2009 Water Quality Report

Any of you who heard me campaign know that my main reason for running for the District Board of Directors was to ensure our drinking water was safe for consumption and our daily use. Recently you should have received the nice little brochure that is sent out by the District every year reporting on the quality of our water. If you haven't received yours, or thought it was junk mail and just threw it out, send me an e-mail at jroot@wcid89.org and I'll send you a copy.

I have learned a LOT about what all it takes to get water of any quality delivered to our houses. AK and I took a tour of the sewer treatment facility (definitely wanted a gasmask while touring it - eeewwww!) and the well with Laney Brown, who is our Southwest Water operator. I am pleased to report that there is now a gas-powered generator that will keep our water flowing even if electricity is knocked out by Hurricane Alex or any other hurricane that comes closer to us this season. We also have an impressive array of pumps that carry the water to our homes. But the further away the well is from the house, the harder it is to keep pressure constant. And the quality of the water is affected by the number of pipes it must travel through before it gets to your tap.

The Peanut Gallery Revisited

Several of you have visited a meeting of the Water District to voice concerns, as did both AK and I before we were elected to the Board. AK and I had referred to the area where we were asked to sit as "The Peanut Gallery" -- off to the side of the tables arranged in a large square where the Board Members and the various consultants (engineer, tax office rep, bookkeeper, attorney, etc.) sat. On every agenda there is a designated time at the beginning of the meeting to hear public comments. That is when us 'peanuts' were allowed to speak.

Well, I titled this post "The Peanut Gallery Revisited" for a reason. I have recently completed a training through the Attorney General's Office about the Open Meetings Act. Believe it or not, the point of allowing the public to attend meetings of government bodies, which has elected representatives, is so that they can watch their reps in action. I was always frustrated that I was not allowed to ask questions or make comments when something interesting was being discussed after the 'public comments' moment was over. But you know what? That's proper!

The purpose of the meeting is to conduct the business of the District. And, if it were to get bogged down with a lot of comments and questions from folks like me, who took a determined interest in their local government, but didn't really understand what the business actually entailed, it would be difficult to get through all the items on the agenda. So relegating me to be a 'peanut' was appropriate -- but only during the called meetings.

If you ever come to one of the District meetings, I hope you will understand that the amount of time and attention that can be devoted to public comments is quite limited. BUT I don't want you to feel like a peanut! Please, let me know your concerns by e-mailing me at jroot@wcid89.org and I will continue to blog here to keep you informed on the decisions we make. Together we can address the issues that you have made clear are important.

Answers for Brunswick Meadows HOA Meeting

The annual HOA meeting for Brunswick Meadows was held last month and a few concerns were raised about the detention ponds. At the most recent Board meeting I got a few answers.

First, some of us who have lived in Brunswick Meadows for 5 years or more remember that the detention ponds used to be filled with water, making them appear to be lakes - complete with ducks and other water fowl, albeit no fountain features.

Last year there was a construction project ongoing for several months to drain the ponds and we have been told that the design was for them to always be dry. This started a rather interesting discussion on the yahoo group site of the difference between detention and retention ponds. In order to convert our current detention pond into a retention pond would require additional excavation. This, of course, would come at a cost. According to the Developer, the pumps would be adequate to handle flooding no matter if it were a retention or a detention pond.

The pumps are automatically triggered when the water rises to a certain level. While there was some earlier disagreement over who was responsible to install and maintain the pumps between the District and the Developer, that has been settled. The pumps are now functional and there is no need for notification or remote access since they are automatically triggered.

Both the Engineer and the Developer said that a pond with water (what we had been calling a retention rather than detention pond) would pose no problem to the pumps preventing flooding of the neighborhood. However, it would require the additional excavation to hold the water. No funds have been allocated for such work to be done.

I also asked if the District or the Developer was responsible for mowing the areas around the detention ponds and was told that Harris County Flood Control will have responsibility for maintenance of the detention ponds in the future, including mowing. In Brunswick Meadows, the Flood Control District will not take on that duty until all the development has been completed, including the detention pond that will serve the newest section. So, it would appear that the Developer has the responsibility for now to make sure that the mowing is done.

Finally, I asked about the homeowners who were charged a premium on lots that faced the 'lake' and everyone said that those affected would need to take that up with the builders and their representatives. I remember at closing on my house that I signed something that said no promises were made to me by the sales rep either verbally or in writing that would hold Lennar liable for anything beyond what was clearly stated in the sales contract. Still, if you feel like you were cheated, it couldn't hurt to complain to the builder, or the BBB.