March 2009: Send Your Child to Aquatic Science Adventure Camp for Free The Barton Springs Edwards Acquifer Conservation District will give out ten scholarships to the Edwards Aquifer Research and Data Center’s Two-Day and Week-Long Aquatic Science Adventure Camps. Contest is open to children ages 9 through 15 who reside in one of the seven school districts overlapped by the District’s boundaries (Austin, Eanes, Dripping Springs, Hays Consolidated, Del Valle, Bastrop, and Lockhart). Interested students must submit an application and 1-page essay/artwork entitled “Why I want to attend the Aquatic Science Adventure Camp!” Scholarship winners will be chosen in a random drawing; only completed applications with essays will be eligible. Deadline for submissions: Friday, April 3, 2009. For more information, rules, and an application form, please visit: www.bseacd.org/scholarship_program.htm For more information on the Aquatic Science Adventure Camp, visit: www.eardc.txstate.edu/camp.html.
March 2009: FREE Workshop, "Cheap Rainwater Harvesting" by Doc Jody of FLowWOOLF NATURALS & Ariel Permaculture House. Doc is a winner, Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation Award Winner, "End-User'' category for "Lowest End-User Residential Water Consumer" in the City of Sunset Valley.
WHERE: Sunset Valley City Hall, 3205 Jones Road, (park on-site) off South Lamer & Westgate. Across Jones from Toney Burger Stadium. Overflow parking at Stadium.
WHEN: SATURDAY, 14th MARCH 2009, 10:30 am - 12 Noon
COST: FREE. The public, incl. children, are welcome. ADA (handicap access) friendly parking/facilities.
ADVANCE RESERVATIONS: 423.1050 or yogaflow@swbell.net
Donation $15.00 suggested for Ariel Permaculture House.
WEBSITE: www.docjody.com.
DESCRIPTION: Would you like to learn HOW to install an ''EL-CHEAP-O'' rainwater catchment system & be able to DRINK rainwater without spending $12,000.00? How come "green" systems are so expensive, anyway? We ask ourselves that all the time! Join Barton Springs Conservation Award-winner Doc Jody sharing just how an amazing FEAT was accomplished, discussing 3rd book, "A Year of Drinking Purified Rainwater." Doc Jody was handed a $12,000 estimate for a potable full-house rainwater drinking system but designed & installed a homespun affair for under $600 that's practical, simple & safe: it works! Everything in this seminar is pragmatic, practiced currently or at one time by the author's family-- nothing preachy. At the end of this seminar you WILL KNOW how to construct a similar system. Simple, sustainable. Keep Austin Green. ADVANCE RESERVATIONS SUGGESTED..
March 2009: Annual Meeting. Thanks to all who attended the annual meeting. For those that could not attend, here are the minutes.
January 2008: Annual Meeting. There will be an annual meeting of the Ruby Ranch Homeowner's Association at Hays Hills Baptist Church at 7:00 p.m. on February 17th. You can see the agenda here. Please remember to fill out your proxy form (you should have received this in the mail) if there is any chance that you cannot make the meeting. We need to have a quorum at the meeting in order to conduct official business, including electing Board Members. If you did not receive a proxy form and would like one, please email board@rubyranchtx.com.
December 2008: 2009 Assessments mailed out. The Association mailed out the 2009 Dues Assessments a few weeks ago. If you've not received an assessment in the mail, contact Scott Christians at 295-9708 or email at board@rubyranchtx.com.
December 2008: Aquifer District Solicits Candidates for At-Large Directors in Southwest Travis County Annexation Area. The Board of Directors of the Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District is considering annexing a large part of southwestern Travis County that is currently not in a groundwater conservation district. As part of that initiative, the Board would expand from its current five directors to seven directors, if legislation is passed to allow that and other changes. It is soliciting expressions of interest and qualifications from residents of southern Travis County who would like to be considered for one of the two interim, at-large director positions. The Board meets semi-monthly and provides the policy direction and governance of District activities; there is a small stipend attached to such service. Those who are interested and motivated to provide such a public service in the field of groundwater resource management are asked to send, preferably by email, a written expression of interest addressed to the District’s GM, at bseacd@bseacd.org, or by mail to the District office. Interested parties must provide their voting residence address, a resume or summary of their work experience including their current job(s), and their contact information for follow-up. Candidates who currently use Trinity groundwater as a water supply at their home or business are especially encouraged to respond. If there are specific conditions or questions to be answered before a respondent may be considered an applicant, please detail those with the submitted information. To be considered, all information must be received by the District office no later than Dec 31, 2008. The term of at-large service would be for almost three years, beginning in September 2009 if the legislation passes and is signed into law. In May 2012, the District will have been re-drawn to have seven single-member precincts, and the voters in each precinct will then begin electing single-member precinct directors. The at-large directors will be eligible to run for director in the new single-member precincts for their residential locations. More information on the District and its Board may be found on the District website at www.bseacd.org.
December 2008: Aquifer District Declares Critical Stage Drought. The Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District’s Board of Directors declared a Critical Stage Drought for the groundwater resources in the District’s jurisdiction, including the heavily used Barton Springs segment of the Edwards Aquifer, at its regular board meeting on Thursday, December 11. The declaration will require a 30% mandatory reduction in the authorized monthly use from all its permittees, which will in turn affect some 60,000 groundwater users, mostly in southern Travis and northern Hays County. This is only the second time in the District’s 21-year history that a declaration of this kind has been issued. Read more on the situation here.
December 2008: Board of Directors Nominations. Nominations are once again being accepted for the Ruby Ranch Board of Directors. Board members will be elected during the Annual Meeting in early 2009.
