By Josh Davis, Associate Editor

(Nov. 30, 2017) Four first readings of proposed amendments to the Ocean Pines Association resolutions will be on the agenda during a rare board of directors meeting tonight (Thursday) at 7 p.m. in the Assateague Room of the community center on 235 Ocean Parkway.

Board President Doug Parks said Monday the directors would consider changes to M-06 related to the elections committee, C-07 defining the function of the comprehensive planning committee, B-04 related to agenda development for board meetings, and B-01 governing how resolutions are amended, adopted and stored.

Parks said the change to B-04 is a housekeeping item that will change the wording on agendas from “old business” to “unfinished business” in accordance with Robert’s Rules of Order.

Likely the most controversial of the four proposed amendments is M-06, which would require the announcement of vote totals immediately after they are counted, instead of during the annual meeting on the following day. An effort to do that was defeated during a session of the previous board in April.

“I see everybody’s different perspective,” Parks said. “From a practicality perspective, if you announce the results right after the election, then it allows for the recount process if a recount is requested. Right now, I know of no written method [for a recount].

“If the chance is greater than zero, then we have to account for it,” he added. “I would want to make sure that when the governing documents allow for a recount process that we have it documented, and that it’s understood [and] it can be referenced. That way there’s no questionable behavior.”

On the other hand, Parks said he understood concerns that announcing the results early would stifle turnout during the annual meeting.

“If you think that’s the most important point, then so be it,” he said. “Technically, in order for the annual meeting to be a recognized meeting, you have to have 100 people there – that’s considered a quorum. If not, that doesn’t validate the results of the election.

“The conventional thinking was [last April] let’s just avoid that by all means and not announce the results until the annual meeting so we’re sure that we get the 100 people that we need and it makes process clean,” Parks continued. “I can see both arguments and I don’t have a strong feeling one way or the other.”

No amendments can be accepted during first readings, but can be considered during any subsequent open meeting.

Also on Thursday, Parks said General Manager John Bailey is expected to announce emergency bulkhead repairs had begun on 24 Mallard Drive, West.

Additional agenda topics include the annual report by the clubs committee, to be presented by Vice President Cheryl Jacobs, and a motion by Director Slobodan Trendic to address association deficits.

“I will say that you don’t need a motion to provide guidance,” Parks said of the latter motion.

Additionally, Avery Hall Insurance Vice President Kathy Bennett will give a presentation about association insurance, Parks said.

He did not expect discussion about the Oasis pool, but Parks said he appreciated the efforts of the Oasis Pool Working Group. The ad hoc committee submitted a letter of recommendations to the board last week.

“I applaud them for taking the initiative and vetting the process a little bit more,” he said. “One, it validates the fact that the legal opinion was correct and there was no other recourse. It also showed there was a whole lot of passion there … they took it upon themselves to get a number of different perspectives to see if there was anything else, rather than just throwing their arms up, and I applaud them. I think they did a service to the association by doing that.

“I think we should really move forward with the behavior aspects [of the pool],” he continued. “I think they’re easy to identify and they’re easy to manage when there’s a set of rules of there.”

Parks said the board meeting, the final one scheduled in 2017, was set on a Thursday evening in order to attract “some of the clientele that are permanent residents in Ocean Pines, but have full-time jobs and tend to be available later in the evening.”

Traditionally, regular board meetings are scheduled for Friday and Saturday mornings.

No board meetings were scheduled during December. The board will meet next to discuss the 2018/2019 fiscal-year budget during a series of meetings set for Jan. 8-11.

An executive council meeting of advisory committee chairs was set for Monday, Dec. 4 at 4 p.m. at the Tern Grille.