If you take a look at the Board Briefs, you may notice that the Board approved extending the fence currently in place near the 7-11 on Ashburn Road. In this process, we will be closing off access to the trail. Please note that before we undertook this decision, we solicited feedback from Village residents living closest to that area, and we received overwhelming support that this is the action that the residents want. As you’re reading this, the project should be well underway, if not fully complete.
For at least the past two years, the Board has been grappling with trying to reach a decision about the bollard lights that were previously installed around Pavilion Lake. After a great deal of debate on the subject, and the installation of at least four different prototypes for consideration, we have finally decided to move forward. The prototype that we have selected is a bollard that is similar to those already in place, but somewhat lower to the ground, significantly wider in diameter, and much sturdier. Look for the new bollards to be installed over the course of this month, and please let us know what you think of them.
Unfortunately not all is rosy here in Ashburn Village, and there are two troubling items that I need to share. The first of those involves a disturbing increase of thefts in the Sports Pavilion parking lot. While the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Department has committed to increasing patrols there, we are also looking into other measures that we can take to help prevent these crimes. Some of these preventive measures under consideration are installing additional security cameras to monitor the parking lot and installing the new bollards along the path that runs between the tennis courts. You can help too. Please remember to lock your vehicle, don’t keep valuable items in plain view, and report any suspicious activity to the Sheriff’s Department.
The second item has to do with the increased number of accounts in collections and rising accounts receivable balances. For most of 2007, we had roughly 60 accounts in collections, and as of March of this year this number went up to 124. Similarly, in 2007 the assessment accounts receivable (expressed as a fraction of annual assessment budgeted income) was 2.5%, and as of February of this year the number has risen to 6.07%. These statistics are very much in line with what is happening in neighboring HOAs and within the Northern Virginia housing market in general.
In closing, I would like to congratulate our General Manager, Melissa Flewellyn, on obtaining her CMCA designation from the Community Associations Institute. CMCA stands for Certified Manager of Community Associations. Obtaining the designation entails the completion of comprehensive course work, passing a National Certification Exam, and adherence to the CMCA Standards of Professional Conduct. Great job, Melissa!
With that, have a great Mother’s Day, enjoy the opening of the outdoor pools and encourage your kids to be safe and follow the rules. I look forward to seeing you at the upcoming race!
