Planning council reviews draft strategic plan, flags typos and unclear data

The Los Alamos County Planning Council reviewed a draft strategic plan and asked staff to correct numerous language and data issues before the document is circulated.

Facilitator opened the review and members read the plan page-by-page, flagging typographical errors and unclear phrasing. Speaker 6 noted, “in Los Alamos County is the richest county in the state,” pointing to a sentence the member said should be rewritten or removed for clarity. Members also identified multiple instances where numeric phrasing was confusing, such as a line that reads, “current drinking decreased by negative 9.4%,” which attendees said needs correction so the direction and magnitude of change are unambiguous.

Council members asked staff to remove or reword sentences that could be misinterpreted, including a passage that used the word “fortunately” when reporting an increase in repeat DWI convictions. Speaker 6 recommended striking or rephrasing the sentence to avoid unintentionally casting a negative outcome as positive. The group also concluded the plan lacks a clear vision statement and asked for a standalone vision to be added and circulated.

Several members requested more context for trend statements so future readers understand the evidence and scope behind each point; Speaker 6 urged adding clarifying notes or references so the plan remains useful if membership changes. The council also discussed better aligning the plan with county services to avoid duplication — Speaker 6 suggested contacting the Los Alamos County Community Health Council to coordinate efforts.

Next steps: staff will correct typographical and numeric issues, add a vision statement and supporting context for trends, and distribute a revised draft for review at the next meeting.