DR Newsletter
- Board of Directors
- 6 days ago
- 7 min read
April 2025 | Volume 77
In This Issue
A letter from the President of the Board of Directors
Introducing: Our New Board Member
Welcome to New Neighbors
Next Board Meeting
Community News
1.
A letter from Our President
Dear Douglass Ranch Neighbors,
So Spring is in the air, and it’s gone again. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to Spring being delivered in one to three day increments with a bit more winter breaking things up. It definitely makes for interesting times, that’s for sure.
Let me apologize up front for the length of this letter. I have a lot of information to provide this time so please bear with me.
Firstly, I want to thank everyone who attended the March 13th meeting, either in person or by proxy. Many people brought up questions and concerns (both at the meeting as well as by email in the days leading up to it). I want everyone to know that your input IS very valuable to the Board, irrespective of your alignment with or against the proposed budget. That said, I want to announce for everyone, not present, that the budget was approved by a final vote of 22 in favor to 8 against. It’s worth noting that in addition to being a majority of the quorum, 22 votes in favor actually represents a majority of the community as a whole.
Also at the March 13th meeting, in addition to passing the budget, the membership voted unanimously in favor of amending the Douglass Ranch POA Bylaws to change the requirements for notifications for annual meetings and special meetings of the members to be sent out via electronic communication. State law does not require US mail notification, so we will work toward modifying our governing documents to remove this requirement. One member asked if, in addition to email, we could include broadcast texting as well. The Board committed to investigate the options and follow-up, but for now, US mail and email will be the initial methods. Once the change is made, our HOA will save approximately $30 for each meeting just in postage alone never mind the costs of materials and printing.
One final note about the March 13th meeting. The minutes for that meeting will be approved at the next Board meeting, scheduled for April 17th, 2025. They (the minutes) will be posted to the community website soon afterward.
For those that were unable to attend the Jan 30th meeting, we had a meaningful conversation with Kelleigh McConnaughey from Elk Creek Fire District and John Sepulveda from Splintered Forest. Among the many things discussed was the importance of getting in front of the Rocky Mountain Pine Beetle (RMPB) and the blight they will bring to the forested areas of our community. The conversations culminated in a sign-up sheet being passed around for members to sign up for an assessment by Splintered Forest this Spring. The assessments themselves are free and will assist homeowners in defining a plan for addressing RMPB. Splintered Forest has also committed to offering Douglass Ranch community members a discounted rate for treatment services (dependent on the number of people that go forward with the service) for all Douglass Ranch members. Anyone that wishes to be included in this program can go to the Splintered Forest website (splinteredforesttreeservices.com), click the blue “Get your free estimate” button at the top right corner, and in the “your message” section of the form, mention that you’re a member of Douglass Ranch and would like to be adjoined to the community program. I want to be very clear on this. I, myself, am not in love with the side effects of spraying, but the direct effects of RMPB scare me more. There are many ways to reduce the risk of RMPB but doing nothing is not one of them.
Homeowners that ignore this threat, will be impacted, if not this year, maybe next.
To set the theme for 2025, the Board is focused on community safety. We have several new members in Douglass Ranch and a handful of homes on the market. The safety of all members of Douglass Ranch is our number one priority. This year we are starting the work on projects including designing and building “turn-arounds” on all private roads large enough to accommodate full sized fire trucks, mitigation along Douglass Ranch Drive to make it safer for residents to evacuate (as well as allowing easier access for first responders to enter) and building new stairs to the open space to make it more accessible for all.
I started this letter talking about Spring, a time of renewal and new starts, and an end to a cold winter. I believe in my team and their passion to build community, but we cannot do this alone. I’ve also seen many of you rally to put the cold winter behind us. Everyone in Douglass Ranch has a stake in making our community a place to be envied. As happens with nature in Springtime, I invite all of Douglass Ranch to start anew to renew relationships and build new friendships. Civility costs nothing but buys a tremendous amount of respect. For my part, I promise that every car (or pedestrian) I pass as I walk or drive through Douglass Ranch will see a pleasant wave from me. I hope you will consider responding in kind.
