November 2003 Newsletter

	Homeowner
Published by The Pinery Homeowners’ Association, Inc.  Volume 27; Issue 6

   It’s not always our strong suit. We resist, to a greater or lesser degree, change throughout our lives. Job change, a change of schools, changes in our family lives, kids growing up. We sometimes drag our feet and procrastinate, or ignore the problems associated with changes. We often pay a price for that.
   But change isn’t always bad. If we can see through the unknown and create a vision that will benefit all of us, it can be a good thing. But it usually does takes a lot of hard work and an open mind.
   We’re writing this to let you know that we are at a point in the life of The Pinery where some significant changes are being considered. Over the next several months we will write a number of articles going into detail, but for now know they deal with outdated covenants, consistency, fairness and modernization of those covenants, and funding that could be used to significantly change the face of our neighborhood and how we see it. The hoped-for benefits will be property values that hold up to or exceed comparable areas, a safer neighborhood to move about in, and an enhanced pride, satisfaction and comfort with an area that is unique in many ways to any in this or any other state. We’re very happy to report that at the Community General Meeting of the PHA in mid-September, the many community members that attended were very excited and supportive of some of the initial work, and looking forward to more to come!
   A Joint Committee of the Pinery Homeowners Association and the Architectural Control Committee has just begun looking at this issue. More detailed information will soon be available to you. We will have regular articles in the newsletter asking for changes you’d like to see, if any. We will hold meetings at which your attendance will be important. At some point, we will be available to meet in your homes for those wanting more information. The only thing that is certain is that, without the active participation of Homeowners, no change will take place. We ask you to keep an open mind. It doesn’t cost anything for that, and it is the feeling of those of us who have worked very hard on this to this point, that the benefits will far outweigh the costs, once the vision is completely built. Our Community vision, will be shaped and created with your help.
   We have some very energetic and motivated people in place who want to help us accomplish this. We have a unique opportunity right now to do something that hasn’t been accomplished before, and for now we simply are asking for your help in deciding what to do, and if now is the time. We would ask you, if not now, when? The Pinery is approaching 30 years with virtually no changes in how we do many of the administrative things that we have been chartered to do. What was initially created to be a benefit to our community has, over time, eroded into more of a detriment for all of us. We can do better here in our neighborhood and need and want your help.
   The Joint Committee thanks you for your consideration, now and in the future!

Sincerely,
The Joint Committee of the PHA/ACC

PHA - ACC Merger Update
By Tom Kimball

We were glad to see many of you at the regular September “General Meeting” on September 17, 2003 to listen and comment on the PHA (Pinery Homeowners’ Association, Inc.) and the ACC’s (The Pinery Architectural Control Committee, Inc.) work to get the two organizations back together again.

The PHA and ACC are separate? I didn’t know that!

I didn’t know it either when I moved into the Pinery in 1985.

Today, the PHA and ACC are separate, non-profit, 501 (c) (3) corporations that both serve the Pinery community. The ACC concentrates on its responsibility to set architectural standards and to enforce covenants. The PHA runs community events and services.

When the PHA was first incorporated in 1975, all of the PHA and ACC functions were included in the PHA’s charter, and the ACC operated as a ‘standing committee’ within the PHA. However, in 1983 the ACC split off from the PHA as a separate corporation and has operated independently since then.

In January of this year, the PHA and ACC formed a joint committee to consider re-joining the ACC back into the PHA. The committee’s recommendation to merge was presented to both boards in a joint meeting September 4, and again to the neighborhood at the September 17th General Meeting.

Most residents were under the impression that the PHA and ACC are part of the same corporation, because both organizations work side-by-side:

• Both staffs work in the same office in the basement of the fire station and they fill-in for each other.
• Both PHA and ACC contribute regularly to the PHA newsletter.
• Both use the community information signs at the Pinery entrances.
• PHA and ACC are found side-by-side at the Pinery Picnic each year.
• There aren’t separate dues for the two organizations.

The members of the current PHA and ACC boards can only speculate as to what happened 20 years ago to motivate the split, but we now believe that the PHA and ACC could operate more efficiently and communicate better if they were re-combined.

To recombine the ACC and PHA…

It’s not as difficult as we thought it might be, and it can be done as part of the normal process of updating the PHA’s by-laws. The PHA and ACC have agreed on how the organizations will work together. The proposed by-laws, which contain the new plan, are on the web for your review. Please call or visit the PHA office to let us know your comments and suggestions.

The PHA by-laws that we’re operating under today were most recently revised and approved by PHA members by a vote of the members at the General Meeting on May 13, 1998. Surprisingly, the original provisions for the Architectural Control Committee (ACC) of the PHA still exist in the by-laws today and we’ve used them in the proposed revision. Out-of-date provisions in the by-laws have been updated.

