Religious Displays (Texas Property Code Section 202.018)

Associations can no longer adopt or enforce restrictions that prohibit religious displays on an owner’s private property or dwelling, regardless of how many there are, how large they are, what they are made of, whether they alter the entry door or door frame, or where they are located.

However, associations can still prohibit religious displays that:

• Threaten public health or safety
• Are attached to traffic control devices, streetlamps, fire hydrants, or utility signs, poles, or fixtures
• Violate a law other than a law prohibiting the display of religious speech
• Are patently offensive to passersby for reasons other than religious content
• Are installed on HOA owned, HOA maintained, or commonly owned property
• Violate a building line, right-of-way, setback, or easement

Texas Property Code (“TPC”) Title 11, includes numerous provisions governing the formation, management, powers, and operation of residential HOAs (usually called “Property Owners Associations” in the statute) in Texas.

 

Chapter 202 of the TPC specifically applies to enforcement of restrictive covenants, and Chapter 204 governs powers of associations in residential communities.

 

The curb appeal of our community depends on each resident maintaining his or her property as completely as possible. For those who keep their homes and yards well maintained, the Association thanks you for your efforts and good examples. We encourage all residents to pay particular attention to the following maintenance items.

• Exterior paint - Paint is a quick and easy way to keep your property looking fresh, new and clean. It will also protect against corrosion, weathering and insects. This includes the paint on your siding as well as your garage door or front door (or stain if you have a natural wood stained garage door or front door).
• Landscaping - Landscaping is extremely important to our community’s curb appeal, as well as staying in compliance with the Deed Restrictions. Please remove weeds, dead plants and branches. Keep shrubs properly pruned and flowers well-tended. Keep yards free of leaves and remove grass clippings after trimming regularly.
• Roofs - Please ensure your roofs are properly maintained and cleaned.
• Driveways and sidewalks - Please repair cracks, pitted or flaking surfaces and other concrete problems. Remove weeds from sidewalk joints and debris from driveways and sidewalks.  Do not use driveways for storage or auto repairs.
• Gutters and downspouts - Please keep them cleaned out to prevent overflowing and flooding.
• Mildew – the sub-tropical climate in the region is a perfect breeding ground for mildew. Please check all of your home, including siding, awnings, windows, fencing, decking, and garage doors, for any mildew that has spring up and may need to be pressure washed off.

As I drive around our residential development the signs that spring has arrived are seen everywhere. The flowers and plants are all blooming in full colors and our neighbors are hard at work repairing winter damage to their yards and flower beds! The Texas Landscape Group has been hard at work; repairing infrastructure, installing spring plantings, and taking care of sod in the entrances and our common areas. Everything is really looking inviting!

 

The highlights of the April 20, 2022, Board of Directors Meeting are as follows:

Property Management Company (PMC): The Board was pleased to announce that a Property Management Agreement covering Cinco Ranch II was executed on April 20, 2022, with RealManage, LLC, which does business as GrandManors of Texas. The agreement is effective on July 1, 2022, to align with the June 30, 2022 expiration
of the current Property Management Agreement. The transition to GrandManors will begin immediately; however, C.I.A. Services will continue to manage our Community until June 30th. C.I.A. Services has been a fantastic partner to the Association since 2008 and their hard work and service over this timeframe are greatly appreciated by the Board and the Association. RealManage was established in 2004 in Austin, Texas, currently operates throughout the United States, and is considered one of the top residential management companies in the country. Their corporate culture was a significant driver in the Board selection as they strive to provide: comprehensive and innovative Community solutions, performance measurement and improvement of physical and “living’ assets, a dedicated onsite staff, innovative IT/ Financial systems, preventative maintenance, and asset controls. Further information on RealManage can be found on their website at: www.realmange.com, and GoodManors will be reaching out to the Association Homeowners with information, contact details, and relevant information in the very near future.
The GrandManors division of RealManage was launched in 2015 and provides management services to large communities like ours that include many amenities and are lifestyle-orientated. In our case, there will be an initial on-site staff of nine, including a General Manager, Community Manager, Landscape Manager, and Maintenance Manager. This on-site staff will be located at the Lake House and our current Field Maintenance Office on Water Plant Road. The structure of the new Property Management Agreement should allow the Association to maintain costs within the current budget, and it is expected that additional savings will be realized in the
future. There will be some costs associated with the transition, but they should be minimal including updating our internet service and office spaces at the Lake House and the Field Office. Most of these changes would need to be made, even if a change in a new PMC did not occur.

