Co-Editors: Clary Donehew, phone 558-6681, email address: gdonehew@aol.com
Judy Greenberg, phone 690-5384, email address: gammytexas@cs.com

BOARD MEMBERS AND OFFICERS FOR THE ASSOCIATION

BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETINGS AND ACTIONS

Board Meeting April 24, 2003

Reports- Ms. Bowers, ProComm representative reported that seasonal color was added to the entrances and discussed tree options for the west entrance. The Board decided to plant four Mountain Laurels and four Oaks (Chinquapin selected later) at the west entrance. She also reported that a security patrol contract was received from Smith Security Services. A contract with the company will be signed. All broken sprinkler heads at the north entrance have been replaced.
Mr. Smith, Chairman ACC Committee reported that the committee meets the second Tuesday of every month. The subject of permitting Rubbermaid type storage sheds was raised and the Board determined that two-thirds of the Association members would have to approve a change to governing documents to permit Rubbermaid type storage sheds that exceed 6 feet in height. This may be presented at the next annual meeting.

Unfinished Business- Drafts of Policies and Procedures will be presented at the next meeting. Swing sets and BBQ grills were selected for the Recreation Area. Signs for the annual community wide Garage Sale will be printed.

New-Business-A budget line of $250.00 was established for each entrance's holiday decorations. Mr. Moczygemba was selected as the new board member to replace Mr. Hungate. The Board approved a new format for the Pony Express Newsletter. Some statistics for crime in Oakmont Downs were reviewed by the Board and the Board moved to contract for a security patrol as soon as possible. The appearance of the gate at the drainage ditch was discussed and the city will be contacted about cleaning it up. Weeds at the west entrance will be treated by the landscapers and the perimeter mowing will be stopped at the ditch on DeZavala and mowing will stop at Babcock. A community BBQ was discussed for July. A date will be decided latter.

Board Meeting May 29, 2003

Reports- Ms Bowers reported that a payment from the owners of the home set for foreclosure was received.
She also presented the Security Patrol Report, which showed that one homeowner had tires stolen from his truck. Mr. Smith reported that no ACC requests had been received during the month. Mr. Alan Dorothy was introduced as a new member to the committee.

Unfinished Business- Trees for the west gate have been selected. Arrangements for tree planting will be arranged as soon as checks from ProComm are received. A date in August was set for a community BBQ Party at the park to celebrate the installation of a new swing set and grills. The annual meeting is still under discussion but will probably be some time in November. The next newsletter will be distributed mid August. Placement for the new swing sets and grills was selected. A training seminar for Home Owner Associations Board members by ProComm will soon be available. Policies and procedures are also being developed.

New Business- Mr. Art Moczygemba was introduced as the new Board member. He will serve the remaining term of Tommy Hungate who resigned. The ProComm contract was tabled till next meeting. Because of the tire theft, the Board decided to send a post card to all residents to alert the community. The graffiti on the perimeter fence near the North Entrance on DeZavala was discussed. A letter has been sent to the homeowner requesting that it be removed.

Board Meeting June 26, 2003

Reports- Mr. Brimhall gave a background of Smith Security.

Unfinished Business- Tour logs from Smith Security were reviewed and noted that the company was involved in several incidents. The trees at the West Entrance have been planted, sprinkler systems will be installed, and a dedication ceremony is planned for July 6th. New swing sets will be installed mid-July in the Park. ProComm was retained as the management company for the next year. The graffiti at the North Entrance was discussed and the Board resolved that the owner must remove the graffiti. The next newsletter will be mailed in August. The Recreation Center is maintained weekly by ProComm. ProComm will remove offensive graffiti written on one of the tables in the Pavilion.

New Business- Sharon Fajkus will handle the Pavilion Use Schedule. The Board reviewed a complaint against a neighbor. The Board decided this was a neighbor-to-neighbor problem and would not get involved. However a violation letter relative to pet disturbance will be sent. Ms. Bowers will determine who owns the land behind the park. Ms. Bowers will continue to monitor for violations and send out violation letters.

ARCHITECTURAL CONTROL COMMITTEE ACTIVITIES
Ken Smith, ACC Chair, phone 558-8505, email address: kvsmith_2000@yahoo.com

The Oakmont Downs ACC continues to receive inquiries on how to request approval for proposed changes individuals want to make to the exterior of their property. The first thing is to contact Kathy Bowers at ProComm and request an Oakmont Downs ACC Improvement Request Form. Complete the form attaching the required documents: Complete and detailed building plans, materials listing and specifications, and a property site/survey plan showing the location of the proposed improvement. The completed Improvement Request Form should be mailed or delivered to ProComm at 300 East Sonterra Boulevard, Suite 350, San Antonio TX 78258-3964. ProComm logs-in the request and forwards it to the Oakmont Downs ACC where the committee documents the date received. The second Thursday of each month the Oakmont Downs ACC convenes and approves/disapproves all requests which are then mailed back to Pro Comm. ProComm then provides the initiating homeowner with the approved/disapproved request. If the ACC receive any requests in which private contractors will be used and the request appears to be time sensitive it does it's best to process the request as fast as possible.

