Harris County MUD 152- Security Meeting
Thursday, July 25, 2024 @ 6:30pm
Timbers Elementary Cafeteria

The HCMUD 152 Board invites residents of Atascocita South and Atasca Woods to meet with members of Pct. 4 Constables office.

Meeting purpose will be for residents and businesses to share comments, concerns, complaints, and/or compliments regarding security of Atascocita South, Atasca Woods, and surrounding business district.

~ Park in the back parking lot

With freezing temperatures right around the corner, it’s a good time to refresh ourselves on precautionary measures for drops in temperature and cold weather.

The Four P’s to Prepare your Home this Winter:

• People
• Pets
• Pipes
• Plants

People

• Avoid going outside if it is not necessary. If you do, make sure you layer up from head to toe.
• To keep you and your family safe, it is imperative your home is warm.
• Make sure your heat is set to an appropriate temperature to make your entire home comfortable. Remember, heat rises so if you sleep upstairs, your room may be warmer than rooms downstairs.
• If you use a fireplace, make sure you have a screen to catch any embers that might escape or a rolling log.
• Never use your stove or oven to heat your home.
• If you smell smoke or see flames, call 9-1-1 immediately.

Pets

• While protecting your family, it is imperative to protect your pets as well.
• Pets, like humans, are vulnerable to cold temperatures. If not taken care of properly, they can succumb to frostbite and even hypothermia.
• If you have a dog that typically lives outdoors, consider letting them inside when temperatures drop to freezing. While their fur does help to keep them warm, it provides little help in freezing temperatures.
• If you absolutely cannot bring them inside, make sure they have a warm shelter, plenty of food and fresh water so it does not freeze.
• If your pet looks like it has any symptoms resembling frostbite or hypothermia, call your vet.

Pipes

• Turn off the sprinkler system shut-off valve. Most residential devices have two shut-off valves. These are typically covered in blue on the valve handles and located before and after the sprinkler system backflow device. A diagram is shown below.
• Release the water pressure from the bleeder valves. The bleeder valves are usually located under the top of the backflow device. If the water does not stop flowing you may have not shut the valves off completely.
• Leave the smaller bleeder valve open, this will let any remaining water in the line expand without breaking the device. Insulate your backflow device. Most hardware/home services stores carry backflow insulation supplies.
• Make sure to cover all your exposed pipes with a cover. You can also cover your pipes with towels, duct tape or another adhesive strip as long as they are wrapped tightly.
• You can also open up the cabinets to let warm air circulate throughout your home. Just make sure any harmful chemicals are out of reach for children and pets.

Plants

• When cold weather hits, it’s a good idea to bring in all of your outdoor plants.
• If you can’t bring in the plant, cover it with a blanket to make sure they do not die.

Other Tips

• Don’t forget to make sure your car is okay for the freezing temperatures. Check your anti-freeze and your batteries. Also make sure to check your tire pressure and the tread.
• Speaking of cars, make sure when you are on the road that you are mindful parts of the roads may be frozen, particularly bridges. Do not speed and never slam on the brakes.
• Make sure if you use a generator, it is outdoors. Do not use a generator inside, including in your garage.

Community Meeting on Thursday, December 8 at 6:30pm – 8:30pm

Join us for a meeting at Timbers Elementary to discuss community security and water district improvements. This is an opportunity to learn about things happening within our district and to meet with your MUD board of directors.

Children are welcome!

Drip, Drip, Drip…Let’s Talk Leaks!

Guess what! National Fix A Leak Week is March 14-20th and we want to be sure you have the best resources to keep you informed of the little problems caused by water leaks. Awareness of what to look for and knowledge of how to fix any leak issues can go a long way in prevention and saving money. Leaks can run, but they can’t hide!



Did you know that simple faucet leaks amount to approximately 1 trillion gallons of water wasted each year? That’s huge! And so easily preventable! Not to mention, leaks are costly. Taking time each year to perform a preventative check, can help keep your check book in order.
When you are on the hunt for possible leaks, it is important to start with the data… Begin with your water bill, check your meter, and test your toilets. These will give you some clue as to the prevalence of a water leak in your home.

