Circle C - March 2022 by Peel, Inc.

Volume 19, Number 03

March 2022

www.circlecranch.com

Annual Assessments 2022

CCHOA Annual Meeting & Board Member Election:

Annual assessments were mailed on the 1st of February and are due on March 1st. Ballots and proxies for the election of HOA Board Members are printed on the back of the assessments, and the election will be held at the virtual Annual Meeting on March 23rd. There are three available options to pay your assessments: • Mail your check to PO Box 163541, Austin, TX 78716. • Make your payment using Bill Pay through your financial institution. • Use the “On-line Payment” option through the Circle C HOA website. (There is a 2% convenience fee for this option.) Payments will NOT be accepted at the HOA Office or in the drop box outside the office. Please do not staple your check to your invoice. Please do not postdate your check. If you have questions regarding your assessment, please contact the financial office at 512-451-9901.

The Circle C HOA Board Member election will be held at the virtual Annual Meeting on Wednesday, March 23, 2022. More information can be found on the website at www.circlecranch.com under the “Resources” tab. For any questions or concerns, please call our Circle C HOA manager, Karen, at 512288-8663 or email her at info@circlecranch. info.

Electronic Voting:

Annual Report to the Membership This March 2022 newsletter includes the 2021 Annual Report to the Membership from the HOA Board of Directors. A copy will also be posted on our website and available at the HOA office during the month of March 2022.

CCHOA Monthly Board Meeting The Circle C HOA Board of Directors usually meets the last Wednesday of the month at 6:30pm. The next scheduled HOA meeting is on Wednesday, March 30, 2022. Links to the Zoom meetings and meeting agendas may be found on the CircleCRanch. com website under the “Resources” tab. Homeowners must be logged onto the site to view agendas and find the link to the Zoom meetings. Homeowners may sign up to speak at the meeting by calling the Circle C HOA manager, Karen, at 512-288-8663 or emailing info@circlecranch.info.

The Circle C HOA Board is pleased to offer electronic voting again this year. Those who have provided email addresses will receive an email invitation to vote. If you have not yet provided a valid email address, please visit the HOA website at www.circlecranch. com and click on the “Voter Registration” button. You will need a registration code, which can be found on your semi-annual billing statement. Voting by paper ballot is another option. Election ballots/proxies are located on the back of the semi-annual statements and are due by March 16, 2022. For a replacement absentee ballot/proxy, please email info@ circlecranch.info or call 512-288-8663.

Continued on Page 3

Important Dates

Food Trailer Nights are Back

Gorzycki Middle School Choir

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Teenage Circle C Job Ranch Newsletter - March 2022 Seekers PAGE 18

Circle C Ranch Newsletter - March 2022

Request for Nominations: We are always interested in nominations of our wonderful residents for our recurring features below: • “Spotlight on a Circle C Teen”—If you know impressive neighborhood teenagers that might be interested in being featured in an article showcasing their accomplishments, please feel free to reach out to us at the contact information below. • “Angels Among Us”—Also, if you know extraordinary residents that are changing lives in some way, please reach out to us for consideration in our “Angels Among Us” recurring feature. • “Notable Residents”—We would love to feature residents with unique and interesting pasts. Please feel free to reach out to us with nominations of residents whose stories might be of interest to our community. We especially love stories of our veterans.

About Our Newsletter: The Circle C Homeowners Association (HOA) has partnered with Peel, Inc. to publish our monthly newsletter gratis for our residents. We target our content to keep homeowners updated on appropriate Circle C announcements and notices. In addition to the printed version, residents may find past newsletters on the Peel.com website with a search for “Circle C.” However, the most current news and announcements may be found at https://CircleCRanch.com. Please note that, in an effort not to interfere with our advertisers that fund this publication, we may not promote or mention businesses. We also do not publish letters or op-eds because we wish to keep our newsletter factual and neutral. Thank you for your understanding and for being a part of our community. Articles herein are intended to offer information that might be of use to our residents and to share current or historical events. We do not provide legal, medical, or expert advice but welcome input from our neighbors with expertise. We would love to hear from you!

Inclusivity: Our Circle C HOA strives to be inclusive of all our residents. If there is an important religious event or cultural event that our residents wish to see on our newsletter calendar, please contact us at the email addresses below with information about the event along with historical relevance so we may consider adding the event.

Contact Information: Our Circle C HOA manager may be reached by email at Info@ CircleCRanch.info or by phone at 512-288-8663. Our newsletter writer may be reached at CCWriter@CircleCRanch.info.

