4th thinking out loud - poudre property services · published 12/5/2015 page 2 thinking out loud...

Published 12/5/2015 page 1

Thinking Out Loud Newsletter 4th Quarter 2015

Thinking Out Loud Our quarterly community newsletter

4th Quarter, 2015

River West is a community organization (HOA) within the town limits of Windsor, Co. and part of Larimer County. Our River West Community was established to appeal to homeowners wanting a blend of open spaces with town amenities such as paved streets and sidewalks, town water, and sewer as well as the protection of town law enforcement. We have 212 homeowners and more than 152 acres of open space owned and controlled by our association, complete with all the wildlife indigenous to northeast Colorado.

PRESIDENT’S COLUMN Rick Smith

President’s Report 1,2

Contributions from Members, General Information

and Related Articles 2-6

River West Real Estate Market Activity 7

Board Minutes 8-10

Contact Information 11

Hello Friends and Neighbors, It is with mixed emotions that I write this, my last, column for our newsletter. Without reserve, I thank all members of the Board for their years of service and friendship. We have over 3 decades of experience, including 4 current and past Presidents exiting the Board this year. As such, I implore you to consider volunteering for the Board. It is a terrific opportunity for you to voice your opinions and enact those changes that you feel will enhance our neighborhood. We will have 6 openings available. Interest in serving on the Board always begins with questions about time, commitment, and duties. It is a very re-warding experience and you will learn a lot about how our neighborhood operates and the decisions involved. So an overview. Our Board consists of up to 9 members with a minimum of 3 members. Each member commits for a two-

year period with the intent that half of the Board is in year one and half in year two to maintain a modicum of continuing knowledge on the Board. Our management company handles a majority of our ‘operational’ and day-to-day tasks. The Board roles and responsibil-ities are as follows: Prerequisite for all Board members, but most helpful for Board Executives: familiarity with HOA Bylaws, Rules and Regulations.

The Board meets 6 times per year under our new management contract typically at the home of a Board member who is nominally reimbursed for any snack and drink expenses. President, a formal role Primary responsibility is to Chair all meetings. Please note – Chair, not host. Meeting agendas are created by the management company and amended prior to the meeting by all Board members.

Meetings follow a modified Roberts Rules format. The Chair follows the agenda and typically for each agenda item and in this or-der: controls flow of the discussion on the agenda item; asks for motions (if any action is determined); calls for votes on motions; announces vote outcomes and action items if any. This format is strictly up to the sitting Chair and Board – so a more formal Roberts Rules could be implemented if so de-

sired. Believe me, at times, this could help IF the membership could be held to follow them. This does include Chairing the Annual Meeting for all members. Secondary responsibility – primary liaison to the management company, HOA members, and communication coordinator with

other Board members. HOA members are asked to contact the management company directly, however they can also contact any Board member

and as the President is listed first, you occasionally get calls from members, especially if they have not gotten the response they felt was forthcoming from the management company. Any questions or action requests from the management company will be directed to the President for dissemination to the

other Board members, typically with suggested actions or queries included. The Board conducts quite a bit of business via email. The President coordinates these email chains and forwarding questions

and action items to the management company as needed. Vice-President, a less formal role Acts in place of the President if the President is unavailable or absent Secretary, a less formal role Responsibilities are for the taking of minutes of each meeting. However, the management representative at the meetings will

take the minutes and submit them back to the Board for revision and review. The Secretary should coordinate this process. Treasurer, a formal role

The Treasurer is primarily responsible for reviewing all transactions affecting the books of the HOA. The management compa ny processes day-to-day activity without the input of the Treasurer and Board in general and submits monthly packets to the Board including the most recent Balance Sheet and Profit & Loss statements, electronic copies of all invoices, HOA members with outstanding accounts, and Legal Action reports. The Treasurer confirms that items were booked correctly and presents a report to the Board at meetings of incomes and expenses and the status of the budget both YTD and predicted. The Board votes to approve the financials, etc.



President’s Column cont.

Please note that River West maintains two sets of ledgers and budgets. We have 212 total homeowners that share and make up the Common Books and Budget and 44 patio homeowners that share and make up the Lakeside Patio Homes Books and Budget. Reports are presented for the “Lakes” and the “Commons”.

