Title
Presentation of the Regional Landfill Feasibility Study and Possible Action on Next Steps
Recommended Action
County Council: I move that Council approve the general concepts discussed today for the joint MOA and direct the County Manager to revise the content of the current draft MOA cooperatively with Espanola City Manager and Rio Arriba County Manager based on feedback received and return a final agreed upon MOA for action at each party's respective governing body meetings.
City of Espanola: I move that the City Council approve the general concepts discussed today for the joint MOA and direct the City Manager to revise the content of the current draft MOA cooperatively with Los Alamos County Manager and Rio Arriba County Manager based on feedback received and return a final agreed upon MOA for action at each party's respective governing body meetings.
Rio Arriba County: I move that the County Commission approve the general concepts discussed today for the joint MOA and direct the County Manager to revise the content of the current draft MOA cooperatively with Espanola City Manager and Los Alamos County Manager based on feedback received and return a final agreed upon MOA for action at each party's respective governing body meetings.
OR
County Council: I move that the County Council approve the Memorandum of Agreement MOA27-832 as presented at this meeting.
City of Espanola: I move that the City Council approve the Memorandum of Agreement MOA27-832 as presented at this meeting.
Rio Arriba County: I move that the County Commission approve the Memorandum of Agreement MOA27-832 as presented at this meeting.
Body
In 2022, The City of Espanola approached Los Alamos County and Rio Arriba County regarding a possible regional landfill that would utilize the City's property. In 2023, all three parties agreed to a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA 25-924) to pursue a feasibility study on this topic. From 2023 through 2025, a landfill feasibility study was conducted by Huitt-Zollars and Parkhill as part of their on-call contract services for Los Alamos County. The feasibility study (Attachment A) utilized information and data provided by all three parties to the MOA. The study, completed and presented to staff in June 2026, indicated that a landfill at the property identified by the City of Espanola is feasible. Parkhill will be distributing an updated feasibility study at the meeting which has some minor updates to Attachment A.
This meeting, which will be held at Northern New Mexico College (NNMC) Event Center, is to hear a report on the feasibility study by the contractors, to discuss next steps and timelines, and to either agree to sign a new MOA to continue work on the landfill or to end the partnership on the landfill. Parkhill will be distributing their presentation at the meeting as it was not available before publication deadlines.
After a welcome to NNMC by their President, Hector Balderas, the meeting will commence.
Presenters include:
Michael A. Ortiz, City of Espanola Manager
Jeremy Maestas, Rio Arriba County Manager
Anne Laurent, Los Alamos County Manager
Tyler Zack, Parkhill
Eric Martinez, Los Alamos County Public Works Director
Adan Trujillo, Rio Arriba County Attorney
A draft MOA, written and edited by staff of all parties, has been provided for the purpose of discussion and shall either be accepted as presented by staff, modified/edited, or a request for a different MOA or other instrument for agreement shall be voted on by all governing bodies at this meeting. The parties might also agree to work on the MOA independently and once an agreeable document has been finalized, each party could vote to accept the MOA at separate governing body meetings. If no agreement on future activity can be reached the parties may decide to end the partnership or they may decide to hold a future meeting with specific parameters on reaching an agreement.
Fiscal and Staff Impact/Planned Item
The MOA itself is not fiscally binding. There will be minimal staff impact.
Attachments
A - Regional Feasibility Study
B - Landfill Feasibility Review and Governing Body Next Steps Meeting September 2026
C - DRAFT MOA27-832 Regional Landfill Phase 2