What's Going On
Posted on March 5, 2021 9:00 AM by Admin
The Reserve at Spring Lake Fence Replacement Project will start on Monday, March 8th. Fencing will be removed and new sections will be installed. Temporary fencing will be installed if a section of fence cannot be completed at that time. This project is expected to take up to 25 working days barring weather. Sidewalks may be temporarily obstructed. Please use caution in this area during the project timeline.  
 
Should you have questions or concerns please contact Customercare.at 713-981-9000 or customercare@ciaservices.com
Posted on March 1, 2021 9:00 AM by Admin
 
Left Out In The Cold
Just when you thought things could not get worse than 2020, 2021 said hold on!!!!
This cold snap brought low temperatures down into the lower teens.. The concern is that many plants were starting to come out of dormancy when the freeze occurred, which could increase injury.
As the weather warms and the sun comes out, the urge to “clean it all up” occurs– but hold tight! What should a homeowner do with their landscape plants after the freeze? Have patience and wait. There is really nothing that can be done to repair injured plants after a hard, prolonged freeze. The best thing to do is to wait until (mid March) to accurately assess the damage. For some plants, the aboveground portions may be dead, but the plants may still come up from the roots. Other plants may bud out again from partially damaged stems. Many cold-sensitive plants will likely need to be replaced, so this year is a good time to replace plants with more cold-hardy species (such plants may be scare at this time).
Assessing damage
After a freeze or frost, the leaves of damaged herbaceous plants may immediately appear withered and water soaked. However, the freeze injury to the twigs, branches, or trunks often doesn’t appear on shrubs and trees right away. Wait a few days and then use a knife or thumbnail to scrape back the outer bark on young branches. Freeze-damaged areas will be brown beneath the bark; healthy tissues will be green or a healthy creamy color. Delay pruning until time reveals the areas that are living and dead and until the threat of additional frosts or freezes has passed. Leaving dead limbs and foliage at the tops of plants will help protect the lower leaves and branches from nighttime radiation loss. Pruning after a freeze does not improve the outcome. Also, plants that are pruned tend to be invigorated more quickly, which may set them up for further damage in Texas’s unpredictable cycling of warm and cold temperatures.
Other Things You Should Do
Contact your insurance company to see if your homeowner’s insurance covers freeze damage to plants and irrigation. Before making any major landscaping changes, check with the Association first to make sure that any changes are approved.
Your irrigation system should also be inspected by a Licensed Irrigator, especially the aboveground vacuum breaker, to ensure that it was not damaged during the freeze. This is not a problem you want to discover after you plant new plants.
When hiring contractors, make sure that they have the appropriate liability and worker’s compensation insurance.
And lastly, relax! This too, shall pass. As in prior freezes, we will get through this and perhaps have a better landscape as a result. More importantly, we will be better prepared for freezes that will inevitably come in the future.
Additional helpful resources:
 
Special thanks to Dr. W. Todd Watson, PhD, BCMA ISA Board-Certified Master Arborist #TX-0974B Consulting Arborist, Horticulturist, and Plant Pathologist Adjunct Professor, Texas A&M University for article content and resource links noted herein.
 
Posted on February 26, 2021 10:52 AM by Admin
Commissioner Andy Meyers has stated that if residents with storm related debris reach out by email to andy.meyers@fortbendcountytx.gov the information will be provided to FBC Roads and Bridges to be picked up. He stated that the time frame from the resident request to the garbage pick up would be 7 days.
 
Information needed:
Resident contact
Address
Phone
Description of trash
Photo
Posted on February 23, 2021 5:25 PM by Admin
Greetings,
 
We hope you are all recovering from the winter storm. Due to winter storm Uri, power was lost to the card key data base. This has caused some issues with residents being unable to enter Association amenities. We are asking residents that encounter access issues to email the HOA Assistant with your name, address, card key number, and phone number.
 
Respectfully,
C.I.A. Services Inc.
Posted on February 23, 2021 9:26 AM by Admin
2/21/2021 Due to damaged sustained from Winter Storm Uri, the Ashfield Gardens clubhouse and fitness center will be closed until further notice.
 
2/23/2021 Restrooms at the tennis courts and Pine Hills Park will be closed until further notice.
Posted on February 12, 2021 6:36 PM by Admin
Winter Weather Alert
 
With the Arctic Blast affecting the Cinco Ranch II community over the next few days, we wanted to let you know the weatherization plans for the area. The following facilities and features will either be closed, turned on or turned off depending on their severe weather plan.  
  • Pool water slides and features will be on
  • The water feature at lake on Hannah Meadows will be off
  • Other lake fountains will be on
  • Pine Hills Park restroom will be closed with no amenity card access
  • Ashfield Gardens facility gym will be closed with no amenity card access 
  • Restrooms at tennis courts will be closed with no amenity card access 
 Once the severe weather has passed and it has been determined safe, all facilities and features will resume normal operations.
 
Respectfully,
C.I.A. Services, Inc
Posted on January 29, 2021 9:00 AM by Admin
Categories: General
When faced with a high-stress situation, one that even feels threatening, it can feel like we don’t have control over our response. Research has shown that our bodies can instinctively go into a “fight-or-flight” reaction. As a leader, the more effectively you can self-regulate these reactions the better you can lead and help others. Recent research in the field of neuroscience offers insights into this process of self-regulation and how you can move from the fight-or-flight response to a higher state of openness that invites collaboration, creativity, and thriving.
 
