This month's Heritage Hills Metro District board meeting covered a wide range of topics affecting our community. Here is a breakdown of the most important highlights.

🧱 Brick Walls

The brick wall conversation continues to be the most significant ongoing topic at board meetings, and this month was no exception.

The board gave direction to legal counsel to finalize an easement agreement. An eight-foot utility easement already exists along the back of affected properties, and the intent is to prepare a new easement agreement that would sit on top of that existing easement, allowing access for brick wall repair or replacement work. Legal counsel was candid that obtaining easements from every affected homeowner will be an extensive and time-consuming process.

During public comment, a resident who has been speaking with neighbors shared that the easement process is likely to be extremely challenging. Most homeowners will want to know whether the recommendation will be repair or replacement before they agree to sign anything. The resident also noted that at least one homeowner is prepared to litigate if replacement is chosen — and pointed out to the board that litigation costs are not currently being factored into the project budget.

One additional note worth sharing. At today's meeting, a board member stated that the Brick Wall Committee recommended moving forward with approaching homeowners to begin obtaining easement agreements. We attended the April Brick Wall Committee meeting and did not hear that recommendation come from the committee. In fact, at today's meeting, another board member stated that the board should not yet move forward with approaching homeowners as there are still significant legal questions to be answered first.

The committee is also working with the district's engineering firm, ANA, to develop a detailed scope of work for brick wall repairs. The goal is to identify specific wall panels showing sagging and corrosion, document exactly what type of repair is needed for each, and use that information to go out and get competitive contractor pricing. This is an important step toward getting apples-to-apples repair estimates — which the committee does not yet have.

🔨 Willow Creek Trail Project

A contract has been signed for new fencing and a gate along the Willow Creek Trail. Construction is expected to begin this summer once school is out. The board is still gathering quotes for lighting and electrical work, and is reaching out to contractors for the decorative brick columns that will frame the entrance.

🏗️ Overlook Park Pavilion

The Overlook Park Pavilion was approved, and construction is scheduled to begin August 17th. If you want the full details on what is being built and what it will cost, we posted a dedicated video on this recently.

💰 TABOR & DeBrucing

A question came up at today's meeting that homeowners should understand, particularly given the significant costs being discussed around the brick walls, and uncertainty around how that will be funded.

Colorado has a law called TABOR — the Taxpayer's Bill of Rights — that limits how much tax revenue local governments, like our Metro District, can collect, keep, and increase. There is a process called DeBrucing where voters can approve exceptions to those limits.

A resident raised the question today of whether our Metro District has gone through the DeBrucing process. No ballot initiative or public record confirming this has been found. However, the district manager stated that she has an email from the state confirming that we are DeBruced, and the district's attorney confirmed that as well.

Because no formal public record exists (that we have been able to find), this question is worth understanding more fully, as our metro district is funded entirely from our property taxes.

The board agreed to address it at next month's meeting, where the attorney will explain what DeBrucing is, what language confirms it, and how it impacts our community. We encourage you to be there.

🌳 Tree Removals

The board approved the removal of 31 diseased trees at last month's meeting. At today's meeting, we asked for a map and a timeline of when the removals will happen. No clear answers were given. What we understand, though, is that trees will be tagged before they come down. If you start seeing tags on trees in the neighborhood, that is likely what is happening.

🌸 Flowers & Landscaping

The board has been discussing options for our entrance flowers and common areas for several months now, weighing water restrictions and various alternatives. With spring fully underway, the topic did not come up at today's meeting. As of today, we do not know whether we will have flowers this year.

On landscaping more broadly, the board is evaluating a proposal to convert mulch areas throughout the neighborhood to rock. Several options and renderings were discussed, but no final decision was made.

🔌 Utilities

If you have noticed utility flags or workers in the neighborhood recently, that is Comcast. They are currently adding new lines to the area as we are at 97% capacity. Utilities have an easement that allows them to access and flag our properties without advance notice — something many residents may not have known. If anyone approaches your property claiming to be a utility worker and something feels off, though, do not hesitate to verify their credentials.

The best way to stay informed and make your voice heard is to attend the monthly Metro District board meeting — held on the second Friday of every month at 8:15 AM in the clubhouse and via Zoom. Public comments are welcome at the top of every meeting (and also at the end), and even a few minutes makes a difference.

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Thanks, friends! — Jill, Katie & Faith