RESIDENT VIOLATIONS

During the months of May and June, 97 letters of violations were sent to homeowners. Twenty nine were for trashcans in view during non-pick up days; forty nine for yards needing maintenance; sixteen for improper storage of basketball goals; four for ACC violations; and two for improper storage of boat/trailer/other.

FINANCIAL INFORMATION

As of 5/30/03 six members were behind in their Association fees. All six members were 61-90 days late.

As of 5/30/03, the Association has year to date income of $25,017.67 with year to date expenses of $31,035.99. The two largest expenses have been Administrative Expenses of $7,513.00 and capital improvements of $9,944.33.

As of 5/30/03, the Association had $3,107.26 in the checking account, $11,863.28 as reserve funds and $22,118.44 in a Money Market account.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

• Board Meetings (last Thursday of the month at 7:00 PM unless otherwise scheduled): August 28th, September 25th, October 30th, November 20th (third Thursday), December 18th (third Thursday). Residents are welcome to attend. Call or email one of the officers to find out the place.
• September 27th (Saturday) 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM - Neighborhood BBQ Party at the Recreation Area, Ribbon cutting for swings, BBQ Grills, repainting of Pavilion and honoring of volunteers- The Association will provide hamburgers, hot dogs, and condiments. Residents should bring at least one dish to share as well as own non-alcoholic beverages and other desired items. Residents should also consider bringing own lawn chairs.
• November 11th (Tuesday) - Annual Meeting, 6:30 refreshments, 7:00 meeting, San Antonio Christian Church, 6123 DeZavala Rd.
• November 15th- Holiday decorations may be put up on homes and community entrances on or after this date.
• December- Santa Claus at the park.
• December- Judging of decorated homes.
• January 31,2004- Holiday decorations should be removed from homes and community entrances by this date.

ANNUAL MEETING

At this year's annual meeting the Board plans to present several proposed by-laws changes to be ratified by the community residents. The proposed changes are listed below.

• To require that all members of the Board be residents of the community.
• To change the quorum from 1/3 to 10% of the residents.
• To permit renters to attend, discuss and, if appointed as proxy of the homeowner, to vote.
• To designate each November as the month of the annual meeting.

Residents are encouraged to submit other proposed changes to the by-laws or covenants to the Board for consideration.

COMMUNITY INTERESTS, ISSUES, IMPROVEMENTS

A. The Gripe List

• Basketball Goals- Residents are reminded that basketball goals, when not in use, are to be stored at least 10 feet behind the sidewalk.
• Trash days- Residents are reminded that trash cans and sacks are to be place in front of the house the morning of the trash pick up day and taken in the same day.
• Debris in front of house - Tree, bush, and other plant and grass trimmings as well as any kind of other discarded items should be stored out of sight until the day they are to be picked up.
• Speeding is a consistent problem. Speed limit in the community is 30 mph. When a car is observed driving at an unsafe speed, please note as many details as possible such as driver (man/woman), description of the car such as color, tag number and address if the car stops at a resident, and report to the SA police using phone number 207-7273.
• Noisy and disorderly residents - Each resident is asked to conduct themselves as they would like their neighbors to conduct themselves. Respect each other's need for security, safety, privacy, happiness, and a comfortable community to live in.
• Auto Repair on Driveway- According to Section 9.5, Declaration of Covenants, no dismantling or assembling of motor vehicles are permitted in any driveway or yard adjacent to a street.
• Dogs in the Park - If you take your dog to the park, please pick up your dog's droppings.

B. Drive Throughs

• Under the new contract with ProComm, the representative will drive through the community twice a month.
• Any violations of the covenants (provided to owner as part of the closing package) or community by-laws will be noted and a violation letter will be sent to residents who are in violation.
• Most violations will be about yard maintenance (yards may be watered with a sprinkler system after 8 PM and before 10 AM, otherwise a hand held hose must be used), trash receptacles in view, debris in yard, basketball goals improperly stored, and improper yard maintenance such as permitting grass to grow longer than 6 inches.

Eventually, each resident will need to sell their home (on a recent drive through, 8 houses were for sale or lease). Prospective buyers will drive through the community. Not only is the seller's home for show but also the community. Residents may contact ProComm for a copy of the covenants and by-laws if one is not in hand.

