Weekly News & Updates From Los Alamos County |
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P&Z to consider a proposed ordinance to permit mobile food vending
Proposed ordinance 02-320 will be presented before the Los Alamos County Planning and Zoning Commission on April 13 at 5:30 p.m. via Zoom. The ordinance was developed by the County’s Community Development Department (CDD) staff to support mobile food vending throughout Los Alamos County. Commissioners will vote on whether to forward the ordinance to the County council on May 24, 2022, to be considered for adoption.
Read the press release for project history, details, and the Zoom meeting link.
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Los Alamos County residents are encouraged to participate in Budget Hearings for FY 2023
Budget Hearings for the fiscal year 2023 are scheduled for April 18-19 and April 25-26*.
*Scheduled budget hearings may be canceled if the budget is adopted at an earlier hearing. Additionally, hearing format/location is planned for a hybrid format, to be conducted both in-person and via Zoom. Zoom links will be posted prior to hearings.
Council invites Los Alamos County residents to comment on any portion of the proposed budget at the beginning of each meeting.
For questions about the budget, email or mail your comments to:
lacbudget@lacnm.us OR countycouncil@lacnm.us
County Manager, 1000 Central Ave., Suite 350, Los Alamos, NM 87544
A copy of the full budget is available online here.
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New Mexico State Auditor Brian Colón in January presented Los Alamos County with the FY2020 Audit & Accountability Award in recognition of continued audit achievement and financial management excellence. |
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County Council recognizes Finance Division for awards received in financial excellence
The Los Alamos County Council recognized the County’s Finance Division at the March 29, 2022, Council meeting for receiving multiple national and state awards achieved in financial excellence this past year.
The Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) represents over 20,000 members of government officials in the United States and Canada and encourages public entities to participate in its distinguished budget and financial reporting award programs. The County Finance Division produces the Budget, Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR), and Popular Annual Financial Report (PAFR) in-house each year and submits to the GFOA award programs. On June 11, 2021, Los Alamos County received the GFOA's Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for its FY2021 Budget.
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Keith Lepsch sworn in as Councilor
Congratulations to our new County Councilor Keith Lepsch! Thank you candidates Aaron Walker and Jim Hall for your interest and participation. (Pictured: Keith Lepsch (center), joined by his parents Donald and Priscilla, being sworn in as a Los Alamos County Councilor.)
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Cone Zone Newsletter begins April 8
Subscribe for weekly email alerts
As the weather warms up, road construction projects will soon begin throughout the County. To assist residents with the latest updates, the County has re-instituted a Friday email newsletter called the Cone Zone – brief updates on construction activities planned for the next week.
To sign up for the newsletter, visit the “Subscribe to Newsletters” page and select The Cone Zone. Subscribers may receive an “opt-in” e-mail notice and must validate that they wish to receive the newsletter. Individuals who subscribed last year do not need to sign up again. The Cone Zone will begin Friday, April 8, 2022, and will continue until road construction ends – typically in November. E-mails will be retained and used again in 2023 when projects are expected to continue. The Cone Zone can also be viewed on the County’s website on the Road Conditions page.
Note: Individuals may need to check their Spam folder, as the newsletter subscription service used by the County for all its newsletters may be sent to spam by your email servers. A user can check an option to discontinue treating the newsletter as spam and send it back to the primary email inbox.
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LAPD awarded CALEA Gold Standard
The Los Alamos Police Department has been awarded the CALEA Gold Standard in Public Safety for the second time in Orlando, Florida. The Los Alamos Police Department succeeded in meeting 100% of the required and optional standards set forth by the Program.
The mission of the CALEA program is to improve the delivery of public safety services by maintaining a body of professional standards that support the administration of accreditation programs.
CALEA accreditation succeeds through Agency Leadership, serves as a resource management tool, establishes trusted processes & best practices, provides a planning framework, encourages organizational growth & improvement, fosters community awareness, promotes organizational transparency, and promotes open dialogue and information-sharing.
Recently promoted, Commander Daniel Roberts has served as the accreditation manager within LAPD for 8 years.
Chief Sgambellone stated, “I am very proud of our employees and their commitment to professional standards ensuring that we will continue to provide exceptional service to the community. I’d like to thank County Manager Steve Lynne, County Council, and the community at large for their ongoing support.”
LAPD/LAC Staff in attendance were; Chief Dino Sgambellone, Deputy Chief Oliver Morris, Commander Daniel Roberts, County Manager Steven Lynne, CDC Manager Kate Stoddard, and Dispatch Supervisor Erica Manzanares.
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Hazardous branches to be trimmed
A new round of tree trimming in Los Alamos and White Rock has begun. Residents may see Southwest Fire Defense & Tree Services professionals throughout the county mitigating hazards and power outages by trimming tree branches growing around power lines.
Southwest Fire Defense & Tree Services is under contract with the Electric Distribution Division of the Department of Public Utilities. DPU staff are responsible for identifying branches that need attention and will attempt to give residents advance notice via informational door hangers if tree trimmers need to enter their yards. Trees are trimmed only if they are in the right-of-way or on utility easements for power lines.
The tree trimming effort reduces the number and scope of power outages by removing branches and trees that are either too close to power lines or pose a risk of falling on power lines. This initiative, coupled with an aggressive operation and maintenance program, supports DPU’s Electric Reliability Plan.
It is important to note that not all lines above houses in Los Alamos and White Rock are electric power lines. The tree trimming effort is not tackling branches growing into other types of cables that may be strung between poles.
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Although New Mexico has legalized recreational use of marijuana, the Santa Fe National Forest (SFNF) wants to remind visitors that nothing has changed within forest boundaries.
Under the federal Controlled Substances Act, marijuana is classified as a Schedule I drug. The possession of marijuana on federal lands is illegal and subject to federal enforcement.
