DrivinTooFast
enthusiast
Posts: 1874
Reg: 02-20-08
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06-03-14 11:35 PM - Post#168896
I am a tree hugging, water saving, soaker hose using, environmentalist and the dim nuts gave me a watering violation for watering at the wrong hours.
I converted 2500 square feet of my back yard to xeriscape wildflowers to ELIMINATE watering in my back and side yards (I would do more but the HOA would throw a fit), I have freaking RAIN BARRELS and I am constantly berating my kids to take shorter showers and turn off the water. I have a very low water bill considering my household and land size.
Yes my controller's time was misaligned because it reset the clock from the "AM to the PM" after a recent roof damaging lightning storm. YES GUILTY AS CHARGED - OFF with my collective head.
So here is the process.
1. I get a cute blue note on the door.
2. I have to call immediately or they will turn off my water. Good thing I was not on vacation.
2a. They then tell you to drive in to water central to sign the citation and notice to appear. Could this information be on the blue ticket?? Apparently the water police enjoy wasting gasoline so you can go there and sign the ticket. Hmmm, is water more expensive than gasoline. This is like a buffoonish scavenger hunt and I'm the baffoon.
3. You have to DRIVE to the Allen water offices to sign the ticket. DAMG Stacy is busy.
4. Now- You have to wait 4 days for some city woman to show up at water central (Stacy and Greenville) to collect the hand written tickets, scan them in and do a little data entry from the handwriting. Not talking about how that process is from the 1960s and HUGELY labor wasteful - but hey it's just government money. Sweetie pass me those 2014 Allen eagle season passes, I want to put something under my beer so the table doesn't get ruined. Best buy is right next door, you can buy a scanner for $50 and it's called the INTERNET you hayseed. I suddenly feel better about the NSAs use of massive computer power. I wish they could find the bureaucratic terrorists with it.
5. Now I must to call in to the office for the ticket after 4 days but no later than 7 days to get a court date, plead guilty, get a lawyer or they will issue WARRANT FOR MY ARREST. This has the logic of the rhythm and withdrawal method to me. Oh Snap! Open up a place at Huntsville for me. Bubba be gentle, I'm just a water criminal.
6. I still don't know what the fine could be because officer won't tell me and it is not on the citation. "Call in after 4 days and they will tell you". "I don't know and I don't wanna know" Officer states. Shoot I was waiting for the theme from deliverance to startup, banjos abazing and a "Squeal like a pig BOY call coming from the back room"
7. Next - I HAVE NO IDEA where this odyssey will take this hardened criminal of inaccurate chronographs, but rest assured, it's gonna waste your government's resources and my money and time.
Oh look, my neighbor is running their sprinkler again this week for the 4th time. DAMN their lawn is GREEN.
Edited by Community Manager on 06-04-14 03:19 PM. Reason for edit: No reason given.
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SB
enthusiast
Posts: 1551
Reg: 09-07-03
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06-04-14 04:19 AM - Post#168899
In response to DrivinTooFast
But, regardless of the total incompetence of the system and the people that work it and the inconvenience to you -- you were in error, right?
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chf
enthusiast
Posts: 574
Loc: NW Allen
Reg: 12-22-07
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06-04-14 07:06 AM - Post#168900
In response to DrivinTooFast
Your HOA can't stop you from xeriscaping your front yard. New law passed by the Texas legislature in their last session.
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starrlac
enthusiast
Posts: 792
Loc: Allen, TX
Reg: 11-03-00
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06-04-14 07:11 AM - Post#168901
In response to chf
No, but the HOA can limit what you do.
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txd2
member
Posts: 26
Loc: Allen
Reg: 06-08-09
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06-04-14 08:16 AM - Post#168902
In response to DrivinTooFast
Clearly they are not interested in the efficiency of their process. I believe that any quality of how they do this ticket thing and to ever really give a flip might be outside of their reach.
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Al C
enthusiast
Posts: 5920
Loc: McKinney/Allen, TX
Reg: 02-16-01
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06-04-14 08:49 AM - Post#168904
In response to DrivinTooFast
Hardened water criminal. I hope they lock you up and throw away the key.
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vrs
enthusiast
Posts: 2845
Loc: Allen, Texas
Reg: 04-20-00
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06-04-14 09:16 AM - Post#168905
In response to DrivinTooFast
I am sorry you are going through this but at least you still have your sense of humor.
