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THE OCEAN PINES JOURNAL OF NEWS & COMMENTARY
COVER STORY
Sellers still dominate local real estate market Low inventory, high prices slow pace of sales
By TOM STAUSS Publisher ong gone are the days when hundreds of affordable homes were available for purchase in Ocean Pines. Long gone are the days when the number of sales in any given year approached 1,000. According to local real professionals Marlene Ott and John Talbott, Ocean Pines continues to be in a seller’s market. But with a caveat. It’s a seller’s market that is not as robust as it had been as recently as this past summer. Homes aren’t flying off the shelves as quickly as they once did. Ott described the market as returning to a more “normal” dynamic with buyers not necessarily facing a deluge of competition when a new listing appears. But because inventory is so low, sellers of homes that have been on the market longer than is typical aren’t particularly motivated to lower prices. “There are no discounted properties out there,” Tal-
L
bott said. “A fairly priced home will still move quickly. Ocean Pines remains a very desirable place to own a home. But sales are slower now than they used to be.” Talbott said that for many prospective buyers, available inventory in Ocean Pines is priced beyond their ability to pay. He cited high interest rates, an inflation-inflected economy and a lack of inventory as contributing to a slowing of sales. For those who need to finance a home purchase, it’s much more difficult to make it through the underwriting process than it was during the go-go years of easy credit. Not everyone needs to borrow money for an Ocean Pines home; cash buyers frequently step up, flush with proceeds of home sales in extravagantly priced regions of the country like the D.C. metro area, parts of New Jersey and New York. Newly acquired funds from inheritances can also result in a cash buyer. The much-reported phenomenon of homes going on To Page 3
Board adjusts some amenity fees ~ Page 17
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Racquet sports director exits Ocean Pines
When he was called into a meeting with General Manager John Viola on Wednesday, Jan. 17, former Racquet Sports Director Tim Johnson had a strong intuition that before the meeting concluded he would be departing Ocean Pines for good as an Ocean Pines Association employee. He didn’t know whether he would be fired or would quit on the spot, but either way he was prepared.
~ Page 9
Farr rebuffs attempt to place new B-08 on meeting agenda
An attempt to have an amended version of the Ocean Pines Association B-08 ethics resolution added to the Jan. 20 Board of Directors meeting agenda was temporarily rebuffed by OPA President Rick Farr. Farr told the Progress that Director Steve Jacobs had dropped off a hard copy of the amended resolution to Linda Martin, the OP’s senior executive manager, for inclusion in the meeting agenda. Farr said the usual protocol is for the directors to have electronic copies of proposed resolutions prior to their inclusion for discussion at a meeting.
~Page 22
INSIDE THIS EDITION
Ocean Pines ............... Pages 1-31 OPA Finances .......... Pages 32-33 Lifestyles ................... Pages 36-37 Opinion ............................ Page 35 Captain’s Cove ......... Pages 38-51
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This home on Leigh Drive in Tern’s Landing is listed at $2.249 million, by far the highest priced home in Ocean Pines at the present time. But it’s been on the market for more than 440 days.
according to Zillow.com. That aggregator site for local real estate listed $416,087 as a typical home value in Ocean Pines on a random January day, compared to a $387,743 typical value a year earlier, a three percent yearover-year increase. It’s a difficult-to-verify number, but suggestive of a market with home values on an upward trajectory. Ott cited the inventory on Jan. 27 in Ocean Pines as 45 homes for sale, including 12 waterfront homes ranging in price from $579,900 to a
staggering $2,249,000. The latter is a 7,312 square foot palace at 22 Leigh Drive in Tern’s Landing with six bedrooms and five baths. Its listing description says it features sun-drenched decks and a golden top mounted boatlift, but there’s no mention of golden toilet fixtures. At the end of January it had been listed on Zillow for 410 days. Back lot homes range from $225,000 for a To Page 7
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From Page 1 the market and receiving almost instantaneous, multiple offers can still happen but not as often as it once did, Talbott said. “Yes and no, mostly no,” he said of the of the near instantaneous sale. “Sometimes multiple offers can come in quickly when a home is priced what Marlene Ott it’s worth in this market.” As recent as this past summer, it was a common occurrence. Lately, not so much, Talbott said. “What’s holding it back is the economy, making people stop and think about whether it’s the right time to buy. Interest rates in the 6s are typical,” John Talbott he said, “and are expected to drop gradually over the coming year, maybe to five percent. “But it’s the lack of inventory” that is the key factor driving the Ocean Pines market, he said. It’s keeping the market propped up. It’s also resulting in a relatively modest uptick in the average price of homes sold in Ocean Pines,
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OCEAN PINES Real estate market From Page 3 Borderlinks condominium to $874,900 for a spec home in the Triple Crown Estates, a section of new homes in South Ocean Pines. She said she believes the average days on the market is about 16 for all homes in Ocean Pines. A dive into the listed inventory on Zillow.com late in January revealed three condos for sale priced in the 200s, with back-lot ranchers or two story homes typically priced in the 300s and 400s, with larger homes ranging from $500,000 to $600,000. Golf course homes are among those that can demand a premium, a fact that’s been true in Ocean Pines since the early days. On that particular day, there were four waterfront homes priced in excess of $1 million, one in the $800,000 to $900,000 range, and one in the $700,000 range. There were four waterfront bargains in the $500,000 to $700,000 range. The outlier was that $579,900 canal-front home that’s been on the market awhile. It’s the only waterfront home in Ocean Pines that could be had for under $600,000. But waterfront homes in excess of $1 million in some of the more upscale neighborhoods such as Tern’s Landing are hardly a rarity. Ott cited a recent $1.5 million sale by a local politician who downsized into an Innerlinks
home costing a lot less. The newest section to be developed in Ocean Pines, Triple Crown Estates, has home values priced higher than elsewhere in Ocean Pines because developer Marvin Steen planned 100-footwide lots compared to the 60 feet standard elswhere in Ocean Pines. Phase I with 30 unimproved lots started selling more than a year ago and sold out relatively quickly. Lots were priced at $125,000. When another 30 lots in Phase II go on the market in the next month or so, the initial price will be $135,000, Steen said. He expects them to move fast. On seven of those Phase I lots, homes have already been built, according to Steen, with five more ready to start. Including lots, home values in this section range from $650,000 to about $850,000, Steen said. Baracah Builders of Greenwood, De., has two spec homes on the market in Triple Crown Estates, Steen added, ranging in price from $650,000 to $805,000. Statistics in Ocean Pines for the last three years indicate a trend of fewer homes sold. According to Ott, there were 315 homes sold in Ocean Pines in 2023, ranging in price from $100,000 to $1.9 million. The $100,000 home would have been a condo needing a lot of upgrades. Waterfront home sales ranged in price from $400,000 to $1.9 million, while 250 wooded lot
February 2024 Ocean Pines PROGRESS 7 and golf course homes ranged in price from that $100,000 outlier to $1,040,000. There’s also a scarcity of unimproved lots for sale, but in 2023 23 lots sold ranging in price from $65,000 to $560,000. That includes four waterfront lots and 19 wooded and golf lots, according to Ott. In 2022, there were 401 homes sold, 96 more than in 2023, ranging in price from $180,000 to $1.9 million. That total included 78 waterfront homes ranging in price from $400,000 to $1.9 million and back lot or golf course homes ranging in price from $180,000 to $950,000. There were 34 unimproved lots sold in 2022, ranging in price from $70,000 to $602,000. That included 1 waterfront lot and 33 back lot or golf course lots, including 13 in Triple Crown Estates. In 2021, a year mired in the covid pandemic, there were 547 homes sold, ranging in price from $90,000, an obvious outlier, to $1,425,000. The 121 waterfront homes sold ranged in price from $241,000 to $1.425 million. The 426 back lot and golf course ranged in price from $90,000 to $660,000. There were 17 unimproved lots sold in 2021, with 12 waterfront lots ranging in price from $40,000 to $500,000 and back and golf lots ranging in price from $40,000 to $125,000. As for the Ocean Pines rental market, to describe it as very tight is understatement. Zillow had three homes available for rent on Jan. 30.
8 Ocean Pines PROGRESS February 2024
OCEAN PINES
Racquet sports director exits Ocean Pines
February 2024 Ocean Pines PROGRESS 9
Cites non-responsiveness to capital requests; Viola and staff offer rebuttal
By TOM STAUSS Publisher hen he was called into a meeting with General Manager John Viola on Wednesday, Jan. 17, then Racquet Sports Director Tim Johnson had a strong intuition that before the meeting concluded he would be departing Ocean Pines for good as an Ocean Pines Association employee. He didn’t know whether he would be fired or would quit on the spot, but either way he was prepared. “I had my personal belongings all packed up,” he said, “thinking I would be heading back to the D.C area” where he has a home. Indeed he was. He resigned, almost nine months to the day when he was hired as the racquet sports manager, a role later upgraded to
W
director. A week earlier, he had fired off what he admitted was a “harsh” e-mail to Viola, complaining about the lack of progress on a number of action items he has been focused on for some time. That email was similar in tone and content to another email that had led to a short-lived resignation in early October. After resigning, he had sent out an explanatory email to racquet sports members, hinting that in a scheduled Oct. 10 exit interview with Viola he was open to revoking his resignation “if I can convince him to do the right thing by us.” His email was not in the least conciliatory nor complimentary toward the OPA administration. “Why waste my time at a workplace that is satisfied with sec-
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ond-rate courts, shabby facilities, and porous borders, because they won’t even respond to numerous pleas?” he wrote. The widely distributed email resulted in an avalanche of emails to the OPA and Board of Directors urging the OPA to do almost anything to keep Johnson on the job. One source told the Progress that there were about 200 of those emails. Whatever the precise number, the outpouring of support for Johnson by the racquet sports members was noteworthy. Contrary to competing advice offered on social media and even by some members of the Board, Viola concluded that the situation was salvageable. “I had a meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 10, with Tim Johnson to discuss some
Former Racquet Sports Director Tim Johnson
misunderstandings and a lot of misinformation in the Ocean Pines Community regarding the Racquet Sports operation,” Viola said in a statement at the time. “We had a very positive discussion about some of the issues that had been encountered and, based upon this meeting, I’m pleased to announce that Tim will be promoted to Director of RacTo Page 11
10 Ocean Pines PROGRESS February 2024
February 2024 OceanPines PROGRESS 11
OCEAN PINES Johnson departs
From Page 9 quet Sports effectively immediately, and he will report directly to the GM. I have committed to regular meetings with Tim to discuss any operational needs. “We’re happy to be moving forward and we expect great things from Tim, as he is focused and committed to the Racquet Sports operations.” It turns out that burst of mutual goodwill was relatively short-lived. The Jan. 10 e-mail reprised Johnson’s earlier expressions of frustration, and he and Viola met again on that same day to hash out their differences, Viola said. A source told the Progress that Viola after the meeting indicated that he thought that Johnson’s tenure with the OPA would be shortlived. Johnson said he was expecting the worst when he was called in for another meeting on Jan. 17. They were both right. Johnson said at the meeting’s outset that Viola began reading a letter that Johnson said he was told would be entered into his employment file, essentially accusing him of acting unprofessionally by sending the Jan. 10 email. Johnson said that he thought it unlikely that Viola had written the letter, that it “probably” had been written by Linda Martin, senior executive office manager, perhaps with the assistance of the OPA’s human resources manager. Regardless of who wrote it, it was Viola who was reading it to Johnson, much to his irritation, and Johnson said he didn’t wait for Viola to finish before he resigned, right on the spot. This time, bridges have been burned. There is no conceivable way back even if Johnson wanted one. It turns out he had been prospecting for a new job before the most recent flare-up. An announcement on social media within a week of his resignation said he has taken a job with the Town of Ocean City. That could not be confirmed prior to publication. In an interview on the day of his resignation, Johnson denied his actions had been unprofessional, while freely admitting that he probably was over the top in expressing himself, leading some within the administration to conclude that he was not a team player. “I wasn’t hired to be a yesman,”
he said. “I am a professional. I made the racquet center a welcoming place. They’re going to have to try to discredit me as a disgruntled former employee. I’m not disgruntled. I loved the job, but don’t like to be put in a position where I don’t have resources to do the job the right way.” Viola told the Progress that he would never say or do anything to intentionally discredit Johnson and that anyone who knows him knows he doesn’t engage in personal attacks. He declined to comment substantively on the details of Johnson’s resignation, other than to say he wished him the best.
But Viola also said he and his staff would respond to any specific criticisms of the OPA lodged by Johnson in his exit interview. That was provided in an email sent and received on Jan. 26. The rebuttal was detailed and substantive. The former director led off his critique with a familiar refrain, that the OPA has failed to secure access the racquet complex on Manklin Creek Road with fencing. According to Johnson, cheaters who hop or skirt the fence that’s there now are costing the OPA from $5,000 to $10,000 in lost revenues.
The staff response said Viola and Public Works director Eddie Wells had dealt with the fencing issue, beginning with an Oct. 11 walkthrough of the facility with Viola, Wells and Johnson, followed by another walk-through with Viola and Wells on Oct. 25. “We are going to extend the split rail towards the woods and along the other side to the ball field. We will then add a green wire fence to the split rail to help stop people from getting in,” Wells wrote in a summary email. Installation of the green wire u
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12 Ocean Pines PROGRESS February 2024 Tim Johnson
From Page 11 fencing was begun then halted because Johnson said it was not preventing cheaters from climbing the fence. According to the staff response, Johnson asked for a fourfoot chain link. Viola agreed that a better solution was needed and concluded that an aluminum fencing similar to that found at the golf course would be more effective. Viola reported on the cost of aluminum fencing at a recent Board meeting, with estimates ranging from $23,000 to $26,000. It’s not clear whether the funding will be included in the 2024-25 capital budget to be approved by the Board of Directors later this month. The staff response also said that Viola on Nov. 18 had asked Johnson to schedule a discussion with the GM and the OPA’s Information Technology Department about adding security cameras to the fencing. “Tim never revisited the subject about cameras,” the staff response said. Another item cited by Johnson
in his Jan. 17 exit interview was a request for a storage shed for equipment that he said should be kept out of the elements after use. According to the staff response, that request was made on Nov. 27 with Public Works applying for permits and getting them Dec. 7. The storage shed was installed in January, presumably after Johnson had already resigned. Third on Johnson’s list was a request for a golf cart to help with tennis court maintenance. An informed source said Johnson wanted to replace a three-wheeler cart that had been provided previously with a four-wheeler. “The golf cart alternative was discussed, but Johnson decided it was not needed. [He] replied to an email on Oct. 16, “all taken care of, thanks to Eddie [Wells]. Full speed ahead!” according to the staff response. Johnson in his exit interview also claimed that repairs to pickleball, platform tennis and tennis courts have been slow and inadequate, more particularly citing cracks in the platform tennis courts and rusty fencing.
OCEAN PINES According to the staff response, repairs, upgrades and new courts for all three racquet sports costing almost $500,000 have been completed in the last five years. With respect to the platform tennis courts, the staff response said that in an Oct. 10 meeting with Viola, Johnson complained about the quality of the work by the contractor hired to make the fixes. Viola’s response was to instruct Johnson to find another contractor to obtain a bid. “Tim sent GM a bid for Keystone Sports Construction on Nov. 6,” the staff response said. “The GM asked Tim to set up a time to review the bid, which was for $497,592. Tim never scheduled a meeting.” At just less than a half a million dollars, it seems likely that the bid would have been rejected. Johnson also told the Progress that his request for a warming hut for platform tennis had not been addressed, but the staff response said there had been an on-site meeting on the topic held Nov. 28 with Viola, Johnson and local builder/consultant Frank Brown attending.
