Highlights from the Week of January 17, 2022
There's a lot going on in the City Different!
Finance Department Adds
A-Team Players
THE CITY ANNOUNCED this week that Ricky Bejarano is the new Accounting Officer and awarded a six-month contract for review of its audit systems, processes, and functions to Piňon Ventures, headed by former City of Santa Fe Audit Committee Chair Stephanie Woodruff.

Finance Director Mary McCoy said the moves are part of an action plan developed in an ongoing effort to make the City's finances and operations more professional and accountable.

"With the assistance of our very qualified new Accounting Officer and expert review and advice from our consultant, we are confident we will be able to submit the next two fiscal year audits on a more timely basis," says McCoy.

Bejarano has more than 43 years of experience in financial, government, and tax accounting, as well as financial and state tax auditing. He received the Outstanding Member in Government Award from the New Mexico Society of CPAs in 2018. He is responsible for ensuring effective and efficient financial management of the City's operations, that policies and procedures are in place to provide reasonable assurance City assets are protected, and that the City is in compliance with all relevant regulations and laws

Woodruff served as Audit Committee Chair from 2019-'21 and has more than 35 years of experience in the public and private sectors. 

“Stephanie is uniquely qualified to serve in this role and the City is fortunate that she’s available and eager for this project,” says Director McCoy.

Find more details of the Finance Department's action plan here.
MAYOR'S NOTE:
Emergency
Management
On Monday I'll issue my fifteenth Emergency Order addressing the COVID pandemic. It’s important to acknowledge that we’re seeing a serious and concerning spike in cases due largely to the Omicron variant. Our response: Follow the science and the data. Stick with what works. Do our best, individually and together, to stop or reduce the spread. Keep optimistic, knowing that we'll get through this, as we have all of the other phases of this disease, working together. 
 
Here's what works: Vaccinations and boosters. Effective masking. Physical distancing, including quarantine as needed. Testing. Good, common public health sense.
 
For the next two weeks, City Manager John Blair is directing managers not to hold in-person meetings unless operationally necessary and to promote remote work to the greatest extent possible without impairing service delivery.
 
We’ll keep looking for ways to stress your health and safety. We’re going to issue KN95 masks and set up more rapid testing. Our City team will emphasize vigilance and nimbleness — and, as always, I know you’ll continue to perform above and beyond the call of duty. The spike will go down. We’ve got this, together.

 
APPLY NOW to join the Independent Citizens' Redistricting Commission and help review and revise the City of Santa Fe district boundaries.
All Aboard the Sky Railway!
An exciting public-private partnership between the City of Santa Fe and Sky Railway — helmed by the creative entrepreneurs behind Violet Crown and Meow Wolf, including author George R.R. Martin — brings a new themed attraction to the revitalized Railyard. Recently the partners formalized an agreement on how Sky Railway will operate, including plans for a permanent platform for loading and unloading. Regular excursions get underway in March. Find the details here.
Downtown Restroom
Shaping Up Nicely
If you've been on Water Street recently, you've surely noticed that the Downtown restroom is taking shape now that the decorative corbels and vigas are in place.
Project manager John Dillon says the framing, plumbing, electrical wiring, and roofing are well underway. Weather permitting, the facility will be open this spring. There will also be a Tourism Santa Fe information booth on the site one block from the Plaza.
Serving Seniors on MLK Day
For our AmeriCorps Senior Volunteer Program, every Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a day of service – "a day on, not a day off." On Monday staff and volunteers filled 300 "BYOB" bags and delivered them to senior residents of civic housing complexes. The bags (reusable grocery bags made of recycled plastic bottles) contained a KN95 mask, a bottle of hand sanitizer, a consumer safety booklet, a reusable cup, and even toys! Best of all was for shut-ins to receive the human touch from people who care.
Ribbon-Cutting in Plaza
The public is invited to attend a ribbon-cutting ceremony to thank those responsible for providing 33 new benches lining the brick walkways of the Plaza. Using the same mold that was used 30 years ago, the benches will be made of durable poured aluminum and painted to replicate the originals. The event will take place on Wednesday, January 26,
at 1:30 p.m.
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