Association members will be brought up to speed on 30-some possible changes

By Greg Ellison

(March 10, 2022)  A host of proposed bylaw changes that are subject to a referendum by Ocean Pines Association voters will be reviewed during a hybrid town hall meeting at the Golf Clubhouse on Saturday at 9 a.m.

Over the past year the board of directors have spearheaded a comprehensive bylaws language review, which was last revised in 2008.

The public hearing scheduled this weekend follows a special board meeting on Feb. 7 where more than 30 changes were considered and approved to include on the referendum ballot.

Among the list of language revisions are a number of suggestions by Director Frank Daly regarding board candidate requirements and verification processes.

Daly had recommended prohibiting anyone with a felony conviction within 10 years of the filing date from running for director, while also proposing to ban their spouses from running as well.

Further, Daly proposed that if a director or the director’s spouse committed a felony, that would be grounds for the director’s removal from the board.

Lastly, Daly recommended instituting a three-year residency requirement for board candidates, including an exemption for serving one year on an advisory committee.

Based on negative responses to his suggestions during the Feb. 7 meeting, Daly withdrew the spouse felony inclusion, while also agreeing to amend the 10-year span for prohibiting board candidates with felony convictions to five years after restitution and probation are completed.

Daly also withdrew the three-year residency requirement for board candidates.

Other motions from Daly include amending the definition of owner of record in section 1.11 as “person(s) listed on the deed … in Land Records of Worcester County.”

Daly’s proposal for section 1.11 also states that in instances of property listed under a trust the owner of record is a trustee(s) or co-trustees.

Lastly, the proposed owner of record description specifies if a corporation, LLC or partnership is listed as owner on a property deed, owner of record would be, “an officer of the corporation, a living person who is a member of the … [LLC] … or a living person who is a partner in the partnership…”

Other bylaw sections up for changes are 4.08D outlining vote percentages required to approve referendum issues. The proposed updates would require a minimum of total votes cast for or against equal to 40 percent of total votes eligible to be cast.

Also revisions to section 4.07C for resident petition requirements are under consideration. The change would require petitioners to obtain signatures at least equal to a minimum of 10 percent of eligible voters, as well as requiring 15 percent of eligible voters to hold a special meeting.

The OPA is scheduled to mail homeowners referendum ballots including more than 30 bylaw changes by March 25 with a voting deadline of April 29.

To review the entire list of motions for proposed bylaw changes slated for forthcoming referendum questions visit https://bit.ly/OPAmotions.

Existing bylaws can be found by visiting https://bit.ly/OPAbylaws.

To join the meeting virtually visit https://bit.ly/OPApublichearing.