Ocean pines progress july early august 2015 by Ocean Pines Progress

July - Early Augfust 2015

443-359-7527

www.OceanPinesToday.com

Vol. 11, No. 4

www.issuu.com/oceanpinesprogress Stevens says data shed no light on need for policy change Ocean Pines Association President Dave Stevens has reviewed Community Center use data provided to him and the Board of Directors by General Manager Bob Thompson. Stevens’ verdict? The data shed no light on the question of whether the OPA board needs to revise a board resolution that governs use of the much-used facility. ~ Page 8

THE OCEAN PINES JOURNAL OF NEWS & COMMENTARY COVER STORY

Trendic DWI arrest roils OPA Board election

‘Hideous’ orange fence removed from South Gate pond

The Ocean Pines wildfowl population scored a victory of sorts just before the Fourth of July weekend when the orange fence installed along a portion of Ocean Parkway and the larger of two South Gate ponds was removed. Ocean Pines Association General Manager Bob Thompson had the fence taken down after Director Bill Cordwell, during the June 15 meeting of the Board of Directors, asked whether “we can’t rid of ” what he called that “hideous orange fence,” installed for the purpose of deterring geese and people from congregating on this portion of the pond’s perimeter. ~ Page 12

Choptank’s smart meters generate questions, criticism

With residents concerned about both the safety and costs associated with Choptank Electric Cooperative’s plans to install advanced meters throughout the community, the Ocean Pines Association Board of Directors wants to meet with representatives for the utility to clear the air. During the public comments section of a June 25 meeting, resident Pamela Wright broached the issue, saying that she has serious reservations about the installation of the so-called smart meters. ~ Page 18

Supporters rally behind candidate who stays in race despite post-midnight accident By TOM STAUSS Publisher he Ocean Pines Association’s annual Board of Directors’ election took a turn to the bizarre in-mid June when presumed front-runner Slobodan Trendic found himself in legal hot water, resulting from his arrest on charges of driving while intoxicated, leaving the scene of a property damage accident, negligent driving and violation of a corrective lens driving restriction. If any kind of publicity is good publicity, as the adage goes, Trendic’s chances of winning a seat on the OPA board probably won’t be much affected much. In the days after word of his arrested appeared in the local media, he dropped from first to second place in an on-line poll posted on oceanpinesforum.com, which historically has been a good predictor of OPA election outcomes. Supporters in the days following the accident rallied to his defense, among them soon-to-be-retiring Director Marty Clarke and local builder Marvin Steen, both of whom told the Progress that they continue to believe that Trendic would make a worthy successor to Clarke on the board. “It’s a charge, not a conviction,” Clarke said. “And I supported George W. Bush for president after he had a DWI.” Steen said everything he’s been hearing about the incident that led to Trendic’s arrest on June 20 by an Ocean Pines police officer tells him that there are extenuating or mitigating circumstances that could lead to dropped or reduced

charges or a not-guilty verdict, should a trial take place in late August as currently scheduled. Trendic declined comment on the events of Slobodan Trendic June 20 on advice of counsel, other than to say he trusted in the legal system to render a just verdict based on the facts in the case. “I’m the same person that people got to know and liked before this happened,” he added. “Nothing’s changed. I hope people wait to render a judgment until after the system is allowed to work.” Investigative reporting by the Progress confirms that the police report issued by the OPPD after the incident omitted some key details that shed a more positive light on Trendic’s behavior on the night of the incident. One key point is that Trendic reportedly consumed only two bottles of Sam Adams beer at the Ocean Pines Yacht Club, in an evening spent with political supporters, and the bartender who served the beer has confirmed that in writing. OPPD Chief Dave Massey in a telephone interview told the Progress that his department would check with the Yacht Club bartender to confirm the two-beer narrative, which he said is common among those accused of DWIs.

The OPPD had not interviewed the bartender prior to filing charges against Trendic. That isn’t too surprising, given the time of night the incident occurred. Another factor is that Trendic suffers from Chrohn’s Disease and is pre-diabetic and that both might have contributed to temporarily losing control of his car at 82 Windajmmer Road the night of the incident, around midnight, causing damage to a car parked on the driveway and scattering landscape stone that rims the edge of the driveway. The car and home at 82 Windjammer are owned by Lanny and Kay Hickman, neither of whom were awake when the accident occurred. Massey told the Progress that the officer who responded to a late-night complaint of property damage, called in by a neighbor of the Hickmans, is trained in investigating DWI incidents. The officer asked Trendic whether there were any medical conditions that could have contributed to the accident. “He said no,” Massey said, but that contradicted what Steen said he understands occurred. “He doesn’t recall any such question being asked,” Steen said of Trendic, who spoke to the builder on the day after the incident. “And if the question had been asked, why would he say there was no medical condition? It makes no sense.” According to sources, Trendic also was intending to return to the scene of the accident immediately after it ocTo Page 20

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OPA to debut ‘Resident’s Academy’ in the fall

The newsletter suggests calling the Public Relations Department at 410641-7717, ext. 3006, or emailing ttravatello@oceanpines.org to learn more about the resident’s academy or to register. That email address belongs to Teresa Travatello, the OPA’s public relations director. Fun Note to Teresa: It should probably be “residents’ academy” rather than “resident’s academy,” since presumably it won’t launch if a single individual enrolls.

Listing of foreclosed property delayed

The sale of a property that the Ocean Pines Association bought at foreclosure and renovated has been delayed because one member of the Board of Directors was out of town. OPA General Manager Bob Thompson said he intends to seek proposals from local real estate agencies that are interested in adding the property at 37 Tail of the Fox to their listings. He said he has a letter drafted and ready to be sent to brokers, but Director Sharyn O’Hare was helping with that

ver wonder how Ocean Pines’ government works? Technically, the Ocean Pines Association is not a government, but an item in the Summer OPA newsletter announcing a new Ocean Pines Association “Resident’s Academy” this fall indicates otherwise. “Be the first to participate in this free six-to-eight course and get a first-hand look at how the Ocean Pines Association and its government work,” the newsletter teases. “The sessions will be led by Association management, staff, volunteers and special guests. Sessions will be “informal, interactive” and, according to the newsletter, “a lot of fun.” Exciting, too, no doubt, if OPA General Manager Bob Thompson actively participates. No word about whether the academy will feature face painting or a moon bounce. Apparently the curriculum is still a work in progress, as the newsletter says both applications and the “curriculum” will be available “soon.” There also is no information given about the place or places academy classes will be held.

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OCEAN PINES BRIEFS From Page 3 process and was unavailable to review the proposal. Director Marty Clarke was irritated by the delay in listing the property. “How about we do an open listing? Just put it out there for anybody that wants to sell it,” he said, adding “Put a lock box on it and get out of the way. It’s gonna’ sell.” Thompson said there is already a lock box on the home, and O’Hare helped arrange for that device so that real estate agents could have easy access to the property. “And we have no written listing with anybody?” Clarke asked. “No sir,” Thompson responded.

“I guess Sharyn forgot it’s illegal to offer for sale a house without a written listing,” Clarke said. Thompson quickly shot back that “It’s not for sale. It’s for viewing.” “OK. Take your time,” Clarke responded. OPA President Dave Stevens eventually intervened in the conversation and said O’Hare would be returning soon and would help facilitate the real estate listing process. Thompson said that the home located at 37 Tail of the Fox is now ready for sale. He said in talking with potential brokers the association will ask questions such as estimated sale price, days on the market, what fees they will charge to list it and what marketing efforts they will deploy to get the property sold.

He said the OPA will review all information received back from the agencies and place it on the market with the office that provides the best feedback. Thompson said the OPA paid approximately $95,000 for the property and has invested about $15,000 in fixing it up. The OPA renovated the 1,300-square-foot home to make it more marketable to prospective buyers. The association installed new flooring, drywall, painting, heating-ventilation-air conditioning, electrical work and appliances in the home. Last year the board voted to purchase the property at a foreclosure sale in an effort to collect money that is owed to it by property owners if there appears to be an opportunity to do so through the foreclosure process.

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Board to review Seacrets lease

The Ocean Pines Association is in receipt of a proposed new five-year lease for its bayside property in Ocean City by Seacrets Nite Club. OPA President Dave Stevens during the June 25 Board of Directors meeting announced that the OPA had received the proposal but provided few details as to its content other than to say that it includes a 3 percent cost escalation. He said he just wanted to let the public know that the issue is being discussed. Seacrets current lease doesn’t terminate until April 30, 2016, Stevens said. A new five-year lease would extend that to 2021. The bayside parcel has been used for many years as part of Seacret’s sprawling parking lot, which is located across from the Ocean Pines Beach club on 48th Street. Occasionally the parcel is used for overflow Beach Club parking, as well.

Bridge Club provides donation to OPA

On behalf of the Wednesday Bridge Club, member Anna Foultz presented a $200 donation to the Ocean Pines Association during the public comments section of a June 30 Board of Directors’ meeting. Foultz said the group has been playing bridge at the Ocean Pines Association’s Country Club for several months without interruption. “We’ve been there for quite a while now and we haven’t been bothered. We haven’t had any trouble.” To show their appreciation for allowing them to use the facility, the bridge group members decided to make the financial contribution to support the OPA’s programs, she said. In one of her other roles, as the founder and head of Starr Charities, Foultz has had difficulties with the OPA. When the Parks and Recreation Department assessed a fee against her charity for use of the Community Center for a fund-raising event, Foultz complained to the board. The directors, after a couple months of considering her request for a refund, granted it.

OPA announces summer bus trips

The Ocean Pines Recreation and Parks Department is hosting several bus trips this summer. NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility will be the featured destination for trips on Aug. 4 and Aug. 11. Tour companion Steve Habeger, a former employee at Wallops, will provide additional information during the facility tour. The cost to attend is $35 per person. A performance of “Joseph” by Sight & Sound Theatres in Lancaster County, Pa. is scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 15. The day will include an 11 a.m. show To Page 6

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6 Ocean Pines PROGRESS July - Early August 2015 On Saturday, July 18, the Worcester OCEAN PINES BRIEFS From Page 4 and lunch at a local Amish family-style restaurant at 2 p.m. The price is $130 per person, which includes the show, lunch and transportation. The Nationals host the Marlins at Nationals Park on Sunday, Aug. 30. The bus will arrive in Washington in time for the game at 1:30 p.m. Jason Worth bobble heads will be the featured giveaway. The cost of the trip, which includes transportation and game ticket, is $80 per person. The buses for all of these trips, which are open to the public, will depart from the Ocean Pines Community Center, located at 235 Ocean Parkway in Ocean Pines. Reservations are required. Refunds will not be issued for cancellations unless vacant seats can be filled. For more information or to register, call the Ocean Pines Recreation and Parks Department at 410-641-7052.

Farmers Market to host special events in July

The Ocean Pines Farmers Market will host two special events in July in its continued effort to offer market shoppers a variety of unique experiences in addition to its growing lineup of vendors.

County Humane Society and the Ocean Pines Farmers Market will present the “Dog Day of Summer.” Market vendors Tumbleweed & Eddies and Best Friends Collars will be joined by other guest vendors offering pet products and services in an effort to raise funds for the no-kill shelter. The event will include a demonstration by the Worcester County Sherriff’s Office K-9 Unit and raffle drawings. Donations of items needed by the shelter will also be accepted. Visit worestercountyhumanesociety.org for a list of items. Also joining the market on Saturday, July 25, at 10 a.m. will be author Kim Kash, whose Jamie August book series features Ocean City as a backdrop. Kash will read from her second book in the series, “Ocean City Cover-Up,” Kash, who currently lives in the Middle East, finds writing about Ocean City an antidote for her homesickness. “I’m sure some of my Maryland memories are whimsically inflated, just like the stories we tell about our own exploits back in the day: they get more farfetched with every telling. But the affection I have for the people, the food, the attitude, the sheer fun of Ocean City is real, and it gets me through the culture shock that will probably always be

OCEAN PINES a part of expat life,” she said. Kash will be available to sign copies of “Ocean City Cover-Up” and her first book in the Jamie August series, “Ocean City Lowdown.” Kash is also the author of “Ocean City: A Guide to Maryland’s Seaside Resort.” The Ocean Pines Farmers Market is open every Saturday from 8 a.m.-1 p.m. year-round in White Horse Park in Ocean Pines. It offers seasonal fresh produce, meat, eggs, seafood, wine, baked goods, kettle corn, gourmet food products, handcrafted items and more.

Aquatics Department hosting special events

The Ocean Pines Aquatics Department is hosting a number of special events and classes for kids this summer. Future lifeguards can learn necessary skills with Ocean Pines popular junior lifeguard program. The threeday sessions will be offered evenings on July 21, Aug. 4 and Aug. 18. The cost is $75 per person, which includes a t-shirt, whistle and first-aid kit. A pizza dinner will be served the Wednesday of each session. Beginning July 11, children ages 8-12 can learn how to swim like mermaids.

Fin Fun mermaid tails will be available for use during the one-hour sessions, which will be held at 9 a.m. and 10:15 a.m. at the Sports Core pool. Additional sessions are scheduled for July 18, July 25 and Aug. 1. Participants should be strong swimmers. The cost per session, which includes a certificate and goggles, is $20 for Ocean Pines swim members and $25 for all others. A “Frozen” tea party and swim will be held Saturday, July 11, from 3:30-5 p.m. at the Sports Core pool. Participants can enjoy “tea” (apple juice) and snacks with Anna and Elsa and then swim in the pool. The cost is $5 for swim members, $6 for Ocean Pines residents and $7 for non-residents. Families and friends are encouraged to test their boat-building skills at the Racquet Family Relay Races on Saturday, July 18, from 6-8 p.m. at the Swim and Racquet Club Pool. Participants should bring their own cardboard boats and then compete in races. The winning team will receive t-shirts; other awards will also be given. The cost is $20 per family. These events are open to the public and registration is required. To register, call Ocean Pines Aquatics at 410-6415255.

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Wiine Tasting a g Every Dayy By TOM STAUSS Thompson has said the draft policy Nat a ur uraal Light g CK Mondavi Publisher change is a work in progress and may k $15.99 $15 99 be substantially revised before it is pre1.5L Pines $9.99 Association 30 Pack cean President Dave Stevens has reviewed Com- sented to the board in its final form for munity Center use data provided review and action. He and the working to him and the Board of Directors by group plan to meet with local organizaGeneral Manager Bob Thompson. tions to show them how the proposed Stevensâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; verdict? The data shed no use policy would affect them, and that light on the question of whether the has not occurred to any significant deOPA board needs to revise a board res- gree. olution that governs use of the muchThat means any action to change polused facility. icy will be addressed by the new board Current policy dictates free use of sometime after this summerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s election, the Community Center by most civic in which two new directors will join five and community groups in Ocean Pines hold-overs from the current board lineÂŽ whose memberships are composed most- what up. Among these five, Stevens and DiUndersta anding â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s impo ortant ly of Ocean Pines residents. rector Jack Collins are skeptical, while Under a draft policy change present- Director Tom Terry said recently that he ed by Thompson and a working group of is not ready to make any judgments on residents in May of this year, free use of the merits. Director Pat Renaud initialOCE EAN PINES BRANCH the Community Center by these groups ly praised the group for the work done would be 5replaced by a system %5 in85Rdrafting 65 proposed ggffi5 (%&#(5 of, fees 5 ,&#(the 655hgnpolicy gg change, and donated time, what some have de- while Bill Cordwell has not offered any scribed as community service in410-208-4247 lieu of definitive statements either way in pubfees. lic meetings.

