April 2022 News

April 01 2022

Easter Event

The 2022 Easter event will take place on Saturday April 9^th at 10am at the park located at Park Falls and Royal Gardens. This event is being held by Southdown and Southcreek villages together and is sure to be a blast for friends and family with candy, games and more! And of course the Easter Bunny will be there to visit with the kids and take photos.

HOA Website

Please note that the Association now has a new portal website for owners to access their account information and important HOA information. The site address is graham.cincwebaxis.com. Once there you will click “Register” and enter the required information. You can opt into a community directory if interested but the default setting is opted out. You will receive an email for a password reset and then you will be registered. There is also an app available for download to your devices, just search “Graham Management HOA Connect”. Login information will be the same as what is used at registration.

2022 Assessment

The 2022 assessment is now considered late and additional fees will have been applied to your account. You can check your balance and make your payment at https://graham.cincwebaxis.com/. You can also mail your payment to Southdown Village, c/o Payment Lockbox, P.O. BOX 294196 Lewisville, TX 75029. Please contact ar@grahammanagementhouston.com with any questions.

Board Meetings

The Board meets monthly on the third Wednesday at 6:30pm, via video conference and all owners are invited to attend and observe these meetings. The access information will be posted on the website prior to each meeting.

Trash Pick Up Service

Trash is collected on Tuesday and Friday and recycling is collected on Tuesday. Each resident must have an account open with the trash company GFL/WVA. Trash bags and receptacles and recycling bins can only be out in view the day of and evening prior to trash day. Please email ccca@gflenv.com with any questions or concerns.

Home Architectural Changes

Please remember that approval from the Architectural Review Committee must be obtained prior to any changes or improvements made to the exterior of your property, including but not limited to repainting, roofing, door/window replacement, siding replacement, and major landscaping. ARC application forms can be obtained or submitted on the website.

Yard of the Month

The Yard of the Month contest will start back up this month (winner will be selected between the 1^st and 10^th of the month) so get to that spring cleaning and planting!

If you are interested in joining a Landscape Committee who would be in charge of selecting these winners and other landscape oversight, please email creyes@grahammanagementhouston.com.

Bird Prevention Committee

As many of you may remember, the community pool and park area became a nesting site (also known as a “rookery”) for night herons and cattle egrets in the summer of 2019. Unfortunately, because these birds are federally protected, once they have nested it is illegal to disturb them, their nests, or the trees.

These birds, while beautiful, tend to nest in very large numbers, producing a lot of mess, noise, smell and possibly disease. Their nesting season (March through September) is quickly approaching, and the Board will need your help in ensuring that the birds find another place to nest.

If you are interested in becoming a part of the Bird Prevention Committee, please email SDVBirdCom@gmail.com. Here are some examples of what this committee does:

Forming groups of “spotters” who would walk the area daily to watch for the birds and report sightings of them.
Forming groups of “discouragers” who would be willing to shoo the birds from the trees (this also needs to happen daily, if not multiple times a day).
Working to make the community aware of the issues and the prevention time frame and tips.

Watch for Signs - Night herons are the first to migrate in mid-February. While not usually a nuisance, the presence of night herons lets other migrating birds know they've found a good place to nest. It is important for the entire neighborhood to act together. Below is a list of possible tools and tactics you can use to deter migratory birds from nesting on your property. Experts say a variety of deterrents works best. Just remember - do not harm birds or eggs.

Trim your trees - Remove dead wood. Thin tree canopy to allow sunlight between limbs and other trees. This is the most effective step you can take.
Visual deterrents - Hang aluminum pie plates, Mylar balloons, beach balls with shiny streamers or other moving objects in large trees before m id-Feb.
Noisemakers - Pump-style air horns, whistles, clappers and even children's toys are effective. Make as much noise as possible aimed at the bird.
Bright lights - High-intensity flashlights, strobe lights, flashing holiday lights can be effective.
Water sprayers - Power sprayers and pump-style toy water shooters can help. Homemade PVC pipe sprayers can help reach tall tree limbs.
Pool poles - Telescoping pool safety poles can be used to reach and remove early nesting material.

Crime Watch Committee

The article below came from Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher:

Dear Neighbor,

Here in Houston, we value and rely on our post offices to deliver our mail, medicine, paychecks, social security checks, ballots, and so much more. Which is why, when many of you contacted me with concerns about our local post offices, I called for investigations and was pleased to see improvements implemented. As my office continues to work with the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to ensure the safe and timely delivery of mail, I thank you all for your patience and input. In the meantime, here are some official USPS resources you may find helpful:

Protect Yourself: If you are experiencing mail theft, learn how the U.S. Postal Inspection Service recommends you protect yourself and others here.
Contact USPS: If you’re having issues or have questions about your mail, you can contact USPS for a variety of solutions and tips here.
- ðŸŒ Email USPS Customer Service here
- ðŸ“ž Speak to a customer service representative at 800-275-8777.
Report a Crime: If you’ve witnessed or are victim to a mail-related crime, you can report it to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service here.
- ðŸ“ž Speak to a Postal Inspector at 877-876-2455.
Use Informed Delivery: Sign up for USPS Informed Delivery to preview incoming mail and track/reschedule packages.
Hold Mail: If you’re planning to be out of town, you can use the USPS Hold Mail function to safeguard your mail at your local Post Office until you return.
- If you plan to be gone longer than two weeks, you can also set up USPS Mail Forwarding to have your mail forwarded to a temporary address.
Find Missing Mail: If you suspect that your mail is lost or delayed, you can start a search for your missing mail and receive periodic updates here.
File a Claim: If your lost or stolen mail was insured, you can file a claim with USPS here.