April 12th RRVE Membership Meeting Minutes

RRVE Board of Directors Quarterly Membership Meeting Minutes

April 12, 2025 10 am @ the Bonita Fire Station on HWY 220

Board members present

Vice president, Lamar Berry

Treasurer, Anne Speights

Secretary, Linda Schreiber

MAL/ARC, Bobby Smart

Membership members present

Paul Travis, David & Monique Martin, Kevin Estep, Viki Arnold, Claudia Withers, Dana Otey,

Cyndi Christenson, Marj & Ron petree, Debbie Dean, BB Harding,

Julie B, Greg Ward, Linda & Richard Phillips

Guest speakers

Lincoln County Commissioner for District 4, Tim Prather

Lincoln County Office of Emergency Services Coordinator, Brian Samson

Fire Chief, Spencer Baldwin

Pledge of Allegiance

Minutes were approved from the September 24 and December 24 membership meetings

The membership meeting was led by vice president Lamar Berry in the absence of President Al

Cavazos.

County commissioner Tim Prather is here to highlight the five priorities in becoming a Firewise

neighborhood

1. Urban wildlife interface

2. Having a firefighting training facility

3. Strategic water reserves

4. How to improved the ISO score

5. Outreach, Education and Recruitment

Are all efforts that will help with securing insurance

Commissioner Prather announced the county secured $1 million for strategic water reserves

which will help in firefighting and is one part in helping to reduce and secure homeowners

insurance. The fire wise community program is emphasizing the benefits for insurance and

property protection. The meeting also addressed recent fire incidents, community outreach

efforts, and the importance of a volunteer fire department and training.

Commissioner Prather announced a slash dumpster has be allocated by the county from

USWS in June the date to be announced.

Fire Chief Spencer Baldwin discussed the fire department’s recruitment efforts and how it

helped to increase the amount of volunteers. The Bonita fire department now has 52 members

and is always in need of more volunteers for non fire fighting tasks. The Chief emphasized the

importance of community outreach and education. Preventing fires is the first line of defense.The Chief discussed home protection methods such as sprinklers around if a fire is

approaching. He also mentioned think about your property in the dark. How can a firefight

maneuver around your property in the dark.

It is so important to properly maintain smoke detectors and alarms. Removing fuel for fires

from around your property.

Brian Samson, Coordinator for the Office of Emergency Services for Lincoln County announced

the county has secured $1 million from the state of New Mexico for strategic water reserves.

The county is working on a priority list for the allocations of the funds. The reserves will help in

fighting fires and improve ISO scores.

Brian Samson also discussed the Firewise community program which helps communities

become accredited and receive insurance recognition. The program involves setting goals for

fire prevention and community outreach. The county is working to become coordinators with

state forestry to help communities apply for grants. A new landowner guide and a list of

available grants are provided to help property owners prepare their homes for fire season.

Next on the agenda is the fire tower update that President Al Cavazos is working on. He has

been in communication with the Verizon Main Office in New York and is working to get a tower

in our area which would benefit the surrounding communities of Alto Lakes, Sonterra,

Enchantment Village, Rancho Rio Valley Estates and any outlying property owners within range.

The understanding is this tower would be put somewhere on the Rainmaker property already

verbally approved by the owner Bill Vaughn.

Financials, reconciliation and survey

Treasurer Anne Spreights gave an explanation of the reconciliation done by an independent

source and all is in order. There were a few entries that were logged under the wrong accounts

and fixed but, other than that all is in order going forward, she also announced that the

financials were being handed over to Bo Chesney he will handle all the treasury duties going

forward. So far 79% of the membership is current. Paying on line is popular and easy. We

currently have 51% of members emails that translate into 174 we have out of 340 property

owners.

The treasurer also announced the results of the mailed survey

The budget was approved 105 to 10

Name change from POC to HOA was approved 96 to 31

Chickens were approved 70 to 56

Short term rentals were not approved 45 to 83

Greg Ward asked who counted the surveys and treasurer Anne Speights said she did and if he

needed to see them she would make them available.

Also noted was property owners who have moved and their account were never closed. As a

result of closing inactive accounts the outstanding amount has been reduced.

A lengthy discussion on chickens, and some action items were presented:

A chicken committee must be created by October

Changes to CCR will happen after chicken committee is created

The chicken committee will need to come up with their own set of rules and regulations

If a committee is not established the CCR’s will not change and anyone with chickens will be

in violation of theCCR’s

Monica Martin has stepped forward to be the coordinator of the chicken committeeThe board emphasized they will not take on the chicken committee, and also stated was the

chicken committee will outlast this board and many other boards.

Secretary, Linda Schreiber announced that the mailbox lockers are ready to be installed and

the two lockers will make available 31 lockers. There is a problem at the lockers where people

do not take their packages hence tying up the lockers for new packages. Secretary Linda

Schreiber encouraged everyone to pick up their packages.

Again, fire mitigation was encouraged mow your grass, trim your weeds pick up trash around

your property that will burn.

Announced slash pick up will happen the second week in May. Slash can only be picked up if

it’s on the side of the road. if slash is behind your fence or in your yard it won’t get picked up. It

was noted that branches should be cut into 4 foot lengths and NO logs and NO stumps.

Elections are coming up and there was discussion from past president Gregg Ward as to a

staggered board rather than a whole board going off and a whole new board coming on.

Treasure Anne Speights said that open board meetings are being held for the purpose of

easing interested folks into what this board is working on. In other word a continuation of the

current projects that will out last this board. Anyone thinking about running for the board can

come and be included in these meetings. The election process will start in September and our

neighborhood needs new people, new energy and new ideas.

Linda Schreiber announced the community wide yard sale will be Saturday May 24 and she

has one committee person Marj Petree. The yard sale can happen all over the neighborhood. It

can happen at the front park. It can happen in the back park, but hotdogs will only be served at

the back park, which is Sunrise Park.. so save your stuff and bring it out to the yard sale

Saturday May 24 more information will be available on the website communitynews.biz

Art chair Bobby Smart mentioned that they’ll be no more mailings for newsletters. newsletters

will now be on the website communitynews.biz. Secretary Linda Schreiber said the website

cost $550 per year. Mailing a newsletter 4 times a year cost $2000 and postage is slated to go

up again. Other information available on the website is the CCR’s and all ARC info as well as

ARC Forms.

And as advertised the drawing for a $25 cash prize for just for subscribing to the website

communitynews.biz we have Debbie and Cyndi from our welcome committee are going to

draw 3 names for this meetings

KC Payne

Angela Perea

Felix Schmidt

It was asked that the winners are verified and they are truly residence of Rancho Rio Valley

Estates secretary Linda Schreiber said she each subscription before entering them into the

drawing.

Meeting adjourned