Village Creek - August 2021 by Peel, Inc.

The Voice VOLUME 18 | ISSUE 08 |AUGUST 2021

Village Creek - AUGUST 2021

The Voice IMPORTANT NUMBERS IN CASE OF ANY EMERGENCY DIAL 911 SCHOOLS Tomball ISD ................. 281-357-3100, www.tomballisd.net Willow Creek Elem (K-4)............................... 281-357-3080 Northpointe Int (5-6)...................................... 281-357-3020 Willow Wood Jr (7-8)..................................... 281-357-3030 Tomball High (9-12)....................................... 281-357-3220 Tomball Memorial High School...................... 281-357-3230 Transportation................................................. 281-357-3193 SERVICES Village Creek Management..............................Pam Hummel Email..........................................pam@crest-management.com Phone................................................281-945-4618, Site Mgr. Website......................................www.Crest-Management.com Village Creek Board Website....................www.VillageCreek.us Harris County Animal Conrol ..........................................................................281-999-3191 Precinct 4 Non-Emergency............................... 281-376-3472 Lost/Found Pets........................................ ......Nextdoor.com Harris County Veterinary Public Health........ ..281-999-3191 Municipal District Services (24 hrs)................ 281-290-6503 For water leaks, water outages, water quality, or sewer leaks or stoppage. Street lights out & power outages............................ .........................................www.centerpointenergy.com/outage Harris County traffic signal outages................. 713-881-3210 Best Trash........................................................ 281-313-2378 customerservice@besttrash.com, and www.best-trash.com Trash and Bulk Waste on both Tuesdays and Fridays Recycle on Tuesdays only. Recycle only plastics (1-7), steel and aluminum cans, cardboard, paper, or paper grocery bags, and glass (any color). Digging? Two days prior to ANY digging in your yard, call 811 or use http://www.lonestar811.com/ NEWSLETTER Publisher - Peel, Inc......................................... 512-263-9181 Advertising...........advertising@PEELinc.com, 888-687-6444 Editor Village Creek Media..............vcmedia@villagecreek.us 2 Village Creek - AUGUST 2021

Homeowner Briefing for Village Creek’s June Board Meeting The June HOA Board Meeting was held on June 14, 2021, via virtual meeting dial in, (346) 284-7799, or via online meeting link. A quorum was met with the following Board members present: Ty Thomas, President; Brian Martin, Vice President; Cynthia Moody, Treasurer; and Eddy Kharrazi, Member At Large. The May 10, 2021, meeting minutes were unanimously approved. There were two ratifications of actions in between meetings. The Board voted on allowing a butterfly club to create a butterfly garden to use a small section of one of the reserves. The other ratification was to remove trees near the pool and the associated cost of $1,054.00. The Board presented the May 31, 2021, financial report to the homeowners that were present. Pam Hummel reviewed the balance sheet and income statement. As of May 31, 2021, the Association has a 96.2% collection rate for the 2021 assessments. Total Cash $707,431.36 Total Reserve Funds Total Assessment Receivables $23,989.75 Total Assets $1,019,481.25 New business matters discussed were: 1) There were no attorney actions to vote on from the Executive Session. 2) The Board asked Pam Hummel to verify the invoice and work done on the basketball goal lock. 3) The Board discussed the homeowner request for a pickle ball court. The Board tabled this topic. 4) The Board was presented with bids for bridge replacement. Director Gonzalez motioned to accept a bid from Tuttle Construction in the amount of $9,309.85. Director Kharrazi seconded the motion. The motion carried and was approved unanimously. 5) The Board was presented with a bid from Land Crafters in the amount of $1,040.00 to reduce the size of a plant bed in the pool area. Director Gonzalez motioned and Director Moody seconded the motion to accept the bid. The motion carried. Pam Hummel stated that Land Crafters will inspect the dead plants at the entrance of the community and will report back their findings. The Board discussed a bid that was presented to them from The Urban Foresters in the amount of $12,010.34 that included ongoing fees. The Board unanimously voted to decline the bid. The Board asked Pam Hummel to ask Sticks for bids for pine tree removals. The Board asked Pam Hummel to request Land Crafters to inspect a palm tree in the pool area that may be dead. 6) The Board discussed procuring bids from security camera companies. The Board decided to continue looking into options. 7) The Board discussed the completion of several electrical issues. Director Gonzalez confirmed that all items have been completed. Continued on Page 3 Copyright © 2021 Peel, Inc.

