The Ocean Pines Yacht Club was demolished this week as work
on the new building got into full gear, and with that has come an uproar from
some on changing work orders and materials. It’s not to be unexpected, as
change orders occur in projects of any size, especially one of this nature. 

What is concerning, however, is that unlike the community
center, which in the view of most went smoothly through the construction
process, that yacht club project has no advisory committee
to help review and make decisions.

Recently, Ted Moroney, a key member the advisory committee for
the building resigned, stating that he felt decisions are being made unilaterally
by OPA general manager Bob Thompson and the committee in effect is serving no true
purpose.

It has been a contentious year in OPA land, with members of
the board and community split between full support of the general manager and
some who look for any opportunity to call a foul. For former business owners
who are used to making decisions without the consult of others, having to work
through a committee process can be hard to adjust to.  However, Thompson would be well served to fully utilize this
process as it allows those who may have more experience and knowledge to help
make decisions along the way, saving time and dollars.

More importantly it allows
the community, those who are footing the bill, to feel they have a voice and
that decisions are being made from more than one viewpoint. Thompson would be
wise to take the target off his back by making use of the expertise that the
committee can provide.