TAOS PINES RANCH PROPERTY OWNERS ASSOCIATION

BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING

AUGUST 13, 2007

 

 

 

I.                     CALL TO ORDER

The meeting was called to order by President Linda Ford at 1:00 p.m.

Board Members Present:  Linda Ford, Diana Johnson, Mark Scheinbaum and Marybeth Scheinbaum

Others:  Troy Ford, J.M. Johnson and Henry Garland (via telephone conference)

 

II.                   MINUTES

Marybeth Scheinbaum moved to approve the minutes of March 14th as posted on the website.    Mark Scheinbaum seconded and the motion passed.

 

III.                 FINANCIAL STATEMENT

Mark Scheinbaum moved to accept the financial statement.  Marybeth seconded and the motion passed. 

 

IV.                OLD BUSINESS

 

1.       Membership T-shirts:  The free Taos Pines T-shirt shown at the General Membership Meeting is being well received by property owners who are joining the 2007/2008 membership drive.  As another incentive, it has been proposed by member Henry Garland that the Board Meetings include the use of teleconferencing.  Members would be notified in advance of a meeting and would be allowed to participate.  This participation would be available to Association members only.  In the future we could set up the teleconference through the Internet.  Henry can make this service available at no cost to the association.   Since the website is paid for by the Association, access to that site will also be available to members only.   Each member will have an access code.  This incentive will be set up as soon as possible.

 

2.       Fences:  Linda is still working with the Forest Service regarding the wording of the access signs through 2 gates leading to the forest area through Taos Pines.  Mark Scheinbaum had submitted the original sign verbiage.  Linda is also working on getting a copy of the law regarding New Mexico’s “fence-out” legislation and a map of the areas where grazing is allowed by cattle owners on public land.  The Fish and Game Department also suggested the posting of no trespassing signs along the subdivision’s entire perimeter to keep intruders out.  They will prosecute only if the perimeter is continuously posted.   Mark Scheinbaum moved for a resolution by the Board that the Association purchase 2 dozen no trespassing signs to be posted at both entrances to the subdivision and along the perimeter.  Owners would be notified of this action and any owner not wishing to have such a sign on their property should inform the Board and no such sign will be posted on their property.  Marybeth seconded and the motion passed.  Mark and Marybeth offered to purchase and post the signs.  Linda also thanked those owners who assisted Martin Herrera in repairing fencing along the perimeter where cattle grazing is permitted.  The workers were Linda and Troy Ford, Mark and Marybeth Scheinbaum, Roz and Henry Garland, Diana and JM Johnson.

 

3.       Fire Substation:  The grand opening of the fire substation at the entrance to the lower road has been delayed because the wrong materials were sent to the site.  It is still hoped that the opening will be sometime in September.  Notification will be sent to members as soon as the date is set.  The planned chipper day at the substation is in question because the County Commissioners may be making changes in the use of the county chipper.  It will be decided at the Commissioners meeting on August 14.  Mark will be in Raton on August 13 and will try to talk with Commissioner Bill Conley regarding the need to have the chipper available to us.

 

4.       Neighborhood Watch:  There was further discussion regarding a Neighborhood Watch program.  The fist step is to line up people who would be willing to train and patrol.  Henry Garland said he would find some people on the upper road.  We would also need volunteers on the middle and lower roads.  Mark suggested that we contact the Sheriff’s office to see if there is some program such as Citizens on Patrol available as well.  Linda stated that the Sheriff is currently having the subdivision patrolled at least once a week on a random basis.  JM Johnson suggested that the Association purchase decals to be placed on car windshields which would identify property owners.  Diana Johnson made a motion that the President be authorized to spend up to $400 to include set up and initial order for the decals.  Each property owner will receive 2 free decals.  The design on the decal will be the same as on the T-shirts.  Mark Scheinbaum seconded, motion passed.  Linda reminded the Board that the County Planner had researched a Reverse 911 plan but the County had no money to initiate it.

 

5.       Thinning Project:  Linda reported that the Water Trust Board, from whom we got the $500,000 grant to do the fuel break project along the perimeter, took back $70,000 of that grant and moved the completion date from June 20 to June 12.  She is trying to get that money back.  Meanwhile the $100,000 Stevens grant plus approximately $30,000 from the CWA is being used to complete the project.  Once completed, Alan Johnson who is the CWA project manager will prepare a final report. 

 

6.       Alarm Siren:  Don Fink, District 6 Assistant Fire Chief, has the alarm siren which is being donated to Taos Pines.  He is planning to set it up at the Taos Pines substation when it is finished.  Mark Scheinbaum offered a pole and concrete site on his property (which was built by Kit Carson Electric and then not used) as an alternate location for the siren.  Linda will inform Don Fink.