‘Tim agreed to wait until after renovations of pro shop to see if that will meet the requested need,” according to the staff response. Johnson’s complaint list included a request for an awning to provide shade to tennis players. According to the staff response, the request was sent by Johnson to Viola on Jan. 1 “as a high priority issue. “The GM instructed Tim to schedule a meeting to discuss with him,” but there was no follow-up, according to the staff response. In addition, the request had never been mentioned by Johnson in the facility walk-throughs on Oct. 12 and Nov. 1. More shading, however, was mentioned in the Racquet Sports Advisory Committee’s annual report. According to staff, the cost of a shaded awning for tennis players is to be determined. Johnson also said that Viola had been non-responsive to a request to replace or fix water fountains that have been inoperative since covid. “He blew me off,” Johnson said of Viola. To Page 14
February 2024 Ocean Pines PROGRESS 13
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OCEAN PINES Johnson resignation
From Page 13 The staff response said that the request for new fountains came in initially on Dec. 17 but that Johnson “didn’t show up to a follow-up with the GM.” The need for water fountains was mentioned as a “priority” in a Jan. 1 Public Works to-do list, so it’s not being ignored. Johnson told the Progress that he suggested a way to provide four more pickleball courts at the racquet sports complex, with no response by Viola. Johnson’s idea was to move platform tennis to the free tennis courts at the Swim and Racquet Club, freeing up space at the racquet complex for new pickleball courts. According to the staff, Johnson was instructed by Viola on Oct. 31 to inspect the Swim and Racquet Club courts. Johnson did so on Nov. 2, writing in an email that “my assessment is that the site is amazing. I will push this as a viable option for our group ... I recommend that we revive these courts,” an apparent reference to the Swim and Racquet Club courts. Viola instructed Johnson to follow up with him the following week, but it never happened, according to staff. At the Jan. 20 Board of Directors meeting, Viola said better utilization of the Swim and Racquet Court was under review. Johnson in his exit interview mentioned he had proposed improvements to the complex’s memorial garden, including a pergola and memory wall, but staff responded that on Nov. 27 Johnson sent an email requesting planter boxes with no mention of improvements to the memory garden. “Public Works forwarded an email to the GM. GM requested Tim to reach to him. No communication ever,” according to staff. The tenth and final complaint by Johnson concerned a slippery sidewalk after rains, between the first and second banks of the Har-Tru tennis courts. He said he suggested a new drainage ditch. “People have slipped. It’s a safety hazard,” he said. According to staff, Johnson made a request for a solution in a Dec. 17 email. “Drainage had been addressed in prior years,” according to staff. “Johnson didn’t show up to follow-up meeting with the GM,” a common theme throughout the staff responses. It may take awhile for these proposals to work through the OPA approval process, assuming that Viola wants to pursue them. The first iteration of the proposed budget for 2024-25 included one capital item for the racquet sports complex, fencing between pickleball courts 1-4 and 5-8. Whether any of the additional items sought by the former racquet sports director will be added to the capital budget remains to be seen, but it’s late in the process. Some of them can be accomplished within the general manager’s discretionary spending authority. Farr, the Board liaison to the racquet sports committee, was non-committal. “Some might be added,” he said. “Others might have to wait a year. To be determined.”
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February 2024 Ocean Pines PROGRESS 15
No replacement yet for racquet sports director Promotion could come from within the ranks of OPA employees
By TOM STAUSS Publisher t’s clear that it isn’t one person who’s providing on-site management of the Ocean Pines Racquet Sports Complex on Manklin Creek Road after the Jan. 17 resignation of Racquet Sports Director Tim Johnson. Somewhat non-committal answers by General Manager John Viola suggest it’s a situation in flux, with the void being filled by remaining on-site staff. Viola has made some decisions, however, naming Controller/Finance Director Steve Phillips as having a new role overseeing the complex, assisted by Ruth Ann Meyer, the Ocean Pines Association’s membership and assessment supervisor, who was recently promoted to senior manager, retaining her other duties. “We haven’t written up job descriptions yet, but we should have
I
that by next week,” Viola said in a Jan. 26 email. Viola could have given the oversight role to Parks and Recreation Director Debbie Donahue, who was Johnson’s supervisor prior to his promotion from manager to director in October. “Based on the current situation, we had a need and Steve Phillips came forward and requested the opportunity, along with Ruth Ann. We have stabilized the processes at the front desk, along with maintenance. Going forward, Steve and I will reevaluate and reassess,” Viola said. In an earlier text, Viola said he’s leaning toward hiring private contractors to offer lessons for members, and that some existing staff will be stepping up to fill the void temporarily by Johnson’s exit. “At least one, if not two, have talked to the GM and the team about taking on increased responsibility. There are at least two people
down there who could be elevated” as Johnson’s successor, Viola said. As for lessons, “we believe people are going to approach us about doing lessons at the Racquet Center. We’re looking at the same model as we use at the Golf Club,” in which a private contractor offers lessons to golfers. Although Viola won’t confirm, the
Progress has been told by a source the OPA may do a “soft search” for a permanent manager and that a anhouse promotion to manager is the leading option. One possible in-house candidate is not interested in the job, the source said, leaving the other as a possible successor to Johnson.
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Board adjusts some amenity fees New base assessment untouched at $850 By TOM STAUSS Publisher xcept for relatively modest changes in amenity membership fees, the revised 2024-25 Ocean Pines Association budget reviewed and tweaked by the Board of Directors Jan. 11 differs very little from the one General Manager John Viola unveiled just before Christmas. On the suggestion of the Budget and Finance Advisory Committee, increases in boat ramp fees and beach parking passes were scaled back by roughly half over what was originally proposed. Aquatics membership rates, not increased in the original budget draft, were nudged up by three percent. The committee had also suggested a three percent increase in member dues for all three racquet sports, rather than the 11 percent increase in pickleball only in the original draft. In the end, the directors decided not to make any changes in what had been in Viola’s original draft. That leaves no increase in rates for tennis or platform tennis while retaining the 11 percent increase for pickleball. The committee had suggested no changes in daily or weekly rates for amenities as proposed in the original draft. The changes did not affect the proposed $36 decrease in the annual lot assessment from this year’s $886, down to $850. Nor was the waterfront differential rate affected. The budget’s bottom line did change modestly. Projected Aquatics revenues increased, while those for boat slips and beach parking were reduced. The overall affect on the proposed budget was $53,462 in less net revenue. Instead of a projected $766,211 increase in overall net spending from what is estimated for this year, the increased spending in the revised budget is $722,749. The balanced budget of $18.523 million is a drop in the ocean from the $18.567 million in the original proposal.
E
2023-24 ESTIMATE/2024-25 BUDGET COMPARISON
2024-25 OPA BUDGET NOTES
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Viola recaps ‘bottoms up’ budget process
n remarks opening the budget review process in January, General Manager John Viola called it “bottoms-up preparation of a budget. All the departments and everybody else was included. It was a process over three months. “I was very happy with the way it transpired, with everybody. We have been updating the Budget and Finance [Committee]. We did look at last year’s budget when we did this [and] compared it also with the forecast, to see where we’re at. “We are not only giving you a budget assessment ... but we also looked at the balance sheet. We know there’s new regulations on homeowners’
associations ... that within five years we should have some type of outside study. I believe we’re ahead of all homeowners’ associations,” Viola said. Virginia based DMA Reserves was originally commissioned to do a replacement reserves study in 2015. That study was updated in 2021 and dubbed “DMA light.” Viola said the Association would do a review of the “DMA light” study within the next budget cycle, followed by a full review during the following year. Currently, OPA reserves are 25.7 percent fully funded, with that u
18 Ocean Pines PROGRESS February 2024 Budget recap From Page 17 number trending up over the next five years, based on budget projections. The projected $7 million year-end balance in the replacement reserve actually is 31 percent of the $25 million in assets covered by the replacement reserve, Viola told the Progress recently. Nonethless, official OPA policy is a 24-28 percent range. “What we’ve done in the past, and credit to Budget and Finance and everybody else, we are planning and we’re setting up a meeting with the outside vendor on that – what we call the “DMA light” – so that we can get updates,” Viola said. “But my point here is this: When we did the budget by the departments for the assessment, we focused on the balance sheet, which we’ve been doing [and] which this committee has told me ... that we should be doing that. So, we did do that, and we’ll show you that today. So, that’s a big part of this. “Also,when you look at the analysis we have in the front of the
OCEAN PINES Proposed Assessment Rates Fiscal Year 2024-24
Proposed Membership Dues Fiscal Year 2024-24 TYPE
Family
Couples
Individual Non-member
Proposed Boat Slip Rates* Fiscal Year 2024-24
* Non-property owners, if slips become available, will be charged an additional $100 per season, or an additional 10% of the rate, whichever is higher
(1) Available only to members and able to be utilized during specific weekly time period purchased (2) Available only when purchasing swim, tennis, platform tennis, pickleball or golf
Source: Ocean Pines Finance Department
budget binder, there’s a great analysis where we compare last year’s budget forecast and then obviously this year’s budget.
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Budget wrap-up From Page 16 the assessment decreased $36. “Obviously, for that to happen, we’re operating on all cylinders. I’ve said this before and that’s across the board ... but Golf – what I’m seeing, what we’re all seeing and what we’re projecting – Golf has been the economic engine driving this budget. But, it’s across the board. Let me make that clear,” Viola said. The $36 reduction in the base assessment is the direct result of allocating $912,649 from prior year surpluses for the specific purpose of reducing the assessment. That’s a fulfillment of a Viola promise in last year’s budget process, in effect a give-back to property owners from several consecutive years of substantial operating fund surpluses. The Board of Directors met Jan. 11 to review the proposed budget, changing some of the amenity membership fees in aquatics, beach parking and marina boat slips. Department heads delivered some insights into what went into their budgets, Viola made some announcements and the directors made some policy decisions. • Matt Ortt of the Matt Ortt Companies told the Board that the Beach Club, operating from Memorial Day to Labor Day, is the most profitable of the three venues his company manages for the OPA. He said that remaining open after Labor Day when the swimming pool is no longer open would cut into earnings and he recommended against it. Directors agreed. Ortt said with 95 percent confidence that his company would meet the budgeted $170,000 positive earnings number on $462,000 in revenue. Viola said plans are under way to make access to the Beach Club’s lower level bathrooms member-only by a coded key card, as previously disclosed. However, after exploring the possibility of making access to parking lot by key card, staff concluded that status quo entry with a check-in by parking lot attendants would remain in place for the coming summer.
• Ortt said there is also a 95 percent probability of hitting the projected $75,000 surplus at the Clubhouse Grille. He said that projected $368,534 in revenue is $6,000 than this year’s estimated net. He said the facility is seeing an influx of banquets, double that of the previous year. • Ortt said one of the keys to keeping costs down and profits up is to secure rebates from food and beverage vendors based on volume. Keeping and rewarding top management is another factor to the Matt Ortt Companies’ success, he said. • At the Yacht Club, he said the $160,050 profit number can be hit if there is 75 percent good weather on summer weekends. He said he’s noticed that people are spending less money eating out than they were immediately post-covid, when there was a pent-up demand. There has been no indication so far in the budget process that Ortt intends to adjust Yacht Club projections based on the planned tiki bar expansion that should be completed before Memorial Day, but he said he expects that the more spacious tiki bar will result in a better experience for patrons and that “in three years or the bar will pay for itself.” He said a key to the Yacht Club’s success has been the quality of live entertainment that is brought in on weekends. • Viola disclosed that the golf course irrigation project that is budgeted to begin late this year will be spread over four or five years. Disruption to golfers will be minimized by utilizing the par three 19th hole that runs parallel to the second hole and golf driving range. The result will be that the course will have 18 holes operational at all times, he said. • Golf continues to be a leading revenue engine for the OPA. Next year’s combined operations/maintenance budget currently call for $1,653,670 in revenue against $1,364,313 in expenses, resulting a net surplus projected just under $300,000. •Director of Golf Bob Beckelman said he would take some credit for improved operations if offered, but he credited the OPA for committing the resources needed to improve course playability, build a new clubhouse and cart barn. He also said that outside play has benefited from previous rela-
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February 2024 Ocean Pines PROGRESS 21
tionships he had with local package play promoter Pam’s Golf and others. Viola went further and credited past Board members who had committed the expenditures for the facility improvements. Beckelman said tournaments are often charity events, yielding little revenue, and he is not actively seeking more of them. The proposed budget would increase family golf memberships by $125, from $2500 to $2,625; and individual golf memberships by $100, from $1,600 to $1,700. Family golf memberships after noon would decrease $50, from $1,750 to $1,700, and individual after noon memberships would also decrease $50, from $1,050 to $1,000. Junior memberships would remain unchanged at $225. Cart packages and daily rates are unchanged in the proposed budget. • In addition to the first year of irrigation system improvements, the golf capital budget includes $20,000 for improvements to the golf maintenance building at the end of the driving range. The improvements will include a covered area that will make it possible for golf lessons to be held there during cooler months. • Parks and Recreation Director Debbie Donahue provided details about what may be the highlight of the department’s special events programming this coming year - a performance by the Vienna Boys Choir. She told the directors that local venues such as the Community Church of Ocean Pines are too small for the expected number of ticket-holders, so she’s been having discussions with the Ocean City Convention Center as the concert venue. She mentioned Dec. 10 or Dec. 11 as the likely date for the event. OPA President Rick Farr remarked it will be a sell-out, even after the OPA covers expenses such as accommodations for the choir members. Ticket prices have not yet been determined. • After Donahue mentioned that Bainbridge Park is slated for more improvements in the new budget and that deteriorating flooring in the Community Center “is good for one more year,” Viola said that the flooring will receive maintenance over the coming year but won’t be replaced. Viola also announced that a working group has been assembled to look at the Community Center over the next several years to determine if there’s a solution to the fact that it’s at capacity. Hinted at is some sort of expansion. • Former Racquet Sports Director Tim Johnson presented a number of plans for the Racquet Sports Complex, with no mention of the job dissatisfactions or complaints about the slow pace of improvements that prompted his resignation a few days later. Plans are in place for an expanded clubhouse and fencing between pickleball courts 1-4 and 5-8. The directors debated whether to change pickleball, tennis and platform tennis membership rates from what Viola proposed in his original draft. That proposed budget had not increased tennis and platform rates over this year’s, but family pickleball memberships were increased $30, from $295 to $325, and individual rates were increased $20, from $180 to $200, with no change in the junior rate of $55. The daily drop-in rate for pickleball increased $3, from $7 to $10, remaining at $10 for tennis and $7 for platform tennis. After discussion, the directors in the end decided not to raise tennis and platform tennis rates. The pickleball rates were accepted as proposed in the
original budget. • Viola said options to deal with cheaters who scale the perimeter fencing at the racquet center to avoid paying for pickleball, tennis or platform include some sort of wristband for paid players and cameras placed at key locations to document cheaters. Prior to his departure as director, Johnson had estimated that cheaters are costing the OPA $5,000 to $10,000 per year in lose revenue. • Senior Executive Officer Manager Linda Martin, subbing for Aquatics Manager Michelle Hitchens, said the community shouldn’t expect Aquatics to make a lot of money for the OPA in the coming year. Indeed, the budget headed for approval later this month now shows a $68,139 deficit for the year, down from a $75,247 loss projected in the preliminary draft budget unveiled in December. That’s because the Board decided to increase rates 3 percent year-overyear, compared to no increases in the original Viola proposal. Director Steve Jacobs during discussion seemed to be pressing for rates or operational changes that would reduce the deficit down to zero, but other directors seemed willing to accept a modest deficit. Martin said that Hitchens expects the pools this summer to be fully staffed. Director Elaine Brady raised the possibility of replacing the splash pad at the Swim and Racquet Club with a new baby pool. The splash pad is scheduled to be replaced at a cost of $40,950 before summer. Once she was told that a new baby pool would cost somewhere around $100,000, she backed off. • Chief of Police Tim Robinson said the department was moving toward “competitive mark to market” compensation for current and future police officers. The goal is to hire eight more officers over the next 16 months or so, with Academy classes starting at the end of February and again the second week of July. The goal is to hire and send to the Academy in groups of four. u
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22 Ocean Pines PROGRESS February 2024
Farr rebuffs attempt to place revised ethics resolution B-8 on Board agenda Director Steve Jacobs to decide whether he will try again at February meeting
By TOM STAUSS Publisher n attempt to have an amended version of the Ocean Pines Association B-08 ethics resolution added to the Jan. 20 Board of Directors meeting agenda was temporarily rebuffed by OPA President Rick Farr. Farr told the Progress that Director Steve Jacobs had dropped off a hard copy of the amended resolution to Linda Martin, the OPA’s senior executive manager, for inclusion in the meeting agenda. Farr said the usual protocol is for the directors to have electronic copies of proposed Board resolutions prior to their inclusion for discussion at a meeting. Jacobs apparently intended for the directors to consider the revived ethics resolution on first reading. Farr said the amended B-08 includes some language that would have the effect of banning the Matt Ortt Companies from comping directors free drinks at the Yacht Club or other MOC-managed venues, which he said might occur from time to time but isn’t a widespread practice. Jacobs confirmed that he dropped off a hard copy of the amended B-08 to Martin. He declined to provide an electronic version of it to the Progress, on the grounds that he’s not sure he will presenting it for first reading at the
A
Board’s February meeting. He said he’s not convinced that a majority of the directors are supportive of reviving the controversial resolution and will have to weigh that as he considers his options. The previous version of B-08 was officially repealed by the Board on second reading at its June 16, 2021, monthly meeting. The previous month, the resolution’s most persistent critic Director Frank Daly, called it a “poster child for unintended, and bad, consequences.” The repeal became official on approval of Daly’s motion for a second reading. During the board’s May 15 meeting of that same year, Daly had invited the By-laws and Resolutions Advisory Committee to propose amendments to the resolution as an alternative to repeal. There was no such amended version offered during the meeting, suggesting that committee members concluded they didn’t have enough time to make proposed changes or that B-08 was beyond salvage, or perhaps some of both. In any event, Daly’s motion for repeal passed unanimously. At the May 2021 Board meeting, Daly had said that during his tenure on the board the directors handled three B-08 complaints, with none measuring up “to the stan-
Budget recap From Page 21
If all eight pass and remain with the Ocean Pines Police Department, it will be fully staffed. In the interim, the county Sheriff’s Department continues to help out with nighttime patrols. Viola said this assistance is offered at no cost to the OPA. Robinson said the OPPD recently received a $30,000 grant for new computers and Website improvements and that efforts will continue to pursue additional funding. He noted the recent hiring of a property room manager that will much improve tracking of evidence and equipment. Viola said that once the department is fully staffed, he and Robinson most likely will make a request for additional police cars. Ocean Pines Volunteer Fire Department officers came in briefly for a discussion of next year’s funding request, with no surprises or debate. The funding request only increases OPA support for the OPVFD by several thousand dollars year over year.
