Attendees

Excellent turnout – 16 of 26 (60%) houses present, Quorum of 40% achieved.  Cluster President Mark Moody called the meeting to order at 4:11 PM on February 25, 2024.

The Annual Cluster meeting was delayed to the last Sunday of the month due to scheduling conflicts.

Welcome/General

  • We bid farewell to Chris and Irene and welcomed Gavin and Alanis Campbell to the community.
  • President Moody thanked the 2023 board and committees for their contributions to the cluster.
  • Cluster contracts (e.g. snow removal) will all be managed by the Cluster president moving forward to create a single point of contact for residents with concerns.

Secretary Update

  • Cluster information has all been organized into a Google Workspace for easier transitions between boards year over year. 
  • Major focus for early 2024 will be to get the cluster email database up to date. Emails are organized into a Google Group email listserv. This way only people who are current owners or renters in the cluster will receive messages from the cluster.
    • Current subscribers received an email on February 25, 2024 at 7:29 AM. If you did not receive that email, check your Spam or Junk folder then notify the Cluster Board. 
    • If you wish to contact all of our neighbors at one time, use the Google Group email address rather than any other list. This email address is not listed here to protect residents from internet bots. If you do not know what the Google Group email address is, please contact the Cluster Secretary at BrookshireClusterSecretary@gmail.com or info@brookshirecourt.org.  

Finance

  • 2023 dues from two households are still outstanding. The Board is already working with those homeowners on payment plans. We anticipate being all square by mid-2024.
  • We reviewed the 2023 actuals and 2024 budget. A few housekeeping items were noted during the subsequent discussion:
    • Gutters: Gutterman, whom we have worked with for gutter clearing in the past, has been acquired by another company. This may be a good time to reconsider who the Cluster works with going forward. Note: individual homeowners are responsible for gutter cleaning on their property, but in the past, the Board has provided an opportunity to homeowners to participate in a group rate through a single contractor.
    • Dues Payments via Quickbooks: The Cluster is charged for each payment made on Quickbooks when a homeowner pays their dues. This is offset by interest earned in our Quickbooks account. Quickbooks is still the preferred method of dues payments. The Treasurer will look into the fees more and communicate what if anything homeowners should do to limit fees incurred by the cluster.  
    • Website hosting fees: Website hosting fees (for brookshirecourt.org) are currently being paid via a single homeowner’s credit card. The Treasurer and Secretary will determine a new path forward for that payment.
    • Mosquito spraying: We canceled our contract in 2023 because of a lousy service provider. The Board will look into a new contract for 2024.
    • Checking accounts: We have two checking accounts, one with Quickbooks and the other with Capital One. It would be desirable to get this down just to the Quickbooks account, but there is some uncertainty if this is permissible within our Cluster Bylaws. 
  • There will be no increase in dues for 2024.
  • Catherine made a motion to approve the 2024 budget with no dues increase. Charlotte seconded. There was a vote and the motion was approved unanimously by all present. 
  • Youie made a motion to close the Cluster’s Capital One Checking Account, pending a review of cluster bylaws. Leann seconded. There was a vote and the motion was approved unanimously by all present. The Treasurer will investigate the viability of this action and move forward.

Landscape

  • 2023 Cluster Clean Ups were very successful
  • In 2024, we foresee decreased tree expenses due to 2023 efforts to review cluster trees with an arborist. Have been working with Davey Tree Services on this. 
  • We are waiting on approval from Reston to remove/trim some of the larger trees, currently noted by blue tags. 
  • 2024 Cluster Clean Ups will be April 20, 2024 and October 19, 2024
  • Travis will continue to lead the Landscape Committee with new support from Tan and Tuan.

Social

  • 2023 recap:
    • Annual summer get together was a blast
    • Halloween party is quickly becoming a fan favorite
    • Triumphant return of the in-person holiday party. Thank you to Mark and Leann for hosting!
  • 2024 plans:
    • Repeat Summer get together on July 6 or 7
    • Halloween Party on October 26 or 27
    • Holiday Party – looking for a willing host. Contact Social Committee if interested.
    • Monthly happy hours to align with the Lake Anne Concert series – details to come
    • Lake Anne Cardboard Regatta – general support for participating as a Cluster
  • Social Committee:
    • Tanya
    • Amanda L.
    • New member: Sarah

Covenants

  • We formed a new committee for Covenants. The Covenants Committee will work to modernize our Cluster Design Guidelines. Some items that those in attendance would like to see updated or added are:
    • Mailboxes
    • Light fixtures
    • Shingles
    • Sheds
    • House numbers
    • Paint
    • Window trim capping

Open Forum

  • We discussed replacing the playground equipment. We identified a need to establish a Playground Committee to get this done. Contact Board President or info@brookshirecourt.org to get involved

Vote on board members:

  • Unanimous vote to re-merge the roles of Secretary and Webmaster
  • Mark M was unanimously re-elected as president of the cluster for another year.
  • Chris M – Unanimously re-elected as Treasurer 
  • Jessica L – Unanimously elected as Secretary
  • Travis S – Unanimously re-elected as cluster Landscape Director.

Meeting concluded at 5:20 PM.

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