BY MAIRE O’NEILL
maire@losalamosreporter.com
Los Alamos County Board of Utilities and Los Alamos County Council have now both heard concerns about an announcement from YES! Communities, owners of Elk Ridge Mobile Home Community, that the company is working with Los Alamos County to convert their natural gas service to propane.
At last Tuesday’s County Council meeting, Councilors heard public comment from Elk Ridge residents who were concerned about the costs the transition will incur that could be passed on to them.
Council Chair Denise Derkacs pointed out that Councilors are “not allowed to comment because it’s not on the agenda”.
“I will say that we hear you and we’re sympathetic to your concerns and the County has reached out to YES! Communities to provide more information as quickly as possible so that they can expeditiously make the transition from natural gas to propane,” Derkacs said.
A spokesperson for the Department of Public Utilities told the Reporter on Monday that the Elk Ridge conversion from natural gas to propane would require that YES! Communities obtain a permit from the state Construction Inspections Division and because the new system will be on private property, the design will not have to be approved by the County.
At last month’s Board of Utilities meeting, Chair Robert Gibson also noted that the concerns of the Elk Ridge residents were not something the board could discuss that evening because it was not on the agenda. However, he went on to note that a number of different issues have been raised – “some of which are not within the purview of the Utility Board”. Gibson asked DPU Manager Philo Shelton if he had any fresh information.
“People are concerned that they haven’t heard anything more since the letter of three weeks ago. Do we know anything more that we can share?” Gibson asked.
Shelton responded that the only thing he had heard as of the day before was that the ownership team indicated that they have a meeting next week to formulate a plan on the conversions.
“I share the same concerns. We’re on it too,” Shelton said.
Gibson said, as he interprets it, the main part of the issues is between landlord and tenant like communications”.
“We’re not directly involved in that. We’re trying to share what we know. We’re interested too in what they’re going to do or might do and when we know, we’ll do what we can to pass the word,” Gibson said.
The lack of information from YES! Communities on the propane transition reflects ongoing issues with Elk Ridge management. Residents have struggled for years to receive responses from management onsite and in Texas for major issues such as having no water service for days as well as having questions about payments. The company does not appear to be responding to anyone. La Mesa Mobile Home Park has also had issues with communicating with residents over the years. Complaining to the County has frequently drawn a response of, “It’s private property; there’s nothing the County can do”. Residents are now talking about the need for an ordinance regulating mobile homes in the County, similar to those in Alamogordo, Santa Fe and elsewhere.
Remarks made during public comment opportunities varied. One resident believed that it is the intention of the County to convert Los Alamos to propane with Elk Ridge being “the target to begin stepping into the transition”.
“It feels like we’re being pushed into dealing with this without our voice being heard…. We are a community but we are not recognized as a community. That is an issue. and there’s 200 of your constituents compared to a company that’s taking the money off the hill. They are not investing in or hiring from the community. They’re running it into the ground,” he said.
“You come home one day and find a letter posted on your door saying the natural gas system has reached the end of its life and that it’s not feasible to replace it, therefore it is recommended that we convert to propane. That’s all the information you’re given. End of story. There’s no timeline. Is the gas flow good for a week or a month. There’s no financial reassurance as to who will cover the cost. I pay $900 a month just to have the trailer parked there, not to mention a mortgage at 9 percent interest … I’m on fixed income. I don’t have the financial resources should I have to bear the cost of this switch,” another resident said.
Residents asked at both meetings for the issue to be placed on the agenda for the BPU and Council so that there could be discussion and to make sure YES! Communities representatives would be there to explain what is going on.
The following is a fact sheet from the DPU website on the issue:
- The conversion project by Yes! Communities, owner of the Elk Ridge Mobile Home Park, is necessary because the natural gas distribution system serving the residents has reached the end of its useful life and it is not feasible to replace it.
- Los Alamos County does not know the details or timing of the Yes! Communities – Elk Ridge Mobile Home Park natural-gas-to-propane conversion project.
- The County has reached out to Yes! Communities and will provide more information once we receive it.
- The Los Alamos County Department of Public Utilities (DPU) has been metering and billing for the natural gas that comes from DOE/LANL through a master meter at Elk Ridge.
- Once each individual home conversion is completed, DPU will conduct a final meter reading at the residence and close out individual natural-gas accounts. When the entire park conversion project is completed, we will purge and cap the distribution system.
- DPU did a comprehensive leak survey of the entire park in July and Aug and no leaks were detected.
- DPU will continue to provide electric service direct to each customer.
- Questions? Elk Ridge residents may contact the community office of Yes! Communities’ or email community management atElkRidge@yescommunities.com.
