[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-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",[32,76,88],{"_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":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6526846,"mediaKeyId","3684423-a57a192760c40e46406a11b3e6da9d9d","parentId",3684423,"title","Deputy county attorney briefs health council on Open Meetings Act, public‑records rules and quorum requirements","audioSeconds",2346,"startMs",3842000,"endMs",6188000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3684423-a57a192760c40e46406a11b3e6da9d9d&start=3842&end=6188","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3684423-a57a192760c40e46406a11b3e6da9d9d/thumbnail_3842000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6526846/New-Mexico/Deputy-county-attorney-briefs-health-council-on-Open-Meetings-Act-publicrecords-rules-and-quorum-requirements","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6526846-835a7ae7f1c6bbcc7204069f576878a8/orig.mp4?Expires=1771103359&Signature=dTXj7AAY4R06gE~1gY8vAn8sNjViouyOushIufWEtwi3Mfzx21~a1VRogUEP8GqZeFI6s7a2u5wuLewZNdL6hS991ItGcHDKfVAJtoEDQXyH8cdMMSYzmy3wdmq97JTYw03c7iqrSBmfuAlPRVPU3TnLkV1eChbf5ekOjLZoHON7mQpTOs0g7Pn7vpDIOdnuPHUP6kLEZ94sCRYZ3ZDpi5V6Hri1jmbw9c8ZGxVLVEaeLQpHfpn6t6ARv8PXlWMTMO5URsqD-BV2tfUqD8~z2ZV5wJswXLPfLva9vQPKgNOP45~LVfVpW9lST6w4Pl4uS9VH9Xi6EqkMJA7AbsalLQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Los Alamos County","date","2025-06-05T00:00:00Z","article","Deputy County Attorney Katie Twates gave a training to the Health Council outlining state open‑meetings and public‑records law and how those laws apply to the council’s operations.

Twates summarized the two statutes that govern public meetings and records: the Open Meetings Act and the Inspection of Public Records Act (IPRA), often described as the state’s “sunshine laws.” She told the council that four elements must be met for a lawful meeting: a quorum, public notice, an agenda with specific items and timely minutes.

Quorum and appointments: Twates said the Health Council may have up to 15 members under Resolution 19‑28. Under county code, a quorum is a simple majority of appointed voting members; if 15 are appointed a quorum would be eight. With nine appointed members at the time of the briefing, a simple majority is five; Twates said the group must stop any meeting if the quorum is lost except to set a date and time for reconvening.

Notice and agendas: Twates explained that regular meetings must be published at least 10 days in advance (the council’s annual calendar generally satisfies this). Special meetings require 72 hours’ notice and agendas must list specific items of business so the public can decide whether to attend; the public must be able to see posted agendas on the county website and at a conspicuous posting location near the municipal building’s west entrance.

Limits on informal communications: Twates warned that “reply‑all” email threads or sequential phone calls among a quorum of members about public business can constitute a prohibited “walking forum.” Likewise, subcommittees must be composed intentionally to avoid creating quorums outside public meetings. She recommended creating a separate email account for Health Council business to simplify responses to public‑records requests.

Minutes and records: Action minutes should be prepared by staff within 10 working days and must include meeting date, attendees, substance of proposals and vote records. Twates said that while videos and audio are archived, action minutes are the usual public record and that secret or anonymous ballots or undisclosed votes would conflict with the law.

Liability and enforcement: Twates told the council that the liability for Open Meetings Act violations lies with the individual members; conviction for a willful violation is a misdemeanor. She noted that actions taken in violation of the Open Meetings Act may be invalidated.

Charter and political‑balance rules: Twates pointed to Resolution 19‑28 and county code as the governing instruments; she said the council must adhere to applicable laws and county rules regarding member appointments and any political‑balance provisions embedded in the charter and county code.

