JOSH DAVIS/BAYSIDE GAZETTE
General Manager John Bailey, flanked by members of the Ocean Pines Board of Directors, addresses a number of issues during a town hall meeting, last Thursday in the community center.

By Josh Davis, Associate Editor

(Nov. 8, 2018)

During the first of a series of town hall meetings triggered by an Ocean Pines Board of Director vote in July, the directors, General Manager John Bailey and staff members fielded a series of questions from homeowners.

Here are some of the highlights:

On golf

Asked why the Ocean Pines Golf Club was not being run by an outside contractor similar to how the yacht club operates, Association President Doug Parks explained that had already been tried – several times.

Parks said Billy Casper Golf ran golf operations for a number of years, but “was not done very well.”

The board next brought in Landscapes Unlimited, another outside management company.

“It ended up pretty much the same way. The operations didn’t improve, the bottom-line financials didn’t improve … and the board decided that it would be in our best interest to remove our relationship with Landscapes Unlimited and bring the operation in house,” Parks said. “That’s where we are today. Golf is starting to point in the right direction. All the problems are not yet solved, but there are certainly opportunities to do that.”

On Mediacom

Asked why there was not a second cable provider in Ocean Pines, Parks said a technology work group approached Verizon and Comcast without much success.

Verizon replied “our business model will not allow to look into this market and make any investment in it,” while Comcast demanded a bulk-services contract, Parks said.

“Bulk services says we will charge every one of the 8,452 homes in Ocean Pines a standard bulk rate for standard cable, whether you use it in not,” Parks said. “I think any reasonable person would say it’s probably not going to be a popular decision to tell everyone in Ocean Pines that they’re going to have to pay just in order to get competition.”

What’s left, Parks said, is Mediacom. He said negotiations of a new agreement are in progress, but advised that the talks probably would not change how services are delivered.

“One of the … takeaways of this new contract is we can hold them more accountable for the service,” he said, adding the new contract would also no longer give Mediacom exclusivity to the right of way.

On the North Gate

Asked about any plans to rehabilitate the North Gate Bridge, Parks asked General Manager John Bailey to check on two situations.

Parks said the Maryland State Highway Administration had discussed plans for a traffic circle. He asked Bailey to look into what happened to those plans and to return with a cost estimate to rehab the bridge.

Based on the current reserve study, the bridge is not scheduled for replacement for another 16 years, according to the homeowner.

On the crabbing pier

Asked for an update on board plans for the sanctuary crab pier, Director Slobodan Trendic said the directors approved funds to demolish the existing structure and issue a bid request to replace it.

Bailey said bids had already been received and would be forwarded to the board. He said a permit to replace the structure was good for one year, but there are other options, including moving it to another location.

Parks and Association Vice President Steve Tuttle said community comment on the subject has been helpful.

On outsourcing and drainage

Bailey said bids to outsource financial management services had been received and reviewed.

“It’s being written up now … and that should be distributed to the board sometime next week, prior to the board meeting on [Nov.] 10.

Bailey added a legal opinion on drainage issues was “in hand” and would be sent to board members soon, and then circulated to the public.

Wrapping up

“What we’ve heard tonight are wish list items and must-dos, and we are backed up against a wall with respect to cost,” Director Colette Horn said. “There are certain things that we’re going to have to pay for.”

She said that included deferred maintenance and the increased costs to repair bulkheads.

“But we also hear from membership that there are wish list items like a fitness center, childcare center [and] field house,” Horn said. “We hear it all, we consider it all, but the bottom line is that we’re looking at how best to use association dollars efficiently to meet the needs of the community, and the first priority is going to be the must-dos. The wish-list items are probably going to be deferred.”