By Greg Ellison

(July 22, 2021) The Ocean Pines Communications Committee discussed its plans to publicize the current board election and next months annual homeowners’ meeting last Thursday, and previewed a tie-in with Worcester County History Week this October.

Marketing and Public Relations Director Josh Davis told committee members an elections webpage has been added to the association’s website.

Davis said the 2021 election page tab is on the homepage under news and is packed with data such as key dates, candidate forum videos and links to media coverage.

Because of subpar audio, Davis said captions were added to the second candidate forum video taped earlier that week, and also noted residents are now on the verge of casting votes.

“Ballots should go out today or tomorrow,” he said.

To highlight the final countdown to turn in ballots by the Aug. 11 deadline, Davis said association e-blasts will be sent to roughly 8,000 subscribers next month, and will include a banner ad highlighting the election closing.

“We’re just going to saturate and hit them everywhere we can,” he said.

On other publicity fronts, Committee Chair Cheryl Jacobs said  election messages were added on the electronic messaging board of a real estate office by the South Gate in Ocean Pines.

The two-line digital scroll included within messaging the tagline, “Your Vote Counts.”

“I was going by kind of fast and didn’t catch it all,” she said.

Committee member Marlene Ott confirmed her office, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices PenFed Realty, and Shamrock Realty on Racetrack Road have provided promotional space on their electronic business signs.

“The other one at Shamrock has more information about the election deadline but it’s very difficult to see,” she said.

Jacobs asked board liaison Dr. Colette Horn if a proposal to print general election signs to promote the contest raised any objections from the board of directors.

Horn said any color schemes selected for election signs should vary from candidate advertisements.

Marketing Coordinator Julie Malinowski offered to coordinate with Ocean Pines Public Works to produce concise messaging with graphics and hues.

Jacobs also revisited a suggestion to include one or two lines about the board election and annual homeowners’ meeting on community marquee signs.

Malinowski said plans include messages on entrance signs at both the North and South gates.

Malinowski said the bulk of remaining marquee signs are under the purview of Ocean Pines Recreation and Parks.

“I can reach out to see if recreation and parks are willing to put it on a couple of marquees,” she said.

Jacobs recommended including a few more kiosks in heavily trafficked areas to promote the election and annual meeting.

“We’re getting a lot of information out about the election for the board and voting but we’ve got to push the annul meeting as well,” she said.

Davis proposed sending out an e-blast during the week before the annual meeting on Aug. 14.

“It’s been three years since we’ve had a quorum,” he said.

Association bylaws require a quorum of at least 100 homeowners in good standing for the annual meeting.

Turning to old business, Malinowski said a date has been proposed to stage an Ocean Pines history panel discussion.

“We have tentatively scheduled a history panel for Oct. 10 [from] 2-4 p.m.,” she said.

The time frame was selected to coincide with Worcester County History Week slated for Oct. 10-16.

“It would be a perfect way to tie in,” she said.

Malinowski said the Pines panel event would also gain additional notice as part of the county’s larger history week marketing campaign.

“It’s extra exposure,” she said.

Malinowski said although presentation details are still being developed for several longtime Pines residents have expressed an interest in participating.

Ott said Alta Weiss, who oversaw publication of the Ocean Pines newsletter for many years, is on board for the October event.

“She is an amazing resource,” she said.

Malinowski said the interactive panel discussion would be taped with a video later posted online at the Ocean Pines Academy website.

“We will have a permanent record of this one,” she said.