Jeanne O’Dean
As the elected Mayor of Santa Fe, I’d analyze and authorize my 8 Billion funded infrastructure and development platform to address the Eastside Canyon Neighborhood Association’s relevant concerns as expressed in and responded to in the questionnaire below:
WILDFIRE AND OTHER EMERGENCIES: What would you do to reduce wildfire risks in our neighborhood, with its heavy tree cover and extremely limited egress? Will you actively support improved evacuation routes/strategies, use of wildfire spotting cameras and other advance warning systems? The creation of safe areas for sheltering if evacuation is not possible? What about flood risk?
O’Dean: As a former and potential resident of Upper Canyon Road and Eastside Palace Avenue, I’m fully aware of the neighborhoods’ concerns to reduce wildfire risks, flood risks and other evacuation shelter (which should be the safe, adobe made buildings) emergencies, especially abutting to the Santa Fe National Forest and encompassed by Pecos Wilderness area. With my associates’ access to satellite images, I and relevant city departments will assess the heavy tree denseness and limited evacuation egress in coordination with the National Forest Service and Pecos Wilderness and PNM to jointly finalize actionable plans to inform and train the neighborhood residents.
I attended the Santa Fe Wildfire Town Hall by the City, Santa Fe, Santa Fe County and PNM, which addressed the wildfire concerns, power shutoffs, evacuation plans and provided community updates. Per my funded infrastructure and development platform, I intend to meet with the Wildfire Townhall presenters, panelists and vendors, as well as the Canyon Neighborhood Association members to initiate a preventative preparedness and safety plan to implement proactive measures such as funding, installing and monitoring forest fire alert cameras.
Also, as part of my initiative for building a Homeless Recovery Clinic, Residential Housing and Workforce Development Facilities, I’d implement a forest fire prevention and operational certified training program, which the City Capital Outlay budget will pay the homeless and incarcerated firefighters to clear the dense trees and brush like the recent California legislation: California’s incarcerated firefighters, who earn about $1 per hour, may soon get a hefty raise https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-09-12/californias-incarcerated-firefighters-who-make-1-per-hour-may-soon-get-a-raise
California lawmakers unanimously approved a plan to pay incarcerated firefighters the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour while assigned to an active fire, a raise of more than 700%.
More than 1,100 incarcerated firefighters battled January’s devastating Los Angeles County fires, with some earning less than $30 per day for the grueling and dangerous work.
ROADS: How could you as Mayor keep our residents safer while walking, biking, or driving on our very old, narrow, and overused roads? And from the impacts from runoff and erosion?
O’Dean: Having driven and walked the narrow, inclined and treacherous roads of Canyon-Upper Canyon Road and East Palace, I’ve experienced the critical need for road renewal, abating runoff and erosion. In considering purchasing a property on Upper Canyon Road, I’d personally join your Canyon Road Neighborhood Association to advocate and authorize road, runoff and erosion restoration.
As Mayor, per my funded infrastructure and development platform, I’d first address the City’s eastside roads existing projects like the Guadalupe Road Street Reconstruction, which is at its final completion stage. The approved Road improvement Bond, which will fund repaving roads and new ADA pedestrian walkways and bike lanes facilities is forecasted to have 85% of the projects to be completed by 2028, but being aware of how the present City’s Public Works operates and constant delays the estimated 100% completion would most likely be in the 20230’s. I’d consult with my business partners and associates who are expert infrastructure and development expert contractors to fund and expediate the Road Improvement Bond initiative.
One September 10, 2025, I attended the Governing Body’s meeting and witnessed the Land Use Department presentations of the status of the City’s General Plan “Santa Fe Forward” and the Land Use Code 600 page updates, which includes: 1) installing ADA-compliant sidewalks and dedicated bike lanes; 2) Upgrading traffic signals to improve safety and flow; 3) Improving storm drainage systems for the 100 year flood; 4) Enhancing street lighting with energy-efficient LEDS.
