 Community. It's not just where you live, it's how you interact. Here at High Desert, we believe communication is the number one way to build our community: communication between neighbors, among homeowners and with management. This website is designed to keep every High Desert resident informed and up-to-date on the vital issues that affect us as homeowners. Here, you'll find quick access to our governing documents, policies and procedures, calendars of upcoming community meetings, copies of our latest newsletter, home improvement information, links to Village news and the e-mail addresses of your officers and directors. We hope this information will provide High Desert homeowners with what they need to know...and when they need to know it. For the latest news, scroll down. Click here to see more articles on the News and Information page. |
Another Theft From An Auto in High Desert...
Remember to Remove Personal Items and Lock Your Car
| According to a recent update from the Albuquerque Police Department's Foothills Impact Team, Sgt. Liz Thomson reports, "High Desert experienced its first auto burglary in over one month. The burglar stole the victim's purse out of the vehicle." Sgt. Thomson goes on to add that this is "a good lesson to us all to remove everything from your vehicle when unoccupied." Please remember and always assume that your possessions can become someone else's possessions if you leave them in the car. Also, be a good friend and remind your visitors who park their vehicles at your home. |
New APD Survey Survey About Theft for High Desert Residents Now Online: Click Link To Participate
| A new survey on thefts from autos and about community safety is now online for High Desert residents. The survey is being conducted by the Albuquerque Police Department and is for High Desert residents only. It will be active through August 2010 and may serve as a prototype for other similar neighborhood surveys, said Sgt. Liz Thomson, consultant with the APD's Foothills Impact Team. The APD survey can be accessed by clicking here. Results will go directly to APD and a summary will be given to the High Desert Crime Prevention Committee in September. |
"National Night Out" is Set for Tuesday, August 3rd from 7 to 9 p.m.:
Block Captains...This Is Your Night to Shine!
Attention all High Desert Block Captains...Tuesday, August 3rd is "National Night Out" and a chance for your block to shine. This is the 27th Annual National Night Out when organized Neighborhood Watch participants across the country gather outside between the hours of 7 to 9 p.m. to strengthen neighborhood spirit, educate residents about crime and send a message to criminals that their neighborhood is organized and fighting back. |
Albuquerque Band Concert Will Perform in High Desert Park on Wednesday, August 4th
High Desert residents can hear an evening of band music at the High Desert Park when the Albuquerque Concert Band performs Wednesday, August 4 at 7 p.m. Bring a lawn chair or a blanket. The concert is open to the public and free to all. The Albuquerque Concert Band, under the conductorship of John Sanks, is an all-volunteer ensemble of adult musicians rehearsing and performing throughout the year. The band includes more than 80 players from a wide variety of backgrounds. The Albuquerque Concert Band is performing a series of concerts throughout Albuquerque this summer. For more information about the group, click here. High Desert Park is located east of Tramway, at 13030 Academy Rd. NE. |
Open Space and Arroyos Are Not Dumping Grounds
High Desert residents should not dump green waste (or anything else) over walls, into arroyos, or into Open Space areas, Dave Janik, Community Association Manager, said this week. "The consequences are that the association has to pay for the clean-up and the city/AMAFCA (Albuquerque Metropolitan Arroyo Flood Control Authority) will fine the association in accordance with a standing agreement about what can or can’t be done in jointly managed, city-owned open space," said Dave, adding that owners caught dumping green waste will be fined by the homeowners association.Green waste (yard clippings, vines, leaves and similar items) can be taken to the Eagle Rock Convenience Center at 6301 Eagle Rock NE. The telephone number is: (505) 857-8318. For a list of accepted items, click here. The new cost of disposal per load is $5.25. The center is open seven days a week from 8 to 5 p.m. Another reminder to residents: the city has again assigned an Albuquerque Police Department officer to the Open Space and High Desert area. The APD officer's job includes patrolling arroyos and trails to maintain order and ensure compliance with the laws. He is especially interested in animals not on leashes and pet cleanup, Dave said. |
Voting Members Meeting Features APD Presentation on Burglaries in High Desert
A record number of Voting Members were on hand Thursday night, July 8th, at their regular quarterly meeting where they heard a presentation by Albuquerque Police Department (APD) officials about a recent spike in High Desert thefts from vehicles.  "We were reviewing the property crime reports for the Foothills Area Command," said APD Sergeant Liz Thomson (seen at left in photo with Community Association Manager Dave Janik). "Overall this year, crime was down. Suddenly we saw a 21 percent increase in the statistics for May and June. That spike was completely due to crimes committed in High Desert." A total of 17 thefts from High Desert vehicles accounted for the increase, she said. Only one of those thefts originated at the High Desert apartments. "The main items stolen were purses and wallets," Sgt. Thomson said. "And when were the thefts committed? During daylight hours." Sgt. Thomson is a consultant with APD's Foothills Impact Team which focuses on crime committed in the Foothills Area Command (FAC), one of six Area Commands in the city. The FAC includes all the streets east of Eubank to the city limits, both north and south. At any one time a total of 16 to 24 officers are on duty in the Foothills area, she noted. With her at the High Desert Voting Member meeting was Agripina Neubauer, Crime Prevention Specialist with APD. “We are here to talk to you because you are here,” Ms. Neubauer said. “We recently went to another neighborhood to make a similar presentation and nobody showed up. This attendance tonight is amazing.” About 38 Voting Members and Alternates attended the meeting; with the addition of Board members and management the total reached about 50 people. Sgt. Thomson also noted that only Four Hills has a higher number of Neighborhood Watch programs in the Foothills Area.  