Ascot Homeowners Association
Minutes, Board of Directors -- Wednesday, March 8, 2006
Prepared by Secretary, Julie Reiss
This month's Board meeting was held at the home of Mick Fox on Wednesday, March 8, 2006, at 7:30 p.m. All Board members were in attendance, including Mick, Heide Zufall, Dave Peirce, Lars Okeson, and Julie Reiss. Our Neighborhood Watch Coordinator, Diane Preston, also attended for part of the meeting. Our first order of business was approval of the prior minutes from the January 17, 2006 meeting.
Barkers' Request
Ed Barker next spoke to the Board about his interest in tapping into an existing public sewer line near his home. There was some discussion about whether Ascot owned the property containing the line. Since the meeting, Scott Rackham has determined that Ascot owns that parcel of land. The Board will look into the procedure and cost of granting an easement, should the Barkers' engineering study prove feasible. Depending on the outcome of that feasibility study, Ed and Lisa might request Ascot's approval to grant an easement through the Ascot property with the connectable sewer line. If any other homeowners are interested in the possibility of tapping into that line, please contact Ed or Lisa directly.
Neighborhood Watch and Safe Houses
As the weather warms up, the Board will be focusing on security, especially around the tennis and basketball courts. There was some discussion about installing motion lights around the courts. Other focus areas include vandalism, monitoring sports courts more frequently, obtaining additional police patrolling, and establishing Block Captains.
As Ascot's Neighborhood Watch Coordinator, Diane Preston is seeking Block Captains to be central contacts for surrounding homes should safety issues arise. If you would like to serve as a Block Captain, please contact Diane.
Block Captains are a separate function from those who volunteered for the emergency-only designated safe houses that Anna Wood helped set up two years ago. If safe-house residents no longer wish to participate, please notify Anna. In cases of severe emergencies, these are Ascot's designated safe houses:
1. Babcock -- 11062 Tottenham Lane
2. Blakey -- 11055 Bishopsgate Ct.
3. Braddock -- 11004 Burywood Lane
4. Chaney -- 11012 Burywood Lane
5. Curtis -- 11021 Burywood Lane
6. Havermann -- 11108 Burywood Lane
7. Riley -- 1231 Bishopsgate Way
8. Thomas -- 1216 Bishopsgate Way
9. Wood -- 11100 Burywood Lane
10. Zufall -- 11005 Burywood Lane
Safety and Security: Speeding
The Board also spoke about another longstanding topic: speeding. As a reminder, please contact the Board with license plate numbers of any speeding vehicles through Ascot, even service vehicles.
Diane provided the Board with information about low-cost, stand-alone signs, some in the shape of a very small child. There was a motion to purchase three signs that convey the message "Watch Out for Children" as a speeding deterrent. The motion was seconded and the Board approved the motion unanimously. Diane will order the signs and place them in strategic areas to alert drivers of the risks of speeding.
Diane provided the Board with some eye-opening statistics about how speeding relates to child injury and death.
If a child pedestrian is hit by a car traveling at
20 mph, 5 percent are killed, most injuries are slight, and 30 percent suffer no injuries at all.
At 30 mph, 45% are KILLED and many are injured.
At 40 mph, 85% ARE KILLED.
Small Tax District 5
There is a political movement in Reston to help communities like ours be excluded from Small Tax District #5. For further details, please read the letter from the Board distributed [here] with these minutes. The Board has voted 4 to 1 in favor of removing Ascot from the tax district. Mick and two other presidents from Brandermill and Piney Run communities are trying to meet with Supervisor Cathy Hudgins about removal of all three neighborhoods from the tax district. If residents do not wish to leave the tax district, they can contact Supervisor Hudgins.
PLEASE JOIN OTHER ASCOT RESIDENTS AND BOARD MEMBERS AT THE HEARING ON MONDAY, MARCH 27 BEGINNING AT 5:00 PM AT THE FAIRFAX COUNTY GOVERNMENT CTR.
Common Grounds Contract
Heide is finalizing the contract with Sunrise Lawn and Landscape. Lars noted that Ascot needs an "out" provision in the contract in case of unsatisfactory work. A question arose concerning payment in an installment plan versus a lump sum. Lars noted he prefers to be billed as labor is incurred. Heide is seeking two additional quotes from Mario's Lawn and Landscape and Wheat's Lawn and Custom Landscape. The Board will make a decision next month.
Spring Clean-Up Day
This Spring's common area clean-up day is scheduled for Saturday, April 22, from 9:00 to noon. Please bring your wheelbarrows! Help the Board pull out small dead trees, clean up leaves, branches, and trash, pull weeds, maintain the creek, sample the honeysuckle, trim trees and bushes, and plant flowers. We're looking for a volunteer to power wash the park benches; staining or painting is optional.
Yearly Dues Payment
As of the Board meeting on March 8, 50 households had paid dues, while 19 were still due. Please pay as soon as possible if you have not paid already. Payment of $120 was due on February 28. Thank you.
Respectfully submitted,
Julie Reiss
Secretary, Oct 2005 - Sep 2006
Contacting the Board
Homeowners are welcome to contact the Board about community concerns. Send email to the Board, write to Ascot Homeowners Association, PO Box 934, Great Falls, Virginia 22066-0934, or contact any Board member.