The Treasurer, with the assistance of the Board, establishes the budgets

for the coming year which are approved by the membership at the annual meeting. These budgets determine the Dues and Fees for each upcoming year. Again, there is a budget and separate dues for the “Commons” and the “Lakes”.

In previous years, a majority of these tasks were handled within the management company and the Board trusted the

budget status and transaction bookings were valid and correct. In recent years, we have taken a more active approach to both ‘audit’ and correct issues in the process and gain a better understanding of the books as a whole.

Members-at-large, an informal role

Non-executive Board members attend meetings and hold voting rights on all issues. Their input is invaluable and the

more we have, the more usable input we can have on issues. Diversity of opinions, knowledge, and experience have prov-en the backbone of the HOA.

Any HOA member can volunteer for the Board. This occurs at the annual meeting and if volunteers were many and outnumbered positions available, each volunteer would be nominated and each volunteer feted and voted on by the membership. Only recently have we approached the maximum Board member count, so all volunteers are typically welcomed and voted in as a slate. Please feel free to share this with others and urge them to join. Again, thank you for your interest and we are most certainly pleased you are considering service on the Board! Happy Holidays to All – may you find Peace and Joy this season.

CHRISTMAS TREE SAFETY TIPS

The carolers are out and the holiday decorations are everywhere. The joy of the sea-

son should not be dampened by the risk of fire. In recent years, nearly 600 fires per

year have been started by ignition of Christmas trees in the United States, causing an

average of 33 deaths, 112 injuries and $21 million in direct property damage per

year. Christmas trees add a special touch to the holiday season, but they also can be a

fire hazard. Here are some helpful tips to reduce the risk of fire:

Check your tree lights for broken or frayed wires and loose connections.

Replace non-working light bulbs.

Avoid decorating Christmas trees with candles.

Make sure live Christmas trees are fresh. Don’t buy trees with brown needles or dry limbs.

Consider having the tree sprayed with a Fire Marshall-approved flame retardant chemical.

Give the tree plenty of water. Never let the base holder dry out.

Don’t place the tree near a heat source, open flames and room exits.

Keep light strings and other electrical decorations out of children’s reach.

Always unplug the Christmas tree lights when you leave or go to bed.

Don’t burn the Christmas tree or package wrappings in a fire place or wood stove. Keep this holiday season full of life, laughs and memories — remember to have a fun and safe time.



Frank State Wildlife Area “Mining Moonscape”….by Carl Sorrentino (east of River West: how soon a recreational area again?)

Newcomers to our community may wonder what the gravel mining area just east of our River West entrance looked like prior to the current “moonscape.” Neighbors during the past 16 or more years will remember the inviting lake that offered free access, non-motorized boats, fishing, hiking, and even hunting on certain days of the week. How soon a return to recreation? Colorado Parks and Wildlife officers and Town of Windsor’s Wade Willis (Parks, Recrea-tion & Culture manager) held a public meeting December 1 to offer a perspective. But it’s too early to set a timeline, with details about public use. Background: The proper ty, pr ivately owned, was set up as a conservation easement in the late 1960s when the landowner agreed to not build a housing development, got a tax break, and kept the area open generally “for wildlife purposes.” You can view an area MAP by googling Frank State Wildlife Area, Windsor, Colorado. Choose “Web,” scroll down to the fourth para-graph “Frank SWA,” then under its lake photograph choose “View printable Map.” Frank SWA has five reservoirs or lakes, the one in the northwest corner is Lake 1 also know to us (and Central Colorado Water Conservancy District, the WATER owner) as Jo Dee Reservoir. When conservation easements are set up, as Larimer County has done with River Bluffs Open Space just north of our Jo Dee S.H. 392 underpass tunnel and north of that, Three Bells conservancy, the landowner gets to run his cattle, plant crops, and oth-erwise do agriculture . . . or in the case of Frank SWA, have the right to continue gravel mining. At Frank SWA just a couple of years ago, an agreement with the state ran into an end date and the reservoir east of Weld County Road 13 got drained of water and is being mined again. What next? The “intergovernmental agreement” for Frank SWA will await details until the mining company completes its op-erations at some point in time. A management plan will then likely keep the same values as before regarding wildlife and con-servation: we may see public access, non motorized boating, weed control, trails, fishing, and more, but no golf course, baseball field, nor speed boats. No houses or restaurants. Could they drain and re-mine the gravel-pit-turned-reservoir we know as Jo Dee? Very unlikely, according to hired con-sultant Andy Cole. There would be little value in re-mining our “lake” compared with the potential for “aggregate” gravel avail-able from countless sites around our Larimer and Weld county neighboring lands. Also, Jo Dee is LINED with a bentonite or clay “bottom” that enhances it as a water saving reservoir. It is also an ongoing state fishery site, currently used for a saugeye hybrid breeding ground whereby walleyes (walleyed pike) are bred with sauger. If you see motor boats on Jo Dee next summer, they will likely be state workers running traps and gill nets for a couple of days to capture fish for a new survey of the Jo Dee species and their health.

