Parks and Recreation Board Meeting - February 12, 2026
Parks and Recreation Board Meeting - February 12, 2026
The Los Alamos County Parks and Recreation Board met on Thursday, February 12, 2026, at 5:30 PM at 1000 Central Avenue. The meeting covered approval of prior minutes, officer elections, a CSD agency performance review update, staff reports on ongoing projects, and extensive discussion on integrating North Mesa recreational planning. Public comments emphasized the need for a comprehensive vision for North Mesa parks.
Consent Calendar
- Approval of Minutes from December 11, 2025: The board unanimously approved the minutes as presented.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Lisa Reeder (3217 Woodland) urged the board to develop a comprehensive overarching plan for all recreational areas on North Mesa, noting that multiple parks (ball fields, North Mesa Park, Loma Linda Park, picnic area, etc.) are being planned separately without integration. She warned this could cause budget issues and recommended a unified recommendation to council.
- Carol Braunes (1618 Comina UVA) echoed the need for comprehensive planning, specifically criticizing the Bio Canyon trailhead parking lot proposal. She argued the proposed location is on a steep slope, poses safety risks for sledders, and winter ice would make it inaccessible. She noted the consultant group is not considering alternative parking areas and called for a broader approach.
Discussion Items
- Election of Officers: Chair Brian Watkins and Vice-Chair Jerry Cowan were both willing to serve another term. A motion was made and seconded to elect Watkins as Chair and Cowan as Vice-Chair. The board voted unanimously in favor.
- CSD Director Agency Review Updates: Cory Styron presented the 2025 National Recreation and Parks Association (NRPA) agency performance review comparing Los Alamos to national medians for agencies of similar population. Key data points:
- Residents per park: 511 (national median: ~2,400)
- Acres of parkland per capita: 20 (nearly double the national median)
- Miles of trail: 75 (national median: 17)
- Number of programs: ~300 (national median: 250)
- Cost recovery rate: ~15% (national median: 80%)
- Operating budget: $9 million (national median: $7 million) Styron noted the data provides context for upcoming budget discussions. Board members expressed appreciation for the report.
- Chairman's Report (Brian Watkins): Highlighted recent approvals: North Mesa Master Plan Phase 1 approved by council, Brewer Arena plan approved, and ongoing work on Bio Canyon trailhead and Dinosaur Park planning. Acknowledged community feedback about integration of North Mesa projects and the challenge of balancing input from various stakeholders. Suggested the board could aggregate public feedback and make recommendations.
- Board Discussion on Integration: Members discussed the need for better communication and integration of multiple North Mesa projects (parks, trails, stables, picnic grounds, etc.). Ideas included:
- Creating a working group of public representatives from different user groups (bike, equestrian, hiking, sledding, disc golf) to collect input.
- Embedding integration requirements into future contractor contracts to ensure connectivity is communicated.
- Using the county website and surveys to highlight connections.
- Agreed to add a formal agenda item for the next meeting to discuss the board's role in facilitating integration.
- Staff Report (Katherine Hudspeth and Wendy Parker) :
- Ice rink: Chiller performing well; last day of operation is Monday, February 16.
- Activity guide: Digital version available; print copies delayed due to weather.
- Golf course: Closed; hand-watering greens; driving range planned for March; warranty work (bunkers, trees) this spring.
- Aquatic Center: Main pool replaster starts March 2; main pool closes February 22; leisure lagoon remains open; Pinyon Pool leased for outdoor operation May–October (no membership, day pass only).
- Mountain bike race: Trans Rocky Mountain event on September 19 in Los Alamos; staff actively involved in permitting.
- Athletic fields: Spirio field closed this spring for turf completion; Bun Ryan being finished; Senior Field is in good condition.
- Volunteer projects: First event on April 25 (Celebrate Trails Day); all 2026 dates posted online.
- Work Group and Task Force Updates:
- Equestrian and Livestock Working Group: Final report included in agenda packet. A trail etiquette video (approx. 3 minutes) is now posted on the Los Alamos Trails website. Board member suggested distributing it through the nature center to reach out-of-town users.
Key Outcomes
- Minutes approved unanimously.
