Courtyard - June 2022 by Peel, Inc.

Courtyard Caller

June 2022

Volume 18, Number 06

Board Message

Summer is HERE! With things heating up and the lack of rain, the Austin area has been under frequent Burn Ban notices. We encourage everyone to sign up for alerts at https://www.traviscountytx.gov/firemarshal/burn-ban-text-alerts. With the approval of the HOA Board of Directors, Austin Fire Department had scheduled a wildfire response training to occur here in the Courtyard. AFD postponed the May 2 training due to a lack of response for participation from residents. In order to move forward with the training, Wildfire Chief James Duff must have at least homeowners from five homes on the same side of the street, and within close proximity to each other, volunteer as sites to allow fire responders to access their backyards. Copyright © 2022 Peel, Inc.

The Board has also offered the Park as a site of approach for future training. We will keep the community informed when or if the training is rescheduled. For more information, please contact AFD Wildfire Chief James Duff at james.duff@austintexas. gov. As we have been taught through our Fire Wise training, creating a defensible zone in the area immediately surrounding your home is the best protection you can have. To schedule a free 30-minute Home Ignition Zone evaluation, which will give you specific recommendations for creating a defensible zone, please contact Richard Stelzner, Courtyard HOA Fire Safety Chair, at arebeess42@gmail.com.

We are still experiencing the fallout from the 2021 winter storm Uri deep freeze in our Park trees. The extreme high winds of this spring have contributed to an unusual amount of downed limbs and smaller branches. One of the latest casualties was one of our signature magnificent oaks at the Park boat pier. It was a sad day on Friday, May 6, when one of our homeowners reported the oak tree made a deafening crack and then fell to the ground! By the time we are reading this issue of the Caller, two new Shumard oaks will have been planted to replace that grand old live oak. In April and May, we completed many new upgrades to our picnic areas and the bathroom area in the Park, as well as trail upgrades in parts of the Park. We added ground enclosures and decomposed granite bases to correct soil erosion and create a level surface around Picnic area B (under the giant Bald Cypress trees in the middle of the Park). We also replaced the wooden tops and benches on four of the picnic tables. For all new residents (and some of our long-time residents), please see the article elsewhere in the Caller about getting your correct contact information on the CourtyardHOA.org website. This is a password-protected directory that enables you to receive important community information, including Gate Code changes.

Continued on Page 4 Courtyard Caller - June 2022

Courtyard Caller

Courtyard Caller - June 2022

Courtyard Caller

Courtyard Caller - June 2022

Courtyard Caller

CHA BOARD OF DIRECTORS President Denise Hogan.......denise.1.hogan@gmail.com, 214.403.4454 Vice President Konavis Smith........................................... konavis@gmail.com Treasurer Jim Lloyd.........................jlloyd@austin.rr.com, 512.231.0855 Secretary Waneen Spirduso......................................spirduso@utexas.edu BOARD MEMBERS-AT-LARGE Janet Wright ........................ ..............mightywrights@me.com ..........................................................................469-387-5632 Meredith Massey-Kloetzer......................meremass@gmail.com Henry Mistrot....................................................512.459.7313 COMMITTEES Environmental Control (ECC) Diana Apgar ................................ ..............fd1966fd@aol.com Community Park Terry Edwards......t.edwards54321@gmail.com, 214.392.4627 Welcome Erik Maye ......................erikmaye@gmail.com, 512.626.2404 Social & Decorating Joany Price....................joanyprice@gmail.com, 512.775.8942 Landscape & Decorating Ed Ueckert.........................................................512.345.6137 Security Jim Lloyd.........................jlloyd@austin.rr.com, 512.231.0855 Communications, Editor – Courtyard Caller Jen Harold.......... harold.jennifer@gmail.com, 281.773.2880 Compliance Denise Hogan................................denise.1.hogan@gmail.com Kayak Jim Vence .......................jimvence@gmail.com, 512.436.5678 Fire Safety Richard Stelzner................................... arebeess42@gmail.com Area Development and Zoning Liaison Denise Hogan....... denise.1.hogan@gmail.com, 214.403.4454

SUB-HOA CONTACTS Center Court: Amanda Gilliland... mandagilliland@gmail.com, 512-927-7118 Travis County Courtyard (aka "Backcourt") Terry Edwards .............................. t.edwards54321@gmail.com Villas at Courtyard: Thomas Hoy..........Thomas.Hoy@freescale.com, 512.231.1270 Wolf Court: Susanne Doell.................... Drdoell@gmail.com, 512.454.3400 4

Courtyard Caller - June 2022

Courtyard Caller

COURTYARD BOOK CLUB Tuesday, July 5, 2022

Guns, Germs and Steel examines why history unfolded differently throughout the world over tens of thousands of years, explaining the impact of people’s environments on the evolution of civilizations. It is the Courtyard Book Club’s selection for its July 5 meeting that starts at 1 p.m. Author Jared Diamond was awarded a Pulitzer Prize for nonfiction plus several other international literary recognitions for this work. A scientist, geographer, and historian by profession, Diamond undertook the work to understand history scientifically and to help explain the roots of global inequality. The Courtyard Book Club meets at the home of its chair, Lou Blemaster, 5612 N. Scout Island Circle, at 1 p.m. the first Tuesday of each month. To receive monthly book club emails, contact Lou at LouBlemaster@gmail.com. Even those who haven’t read the monthly book are welcomed to join your neighbors for some interesting discussion. And if you have friends in other areas of Austin who would like to join a book club, feel free to include them.

