Inside this issue:

- Meet new Borad Director Jim Lovewell - Communication is Key

- Annual Assessment Invoice Information - Sidewalk Snow Removal

- Trailers on Property - Common Area Update

- Dog Waste - Spring Chipping Program

- Foothills Bluegrass - Exterior Paint Approval

- Baker & King Security Contact - New Website Update

Calendar of Events:

• Spring Chipping - week of May 29

• Community Garage Sale - Saturday June 3

• Foothills Bluegrass - Wednesday May 22 (tentative)

Letter From The CVHA President

Let's Make a Difference!

From my perch as the President of the Comstock Village Homeowners' Association (CVHA) Board I am afforded unique opportunities to see or hear about the best and worse in our fellow homeowners. On the bright side of life, weeks ago after a substantial wind storm, I witnessed a resident help clear large fallen branches off a neighbor's roof, driveway, and lawn who neither had the physical nor fiscal reserves to get the job done. That homeowner could have spent his free weekend on a personal project or resting up on the recliner watching hours of college or professional football. Nope. Without being asked, he grabbed his gloves and bowsaw and preceded to blister up his hands and rip up his back to help restore normal in his neighbor's life.

Then there's the not so sunny side. Last winter following one of these newsletters, I received a multiple page email with glossy photos pointing out Covenant infractions to dispute my claim that we live in a beautiful community. Trust me, I've had my face belt-sanded so many times when I was in the Marine Corps that unconstructive cyber-bullying doesn't bother me. But it did disappoint for one reason: the amount of time and effort he spent throwing sticks and stones at our neighborhoods, he could have volunteered his time, talent, and/or treasure (the three "T's") to remove figurative logs and make his/our community a better place.

Fortunately for all of us, we have a group of volunteers that are dedicated to making our community better - the CVHA Board. These guys and gals devote countless hours, energy, and personal resources turning challenging problems into solutions. One of these logs you will read about is in an article below regarding the new and improved CVHA website that will be commissioned this spring.

This past October Comstock Village elected two new Directors. We would like to welcome Jason Bianchi and Stan Stevens, who have graciously volunteered their "Ts". In just a short amount of time on the Board, it is evident that these two are all about being part of something bigger than themselves and we are grateful for their energy and commitment.

Even with these two great additions to the team, there is no way possible a Board of seven Directors can make it all come together in a community of 595 homes. We need volunteers to help pull off the events and responsibilities that come with our exceptional area. Please refer to the following articles on our annual Bluegrass in Foothills Park and Common Area Committee where we could use some of your "Ts" if you have the bandwidth to share.

Most importantly, I ask that you continue to reject passivity and keep helping your neighbor. If you see a problem, don't walk past it - or worse, walk past it and complain without weighing in with constructive solutions and/or actions.

As I step off my soapbox, I would like to recognize two people who have rejected passivity and devoted their "T's" to our community for over 25 years of combined service, Vera Feldman and Sidney Patin Vera has served on the Board continuously since 2010 with three years as President. Sidney has served almost as long and has been a champion for homeowners' rights as one of the attorneys on our Board, selflessly volunteering his legal expertise for over a decade (and thankfully will continue to do so!). Vera and Sid, our community owes you a huge debt of gratitude for all the logs you guys have split and stacked in Comstock Village. You have truly made our community a better place and did it with tireless effort and grace. We are committed to keep improving our community with the momentum you have generated all these years.

Grateful and Blessed,

Chas Cox

(719)244-8242

Meet Your CVHA Board Director: Jim Lovewell

Jim and his wife Robin moved to Comstock Village 12 years ago when their family was reassigned to Colorado Springs from England. Jim recently retired from a career in the U.S. Air Force and he and Robin were fortunate to post multiple assignments here in Colorado Springs. Jim now promotes local business development through his work at the Colorado Springs Chamber and Economic Development Corporation.

In his spare time, he enjoys just about anything in the outdoors, but mountain biking, sailboarding, hiking and backpacking top the list. He and Robin can often be seen walkingthe neighborhood and are grateful for such a wonderful area to call home. Jim is always happy to help neighbors in need and enjoys serving on the CVHA Board as Secretary and Treasurer. Jim has the heart of a servant leaderand we are truly fortunate to have him in our city and on the Board!

Communication is Key

If you currently do not receive occasional emails from Comstock Village, please provide our administrator, Cathy Gelston, with your updated email address. It will never be sold or released. We want to ensure all homeowners and members of Comstock Village receive the most updated schedule of events, timely messages and safety information. Don't miss out of these important emails. Please send any updated information (email and phone number) to admin@comstockstockvillage.com.

