Community Meeting Re-cap

We had a busy night at the Hondo 2 station on June 10. Here are the highlights of the meeting; if anyone wants further details, please email the Board.

First up was Chief Tom Chilton of Hondo 2, who spoke about our already very active wildfire season. He told us about the equipment he has (an impressive array for such a small community--but very necessary because of the "urban/wilderness" interface we inhabit) and specifically about what would come up Apache Ridge Road in event of a wildfire. That would be 2 smallish 4WD trucks with about 300 gallons of water each and lots of a foam additive that makes the water "wetter" and thus more effective for putting out structure fires, or protecting nearby structures. Chief Chilton can be reached at 690-7423...and would love to have more volunteers for the Hondo dept. or just to have drop-in visitors at their weekly meetings Saturday mornings at the Hondo 1 station in Seton Village.

LPS resident Casey Ryan added to the discussion by noting that he is starting a business providing this same foam additive for homeowner use; he has a compelling tale to share about using it in his driveway on his own spontaneously combusting vehicle; more info at www.swfirefightingfoam.com.

And remember, if you want the Fire Prevention team from the SF County Fire Dept to come out and walk your property with you to point out "hazardous fuels," you can call Greg Gallegos at 995-6527.

Next we heard from SF County Commissioner Kathy Holian (995-9979) who spoke briefly about the county's new Sustainable Development plan. This replaces the Growth Management plan and reflects the county's desire to essentially attempt to rein in sprawl and patchwork development and instead sustain the traditional communities, agricultural history and open spaces we love. Info about the plan can be found on the county website, www.santafecounty.org.

She also spoke about the RENEW program, which is starting up later this year. Homeowners can receive upfront cash to install green energy (solar panels, solar hot water heaters, geothermal systems and wind power) which will then be paid back over 20 years  at a fixed rate attached to the property taxes of your home. If you move, the assessment stays with the property (as does the improvements, of course). More info at the county website.

And Kathy has her own email list to share detailed information about the backstory behind county decisions...get on her list if you want to follow things like the ongoing drama over dump fees, Joe Miller's trailer development on 285 and the new wastewater system going in on OLVH for benefit of Harry's Roadhouse and El Gancho.

Cpl. William Pacheco of the Sheriff's Office, invited to share security tips, spoke about the importance of Neighborhood Watch programs. His dept. is Community Support Services; he can be reached at wpacheco@santafecounty.org. We're proud of the ad-hoc neighborhood watch we've already established, as it pretty much mirrors what Cp. Pacheco recommended: get to know your neighbors at least well enough so that you can watch out for one another in the event of suspicious activity, and establish a phone or email list to share information regarding strange vehicles and break-ins. If you're not on our email list, send us your address so we can keep you in the loop.

He also reminded the neighbors to not make it any easier for determined burglars: lock your doors and windows (home, vehicles, outbuildings) when you are not home; notify a neighbor if you are going out of town; leave a radio, tv or lights on in the house; etc. He also recommended investing in a home alarm system with monitoring; a deputy WILL come to the house when they get the signal and will stay there until you get home. Most systems are well under $1000 to install and some $20 a month for the monitoring.

AND be sure to call in (911) whatever you see or hear that makes you uncomfortable or suspicious. They WILL respond, they do NOT feel as though you are bothering them, the DO want to hear from you with as much information as possible. If you can get vehicle descriptions, license plate numbers or photos, all the better.

Finally, we heard from the very patient and well-rehearsed Steve Riemann of Fidelity National Title Group (989-2427) to speak about basic rights and responsibilities of property easements. Steve brought along copies of the road easement agreement (which we also have) and explained to neighbors about who is responsible for maintenance of property that is "easemented," who can or can't put up fences and gates, etc.

His best word of advice: if you have an easement with a neighbor, it's best to work out any details or questions while you have a good relationship with that neighbor, rather than waiting until you have a problem or if the neighboring property is sold and you acquire a new problem. Check your title documents carefully so you understand your own easements and rights. Steve teaches realtors about easements and has access to Santa Fe's largest library of property data; he was very friendly and accessible and if you want further information about your property, give him a call and he'll direct you to the appropriate solutions.

Last but not least, please note that our May 31 bank balance was a little over $2200. Let's hope we don't get a destructive monsoon season, because we really need to build up our road maintenance fund.

If you want to volunteer to visit with your neighbors and have a friendly conversation about how important it is to get more residents contributing to the road fund, by all means get in touch with the Board.

Thanks to all who are participating!