 

Winter Storm Uri Insurance Claim: After a very long road, and with great effort by Kimberly Cowart and others, the insurance claim for freeze damages to the  Community assets, including the Ashfield Gardens has been closed and the funds due to the Association have been received.

 

FM 1463 Land Acquisition: This is another long-term project that has been brought to closure. All of the land to be acquired by TXDoT for the widening of FM 1463, which is known at this time, has been completed. From an original offer by the State of approximately $1.1 million, the team was able to secure total compensation to the Association of over $1.6 million, after the costs related to our legal consultant. Hugh kudos to this team and their fine efforts!

 

I hope that this captures the highlights of the meeting for those members who may have not been able to attend the April 20, 2022 meeting.

Regards,
Brett Butterfield, Vice-President
on behalf of Donnie Loubiere

Dear Cinco Ranch II Residents,

 

I hope you all had a nice Spring Break and wish you a happy Easter. Some of the topics touched on at the last board meeting in March were:

 

Property Management Company (PMC): Your Board of Directors is in the process of negotiating a contract with a new PMC. If all goes well, a new contract should be finalized sometime in April.  Some of the changes we are expecting from the new PMC are:

        

      On-site staffing. We are working on a plan to house the PMC’s staff between the Lake House and the Maintenance Trailer. 

      2 new Manager positions:  Landscape, Maintenance. Landscaping is our largest expense and as our community ages, we wanted special attention to these areas.

      A new management software system to improve PMC, resident, delegate, and Board communications and ease of use.

We hope you will be patient with us, as the transition from one property management company to another will begin by the end of April and will take up to 90 days to accomplish.

 

Delegates: The board is still debating the process to appoint delegates for our CRRA2 neighborhoods. We have set a deadline for May’s board meeting to complete appointments for the open delegate positions.

 

Access to Amenities: As mentioned last month, we approved a policy for non-resident amenity use. The policy has not yet been enacted. We are investigating all our options in order to keep our tax-exempt status and not open courts and pools to the public. We will keep you informed. 

 

Rosewood Pool: The pool pump has been repaired and should last this upcoming season. We also approved the resurfacing of the pool, which should be completed in April.

 

I hope this brings you up to date on the highlights of the March CRRA2 board meeting.

 

Best regards,

Donnie Loubiere

 

The Cinco Ranch II Yard of the Month has been established to promote goodwill and reward exemplary lawn care in the community. The purpose of the program
is to recognize neighbors who demonstrate above-average efforts in maintaining their property, thereby contributing to the overall appearance of the community
at large. The program is administered by volunteers from the Cinco Ranch II Beautification Committee.

 

Starting this April through September, the Beautification Committee will be selecting a “Yard of the Month.” Because the community is so large judging will
occur in a different area of the community each month. In order to be considered for judging, your yards must be ready by the first of each month, during the
specified season of April through September. Yards may only win once. Winners will have a Yard of the Month sign placed in their yard, photos placed on
mycincoranch.com, an e-Note, and in the My Cinco Ranch Newsletter.

 

If you would like to submit a yard for review, request more information, or become a part of the Beautification Committee, please contact cr2beautification@gmail.com.

1. All buildings shall be roofed with composition shingles unless otherwise approved in writing by the Design Review Committee. Wood shingles are specifically prohibited for safety reasons.
2. Composition shingles must weigh at least 23 0 pounds per square and have a stated warranty of at least 25 years. Shingles must have a shadow profile design.
Three-tab shingles are specifically prohibited except for use as a starter and cap rows.
3. Roof shingles must be weathered wood, dark brown or dark gray tones. All other colors must be reviewed by the Design Review Committee.
4. Roof overlays are not allowed. Prior to roofing, all existing materials must be removed down to clean decking. Any damaged or deteriorated decking must be
replaced.
5. Ridge vents are encouraged, to improve ventilation, reduce attic temperature and reduce cooling costs, but are not required.
6. All roof protrusions, such as vents, roof jacks, must be painted to match the shingles.
7. Subject to Section 8 below and with advance written approval from the Cinco Ranch Residential Association II, Inc., an owner may install shingles ("Alternative Shingles") which are designed primarily to: 

