Bahia Bay

Information Regarding Grass in the Canal

August 2, 2013

Received a call this morning from Gene Pelham, 338 Lands End St., regarding what he observed last weekend. While walking on Estes, he saw the new neighboring subdivision cleaning their canal with a boat pulling a net catching the grass. The grass was released when the boat reached the barge canal.

I reported this occurrence to Tom Berkenkotter who took Roger Horan, who is on the bulkhead committee, with him to the Isles of Rockport and observed the boat pulling a net full of grass. The boat could barely move, which is a good indication that they emptied the net as soon as they were outside the canal. Our subdivision is located adjacent to their canal, and the grass naturally flowed right into our canals. He took pictures of the occurrence and also went to the sales office and talked to the manager and told him of the incident and that it was happening at this time. The manager stated that the boat was to take the grass way off before dumping it, and that he would put a stop to it. Both Tom Berkenkotter and Roger Horan observed a white truck driving to the boat and talking to them when they left.

I called the Pelham family and reported the results of their call this morning and thanked them for their concern.

Lyndal Remmert is currently on vacation but was contacted by phone and given an update on the occurrence.

Deedy Studer
Secretary BBPOA

Christmas in Bahia Bay

If you have been to Bahia Bay recently, you probably noticed the festive appearance of the entryway. Maylene Moore and Julita Freed, along with some carpenter help from Larry Moore, created a holiday welcome for residents and visitors.

The Bahia Bay ladies group's quarterly get-together was held at the home of Eva Williams on December 2. A cookie exchange brought the ladies together to celebrate the Christmas season.

A pot luck snack was enjoyed as the ladies renewed friendships and caught up on neighborhood happenings.

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The highlight of the event was the cookie exchange. The ladies presented the cookies they had brought to exchange and shared stories about the reasons for their choices.

After that everyone grabbed a bucket and filled it with delicious treats.

Click here for recipes.

A date was not set for the next ladies' get-together. E-mail invitations will be sent out when plans are finalized.

Click here to see more pictures in Photos.

Emergency Notification Implemented

Aransas County, the City of Rockport, and the Town of Fulton have implemented an emergency notification system. Property owners need to sign up to take advantages of the services of the new FirstCall Emergency Notification system. Click here to see an article published on June 22, 2012 in the Rockport Pilot for more information about the system and how to sign up. (The article is reprinted with permission from the Rockport Pilot.)

Canal Water Safety

Caution should always be exercised in the canals as in all marine waters. Swimming and other direct contact with the sea water in the canal could result in illness. Never swallow the water and always bathe immediately after swimming. Hands should be washed thoroughly with soap and fresh water after any contact with the marine water.

Special precaution should be taken when it rains. James Jackson, Director of Aransas County Environmental Health, says that contamination of marine water is common, particularly from surface water runoff. He encourages everyone to stay out of the water for 48 hours after a heavy rain.

Water quality can fluctuate from day to day. Weekly, or even daily, tests would be needed to confidently predict the quality of the canal water. Even then factors in any given location in the canal could differ. Such testing is not economically feasible. Yearly testing, as has been done in the past, could create a false security in the safety of the water; therefore, the BBPOA has decided to discontinue testing of the canal water.

For more information about possible risks, see Pathogens & Pathogen Indicators on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's web site.
The Texas Beach Watch Program, part of the Texas General Land Office (GLO), monitors Texas beaches for contamination. You can find information about beach advisories for nearby waters at Texas Beach Watch.

Outside Lighting
Article 2.19 of the Bahia Bay Property Owners Covenants require an exterior light be illuminated from dusk through daylight of every night. Bahia Bay is away from city lights and is very dark when owners do not fulfill their responsibilities in this area. Please check to ensure that your outside lighting is working properly and is lit every night.

2.19 Exterior Lights. The owners of each Lot in the Subdivision shall maintain good and operating condition, properly painted and maintained at all times, an exterior light of the type and in the location selected and determined by the Committee, which exterior light is to be erected at such time as a residence is constructed upon said Lot. Such light shall be illuminated at the Lot owner's cost from dusk through daylight of every night to provide proper exterior illumination for the Subdivision as a whole. In the event that the owner of the Lot fails or refuses to repair, replace light bulbs, or maintain such exterior light, the Association may do so and charge the owner for such service.

Important!

Owners should be sure restictions are being observed

Several residents of Bahia Bay have expressed concern that the restrictions that are part of the Bahia Bay Covenants are not being observed. These concerns have prompted the BBPOA Board of Directors to monitor the issue closely. If this trend continues the results could be detrimental to the ambiance of Bahia Bay.