Also, the changes must be stated and submitted to vote for approval by the membership at the January meeting.

Summary: Proposed revisions to the PHA by-laws…

You can see the full text of the revised by-laws on www.pinery.org, but here are some of the main points:

Membership in the PHA: Members of neighboring Home Owners Associations (HOAs) have always been allowed to be members of the PHA and the neighborhoods are now listed in the proposed revisions. The proposed by-laws state that PHA membership is open to residents in Fairway Ridge, High Prairie Farms 1A, High Prairie Farms III at the Lake, Misty Pines, Northwoods Glen, Pinery Estates, Pinery Pointe, Pinery South, The Pinery Townhomes, and The Timbers. (The current by-laws acknowledge only “The Pinery”.)

Voting is more open: The current by-laws allow only for in-person voting. The revision allows voting by other methods, including off-premises voting and voting by email. (PHA voter turnout has been fewer than 50 votes for many years.)

PHA Business Office: Basic rules for office operation are established in the proposed revision to the PHA by-laws.

Board member terms: Two-year terms (with half of the board up for replacement in alternating years) have been in place as long as I remember, and the by-laws need to be updated to reflect this. Currently, one-year terms are defined and we’re not operating that way, which is a problem that will be corrected in the revision.

Revised Board & Committee Structure: The revision proposes that social and civic events be operated by a new committee, the ‘Community Services Committee’, rather than by the PHA Board itself. Currently, the “PHA Board” does the functions of the proposed PHA Executive Board and the CSC.

The January Elections

At the January Annual Meeting, all of the members of the PHA (neighborhood residents, paid up PHA dues) will vote whether to approve the proposed by-laws and to elect members to fill open and proposed board positions. All three of the items will be on a single ballot.

 PHA members in good standing may vote, one per household, on the following:

1. First item: A vote to fill three expired even-year term positions on the PHA Board will be held. To date, three incumbents have expressed intentions to run and nominations will continue to be accepted through December 15 for these positions, as described in another article in this newsletter. This election will be similar to elections held every year at the annual meeting. You may remember last year’s (odd-year) vote, when four terms were up for election: Ron Henkel, Fred Slick, Don Reschke, and Dale Sherman were elected to two-year terms on the PHA Board. When this item is counted, the PHA Board will have its seven elected members.
2. Second item: Next, a vote by the membership to approve the proposed by-laws will be counted. The proposed changes to the by-laws are summarized in this newsletter and are shown in their entirety on www.pinery.org. Approval of the by-laws will be by a simple majority.
3. Third item: Upon approval of the proposed by-laws, election of the three proposed ‘at-large’ PHA Executive Board seats would be counted: Nominations for these seats will be accepted for these positions until December 15, as described.

We on the PHA and ACC boards sincerely hope that you’ll come to the January meeting to hear the 2003 PHA Annual Report and to cast your votes in the annual elections.

Please feel free to call us at the PHA office if you have questions - we’ll be glad to answer them.

The Nomination Process:
Would You Make A Good Board Member?

Any PHA member in good standing (resident of a Pinery neighborhood, paid up PHA dues) is eligible run for open board positions.

The ACC board sets architectural standards, approves architectural plans, and enforces the covenants. The proposed changes wouldn’t affect these ACC’s responsibilities. The ACC board meets once per month.

Today’s PHA Board coordinates community social events, maintains the common lands (entrances, lake, and two parks), and provides the trash program and RV storage lot services, and also approves budget items, runs the PHA business office, and represents the Pinery to outside organizations. The proposed updated by-laws would separate the PHA board functions into two organizations: the CSC and the PHA Executive Board.

Upon approval, the new by-laws would establish a Community Services Committee (CSC) to perform the community services functions and a PHA Executive Board to approve budget requests, run the PHA business office, and represent the Pinery to government and private organizations.

The CSC would be elected by the membership, and initially comprised of former PHA board members. The CSC would meet once per month, much as the PHA Board has done over the past 25 years to plan community services.

As described in the proposed by-laws, PHA Executive Board would be comprised of appointees from the ACC and the CSC (two from each) and three ‘at-large’ members elected by the Membership. The PHA Executive Board would meet quarterly to review the budget, and to discuss business office issues, and interactions with the county, towns, HOAs, and private enterprises.

To learn more about what each board does, please call the office [(303) 841-8572] or talk to an existing board member. You can also read the duties of board officers by reading the by-laws on the web.

Nomination Procedures:

1. Submit your intention to run to the PHA office before December 15, 2003. Include the following information:

• Your name
• Address
• Phone number.
• E-mail address (optional).
• The boards for which you wish to run (ACC, CSC, and PHA Executive Board). You may run for more than one board.
• A summary, 2 to 3 paragraphs in length, describing why you want to serve and what you hope to accomplish as a board member. This will be made available to the membership to read.