We got a watering citation several years ago in a similar situation. Power outage had pulled the start time to the wrong side of midnight by just an hour or so. But I don't recall it being such an ordeal. I did have to go to the City in person to pay a fine, but I think I did it at the utility window and dealt with a very nice lady all in one trip.
I am interested in the xeriscaping rules for the front because we have the entire backyard now in bedding - no grass - and are gradually repopulating it with natives. Red yucca, sage, mountain laurel, lavender - lots of gorgeous and hardy choices.
| Raisin cookies that look like chocolate chip are the reason I have trust issues. |
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asmile4u
enthusiast
Posts: 909
Loc: Allen
Reg: 04-20-08
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06-04-14 11:23 AM - Post#168906
In response to DrivinTooFast
Your tax dollars at work! Geeez! Meanwhile Twin Creeks waters their common areas in front of their tenants every day. It's much too green to be watered every other week.
Edited by asmile4u on 06-04-14 11:25 AM. Reason for edit: No reason given.
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StacyLynn624
enthusiast
Posts: 1091
Loc: West Side
Reg: 09-24-04
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06-04-14 12:06 PM - Post#168907
In response to DrivinTooFast
I've told you guys in other threads that the Water Conservation Lady is mean. It's like she's trying to win some sort of Blue Ribbon from the water district or something. Common Sense out the window.
Government waste and red tape infuriates me. There is no reason for all of those stupid, money-wasting hoops to jump through.
BTW, I've only seen Twin Creeks water their common areas on a Monday, which is trash day here. I haven't noticed if they do it every other week or not, I just noticed it for the first time this week. They did say in their bulletin that they were waiting to replace some landscaping with drought-tolerant plants until after water restrictions are lifted. At the same time, they placed some sod plugs along Twin Creeks Blvd the other day…
I was talking with some neighbors, and none of them were aware that we can't hand water and we aren't supposed to be replacing our sod. So there's that.
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DrivinTooFast
enthusiast
Posts: 1874
Reg: 02-20-08
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06-04-14 12:47 PM - Post#168908
In response to StacyLynn624
Thankfully soaker hoses are virtually untracible for watering.
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DrivinTooFast
enthusiast
Posts: 1874
Reg: 02-20-08
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06-04-14 12:51 PM - Post#168909
In response to DrivinTooFast
Officer was sitting right in front of a computer (looking at CNN or was it fox news) and seemed to be completely incapable of entering the information DIRECTLY into the whatever uber water ticketing system the city bit into. No we need to waste hours of city time not to mention the completely valueless time of our dear citizen so Mommy water overlord can maintain her fife-dome.
Charge on water princess!!
Edited by Community Manager on 06-04-14 03:23 PM. Reason for edit: Please don't list people's name. Forum Rules
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vm7mm
enthusiast
Posts: 1527
Loc: Allen Tx usa
Reg: 08-12-04
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06-04-14 12:53 PM - Post#168910
In response to StacyLynn624
I've told you guys in other threads that the Water Conservation Lady is mean. It's like she's trying to win some sort of Blue Ribbon from the water district or something. Common Sense out the window.
Government waste and red tape infuriates me. There is no reason for all of those stupid, money-wasting hoops to jump through.
BTW, I've only seen Twin Creeks water their common areas on a Monday, which is trash day here. I haven't noticed if they do it every other week or not, I just noticed it for the first time this week. They did say in their bulletin that they were waiting to replace some landscaping with drought-tolerant plants until after water restrictions are lifted. At the same time, they placed some sod plugs along Twin Creeks Blvd the other day…
I was talking with some neighbors, and none of them were aware that we can't hand water and we aren't supposed to be replacing our sod. So there's that.
This is from the city water conservation rule, you can water with a hand held hose.
Foundations, shrubs, and trees within a ten foot radius of their trunk may be watered for up to two hours on any day by a hand-held hose, a soaker hose, or a dedicated zone using a drip irrigation system. (Please limit this to no more than one additional day, only if necessary. Hand watering of turfgrass lawns is not permitted in this exception).
Edited by vm7mm on 06-04-14 12:54 PM. Reason for edit: No reason given.
