Title
Consideration of the 2021 Federal Agenda
Recommended Action
I move that Council adopt the FY 2021 Los Alamos County Federal Priorities
County Manager's Recommendation
The County Manager recommends that Council approve the motion as presented.
Board, Commission or Committee Recommendation
The County Council's Federal Legislative Committee recommends approval of the motion as presented.
Body
Annually, the Los Alamos County Council adopts a "Federal Agenda." This document is used as a guide for our intergovernmental efforts at the federal level. The agenda is developed through a Council committee that meets to produce the message and recommended County priority topics. The attached "FY 2021 Los Alamos County Federal Priorities" provides direction from the County Council to staff and our legislative support contractor when working with various Federal officials and entities, providing for a consistent voice in our messaging.
Los Alamos County has many important relationships with the federal government. The County must therefore continuously work to understand, comply with, and provide input to federal laws, actions, and regulations that impact our operations. Furthermore, the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) is a privately managed and federally funded national laboratory, and is the largest employer in the County as well as an important economic engine for Northern New Mexico. The significance of LANL, not only to the County but to the State of New Mexico and the Nation, necessitates that the County work closely with the New Mexico delegation and the Department of Energy in respect to federal legislation and issues that affect LANL. Over the years, the County has developed a valuable working relationship with our New Mexico Congressional delegation and the support we have received from them has been invaluable.
For 2021, the committee and staff are recommending the following priorities, which are further elaborated within Attachment A:
-- Fund and Support LANL Missions
-- Fund Defense Environmental Cleanup
-- Accelerate Land Transfer from DOE to the County to Address Critical Needs
-- Transfer Los Alamos Canyon to the County
Members of the Federal Legislative Committee are scheduled to travel to Washington DC during the latter part of March and therefore consideration of this agenda will be an important guidebook for the conversations that occur during that trip.
Fiscal and Staff Impact/Planned Item
The fiscal and staff impacts vary depending on the specifics of the legislation.
Attachments
A - DRAFT FY 2021 Los Alamos Federal Priorities