New to our site, the most current information about our community for our community.

Message from the Board (posted 12/11/2008)

            This message is to inform you that after May, 2009, if no homeowners come forward with interest in serving on the Board, we will no longer have a viable Board.  What this means is that we can no longer conduct business on behalf of the community.

            According to the Willow Pointe By-Laws Article VI Section 6.1 – Number

The affairs of the Association shall be managed by a Board of at least three (3) but no more than five (5) directors who need not be Members of the Association.

            I am sure you are asking how did we get to this critical point or what has changed?  What has changed is that Noah Herrera, because of work demands, resigned from the Board in November.  In May, 2009 President Greg Decker’s term expires and he has announced he will not run again.  Greg was recently appointed to the Board of MUD 10 which will be a time consuming task.  Over the past year we have used the Willow Pointe Newsletter to solicit interest in serving on the Board as well as individually talking with many of you but have had no interest or response.

            The commitment of time varies from month to month.  We hold regular meetings with the management company monthly and, on occasion, have an additional session depending on our workload.  We encourage each Board member to Chair a committee.  We commonly communicate via e-mail if a subject requires input or a decision prior to the next regular meeting.

            Personal attributes we look for in a prospective Board member include:

·         A Team Player Attitude

·         Effective Communication

·         Leadership Qualities

·         Is Proactive, Flexible and Diplomatic

·         Demonstrates integrity

It is not necessary to wait until May, 2009 to fill the current open positions (2).  All you need to do is to contact the Board at www.whpoa.board@willowpointe.org , call Randall Management at 713-728-1126 or contact one of the current Board members.  All interested homeowners will be asked to meet with the Nominating Committee who will forward their recommendation and comments to the Board.  The Board has the authority to appoint an individual to an open Board position.

Please strongly consider supporting your community by serving on the Board.

Please view the December newsletter for Q&A.

Message from the Board

            After discussion at the Board level we have decided not to host a Town Hall Meeting this month.  The Board is keenly aware that many homeowners are focused on home repairs, the economic situation in addition to balancing the demands of home life and jobs.  To that end we invite you to “speak out” by e-mailing the Board at www.wphoa.board@willowpointe.org.  We will share the questions, comments and concerns on the website as we receive them so that all can benefit from the dialogue.

            Budget performance, while good overall, will most likely end the year in the red.  If necessary, our plan is to pull some from the reserve account to cover the deficit.  The reserve account is healthy and positions us to manage unforeseen capital expenses as well as satisfy the recommendations set forth in our Reserve Study.  Further enriching our reserve account is the interest income of $4,846 year to date as of September.

            We have agreed to be “risk takers” this year and are not proposing an increase to the annual assessment fee.  This will be our fourth consecutive year of no assessment increase.  We will be challenged as never before to manage our costs and we will look to all homeowners to support some potentially hard decisions down the road.

            Randall Management has done an outstanding job of collections this year.  As of month end September 96% of the assessments have been collected.  They have drilled down our bad debt to a record level.

            As we near year end the Board is requesting that all homeowners give serious consideration to joining us.  There is currently one position vacant with the potential for another this spring.  With shrinking man power we question our own commitments to the community. We do not want to burn out before our terms are over but not having a full Board is taxing on all of us. While we appreciate your positive comments, what we really need is your time and talent  ~ we assure you it does not take a whole lot of either!  An individual who is bi-lingual or multi-lingual would be a great benefit to the community.

Please contact us of your interest or if you have questions at www.wphoa.board@willowpointe.org.

Regards,

Greg, Scott, Noah and Judith

(added 10/14/08)

Parking Strip Trees

            Early in the planning and development phase of Willow Pointe the developer planted over a hundred Live Oak trees along Trail Ridge, Pony Express and Willow Crossing.  These were positioned between the sidewalk and the curb in front of newly built homes and lots for sale.  There was no charge to the new or future homeowner for these trees however the agreement was that the care, maintenance and replacement, should that become necessary, was the responsibility of the homeowner.

            Recently the Board of Directors reviewed the matter and unanimously supports the earlier agreement and is further supported by the Willow Pointe covenant (Article VIII Section 1, Article X Section 17 and 18.)  If you have removed your parking strip tree you are required to replace it.  At minimum, the new tree must have a 2 inch trunk at planting. 

            The general health of many of the parking strip trees is poor.  Pruning, thinning, sucker removal and trimming large branches which flow over the sidewalk or road is necessary.  Tree maintenance can be done anytime between now and February.

(added 10/14/08)

Garbage Service

Most everything you would want to know!

Information provided by Allied Waste Services

1.  Weekly collection of household garbage occurs on Monday and Thursday.  All trash must be ready for pick-up buy 7.a.m.  IF THE COLLECTION DATES FALLS ON A HOLIDAY THERE WILL BE NO GARBAGE COLLECTION AND THERE IS NO MAKE UP FOR THE MISSED DAY.  Please do not place your garbage out until the morning of collection.

2.  Recycle box collection occurs ONLY on Monday. 

3.  All brush; tree trimmings and other wood products must be tied bundled and placed on the curb.  Bundles should not exceed 4 feet in length or 50 pounds in weight.  If your items are not bundled, tied or larger, they will not be collected.

4.  Heavy trash is collected curbside on the LAST Thursday of each month.  Heavy trash consists of items such as refrigerators, stoves, hot water heater, furniture, moving boxes etc.  ALL BOXES MUCH BE FLATTENED.  An appliance technician must post a notice on refrigerators/freezers/air conditioners stating that Freon has been removed otherwise they will not be picked up.

