Not sure about you, but I am glad we are leaving 2020 in the rear-view mirror. The pandemic will still be with us for a while in 2021, but at least there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

Moving forward into the New Year we are pleased to say that the final section of our walking trails (from Sierrita east to the arroyo) has been refurbished. This will complete our 2‑year effort to renovate all four sections of our walking trails. This has been a significant cost and effort for the HOA with the results being enjoyed by many in our community. The pandemic has prompted many residents to enjoy the trails and brisk fresh air for relaxation and exercise. Each afternoon, Wiley and I take a walk in the sunshine and smile at the many neighbors we see out and about. A huge thank you is due to John Currier who has led this effort for the HOA. Thanks John!

Our neighborhood annual meeting was a virtual event this year with our website hosting the 2020 Annual Update. If you haven’t had a chance to check this out, please take a peek. We voted on-line for the 2021 Budget and retention of Scott Templeton to the HOA Board. Unfortunately, we did not receive enough votes for the tally to be valid. The Board has approved both measures.

A question that homeowners often ask is “How are my annual dues spent?” In 2020, approximately 60% was spent on maintaining the landscaping on Sierrita and Seven Bar North, the walking trails and water utilities. By comparison, in 2019 the HOA spent 35% of its budget on landscaping.

Our efforts in 2020 focused on maintenance and revitalization landscaping and trail refurbishment. We implemented a new 3-week service rotation for our landscaping company during spring and summer months and a 5-day rotation during the fall and winter. The 3-week rotation makes it easier to remove weeds and litter in a timely manner.

The HOA made progress on the HOA dedicated website and in the communication area in general in 2020. If you are reading this you have found the website. In the Homeowners Only section we will periodically ask for homeowner input on what they would like to see as focus areas for the HOA. We also use the web page to provide updates that are beneficial or important to our residents. We tried voting on the website last November, but did not get a great response (only 22 votes, but a few hundred views).

In addition to the website and newsletter, we now have a Facebook presence that we use to publish information for the community The HOA will continue communicating information and soliciting input from our community. The key to this effort is for everyone to login to the website to activate their Homeowner subscription. Email is another avenue of communication for the HOA. Currently we have a little over 500 of our 648 homeowners registered for email communication. This is 80% of our neighborhood population and enough to look at modifying our HOA Covenants if we can get full participation from our registered users. A huge shout out to Nena Perkin, Candyce Jacobs and Joan Gillis for all their efforts!

A few items to be aware of:

• The next DRB review for the Wintergreen Apartments project on Golf Course backing up to our neighborhood along Carreta Drive, has been deferred to February 24^th. Please check the DRB website agenda for current information. The HOA is only providing communication about this project. To voice your input and concerns, please attend the Zoom meeting. It should be noted that the DRB review is due to a successful appeal that includes issues raised by Seven Bar North residents.
• The second item is that the widening of Westside Blvd is scheduled by the City to start this spring. This construction may increase traffic (and speeds) along Seven Bar and Sierrita. Please be patient and careful along those roads – the pandemic is increasing our foot traffic neighborhood-wide.
• One final item – there is a new development going in on the NE section of Cibola Loop across from the high school. More information is posted on our website – Cibola Loop Development.

We hope that everyone has a good rest of the winter and spring. Let’s be careful out there. Stay safe!