By Greg Ellison

(Dec. 23, 2021) Following a request from the Ocean Pines Board of Directors, the Bylaws and Resolution Committee began discussions last week about reconfiguring the candidate Search Committee.

Director Colette Horn initiated the discussion of possible changes to the Search Committee, which is tasked with soliciting election candidates, during the board meeting on Dec. 11.

After the future of the Search Committee was raised by the recently formed Bylaws work group, the matter was sent to the full Bylaws Committee for recommendations.

Committee Chair Jim Trummel provided background on the issue during the recent board meeting.

“The real topic is the future of Search Committee and direction it goes,” he said.

Trummel said the Search Committee was established in the Bylaws in 2008 by member approval.

“Our committee didn’t think it was our place to do any major changes or abolish the Search Committee without board direction,” he said.

Trummel said Search Committee operations are outlined in Resolution M09.

“There could be revisions to the bylaws that could improve operations and functions of the Search Committee,” he said.

Horn said the board has requested input on the matter.

“We’re asking your committee to offer us language to change that resolution,” she said.

Trummel revisited the topic during the Bylaws Committee meeting last Friday.

“We’re going to continue on with a Search Committee,” he said

Based on the board discussion, an earlier proposal to abandon the Search Committee for an alternative means to recruit candidates was dropped, Trummel said.

Instead, changes to the committee structure were considered.

“The primary consideration for us is to go to a standing committee,” he said.

Under current bylaws provisions, the Search Committee is appointed annually on Feb. 1.

Trummel said the Elections Committee guidelines for term lengths could be mirrored to apply to the Search Committee.

Other changes under review include the timeline for the Search Committee to process and forward candidate applications to the association secretary.

“The gathering of information by the Search Committee should be considered,” he said.

Resolution M09 requires the Search Committee to submit an annual report by June 30.

Trummel said the most recent Search Committee report recommended deleting the bylaws provision requiring two more candidates than open positions.

“Maybe it should be deleted as an objective of the Search Committee, but I don’t know that it should be deleted from the bylaws as a board action item,” he said.

Committee member Stephen Jacobs questioned the wisdom of retaining the group.

“The Search Committee itself recommended it should cease to exist,” he said.

Horn, who serves as Bylaws Committee board liaison, said the board concluded the main problem is the annual appointment of members.

“Our thought is if it’s a standing committee, we could give them broader authority,” she said.

Horn said the range of duties could be expanded beyond the receipt of candidate applications.

“Give them functions which they’ve done in the past,” she said.

Horn highlighted outreach to prospective candidates and educational functions as prime examples.

“The idea is to expand the actions that the Search Committee engages in in service of soliciting volunteers for service on the board,” she said.

Horn noted over 500 people expressed an interest in greater options for volunteering in the recent property owners’ survey.

“Clearly there are people that maybe are not informed of the various volunteer opportunities that are available,” she said.

Jacobs suggested another approach.

“The Communications Committee is willing to take on almost everything you just described,” he said.

Horn said Communications Committee members have indicated a willingness to assist with election processes, but only to a point.

“They don’t feel they can replace the Search Committee,” she said. “They would work with them but they don’t want to take that on.”

Trummel said since being established in 2008, the committee has lacked consistency.

“There’s been too much of a helter skelter, almost afterthought, approach to putting the committee in place,” he said.

Trummel said there have been years when the committee functioned in an orderly manner and issued reports detailing actions to find candidates.

“There were instances where the committee really put forth the effort,” he said. “A major impediment has been the random approach to getting the committee in place.”

Bylaws members agreed to review related provisions to establish a standing Search Committee and revisit the topic during its next meeting on Jan. 7.