June 2015 - Division of Housing and Food Service

June 2015: Volume 15, Issue 6
In this Edition:
 Recycling Dumpster Updates
 Apply for a TAB position!
 Summer Travel & Contract
Reminder





Rent & Electricity Rate Reminders
June Events
ESL & Nutrition Classes
TAB Member Bio
Don’t Forget!
Recycling Dumpster Updates
This summer, University Apartments will be increasing the
number of Recycling Dumpsters available to residents. There will
be two more located in Brackenridge, one more in Colorado and
one more in Gateway—we hope this makes recycling dumpsters
accessible to more residents!
These changes are the result of requests from residents, Tenant Advisory Board
members and Community Advisors who have noticed that the current recycling
dumpsters quickly overflow on a regular basis.
TAB members conducted trash
and recycling dumpster
inspections twice weekly in
February and CAs did the same
in April. The data proved that
most recycling dumpsters were
full or overflowing the day
before pick-up day, so the
Apartments management agreed
to replace 1 trash dumpster for 1
recycling dumpster in 4 strategic
locations, according to the data
collected and recommendations
by TAB members and CAs.
All Colorado & Brackenridge residents are invited to apply to be a
Tenant Advisory Board (TAB) Representative!!
If you want to give back to your community and serve as a TAB representative email
Shubhankar your Resume and Cover Letter outlining why you are interested and what
qualifies you for the position: snath.vet2000@gmail.com
TAB Position Openings:
Colorado: 1 position in J uly
Brackenridge: 1 position in October

TAB meets twice monthly to discuss resident concerns, proposals and TAB events.


These positions require a two (2) year commitment.
TAB representatives attend an annual mandatory summer 1-day retreat in Austin to plan
ahead for the year (August 25th).

All applications - including your Resume and Cover Letter - must be emailed to
Shubhankar as soon as possible. TAB plans to review all applications and schedule
candidate interviews in the coming weeks.
If you have questions about
the position or the Tenant
Advisory Board, email
Shubhankar or Apartments
Coordinator, Julie Lekstutis
to find out more!
Tenant Advisory Board (TAB)
The Tenant Advisory Board is comprised of 2 residents from each complex
(Brackenridge, Colorado & Gateway) and one representative from the Apartments
Office. TAB meets twice a month during the semester to discuss resident concerns
and ways to improve life within University Apartments.
The June Meeting will be held:
Tuesday, June 16th
6:30pm-8:00pm
In the Brackenridge Community Room
Reminder About Summer Occupancy
Many students travel throughout the summer. If you plan
to leave your apartment for more than 10 days, email the
Apartments office with the reason for the absence and
expected length of absence at:
dhfs.apartments@austin.utexas.edu.
Also!
Per your apartment contract, you are not permitted to sell,
sublease or assign your apartment. All guests on your
contract must be personally known by you.
Reminders!
Effective September 1, 2015,
Rent Rates will be as follows:
Monthly Rental Rates
Location
Room
Type
2015-2016
Rate
Brackenridge &
Gateway Apartments:
One Bedroom
Unfurnished
$558
Colorado
Apartments:
One Bedroom
Unfurnished
$588
Brackenridge &
Gateway Apartments:
Two Bedrooms
Unfurnished
$638
Colorado
Apartments:
Two Bedrooms
Unfurnished
$668
Brackenridge:
Three Bedrooms
Unfurnished
$814
The City of Austin has two
electricity rate structures - a
Winter rate (10/1—5/31) and a
Summer rate (6/1-9/30).
June 1st begins the
Summer rate cycle, so be
aware that your electricity
bill may be different than
the past few months!
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
1
2
3
9am: English
Tea Time
@COL
4
5
9am: Beginner
ESL (Taught in
Mandarin)
@BRK
6
7
8
9
10am: Free
Nutrition Class
@ BRK
10
9am: English
Tea Time
@COL
11
12
9am: Beginner
ESL (Taught in
Mandarin)
@BRK
13
14
15
16
17
9am: English
Tea Time
@COL
18
19
9am: Beginner
ESL (Taught in
Mandarin)
@BRK
20
24
9am: English
Tea Time
@COL
25
26
9am: Beginner
ESL (Taught in
Mandarin)
@BRK
27
12pm: Lunch
Lottery Social
10am: Free Nutrition Class @ BRK
6:30pm:
TAB Meeting @
GAT
7pm: Women's
World Cup @
COL
21
4pm: Summer
Celebration
@GAT
22
23
10am: Free
Nutrition Class
@ BRK
7:30pm: Crafty
Wreck This
Journal Book
28
29
(Gateway residents
contact CA Bruno
to sign up!
30
10am: Free
Nutrition Class
@ BRK
BRK = Brackenridge Community Room
COL = Colorado Community Room
GAT = Gateway Community Room
**If you require special assistance or disability accommodations, contact Julie
Lekstutis at jlekstutis@austin.utexas.edu. Requests must be submitted at
least five (5) business days prior to the event.**
Tenant Advisory Board Bio:
Ya-Ching
It was a quiet, chilly Fall Sunday on campus. An elderly lady came to me, asking me in a nervous and
uncertain voice whether I could speak Mandarin. She told me that she usually took the UT shuttle back and forth from
her apartment to bring a lunch box to her son who is a student at the University. But this afternoon, the bus she
normally rode wasn’t running, and she couldn’t figure out what had happened to it because she could not understand
what the bus driver was saying. She was alone, didn’t have any contact information to reach her son, and did not have
money to take a metro bus home. In the end, I paid the bus fee for her and accompanied her on a metro bus back to her
apartment.
I like thinking about this short story because it reminds me of the importance of services, helping the
neighborhood, and assisting people from different backgrounds. I like serving the community not only through my own
contributions, but also because I learn from the team members and people who I meet. Therefore, I decided to join the
Tenant Advisory Board (TAB).
I was born and raised in a big family in Taiwan. My best memories of my childhood were always of family
gatherings and hanging out with siblings and cousins. I started receiving nursing training when I was 15 years old.
After 7 years of nursing school training and receiving a bachelor’s degree, I started to work in an intensive care unit as
a beginning to my nursing career. I love hospital jobs, working with patients, and caring about people in the
community as well. In my adult and career experiences, I have enjoyed the feeling of working collaboratively to try to
make things better for everyone. I am currently in the Ph. D. program in the School of Nursing. My research focuses on
chronic disease self-management,
and I also hope to help in reducing
healthcare disparities.
This is my third year in
Austin and I have stayed in the
Gateway apartments for two years.
I love this place and am glad to
call it home. I am new to the TAB,
and am honored to have the
chance to serve as a bridge
between residents and the
Apartments office.
2014-2015 Apartment Monthly Rates
Brackenridge & Gateway One Bedroom
$547
Colorado One Bedroom
$577
Brackenridge & Gateway Two Bedroom $625
Colorado Two Bedroom
$655
Brackenridge Three Bedroom
$797
Keep up with the University
Apartments on Facebook!
Search for “UT Apartments”
and like us. Make sure to
check the page daily to for
important information and a
chance to win prizes!
Maintenance Requests

