Villages of Westcreek (buyers, public school, sales tax)

[Steel Man]

Originally Posted by wellguy

wc2005 / Steel Man

Everytime I look at that budget I cringe.

$8,000 for Travel Expenses? -Where the h.. are they going?
$3500.00 Education Expenses? What the h... are they learning?

$4700.00 Street Sweeping- I was told this is for the Street Sweeping along Military and Westcreek Oaks. BCPW does this several times a year with our tax dollars.
*If the Company that we pay $60,000.00 to care for our landscape didnt blow the clippings into the street this would not be needed. Funny, I can't blow my clipppings into the street (I would not anyway)

$16,500.00 For Water and Sewer? As I stated awhile back Judy Monger asked me to locate 25 plus water meters. She admitted we were paying for water and they didn't know where it was being used. I wonder how long that went on. I can't tell you how many times i saw leaks at several on the monuments. I reported them to the HOA Staff several , no many times and nothing was ever done. I finally called it in a water wasting.

All that money spent, alot is for crap that we don't need and they can't even make a donation to GVVFD.

Can anyone tell me what we pay the Maintenace Crew for? I honestly can't see what they do.? Do you see all the weeds in the monuments, do you see all the weeds in the rocks along the road that leads to Highpoint.? Do you see the condition of the common fences? Maybe I shouldn't worry about that since they are going to be replaced AGAIN. I had to B..... several times before they started cleaning up the monument landscaping.

I assure you all that I have questionwed many expenses and I'm always told that I need to approach the BOD. They are the ones that approved the budget.

Talk about a Sc.... J.... If I saw something for our money I wouldn't complain.

I'm certain someone out there will tell me that I need to volunteer for some committee or be the Easter Bunny again and stop complaining. To that individual(s) what will that do?

I agree. I'm all for improving the general areas in WC. Improving the children's play area is a step in the right direction...but more needs to be done. On the other hand, the expanded parking lot with gravel and RR timber is now an eyesore. They should keep the quarterly garage sales at the school...a small cost for what we have now. For many years they harped about preserving property values, but sadly, the money seems to go toward social events, personnel, etc..

[gwrober]

Originally Posted by wellguy

I'm certain someone out there will tell me that I need to volunteer for some committee or be the Easter Bunny again and stop complaining. To that individual(s) what will that do?

I apologize to you and you're gonna call me out? What's that about?

I've even stopped posting in what's become a moanfest. And not the good kind.

[wellguy]

gwrober- I assure you that comment was not directed soley at you. If it were I would have indicated so. I not a C...... S.....

I don't think that this has turned into a "moanfest". Its' just residents who care about this community and know that the HOA and BOD could care less what anyone has to say, suggest, etc. You know as well as others that they are not too receptive.

The comment that is always made is to "volunteer if you don't like what going on or being done". We should not have to volunteer for anything to make this a better community. We have put our money into the hands of others who are to spend it wisely as if it were their own.


We will agree to disagree. Please watch were you aim that thumb.

[CH1960]

Originally Posted by gwrober

I apologize to you and you're gonna call me out? What's that about?

I've even stopped posting in what's become a moanfest. And not the good kind.

The window from which some see are cloudy. The glass is also always half empy. Some will never know until they have walked in someone else's shoes. Keep on, you can pass this train up for the next one......

[gwrober]

Originally Posted by wellguy

gwrober- I assure you that comment was not directed soley at you. If it were I would have indicated so. I not a C...... S.....

I don't think that this has turned into a "moanfest". Its' just residents who care about this community and know that the HOA and BOD could care less what anyone has to say, suggest, etc. You know as well as others that they are not too receptive.

The comment that is always made is to "volunteer if you don't like what going on or being done". We should not have to volunteer for anything to make this a better community. We have put our money into the hands of others who are to spend it wisely as if it were their own.

It's not just volunteering, it's being involved, that matters. You have proven that you are involved, and obviously a ton more than the majority of the neighborhood. My problem is that there is a small percentage that have any positive outlook, or even anything positive to say. Everyone complains and moans about what's not being done for them instead. Now just to be clear, I'm not saying that about you, as you've shown that you have taken the extra step to make a difference. We get it. You can relax now.

It's no different than politics - we as citizens have to stay the course, be the watchdog, etc, to make sure our dollars go where they should. My thoughts are that if you can't or haven't run for a position on the board, or been able to take one of the HOA jobs, then you have to volunteer to stay close to the brass and make sure they're policed. If that means dressing as the Easter Bunny, or hauling trash, so be it. I haven't dressed like the bunny, but I've hauled tons of trash.

