Neighborhood News

12-24-2011 The Bishop Company has mailed out the payment coupons for 2012. Please keep them available to make payments monthly, quarterly or annually. Contact the Bishop Company (see tab) if you have not received yours. The Stoneridge POA appreciates that members dues are paid in a timely manner, so that our Association can meet their financial obligations for the things we enjoy in the neighborhood. The next POA Board Meeting is Feb. 7, 2012

The Christmas season is in full swing and and unfortunately the criminals are not taking any holiday time off this year. A few tips to help avoid being a target for crime include:

1. Always lock your home’s doors and windows, even if you’re at home.

2. When leaving town for an extended period, have a trusted friend, neighbor or family member take care of your home. Ask them to pick up your mail, newspapers and other deliveries.

3. Notify your police department when you’re planning an extended absence, and they will routinely check your property. Also, don’t tell people you will be away. Stoneridge offers a Close Patrol Check by Pct. 2 Constables (Find links under Crimewatch Tab and below)
You should neither leave notes on your door nor messages on your answering machine, detailing your schedule or return.

4. Avoid displaying gifts where they can be seen from outside your home through a window or doorway. Leave burglars guessing at what they will find and where to find them.

5. If possible, have packages delivered to a neighbor if you’re not home. Deliveries left outside are easily stolen by thieves, and they also draw unwanted attention to your home.

6. Elaborate and or expensive outdoor Christmas decorations are often stolen right from your property. You should consider installing simpler and cheaper outside decorations.

7. Do not decorate your windows to the point that your view to the outside of your home is obscured. You need a clear view of your property.

8. Dispose of packaging for expensive items discreetly. Thieves can spot something you’ve discarded and target your home for their next burglary or theft.
For example, when you make large purchases, do not leave the empty boxes on the curb. Break them down and place them on the bottom of your trash pile on the day of pickup.

11-24-2011 Just a reminder that the Thanksgiving and Christmas season is just around the corner. Unfortunately this is also the season that criminals plan to work overtime too. Please keep an eye out for suspicious activity and report it immediately by calling 911. The Stoneridge Crime Watch in close association with the Travis County Constable Office Precinct 2, is excited to offer a valuable service to the residents of our Stoneridge neighborhood. Constable Sgt. Kevin Ward, Stoneridge Crimewatch Coordinator is offering a Close Patrol Request that goes directly to Sgt. Ward in Travis County Constable Office Pct. 2, that will enable Travis County Constables to provide added drive by patrols for residents that are on vacation, or have other security concerns. The officers will be able to pay more particular attention to a residence and make additional random drive by patrols. To initiate a patrol, a Close Patrol Request can be downloaded and filled out and then emailed directly to Sgt. Ward kevin.ward@co.travis.tx.us in order to begin this service. This information will ONLY be shared with Sgt. Ward, and the Constable Precinct 2 Officers! Security is paramount and personal information is not jeopardized. We appreciate Sgt. Ward stepping up and taking our Crimewatch to a much higher level of vigilance.

10-8-2011 The Stoneridge National Night Out was held on Oct. 4th and we had a great turnout. This is the first time we actually ran out of food. It was great to see so many people come out and meet their neighbors, so that we can have an effective Crimewatch in Stoneridge. Thanks to Linda Jackson for putting everything together and getting the signs and notices out for a great turnout. This is what makes our neighborhood a great place to live. We are quite aware that the turf is looking very stressed. With the watering restrictions in place the POA is allowed to water only on Friday! The entryway beds are being watered just enough to keep the plants alive.  The turf and beds are hearty and can survive for up to 60 days without water. During the past months we have adhered to the voluntary restrictions of the MUD.  The bed’s irrigation system runs for 3 hours and puts out only 2 gallons of water. The turf is only watered once a week. The landscaper assures us that the Zoysia Palisades turf will remain brown, but is still alive and will green up again when the rains return.
NOTICE to all residents the MUD is moving to Stage 2 Water Restrictions, which will allow residents to only water ONCE AWEEK!! The POA is also required to follow these guidelines. And finally the blue recycle containers are only picked up on EVERY OTHER Wednesday. You can print out a schedule here and tape it to the inside cover of the container to remind you which week is the pick up week Wells Branch Recycling Calender 2011-2012

Click on the Landscape Tab for hints on dealing with Brown Patch Fungus in our lawns. Even though it has been dry and everything is already brown, the cool nights and warm days are primetime for this fungus to take hold. The rains WILL return and the moisture loving fungus will make it even harder for our lawns to recover!

