Public Meetings - Los Alamos County, New Mexico

Note on date discrepancy: The agenda and transcript indicate the meeting was held on January 14, 2026, but the provided source metadata states the meeting took place on January 15, 2026. This summary uses the date as given in the instruction. The Board of Public Utilities (BPU) convened on January 15, 2026, at 5:30 PM in the Municipal Building Council Chambers. Chair Robert Gibson presided. The board approved several consent agenda items, recommended a major services agreement for water system mechanical repairs, affirmed the annual Open Meetings Resolution, heard the annual Asset Management Teams (AMT) presentation, and elected officers for 2026. Consent Calendar - Approval of December 2025 meeting minutes: Approved as amended (draft 2). - Amendment No. 2 to AGR22-68 with Molzen Corbin: Extends the engineering services agreement for the Water Production Facilities Electric and Mechanical Upgrades Phase I Project through December 31, 2026, with no additional cost. Approved unanimously. - Budget Revision 2026-34 for Task Order No. 3 with Souder Miller & Associates: Allocates $70,433 for potable water storage tank inspection and maintenance services, required to address 36 corrective actions identified by NMED by April 7, 2026. Approved unanimously. - Award of Bid IFB 26-24 to TSI Tower, Inc.: $559,395 plus $83,910 contingency ($643,305 total) plus GRT for fiber optic line installation in Guaje Canyon and Bayo Booster to upgrade SCADA communications. Approved unanimously. - Item 4.e (AGR26-15 with Armystick, LLC): Pulled from consent for discussion; see Discussion Items. Public Comments & Testimony - No public comments were offered during any of the public comment periods. Discussion Items - Approval of Services Agreement AGR26-15 with Armystick, LLC: The board discussed and recommended approval of a $1,000,000, seven-year task-order agreement for water systems mechanical devices rehabilitation and support. Deputy Utility Manager James Alarid explained that the contractor, Bill Curb (Armystick/Curb Services), is a specialized provider for pressure-reducing valves and other mechanical components. The contract was competitively procured. The board voted unanimously to recommend approval to Council. - Annual Asset Management Teams (AMT) Presentation: Senior Engineer James Martinez presented a summary of the December 17, 2025, Asset Management Governance Team meeting, covering seven teams: Electric Production, Electric Distribution, Gas Distribution, Water Distribution, Water Production/Non-Potable Water, Wastewater Collection, and Wastewater Treatment. Key highlights included: - Electric Production: Rebid hydro condition assessment for Abiquiu and El Vado (initial proposal was twice the budget); arc flash study in progress; Abiquiu crane analysis needed; wildfire planning; decommissioning El Vado Butte communication tower. - Electric Distribution: Goal to bring SAIDI under 1 hour; improve system maps; plan underground replacements; replace switch at Diamond/Trinity; add SCADA function to office; design new substation for Los Alamos townsite. - Gas Distribution: Increased O&M due to dedicated crews; investigate isolated steel sections; meet operator qualification requirements; study alternatives for Pueblo Canyon gas and sewer bridge crossing. - Water Distribution: Continue hydrant replacements (20–40 per year); address Northern Community bolt corrosion leaks; manage waterline breaks and overtime; PRV maintenance (linked to Armystick contract); replace old galvanized services and meters. - Water Production: Tank piping upgrades ($900K); Jemez Fire Protection project (Phase I completed, Phase IV near completion, Phase II ongoing, Phase III to bid); well mechanical/electrical upgrades ongoing; San Ildefonso Road and East Road