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OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD

Record of Proceedings

Los Alamos County Council Regular Session - April 7, 2026

County Council & Boards — Tuesday, April 7, 2026

BodyLos Alamos County, New Mexico

SessionCounty Council & Boards

DateTuesday, April 7, 2026

StatusFILED

Video Record

0:00 / 4:02:16

Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

0:00

Okay.

0:02

I want to welcome everybody to the uh April 7th 2026 County Council regular session.

0:10

So we're here in Los Alamos at the chambers, and uh we're gonna have some people participating uh online, uh using Zoom or uh other devices, and we're also gonna have people obviously here in present person.

0:23

So I want to thank everybody for being here tonight.

0:25

Um just briefly uh go over the process for the meetings since we're have people joining us different ways.

0:34

Um so if uh people are uh on I guess first of all, uh just want to make sure that people are aware that uh public comment will be accepted as we go through each item tonight, and that if you have a public comment for items that are not on the agenda, we'll have that opportunity of being the meeting pretty soon.

0:55

Um during public comment, Mr.

0:58

Rayleigh will be looking for virtual attendees that use the raise your hand feature on Zoom, and you can also uh press uh I think star six if you're on the phone line.

1:10

Um we're gonna ask that you limit your comments to three minutes, uh, unless you're otherwise directed, and just uh state your name uh for the record for the clerk to record.

1:20

Um also ask the virtual commenters include their name on Zoom so they meet properly addressed, and just also request that uh comments are addressed to the chair and stay on the topics being discussed.

1:33

And our goal is to end the meeting uh no later than 10 p.m.

1:36

tonight.

1:37

And if we're still meeting by nine o'clock, we'll check on our progress.

1:41

So uh since we have uh some counselors uh in person and on Zoom, um ask that the clerk please call a role.

1:50

Counselor Hand.

1:54

Here counselor Ready?

1:57

I'm here.

1:58

Counselor Cole?

2:00

Yeah.

2:00

Counselor Neil Clinton here.

2:03

Counselor Rigor?

2:05

Here.

2:06

Counselor Havaman.

2:09

And Councilor Herman.

2:10

Here.

2:14

Okay, let the record show that we have um four counselors here in person.

2:19

Uh two counselors, uh counselor um and counselor Neil Clinton on Zoom, and uh counselor Havaman has been excused for this part of the meeting, and she may be joining us a little later.

2:31

So she was absent currently.

2:33

Uh with that, then uh we're moving to the Pledge of Allegiance.

2:36

So uh please stand as you're willing to join us in the pledge.

2:42

I'll agree to the point of the United States the American and the Republic for which it stands.

2:50

One nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

3:01

Okay, so now we're on to item number three, which is a statement regarding the closed session.

3:06

Is there counselor uh council call?

3:11

The matters discussed in the closed session of county council held on April 7, 2026 that began at 5 p.m.

3:18

was limited only to the topics specified in the notice of the closed session, and no action was taken on any matter in the closed session.

3:25

We request that this statement be included in the meeting minutes.

3:29

Thank you, Councilor Call.

3:31

So uh item number four is uh public comment.

3:34

So this is the opportunity for public comment for items that are not on the agenda.

3:39

Do we have anyone present that wants to make public comment for items not on the agenda?

3:43

Please come forward and just remember to state your name.

3:45

We'll get the timer going for you.

3:56

Thank you very much, Mr.

3:57

Chairman.

3:58

And thank you very much for the opportunity to speak.

4:07

My name is Greg Mello.

4:09

I am the director of the Los Alamos Study Group.

4:12

I'm a resident of Albuquerque.

4:15

And very much appreciate again the opportunity to speak.

4:20

I am concerned uh about a couple of things.

4:23

Um, this president um uniquely, Los Alamos risks uh becoming having a poor reputation and even becoming a global pariah.

4:38

There's now talk of using nuclear weapons in the Middle East, which I have attempted through all the context we have to tamp down.

4:47

Um but um nonetheless uh intelligent people are uh hearing rumors about this.

5:00

Um we want the council individually and as a group, if that were possible, to try to tamp down uh some of uh the uh rhetoric um to express dissent.

5:16

That is really the theme of my talk tonight.

5:18

We look for dissent from this very important county, which plays a global role as well as a local role.

5:26

We want you to be conscious of that global role.

5:31

When I first came here in 1971, there was more dissent.

5:36

There was um a lot of discussion.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Transportation Safety███████████████15%

Waste Management███████████████15%

Procedural██████████████14%

Public Engagement█████████9%

Fire Department██████6%

Property Tax Assessment█████5%

Charter Changes█████5%

Nuclear Safety████4%

Budget Equity Analysis████4%

Summary of Proceedings

Los Alamos County Council Regular Session - April 7, 2026

The Los Alamos County Council met on Tuesday, April 7, 2026, at 6:00 PM in Council Chambers at 1000 Central Avenue, with a hybrid option via Zoom. Chair Randall Ryti presided. The meeting included proclamations, a citizen petition, presentations, ordinance introduction, multiple business items, and council business. The session adjourned after 9:00 PM.

