By Josh Davis, Associate Editor (June 14, 2018) Former Ocean Pines Association Director and interim general manager – and current board hopeful – Brett Hill last week filed a lawsuit in Worcester County Circuit Court seeking a preliminary injunction because his application as a board candidate was denied last month The suit names the OPA Board… Read more »
News
Tire Center owner says town didn’t honor agreement
By Josh Davis, Associate Editor (June 14, 2018) Wainwright’s Tire Center owner Brooks Davis told the Berlin Town Council Monday that he is ending his written agreement with the town that allows municipal workers on his property and clean up after events. An oral agreement, however, apparently still exists. Davis told the council in January that… Read more »
Ocean Pines drops deficit estimate to $1.2M
By Josh Davis, Associate Editor (June 7, 2018) Ocean Pines’ deficit projection for fiscal year 2018 has been lowered to $1.2 million, based on the April monthly financial report released last week that unofficially ended the fiscal period. Original estimates were as high as $1.6 million. During a budget and finance committee meeting last Thursday, Finance… Read more »
BFC, town officials clash over study
By Josh Davis, Associate Editor (June 7, 2018) Although progress might have been made, hard feelings apparently remain between the Town of Berlin and the Berlin Fire Company officials, judging from the exchanges between representatives of both Tuesday night. At a meeting designed to help the public understand the fire company funding study released by Matrix… Read more »
Williams statement on Bergey
Berlin Mayor Gee Williams on Wednesday emailed a statement addressing Jay Bergey’s comments during a public meeting Tuesday night on the findings of the Matrix Consulting Study. He attached a copy of the most recent audit of the Berlin Fire Company, from June 30, 2017, and included the following: “This most recent audit of BFC… Read more »
Four challengers, five incumbents at forum
By Brian Gilliland, Associate Editor (June 8, 2018) While the Worcester County Commissioners govern the entire county, the candidates’ forum last Thursday at the Ocean Pines library had a decidedly Ocean Pines feel to it, as the county’s largest population center took center stage from the seven incumbents and hopefuls in attendance. Almost all of the… Read more »
Berlin briefs
By Josh Davis, Associate Editor (June 7, 2018) The Berlin mayor and council discussed the following items during a public meeting at Town Hall last Tuesday: Special events The council unanimously approved a new event, the Trinity Church Walk for Health on July 28 from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Stephen Decatur Park, and the… Read more »
Pines schedules reserve study mtg on Friday, June 22
By Josh Davis, Associate Editor (June 7, 2018) “This will be an open meeting for everybody’s brother – and we’ll publicize the heck out of it,” Ocean Pines Association General Manager John Bailey said last Thursday, as he described a newly scheduled session about the long-dormant reserve study. The association in 2015 approved a $31,800 contract… Read more »
Ocean Pines candidate draw will determine ballot order
By Josh Davis, Associate Editor (June 7, 2018) Ocean Pines voters can get their first look at candidates for the 2018 board of directors’ election during the annual candidate draw on Friday. Nine eligible candidates were announced in a May 16 Ocean Pines press release: Frank Daly, Esther Diller, Paula Gray, Arie Klapholz, Mark Mitchell, Ted… Read more »
Outsourcing talk takes over Pines software meeting
By Josh Davis, Associate Editor (June 7, 2018) An Ocean Pines meeting Tuesday took about an hour to get to the point that new software systems probably would not save money, but could vastly improve management processes and boost productivity. Before that point could be made, however, the meeting, hosted by the budget and finance committee,… Read more »