Community Events: n/a
Resident Concerns: Law Enforcement Presence
/ Budget Issues, SRVA Meetings, Dangerous
Intersection, Community Associations
Service Request Feature
Commercial Development: New Car Wash
Woodlands Watch: n/a
TWA Meeting
Editorial Comment
regarding the law enforcement issue:
The last two Sterling Ridge Village Association meetings have
been
interesting. Several residents are obviously concerned about
the amount of visible law enforcement presence we have here
in The Woodlands, particularly in Sterling Ridge. That is a
valid concern which I share. I have over the past three years
that I have lived in Sterling Ridge made numerous calls to
the Sheriff's Office requesting additional presence in Sterling
Ridge. I have also had numerous discussions with County Commissioner
Ed Chance (281-367-3977 or commis3@co.montgomery.tx.us)
about the lack of law enforcement. I have noticed some improvement
since the beginning of 2005, but there is still a very long
way to go.
Several residents have questioned the amount of money that
The Woodlands Association spends on law enforcement versus
other things like parks and pathways. I wonder how long it
would take, though, if the parks were not maintained, for residents
to be in an uproar about that. The parks in The Woodlands are
built by The Woodlands Development Company and paid for half
by the Development Company and half by The Woodlands Association.
After they are built, the maintenance is the responsibility
of The Woodlands Association. The parks are going to be built
whether we like it or not, since The Woodlands Development
Co. has a plan for the development of the area, and those parks
are a very important part of that plan. If The Woodlands Association
was to decide not to maintain the parks, they would become
a haven for the criminal element, making the crime problem
even worse and also dragging down the value of our homes.
The board of directors of The Woodlands Association, along
with the directors of The Woodlands Community Association,
will be working on the Associations' budgets for 2006 during
the next few months. I assure you that one of the main topics
of conversation during the preparation of the budget will be
law enforcement. Contrary to what many of you apparently believe,
I also assure you all that I am very much in favor of additional
law enforcement presence in our area. I do, however, have a
responsibility to work toward spending your money wisely. As
I have said on numerous occasions, the County is primarily
responsible for law enforcement in the unincorporated areas
like The Woodlands. The Associations budgeted approximately
$823,000 during 2005 for supplemental law enforcement, and
this money is paid to the County for services provided by the
Sheriff's Office and the Precinct 3 Constable. Frankly, I have
been less than satisfied with the results we have received.
Should we pay additional money to the County, thereby perhaps
throwing good money after bad?
I am bothered that the County has not stepped up with additional
protection despite the tremendous growth in population and
property value over the last few years. When I heard Lt. Coward
say during the July SRVA meeting that District II has the same
number of county-funded deputies as 5 years ago, I was astonished.
This makes me wonder if the County is simply sitting back and
waiting for The Woodlands Associations to assume the County's
responsibility. I'm hesitant to volunteer to pay your money
to the County for something the County should already be providing.
Maybe a lot of you will disagree with that, but that is the
way I feel. I'd feel much better about helping to reach a higher
level of protection if I was assured that the County would
do its part.
That being said, I again reiterate that I am in favor of additional
protection for our area, and will endeavor to find a way to
provide it. Just a couple of weeks ago, I took a vacation day
from my day job (the one for which I am paid) to join Joel
Deretchin, president of The Woodlands Association; Cheryl Crandall
Tangen, president of The Woodlands Community Association; and
Woodlands Fire Chief / Interim Co-General Manager Alan Benson
in a visit to Sheriff Tommy Gage's office. We spent a couple
of hours explaining our concerns and yours to the Sheriff.
The Sheriff is attentive to our concerns but is constrained
by the amount of money allotted to him by the Commissioners.
During the Associations' budget discussions, I plan to explore
other options, such as directly hiring off-duty deputies to
patrol or hiring a private security patrol company. I hope
that the other directors will be open to these or other methods
to provide law enforcement in ways that we have control over
rather than simply continuing to pay the County for services
that we do not have direct control over.
Editorial
Comment about SRVA Meetings:
Now I'd like to talk a little bit about the demeanor of the
residents at the Sterling Ridge Village Association meetings.
I am a volunteer director on the board of The Woodlands Association
(TWA). I ran unopposed for a second term that began in March
2005 and runs through Feb 2007. I also ran unopposed for my
first term that began in March 2004. I spend a considerable
amount of time and some of my own money executing my responsibilities.
So far this year I have taken two vacation days from my day
job to attend to TWA business. I do my best to keep residents
informed through these e-mails. In return for all this, I have
been rudely accused of lying, of not caring about the residents'
concerns, of being clueless about priorities, of not agreeing
that the lack of law enforcement is a problem, and on and on.
First of all, I DON'T LIE, AND I DEEPLY RESENT ANY IMPLICATION
THAT I DO. Secondly, like I said, I am not paid for the duties
I perform and I ran unopposed to do them. I volunteered to
do that because I thought I could do something to continue
to help make The Woodlands a great place to live. This is my
way of giving back to the community. I get very little in return
for my efforts - a shirt, the occasional meal during a meeting
- not anywhere near enough to be treated so rudely by the residents
that I volunteered to work for. If any of you feel that I am
doing such an awful job and would like to replace me, please
feel free to put your name on the ballot for the next election.
I would not mind going back to having a lot more free time
if I thought I was leaving my position in good hands.
Dangerous
Intersection:
The last I heard about the intersection of Woodlands
Parkway and Lake Woodlands Dr is that the Commissioner has
ordered a warrant study to see if a stoplight is warranted.
I saw another accident there this afternoon, and I hope that
the County will quickly put a light there. The Woodlands Association
cannot install stoplights, only the County can do that. Feel
free to contact Commissioner Chance with your concerns.
New Car Wash
in Indian Springs Center:
You may have noticed that there are almost no trees in front
of a space that has been cleared for a car wash in Indian Springs
Center. The trees were not cut down, there simply were not
as many trees in that area. The Woodlands Development Company
will plant trees there in the future.
New Community
Service Feature:
A very easy to use feature on the Community Associations website
provides a way to report problems or ask for assistance from
the Community Associations paid staff. Problems or questions
relating to things like park, pathway, and streetscape maintenance,
street lights, covenant administration, garbage and recycle
pickup, pools, etc, can be entered online via the “Service
Request” button on the Community
Associations website. This new feature is very easy to
use and responses are sent via e-mail notifying the resident
of the status of his or her request. There is no need to contact
me with every request. Feel free to contact me, however, if
you have any trouble getting resolution.
TWA Board Meeting:
The next meeting will be Thursday, August 25, at 7:30
PM, at the Community Associations Building, 2201 Lake
Woodlands Dr.
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