At the meeting we attended on 12/3/2008, Billy Paige indicated that the fence repair would include Scott Street, Sandstone Bend, and Brunswick Meadow Drive. So, why wasn't Scott Street mentioned in the letter I received about the fence repair?
I suppose everyone had noticed that the pumps still aren't working in the retention ponds. Anyone know when they plan to turn those things on?
December 21, 2008
Petition Against HOA - Have You Signed This?
Today someone dropped by my house and asked Gina to sign this petition. Here's what it said:
Re: $60,000 Community Fencing Repair
We, the homeowners in the Brunswick Meadows Subdivision, oppose and request substantiation of the $60,000 repair estimate referenced in your November 15, 2008 letter to each of us, and enjoin you from continuing forward with said repairs, for the following reasons:
Anyone know who started this petition?
"Petition Against Brunswick Meadows HOA Board of Directors
Re: $60,000 Community Fencing Repair
We, the homeowners in the Brunswick Meadows Subdivision, oppose and request substantiation of the $60,000 repair estimate referenced in your November 15, 2008 letter to each of us, and enjoin you from continuing forward with said repairs, for the following reasons:
- We had no notice of any repair estimate by any certified and/or bonded fencing company.
- Several inquiries made by various homeowners to ACMI employees have resulted in inconsistent responses as to which fences are included in this $60,000 repair estimate.
- There was no notice to the homeowners of any special meeting of the Board of Directors to discuss the topic of fencing repair; thereby not allowing any homeowners the ability to sit in on said meeting and be involved in any discussion of same.
- Proper documentation has not been proffered to the homeowners; i.e., repair estimates with specific supply/labor amounts broken out.
- There is no evidence that the Board of Directors followed proper procedure in obtaining three bids from certified/bonded/qualified bidders to do the fence repair supposedly totaling $60,000.
Anyone know who started this petition?
December 13, 2008
Answers from the HOA President
Felicia has taken our concerns to the HOA president regarding the fences and the need for a sidewalk along the retention ponds. Here's what she reports:
The question was raised about the fences along
“MAYBE IN THE FUTURE THEY CAN BE ADDED BUT RIGHT
“WE WILL
I know these are not satisfying answer but I will stay on top of it. As your representative, I will continue to stress the importance of residents. Thank you for your support.
December 11, 2008
Crime in the 'Hood
There have been reports of burglaries here in Brunswick Meadows. As most of you know, we are living outside Houston city limits so HPD does not service our neighborhood. Because we are in an unincorporated part of Harris County, we rely on the Sheriff's Office for dealing with crime. The MUD that provides us water also has a contract with the Sheriff to patrol and you've probably seen the deputies' cars on the streets.
I recall some effort about a year ago to form a Neighborhood Watch program, but don't know if it ever got off the ground. There was a "Take Back the Night" gathering at the playground last month that sparked much of the organization amongst us homeowners (thanks Felicia!) and I remember some folks sharing their concerns about break-ins and what was being done to prevent such crimes. I know that many of us have security alarm systems (based on all the ADT & Brinks signs in our yards) so that clearly is not a sufficient answer to the problem.
So, let's discuss. Anyone know if the Neighborhood Watch program is going on? If so, please comment on how to get involved with it. Any other ideas for dealing with this problem?
I recall some effort about a year ago to form a Neighborhood Watch program, but don't know if it ever got off the ground. There was a "Take Back the Night" gathering at the playground last month that sparked much of the organization amongst us homeowners (thanks Felicia!) and I remember some folks sharing their concerns about break-ins and what was being done to prevent such crimes. I know that many of us have security alarm systems (based on all the ADT & Brinks signs in our yards) so that clearly is not a sufficient answer to the problem.
So, let's discuss. Anyone know if the Neighborhood Watch program is going on? If so, please comment on how to get involved with it. Any other ideas for dealing with this problem?
December 6, 2008
The Need for Carbon Activated Filters
My niece, who is a chemical engineer, attended the information meeting with me that was held by the MUD back in the Spring. She told me that the MUD could buy some scrubbers that would solve the problem and even gave me information on a vendor, which I passed on to the MUD Board. She also told me that the water company spokesman (the white guy with the big belly - in case any of you went to that meeting) was full of bull when he said that the water wasn't dangerous unless you were drinking gallons each day for many years.
Indeed, she said that taking hot showers in water with the volatile organic compound (VOC) problem was 100 times worse than ingesting the water directly from the tap! I immediately bought filters for my showerheads (got them on eBay for about $60 each) and got the kitchen sink a Pur 3-stage filter at Home Depot for about $35. I've been able to get replacement filters for it on eBay for less than $10 per filter. The showers will need new filters every 6 months if you take showers daily - once a year if you use it only 3-4 times a week. I wouldn't suggest taking baths very often, unless you bought a filter system that works for the entire house by hooking to the main water lines. Those were way out of my price range (cheapest was $800).
I also made an open records request for all the minutes of the MUD meetings from 2005 to the present, which has yet to be filled. I complained to the Attorney General's compliance unit and the MUD Board Chair told me that I would need to request it directly from the attorney. I wanted to see if anything had been done to correct the problems with the water quality. No scrubbers were purchased. I did note that someone has filed a lawsuit against the MUD but don't know the outcome.
