Bunny Kisses and Easter Wishes- March 23rd, 2024

Bring your Easter Baskets and join us for some Hippity Hoppity Fun at the Coles Crossing Annual Easter Egg Hunt.

Saturday, March 23, 2024 from 10 am – noon at the Lap Pool.
This is a fun, family event for the smallest of kiddos to eighth grade.
There will be four different times for egg hunting:

  • 10:00 – 10:15 from 0 – 3 years
  • 11:00 – 11:15 from 8 – 11 years
  • 10:30 – 10:45 from 4 – 7 years
  • 11:30 – noon from 12 – 14 years

Easter Egg Bingo – no egg hunting

The event will also include an appearance of the Easter Bunny.

By |2024-04-02T16:04:31-05:00March 6th, 2024|Archive|

Winterize Your Home

With freezing temperatures right around the corner, it’s a good time to refresh ourselves on precautionary measures for drops in temperature and cold weather.

The Four P’s to Prepare your Home this Winter:

  • People
  • Pets
  • Pipes
  • Plants

People

  • Avoid going outside if it is not necessary. If you do, make sure you layer up from head to toe.
  • To keep you and your family safe, it is imperative your home is warm.
  • Make sure your heat is set to an appropriate temperature to make your entire home comfortable. Remember, heat rises so if you sleep upstairs, your room may be warmer than rooms downstairs.
  • If you use a fireplace, make sure you have a screen to catch any embers that might escape or a rolling log.
  • Never use your stove or oven to heat your home.
  • If you smell smoke or see flames, call 9-1-1 immediately.

Pets

  • While protecting your family, it is imperative to protect your pets as well.
  • Pets, like humans, are vulnerable to cold temperatures. If not taken care of properly, they can succumb to frostbite and even hypothermia.
  • If you have a dog that typically lives outdoors, consider letting them inside when temperatures drop to freezing. While their fur does help to keep them warm, it provides little help in freezing temperatures.
  • If you absolutely cannot bring them inside, make sure they have a warm shelter, plenty of food and fresh water so it does not freeze.
  • If your pet looks like it has any symptoms resembling frostbite or hypothermia, call your vet.

Pipes

  • Turn off the sprinkler system shut-off valve. Most residential devices have two shut-off valves. These are typically covered in blue on the valve handles and located before and after the sprinkler system backflow device. A diagram is shown below.
  • Release the water pressure from the bleeder valves. The bleeder valves are usually located under the top of the backflow device. If the water does not stop flowing you may have not shut the valves off completely.
  • Leave the smaller bleeder valve open, this will let any remaining water in the line expand without breaking the device. Insulate your backflow device. Most hardware/home services stores carry backflow insulation supplies.
  • Make sure to cover all your exposed pipes with a cover. You can also cover your pipes with towels, duct tape or another adhesive strip as long as they are wrapped tightly.
  • You can also open up the cabinets to let warm air circulate throughout your home. Just make sure any harmful chemicals are out of reach for children and pets.

Plants

  • When cold weather hits, it’s a good idea to bring in all of your outdoor plants.
  • If you can’t bring in the plant, cover it with a blanket to make sure they do not die.

Other Tips

  • Don’t forget to make sure your car is okay for the freezing temperatures. Check your anti-freeze and your batteries. Also make sure to check your tire pressure and the tread.
  • Speaking of cars, make sure when you are on the road that you are mindful parts of the roads may be frozen, particularly bridges. Do not speed and never slam on the brakes.
  • Make sure if you use a generator, it is outdoors. Do not use a generator inside, including in your garage.
By |2024-01-15T09:13:31-06:00January 12th, 2024|Archive|

Winter Freeze Warning

Being prepared is the first step in reducing costly home repairs and emergency situations during inclement weather . Here are some tips to help keep you warm, safe and reduce the chance of damage to your residence and/or property:

