2025 PID Annual Owner Meeting

Date & Time: June 21, 2025, 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Location: Fire Station #9, 100 Palisade Mountain Dr
Audio Recording: https://drive.google.com/file/d/16a8cD3ptVbgeGeT3l7JlyjUGb1eHrWs0/view?usp=drive_link

Board Members

James Toland, Chairperson
David Hoffman, Treasurer
Connie Garrett, Secretary
Ed Ostransky

The meeting was called to order and commenced by suspending Robert’s Rules.  New board members, David Hoffman and Ed Ostranksy, were introduced.  Andy Hitch, the prior chairperson, resigned from the board in April.  There is one open position on the board and can be filled in the fall.

Officers

David Hoffman was appointed as board treasurer.  Connie Garrett was appointed as board secretary.  James Toland was appointed as board chairperson.  Currently there are 4 members on the board.  The county PID Program Manager will serve as a tie breaker in the event of a tie vote.  Applications for board members can be submitted on the Larimer County website in the fall: https://www.larimer.gov/boards/storm-mountain-public-improvement-district#/board

Board Mission and General Discussion

The mission of the board is to maintain the roads in the Storm Mountain PID district and improve roads as the budget allows.  The PID is not a HOA or related to the HOA on Storm Mountain.  The PID cannot own property.  The PID may not change tax rates. The PID has no regulatory control over private property and may not enforce any code issues.  The PID board members are volunteers that own property in the community. The PID advises the county and works with contractors (hired by the county) to maintain and improve roads. The PID may recommend for private property owners to clean culverts or cut back trees where they impact the public right of way. 

The PID budget is funded by property taxes and managed by Larimer County.  The Forest Service does not contribute to any road maintenance as their portion of the road is considered a 4WD trail.  The roads in the district are owned by multiple owners: private owners, county, state and federal forest service.  This is the main reason why only portions of the Access Road are paved.  The unpaved section of the Access Road is owned by the forest service. Generally speaking there is a 25 foot easement from the center of the road for road maintenance and improvements.  Culverts on private driveways are not maintained by the PID, but in special circumstances where drainage is causing damage to the public road, then the PID may recommend the private owner to improve the culvert. 

Financial Review – 2024 Spend

The beginning balance in 2024 was about $80k.  This was a carry-over from 2023 for chip seal reserve and emergency\contingency expenses. 

2024 Revenue

• $280k from property taxes
• $17k from ownership taxes
• $11k from intergovernmental revenue
• $7k from interest
• $5k from road and bridge fees

     2024 Expenses

• $207k on summer road maintenance
• $51k on snow removal
• $19k on county collection and administrative fee

     2024 Carry Over for 2025

• $125k of unspent funds will be carried into 2025.  This is more than projected of $90k.  The reasons for the carry-over are as follows:
• The summer road contractor did not spend as much as anticipated
• There were no major snow events which can be costly
• The expected carry-over for chipseal and emergency/contingency funds

 

The county financial report is updated monthly and available on the Larimer County Website: https://www.larimer.gov/engineering/improvement-districts/more-info#storm-mountain

2025 Proposed Budget

 The following budget for 2025 was reviewed and approved with minor changes to increase the chip seal reserve and decrease summer road maintenance so that the next application of chipseal could be completed in 5 years instead of 7 years.  The county recommends to re-apply chipseal every 5-7 years.  The chipseal is projected to cost $100k for both the upper and lower sections of the Access Road. 2025 goals are to continue to improve main thoroughfares first and then side roads.

 

 

Plow Work in 2024-2025

 The contractor for the 2024-2025 season was based out of Estes Park.  This complicates snow removal operations as it takes about 2 hours for the contractor to get their equipment ready and get on the mountain.  The additional time requires more effort in forecasting the timing and intensity of snow events. Larimer County also standardized the plowing threshold to begin at 4 inches across all PIDS.  Due to the variations in elevations and traffic volumes, the PID will advocate to return to the 6” threshold for green and red roads, and 2” threshold for the Access Road.  Winter residents should plan to have appropriate tire traction for mountain winter conditions (chains, studded tires, 4WD).

 Several sand barrels were damaged or destroyed in the Alexander fire.  Larimer county has provided specs for barrel replacements.  A quote was received for $1200 per barrel, which is too expensive in the opinion of the board.  An additional quote has been requested from Foster Dirt.  Due to the high cost, the board recommends a community volunteer effort to build and install the sand barrels.

 The general feedback from the community was that the winter was very mild and felt that there were some instances when plowing was unnecessary.