dard of excellence and fairness that we expect of each other and that the community expects of us.” There is no particular reason to believe that the current Board majority would differ with that rationale. With the demise of B-08, Board conduct and ethics is governed by the language in the OPA by-laws. That language is vague at best. Section 5.12 of the by-laws doesn’t offer up any specific examples of conduct that might justify removal of a director from the board. It says only that a director can be removed for cause by two thirds vote of the board, or after a petition of OPA members by simple board majority, also for cause. Cause may include but is not limited to absence from three consecutive board meetings or more than 60 days delinquency in paying annual lot assessments. In his critique of B-08, Daly had said the resolution as it’s been interpreted and applied prevented the board from publicly identifying who makes a complaint, who the complaint was filed against, and the nature of the complaint. After the repeal, the matter rested for another year. At a July 15, 2023, meeting of the Board, then director Colette Horn offered a motion to approve revisions to B-08. Then OPA President Doug Parks, presiding over his last monthly meeting before terming out as a Board member, said he agreed in concept with the resolution but argued that it was not appropriate to approve it with an election pending. He said action should be postponed out of respect for the three new directors who would be seated in August. “They are going to have to live with it,” he said, adding, “I’d rather just wait.” He suggested letting the new Board address it in the future. OPA Vice-president Rick Farr, since then elected as the new OPA president, told the Progress after the July 15 meeting that he didn’t think
OCEAN PINES
a revived B-08 deserved an affirmative vote of the Board. “It’s not necessary,” he said. It seems doubtful that Farr will be changing his mind if Jacobs, who backed Horns’ motion offered during the July, 2023, meeting decides to offer it afresh despite headwinds it likely will encounter. Jacobs didn’t agree with Parks’s argument as a reason to delay action during the July 15 meeting, arguing that there are new Board members every year. “That in and of itself should not act as an impediment [to a vote],” he said. Jacobs said he was concerned about pushing off approval of the resolution. He said the Board and By-laws and Resolutions Advisory Committee had dedicated four to five months work to developing the resolution and the Board should vote on it. Any Board can revisit it in the future if it wants to do so, he added. Parks wasn’t buying Jacobs’s argument. “We’re talking about three new Board members,” Parks said of the upcoming election, adding that the addition of that many new directors could sway the Board majority and the outcome of a vote. As background on the motion, Horn said that the proposed update to the resolution came about as a result of discussions about confidentiality and conflicts of interest that are not appropriately addressed in other governing documents. With Horn termed out from the Board, Jacobs has no obvious ally with whom he could press for approval should the amended resolution be presented for Board consideration. Should he offer up a motion to begin a first reading of the resolution, it’s not certain he would get a second. If he simply launches into a rationale for why the resolution is a good idea, without offering a motion, it’s not clear how much of a debate would ensue. Farr said that he understands there is language in the revised resolutition that would prohibit directors or OPA staff from receiving complimentary food and drink from any vendor that does business with the OPA. He suggested that the problem with a revived B-08 was not that provision but that it’s a weapon that has been used by a Board majority to attack the minority.
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February 2024 Ocean Pines PROGRESS 23 dents who attended the meeting did not think that would be an issue. The project will be designed to create headlands with bays in between. The headlands would be made of buried boulders, and gravel and the bay area in between would OPA would not be on the hook for any construction funds be made of gravel and sand. By CINDY HOFFMAN ber 2025. This will entail about 30-40 days The bay shaped design would capContributing Writer The construction would occur in of dump trucks making about 100 ture sand and keep it in the site. In ust off the coastline of Osprey the winter when many residents of trips a day to transport fill and rock time, the sand would get pushed up Point condominiums are some Osprey Point are not there. Access to the site. and create dunes. small islands called Jenkin’s to the site would be by land, as that It was assumed that Osprey Point The stable headlands would atPoint. In 1961, Jenkins Point was a is the cheaper and faster way to get residents will have to approve ac- tract and retain sand, Becraft said. long peninsula, which over time has materials to the site, rather than cess to Jenkins Point through their The land would then be planted u eroded away. over water. property. The Osprey Point resiResidents of Osprey Point and Ocean Pines attended a meeting at the Golf Clubhouse on Jan. 29 to talk about restoring Jenkins Point. The land is owned by the Ocean Pines Association, which has partnered with the Maryland Coastal Bays Program (MCBP) to create a plan to restore the islands and provide a barrier for wave storm energy for the communities of Osprey Point and Pines Point Marina and the Ocean Pines Yacht Club. Not only would restoration of the islands provide resilience from storm action, but the new land would provide habitat for terrapins, horseshoe crabs, shore birds such as oyster catchers, dunlins and black skimmers, a species that is endangered in Maryland, according to Kim Abplanalp, the bird habitat coordinator with MCBP. MCBP has hired Underwood and Associates, a landscape architecture and ecological restoration firm, to The 1961 shoreline in the vicinity of today’s Ocean Pines Yacht Club. design the project. Thirty to forty percent of the design of the project is complete, according to Chris Becraft, a partner at Underwood. The project will cost about $10 million and could be 100 percent funded by state and federal funding. MCBP received a grant for the design of the project from Maryland DNR and is currently applying for grants from NOAA and other sources for the construction, according to Kevin Smith, the executive director of MCBP. Funding will not come from the Ocean Pines Association. “I have not had a project that has not been fully funded,” Becraft said. Having the design and permits in hand puts the project in a better position to get additional funding, according to Smith. Permit applications will be submitted in the next three to six months and take about 18 months for approval. The best-case scenario reliablehomeandlawn@yahoo.com is the project would start in Decem-
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OPA, Coastal Bays partner in South Gate pond improvements Viola vows that fishing will not be prohibited
By ROTA L. KNOTT Contributing Writer hat started out as an effort to control the impact of geese on the South Gate pond has morphed into a shoreline restoration project that finds the Ocean Pines Association partnering with the Maryland Coastal Bays Program to stop erosion and improve water quality. General Manager John Viola told the Board of Directors during a Jan. 20 meeting that the MCBP is committed to working with the OPA on the soft shoreline project. A work plan has been submitted to the Environmental Protection Agency and the OPA anticipates approval, he said. “This looks good. It looks promising. I’m excited,” he said. Viola said MCBP has assisted with seeking grant funds to pay for the project, and a federal $150,000 reimbursable grant has been awarded for it. The OPA will have to outlay the costs and then seek reimbursement based upon presenting invoices. The funding will be allocated to various com-
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ponents of the soft shoreline project, including site plan development and implementation of environmental techniques using plantings to stabilize the shoreline to protect from erosion. About $50,000 is allocated for Vista Design of Showell to draft project plans with the remaining $100,000 for the plantings. The OPA will develop a request for proposals for the work in conjunction with MCBP. Viola stressed that they will need to obtain at least three bids for the project. More than a year ago the Environment and Natural Assets Committee brought forth a proposal for a 20-foot wide vegetated buffer planted with native species, saying it could help reduce the resident Canada goose population at the South Gate pond by more than 50 percent. The Environment and Natural Assets Committee had collected and reviewed historical data regarding the various methods that have been used in Ocean Pines over the years to control the population of geese in area and other potential methods. The committee proposed a habitat modifi-
similar project at Assateague, to the left of the Verrazano Bridge about From Page 23 four years ago. with various native grasses includThe area will be fishable, kayaing underwater, intertidal and dune kable and swimmable, according to grasses. Becraft. Underwood and Associates did a The goal is to build a place that
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cation around the South Gate Pond using native plants, saying it would serve two important purposes - stopping the land erosion and deterring the Canada geese from gathering, building nests, and increasing their population. Following that presentation, the Board of Directors instructed the committee to develop a full proposal for the project. That effort morphed into the project now being planning in partnership with MCBP to restore the soft shoreline. Environmental benefits of the vegetated buffers include that they help to filter runoff and keep pollutants from entering the pond and eventually the watershed. Planted buffers also prevent soil erosion, a significant problem at the South Gate pond where the banks have eroded toward the road. There’s very little land strip left where the pond is coming closer to Route 589. Viola said that is where the work will begin. “We’re going to start on the 589 side where there is the most erosion,” he said. He also said measures will be taken to protect turtles that call the South Gate Pond their home as part of the work. “I think it’s a great project,” Director Elaine Brady said, and asked if fishing will still be allowed at the pond once the work is complete. Viola responded that, yes, fishing will still be permitted and he is looking to the Anglers Club for some feedback on the project. While some sections of the shoreline likely will be off limits to fishing, it’s probable there will be designated areas where the popular pastime will be allowed.
people can enjoy. If they enjoy it, they will respect it too, Becraft said. The project would take about six months from start to finish. The six months would not be constant construction. Becraft hopes to build in December 2025, let the lands set-
tle and then start planting in May. They would watch the land to see how it functions for the summer and do any adaptive management at that point. Smith welcomed any residents who have questions to contact him at KSmith@mdcoastalbays.org.
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Board approves legal action on compliance backlog
Sixty-seven properties brought on violations By ROTA L. KNOTT Contributing Writer ixty-seven properties were found to be in continuing violation of the Ocean Pines Association’s governing documents and sent to legal counsel for action during the Jan. 20 Board of Directors meeting. The Board voted unanimously to take legal action to rectify the violations, suspend all access to OPA amenities, and suspend the voting rights of those found to be in continuing violation. Director Monica Rakowski, who made the motion, said the property owners have received multiple notices of the violations and no corrective actions have been taken. “We’re serious about it. We want this community as it continues to age to continue with the charm and the look of the community and make sure that we’re all proud,” Director Elaine Brady said. At 14, the highest number of violations were issued for general property maintenance. Other violations cited were largely for property owners doing work without the benefit of a permit. Those included four for no permit for a fence, three no permit for color changes, three for unauthorized tree removal, two for recreation vehicle parking, two for no permit for an addition, and one each for an alteration, a shed and fence, a porch, handicapped ramp, fire pit, carport, with no permit. There were also five for trash cans, four for trash or debris, three unregistered vehicles, two for a tent in the yard, two for vehicle parking, two for easement and ditch issues, two for not displaying a house number, and one each for a sign, a metal fence, a commercial vehicle, fence placement, trash at the roadway, placement of
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a trampoline, deck screening, having more than one boat trailer, a stop work order, placement basketball goal, and attachment to a bulkhead. Ocean Parkway had the highest number of violations at ten, with Fairhaven Court and Yeoman Court each having four and Abbyshire Road with three. There were two each on Nottingham Lane, Footbridge Trail, Lookout Point, Duck Cove Circle, Robin Hood Trail, Deerfield Court, Tortola, Crest Haven Drive, and Brandywine Drive. The was one violation each on White Horse Drive, Grand Port Road, White Sail Circle, Capetown Road, Waters Edge Court, Starboard Court, Birdnest Drive, Moby Dick Drive, Harpoon Road, Falconbridge Road, Garrett Drive, Tail of the Fox Drive, Liberty Street, Evergreen Court, Willow Way, Mulberry Lane, Gatehouse Trail, Quarter Staff Place, Chestnut Way, Sassafras Lane, Canvassback Court, Wood Duck Drive, Charleston Road, Mumfords Landing Road, and Cannon Drive. Brady said during the last election community members stressed the need for action to clean up properties in violation of the governing documents. She said she hopes people realize that the Board took their comments seriously. OPA operations and CPI teams have been more proactive in identifying problem properties that have for years in the community and bringing them forward for action. In the past, Brady said there simply wasn’t enough staff to be proactive, so the OPA relied on others to call in and complain about violations. Brady said Ocean Pines needs people to be good neighbors. “And if you’re not, we’ll take care of the problem,” she said. Director Jeff Heavner said the results of a
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community survey in 2021 clearly showed the need to address property maintenance and other violations as a priority. “That this was a gap that was of high interest to our community to keep this community’s appearance up,” he said. Heavner said the updated guidelines are a next step in that process, which included recent revisions to Board resolutions to ensure adequate enforcement. Linda Martin, OPA senior executive office manager, said the property owners in all of the cases brought before the Board for action received first and second notices to rectify the violations. None of the owners requested hearings before the Board. OPA President Rick Farr said he assumed those notifications were ignored by the property owners. Martin responded that none of them were returned to the OPA so they were delivered to the addresses on file. Brady asked if the Board needed to take a second vote during the meeting to allow Ocean Pines employees or contractors to enter onto some of the subject properties to clean up debris. OPA Attorney Bruce Bright said no, that can be taken care of at a later time. “I think we can deal with that by way of a unanimous vote without a meeting after today,” he said. If all seven directors agree, the Board can make decisions electronically. Bright said he will work with staff to select the cases where it is appropriate in consultation with CPI to have crews enter onto properties to correct the outstanding violations. That action will required a unanimous vote of the Board but the vote can be taken either outside of a meeting or at the next Board meeting, he said. Regardless, the record of that vote will have to be reflected in the minutes of the next Board meeting so the public is aware of the actions taken. One repairs are made, the property owner is billed for the work done, with the cost added to the annual lot assessment.
Drawbridge diners
The neighbors on Drawbridge Road in Ocean Pines met for their first neighborhood dinner of the new year on Monday, Jan. 29th at Taylor’s Restaurant. They have gathering like this for the past 25 years. Jackie Choate, standing on the right (in red), is the coordinator for the neighborhood.
