MTHA President's Letter, Annual Meeting Recap, Board of Directors Monthly Meeting & Yard of the Month
January 1, 2025
Mary Sergesketter
President
815 Elk Run Circle
713.240.9936
Board of Directors Monthly Meeting
When: Wednesday, January 8, 2025, at 7:00 p.m.
Where: Mary Sergesketter's home, 815 Elk Run Circle
Agenda:
ACC Report
November & December Minutes Approval
Proposal for Committee on DCCRs & Policies Compliance
Old Business
Status of Homes
Director and Officer Reports
Yard of the Month Guidelines
New Business
2025 Goals and Objectives
MTHA Annual Meeting
Thanks to everyone who attended in person (or via proxy) the MTHA Annual Meeting of Members last month. We hope that you found it informative and a good opportunity to reconnect with your neighbors and meet new ones. What a great turnout!
Awards to Former Directors
(L-R: Meghan Lee, Greg Sergesketter, Amy Gnau, Fred Plummer
Reese Brito (not pictured))
Memorial Thicket℠ Directors for 2025
Thank you to those who are volunteering to serve our neighborhood!
At the MTHA Board meeting that was held immediately after the Annual Meeting of Members, the Directors were elected to the following officer positions:
President Mary Sergesketter 713.240.9936
VP - Operations Sherry Petkas 713.882.2502
VP - Security Jerry Fabian 713.854.7957
Treasurer Ray Schmidt 832.418.1111
Secretary Lyn Buza 281.684.0850
President's Newsletter
I would like to provide an update and summary of information related to our Memorial Thicket℠ neighborhood. For more detailed information please refer to our "Memorial Thicket℠ Information Guide & Residents Directory" or the Memorial Thicket℠ website at www.memorialthicket.org. If you should have any questions or comments that I haven't addressed, please contact me at MemorialThicketPresident@gmail.com or 713.240.9936 or the appropriate officer.
Information Guide & Residents Directory for 2025
We are working to update our Memorial Thicket℠ Information Guide & Residents Directory for 2025. If you are new to the neighborhood, or your information has changed please stop by the guardhouse and complete a resident information sheet. All residents should complete this form so we have the most current contact information. We use this information for the directory, and the guards use it to contact you in the case of an emergency. If you have any questions regarding the directory, please contact Meghan Lee at Meg.e.thomas@gmail.com or 281.250.5524.
Annual Assessment
The 2025 annual assessment of $2,100 was due January 1, 2025 with a grace period until January 31, 2025. If the payment for your lot(s) is not received (received, not mailed) by the end of the month, a $25 administration fee will be added for each month in which your payment is not received. Your payment may be given to the guard on duty or mailed to our MTHA address at 702 Plainwood Dr., Houston, TX 77079. If you have questions regarding the payment, please contact the Treasurer, Ray Schmidt, at MTHABoardTreasurer@gmail.com or the number listed above.
Yard of the Month
The January Yard of the Month is 838 Plainwood. The Robinson home is neatly adorned with decorative grass, asparagus fern, irises and recently planted snapdragons lining the sidewalk to the front entrance of the home. The angled bed at the front of the drive, outlined in limestone blocks, is very appealing and filled with an abundance of miniature roses and more snapdragons adding additional beautiful color. The beds aligning the front of the home are well maintained with various shrubs, assorted bulbs, and a large tractor seat plant with daisy-like yellow clusters in full bloom. The various trees and well-maintained yard add a great accent and complement the home beautifully.
Operations
Landscaping & Trash
The MTHA Vice President of Operations areas of responsibility include maintenance and landscaping for all common areas as well as trash collection and recycling. The costs related to these functions are paid for through your annual assessment.
Our current contract with Texas Pride calls for "backdoor" trash collection on Tuesday and Friday of each week. Yard waste and bulky items should be placed at the curbside no earlier than the evening before trash collection days. Trash cans should be out of view on non-collection days.
Recycling materials are being collected once a week on Tuesday and these items are to be clearly marked for recycling and visible from the street. You may obtain a recycling sticker from the guards at the guardhouse.
Questions regarding landscaping or trash/recycling should be directed to Sherry Petkas at MTHAOperations@gmail.com, or at the number above.
Architectural Control
Article VI of our DCCRs outlines the duties of the Architectural Control Committee (ACC) and the guidelines for approving exterior construction or remodeling, including, but not limited to, fences, mailboxes, lamp posts, driveways, walkways, landscaping, drainage, pools and generators. These provisions are too detailed to be reviewed here, but homeowners should consult and become familiar with them prior to undertaking any modification of their residences or properties. Changes or additions to properties have an impact on Memorial Thicket’s℠ appearance and ultimately on homeowners' property values. The DCCRs and related Policies can be found under 'documents' on the Memorial Thicket℠ website.
If you are contemplating changes to your property, please contact either Sherry Campbell (281.797.7892) or Tom Skerl (832.276.2348) (ACC Co-Chairs) or ACCMemorialThicket@gmail.com, prior to starting any work.
Security
Alarm Systems
MTHA has a contract with a private security firm, Smith Thompson (713.492.1064), to provide monitoring services for homeowners' security systems. Our deed restrictions (DCCRs) require each home have a monitored functioning security system in place that notifies the guards when triggered. Your system not only protects you but also protects your neighbors.
Our contract with Smith Thompson includes payment of the monthly monitoring fee for those homeowners signed up with them. This cost is covered by your annual assessment. Installation and maintenance of the system are the responsibility of the homeowner and should be discussed with Smith Thompson. Of course, each homeowner is permitted to select a security firm other than Smith Thompson, however, in that case, all costs and monitoring fees are the responsibility of the homeowner.
Please remember to check your alarm system regularly to make sure it is working properly. If you are unsure whether your system adequately protects you, your family, and your property, have your security company do an assessment.When you do go out of town, please complete an out-of-town notice with the guards. For added security, you may also request the guards walk your home’s perimeter while you are away.
Car Decals
As part of our overall security efforts for the neighborhood, we ask that you obtain and display a Memorial Thicket℠ decal in the lower-left corner of the windshield of all autos that are normally "garaged" in Memorial Thicket℠. You may obtain decals from the guards.
Street Safety and Speeding
Our biggest complaint in the neighborhood is speeding. We all are in a hurry sometimes, but for the sake of each and every resident, please try to monitor your speed within the neighborhood. Since we do not have sidewalks, we have a lot of walkers, children and pets on our streets and it is easy to get distracted. We do not want an accident. We ask all homeowners, renters, guests and contractors to drive no more than 20 mph through the neighborhood.
Parking
For the security of your vehicle and the safety of pedestrians, please do not park on the street. Also, be aware that the City of Houston prohibits the parking of any vehicle on the street for longer than 24 hours.
Yard Lamps
The streets within Memorial Thicket℠ are City of Houston public streets. Many years ago when our neighborhood was formed the developers determined that individual homeowners would provide individual yard lamps for illumination rather than have city street lights installed. This was then written into our DCCRs. For the safety and security of all residents, each homeowner is required to have a functioning yard light that meets the DCCRs and Lamp Policy. The more illumination in our neighborhood the safer it will be. We ask each homeowner to keep their yard lamp working and use bright bulbs to contribute to the safety of our neighborhood. Night-Sky Friendly Lighting includes shielding so no light is emitted into the sky, and soft white or amber bulbs (less than 2700K).
Contact
Please remain diligent. If you see suspicious activity, please contact the guards at 713.501.5406. If you should have any questions regarding our neighborhood security, please contact the Vice President of Security, Jerry Fabian, at mthaboardsafety@gmail.com or at the number listed above.