In recent months a number of decisions have been made by acting Ocean Pines General Manager Brett Hill that have seemingly caught most board members – along with the community – by surprise.
The latest example is opening up the previously adults-only Oasis/Yacht Club pool to families on Sunday afternoons during the summer season.
The only notice to board members and the community was a note in the recently published Activities Guide under aquatics pool hours, which lists the pool as adult-only (except Sundays 2-6 p.m. June 4 – September 3).
While this move certainly deserves further discussion on its own, more concerning is how one person can make changes of such impact in the community without input or oversight.
The general manager of the organization, whether a permanent hire or acting in the role temporarily, should not have the authority to unilaterally make any substantial changes without consulting the board, which is elected by the community to approve those changes.
Voters have entrusted them to make the best decisions for the community, with the expectation they would choose to get input from the community before making decisions of any importance.
Whoever the general manager is should also be expected to have the judgement to know when decisions need to be brought to the board for discussion.
An HOA, like any governing body is in place for a reason – primarily so no one person can rule the land as a personal domain. Certainly it is time for a clearer understanding of what decisions can be made without board approval or community input.
The latest example is opening up the previously adults-only Oasis/Yacht Club pool to families on Sunday afternoons during the summer season.
The only notice to board members and the community was a note in the recently published Activities Guide under aquatics pool hours, which lists the pool as adult-only (except Sundays 2-6 p.m. June 4 – September 3).
While this move certainly deserves further discussion on its own, more concerning is how one person can make changes of such impact in the community without input or oversight.
The general manager of the organization, whether a permanent hire or acting in the role temporarily, should not have the authority to unilaterally make any substantial changes without consulting the board, which is elected by the community to approve those changes.
Voters have entrusted them to make the best decisions for the community, with the expectation they would choose to get input from the community before making decisions of any importance.
Whoever the general manager is should also be expected to have the judgement to know when decisions need to be brought to the board for discussion.
An HOA, like any governing body is in place for a reason – primarily so no one person can rule the land as a personal domain. Certainly it is time for a clearer understanding of what decisions can be made without board approval or community input.