Tarin Nix

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?

Nix: We saw with the PNM power outages, our emergency preparedness in response to extreme heat, wildfire, mudslides and flooding is almost nonexistent. As insurance companies continue to raise rates or drop fire coverage in the area, we need a comprehensive solution to address encroachments and fire hazards. As mayor, I will ensure evacuation planning with the community that includes safe space and shelter in place options. We need to partner with the county and state to expand the camera notification system for fire identification for advance warning and thinning projects. Work with insurance companies and homeowners to ensure compliance. Lastly, in the event of a fire, it is critical that we partner with the state and local landowners to erect barriers and redirect washouts away from the river until remediation and soil retention projects can be completed. Ensure all water utilities have updated filtering systems and provide ongoing testing and transparent communications with residents about risks.

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?

Nix: Like so many of our roads here in Santa Fe, Cerro Gordo’s erosion needs engineering work to resolve runoff and safety issues. I’d like to expand the complete streets program to include pedestrian safety measures, ADA compliance, bike lanes and a ‘dig once’ policy for all infrastructure below the surface. As mayor, I will publish a set schedule for inspections of our public roads and property and re-prioritize capital outlay funding requests from the legislature to address our neighborhood streets.

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?

Nix: I believe we need a real infrastructure study to combine with impact studies on water, traffic and sewage to help shape the general plan and future zoning. With that said, I have reservations about rezoning with the exception of Midtown where height and density can be absorbed. In Midtown, I’d like to see city-owned units that look like the Inn at Loretto and apply green building codes and water reuse requirements. Second, we need a new wastewater treatment facility immediately and allows for reuse and resale. Upgrades to other infrastructure and monitoring as well as investments in aquifer storage and recovery are needed. As for short-term rentals - I believe Santa Fe has saturated the market and only 50% are permitted. At a minimum, we need to enforce current law, recoup lost lodgers tax and issue a moratorium on any new short-term rentals until the policy can be revised. I’d like to establish a program with owners that get some of these homes back into rotation for temporary housing for staff, first responders and healthcare workers as an employment recruitment tool.

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?

Nix: As Deputy Land Commissioner, I am all too familiar with the checkerboard nature of land ownership in New Mexico. For areas that get a lot of trespass, there are a few options. The city could offer to pay the private landowner to allow for public access. If public access is not wanted or puts users at risk, I would use the legal team to have trail applications like google maps, OnX and AllTrails to remove the trail from their service and issue warning citations for a few weeks until illegal access was managed. As mayor, I would also strengthen partnerships with organizations and neighborhood associations to address maintenance and enforcement issues.

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?

Nix: Absolutely in favor of restoring Two Mile Pond and increasing communication about all activity happening in the area. We need a collaborative approach to water management and the city can get far more creative with stormwater, rain catchers and blackwater reuse for getting additional water back into the living river below Two Mile Pond to offset the 10 acre feet of water being redirected. Also to save additional water:

1. Move all water/waste related activity under the same umbrella at city hall so the conversations aren’t siloed. Water is water and should be looked at comprehensively.

2. Apply green building code standards to apartments to ensure low flow toilets and other energy saving measures.

3. Require water and waste impact studies for any proposed development.

4. Require water reuse systems for any new development.

5. Upgrade infrastructure and start to monitor our water and use throughout the city.

6. Build a new wastewater treatment plant with reuse as a core function and research the possibility of additional reuse facilities throughout the city to feed the living river.

7. Reestablish the subsidized water program for low-income and affordable housing developments.

8. Restore wetlands around the wastewater treatment plant and work on additional resources to feed the living river.

9. Expand rainwater runoff capture across city-owned land and infrastructure.

10. Incentivize grey water/non-potable water use for businesses and construction.

OTHER: What else can you do as Mayor to help preserve and improve life in the Canyon?

Nix: Public meetings with Canyon Neighborhood residents should occur prior to final decisions and should happen before and after the required Early Neighborhood Notification meetings. Santa Fe has some great environmental codes and laws on the books but from plume monitoring, to asbestos remediation to toxic wastewater; city hall doesn’t seem to follow them. As mayor, I will follow the law and work to remediate the shortcomings of previous administrations when it comes to Canyon Road open space, Two Mile Pond, the dam, fire evacuation plans and road maintenance. I will also expand public meetings, access to information and end the need to sue city hall for failure to respond to requests, follow the law or maintain property. Lastly, I will cut wasteful spending and redirect it to our parks, infrastructure and police. Visit www.TeamTarin.com or text Tarin at 505.690.8658 for more information.