(June 15, 2017) The Ocean Pines Association Elections Committee announced last Friday that two candidates, Arie Klapholz and Paula Robertson Gray, had dropped out of the Board of Directors race.
The five who remained took part in the annual candidate draw, determining what order they will appear on ballots and speak during association forums. The results were:
1. Colette Horn
2. Nicole Schafer Crosariol
3. Doug Parks
4. Marty Clarke
5. Brenda Lynn Wascak
During a brief informational session that followed, members of the elections committee walked candidates through the elections process.
Committee Chairman Steve Tuttle advised the candidates to familiarize themselves with Resolution M-06, governing elections, and C-08, which describes the responsibilities of the elections committee.
“We did do a lot of revision of M-06 this year,” Tuttle said. “It was sent through [an Ocean Pines] attorney and we accepted most of what they had proposed. Our deep desire as an elections committee was that, when we count the ballots on Aug. 11, that we would be able to announce the results after the counting. The board saw fit to not allow that.”
Tuttle said results would be announced during the annual meeting on Aug. 12 at 10 a.m. in the Assateague Room inside the community center.
“We wanted full transparency – we got semitransparency,” Tuttle said.
He added the meeting usually includes financial and general manager presentations, and that a quorum of at least 100 homeowners is required to make the meeting official.
“Truth be known, the annual meeting is so boring that they cannot get 100 people there, so by holding back the vote count they try to get more,” Clarke said. “And that’s a fact – sad, but true.”
Committee member Steve Habeger said the candidates would participate in a forum on July 21 at 7 p.m. in the Assateague Room.
“If you’ve not seen one of these before, it’s an opportunity to inform the voters of your positions on the issues facing this organization,” he said.
Videos of previous forums are viewable on the association’s official YouTube channel. There is a direct link to the channel on the top right of the association website, www.oceanpines.org.
A second forum was tentatively slated for July 22 at 10 a.m., if needed.
“The first forum is on a weeknight and the second one is on a Saturday. There’s different constituencies [and] different demographics here, and we want to provide [for both],” Habeger said.
Committee member Mark Heintz said the forums would include questions submitted by Ocean Pines homeowners through its official forum, www. realopforum.com, as well as questions developed by the elections committee.
“We’re here for you. We’re nonpartisan. We’re hoping to get the information out … to get everybody on the same page with where you’re coming from,” Heintz said. “We’re not going to sandbag you. We’re here to help. We’re all in this together.”
Habeger added that honesty was the key to the forums. If you don’t know the answer to a question, “gee, I don’t know,” is acceptable, he said.
He said the committee would select questions that were pertinent to the issues.
“Via the forum, I would expect to see things that people are interested in,” he said. “If you all agree that water is wet, don’t expect a question like that because that doesn’t help the voter become better informed.”
Committee member Evan Smith briefed the candidates on handouts and candidate signs. He said materials could not be distributed on Ocean Pines property, except during the forums, but that advertising on local radio or in local papers was unregulated by the association.
As with handing out materials, campaigning cannot be done on association-owned property, except during forums, he said.
Signs may only be placed on private property and must be done so with the consent of the property owner. Signs cannot be larger than four squared feet, Smith said, meaning they can be no longer than 38 inches. They must include their own support structure and cannot be attached to trees.
The committee must approve a proof of concept before any sign can be placed and must be removed by Aug. 17, seven days after the election, Smith said.
The five who remained took part in the annual candidate draw, determining what order they will appear on ballots and speak during association forums. The results were:
1. Colette Horn
2. Nicole Schafer Crosariol
3. Doug Parks
4. Marty Clarke
5. Brenda Lynn Wascak
During a brief informational session that followed, members of the elections committee walked candidates through the elections process.
Committee Chairman Steve Tuttle advised the candidates to familiarize themselves with Resolution M-06, governing elections, and C-08, which describes the responsibilities of the elections committee.
“We did do a lot of revision of M-06 this year,” Tuttle said. “It was sent through [an Ocean Pines] attorney and we accepted most of what they had proposed. Our deep desire as an elections committee was that, when we count the ballots on Aug. 11, that we would be able to announce the results after the counting. The board saw fit to not allow that.”
Tuttle said results would be announced during the annual meeting on Aug. 12 at 10 a.m. in the Assateague Room inside the community center.
“We wanted full transparency – we got semitransparency,” Tuttle said.
He added the meeting usually includes financial and general manager presentations, and that a quorum of at least 100 homeowners is required to make the meeting official.
“Truth be known, the annual meeting is so boring that they cannot get 100 people there, so by holding back the vote count they try to get more,” Clarke said. “And that’s a fact – sad, but true.”
Committee member Steve Habeger said the candidates would participate in a forum on July 21 at 7 p.m. in the Assateague Room.
“If you’ve not seen one of these before, it’s an opportunity to inform the voters of your positions on the issues facing this organization,” he said.
Videos of previous forums are viewable on the association’s official YouTube channel. There is a direct link to the channel on the top right of the association website, www.oceanpines.org.
A second forum was tentatively slated for July 22 at 10 a.m., if needed.
“The first forum is on a weeknight and the second one is on a Saturday. There’s different constituencies [and] different demographics here, and we want to provide [for both],” Habeger said.
Committee member Mark Heintz said the forums would include questions submitted by Ocean Pines homeowners through its official forum, www. realopforum.com, as well as questions developed by the elections committee.
“We’re here for you. We’re nonpartisan. We’re hoping to get the information out … to get everybody on the same page with where you’re coming from,” Heintz said. “We’re not going to sandbag you. We’re here to help. We’re all in this together.”
Habeger added that honesty was the key to the forums. If you don’t know the answer to a question, “gee, I don’t know,” is acceptable, he said.
He said the committee would select questions that were pertinent to the issues.
“Via the forum, I would expect to see things that people are interested in,” he said. “If you all agree that water is wet, don’t expect a question like that because that doesn’t help the voter become better informed.”
Committee member Evan Smith briefed the candidates on handouts and candidate signs. He said materials could not be distributed on Ocean Pines property, except during the forums, but that advertising on local radio or in local papers was unregulated by the association.
As with handing out materials, campaigning cannot be done on association-owned property, except during forums, he said.
Signs may only be placed on private property and must be done so with the consent of the property owner. Signs cannot be larger than four squared feet, Smith said, meaning they can be no longer than 38 inches. They must include their own support structure and cannot be attached to trees.
The committee must approve a proof of concept before any sign can be placed and must be removed by Aug. 17, seven days after the election, Smith said.