The briefing ended with council members asking procedural questions about notices, minutes and public‑records requests; Twates said she would provide the presentation and related materials to staff for distribution.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Los Alamos County - Los Alamos County Health Council on 2025-06-05 12:00 PM - Jun 05, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Katie Twates, the county deputy attorney, gave a legal briefing on the Open Meetings Act and the Inspection of Public Records Act, covering quorum rules, notice and agenda posting, limits on \"reply‑all\" email discussions, minutes and potential misdemeanor liability for violations.","taxTitle","Los Alamos, New Mexico","taxId",51137,"location","New Mexico","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6526851,"Social services explores crisis‑response partnerships, 988 link and regional behavioral‑health triage",517,2949000,3466000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3684423-a57a192760c40e46406a11b3e6da9d9d&start=2949&end=3466","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3684423-a57a192760c40e46406a11b3e6da9d9d/thumbnail_2949000.jpg","/articles/6526851/New-Mexico/Social-services-explores-crisisresponse-partnerships-988-link-and-regional-behavioralhealth-triage","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6526851-213dcf8b4ec8199dabd52e82ca34b2f9/orig.mp4?Expires=1771103359&Signature=FIXZhYa5P-ZlltCLcwVHUGitjkMFL0SpsFXaIFKcHyVwKmoErm6a22GJWoGm7bOCjypU1MGjEUlPcrvYg5KdLlMaKqJEB51DjEjbF1JAs9Yp6O~n4kGqmJYvqlxTWVxH36A1hbs8Onqq98xALjdTWRy1iAT4HCYchgTJ7ZCNst7SjqcTre0EvnQaYJmnsckNnkHm~diBxYyshUF7Fx39jT93SLnXzIr0rdzUUcEwITTcASWUntayYK9wX~Tx5GrD~s0eU8gNhhSn6uVvLUEYos4aWku-s3ERZkURUcjhirkQFLVWe-vV-CLPnu7trESsYzpr-gbGMuTftbEwJNe4Nw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Social services staff and Health Council members discussed building a coordinated crisis‑response system that would link 988 mental health calls, local first responders and regional behavioral‑health triage resources.

Jessica, a social‑services staff member who spoke to the council, said she attended a national conference on crisis‑response networks and is exploring models for a rural area like Los Alamos County. She described a range of approaches—from co‑response teams where social workers ride with police or fire to models in which social workers follow up after first responders to provide non‑tactical clinical support.

The discussion reflected several strands of work: the county’s interest in how police and EMTs connect with social services when officers encounter concerns such as possible hoarding or food insecurity; the nationwide rollout of 988 as a mental‑health emergency line; and the feasibility of regional triage facilities to shorten transports to Santa Fe.

Tyler Jones, introduced as a Los Alamos Visiting Nurses employee and emergency responder, said he helped start a Santa Fe crisis‑response unit initially known as “Meeho” and described it as an evolving approach that brought together ambulances, police, fire and case managers.

Jessica told the council that in one immediate step the county will host a representative from Esperanza domestic violence shelter in the Social Services office twice a month so clients can be warm‑handed to shelter staff. She also said Jordan (from Jessica’s office) is assembling a survey to collect feedback from previous Social Services clients to inform the design of local responses.

Funding and regional coordination: Staff cautioned that many crisis‑response pilots nationally have used Medicaid funds or related federal/state streams; the transcript recorded concern that some of those funding sources are uncertain and could be reduced at the federal level. Council members and staff said they plan to discuss a regional approach with counterparts in Española and Santa Fe and consider whether a multi‑county triage facility could reduce repeated ED transports to Santa Fe.

What’s next: Staff recommended exploring pilot options that fit existing local dispatch and staffing capabilities, and continuing conversations with neighboring counties and the state health authority.