Three major concerns are exterior lighting, grass and weeds, and boat trailer parking. Owners should check their property to ensure that restrictions are being observed. The Covenants clearly specify what is required:

2.17 Appearance of Lots. No Lot shall be used or maintained as a dumping ground or rubbish or any other material. Trash, garbage or other waste or materials shall not be kept except in sanitary containers, which containers shall be kept in wooden storage boxes attached to the main structure on the Lot. No incinerators shall be kept on the subject property or on any Lot. Equipment for the storage or disposal of waste material shall be kept in a clean and sanitary condition and all such items shall be maintained in a neat and attractive manner. No vehicle (boats, boat trailers, campers, recreational vehicles, or any other) shall be permitted to remain on any Lot or on any street adjacent to any Lot for more than thirty (30) days in each calendar year, except that, however, any such vehicle, excluding recreational vehicles, may remain longer if they are parked in the open next to the owner’s house not forward of the front wall line and not behind the back wall line of the main building. Boats, boat trailers, and campers may be parked in a fenced area or garage or in a screened area approved by the Committee.

2.19 Exterior Lights. The owners of each Lot in the Subdivision shall maintain good and operating condition, properly painted and maintained at all times, an exterior light of the type and in the location selected and determined by the Committee, which exterior light is to be erected at such time as a residence is constructed upon said Lot. Such light shall be illuminated at the Lot owner's cost from dusk through daylight of every night to provide proper exterior illumination for the Subdivision as a whole. In the event that the owner of the Lot fails or refuses to repair, replace light bulbs, or maintain such exterior light, the Association may do so and charge the owner for such service.

2.22 Grass and Weeds . Each Lot owner shall keep grass, weeds and vegetation trimmed or cut so that the same shall remain in a neat, orderly and attractive condition., In the event an owner of any Lot shall fail to maintain the premises in a neat and orderly manner the Committee shall have the right, through its agents and employees, to enter upon said Lot and to repair, maintain and restore the Lot, all at the expense of owner.

IMPORTANT. . . . . IMPORTANT. . . . . .IMPORTANT

Reminder from the Architectural Control Committee

Any construction to houses, decks, fences, docks, etc.

MUST BE APPROVED IN ADVANCE!

For more information contact Norm Charlton, Architectural Control Committee Chairman, at 361-727-0006 or bahiabay23@gmail.com.

Click here to view the Architectural Control Articles.

Bahia Bay Flower Fund

Bahia Bay is a caring neighborhood and thus an unofficial committee has been formed to help neighbors through difficult times. When you or a member of your family is hospitalized, having surgery, or grieving the death of a family member, the committee would like to know. A flower fund has been set up so that these neighbors will know we care during these difficult times.

Please call Maylene Moore (790-8771) if you know of anyone in need or if you would like to make a contribution to the fund.

Protecting Your Septic System

Proper use of septic systems in Bahia Bay is important for personal well being and for that of the neighborhood. At this time, it appears that all septic systems are functioning properly, but as time passes and the age of the systems increase, that could change. Perhaps the following information from Aransas County Environmental Health will help keep systems functioning properly long into the future:

The biggest problem with On-Site Sewage Facilities (OSSF) is improper use. OSSF's are only designed to handle domestic sewage. The following substances should NOT be disposed of in a home plumbing system: cigarettes, facial tissues, paper towels, diapers, kitty litter, grease, chemicals, and hygiene products.

Disposal of these items add to the solid load, fills the tank rapidly and decreases its efficiency. In addition, strong chemicals not only kill the bacteria necessary for the operation of the system, but they also create the risk of leaching into the underground water sources resulting in the contamination of the groundwater and wells. Remember your septic system is built to handle human waste, not chemicals.

Keep the lawn above your drain area or spray field properly seeded and mowed and free of construction. Do not use it as a parking or storage area.

You should call your maintenance provider for assistance if the system starts to smell. Aerobic units require electricity to operate properly; do not intentionally turn off the system's power source.

Should you need more information or advice about your septic system, call Aransas County Environment Health at (361) 790-0121.

Helpful Tip from Ed Emery

Mosquitoes, unfortunately, are a fact of life in Bahia Bay but maybe not the itch that follows the bites. Ed has a remedy to stop the itch (and therefore, the scratching and possible infection.). To prepare his magic potion:

Rinse out an empty pump type hair spray bottle with water.

Then pour a tiny amount of plain (not scented) Ammonia 3% AMMONIA TO WATER.

Label the container, BITE STUFF.

Then the next time you get bitten, spray the 3% mixture on the bites.

Ed says that it works great!