 As there are no other on-mountain snow removal bidders, the contract with the current Estes Park contractor will be renewed for the 2025-2026 season.

 

Summer Work Review

 Following a lengthy roadblock in the spring caused by driver attempting to bring up a trailer on icy roads, board members have requested a sign at the bottom of the Access Road.  The county has proposed two versions of a sign which if approved, could be placed at the bridge. Both versions call attention to the challenging road ahead with switchbacks, no turn around, and recommended trailer lengths. The sign will cost about $1500 to install. The sign will not be enforceable. Community support was mixed for the sign.  Some community members felt this may deter future roadblocks. Other residents voiced concerns that signs are frequently vandalized and ignored. Others were concerned that the sign might make it more difficult to get contractors up to Storm Mountain.  In the event of road blockages, 911 dispatch should be contacted.

 

2025 goals are to work on main thoroughfares.  In years past, roads in upper filings did not get graded until late summer.  This year, the contractor will grade all main thoroughfares earlier in the season.  The Access Road will get additional mag chloride and recycled asphalt past combat rock. Foster Dirt has advised we discontinue using recycled asphalt as it is difficult to maintain.  Foster Dirt recommends roadbase which can be maintained more easily.  There is not a significant cost difference between recycled asphalt and road base.  Ditching and culvert cleaning will continue to be a priority.  A few problem areas were discussed: Cedar Park leading up to Jug ct is bedrock and needs road base, mushy areas on Spruce Mountain need road base, and Snow Top.  As work is completed on the Access Road, areas beyond the T will be targeted for additional road base as the budget allows.  The board values Foster Dirt.  They have gained experience on Storm Mountain and are familiar with challenges and pain points.

 

Open Discussion

Cedar Springs Reservoir Non Profit has been formed to take ownership of the lake and to actively work towards repair of the dam.  The state will be inspecting the lake in July.  If the current condition of the dam is not repaired the lake will be shut down.  This transfer in ownership is pending a signature from the Cedar Springs HOA.  The PID uses water from the lake the summer maintenance.  The newly formed Cedar Springs Reservoir will work with the PID to ensure access to the lake.  In previous years, the HOA has charged the PID for water use.  Additional discussions between the PID and the Cedar Springs Reservoir Non Profit group will continue to work out any details for water use from the lake.

 There was some discussion on best practices for communications.  Most PID communications are posted on the Storm Mountain PID blogger website as access is not restricted.  Members have been banned from various email groups and social media platforms so the PID will post where possible (groups.io and Facebook), however the primary location for PID communications are located here: https://stormmountainpid.blogspot.com/

 There was some discussion about the recent vandalization of the Foster Dirt’s equipment.  This costs the community money for the contractor’s lost time working on roads and repairing equipment.

 Reminder: there will be open positions at the end of the year.  Board members must own property within the PID district.  Board officers must be full-time residents.  Applications can be submitted on Larimer County website: https://www.larimer.gov/boards/storm-mountain-public-improvement-district#/board

 

Adjourn

 The meeting was adjourned.

2025 PID Annual Meeting

Storm Mountain,

Details for the PID annual owner's meeting are below:

Location: Fire Station at the T

Date and time: 06/21/2025 9:00 AM

Agenda: 

• Introduce & Elect Board Members
• Mission of the Board Overview
• Financial Review
• Snow Plow Review
• Summer Work Review
• Open Discussion
• Adjourn

Consider bringing a chair as chairs are limited.

Thank you,

Storm Mountain PID #55

Email: stormmountainpid@gmail.com

Website: https://stormmountainpid.blogspot.com/

Voicemail: 970-429-5350

Summer Road Maintenance and Annual Meeting

Hello Storm Mountain,

The PID Annual Meeting is scheduled for June 21 at the Fire Station at 9AM.  Additional information will be sent as the date approaches.  

The summer contractor will begin work next week after Memorial Day. Equipment will be staged this weekend.  Work will begin with grading the main thoroughfares in the lower filings which will take a few weeks.  Work on the Access Road will begin early summer bringing in new road base and applying mag chloride.  After the Access Road work is complete, grading will continue on side roads and upper filings along with any special projects within budget.  

Remember to be cautious and courteous when driving around large equipment.

Thank you,
Storm Mountain PID Board 

Snow the week of Thanksgiving

Snow is forecast for the upcoming Thanksgiving week.  The Board will proactively communicate with the plow contractor.    Please report poor road conditions to StormmoutainPID@gmail.com.  (Social media is not fully monitored) 

Please communicate with your friends and family regarding travel preparedness if they plan to visit the mountain.  