- Officers re-elected: Brian Watkins as Chair, Jerry Cowan as Vice-Chair (unanimous).
- CSD Agency Review Report received as information; no formal action.
- Staff reports received; no formal action.
- Board agreed to add agenda item for March 12, 2026 meeting on integrating North Mesa recreational planning and the board's role.
- Council Communications (Teresa Call) :
- North Mesa Master Plan approved Jan 27.
- Brewer Arena plan approved Feb 10.
- Charter amendments working group formed; boards asked to provide feedback.
- Comprehensive plan update: three sections in 2026, final approval expected Dec 2026; temporary signs code update in late spring.
- Brownie troop advocated for ADA swings; request noted.
- Golf course lease ordinance to be introduced Feb 17, final approval March; new operator expected April.
- Next meeting: March 12, 2026, with added discussion on integration.
Meeting Transcript
All right, good evening, everybody. We'll call the meeting to order. Um before we get started. Uh any public comment on items not currently on the agenda. I did make it so you get to listen to me again. Lisa Reeder, 3217 Woodland. Um you guys uh I I know uh Chair Watkins received it because he did send me a reply, but um I wasn't sure. Thank you guys. I wasn't sure I'd make it tonight because this is my third uh meeting this week. I know others do it as well, but um I just wanted to really reiterate the fact that it it was very evident last night, and I'm I believe Vice Chair Cowan would agree that um we really need comprehensive planning for all of the recreational areas on North Mesa. The consultants last night uh were sort of kind of aware that there was a picnic area and sort of aware there was this Loma Linda Park area, but not really. And there's just no comprehensive overarching vision for all of the recreational facilities on North Mesa, which are very closely aligned, closely, you know, and close together. So you know, already you guys have approved the artificial turf study, which is really the North Mesa ball fields, and you have approved the North Mesa Park Master Plan. But we have all those other parks, and several of them have not even been looked at for either feasibility study, conceptual design, or master plan. And I just really think it's gonna come back and bite the county in the butt when it comes time for budgeting. It really will. And I I just think it would be very helpful if you guys could look at all those parks as a whole and put together a recommendation for council on all those parks as a whole and all those projects as a whole. So thank you for all the work you do and really appreciate it. All right, thank you, Ms. Reader. Hi, Carol Braunes, 1618 Comina UVA. And um, this is our third meeting this week, which is partly because all these little things are disjointed, and so we have to keep coming to meetings and saying the same things over and over and over again. And if there was a comprehensive, we could probably say it once and not be out every night at meetings. But um so I I agree with everything Lisa said, but uh additionally at the meeting last night, they said well there's no definite plan for a parking lot. And the consensus was I think, Jerry, you can tell me if I'm wrong, but the consensus was we don't want a parking lot in there. It doesn't make sense for a lot of reasons. Uh for one thing that didn't get mentioned last night is that if they put the parking lot where they want, it's a really steep slope down into there. If we're doing it to accommodate um sledders, those drivers aren't well, one is the the sledders could run into the cars, which you don't want. But two, the drivers are not gonna get out of that parking lot in the winter. It's it's gonna be iced over. So with that said, again, the group last night, they were looking only at that area. There are alternatives for parking. We Lisa mentioned the the um picnic area. We talked about that last night. I can understand that sledders at the end of sledding don't want to hike all the way back up the hill. But there is also a flat area, um, kitty corner across that would be on the um east, northeast kind of side of the golf course. A lot of people park over there. That would just require putting in some kind of a a light or something to make sure people can get across. But the problem is the group that was here that is evaluating the need for evaluating how to put a parking lot in there is not even looking at those other alternatives. And that's the real concern. All they're looking at is that. So my understanding is the county is paying for a survey, and my thought is you don't need a survey, look at a topo map. It does not make sense to drive down that steep hill, cross all the traffic of anybody who happens to be riding a bike or a horse or hiking along there and putting in a parking lot. So again, there's the need for this bigger picture. If you're not putting the parking lot there, where are you going to put it? And the I my impression is the group last night was not that's not in their purview to look at where else can we put a parking lot? So thank you. Thank you, Ms. Branas. Any other public comments or items not on the agenda?
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