BoomGov - Council agenda preview

What to expect at the Oct. 8 County Council meeting

Hey, Boomtown readers! Welcome to our second BoomGov agenda preview for the upcoming Los Alamos County Council meeting. We're excited to keep you informed with a quick and easy way to see what’s on the docket — no need to dig through the county website!

Your feedback from our first post helped shape this feature, so keep it coming. Let us know what works and what you'd like to see in future agenda previews.

Here’s what’s coming up: The Los Alamos County Council will hold its regular session on Oct. 8, 2024, at 6 p.m. at Fire Station No. 3 in White Rock (location changed due to early voting). If you can’t make it in person, the meeting will also be available via Zoom.

Agenda overview:

The agenda for Oct. 8 is relatively light. Here’s a quick look at what’s on it:

Consent agenda: The consent agenda is a group of routine items that the Council can approve all at once without discussion, unless a member of the Council requests to talk about a specific item. It includes:

• Ratifying an agreement with Sancre Productions, LLC. 

• Approving budget revisions for FY 2024 carryover to FY 2025.

• Appointing someone to fill a vacancy on the Board of Registration.

Public hearings: Public hearings are a chance for community members to voice their opinions on specific topics before the Council makes a decision. At this meeting, the Council will consider:

• Writing off utility accounts from 2020 that can no longer be collected.

• Writing off unpaid COBRA, library services, ambulance billing, and environmental services accounts.

Business items: These are key topics the Council will discuss in more detail. In this session, they’ll review:

• A follow-up presentation about a citizens’ petition to improve road and pedestrian safety along Grand Canyon Dr. in White Rock.

Council business: This section covers actions the Council needs to take or discussions on various issues. This time, they’ll talk about:

• A proposal for a Department of Energy (DOE) grant program through the National League of Cities.

• Appointing members to the new Inclusivity Task Force.

• Reports from the county manager, focused on code compliance, and from the Council chair.

More details:

Summer concerts: Sancre Productions, LLC is the company that organizes the entertainment for Los Alamos’s popular Summer Concert Series and the 4th of July events. These events include live music and performances that draw crowds across the region. The agreement the Council is set to ratify extends Sancre's contract through 2026, ensuring continued support for these local events.

Scene from the summer concert series. Photo by Stephanie Nakhleh

Grand Canyon Dr. safety petition: White Rock residents petitioned for road safety improvements at several intersections, including Sherwood Blvd. and Aragon Ave., particularly requesting stop signs and a traffic signal. The resulting study commissioned by the County weighed in at 150 pages but determined that none of the intersections met the required criteria for a traffic signal or stop signs. The report did recommend re-striping crosswalks and adding signage. Other suggestions include traffic calming measures like curb extensions and improved pavement markings.

Slide from Los Alamos County’s analysis of the citizen petition to improve intersections along Grand Canyon Dr.

National League of Cities (NLC) grant program resolution: Los Alamos, like many towns hosting federal facilities, deals with infrastructure and public service challenges due to tax-exempt federal properties. The Council will discuss a resolution asking the NLC to push for a DOE grant program that would support communities like Los Alamos, helping to alleviate the strain on local services. The proposed program would mirror a similar initiative by the Department of Defense.

Inclusivity Task Force appointments: The Council will appoint members to the newly formed Inclusivity Task Force. This group will work on promoting inclusivity and community belonging. The applicants include Rev. Tina DeYoe, Kazmere Duffey, Karen Edwards, Zeph Ivankovich, Lisabeth Lueninghoener, Kokheong McNaughton, Jovita Mowrer, Candace Wall, and Sarah Work. The group will provide its first report to the Council in April 2025.

Code compliance report: The first-quarter report shows 98 nuisance cases, mainly involving residential properties. Key issues included litter accumulation, obstructive vegetation, and inoperable vehicles. Most cases were initiated by officers, but public complaints also played a role.

You can get to the full agenda packet here. Mark your calendars and stay informed!