Southbank - April 2001 Newsletter

The Southbank Messenger

April 2001
Editor: Kyle Forlano
2230 South Abbey Loop608-1683
kforlano@wireweb.net

Hello everybody, welcome to the latest Southbank Messenger. I hope you are enjoying our beautiful spring. We just LOVE Texas - especially when we talk to our relatives in the Northeast who are freezing!

I’ve updated the Southbank Directory in conjunction with this month’s newsletter. Thanks to the fine suggestion of our neighbor Gregg Marshall, I’ve added e-mail addresses to the list. If you would like your e-mail address added to the list, please let me know. Also, please double-check your entry in the directory. If it needs to be corrected, let me know and I’ll fix it for next time. We have so many neighbors now, that I assume everything is correct until I hear otherwise.

Dallas Haupt, one of our neighbors who works for Parker Distinguished Homes, has provided some information on the new Model Home that is going up on the corner of Normandy Grace and Southbank Blvd. As you’ve probably noticed in your daily travels, we’re seeing lots of new construction in our neighborhood now. Dallas has offered to provide builder updates for the newsletter on the progress in our neighborhood (not just for Parker Homes, but for the builders in general). It may not be long until we’re all filled up!

Thanks to Nancy Waite, I’ve added some information about use and reservations of the Clubhouse. Before getting this list, I was not aware of several of these rules. So, to help you avoid any confusion when you reserve the clubhouse, I’m including the rules here in the newsletter. I know some of these rules are bound to make some people unhappy. Please, be aware that the rules exist for the good of EVERY neighbor here in Southbank. If you have suggestions for changes to the rules, please let Nancy Waite or Gaye Slomka know, but obey the current rules until they are changed.

As always, let me know if you would like to see any changes to this newsletter or any corrections to the directory. I can be reached at
608-1683 or kforlano@wireweb.net.

It’s tax time again and, along with that cheery note, I have some other sobering news. We’ve just found out that the City of New Braunfels will probably annex us this summer. We don’t know a lot about this yet, but we did ask our attorney to discuss the issue with the city. He has done so, and the results of his conversation with the City Attorney are summarized below:

Southbank is one of several areas that are listed on the city’s annexation plan, to be annexed in 2001. There are ten of these areas tentatively scheduled for annexation in 2001 from which the city may choose. It appears that Southbank and Hunter’s Creek are at the top of the list for annexation this year. The City Attorney anticipates that the process will begin in August. City Council must initiate the process and we may then make our desires known.
Following annexation, city taxes for each property owner would be approximately $310 per $100,000 valuation. These tax rates will increase if the upcoming bond issue passes. Our attorney thinks they could double, if the bond issue passes in its entirety.

Following annexation, the city is not required to provide utility service to newly annexed areas currently served by other utility providers. We fall into that category, since we receive water from Green Valley, sewer service from GBRU, and electricity from GVEC. There is no legal obligation for New Braunfels Utilities (NBU) to pick up those services.
Neither is there a legal obligation for the city to assume responsibility for maintenance of our streets. Our attorney tells us that we would have to dedicate the streets to the city and the city would have to accept them before they would be responsible for maintenance. Once dedicated and accepted, we would never be able to put a gate on the entranceway. The city would provide garbage pick-up…twice weekly…at a current rate of $8.00 per month. The city would also provide fire and emergency medical service to the subdivision with a five minute response time. The subdivision would also become subject to existing city ordinances that would include traffic regulation, code compliance, noise violations and various other matters. We could also seek additional ordinances specific to the subdivision related to parking and other issues.

The state law governing annexation has been amended and major changes go into effect in three years. At that time, owners affected by annexation may have additional rights. The city will probably be more aggressive in their annexation efforts in the next two or three years so as to complete these actions prior to the new law going into effect.

That’s what we know now. Our survey indicates that about two of three owners do not favor annexation. If you have thoughts on this subject let me (or any other board member) know. We’ll have our first board meeting on this subject in the near future. I anticipate an owner’s meeting will be required in the next month or so.

Just a reminder…with the spring comes wildlife. We’ve had several snake sightings already this year and the latest comes from the greenbelt behind Country Grace South. One of our owners recently found a coral snake there.

We’re in the third year of what is widely recognized as drought. That means that food supplies for all wildlife are dwindling and, as a result, many species are moving into areas populated by humans. This includes rats, mice and other small animals that are the favored prey of snakes. Which means, in turn, that we’ll see more snakes than usual.

