Former OPA Board member supports current vendor while process playing out

 By Tara Fischer 

Staff Writer 

(Oct. 3, 2024) Ocean Pines Association Budget and Finance Committee Chair Doug Parks wants Matt Ortt Companies to continue as the community’s food and beverage contractor. 

The Matt Ortt Companies is the community’s current food and beverage vendor for its three food service locations: the Ocean Pines Yacht Club, the Ocean Pines Beach Club, and Clubhouse Bar and Grille. 

The operator signed a two-year deal with OPA to manage the community’s food and beverage service locations in March 2018, which was extended by five years in 2020. As the arrangement is set to expire next year, officials have opted to seek proposals from additional firms.

Rick Farr, the OPA Board of Directors vice president, said the decision to explore the marketplace was made per advice from the homeowner association’s legal counsel, Bruce Bright of Ayres, Jenkins, Gordy, and Almand, and the community’s governing documents that decree “all purchases and contracts for service for the Association shall…be made by open competitive procedures.” 

The Ortt group is welcome to apply and be considered once again. 

At a Sept. 25 OPA Budget and Finance Committee meeting, where Parks made favorable remarks about the food provider, the group discussed the Yacht Club’s financial performance. 

According to net operating numbers, the facility is down $90,000 from this time last year. However, the amenity is still plus $284,000 on the balance sheet.

“The Yacht Club is making money,” Parks said. “They are on target as far as revenue projections. Compared to last year, they are a little down, but that happens in any business, so it is not cause for concern in my perspective.”

Some committee members worried about the site’s lack of weddings and banquets. For the month of August, no events were held at the Yacht Club.

Parks said that he had a conversation with Ortt around nine months ago, during which the food and beverage operator mentioned that August weddings seem to be dwindling in favor of late spring or early fall.  

“I know he is watching that; that is a good source of revenue for him, so I know he is spot on with his analysis,” the chairperson said. “As far as finding the root cause, I am sure he is working on it.”

Board treasurer and committee liaison Monica Rakowski echoed Parks’ comments.  

“I have a sibling in the catering business, and they are saying the same thing across the bridge, that August weddings are down,” she said. “Whether it be the heat, travel season, vacations, I don’t know. It is not just here but also going on across the bridge.” 

Still, committee members noted that an event deposit sent from Ortt in July reveals that only six events are scheduled for the entirety of next year, beginning in April. 

Parks alluded that the RFP (request for proposal) for a food and beverage vendor may yield low banquet numbers. The proposal invitation was not made public until Sept. 13. 

“I suspect that…, if an RFP is out on the street, there is a chance that even as an incumbent, there’s a question there,” the budget committee chair said. “Personally, I will go on record saying I want to see the Matt Ortt Companies stay on as our food and beverage operations provider.” 

Parks served on the OPA Board of Directors for seven years, stepping down in July 2023, and was elected president four times. The agreement with Matt Ortt Companies was made during his time on the group.

Later, Parks maintained that his statements were just opinions and that the board is responsible for any decision regarding a food and beverage management team.