By Greg Ellison

(Feb. 27, 2020) While reporting the status of efforts to replace community marquee signs, the OPA Communications Committee last Thursday also continued to work on developing orientation procedures for advisory board members.

Committee Chairwoman Jenny Cropper Rines said discussions have taken place with potential sign vendors, following the committee’s research last September into how to upgrade more than a dozen manually updated community signs.

“Instead of saying we’re looking for an electronic [or] digital sign, we’re really looking for a LED message center,” she said.

Rines said while the committee had originally discussed a 4-foot-by-5-foot sign with four lines of text, further research showed that a sign’s aspect ratio is more important than the size of signs vendors might offer.

“They don’t care so much about 4 foot by 5 foot [size],” she said. “They care about the 16, 10 or 8 [millimeter] aspect ratio.”

Additional concerns were raised over the initial size proposed.

“That 4 by 5 is not a practical size for being able to read it from 150-200 feet,” she said.

Board liaison Dr. Colette Horn said the intent is to replace the marquee signs while retaining a similar appearance.

“It will be kind of what we have, but digital,” she said. “We’re thinking more of a message board that we would build a kiosk around … so it is kind of more indigenous.”

Rines said conversations have continued with vendors since OPA IT manager Steve Grabowski made initial contact with Baltimore-based Gable Signs.

“We’ve gotten responses from multiple sign representatives,” she said.

Rines said further research of price options found that the original cost estimate of $30,000-$40,000 per sign appears to be accurate.

Committee member Josette Wheatley noted the overall cost also would be affected by the software packages purchased and the options selected.

Rines noted the inclusion of graphic capabilities would raise the cost, while focusing on messaging might save dollars.

“I can’t think of an occasion where we need graphics,” she said.

Rines said prior to weighing costs, ironing out zoning regulations with Worcester County officials needs to be resolved.

“We still have lots of steps to get through in terms of even getting permission from the county,” she said.

After meeting with Worcester County Director of Development Review and Permitting Ed Tudor, Rines and Horn were informed that changing to electronic signs would require a code amendment specific to Ocean Pines.

In addition expressing concerns about reducing the number of signs in the community and maintaining unobstructed rights of way along the road,  county officials wanted assurance that the signs would not be used for advertising.

Horn also reported that Tudor indicated that the county approval would be time consuming.

“He said it’s going to take a long time,” she said. “He made no promises other than to help with the language” of an amendment.

Rines also updated committee members on efforts to develop content for the annual orientation of new committee chairs and board liaisons.

“It’s basically just to teach chairs how to run meetings and what their purpose is,” she said.

The recent work resulted in several proposed language revisions to the general committee resolution policy, C01, along with drafting new attachments for use by committee chairpersons.

“Attachments [include] a sample to use for minutes and [a meeting] agenda,” she said.

The updates also include a form for board liaisons to track the status of committee requests to the OPA Directors or subsequent directives.

“To tell where requests came from and that it is getting where it needs to go,” she said. “We made it so it worked both ways. It’s been a little less structured before.”

Horn said the amended resolution language was sent earlier that week to the OPA Bylaws and Resolutions Committee for review, with OPA President Doug Parks planning to put the matter on the next Executive Council meeting agenda.