2021 Santa Fe City Election: District 1

Brian Gutierrez, Joe Hoback, Signe Lindell

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In the upcoming Nov. 2 municipal elections, most of the races are between only two candidates, but that’s not the case for northside District 1. Four candidates will face off to represent the district with the most voters in the city, and SFR quizzed three of them to test their Santa Fe scholarship. Candidate Roger Carson declined to participate.

For all of SFR’s election coverage, including the details on where, when and how to vote and the Pop Quiz on the mayor’s race, visit sfreporter.com/elections.

To keep the candidates honest, SFR asked them to pledge to be fair participants—that means no internet sleuthing or phoning a friend for help.

Questions

  1. Name the four sources of water that the city of Santa Fe currently uses to supply residents with drinking water.
  2. According to the city code, in the historic district, stuccoed buildings can be one of three colors. What are they?
  3. Name three documents that are needed to apply for a short term rental permit?
  4. Who is eligible to get a library card from the public library?
  5. True or False: For graffiti reported on private property, the property owner has 48 hours to remove the graffiti.

Answers

  1. City wells, Buckman wells, Buckman Direct Diversion and Santa Fe watershed or reservoirs.
  2. The color of stuccoed buildings shall predominantly be brown, tan, or “local earth” tones. What exactly is an “earth tone,” one asks? In anticipation of a much-heated debate over this detail, SFR opted to give candidates the benefit of the doubt here.
  3. Proof that you are the owner of the property, a site plan showing off-street parking, a floor plan showing all bedrooms, liability and property damage insurance policy and a New Mexico Combined Reporting System (CRS) number for reporting and paying gross receipts taxes.
  4. Anyone who lives, works or goes to school in Santa Fe or Santa Fe County.
  5. False.

Brian Gutierrez

Score: 4 / 5

The owner of Santa Fe Recycles, Gutierrez was appointed to the Planning Commission by then-Mayor Javier Gonzales and currently serves as its chairman.

  1. We have the Santa Fe River, the reservoirs that the Santa Fe River runs into. Buckman Direct Diversion from San Juan Chama. And we also have the city well fields...and of course the Buckman well fields.
  2. I would say tan is one, white and buckskin, off-tan I guess.
  3. You’ll probably need, of course, the application to apply, you’ll need proof of ownership and insurance.
  4. Anybody. Because I know my baby had one and it was under her and I think my wife just signed for her.
  5. False.

Joe Hoback

Score: 3 / 5

Hoback is the former president of Land of Enchantment Credit Union. His family started and ran the Pink Adobe restaurant for decades.

  1. We have the Buckman Diversion...Then you actually have the Buckman diversion wells that are actually located within the north part of town, the wells themselves out of Buckman. The third source are the reservoirs, McClure and Nichols reservoir up on the east side on the upper end of Canyon Road. And the fourth source are the city wells.
  2. Adobe brown, they’re all earth tones. I don’t know the specific colors or earth tones. I know it’s brown, green. I think, knowing my history with the Pink Adobe [restaurant], we were able to do an adobe rose.
  3. There has to be a fire inspection, you have to have a business license. And I think you have to have a certificate of occupancy by the city. [A fire inspection is required, but after an application has been submitted.]
  4. Everyone.
  5. False. You can call the graffiti hotline...I think you have more than 48 hours.

Signe Lindell

Score: 4 / 5

Lindell seeks a third term as District 1 councilor. She has prior experience on the Ethics and Rules Committee and on the Planning Commission.

  1. Buckman wells, city wells, Buckman Direct Diversion and the city reservoirs.
  2. I know buckskin is one color. I don’t even know if there’s a color called taupe. And I’ll play it safe on the final color: brown.
  3. You have to sign an affidavit that you don’t have a homeowner’s association that prohibits short term rentals. You have to have a document that would show that you have given notice to your neighbors. And you need to also have a business license.
  4. I don’t think you don’t have to be a citizen, maybe you have to live or work in the city or the county.
  5. I’m gonna say false, because I do believe that you can call the city and the city will come and remove that graffiti.