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Volunteers reporting on community issues in Monument, Palmer Lake, and the surrounding Tri-Lakes area

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Articles from Vol. 23 No. 12 - December 2, 2023

Northern El Paso County Coalition of Community Associations (NEPCO), Nov. 11 – County Commissioners and staff visit NEPCO

By Marlene Brown

The Northern El Paso County Coalition of Community Associations (NEPCO) annual membership meeting was held Nov. 11 for general elections of board members. The purpose of NEPCO is to promote an economic, ecological, and sociological community environment in which a high quality of life can be sustained for member homeowners associations (HOAs)

There was a quorum present, and the board was voted in by acclamation, an overwhelming affirmative vote by cheers and applause rather than by ballot. The board was affirmed for another year. The decision of who would hold each office will be decided at the next board meeting. Several board positions are available to members of member HOAs. Those who are interested can email board members at position@nepco.org.

The Treasurer’s report was given by the President Mike Aspenson, who reported that membership included 51 active HOAs representing 10,000-plus homes and 20,000-plus registered voters. Reports were given by committee chairs: retiring Bob Mooney (West Oak Ridge HOA), Transportation, and Beth Lonnquist (Red Rock Ranch HOA), Land Use.

Guest speakers

Several people from El Paso County spoke to the membership, including Holly Williams, District 1 county commissioner; Kevin Mastin, Department of Public Works; Meggan Harrington, director of the Department of Planning and Community Development; and Brandi Williams, representing District 3.

Holly Williams said the county is one the most populated counties in the country. It has over 737,000 residents, a larger landmass than the state of Delaware, and more veterans than the total population of 53 counties in the state. The top 10 services and budget priorities that are provided by the county include: human services, public health, veteran services, clerk and recorder, assessor, elections, pretrial services, jail, district attorney, and coroner. The strategic objectives of the county are infrastructure, including roads, stormwater, and parks; service quality with a qualified workforce dedicated to continuous improvement; and community trust, health, and safety.

The Pikes Peak Promise published Oct. 11 represents a comprehensive initiative to bring together elected officials, law enforcement, and community partners, uniting their efforts to tackle critical issues of the county. The initiative hopes to cultivate a safer, more affordable community through legislative action and community engagement. For more information, go to www.elpasoco.com/transformative-pikes-peak-promise-initiative-unveiled-local-leaders

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NEPCO normally meets at the Woodmoor Barn every other month on the second Saturday. The next regular member meeting will be on Jan. 13, 2024, from 10 a.m.-noon. For more information, go to nepco.org

Marlene Brown can be reached at marlenebrown@ocn.me.

Other NEPCO articles

Woodmoor Improvement Association, Nov. 15 – Board approves 2024 budget and increased dues, hears residents’ concerns

By Jackie Burhans

At its November meeting, the Woodmoor Improvement Association (WIA) board approved its 2024 budget and increased annual dues. The board also heard concerns from residents about public use of the land at the edge of their properties.

President Brian Bush was absent.

2023 budget and dues increase approved

Treasurer Connie Brown reported that annual dues are proposed to increase to $291, just shy of a 3% increase compared to the 2023 rate of $283. Vice President Peter Bille noted that the primary driver of the increase was inflation. Commons Area Director Steve Cutler noted that the cost increase of maintaining common areas was more than 3%. The board voted unanimously to approve the increase.

The board moved and seconded the motion to approve the 2024 budget. During the discussion, Forestry Director Cindy Thrush noted that she had sent an email to the board expressing that she felt the budget was out of balance between public safety, forestry, the common area, and The Barn. She noted that 50% of the funding goes to public safety while only 3% goes to forestry and 12% to common areas. She acknowledged that she was looking for more money in her area.

Bille noted that WIA had to balance its budget, and it estimates revenues from dues based on historical payment rates. Outside of that, it is challenging to estimate fees for construction and remodeling and covenant violation fines. The board is comfortable that there will be money coming in in those areas, and he encouraged Thrush to continue to bring requests to the board for consideration.

Thrush replied that her larger concern is where people place value on their amenities. She didn’t know if WIA had done a survey of its residents. Architectural Control Director Ed Miller said that the highest priority is Woodmoor Public Safety (WPS), noting that initially, dues for WPS were separate and that the community overwhelmingly approved combining the dues. He said without WPS, there would be more crime. Thrush asked if the percentage of the budget allocated to WPS could be scaled back from 50% to 30%. WPS Chief Kevin Nielsen noted that the vote to combine the dues raised the total assessment and said that if WPS’ budget were cut, the WPS portion of the assessment would have to be decreased.

Bille said WIA gets good feedback from residents, and he feels comfortable that public safety, fire mitigation, and common areas are the top three priorities. He again encouraged Thrush to come to the board with any funding requests. The board approved the 2024 budget, with Thrush voting no.