For those who may not know, we have four poisonous snakes in Texas. They are the coral snake, rattlesnake, water moccasin and copperhead. We may see any of the four in Southbank. Vivid bands of color easily identify the coral snake. If the red band is next to the yellow band…beware. Another similar snake has adjacent red and black bands and is non-poisonous. Just remember the rhyme: Red and yellow kill a fellow. As for the others, they are all members of the pit viper family and can be identified by the shape of their heads (generally triangular), short stubby tails, small pits under and in front of their eyes (from which comes the pit viper name) and elongated or cat’s eye pupils. You probably don’t want to get close enough to use these last identifiers.

Most of us have an instinctive urge to kill any snake we see. We would be better served to leave them alone. We have several other species of snakes in the area, which are non-poisonous and beneficial. They will help control several pests which are much more destructive. If, however, you suffer snakebite, make every effort to kill or collect the snake for identification…a most important element of medical treatment.

We’ve had several complaints about pets. While most are controlled, there are a few cats that roam the neighborhood and prey on birds and small animals. The covenants require that owners control their pets at all times. Please ensure that your pet is not allowed to roam the neighborhood.

Another less savory (pun intended) aspect must also be addressed. We have a lot of dogs in the neighborhood. Most are walked or exercised on our streets. Some are allowed to leave “presents” in the yards adjacent to the streets. Those of us who receive these offerings must then clean them up. I doubt that any of us are against dogs…but those of us who own them are responsible for cleaning up after them. Please do so.

We are developing a substantial listing of the email addresses of our owners. We’ve found it to be a remarkable means of communication and one that has the potential for great benefit. Just recently, one of our owners lost a cat and we were able to advertise that fact on email with the result that the cat was found and returned to its home. On another occasion we used it to let people know that we were facing annexation.

If your address is not included in our listing, we would like to have it. We won’t release it and we won’t publish it in the directory unless you tell us to do so. We have fewer than half our residents listed so we are in the early stages of using this means of communication. Send your e-mail to our manager at: owners@axs4u.net. [Editor’s Note: If you would like your e-mail address published in the Southbank directory, also send it to me at kforlano@wireweb.net]

That’s it for this month. See you around the neighborhood. I can be contacted at jtaylor385@aol.com or 608-1201.

The other morning when I was working at the office Paul Porter stopped by and shared a story with me that I thought I should share with all of you. Paul’s wife Betty had a stroke a couple of months ago. They were at home at the time of the stroke, so naturally Paul called 911. To his great dismay, it took the EMS unit 20 minutes to get to his house during which time the unit had to call him back to get directions. Paul told me that he had no idea that the closest unit, that being the unit on County Line Road, would not be responding since we are not in New Braunfels city limits. The unit that did respond was one that came from Seguin. This story was shared and discussed at the “Meet the Candidates” night sponsored by the Women’s Club. As a result of that discussion, Debbie Werner and Steve Sokolyk have volunteered to carry on further discussions with the Guadalupe County officials to see if there are some other options for us, since 20 minutes is a very, very long time to wait in an emergency. Of course, in the event we become annexed in New Braunfels the response time would then be cut to 5 minutes. Paul Porter and I just thought that you need to be aware that you may be waiting for an EMS unit from Seguin to respond to your emergency and to be prepared for that slower response time.

On a different note – the tennis courts and lights are now finished. At the time we are not using a sign-up system for the tennis courts, they are just on a first come/first served basis. The light control box is outside the court area, at the corner closest to the swimming pool. There are two separate switches, one for each court. Please let me know if you begin to have problems getting court time and we will then come up with a sign-up system.

As you have seen, the pool awning is now complete. We should have lots and lots of shade by the pool this summer. The playscape is still under construction and we hope to have it completed before the Easter party on the 16th. The rain has slowed the playscape project down some but it was wonderful to have some rain after such a long spell without any.

Remember to mark your calendars for Southbank's Second Annual Easter Egg Hunt & Social is Sunday, April 16th, from 2:00 - 4:00 pm

Come and meet your neighbors, nibble on cookies, take pictures with the Easter Bunny, enjoy the petting zoo, and have your face painted by
Southbank's very own Dayna Miller. Don't be late because our Easter Bunny will begin the hunt shortly after 2:00. There will be activities for the kids and refreshments for all. Bring your children or your grandchildren. Everyone is welcome to attend!

