VOLUME XVIII, ISSUE 1 ELDORADO at SANTA FE January 2016 IN THIS ISSUE ­q ­ECIA New­s ..............­2 –3 ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­ In the Community ....4–5 EAWSD Update ........4–5 Library News ....................6 Rodents .......................7 Recycling .......................7 MVISTASonthly Newsletter of the Eldorado Community Improvement Association Neighbors ...................7 ECIA, 1 La Hacienda Loop, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87508 q (505) 466-4248 q www.eldoradosf.org New GM Brings Training, Experience, and Desire to Engage eet Brenda Leonard , Eldorado’s new Gen - shared Eldorado’s rich history and how it has evolved. eral Manager. Recruited by our manage - I’ve appreciated hearing about the process of moving Mment company, HOAMCO , in late September from a self-managed community to one under the di - on an interim basis, Brenda became our official GM rection of a professional management organization. on December 1. Besides her 17 years of hands-on V: How does Eldorado compare with the commu - HOA industry experience, she holds an Association nity you managed in Arizona? Manager Specialist (AMS) certification and a Certi - BL: Each community develops its own unique fied Manager Community Association (CMCA) cer - character through its history, its boards and its loca - tification. tion. That makes it hard to compare them. In lieu of A Massachusetts native, Brenda comes to New that, I look at the health of the community by its fi - Mexico after more than 20 years of Arizona residency. nancial condition and the willingness of the board to During her last 14 years in the Scottsdale area, she engage with both the general manager and the com - worked as the association manager for a 2,490-resi - munity as a whole. As with the community I managed dence master planned community. In March 2014 previously, this board is quite willing to engage, and she decided to hang up her managing spurs and retire. Eldorado’s financial health is good. However, she soon realized she was too young and V: Have you found particular challenges here? Brenda Leonard, the ECIA’s new threw her hat into the ring upon hearing that HOAM - BL: Nothing extraordinary—just the normal day- General Manager. Photo: Jack Arnold CO was searching for ECIA’s next GM. to-day challenges of being new and collaborating with Brenda is a mother of two grown boys, has a young my staff. granddaughter and is expecting another grandchild in V: Do you have a philosophy when it comes to early spring. Despite her crammed schedule of meet - community management? ings with staff and getting to know the community in BL: My philosophy for management is to let depth, she managed to answer a few of our questions. neighbors remain neighbors and to be reasonable and Vistas (V): You’ve only been on the job less than prudent when making decisions and providing guid - three months. What’s been your experience so far? ance. I always try to remember that I am a facilitator BL: During this brief time, the Board and staff have and a touchstone between homeowners and the board. CONTINUED ON PAGE 6 >> BYLAWS REVIEW he Election Committee was assigned the task We presented our Final Proposed Review to the of conducting the biannual review of the Board in November. With their approval, we are pre - TThird Amended and Restated Bylaws of El - senting this proposal to the Eldorado Community by dorado Community Improvement Association, Inc. posting it on the Eldorado website. Enter the follow - We started the process in January 2015 and finished ing link into your browser to find the 2016 Proposed in November. The 2013 review, headed by Jan Pietr - Bylaws Revision: eldoradosf.org/2016-proposed- qECIA Board zak , gave us a good base. We improved or simplified bylaws-revision.html . Printed copies will be available Meeting, some of the grammar and corrected capitalization for at the ECIA office at the Community Center. Community consistency. We reformatted some areas for clarity and/ We are holding a public forum on February 9, Center or reworded for the same purpose. 2016, 7–9 PM in the Railroad Room at the Commu - New portions were added for clarity, to delineate an nity Center, to provide opportunity for community in - Railroad Bldg. accepted process, or to address new issues. The appro - put. Bring your comments and concerns for discussion. Thurs., priate wording was researched by consulting other Voting on the 2016 Proposed Bylaws Review will be January 21, HOA bylaws, Internet references, and members’ expe - included on the ballot with the ECIA Board Election. 