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Community Services presents year‑end report after national recognition; outlines parks, accessibility and mental‑health initiatives
Summary
Community Services staff told the Arts & Public Places Board that Los Alamos was named a national gold‑medal finalist for park and recreation administration and reviewed projects including ADA upgrades at Brewer Arena, upcoming playground builds, trail improvements, volunteer engagement and new mental‑health partnerships.
Los Alamos County’s Community Services Department told the Arts & Public Places Board on Sept. 23 that it was named a gold‑medal finalist by the American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration and outlined a year of staffing, facilities and mental‑health work.
"This national recognition by our peers validates what we've been working toward over the past 5 years," the presenter said, describing the department’s finalist status and the submission materials required for the award process.
The presentation highlighted staffing gains (five full‑time positions filled in recreation; lifeguard trainees progressing into paid roles), implementation of a Cartograph asset‑management system, and outreach metrics: staff reported more than 26,000 Facebook visits and a combined reach across Facebook and Instagram exceeding 119,000 people.
On capital and maintenance work, the department described several projects underway or nearing construction: ADA upgrades and reconstruction of the Brewer Arena grandstand and related restroom and parking improvements; new playground designs at 37th Street and Pinon Park; phase‑two renovations of urban athletic courts; and an outdoor classroom at Mesa Public Library. The golf course renovation is substantially complete and now includes ADA‑accessible tee boxes.
Staff also reviewed conservation and maintenance work on the county’s public art collection. A Pacific Coast conservation visit found most pieces stable but raised high‑priority concerns (rust delamination on regular steel pieces, paint choices for aging artists, and repairability of some library sculptures). The conservator recommended relocating some works out of water features when feasible and noted that lift and cleaning costs can make replacement more cost‑effective than repair.
Mental‑health and social‑services efforts were a significant portion of the report. Staff described partnerships to create a coordinated crisis response team, training initiatives (including opioid‑response trainings and a plan to train up to 1,000 people through a new LAUNCH coalition), and expanded juvenile‑services coordination and on‑site counseling.
Staff said they will provide the written Pacific Coast report and follow‑up recommendations to the board at a future meeting. Several procurement items for public art and a donor acceptance for a library piece will go to County Council for approval in October; staff expected contracts to move into procurement following council action.
