Valley Ranch Newsletter
Winter 2022
The Board Of Directors
President’s Message
Happy Holidays from your Board of Directors of the Valley Ranch Homeowners’ Association. We hope this newsletter finds you in good health and provides you with a quick update on HOA activities and scheduled events in the coming year.
The persistent Covid-19 pandemic required a new meeting format for our regularly scheduled Board Meetings beginning in 2020 and carrying forward through 2021. We have found that the majority of our members appreciate the opportunity to participate in the Zoom meetings. We will continue the quarterly meetings via Zoom in 2022. We remain hopeful that in-person meetings will soon become possible.
A Town Hall VRHOA Meeting was held at Graeagle Fire Hall on 11/6/21. The primary purpose of the meeting was to discuss the status of Valley Ranch Homeowner’s Association specifically, retention of an attorney and a legal opinion of whether VRHOA is a Standard Subdivision or a Common Interest Development. Members were able to ask questions and receive answers as they were available.
The overriding sentiment expressed by Members was the desire to continue as a Standard Subdivision and not a Common Interest Development. Subsequent to the Town Hall Meeting, an additional attorney was solicited to proffer a legal opinion of Standard Subdivision or Common Interest Development. The Inman Group completed an in-depth review of all corporate documents and determined that VRHOA is indeed a Standard Subdivision. A Progress report was sent to all VRHOA Members in November that provided further detail of Board of Director activity with attorneys. Click Here to View the Report
VRHOA Meetings and Upcoming Elections - The next regularly scheduled Board Meeting is January 20, 2022. The remainder of VRHOA Meetings are detailed below. Where possible, the meetings will be facilitated via Zoom. A reminder will be sent to all Valley Ranch Homeowners prior to the meetings to encourage participation. Here is the 2022 schedule:
Board of Directors Meetings: January 20, April 21, July 21.
Board of Directors Election: May 22, 2022
Annual Member BBQ - TBD
Annual Meeting: Saturday, October 22, 2022
Two of the current Director’s terms will expire in May. Those expiring individuals are Jim Wilkey - Member at Large, and Troy Carter - Vice President.
The Nominating Committee will submit individuals for consideration and vote prior to the next scheduled Elections. Please contact the Nominating Committee at board@valleyranchclio.com if you are interested in Board participation by adding your name for Homeowner consideration and vote in May.
2021 VROHA Financial Report and 2022 VRHOA Budget
Dues for 2022 were raised from $50/year to $150/year. The majority of the Dues Increase is attributable to Legal Fees. Legal Fees in 2022 are necessary to clean up the Corporate Documents, respond to complaints submitted by Member attorneys and other miscellaneous Legal Fees as they arise.
The BOD have also received a handful of questions as to why the Budget was not voted on by Members.
As a Standard Subdivision we are governed only by our own Bylaws, CC&Rs, etc. Our Bylaws require the BOD to develop and manage the budget in a responsible manner and do not require the BOD to put the budget and/or the dues increase to a vote. This has been confirmed by attorney Bruce Inman. The BOD has done its best to responsibly set the 2022 budget and does not take the dues increase lightly. We are, of course, raising dues on ourselves, as well.
As always, the Board of Directors provides our sincere and heartfelt thanks to all of those volunteers that generously and graciously donated their valuable expertise, knowledge and time.
The next meeting of the Valley Ranch HOA Board of Directors will be held Thursday, January 20th, 2022 at 5:30 p.m. via Zoom video conference call. A meeting notice will be published 10 days in advance of the meeting.
If you have questions or ideas for the Board please Contact the Valley Ranch Board of Directors
Architectural Review Committee
First, we hope you all had enjoyable Holidays and they treated you well. We’re glad you made it to the new year. So far, it looks like we have a real Winter this year which we hope will help our water and fire situations.
Your ARC has been busy with construction underway on two new houses (Tomlinson – Lot 71 and Linden – Lot 25) and two additional houses being considered for Spring (Jarrett – Lot 47 and Eichele – Lot 61). Also, given the fire activity the past couple of years, making homes and lots firesafe has become a priority. This has resulted in a lot of requests to thin trees and remove ladder fuels.
In this Newsletter, I would like to discuss Article 4.04 of the CC&Rs, “SIGNS”. Article 3.01 of the CC&Rs states, in part, that no sign shall be placed without written approval of the ARC. Article 4.04 states:
4.04 SIGNS. HOUSE NUMBERING SHALL BE IN ACCORDANCE WITH COUNTY REQUIREMENTS. SIGNS BEARING RESIDENTS’ NAMES OR BUSINESS RELATIONSHIP SHALL BE LIMITED IN SIZE TO THREE (3) SQ. FT. REAL ESTATE AND/OR CONTRACTORS’ SIGNS SHALL BE LIMITED TO ONE EACH AND NOT TO EXCEED SIX (6) SQ. FT. IN SIZE. THEY SHALL BE REMOVED WITHIN THIRTY (30) DAYS OF THE SALE OR COMPLETION OF THE CONSTRUCTION.
The ARC interprets this to mean that these are the only kinds of signs allowed in Valley Ranch – House Numbers, Name or Business relationship, Real Estate and Contractor signs. Although 4.04 does not specifically restrict the posting of signs different than these four, we do not think the Authors of the CC&Rs intended that other types of signs are unrestricted. That just wouldn’t make any sense. The ARC is currently working on revised wording for 4.04 which would specify that these are the only 4 types of signs allowed with a temporary exception for political/election type signs.
Reflective, one or two-sided house number signs are available through the Graeagle Fire Department. The Fire Dept. recommends the use of these signs to aid them in locating your house if emergency service is needed, especially at night.
The Five Man Electrical Band once sang: “Sign, sign, everywhere a sign Blockin' out the scenery, breakin' my mind Do this, don't do that, can't you read the sign?” Let’s not turn Valley Ranch into the object of their song.
Valley Ranch Community Corner
Welcome New Owners
Charles & Joan Jarrett, Lot 47