Why people think they can just drive across our common areas make no sense to me. The damage cause by this vehicle will require an expense on the part of the Association and each of its members. Why more residents here are not totally outraged about damages to our association property also make no sense. Someone had to see who did this. That person needs to pay to fix this!
Even though we have had some significant rainfall lately, the City of Grand Prairie still has the following restrictions in force.
*The following restrictions also apply at all times:
The Drought Contingency Plan can be seen at this link.
With all of the recent rains, we need to mention a few things about French Drains and our Gutters. Let’s start with French Drains and what they are. Here is a picture of a basic kit to install this type of “drain”. It is basically a plastic box with a grating and a hole for a perforated pipe to connect in order to disperse the collected water down the length of the pipe and into surrounding ground. The pipe itself is surrounded by gravel so there is some area for the water to go into. These “drains” do not connect to ancillary drainage systems, piping or the like.
The problem that we have had lately is an abundance of rain and the total saturation of the ground to the point that whatever water is collecting in these French Drain systems has absolutely no where to go. They were initially located at points around the property that tend to collect water, mostly due to ground sinking. But, here of late, they have themselves become places for water to collect due to their inability to channel water into an area that can absorb it.
It may require that we rethink these systems and/or spend some money to redo them or make sure that they were done properly initially. Without the proper amount of gravel surrounding the pipes, two thinks will happen: 1) there is no vacant areas for the water to seep into and 2) with dirt right next to the perforated pipe, the holes will eventually get plugged and the drain system itself turns into a water collecting point.
Gutters – With the amount of rainfall we have had lately, even with a completely clear gutter system, there is no way that the gutters can hold the entire amount of water falling. Also, add in the fact that these gutters are connected to the neighbor’s gutter systems, you have just multiplied the total amount of water we expect a 4″ gutter to channel away.
For the sake of illustration, let’s figure how much rainwater we could collect at a rainfall of 1/2″ per hour across 600 square foot area. When you plug these numbers into the equation, you get a total rainfall volume of more than 187 gallons within that one hour. If you use a rainfall of 1″ per hour over the same 600 Sq Ft are, it changes to over 374 gallons. Multiply that by the number of houses tied into the same gutter system and you get the idea that you can only put so much water into a 4″ gutter system, with 4″ downspouts. That’s why the water runs over the sides of the gutters during heavy rainfall.
Visit TakeALoadOffTexas.com to learn more about our energy efficiency incentive and educational programs.
The Audit of our 2014 financials was completed on March 30, 2015. Here is an excerpt from the independent auditor’s report:
Opinion
In our opinion, the financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of Grand Prairie Mountain Creek Homeowners Association, Inc. as of December 31, 2014, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the year then ended in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
We have started painting on our 2015 schedule, and the following homes will be painted:
Homeowners will need to clear their back yards and next to the building so we can power wash and prepare for painting.
Below are the base and trim colors for this year. Those getting their homes painted will need to choose a trim color. If you do not choose a trim color, we will pick one.
We had a visit in the Office from a representative of Home Save Energy, a company that is doing insulation and weather-stripping on behalf of Oncor, the Utility Delivery company funding this program. If you qualify (income, etc.) you can have added attic insulation, weather-stripping on doors and caulking which will result in a lower electric bill. If you are interested, here is their contact information:
Home Save Energy, Genaro Clauidio, 469-298-8286
We do have a few of their flyers in the Office if you want one. There are other companies also doing this type of service. Here is some information from Oncor:
Oncor is committed to helping Texans become more energy efficient. As part of that commitment, Oncor operates some of the leading energy efficiency programs in the state and offers a variety of incentive programs for homes, businesses, government, schools and nonprofits. You can reduce your energy usage by implementing energy efficiency tips recommended through these programs.
Visit TakeALoadOffTexas.com to learn more about our energy efficiency incentive and educational programs.
NOTE: We are not endorsing any of these companies, we are merely providing information on these services.
As most of you are aware, we have signs in the Visitor Lots indicating that you cannot park a vehicle with expired registration or inspection in that lot. It also limits these lots to Visitors. We are towing vehicles with expired registration and/or inspection stickers. These signs are posted prominently:
We would like to welcome our newest Board member, Jerry Hopper. Our Board Officers will remain the same for another year.