Please Join Us For A Southbank Social "Come and Meet Your Neighbor Potluck Supper" on Sunday, May 21st beginning at 4:30pm.

Pack your picnic basket and bring a dish to pass! There will be activities
for the kids, games for the adults and lots of time to relax and chat with
your neighbors.

There is still time to get involved with the Southbank Women's Club. We meet on the second Thursday of each month at 6:30ish for social time and refreshments. Childcare is provided free at each meeting, and reservations are not required. Please plan to attend our spring meetings:

Thursday, April 13th: Wine Tasting with Dry Comal Creek Vineyards at the Southbank Clubhouse.

Thursday, May 11th: End of the Year Social at the home of Beth Sokolyk with childcare provided on site.

There are no membership requirements for the Southbank Women's Club and all women of Southbank are welcome to attend. We look forward to seeing you!

Dear Kyle,
We complain often but too often forget to commend someone for a good deed:
A big “THANK YOU” to Tray Leggett, Don’s son. When we had a flat tire on 725 about a mile from Southbank, I was walking home to call for help. He stopped, had me use his mobile phone, and took me home with my groceries so they wouldn’t spoil. All with a big smile and courteous manner!
Pat Dial, 2346 Brittany Grace

Southbank’s own Betty Porter at 2389 Essex Grace is a professional artist and author of Creativity in Art. Her work has been displayed in galleries in New York and Paris. She will be closing her studio in order to downsize to a smaller home. This means a great sale on sculptures, watercolors, oils; framed and unframed available. Please call Betty at 629-1032 for more information.

There is quite a bit of new construction taking place in our subdivision - more than we have seen in some time. New construction creates challenges such as keeping the roads clean and the debris picked up, but it also has many benefits. Heartwood Homes, Southwest Homes, Moreno Homes and Parker Distinguished Homes are currently building new homes in Southbank. Additionally, there are also some individuals who are building their own homes. The objective is to build out the subdivision as soon as possible which will alleviate construction traffic and increase property values.

Parker Distinguished Homes, Inc. in particular has chosen Southbank as its focus. The home at the corner of Normandy Grace and Southbank Blvd. will be Parker’s Open House (Model Home) for the next few years. Parker Distinguished Homes has built quite a few homes in Southbank over the past five years. Rory Parker, founder and owner of Parker Distinguished Homes, as well as Dallas Haupt, an employee of Parker Distinguished Homes, have lived in Southbank for the past five years and they are very excited at the opportunity to further improve the neighborhoods appearance and property values.

The open house will officially open in May and will have many of the features offered in new homes today. The home combines architectural appeal as well as the practical function of day to day living. The home will be open to the public 7 days a week with set business hours. Extra drive and concrete have been poured for additional parking to keep cars off the streets. Every effort will be made by Parker Distinguished Homes to assure that this endeavor will be mutually beneficial for Parker Homes, as well as current and future homeowners of Southbank. In the near future you will be receiving an invitation to preview the home prior to the grand opening.

If you have any questions about the Model Home, please feel free to contact Parker Distinguished Homes at 609-5533 or Dallas Haupt at
609-0105.

Dates to Remember:
Mark your calendars with these upcoming Southbank activities. If you have any that you would like to add to this community calendar, please let me know - Kyle

April 13, 6:30 pm - Women’s Club
April 16, 2:00 pm - Easter Party
April 19, 7:00 pm - Bridge Night

May 11, 6:30 pm - Women’s Club
May 17, 7:00 pm - Bridge Night
May 21, 4:30 pm - Meet Your Neighbors Potluck Gathering

October 12, 6:30 pm - Women’s Club
October 18, 7:00 pm - Bridge Night
October 29 - Halloween Party and Neighborhood Trick or Treat Night

December 14, 6:30 pm - Women’s Club
December 10 - Christmas Party
December 20, 7:00 pm - Bridge Night

If you would like to add you or your child’s name to the yellow pages, please contact me with the specialty, name and phone number - Kyle

Kids’ Jobs:
Specialty Name (age, as of Feb 2001) Phone
Aluminum Can Recycling Sean Smith (12) 606-0272
Baby-Sitting Kayde Campbell (13) 629-1517
Amanda Miller (11) 629-2829
Brittany Waite (14) 620-0070
Tyler Waite (14) 620-0070
Rebecca Westerbur(13) 609-0972
Lawn Mowing Chas Campbell (15) 629-1517
Tyler Waite (14) 620-0070
Pet-Sitting Robert Blevens (10) 608-9855