It was appallingly apparent that the timeline for the General Plan and Land Use Codes will incur another year of delays since it began over a year ago due to the “heavy lifting” by the Land Use Department limited staff, committees, consultants, etc. of analyzing the 600 pages of Land Use Codes to abide by legal matters. In combination with the General Plan “Santa Forward” is scheduling more community vision gatherings of neighborhood stakeholders and constituents for contracted consultants to analyze the data input to developing strategic plans. As the elected Mayor, who intends to reorganize City Hall to become more efficient and effective to constituents and accountable for their tax dollars budget, I intend to analyze the 2026 status of both the General Plan “Santa Fe Forward” and Land Use Code and timeline to complete the combination reports and seek solutions to thoroughly expedite the completion of both reports to determine the funding budget and implement projects.
LAND USE. Even without any zoning changes or variances, if undeveloped lots in our neighborhood were built upon, housing density could double, overwhelming our crowded roads and other infrastructure including water and sewer. How could you as Mayor mitigate this problem, from limiting density to improving infrastructure, to short-term rental regulation, and beyond?
O’Dean: When selecting a property on Upper Canyon Road to purchase, I discovered that the owner is from Texas who has divided his 9-acre property with his fellow Texan partners without registering a business permit nor updating his contractors permit for the past two years, which caused the purchase offer to go sideways. I only discovered the illegal construction and for sale operation when I met with the Historic Department. I too share your Canyon Road Neighborhood Association concerns of the City’s mishandling of the land use, zoning, traffic flow and vetting in state and out of state developers, which I’ll address with my funded infrastructure and development platform.
I also discovered two galleries on Canyon Road who have their properties for sale, but they hadn’t updated their Historic Board Commission and Planning Commission review report since 1982, The City’s land use, zoning, construction, historic and business permit departments need to update and configure their database records to thoroughly vet the in state and out of state developers. It’s very disconcerting for potential buyers to encounter such City Hall discrepancies to allow for illegal construction, as your Canyon Road Neighborhood Association have expressed your legitimate concerns that urgently needs to be immediately addressed and dealt with.
Per my funded infrastructure and development platform, I’ll defer to recommendations by my business partners and associates, who are national and international infrastructure and development contractors. They’ve accomplished the engineering and architectural feats of building Dubai, countries roads, ports, airports, etc.to contracting cities venues, businesses and residential neighborhoods with populations ranging from 400,000 to millions. My AGI immersive 3D, virtual world expert can create a simulated virtual world digital twin of the entire city of Santa Fe for Land Use planning, zoning, project implementation based on different scenarios so the City Commissions and Departments can make budgeted and effective planned recommendations for the Governing Body to consider voting on resolutions instead of relying on departmental, developers, PowerPoint presentations.
Having business partners and associates who are international contractors for infrastructure and development for cities and countries projects, as well as my AGI and immersive 3D virtual worlds experts, I realized during the City’s Land Use Department’s General Plan and Land Code presentation that my funded platform could not only expedite the completion of the General Plan “Santa Fe Forward” and Land Codes, as well as create a simulated digital twin of the City of Santa Fe for the General Plan and Land Use Codes, as well as generate virtual , international revenue from avatars who will pay to experience cultural and historical events, businesses, art galleries, restaurants with senior and family-friendly amenities as an international, virtual world tourist destination that would generate tax revenue for the City without impacting, but improve the physical City ecosystem.
TRAILS: With a robust public trail system and popular informal trails that often cross private property, how can you help us remain welcoming to hikers without losing quality of life for our residents?
O’Dean: In 2009 and 2013, when I lived on Upper Canyon Road and East Palace to introduce and lobby for my NM Senate Education and Economic Bills, I encountered a squatter who lived on the fringe of Santa Fe National Forest and lobbied the Roundhouse legislatures for his squatters’ rights. Although, I’m not sure if he’s still squatting after returning to Santa Fe after traveling internationally for the past decade, I’ve also experienced hikers who’ve meandered off the Randall Davey Audubon Center and Sanctuary hiking trails to my properties causing concern for my safety….I understand your quality of life concerns.