9-4-2011 The Stoneridge National Night is being held again this year on Tuesday, October 4, 2011.  It will also be Texas National Night Out.  This year’s TNNO cookout will be held in the North cul-de-sac of Bescott Drive (nearest the library). Come meet the neighbors and share hotdogs, sausage wraps and soft drinks.

9-3-2011 The Stoneridge POA minutes from the August Quarterly Meeting are available on Meetings link of the website. The major item of discussion is the budget that is entering the lean time of the year. Collections continue to meet the needs of the Association. The POA has had to dip into the reserves to meet the monthly bills such as water and electricity. Water continues to be the largest expenditure that we are monitoring closely with the ongoing drought. .

7-31-2011 The Stoneridge POA Quarterly Meeting is coming up on August 2, 2011. The Meeting Agenda is available via this link. Major items to be discussed is an update on the financial and delinquent account collection. Other non elected positions on various committees are also available for folks to volunteer to make this a great neighborhood to live in!

7-3-2011 -Below are the findings of the traffic study on Wells Port Drive from the Travis County Traffic Department to address 18-wheeler traffic.

6-11-2011 Well the dog days of summer are already upon us in June! Needless to say keeping the landscape green is going to be a challenge for the Association as well as the entire neighborhood. Wells Branch has instituted Voluntary Watering Restrictions. That also means that the POA is limited to how much we can put on the turf and other landscaping. The Stoneridge POA is already moved into the "keep it alive mode". The drip irrigation on the beds will continue, but the turf is going to look a little brown around the edges, as we all look to the skies for a little help. Although the water restrictions are in place we hope folks will abide by them, but also keep their turf in the keep it alive mode too. A new turf is a much more expensive than a little water from time to time!

Please note we have added some additional links to the website for the Wells Branch Neighborhood Association and a Wells Branch Google Group in order to discuss issues that directly impact the Wells Branch neighborhood. Feel free to join and be a part of the greater Wells Branch Community. These groups can also be found on the Links page of the website.

5-29-2011 The Stoneridge POA newsletter is now being delivered to each home in our neighborhood. You can access a copy via the link Stoneridge POA Newsletter The POA is moving forward with selecting a collection agency in order to recoup the outstanding debts by homeowners that continue to not meet their legal responsibilities in paying their monthly dues. The amount now is cumulative to more than $10,000.00! The POA voted to investigate all of options to bring these property owners into compliance.
The MUD has now delivered the RECYCLE BLUE CARTS for use. The Wells Branch MUD has instituted a single-stream recycling program in our neighborhood. Click on the link Wells Branch Single-Stream Recycling Program for important information regarding pickup days and everyday items that we can now recycle. The recycle schedule is EVERY OTHER WEEK on the scheduled trash pickup day. Wells Branch Recycling Calender 2011-2012 We look forward to a much more efficient way to recycle as we all do our part to decrease garbage as well as landfill costs!
Also the POA Meeting dates for 2011 and 2012 have been set. Please mark your calenders for the quarterly meeting. We hope to see your there and make our neighborhood a proud place to live:

OMG!! I received a notice from the Stoneridge Property Owners Association that I am in violation of the POA deed restrictions. What am I going to do??
First of all, follow these few easy steps.
1. Take a deep breath. It is not the end of the world as you know it.
2. Look at the request for the remedy of the violation. Most of the time it is something as simple as moving a trailer or boat or maybe just the repair of a section of fence that is falling apart.
3. You can click on the Architectural Cmte tab/link on this web site and look at the Deed Restrictions for yourself. They are fairly clear on what constitutes a violation.
4. Be reasonable. The POA just wants to make our neighborhood maintain its charm and property values.
What NOT to do.
1. Get upset and lose control. Many violations may be the complaints received from other property owners in the neighborhood. The POA does not disclose sources of complaints, but will certainly assess the situation in order to assure that the concern is valid, prior to a letter even being sent to the homeowner.
2. Don't call The Bishop Company and curse at the secretary or Ms.. Bishop. They are only the messengers for the neighbors and property owners. BUT they will reasonably discuss the violation and suggest a remedy. The fine structure in the violation notice is only in place in order for the POA to enforce property owners that refuse to abide the Restriction Agreements that all of us signed when the property was purchased. Owners are still responsible for their rental tenants behavior too
3. Don't try to compare your trailer or fence with the crummy fence down the street. Very likely they also have received a notice too. A violation is still a violation even if it is "almost as crummy".
Again, it is not the end of the world. The POA will certainly entertain any reasonable request for remediation time line due to extenuating circumstances. The POA's goal in not to collect a single dollar in fines, but instead to encourage the homeowners to maintain their property according to the rules. Everyone in the neighborhood has to follow the same guidelines.

