City Affordable Housing Director Ladd, Land Use Director Kluck to step down in July

Jun. 21—Just hours after Santa Fe Planning and Land Use Director Jason Kluck confirmed Friday he plans to leave the job in early July, city Affordable Housing Director Alexandra Ladd said she will depart next month to take on a new role at Santa Fe County.

Ladd, who has worked at the city for almost 18 years, said her last day is July 12. She will then begin serving as director of the county's Growth Management Department.

"I am excited to learn and grow in this new position and to continue the important work of serving the residents of Santa Fe," Ladd wrote in a Friday email announcing her departure to city councilors and others.

Kluck, who announced his resignation earlier this week, said his decision to leave was due to a health-related condition.

"It breaks my heart to leave, but it's just what I need to do at this time," he said Friday.

Ladd and Kluck are the latest of many high-level city employees to resign or retire this year or are scheduled to depart. Others, whose jobs remain unfilled, include former Community Health and Safety Director Kyra Ochoa, Environmental Services Director Shirlene Sitton, senior adviser Bernie Toon, and Community Development Director Rich Brown, who will retire at the end of the month.

Affordable Housing Project Manager Cody Minnich will also be leaving at the end of the month. Minnich plans to work for Boulder, Colo.-based Thistle Community Housing, an affordable housing nonprofit.

Former City Clerk Kristine Bustos-Mihelcic, who also led the Community Engagement Department and acted as city spokeswoman, and former spokeswoman Amy Akmal — on the job only a few months — left last year, and their roles have not yet been filled.

City Manager John Blair downplayed the wave of resignations in an interview Friday afternoon.

Staff turnover is a reality of public-sector employment, he said. "It is a fact of life in government that people leave, people retire, people get promotions, they go to other government agencies."

Blair said the Human Resources Department will move quickly to post a position for Kluck's successor.

"We're going to try to move as quickly as we can, for sure; it's too important for Santa Fe," he said.

Several city councilors said they were concerned about how the vacancies would affect the city.

Councilor Jamie Cassutt said the departures are "not a great scenario."

Councilor Pilar Faulkner said, "It's a terrible loss for the city, and I'm concerned that it seems like we're losing a lot of people."

"What really concerns me is the lack of capacity the city has had for quite some time," Councilor Michael Garcia said. "I'm really concerned we're not going to have enough staff support to move our city forward in the direction our residents want us to."

Kluck joined the city in 2009 and became assistant director of planning and land use in 2019. He was promoted to interim director in July 2021 after the resignation of Elias Isaacson and was permanently promoted to the position in March 2022.

"I feel like I've responsibly led the department over the last three years or so," he said.

Ladd wrote in her letter to councilors her long career at the city has been "extremely fulfilling."

In a city where the lack of affordable housing is frequently described as a top issue by politicians and everyday residents alike, Ladd had a key role leading the city's initiatives aimed at making housing more affordable for residents.

Homewise CEO Mike Loftin said she was extremely knowledgeable in a sphere where regulations can be complicated and stringent.

"She leans into, 'What do we need to do to help more people?' And that's not always a quality you get," Loftin said. He added, "Alex is a gem."

Councilor Jamie Cassutt said Ladd has done "amazing work" on affordable housing. "She has really led the charge for years and this is going to be a huge loss for us."

"Those are going to be some very hard shoes to fill and I wish her all the best," Garcia said of Ladd. "It's the county's win and our loss."

Ed Romero, executive director of the Santa Fe Civic Housing Authority, described Ladd as "one of my favorite city employees ever."

Councilors and members of the community also spoke highly of Kluck.

"We had a very good relationship with Jason all the time he was there," said Tom Spray, executive director of the Santa Fe chapter of the American Institute of Architects.

Spray and others said Kluck had a difficult job.

"Jason Kluck poured his heart and his physical well-being into trying to make the department run more efficiently," said Miles Conway, executive director of the Santa Fe Area Home Builders Association.

Conway said he hopes the work Kluck and his team started to help the Planning and Land Use Department run more efficiently will continue. However, he said what is truly needed is "a deep renovation" in how the department operates.

"Anything disruptive inside City Hall has a direct economic impact on the construction industry, so it's unfortunate that we've been unable to retain yet another land use director," Conway said.

Kluck was heavily involved in the city's ongoing work to rewrite its land use code, with the first phase expected to be complete later this summer, and in ongoing efforts to shift the city's development review process to an online system.

The department also recently launched a pilot program offering an option for a third-party plan review, which is intended to help streamline the permitting process for large developers.

Kluck said he's proud of the work he did to get the code update off the ground and is disappointed he won't be around for more of the work.

He described much of the work he did during his tenure as small adjustments, but said he's happy with progress he made on hiring and making the department more resilient. He's also proud of his work to build bridges with city developers and builders.

"I think we've done a really good job of not only showing we want to work with the development community, but actually doing it," he said. "And that's nothing special; it's what any good leader should do."

Assistant Land Use Director Heather Lamboy will be interim director while the city searches for a successor, fellow Assistant Land Use Director Tom Graham said.

"We're going to try to keep moving forward with all of the things we have in the pipeline and keep progressing the department and doing the best we can," Graham said. "Losing Jason is going to be tough."

Kluck praised both Graham and Lamboy and said he feels slightly better about leaving knowing they will be taking over his duties.

"They'll fill my shoes just fine," he said.

It was not immediately clear who will oversee the Office of Affordable Housing after Ladd leaves or her departure's effect on the city's affordable housing initiatives, which recently took a hit when a state judge rejected a voter-approved excise tax on the sales of high-end homes to fund them.

Cassutt said the city does not have a choice except to continue.

"Whatever we need to do to keep moving forward, we'll do," she said. "This is an area where we do not have a choice but to figure out how to continue at the pace we are moving. We cannot falter with this work."

The city will have a mayoral election in the fall of 2025. Mayor Alan Webber has not announced whether he will run for a third term, and no other candidates have declared a bid for the office.

Garcia said he is "absolutely" concerned the coming election could make recruiting top-level, exempt employees more difficult.

Cassutt noted if a new mayor takes office in 2026, that person's administration could choose to retain directors, particularly if they have a proven track record of success.

"I would really encourage people who are qualified to apply," she said.