Los Alamos County Utility Crews Investigating Reports Of Gas Leak Around Canyon Road And Manhattan Loop
COUNTY News:
Gas, Water and Sewer Division crew members from the Los Alamos County Department of Public Utilities (DPU) are out in the area around Canyon Road and Manhattan Loop looking for the source of a natural gas odor.
The DPU received multiple calls this morning reporting the odor of gas in the area. They so far have found no concentration that would be cause for alarm and will continue investigating. Read More
Reagor: Response To Public’s Questions About GRT
By DAVID REAGOR
Los Alamos County Councilor
The public has been asking questions about the GRT.
Here is a summary of the questions and my answers.
Please contact me at davidreagor@gmail.com if you have any comments or questions.
Is GRT going to pay for broadband?
- Answer: No
How much is broadband going to cost?
- Answer: LAC staff estimate 35M$, but many technical choices have not been made.
How will the bill get paid?
- Answer: The initial cost will be funded with a general obligation bond. The long term is yet to be decided. We should use our taxes and fees to pay for this bond when the time arises.
Skolnik: Housing In Los Alamos – No, It Really Does Not Have To Be This Way
By RICHARD SKOLNIK
White Rock
I commend Stephanie Nakhleh for her exceptionally insightful and well-written pieces on housing.
Ms. Nakhleh makes many important points in her articles. Among the most important for me, someone who has spent a lifetime working in public policy, is:
Our housing shortages are NOT inevitable; rather, to a large degree they stem from a failure of our County Council and its housing policies.
The Planning and Zoning Commission has outlined a number of measures that can be taken to begin to ease some of our misguided housing policies:
- one is to ease limitations on building
Cone Zone: Week Of April 24, 2023
COUNTY News:
Los Alamos County construction news for the week of April 24, 2023.
Public Works Projects:
The projects listed in this section are being managed by County Public Works staff through contractors. For more information, email lacpw@lacnm.us, call 505.662.8150, or visit the “Projects/Public Works” link at www.losalamosnm.us. Please slow down and use caution within the construction work zones. Please note the below information is based on a schedule provided by the contractors and may change due to weather or other delays.
33rd / 34th Street Road and Utility Improvements:
Beginning Read More
Repainting Begins On Barranca Mesa Water Tank April 26
A bird’s-eye view of Barranca Mesa water tank adjacent to Barranca Elementary School. Courtesy/LAC
COUNTY News:
The Barranca Mesa water tank adjacent to Barranca Elementary School and the community park on Loma Del Escolar will get a new paint job starting April 26.
TMI Coatings, Inc., in partnership with the Los Alamos Department of Public Utilities (DPU), will conduct the work.
The area around the tank is confined with a temporary fence to prevent the public from entering the work zone. The work, which is scheduled to occur through August, should not affect the traveling public at this time. Read More
New Round Of Tree Trimming Begins Tuesday On Ski Hill
Southwest Fire Defense has been trimming trees under contract with DPU for over a year. Courtesy/DPU
Southwest Fire Defense trimmed trees in the ski hill vicinity last summer. Courtesy/DPU
COUNTY News:
To mitigate hazards and power outages, a new round of tree trimming coordinated by the Department of Public Utilities (DPU) is scheduled to begin on the Pajarito Ski Hill Tuesday and continue through Friday. DPU’s contractor, Southwest Fire Defense & Tree Services, will be conducting the work.
While DPU’s list of hazard branches covers the whole county, the current priorities are for Read More
Video Tribute To Retired LAFD Firefighter Mark Sandoval
Video tribute of Los Alamos Firefighters and Police Officers honoring retired firefighter Mark Secundino Sandoval (July 26, 1961 – March 19, 2023) this afternoon in a special procession from the Elks Lodge on Trinity Drive to Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church on Canyon Road for a Funeral Mass followed by reception in the parish hall. The only child of Secundino and Stella Sandoval, he was born in Los Alamos and was a lifelong member of the community. He graduated from Los Alamos High School in 1979, where he fell in love with golf and found friendships that lasted a lifetime. Ninety-two golfers Read More
Los Alamos Police To Change Fingerprint Service Vendor, Expect Temporary Gap In Services
LAPD News:
The Los Alamos Police Los Alamos Police (LAPD) was notified by the New Mexico Department of Public Safety (NMDPS) that they are changing vendors for fingerprint background check support in May.
For Los Alamos, this means that there will be a gap in services after next week until the LAPD can secure a new vendor.
The final day Los Alamos citizens and visitors can complete background fingerprint checks will be Friday, April 28.
“We are working diligently towards a new vendor to be able to have this service in Los Alamos. Beginning May 1 only, the following 10 cities will have these services Read More
LAPD Releases 1st Quarter 2023 Crime Statistics
LAPD News:
Today, Chief Dino Sgambellone released crime statistics through the first quarter of 2023, which were compiled by the Records Section of the Los Alamos Police Department (LAPD).
In April of 2021, LAPD transitioned from UCR, a Summary Reporting System (SRS), to the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS). NIBRS was created in the 1980’s to offer more detailed crime reporting. While UCR is based on a hierarchy of crime types and therefore counts only the most serious crime at one event, NIBRS counts all crimes that occur and provides more context to actual crime within the Read More
DPU: Take Control Of Your Utility Usage With Portal
By ABBY HAYWARD
Water & Energy Conservation Coordinator
Los Alamos Department of Public Utilities
“Why is my utility bill so high?” This is a common question heard at the Department of Public Utilities (DPU). While market pricing and weather are beyond your individual control, there are several factors that you can control and even prepare for, such as consumption and an increased number of people using your resources.