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hasnaraised PTerry rofeessio l Nail Cthe are issue for boofth how charitable organizations such Ladies & Gentlemen as Anna Foultzâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Starr Charities would be treated under the new policy and what would happen if an organization, having pledged a certain amount of donated time to qualify for a fee waiver or 410-208-0 0 falls short of the commitment reduction, made. Of the seven candidates running for the board, Slobodan Trendic, Cheryl Jacobs, Tom Herrick, and Bill Zawacki all made comments during the candidatesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; forum in June expressing varying degrees of skepticism, while candidates Carol Ludwig and Terri Mohr seemed more favorably disposed toward the working groupâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s efforts to date. Ludwig is a member of Thompsonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s working group. During a May 20 special meeting of the board in which the draft policy change was introduced, Stevens asked Thompson to produce data indicating the extent to which the Community

410-208-6208

Center is used and by what community groups. Thompson complied with the request in the latter part of June, and Stevens subsequently looked over the data provided. The data donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t help to answer the question of the extent to which there is a problem at the Community Center that needs a fix, Stevens said, noting there was no data at all for the numbers of groups that were denied use of the Community because H it ADhad already SER RCenter VICES WITH THIS been reserved. Nor was there any data EX XPIRES 12-31-15 410-641-6362 indicating the times when the Community Center may be underutilized and which rooms are used and were available for use during day. atthe ap patia.com â&#x20AC;&#x153;It could be that thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s more of a problem on particular times and in particular rooms,â&#x20AC;? Stevens said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know thatâ&#x20AC;? from the data provided to date. He also said the data doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t take into account the fact that the Country Club also can be used as additional meeting space, while acknowledging that its current condition does not lend itself to wide use, especially during colder months when heating the building is costly. The six pages of data for 2013 indicate 45 separate and distinct organizations that use the Community Center on a regular basis. With no accounting for

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all of those courts at one time because From Page 11 Nextoftosite S preparation Subwa ay of the cost and conplan for pickleball courts grew from in- struction involved. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In the long run itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cluding four to eight courts in this fiscal less expensive to do it that way,â&#x20AC;? he said. 410-629-1048 (ffax) the need for Clarke also questioned year. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve always talked about four,â&#x20AC;? he said, in reference to the capital bud- additional platform tennis courts. While get approved for this fiscal year back in everyone keeps saying that sports is growing, the platform tennis memberFebruary. He said the OPA only has 63 pickle- ship has actually fallen by 35 percent, ball members and that equates to about he said. When asked by Collins about a timesix users per court. line for building the new courts, ThompDirector Jack Collins said it is a matson said he couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t provide one yet. ter of the â&#x20AC;&#x153;economies of scale.â&#x20AC;? He said it For Leasin ng Information

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From Page 8 possible overlapping membership, the data shows that in 2013 organization members totaling 3,053 used the facility, of which 2,579 were residents of Ocean Pines and 474 non-members. Average attendance for the year is shown as 2,405 individuals. The facility and nearby Pavilion in White Horse Park hosted 1,452 separate events for 2013, ranging in length from one to ten hours per event, with most clustered in the one to five-and-a-half hour range. The number of hours per meeting totals up to 221.75 – a number that seems confusing or even meaningless on its face – and the number of hours in 2013 for meetings totaled 4,585.25. “None of that is particularly relevant” to the question of determining the extent of a congestion problem and how to deal with it, Stevens said. Thompson, of course, was merely providing attendance data that he thought Stevens had requested. In addition, the general manager told the Progress in early June that he really had not wanted to present an interim report to the board on Community Center usage and the activities of his working group because neither he nor they were ready to make a recommended policy change. Even so, the special meeting May 20

July - Early August 2015Ocean Pines PROGRESS in which the draft policy change was introduced provided a useful snapshot of the direction in which Thompson and his working group was heading, including the controversial idea of offering groups a way to donate time to the OPA in lieu of paying fees. The process to date has also had a political dimension. One of the working group members is Ludwig, a candidate for the board in this summer’s OPA election. Critics of the working group’s efforts to date contend that she is the only candidate thus far to explicitly advocate that organizations pay for use of the Community Center, either in fees or donated time. At the June candidates’ forum, she defended the work product of the group thus far but said it was far from a done deal. Another candidate, former director Terri Mohr, indicated that it might be a good idea to charge for use. Other candidates took an opposite tack, with Cheryl Jacobs specifically indicating she had a problem with asking organization members to donate time to the OPA is lieu of fees. She compared it to “community service” penalties that are sometimes imposed on those convicted of crimes in her work as a prosecuting attorney in Baltimore City. At least one major Ocean Pines community group – the 400-member (give or take) Ocean Pines Boat Club – has

publicly criticized the proposed new use policy. During the public comments segment of the May 28 board meeting, Walt Lischak, fleet captain of the boat club, called the proposed use policy “unworkable” for his organization. Depending on how the club would be classified under the proposed new policy, he said club members might have to donate between “1,200 and 2,000 hours of community service annually” to meet the policy requirements. The latter is equivalent to a full-time employee working 50 weeks per year, he said. Lischak wondered who would be supervising all the new volunteers the proposal anticipates. “Who is going to be responsible and liable for injuries and Workman’s Compensation for mostly 60- to 80-year-old volunteers?” he asked. “What if (someone) belongs to multiple clubs? Is there a limit on hours owed, and how do you expect us to coerce our members into putting in the time?” Lischak also questioned whether the working group that Thompson assembled to draft his proposed use policy was truly representative of Ocean Pines, particularly its many organizations. “We are the largest club in Ocean Pines and assuredly were not” asked to serve on the working group or offer views on the proposal before it was un-

veiled, he said, adding, “Many people feel we paid for these facilities and pay for their continued staff and maintenance. They do not feel that they should pay, in either time or money, to use them.” In a follow-up telephone interview, Thompson said his presentation on May 20 was intended to be a first look only at a work in progress, with plans to meet with groups such as the Ocean Pines Boat Club to go over how the proposed policy would work in practice, before a policy recommendation is finalized. He said the community service option in lieu of payment might turn out to be less onerous than Lischak suggested because many club members may already be donating time for the benefit of the OPA. He said the draft policy is intended to “capture” donated time that already occurs because Ocean Pines is a community that thrives on volunteerism. The proposed policy sets out a structure for charging community and civic groups, social clubs, business and socalled special interest groups, such as political parties, to use the Community Center and, perhaps, the second floor of the Country Club at some point. The proposed policy allows for these group’s members to donate time to the OPA as a way of defraying a portion of or all of the fees. For instance, a community organization, one that has at least 75 percent

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From Page 9 of its membership Ocean Pines residents, would be given “free” use of the Assateague Room for up to 52 hours per year, with a maximum of four hours per use. But the group would be required to donate to the OPA the equivalent of five hours per group member during the year to qualify for free use, not necessarily requiring the participation of every member. To calculate the community service requirement – the service would have to directly benefit an OPA department,

– a roster of members apparently would have to be provided to the OPA. The same requirements would pertain to a civic group, defined as an organization with at least 60 percent of its membership Ocean Pines residents. Organizations would have the ability to self-identify which category – community, civic or social – under which they would operate, subject to verification by the OPA Parks and Recreation Department Social groups, defined as those whose memberships are at least 75 percent Ocean Pines residents, would only have

OCEAN PINES to donate to the OPA the equivalent of three hours per year per member to use the Assateague Room, but would be limited to three hours per use rather than the four hours allowed for community and civic groups. The OPA board and OPA advisory committees would be given free use of the Marlin Room. But business groups and special interest groups apparently would not be given the option of donating time to the OPA. They would be required to pay for use, in much the way that many do already. The proposed policy makes it clear that any direct monetary contributions to the OPA would result in a reduction in the volunteer hours required. For instance, contributions of $1,000 or more would result in a 20 percent reduction in volunteer hours, while a $500 to $999 contribution would result in a 15 percent reduction.

For groups contributing $100 to $499 the reduction in volunteer hours would be ten percent, while $25 to $99 contributions would reduce volunteer hours by 5 percent. Unlike current board Resolution M-02, which exempts many groups with substantial Ocean Pines memberships from having to pay to use the Community Center, under the proposed new policy no community group would be exempt from either paying fees or donating time to the OPA. In a PowerPoint presentation to the board, Thompson defended the proposal as a well thought-out reaction to the large number of requests for use of the Community Center that can’t be accommodated by the OPA’s Parks and Recreation Department. Thompson said the department receives more than 1,800 requests for use per year for the building, many of which can’t be accommodated.

Clarke says Thompson refuses to disclose Community Center list

cean Pines Association Director Marty Clarke says he has made repeated requests of General Manager Bob Thompson to provide proof that there have been 1800 requests for use of Community Center meeting space that have been rejected by the Parks and Recreation Department because of

a lack of space. “It’s been over a month since I made my first of four requests for documents,” Clarke said. “He has not responded to any of them.” The 1800 rejections were cited by Thompson and his Community Center q

10 Ocean Pines PROGRESS July - Early August 2015 Thompson said Community Center

8/31/15 OPP

July - Early August 2015Ocean Pines PROGRESS 11

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AGH ribbon-cutting

The Ocean Pines and Ocean City Chambers of Commerce held a Ribbon Cutting ceremony June 25 for Atlantic General Medical Center’s newest facility at 12308 Ocean Gateway in West Ocean City. Pictured holding the ribbon third from left are Dr. Laura Stokes, Dr. Munna Garg, and sixth from left Dr. Anita Pascucci, each holding scissors.

Rejection list From Page 10 working group during the June special meeting as a reason for why there needs to be a change in the board resolution that essentially mandates free use of the Community Center for most organizations in Ocean Pines. Fairness to those groups whose requests for space have been rejected was another part of the argument Thompson made on behalf of a new proposed policy that would require most organizations in Ocean Pines to either pay a fee for use of the Community Center or donate time to the Parks and Recreation Department or other OPA departments in lieu of fees. “I don’t believe there were 1800 rejected requests,” Clarke said. “It’s a made-up number. It’s smoke and mirrors,” but he told the Progress in early July that he wants to give Thompson an opportunity to supply a list if there is one. Clarke said that the Maryland Homeowners Act requires HOAs to response to document requests within 21 days, and that Thompson has had more than 21 days to respond and has not done so. Clarke said he has been in consultation with his attorney and is considering legal action against the OPA to force the production of the requested documents or an admission there is no basis for the 1800 number. Clarke is retiring from the board this August after three years. Although eligible for reelection, Clarke elected not to run because of disaffection with some of his colleagues over financial policy, particularly the level of reserves held by the OPA, about $7 million as of May 1, in the absence of an up-to-date capital improvement plan. – Tom Stauss

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‘Hideous orange fence’ removed from pond near South Gate General manager responds to complaint by OPA Director Bill Cordwell

suggests that the hard-packed ground there isn’t conducive to growing grass and much of anything other than weeds, here and there. Director Marty Clarke suggested that By TOM STAUSS the fence, ugly as it was, has deterred Publisher people from pulling off Ocean Parkway he Ocean Pines wildfowl popula- in their cars and parking along the lake. tion scored a victory of sorts just He said the purpose of the fence hasn’t before the Fourth of July weekend been to keep the geese away from the when the orange fence installed along a area so much “as to keep the people off.” portion of Ocean Parkway and the larger OPA President Dave Stevens said of two South Gate ponds was removed. that “we all agree it is really ugly,” but Ocean Pines Association General he stopped short of telling Thompson he Manager Bob Thompson had the fence should remove the fence. taken down after Director Bill Cordwell, In his response to the board, during the June 15 meeting of the Board Thompson did not indicate he would of Directors, asked whether “we can’t have it removed, but in the end that’s rid of ” what he called that “hideous what he decided to do. orange fence,” installed for the purpose He agreed with Cordwell that the of deterring geese and people from packed down ground in the area was too congregating on this portion of the hard for the grass to grow back. pond’s perimeter. He said the solution will be to bring Cordwell said he didn’t think the in some fill dirt and put in new fencing. fence was to restore grass Clarke YDIhelping 150403 - Progress Paperthe 4_975w x 5.67h.pdf 4/9/15 suggested 10:34:41 AM that Thompson in the area, and casual observation To Page 14

July - Early August 2015Ocean Pines PROGRESS

14 Ocean Pines PROGRESS Orange fence

From Page 12 replace the orange fence with a white picket fence, and Cordwell suggested that the new fencing should be one-foot in height along the pond’s perimeter. Thompson said he would come back to the board with a recommendation on a permanent fencing solution. Meanwhile, though, the orange fence is no longer a blight on the area. Since early June, Thompson seemingly resisted calls to get rid of it. At a June 3 town meeting, in which the topic of goose control methods dominated, Thompson dodged a question on how soon the OPA would remove the orange fence. He said the OPA has certain conditions to address related to the number of geese that call Ocean Pines ponds their home. Based on a recommendation from the Environment and Natural Assets Advisory Committee, the OPA Board of Directors last year adopted a multipronged approach to goose control in lieu of more lethal options. Those measures include creating a no-mow zone around the South and North Gate ponds, installing a barrier to the water and spraying a chemical deterrent. “The alternative plans were basically killing geese,” Thompson said during the town meeting, adding the board was not

willing to make that decision. “So this was an alternative plan that would help mitigate the conditions without taking that next step.” He said the plan included creating a 20-foot wide no-mow zone around the ponds in order to allow the grass to grow to a certain height. “The geese don’t like the fact that predators can hide in the grass once it gets to a certain level. So they’re uncomfortable, and they won’t nest or be entering in or out of the water that way.” But at the South Gate the OPA has had problems getting the grass to grow in certain areas. Thus, the orange fence was installed to keep people, bicycles and cars off of an area that has been filled and seeded in an attempt to grow vegetation. Because of the high sand content of the soil around the pond it’s a slow growth process, according to the general manager. “So that orange fence stays until I get that grass to grow properly,” Thompson said. He didn’t offer a solution or a timetable for removing the fence if the grass simply refuses to grow. One person in the audience at the town hall meeting said that in the meantime the geese are just going around the fence to access the water. Thompson said he knows. “Oh, they’re laughing. I got it.” The audience chuckled when he

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mentioned the monofilament line that has been strung around the ponds to help keep the geese from waddling down to the water. “I see them bouncing on it. I got it,” Thompson again responded. Finally, a process to keep the goose eggs from hatching was undertaken. The OPA applied a chemical called Flight Control to certain sections of the field around the pond as goose deterrent. He said the geese do not like the taste of the chemical and therefore will not stay and eat the grass. When audience members made rumblings about the effectiveness of the goose control methods and what may happen in the future, Thompson quipped that he’s “not going to tell you what we might have as a special at the (Yacht) Club one night.” In response to audience rumbling, he said, “That was a joke.” Thompson has said that members of the advisory committee took on the task of oiling the eggs laid by geese to keep them from hatching. There was some confusion about whether or not staff with the state natural resources department was going to perform the work, or the OPA, so the oiling happened later than planned. As a result, there have been some goslings hatched this year. But Thompson said it is significantly reduced from previous years.

Christmas in July

Christmas is being celebrated at the Community Church at Ocean Pines during the entire month of July. Shoeboxes are being filled by the congregation for Operation Christmas Child, a mission outreach of Samaritan’s Purse, which is a Franklin Graham Foundation. The shoeboxes are filled with small toys, hygiene items, school supplies, anything a young child could enjoy. The boxes are then shipped to impoverished countries around the world. Since the program originated, over 100 million shoeboxes have been delivered. Pictured are the Parker children of Berlin who plan to fill three boxes. Last year, the Community Church filled 213 boxes.

OCEAN PINES

July - Early August 2015Ocean Pines PROGRESS 15

Splash pad at Swim and Racquet Club reopens By TOM STAUSS Publisher fter waiting almost a month and a half for a remedy to the splitting, slippery, sloping situation at the Swim and Racquet Club splash pad, toddlers and their watchful parents had the popular amenity available for use just in time for the Fourth of July weekend. The splash pad was the only aquatics amenity in Ocean Pines that did not reopen for the season Memorial Day weekend. Safety concerns forced a delay. Pools and Spas Unlimited of Milford, Del. completed repairs to the splash pad at an approved cost to the OPA of $9,180. The splash pad was in service last summer, but OPA officials were not pleased with the quality of the installation by the previous contractor. Pools and Spas Unlimited was awarded the repair contract after a bid process that concluded on May 28, when the Board of Directors accepted the firm’s proposal to remove crumbling tiles, level out the base as much as possible to improve water flow and install a Rubaroc surface on the splash pad. Rubaroc, a resin and rubber based product, was also installed around the pool perimeter at Mumford’s Landing pool this spring in time for the Memorial Day reopening. Instead of redesigning the baby pool at the Swim and Racquet Club to make it handicap accessible, the OPA last year opted to replace it with a new splash pad. The American Disabilities Act required the baby pool to have a zero entry access. Rather than making changes necessary to create the zero entry access, the OPA decided to replace the baby pool with a splash pad that would satisfy the ADA requirement and eliminate the need for a lifeguard at the site. There was a lifeguard on duty at the splash pad last summer because of safety concerns. Citing defects in installation, the OPA last year refused to finish paying

Contractor meets Fourth of July deadline for completing repairs the company for the original installation. OPA General Manager Bob Thompson explored the possibility with the original contractor to fix the problems at the amenity, but those discussions didn’t net the results the OPA wanted. “So we sought some additional options,” Thompson told the board during the May 28 meeting, finally settling on the Rubaroc material after seeing it on other aquatics facilities and using it at the Mumford’s Landing pool. “We reviewed it at a couple of different locations. And it seems like a really good option,” he said. OPA President Dave Stevens asked if Rubaroc is a single piece of material as opposed to individual tiles like the original design. “Correct,” Thompson responded. “Rubarock is actually a resin mixed with a shredded rubber material,” he said. “And it’s troweled into place,” which means it’s possible to level out low areas. He said the contractor mixes the color for the surface, adds the resin material to it and then spreads it on the surface to be covered. “It seems like a really, really nice option,” Thompson said. “It also created a non-slip area around that pool. And it looks fabulous.” Director Sharyn O’Hare said the Rubaroc material is very soft to walk or stand on. “No more scratches or banged toes,” she said. Directors asked whether or not the new surface will improve drainage on the splash pad. Thompson said the contractor would re-level the surface to enhance the ability for water to run off but, without completely redoing the structure, drainage can only be improved so much. “We think that with the Rubaroc material, even though we’re not 100

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percent pleased with the elements the way they are, we can have a functional pad,” he said. Director Marty Clarke wanted to know what Thompson plans to do about the balance owed to the original project contractor. He said making changes to the amenity could negate any chance the OPA has of proving that the company did faulty work. Thompson questioned Clarke about his comments, saying that just a few weeks

ago the director was adamant that the OPA not pay the original contractor, instead suggesting that it file a lawsuit against the association if it wanted any more money. “What you just said is different than what you said then,” he told Clarke, adding, “You just said pay them; that’s different than let them sue us.” Clarke responded that he “didn’t say that at all.” Instead he said he just wanted to know if the OPA had sought an opinion from legal counsel about the status of that pending payment if it hired another contractor.