Sincerely,
Your neighbor, Wade
2.
Meet the New Board Member
As we announced in January, Dan McAtee resigned his position on the board. The board has appointed Barb Pleva to fill the open seat and to serve as Roads & Grounds Chair until our next annual meeting. Following is Barb’s bio:
Barb Pleva, Vice President, Roads & Grounds Chair
Barb worked at Rutgers University as Executive Administrator at the Graduate School from 1969 to 2005. She moved from the east coast to Colorado with her husband in 2005 and located to Douglass Ranch in 2011 until 2018. After a four-year hiatus they returned to Douglass Ranch in 2022.
3.
Welcome to Our New Community Member
A warm welcome to Paul Hudgens!
He is quite busy lately doing fire mitigation on his property but he took the time to write the following:
Hello everyone! As of February 1, I am now the owner of 32304 Meadowridge Lane, formerly owned by Charlie Williams and Connie Davis. My work career began way back in July 1977 with a stint in the Air Force, (flying KC-135s), followed by 32 years in international oil services (computer simulation of oil and gas reservoirs with Schlumberger), combined with about 40 years now of a side interest in restoration of distressed properties. Finally, at the tender age of 69 I am indulging a lifelong interest of living in the mountains. I have found Douglass Ranch folks to be wonderfully welcoming and friendly, and I look forward to meeting more of you!
4.
Next Board Meeting | April 17, 6PM
COMING SOON! Look for our agenda and Teams links on our website go to > Governance > Next Board Meeting.
5.
Other News
Be Bear Aware
The bears will be waking from hibernation soon, if not already. They will be hungry! CPW (Colorado Parks & Wildlife) recommends keeping bird feeders out of reach and putting garbage out the morning of pickup. CPW also advises “a fed bear is a dead bear!”
Exterior Lighting
A reminder to all that our Design Standards state:
“All exterior lighting shall be of a sharp cutoff design, minimizing light spilling onto adjacent properties. Such fixtures, used for illumination of walks, driveways, address signage, etc., shall be compatible with the building. Lighting should be soft and subdued.”
Please be considerate of neighbors and our night skies.
Dues Reminder
A gentle reminder that annual dues are to be paid by April 15, 2025. Please note that late fees will accrue if payments are made after May 15.
Next Board Meeting
The next DRPOA Board meeting will take place on April 17, 2025. Members may attend through Microsoft Teams. The agenda and meeting invitation will be available on the website.
Blood Donation
You can donate blood at the Elk Creek Fire Station on the second or third Friday of each month. Visit the Vitalant website (vitalant.org) to check dates and times, and to schedule an appointment. The next blood donation date is April 18, 2025.
Conifer Library
Construction has begun on a new standalone library in the shopping center near Safeway, with an opening planned for this summer. The library has been located at Conifer High School for the past 28 years. For more details, including opportunities to volunteer or donate, visit their website: jeffcolibrary.org.
Elk Creek Fire Protection District Board Election
The election for two new Elk Creek Fire Protection District board members will be held on May 6, 2025, at the Richmond Hill Fire Station from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
New Legal Counsel
The DRPOA Board has retained Turner Law, with offices in Golden, as the Association's new legal counsel.
5.
Treasurer’s Summary
Our expenses have run below straight-line projection for the first quarter of 2025. Notably, snowplowing is below budget so far, but there can yet be another storm this season. Some of our larger expenses will occur in the second and third quarters when it’s warmer and outside work can be done more efficiently. These projects include rebuilding the stairs to the open space, improving egress on Douglass Ranch Drive, and preparing plans for the turn arounds to improve access for fire trucks. We’re also doing well with collections of annual dues and special assessments.
A summary of first quarter expenses and revenue is provided in the following table. Balances for our financial accounts as of the end of March are:
Checking $60,527.69
Regular Savings $10,007.38
Premier Time Savings $52,305.48
Total $122,840.42
Some of you requested a copy of the budget presentation I gave at the March 13 meeting. It has been posted to Financial Reports page on our website at https://www.douglassranch.org/dr-financials-mo.
Paul Swenson
DRPOA Treasurer
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