OCEAN PINES– New OPA leadership did not waste any time in reorganizing the Board of Directors, effectively streamlining procedure and standardizing future meeting dates through 2015 during an assembly on Wednesday, Sept. 3.
Newly elected Ocean Pines Association Board of Directors President Dave Stevens called the meeting and proposed six new procedures in an attempt to give Board members more information ahead of time, make the meetings more transparent for media and OPA members, and reduce the duration of meetings.
The new president asked that Board members receive all items of discussion at least three days ahead of time, with presentations and reports submitted and approved in advance. Stevens also asked for briefer General Manager Reports, posting of financial reports online on the same day the Board receives them, imposing a five-minute limit on public comments and reading action items at the conclusion of each meeting.
Board Director Sharyn O’Hare objected to the notion that – potentially – Board members could not make new motions during meetings unless they provided materials ahead of time.
“I think there are cases (where) things come up and we need to have a discussion,” she said. “If a motion is proposed it may not be what we really want to do after we’ve discussed it. Then we can’t have another motion submitted because it hasn’t been presented three days in advance.”
Stevens clarified that the Board can make adjusted motions “as appropriate.”
“The material that will support the decision is what’s important – not the motion itself,” he said. “What’s inappropriate is to make a motion on a significant decision when all the information is not provided in advance. The Board basically is making its mind up without that information.”
On requiring advance materials Stevens said he wanted the Board to be able to “focus in on … what’s important.”
“No surprises – that’s all I think you’re trying to say,” said Board Vice President Marty Clarke.
“We’re in agreement on one thing – if a member of this Board of Directors wants to bring a topic to the agenda of this Board of Directors they have a right to do it,” said Board Parliamentarian Tom Terry. “As long as we’re all in agreement of that.”
Stevens asked that General Manager Bob Thompson submit reports to the Board in writing with suggested topics for discussion, as opposed to giving a full presentation.
“If you have a special topic that requires a presentation … that should be submitted to the board in advance and it should be put on the agenda as a separate topic,” Stevens said. “Fundamentally – no surprises.”
Stevens said the new procedure would be “faster, and it zeroes in on the information we need.”
Clarke complained that previous General Manager Reports did not provide enough advance materials.
“I want to see this stuff in advance,” he said. “Otherwise why are we here?”
Terry, meanwhile, balked at the notion of doing away with presentations.
“The idea that there not be a presentation by the GM or it’s not required – I’ve served on boards at executive levels as well, and I’ve never served with or in a corporation that didn’t have Power Point presentations to executives that were overviews of what’s going on,” he said.
Board Treasurer Jack Collins said, in his experience, leadership generally received information in advance rather than rely on direct presentations.
“I don’t know what board you served on, but I’ll tell you what – if you’re saying that critical issues are brought to a board for a board to make a decision that day, I’d say that corporation had a hard time getting a decision done,” he said.
“I’m referring to the sentence (in the proposal) that says, ‘a presentation by the GM is not required,’” said Terry. “I’m simply reporting that my experience has been that you get an overview of what’s going on in the community from the guy who’s running it day-to-day.
“In the last few years we have had general discussions at the Board level to have a sense of what was going on in the community that did not end with a motion for us voting ‘yes’ or ‘no’ on something,” Terry continued. “There was a purpose behind it – so that the Board of Directors would have a sense of what was going on in the community. I’m not against (the proposal). I’m simply saying to flat-out say there’s no presentation from the General Manager on the state of the nation and what’s going on …”
“He didn’t say that,” Clarke said. “He said a presentation is not required – maybe everything he has to say is (on paper). If we don’t understand it we can ask questions on it.”
“That becomes a presentation in of itself, Tom,” Collins said.
“You’ve got my feedback,” said Terry.
Stevens attempted the get the meeting back on track.
“I understand that this is different, but it’s not something that I just pulled out of my head,” he said. “It’s something we’ve done before successfully.
“In terms of getting a general state of the community … I would suggest that that’s not what we’re there for. We’re there to look at specific information, have specific discussions that lead at some point in time to specific actions. I think if we focus on that we will get more things done and we will spend less time doing it.”
O’Hare voiced a concern that viewers – the OPA broadcasts meetings on their website – would not have the benefit of having seen written reports in advance.
Stevens countered that the General Manager’s report would be published on the website and be available in hard copy at least three days in advance.
“Everybody gets to follow along,” he said.
Stevens promised to publish monthly financial reports online, and said the General Manager could give quarterly reports to the Board.
Currently, Thompson said he withheld financial reports from the public for two-to-three days following a meeting as a courtesy to Board members.
“I’ve never worked anywhere where the board has not been given information a little ahead of time so they could get their arms around it before they’re asked by membership,” he said. “My intent of a couple-day delay was a professional courtesy.”
