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Woodmoor Improvement Association, Jan. 26 and 28 – Annual meeting and reorganization

Highlights

  • The Woodmoor Improvement Association (WIA) annual meeting on Jan. 26 covered 2025 accomplishments, 2026 goals, and neighbor recognition, with the Jan. 28 certified election confirming re-elected directors and a board reorganization.
  • Key 2025 actions included fire mitigation efforts, four chipping days, a new North Park parking lot, maintenance of a snow fence, and prairie dog eradication in the South Woodmoor Preserve; 2026 priorities emphasize Firewise, trail development, standards enforcement, digitizing files, ongoing WPS patrols, and easement negotiations on Highway 105.
  • Dues for 2026 rose by $9 to $308 annually, driven by insurance costs, inflation, salaries, and common area improvements; top income sources remain dues, new construction fees, and Barn/office rentals.
  • Changes in staff and roles: Covenant and Forestry Administrator Justin Gates is leaving, and Woodmoor Public Safety Chief Kevin Nielsen retires March 31 after 35 years; several offices and committees were reappointed or clarified during the reorganizations.
  • Public safety and covenants were highlighted, including 2025 WPS activity (61,000 miles driven, 11,000+ vacation checks, and more than $19,000 in donations), with open fires and fireworks prohibited and a $5,000 fine for violations.
  • Remaining questions at the meeting covered Wild Duck Pond dredging considerations, 5G availability, Preserve trail plans, fencing options, and sub-association concerns, with 5G progressing slowly and fencing materials discussed under Firewise guidelines.

By Jackie Burhans

The Woodmoor Improvement Association (WIA) board met on Jan. 26 for its annual meeting to elect new board members, review 2025 accomplishments, state 2026 goals, and recognize good neighbors. The board met on Jan. 28 to certify the election, reorganize its positions, and approve operational procedures.

Annual meeting

President Brian Bush called the meeting to order and covered the presentation available on the WIA website at tinyurl.com/wia-2026-annual. Bush confirmed that a quorum was achieved via residents returning their ballots and noted that the board saved over $2,100 by not providing postage-paid envelopes and $1,000 by having staff count the votes. Bush reviewed the rules of conduct for the meeting, which he summarized as “Be courteous, respectful, and concise.” Noting that no one had submitted issues five days in advance, he encouraged attendees to bring up their concerns at the meeting and to turn in their ballots to elect board members.

Bush reviewed the mission of WIA to perform covenant enforcement and architectural control, maintain and improve common areas, and provide public safety. He also noted that WIA monitors issues in surrounding areas that may affect its residents, such as writing a letter of opposition to the Palmer Lake Board of Trustees regarding the proposed Buc-ee’s development.

Bush emphasized that WIA doesn’t foreclose properties or fail to work with residents on reasonable solutions, nor does it have rigid and unchanging rules and regulations. However, he said changing covenants has proved virtually impossible.

Noting that board positions are unpaid, he introduced the 2025 board members and WIA staff, many of whom are longtime employees. Bush announced that Covenant and Forestry Administrator Justin Gates was leaving for other opportunities, and Woodmoor Public Safety (WPS) Chief Kevin Nielsen is retiring on March 31 after 35 years of outstanding service.

The WIA dues for 2026 have increased by $9 to $308 annually, which is still low compared to most homeowners’ associations. The biggest reasons were the cost of insurance, inflation, salaries, and common area improvements. The top three sources of income were dues, new construction fees, and Barn and office rentals. There is not a lot left to develop in Woodmoor beyond the six or seven homes in North Bay and about 41 homes at Waterside, Bush said. The top expenses are payroll, WPS, common area improvements and maintenance, and forestry, he said.

Bush said that WIA’s reserve fund was used in 2025 to replace a WPS vehicle, replace windows in the administrative offices, purchase new computer equipment, and install new fans in the Barn. There are no scheduled reserve fund expenditures scheduled for 2026.

WPS services include immediate officer response, vacation checks, crime prevention, traffic control, 24/7 patrol, and interagency support and communication. WPS can communicate directly with surrounding first responders using FirstNet, a public safety nationwide broadband network built by AT&T. All WPS personnel wear body cameras and record all incidents. In 2025, WPS drove 61,000 miles, completed over 11,000 vacation checks, and received over $19,000 in donations for vacation checks. Anecdotally, Bush said that Woodmoor experiences less crime because it has armed security patrols.

Bush reminded residents that in 2023, the El Paso Board of County Commissioners had decided only to plow Priority 3 roads when snow depths reach 6 inches, which creates hazardous driving conditions; he noted that by law, WIA cannot plow county roads. Information about road priorities and an interactive map of snowplow deployment can be found at https://publicworks.elpasoco.com/snow-removal/.

The top covenant violations are barking, loose or aggressive dogs and trailers or recreational vehicles left too long in resident parking lots. There were 585 total covenant issues, which resulted in 26 violations. Only eight were escalated to a hearing, showing that WIA is committed to working with residents toward compliance over punishment, Bush said.

The top architectural projects were roof repairs or replacements, followed by house painting. There were 503 total projects (down from 548), of which 99% were approved by the Architectural Control Committee (ACC) or office staff.

