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Record of Proceedings

Los Alamos County Council Regular Session - March 31, 2026

County Council & Boards — Tuesday, March 31, 2026
BodyLos Alamos County, New Mexico
SessionCounty Council & Boards
DateTuesday, March 31, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 2:29:10

Original source
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0:01

Okay, sorry for the little bit of delay.

0:06

So welcome everybody to the uh March 31st 2026, County Council uh regular session.

0:17

So start out with the procedure for tonight, just like every other night since COVID.

0:26

Uh tonight's uh meeting is in hybrid format with council presenters and public participation in person or via Zoom.

0:34

Attendees can participate uh virtually with computers or other devices.

0:39

We also have phone lines.

0:41

So we'll have public comment at the beginning of the meeting on topics that are not on tonight's agenda.

0:46

Uh comments on agenda items uh we taken as we they're discussed during the meeting.

0:52

Uh so during the meeting, during public comment, Ms.

0:55

Masson look for virtual attendees that use the raise your hand feature.

0:59

Uh so make sure to limit your comments to three minutes or otherwise directed.

1:04

And we just want you to state your name before making comments.

1:07

Uh virtual commenters uh should include their name on Zoom so they can be properly addressed.

1:12

And we also ask that uh comments be addressed to the chair and focused on the uh topic being considered.

1:18

So our goal is to um finish the meeting no later than 10 p.m.

1:22

tonight.

1:23

We'll check our progress at nine if we're still meeting at that time.

1:27

So um so let's see, roll call.

1:30

So since we have a counselor uh online, um can you please call roll?

1:35

Councillor Neil Clinton?

1:37

Here.

1:38

Counselor Hand?

1:40

Here.

1:40

Counselor Herman, here.

1:42

Counselor Ready?

1:44

Here.

1:44

Counselor Rigore?

1:46

Here.

1:46

Councilor Haviman?

1:48

Here.

1:48

And Councillor Cole.

1:50

Here okay, let the record show that we have all counselors here uh two are uh on Zoom uh counselors Neil Clinton and counselors, counselor call.

2:04

Okay, so now if you're uh willing and able, please stand and join us in the Pledge of Allegiance.

2:33

So now we're on to item number three, which is public comments.

2:37

So again, this is for uh items that are not on the agenda.

2:43

Um anyone's in present in chambers wants to make public comments.

2:48

Not seeing anyone, Ms.

2:49

Manson, can you check on Zoom to see if there's any commenters?

2:53

I can chair.

2:54

If you'd like to make public comment, please use the raise hand function.

3:02

Chair, I'm not seeing any hands raised.

3:04

Okay, thank you.

3:06

Um so now we're on item number four, which is approval of the agenda.

3:09

Is there counselor uh interested in making a motion?

3:15

Councillor Habman.

3:16

Thank you, Chair.

3:17

I move that we approve tonight's agenda as presented.

3:20

Second.

3:23

Okay, so we have a motion by counselor, second by councillor Neoplinton, I believe.

3:30

Um so any discussion.

3:33

Uh can you please call the roll?

3:35

Counselor Hand?

3:36

Yes.

3:37

Counselor Reiding?

3:38

Yes.

3:39

Councillor Cole?

3:40

Yes.

3:41

Councilor Neil Clinton?

3:43

Yes.

3:44

Councillor Rigor?

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Public Transportation███████████████████████████████31%
Economic Development███████████████15%
Procedural████████████12%
Public Engagement███████7%
Tourism Management██████6%
Environmental Protection██████6%
Public Works████4%
Contract Management███3%
Water And Wastewater Management███3%
Summary of Proceedings

Los Alamos County Council Regular Session - March 31, 2026

The Los Alamos County Council met on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, at 6:00 PM in Council Chambers for a regular session. The meeting covered transit service updates, public hearings on a golf course restaurant lease and a liquor license, a quarterly update on small/local business initiatives, an amendment to a property development agreement, and a discussion on DOE cleanup priorities. All votes were unanimous (7-0) unless otherwise noted.