“There’s no reason that anybody in this room or somebody sitting over at Taylor’s having a beer right now isn’t just as entitled to those numbers as I am,” Clarke said. “I don’t think (a delay) is necessary. I’ve got five or six years on the Board and I don’t remember the first phone call from anybody catching me short on any of the numbers.”
“That’s because nobody has seen any of the numbers before a Board meeting – including the people on the Board,” Stevens said.
Clarke said there had been two meetings this year in which the Board had not received any financial numbers in advance.
“I have no problem at all with building a one-day delay into it,” said Stevens. “Right now the numbers aren’t there, period. (Last month’s) numbers aren’t there as of today. That’s the change.”
“I think the important thing we’re trying to accomplish is informing the membership as to what is happening in terms of numbers, in terms of progress, in terms of finances of the organization,” Collins said. “I appreciate Bob’s point in that he’s trying to be courteous (to the Board members). However, I also agree with David that it is in the best interest to the most people within this community to put that information out to the public. The best way to do that that we know is through the website.”
Previous Board Resolution B-02 limited public comments to five minutes. Stevens said future comments would “be directed through the Chair.”
At the end of each meeting the Board Secretary, currently Pat Renaud, will review any actions resulting from the meeting, per the proposal. The Secretary will maintain a pending action list used to set the agenda for future meetings and reporting.
Board members agreed to amend the proposals according to the discussions that occurring during the meeting and vote on them electronically before the next meeting.
The Board normalized all future meetings to either Thursday at 3 p.m. or Saturday at 9 a.m. Meetings will be held in the Assateague Room in the Community Center unless otherwise noted.
Upcoming meetings were set for Saturday, Sept. 27, Thursday, Oct. 23, Thursday, Nov. 20, Saturday, Nov. 22, Thursday, Jan 8, Thursday, Jan. 29, Saturday, Feb. 21, Saturday, March 28, Thursday, April 30, Thursday, May 28 and Thursday, June 25.
The board canceled the December meeting due to Stevens’ inability to attend. If needed, the Vice President may call a special session.
OPA set the Budget Presentation meeting for Saturday, Feb. 7 and the Budget Approval meeting on Wednesday, March 21. Leadership must approve the budget 45 days before the beginning of the fiscal year.
Special dates include the annual Commissioners’ Dinner for Thursday, March 19 at 6 p.m., Executive Council on Thursday, April 23 at 7 p.m. and Volunteer Appreciation Night on Thursday, April 30 at 6 p.m.
The Board will review the General Manager contract during a closed session on Thursday, July 16 at 3 p.m.
For more information visit www.oceanpines.org.
Newly elected Ocean Pines Association Board of Directors President Dave Stevens called the meeting and proposed six new procedures in an attempt to give Board members more information ahead of time, make the meetings more transparent for media and OPA members, and reduce the duration of meetings.
The new president asked that Board members receive all items of discussion at least three days ahead of time, with presentations and reports submitted and approved in advance. Stevens also asked for briefer General Manager Reports, posting of financial reports online on the same day the Board receives them, imposing a five-minute limit on public comments and reading action items at the conclusion of each meeting.
Board Director Sharyn O’Hare objected to the notion that – potentially – Board members could not make new motions during meetings unless they provided materials ahead of time.
“I think there are cases (where) things come up and we need to have a discussion,” she said. “If a motion is proposed it may not be what we really want to do after we’ve discussed it. Then we can’t have another motion submitted because it hasn’t been presented three days in advance.”
Stevens clarified that the Board can make adjusted motions “as appropriate.”
“The material that will support the decision is what’s important – not the motion itself,” he said. “What’s inappropriate is to make a motion on a significant decision when all the information is not provided in advance. The Board basically is making its mind up without that information.”
On requiring advance materials Stevens said he wanted the Board to be able to “focus in on … what’s important.”
“No surprises – that’s all I think you’re trying to say,” said Board Vice President Marty Clarke.
“We’re in agreement on one thing – if a member of this Board of Directors wants to bring a topic to the agenda of this Board of Directors they have a right to do it,” said Board Parliamentarian Tom Terry. “As long as we’re all in agreement of that.”
Stevens asked that General Manager Bob Thompson submit reports to the Board in writing with suggested topics for discussion, as opposed to giving a full presentation.
“If you have a special topic that requires a presentation … that should be submitted to the board in advance and it should be put on the agenda as a separate topic,” Stevens said. “Fundamentally – no surprises.”
Stevens said the new procedure would be “faster, and it zeroes in on the information we need.”
Clarke complained that previous General Manager Reports did not provide enough advance materials.
“I want to see this stuff in advance,” he said. “Otherwise why are we here?”
Terry, meanwhile, balked at the notion of doing away with presentations.
“The idea that there not be a presentation by the GM or it’s not required – I’ve served on boards at executive levels as well, and I’ve never served with or in a corporation that didn’t have Power Point presentations to executives that were overviews of what’s going on,” he said.
