Northcliffe

Articles from the December Newsletter

Nov 24, 2008

HELP KEEP OUR FLAG FLYING:

The flag flying over Northcliffe has been a
landmark along I-35 for over 30 years.
The 100 foot high flag can be viewed for
several miles. Flags large enough to fly at
that height are very expensive.
It has come to our attention that some people
believe that the flag belongs to the
Northcliffe Golf Course. The golf course
has absolutely no ownership of our flag.
We rely on the kindness and generosity of
members of our community. The care and
maintenance of our flag is something your
HOA and community volunteers take very
seriously, and we would like to give you a
little history.
The flagpole was installed by U.S. Homes
when the community was begun in the
mid-seventies. When U.S. Homes closed
down their operation in the early 90?’s, the
HOA assumed responsibility for the flag.
Since that time Dave Garber has conscientiously
raised money, completed repairs
and done everything to make certain
that the flag flies high over Northcliffe.
Everyone who enjoys having
that flag waving over our community
owes Dave a HUGH ?“Thank You?”!
Donations from veterans?’ groups,
other anonymous donations, the hard
work of volunteers and our limited
membership dues have supported
maintenance costs and the cost of buying
new flags. Annual maintenance
costs are approximately $500 per year.
Additionally, The Scenic Hills HOA
pays for half of the $245 yearly electric
bill to illuminate the flag at night.
A Northcliffe homeowner, Mr. Steve
Gooding, recently painted the pole as
a donation to our community.
Anyone wishing to assure that the flag
will still fly can send a donation to the
HOA at the address on the front of
this newsletter, or can deposit some
money in the container at the entrance
inside the golf course Pro
Shop front door. Nobody misses
the flag until we have to take it
down!

ANNUAL CHRISTMAS DECORATING CONTEST:

The Northcliffe HOA will hold its
annual Christmas Decorating Contest
between Dec. 8-13. Be certain to have
your lights on in the evening during
that week. We will be awarding
prizes to the first three places! We
had fantastic decorations last year, but
would love to surpass it. Several of
our homes were considered as finalists
in the Schertz city-wide contest as
well.


THE VOTES ARE IN:

Northcliffe residents showed their excitement about this year?’s Presidential election by turning out in record numbers at the polls.
Precinct 307, the Northcliffe Community Center
North (old fire station) is just one of seven voting precincts in Schertz. There are 2,872 registered voters in our Precinct. 2,143 or 75 percent cast their vote in the Presidential election. Our 75 percent voting turnout rate in Precinct 307 exceeded the average voter turnout rate across the United States which was 62%.
The next scheduled election will be the City of
Schertz election in May, 2009. Community volunteers will distribute voting information to all residents prior to that election.
If you would like to check that your voting registration card is up to date prior to the May election, go to the Guadalupe County Website or call the Guadalupe Elections office at: (210) 945-4199.

COMAL VOTERS APPROVE A TAX EXEMPTION:

Two of our streets in Northcliffe are located in Comal County; Charleston and Columbia.
These residents voted at Precinct 202 at the Comal Elementary School. While voting results are not yet available for this specific precinct we do know that the Comal County voting turn out rate was 65%. Comal voters also approved a partial tax exemption for residents 65 or older. According to the Comal County web site, this is an ?“adoption of an increase to the exemption from taxation by Comal County of a portion increase from the current amount of $11,110.00 to the proposed amount of $50,000 of the
appraised value of a residence homestead of an individual who is 65 or older?…?” Comal County residents can check that your voter registration card is up to date by calling the Comal
County Elections office at: (830) 221-1230.

CALL 311 - SCHERTZ CUSTOMER RELATIONS:

The following was extracted from the Schertz web site:
Customer Relations is responsible for direct customer service. They are the live human voice on the phone when you call 311 or 619-1000. For our tech savvy customers who prefer to communicate by email or after hours, you can send them an email at: customercare@schertz.com.
Contact with the Customer Relations office is a good first contact point to locate information about the City of Schertz. This can range from a street light being out, to junk cars in a yard or even graffiti. Customer Relations can also direct your call to any department within the
City Staff. Their web site includes a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) database which a customer can utilize 24/7 to find information on different topics. These topics may range from items such as: the City?’s recycling program,
trash pick-up and its holiday schedule, to pool hours,locations, and so forth. The Customer Relations Department is diligently working
to bring 311 service to the entire Schertz community. Anyone in the City of Schertz can use 311 free of charge. Although, the only land line currently connected to the 311 service is AT&T, Time Warner is working on connection issues. You can also use your cellular phone if you have Sprint or Nextel. Department operating hours
are Monday ?– Friday 8:00 am ?– 5:00 pm.

