Dear Estates of Forest Creek Residents,

First, I want to thank all our residents who support the HOA. We appreciate your support for our neighborhood and the HOA.  Your financial support through your annual dues and your willingness to volunteer your time when called on is essential to keeping our HOA strong.

I wanted to make you aware of at least $9,000 of infrastructure expenses we've had this year.  Two of these were unexpected, which highlights how important your dues support is every year.

• First, the planned repair of the stone edging for our entrance beds at Hogan Manor and Hearst Castle.  The stone edging was crumbling and needed to be rebuilt to provide structural integrity.  The cost of this project was $3,425.  This project was completed last month.
• Second, we had to remove our electrical/irrigation boxes from the brick screening wall, replaced by the city south of Hogan Manor, and install them on a standalone structure.  The developer attached them to the brick wall, but the city no longer allows that.  This unexpected expense was $3,370.
• Last, have you noticed the flowers in our Hearst Castle entrance bed are looking puny and the light on the north side is out?  Our irrigation box for these beds is located behind the north Hearst Castle entrance sign wall.  Power for the controller comes from an electrical box that runs from the south entrance sign wall and under Hearst Castle.  This power line is broken. This means we have no power on the north side for the light, our plugs and the irrigation controller.  Likely, the conduit and line was nicked during a construction project, but we have no way to identify what project, so the cost to repair this will fall on our HOA.  We have looked at restoring the line by boring under the street.  This would be very expensive.  ONCOR is exploring installing a new pole, but that might take months to do.  The last alternative we are pursuing is switching to solar for the irrigation controller and entrance light.  The first bid to do this is $2,200,  We are in the process of getting a second bid.

In addition to these unexpected expenses, our membership dues income is down by about 33 memberships versus last year, about $5,000. This combined expense increase and income decrease of $14,000 is a significant portion of our $40,500 budgeted dues income for 2021.

If you haven't paid your dues yet this year and are able to, it's not too late! We would greatly appreciate your support!

Prefer to pay by check?

• Print a Member Information Form to include with your check.

Save the stamp - drop your check and Membership form in the HOA drop box located on porch at 3916 Hogan Manor Drive

Mail - EFCHOA, PO Box 251271, Plano, TX 75025

Neighborhoods, USA (NUSA) awarded 1st Place among Neighborhood Organizations to our Newsletter at NUSA Conference.  NUSA is a national, non-profit organization committed to building and strengthening neighborhood organizations. This year's virtual convention brought together neighborhood's and city's from across the USA.

Electronic Format for Neighborhood Organizations

1st Place

Estates of Forest Creek HOA - Plano, TX

Estates of Forest Creek Newsletter

2nd Place

John T White NA - Fort Worth, TX - John T White NA Newsletter 

3rd Place

Orchard Hills NA - Garland, TX - Orchard Hills NA Quarterly Newsletter 

Finalist

Whiffletree V, VI, VII - Plano, TX - Whiffletree Newsletter

Nominations for the 2021 Board will be accepted next month.  Nominations for all positions will be accepted, however, we know our current Membership Director and Hospitality Director will be stepping down next year.  In addition, we are in need of a Social Chairperson to help plan community events and we could use a helper to publish our electronic newsletters. Our HOA is only as good as the volunteers who step up to keep it going.  If you can help and would like to run for the Board, please contact Kathie Kankel at 972-567-4168 or president@efchoa.com.

Only nine days left to donate peanut butter to the SPREAD THE HOPE Peanut Butter Drive and this year's Nuttiest Neighborhood Contest.  

Every September during Hunger Action Month, the North Texas Food Bank (NTFB) creates awareness about food insecurity and hosts the Peanut Butter Drive which collects a shelf-stable, kid-friendly protein for our hungry neighbors. The goal for the 2021 drive is 300,000 pounds of peanut butter physically and virtually.

Help NTFB collect regular-sized, plastic jars of peanut butter to help feed hungry children and their families.

Donate virtually or In person.

• Donate virtually to the Estates of Forest Creek HOA Teamat this link and your gift will be used to purchase peanut butter for the drive. 
• Drop off regular-sized, plastic jars of peanut butter at North Texas Food Bank: HEB Door at 3677 Mapleshade Lane in Plano

Back by popular demand, the HOA will sponsor an on-site shredding truck for HOA Members as a THANK YOU to you for supporting our HOA!

Tentative Date - Saturday, October 16th

9 - 11 AM

Details Coming Soon to Website and via EVITE

Great news!  The weather is cooling off and The Little Seed Library is now offering seeds for fall planting!  Please stop by and exchange any seeds you saved (or have left over) from the summer and pick up seeds for the fall.

This program is a part of the HOA's EFC Environmental Program.If you would like to get involved, please leave your name, address and number. 

The Little Seed Library is located at 7304 Swanson Drive.  For more information, contact Jennifer Rauschmayer @ 469-585-5365.

Congratulations also to Grant Bagby. He graduated Magna Cum Laude from the PPA program at Texas A&M at College Station with a bachelors in accounting and masters in finance. He started work this summer in Dallas at Deloitte Tax.

Celebrate National Good Neighbor Day with a game of BINGO on Tuesday, Sept. 28!

Complete a line, 4 corners or even the whole board to win prizes from Chick-Fil-A and Home Depot!

From the City of Plano Newsletter

Are home projects on the horizon for you? Let us help! We have expanded operating hours at the Household Chemical Reuse Center. Plano and Allen residents can pick up products at the Center for free. Products include pool chemicals, household cleaners, paint, automotive products and more. All items have been collected through the residential collection program to make them available for reuse and to keep them out of the landfill. 

Have you recently cleaned out your garage and want to help supply our shelves? Call 972-769-4150 or submit an online form for a free household chemical collection. Do not leave items at the Reuse Center.