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Board on cusp of decision on Sports Core pool upgrade Resurfacing would occur in late August-early September if directors approve By TOM STAUSS Publisher he Board of Directors sometime in July is expected to make a decision approving a contract for the repair and refinishing of the indoor Sports Core pool, Ocean Pines Association President Dave Stevens has confirmed. The decision could occur at the regular meeting in July or perhaps in a special meeting, Stevens said. The OPA in early June began soliciting proposals for the project, targeting the end of August and early September to close the pool in order to do the work. Some outdoor pools would be open during the repair so pool members and daily users would not be shut out completely from the pools. A request for proposals (RFP) was posted on the OPA Web site June 10 for repairs and refinishing. A separate RFP was posted for a Rubaroc decking surface in a portion of the pool area. Two proposals were submitted for repairs and resurfacing, OPA Aquatics Director Colby Phillips told the Progress recently.

The project is included at a cost of $150,000 in this year’s approved capital budget and has been for at least three years. Long a priority of the Aquatics Advisory Committee, it appears that the Sports Core pool will at long last get the attention committee members have supported. The scope of the project includes the removal and replacement of 12 deteriorated skimmers, as well as the installation of 12-inch wide bull nosed safety coping around the edge of the pool. The contractor will also install a single row of waterline tile along the interior vertical wall of the pool, just below the coping. Also included are depth markers and “no diving” tiles within the interior tile band. The RFP asked contractors to submit prices for reconditioning the existing concrete surface with a traditional plaster finish with a Diamond-Brite finish coat or replacing it with a vinyl membrane such as the Natare system that was recently installed at the Mumford’s Landing pool. The Natare membrane has certain advantages – relative ease of cleaning and a ten-year warranty. A traditional plaster surface normally is less expensive than a Natare system, however. The resurfacing work will include cut-

ting-in existing racing lane lines, racing lane targets, demarcation line tile, and waterline tiles, in addition to preparing pool surfaces for all interior pool fittings, such as return line fittings, main drains, lights, lane line anchors, and interior pool rail anchors. If a traditional resurfacing option is chosen, it would include the application of a bond coat and the final Diamond-Brite surface. The RFP asked contractors to submit proposals for non-budgeted items that may or may not be included in the final scope of work. These items include two commercial-grade pumps to replace pumps in the pump room, a new pool slide, easyroll stainless steel pool access steps, and a new 10 foot by 10 foot stepped entry into the pool in the area where the current pool slide is located. The new stepped entry would make it easier to accommodate very young children during swimming lessons and older people. The stepped entry is an idea of Aquatics Director Colby Phillips and has the backing of the aquatics advisory committee. The plans call for relocating the slide on the other side of the deep well area of the pool from the existing location. An existing pool ladder in the four foot area of the pool is slated for remov-

al.

A separate RFP deals with decking issues, with plans for Rubaroc around the pool similar to that which has been installed around the pool at Mumford’s Landing. The Sports Core pool has a lot of low areas where water accumulates during periods of heavy pool use. Rubaroc, which is troweled on over concrete, is seen as a product that can improve the aesthetics of the decking while dealing with poor drainage. The OPA also is working on new fencing and other improvements to the Beach Club pool deck area that should be completed in July. A concrete barrier on the beachside of the pool is under construction. New white sand will be brought into an expanded fenced-in area by the OPA Public Works Department, along with new beach umbrellas and other pool furniture, and palm trees. The project will add 3,930 square feet of enclosed space available for pool users, according to Phillips. If the expanded enclosed sandy beach is well received, it’s possible that the concrete decking expansion included in this year’s OPA capital budget for up to $100,000 won’t need to be spent, she recently told members of the OPA’s Aquatics Advisory Committee.

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By ROTA L. KNOTT Contributing Writer ith residents concerned about both the safety and costs associated with Choptank Electric Cooperative’s plans to install advanced meters throughout the community, the Ocean Pines Association Board of Directors wants to meet with representatives for the utility to clear the air. During the public comments section of a June 25 meeting, resident Pamela Wright broached the issue, saying that she has serious reservations about the installation of the so-called smart meters. “I’m concerned about Choptank not giving us all the information that we need,” she said, and asked the board to do something to have their roll-out in Ocean Pines delayed. Choptank was scheduled to begin the deployment of advanced meters by midJune starting in its St. Michaels district. The full deployment process in all of Choptank’s territories, including Ocean Pines, is expected to take approximately 12 to 14 months. “As the world advances in technology, so does the way power is generated, distributed, and delivered to our members. We are pleased to announce that Choptank Electric Cooperative will be stepping into the era of new technology and adopting AMI or advanced metering infrastructure and advanced meters,” Choptank’s promotional materials state.

OCEAN PINES

July - Early August 2015

Questions remain about Choptank’s new advanced metering program OPA to invite utility executives back to Ocean Pines for another town meeting Wright said she had been researching the impact of smart meters and is concerned about the emission of microwave radio waves from the devices. She said that while Choptank claims they only emit a smart amount of such energy, it’s actually much more, about 100 times higher than it is a foot away from a smart phone. She said that can pose risks for people who have had cancer, with implanted devices like pacemakers for the elderly and small children. “Technology is not always as good as you think it’s going to be,” she said, adding, “We don’t want this to be like asbestos for the 21st Century.” But in Choptank’s marking materials, the company addresses rumors of health threats from the smart meters, saying that the amount of radio frequency energy emitted is lower than cell phones or microwave ovens.

She also alleged that the meters are known to ignite and that if that happens, some insurance companies do not pay for the damage to the home. On its website Choptank addresses other “myths” about the meters. It says there is no security risk or invasion of customer privacy because personal information of customers is never stored on the meters. They only track data on electric usage and transmit it to the company. The meters do not track how customers are using energy, such as air conditioners, ovens, or dishwashers, simply the amount of energy being consumed. Choptank also says that rumors that customers receive no benefits from the meters are untrue. In fact, it says, customers do benefit from better control of energy usage and costs, as well as improved protection against outages and

overloads. Wright said Choptank is giving customers the option of opting out of the smart meter program but at a cost. She called the fees “extortion” and said “if you don’t want to do it … they’re gonna make you… It’s like they’re strong arming you.” If members wish to opt out of the advanced meters, they must fill out the an advanced meter opt out form. According to Choptank’s website the fees are $75 for opt out enrollment and $17 per month for meter reading and maintenance. “I can read my own meter. I don’t have a problem with that,” Wright said, but she did object to being charged a fee to do so. She said the metering system is on a grid and a certain number of customers are needed in order to support the grid. She suggested that residents in Ocean Pines ban together to prevent the grid from being successful. “If you have enough people that opt out, they can’t do it,” she said OPA Director Marty Clarke said one of the differences between this utility and other utilities is that Choptank Electric Cooperative is owned by its customers. Therefore, the residents may have some sway with the management, he said.

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July - Early August 2015Ocean Pines PROGRESS

Choptank metering From Page 18 “The lady raises some very, very valid points,” OPA Director Jack Collins said. He asked how many people in the audience at the board meeting knew what Wright was talking about regarding the smart meters. He said “it’s amazing the information that comes forward” when you run an Internet search on smart meters. While he recognized that there are still questions and concerns about the meters, Collins said there isn’t much the OPA can do to address the issue. “I don’t know that we’re in a position of authority to do anything to prevent this utility from doing what they’re going to do.” He said residents will have to use the opt out option if they feel sufficiently threatened by the smart meters. Wright suggested the board invite Choptank representatives to a meeting. “If they come here maybe we can have a forum and get answers,” she said. OPA General Manager Bob Thompson said Choptank had already hosted a communitywide meeting but would probably agree to come back. “They’re always responsive when we reach out to them,” he added. Choptank says members should expect to receive announcement postcards in the mail approximately several weeks before Choptank starts changing out the

Garden Club tour

The Ocean Pines Garden Club held its annual garden tour and luncheon on June 11 with 11 gardens on display. Local artists and garden and landscaping vendors were present in a number of the gardens. Participants enjoyed a luncheon at the Yacht Club following the tour and the 2015 Scholarship Award was made. Shown are Marsha and Dave Reeve, homeowner gardeners in Ocean Pines, on the recent OPGC garden tour. Gabrielle Evans, a graduating senior from Stephen Decatur High School, was the recipient of the scholarship. meters. These cards will explain what members can expect when a Scope Services representative, the authorized contractor performing meter exchanges, or a Choptank Electric representative visits their home or business. In addition to the postcard reminder, members will receive an automated

phone message several days before the deployment begins. That will be the procedure for all areas of Choptank’s service territory as it rolls out the advanced meters to members. Choptank is working with Smart Grid Consumer Collaborative to inform customers about the meters as it begins

its installation program. SGCC is a nonprofit organization that works to learn the wants and needs of energy consumers in the United States, encourage the sharing of best practices in consumer engagement among industry stakeholders, and educate the public about the benefits of the smart grid.

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By ROTA L. KNOTT Contributing Writer mproving relationships among members of the Ocean Pines Association’s governing body and between the Board of Directors and the general manager is a top priority for several of the candidates running in this summer’s annual election. During a June 24 forum, some candidates took aim at General Manager Bob Thompson for what they consider to be problems plaguing Ocean Pines, while others blamed a lack of cooperation between board members. Former OPA board member and President Bill Zawacki said the board is seemingly not interested in overseeing the work of the general manager. As an example, he cited almost $190,000 in losses at the Yacht Club last year. He pointed out that Director Marty Clarke recently had offered a motion to direct the general manager to provide options for improving the financial picture at that amenity but it was voted down by other board members. “One of the things that has brought me back to this table to seek your vote again was the way a lot of our finances have been handled, the way some of our amenities have been allowed to just lose money hand over fist,” Zawacki said. He served on the board from 2006 to 2009,

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July - Early August 2015

Candidates bemoan relationship between board, general manager Zawacki, Trendic take aim at Thompson electing not run for re-election. Slobodan Trendic also pointed to the one-year-old, $5 million Yacht Club “bleeding money,” failing IT infrastructure and crumbling bridges as examples where the current board and general manager have neglected their duties.

Trendic

From Page 1 curred, with a written note to the Hickmans apologizing for causing property damage and providing his contact information. But the note could not be delivered until many hours later, because the police officer arrived at Trendic’s home on Drawbridge Road, roughly a half mile from the Hickman home, after following radiator fluid from 82 Windjammer

He said the board and general manager should be held accountable for not addressing those issues sooner. “It is about the future of our 47-yearold community. About embracing common goals. Much work needs to be done. Difficult decisions have to be made. And

Road to Trendic’s home. He was arrested after failing a field sobriety test and was taken to the OPPD station in White Horse Park for processing. He declined to take a breathalyzer test, which good lawyers say is sound legal strategy in any DWI situation. Under Maryland law, breathalyzers are optional except under more extreme conditions in which someone is killed or seriously injured. The Hickmans told the Progress sev-

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a long list of issues to be resolved,” he said. Yet, Trendic said, Thompson is eligible for a $40,000 bonus over his “already generous” $165,000 per year salary. Thompson has his defenders among the candidates, however. Former OPA Director Terri Mohr, who was defeated for reelection last summer, said the general manager is only eligible for that bonus if all of the OPA amenities perform at a certain level. “So if all of our amenities perform at a certain level and we beat the budget,” she said, “I kinda think he might deserve a bonus.” Thomas Herrick said one of the most pressing issues is to address the “dys-

20 Ocean Pines PROGRESS

eral days after the accident that Trendic showed up to their house the morning to apologize profusely and to provide his insurance information. Lanny Hickman said it took a lot of courage for Trendic to show up as he did the following day. Only Hickman used a more colorful term for courage. Both Hickmans said the accident will not affect how they intend to cast their ballots in this summer’s board election.

July - Early August 2015Ocean Pines PROGRESS

From Page 20 function” between the general manager and the board. He said residents need to elect people to the board “who will serve and have an open mind and that understand compromise.” Herrick said if the board members and general manager do not work together and communicate then the community cannot reach its full potential. He said he would reach out to other board members and attempt to bridge the gap that has formed. “It’s very important that the board gets along and great working relationship with general manager,” he added. Zawacki agreed that relationship needs improvement. He said that from an outsider’s perspective it appears that the general manager simply does whatever he wants. He said Thompson “does not react to what the board wants in a timely and effective manner.” Trendic said the OPA needs to have clearly defined goals and hold individuals like the general manager accountable for achieving those goals. “If the performance is not there then you take the actions that you have to take,” he said. Mohr essentially told the forum audience it was none of their business what goes on between the board and the general manager. She said “quite frankly

Thomas Herrick

Cheryl Jacobs

that’s not your problem. It’s our problem if we’re on the board and we need to learn how to work together. We are all adults, by the way.” She said improving the relationship between the board and the general manager is not a priority but “might be a little bit of a challenge.” Former Director Ray Under said he feels that the current board works well with Thompson. “In order to do that there has to be somebody on the board of directors constantly making contact with them over there,” he said referring to the administration office. He said he will do that as a director. Cheryl Jacobs said she sees one of her roles if elected a director to be a team builder. She said the board needs to function in a respectful in civil manner, which goes a long way toward reaching positive outcomes. “We need to have unity within the boar d,” she said adding “not a tyranny

Carol Ludwig

Terri Mohr

of the minority.” Thomas Herrick said as a director he would be a completely independent thinker, not part of any factions or coalitions, and will make decisions based on what he thinks is best for the community. Carol Ludwig said she will bring to the board table diversity, having worked with many of the residents of Ocean Pines and with many committees and community groups. Mohr said she wants to “bring conversation back” to the board. “They don’t communicate at all with one another,” she told the forum audience. “And if they don’t communicate with one another then they don’t communicate with you” Zawacki said the role of directors is very well documented in the OPA bylaws and those responsibilities are essentially setting policy for the community and ensuring that the general manager and administration carry out that policy. He said that hasn’t been happening and

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cited the budget process as an example. He said the budget calls for increase personnel at the Yacht Club, yet costs are expected to do down while revenue is projected to increase. But there is no explanation as to how that will happen. “We have a board that passed a budget that makes no sense.” Zawacki also said the board isn’t keeping an eye on monthly expenditures and the general manager is not doing his required reporting. Thompson is supposed to each month explain to the board any negative budget variances. “But it hasn’t been happening.” Mohr, however, praised Thompson saying that she watched the general manager systematically review the OPA operations and expenses and find ways to work with less funding. “He did it consistently and he continues to do it.” Ludwig said when the board gives the general manager a job to do if he is not performing it should be very easy to

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Zawacki revisits gun shop issue .

Says full ARC should have addressed request for home occupation variance

By TOM STAUSS Publisher ack in early April, a controversy erupted on the oceanpinesforum. com Web site over a posting that seemed to suggest that an Ocean Pines

homeowner living on Moonshell Drive intended to open up a retail gun store at his Ocean Pines residence. A request for a home occupation permit by resident Jim Koskienski was granted by the Architectural Review

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Committee, or so it was reported at the time. Kosienski, after battling online critics of his proposed gun sale business – he said it never was intended to be a store as that term is commonly understood – subsequently changed his mind and never went through on a plan to obtain a county home occupation variance and special exception for his business. He said at the time that a previous offer on a home outside Ocean Pines was accepted by the buyer and that he and his wife would be moving out of Ocean Pines. End of story? Not quite. An Ocean Pines resident who lives on Moonshell Drive told the Board of Directors at the June 24 monthly meeting, during the public comments segment, that she believed the Architectural Review Committee had erred in granting Kosienski a home occupation variance, without first canvassing the neighborhood to determine how his neighbors felt about a proposed home occupation that might affect property values. She suggested that if ARC guidelines don’t currently require such a canvassing, they should be changed so that

they do. She said county home occupation regulations “protect us much more than” OPA regulations, citing a county rule that says someone who applies for a county permit “can’t sell anything not manufactured in the home” without a special exception, and that applies to public access as well. The county routinely notifies neighbors of requests for special exceptions, she said, which is how the neighborhood first learned of the Kosienski proposal. OPA President Dave Stevens initial-

22 Ocean Pines PROGRESS

Board election From Page 21 determine. “But as far as I can see he does his job and he gets so much input from other places. You can’t point the finger at someone if you don’t give them responsibility that they should have to go along with the job.” Jacobs said that is elected the first thing she would try to accomplish would be to turn the board into a team “There’s too much tension that comes in when its one on one trying to get their own agenda across.” Under said that was how the board functioned when he served as a director in the past. “We had a lot of cooperation with the board members back in those days and very little controversy between the general manager.”

