September 9, 2026 Meeting Minutes
ATTENDANCE
Board Member Attendance: Victoria F (meeting minutes), Barb P, Terese M, Terry H | Neighborhood: Brenda F, Corrie T, Dru D, Ginger P, Heidi K, John C, Ken P, Paul O, Rick K, Wendy O | Online: Apologies! The zoom room was not available for this meeting due to wi-fi issues.
ITEM 1 - Approved August Meeting Minutes
One Correction: The August minutes noted a total of 96 homes. Although there are technically 96 lots, one home spans two lots, so the actual total is 95 homes.
ITEM 2 - Annual Picnic Debrief
Logistics & Execution: Victoria oversaw the logistics and execution. A huge thank you goes to the setup crew, which included Terry, Steve, and Sue, as well as other neighbors especially Cory, JT, and Ed.
Attendance: There was a steady flow of people throughout the event. Attendance matched last year's numbers, which included about 70+ adults and 15+ kids.
Budget: Spending was about the same as last year. Of the $2,000 budget, the association spent about $1,726.
Covenant Updates: Terese did a great job with her presentation on the Covenant Updates, and the Covenants Q&A table was appreciated by residents.
Changes for next year:
Tent Setup: The rental company accidentally delivered a larger tent than our usual 20x20. Because the extra covered space was great for managing heat and rain without needing to add extra 10x10 pop-ups, we plan to order a 20x30 tent next year.
Games Area: While the Amazon gift cards were a popular novelty last year, they aren’t necessary next year. Neighbors enjoyed playing games for the fun of it.
Bounce House: We will order a larger bounce house next year but will not order the bounce house that has detachable slides. Kids kept climbing out of the main bounce area to jump on top.
Logistics: It was requested that 2 additional people help manage this event next year. One person for the games area; one person managing F&B; and one person managing the set up and tear down. This will be brought up at the annual Jan. meeting with a direct request for volunteers.
ITEM 3 - Landscaping Notes
Entrances: We are aware that every entrance needs additional rock. A few months ago, Terry and Victoria picked up a supply, and Sue and Victoria worked with two neighborhood kids to spread it out. We will need to repeat this project soon.
ACTION: One resident noted that she has been personally watering the plants at the Virgil entrances up to twice a week. She will reach out to nearby neighbors to see if they can help share the workload.
Notes from Steve:
Also, whether it’s done by paid teenagers, or a landscaping crew, cut the weeds and grass between the gutters and asphalt when they get above 5 inches. JOHN responded: It can be added to the main landscaping list.
Also, John has done a great job in many areas, but especially the stream area west of Windy. I think hiring someone to clean up the east side would be good to make it aesthetically pleasing. Perhaps Sue and Terry have input as their properties are closest.
Lastly, I think we should address ways to keep the fences looking good, or better than they are. There may be areas that could be removed and other areas that could be easily repaired.
Once again, hiring a crew to do the work would get it done fastest and we could hold them accountable.
ACTION: The HOA group will discuss this in more detail at the next meeting.
Landscaping Update (John): John noted that because of the dry weather, minimal maintenance has been required recently. He will coordinate with Cindi to issue a payment check to Kevin, who has been doing a significant amount of work using his own equipment.
Safety Note: There is a known yellow jacket presence near the creek. Some residents have been spraying the nests on their own, which has been effective.
Fall Clean-Up Priorities: Sat, Oct. 3
Flyer: To be distributed on Sept. 26 that will include a note about the Covenants Update and vote.
Priorities are the same as they were in the Spring: 1) Fences (Terry will again order materials as needed and will stress that if rails are in good shape, there’s no need to get rid of them); 2) stream clean-up; 3) spray weeds (if people want to pull them up that’s fine but it was noted that spraying is most effective); 4) entrance clean-up; and 5) a general trash pickup.
The dumpsters will be available Oct. 2-6.
ITEM 4 – HOA Covenants and Bylaws Project
Timeline
February-August 2026: A working group was created in February to ensure that the current HOA covenants complied with state and county laws. Over the period of seven months, this group spent a considerable amount of time reviewing the covenants, suggesting changes, requesting input from homeowners at every HOA meeting, and revising the language accordingly. They worked with an attorney who made sure the draft and final documents aligned with Colorado state law.