C. Crime Prevention

See discussion below on Security Patrols for information on reporting suspicious activity or crime in process. Crime in the community does happen. Recently several pickups have had their wheels stolen and during one such attempt Smith Security and the SAPD were called and the men were almost captured. A woman in the community has been bothered with a stalker. Young people were caught in the park with alcohol and were cited by the SA Police.

D. Planting of Trees at the West Entrance

• Four Mountain Laurels were planted June 13th by River City Landscape and four Chinquapin Oaks were planted June 13th by The Garden Center. The trees are warranted for one year by each planter provided that the trees are deep root watered at least weekly.
• A Sprinkler System for trees at the West Entrance was also installed July 9th by Dailey Sprinkler Systems, Inc. A water faucet was also installed the week of June 9th in the center island at the west entrance.
• A ribbon cutting ceremony for the trees was held July 6th at 7:00 PM at the west entrance. About a dozen people showed up for the ceremony. Sylvia Payne, 12311 Stable Pond read three nice and appropriate poems about trees and nature and little Madeleine Sanchez, daughter of Jim Sanchez, 12207 Stable Farm cut the ribbon. Soft drinks, cookies, and ice cream were available for the attendees.

E. Improvements at the Recreation Center

• Additional swing sets and two BBQ grills were installed in the park on July 23rd.
• The drinking fountain was repaired and the street sign scrubbed on August 1st.
• The broken slide on the Rainbow Playscape was replaced on July 31st. Fortunately, the slide was still under warranty thus only labor cost was involved in replacing it.
• By the end of August, the Pavilion should be completely repainted and the boards on the columns replaced with more durable material.

F. Security Patrols by Smith Security Services

Smith Security patrols the community every Fri/Sat/Sun nights four times during the school calendar. When school is out patrols will be made every night of the week. During each patrol the guard will stop at the Park on the way into the community and on the way out of the community. Any resident seeing suspicious activity may call Security at 681-5255. If a crime is observed call the San Antonio Police at 207-7273 as well as Smith Security. Later at an appropriate time please call a member of the Board and provide details. The Board will tabulate the events and identify hot spots then ask Security to give special attention to the hot spot areas. Smith Security patrol signs have been placed at both entrances to the community and on the fence of the Recreation Center.

G. Pavilion Reservation

Pavilion reservations for personal or group may be made by calling Sharon Fajkus, phone 690-8968, email address dfajkus@ev1.net. As a reminder, when you use the park, please leave the park area as clean as you found it for the next person to use.

H. Pavilion at Park

The pavilion and park are consistently vandalized at night. The lights automatically go out at 10:00 PM. The vandalism probably occurs after lights out. Residents by the park are asked to monitor the park when possible and when human activity is noted, after 10:00 PM, Smith Security should be notified. Phone number is shown below. The Board is in the process of having motion sensors installed that will detect motion in the pavilion after lights out and will cause all lights to come on for a period of time. After the sensors are installed, anyone who sees the lights on after 10:00 PM should notify Smith Security.

I. Role of ProComm in managing the Oakmont Downs Home Owners Association

As the contracted management company for Oakmont Downs, we perform duties as specified by the Board of Directors.

• We tour the neighborhood to inspect for covenant violations (basketball goals on the sidewalks or in the streets, improper lawn maintenance, fences in need of repairs, etc…)
• We maintain all of the financial records for the community, collect assessments and oversee any projects from landscaping to construction.
• We examine your insurance needs and make sure you are getting the best possible rates.
• We attend the regular Board meeting and help plan and attend the annual meeting.

We have a team of employees assigned to meet the needs of Oakmont Downs. You can reach me, Kathy Bowers, your association manager, at 545-1888, ext, 240. You may also contact my assistant Carol Flores, ext. 252. If you have questions regarding your account, contact Yvette Lara at ext. 261.

J. Advertising for the Pony Express Newsletter

The Board has discussed the possibility of soliciting advertising for the Newsletter as a means of paying the expense of the Newsletter. Anyone who would like to volunteer to help develop an advertising policy and to solicit local businesses are requested to notify one of the Board members.

FROM THE EDITORS-CLARY DONEHEW AND JUDY GREENBERG

Below is a favorite recipe of Clary's. Being Puerto Rican, she cannot help but share a recipe that kids like. It is called Creamed Corn Fritters.

• 
  ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons of flour
• 3½ tablespoons sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 can cream corn
• 1 or 2 eggs slightly beaten

In a bowl combine first 5 ingredients. Add the corn and egg(s) and mix well. In a frying pan, heat oil. Drop mixture by tablespoon into the oil to fry (thin fritters). Fry until golden brown. Remove and drain on absorbent paper.