As Cordillera Ranch continues to grow so do our security and access control needs. Last year the Property Owners Association Board of Directors approved a significant upgrade to our gated access hardware. The move to the new DoorKing system has significant advantages from the operational functions as well as for our Property Owners. The new system now uses a cellular connection to transmit programming data versus our gate contractor having to physically plug a laptop into each keypad once per week. Being on the cellular system also allows the POA staff to be able to send programming from any computer as well as the ability to remotely lock gates open in the event of an emergency. DoorKing allows the POA the ability to download and analyze entry data, giving better insight into traffic patterns throughout the Ranch. Property Owners will benefit as the POA will be able to perform directory updates and device programming within twenty-four hours rather than waiting for the once per week update. The POA will also no longer have to pay the gate contractor for programming allowing us to utilize those funds elsewhere on the property. We expect to have the upgrade completed by the end of April 2023.

The Property Owners Association hired a new gate repair contractor in mid-2022, with the goals of proactive preventative maintenance and fast, responsive repairs. We have increased preventative maintenance services to the exterior gates to once per month and the interior gates are serviced quarterly. With this in mind the POA has purchased a backstock of replacement and repair parts to keep onsite as inventory. We also sent three of the POA Maintenance team members to gate repair school in late 2022. The education, coupled with the parts inventory, will allow our internal team to perform small to moderate repairs dramatically reducing downtime as well as being significantly reducing costs.

The POA Board also approved upgrading our cameras for all external entry gates in 2023. The new system is a cloud-based system that is more user-friendly and allows POA staff much better image quality and the ability to review video footage from anywhere (rather than only being able to review when on property, as was the case with the predecessor camera system). The new cloud-based system will have the advantage of having an unlimited amount of ports available to add additional cameras as Cordillera Ranch grows, while the old NVR system limited the total amount of cameras. Furthermore, the new system has advanced AI analytics, robust search options such as high-quality license plate recognition, vehicle type and color recognition, along with the ability to flag specific license plates. If a flagged license plate were to attempt entry to any of the gates, the system can be set to send multiple forms of electronic notices in real-time to the guards and POA management. When the guardhouse remodel at the Highway 46 entrance was completed, we added multiple wall-mounted screens in anticipation of the camera upgrades. This upgraded camera system will include 30 cameras and its features definitely help enhance security of the community.

The POA Board of Directors approved an increase to the security guard budget with the intent of attracting more experienced guards, adding additional guards during peak traffic times to reduce wait times, and decrease turnover. The POA is in conversation with our current service provider as well as two additional security firms to determine who best will fulfill the security expectations of Cordillera Ranch. 

The Property Owners Association believes the multiple capital enhancements, preventative maintenance of the gates, expedited gate repairs and the addition of seasoned security guards will dramatically enhance our ability to secure entry into Cordillera Ranch. 

Kevin Koether is the POA General Manager at Cordillera Ranch. He can be reached at crpoa@cordilleraranch.com and 830.336.3501.