[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6563732,"mediaKeyId","3340612-f0d8ee289f63bba3c061ac3ef46fe4d2","parentId",3340612,"title","White Rock resident urges board to oppose AstroTurf on local fields","audioSeconds",181,"startMs",78000,"endMs",259000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3340612-f0d8ee289f63bba3c061ac3ef46fe4d2&start=78&end=259","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3340612-f0d8ee289f63bba3c061ac3ef46fe4d2/thumbnail_78000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6563732/Los-Alamos-County/New-Mexico/White-Rock-resident-urges-board-to-oppose-AstroTurf-on-local-fields","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6563732-924ee279ca99c827cf30c7538a1f25c7/orig.mp4?Expires=1777444601&Signature=MOPky2P3vrhJDkYqYUQvo3Xejwp0JnkiRTsUS1mHq55iuc7wm7THKHk~D8OZQPbEhO-VP78iwmYuDq3GDhqvz2r2fUHBMV7EwlDRD-hm3ccDVm0O6QkeR5jzdTylG-j6XQya6q37qdEkItu5rcKWNUqiX8L1Px3oWbh9GHkSLmhF4rKa6hmibLD1usO1OYHcGoHxtITRl-bRBNW3iMZ5kVTD~7mbeeQ6PYKNtckf0IxIIq-ANwKkIdLI8itmZIILJGSdjjtalrOS~ylNQeSR7JwsIU9k8hHOhBIVpyRK616gKsERJmWyBZNyMuByjid3qhxFgEzRTFBM5P3gV4HYsg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Los Alamos County","date","2025-05-15T00:00:00Z","article","During the public-comment period of the May 15 Environmental Sustainability Board meeting, Mike Dempsey, a White Rock resident, urged the board to oppose planned AstroTurf installations on multiple White Rock ball fields.

Dempsey said the turf installation would remove “4 or 5 acres of grass that turns carbon dioxide into oxygen and enriches the soil” and described the change as “not ecological.” He specifically mentioned Dara Field and the Little League field in Overlook Park as well-maintained natural grass areas he did not want replaced. He added concerns about community use, saying the stated justification — allowing softball or baseball teams to practice earlier — did not justify replacing natural turf.

Dempsey also noted personal and community impacts: his dog dislikes artificial turf and he questioned the long-term sustainability of synthetic surfaces, saying “you’re gonna have to rip it out sometime.” He concluded by announcing he would attend a separate meeting about the AstroTurf plans.

The board did not respond with a substantive action on the AstroTurf during the meeting; the comment was recorded as part of the public-comment period. No formal staff report, cost estimate, environmental review or vote on the turf installation was presented in this meeting record.

Ending: The transcript records Dempsey’s public-comment remarks; board members did not take action on the item during the May 15 meeting, and any follow-up would depend on the separate project process and staff briefings not covered in this transcript.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Los Alamos County - Environmental Sustainability Board on 2025-05-15 5:30 PM - May 15, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","During public comment at the May 15 meeting, White Rock resident Mike Dempsey urged the Environmental Sustainability Board to oppose the installation of artificial turf on several White Rock ball fields, citing ecological loss and neighborhood impacts.","taxTitle","Los Alamos County, New Mexico","taxId",83667,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6563737,"Environmental Sustainability Board approves agenda, minutes and appoints Sue Barnes as Board of Public Utilities liaison",73,933000,1006000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3340612-f0d8ee289f63bba3c061ac3ef46fe4d2&start=933&end=1006","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3340612-f0d8ee289f63bba3c061ac3ef46fe4d2/thumbnail_933000.jpg","/articles/6563737/Los-Alamos-County/New-Mexico/Environmental-Sustainability-Board-approves-agenda-minutes-and-appoints-Sue-Barnes-as-Board-of-Public-Utilities-liaison","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6563737-bce121b19c314bfd3b61d75a8da67fa1/orig.mp4?Expires=1777444601&Signature=Mkp~-7Ws9PbCx8-ImWduVtdfcPmgHf2LBcOcog~rbdYkXPkq1ijuPO6tR4cwZos8T2BqvGxCX1QIiho4BanMIS-YlB~8SpA2fAHuGzK2fvT5vuMoCrVF~CbMHXa1c0fwdall8UAPbvtoNUb~GRdnmyFwQz6xBR8UYibpuCJpjNvi3lSimL7EORk9-DQO7FyVJgvN~Jkc1yr4cCI8VC3FEYvW7KcLEAPvpfFrAtjI1-8WFyylc3brhNVDj4tDl1akHns0g3w4k5oTWf1AFI0etCWGNIga7-qw5bYzkRwgz8qqsk8nZeg4V0VGL-fttetQtckVKME4fChOJtwuSc~GpA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Environmental Sustainability Board approved procedural items and a liaison appointment at its May 15 meeting.

