VILLAGE DISTRICT OF EIDELWEISS
MARCH 2019 NEWSLETTER

COMMISSIONER NEWS
View all commissioner meeting minutes and agendas (posted 12 hrs prior) Click Here

The search continues for a third Commissioner to fill the seat vacated by Ralph Lutjen. Anyone appointed would serve until the annual meeting in March of 2020. Please contact the office ASAP if you are interested in serving.

Office Hours: To assist property owners and insure that the office is accessible on a regular basis, the following walk-in hours are now set: Mon and Wed 9-12 and Fri 1-4.
Barring any unforeseen circumstances and to the best of our abilities, someone will always be in the office during these hours. If you need to come at a different time, we would advise that you call ahead to make sure someone will be there.

We are updating our QuickBooks accounting software with a payroll feature that will save the district $1,000 annually. The new version will also allow the Administrator to generate water bills on a batch basis that will save hours.

UPCOMING MEETINGS
Board of Commissioners Meeting
Monday April 8 – 1PM at the VDOE Office
Communications Committee Meeting:
Monday April 8 - 5:00 PM at the VDOE Office.

Ongoing - View all upcoming meetings – VDOE Website.

OTHER IMPORTANT DATES:
April 15: Canoe/Kayak rack registration available on-line. Email with details forthcoming.
April 30: : Dog Licenses are due through the Town of Madison.
May 1: Water Bills Due, Rate for 2019 is $485. Bills will be mailed in early April.
May 4: Valley Pride Day 10am-2pm, Eidelweiss participates in the annual litter clean up. More information in the April Newsletter.

MUD SEASON
Mud season is especially challenging to the dirt roads. The old Terrastar Truck had a rubber edged blade designed for this challenge. Without this truck, our DPW did the best they could on the Friday 3/22 storm to plow without damaging the integrity of the dirt roads. Rubber edges for plows will be ordered for the fall. Please be patient during this particularly muddy spring with road repairs.
Also, roads in Eidelweiss are now posted for a 6-ton limit until the roads are stable enough for the weight. Application for an exception is available at Madison Town Hall.

POST OFFICE BOXES
It has come to our attention that there are part-time residents who have mailboxes at Huttwil but do not use them frequently. If you are one of these residents, please consider turning in your mailbox so that a full time resident can have the convenience of a box in the neighborhood. If you need a local post office box, you can still get one at the Madison Post office free of charge.
Thank you!

COMMITTEE NEWS
Five new committees are being created to involve the community in solving the issues facing our district. A Water Committee and a Communications Committee have been established. We continue to look for volunteers for Roads, Finance and Environmental Committees. If you are interested, please contact the office at office@vdoe-nh.org

Water Committee Update
Reinach Tank Project Update:
Met on March 22nd with 2 members of Dubois & King Engineering. Will be exploring possible larger tank size, different tank design and shape. Will also create a 2-part bid separating site work from tank installation that should facilitate more contractor participation and bids. Of note, all in attendance agreed that even if we moved forward with the current design that we have today, it would be virtually impossible to complete the project this summer due to the absence of any valid bids.
Upper Lakeview/Rigi PRV Pit Update:
The pressure reducing valve will be replaced as soon as weather permits.
Water Meter Analysis:
The Water Committee is asking for volunteers to help with a water meter analysis for the district. This has been an ongoing source of interest and debate throughout Eidelweiss and this is your opportunity to participate in this analysis and review. Please contact the office if you would like to participate. Thank you.

TRUCK STATUS
A new Dodge 5500 truck was purchased in March using insurance proceeds from the Terrastar that was destroyed by fire in January. This is the same truck that was on a warrant article as a replacement for the Ford 550 at the annual meeting. The new truck is currently being outfitted for plowing and sanding.

SOCIAL MEDIA
Please note that the district website (https://vdoe-nh.org) is the only official website or published forum for information about the Village District of Eidelweiss. Over the last several years, several residents have created and run social media sites for residents to share information and network. These include facebook, nextdoor and a yahoo message board. Please be aware that any information provided on these sites is provided by neighbors and residents and is not being published or provided by the village district. Although one or more of the Commissioners or committee members may participate and comment on these sites on occasion, we do not monitor or follow regularly. Please do not rely upon someone in any official capacity seeing or responding to any post made on any of these sites. Therefore, if you want to make the district, DPW or Commissioners aware of any important or pertinent information, you must contact the office directly (phone: 603-367-9022; email: office@vdoe-nh.org). Thank you.

EPOA and VDOE
Many new residents have asked about what the difference is between the VDOE and the EPOA. The Village District of Eidelweiss (VDOE) is the governing body for the section of Madison NH known as Eidelweiss. The village district is a municipality and as such, the VDOE manages all public issues including, but not limited to roads, water system, village ordinances/policy/processes and public beaches. The VDOE is managed by three elected Commissioners, each voted in to office by the registered voters of Eidelweiss.

The Eidelweiss Property Owners Association (EPOA) is a group of volunteers who are dedicated to improving the quality of life and enhancing the social community of Eidelweiss. The EPOA maintains the playgrounds, the front entrance sign garden and other public areas in the district that it owns. The EPOA also sponsors many social events throughout the year. To learn more and/or join the EPOA, Click here.

CORRECTION
The February newsletter stated that Ralph Lutjen had resigned verbally from his seat on the Board of Commissioners. In fact, he had submitted a written resignation at the
Annual meeting.