June 10 council meeting: Los Alamos to help fund Rio Arriba County nursing facility
Council also approves funding for ice rink upgrades, electricity and sewer rate increases
Editor’s note: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated the dollar amount for repairs and upgrades to the county ice rink. The total cost is less than $9 million dollars.
Los Alamos County Council Tuesday unanimously approved $2.7 million to help Rio Arriba County build a new nursing facility.
The money will come from Los Alamos County’s Regional Strategic Fund, which has about $3.7 million in it, Los Alamos County Council Chairwoman Theresa Cull said at the council’s regular meeting.
“We wanted to retain some for potential projects and we didn't want to deplete the entire fund, and so we thought $2 million would help with their financing … while not completely depleting the fund.” Cull said. “So we settled on $2 million, but that's debatable.”
The amount was raised to $2.7 million by a suggestion from Councilor Randall Ryti.
Los Alamos County’s Regional Strategic Fund was created so the county “would be able to reach out to partners in the area to help make sure that Los Alamos was engaged with regional projects that helped everyone,” Los Alamos County Intergovernmental Affairs Manager Danielle Duran said. “In 2022, we finalized a memorandum of understanding with Rio Arriba County and with the city of Española, there are two partners in this fund, and every year they come and talk to us about projects that they feel will help improve the entire region, or some part of the region for most of the citizens.”
The Rio Arriba County Skilled Nursing Facility has been in the works since 2019 and has been previously supported by Los Alamos County.
“Los Alamos County has been a partner in this project, giving us some funding a couple of years ago,” Rio Arriba County Economic Development Director Christine Bustos said. “There is a growing demand, and there will be even a bigger growing demand, because we're all getting older and we're living longer, and there's not enough room for everyone.”
The facility is expected to be 34,000 square feet with 60 beds in the nursing unit and 12 rehabilitation beds for those recovering from surgery or other treatment. Another 60 nursing beds are expected to be added at a later phase.
The facility’s cost rose from $14 million to more than $30 million following the COVID-19 pandemic and Bustos delivered statistics that showed an increase in demand for a nursing facility in the Española Valley.
“The average occupancy for nursing homes here in Los Alamos is a little over 83% with 55 residents occupying 66 available monthly beds. And when our nursing home shut down in 2019 that went up to 92%,” Bustos said. “At this point, anyone from Española that the hospital is having to send to a nursing home is having to go either here to Los Alamos, if there's room Santa Fe [or] Albuquerque, we've even heard as far as Farmington. So we do feel that it is a lack that the valley does not have a nursing home for the north.”
The facility’s cost is expected to be just under $30 million, Bustos said.
“[We were] advised … to add a little bit of contingency money because, as you know, everything's going up every day,” Bustos said.
Right now, the project needs $8 million, according to Bustos, a number that includes Los Alamos County’s original contribution of $1.3 million.
The shortfall will be partially taken care of through a New Mexico Finance Authority loan, Rio Arriba County Manager Jeremy Maestas said.
Also discussed at Tuesday’s meeting:
The Los Alamos County Council approved raising electricity rates by 9% for fiscal year 2026, which begins July 1, and 8% in the 2027 fiscal year. Council also approved a 7% sewer rate increase in both the 2026 and 2027 fiscal years.
A mono-sloped cover over Sun Peaks Mountain Resort Ice Rink in British Columbia, Council approved a project to build a similar cover over Los Alamos Ice Rink (Handout image from Tuesday night’s Council presentation) The Los Alamos County Council unanimously approved about $9 million for renovations for the Los Alamos County Ice Rink to repair the ice rink’s chiller. Council did not vote to approve the new roof and will revisit the matter once design and a cost estimate is presented.
Los Alamos MainStreet and Creative District Director Jacquelyn Connolly delivered the program’s annual report including the merger between Los Alamos MainStreet and the Creative District in 2023. Connolly discussed previous events as well as upcoming ones such as the Tuesdays at the Square concert series which happens every Tuesday between June 10 and July 22, the Jun 20-28 Science Fest, and the Night Market and Concert on June 20.
Los Alamos County Council unanimously agreed to support the “Joint Statement by Mayors of Communities Hosting Nuclear Facilities” statement issued May 27.
The Los Alamos County Council is scheduled to meet for a work session on June 17 at 6 p.m. at the White Rock Fire Station.
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