OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Los Alamos County Council Regular Session – July 28, 2026

County Council & Boards — Tuesday, July 28, 2026
BodyLos Alamos County, New Mexico
SessionCounty Council & Boards
DateTuesday, July 28, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 2:49:11

Transcript — Verbatim
1:42

device to connect to as well.

1:44

So public comment will be accepted at the beginning of the meeting on topics that are not on the agenda tonight.

1:50

And then as we go through each agenda item we'll be seeking public comment during that time as well.

1:56

So please limit your comments to three minutes or as otherwise directed.

2:00

And we just ask that you state your name before making comments.

2:04

We also ask that we have virtual attendees that to use the naming feature to so you can properly address on Zoom.

2:12

And also ask the comments be addressed to the chair and and the question the topics like question here.

2:19

So I think with that we're ready to uh go to the roll call opening roll call so um I can actually see everybody here tonight that's in person so we have um six or seven counselors here in the chambers uh counselor uh have them in his excuse tonight and then on to number number items item number two which is the pledge of allegiance so if you're willing and able please join us in pledge I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States America and to the Republic for which it stands one nation under God indivisible liberty and justice for all so now we're on to item number three which is a statement regarding the closed session is there a counselor have that statement right counselor call the matters discussed in the closed sessions of county council held on july 28 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 in any manner in the closed session we request that this statement be included in the meeting minutes.

3:33

Thank you counselor call um so now we're on to uh item number four public comments so this as I mentioned just a moment ago this uh is for items not on the agenda tonight so we have anyone present here in the council chambers wanting to make public comment not seeing any so Ms.

3:53

Madison can you check online for us I can if you'd like to make public comment please raise your hand I'm not seeing any hands raised okay thank you Ms.

4:08

So now we're on to uh item number five which is approval of the agenda um is there a counselor interested in making motion regarding the agenda council call I move that we approve the agenda as presented second okay so we have a motion by councilor call second by councillor Neil Clinton seeing no discussion um can we uh indicate uh approval by um raising your hand okay all uh let us show that all uh six counselors were in favor of the motion um so that's as a unanimous okay so now we're on to item number six which is presentations proclamations and recognitions so 6a is 21159-26 it's the proclamation declaring august 2026 as bear month in Los Alamos County and it'll be accepted by um some folks I think that are here tonight um I think maybe Casey Lindbergh and Kristen O'Hara from Pirate and very much here.

5:01

It's the proclamation declaring August of 2026 as Bear Month in Los Alamos County, and it'll be accepted by some folks, I think that are here tonight.

5:12

Um I think maybe Casey Lindbergh and Kristen O'Hara from Pirito and very much center here.

5:17

Um Councillor Nil Clinton has the proclamation to read.

5:22

Whereas Los Alamos County is home to an abundance of wildlife, including the American Black Bear, and the presence of this wildlife contributor to the ecological balance and natural beauty of our area.

5:37

And whereas it is the responsibility of our community to coexist peacefully with wildlife while taking necessary precautions to minimize potential human and bear encounters.

5:50

And whereas five critical bear safety practices should be added to our daily and recreational activities.

5:59

When out in nature, keep dogs on a leash, talk and make noise, stay alert and actively look for signs of bear activity.

6:10

Never I I'm including this word ever approach a bear, stay calm and do not run into a bear encounter.

6:20

And whereas we can also reduce bear encounters at home by never feeding bears, securing garbage and bear-resistant containers, removing bird feeders at night, planting gardens away from game trails, frequently turning compost and securing chickens, and whereas the Pajarito Environmental Education Center and Land of Enchantment Wildlife Foundation will host New Mexico's only annual bear festival, sponsored by N3B and Century Bank on August 29th at the Los Alamos National Nature at the Los Alamos Nature Center from 10 a.m.

7:07

until 2 p.m.

7:09

And whereas local, regional, state, and federal organizations will be present at the Bear Festival to educate the public on how to keep human and bear populations safe by engaging with the community through crafts, games, food, and other activities.

7:30

Now, therefore, on behalf of the county of the incorporated county of Los Alamos, I do hereby proclaim August 26th as Bear Month in Los Alamos and urge our citizens to participate in the Bear Festival to raise awareness and encourage responsible practices to ensure the safety and preservation of both humans and bears.

