Title
Approval of Nomination of Ben Olbrich, Deputy Utility Manager - Power Supply, as the Los Alamos County Member of the New Mexico Municipal Energy Acquisition Authority (NMMEAA) Board of Directors
Recommended Motion
I move that Council approve the nomination of Mr. Ben Olbrich, Deputy Utility Manager - Power Supply, as the Los Alamos County "Participating Municipality" member director of the New Mexico Municipal Energy Acquisition Authority Board.
Utilities Manager's Recommendation
The Utilities Manager recommends that Council approve the motion as presented.
Board, Commission or Committee Recommendation
The Board of Public Utilities reviewed this request at their regular meeting on April 16, 2025 and recommends that Council approve the motion as presented.
Body
The Joint Powers Agreement (JPA) that formed the New Mexico Municipal Energy Acquisition Authority (NMMEAA), as amended, provides for a Board of Directors appointed as follows. The Cities of Gallup and Las Cruces are “Parties” to the JPA, and each appoints two directors. Los Alamos County and the City of Farmington are “Participating Utilities”. Los Alamos County will nominate one person to serve on the NMMEAA Board of Directors, and the City of Farmington will nominate two persons. Nominees of the “Participating Utilities” require acceptance of the members representing the “Parties”.
Utilities Manager John Arrowsmith represented Los Alamos County to NMMEAA since inception and was officially nominated to the Board by Council on October 28th, 2008 after the JPA was revised to guarantee Los Alamos a seat on a seven-member board, as described above. Mr. Arrowsmith was reappointed in October 2013. Upon Mr. Arrowsmith’s retirement in July 2014; Deputy Utilities Manager of Finance and Administration Robert Westervelt was nominated by Council as Los Alamos’ member on the NMMEAA Board and was reappointed in 2018. In advance of Mr. Westervelt's retirement, in December 2020, Ben Olbrich was n...
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