I hope everyone had a safe, fun and relaxing Independence Day with family and friends. CAPE celebrated the holiday the weekend prior to the 4th with our annual Summer Party. We promised water games at the party and we certainly delivered - the rain cooled everything off nicely and allowed for kids to really have some wet and wild fun. Thank you so much to Matt Gamble et al for the amazing food (hamburgers, hot dogs and apple pie), to Charlotte Guidroz for handling the snow ball stand and donating the watermelons, and to Steve Oivanki and Richard McKay for helping with set up. There were several people jumping in to help. If I missed your name, please know we appreciate your help! Everyone had a good time and the rain just made it more interesting. Thank God for pop up tents!
I would like to give an extended shout out to Matt Gamble who is stepping down from the CAPE board as Events chair. Matt has been on the board for several years and always brings a lighthearted level of enthusiasm to our events. We appreciate all you have done and continue to do for the neighborhood! Charlotte Guidroz will be taking over for Matt for the remainder of his term.

We also would like to thank Chris Haslitt for all of his hard work and dedication to CAPE as the Government Relations chair for the past 2 years. Chris is also stepping down and we will certainly miss his analytical and common sense approach to problem solving. The Government Relations chair will now be split into 2 seats. The first will focus on issues within the geographic footprint of Pollard Estates, like stop signs and drainage. This position is being taken over by Blake Breedlove. The second will focus on issues outside of Pollard Estates, like nearby construction (Rouzan) and Perkins Road Overpass changes, which will certainly affect our neighborhood. This seat is being taken over by Patrick Downs. 

Please join me in thanking Matt, Chris, Charlotte, Blake and Patrick for volunteering their time to the betterment of the entire neighborhood.

We are still hovering around 60% of the neighborhood as members of CAPE. Please continue encouraging your neighbors to become members. Our next CAPE board meeting is closed, however you can request attendance or discussion of a particular topic by emailing Mail@PollardEstates.org. Our next social event is the September 15 Football Party for LSU vs. Auburn. Look for details on that coming soon. We hope to see you all there!

Kelley Stein, President

May was a busy month for your CAPE Board. We would like to thank everyone who came to our Spring Open Meeting. No worries if you missed the meeting because we recorded it! You can watch the entire meeting HERE on our website. Grab some popcorn and get comfortable because we covered a lot!

Our first Wine Walk was also great fun! It was a small but enthusiastic group and we enjoyed a nice evening stroll through the neighborhood. We hope you will join us next time as we definitely want this event to grow!

I am very proud and excited to share that 2 of our 4 requested stop signs have been installed! Many thanks to everyone who has called and sent emails to help make this happen! If you haven't already seen them, they are located on Pollard Parkway at South Columbine and on Dahlia at South Pollard Parkway. Of the 2 remaining, 1 was denied as the traffic study showed it was not warranted and the other is still under review. These locations are:

• On South Pollard Parkway (both directions) at South Columbine - denied

• On Dahlia (both directions) at Hyacinth and Hibiscus - under review

We are not giving up on the stop sign that was denied. In the coming months, those of you who live on South Pollard Parkway will be contacted to sign a petition to have the stop sign installed. If we get 60% of homeowners on South Pollard Parkway from the back curve to Quail to sign the petition then the stop sign will be installed. Please let us know if you would like to be on the petition committee. You can see the full response from the Department of Transportation and Drainage (which also includes information on our street lights) HERE.

Speaking of street lights, I would like to encourage everyone trim back any limbs covering our street lights or any lighting around your home. Blocking light is a significant safety hazard not only for the many pedestrians in our neighborhood, but also aids in keeping our neighborhood safe from crime. Long limbs are also a significant danger in inclement weather. Keeping in mind that hurricane season started June 1, it is a good idea to trim trees asap. 

As always, we ask that you continue encouraging your neighbors to join CAPE. We are currently at 57% membership and need 41 more homes to meet our goal of 70% for the year. With the recent crime wave in the area, increased participation is in the only way we will be able to afford other safety measures, such as increased security patrol and/or camera surveillance. 

Please take the high temperatures into consideration now that summer is upon us. Pop in on elderly neighbors to make sure they are staying cool and send children outside with water bottles to stay hydrated. 

Lastly, we hope to see you all at our Summer Social later this month on 6/29. Many thanks to Matt Gamble for helping plan the event. More details on that coming soon!