Proclamations

International Dark Sky Week (April 13-20, 2026): Proclaimed by Councilor Cull. Accepted by Heidi Morris of the Pajarito Astronomers Club, who thanked the county for preserving dark skies.
National Library Week (April 19-25, 2026): Proclaimed by Councilor Reagor. Accepted by library staff, including Library Director and new board member Katie Jones Goldsby.

Public Comments & Testimony

Greg Mello (Director, Los Alamos Study Group, resident of Albuquerque) expressed concern about nuclear weapons rhetoric and the lack of dissent from lab leadership. He urged the council to dissent against potential use of nuclear weapons and to avoid being silent due to federal funding. He referenced a genocidal threat by the president and the global role of Los Alamos.
Sam Gardner (191 Dome Road) echoed concerns about nuclear weapons emphasis at the lab, loss of scientists, and the impact of federal budget cuts to domestic programs. He referenced a newspaper article about potential $1.7 billion more for nuclear arms and a 1.5 trillion recommendation for the Department of War.

Petitions

P0074-26 - Citizen Petition for Four-Way Stop at North Road and Urban Street: The petition was presented by Girl Scout Nora Hausser and several residents. They cited a fatal pedestrian accident, speeding, school proximity, and confusion at the intersection. Council discussed the need for a traffic study. Councilor Hand moved to refer the matter to staff and the Transportation Board for investigation and return to council with options within 90 days. The motion passed 7-0. Councilor Cole expressed interest in a broader area assessment, which was noted for future discussion.

Presentations

2026 State of New Mexico Legislative Session Recap: Presented by Danny Mackey (Mackey Campaign Solutions). Of 812 bills introduced, 70 passed. Key items: HB 99 (Medicaid Malpractice Act) passed; SB 2 (state highway project bonds, $1.5 billion) passed; $1.1 million in capital outlay for North Mesa housing infrastructure; two medical compacts passed. No action taken.
Quarterly Intergovernmental Affairs Update: Presented by Danielle Duran. Covered regional housing, social services, health compacts, and state updates. Noted ongoing work on the landfill feasibility study with Española. No action taken.

Consent Agenda

Approved unanimously (7-0) including:
- AGR1199-26: Purchase of SCBA breathing air trailer from L.N. Curtis & Sons ($301,800).
- AGR1208-26: Task Order No. 7 for Betty Ehart Senior Center renovations ($228,373).
- 21241-26: Bid for East Rd 14" Water Transmission Line Project ($1,762,570.88).
- 21410-26: Task Order No. 15 for drilling piers at White Rock Substation ($463,657.50).

Introduction of Ordinance

CO0753-26: Introduction of an ordinance amending Sections 38-92 and 38-315 of the Code of Ordinances to increase penalties for handheld mobile communication device use while driving. Introduced by Councilor Cull.

Discussion Items

12A - Assessor Property Valuation and Maintenance Plan: Presented by County Assessor George Chandler and Chief Deputy Assessor Nerio Gurule. The plan is required by statute. Key points: 2025 net taxable value increased by $6,031,163 after protests; sales ratio study showed 100% valuation; 2025 property tax revenue increased 5.53% over 2024; 106 protests filed in 2025 (up from 31 in 2024), mostly from a new subdivision; head of household exemption at 2,549. Council approved the plan 7-0. Council thanked Mr. Chandler for his service.
12B - Single Use Plastics Discussion: Council considered a possible ban on single-use plastic bags. Chair Ryti presented updated data: Smith's in Los Alamos uses ~2.1 million plastic bags per year, White Rock ~800,000. Councilor Herman moved to ban plastic bags and institute a 10-cent fee for paper bags, exempting small businesses, restaurants, and doctor offices. Council debated options including no mandatory fee. Councilor Cull moved to direct the Environmental Sustainability Board (ESB) to propose a plastic bag ban based on other New Mexico communities, with a preference for no mandatory fee, and return to council in 90 days. The motion was seconded. However, before a vote could be taken, the council took a short break at 8:00 PM. After the break, the agenda moved to item 12C. No vote on the plastic bag motion was recorded in the transcript; the item was not concluded.
12C - Fire Station No. 4 Replacement Project: Presented by Public Works Director Eric Martinez, Project Manager Sobia Saida, and Fire Chief Erik Litzenberg. The new station will be a two-story, 25,500 sq. ft. building on the existing site, with LEED Gold certification, photovoltaic panels, and EV chargers. Bid awarded to Spartan Construction of New Mexico LLC for $17,905,000 plus applicable GRT. Total project budget: $22,250,000, including a 15% contingency. Budget revision 2026-59 approved. The motion passed 7-0.

