County Manager Schafer presented the Santa Fe County Board of County Commissioners with a proposed fiscal year 2026 capital and maintenance projects budget at a study session, urging the board to prioritize completing existing projects and to limit new project commitments until current items are closer to construction-ready.

Manager Schafer told the commission the county is recommending that staff focus on projects already “on the books” with funding attached or near-ready rather than adding many new projects. He cited large cost volatility in construction markets — including a recent example where the Bureau of Reclamation’s $20,000,000 estimate for a Pojoaque Basin Regional Water System phase produced a sole bid of about $60,000,000 — and said the county is avoiding treating line‑item estimates as full funding until a construction contract is in hand.

The nut graf: because of uncertain construction pricing and previously allocated projects with limited engineering backing, management recommends concentrating FY2026 resources on gap funding for existing projects, selectively funding feasibility or preliminary engineering work where a clear path to construction exists, and keeping contingency capacity to respond to overruns.

In the presentation, staff identified specific gap funding requests and proposed new projects. Gap items include additional infrastructure for Hyde Park Estates (the Mutual Domestic Water Consumers Association system), funding to complete the Hondo Bulk Water Station, drainage work for Camino de Toros/Toresito Loop, various low‑water crossing projects, and allocations tied to general obligation bond proceeds for wastewater system work (Abajo Lift Station and the SR‑14 Arroyo Hondo interceptor). The packet also lists an $800,000 proposal tied to the Avenida Vista Grande project and funding for an Avenida Del Sur extension.

New or forward‑looking items flagged for limited, early funding include preliminary planning for an adult detention facility remodel and expansion, development of an offset trail near the adult detention facility to address safety concerns about releases, a parking lot at the Public Safety Complex to relieve constrained parking for RECC, and feasibility or predesign work for the Stanley Cyclone Center and an Agua Fria arts and cultural center (the latter requested by community members and discussed separately by Commissioner Lisa Kokari Stone).

On maintenance, staff highlighted system‑level items and larger needs: possible replacement of the adult detention facility’s fire suppression system, boiler and water‑heater work at detention, and a countywide package to address maintenance at roughly 19 fire stations. The county also proposed investments identified in the recently adopted hazard mitigation plan to harden critical facilities and to upgrade electrical infrastructure so portable generators or batteries can power community‑facing buildings in extended outages.

Commissioners pressed staff on process and priorities. Commissioner Hank Hughes asked that Spur Ranch/Spur Branch Road be added to planning lists for future years; staff replied the FY2026 packet lists projects with hard dollars attached, and adding a road to the packet would mean allocating funding now. Manager Schafer and staff recommended the county follow the county’s road‑adoption policy and, if the board agrees to adopt a road, condition adoption on funding to upgrade the road to county standards.

Commissioners discussed a possible model to fund early‑phase planning across districts: Commissioner Justin Green proposed creating an annual pot of money for feasibility studies, preliminary engineering reports (PERs) and predesign work so projects can move from idea to construction readiness. Manager Schafer said staff can set aside limited funds for early‑phase work but recommended preserving contingency funds to cover likely cost overruns when projects reach the construction bid stage.

Staff noted internal capacity improvements: public works project staffing has increased since March 2022 (when the projects group had a roughly 50 percent vacancy rate) to a full complement of eight project managers, which staff said is producing more project activity and more frequent items returning to the board. Staff also said they are developing ProjectMates, an internal project management tool and planned outward‑facing dashboard, but that the portal is not yet public.

Manager Schafer closed the study session by reminding the board that the meeting was for feedback only; no budget action was requested. He noted upcoming dates to finalize the ICIP and FY2026 capital budget and asked commissioners to identify priorities so staff can return with a refined package.

Ending: The commissioners did not take formal action on the capital budget at the session. Chair Camilla Bustamante and commissioners asked for follow‑up on specific items (La Cienega traffic monitoring and outreach, Spur Ranch road adoption steps, and reallocation options) before the board’s July consideration of the capital plan and ICIP.