DOBIE COUGARS HAVE WINNING SEASON:

The Dobie Cougars have two Football teams. One
for 7th graders and another for 8th graders. Both
Cougar Football Teams had a successful year.
It is an honor to acknowledge some of our own star athletes from Northcliffe.
Mason Martinez is a 7th grade ?“A?” team football player. He played on both the offensive and defensive lines for the Cougars. This year the 7th grade Cougars were 7-1 on their last
game of the season. They had to play for the championship against Smithson Valley. The Cougars won 10-0. Mason played his best game of
the season. With his strength and determination he would not be stopped.
Bruce Bacellona is an 8th grader at Dobie Junior High. He played left tackle and shade for the center. The 8th grade Dobie Cougars also ended up with a winning season of 6-2. Bruce added a tremendous amount of leadership to the team and was known for his excellent sportsmanship.

CROSSWALK ON CHERRYTREE:

The City determined,through an earlier
traffic study,that Cherrytree has a traffic
flow sufficient enough to be dangerous
to parents and children attempting to
get to the park. For this reason, Schertz City Council approved the construction of the new crosswalk on Cherrytree across from the City Public Park at Northcliffe. Construction
began in October to make a handicap accessible
crosswalk with a three-way stop at Cherrytree
and Turnabout Loop. While this has created an inconvenience for some people, I?’m certain that any parent or grandparent can appreciate the City?’s concern for our residents. Thanks City of Schertz for making our community safer.

LET EVERYONE ENJOY THE CITY PARK ON CHERRYTREE:

It is so wonderful to see all of the walkers in the park and the many parents and children
around the play area. There have, however, been complaints about dog owners not cleaning
up after their pets and dogs being allowed to urinate around the play equipment. According to
the Schertz City Codes and a sign in the Park:
?¨ All Animals must be under restraint
?¨ Owners of every animal are responsible for
cleaning up your animal?’s waste (Fine of
$50-$200). Please be considerate; watch where your pets go to the bathroom and clean up after them.

PRESIDENT'S CORNER:

What?’s Happening With Our Streets and Roads?
I have received a couple of panic calls and have been stopped on the street by people asking me ?“Is the City of Schertz cutting down the 30 year old Crepe Myrtles and Live Oak trees along Country Blvd.??” ?“Why are they marked with orange tape??” People also want to know the status of our street repairs and the new connection between Old Wiederstein and Chelsea. Here is the latest information obtained from the City Engineer:
1. The City is beginning the process of fixing our streets in accordance with the multi-million dollar bond that was voted for in 2006. Since Country Club Blvd. is the main street that services 5 other subdivisions, it will be completed first. The orange tape is for survey purposes. The trees and myrtles will by saved. They are going to try to design a walking/bike path. The flag pole will not be taken down. The timeline is not set yet, and the City will call a meeting of residents to let us know the plan.
2. After Country Club is repaired, work will be done on streets the engineers determined to be in the worst condition. Other streets will be worked on according to a maintenance schedule set by the engineers.
3. Work on the Chelsea/Wiederstein connection is planned to begin after the first of the
year. We know how timelines can slip, but the current plan is to send the project for
bids in January and start work by February. There is no indication, at this time, as to how
long the work will take. The intersections will be much safer!

HOMEOWNER'S ASSOCIATION NEWS:

The Northcliffe Homeowners?’ Association recently
heard from a resident who had just purchased a
home in Northcliffe. The resident was unhappy that their Real-Estate agent had not let them know ourcommunity has mandatory Deed Restrictions enforced by the HOA.
Any new homeowner or renter who did not get a
copy of the Northcliffe Deed Restrictions can contact their Real Estate agent and request a copy. The Deed Restrictions, which are filed with the Guadalupe County Clerk, have been in place since 1976 when the Community of Northcliffe was built. They apply to every homeowner and renter in Northcliffe.
The Deed Restrictions include such things as prohibiting parking of boats and trailers at homes for longer than 12 hours, requiring mowing of weeds and grass, prohibiting accumulation of garbage, trash or rubbish and prohibiting the building of privacy fences on golf course lots.
Residents of Northcliffe who are not in compliance with a Deed Restriction are notified by the HOA in writing by a series of three consecutive letters. In each letter, the Deed Restriction is explained and the resident
is asked to comply and to please contact the HOA if they have any questions. Many times residents are unaware of the Northcliffe Deed Restrictions and are happy to comply once they are explained. However, if there is no resolution after the third letter,the HOA Board refers the matter to the Guadalupe County Justice Court. The court sets the date and the resident and HOA Board member are asked to attend. If the Court supports the finding of the HOA Board,
(which they have all four times in the past year), the resident is directed to comply and pay court fees of $102.00. The Court could also assess additional fines. If you are new to the Northcliffe Neighborhood and have any questions about the Deed Restriction policy,
please contact the HOA at ncliffe2000@Yahoo.com or call an HOA Board member.


POSSIBLE ZIP CODE CHANGE:

Schertz has been trying to get our zip code
changed to 78154 for about 6 years, and
their attempts have been repeatedly rejected
by the U.S. Postal Service. When asked
about the latest status, the Assistant City
Manager John Bierschwale writes: ?“The
Mayor and City Manager will not give up
on this important issue. They are setting a
meeting with Congressman Cuellar and the
United States Post Master General to discuss
the last ZIP Code rejection. We do not
know the date and time of this meeting.?”