By Josh Davis, Associate Editor

(Feb. 1, 2018) Following a closed-door meeting with the Ocean Pines Association Board of Directors last Saturday, General Manager John Bailey will apparently head back to the negotiating table with a consulting group to run the community’s yacht club and beach club.

“The board went into closed session to talk about potential contracts … for the beach club and yacht club operations, and [there’s] nothing final out of that yet,” Bailey said on Monday. “Just some negotiating numbering, if you would, and I’ll continue to work on those negotiations and eventually we’ll have a contract for the board to consider.

“I needed to know if we were moving in the right direction or not,” he added. “That was basically the gist of it.”

Bailey, during the public portion of a board meeting on Saturday, said he received three offers from local consulting groups to manage both facilities and an agreement would include a management fee and “percentage of the reduction in the subsidy level and/or increase in the net profit.”

He said a fourth offer was received “agreeing with the notion that we should probably close for a while and start over.”

Bailey said the details of the other three proposals would be shared initially during the closed, executive session. Once the details are finalized, they will be made public.

“We’re proceeding at this point with one [proposal], negotiating with one of the parties,” he said on Monday.

He declined to say whether the board had made an outright decision to hire another group to manage the yacht club and beach club.

“I wouldn’t characterize it [like that] at this point. If we can work out a final contract that protects the association as well as provides a good product and service, then we’ll proceed along those lines. But we’re not quite there yet,” Bailey said. “It may end up being that way – we haven’t eliminated that possibility yet.”

Bailey said, “time is of the essence” in making a decision and mentioned upcoming budget meetings on Feb. 5-7 and Feb. 10 as possible dates for a special meeting, if there is a formal announcement to make.

Association Vice President Cheryl Jacobs on Monday said the closed meeting lasted a little more than an hour.

“We’re working toward trying to have a decision as soon as possible, because we want to be ready for the season when it starts,” Jacobs said.

Whether a consultant is ultimately brought on, Jacobs said, “depends on whether the negotiations can be finalized.”

“We were in agreement for a direction, but we’re not there yet,” she said.