By Greg Ellison

(May 27, 2021) The Ocean Pines Communication Committee discussed the following topics during its meeting on May 20.

Pines history panel

Reviving discussions about the Ocean Pines Residents Academy, which was released online recently, Marketing Coordinator Julie Malinowski said additional video footage relating to the community’s founding era was shot days earlier with longtime residents Marlene Ott and John Talbot.

Malinowski said the duo provided a wealth of historical perspective.

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

Marketing and Public Relations Director Josh Davis said the raw footage would be edited quickly for inclusion online.

To view the Residents Academy, visit oceanpines.org/ocean-pines-academy.

Following those recent insights, Malinowski tried in vain to locate video footage of a panel discussion held during the Ocean Pines 50th Anniversary celebration in 2018.

In light of the stray footage, Malinowski suggested another panel could be staged.

Committee Chairwoman Cheryl Jacobs said the earlier event was well received in the community,

“We could replicate that panel,” she said.

Malinowski said a list of participants in 2018 did exist with the potential to expand the time length for this version.

“We could have an audience who could ask questions,” she said.

Committee member Jenny Cropper Rines said the panel should include Ocean Pines residents who moved to the neighborhood when it first opened.

Noting the last panel ran two hours in length, Rines proposed replicating that timeframe, while also suggesting featuring Pines memorabilia, which proved popular for attendees in 2018.

“People took the time to look around,” she said.

Jacobs asked if staging the event in person was preferable over a virtual format.

Malinowski said if health restrictions are fully lifted, inviting an audience would be feasible, but either way the panel should be recorded.

“It’s possible to do that as a group event,” she said.

Jacobs said more research would be needed to confirm if the history-focused panel could be produced in-house or outsourced.

Malinowski said the community event could be produced by late summer or early fall.

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

Town hall meetings

The previously discussed town hall meeting for proposed short-term rental regulations in Ocean Pines is again being planned.

“It’s back again,” Jacobs said.

Jacobs said the Board of Directors sent a recent email asking the committee to coordinate and stage the event.

“I need to contact (Recreation and Parks Director) Debbie Donahue about a location,” she said.

Jacobs said board liaison Dr. Colette Horn had indicated the Ocean Pines Yacht Club was the preferred location but other facilities would be acceptable.

Davis raised concerns about sound issues at the suggested site.

“The Yacht Club acoustics are subpar but we could use it,” he said.

Rines pointed out other potential hurdles.

“The wedding/event schedule could determine the availability of the Yacht Club,” she said.

Noting the next regularly scheduled board meeting is June 16, Jacobs suggested Saturday, June 12 as a potential date to provide sufficient time to advertise the town hall meeting.

“They would like to have it as soon as possible,” she said.

Search committee

Jacobs said a request for input regarding the viability of maintaining the Ocean Pines Election Search Committee was recently received.

Jacobs said the inquiry sought to determine if the communications committee envisioned a role for the group to assist with recruiting board candidates.

In earlier discussions, the Ocean Pines Bylaws & Resolutions Committee had debated the possibility of having the communications committee helping to advertise within the community for candidates, or assuming the role of the search committee if it was disbanded.

Rines said the tasks involved are not daunting.

“It’s not a big responsibility,” she said.

Jacobs asked if the plan would involve much more than informing the community that the annual election is pending and candidates are needed.

Rines said holding a candidate-recruiting forum might drum up interest.

“If there was a forum to ask questions, it might encourage people who might be leery or uncertain what roles are involved,” she said.

Davis said adding an information section for board candidates to the online Residents Academy was also proposed

“To talk about what it’s like to actually be on the board, how much time it takes and what the obligation is,” he said.

Both Jacobs and Rines agreed with the proposal for online content.

“Our reply is if search committee goes, or even if stays, we see this as a perfect item on the Residents Academy,” Jacobs said.

Current and former board members could be enlisted, Jacobs said.

“Not everybody puts the same amount of effort,” she said. “It was a fulltime job for me, but that’s just how I do things.”

The next communication committee is scheduled virtually on June 17 at 10 a.m.