Whether you’ve lived here for many years or are new to our beautiful valley, we're happy to have you as a neighbor in our community! We know you already appreciate how special this neighborhood is. This letter will give you a brief outline of how things work and point you towards some helpful resources.

Your Association’s website is LittleElkCreekVillage.org. This is, by far, the best source of information on your community.

Established in 1970, Little Elk Creek Village is a community of 77 parcels consisting of mostly one to two plus acre lots located 16 miles from Aspen and 7 miles from Basalt. We maintain a rural atmosphere amongst working ranches throughout the Snowmass Valley. There are common areas which include a playground, green spaces, picnic tables, and ponds. A community walking path within the green belt can be used both Summer and Winter.

Community Basics:

Our formal name is Little Elk Creek Village Home Owners Association (often referred to LEC or LECVHOA). The Board of the Association is made up of five of your neighbors. It operates under the Association’s Articles of Incorporation, Covenants, Bylaws, Regulations, and Policies. There are monthly Board Meetings on the second Wednesday, and your Annual Meeting is usually held the second Wednesday in June, the changeover month of your fiscal year.

The neighborhood association management company is Rutledge & Company. Please add will@rutledgeandcompany.com to your email address book. Email is the primary method of communication, and updates and important information will come from an @RutledgeAndCompany.com address.

IMPORTANT: Please ensure that Management has your current email and mailing address so that you’ll receive the information you need.

You will see the Management team driving through the neighborhood from time to time. Their responsibilities include routine inspections, responding to neighborhood inquiries, capital projects, and managing Association records and routine compliance issues. Of note, their responsibilities do not include individual lot management.

The best method to report to Management is through their web portal http://rutledgeandcompany.com/report/. This will ensure the appropriate parties receive the information in the quickest manner.

The Association also has a bookkeeper, Kim Clinco, your best resource for financial matters. Kim can be reached at kim@rmas.co (not com) or (970) 376-3093.

Your community also benefits from High Country Utility Services, your Water Manager, who is responsible for the management of your domestic water system and our ditch infrastructure. Their licensed Operator in Responsible Charge is Adrian Aguilar, and his second in charge is James Gordon. They will also be often seen in the neighborhood, especially at the pump house. If you have a water emergency, contact them at (970) 618-9458 or utility@hcusmgmt.org. It might help to also include Rutledge and Company in these communications.

Good Neighbors are Appreciated

In addition to the more specific governance found on the Association’s website, there is a "Good Neighbor" policy in effect, which outlines the details on pets, horses, weed mitigation, drones and more best practices. It has more details related to the items outlined in this welcome letter.

Architectural Review:

It is important to know about your architectural review process, which is detailed on the website here. You are responsible for the upkeep of your own home and lot. Basically, before beginning any remodeling or landscaping project, consult the website to understand the Architectural Guidelines.

As an important example, Pitkin County land use regulations also govern us in the neighborhood, including lighting regulations that have been recently updated to encourage Dark Skies compliance. If you ever have questions about how these guidelines and the Pitkin County regulations may apply to a project, please check in with the Manager for clarification.

Water Systems:

You have two sources of water to your lot: non-potable ditch water and potable domestic water.

One activity that may be new to you is management of the ditch or pond on your property that supplies non-potable water. Click here for more information found on your website. Your lot gets water from one of two ditch companies, the Boram and White Ditch or the Little Elk Creek Ditch Company. Sometimes the irrigation seasons for the two ditch companies are slightly different, so watch for specific information from our community Managers.

It is important to understand that the ditch rights are the property of the Association, rather than each homeowner, and the Association has legal obligations to maintain the ditches in accordance with Colorado law and the terms of our ditch companies’ governance.IMPORTANT: Please check with the Association before you make any changes to the ditches.

Ditch Maintenance

So that the ditches function properly, each Spring, you will see neighbors burning or otherwise cleaning and maintaining their lot’s portion of the ditches. You should plan to do the same. If you have a pond, it is likely that the pond will be filled during irrigation season, but dry during the winter. If you have a lined pond (if approved by Pitkin County), you’ll need to have a bypass ditch to make sure water flows freely if required by the ditch company. For any questions regarding irrigation, please click here to contact Management.

Domestic Water

We are very proud of our domestic water system here in Little Elk Creek Village, and consider it one of the most important assets we have. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) is the oversight agency to ensure that your water quality meets community legal requirements. As homeowners, we all have sensors on our water lines (the locations are marked with blue stick markers that must be left in place) that measures water usage. You’ll be given access to the Eye on Water app that monitors your household water consumption, and gives an alert if it detects a leak or unusual water usage. Find all of that information here on the website, and learn more about how we safeguard our water system, who oversees it, and who to contact if you have a problem.

Trash and Recycling

As part of your Association dues, you participate in an arrangement with Waste Management to provide weekly trash and recycling pickup. Trash and recycle is picked up every Tuesday by Waste Management, and should be curbside by 7:00 AM.

Under the Association’s bulk agreement, each homeowner is supplied with one 34-gallon trash and 96-gallon recycle container. Larger containers may be requested at an additional charge. For more information, click here to contact Association Management.

Little Elk Creek benefits from Waste Management’s single stream recycling. For more information on recycling, see their website here.

Non-trash items, such as household goods (mattresses, appliances, tires, etc.), construction debris, electronics, compost and large landscaping debris may not be left out with the trash/recycling. They should be taken to the Pitkin County Landfill. Your residency gets you a yearly credit available there.

From August until the snow flies, it is common to find hungry bears in the area. To prevent domestication and other predator issues, please remember to latch your bear proof containers. If you experience a break in, contact the Association Manager.

Then, in the Winter, to allow for snow removal and traffic flow, trash cans should be left at the corner of your driveway and fully off the road.

Snow Removal & Parking

The speed limit within the subdivision is 15 mph. Please respect this. Lots of us like to walk along our roads with elders, children and dogs.

The Association arranges for community snow removal on all main roads, and the Association Manager may have resources for your own property’s plow service. Please remember, for proper street snow removal, that Pitkin County regulations do not allow for streetside parking on a regular basis. Please make sure everyone knows of this parking requirement. All parking should take place on your own property.

Welcome!

Above all, welcome to this amazing community! You are encouraged to get to know your neighbors, come to our annual fall picnic, attend monthly board meetings, and join a board committee, or run for a board position.

We hope you’ll love it here as much as we do!

Your Little Elk Creek Village HOA Board for 2025-2026
President - John Ott
Vice President - Carolyne Rovira
Treasurer - Beth Hoff Blackmer
Secretary - Sharon Caulfield
Trustee at large - Eric Pelander

updated April 2026