December 2008: Aquifer District Declares Critical Stage Drought. The Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District’s Board of Directors declared a Critical Stage Drought for the groundwater resources in the District’s jurisdiction, including the heavily used Barton Springs segment of the Edwards Aquifer, at its regular board meeting on Thursday, December 11. The declaration will require a 30% mandatory reduction in the authorized monthly use from all its permittees, which will in turn affect some 60,000 groundwater users, mostly in southern Travis and northern Hays County. This is only the second time in the District’s 21-year history that a declaration of this kind has been issued. Read more on the situation here.
October 2008: New Time for Public Meeting on Possible Annexation Along with booming development in southwestern Travis County, concern is growing as to how the area’s vulnerable groundwater will be managed and protected in the future. There is considerable sentiment for a groundwater district to serve this part of the Hill Country Priority Groundwater Management Area (PGMA) and provide much needed oversight. The adjacent Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District is being asked by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) to be that groundwater district and to consider annexing the area. The District will hold the second of two town hall meetings on Thursday, November 6, to discuss with the community how groundwater protection can be extended to this vulnerable area, as well as to receive input from the public to help assess the feasibility of annexation. In addition, the TCEQ will be on-hand to present additional material on the PGMA designation and TCEQ's options, if the area is not annexed.
November 6, 2008
7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Bee Creek United Methodist Church
3000 Bee Creek Road
Spicewood, TX 78669
(located between the communities of Bee Cave and Spicewood)
October 2008: Hays County Hazardous Waste Collection- Saturday, October 18 The City of San Marcos will sponsor a drive-through Household Hazardous Waste Collection on Saturday, October 18, 2008 from 8 a.m. to noon at the City Traffic Yard located on Hopkins Street across from the big HEB. Residents of San Marcos, Kyle and Hays County, sponsors of the collection, are invited to drop off outdated toxic chemicals during the collection. Please bring proof of residency
(driver’s license or utility bill). The collection is a drive-through event and residents won’t have to leave their vehicles.
Residents are asked to transport chemicals in the trunk and keep products in their original containers. If a container is broken, the contents should be placed in a container of the same material. Do not combine chemicals.
Materials that will be accepted include:
Cleaning products: drain cleaners, concentrates, degreasers, oven cleaners, solvents, polishes, pool chemicals, and household batteries.
Paint products: latex and oil based paints, spray paints, thinners, strippers, preservatives, brush cleaners, etc.
Gardening products: pesticides, sprays, dusts, herbicides (weed killers) rat poisons, and insecticides.
Automotive products: antifreeze, batteries, motor oil, oil filters, brake fluids, and transmission fluids.
Cell phones and rechargeable batteries.
The collection cannot accept tires, electronic waste (computer products, televisions, etc.) containers larger than five gallons, medical wastes, empty containers, compressed gas cylinders or wastes generated by businesses. The event will be held rain or shine. For more information, call the Public Works Department at 512-393-8036.
September 2008: Local Groundwater District to Hold Public Meetings on Possible Annexation Along with booming development in southwestern Travis County, concern is growing as to how the area’s vulnerable groundwater will be managed and protected in the future. There is considerable sentiment for a groundwater district to serve this part of the Hill Country PGMA (Priority Groundwater Management Area) and provide much needed oversight. The adjacent Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District is being asked by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to be that groundwater district and to consider annexing the area. The District will hold two town hall meetings (each of which will cover the same material) to educate the community on how groundwater protection can be extended to this vulnerable area, as well as to receive input from the public to help assess the feasibility of annexation.
October 22, 2008
6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Bee Caves Elementary School
14300 Hamilton Pool Road
Austin, TX 78738
November 6, 2008
6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Bee Creek United Methodist Church
3000 Bee Creek Road
Spicewood, TX 78669
The Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District was created in 1987 by the Texas Legislature as the responsible public authority and the preferred entity for managing groundwater in District aquifers. The District currently serves southern Travis County, northern Hays County, and portions of southwestern Bastrop and northwestern Caldwell Counties, and is committed to conserving, protecting, recharging, and preventing waste of groundwater and to preserving all aquifers within this area.
October 2008: Neighborhood-Wide Garage Sale After many requests to the RRHOA Board, the Board has agreed to allow a "Neighborhood Wide Garage Sale". We have neighbors willing to pay for advertising in the local newspaper and websites such as www.craigslist.com which is a free adversting website. Depending on the turn out and participation, the board will determine if this might be an annual event. The garage sale will take place on Saturday, October 25th from 7am to 4pm. During this time, the security gates will remain open, so buyers can enter any part of the neighborhood. Any Ruby Ranch resident wanting to participate, may do so individually from your home on this day. This might be a good opportunity to get rid of some items that are taking up some space in your attic, garage, or home. Please help us advertise by sending this flyer out to friends, families, colleagues, etc.
October 2008: BURN BAN On Oct. 8th, the Hays County Commissioner's Court enacted a burn ban for Hays County.
September 2008: Come join your neighbors in the National Night Out on October 7 (next Tuesday) from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at 551 Ruby Ranch Road. National Night Out is designed to heighten crime and drug prevention awareness, generate support for, and participation in, local anticrime programs, strengthen neighborhood spirit and police-community partnerships, and send a message to criminals letting them know that neighborhoods are organized and fighting back. See more information at http://www.nationalnightout.org/nno/index.html
September 2008: Free Festival Will Offer Opportunities to Try Caving. Each year, the Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District (BSEACD) and the Texas Cave Management Association hold this free family-friendly festival to give citizens a firsthand look at the caves and geology that make the Edwards Aquifer and its recharge features so sensitive. The event is held at the Village of Western Oaks Karst Preserve, a little known nature preserve in south Austin that encompasses approximately nine acres in the recharge zone of the Barton Springs segment of the Edwards Aquifer. Despite its small size, the preserve contains six karst features, including one that is habitat for cave-dwelling species of concern and one that recharges, or contributes replenishing water to, the aquifer. The festival will have two caves open for visitation.