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February 2024 Ocean Pines PROGRESS 27
Board considers updates to ARC guidelines Second reading likely for February meeting
By ROTA L. KNOTT Contributing Writer n a new effort to improve and update its guidelines, the Architectural Review Committee has proposed minor changes to simplify language and reduce confusion about provisions included in the document which governs residential design and maintenance in the community. The Board of Directors held a first reading of the revisions during a Jan. 20 meeting and passed it along to the Ocean Pines Association’s legal counsel for review. A second reading and call for final approval by the Board may be held as early as the Board’s February meeting. Director Elaine Brady said modifications and additions to the guidelines are based on issues that have arisen in ARC meetings, the committee’s interpretation of the guidelines as they apply to the changing characteristics of the community, and the heightened concern residents about the appearance of the community. “The committee every so often will relook at their documents,” Brady said. Linda Martin, OPA senior executive office manager, said the rewrite was designed to make “the guidelines more user friendly by realigning sections.” Martin said that the only change people might notice is the addition of a few permits that currently Ocean Pines does not require but that are required by Worcester County, such as roof replacement, driveways, and hardscapes/ landscaping. “Wow, you really have simplified the narrative in here and made it a lot easier to interpret,” Di-
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rector Jeff Heavner said of the revised guidelines. Brady said the primary areas being addressed in the revised guidelines are the need for more current property surveys and site plans when property owners make application so ARC can make informed decisions, and more detail on what will be needed to apply for variances and exceptions. She said there can be confusion about permitting, with some property owners not being aware that they need an OPA permit as well as a county permit for many projects. “Some people don’t realize that,” she said. Other updated language addresses construction requirements, including fencing, docks, driveways, structures and vacant lots, plantings and tree removal, drainage including fill, grading, and culvert pipes. Revisions also clarify language around recreational vehicle storage, home-based businesses and signs, including flag style or fabric signs. Brady said the revisions provide more detail on regarding what is needed to apply for OPA permits so applicants do not have to return to the ARC for review multiple times. She said probably half the people who come to a first meeting have to reschedule because they are lacking documentation needed by the ARC members to complete their review of the application. One specific area being addressed in the revised guidelines in signage, and specifically flags that are considered signs but in cloth materials. The revisions state that no sign, flag, advertisement or decoration of any type shall be nailed,
or in any way fastened, to trees. All signs have to be located between the front property line and the structure and may be parallel or perpendicular to the street. Placement in the right of way, in easement areas or on any structure owned or operated by the Association is prohibited and will be removed without notice. Wording of signs must be clear and concise and be limited to pertinent information and not contain any foul language or have any offensive content as determined by ARC. The guidelines specify that real estate flags are prohibited as are all signs for short-term rentals. Brochure boxes being used to advertise short-term rentals are prohibited and will be immediately removed. Homes for sale sign continued to be allowed. Political candidate and proposition/referendum signs and flags may not be displayed prior to 30 days before the primary election, general election or vote and must be removed within seven days of the end of their candidacy. Brady said the draft guidelines have been reviewed by the Bylaws and Resolutions Advisory Committee, which provided comment to ARC for incorporation in time for the first reading. OPA legal counsel will vet the document between the first reading and second reading. If the attorney suggested any changes, they will be sent back to the ARC for consideration and comment as well. A read-through of the so-called “redline” document by the Progress yielded no significant policy changes.
Board approves April 20 amenities’ kick-start event White Horse Park to host celebration of all Ocean Pines has to offer By ROTA L. KNOTT Contributing Writer n Ocean Pines Season Kick-off event that will highlight all the community has to offer is scheduled for Saturday, April 20, from 3 to 7 p.m. in White Horse Park. The event will give residents and visitors the opportunity to learn about the many Ocean Pines recreational amenities, activities, clubs, and dining experiences. During its Jan. 20 monthly meeting, Director Monica Rakowski offered a motion to approve the Season Kick-off Day event as a way to get people excited about becoming involved in the activities of the community. Rakowski said the event will showcase the “outstanding golf course, top-notch racket sports facilities, Beach Club, pools, parks, hiking trails recreational activities and our premiere attraction the OP Yacht Club.” She said the event will promote and highlight the value of all Ocean Pines amenities and create a positive, congenial, and engaging community experience. There will be displays and demonstrations from the amenities, clubs, and community groups. In September of last year, the Board gave its okay for a work group to plan and develop a budget for a Season Kick Off event. The idea first surfaced during a discussion about getting more people to participate in aquatics programs during an Aquatics Advisory Committee meeting. It quickly evolved to include all of the OPA’s amenities. Before ap-
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proaching the Board with the idea for the event, the work group reached out to more than 50 local clubs and organizations to see if they would be interested in participating such an event and received positive feedback. The working group is comprised of representatives from the OPA Advisory Committees. It began meeting in March 2023 and is leading the planning and execution of the Season Kick-off event. The committee hopes the event will generate additional income by eliciting new memberships and interest in participating in the many activities offered. Rakowski said another goal is to “highlight Ocean Pines as the stellar community offering something for everyone.” The event is being held in the spring when OPA club memberships become available for the new year. Director Stuart Lakernick asked about the cost of holding the event. The work group initially estimated cost of the event is about $15,000 when it pitched the Season Kick-off celebration to the Board in September. Rakowski said the goal is for it to be at no cost to the OPA, other than incidental costs for staffing. She said the work group has several sponsors lined up and committed to covering costs. She added the hope is to actually “make a little revenue on it.” “It looks like a great event. This will be awesome,” Lakernick said. The work group has suggested White Horse Park as the venue with To Page 29
28 Ocean Pines PROGRESS February 2024 Compliance
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February 2024 Ocean Pines PROGRESS
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Dog park advocates ask for gazebo Viola says OPA looking at possible restoration of aquatics debit card By ROTA L. KNOTT Contributing Writer ith construction of a new gazebo/pavilion planned at the Worcester Count Veterans Memorial at Ocean Pines, advocates for the community’s canines are asking for the existing gazebo on that site to be moved to the Dog Park. General Manager John Viola said the Ocean Pines Association may build them a new gazebo instead. Speaking on behalf of “the mayor of the Dog Park” Jack Levering, who regularly advocates for improvements at the dog park but couldn’t attend the June 20 meeting, Pattie Stevens presented the request to the Board of Directors during Public Comments. She said the dog park is well used, with a regular group of 15 to 20 people and their pets there every morning starting at 7 a.m., with an even larger group of 20 to 30 regulars in the afternoon. “It’s connectivity. It’s a community. They look out for each other. And the dogs socialize as well as the people,” Stevens said. As the OPA is building the new gazebo at the Veterans Memorial, members are asking for the older little gazebo that has been used at various locations in the community next be moved to the dog park. “It’s been an orphan and nobody wants it. But the dog park people really want it. Because then on the rainy days when they still go out and their dogs want to play they could be under shelter,” Stevens said. She argued that it would allow for reuse of a facility the OPA has already purchased and there would be little cost to relocate it. “They would make good use of it.” General Manager John Viola said he had also received the request for a gazebo at the dog park. However, he said the Garden Club also wants the old gazebo from the Veteran’s Memorial site. Viola said he is looking at the possibly moving the old gazebo to the Ocean Pines community garden and building a new one that would fit a little better at the dog park. Stevens also encouraged the OPA to make improvements to a low area of the dog park that floods. She said in the past the area has been mulched to help address dampness but now it is like a small lake in the middle of the dog park. She asked if some other surface could be used to help it drain. She also said Levering wanted to thank the OPA for installing agility equipment for the dogs at the park. Aos during Public Comments, Karen Kaplan, president of the platform and spec tennis club, asked whether a two-sport request membership will be offered this season. She had broached the issue during Pub-
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GM report From Page 28 time event to be held in the afternoon and anticipated participation by 1,000 to 1,500 attendees. The event will not be just for residents but for their guests and potential homeowners, Realtors, and others. There will be giveaways and raffle prizes, as well as a dunking booth where OPA Board members have volunteered to be “tanked” in exchange for donations to the Ocean Pines Volunteer Fire Department. Local restaurants will bring food trucks to sell a variety of food and beverage options. Area clubs and organizations are encouraged to participate in the event, where they can meet residents to expand their membership and engagement. Exhibit spaces are limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. To get on the list, email oceanpineskickoffexpo@gmail.com. Event organizers are also seeking more sponsors. Area businesses can meet potential new customers and raise their profile with sponsorship opportunities that include a table or booth space at the event, signage, giveaway underwriting, and social media promotion and advertising in the event guide. The rain date for the event is Saturday, April 27.
lic Comments at a Board meeting last year and wanted to know if any action was being taken. Kaplan said offering a two-sport membership would allow the OPA to capture additional revenue from established members of one racquet sport who want to play a second sport. She wanted to know if the option would be offered and if not what is rational for not offering it. Viola said a two-sport membership for racquet sports has not been included in the proposed budget for next year. “As of today it’s not in the budget,” he said, adding that the OPA uses a bottom up budget process and he didn’t remember hearing that two-sports membership discussed during the review. Still, Viola acknowledged that Kaplan and at least one other person had made the suggestion for a two-sport membership. “I definitely have heard you and another gentlemen bring it up,” he said, adding that he “will look at it.” Kaplan also asked about having supports for wind screens installed at court 5. She said the other platform tennis courts have supports on the outside to support the wind screens but there isn’t one on court 5. She asked if one will be installed by March when it tends to be very windy. Viola said he will look into the issue and discuss it with the contractor that installed the other supports. He said the wind screens and supports were installed after winds twice caused damage. He said the supports weren’t installed on court 5 because they weren’t deemed necessary. But, he said he will revisit that decision if the contractor thinks it is a good idea. Another resident asked about the potential return to debit cards for use at the Ocean Pines swimming pools. He said people liked them when the OPA offered that as an option for paying to use the pools in the past. If the OPA is concerned about carryover of funds on people’s cards from year to year, he suggested the cards run concurrent with the fiscal year. Any funds left on the cards at the end of the fiscal year would be forfeited, he said. Viola said the OPA has been investigating the possibility of returning to such a debit cards system for pool use. He said they are talking with the software vendor NorthStar about how such a system could be incorporated. “The one [debit card] we had before went on forever and that was a major problem from an accounting standpoint,” Viola said. He added that he likes the idea of setting an end date for the cards, probably at the end of the fiscal year on April 30. “You may see it. It’s just not there right now,” Viola said of the debit u cards.
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OPA seeking permits for tiki bar expansion
By ROTA L. KNOTT Contributing Writer he top priority construction project for the Ocean Pines Association right now is an expansion of the tiki bar at the Yacht Club. General Manager John Viola said during his monthly report to the Board of Directors that the project is moving forward and the OPA is seeking the permits necessary to begin the work. “We’re right on track. Hopefully we’ll get approval soon,” he told the Board during its Jan. 20 monthly meeting. Viola said the goal is to have the project completed by Memorial Day weekend. He said electrical, plumbing and interior site plans have been completed and submitted to Worcester County for review ad well as to the construction company that will do the work. He didn’t anticipate any permitting problems as the OPA has been updating the county since initiating the project. He added that Matt Ortt Company also had an opportunity to provide feedback on what they would like in the new tiki bar. The project will add 240 square feet of space that will be tied into original tiki bar, with 20 feet of additional rail service on each side of the tiki bar and customers will be able to access it from the pool and from the patio side of the Yacht Club. It will also allow for the addition of registers and equipment to speed up service. While early bids for the project were around $300,000, OPA has opted to do some of the work in-house to keep costs down. The OPA will purchase $60,000 in materials for the project, including shutters and an awning, bringing the total estimated cost to $197,500. In December, the Board approved a $137,500 contract for the rest of the work with the firm of Whayland Company from Laurel, DE. The primary objective is to enhance the customer service at the tiki bar, thereby increasing sales revenue.
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Republic to deliver larger trash cans soon
The OPA has signed a new three-year contract with Republic Services for refuse and recycling collection in the community. In December, the Board approved the contract, which provides for mechanical trash collection and additional pick-ups of yard debris, but comes with a 7 percent rate increase for customers. General Manager John Viola said new, larger trash containers will be arriving and provided to Republic’s Ocean Pines customers in the next few months. When they bring the new containers, they will also collect the old ones.
Public Comments From Page 29 Two other residents spoke in favor of pedestrian and bicycle access improvements in Ocean Pines. Paul Rogers cited two accidents last year, one in which a woman was killed and another that injured a young man, as the need for improving the safety of Ocean Pines’ walkways, sidewalks and trails. “These obviously are preventable deaths,” he said. Rogers said a recently formed work group studying pedestrian and bicycle safety in Ocean Pines has several goals, including prevention of future accidents and injuries and enhancement of connectivity of pathways. He said people should be able to walk to the stores across Route 589. Additionally, the work group wants to connect to other people “who aren’t out there exercising.” The work group has decided to retain expert consultants to provide a complete safety plan that can be presented to the Board, he said. The group will be looking to the board and general manager to partner to enact the plan, he added. Another resident said he walks to Food Lion frequently, and it is dangerous. He said it would be a benefit if there was a sidewalk from Ocean Pines to the shopping area.
Republic has also designated the dates of Nov. 9, Nov. 16, Nov. 23, Dec. 7, Dec. 14, and Dec. 21 for special leaf collections. There will be no limit on the number of bags a property owner can put out for collection but they must be in paper bags only. Viola said the contractor will be picking up the bagged leaves using a trailer instead of the regular garbage trucks. “When negotiating with Republic we talked about leaves and what our priorities were,” he said. The special collections will be in addition to the four bags people can put out with each regular trash pick-up. Viola said Republic will also continue to pick up any larger items put out next to receptacles but that don’t fit in them. The OPA sells paper yard waste bags at Public Works or they can be purchased at Home Depot.
OPA promotes Violante, Meyer
General Manager John Viola on Feb. 1 announced senior staff promotions. Nobie Violante, long-time Public Works Manager, is the new Deputy Director Public Works, with responsibility for maintaining the Racquet Sports complex in addition to the Yacht Club marina. Ruth Ann Meyer, long-time Assessment and Memberships Manager within the Finance Department, has the new title of Senior Manager, with responsibility for the business side of Racquet Sports in addition to her traditional role overseeing memberships. She has been employed by the OPA for more than 25 years. Respective department heads highly recommended Violante and Meyer. “Ruth Ann has stepped up for us on a number of occasions, and she’s extremely knowledgeable about our organization,” Director of Finance Steve Phillips said. “Nobie has been my right hand for many years now and he always does a great job for us,” Public Works Director Eddie Wells said. The promotion is “we deserved and I’m very happy for him.” Violante and Meyer will both continue to report to their respective department heads, but the organizational chart will also show a dotted line to the general manager. “Recognizing our staff is one of my favorite parts of the job,” Viola said. “Nobie and Ruth Ann both earned this and, I structure the organization to meet the needs of the coming year, I hope to be able to make a few more announcements like this down the road. A likely promotion is Aquatics Manager Michelle Hitchens to Director of Aquatics, mentioned as a likelihood during the just completed budget review.
OPA makes Racquet Center repairs
The Ocean Pines Racquet Center sustained water damage to the building during heavy rains, according to Viola. He said he visited the site with Public Works staff immediately to review the extent of the damage and found water infiltrating the pro shop area. “My guess from what I saw it’s probably been going on for years and years and years,” he said. A “temporary fix” was made to the downspout to divert water away from the building, Viola said, adding that permanent repairs will be addressed during an upcoming already-approved building renovation. Viola said now that Vista has completed the drawings for a new tiki bar, at the Yacht Club, they will begin work on drawings for planned improvements at the racquet center. He said he is hoping to have that project completed by Memorial Day weekend or a little after that date. The timing is dependent on when the OPA receives county permits for the work.
More seasonal banners throughout the year
The OPA plans to display seasonal banners to promote its amenities and activities throughout the year. Viola said the public relations staff has developed designs and a plan for year-round banners that will be displayed at the North and South Gates.
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February 2024 Ocean Pines PROGRESS 31
Marketing coordinator Nancy MacCubbin led the design effort. “You’ll see different banners at different times of the year,” he said. The OPA plans to rotate the banners seasonally to promote OPA amenities. Promotions will include golf and other amenities from Memorial Day to Labor Day, including the Yacht Club, Beach Club, marina and aquatics. Holiday and seasonal flags will be displayed during the Christmas season. Viola said he received a lot of positive feedback about the banners installed for the holidays in 2023. “That was pretty exciting,” he said. The cost is estimated at around $5,000 and OPA staff is working with the vendor to order banners.