WOULD YOU LIKE OUR NEWSLETTER AND IN COLOR?

Join your neighbor and have your “Talking Out Loud” association quarterly newsletter delivered electronically via e-mail attachment. Our newsletters are in universally accepted PDF format, virus scanned and they view and print in color. In addition to the newsletters, the Board occasionally sends out important notices that are too time sensitive to go out via snail mail. Not only is it efficient, but it saves our association (and ultimately you) printing costs and is environ-mentally friendly. It is as simple as e-mailing me at [email protected] and ask to be included on our electronic mailing list. Please note that we take your privacy very seriously and we do not share your personal information with anyone. Also, we do not accept advertising . Mac McDowell, Editor

Christmas Carriage Rides Are Back!

Come one, Come all, and be of good cheer!

The River West Carriage Rides soon will be here!

Tuesday, December 8th from 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm in the Riv-

er West (west end) cul de sac.

Free horse-drawn carriage rides with tickets to be handed

out at the event, first come, first served.

mailto:[email protected]



Mom and Dad’s Holiday Survival Guide

Take physical safety precautions:

Young children are at-risk of eating poisonous holiday plants

(mistletoe, poinsettias, and holly berries). Keep your local poison cen-

ter’s number near the phone. Small table decorations and ornaments

can be harmful if swallowed. Try to keep small objects, including hard

candies and nuts, out of reach. If a child eats too much, read the medi-

cation label before treating upset stomachs. Fire-proof your home. Nat-

ural and artificial trees can catch fire and while roaring fireplaces may

look festive they can be dangerous if proper safety measures are not in

place.

Take mental safety precautions:

Your sanity is as important as your family’s physical safety. Expect some amount of stress and

plan ahead as much as possible to keep it to a minimum. Organize your shopping list and spread

your shopping activities out over a few weeks. Have the holiday dinner at someone else’s house if

having it at yours is too much stress.

Involve your children in the preparation of the festivities:

Have your children help you with the all of the various aspect of preparing for the holidays.

Brainstorm menu items from a stack of holiday recipes. Make holiday decorations together from

ideas gathered in family magazines or special holiday craft books. Some craft ideas make excel-

lent gift ideas. Start a holiday memory box. Save all of the cards, bits of wrapping paper, special

pictures, and other odd assortments to review later in the year. Get excited about looking in the

mailbox for Christmas cards and let the children help decide the best location for them. Make up

a list of people to send your holiday greeting. If you’re really ambitious make them up by hand.

Create special traditions and rituals:

Traditions and rituals are patterns of behaviors that have symbolic or spiritual meaning. They

build firm foundations and reduce children’s holiday hyperactivity by creating a sense of family

identity. Dinner menus, religious observances, advent calendars, gift wrapping parties, orna-

ment collecting, sing-a-longs, and special holiday stories are just a few ways that parents can de-

velop more intimate relationships with their children.

Reduce your expectations:

If you expect to have no problems, perfect children, or accident proof holidays you will be in for a

major disappointment. Remember that children are often over-stimulated by the sights, sounds,

and incredible number of television commercials about the holidays. Think positively, optimisti-

cally, and rationally.

Give yourself a gift:

The greatest gift you can give yourself is the gift of taking care of yourself.

You have to take care of yourself before you can start taking care of

everyone else. Delegate some of the shopping and preparations to other

family members and take frequent breaks to regain lost energy. Do some-

thing for someone else that doesn’t involve writing a check. It’s amazing

how doing a selfless act can renew your inner strength. Call a few non-

profit organizations in the phone book to see how you can help. Valuing

yourself and help other less fortunate is also a good model for your

children of what the holidays are really about!



