Published monthly by the Villages of Westcreek Owners' Association
Communications Committee - August 1, 2021 Edition!
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“Start each day with a positive thought and a grateful heart.”
~Roy T. Bennett
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At the July 15, 2021, Board of Directors meeting, President Richard Gentry announced his resignation due to the sale of his home. The Board of Directors is sad to lose such a valuable asset to our community.
During his tenure, Mr. Gentry spearheaded numerous projects to include sports park lighting, nightly security patrols, and helping grow our youth & adult sports programs. He volunteered on several committees and served many years on the Board of Directors.
We cannot thank you enough for your dedication and contributions to the community.
Submitted by: VWOA Board of Directors
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The Board of Directors, which consists of 5 elected members, has a vacancy that we are looking to fill.
Under the VWOA By-laws, paragraph 7.04, "vacancies on the Board of Directors caused by death, resignation, or disqualification...shall be filled by vote of the majority of the remaining Directors...and each person so elected shall be a Director until a successor is elected at the next annual meeting of the Association."
Therefore, in accordance with our Bylaws, the remaining Board members are to vote on a replacement to serve until the term expires at the Annual Meeting in April 2022.
Submitted by: VWOA Board of Directors
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Based on a number of recommendations from homeowners, the Board of Directors unanimously voted at their July 15, 2021, meeting to change the monthly Garage Sale Day to Garage Sale WEEKEND!
In addition, the Board of Directors eliminated the 4-yard sales per year restriction. Beginning in August 2021, garage sales will be permitted the 2nd WEEKEND of the month.
To be placed on the garage sale list that is emailed out to the community, you must notify the office no later than noon the Friday before the garage sale weekend. As a reminder, the following standards apply to garage sales:
- Sales may only be scheduled on the second (2nd) weekend of each month from 7 AM to 7 PM each day.
- Up to three (3) commercially produced signs are allowed.
- Signs may not be placed/affixed on boxes, trees, street signs, mailbox clusters, fences, utility poles, VWOA common property and/or the frontal property at any entrance to the Villages of Westcreek.
- Signs may not be displayed earlier than 12 PM the day before the scheduled sale and must be removed by 9 PM the last day of the sale.
Sale items may only be displayed within the resident’s property such as the lawn, garage, and driveway. Items are not permitted on the street, sidewalk, or driveway apron to prevent congestion and interference with street traffic and the use of the sidewalk by pedestrians.
Submitted by: VWOA Board of Directors
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Below is a recap of the projects discussed at the July 15th Board of Directors meeting:
Clock Tower Landscape Design- The Community Manager and Maintenance Supervisor are creating an action plan to begin working on the project in the fall.
Clock Tower Repairs-Four different vendors have been out to assess this project and compose a proposal to present to the Board of Directors.
Monuments at Garden Lily & Tally Rd. and Daisy Field & Potranco Road- The Community Manager has contacted the county and has set a meeting regarding the location off Garden Lily and Talley Rd. The area located off Daisy Field and Potranco is a TxDOT right of way and they have been contacted to discuss the placement of a potential monument.
Submitted by: Maria Robinson, VWOA Community Manager
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BOARD APPROVES FEE REDUCTION
The Board of Directors recently approved a recommendation to reduce the fee for RFID card replacement by 50%.
Replacement fees for lost RFID cards are now $10 each!
If you have lost one of your RFID cards, or if your current card is damaged, please notify the office immediately.
CLICK HERE for additional information about our RFID cards!
Submitted by: VWOA Board of Directors
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We are happy to announce that capacity limits were raised to 100% starting June 1st.
Guests are now allowed in the fenced areas, including the pool (3 guests per ID but 6 per household).
The basketball court still has a capacity limit on the court and spectators/non-players need to stay outside of the fence.
CLICK HERE for the latest status of community openings and closures.
Submitted by: Melissa Garcia, VWOA Office Manager
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Sales Tax Holiday
August 6-8, 2021
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Comptroller encourages all taxpayers to continue practicing social distancing and support Texas businesses while saving money on tax-free purchases of most clothing, footwear, school supplies, and backpacks (sold for less than $100) during the annual Tax-Free weekend. Qualifying items can be purchased tax-free from a Texas store or from an online or catalog seller doing business in Texas. This year’s sales tax holiday begins Friday, Aug. 6, and goes through midnight Sunday, Aug. 8.