The following items WILL NOT be picked up

·         Construction material

·         Tires

·         Paint cans

·         Motor Oil

·         Tree trunks

·         Car parts

·         Cement/bricks

·         Any hazardous material

·         Metals

·         Doors

5.  If you have questions, please call customer service at 713-635-6666 between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

6.  To request a recycle bin call 713-635-6666 (Customer service).  It usually takes about 10 days.

PLEASE KEEP TRASH CANS OUT OF PLAIN VIEW ON DAYS WE DO NOT HAVE TRASH PICK UP.

Tip – BAG IT!

Eliminate those horrible garbage can odors by lining your can with a heavy plastic liner.  Just lift it our and place the bag at curb side.  This also helps to cut down on the spilled garbage that litters our community.

(added 10/14/08)

Willow Pointe Board

New Garage Sale Policy

            We have had feedback from a number of Willow Pointe residents regarding Garage Sales.  Their concerns are that there seem to be a good number of these taking place each week-end which brings in unwanted traffic and congestion.

            In April, 2001 the Board of Directors set a policy prohibiting any garage sale by an individual other than the two Association organized/sponsored events each year  (the week-end following Easter and Labor Day).

            The current Board has reviewed the above policy and has modified it to allow for one (1) additional g. sale per residence per year.   If you conduct an additional g. sale you must request approval in ADVANCE via www.wphoa.board.willowpointe.org.

We will put in place an “honor system” and ask for your cooperation.  Be a good neighbor and inform those you live nearby of your plans so as to avoid blocked driveways and other street congestion.  Please notify the Board if you are aware of “too frequent” garage sale activity       in your area.  As always, if you have questions, comments or concerns about this change in policy, let us know.

(added 10/14/08)

Calling ALL Babysitters

            If you are interested in babysitting for residents of Willow Pointe and want to be placed on our resource list; please e-mail dhwillowpointe@yahoo.com.

            If you are looking for child care for that special evening out or football game, e-mail Denise and she will pass along names and numbers.

(added 10/14/08)

Basketball Hoops

Willow Pointe Covenant Article 10 Section 23

“No basketball hoop and/or backboard shall be installed closer to the front side Lot lines facing on any adjacent street than the applicable building set-back line along such streets.

This requirement stipulates that you may not store basketball hoops on the street when not in use.  Equipment must be stored at the corner of your house on or adjacent to the driveway when not in use and preferably out of sight.

(added 10/14/08)

Hurricane Ike Clean-Up and Repairs

            Here are a few reminders as you process through your list of repairs.

• Fence Replacement – Fences can be 6 foot 6 inches (includes rot board) from grade.  No staining or painting is permitted.
• Roof replacement – The standard shingle color is Weathered Wood.  This is a Timberline product.  You are NOT required to purchase Timberline but the color must match. 
• House Painting – You should have received a color selection sheet produced by Sherwin Williams.  On this sheet are all of the Willow Pointe approved colors.

You are NOT required to purchase Sherwin Williams paint but the color must match if using another brand.  Simply take in your color sheet to any store and they can reproduce the color.

• If you looking for a way to get rid of the tape you put on your windows, try Goof Off.  It is sold at most home improvement stores.

Fence and roof replacement and house painting all require an approved ACC.  This document can be found on the website www.willowpointe.org under the “documents” section.  Please submit fence and paint requests to Randall Management at 9000 West Belfort Suite 311 Houston Texas 77031.  For assistance with roof replacement, contact Board member Judith Schwartz at 832-237-4992.

Please contact us if you have questions at wphoa.board@willowopointe.org.

Request For Tree Variance

Guideline for the Modification Committee & Board for Granting a

Single Tree Variance

              The Willow Pointe covenant states in Article 10 Section 22 – “Each front yard shall have a minimum of two (2) trees of as least a 2 inch trunk caliber”. 

Front lot sizes vary across the community and as a result adequate space to accommodate two trees per front lot is problematic.  A lot should be large enough to accommodate the spreading canopy, in the case of the oak, which typically spreads twice it’s height as the tree matures.  Both pines and oaks grow rapidly when young and unless aggressively trimmed, poor lawn performance will result.

The Board of Directors has developed the following guideline to assist the Modifications Committee in their future as variances are considered.

The requirement for a minimum of two (2) trees each on a front lot is modified to one (1) for each contiguous seven hundred-fifty (750) square feet of front yard.  This does not include the curb area.  The curb area should be maintained according to the original developers plan.  A tree shall be a minimum of 2 inch caliper.

If you currently do NOT have two trees in your front lot due to lot size and believe you meet the above criteria we asked that you complete the request form found on our website (www.willowpointe.org) and submit it to Randall Management @ 9000 West Belfort Suite 311  Houston, Texas 77031. 

Failure to formally request the variance will result in a deed restriction violation.

Any front lot without a single tree will receive a deed restriction violation.  Curb side trees are to be maintained by the homeowner including pruning, watering or tree replacement if necessary.  

Click here for form

(added 08/26/08)

If you are new to the neighborhood and need assistance or have questions please do not hesitate to contact the Board @ wphoa.board@willowpointe.org  or contact our management company at 713-728-1126.

Suggestions for improving the website or adding content can be sent to the Board e-mail address listed above.