Zawacki revisits From Page 22 ly responded by saying that the issue raised was moot, the ARC having decided the issue and the property owner subsequently changing his mind on running a gun business out of his home. But the resident said she hoped the OPA would reconsider the issue in light of what almost occurred, to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future Later in the meeting, former OPA board member and president Bill Zawacki spoke out against the way he said the matter had been dealt with by the ARC and the OPA’s Department of Compliance, Permits and Inspections. According to Zawacki, the OPA home occupation variance was not issued as the result of action by the full ARC but instead was handled administratively by the CPI staff, with ARC chair Glen Duffy simply signing off on it. He implied that home occupation variance requests should be considered and voted on by the full ARC. The application for a home occupation variance and the request for a special exception from the county revealed a fissure among the OPA directors, with most directors taking the position that it was a matter for the independent ARC to decide in accordance with OPA guidelines.

July - Early August 2015Ocean Pines PROGRESS Director Tom Terry was the exception, announcing that he intended to attend the county hearing on April 8 to protest the granting of a special exception. Stevens came to Kosienski’s defense although he said neither the board nor OPA General Manager Bob Thompson would weigh in on the matter at the April 8 hearing. “The only official act of the OPA on this matter was the ARC decision (approving a home occupation variance), Stevens said at the time. “That’s all that’s needed. And I believe it was the correct decision.” He said he would not question or second guess the decision of the ARC approving the home occupation variance. He said he had a warm and friendly discussion with Thompson on the issue, something that happens rarely between the two. “He agrees with me,” Stevens said of Thompson. Stevens said he believes that Ocean Pines, with its large number of Republicans and other 2nd Amendment supporters, has lots of gun owners and collectors who buy and sell firearms, many who, unlike Kosienski, haven’t bothered to obtain either an Ocean Pines or county permit. Terry appeared to agree with Stevens on the way the matter was handled by the ARC and its support staff in the OPA

Department of Compliance, Permits and Inspections. “As you know the ARC is a free standing committee from the Board,” Terry wrote in an email to oceanpinesforum. com’s Joe Reynolds. “The ARC has already ruled on this application. Based on the OPA rules, there was no means for the ARC to reject the proposal. Based on the rules the ARC made the only decision they could make.” Terry said Kosienski is “not setting up a store front with multiple customers coming to his home. He now has taken the next step to submit the proposal to the County. I have double checked and the ARC process was staffed and administered correctly at every step. The gentleman has followed all the right steps with the ARC and has filed for all the licenses required. He clearly is trying to meet the regulatory rules.” But Terry said, speaking for himself and not the OPA board, that he would be testifying against the proposed homebased gun-selling business. “Gun sales or exchanges as a business in a residential area should not be allowed via the zoning rules (or the state/ federal laws),” he said. “Perhaps the state needs to change the laws to cover where these kinds of licenses are approved for business activity.” Stevens said he was disappointed in Terry’s decision to intervene in the permit application pending before the ap-

peals board. “He will issue a disclaimer, but still, because he’s a board member, some people will get the idea that he represents the board and the OPA,” Stevens said. “This is one of those occasions where giving up your freedom of speech would have been a good idea.” To complicate matters further, Joe Reynolds of oceanpinesforum.com said recently that in his view the ARC did not properly decide the issue of a home occupation variance in the case of Kosienski. By way of background, he said that county zoning administrator Jennifer Keener told him that the county had approved about five of these federal firearm licensed-related exceptions in the last ten years, though none in a dense subdivision such as Ocean Pines. Keener told Reynolds that county approval to store and stock guns in a private residence is needed only because, as far as the county is concerned, “the purpose of the applicant’s request is for permission to sell those guns, and as far as the county is concerned, those gun sales could take place right out of the home if the exception is approved. There is no county limit on the number of weapons that could be stored for eventual sale.” Reynolds said that ARC guidelines with respect to home occupations “get interesting” when compared to coun-

OCEAN PINES

24 Ocean Pines PROGRESS

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July - Early August 2015

Gun issue From Page 23 ty’s rules. Citing Keener as his source, Reynolds said Kosienski needs a special exception from the county because the items he intends to sell – guns – are not produced on his property. If they had been, he would not need a special excepThe Parke forum tion, while he would need a home occuSix of the seven candidates runpation variance. ning for the OPA Board of DirecAccording to Reynolds, there is a tors this summer attended the similar language in Section 700.2 of the July 7 forum sponsored by the Parke homeowners association at ARC guidelines with respect to home octhe Parke clubhouse. Left to right: cupation variances. “Nothing, other than parts or supplies Terri Mhr, Cheryl Jacobs, Thomas used in the occupation shall be stocked Herrick, Bill Zawacki, Carol Ludon the premises, and nothing sold except wig, Slobodan Trendic. Absent: what is produced on the premises or as Ray Unger. permitted by special exception by the Committee,” the guidelines read. Reynolds said that Kosienski did not ask for a special exception from the committee and the committee did not grant because there are more innovative ways it, only issuing the home occupation to pay for big ticket projects than saving variance. He said he would ask the Board of up in the years prior to embarking on an Directors to study the matter further. expensive capital project. He said he would provide details There is no indication to date that the about these innovative alternatives if board is interested in taking up the task, but Terry, at least, appears interested. and when he’s elected to the board. It would require board action to reAt the end of May, OPA reserves were funded in the amount of just short of $7 quest the ARC to rewrite its guidelines pertainng to home occupation permits million. The major maintenance and replace- and special exception variances. So far, among the sitting directors, ment reserve carried a balance of $4.7 million; the waterways/bulkhead re- Terry seems to be the one most interest1508 Complete Home Improvement Handout NEW with our 1 2/3/15 1:22 PM Page 1 ed type_Layout in the issue serve had a balance of $1.7 million.

Trendic says OPA reserves are ‘too high’ By TOM STAUSS Publisher cean Pines Association Board of Directors’ candidate Slobodan Trendic has staked out a bold stance on the issue of Ocean Pines reserves, telling residents who attended a candidate’s forum in the Parke clubhouse July 7 that OPS reserves are too high and should not be used to finance big-ticket capital projects such as the $5 million Ocean Pines Yacht Club. None of the five other candidates who participated in the forum came any-

where close to agreeing with Trendic on the issue of reserves. On the other opposite end of the spectrum, former Director Terri Mohr said essentially that they’re necessary and probably at current levels. The consensus seemed to be that a capital improvement plan and a reserve study is needed to determine the proper level of reserves. Trendic agreed that an updated CIP and new reserve study are urgently needed, But he said the reserves are too high

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OCEAN PINES

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Sign regulation change would allow real estate agencies to advertise on Ocean Pines numbered lots Terry withdraws proposal after Clarke calls it bad for property values By ROTA L. KNOTT the document as drafted and approved Contributing Writer by the ARC. Director Jack Collins ofmore than 40-year-old restriction fered a second to the motion. Ultimately, on the placement of real estate however, Terry withdrew it so the board agency signs on numbered lots in could have more time to review the proOcean Pines may soon be lifted by the posed new sign guidelines before voting Ocean Pines Association Board of Direc- on them. Consideration of the document tors. is scheduled for the board’s July meeting Based on a recommendation from the instead. Architectural Review Committee, the The OPA’s sign guidelines govern the board is considering revised guidelines placement and design of all signs, billthat for the first time would allow signs boards or advertising structures of any that advertise a real estate agency or kind within the community. The current contain an agency logo to be posted on guidelines simply state that no real esproperties listed for sale. The guidelines tate agency sign or logo shall be permitwill require the property owners to issue ted on any numbered lot. The guidelines written approval for the signs, which state that “These regulations are promust meet all required design specifica- mulgated to provide for an attractive tions, in order for the sign to be posted and harmonious Ocean Pines communion a numbered lot. ty.” OPA Director Tom Terry, liaison to Director Marty Clarke said allowing a the ARC, presented the proposed sign proliferation of real estate agency signs regulations for second reading before will have the opposite effect. He said prothe board during the June 25 board hibition was included in the sign guideOP-progressmagicad-0615_Layout PM Page meeting. He offered a motion1to6/29/15 accept4:24lines for a1 reason – because the lots are

only 50 feet wide in many sections. If the real estate agency signs are permitted, he said there could be a line of them all representing different agencies with homes for sale on the same street. “Think about it,” he said. Clarke, a real estate broker and builder in Ocean Pines for more than 35 years, said changing the sign regulations will not help the homeowner. “What it does is it helps the real estate agent who’s advertising their wares. That’s the only upside to the change to real estate signs. That’s it,” he said. In fact, it could hurt property values, Clarke said. But Collins responded that he hasn’t seen any data to back up such a claim. Terry said the ARC recommended the change because it thought it was unfair for property owners to be able to post “for sale by owners” signs on their property but that those who have hired real estate agents cannot have any signs. The committee felt that

“people in Ocean Pines who have signed up with a real estate agent to sell their property ought to have the right to use all of the resources available to them to do so,” Terry said, adding that one of those resources happens to be putting a sign on their lot. He acknowledged that there is the possibility that every house on a street could have a for sale sign in front of it. But he asked whether the OPA disenfranchises or discriminates against a segment of property owners who are trying to sell their lots or houses. Collins pointed out that real estate agents representing property owners already have many means of designating a property as for sale including brochure boxes and stakes. Giving them the opportunity to post a sign is just another sales avenue for them. “All you’re doing is your’re putting a sign where you already have plenty of notification,” Collins said. Clarke said that just means even more clutter on a lot because now the real estate agency will be able to post a brochure box and a sign as well as staking the property. “If it empowers the homeowner to do what they want to do, I don’t get the problem,” Collins responded. He said the goal is to give homeowners every opportunity to sell their property. Terry agreed and said, “The essence of it was to be fair to our members who have an asset that they’re trying to sell. That’s To Page 28

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Sign regulations From Page 26

OCEAN PINES

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all.” Collins said that a property owner who is trying to sell a lot or home without the assistance of a real estate agency can already put up a “for sale by owner” sign. The guidelines permit one “for sale by owner” or “for rent by owner” sign per lot for the purpose of advertising the availability of the real estate. The wording is limited to just that simple notification and a contact telephone number. “That was part of the discussion as well,” Terry said. OPA President Dave Stevens added “that is a good point.” The guidelines already provide for the installation of brochure boxes on listed properties so that potential buyers can collect information about the lot or home. Under the new guidelines those boxes will be allowed to display a QR code that smart phone users can scan to learn more about the property. In lieu of signs, real estate agencies can install colored stakes up to four feet in height to demarcate the edges of a property that is listed for sale. Finally, open house signs are permitted and may include directional arrows to guide visitors to the homes that are open for viewing, but no advertising or

Board delays action against member with shed violation

logos. Real estate flags that identify an event like an open house are also allowed. Stevens said the board had two choices regarding the second reading of the proposed sign guidelines: “go back and do our homework” and thoroughly review the document before voting on it or revise and approve it at that June 25 meeting. The board opted to postpone the decision until July. Clarke also took issue with a proposed change to the sign regulations that would allow yard, garage, and rummage sale signs to be posted earlier. The new guidelines would permit them to go up on Friday evenings after 7 p.m., and remain through Sundays at 4 p.m. The signs would still be prohibited on the Route 589 side of the North Gate bridge and on Cathell Road, and limited at the South Gate to placement at Manklin Creek Road and the Ocean Parkway intersection. Property owners are permitted to have four yard sales per year per numbered lot. “I literally almost lose my breakfast every Saturday and Sunday when I see the crap stuck in the ground for yard sales, junk sales,” Clarke said. “It looks horrible. It wouldn’t be allowed in a North Carolina trailer park.” OPA President Dave Stevens responded to that comment with “apologies to all of those North Carolinians… We can’t help him.”

The issue is whether the OPA should force a homeowner to pay a permit fee for a shed placed on a property by a previous homeowner without ARC approval By ROTA L. KNOTT Contributing Writer or the second time in as many months, the Board of Directors tabled action against a property owner whose lot is said to be in violation of the Ocean Pines Association’s governing documents. This time the delay was because a director who knows the owner wasn’t at a June 25 meeting when the issue was presented to the board. In May, General Manager Bob Thompson brought the property at 78 Quarter Staff Place before the board for action based on two violations found by the Compliance, Permits and Inspections department. At that time the violations were for an unapproved shed and another for a box trailer parked on the site. By the June 25 board meeting the box trailer had been removed, but the property owners still had not corrected the issue with the shed. The shed on the property has not been properly permitted per OPA guide-

lines, according to Thompson. “To date, a permit has not been applied for,” he said. “So we’re seeking action once again.” In May, Director Sharyn O’Hare said she knows the owner well and that she had no idea there were violations on the property and received no notice from the association that there were any problems. At that time, she said the owner promised to work aggressively to remedy the violations and to contact the OPA to determine what needed to be done to bring the shed into compliance. O’Hare asked the board to table any further action such as sending it to the OPA attorney to pursue a legal remedy, for one month in order to give the property owner time to address the violations. But at the June 25 meeting, the shed violation still existed and O’Hare wasn’t around to query on the issue. Director Tom Terry said, according to O’Hare, that the property owner promised to address both of the violations. He said the owner is fully aware of the need q

28 Ocean Pines PROGRESS

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Shed violation From Page 28 to file the application for a shed permit and she said she was going to do so. “This has not happened.” Clarke said it’s really an issue of money. “Once she writes the check, she’s complied.” OPA President Dave Stevens said she is also trying to make a point. He said the owner claims that the shed was already on the property when she purchased it and no one attempted to find it in violation or collect a permit fee for it. Now, years later, CPI finds it in violation. “And if understand right, she doesn’t feel like she owes,” he added. Director Bill Cordwell said he believes CPI originally told her that they would “let it go” because it was there when she bought the property. Clarke asked how long the shed had been on the property, but no one seemed to know. Terry took issue with the owner’s lack of action to remedy the issue when she originally said that she would file for the permit. He made a motion to find the property owner in continuing violation of the OPA’s governing documents and to refer the case to legal counsel for action. Director Jack Collins offered a second to the motion. Clarke, usually the first to send a violation for legal action, declined to support Terry’s motion because O’Hare wasn’t present to defend the property owner. It also seemed as though he might not support legal action against a homeowner who had inherited a shed for which no permit had been obtained by a previous owner. Stevens said he would not support legal action against the homeowner. He offered a motion to table consideration of the violation until O’Hare returns. With Clarke providing a second, the motion carried 5-1, with Terry opposed.

Racquet sports project remains in limbo, perhaps awaiting election results Herrick opposed to building eight pickleball courts, says four is adequate to meet the demand There has been some speculation that Thompson has been waiting to move on proceeding with any work until the fall, after the election, when the composition of the board will change. Director Marty Clarke, who is retiring from the board after three years, could be replaced by a candidate who is more receptive to the more ambitious plan favored by Thompson and some members of the advisory committee. Clarke has been the director most adamant in opposition to eight pickleball courts. He also is against moving the playground equipment, a component of the more ambitious version of the master plan. A new board could decide to adopt the original plan in its entirety, including the eight pickleball courts. One of the seven candidates running for the board this summer, Tom Herrick, serves on the advisory committee and also worked on a separate group that helped devise the master redevelopment plan for the Manklin Meadows complex. It would be easy to assume he would favor a plan with eight pickleball courts, given his active involvement in the affairs of Ocean Pines racquet sports community. The assumption is wide of the mark. He’s opposed to any iteration of the complex’s redevelopment that includes eight pickleball courts, either now or in the future.

“We only need four new ones,” he told the Progress, suggesting that any demand for additional courts could be accommodated by using tennis courts that aren’t used much after the summer season. Herrick expressed annoyance with Thompson for what the candidate said was the inaccurate suggestion or implication by the general manager that the entire racquet sports committee favors eight paddleball courts.

Herrick also said given the paucity of progress at the site thus far, it’s very possible that Thompson is awaiting a more receptive board to reconsider the master plan. If he’s elected, Herrick said he won’t support a version of the plan that overbuilds or sets aside land for future paddleball ball courts he said aren’t needed. The fate of the paddleball complex did not arise during the June candidates forum. Herrick’s position on the paddleball issue was brought to the attention of the Progress after the forum by Director Jack Collins, who with Clarke is the current director most adamant in favor of a four-court development scenario. OPA President Dave Stevens, whose hold on the OPA presidency is tenuous in the run-up to this summer’s voting, has generally sided with Clarke and Collins on the issue. On the other side of the debate, Di-

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By TOM STAUSS Publisher ith no indication that the Ocean Pines Association is planning to move ahead on plans for redevelopment of the Manklin Meadows Recreation complex this summer, or at least until sometime after this summer’s board election, the fate of a more or less ambitious version of the site’s redevelopment could depend on the outcome of this summer’s balloting. During the 2015-16 budget review process that concluded at a March 12 special meeting, the directors took no action on a master plan promoted by General Manager Bob Thompson and some members of the Racquet Sports Advisory Committee. Instead, the board voted on a more limited action, one that included four new pickleball courts at the complex rather than the eight called for in the more ambitious version of the plan. There’s been no movement to install the four new courts at the complex to date.