Annual Assessment Invoice Information

The invoice for your 2023 Annual Assessment is $48.00 and payments are due by February 15, 2023 (postmarked). You can pay directly through the email using a checking account number or you can send a check to Comstock Village HOA, P.O. Box 49512, Colorado Springs, CO 80949. A.. rebilling fee of $30.00 will be added for those payments not received/postmarked by February 15.

Clean-Up Dumpster Optional Donation

The optional $10.00donation for the clean-up program is to pay for the dumpsters that are delivered in the spring and fall. Donations to this account will be accepted in any amount.

Every spring and fall we have placed six large dumpsters at six different locations throughout Comstock Village during designated clean-up days. Based upon their utilization, this is a successful program. However, the program is expensive. Currently, costs our Association $450 per dumpster. To help defray the costs of the clean-up, your support is solicited. You will notice that your Annual Assessment invoice gives you the ability to donate a small amount to support this popular program. This will allow the Board to have the Spring and Fall Clean-Ups and to be able to use the Annual Assessment to accomplish the administration and necessary maintenance and improvements of the common areas and other community projects. Please consider your support.

Security Service Optional Donation

This optional $20.00 donation hires a service to patrol Comstock Village in marked vehicles patrol Comstock Village in marked vehicles to promote safety and increase security (see Baker & King Security Services Contract article at end of the newsletter). All the hours they work are logged and reported to the Association each month, sometimes with a report of what they did and where they patrolled. Donations to this account will be accepted in any amount. All money collected for "Security Service" is spent on this program and nothing else. Last year we had overwhelming support toward this program, which allowed the Board to increase the number of patrols scheduled in Comstock Village. Let's keep those contributions flowing for the continued safety and security of our neighborhoods in 2023!

Sidewalk Snow Removal

Winter is here and just a friendly reminder that homeowners are responsible for snow removal on sidewalks, including those located behind fences along roads. Snow must be removed within 24 hours following a storm. Pedestrians of all ages, including parents and their children walking to school, appreciate clear and safe sidewalks.

Trailers on Properties

One of the frequent complaints the Board receives from members is about trailers parked on properties within the Comstock Village community. As a reminder, Article VI, Section7, paragraph 12 of the Comstock Village Covenants states that "campers and trailers shall be parked or stored at the rear of the lot out of sight of the street or kept in a garage. No camper, RV, boat or trailer shall be visible from the street." The Covenants do allow that "for loading and unloading, an RV may be parked on the driveway no more than 72 hours at the onset and 72 hours after return." Thank you for your cooperation on this issue.

Common Area Update

According to the CVHA website, the Common Areas are "gems in our backyard". As you may know, many of our 595 homes/properties border 42 acres of what is essentially wild land. The Common Areas Committee strives to keep these spaces accessible, healthy, and most importantly, as resistant to wildfires as possible.

Safety and preservation efforts also enhance our enjoyment and property values. The Committee needs volunteers - can you help? Please email thecarlross@hotmail.com to join us.

See this website for more details:http://comstockvillage.com/comstock-common-areas/

Dog Waste

Wondering what to do with all those awesome 10 cent plastic bags you get at the grocery store these days? We recommend using them to clean up after your pet when walking in Comstock Village. While most of our residents (and their dogs) do a terrific job, we've received some complaints about the few who don't clean up after their pets. Please be a good neighbor and keep Comstock a pet-friendly community!

Spring Chipping Program

The Spring 2023 Neighborhood Chipping Service is now active for registration. The date for the Spring Chipping is May 29, 2023. The Chipping Schedule is a little different from years past as they have condensed the 142 neighbors/HOAs into 33 regions. Comstock Village is in the Rockrimmon region. You may sign up for both the Spring and Fall Chipping Date (which is 8/28/23). Some of the requirements to sign up for the Chipping program are as follows:

• Individual homeowners must register to participate every year for every chipping period offered in their neighborhood. To register go to https://bbit/ly/CSFDChippingRequest or call (719) 385-7493 or email Melissa.hoffman@coloradosprings.gov.

• Participants must attend a neighborhood meeting or have a free onsite consultation before their scheduled chipping period (These dates will be announced once it gets closer to the Spring date).

• Only woody limbs and branches up to 9 inches in diameter are accepted.

• Only properly stacked piles are accepted.

• Construction or building materials, nails, wire are not accepted.

• Grass clippings, bags of leaves, weeds, yuccas, root wads, dirt or rocks are not accepted.

• Piles must be stacked curbside by 8:00 am Monday morning on your designated chipping block.

• Pile sizes should be limited to the size of 5'x5'x5'. There is no limit as to the number of piles along the curb.

• Piles must be within 5 feet of the roadway.

