The Villages at Maxwell Creek HOA Newsletter (1st Quarter 2008)

Annual Meeting / Elections

The Annual Meeting for the Association will be on Monday, April 7th at 7:00PM at the Joe Farmer Rec Center on Bethany (across from Kroger). A mailing announcing this meeting, along with a proxy form will be mailed out in March. If you will not be attending the meeting, please mail in your proxy form.

We've been short one Board Member for the past year, so if you are interested in volunteering your time please consider running for office! If you would like more information about what is involved, please email the current board members at officers@maxwellcreek.org, and if you would like to run for office please complete and mail/fax in the candidate information form on the HOA website.

In addition to electing new Board Members, and assuming we can finish the final review with the Association's attorney in time, we will be voting on some new amendments to the Covenants and Bylaws. Among other changes, we are looking at pushing back the due date for the annual assessment until March 1st, reducing the initial quorum size for meetings, as well as a few other minor changes. Specifics about these amendments will be mailed out with the meeting notice and proxy in late March.

Lastly, we will be holding a question and answer session after taking care of the agenda items, and expect to cover issues including upcoming construction and other activities occurring in the surrounding area, and other topics of interest.

Dues Collection

In stark contrast to last year, we received 45% of dues payments by the due date (January 1st), and have received almost 82% of all dues payments thus far; specifics for each street are broken out on the next page. We'd like to thank everyone for their prompt payments, it helps save the HOA - and you - money!

The HOA foreclosed on two additional homes on January 1st this year; both have been vacant since roughly August of 2007. We are currently trying to negotiate with the mortgage holders so that we don't lose the funds already invested in those properties. The one residence that the HOA foreclosed on last September (mentioned in the previous newsletter) has paid their debt in full and redeemed their property in January.

The HOA places most of the money received from assessments in CDs early in the year, which are then cashed out as the year goes on. Because of the downturn in the economy, the rates of return on the CDs the HOA invests in will not be as high as last year, but hopefully that difference will be made up by the ability to purchase another CD earlier in the year than we have been able to previously.

Spring Neighborhood Garage Sale

The HOA will be sponsoring a neighborhood garage sale on Saturday, March 29th from 7a-12p, and we will be purchasing advertising in area newspapers and posting signs at the neighborhood entrances. The HOA will also be putting signs out the week before and will be hanging two large 10x2' banners from the neighborhood border fences to attract traffic from passers-by.

Spring Block Party

The Spring Block Party will be held this year on Saturday, April 26th from 4-6pm. The menu still hasn't been decided, but in past years we've had everything from hot-dogs to pizza to beef brisket. As always, people are also invited to bring along a dish to share with their neighbors.

We'll also be hosting a chili-contest, so if you've got the winning recipe, please bring it! The judging will be held at 5pm, and the winner will receive a $50 gift card to Lowes!

We'll have a bounce-house for the kids, and are trying to reserve a cotton-candy machine as well.

Allen High School Senior Prom

The Allen High School Senior Prom is April 5, and thanks to their parents and local businesses, their magical night won't end at midnight. Instead, the seniors' final big night together will continue in the Allen High School with more music, food, games, and prizes at the annual After Prom event, from midnight to 5 AM.

The substance-free, all-night party is a long time tradition for Allen graduating seniors. Last year, over $32,000 in prizes were awarded to seniors that included: laptop computers, iPods, TVs, and $8,000 in scholarships. This year, Allen area restaurants and parents will supply the food; a disc jockey will perform; and booths will be set up all over the cafeteria and main hallway with games, casino tables, and activities for the students with opportunities to "win" exciting prizes.

Prom night is our seniors' final night to spend together reminiscing the years they have spent growing up together before their graduation, said Vickie Baker, After Prom chair. In just a few months these kids will go their separate ways. After Prom gives them the opportunity to get together with other seniors they've known since elementary school and on youth sport teams. After Prom is open to every AHS senior - even those not attending the Prom, Mrs. Baker said.

This year's After Prom has collected $21,000 to date toward the goal of $36,000. After Prom Organizers are eagerly seeking additional merchandise or cash donations from parents and local businesses. Prizes will be given out during the entire evening. More donations are needed, including restaurant gift cards, gaming systems, pre-paid gas cards, DVD players, iPod accessories, dorm-sized refrigerators, microwaves, coffeemakers, desk organizers, lamps, or any other item you might think a graduating senior would like to have.

Merchandise donations can be made by contacting Tammy Tigert at ttigert@snellbuickpontiacgmc.com. After Prom also needs parent volunteers to work the night of the event. Help is needed with food, games, security, first aid, and distribution of the prizes and scholarships. Volunteers should contact Lori Springer at jsfalcon09@aol.com or by calling (972) 359-2871.

Want to make a monetary donation? Send it to: After Prom, P.O. Box 370, Allen TX 75013 or link to the After Prom site on the Allen High School website.

Committee Updates

Architecture Committee

There is no update from the committee for this newsletter.

The chairperson of the Architecture committee is Robert Butler.

Landscape Committee

We wanted to provide a quick update on the soil & sod work being performed along the front of the community. Thus far, we have installed 5 cubic yards of soil to raise the necessary low spots, and an additional 150 yards of St. Augustine & 60 yards of Bermuda across these areas. As scheduled, pre-spring pruning of the Crape Myrtles has been completed and they should look great this summer.

You may have noticed the blue spots on the turf throughout the community. The blue spots are an indicator dye that is added to sprayed chemicals to show where the chemicals have been applied. With spring just around the corner, chemical herbicide applications have been made to kill both winter and seedling weeds. Left untreated they would multiply into troublesome spring and summer weeds. When the chemical has been applied to the turf it poses no harm to humans, animals, or the environment. A slow release granular pre-emergent has also been applied to further prevent and discourage weeds.

Finally, we have had tulip bulbs planted at the neighborhood entrances, which should be sprouting up soon.

Please let us know if there are any areas of concern, we are doing our best make the entire landscape as enjoyable as possible.

The chairperson of the Landscape committee is Stephanie Butler.

Social Committee

The next committee meeting will be on Saturday, March 22nd, when we'll discuss the plans for the Neighborhood Garage Sale, the Spring Block Party, and the Annual Meeting. If you'd like to help plan, or just provide some input, please contact Yesika Fletcher!

The chairperson of the Social committee is Yesika Fletcher.

HOA Contact Information

The Home Owners Association and its agents may be contacted in several ways:

• Through the HOA web site, at http://www.maxwellcreek.org/,
• By emailing the officers of the HOA, at officers@maxwellcreek.org,
• By emailing the HOA management company, at maxwellcreek@hoa-management.com or management@maxwellcreek.org,
• By calling or faxing the HOA at (972) 739-5221.
• Through U.S. postal mail at:
  Villages at Maxwell Creek HOA
  c/o HOA Management
  PO Box 328
  Allen, TX 75013-0006

We welcome any questions, comments, or concerns you may have. Please include your name and street address on all correspondence in order to expedite a response. Please allow two business days for your call or message to be returned.

Is there anything that you've wished to know more about or is there something you would like to share with other association members? If you want to suggest a topic, write an article, make a suggestion or even correct a mistake, please contact us at newsletter@maxwellcreek.org!