The board first approved the May 15 agenda after a motion and second; members in the room indicated their approval by verbal roll call. No substantive amendment to the agenda was recorded.

The board then approved minutes from its April 17, 2025 meeting following a motion to adopt the minutes as presented; the motion was seconded and approved by verbal roll call.

Later in the meeting the board considered liaison assignments. Board member Sue Barnes moved that the board appoint her to the Board of Public Utilities liaison role, sharing that assignment with Chair Shannon Blair; the motion was seconded. Board members present voted verbally to approve the motion.

Votes at a glance
- Approval of May 15, 2025 agenda: motion moved and seconded; outcome: approved (verbal roll call). Mover/second: not specified in transcript for the agenda motion; second explicitly recorded as Joe Chandler.
- Approval of minutes (04/17/2025): motion moved and seconded; outcome: approved (verbal roll call). Mover text appears in transcript as “I move that we approve the ESP minutes from the 04/17/2025 meeting as presented”; the transcript does not unambiguously identify the mover by full name in that line.
- Appointment: \"The Environmental Sustainability Board appoints member Sue Barnes to the Board of Public Utilities liaison assignment, sharing that assignment with Chair Blair.\" Mover: Sue Barnes (moved herself); Second: Herman (second recorded). Outcome: approved by unanimous verbal roll call.

The transcript records verbal \"I approve\" and \"Aye\" responses from board members in the meeting room; no roll-call tallies with written names were entered in the record. No contested votes or abstentions were recorded.

Ending: These procedural approvals complete the board’s regular housekeeping business and set Sue Barnes and Chair Shannon Blair as the shared liaisons to the Board of Public Utilities until the board revises assignments or membership changes.","At its May 15 meeting the Environmental Sustainability Board approved the day's agenda and the April 17 minutes, and voted to appoint board member Sue Barnes to share the Board of Public Utilities liaison assignment with Chair Shannon Blair. The motions passed by verbal roll call.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6563742,"County airport manager outlines energy-audit pilot, proposes AI controls and net-zero airport steps",2031,1077000,3108000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3340612-f0d8ee289f63bba3c061ac3ef46fe4d2&start=1077&end=3108","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3340612-f0d8ee289f63bba3c061ac3ef46fe4d2/thumbnail_1077000.jpg","/articles/6563742/Los-Alamos-County/New-Mexico/County-airport-manager-outlines-energy-audit-pilot-proposes-AI-controls-and-net-zero-airport-steps","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6563742-cb5c8b618149475f985434f9b1c2e31e/orig.mp4?Expires=1777444601&Signature=X6gT91OtRXBlvz9EyRq2q9t44RaHrICxPLb9UDSPeoeZY872I9mLEBN8kLbVG3K4Imh03vN5~UXt56q6xMl85f3VtEavohhm1Nq1QklZlH0weJG5kybvmCHFO7yOG30Ht25sBtsFyoiNIu3UmHGqf0yDMJ~ee8zOb4PO46UWDOYKaVqlRDU37lMKI-F44jYmxnzG3rn1PN0SBSxnoLLDHAVuyqp~skquPjWftVPATlDVXJFRUUHdqd8pDNKLoUlWT6yKs~M-nZLyrnh2--HGo94PDrlGwp8UOi4GHnc78SrX16wL-VjThNSfflURscQKlAOwILVgKjsxpJS9qrAByQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Gary Goddard, Los Alamos County airport manager, told the Environmental Sustainability Board on May 15 that a targeted energy audit of the Municipal (Muni) Building found operational problems that are common in older or long-operated commercial buildings and that the county could pilot an AI-based continuous-commissioning system to preserve energy savings.

