Wild Pointe Ranch Homeowners Association Meeting October 20, 2016 Legacy Academy I. Call to Order Mike Kellison called the meeting to order at 6.33 pm. He introduced Jessica Benson, Vice President and Evon Thorburn, Secretary, Treasurer. Mike then reviewed the agenda and stated there was a lot to be covered in the scheduled time and our objective was to conclude the meeting by 8:00. II. Guest Speaker Lt McCoy, Elbert County Sheriff s Department Evon Thorburn introduced Lt McCoy from the Elbert County Sheriff s Department. Lt McCoy has been in law enforcement for 30 years. He has experience in SWAT, K-9 handling and as a school resource officer. He started with Elbert County in 2008 where he currently oversees the traffic team, school safety and victim advocate program and community events. In 2014 he won a nation award for school safety. Lt McCoy reviewed his history in law enforcement and stated his favorite job is working with the schools. He said he was aware of some of our concerns with people who aren t residents of Wild Pointe being seen in the neighborhood. He was part of the HOA in Highlands Ranch so he understood our concerns about people who don t belong in the neighborhood, just hanging around. If you see a car in the neighborhood that you don t recognize and it stays there for 10-15 minutes call the department. The Elbert County Sheriff is Shayne Heap and he really cares about the community. Please call the department any time with concerns. If you are having a problem with speeders in the neighborhood, let the department know and the will put a speed trailer in the area. The Sheriff s Department will provide a home security assessment and make recommendations to help you secure your home or recommend placement of security cameras. People have complained about the second driveway at Legacy Academy. Residents think it takes longer because there is a second driveway. It is actually helping law enforcement manage the traffic flow. It used to back up to Hwy 86. Please bear with it as the traffic flow improves. Question: There was a concern about someone near the gazebo that didn t belong there. What should be done? Answer: Please get a description of the vehicle and license plates and call it in to the sheriff s department. Question: A counter on vehicle was observed parked at the entrance of the development. What was its purpose and are they considering putting a stop light there? Answer: Counter vehicles are used to count seat belts or it could be engineering counting traffic flow. The Sheriff s Department has talked to CDOT about putting a stop light there because there have been several serious accidents, but it s the citizens that can make that happen by contacting CDOT. Question: Is it possible to have patrol drive by new construction sites?
Answer. Business cards will be left. Please contact the department and they will schedule increased patrols. Question: Statistically how do we fare for crime? Answer: We are up from last year. Eight -Nine years ago they responded to 9,000 calls for service. Last year it was 18,000, with the same number of officers. The Sheriff s Department is pretty taxed. There were 5 homicides this year. However, Elbert County is still safer here than Douglas and other neighboring counties. Be vigilant about people in the neighborhood or people coming up to your house. We re up on marijuana. At a barbeque a vendor noticed some unusual activity and it turned out to be a grow operation. The Sheriff s Department seized 900 plants. They were supposed to be growing tomato plants. The department used the annual allocation for blood test kits for DUID within the first three months. Burglaries aren t too bad. They happen, but not often. Question: How many officers do you have? Answer: There are 4-5 officers that overlap throughout the day and they cover 1848 square miles. Question: Is there any positive effect by putting out neighborhood watch signs? Answer: Yes, there is. It s similar to putting an ADT sign on your house when you don t actually use the service. But, we might want to actually establish a neighborhood watch program. Question: Some streets don t show up on mapping software. Is there a way to get the information to the Sheriff s Department? Answer: He will notify dispatch that there are streets in Wild Pointe that don t show up. Mike Kellison will follow up with new street information. Comment: A recent call to the sheriff s department was handled very well. Thank you. Comment: Thank you for your service. Lt. McCoy concluded by talking about three activities offered by the department. The first was the annual golf tournament. If you go onsite at the schools they ask for your driver s license and it s run through the raptor system to identify sex offenders, individuals with a restraining order or a child custody problem. If there is a match, the raptor system sends a notification directly to law enforcement. Last year the proceeds from the golf tournament were used to purchase three raptor systems for schools in Elbert County. (A forth one was donated.) They are trying to get them in all the schools. They are planning a Safety Faire at Walmart in July. There will be a lot of good information and giveaways for kids The last function is the Sheriff s Ball which helps fund a foundation for officers in Elbert County. The fund is for fallen officers or for those who have been injured. The Sheriff s ball is scheduled for March and will feature dinner, dancing and an auction for a firearm. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact him. The best number to reach him is his cell phone. Mike Kellison stated that the reason we asked the sheriff s department to join us was because of all the chatter on FB and concerns being expressed by community.