Resident concerns

Two residents appeared before the board, handing it a packet of information and showing a slide show of their properties to demonstrate their concern. The adjacent properties have addresses on the southeast end of Lake Woodmoor Drive and Lakeview Lane respectively, and their concern is with people parking on Lake Woodmoor Drive both in the county right of way and on their property.

Leah Grady, whose property is on Lake Woodmoor Drive, said she has been a resident for six years and that she and her husband had agreed to allow WIA to place a sign on their property. There was a pullout on their property when they purchased it, but the parking problem has become dramatically worse since 2022, she said. Grady spoke with Architectural Control Committee Administrator Bob Pearsall, who acknowledged the problem. She was under the impression that WIA was working on the problem, but no further work or communication happened. Grady noted that construction vehicles parked on both the county right of way and on her private property during the repaving of Lake Woodmoor Drive. Other people park on the property and smoke and leave cigarette butts, she said. Nielsen had informed her it was up to her to put private property signs on her land. Woodmoor Water and Sanitation Department had to come in to repair a damaged fire hydrant and replace some water lines. She has called El Paso County Commissioner Holly Williams and the Department of Public Works multiple times without getting a solution. Grady expressed frustration with her interactions with WIA and the county over two years, saying she is only interested in solving the situation. Barbara Roeder, who owns the adjacent property, said they are asking for assistance, cooperation, and guidance.

Public Safety Director Brad Gleason noted that the county owns and is responsible for the street and has a right of way of 40 feet on either side of Lake Woodmoor, which is larger than the typical eight feet. WIA has no control over that, he said, and is very limited in what it can tell people they can do in a public right of way, just as they are limited in what they can tell people they can do on their private property. Gleason said if they had signs indicating where the private property was, they could get license plate numbers and call the sheriff.

Grady suggested she wanted to solve the problem by placing bushes or boulders that could be moved if needed later. Bille said WIA could not plant on county property. Grady noted that many of her neighbors had landscaped up to the street and that the county had said they don’t monitor or enforce rules in their rights of way. Gleason said the best thing for the homeowners to do was to talk to Pearsall and Cutler to make sure they are complying with covenants on their property, but that WIA could not tell them what to do or not do in county property.

Board reports

  • Gleason noted that the United Services Automobile Association (USAA) insurance company had accepted fault for the damage to Woodmoor Public Safety’s vehicle. He said that a meeting had been held with the adjuster, and parts had been ordered, but he did not know how long it would take.
  • Brown reported there were 63 unpaid accounts.
  • Covenants Director Per Suhr reported that there were no violations in October; there were seven issues resolved through friendly communication with two unfounded complaints.
  • Miller noted that 67 projects had been submitted in October, with 57 approved in the office, nine approved by the Architectural Control Committee, and one disapproved. Year to date, the number of submitted projects is 535, which is a 5.3% decrease from the prior year. The project approval rate is 98.9%.
  • Thrush reported that there had been 11 Forestry/Firewise visits in October. She anticipated that all the mitigation matching funds available would be used, and WIA is looking for additional funds for 2024.
  • Cutler said that the sprinkler system at The Barn community center was shut down for the winter, and common area fire mitigation was completed by Oct. 2. Additional work was planned at The Point on Nov. 28-30, weather permitting, and the final portion of the trail at The Preserve was completed.
  • Bille, on behalf of Bush, requested that trash cans be pulled in once trash has been picked up.

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The WIA Board of Directors usually meets at 7 p.m. on the fourth Wednesday of each month in the Barn at 1691 Woodmoor Drive, Monument. The next meeting has been moved to Wed., Dec. 13 due to the holidays.

The WIA calendar can be found at www.woodmoor.org/wia-calendar/. WIA board meeting minutes can be found at www.woodmoor.org/meeting-minutes/ once approved and posted.

Jackie Burhans can be reached at jackieburhans@ocn.me.

Other WIA articles

November Weather Wrap

By Bill Kappel

November was warmer than normal, the complete opposite of last year, but I’m sure most of us weren’t complaining. We did get three periods of unsettled weather that allowed our precipitation to end up right around normal, but most days between those storms were mild.

The first week of the month was mild and dry with temperatures in the 60s to low 70s. Each day saw lots of sunshine with areas of high and mid-level clouds at times. They produced some spectacular mountain wave clouds along with colorful sunrises and sunsets.

The first of three periods of unsettled weather then moved in on the 8th, with an initial frontal passage early in the morning. Clouds continued to fill in throughout the morning, with light snow beginning just before noon. Light snow continued off and on most of the day and ended just after midnight on the 9th. This system was relatively warm by November standards and therefore the heaviest snow occurred on top of the Palmer Divide with much less snowfall accumulating down around the I-25 corridor.

Dry conditions returned from the 10th through the 18th, with temperatures generally above average each day. The warmest period occurred from the 14th through the 16th, with highs well into the 60s each afternoon.

