Wednesday, March 11th, 2026

ONLINE ZOOM MEETING

Trustees Present: Sharon Caulfield, Beth Hoff Blackmer, Carolyne Heldman Rovira, John Ott, Eric Pelander

Manager(s) Present: Will Rutledge (Rutledge Mgmt); Kim Clinco RMAS; Adrian Aguilar HCUS

Homeowners Present (for all or some): Daniel Mora, Gayle Morgan, Weston Anderson

Quorum and Minutes: The minutes of the Trustees meeting of Wednesday February 11, 2026 were approved as submitted.

Public Comment and General Trustee Comments if any:

• Daniel Mora asked for additional information concerning the damage apparently caused by a wolf in February at the Alexander Avenue home of Jeff Weiss. The Board discussed what is known: neighbors have heard wolf calls from Alexander Avenue. Jeff Weiss found chewing and pulling damage to his wooden deck stairs along with tracks in the snow that were large enough to implicate wolves. It appeared that the perpetrator might have been seeking to reach rabbit holes under the deck. No harm to humans or domestic animals has been noted. Folks should continue to be aware that we live in a wildlife interface and observe good protocols to protect their animals, children and property.

Consent Agenda Reports:

• The February 28, 2026 financial reports submitted by bookkeeper Kim Clinco were received and accepted without change. Kim noted that she had made the adjustment requested by the board to move certain water maintenance line items from operations to reserve expenses.
• Adrian Aguilar was at the meeting in lieu of providing a written report.
• Rutledge will provide information about how to reach his monthly report through Google Docs

Consideration of Items removed from Consent Agenda:

• None

Water Systems - High Country Utility Services: 

• CDPHE inspection. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment was on site for its periodic on-site review on February 25, 2026. While these inspections occur periodically – about every 4 years – this was an important inspection after the initiation of the new orthophosphate treatment process that began December 31, 2025. The inspector was pleased with the layout of the pump house, the processes for orthophosphate injection and measurement, and the water quality as measured. Due to a turbidity incident in the fall of 2025, we remain within a heightened reporting period for sedimentation measurements, but with the installation of new turbidity meters the water is very clean at this time. The measuring device on the storage tank above East Sopris Creek Road had failed the week before the CDPHE inspection due to a short-out at the electrical outlet to which the device has been attached. Kevin Madison, a long-term electrical contractor to the Association, was fixing that electrical station on the date of the CDPHE inspection, which satisfied the inspector. [After this meeting, on March 16, 2026, the CDPHE report was received and showed no deficiencies.]
• Water System Records. Adrian appreciated the help of Linda Leslie at EPC, our former system Operator in Responsible Charge, who provided sufficient documentation to meet CDPHE’s requirements for historical records. As the need to address issues within the physical system gradually lessens over time, Adrian plans to work with Will Rutledge and neighbor Tony Rizzo (who manages our website) to ensure that these historical records are stored "in the cloud" for future retrieval. The records are the property of the HOA.
• Pump House Upgrades: Expenses. Adrian Aguilar noted that he had engaged the services of JVA Engineering, the HOA’s civil engineers, to prepare for the CDPHE inspection and ensure the systems are running in accordance with the JVA plan approved by CDPHE. He also engaged Kevin Madison to do the above-described electrical work. We should anticipate bills from each of these contractors for their work.
• Testing for Lead/Copper CDPHE will require the HOA to continue to test for lead and copper. Testing will also address PFAS, SOCS, VOCS and nitrites. Adrian will provide the list of testing households and a process for collecting the samples within the next several weeks.
• flow and Household Meters Adrian will continue to set a schedule for installation of backflow meters and meters on the few households that are not yet covered within the Beacon/Badger system.
• Ditch Reports

  Sharon Caulfield, now a Little Elk Creek Ditch board member, has set up a time to walk the Little Elk Creek Ditch with Adrian Aguilar, Will Rutledge, Timberline, ditch manager Ricky Emlyn, and the LEC Ditch water lawyer Gabe Racz on March 27. The purpose of this ditch walk is to familiarize HCUS and Racz with the ditch diversion, flows, and laterals that service the HOA and other Ditch shareholders. The Division 5 Water Court is developing updated regulations regarding measurement of ditch flows, following a new requirement from the State Engineer. Timberline will be involved in installing these new Parshall Flumes (or other devices) and also will resolve an issue in construction of the HOA laterals by which the exit pipe at the lateral structures was placed about 3 or 4 inches above the base concrete, thereby delivering less water flow than should be available to the HOA.

  A similar walkabout will be set up for the Boram and White Ditch in April.

ACA: 

• The Board acknowledged Will Rutledge’s approval (per the Architectural Guidelines) of the Means family landscape plan for their remodeling project at 12 Alexander Avenue.
• Will Rutledge has reached out to the Hedges/Leonard family about completion of the willow removal project on their property on Driscoll Avenue. The family has not yet received a bill for this work and has therefore not submitted a shared billing document to the HOA.
• Will has reached out to the Kaplan/Clark family on Haystack to inquire about the installation of the irrigation plan that the Board approved last summer. The landscaper was unable to do the installation in 2025 and they intend for it to be implemented in the summer of 2026. The Board reiterated that the 2025-approved plan is what should be installed.

Old Business: 

• Common Space Ditch Maintenance. Following on the discussion of the Kaplan/Clark irrigation installation, the Board noted that the green space that is west of the domestic water ponds, between Haystack Lane and Little Elk Creek Avenue, is due for ditch clearing. Will Rutledge will reach out to William Hernandez to get this project done. Some of the ditches have become too filled with sediment and so some homeowners have tried to supplement their ditch flow by digging new laterals in this area. With maintenance on the ditches, this issue should be resolved and no side ditches should be allowed.
• Rutledge Management Agreement Approved. The Board, with specific note of Eric Pelander, Carolyne Rovira, and Sharon Caulfield, has worked with Will Rutledge to finalize the Rutledge and Company management agreement. After review of the final version of the agreement, the Board approved unanimously that it be executed. Rutledge is now the agent for the HOA on the Secretary of State website and the HOA administrator list maintained by the Division of Real Estate at the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies.
• Waste Management trash service. Will Rutledge reported that he has placed the LECVHOA within his management company’s master contract with Waste Management. This should lead to a reduced rate for 2027. For those who seek to upgrade their trash can from 36 gallons to a 64 gallon size, Will can make that arrangement though there will be a $15.00 per month additional individual cost. The 96 gallon recycling bins remain available at no extra charge under the master agreement.
• Reserve Analysis. The Board unanimously passed a motion to hold off on updating the Association’s 2023 reserve analysis until its 5th anniversary in 2028. At that time, we need to ensure that the reserves consultants take into consideration the potential cost of repairs to the galvanized pipe that carries water up Alexander Avenue to the water tank, though the consultants have been reluctant to offer that information in the past.

 New Business:

• Responsible Governance Policies. Sharon Caulfield has introduced Will Rutledge to the Moeller Graf attorneys to begin updates to the Association’s Responsible Governance Policies as may be necessary. The key policies to be updated are the Enforcement Policy and the related Fines list. These policies will be returned to the Board for review and adoption.
• Pitkin County Road payments. Kim Clinco reported that the Association has received its Pitkin County Road maintenance reimbursement check related to 2025. The Board discussed this process for the benefit of Will Rutledge.

There being no further business to come before the Board, the meeting was adjourned at 8:40 pm. The next Trustee meeting will be April 8, 2026.

Respectfully submitted,