director Heather Lamboy and Community Development Director Alisa Montoya on priorities including a general plan update, phase 1 of a land development code rewrite, investments in electronic permit review and a digital public platform.

The budget presentation emphasized operational efficiency and modernizing permit review. \"This development guide is gonna give us an opportunity to help lay out in simple terms to the development community and the community at large all of our processes,\" said Heather Lamboy, director of Planning and Land Use, noting the department aims to implement electronic review for all building permits in FY26.

Why it matters: The department is asking for one-time and recurring resources to reduce permit review timelines and support two foundational projects'a general plan update and a multi-phase land development code rewrite'that staff said have not been updated in decades. Lamboy said the city has already scanned more than 250 boxes of historical planning records and will continue to upload GIS-based materials so the public and applicants can track active applications online.

Most important details
- Lamboy told the committee Planning and Land Use has about 68 full-time employees and roughly 10 current vacancies. \"At this point, we have approximately 10 vacancies,\" she said.
- The department reported roughly 24,000 inspections in calendar year 2024 and cited the need for positions such as a civil engineer and construction inspectors to maintain service levels.
- Contracts request: Planning requested about $1,600,000 for contracts toward the general plan and code updates; the governing body approved $755,000 of that, Lamboy said.
- Budget change drivers include a 3% COLA and class-and-compensation adjustments; Lamboy reported the overall Planning and Land Use budget increase is about 2.9%.

Debate and committee concerns
Committee members pressed staff about hiring and the trade-offs between frozen positions and contracted services. Councilor Lee Garcia asked why salaries rose while contractuals and utilities dropped; Lamboy answered that keeping technical expertise in-house is preferable but contracts are still needed when specialized staff are not available.

Councilor Faulkner and others expressed concern about cutting third-party plan-review contracts while moving toward in-house electronic review. \"The intent is really to not let go of that,\" Lamboy said, adding the department expects a transition period and wants to retain some third-party capacity during the changeover to OpenGov and e-review.

Technology and process changes
Lamboy and staff described work to integrate Bluebeam (e-review software) with permitting systems and discussed limits of the current EnerGov implementation. The department is evaluating OpenGov as an alternative to address applicant notifications, mobile inspector workflows and reporting. \"OpenGov'we investigated that based on the good experience into other portions of this or other departments of the city,\" Lamboy said, adding that OpenGov offers more applicant notifications and mobile access.

Staffing, vacancies and frozen positions
Staff described frozen positions that include a civil engineer and several inspection staff that have affected turnaround times. City management later characterized some frozen positions as able to be \"thawed\" if candidates are available and funding can be realigned during the year.

Actions
The Finance Committee preliminarily approved the Planning and Land Use budget by roll call vote during the meeting. The committee recorded a roll-call outcome of the motion and the vote was recorded as passing during the session.

Background and next steps
Lamboy said phase 1 of the land development code will come through committee in May and June and she expects broad public engagement for the Santa Fe Forward general-plan update beginning in mid-June. Staff said resource limits could require prioritizing contract work and some parts of the implementation schedule.

Ending
Committee discussion closed with a request from Councilor Lee Garcia and staff to bring supplemental economic analysis and to continue tracking permit timelines and the impact of the permitting technology transition.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Budget Meeting 5/1","oneSentenceSummary","The Santa Fe Finance Committee on March 4 reviewed the Planning and Land Use department's FY26 budget request, focusing on a general plan update, a land development code rewrite and investments to digitize permit review.","taxTitle","Santa Fe, Santa Fe County, New Mexico","taxId",2727,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6254486,"Arts and Culture seeks added staff, increased cultural investment and public-art projects in FY26",322,17220000,17542000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3173303-b5bf1748116b0feafc04bc504715bef6&start=17220&end=17542","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3173303-b5bf1748116b0feafc04bc504715bef6/thumbnail_17220000.jpg","/articles/6254486/Santa-Fe/Santa-Fe-County/New-Mexico/Arts-and-Culture-seeks-added-staff-increased-cultural-investment-and-public-art-projects-in-FY26","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6254486-d370d1f460d8238082c7bbf944f44468/orig.mp4?Expires=1771147491&Signature=PRlXFIf5xxjXUbem6mA1hHcLKDhFrf6OAykBkmBhPSq41NmF8equs4kHRA5NRquVWR7Vz0btxRpBFzxi30vgFrCGJXnXrx-gFYyikQzN5tcEnVAnXGeXFoWEJKgDKoN~XALK~9-Iz19MvM-~ND1CC-z3qHcBqJvpeqT6MM5iK5-VVcp0H3nELD11RziIgwCe3enhiZ07PUINg10lxW0tXdCjSa-4N-~ektKBIYAZlF6dRkTdHS4EJofE6M2iKgqAvxKcTPDfLteN5Z5vZ834VCIaDSrFbDUeOf9672GwAf~R~6Lfj-6IrR3Rwy1vHpeKZ4x88voow7bB6HpwDzIomw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Chelsea Johnson, Director of Arts and Culture for the City of Santa Fe, presented the Arts and Culture FY26 budget to the Finance Committee on March 4, asking for staff additions, expanded cultural-investment grants and renewed emphasis on public art and the city's UNESCO Creative City designation.

