Dear Members,
First, thank you to all who showed up Sunday morning to get Canyon Creek Elementary ready to reopen Monday. I estimated we had somewhere around 40 people who participated in the cutting and cleanup effort. With so many volunteers on hand, it took only a little over two hours to get the entire property ready for debris pickup. The purpose of this communication is share with you all the most current information we have on storm recovery and to answer a handful of common questions that keep appearing.
Cleanup priorities
The Board’s cleanup priority continues to be ensuring the roadways are open, and that the common areas and amenities are safe and accessible to the greatest extent possible. We will have private contractors onsite again this week to clear hanging limbs from the tree canopy along Boulder with the primary focus on ensuring the safety of pedestrians in the common areas. By now, the sidewalks along Boulder Lane and most roadways within the community are accessible and clear to use with caution advised due to the large amount of debris stacked adjacent to sidewalks and the ongoing risk of overhead limbs falling.
As you all have observed first-hand, the amount of tree damage and debris on the HOA Common Property (and throughout the neighborhood) is extensive. Outside of the above noted safety priorities, the Board feels the best course of action is to move slowly on further cleanup until we fully understand the resources the city can/will provide, what our insurance policies will cover, what volunteers are willing and able to provide and the costs the Association is responsible for. That said, we should all be prepared for the possibility that unbudgeted cleanup expenses and post-storm tree care could run well over $100,000 and may need to be funded in full or in part by a special assessment. (This does not include any expenses related to the greenbelt trails which is discussed in the following section.) Although the Association’s finances are strong and cash reserves robust, an expense of such size would significantly reduce Association reserves and impact our ability to fund capital projects in the coming years that are called for in our independent reserve study. Because our reserve balance is strong, it is likely we would be able to spread an assessment over the course of multiple payments during the year. It is certainly not our intent to create additional financial stress on the community at this difficult time and we will use every available resource to minimize costs and hopefully avoid or minimize any assessment.
While everyone is focused on getting their property cleaned up and back in order, the Board is temporarily suspending enforcement of lawn and landscape violations. No new violations will be opened and escalation of any outstanding violations is paused until further notice.
Greenbelt damage and trail closure
Damage to the canyonland greenbelt and trails is significant. Large stretches of the trails are impassable due to fallen trees and limbs and there is extreme risk of limbs falling from overhead. Trail volunteers are still working to understand the full scope of the damage but are certain that it will take a significant and costly effort to restore full access. Although we have no practical way to enforce closure, for your own safety, the Board asks that you avoid the trails until further notice. Fortunately, it appears that the large, majestic live oak tree near the Cinnabar trailhead has survived intact with only very minor damage visible.
In addition to the trails, many trees are damaged or down behind homes located on the greenbelt. Although our wildfire severity risk has likely increased significantly due to storm debris, there is currently no cost effective way for the Association to address cleanup behind individual homes or to undertake fuel mitigation efforts on the scale that would be required to have a measurable impact. For this reason, please do not report damaged or downed trees to the board or Spectrum Association Management. As has been our practice for several years, owners with greenbelt lots may, with guidance from the Architectural Review Committee, engage in limited wildfire risk reduction activity on a voluntary basis. More information is available on page 42 of the Canyon Creek Design Guidelines here: https://www.canyoncreek.net/governing-documents To learn more or to start this process, e-mail arc@canyoncreek.net. (The Board would certainly welcome input from Members at our upcoming annual meeting on an acceptable level of annual spending on fuel mitigation efforts within the greenbelt canyonlands.)
Tree care
A thorough discussion of proper pruning technique and tree care is well beyond the scope of this communication but several people in the neighborhood concerned about oak wilt have asked about pruning and sealing cuts and wounds on oaks. If you can safely seal pruning cuts and other wounds on your Live Oaks, you should do so, although given the current time of year, it is not as critical as it would be during the warmer months when the insects that carry oak wilt fungus are active. If tree pruning and cleanup continues into the warmer spring and summer months, you should ensure that wounds are sealed to help protect against the oak wilt fungus. We will try to get some general information from Canyon Creek’s landscaper that we can share with everyone including proper pruning technique.
Cleanup assistance and other resources
Board members have been in contact with District 6 Councilwoman Mackenzie Kelly’s office and others in city government in regards to recovery efforts, storm debris removal and other matters and can share the following information:
The Bulk Item collection that was previously scheduled for this week is proceeding as planned. (This is the twice-yearly collection of large junk items such as appliances, mattresses, etc. and should not be confused with Large Brush Pickup.)
Austin Resource Recovery has published details on Storm Debris Removal here:
https://www.austintexas.gov/department/austin-resource-recovery/services
Small limbs and other yard waste can be placed in compost bins or bundled; grass and leaves may be placed in approved paper yard waste bags for pickup during the normal yard waste collection. Due to the size and amount of storm debris, this will be impractical for most households;
Customers can request collection of large limbs due to the storm using 311. If you call 311, you will likely experience extended hold times. It is best to use the Austin 311 mobile app or go online at austin311.org. Use “Storm Debris Removal” as the requested service type. Limbs should be at the curb ready for collection following the set out process and guidelines described in the Large Branches section here: https://www.austintexas.gov/department/austin-resource-recovery/services
Trees blocking the road should be reported to Austin 311;
Each household needing Large Brush Pickup should use 311 to request pickup. This will ensure that schedulers know where the greatest demand is. Councilwoman Kelly’s staff is working to coordinate a community wide Large Brush Pickup for the entire neighborhood. We will share the expected date ranges once this has been communicated to us. Any household in Canyon Creek may schedule a private service for debris removal at your own expense if you so choose.
There are still some residents in Canyon Creek who could use a little help getting back on their feet. We have been using NextDoor to offer and/or request help. In most cases, folks are either looking to borrow tools or need someone with chainsaw skills to help cut up larger limbs to make them easier to move curbside. No one is expecting full tree service on an unpaid basis. If you can offer help or need to request help, look to one of your neighbors first and/or NextDoor as a resource. In addition, residents with physical limitations or financial needs requiring help cleaning up winter storm debris can request volunteer assistance through the Austin Disaster Relief Network at the following URL: https://udrn.communityos.org/help-request-public
Insurance, Legal & Liability
From our earlier communication, these questions keep coming up so I’m including again here some information offered by local news websites explained in simple terms:
Who’s responsible for cleanup if you neighbor’s tree falls into your yard?
Does insurance cover fallen tree branches? Here’s what you need to know.
In closing, thanks to all of you who have pitched in to help a neighbor, cleared a road or sidewalk, cleaned up the school, hauled brush or done any of the countless kindnesses and acts of service that I and others have witnessed these last few days. We are the community of Canyon Creek and you and your actions are what make this community a place worthy of living and raising a family.
Best regards, on behalf of the Board of Directors,
Brett Funderburg
President, CCHOA