Hello BDR Neighbors!
Happy New Year … , 2024 will bring more improvements to Bull Domingo Ranch. If you haven’t had the chance to view the Bull Domingo website lately, please take a moment to visit the www.BullDomingoRanch.org
If you are interested in volunteering, please let us know! We need some help on the following:
1. South BDR Gate Mgr- This involves answering the phone and responding appropriately. The most common call is for gate access. Simply walk the caller through the steps and let contractors know they need to contact the property owner for their access code since the property owners need to provide their guests/contractors with their entrance code.
2. USPS Parcel Lockers- We need some volunteers to help with the installation of additional oversize parcel lockers at select locations.
3. Future BDR POA Board Members- We will soon be accepting nominations for four Board Members that will be elected later this Spring. If you are interested in volunteering for this, please send an email to BDRPOA@yahoo.com for more information and an application.
As you know, the ranch is “open range” and we appreciate the cattle grazing to keep our property taxes low. That said, the fences bordering BLM land to keep the cattle in Bull Domingo have been neglected for too long and need repair.
The Board approved a plan at the most recent meeting to budget for fence repair on land that borders BLM in the next couple of years. BLM lands have regulations and fines in place for cows that cross the boundary through downed fences and enter BLM land. The fine is hefty and will be assessed, too. This is a necessary, lengthy, and expensive project and will be budgeted over several years.
ROAD CONDITIONS: Please note your Board approved the replacement of a few sub-standard, or errantly positioned culverts at the last meeting. The schedule of replacements will be posted on the web page and on the BDR Facebook page. These replacements will happen during the winter months. The time frame for each road closure will be minimal (8-10 hours each). Please be aware so that you plan for additional time and/or an alternate route if the replacement is in your line of travel. Some road reconstruction will be underway this Spring. The intent is to spend more of our road budget on rebuilding the road base and improving drainage throughout the ranch. However, watershed from certain property driveways is a problem and property owners are being identified and will be made aware of the proper method to direct runoff. Property owners will be given an option to mitigate the destructive run-off themselves, or BDRPOA will have our Road Managers make the appropriate modifications and bill the property owners for the cost of these efforts. This will mitigate destructive erosion damage and the road managers can direct their time and budget to improvements and maintenance efforts that benefit us all
Special Considerations and Policy Discussion: Please keep in mind that winter driving even on plowed roads can be hazardous and it is recommended that you evaluate your equipment and driving skill before putting yourself and others at risk. It is also important to note it is a state law for drivers to carry proper equipment when traveling in inclement weather. As winter continues, it is important to understand our snowplowing policies. Our Governing Documents state that the roads will be plowed when there is 6” or more snow on the roads. During, or after a snow, we take several measurements throughout the ranch to determine if there is an appropriate amount of snow to either present a hazard, or to make certain areas of the ranch impassable. Open country areas of the ranch may also have drifting snow that accumulates in certain areas. These areas can measure more than the “spot measurements” taken throughout the ranch. Please note that every time we plow snow, we also damage the road base by scraping good top cover into the ditches that cannot be recovered. The call to plow, or not, is left to the two Road Managers to determine if the conditions present are an unacceptable risk to the property owners and justify the cost. We understand that there will always be extraordinary situations that may occur in certain areas of the overall ranch boundaries. Please be assured that the two road managers are on it. These two literally drive the entire ranch at least 2-3 times a month to assess their designated areas for potential hazards and for areas that require improvements.
Finally, please note that your POA Board will discuss altering the language in our Governing Policies concerning a $5,000 electrical tap fee for new construction in the Black Hills electric area of the Ranch. This was an important incentive early in the Ranch’s development and the Board will offer new language that eliminates this fee going forward. If you are interested in this topic and would like to share your thoughts with the Board, you should plan on attending the next public Board meeting.
If you made it to the end of this note- Thank You! Yes, it is lengthy, but there is a lot to share. Feel free to reach out to the Board through the BDRPOA@yahoo.com email address with any comments, suggestions, or questions.
Regards to All,
Your BDRPOA Board of Directors