The Board noted the recent plantings and cleanup of the landscaped corners. Several residents have commented on the flowers favorably. Landscaping will continue to be the largest expense for the Association in 2008.

Board members from the southern portion of Montgomery Square are concerned about a water main replacement project being undertaken by the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC.) The project will cut a major trench in the roadways, which will then be covered by asphalt in a swath about three feet wide. That will leave the rest of the streets in their already deteriorating condition. The road condition has been raised as an issue with the County for years, but budget reductions have largely stalled resurfacing projects for neighborhood roads. Also, the less expensive resurfacing methods, such as the slurry method used on the northern section's roads several years ago, are no longer favored by the County due to their limited useful life span. The preferred method of grinding down the surface and reapplying new asphalt is considerably more expensive and unlikely to happen any time soon. The Board discussed options for trying to get the County to work with WSSC and to consider doing the whole road instead of just the three foot strip. The County's response to date is that they are doing a full study of County roads needing resurfacing and they will address the priorities identified by the study. Bob will pursue this with the County and local elected officials, but realistic chances of getting satisfaction are slim.