The Voice Continued from Page 2 8) The Board discussed the Annual Meeting that is scheduled for Monday, July 12th at 6:30 pm. The meeting will be virtual and will be led by Director Thomas. 9) Meeting notices will be mailed on Monday, June 21, 2021. 10) The Board discussed the pool card reader. This topic was tabled until more bids could be received. 11) The Board was presented with a bid for a second 911 phone service at the pool. Director Thomas asked for clarification being able to use one phone line for both phones. 12) Director Martin stated that the mosquito control vendor has not been leaving a tag on his door and the Board agreed that they do not believe that the company is servicing the entire community each week. The Board asked Pam Hummel to confirm the dates of service with the contractor. 13) The Board discussed the format for a task list. Pam Hummel offered to show the Board how to use the Crest task list and to have a virtual training session with the Crest IT department. The Board agreed to send one test task each so that each Board member could see how the list works. The Board also asked for a list of vendors to be provided to create a preferred vendor list. 14) The Board discussed a recent event that occurred with teens in the pool when the pool was closed. It was determined by the pool vendor that the teens that were in the pool were lifeguards cleaning the pool. The Homeowner Forum had two homeowners in attendance. Sherry Watson advised Director Kharrazi that adding live oak trees were not a good idea for replacing pine trees that need to be removed. Sherry also stated that it was difficult to hear the Board when they spoke, and she did not like the virtual meetings without people having their cameras

on. Peggy Barriga also stated that it was hard to hear the Board when they spoke. With no further business to discuss, the meeting was adjourned at 8:04 p.m.

Our butterfly club would like to thank our community members for their generous donations of plants as our first garden is almost complete and is thriving. We will be starting on our second garden once it cools off a bit. One of our goals is to register our gardens as way stations for monarchs as well as with The North American Butterfly Association. To qualify for these prestigious awards certain plant requirements need to be met and we are doing our best to obtain them. One of our greatest challenges is finding native milkweeds as this is the only food source for monarch caterpillars and need to scoop them up as soon as we find them as they sell very quickly and are especially difficult to find in the cooler months. Our butterfly club will be having a few fundraisers to purchase these much-needed milkweeds as well as plant and materials for our monarchs. Please keep an eye out on Nextdoor for our upcoming fundraiser details or feel free to contact me directly at SandraJZ@comcast.net.

Village Creek - AUGUST 2021

The Voice I was born in Missouri and raised on a chicken farm. We were poor but didn’t know it, so we learned to be resourceful. Later we moved to Memphis, and I graduated from the University there and later got my master’s degree in Education. I taught ages 6-66 in my teaching career, which included teaching GI’s who had dropped out of high school for the Army in Germany and American History at a junior college. After finishing my teaching career, I went into administration in several businesses such as banking, medical office management, Training and Development at Kelsey-Seybold Clinic, and ending with 12 years with HP Legal in the Ethics and Compliance Department. I have one grown son, Shan, who is a professional technical writer. Alfredo and I are originals in Village Creek, and we enjoy the neighborhood and all the interesting, wonderful friends we have met here. This past year, I’ve had the privilege of chairing the social committee and joining the Boomers club. For fun, I love to read, (mostly suspense and murder mysteries) follow and occasionally try decorating trends, and travel. I love my family, dogs, kids, and the Astros!

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Social Committee Update Your Social Committee is making plans for the next few events—an end of summer/back to school event in late August and the National Night Out Texas Celebration tentatively on October 9th. Of course, we’ll finish the year with an end of year party. Thanks to all who participated in our Fourth of July event. We saw many darling junior residents (an a few adult ones) vying for the prizes we awarded. The parade and the cotton candy seemed to be a hit with “kids” of all ages. Special thanks to the team: Rhonda Salveski, Bobi Crouse, and Hailey Piowaty for all their caring and hard work. We appreciate all the volunteers who helped: Lonnie Crouse; Curt and Laurie Ross; Michael, Rebecca and Josh Piowaty; and Alfredo Barriga. We appreciate Paulette and Larry Morison’s leadership of the parade and their fantastic job decorating their vehicle! We hope to get your input on our events, and we welcome all to join our committee!

Safety & Security Committee Update Damaged street signs are being repaired or replaced in our neighborhood. A new sign was recently installed on Lyric Way. A list of damaged signs is being presented to the commissioner. The Village Creek Constable’s Report recorded neighborhood checks, traffic initiatives, and calls classified as other. We encourage each resident should continue to do their part in making Village Creek a safe place. If you see something, say something. If you can take a picture from a safe distance that would be helpful. The non-emergency number to our local dispatch is 281-376-3472.

Media Committee Update

In an upcoming newsletter or several newsletters, we’d like to highlight our residents and their furry best friends. To be included send a photo of you and your pet along with a brief explanation to accompany the photo to vcmedia@villagecreek.us. If children would like to write a short article about their pet, we encourage that as well. As always we appreciate all the photos we receive at vcmedia@ villagecreek.us. Please keep them coming! Copyright © 2021 Peel, Inc.