New park signage to be added
Based on the recommendation of the Recreation and Parks Advisory Committee, the OPA has ordered new signage for all of the Ocean Pines parks. That includes directional signs, walking trail signs, curb your dog, and playground rules. It also includes adopt-a-park signs that note a park is being cared for by a certain group and says “This park adopted by…” All of the signage is being designed and installed by Josh Vickers of the Public Works Department. They are also considering installing maps of the trail systems.
Dashboard activity detailed
The Compliance, Permits, and Inspections office started December 2023 with 138 outstanding violations and processed and additional 61 violations during the month. CPI was able to close out 55 violations, leaving 144 outstanding at the end of the month. Of the new violations, 5 are for maintenance, trash, or debris, 25 for leaf placement, 9 for no permits, and 22 miscellaneous. Public Works started December with 111 open work orders and received 74 new work orders during the month. During the month, crews closed out 60 work orders, leaving 125 open. New work orders were for 1 bulkhead, 36 drainage, 7 grounds maintenance, 4 roads, 6 signs, and 20 general main-
tenance. On the customer service side of operations, the OPA received 61 contacts from residents in December via email at info@oceanpines.org or phone calls. Of those calls, seven were related to amenities, ten for CPI violations, one for drainage, 30 general information, and 13 for public works.
Dog park ‘agility’ equipment installed
Two pieces of agility equipment have been installed at the Ocean Pines Dog Park for the entertainment of local canines. Senior Executive Office Manager Linda Martin said the Public Works department installed the equipment. She offered thanks to Dog Park advocates George Alston and Jack Levering for their input regarding the equipment and its placement.
Beach Club, Yacht Club annual maintenance
Martin said Public Works is performing annual maintenance on the OPA’s buildings. Specifically, she said the have sanded down damaged counters and re-stained them at the Beach Club. At the Yacht Club, crews have repaired the repair throughout the building and made some drywall repairs. Viola said staff has met with the management of Matt Ortt Companies to get input on what they would like to have done at the facilities prior to a summer opening.
Farr announces Latham appointment
Ocean Pines Association Rick Farr during President’s Remarks at the Jan. 20 Board of Directors meeting announced the appointment of his colleague, John Latham, to the Board of Directors of the Worcester County Veterans Memorial Foundation. Farr is a member of the foundation. Latham is a United States Marine Corps veterans and serves as secretary of the OPA.
Date set to hear Mailloux case appeal Oral arguments to be offered during March 1 hearing By TOM STAUSS Publisher he Appellate Court of Maryland is scheduled to hear oral arguments in the appeal of a lower court decision dismissing charges against Tyler Mailloux, the West Ocean City man accused of leaving the scene of an accident that killed Ocean Pines teenager Gavin Knupp in July of 2022. Although a decision on the fate of the appeal could be made during a March 1 hearing, the more likely outcome is that the appeals court takes it time and issues a decision some months later. All misdemeanor and criminal traffic charges against Mailloux were dismissed by Worcester County Circuit Court Judge Brett Wilson in August of last year. He ruled that the Office of the Worcester County State’s Attorney should have filed the charges in district court instead of circuit court. Wilson said the charges could be refiled in District Court, advising that some charges, most likely the misdemeanors, might have already expired because of the statute of lim-
T
itations, which generally require the state to file charges within a year of the alleged violations. Felonies generally have a three-year limitation. Mailloux attorney George Psoras argued that provisions of state law applicable in this case gave the defendant, not the state, the right to ask that the case be heard in circuit court, where a jury trial is possible. After a half-hour recess, the judge returned to open session where he accepted Psoras’ argument, apparently after having read the statute language cited by Psoras. County state’s attorney Kris Heiser promptly announced an appeal of the ruling to the Appellate Court of Maryland. A brief in support of the appeal was filed Oct. 19 by the Office of the Attorney General, Anthony Brown and Assistant Attorney General Zoe Gillen White. According to a filing in late August, White was entered as the attorney of record on the appeal issue. The state’s brief argued that both district and circuit court had “concurrent jurisdic-
tion” over four felony charges and four misdemeanor charges filed in the case, and that the state had the option of choosing where to file them. The remaining nine charges within the jurisdiction of the district court could then also be heard in circuit court once the initial eight were brought into circuit court, according to the state brief. Mailloux has retained an attorney with the Appellate Division of the Public Defender’s Office to help with the appeal. Psoras remains as a second seat in the appellate process, according to a document obtained by the Progress. The state asked for oral arguments in the appeal, and that request was granted. It was opposed by Mailloux’ pro bono appellant attorney. . In another development last summer, Psoras filed a petition for expungement, which would remove evidence of his arrest and prosecution from county and state records. That petition has been opposed by the office of the state’s attorney.
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OPA FINANCES
Viola announces new reserve study to begin by end of year
OPA to be beta tester of software that adjusts fixed asset replacement values
By ROTA L. KNOTT Contributing Writer n updated study of the Ocean Pines Association’s one-on-one complimentary, no obligation * replacement reserves will be conducted later (0.00%) TAX-FREE 3.25 TAX-FREE* ase contact me at 410-208-1704 for a% oneoron one complimentary, consultation attend our seminar.no obligation, consultations or this year by Design Management Associates Inc. attend our seminar. Call for times, and location. Call for times, date anddates location using a new software tool for evaluating the reserves Prince Georges Md (Name of MuniCnty Bond) based on anticipated capital replacement needs. Carrie Dupuie, AAMS 98.500 Price: Dupuie, (00.00) Carrie AAMS® My picture Coupon: (00/00/00) 3.25 General Manager John Viola announced the pending (Financial Advisor Name) Financial Advisor Financial Advisor here Maturity Date: 07/15/2036 (00/00/00) update during a Jan. 20 Board meeting and said the (Approved Title) 215 North Main Street 07/15/2028 Callable Date: (00/00/00 N/A) 215 North Mainor Street study will be completed within a year, with the OPA’s 100 Call Price: (000) Berlin, MD 21811 Berlin, Aaa /MD AAA 21811 Rating: (XXX/XXX) finance department involved to save the OPA some cash (Address) Other:410-208-1704 (Obligor) it would otherwise pay to DMA. 410-208-1704 (City, ST 00000) Carrie.Dupuie@RaymondJames.com The reserve study will be the first full update to a (000-000-0000) I (Toll-Free: Carrie Dupuie, AAMS 800-000-0000) Raymond James(Financial Financial Services Inc.,Name) Member FINRA/SIPC 2017 document prepared by DMA, which also did an upAdvisor (Approved Title) James Financial Services Advisors, Inc. Investments advisory services offered Raymond Fax:through (000-000-0000) date referred to a “DMA-lite” in 2021. (Address) (E-mail The OPA’s current policy, which is in compliance with (City, STAddress) 00000) (000-000-0000) I (Toll-Free: 800-000-0000) both the original DMA study and the DMA lite update, (Website) Fax: (000-000-0000) (E-mail Address) is to hold 24 to 28 percent of replacement value of fixed (Website) assets in the replacement reserve, excluding the bulkheads. Subject to availability and price change. Minimum purchases may apply. The yield is the lesser That range was recommended by the Budget and Fiof yield to maturity or yield to call. Interest is generally exempt from federal taxation and may also be free of state and local taxes for investors residing in the state and/or locality where nance Advisory Committee and approved by the Board. the bonds were issued. However, bonds may be subject to federal alternative tax (AMT), and profits and losses on tax-exempt bonds may be subject to capital gains tax treatment. RatAs of April 30, the OPA is projected to have $7 million ings by Moody’s/Standard & Poor’s. A credit rating of a security is not a recommendation to 06/07/2018 buy, sell or hold the security and may be subject to review, revision, suspension, reduction or 00/00. in this reserve, falling within the identified range of 24 withdrawal at any time by the assigning Rating Agency. Insurance pertains only to the timely payment of principal and interest. No representation is made to any insurer’s ability to meet its availability and price change. Minimum purchases may apply. The yield is the lesser of yield to maturity or yield to call.to Interest is generally exempt 28 percent. financial commitments. Ratings and insurance do not remove risk since they do not guarantee al taxation and may alsothebemarket free ofvalue stateof and local taxes for investors residing in the state and/or locality where the bonds were issued. However, the bond. that we are positioned well going into y be subject to federal alternative minimum tax (AMT), and profits and losses on tax-exempt bonds may be subject to capital“I’m gains tax confident treatment. Securities offered through Raymond James Financial Services, Inc., member FNRA/SIPC. Moody’s/Standard & Poor’s. A credit rating of a security is not a recommendation to buy, sell or hold the security and may be subject to review, (c) 2015 Raymond James Financial Services, Inc., member FINRA/SIPC 15-MFI-0113 ICD BS 8/15 this,” Viola said. uspension, reduction or withdrawal at any time by the assigning Rating Agency. Insurance pertains only to the timely payment of principal and inter-
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Viola actually has said that he favors moving the higher side target to 30 percent or more, noting that $7 million in the replacement is about 31 percent of the replacement value of OPA assets. For a new, higher ceiling to become official OPA policy, the Board of Directors would have to approve it. Viola said under newly adopted state law, HOAs are obligated to conduct a reserve study and receive professional advice on proper reserve funding. State law does not, however, set out a percentage range. Viola has the OPA has been selected to serve as a beta tester for the DMA navigator portal for updates to the reserve study. Because the OPA is a beta tester for the software, it will not have to pay for its use during the first year. In the future the OPA will be able to do updates and then have DMA review them. Viola said that will be less expensive. Director Steve Jacobs asked if the asset percentage the OPA should retain in the reserve fund is measured by an established depreciation schedule. Viola responded that the DMA study of 2017 calculated how much it would cost to replace the capital items by individual components. As an example, he said, the study doesn’t show replacement for the Clubhouse, but rather for specific components of that amenity such as u doors or air conditioning systems.
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OPA FINANCES
OPA racks up $121,000 positive operating fund variance in December Positive variance for the year reaches $834,000
By TOM STAUSS Publisher wo thirds of the way into the 2023-24 fiscal year, Ocean Pines Association is just shy of an $834,000 cumulative operating fund surplus, with only four months to go. The string of eight consecutive operating fund surpluses for the year was boosted by a positive fund variance of $120,800 in December, with revenues over budget by $38,565 and expenses under budget by $82,235. The cumulative surplus of $833,715 for the year was the result of revenues over budget by $732,464 and expenses under budget by $101,251, according to the December financial report posted on the OPA Website in mid-January by Controller/Director of Finance Steve Phillips. Of the ten amenity departments listed on the “net operating” schedule in Phillips’s report, two - tennis and beach parking -- were in the black. But of these ten departments, all but pickleball, platform tennis and the Beach Club (closed for the season) were ahead of budget for the month. The seven departments that outperformed their budgets were golf operations, aquatics, tennis, the Yacht Club, marinas, beach parking and the Clubhouse Grille. For the year through December, all but tennis and platform tennis are in the black. Compared to budget, all but the three racquet sports and marinas have positive variances. Actual results for a month and cumulatively for the fiscal year, as well as results compared to
T
Reserve study From Page 32 “That’s all built in by year and each year when we prepare the budget we review that,” Viola said. “Right now to fund this place where we’re at around $25 million.” He noted that its going to show on a depreciation schedule but it broken down in the DMA report. Jacobs then asked “to replace something we have to have 25 percent of what the entire cost would be?” “This is replacement of fixed assets,” Viola said, pointing out that does not apply to bulkheads, funded by a separate reserve fund. . Viola said all of the data on OPA’s capital assets will be updated and DMA will project the replacement cost over the next five to seven years. If DMA determines the replacement cost is higher than in the current plan, he said the OPA has a strong balance sheet and will be ready. Viola said he expects DMA to begin work on the new reserve study by the end of November. Meanwhile, the OPA will provide the consultant with updates on its assets and a tour of facilities.
budget, are the primary ways to measure financial performance. For the year through December, all ten amenities are in the black, and all but three, platform tennis, tennis and marinas, have earned cumulative positive variances to budget. For the year so far, golf operations are the top amenity performer, generating in $554,027 in net earnings, ahead of budget by $170,524. Last year through December, golf had earned $463,440. Beach parking is the next top producer, generating $496,160 in net revenue, ahead of budget by $50,561. Last year through December, beach parking was in the black by $487,224. The Yacht Club is also in solidly in the black through December, generating $333,048 in net revenue. That’s $27,823 better than budget. Last year through December, the Yacht Club had $261,703 in net earnings. The Beach Club, closed for the season, racked up a $229,539 in earnings through December, ahead of budget by $59,051. Last year through December, the Beach Club’s net earnings were $226,978. Marinas, also closed for the season, remain a top performer, earning $212,131 through December but under budget by $38,086. At this time last year, marinas had recorded a $249,856 oper-
February 2024 Ocean Pines PROGRESS 33 ating surplus. Aquatics remains solidly in the black for the year so far, with a $136,386 in net earnings and ahead of budget by $49,783. At the same time the year prior, Aquatics had been ahead of budget by $229.481. The Clubhouse Grille, open throughout the year, earned $116,291 through December, ahead of budget by $55,110. Last year through December the operating net was $55,780. In combination, racquet sports are in the black for the year, led by pickleball, with $61,072 in net earnings through December, just slightly under budget by $825 and slightly under the year-overyear operating net of $63,651. Pickleball earnings more than offset modest losses through December in tennis and platform tennis operations. Platform tennis was in the red by $17,800, under budget by $15,845. A year ago through December, the net was a positive $2,256. Tennis lost $15,990 through December, with a negative variance to budget of $11,831. A year ago, tennis was in the red by $921. Reserve summary -- The Dec. 310 reserve summary shows a total balance of $8.7 million, down slight from the November balance of $8.87 million. This compares to the October balance of $8.992 million, the September balance of $9.13 million, $9.164 million in August, the July 31 total of $9.298 million, $9.9 million in June and $9.66 million in May. The replacement reserve balance on Dec. 31 was $6.2 million, with bulkheads and waterways at $905,097, roads at $1.1 million, drainage at $381,111, and new capital at $113,591. Balance sheet -- The Dec. 31 balance sheet shows total assets of $40.86 million, down from $42.118 million at the end of November but ahead of the $40.57 million in assets on Dec. 31 of last year.
