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Monthly Newsletter
June 2020
It's June already, friends and neighbors! 
Bulk Week Reminder
"Bulk Week" comes early in the month when the first of the month comes on a Monday!  Hopefully everyone knows Bulk Week here in Rio Crossing is the week of the second Monday of the month.

I'm going to try to put out calendar reminders like the one above to help everyone remember when it's okay to put out bulk trash.  Technically speaking, "just the week of bulk pickup".  But the city doesn't cite anyone starting Thursday the week before -- so we're pretty lenient during that time too.  The few that still put their bulk trash out in the red zone will generally get a notice -- it might come from the association, or it might come from the city.

The vast majority of you have done much better at not putting out bulk trash too early over the last couple of months.  Thanks for your help!

No holiday schedule for trash or recycling pickups in June.
Landscape News
Heatherbrae Entrance
I've been trying to keep everyone updated about the Landscape Revitalization Project.  If you haven't been reading the updates, then I'm sure you've been surprised at the look of the entrance over the last week.  Several sissoo trees were removed, and the shrubs in the area were also removed.

New plants are being installed this week!  Within a week or two -- after they get acclimated and perk up a bit -- you'll notice a big difference.  And by this time next year, it'll look amazing! Check out this web page for more information on the design and future plans.
"Brown Belts" Turning Green
There is always a bit of a brown period when transitioning between summer's Bermuda and winter's Rye grass. The early high heat did a number on the "green belt" areas, so they're taking a little longer to "green up" after the rye grass cutting process and the initial heavy watering cycles.  Stillwater will continue to look after the brownish areas and get them up to green as quickly as possible.  I heard today that they will be putting in some fertilizer over the next week or so.

Over-seeding with Rye Grass brings us nice-looking turf in winter months... but it competes with the Bermuda for "root space", and landscapers recommend not over-seeding every 5-6 years or so, to allow the Bermuda grass to re-establish itself.  In discussing with Stillwater today, I mentioned that having all of our winter turf stay brown for one year makes the entire community look bad during the winter holidays.  We might try a "no over-seed rotation plan" where a different area is allowed to rejuvenate each winter. More on that after we get this summer's turf green again.
No June Board Meeting
We had a board meeting in May, but as you hopefully read, there was no board meeting in April, and there isn't much in the way of unusual business that needs attention, so there's no meeting in June.  If something important comes up, we'll call a special meeting -- and send a notice via the mailing list and PDS's "eblast" system.  The next scheduled regular meeting will be in July.

As I mentioned last month, the Design Review Committee has streamlines their review process, so that any submitted Architectural Requests (ARs) are not sitting waiting for the next board meeting before they're reviewed.  Specifically, solar and painting requests are typically reviewed in under a week, and generally approved if all of the information is provided, and for paint requests, a standard paint scheme is specified. We've also asked PDS to create an AR tracking sheet so we don't lose track of any outstanding ARs, and that is now in place and working well.
Playgrounds and Picnic Areas
The playgrounds and picnic areas now open, but there are signs up alerting folks that they are not being sanitized frequently.  By now everyone should be aware of COVID-19 information from various state and national sources and have some knowledge of the recommendations on how to lower your risk of exposure.

Some folks are saying "this is all overkill", while others are still very concerned about the spread of COVID-19.  Regardless of which side of the discussion you're on, the association has a responsibility to follow a path that is more on the side of caution.  If you have any questions, please follow up with our community manager Lisa.
Association Social Media
The association officially participates in a limited number of social media venues as lines of communication with owners, residents, and others interested in our community.  In general we use social media to help keep you informed.  We do on occasion respond to questions directly, when they are of general interest to a wide group of people.

We do not, however, engage in discussion and debates online.  If you want to discuss anything relating to association business, there are a number of ways for you to engage in discussion with your association leaders -- which includes directors and officers, with the help of management staff.  You can contact me directly via the feedback page on our web site or by replying to these mailing list messages (replies come to me directly), or attend a board meeting -- as many of you have.  You can also reach out to our community manager any time.

See the icons at the bottom of this message to visit our various social media outlets.

PDS Customer Service

A number of you do write to me on occasion, often asking for assistance in matters relating to Architectural Requests or assessment payment issues.  In many cases I'll refer you directly to Lisa, our community manager, and in general I'll either stay in the loop or follow up with you a week or so later.

I'm very happy to say that the feedback regarding PDS as a company and Lisa as our community manager has been excellent.  Those of you that had experience with both the current and previous management companies have commented to me about the positive difference, too.  Thanks for your feedback!

I'm here if you need me... but I'm also very confident that if you contact Lisa directly, you'll be pleased with the member-friendly handling of your issue.
Remember:
  • Please wash your hands often, especially after being in public areas.
  • Wave and smile to your neighbors.  Be friendly.
  • Reach out to people you know who are alone. Let them know you care.
Ray
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