OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Los Alamos APP Board Meeting Summary - 2026-01-22

County Council & Boards — Thursday, January 22, 2026
BodyLos Alamos County, New Mexico
SessionCounty Council & Boards
DateThursday, January 22, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:15:46

Transcript — Verbatim
0:00

We will call the meeting to order.

0:04

Board members and foley, Andy Wright and Stephanie Hodger here.

0:08

So we have a quorum.

0:10

We are missing Jasmine and Anna.

0:13

Is there any public comment not on the agenda?

0:24

Okay, then we will move on to business approval of minutes from the December 18, 2025 PPP meeting.

0:32

I move that the board approve the minutes from the December 18th, 2025 APP meeting.

0:37

I second that motion.

0:39

The motion was made by Tim Foley, seconded by Andy.

0:45

All in favor.

0:46

Yes.

0:47

Approved by everyone present.

0:50

Move on to the homestead interpretive signage project update and overview.

0:58

Anywhere in particular recording.

1:00

I think you could probably just smooth your chair up if you want or stay right there.

1:04

It's fine.

1:08

Okay.

1:09

Stephanie, do you want me to preface why Leslie is here?

1:12

Or is that clear enough?

1:15

So an introduction, probably just for the one of the name.

1:18

I mean I know why she's here.

1:20

So I'm Leslie Bucklin.

1:22

I'm the assistant public information officer for Los Alamos County.

1:26

And I am the project manager for the Homestead Interpretive Signage Project as well as kind of the project manager over signage.

1:35

So I'm here today to give you quick rundown overview, update of what is going on with the homestead interpretive signage project.

1:46

So you know kind of where we're at in the project, what's coming, order of operations, placement, that sort of a thing.

1:54

So first I wanted to make sure you all know just a brief history.

1:59

We've had two versions of homestead sign, kind of, you know, really really old version that was kind of rolled in with a circle walking tour that was also a very ancient version.

2:11

Um we updated the historical walking tour sign, not this current time but the previous time.

2:17

We broke out homestead LANL and uh the county worked with homesteader families as part of a settlement that Lanel had to interpret the homestead era as part of kind of um some legacy work following the Manhattan Project era.

2:37

And so we had a huge event, we launched 17 signs around town.

2:43

Uh Lanel had a couple signs down by the Romero Cabin.

2:46

We had a big homestead event, and that was the homestead tour.

2:51

And so we had a brochure that went with that, it was a driving tour.

2:55

Um, and then over the years, um, the inevitable happened, which is at this altitude, the signs just don't last very long.

3:03

Um, but the other thing is that there were a lot of lessons learned that came from that project.

3:09

So lesson learned number one is that LANL really uh wanted to focus more on having a digital presence and learned through their agreement that uh their digital presence in the history and the storytelling they're doing on their website is enough, and so they were happy to relinquish the responsibilities of the interpretive signage back to us fully as opposed to in partnership.

3:35

Um the other thing is that we learned that people aren't really overly thrilled with taking a driving tour across Los Alamos mesas to random places, and so we um those brochures were just not being picked up, and so we we don't haven't been printing those or putting those out there.

3:55

Um can I interrupt you?

3:58

Yes, please uh can I know there was some question when we were meeting with the working group about where those brochures were being given out.

4:09

I will tell, yeah, so the history, so we have 22 kiosks across town that um there's actually one in the art center, and they're all over the place, 22 of them, uh several at LANL, um, and they hold there's one in the lobby if you want to see what it looks like on your way out.

4:24

They hold eight brochures and they have a map that tells like where you are.

4:29

And so um we would put the brochures that are strategic for certain things, uh certain locations in those.

4:39

And uh the homestead brochures just didn't move, they just never ever moved.

4:43

So we we tried putting them in different places, we tried handing them out by hand uh to say like, hey, try the homestead tour.

4:51

Um, and just it was not a popular option.

5:00

So they weren't taking the brochures, even though really it's just good information.

5:05

So we pulled those and stopped making those and prioritize some other things.

5:13

So and just for comparison, so you can understand how we were like pulling the information and making the decision, not just based on the fact that they weren't moving quickly, but other things as well.

5:26

Last year, I think I ordered five hundred homestead brochures in like 2021, and we never gave them all out.

5:35

And last year we gave out over 30,000 Oppenheimer film location tours.

5:40

So it's not about tours.

5:43

Oh, and the second largest publication that we hand out is the walking tour, historical walking tour.

5:48

So it's not about tours, it's about that particular topic.

5:51

So we when the signs kind of died, um, and I want to tell you the other thing that we learned lesson learned from the placement of the signs is we had each family have their own, all 17 of them, and then we had them in different locations, and then one of the things they thought would be kind of fun at the time is um is if you know I I should say the project managers at the time, which were it was kind of a committee outside of the county.

6:20

They they really wanted the signs to be placed in a way that you were looking at where the cabin was.

6:25

Um I don't know how many of you remember the four that were over by the Romero Cabin, they were about this big, and they would um, you know, they're for the sake of the recording, they're a little bit more than eight and a half by eleven in size, and they were all facing totally different directions.