We encourage everyone to use chains when road conditions deteriorate.  If you or your guests are not fully prepared for travel in challenging conditions, please consider delaying travel until the plow contractor can address the road conditions.   

We wish everyone a safe and happy holiday. 

StormMountain PID. 

PID Plowing/Sanding details and how the community can assist

Questions continue to be raised regarding our winter road services.  We have consolidated the answers and provided some lesssions learned. 

 

Sanding - The access road will be sanded as needed during the plow process.

 

Plowing Depths - The agreement between Larimer County and the contractor is different this year,  A minimum of 4 of inches of snow on the road surface is the trigger for plowing. This should improve services on the majority of roads in the PID

 

The PID Board recognizes this snow depth will result in difficult travel conditions on the Access Road. We have acquired approval from the County to request the contractor to plow/sand at 2 inches, similar to past years. The contractor has agreed support this request best-effort.   We have setup a system of snow depth spotters to help us monitor accross the community. 

 

Adaptions -  We were fortunate in past years with plow contractors located on the mountain. This year there was only one bid, this was from an Estes Park based contractor. We will partner with the contractor and adapt as best as possible to keep our roads passable in weather events.

 

What can you do?  

Please be prepared for weather events. Only head out if you have a properly equipped vehicle. Use snow tires with chains when conditions demand it. The PID board encourages the use of chains to avoid slide-offs. 

 

Drive with care and be aware of those ahead and behind you, leaving plenty of space between you and the vehicle ahead of you. Communicate with your guests, and make them aware of what is needed to be safe. Avoid travel if you are not confident in your vehicle or winter driving skills. If you block the road, you put your safety at risk and the safety of others. You may be blocking emergency services and/or preventing snow removal.  

 

If you do pull off the road in poor conditions, be aware of the dangers around you. For example, the bottom of Bergs Hill and the ends of switchbacks are common run-off areas for sliding vehicles.

 

Please do not park vehicles, trailers, and equipment on the road, this impedes snow removal and may create safety issues for others attempting to navigate around them.   

 

When plowing your driveway, avoid blocking the road, or others' driveways with the snow. We have asked the contractor to do the same, but it is expected a windrow of snow will be created in the plowing process. In some situations, it may need to be removed by the resident.

 

Be respectful to the plow contactor, this does not mean you can't be critical, but harassment is not welcome and could result in having no contactor. The plow contractor is not obligated to help you become unstuck or provide a clear path where your drive meets the road.

 

Please keep in mind that we are located in an area where the County is not obligated to provide services. The PID is a mechanism to help the community acquire a level of service. 

 

Report unsafe road conditions to the PID  - email stormmountainpid@gmail.com

 

Regards,

 

Andy,  Connie & James

Storm Mountain PID Board

2024-25 Snow Plowing Update

 Peers,

The County has contracted with an Estes Park based plow contractor to support our community.  They will have 2-3 trucks available for plowing and will also have a skid steer available when snow depth requires heavy equipment.

Snow depths that determine when plowing starts are set in the contract. The County simplified the specification for 2024-25 season.  Snow removal will start when the snow depth on the road surface is consistently at least 4 inches deep. The County set a goal that roads should be cleared by 8 am.

All snow reports and performance feedback on the plowing must flow through the board.  The board will pass on snow plowing needs to the contractor, and performance issues to the county.  Please contact us at stormmountainpid@gmail.com this mailbox is shared by all board memebers. 

The PID board has met with the contractor and shared lessons learned and the plow priority map.  The contractor is building out their knowledge of the community to help expedite plowing.

Please ensure you and your vehicles are ready for the winter season.  Proper tires, chains, and cold-weather gear are highly recommended.  Extra travel time may/will be needed on poor weather days.  

James Toland

Storm Mountain PID

stormmountainpid@gmail.com

Final Roadwork for the Season

Foster Dirt will be completing the seasonal work by the end of next week.    

 

Remaining items:  

• Additional grading above the High/Low on Storm Mtn Drive (When not working the access road)
• Continue to apply recycled asphalt on the Access Road  (Thursday/Friday this week)
• Grade and apply mag to the Access Road  (Monday / Tuesday next week)  

 

 

Request from our Road Crew/PID 

Please use extra caution on the access road while the road crew is working.  There were a few near misses today.  Road work signs are posted to help us all reduce the risk. Please extend this message to your contractors and service professionals. A few saved minutes are not worth potential injury.   

Regards,

 

James

Storm Mtn PID