7:54

Dated this 28th day of July 2026, signed by Randall Ready, Chair of the Los Alamos County Council.

8:03

Okay, thank you, Councilor Neil Clinton.

8:06

So I just saw Mr.

8:08

Robinson appear.

8:09

So did you want to make you have some other folks with you?

8:14

Sorry about that.

8:15

I got caught on the phone.

8:17

Mr.

8:18

Chair and Council, thank you for once again proclaiming August Bear Month.

8:21

This has been uh I think we're on our tenth Bear Festival this year.

8:25

So this has been something that the county has been working on a lot with its citizens, and I think we're seeing it pay off in this year of a lot of bear incursions into our and our neighborhoods because of the ongoing drought.

8:37

So I'm here to thank you all on behalf of the board of Land of Enchantment Wildlife Foundation for your continued support in this program, and I think it's gonna be another successful year.

8:47

So thank you all.

8:48

Okay, thank you.

8:49

So photograph.

8:51

Yes, okay, thank you.

9:25

Um let's go on to item uh 6B, 21982-26 introduction to discussion on the local economic development act, leader participation agreement, and metropolitan redevelopment area development agreement, high-level terms for the guest house project.

9:52

Okay, uh good evening, everybody.

9:54

So my name is Mike Skudikoff.

9:56

I'm the uh economic development administrator for the county.

10:00

Uh so I'm excited to introduce uh the developer, uh Mr.

10:04

Tucker Sharp with uh Grand Mesa Partners, who's gonna um talk about the uh project that we're discussing today.

10:11

Uh essentially the guest house, uh, it is located at 400 uh Trinity Drive, uh also known as the former Hilltop uh House uh site.

10:21

Um the project is located within the East Downtown uh Los Alamos uh MRA district.

10:27

Um the project is going to contain 60 uh room uh hotel developments, uh targeting business and leisure tourists, uh, with uh some rooms reserved for um extended state options, for summer interns, uh postdocs, uh visiting researchers, etc.

10:46

Um, overall uh the project budget is over 30 million dollars.

10:51

Um the county investment requested is the combination of FLEDA and MRE funds uh for the total of uh 3, uh $875 uh thousand dollars.

11:02

So essentially the leader request it's uh three million dollars, uh two million in grant funds, and one million as a zero percent uh 10-year loan.

11:12

And the MRA uh grant funds and requested is uh $875,000.

11:18

Um the developers provide an uh over $7.2 million um in cash equity finance and and the rest is going to be financed through uh conventional bank loans.

11:30

Um the uh economic impact of the project, it's uh job creation, um T revenue for the county during uh construction fees, uh GRIT revenues during the operations phase and the lodgers tax and uh the MRA uh outcomes is the uh remediation of the Blight site at the entrance to the downtown uh and the increased commercial activity within the district.

11:54

So uh with this, I'll uh pass it over to uh Mr.

11:58

Sharp.

12:06

Good evening.

12:08

Um, I'd like to introduce myself.

12:15

My name is Tucker Sharp, um, and I'm here on behalf of Grand Mesa Partners.

12:20

Uh and I'd like to thank everyone for the opportunity to be able to introduce our project.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Procedural██████████████████18%
Economic Development██████████████14%
Fiscal Sustainability██████████10%
Public Engagement█████████9%
Budget Equity Analysis███████7%
Water And Wastewater Management███████7%
Tourism Management██████6%
Engineering And Infrastructure█████5%
Community Engagement████4%
Summary of Proceedings

Los Alamos County Council Regular Session – July 28, 2026

The Los Alamos County Council met in regular session on Tuesday, July 28, 2026 (2026-07-28 13:00:00+00:00; noticed for 6:00 PM) in Council Chambers at 1000 Central Avenue, with virtual participation via Zoom. The Council approved the consent agenda, adopted two public-hearing items, approved an Olympic Pool contract amendment, and voted to send a letter opposing revocation or reduction of the Chaco Culture National Historical Park buffer. The closed-session statement reported that the closed session began at 5:00 PM, was limited to noticed topics, and no action was taken.