No formal decisions or votes were recorded in the transcript; the discussion centered on planning, information‑gathering and next‑step coordination.","Los Alamos County social services staff described work to build crisis‑response partnerships — including coordination with police, EMTs and a potential regional behavioral‑health triage facility — and said they will pursue regional discussions following lessons from a national conference.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6526856,"Health council working group to present recommendations on community health action center after site visits",163,1229000,1392000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3684423-a57a192760c40e46406a11b3e6da9d9d&start=1229&end=1392","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3684423-a57a192760c40e46406a11b3e6da9d9d/thumbnail_1229000.jpg","/articles/6526856/New-Mexico/Health-council-working-group-to-present-recommendations-on-community-health-action-center-after-site-visits","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6526856-cc6ba047d135bdef3c7018df82da2649/orig.mp4?Expires=1771103359&Signature=aVBtzwEugbbIao0VXR4ccKORHFzKHMMwcD0hsnxsF46ZpSY6GMMl-FHMjgdKFy9gcFie~kQvpGBEEi04JQ7yFWfLAR-a25vaAmiNDpFFLRIiCwoF3K5ihm~lNySgx~qqAkUDz3c0s7EgwlDT2e2sGgzdF4nBo4peGxoO1pwz1uCrwuByvd0s7M84orvdNBFZRK9bnrvY2JATiK5zAoX0J06tXBwd~l5p-Om5CgdpeQ5lmennsp9kcP21SuwqIC8eznXNp0Z84FmTx6B8GjmIt~aylhp~Bvk2yaGsDsDPNXbGaMtplFdxZw66asal9~WTBRpIXHt~0uFLj2HinFn1sQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A Health Council working group will present its recommendations on requirements for a Community Health Action Center to the Los Alamos County Health Council at an upcoming meeting; the transcript did not specify the meeting date.

The working group has been meeting since March to identify what a consolidated facility would need — from room types and service areas to which partner organizations might be involved — and plans one additional meeting before delivering a package of recommendations to social services and the health council. Members told the council they suspended weekly meetings for the summer but expect to reconvene to finalize recommendations for the council presentation.

Why it matters: Council members and staff described the proposal as a way to “tighten the safety net” by co‑locating or better coordinating services such as social services, food distribution, veterans services and clinical care. If adopted, the recommendations would guide social services and other county partners as they consider site, space and service needs for a centralized hub.

Details of the working group’s work and materials: the group has:
- developed a parent resource guide covering prenatal services through age 5 intended for parents new to the community;
- maintained a directory of providers that currently lives on Google Docs and is linked from FSN and First Born websites; staff said they have a postcard with a QR code for both digital and printed distribution;
- conducted site visits to county social services facilities, La Clinica del Norte, and others; they plan additional visits to Casita De Comida (a food distribution model in Española), McCurdy Ministries and a newly built community center built with Indian Affairs Division capital funds; staff also mentioned a health clinic run by Presbyterian Medical Services in Estancia (the Esperanza Health Center) as a possible reference model.

Who is on the working group and next steps: Council members Jill and Heather and Tyler were named as participants, and staff member Jessica (Social Services) coordinated site visits. Jordan in Jessica’s office is preparing a short survey for former Social Services clients so the working group can include community feedback in its final recommendations. Social services staff indicated implementation and next steps would transition to county social services after the council receives the working-group recommendations.

Context and limits: The transcript did not include a formal vote or an ordinance connected to the working group’s work; council members described the group as preparing guidance and site requirements rather than selecting a specific building or committing county funds. Funding and procurement decisions would be handled later through the county’s established processes.

The Health Council will receive the group’s recommendations at the council presentation; staff said social services would take the lead on follow-up implementation work.","A Los Alamos County Health Council working group is finalizing recommendations on requirements for a potential Community Health Action Center and will present them to the council; the group has conducted several site visits and compiled a parent resource guide and provider directory.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Deputy county attorney briefs health council on Open Meetings Act, public‑records rules and quorum requirements

Social services explores crisis‑response partnerships, 988 link and regional behavioral‑health triage

Health council working group to present recommendations on community health action center after site visits