Submitted by: Michelle de Jongh, Communications Committee Secretary
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Contract and Facility Rental Information links below!
Submitted by: Melissa Garcia, VWOA Office Manager
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HEALTH AND FITNESS CLASS INFORMATION
Submitted by: Melissa Garcia, VWOA Office Manager
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Everyone 12 and over is required to have an RFID card to use the amenities.
Submitted by: Melissa Garcia, VWOA Office Manager
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SPORTS PARK RULES
The Sports Park is open from 8 AM to 10 PM daily for the use and enjoyment of all residents of the VWOA that are in good standing and have a current VWOA RFID Card.
KEY REMINDERS
- 3 guests per ID card, 6 per household
- If using the Park’s BBQ pits, do not leave the Park unless the fire is completely out. Personal BBQ grills must be accompanied by a fire extinguisher and are not allowed in the children’s playground, or on volleyball, tennis, or basketball courts. Those using propane are not allowed in the pavilion.
- Alcoholic beverages are not permitted in the children’s playground or on the tennis and basketball courts.
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CLICK HERE to review the Sports Park Rules
Submitted by: Melissa Garcia, VWOA Office Manager
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COVID-19 AND FINANCIAL HARDSHIPS |
The Board understands the effect on the community that COVID-19 has had and the financial hardships it has created.
If you have been affected and unable to make your HOA assessment payments, please email the office staff or Community Manager with your request for relief of the late fees assessed. We will review each request on a case-by-case basis and communicate back to each homeowner individually.
Submitted by: Maria Robinson, VWOA Community Manager
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SAFETY PRECAUTIONS WHEN CONDUCTING BUSINESS AT THE COMMUNITY CENTER
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CLICK HERE for information on how we are addressing safety precautions while conducting business at the Community Center!
Submitted by: Melissa Garcia, VWOA Office Manager
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Our next scheduled Community-Wide Weekend Yard Sales will be held between the hours of 7:00 am till 7:00 pm on the following dates:
- Saturday, August 14, 2021
- Sunday, August 15, 2021
Community Yard Sales listings will be posted on the VWOA website, the day prior to the event.
If you wish to add your yard sale to the listing, please call the VWOA Office at 210-679-8761 by 12 noon on Friday before the scheduled yard sale.
Submitted by: Melissa Garcia, VWOA Office Manager
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The VWOA Office is closed the 3rd Friday of the month from 11 am-12 pm for Staff Meetings and Training! |
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Your 3rd Quarter Assessment of $99.00 was due on July 1, 2021.
On July 30, 2021, all accounts with outstanding balances will begin incurring a late fee of $20.00, plus a delinquent interest charge.
NOTE: The Office is open Monday thru Friday from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM, excluding holidays. In addition, the Office is open on the 2nd Saturday each month from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM.
PAYMENT OPTIONS
- Payments can still be made here at the VWOA onsite office during business hours.
- Payments may also be mailed to our office, made payable to VWOA, at 12395 Military Dr. West, San Antonio, TX 78253. You can also mail your payment directly to Spectrum Association Management, P.O. Box 299008, Lewisville, TX 75029. Mailed payments are processed electronically; please do not send cash!
- You may drop off cash (in a sealed envelope), check, or money order at the dropbox, located to the right of our front entry doors at the business office. Make sure you include your address on your check/money order.
- Cash is accepted in the office.
- Card Payments will be accepted only after the homeowner is registered with Spectrumam.com.
- Pay by Phone- 1-877-342-6233 (your account number needed).
Submitted by: Melissa Garcia, VWOA Office Manager
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If you need extra time to pay your assessments, fill out the form on the website below to see if you qualify for a payment plan. Payment plan requests are reviewed within two business days, and if approved, a payment plan agreement will be emailed to sign and return to our office within five business days.
