BARTON CREEK RANCH
PROPERTY OWNERS ASSOCIATION

October 1, 2013 Meeting Agenda and Minutes

I.	Opening Comments and Old Business
-	Discussed dual purpose of meeting:  BCRPOA business and National Night Out
-	No minutes from previous meeting; review open items from 2010

•	The Board should send invoices for POA dues to each Property Owner:  Due to rising postage costs, this would be costly and we have limited income due to a low per property assessment ($10 per).  Invoices will continue to be emailed to email addresses on file; others will be mailed via US postal.
•	Improve lightning at the entrance:  Completed
•	Resale certificates require that a property is in compliance with the ACC and dues are paid up to date:  Charles Bonney reported for the ACC by discussing expanded coordination between ACC and property owners in re: incomplete projects (follow up letters, etc).  In addition, delinquent dues must be paid prior to issuance of a resale certificate.  Members were reminded that project applications are available on the web site and that hard copies must be submitted to the ACC for review and consideration.
•	The number of garbage trucks in our subdivision is impacting the roads:  An overview of a proposal from Progressive Waste Solutions for community-wide trash collection was discussed then emailed to property owners for their consideration.  Responses were mixed and no consensus was reached.  This 2010 open item will be closed out.  (See info on last page of these minutes)
•	The maintenance of the entrance is not organized:  Most maintenance is periodically conducted by several property owners.  The POA president will contact Hays County and discuss better maintenance of trees and foliage growing on the easement on each side of the bridge.
 	
-	Trivia: BCR has 96 lots; 77 addresses; 9 owners with multiple lots; 4 undeveloped lots (According to tax record info)

II.	National Night Out
-	Public safety information and pamphlets were on hand.  They also can be obtained by visiting www.usaaedfoundation.org/
-	Deputy Ormsby, Hays County SO, discussed crime prevention tips, i.e., during the holidays, boxes should be cut up rather than being billboards for new items that may interest thieves.  He also mentioned that working traffic enforcement on RR12 is difficult due to the limited number of deputies assigned to the area.  
-	Firefighter Joe Felkel, North Hays County Fire Department, brought a fire truck, gave a presentation to children and allowed them to hold and wear firefighter safety gear.  In the meeting he discussed limited staffing (for 24 hr staffing) at our local fire station but they can handle calls for service without issue.  Fire prevention and safety, as it relates to outdoor burning, was discussed.  A question was posed regarding notifications during emergencies.  Updates can be found on state and county web sites as well as through dsbabble.com.  (Since the meeting, Andy Scott learned that http://haysinformed.com is another resource for obtaining emergency/disaster related information and updates)
-	“SpotCrime” is a free crime mapping website.  Among other features, it will provide a quick view of crime in various areas.  Go to www.spotcrime.com
-	Blue Reflective Address Signs:  Rick Adams mentioned that the current blue reflective address signs are much larger than previous signs.  The current signs are 9” x 18” verses the approximate 4” x 8” signs that are prominent throughout the subdivision.  He also mentioned that he was able to remove the reflective numbers, cut the aluminum sign to approximately the size of the smaller signs, and affix reflective numbers obtained from Home Depot.  The address signs are available from Hays County for $3.  There is a link to the required form on Commissioner Whisenant’s web site as well as the Hays County web site.

III.	Treasurer’s Report:  Ronnie Pinkerton reported that we have $4,567.24 in our treasury.

IV.	BCR POA Web Site

-	Rick Adams reported that he and his son are hosting the BCR POA web site for free.  It is slowly but surely being updated.  He also publicly thanked Karen Mann for previously hosting and maintaining the web site for free.
-	Yahoo Msg Board:  The message board will be discontinued due to lack of use.

V.	New Construction Along RR12 and Increased Traffic
-	A discussion was held regarding concerns about an increase in traffic on RR12 resulting from housing construction, the future Lutheran Church, and the expanded Dripping Springs Ranch Park.  According to Dripping Springs City Hall, traffic studies for RR12 are conducted by TexDOT but such a study was not readily available.  Prior to the meeting, correspondence was sent to Commissioner Whisenant’s office seeking information regarding traffic mitigation plans.  While a response was not received prior to the meeting, Commissioner Whisenant contacted the POA president the day after the meeting.  Commissioner Whisenant apologized for not being timely in providing a response and he indicated that he is preparing a comprehensive, written response regarding traffic mitigation efforts.  His response will be emailed to POA members once it is received.

VI.	City of Dripping Springs Comprehensive Plan
-	A discussion was held regarding the 2010  “City of Dripping Springs Comprehensive Plan.”   The plan is lengthy; it highlights various goals and concerns expressed by a citizen panel.  Some of the issues involved future housing development, bike and pedestrian trails, access to downtown from internal roads (rather than RR12 or 290).  Refer to the PDF that is available on the City of Dripping Springs web site or visit City Hall to review a hard copy of the plan.

