arifeldman

Hey Everyone!

Thanks for a great and cautious pool season! Besides some hiccups with the signup and people trying to cancel, the whole season went smoothly. We did mention that if possible we would keep the pool open longer than labor day. This depended on the cleaners going home early on stormy days. As you can probably remember, we didn’t get our typical late summer thunderstorms this year. Additionally, to keep the pool open just 1 more week would cost us $4740 in pool maintenance and cleaning/check-in. The Board has been adamant about not incurring any additional costs this year due to COVID, so we will not be extending the season.

So, with that in mind, Monday September 7 will be the last day the pool is open. APM will start shutting down the pool on Sept 8.

On the Sunday after Labor Day, Sept 13, we would like to invite the pups in the neighborhood to come for a dip between 8 and 11:30 am. Karl Ohlsen has volunteered to run the event this year (Thanks Karl!). We will provide coffee, donuts, and OJ for those who are interested. Make sure to wear your mask and social distance (for your safety and the pups). If you have any questions, please direct them to Karl (ohlsenk@hotmail.com) or Ari (arifeldman@meadowglen-hoa.com).

The pool has officially been open for a week and so far everything is going pretty well! We have received lots of feedback from homeowners on the reservation system, the cleaners, the policies, and general operations. The check-in and cleaning crew has been doing a great job and we’re really pleased on how everyone is taking some personal accountability at the pool. We wanted to touch base now with a few reminders and an update.

The first reminder is about the mask policy. To comply with the State Guidelines, we are continuing to require masks to be worn on entry and exit. While this is a brief period for entry and exit, you have to remember that people are in closer contact when everyone is trying to check in and out. Plus, it helps protect the check-in crew. This is a simple and painless ask, and it helps us keep compliant with the rules. Thank you for your cooperation.

The second reminder is that the pool slot is 2 hours in length. Please start exiting the water and packing up your stuff with a 10 minute margin. This will ensure that you can clean your pool furniture and exit before the next block begins. We cannot have people overstay their 2 hours as it may impinge on our limited capacity at the pool. If you’d like to stay longer, check the reservation system, and if there is availability you may book the next block. Just make sure to let the check-in crew know you were able to do that.

The last reminder is to stay vigilant on your social distancing. Everyone has different comfort levels and while you may feel more comfortable in close contact with some neighbors, others may perceive that social distancing policies are not being followed. Please use the markings on the pool deck to make sure furniture stays out of the taped off zones, and use the markings at the pool edge when you’re in the pool to ensure you are 6 ft apart. Again, thank you for your cooperation.

The update we have is regarding the guest policy. Looking back at the usage over the first week (which includes the July 4th weekend), we only had 2 blocks that were truly at capacity (near 50 reservations) and both of those occurred on the 4th. There was increased usage on the observed holiday 7/3 as well as on Sunday 7/5. For all of the other weekday visits, there was generally plenty of capacity for more people. So, starting 7/10, you may bring up to 2 guests per household Monday through Friday only. No guests on the weekend (for now). Please book these guests by adding them as family members on the reservation system. All guest must be named for the check-in crew as well. Homeowners are responsible for all guest behavior. If you or your guests do not follow either the regular or COVID rules, you may lose pool privileges.

Lastly, if you experience any key card trouble during your lap swim time, please call/text/email Ari Feldman (303-900-2746, arifeldman@meadowglen-hoa.com). With our new system most of the cards need to be updated, and we only discovered that once people started to key in. One benefit of the new system is that we can remotely unlock the gates if you do have trouble. We’re very sorry for the inconvenience, but bear with us as we get the new system up and running.

Stay safe out there!

In June, the Colorado State Forestry Service confirmed that EAB is present in Arvada. There are 12 ash trees on HOA property (this does NOT include ash trees in our common area on City-owned property). The BOD has begun to identify potential tree services to help us determine which of our ash trees are healthy and the cost of treating them (treatment must be repeated every two years), and which of our ash trees are unhealthy, are best removed and the cost of replacing them.

As we get bids from tree specialists, we will ask if they are willing to provide a discount to residents interested in having their trees assessed and potentially treated or removed. Remember, EAB spreads quickly to nearby locations. Once a tree is infested with EAB, it takes about 3 years for it to die, unless the tree, previously in good health, is chemically treated to protect it against EAB, so it is beneficial to the community for residents to be proactive in responding to this situation. We will keep the community informed regarding our treatment plans and options for potential neighborhood discounts.

Meadowglen has been known for our giant 4th of July day of festivities.  2020 keeps continuing to surprise us as events and celebrations have been canceled all over the country. The 4th of July is no exception for our celebrations this year.  We will not have our party due to COVID -19 conditions and guidelines.  This includes the pool party, parade, and fire truck parade. 

This year we would have celebrated the 40th 4th of July BBQ, but it’s important to note that we’re not celebrating the 40th anniversary of our community. Many of our homes were built between 1978-1980. There were a couple of years that the BBQ didn’t happen (especially in the early years). So we are hoping next year the party will be able to be bigger and better than past years, and we can celebrate the 40th BBQ in style. 

