Cinco Ranch II - Role of the Management Company
Have you ever wondered exactly what it is that C.I.A. Services, Inc., the management company, handles for Cinco Ranch? The management company has a much bigger role than sending residents a letter when the deed restrictions have been violated.
C.I.A. Services was hired by the Homeowners Association (HOA) and is charged with making sure the day-to-day business of the community is handled. One of the management company’s most well-known contractual obligations is the enforcement of the deed restrictions. The enforcement procedure followed is approved by the Board and meets any requirements of both the governing documents and local, state, and county laws. The procedure for Cinco Ranch II requires advance approval by the Board of Directors before any issues are sent to the attorney. The process often takes time and each owners’ due process must be afforded to them.
Another area handled by C.I.A. Services is financial management. The commonly known aspect of financial management is the collection of assessments. However, it also includes issuing checks for payable items, preparing monthly financial reports, and presenting an annual budget for Board approval. The yearly budget is set by the Board, and funds are expended at the Board’s authorization.
Another item handled by C.I.A. Services is the coordination of common area maintenance. Two Maintenance Coordinators are assigned to the community to regularly inspect the common areas, solicit bids, issue work orders for maintenance needs, and negotiate contracts for landscaping, pool management, and pest control.
C.I.A. Services processes architectural control applications and communicates decisions to homeowners. They also schedule and prepare information packages for Board meetings and answer homeowner questions received either via email or phone.
Things C.I.A. Services does not do include changing or modifying deed restrictions, attending to street light outages, or reporting street and curb issues. They are not the decision makers; rather, they are the facilitator of the Board’s decisions.
Anytime you have questions regarding Cinco Ranch II, do not hesitate to contact C.I. A. Services. The management team assigned to Cinco Ranch II includes Laura Tate, General Manager; Kim Cowart, Community Manager, Norris Daniels and Anderson Campbell, Maintenance Coordinators; Kassye Deggs, Administrative Assistant; Lindsay Scholfield, Community Coordinator; and Ryne Williams, Community Assistant. The team is supported by a full Customer Service department that is available to assist with any community need. The On-Site staff at the Lake House can be contacted via phone at 281-394-7195; messages left off hours will be returned during Lake House business hours. C.I.A. Services can be emailed at through their website at www.ciaservices.com or at CustomerCare@ciaservices.com. You can also call at 713-981-9000; Customer Care offers extended customer service hours from 8 am to 8 pm Monday through Friday.
ROLLINGWOOD POOL – UPDATE
We have identified that the zero-depth entry near the splash feature has begun to chip off, creating a harsh surface. When the pool was investigated at the opening of this pool seasons, the area did not appear to be significantly rough. Unfortunately, once the pools opened, it did become an issue for soft, wet feet of younger children.
At this time, mats and chairs were put in place at the zero-depth entry to provide a safe pathway entry and to avoid the need to close the pool during the swim season. The mats are a temporary measure. We are already in the process of soliciting proposals for a new surface and are looking at alternatives to the existing tile product. The installation of the new surface will be completed during the off season.
Thank you for your understanding and patience
The Cinco Ranch 2 Board of Directors consists of 7 members. Each Board member is elected for a term of 2 years. The way the By-Laws are written, and within a calendar year, 4 members are elected every “odd” year, and 3 members are elected every “even” year. Therefore, roughly half the Board is elected each year.
The Board of Directors is charged with implementing the Association’s purpose to maintain and improve the value of the community. Some of their duties include:
After each election, the Board is required to select officer positions. The Officer positions are:
President – the role of the President is that of a leader. The President typically presides over the meetings, keeps the agenda going and ensures sound decisions are made. The President leads discussions and ensures productivity.
Vice President – the Vice-President shall act in place of the President in the event of his/her absence, inability or refusal to act, and shall exercise and discharge such other duties as may be required of this position by the Board.
Secretary – the Secretary is typically responsible for the minutes of the meeting; however, the Community Manager is often assigned this task and the Secretary signs the acceptance of the minutes upon board approval.
Treasurer – the Treasurer reviews the payables and financials. Management handles the daily operation of the financials; however, the Treasurer serves as a checks and balance.
All board members are part of the discussions and the decision making process. All board members spend time outside of meetings communicating with the neighbors and preparing for handling community business.
