By Greg Ellison

(April 22, 2021) Along with updating the now live online Residents Academy last week, the Ocean Pines Communications Committee discussed how to gauge community member concerns shared on social media.

Reviving a topic from the group’s March 25 meeting, Committee member Josette Wheatley raised concerns about commentary observed on the recently formed “Ocean Pines — Get Involved” Facebook community group.

“Should we be a voice for these people?” she said.

Wheatley noted during the prior month’s discussion board liaison Dr. Colette Horn explained the group was an advisory committee to the board.

Still, Wheatley asked if the committee should attempt to ascertain issues of contention aired online.

“We don’t want to see negativity in our community,” she said. “We’re supposed to be also helping out the residents.”

Committee member Jenny Cropper Rines reiterated her contention from the last meeting that direction should not be derived from the Facebook group.

“We should be observant and be able to identify what hot buttons may exist,” she said. “We do have an opportunity here to advise the board as to what we may see as challenges.”

Wheatley said she has one notion when learning neighbors have expressed areas of concern.

“My automatic thought is I’m going to figure out how to extinguish that,” she said.

Rines said in some instances social media is used improperly.

“A perfect example of this happened yesterday when the short-term rental town hall got cancelled,” she said. “I watched the whole thing play out because it was on Facebook before the entire board knew about it.”

Wheatley acknowledged the Get Involved Facebook group, which currently has more than 620 members, has developed quickly.

‘They have a voice and they’re not happy with some things,” she said.

Looking to clarify her stance from last month, Horn said the Facebook group is one of numerous sources to gauge community interests.

Committee Chairwoman Cheryl Jacobs said the board liaison is charged with communicating their meeting discussion points.

“We are a mechanism to collecting that information out there and passing it along,” she said. “That fits right in with what it says in our resolution [that] we may give specific guidelines or suggestions.”

Jacobs said the matter would be revived at the group’s May meeting.

Switching to old business, Marketing Coordinator Julie Malinowski said the Ocean Pines Residents Academy has gone live online at oceanpines.org/ocean-pines-academy.

The online informational offering is broken down into categories, Malinowski said.

“We have input for all the different departments and amenities,” she said. “Hats off to everyone who consented to being video recorded.”

The residents academy webpage includes video segments, quick facts and important links.

Malinowski said the site also includes the potential to develop a FAQ section.

“If there’s something we didn’t cover, people can reach out and let us know if there’s something else we need to add,” she said.

Jacobs asked if there were early indications the offering was being well received.

Marketing and Public Relations Director Josh Davis said the assorted video clips have been viewed anywhere from a few times to a couple dozen.

“Most of them have around 20 views so far,” he said.

Jacobs said further video content delving into the history and founding of Ocean Pines is under consideration for the academy.

Committee member Marlene Ott, a resident of Ocean Pines since the community was established, would be enlisted to provide commentary on early area history.

Wheatley noted the wealth of history that’s occurred over the last five decades in the Pines.

“Folks will come in and give us input that we may not have heard before,” she said.

Rines said archival materials could also be incorporated.

“We have some of the original sales brochures that have … the Cascade models,” she said. “The first section could be talking about the sales center when it was in the parking lot at the Beach Club.”

Jacobs said the committee should develop detailed plans and  revisit the topic at its meeting next month.

Jacobs also welcomed returning member Elaine Brady (Gazette publisher) and newest member Ott, while noting other recent interest has been communicated.

“Two other people have inquired,” she said. “Maybe we’ll have more members … the more the merrier.”