Submitted by: Melissa Garcia, VWOA Office Manager
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SUPPORT OUR LOCAL FOOD TRUCKS
If you know of a Food Truck that you think would be interested in joining the "StrEATS of Westcreek," have them contact the VWOA Office at 210-679-8761 during our normal business hours. There is a small $25 fee for each truck that participates in the program. We only allow one truck per evening.
CLICK HERE to view the StrEATS of Westcreek Food Truck schedule and menus!
Submitted by: Melissa Garcia, VWOA Office Manager
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A REMINDER FROM THE ARC
Making improvements to your home is exciting and can add value. Thank you to everyone who has submitted Property Improvement Applications (PIAs) and followed the appropriate steps to make sure everything is in order before proceeding.
We have noticed a lot of improvements being made without prior approval and PIAs submitted for work that has already been completed. These actions are not aligned with the required approval process and could be a costly risk for the homeowner, especially if the improvement is against Standards and would require reversal.
If you are interested in making an improvement, begin by reviewing the Standards for Architectural Designs and Property Maintenance document to verify if your improvement requires approval. Go to villagesofwestcreek.com and click on the “Architectural Review” tab to find the Standards.
If no approval is needed, you may proceed. If approval is needed, follow these steps:
- Under the same “Architectural Review” tab you will see the Property Improvement Application (PIA) form and the PIA checklist.
- The checklist will help you get prepared for completing the PIA form.
- Submit your PIA as directed and the ARC Committee will review and return with a decision no later than 30 days.
- This is a fairly easy process. If you submit all that is needed from the checklist, completing a review of your PIA will be seamless.
NOTE: If an owner makes alterations to their home without ARC approval, the Standards Department will send a violation notice giving the homeowner an opportunity to cure the violation by either removing the improvement or submitting a PIA to the ARC (after the fact). If the ARC disapproves of the submission, the homeowner can request a hearing before the ARC. If they are not satisfied with the ARC decision, they could appeal to the Board. Depending on the outcome of the Board hearing, an owner may be asked to reverse their changes.
Submitted by Lynette Bradley, ARC Member
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The Fall Soccer season for 2021 is now open and details are listed below. We are doing soccer back to back in an effort to get back on to our normal rotation of soccer and football.
We will be capping registration numbers for this season. This will be based on a first-come, first-served basis so please get your registration in as soon as you can to ensure a spot. This was done in an effort to ensure enough playing time for players. Once the cap is reached, we will not be able to accept late registrations.
Westcreek Sports Fall 2021 Soccer
Coed, ages 3 through 16
Registration Dates:
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Late - July 26, 2021 through August 8, 2021
- $80.00 per child & $65.00 for additional children
- Coach- $65.00 per child
Proposed Schedule:
- Practice begins the week of August 16, 2021
- Practice day and time determined by the coach
- The first game is on August 28, 2021
- The last Regular Season Game is October 16, 2021
- End of Season Tournament October 23, 2021
For the latest information on the Westcreek Soccer Program, please check out the "Westcreek Sports" website at:
Submitted by: Jason Dunbar, VWOA Activities Director
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Westcreek Sports is now offering Adult Soccer to our 2021 Sports Program.
Games will be played Saturday afternoons after the youth games. The league will be a coed league with a minimum of 3 females required on the field at all times. Ages will be 17 and older. Registration will be as free agents and, depending on the number of registrations, teams will be assigned. When registering, you can list a team name you want to be a part of or other players you would like to play with, and we will work on keeping friends together. We want to keep the teams fair and mixed with ages though.
With registration, we will provide jerseys and referees for the games, point standings and an end-of-season tournament. The season will consist of at least 8 games.
This is our first season, and we want it to be successful and learn from it and make changes as needed.
Westcreek Sports Adult Fall 2021 Soccer
Coed, ages 18 through 100
Registration Dates:
- July 20, 2021 through August 15, 2021
Fee:
Proposed Schedule:
- Games will follow the youth games on Saturdays.