The current closure order, which is in effect until Dec. 31, 2023, authorizes Forest Service law enforcement officers to issue citations to violators. Possessing, storing or transporting marijuana on the forest is punishable as a Class B misdemeanor by a fine of no more than $5,000 for individuals and $10,000 for organizations and/or imprisonment for not more than six months.
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Visit with a Councilor at Farmers Market
Come visit with members of Council at the Farmers Market on May 26, June 23, July 28, September 22, and October 27, 9-11 a.m.
Councilors will also be available at the County Fair, Saturday, August 13, 10:30 a.m. –2:00 p.m.
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Los Alamos County Community Services Community Survey
The Los Alamos County Community Services Department (CSD) has been working with professional consulting companies to assist in the development of an Integrated Community Services Master Plan that will also incorporate the ADA Transition Plan. CSD will be sending a postcard to each household in Los Alamos County, inviting residents to partake in the statistically valid Community Survey. This survey was developed with multiple focus groups which consisted of over 200 people within the community.
Postcards soliciting citizen feedback are scheduled to be mailed to residents the week of April 11, 2022. Each postcard will contain a QR code, website address, and unique identifier that will enable only Los Alamos County residents to complete the approx. 10-minute survey, in order to achieve a statistically valid sample. The unique identifier allows for one response per household.
Beginning in May 2022, the community survey will open up to anyone who wishes to submit their feedback. CSD encourages all users of County facilities including local youth, commuters, and businesses to participate in the survey when it becomes available. The survey is currently scheduled to close in mid-May 2022.
For those who wish to complete a paper survey, they will be available for pick-up and drop-off at the Los Alamos and White Rock Public Libraries and Senior Centers. Please bring your postcard with the unique identifier to pick up a paper survey. Each location also has staff available to help individuals complete the survey via paper or online.
This community survey is being conducted by a 3rd party organization in partnership with Los Alamos County. All responses will be confidential and no personal identifying information will be shared with Los Alamos County.
The survey results will help CSD staff identify and assess existing programs, services, facilities, gaps, and look at future needs, and then integrate these findings into an actionable plan among the key areas of parks, cultural services, social services, recreation, open space, trails, and the library. The desire is to produce a 7-10-year road map to systematically invest, improve programs and services, establish best practices, prioritize needs of the community to continuously improve the department, divisions, and quality of life in Los Alamos County.
Questions or concerns can be directed to Cory Styron the Community Services Department, at (505) 662-8242 or email at cory.styron@lacnm.us
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Valles Caldera virtual author talk with Coco Rae
The staff at Mesa Public Library is pleased to present Hiking Trails in Valles Caldera National Preserve, a virtual author talk with Coco Rae. This program will livestream via Zoom on Thursday, April 14, from 7 to 8 p.m. For those who have been waiting for spring to arrive before digging their hiking boots out, this timely program will serve as an excellent start for planning the season’s outdoor adventures.
This updated and expanded edition of Hiking Trails in Valles Caldera National Preserve includes everything visitors need to know to enjoy this vast caldera, one of the largest in the United States. Outdoor enthusiasts and nature lovers will discover endless opportunities to explore the natural history of the caldera’s vast mountain meadows, extensive biodiversity, and meandering streams. The guide includes over 70 color photographs and detailed descriptions of over 25 trails accompanied by topographical maps, recommendations for mountain bikers (in addition to hikers), and a history of the preserve.
Coco Rae is a Los Alamos resident and avid hiker who has gone trekking on five continents but still loves New Mexico’s backcountry more than anywhere else. She has spent the last 20 years wandering the trails of northern New Mexico and has been a volunteer at Valles Caldera National Preserve since 2018. "One of the wonderful things I discovered about VCNP when I was researching the book was how different each of the valles really are— every trail has its own personality, and every valle has its own beauty to reveal. Exploring the caldera in different seasons meant I never had the same experience twice, no matter how many times I hiked a trail. I never get tired of that landscape,"says Coco.
This program is free to the public and is made possible by Friends of Los Alamos County Libraries. Registration is required to obtain a Zoom meeting link and access to the program. Call Jessica Jenkins at (505) 662-8257 for more information.
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Los Alamos students who would like to compete for a sponsorship to a youth rally this summer only have a couple of weeks left to turn in their essays.
The Los Alamos Department of Public Utilities (DPU) is conducting an essay contest for high school students as part of an effort organized by Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems (UAMPS). A local student may receive a sponsorship to attend a week-long summer leadership rally in Idaho called the ICUA Youth Rally.
UAMPS will select 10 students from among its member organizations to send to the rally. DPU is a member of UAMPS so high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors whose parents or guardians are customers of DPU are eligible for the UAMPS sponsorships. The contest is targeted at students who desire to learn more about the electric utility industry and who plan to attend a post-secondary educational institution.
Organized by the Idaho Consumer Owned Utilities Association, the ICUA Youth Rally will be held at the College of Idaho from July 11-16, 2022. Participants will learn about government, consumer-owned utilities, and the energy industry. Additionally, they will swim, play volleyball, attend dances, eat good food and make new friends. ICUA may award scholarships to rally attendees.
To enter the contest, students should interpret one or more aspects of the theme “Consumer-Owned Utilities: Good for All of Us” in 500 to 750 words. DPU’s panel of judges will look for originality and the relevance of the theme to the writer and DPU. The top essay will be forwarded to UAMPS for consideration for a sponsorship to cover expenses to attend the ICUA Youth Rally.
DPU will accept essays until April 25, 2022. UAMPS will announce its sponsorship recipients by May 20, 2022. For more information and guidelines about this opportunity, please visit ladpu.com/YouthRally.
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