Goddard said the audit, done with volunteer Joe Close, showed the Muni Building was using about 25% more energy than a comparable office building despite its LEED Gold designation. He described a set of routine operational failures: weekend schedules that kept equipment running unnecessarily, a disabled economizer (outdoor-air damper), a fixed supply temperature instead of a reset based on load, duct static pressures not optimized, a heating/hot-water loop running 24/7 because of broken speed controllers, and aging building-automation controllers.

The board heard that crews corrected or programmed most of those issues and that a small number of physical repairs remain as work orders. Goddard said those fixes effectively re-baselined the building to its intended design performance and that the county should track utility data over time to verify savings.

Goddard proposed a pilot of BrainBox, an AI-based optimization product now owned by Trane, to perform continuous commissioning: monitor building-automation points, identify anomalies, adjust set points (for example discharge temperatures and fan static pressure) and revert changes if performance worsens. He said BrainBox can also generate diagnostics and alerts to facilities staff and would reduce the natural entropy that causes efficiency to degrade over several years.

The presentation included a suggested pathway: complete targeted audits for a few county buildings, develop audit templates (possibly using interns under oversight), pilot BrainBox on an eligible building and evaluate whether an energy-management position could be funded from verified savings across the county’s portfolio.

On the airport specifically, Goddard described the terminal building as built in 1947 with unfilled cinder block, high ceilings and many windows; it currently uses a large share of natural gas for heating. He discussed measures already in motion — adding automated south-side shades tied to a small building-automation system, possible reuse of county landfill solar arrays, roof-mounted photovoltaic arrays on a large flat roof, and switching from gas furnaces to electric heat-pump systems where feasible. He also said he has begun offering the airport space for small community events to increase public use.

Board members asked about the math and countywide applicability. Goddard said the Muni Building audit suggested a conservative estimate of roughly 20% HVAC energy savings from scheduling and economizer fixes alone, and that savings could be higher in some buildings; he cautioned that the exact number depends on the building and that one year of normalized metered data will be needed to validate any projections. Staff reported the county has roughly 50 buildings and about 25 currently use Trane building-automation systems that are candidates for BrainBox after controller upgrades.

Members suggested partnerships and research uses — for example, involving New Mexico Tech or local pilot/tourism groups for demonstrations and grants. Goddard said the Civil Air Patrol and Experimental Aircraft Association already use airport facilities on weekends and that tourism or education uses could increase public benefit.

Board members also asked about LEED recertification. Goddard and other participants said many LEED-certified buildings lapse in operational performance without ongoing commissioning; the group agreed staff should check the Municipal Building’s LEED operational status via USGBC/LEED records.

No formal vote was taken. Board members expressed support for the pilot concept and asked staff and Goddard to return with follow-up data after re-baselining and, if possible, a one-year normalized-energy update to show measured savings.

Ending: Staff and the presenter agreed to continue with the pilot steps — completing remaining work orders, implementing monitoring and producing a follow-up report on measured energy use and any verified savings. Goddard offered to return to the board with results and further recommendations once the monitoring period yields data.","Gary Goddard, Los Alamos County airport manager, presented a targeted energy audit of the Municipal Building, proposed a BrainBox AI continuous-commissioning pilot and outlined measures (solar, heat pumps, automated shades) to pursue a net-zero airport, with estimated HVAC savings and possible countywide scaling.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

White Rock resident urges board to oppose AstroTurf on local fields

Environmental Sustainability Board approves agenda, minutes and appoints Sue Barnes as Board of Public Utilities liaison

County airport manager outlines energy-audit pilot, proposes AI controls and net-zero airport steps