Special Report: Questions or Concerns about the Proposed Bylaws or CCRs?
The information meeting for the proposed Bylaws and Covenants, Conditions and
Restrictions of Goldenwood West is Sunday, March 25, 2007 at 2:00 pm at the
pavilion. Be sure to attend and bring all of your questions and concerns
about the documents and about the ratification process. If you agree with
the proposed documents and don’t have any questions or concerns, sign
the ratification forms and forward them to the administrator, either by mail
or by dropping them in the white POA box at the mail station.
We are nearing the end of the revision process for the Bylaws and the Covenants,
Conditions and Restrictions of Goldenwood West. The committee of property owners,
the Board of Trustees, and Nova, the administrator, have done their part and
now it’s time for all of the property owners to do their part. The Board
is relying on all of the property owners to attend the meeting on March 25
at 2:00 pm at the pavilion and to bring their questions and concerns so that
the ratification of the proposed Bylaws and Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions
can proceed.
Once questions have been answered and concerns addressed, property owners who
agree with the proposed documents will ratify the documents by signing the
form(s) provided in the packet that was mailed on February 6. (We will have
extra forms at the meeting if you happen to forget to bring yours.) A property
owner has three choices for his or her ratification: 1) sign both forms to
ratify both the Bylaws and the Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions; 2) sign
only one of the forms to ratify either of the documents; and 3) sign neither
form to choose not to ratify either document.
After the meeting, the Board of Trustees will verify the signatures and their
associated lot numbers for each document. If the required two-thirds of the
Goldenwood West property owners ratify the document, Nova will file the newly
ratified document with the proper Hays County office. If the required ratification
level is not achieved, the Board of Trustees will contact the remaining property
owners. This will assure that all property owners are included in the process
even if they are unable to attend the meeting.
Thank you to all of the volunteers that have worked so hard to simplify and
clarify our covenants and to standardize them among all Goldenwood West lots.
These changes will help us all better understand the way our subdivision is
managed and maintained. Be sure to be at the pavilion on the 25th and be a
part of our community! • © 2006 Sue Ponder
GWW’s Second Annual Night Out Party Last
year’s party was a great
success and folks really enjoyed meeting their neighbors. Remember the awesome
food, the abundance and variety of dishes, and the live fiddle music (for
those who remained till the end)? We’re hoping this year’s event
will be even better. Mark your calendars for Tuesday, August 7th. Musicians
in our
community are especially encouraged to bring your instruments and entertain
your neighbors. Watch for more information in the next editions of this newsletter.
• Editor
Landscape Committee looking for new members Do
you enjoy landscaping or working creatively outside? The original members of
the Landscape Committee have dedicated
two years to making our public areas more beautiful, and some are ready to
take a break (and work on their own yards for a bit!). So we’re looking
for two or three generous neighbors to whom we can pass the baton. We meet
once or twice in spring and fall to plan improvements and supervise maintenance
of our current public areas such as the area around the pavilion and our sign
area. Working together has built friendships, and increased members’ knowledge
of plants which do well in our area with minimal water and maintenance. Any
residents interested in volunteering are encouraged to contact the editor.
• Editor
Keeping GWW beautiful: Understanding
our covenants
This new feature of our newsletter
highlights a covenant or bylaw in order to clarify residents’ understanding
of our architectural guidelines.
In this issue of the GWW
News we look at some of the changes in the proposed new CCRs:
(excerpted from the summary of changes):
Article Seven, Paragraph 3. Added
allowance of “Non-rusting, coated metal roofs with low reflective
properties”.
Article Seven, Paragraph
27. Added a covenant for rain water collection
systems and their use.
These two changes to the CCRs are being proposed to enable residents
to add rainwater collection systems to existing or new homes. While
the BOT and the GWW Water Board have recognized the benefits of using
rainwater collection systems for supplying water for exterior use,
such as watering, the restriction in our current CCRs against unpainted
metal roofs have made installation of such systems impossible since
painted metal roofs may not be used for rainwater collection. The
understood intent of the original restriction was to prohibit corrugated
roofs or highly reflective metal roofs from being used in the subdivision.
With the innovations in metal roof construction, including roofs
with low reflective properties, an adjustment to the restriction
seems appropriate to permit rainwater collection systems. As with
any change to property in the subdivision, APC approval would need
to be obtained for the system, to ensure that the improvement does
not detract from the value of the property and those of the neighborhood.
For more explanations of the proposed changes to our CCRs and Bylaws,
come to the meeting on March 25 at 2 pm at the pavilion.
• Editor
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Welcoming Committee Warren Hayward and
his team of gregarious folks has begun actively welcoming new residents to
GWW.
Recent arrivals have received a personal
visit, home baked goods, and a packet of useful information about the area.
A huge thanks goes to this committee for their excellent work in building
up our community. Residents interested in baking or visiting with the committee
are asked to contact the editor. • Editor
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| Prairie Verbena (Verbena bipinnatifida) For information
about plants and animals in GWW, visit the plants and animals pages on
our website (leaf
button).Tom Watson. |
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Zexmenia (Zexmenia hispida)
Tom Watson. |
Board of Trustees News
Replacement fence Last year the BOT authorized replacement of the section
of split rail fencing around the mail station and the area across Westview
Trail
from the mail station. Because of the cost of replacing the fencing, it was
decided to accomplish replacement of the fence in stages. This year the Board
has earmarked funds for replacement of the section of split rail fencing
around the pool recreation area. Work is scheduled to be done this month,
and will
be performed by a professional fencer.
