By Greg Ellison

(June 11, 2020) Although the OPA Board 2020 election forum set for June 17 is not open to the public because of covid-19 health restrictions, community members have until June 15 to email questions for candidates.

Elections Committee Chairman Steve Habeger said while the public cannot attend the forum, which is slated for Wednesday at 7 p.m. in the Community Center’s Assateague Room, the event would be recorded for subsequent online viewing.

“Our intention, at the moment, is to be live with the candidates in the Assateague Room, but no audience,” he said.

OPA President Doug Parks and Director Dr. Colette Horn, both of whom were elected to their first terms in August 2017, have filed for reelection. At this point only one other candidate, Stuart Lakernick, has joined the contest for a seat on the seven-member board.

The Election Committee will hold a candidate workshop this Friday at 10 a.m. in the same location, where candidates also will draw numbers to determine ballot order.

“I think it’s important that the candidates draw their own random card for ballot order,” he said.

“Both the candidate draw and the forum will be recorded and loaded onto … YouTube.”

Habeger said to honor the state’s current 10-person limitation for public gatherings, attendance at both events will be kept to candidates, committee members and OPA staff.

“We’ve asked the candidates not to bring spouses or friends,” he said.

Habeger said the Assateague Room would provide ample space to practice proper social distancing.

To this point, a public outreach effort to solicit additional candidates to match an OPA bylaws requirement that the race have at least two more candidates than vacant seats, has come up blank, Habeger said.

The drop-dead date 3

for new candidates to file is July 3, after which election data is forwarded to ABC Printing & Mailing in Berlin to produce ballots that are mailed to association members in mid-July.

Regardless of added candidates, Habeger highlighted the need for additional candidate questions from residents.

“What’s on people’s minds [and] what do they want to hear from the candidates?” he said. “We’ve gotten a few so far, but not a lot.”

Community members can email questions to elections@oceanpines.org, or call the Elections Committee at 410-219-8972 to leave a voicemail with question. All inquiries submitted by Association members will be considered.