HOA Mgmt Office................................. info@circlecranch.info or 512.288.8663 HOA Financial Office................................tgiles@mgilescpa.com or 512.451.9901 Aquatics Director....................................... director@ccswim.net or 512.288.4239 Newsletter Publisher Peel, Inc....................................................advertising@PEELinc.com or 512.263.9181 Circle C Amenities Circle C Avaña Pool.........................................................................512.292.1518 Circle C Café...................................................................................512.288.6058 Circle C CDC..................................................................................512.288.9792 Circle C Swim Center......................................................................512.363.5578 Circle C Community Center Pool....................................................512.301.8259 Grey Rock Golf Course (City Owned/Operated)................................512.288.4297 Grey Rock Tennis Club....................................................................512.301.8685 Circle C Grey Rock Pool..................................................................512.291.8398

CIRCLE C GATED COMMUNITIES Enclave off Spruce Canyon Spectrum Management...................................Colleen Pritchard, 512.834.3900 Enclave off of La Crosse Relevant Management................................................... Kim Todd, 512.580.4212 Fairways Estates Spectrum Management...................................Colleen Pritchard, 512.834.3900 Park West Goodwin Management...................................Marilyn Childress 512.502.7509 Hillside Estates Real Manage.................................................. Christine Gamache, 866.473.2573 Avana Estates Relevant Management................................................ Kim Todd, 512.580.4212 Muirfield Real Management.......................................... Victoria Escamilla, 866.473.2573

Russ Hodes ……........………………………….....……President Natalie Placer McClure………………………........Vice President Michael Chu ……………………………………….......Treasurer Trinh Bartlett…………………………………………...Secretary Stephen Bega, Theresa Bastian and Jason Bram—Board Members Contact the Board at: directors@circlecranch.info City of Austin Solid Waste................................................512.974.1945 Dead Animal Collection....................................................512.974.2000 Abandoned Vehicle............................................................512.974.8119 Pothole Complaints...........................................................512.974.8750 Stop Signs.........................................................................512.457.4885 Street Light Maintenance..................................................................311 Schools Clayton Elementary..................................................512.841.9200 Kiker Elementary......................................................512.414.2584 Mills Elementary.......................................................512.841.2400 Bear Creek Elementary..............................................512.414.0040 Cowan Elementary....................................................512.841.2700 Bailey Middle............................................................512.414.4990 Gorzycki Middle School............................................512.841.8600 Bowie High School...................................................512.414.5247 UTILITY PROVIDERS Electric Pedernales Elec.................................................... 512.219.2602 City of Austin. .................................................................512.494.9400 Texas Gas Service .............................................................800.700.2443 Water City of Austin ........................................................512.972.1000 MidTex Water Company...................................................866.654.7992 Solid Waste City of Austin ...............................................512.974.1945 Post Office Oak Hill Station .............................................800.275.8777

Circle C Ranch Newsletter - March 2022

Around Circle C Stoplights at Escarpment Blvd. & La Crosse:

Circle C Aquatics News Now Hiring for the 2022 Season

In August 2020, the City of Austin (CoA) installed four new traffic signal heads at the intersection of Escarpment Blvd. and La Crosse as part of their $27.5M Safe Routes to School Program with funds from the $720M Mobility Plan. All four new traffic signal heads— one for each direction at the intersection—received flashing yellow arrow right-turn signal heads.

Interested in becoming a lifeguard? Lifeguards start at $15.00 per hour. Our next class will be held during Spring Break, March 14 through March 18. Space is limited, so sign up as soon as possible! Contact our Program Coordinator at coordinator@ccswim.net to register.

“The four flashing yellow arrow right-turn heads were installed to increase the yielding awareness and compliance for when pedestrians and bikes are crossing the roadway,” states Jonathan Lammert with the CoA Transportation Department. He explains that “there are major bike routes along both corridors [primary roadways], and a dedicated path was upgraded in all four directions. The need for these improvements stems from the intersection’s proximity to a school and the need to accommodate active modes in the area.”

We are also hiring positions for Front Desk and Swim Instructors. Visit www.circlecranch.com/apply to apply online.

Hours of Operation Our Spring hours for the Swim Center begin on March 12, 2022. Seasonal pools will reopen in May 2022.

