Newsletter features include:

• Your MUD Board of Directors
• Happenings in the Greenbelt and Snakes
• Pay attention to what you flush
• Contacting the Board of Directors

The three open board seats were all unopposed for the May election, which confirms your 2024-2026 MUD Board as follows:

• Israel {Izzy) Zuela – term expiring May 2028
• Mike Green – term expiring May 2028
• Bruce Jones – term expiring May 2028
• Paul Schrieber – term expiring May 2026
• Kevin Grens – term expiring May 2026

Happenings in the Greenbelt:

Our Operator is conducting their annual inspection of the manholes in the neighborhood and greenbelt, so expect to see trucks in both areas the next two weeks.

This is the time of year when the Greenbelt comes alive with color. Residents of Rocky Creek are encouraged to enjoy the spring weather on the trails. However with Spring wildlife in the Greenbelt returns as our hibernating friends emerge. Yes, you will likely begin seeing snakes in the Greenbelt!

• Your dogs should ALWAYS be on a leash. If they are not snake-trained, they absolutely should be on a leash this time of year and encouraged not to sniff in the tall brush bordering some trails.

Snakes:

While snakes can be scary, they are actually more scared of you than you are of them. Snakes are defensive in nature and are not aggressive toward humans. Did you know there are only four venomous species of snakes in Texas? While this is good news, 3 of these types have been observed in the greenbelt. Those three are the Coral Snake, the Copperhead and the Rattlesnake. None of these 3 breeds are deemed aggressive and the vast majority of bites come from stepping on one of them or picking them up.

The chances of stepping on a snake are rare if you stay on the trails, but we still encourage caution.

Coyotes:

This is the time of year when our friendly Coyotes are most active. They generally come out at dusk and if you are near the Greenbelt, you can also hear them howling. Should they capture their prey? Being on the trails after dark is not something the district would encourage.

Rabbits, Ducks, Porcupines, Skunks, Foxes and Deer:

The above are a few of the many types of animals you might see in the Greenbelt; all have been observed by folks in our community.

So enjoy the beautiful Greenbelt and respect the wildlife as you hike.

Maintaining the Greenbelt and Trails:

The Greenbelt sustained quite a bit of damage during the February 2023 ice storm. The downed trees have been cleared to the extent which our finances allow. This type of work is expensive and the MUD has limited funds available. Additionally, please keep in mind that the Greenbelt is a nature area which is subject to Mother Nature. It is impossible to impeccably maintain due to its size and the high costs involved.

If you have any questions about downed trees/ brush on MUD property, please contact the Board of Directors (see below).

Pay Attention to what you Flush:

The term “Flushable Wipes” is very misleading. While they will indeed flush and exit through your pipes, they do not break down like regular toilet paper. This leads to big problems in our water treatment facility with clogged equipment causing additional maintenance and repairs. Residents of Rocky Creek ultimately pay for these repairs through our taxes and the sewer portion of our water bills. Our engineering crew has even seen diapers make their way to the plant. PLEASE help yourselves and your neighbors by not flushing anything down your toilets other than waste and regular toilet paper!

Contacting the Board of Directors:

To contact the board simply go to our website www.tcmud16.org and click the Contact Us link. This will take you to our email address board@tcmud16.org. A friendly reminder that the neighborhood Facebook page is not an official communication medium for the MUD or the HOA.

Newsletter features include:

• Free firewood pickup in the greenbelt
• Do you know what your tax dollars are paying
• Drainage Fee Increase
• New District Engineering Firm
• Elections

Free firewood pickup:

Tuesday February 6^th TCMUD16 has hired a contractor to cut up dead trees and limbs in the greenbelt. The contractor will only be cutting the dead wood and not stacking. Residents of Rocky Creek are welcome to gather as much wood as they like with the following guidance.

• No motorized vehicles can be driven in the greenbelt to collect firewood
• No chainsaws may be operated in the greenbelt
• The MUD recommends using a wheelbarrow to collect the firewood

Who is the MUD your second largest property tax?

Travis County MUD No. 16 (the “District”) is a municipal utility district and political subdivision of the State of Texas created on March 29, 2005, by order of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (the “TCEQ”), consisting of approximately 467.88 acres of land. You know this land as the Rocky Creek subdivision including the greenbelt.

Generally, the objective of a MUD is to provide various services, such as water, wastewater, drainage, and certain other improvements and services to areas where municipal services are not otherwise available. MUDs are authorized by the Texas Constitution and Texas Water Code to acquire and construct such facilities in order to provide the various services. Specifically, TCMUD16 was created to bring water, wastewater, drainage, and park and recreational facilities to serve Rocky Creek.

As a MUD, the District can be described as a fundamental form of local government because it provides municipal-level services, has elected officials, is authorized to assess and collect taxes, and is authorized to sell bonds to pay for the cost of facilities it provides.

As a political subdivision, the District is highly regulated. Its meetings and records are open to the public, including meeting minutes, its annual audit, and the rules and regulations overseen by the District. For the duration the District has outstanding bonds, it must annually file updated financial and operating data with the Municipal Securities and Rulemaking Board through its Electronic Municipal Market Access (EMMA) system (https://emma.msrb.org/), which is designated by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission as the official source for municipal securities data and disclosure documents.

You can find more information at the Districts website TCMUD16.org.

Drainage Fee Increase:

The TCMUD16 board approved increasing the Rocky Creek Residents drainage fee up to $10 more per month effective April 1, 2024. Residents will see this increase on their WTCPUA bill. This is the first ever increase to the drainage fee and is necessary as costs to run and maintain the water treatment plant continue to increase. The District is evaluating all costs to effectively manage expenses.

New Engineering Firm:

TCMUD16 Board of Directors has approved  changing the engineering firm that consults and advises the Board on all engineering matters that impact the MUD. The new firm will be Jones-Heroy & Associates Civil Engineering (JHA). This change was driven after much discussion and a decision to seek a new firm. The Board thanks Quiddity (formerly Jones-Carter) for their service to the District since its’ inception.

Elections:

Three current board members are up for election this May. The directors are Izzy Zuela, Mike Green and Bruce Jones. If there are no candidates running against any of the three, then the District will not pay Travis County to list their names on the ballots. Listing the names is expensive and in the Boards opinion, not be a good use of Rockey Creek residents tax dollars.

The TRAVIS COUNTY MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICT NO. 16 will hold a public hearing on a proposed tax rate for the tax year 2023 on Thursday, August 31, 2023, at 12:00 p.m. at Verde’s Mexican Parrilla, 16018 Hamilton Pool Road, Austin, Texas 78738. Your individual taxes may increase at a greater or lesser rate, or even decrease, depending on the tax rate that is adopted and on the change in the taxable value of your property in relation to the change in taxable value of all other property. The change in the taxable value of your property in relation to the change in the taxable value of all other property determines the distribution of the tax burden among all property owners.

Visit Texas.gov/PropertyTaxes to find a link to your local property tax database on which you can easily access information regarding your property taxes, including information about proposed tax rates and scheduled public hearings of each entity that taxes your property.

Notice of Public Hearing on Tax Rate (PDF)