Austin Cave Festival
Saturday, October 25th
9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Village of Western Oaks Karst Preserve located at La Cresada and Davis Lane just west of MoPac
Free
www.bseacd.org/western_oaks.htm
The day’s activities will include short caving adventures into the Preserve's Live Oak and Get Down Caves, informational booths from local organizations, hands-on activities for children, and a drawing for prizes (including a rainbarrel and a 2-hour cave trip).
· Come visit 2 caves and see how water gets to Austin-area aquifers.
· Learn about animals that call Austin’s caves home.
· See real arrowheads and how replicas are made by flintknappers.
· Enjoy a cave-themed Halloween storytime!
· Try on vertical caving gear and see if you have what it takes to ascend and descend caves.
· Do you know your watershed? Learn about your local creeks and what steps you can to take to protect them.
· Visit with a rainwater harvesting expert and learn about conservation incentives in your area.
· And much more!!
Booth presenters will include:
· Austin Science and Nature Center
· The Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District
· The Bureau of Economic Geology – University of Texas at Austin
· City of Austin Water Conservation Department
· City of Austin Water Utility Department’s Wildlands Conservation Division
· City of Austin Watershed Protection and Development Review Department
· Flintknapping with J.C. Pollard
· Lower Colorado River Authority
· Splash! Into the Edwards Aquifer Exhibit at the Sheffield Education Center
· Texas Cave Management Association
· Travis County Balcones Canyonlands Preserve
· Tree Information from Guy LeBlanc with Arbor Vitae Tree Care
· Texas Water Development Board
· Vertical Rope Activities with the City of Sunset Valley
The Preserve is located on Davis Lane just west of South MoPac. Guests to the Festival are asked to bring only water to drink while visiting; food and drinks attract fire ants, which are harmful to wildlife and humans. For directions and more information, please visit www.bseacd.org/western_oaks.htm.
September 2008: Reminder: The Hays County Commissioners Court has voted to extend Hays County traffic laws to the streets in Ruby Ranch and authorize the Sheriff to enforce those traffic laws. Several people have been issued citations already -- watch your speed!
September 2008: BSEACD News: The District area remains in Alarm Stage Drought, and without substantial rainfall, will enter Critical Stage Drought in the next few weeks. Please link to the latest edition of the Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District's "Aquifer Bulletin", which includes details on the continuing drought; information on upcoming household hazardous waste collections for the residents of Hays County; an article on the District's Onion Creek Recharge Enhancement Project; and much more.
Know an individual (or organization) that is going above and beyond to conserve and protect groundwater? Nominate him/her for the 2008 Groundwater Stewardship Awards. The District will accept nomination applications until Tuesday, September 30, 2008. http://www.bseacd.org/stewardship_awards.html
The 7th Annual Austin Cave Festival will be held at the Village of Western Oaks Karst Preserve on Saturday, October 25, 2008 from 9am to 3pm. http://www.bseacd.org/western_oaks.htm
September 2008: Using Water Wisely Workshop Rain, free but at times a scarce commodity! This seminar concentrates on capturing rainwater and landscaping with plants requiring little water. Confine rainwater and save it for your own use! Gain the knowledge necessary to build a rainwater harvesting system. All the basics are covered to build a non potable water harvesting system. Not ready for a full blown rainwater harvesting system? Think small. A demonstration will show how to make a simple, inexpensive rain barrel collection system. Lower your water usage by utilizing native and adapted landscape plants that look great and need a minimal amount of water to thrive. Learn the 7 principles of xeriscaping. Vendors representing tanks, pumps and guttering will be available to answer specific questions. City of Austin representatives will be available to answer permit and rebate questions. This free seminar is presented by the Travis Country Master Gardeners Association, a volunteer arm of the Texas A&M and Travis County AgriLife Extension Service. No reservations taken.
Saturday, Sept. 6
10:00 AM - Noon
West Rural Community Center
8656 Hwy. 71 W, Build. A, Austin
(After the "Y" at Hwy 71/290 go 1+ mile to stoplight at Covered Bridge and turn right. Immediately on left is the Fire Station then up the hill to Building A. on the left.)
Rosalie Russell
CO-VP Education, TCMGA
804-2257 gisathccs@aol. com
August 2008: Preserving the Dahlstrom Ranch - A Conservation Easement to Protect Edwards Water. Cable Access Channel 10, Thursday, Aug 7, 2008, 6-7pm. Hays County, the City of Austin and the Hill Country Conservancy (HCC) are in negotiations to purchase a conservation easement on the Dahlstrom Ranch, which is located in Hays County in the recharge zone of the Barton Springs segment of the Edwards Aquifer. The ranch includes a several recharge features (enlarged cracks, fractures, cave opens, faults, etc.), which are estimated to provide a substantial amount of recharge to Onion Creek. Turn in to learn more about the ranch, why this purchase is important for water quality and quantity protection, and how the tract might be also utilized for for public access and education. Austin News Real is a television program produced by ICONMEDIA's Pam Thompson and Stefan Wray that airs on Austin cable access channel 10. http://iconmedia.org/
July 2008: Over the years, residents of Ruby Ranch have expressed a desire to control the excessive speeding and ignoring of the stop signs on roads in our subdivision. After discussing this issue with the County, the Hays County Commissioners Court has voted extend Hays County traffic laws to the streets in Ruby Ranch and authorize the Sheriff to enforce those traffic laws.
