In the past 20 years we have noticed the infrastructure steadily decline. Doing the roads the same old way and expect a better result. Conditions have changed for the greatest asset in the association, roads. This is especially so following the Spring wildfire. The problem on our road is what I know most about but I expect other roads have similar situations.
The problem on our road is that it runs parallel to the mountain which has a slope of about 40+ degrees. The snow melts or it rains and since we are in the burn scar area the ash washes down the mountain and quickly fills the ditch. Then the water runs over the road washing it out or making it super muddy. (We are used to muddy roads but not the dirt/ash.) The road crew then uses the grader to dig the ditch out (see top drawing) and the ditch fills up again because it is so shallow with a 'V' at the bottom.
The ditch fills in quickly with ash and the procedure starts all over again. The grader re-establishes the ditch and puts the ash on the road where it becomes super slippery. Over and over this takes place making the road so slippery our vehicle slides out of control. Four wheel drive or good tires do not help, as the ash makes tires like racing slicks.
We have a small area of our property that burned and I have been waiting to cut the burned trees down when it is drier. I can't keep my feet under me the ash makes it is so slippery.
Sometimes you have to improvise: Conditions change and to be successful we need to change with it. Widening the ditches, making them deeper may not be the only answer but they wouldn't fill in with ash as fast and if they were deeper than the culverts the water would run off and not have culverts plugged with sludge. Being wider would make more room for debris washing down. Instead of continually putting the ash back on the road it could be hauled off and even put on the concrete debris to cover it over.
As the roads deteriorate our property values deteriorate as well. Associations came into being to help those in the community to maintain property values with rules that keep the community consistent and protect values of those who invested in the association.
Those who have not seen the roads as they used to be are willing to accept them as they are now but we have seen them slowly get worse over the past 20+ years. It is election time and we need directors that can improvise. That is not to say the current board isn't doing a good job - they are - however as the old saying goes: it is hard to see the forest through the trees or push the tide back. There are so many serious needs that it is hard to see beyond the new one or two they are faced with every day. This is not to find fault with the current leaders but to show there are solutions.
The other problem I see that can destroy an association is those in the community that ignore the rules
and do as they please. The environmental control community consists of three members and each work independently. Forbes had it so that two had to agree to approve a project. This ECC has three going their separate ways and there is no accountability. Also, past ECCs have been slack in getting compliance on the rules or even sometimes being nonexistent. All these tend to slowly destroy an association. It is a slow and painful death and we seem (to me at least) to be on the tipping point Changes must be made or it will slide faster downhill than it already is. All members need to get on board with rule compliance and not break them.
Part 4, will be the final part and will summarize the first three.
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