Los Alamos County · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in Los Alamos County public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
Extended Day-Ahead Market participation
UAMPS leaders warned that Los Alamos will be pulled into the Energy Day-Ahead Market when PNM joins in October 2027, and that members without dispatchable capacity saw bills jump 36-70%. They urged the county to get involved in PNM's tariff comment process now and model its portfolio.
Budget Revision 2026-73
The utility's year-end numbers came in higher than budgeted: an extra $1.6 million for power, $750,000 for water production, and $540,175 in interdepartmental charges, cutting the fund balance accordingly.
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.
Residential energy-efficiency loan program
The county is exploring letting homeowners pay for heat pumps, insulation, and electrical panel upgrades through a line on their utility bill instead of a personal loan. It could help households that can't front $15,000-$20,000 for electrification, but board members flagged serious questions: liens on homes, collections, contractor participation, and whether the Climate Investment Center is the right partner.
Electric distribution undergrounding
August's outage review showed mysterious short underground faults in White Rock, aging 1970s cable nearing failure, and concerns that SAIDI will hover around the 60-minute target until old cable is replaced.
Library Community Assessment Survey
The library's community assessment survey has 172 responses since launching about two weeks ago; staff want at least double that before it closes at the end of July. Board members are helping promote it at summer events.
Rising vacancy rate and transit operator turnover
The county's vacancy rate climbed to 7.95% after a wave of retirements, and transit operator positions have turned over constantly for a decade — partly because the Lab and trucking jobs pay more. HR is planning a targeted market study for transit and recruitment policy changes, with any pay fixes landing in FY 2029.
Homelessness and social services data
Council discussion revealed the county helps 8-12 unhoused residents directly, but estimates 50-60 people lack stable housing. Section 8 waitlists are closed and regional housing staff have been cut, making placements harder.
Fix Our Forests Act support
With red flag warnings, PNM has disabled automatic reclosers on transmission lines, raising outage risk. Staff also explained the May 8 townwide outage stemmed from unprogrammed relay settings, with a fix expected within two weeks.
CB Fox downtown redevelopment (LEDA project)
The vacant CB Fox department store at 1735 Central Ave will become a boutique hotel, food court, rooftop restaurant and live-music venue. It's the kind of catalyst project the downtown master plan has been waiting for — but it still needs building permits and current code compliance.
Personnel Rules revision
HR plans to start revising the county's Personnel Rules in July — a lengthy process that will come before this board and require County Council approval. A required compensation market study (done every four years) is also on the way, with an RFP expected in FY2027.
Police Station Lion Sculpture Progress
The board picked the sphinx-pose lion design and will ask Council to commission artist Daniel Borup for up to $75,000. A radial wall and possible benches are planned behind the sculpture at the memorial site.
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.
APPA benchmarking ratios and underlying financial health
The board was scheduled to discuss its budget, which funds public art projects and maintenance across the county.
Time-of-use billing transition problems
Since the new time-of-use rates launched July 1, bill production has been rocky — delayed cycles and corrected bills — though staff expect September to improve and credit the customer care team for absorbing the pain.
Natural gas phase-out and electric future
The county has a goal to phase out natural gas (10% reduction by 2030) but usage hasn't budged in 25 years. Councilor Havemann urged nudging the development code toward all-electric new construction; Foxdale Flats power comes online next spring and the carbon-neutral-by-2040 goal has seen little progress.
Gas Service Rates Amendment
Gas bills rise about 16-17% on average starting September 1: the per-therm charge jumps 41% and the service charge 9%, driven by a projected $760,000 gas fund loss after a warm year with low usage.
Guest House Project — LEDA and MRA Agreements
A 60-room hotel is proposed for the vacant former Hilltop House site at 400 Trinity Drive, the gateway to downtown. The developer wants nearly $4 million in county LEDA and redevelopment funds for a $30 million-plus project, and councilors and residents grilled them on jobs, taxpayer protections, and clawbacks before any money is committed.
Housing affordability metrics and inclusionary zoning
Commissioners pressed staff on how much land is actually available to build on: 118 vacant, developable lots are currently zoned for housing, and roughly 250 more could come with duplexes, plus ADUs are allowed nearly everywhere. An estimated housing deficit of about 2,500 units is being rechecked.
DPU FY2027 Budget Preview
The board reviewed draft financial guidelines and debated how much money the utilities manager can spend without board approval. This affects how quickly the utility can respond to needs — and how tightly the board keeps watch on the checkbook.
Coyote Mesa workforce housing bonds
Council issued a $230 million revenue bond to support the Coyote Mesa workforce housing project on DP Road.
Draft Comprehensive Plan Update
The county's draft Comprehensive Plan is being revised in response to public feedback. The biggest changes: dropping the controversial 'conservation residential' recommendation so identified open space won't be developed, and pushing stronger zoning reforms to allow more housing types. A revised draft comes back November 18, when the commission will recommend to Council.
Workforce housing on DP Road parcel 8A
The county signed an MOU to develop workforce housing on Parcel 8A off DP Road — a few hundred new units — backed by $3 million in state grant funding. A new website now tracks all county housing projects.
Integrated Resource Plan implementation
The IRP is the utility's long-term plan for meeting the community's power needs. This update showed where implementation stands — it shapes future rates, reliability, and energy choices.
Atomic Fiber broadband buildout begins
A road grader cut the county's single Lumen fiber line in September, cutting cell and internet service for about 20 hours. The county's second fiber line via San Ildefonso Pueblo is built but not yet connected pending an MOU, and no internet providers have committed to redundancy yet. Residents who lost connectivity couldn't call 911 or reach family.