Step 1– Understanding: The first step is knowing the biology behind these reactions and accepting that being at level one, two, or three is normal. Knowing where you are on the hierarchy gives you choice and the power to shift.
Step 2– Awareness: When you feel challenged, notice the physical and emotional cues that signal you’re experiencing anxiety. Do you feel a knot in your stomach? Or your heart racing? See these as signs of where you are in your reaction: likely level two.
Step 3 – Recall: Bring to mind previous experiences where you’ve successfully moved through uncertainty in the past. You might even write down what you did to navigate a difficult situation and use your own success to give yourself hope that you can get through this one too.
Step 4 – Intention: With hope in mind, let go of the need to serve your ego by clarifying your highest purpose. Focusing on your intention will release oxytocin and help you shift to level three.
Step 5 – Trust the process: When you’re at level three, it’s much easier to explore and develop ideas with the other person. The interaction is an emergent learning process — it will be challenging, but as long as you stay connected and don’t move back to level one or two, you can get through it together. In fact, you can become skilled at making others safe and keep inviting them back into mutually beneficial conversations.
 
To read the entire article from Harvard Business Review please click here.
Posted on January 22, 2021 9:00 AM by Admin
Categories: General
Getting along well with your neighbors makes your community a happier and safer place to live. The key to being a good neighbor is clear and consistent communication. Introduce yourself to your neighbors and then stay in contact over time. Be courteous on noise levels and keep your yard well-maintained. If you want to go above and beyond, you could even participate in a neighborhood association or watch.
 
Introduce yourself. If you’ve recently moved in, go over to your neighbors and say “hello.” If you’ve lived in an area for a while, then take the initiative and reach out to new arrivals yourself. As part of welcoming someone to the area, feel free to offer them a small moving in gift. A welcoming gift can be anything from a friendly card to a basket filled with local foods or produce.
 
For a more informal approach, say hi to your neighbors when they (or you) are outside walking their dog or working on their lawn.
When you first meet your neighbor you might say, “Hi! I’m Fred Thompson. I live 2 doors down from you and just wanted to come over and welcome you to the neighborhood.”
 
You can also give you neighbor any friendly local tips, such as what time the garbage or mailman stops by.
 
What can I do when there is a problem?
 
Stay calm when talking with your neighbor. If your neighbor comes to you with a concern or problem, it’s important to respond calmly and rationally. If you start to get frustrated, take a few deep breaths before answering. You can also ask to postpone the conversation until you have a bit of time to think.
 
For example, to give yourself a few days to think everything over, you might say, “I understand where you are coming from, but I need to consider how to fix it on my end. Can we talk about this over the weekend again?”
 
Deal with any problems face to face. If you have any issue that involves your neighbor, it’s important to act fast. Go to them directly and tell them what is going on. Ask for their help in finding a solution that will work for both of you. Giving your neighbor a chance to come up with a solution is better than immediately reaching out to local authorities.
 
This doesn’t necessarily apply if you feel as if the safety of you, your family, or the neighborhood is at stake. In those situations, you might want to reach out to local officials for assistance.
 
Avoid gossiping about any issues with your neighbor to other neighbors or people in the community. This only creates additional problems.
 
Posted on January 15, 2021 9:00 AM by Admin
Categories: General
On Thursday December 10, 2020 Feed The Hunger Katy reached a milestone by packing 1 Million Meals in 2020.   
 
Feed the Hunger is a Christian mission organization that helps people in spiritual and physical need.  Headquartered in North Carolina, Feed the Hunger equips their members to feed spiritual hunger with tools like Bibles, bicycles, and micro-enterprise projects. Physical hunger is met through the provision of nutritious food, clean water, and emergency aid and relief. We seek to meet these needs in three target audiences:
 
(1) at-risk children in America and overseas,
(2) those in crisis situations, such as refugees and victims of natural disasters, and
(3) ethnic groups that are just beginning to be reached with the message of Jesus.
 
Regina Alexander- Packathon Coordinator, along with a team of dedicated volunteers and committee members here in Katy, TX that made it their goal to pack 1 Million Meals in 2020.  The meals they have packed have not only been shipped all over the globe, but have made a huge impact right here locally in the Katy community.  By providing meals to other nonprofits in the area including Katy Christian Ministries, Hope Impacts, Compassion Katy, Attack Poverty, Eyes on Me, and Children Like Loni, they have been able to bless thousands of needy families with healthy meals and spiritual needs.
They are not stopping there. 
 
They have another Social Distance packathon coming up Feb 25 – 28, 2021 where they hope to pack upwards of 600,000 more meals. Feed the Hunger is allowing families to come together to participate in a “Mission Trip” in your own backyard.
 
“Hunger has no ears,” so people have a difficult time hearing the Gospel when they are hungry. A Packathon is a two-hour, hands-on service opportunity for anyone ages 5 to 105. It is a truly rewarding event and will bring people together in a way your community may have never seen before.
If you’d like to be a part of what God is doing right here in your backyard of Katy, TX please visit https://www.feedthehunger.org/katy/.  
Posted on January 14, 2021 7:00 PM by Admin
Categories: General
Everyone has different preferences when it comes to transportation, but at one time or another everyone is a pedestrian. Whether you’re a concerned resident, a parent or a caregiver, you want to do everything you can to make sure you, your loved ones and your neighbors can enjoy walking safely in your community.
 
Here are some sidewalk safety tips you can implement:
 
As a homeowner:
  • Trash or trash cans should not be placed on the sidewalk as that would create a potential hazard for pedestrians, bicyclists, or runners.
  • Keep pets on a leash while outdoors or in a secure fenced area.
As a pedestrian:
  • Be visible at all times. Wear bright clothing during the day, and wear reflective materials or use a flashlight at night.
  • Watch for cars entering or exiting driveways, or backing up in parking lots.
  • Be alert. Walkers wearing headphones or using a cell phone might not hear a car horn.
  • Be aware of others who may be distracted and speak up when you see someone who is in danger.