Beginning Planning Process

1. Planning Committee's Roles and Responsibilities
2. Planning Methodologies Discussed and a Methodology
3. Present Community Key Issues
4. Vision Formulation
5. Pueblos Participation in the Planning Process

1. Planning Committee's Roles and Responsibilities
Defined & Agreed Upon (January 16 - 31, 2003)

Chairman (David Dogruel)

Responsibilities:

To maintain group cohesion on an interpersonal level by identifying and attempting to resolve issues of anger, hidden agendas, etc.
To be available to either late or newcomers to update them on the planning effort.
To lead with the approval of Meeting Notes (which can only be discussed for approval by members who were present at the specific meeting).
Meeting time keeping.

Vice-Chairman (David Ortiz)

Responsibilities:

To assist the Chairman during committee meetings and act as Chairman in his or her absence.

Secretary (vacant)

Responsibilities:

Records key points of Committee discussions, such as consensuses reached by the group, subjects left to be decided later, and members who have taken responsibilities for particular tasks. The members should be able to use the notes to refresh their memory at future meetings, or to help make future informed decisions.

Public Relations Spokesperson (vacant)

Responsibilities:

To work with the Media and the Public in general to promote a wider awareness and understanding of this Community planning effort.

Vibes Watchers/ Mediators (Narciso Quintana)

Responsibilities:

To be attuned to the emotional state of the meeting. For example, is the Group tense, bored, or being too silly? Vibes watchers might suggest a diversion, a lighter topic, a moment of silence, or seat swapping.

General Membership

Responsibilities:

To represent the needs, wants and vision of their respective communities in drafting the plan.
To inform people in their communities on what is transpiring, and to be available to answer their questions or concerns.
To come prepared for each meeting.

2. Planning Methodologies Discussed and a Methodology
Chosen (February 21- March 16, 2003)

Three major planning methodologies commonly used in public sector planning were discussed for use in this community planning effort:

Comprehensive Planning;
Incremental Planning;
Multiple-Scenarios Strategic Analysis & Planning. The members chose the last approach because:

it is a more dynamic process (it has the capability to respond faster to change);
scanning & monitoring upon which evaluation is based, is built into this methodology;
it focuses on the importance of factors that are external to the decision-making subject and system under consideration, such as the Pueblos & the County systems, which must be identified and reasonably understood to provide essential knowledge and make successful decisions;
its use of multiple scenarios rather than traditional forecasting approaches using linear projections.

3. Present Community Key Issues
Identified (March 16, 2003)

The 11 initial issues for the Valley identified during the organizational and community-wide meetings, were further discussed by the Committee and then grouped as follows:

Water & Wastewater
Land Use & Growth Management
Maintaining Rural Lifestyle & Agricultural Lands
Improving Pueblo Relationship which Includes Resolving Boundaries and Roads Access Issues
Providing Sufficient Community Facilities & Services

4. Vision Formulation
(March 27, 2003 - )

The definition, importance & process of community visioning which involves answering the following questions were discussed:

Where is our community now? (Community Profile)
Where is our community going? (Community Trends -- without taking advantage of the opportunities or advantages that come forward.)
Where do we want to be 20 to 25 years from now? (Our Preferred Scenario)

1. Where is our community now?

Community Character:

Community is rapidly changing.
There is segregation between communities.
We are a reluctant bedroom community with traditional roots.
Lack of community identity.
Loss of agricultural lands.

Waste Water:

Individual septic tanks
Discharges - No enforcement
No collective system Possible contamination
Floodplain/ Building of surface + ground water
Pueblo holding ponds (inefficient technology)
Discharges/ Ext. of Use

Water:

Polluting our own sources
Uncertainty of future use/ source
Individual/ Shared Wells
Acequias - Options Aamodt Case
Pueblo Wells
Water use not equal to water rights/ Ability to Use
Irresponsible/ Unsustainable Use
Water Quality
No Use - Regulations/ Enforcement

Land Use:

Land use & road ownership is causing anger.