Kelley Stein, President

If you are not a member of our Facebook group page and/or Nextdoor then you may not be aware of some recent break-ins in the area. It began in the Southdowns area and has slowly ventured in our direction, with 3 recent burglaries in Pollard to my knowledge. The burglaries tend to happen during the day and range from stealing items off of carports to breaking in and entering the home. A neighbor posted details on our Facebook group page of the most recent occurrence yesterday evening on Tamarix: Some men claiming to be with AT&T told the homeowner they needed to talk to him in his backyard about trimming trees. While they were out back, another person went in the house and robbed him.

While this is certainly a cause for concern, I want to reassure you all that our security patrol is aware of the situation and will continue to patrol and monitor the neighborhood at the time of day / night when most break-ins occur. The majority of your CAPE membership dues goes to security patrols, and we certainly take the matter very seriously, however we cannot afford 24/7 security with our current budget and membership levels. This does not mean other options are not being explored, however implementation will require much manpower, planning and fundraising. In other words, please be patient. If you would like to join the Security Committee (and we could certainly use your help), please let us know!

In the meantime, to offset our budgetary constraints, we must all remain diligent in protecting our homes and our neighborhood. You can help by doing the following:

• Remove anything valuable from street view;

• Clear out carports, patios and porches;

• Lock vehicle and home doors at all times, and reinforce them with extra locks if possible;

• Close curtains and blinds when you're not home and in the evenings;

• Do not allow anyone claiming to be with service companies or otherwise in your home without having made an appointment, and verify their identification upon arrival;

• Keep outdoor lights on from dusk to dawn;

• Trim tree limbs and remove other obstructions that block lights or provide a good hiding spot; 

• Keep home and auto security alarms set at all times;

• Dummy cameras and alarm signs are also great deterrents if you can't afford the real thing;

• Pick up mail, packages, fliers and newspapers as soon as possible;

• Check for anyone watching before leaving your home and give a fake good-bye to make it appear like someone is staying in the house;

• Keep the TV or radio on when you leave;

• If going out of town - make sure no one is watching while you load suitcases, put lights on a timer, notify our security patrol, have a neighbor handle the trash / newspaper, and stop your mail;

• Check in on your neighbors to help them with any or all of the above, especially if they are elderly or live alone;

• Actively look for suspicious activity while driving, walking or bicycling through the neighborhood. Call 911 immediately if you see anything of concern, THEN notify the CAPE board and post on social media. Never approach or follow someone you suspect of illegal activity.

While we understand that you may be on edge with the number of reported incidents and will (rightly so) want to act quickly, please also keep in mind that school is letting out soon and many children and youths will be roaming the neighborhood having innocent fun. We ask that you keep this in consideration before forming any conclusions. Parents, please instruct your kids not to go on anyone's property without permission and to refrain from playing games such as "ding dong ditch" which may easily be misinterpreted at this time.

As always, please let us know if you have any questions or concerns. I hope to see you all at the upcoming CAPE Open Board Meeting and Wine Walk later this month. Remember, an active and engaged neighborhood is a safe neighborhood.

Kelley Stein, President

First, thank you to all who attended our inaugural Pollard Estates 5k! The run was well attended and all enjoyed the coffee and donuts after. Thank you to the Hoffpauir, Oivanki and Gamble Families for hosting our water stations and big congrats to Beth Mahaffey on coming in first!

This has been a very active year so far for Pollard Estates. We appreciate your enthusiasm and participation so much! Please keep the momentum going by planning to attend our Spring Open Board Meeting on 5/23 and our inaugural Wine Walk on 5/24. Your attendance at the Open Board Meeting is particularly important. This is where we will discuss and get your feedback on neighborhood matters such as drainage and safety. We have requested that our Metro Council Representative, Barbara Freiberg, attend as well. Please email Mail@PollardEstates.org if you would like to be placed on the Open Board Meeting agenda.

Also, if you haven't already, please join us on Facebook and Nextdoor so that we can share important neighborhood news between events and newsletters. Remember, an active and engaged neighborhood is a safe neighborhood.

Kelley Stein, President

We are happy to report that CAPE membership is now near 60%! Thank you to all who have sent in dues and encouraged neighbors to do the same! As you know, increasing membership participation is the best way to keep Pollard Estates safe and beautiful with engaged members both in the neighborhood and with our local government.