VII.	Speeding in BCR Subdivision:  Speeding, cutting corners short, speeding on the bridge after turning off of RR12 was discussed.  Members were asked to remind young drivers, family and friends about the 25mph speed limit in the subdivision.

VIII.	Weed Abatement and Property Upkeep:  Discussion was held regarding the unsightliness of unchecked weeds and abandoned appliances in view of roadways within the subdivision.  The following offers to assist property owners were made:

-	Mel Folger offered to use his personal equipment and time to cut high grass and weeds along the perimeter of the roadways near the drainage ditches.  Some residents expressed a concern about cutting wild flowers when they are in season.  Mel will be mindful of this concern but if weeds become a fire hazard and/or extremely unsightly, the POA president will look into the county cutting along all roadway easements on a more frequent basis and the authority of the association to have unfettered access to maintain the easements on a regular basis.  Members are hopeful that property owners will maintain their respective properties which would make this a moot point.
-	Rick Adams offered to help property owners cut down and remove dead trees that are adjacent to the roadways or in direct view from the roadways.  He also offered to help property owners fill in ruts in driveways adjacent to roadways where rainwater collects and becomes a muddy mess.  Contact Rick for further details regarding his offer.

IX.	Open Discussion (non-agenda items):  Jon Hall provided BCR (for Barton Creek Ranch) stickers that can be placed on vehicles.  While not fool proof (bad guys can catch on and obtain similar stickers), they would help to identify resident vehicles.  He had a limited number available that were passed out to attendees.  If you see Jon, he may have a few more available.

*The following information is a synopsis of the proposals presented from Progressive Waste Solutions and Riata, respectively.  The rates quoted are for exclusive pick up throughout the subdivision.  This item failed to gain sufficient support so this matter is closed.  The rates quoted will not be honored for new individual customers.

Progressive:

Currently provides 32 residents with service (out of 77 residential addresses).  Their current average cost for waste service is $20.68 per month plus fees and taxes, charged quarterly.  The current average cost for recycling using an 18 gallon container is $4.05 per month plus fees and taxes, charged quarterly.

If Progressive Waste provides subdivision wide service to BCR residents, the cost for waste service would be $16.25 per month plus fees and taxes, charged quarterly.  The average cost for recycling (18 gallon container) would be $3.70 per month plus fees and taxes, charged quarterly.

This service would be provided once weekly with both waste and recycle being picked up on the same day (current pick up is on Thursdays).  The waste container is a 95-gallon poly cart and up to six additional 30-33 gallon bags not exceeding 30 pounds each may be put out in addition to the poly cart (grass clippings and leaves may weigh up to 35 pounds).  Bundled brush is included in the six additional bag number and the bundled brush is not to exceed one cubic yard (3'x3'x3'), 4ft length, branches being no larger than 2" in diameter and total weight per bundle not to exceed more than 30 pounds.

Riata:

We appreciate the opportunity to bid your subdivision.  When you are comparing rates, the additional fees other companies may add can include:  franchise tax, county tax, state tax, fuel surcharges, environmental fees, administrative fees, & more.  Our company chooses to charge a flat rate.  We believe that when you look at the true cost from the other company, you will find our rates are more affordable.
If all the residents agree to sign on with one company, we can offer the following rates:
Trash:  
$66/qtr ($22/month...no additional fees) New 96 gallon TOTER brand wheeled cart (made from recycled plastics in Del Rio, Texas)
 
Recycle:  
Option I:   $15/qtr ($5/month...no additional fees) 18 gallon recycle bin
Option II:  $27/qtr ($9/month) more than 18 gallon
We do pick up both trash & recycle on the same day & currently at the same time.  We transport our recycle to the TDS MRF (Material Recovery Facility).  They allow us to single stream our recycle there along with the City of Austin, & the Alley Cat Recycler.  I have attached a recycle newsletter.  You may also direct people to our website at http://www.riatadisposal.com/.  
 
We allow up to two smaller cans or 6 trash bags in addition to our cart per week.  We do ask that the bags be under 40 lbs.  Brush/Tree limbs need to be no larger than 2' X 4' & bundled under 40 lbs each.  We can also offer a large pick up day 2 times per year scheduled by RIATA.  Residents would need to sign up through the office.  Obviously, during Holiday times, we understand there may be more than normal trash per household.  We do not charge extra for these times.  
 
These prices would be honored for 3 years through a signed contract by the HOA & RIATA Disposal Service, LLC.

RAA:raa