Unfortunately the next election for a seat on the MUD Board isn't until 2010. I was considering running then, but I wanted my neighbors to know about the need for the water filters right away. I have told everyone that lives on my block. Please tell your neighbors as well.
VOC contamination can cause cancer and many other problems. Click here to see a fact sheet with links to studies you might find of interest.
Indeed, she said that taking hot showers in water with the volatile organic compound (VOC) problem was 100 times worse than ingesting the water directly from the tap! I immediately bought filters for my showerheads (got them on eBay for about $60 each) and got the kitchen sink a Pur 3-stage filter at Home Depot for about $35. I've been able to get replacement filters for it on eBay for less than $10 per filter. The showers will need new filters every 6 months if you take showers daily - once a year if you use it only 3-4 times a week. I wouldn't suggest taking baths very often, unless you bought a filter system that works for the entire house by hooking to the main water lines. Those were way out of my price range (cheapest was $800).
I also made an open records request for all the minutes of the MUD meetings from 2005 to the present, which has yet to be filled. I complained to the Attorney General's compliance unit and the MUD Board Chair told me that I would need to request it directly from the attorney. I wanted to see if anything had been done to correct the problems with the water quality. No scrubbers were purchased. I did note that someone has filed a lawsuit against the MUD but don't know the outcome.
Unfortunately the next election for a seat on the MUD Board isn't until 2010. I was considering running then, but I wanted my neighbors to know about the need for the water filters right away. I have told everyone that lives on my block. Please tell your neighbors as well.
VOC contamination can cause cancer and many other problems. Click here to see a fact sheet with links to studies you might find of interest.
December 4, 2008
Clarification on the HOA Invoice
Good to see that the blog is being read - thanks for the comments on the first posting. I wanted to answer Chanti's question about the HOA dues.
There was a $50 increase in HOA dues over the amount required last year. In other words, it went up from $240 to $290. That was to cover the increased costs of the landscaping, since nearly everyone raised their prices due to the gas hikes up to $4/gallon earlier this year.
There is also a separate $50 special assessment fee which is to repay the loan that Javier took out to pay ACE Fencing for the "common fences" repair. Thus, your invoice this year is for the increased dues of $290 plus the $50 special assessment fee = $340 due by January 1, 2009.
I noticed on the way to work this morning, driving down Furman, that nearly all the fences back there have the cap that seemed to be the distinguishing characteristic Billy said for those fences that would/would not be repaired. Someone did ask about the fences facing Furman Street, and Billy said that they were excluded because the builders had installed those fences. But I agree with the questioner's comments at the meeting that Furman is going to become a major thoroughfare into the neighborhood - especially after the shopping strip is completed at the corner of Almeda-Genoa. Perhaps we should revisit this issue with Billy and get those fences repaired as well?
There was a $50 increase in HOA dues over the amount required last year. In other words, it went up from $240 to $290. That was to cover the increased costs of the landscaping, since nearly everyone raised their prices due to the gas hikes up to $4/gallon earlier this year.
There is also a separate $50 special assessment fee which is to repay the loan that Javier took out to pay ACE Fencing for the "common fences" repair. Thus, your invoice this year is for the increased dues of $290 plus the $50 special assessment fee = $340 due by January 1, 2009.
I noticed on the way to work this morning, driving down Furman, that nearly all the fences back there have the cap that seemed to be the distinguishing characteristic Billy said for those fences that would/would not be repaired. Someone did ask about the fences facing Furman Street, and Billy said that they were excluded because the builders had installed those fences. But I agree with the questioner's comments at the meeting that Furman is going to become a major thoroughfare into the neighborhood - especially after the shopping strip is completed at the corner of Almeda-Genoa. Perhaps we should revisit this issue with Billy and get those fences repaired as well?
December 3, 2008
Welcome to the Brunswick Meadows Blog
A meeting was held today at the Lennar Model Home to discuss the special assessment and rise in HOA dues for homeowners in Brunswick Meadows. There were about a dozen homeowners in attendance, along with Billy Paige from the management company ACMI and Javier Martinez HOA president, who also works for Friendswood Development. Felicia Love was requested to serve as community liasion until the HOA is turned over from the developers of Brunswick Meadows to its homeowners. According to our covenant documents, that will be possible when 75% of the neighborhood is occupied. Javier projected that to be in the year 2011 at the earliest since the recession has slowed the development of the last portion of our neighborhood - currently the development is considered 55%-60% owner occupied.
My personal opinion is that the meeting was productive. Billy seemed a bit defensive at times, but then we all sounded a bit upset at times :-) Javier seemed to want our input and agreed to disseminate information via the internet instead of just in the annual newsletter. I approached Felicia following the meeting and agreed to create a blog for us to have an easy way to disseminate information and freely comment to one another in cyberspace since it seems the website is less than helpful. I hope you will all find this a helpful tool in that regard.
