Do You Need Help with Home Repairs?  The City of Plano’s Housing Rehabilitation program offers emergency repair grants up to $5,000 for low and moderate income homeowners. Eligible repairs consist of: Inoperable heating and air conditioning systems Inoperable hot water heaters Minor accessibility improvements (grab bars, wall-mounted shower seats) Other minor repairs For homes needing more extensive improvement, the City offers Limited Repairs Assistance in the form of partially forgivable loans up to $55,000. Eligibility requirements consist of criteria such as household income, a city inspection to determine eligibility and property value. Find more information and complete an application or contact a Housing and Community Services Coordinator at 972-208-8150.

Tackle Your Spring Home Maintenance Warmer weather is approaching and spring is the perfect time to give your home the attention it deserves. Whether you plan to improve the aesthetics or make needed repairs, this time of year is great to inspect your home to stay on top of property maintenance.   A few activities to consider:   Test and install fresh batteries in smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Clean gutters, downspouts and dryer vents. Inspect all wood and masonry surfaces for deterioration. Replace/repair wood and repaint surfaces. Inspect roof components, including flashing, eaves and soffits.  Inspect exterior caulking and replace if deteriorating. Scrape out all of the eroding caulk and re-caulk where needed. Inspect interior caulk and weather stripping around windows and doors. Repair as needed. Schedule or perform air conditioning inspection/maintenance. Inspect for insects, rodents and other pests. Check in-ground irrigation for proper operation. If you need a contractor to help with repairs, the City of Plano has a database of registered contractors online. This provides you with the security of knowing you are dealing with a professional, reputable company. If you’re thinking about doing major home improvements this spring, consider checking out the Great Update Rebate. More than $2.5 million has been allocated to this program since its inception in 2014. This program helps homeowners with the financial burden of caring for older homes in the city. If you qualify, the City of Plano may contribute up to $5,000 to your home repairs.

Attend the Property Maintenance Workshop Presented in Spanish Join Property Standards at a Maintenance Workshop to learn how to upkeep and maintain your home and property. Saturday, April 18 | 9 AM | Harrington Library This Property Maintenance Workshop for Spanish speakers will include topics such as tree trimming, grading and erosion, foundations, electrical, plumbing and more. The class is great for first-time home buyers or anyone who wants to learn about basic property maintenance.  Sign up here.

SAVE THE DATE: Learn HOA Legal Tools 2020 HOA Legal Clinic Saturday, March 7 Rowlett Community Centre 5300 Main St., Rowlett, TX 75088 Mark your calendars for the HOA Legal Clinic in Rowlett, TX! You’ll learn tools to better manage your HOA and hot-topic legal issues. Speakers include attorneys, financial institutions, community managers and more. Plano Neighborhood Services is chartering a bus for residents to ride together to the Legal Clinic. Register and get on the bus.

Make a Difference in 2020  Volunteers are needed to help with the Love Where You Live Service Day on May 2! Volunteers are the heart of the Love Where You Live program and help improve our community to keep Plano beautiful. All skill levels are welcome and appreciated. Sign up as a volunteer today!

Help at Great American Cleanup Registration for this year’s Great American Cleanup opens March 2! Join the community-wide cleanup on Saturday, April 18. Enjoy an after-party with free lunch, live music, games and more at Chase Oaks Church. Visit plano.gov/GAC for more information.

GET TO KNOW OUR TEAM

Yoko Mizuta Administrative Assistant, Sr. Serving Plano Since 2018 Describe your role within Neighborhood Services. I provide administrative support in the department, especially for the Best Neighborhoods and Community Services divisions. What are you most passionate about? Sharing meals and spending time with my family and friends. What's a fun fact about where you grew up? I was born and grew up in a suburb of Osaka, Japan, which is the second-largest city in Japan. Osaka is famous for its fun and friendly people. Osaka is also known for its delicious food. If you have a chance to go to Japan, I highly recommend visiting Osaka, Kyoto and Nara, which are the oldest parts of the country. You can see traditional Japanese places more than Tokyo, the capital of Japan.    What is your favorite place in Plano and why? I love beautiful places, so I enjoy heading to Legacy West to stroll and eat with my family, and meeting up with friends at Arbor Hills Nature Preserve and Oak Point Park and Nature Preserve to go on walks.

Thank you for making our community a better place!