- Teams will be determined based on registration numbers
- Co-Ed Must have at least 3 Female Players on the field
Game Schedule:
- First game is August 28, 2021
- Last Regular Season Game is October 16, 2021
- End of Season Tournament October 23, 2021
Submitted by: Jason Dunbar, VWOA Activities Director
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CLICK HERE to visit the South Texas Camp Gladiator website for detailed information!
Submitted by: Melissa Garcia, VWOA Office Manager
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JUST IN TIME FOR THE END OF SUMMER
Summer Fun Printable Coloring Pages
Back to School Word Puzzles
Printable Mazes
Olympics Printable Crafts
Submitted by: Michelle de Jongh, Communications Committee Secretary
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5 Tips to Ensure Fall Vegetable Garden Success
Fall vegetable season is an amazing growing season for gardeners in San Antonio. We get a second shot at growing some favorite warm-weather vegetables and follow right behind that with delicious cold-weather vegetables.
1. Clean Up Existing Vegetable Gardens
- Remove all weeds and pull out old, struggling, spring vegetables. It’s better to start with fresh vegetable transplants because fall vegetables generally perform and produce better when started with transplants rather than seeds.
2. Nourish Your Vegetable Garden Soil
- Vegetables thrive in soils that are rich in organic matter. In existing gardens, add at least 2-3 inches of quality organic compost tilled in as thoroughly as you can get it. Vegetables need a minimum of 12″–18″ soil depth to support their root systems, so you may need to add more garden soil. To kick start your fall garden, add 2-3 pounds of slow-release fertilizer per 100 sq. feet of garden space and mix it throughout the soil.
3. Start Fall Vegetable Transplants Early (Especially Tomatoes)
- We get a “second spring” when another round of warm weather vegetables like tomatoes, peppers, squash, eggplant, etc., can be grown again. Tomatoes are less likely to suffer early blight, spider mite damage, or splitting and cracking due to 100° weather like they do when planted in spring.
4. Protect Your Fall Vegetable Transplants from the Summer Sun
- Although we start fall vegetables early, that doesn’t mean that they are able to be bought and planted straight into the garden. Vegetables do need to be planted in full sun; but young, fall vegetables also need to be acclimated to the strong rays that can be unforgiving.
- Protect fall vegetable plants like early tomatoes by making a little shade tent out of a piece of folded cardboard with some spikes under it to hold it up from the plant. Expose your fall vegetables to an hour of sun and increase the exposure each day until they have gotten used to the light and heat and can stand on their own.
- When designing your fall vegetable garden rows, leave space to plant veggies that are more shade tolerant in between taller plants to offer protection and use space wisely. Water your fall vegetable transplants thoroughly to get established.
5. Don’t Skimp on Watering Fall Vegetable Transplants
- Your fall vegetable garden bed should be watered thoroughly for several days before you even plant anything in it. This gives your vegetables the correct environment for their roots to take hold. After planting, be sure to water each plant thoroughly. You also can add some soluble fertilizer (like FoxFarm Grow Big) for an added boost.
- Small transplants may need to be watered every day to grow root systems large and strong enough to support fall vegetables. Check the soil daily. Soil that clumps up when you squish it, is moist when you insert your finger to the second knuckle, or feels moist when you scrape down to an inch, has enough water to skip watering for the day.
- After about 2 weeks, you likely will not have to water every day. But check daily and when you water, it should always be deeply and thoroughly. 1″- 2″ of water weekly is usually sufficient for fall vegetables once their roots have been established.
Besides possibly adding some quick release or soluble fertilizer every 4 weeks if necessary, you should be on your way to a successful fall vegetable gardening season.
Submitted by: Michelle de Jongh, Communications Committee Secretary
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Inland Sea Oats
Part shade/shade. Inland sea oats is a perennial bunchgrass with drooping wheat-like seed heads that lend an ornamental quality. It attracts seed-eating birds and other wildlife to the garden. Sea oat tolerates shade and poor drainage. As long as there’s sufficient soil moisture (clay soils especially) it’s excellent for massing in wildscapes and woodland edges. See it growing in parks, greenways, along creeks and rivers, and in any shaded lowland.
CLICK HERE to learn more about this beautiful plant, maintenance requirements, and plant features from San Antonio Garden Style!
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