Santa Fe County commissioners on Sept. 9 authorized the chair to engage an independent third‑party attorney to investigate actions and decisions by county management that led to denial of access to a county facility at 102 Grant Avenue for a Fiesta event on Sept. 2, 2025. The board voted to narrow the investigation to facility‑access policies and the county’s decision‑making processes.

The authorization was introduced by Commissioner Adam Johnson and seconded by Commissioner Hank Hughes. Commissioner Johnson asked the chair to “identify and engage an independent third party attorney to investigate the actions and decisions made by county management regarding denial of access to county facilities, specifically 102 Grant Avenue by the Fiesta’s Quadria or the Fiesta’s Court on Tuesday, 09/02/2025,” and to include a review of county codes and policies governing public use of county facilities. The board approved the motion with an affirmative vote.

The motion followed an earlier executive session that the county attorney said was convened to discuss matters from the county attorney’s office. The board stated on the record that the executive session addressed only noticed items. Commissioners did not disclose executive‑session deliberations or make findings during open session.

The scope of the inquiry the board approved will review: whether applicable county codes, policies or procedures were followed; how decisions about public use of county facilities are made; and whether existing policies require revisions to improve transparency or consistency. The motion also directed the chair to engage counsel to conduct the review on the county’s behalf.

The board did not release a timeline or a budget for the independent review during the meeting. Chair Camilla Bustamante said the action would allow the county to “look at issues like this comprehensively,” and county staff indicated the review would include an assessment of access policies and the decision‑making process. No disciplinary outcomes were announced in open session.

The authorization is an open‑session action. Commissioners said the independent review is intended to inform possible policy or procedural changes; any subsequent personnel or formal legal actions would follow applicable procedures and would be reported to the public as required.

The county attorney and the county manager will be the staff points of contact for arranging the engagement and defining the detailed scope, the board said.