Kathleen Coates

This report from The Governor's Task Force on Our Communities, Our Future outlines a strategic approach to enhance community livability in New Mexico. It identifies New Mexicans' values regarding land use and development, draws insights from other states' experiences, and proposes legislative actions for the 2005 session. Key initiatives include financial incentives such as Tax Increment Financing and state funding for housing and conservation, alongside livability grants to support local 'Walkable Districts,' regional economic development planning ('Envision the Region'), and a continued statewide planning effort ('Envision New Mexico'). The plan aims to integrate citizen values into state policy for sustainable community development and efficient resource utilization.

This document serves as a primer on comprehensive planning, detailing its definition, purpose, and key stakeholders. It systematically outlines an eight-step planning process, encompassing citizen participation, vision development, current state assessment, future projections, goal setting, policy formulation, implementation, and ongoing follow-up. The primer also identifies core elements of a comprehensive plan and explores various policy options and planning tools designed to address community concerns such as land use efficiency, preservation of agricultural lands, housing affordability, and regional coordination.

This document serves as a guide for local governments to prepare or update comprehensive plans. It provides information for effective planning, including a review of relevant New Mexico State Statutes, definitions of key terms, and best practices. The guide presents a recommended outline (template) for a complete comprehensive plan, detailing essential components such as environmental considerations, land use, transportation, and capital facilities. It emphasizes the importance of public involvement, internal consistency, and strategic considerations like visioning and scenario building in developing effective long-range community plans.

The hearing was conducted to receive public comment and testimony regarding proposed amendments to regulations governing the Per Diem and Mileage Act. Key discussion topics included updating per diem and mileage reimbursement rates to align with current state legislation and federal IRS standards, establishing new definitions for clarity and statutory conformance, and clarifying requirements for incidental expenses and documentation for public officers and employees.

The board discussed and approved several items, including the approval of the today's agenda and consent agenda items 4 through 11, which covered capital expenditures for various universities, property sales, lease amendments for educational institutions, and bond volume cap allocations. The director provided updates on staff, a finalized custody bank contract, and coordination with the Office of Broadband regarding their funding certification. Additionally, the board considered amending resolutions for severance tax bonds and notes, involving the finalization of project lists and the incorporation of specific project funding for infrastructure, water, and educational technology.