7 PM rience, knowledge of law, and Robert’s Rules of Order. –Kathie Graham, Chair, Election Committee © 2016, ECIA, Inc. All rights reserved. JANUARY 2016 1 qECIA: OUR HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION Share your Owner vs. Tenant Responsibilities comments ncreasingly, Eldorado homeowners are renting bors and within the requirements of these legal and with us! out their homes, and with this trend, the ECIA binding documents. Ihas noticed an increase in tenant violations of the It is the responsibility of any tenants in Eldorado For policy and Covenants and Guidelines. Violations range from to read and follow the Eldorado Covenants and Guide - barking or roaming dogs to uncovered RVs and trail - lines provided by the owner. This will ensure that they deadline, see ers. This increase, we believe, is due in part to the are not in violation of the Covenants and/or Guide - below many homeowners (often absentee landlords) who are lines. Should any tenant have specific questions about not doing an adequate job of screening their tenants these documents, we ask that they call us at the ECIA t t or informing them that Eldorado is a covenant-con - for clarification. Tenants should also keep in mind that trolled community and that they, like the home owner , they cannot make any kind of exterior changes to the Editorial are required to respect and follow the Eldorado property (such as adding a shed or building a fence) Policy Covenants as well as the Eldorado Guidelines for Pro - without the owner of the home first coming to the Vistas welcomes your tective Covenants and Building Restrictions. To clar - ECIA for architecture review. ideas, stories, photos, and ify the responsibilities of both parties with respect to These important documents can be found on our art. Please include full Eldorado’s governing documents, the following website at the following links: name and contact infor - should be read and understood: q http://eldoradosf.org/images/document/ mation. The newsletter It is the responsibility of homeowners who are Covenants.pdf will not publish material renting their home to properly screen prospective q http://eldoradosf.org/images/document/ deemed inflammatory, bi - renters to ensure that they will be responsible tenants Guidelines%20for%20Protective%20 ased, or inappropriate. and will respect and abide by the Eldorado Covenants Covenants%20October%2016th%202014% Submis sions will be se - and Guidelines. It is also imperative that homeown - 20Revised%20Version.pdf lected and edited at the ers provide tenants with a copy of the Eldorado Any homeowners or tenants who have questions discretion of the editor. Covenants and Guidelines before they rent out their about the ECIA are encouraged to call us at 466-4228 Community announce - home, to ensure that renters are aware of their respon - or visit our website at eldoradosf.org . ments are welcome as well, sibility as tenants to live in harmony with their neigh - –Mark Young, Covenant Compliance Representative along with accompanying photos. 2016 Assessment Increase The increased assessment is also an upper limit for DEADLINE : Newsletter he ECIA Board of Directors has adopted 2017, since the Association’s Bylaws permit an in - deadline is the 5th day of 2016 Operating and Maintenance Budgets as crease only once every two years. each month. Submis sions Tproposed by their Finance Committee. This The most rapidly rising component of the Associ - can be dropped off or includes an assessment increase for 2016 to $460 per ation’s expenses is maintenance of amenities, both mailed to the ECIA office year. Invoices to all lot owners incorporating this as - ongoing yearly upkeep and contributions to a reserve or e-mailed to diana@ sessment should be received by early January, with pay - for future replacement requirements. These amenities eldoradosf.org. Please ments due by March 1. Payments must be made to include a network of hike/bike paths; swimming pool; include “Attn: Vistas” in HOAMCO, our Association management, in accor - tennis, basketball, and volleyball courts; children’s your message. dance with instructions on each invoice. Please con - play areas; Community Preserve and greenbelts; and Mission tact the ECIA office for help or questions at 466-4248. the Community Center building, patio, and grounds. Statement The mission of Vistas , the 2016 ECIA Board Election monthly newsletter of the appy New Year, Eldorado! The Election There are two requisites that every petitioner must ECIA, is to inform the El - Committee wants to alert you that the 2016 satisfy. First, the petitioner must be a Member in dorado community about ECIA Board Election process is about to Good Standing (i.e., must have paid his or her 2015 issues before the ECIA H Board and the member - begin. There will be two Board of Director positions assessment) and second, can certify that she or he will ship at large. By so doing, open for election that will expire in 2019. As of Jan - be eligible to vote in the election (which requires the the publication seeks to uary 5, 2016, the Nomination Petition and its ac - 2016 assessment to be paid by the deadline). foster increased neighbor - companying Information and Instructions sheet are Each petition must have a minimum of 25 signa - hood pride and commu - available online at www.eldoradosf.org , under the tures of Members in Good Standing.