Land Use Department Adds Personnel, Increases Capacity to Inspections and Enforcement Division

January 24, 2021-- The Land Use Department has recently hired personnel that will greatly enhance operational capacity of the Inspections and Enforcement Division. The division’s mission is to safeguard the health, safety, and welfare of the citizens of Santa Fe by ensuring that construction work is complete and Short-Term Rentals are processed in accordance with the City's adopted codes and ordinances, and that private properties are maintained in compliance with the City's environmental regulations while providing the highest possible level of customer service.

Code Enforcement/Ordinance Enforcement

 The Enforcement Division, in charge of Zoning Code Compliance and Short-Term Rentals, is 95% staffed as of January 2022, with one position to be advertised. The division was previously at 70% capacity; in recent months three vacant Code Enforcement Specialist positions were filled.

·    With this staffing, Code Compliance/Short Term Rentals/Zoning has the ability to provide quicker response time on enforcement on violations such as weeds, litter, debris, signs, noise, junk vehicles, etc.

·    This will enable the specialists to educate the public on how to come into compliance and how to apply for permits and licenses.

·    The division is now able to conduct more thorough inspections and assist with licensing of new Short-Term Rentals and renewals, and enforcement of the rules against illegal rentals, noise, and parking.

·    Zoning specialists are now better equipped to inspect and process New Home and Commercial Occupations, itinerant vendors, Liquor License assessments, and special events in a timely manner.

Construction Inspections

The staffing level of the Construction Inspections team as of January 2021, was less than 60 percent. As of January 2022, it is at 85% with two positions currently posted.

·    One of the critical positions that has been filled is Compliance Officer/Building Inspector, who works on complaints about illegal construction work being conducted without building permits and abandoned and unsafe structures.

·    The new Electrical/Solar Inspector will provide timely inspections for solar installations and support the electrical section.

·    A new Building Inspector was hired to provide inspections for new projects for building permits and will assure timely and quality inspections.

·    The new Plumbing Inspector will provide timely and quality inspections of plumbing, mechanical, and gas installations.

·    The new Permit Technician in the Inspections Division will assist in scheduling required inspections for construction projects and work with business license division to enter applications, schedule required inspections, and complete certificates of compliance for new businesses