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DrivinTooFast
enthusiast
Posts: 1874
Reg: 02-20-08
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06-04-14 12:56 PM - Post#168911
In response to vm7mm
Just carry around a micro shrub from lowes with you and keep moving it around your lawn as your water.
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DrivinTooFast
enthusiast
Posts: 1874
Reg: 02-20-08
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06-04-14 01:00 PM - Post#168912
In response to DrivinTooFast
Here is a CRAZY idea. Increase the tiered watering rates. As you use more water, your rate per gallon goes up. Let the market modify behavior. in some worlds we call that capitalism.
10,000 gallons of water being flushed down a faulty toilet has the same impact on the water supply as 10,000 (almost a pool's worth of water) gallons being flooded onto my lawn.
Simple fix to the problem rather than creating an insane bureaucracy.
Edited by DrivinTooFast on 06-04-14 01:08 PM. Reason for edit: No reason given.
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rw
member
Posts: 617
Reg: 10-11-01
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06-04-14 01:31 PM - Post#168913
In response to DrivinTooFast
Officer was sitting right in front of a computer (looking at CNN or was it fox news) and seemed to be completely incapable of entering the information DIRECTLY into the whatever uber water ticketing system the city bit into. No we need to waste hours of city time not to mention the completely valueless time of our dear citizen so Mommy water overlord can maintain her fife-dome.
Charge on water princess!!
Seriously! You admitted that you were watering at an inappropriate time. Your were ticketed. No need to disparage city workers doing their job.
Complain to the city council, your councilman, the water works dept head etc...but I see no need to disparage one of your neighbors who happens to be doing their job.
The sad fact that you are NOT the problem, as you practice water conservation at your home, and it is likely embarrassing to you that you were ticketed, not because you were intending to water at the wrong time, but because the timer was not set properly due to a recent power outage.
I have gone to manually watering on my every two weeks water day...which will hopefully keep me from being ticketed.
Edited by Community Manager on 06-04-14 03:17 PM. Reason for edit: No reason given.
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catlady
enthusiast
Posts: 688
Loc: allen tx
Reg: 03-22-02
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06-04-14 02:22 PM - Post#168914
In response to rw
I agree - if you are watering on the wrong day - pay the fine. The thing that get's under my skin is the violators. I wish the city would monitor this site and hear our complaints. I've done every I can to save water including catching the water from my shower in the morning waiting on the hot water. The city needs a hot line or web site to report violators and TICKET THEM QUICKLY.
A dog looks at you and says "You take care of me. You must be a god".
A cat looks at you and says "You give me food and shelter. I must be a god". |
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SB
enthusiast
Posts: 1551
Reg: 09-07-03
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06-04-14 03:21 PM - Post#168915
In response to DrivinTooFast
Just carry around a micro shrub from lowes with you and keep moving it around your lawn as your water.
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SB
enthusiast
Posts: 1551
Reg: 09-07-03
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06-04-14 03:31 PM - Post#168916
In response to SB
The water situation is a serious problem, most folks recognize that. Allen is one of the water district cities that is willing to enforce the restrictions and that is doing a good job meeting conservation goals. The same can't be said for our neighbors to the west and north. Neil Sperry commented the other day that plants that can survive in this area should be able to survive twice a month watering even if they aren't thriving. Long range weather forecasts suggest an El Niño forming in the Pacific which could bring us wetter weather this fall or soon after.
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Al C
enthusiast
Posts: 5920
Loc: McKinney/Allen, TX
Reg: 02-16-01
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06-04-14 04:29 PM - Post#168917
In response to SB
If by north you mean McKinney ... the city has been on conservation level 3 for years. Even when Allen went back to level 2 for a while. They don't water medians and they do enforce watering laws.
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starrlac
enthusiast
Posts: 792
Loc: Allen, TX
Reg: 11-03-00
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06-04-14 04:55 PM - Post#168918
In response to Al C
Is Mckinney allowing weekly watering, though? Or only bi-weekly? I heard this morning that McKinney, Prosper (or Princeton, I can't remember) and Frisco are not following the current water district guidelines, and that Frisco was having a city council meeting to discuss refusing them. I may not have it exactly correct, I was driving my kids to school when I heard it, but that's the gist of it. Thirteen of the sixteen member cities were following the guidelines, but those three cities were not.
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