Los Alamos County Council Work Session on August 18, 2026
Los Alamos County Council Work Session – August 18, 2026
The Los Alamos County Council held a work session on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, beginning at 6:00 PM at Fire Station No. 3 in White Rock. The meeting included board presentations, a briefing on the Electric Coordination Agreement, three public hearings on ballot questions for the November 3, 2026 general election, introduction of a cable franchise ordinance, and a streetlight maintenance overview. The Council voted to suspend its procedural rules to allow formal action on agenda items.
Public Comments & Testimony
- James Warnicke (member of public) suggested that the ballot question on term limits should explicitly state the change from two to three terms.
- Greg White (online) commented on the difficulty of hearing the meeting audio and, regarding the ballot question on board composition, urged that the public be informed about the reason for the change (i.e., difficulty filling vacancies). He also requested that the ballot question on budget priorities clarify that it applies to the Department of Public Utilities (DPU) and that emergency repair funds be prioritized.
- John Cortwright (local business owner) expressed concern that removing party composition requirements could reduce diversity of opinion on boards and that committees do not receive enough guidance from administration.
Presentations & Discussion
- Lodger’s Tax Advisory Board (LTAB) Presentation – Connor Tharp, Vice Chair, presented the board’s annual report. Key points: the board is seeking a new lodging industry member; visitor numbers (total trips, average monthly visitors, visit nights, total visitor spend) are trending downward compared to 2024, attributed to high gas prices and the government shutdown; Bandelier remains the top driver; the Bradbury Science Museum is down ~7,000 visitors year-over-year. LTAB highlighted NMTrue Grant participation ($163,500) and a new tourism marketing contractor (DestinationiQ). The board noted a lack of updated hotel data (last from 2017) and difficulty collecting occupancy data.
- Personnel Board Presentation – David Hampton, former Chair, reported that the board currently has four members, with one vacancy. The board held one appellate hearing in March 2026. The County’s vacancy rate is 6.4%. Hampton noted challenges in recruitment and retention due to competition with LANL and limited housing. He recommended continued council support for housing initiatives.
- Electric Coordination Agreement (ECA) Briefing – Ben Olbrich, Deputy Utility Manager, and Philo Shelton, Utilities Manager, presented the proposed 2026 ECA with DOE/NNSA. The new agreement is for 10 years with a 10‑year option, replacing the 1985 ECA. Benefits include a new cost allocation method that compensates the County for below‑market generation resources, inclusion of Sandia National Laboratory/Kirtland Air Force Base as offtakers, and provisions for mitigating risks from long‑term resources. Disadvantages include a shorter term and potential DOE compliance costs. The agreement is still finalizing termination for convenience language. County staff and BPU members expressed strong support.
- Streetlight Maintenance Overview – Eric Martinez, Public Works Director, presented the status of streetlight operations. The signal and lighting crew has two traffic electrician positions; one was filled in July and one apprentice started August 17. There are currently 61 active work orders (about 3.5% of 1,673 streetlights). A $400,000 federal grant will fund replacement of 995 high‑pressure sodium fixtures with LED fixtures; 350 are in stock. The crew expects to address the backlog within three months. Residents can report outages via phone, email, or the Los Alamos Now app.
Consent Calendar
- Ratification of $12,708.33 in previously expended Art in Public Places funds and approval of $39,180 plus GRT for a 15‑year Public Art Archive contract with Creative West (as recommended by the Art in Public Places Board).
- Approval of County Council minutes for July 28, 2026, and August 4, 2026.
- Reappointment of Carly Blair and Jack Grow to the Environmental Sustainability Board for two‑year terms starting August 1, 2026.
- Designation of Councilor Melanee Hand as voting delegate for the New Mexico Municipal League Annual Conference (August 25‑28, 2026).
Key Outcomes
- The Council voted 7‑0 to suspend its procedural rules for the work session, allowing formal action.
- Resolution 26‑09 (Ballot Question 1) was adopted 7‑0 as amended: the ballot question will ask voters to amend the Charter to allow a person to serve on the same standing board or commission for no more than three terms in succession (up from two).
- Resolution 26‑14 (Ballot Question 2) was adopted 5‑2 (Councilors Neal‑Clinton and Reagor opposed) as amended: the ballot question will ask voters to amend the Charter to remove political party composition requirements for all standing boards and commissions, except for the Planning and Zoning Commission, Board of Public Utilities, and Personnel Board.
- Resolution 26‑15 (Ballot Question 3) was adopted 7‑0 as amended: the ballot question will ask voters to amend the Charter to omit the provision that all remaining DPU operating profits be transferred to the County General Fund.
- Ordinance No. 762 (Comcast cable franchise) was introduced without prejudice; a public hearing is scheduled for September 8, 2026.
All three ballot questions will appear on the November 3, 2026, general election ballot. The Council also received updates on the ECA and streetlight maintenance; no action was taken on those items.
Meeting Transcript
Okay, so this is going to be work sessions I indicated. So we're going to be doing it in hybrid format. We're going to have uh counselors or presenters and public participation either in person or on Zoom. Remember that it's always uh phone lines are available too for people if they would like to do that. Uh we'll be taking uh public comment at the beginning of the meeting for items that are not on the agenda. We'll take public comment for items as we go through the meeting agenda too. Uh we'll have Mr. Royal look for attendees who are virtually attending, and just make sure that you include your names and be properly addressed on Zoom. Uh please limit your comments to three minutes or as otherwise directed. Um also please make sure that you address the comments to the chair and be relevant to the topic being discussed. Um our goal is to complete the meeting no later than 10 p.m. And if we're still meeting at 9, we'll check our progress at that point. I think we're now we're ready to go on to item number two, uh which is a pledge of lean. So if you are willing to able, please join us in the pledge. Okay. So uh now we're on to item number three, which is public comments. So this is the opportunity for a public comment for items that are not on the agenda. So do we have anybody here in person at the fire station that wants to make public comment? Not seeing anyone in person. Uh, Mr. El, can you check on online for us? If you're online and you'd like to make a public comment, please raise your hand. Not seeing anything, Chair. Thank you. So now we're on to item number four, which is approval of the agenda. Uh is there a counselor interested in making a motion on the agenda as presented. I knew that we approve the agenda as presented. We have a second. Second. Okay, so we have a motion by council cole. Is that I guess if there's any other mic on, it might pick it up at the background. Um there was a motion by counselor cole, second by counselor Herman. Uh not seeing any discussion. Uh can the clerk please call the roll for us. Counselor Hand. Yes. Counselor Cole. Yes. Counselor Regorn. Yes. Counselor Havaman, yes. Counselor Herman, yes. Counselor Viney. Yes. Counselor Neil Clinton, yes. Motion passes seven and zero. Okay, let the record show the motion passes unanimously. Uh so we also have noted that Council Neil Clinton has arrived. Um with that, I think we're ready to go on to item five, which is presentations, uh proclamations and recognitions. So first item is 5A 21140-26.
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