6:40

And so it was very confusing for people who would come across four of them and did not understand, not to mention some of them would be turned all the way around because face the cabin would be facing this way, and then they were not ADA compliant because you couldn't see it if you were in a wheelchair because it was faced away from the sidewalk.

6:58

So we kind of learned, yeah, that that didn't wasn't as cool and neat and as fun as people as the original committee thought it might be because there just wasn't enough context for them to understand the intention behind that.

7:12

Um and also having so many individual signs was also um not necessarily cost effective and also you know a bit confusing for folks.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Public Art Management███████████████████████████████31%
Signage Regulation█████████████████████████25%
Fire Department██████████████14%
Procedural███████7%
Public Engagement██████6%
Wildlife Management████4%
Board and Commission Management████4%
Library Management███3%
Strategic Planning███3%
Summary of Proceedings

Los Alamos Arts in Public Places Advisory Board Meeting - January 22, 2026

The Los Alamos County Arts in Public Places (APP) Advisory Board met on Thursday, January 22, 2026 at 5:30 PM at 1000 Central Avenue, Suite 110, and via Zoom. Chair Stephanie Haaser presided with members Tim Foley and Andy Wright present; members Jasmine Stephens and Anna Buckthorpe were absent. Staff liaison Chelsea Ashcraft attended, and Leslie Bucklin, Assistant Public Information Officer, presented on the Homestead Interpretive Signage Project. The meeting covered updates on multiple working groups and active public art projects.

Consent Calendar

  • The board unanimously approved the minutes from the December 18, 2025 APP meeting. Motion by Tim Foley, seconded by Andy Wright.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • No public comments were made on items not on the agenda.

Discussion Items

Homestead Interpretive Signage Project Update Leslie Bucklin provided an overview of the project to replace the existing 17 homestead interpretive signs (installed as part of a LANL settlement) with four new, standardized signs. She explained that the previous signs suffered from sun damage, were not ADA-compliant, and the driving-tour brochure was unpopular (only 500 printed in 2021, none distributed; contrast with 30,000 Oppenheimer film location tours given out in 2025). The new signs will be placed at Kwagy Mesa Trail, North Road near the posse shack/stables, and two at the Romero Cabin downtown. They will complement the existing historical walking tour signage. The board expressed disappointment at reducing to only four signs, feeling the earlier multiple locations gave better coverage, but accepted the rationale after discussion. A working group had previously voiced concern that the tour was under-advertised. Bucklin also noted plans for two to four wildlife interpretive signs and four existing "discovery spot" signs awaiting installation. Board member asked about the Marjorie Bell Chambers historical marker at Ashley Pond; Bucklin confirmed it should still be there, though landscaping and bollard installation may have changed the area's appearance.

Working Group Updates

  • Homestead Working Group: Reported disappointment that signs were consolidated to one location (Romero Cabin) rather than multiple sites, fearing it might send the wrong message to visitors about homestead history. The group discussed ideas for benches and sculpture chickens at homestead locations, but noted ADA compliance requirements.
  • Police Station / Lion Sculpture Project: Jasmine Stephens reported difficulty scheduling meetings. Chelsea Ashcraft updated that two contracts are signed with a March 9, 2026 deadline for artist deliverables. One artist requested to give a video-chat presentation instead of in-person; the board agreed to allow this without a formal vote, deeming it acceptable within the already-approved project. The call for art will be issued soon.
  • Library Board Collaboration: A representative from the library board (unidentified speaker) attended and offered collaboration on the upcoming art show, possibly providing help with community engagement and displays. The APP board welcomed the offer and discussed coordinating for the down-select process if many art submissions are received. The library board's next meeting is February 2, 2026, and an APP member may attend to describe the project.
  • Strategic Plan Working Group: Working on a deaccession plan for public art, developing a flowchart to guide decisions on whether to maintain, retire, or replace pieces based on cost, community sentiment, and condition. Chair Stephanie Haaser is term-limited but may continue on the working group as a community member.
  • Clowns Mosaic Working Group: Tim Foley reported slow progress on the project plan. He discovered the mosaic wall is made of cinder blocks and the tiles are unique, making them irreplaceable if damaged when moving the piece. This will be documented in the project plan.
  • Fire Station Working Group: Jasmine Stephens reported significant challenges. She encountered firefighters unaware of the project and offended by the concept of commemorating the three local fires (Cerro Pelado, Las Conchas, and another), as it reopens trauma. Anna Buckthorpe (absent but via prior report) also heard similar concerns from a coworker. Stephanie Haaser proposed a revised process: first, ask the fire department for a designated representative to join the working group; then, gather community input on the story to be told, not on a single theme. Chelsea Ashcraft noted that Sobia (project manager) wants a board decision on location and theme. The board decided to first clarify from Sobia whether rejecting the location would slow construction (the superstructure will be built regardless), and then have the working group, with a fire department representative, decide if a location vote is appropriate at the next meeting.
  • Justice Center Wall Mosaic: Contract signed. Artist will come in late May/early June for installation. Mesa Public Library has offered conference rooms and rotunda space for a three-day community engagement event during installation. Planning includes banners and social media promotion.
  • Senior Center Security Gate: Contract signed with March 1 artist deadline. A new installer is needed for permitting (egress issue), and the artist is providing a better sketch for the permit. Parks will store the gate if needed before installation.
  • Nature Center Sculpture ("Raven Dialogues" - corrected from "Raven Dialogue"): The sculpture is scheduled for delivery and installation on January 23, 2026, 11-1 PM. The stone was changed due to availability; the gallery owner believes the new stone is superior. The site has no irrigation issues. Peak board would like a ribbon cutting on Earth Day.
  • Lion Sculpture Artists: Deadline for submissions is March 9, 2026. Video presentation option now allowed.
  • Other Projects: Oppenheimer and Groves installation and White Rock Pottery installation have no updates yet. The maintenance contractor (Pacific Coast) will be contacted about the clowns mosaic and annual maintenance priorities based on survey results.

