Title
Approval of Agreement No. AGR23-911, Collection Agreement Between the Incorporated County of Los Alamos and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Forest Service Santa Fe
National Forest.
Recommended Action
I move that Council approve Agreement No. AGR23-911, Collection Agreement Between the Incorporated County of Los Alamos and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Forest Service Santa Fe National Forest in an amount not to exceed $208,111.43, plus Applicable Gross Receipts Tax, the costs to be shared equally between the Department of Public Utilities and the General County, for the purpose of clearance surveys and land appraisals prior to conveyance of lands to Los Alamos County.
Utilities Manager's Recommendation
The Utilities Manager recommends that Council approve AGR23-911 as presented.
Board, Commission or Committee Recommendation
The Board of Public Utilities approved (4 to 1 vote) this Collection Agreement at their regular meeting of November 16, 2022 and recommends that Council approve AGR23-911 as presented.
Body
As part of the San Ildefonso Native Claims Settlement Act of 2005, Los Alamos County is authorized to purchase six parcels of land adjacent to the townsite for fair market value. While the transfer of these parcels is already authorized by this congressional act, certain NEPA and other clearance work must be performed by the Forest Service before the lands can leave federal jurisdiction and pass to the County. A majority of these activities must be performed by the Forest Service, and the County is obligated to reimburse the government for the cost of this work. Los Alamos County has been encouraging the Forest Service to proceed with this work since the Act's passage in 2006, but were informed that they would not begin our work until transfer of lands to San Ildefonso Pueblo was completed. The San Ildefonso Pueblo land transfer was completed in 2011. To date the Forest Service has completed much of the work in a prior collec...
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