September 2016
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Former Ocean Pines Association Pat Renaud, entering his third year in a three-year term as an OPA director, abruptly resigned from the board in late August for reasons he said were personal in nature. At a special meeting Sept. 9, the board replaced him with Doug Parks, chairman of the Bylaws and Resolutions Advisory Committee and a candidate for the board this summer. Renaud initially declined to offer any more explanation, but he later conceded that health and political concerns might have been a contributing factor in his decision. ~ Page 3
THE OCEAN PINES JOURNAL OF NEWS & COMMENTARY COVER STORY
CHANGING OF THE GUARD Hill settling in as acting OPA general manager Advertisement for permanent replacement posted on OPA Website; directors will also prospect for Brett Hill, management company as alternative
acting OPA GM
By TOM STAUSS Publisher
A
well-prepared and secure-enough-to-delegate general manager has taken over the reins of day-to-day management in Ocean Pines, with every intention of filling the role until the Board of Directors is able to find a suitable replacement. From all accounts, when the new board moved to replace the man whose contract they terminated, former general manager Bob Thompson, a board majority had in mind the person it wanted to fill Thompson’s shoes on an interim basis. That person was Brett Hill, an enterprising technology executive whose 1,900 votes led the pack in the 11-candidate slate of Ocean Pines property owners who ran for three seats on the board this summer. He employed social media to build up name recognition among the younger age group of property owners who probably formed the basis of his formidable base of support among voters. He also was the one candidate who spent quality time at the Beach Club campaigning this summer, again targeting a younger demographic than might be found hoarding lounge chairs poolside at the Yacht Club. His vote total was large enough that he must have had some cross-over appeal to all factions within Ocean Pines, possibly even those who found little fault with the former general manager. Unlike one of this summer’s other winning candidates, Slobodan Trendic, Hill tactically stopped somewhat short of declaring his intention to terminate Thompson’s employment contract with the OPA, but his dissatisfaction with his predecessor was apparent. When and if the time came to decide Thompson’s fate, there was a presumption that he would join three colleagues – Trendic, Dave Stevens and new OPA President Tom Her To Page 31
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Pat Renaud resigns, board fills vacancy with Doug Parks
$31,000 Thompson bonus roils board; new acting GM calls it ‘disturbing’ Failure to involve entire board in reviewing the bonus was contrary to language in former GM’s employment contract
By TOM STAUSS Publisher he sudden emergence of a previously undisclosed $30,939 bonus awarded Former General Manager Bob Thompson for amenity performance in the 2015-16 fiscal year roiled the final weeks of the Board of Directors term that ended with the Aug. 13 annual meeting and continued as new directors and a new board term began in the weeks that followed. The major controversy that swirled around the bonus involved both the amount, especially the final $10,313 bonus given for exceeding an amenities’ bonus goal by $100,000, and the fact that the entire board did not have an opportunity to review the calculations and some adjustments to the performance goals before former OPA President Pat Renaud authorized payment of the bonus. Board review, as opposed to approval, was called for in the employment agreement that was last extended for three years in April before it was terminated by the new board in a 4-3 vote in a closed meeting Aug. 26. Board members who had been denied the opportunity to review the bonus were livid. Former OPA Director Jack Collins said the failure to involve the full board in the bonus calculation was “criminal,” and Dave Stevens, recently elected OPA vice-president, agreed that the entire process, as well as the actual calculation, was “a brazen and unacceptable violation” of the spirit and letter of the agreement. New director Brett Hill, who is serving as acting general manager after Thompson’s recent ouster, called recent discoveries about the bonus “disturbing” and justified a desire to reopen contract negotiations with Thompson on those revelations. His concern also extended to adjustments in the amenity performance goals for the current fiscal year that would have made it easier for Thompson to earn bonuses for this year as
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To Page 31
Herrick elected OPA president in annual board reshuffle The results of the 2016 Board of Directors election in Ocean Pines were felt early and often when the new board met in open session Aug. 22 to elect new officers for the coming year. The annual reshuffle of OPA officers that occurs in an organization meeting shortly after announcement of election results at the OPA annual meeting was notable this year as much for who was not elected or appointed corporate officers. The new slate of officers, together with certain key demotions, reflected the will of a new board majority that emerged from the election. ~ Page 5
Directors nix Manklin Meadows master plan The Board of Directors have killed an earlier version of a master plan for the Manklin Meadows Recreation Complex that included relocation of playground equipment, extensive stormwater management and an enlarged parking lot. Instead the board has approved repairs to the playground equipment and repurposing two tennis courts for pickleball. The future of proposed platform tennis courts will be put off until next year. ~ Page 13
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