  • Shop earlier for supplies! When dangerous weather is pending, don’t wait to stock up on useful items, such as pipe insulation, bottled water, canned goods, hygiene & feminine products, pet food, batteries, flashlights, wood for fire places, gas powered generator if possible, and blankets. Checking fuel levels in your vehicle and toping off if necessary is also a good idea.
  • Stock up on medications and first aid supplies! Road conditions may become hazardous during inclement weather, so make sure you have at least a weeks worth of first aid needs and prescribed medications on hand.
  • Insulating outside water pipes! Check around and near your home and property to insure there are no exposed water pipes. Covering any outside faucets, water spigots and turning off automated water sprinkler systems is a must during freezing temps.
  • Check on elderly family members and friends prior to inclement weather. They may not have the resources to stock up on supplies, and may require assistance.
  • Bring outside pets indoors! Remember: If you’re cold, they’re cold. Bring them into a warm area with plenty of bedding. If your pet requires a prescription medication, make sure you have a least a weeks worth on hand during the inclement weather.
  • Checking all window and door sills to ensure proper fit and that they are air tight to prevent cold air from entering and warm air from escaping. This is especially important in case of power loss in your home.
  • Cover outside plants and shrubbery with sheets. Covering your landscaping will help minimize the risk of damage caused by frost and freezing temps, and when possible, bring potted plants indoors.
By |2024-01-15T09:14:02-06:00January 12th, 2024|Archive|

Recent Billing Inaccuracies Update

HARRIS COUNTY MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICT NO. 364
c/o Polley Garza PLLC
2929 Allen Parkway, Suite 3450 • Houston, Texas 77019-7120

Board of Directors
Megan Bradley, President          Holly Isbell, Vice President        Dale R. Trevino, Secretary

Erin Corken, Investment Officer          Lisa Foley, Assistant Secretary

November 21, 2023

Dear MUD 364 Customer,

Last month, the District received several inquiries regarding bills that reflected much higher usage than the customer expected. The District’s Operator, Municipal Operations & Consulting (MOC), researched the matter and discovered it had made errors that resulted in approximately 200 inaccurate bills. The MUD 364 Board of Directors would like to provide District customers with an update on how the errors occurred, what has been done to correct inaccurate bills, and steps MOC is taking to avoid this in the future.

In early October, MOC discovered one of its employees had likely falsified water meter readings for at least a portion of the District in July and August. To determine which customers were impacted, MOC manually re-read every water meter, audited all customer invoices, and analyzed customer historical usage data to identify inconsistencies. These steps were taken for all MUD 364 customers whether or not the customer had contacted the District or MOC about an unusually highwater bill. MOC identified approximately 200 impacted customers. These customers were sent a corrected invoice. Because some accounts were incorrectly underbilled in July and/or August, some customers ended up with a credit, while others had a balance.

MOC has assured the District that it has redressed all incorrect bills, but if you believe you were impacted, please contact MOC’s customer service department at 281-367-5511. MOC has read all water meters twice this month to verify the accuracy of initial reads, and compared the two new readings for accuracy. Fortunately, both reads were found to be accurate and dependable. Additionally, MOC has implemented safeguards in its billing/meter reading software and the process by which its employees manually read water meters.
The MUD 364 Board apologizes for the burden this has caused District customers. The Board remains committed to ensuring all customer concerns are adequately addressed.

Sincerely,

Harris County Municipal Utility District No. 364 Board of Directors

By |2024-01-15T09:16:55-06:00November 21st, 2023|Archive|

New Fiber Line Installation Notice

Ezee Fiber is in the community installing fiber in the road right of way (ROW). This is the area in front of your home between the sidewalk and the street. Fiber is typically installed along the rear of the lot in the designated utility easements.

The ROW is owned by the County. MUD 364 cannot prevent work in the ROW and we have not received any notifications of how Ezee Fiber will progress through the community.

Of concern for all of us, including the MUD, is the amount of infrastructure located in the ROW.