Consent Calendar

  • Approved the County Council minutes for the March 17, 2026, Work Session.
  • Approved Services Agreement No. AGR26-36 with Loftin Equipment Company for a mobile 560kW generator and maintenance services for the Water Production Division ($436,603 plus GRT, seven-year term).
  • Approved Task Order No. 30 under AGR22-18a with All-Rite Construction, Inc. for Justice Center computer room air conditioning system improvements ($570,281.16 plus GRT) and established a $790,000 project budget.
  • Approved Amendment No. 2 to four on-call facility construction services agreements (All-Rite Construction, GME General Building, Pluma, LLC, and R&M Construction), increasing the aggregate not-to-exceed amount to $21,000,000 plus GRT.
  • Awarded Bid No. IFB 26-23 for the San Ildefonso Waterline Replacement Project ($1,617,673.80 base bid plus $346,384.40 contingency, total $2,078,307 including NMGRT).
  • Approved the calculation of revenue transfer from Electric & Gas funds for FY2025 ($997,748.73 total) and Budget Revision 2026-48; extended the profit transfer redirection option for an additional year through FY2031.
  • Approved Modification 26 to the Electric Coordination Agreement with DOE, extending the contract term by 120 days (through July 31, 2026).
  • Approved a Power Purchase Agreement with Mercuria Energy America, LLC, not to exceed $3,833,000 plus GRT, to meet Los Alamos Power Pool load for April–June 2026.
  • Approved Budget Revision 2026-47 to budget $49,119 received from the New Mexico Department of Public Safety for the Law Enforcement Retention Fund (LERF).
  • Granted a waiver of conflict of interest for Public Relations Manager Catherine D'Anna to allow the County to obtain on-call photography and videography services from Samantha D'Anna Photography (aggregate not to exceed $280,000).
  • Approved the revised FY26 Salary Plan Job Class Order, including new job descriptions for Deputy Detention Administrator, Instructor, Tourism and Marketing Program Manager, AMI-MDMS Utilities Supervisor, and Risk Management Analyst levels (total fiscal impact $68,072).
  • Appointed Jasmine Stephens to the Parks & Recreation Board (term ending November 30, 2027).
  • Appointed Katy Jones-Gulsby to the Library Board (partial term ending August 31, 2026).
  • Appointed Katherine Bruell and Rachel Grimm to the Planning & Zoning Commission (terms ending March 31, 2029).
  • Approved Task Order #14 under AGR22-18e with R&M Construction, LLC for installation of electric vehicle charging stations at Mesa Public Library ($501,443.60 plus GRT) and established a $1,184,000 project budget.
  • Approved Budget Revision 2026-52 for an increase to the Municipal Court budget for software integration.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Michael Ibling (in person) spoke during the Atomic City Transit presentation, expressing strong support for the Saturday service pilot and regret that he had not heard about it while it was active. He encouraged continued discussion and implementation of Saturday transit options.
  • No other public comments were made on items not on the agenda or on consent agenda items.

Discussion Items

  • Atomic City Transit Saturday Service Pilot Program and Bandelier Service Update (5A)

    • Presenters: Anna Brunson, James Barela (remote), Keith Wilson. The Saturday pilot (13 Saturdays, August 2 – October 25, 2025) provided on-demand, door-to-door service between Los Alamos and White Rock. 359 completed trips served 471 passengers; 70% of trips were for social or shopping purposes. Survey results (157 respondents) were highly supportive, with requests for continued service and later hours. Key barrier: staffing – 26 driver positions, 21 filled, with high turnover. Next step: hiring Stantec consultants (funding pending from NMDOT) for a 5–6 month service study to identify how to free up operator resources for sustainable expanded service.
    • Bandelier update: The 2026 service runs within the park from Frey Trailhead to Visitor Center on 51 identified high-visitation days (March 14 – October 14). Ridership has already surpassed last year’s total in 11 days (285 rides). NPS faces ongoing staffing shortages; service no longer starts in White Rock. Economic Development is working with NPS to connect tourists to local attractions via kiosk and bus monitors. The current 5-year master agreement expires April 2027; negotiations will begin in August 2026.
    • Councilors expressed strong support for the pilot and acknowledged the staffing challenge. Councillor Cull noted community anticipation for summer service. Chair Ryti thanked staff for successfully launching the pilot despite initial concerns.

  • Quarterly Update on Small/Local Business Action Items (9A)

    • Presenter: Elias Isaacson. Since launching LEDA for Retail (September 2025), 20 part-one questionnaires received; three proceeded to part two (one active, one awaiting financial info, one pending). One regular LEDA loan awarded to Ubiquity; three additional LEDA applications under review. Online business directory launched February 2, 2026: 57 businesses and 10 nonprofits listed, 72 special events advertised. Development guide went live December 3, 2025. Planned: data dashboard for permit performance metrics (residential: <3 days average turnaround; commercial: <5 days). Cities Work review underway but no written report yet. Staff is developing educational videos on starting a business, permitting, and pre-application meetings.
    • Council discussion: Councillor Ryti queried about the directory’s alignment with original requests; staff noted it is a free, low-barrier platform for businesses and visitors. Councillor Havemann asked about follow-up with businesses that “failed” the screening; Isaacson described proactive meetings to steer applicants toward eligible projects.

