(Dec. 4, 2014) Ocean Pines moved closer to outsourcing the community golf course this week, as a Dec. 1 committee meeting updated progress on bids.
The Ocean Pines Association began sending requests for proposals on the leasing and management of the Robert Trent Jones Sr. designed facility on Oct. 16. Operation would include maintenance of the golf course as well as the country club and associated support facilities during an initial three-year term. Board Parliamentarian Tom Terry, Treasurer Jack Collins and former board member Jeff Knepper drafted the RFP.
During the last regular board meeting on Saturday, Nov. 22, Collins said the OPA received as many as 10 inquiries. At press time, at least five companies had submitted written bids, according to Terry.
“We received four bids for management and one bid for leasing that submitted documentation,” he said.
That list apparently includes current management Billy Casper Golf.
“They wrote a letter stating they wanted to continue,” Terry said.
Collins, Terry and board President Dave Stevens were present during the Dec. 1 meeting.
“It was just a discussion bringing Dave up to speed on the various applications and what they submitted,” Terry said. “We asked where he wanted to go and he said he wanted to move towards having some face-to-face sessions with some of the vendors.”
Stevens said the full membership of the board of directors have not been briefed on the new bids.
“I think we’re making progress,” he said. “We’re in a position now to make a recommendation to the whole board. We have viable candidates and the list has been winnowed down, but nothing is going to happen until after the holiday.”
After the board hears recommendations, presumably in January, Stevens said the group could have a closed-door question and answer session with the remaining candidates in the following weeks.
“That’s the intent,” he said. “We have to present that to the board and they have to agree, but I think what we’re proposing to do makes sense, and I think it moves us forward.”
Stevens said three bids stood out, including at least one management proposal and one leasing proposal.
“We won’t really know much until the Q and A,” he said. “It’s not like there’s a clear winner or anything like that. You read the proposals, but I couldn’t expect that they could get into a lot of detail at this time. You just can’t tell now.
“There’s going to be some hard decisions,” Stevens continued. “If one of them is selected then you get into the contract, but I’m hoping by the Q and A time being over, we’ll be well into knowing the details of what we expect from them.”
Self-management, Stevens said, is also an option.
“That’s on the table,” he said. “I think the committee was briefed on that.”
The Ocean Pines Association began sending requests for proposals on the leasing and management of the Robert Trent Jones Sr. designed facility on Oct. 16. Operation would include maintenance of the golf course as well as the country club and associated support facilities during an initial three-year term. Board Parliamentarian Tom Terry, Treasurer Jack Collins and former board member Jeff Knepper drafted the RFP.
During the last regular board meeting on Saturday, Nov. 22, Collins said the OPA received as many as 10 inquiries. At press time, at least five companies had submitted written bids, according to Terry.
“We received four bids for management and one bid for leasing that submitted documentation,” he said.
That list apparently includes current management Billy Casper Golf.
“They wrote a letter stating they wanted to continue,” Terry said.
Collins, Terry and board President Dave Stevens were present during the Dec. 1 meeting.
“It was just a discussion bringing Dave up to speed on the various applications and what they submitted,” Terry said. “We asked where he wanted to go and he said he wanted to move towards having some face-to-face sessions with some of the vendors.”
Stevens said the full membership of the board of directors have not been briefed on the new bids.
“I think we’re making progress,” he said. “We’re in a position now to make a recommendation to the whole board. We have viable candidates and the list has been winnowed down, but nothing is going to happen until after the holiday.”
After the board hears recommendations, presumably in January, Stevens said the group could have a closed-door question and answer session with the remaining candidates in the following weeks.
“That’s the intent,” he said. “We have to present that to the board and they have to agree, but I think what we’re proposing to do makes sense, and I think it moves us forward.”
Stevens said three bids stood out, including at least one management proposal and one leasing proposal.
“We won’t really know much until the Q and A,” he said. “It’s not like there’s a clear winner or anything like that. You read the proposals, but I couldn’t expect that they could get into a lot of detail at this time. You just can’t tell now.
“There’s going to be some hard decisions,” Stevens continued. “If one of them is selected then you get into the contract, but I’m hoping by the Q and A time being over, we’ll be well into knowing the details of what we expect from them.”
Self-management, Stevens said, is also an option.
“That’s on the table,” he said. “I think the committee was briefed on that.”