A large focus of the Safe Routes to School Program is to encourage kids to ride bikes to school to help alleviate traffic congestion on our roads. Although the new right-turn signal heads do allow vehicles to turn right on a red light, the exception is when bikes and pedestrians are present. This intersection can be especially busy at times, so please exercise caution when approaching to ensure no bikes or pedestrians are visible before turning right when the stoplight signal is red and the turn signal is flashing yellow. Let’s keep our neighborhood kids and families safe. At no time will any source be allowed to use the Circle C Ranch Newsletter's contents, or loan said contents, to others in any way, 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 Circle C Ranch Newsletter is exclusively for the private use of the Circle C HOA and Peel, Inc. DISCLAIMER: The Circle C (HOA) has partnered with Peel, Inc. to publish our monthly newsletter gratis for our residents. We target our content to keep homeowners updated on appropriate Circle C announcements and notices. In addition to the printed version, residents may find past newsletters on the Peel.com website with a search for “Circle C.” However, the most current news and announcements may be found at www.circlecranch.com. Articles herein are intended to offer information that might be of use to our residents and to share current or historical events. We do not provide legal, medical, or expert advice but welcome input from our neighbors with expertise. We would love to hear from you! If any of our residents have an idea for an article or would like to nominate a neighborhood teenager or volunteer for a featured article, please feel free to reach out to our HOA manager at info@circlecranch. info or call 512-288-8663. Please note that, in an effort to not interfere with our advertisers that fund this publication, we may not promote or mention businesses. We also do not publish letters or op-eds because we wish to keep our newsletter factual and neutral. Thank you for being a part of our community.

Circle C Ranch Newsletter - March 2022

Year-Round Youth Swimming – Open Enrollment Our year-round youth group swimming team, Circle C Select, is currently accepting new and returning swimmers. For more information on our swim team, including information on how to enroll, please visit www.circlecranch. com/select.

Adult Masters Swimming – Registration Open Masters Swimming is back! Masters Swimming is an adult technique and conditioning program. This program will help you learn how to swim faster and with less effort, in a fun, group environment. This is for adults of all abilities. Come join Coach Amy and Coach J for a Masters swim workout on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, 8a-9:30a, and on Saturdays, 11a-12p. For more information, or to register, visit www.circlecranch.com/masters Copyright © 2022 Peel, Inc.

Important Dates: Tuesday, March 1, 2022 First half of Annual Dues Assessments are due. Ballots and Proxies for the Annual Meeting & Election were printed on the back of the assessment. Tuesday, March 1, 2022 Texas Primary Election-vote at Circle C Community Center Friday, March 11, 2022 Food Trailer Night at CC Community Center 5:00pm – 8:00pm Sunday, March 13, 2022 Daylight Savings begins. Move clocks forward one hour. Monday, March 14, 2022 Spring Break begins for AISD schools Tuesday, March 15, 2022 Ides of March – Beware! Wednesday, March 16, 2022 Electronic Election Ballots due Vote for your top 3 HOA Board member candidates. Thursday, March 17, 2022 St. Patrick’s Day—Be sure to wear green!! Wednesday, March 23, 2022 6:30pm Circle C HOA Annual Meeting Visit www.CircleCRanch.com for more info. Wednesday, March 30, 2022 6:30pm Circle C HOA Monthly Board Meeting Visit www.CircleCRanch.com for more info.

Save the Dates in April: Saturday, April 9, 2022 Annual Easter Egg Hunt—9:00am CC Child Development Center, 5917 La Crosse Avenue Saturday, April 30, 2022 Community Wide Garage Sale--add your address to the garage sale map at http://gsalr.com/n/circle-c-hoa-austin-tx. Shred, Recycle, & Donate at CC Community Center (10:00am-2:00pm) (More details will be provided closer to date of event.)

Circle C Ranch Newsletter - March 2022

Around Circle C

FOOD TRAILER NIGHTS ARE BACK!

It’s springtime in Circle C! Know what that means? That means time to Rockn-Restock with family and neighbors at our Community Center once a month on Friday evenings with complimentary entertainment—including some killer music—courtesy of HelloNabr and Circle C neighbor Chad Goldwasser; and a complimentary cocktail or beer, courtesy of HelloNabr’s sponsors. And then, there’s Leo, that fabulous Leo; our very own Circle C child whisperer. The one that inspires our kiddos to jump, giggle, exercise, and dance until they are tired enough to go to bed without complaining. Does it get any better than that? Well, actually . . . yes. Yes, it does. “We’re doing so much more this year for Circle C,” exclaims an enthusiastic Jed Marchak, owner of HelloNabr. Jed is the one that organizes our Circle C Food Trailer Nights, bringing food trucks and entertainment to our community at no cost to us. He does this by organizing sponsors— many of whom are our own neighbors in Circle C—who would rather pay it forward than advertise, so contribute to providing perks (like cocktails, beer, music, games, or entertainment) during Food Trailer Nights.

