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For current and future events, please check the Events Calendar page.

Curb Numbering Policy

Missouri City (and therefore the Lakes of Brightwater) has a policy covering house numbers painted on the curbs. Many of our Brightwater Homeowners are in violation of the policy. We urge you to bring your property into compliance with City policy. Briefly, the policy is as follows:

Curb Numbering for homes may be painted on curbs either by home owners or by companies that specialize in such work.

· Numbers should be located on the front curb beginning 24” from the driveway toward the home or, if no driveway exists, then the numbering will be to the right of the sidewalk.

· Numbers shall be painted on the vertical face of the curb and centered vertically between the street and the curved surface at the top of the curb.

· Only 1 (one) set of numbers shall be allowed for each home.

· Numbers shall be painted with black weather resistant paint suitable for application on concrete.

· Black numbers shall be 4” (four inches) in height and spaced on center 3 ½” (three and one-half inches) except for the numeral 1 which will be spaced on center 3” (three inches). The font shall be “GOTHIC”.

· Black numbers shall be painted on a White background. Such background shall be no larger than the area needed to provide 1” (one inch) horizontal borders and 2 ½” (two and one-half inches) vertical borders around the street number address.

· The white background shall be white paint suitable for application on concrete and shall be made reflective by applying Clemtex sized MSKH glass beads, or the equivalent.

A Special Note of Thanks to Diane Mauricio

At the March HOA meeting, Diane Mauricio resigned as a Board Member due to increased duties concerning her elderly parents. The Board thanked her for her 2 1/2 years of service on the Board during a period of community growth and progress. Diane and her husband Joseph are longtime residents who have volunteered in many capacities for Brightwater.

Early on, Diane was the editor of The Brightwater Times Newsletter and a one woman Landscape Committee, logging countless hours on our behalf. Later, as a Board member, she held the positions of Secretary and President. She also served on the Finance Committee and the Communications Committee. She was instrumental in setting up the Brightwater Website and refining the Brightwater Reflections and the eBulletin.

Brightwater is a better place to live because of Diane’s willingness to volunteer her time and talents to our community!

Garbage Collection Vote Proposition 2 passed.

City-wide Garbage Collection -

Proposition 2 – the proposed adoption of an ordinance requiring the owners or occupants of residential units to participate in a city-wide consolidated municipal trash collection program, except that existing sole source contracts may be allowed to continue until the base rate is not lower than the city solid waste collection service base rate.

Currently, Brightwater residents receive garbage pick-up (2x/week plus recycling) through a MUD #42 contract with WCA at an approximate cost of $16.25. Under the City’s proposal, if the WCA base contract price becomes higher than the City garbage contract (after the current contract expires), all residents in Brightwater and MUD#42 would be required to receive City collection.

Sugar Land homeowner’s association thwarts crooks using high tech camera.

By Cheryl Skinner
Fort Bend Star

Sugar Land police are crediting the arrest of two 20-year-old Houston men with the proactive measures taken by the homeowner’s association where the 60-year-old victim lived. Police say the victim was attacked in her garage and the culprits made a clean getaway. It was a short-lived bit of freedom because the installation of surveillance cameras by the association gave police the tools they needed to identify and arrest the suspects.

The surveillance cameras installed by the homeowners association in the Eldridge Lakes subdivision enabled detectives to track down a vehicle rented by a relative of Lavergne, detectives said.

A review of surveillance cameras purchased by the homeowners association showed a newer model, red Chevrolet Cobalt following the woman’s car and leaving the subdivision shortly after the robbery.

Sugar Land police have encouraged more and more neighborhoods to add surveillance cameras near their entrances and exits. Although some worry about the intrusiveness of cameras right outside their homes, police say having footage of a crime or of a suspect coming or going from a crime scene can be critical to solving the case.