The inaugural CAPE Easter Egg Hunt was a wonderful success! Thank you to all who participated, especially to Michael Cascio for being the most enthusiastic Easter Bunny ever, the Miller Family for hosting us on their beautiful property and the Gamble Family for supplying us with cool water to drink and helping to clean up. We had over 40 children in attendance and they all left with baskets full of toys and treats!

Events like the Easter Egg Hunt and upcoming Spring Walk/Run are a great way to get to know your neighbors. Connecting and knowing one another helps to make Pollard Estates stronger and safer. A bonus is that it's also pretty fun! We'd love to see you so please check out our CALENDAR and make plans to join us!

If you're not the social type but would still like to help strengthen our neighborhood, please consider joining a committee. The Government Relations Committee in particular could use help following up with local officials on the many drainage and traffic calming issues in our subdivision. If you have the time to write some emails or make some phone calls, we'd greatly appreciate your help!

Councilwoman Barbara Freiberg recently held a District 12 meeting at St. Aloysius. There was a lot of talk about the 1-10 Widening project, Rouzan and some other traffic / drainage issues. Here are some notes:

I-10 Widening

• Director pushing for the gas tax to fund projects;

• Funding will be in place by the end of the year;

• Widening of I-10 from bridge to split discussed;

• No final designs yet;

• Perkins Road off ramp will be closed;

• Public meetings will be scheduled;

• Current Washington Street exit to be closed.  New exit will be installed on left side of I-110;

• Construction on I-10 from Highland to Ascension is starting soon.

 Rouzan

• Connection to streets in Rouzan to Woodchase is scheduled to be complete within 120 days;

• Work will include landscaping and rework of sidewalks along Perkins Road;

• Lot of Library has been designated.  Needs library board approval;

• TND will need to be adjusted for grocery announced for the property;

• New drainage and traffic studies will be produced;

• May ask for more commercial at a later date;

• Looking at adjusting the TND to reduce number of smaller lots to provide more estate size lots in rear of the property;

• Amenities will be the first construction.

 EBR Traffic/Drainage - Fred Raiford is director / Kyle Huffstickler is director of maintenance

• Construction of turn lane at Perkins/Quail intersection should start by end of the year;

• The best way to report issues is through the 311 mobile app or on your desktop by clicking HERE.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns please do not hesitate to contact us by emailingMail@PollardEstates.org.

Kelley Stein, President

Councilwoman Freiberg is holding a meeting at St. Aloysius on March 6 at 6 p.m. in the Parish Hall. The meeting will concern plans for Rouzan and one of the new owners will be speaking.  This meeting may also discuss the widening of I-10 and all the work that will be done around the Perkins Overpass. All residents are encouraged to attend.

Spring is in the air and Pollard Estates is coming back to life with beautiful flowers and all sorts of cute critters. We hope that you take advantage of the warmer weather and gorgeous days by getting outside, cleaning up your yards from the harsh winter and getting to know your neighbors. 

Our first true membership drive is coming to a close and it has been a wonderful success! To date, we have collected dues from 147 residents, which is 44% of the neighborhood. We hope and expect that dues will continue to trickle in over time. Our goal is to re-capture at least 70% of lapsed former members as active members of CAPE and increase overall membership by 20% over 2017. We are well on our way to achieving these goals thanks to the hard work of your Board of Directors and your support. We would like to give a special shout out of thanks to Steve Oivanki for sitting at the front entrance during our Membership Week to answer questions and collect dues!

Please remember that the dues collected from CAPE members benefit the entire neighborhood. Off-duty BRPD patrols take up the majority of our annual budget. This is something we all need and appreciate. Neighborhood events are a small portion of our budget (only 5%). In an effort to show thanks to members for their support, events planned by the CAPE board will now only be open to CAPE members. It is important that we recognize and thank those who support our neighborhood. With our limited funds and manpower, this is the best way to do so at this time. We have some new and fun events planned for the year. We hope that you all will want to join us and that this will inspire you to pay dues and get involved.

While we certainly appreciate your financial support, we also need your physical support as a volunteer. There are many committees in the process of forming and will have their first meetings very soon. We need your help with tackling the Goliath issue of drainage, with helping neighbors in need, welcoming new neighbors, help with planning our events and so much more. Please let us know if you would like to get involved so that we can keep you personally informed of opportunities to help.

As always, please reach out if you have any questions or concerns. We are happy to help in any way possible.

