SANTA FE, N.M. (KRQE) – The City of Santa Fe is working against the clock to meet a judge's order to restore a controversial obelisk. However, there's a chance the city may reverse course. The Santa Fe obelisk has been shrouded in controversy. Protesters tore down the Soldiers' Monument amidst social unrest in 2020, outraged over a plaque that referred to indigenous people as "savages." “There are deep historical trauma issues that continue. There are sources of deep pride as well. Unless those are addressed in a constructive way, they can lead to permanent division,” said Alan Webber, mayor of the city of Santa Fe. Santa Fe City Council votes to initiate study on moving Santa Fe Soldiers Monument Next week will be the first time in years that anyone has seen the remains of the torn-down obelisk that was destroyed nearly five years ago. “By virtue of a judge's order, the city of Santa Fe has until the 19th of January to remove the box that has been safeguarding the Soldiers' Monument,” Webber said. Back in December, a judge ordered the city to restore the monument. On Friday, city crews began that process by removing shrubbery. Next week, they plan to remove graffiti and paint that still covers the obelisk's remains. “We would like to clean that up so that it looks as nice as possible before we take the box off permanently,” says Webber. Bill aims to explore feasibility of moving Soldiers’ Monument to Santa Fe National Cemetery Over the past few years, the city of Santa Fe has been embattled with what to do next with the monument. The mayor said the city as a whole has learned some key lessons. “So I think the key lesson from the toppling of the obelisk is that didn't really help anybody get to a better place,” Webber says. Next week, the city council will debate whether or not to move forward and restore the monument or appeal the judge's decision. “We want, we want to establish the facts about the ability to put the obelisk together and the cost, the complexity of doing it,” says Webber. The city of Santa Fe passed a resolution last year to comply with the state's historic preservation office's procedures to restore the monument.