Next MUD Board Meeting: To See Meeting Agendas
Next Regular Meeting Tues. July 14, 2009 at 6:00 PM
at 9117 Anderson Mill Rd., Austin, TX 78729

Got Hail Damage to your Roof? You can get possible Tax Credits for
Metal Roof Replacements and other Energy Saving Measures

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Composting Rules

The guidelines for the Springwoods MUD composting program have been updated. Springwoods MUD has worked with the contractor to try to make the process easier for the residents. PAPER BAGS may now be used to place compostable materials at the curb. The contractor will be assisting all residents that utilize the paper bags by having their crew empty the bags into the compost truck as part of the normal route pickup procedures. This applies ONLY to PAPER bags not plastic. If the bags can be reused, the contractor will leave the bags, if they are not in usable condition, they will take the bags and dispose of them. Subsequently, we will no longer be red-tagging these (paper bags) as violations.

Below is a summary of some of the main changes. A tag may be placed on your yard waste items if they do not comply with the new guidelines. Click here to see the complete rules. Your cooperation in making the yard waste composting program is appreciated. Springwoods MUD residents can pick up fully composted yard waste for their residential gardens at the large bin in Springwoods MUD Park on Anderson Mill Road.

Watering Schedule Recommended

Although the Spingwoods MUD is not currently in the Austin city limits, the Springwoods MUD board encourages residents to follow the city’s watering recommendations. The new “Twice Per Week Schedule” uses only two easy-to-remember watering days for any one address.

Wednesday and Saturday are the watering days for residential homes with a street address ending in an odd number.

Thursday and Sunday are the watering days for residential homes with a street address ending in an even number.

Tuesday and Friday will be the watering days for commercial facilities, including apartments, condominiums, civic, commercial, industrial or institutional properties.

No outdoor watering will be allowed on any Monday. Water waste will continue to be discouraged through education campaigns and misdemeanor citations issued.

For additional water conservation information, call 974-2199 or visit www.WaterWiseAustin.org. 

Reserve a Pavilion
You can volunteer to host the family reunion this summer because the Springwoods MUD has three pavilions you could rent in Springwoods Park. Just contact District Manager Andrew Hunt at ahunt@swwc.com or by phone at 219-2252. A refundable $100 deposit is required and the hourly charge is only $15. Click here to see the reservation form.

Take A Walk Using This New Trail Map
It's a pleasure to take your exercise when you walk the shady, pleasant paths at the Springwoods MUD Park. Now that we have this handy mileage map, you can tell how far you're going on each outing!

Pet Owners: Please Observe District and County Rules

Important Information about Williamson County Animal Policies
Clean Up with Mutt Mitts
The Springwoods MUD welcomes residents and their dogs to enjoy bringing their pets to our community Springwoods Park.  We’ve recently extended the jogging trails for leisurely strolls or quick jogs with your dog.  You may also notice that the District furnishes two Mutt Mitt stations with handy plastic bags so you can clean up after your dog. The majority of our visitors take advantage of this service. One of the park rules states that dog owners are required to clean up after their animals. The MUD board and everyone who uses the park appreciates the effort owners make in keeping our park free of animal waste. 

Unfortunately, there are always a few people who ignore their responsibility to clean up after their pets.  This presents a nuisance and health hazard for all park visitors.  Emerald Security Patrol officers monitor your park; violations will be addressed with anyone who is observed breaking the Park rules.  Please leave your Springwoods Park sanitary for everyone to enjoy.

Leashes, Vaccinations and Registration Required
Both Springwoods Park rules and Williamson County ordinance require that dogs be under their owner’s control at all times.  Dogs are not allowed off leash in the Springwoods Park. In addition, Williamson County ordinance also requires your pet to be vaccinated for rabies.  Pet owners are also required to register their animal with the county you reside in.

ID, Please
For the safety of others, please attach rabies vaccination tags to your animal’s collar and have your veterinarian chip your animal (or use some other form of identification) in case your pet gets lost.  This provides a means to locate the owner of lost animals.  If your pet becomes lost, one of the best ways to locate them quickly is to alert your regular Postal Letter Carrier.  Your regular mailman is usually very familiar with every dog on his route and if he/she is notified in a timely manner, they can often help with the search.  Leave a note, a description, and photo of your pet with your carrier to alert him/her.

Recently a small brindle colored pit bull mix was found wandering around the Treeline and Bubbling Springs neighborhood.  This dog was very friendly and appeared to be well cared for.  Since it was going to be cold that night, a good Samaritan neighbor kept the dog in a warm place overnight.  The next day the dog was taken to a vet’s office to see if he was chipped.  The neighbor found out that the animal had been adopted from Town Lake Animal Shelter and did have a chip implanted.  However, the owners failed to register this animal with the chip company!  That leaves very few options to find the dog’s owner.  Moral of the story:  If you really love your pets and don’t want to lose them, register them. If this dog had been registered his owner could have had him back in 24 hours.

Stray Cats and Dogs
There are many pet lovers in our area who go that extra mile to feed stray dogs and cats and we appreciate their love of animals.  However if cats and dogs are not spayed or neutered, they will overpopulate the neighborhood.  Stray or feral cats can also be a health hazard if they do not receive the required vaccinations and rabies shots.  Please contact Williamson County Animal Control at 943-1300 if feral cats pose a problem in your area.  You can also report animal abuse or register a complaint at this number. 

Adopt from a Shelter
We urge our residents to adopt from local animal shelters and avoid buying pets from private breeders/pet stores.  There are many friendly and loving dogs and cats waiting for a good home and far too many are euthanized.

Your cooperation in following the Williamson County Animal Control Laws and our Springwoods Park rules are greatly appreciated by all of our residents within our MUD District.  We strive to protect all pet owners rights and only ask that you be a responsible guardian of your animal.

Springwoods MUD Utility Usage Outlined
The utility bills for the Springwoods MUD are available for your review.

Refresher Course: Restrictive Covenants 301
Any time you start a new endeavor you need to know what the ground rules are. For example, if you start a new job you need to know where the employees park, what is the appropriate dress, and other important rules. If you know the expectations and regulations, then everyone can be in agreement and avoid conflicts.

So if you are just moving into the Springwoods MUD (whether you’re are a renter or homeowner), buying a boat or starting a home improvement project, you need to know that certain restrictions apply.

Deed restrictions or restrictive ccovenants are legal obligations that are agreed to when a homeowner purchases a home so that property values can be preserved. Renters are also bound by these rules.

Although restrictive covenants in the Springwoods MUD vary slightly, most of them say that any changes to the exterior of your home must be approved by the Architectural Control Committee.

Check out your restrictive covenants to make sure you are abiding by the rules that your other neighbors have come to expect. For copies of your deed restrictions or information about the Architectural Control Committee, contact district manager Andrew Hunt at ahunt@swwc.com.

Are These Your Frequently Asked Questions?
From their own experiences and from talking with neighbors and other residents, the Springwoods MUD board has compiled a list of Frequently Asked Questions as another helpful feature of this website. But they need to know, "Are these the questions that are on your mind?" Whether you're a new neighbor or a long-time resident of the District, you may have pondered various facts of MUD life. This is your chance to let us know what you consider to be important questions to include. Click here to see the suggested FAQs. Then e-mail our Webmaster, Mark Maxwell, at maxwells@swbell.net with your comments.