Staff Liaison Report Chelsea Ashcraft provided updates throughout the working group reports and noted the upcoming recreation of board vacancies. Applications for board membership are due January 30, 2026; only one application received so far (from Stephanie Haaser for reappointment). Interviews will be scheduled after the deadline.

Chairman's Report Chair Stephanie Haaser had no additional items.

Key Outcomes

  • Approved December 18, 2025 meeting minutes (unanimous).
  • Agreed to allow video-chat presentations from lion sculpture artists.
  • Directed that the fire station working group, with a fire department representative, determine readiness to vote on art location at the February meeting, pending clarification from project manager Sobia on implications of rejecting the location.
  • The call for art for the police station lion sculpture will be issued promptly, with the rollout plan approved by the working group.
  • Appreciated library board's offer of collaboration and will follow up.
  • Set next meeting: Thursday, February 26, 2026, at 5:30 PM.

Meeting Transcript

We will call the meeting to order. Board members and foley, Andy Wright and Stephanie Hodger here. So we have a quorum. We are missing Jasmine and Anna. Is there any public comment not on the agenda? Okay, then we will move on to business approval of minutes from the December 18, 2025 PPP meeting. I move that the board approve the minutes from the December 18th, 2025 APP meeting. I second that motion. The motion was made by Tim Foley, seconded by Andy. All in favor. Yes. Approved by everyone present. Move on to the homestead interpretive signage project update and overview. Anywhere in particular recording. I think you could probably just smooth your chair up if you want or stay right there. It's fine. Okay. Stephanie, do you want me to preface why Leslie is here? Or is that clear enough? So an introduction, probably just for the one of the name. I mean I know why she's here. So I'm Leslie Bucklin. I'm the assistant public information officer for Los Alamos County. And I am the project manager for the Homestead Interpretive Signage Project as well as kind of the project manager over signage. So I'm here today to give you quick rundown overview, update of what is going on with the homestead interpretive signage project. So you know kind of where we're at in the project, what's coming, order of operations, placement, that sort of a thing. So first I wanted to make sure you all know just a brief history. We've had two versions of homestead sign, kind of, you know, really really old version that was kind of rolled in with a circle walking tour that was also a very ancient version. Um we updated the historical walking tour sign, not this current time but the previous time. We broke out homestead LANL and uh the county worked with homesteader families as part of a settlement that Lanel had to interpret the homestead era as part of kind of um some legacy work following the Manhattan Project era. And so we had a huge event, we launched 17 signs around town. Uh Lanel had a couple signs down by the Romero Cabin. We had a big homestead event, and that was the homestead tour. And so we had a brochure that went with that, it was a driving tour. Um, and then over the years, um, the inevitable happened, which is at this altitude, the signs just don't last very long. Um, but the other thing is that there were a lot of lessons learned that came from that project. So lesson learned number one is that LANL really uh wanted to focus more on having a digital presence and learned through their agreement that uh their digital presence in the history and the storytelling they're doing on their website is enough, and so they were happy to relinquish the responsibilities of the interpretive signage back to us fully as opposed to in partnership. Um the other thing is that we learned that people aren't really overly thrilled with taking a driving tour across Los Alamos mesas to random places, and so we um those brochures were just not being picked up, and so we we don't haven't been printing those or putting those out there. Um can I interrupt you? Yes, please uh can I know there was some question when we were meeting with the working group about where those brochures were being given out. I will tell, yeah, so the history, so we have 22 kiosks across town that um there's actually one in the art center, and they're all over the place, 22 of them, uh several at LANL, um, and they hold there's one in the lobby if you want to see what it looks like on your way out. They hold eight brochures and they have a map that tells like where you are. And so um we would put the brochures that are strategic for certain things, uh certain locations in those. And uh the homestead brochures just didn't move, they just never ever moved. So we we tried putting them in different places, we tried handing them out by hand uh to say like, hey, try the homestead tour. Um, and just it was not a popular option. So they weren't taking the brochures, even though really it's just good information. So we pulled those and stopped making those and prioritize some other things. So and just for comparison, so you can understand how we were like pulling the information and making the decision, not just based on the fact that they weren't moving quickly, but other things as well. Last year, I think I ordered five hundred homestead brochures in like 2021, and we never gave them all out.

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