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Racquet sports From Page 29 rector Tom Terry has been a vocal advocate of the more ambitious master plan. Back in January, at the Board of Directors’ Jan. 29 regular meeting, plans for redevelopment of the Manklin Meadows Recreation Complex with additional racquet sports courts were put on hold. The board opted to delay approval of the master plan until it could discuss funding for the project as part of the Ocean Pines Association’s fiscal year 2015-16 budget process. That process had been ongoing throughout February and pushed into March, with the board voting on the 2015-16 budget at a special meeting March 12. The master plan was not approved then nor discussed at any meet-

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ing since. Four pickleball courts were included in this year’s budget as carry-over items from the 2014-15 fiscal year. At the Jan. 29 board meeting, Thompson had cost estimates for both buildout of the full master plan and a scaled back version that is essentially the first phase of the overall plan. Thompson estimated construction of all of the amenities included in the full master plan at $339,550, while an alternative plan was about half of that cost. Thompson developed the cost estimate based on the master plan design approved by the board last year to guide additions and changes to the recreation facilities at the Manklin Meadows Recreation Complex. The project included the addition of two paddle ball courts in an initial phase and two more in the future, relocation of the playground, realignment of the parking lots and the addition of eight pickle ball courts. The overall master plan cost estimate included $161,927 for building all eight proposed pickle ball courts, with site preparation and asphalt paving, fencing, lighting, painting, nets and poles. That pricing also incorporated $32,000 for the playground relocation. Portions of the playground structure are deteriorating, and it is generally agreed it needs to be replaced or refurbished. The platform tennis portion of the master plan was estimated to cost $95,123, including site preparation, asphalt and lighted courts. General project costs account for another $82,500 and cover site preparation, engineering and a five percent contingency. With the cost estimates in hand, Thompson said back in January that he needed board guidance as to whether or not to move forward with actually constructing the amenities included in that master plan. Bottom line: He didn’t get the guidance he was seeking. Funding proposed to be set aside for the project totaled $229,272 spanning two fiscal years. Last year’s approved capital budget included $135,000 for four pickle ball courts and two platform tennis courts and $150,000 for ballfield lighting in Manklin Meadows. The lighting project was completed at just $122,403 for a savings of $27,587 that could be put toward additional work, for a total available funding this year of $162,597. This year’s approved budget includes $35,000 for four pickleball courts and $31,675 for the playground equipment repairs for a total of $66,675. As an alternative solution to building the entire master plan at one time, Thompson also submitted a proposal to only construct four of the pickleball courts initially, with land set aside for four more. “Our goal is to get the project started,” he said, even if that means building it in phases. “So we gave you an alternative solution for consideration.” Thompson said he believes it would be better to move forward with the entire project at one time. “

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OPA finances From Page 33 Overall, the OPA generated an operating fund positive variance in May of $4,590, on net operating revenue of $5,182,804, reflecting the annual surge of assessment dollars that flow into OPA coffers this time of year along with annual amenity fees that historically are paid in the April-May-June time frame. This month, it was the amenities’ turn to shine. Aquatics led all major amenities with an $18,395 positive variance to budget on a net operating surplus of $131,101. This compares to an $84,812 operating surplus in May of last year, which means there’s been a $46,289 year-over-year swing in net performance. In response to a question from Clarke during the Board of Directors’ June 24 monthly regular meeting, General Manager Bob Thompson confirmed that Aquatics’ financials reflected an accounting change related to allocating a portion of Beach Club parking revenue to aquatics. The change was approved by the board during the 2015-16 budget process to reflect the fact that the $175 annual Beach Club parking pass includes four pool passes to the Beach Club pool. Aquatics Department staffers and the Aquatics Advisory Committee contended that because many people who buy the parking passes use the Beach Club pool, at least a portion of the parking pass revenue should be allocated to Aquatics to offset expenses of operating the pool. The OPA administration settled on $48,000 as the amount to be reallocated this fiscal year. The reallocation explains part but not necessarily all of the improvement in the Aquatics bottom line for May. While member dues including the parking pass allocation exceeded budget by $18,359, Aquatics Director Colby Phil-

lips was spot on in controlling expenses, beating budget by $293 for the month. The bottom line is also helped by utility costs that are about $5,000 less than they were in May of last year. The OPA is buying lower cost propane for the Sports Core pool stored in underground tanks rather than via the Sandpiper Energy pipeline, resulting in significant savings. May was the first month that Phillips was managing the pools under a budget she had a primary role in helping to develop. Ocean Pines’ new golf course contractor, Landscapes Unlimited, also had a respectable financial result in its first month of operating the course and the lower level Tern Grille bar and restaurant operation. The company inherited a budget put together by its predecessor, Billy Casper Golf, and perhaps that partially explains why revenues fell short of budget in most revenue categories. What saved the bottom line, however, was offsetting savings on the expense side that more than dwarfed revenue shortfalls. Greens fees from non-member play, in the amount of $98,463, missed budget by $17,288. In his June general manager’s report, Thompson attributed that to the “anticipated decline in outside play” that in earlier reports he essentially blamed on the board’s decision to change management companies. But Thompson’s theory was not supported by the fact that greens fees revenue increased by more than $9,800 over May of last year’s $90,245. In addition, cart fees, also largely from non-member play, did better than budget by $7,908, and improved significantly over May of 2014. Cart fees in May of this year brought in $73,929, compared to the budgeted $66,021 and last May’s $60,210. All these factors suggest that neither Landscapes Unlimited’s arrival on the scene, nor the process leading up to the board’s decision to change companies, did not hurt revenue

as suggested by Thompson. An alternative theory is that Billy Casper Golf’s May budget for greens fees was simply inflated and unrealistic, given that it projected an increase from last May’s $90,245 to $115,751 this year. Thompson’s June report was silent on why BCG had projected such a large increase in greens fees from outside play. In another revenue category, however, member dues fell short of budget and last year’s numbers under BCG. In May of last year member dues brought in $14,223 in revenue, while May of this year member revenue was only $12,530, with a negative variance to budget of $3,151. This decline could reflect a relatively modest drop in support for golf among Ocean Pines property owners, at least to the extent that support is reflected in a willingness to buy annual memberships. LU was awarded the contract to manage the golf course in part on the strength of its promised program to increase membership over time. One month, and its first month in Ocean Pines, is hardly enough time to evaluate how well the company is executing on this promise. It’s also possible that June membership enrollments will boost this line item. Member dues, though largely received in April, May and June, are spread out over 12 months for accounting purposes. LU’s first month of operation produced total net revenues of $216,588, a significant jump over BCG’s net revenues of $202,947. Only when compared to the budgeted $234,091 – BCG’s protection, not LU’s – do net revenues look worse than they really were. As noted by Thompson in his report, golf operations for the month were positive in part because LU managed expenses “much lower than budgeted.” Every expense category, except one, cart maintenance, was less than budgeted. Total expenses of $122,038 beat budget

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by $26,024. In contrast, BCG’s expenses for May of last year reached $153,338. Golf operations in May this year netted $94,550, compared to the budgeted $86,029, for a positive variance of $8,521. Last May’s actual surplus was $49,609. The improvement year-over-year was a substantial $44,941. The Yacht Club bar, restaurant and catering operation also got off to a strong start when compared to May of last year, not so much when compared to budget. The net operating surplus of $38,312 missed its budget by $35,081. Last May, however, the Yacht Club managed to lose $36,566, which means that net operations improved $74,878 yearover-year. On the revenue side at the Yacht Club, regular food and beverage revenues climbed significantly over May of last year, when the facility was not open for much of the month. It officially opened on Memorial Day weekend, with one wedding taking place before then. Regular food revenue missed budget by $64,708, while regular beverage’s revenue missed by $30,292. These negative variances were partially offset by banquet revenue, which had a positive variance to budget of $7,239. Total revenues of $231,342 missed budget by $82,858, while net revenues of $157,519 missed budget by $49,184, suggesting that OPA management has work to do on the Yacht Club budgeting front. To some degree, Yacht Club management offset negative revenue variance by controlling costs, particularly in the area of wages and benefits, which were $15,847 under budget. Total expenses for the month were $119,207, $14,103 less than budgeted. Other amenities got off to a strong start, with Beach Club parking netting $253,000, with a positive variance to budget of $12,809. The marinas netted $161,084, with a positive variance to budget of $6,162. The Beach Club opened the year with a net of $459 in May, beating its budget by $6,550. Beach Club gross revenues of $28,397 exceeded budget by $8,629; net revenues of $20,370 were ahead of budget by $5,850. Expenses of $19,911 were under budget by $700. The three racquet sports all produced surpluses for the month. Tennis yielded $22,133, platform tennis $10,608, and pickleball $8,099. All three were in negative territory, however, relative to budget. Status of the balance sheet: There was no balance sheet included with the May financials. Status of reserves: The reserve summary released as part of the May financial report indicates that the OPA’s total allocated reserve balance grew from $3,468,957 at the end of April to $6,938,118, reflecting roughly $3.5 million in contributions from annual lot assessments that historically are booked in May, the first month of the fiscal year. [See separate story for details.]

July - Early August 2015Ocean Pines PROGRESS

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OCEAN PINES

July - Early August 2015

OPA reserves climb to just short of $7 million in May By TOM STAUSS Publisher he reserve summary released as part of the May financial report shows that the Ocean Pines Association’s allocated reserve balance climbed sharply to $6.9 million, up from the $3.5 million balance at the end of the previous fiscal year. The increase reflects the annual infusion of revenue from the annual lot assessments. The OPA’s major maintenance and replacement reserve took in the most revenue, from two distinct revenue streams. Funded depreciation contributed $1,549,032 under the “historical” revenue stream, while the former fiveyear-plan, renamed the legacy funding stream, added $923,760. The total balance in this reserve as of May 31 was $4.7 million, up from $3,235,387 on April 30. Consistent with a board compromise in this year’s budget process, the May reserve summary reflects transfers from the historical (funded depreciation) column to the future projects, roads and golf drainage reserves, reducing the future projects and golf drainage reserves to zero. The transfer out of the major maintenance and replacement reserve totaled $814,577, with $60,462 allocated to future projects, $110,508 allocated to roads, and $643,607 allocated to golf drainage. The roads reserve was not zeroed out by this action, because casino funds in the amount of $250,000 were transferred into this reserve. Next to the major maintenance and replacement reserve, the bulkheads and waterways reserve is the most flush with cash. Starting the fiscal year with a $912,213 balance, this reserve has grown to $1.7 million on the strength of $822,367 in new money from the socalled waterfront differential, the difference between the base annual assessment and the waterfront assessment paid by those who live on bulkheaded property in Ocean Pines. The original bulkhead replacement program is close to or at its end. The operating recovery reserve, presumably set up to offset losses in previous fiscal years or possible future tax liabilities, increased from a $135,934 balance on April 30 to $271,211 on May 31, reflecting $135,216 in new contributions from assessments. The operating recovery reserve had been zeroed out as of April 30 last year, on the theory that previous year deficits had been sufficiently offset by subsequent surpluses, but the OPA Board of Directors last year authorized $135,100 from last year’s assessment to be allocated to this reserve. The OPA did rack up a $182,474 operating deficit for the fiscal year that ended this past April 30.

In role reversal, Stevens, Clarke, Collins praise amenity results Terry advises caution in assessing LU’s first month of managing Ocean Pines Golf Course By TOM STAUSS Publisher here was a bit of role reversal as Ocean Pines Association directors discussed May financial results during the Board of Directors June 24 monthly meeting. For those finely tuned to the nuances, the role reversal bordered on entertaining. Much of the discussion involved references to Landscapes Unlimited, the

company that succeeded Billy Casper Golf as the Ocean Pines golf course manager, taking over officially May 1. Key BCG personnel, including golf pro John Malinowski and course maintenance superintendent Rusty McClendon, stayed on in their respective roles but under the LU umbrella. Director Jack Collins started the discussion, noting that the May financial report for golf was headlined “LU Golf,” noting that the summary never was

headlined “BCG Golf” when that company managed the course. He also mentioned some differences in the financial report. In fact, what had been a two-page summary under BCG returned to a onepage summary in May under LU, with no loss in clarity. “LU started off with a good month,” Collins said. Indeed it did. Golf and related food and beverage operations netted $94,550

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OCEAN PINES for the month, $8,521 more than budgeted and roughly $44,000 better than May of 2015. Stevens pointed out that golf revenues missed their budget – by roughly $13,000 – but that greens fees and cart fees were the best they’ve been in eight years. Similarly, he said Yacht Club revenues for May were at a record high, “just a little less than double” than May of last year. He didn’t mention that the new Yacht Club opened officially Memorial Day weekend, meaning that there was no revenue of consequence being generated – save for one wedding – before then. “The Yacht Club had a great May. The results are outstanding,” Stevens said. Clarke agreed, and that is saying something. He’s rarely said a kind word about Yacht Club management. “He (new Yacht Club manager Jerry Lewis) did it by doubling sales,” Clarke said. May revenues last year were $129,649, climbing to $231,342 this year. Clarke often dismisses the significance of budgets when evaluating actual amenity performance, and neither Stevens nor Clarke mentioned that the Yacht Club missed its gross revenue target by a whopping $87,858 for the month. Net revenues missed by $49,184. The bottom line, however, was positive, with a $38,312 actual surplus, against a $35,081 negative variance to budget. Returning to golf, Director Tom Terry pointed out that one of the reasons the amenity did as well as it did was the fact that LU reduced golf pro expenses $10,000 relative to budget. Combined, all golf-related expenses were under budget by $26,024, more than offsetting a $17,503 negative variance to budget on the revenue side. Stevens said he thought the results reflected “less payroll” throughout the entire operation. Clarke gushed that “everything” was up on the revenue side, but actually that wasn’t the case. Greens fees increased from $90,245 year-over-year to $98,463, while cart fees increased from $60,210 to $73,929. Food and beverage revenue increased from $33,750 during May of last year to $37,343 this year. But driving range revenue declined from $6,057 to $4,740. Member dues decreased from $14,223 last May to $12,530 this year. Pro shop merchandise generated $14,251 in revenue last May but dropped to $12,331 this year. Clarke also said that the numbers show no drop in outside play resulting from the change from BCG to LU, and the year-over-year increase in greens fees and cart fees would appear to confirm that. OPA General Manager Bob Thompson, normally prone to putting financial performance in the best possible light, said in his June 24 report to the board that “revenues were below budget primarily because of the drop in greens fees, which is directly related to the anticipated decline in outside play.”

July - Early August 2015Ocean Pines PROGRESS

Stevens says board will decide GM bonus in July private meeting By TOM STAUSS Publisher cean Pines Association President Dave Stevens has reiterated a previous disclosure that he is planning to convene a special meeting of the Board of Directors sometime in July to review General Manager Bob Thompson’s job performance for the fiscal year that ended this past April 30, for the purpose of deciding whether he will receive all or part of a $10,000 bonus to which he is entitled under a new three-year contract approved by the board last year. It’s also possible that the performance review will occur in closed session after the regular July meeting. There are six objectives tied to a decision of whether Thompson will receive the bonus. The six objectives were voted on by the board last July and were explicitly untethered to financial performance. Stevens said it is possible that Thompson will receive only a portion of the possible $10,000, depending on how the board evaluates the general manager’s success in achieving the six objectives.

Greens fees didn’t drop year over year but only failed to achieve relative to budget, probably because the budget in this particular category was unrealistic in the first place. In his report, Thompson offered no explanation for why the May budget called for $115,751 in greens fee revenues as compared to last’s May $90,245. Terry also found himself in a somewhat unfamiliar territory, advising his

“That’s a compromise I might push for,” Stevens said. As part of the performance review, Stevens said he would ask for votes from the directors on whether Thompson has accomplished each of the six non-financial objectives. Another $30,000 in incentives under Thompson’s contract tied to meeting certain financial objectives would appear to be out of easy reach for bonus purposes because key amenities – golf, the Yacht Club food and beverage operation, and aquatics – missed their budgets by significant margins in the 2014-15 fiscal year that ended this past April 30. Other amenities, such as Beach Club parking and the Yacht Club marina operations, were excluded from the list of amenities that would be used for the purpose of determining whether the general manager would receive up to $30,000 in bonuses for meeting financial objectives. The first “non-financial” objective approved by directors last summer was for the general manager to deliver to the board an internet technology plan for updating the OPA’s computer network. The success of that objective is to be To Page 38

colleagues to “let’s not get ahead of ourselves” in singing the praises of golf operations under LU. He noted that there’s been a decline of 18 members year-to-date in golf. That brought Stevens back into the conversation. “That’s not a surprise,” he said. “It’s been going down year-after-year, every year except one in the last ten.” The subtext in the debate is that

Thompson consistently, and Terry more so at the end of the protracted process that ended in the replacement of BCG by LU, favored the retention of BCG. Director Bill Cordwell also strongly advocated keeping BCG. A board majority of Stevens, Collins, Clarke and Pat Renaud favored replacing BCG with LU, with Terry, Cordwell and Director Sharyn O’Hare on the opposite side.

