Los Alamos County Inclusivity Board Organizational Meeting and Training – November 3, 2026

The Los Alamos County Inclusivity Board held an organizational meeting and training session in Room 330 at 1000 Central Avenue, with Zoom access available for remote participation. Six board members were present and one member was absent; no members of the public attended. The board approved the agenda, received training on the New Mexico Open Meetings Act and Inspection of Public Records Act, reviewed reports from the Inclusivity Task Force and the Racial Equity and Inclusivity Task Force, discussed future meeting dates, and elected officers. Note: The printed agenda lists this meeting as Monday, November 2, 2026, at 6:00 PM, while the meeting record timestamp provided is 2026-11-03 16:30:00+00:00; this summary uses the provided timestamp.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No public comment was offered because no members of the public were present.

Discussion Items

• Introductions: Board members and staff introduced themselves. Linda Madison identified herself as deputy county manager and current staff support, Teresa Cull identified herself as county council liaison, and Katie Twaits and Neil Bellin from the County Attorney’s Office presented or observed the training. Several members cited interest in accessibility, fresh perspectives, cultural inclusion, and prior task force work.
• Board purpose and Chapter 8: The board’s purpose and governing language in Chapter 8 were referenced as attachments sent by Linda Madison and were incorporated into the training presentation.
• Open Meetings Act (OMA) training: Katie Twaits explained the four requirements for a public meeting: quorum, public notice, a specific agenda, and minutes. She stated that a quorum is a simple majority of appointed voting members, meaning four of the six current members, and that a quorum must exist for the entire meeting. She warned against “rolling” or “walking” quorums, including reply-all email discussions about public business among a quorum of members outside a public meeting. She noted regular meeting notices must be given at least 10 days in advance, agendas must be posted at least 72 hours in advance, and meetings cannot be held if notice deadlines are missed. Minutes must be completed within 10 working days and approved by the board. She also explained that OMA violations can invalidate actions and that individual board members could face a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not more than $500.
• Inspection of Public Records Act (IPRA) training: Katie Twaits explained that documents, emails, texts, notes, and recordings related to board business are public records subject to IPRA, with limited exceptions. She recommended that board members segregate public business records from personal records and consider creating a dedicated email address for board work.
• Task force reports: The board reviewed reports from the Inclusivity Task Force and the Racial Equity and Inclusivity Task Force. Deputy County Manager Linda Madison recommended members read the reports and prioritize recommendations before the next meeting. Ashley, who served on the REI Task Force, said the two reports’ recommendations were largely aligned and highlighted the recommendation for county oversight on racial equity and inclusivity topics and trainings, including a community speaker series and the use of the Government Alliance on Race and Equity (GARE). Rachel, who served on the Inclusivity Task Force, cautioned that inclusivity can be very broad, reminded the board that it is an advisory body, and suggested the board develop a methodology for prioritizing recommendations and creating forward movement.
• Future meeting calendar: The board discussed scheduling options. Monday evenings at 6:00 PM appeared to work best for most members, while noon meetings did not. One member, Jovita, was unavailable on Mondays through mid-December and unable to meet on Tuesdays. Linda Madison agreed to check whether Jovita could meet on December 7 or December 14 and to bring draft annual calendar options to the next meeting.
• Election of Chair and Vice-Chair: Rachel was nominated and appointed as Board Chair by unanimous show of hands. Ashley and Shelby were both nominated for Vice-Chair; after a roll call vote, Ashley was elected Vice-Chair by a 3-2 vote.

Council Communication

• Teresa Cull, county council liaison, provided updates on upcoming council business. She noted public feedback on Local Economic Development Act proposals for CB Fox and Hilltop House, the upcoming comprehensive plan, the sign code, and a December 3 discussion about license plate readers. She also mentioned a council strategic planning session on November 19 that is open to the public.

Key Outcomes

• The agenda was approved unanimously by a show of hands.
• Rachel was elected Board Chair by acclamation/unanimous vote.
• Ashley was elected Board Vice-Chair by a 3-2 vote over Shelby.
• Board members were asked to review the Inclusivity Task Force and REI Task Force reports and come prepared to discuss priority recommendations at the next meeting.
• The next meeting was tentatively scheduled for December 14, 2026, at 6:00 PM, pending confirmation with Jovita.
• Linda Madison will send training materials, procedural rules, task force reports, and draft calendar options; the board will also begin developing its 12-month work plan at the next meeting.