Zoning - Lack of enforcement
- Historical Land Division - Family Lot Splits
- Regulations
- Lack of Open Space
(Commercial) - Need/ Allow for it? Density Control

Growth Management
- Affordable housing
- Jacona Land Grant
- Lack of communication (Pueblo Growth)
- Insufficient Public Notice
- Lack of community involvement in growth issues
- Highway Corridor (Noise, Lighting, Lack of enforcement)

Pueblo Relation Including Boundaries & Roads Access:

- Lack of communication however improving especially with Tribal Summit. For the first time in history, the decision-makers have agreed to meet in a regular basis and identify key issues they can work on together.
- Very few roads owned by the County (may be maximum of 4) and the rest are owned by the Pueblos
- The Federal government has created problems and is not involved in solving them.

Community Buildings/ Services

Some
Centered around schools
Pueblo-provided facilities
Not enough community facilities & services including law enforcement
Disproportionate burden on Non-Pueblo (tax payers)
Lack of fundingIndividual Refuse-Lack of Service

2. Where is our community going?

More adversarial relationship between communities.
Unplanned growt
More problems with water source
Polluted ground water

3. Where do we want to be in 2025?
To answer the third question, the larger group was randomly divided
into four smaller groups to formulate their vision statement.

Group 1

We want a community of people whose priorities are to maintain and protect a presence of culture, tradition, family and quality of life.

Group 2
In Pojoaque Valley people of all cultures live together in harmony. With a strong sense of community and an earth-affirming ethic that preserves the beauty and simplicity of our lives. The Pojoaque Valley retains its quiet rural character with public open space, parks, as gathering points for local events. Our traditional agricultural lands are watered by acequias; the night skies shine brightly away from city lights.
We have a quality government services: our local public schools are among the best in the nation. Respect for our laws is encouraged by our friendly law enforcement officers, with roots in our community. We have excellent fire protection and guaranteed access to our properties via well-maintained public roads. We have valley-wide systems for solid and liquid waste disposal. This helps protect our high quality drinking water.
Group 3
Pojoaque Valley will be a flourishing rural haven and well-organized community that honors and cherishes diversity, and nurtures and protects a harmonious and interdependent relationship between all its residents. Community facilities will be affordable and accessible, attracting everyone and fostering a cohesive atmosphere that distinguishes our community as a model of kinship and mutual support. Pojoaque Valley will enjoy clean water, land, and air, all fully sustained by residents, as well as controlled and appropriate growth that maintains open and rural spaces, fulfilling all community members' highest standards of cultural, economic, physical, and aesthetic prosperity.

In essence, our community will be a paradise to its present members and future generations.
Group 4
The Pojoaque Valley is a model of multi-cultural harmony. This friendly rural community provided all the services needed for a high quality of life. While maintaining its traditional rural and agricultural roots, the Valley capitalizing on strong sense of community and the spacious rural setting to create comfortable community centers where residents gather. By working together, and leveraging the local National Labs, the community has become a center of technology with environmentally friendly knowledge-based light industries. The cultural diversity and traditional southwest ambiance continues to draw profitable, high tech companies away from overcrowded, decaying urban environments.
On April 24, 2003, all four groups presented their vision for the Pojoaque Valley, which have similar elements. They asked the County Staff to combine all four vision statements, based primarily on the statement of Group 3, which will be presented on May 8, 2003 @ 6:30 PM, Pojoaque Valley Schools Administration Building in Jacona Campus.

5. Pueblos Participation in the Planning Process
Initiated (March 4, 2003 )

Each Pueblo is an entity onto itself, and so have individual processes and procedures for relating to the Planning Committee. Therefore, the different protocols for Pueblos involvement in the planning process are discussed with respective Tribal Staff through Pre-Tribal Summit meetings on March 4 & 18, 2003. This process is being re-enforced by:

An agreement of cooperation, collaboration, coordination, communication and consultation between the County and Pueblo governments were made and stated on Statement of Principles and Policies: Working in a Spirit of Cooperation signed in November, 2001.

A formal letter of invitation to participate was extended to Tribal Governors of Santa Clara, San Ildefonso, Nambe, Pojoaque & Tesuque by Gerald Gonzales, County Manager, on March 11, 2003.

ComsfcTextJustifyer Harry Montoya's (District I) scheduled meetings with individual Pueblo Governors to request their Pueblo's participation in the planning process.

The Pojoaque Valley Planning Committee Officers (Chairman, Advisor, and Spokesman) attended the Annual Tribal Summit on April 9, 2003 where they approached the individual Pueblo Governors and requested their Pueblos participation in their community planning effort.