10 Reasons to Serve on an HOA Board As a homeowner, you have a big stake in the safety and cleanliness of your neighborhood. Perhaps you own a home that’s part of a community and that shares common amenities, such as open space, sidewalks, utilities and more. How can you ensure that your community will be properly maintained and cared for? The best way is to volunteer with your homeowner’s associa-tion. All our HOA committee positions are unpaid, however, the satisfaction of

knowing your community is being well taken care of often outweighs any monetary compensation. We’ve come up with a list of top 10 Reasons to Serve on an HOA Board. Perhaps this list will compel you to get involved with your association!

1. Protect Your Property One of the top priorities of every homeowner is to protect the value of his or her home. Being involved with an HOA will put you in a better position to make and implement rules in your community. Some of these regulations will directly affect property value, especially if they require decisions about the association’s budget or routine maintenance. 2. Correct Problems Are you noticing problems in your community, such as open space landscaping and general mainte-nance? Maybe there’s a problem with unruly neighbors? You can take charge now and help to correct them by being a part of the board.

3. Meet More of your Expectations Did you have certain expectations when you bought your home in the community? Are your expecta-tions being met? It is unlikely unless you are among the lucky few. By serving on an HOA board, you can achieve your expectations of a more perfect community much sooner by working with your neigh-bors.

4. Gain Better Understanding of the Laws Volunteering as a board member will make you well-versed in laws and regulations related to commu-nity associations and maintenance. It will also give you a good grasp of finances and budgeting.

5. Have Fun Experiences Taking on some of your association’s tasks does not have to be a boring. It can be fun, especially when you get to socialize, work with your neighbors and come up with creative ideas on how to make your community run better.

6. Learn Life Lessons As an HOA board member, you learn valuable life lessons about working as a team. You learn to share your interests and responsibilities with others, and at the same time, you understand the importance of valuing others’ opinions before making decisions. 7. Help Build a Resume Did you know volunteering with a homeowner’s association can help build your resume and perhaps help advance your career? Any kind of community volunteer service is favorable in the eyes of future employers.

8. Learn Leadership Skills Serving on an HOA can teach you more than what you imagine. It gives you a chance to hone, leader-ship skills, take charge of issues and work with others to fix them. Your organizational skills are sure to take a leap too when you organize holiday dinners and get-togethers in your community.

9. Give Back to the Community One way to give back to your neighbors and community is to serve on your association’s board, which allows the opportunity to make good decisions that will have a positive impact on everyone.

10. Meet Neighbors An HOA meeting is the best place to meet your neighbors and to know more about them. It gives you a chance to socialize and make friends with others living in your neighborhood.

http://www.iveyengineering.com/reasons-serve-hoa-board/



Great Holiday Recipe Orange Gingerbread

Ingredients: 1/2 Cup of butter 1/2 Cup of sugar 1/2 Cup of light molasses 1 Egg, beaten Grated rind and juice of 1 orange 1/2 Cup of cold tea 1 3/4 Cups of pastry flour 3/4 Teaspoon of soda (baking) 1 Teaspoon of ginger

Directions: Cream the butter, add the sugar and mix until fluffy. Add the molasses, beaten egg, rind and juice of the orange and beat well. Add the tea and flour which has been sifted with the soda and ginger. Bake 30 minutes at 300°F to 325°F.

NOTICE TO HOMEOWNERS The Board has voted to change its regular monthly Board meeting from every month to every other month. Below are the 2015 sched-uled Board meetings. Please note that meetings other than regularly scheduled meetings may occur as issues come up. Additionally, the Board now conducts Board business via electronic means. Next

Additional work on the Erosion Mitigation Project will be begin-ning on Saturday, December 12th. The 5 small drop walls in the drainage between River West Drive and Rivers Edge Road will be deconstructed and buried in place. Backfilling and regrading of the channel walls will correct and remove the erosion hazards. Thank you for your patience and understanding during this work. Our apologies for any noise and disturbance.



River West Real Estate Market Activity

This information was obtained from sources deemed to be reliable but is not guaranteed.

