During the Christmas/winter holidays, many neighborhood members decorated their homes with lights and other attractive decorations. While most homeowners anticipate an additional burden on their electric bills for these beautiful lights, a few of your neighbors with property along Barnes Road decided to use the electrical current from the fence accent lights to power their holiday lights. While this might seem to be an excellent idea, they took money from each homeowner in Stetson Hills. The accent lighting on the fences (which light the sidewalks on both sides of Barnes Road and one side of Pring Ranch leading to the elementary school) is maintained by your tax dollars. Colorado Springs Parks and Recreation Department oversees the maintenance of fence lighting in cooperation with the Stetson Hills Special Improvement Maintenance District Advisory Committee (SIMD/AC). The annual electrical bill for these lights is approximately $4,000.
While the lights are maintained for everyone to enjoy while walking along Barnes, a few people are taking unfair advantage of this community asset. The members of Stetson Hills SIMD/AC certainly hope this is not a common practice. Tapping into another person's electrical power is illegal. If you do this, you are stealing from your neighbors! Tapping into light fixtures is dangerous as well. The additional electrical load and improper wiring could result in fire or injury. The SIMD/AC meets monthly to address neighborhood concerns and ensure you receive the most for tax dollars collected for community maintenance. This kind of behavior cannot and will not be tolerated in the future.
The City Parks and Rec. contract maintenance supervisor and the SIMD/AC members are aware of this problem, and we will be watching for this illegal activity. Violators will be reported to CSPD and you will be ticketed for theft. The SIMD/AC asks all members of the neighborhood to be alert for unusual electrical lines around the fence lights. If you notice any suspicious wiring, please call Ric Geiman, City Parks and Rec. at 385-6515, or notify CSPD at 444-7240.
Remember, it is your neighborhood and your tax dollars!
By Teresa Parsons
While the lights are maintained for everyone to enjoy while walking along Barnes, a few people are taking unfair advantage of this community asset. The members of Stetson Hills SIMD/AC certainly hope this is not a common practice. Tapping into another person's electrical power is illegal. If you do this, you are stealing from your neighbors! Tapping into light fixtures is dangerous as well. The additional electrical load and improper wiring could result in fire or injury. The SIMD/AC meets monthly to address neighborhood concerns and ensure you receive the most for tax dollars collected for community maintenance. This kind of behavior cannot and will not be tolerated in the future.
The City Parks and Rec. contract maintenance supervisor and the SIMD/AC members are aware of this problem, and we will be watching for this illegal activity. Violators will be reported to CSPD and you will be ticketed for theft. The SIMD/AC asks all members of the neighborhood to be alert for unusual electrical lines around the fence lights. If you notice any suspicious wiring, please call Ric Geiman, City Parks and Rec. at 385-6515, or notify CSPD at 444-7240.
Remember, it is your neighborhood and your tax dollars!
By Teresa Parsons