A "Google Group" wells-branch-neighbors@googlegroups.com has a forum available for any Wells Branch Resident to discuss issues and concerns of our WB neighborhood. Anyone can join this group by sending a request to join to geowanda@earthlink.com You can add your preferences as to the following
1. No email, just read on the web
2. Abridges, no more than 1 email a day
3. Send each message as it arrives or send messages bundled in 1 email
Remember that you need to belong to the group in order to read it, so email your request today!

2010 The Wells Branch Neighborhood Association (WBNA) is looking for a couple volunteers to deliver the WBNA newsletter to our Stoneridge neighborhood. This is a great organization that has provided the entire Wells Branch neighborhood with wonderful events such as the 4th of July Parade and Christmas Lights in the park as well so many other community events for many years! You have received the WBNA Newsletter faithfully delivered to your door (at no charge of course) and now we need your help in continuing with this timely information newsletter. It takes only 45 minutes or so to deliver our area and is great way to get a little exercise as well as provide much needed service. Please contact ernst@stoneridgepoa.com if you can lend a hand from time to time. Many hands make light work!

Please be on the alert for coyotes that have been reported in our neighborhood. We have had an incident where coyotes have been spotted . It appears that last week, a couple of coyote's were roaming around the cul-de-sac on the north end of Bescott Dr. and attacked and killed an outdoor cat. The coyote's were sighted around 1:30 am. Other residents might want to bring their small pets inside during the evenings. The Sheriff has requested that any residents who see they coyote's again call animal control so that they can trap them. The Sheriff thinks these coyote's hang out somewhere off of Bratton Lane. • Travis County does have an Urban Coyote Program ·   • Call 3-1-1 to report coyote sightings or to report missing / attacked pets  • Call Animal Damage control at 512-854-9613 for coyote sightings during daylight hours or for pets being attacked/taken from fenced areas or off leashes (indicates growing aggression and lack of fear)  • There is a biologist that tracks reported coyote activity and the purpose of the program is for them to take action when warranted. Below are photos of what coyotes look like.

2009 One of the questions in the web site email "lost files" was an inquiry on who to contact regarding a street light outage. Our streetlights in Stoneridge are maintained by TXU Electric and are repaired by ONCOR Corp. Neither the City of Austin or the Wells Branch MUD is responsible for streetlight repairs. You can report a streetlight out by phone to 1-888-313-4747 or click on the link Oncor Streetlight Outage Repair Form and request a repair online. Hopefully this should get the lights on within 15 days of an outage. Regarding the cars/ATVs driving in the retention pond and in the easements, the Travis County Sheriff Department at 911 for emergency or 854-9728 for non-emergency contact. The POA does not have a security team available to respond to these issues

2008 Many of our neighbors have recently received a notice in the mail from the Texas Department of Public Safety, regarding a high risk sex offender living in our neighborhood. Though it is not our intent to alarm the neighborhood, we thought it would be appropriate to be aware and vigilant for our neighborhoods safety. We have provided a link that you may review here at Texas Department of Safety Sex Offender Registry . It may be noted that several sex offenders are living within 1 mile of our Stoneridge neighborhood in nearby areas of Wells Branch. A complete listing may be obtained from the DPS web site link of Sex Offenders in 78728 zip code The Texas Sex Offender Registration Program ( Chapter 62 of the Code of Criminal Procedure ) is a sex offender registration and public notification law designed to protect the public from sex offenders. This law requires adult and juvenile sex offenders to register with the local law enforcement authority of the city they reside in or, if the offender does not reside in a city, with the local law enforcement authority of the county they reside in.

Please visit our Stoneridge Crime watch Link of this web site for information on how we can get crime information out to our neighbors
If you or someone you know have been a victim of crime, please contact this website. Together we can make a difference!

Welcome to our Web Site. We have tried to put together a comprehensive site with links and helpful information that will assist our neighbors. Please feel free to send suggestions to ernst@stoneridgepoa.com.

Return to Top

The Stoneridge Residential Property Owners Association was created in 1994 as the Wells Branch Residential Property Owners Association by the developer "Wells Branch Joint Venture". The name was changed to Stoneridge POA in 2002. The Association is maintained by a Board of Directors. The members are all property owners that live in the neighborhood. Our goal is to provide for neighborhood improvements to the Association common areas, and enforcement of the deed restrictions and covenants that protect and maintain the property values of our neighborhood.