Homes Currently on the Market

Address Style SqFt/Bsmt List$ Days on market

658 Trappers Pl 2Story 2842/1550 449,000 102

Homes Sold in the last 6 Months

Address Style SqFt/Bsmt List$ Sold$ Days to Offer

1914 Hillside Pl Ranch 1590/1590 299,999 250,000 30

595 Lakeside Pl Ranch 1966/1966 410,000 400,000 63

627 Poudre Pl 2Story 2707/954 425,000 417,500 61

2106 River West Dr Ranch 1973/1623 425,000 420,000 58

1912 Reflection Pl Ranch 2174/1441 458,000 443,000 32

776 Pioneer Pl 2Story 2741/1820 474,900 474,900 8

Average days to an offer = 42 List price vs Sales Price = 96%

There were 10 Homes that Sold in 2015

High - $474,900 Low - $250,000 Average - $405,740

Average days on the market – 66

There were 10 Homes that Sold in 2014

High - $475,000 Low - $324,900 Average - $399,890

Average days on the market – 67

by Steve Bullard, Member at Large



The River West Board of Directors meeting was called to order at 6:02 pm. A quorum was present with all Board Members in attendance. Approval of Agenda: The Board reviewed the agenda with addition of Board Member Terms. Board Member Terms: Steve Everett, 1st yr of 2 yr term

Rick Smith 2nd Yr, not returning

Bob Jonckowski 2nd Yr, not returning

Mary Adams. 1st yr for 2 yr term

Mike Kauffman 2nd Yr, not returning

Amy Geoden, 1 yr from 2 year term. Steve Bullard 1st Yr, not returning The Board is going to try and recruit new Board Members for next year for those who will not be renewing their terms. Homeowner Forum: None Town of Windsor, Wade Willis: The Town of Windsor is working with the Colorado Park and Wildlife for the Frank State Park Easement. The baseline study has been completed. The easement docu-ment already exists that had some conveyed rights. Andy Cole with ERO out of Denver, also attend-ed the meeting to discuss the certain phases of the environmental site assessment. They are also doing a baseline inventory on the property, which include conditions at the time of acquisition. This process includes mapping vegetation, and soils. Then they will establish the management of the property. The Town is here to ask the Board what restrictions they want to see in this area. There was discussion of wanting to see walking, biking, boating and other similar activities. The main con-cern is limiting access from within the neighborhood. Open Space Reports: Tru-Green Follow up: There is lack of response from the company about the Open Space Walks and areas that need to be addressed. Steve E. explained that the spraying in the cobble channels have over sprayed into yards. The Board reviewed the Open Space Reports, liked the detail in the reports. Committee Reports: Lakeside Patio Homes: The Board discussed the email survey sent to all Patio homeowners and dis-cussion of communication between landscapers and Patio homeowner thus far. Oil and Gas Update: Rick did not respond to Ridge West about the Oil and Gas. Bob has nothing new to report to the Board. ACC Report: It has been a quiet month.

River West PUD Community Association

Board Meeting Minutes

August 24, 2015



River West PUD Community Association Board Meeting Minutes

August 24, 2015 cont.

Approval of Minutes: The Board reviewed the minutes from the June meeting. A motion was made and seconded to approve the minutes as written. Financials Reports: The Board reviewed the June & July Financials. We made the adjustments to June fi-nancials. July Financials look good as well. A motion was made and seconded to approve the financials as presented. Motion passed 100%. Delinquency Report presented to Board and discussed. Violation Report: PPS sent the Board the violation report. Discussion of violations. Updates: Cobble Frontage Contract: Contract was given to Timberland. Last Board Meeting, approved contract need date and Board would like to meet them out there. Steve E. – Open Space Maintenance Waivers – Legally form liability waivers. Steve E. will follow up. Amy – Neighborhood Security – Amy has talked to neighbors and most feedback relates to the expenses of installing surveillance equipment and programs such as Neighborhood Watch. A suggestion was giv-ing for an incentive to leave house lights on overnight. The Board suggested Amy draft an article for the newsletter. Damaged Fishing Signs – Report vandalism on signs and replace signs. Solar Panels: Article for the newsletter about the regulations on solar panel installation. The Board would like a letter sent to the owner who installed the panels without approval. Draft guidelines about solar panels to present to the Board. Old Business: Landscape Design for Front Entrance – Mike is working on the bid specification. PPS will trim back the bushes at the front. The Board would like bids to be presented so that the cost will be in next year’s budget to do in the Spring. Trail Easement Update – Sidewalk extension, concern about foot traffic within the neighborhood in-crease. Discussion of the responsibility of maintenance of the new sidewalk. The maintenance will be the responsibility of the HOA in the future such as snow removal. A motion was made and seconded to sign the easement. There was additional discussion about waiting on a final approval until the final drawing is received. The Board will wait for the final drawings before making a decision. 673 Trappers Place – The Owner refuses to allow PPS to shut off the sprinkler in the back yard which is watering in the open space. He claims that if we shut off the water the trees in the open space will die. PPS will send a letter to the owner letting him know that the Board takes no responsibility to reimburse them in the future. New Business: Open Space Mowing: Barefoot Farms is scheduled to start the mowing next week. He has increased his costs to $6700 for the next 3 years. The Board asks if he would be willing to meet in the middle and do $6000 this year and a 3 year contract at $6700. Resignation of Bob Schultz: He has resigned from the Board. There is a vacancy on the Board.

