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F I S C A L I M P A C T R E P O R T

SPONSOR Picraux

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

1/30/08

HB 339

SHORT TITLE Historic Preservation Division Operations

SB

ANALYST Cox

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY08

FY09

$75.0

Recurring

General Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA)

SUMMARY

House Bill 339 requests an appropriation of seventy-five thousand dollars ($75,000) from the

General Fund for expenditure in fiscal year 2009 to the Cultural Affairs Department for the His-

toric Preservation Division to fund the operation and administration of:

•

the Cultural Properties Review Committee,

•

the Fort Stanton Development Commission,

•

the Historic Landscape Trust and ,

•

the Main Street Revolving Loan Committee.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

DCA has classified this funding as ‘non-recurring’. This type of funding, however, is considered,

as ‘recurring’ under LFC guidelines.

The appropriation of seventy five thousand dollars ($75.0) contained in this bill is a recurring

expense to the General Fund. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of

fiscal year 2009 shall revert to the general fund.

The four committees alluded to (above) in the Bill were created in State Statute, but funding to

support the work of the committees was not included in any of the legislation. All four commit-

House Bill 339 – Page

2

tees set policy for programs that include a balance of historic preservation and economic stimu-

lus to the property owners and communities of the State.

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

Travel, per-diem, compilation and manpower expenses are necessary to implement these Com-

mittees work.

DCA notes that:

Each committee is directed in Statute to be a policy making body and to reach out to the diverse

cultural resources of the State and assist them with recognition and planning for preservation.

The Cultural Properties Act (18-6-1 through 27, NMSA 1978) creates and sets out the responsi-

bilities of the Cultural Properties Review Committee. The Historic Landscape Act (18-13-1

through 7, NMSA 1978) creates and sets out the responsibilities of the Board of Trustees of the

Historic Landscape Trust. The Main Street Revolving Loan Committee (3-60C-1 through 6,

NMSA 1978) creates and sets out the responsibilities of the Main Street Revolving Loan Com-

mittee. The Fort Stanton Development Commission (9-6-12 through 14, NMSA 1978) creates

and sets out the responsibilities for the Commission.

Each committee is intended to include people with cultural resource knowledge. Because the

CPRC, Landscape Trust, and Main Street Revolving Loan Committee members are intended to

represent the rural and urban communities around the state, preservation planning, public partici-

pation in meetings, per diem and travel expenses require general fund support. The committees

meet a minimum of four times annually. Administrative support includes staff, reporting, public

notice of meetings and dissemination of material via the internet and through the mail.

Lack of funding will severely restrict Historic Preservation Division’s (HPD) ability to provide

critical technical assistance and administrative support to these committees. Public involvement

in preservation of cultural resources may be reduced because the committees will not meet or

meet the minimum number of times required annually to conserve funds.

The work of these committees directly supports state economic activities such as the work of

Main Street communities across the state in their ability to use financial incentives, make critical

planning decisions and promote tourism. And as the state prepares for the 2012 Centennial, these

committees will see increased activity in identification, historic designation, rehabilitation and

heritage tourism spurred by the Centennial.

PRC/jp