The EPA recommends the following checklist for tracking down a leak! Here are some of the best-known hiding places to start. Keep your ears open!

• Bathroom

  • Toilets
  • Faucets
  • Showerheads
  • Under the sink
  • Don’t forget the tub!

• Laundry Room

  • Check all of your hook-ups!
  • Look for pooling in the washer itself (it could indicate a source leak)

• Kitchen

  • Check all appliances, such as the dishwasher and fridge. Many times, there are leaks behind them.

• Basement and Garage

  • Sinks
  • Exposed pipes
  • Water Heaters

• Outside

  • Spigots
  • Irrigation controls and sprinkler heads

With all eyes on Tropical Storm Nicholas we are reaching out to provide information to help your business prepare for possible impacts as this storm is expected to bring heavy rain to the Houston area.

The National Weather Service issued a Flash Flood Watch for September 13 at 10:05 am until September 14 at 7:00 pm for Harris County.

Partnership Lake Houston is coordinating with local and state officials and will be reposting updates and alerts from all partners and entities on Facebook: @PartnershipLH | Twitter: @PartnershipLH

A comprehensive list of Business Preparedness and Resources are below but can also be found at:https://www.lakehouston.org/recoverlakehouston/

Business Preparedness:

• Business Disaster Preparedness
• Flood Preparedness
• Small Business Preparedness Guide
• Financial Preparedness Toolkit
• National Weather Service Storm Tracking
• Small Business Recovery Guide

AREA UPDATES/EMERGENCY ALERTS
***We urge people to make sure their cell phone settings have Government Alerts enabled so that they receive Emergency Alerts and Public Safety Alerts.

Harris County Emergency Alerts– Harris Co. Homeland Security and Emergency Management ReadyHarris: https://www.readyharris.org/ | App: http://bit.ly/ReadyHarrisApp  | Facebook: @ReadyHarris | Twitter: @ReadyHarris

Harris County Flood Warning System: www.harriscountyfws.org | Facebook: @HCFCD | Twitter: Meteorologist Jeff Lindner @JeffLindner1

Houston Emergency Alerts: https://www.houstonemergency.org/alerts/ | Facebook: @AlertHouston | Twitter: @houstonoem

City of Humble Office of Emergency Management: Facebook: @cohoem

Atascocita Volunteer Fire Department Alerts: http://nixle.us/atascocita-fire-department/?fbclid=IwAR2WlQsm26ce-5kdSnOD-8k5_sIhl247w2Ns3u5lwPpwIpllagtOMHGw3nA  | Facebook: @AVFDEMD | Twitter: @AVFDOEM

Houston City Council member Dave Martin: Facebook: @CouncilMemberDaveMartin | Twitter: @cmDaveMartin

Community Response Task Force: Facebook: @CRTFTX
HOUSTON ISSUE REPORTING: FLOOD, DEBRIS BLOCKAGE, TRAFFIC LIGHTS, ETC.
Houston 311: Dial 311 on your mobile phone OR report at http://www.houstontx.gov/311

PUBLIC SCHOOLS:
Humble ISD: https://www.humbleisd.net/weather | Text Alerts

Lone Star College– Kingwood: http://www.lonestar.edu/kingwood | Alerts: http://www.lonestar.edu/LoneStarCollegeAlert.htm |Facebook: @LSC.Kingwood | Twitter @LSC.Kingwood

San Jacinto College Generation Park: https://www.sanjac.edu/generation-park-campus | Facebook @SanJacintoCollege | Twitter: @SanJacCollege

RAIN AMOUNTS
Rainfall accumulation where you live/work – Harris County Flood Warning System: https://www.harriscountyfws.org/.