Getz – Open Space Waiver: The document has been signed and sent to the Owner.



River West PUD Community Association

Board Meeting Minutes August 24, 2015 cont.

The River West Board of Directors Meeting was adjourned at 8:28 pm. The next meeting is scheduled for No-vember 19, 2015 at the home of Steve Bullard. Respectfully Submitted, Sandra Oldenburg

General Manager Poudre Property Services



BOARD MEMBERS STREET ADDRESS PHONE # E-MAIL ADDRESS

Rick Smith, President 2101 River West Drive 686-7054 mailto:[email protected]

Steve Everett, Vice President &

Open Space Liaison 1901 Reflection Place 686-5388 mailto:[email protected]

Mike Kauffman, Treasurer 2123 Meander Road 674-2826 mailto:[email protected]

Steve Bullard, Secretary 1989 River's Edge Road 686-2325 mailto:[email protected]

Amy Goeden, Member at Large 1935 River’s Edge Road 686-0594 mailto:[email protected]

Bob Jonckowski, Member at Large

& Oil & Gas Liaison 540 Lakeside Place 686-2200 mailto:[email protected]

Mary Adams, Member at Large &

ACC Liaison 2102 Meander Road 686-7315 mailto:[email protected]

Social Committee

Amy Schmidt, Chairperson 830 Panorama Place 686-7410 mailto:[email protected]

Amy Goeden 1935 River’s Edge Road 686-0594 mailto:[email protected]

Bethany Ocken 1939 River’s Edge Road 674-0025 mailto:[email protected]

Architectural Control

Mary Adams 2102 Meander Road 686-7315 mailto:[email protected]

Terri Jonckowski 540 Lakeside Place 686-2200 mailto:[email protected]

Carol Smotherman 1904 Reflection Pl 674-1844 mailto:[email protected]

Amenity Ponds liaison

Mac McDowell, Ponds Liaison 515 Lakeside Place 231-1221 mailto:[email protected]

Open Space liaison

Steve Everett, OS Liaison 1901 Reflection Place 686-5388 mailto:[email protected]

Lakeside Patio Homes Lead

Mac McDowell, LPH Lead 515 Lakeside Place 231-1221 mailto:[email protected]

Newsletter Staff

Mac McDowell, Editor 515 Lakeside Place 231-1221 mailto:[email protected]

Sharon McDowell, Helper Person 515 Lakeside Place 231-1220 mailto:[email protected]

RIVER WEST HOA CONTACT INFORMATION (KEEP THIS PAGE FOR HANDY REFERENCE)

We’re on the web at http://www.poudreproperty.com/hoa/river-west-

homeowners-association/

Property Management Provided by Poudre Property Services

706 South College Ave. Fort Collins, Co 80524 Ph# 970.224.9204

Sandra Oldenburg, Community Mgr. [email protected]

Lee Oldenburg, Landscape Mgr. [email protected]

















mailto:ailto:[email protected]











http://www.poudreproperty.com/hoa/river-west-homeowners-association/

http://www.poudreproperty.com/hoa/river-west-homeowners-association/




4th thinking out loud - poudre property services · published 12/5/2015 page 2 thinking out loud...

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