Los Alamos County Parks and Recreation Board Meeting - May 14, 2026

The Parks and Recreation Board met on May 14, 2026, at 5:30 PM in Room 110 B&C of the County Building. The meeting covered updates on the Aquatic Center and Pinon Pool, quarterly work plan review, and staff reports on recent park projects and upcoming events. Key highlights included the planned opening of Pinon Pool on Memorial Day weekend, ribbon cuttings for two new playgrounds, and an update on the county budget from Councilor Cull.

Consent Calendar

• Approval of Minutes: The board voted unanimously to approve the minutes from the April 9, 2026, meeting. (Motion made, seconded, and passed with no opposition.)

Public Comments & Testimony

• No public comments were received, either in person or online.

Discussion Items

• Update on Aquatic Center and Pinon Pool – Presenter Katherine Hudspeth provided an update. The main pool replaster project began on March 2, 2026. Crews removed old plaster and tiles, found only minor concrete issues (e.g., a missing chunk at the gutter edge), and no major structural problems. New tile installation is underway, with black lane lines for long course and blue dotted lines for short course. For Pinon Pool, a lease was secured in March 2026. Staff cleaned the property, filling three roll-off dumpsters, removed two inches of muck from the pool bottom, replaced anti-entrapment drain covers, added a hydraulic lift for handicapped access, and installed a proper emergency exit. The boilers and water heater required repairs. A red tag was issued but resolved, and the state inspection for operation was passed. The pool will open Memorial Day weekend, May 23, 2026, at 9 AM. Hours: Monday through Friday 7 AM–7 PM, Saturdays 9 AM–5 PM. Lap swimming is available weekdays (7–9 AM and 6–7 PM). Swim teams use the pool 9–11 AM. No lap swimming on Saturdays. The leisure lagoon will be closed on Saturdays due to a lifeguard shortage. Board members expressed enthusiasm for the project.
• Work Plan Quarterly Discussion – Board members reviewed the 2026 work plan, noting progress on the bike working group, space trails plan, and recreation plan. Wendy Parker is working with the Open Space Board on the adoptive trail plan. The board reminded members to attend at least one summer concert series event. Plans for a future assignment of working group tasks were discussed.

Key Outcomes

• Approval of previous minutes (unanimous).
• Pinon Pool will open May 23; staff directed to prepare for opening.
• Staff reports included updates on completed playground ribbon cuttings (May 5 at 37th Street and Pinon Park), upcoming projects (additional retaining wall and fence at 37th Street, new fence at Pinon Park, phase one of the Wahe Pines project with columbariums and memorial wall, North Mesa picnic master plan next community meeting June 10, sports field renovation at Spirio Field with completion expected early fall), and the 19th Hole restaurant at the golf course (lease signed, occupancy expected June with liquor license transfer in progress).
• Ribbon cutting for Woodland Trail garden fence scheduled May 22 at 2 PM.
• Summer concert series starts next week, now 6:30–9:30 PM, lineup based on resident surveys; includes first reggae band and a Pink tribute band.
• July 4th event will be held at North Mesa baseball/softball fields (south side) and Overlook Park; fireworks dependent on fire restrictions.
• Council communications: Councilor Cull reported on budget hearings: $1.5 million allocated for North Mesa bike park phase one; additional funds in FY28. Also discussed temporary sign code revisions, traffic safety (including wildlife interactions), and road diet construction on Trinity Drive. Los Alamos County Fair and Rodeo is second weekend of August, featuring a night rodeo on Saturday (4–10 PM).
• Next meeting schedule: June 11, 2026.
• No formal votes were taken beyond the consent calendar.

Board/Staff Communications

• Chairman's Report: Recognized progress on work plan items.
• Staff Report: Wendy Parker and Katherine Hudspeth highlighted completed playgrounds, the White Rock (Wahe Pines) phase one, North Mesa picnic plan, sports field renovation on Spirio Field (delayed), golf course updates (all 18 holes open, warranty work completed, clubhouse renovations done), and the NRPA Gold Medal finalist application video shot. No update on Brewer Arena.
• Work Group and Task Force Updates: Jerry Cowan reported that the bike working group is coordinating with staff to keep the bike park as a priority in the regulation plan and exploring grant opportunities. Board discussed protocol for tasking working groups with specific projects.

Council Communications – Councilor Cull

• Provided a summary of recent council meetings, including budget allocations for park projects, the status of laboratory expansion (pit production acceleration, expected hiring of 1,000 workers but only 200 new positions due to attrition), and sign code revision options. Encouraged faster action on traffic safety improvements. Also noted that deer kill data through 2025 was presented at the May 12 council meeting.