Walkup Aquatic Center Closure and East Park Pool Partnership
The Aquatic Center's $3.3 million rehab hit a pump manufacturing delay, keeping the pool closed into January 2027. Twelve residents urged the county to help keep East Park Pool open with lifeguards or support, but staff said procurement rules, staffing shortages, and lifeguards' unwillingness to work outdoors block a quick deal; an Española MOU is being finalized.
Denver Steels Waterline Replacement and Easement Vacations
After severely corroded service lines were found, the county replaced water lines for about 126 Denver Steels homes using a state loan, moving meters to the property line. The easement vacation formally shifts future maintenance responsibility — and cost — from the county to homeowners.
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.
LEDA loan for The Rock Redevelopment in White Rock
The county's first MRA project grant in White Rock gives the Pig & Fig Café up to $106,000 in reimbursed costs for accessibility, drainage, and infrastructure upgrades, expected to add six jobs and six dining tables in the White Rock downtown district.
Comcast Cable Franchise
The new cable franchise with Comcast goes back before council June 9. Comcast has kept operating and paying franchise fees under its expired agreement while the new one is negotiated.
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.
Gas odorant surge and leak response
Stronger odorant in the virtual pipeline gas triggered a wave of leak calls countywide, which ironically uncovered many real gas leaks, including a saturated crawl space and regulator damage from white dust contamination.
Suicide Prevention Training in Los Alamos County
State data show 6.8% of Los Alamos 10th graders report having considered or attempted suicide, just below the 8.4% state average. The state is offering free, evidence-based school programs and an app for teens, and pushing to get prevention training into schools.
Wildfire Preparedness and Ready Set Go
Councilor Hemez reported on a tabletop exercise at Santo Domingo Pueblo testing tribal community readiness for concurrent wildfire smoke and heat. Gaps included air-quality monitoring and community notification systems. Council members discussed whether Los Alamos should build similar heat/air-quality tracking into its 2027 work plan.
Charter Amendments on November 2026 Ballot
Council advanced three charter changes to the November 3 ballot: extending board term limits from two to three terms, removing party affiliation requirements for most boards, and deleting the requirement that utility operating profits transfer to the general county fund.
Region 1 behavioral health investment (SB3)
Los Alamos, Rio Arriba, and Santa Fe counties held their first kickoff meeting on building regional behavioral health services, starting with transportation to facilities like the Espanola CCBHC.
Water Service Rate Schedule Changes
Water rates go up 8% in each of the next two fiscal years if the Council adopts the ordinance, with a 10% peak-season bump on heavy single-family summer use and a new higher bulk rate for the Lab. The utility is trying to rebuild cash reserves that have fallen below policy targets.
Nambe Drugs LEDA public support
A Local Economic Development Act agreement is being discussed for the Nambe Drugs redevelopment project, meaning public money could support a private redevelopment. Final terms and a vote were expected at a later meeting.
Landfill feasibility study
Los Alamos County, the City of Española, and Rio Arriba County were set to review a joint feasibility study on a shared regional landfill and consider next steps, including a draft Phase 2 agreement. The outcome could shape regional waste disposal and costs for decades.
Winter power supply purchase
The board recommended staff apply for state capital development grant funding to help pay for replacing the aging EA-4 electric line.
Utility billing system transition issues
Bills are still being corrected after the July time-of-use and demand rate switch, with solar customers set to receive credits for miscalculated demand and prorated water charges for long billing cycles.
Community Health Action Center planning
Los Alamos is part of a state pilot for assisted outpatient treatment courts (Judicial District 1), and staff attended national conferences on building 988 crisis response systems. Planning is underway with Santa Fe and Rio Arriba counties.
Fairway Drive reconstruction and utility replacement
Fairway Drive is rated 'poor' (PCI 42.5) and gets a full rebuild in 2027 along with new water lines and sewer rerouting from backyards to the street. Residents wanted specifics on how their properties will be affected.
Water rate ordinance correction (No. 02-387)
The proposed water rate increase was pulled from the agenda over procedural issues and will restart with introduction in August, delaying any rate change by about a month.
Foxtail Flats excess solar power strategy
The new solar and battery project will produce more power than the county needs in spring, summer, and fall — about $2.1 million worth a year. Staff laid out five options: sell it to the regional market, sign a contract with a buyer, add more batteries, use as much as possible locally, or a mix. The board stressed reliability over pure economics until the plant proves itself.
Historic preservation consultant staffing
The board believes the county lacks dedicated cultural resources staffing and wants to justify hiring or contracting a specialist, possibly funded through state or federal grants under the Certified Local Government program. Members will read the CLG program manual and draft a justification before the September meeting.
2026 Historic Preservation Work Plan
The board says it can't figure out who at the county identifies historic properties, applies the Secretary of the Interior standards, or consults with the State Historic Preservation Officer — and incidents like the Little Theater furnace work and graffiti on petroglyphs suggest gaps. Planning Manager Valdez may bring county staff to explain their processes.
Suicide prevention awareness
Los Alamos has trained only 107 people in naloxone use in 18 months versus 8,000+ in Rio Arriba, and distributed just 617 free doses. The state wants to partner locally to break the stigma of asking for help.
40-Year Water Plan update and proposed Overlook Park well
The county's highest-producing well is shut down over chromium contamination, and the state requires an updated 40-year water plan to keep water rights and stay eligible for grants. A $224,000 consultant contract will update the plan and prepare a permit for a possible new well at Overlook Park.