Floyd Hill Area Property Owners’ Association Meeting Minutes
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Time: 7:00 pm
Location: Clear Creek County High School
Neighbor, Pete Helseth, spoke about his volunteer work with the Clear Creek County Open Space Commission. The Open Space Commission was established in 1999 by a 1-mil property tax. The Commission consists of 9 volunteers, 2 alternates, and one paid staff member. Pete is one of the 6 volunteers who have been involved since 1999. Open Space’s annual budget has averaged approximately $250,000 with a $1 million bonding capacity (not used to date).
A number of Bureau of Land Management lands returned to Clear Creek were given to Open Space to manage. Examples of transferred County Lands include the Alps Mountain property southwest of Idaho Springs. There are other County Lands closer to Floyd Hill that could become Open Space in the future.
In 2001, Open Space tried to purchase the Elmgreen meadow for $1.1 million. When Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) declined to sponsor a grant, the purchase was abandoned. Recently ESRE (David Elmgreen and his cousin Wayne Snowbarger) offered the Elmgreen meadow to Open Space for $4.5 million in cash. An appraisal for the meadow from five years ago was for $1.7 million. Negotiations this past summer included tours of the parcel with Jeffco Open Space, Trust for Public Lands, GOCO, and Mountain Area Land Trust, to assess the value of and interest in the property. The original area overland stage route was near this meadow.
Open Space previously purchased the Elmgreen Homestead (located above the industrial park north of U.S. 40). A trailhead to this property is being sought behind the new Ski Country Antiques warehouse north of I-70. Open Space also purchased the Beaver Brook Watershed with a $5.5 million loan from GOCO for 1,600 acres. The rest of the Watershed's original 6,000 acres have been purchased by and transferred to the US Forest Service. One trailhead into this non-motorized recreation area starts near Pat Creek Road off Beaver Brook Canyon Road and follows an old jeep road for 2.5 miles to Squaw Pass Road (Highway 103). The gate to this trail can be opened to exit the Hyland Hills area in case of an emergency with higher-clearance vehicles. Open Space also established the Saddle Ridge Road trailhead, offering a 45-minute walk on undeveloped trails to the top of Saddleback Mountain.
Open Space has also created a countywide trail plan and continues to negotiate easements to connect established trails. Other projects include organizing county recycling programs, and stewardship programs for local trails, as well as weed control efforts. For more details about our county’s Open Space Commission, contact Pete at pete@myqci.com or visit http://www.co.clear-creek.co.us/OSWebsite/About.htm.
Business Meeting:
Call to Order:
Vice President, Mike Chevarria, called the FHAPOA Business Meeting to order at 8:05 pm.
Minutes from July 31, 2008 meeting: (as posted at www.FloydHill.org)
John Dobel motioned to approve the minutes as reported on the Floyd Hill website. Anne White seconded this motion. Those in attendance approved the minutes as published.
Treasurer’s Report: (See full report attached by Treasurer, Holly Gangell)
Balance 7/31/08 $9,916.90
Deposits (yard sale proceeds, dues) + $ 59.00
(154 paid members to date)
Debits* - $285.89
Balance 9/25/08 $9,690.01
*J. White appreciation gift, yard sale advertising, and picnic expenses
Committee Reports:
Road Committee: Report by Pat Aiello
The Road Committee will meet with the County Commissioners on Wednesday October 1st at 2:00 pm in Georgetown. Residents are invited to attend this meeting to show support for the needed road improvements throughout the Hyland Hills development. For more information, contact Pat Aiello at lilpat07@gmail.com or meet at the park and ride at the base of the Hill at 1:30 pm. The Commissioners and Director of Public Works will be asked to visit our roads, view deficiencies, and commit to remedying identified road issues (grading to minimize erosion, minimizing high berms, cleaning ditches, and pothole and dust control). The asphalt roads in the area were striped this summer, and potholes on Meadowview and Hyland were patched.
Playground Committee: Report by Ken Quast
The Committee revised and resubmitted the grant request to GOCO in August and is optimistic about a positive response.
Emergency Notification Committee: Report by Mike Chevarria
Mike practiced the area emergency notification system, Voice Shot, when he left each Floyd Hill resident a telephone message reminding them of today’s bimonthly FHAPOA business meeting. If you were not contacted for today’s meeting, contact Linda Berteau at 303-679-3025 to update your phone numbers with the association, to be used in case of an emergency evacuation.
Development Committee:
Report by Mike Chevarria
The next County Sub-Regional Master Development Plan meeting will be help on October 1st. The consultant, Norris Design, will review the findings from the charettes from August 18th and 19th. To give your input on how you would like to see development at the base of Floyd Hill evolve, contact Mike Chevarria at vicepresident@floydhill.org (303-670-6528).
Water Response Committee: Jim White
No report.
Activities Committee: Report by Anne White
The NEIGHBORHOOD PICNIC held on Saturday September 13th from 4:00 – 7:00 pm at Elmgreen Park was a huge success. 70-75 local residents attended on a beautiful mountain afternoon. The cowgirls and cowboys who attended consumed quite a feast of scrumptious potluck dishes. A special thanks goes to Lou and Autumn Montgomery for preparing BBQ brisket and to Harry Dale for his savory fried turkey and chicken! Jim White created the signs for the event, and Keith Briggs furnished tables. Karen and John Dobel, and Whitney Thatcher furnished ice chests and Linda Berteau brought ice. Accolades also goes to Mary Cain and Autumn Montgomery for organizing pinecone hunting, an egg race, and piñata games for the young-uns. A few neighbors from SaddleBack Mountain and Beaver Brook joined in the festivities. Thank you, Anne, for spearheading the event, twice – once for a rained out event and once for the real thing!
