(Sept. 22, 2016) The Ocean Pines Association Board of Directors discussed the following items during a work session at the community Center on Monday:
New format
Board President Tom Herrick said the working sessions, the first for the new board, would be done on a trial basis.
Comments on work session topics from the homeowners, if recognized by the chair, would be welcomed, Herrick said.
“The board will welcome all feedback and consider everything that association members can provide for input,” he said.
Many items from the agenda were, by consensus, moved to the regular board meeting on Saturday morning. No formal votes were permitted during the working session.
Tennis courts
Although the prior board budgeted about $140,000 for improvements to four tennis courts at the swim and racquet club, the new board appeared to favor a cheaper, $2,000 patching of two courts there. Two others, which were said be badly damaged, could be converted to some other use later.
Director Dave Stevens said that facility was used by “a very underserved portion of our community,” specifically casual tennis players who don’t use the Manklin Meadows Racquet Sports Complex.
Maintenance projects
Interim General Manager Brett Hill, who is also a member of the board, said a contract for bulkhead replacement that was signed in 2010 expired in 2013. As such, he said the association did not have to continue using Fisher Marine as a vendor and did not necessarily have to keep to the same schedule of replacement, which he said was more calendar driven than based on actual needs.
He recommended the board bid out the job, explore using different materials such as vinyl, which he said had twice the life expectancy of wood, and do an engineering study to determine which properties needed replacements.
Hill also suggested the OPA call for bids for an emergency services contract in the meantime, which could perform repairs in cases of extreme storm damage.
The directors also debated a similar approach to road repairs rather than continuing scheduled replacements or maintenance, as planned.
Public Works Director Eddie Wells noted that about 90 percent of “cuts” that needed to be replaced were caused by county workers, largely from water and sewer repairs. He said the county had not been billed for the damages.
Director Cheryl Jacobs said that could be a “perfect topic to try and get more money out of the county.”
Hill recommended delaying the existing repair schedule and bringing a contractor in to patch while the board looked into new bidders, or potentially buying equipment that would allow public works to patch more roads.
Rec and parks requests
Bounds was also there to ask for a new truck-mounted power washer that she said was needed to clean facilities under her charge, especially several playgrounds that she said “desperately need attention.”
Bids for the power washer were apparently under $10,000.
She also asked the board to consider a major software upgrade for recreation and parks. Currently, the department uses RecWare, which is no longer supported. Bounds wants to upgrade to RecTrac, which she said Ocean City Recreation and Parks uses.
The cost, however, was last quoted at about $65,000, and Bounds said that might have increased.
Director Doug Parks suggested that be included in a larger information technologies discussion, which will include the formation of a new task force.
Parks said the association could use its newsletter and regular email blasts to help recruit members of that task force, which he said would need to have specific expertise in IT systems.
Gym floor
Wood and vinyl options for a replacement of the gym floor in the community center were discussed, with the directors favoring a longer lasting, more durable wood replacement that cost about $72,000.
While that would hold up better for sporting events, according to Recreation and Parks Director Sonya Bounds, it might signal the end of allowing special events like the annual home show to take up residence in the gym. Bounds said the home show often brought in heavier display items, including hot tubs and HVAC systems, which could damage the new floors.
Beach club bathrooms
The directors asked for more information before proceeding with plans to upgrade the bathrooms at the beach club in Ocean City. One bid was received to renovate the existing bathrooms and two bids were received to build standalone structures.
Hill, however, said all three included “large potential for change orders … greater than $100,000.”
While he favored having something done there before next summer, Hill recommended an “in-place renovation” that did not change the overall layout of the building and would not require certain mechanical systems, which he said were built in the 1960s or 1970s, to be moved.
Pool resurfacing
Aquatics Director Colby Phillips asked for about $20,000 to resurface and cover the beach club pool. While that item was not in the budget, Hill said the association would have “a few extra dollars” because about $1.5 million in capital projects were either delayed or canceled by the new board.
CPI overhaul
The board continues to discuss revamping resolutions M-01 and M-04 that pertain to compliance, permit and inspection (CPI) violations. Jacobs began working on those during the previous board session and continues finalizing a proposed overhaul with a group that includes former director Tom Terry, Jim Trummel and Architecture and Review Committee Chairman Glenn Duffy.
Jacobs said that work was “99.9” percent completed, but that she wanted to first run it by the ARC committee and assure that “from a legal perspective we are still protecting homeowner’s due process rights.”
The revised resolutions are intended to help Ocean Pines pursue violations more quickly. Many board members have complained that the process, under current guidelines, can last between six months and a year.
Golf advisory committee
Herrick discussed reestablishing the golf advisory committee, which was disbanded in 2011 when Ocean Pines hired a professional management company to run the course.
He said he wanted to appoint Bob Kessler as chairman of that committee, and have him sit in during monthly meeting with Landscapes Unlimited. In the management agreement with the company, Herrick said “up to three” representatives can attend and help direct those discussions. Herrick said he and Hill would be the other two representatives.