Johnson said the department's programs support local artists, nonprofit arts organizations, cultural tourism and public engagement. \"Our mission is to provide leadership by and for the city to support arts and cultural affairs,\" she said, and described priorities including a sixth staff position to streamline operations and more funding for marketing and sponsorships to help local arts groups.

Why it matters: Arts and culture are a central part of Santa Fe's identity and economy. The department said it will use the UNESCO Creative City status to strengthen heritage-arts programming, expand exhibitions at the Community Gallery and accelerate public-art work including murals and airport installations.

Key items and budget effects
- Staffing: The department plans to hire a sixth full-time staffer; Johnson said the FY26 submission used conservative figures while the department would bridge remaining FY26 needs from lodgers-tax revenue if the position is approved.
- Cultural investment and sponsorships: The budget increases funds for marketing grants and sponsor support to nonprofit arts groups and to community exhibition programming.
- Art in Public Places and Midtown: The department plans airport sculpture pads and additional mural and placemaking projects; the department has started discussions on mural policy, lifespans and maintenance plans.

Committee discussion
Councilors asked about district-level funding for small projects, mural policy and partnerships with the metropolitan planning organization and other funding sources. Johnson said the department will pursue grant opportunities and coordinate with public-works and planning staff on pavements, roundabouts and other site-based projects.

Action
The committee approved the Arts and Culture FY26 budget during the meeting by roll call vote. Councilors and staff asked the department to share exhibition schedules and to proceed with district art funding and airport sculpture planning.

Ending
Johnson said programming for the UNESCO anniversary year will include free community workshops, exhibitions and partnerships to feature heritage and craft artists alongside contemporary practitioners.","Arts and Culture Director Chelsea Johnson presented the department's FY26 priorities, asking for one new full-time staffer, expanded cultural investment funding for nonprofits, work to reinvigorate domestic UNESCO creative-city programming, and an expanded Art in Public Places program including airport and Midtown initiatives.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6254491,"Santa Fe Film Office briefs Finance Committee on growth, training partnerships and new locations directory",1146,14170000,15316000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3173303-b5bf1748116b0feafc04bc504715bef6&start=14170&end=15316","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3173303-b5bf1748116b0feafc04bc504715bef6/thumbnail_14170000.jpg","/articles/6254491/Santa-Fe/Santa-Fe-County/New-Mexico/Santa-Fe-Film-Office-briefs-Finance-Committee-on-growth-training-partnerships-and-new-locations-directory","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6254491-c70b76c4be1a9a404f4070c38087562e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771147491&Signature=VZZMk9jef8z06MUIT3HOjbK3SaXI8RDe1t47c26zg4CZ1HIzjnfBYst5BFjjNRlH23btk4Itf85uTxQscTcjFIhesaQiK9qVBbuFq6-HZ1QziAQTvYaUAHy2gdSrNnnlEbkcniIzRKHclYitnNKkDCOax57SBh1G3ac7gTh86qVaetPMe6VhcN4gyhE6zIHzEsaKjMXDvYPOOP-4AkiBbHPkuEV29j6NPWqyHBJw~iDFCXpKauZxS0imyIrZl8Fb~K1OhaWtANtdmL26xcsMQxVBXBO~e2Ubij8sYKppZDIr6mZokLbtA0AEa1M2IhXPuWALX1BPzLzK9wdnitn4dw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Jennifer Labartapia, Santa Fe Film Commissioner, presented the joint city-county Santa Fe Film Office's FY26 report and budget outline to the Finance Committee on March 4, highlighting local economic impacts, workforce training and a forthcoming interactive locations directory.

Labartapia told the committee that MovieMaker magazine has ranked Santa Fe the top small-city place to live and work as a filmmaker for multiple years and that the region benefits from both state incentives and local permitting support. \"The Santa Fe Film Office is responsible for recruiting film and television into our region. We're responsible for community outreach. We're responsible for training,\" Labartapia said, noting the office is funded equally by the city and the county under an existing memorandum of agreement.

Key takeaways
- Economic impact: Labartapia cited industry figures showing the film industry brought about $1.6 billion into the Santa Fe economy (within statewide film numbers reported since 2016). The office said film production supports crew jobs, hospitality, construction materials, suppliers and location services.
- Permitting and logistics: The Film Office handles permitting for city and county jurisdictions using an office-managed online permit that routes items to city or county reviewers as appropriate; Labartapia said staff and municipal reviewers have adjusted to film production's tight scheduling needs.
- Workforce and training partnerships: The office highlighted partnerships with Santa Fe Community College, Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA), NYU Tisch (a pilot directors'program for indigenous filmmakers) and the Stagecoach Foundation to create hands-on training and career pathways.
- New resources: The film office is launching a RealScout-powered locations directory, including community-upload features for private owners and a professional photo library to help scouts identify suitable sites.

Committee discussion
Councilors praised the industry's local economic benefits and asked about office capacity and staffing. Labartapia said hiring a film coordinator last year eased workload and that the office seeks additional, targeted capacity to coordinate outreach to northern communities and the eight northern Pueblos.

