Connie Kotke
SaddleBrooke residents tend to be a talented lot, with wide-ranging skills and experiences acquired through decades of working, traveling, and just plain living. What expertise do you have that would make our community a better, and more informed, place to live?
The SaddleBrooke Public Affairs Commission (SPAC) is a “dynamic” group that spans both SaddleBrooke One and SaddleBrooke TWO. It is proactive in discovering and sharing important issues occurring outside our community—things that can influence our quality of life now and in the future. “Dynamic” means that residents can be a long-term member of the commission or move in and out, depending on the duration of a project.
Please consider how you might contribute to the projects we’re working on now, including:
FireWise USA Volunteer Program. We can’t stop natural disasters from occurring, but what proactive solutions are available that we, as homeowners, can try now? Wildfire is one natural disaster where increased safety to homes and communities can result from taking simple, scientifically-proven steps beforehand. We’re working to assess the practicality of this volunteer program in SaddleBrooke where homeowners can take extra steps to reduce their fire risk. We need up to five “test” homes from each HOA where we can do a preliminary process check. Please email [email protected] if you’re willing to participate.
In the Know on H2O. What will our water situation here in SaddleBrooke be in 2030? How much water will be available in decades to come? SaddleBrooke is a desert community that relies on groundwater that is generated by Catalina snowmelt and cyclical rainfall. With Robson Company’s recent sale of Lago del Oro and SaddleBrooke Utilities to JW Water Holdings, which already serves thousands of customers in Arizona, we hope to gain insights about potential changes to service levels and rates. In addition, we’re researching the impacts of drought and population growth on wells that supply our water, and we will share what we learn in a community-wide presentation this winter.
Development in Oro Valley and Catalina. How can the SaddleBrooke community influence future plans for Oro Valley, such as in the area of health care or retail options? We seek ways to provide input on development needs and to better understand the impacts on traffic, noise, and the environment in and around SaddleBrooke.
Relationships with Local Governments and Utilities. SPAC recently sponsored an informative presentation by Trico Electric Coop, including a “heads-up” on rate increases expected in late 2025 or early 2026. The commission works to maintain transparency and communication between SaddleBrooke residents and the government entities/utilities that we pay.
The current SPAC chair is David Loendorf, with Joe O’Connor serving as SaddleBrooke One board liaison and Chuck Kill serving as SaddleBrooke TWO board liaison. Please reach out to David at [email protected] or call 520-820-8343 if you’re interested in these projects or have ideas about other areas we should pursue. We welcome your expertise!