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

Environmental Management-Los Alamos Field Office (EM-LA) Manager Michael Mikolanis provided an update on the middle DP Road clean up project as well as shared news about a brand-new initiative to Los Alamos County Council Tuesday night.

Councilor Sara Scott was absent from the meeting.

Mikolanis shared a schedule for the cleanup effort on DP Road, which outlines the work that is completed as well as tasks left to do.

The schedule was presented as this:

• “Potholing”, additional excavation as needed: April 2021 – January 2022
• Extent sampling and data analysis: April – July 2022
• Additional excavation/cleanup work: June – August 2022
• Vertical confirmation sampling/data analysis: August – September 2022
• Prepare assessment report: October 2022 – February 2023
• New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) reviews/comments on assessment report: March 2023 – June 2023
• DOE addresses comments on report: July 2023 – September 2023
• NMED approves report: November 2023
• Following NMED approval, County can proceed with work on property: November 2023.

Besides the DP Road cleanup work, Mikolanis touched on the Justice 40 Initiative, a pilot project that the Los Alamos Field Office is participating in.

He explained that EM-LA was selected as one of five DOE Justice 40 Initiative Programs, and the only one within Environmental Management.

Justice 40, he explained, is a presidential initiative. It is a government effort to deliver at least 40 percent of the overall benefits from certain federal investments to disadvantage communities. As a result, Mikolanis said EM-LA staff is engaging with Pueblos, local communities, non-governmental organizations and the public by hosting listening sessions and conducting a series of engagements. He said this engagement is occurring before the program is rolled out.

Plus, the Office of Management and Budget released an interim implementation guidance for the initiative in July 2021 and is developing additional guidance for government-wide implementation. Mikolanis said initial pilot program deliverables have been submitted.
Finally, he reported that EM-LA is developing a strategic vision. To develop this vision, Mikolanis said stakeholders are being reached out to about EM-LA’s work scope – explaining what the scope is as well as EM-LA’s priorities, objectives and values.

In an unrelated matter, council heard an update on the broadband study.

Broadband Manager Jerry Smith said broadband has two main parts: last mile and middle mile. Last mile is the portion of the internet that connects a home or business to the internet. Once internet traffic leaves the community it turns into the middle mile. It connects communities to intermediate internet hubs scattered around the state. The study, Smith said, focuses on the last mile although the two parts go hand-in-hand.

Regarding the study, CTC Director of Broadband Policy and Project Manager Patrick Mulhearn said primary data is being developed. He said now is the time to invest in broadband because federal funding is available, people are understanding more and more that like water and gas, broadband is a utility. This was further strengthened during the pandemic. Plus, there is statewide infrastructure planning.

Mulhearn touched on the deliverables of the project, which include:

• A community infrastructure assessment that involves infrastructure mapping, demographic analysis, broadband coverage such as technology types, reported speeds and cost

• Public outreach
• Map routes, connection, priority areas, gaps and cost
• Estimates for a broadband infrastructure project
• Identify state and federal funding opportunities
• Develop a strategic plan

• Support the County through a RFP process for the project or program implementation

The work is just getting started right now, he said. July will kick off the outreach process. Mulhearn said they are “looking forward to a very robust engagement”. For instance, a speed test website will be set up and will be made available to everyone to collect data on actual internet speeds in the County. The data will go through the New Mexico Department of Information Technology’s own speed test, Mulhearn said.

Additionally, a survey will be conducted via paper and online. The survey will be tied into the speed test. Moving forward, in August, the plan is to develop design and cost estimate for infrastructure and evaluate funding opportunities in September. An updated strategic plan is scheduled to be presented in November and the plan is to develop and release a RFP in December or January 2023.

Mulhearn emphasized that fiber broadband is the best option to pursue.

“For us … fiber is the gold standard,” he said. “It is the future proof technology that we really should be building for all our data infrastructure.”

It requires fewer repairs and has more reliability, Mulhearn said.

In other business, council:

• Introduced an ordinance authorizing the County Manager or designee to execute lease agreements for hangars at the airport;
• Unanimously passed three resolutions to participate in the New Mexico Department of Transportation Road funds to improve roads in the County. Public Works Director Juan Rael reported that the state funds total a little more than $300,000; the County will match 25 percent and the funds will be used to improve roads in Loma Linda on North Mesa;
• Unanimously approved a resolution supporting the MainStreet program; and
• Unanimously approved a memorandum of understanding with Santa Fe County for economic development projects including broadband and programming related to community development.