III. Communications Janine Martin, Communications Officer Janine Martin said she moved to Wild Pointe in February 2015. When she and her family arrived they had a difficult time finding information such as when trash was collected, how to submit information to the ARC, whether or not there were any events scheduled, etc. She saw a need for a single resource to provide the community with relevant information. Chris Martin created WildPointenews.com to collect information for the community in a well-organized manner. This is a private webpage that could be used to put information like Neighborhood Watch, something we wouldn t want to be published for the general public. There are currently 52 registered households. There will be contests in the future, so stay tuned. If you would like to register please contact Janine Martin. Question: Is there a way to communicate Facebook postings regarding unusual activity in the neighborhood to the sheriff s department in real time? Answer: It s best to have the person who has actually witnessed an event to make that decision and contact the sheriff s department directly. Question: Is the gazebo outside of Wild Pointe, like the pond? Answer: Yes, it is. It s the Metro District. The HOA does not have any public property. Send email to Communications@wildpointenews.com or HOABoard@wildpointenews.com Question: Who maintains the bridle paths? It s unclear where they actually are located. The extent of the maintenance was one pass with a mower. Answer: They are maintained by the Metro District. Part of the HOA s responsibility is to make sure they are maintained. Question: Who authorizes the postings at the mail boxes? Who monitors that? Answer: Run all postings through Communications for approval. We will start using the display case more because not everyone uses Facebook. We may want to put up a display case at the other mail box area. Some of the postings that have been stapled to the posts are actually helpful such as the notice for the Water Board hearing. If it s inappropriate, tear it down. Question: On Facebook there was talk about whether or not to have Halloween this year. Should we buy candy? Answer: We will ask Janine to coordinate a Social Committee and activities like Halloween are a perfect example of how we could use an organized effort. Halloween is Monday. Trick or Treaters should be early in the evening, 5:00 to 6:00, because of the danger of dark roads and coyotes. IV. Architectural Review Committee- Jessica Benson, Vice President A. Submitting an Application A quick reference link has been posted on the Wild Pointe News website for your reference. Outbuildings must match the home s color, building material and roof. You may use the plot plan to show where things are located. If things need to be located in the building envelop, make sure you show where it s located. If you want to have your building envelop changed, that s not the HOA, that s the county. Provide us with as much
information as possible to assist in expediting the review. Send the plans to Z and R along with your check for review. B. Fencing guidelines 48 split rail fences (three rails) are permitted. There are specific guidelines for dog runs that are different, but for perimeter fences, it s four feet. There have been some variances such as square posts instead of round ones and different colors. Recently we have had a number of requests for fences that are exceptions to the approved guidelines. There are people who feel strongly on both sides of the issue. If there are a number of people who want to see the guideline changed in the future, please send an email to HOABoard@WildPointenews.com. We can conduct an informal survey on the website to see if there is enough interest to take it to the community for a vote. C. New ARC Formation Mike Kellison When we initially took over the HOA, there was a significant backlog of requests for review by the ARC and the committee did not all hold the same opinion about the guidelines. As a result things weren t being processed quickly. We decided we needed to learn exactly what was being done by the ARC before we could provide adequate direction. In order to expedite homeowner and builder requests, we asked the ARC to step aside and we took over the function so we could learn the process. We have completed all requests and they are current at this time. In the process we ve come to a better understanding of what we need to do to provide direction for the committee. If you are interested in serving on the ARC, please send an email to HOABoard@wildpointenew.com Question: Are perimeter fences allowed? Answer: Yes, except the easements, trail, water, road, etc. Since some properties have bridle paths these lots may not be able to fence the entire perimeter. Question: Do you have to have a survey? Answer: That s our understanding, but we can t find it in writing, but that doesn t mean it shouldn t be done. The risk of completing a perimeter fence without a survey is that a homeowner might have to tear it down at their own expense if it is not on your property or if it s in an easement. Question: Does the ARC look at trail easements when approving plans? Answer: Yes, we look at the plans and are aware of where the trails are located. V. Covenants Mike Kellison, President We were asked to bring some of the covenants to everyone s attention. There have been a number of violations lately so these are a good reminder for all of us. In some cases the property management company has sent notices to fix or remove some of these things. A. Prohibited Activities Off road vehicles are not permitted on your property or someone else s property. Noise and grazing are prohibited. Although we aren t aware of any specific problems, we were asked to cover it. B. Vehicle parking Our covenants state vehicles must be parked on the driveway. However, driveway is a flexible term in this neighborhood. We have gravel, asphalt and concrete. The covenants do not specifically state how many cars can be parked on the property. Please be respectful of your neighbors. C. Recreational vehicles. Motor homes, trailers, campers, boats, 5 th wheels, off road vehicles and jet skis, are prohibited. If you have one of these parked on your property, expect to get a notice from the property management company. When we receive complaints we forward them to the property management company.