New HOA Collection Policy

As part of the change in legal counsel, the Board decided to formalize a collection policy for payment of Brightwater HOA fees. The policy outlines the process for payment and the timeline for handling homeowners in arrears. A copy of the policy will be mailed with 2010 invoices this coming December, but will also be posted on the website shortly. In summary, annual dues need to be paid by January 31. Reminder letters, along with accruing charges, are sent during the subsequent 90 days and after that, delinquent accounts are submitted to the HOA attorney for collection. Legal fees are added accordingly and account balances can quickly add up. Brightwater depends on every resident meeting his/her financial obligation to the Association. Please pay promptly.

Neighborhood Watch Program For Brightwater

	Patrolling of the neighborhood is to be done in teams of two. Volunteers can pick a partner of their choice (a neighbor or family member ) or from the general roster. Every patrol member must be officially signed up.
	Volunteers must be 18 years or older and residents of Brightwater.
	Two hours a month on a given day have to be committed by each volunteer. For example, you can sign up for duty between 11am - 1pm on every first Monday of the month and that will be your official time slot. Duties involve driving around the neighborhood during those hours with your partner and watching for any suspicious or unusual activity. Patrol duties cannot be broken up into separate 30 or 60 minute slots.
	No direct intervention is required from volunteers. In case you detect a crime or violation of city ordinances, you will call the police on your cell phone.
	At least fifteen teams are required for an effective Neighborhood Watch for a subdivision the size of Brightwater. That means we need a minimum of thirty volunteers.
	When we have the requisite number of volunteers, a training session with Officer Dan Flagg of Missouri City Police will be set up. Officer Flagg will explain in more detail the do's and don'ts of a Neighborhood Watch program. A booklet with the summary of the Missouri City ordinances will be issued to each volunteer and that will serve as the guideline for crime watch.
	The HOA may consider issuing magnetic decals for crime watch volunteers to attach to their vehicles while patrolling.

Brightwater already employs off duty police officers for patrolling our neighborhood during the evening hours. A Neighborhood Watch is therefore needed during the daytime between 9 am and 5pm. This will of course preclude most residents who work during the day. But those who have free time during these hours are encouraged to give two hours a month for the initiative.

To volunteer, please send your name and contact information to:
Ruchira Paul 281-261-2200 or ruchirapaul@verizon.net

Help prevent vehicle burglaries:

	Keep vehicles locked at all times.
	When parked overnight, remove all valuables from vehicles.
	Try not to park on the street overnight.
	When shopping, make one trip to the car with purchased merchandise, and then leave the lot. Thieves have been known to watch shoppers as they place merchandise in their cars before returning to a store.
	Never leave identification, wallets, credit cards or jewelry in vehicles while visiting fitness centers. Doing so is much riskier than using a locker inside the gym or leaving the items at home.
	If personal property must be left in a car, lock it in the trunk. Unfortunately, this option does not exist for pick-up trucks or SUVs. Thieves are aware that there is no secure place to store items in these types of vehicles.
	Finally, before you leave a vehicle, take a second to look inside and make sure nothing is visible from the outside that could attract a thief.

Be especially alert at shopping centers and fitness clubs.

Newsbites

Clubhouse Rental: Residents who wish to rent the Brightwater Clubhouse should call Sam Simmons at Crest Management, 281-579-0761, ext 630. She will co-ordinate your arrangements.

Call the Missouri City police department to enforce the following laws concerning cars, etc. parked on city streets in Lakes of Brightwater.

The following are the conditions that violate the law:

	Cars parked on the street, but facing the wrong direction (as the traffic flows).
	Cars parked within 15' of a fire hydrant.
	Cars parked within 20' of an intersection.
	Cars parked on the street for more than 48 hours without being moved in the interim.
	Boats and RV campers parked on the street for reasons other than unloading.
	Cars parked in pointed toward the curb rather than parallel to the curb.
	And, cars parked on both sides of the street where there is insufficient room for emergency vehicles to travel down the street.

Residents who encounter such a situation should report it to the Missouri City police.
Non-emergency reportable incident 281-403-8700.

Ducks on the Dock

If you want to feed the ducks, please do it only on the grassy areas away from the Clubhouse, parking lot, sidewalks, pier, and dock. This will provide a healthier environment for everyone by eliminating duck poop on the benches and walkways in our common areas.

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