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Committee advances site‑readiness fund to create inventory of shovel‑ready economic development sites
Summary
Senate Bill 169 would create a site-readiness program to fund site characterization and predevelopment work; the committee gave SB169 a due pass after testimony from business, utilities and local economic development groups.
Senator Michael Padilla told the House Commerce & Economic Development Committee that Senate Bill 169 would start a statewide site‑readiness effort to make New Mexico more competitive for business recruitment by building a publicly available inventory of characterized, pre‑developed sites.
"What that key ingredient really is, is site readiness," Padilla said. He described the proposal as a program to produce site characterization studies overseen by a strategic economic development site advisory committee and to make that information available to prospective businesses. "When you get off the airplane ... we can tell you exactly what is the best site in New Mexico for what you're trying to accomplish," he said.
Secretary‑designate Rob Black and committee witnesses described the program as an application‑driven partnership with cities, counties and tribal governments. Black said the department piloted site evaluations last year, contracting a professional site evaluator to assess roughly 23 sites and characterize them by access to utilities, infrastructure, zoning and environmental constraints. He said an application process would solicit local jurisdictions and property owners for characterization work and that a board would prioritize projects for predevelopment funding.
Supporters at the hearing included electric utility PNM, the New Mexico Association of Realtors, New Mexico Idea (economic development professionals), the New Mexico Chamber of Commerce, the University of New Mexico Health Sciences and private companies including a bioscience entrepreneur. Carlos Lucero of PNM told the committee the fund would speed permitting and infrastructure improvements and "help speed up the timeline processes for full development of an economic development project and in turn attract business and industry to the state." The New Mexico Chamber of Commerce said site readiness "is one of the biggest factors in attracting business investment and economic growth."
Committee members pressed sponsors on selection criteria, board membership and safeguards to prevent favoritism. Padilla and Black said the bill requires an advisory committee with technical expertise, includes legislative appointments and calls for public input. The sponsor said the advisory committee and a public application process are intended to prevent "pet projects" and to include regional representation.
Padilla said the administration expects an initial implementation budget of roughly $24 million for the program. Black described allowable predevelopment work under the bill as surveying, environmental assessments, public infrastructure, workforce and housing data collection, and permitting support.
The committee approved a due‑pass motion by roll call, 8 yes, 0 no.
Votes at a glance: due pass motion approved, 8–0.
