Six years in the making — and heading to a vote
How the proposed STR covenant amendment got here, from the 2020 committee to the September 2026 owner records request.
AI-generated illustration, not an archival photograph.
STR Committee findings memo
BME's own STR Committee presents its findings, proposing either a ban or registration with supplemental rules as alternatives. The rules-based path has been on the table from the start.
Rental restriction approved; recording planned
The Board minutes report 70.5 votes in favor of a covenant change restricting rentals to a minimum of three months, with 23.5 opposed and six abstentions. County recording was planned for June 20. The minutes alone do not confirm the recording. Source: June 8 Board minutes.
Board reports a withdrawal document
The minutes report that counsel prepared a withdrawal document with the County to nullify a covenant change described as having been made “last year.” The recorded instrument is needed to identify the amendment and confirm its legal effect. Source: April 20 Board minutes.
Board recounts earlier unsuccessful votes
Per the board's January 2025 letter to owners, two earlier votes to amend the covenants narrowly failed because owner participation fell short of the two-thirds requirement — part of why the board later prioritized fixing the vote-counting rule itself (Article XX) before returning to the STR question. Exact dates aren't specified in the source letter.
Reported committee recommendations
The September 11 owner update dates the later STR Committee’s recommendations to April 12, 2025. It describes a balanced five-person committee and a permit-and-rules proposal, including a 180-night cap and three-night minimum. The original report is not yet available on this site. See the reported terms.
Recommendations still pending a response
The Board minutes say the committee was waiting for one member’s response before sending recommendations to the Board. This is later than the April 12 report date given in the owner update; the original recommendations are needed to reconcile their date and delivery. Source: April 17 Board minutes.
Board reviews STR rules and prioritizes Article XX
The special-meeting minutes report that the Board generally concurred with proposed STR rules after edits, pending legal review. The committee vote was three of four members. The Board also pursued Article XX first and tabled the STR prohibition amendment. Source: May 2 special-meeting minutes.
Annual director election lacks quorum
The annual-meeting minutes report participation representing 56.5 voting-weight lots; 60 were required for the director election. The existing directors therefore remained in office. This was a board-election quorum issue, not an Article XX vote.
Article XX passes — 77.7%
Owners approve the vote-counting change (92.5 of 119 votes, certified by the board's Limited Amendment Letter, Aug 6, 2025). Non-votes no longer count as "no" — which means sitting out a future vote no longer protects the status quo. Returning your ballot matters more than ever.
Covenant overhaul launched
The board begins planning a full covenant update — including the STR question — rather than a narrow, single-issue amendment.
Covenant Committee formed, attorney engaged
The board hires WLPP Law and formally seats a four-person Covenant Committee — two board members and two owner at-large representatives (Marina Peters-Newell and Mike Medawar).
Preliminary covenant draft received
The board receives a preliminary draft from WLPP Law for high-level review before the Covenant Committee begins detailed work.
Board reports water-rights work complete
After more than five years of work, the board sends owners a letter reporting that BME's water-rights and augmentation-plan compliance work is complete and approved. The board's prior letter had tied the STR moratorium to finishing this work. Owners should review the final decree, permits, and agreements directly. See Water & Infrastructure.
Covenant Committee holds first meeting
The June 18 board minutes report that the committee held its first meeting and planned to meet monthly to review the attorney's draft/template.
Annual meeting — Rio Grande Club Fishing Lodge, 2:00 PM
The minutes record 62 lots represented, enough for quorum. They describe the covenant project as just started, invite owners to submit written suggestions, questions, and comments, and describe the amended process as owner quorum plus approval by at least two-thirds of votes cast. No proposed declaration was presented at this meeting.
Board responds after the annual meeting
The Board's July 31 memo emphasizes BME's location outside Town limits, drought and private-water concerns, and several alleged nuisance and safety incidents. It also commits to making the proposed Declaration available for owner review and comment before a vote. The memo does not include the meter comparisons, incident records, or ban-versus-regulation analysis needed to evaluate its causal claims.
Owner letter urges regulation instead of a ban
An owner submitted a letter opposing a prohibition and describing reported committee proposals such as permitting, metering, limits, and quiet-hours rules. It is an owner view, not a Board record, and does not establish that the Board adopted or rejected those terms. Read the redacted public copy.
Owners report a letter and records request
The September 11 owner update reports that owners sent the Board a letter and CCIOA records request in early September, requesting a response by September 16. Among the requested records are the 2021 restriction, reported 2023 withdrawal instrument, and related settlement agreement. This request is distinct from the earlier failed votes described above. Read the request and its verification status.
Anticipated community vote
The board has previously indicated a possible vote around December 2026. The July 4 minutes describe the process as requiring owner quorum and at least two-thirds of votes cast, but the exact procedure should be verified against the recorded Article XX amendment and official ballot notice. No official notice has set this date yet.
The next entry on this timeline is yours
Attend the meeting, read the amendment, and return your ballot — either way.