Typical infrastructure includes, but is not limited to:

  • Sewer lines
  • Water lines
  • Fire hydrants
  • Water meters
  • Sprinkler systems
  • Subsurface drainage and shut off valves
  • Driveways
  • Sidewalks

Please assist us by reporting any issues/leaks immediately by contacting MUD 364’s operator, Municipal Operations and Consulting (MOC).  Their 24-hour Customer service emergency phone number is (281) 367-5511.

The following information can be extremely helpful to the MUD in recovering damages for any damage caused by Ezee Fiber: date and time of crew seen performing work, description of vehicle, vehicle license plate, company logo on vehicle, and pictures of crews/vehicles performing the work.

If your personal property is damaged, please contact Laura Cantu with Ezee Fiber at Laura.Cantu@ezeefiber.com, or 713-255-7500, https://ezeefiber.com/.

By |2024-01-15T09:17:20-06:00November 9th, 2023|Archive|

Update on Recent Billing Inaccuracies

HARRIS COUNTY MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICT NO. 364
c/o Polley Garza PLLC
2929 Allen Parkway, Suite 3450 • Houston, Texas 77019-7120

Board of Directors
Megan Bradley, President          Holly Isbell, Vice President        Dale R. Trevino, Secretary

Erin Corken, Investment Officer          Lisa Foley, Assistant Secretary

October 17, 2023

Dear MUD 364 Customer,

The MUD 364 Board of Directors would like to address recent customer concerns regarding inaccurate billing. The District received several inquiries over the last month regarding bills that appeared to reflect much higher usage than the customer expected. The District’s Operator, Municipal Operations & Consulting (MOC), promptly looked into the matter and determined that on at least a few occasions, there had been an inaccurate meter reading, resulting in an inaccurate bill.

Since then, MOC has isolated the issue to meter readings that occurred in July and August. Specifically, incorrect low meter reads in July and/or August resulted in bills for less than what the customers actually used during that billing period. When the meter was correctly read in September, the usage for the billing period was substantially higher due to the previous billing period’s artificially low reading. While customers may have received inaccurate bills in August, September and October, the total water usage for this period (i.e. the total number of gallons of water displayed on a customer’s water meter) for the entire date range is accurate. Unfortunately, the discrepancy resulted in higher bills because the District’s water rates use a tiered structure in which the more water you use, the higher the cost per gallon.

If a customer used a total of 40,000 gallons during the months of July – October but was billed for 20,000 gallons or more of this usage all in the month of September, the rate for this portion and the resulting bill would be higher than if the 40,000 gallons was evenly distributed over a four-month period.
MOC’s billing department has taken the following actions since determining the billing error occurred:

  1. MOC has manually re-read every customer’s water meter to determine that current usage is correct. This was completed whether or not you contacted the District or MOC.
  2. Once the current meter read is verified, MOC analyzed each customer’s historical usage data. MOC then compared the total usage for the July – October 2023 billing period(s) to the historical usage for the same time period in previous year(s).
  3. Billing adjustments were made for accounts that appeared to have an incorrect reading for the July – October 2023 billing period(s). The total usage for the July – October 2023 billing period(s) was distributed evenly across the month(s) that appear to have been artificially low due to the incorrect meter read.
    Billing adjustments were offered in the form of a credit on your water bill.
  4. The NHCRWA fee is a flat, pass-through fee that is applied per 1,000 gallons of water. This portion of the bill will not be adjusted.
  5. If MOC determined your account required an adjustment, you will receive a “REVISED” invoice with an insert stating the following: “The enclosed invoice is a revision to the invoice that was sent out on 09/26/2023. While reviewing district accounts, our billing department discovered a mistake in the historical meter reads that affected your account. After verifying the most recent meter read is accurate, the mistake has been corrected and your account has been revised. Please feel free to call our office at 281-367-5511 if you have any questions.”

