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
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