Here are the highlights from the meeting (this is just from my notes - others are welcome to supplement by posting comments)
The Fence Project
This is the stated basis for the special assessment of $50 which has been added to our HOA dues and will be used to repay a two-year loan that Javier made on the credit line of the builders. Unfortunately, the fences are not covered by insurance - only the playground areas are insured. There was a topographical map displayed so that Billy could show exactly which fences were to be a part of the "patch and repair" project. Essentially, any fence that has the "cap" (the extra wood running along the top of the fence) will be a part of the project. This includes all fencing facing Scott Street, Brunswick Meadows Blvd. and Sandstone Bend. The fences that face the retention pond are not included. Neither are the fences that face Furman St. at the back of the development. Fences that are between homes, delineating property lines between neighbors, are the homeowners' individual responsibility.
Any homeowner whose fence would be considered a part of the Fence Project that had already effected repairs would not be compensated nor reimbursed. Nor would they be excluded from the special assessment.
There was a competitive bidding process and bids ranged from approximately $66,000 to $200,000 - Ace Fencing was chosen as the vendor, although their original bid was $85,000 it was later reduced to $50,000.
Issues were raised about the previous fences not having enough concrete in the posts. Billy said that Ace had agreed to go an extra 6" beyond the required 18" per post.
New HOA Dues
The increase in dues (beyond the $50 special assessment) was primarily because of higher costs of landscaping, at least in part because of higher gas prices over most of the past year. Current dues are spent primarily in the areas of landscaping and collections (fees paid ACMI for that service and attempting to enforce deed restrictions) and a line-item budget was promised to be posted to an internet site sometime in the future.
Other topics covered in this meeting included the need for sidewalks along the water retention ponds, the amount of water currently in the ponds, and security issues given the rash of burglaries recently reported. Sidewalks along the pond are restricted by the Harris County Flood Control District which maintains that they would interfere with the efficiency of the ponds. The reason our retention ponds are so full is that we are the repository for water run-off from Almeda-Genoa to the Beltway and the pumps that were installed are scheduled to start working sometime this month. Security needs should be addressed to the Constable or Sheriff's office since we are not in the Houston city limits. The Houston Police Department does not serve unincorporated areas of the county. Our local MUD (municipal utility district) does have a contract with local law enforcement to patrol our neighborhood.
OK, that's what I have in my notes. Thanks!
Dr. Root
My personal opinion is that the meeting was productive. Billy seemed a bit defensive at times, but then we all sounded a bit upset at times :-) Javier seemed to want our input and agreed to disseminate information via the internet instead of just in the annual newsletter. I approached Felicia following the meeting and agreed to create a blog for us to have an easy way to disseminate information and freely comment to one another in cyberspace since it seems the website is less than helpful. I hope you will all find this a helpful tool in that regard.
Here are the highlights from the meeting (this is just from my notes - others are welcome to supplement by posting comments)
The Fence Project
This is the stated basis for the special assessment of $50 which has been added to our HOA dues and will be used to repay a two-year loan that Javier made on the credit line of the builders. Unfortunately, the fences are not covered by insurance - only the playground areas are insured. There was a topographical map displayed so that Billy could show exactly which fences were to be a part of the "patch and repair" project. Essentially, any fence that has the "cap" (the extra wood running along the top of the fence) will be a part of the project. This includes all fencing facing Scott Street, Brunswick Meadows Blvd. and Sandstone Bend. The fences that face the retention pond are not included. Neither are the fences that face Furman St. at the back of the development. Fences that are between homes, delineating property lines between neighbors, are the homeowners' individual responsibility.
Any homeowner whose fence would be considered a part of the Fence Project that had already effected repairs would not be compensated nor reimbursed. Nor would they be excluded from the special assessment.
There was a competitive bidding process and bids ranged from approximately $66,000 to $200,000 - Ace Fencing was chosen as the vendor, although their original bid was $85,000 it was later reduced to $50,000.
Issues were raised about the previous fences not having enough concrete in the posts. Billy said that Ace had agreed to go an extra 6" beyond the required 18" per post.
New HOA Dues
The increase in dues (beyond the $50 special assessment) was primarily because of higher costs of landscaping, at least in part because of higher gas prices over most of the past year. Current dues are spent primarily in the areas of landscaping and collections (fees paid ACMI for that service and attempting to enforce deed restrictions) and a line-item budget was promised to be posted to an internet site sometime in the future.
Other topics covered in this meeting included the need for sidewalks along the water retention ponds, the amount of water currently in the ponds, and security issues given the rash of burglaries recently reported. Sidewalks along the pond are restricted by the Harris County Flood Control District which maintains that they would interfere with the efficiency of the ponds. The reason our retention ponds are so full is that we are the repository for water run-off from Almeda-Genoa to the Beltway and the pumps that were installed are scheduled to start working sometime this month. Security needs should be addressed to the Constable or Sheriff's office since we are not in the Houston city limits. The Houston Police Department does not serve unincorporated areas of the county. Our local MUD (municipal utility district) does have a contract with local law enforcement to patrol our neighborhood.
OK, that's what I have in my notes. Thanks!
Dr. Root
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