 

III.                 NEW BUSINESS

 

1.       Colfax County Coalition of Firewise Communities Report:  Diana Johnson gave a

report on the 3-day tour taken by members of the CCCFC on July 31 through August 2.  Accompanying the tour was Karen Lightfoot, New Mexico State Firewise Liaison.  The purpose of the tour was to show Ms. Lightfoot the efforts being made by members of the Coalition towards Firewise planning and water quality protection.  Communities toured included Taos Pines, Hidden Lake, Shields Survey, Elk Ridge, Ute Park, Cimmaroncita Resort, Express Ranch, Town of Cimarron, Idlewild, Santa Fe Trail Ranch subdivision in Colorado and Vermej Park.  (Further information regarding the tour will be posted on the Taos Pines website.)

 

2.       CWA Report:  The Cimarron Watershed Alliance report for 2006 has been published and the Taos Pines project is included in the report.

 

3.       Cimarron Canyon Cleanup:  Mark reported that he and Marybeth participated in the Cimarron Canyon cleanup day.  He said the day was well-planned and executed.  Twenty bags of trash were collected along the roadside.

 

IV.                REPORTS

 

1.       SAD Board:  Troy Ford reported that the County told him there is $12,065.89 in the

SAD fund as of June 28.  Troy believes there is more than that currently because collections for the new year have begun.  The Board has not contacted Greg Carlisle to do any work during the thinning project which is causing some destruction on the roads.  Home construction trucks and daily rains are also adding to that destruction.  Only members of the Board have the authorization to contact Greg for any maintenance and snow removal work.  They are Troy Ford, JM Johnson and Jim Lewis.  He is trying to limit road grading because there is no base on the road and because funds are being depleted.  Snow removal costs last winter were $40,000.  The County also used some of the funds to get Scott Barry Engineering to handle a new RFP for road maintenance.  The fee to Scott Barry was $21,056.25.  The County did rehire Greg Carlisle for another 1 year contract, however, it may be extended another 18 months if we are pleased with the work Greg is doing.  Troy is planning to meet with his committee in September to go the work that needs to be done.  He had passed out a form at the General Membership Meeting so that owners could notify the Board of specific areas that need addressing.  That form will be posted on the website.  Troy requested more signage throughout the subdivision and the County has installed the signs.  That should probably use up the balance of the $1,000 the County had approved for our signage.   Mark Scheinbaum reported that he had a serious runoff problem from the middle road down his driveway.  Since it involved one of Kit Carson’s electrical junction boxes, Kit Carson has worked on the erosion problem and, hopefully, it is fixed.  He requested that the Board send a thank-you letter to Kit Carson since they did improve the situation at that location on the middle road.

 

2.       Architectural Committee:  JM Johnson reported that 2 architectural plans have been

approved.  They are for lots 10 and 53.  All of the paperwork he received from Larry Leahy has been organized and crosschecked with actual construction.  At this point there may be one home built without submitting plans.  The home appears to meet the covenants but he will contact the owner and request a set of plans.  The owners of the home recently sold without any garage on the property did have approved plans but, since there was no variance approved, it appears the homeowners simply did not build the garage.  The new owners are working on their plans for a garage.  The Architectural Committee will inform new builders that they must inform the Committee when their home is finished so that a final inspection can be done.  Another owner that needs to be contacted has turned the garage into another house and both houses are now being rented.  Since the property is in the hands of a bank, it may be difficult to contact anyone responsible until the lot is resold.  JM has not been successful in making contact with owner Robbie Beck, the lawyer who assisted in writing the Covenants.  Therefore, he will meet with his own attorney sometime in September in order to determine just how enforceable the Convents are.  He has $200 pre-approved by the Board to make an initial contact.  He will also meet with his committee to make a list of recommendations for construction and site improvement.  Mark offered to help gather data for making improvements on those homes already constructed.  Henry Garland will provide a Consumer Report on Internet communication systems for those wishing to set up entirely on satellite.  Members of the Architectural Committee are JM Johnson, Chairman, Henry Garland and Jim Lewis.

 

V.                  NEXT BOARD MEETING

The next Board meeting has been set for Sunday, Nov. 4 at 6:00 p.m. MST at Linda Fords.  All paid members will be contacted prior to the meeting so that they may attend via teleconferencing if they wish.  Items that may be on the agenda include additions to the CWPP and adding an addendum to the Certificate of Incorporation stating more clearly the Corporation’s function as a Property Owners Association.

 

VI.                ADJOURN

There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 3:45 p.m.

 

RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED FOR APPROVAL:  ______________________________________

                                                                                        Diana Johnson, Secretary

 

 

 

*All motions passed unanimously unless other wise stated.