(Dec. 3, 2015) Director Tom Herrick brought up an “old business” item during a Nov. 19 Ocean Pines Association Board Meeting that sparked a lengthy, and often loud, debate on the golf management situation in Ocean Pines.
Nearly an hour later, the board essentially voted 4-3 to confirm a series of appointments by Board President Pat Renaud, naming himself and two other board members as representatives to golf management company Landscapes Unlimited.
Renaud initially had made the appointments without a vote by the full board.
Speaking during a phone interview last Wednesday, Herrick said that decision set a dubious precedent.
“I don’t feel comfortable in any system where three board members get to vote for themselves to completely replace an advisory body that serve as representatives to the board,” Herrick said. “To me, are these board members now representatives to themselves?”
Herrick said he did support having a board liaison to Landscapes in order to “facilitate the exchange of information back to the board,” but that he objected to the specific appointments for a number of reasons.
He, Dave Stevens and Jack Collins voted against the measure that replaced previous appointments made by Stevens, the immediate past board president.
“Two of these board members that they put on as representatives have little or no experience in golf matters at all, and they replace individuals who worked hard and were well versed in the field of their representation,” Herrick said. “They were, in fact, removed with no just cause at all.
“I personally don’t see how this change is going to better serve the board, or benefit the community in any way,” he continued.
Herrick went onto say he did not believe there would be further board action on the matter, and that he brought the question up simply because there had been debate during previous meetings as to whether the president had the power to unilaterally make appointments.
“I just said, you know, I think this has to come to a head and we have to put it to bed,” he said. “As far as I’m concerned the board voted, it was a legitimate vote and we have to move on from here.”
In a separate interview in the Gazette this week, Renaud suggested the issue was a “setup” devised by two other board members, and that Herrick was merely caught in the crossfire.
Herrick flatly denied those allegations.
“I make the decisions on my own,” he said. “This was something I felt didn’t sit well with me, and I thought that we had to bring it to the entire board to make a decision.
“I act on my own,” Herrick added. “If there’s something I think needs to be addressed, I address it.”
Nearly an hour later, the board essentially voted 4-3 to confirm a series of appointments by Board President Pat Renaud, naming himself and two other board members as representatives to golf management company Landscapes Unlimited.
Renaud initially had made the appointments without a vote by the full board.
Speaking during a phone interview last Wednesday, Herrick said that decision set a dubious precedent.
“I don’t feel comfortable in any system where three board members get to vote for themselves to completely replace an advisory body that serve as representatives to the board,” Herrick said. “To me, are these board members now representatives to themselves?”
Herrick said he did support having a board liaison to Landscapes in order to “facilitate the exchange of information back to the board,” but that he objected to the specific appointments for a number of reasons.
He, Dave Stevens and Jack Collins voted against the measure that replaced previous appointments made by Stevens, the immediate past board president.
“Two of these board members that they put on as representatives have little or no experience in golf matters at all, and they replace individuals who worked hard and were well versed in the field of their representation,” Herrick said. “They were, in fact, removed with no just cause at all.
“I personally don’t see how this change is going to better serve the board, or benefit the community in any way,” he continued.
Herrick went onto say he did not believe there would be further board action on the matter, and that he brought the question up simply because there had been debate during previous meetings as to whether the president had the power to unilaterally make appointments.
“I just said, you know, I think this has to come to a head and we have to put it to bed,” he said. “As far as I’m concerned the board voted, it was a legitimate vote and we have to move on from here.”
In a separate interview in the Gazette this week, Renaud suggested the issue was a “setup” devised by two other board members, and that Herrick was merely caught in the crossfire.
Herrick flatly denied those allegations.
“I make the decisions on my own,” he said. “This was something I felt didn’t sit well with me, and I thought that we had to bring it to the entire board to make a decision.
“I act on my own,” Herrick added. “If there’s something I think needs to be addressed, I address it.”