OCEAN PINES ASSOCIATION NET OPERATING BY DEPARTMENT DECEMBER 2023
OPA Net Operating Results by Department - December 2023 MONTH ACTUAL
MONTH BUDGET
$ VARIANCE
YTD ACTUAL
YTD BUDGET
$ VARIANCE
YTD LAST YEAR
YTD BUDGET LAST YEAR
GENERAL ADMIN MANAGER'S OFFICE FINANCE PUBLIC RELATIONS
(9,234) (46,785) (90,008) (20,317)
(12,463) (40,160) (91,957) (23,695)
3,229 (6,625) 1,949 3,379
5,800,439 (248,411) (560,684) (172,440)
5,762,180 (255,895) (600,427) (188,305)
38,260 7,484 39,743 15,865
5,896,873 (193,993) (520,853) (176,580)
5,907,343 (197,048) (540,557) (178,349)
COMPLIANCE / PERMITS GENERAL MAINT PUBLIC WORKS
(4,473) (67,677) (140,996)
(8,520) (66,924) (162,142)
4,047 (753) 21,146
(50,791) (519,612) (935,199)
(13,008) (476,197) (1,171,821)
(37,782) (43,415) 236,622
(65,411) (415,895) (937,465)
(38,481) (494,941) (1,110,515)
FIRE / EMS POLICE
(84,076) (191,015)
(84,076) (204,945)
0 13,930
(672,611) (606,982)
(672,611) (808,243)
0 201,261
(709,349) (705,010)
(709,349) (795,710)
RECREATION / PARKS TENNIS PICKLEBALL PLATFORM TENNIS
(30,461) 7,301 (13,203) (13,296)
(49,441) (5,910) (3,161) (2,831)
18,979 13,210 (10,042) (10,465)
(259,360) (15,990) 61,072 (17,800)
(304,749) (4,159) 61,897 (1,955)
45,390 (11,831) (825) (15,845)
(249,837) (921) 63,651 2,256
(334,195) (3,573) 44,556 (10,176)
AQUATICS
(36,555)
(49,785)
13,230
136,386
86,604
49,783
229,481
87,911
GOLF OPS + MAINT CLUBHOUSE GRILLE
(68,636) (4,583)
(106,025) (4,643)
37,389 59
554,027 116,291
383,321 77,303
170,706 38,988
463,440 55,110
260,937 55,780
BEACH CLUB BEACH PARKING
(4,298) 11,210
(3,831) 10,549
(468) 661
229,539 496,160
170,524 445,599
59,015 50,561
226,978 487,224
139,765 464,007
YACHT CLUB MARINAS
(71,702) (3,592)
(82,445) (10,791)
10,743 7,199
333,048 212,131
305,224 250,217
27,823 (38,086)
360,057 249,856
261,703 214,605
(882,396)
(1,003,197)
120,800
3,879,213
3,045,498
833,715
4,059,610
3,023,716
NET OPERATING
Source: Ocean Pines Association Finance Department
1/19/2024
34 Ocean Pines PROGRESS February 2024
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OPINION
COMMENTARY
February 2024 Ocean Pines PROGRESS 35
A tale of two OPA presidents: Farr vs. Horn
F
ive or so months into the Ocean Pines Association’s 2023-24 Board of Directors term, OPA President Rick Farr is proving to be exemplary custodian of intelligent governance inherited from the term of his immediately predecessor, Doug Parks. One way to measure Farr’s job performance is to compare and contrast with the president who preceded Parks, Colette Horn. The cultural contrast between the Board of Directors during the Horn era with the Farr era is notable. Those who’ve grown old observing and eye-rolling over what euphemistically was called the “best show in town” decades ago surely have noticed: This group of directors have in public at least performed their volunteer service with a minimum of public rancor. Farr presides congenially and collegiately over meetings, and the Board works through the agenda of tasks before it with efficiency. True, it certainly helps that the ship of HOA is helmed by a general manager on top of his game, aided by a support team of department heads who know their jobs and perform them. Harken back to the tenure of Horn, both prior, during and post-presidency. While she was not always the one responsible for creating discord and controversy during her years on the Board, she was always in the middle of it, pushing an agenda. She had a way about her that seemed overly judgmental at times. Her actions included efforts to remove directors from the Board using a discredited and repealed B-08 ethics resolution, and, worse, the contemptible effort to deny Farr’s status as a property owner and bonafide Board candidate. Fast forward to the present. Horn is now a member of the Budget and Finance Advisory Committee. After the committee offered three relatively modest changes to membership dues in Viola’s preliminary, proposed 2024-25 budget, Horn took upon herself to compose an email to the directors containing a recommendation on the lot assessment for next year that none of her colleagues agreed with. Or apparently had been consulted on. Her suggestion to keep the assessment at $886 was based on the flimsy pretext that a few OPA members had contacted her complaining of the $36 assessment reduction contained in Viola’s initial draft. The reason for the stinginess is that the OPA has a lot of pressing capital needs pending and should retain as much of the members’ contributions as possible. In a follow-up email to the directors, Committee Chair Doug Parks made it clear that the committee did not support Horn’s suggestion nor its reasoning. Doing an end run around the committee is not the best way to heighten one’s credibility and influence, either. The reduced assessment of $850 proposed in Viola’s original budget draft is likely to sail through what remains of the 2024-25 budget
process. It is 99.9 percent certain that the directors later this month will approve the lower assessment, keeping faith with the promise by Viola a year ago to return to OPA members a portion of the realized surpluses from a prior year. That’s a key difference between Farr and Horn. Well aware that Viola had made that promise, explicitly and with no wiggle room, Farr has absolutely no interest in reneging on it. Horn, as she was on the Board at the time -- her last year before terming out -- was certainly aware of it. And yet she was in effect advocating for breaking that commitment. Her blinkered viewpoint also betrayed an underlying ignorance of the fund-based nature of OPA financial management. The OPA’s flush operating fund is the vehicle by which assessment reduction was delivered; it will now have a top line balance less than what it would have been without the allocation to assessment reduction. But there’s plenty in the operating fund to handle a $700,000-plus increase in year-over-year spending called for in the budget soon to be approved. More spending, lower assessments -that’s quite an accomplishment if it can be pulled off. And Viola and the Board are about to. The OPA has substantial reserve funds to handle future capital projects, and the replacement reserve in particular is in excellent shape, projected at year’s end to contain assets ($7 million), or about 31 percent of replacement value as determined by recent tweaks to the OPA’s reserve study. The method of replenishing the replacement reserve has proven effective over the years -- funding depreciation of these assets using a formula that produces about $1.8 million per year in assessment dollars that in turn are allocated to the replacement reserve. The notion that the replacement reserve needs an added infusion of cash from the operating fund is ludicrous. Farr doesn’t need a tutorial on this. Horn apparently could benefit from one. Had she been the OPA president or even on the Board this budget cycle, there would have been a lot of contentiousness had she been so reckless as to press her argument to keep the assessment at $886. Wait, there’s more. Were she still on the Board or worse yet serving as president, she no doubt would be pressing her colleagues to adopt the much maligned B-08 ethics resolution that the Board repealed unanimously in 2021. Director Steve Jacobs tried to have an amended version of B-08 placed on the agenda for the Board’s January meeting, but he was rebuffed by Farr who told the Progress that he objected to the fact that Jacobs inexplicably had dropped off a hard copy of the revised resolution to the admin building rather than send a copy via email to all of his colleagues. Farr, on record as saying he doesn’t think reviving B-08 is a good idea, said the proposed res-
olution needs vetting by other directors before it is presented for first reading. Jacobs, probably sensing that his colleagues might not be receptive to reprising B-08 divisiveness, told the Progress he’s not sure he’ll be presenting a version of B-08 for consideration at the February Board meeting. And cautious he should be. There’s already an ethics provision in the OPA governing documents that governs how the Board should respond should a director’s behavior warrant expulsion. True, what constitutes offensive behavior warranting expulsion is not spelled out, but who says it needs to be. Should some egregious behavior present itself, surely directors will recognize it and act accordingly. In Ocean Pines 50-year plus history, no director has ever been tossed off the Board, though one came close. He resigned rather than demean himself by begging for votes. Tom Janasek - remember him? Had Horn and not Farr been president when Jacobs tried to get his amended B-08 on the January agenda, can anyone credibly argue that Horn would not have found a way to make it happen? Of course she would have. She obsesses over such matters, and even tried to force a Board vote on a version of B-08 in the waning days of her most recent Board term. Then OPA President Parks wisely said no, that any decision on B-08 should be decided by a new Board with three new directors. If the Board as it is currently constituted wants to revisit B-08, have at it. As for its chances for adoption, not very likely. But back to the question at hand. Farr vs. Horn? Not even close. ~ Tom Stauss
The Ocean Pines Progress is a journal of news and commentary published monthly throughout the year. It is circulated in Ocean Pines and Captain’s Cove, Va. 127 Nottingham Lane Ocean Pines, Md 21811 PUBLISHER-EDITOR Tom Stauss stausstom@gmail.com 443-359-7527 ADVERTISING SALES Frank Bottone frankbottone@gmail.com 410-430-3660 CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Rota L. Knott Cindy Hoffman 443-880-3953 202-489-5587
36 Ocean Pines PROGRESS February 2024
LIFESTYLES
Pine’eer Craft leaders for 2024 selected at the club’s Dec. 15 meeting are, left to right, Installer Diane Denk, Treasurer Jane Wolnik, Shop Treasurer Carol Quinto, Assistant Shop Treasurer Lois Schultz, Corresponding Secretary Michelle Winemiller, Recording Secretary Linda Brindley, Shop Managers Debbie Jiwa and Barbara Herzog, First Vice President Kelly Davis, and President Sharon Puser.
Pine’eer Craft Club installs officers, looks ahead to 50th anniversary
O
n Dec. 15, the Pine’eer Craft Club installed new officers, presented thousands in annual donations, and looked ahead to the club’s 50th anniversary in 2024. Sharon Puser will continue as club president, and the luncheon served as a platform for Puser to reflect on the club’s accomplishments throughout the year and offer a glimpse into 2024. Also among the highlights, club treasurer Jane Wolnik presented a
heartfelt token of appreciation on behalf of the club to Puser for her unwavering commitment and efforts. The full list of officers named during the event were Sharon Puser, president; Kelly Shoaf Davis, 1st vice president; and publicity; Linda Brindley, recording secretary; Michelle Winemiller, corresponding secretary; Jane Wolnik, treasurer; Debbie Jiwa and Barbara Herzog, co-shop managers and Holiday
Craft Festival chairs; Carol Quinto and Lois Schultz, shop treasurers; Bill Lobecker, advisor and meet the artisan chair; and Linda Sirianni, advisor. The executive board members are complemented by individuals in pivotal roles: Tina Celia and Alison Webb Schweiger for shop display; Diane Denk, desserts in the park; Skip Flanagan, historian; Jackie Choate, hospitality; Sherry Waskey, membership; Candy Foreman,
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programs; and Lynn Gabeler, bake sales. Since forming in 1974, the Craft Club has donated almost $200,000 to the Ocean Pines community. The club once again demonstrated its commitment to community support this year by contributing $7,000 in charitable donations, including $1,800 to the Ocean Pines Police Department; $2,000 to the Ocean Pines Volunteer Fire Department; $1,800 to Ocean Pines Parks and Recreation; $500 to Ocean Pines Public Works; $300 to the Ocean Pines Public Library; $500 to the Worcester County Veteran’s Memorial Foundation; and $100 to Neighborhood Watch. Many of the groups had representatives at the luncheon. The club extends an open invitation to former members to reconnect and take part in the upcoming special events celebrating the 50th anniversary throughout the year. On Thursday, April 18, the Craft Club will celebrate its 50th anniversary at the community center. For more information, contact club treasurer Jane Wolnik at j.wolnik63@ gmail.com or call 410-208-4225. Additionally, the annual August Craft Fair will be held Aug. 3, jointly inside the Ocean Pines Community Center and outdoors at White Horse Park. For information on becoming a vendor, contact Kelly Davis at shoafpr@gmail.com or call 609-351-2125. The club always welcomes new members. For an information packet, email Sherry Waskey at sherwaskey@gmail.com or attend regular meetings on the third Thursday of each month in the community center.
LIFESTYLES
February 2024 Ocean Pines PROGRESS 37
Women’s Club to award scholarships in June
T
he Women’s Club of Ocean Pines will be awarding scholarships in June 2024 to promising students who are full-time residents of Ocean Pines. These students must graduate from high school in good standing with a minimum grade point average of 2.5 and plan to attend an accredited institution for further education. These awards may be used by the recipient to help defray post-high school expenses at any approved degree, certificate-granting college or university, technical or vocational school. Applications for these scholarships may be found at www.schoolinks.com. All completed applications must be returned to a senior counselor at Stephen Decatur High School by March 15. Qualifying applicants who do not attend Stephen Decatur High School are asked to call 410-641-8046 for information and/or an application.
OP Players to present ‘Love Letters’ Feb. 10
M
embers of the Ocean Pines Players will present “Love Letters,” a play by A. R. Gurney at 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 10 in the Ocean Pines Community Center. Married couple Ed and Monica Guinan are starring as “starcrossed lifelong complicated friends” in the play directed by Ed Guinan with Players President Frank Pasqualino listed as producer. The Pines Players are returning to the community center after a long absence. The event will feature “cabaret-style” seating with wine and charcuterie included in the ticket price of $25. “I am thrilled that the Pines Players are once again serving its community right here in the heart of Ocean Pines,” Pasqualino said. Tickets are available online at oceanpinesplayers.org.
Kiwanis speaker
Trail advocate Patti Stevens spoke to the local Kiwanis Club Jan. 31 about the needs of bikers and walkers. She chairs the Worcester County Bike and Pedestrian Coalition. She spoke about the initiatives in Worcester County and the Eastern Shore to improve and expand access for bikes and pedestrians. Pictured left to right
McFalls honored
At the club’s January meeting, the Ocean Pines Anglers Club recognized member John McFalls for his 28 years of dedicated service, including the last five as board administrator. John was presented a plaque and several gifts from the club. Shown in photo are Board members, left to right, Budd Heim, Jim Spicknall, McFalls, Jerry Leuters, Lee Phillips, and Mike Vitak. Board Members not in photo: Buddy Siegel, Doug Murphy, Frank Tortella, and Ted Glick.
