Patti’s Response to Sierra Club: Her Work On Behalf of the Environment

1. Original champion of the Santa Fe River Park & Trail System:
• Sponsor of the Santa Fe River Trail Master Plan
• Helped establish the Santa Fe River Commission
• Established the Santa Fe River Coordinator position
• Sought the original funds to begin the Santa Fe River Trail restoration/construction and supported funding throughout my 17 years on the Council.
• Advocated for the creation of the Santa Fe River Fund Check-Off Provision on water bills.
• Supported (and will continue to support) all Living River initiatives, including the current ordinance and resolution establishing target flows for a Living River Initiative.

2. Long-time advocate for Alternative means of transportation:
• Effected changes to the land use code to require bike lanes when constructing/paving new roads.
• Sponsored changes to the code to require commercial establishments to provide bike racks, and secured funding for bike lockers on City property.
• Secured funding for most of the bike and pedestrian amenities constructed throughout the City of Santa Fe, including the River Trail, the Rail Trail, the Dale Ball Trails, and the developing La Tierra Trails system.
• As Chair of the Bicycle and Trails Advisory Committee, I have introduced many initiatives that support safe bike commuting, such as: the 5-foot to pass law; changes to the State MVD’s Drivers Test and Student Driver’s Education Curriculum regarding sharing the road with bicyclists, and improvement of the State’s right-of-way (shoulders).
• Worked to achieve a “Bronze” designation from the League of American Bicyclists, for the City of Santa Fe.
• Introduced and successfully passed initiatives to provide for bike sharing, car sharing, and electric cars, all to emanate from a Multimodal Center in the City’s Railyard.
• Initiated a program of free parking in the downtown, for 2-wheeled vehicles (under 500ccs), as an incentive to use less fossil fuel.
• As a member of the Transportation Policy Board, the Metropolitan Planning Organization, and the Regional Planning Authority, I have consistently voted to support the funding/planning efforts to sustain and expand our Santa Fe Trails natural gas bus system and the operations of the regional transit system.
• I am a strong supporter of the Rail Runner commuter train, and advocated for the creation of the Santa Fe Pick-Up, the supporting shuttle system.
• Supported “way-finding” funding for signage to aid pedestrians.

3. Worked hard to provide a better quality of life/environment for Santa Feans:
• Helped to establish the first dog park and others throughout the City.
• Worked to provide an opportunity for the citizens to vote on a parks/trails initiative that successfully passed, allowing for $30 million of improvements throughout the City.
• Supported the creation of Community Gardens throughout the City, any efforts to explore local food security issues, and the Farmer’s Market.
• Introduced legislation to designate all but 200 acres of the NW Quadrant as open space
• Sponsored an ordinance to inventory open space and plan for a green belt around the City.
• Provided a change to the land use code allowing for pedestrian easements in new developments.
• Introduced and passed the night sky ordinance to limit night pollution throughout the city, and have supported funding to begin to down shield existing streetlights.
• Supported the creation of a law requiring that our prairie dogs, a keystone species, be relocated (not exterminated) when a new development occurs.
• Initiated an ordinance mandating that antifreeze sold in the City have an additive that is bitter to animals.
• Voted to establish an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program for City parks and buildings that replaced the use of pesticides—keeping them out of our water stream.
• Worked to reduce our waste stream through increased recycling, including the hiring of the first recycling coordinator (who then went on to create SF’s Recycle Show).
• Introduced and got funded the first Hazardous Household Waste Collection effort for Santa Fe County.
• Sponsored Santa Fe’s Smoke Free ordinance and expanded the prohibition to bars and restaurants.
• Brought forward resolutions that recognize the authority of municipalities and counties right to regulate oil and gas operations and opposing oil and gas exploration in the City and County of Santa Fe.

4. A Leader in shaping policies that advance a sustainable future for Santa Fe:
• Helped to develop a 4-point plan for a sustainable future for SF
1) Fast track the San Juan-Chama Diversion project—which I have been able to see through to completion, including operation by our solar array out at the Buckman Direct Diversion.
2) Ongoing Water Conservation Efforts—including many efforts that I initiated/sponsored, such as, a comprehensive landscape ordinance that replaces existing landscaping with native, drought tolerant vegetation, and new irrigation standards that encourage low-water use drip systems and promotion of water harvesting and grey-water. I have voted for funding for toilet retrofits, rebate/incentive programs that reward wise water management, and a rate based water conservation incentive. Santa Feans have one of the lowest water-use rates in the nation.
3) Annual Water Budget for New Growth—which began the land use and water connection dialogue after the city purchased the Sangre de Cristo Water Company. That debate resulted in our Water Rights Transfer Ordinance, which requires developers to bring valid water rights in order to build. We also created a water rights banking system.
4) Long Range Regional Water Planning—which has resulted in the Jemez y Sangre Regional Water Plan that includes Santa Fe County, Los Alamos County, and a portion of Rio Arriba County. This long-range regional water plan provides a basis to begin the discussion of the long-term availability of water and its relationship to growth.
• I have been a long-time advocate of a conjunctive water use policy that has enabled our water company to diversify and rely less and less on the mining of our aquifer, along with providing greater water security for our future.
• I helped to develop the City’s Treated Effluent Management Plan (TEMP) that emphasizes the importance of the use of our city’s treated wastewater, and I supported the effort to get Las Campanas off the use of potable water for their golf course.
• Outside of my role as a City Councilor I have been able to contribute to our community’s water conservation efforts in the following ways: worked with a State Environment Task Force to legalize the use of grey-water in NM, produced a water harvesting manual, outdoor water conservation DVDs, and a Native/Adaptive Plant List for NM.

5. Supporter of efforts to create a more sustainable built environment in Santa Fe:
• Co-sponsored all green building codes and administrative policies, along with the adoption of a new energy rating system for homes.
• Supported land use policies that discourage sprawl and encourage appropriate infill.
• Brought forward resolutions in support of national efforts to reduce the carbon footprint of our built environment and proactively deal with the effects of climate change/drought.
• Voted for the funding of LEED certified city-owned buildings, such as our new Community Convention Center.
• Worked for the use of energy conserving LED traffic signals in the City.
• Advocated for the use of solar energy on many city owned facilities (including our BDD Solar Array), and the hiring of an energy specialist to reduce our governmental carbon footprint.
• Continue to support the ability to have Renewable Energy Financing Districts in Santa Fe County.
• Helped develop a Highway Corridor Plan for Santa Fe City and County that offers those who use or reside along our highway corridors relief from noise and light pollution, car fumes, and visual blight.