Board Treasurer Jack Collins said, in his experience, leadership generally received information in advance rather than rely on direct presentations.
“I don’t know what board you served on, but I’ll tell you what – if you’re saying that critical issues are brought to a board for a board to make a decision that day, I’d say that corporation had a hard time getting a decision done,” he said.
“I’m referring to the sentence (in the proposal) that says, ‘a presentation by the GM is not required,’” said Terry. “I’m simply reporting that my experience has been that you get an overview of what’s going on in the community from the guy who’s running it day-to-day.
“In the last few years we have had general discussions at the Board level to have a sense of what was going on in the community that did not end with a motion for us voting ‘yes’ or ‘no’ on something,” Terry continued. “There was a purpose behind it – so that the Board of Directors would have a sense of what was going on in the community. I’m not against (the proposal). I’m simply saying to flat-out say there’s no presentation from the General Manager on the state of the nation and what’s going on …”
“He didn’t say that,” Clarke said. “He said a presentation is not required – maybe everything he has to say is (on paper). If we don’t understand it we can ask questions on it.”
“That becomes a presentation in of itself, Tom,” Collins said.
“You’ve got my feedback,” said Terry.
Stevens attempted the get the meeting back on track.
“I understand that this is different, but it’s not something that I just pulled out of my head,” he said. “It’s something we’ve done before successfully.
“In terms of getting a general state of the community … I would suggest that that’s not what we’re there for. We’re there to look at specific information, have specific discussions that lead at some point in time to specific actions. I think if we focus on that we will get more things done and we will spend less time doing it.”
O’Hare voiced a concern that viewers – the OPA broadcasts meetings on their website – would not have the benefit of having seen written reports in advance.
Stevens countered that the General Manager’s report would be published on the website and be available in hard copy at least three days in advance.
“Everybody gets to follow along,” he said.
Stevens promised to publish monthly financial reports online, and said the General Manager could give quarterly reports to the Board.
Currently, Thompson said he withheld financial reports from the public for two-to-three days following a meeting as a courtesy to Board members.
“I’ve never worked anywhere where the board has not been given information a little ahead of time so they could get their arms around it before they’re asked by membership,” he said. “My intent of a couple-day delay was a professional courtesy.”
“There’s no reason that anybody in this room or somebody sitting over at Taylor’s having a beer right now isn’t just as entitled to those numbers as I am,” Clarke said. “I don’t think (a delay) is necessary. I’ve got five or six years on the Board and I don’t remember the first phone call from anybody catching me short on any of the numbers.”
“That’s because nobody has seen any of the numbers before a Board meeting – including the people on the Board,” Stevens said.
Clarke said there had been two meetings this year in which the Board had not received any financial numbers in advance.
“I have no problem at all with building a one-day delay into it,” said Stevens. “Right now the numbers aren’t there, period. (Last month’s) numbers aren’t there as of today. That’s the change.”
“I think the important thing we’re trying to accomplish is informing the membership as to what is happening in terms of numbers, in terms of progress, in terms of finances of the organization,” Collins said. “I appreciate Bob’s point in that he’s trying to be courteous (to the Board members). However, I also agree with David that it is in the best interest to the most people within this community to put that information out to the public. The best way to do that that we know is through the website.”
Previous Board Resolution B-02 limited public comments to five minutes. Stevens said future comments would “be directed through the Chair.”
At the end of each meeting the Board Secretary, currently Pat Renaud, will review any actions resulting from the meeting, per the proposal. The Secretary will maintain a pending action list used to set the agenda for future meetings and reporting.
Board members agreed to amend the proposals according to the discussions that occurring during the meeting and vote on them electronically before the next meeting.
The Board normalized all future meetings to either Thursday at 3 p.m. or Saturday at 9 a.m. Meetings will be held in the Assateague Room in the Community Center unless otherwise noted.
Upcoming meetings were set for Saturday, Sept. 27, Thursday, Oct. 23, Thursday, Nov. 20, Saturday, Nov. 22, Thursday, Jan 8, Thursday, Jan. 29, Saturday, Feb. 21, Saturday, March 28, Thursday, April 30, Thursday, May 28 and Thursday, June 25.
The board canceled the December meeting due to Stevens’ inability to attend. If needed, the Vice President may call a special session.
OPA set the Budget Presentation meeting for Saturday, Feb. 7 and the Budget Approval meeting on Wednesday, March 21. Leadership must approve the budget 45 days before the beginning of the fiscal year.
Special dates include the annual Commissioners’ Dinner for Thursday, March 19 at 6 p.m., Executive Council on Thursday, April 23 at 7 p.m. and Volunteer Appreciation Night on Thursday, April 30 at 6 p.m.
The Board will review the General Manager contract during a closed session on Thursday, July 16 at 3 p.m.
For more information visit www.oceanpines.org.