​Hands-free driv­ing
The most sig­ni­fic­ant new traffic law of 2025 makes it illegal to use a hand­held cel­lu­lar device while driv­ing.

The pen­alty for using a hand­held device while driv­ing is a $75 fine and two license sus­pen­sion points for the first offense, with the pos­sib­il­ity of hav­ing the charge dis­missed if the driver could provide proof of hav­ing pur­chased a hands-free access­ory. Second-time offend­ers will receive a $150 fine and three license sus­pen­sion points, and drivers on their third or more offense within two years will be fined $250 and incur four license sus­pen­sion points.

Car seat reg­u­la­tions
Sev­eral changes have been made to Col­or­ado’s booster seat and car seat reg­u­la­tions fol­low­ing the pas­sage of HB 1055 last ses­sion.

Fail­ing to place a child in the proper car seat is a Class B traffic infrac­tion, pun­ish­able by up to $100.

Under the new rules, chil­dren are now required to use a booster seat for an extra year, until they are 9 years old. Rear-facing car seats are required for chil­dren under 2 and weigh­ing under 40 pounds, up from the pre­vi­ous age of under 1 and under 20 pounds. Chil­dren under 2 who weigh over 40 pounds can use a rear-facing or for­ward-facing car seat.

Under the new rules, chil­dren are now required to use a booster seat for an extra year, until they are 9 years old. Rear-facing car seats are required for chil­dren under 2 and weigh­ing under 40 pounds, up from the pre­vi­ous age of under 1 and under 20 pounds. Chil­dren under 2 who weigh over 40 pounds can use a rear-facing or for­ward-facing car seat.

The law also requires chil­dren under 18 to be prop­erly restrained in a seat belt or child restraint sys­tem, up from 16 years old.

The Hammersmith Management team is identifying community area damage caused by the recent fiber optic cable installation activities and capturing costs for a claim

• How much damage was caused? Number of locations, cost, etc.
  • Damage was caused throughout all of the Pine Creek common areas
• How much of the damage has been repaired? Percentage, cost
  • All the Damage that was identified for 2024 has been repaired
• What has been the total cost so far to repair the damage?
  • We are looking at around $100K+ for now - might be more once we start things up again in the spring
• Has Pine Creek received reimbursement from Colorado Springs Utilities for all of this damage?
  • We will be reaching out to Metronet and Colorado Springs Utilities ( CSU) with the expenses that we have incurred for reimbursement

If you are moving out of your home but managing it as a long-term rental, be sure to inform Hammersmith and provide current contact information.  Owners are always responsible for their property and receiving timely communications regarding any problems helps all involved.

• Hammersmith is our Managing Agent - if you have ANY questions or issues, please email  [email protected]  or call  (719) 389-0700. Be sure to identify yourself as a "Pine Creek" resident to speed things along.
• Homeowner Account Online - you can view your account balance, make a payment, submit a request to Management, access Association Documents, and more at portal.ehammersmith.com.
• If you need help with your logon/password - call  (719) 389-0700.

Be sure to let your renters know about www.pcva.org and opting in to the email newsletter (https://www.pcva.org/email-newsletter.html) so they will be up to date on Pine Creek happenings too.

Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that comes from the breakdown of uranium in the soil.
It's a gas that moves up through the soil to the atmosphere.​High radon levels have been found in all 50 states and in all parts of Colorado. In Colorado, about half the homes have radon levels higher than the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recommended action level of 4 picocuries per liter (pCi/L)

Learn more at

• El Paso County Public Health  https://www.elpasocountyhealth.org/services/radon
  
• Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment https://cdphe.colorado.gov/hm/radon
• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) https://www.epa.gov/radon/national-radon-action-month-information