Question: Does the property management company inspect the community? Answer: Yes. Question: Can we load and unload our RV on our property? Answer: Yes, you can. If you are going to have an RV on your property for a short period of time or if you are going to have visitors for a week with an RV, send us or Z and R an email. Question: Does the property manager drive into our driveway and then turn around and leave. It s happened a couple times. Answer: We have never known them to do that. If it happens again, note the car and plate number and report it to the sheriff s department. D. Animals and Pets Our covenants allow chickens but do not specifically address the number of chickens you can have. Since it s not specified, please be respectful of the number you have. Question: Did we skip trailers? Answers: There are a lot parked in the community. The rule states you can discreetly park two trailers on the property. Utility trailers under 20 feet and horse trailers are included. The covenants state they must be registered and the location of the trailer must be submitted to the HOA. The covenants also specifically prohibit commercial trailers. We would prefer not to keep a data base on trailers, but if there is a problem, we might have to start. Empty trailers only, no boats or other stuff on them. Question: Many of the lots have 360 views in the neighborhood. It s difficult to be discreetly park trailers. Answer: Try your best to make sure it s not plainly in view. Question: If you can t park it discreetly, can we require trees to screen it? Answer: The covenant does allow us to require it, but please feel free to email us if there is a specific problem. Question: Some houses are built in such a way that it s difficult to comply. Can the ARC consider this when reviewing plans? Answer: When possible we do. Question: Can we change the rules on trailers? Answer: If there is enough interest we can take it to the community for a vote. Question: Can we do anything about the noise from the builder s equipment before 7:00 in the morning? Answer: We will notify the builders that construction activities are 7:00 am to 7:00 pm. Let us know and we ll send the builder a notice. Question: Can we hold the builder responsible for fixing the potholes. They will get worse in the winter. Answer: The roads are the county s responsibility, but we can make sure they are aware that it is a result of the heavy equipment used by the builder.
Question: There appears to be a road being graded where there should only be a trail. Does anyone know about that? Answer: It is our understanding that it is to be a utility road, which is on the original builder plan. E. Lot Maintenance Tall grass is not required to be mowed, but weeds and thistles are required to be removed. The Metro District did weed removal when they did the trails and ditches. Question: What about weeds in the culverts? We didn t reseed and there are a lot weeds. Are we responsible and how do we get rid of them? Answer: The homeowner is responsible. The Metro District does mowing, trail maintenance and weed removal. They will also do weed removal for a fee for the homeowners. Question: Are vacant lots required to be maintained the same as we do? Answer: Not sure what the covenants may say about vacant lots. They haven t in the past. If they are, we will make sure they are notified. Question: Who is responsible for weed removal by the public streets? Answer: The county. It s tough with the county. They don t have a lot of resources. Question: Who is responsible for the cracks in the roads? Answer: It is the county, but we will send the developer an email and try to hold them responsible. VI. Budget/Z&R Contract Evon Thorburn, Treasurer A review of the budget shows that it is heavily reliant on Other Income. We have two sources of income for the budget. The first is from dues the homeowners pay. These funds are primarily used for trash removal. The second source of income is called Other Income. These are funds that are collected from the builders and homeowners when we review building and landscape plans. As the development matures, there will be a decline of Other Income. While the budget and financial statements are healthy now, long term we will not be able to sustain the operating budget as Other Income declines. The budget will be posted on the Wild Pointe website for all to review. Z&R Contract Mike Kellison - The contract has been auto renewing for years. Z&R has been the property manager for 10 years. Right now we have no idea how their costs compare with other property management companies. Previous experiences with Mike Mellinger were not great, but they have improved significantly with Jared. They have been much more responsive and communicate well with us. However, it would be prudent for us to compare other property management companies and get a new bid from Z&R. The contract is scheduled to renew in November, but it can be cancelled with a 30-day notice. Other property management companies have approached us expressing an interest. We will report back in the next few months. Question: Have you projected out the cost benefit from new lots? Answer: No, not yet. But, generally speaking, you can expect $350 from the builder and $350 from the homeowner. Currently the budget has a zero net income, with property management being our biggest expense. The dues paid by homeowners are sufficient to pay for trash removal. The additional income is needed to pay for property management. Property management is our biggest line item expense.
Question: Does the current builder pay HOA dues? Answer: Yes, they should be. In the past it was difficult to get David and Carl to pay for their lots. We will verify that is currently being paid. Question: Have we considered having the builder pay a higher fee? There s a lot to review a new build. Answer: We will explore what is necessary to do that for the future. VII. Holiday Lights Mike Kellison, President One of the things we discussed early on was the possibility of lighting for the entrances during the holidays. Several people have brought it up and most other neighborhoods have lights and ours has always been dark. We received two bids. The first was from Swingle Tree. The cost for lighting 10 trees and a handful of wreaths is $5200 and we don t own any of the lights or decorations. The second option was to purchase and install the lights and decorations. The one time purchase price for commercial grade lights, wreaths and barrels to store them is $1600 and $1500 for installation. None of it comes without a cost. Given Evon s concern about the budget, we will look at alternative ways to decorate the neighborhood. Or, we can get a group together as a social event and encourage neighbors to decorate. VIII. Open Floor for New Issues/Comments from Homeowners Comment: Please make sure neighbors know that dogs aren t supposed to be loose. Answer: Please be respectful of others. They are to be fenced or on leashes. Question: Can we have the minutes posted? Not everyone is able to attend the meeting. Answer: Yes, they have been recorded and will be posted. Thank you to everyone for attending. It greatly exceeded our expectations. Question: Does anyone know when they will break ground for Ritoro? Answer: Ground breaking is scheduled for December. They appear to be getting close, since we ve seen traffic monitors. Question: Is it possible to have stickers for our cars so we can easily determine who is a resident? Answer: Not a bad idea. We will look into it. There being no additional questions or comments the meeting was adjourned at 8:03 by Mike Kellison.