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/4552?view_id=2&redirect=true
LWVLA Observer Corps Report: County Council Meeting Jan. 6, 2026
State of the County; UbiQD’s LEDA Application; Community Broadband Network Construction; Council Chair and Vice Chair for 2026
The session was attended by Councilors Theresa Cull (Chair), Melanee Hand, Suzie Havemann (joined late), Ryn Herrmann, David Reagor, and Randall Ryti. Councilor Beverly Neal-Clinton was absent.
State of the County Presentation
Council Chair Theresa Cull presented the Los Alamos County 2025 State of the County report. The report highlights key accomplishments and priorities from the past year.
Challenges and Accomplishments in 2025
Chair Cull noted that 2025 was a year marked by uncertainty and external challenges, largely driven by federal government changes and economic pressures beyond local control. The County faced higher operational costs, delays in capital projects, an unfulfilled FEMA funding commitment, and a significant reduction in gross receipts tax revenues due to changes at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). In addition, the longest federal government shutdown in U.S. history disrupted federal operations, furloughed employees, and curtailed access to local national parks for more than a month.
Despite these challenges, the County made substantial progress across all areas of its Strategic Leadership Plan. Some of the County’s accomplishments highlighted by Chair Cull are summarized below.
Local Business and Economic Vitality
Council established a Small Business Working Group to collaborate with local businesses and the Local Business Coalition. This effort resulted in an action plan to address business challenges.
The County implemented the Small Retail Local Economic Development Act (LEDA) process, creating new tools to support small businesses. The Council also adopted the East Downtown Los Alamos Metropolitan Redevelopment Area (MRA) Plan to target reinvestment and revitalization.
Housing
Significant progress was made toward expanding housing options. Major approvals included:
- 87 deed-restricted affordable studio apartments on Ninth Street;
- a mixed-use development on 20th Street with approximately 285 market-rate housing units and 25,000 sq. ft. of retail space; and
- a purchase, sale, and development agreement with Servitas for 380 affordable and market-rate homes on the A-8-A parcel along DP Road.
The Hill Apartments, consisting of 149 market-rate units, began leasing in November 2025. Additional projects remain in early planning stages.
Fiscal Stewardship
Gross receipts taxes (GRT) account for approximately 72% of the County’s overall budget, with LANL as the largest contributor. After years of growth, LANL-related revenues began to level off, and the County projected a 14% decrease in GRT revenues for FY25.
To maintain essential services and advance priority projects, Council approved a 5/8% GRT increase effective July 1, 2026. Conservative budget guidance for FY27 was also adopted, directing departments to maintain flat budgets where possible, limit increases to essential costs, and reduce non-labor expenditures by 10%.
Communication and Engagement
The County continued to provide opportunities for public engagement through surveys, town halls, open houses, public meetings, and community events. However, the County recognized the need to reach out to the public with appropriate information.
Council requested additional public review for major projects, staff developed “lessons learned” from recent infrastructure efforts, and decision timelines adjusted to allow for public input.
Approval of UbiQD’s LEDA Application
Voting 6–0 (Councilor Havemann was absent), the Council approved an ordinance authorizing a Local Economic Development Act (LEDA) project to support UbiQD, LLC, a Los Alamos–based startup originating from LANL’s technology transfer program.
The LEDA project will provide an $800,000 zero-interest loan to support expansion of UbiQd’s headquarters and operations in Los Alamos County. The LEDA loan will be repaid over 10 years.
UbiQD’s LEDA Application
Hunter McDaniel, UbiQD’s Founder and Chief Executive Officer, briefly summarized the company’s history. Founded in 2014, UbiQD has grown from 10 to 43 full time employees, with 30 working locally and 10 owning homes in Los Alamos. The company’s average salary increased from $74,000 to $127,000. It also invests significantly in local community activities.
UbiQD is headquartered at 134 East Gate Drive. McDaniel said that the company has continued to expand and increase sales faster than was initially projected. UbiQD would like to purchase an additional building at 170 East Gate Drive for the purpose of expanding its research, development, and prototyping operations. The company plans to maintain Los Alamos as their headquarters even though they are also expanding manufacturing in Pojoaque, said McDaniel.
UbiQD Manufacturing Operations
McDaniel described key characteristics of the company’s product. UbiQD is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of quantum dots (QDs). QDs are vanishingly small (nano) particles of semiconductor material that are highly effective at manipulating color and light. Their properties can be tuned by adjusting their size and composition, which makes them ideal for diverse applications, from agriculture to solar energy.
The dots also have stable optical properties that perform well under harsh environments such as high temperatures and exposure to moisture.
“This is a platform technology that’s useful in really any application where light is being used,” McDaniel said. UbiQD’s first commercial project was greenhouse façade materials where the QDs can enhance crop growth. The company has now expanded to manufacture QDs for solar modules, which boost solar cell performance.
Benefits for the County
The County’s staff report noted how the LEDA loan to UbiQD will yield benefits for the County. The loan will support a growing, innovative company with global impact while strengthening Los Alamos County’s economy through job creation, high wages, and retention of cutting-edge technology development.
The increase in high paying jobs within the County—10 FTE by year 2 at an average salary of $88,000—and the increased sales of quantum dots produced here in Los Alamos and exported, will provide other benefits for the County.
Community Broadband Network Construction
By unanimous vote (7–0), the Council authorized an amendment to the County’s General Services Agreement with Bonfire Engineering & Construction LLC. The amendment allows the company to pre-purchase construction materials to mitigate supply chain risks, cost increases, and construction delays.
Council also approved the Low-Level Design of the Broadband Network, including amending the schedule of construction drawings by construction phase. The revised timeline anticipates construction starting in April 2026 and completion by Q2 2028.
Project Status
The project involves building an open-access network where the infrastructure will be owned by the County, allowing multiple internet service providers (ISPs) to use it, said Jerry Smith, the County’s Broadband Manager. The network will serve 10,090 locations.
The high-level design was approved in May, and the low-level design, involving field crews to create more detailed designs, was developed in November.
Smith reported that the project is on schedule but that material shortages may be forthcoming due to increased demand. He explained that potential material shortages are forecast because “a lot of folks are doing fiber projects right now, and the $42 billion federal BEAD (Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment) program is about to hit the streets, and also hyper scaling of all the Artificial Intelligence (AI) projects.” Smith warned that “vendors are poised to buy up all the products that we need.”
What’s Next?
Bonfire will finalize the preliminary bill of materials for the fiber network and prepare to place material orders so that construction can begin as soon as materials are on site.
During discussion, the Council emphasized the importance of timely community notification and robust communication plans. Smith and Deputy County Manager Juan Rael explained that a marketing plan is being developed that includes press releases and social media outreach. A public web page will be set up, with ISP pricing and sign-up information to notify residents about the network.
A phase-specific resident notification plan will also be implemented prior to construction in each phase, using local notices and door hangers, so that residents know when construction and sign-up will be available in their area.
Election of Chair and Vice Chair for 2026
By unanimous votes (7–0), the Council elected Councilor Ryti as Council Chair and Councilor Herrmann Council Vice Chair for 2026.
For more information about activities and membership in the League of Women Voters in Los Alamos, go to https://my.lwv.org/new-mexico/los-alamos