Action
Committee members approved the Film Office budget during the session by roll-call vote. The committee recorded a motion, a second and a roll-call approval; staff were asked to continue workforce training partnerships and the locations-directory rollout.

Ending
Labartapia said the office would continue to emphasize local hiring, training and cross-jurisdictional coordination so productions staying in the region bring spending to Santa Fe businesses.","Jennifer Labartapia, Santa Fe Film Commissioner, told the Finance Committee the city-county film office remains a high-ranked small-city filming destination, supports local crew and vendors, and is building a searchable locations directory and training partnerships including NYU Tisch and community college programs.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6254496,"Finance panel preliminarily approves tourism budget as Visit Santa Fe highlights $23M in earned media and convention center upgrades",840,10651000,11491000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3173303-b5bf1748116b0feafc04bc504715bef6&start=10651&end=11491","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3173303-b5bf1748116b0feafc04bc504715bef6/thumbnail_10651000.jpg","/articles/6254496/Santa-Fe/Santa-Fe-County/New-Mexico/Finance-panel-preliminarily-approves-tourism-budget-as-Visit-Santa-Fe-highlights-23M-in-earned-media-and-convention-center-upgrades","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6254496-abbefe3c64b8bdbdddf13c0b8b988999/orig.mp4?Expires=1771147491&Signature=PeGEFYmCCFJs6WKt-q-MV0Ays0poGgHnksitOmjieypO~edKu5Wqm4o0-CGtUbCI5FrecsGh4e8HkcIUH9RrTIxMybLcizPoxDM1z7CAnWFDjOmD9WY1gRPhFvGP53W5pjw5ILKHrjTOc43pr0nK-k8UqZOinCDkrTiaAiIgB9iOa0J5-6szEjzxHv8su-2NTOFIOB8U4yqpL816rwODoY2awk3WFHEaEFOvwK5iVizAoFHMX3gk4dcgsFyzRLOhkmiUJq2h-hj2L0vJ2BsRkmbgZM1CL1ZccnnT8KmqK62CDCAl9qZYa2lGfllfLUPMtgKABjGOPY3yT-t6znkCEg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Finance Committee on March 4 reviewed the tourism division's FY26 budget, with Santa Fe Tourism Director Randy Randall and staff summarizing marketing strategy, convention and meeting-sales efforts and capital maintenance at the Community Convention Center.

Randall said Visit Santa Fe will continue a large advertising program (roughly $4.2 million) targeted to key drive and opportunity markets, and will emphasize digital advertising and public relations. \"All funding for tourism Santa Fe is from lodgers tax,\" Randall told the committee, noting earned-media coverage of more than $23,100,000 in 2024 and continued investments in marketing and public relations.

Why it matters: Lodgers tax funds are the principal source for tourism and convention activities. Randall told the committee the city's lodgers tax revenue has grown to about $18.1 million per year and that stronger average room rates, rather than occupancy, have driven much of the increase.

Key points
- Advertising: The office spends the majority of its ad budget on targeted digital campaigns in core markets (Denver, Colorado Springs, Dallas, Austin, Houston and Phoenix) and is expanding outreach to Los Angeles, San Francisco and Chicago.
- Convention center: Budgeted improvements include door security, lighting upgrades, a boiler replacement and a plan to make an upper terrace and stair access more usable for events.
- Lodgers-tax administration: Tourism staff plan to reinstate lodgers-tax audits and implement short-term rental compliance software funded by lodgers tax; Randall said audits had been \"a little bit remiss\" and will be reinstated.

Committee questions and comments
Councilors asked about measuring the economic impact of events and the balance between event costs to city services (public safety, parks) and tax revenues. Randall said gross-receipts tax receipts from visitor spending are the best measure of broader economic impact, and that tourism's marketing often aims to increase visitor spending beyond lodging.

Flights and air service
Council members asked about air service and the addition of carriers. Randall said American and United maintain flights to regional hubs and that JSX (a regional operator) is expected to add service to Dallas Love and potentially Southern California; the city is pursuing long-haul direct service as a priority.

Action
The committee approved the tourism budget by roll-call vote during the session. Members recorded a motion and roll-call approval, and Randall was asked to continue work on lodgers-tax compliance and convention-center priorities.

Ending
Committee members praised tourism staff for marketing results and convention-center operations and asked staff to continue auditing and improving lodgers-tax collections and to report back on impacts of proposed convention-center capital improvements.","The Finance Committee heard the tourism division's FY26 budget and Visit Santa Fe presentation. Director Randy Randall outlined marketing markets, a $4.2 million advertising program, earned-media returns, convention center improvements and lodgers-tax collection enhancements including audits and short-term-rental tools paid by Lodgers Tax.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Santa Fe council finance committee hears Planning and Land Use budget, staff outline digital permitting, general plan and code updates

Arts and Culture seeks added staff, increased cultural investment and public-art projects in FY26

Santa Fe Film Office briefs Finance Committee on growth, training partnerships and new locations directory

Finance panel preliminarily approves tourism budget as Visit Santa Fe highlights $23M in earned media and convention center upgrades