The Voice So, you want to put in a generator to keep your house powered during a power outage like we had in the “Great Freeze of 2021” or IKE or just because you don’t trust ERCOT and our wonderful Texas Free Market Closed Grid system. I’m with you. I put mine in last year. Well, here is what the Deed Restrictions and Covenants (DR&Cs) say. Permanently installed generators fall in the same category as pool equipment and light construction. An EMR is required for the installation and several requirements must be met. 1. The generator unit must be in the back or side yard of the residence. 2. The generator unit must be screened behind your fence. If you need to extend your fence a separate EMR must be filed for this. 3. The generator must NOT be within any of the easements defined in your property plat or the three-foot drainage easement running on the left and right side of your property along your property line. 4. Any construction damage done during the installation must be repaired within 10 days. That’s it, nothing tough or unreasonable. Of course, you may want to let your neighbor know what you’re doing in case the generator is being installed outside his bedroom window. Those things can be noisy and noise complaints are covered under the Nuisance Section of the DR&Cs. To apply for an EMR to install the generator you will need the plat drawing of your property with the easements shown on it. Then mark on it where the generator will be situated. Most companies require an 18-inch clearance between the unit and the residence, so show that on the drawing. It is important to show the distance from the generator to the side property line (fence) and back property line. Your installation must NOT be within any of the defined easements and particularly the three-foot drainage easement on your property line. One more little tidbit, be sure to use a licensed and bonded installer and have them prove that are using certified power transfer equipment acceptable with CenterPoint. If not, CenterPoint has the right to remove service to your property as a hazard to their system and workers. As always if you have any questions or just want to discuss your project feel free to contact me, my info is below or send a message to the ARC from the Village Creek website. Steven F. Winter, Chairman Village Creek Architectural Committee +1 713-724-6575 stevenfwinter@gmail.com

As difficult as it is to recall in this sultry summer weather, we experienced a freeze in February that was abnormal to this area. Our freezes are usually infrequent during the winter and short. Well, this one surprised most of us. Many had been lulled into thinking that our plants were invincible as they had survived for years with a possible light cover if the weatherman warned of a brief freeze. This time I would put covers on more of my plants each time I heard the weather forecast. Before the snow arrived, my yard already looked like it had been blanketed in white with all my frost cover, sheets, and towels. The snow was a magnificent scene that no one had expected. Once the snow melted the realization set in. After the covers were removed, there was a mass of dead plants that had been with me for years. However, I did notice a few things that were still hanging on.

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The Voice The Voice is a private publication published by Peel, Inc. It is not sanctioned by any homeowners association or organization, nor is it subject to the approval of any homeowners association or organization, nor is it intended, nor implied to replace any publication that may be published by or on behalf of any homeowners association or organization. At no time will any source be allowed to use The Voice contents, or loan said contents, to others in anyway, shape or form, nor in any media, website, print, film, e-mail, electrostatic copy, fax, or etc. for the purpose of solicitation, commercial use, or any use for profit, political campaigns, or other self amplification, under penalty of law without written or expressed permission from Peel, Inc. The information in the newsletter is exclusively for the private use of Peel, Inc. DISCLAIMER: Articles and ads in this newsletter express the opinions of their authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Peel, Inc. or its employees. Peel, Inc. is not responsible for the accuracy of any facts stated in articles submitted by others. The publisher also assumes no responsibility for the advertising content with this publication. All warranties and representations made in the advertising content are solely that of the advertiser and any such claims regarding its content should be taken up with the advertiser. * The publisher assumes no liability with regard to its advertisers for misprints or failure to place advertising in this publication except for the actual cost of such advertising. * Although every effort is taken to avoid mistakes and/or misprints, the publisher assumes no responsibility for any errors of information or typographical mistakes, except as limited to the cost of advertising as stated above or in the case of misinformation, a printed retraction/correction. * Under no circumstances shall the publisher be held liable for incidental or consequential damages, inconvenience, loss of business or services, or any other liabilities from failure to publish, or from failure to publish in a timely manner, except as limited to liabilities stated above.

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Continued from Page 5 We were told by the experts to leave everything for at least a month and then to begin cutting back the damage. Some couldn’t wait and begin cutting right away. Some even started pulling plants out of the soil. The nurseries were always crowded and selling out. After about a month, my husband and I started cutting back, still not accepting the fact that some plants wouldn’t return. Eventually, tiny specs of green begin appearing on dead looking stalks coming out of the ground. We were shocked at the survivors. My beautiful tropical hibiscuses among many other plants returned. I am glad that we waited to pull things out of the ground. We, as I am sure many did, made some overdue changes, and will continue to do so. In Spring we were all surprised to be treated to a spectacular flower show. Our gardens didn’t look so empty because the trees and grass seemed to turn green overnight. We were all taken back by the roses. I just don’t remember them ever being so stunning. Our Village Creek entrance looked like a showplace with the bright yellow sunshine Ligustrum bushes, knockout and drift roses, and the dianthus with giant flowers. Many subdivisions were asking about our entrance plants. It’s hard to believe that it’s almost time to begin planning for fall gardens. I only think of the freeze now when I see remnants of palms or shrubs that have not been removed or cut because their owners are just not ready to give up on them.

Village Creek - AUGUST 2021

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