Circle C Ranch Newsletter - March 2022

Best Food Truck App:

For the Adults:

One feature that Jed would like neighbors to know about is the Best Food Trucks app. “Last year, some people had to wait in long lines to order their food, and then wait again in line to pick up their food. Sometimes, the line was so long, it took hours! So, we added an option for pre-ordering.”

Sure, kids are fine and all, but sometimes parents want to sit and listen to live music in the hood on a Friday night and have a beverage or two without kids blowing bubbles in your face.

All the food trucks and trailers visiting Circle C will be registered with the Best Food Trucks app, so people can order their food ahead of time or even while they are there. The app allows people to set their preferred time for picking up the food. So, let’s say you plan to be late one evening and want to eat around 6:30. If that time is available, you could schedule it ahead of time and not have to wait in line. Then, if you enter your phone number for texting, the food truck will send a text to notify you that the food is ready. This app is very user friendly and is a platform all food trucks visiting Circle C will utilize, even when it’s not a food truck night. Once you have the app and set your location to Circle C, you will be able to check it a few days ahead to see which trucks will be there that approaching weekend. Some residents even plan their meals around visiting food trucks each weekend.

Well, Jed has an answer for that. “We will have a Beer Garden and a Craft Cocktail Garden. It’s sponsored so the first drink is free. We're also gonna have more things for the kids and we're gonna try to create more space for people to just be able to chill, you know?” For the Kids: “We’re getting so many more sponsorships now; we can hire more people,” Jed says. “For example: the Kids Zone. Last year we didn’t have enough resources, so we just had kind of a general one for all the kids. Now, we’re gonna offer more for older kids. Also, we’ve hired Leo to manage the kids. Last year, he was there when he could be but this year, he should be there every time. We hope to offer face painters and balloon artists this year, maybe even pony rides on one Friday.” “And then we're also gonna do a new thing. I'm calling it ‘Meet & Beat Your Neighbor.’ Continued on Page 8

Circle C Ranch Newsletter - March 2022

Around Circle C Continued from Page 6

When the bands take a break, we're going to be doing a couple of games, like water balloon tossing or elephant racing, stuff like that. There will be fun prizes and we will encourage interaction with other neighbors you might not know yet.” Jed tells us that he’s also considering hiring some of our neighborhood teenagers to help with customer service and to spread the word or pass out flyers with information about activities for the evening or help with ordering food on the Best Food Trucks app. For the Pets: “Of course, Rock-n-Restock Food Truck Night will still be pet friendly,” Jed assures us. Please do keep your pets on leashes, though. “If we get enough sponsorship, we might even add a pet-friendly fair, like the Circle C artist fair we did last year and will do again this year,” Jed says. HelloCircleC.com: Jed and HelloNabr are in the process of creating a website for better communication with Circle C residents. “We will update it with the food trucks and the bands that will be attending each month. We’ll also have links where you can learn more about the bands or listen

Circle C Ranch Newsletter - March 2022

to their music, and we’ll have the Best Food Trucks app showing the online ordering process. We will also provide links for upcoming craft cocktails and micro-brewed beers that will be featured. Last, our website will be a platform for our sponsors to showcase their businesses.” Jed hopes that residents will consider giving their business to sponsors that contribute to help make our Food Trailer Nights so special. And the Band Played On . . . Let’s finally talk about music, shall we? “The biggest thing this year is the music line-up that Chad Goldwasser is putting together!” declares Jed. “He gets the top bands, and I know they have to cost big money, but somehow, he gets it done!” “I mean, last year we took it to another level, but this year we're really gonna knock it out of the park with the type of music we’re gonna have!” The music artists set up for our first Rock-n-Restock portion of Food Trailer Nights this 2022 year will be: Charlie Mars, David Grissom, and Love and Chaos. Continued on Page 9

Around Circle C Continued from Page 8

A Little About the Musicians for March 11, 2022:

performed at many venues including Austin City Limits and South by Southwest (SXSW).