Adults’ Products and Services:
Specialty Name Phone
Discovery Toys Lavelle Ferris 606-0010
Fence Building/Repair Jeff Shelton 620-5945
Financial Software Preston Clancey 606-0323
Home Interiors Shaina Corzine 620-9484
Housekeeping Yolanda Hernandez 609-0105
Real Estate Bobbie Landrum 625-1134

Welcome to Our New Neighbors:
Art and Jean Clonts, 2242 Kensington Way, 606-6719
Fred and Sally Lohse, 148 Country Grace South, 608-9867
Bill and Delores Randall, 2267 Kensington Way, 629-7626

Manager’s Office Hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 8:00am– 11:00am
phone: 629-4212 e-mail: owners@axs4u.net
Position Person Phone
Board President Jim Taylor 608-1201
Board Vice President Art Clonts 627-0318
Board Member Craig Hollmig 625-1840
Board Member Kelly Gantt 606-2105
Board Member Paul Rimmelin 629-7285
Association Manager Gaye Slomka 625-1718
Architectural Committee Dick Gray 609-2007
Clubhouse Coordinator Nancy Waite 620-0070
Finance Committee Brad Hardin 606-7941
Neighborhood Watch
Newsletter Editor Kyle Forlano 608-1683
Restrictions Committee Tom Wolf 629-4640
Social Committee Beth SokolykBonnie Harper 606-5810609-3229
Welcome Committee AnnaBeth Darr 606-2379
Women’s Club Bonnie Harper 609-3229

Main Building:
1. ALL use of the clubhouse must be reserved so that conflicts do not occur. This includes Southbank functions.
2. Each Southbank home/lot owner may use the clubhouse up to six times in each calendar year. This does not include Southbank functions.
3. Reservations may be made by calling the Clubhouse Coordinator [Currently Nancy Waite, 620-0070]. The home/lot owner must make the reservation and must be in attendance at the function at all times.
4. You have reserved the clubhouse only, not the pool area. Encourage guests to remain indoors to avoid accidents and conflicts. The pool area is available to home/lot owners at all times.
5. The key will be given to the home/lot owner at a prearranged time and must be returned after the cleanup of the function. Time for key pick-up must be determined with the Clubhouse Coordinator at least 24 hours in advance.
6. There are 14 6-foot long tables. The room will accommodate about 75 people comfortably. Tables and chairs are not to be taken outside the clubhouse and may not be borrowed.
7. All wheeled vehicles must be parked in the parking area.
8. Bathing attire permitted in pool and fitness areas only.
9. Owner reserving the clubhouse is responsible is liable for any damage to the clubhouse during use.
10. You must clean the clubhouse before you leave.
A. Leave 6 tables up with 6 chairs to a table.
B. Vacuum the carpeted floor area (vacuum is in the closet).
C. Sweep and mop the tile floors (broom and mop are in the closet).
D. Empty ALL items from the refrigerator and freezer.
E. Clean the kitchen area. You must bring your own supplies (dish soap, dish cloths/towels, all-purpose cleaner)
F. Bag ALL trash in plastic bags and put it in the cans outside.
G. Turn off all lights, heat and air conditioners.
H. Lock all doors.
Note: Take your own ice because the icemaker does not work. Also, utensils are limited, so consider your needs before your function.

Fitness Room:
1. No one under 16 is allowed in the fitness room without parental supervision.
2. No food or drink is allowed in the fitness room.
3. Fitness room doors must be locked at all times.

Tennis Courts:
1. Tennis courts are for tennis ONLY.
2. No one under 12 is allowed on the tennis courts without parental supervision.
3. Limit tennis play to one set if others are waiting.
4. No glass containers are allowed on the tennis courts.

Pool:
1. Pool is open from 6:00am - 11:00pm.
2. No tubes are allowed when other swimmers are present.
3. No glass containers in the pool area.
4. No food or drinks in the pool.
5. No children under 12 without adult supervision.
6. No non-family groups larger than 6 people.
7. Pool parties are allowed Monday-Thursday only, before 9:00pm. The maximum number of people in attendance is 20 (including the home/lot owner). Your function is NOT private - any home/lot owner may use the pool at any time during open hours. Pool parties must be scheduled in advance with the Clubhouse Coordinator.
8. Keep the gate locked at all times.
9. Restrooms are locked and require your pool key to enter.