June 2008: Alarm Stage Drought. At the June 23 Board meeting, the Board of Directors of the Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District declared an Alarm Stage Drought for the Barton Springs segment of the Edwards Aquifer, effective immediately. The drought area includes much of southern Travis and northern Hays Counties. See more here.
June 2008: Are you interested in how regional groups are planning to manage the Edwards, Trinity, and other local aquifers? The BSEACD wants your input. Help them extablish desired future conditions (such as water levels, water quality, spring flows, or volumes) in this management area. Attend the Groundwater Management Area 10 Public Meeting, Tuesday, June 24, 2008 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.. Conference Center inside Cabela's, 15570 South IH 35, Buda, TX 78610.
June 2008: Alligator Sighted in Plum Creek-KYLE. We have a confirmed sighting of a 4 foot alligator living in the drainage channel on the north side of McGarity, across from 157 McGarity. The TPWD Game Warden, who lives in the community, is aware of the gator and attempted to catch it, but the gator retreated to a drainage pipe in the area to avoid capture. Another resident, who has offered to capture other reptiles, has been contacted, as well. Please avoid this area for now. If you must walk near it, please take EXTRA vigilance. Updates will be provided, as available. As mentioned below, these smaller alligators are often just passing through the area to find a more permanent home down the road.
June 2008: BURN BAN AND FIREWORKS BANS 6-12-08 On 6-3-08, the Hays County Commissioner's Court enacted a burn ban for Hays County. They also enacted a ban on aerial fireworks which includes rockets with sticks and missiles with fins. Both bans are still in effect. Other type fireworks are still legal to purchase and possess and the Hays County Sheriff's Office encourages citizens who plan on using fireworks to do so with extreme caution. Vegetation in Hays County is extremely dry and even a tiny spark could start a fire. Parents should supervise the igniting of fireworks and have a water source available in case of an emergency.
May 2008: The Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District's "Aquifer Bulletin" has been redesigned and includes the integration of our new District logo. We are excited about our new "face" and hope this logo will better strike a distinctive identity with our community and stakeholders and help raise the awareness of our organization, its efforts, and our commitment to groundwater management based on good science and sound public policy.
Please take a moment to read through this new edition, which includes this year's drought outlook. As you might have guessed, we are on the brink of entering Alarm Stage Drought, which will trigger a mandatory 20% reduction in pumping from our aquifer by our permittees and their tens of thousands of end-users. In addition, temperatures will begin to rise soon, resulting in larger amounts of outdoor watering. Remember overwatering can result in root rot and plant decline, and that most yards in the area will only need one inch once a week. For more on proper watering techniques and auditing sprinkler systems for maximum efficiency, visit: http://www.bseacd.org/watering_schedule.htm
Please click on the following link for the May - August 2008 "AQUIFER BULLETIN": http://www.bseacd.org/newsletters/currentnewsletter.pdf
May 2008: We have had Numerous “Burglary of Motor Vehicles” that have occurred over the last couple of days. (One is too many) These are in addition to the ones that were posted on the NW ALERTS yesterday. Buda/Kyle:
1. Burglary of Motor Vehicle- 200 Block of Maple
2. Three Burglary of Motor Vehicles occurred in the 100 block of Poplar
3. Two Burglary of Motor Vehicles occurred in the 100 Block of Maple.
Following these tips may prevent or reduce your chance of becoming a victim of burglary. Please forward and talk to all family members and friends about safety issues.
1. Never leave your auto unlocked; crooks know where to find what they’re looking for.
2. Never leave any valuable property in plain view. It is also a good idea to remove even the smallest amount of change from the view of a crook.
3. There is no reason to ever leave your purse or wallet in your vehicle, doing so not only invites burglars…. but identity thieves. Identity theft can destroy your credit and take years to clear up.
4. If you have a garage, try to park your vehicle in the garage overnight (with the garage door closed of course, it is surprising how many residents leave their garage doors open).
5. Report any suspicious activity in your neighborhood by calling 911 or 512-393-7896.
April 2008: The Buda Fire Department Station #3 will have their Grand Opening on Saturday, April 19, 2008. You can get the details here!
April 2008: Spring is here and it is time for all Ruby Ranch neighbors to get out and enjoy the nice weather before it gets too hot!! On Sunday, April 27th at 4:30 pm, your neighbors on East Bartlett invite you to join them on the cul-de-sac at 511 East Bartlett for a little Sunday afternoon get together. There will be hot dogs on the grill and queso and chips. Also will have tea (decaff) and lemonade. If you want to grill something other than hot dogs, feel free to bring your own meat. If you want something other than tea and lemonade then by all means byob. This is just for fun and to get to know one another. Y'all come!! If you have any questions please call Becky Hawkins at 295-3360.
March 2008: The "Shattered Dreams" program will take place at HHS on April 3rd. This is a MOCK accident that will appear VERY real and we do not want anyone to be alarmed or to be stuck in traffic for a couple of hours, as 2770 will not be passable in front of the High School. The accident scene will begin staging at approximately 9:10 am, Thursday morning, and the students will be outside observing about 10 am. They will return to class, cars towed and scene cleared around 11:45am. Again, this is a MOCK crash and very successful learning tool concerning drinking and driving and we don't want anyone panicked or stuck.
Beth Smith, Justice of the Peace, pct. 2
March 2008: Edwards Aquifer Research and Data Center's Aquatic Science Adventure Camp – Scholarships for Ages 9 to 15 The Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District is now soliciting applications for its 2008 Camp Scholarship program. This year's program will provide:
- Two $495 scholarships to the Edwards Aquifer Research and Data Center's Week-Long Aquatic Science Adventure Camp (Note: Parent will be responsible for providing the other $100 of the camp fee, which will be the deposit needed to hold the child's spot.)