1. Charlie Mars Charlie was 18 years of age when he began playing with fellow SMU student Jack Ingram in 1992. In 1995, the singersongwriter/guitarist formed his own band, the Charlie Mars Band, releasing several albums before the band broke up in 2000. Charlie then moved to Sweden. When the record label that Charlie was signed to went out of business in 2009, “It was the best thing that ever happened to Charlie because, out of necessity, 12 years and five albums into his career, he found his true voice, just as he was beginning to experience life more fully,” reported Bud Scoppa, veteran music critic for Rolling Stone, UNCUT, and other major music publications. “His eyes were opened to culture and possibility while spending much of the last half-decade in New York and Austin, hastening his artistic and personal maturation, reflected in the songs that were coming out of him along the way.” After Charlie’s relationship with then-girlfriend Mary-Louise Parker ended, he began spending more time in Austin, Texas, and began his Texas Trilogy series of 3 albums by producer Billy Harvey. His first 2 albums were cut in Austin, Texas, with the last one at Sonic Ranch near El Paso, Texas. Charlie Mars’s “Blackberry Light” song has received much success and accolades, and his music has been reviewed in Uncut and Brown Paper Tickets. He has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, the Dallas Observer, Guitar World, Elephant Journal, the Jackson Free Press, The Southern Rambler, and Esquire’s Songwriting Challenge. He has Copyright © 2022 Peel, Inc.

2. David Grissom: David Grissom has played, toured, and/or recorded with Joe Ely, Will and the Kill, David Lee Holt, the Allman Brothers, the Chicks (formerly Dixie Chicks), the John Mellencamp Band, Eric Johnson, Buddy Guy, Chris Isaak, Sara Hickman, and Bob Dylan.

they were invited to play on nationwide tours by The Black Crowes, Stone Temple Pilots, Matchbox Twenty, Disturbed, Blues Traveler, and others. After 9/11, Sony significantly reduced their artist roster and Vallejo did not make the cut, so they formed their own label, VMG, in 2002. In 2014, AJ Vallejo was named Producer of the Year by the Austin Chronicle and held that title for the next 2 years as well, while adding Guitar Player of the Year status in 2016. Kendall Beard, a former season 8 finalist on American Idol, stems from Lufkin, Texas, where she was homeschooled during her high school years, allowing her time to travel with her father to sing at rodeos. After high school, Kendall paused her music career to attend UT Austin. Before graduating, she attended a summer program in Los Angeles and interned at Sony BMG. Following her experience on American Idol, Kendall worked with the 3-time Austin Music Awards Producer of the Year, AJ Vallejo, to record her 2 albums. Once the chemistry between the two ignited, the artists became a duo, calling themselves Love and Chaos. After playing for us in Circle C, Love and Chaos will head out to Arlington and then Las Vegas to continue their tour. With this type of line up, for March 11 alone, it’s not too difficult to see why Jed is excited. “So, I think we’ve got enough momentum to be able to execute a lot this year, but the biggest thing is Chad is bringing us plenty of good entertainment to keep Circle C residents engaged and enjoying hanging out with their neighbors and friends.”

3. Love and Chaos: AustinLive once called Texas duo AJ Vallejo & Kendall Beard, “Texas’ musical Bonnie & Clyde, burning up stages one show at a time with their fiery, fun rollercoaster ride of songs.” AJ Vallejo, his younger twin brother Alex, along with their youngest brother Omar formed a percussive rock band they named Vallejo in 1991. The three brothers signed on with Sony years later and released their album Into the News in 2000. Soon after, Circle C Ranch Newsletter - March 2022

Circle C Ranch Newsletter - March 2022

News You Can Use

Circle C Ranch Newsletter - March 2022

Around Circle C

Circle C Ranch Newsletter - March 2022

Around Circle C

“The Last Mile” Extension Along SH 45

nothing there, where MoPac ended. This project was planned in 2013, so Grey Rock hadn’t been built then. It was only land.” Sexton is sympathetic to Meridian’s requests, however. “I understand campaigning for positive changes. I live in SW Austin too, and have had to campaign as well, many times, for change.” Campaigning for The Last Mile Since TxDOT is the authority on the 45SW Trail project, they—along with CTRMA Board Members— would be a good start for campaigning.

The 45SW Trail picture shows the stopping point at SH 45 and Escarpment Blvd. This trail starts at FM 1626 in Manchaca and follows the 42SW Toll heading west, but stops at Escarpment Blvd., just 1.2 miles short of RM 1826.

“Road infrastructures, such as highways, can physically separate and segregate neighborhoods; a better design of trails in and around Austin makes the city more accessible to everyone,” Tiffany explains.

Meridian’s Request for a Path Meridian is a neighborhood of 800 houses tucked into the northwest corner between SH 45 and RM 1826. Despite what many believe, including even some Meridian residents, Meridian is not a part of Circle C. They have their own Homeowners Association (HOA), their own pool, and their own community center. “I feel like we are a sister community, however,” states Tiffany Johnson, Meridian resident and HOA Board Member for the past 3 years.

