(Sept. 8, 2016) Les Purcell has been an active member of the Ocean Pines Community for about 15 years. He is former member of the community association’s board of directors and is the current chairman of the clubs advisory committee, a volunteer group that counsels the board about matters related to the yacht club, beach club and country club.
Recently, during an email exchange, he was informed that the new board liaison to the committee, Slobodan Trendic, would not endorse his application to continue serving for a final year.
According to Purcell, without that endorsement he can no longer serve on the committee.
“I wouldn’t say that’s usual, and it’s certainly not my preferred way of doing things,” Purcell said during a phone interview Friday. “I can only guess – it just seems to me that there’s a certain group [on the board] who have gotten together to do this, and they’re doing it. There’s not much anybody else can do about it.
“Frankly, I would like very much to go ahead and serve my final year,” he added. “Maybe I really shouldn’t but I can’t help it – I feel like I’ve given the community that I love about 15 years of continual service on one committee or another, and now they’re kicking me out the window.”
Committee terms last three years for the first term, two years for the second term and one year for a final term. Purcell submitted an application to serve that final term.
“I’ve been told by Mr. Trendic that he does not want to endorse that. It requires his signature,” Purcell said.
While not explicitly stated in the bylaws or bound by a specific resolution, the applications require endorsements from the committee chairperson, in this case Purcell, and by the liaison, Trendic.
“They’re supposed to then take it to the board for a vote,” Purcell said. “He has already told [OPA President] Tom Herrick he will not sign. So, really there’s nothing that I can do about it. My current term expires the 20th of September. If he doesn’t renew it or agree to renew it for one more year then I’m out.”
Purcell said he has known Herrick “for a while” and often sees him around the golf club. He hopes to run into him and speak about the matter privately.
“I was just going to look for the chance to tell him that I would be happy to serve that final year and sort of leave it up to him,” Purcell said. “I, frankly, am expecting the worse.”
During the email exchange, Trendic had suggested that former board candidate Steve Lind be appointed to the committee and inserted as the new chairman. If that did happen, Purcell said he would still be happy to serve on the committee, as just another member.
“I feel like I’ve made a commitment, but they make me think that I’m in the way,” Purcell said. “I would serve out my final year, because I feel like I’ve made a commitment to do that. If they feel differently, all they have to do is not endorse that application and I won’t really know until somebody tells me that or time runs out.
“I don’t really want to make a big thing out of it – I’m not sure it would accomplish anything anyway,” he added. “I prefer to sort of talk things through and try to see what can happen. It doesn’t always work well that way.”
Purcell said he did not know if other committee chairs or members of the other advisory committees had experienced similar issues.
“I’ve only talked to a few members of the clubs committee and they indicated to me that they would like things to continue as they were,” he said. “I have no idea what their total thinking is or what they would do, if anything.
“I really care for this community. I’ve been here since ’98, which is a pretty good while, and I enjoy it. I’ve always liked and enjoyed trying to do what I can, whatever that is, to help out. I’ve been on many, many different committees over the years and I’d be willing to go forward at a later time if they asked me to do that,” Purcell added.
“I’m not bitter about it, but I’m a little disappointed. I’m a little disappointed at how this whole thing went down because I don’t like to operate that way.”
The clubs committee is scheduled to meet again on Sept. 15 at 4 p.m. at the yacht club.
“I get the axe on the 20th, so I plan to go on with the meeting and see what happens or who shows up or whatever,” Purcell said. “Right now the plan is to go ahead and have that meeting, but that could change.”
Recently, during an email exchange, he was informed that the new board liaison to the committee, Slobodan Trendic, would not endorse his application to continue serving for a final year.
According to Purcell, without that endorsement he can no longer serve on the committee.
“I wouldn’t say that’s usual, and it’s certainly not my preferred way of doing things,” Purcell said during a phone interview Friday. “I can only guess – it just seems to me that there’s a certain group [on the board] who have gotten together to do this, and they’re doing it. There’s not much anybody else can do about it.
“Frankly, I would like very much to go ahead and serve my final year,” he added. “Maybe I really shouldn’t but I can’t help it – I feel like I’ve given the community that I love about 15 years of continual service on one committee or another, and now they’re kicking me out the window.”
Committee terms last three years for the first term, two years for the second term and one year for a final term. Purcell submitted an application to serve that final term.
“I’ve been told by Mr. Trendic that he does not want to endorse that. It requires his signature,” Purcell said.
While not explicitly stated in the bylaws or bound by a specific resolution, the applications require endorsements from the committee chairperson, in this case Purcell, and by the liaison, Trendic.
“They’re supposed to then take it to the board for a vote,” Purcell said. “He has already told [OPA President] Tom Herrick he will not sign. So, really there’s nothing that I can do about it. My current term expires the 20th of September. If he doesn’t renew it or agree to renew it for one more year then I’m out.”
Purcell said he has known Herrick “for a while” and often sees him around the golf club. He hopes to run into him and speak about the matter privately.
“I was just going to look for the chance to tell him that I would be happy to serve that final year and sort of leave it up to him,” Purcell said. “I, frankly, am expecting the worse.”
During the email exchange, Trendic had suggested that former board candidate Steve Lind be appointed to the committee and inserted as the new chairman. If that did happen, Purcell said he would still be happy to serve on the committee, as just another member.
“I feel like I’ve made a commitment, but they make me think that I’m in the way,” Purcell said. “I would serve out my final year, because I feel like I’ve made a commitment to do that. If they feel differently, all they have to do is not endorse that application and I won’t really know until somebody tells me that or time runs out.
“I don’t really want to make a big thing out of it – I’m not sure it would accomplish anything anyway,” he added. “I prefer to sort of talk things through and try to see what can happen. It doesn’t always work well that way.”
Purcell said he did not know if other committee chairs or members of the other advisory committees had experienced similar issues.
“I’ve only talked to a few members of the clubs committee and they indicated to me that they would like things to continue as they were,” he said. “I have no idea what their total thinking is or what they would do, if anything.
“I really care for this community. I’ve been here since ’98, which is a pretty good while, and I enjoy it. I’ve always liked and enjoyed trying to do what I can, whatever that is, to help out. I’ve been on many, many different committees over the years and I’d be willing to go forward at a later time if they asked me to do that,” Purcell added.
“I’m not bitter about it, but I’m a little disappointed. I’m a little disappointed at how this whole thing went down because I don’t like to operate that way.”
The clubs committee is scheduled to meet again on Sept. 15 at 4 p.m. at the yacht club.
“I get the axe on the 20th, so I plan to go on with the meeting and see what happens or who shows up or whatever,” Purcell said. “Right now the plan is to go ahead and have that meeting, but that could change.”