NNSA Delivers 2023 Stockpile Stewardship And Management Plan To Congress
NNSA News:
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Monday, the Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration released the Stockpile Stewardship and Management Plan for Fiscal Year 2023.
This report describes NNSA’s plans to implement the Biden Administration’s 2022 Nuclear Posture Review by maintaining a safe, secure, reliable, and effective nuclear weapons stockpile, without the need for nuclear explosive testing and while revitalizing the nuclear security enterprise.
This year’s SSMP details efforts to accomplish program requirements including producing 80 plutonium pits per Read More
Council Tentatively Oks DPU’s $115 Million+ FY24 Budget
Los Alamos County Department of Public Utilities (DPU) Deputy Manager for Finance and Administration Heather Garcia and Deputy Utility Manager For Engineering Division James Alarid present the FY24 proposed budget for DPU to County Council during Monday night’s budget hearing. Council unanimously voted to tentatively approve the $115,367,890 budget as well as one limited term fulltime position for a GWS apprentice. Council further tentatively approved several budget options including $421,816 and $411,980 for two projects addressing the water infrastructure along Rose Street, Read More
Council Tentatively Oks FY24 Non-Departmental Budget
Staff Report:
Los Alamos County Council voted unanimously during tonight’s budget hearing to tentatively approve the nondepartmental budget for FY24 that totals $7,426,446.
Council also approved a $3,400,000 budget option for a salary plan to address employee retention and recruitment as well as a market study and compression impacts. Read More
Rep. Stansbury Announces Millions In Funding Submissions For New Mexico
U.S. Rep. Melanie Stansbury
STATE News:
WASHINGTON, D.C. — As communities across New Mexico face interconnected challenges with public safety, affordable housing, education and economic development, U.S. Rep. Melanie Stansbury (N.M.-01) announced her selections for 15 congressionally Community Funded Projects, totaling $53.1 million, which she submitted for consideration in the upcoming Fiscal Year 2024 budget.
Rep. Stansbury chose the projects after holding hundreds of community-based meetings across New Mexico’s First Congressional District and extensive consultation Read More
West Road To Close For Utility Repair Tuesday-Thursday
Map Courtesy/LAC
Map Courtesy/LAC
COUNTY News:
A portion of West Road will be closed Tuesday through Thursday this week for an emergency utility repair.
Los Alamos Department of Public Utilities (DPU) crews will be repairing a broken non-potable water line in the center of the road. West Road traffic will be stopped south of Fairway Drive down to Omega Road at the overflow Los Alamos County Ice Rink parking lot.
The ice rink, Los Alamos Reservoir and Camp May will be accessible from the west. Anyone wishing to access those areas from Los Alamos will need to drive through the Los Alamos National Read More
Op/Ed: ‘Devoted To Parking’ – Policies That Hurt Our Town
By STEPHANIE NAKHLEH
Los Alamos Planning and Zoning Commissioner
This is the second op-ed I’m writing on downtown revitalization, an issue that is coming before Los Alamos County Council Tuesday, May 2.
My focus here is urging Council to accept the Planning and Zoning Commission’s unanimous recommendation on gently reducing parking mandates. (The first op-ed looks into the issue of building heights.)
If residents of Los Alamos are tired of the drab/depressing downtown with its ocean of empty parking lots and vacant buildings, and want to see that area instead filled with housing and retail, Read More
Reagor: Response To Public’s Questions About GRT
By DAVID REAGOR
Los Alamos County Councilor
The public has been asking questions about the GRT.
Here is a summary of the questions and my answers.
Please contact me at davidreagor@gmail.com if you have any comments or questions.
Is GRT going to pay for broadband?
- Answer: No
How much is broadband going to cost?
- Answer: LAC staff estimate 35M$, 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.
Governor Approves Record Investments For New Mexico Higher Education In 2023
NMHED News:
SANTA FE — Fully-funded tuition-free college through the Opportunity Scholarship and increased funding for workforce education programs are included in the $1.21 billion higher education budget approved by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham for fiscal year 2024.
