Santa Fe city, county seek resolution of annexation issues
Jan. 18—SANTA FE — Unresolved annexation issues from 2008 between the city and county of Santa Fe that have left confusion for some residents are on track to be negotiated and resolved following a joint resolution approved last week by the Santa Fe City Council.
City Councilors Signe Lindell and Jamie Cassutt have been appointed to work with County Commissioners Anna Hansen and Hank Hughes to negotiate a non-binding agreement on annexations to be presented to the council and commission by April 13. Even after a court-ordered Settlement Annexation Agreement in 2008 and subsequent modifications it's unclear for some residents which governmental entity to go to for building permits and who should respond to emergency calls.
The two governments in 2013 were given five more years to fulfill the court settlement but problems are still pending, Hansen said in a recent telephone interview.
The county and city have various mutual aid agreements for things like fire protection but some have expired, she said.
"Those need to be rediscussed and reassigned and agreed upon," she said.
William Mee, president of the Agua Fria Village Association, has been a frequent critic of the lack of agreements between the two governments. He noted that there have been a lot of piecemeal annexations over the years.
As of 2008, 19 annexation areas were involved from the Hyde Park area to the southeast side of town as well as parcels on Rodeo Road and Rufina Street, which include an estimated 13,000 residents, Mee said in a phone interview.
Some areas such as the north side of West Alameda Street in Hansen's District 2 have not been annexed to the city. "The residents do not want to be annexed," said Hansen, but they go to the city seeking land use permits.
"People for a decade have been unserved," said Mee, but the joint resolution has given him encouragement.
"I'm hopeful they will be able to do it," he said.
Hansen would like to see better service for all constituents. "I am really hoping to see this as a win-win for both city and county residents and the governing bodies."
