Trendic, the board secretary and the liaison to the elections committee, said during a committee meeting last Friday that he was due to receive a list of candidates after the May 10 filing deadline, but that did not happen. 

“It’s an odd situation,” Trendic said. “According to the bylaws, I’m supposed to, as association secretary, receive a list of the candidates and the applications. I don’t have it yet.”

He said that list was given instead to Michelle Bennett, the executive assistant in the general manager’s office. She was out of the office on Friday. 

“I, as association secretary, have to be given the candidate’s information by May 15. That information was given to Michelle, but not to me,” Trendic said. “The way the process works, the search committee is supposed to inform me … by May 15.”

Trendic said he had an appointment with Membership and Assessment Supervisor Ruth Ann Meyer and he hoped to verify candidate eligibility then. Candidates cannot have unpaid assessments or outstanding compliance, permit or inspections violations in Ocean Pines. 

Committee member Rick Turner said the search committee met last Thursday with Board President Tom Herrick. His wife, Peggy Turner, is on that committee. 

“They met … and presented the list to [Herrick],” Turner said. “The president has them in his hands.”

Herrick is the liaison to the search committee. 

“So, the board liaison has the information – the association president has the information – and, according to the bylaws, it’s supposed to be the association secretary,” Trendic said. “We are being kicked for not following rules [and this happens].

“He’s not supposed to do that. He should know,” Trendic continued. “He should have said, ‘no, I’m not supposed to.’ He knows the rules. He was the secretary last year.”

After the board failed to recruit the minimum five members to the search committee by the Feb. 1 deadline stated in Ocean Pines bylaws, Trendic and the election committee scrambled last month and found five volunteers. The board confirmed them unanimously in April. 

“I gave [the new committee members] a heads up on all the rules when they volunteered. They was my last informal act to support [them] because I recruited these guys and I wanted to help them get jumpstarted,” Trendic said. “I gave them … key milestones, so they were all aware of it. 

“It shouldn’t have happened like that. Tom should have said to the [committee] chair, ‘no, that information goes to the association secretary,’” he added. 

Herrick, reached for comment on Monday, said the normal procedures were followed.