Los Alamos County · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in Los Alamos County public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
North Mesa Recreation Area
Council moved an extra $1 million from a contingency into the North Mesa bike park phase one on top of $500K in the FY 27 budget, to speed progress. Councilor Cull voted against it, worried about dedicating money before design is done.
Dino World Project Pending
A status update on the dinosaur-themed playground project. No action taken — the project is still moving through its current phase.
Fire Station #4 Art Project
The county has $20,000 set aside for art at the new fire station, but a bigger commissioned piece could be done by pooling funds with the state — costing the county at least $80,000 and taking two to three years. The board wants a month to think before recommending anything to Council.
Public Art Conservation and Maintenance
The August visit from Pacific Coast Conservation found the outdoor collection in good shape, but fixing Corky, the Ashley Pond pony painted black by a prior conservator, got pushed so the new senior center artwork could get its required UV coating — leaving a budget shortfall for the contract's final year.
Snowmaking project delays at the ice rink
Pump skid deliveries, SCADA integration, fiber work, and tank disinfection are delaying the snowmaking system, though the project manager says the December 15 contractual obligation will be met — assuming snow conditions cooperate.
Myrtle Street Pickleball Court
The Board heard where the Myrtle Street pickleball court project stands. Pickleball players in town are watching this one closely.
NRPA Gold Medal Finalist Recognition
Los Alamos's parks department was one of four national finalists for the NRPA Gold Medal Award in its population category. It didn't win, but the recognition is a big deal for local recreation services.
Walkup Aquatic Center Closure and East Park Pool Partnership
Nine commenters asked the county to staff East Park Pool while the aquatic center is delayed; the county said staffing, not money, is the obstacle and is exploring the Los Lucero Center in Española. Council will revisit next week.
Olympic Pool Mechanical System Improvements
The aquatic center's 38-year-old Olympic Pool pumps are being replaced with a redundant pump-and-filter setup so one failure won't shut down the pool. Work happens during the current closure, with swimmers expected back by November.
Piñon Pool reopening under county operation
The county leased the Piñon Pool property for a nominal $1 and spent months cleaning, repairing and inspecting it. It reopens May 23 with daily hours, but repairs come at county expense since the lease is essentially free.
Library Annual Report
Circulation of physical items is declining while digital use and adult programming grow, and staff say they can't add programs without more resources. The data will feed the library's strategic plan.
Library software migration
The library's system migration is going well, with staff training set for the week after Labor Day and go-live still scheduled for September 3.
Youth programming gap for sixth graders
A parent flagged that sixth graders, kept on elementary campuses but considered middle schoolers, can't access middle-school library programs like anime and manga clubs.
Betty Ehart Senior Center renovation
A $3.64 million task order with All Rite Construction moves the senior center HVAC replacement forward, with the total project budget now $9.12 million.
De-accession Policy Overhaul
Nine artworks, including the broken water fountains and Dino World, are now ranked on a multi-year priority list so each gets focused review instead of spinning wheels. Working groups will tackle them one at a time.
Equestrian and Livestock Working Group Final Report
The Los Alamos 4-H Club wanted a banner on the Oppenheimer and Groves statue for National 4-H Week. The board allowed temporary green lights but refused the banner, worried it would set a precedent for every group asking the same thing.
LA Mesa Trail ADA accessibility
The trail rehabilitation adds guardrails, a wider switchback, and a connection to the assisted living community at East Park — a big win for residents with limited mobility. Estimated at $1.2 million, already in the budget.
Sports field line painting by county crews
Youth soccer, baseball, softball and lacrosse leagues want the county to take over painting field lines, freeing volunteer coaches and potentially making fields tournament-quality. They gathered 200+ petition signatures and say better fields could draw sports tourism.
Artwork deaccession or relocation
The county can't reach the artist of the aging "Dino World" piece (from 1998) despite months of trying, including a social media plea. The board may vote to deaccession it at the September meeting once the new policy process is clear.