Consent Calendar

  • Adopted by a single 6-0 motion. No items were withdrawn; staff answered questions on the Bonfire broadband amendments and LSP Data Solutions. Approved items included:
    • Minutes of July 7, 2026 regular session and July 14, 2026 work session.
    • Modification 27 to the Electric Coordination Agreement with DOE/NNSA, extending the term to August 31, 2026.
    • Amendment No. 1 to the 19th Hole Sports Pub lease clarifying use of County liquor license GOV-000046 for beverage-cart service.
    • Task Order No. 4 (Amendment #2) with Wilson & Company, $164,306.18, for remaining engineering services for the Jemez Mountain Regional Fire Protection System.
    • Amendments with Bonfire Engineering & Construction LLC moving service-connection drops ($6,216,126.12) from the design-build agreement to the network operations agreement, with no net cost increase.
    • Amendment No. 3 with LSP Data Solutions increasing the not-to-exceed amount by $216,000 to $938,000 and extending e-discovery/IPRA services through December 12, 2027.
    • Power Purchase Agreement authority not to exceed $9,195,750 plus GRT for August/September 2026 power supply.
    • Award of IFB26-58 to AUI, Inc. for Los Alamos Switching Station cured-in-place piping: $849,570 plus $169,914 contingency, total $1,019,484, with Budget Revision 2027-02.
    • Appointment of Joseph Granville to the Los Alamos County Health Council for a term ending July 28, 2028.
    • Acceptance of land dedication/transfer at 400 Trinity Drive within the Grand Mesa Partners lot line adjustment.
    • Approval of the June 30, 2026 quarterly financial report to the NM Department of Finance and Administration.
    • Seven-year, $1,000,000 tree-trimming services agreement with Southwest Fire Defense, LLC.
    • Task Order No. 10 with Transmission & Distribution Services, LLC, $157,262, for White Rock Substation relay settings and controls, with Budget Revision 2027-03.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • No comments were made during the opening public-comment period.
  • On the Guest House LEDA/MRA presentation, Jason Chappell asked how the nearly $4 million public investment would be measured, emphasizing public benefit, jobs, wages, community event space, and taxpayer protections. Lisa Shin questioned the return on investment, cited state data that nearly one-third of LEDA recipients miss job-creation targets, and asked about budget caps, competition with local businesses, and clawback protections.
  • During the intergovernmental update, Maire O’Neill requested that the detailed regional partnership information be made more publicly accessible.
  • On the Chaco letter item, Chris Luchini urged the Council to research the actual impact of the proposed revocation before acting, stating the 10-to-5-mile area has no forecast oil/gas potential and the action may be largely performative.

Discussion Items

  • Bear Month Proclamation (Item 6A): Council proclaimed August 2026 as Bear Month in Los Alamos County. Pajarito Environmental Education Center representatives accepted the proclamation and noted the August 29 Bear Festival at the Los Alamos Nature Center, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
  • Guest House Project LEDA/MRA (Item 6B): Staff and developer Tucker Sharp (Grand Mesa Partners 400 Trinity Drive Hilltop Owners, LLC) presented a proposed 60-key extended-stay hotel at 400 Trinity Drive, targeting LANL staff, interns, postdocs, researchers, and tourists. The requested County participation is $3,875,000: $1,000,000 zero-interest loan, $2,000,000 LEDA grant, and $875,000 MRA grant. The staff report estimates construction cost at more than $11 million, while the developer’s presentation cited a total project budget over $30 million. Staff report estimates 3 new FTEs; the developer estimated about 4 full-time operations jobs. No action was taken; the ordinance introduction is anticipated August 7 or 11, 2026, with a public hearing August 25 or September 8, 2026.
  • FY2026 Q4 Financial and Investment Briefing (Item 6C): CFO Melissa Dadzie and investment advisor Deanne Woodring presented the unaudited fourth-quarter report. GPA-managed pooled investments returned 3.07% versus a 2.97% benchmark; FY26 earnings were approximately $6.793 million, compared with $6.334 million ex-SIC the prior year. Liquidity rates moderated from 3.55% to 3.22%, while investment earnings rose from 3.70% to 3.92%. GRT improved about 5% over FY25 but finished about 2% under the FY26 budget; FY27 GRT is projected to grow about 22% with the new GRT increment.
  • Quarterly Intergovernmental and Regional Update (Item 6D): Danielle Duran reported regional strategic fund allocations: Rio Arriba County $5,000,000 (reimbursed $841,296), City of Española $3,075,000 (reimbursed $2,126,964), and Pueblo de San Ildefonso broadband $2,000,000 (reimbursed $500,000). She also discussed landfill feasibility, behavioral health plans, state/federal water-well funding possibilities, and tribal relations.