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38 Ocean Pines PROGRESS

OCEAN PINES

July - Early August 2015

GM’s bonus From Page 37 measured by the project’s completeness and accuracy as of January 2015. Thompson did not deliver an IT plan to the board for consideration this past January, Stevens said. A second task given to Thompson was to coordinate with Worcester County to represent the association’s interests in the Water and Wastewater Division’s water line replacement program, and to develop and implement an OPA plan for oversight. The county installed the water lines in recent months, in coordination with the OPA. Another objective given to the general manager last summer was to create an updated capital improvement plan for presentation to and consideration by the board, to be measured by the board’s determination that Thompson had completed a plan that would take the OPA through the year 2020. That revised CIP was due to the board by the end of last year. However, after the August election and the subsequent reorganization of the board, the task of updating the CIP was taken out of Thompson’s hands and a new process adopted under the direct supervision of Stevens. The board last

officially updated a version of a CIP in June of 2012; it is substantially out of date. As of July 1, the new process has not yielded anything close to what might be considered an updated CIP. The fourth objective approved by the board was “successfully operating” the new Ocean Pines Yacht Club, measured by criteria such as the quality and speed of service offered to diners, the quality of the food served and completion of the actual building construction. This objective will no doubt trigger differing views among the directors. The facility lost just short of $190,000 in the 2014-15 fiscal year. The facility was substantially completed and opened for business in May of last year, with various punch list items lingering well into this year. Under the fifth approved objective, Thompson was tasked with completing a drainage strategic plan and to continue drainage team operations throughout Ocean Pines. The success of his work is to be measured by responsiveness to drainage complaints in the community and the quality of operation of the work to rectify problems, along with the quality of a long-term plan of action to address the OPA’s needs. A March 2015 strategic plan was to be delivered to the board by March of 2015. While there has been no indication

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t’s too soon to know whether anything significant will come of them. But the recent decision by the Board of Directors to reappoint General Manager Bob Thompson to jump-start talks with Sandpiper Energy for a new natural gas franchise agreement has resulted in an agreement by both sides to renew the dialog. In his June general manager’s report to the board, Thompson said he had “engaged” Sandpiper executives in two conference calls to date, with the first one a relatively short one limited to opening up “a new dialog” and establishing “future correspondence.” The second, much longer call included a “detailed discussion where we recapped our positions and discussed options for moving forward,” Thompson wrote. He described the conversations thus far as “fair and open,” which is diplo-speak for saying there’s no agreement to date. He said a “face-to-face meeting” with Sandpiper executives has been scheduled for “the near future,” but he didn’t give a date. . that a strategic plan was delivered to the board by March, the Public Works Department has been deployed to deal with drainage issues as they occur. One Ocean Pines resident, K.C. Colgan, told the Progress that he called Thompson a day or so before the Fourth of July about a clogged drainage pipe that interrupted water flow from his property just after a heavy rain. A Public Works crew showed up a day later to remove the obstructions, Colgan said. “Kudos to Thompson for his quick response,” he said.

The sixth objective directed Thompson to draft a summary of suggested changes to the procedures used in enforcing guidelines and restrictions regulating junk vehicles, overgrown landscaping and “un-maintained/abandoned homes” no later than December of last year. While it is not clear that Thompson himself proposed substantive changes to these procedures, the board routinely deals with them in monthly compliance matters that are brought to the board for review and action.

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CAPTAIN’S COVE

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New road construction begins in Section 7, to provide access to roughly 250 home sites Another 450 homesites will become accessible once the Aqua sale goes to settlement and new road construction can begin in Section 1 By TOM STAUSS Publisher he long-awaited construction of new roads in Captain’s Cove began the week of July 5, the first time in years that the Captain’s Cove property owners association has made visible progress in providing access to what have been unbuildable lots throughout the community, Cove President Tim Hearn has announced. Hearn said a contract for the work was signed recently and that roughly a mile of tar-and-chip roadway will be constructed in Section 7, work that when completed will mean every lot in this section will have road access. The Captain’s Cove Utility Company will be installing water lines in this part of Section 7 to make 150 lots buildable that previously were not. Hearn said that the new road construction will cost the Cove POA about $225,000, to be paid for out of reserves and a $150,000 private money loan made to the Cove last year to help finance road construction. Progress on road construction has been held up for quite some time as Accomack County reviewed road engineering documents. Approvals finally came through about six months ago, so it was just a matter of time before construction could begin. Hearn said the next section after Section 7 where roads will be constructed is Section 1, where there are 450 lots that will be made accessible and, as a result, buildable. There is little more than two miles of roads needed to finish the road build-out in Section 1, Hearn said. These 450 lots are integral to the pending sale of Captain’s Cove Utility Company assets to Aqua Virginia, which has made its purchase contingent on the extension of sewer service to these 450 currently unserved lots. Once sewer is available, Aqua Virginia will be able to charge availability charges to property owners in this area, or usage fees as homes are built. Hearn said that water is already available in this area, but because many lots are in lower-lying areas or are bayfront, they won’t pass a percolation test and therefore will require sewer service. The estimated cost of installing roads in Section 1 is $400,000, with the socalled Exhibit X list of formerly delinquent properties providing the revenue

needed to pay for the construction, Hearn said. He added that the installation of sewer lines in this area must be completed within six months of settlement in the Aqua purchase of CCUC assets. He said with the Aqua settlement currently projected for October of this year, it’s realistic to expect that road construction in Section 1 could take place by or during spring of next year, “subject to permitting issues,” he added. After Section 1 is completed, then roads in a remaining part of Section 3, and all of 12 and 13, will become the priority, Hearn said. Funding from Exhibit X will be replenished by assessments next year, making it conceivable that Section 3, 12 and 13 could be targeted for road construction during the 2017 calendar year, Hearn said. Depending on finances, of course, the timetable could stretch out longer. Should the Cove POA be able to obtain conventional bank financing, either in addition to or as a substitute for private financing, then it’s possible this construction timetable could be accelerated, Hearn said. Obtaining conventional financing has been a problem to date, one that the Cove POA has been attempting to remedy by improving its balance sheet and reducing the number of delinquent assessments. In lieu of conventional financing, the POA secured $150,000 in private financing from an individual investor who has asked not be publicly identified. The Aqua sale also will bring roughly $170,000 to the Cove POA that can be used for road construction. Last year, Hearn had disclosed that as part of the pending asset sale to Aqua, the Cove POA would be paid $105,000 plus interest to retire the demand notes associated with the outstanding loan advanced to the CCUC several years ago by the Cove POA to help keep the CCUC afloat in a stressful time financially. At the end of the last calendar year, the debt including interest had risen to $145,000, and it will have risen another $25,000 or so by the time

the Aqua asset purchase goes to settlement. Hearn said that finishing Section 3 will also require the extension of sewer lines, while Sections 12 and 13 on much higher ground probably will just need water. Utility Company asset sale: The pending purchase of CCUC assets by Aqua Virginia is on track, with Virginia’s State Corporation Commission staff in mid-June issuing a formal recommendation in favor of the purchase. Aqua had until July 1 to respond to the recommendation letter, which then goes to the commission for review and action. Hearn, president and managing partner of the CCUC, said that “we’re expecting approval” of the sale of utility company assets to Aqua by Labor Day. The commission under Virginia law has up to 60 days to act on a staff recommendation to approve the sale. Settlement should then place up within 35 days of the commission approval, which would mean settlement would occur realistically sometime in October, Hearn said. A letter campaign aimed at local politicians and the SCC by a group of Cove residents skeptical of the sale appears to have been effectively rebutted by Hearn, who in letters to the local state delegate and senator on behalf of the Cove POA said that they had been subjected to “lies and misrepresentations” about the status of the opponents as representatives of the POA. Hearn said the local politicians were in effect told that the opponents represented the Cove HOA, when in fact they represented only a minority of Cove residents, and perhaps a very small number of people at that. An effort to persuade Cove property owners to participate in a letter-writing campaign questioning the asset sale seems to have fizzled. Hearn made it clear in his letters to the local politicians that the Cove POA’s board of directors was in full support of the CCUC asset sale and that in fact the Cove POA directly benefits from it financially, citing the $170,000 that will be earned by the retirement of the demand notes, plus interst. In one of his letters, Hearn said the transaction is being done at “book value” so as to not have an impact on the current quarterly utility rates paid by CCUC customers.

“This sales price is close to $1.25 million less than the amount which the former (Cove POA) Board of Directors had offered to pay in 2010, and in using this lower price, we feel that this is further evidence of the parties’ willingness to keep the overall community’s wellbeing in the forefront,” Hearn wrote. “We believe any unnecessary delay in bringing Aqua Virginia in as the new operator would be inappropriate at many levels,” he continued. “An enormous amount of upfront work over the past 12 months has occurred, working side by side with all interested members of the community.” Hearn told the local representatives that four Cove board members who are also shareholders of the CCUC recused themselves from any public votes with respect to the asset sale, leaving nonCCUC board members to make any relevant decisions on behalf of the POA. He noted that the “quorum” of four directors was assisted in their deliberations by Michael Inman, the Cove POA’s attorney. “It appears that some of the individuals who have provided you with information have chosen to impugn the integrity, independence and commitment of these four board members, as well as Mr. Inman,” Hearn wrote. “That is incredibly unfortunate and unwarranted.” Hearn said that many Cove board members “have grown accustomed to petty and personal attacks from some in the community, but seeing it directed onto these (non-CCUC) individuals is particularly distasteful.” According to Hearn, “the overwhelming majority of (Cove POA members) feel that this group is acting appropriately in their fiduciary duty, regardless of the comments you may have received from those who contacted you and said those things.” Northern Accomack solar farm: At the scheduled July 11 meeting of the Cove POA board of directors, an agenda item is listed regarded a solar farm planned for Northern Accomack County. While the farm will be constructed some distance from Captain’s Cove, Hearn told the Progress in early July that it will be have some positive impacts on the Cove once it’s up and running. The farm will be a subsidiary of Amazon.com, the online mass marketer. Solar farms developed elsewhere in the country by Amazon.com have created new jobs, have led to lower-cost power to consumers, and can also lead to broadband expansion, Hearn said. New construction: Hearn said that new construction in Captain’s Cove is doing well, with 40 new homes built so far or in the pipeline thus far in 2015. 2015-16 budget process: The scheduled July 11 board meeting was expected to include further discussion by board members of the pending 2015-16 budget for the POA that goes into effect Oct. 1.

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5/19 Wooded WATERVIEW LOTS $4000 $4000 5/19 Wooded 4/2092 WATERVIEW LOTS 3BR/2BA3/1623 • 1202 sq. Cleared ft. • Concrete driveway BR 2.5 Wooded BA 1464 sq ft., 2 Car Garage Waterfront Living $18,000 W & S $4000

$5000 4/2039 Wooded $5000 Wooded $5000 8/484/2039 Clearedloaded 3BR/2.5 BA 2170 sq ft, Bonus Room 3BR/2BA with upgrades 443 $5000 8/48 Cleared $4000 4/2092 Wooded $5000 4/ 2104 Wooded, Septic Approved $4000 9/38 Cleared, Septic Approved $18,000 3/1623 Cleared W & S w/ 60’ $18,000 3/1629 /1443 3BR/1BA • 1008Cleared sq. ft. • ShedW & S 3BR/2BA • 1202 sq. ft. • Concrete driveway 3 BR 2 BA, 1312 sq ft., many upgrades, 1 Car garage 3BR/2.5 BA Located on Golf Course dl w/ 60’ $5000 4/ 2104 Wooded, Septic Approved $4000 9/38 Cleared, Septic Approved $5000 4/2130 Wooded, Septic Approved $4000 9/66 Cleared, Septic Approved $18,000 3/1629 Cleared W & S 3844 Captain’ s Corridor • $199,500 $24,000374533/1628 Cleared W & S 37749 37453 Beam Court • $274,500 ad Broadside Drive Septic • $314,900 LOTS $5000 4/2130 Wooded, Septic aptain’s Corridor • $199,500 WATERFRONT 38020 Sailors Court• 37330 Broadside Drive • $449,900 $4000 9/66Wooded Cleared, Approved $5250 Court • $274,500 Ask Me About ... S$4000 1/1252 Wooded, W &$424,752 S Approved 1/471 $24,000 Beam 3/1628 Cleared W& Cindy Welsh about these and other available properties in Captains Cove $5250 1/1252 Wooded, &S WS WATERFRONT $4000 1/471 Wooded T UNDER CONTRACT $5500 GOLF COURSE $54,900 3/1383 WATERFR0NT NEW LISTING UNDER CONTRACT WATERFR0NT 5/2403 Wooded, SepticWApproved $4000 4/1964 Wooded UNDER CONTRACT WS Cleared canal 38020 Sailors Court • $459,950 $5500 5/2403 Wooded, Septic Approved $4000 4/1964 Wooded Could Be Listed Here5/2473 Wooded, Septic Approved $6,000 1/1250 Wooded, W & S $4000 940 NEW LISTING $6,000 1/1250 Wooded, W & S $4000 5/2473 Wooded, Septic Approved$6000 /940 9/127 Wooded, Septic Approved w100’ $4000 9/163 Cleared, Septic Approved 3BR/2.5 BA $5000 4/2039 Wooded $4000 5/19 Wooded NEW LISTING RVIEW LOTS Custom Designed REDUCED $6000 9/127 Wooded, Septic Approved l w100’ 2/379 Cleared, Alt. Septic$5000 8/48 Cleared $4000 9/163 Cleared, Septic Approved 2160 sq. ft.$9,000 3BR/3$4000 BA 1623 Cleared W & S $4000 4/2092 Wooded 5/2562 Wooded, Septic Approved $6500 7/276 Cleared, Septic Approved 2/379 Cleared, Alt. Septic d Master BR W$9,000 $5000 4/ 2104 Wooded, 9/38 Cleared, Septic Approved 2800 sq. Septic ft. Approved 1629 Cleared & S $4000 $10,500 2/134 Wooded, Septic Approved $4000 5/2562 Wooded, Septic Approved $6500 7/276 Cleared, Septic Approved $5000 4/2130Loaded Wooded, with Septic Approved with Sitting Area, 9/66 Cleared, Septic Approved 3BR/2.5 BA 2160 sq ft, oversize garage 1628 Cleared W$10,500 & S $40002/134 3 BA, 2800 sq ft., oversize garage, many upgrades 3 BR 2.5 BA, 2876 sq ft., canal and bay views $70003 BR9/64 Cleared $4000 Wooded, Septic Approved $5250 1/1252Upgrades, Wooded, W &Bonus S 11/97 Wooded, Septic Approved Oversized Garage $4000 1/471 Wooded $68,500 1/1268 $65,000 3/1439 $70003BR/2.5 9/64BACleared $4000 11/97 Wooded, Septic Approved $12,000 2/261 Cleared, Septic Approved $5500 5/2403Room, Wooded,Oversized Septic Approved & Workshop, $4000 4/1964 Wooded Located on Golf Course 3 BR 2 BA 1986 sq ft., Bonus Room Mostly cleared canal Cleared canal $12,000 2/261 Cleared, Septic$6,000 Approved $7000 11/3 Wooded $4000 1/806 Wooded 1/1250 Wooded, W & SViews 5/2473 Wooded, Septic Approved Bay Views w/120’ Garage, Bay w/60’ Bulkhead Bulkhead ED OURSE LOTS $7000 5/2465 11/3 Wooded $4000 $15,000$4000 2/221 Cleared, Septic Approved $6000 9/127 Wooded, Septic Approved1/806 Wooded $4000 9/163 Cleared, Septic Approved $4000 4/2165 Wooded $3000 Wooded, Septic Approved REDUCED CED Cleared, Alt. Septic $15,000 Cleared, Septic Approved $7000 11/2 Wooded REDUCED $4000 11/27 Wooded WATERVIEW LOTS $6500 7/276 Cleared, Septic Approved $40002/221 5/2562 Wooded, Septic Approved NEW LISTING BAY VIEWS 4196 Wooded, SepticDIRECT Approved $7000 11/2 Wooded BAY VIEWS $4000 11/27 Wooded $15,000 2/206 Cleared, Septic Approved $4021 6/40 Wooded, Septic Approved $3000 4/2198 Wooded $7000 9/64 Cleared $4000 11/97 Wooded, Septic Approved 1196 1w/75’ Cleared, Septic Approved $5000 4/2039 Wooded $15,000 2/206 Cleared, Septic$7000 Approved 5/194/2317 Wooded 1/1055 Cleared W & S $4000 $7000 11/14 Wooded 11/3 Wooded$7,000 $4000 8/4 Cleared $4000 1/806 Wooded 1l Cleared, Septic Approved $4200 6/45 Wooded, Septic Approved $3000 Wooded w/75’ $7000 11/14 Wooded $4000 8/4 Cleared $15,000 2/184 Cleared, Septic d6 Cleared, Septic Approved $7000 11/2 Wooded $4000 11/27 Wooded ED PENDING $15,000 2/184 Cleared, SepticApproved Approved$10,000 ad 3/1629 Cleared W & S $5000 8/48 Cleared $7000 11/14 Wooded $7000 11/4 Wooded $4000 8/4 Cleared $4000 4/2092 Wooded $4000 4/2338 Wooded, Septic Approved $4400 9/127 Wooded, Septic Approved $3500 4/2338 Wooded, Septic Approved 4 Cleared, Septic Approved $18,000 Cleared WApproved && S S $7000 11/4 Wooded $4000 3/1623 4/2338 Wooded, Septic $69,900 1/940 $72,000 $7000 11/4 Wooded $4000 4/2338 Wooded, Septic Approved1/921 $65,000 3/1439 $69,900 3/1443 $18,000 3/1623 Cleared W $5000 6/17 Wooded, Approved $3500 7/169 Wooded, Septic Approved Cleared canal w/40’ Cleared Canal w100’ $4000 3/1657 Wooded, Septic Approved $7000 8/38 Cleared $4000 3/1657 Wooded, Septic Approved $7000 8/38 Cleared $5000 4/ 2104 Wooded, SepticSeptic Approved $4000 9/381/467 Cleared, SepticSeptic Approved $7000 8/38 Cleared IOR LOTS Cleared $4000 3/1657 Wooded, Septic Approved canal canal w/$7000 60’ 9/101 Wooded Bulkhead $4000 6/86 WoodedCleared $18,000 3/1629 Cleared W & S Bulkhead IEWS $5000 11/101 Wooded, Septic Approved $3500 Wooded, Approved BUYER INCENTIVE Wooded $4000 9/185 Cleared w/120’ Bulkhead $7000 9/101 Wooded Bulkhead $7000 1/733 Wooded$4000 NG 6/866/86 Wooded $7000 9/101 Wooded Wooded ING $4000 Wooded $5000 4/2130 Wooded, Septic Approved $4000 9/66 Cleared, Septic Approved $7900 4/2177 Wooded, Septic Approved $4021 6/40 Wooded, Septic Approved $5000 8/48 Cleared $3600 9/64 Cleared, Corner LOCATION EASY BAY ACCESS $24,000 3/1628 ClearedLOTS W & S $7000 ooded $500 Wooded $8500 4/2358 Wooded, Septic Approved $4200 6/45 Wooded, Septic Approved $50010/159 10/159 Wooded SOLD 1/733 Wooded $4000 9/185 Cleared GOLF COURSE $7000 1/733 Wooded 058 Wooded $4000 9/185 Cleared $5000 4/2104 $3750 5/2482 Wooded, Septic Approved /958 Approved $4430 5/2482 Wooded, Septic Approved $8900 3/1723 Wooded, Septic NEW LISTING $5250 1/1252 Wooded,Wooded, W & S Septic Approved $4000 1/471 Wooded DIRECT $8900 11/10 Wooded, Septic Approved nal Wooded, Septic Approved $2000 1/881 Wooded anal $4500 5/41 Wooded, Septic Approved $10,900 2/134 Wooded, Septic Approved $2000 1/881 Wooded $7900 4/2177 Wooded, Septic Approved $5000 1/477 Wooded, W&S $4000 9/20 Cleared $4021 6/40 Wooded, Septic Approved $7900 4/2177 Wooded, Septic Approved ead Wooded, Septic Approved $4021 BAY VIEWS$9000 9/126 Cleared, Septic Approved6/40 Wooded, Septic Approved $5000 6/17 Wooded, Septic Approved head $5500 5/2403 Wooded, Septic Approved Cleared $4000 4/1964 Wooded $73,000 1/926 3/1408 $11,000 2/107 Wooded, Septic Approved $3000 5/9 Wooded $10,000 9/168 Wooded, Septic Approved $5000 4/1962 Wooded,$73,500 Septic Approved $5250 1/1252 Wooded, W&S $4000 11/85 Wooded $3000 5/9 Wooded 4/2358 Wooded, SepticSeptic Approved DIRECT BAY ACCESS $4200 6/456/45 Wooded, Septic Approved $8500 4/2358 Wooded, Approved Cleared $4200 Wooded, Septic Approved $8500 Septic Approved $5000 11/101 Wooded, Septic Approved Cleared canal Cleared canal$10,000 11/32 Wooded, Wooded $12,000 2/261 Cleared, Septic Approved $6000 2/89 Wooded $4000 5/19 Wooded $3500 10/140 1/1250 Wooded, W & S 5/2473 Wooded, Septic Approved w/50’ Bulkhead w/50’ Bulkhead $3500 10/140Wooded Wooded EWS $8900 3/1723 Wooded, Septic Approved EWS $4430 5/2482 Wooded, Septic Approved $8900 3/1723 Wooded, Septic Approved $6,000$6500 Wooded $4430 5/2482 Wooded, Septic Approved$4000 $73,500 3/1408 NEW LISTING $74,500 1/940 7/276 Cleared, Septic Approved $4000 4/2092 Wooded $15,000 2/184 Cleared, Septic Approved CANAL VIEW $3500 Approved $35007/169 7/169Wooded, Wooded, Septic Approved $4500 Cleared canal $6000 9/127 Wooded, Septic Approved ClearedSeptic Canal w100’ $4000 9/163 Cleared, Septic Approved $8900 11/10 Wooded, Septic Approved 021 5/41 Wooded, Septic Approved $8900 11/10 Wooded, Septic Approved 1021 $4500 5/41 Wooded, Septic Approved $7000 11/3 Wooded $4000 1/471 Wooded $15,000 2/206 Cleared, Septic Approved w/60’ l w/60’ $9,000 2/379 Cleared, Alt. Septic w/50’ Bulkhead Bulkhead $3500 $35001/467 1/467Wooded, Wooded,Septic SepticApproved Approved$15,000 $7000Cleared, 11/2 Wooded $4000 4/1964 Wooded $9000 9/126 Cleared, Septic Approved $9000 9/126 Cleared, Septic Approved $6500 7/276 $5000 6/17 Wooded, Septic Approved $5000 6/17 Wooded, Septic Approved Septic Approved dad 5/2562 Wooded, Septic Approved 2/221 Cleared, Septic Approved$4000 $75,000 1/1195 $75,000 1/1196 $10,500 2/134 Wooded, Septic Approved $40009/20 9/20Cleared ClearedCleared canal $4000 $7000 11/14 Wooded $4000 5/2473 Wooded, Septic Approved Cleared Canal, $21,000 2/394 Cleared, Septic Approved $10,000 9/168 Wooded, Septic Approved $10,00011/97 9/168Wooded, Wooded,Septic Septic Approved Approved $5000 4/1962 Wooded, Septic Approved$4000 $5000 4/1962 Wooded, Septic Approved $7000 9/64 w/100’ Bulkhead w/75’ Bulkhead $7000Cleared 11/4 Wooded $4000 9/163 Cleared, Septic Approved $40007/275 7/275Cleared Cleared $4000 $12,000 2/261 Cleared, Septic Approved $10,000 11/32 Wooded, Septic Approved $5000 11/101 Wooded, Septic Approved $10,000 11/32 Wooded, Septic Approved $5000 11/101 Wooded, Septic Approved TING ING CANAL VIEW $7000 8/38 Cleared $4000 5/2562 Wooded, Septic Approved $7000 11/3 Wooded $4000 1/806 Wooded $400011/85 11/85Wooded Wooded $4000 REDUCED $15,000 2/221 Cleared, Septic Approved INTERIOR LOTS 1414 MARSH VIEWS $7000 9/101 Wooded $4000 11/97 Wooded, Septic Approved 414 $7000 11/2 Wooded $4000 11/27 Wooded $4000 11/7 Wooded l w/60’ $4000 11/7 Wooded w/60’ $7000 1/733 Wooded $4000 1/806 Wooded $75,000 1/1209 $75,000 1/1045 $75,000 1/1195 $75,000 1/1196 $15,000 2/206Wooded Cleared, Septic Approved $200 1/881