We do encourage each home to decorate their front door, porch, yard or drive way with red white and blue! If each of you want to put up decorations it will still bring joy to the community and remind us of the patriotism that resides here in our community! Feel free to send pictures of your decorated stoop or front yard to arifeldman@meadowglen-hoa.com and he’ll post them to our community website.

Be safe and enjoy a fun 4th of July!

Hi Everyone,

With the Governor’s Safer-at-Home order and some businesses opening up, we are all curious what that means for our own community. The Meadowglen Board of Directors has opted to follow the Apex Park and Recreation District’s lead with regards to pool operations. We also have to work with our pool management company (Absolute Pool Management or APM) who must follow restrictions and guidelines set forth by the State. There were 2 communications that you should be aware of:

The Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment Water Water Quality Control Division recently stated:

All swimming pools, both indoor and outdoor, should remain closed to protect public health. This includes HOA pools, water parks, hot springs, hotel pools and other similar pool facilities. 

More information about the Safe at Home order can be found at the state COVID-19 webpage and a frequently asked questions document. 

Continue Routine Maintenance
Even though pools may remain closed at this time, it is important to continue routine maintenance to prevent the transmission of infectious diseases once the orders are lifted and pools can be opened to the public. The Pool and Hot Tub Alliance shared guidance on their webpage. 

We are optimistic that they are encouraging continued maintenance for eventual opening!

Furthermore, APM communicated to us directly that they cannot open any time before 5/27 and if they are asked to stop work they cannot guarantee continuity of pool operations.

If you have been near the pool lately, APM has prepared the pool so that if we are able to open, we are ready immediately. I will say that it looks quite enticing, but we ask for your patience. Please do not try to enter the pool or pool area. Any unsanctioned access may threaten our ability to open the pool this season.

We are hoping that we will open the pool at some point, but when and what that looks like is still “To Be Determined”. Do we need to limit the number of users? limit time per use? etc. We want to make sure that if we open that we operate as safely as possible. For now, we will plan on no pool until 5/27 at the earliest. But again, we will follow Apex’s lead, who is subsequently following State and CDC guidance. If Apex chooses not to open, or chooses to limit participation, we will also adopt those guidelines. As we know more, we’ll be sure to communicate it to you.

In spite of not being able to have a Spring Fling this year, Meadowglen was still able to raise over $350 for Ralston House. Thanks to all for your generosity. Your support is needed now more than ever. May the spinning pinwheels bring some hope and healing to us all.
Thanks again,

Ann DeMers

Update: If the signup is full, please contact Brandon directly at 303-463-8791

Howdy neighbors!
Are you looking for a fun activity for you and/or your kids? Well, one of our residents (Brandon Marette) has been working with Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) to lead an informal fishing clinic at our Pomona Lake this Saturday morning (5/16) near the Clubhouse (see below weblink for sign-up times). This is a great opportunity for really young kids (or even older kids to older adults) to get a free CPW fishing pole and learn the basics of fishing. 
Since we’re all protecting each other during this COVID period, we’re spacing out the attendees every 1/2 hour so they can rotate through 3 stations, with the last station being actual fishing at our lake (which is supposed to be stocked with rainbow trout late this week). So please sign up ASAP – one slot per family, and please indicate how many poles you’ll need (mom and/or dad can get one too).

CPW will provide:

• One fishing pole per person
• Hooks, weights, & some bait. 
• One fishing regulations brochure
• Training

You should bring the following:

• If you are going to fish, and you are >16 years old, you will need a fishing license. Go on-line to https://www.cpwshop.com to purchase it. It should take less than 1/2 hour. 
  • A one-day fishing license is $14, an annual fishing license is $36, and an extra rod stamp (if you want to fish with 2 poles per person) is $11. Note, each license will have some add-on costs (~$10) for a Habitat Stamp & Search/Rescue Fund.
  • NOTICE: due to COVID-19, mailing of licenses, passes, and permits will be delayed. However, print off and carry your TAN (Temporary Authorization Number) with you this weekend, as it acts as your temporary fishing license.
• Your own bait if we run out. We’d recommend either digging up worms from your garden or buying some from Big 5. Also, power bait and/or salmon eggs would be another option to consider.
• Needle-nose pliers (to remove the hook from the fish).
• Masks – for the training, and then you can remove if you want and if you are not close to other families around the lake.  
• Fleece or windbreaker (the high is supposed to be 66, cloudy, and it may be breezy)
• Folding chair 
• Snack & water 
• Camera – to record photos/videos of a fun, family adventure!

If you have questions, feel free to call Brandon at 303-463-8791, as we hope many of you can participate in this one-time event. 

