Los Alamos Historic Preservation Advisory Board Reviews 2026 Work Plan – August 5, 2026

The Historic Preservation Advisory Board met in person on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, at 5:41 p.m. at 1000 Central Avenue, Room 110, Los Alamos, New Mexico. With Chair Patrick Cruz absent, Member Carrie Gregory presided; members Rachel Adler and newly appointed Irene Powell also attended. The board approved its agenda and the June 10, 2026 minutes, then conducted a mid-year review of the 2026 board work plan, emphasizing historic-preservation staffing needs and county processes. No public comment was offered.

Consent Calendar

• The board approved the August 5, 2026 agenda by unanimous voice vote.
• The board approved the June 10, 2026 meeting minutes by unanimous voice vote.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No public comment was offered for items not on the agenda; no members of the public attended.

Discussion Items

• 2026 Work Plan Mid-Year Review: Acting Chair Gregory presented the plan, which was approved in February. She noted that Chair Cruz and she had prepared goals, strategies, and schedules in April in response to a Council request for stronger work-plan accountability. Because of canceled meetings, snow days, and unfilled board seats, the board was behind schedule and would likely not complete the full plan by December.
• The board reviewed nine goals. Acting Chair Gregory described the laboratory's approximately 2,000 archaeological sites and 260 historic facilities, and said the county has even more, supporting the board's long-standing recommendation for a county cultural resources specialist, either on staff or under contract.
• Goal 5 – Cultural Resources Specialist: The board discussed researching federal and state grants, particularly through New Mexico's Certified Local Government (CLG) program, and reviewing New Mexico Administrative Code 10.10.19G to build a justification for hiring or contracting a cultural resources specialist. Members discussed whether federal grants could fund such a position; Rachel Adler noted that federal cultural-resources grants are limited and more often support defined projects, while Carrie Gregory indicated the county had previously said there was no budget for a staff position.
• Goal 7 – County Historic-Property Processes: Members discussed uncertainty about how the county identifies historic properties, assesses impacts, and communicates with the New Mexico State Historic Preservation Officer. They agreed that the county may have people filling cultural-resources roles without the formal title, and that understanding these roles is important before making a case for additional help.
• Goal 6 – Community Outreach: The board discussed outreach tools such as banners and materials, following Chair Cruz's experience at the Spring Arts and Crafts Fair. Members leaned toward deferring formal outreach planning to the 2027 work plan, partly because the Historic Preservation Master Plan may inform future communication strategies.
• Goal 8 – Historic Preservation Month: This goal was considered complete for 2026, with participation in the Spring Arts and Crafts Fair and a master plan public meeting.
• Goal 9 – Attendance at Other County Boards: Members supported continued voluntary attendance at Planning and Zoning, Art in Public Places, and Parks and Recreation meetings to share information.
• Priority Setting: Members agreed to concentrate remaining 2026 effort on Goals 5 and 7, treating Goal 6 outreach as a 2027 work-plan item. Staff indicated that the Historic Preservation Master Plan consultant expects to have a first draft ready for presentation in October.
• Staff/Informational Update: Acting Chair Gregory raised proposed federal changes to 36 CFR Part 800, the Section 106 rules of the National Historic Preservation Act. She stated that the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation had approved moving the rules forward and that the changes would remove ethnographic landscapes from historic-property consideration, remove setting/cumulative/future effects from adverse-effect analysis, largely remove state and tribal historic preservation officers from the process, and eliminate public participation. She called the changes disheartening and said they would change historic preservation practice nationwide if adopted.
• Council Liaison Update: Council Liaison Theresa Cull reported on recent Council matters, including a quarterly climate action plan update, EV charger pricing questions, a request for Inclusivity Board members, a letter regarding Chaco, minor Chapter 16 code amendments, and an upcoming agenda discussion about the Historic Preservation Master Plan presentation.

Key Outcomes

• The board did not take a formal vote on the work plan itself; it directed its remaining 2026 work-plan energy to Goal 5 (cultural resources specialist grant research and justification) and Goal 7 (understanding county historic-property processes), with Goal 6 carried toward the 2027 work plan.
• Action items: Acting Chair Gregory will ask Danyelle Valdez about existing county cultural-resources staff, roles, and contractors, and whether the county would consider an internship or shared position; Gregory will distribute the member handbook, CLG manual, and compiled grant information to board members; all members will independently review the CLG program manual before the September meeting; Gregory will brief Chair Cruz on the discussion.
• The next regular meeting was scheduled for September 2, 2026, with plans to discuss CLG findings and the cultural-resources-specialist role. The meeting was adjourned.