Public Hearings

  • Ordinance No. 02-371 (Development Code Article V update): The Council held a public hearing and adopted, 6-0, the code amendment making administrative, procedural, and enforcement corrections to Chapter 16, Article V. Changes include extending notice from 14 to 15 calendar days, requiring applicants to conduct and document neighborhood meetings, codifying quasi-judicial hearing procedures, extending certain decision deadlines to 60 days, clarifying dust-control language, and referencing the general penalty provision. The Planning & Zoning Commission unanimously recommended approval with four revisions, all incorporated.
  • Resolution No. 26-16 (Voter Convenience Center relocation): The Council adopted, 6-0, the resolution temporarily moving the consolidated Precincts 17-23 Voter Convenience Center from Betty Ehart Senior Center to Mesa Public Library for the November 3, 2026 General Election because of renovations. The relocation is contingent on District Court approval; other VCC locations remain unchanged.

Business

  • Lee-Sure Pools Amendment No. 1 (Olympic Pool mechanical improvements): The Council approved, 6-0, Amendment No. 1 to AGR25-922 in the amount of $1,179,113.46 plus GRT, establishing a revised project budget of $3,300,000 and approving Budget Revision 2027-04 funded by MFM funds and CIP savings. The project replaces 38-year-old Olympic Pool pumps, reconfigures filtration/plumbing for redundancy, reseals the surge tank, and is scheduled for completion so the pool can resume operations in November 2026.

Council Business

  • Chaco Culture National Historical Park letter: By a 4-2 vote, the Council authorized sending a letter to the Secretary of the Interior opposing revocation or reduction of Public Land Order No. 7923, which protects approximately 336,404 acres around Chaco Canyon. Councilors Reagor and Hand voted no. The BLM comment period closed July 29, 2026.
  • County Manager’s Report and Chair’s Report: The June 2026 report was presented with no action; the Chair highlighted upcoming agenda items, including the plastic bag ordinance, utility rates, LEDA/MRA actions, and an August 27 town hall on police license-plate-reader technology.

Key Outcomes

  • Approved consent agenda 6-0.
  • Adopted Ordinance No. 02-371 6-0.
  • Adopted Resolution No. 26-16 6-0.
  • Approved Lee-Sure Pools Amendment No. 1 and Budget Revision 2027-04 6-0.
  • Approved Chaco letter motion 4-2.
  • Next steps: Guest House ordinance introduction Aug 7/11 and public hearing Aug 25/Sep 8, 2026; continued reports on development code, budget, and regional partnerships.

