New Commission on SF County Roads - Volunteer for Apache Ridge?

Hi neighbors:

Below is information from our County Commissioner Kathy Holian on the new Road Advisory Committee. Note this important task: "the new Committee will also make recommendations to the BCC on private roads that various neighborhoods are requesting that the County accept for future County maintenance."

It would be extremely helpful to have a resident (or 2!) from Apache Ridge to volunteer for this committee, so that we can keep our road up on the radar on issues of private roads requesting county maintenance. The time committment is one meeting every other month, not exactly a hardship. Frankly, I WANT to be on this committee so that Apache Ridge gets heard, but my family has made it clear they don't want me to add any more volunteer work to my already overburdened schedule.

So I'm asking the residents to please consider offering your time to this important endeavor. The County has floated the possibility of making new (easier) regulations for accepting private roads into the County maintenance system. This is a very viable option for Apache Ridge: at the least, it would mean a couple of regular gradings per year plus snow removal (NOT paving); in the event of a catastrophic wildfire, which the SFCFD thinks is very probable in our neighborhood, it would mean a road that is wide enough in some currently too-narrow areas to provide for the safety of evacuating residents and incoming emergency vehicles; it would also mean the residents who ARE contributing can be relieved of the burden they are bearing for the benefit of those neighbors who are NOT contributing...and it would relieve the board of a time-consuming and stressful activity: collecting payments. ARPOA could be disbanded, or converted solely to a volunteer Neighborhood Watch organization, without having to always pay attention to the road.

And remember, the quality of your road directly impacts your financial status in more ways than the paltry $200 contribution: your vehicle AND your property both suffer a loss in value when a road is not maintained to its fullest potential. People trying to sell their homes right now have discovered that road issues are of concern to potential buyers; their realtors have been contacting me for information and I make it clear that everyone is expected to contribute, but the condition of the road will directly reflect just how many residents are bearing this burden.

While not everybody in the neighborhood may think county maintenance would be good for Apache Ridge, without full participation for self-maintenance, we are fighting a losing battle. With about 60% of our residents contributing to our own road maintenance, it's a constant struggle to balance the funds we have with the amount of work we need. For instance, we would not need to wait for rain to start grading Apache Ridge Road right now if we could afford the extra costs of a water truck. The area above the State Land parcel and below Mescalero Trail is particularly bad right now, but without moisture, grading would be futile.

Please consider volunteering for this valuable committee. For all you non-joiners out there, you might be surprised at the benefits. I personally am one of the most introverted of non-joiners, but I chose to make a commitment to my community when I moved to Apache Ridge from Eldorado (where I didn't know my neighbors even tho I lived there for 12 years). I struggle sometimes to push beyond my comfort zone to fulfill this commitment when, like you, I would much rather be left alone to pursue my own activities. But I have met wonderful people, have enjoyed interacting with county and state employees on various issues of import to Apache Ridge, and have certainly found a deeper sense of connectedness and belonging by making this effort.

If you feel so moved, please contact Kathy Holian directly to volunteer (and let me know, so we can stay in touch on your progress)
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From Kathy Holian, county commissioner:

Road Advisory Committee

The BCC unanimously passed the resolution that creates the new Road Advisory Committee (RAC).

The reconstituted RAC will have 15 members and 15 alternates. There will be one member and one alternate for each of the 15 Road Advisory Districts (not to be confused with Commission Districts).

The boundaries of the Road Advisory Districts have been slightly redrawn so that each one is totally contained within a Commission District. This means that the number of members on the Committee from each of the Commission Districts varies. So, for example, Commission District 4 contains two Road Advisory Districts, and there will be two members and two alternates who serve on the RAC and live within District 4. Commission District 3 has the most Road Advisory Districts, namely, five.

The areas covered by the two Road Advisory Districts in District 4 are as follows:

Road Advisory District 7: Arroyo Hondo, Seton Village, Sunlit Hills, and Old Santa Fe Trail area

Road Advisory District 8: Cañada de los Alamos, San Sebastian, Cañoncito, Valencia, and Glorieta

If you would like to serve as a member or as an alternate on the Committee, and you live in Commission District 4, please let me know. Also, please send a cover letter and a resumé to Robert Martinez ( robmtz@santafecounty.org ) at the County.

The duties of the Committee are pretty much the same as they were before, with the major one being to keep an eye on roads in the various Road Advisory Districts and to let Robert Martinez know when repairs are required. However, the new Committee will also make recommendations to the BCC on private roads that various neighborhoods are requesting that the County accept for future County maintenance.

The Committee will meet every other month. This is an attempt to resolve the quorum issue that was a problem with the previous Committee.
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Thanks very much for your time; wishing all a blessed Passover and Easter...

Candelora