Kelley Stein, President

This is a brief summary of the results with the top 2 answers from each question listed as well as a response from the CAPE Board. Please contact Mail@PollardEstates.org if you would like more detailed results.

 128 Responses Received (40% of 317 households in Pollard Estates)

 QUESTION 1

How long have you lived in or owned a home in Pollard Estates?

28.13% - Less than 5 years

            21.09% - 5 to 10 years

            13 of the total respondents are the original homeowner.

What we’re doing about it: There is new life in Pollard Estates. The CAPE Board strives to find a balance between meeting new demands and managing past expectations. Younger residents demand electronic communications while seasoned residents expect to receive paper correspondence. We will continue doing both while streamlining the processes behind the scenes.

QUESTION 2

Please rate your level of concern for the following:

• Respondents are Most Concerned about: Drainage at 54.76% and Homes in Disrepair at 30.33%

• Respondents are Somewhat Concerned about: Speeding at 46.03% and Crime at 43.55%

• Respondents are Least Concerned about: Inoperable Vehicles 59.20% and Traffic 52.80%

• “Other” top answers: Respondents are Most Concerned about Loose Animals, Lighting at Night and Solicitation

What we’re doing about it: Drainage clearly must continue being addressed. The CAPE Board has been working with city officials regarding our drainage issues for years but the improvements are few and far between. In effort to increase their attention on our drainage issues, CAPE has put together a special committee to address drainage within the subdivision. Please email us at Mail@PollardEsates.org if you’d like to be involved in this committee.

While we do not have the authority to make demands on homeowners regarding the appearance and upkeep of their personal property, we can encourage proper maintenance and offer assistance with such. The new Helping Hands Committee was specifically created to help residents with minor “Handy Man” type projects. If you or a neighbor you know needs help with a minor home improvement, clearing a cluttered carport or cleaning up a yard, please let us know by emailing Mail@PollardEstates.org.

Speeding is an ongoing issue. Many residents feel the speed limit of 25 MPH is too slow, however those with small children or who run/walk are concerned about their safety. It is important to remember that following the speed limit is not negotiable as it is the law, and that pedestrians always have the right of way. To our knowledge,  four stop signs have been requested by neighbors and/or the CAPE Board: on Pollard Parkway where it crosses South Columbine Street, on Dahlia Street where it meets South Pollard Parkway, on South Pollard Parkway where it meets South Columbine Street and on Dahlia Street where it meets Hyacinth Avenue and Hibiscus Drive. The status of these requests is pending review by the City. If speeding does not get under control, we may be forced to pursue speed bumps.

While Crime remains low in Pollard Estates, we do have our fair share of solicitors and vehicle vandalism. Please do not engage with solicitors as Pollard Estates is a No-Solicitation Neighborhood, which means solicitation is against the law. Call the police immediately if a solicitor knocks on your door. Please also keep your vehicles locked with no valuables left inside. Open carports and driveways should also be kept free of valuables. If there is nothing visible to take, they will likely move on. This is our best course of action until funds can be raised to increase police patrols and/or install security cameras.

Please remember that Baton Rouge has very strict leash laws. Neither dogs nor cats should be allowed to roam freely in the neighborhood. Additionally, picking up your pet’s waste is the neighborly thing to do as many residents have small children that play in their yards. If your pet gets out, please post it immediately on the Nextdoor app and/or our Facebook Group Page. If you see a loose animal, please check those pages and notify the owner if possible. If the animal is dangerous or becomes a nuisance, call Animal Control, however please give neighbors time to find lost animals when possible.

Pollard Estates is very dark at night. Traffic Engineering recently conducted a survey of lighting and found 29 lights need attention. Bulbs are completely out at the corner of Quail and South Pollard Parkway, 5889 Clematis and 5733 Hyacinth. Some lights have blockage from foliage and need to be trimmed back. The City has yet to perform any action to correct these lighting issues. Until these issues are corrected, we suggest leaving on multiple outdoor lights and wearing the proper reflective gear when walking or running while dark outside; bicycles should also be outfitted with proper lighting devices if used after dark. It is recommended that every house leave at least one outdoor light on at night to help keep the neighborhood safe. Until the street lights can be fixed, it is even more important that every house follow this recommendation.