The 45SW Trail The paved, shared use 45SW Trail—that Meridian’s 45 Trail Expansion Committee is hoping to connect with—was built in 2019 as part of a CTRMA project, funded by Travis County, Hays County, and the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT). The trail follows the 45SW Toll, beginning at FM 1626 in Manchaca, past the intersection with Mopac (where the 45SW Toll turns into SH 45), and continues to Escarpment Boulevard then simply stops, a little over 1 mile short of RM 1826.

A little over a year ago, a resident of Meridian approached their HOA Board to ask if they could possibly fund an extension of the paved, shared use 45SW Trail which was necessary to connect Meridian to the rest of Austin. Unfortunately, the Meridian HOA Board did not have the funding for the paved trail extension. The resident then posted his idea on Meridian’s resident Facebook (FB) group and many agreed with him. Tiffany happened to read that FB post as well as the supportive comments and then began a committee she called the 45 Trail Expansion Committee.

So, we reached out to Mike Sexton, Acting Director of Engineering for CTRMA. “The authority of that project is TxDOT, and our project limits for the trail were only from FM 1626 only to MoPac,” explains Sexton. “We pushed to extend it to Escarpment Blvd. only because at the time of planning, there was

Circle C Ranch Newsletter - March 2022

This ignores the remaining state highway from Escarpment to RM 1826—preventing all bicyclists, joggers, and hikers, from connecting to the road; as well as preventing the 2,000+ Austin residents that live in Meridian from accessing the trail except by use of automobiles

For over a year now, Tiffany and the 45 Trail Expansion Committee have been campaigning for the CTRMA to expand the existing 45SW Trail to include Meridian residents. “We just keep trying to reach out to different city entities, groups, or persons that would support this project and may be able to push it forward. In the year since the 45 Trail Expansion Committee was formed, they have so far: created a pitch with graphics for presentations with various city officials and groups; presented their campaign with 2 different speaking engagements at CRTMA Board Meetings (in September and November of 2021); and met with Paige Ellis, Ed Scruggs, Commissioner Ann Howard, Austin Outside, and the Neighborhood Partner Program. The Meridian 45 Trail Expansion Committee had engineers look at costs so they could give estimates to the CTRMA Board during their presentations. For a paved pathway, with a necessary bridge over a section of the golf course, the engineers estimated that the 1-mile expansion could cost up to $1.2M. The committee then proposed an alternate solution as a second option. Although a paved trail extension would be more continuous with the existing trail and more accessible for residents, crushed granite trails could work as possibly a less costly option to allow the 2,000+ residents a Continued on Page 15 Copyright © 2022 Peel, Inc.

Around Circle C Continued from Page 14

solution for access to Austin’s trail and bike systems without having This year the CoA Transportation Department joined with the CoA to get in the car. Public Works to create the Walk Bike Roll project. Their website states, “ATX Walk Bike Roll (ATXWBR) is about more than just City of Austin’s Mobility Bonds Another avenue for campaigning for a trail extension would be the getting you from place to place. We will work with Austinites to City of Austin (CoA). In 2016, Austin voters passed the largest consider how ATXWBR will influence other parts of your life.” transportation bond in the city’s history: the $720M Mobility Bond. Mayor Adler had proposed the bond with a promise to improve corridors (primary roads) and build trails, sidewalks, and shared use paths for residents.

From that $720M, $37.5M was allocated for sidewalks, $26M for urban trails, and $20M for bikeways “for transportation and mobility purposes,” according to the CoA’s 2016 Mobility Bond Program Overview and Implementation Plan, published on February 28, 2017.

The ATXWBR website provides examples of priorities for allocating their mobility funds. Many of these examples seem to meet the description of Meridian’s needs. ATXWBR is currently taking a survey of requests for improvements. Tiffany and the 45 Trail Expansion Committee of Meridian have participated in this poll, adding markers requesting the one last mile of trail expansion.