Originally Posted by wellguy

We will agree to disagree. Please watch were you aim that thumb.

Hehe. We can agree to disagree. That's a mutual respect, not something you tell someone else to do.

[Bo]

It's admirable to be passionate about the issues in your neighborhood and this forum is a great place to discuss those issues. So that it will continue to be a great place, we expect everyone to keep that passion aimed at the issues and not at the people who may be on the other side of them.

[NCFSH1PILOT]

WellGuy and others,
After a simple phone call and visit to the HOA, this is what I found out as well as any one else could do. They do try to explain things nicely to you.
First, the commercial street sweeping contract was terminated in May with a 30 day notice. Street sweeping is still necessary whether or not people blow their clippings into the street which they are not supposed to do. Bexar County provides this service when they can and their equipment is operational. They do provide this service to just more than the Westcreek community.
Second, the travel expenses include the IRS mileage for the Standards Monitors who drive their own vehicles while accomplishing their duties. The VWOA doesn't provide vehicles.
Third, educational expenses are necessary to keep staff up to date on current issues as well as certifications through continual education classes. I think you may also have to attend such classes for your employment. Certifications require a certain work committment or full reimbursement if the individual terminates his employment with VWOA..
The donation to GVFD was stopped when the ESD #2 was formed and it became part of your taxes.
The maintenance crew (temporarily down to two) takes care of the 20+ monuments, 9 entrances and Sports Park as well as a host of other duties. This is typically done on a schedule. They did get behind in May when they did some repairs to the SP pool area and Tot Lot fencing. The grass along the major streets is done by contract. I frequently see that work being done and as a matter of fact that has improved greatly over the past two to three years. As to the weeds along Westcreek View that shot up after the rain, they were taken care of more than two weeks ago.
The "Town Hall" meetings were delayed as a result of a series of resignations among some of the staff and they were short handed. A Town Hall meeting could still happen later this year perhaps in early Fall.
I hope this clears up some of your issues.

[CH1960]

Originally Posted by NCFSH1PILOT

WellGuy and others,
After a simple phone call and visit to the HOA, this is what I found out as well as any one else could do. They do try to explain things nicely to you.
First, the commercial street sweeping contract was terminated in May with a 30 day notice. Street sweeping is still necessary whether or not people blow their clippings into the street which they are not supposed to do. Bexar County provides this service when they can and their equipment is operational. They do provide this service to just more than the Westcreek community.
Second, the travel expenses include the IRS mileage for the Standards Monitors who drive their own vehicles while accomplishing their duties. The VWOA doesn't provide vehicles.
Third, educational expenses are necessary to keep staff up to date on current issues as well as certifications through continual education classes. I think you may also have to attend such classes for your employment. Certifications require a certain work committment or full reimbursement if the individual terminates his employment with VWOA..
The donation to GVFD was stopped when the ESD #2 was formed and it became part of your taxes.
The maintenance crew (temporarily down to two) takes care of the 20+ monuments, 9 entrances and Sports Park as well as a host of other duties. This is typically done on a schedule. They did get behind in May when they did some repairs to the SP pool area and Tot Lot fencing. The grass along the major streets is done by contract. I frequently see that work being done and as a matter of fact that has improved greatly over the past two to three years. As to the weeds along Westcreek View that shot up after the rain, they were taken care of more than two weeks ago.
The "Town Hall" meetings were delayed as a result of a series of resignations among some of the staff and they were short handed. A Town Hall meeting could still happen later this year perhaps in early Fall.
I hope this clears up some of your issues.

Hey Pilot - informative post! Your right, it's better to get the facts on what's really going on; instead of assuming; we all know what that makes

[wellguy]

growber and NCFC1PILOT -Thank you both for the information. growber- I'm sincerely sorry for being a butt. I will admit that I expect things to happen at a quicker pace than what they do. I know by talking to the HOA Staff that there are processes which sometimes take more time than expected.

Can any of you please tell me if the COPS Program is active in Westcreek?

At 7:00am this morning while leaving for work I saw that my neighbor's SUV had been egged and while driving out onto Garston there was another egged car. I felt I did the right thing by waking my neighbor up and telling him about the eggs and the fact that they can damage paint. I guess he didn't care since the SUV still had the eggs on it at 6:40pm when I got home. My company pickup was egged a couple of months ago. Maybe someones' water bill was too high. There were several other vehicles that they got at that time.

Has anyone else experienced this?

[NCFSH1PILOT]

Yes, there is a COPS program on Westcreek. It's small and even though its been publisized it doesn't seem very active in some villages.