(May 19, 2016) The Ocean Pines Association Elections Committee has its hands full with the largest pool of board of director candidates in community history.
A day after the filing deadline, and when news leaked out that a dozen homeowners had done so, the committee went to work on the logistics of putting together election materials and a forum that would include a record number of candidates.
“We have our work cut out for us,” committee Chairman Bill Wentworth said during a meeting on May 11. “We’re going to have to be a little creative in how we do the normal forum. How we normally do it … it would be over four or five hours. That would be like watching paint dry.
“We’ve never had this many people – never, ever,” Wentworth added. “This is a new horizon for us.”
Committee member Frank Danowski asked about the likelihood that some of the candidates would drop out of the race.
“It’s very rare for a candidate to drop out,” committee member Judy Butler said. “Usually if a candidate drops out, it’s because of some kind of extraordinary happening, like a family emergency. Once they apply, most candidates go through with [it]. My guess is we’ve got 12.”
The committee members changed several of the dates related to the election that had been previously announced during public meetings. The candidate draw, which will determine the order both during the forum and on the ballots, will be held on June 9. The forum itself takes place on June 22 at 6 p.m. in the community center.
Final review of election materials will occur on June 29. Voter eligibility and final list of candidates is due July 8, ballots will be mailed on July 11, and a ballot box will be placed and phone monitoring by the committee will start on July 12.
Ballots must be received by Aug. 11 at 5 p.m., and votes will be counted on Aug. 12. The annual meeting, when the election results are announced, is Aug. 13.
The committee spent the majority of the meeting trying to anticipate technical and logistical issues that could arise during the forum, when a dozen candidates likely will be vying for the time and attention of Ocean Pines voters.
Last year, several candidates complained about confusion with regard to how much time each was allowed to speak. Others created problems by ignoring the rules and standing up and walking around the room while answering questions.
Committee members tentatively agreed to a format that would give each candidate three-minute opening remarks, three-minute closing remarks, and for each to answer a pair of questions with a two-minute limit for response time per question.
If all goes well, that adds up to a 120-minute – or two-hour – forum. According to the YouTube video of the 2015 forum, that debate lasted two hours, one minute and 50 seconds.
“It’s key to make sure that we have the technical problems [addressed],” Danowski said. “If the environment is constructed in the proper way, then the candidates will behave in a way that the environment dictates.”
Umbrellas and rain boots at the ready, Danowski led the committee on a quick fieldtrip to the Assateague Room inside the community center, where the committee considered using four large risers as a staging area for the forum, as well as video monitors that would give the audience a view of the questions.
Holding a second debate was briefly discussed, although no decisions were made and it was noted that the Parke hosts an informal candidate discussion after the official OPA forum.
Another committee meeting was set for May 26 at 9 a.m. to talk in more detail about a candidate workshop that would occur on the same date as the candidate draw.
A day after the filing deadline, and when news leaked out that a dozen homeowners had done so, the committee went to work on the logistics of putting together election materials and a forum that would include a record number of candidates.
“We have our work cut out for us,” committee Chairman Bill Wentworth said during a meeting on May 11. “We’re going to have to be a little creative in how we do the normal forum. How we normally do it … it would be over four or five hours. That would be like watching paint dry.
“We’ve never had this many people – never, ever,” Wentworth added. “This is a new horizon for us.”
Committee member Frank Danowski asked about the likelihood that some of the candidates would drop out of the race.
“It’s very rare for a candidate to drop out,” committee member Judy Butler said. “Usually if a candidate drops out, it’s because of some kind of extraordinary happening, like a family emergency. Once they apply, most candidates go through with [it]. My guess is we’ve got 12.”
The committee members changed several of the dates related to the election that had been previously announced during public meetings. The candidate draw, which will determine the order both during the forum and on the ballots, will be held on June 9. The forum itself takes place on June 22 at 6 p.m. in the community center.
Final review of election materials will occur on June 29. Voter eligibility and final list of candidates is due July 8, ballots will be mailed on July 11, and a ballot box will be placed and phone monitoring by the committee will start on July 12.
Ballots must be received by Aug. 11 at 5 p.m., and votes will be counted on Aug. 12. The annual meeting, when the election results are announced, is Aug. 13.
The committee spent the majority of the meeting trying to anticipate technical and logistical issues that could arise during the forum, when a dozen candidates likely will be vying for the time and attention of Ocean Pines voters.
Last year, several candidates complained about confusion with regard to how much time each was allowed to speak. Others created problems by ignoring the rules and standing up and walking around the room while answering questions.
Committee members tentatively agreed to a format that would give each candidate three-minute opening remarks, three-minute closing remarks, and for each to answer a pair of questions with a two-minute limit for response time per question.
If all goes well, that adds up to a 120-minute – or two-hour – forum. According to the YouTube video of the 2015 forum, that debate lasted two hours, one minute and 50 seconds.
“It’s key to make sure that we have the technical problems [addressed],” Danowski said. “If the environment is constructed in the proper way, then the candidates will behave in a way that the environment dictates.”
Umbrellas and rain boots at the ready, Danowski led the committee on a quick fieldtrip to the Assateague Room inside the community center, where the committee considered using four large risers as a staging area for the forum, as well as video monitors that would give the audience a view of the questions.
Holding a second debate was briefly discussed, although no decisions were made and it was noted that the Parke hosts an informal candidate discussion after the official OPA forum.
Another committee meeting was set for May 26 at 9 a.m. to talk in more detail about a candidate workshop that would occur on the same date as the candidate draw.