Summer Concert Series contract
A new seven-year, $1.37 million deal with Sancre Productions keeps the popular series running while easing sponsorship demands on local businesses. Costs rise sharply each year, which two councilors found hard to justify.
$1 Million Trails and Bike Park Grant Application
The county will apply for a $1 million state Outdoor Recreation Trails+ grant, tied to a North Mesa bike park, to improve trails and recreation.
Library board vacancies and recruitment
Three seats open at the end of August; two members have reapplied and two candidates are in the pipeline, so the board is recruiting one more volunteer ahead of August interviews.
Digitizing the Los Alamos Monitor newspaper collection
A board member who works as the Historical Society's archivist proposed exploring a partnership to make the library's digitized Los Alamos Monitor searchable online through newspapers.com, instead of only on-site. Staff responded enthusiastically.
Ashley Pond Safety Improvements Design
The council picked boulders with plantings to keep vehicles from leaving the road at Ashley Pond, matching 70% public support from 592 survey responses. Boulders may be donated by a White Rock contractor, cutting the ~$120K estimate.
Ashley Pond Safety Improvements
The county is replacing the jersey barriers at Ashley Pond with three options — crash-rated bollards, bollard-planter combos, or large boulders with native plants — and residents can vote online; boulders are currently leading.
Possible Purchase of Los Alamos School of Gymnastics
The dissolving Los Alamos School of Gymnastics offered its building (on county land) to the county below appraised value; public input will be taken before a June 30 decision.
Ashley Pond Bollards
The county wants to replace temporary Jersey barriers around Ashley Pond with permanent crash-rated protection before festivals draw big crowds. Three design concepts — seat bollards, rustic planters, and natural boulders — are being voted on by the public, and all cost roughly $100,000. The preservation board recommended the natural boulder option as the most sympathetic to the historic landscape.
Summer Reading Program and Library Programming
The library's two-month summer reading program launched with 100+ registrations on day one and includes four youth challenge levels, a simplified adult challenge, and roughly 126 hours of extra programming. It's the library's busiest season, typically boosting circulation 20–25%.
Outdoor Classroom Project Redesign
The library's outdoor classroom plans hit a snag — utility lines discovered on site mean built-in concrete stages and seating aren't allowed under code. The project will move forward in a scaled-back form with crushed gravel, portable shade, and outdoor furniture, possibly this summer.
Bradbury Science Museum hours change and remodel
The Bradbury switches to 9 a.m.–4 p.m. Tuesday–Saturday starting June 16 while bathrooms get their first remodel since 1993. Porta potties will be on site during construction.
Sports field renovation pushes July Fourth event off Overlook Park ballfields
The three-year sports field renovation means the Spirit/Overlook fields won't be ready for the Fourth of July; the event moves to North Mesa and the southern Overlook baseball and softball fields, with the north side closed for fireworks and drone safety.
2026 Work Plan Quarterly Discussion
The board was scheduled to review progress on its 2026 Work Plan, which guides parks and recreation priorities for the year. No outcome can be confirmed from the available record.
Lifeguard shortage closes leisure lagoon Saturdays
A lifeguard shortage means the aquatic center's leisure lagoon stays closed on Saturdays so county staff can run Piñon Pool, which offers five Saturday hours versus the lagoon's three.
Guaje Pines cemetery phase one begins
After two years of ordinance and fee work and a completed master plan, phase one — including two new columbariums — is kicking off. Columbarium niches are sold out, making this urgent for families.
Justice Center wall mosaic project
An update was scheduled on the mosaic project for the Justice Center wall, including a community mosaic assembly workshop.
CSD Director Agency Review
The Community Services Director was slated to present a 2025 agency performance review and an NRPA agency comparison, showing how county parks and recreation stacks up against peers.
Brewer Arena ADA and Safety Improvements
The arena's old grandstand and pavilion were torn down after a safety study found them unsafe and the site non-ADA compliant. The council approved $2.87 million total to rebuild with a new elevated grandstand, pavilion, ADA restrooms, parking and chip-seal sidewalks, with substantial completion by July 2027.