ED Court • $179,900 Neptune

37129 Wheelhouse Dr. • $189,900

DER CONTRACT NDER CONTRACT

37309 Blackjack Court • $199,500

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At Its Very Best ...

2.5 BA 1464 sq ft., 2 Car Garage

3BR/2BA loaded with upgrades

Your Home Association GOLF COURSE LOTS Starting GOLF COURSELotsLOTS at $4000

UNDER CONTRACT DER CONTRACT

BR 2 BA 1986 sq ft., Bonus Room

GOLF COURSE

3BR/2.5 BA Located on Golf Course

940 Sailors Court, $69,500 100’ bulkhead, unobstructed bay views

1443 High Seas Court, $69,900 60’ bulkhead

926 Sailors Court, $73,000 60’ bulkhead, minutes to bay, high elevation

000 sh views,

1196 Salty Way, $75,000 75’ bulkhead, protected canal, $1500 Discount in May/June

1045 Scimitar Way, $75,000 60’ water frontage, wooded canal lot

958 Bayside Drive, $75,000 60’ water frontage, bay views

dad

Could Be Listed Here

WATERVIEW LOTS

t, $65,000 bay views

$78,000 cted canal,

Your Home

3BR/2.5 BA 2170 sq ft, Bonus Room

INTERIOR INTERIORLOTS LOTS

MARSH VIEW

1200 Salty Way, $79,000 60’ new vinyl bulkhead w/ boardwalk, boat lift poles

Wooded, canal Cleared Canal, w/60’ waterfront w/100’ Bulkhead BAY VIEWS

$78,000 1/1021 Cleared w/60’ NEW canal LISTING Bulkhead

1290 Blackbeard Court, $80,000 75’ bulkhead, direct bay access and views

Cleared, Cleared canalcanal w/75’ w/75’ bulkhead Bulkhead NEW BULKHEAD

$79,000 1/1200

Cleared canal w/61’ NEW LISTING Bulkhead

$75,000 1/1045 BAY VIEWS

$75,000 1/958 WIDE CANAL Cleared canal w/60’ Bulkhead

$80,000 3/1290 Cleared canal w/60’ Bulkhead

$80,000 4/1414 Cleared canal w/60’ Bulkhead

Wooded, canal w/60’ water front NEW LISTING

$75,000 1/1209 Cleared, canal

BAY VIEWS

$78,000 1/1021 Cleared canal w/60’

GOLF COURSE LOTS

1414 Starboard Street, $80,000 60’ bulkhead, wide canal

$7000 11/14 $7950Wooded 1/1091 Wooded, W & S $4000 8/4 11/27 ClearedWooded $200 4/1947 Wooded,Septic SepticApproved Approved $4000 $15,000 2/184 Cleared, $8500 4/2358 Wooded, Septic Approved $4000 8/4 Cleared $300 10/128 Wooded Wooded $4000 4/2338 Wooded, Septic Approved $7000 11/4 $9500 9/126 Cleared, Septic Approved $4000 6/86 Wooded $500 10/159 Wooded $7000 8/38 Cleared $4000 3/1657 Wooded, Septic Approved $10,000 9/168 Wooded, Septic Approved $4000 9/185 Cleared $2000 10/140 Wooded $10,000 11/32 Wooded, Septic Approved $4000 6/24 Wooded, Septic Approved $2500 7/321 Wooded, Septic Approved $4000 6/86 Wooded $7000 9/101 Wooded $4000 3/1807 Wooded $2500 6/56 Wooded Wooded, Septic Approved $500 10/159 9/185 Cleared $4000 5/2411 Wooded, Septic Approved$7000 1/733 Wooded $3000 3/1657 Wooded, Septic Approved $4000 $2000 1/881 Wooded MEMBERSHIP LOTS $4000 5/2476 Wooded $3000 4/2130 Wooded, Septic Approved $4021 6/40 Wooded, Septic Approved $7900 4/2177 Wooded, Septic Approved $4000 4/2162 Wooded $1 16/33 • $1 18/14 $30005/9 5/9Wooded Wooded $3000 $8500 4/2358 Wooded, Septic Approved $4200 6/45 Wooded, Septic Approved ©2015 BHH Afﬁliates, LLC. An independently owned and operated franchisee of BHH Afﬁliates, LLC. Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices and the Berkshire Hathaway $3500 10/140 Wooded EqualApproved Housing Opportunity. HomeServices symbol are registered service marks of$4430 HomeServices America, Inc. $8900 3/1723 Wooded, Septic Approved 5/2482ofWooded, Septic $3500 7/169 Wooded, Septic Approved $4500 5/41 Wooded, Septic Approved $8900 11/10 Wooded, Septic Approved $3500 1/467 Wooded, Septic Approved $5000 6/17 Wooded, Septic Approved $9000 9/126 Cleared, Septic Approved

INTERIOR LOTS

42 Ocean Pines PROGRESS

LIFESTYLES

July - Early August 2015

Saturday, July 11 Kiwanis pancake breakfast, Ocean Pines Community Center, 8-11 a.m., $5 adults, $3 children under 12. Pancakes, sausages, fruit cup, orange juice, coffee and tea. Tickets at the door or in advance. Carry-out available. Ralph Chinn, 410-208-6719. Benefits community youth. Kiwanis bingo night, Ocean Pines Community Center, 5 p.m. doors open, games start 6:30 p.m. Tickets $20 in advance, $25 at the door. Refreshments for sale including hot dogs, pulled pork sandwiches, soft drinks and baked goods. $200 games, $50 games, door prizes, pull tab chances and a 50-50 drawing. Mary Lee at 410-208-4131 or Mary at 301537-8455 for advance tickets. Benefits community youth. The Ocean Pines Anglers Club, monthly meeting, 9:30 a.m., Ocean

HAPPENINGS Pines library. Featuring Carol Cain, technical coordinator for the Maryland Coastal Bays, on water quality monitoring. All welcome. Saturday, July 18 Terns Landing community yard sale, 8 a.m. to noon, Terns Landing, Ocean Parkway and Alton Point in Ocean Pines. Rain date: Sunday, July 19, same time. The Delmarva Chorus “Coffee, Tea & Harmony”, 7 p.m., Ocean Pines Community Center, $10 donation, Delmarva Chorus Chapter of Sweet Adelines International to present “Under the Big Top,” an evening of musical entertainment, door prizes, a 50/50 raffle and homemade desserts and bev-

erages. Information or tickets, call 410208-0043. Thursday, July 23 Republican Happy Hour, sponsored by the Republican Women of Worcester County, the Cove at the Ocean Pines Yacht Club, 5-7 p.m. Informal gathering of men and women to share information and encourage the discussion of current issues. Sharon Byerly, 410-208-3729. Saturday, July 25 Ocean Pines Boat Club Boat Parade, noon, Swim and Racquet Club. Award ceremony 4 p.m,., White Horse Park pavilion. Rain Date Sunday, July 26. $10 individual entries, $25 commer-

cial entries. This year’s theme: Yore, as in years gone by. Cash prizes will be awarded for best in parade, best theme, best costumes, best design and most active or mechanical. Boats may not be bigger than 26 feet. Fred Heinlen, 410208-3165, fheinlen5@msn.com or Steven Stein, 410-641-8930, spikerex@aol. com. Saturday, Aug. 1 38th Annual Pine’eer Arts & Crafts Festival, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., White Horse Park. Featuring over 100 artisans and crafters selling handcrafted items. Bake sale, kids bounce house, food vendors and live concert by The Honeycombs. Ocean Pines Chamber of Commerce flounder tournament, $35 per person, $30 two or more. Cash prizes plus calcutta ($10 per entry). $500 first prize, $300 second prize, $100 third prize. First 100 entries receive a free t-shirt. Information, 410-641-5306 or visit 11031Cathell Road.. Friday, Aug. 7 Mary Mac Foundation 4th Annual Memorial Golf Tourney, Ocean Pines Golf and Country Club, 7:30 a.m., registration and breakfast, 9 a.m. shotgun start, 2 p.m. lunch, awards and silent auction. $110 per golfer, $400 per foursome, $100 tee sign sponsorship. Don McMullen, 443-388-2941, or Tim McMullen, 443-827-2091. Silent auction information, Susan Wojciechowski, 410-925-0472, or Erin McMullen, 443465-8687. Sunday, Aug. 16 Ocean Pines Chamber of Commerce Classic Car Show, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Veterans Memorial Park, Ocean Pines. Parade of cars, White Horse Park, beginning at 10 a.m. Trophies awarded at 1 p.m. Also featuring a kids bicycle parade and pin-up girls. 410-641-5306 or visit 11031 Cathell Road. Friday, Aug. 28 Kiwanis Annual Duck Race. 6 p.m., Frontier Town. Chances for the Kiwanis Annual Duck Race on sale. Purchase a duck for $5 or three ducks for $10. Chances may be purchased from any Kiwanis member or call 410-2080479. Wednesday, Sept. 9 Brown Box Theatre Project performance of “The Taming of the Shrew”, 7:30 p.m., White Horse Park, free.

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Ongoing Free platform tennis clinics, Saturdays at noon, Manklin Meadows tennis complex. Bring sneakers, the rest is provided. “Ask a Master Gardener” clinic, Ocean Pines Library, 11107 Cathell Road, Ocean Pines, May to September, every Tuesday afternoon, 1-4 p.m. Sponsored by the University of Maryland Cooperative Extension Service. Free.