2. All candidates’ names will be added to the ballot. Nominees may campaign if they wish, and will be made known to the membership at least as follows:

• Nomination information submitted by the candidate will be published in the January ’04 newsletter.
• The same info will be published to the www.pinery.org web site.
• Candidates’ names will be added to the ballots to be cast in the election in January.
• Each candidate will be asked to speak to the attendees before the vote at the January ’04 meeting.

A Big Picnic Thank You!!

   The Pinery Picnic and Kid’s Fishing Derby was a huge success—great food and great fun!! The PHA would like to thank Joann & Garth Farrend and Dale Sherman for their many hours of planning this event. In the last newsletter, we expressed our gratitude to the Picnic volunteers. In this issue, we would like to show our appreciation to the sponsors of this wonderful day.

NEWS FROM THE WATER BOARD:
July/August  2003

   Our District was formed in 1965 to provide water to the Pinery Development. We began to serve our first customers in the early 1970’s. Since that time the boundaries of our District have changed as various property owners have requested inclusion into the District. As a Board, we review each inclusion request carefully to make sure that there is no negative impact on the District’s ability to provide service to our existing customers. In most cases, inclusions into the District provide advantages (increased water rights, protection of groundwater, preferred locations for District facilities). We are presently considering two small inclusions into our District. These are each 160 acre parcels that are on the west side of Cherry Creek. The furthest along in the process is the Scott Road Property. This property is bordered on three sides by our District and it is located at the end of Bayou Gulch Road in the Pradera Subdivision. Douglas County recently rezoned this property for 64 homes, and a large amount of open space. Immediately to the north is the Arlington Ranches subdivision. This 160 acre property is currently zoned for 29 homes on 5 acre lots on individual well and septic. The property owner is seeking to rezone the property similar to the Scott Road parcel (64 homes) and get water and sewer service from our District. All properties seeking inclusion into the District must provide water rights sufficient to support their proposed development.

   To our west (west of the Pradera subdivision), we are working on an Intergovernmental Agreement with the Canyons South subdivision to provide sewer service, similar to the agreement we have with Castle Rock for the Liberty Village subdivision. Very preliminary discussions have also been held with the Franktown Metro District regarding providing sewer service for them as well.

   If you have any questions regarding any of these activities please call our office at 303-841-2797.

Robert Chapman
Chairman and Director
Pinery Water and Wastewater District

COMMUNITY CONCERNS

The PHA Office receives many calls and emails regarding issues of community awareness and safety. The following concerns have been brought to our attention recently:

Dogs off leash - All of the Pinery and all of Douglas County require your dog to be leashed. That includes Bingham Lake, any of the roads or bike trails in or near the Pinery, and open space. There have been reports of loose dogs frightening children and scaring and injuring the wildlife.

Barking dogs - Enjoying the quiet and beauty of nature is one of the benefits of living in the Pinery. Dogs that bark or howl constantly disrupt the quiet and make it very unpleasant for neighbors and are probably scaring the wildlife, as well. If you have a howling doggie, please make an effort to keep it from disturbing your friends and neighbors.

Speeding cars - Speeding through the winding roads of the Pinery is very dangerous. It is difficult to see what lies beyond the next bend. Parents in particular, have expressed concern for their children as they wait for school buses or walk to school. Please slow down.

Be a good neighbor and show respect for them by controlling your dogs and watching your speed.

Lastly - we have been reminded of a different kind of safety issue:

Lock your cars—Even though we have a fine protected community with extra security, it is still important to take precautions against theft. Make sure to lock your car doors and remove any valuable items when parking outside your home.

Trash & Recycling News
...from Elizabeth Philpy,
BFI Representative to the Pinery

Leave Your Leaves

   It’s about that time for the leaves to start falling and the raking to begin. Why not try an easier method this year.

   Leaves make excellent mulch around your shrubs and bushes. If you shred them with your lawn mower first, it will help them decompose more quickly. To keep them from blowing away, try wetting them down a bit. Or you can cover them with a tarp for a week or two to help jumpstart the decomposition process.

   Another great place to use your leaves is in your yard. Run them over with your lawn mower right where they fall. If you have a heavy fall of shredded leaves, you can always rake up the bigger shreds and add them to your garden or use them as mulch.

   Of course, a composting bin is always a very efficient way to turn all your organic wastes into a great soil amendment. Check out your local hardware store. There are lots of models available.

Fall Cleanups

   It’s that time for most of us to begin fall cleanup. If you find that you have more than the usual amount of trash it might be worthwhile for you and a neighbor to chip in together and get a roll-off. The roll-off can be placed in a cul-de-sac or an empty street nearby.

   A roll-off will allow you to throw away larger items that you cannot usually put out with your regular pickup, such as furniture, large branches or construction material. Please call Elizabeth for pricing at (303) 227-9671.