- Two $120 scholarships to
the Edwards Aquifer Research and Data Center's 2-Day
Aquatic Science Adventure Camp (Note: All $120 will be
paid for by BSEACD.)
For more on the Edwards Aquifer Research and Data Center's Aquatic Science Adventure Camp Program, please visit: http://www.eardc.txstate.edu/camp.html
March 2008: BURN BAN LIFTED IN HAYS COUNTY At the regular meeting of the Hays County Commisioners Court on 3-25-08, Hays County Commisoners lifted the burn ban for Hays County. Residents should still follow some safety rules for burning. Monitor your fire at all times, have a water source readily available, and contact the Hays County Sheriff's Office Dispatch Center at 393-7896 prior to burning.
March 2008: Aquifer District Announces Opportunities for Public Input to Its Revised Management Plan. The Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District will hold two town hall meetings to receive input from District permittees, individual groundwater users, and the public on revisions to its Management Plan. The Management Plan defines the approach that the District will use to preserve, conserve, and protect the groundwater resources of the District. The town hall meetings will be held on March 26th at the City of Buda City Hall and on April 2nd at the City of Sunset Valley City Hall. Both meetings will be from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. No reservations are necessary. A current draft of the revised Management Plan is posted on the District website at http://www.bseacd.org/rules.html. The District is proposing comprehensive revisions to its management plan in order to responsibly and sustainably manage the District’s groundwater resources in an area that is experiencing rapidly increasing water demands associated with intensive regional growth and development. These meetings are being conducted for the purpose of enabling all the District’s stakeholders to provide input into the way the District manages our groundwater resources. Staff and Board members will be available to explain and answer questions about management goals, objectives, and performance standards. After the town hall meetings, the Management Plan will be further revised, as warranted, and a public hearing on the Proposed Management Plan will be held, on April 24, 2008. For more information or questions about the town hall meetings, please contact the District office at (512) 282-8441.
March 2008: Ruby Ranch Cleanup Day. Steve Selger and Renee Eiland would like to invite you to a Ruby Ranch Clean Up Day on Saturday, March 15th at 9:00am. Volunteers plan on meeting at Renee's house at 110 Armstrong Cove. The organizers think this could be done in an hour or so depending on the number of volunteers. The plan is to work on all roads north of the Onion Creek Bridge, as Steve Selger has already taken care of the roads south of the bridge. If you can spare an hour of your time please come out and help Saturday morning.
March 2008: Over the years, residents of Ruby Ranch have expressed a desire to control the excessive speeding and ignoring of the stop signs on roads in our subdivision. After discussing this issue with the County, the Board of Directors has formally requested that the Hays County Commissioners Court vote to extend Hays County traffic laws to the streets in Ruby Ranch and authorize the Sheriff to enforce those traffic laws. We expect that this request will be placed on the Court's agenda within the next few weeks.
March 2008: Attention Ruby Ranch Bluffs at Onion Creek (Phase 7 & 8) Property Owners -- The gate committee has decided to close the main gates at Labenski Dr. full time 24 hours a day starting on March 31st. Before this date we will attempt to make certain everyone who should have access has an entry code or a remote. Read the full details here.
February 2008: A link to the latest edition of the Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District's "Aquifer Bulletin" can be found here. This comprehensive, new edition includes this year's drought outlook; a retrospective from our General Manager on the District's 20th Anniversary; information on an upcoming household hazardous waste collection for the residents of Hays County; an introduction to the new Director of Precinct 1, Mary Stone; and much more.
ONE MONTH LEFT! High school juniors and seniors have until March 7, 2008 to submit their groundwater essays for the District's scholarship program. In addition, the District is pleased to announce it has extended this program to include four summer camp scholarships to the Edwards Aquifer Research and Data Center's Aquatic Science Adventure Camp at Texas State University in San Marcos. For more information on both these programs, please visit: www.bseacd.org/scholarship_program.htm.
February 2008: New Post Office in Buda? Buda residents have a chance to voice their opinions about the possiblity of a new main post office for Buda. The discussion will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 5 at Buda City Hall. A representative from the Real Estate Branch of the U.S. Postal Service will be in attendance.
February 2008: A reminder from Allen Bridges, Sheriff of Hays County: Extreme wildfire conditions are expected for at least another week here in Hays County. Please be sure to reduce fire fuel around residences by mowing down weeds and grass. Brush and debris piles should be kept far away from structures and not burned until conditions are safe. We must keep a "Defendable Space" around our homes. Report anyone involved in activities that might create the danger of wildfire. You may contact the Hays County Sheriff's Office Dispatch at 512-393-7896.
February 2008: RESULTS OF 2008 RUBY RANCH HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION VOTE FOR NEW BOARD MEMBERS. The Board of Directors, after determining from proxies and ballets cast that there was a quorum at the annual meeting, counted the votes for the three open Board positions. The results were as follows:
Scott Christians - 69 votes
Thomas Doebner - 68 votes
Eric Gates - 66 votes
Floyd George - 1 vote
As a result, Scott Christians, Thomas Doebner, and Eric Gates were elected to the Board of Directors for a 2-year term.
February 2008: As was discussed in the Annual Meeting, there will be a Town Hall Meeting on Monday to discuss and get community feedback on our roads, specifically FM1626. Here are the details: The meeting will be held at Hays Hills Baptist Church, 1401 N. FM 1626, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Monday, February 4, 2008. Following are comments from an area resident, Brad Hagen, who spoke on the road issue during our Annual Meeting.
"Please know that I appreciate the opportunity to have been able to speak to the HOA of Ruby Ranch last night. I also was grateful for how pleasant the pro road message was received. Your members are most gracious and professional. I also must commend how organized your HOA is.
