Who can vote, who can run for the board of directors and who shall be considered the property owner of record are the headline topics of one of the more important Ocean Pines Association town halls to be held in some time.

On Saturday, beginning at 9 a.m., this public hearing will cover more than 30 changes to the bylaws proposed by the Bylaws Committee and board of directors.

Obviously, the impetus for some of these amendments was last summer’s board of directors election brouhaha, which ended with the association on the wrong side of a circuit court judge’s ruling.

Just as obvious, however, is that something needed to be done about how property ownership — and the right to participate in association affairs — is defined.

Whether the changes proposed for that section of the bylaws will past muster with most association members will be determined via a referendum on this and the dozens of other possible changes later this year.

That assumes, however, that these suggested amendments emerge intact from this town hall and the discussions that will follow.

Considering that the last time the bylaws were revised was 2008, the results of this referendum will affect association governance for the next decade or so. That makes Saturday’s town hall doubly important.

The hearing will be held in the Clubhouse Banquet Room of the Ocean Pines Golf Club on 100 Clubhouse Drive. People who are unable to be physically present can participate via the Microsoft Teams meeting platform by checking in at https://bit.ly/OPApublichearing.

Association members who wish to do their homework before the hearing can review the referendum questions online at https://bit.ly/OPAmotions. They will also find there information on how to participate.

The opportunity to know more, ask questions and to comment is there. Association members should take advantage of that before they are called on to vote.