By KIRSTEN LASKEY
Los Alamos Daily Post
kirsten@ladailypost.com

Los Alamos County Council approved initial steps toward the goal of eliminating greenhouse gas emissions in the County during its Tuesday night meeting.

After the Los Alamos Resiliency, Energy and Sustainability task force presented its recommendations, council approved 5-1 with Councilor David Reagor opposed to move forward on some of the task force’s recommendations. Vice Chair Denise Derkacs was absent.

The approved motion included having suggested budget options be included in the proposed FY23 County budget as well as directing staff to return to council with proposed budget amendments for performing a comprehensive baseline greenhouse gas emissions study to set reduction targets, goals and measure progress, and create and adopt a strategic climate plan that would include baseline data, reduction targets and climate mitigation strategies.

Council further moved that input should be received from the Board of Public Utilities and that the County Manager and Department of Public Utilities Manager should identify near-term opportunities as they review current and future study information. These opportunities should be brought to council for possible approval. Finally, Council agreed options should be presented on how to best develop a task force, board or subcommittee to help move these greenhouse gas reduction initiatives forward.

Reagor did not support the motion. He claimed that the task force’s recommendations for eliminating natural gas usage, which include replacing gas-fired furnaces and boilers with heat pumps, substituting hot water heaters with either solar thermal, heat pump, tankless or point-of-use water heaters, installing electric induction ranges and replacing gas appliances, would be harmful to those with low or fixed incomes.

Council Chair Randall Ryti commented that it was interesting that the council would discuss options to reduce greenhouse gas emissions when it also approved extending the County’s use of the San Juan coal plant for 90 days.

However, he added that it was a “pretty exciting time”. There is a lot of federal funding available for sustainable energy and “there’s a lot of positive things”.

In other business, council:

• Unanimously approved to increase sewer rates. The increases are 2 percent per year for four years, with the first increase taking effect Oct. 1. This will be followed by three annual increases that were previously approved by council. The last of those three increases took effect in October 2021. The proposed increases affect sewer charges across the board—monthly service fees, flat rates for residential customers and variable rates for commercial and non-residential customers. For residential customers, the increases equate to $1.14 per month the first year, plus $1.16 per month the second year, plus $1.19 per month the third year, and an additional $1.21 per month the fourth year.
• Unanimously approved an ordinance that makes amendments to the section of the County code that assists the Fire Marshal’s office in evaluating for the minimum requirements of fire and life safety.
• Unanimously approved applying for a grant for the County’s DWI program.
• Unanimously approved a resolution of support to apply for funding from the New Mexico Department of Transportation for the Rose Street reconstruction project.