Aug. 6: Three official drafts were posted on the website, and a notification about these documents was posted on FB.
Aug. 8: A flyer was hand-delivered to all neighbors two weeks prior to the picnic. The first paragraph of the flyer stressed that residents should review the draft covenants and submit questions via the website and/or at the upcoming picnic.
Aug. 22: At the annual picnic, the working group staffed a Covenants Q&A table and received positive feedback.
Aug. 22 – Sept. 5: Homeowners continued to submit comments and follow-up questions via the website and email.
Sept. 8: The final documents were uploaded to the website, and a notification was posted on FB.
Sept. 9: Cindi printed and mailed the three final documents, which neighbors should receive by mid-next week. The mailing also included a community outreach survey asking residents how they prefer to receive future updates (e.g., email, flyer, website, or posted notices).
NEXT STEPS
Sept. 30: All ballots and votes must be submitted by this date using the provided prepaid return envelope.
Voting: There are officially 95 homes in this community. For these new covenants to pass, 75% of all homes must vote "yes." (Note: Future revisions will only require a 67% majority, as the current HOA rules are stricter than state law.)
Unreturned Ballots: If a homeowner does not vote, it is not counted as a "yes" or "no" vote. If needed, the board will need to contact that neighbor personally to obtain their ballot.
If the covenants do not pass, the community has three options:
Revise and Resubmit: The working group and board will review all feedback, make necessary adjustments, open another comment period for the neighborhood, and send out updated documents for a new vote.
Hire Management: The association could hire an external HOA property management company.
Dissolve the HOA: Although not yet discussed, it was pointed out that the community could vote to dissolve the HOA entirely. Because the HOA is currently registered at the state level, this would require a formal dissolution vote.
RENTALS
Please see Article VII, Section 4 for the full version. The particular rules that prompted the discussion noted below were in regards to the “Long-Term Rental Cap and Term Limits.”
There is a clause about a 10% rental cap, which can be exceeded with board approval.
There is also a clause about a maximum rental term structured in three-year blocks; again, the board can provide exceptions to this limit.
An explanation for these rules was provided by the lead working group members, who noted:
The Need for a Policy: It is common for HOAs to have a rental policy, and failing to establish one introduces risks. For example, large investment firms or venture capitalists could buy up multiple homes solely to turn them into rental properties.
Finding a Balance: The working group aimed for a middle ground that preserves a close-knit community feel while providing homeowners with the flexibility to lease their properties if necessary.
Variances & Flexibility: Homeowners can request a variance from the board if they wish to lease their home for longer than three years, or if the neighborhood has already reached the 10% rental cap. The board is extremely flexible in reviewing these requests.
Administrative Fees: While administrative fees remain an option, the board has not committed to a specific dollar amount.
Selling Your Home: Owners maintain full rights to sell their homes to any buyer. There are absolutely no sales restrictions.
Concerns raised by homeowners who attended this meeting:
Upkeep: It was noted that one of the main concerns among homeowners is the lack of property upkeep, which comes down to how well an individual maintains their home. It cannot be assumed that renters will neglect a property; in turn, there are current homeowners who struggle with their own property maintenance.
Time Limits: The proposed three-year rental limit is overly restrictive, particularly for homeowners who have secured reliable long-term tenants.
Property as an Investment: This zip code has the 7th highest homeownership rate in the state. For many owners, these houses are financial assets that are part of a broader investment portfolio.
Future Board Flexibility: While the current board intends to be highly accommodating, there is no guarantee that future board members will maintain the same level of flexibility or approve variance requests.
A few ideas for change:
Implement an Initial Owner-Occupancy Period: Require a mandatory owner-occupancy period (e.g., one year) before a homeowner is permitted to lease the property. Once this milestone is met, they could rent out the home indefinitely.
Adjust the Rental Cap: Consider increasing the percentage of allowed rental homes. A 25% cap was opposed by attendees earlier this year in favor of a 10% limit. A new middle-ground percentage was not formally suggested.
Eliminate the Three-Year Limit: Remove the consecutive three-year rental maximum.