water line replacements; North Mesa tank altitude valve project; SCADA fiber projects (LA Canyon completed, Guaje/Bayo bid awarded, West Road in design); sanitary survey of water tanks (18 of 36 corrective actions completed, need diver for remaining). - Wastewater Collection: Lift station rehabilitation (North Road done, Los Arboles in progress, Quemazon and East Gate under contract); shift capital to rehab existing VCP lines to reduce O&M and tort claims; sewer drops in Pueblo Canyon and North Mesa need replacement; vactor issues continue. - Wastewater Treatment: Staff achieved certifications; need a heavy-duty truck to haul solids; will use $2M RIP loan for UV system replacement, aeration basin crack repairs, fine screen repairs, and blower improvements. - Election of Chair and Vice Chair for 2026: The board re-elected Robert Gibson as Chair (unanimous). For Vice Chair, Matt Heavner was elected over incumbent Eric Stromberg by a vote of 3–2 (Members Hollingsworth, Heavner, and Gibson voted for Heavner; Members Nakhleh and Stromberg voted for Stromberg). Key Outcomes - Votes: - Approved consent agenda as amended (4–0, member Nakhleh absent initially but later present). - Affirmed Open Meetings Resolution No. 26-01 (5–0). - Recommended approval of AGR26-15 with Armystick, LLC to Council (5–0). - Elected Robert Gibson as Chair (5–0). - Elected Matt Heavner as Vice Chair (3–2). - Other actions: - Introduced new Council Liaison Ryn Herrmann. - Noted that Deputy Utility Manager James Alarid announced his retirement, effective in a few months. - Discussed future agenda items including balcony solar (added to parking lot), final fleet conversion plan, and waste-to-energy presentation. - The board will hold a budget work session in February for FY2027 and FY2028 budgets. Public Hearing - Affirmation of Open Meetings Resolution No. 26-01: The board affirmed the resolution, which establishes minimum standards for public notice for all county meetings, as required annually. No public comment was received. Motion passed unanimously. Board Reports - Utilities Manager Philo Shelton reported on: White Rock substation transformer foundation design; LANL tie-line construction starting next week; PNM mutual aid agreement signed; Elk Ridge green tags at 60 (out of 180) with scheduling challenges; recruitments; James Alarid retirement; ECA review progress; Foxtail Flats commercial operation date moved to June 18, 2027; chromium plume updates (NNSA may restart one extraction well at 60 gpm); and two-mile canyon water line leak repair plans. - County Manager Anne Laurent reported on: upcoming state legislative session; new PIO Dave Kruger starting Feb 2; federal funding for new well; and community dashboard revamp. - Council Liaison Ryn Herrmann reported on the previous night's Council work session, including North Mesa Recreation Master Plan ($13M, 26 acres), Metropolitan Redevelopment Area commission discussion, and a waste-to-energy presentation by Mozart DevCo. - Environmental Sustainability Board Liaison Sue Barns reported that the ESB reviewed the fleet conversion and EV charging plans, drafted a 2026 work plan, and noted a $1.2M EPA grant for food composting (stalled due to DOE/NMED issues). Status Reports - The board reviewed monthly status reports for November and December 2025, including electric reliability (SAIDI at 93 minutes for 2025), accounts receivable (over 90 days past due total $11,970.34), and risk/safety (14 OSHA recordable injuries in 2025, incidence rate 15.81 vs. national average 1.8). Chair Gibson noted improvement in receivables. Upcoming Agenda Items - The tickler file for January–March 2026 was reviewed, with items including the DPU FY2027 budget presentation (February), annual report, and various updates. The board agreed to add balcony solar to the parking lot.