Key Outcomes

Petition for Four-Way Stop: Referred to staff and Transportation Board for study, with a 90-day timeline to return to council. (Passed 7-0)
Assessor Valuation Plan: Approved. (Passed 7-0)
Fire Station No. 4: Bid awarded and budget approved. (Passed 7-0)
Charter Change (Term Limits): Council approved changing Section 305-4 to allow up to three consecutive terms on standing boards/commissions (instead of two). The work group will also consider other charter amendments (compensatory language and vacancy appointments) and report back. (Passed 6-1, Councilor Reagor opposed)
Letter to NMED on WIPP: Council authorized the chair to sign and send a letter supporting acceptance of out-of-state waste at WIPP, with an amendment to include support for adequate funding for legacy cleanup. The county manager was directed to brief the laboratory prior to sending. (Passed 7-0)
Plastic Bag Ban Motion: A motion was made and seconded to direct the ESB to propose a ban, but the meeting broke for recess before a vote. The item was not resolved; no vote was taken.

Council Business

Federal Trip Report: Chair Ryti and Vice-Chair Herrmann reported on a trip to Washington, D.C., with 15 meetings over 3.5 days. Key asks: funding for replacement water well ($1.8M for design, $20M total), support for national security mission, and land transfer discussion.
Charter Changes: As above.
Letter to NMED on WIPP: As above.
Board and Commission Reports: Councilor Herrmann reported on BPU work session (gas rate ordinance, electric reliability plan, plug-in solar). Councilor Hand reported on Health Council meeting (aging services, Medicare, community health action center).
County Manager's Report: NMDOT will begin resurfacing NM 4 from the truck route to the back gate in May.
Council Chair Report: Provided written report including updates on ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) households and a draft resolution on anti-semitism.
Preview of Upcoming Agenda Items: Budget hearings at end of April; May meetings in White Rock; work session on road safety including Central Avenue, Urban Park area, and speed camera update.

Adjournment

The meeting adjourned after 9:00 PM.

Meeting Transcript

Okay. I want to welcome everybody to the uh April 7th 2026 County Council regular session. So we're here in Los Alamos at the chambers, and uh we're gonna have some people participating uh online, uh using Zoom or uh other devices, and we're also gonna have people obviously here in present person. So I want to thank everybody for being here tonight. Um just briefly uh go over the process for the meetings since we're have people joining us different ways. Um so if uh people are uh on I guess first of all, uh just want to make sure that people are aware that uh public comment will be accepted as we go through each item tonight, and that if you have a public comment for items that are not on the agenda, we'll have that opportunity of being the meeting pretty soon. Um during public comment, Mr. Rayleigh will be looking for virtual attendees that use the raise your hand feature on Zoom, and you can also uh press uh I think star six if you're on the phone line. Um we're gonna ask that you limit your comments to three minutes, uh, unless you're otherwise directed, and just uh state your name uh for the record for the clerk to record. Um also ask the virtual commenters include their name on Zoom so they meet properly addressed, and just also request that uh comments are addressed to the chair and stay on the topics being discussed. And our goal is to end the meeting uh no later than 10 p.m. tonight. And if we're still meeting by nine o'clock, we'll check on our progress. So uh since we have uh some counselors uh in person and on Zoom, um ask that the clerk please call a role. Counselor Hand. Here counselor Ready? I'm here. Counselor Cole? Yeah. Counselor Neil Clinton here. Counselor Rigor? Here. Counselor Havaman. And Councilor Herman. Here. Okay, let the record show that we have um four counselors here in person. Uh two counselors, uh counselor um and counselor Neil Clinton on Zoom, and uh counselor Havaman has been excused for this part of the meeting, and she may be joining us a little later. So she was absent currently. Uh with that, then uh we're moving to the Pledge of Allegiance. So uh please stand as you're willing to join us in the pledge. I'll agree to the point of the United States the American and the Republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Okay, so now we're on to item number three, which is a statement regarding the closed session. Is there counselor uh council call? The matters discussed in the closed session of county council held on April 7, 2026 that began at 5 p.m. was limited only to the topics specified in the notice of the closed session, and no action was taken on any matter in the closed session. We request that this statement be included in the meeting minutes. Thank you, Councilor Call. So uh item number four is uh public comment. So this is the opportunity for public comment for items that are not on the agenda. Do we have anyone present that wants to make public comment for items not on the agenda? Please come forward and just remember to state your name. We'll get the timer going for you. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. And thank you very much for the opportunity to speak. My name is Greg Mello. I am the director of the Los Alamos Study Group. I'm a resident of Albuquerque. And very much appreciate again the opportunity to speak.

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