OP has a problem, but don’t worry about it

After acknowledging that it has a problem, the Ocean Pines Board of Directors this week went on to lose whatever marbles it has left by committing publicly to work privately on a concern it won’t reveal, and thinking that’s just fine.

One must assume that the board’s decision to plow on through this unidentified trouble is for the good of … well, that would be hard to ascertain, since it’s a secret.

All that’s known on the record is that whatever ails the board is serious enough to produce a call for the removal of the board president, followed by a special meeting that led to the withdrawal of that motion.

And it’s all because of … well, that too would be hard to ascertain, since no one’s talking, possibly on the advice of counsel.

Ocean Pines voters, however, are being assured that the directors will work on their mystery illness with courage and honesty, because, well, because they said so, not that it’s anyone’s business.

This “trust us and leave us alone while we sort out our issues” wouldn’t be so condescending if the trouble was a matter of personality clashes among the directors. But everyone who’s been paying attention knows it’s much more than that just by virtue of the public declaration of the situation’s existence.

And that begs the question: why should the public give the board anything, much less the time and space to do its work, as if it is somehow unrelated to the association’s interests?

Besides, many Ocean Pines residents already know that the board’s current disagreement stems from allegations of unfair treatment of former top-level staffer Colby Phillips by the board leadership, and that these accusations were deemed sufficiently serious by two directors that they called for the ouster of association President Larry Perrone, but then rescinded their motions Monday.

But never mind all that, the board is saying. Leave us alone and we’ll get it all sorted out. And when we do, you’ll never know that either.