Los Alamos County Councilor David Izraelevitz is the County’s liaison to the Regional Coalition of LANL Communities Board. Courtesy image

BY MAIRE O’NEILL
maire@losalamosreporter.com

Los Alamos County Council voted unanimously Tuesday evening to approve the revised Joint Powers Agreement with the Regional Coalition of LANL Communities.

Councilor David Izraelevitz, the County’s liaison to and secretary of the RCLC board said he thinks Los Alamos County can be proud of its role in supporting and nurturing the organization as should the County’s sister entities in all the areas that they have successfully represented the interest of their constituencies.

“However, as the organization has matured it has become apparent that the Joint Powers Agreement that controls these relationships should be updated. The RCLC needs some flexibility in some key areas such as participation of entities other than Los Alamos County as fiscal agent and to make it less cumbersome for additional entities to join our organization,” he said.

In addition, Izraelevitz said some of the responsibilities and functions of the RCLC can be better delineated.

“The ability of the RCLC to enter in contracts for service, to acquire property as needed, to develop budgets and to apply for and receive grants is implicit in the original Joint Powers Agreement and is made explicit in this revised version which is presented for our review and possible approval,” he said.

Izraelevitz recognized Councilor Randy Ryti who, as the alternate representative for Los Alamos County, participated in a January work session of the RCLC where many of these revisions were discussed. He said the approval of the revised JPA is currently being sought from member entities, that Santa Fe County has already approved it ad that he is optimistic of the speedy approval by the other members of the RCLC.

Asked if any other member of the RCLC had expressed an interest in taking over as fiscal agent, Izraelevitz said he had informally heard of others.