As the only incumbent in a group of 11 candidates seeking one of three vacancies on the Ocean Pines Association Board of Directors, Jack Collins has a different perspective.
Collins said he ended up in Ocean Pines after marrying “a local girl,” Connie Kelley, from Ocean City.
“Her dad was the mayor of Ocean City (Mayor Harry Kelley) and that’s what drew me here. I’ve been coming to Ocean City and this environment since I was 12 years old, and I am now in my early 70s,” he said. “I was born and raised in Baltimore, but spent many, many summers down here.”
After they were married, the Collins’s moved to Catonsville for a number of years, raising a family. In 2004, they permanently relocated to Ocean Pines.
Collins, who had a career as a lender and manager in commercial banking, joined the board three years ago. He said he decided to run this year somewhat late into the process.
“I have a group of people that have supported me over the years and I discussed it with them,” he said. “They said that they felt I brought some stability to the board and that I could bring some action to the board.”
He said he wanted to make sure that some of his initiatives, including repairs to the beach club bathrooms, stayed on track.
“It’s taking me this amount of time to bring it to everyone’s attention and to get it done, so I would like to see it completed,” he said.
Collins said he’s always voted for “responsible budgets” focused on eliminating wasteful spending and reducing assessments. That, he said, is something he would continue if reelected.
“It was no accident that we’ve only had one increase in dues over the last three years,” he said. “That [increase] was unfortunate, but that’s the way it is.”
He also touted his recorded as secretary and treasurer, as well as liaison to the county commissioners in Snow Hill, where he regularly attends meetings.
“The county commissioners now recognize a presence from Ocean Pines at each of their meetings,” he said. “I think it makes an impact.”
Drainage has also been an issue close to Collins’ heart.
“I’ve worked to create a committee that was headed by general manager – that’s the only way I could get it done – and members of the county to address certain drainage issues in section two and three,” he said. “We addressed them and got it done, and just recently we had the final repair on St. Martin’s Road. That all came out of that committee over a period of time.”
As for the key issues during this election cycle, Collins said infrastructure, including the police station and the country club, were key.
He is not in favor of relocating the police station to Route 589, as some have proposed, and would rather renovate than replace the county club.
“You have to look at the possibilities,” he said. “If you do the measurements you have approximately 20,000 square feet in that building. If you tear it down and replace it [with] a 10,000 square-foot building at a cost of whatever millions of dollars, your cost per square foot is tremendous. If you renovate that place and you can do it for $1.5 million – and you’re renovating 20,000 square feet – you’re talking about a $75-$85 a square foot costs.
“That’s critical and that’s important to me from a cost analysis point of view and from a banking point of view – doing the most efficient and effective thing that impacts the greatest number of people,” Collins continued. “I would like to see the country club maintained as a multiuse building that’s for the card players, for the dance lesson people, for the drama people, for the men’s club, for the Kiwanis, Optimist and Lion’s Club of Ocean Pines – whoever wants to meet there, as well as the board – in a warm environment.”
Collins declined to comment on issues pertaining to General Manager Bob Thompson, saying “it doesn’t behoove anybody.” Instead, he is focusing on developing a communitywide beautification committee.
In the 1990s, he said, a group of citizens formed “Keep Ocean Pines Special,” also known as “KOPS.”
“What they did, is they focused on areas to enhance the curb appeal and the eye appeal and the open spaces and entrances and amenities – things that they could directly impact. I think we should consider doing something like that again,” Collins said. “I think that might be worthwhile.
“Growing out of that, maybe we could get some ideas as to how to genuinely make more attractive our environment here in Ocean Pines, together with the possibility of coming up with incentives to our property owners to maintain their properties in proper order,” he continued. “They could be positive, they could be enforcement of the [declarations of restrictions]. You could go a lot of different directions on that.”
Collins said he ended up in Ocean Pines after marrying “a local girl,” Connie Kelley, from Ocean City.
“Her dad was the mayor of Ocean City (Mayor Harry Kelley) and that’s what drew me here. I’ve been coming to Ocean City and this environment since I was 12 years old, and I am now in my early 70s,” he said. “I was born and raised in Baltimore, but spent many, many summers down here.”
After they were married, the Collins’s moved to Catonsville for a number of years, raising a family. In 2004, they permanently relocated to Ocean Pines.
Collins, who had a career as a lender and manager in commercial banking, joined the board three years ago. He said he decided to run this year somewhat late into the process.
“I have a group of people that have supported me over the years and I discussed it with them,” he said. “They said that they felt I brought some stability to the board and that I could bring some action to the board.”
He said he wanted to make sure that some of his initiatives, including repairs to the beach club bathrooms, stayed on track.
“It’s taking me this amount of time to bring it to everyone’s attention and to get it done, so I would like to see it completed,” he said.
Collins said he’s always voted for “responsible budgets” focused on eliminating wasteful spending and reducing assessments. That, he said, is something he would continue if reelected.
“It was no accident that we’ve only had one increase in dues over the last three years,” he said. “That [increase] was unfortunate, but that’s the way it is.”
He also touted his recorded as secretary and treasurer, as well as liaison to the county commissioners in Snow Hill, where he regularly attends meetings.
“The county commissioners now recognize a presence from Ocean Pines at each of their meetings,” he said. “I think it makes an impact.”
Drainage has also been an issue close to Collins’ heart.
“I’ve worked to create a committee that was headed by general manager – that’s the only way I could get it done – and members of the county to address certain drainage issues in section two and three,” he said. “We addressed them and got it done, and just recently we had the final repair on St. Martin’s Road. That all came out of that committee over a period of time.”
As for the key issues during this election cycle, Collins said infrastructure, including the police station and the country club, were key.
He is not in favor of relocating the police station to Route 589, as some have proposed, and would rather renovate than replace the county club.
“You have to look at the possibilities,” he said. “If you do the measurements you have approximately 20,000 square feet in that building. If you tear it down and replace it [with] a 10,000 square-foot building at a cost of whatever millions of dollars, your cost per square foot is tremendous. If you renovate that place and you can do it for $1.5 million – and you’re renovating 20,000 square feet – you’re talking about a $75-$85 a square foot costs.
“That’s critical and that’s important to me from a cost analysis point of view and from a banking point of view – doing the most efficient and effective thing that impacts the greatest number of people,” Collins continued. “I would like to see the country club maintained as a multiuse building that’s for the card players, for the dance lesson people, for the drama people, for the men’s club, for the Kiwanis, Optimist and Lion’s Club of Ocean Pines – whoever wants to meet there, as well as the board – in a warm environment.”
Collins declined to comment on issues pertaining to General Manager Bob Thompson, saying “it doesn’t behoove anybody.” Instead, he is focusing on developing a communitywide beautification committee.
In the 1990s, he said, a group of citizens formed “Keep Ocean Pines Special,” also known as “KOPS.”
“What they did, is they focused on areas to enhance the curb appeal and the eye appeal and the open spaces and entrances and amenities – things that they could directly impact. I think we should consider doing something like that again,” Collins said. “I think that might be worthwhile.
“Growing out of that, maybe we could get some ideas as to how to genuinely make more attractive our environment here in Ocean Pines, together with the possibility of coming up with incentives to our property owners to maintain their properties in proper order,” he continued. “They could be positive, they could be enforcement of the [declarations of restrictions]. You could go a lot of different directions on that.”