Sign up using this link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0d4ca9a82aabfc1-2020

Sincerely,
Ari Feldman 
HOA President

During these uncertain times, Meadowglen is continuing to shine and be the type of community we are all proud to be a part of.  We are aware of several neighborly events that have happened which make use happy and we thought we would share.  We have heard of positive messages written in sidewalk chalk encouraging safety and good spirits, a Teddy Bear hunt ( put a Teddy bear in your window to make it fun for families out enjoying walks), a wedding dress event where Meadowglen women busted out their gowns and met (6 feet apart) along the lake and celebrated with a cocktail, and even a visit from The Easter Bunny!  He made a trip around in the back of a pick up truck giving joy to young families and handed out candy!  Several people have asked if neighbors need anything or someone to run errands for them and we are truly becoming a tighter knit community!

Some unpleasant items we need to share:  We would like to remind folks that the May Annual Garage Sale will not take place as usual, we may possibly be able to do it later in the summer.

As for the opening of the pool, as you can tell we have proceeded with filling the pool and getting it ready, but we will be following The City and the Apex PRD for direction and guidelines once they receive it from the Governor.  We expect this information to come near the end of April.  We know many of you are concerned with the 4th of July party or what our pool will be looking like this year?  We are in the beginning stages of seeing how what our new normal might look like and how we may get to use this beautiful amenity in our community.  There could possibly be a limited number of people allowed to gather and we can’t be certain how long this will last.  Everything is up in the air, but we are almost certain this 4th of July will not look like what it has in the past.  Even if we were to have the party, the number of attendees may be low due to social concerns. Whatever it is, please know we are all in this together and we will be sharing information as soon as we get it.

We know we are not all in the same boat, but we are in the same storm!

Keep an eye on one another and continue to to make Meadowglen proud!

Hello Meadowgleners! I hope this finds you all healthy and doing well. Usually this message would be talking about how we’d handle the snow for our annual Meadowglen Clean-Up Day, which had been scheduled for this Saturday, April 18th. But, this year is different, with us all socially distancing from each other. So, we won’t get together to gather litter from our common areas, but I’m encouraging each of us to do our part to keep our grounds clean.

As a subdivision we adopted Little Dry Creek Trail from Pomona Dr to Club Crest. On our clean-up days we get trash from our grounds around the clubhouse and pool, along the length of our adopted train, from the bushy areas along the creek, and even the expanse of grassy area at 80th and Pomona. This year we seem to have an unusual amount of litter, probably because so many of us have been outdoors in our neighborhood for fresh air and exercise. Use whatever precautions make sense to you, but let’s all chip in to keep our grounds free of trash! Earth Day is April 22. That is a day to focus our efforts around, but picking up litter is something we can do all year.

Thanks!
Your Beautification Committee

As the world, the country, and our State of Colorado take steps to stop the spread COVID-19, we must consider activities within Meadowglen. The Board is committed the health and safety of our residents. With that in mind the Board has decided to take measures to restrict gatherings in Meadowglen. We also recognize the impact that this big virus is having on our economy and workforce.

The March Board meeting was cancelled at the last minute, and we apologize for that. We’re adjusting plans as quickly as the guidance changes. As of now, the April ARC and Board meetings will be cancelled as well. If major decisions must be voted on, we are looking into video conference options so that residents can participate. The Board did meet via video conference to discuss how to address the CDC guidance within Meadowglen and we came up with the following actions.

Effective immediately, no events may be scheduled at the clubhouse and existing events will be cancelled through April. While the CDC guidance suggests gatherings of less that 10 people, the virus can live for days on hard surfaces and we cannot ensure proper disinfecting between uses. The Board does hire a cleaner after large social events, but that is unsustainable for individual events. Therefore we feel it would be irresponsible to allow social gatherings at our common facility at this time.

The social events in April, Teen Night and Spring Fling, are cancelled. These events would be at the clubhouse which we have closed for events. Likewise, it would go against guidance to host these events for the community. We realize that these events are good outlets for the kids, and we hope you all are able to celebrate individually. Additionally, the Meadowglen Annual Cleanup that was scheduled on 4/18 is also cancelled. Please be on the lookout for another article detailing how you can individually help keep Meadowglen clean.

Lastly, we have opted to cancel the ARC Spring Walkthrough. While this isn’t a social event, nor hosted at the clubhouse, we felt that the Coronavirus is taking a significant toll on our economy. We don’t know your specific situations, but during this time of financial unrest, it feels especially damaging to our community to ask for major repairs at this time. While the majority of the Spring Walkthrough items are typically minor, we think we can skip this year without allowing the beauty of our neighborhood to slip. If you have previous unresolved violations and feel that you are now financially unable to come into compliance on your original timeline, the Board will work with you to identify a new timeline (please email Lewis and the Board). We are committed to keeping Meadowglen beautiful and will continue to enforce the ARC Design Guidelines. Our MSI manager is still making weekly inspections and will report any violations.

If you have any questions or comments about these measures, please email Lewis Moses (lmoses@msihoa.com) at MSI or Ari Feldman (arifeldman@meadowglen-hoa.com). Stay safe and healthy out there!