Another quick shot of cold air and snow moved in late on the 19th. Snow and some blowing snow developed that evening and continued throughout the next day. This system was colder than the previous storm and therefore produced more widespread snow across the area. Most of us accumulated 2-4 inches during the storm.

Once this storm moved out, sunshine and mild conditions returned, but only for a few days. Highs jumped into the mid-40s on the 21st, then southwesterly winds kicked in and pushed temperatures back into the mid- and upper 60s on the 22nd. But as usual, these mild temperatures were ahead of a much colder airmass. The first effects of this colder air moved in Thanksgiving morning and continued to fill in during the day. Flurries began to develop that evening as temperatures continued to fall, reaching the teens before midnight. Colder air continued to move, which meant the teens were as warm as we got on the 24th. Along with that, strong northerly winds helped to keep light snow, flurries, and blowing snow in place all day. As wind shifted out of the south, fog developed that day and evening, producing cold, windy, and snowy conditions.

Cold and windy conditions continued into the 25th as the last portion of this storm moved out of the region. This produced more light snow and blowing snow through the morning and afternoon and kept temperatures in the teens for the second day in a row before conditions finally settled down. Of course, the clearing skies and fresh snow also allowed temperatures to fall quickly that evening, dropping to the single digits by the morning of the 26th.

As with the previous two snowy periods, quiet and seasonal conditions quickly returned, and temperatures returned to normal levels to end the month with plenty of sunshine.

A look ahead

December usually is cold around the region, with daytime highs often staying below freezing and overnight lows that can drop well below zero. But we can experience a wide variety of weather, with westerly winds producing mild conditions. The month is generally dry, however, with several light, fluffy snowfalls. Gusty winds are a common nuisance during the month, especially west of I-25. The chance of a White Christmas is fairly good for the area, with some snow on the ground and, if we are lucky, fresh snowfall on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.

November 2023 Weather Statistics

Average High 51.3° (+1.9°) 100-year return frequency value: max 55.5° min 38.5°

Average Low 23.7° (+2.3°) 100-year return frequency value: max 27.5° min 14.1°

Monthly Precipitation 0.61” (-0.08”) 100-year return frequency value: max 3.80” min 0.16”

Monthly Snowfall 11.1” (+0.3”) Highest Temperature 72° on the 5th; Lowest Temperature 5° on the 25th

Season to Date Snow 14.5” (-7.3”) (the snow season is from Oct 1 to Sept 30)

Season to Date Precip. 24.87” (+3.80”) (the precipitation season, Jan 1 to Dec 31)

Heating Degree Days 874 (+6)

Cooling Degree Days 0 (0)

Bill Kappel is a meteorologist and Tri-Lakes resident. He can be reached at billkappel@ocn.me.

Other Weather Wrap articles

Letters to Our Community – It’s time for Monument to move forward

Monument is the jewel of the Front Range. We are uniquely situated geographically to capture the beauty and serenity around us. To our north are 36,000 acres of designated open space. The national forest is to our east, and the AFA is to our south. We should be grateful to live here with these protections.

It’s no secret there has been negative press coming from a few contentious individuals this past year trying to create a community of hostility and showcase Monument in the media as just another politically crazy town.

This small group of former political operatives wants to change the narrative in Monument, for reasons only they can state. They seem to prefer chaos, or simply wish to have lost power restored. Most citizens just want to focus on maintaining a sense of community.

Most people live here because of the good that is Monument, and its citizens, albeit resilient, wish to move forward, keeping our town as beautiful as it can be, and as vibrant as it can be.

Citizens are permitted due process and input on how our government functions, especially since we are a Home Rule municipality, which controls how our community is governed. These misguided former leaders think otherwise.

Our founders created this country based upon citizen government and citizen participation. The Bill of Rights was intended for the citizens to maintain power. The government is you, not a few elitists who lost their status.

Negativity from these few is just noise. Monument is our home and it is up to us collectively to create the roadmap its residents desire for the future, starting with a new upcoming Comprehensive Plan that will offer extensive citizen input and move us toward creating a positive future.

Steve King

Click here for Guidelines for letters.

Disclaimer: The information and opinions expressed in Letters to Our Community are the responsibility of the letter writers and should not be interpreted as the views of OCN even if the letter writer is an OCN volunteer. The letters are arranged in alphabetical order based on the last name of the author.

Other Letters to Our Community

Letters to Our Community – A question about fatal consequences

Question: If unlawful protesters close a major traffic road to a hospital, and that results in the death of an ambulance transport of a heart attack victim because of that traffic closure, does every single protester get charged with murder or at least manslaughter for their illegal activities causing a death?

I say yes.

Gordon Reichal

Click here for Guidelines for letters.

Disclaimer: The information and opinions expressed in Letters to Our Community are the responsibility of the letter writers and should not be interpreted as the views of OCN even if the letter writer is an OCN volunteer. The letters are arranged in alphabetical order based on the last name of the author.

Other Letters to Our Community