Council Member Gene Sanchez
Town of Taos News Briefs
November, 2008
The wheels of government turn slowly, but with the new Council working together we are
making significant progress on many fronts. We have a new Town Attorney and Human Resources
Director; for the first time in months all departments are fully staffed. The Council has recognized the
need to simplify its operating budget and by doing so is improving Town services for the community.
Working in concert with our great staff members, we are concentrating efforts to implement our
visions for the community; I have listed three below -A number of citizens have formed the Taos Sports Authority. Its purpose is to help the
Town and County, as well as the School District, invest their joint resources in improved and
expanded athletic facilities for all members of our County -- particularly our youth -- and to insure
that the entities involved eliminate duplication of professional costs and facilities. It is also the desire
of the authority to utilize and market these sports facilities to develop an additional economic base for
Taos. This includes Taos as a sports training center – a viable location for high altitude training as
well as one capable of sponsoring state tournaments for soccer, softball, baseball, volleyball, little
league ball, etc. It was the influence of the Taos Sports Authority that brought the Town, County
and School District together for a historic joint meeting and an agreement to work as a unit to visualize how these facilities
could work to supplement the business, museum, and arts community.
Sage West Consultants presented the proposed Town of Taos High Performance Building Ordinance to the Mayor
and Council at a Special Meeting, Oct. 27. The purpose of this ordinance is to provide a set of guidelines to improve water and
energy saving practices for anyone interested in building a structure either residential or commercial in the Town. Check with
the Town’s Planning Department, 751-2016, as to when the next presentation on this ordinance will be heard, and plan to attend.
The presentation is informative.
The Taos Housing Authority and Town government have been working with the State Municipal Finance Authority
and the Office of New Mexico’s Attorney General to resolve the problems encountered at the Chamisa Verde Affordable
Housing Subdivision. We have expressed the Town’s desire to continue with the affordable housing program, assuring the state
that as a new Town government we will comply with the Town’s approved housing ordinance. With the State’s approval, we
will hit the ground running and fulfill our promises to provide this housing. Collectively we are making a positive difference.
Council Member Gene Sanchez
Town of Taos Town Hall 751-2003
November (and a few early December) Town of Taos Happenings:
 Old Spanish Trail Lecture Series by five historians each Sat. through Nov. 29, 1-3 p.m., Town of Taos Public Library.
Call 758-3063 for details.
 Town of Taos Special Council Meeting 10 a.m., Nov. 3, Council Chambers, Civic Plaza Dr.
 Week of Nov. 3-7, free Town of Taos curbside pick up of all organic ‘green’ yard waste including leaves, grass,
branches, etc., by Streets Div. Items must be bagged or bundled and placed curbside. To schedule pick up call Public
Works Dept. at 751-2047. Message should include your name, physical address, and daytime phone number.
 Town Offices will be closed Tues., Nov. 11 for Veterans Day. This same day at 11 a.m., Veterans Day observances will
occur on Taos Plaza. Contact Parks Div. Supervisor Dennis Martinez for details, 751-2020, dmartinez@taosgov.com
 Santa Fe Film Festival’s (SFFF) Night in Taos, Tues., Nov. 18; films at 6:30/8:30 p.m., Taos Storyteller Theater. Films:
FLOWING GRASSES: THE LIFE OF DEAN HOWELL www.flowinggrasses.com, www.deanhowellstudios.com
(Howell is an El Dorado, NM resident), and TAOS, a feature film shot in Taos by Brandon Schmid,
www.taosthemovie.com. Nov. 18th is sponsored by Town of Taos and New Mexico State Tourism Board. Buy tickets at
the door: $10, or $15 for both films. Refreshments served between shows, plus ‘meet the filmmakers’ and special guests,
www.santafefilmfestival.com.
 Town of Taos Regular Council Meeting 9:30 a.m., Tues., Nov. 18, Council Chambers
 Town Offices will be closed on Thurs. and Fri., Nov. 27 – 28 for Thanksgiving
 26th Annual Yuletide Arts & Crafts Fair, Town Convention Center, sponsored by Town Youth & Family Center, Nov.
28 - 30
A few December ‘save the date’ highlights (more to come) – 22nd Annual Town Yuletide Caroling and Tree Lighting on
Taos Plaza, Fri., Dec. 5, 4 – 6 p.m.; Ornament Making, Town of Taos Youth & Family Center, Fri., Dec. 12; Lighting of
Ledoux Street, Sat., Dec. 13 and 7th Annual Christmas Carnival & Ice Skating Exhibition, Sat., Dec. 13, Town of Taos Youth
& Family Center
 Get weekly Town Email News - Opt in via email to Cathy Connelly, Public Relations Director, cconnelly@taosgov.com.
Town of Taos web site includes news briefs, calendar information and more www.taosgov.com.