Have a question, comment, suggestion, or an article you'd like to submit?   Email us at:  directors@arcadiapark.net	Page Updated May 11, 2008       Special Fact of the Week  : The Hoochinoo Indians of Alaska were famed for making a distilled liquor enjoyed by the miners of the Londike gold rush.  The use of hoochinoo to refer to liquor dates to 1869, while the clipped form "hooch" appears in the late 1890s with the gold rush. ************************************************************************************ Preparing For Spring Gardening        articles/Preparing for Spring.pdf       ************************************************************************************ 10 to 6 Nixed Year Round Alternative Water Sources Form On Tuesday December 4, the Fort Worth City Council approved prohibiting lawn watering between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. year round. The same time of day restriction applies in Arlington and is being considered in Mansfield. The approved ordinance amendments also allow locking out in-ground irrigation systems as an enforcement option. The lock out would occur either at the backflow device required on all irrigation systems or at a separate irrigation meter, if it exists. Most commercial accounts have separate meters for irrigation systems but few residential accounts have a separate meter. There is an administrative fee associated with removal of the device. The fee would be $25 for the first offense, $50 for the second offense and $75 for the third offense. Multiple violations could result in lock out as well as a citation. The fee would be added to the customer’s water bill. There is also a process for appealing the administrative fee. Locations with alternative water sources for irrigation, such as wells or Trinity River water, would be exempt from the time of day requirements but must register these sources with the city. In addition, the ordinance amendments establish some affirmative defenses to prosecution should a citation be issued. This means the court could dismiss the ticket if the customer could prove they were establishing hydromulch, grass sod, grass seed (30-day period); conducting dust control for sport fields; or conducting maintenance, repair, or testing of an irrigation system.   ************************************************************************************ Garage Sale Guidelines With the change in season coming, many of us will be cleaning out our brimming closets and junk rooms that have collected old coffeemakers and wobbly end tables all winter long, and hosting that great American event:  a garage sale.   But before you start sticking those little color-coded price tags on all your “another man’s treasure,” you need to be aware of City codes affecting garage sales. You can download our Garage Sale brochure, in English and Spanish, to learn more. The actual code, City Code Appendix A, Chapter 5, Article 4, Section 5.402 states: In any residential district, occasional sales restricted to garages and patios not to exceed two in number on the same premises in any one calendar year, by a person who does not hold himself out as engaging in, or does not habitually engage in, the business of selling such property at retail are permitted, provided that the following requirements are met: The sale shall be confined to the garage and/or patio of the premises No new merchandise acquired solely for the purpose of resale on the premises shall be sold at such occasional sale The duration of each such sale shall not exceed three consecutive calendar days A permit shall be secured at least 72 hours prior to the sale and shall be prominently posted on such premises during such sale The permit fee amount shall be as established by the city council Only one sign shall be permitted, not to exceed two square feet in area, upon the premises where and when the sale is taking place. All other signs relating to the sale, either on or off the premises, shall be violations of this section To avoid receiving a citation, ask yourself: ·      How many garage sales have I had already this year?  If your answer is “two or more,” you should not host a garage sale. Only two per year are allowed. ·        Do I have a permit for a garage sale?  If your answer is “No,” you should get one at least 72 hours before beginning your sale.  Permits can be obtained from the Development Department.  Obtain a garage sale permit online or call (817) 392-2222.  Permits are absolutely FREE, so there is no excuse for not having one. ·        Did I wake up this morning and decide to have a garage sale?  If your answer is “Yes,” you should not host a garage sale.  You are unable to get a permit 72 hours before the event.  Save it for next weekend. ·        Am I selling new items I got just for this sale?  If your answer is “Yes,” then you should not host a garage sale.  The sale of new things obtained just for resale at a home is prohibited.  Try eBay. ·        Will I be able to confine merchandise to the garage and/or patio areas?  If your answer is “No,” you shouldn’t host a garage sale.   Items should be displayed only on the patio or garage areas, not strewn about your property. ·        Will my garage sale last longer than three days in a row?  If your answer is “Yes,” you should not host a garage sale, or plan to shorten the duration of your sale.  Three days is the limit. ·        Will I be able to resist putting up extra signs for this sale?   If your answer is “No,” you should not host a garage sale.  One sign--on your property--is the only sign allowed.  All other signs are violations of City code. Don’t wipe out your garage sale proceeds by ending up with a Code violation and fine! To report illegal garage sales, call the Code Compliance Department at (817) 392-1234.  ******************************************************************************************************** New Perimeter Almost Complete  Construction continues to progress. Columns and panels have now been set in place all along North Tarrant Parkway with finished caps set on each column. Base coat of paint was applied and the first of two highlights have been added to some sections of the wall. When the construction is complete, your volunteer board members will perform a walk thru inspection to identify any issues/concerns that homeowners may have. Your patience is appreciated! ****************************************************************************************************    Online Homeowner Customer Service Center Now Available At www.spectrumam.com   Spectrum Association Management is excited to announce the launch of the Online Homeowner Customer Service Center.  As an industry leader in technology research, we are proud to offer web integrated software that will allow homeowners the ability to review account information online 24 hours a day, seven days a week.   In order to access the online customer service center, homeowners will be required to register their account information.   Some of the features of the Online Customer Service Center are listed below:   ·     Payment Center – Make payments via credit card, e-check or automatic ACH withdrawal directly from Spectrum’s website. ·     Account Overview – View all charges and payments posted to an account for the past year.  Plus, owners can update mailing addresses, phone numbers and e-mail addresses. ·     Compliance Center – View a comprehensive list of all compliance letters sent for the past year. ·     Improvement Center – Submit ACC/ARC improvement requests online and upload all required documents. ·     Message Center – Ask questions, report violations, request items (such as a pool key card, gate remote, etc).  Responses are sent by a Spectrum representative and posted to the homeowners account.   Providing homeowners with real time data, Spectrum’s Online Customer Service Center offers homeowners a convenient way to access account information.  To register your account online, visit us at www.spectrumam.com.  Please contact your local Spectrum Association Management office for further information at (972) 992-3444. ***************************************************************************************************************** This website is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a true copy and cannot be copied or used for any other purpose without the expressed written permission of the Board of Directors of  Arcadia Park Estates Homeowner's Association, Inc. Copyright © 2008. All rights reserved. Questions, comments, suggestions, or problems concerning this website? E-mail the directors@arcadiapark.net Visits since March 13th 2008                                                                                Thanks for visiting Arcadia Park Estates Web page!
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