SO YOU STARTED A CPO?

1. SO YOU STARTEDA CPO?

2. WHAT’S IN IT FOR ME? No matter your situation there is an answer to this question based on your needs and circumstances: - Small business owner - Home-based business - Too old to irrigate want to pass it on to children - Family transfer - Worried about graffiti and crime - Want to sell and get the hell out (any Valley improvements will make your lot more desirable)

3. Current Representation is: • One County Commissioner shared with 35,000 other people • One County Development Review Committee member also shared with 35,000 other people • If either one is a Chairperson this gives more power to the community but can prohibit them from voting unless tie and discussing unless really talented • BCC is so much busier now than ten years ago: no paved roads, no jail, no health system, no regional landfill, no open space, no community plans, $50 million budget now $150,; ½” binder for each meeting

4. CPO is New LDRC • LDRC had seven local members that knew community needs and the community plan • Members conducted site visits of property in question; often plats in packets are confusing and incomplete---maybe even wrong • Members were approachable---county published contact information not for CDRC • Expanded powers of new CPO • More representation and democracy for YOU

5. Santa Fe County Prohibits • Guest houses • Medical hardships • Signs bigger than 18 by 18 inches • Utility hookups for anything but a permanent residence (phasing in with wells, sheds, barns, etc.) • Difficult to accommodate new lifestyles – extended families

6. Current Variances • Elder care – converting garage for grandmother to stay. Choose between kitchen and bathroom. • Daughter receives lot by family transfer and drills well and wants electricity to test it out and plant some trees---County says have to have development plan; need to size power for final residence • Personal life stories do not fit into current Land Use Code---must follow textbook subdivision

7. Disclaimer • Although the County officially “advertised” for CPO’s to form in their June BCC meeting, they withdrew this offer the following meeting. • Final BCC action on the Sustainable Land Development Plan and Sustainable Land Use Code is scheduled for March 2010. These two documents will give life to the CPO. • Can’t hang our hat on the fact that CPOs will be created; unless public pressure makes it inevitable. Stand-alone Ordinance for CPO. • Having a neighborhood association if something that the County can never take away from you or your community; and UCSFC can also help you with that.

8. What is a Community Planning Organization? • Santa Fe County in its Sustainable Land Development Plan has created a “Community Participation Process,” dated October 1, 2009, that allows areas of recognized settlement to establish a CPO. This is a development review body of elected/appointed members that works with a specific boundary approved by a BCC Ordinance. Refer to presentation: “So You Want to Start a CPO?”

10. Key Features of a CPO • Broader Development Review powers. Old LDRCs often only acted on variances and appeals; leaving many locally controversial decisions made by Land Use Administrator without any input of community. Now the County is proposing to do a notification to CPO. • Ability to really “plan” for community needs. The immediate focus of this is the Capitol Improvement Projects or CIP. But UCSFC thinks that planning really goes beyond just facilities, infrastructure and money: it is community cohesiveness and spirit. • CPOs could be involved in soil and water conservation districts; graffiti prevention; weed management and invasive species mitigation; drainage districts; recycling and source reduction; health programs; and education efforts. CPOs could hold open space in trust or run a water rights bank, etc. • There is really no limit to what a community can do for itself that a County might be limited in doing.

11. Steps in Starting a CPO • 1. Community members express interest to County Planning Division. • 2. A Coordinating Committee is formed. • 3. Community Boundaries are determined. • 4. A Community Representation Plan is formulated. • 5. CPO Bylaws are drafted. • 6. CPO is recognized by Board of County Commissioners. • 7. CPO develops a Strategic Work Plan. • 8. Create a Community Database and Communication Plan. • 9. CPO and County staff implement work program, participating in County Capital Improvements Plan process. • 10. CPO attends leadership training, quarterly town halls and Annual Congress of Community Organizations. • 11. Review the community’s program and outcomes. Update the Strategic Work Plan.

12. There is really no limit to what a community can do for itself that a County might be limited in doing. • This is about empowering communities to do things for themselves that the county cannot do, will not do or will do a bad job at. • We have a lot of talent in our communities and untapped resources even beyond money (for instance, a mower in an old farmer’s barn brought into to do fire prevention). • We are only limited by our imaginations.

13. So we want to start a NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION in the exact way a CPO would be created. • 1. Community members express interest. • 2. A Coordinating Committee is formed. • 3. Community Boundaries are determined. • 4. A Community Representation Plan is formulated. • 5. NA Bylaws are drafted. • 6. NA is presented to Board of County Commissioners “Matters from the Public.” • 7. NA develops a Strategic Work Plan. • 8. Create a Community Database and Communication Plan. • 9. NA invites County staff to implement work program, participating in County Capital Improvements Plan process. • 10. NA attends leadership training, quarterly town halls and Annual Congress of Community Organizations (United Communities of SFC). • 11. Review the community’s program and outcomes. Update the Strategic Work Plan.

14. 2. A Coordinating Committee is formed. • The “Coordinating Committee” is just a bunch of interested people like the ones in this room. They need to represent the diverse interests of the community. The obvious players in an area: neighborhood and homeowner associations, water rights groups like acequias and mutual domestic water associations, improvement districts, etc. • It doesn’t have to be all inclusive and comprehensive that comes later in the “Representation Plan.”

