OCEAN PINES– Just minutes after supporting one workgroup on long-term capital improvements, the Ocean Pines Association Board of Directors defeated a similar motion establishing a committee to assess the much-maligned Yacht Club.
Board President Dave Stevens and Vice President Marty Clarke supported the measure presented at Saturday’s meeting while the rest of the board struck it down.
Stevens said the board had an obligation to use the lessons learned during the first six months of the Yacht Club’s existence to “determine how we can best move forward into the future,” examining aspects ranging from layout and décor to security and maintenance.
Director Bill Cordwell, however, argued that the existing Food and Beverage Committee, on which he is the board’s liaison, already serves the same purpose as the proposed workgroup.
“I knew nothing about (the proposed committee), which I was embarrassed at, until I got the board packet for this meeting (and) find out you’re putting together this ‘lessons learned’ group,” he said. “I hope we would take the time to apologize to this club committee group for wasting their time. We spent an hour and a half the other day and we went over each and every one of these topics.
“These people are very committed and they’re very engaged,” Collins continued. “I don’t know why we need another committee. I just don’t get it.”
Committee member Audrey Wahl said the existing group could serve the board’s needs in assessing the Yacht Club just fine – if they only had a little more access.
“We do interact with (Yacht Club Manager) Dave McLaughlin and Chef Tim Ulrich and Nadine, who is the bar manager,” she said. “We would like to probably talk with the Finance Committee so we can find out about getting things done – how to budget certain items that we feel would be helpful to the success of the Yacht Club.”
Wahl hoped the club would add a few amenities such as big screen TVs and Sunday ticket packages for football fans, and suggested her committee could work with the Finance Committee.
“We all are really dependent on each other in a way, I think,” she said. “As we got into the discussion (on Saturday), I came to the conclusion that the club’s advisory committees could be utilized for the same results. The committees, I think, should actually be helpful to the board and not be ignored when they make suggestions. I do believe the advisory committees are the eyes and ears of the community, because many times people feel free to make comments to members of the committees that they might not make to the people in charge.”
Clarke, who watched the meeting unfold on a video monitor and voted by phone, said he did not understand why anyone would be opposed to having “more information versus less.”
“I have questions,” he said. “We have a great clubs advisory committee, but nobody on that committee knows how much the Yacht Club cost to construct – nobody. I might add nobody on the Board of Directors does either. Can you imagine moving into a new house that a builder built for you, and five months after you moved in, you still didn’t know how much it cost? I’d like to know the answer to that.”
Members of the community – and a few board members – were upset when groups like the Ocean Pines Chamber of Commerce booked major functions in Ocean City, effectively snubbing the Yacht Club.
“Ocean Pines Chamber has been having their banquet at the Yacht Club every year going back to 1986,” Clarke said. “It didn’t happen this year.”
Wahl said her committee advised the Yacht Club to offer special menus for Ocean Pines groups at reduced prices.
“I think that the contracts that existed at the time they explored the Yacht Club for their event were not actually specific for groups and clubs that were in the Pines,” she said. “There were contracts for weddings, but that’s a different kind of consumer and those contracts had been made up before new management took over. As things went along and contracts were reviewed, the Yacht Club Management realized they were inappropriate, perhaps, for community clubs. They’re working on it, and that’s what we found out at the meeting when we discussed these things.
“We felt that (lowering prices) was an important step that had to be taken,” Wahl continued. “The main problem I think was that there seemed to be extra costs on top of the food costs in the original contracts. I would hope that the success of the catering can benefit the community groups that are, of course, supporting the Yacht Club through their assessments. Part of the problem is that people have already put a lot of money into the club, and they feel they should benefit because they believe it to be their club.”
Clarke said he was “astounded” by the workgroup’s veto, although he insisted the board would find a way to assess the Yacht Club.
“We’re going to find out what’s going on,” he said. “I’m like a bulldog on a rag – I’m going to find out.
“We’ll do it as fast as we can do it,” Clarke continued. “I’ve got a full-time career right now, but the fact of the matter is that these are not hard questions. How much did it cost? I was in construction business for 40-plus years. I can tell you how much the last house I built five years ago cost, and I can tell you how much it cost on a given day under construction. Is that because I’m smarter than anybody else? No – you would be out of business if you didn’t know the answer to those questions.”
Wahl maintained that the Yacht Club was a “big part” of the diverse community of Ocean Pines.
“I think there’s over 2,000 school children living in the community, along with families and young people, as well as an older population,” she said. “It makes the community dynamic – people don’t just come here for aging in place, they come here to participate and stay involved with all kinds of activities that exist in the community. That is key to aging well. Think of all the different card clubs and people playing games at the pool and racquet sports.