New format
Board President Tom Herrick said the working sessions, the first for the new board, would be done on a trial basis.
Comments on work session topics from the homeowners, if recognized by the chair, would be welcomed, Herrick said.
“The board will welcome all feedback and consider everything that association members can provide for input,” he said.
Many items from the agenda were, by consensus, moved to the regular board meeting on Saturday morning. No formal votes were permitted during the working session.
Tennis courts
Although the prior board budgeted about $140,000 for improvements to four tennis courts at the swim and racquet club, the new board appeared to favor a cheaper, $2,000 patching of two courts there. Two others, which were said be badly damaged, could be converted to some other use later.
Director Dave Stevens said that facility was used by “a very underserved portion of our community,” specifically casual tennis players who don’t use the Manklin Meadows Racquet Sports Complex.
Maintenance projects
Interim General Manager Brett Hill, who is also a member of the board, said a contract for bulkhead replacement that was signed in 2010 expired in 2013. As such, he said the association did not have to continue using Fisher Marine as a vendor and did not necessarily have to keep to the same schedule of replacement, which he said was more calendar driven than based on actual needs.
He recommended the board bid out the job, explore using different materials such as vinyl, which he said had twice the life expectancy of wood, and do an engineering study to determine which properties needed replacements.
Hill also suggested the OPA call for bids for an emergency services contract in the meantime, which could perform repairs in cases of extreme storm damage.
The directors also debated a similar approach to road repairs rather than continuing scheduled replacements or maintenance, as planned.
Public Works Director Eddie Wells noted that about 90 percent of “cuts” that needed to be replaced were caused by county workers, largely from water and sewer repairs. He said the county had not been billed for the damages.
Director Cheryl Jacobs said that could be a “perfect topic to try and get more money out of the county.”
Hill recommended delaying the existing repair schedule and bringing a contractor in to patch while the board looked into new bidders, or potentially buying equipment that would allow public works to patch more roads.
Rec and parks requests
Bounds was also there to ask for a new truck-mounted power washer that she said was needed to clean facilities under her charge, especially several playgrounds that she said “desperately need attention.”
Bids for the power washer were apparently under $10,000.
She also asked the board to consider a major software upgrade for recreation and parks. Currently, the department uses RecWare, which is no longer supported. Bounds wants to upgrade to RecTrac, which she said Ocean City Recreation and Parks uses.
The cost, however, was last quoted at about $65,000, and Bounds said that might have increased.
Director Doug Parks suggested that be included in a larger information technologies discussion, which will include the formation of a new task force.
Parks said the association could use its newsletter and regular email blasts to help recruit members of that task force, which he said would need to have specific expertise in IT systems.
Gym floor
Wood and vinyl options for a replacement of the gym floor in the community center were discussed, with the directors favoring a longer lasting, more durable wood replacement that cost about $72,000.
While that would hold up better for sporting events, according to Recreation and Parks Director Sonya Bounds, it might signal the end of allowing special events like the annual home show to take up residence in the gym. Bounds said the home show often brought in heavier display items, including hot tubs and HVAC systems, which could damage the new floors.
Beach club bathrooms
The directors asked for more information before proceeding with plans to upgrade the bathrooms at the beach club in Ocean City. One bid was received to renovate the existing bathrooms and two bids were received to build standalone structures.
Hill, however, said all three included “large potential for change orders … greater than $100,000.”
While he favored having something done there before next summer, Hill recommended an “in-place renovation” that did not change the overall layout of the building and would not require certain mechanical systems, which he said were built in the 1960s or 1970s, to be moved.
Pool resurfacing
Aquatics Director Colby Phillips asked for about $20,000 to resurface and cover the beach club pool. While that item was not in the budget, Hill said the association would have “a few extra dollars” because about $1.5 million in capital projects were either delayed or canceled by the new board.
CPI overhaul
The board continues to discuss revamping resolutions M-01 and M-04 that pertain to compliance, permit and inspection (CPI) violations. Jacobs began working on those during the previous board session and continues finalizing a proposed overhaul with a group that includes former director Tom Terry, Jim Trummel and Architecture and Review Committee Chairman Glenn Duffy.
Jacobs said that work was “99.9” percent completed, but that she wanted to first run it by the ARC committee and assure that “from a legal perspective we are still protecting homeowner’s due process rights.”
The revised resolutions are intended to help Ocean Pines pursue violations more quickly. Many board members have complained that the process, under current guidelines, can last between six months and a year.
Golf advisory committee
Herrick discussed reestablishing the golf advisory committee, which was disbanded in 2011 when Ocean Pines hired a professional management company to run the course.
He said he wanted to appoint Bob Kessler as chairman of that committee, and have him sit in during monthly meeting with Landscapes Unlimited. In the management agreement with the company, Herrick said “up to three” representatives can attend and help direct those discussions. Herrick said he and Hill would be the other two representatives.