The Los Alamos Planning and Zoning Commission met on January 15, 2026 (the meeting was actually held on January 14, 2026 at 5:30 PM Mountain Time, but the date provided for the summary is January 15, 2026 UTC). The meeting included a housing update by the Housing and Special Projects Manager and a training refresher on quasi-judicial procedures by the Deputy County Attorney. The commission approved the minutes from the December 10, 2025 meeting and received updates on various housing projects, land use planning, and council activities. Consent Calendar - Approval of Minutes (December 10, 2025): The commission approved the minutes by a unanimous roll call vote (8-0, with all present members voting yes). Public Comments & Testimony - No members of the public offered comments during the public comment periods for non-agenda items or at the end of the meeting. Discussion Items - Housing Update (Dan Osborn, Housing and Special Projects Manager): Mr. Osborn presented an extensive overview of the county's affordable housing efforts. Key points included: the 2024 Affordable Housing Plan identified a need for 1,300 to 2,400 new units to address demand and affordability; density targets of 10-15 dwelling units per acre are needed; the county has increased AMI thresholds to 120% (now behind the state's 150% cap). Specific projects highlighted: - 9th Street Apartments: 87 deed-restricted studio units at 45% AMI for 20 years. Currently about 80% full; many prospective tenants are slightly above 45% AMI, prompting potential adjustments to a tiered system (45%, 50%, 55%). - 20th Street Redevelopment (RBMM partnership): Mixed-use condominium project near Ashley Pond, with street improvements (road diet, pedestrian island, signalized intersection) and extension of the Canyon Rim Trail. The project aims for high-end units to free up existing housing stock. - North Mesa Property (school district collaboration): Potential development of 30 acres for 200-350 units. Infrastructure costs (water/sewer upgrades) are $14-15 million; traffic impacts are minimal. The county is considering capital improvement funding over 2-3 years. - Servitos Project (A8A site): 380 rental units, with 120 deed-restricted at 60-100% AMI (missing middle). Financing via a bond issue (P3 model) with the county providing land; developer receives a fee, not ongoing rent revenue. The state is contributing $3 million for deed restrictions. Site plan expected in February 2026. - Other initiatives: Habitat for Humanity project (36 Trinity, 4-6 units), RV park feasibility study (40-60 spaces), 1000 Sombrillo senior/care facility potential. - Commissioner questions addressed the differences between density and subsidy, status of the Twilight Homes project, pedestrian safety on Central Avenue (Lisa Hampton, chair of county health council, raised concerns about pedestrian accidents), and short-term rental regulations (no current plans to restart the steering committee). - Planning and Zoning Commission Training Refresher (Katie Thwaits, Deputy County Attorney): Ms. Thwaits provided a detailed training on the legal distinctions between legislative and quasi-judicial actions, emphasizing due process, ex parte communications, evidence handling, and the importance of clear findings of fact. The training covered: - Legislative actions (e.g., text amendments, comp plan) are flexible, allow public comment but no sworn testimony; quasi-judicial actions (e.g., variances, site plans) require formal hearings with sworn witnesses, cross-examination, and decisions based solely on criteria in the development code. - Commissioners must disclose ex parte communications and recuse themselves if they cannot be impartial. - Evidence must be presented and subject to cross-examination; personal opinions or independent research are not allowed. - Decisions must be based on the decision criteria; if a vote is 3-2 (with only 5 members present), it is deemed a denial (no majority of at least 4). - The importance of a clear record for potential appeals to council and district court. - Discussion on whether to change the quorum requirement for variances (currently 5 members) to 7 members, noting practical challenges. - Commission/Director Communications: - Department report: Upcoming plan TAC and steering committee meetings; historic consultants in February; ongoing work on Articles 5 and 1 of the development code (requests for feedback on confusing sections). - Chair's report: Welcomed Commissioner Hampton back; noted Commissioner Hill's resignation; stressed attendance importance. - Council Liaison's report (Councilor Cole): Council elected new leadership (Chair Riedy, Vice Chair Hermann); work session updates on North Mesa recreation plan ($12.6 million, phased), MRA commission discussions, waste-to-energy plant proposal (Los Alamos would contribute 60-80 tons of trash daily), and performance indicators. - Commissioner comments: Questions on Columbus Capital special use permit for old Smith's storage (5-year 6-month permit approved in 2022; storage use expired; site plan extension needed by April 2026). Key Outcomes - No formal votes or decisions taken on the housing update or training; both were informational. - The commission unanimously approved the minutes from December 10, 2025. - The housing update provided a roadmap for future development and upcoming site plan submissions (e.g., Servitos project in February 2026). - The training clarified procedural requirements for quasi-judicial hearings; no changes to the code were proposed. - Staff will send the training presentation and written materials to commissioners. - Commissioners were reminded to submit 2026 disclosure books by Friday.