38 Ocean Pines PROGRESS February 2024
CAPTAIN’S COVE
CURRENTS
Large bad debt expense hits in December, skewing year-to-date financial results Without that dramatic hit, CCGYC would have had a surplus for the first quarter of the year
By TOM STAUSS plus. Publisher Bad debt expense of $625,824 that hit during ere it not for an unanticipated and un- the month skewed the results dramatically. budgeted bad debt expense that hit When the budget for the year was assembled this during December, financial results for past summer, there was an expectation that bad December and for the first quarter of the 2024-25 debt expenses would be applied equally in every fiscal year would have been positive. month throughout the year. The executive summary for the month and first The approved budget called for $851,700 in quarter released by Senior General Manager Col- total bad expense in equal monthly increments by Phillips on Jan. 23 indicates that the Captain’s of $70,975. Cove property owners association had a $362,373 Under a new policy adopted by the Board of negative variance to budget for the October Directors last year, delinquent accounts are conthrough December quarter. sidered in arrears after 90(Month days of non-payment, Executive Summary Financials ~ December 2023 3 of Fiscal Year 2024) The year-to-date loss was $237,923. rather than the former 270 days. Under the new For December, the actualMonth operating loss of assessments days Activity Actual Monthwas Budget policy, YTD non-payment Actual YTD Budget Variance after Annual90 Budget $522,048, compared to the budgeted $11,544 sur- resulted in a decision to apply the accrued bad
W
AR Collections Legal Fees CCGYC Income Total Income
$ $ $
2,478.00 $ 561,523.00 $ 564,001.00 $
7,917.00 $ 564,339.00 $ 572,256.00 $
14,272.00 $ 1,737,435.00 $ 1,751,707.00 $
23,750.00 $ 1,744,525.00 $ 1,768,275.00 $
(9,478.00) $ (7,090.00) $ (16,568.00) $
95,000.00 7,395,556.00 7,490,556.00
Costs of Good Sold
$
35,165.00 $
33,060.00 $
111,707.00 $
99,200.00 $
(12,507.00) $
479,490.00
Gross Income
$
528,836.00 $
539,196.00 $
1,640,000.00 $
1,669,075.00 $
(29,075.00) $
7,011,066.00
Expenses Payroll Legal/Troon/Member Litigation/General Legal Fees - Collections Member AR Insurance/Payroll Burden/Workers Comp Insurance - Exclusive of WC, Health Food & Beverage R & M Costs (includes utilities) Waterfront Aquatics/Recreation/Security Golf/Golf Maint. General Admin Total Operating Expenses
$ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $
235,521.00 $ - $ 4,779.00 $ 38,600.00 $ 1,391.00 $ 6,281.00 $ 31,787.00 $ 7,941.00 $ 557.00 $ 4,390.00 $ 32,286.00 $ 363,533.00 $
204,993.00 $ 28,606.00 $ 7,917.00 $ 46,708.00 $ 7,149.00 $ 9,950.00 $ 39,545.00 $ 2,000.00 $ 4,145.00 $ 19,437.00 $ 37,141.00 $ 407,591.00 $
568,370.00 $ 31,982.00 $ 16,028.00 $ 106,213.00 $ 31,384.00 $ 28,890.00 $ 146,611.00 $ 13,196.00 $ 2,318.00 $ 14,616.00 $ 79,986.00 $ 1,039,594.00 $
539,453.00 $ 85,817.00 $ 23,750.00 $ 129,241.00 $ 36,422.00 $ 29,850.00 $ 145,112.00 $ 40,000.00 $ 12,435.00 $ 40,797.00 $ 101,299.00 $ 1,184,176.00 $
(28,917.00) $ 53,835.00 $ 7,722.00 $ 23,028.00 $ 5,038.00 $ 960.00 $ (1,499.00) $ 26,804.00 $ 10,117.00 $ 26,181.00 $ 21,313.00 $ 144,582.00 $
2,142,101.00 343,260.00 95,000.00 511,344.00 196,928.00 131,534.00 712,920.00 48,000.00 49,733.00 118,655.00 349,181.00 4,698,656.00
Net Operating Income
$
165,303.00 $
131,605.00 $
600,406.00 $
484,899.00 $
115,507.00 $
2,312,410.00
Interest/Property Tax/Other Bad Debt Expense Depreciation/Amorization Total Other Expenses
$ $ $ $
19,327.00 $ 625,824.00 $ 42,201.00 $ 687,352.00 $
6,835.00 $ 70,975.00 $ 42,201.00 $ 120,011.00 $
54,690.00 $ 657,040.00 $ 126,603.00 $ 838,333.00 $
20,925.00 $ 212,925.00 $ 126,603.00 $ 360,453.00 $
(33,765.00) $ (444,115.00) $ - $ (477,880.00) $
80,636.00 851,700.00 506,412.00 1,438,748.00
Total Income Total Expenses Net Income
$ $ $
564,001.00 $ 1,086,049.00 $ (522,048.00) $
572,256.00 $ 560,662.00 $ 11,594.00 $
1,751,707.00 $ 1,989,630.00 $ (237,923.00) $
1,768,275.00 $ 1,643,829.00 $ 124,446.00 $
(16,568.00) $ (345,805.00) $ (362,373.00) $
7,490,556.00 6,616,894.00 873,662.00
December 2023 Financial summary
debt expense in December in a lump sum. Phillips told the Cove Currents that she expects bad debt expense to “normalize” over the remaining nine months of the fiscal year, as POA members pay their first half year assessments. “It (bad debt) hit in December. It will work itself out over the fiscal year. We actually had a good month in December [factoring out the bad debt],” she said. Had bad debt expense come in at the budgeted amount of $70,975, rather than $625,824, total expenses would have been $554,849 less than what shows on financial statement. The net deficit of $522,048 would have been a surplus of $32,801. The operating budget, of which the property management team is responsible, shows a $115,000 positive variance to budget for the first quarter of the fiscal yer. The second half assessment invoices are sent out in the spring and are due April 1. The second half assessments will be considered bad debt at the end of June if unpaid, at which time what happened in December could in theory recur if a significant number of members are late again. As property owners again catch up with their assessments, a large monthly financial hit could be recouped by the conclusion of the fiscal year on Sept. 30. If members do better in making timely assessment payments, it’s possible that the final bad debt number for the year will come in closer to the budgeted $851,700. Time will tell. But what’s clear that the financial performance of the Cove POA is dramatically affected by the large number of slow or non-payers of annual dues, currently set at $1,700 due in two increments of $850. In a recap of first quarter finances at the Jan. 29 Property Management Team meeting, Phillips reported that 827 Cove members were delinquent in paying their assessments as of December, that number dropping down to 765 at the end of January. The budget was based on recent year delinquencies numbering about 500. Phillips said the PMT is proactively encouraging members to pay their assessments. A letter is sent out at the end of 30 days if an assessment is still due, followed by another letter at 60 days after the due date. In addition, the team made 102 phone calls to delinquent members whose contact information is current. Among the reasons for non-payment: the invoice was sent to the wrong address, the resiu
February 2024 Ocean Pines PROGRESS 39 dence of their mailing address burned down, the property is in the name of a former spouse, some thought the assessment was included in their monthly mortgage. Others said they didn’t know why they hadn’t paid. Responding to a question from an association member, General Manager Justin Wilder said that sending text messages to members to remind them to pay their assessments isn’t practical; there are simply too many association members to attempt that. During the Jan. 22 meeting of the Board of Directors, CCGYC President Mark Majerus said that unpaid annual dues are costing the association $350 in higher assessments than what would be possible if every property owner paid on time. The $1,700 annual assessment would be $1,350 if there were no delinquencies. “Our goal is to show how accounts receivable affects the assessment,” Phillips said during the Jan. 29 PMT meeting. “We want to get [payments] in as much we can, but we also want association members” to understand what happens when delinquencies occur. It’s not pretty. For the year through December, the executive summary shows an operating deficit of $237,923, with a negative variance to budget of $362,373. If bad debt expense had come in as budgeted, there would have been a surplus for the quarter. During the Jan. 22 Board meeting, the financial results for the first quarter were discussed. Phillips released an executive summary of the results during the Jan. 29 PMT meeting. Some of the highlights: • The December financial summary indicates that $1.75 million in revenue had been collected through the end of December, missing budget by $16,568, off by .94 percent. Under the accrual accounting system, assessments are booked at the amount billed, with the bad debt expense the means by which delinquencies are accounted for. • Food and beverage revenue through December was $212,991, under budget by $55,365, a 20 percent miss. Director George Guthridge expressed concern about this negative variance. CCGYC President Mark Majerus speculated that Cove residents are spending less dining out during the current economic climate. Phillips said she would be having a conversation with Food and Beverage Director Charlie Getz to see if there would be ways to trims costs during the lean months of the fiscal year. The executive summary indicates that food and beverage expense is right on budget, with a $960 positive variance through December. • Legal expenses related to the Troon litigation, member litigation and general legal were showing a positive variance for the first quarter, ahead of budget by $53,835. That appears to be a matter of timing, with expenses likely to appear later in the fiscal year. • Similarly, expenses related to the expenditure of funds out of water reserve are under budget, with a $26,804 positive variance through December.
CCGYC, CCG Note remain at odds over access to dredge spoil site Lawyers discussing resolution to disputed Treasure Island Drive By TOM STAUSS Publisher aptain’s Cove Golf and Yacht Club President Mark Majerus during the Jan. 22 Board of Directors said lawyers for CCG Note, the Captain’s Cove declarant/developer, and the CCGYC, the Cove’s property owner association, are meeting in an attempt to resolve an issue over access to Treasure Island, the community’s dredge spoil site. CCG Note has said that it owns a short causeway called Treasure Island Drive that connects the island with High Seas Drive in Section 3. Majerus previously has said that he has uncovered evidence that the Cove POA owns the access road at issue. But he has since recanted that position. In a December post on the Member Forum, Majerus said he had been “unaware that a subsequent deed of correction was filed to the above referenced land deed recording. Then in 2011, Treasure Island Drive was listed as Parcel 7 of Exhibit A of CCG Notes Trustees Deed. Treasure Island Dr appears has been owned by CCG Note for the 12+ years. “This is why one pays for Title Search when purchasing or investigating property ownership. My mistake for assuming that this lot is among the others that are ill-defined in the tax parcel tool. My apologies for any misunderstandings that may have resulted,” he wrote. Last July, Majerus announced that CCG Note was withdrawing its permission for CCGYC Public Works crews to pass through what he said at the time was Note-owned property on the mainland side of Treasure Island, the community’s dredge spoil site that is near capacity. Access to Treasure Island would be needed in order for CCGYC crews to begin work on a clean-out of the spoil site so it can continue to be used for that purpose, Majerus said then. Access also would be needed for crews to monitor the site for this year’s dredging program. In June of last year, former CCGYC President Tim Hearn announced that CCG Note would no longer be willing to make land it owns in Sections 14 and 15 available for use as a dredging spoil site, either as a location for the transfer of spoil from Treasure Island, which is nearing capacity and will likely reach capacity after this year’s dredging season, after which it can no longer be used, or as a new dredge spoil disposal site after a clean-out. Restoration of that option is contingent on the Birckhead plaintiffs dropping their pending suit against CCG Note, Hearn said at the time, or a resolution of the suit favorable to the defendants. While some issues in the Birckhead litigation have been decided in Accomack County Circuit Court, others remain, and that means the declarant decided to balk at allowing access to Treasure Island via Treasure Island Drive. “We have taken exception to that,” Majerus said during the Jan. 22 Board meeting, acknowledging the “irony” of the situation. Two members of the Board, Michael Glick and Jim Silfee, are principals in CCG Note. Since the middle of last year, the two directors have recused themselves from voting on any matter coming before the Board, even issues that would not seem to pose conflict of interest concerns. At a meeting in July of last year, Majerus had said that there was no easement right to cross CCG Note’s land, and if there is no resolution of the Birckhead litigation by the fall, the CCGYC’s dredging program might not resume prior to the 2024 boat season. “Restrictions are in place while CCG Note is being named as a defendant in the Birckhead suit,” Majerus said. Plans are well under way to resume the community’s dredging program, possibly as early as this month, but that would seem to require the resolution of the ongoing dispute over use of Treasure Island Drive. The solution would appear to be a decision by CCG Note to take a less hardline approach to the ongoing litigation, with the early results favoring the defendants, CCG Note and CCGYC. That in turn would open up Treasure Island Drive for use by CCGYC maintenance crews, allowing access to Treasure Island. In public remarks last June, Hearn said the faction within the Cove that has been criticizing the Board, management and the developer and taking the POA and CCG Note to court “seems to have no appreciation of how the collaborative discussions between the declarant and non-declarant property owners have led to lower operating costs, fewer capital expenditures, and increased cash flow for CCGYC over the past nine years, even though all of them were discussed and approved in open session.” Hearn said that if these lawsuits against CCGYC and CCG Note are not dropped, “I don’t see any willingness by the Declarant in continuing those [cooperative] efforts, as they will To Page 43
C
CAPTAIN’S COVE CURRENTS
40 Ocean Pines PROGRESS February 2024
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CAPTAIN’S COVE CURRENTS
February 2024 Ocean Pines PROGRESS 41
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42 Ocean Pines PROGRESS February 2024
CAPTAIN’S COVE CURRENTS
CAPTAIN’S COVE CURRENTS
February 2024 Ocean Pines PROGRESS 43
Treasure Island Drive
From Page 41 deploy those resources towards continuing its winning streak in the courts, where the bluster and disinformation campaign by CCCC and the Birckhead et al group continue to be exposed for being empty threats with no legal basis.” Hearn has said should the plaintiffs voluntarily drop their lawsuits, CCG Note would be willing to step up and make land it owns in Sections 14 and 15 available for use as a dredging spoil site, either as a location for the transfer of spoil from Treasure Island, when it reaches capacity and can no longer be used, or as a new dredge spoil disposal site. Conversely, if the litigation continues, as evidently seems to be the case, the developer won’t be willing to make its land available, thereby possibly forcing the association to incur substantial cost in finding an alternative, Hearn said. No alternative to Treasure Island other than Sections 14 and 15 have been mentioned, let alone offered, as a future spoil site.
T
New home application fees to be increased ‘up to’ $930
he Board of Directors increased the fee paid by property owners applying for a new home in Captain’s Cove during the Jan. 22 meeting to $930. The rate had been $200. The increase was adopted after brief discussion in a 5-0 vote, with two abstentions (Jim Silfee and Michael Glick). General Manager Justin Wilder during the Property Management Team meeting later in the month clarified that it would be increased “up to” $930. The ECC and the PMT is in the process of discussing and drafting a tiered systems of fees, with the most complex of applications likely to be billed more than less complicated ones. Captain’s Cove Golf and Yacht Club President Mark Majerus said the increase was based on an estimate by the Property Management Team for the cost of processing the application through the Environmental Control Committee. That process has become more professional, with the volunteer committee assisted by a paid consultant who assists in reviewing applications.
After Director George Guthridge questioned whether the new fee would also apply to applications for home renovations or storage sheds, Majerus said it would not. The new fees were recommended by the recently repopulated ECC. Back in November, the Board appointed two new members to the ECC and reappointed one more. The new members are Cove residents Dan Dawson and Brad Hopkins. Mark Majerus, who later in the month was elected president of the Captain’s Cove property owners association, was reappointed to the three-member committee. The new members were appointed to replace Michael Glick and Jim Silfee, who resigned as part of a coordinated effort by the Cove developer/declarant, CCG Note, to retreat from active involve in Cove affairs. Glick and Silfee, principals in CCG Note, remain as directors on the Cove POA’s Board of Directors though they abstain from voting on all matters.
44 February 2024 Ocean Pines PROGRESS
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Board eases rulesfor short-term rentals Will help property management team deal with last-minute cancellations
By TOM STAUSS Publisher few months after reducing previously approved administrative fees for short-term rentals in Captain’s Cove, the Board of Directors has adopted another rule intended to make it easier for those who manage rentals for Captain’s Cove property owners. The new rule, adopted in a 5-0 vote with two abstentions, would give the Property Management Team the flexibility to shorten the interval between a scheduled move-in and the time when paperwork for the rental would have to be submitted to PMT for review and approval. Under the old rule, the interval was 14 days, which in most cases provides adequate time for a rental management company to submit required paperwork, including the name of the short-term renters and the number of occupants in the rent-
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al home. But when cancellations occur, as inevitably happens from time to time, rental managers scramble to fill the newly created vacancy. Under the new flexibility, the PMT will have the option of shortening the time period for a new application to be filed from 14 to five days. As originally proposed by Captain’s Cove Golf and Yacht Club President Mark Majerus, the motion called for the 14-day required to be waived in favor of five days. After discussion, he agreed to amend his motion to use the word “shorten” rather than “waive,” with the caveat that the PMT would have the flexibility to shorten the deadline for filing the application when a cancellation occurs. This change in policy is the latest tweak to the STR policy in Captain’s Cove. Back in October, the Board rescinded a fee
structure that had been adopted at its September meeting. The rescinded fee structure included an annual service charge of $100 per household to enter the program. The second was a $35 charge per rental period, regardless of the length of stay. At the Board’s October meeting, the directors established a $50 administrative processing fee on all rental properties in Captain’s Cove, both short- and longer-term, while the second motion rescinded short-term rental fees adopted at the Sept. 25 Board meeting. The across-the-board administrative fee remains in place, having gone into effect Jan. 1. Back in August, the Board considered but rejected a proposed $910 annual administrative fee for short-term rentals, after widespread criticism.
