(Jan. 26, 2017) Members of the Ocean Pines Association Clubs Committee expressed frustration during a meeting last week, as improvements continued at the yacht club – now being called Mumford’s Landing – seemingly without committee input.
According to Resolution C-05, governing the clubs committee, that body “advises the board of directors and the general manager on the social use of the beach club, yacht club and golf and country club.”
Board Vice President Dave Stevens, the liaison to the committee, assured the members that their suggestions had, in fact, been heard and that many were already being implemented.
The association recently fired yacht club manager Jerry Lewis, temporarily installed events coordinator Brian Townsend in his place, and began a series of renovations that ranged from the cosmetic, including an interior makeover and a new bar, to a wholesale rebranding effort that included the name change.
Committee Chair Les Purcell told the group that he and committee member Gary Miller had just spoken with Townsend. Apparently the discussion focused on some of the specifics of the firings, which also encompassed a large amount of staff following events that transpired on New Year’s Eve.
“There were a lot of things said and a lot of things unsaid,” Purcell said of the meeting. “Brian was very careful. He had to be, I understand … there were apparently a lot of things that happened that were [you could call] shady – things that they couldn’t explain. They were injurious to Ocean Pines residents in one way or another, so people were let go.
“Specifically why the clubs committee wasn’t included in any of those things, we never got a real answer to,” Purcell added.
Miller said the meat of the meeting focused the association going in a different direction with “The Cove at Mumford’s Landing,” the new name for the yacht club restaurant.
He said the kitchen staff, including the chef, would remain and that one downstairs receptionist had been retained. Most – or all – of the bar and wait staff had been let go.
“We’ve been totally isolated from this,” committee member Audrey Wahl said. “The way these things are coming down now … it’s as though we are not even a function of having anything to do with the yacht club or getting any input, or any kind of friendliness even.”
She added that previous general managers had sat in during committee meetings. Interim General Manager Brett Hill and Board President Tom Herrick had apparently been invited to recent clubs committee meetings, but could not attend.
“We got zero information about anything that was going on here,” Purcell said. “Nothing about firings, nothing about changes – nothing.”
“It’s a slap in the face,” Wahl said.
Stevens, who came late to the meeting, said an extensive, 31-page committee report produced at the end of last year had been read by Hill, Herrick and others on the board, and that several committee suggestions had been or would be implemented.
He said the clubs document was the best annual report turned in by any of the advisory committees.
“The committee report was read, not just by me,” Stevens said. “Obviously by Brett, I know by Tom. I don’t know about each individual director, but I think most of them if not all [read the report] and considered it. And I think there’s evidence to show that that’s true.”
Many of the interior renovations being done now, he said, were similar to those recommended in the report. Still, Stevens admitted some things had happened that surprised even the other board members.
“We give Brett direction … but don’t try and pin down exactly what the limitations are,” he said. “Brett has an imagination and ideas [and] he’s supposed to carry them out. If we’re a little bit surprised by the results or the way he did it, it’s a lesson to us to be more specific the next time. But I’m not sure the board thinks what’s happening is a bad thing.”
Purcell said, again, that he wished the committee had more input.
“I think that’s a reasonable request,” Stevens said. “And I can’t make any promises about that. We are kind of like walking on eggs with Brett because of what he’s going through [as interim general manager].”
During the meeting, the committee extensively discussed the location of a proposed pirate-theme playground at Mumford’s Landing. Tentatively, that would be installed in spring in the patio area between the building and the adjacent pool.
Stevens noted that public works would be heavily involved in renovations at not only Mumford’s Landing, but also at the country club and beach club.
He also said budget projections related to clubs facilities, included in a first draft released by Hill this month, might be optimistic.
“The beach club and the yacht club budgets are, the word I hear, is aggressive – very aggressive … in respect to the increase in revenues that are projected, and of course the increase in cost in terms of personnel cost and amount of personnel,” Stevens said.
According to Resolution C-05, governing the clubs committee, that body “advises the board of directors and the general manager on the social use of the beach club, yacht club and golf and country club.”
Board Vice President Dave Stevens, the liaison to the committee, assured the members that their suggestions had, in fact, been heard and that many were already being implemented.
The association recently fired yacht club manager Jerry Lewis, temporarily installed events coordinator Brian Townsend in his place, and began a series of renovations that ranged from the cosmetic, including an interior makeover and a new bar, to a wholesale rebranding effort that included the name change.
Committee Chair Les Purcell told the group that he and committee member Gary Miller had just spoken with Townsend. Apparently the discussion focused on some of the specifics of the firings, which also encompassed a large amount of staff following events that transpired on New Year’s Eve.
“There were a lot of things said and a lot of things unsaid,” Purcell said of the meeting. “Brian was very careful. He had to be, I understand … there were apparently a lot of things that happened that were [you could call] shady – things that they couldn’t explain. They were injurious to Ocean Pines residents in one way or another, so people were let go.
“Specifically why the clubs committee wasn’t included in any of those things, we never got a real answer to,” Purcell added.
Miller said the meat of the meeting focused the association going in a different direction with “The Cove at Mumford’s Landing,” the new name for the yacht club restaurant.
He said the kitchen staff, including the chef, would remain and that one downstairs receptionist had been retained. Most – or all – of the bar and wait staff had been let go.
“We’ve been totally isolated from this,” committee member Audrey Wahl said. “The way these things are coming down now … it’s as though we are not even a function of having anything to do with the yacht club or getting any input, or any kind of friendliness even.”
She added that previous general managers had sat in during committee meetings. Interim General Manager Brett Hill and Board President Tom Herrick had apparently been invited to recent clubs committee meetings, but could not attend.
“We got zero information about anything that was going on here,” Purcell said. “Nothing about firings, nothing about changes – nothing.”
“It’s a slap in the face,” Wahl said.
Stevens, who came late to the meeting, said an extensive, 31-page committee report produced at the end of last year had been read by Hill, Herrick and others on the board, and that several committee suggestions had been or would be implemented.
He said the clubs document was the best annual report turned in by any of the advisory committees.
“The committee report was read, not just by me,” Stevens said. “Obviously by Brett, I know by Tom. I don’t know about each individual director, but I think most of them if not all [read the report] and considered it. And I think there’s evidence to show that that’s true.”
Many of the interior renovations being done now, he said, were similar to those recommended in the report. Still, Stevens admitted some things had happened that surprised even the other board members.
“We give Brett direction … but don’t try and pin down exactly what the limitations are,” he said. “Brett has an imagination and ideas [and] he’s supposed to carry them out. If we’re a little bit surprised by the results or the way he did it, it’s a lesson to us to be more specific the next time. But I’m not sure the board thinks what’s happening is a bad thing.”
Purcell said, again, that he wished the committee had more input.
“I think that’s a reasonable request,” Stevens said. “And I can’t make any promises about that. We are kind of like walking on eggs with Brett because of what he’s going through [as interim general manager].”
During the meeting, the committee extensively discussed the location of a proposed pirate-theme playground at Mumford’s Landing. Tentatively, that would be installed in spring in the patio area between the building and the adjacent pool.
Stevens noted that public works would be heavily involved in renovations at not only Mumford’s Landing, but also at the country club and beach club.
He also said budget projections related to clubs facilities, included in a first draft released by Hill this month, might be optimistic.
“The beach club and the yacht club budgets are, the word I hear, is aggressive – very aggressive … in respect to the increase in revenues that are projected, and of course the increase in cost in terms of personnel cost and amount of personnel,” Stevens said.