QUESTION 3

Please rate your satisfaction with the following services: 

• Respondents are Most Satisfied with: Trash and Recycling Services at 62.60% and Emergency Medical Services at 62.39%

• Respondents are Somewhat Satisfied with: Street Repair / Maintenance at 66.67% and Police Protection (Non-Hired) at 58.68%

• Respondents are Not Satisfied with: Drainage at 47.54% and Public Transportation at 33.33%

• “Other” top answers: Respondents would like us to explore Sidewalks, Security Cameras and an updated Front Entrance.

What we’re doing about it: Drainage has already been addressed above. Please email us if you would like to be involved. As for Public Transportation, this is a city-wide issue. There is a bus stop at the main entrance to the neighborhood and bus times / routes can be found at BRCATS.com. We are on Route #17, the Perkins Road and Mall of LA route.

We heard of some possible funding for sidewalks and have contacted the proper authorities to consider Pollard Estates when distributing these funds. The Board has considered security cameras for Pollard Estates several times in the past, and recently began obtaining quotes from security camera companies and hope to have a budgetary plan of action for this soon. The front entrance has been a hot topic for the Board for years. We agree that it sorely needs to be updated and currently misrepresents all that Pollard Estates is. However, we can’t do everything all at once. Several hurdles will need to be cleared to positively impact the entrance, most importantly the financial aspect.

QUESTION 4

Please rate your satisfaction with the following neighborhood events:

• Respondents are Most Satisfied with: Boo in the Back at 78.18% and Christmas Caroling at 58.49%

• Respondents are Somewhat Satisfied with: Summer Open Board Meeting at 43.12% and Spring Fling at 41.51%

• Respondents are Not Satisfied with: Christmas Caroling at 13.21% and Winter Open Board Meeting at 10.81%

• The top tips for improvement were: Have Trick or Treat throughout the neighborhood, Host events throughout the neighborhood and not just in the back, Have events for adults only, Better organization at Open Board Meetings

What we’re doing about it: All Social events have always been planned to include both adults and children.  We understand that some adults may want adult-specific events, and the Board has discussed several potential options the past few years.  This year there will be the addition of a Wine Walk, two Run/Walks (dogs welcome), and an LSU Football party. The Christmas caroling event is a work in progress and we look forward to additional ways to reach more people.  We will also focus on better advertising and organization of our events (especially for open meetings) to ensure that everyone knows what is going on and when. 

Boo in the Back was organized because Trick or Treating in Pollard Estates basically became non-existent and the Board wanted to increase neighborhood interaction.  The “Back” was chosen as the sole place in the neighborhood that had only one entrance in and out and has sidewalks.  The event has grown significantly in the 4 short years that we have hosted it due to the influx of new families moving into the neighborhood. That being said, at the request of numerous residents, Trick or Treat will take place throughout the entire neighborhood this year. We hope you all will embrace this, turn on your lights and hand out candy for the children. We will also consider rotating the location of neighborhood events when it is practical. If you are interested in hosting or helping with a neighborhood party, please let us know by emailing Mail@PollardEstates.org.

QUESTION 5

If you do not participate in neighborhood events, why not? Are there any activities you would like the CAPE Board to consider adding?

• Most respondents who do not attend expressed time constraints as the main reason or because they do not have small children in the home.

• Suggested events include: an Easter Egg Hunt, Wine Walk, Farmer’s Market, Walk/Run, Dog Activities and a Mardi Gras Parade

What we’re doing about it: As mentioned in the previous question, we are adding some of these suggestions to our calendar of events. We hope these new events and scheduling thereof so far in advance will help boost participation from all neighbors. Please keep in mind that CAPE events are paid for by CAPE members and are a perk of membership.

QUESTION 6

What is the #1 change you believe would most improve this neighborhood?

• The #1 answer was 100% participation in CAPE.

• Other popular answers included: Better drainage, sidewalks, stop signs at certain intersections, increased police presence / security, better lighting at night, updated front entrance, and better kept yards and carports.

• Less popular answers included: Residents obeying traffic laws (specifically speeding), a neighborhood pool, a neighborhood park, buried power lines, less parking in the street, gated entrances, and better cell phone reception.

What we’re doing about it: We fully agree that 100% participation in CAPE will drastically improve the neighborhood. That is why we have added Membership Drives to our calendar of events and have increased communications. But we need your help! Please encourage your neighbors to participate and remind them all residents reap the security benefits which are only paid for by CAPE members.