As of the date of this letter, MOC has completed its review of all MUD 364 customer accounts. MOC determined that only a small percentage of customers were affected and has mailed revised invoices to these customers. If you have not received a revised invoice and have questions about your account, please contact MOC’s customer service department at 281-367-5511.

The MUD 364 Board apologizes for the frustration this has caused. We stand committed to ensuring that this issue is fully resolved for all affected residents.

Sincerely,
Harris County Municipal Utility District No. 364 Board of Directors

By |2024-01-15T09:14:24-06:00October 17th, 2023|Archive|

District Downgrades to Stage 1 Drought Contingency Measures

Due to recent rain and drop in temperatures, the District is immediately terminating Stage 2 of its Drought Contingency Plan and is reimplementing Stage 1 and requests that all customers immediately begin implementing the following actions:

  • Limit irrigation to no more than two (2) days per week, between 7:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. following the schedules below:
    • Sundays and Thursdays for single family residential customers with even-numbered street addresses.
    • Saturdays and Wednesdays for single family residential customers with odd-numbered street addresses.
    • Tuesdays and Fridays for all other customers.
    • No watering on Mondays.
  • Check for and repair all leaks, dripping faucets, and running toilets.
  • Utilize water conservation measures such as displacement bags, low-flow shower heads and leak detection tablets.
  • Additional water conservation tips can be found www.irrygator.com.

These measures are voluntary, but should drought conditions worsen, mandatory measures may be implemented.

For more information on drought conditions in the area and voluntary water conservation measures being implemented by the North Harris County Regional Water Authority, please visit: https://www.nhcrwa.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/2019-Drought-Contingency-Plan.pdf

By |2024-01-15T09:14:35-06:00October 9th, 2023|Archive|

MUD 364 Moves to Stage 2 of Drought Contingency Plan

MUD 364 has implemented Stage 2 of its Drought Contingency Plan (“DCP”) in response to current drought conditions in the Houston area and the North Harris County Regional Water Authority’s implementation of Stage 2 of its DCP.
All District customers are required to immediately begin implementing the following actions:

  • Outdoor watering is limited to no more than two (2) days per week following the schedules below:
    • Even-numbered street addresses = Sundays and Thursdays
    • Odd-numbered street addresses = Saturdays and Wednesdays
    • All other customers = Tuesdays and Fridays
  • Outdoor watering is prohibited between the period of 5:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.
  • No watering on Mondays
  • Repair all leaks, dripping faucets, and running toilets within 72 hours of discovery
  • Utilize water conservation measures such as displacement bags, low-flow shower heads and leak detection tablets
  • Additional water conservation tips can be found www.irrygator.com.

Compliance with these restrictions is mandatory.

For more information on the North Harris County Regional Water Authority’s DCP, please visit: https://www.nhcrwa.com/2023/08/stage-2-dcp/

By |2023-10-09T15:15:13-05:00August 25th, 2023|Archive|

Stage 1 Drought Contingency Plan

District Response to Drought Conditions in Houston Area

Due to current drought conditions in the Houston area, the District requests that all customers immediately begin implementing the following actions:

  • Limit irrigation to no more than two (2) days per week, between 7:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. following the schedules below:
    • Sundays and Thursdays for single family residential customers with even-numbered street addresses.
    • Saturdays and Wednesdays for single family residential customers with odd-numbered street addresses.
    • Tuesdays and Fridays for all other customers.
    • No watering on Mondays.
  • Check for and repair all leaks, dripping faucets, and running toilets.
  • Utilize water conservation measures such as displacement bags, low-flow shower heads and leak detection tablets.
  • Additional water conservation tips can be found www.irrygator.com.

These measures are voluntary, but should drought conditions worsen, mandatory measures may be implemented.

For more information on drought conditions in the area and voluntary water conservation measures being implemented by the North Harris County Regional Water Authority, please visit: https://www.nhcrwa.com/2023/08/nhcrwa-stage-1-drought-contingency-plan/

By |2023-10-09T15:15:34-05:00August 16th, 2023|Archive|
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