By Greg Ellison

(Sept. 23, 2021) The Ocean Pines Bylaws and Resolutions Committee last Friday updated information compiled for an associated work group and prepped for its annual report to the board of directors.

Committee Chairman Jim Trummel said status and summary reports are nearly complete and ready to be forwarded to the bylaws review work group.

“The work group met yesterday,” he said.

In addition to Trummel, work group associates include Communications Committee member Jenny Cropper Rines and Directors Doug Parks and Camilla Rogers.

“I told them the committee had effectively finished our review,” he said.

Prior to receiving feedback from the work group, the Bylaws Committee has virtually zero tasks left, Trummel said.

After mulling the matter, work group members opted to wait for the bylaws committee to submit its report package.

Trummel said the workgroup would begin to study contents of the status and summary reports once submitted.

“Probably about two weeks after we send, it they will review,” he said.

Committee member Lora Pangratz asked if the workgroup agreed that the committee reports should be submitted together.

“Is it easier for the workgroup to get all our information at once?” she asked.

Trummel said the consensus of the workgroup was after all data is received discussions could commence regarding next steps toward the end goal of issuing recommendations for bylaw language revisions for Board consideration.

Committee member Bob Hillegass supported submitting a combined report package to the bylaws work group.

“To the best of our knowledge, we didn’t miss anything,” he said.

Trummel said additional guidance from the bylaws work group would be required on several items.

“We’ve covered everything that was sent to us,” he said.

Turning to new business, committee members discussed an annual report due by Oct. 31.

Bylaws section C01 mandates advisory committees submit annual activity reports by the end of October.

“We want to discuss what could or should go into our report,” he said.

Trummel said after cancelling bylaws meetings following the onset of the coronavirus pandemic in Spring 2020 the group began virtual gatherings this February.

“Our primary activity has been working on the bylaws,” he said.

Besides working with the bylaws review work group the committee has also drafted language amendments for resolution C04 and worked on reviewing governing documents.

“That’s basically our activities this year,” he said.

The committee’s annual report also includes requests for items in the next association fiscal year budget that commences on May 1.

Trummel suggested the cost for staging a referendum vote should be among budget considerations for the next, or potentially current, fiscal budget.

“Any amendment of the bylaws will require a referendum,” he said.

Even though the language revisions being developed by the bylaws work group probably will not be presented to the community for consideration before May 1, other issues could boil to the surface sooner.

For example, Trummel noted the current litigation concerning the board election and disqualification of candidate Rick Farr.

“I think we need to identify potential costs resulting from efforts that we are deeply involved in,” he said.

Trummel recommended alerting the board about the referendum costs and attorney review fees.

Before the group’s next gathering in October, Trummel proposed compiling committee members’ input on the annual report

“By Oct. 15 we will have something ready to be adopted and sent to the board of directors,” he said.