"I realize that not all residents of Buda are for larger roads but it appears from my dealings with so many local area people that most realize we have to do something with FM 1626. I have forwarded my last “Traffic Report” sent on 1/31/8. This email is lengthy (Some have complained) and is full of abbreviations and complex road terms that some may find confusing, boring or even aggravating. It deals mainly with each agenda item and emphatically argues that the Committee/Board does NOT need to be involved in the PTFA (Pass Through Financing Agreement) decisions. The committee had its chance and passed on it. Now Judge Sumter and the Chairman of the committee are trying to get it back into the unqualified committee.
"There are some members of the Hays County Court and on the Hays County Transportation Advisory Committee turned Board (TAB-Formed July 2007) that are adamantly anti road. The chairman of the TAB, Steve Klepfer (Ex Mayor of Wimberley), rallied against the bond package that got voted on in May of 2007. His letter stated that planned RR 12 was too wide, too straight, and too expensive. Another Judge Sumter appointed member to the TAB just happens to have his back door of his house facing FM 1626 and he has done everything from refuting the traffic counts to telling everyone we can’t go against the voters. He is adamantly against a five lane on FM 1626. The committee, under the leadership of Steve Klepfer, failed to fulfill its first and immediate charge that was to gather information about the Pass Through Financing Agreement (PTFA) and then advise the court on what to do. Instead, the committee punted the PTFA (Hot potato) back to the court (Sept 2007) after deliberating for 3 months (More time wasted). Now there was no time to get the PTFA back on the ballot for the November bond election.
"In July 2007, Judge Liz Sumter along with Commissioner Karen Ford teamed up with another anti road association from Western Hays County and submitted an amendment to the CAMPO TIP (Transportation Improvement Plan) that essentially downsized so many roads so much that both CAMPO & TxDOT were alarmed. Representatives from both CAMPO & TxDOT at the CAMPO hearing in Kyle, told me directly that they were concerned that her amendments if put in place would put users of the roads in danger because of the increased congestion. The other commissioners were not aware of these amendments being submitted to CAMPO. All of these amendments were pulled the very next month when word got back to the court on what had happened. Only 10,200 people voted in the May bond election (Mid term and on a Saturday) and 52.4% (5,344) voted against (Mainly from Western Hays County which Judge Sumter and Commissioner Karen Ford are beholden to) the bond that would have funded the PTFA. Essentially, 5,344 people told TxDOT, Hays County doesn’t need the $133,000,000 but Hays County will spend $30,000,000 of our own Hays County tax dollars on parks.
"Judge Sumter held a meeting at Hays Hills Church in June 2007, after the bond package was defeated by the voters. Approximately 150 people showed up and after the meeting she held a vote on what the people wanted. 95% of the attendees voted for building FM 1626 as planned and now. Afterwards I asked Judge Liz Sumter if she was for 5 lanes on 1626 and she adamantly said no but she was beginning to consider it. I also asked her if her quote on the front of the Hays Press stating that “TxDOT really doesn’t mean what it says from day to day” was true and she said yes. I told her that this sort of press coming from Hays County leaders and being read by TxDOT commissioners probably doesn’t bode well for Hays County in the future.
"After all this, Judge Sumter who sits on the CAMPO board (20 Members), voted against each of the 5 toll roads that CAMPO presented for a vote (TxDOT commissioners were probably watching this vote) on October 8, 2007. Luckily, Hays County also has a small town representative on the Campo board, Mike Gonzales (Mayor of Kyle) who voted for each one of the 5 proposed toll roads. Judge Sumter even voted against the desperately needed SH 45 from 1626 to Mopac, stating that it was too big for what we need now! CAMPO board member, Gerald Dougherty (Commissioner for Western half of Travis and Brodie Lane) about came unglued and vehemently defended the need for SH 45. Mayor Gonzales also spoke on behalf of SH 45 warning the members that the growth to come will be exponential and sudden.
"The intent of this Traffic Report distribution list is to alert and educate the people living along the corridor who were caught sleeping when the bond election occurred in May 2007. The report is blatantly biased in favor of building major arterials in the corridor area. You can see the numbers of government institutions and different media outlets in the Cc list below. Please note that all private residences should be listed in the Bcc section which blocks your email from being viewed by others. What is stated in this email is always confirmed and based on facts acquired by attending meetings and making phone calls. I include my own personal observations and notations.
"Please note what came out of the special court session on 1/31/08 Thursday…
"A few things to pass along from the special session at Hays County Commissioner’s Court.
1. Court unanimously agreed to allow (Commissioner Barton, Judge Sumter, and Mike Weaver) to enter into negotiations with TxDOT to resolve the details of the modified Pass Through Funding package presented to the court today. The modified package was conceptually agreed to by the court to remove RR12 from Pass Through package and replace it with a portion of US 290 and IH-35 improvements from SH 45SE to Yarrington Road. RR12 as a project will now go to the back of the line and compete with other projects for very limited safety improvement funds. A list of the projects that replace RR 12 is attached.
2. Commissioner Barton is proposing a hybrid method of funding which includes a November Bond Election for the bulk of it, but sell revenue bonds in the short term in the amount necessary to complete engineering and ROW in addition to fund the US 290 project that Bob Daigh wants to have let ASAP. "
If you wish to be on Brad's email list, please contact him at brad@engencontracting.com
January 2008: ANNUAL MEETING. The Ruby Ranch Homeowner's Association will have its Annual Meeting at 7:00 p.m. on January 31, 2008 at Hays Hills Baptist Church, 1401 N. FM 1626. Along with other business on the agenda, Board of Directors elections will be held. If you are not able to attend the meeting, be sure to fill out and submit a proxy form to allow us to get a quorum to conduct business. If you wish to run for the Board, you can use the nomination form available here.
