Photo: Councilor Vincent Chiravalle

Staff report

In a statement to the Los Alamos Daily Post, Los Alamos County Councilor Vincent Chiravalle responds to claims that he has spoken publicly about confidential matters under discussion by the Los Alamos County Council.

Councilor Michael Wismer asserted at Tuesday’s County Council meeting that Chiravalle has twice breached the confidentiality of issues discussed by Council in closed meetings – most recently last week’s revelation that NADG is pulling out of the Trinity Site project.

Chiravalle announced the pullout by the developer during a Sept. 12 interview with KRSN Morning Show Co-host Nancy Coombs.

Chiravalle’s statement:

“I have never broken the confidentiality of closed session discussions. Councilor Wismer’s allegation is unfounded and absurd. It is a political cheap shot.

I was not present at the closed session on Sept. 11 when the Trinity site was discussed. During the regular public session that followed the council chair announced to the public that there would be a special public meeting on Sept. 24 to discuss the Trinity site. A staff member informed me about the subject of the special public meeting. No one told me that this subject was a secret. Why was it a secret?

When a special public meeting is scheduled our community has a right to know the subject of the meeting so that citizens can be engaged in the process. The council needs to be more transparent with its agenda, especially concerning an issue as important as the Trinity site development.”

Editor’s note: Councilor Vincent Chiravalle is running for re-election.