Standards for the APC As the Trustee liaison to the APC, John Anderson has
been working with the APC to produce a set of standards to assist the members
of the Committee in the discharge of their duties. These standards include
an outline of the process to be followed in responding to residents about
approvals or violations, a list of standards to be followed in areas left
to the judgement
of the Committee in our CCRs, and also includes form letters to be used in
communicating with residents regarding these issues. This manual will be
provided to new members as they join the Committee to help ensure consistency
in its
operations, even when membership of the Committee changes. The BOT will use
this manual as a tool for communicating its directives to the APC. A copy
of this manual will be published on our website to help all property owners
understand
how the APC works to enforce our covenants. Look for the manual next month.
The next meeting of the BOT will be on Wednesday, May 2 at 7 pm at the pavilion.
News from the APC
As a result of the recent turnover in membership on the BOT and the APC,
the APC has stepped up its efforts to ensure the CCRs are being applied
to all
property owners equitably and consistently. In response to many complaints
received about cars being parked on grass and resulting in unsightly
yards and property and posing a potential fire hazard in dry weather, the
APC has
adopted a rule, as permitted by our CCRs, restricting parking of vehicles
to driveways or other areas not visible from the road or neighboring
properties. Temporary parking will be allowed in situations such as parties,
deliveries,
washing a car, or other instances where a vehicle will be parked for
a short period. The APC may grant a variance for special off drive way parking
if
they
feel it is appropriate. To apply for a variance, residents may download
a copy of the application for approval form from the Resources for Residents
page
of the GWW website.
In addition, the APC will be monitoring the neighborhood occasionally
for obvious violations of the covenants. This is being done in an effort
to spare
residents
from the responsibility of reporting their neighbors for violations,
and to promote greater harmony among residents. Property owners may,
as always,
register
a complaint with the APC for perceived violations which they are not
able to resolve by simply talking to their neighbor. It is hoped that
the occasional
monitoring will make such complaints less necessary.
Residents with questions or concerns about these or any policies of the
APC are encouraged to attend a Committee meeting and talk directly with
the members,
who will make every effort to be of assistance.
The next two meetings of the APC will be on April 11 and May 9 at 7 pm
at the pavilion. Residents with questions for the APC are always welcome
and
encouraged
to attend the meetings, to speak or simply to observe. POA members and
visitors may speak during the public forum portion of the meeting.
News from the GWW Water Board
ECO Resources contacted the Goldenwood West Water Supply Corporation
on December 27, 2006 stating that they would only renew the current
contract on April
1, 2007 if we agreed to a substantial increase in their monthly management
fee.
This notice came as a surprise to the Water Board since we had worked
with ECO for several months to establish the budget and rate structure
for 2007.
The new rate would have been an approximate $10/month impact to all
of our members. We were unable to reach an agreement with ECO on the new
proposed
rate structure so the Water Board began to look for other options.
The Water Board solicited proposals from three other water supply management
companies and selected: Professional General Management Services, Inc,
(PGMS), 26550 Ranch Road 12, Suite 1, Dripping Springs, TX 78620
PGMS will take over the management of the water supply company on April
1, 2007. The March bills will be issued by ECO with payments directed
to PGMS.
The Water Board is excited about our new partnership with PGMS. PGMS
is a local company with outstanding credentials and impeccable references.
There
was an
increase in the monthly management fee over the current ECO contract
rate but significantly less that the new ECO proposal. PGMS being located
locally
should
reduce travel costs and response time. Though there is an increase
in the monthly management cost, the Water Board has opted not to adjust
the customer
billing
rates at this time. We are optimistic at this time that there are some
other variable areas in the budget that may be reduced by the change
in the management
team. While we are optimistic at this time there could a midyear rate
adjustment if our cost saving expectations are not met. PGMS expects
to have electronic
bill payment as a service in the very near future. This has been a
service
several of our members have asked about.
LCRA is planning on having water lines on our section of FM 1826 by
the end of summer. However the cost to convert to LCRA water could
be significant
and the benefits may not justify the cost impact. We will provide a
more detailed
report on this meeting at a later date. The opportunity to hook into
LCRA
could still be several years away. The Water Board wants to assure
members that we
are attempting to look at different options to provide the best quality,
service and lowest cost for our members.
The GWW Water Board meets on the 3rd Tuesday of each month at 7:30
pm at the pavilion. Look for a posting on the mail station, or call
the
GWW Administrator
at 858-9528 to verify meeting date and time.
Helpful Information
For useful reference information, such as a listing of area churches and telephone
numbers for important local contacts, please go to our neighborhood web site
at www.goldenwoodwestpoa.org or contact
the webmaster.
This newsletter published for:
Goldenwood West
Property Owners’ Association
16200 Westview Trail
Austin, TX 78737-9068
(512) 858-9528 office
Administrator@GoldenwoodWestPOA.org
www.GoldenwoodWestPOA.org
Please direct comments,
articles, email subscriptions
and inquiries regarding
advertisements to the above address.
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