The Fall CHIPPER WEEKEND will be held on Saturday and Sunday September 27th and 28th. A total of 34 households will be participating. An 84-horsepower diesel chipper will again be rented to chip logs and branches for area homeowners. The proposed cost is $20 per FHAPOA members or $40 for non-members. Slash is to be dragged and collected at designated spots along area roads, easily accessible by the chipper hauled by Josh Lewis’ truck. Tree trunks up to 12” in diameter can be chipped. The sawdust will be broadcasted over the local property, and efforts will be made to keep the chips out of drainage ditches. Property owners are expected to help chip the slash they stockpile. Piles of beetle-infested slash will be chipped first. Contact Josh Lewis at lewisj@patenergy.com (303-898-6991) if you want to participate in this helpful program. The association has applied for some grant monies to defray the cost of renting the chipper and the gas to operate it in the future, in an effort to minimize the spread of pine beetle in our area and to control the fire hazard beetle tree kill creates. Josh Lewis has again recruited his experienced, hard-working team of Holly Gangell, Keith Briggs, Steve Byrne, and Paul Berteau to assist with the chipping throughout the weekend.
Neighborhood Roadway Safety Committee: Report by Linda Berteau
Kris Lee is pricing a “BE AWARE, DRIVE WITH CARE” sign to be posted at the base of Floyd Hill as a reminder to motorists to drive safely and courteously on Hill roads. She is working with the County Roads Department to get approval to display a permanent sign at the T of Beaver Brook and Hyland Drive. Kris is also getting details on ordering a few yard signs with the same slogan that can be rotated to different areas of concern around the development, and stickers to be placed on garbage cans. Contact Kris for more information at kriskinzli@yahoo.com or to volunteer to help with this committee.
Old Business:
The FHAPOA MEMBER INTEREST SURVEY was passed out to those in attendance at tonight’s meeting. This survey assesses what issues are most important to FHAPOA members and canvasses interests for future FHAPOA meeting speakers. To date, eighteen responses have been received. To acquire a survey, contact Linda Berteau at musicats420@ecentral.com or 303-679-3025.
Mike Chevarria succeeded in getting the Colorado Department of Transportation to post signs at the eastern and western edge of I-70 as it passes by Floyd Hill ordering truckers not to use their noisy jake brakes. This should REDUCE TRUCK NOISE from I-70. Mike is also working with CDOT to have some burned out floodlights over the bridge at exit 249 replaced. These lights are scheduled to be replaced within the next 2 weeks.
Linda Berteau passed out summaries of AMENDMENT 50. This amendment on Colorado’s fall ballot will allow the gambling cities of Central City, Black Hawk, and Cripple Creek to increase wagers on a single bet from $5 to $100. If Amendment 50 is passed, the games of roulette and/or craps may be added to slot machines, blackjack and poker. Casinos now must close between 2:00 am and 8:00 am, but if Amendment 50 passes, the casinos may extend their hours of operation. The tax revenue from this amendment would go to: 78% to Community, Junior, and District Colleges, 12% to Gilpin and Teller Counties, and 10% to Central City, Black Hawk, and Cripple Creek. Jim White stated that Black Hawk may use the millions of dollars higher stakes gambling could generate from the passage of Amendment 50, to fund the “Silver Tunnel” from Black Hawk to I-70. This proposed highway is expected to construct its acceleration lane connecting the new Highway to I-70 going eastbound at the Floyd Hill interchange. Thus, construction, and traffic could change the character of the base of Floyd Hill considerably. John Dobel’s research has indicated that if Gilpin County were to attempt to annex the base of Floyd Hill, casinos could not be built here, but hotels and employee housing could. It would behoove each Floyd Hill resident to study Amendment 50 carefully and to assess how its passage could affect the shaping of Floyd Hill future development. Vote prudently on Amendment 50!
Brochures were passed out to those wanting to purchase bare root or potted TREE OR SHRUB SEEDLINGS through the Golden 4-H next spring. Orders must be placed by February. Representatives from Floyd Hill will pick up seedling orders at the Jefferson County Fair Grounds and deliver them to FHAPOA members who ordered them. The survival rate (50%-65%) of potted trees to replace trees killed by the Mountain Pine Beetle has been considerably better than that for bare root trees. Contact Linda Berteau at musicats420@ecentral.com or 303-679-3025 for selection and prices.
Closure and Next Meeting:
The next FHAPOA meeting will be scheduled for Saturday, December 6th at 6:00 pm at Keith Briggs’ house at 1096 Aspen Drive. A short business meeting will ensue before an end of year celebration of many neighborhood successes begins. Please bring a covered dish and a hearty appetite. Enjoy a festive evening to celebrate the camaraderie of living in such a beautiful mountain area with fine, friendly neighbors.
Pat Aiello motioned to close the meeting and Steve Lane seconded the motion. Mike Chevarria adjourned the business meeting at 8:45 pm.
Respectfully submitted,
Linda G. Berteau,
FHAPOA Secretary
In attendance:
* Pat Aiello
* Mark Anderson
* Linda Berteau
Hillary Byrne
* Joyce & Mike Chevarria
* Keith Briggs
* Karen & John Dobel
* Holly Gangell
* Pete Helseth
* Steve Lane
* Lou Montgomery
* Ken Quast
* Anne & Jim White
16
*FHAPOA 2008 paid member
