Here’s a link to the September GP Pipeline newsletter: September 2015-1
Category: Information - page 33
Free Wandering Feline: Put a Collar on It
GRAND PRAIRIE—It’s not uncommon to see cats and kittens roaming neighborhood streets, but it can be difficult to determine whether or not the animals live nearby, are stray or are feral. Feral cats, while beneficial, are undomesticated and survive on their own. Owned cats and strays are used to being around people. Oftentimes, owned cats are allowed to roam the yards around their homes. In order to keep residents and other pets safe, however, the city of Grand Prairie’s Code of Ordinance establishes specific guidelines by which cat owners must abide.
Under city ordinance Section 5-18, all cats owned by Grand Prairie residents – even outdoor cats – must at all times wear an identification tag containing the name, address and telephone number of the owner. Further, under Section 5-8, all owned cats within the city must be vaccinated against rabies, and they are required to wear a metal tag that serves as proof of rabies vaccination. Not only do these identification tags make it easier to locate and contact the owners of lost pets, they contain information that can be valuable to Animal Services officers. Grand Prairie Animal Services always recommends that pet owners microchip their pets as a form of secondary identification, and it provides microchipping services for $10 per animal.
To help control the feline population in the city and ensure the health of the animals, Section 5-12 dictates that all owned cats that are allowed to roam outside must be sterilized. It is unlawful for an unaltered, domesticated cat to run at large within Grand Prairie limits.
For more information or for tips, call the Grand Prairie Animal Shelter at 972-237-8575.
We will have a Large Item pickup on Thursday, September 17th, and put out notices on every home a few days ago. We will do the usual trash pickup, followed by large items.
We will not pick up any hazardous household waste. See Grand Prairie website for information for drop-off for these items.
We have installed several Pet Stations around the subdivision as a test to see if people will use them, and in an effort to control the amount of dog feces we have all over the complex. Not picking up after your dog(s) on common property could result in a citation from Animal Control, and/or a fine from the HOA.
Each station includes bags and a covered trash can for pet waste. Please use them.
We will be sending out Letters of Determination today to those who have applied for the Visitor Parking Permits. The majority of applicants were approved, a few will be denied for not meeting qualifications. Those who are approved need to visit the Office to fill out a Vehicle information sheet and pick up their Parking stickers.
We still have about 10-15 applications available for homeowners who would like to be considered for a Visitor Lot Permit. Tomorrow, we will be checking those who have already applied and will be sending out letters of determination later this week.
We have already towed several vehicles for violating the Visitor Parking Lot rules and will continue to do so. A 6 month permit is way cheaper than one towing fee. If you own more than 2 vehicles, it would behoove you fill out an application.
There is one permit per townhouse.
- Open Board Meeting, August 6th, at 7 PM in the Association Office
- Agenda for the meeting: (Subject to change)
- Visitor Parking, Parking Permits, Enforcement, Towing of Unauthorized Vehicles
- Adding some parking spaces, cost vs benefits
- 2nd Quarter Financials
- Pool rules and enforcement, including Alcohol in vicinity of pool area
- Executive Session to Follow
- Agenda for the meeting: (Subject to change)
We will be going back to our guys doing trash beginning Monday, August 3rd. By having all maintenance guys concentrating on painting, we have gotten the base coat painting done for the year and are finishing up with the trim colors.
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Join the 
The city of Grand Prairie Neighborhood Enrichment Team (NET) is a collaborative effort between city departments focusing on nuisance and chronic problem properties that have not responded to traditional methods of compliance. The Police Department, Code Enforcement, Fire Department, Housing and Neighborhood Services, Building Inspections, Environmental Services, Public Works, City Attorney and parks, Arts and Recreation Department are all part of the NET.
Saturday, Aug. 22
Grand Prairie residents can download the latest version iof the My GPTX mobile app – a convenient tool for keeping in touch with your city – from iTunes for iPhone/iPad or Google Play for Android.It seems like anytime we send a Violation warning letter to a resident to inform them that they are in violation of the CC&R or other enforceable HOA rules, we often hear the same phrase, “But, I pay my dues!” Sometimes, they will include “on time” to bolster their position, apparently. We have even had a supplemental phrase of “I pay my taxes!”, although I am unsure what that has to do with HOA rules. We have even had someone tell Terry that their dues pay her salary, so they are her boss. Really??
So, perhaps we should revisit what your monthly, mandatory dues include:
- Utilities – Water, sewer, trash pickup
- Maintenance – Exterior painting of your home and trim, exterior woodwork (soffets, facia, gables and other wood areas, excluding entry doors), gutters, front faucet, storage building (excluding framing and doors), common area fences, sidewalks, roadways and a few other things detailed in our documents.
These are the main things your monthly dues cover but also includes payroll, grounds maintenance, landscaping, pool costs and maintenance, and picking up the exorbitant amount of trash people toss out around our 22 acres. We have one maintenance guy whose primary job is to pick up trash that inconsiderate individuals toss out all over the property; his salary is better utilized maintaining the 416 homes here, but we do have prevent the area from looking like a landfill. We also acknowledge and thank the homeowners who pick up trash from near their properties; we have others, mostly renters, who believe we are here to pick up after them, as if we were their Mom.