     a. be wind and hail resistant; or

     b. provide heating or cooling efficiencies greater than traditional composition shingles; or

     c. provide solar energy capture capabilities.
8. Once installed, any such Alternative Shingles must:

     a. resemble the shingles used or authorized to be used on other structures within the Association; and
     b. be more durable than and of equal or superior quality to the shingles used or authorized to be used on other structures within the Association; and
     c. match the aesthetics of properties surrounding the owner's property.

 

Additional information on Home Improvement Requests can be located here. Remember to submit your HIR and wait for approval BEFORE you start work.

RIST Committee

 

RIST (Reclaimed Irrigation Sustainability Team) met on November 22nd.

 

North Fort Bend Water Authority (NFBWA) representatives Whitney Milberger and Matt Freilich met with the RIST committee and made a presentation covering the purpose of their organization and the infrastructure projects underway to supply Cinco Ranch II with surface water.

 

Cinco Ranch II is under the jurisdiction of the Fort Bend Subsidence District (FBSD), which mandated a reduction in groundwater usage of 30 percent by 2015 and 60 percent by 2025. The MUD Districts of Cinco Ranch are members of the North Fort Bend Water Authority (NFBWA), an entity created to facilitate meeting these requirements for water users within its boundaries.

 

Jeffery Knight, Mausen Consulting reviewed data collected for the month.  A majority of the irrigation stations used water below the usage cap.  Those showing overage will be investigated by Masuen with the irrigation contractor.

Mausen Consulting has implemented an online file sharing platform.

Reconciliation of the real-time weather data collected by Masuen and the irrigation contractor was discussed.

 

Current projects include the following:

·         The irrigation audit is ongoing.

·         Work process development and documentation are also ongoing.

·         Refinement of the member’s monthly reports.

·         Monitoring the test irrigation station.

 

The committee chair is Lynn Adamson (RIST committee).

 

The MUD is requesting CRRA2 HOA’s opinion on implementing reclaimed irrigation into other areas. The MUD will provide finance information about the return on investment for HOA’s consideration. This topic could be considered further in the January 2022 meeting depending on the MUD’s plans made in Dec 2021.

 

Jessie Xia (RIST committee)

 

 

Community Engagement Committee

 

The Community Engagement Committee is a newly established committee originally named the Delegate Committee.   The name of the committee was changed as part of the process to expand the mission and outreach of the committee. The committee charter was reviewed on Dec 8, 2021, at the monthly HOA Board meeting.  The HOA Board decided to consolidate questions and suggestions to the team before approving this charter.

 

This committee is composed of 14 members consisting of delegates, alternates, residents, and one board member.

 

In the unapproved charter, the committee’s purpose is to “assist the board” to maintain an effective management system; establish a network between residents and the board; perform as a platform for the Board to share concerns with residents; provide a way for the board to seek: help, solutions, or subject matter expertise from residents. Actions will include but not be limited to:

·         Improve community and delegate engagement in HOA, delegate and alternate backup system, election process improvement

·         Provide feedback from delegates and other residents to the board on the management company and other contractors

·         Provide solutions to make sure a process is in place to enable the community to have a highly involved delegate group to ensure the effective election of board members and delegates. 

·         Provide feedback on general management effectiveness and suggestions for improvement

·         Develop a process for polling residents about specific subject matters

·         Identify improvement opportunities on resident engagement and satisfaction, bylaw and process enhancement

 

Tiky Luo and Elva Garcia were voted as the co-chairs of this committee.

 

If you are interested in joining, please contact tikyluo@gmail.com, we will put you on the waiting list and look for a seat for you soon.

 

Thank you!

 

Yu (Jessie) Xia (Community Engagement Committee)

 

The results of the Tri Pointe Annexation Delegate voting can be found here. Additional details about the Tri Pointe annexation request are located here.