Santa Fe County has done an excellent job implementing suggestions for making its operations more open and understandable, according to members of the Santa Fe County League of Women Voters, who worked on a transparency audit requested by the county last year.

"I'm so pleased with their response," said Dani Frye, one of the volunteers who helped research the 27-page report the league delivered to Santa Fe County nine months ago. "They've had the best attitude I've ever seen, and they do deserve some praise for that."

Santa Fe County Manager Roman Abeyta addressed, point by point, how the county has implemented suggestions made in the report during a luncheon Wednesday hosted by the league.

Abeyta said actions taken by the county in response to the report include the following:

• County staff received additional training about their responsibility to provide notice of public meetings.

• A template for meeting notices was created.

• Efforts are being made to include more meeting minutes on the county's Web site.

• Equipment upgrades have been made to improve the sound quality of publicly televised meetings.

• A quick link for public records requests has been added to the county Web site.

• The County Commission has adopted a written policy advocating transparency.

• The county is using more venues — including Facebook, Twitter, radio, television and public libraries — to distribute information.

• More financial information is being posted on the county Web site. To access this information, click on "Quicklinks" on the county Web site, www.santafecounty.org, then select "Budget & Finance."

The league was seeking more transparency with regard to the county's Corrections Department, but Abeyta said laws designed to guard inmate and staff safety make that difficult. And he called the idea of a survey of public opinion about the county's level of openness "too costly" for now.

The report also recommended that the county improve its relations with the local news media and that the public information officer be more accessible and responsive both to the press and the general public.

In 2008, the county's spokesman, Stephen Ulibarri, commenting on a e-mail to staff, said some of them had been "bullied" by reporters. The memo stated that he received regular calls for information on stories seeking evidence of "mismanagement and scandal" and reminded employees that they are under no obligation to talk to the media.

The county did follow up on the league's suggestion to revise the chain of command so the public information officer reports directly to the county manager rather than to the administrative services supervisor. And a written job description also has been created for the post — something that didn't exist before.

But Abeyta acknowledged the position of public information officer is currently vacant. Ulibarri, who resigned in November, has not been replaced, Abeyta said, because of a "soft hiring freeze" prompted by recent budget shortfalls.

Ulibarri's previous duties are now being handled by employee Kristine Mihelcic, who is an Administrative Services Department secretary.

Contact Phaedra Haywood at 986-3068 or phaywood@sfnewmexican.com.