Neely Farms

Did you Know...

Conserve water ….it’s better to water your lawn regularly but deeply, allowing the water to really soak in for a good six inches or more, according Cathy Rymer, a water-conservation specialist with the Town of Gilbert. Writing in a Q&A column published May 11 in the Gilbert Independent. Rymer adds that in hot, dry weather, lawns need a half-inch to three-quarters of an inch of water applied once every three days. If the grass doesn’t spring back when you walk on it, it’s time for a good soak. For info, click here .

Higher education ….more than three-fourths of Gilbert residents age 25 and older have at least some college education, according to the last U.S. Census? Here’s how the numbers break out for higher ed: some college, no degree, 30.3%; associate degree, 10.1%; bachelor’s degree, 24.8%; graduate or professional degree, 11.3%. We’re martially minded, too. Slightly more than 66% of Gilbert adults are married, while another 21.5% have never married, 8.7% are divorced, 2% widowed and 1.1% separated.

….the Arizona Business Networking Group is now forming? Business people in Gilbert and other East Valley cities are invited to join. The group meets at 8 a.m. on Thursdays near Val Vista and Baseline roads. No cost. For info, call 480-229-483 and ask for Sharon or email spfaff@axismtg.com .

Neely Farms Homeowners Association Progress Report: February 2005

Recent Work:

· The residents of Neely Farms will notice that additional stone has been purchased and distributed in common areas. In the last HOA meeting, our citizens discussed how to distribute the rock and agreed that the best solution would be to place it in certain high visibility areas along major entrances and streets. Unfortunately, there are not sufficient funds available to replace all rock on the property at this time. The Jacob Street entrance from Warner Rd. and the North/South corners at Riata and Settlers Point were targeted first.

· All of the HOA property common walls have been inspected for safety and repaired for lose mortar. The expansion joints have been filled with elastomer and the company performing the work indicates that they are in good repair. They have also advised us that some property owners are letting water from their lawn system spray on parts of the walls which is causing some deterioration. Please check your systems and adjust properly.

· The lights at the front entrance on Riata have been repaired. A faulty connection and a broken wire were the cause.

· The front entrance sign contract has been awarded and the work should be completed by March 1 unless rain delayed. The new letters will have a higher contrast ratio and will be attached via standoffs in the block which will be a more permanent solution.

· Our landscape contractor continues to fight the weed war!

Some items for homeowners to consider:

· Our houses are approaching the age when painting is required. The colors must remain very close to the original color scheme including the pop outs etc.. An architectural request must be filed for the record but approval will be granted immediately.

· Yard stones and desert landscape: Just as we are covering the HOA common areas with new stone, it is evident that some homes must also replace some of the small rock/stone in their yards. Certain homeowners originally used fine stone or crushed granite and this has either washed away or blown away over the years. Some yards look like bare dirt now and we are requesting that this be addressed soon.

· Children playing in the water retention basins have moved some river rock, plugged drains and used shovels to create bike ramps. This has made an unsightly mess and our landscapers have to try to repair the areas at additional expense to the HOA. Please ask children to refrain from such activity.

Check Out Town of Gilbert Auction Action:
TOG equipment is auctioned off the first Saturday of every month through an independent company, Sierra Auctions, 3570 N.W. Grand Ave., in Phoenix. View items beginning at 8am, auction begins at 9am. Bidders register by ponying up a $500 in cash in exchange for a bidding number. Purchases are subtracted from the registration fee; if you buy nothing, the full $500 is refunded. Purchases exceeding $500 must be paid in cash by the following Monday. To see what’s up for sale, go to www.sierraauction.com (note: items from many sources besides TOG are pictured). For information, call 602-242-7121.

Park-and-Ride Lot Opens

Can’t face another freeway gridlock? Instead of driving to work in downtown Phoenix, try out the new, $3.5 million park-and-ride lot southwest of Page Avenue and Ash Street, west of Gilbert Road. There are 250 shaded parking spaces available. Catch a commuter bus west, sit back and relax. Info from Valley Metro bus line, 602-253-5000.

Block Party

Get to know your neighbors by organizing a block party. How about a Memorial Day barbecue, Friday-night potluck or Sunday family picnic with the people who live on your street? Here’s how to get started: download the block-party form from the City of Gilbert by clicking http://www.ci.gilbert.az.us/eservices/administration/default.cfm . This isn’t a permit – you don’t need the city’s approval to hold a party. But the form secures the city’s assistance in setting up orange cones and traffic barricades to close off your street or cul-de-sac for the party. The city will drop off extra black trashcans for your event, too. Then pass out fliers and start making the potato salad!

An Invitation From The Elks:

A Gilbert Elks group is forming now, and Neely Farms residents – men and women over age 21 – are invited to join. The Elks is a non-profit fraternal organization known for community service. Current Elks projects in Arizona include a Tucson children’s hospital, a youth camp, college scholarships and supporting veterans’ hospitals. Meetings are held the first and third Thursday of each month, 7pm, at the American Legion Post 39, at 206 N. Gilbert Rd. For information, call Don Zelechowski, 480-367-8421.