All maintenance issues in your apartment and around the complex must be reported via
an online maintenance request. A paper version of the request may also be
submitted to the main office.
Rent
Rent is always due on the 1st of every month and late after the 5th of every month
regardless of whether you receive a courtesy bill reminder email or not
 Bookmark https://utdirect.utexas.edu/apps/dhfs/aptsapp/ for reference if you do
not receive the courtesy bill reminder email
Pest Control Requests

Grande Service Request
All service requests for your cable or internet service must go
through the office via a maintenance request.
 Please DO NOT contact Grande for service directly. Grande
will be turned away if we do not have a maintenance request
on file for you
 You may contact Grande directly if you want expanded services
 Grande will not be given keys to your apartment if you did not
submit a maintenance request for the work

submitted via maintenance request no

later than 8 am Thursday morning

A 60 day written notice is required for all vacancies
 If you give 30 to 59 days written advance notice you will pay
a 50% penalty
 If you give 1 to 29 days written advance notice you will pay
an 85% penalty
 To view the terms & conditions of your contract in its entirety
go to: www.utexas.edu/student/housing/
index.phpsite=0&scode=2&id=518
All routine pest control requests will be
scheduled each Thursday between 9 am
and 12 noon

If you request pest control, please
remember that you are required to leave
your apartment when pest control staff
Vacancy Notices

All routine pest control requests must be
arrive and remain gone for 5 to 10 minutes

Due to a heavy workload, the tech cannot
return that day

Emergency pest control
situations should be
reported to the office
University Apartments
Hook ‘Em Home
3501 Lake Austin Boulevard
Austin, TX, 78703
Guided by our values and
Open Monday - Friday, 8am-4pm
commitment to support the
Phone: 512-232-5299
University mission, our vision is to
Email:
dhfs.apartments@austin.utexas.e
du
provide first-class housing and food
service while embracing an inclusive,
nurturing, community where students and staff realize dreams while
achieving goals.
Maintenance Requests: https://utdirect.utexas.edu/apps/dhfs/aptsapp/
Log in and click on maintenance. Request form in the left hand column.
University Apartments Staff
Associate Director
Sheril Smith
sasmith@austin.utexas.edu
Apartments Coordinator
Julie Lekstutis
jlekstutis@austin.utexas.edu
Brackenridge CAs:
Ben Crestel, 3457E
ben.crestel@utexas.edu
Meghan Richards, 3551E
meghan.richards@utexas.edu
TAB Members
Brackenridge Representatives:
Motolani Ogunsanya
tmadedipe@utexas.edu
Xiaosa (Jack) Xu
jackxu@utexas.edu
Ken Bostwick, 3370A
ken.bostwick@utexas.edu
Facilities Maintenance Manager
Richard Hestand
Colorado CAs:
r.hestand@austin.utexas.edu
Jeff Graham, K105
jagraham03@utexas.edu
Technical Trades Supervisor
Gilbert Acosta
Ahmad Agbaria, G103
gila@austin.utexas.edu
agbaria@utexas.edu
Administrative Associate
Denise Zuniga
dzuniga@austin.utexas.edu
Gateway CAs:
Bruno Chiquini, 1624-B
bchiquini@utexas.edu
Administrative Associate
Paul Previte
pprevite@austin.utexas.edu
Colin Koutney, 1642B
koutney@utexas.edu
Colorado Representatives:
Mohsen Babazadah
mbabazadeh@utexas.edu
Kijung Yoon
Kijung.yoon@utexas.edu
Gateway Representatives:
Shubhankar Nath, Chair
snath.vet2000@gmail.com
Ya-Ching Huang
yaching.huang@utexas.edu