While a neighborhood pool and park would be fantastic, we do not have the land for such a project. Gated entrances would be costly, not only in installation and maintenance, but also because it means that CAPE would need to take over ALL maintenance of streets within the gates. Buried power lines would also make a difference in beautification, however it is astronomical in price and therefore is not a contender at this point in time. There have been talks of adding a small cell tower however that is also on hold until other more pressing matters are resolved.

Drainage, sidewalks, traffic / speeding, front entrance, unkempt yards / carports and security have all been addressed above.

QUESTION 7

Are you a member of the Civic Association of Pollard Estates? If not, why not?

• 74% of Respondents were CAPE Members

• Of the 16.26% of Non-member Respondents, the #1 reason for not being a member was time constraints and/ or being unsure of what the dues accomplish.

What we’re doing about it: Educating our residents on what CAPE does is key to capturing new members. Being a member of CAPE does not take any time at all; it is simply writing a check which contributes to security and maintenance of the entire neighborhood. Neighborhood events, while important with building a sense of community and togetherness, are minimal in the overall budget (only 5%).  Most recent social events have even been sponsored by some of our generous CAPE members.  Security patrols are the largest component of the CAPE budget.  Current financials for CAPE have always, and will continue to be handed out at every Open Board Meeting.

QUESTION 8

Would you support a dues increase of $50 per year for CAPE membership?

• 64% of Respondents said Yes they would support an increase.

• Of the 48.36% Respondents who said No, the main reasons were wanting to know exactly where the money would be spent and wanting to see an increase in membership at the current rate first.

What we’re doing about it: We have no plans to increase dues at this time. If/When the CAPE Board proposes a dues increase, a full budget would be presented with details on how the additional funds would be used.

QUESTION 9

Please enter your household demographics.

• Respondents show a strong mixture of young families with multiple children and empty nest married couples.

What we’re doing about it: Again, we are trying to find a balance between meeting new demands and managing past expectations.

QUESTION 10

Do you have any other comments, questions, or concerns?

• Popular responses included: Drainage, erosion, and residents not stopping at stop signs

• Less popular answers included: Security cameras, a sliding membership scale and more street lights.

What we’re doing about it: All of these have been addressed above except for a sliding membership scale. While it is a nice idea, all CAPE members reap the same benefits, therefore a sliding scale is not possible.

Kelley Stein, President

This is a time of change not only for Pollard Estates but also for your CAPE Board. While the neighborhood is getting new, young families every day, the CAPE Board is working hard behind the scenes to improve processes, manage the business of the organization, and build a stronger sense of community and togetherness in the neighborhood. It has been an exciting first month for your CAPE Board to say the least! In addition to holding our first board meeting of the year, we have also already made the following great strides in bringing you a better Pollard Estates:

1. We sent out the first Pollard Estates Resident Survey in an effort to get your vital feedback (results at PollardEstates.org/news);

2. We have set up online credit card payments for CAPE dues on PollardEstates.org (check payments by mail are still welcome);

3. We have set the 2018 CAPE Calendar of Events (listed at PollardEstates.org/events);

4. We have updated the CAPE Bylaws (can be found on Pollard Estates.org/bylaws);

5. We have installed a new Board of Directors consisting of 6 seasoned members and 3 new faces (find out their names and committees on PollardEstates.org/board-of-directors);

6. We started a News Blog on our website (PollardEstates.org/news) as a means to give you a constant resource for information on the neighborhood; and

7. We have set 2 goals for each committee to be accomplished during 2018 based off of your survey responses.

The month of February is now officially CAPE Month. The entire month will be devoted to increasing membership in the Association. To that end, we are hosting a weekly drawing during February. Prizes include $25 gift cards to various restaurants in the area. Additionally, the week of February 19, you will see a board member at the main entrance to the neighborhood Monday-Friday from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Please stop by to pay dues, ask questions or just to say hi. You can find more info on the February Membership Drive at PollardEstates.org/events.

A strong participation from the neighborhood in CAPE is essential to our success. Historically, dues have been utilized for private security patrols by off-duty BRPD officers throughout the neighborhood as well as insurance coverage for and maintenance of the common areas by a lawn care company and the Beautification Committee. With continued and new participation, CAPE anticipates an expansion of these programs as well as the possible addition of others. Expansion possibilities may include but are not limited to security cameras, increased security patrol, redesign of the front entrance, new street signs, etc. However, without a drastic increase in CAPE participation and possible other fundraising efforts, the status quo will remain. Please encourage your neighbors to join CAPE today!