• Piles must be stacked neatly with cut ends facing the road.

• Do not tie or bank piles.

• Chipping will occur during the 1-2 weeks following the listed date (For example, chipping could be held anytime the weeks of May 29th and June 5th). Piles will be picked up by the end of the chipping block.

PLEASE REMEMBER

• Incorrect piles will not be picked up

• Addresses not registered will not be picked up

• Do not combine piles with neighbors or haul in from other neighborhoods Thanks for your interest in this worthwhile program!

Exterior Paint Approval

Are you thinking about painting your home in the near future? If so, the Covenants require you to submit an improvement application to the Board of Directors to obtain approval of the colors before the painting begins. You can use the improvement application form found here http://comstockvillage.com/improvement-application-form/

Earth tone colors are the only colors that are approved by the Covenants. Unfortunately, the term "earth tone" defies precise definition, so the Board is the arbiter of whether a proposed color is an "earth tone" or not. Over the years, the Board has come to agreement on colors that would be approved, and the color palette is the result. Please try to select a color or colors that are on the color palette. If you would like to see samples of earth tone colors that are pre-approved, contact the Administrator and she can arrange a time to show you the approved color palette.

The provisions regarding the requirement of earth tone colors can be found here. http:// comstockvillage.com/covenants/ (look under Minimum Exterior Standards). Also see the Covenants, Section 7, paragraph 5 (e), regarding the colors, which says: "Only earth tone colors shall be used on exterior siding or garage doors."

The CVHA Covenants stipulate the color scheme for exterior paint that enhances the aesthetic value of the neighborhood, so make sure your colors are on target with the color palette approved by the association. Please work with your CVHA Board of Directors when re-painting your property.

Baker & King Security Services

Over the years the Comstock Village HOA has utilized paid off duty police to patrol the Comstock area in an effort to deter crime in the neighborhood. We have always had a great working relationship with the Colorado Springs Police Department and the program was run through a CSPD officer who coordinated and arranged for the patrols with local HOA's. However, this past April, CSPD out-sourced the administration of this program to a private company which significantly increased the costs to hire police in this role. The CVHA Board of Directors was faced with two options: 1) continue with the CSPD Extra Duty Program and contract half the number of patrols; or 2) hire a more affordable private security firm to maintain the same quality and caliber of patrols. After much research and deliberation, the Board voted unanimously to pursue the private security firm option. Baker and King Security Services are now providing patrols in Comstock Village.. Baker and King is Colorado Springs-based, trustworthy and reputable firm and we encourage everyone to check out their website: https://www.bakerandkingsecurity.com/. CSPD will still patrol Comstock Village and respond to emergency calls, but Baker and King will now provide our additional patrolling services. When you see one of their vehicles in your neighborhood, please make an effort to talk with the security guards on duty and make them feel welcome. If you have any questions about the Board's decision or about the services Baker and King are contracted to provide, please don't hesitate to contact any of your seven Directors on the CVHA Board.

This new contract with Baker and King is a positive development, but it doesn't absolve us from hyper-vigilance toward all activities in and around Comstock Village. Thank you for continuing to play an integral role in the safety and security of our community.

New Website Update

The Comstock Village Board is in the process of constructing an entirely new website that is more user friendly for all homeowners.

The following changes will be included in the updated website:

• Increased website security

• Ability for the Administrator to add/delete/modify page content without added cost

• Better visibility on internet to easily find the Comstock Village website

• Intuitive organization of website for easier navigation

• Page dedicated to posting security reports from Baker & King and quick links from CSPD crime blotters

• Map of Comstock Village and Common Area survey coordinates

• Comstock Village calendar (upcoming events and meetings)

• Frequently Asked Questions

• Emergency Safety & Preparedness Guide

The new website is scheduled to come on line Spring 2023. When the updated website is available, you will be notified of the new URL.

2022 BOARD OF DIRECTORS

The Board of Directors meets on the third Wednesday of each month at 7:00 pm. Meetingsare currently held at the Community Room, Fire Station #18, 6830 Hadler View. All meetings of the Board of Directors are open to the members of CVHA. If you havean item to present and do not want to attend the entire meeting, you can ask to be placed first on the agenda so that you do not have to stay the whole evening. You are more than welcome to attend all meetings. Please contact the Administrator, Cathy Gelston, to confirm the date and location of the meeting.

President, Chas Cox

719-244-8242

Vice President, Kevin O'Connor

719-494-4055

Secretary/Treasurer, Jim Lovewell

719-661-7402

Jason Bianchi

410-245-4613

Howard Feldman

719-599-7603

Stan Stevens

719-641-6425

Al Watson

719-492-0310

Cathy Gelston, Administrator

719-660-7726