Results of the Metro Board’s community survey and the Board’s response
Thank you to those of you who responded to our community survey asking for feedback on community issues and priorities and performance. Below is a response from the Cathedral Pines Metropolitan District Board (“Metro Board”) in regard to the metropolitan district related inquiries.
There were a total of 65 respondents to the questionnaire, or approx. one-third of our households. This survey has verified for us two primary concerns for the Board: first, that many of our community members do not monitor the information posted on the community bulletin boards by the mail kiosk, and over 30% either do not read the bimonthly newsletter or only read it occasionally.
Second, residents continue to confuse the responsibilities of the HOA and Metro Board (and the County). Numerous complaints were mentioned in the Metro section about our roads, even though the introduction to the survey reminded respondents that the County is directly responsible for our road conditions. Most of the questions and comments raised via the survey have been addressed previously in the newsletter and on the bulletin boards. These are the primary sources for information on the Metro projects, goals, and other information that affects our community.
The overall summary of the survey was the concerns over the road conditions, landscaping of the Milam median, and security at the mail kiosk. More than 50% of the respondents had no comments about the Metro Board or performance.
Road Conditions — The Metro Board does not have the responsibility for the community’s road conditions, which rests with the County’s Department of Public Works and Engineering Department. We are an open community (meaning not gated and open to public traffic); therefore, the County has the maintenance responsibility, which is paid for through our tax dollars. However, the Board has made numerous requests to the County to repair our roads, fill potholes and ditches alongside the roads, and sweep the streets, but most remain unanswered or with no firm timetable.
The best way to continue to pursue these issues is for individual residents to submit requests to the County’s Citizen Connect website (at www.citizenconnect.elpasoco.com) and register a complaint there.
The latest update is that the County plans to slurry seal Milam Road either in 2024 or 2025, based on funding availability. A slurry seal is applied in order to help preserve and protect the underlying pavement structure and provide a new driving surface. Slurry seal applications serve to seal the cracks, restore lost flexibility to the pavement surface, provide a deep, rich black pavement surface color, and help preserve the underlying pavement structure. Slurry sealing generally has a life span of 7-8 years before repaving is required.
Landscaping—Work on replacing our irrigation system did not start until last fall. The irrigation installation work was completed in early November when the water pipeline needed to be shut down for the winter and it was too cold for plantings to be done. Work has restarted as of May 2024; 101 Landscaping, responsible for installing the irrigation system, has installed the controller and is now working on activating each zone to complete their portion of the project. The next step will be to install the plantings.
The Metro Board reviewed several bids from multiple landscapers to complete the landscaping and design of the Milam median project, which includes replacing the Kentucky Bluegrass in the median with a less “thirsty” variety (fescue); planting the flower beds and shrubs; adding mulch, stone and boulders; and adding the finishing touches to the median. The Metro Board awarded the contract this year to LandTech (who is the current contractor for our landscape maintenance). That work will begin once the irrigation system is activated this May and should be completed by mid-summer. A schedule will be posted and updated on https://cathedralpinesmd.colorado.gov/, as the project progresses.
Mail Kiosk Replacement and Security— In short, the delay in replacing the damaged mailboxes was due to new USPS standards, which would have caused us to rebuild the mailbox kiosk to accommodate new, larger, mailbox dimensions. We were very fortunate and thankful that our carrier was able to locate used replacement units that met our existing dimensions, saving our district thousands of dollars.
The parcel lockers were damaged by an automobile accident and all three units needed to be replaced. They were covered by insurance, but the claims process took time, as did ordering and installing the new units. They are now in place and will be keyed by the USPS and operational shortly, and the old, damaged units will be removed.
Earlier this year the Board appointed a committee to study how to improve mailbox security. They looked at several options, including installing video cameras or moving the mailboxes closer to the Lodge, but both of those possibilities had significant downsides. The committee feels the best solution is to install decorative fencing around the entire area with gates allowing access only to residents and postal carriers. This requires USPS approval, compliance with ADA access requirements, requesting bids for the project, and solving the access issue (key cards, key fobs, key codes, etc.). The Board received approval from USPS to move forward with fencing; we are now in the process of determining the proper access setup.
Other Topics and Concerns—
Removing cattails from both the Lodge area and Vessey ponds. Every year, the Board approves our pond management company to maintain water quality through algae treatment and fish stocking as necessary. We are getting bids to remove the cattails in selected locations. Some cattails improve the pond ecosystem by attracting birds to reduce mosquitos and improve the water quality, so not all will be eliminated.
The community survey addressed the Vessey Pond situation two years ago, and those who responded voted not to fund dredging them or removing the cattails. However, the Board has asked for a proposal to remove the brush in the pond inlets and outlets, which are blocking the flow in and out of the detention (Upper Vessey) and retention (Lower Vessey) ponds. That will be voted upon at the May Metro Board meeting.
Communication issues with the District’s management company, which is WSDM. In some cases, the HOA’s management company is confused with that of Metro, which has a different management company. If you have a specific instance, issue, or concern with the Metro management company, WSDM, you can reach out directly to rebecca.h@wsdistricts.co (Rebecca Harris, District Manager) or any of our Board Members, whose contact can be found on the website.
Comment on “the landscaping project was shoved down our throat,” and the mill levy should be reduced. The Metro Board DID reduce the mill levy this year and plans to continue reducing it as future budgets may allow. The community overwhelmingly approved the landscaping project based on a survey conducted two years ago.
Thanks again to those of you who completed the survey and those who also volunteered to assist with projects that arise. If you have friends or neighbors who have not yet signed up for the Metro newsletter, please direct them to the Metro District website, where sign-up is easy.
The Board takes your feedback seriously and will work to better communicate our priorities, project status, and spending issues. We continue to be financially responsible while working to improve our neighborhood and the value of our homes.
Please see the actual response rates shown in the charts below.