“There’s every kind of activity for children and adults as well if they care to become involved, and the Yacht Club is a big part of that as well. I think those kinds of things and the involvement that people have in all the activities that are available to them keep this community a vibrant community.”
Board President Dave Stevens and Vice President Marty Clarke supported the measure presented at Saturday’s meeting while the rest of the board struck it down.
Stevens said the board had an obligation to use the lessons learned during the first six months of the Yacht Club’s existence to “determine how we can best move forward into the future,” examining aspects ranging from layout and décor to security and maintenance.
Director Bill Cordwell, however, argued that the existing Food and Beverage Committee, on which he is the board’s liaison, already serves the same purpose as the proposed workgroup.
“I knew nothing about (the proposed committee), which I was embarrassed at, until I got the board packet for this meeting (and) find out you’re putting together this ‘lessons learned’ group,” he said. “I hope we would take the time to apologize to this club committee group for wasting their time. We spent an hour and a half the other day and we went over each and every one of these topics.
“These people are very committed and they’re very engaged,” Collins continued. “I don’t know why we need another committee. I just don’t get it.”
Committee member Audrey Wahl said the existing group could serve the board’s needs in assessing the Yacht Club just fine – if they only had a little more access.
“We do interact with (Yacht Club Manager) Dave McLaughlin and Chef Tim Ulrich and Nadine, who is the bar manager,” she said. “We would like to probably talk with the Finance Committee so we can find out about getting things done – how to budget certain items that we feel would be helpful to the success of the Yacht Club.”
Wahl hoped the club would add a few amenities such as big screen TVs and Sunday ticket packages for football fans, and suggested her committee could work with the Finance Committee.
“We all are really dependent on each other in a way, I think,” she said. “As we got into the discussion (on Saturday), I came to the conclusion that the club’s advisory committees could be utilized for the same results. The committees, I think, should actually be helpful to the board and not be ignored when they make suggestions. I do believe the advisory committees are the eyes and ears of the community, because many times people feel free to make comments to members of the committees that they might not make to the people in charge.”
Clarke, who watched the meeting unfold on a video monitor and voted by phone, said he did not understand why anyone would be opposed to having “more information versus less.”
“I have questions,” he said. “We have a great clubs advisory committee, but nobody on that committee knows how much the Yacht Club cost to construct – nobody. I might add nobody on the Board of Directors does either. Can you imagine moving into a new house that a builder built for you, and five months after you moved in, you still didn’t know how much it cost? I’d like to know the answer to that.”
Members of the community – and a few board members – were upset when groups like the Ocean Pines Chamber of Commerce booked major functions in Ocean City, effectively snubbing the Yacht Club.
“Ocean Pines Chamber has been having their banquet at the Yacht Club every year going back to 1986,” Clarke said. “It didn’t happen this year.”
Wahl said her committee advised the Yacht Club to offer special menus for Ocean Pines groups at reduced prices.
“I think that the contracts that existed at the time they explored the Yacht Club for their event were not actually specific for groups and clubs that were in the Pines,” she said. “There were contracts for weddings, but that’s a different kind of consumer and those contracts had been made up before new management took over. As things went along and contracts were reviewed, the Yacht Club Management realized they were inappropriate, perhaps, for community clubs. They’re working on it, and that’s what we found out at the meeting when we discussed these things.
“We felt that (lowering prices) was an important step that had to be taken,” Wahl continued. “The main problem I think was that there seemed to be extra costs on top of the food costs in the original contracts. I would hope that the success of the catering can benefit the community groups that are, of course, supporting the Yacht Club through their assessments. Part of the problem is that people have already put a lot of money into the club, and they feel they should benefit because they believe it to be their club.”
Clarke said he was “astounded” by the workgroup’s veto, although he insisted the board would find a way to assess the Yacht Club.
“We’re going to find out what’s going on,” he said. “I’m like a bulldog on a rag – I’m going to find out.
“We’ll do it as fast as we can do it,” Clarke continued. “I’ve got a full-time career right now, but the fact of the matter is that these are not hard questions. How much did it cost? I was in construction business for 40-plus years. I can tell you how much the last house I built five years ago cost, and I can tell you how much it cost on a given day under construction. Is that because I’m smarter than anybody else? No – you would be out of business if you didn’t know the answer to those questions.”
Wahl maintained that the Yacht Club was a “big part” of the diverse community of Ocean Pines.
“I think there’s over 2,000 school children living in the community, along with families and young people, as well as an older population,” she said. “It makes the community dynamic – people don’t just come here for aging in place, they come here to participate and stay involved with all kinds of activities that exist in the community. That is key to aging well. Think of all the different card clubs and people playing games at the pool and racquet sports.
“There’s every kind of activity for children and adults as well if they care to become involved, and the Yacht Club is a big part of that as well. I think those kinds of things and the involvement that people have in all the activities that are available to them keep this community a vibrant community.”