Common area improvements included mitigating 300 cubic yards of dead trees and scrub oak, mowing, and removing noxious weeds. WIA added four new pet waste stations at the Preserve open space and continued weekly maintenance of the waste stations, trails, and drainage in the common areas.

Bush reiterated that open fires and fireworks of any kind are prohibited in Woodmoor and will result in a $5,000 fine. Bush said residents had invested around $1.3 million collectively on fire mitigation, including fuel removal and replacing shake roofs or wood siding. WIA was awarded a Fire Fuel Reduction Grant by the Colorado State Forestry Service. This 50/50 matching grant focuses on creating defensible space and removing ladder and excess fire fuels. To apply, contact the office or fill out the online form to schedule a visit and lot evaluation. Bush noted that Woodmoor has a higher wildfire risk to homes than 97% of the communities in the nation.

Above: At the Jan. 26 annual meeting, Woodmoor Improvement Association president Brian Bush reviewed 2025 highlights and accomplishments and 2026 goals. He also fielded questions from attendees on a variety of community concerns. WIA and Woodmoor Public Safety staff were also available to answer questions and meet residents. Photo by Jackie Burhans.

Accomplishments, goals, and awards

In 2025 WIA:

  • Continued to support the D38 on the Safe Routes to School project, which now includes a bridge over the dam.
  • Held four chipping days over two weekends at Lewis-Palmer High School at no cost to residents; there will be a $20 fee for non-residents in 2026.
  • Added a parking lot at the North Park open space.
  • Maintained a snow fence at Toboggan Hill to prevent injuries.
  • Eradicated prairie dogs in the South Woodmoor Preserve, which is expected to be required so long as construction continues.
  • For 2026 goals, WIA will:
  • Maintain a strong commitment to Firewise.
  • Continue to develop trails in common areas.
  • Enforce community standards.
  • Continue to digitize WIA files.
  • Continue WPS patrols and assistance.
  • Negotiate easements with Woodmoor Water & Sanitation District on WIA land on the north side of Highway 105 as part of phase B of the county widening project.
  • Continue its noxious weed eradication program, focusing on mowing rather than pesticides.

A last-minute nomination resulted in a Good Neighbor award for board member Brad Gleason, who was recognized for helping with bringing packages in, clearing snow from the driveway, and being the best possible neighbor.

Residents’ questions and comments

Following the annual meeting presentation, residents had questions about Wild Duck Pond, the availability of 5G, an update on trails in The Preserve, fencing, and a sub-association.

Common Area Administrator Bob Pearsall said that removing cattails from Wild Duck Pond would require dredging; Cutler said it was on the list at low priority due to the cost. Gleason said that 5G is slowly making its way to this area by upgrading existing towers.

A resident noted his expectation that trails in The Preserve would extend to the east side near Bowstring. Bush said the WIA board is waiting to see what happens with nearby developments and do more analysis before building more trails and incurring maintenance costs. Another resident noted that Firewise discourages flammable materials for fencing that connects to homes, and House Bill 24-1091 prohibits homeowners’ associations from prohibiting fire-hardened building materials. Pearsall said that WIA allows concrete split-rail fences, and Miller noted that metal fences are allowed up to 6 feet from the house upon request, but the challenge is the cost.

Finally, a resident noted that he lived in a sub-association that is defunct, and he feels trapped between WIA and his sub-association. Bush said he understood the issues and suggested the residents try to change their board.

Board reorganization

At the Jan. 28 meeting, Bush reviewed the certified election results, in which board members Rick DePaiva, Brad Gleason, and Pete Giusti were re-elected. The board directors were confirmed to continue in their roles as follows:

  • Brian Bush, President
  • Peter Bille, Vice President
  • Pete Giusti, Treasurer
  • Steve Cutler, Common Areas
  • Jennifer Davis, Covenant Control
  • Rick DePaiva, Secretary and Community Outreach
  • Brad Gleason, Public Safety
  • Jason Hann, Forestry
  • Ed Miller, Architectural Control

Administrative motions

  • The board retained Bush, Bille, Giusti, and DePaiva as authorized signers on its financial accounts.
  • The board voted unanimously to meet on the fourth Wednesday of each month at 7 p.m. at the Barn, except that the November meeting will be on the 18th and the December meeting on the 16th due to holidays.
  • The board set its covenant hearing dates for the second Thursday of each month at 6:15 p.m. when needed.
  • The board set its ACC meetings for the second and fourth Thursday of each month at 7 p.m. except in December, when there will be only one meeting. The board appointed the 2026 ACC committee members.
  • The board authorized the ACC administrator to approve certain miscellaneous projects, handle compliance fee refunds up to $500, and handle routine change orders for all projects without prior ACC approval.
  • The board authorized the director of forestry to review and approve tree removal requests and Firewise lot evaluations. The board appointed a Forestry Committee member for 2026 and approved bringing in a former employee as an hourly consultant when needed.

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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 will be on Feb. 25.

The WIA calendar can be found at www.woodmoor.org/events/. Once approved and posted, the WIA board meeting minutes can be found at www.woodmoor.org/board-of-directors//.

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

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