(March 2, 2017) The Ocean Pines Association Board of Directors discussed the following items during a public meeting in the community center on Saturday.
Resolution postponed
Director Slobodan Trendic, at the start of the session, asked to postpone a first reading of an amendment to Resolution M-06. The resolution would have dealt with Ocean Pines elections procedures.
Trendic said the motion was withdrawn on the advice of legal counsel.
According to the text of the proposed motion, the revisions would have sought to improve the transparency of elections, clarify procedural instructions to the candidates and provide election results as soon as the ballots are counted.
Pest procurement
The board of directors unanimously approved $19,000 for mosquito spray. The Maryland Department of Agriculture will perform that task through its Mosquito Control Program.
CPI violations
Four delinquent compliance, permit and inspection violations (CPI) were sent to the association’s attorney for action.
Three of those, for 59 Moonshell Drive, 3 Beach Court and 745 Ocean Parkway, were by unanimous vote. A vote on one property, 1 Beaconhill Road, passed 6-0 with Trendic abstaining.
Committee support
Director Cheryl Jacobs was officially appointed liaison to the 50th Anniversary Committee, which is planning a series of events to celebrate that occasion, next year.
In addition, the board voted unanimously to “publicly state and memorialize that the Ocean Pines Board of Directors hereby provides their full support to and endorsement of” the committee.
A similar motion was introduced during a meeting last month, but that vote was postponed and the language was reworded.
Late assessments
Because of a 6-1 vote, with only Trendic voting “no,” interest rates for late assessments will increase from 6 to 20 percent.
Trendic called the increased rate unusually high and said rates at homeowner’s associations in Columbia and Montgomery Village – the two largest in the state – were 6 percent.
Credit card payments
Homeowners in Ocean Pines can now pay their annual assessments by credit card. However, if they do so they will pay a convenience fee, not to exceed 4 percent.
Interim General Manager Brett Hill said the change was done primarily for housekeeping purposes, as homeowners had already been able to charge amenity memberships.
The vote was 6-0, with Trendic abstaining.
Purchase to be explored
A late addition to the agenda, Hill brought up three potential property purchases “publically for transparency” that he said he was recently made aware of.
Hill said one property was on the north side of Ocean City and two were in Ocean Pines. He mentioned public works and storage as potential uses.
Director Doug Parks said he saw no harm in getting more information, while Trendic said Ocean Pines needed a comprehensive plan before it explored expanding its boarders.
Board President Tom Herrick said he was “100 percent for getting [more] information,” and several other directors agreed.
Appointments
Five committee appointments were approved by a unanimous vote. They were Jerome “Tres” Denk (recreation and parks, third term), Marie Gilmore (recreation and parks, third term), Skip Schlesinger (recreation and parks, second term), Jay Spata (environment and natural assets, second term) and Steve Cohen (comprehensive plan, third term).
Resolution postponed
Director Slobodan Trendic, at the start of the session, asked to postpone a first reading of an amendment to Resolution M-06. The resolution would have dealt with Ocean Pines elections procedures.
Trendic said the motion was withdrawn on the advice of legal counsel.
According to the text of the proposed motion, the revisions would have sought to improve the transparency of elections, clarify procedural instructions to the candidates and provide election results as soon as the ballots are counted.
Pest procurement
The board of directors unanimously approved $19,000 for mosquito spray. The Maryland Department of Agriculture will perform that task through its Mosquito Control Program.
CPI violations
Four delinquent compliance, permit and inspection violations (CPI) were sent to the association’s attorney for action.
Three of those, for 59 Moonshell Drive, 3 Beach Court and 745 Ocean Parkway, were by unanimous vote. A vote on one property, 1 Beaconhill Road, passed 6-0 with Trendic abstaining.
Committee support
Director Cheryl Jacobs was officially appointed liaison to the 50th Anniversary Committee, which is planning a series of events to celebrate that occasion, next year.
In addition, the board voted unanimously to “publicly state and memorialize that the Ocean Pines Board of Directors hereby provides their full support to and endorsement of” the committee.
A similar motion was introduced during a meeting last month, but that vote was postponed and the language was reworded.
Late assessments
Because of a 6-1 vote, with only Trendic voting “no,” interest rates for late assessments will increase from 6 to 20 percent.
Trendic called the increased rate unusually high and said rates at homeowner’s associations in Columbia and Montgomery Village – the two largest in the state – were 6 percent.
Credit card payments
Homeowners in Ocean Pines can now pay their annual assessments by credit card. However, if they do so they will pay a convenience fee, not to exceed 4 percent.
Interim General Manager Brett Hill said the change was done primarily for housekeeping purposes, as homeowners had already been able to charge amenity memberships.
The vote was 6-0, with Trendic abstaining.
Purchase to be explored
A late addition to the agenda, Hill brought up three potential property purchases “publically for transparency” that he said he was recently made aware of.
Hill said one property was on the north side of Ocean City and two were in Ocean Pines. He mentioned public works and storage as potential uses.
Director Doug Parks said he saw no harm in getting more information, while Trendic said Ocean Pines needed a comprehensive plan before it explored expanding its boarders.
Board President Tom Herrick said he was “100 percent for getting [more] information,” and several other directors agreed.
Appointments
Five committee appointments were approved by a unanimous vote. They were Jerome “Tres” Denk (recreation and parks, third term), Marie Gilmore (recreation and parks, third term), Skip Schlesinger (recreation and parks, second term), Jay Spata (environment and natural assets, second term) and Steve Cohen (comprehensive plan, third term).