December 2007: BOARD OF DIRECTORS NOMINATIONS. Nominations are once again being accepted for the Ruby Ranch Board of Directors. Board members will be elected during the Annual Meeting in early 2008. If you wish to run for the Board, you can use the nomination form available here.
December 2007: Demands on both Edwards and Trinity groundwater are increasing in the Ruby Ranch area and the BSEACD has serious concerns about increased pumping and other activities that could negatively impact the aquifers. Due to these concerns, the Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District would like to access and study aquifer properties in a portion of City of Austin's water quality protection lands through the Ruby Ranch subdivision. The proposal is to drill a monitor well on city property at the end of Creekside Drive with well location about 20 to 50 feet past the property boundary. The objectives of the well installation are to study aquifer properties of the Edwards and Trinity Aquifers, determine the potential for flow of groundwater between the Edwards and Trinity Aquifers, evaluate impact of pumping wells in the Trinity on wells in the Edwards and other wells in the Trinity. The ultimate goal is to protect current users of the aquifers from overpumping and prevent contamination of the aquifers. Once the initial drilling, installation, and testing activities are completed, District staff will likely visit the well on a quarterly basis. Attached is the proposal that the District sent to the City of Austin to obtain permission to install the well on their property.
December 2007: With KBDJ now operating, RM967 truck traffic has increased significantly and some residents have reported near misses with these trucks. See correspondence about recent incidents here: residents letter, sheriffs response, letter to KBDJ, KBDJ's response, and another incident. Please be VERY careful when driving on or entering/exiting RM967.
September 2007: HERE ARE THE RESULTS OF THE VOTE: 196 in favor of the increase; 41 not in favor of the increase
September 2007: Just a reminder of the upcoming special meeting (see meeting attachment here) Tuesday, Sept. 18th, 2007, at the Hays Hills Baptist Church (1401 North FM 1626), at 7:00pm. If you are unable to attend the meeting and have not mailed in your proxy, please drop off your proxy with a board member or anyone that may attend the meeting. It is important to get a good turn out. As a reminder, this is a one time increase only! Please don't hesitate contacting any board member should you have questions. Thank you in advance for your participation and consideration.
September 2007: A link to the latest edition of the Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District's Aquifer Bulletin can be found here. This newsletter covers current aquifer levels; an update on various developments from the General Manager; fall gardening tips; upcoming household hazardous waste collections for the residents of Hays County; an interview with Director of Precinct 4, Mr. Jack Goodman; and much more. The 6th Annual Austin Cave Festival will be held at the Village of Western Oaks Karst Preserve on Saturday, October 27, 2007. In addition, the District will continue accepting applications for this year's Groundwater Stewardship Awards until September 28, 2007. More information on both the Festival and the Awards can be found in the newsletter and on the BSEACD website.
May 2007: Spring has arrived! Now is a great time for you to read up on Oak Wilt warning signs and prevention; this disease primarily affects our Live Oaks and Red Oaks. Several years ago, a local arborist prepared an Oak Wilt Management Plan for Ruby Ranch; you can see it here. In addition, there is a valuable website maintained by the Texas Oak Wilt Information Partnership. Important things to remember: a) if possible, don't trim your trees from December through June, b) if you must trim your trees, be sure to disinfect the trimming tools, c) immediately cover all wounds to oak species from pruning, storm damage, or physical injury with a light coating of some type of non-phytotoxic paint. If you suspect Oak Wilt, contact the Hays County Extension office to have an agent come out to look at your trees.
May 2007: Precinct 2 Jeff Barton has been authorized by the Commissioners Court to form a committee to assist in preparing a draft proposed regulation for the discharge of firearms on small lots in Hays County. If you have any comments on this issue, please contact Commissioner Barton's office at (512) 262-2091 or email at jeff.barton@co.hays.tx.us. Although the Ruby Ranch Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions prohibit discharge or use of firearms in Ruby Ranch, a Hays County regulation would provide a tool for law enforcement.
May 2007: Here is the latest newsletter from the BSEACD.
April 2007: URGENT We have just been notified that HB 3570 to “Stop the Crusher” will be before the Legislative “Natural Resources Committee” THIS Wednesday, April 18th at 2pm (but Committee will not start until the Floor Adjourns for the Day - could be anytime from 2pm-midnight) at E2.012 @ the Texas State Capital. Our State Representative, Patrick Rose, has filed HB 3570 to end the KBDJ Crusher in Buda. You can show your support by attending this hearing and registering in support of this bill. You will not be required to speak before the committee unless you choose. *If you wish to attend, please email Kathy Holder @ hilthold@msn.com your cell phone # and the number of individuals/names that will be attending with you. You will be contacted once the floor adjourns for the day so you can head to the Capital.
April 2007: There will be a Public Hearing for affected residents to express any opinions, concerns, or to ask questions regarding how to redraw the fire protection service district lines so all of the Ruby Ranch residents would be served by the Buda ESD #8. See the meeting details here.
April 2007: Conservation Design Workshop on Monday April 16. Attendance encouraged for area land planners, developers, engineers, real estate professionals, public-policy makers and anyone interested in seeing conservation design grow in concept and reality in Central Texas and the Hill Country.
March 2007: District declares end of Aquifer Drought, but cautions users to conserve water. Click on the "BSEACD" link (after "Water") to see more information.
March 2007: Hays County Animal Calls. You can now email Animal Control Officer Frank Cheatham with any question, concerns or problems that you have concerning any animal calls in your area: Frank.Cheatham@co.hays.tx.us. Officer Cheatham will check and answer your emails several times a day. However, if you have an immediate emergency or complaint please call 911 or our non-emergency line 512-393-7896.
