Welcome to our newsletter for the HOA Board to share important information and announcements about our community, upcoming events, opportunities to get involved, helpful advice and tips, and updates on what the Board and committees are working on.

Announcements

• The Harvest Junction Village HOA Annual Meeting was held on December 6, 2021, at 6 pm via Zoom. There was a great turnout with 55 homes in attendance, and the 2022 budget was ratified by homeowners.
• Karl Weaver’s term on the HOA Board completes this month (December), but he continues as a member of the ARC committee. Karl has done a phenomenal job on the Board, volunteered countless hours, and we all wish to thank him for his hard work and contribution to our community!
• All homeowners should have received a ballot by mail for our open Board seat. Please vote and return your ballot to Centennial Consulting Group postmarked no later than December 24, 2021.
• In observance of the holiday season, Centennial Consulting Group will be closed from Friday, December 24th through Monday, January 3rd. If an emergency arises during this time, please email CCG at info@ccgcolorado.com or call their emergency phone at (970) 818-5247. Their office resumes normal business hours Tuesday, January 4th.

Upcoming Events

Below is a summary of upcoming events, but more are being added. For the latest details, please visit the Calendar in the Homeowner Portal.

If you have an event that you are organizing in our community, such as a park playdate, let us know, and we will add it to the calendar!

Neighborhood Holiday Yard Contest

Signup by December 19.

Winter Solstice Lantern Walk

Meet at the park on December 21 at 5pm. The walk starts around Sugar Beet Circle at 5:30pm. Please bring laterns ready to use!! Some great ideas for making your own are here:

• DIY Winter Solstice Lantern
• Make Your Own Winter Solstice Lantern
• Simple Lanterns for Winter Solstice

CERT Training Completed

Last month, Aron Baczoni, Bruce McQueen, Jessica Nelson, and Chris Russell completed a 9 week CERT training program with Longmont’s Safety / Fire Department, concluding with simulated emergency response drills in Brighton. The training included medical triage, light search and rescue, medical operations, and fire safety. We will continue working with the city on safety programs to assist in the event of local emergencies or disasters.

Getting Involved

Open Position in the ARC Committee

We have an open seat in the Architectural Review Committee (ARC) and are looking for volunteers. Signup if you would like to help update our ARC guidelines to keep our community beautiful and review ARC requests for homeowner improvements.

• Apply for the ARC Committee

Always Looking for Volunteers

We are always looking for helping hands in our other committees as well. If you are interested in landscaping, safety, or social events, please sign up to get involved!

• Apply for the Public Landscape Committee
• Apply for the Safety Committee
• Apply for the Social Committee

Homeowner Input

We want to hear from you! If you have recommendations for new projects or improvements to Harvest Junction HOA, please contact us at harvestjunction@ccgcolorado.com with your ideas or (970) 484-0101 ext. 671.

Monthly Tips

Rocks in Trash Cans

We received reports that the northernmost trashcan in the park has been filled with 50-100 golfball-sized rocks from the flower beds for each of the past three trash pickups. These are likely from little hands enjoying the playground. If you are a parent of little ones in the park, please help us by watching to ensure that landscaping materials are not inadvertently discarded in the trash. Thank you in advance for your help with this! :-)

Winter Watering

We are having an abnormally dry winter so far which means our trees and other vulnerable plants need an extra little bit of water. Here are some quick tips to make sure your landscaping survives the winter.

Creating Watering Schedules for Winter Gardening

• Choose a warm day with air temperature above 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Ensure that the soil is unfrozen.
• Try watering at mid-day — when temperatures are higher—so it can soak in before it freezes at night.
• Water your landscape once or twice per month from November to April.
• New roots form in the months of March and April. It is most critical to water during these months.

What to Water When You’re Gardening in Cold Weather

• Newly planted lawns, trees, shrubs and flowers require the most attention in winter gardening.
• Established turf and trees, especially those in sunny, windy, or exposed areas should be a high priority. Watering prevents them from drying out due to unique environmental conditions.
• Established shrubs, flowers, ornamental grasses and groundcovers will also benefit.

More Tips for Winter Watering

• To prevent freeze damage, most automatic sprinkler systems are turned off during the winter. To combat this inconvenience, use a hose-end sprinkler or watering wand.
• Remove the hose from the spigot after watering. Leaving the hose attached can cause water to freeze in your pipes, causing expensive damage.
• Water for short periods, allowing it to soak in before re-applying.
• Ensure that the ground doesn’t stay soggy for long periods after watering. This may cause root rot, killing your precious plants.
• To determine how long to water, place cups in your yard to catch some of the water. Water until you can measure 0.5 to 1” deep in the cups. Once you reach this threshold, you’ll know how long to water in future sessions.

What is the Board Working On?

2021 Update

In June 2021, the HOA was turned over from the builders to a homeowner-driven board. It’s been a busy six months, and the following of the new Board’s goals have been achieved so far:

• Created our community newsletter, online services, and mission, vision, & values.
• Created the ARC, Safety, and Landscape committees.
• Worked closely with our previous landscapers to fix our landscaping but ultimately had to terminate their contract for performance. Successfully negotiated refund of fees. Created an RFP to hire a new landscape contractor in late 2021 / early 2022, and final selection is planned for December.
• Audited our irrigation system, identified numerous issues (leaks, improper construction, malfunctioning pump and master valve, important features such as rain & leak detection sensors not enabled, etc.), and hired BoCo to repair and upgrade our system.
• Worked with CSU extension program and arborists to review our landscaping, identify the root cause for dying trees, and make recommendations for 2022.
• Applied to Resource Central for water usage audit and recommendations.
• Audited our plot plans to resolve ownership and maintenance responsibilities for the creek and detention pond areas, including the third irrigation system (aka “C”).
• Created and completed an RFP to select our HOA attorney.
• Performed a reserve study and currently reviewing the reports to determine next steps.
• Created plans to review and update our ARC guidelines in 2021-2022. Completed board reviews. Next step: Proposals from ARC committee.
• Reviewed and approved homeowner ARC requests.
• Organized monthly social events for the community, volunteer landscaping events, and volunteer CERT training (emergency response team) with the Longmont fire department.
• Working with Longmont Safety to launch our neighborhood watch program.
• Applied to join NGLA, which qualifies us for city grants, participation in city planning/events/activities, and safety programs.
• Attending Longmont NLS (neighborhood leadership series) training sessions on safety, landscaping, and NGLA opportunities.

2022 Plans

For 2022, the HOA Board is planning to complete the following:

• Work closely with our new landscapers to ensure our common areas come back to life!
• Finish hardening and upgrading our irrigation system in Spring when bringing it online. This will both reduce watering costs and improve our landscaping.
• Remove and start replacing dead trees. (For cost reasons, this will be a multi-year project.)
• Complete the NGLA application process and apply for city grants on landscaping and social programs.
• Complete the Resource Central water usage audit to reduce water usage / costs.
• Develop and negotiate a plan for maintaining the detention pond.
• Complete the project to review and update our HOA guidelines.
• Proactively monitor new development adjacent to our community, including phase 3, Costco, and the new park.