May 2019
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Fears that an insufficient number of individuals would file as candidates for the Board of Directors in this summer’s election have been proven to be premature. Eight candidates filed before the May 10, 5 p.m. deadline. Among the individuals filing were Paula Gray, who ran last summer and came in fifth, just short of the votes needed for a seat on the board; Greg Turner, a local electrician who also ran last summer; Tom Janasek, chairman of the Environment and Natural Assets Advisory Committee; and Larry Perrone, chairman of the Budget and Finance Advisory Committee.
THE OCEAN PINES JOURNAL OF NEWS & COMMENTARY
COVER STORY
Trendic launches new organization, petition drive to let property owners decide fate of new golf clubhouse
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Second petition aims to reduce board spending authority to $1 million By TOM STAUSS Publisher ormer Ocean Pines Association Director Slobodan Trendic, who resigned from the Board of Directors last month in opposition to a board decision approving up to $1.6 million in replacement reserve funds to pay for a new golf clubhouse, is using his new-found freedom as a rank-and-file OPA member to oppose the board’s decision on a number of fronts. He has launched a petition drive designed to force the board to conduct a referendum on the golf clubhouse. He has launched a companion petition drive to force the board to conduct a referendum to change OPA bylaws to reduce board spending authority to $1 million, down from the $1.8 million allowed under current bylaws language. He has also launched a new organization, called START, to serve as an umbrella organization that is sponsoring and paying for these petition drives. He is obtaining donations and commitments from property owners to assist in the gathering of names on petitions to be submitted to the board. The petitions appear as paid advertisements in this edition of the Progress, on pages 6 8 and 7. 9. Trendic is asking Ocean Pines property owners to fill out the petitions and send them back to him at 20 Drawbridge
F
Road in Ocean Pines. Trendic told the Progress that he would like to collect the required minimum number of signatures, 845, or one tenth of the OPA membership, no later than than May June 31, 1, but hopes to have twice the number needed in order to send a message to the board that OPA members are serious about Slobodan Trendic rolling back unilateral decisionmaking by the board on issues that have significant impact on Ocean Pines property owners. The acronym START stands for strategic planning, transparency, accountability, respect and trust, all of which Trendic says are lacking in the board’s recent decision to approve up to $1.6 million in reserve spending for a new golf clubhouse. Trendic told a group of roughly 100 residents at an April 22 town meeting that he was not opposed per se to the golf clubhouse project. But he said a decision of such magnitude should be approved by all property owners in a referendum, preferably after the project was vetted and justified in a community strategic plan. No such plan exists, Trendic said. He also assured OPA members that the purpose of To Page 31
Board votes to remove remnants of Whitetail Sanctuary crabbing pier ~ Page 19
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FREE DIAGNOSIS
Two committee chairman among eight candidates for OPA board
OPA opens bids on proposals for outsourcing GM Five proposals from mostly national firms hoping to produce a general manager for the Ocean Pines Association does not inspire confidence that the outsourcing model will be able to successfully win the support of a majority of members of the Board of Directors. All five proposals, if accepted as is, would cost the OPA far more than general managers have cost over the years.
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OPA president signs contract for new golf clubhouse Director Frank Daly confirmed in a May 9 telephone interview that OPA President Doug Parks signed a design-build contract for a new golf clubhouse with Whayland Construction in a recent meeting with the contractor.
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