BY LWV OBSERVER CORPS
Editor’s note: Members of the League of Woman Voters of Los Alamos Observer Corps have been providing LWV members with reports on certain meetings in the County for many years. These reports have been included in the LWV’s monthly newsletter and now, at the invitation of the Los Alamos Reporter, will also be submitted to the Reporter for publication. The video of the full meeting may be seen at https://losalamos.granicus.com/player/clip/4501?view_id=2&redirect=true
Bond to Fund Broadband Communications System, Artificial Turf and Site Improvements Feasibility Study, FY2027 Budget Guidance
The session was attended by Councilors Theresa Cull (Chair), Melanee Hand, Suzie Havemann (left early), Ryn Herrmann, Beverly Neal-Clinton, David Reagor, and Randall Ryti.
$40M GRT Revenue Bonds for Broadband Communications System
Voting 7–0, Council unanimously approved an ordinance authorizing the County to issue $40M in GRT Revenue Bonds.
Proposed Bonds
The County adopted a Community Broadband and other Capital Improvement Projects budget beginning with its FY2025 annual budget and planned for the issuance of GRT Revenue Bonds as the primary funding source.
County staff proposed to issue $40 million in GRT Revenue Bonds to fund broadband construction and related public facility needs. The bonds are slated to be marketed in mid-February 2026. Ordinance No. 750 authorizes the preparation of an official statement to be presented to the Council for approval in late January or early February, prior to distribution to investors.
Broadband Project Status
The Community Broadband Network (CBN) Project includes a county-wide fiber-to-the-home broadband network. Council awarded the design/build contract for the broadband construction project to Bonfire. Design is in progress. The GRT bond sales will fund the construction scheduled to start next summer. The phased buildout is scheduled to reach all homes and businesses in 3-4 years.
What about Outages?
In addition to building a local fiber network within Los Alamos County, the County partnered with the Pueblo of San Ildefonso to construct about 11 miles of new fiber infrastructure, known as the “Middle Mile,” from White Rock to Pojoaque.
County Broadband Manager Jerry Smith said that the Middle Mile will provide the local network with redundant internet feeds to minimize or eliminate outages. This second fiber line should be ready for use sometime in the spring of 2026. Along with the existing line from Lumen, the new line will provide the CBN with two live connections to the internet.
Smith cautioned that, although the CBN has been designed with as much fault tolerance as is feasible, not all outages can be prevented. [For example, based on information in local news, the County reported that, even if completed, the Middle Mile would not have prevented the countywide internet and cellular outage that occurred on November 11–12 because that outage was caused by a fiber line cut by construction north of Santa Fe.]
Councilor Ryti asked what additional options might be considered to provide a third redundancy. He requested more information about the possibility of the County having access to the fiber line planned to accompany LANL’s proposed new power line. Smith said he was not familiar with the scope of that project but that, assuming the County could negotiate an agreement with LANL, it would still need to find funding to extend that fiber line beyond the boundary of the power line project.
Smith said that the State Office of Broadband may ask for input on a new three-year broadband plan, which would provide the County and other entities with an opportunity to advocate for the importance of bolstering the reliability of the Middle Mile.
Artificial Turf and Site Improvements Feasibility Study
Voting 6–1 (Councilor Reagor in opposition), Council accepted the Los Alamos County Artificial Turf and Site Improvements Feasibility Study.
Background
In the fall of 2024, the Community Services Department (CSD) contracted with NV5 to evaluate the feasibility of installing synthetic turf at North Mesa Sports Complex and Overlook Park in response to community requests for improved year-round playability and reduced maintenance.
The study assessed field suitability, design alternatives, sustainability, and costs. It also identified several needs that CSD felt will require attention regardless of timing, including upgraded parking areas, improved field accessibility, grandstand improvements, and upcoming lighting needs. The NV5 consulting team presented the draft study to the County Council at its October 28, 2025, meeting.
Request for Study Acceptance
CSD Director Cory Styron said that the Feasibility Study is intended as a planning tool to illustrate potential improvements and benefits to the community and visitors. He emphasized that Council’s acceptance of the study would not authorize design, construction, or funding but rather just acknowledge its value as a guiding document for future planning and decision-making related to the County’s outdated athletic fields.
Discussion on Implementation and Timing
Councilor Havemann expressed concern about the lack of plans to pursue any of the recommendations in the feasibility study until FY2028 at the earliest. She asked, “I don’t see why we really have to constrain ourselves. Why don’t we just say we’re going to adopt this plan and we’ll do things when budget guidance dictates that that’s feasible?”
County Manager Anne Laurent replied that the County is not prohibited from moving forward with elements of the plan sooner. However, the upcoming budget hearings in April will highlight significant fiscal constraints and existing commitments that must be completed before taking on new initiatives. Laurent also noted that the County has recently made substantial investments in turf improvements, and the timing of any major changes should consider the useful life of those investments.
CSD Director Cory Styron added that several interim decisions will need guidance from both the community and the Council before moving forward with any of the study’s recommendations. As one example, he noted that community feedback on turf options was almost evenly divided; “about 50/50… just a little bit in favor of artificial turf; it’s not a community landslide.” Another decision would be whether to maintain the current field configuration while completing ADA and amenity upgrades, or to pursue a full reconfiguration. Styron pointed out that, if reconfiguration is selected, it would need to be phased over several years to minimize impacts on participants and user groups.
FY2027 Budget Guidance
Voting 6–0, with Councilor Havemann absent, Council endorsed the recommended FY2027 budget guidance.
The FY2027 budget guidance was developed by County Manager Anne Laurent, working with the budget staff led by Helen Perraglio, Administrative Services Director, and Erika Thomas, Budget and Performance Manager.
The guidance emphasizes a conservative fiscal approach because of continued volatility in gross receipts tax (GRT) revenues. It calls for departmental budgets to remain as close to flat as possible. Increased expenditures for necessary personnel and contractual services are to be balanced by a 10% reduction target for non-labor operating categories. The budget focuses on continuing existing programs and implementing already-funded initiatives and projects, rather than requesting new initiatives.
Staff asked for Council’s concurrence to continue developing the FY2027 budget based on this guidance, ensuring that the budget remains consistent with the County’s long-range financial planning principles.Laurent clarified that capital projects are not included in the non-labor expenses. Although the Capital Improvement Project (CIP) fund will be reviewed to prioritize projects for bond issuance, there is no reason to move anything out of the CIP fund at this point.