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Santa Fe Governing Body Delays Vote On Obelisk Future

Santa Fe residents line up at City Hall Wednesday night to express their opinions to the Governing Body on what to do with the obelisk in The Santa Fe Plaza.
Kevin Meerschaert
/
KSFR-FM
Santa Fe residents line up at City Hall Wednesday night to express their opinions to the Governing Body on what to do with the obelisk in The Santa Fe Plaza.

A decision on the future of the obelisk in The Santa Fe Plaza will have to wait a while longer. 

After hours of public comments and some late night discussion, the Santa Fe Governing Body late Wednesday decided to postpone any decision until they could hold a longer discussion.  

The revised resolution sets out Mayor Alan Webber and City Councilors’ proposals on how to rebuild the obelisk at the location of the old Soldiers Monument that was torn by protestors in 2020. It includes using pieces of the old monument to help tell the story of Santa Fe, including the destruction of the Soldiers Monument.   

The resolution is not close to being a final recommendation. It includes the creation of an Office of Equity and Inclusion which would have a lot of say any new monument.     

It was an often emotional and sometimes angry discussion as a long line of local residents gave their opinions on what they wanted done to the obelisk.

     Comments ranged from returning the Soldiers Monument minus the racially insensitive language to removing the obelisk all together. The Mayor on several occasions had to gavel down people who wouldn’t  keep proper decorum.

By 11:30 the Mayor and Council decided it would be best to call it a night.

After the meeting Webber said it’s going to be a hard problem to solve since Santa Fe is a very diverse community .

“When we begin to re-experience historical trauma it brings out pain,” he said. “It brings out pain from all parts of the community and people are very clear about much things hurt. It’s easy to feel that pain.”  

There are a couple of new amendments that will need further discussion.

The next regular council meeting isn’t until the end of March. Webber and the Councilors say they are going to try and find a day they can hold a special meeting before then to finish their discussion.    

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