After over a year of campaigning, Meridian’s 45 Trail Expansion Committee has gathered a few supporters, but for the most part, Before proceeding on bikeways, the CoA spent 2 years hosting the CTRMA Board has listened but not done more. public meetings and presentations and conducting in-person and A Plea for Help from Circle C Residents online surveys. They created a technical advisory group as well as a Tiffany and the 45 Trail Expansion Committee are now reaching citizen advisory group, ultimately engaging “over 3,000 people in the out to Circle C, their sister community, for help. With more than planning process.” According to the US Census Bureau, the CoA’s 5,600 homes and plenty of squeaky wheels, Circle C tends to gain population in 2017 was 916,906. the ear of TxDOT and CoA more easily. “When we approach the A large takeaway from those 2 years of surveys and other research was that “over 55% of Austin’s population was found to be interested in riding a bicycle in protected bicycle lane[s] compared to 15% in a painted bicycle lane on a busy road.”

city with requests and say we are from the Meridian neighborhood, they usually act confused. So, then we tell them, ‘It’s right near Circle C.’ ‘Ahhhh,’ they respond. They all know Circle C!”

Then, in March 2021, the Austin City Council approved the release of $460M for local mobility projects. In a CoA press release from March 4, 2021, the Assistant City Manager for Mobility, Gina Fiandaca, stated, "Over the past three election cycles, Austin voters have said loud and clear that transportation safety and mobility improvements are a major priority for them." She continued, "We know the importance of bringing these enhancements to fruition as quickly as possible, in partnership with our community. Throughout the next six years, we will ensure projects are designed to meet current and future mobility needs, and they are delivered in an equitable manner across the city."

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Rob Spillar, Director of Austin Transportation: rob.spillar@ austintexas.gov

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Josephina Ibarra, Legal Assistant, Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority: jibarra@ctrma.org

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Gina Fiandaca, Austin's Assistant City Manager for Mobility: gina.fiandaca@austintexas.gov

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Spencer Cronk, Austin’s City Manager: spencer.cronk@ austintexas.gov

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Christopher Parks, Research Analyst for CoA: Christopher. Parks@austintexas.gov

“We are looking for more voices,” pleads Tiffany. “We’ve wondered Using this knowledge, the city proceeded to create protected if a petition would help but we were hoping to gain support from bikeways. Unfortunately, the last mile of the 45SW Trail was once Circle C residents before pursuing this endeavor.” again overlooked. For residents interested in helping our sister community or to express After the $720M Mobility Bond passed in 2016, Austin taxpayers support, please reach out directly to the committee via their email: voted again in November 2018 to approve $925M more in Bond 45-Trail@meridianhoa.org Proposition B, with $160M earmarked specifically for transportation Other ways to help are to email the following people stating words infrastructure. of support for the Meridian trail expansion.

Unfortunately, progress for Meridian’s requests for connectivity has so far not been an enhancement brought to fruition quickly. Quite • the opposite, in fact. “The city wheel turns slowly,” says Tiffany. “This new $460M is an active transportation bond for urban trails, transportation, etc. that are city owned. It is to help small communities with transportation.” Copyright © 2022 Peel, Inc.

James Bass, jbass@ctrma.org

Circle C Ranch Newsletter - March 2022

Around Circle C

Meet Your 2022 HOA This year we have 3 open spots for our Circle C HOA Board members and residents have submitted applications. Please read the short biographies they have provided and vote for your 3 candidates of choice. Residents that have provided email addresses will receive an email invitation to vote for their candidates of choice. Otherwise, paper ballots are accepted and may be found on the back of the semiannual assessments mailed to residents on February 1st. Below are our candidates and their submitted biographies. All votes must be submitted by March 16, 2022.

Stephen Bega I grew up in the town of Elgin, Texas – the Sausage Capital of Texas. I graduated from Elgin High School and attended Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas. I then graduated from the University of New Mexico School of Law in Albuquerque. I have been a practicing attorney since 1999. My career brought me to Austin in 2002. I lived and served on the New Villages at Western Oaks HOA from 2004-2008. I served as President of Oak Hill Youth Sports Association and other positions from 20052015. All of my kids were active in youth sports, orchestra, dance, cheer, yearbook and other school activities at Mills, Clayton, Gorzycki and Bowie High School. All of my kids have graduated and are either working or attending college. I now live with my wife Janine La Barbara, and focus on my legal career involving civil cases. On occasion, I enjoy running through the neighborhood. I was appointed to complete the vacancy left by another Board of Director for the Circle C Homeowners Association in July 2021. In my six months on the Board, I have quickly learned the ins and outs of our homeowner’s association and learned about the challenges and needs of our community. I am now immersed into our 16

Circle C Ranch Newsletter - March 2022

Board Candidates community and look forward to continuing to help manage and guide our residents.

