BPU affirms $700,000 loan amendment for booster-station rehab, awards construction contract

The Los Alamos County Board of Public Utilities on May 7 affirmed an ordinance to amend an existing state loan/grant so the county can add $700,000 in loan funding for the Bio Non-Potable Booster Rehabilitation Project and forwarded the ordinance to County Council for introduction and adoption. The board also voted to award the construction contract for the project and to forward a budget revision to council. Both actions passed unanimously, 4–0.

The amendment affects an original state loan/grant package the county said totaled $1,000,000. County staff clarified during the public hearing that the original package included a $200,000 grant and an $800,000 low-interest loan. The additional $700,000 described in the ordinance would be provided entirely as a loan, which county staff said produces a cumulative loan amount of $900,000 and a total funding package of $1,700,000 for the project.

The project scope described by county staff includes adding an isolation valve in the exterior yard so crews can isolate the high-pressure effluent line when the booster station is taken offline, replacing an aging chlorination unit inside the building, and related mechanical and electrical upgrades in the yard (transformers and associated infrastructure). Presenting the item, James Martinez said the design process identified the isolation valve as necessary because “there’s no way at this moment to isolate the effluent line that pushes water up to the ball field.” He added the existing chlorination unit in the building is “dated” and needed replacement, and that those two items were carried as bid alternates before the additional funding was secured.

At the public hearing the board discussed bid alternates and a lightning-protection alternate the county elected not to award. A county engineer explained the existing lightning protection met 1990-era code and that recent upgrades elsewhere had increased protection thresholds; county staff said the booster station’s location made lightning strikes less likely than at higher-elevation tanks and that bidding for lightning protection was therefore not required at this time. The lightning-protection alternate was priced at approximately $8,082.

Formal actions recorded in the meeting packet and by roll call were: - Ordinance affirmation: The board moved to affirm an ordinance authorizing Los Alamos County to amend an existing loan/subsidy/grant agreement (CWSRL EQ135) for additional funding in the amount of $700,000 from the New Mexico Environment Department Clean Water State Revolving Fund for the Bio Non-Potable Booster Rehabilitation Project, and forwarded that ordinance to County Council for introduction and adoption. The recorded roll-call votes were Member Hollingsworth: Yes; Member Heffner: Yes; Member Stromberg: Yes; Chair Greg Gibson: Yes. Motion outcome: approved, 4–0. - Contract award and budget revision: The board moved to award Contract No. 25-31 for the Bio Booster Rehabilitation Project in the amount of $1,400,035, with a contingency of $180,000 for a total project construction amount of $1,580,035 (plus NMGRT). The board also recommended Budget Revision 2025-53 to recognize the revision and included the budget revision in the minutes for the record, forwarding both the award and the budget revision to County Council for approval. Recorded roll-call votes were the same as above. Motion outcome: approved, 4–0.

County staff said the low bidder was within the engineer’s estimate and that bid results tracked closely to the engineer’s estimate except for one outlier. Staff also said the additional $700,000 from the state is loan funds only (no additional grant portion was available through the state program). The staff presentation and motions were placed on the County Council agenda for introduction and final action; the board’s vote was a recommendation to council, not final appropriation by the county.

The board received no public comment on this item at the hearing. The ordinance number and loan/grant agreement cited in the motion were transcribed as “ordinance number 743” and agreement identifier “CWSRL EQ135” in the meeting record.