OPINION

July - Early August 2015Ocean Pines PROGRESS

COMMENTARY The myth of Board – GM dysfunction

hile there has been tension evident between some members of the Board of Directors and General Manager Bob Thompson in the months since last summer’s Ocean Pines Association election, it’s a fundamental misunderstanding to call it dysfunction. In the June candidates’ forum hosted by the Ocean Pines Election Committee, several candidates seemed to suggest that this situation was unfortunate and had adversely affected effective management of the OPA. Along with board-GM dysfunction, micro-management of the general manager was cited as something the current board, or at least some of its members, practice to the detriment of Ocean Pines. In both cases, nothing could be further from the actual reality. Those who make such claims are always sparse with the details, let alone proof of their spurious claims. It’s always easier to spout canards. Now it is certainly the case that there have been policy differences between some board members and Thompson, and it’s also the case that, judging by his body language at times, Thompson hasn’t liked the decisions made by his board overseers. The most glaring example of that was the board’s 4-3 decision earlier this year to replace the Ocean Pines golf course contract management firm, Billy Casper Golf, with Landscapes Unlimited. This was not dysfunction. The board acted, contrary to the wishes of the general manager. The process

worked precisely as it should have. There have been other examples as well. Earlier this year, Thompson presented a proposed master redevelopment plan for the Manklin Meadows complex, of which a board majority apparently had reservations. Areas of disagreement apparently involved the alleged need for eight versus four pickleball courts, and, at least for one director, Marty Clarke, the alleged need to relocate the complex’s existing playground equipment. With the departure of Clarke from the board this August, it’s not a stretch to speculate that a board majority will determine that the proposed master redevelopment plan should be adopted in its latest form. At least one director, Tom Terry, is a strong advocate of the plan as drafted, or at least a close approximation of it, and he will probably have the ability to attract at least three other votes for it, once the smoke clears from this summer’s election. It’s not a stretch to speculate that Thompson hasn’t been in any hurry to proceed with four pickleball courts approved by the board last fiscal year because he really wants board approval for all eight courts, or at least enough land set aside for all eight. And he’s willing to wait for an election to see if a board more receptive to his point of view emerges. So is it board-Thompson dysfunction that has held up adoption of the master plan thus far? Nope; it’s a

board acting or not acting, in its proper role of policy-maker and overseer of OPA finances. That a particular policy outcome does not meet with the approval of the general manager just goes with the territory and demonstrates that elections matter. This isn’t dysfunction; it’s a board and process functioning precisely as it should. Another election brings new people aboard and different perspectives, new give-and-take among the policy-makers. That, too, is the system working pretty much as it should. The Sandpiper negotiations or lack thereof is a third example of alleged board-Thompson dysfunction that supposedly has led to delay in arriving at a new natural gas franchise agreement for Ocean Pines. Is this board-Thompson dysfunction? No again. This one dates back to December, when Thompson took himself out as lead negotiator for the OPA because Clarke, his most persistent nemesis on the board, talked post-9 p.m. one day about some promising developments in the negotiations. This wasn’t board-Thompson dysfunction, but Thompson over-reacting and mischaracterizing Clarke’s quoted remarks as somehow damaging to the negotiations. For his part, Clarke has variously said that he was misquoted, had off-the-record remarks published, or didn’t remember making them because he had had To Page 44

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44 Ocean Pines PROGRESS Commentary

OPINION

July - Early August 2015

From Page 43 one too many drinks on the evening of the telephone interview, after which his remarks were prominently reported. The point here is: None of that really matters. As of last winter, most of the directors were content to allow Sandpiper to make the next move in negotiating a new franchise agreement. It had nothing to do with Thompson or the board-Thompson relationship. It reflected the collective judgment of a board majority that Sandpiper needs a deal more than the OPA does. So there was no urgency in anyone’s mind to direct Thompson to resume his appointed role as lead negotiator. The status quo of no negotiations changed in June, when Director Bill Cordwell suggested, and a board majority subsequently directed, that Thompson resume the role as lead negotiator if Sandpiper executives are willing to sit down and try to work out a new agreement. Early signs are encouraging but by no mean definitive. Cordwell inaccurately characterized the six months of inactivity to board involvement or micromanagement or dysfunction, or some such nonsense. Even so, his solution was well-timed and appropriate, even if his given rationale amounted to little more than spin. Oasis Travel-Ad 7/2/2015 10:45 AM There are probably other examples Oasis Travel-Ad 7/2/2015 10:45 AM of alleged board-Thompson dysfunction that could be explored. Suffice it to say they wouldn’t withstand scrutiny any more than the examples already cited do. – Tom Stauss

GUEST COMMENTARY Some thoughts on OPA Board of Director candidates By JOE REYNOLDS Special to the Progress even individuals, four men and three women, are vying for two open seats on the Ocean Pines Board of Directors. Ballots go in the mail within days, so keep a lookout for them in your mailbox and be sure to vote. Typically the return is a poor 55% or thereabouts. For the second year in a row, it seems a major campaign issue revolves around the General Manager. This should not be the case, but the reality is, it is. Last year the GM side of the political equation was dealt a blow, with the two candidates running on a platform of controlling the GM winning quite handily. Some believe the voters will was ignored by one of the winners last year when newly elected Director Pat Renaud suddenly switched sides after a courtship by Director Tom Terry, a strong supporter of the GM. So, whether association members like it or not, the election this year is again one where a primary political issue is the General Manager, an unwelcome turn of events that arrived shortly after the hiring of the current General Manager. Here’s my take on the candidates in regard to the General Manager: If you believe the General Manager is doing a great job, vote for Terri Mohr and Carol Ludwig. It is the equivalent of giving the General Manager an automatic two votes on the Board Page of1 Directors. It should also be noted that even the election of only one Page 1 of these two individuals virtually assures a board majority in total support of the GM on almost every issue, regardless of the other winner. If you believe the Board of Directors still needs to exert more control over the General Manager, vote for two choices

If you believe the Board of Directors still needs to exert more control over the General Manager, vote for two choices from among candidates Tom Herrick, Bill Zawacki, and Slobodan Trendic. from among candidates Tom Herrick, Bill Zawacki, and Slobodan Trendic. Electing any two of these three probably assures more board control of the GM. Board candidate Cheryl Jacobs is a newcomer to OPA politics. Nothing is known about her position regarding control of the GM. She is certainly competent and experienced, but a wild card if your issue is controlling the GM. Elect Jacobs and either Mohr or Ludwig and the GM will control the board, with Jacobs unable to do anything about it, even if she desired to do so. Elect Jacobs and one from candidates Herrick, Zawacki and Trendic and it is a crapshoot on whether the board controls the GM or the GM controls the board with Jacobs the deciding vote. Candidate Ray Unger is surely not a newcomer to OPA political scene, but his comments at the Candidates Forum and in the OPA quarterly report remind me of someone who will take the position if elected but really isn’t interested in campaigning, other than saying, “I like being on the board.” Unger is generally a supporter of the General Manager and has no problem with OPA’s business amenities like the Yacht Club and Golf losing big bucks. Joe Reynolds is the owner-manager of oceanpinesforum.com.

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OPINION

Some curriculum ideas for Ocean Pines’ new ‘Resident’s Academy’

n perhaps the most exciting, fun-filled development in Ocean Pines in decades, the Ocean Pine Association’s award-winning quarterly newsletter in its summer edition announced something called a Resident’s Academy, to be launched on a TBA date in the fall. No word yet on which resident will be able to claim ownership of the Academy. Perhaps an essay contest could be launched seeking the resident who most embodies the spirit and towering intellect of those who thought up this grand idea? The headline declared that the Academy needs start-up participants! (Yes, the exclamation point was in the headline, subtly making the point that OPA management regards this as a Top Priority and Opportunity, one not to be missed by any sentient being.) Presumably “participants” refer to residents (non-resident property owners need not apply, apparently), who might want to sit through six-to-eight weeks of “informal, interactive, and lots of fun” seminars or classes “to get a first-hand look at how Ocean Pines and its government work.” That at least is the Big Tease contained in the newsletter item. It certainly is a relief to know that the curriculm will be fun rather than tedious, repetitious, overly formal and, dare we say it, filled with disinformation, propaganda and self-praise. How exactly will be the Academy be interactive? Given the OPA’s many Information Technology challenges, perhaps interactivity is a misnomer for happy hours after each seminar. Or perhaps a sing-a-long after each day’s events? Face-painting? A moon bounce? Another “tease” is that the curriculum will be available soon; how soon is a mystery. One wonders about this coy omission, since it seems inconceivable that the Academy’s founders don’t have a pretty good idea about the sort of information it wants to convey in this six-to-eight week Academy. And who might be the special guests? Surely some sample seminar topics could be revealed in the near future to help residents decide if they want to sit through six to eight weeks of lectures and interactivity to become experts on the arcana of Ocean Pines. A disclaimer could be issued indicating that these topics were samples only and might not make the final cut. Perhaps the Curriculum is not yet settled? If not, here are some seminar topics that could be added to attract a more diversified student body. Some seminars might even become fee-based, as a way of raising money for the department whose annual subsidies dwarf all the losses at the Big Three major amenities combined. 1. How the Ocean Pines Association, a mere homeowners association in its

founding documents, has been transformed into a government by the mere announcement of a Resident’s Academy. An excursion through the curious cul-de-sacs An excursion through theby-ways curious and by-ways and cul-de-sacs 2. The criteria and process of deterof Worcester County’s County’s most densely community. of Worcester mostpopulated densely populated community. mining the compensation package of the OPA general manager, with emphasis on By TOM STAUSS/ By TOM Publisher STAUSS/Publisher why this position is the highest paid of its kind on the Eastern Shore. 3. Creative accounting, Ocean Pines style: Why the OPA is collecting roughly $2.5 million per year in what’s been called a “slush fund” to finance future capital improvement projects not yet identified, except for an obsolete wish list from 2012 that includes a $3 million natatorium and a $3 million Yacht Club that actually was built for $5 million. 4. Strategies for losing hundreds of thousands on certain key amenities year-after-year and ways to maximize losses during the winter months. 5. The Restrictive Covenants as Comic Relief: Amusing examples over the years of how Architectural Review Committee guidelines violate the letter of the covenants. 6. Non-lethal modalities for controlling wildfowl populations: How ugly orange fences undermine Ocean Pines’ aesthetics while doing nothing to help grass grow and control goose populations. 7. Conservative investing 101: How and why the OPA strives to achieve the lowest possible return on its long-term investment capital. 8. Bloated reserves: Why there’s a need for $1.7 million in the OPA’s bulkheads and waterways reserve, when there’s no new multi-year bulkhead replacement program in place or even on the drawing boards. 9. The Sports Core pool enclosure: The untold story of how this amenity Source: Ocean Pines Pravda, Summer edition

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OPINION

July - Early August 2015

LETTERS

Life in the Pines From Page 45 managed to be built without a referendum and why it will probably take another 20 years before those opposed to it will either die off or won’t remember how it all went down. 10. The Big Con: How roughly 150 households (and declining) have managed to convince the rest of us that’s in our interest to subsidize operating deficits, capital improvements and depreciation for a golf course that increasingly depends on outsiders for operating revenue? 11. How Ocean Pines stays ahead of Information Technology challenges, from malfuncting computers at the swimming pools to computer hardware manufactured by Fred Flintstone. Ocean Pines is a creative place, filled with wonderful people with a wealth of life experiences, many of whom no doubt could offer many more educational, funfilled and interactive ideas for seminars and classes in this new Ocean Pines Academy. Ideas anyone? Please send them to tstauss1@mchsi.com. The best ones will be published in future editions of the Ocean Pines Progress. The grand prize winner will be treated to two Sam Adamses at the Ocean Pines Yacht Club, date TBA.

Trendic: He’ll spend OPA’s money wisely

Every year I marvel at the selflessness of our property owners who dedicate time and effort to run for the Ocean Pines Association’s Board of Directors. But I really wish that more of our candidates would address specific issues when they appear at the candidate’s forums, and during this election cycle the issue of the day is the financial losses and other problems experienced in our first year in the new Yacht Club building. We need to know how the candidates would address the myriad of problems engulfing the new building, including the seating restrictions imposed by the county. I for one would have voted “no” on the referendum if we property owners were told of the seating restrictions we would be saddled with, and just about everyone I know feels the same way. I’ve even heard many comments from property owners who wonder if the Ocean Pines Administration was aware of those restrictions when promoting a referendum ‘yes’ vote, but chose to withhold that information from the voters. And that got me wondering: If the Ocean Pines Administration did not know of the restrictions at the time of the referendum, then was the OPA

made aware of those county restrictions when the plans were approved, and in spite of those restrictions the administration decided to proceed with the construction? If neither of those two scenarios are accurate, we are left with the unlikely possibility that the Ocean Pines Administration - - over a time span of more than two years (marketing the new building, the referendum, and the construction) - - did not research county and fire marshal regulations and were totally unaware of said restrictions until the county inspectors came knocking on the door. And then of course there is the $190,000 in Yacht Club losses last year, money that could be better used for projects like repairing our unsafe bridges. One candidate, Slobodan Trendic, has suggested ways to eliminate the losses while at the same time using that money to finally replace the bridges. That is the kind of thinking we need. Heck, it’s our money. Let’s elect someone who will spend it wisely. Steve Lind Ocean Pines

Another perspective on Ocean Pines golf ?

Mr. Fennell’s obvious attempt [Let-

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ters, June-Early July edition] to mislead by claiming that he didn’t realize that I was comparing “family memberships” is right up there with the silliness of comparing the amount of play between the two courses. Where do you think all of those golf packages play when they are not at Ocean Pines? Travel cost? You are kidding me. In its sales pitch the new management firm admitted that Ocean Pines can’t compete in price. And please, stop with the Robert Trent Jones Sr. sales pitch. The membership cost for the Ocean Pines Golf Club should be higher, not lower. The residents of Ocean Pines subsidize the cost of the course with their HOA fee, which allows the small number of residents that are members of the Golf Club to enjoy their hobby at a significant savings. Here is an idea: Just divide the Golf Course’s “negative variance” equally among the golf members each year as a surcharge and I won’t say another word. After all, it’s a Robert Trent Jones, excuse me, Robert Trent Jones Sr. designed course. I will correct my statement that the Ocean Pines family membership fee is not $4,300 but is in fact only $4,200. Guess I hit the wrong key but nevertheless I was mistaken. q

46 Ocean Pines PROGRESS

The Ocean Pines Progress, a journal of news and commentary, is published monthly throughout the year. It is circulated in Ocean Pines, Berlin, Ocean City, and Captain’s Cove, Va. Letters and other editorial submissions: Please submit via email only. Letters should be original and exclusive to the Progress. Include phone number for verification. 127 Nottingham Lane Ocean Pines, MD 21811

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OPINION

LETTERS What is not a mistake is the cost I stated for my family membership. Finally, and much more importantly, I appeal to the non-golf membership residents of Ocean Pines. The truth is the golf operation has been, and there is every reason to believe will continue to be, a “negative variance” to the association’s budget. It has lost membership over the years because of many issues that are sometimes hard to quantify, but a significant one is the cost of play. Without the support of the HOA fees, the course would have gone bankrupt years ago. Only by the golf club supporters concentrated efforts to elect board members that are committed to maintain the association’s financial support has its operation continued. In recent years, over a million dollars was spent to replace the greens and other mitigation efforts to improve the course’s future financial picture. Nothing has changed. Granted it is great looking, as it should be after that kind of investment, but the bottom line is that it is not well supported by the association’s membership. A And the time has come to ask some tough questions about the desire of the residents to continue to pay for an amenity they apparently don’t care to use. Many golfers living in Ocean Pines have already voted with their feet and are playing elsewhere. I agree with Mr. Hughes on his observation that there are indeed many fine golf courses in the area, and every golfer does have a favorite. But the realities of today’s economic situation demand communities take a long, serious look at what they can afford. Golf courses, in particular the private courses, are closing in record numbers. Courses are not being built because the number of golfers is declining and environmental concerns and maintenance cost make them financially impossible to operate at a profitable level. The residents of Ocean Pines can’t afford and should not be asked to supplement the cost of the course any longer. As I have said before, Ocean Pines is not Pinehurst. The OPA needs to coldly begin the painful process of eliminating venues that are not supported by the majority of property owners. This evaluation should include “negative variances” to budget and the number of residents that use the facility. When it costs more for a facility to operate than it generates in revenue and residents’ use of the venue is low, it is a clear indication that its value to the community should be questioned. I know that the golf course is loved by its loyal members (and I don’t mean that sarcastically). However, the community as a whole is telling us something else. Costs are high and membership is low.

July - Early August 2015Ocean Pines PROGRESS New management, new greens, mass marketing and targeting outside play have all been tried. The results are disappointing and obvious. It’s time for the golf operation to be sold, eliminated or significantly modified. If the current golf membership wishes to continue to operate the course and pay the expenses themselves, I would whole heartedly urge the OPA to support them. Perhaps they could purchase the course from the OPA at a mutually beneficial cost and the community could finally put the matter to rest. Something needs to be done.

And now is the time to start. Reggie Shephard Jr. Ocean Pines

Honest reporting

The cover article in the June-Early July edition of the Progress [Clarke, Stevens question Renaud’s neutrality in Ocean Pines election] sets forth the facts as known to few, but has now been exposed to many, thanks to your honesty and integrity in reporting. For all too long, a small group has been controlling Ocean Pines Board of Directors, focusing on their interests and not those of the Ocean Pines Community. Our community is diverse in economy, and needs.

Our population is weighted toward young families. That fact is substantiated by the fact that better than a third and less than two thirds of school age students are Ocean Pines residents. It is time for a change, away from the focus of a small group, to the causes within the larger scope of residents, who are homeowners living in all neighborhoods. I encourage all voters to know the candidates before they cast their votes, and to encourage all neighbors and friends to cast their votes. We can make a difference. Agnes Lee Ocean Pines

48 Ocean Pines PROGRESS 32 Ocean Pines PROGRESS

July - Early August 2015

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