  • Amendment No. 1 to Purchase, Sale, and Development Agreement for A-8-A (9B)

    • Presenter: Dan Osborn. The amendment inserts Section 12.8 (Reversionary Interest to the County) into the existing PSA for the A-8-A property (aka Coyote Mesa). This non-material change clarifies that once project debt is paid, title reverts to the County. Requested by New Mexico Self Insurance Fund (NMSIF) to potentially qualify the property for their casualty insurance, which would lower project costs. All other terms remain unchanged.

  • Discussion and Possible Action on DOE Cleanup Priorities (10A1)

    • Chair Ryti proposed sending a letter to NMED Secretary James Kenney urging prioritization of hexavalent chromium plume remediation and restart of interim measures over Material Disposal Area C (MDA-C) cleanup, due to limited DOE cleanup budget (~$250 million/year). The draft letter also highlighted chromium plume’s threat to the PM-3 drinking water well (shut down since 2022) and requested collaboration. Council discussion: Councillor Herrmann questioned bullet #2 wording (“accelerate final remedy”), fearing it might be interpreted as endorsing additional study rather than action; the language was agreed to be clarified. Councillor Neal-Clinton noted funding for replacing PM-3 is not within NMED’s purview. The letter was approved as amended (7-0).

Key Outcomes

  • Votes (all 7-0):
    • Approved Ordinance No. 753 authorizing lease of golf course restaurant space to 19th Hole Sports Pub LLC (effective June 1, 2026).
    • Approved new Special Independent Theater Liquor License for SALA Los Alamos Event Center, LLC (on-premises consumption only, no patio service).
    • Approved Amendment No. 1 to A-8-A Purchase, Sale, and Development Agreement.
    • Authorized Council Chair to sign and send letter to NMED regarding DOE cleanup priorities, as amended.
  • Directives:
    • Staff instructed to clarify the language in the NMED letter regarding the hexavalent chromium plume final remedy action emphasis.
    • Staff to continue developing Saturday transit service study and return with recommendations.
    • Staff to proceed with online development resources, including videos and data dashboard.
  • Next Steps:
    • Transit service study to begin once NMDOT grant funding is approved (5–6 months duration).
    • County Manager’s report highlighted groundbreaking for community broadband project on May 12, 2026, and Manhattan Project National Historic Park 10th anniversary celebration on April 8, 2026.
    • Upcoming agenda items include citizen petition for North Road stop sign, single-use plastics discussion, and FY27 budget hearings (April 27–29).

Meeting Transcript

Okay, sorry for the little bit of delay. So welcome everybody to the uh March 31st 2026, County Council uh regular session. So start out with the procedure for tonight, just like every other night since COVID. Uh tonight's uh meeting is in hybrid format with council presenters and public participation in person or via Zoom. Attendees can participate uh virtually with computers or other devices. We also have phone lines. So we'll have public comment at the beginning of the meeting on topics that are not on tonight's agenda. Uh comments on agenda items uh we taken as we they're discussed during the meeting. Uh so during the meeting, during public comment, Ms. Masson look for virtual attendees that use the raise your hand feature. Uh so make sure to limit your comments to three minutes or otherwise directed. And we just want you to state your name before making comments. Uh virtual commenters uh should include their name on Zoom so they can be properly addressed. And we also ask that uh comments be addressed to the chair and focused on the uh topic being considered. So our goal is to um finish the meeting no later than 10 p.m. tonight. We'll check our progress at nine if we're still meeting at that time. So um so let's see, roll call. So since we have a counselor uh online, um can you please call roll? Councillor Neil Clinton? Here. Counselor Hand? Here. Counselor Herman, here. Counselor Ready? Here. Counselor Rigore? Here. Councilor Haviman? Here. And Councillor Cole. Here okay, let the record show that we have all counselors here uh two are uh on Zoom uh counselors Neil Clinton and counselors, counselor call. Okay, so now if you're uh willing and able, please stand and join us in the Pledge of Allegiance. So now we're on to item number three, which is public comments. So again, this is for uh items that are not on the agenda. Um anyone's in present in chambers wants to make public comments. Not seeing anyone, Ms. Manson, can you check on Zoom to see if there's any commenters? I can chair. If you'd like to make public comment, please use the raise hand function. Chair, I'm not seeing any hands raised. Okay, thank you. Um so now we're on item number four, which is approval of the agenda. Is there counselor uh interested in making a motion? Councillor Habman. Thank you, Chair. I move that we approve tonight's agenda as presented. Second. Okay, so we have a motion by counselor, second by councillor Neoplinton, I believe. Um so any discussion.

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