Approaching the finish line of the May 11, 2024 Jemez Mountain Trail Runs, an event that wouldn’t be possible without community volunteers and collaboration with Los Alamos County, Los Alamos National Laboratory and Santa Fe National Forest. Courtesy photo
By JAMES WERNICKE
Chair
Los Alamos County Parks and Recreation Board
At the May Parks and Recreation Board (PRB) meeting, we were introduced to new staff members, Arborist Cindy Abbott and Irrigation Specialist Bobby Quidilla. Both bring impressive resumes and are poised to be valuable assets to our community, which faces unique challenges in forest and irrigation management. Welcome to the community! (On a side note, Cindy is an avid mountain biker and snowboarder, so you might see her in action at Summerfest this weekend.)
Next, we received an update on the White Rock skatepark. In April, professional skaters and ramp designer consultants from American Ramp Company, Julia Brueckler and Cody McEntire, visited White Rock skatepark for a meet & greet, during which community members provided feedback on potential skatepark designs. This feedback has been incorporated into their designs, resulting in wider ramps, more “flowy” lines, and a thoughtfully designed beginner area to help prevent user collisions. As a skater, I’m very excited about the progress of this project.
We also received an update on the permanent ice rink chiller from County Engineer Miguel Jimenez. His presentation was enlightening, explaining the complex system of electrical, plumbing, and foundation components required to supercool the slab and mitigate thermal expansion issues. Our rink faces unique challenges as the southernmost outdoor facility, high altitude, and loss of tree shade. The infrastructure shows signs of aging, such as plumbing leaks and cracks in the concrete. Plans are underway to install a new chiller in 2025 and replace the foundation and plumbing in 2026. When the foundation is replaced, a roof structure will be integrated to provide shade, allowing our chiller to operate more efficiently and extend the ice rink season. This will also benefit summer events, including roller derby, skate nights, and trail runners seeking shelter during hailstorms.
Next, we received an update from Community Services Department Director Cory Styron on projects planned through 2033. It’s reassuring that our community can plan long-term to ensure adequate resources are available and costs can be managed efficiently. COVID-19 highlighted the importance of mitigating volatility through long-term planning. Community members raised concerns about the open space at North Mesa Park and trail maintenance budget planning, which were partially addressed but warrant further discussion at a future PRB meeting to address any lingering concerns.
The next 30 minutes of our meeting were spent deliberating the transition from subcommittees to working groups and task forces. The primary reason for this change is to address the increased liability and resources required for the County to comply with the Open Meetings Act for subcommittees. This discussion highlighted vague and confusing language in the County Code and NM Statute.
During the next hour of public comment, many community members shared their experiences interacting with the County. It became clear that the Code surrounding subcommittees is just as challenging for the public to interpret as it is for the Board. From the public’s perspective, this sudden change seemed to limit the community’s ability to participate in governance due to confusion about how a working group differs from a subcommittee. This underscores a recurring challenge within the Community Services Department and Los Alamos County in general: the need to improve communication and build trust with citizens. I hope we can continue discussing the guiding documents of the Parks & Recreation Board and its subgroups, ensuring all parties are aligned and that the public’s concerns are balanced with those of the bureaucracy.
After nearly three hours of discussion, the PRB decided to “transition from subcommittees to working groups, retaining existing board liaisons, and to recommend to Council to change the definition of working groups to allow for an unlimited amount of time and tasks.” We hope this will address the County’s liability concerns while empowering citizens and making the decision-making process as transparent as possible.
Our next meeting on June 13 has a relatively light agenda. In addition to our regular project updates, we will have an update on CAPRA accreditation and tentative results from the Trails & Open Space Listening Sessions on May 21 and June 5. (Zoom link Meeting ID: 861 9358 9569, Passcode: 364624). I encourage you to email prb@lacnm.us with any questions, concerns, or requests that fall within the duties and responsibilities of the Parks & Recreation Board so they can be discussed at a future PRB meeting.