March 2007: BURN BAN LIFTED. On Tuesday, March 13, 2007, at 9:20am, Hays County Judge Liz Sumter lifted the burn ban for Hays County. Hays County residents should still contact the Hays County Sheriff's Office prior to burning.
March 2007: RESULTS OF 2007 RUBY RANCH HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION VOTE FOR NEW BOARD MEMBERS.
Kevin Rodriguez and Craig Williams were elected to the two open seats on the Board.
The final voting tally is as follows:
Kevin Rodriguez 130 votes
Craig Williams 119 votes
Sonny Hollub 28 votes
Carlton Yarbrough 27 votes
Donald Duck 1 vote
Mickey Mouse 1 vote
TOTAL VOTES 306
Establishment of a Quorum was determined in the following manner:
Total number of Ruby Ranch lot owners: 326
Lot owners disqualified for failure to pay dues in 2006 or earlier: 25
Lot owners in good standing: 301
Number of lot owners necessary to constitute quorum: 151
Number of lot owners attending in person and by proxy: 156
NOTES:
A few individuals cast votes for only one open position. Three proxies were not counted because they were withdrawn or duplicates. One proxy was not counted because no one was appointed to exercise the proxy. One ballot was not counted because the lot owner is not in good standing. If anyone would like to review the results in person, please notify a Board member, and we will arrange a mutually acceptable time to do so.
March 2007: Prior to last Tuesday’s Annual Meeting, KDBJ sent out an informational flyer in which they mentioned that they would be attending the meeting. At that time, the Board of Directors discussed the request and, because of the busy agenda, asked Ms. Shackelford not to attend. She in turn asked if the Board would read a statement on behalf of KDBJ at the meeting. Unfortunately, due in part to the length of the meeting, this was never read. You can however read it here.
January 2007: MEETING ANNOUNCEMENT. The Ruby Ranch Homeowners Association will be holding its General Meeting on February 27th at 7:00PM at Hays Hills Baptist Church. Two Board positions are up for election this year. Both positions are for two year terms. If you are interested in running for one of the available positions, please contact one the members of the nominating committee: Reagan Lambert at rl@fcaaustin.org, Thomas Doebner at tdoebner@msn.com, or Shelly Boothe at shellyboothe@yahoo.com. Nominations will also be taken from the floor during the meeting.
If you cannot attend the meeting, we urge you to complete and return the proxy you will receive in the mail. A majority of lot owners in good standing must attend, either in person or by proxy, in order to conduct the meeting and elect new Board members. The proxy allows you several options. You may appoint a Board member or any other lot owner in good standing to act as your proxy. You may also decide whether or not to authorize your proxy to cast your vote at the meeting. Proxies may be revoked anytime before the meeting. If you misplaced your proxy or did not receive it, here is a copy you can fill out and return to: "Ruby Ranch Homeowner's Association, c/o 871 Clark Cove, Buda, TX 78610"
Only members in good standing may vote. If you have unpaid dues from 2006 or before, you are not considered in good standing. Please make sure your payments and your mailing address are up to date. If you have questions about your status, you may e-mail us at board@rubyranchtx.com, or call one of the Board Members the numbers listed on the web site.
In addition to normal business and the election, there are several other topics that will be discussed during the meeting:
* The gate on West Bartlett was recently destroyed by a hit and run accident
* Part of the entrance fence was destroyed by a truck
* We now have Fire protection from the Buda Volunteer Fire Department for the entire Subdivision
* Results from Special Meeting and Vote held on December 7, 2006
Hope to see everyone there!
January 2007:
A tab (on the right of this page) has been added to get latest aquifer information from the Barton Springs / Edwards Aquifer Conservation District. Click on the "BSEACD" tab to see this information.
January 2007:
Many of you may be aware the north exit gate on W. Bartlett was damaged by a car accident on Jan 6th or 7th between the hours of 8:30pm and 7:00am. The Hays County Sheriff's Department estimated that the car must have been traveling over 50 MPH on W. Bartlett Dr. The vehicle was red in color and did not report the accident to the HCSD. We can only assume there were no injuries. Apparently the vehicle was within the gated area maybe visiting a resident, a food delivery driver, or may have been a resident that does not know whom to report the accident. If you had any guests with a red vehicle please check with them to make sure they are okay and have them report the accident. If any resident has any information in regards to the accident please contact the Ruby Ranch Board or the Hays County Sheriff's Department. This vehicle was surely driving in access of 50 MPH, way too fast for any residential subdivision. Please watch your speed when traveling within the subdivision and WATCH FOR CHILDREN.
December 2006:
VOTE RESULTS. Ruby Ranch lot owners overwhelmingly approved a proposal to increase homeowner dues to $375.00 for 2007 only. The final tally is 154 Yes votes and 15 No votes. We had a large turnout at the special meeting held on December 7, 2006, to discuss the dues increase. Thanks to all those who participated in person or through proxies.
ADDRESS UPDATES NEEDED! Please help us keep our mailing list of members up to date! If you have changed mailing address, please notify the Homeowners Association at our e-mail address, or e-mail or call any Board member.
ANNUAL MEETING. The Annual Homeowners Association Meeting will be held in February (exact date will be set soon). If there is an issue you would like addressed at the meeting, you may submit it to the Board by e-mail or regular mail at Ruby Ranch Homeowners Association, P.O. Box 71, Buda, Texas 78610.
February 2006:
On February 21, 2006 the Ruby Ranch Homeowner's Association held its annual meeting and voted on positions to the HOA board of directors. A valid quorum was present and the following 5 people were elected to the board:
Elected to 1 year terms were Raul Saldivar and Kevin Rodriguez.
Elected to 2 year terms were Scott Christians, Doug Huth, and Rich Steinbrink.
Complete meeting minutes can be seen here.