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Ocean Pines PROGRESS February 2024 45
Majerus recaps status of pending litigation Birckhead case headed to June 11-13 trial in Circuit Court
By TOM STAUSS Publisher aptain’s Cove Golf Yacht Club President Mark Majerus offered a quick racap of legal issues confronting the association during the Board of Directors Jan. 22 meeting. He confirmed that the five remaining issues in the Birckhead et all lawsuit against the association and CCG Note will be dealt with in a trial scheduled for June 11-13 in Accomack County Circuit Court. The case currently is in the discovery phase, when opposing attorneys ask for depositions and evidence they believe will be helpful to their side when the case goes to trial. Also during the meeting Director David Felt said he’d been working hard on arriving at a settlement in the Troon litigation, which involves allegations of missing funds from the period when a subsidiary of Troon managed Cove finances. “It’s taking longer [than I would have hoped],” he said. Majerus said that BIC Construction/Richards lawsuit, involving allegations that a home was built non-compliant with approved building
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plans, is scheduled for a trial in mid-March. The case is in the pre-trial phase of document requests and deposition of witnesses, he said. Although not the subject of a lawsuit, Majerus reported that attorneys representing the Board of Directors and CCG Note over access to the Treasure Island dredge spoil site are working to resolve the issue [see separate article elsewhere in this edition for details.] The Birckhead litigation is perhaps the most significant. Two issues in the contentious litigation have already been addressed by the Court, one of them involving Aqua Virginia, the Cove’s water and wastewater treatment utility. Judge Lewis determined that a 2016 sale of about ten acres in Section 14 to Aqua Virginia by the Cove POA had been authorized by the State Corporation Commission. He accepted a motion by Aqua Virginia attorney John Byrum to dismiss the complaint by the seven Birckhead plaintiffs seeking to enjoin future use of that acreage by Aqua to construct what are called rapid infiltration basins, or RIBs,
on grounds that the Circuit Court lacked subject jurisdiction over the issue. That action effectively removed Aqua as a defendant in the case, an outcome to which the plaintiffs didn’t object. Aqua was removed as a defendant in the case, and this dispute is no longer an issue. The other issue already addressed by the court concerns ownership of Captain’s Corridor and whether the Cove association can deny access to a planned townhome development from Captain’s Corridor. Judge Lewis has ruled and then reaffirmed that Captain’s Corridor in the vicinity of the planned townhome project is developer-owned, and that the Cove association has no control over ingress and egress to Captain’s Corridor in that area. There is no indication that the plaintiffs have appealed this decision, and the 30-day window for an appeal may have expired. The Cove Currents has not been able to confirm that the judge issued a formal written order encapsulating his u
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46 Ocean Pines PROGRESS February 2024 Legal recap
From Page 45 decision, so it’s possible that the 30-day appeal window has not yet opened. The five remaining issues to be decided include: • A dispute over whether CCG is required to service a loan mentioned in the 2012 settlement agreement between CCGYC and CCG Note, but which the defendants assert was never executed by the Cove association Board of Directors at the time. Short of a court order requiring CCG Note to write a check to the Cove association covering annual payments of $50,000, another possible outcome would be a court order requiring the association to sue CCG Note to recover the disputed annual payments. CCG Note is seeking an outcome in which it is absolved of any responsibility for repaying a loan that it contends does not exist. This issue is currently enmeshed in the usual discovery process. • whether CCG Note should have installed or could be ordered to install bulkheads on two lots it owns on Starboard Street. • whether CCG Note is authorized in governing documents to convey lots to the Greenbackville Volunteer Fire Department for possible use as a future site as an emergency medical satellite facility or firehouse. This issue seems to be moot, as the developer
CAPTAIN’S COVE CURRENTS is no longer interested in having a facility built on numbered lots in Captain’s Cove. CCG Note is no longer party to the townhome project for which the proffer of land to GVFD was contingent. • whether a developer, Stonewall Capital, hasn’t been paying assessments on lots sold to it by CCG Note, and whether this was a benefit to CCG Note. The Cove’s Property Management Team some months ago verified that Stonewall Capital had been delinquent but since had paid its past due assessments in their entirety. • whether Seaview Street has to be built by CCG Note or is the responsibility of the Cove POA to complete. Currently it’s on a priority list that a working group on roads has established. Plaintiffs interpret Article 2, Paragraph 2 of the Articles of Incorporation as requiring the developer, not the Cove POA, to build out roads, with the association having the responsibility for maintaining them once built. The applicable language in the Articles of Incorporation says that the Cove POA has the responsibility “to repair, maintain, rebuild and/or beautify all streets and their rights of way.” There is similar language in the restrictive covenants, often called the Declaration, but the plaintiffs and defendants interpret the language differently. The plaintiffs contend that the language says that the association is responsible for maintenance only. The defendants cite the long history of the Cove POA building roads in Captain’s Cove once
the original developer vacated Captain’s Cove and argue that the plaintiffs live along roads built by the association and want to deny others the same opportunity. According to Hearn in a recent email to the Cove Currents, Cal Burns, Captain’s Cove original developer/declarant, “deeded all road right of ways to CCGYC several decades ago. “These included the roads in Sections 14-18. When he did so, there was no further requirement that the Declarant construct roads. “The Declarations have always required CCGYC to maintain and improve streets (even when it did not own them),” Hearn said. This deeding of the rights-of-way is akin to an easement, rather than a conveyance of ownership. The section in the Declaration that refers to the improvement and maintenance of streets is 12E. The deed conveying the roads to the POA in the 1970s “is readily available in the land records for anyone who wishes to review it,” Hearn said in a recent post on the Cove’s Member Forum “The basis for the 2012 Settlement Agreement affirmed that detail and was stipulated by the board members who approved and executed the 2012 agreement,” Hearn said. He said that the plaintiffs in the suit have produced no document that shows that the developer is responsible for road construction. “If such a document even exists, it would still be negated by the deeding of the road right-ofways to the POA in the 1970’s,” he said.
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February 2024 Ocean Pines PROGRESS 47
Wilder reluctant to hold another meeting on e-voting Says ECC is devising tiered fee structure for filing applications
By TOM STAUSS Publisher eneral Manager Justin Wilder handled a number of provocative topics during his report to the management during the Jan. 29 Property Manager Team meeting. Clarifying a Board of Directors decision earlier in the month to increase fees on new home applications from $200 to $965, Wilder said it would not apply to routine applications for changes to existing homes. He said the Environmental Control Committee is discussing establishing a tier application system in which there might be a one-page application for roof or driveway repair, at $30 each. The more complex an application, the more costly it would become. In other disclosures, Wilder said that • He and Community Relations Director Julia Knopf are working on a how-to video on how to make the AppFolio software more useful to members • Said the Member Forum data base is due for its annual review, to make sure that members who are using it are up to date with annual dues. • Citing slow mail that seems to be getting even slower, he encouraged members to use the AppFolio software to pay assessments and engage with the association in other areas. “Just go to the front desk. We’ll teach you how to use the software,” he said. • He would convene another meeting of the e-voting working group if members would come up with a solid proposal that could be reviewed and perhaps made practical for use in annual Board elections. “We’re not at a point where there’s anything to discuss,” he said, later adding that he was willing to continue the discussion with members “off-line” outside the PMT meeting to see if there would be some basis on which to hold another meeting. In his report, Director of Operations John Costello said that: • Calls for security have been dropping in recent years, with 784 calls in 2021, 694 in 2022, and 612 in 2013. He reminded members that they need to call the sheriff’s department or 911 to report crime.
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Cove Security is not equipped matters best left to law enforcement authorities, he said. • Golf performed well in the first quarterly financially, producing $15,286 in revenue compared to the $9,000 budgeted. • The popular stride and ride
events on the Cove golf course will now be held twice monthly, the course closing early to accommodate them. They will resume in March on the second and fourth Wednesday of the month. • Trailer passes are available for
pick-up at the Marina Club. • A community-wide canvas of homes to check on the presence of unsightly algae and mold on the exterior of homes will be conducted on March 15. Follow-up notices to property To Page 49
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JAN. 22 BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING NOTES Board rejects proposed liaison committee
The Board of Directors at its Jan. 22 meeting rejected a proposal by Cove association member John Ward to recreate a new liaison committee, designed to serve as an intermediary between the Board and association members. Cove association President Mark Majerus, without going into much detail about the scope of the proposed committee, offered a motion to reject the application to create the panel. Acceptance of the application would have opened up the possibility of funding from the association. Majerus said there other ways for members to communicate with directors, among them the Website’s member forum and pending town halls. Members can and do contact directors via e-mail. “There is no barrier between the board and members [for the free flow of opinion],” Majerus said. He then suggested that depending on committee membership and other factors, “this liaison committee could actually result is miscommunication” between the panel and the Board. Other directors who commented all said they agreed with Majerus’s analysis of the request, noting that the pending town halls could provide for lively two-way communication. Ward’s application made it clear he was not asking for any funding support for his proposed committee.
Electronic ECC applications under review
Captain’s Cove Environmental Control Committee may soon allow members who want to submit applications for new homes, renovations, sheds and other matters under ECC purview to do so electronically. Majerus said the electronic submission of documents would be a real benefit to members and could reduce paperwork errors that would benefit staff. He said that under the current system of accepting hard copy applica-
For Reservations Call 757-824-3465
tions only, about two thirds of the applications are lacking one or more documents, requiring staff time to remedy. An electronic system could be set up to verify that all the supporting documents needed for a thorough review of applications have been submitted.
Wilder won’t add to lots in pilot sales program
General Manager Justin Wilder said during the Jan. 22 Board of Directors meeting that he and the Chincoteague-based Realtor that is handling a pilot lot sale program had considered expanding the program to include more Cove association-owned lots, but abandoned the idea. More lots might dilute the market pool and defeat the purpose of the program, Wilder said. He confirmed that two lots were recently purchased under the program, resulting in two new dues-paying members of the Cove association. One golf course lot has been added to the program to replace those sold, he said.
Board approves Section 4 lot swap
The Board of Directors at its Jan. 22 meeting approved a lot swap, allowing the owner of Section 12, Lot 17, to acquire ownership of Section 4, Lot 1886, after payment of transfers costs. The Section 12 lot has no water, electric or other services available. Both lots are wooded, interior lots.
Accounts receivable work group meets
Senior General Manager Colby Phillips disclosed during the Jan. 22 Board of Directors meeting that the accounts receivable work group had met Jan. 16 to begin work on an efforts to collect debts owed by former Captain’s Cove association members who lost their properties to foreclosure proceedings as a result of non-payment of annual dues. u
February 2024 Ocean Pines PROGRESS 49
CAPTAIN’S COVE CURRENTS The past due and associated fees are owed to the Cove association even though the property has been lost to foreclosure, she said. By the Board’s February meeting, details of a plan on how to collect the debts will be presented, she said.
Dave Felt details Board fiduciary duties
Captain’s Cove Director David Felt detailed fiduciary duties of Board members during the Jan. 22, in the hopes of educating CCGYC members about limits to what directors can and cannot do while in office. Among other points during his presentation, Felt said the directors have to be very careful in considering the cost-benefits of litigation, avoiding unnecessary and potentially costly risks. He also said the directors need to be conservative in approving annual budgets. He reminded members that they do not have the right to direct Cove employees, in the same way that individual directors can’t tell the property management team how to do its job. Fiduciary duty requires directors to be honest, objective, trustworthy, among other attributes, and must avoid conflicts of interest, prepare for and attend meetings, and establish reasonable controls over the handling of funds, Felt said. His presentation can be found on the Captain’s Cove Website in the folder for the Jan. 22 Board meeting.
Farmer’s Market coming to Captain’s Cove in May
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Persistence pays off for work group
fter nearly two years of discussion, Captain’s Cove Golf and Yacht Club will finally welcome a Farmer and Artisan Market beginning in May. The market, which will start accepting vendor applications near the end of the month, will be held each Thursday, 3-6 p.m. from May 23 through Sept. 19, taking a break on July 4. The possible location for the market was of much debate, with the planning workgroup desiring a central location convenient for both Captain’s Cove members and the general public. After working with several department leaders, it was determined that the Marina Club parking lot would host the market. The workgroup, which continues to plan the market diligently, hopes to house many different types of vendors and goods. Although the pricing structure for vendors has yet to be announced, it was announced at the January Property Management Team meeting that Cove members would be offered a discounted rate to vend. Anyone interested in possibly being a vendor at the market is encouraged to email the workgroup at captscovemarket@gmail.com.
Property Management Team From Page 47 owners then will be sent out asking them to remediated the issues. Food and Beverage Manager Charlie Getz announced a Valentine’s Day Surf and Turf special, an 80s night event in March, date not yet available, and moving half price sandwiches from
Thursday to Wednesday. Trivia night is under way Thursday at the Marina Club. Getz also said the Town Center grille would be closed for several days this month to allow for a cleaning and painting. When it reopens, some convenience items will be available for purchase, such as paper, hygiene and cleaning products.
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50 Ocean Pines PROGRESS February 2024
CAPTAIN’S COVE CURRENTS
CAPTAIN’S COVE CURRENTS
February 2024 Ocean Pines PROGRESS 51
Majerus cautiously optimistic over dredge boat insurance claim Completion of repairs expected first week of February
By TOM STAUSS Publisher aptain’s Cove association President Mark Majerus sounded a cautiously optimistic tone during the Board of Directors’ Jan. 22 meeting that the protracted dispute over an insurance claim related to the association’s vandalized dredge boat will soon to be resolved. Majerus said the Cove resubmitted paperwork associated with the claim for repairs and that the insur-
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ance carrier is reevaluating. “We anticipate a decision in the next week or two,” he said. Perhaps helping to move the process along is a new estimate for repairing the boat, once estimated to cost $100,000 or more. The new estimate is for “much less with only $8,000 spent to date although there is still some work to complete,” Majerus said. If the insurance company doesn’t honor the claim for the lower re-
pair cost, Majerus said the disputed claim is for a dollar amount that wouldn’t justify litigation. Should that happen, the only recourse for the association would be to take the refusal to honor the claim into account when deciding whether to renew the policy with the carrier. Majerus also said that repairs for the boat are moving along, with the off-site machine shop only missing a single piece on order, a custom
coupler located between the boat’s hydraulic motor and the cutting head. Once that part arrives and repairs are completed, he said the boat could be placed in the water in preparation for dredging to begin. He expects that to happen the first week or so of February, with a resumption of the dredging program to happen shortly thereafter. This year’s dredging program can be completed under the existing permit. During the Jan. 22 meeting, Majerus presented maps of the Cove’s canal system indicating areas that could be dredged and those that can’t be because canal depth exceeds four feet at mean tide level. He did not disclose which canals will be dredged this year.
COVE CHRONICLES
Another busy month ahead in Captain’s Cove By JULIA KNOPF ach month, a calendar of activities hosted throughout Captain’s Cove is published. A large-scale printout of this calendar is on display in the lobby of the Marina Club. Any individual entering the clubhouse in January may have expected to find a bare calendar. However, despite the winter month being considered the off-season, members of Captain’s Cove found that the monthly calendar was packed with events. On Saturday, Jan. 20, around 20 kids and their families splashed and swam to the sweet tunes of DJ Donny at the first Family Fun Night- Indoor Pool Party. The party featured a noodle race, where the participants straddled pool noodles like floating horses and galloped to the opposite end of the pool. The race was preceded by the always popular “Biggest Splash” competition. DJ Donny was not the only entertainment featured in January. The Marina Restaurant hosted four bands, two of which featured Cove Members. On Jan. 12 Twisted Pair, a duo of Captain’s Cove members Jim McNally and Greg Palaski, kicked off the month’s entertainment by returning to their home stage. Jan. 20 saw the first installment in the Marina Restaurant’s new Saturday Dinner Music series, featuring The Cove Trio, Rob “Max” McCarthy, John Webber, and Greg Palaski. The Marina Restaurant will continue its robust entertainment schedule during February with Friday Nights featuring favorite bands, The Rockaholics, Monkee Paw, and The Runner-Ups. Trivia with DJ Decibull is also returning on Thursdays. Reservations can be made for the restaurant at www.captscove.com/reservation or by calling 757-8243465 ext. 161 The golfers of Captain’s Cove took full advantage of a mild January. Golfers played nearly 600 nine-hole rounds of golf this month. The most exciting golf day for 56 individuals was Jan. 27 at the annual Reverse Par 3 and Oyster Roast. The Reverse Par 3 format has golfers teeing off backward from the tee box, working toward the previous hole’s green. Playing in this manner has golfers moving in reverse around the course, with each hole scored as a Par 3. Following play, the golfers gathered in the emptied cart barn where they devoured 1500 local steamed and raw oysters. While slurping oysters and chili, Cole Scott, Captain’s Cove golf manager, announced the winning team, Richard Davis and Mark Hisert,
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coming in at three under par. The next tournament will be the Irish Open on March 9, which is open to members and the public. Anyone interested in playing in the tournament or any of the many weekly golf leagues should contact the Pro Shop, proshop@captscove.com, 757-824-3465 ext. 116. Seven members of the Arts and Crafts League (ACL) gathered on Jan. 24 for a braided boa scarf class taught by member Dee Brua. The ladies each picked their favorite vibrant colors to braid and twist together their creations. On Feb. 14, from 10-11:30 a.m., the ACL will host their quarterly meeting. The meeting is open to any Cove members who might be interested in becoming a member of the ACL. Members gather regularly to host events, teach each other techniques, or to socially work on individual projects. The February calendar is just as full as January. The trend of a packed calendar of events and entertainment is likely to grow, with new activities continuously being added, helping to keep the members of Captain’s Cove busy and entertained. Julia Knopf is Captain’s Cove’s community relations manager.
Reverse Par 3 winners, Richard Davis and Mark Hisert
52 Ocean Pines PROGRESS February 2024