Rattlesnake Mountain Association
Board of Directors Meeting

January 13, 2007

In Attendance:

John Dean
Lauren Fillmore
Jim Law
Janet Pulliam
Carol Wilde-Scott

Order of Business

• Establish objectives of organization, as follows:
  • Communication with residents/property owners in Rattlesnake Mt area
  • Represent the interests of the residents
    • Powerline
    • Others to be determined, i.e. illegal dumping
  • Leverage political support and coalition building
  • Support civic activities, information outreach on interests of the residents
    • Develop and maintain a website
    • Information/media committee
• Need to incorporate and obtain tax-exempt (501C3) status for association
  • Allows for fund raising
    • Propose minimal $10 annual fee per household membership
  • Steps necessary to incorporate and get 501C3 status
    • Need Virginia attorney to act as agent
    • John Dean will act as agent but requests that we locate residents for a legal support (lawyers) committee
    • Carol Scott will fill in paperwork for 501C3
    • Establish Board of Directors as those in attendance at this meeting
    • Lauren Fillmore and Jim Law will be identified in the paper work until officers can be elected
• Define membership areas
  • Fauquier county – Harrell’s Corner Rd from county line to Fiery Run Rd.  Fiery Run Road east from Rt 55 to Harrells’ Corner and west from corner to Hume Road intersection in Hitch.  Includes all feeder roads and residents/property owners along all of these roads.
  • Warren County – Fiery Run Rd at county line to Rt 55 and all feeder roads and residents/property owners along all of these roads.
  • Need to obtain a census of property owners, particularly absentee owners to reach them with information from the Association.  Association will make a reasonable attempt to reach all residents and property owners in the area.  Estimated 70 – 100 membership.
  • Contact key absentee property owners – Caroline Long (late senator Long’s wife) through Long’s law firm.  Carol Scott has contacted them.
  • Question posed – does this association need to represent all of Linden
    • Size difficulties due to number of residents in Skyland, Apple Mtn, Blue Mtn subdivisions. 
    • Different community dynamics, more transient, different interests
    • Representation of a larger segment of Linden deemed not feasible
• Communication/outreach
  • Rob Pulliam has made an excellent start with the webpage
  • Carol Scott has located a graphic artist to design a rattlesnake logo based on the ‘Don’t tread on me Rattlesnake concept’.  A draft design will be circulated this week.
  • Film/photo documentation of area and issues needed.  Use of webpage and Youtube.  Rick Stafford mentioned as possible coordinator due to his film making experience.  Janet Pulliam will contact him.
  • Communication/outreach committee function to release media notices to local paper, and Washington Post.
• Fund raising
  • Sell tee shirts with rattlesnake logo, locally and through web site
  • Anticipate need funds short-term to by ads and long term to support litigation
  • Need to identify residents able to contribute services, and/or have special abilities, who are willing to support us pro bono (lawyers, realtors etc.)
  • Need to identify funding sources, grants, etc.
•  Next steps/actions
  • Next meeting to be 9 am January 20 at the Vineyards for Board members
  • Invite others who respond to email and specific contacts to attend
  • Set up meeting with Fauquier supervisor, Harry Atherton between Lauren Fillmore and Carol Scott to:
    • Reinforce opposition to powerline
    • Get county GIS support to identify all property owners in Rattlesnake Mtn area and long the proposed powerline routes in Fauquier County
  • Develop schedule of necessary activities and timeline (Lauren Fillmore)
  • Develop census of property owners and a membership list.
  • Plan for community meeting in near future to elect officers