All Board meetings are open to all residents of Cinco Ranch 2. The exception is during their Executive session (or, “closed session.”). The purpose of the Executive Session is so that Board may discuss information that is confidential. By keeping this portion of the meeting closed, it protects ALL homeowners’ privacy. We are required, by law, to maintain your privacy; by holding this short portion of the meeting as a closed session, we can guarantee everyone’s property related business remains anonymous, and safeguarded. After the conclusion of each Executive Session, an announcement of any decisions made during the closed session is made, in general terms, so as to continue to protect homeowners’ privacy.
As a note from your Board, elected by YOU, we encourage you to attend meetings and make your voice heard. Presently, Board meetings are held the third Wednesday of the month, at 5 PM. If you cannot attend, you can still contact the Board directly using the Contact Us form.
Cinco Ranch Residential Association II will be home to 6,358 homes upon build out. At this moment, we currently have 6,083 homes that are already occupied, with more coming very soon.
With the growth of the Community, there is an increase of traffic, whether it be on the main thoroughfares or on the inner parts of each section. This may cause obstructions in the flow of traffic in certain areas for residents, school buses, Sheriff Deputies, and other emergency vehicles. We are requesting that you take into consideration the traffic flow in the area and utilize your garage and driveway.
Please be conscience of parking in your driveway and not “sticking out” onto the street, or blocking the sidewalk. If you have multiple vehicles at your residence, you may need to allow additional time to “shuffle” them to allow another household member to leave, or work out a parking plan so that everyone knows when and where to park.
Summer is here, and many of us will have friends and family who will be coming to town to visit. Extra vehicles can cause inconvenient parking situations. We ask that you please refrain from parking your cars on the streets overnight. Not only is this an eye-sore, it can become an extreme safety issue. Emergency vehicles may not be able to pass between two cars parked on a street, or this may cause your neighbors the inability to back out of their driveways safely. Most importantly, this could put children playing in danger with the risk of getting hit by passing cars as there will be a blind spot.
Though the Deed Restrictions in Cinco Ranch II do not prohibit street parking, there are many parking situations that can be deemed illegal under Fort Bend County and state laws. When parking near the corner of a street, you must leave at least 20 feet away from the bumper of your car to the corner; if that corner has a stop sign, the law requires a minimum of 30 feet instead of 20. When parking near a fire hydrant, you must leave at least 15 feet from the bumper of your car to the hydrant, on either side of the hydrant. It is also illegal to park in a manner that blocks a driveway or intersection. Additionally, when parking in a cul-de-sac, cars should be parked parallel to the curb as they normally would on a straight curb; parking with your front or rear bumper to the curb at a cul-de-sac, as if it were a “parking spot,” is also illegal.
When parking, you should ask yourself, have I created a hazard? Would an emergency vehicle be able to get to someone’s home? Have I created an attraction for children to play hide and seek? Have I created a blind spot for motorist? Do you want to be the reason something serious happened to your neighbor or yourself? We are asking everyone in the neighborhood to think of these different things and protect each other before parking.
Thank you for your cooperation.
Your Board of Directors recently adopted a new set of guidelines for landscaping, to supplement the current Architectural Guidelines and Community Covenants. These new guidelines outline what type of grass may used, the maximum allowable height of your grass, and other general guidelines for the overall maintenance of the landscaping on your property. The biggest item to change of note is grass – previously, the Community Covenants only allowed Bermuda grass (in the “original” sections, St. Augustine was allowed). Under this new guideline, in addition to Bermuda, Zoysia and St. Augustine are now also allowed. More information regarding the new Landscaping Guidelines can be found under the Home Improvements page and the Documents/Meetings/Budgets page.
Cinco Ranch Residential Association II is governed by a Home Owner’s Association (HOA), which includes legal documents (Deed Restrictions) that outlines what you can and cannot do. Where you store your trash receptacles is one of the things outlined in these documents.
During our regular deed restriction audits, we cite a large number of homes who are placing their trash cans/bags at the curb the day before trash day. Not only is this not appealing for the community, it is costs the association money to print and mail letters to each homeowner for this violation (a violation that is very easy to correct). Please do not place your trash/trash cans at the curb earlier than 6:00 PM the day before any trash pickup day. If you have a landscaper that maintains your lawn, ask them to either take the clippings with them once they have completed work or place the bag of clippings behind your fence.
This also includes leaving receptacles at the curb, and in plain view after the pickup has been completed. The receptacles should be removed from view the same day as pick up.
If we all work together, this will lower the cost of postage and copies for your Association and keep your community looking beautiful!
Thank you for your cooperation.
