HOMESTEAD IN THE WILLOWS HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION
Regular Board Meeting July 6, 2022 – Unofficial Minutes
CALL TO ORDER: Secretary James Keating called the meeting to order at 6:34 p.m. Present were Business Manager,
Katie Kidwell; Tennis Manager, Jill Ellsworth; Pool Managers, Jenn Thomas and Breanne Thompson; ACC Admin,
Nancy Parker; Social Committee Chair, Kelly Kane; and Swim Team Parent Rep Kelly Lewis. Board Members Chris
Evans, Kelly McCormick, Kristi Leavitt and homeowner Jill Smith attended the meeting via Zoom. Homeowners
Patrick Clarke, Barbie Barker, Beckie Martini and Chris Kennedy also attended a portion of the meeting.
MINUTES: The minutes of the June 13 regular meeting will be approved in August when more Board Members are
present.
SOCIAL COMMITTEE: Kelly Kane reported that the July 4th celebration at the North Pool went well although
attendance was slightly lower than last year. A Music in the Park event is planned for mid-July and National Night
Out is scheduled for August. Food truck nights have paused until the Social Committee can find a new vendor.
SWIM TEAM: Kelly Lewis reported the team has one more away meet the weekend of July 9 and then hosts Prelims
at the North Pool on Wednesday, July 13. The final Hurricane event will be the end of season party at the South Pool
and Lawn on July 18.
MANAGER REPORTS
- POOL: Manager Breanne Thompson reported that the main problem at the pools continues to be
homeowners who have not obtained the Openpath access and can’t enter the pool. More complaints were
received about the lifeguard swimsuits. The Board asked FRR to highly encourage the lifeguards to wear shorts
over the questionable suits but deferred to FRR as the lifeguards are their employees. - LANDSCAPE: Manager Nancy Bauer submitted a written report. Sections of the Perimeter Fence were
repaired along Dry Creek Road between Jersey and Holly Streets, more storm damaged branches were removed
and Nancy asked that if there are funds available in the fall she would like to add mulch to the north side of Easter
Avenue. - TENNIS: Manager Jill Ellsworth reported that the retaining wall between the upper and lower North Courts
had been repaired by Colorado Landscape Denver. The toddler playground on the east side of the North Courts
has a base of small cobble/pebble rock that keeps getting onto the tennis courts. Jill asked if the HOA would
consider replacing the rock with engineered wood fiber or a solid rubber surface. Katie and Jill will research the
cost to do so. Jill is frustrated that the courts often have grass and leaves on them despite the grounds
maintenance crew blowing them off weekly. The Windscreens are still on order. - ACC/TASK FORCE: Nancy and the Board discussed follow up on various task force citations.
- BUSINESS: Katie reported that the Openpath system was operating but the office continues to receive
requests to add homeowners to the system. The additional work has put the office over budget in admin hours.
She alerted the Board to the passing of a new Colorado law, HB 1137, that will require changes to several HOA
policies. James moved and Kelly seconded a motion to hire the HOA attorney to draft new policies and letters to
be in compliance with the law. The motion carried.
HOMEOWNER COMMENTS: Beckie Martini and Chris Kennedy approached the Board about an incident at the
Swim Meet where paramedics were called but could not enter the North Pool parking lot due to illegal parking by
Swim Meet patrons and then could not transport the ill person on a gurney to the ambulance because the HOA has no
handicap ramp from the parking lot to the pool. Ms. Martini voiced her disappointment that the HOA had not installed
an ADA ramp yet had replaced a playground and installed dog waste stations. Jill Smith and Kelly Kane suggested
they obtain a proposal to install an ADA ramp provided the Board would earmark money for an engineering study and
have a special meeting with them to discuss the proposal. Kelly McCormick replied that the Board would be happy to
have a collaborative discussion and that the 2023 budget would be set in the fall.
Patrick Clarke made some suggestions about how to handle the misbehavior at the pools and requested a rope to divide
the deep end from the shallow end at the west pool where many young children swim. FRR promised to install the
rope. Mr. Clarke also asked questions about the Covenant Task Force process, the Covenant Violation process and
why some elements remain in the neighborhood despite non-conformance with ACC guidelines.
FINANCIAL REPORT: Operating expenses totaled $138,813 during the month of June and were comprised of
$38,215 in trash & utilities; $11,255 in Administrative expenses; $52,310 in Landscape expenses; $35,566 in Pool
expenses, $425 in Social Committee expenses and $1,042 in Tennis expenses.
OLD BUSINESS: Barbie Barker thanked the Board for allowing ACES to rent the pool in September and October and
asked that the rental fee from 2020 and 2021 be continued. The Board explained that the cost to operate the pools is
one of the largest in the Association budget and although ACES pays for the cost to clean, heat and fill the pools while
they use them, their use still involves wear and tear on the pool equipment and facility. The Board increased the pool
rental fee for homeowners and extended that fee to ACES as well. Barbie asked if the Board would consider reducing
the rental to $65/hour from $75. The Board agreed to reduce the fee to $70/hour for the September and October
months.
Katie relayed the results of her conversation with the HOA attorney regarding the Associations liability if the Board
allowed weekend swimming for residents during September without the presence of lifeguards. The attorney
cautioned that waivers acknowledging the lack of lifeguards should be signed before a homeowner is granted access to
the pool. She also suggested signage on the North Pool gate that stated that no lifeguard was on duty and that
swimming was at one’s own risk provided a signed waiver was on file at the office. Homeowners should be notified
via the Homestead Herald as well. Kelly moved and James seconded a motion to allow unsupervised swimming
through September on weekends only for adults. Anyone under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. All swimmers,
including minors, must have signed waivers at the Business Office. The motion carried.
Perimeter Fence Committee update: The committee had spoken with Willow Creek who is replacing their fence with a
wall of Allen Blocks. Their HOA differs from Homesteads in a few keyways that made a Government Improvement
District (GID) advisable however pursuing a GID is a complicated and political process. The committee is obtaining
costs for both a wall and a synthetic fence and will then talk to bankers about the cost of a loan.
NEW BUSINESS: There was no new business.
ADJOURNMENT AND CALENDARING: The meeting adjourned at 9:24 p.m. The next regular Board Meeting will
be on Monday, August 8 at 6:30 p.m. at the Business Office and via Zoom.