The amount being assessed for the period of January 1, 2018, through December 31, 2018, is One Hundred Dollars and Zero Cents ($100.00), which is indicated on your invoice. Invoices will be emailed out to all email addresses on file on February 1. Lots without an email address on file will have invoices delivered via the CAPE Flier Committee. Dues can be made by clicking the link in the email you receive, by sending a check to the address listed above or by making a credit card payment on PollardEstates.org. Payments are due by March 1, 2018. Regardless of your payment type, all are asked to complete the CAPE Member Registration Form located at PollardEstates.org/membership to aid in updating our records.

Property owners who lease their homes may be eligible for a tax write-off for the amount of the dues, but we urge you to consult with your own CPA for verification.

As mentioned above, each board member has set 2 goals for the year. As President, my goals are as follows:

1. Update and improve CAPE Board processes, procedures and record maintenance to ensure a smooth transition to future boards.

2. Increase the flow of information from the CAPE Board to the General Membership in all areas but specifically regarding budgeting and forward planning.

Thank you for your support of CAPE and Pollard Estates. We invite and encourage you to be active in the Association and to help us make this neighborhood a better place to reside, regardless of whether you own or lease a property.  If you have any questions or concerns or would like to be involved on the Board or a committee, please feel free to email us at the address listed.

If you feel that you have received this letter and/or invoice in error, are currently leasing your property or no longer own property within the neighborhood, please email us at the address listed above.

Thank you for your participation and also for your commitment to keeping our neighborhood the best kept secret in Baton Rouge!  If you should need anything from us, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Kelley Stein, President

I would like to begin by thanking the Gamble Family for planning and hosting a wonderful Christmas event for Pollard Estates. Our 2nd Annual Christmas Caroling event was a great success and filled with much yuletide joy. Together, we loaded 4 trailers with singing families and entertained the neighborhood for over an hour. Our reward was much laughter, making new friends and some delicious treats (hot chocolate, hot apple cider and pizza)! We hope you all can join us next year and that your holidays have been filled with peace, love and happiness.

January is not only a time for new beginnings, but also a time to reflect upon the past and use that knowledge to build our resolutions. With that in mind, I ask that you each please take a few minutes to complete our first Pollard Estates Resident Survey. This will provide vital feedback for the CAPE Board's upcoming planning meeting and is the best way to make your voice heard. 

At the last Open Board Meeting, we informed the neighborhood of a new POSSIBLE development on Quail Run that backs up to Dawson's Creek and Dawson Commons. As we only have second hand information at this time, a letter has been sent to the property owner asking for more details. If / When a response is received, we will update the neighborhood at that time as to if / how any planned developments may affect Pollard Estates. We appreciate your patience as we wait for a response.

We will launch our 2018 Membership Drive in February. Please be on the lookout for updated CAPE Membership information; we will also begin accepting credit cards at that time! I look forward to growing our neighborhood association with your support.

Happy New Year! 

Kelley Stein, President

As the incoming 2018 president of the Civic Association of Pollard Estates, I would like to wish you all a safe and happy holiday season! I am excited to serve on the Board of Directors in the role of president and look forward to getting to know all of you as well.

I have many personal goals for CAPE that I'd like to accomplish in 2018. However, my role is not only to accomplish my goals, but to accomplish yours as well. To that end, please be on the lookout for a neighborhood survey coming from your CAPE board at the beginning of January. We want to hear from you. We want your feedback and ideas. We want to know what you love about Pollard Estates and what you think could improve. We may not be able to deliver everything, but you have my word that every suggestion will be considered by the board and that we will do what we can with the volunteer base and funds we have. If this sounds like something you'd like to be a part of, please let me know! You do not have to be on the CAPE board to give back to our neighborhood; there are many fun volunteer opportunities available!

The snow may be melted but I would like to encourage you all to continue the holiday spirit it gave us by joining CAPE for our 2nd annual Christmas caroling event organized by Matt Gamble. The details for the event have been sent to all email addresses on file. Please join me in thanking the Gamble family for opening their home to us and for their efforts in bringing this fun event to our neighborhood!

Thank you all for putting your faith and trust in me as your CAPE president, and thank you to outgoing president, Bridget LaBorde, for her hard work and dedication to Pollard Estates. 

Kelley Stein, President