The FY24 budget more than doubles last year’s investment in higher education with $187.1 million in additional recurring funds and significant portions of the budget going toward programs that directly benefit New Mexicans. This year’s budget marks one of the largest investments in higher education in state history at Read More
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
DPNM Concludes Spring State Central Committee Meeting – Announce Election Results
DPNM Officers elected Saturday for the 2023-2025 term from left, Vice Chair Manny Crespin, Chair Jessica Velasquez, Secretary Isaac Dakota Casados and Treasurer Rayellen Smith. Courtesy/DPNM
U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich delivered the SCC keynote address and greets members. Courtesy/DPNM
DPNM News:
ALBUQUERQUE – More than 400 Democrats, mostly members of the governing body of the Democratic Party of New Mexico (DPNM), the State Central Committee (SCC), convened Saturday at the Albuquerque Convention Center to conduct official Party business, including the announcement of the election Read More
Fear Of Heights: We Need True Pro-Housing, Anti-Blight Leadership
By STEPHANIE NAKHLEH
Los Alamos Planning and Zoning Commissioner
Questions for Los Alamos: do you like the way Downtown Los Alamos looks? Are you good with exorbitant commercial and residential rents? Do we love empty storefronts? Are the vacant buildings downtown something we should just learn to live with? Is it cool that more and more people who want to live in Los Alamos are forced to commute? Do we want the town to remain inaccessible to teachers, nurses, firefighters, dry cleaners, restaurants, cafés, and daycares who want to live or operate their small businesses in town? Are we sure that Read More
NNSA Invites Comments On Notice Of Intent For New Site-Wide Environmental Impact Statement For Continued Operation Of Sandia National Laboratories
NNSA Administrator Jill Hruby
NNSA News:
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) published a Notice of Intent (NOI) Friday to prepare a new Site-Wide Environmental Impact Statement for Continued Operation of Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque (SWEIS).
The purpose of the NOI is to invite participation in the process and to encourage involvement on the scope and alternatives that should be considered. The publication of the NOI in the Federal Register today begins a 45-day public scoping comment period. NNSA will accept comments Read More
Luján: Legislation To Fully Fund Title I, Special Education
U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján
U.S. SENATE News:
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) joined U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Rep. Susie Lee (D-Nev.) Friday to introduce the ‘Keep Our Promise to America’s Children and Teachers (PACT) Act’ – legislation to put Congress on a fiscally responsible path to fully fund Title I and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) on a mandatory basis.
“It’s critical that the federal government ensures all public school students have access to a quality education,” Sen. Luján said. “That’s why I’m proud to reintroduce this legislation Read More
Stansbury Leads 17 Members Of Congress Urging Biden To Join United Nations Convention On Biological Diversity
Congressional News:
WASHINGTON, D.C.— Friday, U.S. Rep. Melanie Stansbury (N.M.-01) led 17 Members of Congress to urge President Biden to prioritize the United States’ ratification of the United Nations (UN) Convention on Biological Diversity.
In a letter, the lawmakers point to the global extinction crisis, the unique role of Indigenous nations protecting biodiversity worldwide, and the need for U.S. leadership and partnership to halt and reverse global nature loss.
The UN Convention on Biological Diversity is the international legal agreement that encourages signatory policy Read More
New Mexico Unemployment Rate: 3.5% In March 2023
NMDWS News:
New Mexico’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 3.5 percent in March, down from 3.6 percent in February and down from 4.6 percent in the previous year. The national unemployment rate in March was 3.5 percent, down from 3.6 percent in February and down from 3.6 percent in March 2022.
Total nonagricultural payroll employment grew by 25,300 jobs, or 3.0 percent, between March 2022 and March 2023. The majority of gains came from the private sector, which was up 20,400 jobs, or 3.1 percent. The public sector was up 4,900 jobs, or 2.7 percent. The majority of private sector gains were Read More
Heinrich Bill To Support Local Firefighters & Emergency Responders Passes Senate With Strong Bipartisan Support
U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich meets April 4 with first responders at BCFD Station 33. Courtesy/Heinrich Office
U.S. SENATE News:
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Two federal programs at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) have provided more than $15.3 million to local fire departments in New Mexico.
Those programs, plus funding for the United States Fire Administration (USFA), are set to expire unless Congress acts.
This week, a bill backed by U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) to extend these programs passed the Senate with strong bipartisan support. The bipartisan legislation is the Fire Grants Read More
Reagor: No To A Higher GRT
By DAVID REAGOR
Los Alamos County Councilor
The FY2024 county budgets are under discussion and a tax increase is under consideration.
The proposal is to increase the GRT by half a percent. This will generate approximately 12 M$ 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
U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich Urges An End To Default Threats
U.S. SENATE News:
WASHINGTON, D.C. — It has been over three months since U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen notified Congress that the United States would have to use “extraordinary measures” to avoid defaulting on its existing obligations.
If Congress doesn’t act, and despite these “extraordinary measures”, the Bipartisan Policy Center predicts the United States could go into default as early as this summer.
Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) announced Thursday that House Republicans are moving forward with a legislative proposal to tie raising the debt limit to a broad Read More
Libertarian Party Hosts Roadside Cleanup Event April 22
Libertarian Party News:
The Libertarian Party of Los Alamos is sponsoring a roadside trash clean up as an Earth Day event Saturday morning April 22 to start at the East Gate Entrance RV Parking Lot.
Members will gather by the restrooms and provide trash bags and water.
All volunteers of any political party are welcome and greatly appreciated. All are advised to bring gloves and appropriate clothing.
They will clean up as much trash as can be picked up along both sides of N.M. 502. Read More