Citizen Corps Volunteers:

USA Freedom Corps, a group founded by President George Bush in the wake of September 11, is looking for volunteers for its “Citizen Corps” committees: the Police Services Program, contact Lacey at 480-635-7705, www.policevolunteers.org ; USA on Watch (expanded Neighborhood Watch), contact Vickie at 480-635-7521 or www.usaonwatch.org ; and Community Emergency Response Team, contact Sheri at 480-503-6333.

HOA Neighborhood-Wide Garage Sales

Date Pending

Does your dog bark too much or at the wrong time, provoking complaints from neighbors? It's a frustrating problem that can be hard to handle. We all love our pets. But we've also got to control our pets' behavior so our human neighbors aren't inconvenienced.
Here's an article with scads of great ideas on working through a dog-barking dilemma. Click Here

Town Of Gilbert Sign Policy

"Your Town's Code Compliance Department is commencing a drive to educate all citizens regarding the correct use of temporary signage. This includes signs for:

Yard Sales
Lost/Found Pets
Items for sale
Houses for sale/rent
Small Business advertising"

Read entire article/Policy - Click Here

Local Car-Theft Statistics:

According to The Gilbert Independent, “more than 400 vehicles were stolen in Gilbert in 2005,” based on police records. The Independent also quotes the Mesa Crime Analysis Unit’s report on the top ten stolen cars in Arizona – they are Chevrolet Silverado; Dodge/Plymouth Neon; Honda Civic; Honda Accord; Dodge Ram; Nissan Altima; Toyota Camry and the Chevrolet Cavalier. Vehicles taken for joy rides are usually discovered in other cities, as the thieves steal other cars for the return trip. But those stolen for parts are much harder to recover.

Car Theft Prevention Tips:

Lock your car – half of all vehicles stolen are left unlocked
Take your keys – nearly 20% of stolen vehicles have the keys in them
Park in well-lit areas, since more than half of car thefts occur at night
Park in attended lots, where thieves have a harder time breaking in while undetected
Never leave your car running and unattended
Completely close car windows
Don’t leave valuables in view
Don’t stash a spare set of keys in a “hidden” spot in your car; thieves know where to look
Park with your wheels turned towards the curb, and set the emergency brake
If you have a garage, use it, and lock both the car and the garage

(Information courtesy of the Arizona Automobile Theft Authority)

Local Government Job Openings:

The Town of Gilbert currently lists openings for the following jobs: pre-school recreation instructor, pool manager, assistant pool manager, swim/dive team coach, lifeguard/instructor, lifeguard and cashier; heavy equipment operators for solid waste and street striping and a wastewater utility worker. The Gilbert Police Department is also recruiting. Last, but not least, the town also needs umpires to work the Youth Spring Ball games during the April 1-May 13 season. Training offered in March; applicants must be 15 years or older. For umpire info, call 480-503-6253.

For details on the other job openings, Click Here

….that the Gilbert Farmers Market is back? You can find everything from dark-red tomatoes grown locally at Creekside Farms to home-made raspberry tarts, along with fresh eggs, fruit, more produce, dried herbs, craft items and more. Check it out Saturdays from 8:30a.m. to 1:30p.m., at the Farmhouse Village Gazebo, located at 397 S. Gilbert Road.

….that before draining your swimming pool, you need to notify the Town of Gilbert Wastewater division? It’s simple: call 480-503-6400 and leave your name, address, telephone number, the date you plan to discharge water and the date you plan to refill your pool. If there are any special instructions for your area, someone will call you back with the necessary info. For info on where to drain the water, click here.

….that the Town of Gilbert’s new budget – adopted August 2, 2005 - is based on sales-tax revenue of more than $29.3 million? TOG plans on receiving another almost $20.3 million in state-shared revenue. Throw in bucks earned from the fire, police, public works and leisure service departments, add in court and legal income, community development monies and a few other items for a general fund totaling a whopping $65,179,673. That’s an increase of 25.3%, mostly from increased sales tax related to retail development and continuing construction activity. Another interesting nugget ‘o news: check out page 63, under “Performance/Activity Measures.” It’s a comparison of citizen attitudes measured in fiscal years 2003 and 2004, “projected” for fiscal 2005 and “anticipated” for fiscal 2006. The percentage of “citizens satisfied or very satisfied with policy decisions” was 73% in 2003, inched up to 75% in 2004, was projected at 82% this year, then is anticipated to slide back down to 75% in fiscal 2006.

2007 HOA Board Meetings
Monday, June 18 @ 7p.m.
Monday, December 3 @ 7p.m.
(Annual Meeting)

Top Of Page | Previous Page