ROAD CONDITIONS
Houston Transtar: https://traffic.houstontranstar.org/layers/ | Facebook: @HoustonTranStar. | Twitter: @hou_roadweather

WATER LEVELS
Lake Houston Water Levels: Dashboard (onerain.com)

SJRA Current Lake Conroe and River Conditions: https://sanjacinto.onerain.com/ | Email & Text Alerts: http://www.sjra.net/updates/ | Facebook: @SanJacintoRiverAuthority

Harris County Bayous, Streams, Rivers, Lakes- Harris County Flood Warning System: www.harriscountyfws.org | Facebook: @HCFCD | Twitter: Meteorologist Jeff Lindner @JeffLindner1

WEATHER FORECAST
National Weather Service Houston-Galveston: http://weather.gov/hgx | Facebook: @NWSHouston | Twitter: @NWSHouston

National Hurricane Center: https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/| Tropical Storm Nicholas | Facebook: @NWSNHC | Twitter: @NHC_Atlantic

BUSINESS RESOURCE FOR DISASTER RELIEF:
Air Conditioning and Heating
Carpet Cleaning
Construction
Contractor – Commercial
Contractor – Electrical
Contractor – General, Home Improvement
Flooring
Hardware
Home Improvement
Insurance
Landscaping
Painting
Swimming Pool/Spa Service and Supply
Waste and Recycle Services
Water Damage Restoration

Effective 2/17/21 at noon, Harris County MUD No. 152 is NOT affected by the City of Houston’s Boil Water Notice. The water is MUD No. 152 is safe to drink.

Harris County MUD 152’s water supply is provided from the Evangeline Aquifer Water Supply and is not connected to the City of Houston water supply. Harris County MUD 152 is not affected by the current Boil Water notice posted by the City of Houston.

Atascocita, Texas February 4, 2020—The Board of Directors of Harris County Municipal Utility District No. 152 (the “District”) offer their condolences to the family of the teen who was killed in Atascocita South on Sunday morning. We understand that an arrest has already been made through the effort of the deputies in Constable Precinct No. 4, as well as by other law enforcement agencies.

In light of this incident, we wanted to alert the Atascocita South and Atasca Woods neighborhoods that effective March 1, 2020, there will be six deputies from Constable Precinct No. 4 contracted to serve our neighborhoods, providing coverage on a 24/7 basis.

This change is being initiated by the District and the Atascocita South and Atasca Woods homeowners associations. Currently, the HOAs pay a portion of the cost of extra security provided by the Precinct 4 constables for several neighborhoods in the greater Atascocita area. The HOAs wanted better coverage of their neighborhoods and approached the District to discuss the best way to achieve that result. After discussion with the HOAs, the Board of Directors of the District agreed to take over the responsibility for contracting with the constables for extra security for the immediate future. The District then entered into a contract with the Precinct 4 constables to patrol the area within the District (being the Atascocita South and Atasca Woods neighborhoods). The District decided to expand the coverage to six deputies to enable there to be 24/7 coverage. Homeowners will pay a part of the cost of the security through an increase in the base rate of their water bills of $7.00. In exchange for this change in responsibility, the HOAs agreed to reduce their dues.

We believe that this change and increased security will be of benefit to District residents.

Atascocita HS Student Council, in collaboration with MUD 152, began installing the makers Dec.,5, 2019 and has continued for a few weeks. They have been out during the week with safety vests and traffic flags installing decals on 1,100 storm inlets throughout Atascocita South and Atasca Woods subdivisions. The purpose is to remind citizens not to dump pollutants into storm inlets or contribute to ordinary storm water runoff by littering, over-fertilizing, or sweeping yard debris into the street. Unlike sewage, storm water receives no treatment. Each year, student council fund raise throughout the year in order to sponsor events for the student body and community-at-large. MUD 152 directors will surprise the group during their February meeting with a stipend to commend their work in our community.

Additional info:
https://www.cleanwaterways.org/swim/

https://www.cleanwaterways.org/downloads/brochures/SWIM%20brochure%20english.pdf

On August 28, 2019, Harris County MUD No. 152 successfully refinanced its debt in order to take advantage of today’s low interest rates. The District issued $4,060,000 in unlimited tax refunding bonds to refund and redeem a portion of its outstanding debt.

By doing the refinancing, Harris County MUD No. 152 saved $261,198 net of costs, for annual savings in its debt service expense of $37,314.

The District was able to secure bond insurance on its new bonds, causing the rating on the bonds to be “AA.” The District carries an underlying rating of “A+” from Standard & Poor’s.