Meeting Transcript

device to connect to as well. So public comment will be accepted at the beginning of the meeting on topics that are not on the agenda tonight. And then as we go through each agenda item we'll be seeking public comment during that time as well. So please limit your comments to three minutes or as otherwise directed. And we just ask that you state your name before making comments. We also ask that we have virtual attendees that to use the naming feature to so you can properly address on Zoom. And also ask the comments be addressed to the chair and and the question the topics like question here. So I think with that we're ready to uh go to the roll call opening roll call so um I can actually see everybody here tonight that's in person so we have um six or seven counselors here in the chambers uh counselor uh have them in his excuse tonight and then on to number number items item number two which is the pledge of allegiance so if you're willing and able please join us in pledge I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States America and to the Republic for which it stands one nation under God indivisible liberty and justice for all so now we're on to item number three which is a statement regarding the closed session is there a counselor have that statement right counselor call the matters discussed in the closed sessions of county council held on july 28 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 in any manner in the closed session we request that this statement be included in the meeting minutes. Thank you counselor call um so now we're on to uh item number four public comments so this as I mentioned just a moment ago this uh is for items not on the agenda tonight so we have anyone present here in the council chambers wanting to make public comment not seeing any so Ms. Madison can you check online for us I can if you'd like to make public comment please raise your hand I'm not seeing any hands raised okay thank you Ms. So now we're on to uh item number five which is approval of the agenda um is there a counselor interested in making motion regarding the agenda council call I move that we approve the agenda as presented second okay so we have a motion by councilor call second by councillor Neil Clinton seeing no discussion um can we uh indicate uh approval by um raising your hand okay all uh let us show that all uh six counselors were in favor of the motion um so that's as a unanimous okay so now we're on to item number six which is presentations proclamations and recognitions so 6a is 21159-26 it's the proclamation declaring august 2026 as bear month in Los Alamos County and it'll be accepted by um some folks I think that are here tonight um I think maybe Casey Lindbergh and Kristen O'Hara from Pirate and very much here. It's the proclamation declaring August of 2026 as Bear Month in Los Alamos County, and it'll be accepted by some folks, I think that are here tonight. Um I think maybe Casey Lindbergh and Kristen O'Hara from Pirito and very much center here. Um Councillor Nil Clinton has the proclamation to read. Whereas Los Alamos County is home to an abundance of wildlife, including the American Black Bear, and the presence of this wildlife contributor to the ecological balance and natural beauty of our area. And whereas it is the responsibility of our community to coexist peacefully with wildlife while taking necessary precautions to minimize potential human and bear encounters. And whereas five critical bear safety practices should be added to our daily and recreational activities. When out in nature, keep dogs on a leash, talk and make noise, stay alert and actively look for signs of bear activity. Never I I'm including this word ever approach a bear, stay calm and do not run into a bear encounter. And whereas we can also reduce bear encounters at home by never feeding bears, securing garbage and bear-resistant containers, removing bird feeders at night, planting gardens away from game trails, frequently turning compost and securing chickens, and whereas the Pajarito Environmental Education Center and Land of Enchantment Wildlife Foundation will host New Mexico's only annual bear festival, sponsored by N3B and Century Bank on August 29th at the Los Alamos National Nature at the Los Alamos Nature Center from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. And whereas local, regional, state, and federal organizations will be present at the Bear Festival to educate the public on how to keep human and bear populations safe by engaging with the community through crafts, games, food, and other activities. Now, therefore, on behalf of the county of the incorporated county of Los Alamos, I do hereby proclaim August 26th as Bear Month in Los Alamos and urge our citizens to participate in the Bear Festival to raise awareness and encourage responsible practices to ensure the safety and preservation of both humans and bears. Dated this 28th day of July 2026, signed by Randall Ready, Chair of the Los Alamos County Council. Okay, thank you, Councilor Neil Clinton. So I just saw Mr. Robinson appear. So did you want to make you have some other folks with you? Sorry about that. I got caught on the phone. Mr. Chair and Council, thank you for once again proclaiming August Bear Month. This has been uh I think we're on our tenth Bear Festival this year. So this has been something that the county has been working on a lot with its citizens, and I think we're seeing it pay off in this year of a lot of bear incursions into our and our neighborhoods because of the ongoing drought. So I'm here to thank you all on behalf of the board of Land of Enchantment Wildlife Foundation for your continued support in this program, and I think it's gonna be another successful year. So thank you all. Okay, thank you. So photograph. Yes, okay, thank you. Um let's go on to item uh 6B, 21982-26 introduction to discussion on the local economic development act, leader participation agreement, and metropolitan redevelopment area development agreement, high-level terms for the guest house project. Okay, uh good evening, everybody. So my name is Mike Skudikoff. I'm the uh economic development administrator for the county. Uh so I'm excited to introduce uh the developer, uh Mr. Tucker Sharp with uh Grand Mesa Partners, who's gonna um talk about the uh project that we're discussing today. Uh essentially the guest house, uh, it is located at 400 uh Trinity Drive, uh also known as the former Hilltop uh House uh site. Um the project is located within the East Downtown uh Los Alamos uh MRA district. Um the project is going to contain 60 uh room uh hotel developments, uh targeting business and leisure tourists, uh, with uh some rooms reserved for um extended state options, for summer interns, uh postdocs, uh visiting researchers, etc. Um, overall uh the project budget is over 30 million dollars. Um the county investment requested is the combination of FLEDA and MRE funds uh for the total of uh 3, uh $875 uh thousand dollars.

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