County

Appeals Court Upholds Constitutionality of Tax Lightning Law

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County Assessor JoAnn Johnson with Chief Deputy Assessor Joaquin Valdez. Photo by Carol A. Clark/ladailpost.com

By Carol A. Clark

The New Mexico Court of Appeals has upheld the constitutionality of a state law that can result in sharply increased tax assessments for homes that change ownership – a practice known as “tax lightning.”

“This doesn’t affect us at all in Los Alamos because we have followed State Statute 73621.2 for the past 10 years,” said Los Alamos County Chief Deputy Assessor Joaquin Valdez. “This surfaced in Bernalillo County on two properties because they applied tax differently.” Read More

County Signs Ground Lease and Developer Agreement for Trinity Site

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County News:

It’s a deal!

Los Alamos County Administrator Harry Burgess announced this morning that the County has executed the ground lease and developer agreement with Los Alamos Trinity LP for the property known as the “Trinity Site.”

The property is located just south of Trinity Drive and Mari Mac Plaza on the eastern edge of Los Alamos.

A slight modification to the agreement was made Thursday after a final meeting with the developer, North American Development Group (NADG.)

The change will add up to 90 days during the feasibility period for the developer to consider their pre-leasing Read More

Sunday Pancake Breakfast to Benefit Los Alamos Friends of the Shelter

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Shelter News:

Courtesy Photo

Join friends and neighbors from 7-11 a.m. Sunday at the Los Alamos Posse Shack Lodge, 650 North Mesa Road.

Enjoy a delicious breakfast and have some fun – all to benefit the animals at the Los Alamos Animal Shelter.

Meet new furry friends at the shelter’s mobile adoption and get some unconditional love at the Doggy Kissing Booth – kisses are $1.

Also, breakfast goers can take the opportunity to bid on a $250 value photography package donated by Don Taylor’s Photography.

All proceeds from Sunday’s event go to benefit animals at the shelter.

  Read More

First Megawatt of Photovoltaic System Installation Nears Completion

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The first megawatt of the photovoltaic system installation on the County’s former landfill nears completion as seen from a vantage point on Camp May Road. This portion of the photovoltaic system is funded by Japan’s New Energy and Industrial Technology Organization (NEDO) and supports the collaborative Demonstration Smart Grid project. Photo by Carol A. Clark/ladailypost.com

Photo by Carol A. Clark/ladailypost.com

Photo by Carol A. Clark/ladailypost.com

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Settlement Reached with Sierra Club Regarding San Juan Generating Station

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County News:

Courtesy Photo

PNM, BHP Billiton’s San Juan Coal Company and the Sierra Club have filed a settlement that would result in an additional, larger groundwater recovery system adjacent to the San Juan Generating Station and the San Juan Coal Mine near Waterflow, N.M.

Filed today with the United States District Court for New Mexico, the settlement needs court approval for the system to be constructed.

Los Alamos owns 2 percent of the San Juan Generating Station (or 7.2 percent of Unit 4) and thus will bear 2 percent of the cost, estimated to be about $200,000.

Under the agreement, a new groundwater Read More

Community Water Tank to be Repainted

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Courtesy/DPU

County News:

Drainage, lead abatement, repairs and repainting of the community water tank above 47th Street and Trinity Drive begins Thursday, according to officials at the Los Alamos Department of Public Utilities.

Following drainage of the community water tank, which serves the southern portion of the downtown area, the “Twin” tank located a few hundred feet northward will be put into service for the downtown area between and around Oppenheimer, 9th Street and Central Avenue southward past Trinity Drive.

Businesses and residents of these areas may notice a slight decrease Read More

‘CodeRED’ Emergency Notification System to Ring Local Phones Thursday

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County News:

Los Alamos County will conduct a test of its CodeRED emergency notification system at approximately 2 p.m. Thursday  March 29.

The County contracted with Emergency Communications Network to license its CodeRED high-speed notification solution in November of last year.

The CodeRED system provides County officials the ability to quickly deliver messages to targeted areas or the entire County.

Philmont Taylor

“We ‘sort of’ tested the system last week for the HAZMAT incident on DP Road,” said Phil Taylor, Los Alamos County’s Emergency Management Specialist, “but that Read More

Council Supports State Implementation Plan for San Juan Plant

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Courtesy Photo

By Carol A. Clark

Los Alamos County Council voted 5-2 to approve a resolution supporting New Mexico’s proposed State Implementation Plan in lieu of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Federal Implementation Plan for reducing regional haze from the San Juan Generating Station near Farmington.

The federal plan requires Selective Catalytic Reduction Technology to be installed at all four of the plant’s coal-fired electric generating units at what PNM’s consulting engineer estimates a cost of $750,000,000.

Los Alamos County owns a 7.2 percent share of unit 4, which meets Read More