Ascot Homeowners Association
Minutes, Board of Directors -- Tuesday, November 1, 2005
Prepared by Secretary, Julie Reiss

Ascot's new Board of Directors met at Lars Okeson's home on Tuesday, November 1st at 7:30 pm.  The first order of business was approval of the prior minutes from the September 26, 2005 annual general meeting, held at Forestville Elementary.

The next order of business was to determine the following Board of Director positions:

President........Mick Fox
Treasurer.......Lars Okeson
Secretary.......Julie Reiss
Vice President...Dave Peirce
Vice President...Heide Zufall

Dave Peirce will again handle distribution of HOA packets for prospective homeowners, and Heide Zufall has volunteered to oversee common ground maintenance and neighborhood watch. It was noted that the 2-year contract with Sunrise Lawn and Landscaping for common ground upkeep is up for renewal this year.  Heide will solicit bids, and the Board will decide which landscaping company to hire for another 2-year term.

Architectural Review

As a reminder, please submit any architectural review proposals to the Board President.  Any changes that affect the exterior of the house require Board approval.  Please send a written description of plans to Mick Fox at the Ascot Board address given below.

Bansal Agreement

Falls Park Estates homeowner Tony Bansal's landscaping work on Ascot property has been completed, and the contractor has been paid through Lars Okeson.  Lars noted that there is more work to be done at a further time, as Mr. Bansal would like to plant some shrubs near the trees that were just installed.  The Board will determine acceptance of any future landscaping plans near Mr. Bansal's property.

Neighborhood Directory

Every homeowner should have received a copy of the directory with these minutes.  The Board thanks Claudia Raffman for overseeing production of the directory.

Budget

The Board is reviewing 2005 actuals, and will work toward approving the `06 budget at the December meeting.

New Business.

Reston Town Initiative

Homeowner Leslie Braunstein has volunteered to be Ascot's representative to monitor and report on the issue of Reston becoming a town.  The Board thanks her for her efforts and has invited her to attend the next Board meeting to discuss the current status.

Community Survey

Included with the minutes this time, the Board has prepared a brief questionnaire to solicit your ideas for the Board's short and long-term initiatives.  Major topic areas of the survey include safety, common ground improvements, and property values.  Please take a couple of minutes to jot down your preferences for how you would like to see the Board proceed this year, and place it in Mick Fox's mailbox.  The Board thanks you for your efforts in assisting us in keeping the Ascot neighborhood an exceptional place to live.

Next Meeting

It was decided that Board meetings will generally take place on the second Tuesday of every month. The next Board meeting will be held at 7:30 on Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2005, at Heide Zufall's house.

Respectfully submitted,
Julie Reiss
Secretary, Oct 2005 - Sep 2006

COMMUNITY NOTES

Homeowner Chris Bolster has reported broadband outages and delays with Comcast.  He suggests if other homeowners are displeased with Comcast service, they can show interest in obtaining Verizon service at http://www22.verizon.com/FiosForHome/channels/Fios/HighSpeedInternetForHome.asp. Chris wrote that a Verizon service technician said their service should be available within the next year or so.  If homeowners show enough interest in Verizon Fios, Chris thinks Ascot may be able to move up on the list and obtain service more quickly.  Having Fios service available would give homeowners a choice between the two broadband service providers.

At the previous Board meeting, it was noted that broken glass bottles had been found on the tennis court.  Homeowners are reminded to please report any unusual behavior around the tennis court and to be aware of broken glass if playing tennis.  Also, Sounia Chaney has reported the following vandalism associated with Halloween: the neighborhood watch sign has been partially pushed down, the volleyball net torn, and a fence was broken at the Black Opal Farm.

Contacting the Board

Homeowners are welcome to contact the Board about the tennis court or other community concerns. Write to Ascot Homeowners Association, PO Box 934, Great Falls, Virginia 22066-0934. Contact any Board member. Or send email --