Technology work group will continue efforts, may give findings at public meeting

By Josh Davis, Associate Editor

(April 5, 2018) Although a compromise was suggested, Ocean Pines Director Tom Herrick would not budge and his original motion last Thursday to issue a request for proposals for “back-office financial management and software” was voted down.

Herrick said much of the current accounting software is severely outdated and cited “recent discussions … with improper finance controls and management” as motivation for the proposal.

“What we’ve experienced in last 15 months … [includes] numerous criminal investigations. We’ve had six turnovers in that accounting department in the last year alone,” Herrick said. “The fact that we cost the association memberships tens of thousands of dollars to do a deep-dive [audit] to try to see what concerns we have and to expose them … I’m not sure these procedures are being followed.”

He said not seriously looking into new systems would be “a disservice to the association.”

“It just seems like board after board after board kicks the can down the road and we don’t take action to get something done,” Herrick said. “This is costing the association hundreds of thousands of dollars … I think it’s obvious we need some help in this department and we need it quickly.”

Five of the seven board members, Association President Doug Parks and directors Ted Moroney, Pat Supik, Slobodan Trendic and Colette Horn, said they would support a request for information, considered less binding, instead of a request for proposals.

“A request for proposals means you’re out bidding the work,” Moroney said.

Supik said she supported the request for information approach and recently discussed the matter with the association budget and finance committee.

“The committee unanimously voted that this was not a good idea to do an RFP for this kind of service at this time,” she said. “I can’t even imagine how we would we get the RFP [written and released] with everything else that’s going on. I think all this is going to do … is slow any progress that we are making in the area of the finance department. I don’t even know if we know what to ask for.”

Association Vice President Cheryl Jacobs did not specifically mention the request for information approach, but said progress is being made and indicated she would also not support the motion.

“One of the problems that we consistently had in Ocean Pines is that we are backward in the way we do things … particularly when it came to how finances were handled,” she said. “Our reporting has always been done manually and we are trying now to move into the 21st century.”

Jacobs said a technology work group is in the process of vetting new software and recommending practices that are more automated, “so that we could save time and money.” She said the work group would soon make a public presentation on options for new accounting software.

“Unfortunately, we still have human beings who can put their little mitts on things and create havoc, and that’s kind of where we got ourselves most recently,” she said. “We can’t always rule out the human factor in creating havoc for us.

“I would ask that we let the technology work group complete their work … then we’ll have a better idea of what it is that they have looked at,” Jacobs continued. “Then we can see if we need to do anything more than that.”

She added, “We now have an experienced GM and a very qualified director of finance. And I would hope that those things can give us a better feeling of comfort for where we’re going.”

Parks asked if Herrick would allow a “friendly amendment” to his motion, to issue a request for information instead.

“My feelings are strong,” Herrick said. “I think an RFI is just saying, ‘oh yeah, let’s make it seem like we’re going to do something’ … I will push for the motion the way it stands, because I think that’s important for the association.”

The motion was defeated, 6-1, with only Herrick voting in favor.