15. 3. Community Boundaries are determined. • This is basically the boundaries in the Community Plan, unless of course they need adjusting. http://www.co.santa-fe.nm.us/userfiles/file/find/Adopted_PVTC_DistrictBoundaryAmendment_Ordinance2009-4.pdf • This can include extra open space around the community that can serve as a buffer. • It can include major arterial roads so that the community can have some say so over traffic control and patterns. • You know what is historically your community or what it looks like on the ground…….

18. 4. A Community Representation Plan is formulated. • The “Community Representation Plan” is the heart and soul of the NA. Get it right and it works like clockwork; get it wrong and everything will go bad moving forward. • How to get it right? Be more democratic and respectful of community traditions and existing organizations. • Can be one of three ways: by appointment of members from organizations in community (who may be elected officers and therefore arise from democracy); • Appointment or election of “community sector representatives” for each street, family or neighborhood. • Or a combination of the two above.

19. Who are the organizations? • Every community has distinct organizations that serve its needs, like: • Six traditional communities and homeowners associations • Mutual domestic water associations/community water • Acequia and water rights associations • Improvement districts and special districts under state statute • Volunteer Fire Departments • Soil and water conservation districts • Churches and cemetery associations • School groups like the PTC president • Cultural preservation and environmental entities. • La Sociedad Protección Mutua de Trabajadores Unidos (S.P.M.D.T.U) • So each community organization picks someone from their membership by their own process: election or appointment.

20. 5. NA Bylaws are drafted. • Bylaws establishing the purpose and duties of the NA are drafted. Bylaws can be written to accomplish many means: • Preserve the covenants of a subdivision or homeowner’s association separate of and in addition to the requirements of a Community Plan. • Preserve the character of a Traditional Community separate of and in addition to the remainder of the NA area. • Recognize water rights cooperation or water banking with the NA area when multiple acequias are involved. • Almost anything you want to accomplish or protect!

21. 6. NA makes presentation to Board of County Commissioners. • The Board of County Commissioners probably cannot formally recognize the NA (resolution). But the NA wants to inform the BCC that they are here to stay.

22. 7. NA develops a Strategic Work Plan. • Basically this is done: http://www.co.santa-fe.nm.us/userfiles/file/find/FINAL%20PLAN%20-AUG2007.pdf • In the PLAN, they ask: Why Choose Strategic Planning? And the answer is right on: A particular challenge for Traditional Communities such as those in the Pojoaque Valley is that, as an unincorporated community, decisions about planning and governmental resources and services are top down. In the past, the community has had a limited role in these decisions, mostly in communication and collaboration with the elected officials. • The Strategic Work Plan includes the Capitol Improvement Projects (CIP) but also anything else. It provides a real ability to really “plan” for community needs. UCSFC thinks that planning really goes beyond just facilities, infrastructure and money: it is community cohesiveness and spirit. • NA could be involved in soil and water conservation districts; graffiti prevention; weed management and invasive species mitigation; drainage districts; recycling and source reduction; health programs; and education efforts. NA could hold open space in trust or run a water rights bank, etc. • No limits but the law.

23. Pojoaque Valley - Vision 2025 • http://www.co.santa-fe.nm.us/community_services/pojoaque_valley_community_planning_project/pojoaque_valley__vision_2025 • Pojoaque Valley is still home to our thriving predominately rural communities. We remain blessed by the natural beauty that surrounds us and continue to honor our historical roots. We cherish our socio-economic and cultural diversity while nurturing and protecting the harmonious and interdependent relationships among all our people.

24. Pojoaque Valley Community Planning Project • Adopted PVTC District Boundary Amendment - Ordinance 2009-4 [PDF 1.3MB] » • Adopted Pojoaque Valley Traditional Community District Ordinance 2008-5 [PDF 1.4MB] » • Pojoaque Valley Community Strategic Plan - FINAL August 2007 [PDF 1.81MB] » •  http://www.co.santa-fe.nm.us/community_services/pojoaque_valley_community_planning_project

25. 8. Create a Community Database and Communication Plan. • The Community Database and Communication Plan is basically a listing of email addresses and how you are going to notify those people who are residents of the NA area but don’t have a computer, a telephone?, or live out of state. In La Cienega Valley, they have a 1,100 person email list but also use bulletin boards and newsletters.

26. 9. NA invites County staff to implement work program, participating in County Capital Improvements Plan process. So the County staff will use the data generated by Rutgers University to implement what they call the “work program.” NA will participate in official annual “County Capital Improvements Plan process.” County’s economic development planner can help in obtaining federal and foundation grants. Community funds can be raised and contributed.

27. 10. NA attends leadership training, quarterly town halls and Annual Congress of Community Organizations (UCSFC). NA members are invited to periodic leadership training, quarterly town halls and Annual Congress of Community Organizations (COCO). Ethics training. UCSFC lobbying efforts. Mediation.

28. 11. Review the community’s program and outcomes. Update the Strategic Work Plan. This is a “continuous improvement process” we are always trying to get better at what we do and will share information between the more sophisticated NAs/CPOs and the rookies. Pojoaque updates the Strategic Work Plan to reflect what is done and new items or emergency items that need attention.

29. Negative Number40963Title:Land Use Patterns in Nambé – ca. 1935 Photo by: T. Harmon Parkhursthttp://palaceofthegovernors.org/photo_order.htmlPublisherPhoto Archives, Palace of the Governors, Santa Fe

30. QUESTIONS?

31. Thanks for listening.