BY RANDALL RYTI
Chair
Los Alamos County Council

As we move into the second half of 2026, I thought it would be useful to look at what County Council has been working on and what is coming in the next month or two.

The 2024 National Community Survey showed strong satisfaction with many County services, while also identifying areas where residents see more room for improvement. This report focuses on three of those areas—housing, downtown revitalization and the local business environment—and some of the actions Council has taken so far this year. Council activity, however, is not the same thing as community improvement. Approving a project, adopting a policy or spending money is only the first step. The more important question is whether those actions produce measurable results.

Housing
Council has continued working to increase housing opportunities, particularly affordable and workforce housing. Early this year, Council considered both the North Mesa property owned by Los Alamos Public Schools and a County policy supporting affordable and workforce housing. That policy has since been incorporated into the County’s revised Financial Policy. The option of developing housing on the North Mesa property is still being considered by the Los Alamos Public Schools Board.

Council has also been working on the Coyote Mesa workforce housing project, formerly referred to as A-8-A. Most recently, Council approved the developer’s use of up to $230 million in workforce housing revenue bonds to finance the project. These bonds are a financing mechanism for the development rather than a $230 million County expenditure. Groundbreaking for the Coyote Mesa project is expected to occur this fall.

These actions are significant, but ultimately the most useful measure of progress is not how many housing policies or projects Council considers. It is how many new housing are built, how many are affordable or available to our workforce, how long they take to deliver, and what public investment is required to produce them. Downtown Revitalization Activity on downtown redevelopment has accelerated substantially during the past several months.

In February, Council discussed the Metropolitan Redevelopment Area governance structure and decided that Council itself would remain the decision-making body for MRA funding. By June, Council had supported the Local MainStreet Program and begun considering Local Economic Development Act public-private partnerships involving redevelopment of the former CB Fox and Time Out Pizza properties. In July, another potential redevelopment project—the Los Alamos Guesthouse at the former Hilltop House Hotel location—was introduced to the community.

The ordinance for The Rock, the former Time Out Pizza property, has been introduced with a public hearing scheduled for the August 25 Council Regular Session. The ordinances for the other projects are expected to be introduced in the next two months.

Another ongoing project in White Rock is the Longview Drive Realignment project, which is an initiative by County to redevelop the White Rock Town Center core, improve local traffic safety, and create continuous parcels for mixed-use infill development. The project has started with demolition of vacant buildings. The tentative timeline for this project includes conceptual design, public engagement, land acquisition, and preparation of final design and construction documents, with construction anticipated to begin next year.

These projects respond directly to longstanding concerns about vacant and underutilized commercial properties and downtown vitality. The Lodgers Tax Advisory Board has also specifically asked the County to address downtown blight.

But redevelopment involving public assistance raises an important question: Is the public benefit commensurate with the public investment?

We should be able to answer that question with measurable results. Those could include private investment leveraged by County participation, vacant property returned to productive use, net new economic activity rather than displacement of existing businesses, additional tax revenue, permanent jobs, and whether developers ultimately deliver the benefits promised when public assistance is approved.

The goal should not simply be to complete projects. It should be to demonstrate that public participation produces sufficient public benefit from taxes, job creation, and elimination of blight.

Local Business
Council has also taken several actions involving local businesses. Early in the year, Council approved an $800,000, ten-year, zero-interest LEDA loan to UbiQD and received an update from the Regional Development Corporation. Council subsequently approved the Golf Course restaurant lease, considered SALA’s liquor- license application and received updates on the County’s Small/Local Business Action Items. The County has also launched a new business and event directory. But supporting individual projects is only one part of creating a healthy business environment.

Earlier this year I met with two local business owners who said they would like to see more champions for small business. They spoke positively about the Los Alamos Business Coalition and suggested that the County consider creating a small-business ombudsman.

Another potentially important development occurred in May when the County hired Economic Development Administrator Max Khudiakov. During the more than seven and a half years I have served on Council, this important position has been vacant more often than it has been occupied.

Having someone focused on economic development provides an opportunity to identify the practical problems businesses encounter when dealing with County government—whether those involve permitting times, regulatory requirements, inspections, startup barriers or other processes.

Solving those problems can benefit every business rather than requiring the County to assist businesses one project at a time.

Measuring Results
Council has been active across all five of its strategic focus areas: economic vitality, quality of life, environmental stewardship, quality governance and operational excellence. But again, activity by itself is not the objective. Results are.

The County’s performance metrics dashboard is intended to help Council and the public evaluate progress toward these goals. Residents can review the dashboard on the County website and see how the County is currently measuring its performance.

I believe we should continue improving those measurements, particularly in areas such as housing and economic development. If the County invests public resources in a program or project, both Council and the public should be able to determine what was promised, what actually happened and whether the investment accomplished its intended purpose.

Looking Ahead
There are also two upcoming opportunities for residents to participate directly in issues that could have long-term effects on the community.

First, residents, business owners and other community members are invited to review the draft Comprehensive Plan and provide feedback beginning Tuesday, August 18. Two public engagement sessions will be held Wednesday, August 19. The first will be from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at White Rock Fire Station #3, 129 NM 4. The second will be from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Los Alamos Golf Course, 4244 Diamond Drive.

The Comprehensive Plan will help guide decisions about housing, development, transportation, open space and other issues affecting the future of Los Alamos County, so public participation is important.

Second, the Los Alamos Police Department will host an educational session, “ALPR for Safer Communities: A Conversation,” to share about the automated license plate reader system, on August 27 from 5 to 7 p.m. in Council Chambers, 1000 Central Avenue. A presentation to Council and discussion of surveillance cameras is planned for the September 8 Council regular session.

These are both opportunities for residents to learn more, ask questions and provide input before future decisions are made.

If you have questions or comments on any of these or any County issue, please email ~CountyCouncil@losalamosnm.gov or attend a Council meeting and make public comment.

In addition, the 2026 National Community Survey starts August 26. If you are one of the randomly selected households, we ask that you fill out the survey to help us prioritize the next few years.