February 9, 2016 – Annual Meeting
EL RANCHO FLORIDA HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION, INC.
Annual Meeting – February 9, 2016
The Annual meeting of the El Rancho Florida HOA, Inc. was held on February 9, 2016 at 6:00 PM at the Oxford Grange, 8016 Hwy. 172, Durango. Board members present for the meeting were:
Rex Emenegger – President
Pete Dietrich -Treasurer
Teri Roberts – Secretary
Prior to the meeting a potluck was held at 5:30 for all those in attendance. The meeting was called to order at 6:00 PM. Rex Emenegger, President, reported that the meeting notice was by e-mailed, mailed and published in the Durango Herald. Marsha stated that there were 19 Proxies received and 22 lots present making a total of 41 lots, which meets the quorum requirement of 20 lots. The Board of Directors, Homeowners and Staff introduced themselves to those present.
MINUTES:
A motion was made, and passed to approve the minutes of last year’s Annual meeting of February 10, 2015 as written.
PRESIDENT’S REPORT:
Rex gave a brief overview of 2015. He added that there were 3 new rules adopted by the Board , The new regulations are:
#28. Noxious weeds will be treated and removed. The Treatment shall conform to the guidelines of the la Plata County Weed Management Office.
# 29. Rules and Regulations are Binding on all Occupants. The governing documents including the “Protective Covenants” and the “Rules and Regulations” shall be binding upon all occupants including tenants and renters.
#30. Residential Occupancy limited to One Building. Each lot is limited to one single-family residence. Residing in an outbuilding is prohibited.
Other topics discussed were:
Website – The Metro District/HOA website (elranchoflorida.org) has been expanded and improved. Homeowner information including agendas, minutes, rules & regulations, and covenants are available on the “HOA” tab. There is also a “beach calendar “ tab where you can post your large events.
House Numbering signs – The membership was reminded that reflective house numbers are available from the County Building Department at the Tech Center, 211 Rock Point Drive. They are standardized reflective numbers that aid emergency response personnel. The signs are free and made while you wait.
Beach Improvements – Improvements were made to the beach area at the pond in the amount of approximately $4,000 for sand and enlargement of the beach area.
Gate at the Common Area – The gate at the common area was vandalized. The cost to repair the gate was $750. The combination is changed bi-annually and all Homeowners were reminded NOT to share the combo with non-residents.
Pit Bull Incident – An incident occurred last summer where pit bulls attacked and killed another dog. The property owner was fined and assessed legal fees. The tenants were eventually evicted and the animals were removed from the subdivision. Only the fine was rescinded. Rule # 16, NO PIT BULLS ALLOWED IN the SUBDIVISION!
Covenants Enforced –
1. One garage was approved.
2. The Board dealt with situations where kids were
(1) illegally using the roads and
(2) had constructed a ‘moto cross’ track on a private property.
3. The accumulation of junk by a new tenant was addressed.
Welcome Packet. – A welcome packet was prepared and is now mailed to all new property owners.
PIONEER DITCH:
Eric Sibelius (201 Pioneer Circle) is a member of the Ditch Company Board of Directors. He also contracted with the HOA to be the Irrigation Manager for the subdivision. He clarified the two types of water in the ditch being Adjudicated water (run off water) and Project water (water stored behind lemon dam). Project water rights are owned and are reflected in your property deed. 200 feet of pipe was placed in lateral B from the main ditch along Pioneer Circle. Laterals A, A-1, B and C were required to put in gates and flumes. Required lateral improvements to the ditch last year amounted to $6,000 and were paid for by the Lateral Ditch users. The Pioneer Ditch meeting is March 7th, at 7:30 PM at the Florida Grange. Eric uses e-mail to update all irrigation users with irrigation news and information. Any ditch crossing must be approved by the Pioneer Ditch Company.
ELECTION OF BOARD OF DIRECTORs (2):
There are two vacancies on the Board of Directors. A motion was made to nominate and elect Pete Diethrich and Eric Sibelius to the Board of Directors for terms expiring in February of 2019.
A big thank you from the membership, Board of Directors and staff, was made to Jack Wasserbach and Kate Pickford for their many years of service on the Board of Directors.
2016 BUDGET:
Rex reported that the HOA is fiscally sound. There is roughly $60,000 in surplus. The Annual Fees will remain at $120 per lot. A motion was made and approved adopting the 2016 Budget.
METROPOLITAN DISTRICT UPDATE:
Steve Swisher reported that the District’s Water Distribution Line Replacement Project went very well and gave a thank you to all the residents for their patience during the construction. Williams Construction did a great job for the District. The District has spent $1.2 million dollars on the water line replacement project and about $600,000 on the new treatment facility for the District. The improvements were paid for with CWAPA (Colorado Water And Power Authority) Loan and grant monies from DOLA (Division of Local Affairs). The water system is considered one of the top water systems in the State by the Colorado Department of Health. The District still needs to do some work on the cul-de-sacs and Oxford Place with line replacement and additional fire hydrants.
There has been 64” of snow between December 22 and January 8. There are 7 miles of roads to plow with 4 passes on each road necessary after each storm. The goal is to open all of the roads by 7:30 am with a minimum of one lane of traffic. It is up to the homeowner to clear their driveways. Berms are unavoidable. Don’t clean them too soon, because another one is unavoidable. Rex informed those present that ice, slush, mud and potholes are coming. It has been an unusually heavy December and January. More snow is expected as February and March average 25”
The District will be spending approximately $90,000 on the roads this spring to bring them back up to Metro. standards.
New Board members for the District are Gary Wolt and Jim Belcher who will serve until the May election. The Metropolitan District thanks Jack Wasserbach for his dedication and service to the District over the years. Gary Skiba was also thanked for serving on the Board of Directors.
Rex thanked all those Homeowners in attendance and for their comments. Homeowner participation helps the Board do a better job for the whole subdivision. The meeting adjourned at 7:30 PM.
________________, Secretary
Teri Roberts