FROM OUR ROAD COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN As Chairman of the Road Committee, I want to inform the group of yet another sign vandalism incident. Four signs at Mountain View & Sunflower and Pine Bluff & Sunflower were stolen and the brackets broken off. The “Narrow Bridge” sign approaching the exit of the Ranch was also stolen. This brings our cost for the four incidents to over $1,000. This is not only a financial impact on your HOA, but also a safety issue for first responders to find their way to your homes in the event of an emergency. We have considered many suggestions on how to combat this crime, but nothing is better than having residents be vigilant for suspicious activity and calling the Sheriff’s office at 583-6250. We have a Neighborhood Watch and heard from our Captain, Joe Pleitgen at our annual meeting detailing the many reasons not to engage with these offenders. The areas are so wide open that cameras are generally visible and subject to theft. We would need many installations and lots of people to read the cards and go through the photos. The Board has already deployed cameras and the daily maintenance is considerable. If you have another suggestion that you would be willing to implement, please call me or a Board member. Otherwise, let’s all be on the lookout and take photos of suspicious vehicles for the Sheriff to review in conjunction with our four reported incidents. Sincerely, Bill Polniak 719.251.2909 Neighborhood Watch on EHRHOA East Hatchet Ranch formed a Neighborhood Watch group several years ago, and members are urged to join. Contact Joe Pleitgen who is coordinating the group at 719.250.4906. If You See Smoke – Call 911! It appears that 2020 is going to be a nasty dry season. There was a small lightning-caused fire out off McCarthy last Saturday (5.30.2020), to which 911’s call was forwarded to Rye Fire Department to respond, and they were able to put it out in short order. Today’s fire (6.5.2020) in Huerfano County off Turkey Ridge Road looked very ominous, but after calls into 911, Pueblo County Dispatch noted that Huerfano County firefighters were on scene and working diligently to knock it down.
If you see smoke call 911 FIRST, DO MENTION that you are located on East Hatchet Ranch. Once they hear that – they will dispatch Rye Fire. DO NOT CALL RYE FIRE FIRST! They cannot respond without the call from Pueblo County 911. New Colorado HOA Legislation Legislation (HB16-1149) was passed in 2016 which took effect July 1, 2018, that may assist our association in the challenge of maintaining a high standard of quality for the future of our neighborhood. Please be sure to help keep your contact data current with EHRHOA so you receive all ranch information. ! Official Notice ! Commercial Growth of Marijuana Prohibited on East Hatchet Ranch The vote of the members in Jun 2016 to amend our Declaration of Covenants, Conditions, Restrictions, and Easements to add Section 2.7 which will prohibit commercial marijuana growth on East Hatchet Ranch closed on June 15, 2016, and as required by our Declaration, was approved by at least 75% of the voting power of East Hatchet Ranch. The amendment to East Hatchet Ranch Declaration has been filed with Pueblo County and was effective June 17, 2016. The amendment is stated below and included in the Declaration covenants on this website:
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Board Members Emergency Notification Services - Opt-in Residents and owners may opt in to the Pueblo County Emergency Telephone Notification Services with their cellphone and/or VoIP phone numbers at this website: Pueblo County Sheriff's Department Reverse 911 Opt-In Landline phones are automatically entered in the ENS, however, cellphone and VoIP numbers must register in order to take advantage of this 911 service program. If you see cattle in distress or you have concerns contact: Mark Richardson: 719-650-9400 Emma Richardson: 719-650-3037 Considering Building a Barn/Agricultural or Other Accessory Building? Pueblo County now requires an Acknowledgment Form to be completed and signed prior to construction of all agricultural/accessory buildings. The property owner must acknowledge that the proposed building will not be used to grow marijuana or its products. This form is available to download, print, and complete and is located under "Association Documents - Printable Forms and Maps" here on the left. PLEASE NOTE: CONSTRUCTION OF ANY OUTBUILDING WITHOUT A RESIDENCE IS A VIOLATION OF OUR COVENANTS. (SEE ARTICLE 2.2 OF OUR DECLARATION.) Blast Text Enhancements As of July 1, 2020 there are now 105 members in our Hatchet Ranch text group. We have added two-way texting so that in a real time emergency any recipient of a text can respond with additional information regarding the current issue. These responses will go to a group of members who have been selected by their location around the Ranch for optimal coverage of our neighborhood and re-transmission of any valuable information. We would encourage you to reply with any pertinent information that you may observe. The texts will come from “hatchetranch” and our private number is 719-401-6099 so that you recognize the sender. Fences, Gates, and "The Code of the West" As a EHRHOA landowner, we are all a part of a community that allows open-grazing for the cattle owned and managed by EHRHOA owners Emma and Mark Richardson. Your property tax rate is at agricultural rates primarily because of this open-grazing business. Any member may fence their own property (but should keep in mind this may change the property tax rate on their property if it is entirely fenced). During the Wild Wild West years, fences and gates were a topic of major disagreements. However, over the years, the ranchers and cattlemen developed an unwritten “Code of the West,” which basically says that any and all fences and gates in the area should be left alone. Here on East Hatchet Ranch, if gates are closed, they should remain closed. The Richardsons report that more than once, a gate or two has been left open by unknown person(s), which causes issues with non-EHRHOA neighboring properties that are on a Conservation Reserve program. Even worse, it also could cause unfortunate and dangerous breeding issues with the smaller heifers and larger bulls. PLEASE REFRAIN FROM OPENING ANY GATES THAT ARE CLOSED. Hunting on East Hatchet Ranch Help keep our roads in top condition by:
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