Courtyard Caller - June 2022

Courtyard Caller

FIRE SAFETY COMMITTEE

Continued from Cover Gate Code changes are the responsibility of each homeowner to protect and retain for the use of their household. Gate Code changes are sent quarterly. If your gate code doesn’t work, go back through your emails and search for “Gate Code.” As a last resort, you may contact Marilyn Childress to retrieve the Gate Code. Please, let’s all do our part to safeguard this important information.

May 2022 was unusually hot and dry. The predictions through June expect this hot and dry weather to continue maybe through the summer. Weather forecasters have alluded to similar conditions in 2011 raising the specter of the devastating Bastrop County Complex Fire and the Steiner Ranch Fire.

A final reminder to all residents: it’s OAK WILT season! The oak wilt beetle is active from February until the end of June. NO OAKS should be trimmed until July 1.

The Travis County Fire Marshal issued a Burn Ban from May 11th to June 8th after which it will probably be re-evaluated if conditions persist. This is the fifth Burn Ban since February.

Always DRIVE SLOWLY in the Courtyard!!

The Courtyard Community sits in a fire-prone ecosystem, the Wildland-Urban Interface. Hot and dry should raise concerns about wildfire. Fire’s needs are simple: Heat, Fuel and Oxygen…yep, got’em all. If a careless or natural ignition occurs there will undoubtedly be fire. The trees, bushes and grasslands around us will probably not instantly burst into flames, but depending on the intensity and distance, burning embers from any fires pushed by wind in our direction would be a threat.

EMAIL ADDRESSES We continue to update our Courtyard HOA Website Directory as more of you are sending us your current contact information – thank you! This helps your HOA Board AND your fellow residents in the Courtyard stay connected with you. Notices for the neighborhood, park gate code changes, website password changes, neighborhood event information, and Fire Safety alerts are all sent via email, so please make sure your listing is up-to-date by completing this simple process: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Go to CourtyardHOA.org Click on Directory Enter “courtyard” (all lower case) as the username Enter the Directory password Look up your contact information If any of your contact information is incorrect or missing, email Denise Hogan and copy Erik Maye

If you need the Directory password or have trouble with any part of this process, please email Erik Maye at erikmaye@gmail.com – we will help you have success! At no time will any source be allowed to use The Courtyard Caller Newsletter 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 Courtyard Caller 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

Hardening homes to resist burning ember invasion is a theme that the Firewise Alliance, Fire Adapted Communities Coalition, APD WildFire Diviison and Texas A&M Forest Service actively encourage. They provide resources and recommendations for keeping homes and properties prepared and maintained to defend against wildfire threats. An obvious, but often overlooked vulnerability because of the lack of visibility are rain gutters attached to the edge of your roof. They are perfect for catching embers during wildfire. If they are filled with dried leaves, pine needles, and twigs, embers can ignite a fire and possibly ignite the roof, roof sheathing, and fascia. Gutters that are made of vinyl will melt and drop into bushes and flowerbeds igniting plants up against the house and maybe even combustible siding. Here are some maintenance suggestions to keep your home safer: • Remove all dried leaves, pine needles, twigs or other materials from your rain gutters. Over the winter and early spring, debris often accumulates in them. • Keep your ladder handy and check your rain gutters throughout the seasons, cleaning them out as necessary. • If a wildfire is approaching and there is no time to clean out the debris, plug the rain gutter down spout with a tennis ball, or something similar and fill the rain gutter with water. There are more suggestions in the Fire Safety Section at www.courtyardhoa. org. In addition, signing up on the website for a free, no obligation Home Ignition Zone Evaluation will provide onsite suggestions for creating a defensible space around your home.

stated above.

Courtyard Caller - June 2022

Courtyard Caller

COURTYARD ANNUAL 4TH OF JULY PARADE Start decorating your bikes, scooters, wagons, strollers, kids, dogs, and yourselves to show your red, white and blue spirit for the annual Fourth of July Parade and picnic in the park! The parade will kick off at 10:15 am. on the corner of Courtyard Drive and N. Scout Island. We will line up behind the fire truck and march to the park. Following the parade, we will celebrate with a picnic and lots of fun activities for the entire family. Children wear your swimsuits and aqua socks, and parents bring a towel! Don’t forget to RSVP to Joany Price, Social Chairperson. Volunteers are needed to make this annual Courtyard favorite a success and to clean up afterward! Contact Joany to volunteer: joanyprice@gmail.com (512) 775-8942

When: 10:15 a.m. on July 4th Where: Courtyard Drive and N. Scout Island

Courtyard Caller - June 2022

Courtyard Caller PO Box 1148 Round Rock, Texas 78680

PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE

PAID

PEEL, INC.

Courtyard Caller - June 2022