Mark Blanton I am happy to call Circle C home, along with my wife and our son who is arriving in February. The warm community intermixed with the green spaces and smiling faces of the neighborhood are an excellent center from which we live our lives. I currently employed as a leader at Oracle where I help large enterprises run their operations. This requires the skillsets of understanding complex challenges with multiple stakeholders rapidly, creating teams to meet those challenges and project management to keep the team aligned to stakeholder objectives and project timelines. I believe this expertise would be of a great benefit to the Circle C HOA Board as the Board governs and addresses the challenges of the Community.

Bradley Bush I grew up in south Austin and graduated from Bowie High School. I attended the McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas at Austin where I obtained a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a major in finance and a minor in management information systems. I then obtained a masters degree in business administration from Texas State University – San Marcos. After studying business, I attended the Texas Tech University School of Law and graduated with a doctor of jurisprudence. I have been an attorney since 2007 practicing primarily in the area of civil litigation defense. During this time, I have had the opportunity to work with a lot of amazing individuals and develop skills that I believe will be beneficial to my community and the

CCHOA. I will bring the same passion that I have for representing my clients to looking out for the best interests of Circle C’s residents.

Kimberly De La Garza Born: Dallas Tx Married: Yes, 17 years Children: 3 Dogs: 1 Undergrad: B.A. English, UT 2000 Post-Grad: J.D., SMU Law, 2003 Astrological Sign: Pisces Career: Real Estate, Banking and Business Attorney, 18 years CC Ranch Resident: 9 years Current Volunteer Work: Nan Clayton Elementary PTA, Executive Board member, 2016- present

David LaChance I have a Master's i n P u b l i c Administration from Texas A&M University. For the first 14 years of my career I worked in Semiconductor in Supply Chain Planning/Purchasing, IT, Training, and Project Management. Most recently, I have been a project manager with the state for the statewide Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) implementation, business process improvement, numerous infrastructure projects, and large scale tax application build and upgrades. I work with and get consensus from business, security, and IT to schedule, budget, and execute multimillion dollar projects, on time, on budget and to spec. I have lived in Circle C now for 3 years, but have lived in Austin since the early 90s. I would like to serve my neighborhood, neighbors, and Circle C with the experiences that have gotten me where I am in my career.

Circle C Ranch Newsletter - March 2022

CONGRATULATIONS TO GORZYCKI MS CHOIR! The Gorzycki Middle School Choir, under the direction of Brad Heckler, participated in the 2022 TMEA Region 18 MS Choir auditions on Saturday, January 22 at Simon MS in Hays. Gorzycki had 30 students audition with 27 of them placing in the 7th Treble, 8th Treble, & TTB Choirs. Students had to audition alone & had to place in the top 26 (girls) or top 18 (boys) of their choir & section. Approximately 300 students from surrounding schools auditioned with almost 140 students from AISD being selected out of about 200 spots. Selected students will be part of a special rehearsal & performance at the AISD PAC on Saturday, February 5. Below are the students who participated & what ranking they received:

7th Treble

Abby Cabello / Soprano 2 / 10th Chair Sophie Dow / Soprano 2 / 3rd Chair Thea Gonzalez / Soprano 2 / 24th Chair Emily Johnson / Alto / 5th Chair Ella Lovejoy / Alto / 16th Chair Sophie Murphy / Soprano 2 / 8th Chair Claire Murry / Alto / 14th Chair Gabrielle O’Halloran / Alto / 3rd Chair Ariana Ochoa / Alto / 24th Chair Danube Shudic / Alto / 6th Chair Sofia Smith / Soprano 2 / 13th Chair

8th Treble

Valentina Bernal / Soprano 2 / 17th Chair Gabriella Bochey / Soprano 2 / 18th Chair Amaya Boehman/ Alto / 8th Chair Camila Diaz / Soprano 2/ 9th Chair Lovey Jackson/ Alto / 7th Chair Izi Kalyoncuoglu/ Soprano 2/ 2nd Chair Megan Torres / Soprano 2/ 16th Chair Milo Wells / Soprano 2/ 13th Chair

TTB

Gavin Coppedge / Baritone / 16th Chair SpencerFindley / Baritone / 12th Chair Grady Hicks / Tenor 2 / 3rd Chair Kevin Labbe / Baritone / 11th Chair Joshua Lewis / Baritone / 10th Chair Aneesh Pinnamaneni / Baritone / 13th Chair Hayden Robinson / Tenor 1 / 18th Chair CristianoRuja / Tenor 2 / 8th Chair Sergey Shcherbakov / Tenor 2 / 7th Chair

TEENAGE JOB SEEKERS

Circle C Ranch Newsletter - March 2022

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Circle C Ranch Newsletter - March 2022