By Greg Ellison
(March 25, 2021) Ocean Pines General Manager John Viola provided status updates on current projects and year-to-date financials during the Board of Directors meeting on Saturday.
Viola said association members’ assessment dollars are currently dedicated to recurring and new updates for amenity facilities.
In addition to completing normal court maintenance at the Racquet Sports Complex on Manklin Creek Road, repairs to cracks in Har-Tru courts would be addressed in short order, assuming board approval, Viola said.
After Public Works crews finish removing outdated playground equipment from Robin Hood Park, Viola said, River Valley Playground Company was scheduled to start installing replacement gear this week.
With boating season approaching, plank replacements have been finished at the Ocean Pines Marina for a cost of roughly $12,000.
Viola said months of filming and editing have been completed and the new Ocean Pines online residents academy is on the verge of going live.
Marketing Coordinator Julie Malinowski has been compiling information from department heads for inclusion with an online reference source for association members.
“It’s been put together to educate homeowners,” he said.
Viola said the roll out date for public access has yet to be determined.
Work to replace underground piping on High Sheriff Trail is slated for next week, with a road closure slated from March 22-26.
Viola said mailboxes on High Sheriff would be temporarily relocated to the south side of the road while the work is being done.
Viola also reported that work began Monday for the Bainbridge Pond drainage project, which is expected to be completed by June.
In addition to Public Works Manager Nobie Violante and Public Works Drainage Supervisor Justin Reiner overseeing the project, Public Works Director Eddie Wells will coordinate activities with Worcester County officials, Vista Engineering and contractor EQR.
On other drainage-related fronts, repairs on numerous sections of underground piping, budgeted at more than $200,000, are set to begin April 12.
Viola said the board approved spending $207,167 for Louisiana-based Pelican Underground to repair failing corrugated metal pipes through a trenchless rehabilitation method.
“The big thing with these pipes is we don’t have to cut into the road,” he said.
The work includes four sections of piping running under Ocean Parkway by Route 90, the four-way intersection at South Gate, Fosse Grange, along with three addresses on Ocean Parkway and one each on Robin Hood and Offshore Trail.
Contractors will employ a process that involves inserting linings containing an inflatable epoxy-saturated felt tube.
Offseason maintenance repairs at the Ocean Pines Yacht Club in the ballroom and bridal suite were also finished recently.
The spruce up included removing wallpaper, applying fresh coats of paint and swapping out for LED light bulbs. Budgeted at $14,500 the work was concluded in less than three weeks.
Viola said bulkhead repairs along the Pintail Drive canal began on March 15 with work anticipated to wrap by April 30.
“Once completed all bulkheads will be backfilled [and] sodded,” he said.
Fisher Marine has been retained at a cost of roughly $1.18 million to replace 3,300 linear feet of bulkhead.
Turning to financials, Viola said the association closed February with a negative operating fund variance of $16,726, which included total expenses finishing under budget by $88,701 offset by revenues falling below projections by $105,427.
“February came in better than I anticipated,” he said.
Looking at year-to-date totals with two months remaining in the current fiscal year, the association has a positive operating fund variance of $1,130,251, comprised of revenues over budget by $124,552 and expenses under projections by $1,005,699.