Letter to Community from Mary Costello

     We must choose between what we have been accustomed to and what we want to have.
     We all bought into Vista Redonda with our hearts via our checkbooks. The impact of her space, the pounding of the elements—especially in the summer—we became captivated by the view here. Vista Redonda brought us home to ourselves.
     It’s time to re-kindle the Vista Redonda community spirit. Its time to let go of factions and personal interests and work together to build a new Vista Redonda complete with good roads and great water.
     Vista Redonda is a community more than a corporation. Lets view this current impasse with the bylaws not as a speed bump that hinders our working together but as a stepping stone  to a new tomorrow for us all.
      We have to let go of our fears in order to speak from our hearts. Lets start now.
Sincerely,
Mary Costello
24B Paseo Encantado NE

Bylaws for the New Vista Redonda Boards Tabled; Community Votes in Favor of Retaining Dirt Roads; and Progress Made on Meeting Uranium Compliance Order

Annual meeting was held in Rancho Encantado's ballroom.

The existing Vista Redonda Water and Property Owners Association Board tabled its plans for a community vote on a controversial set of proposed bylaws to govern the two boards that will come into existence when split between the two organizations becomes formal. “It is obvious to the board at this point in time,” said president Sue Mize, “we need to continue to work on the bylaws until we come up with a compromise suitable to the community.”

    Instead, Mize explained at the annual community meeting held on August 21 in the ballroom of Rancho Encantado, that past president Keitha Leonard has agreed to head up a special committee. It will review complaints about and suggestion for the new bylaws and present new drafts to the board by October 1. Once the board, along with its attorney, sign off on the new bylaws they will be submitted to a vote by the community.

    The process will be put on a “fast track,” Mize said.

    Leonard is looking for volunteers to serve on the committee and asked that those interested in doing to email her.

    There was considerable confusion at the meeting regarding the planned split of the two entities, one of which is a quasi-governmental board organization that operates the mutual domestic water system serving Vista Redonda and the other is a traditional homeowners association. The two were combined many years ago based on advice of counsel. The board’s attorney now believe the two should be separate and a vote was taken at last year’s annual meeting to split the board in two.

    As the existing corporate charter still includes the homeowners association and some legal steps have not been completed, as well as bylaws have not been adopted for the new homeowners association, the authority of the current structure was unclear and community members raised questions regarding it. As of now, both operate under bylaws adopted in 2004, according to Mize, Current and newly elected officers serve on both boards.

Roads

     Also at the meeting, board member Harvey Stone presented the results of a vote taken to discern the community’s preference in regards to roads. Thirty-nine owners supported a plan to repair the roads and retain them as dirt roads. Seventeen said they favored asphalt. In other words, 70 of those voting supported retaining the dirt roads or 48 percent of eligible voters.

     But in a separate vote, with fewer participants, 64 percent of those voting said they would accept a partial pavement. In addition, those who participated in the voting said they would support donating as much as $150,000 to the county for road repair but opposed buying and donating materials. Stone said he would convey the voting results to the county.

     At least six votes were not counted because residents brought their votes to the meeting unaware the tabulation would be completed prior to the gathering.

      Leonard and Chris Brislawn volunteered to try to determine if the county has a definitive report regarding the safety of using asphalt on the hills. At one meeting a county road engineer said publicly that is less safe and on another occasion the director of public works claimed it was safer.

      Following Stone's presentation, the community voted to empower the board to negotiate with the county on how best to proceed with road repairs and agreed to provide up to $150,000 to the project should it meet with the board’s approval. The funds would come from two one-year $800 assessments on each property to be levied by the yet to be created property owners association.

      Stone and other board members reminded the audience that the decision on how the roads will be repaired is a county decision as the roads belong to it. The vote was only a means of conveying the community’s sentiment.

Budget

      Board member Peter Frank provided an overview of 2011-2012 expenses. The neighborhood spent $160,639 in operating the water system, which was within $74 of the budget. The amount included a $2,500 donation to the Tesuque Elementary School PTA. The water board ended the year with reserves of $790,985.

      The 2012-2013 water budget calls for far lower expenses, as much of the income will be redirected to the new property owners association. Frank obtained consent for a series of steps that would fund the new property owners association as well as set aside funds for the proposed contribution to the county. Essentially the water board is reducing its annual collection of money by $800 and permitting the property owners to levy it instead. Under the plan, each resident will pay a total of $2,080 for water and property owners association dues.

Water

      Board member David Rule reviewed the neighborhoods struggles to meet the new lower uranium standards. By using purging techniques and other means, samples from all but one neighborhood well have met the standard. Well 3A, which he called the “problem child,” continues to give reading above the acceptable level. He outlined several possible course of action to remedy it.

      In addition, Rule reported that the neighborhood successfully drew enough water out of four of its wells to preserve it beneficial use claim on the water. He will be providing the state water engineer with a report soon.

Other

   Ana van Schayk presented a report from the architecture committee and introduced two of four new members of the community who were in attendance at the meeting.

   The current board was reelected to serve as members of both organizations. Two new members joining the boards are Susan Rule and Philip Marineau.

   

Work on 592 to Tie Up Traffic for Two Weeks or More

Road crews, like this one, are coming soon to 592.

Starting on Monday Vista Redonda residents can expect delays getting to and from town as the New Mexico Department of Transportation (NMDOT) begins work on State Route 592. NMDOT is going to apply chip seal to five miles of the road from the base to Chupadero. The work will take two weeks or more, depending on the weather.

     Chip seal is a road surface made by combining asphalt with aggregate like small gravel. It is one of the forms of pavement that is being considered by county officials for the Vista Redonda neighborhood roads.

     NMDOT officials said the work will be performed between the hours of 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. Asa result daytime drivers will face delays, as well as single lane closures with a flagging operation and pilot car escort. Drivers are asked to proceed through the work zone with caution, watch for signage and observe reduced speed limits. Bicycling through the work zone is discouraged due to the oily surface, loose gravel, and heavy truck traffic.

     "The last time they did this DOT lowered the speed limit from 50 to 30 and left it that way for over a year," reports Chupadero resident Paul White.

    He further warns to be careful about following other cars too closely during the work. "Even 100 feet behind another car gravel can be thrown and hit your windshield, "White said. "I was going to replace my windshield but now I'll wait."

Follow Up On County Board Meeting Testimony

Yesterday, the Vista Redonda News reported incorrectly that John Nye supported paving the hills of Paseo Encantado NE & SW. The misunderstanding of his testimony before the county commission arose because he said he supported the recommendation of the Public Works Department staff and its expertise. Instead, Nye writes that he supports “chip seal  1) from hwy 592 thru the 4 way stop intersection 2) and the hills at Paseo Encantado NE & SW, not pavement.”
    Part of the confusion is that the staff recommendations are conflicting:   
    First, Adam Leighland, director of public works, said, “The scope of the project at this point is to chip seal Vista Redonda road from its connection to the state highway to just past the four-way intersection, and to chip seal and asphalt the initial sections Paseo Encantado SW and NE (mostly chip seal but asphalting the steepest grades.)”
    Second, the project overview on page 34 of the capital needs planning materials written by the staff states, “The scope of the project entails chip sealing the surface on the roads within the subdivision totaling a distance of 4.34. These roads would be constructed with a combination of County crews and a contractor.”