By Greg Ellison

(March 31, 2022) Monthly financial figures and pending capital expenditures for lighting, pickleball courts, audio-visual equipment and golf carts were highlighted during General Manager John Viola’s report to the Ocean Pines Board last Wednesday.

Viola opened his presentation to the board with an update on new lighting at the North Gate Bridge.

Photo by Greg Ellison
Ocean Pines officials are in the midst of updating lighting at the North Gate Bridge to include illumination on four corners and along the entrance pathway.

Viola said three bids were received for materials, with an estimated delivery time of 12 weeks.

Viola said the lighting installation would be done by Public Works crews for a labor cost between $5,000-$10,000.

Plans include double lights on poles for the bridge’s four corners, along with six shorter light poles for each side of the entranceway.

The installation of new pickleball courts at the Ocean Pines Racquet Center continues to inch closer to fruition.

“You’ve heard me speak about it for over a year or longer,” he said.

Viola said despite having sent requests for proposals to seven contractors, response has been limited.

“We did send out RFPs [but] not many responded, and they wanted to do the courts and fence work,” he said.

Because of this lack of interest in doing the site work, the administration decided to have Public Works handle pre-construction tasks.

“We’re putting together a game plan for us to do the site work that’s needed,” he said. “It would be a combination of our team and an outside company, which is the best of both.”

Viola also reported the recent acquisition of audio-visual equipment for the Golf Clubhouse meeting room.

Mid South Audio has installed a hybrid meeting system for a final cost of roughly $13,000, Viola reported.

“It allows for true virtual participation by membership during board meetings and town halls,” he said.

Viola also told the board the system is portable and can be used in other locations. Additionally, Viola said the public relations and the information technology departments had inspected a budget hybrid meeting system for use in the Administration Building conference room.

“It will be installed in-house for less than $1,000,” he said. “It’s really advanced.”

On other fronts, Viola recommended trading in the association’s current fleet of golf carts and buying new ones.

He said carts were last purchased in 2016 when 76 were bought at a cost of $369,000 after trade-in.

The current fleet is approaching the end of a seven-year depreciation schedule, which ends in 2023, and have also exhibited signs of wear on seats, panels and windshields.

Viola said newer generation golf carts would be more fuel-efficient with lower maintenance costs.

“Delivery for new carts takes up to 18 months,” he said.

Costs for new carts are estimated at $5,800 minus a $2,000-$2,500 trade-in for each old unit, for a total of roughly $260,000.

“It’s a better price than we got in 2016,” he said.

Because of the extended period between purchase and delivery, Viola wants to buy the carts now.

“It would come in when the current golf carts are fully depreciated,” he said.

Handing over the spotlight, Viola asked Senior Executive Office Manager Linda Martin to review a proposal to install street lights at the South Gate Pond.

“We’re looking at … putting in new pond lights,” she said.

The added illumination would be intended for the walking path around the pond.

Martin said initial cost estimates for street lights range from $700-$4,400 with a pole and from $165-$1,175 without a pole.

In addition to researching prices online, Martin also identified a local vendor.

“One local company carries solar street lights,” she said.

Martin said a quote from Fruitland-based Wire Works is forthcoming.

Turning to current budget figures, Director of Finance Steve Phillips reviewed February and year-to-date totals.

For February, the association was ahead of budget by $34,000, based on a net operating loss of $628,000 versus budget estimates of $662,000.

Phillips noted the association has the highest percentage of amenity closures during February.

February revenue figures were about $249,000, which is $63,000 better than budget estimates of $186,000.

By contrast, expenses for February were $877,000, or $29,000 less than budget estimates of $848,000.

“This continues to add onto the trend that we’ve experienced thus far,” he said.

Phillips reported year-to-date figures through February reflect a budget surplus of more than $1.5 million, which includes revenues better than estimates by $1.4 million and expenses less than estimates by $108,000.