In response to the recent spate of burglaries, APD has initiated a program called “Target Hardening” to educate High Desert residents on how to be less of an easy target for thieves. “When we saw the spike in the statistics, we drove every street in High Desert with Dave Janik (Community Manager),” Sgt. Thomson said. “What we saw is that some of you leave yourselves wide open. Open cars, open garages. If I were a burglar where would I go? Where the money is…and you guys are an easy target.” One residence had a variety of valuable lawn power tools lined up neatly in the driveway, unattended for more than a half hour. “A thief could have made off with those tools in under two minutes,” Sgt. Thomson noted. Other High Desert residences had open garage doors with bicycles, cars, and sports equipment readily visible. “And unfortunately,” Sgt. Thomson added, “when we pointed this out to some residents, they were less than appreciative. They told us they could keep their garages open if they wanted to—and they certainly can. All we are saying is that there are consequences.” Click here to download a pdf graph showing items stolen, The graph was provided by APD and features incidents in High Desert during April and May 2010. Both women encouraged High Desert residents to report any and all thefts to APD. “We know that a small number of people commit most of the crime,” Sgt. Thomson said. Each reported crime can yield vital evidence that may lead to the capture of one of those thieves. Beginning in mid-June, APD put more patrols on High Desert streets. “June 18th was the date of the last burglary from an auto,” Sgt. Thomson said. “We’d had no home burglaries in High Desert for many months but there were two last week.” APD’s goal with “Target Hardening” is no thefts for a month, she said. “You are the best defense against auto theft,” she added. “Look out for each other, watch what is going on, lock your cars and doors, shut your garage doors, report all crime.” Sgt. Thomson has provided cell phone numbers of on-duty FAC officers for contact in a non-emergency situation. Click here to see the website page with those numbers. A more detailed presentation by Sgt. Thomson and Ms. Neubauer will be made at the High Desert Crime Prevention meeting July 15th at 5 p.m. at the James Dwyer Substation at 12700 Montgomery, NE (at the southeastern corner of Tramway and Montgomery). All High Desert residents are welcome to attend the meeting. In other business at the Voting Member meeting, members heard a Board of Directors update given by Reg Rider, Board President. He noted that the New Construction Committee has been established under High Desert resident and former Board president Ray Berg and will assume its duties soon. Until it becomes effective, High Desert Investment Corp. (HDIC) continues to monitor and approve or disapprove all new construction in High Desert. There are currently about 150 unimproved lots remaining throughout the development. Before High Desert can assume full responsibility for the NCC, some common area property must be transferred from HDIC to HDROA. Reg also invited Voting Members and Alternates to tour the new High Desert office located at the same address at Spain and Juan Tabo. The new office includes four rooms and shares space with HOAMCO, High Desert’s community association management company which is now also managing Tanoan Communities East. Rent for the new larger office is actually slightly less than previous rent due to the sub-contracting of space to HOAMCO. Voting Members also discussed installation of solar panels on homes in High Desert. A recent Albuquerque Journal story in the Sunday, July 3rd edition, mentioned High Desert’s policy on solar panel installation. Several residents had questions Thursday night about specific homes that have installed solar panels. Some residents referred to installations that have directed reflected light into other homes, or are installed at an angle with high visibility. While state law prohibits any outright ban of solar panel installation, High Desert can somewhat regulate how the panels are installed, board members told the audience. “We can’t stop people from installing environmentally friendly solar panels,” Dave Janik, Community Association Manager said later. “But we can use the covenants and restrictions to make sure it is done in a way that makes everyone happy.” (For more information on solar panels in High Desert, see the August Apache Plume newsletter.) |
New Payment and Mailing Information For HDROA Fees:
Online Payment Option is Now Available
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High Desert Residential Owners Association has a new bank and new options for homeowners to pay their assessment fees online.Crack Repairs and Slurry Sealing Underway
City crews are currently working to seal cracks on High Desert streets. (Photo below: City crews seal cracks on Imperata.) Repairs were originally set to begin April 1st. But the city delayed the crack sealing until July and the slurry sealing is postponed to August.
To see a pdf map of the streets affected, click here. The streets that will be slurry sealed are identified in orange.  A private vendor under contract with the city is performing the work; however, city of Albuquerque employees will also be involved.Part of the work will involve sealing cracks in the pavement prior to slurry seal application. Sealing cracks was accomplished on many of the High Desert streets approximately two years ago. If you’re aware of large cracks in the street that are not scheduled for slurry seal, please let Dave Janik, Community Association Manager, know and he'll notify the city 's street maintenance department to see if the cracks can be sealed while they are in the area. Weather has a major impact on the start and progress of the project. They plan to start with the westernmost villages and work east. The project will likely take 17 to 20 workdays to complete, with approximately 12,000 square yards surfaced per day. Once the seal is applied, a minimum of four hours is required prior to allowing vehicular traffic.
The process is described fairly well at the following web site: http://www.intermountainslurry.com/what_is_slurry_seal_UT.htm
Typically, notifications will be posted via signs on the street 48 hours prior to commencing work. If required, vehicles that are parked on the street when work commences normally will be towed to a nearby street. However, vehicles without a current valid registration, or for which an outstanding warrant may exist, will be towed and impounded by the Albuquerque Police Department. Vehicle recovery is the responsibility of the vehicle owner.
In order to be minimally disruptive, the city will stagger the streets undergoing sealing, allowing a reasonable flow of traffic. They will be working from 7 a.m. until 5 p.m. on most days (Monday through Friday). Dave said he is hopeful that the High Desert office will be able to get updated information as it occurs. Residents may call 314-5862 for progress updates.
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