Los Alamos Reporter

LWVLA Observer Corps Report: County Council Meeting Feb. 17, 2026

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/4622?view_id=2&redirect=true

LWVLA Observer Corps Report: County Council Meeting Feb. 17, 2026

Climate Action Plan Implementation 

The session was attended by Councilors Randall Ryti (Chair), Theresa Cull, Melanee Hand, Suzie Havemann, Ryn Herrmann, Beverly Neal-Clinton, and David Reagor. 

Climate Action Plan Implementation

Angelica Gurule, County Sustainability Manager, briefed Council on quarterly progress on implementing the County’s Climate Action Plan, which sets a goal of achieving 100% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Council took no action. 

Sustainability Actions Completed or In Progress

  • Climate marketing: The County has contracted with Firebrand to help build climate marketing and public engagement campaigns. Focus areas include alternative transportation, energy efficiency, EV adoption, recycling, and composting. The campaign will start in late February, with a big launch planned for Earth Day. 
  • Electrification plans: The final Fleet Conversion Plan and Community-Wide EV Charging Plan will be presented to Council at a meeting in March. 
  • EV charging infrastructure expansion: Six new EV chargers were installed at the Municipal Building. Design and procurement are underway for two DC fast chargers at Mesa Public Library. 
  • Foxtail Flats Solar Project: After some delay, the project is under construction, targeting the end of June 2027 for full commercial operation. 

Upcoming Sustainability Initiatives

  • Energy audit services for residential customers;
  • Climate vulnerability assessment covering wildfire, drought, water resources, and community resiliency;
  • Commuter trip reduction program to reduce single-occupancy vehicles on the roads;  
  • Building-code review and opportunities to raise green building standards; and
  • Educational brochure on low-impact development. 

Waste Recycling Program 

An audit by Barco, the company that manages the County’s recycling waste, found that the County has a 17% waste contamination rate. Gurule said that contamination primarily comes from plastic bags, yard waste, Styrofoam, and just plain trash. 

County staff have implemented initiatives to reduce contamination, such as adding tic-tac-toe rebar across the top of recycling bins to prevent entry of large ineligible materials. Loads are also dumped on the ground at the Eco Station where staff remove contaminated material, if possible. Gurule noted that, although the contamination rate is low compared to the state average, “what it does demonstrate is that we need continuous education. We need to constantly reiterate the message of how to recycle correctly. “

Other Highlights

Gurule reported on other activities that are happening outside of the Climate Action Plan:

  • Evaluation of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) legislation, a state-wide initiative that would make manufacturers of hard-to-recycle materials such as mattresses and batteries responsible for disposal instead of product users. Seven states have passed EPR legislation and three other states, including New Mexico, have introduced it. 
  • Research on a Tariff-Based On-Bill Financing (TOBF) program, which would provide a way for the County to offer low-interest rate loans for energy-efficiency upgrades to homes. Examples of eligible upgrades include electrification, HVAC systems, solar panels, and EV chargers. 

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