Although, you Association has opted out of interviewing the Mayoral Candidates, I’d appreciate having an opportunity to meet with your neighborhood association members, especially since I may become one of your new neighbors. I like to learn about what the residents are dealing with and your joint efforts to assure your continued quality of life, especially with the best of both worlds of having close walking proximity to the plaza and having the Santa Fe National Forest and Peco Wilderness area in your backyards.
Per my Mayoral Candidate ending homelessness platform, I’d appreciate your feedback if your neighborhoods have experienced an increase of crimes and have encountered and any homeless encampments and more squatters since this past decade when I lived in the area?
WATER: How would you maximize environmental and public benefit from the Two Mile Pond complex without sacrificing downstream water users or the acequias? Will you support restoring a pond ecosystem fed by Living River water, by dredging, or other means?
O’Dean: With my B.G.S. degree in environmental science and a contractor for the E.P.A. to design and implement environmental fields academic and workforce, training certificates for military servicemen/women, I am a strong proponent for natural conservation of our water resources to preserve homeostasis of the ecosystem rather than installing manmade water infrastructure.
Although, while living on Upper Canyon Road, I enjoyed my “John Thoreau’ type writings and solitude walks surrounding Two Mile Pond, but I’ve also enjoyed sensing the downstream rapids with its positive ions energy while walking along the Santa Fe River, especially after the Monsoon rains instead of the minimal slow trickle. After returning to Santa Fe, I’ve just recently become aware of the pros and cons of the City’s predevelopment and water infrastructure plans for Two Mile Pond so honestly,
I’m still exploring and weighing the Two Mile Pond people and ecosystem homeostasis. I’d also would like to consult with the acequias association to assess how owners who rely on their property’s acequias are impacted as I’ve been a former member.
City to explore returning Santa Fe River to predevelopment path amid water infrastructure changes
Currently, my business partners and associates, who are environmental engineers and infrastructure and development contractors are in the process of assessing the City and County of Santa Fe water resources and flows via satellite images, especially after the recent July 2025 Rio Grande New Mexico, Texas and Federal Settlement. Until I receive their overall water and ecosystem reports, I’ll respectfully withhold my decision to support or not support the City’s present Two Mile Pond plans.
Per my Protectorate of Turtle Island Foundation, I’ve recently consulted with the Northwest Native American tribes for an environmental stewardship program for the states of Washington and Oregon, as well as litigating the removal of the reservoir hydroelectric dams to restore the environment.
Tribes look to restore environment after largest U.S. dam removal project
Crews have mostly dismantled the first of four dams along the Klamath River near the California-Oregon border.
Klamath River Dam Removal Is a Victory for Tribes
After a century of ecological collapse, steelhead and salmon in the Klamath River now have a fighting chance at a full recovery. https://earthjustice.org/article/klamath-river-dam-removal-is-a-victory-for-tribes
Largest dam removal ever, driven by Tribes, kicks off Klamath River recovery
Tribes, states seek to reopen lawsuit over Pacific Northwest dams
President Donald Trump has exited a $1 billion settlement deal in opposition to future possible dam removals on the Lower Snake River.
https://www.eenews.net/articles/tribes-states-seek-to-reopen-lawsuit-over-pacific-northwest-dams/
OTHER: What else can you do as Mayor to help preserve and improve life in the Canyon?
O’Dean: Both the Canyon Road art galleries and Upper Canyon Road, as well as the eastside neighborhoods surrounded by the Santa Fe National Forest and Pecos Wilderness is an ideal balance between the beauty, historical, cultural and environmental aspects of Santa Fe.
My business associate, who has an art degree with an expertise in masterpieces and is an avid art collector who, builds and restores renowned national and international art galleries and museums, envisions to do the same for the Santa Fe Canyon Road and Paseo Peralto Art Galleries to become not only nationally, but internationally renowned too.
My associate and I both aspire to be stewards of the Eastside neighborhoods of Upper Canyon Roads, Santa Fe National Forest and Pecos Wildlife area and honor the water resources. Once I can assess the water and environmental reports as the elected Mayor, I’ll consults with City’s Councilors, Commissioners, Committees and the Canyon Road Neighborhood Association stakeholders to fund designated projects from my Mayoral funded infrastructure and development platform.