The Automated Metering Infrastructure (AMI) Self Service Portal is a helpful customer-focused tool that can benefit all utility customers.
For starters, this portal Read More
Find Treasures In Trash At New County Reuse Center
COUNTY News:
The Los Alamos County community disposes of approximately 15,000 tons of trash each year. Out of all the trash sent to the landfill, there are many valuable treasures and trinkets, decorations, hamster cages, BBQ grills, and exercise equipment to name a few.
Los Alamos County employees noticed a unique opportunity to create a center where these valuable items could be rescued from being forever encapsulated in a landfill and give them a new home.
Establishing a Reuse Center at White Rock Overlook Collection Center will provide the community with a place to take unwanted, but still Read More
Los Alamos Animal Shelter: Meet Ember & Mr. Handsome
Meet wise and kind Ember, a 3-year-old Husky mix with a heart of gold. She was transferred to the Los Alamos Animal Shelter from another county, has fallen in love with this community and hopes every day that someone will adopt her and take her home. To meet Ember, stop by the shelter 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Sunday (closed Wednesdays) at 226 East Road or call 505.662.8179. Photo by John McHale/ladailypost.com
Meet Mr. Handsome, , a 2-year-old-ish short haired mix with a big personality that enjoys treats and head rubs. He is anxiously awaiting the day someone will walk into the Los Alamos Read More
Reagor: No To A Higher GRT
By DAVID REAGOR
Los Alamos County Councilor
The FY2024 county budgets are under discussion and a tax increase is under consideration.
The proposal is to increase the GRT by half a percent. This will generate approximately 12 M$ per year. A tax that commences on Jan. 1, 2024 would generate 6 M$ for half of a fiscal year. In the chart below I collected the final actual budget for the last two years.
For the current year only a projected balance is available. I also show the budgeted number for this year and next year. The ending balance is the reserve we maintain in the general fund. All the numbers are Read More
DPU To Hold Blind Water Taste Tests At Earth Day Festival
Water Cost Chart. Courtesy/DPU
DPU News:
Harkening back to the days of the Pepsi Challenge, the Los Alamos Department of Public Utilities (DPU) is challenging the community to blind taste tests that pit County tap water against two different bottled waters.
On April 22, Earth Day Festival visitors will find a DPU table where they can determine whether they are able to distinguish differences among the three different waters.
A second taste test booth will be set up at ScienceFest Discovery Day on July 8. Revenue in the U.S. bottled water market is expected to total about $94 billion this year and Read More
County Council Budget Hearings Continue Monday April 25
COUNTY News:DPU And Libraries Offer Tools For Energy Audits
Kill-A-Watt Power Meters are designed to show, in real time, what an electric device is costing you in dollars and watts. Courtesy/DPU
DPU News:
“Energy Audit” is the buzz word of the day. It’s true that Los Alamos County Department of Public Utilities (DPU) conducted energy audits for residential customers nearly 10 years ago. While we no longer offer this service, there are reasonable ways to audit your home or business on your own.
Why are you interested in an energy audit? Are you looking for ways to improve the efficiency of your space? Are you interested in an audit because it might ultimately Read More
Time To Get Dirty And Compost Food
COUNTY News:
It’s time to get dirty! Los Alamos County Council green lit the municipal-wide food composting in September and County staff are working to move the project along.
The projected start date for the food compost program is approximately two years.
County Sustainability Manager Angelica Gurule recently gave an update on the project to the Los Alamos Daily Post. She noted that the conceptual design was expected to be completed in May and work on the environmental study of the site is ongoing. From there, permitting will be addressed.
For the conceptual design work, Gurule said SES Engineers, Read More
Conservation Kits Available At Los Alamos County Libraries
DPU News:
The Los Alamos Public Library System and the Los Alamos Department of Public Utilities (DPU) are partnering to bring hands-on conservation tools to the community through the new Library of Things.
Community members will have three chances in the next two weeks to demo the kits before they are officially available for checkout.
Induction cooktop kits and Kill-A-Watt Power Meter kits will be on hand at the library’s booth at the Earth Day festival 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 22 at the Los Alamos Nature Center. DPU staff will be on hand to demo the kits at two additional Library of Things launch Read More
Council Tentatively Oks CSD’s $29.9 Million FY24 Budget
Los Alamos County Community Services Department (CSD) Director Cory Styron presents the CSD’s proposed budget for FY2024 to County Council during Tuesday night’s budget hearing. Council voted unanimously to tentatively approve the department’s $29,648,944 proposed budget along with several budget options, which include $25,000 for a parttime office specialist for the Parks and Recreation Division, $110,947 for a program specialist, whose duties would include facilities contract management of social services vendors and assisting the Health Council strategy implementations, Read More
Council Tentatively Oks LAFD’s $56.9 Million FY24 Budget
Los Alamos Fire Chief Troy Hughes presents LAFD’s proposed budget for FY2024 to County Council during Tuesday night’s budget hearing. The council unanimously voted to tentatively approve the $56,997,556 proposed budget as well as 38 fulltime firefighter positions. Screenshot/LADP Read More
