7/19/2005

OPA Board of Directors holds press conference
By Bob Adair

The Ocean Pines Association (OPA) Board of Directors held a press conference on Saturday afternoon, July 16, 2005.The reason for the conference was to give the media an opportunity to ask questions of this board on any issue because the last scheduled meeting is slated for July 20 and will not afford the media the chance to ask questions.  A new board will be constituted in August.  Board President Dan Stachurski opened the session with an announcement that 7,797 ballots with candidate biographies and information about the referendum were in the mail.

The questions posed by members of the press covered items such as the upcoming referendum, the marketing campaign associated with the new Town Center, providing free space for various activities and OPA interface with the Worcester County government, to name a few.

The board members were asked if there were any impediments in getting the word out about the need for the new Town Center building. Mr. Stachurski reminded the press that certain events associated with a referendum had to be publicized in accordance with a set timetable.  The OPA only publishes a newsletter quarterly instead of every month, a decision that was made several years ago to reduce expenses.  This causes the board to look at other means of getting the information out to the residents and lot owners about the referendum.

Early in the year, while the latest operating budget was being finalized, the board recognized and discussed the need for a marketing plan and budget in support of a referendum that dealt with meeting the space needs of Ocean Pines.  Funds were needed to keep the property owners aware of the space needs, the dates and times of any associated meetings required by the OPA By-laws and a detailed explanation of the board’s rationale for making the recommendation to build a new building, another step required by the By-laws. 

When asked how much the “YES” campaign cost, Mark Venit said a total of $11,926 was spent on media, signs and everything else associated with the external marketing plan. In a tutorial he titled “Marketing 101” Mr. Venit said there were three parts to any marketing program:  1) Create awareness; 2) provide information; and 3) ask for the order.  And he claimed that is what the board has done. Mr. Stachurski pointed out that $15,000 had been allocated for the marketing project.  Board member Glenn Duffy added that the amount associated with the marketing requirements of the project came to one-third of one percent of the total project cost, a very low number compared to other endeavors of this nature.

In addition to the formal external marketing through media release and advertising, board member Heather Cook conducted a grass-roots program designed to reach the public in a more private manner.  Hundreds of volunteer hours were expended in setting up information tables at many events such as the Fourth of July event at the pool, the Concerts in the Park, Kiwanis breakfasts and other such gatherings, all in the interest of answering questions about the referendum.

In response to a question about providing “free” space in the facilities Ms. Cook led off the response by saying this was an “amenity” that has a 37-year history.  Board vice-president Skip Carey picked up the question by asking, “What does free mean?”  He said he understood free to mean receiving something without giving anything in return.  He said this was not the case with the organizations in the Pines that use the facilities. He cited the woman’s club who fill the existing facility during their meetings. He pointed out the significant annual donations that group makes to the Parks and Recreation Department, the police, the fire department, etc.

He went on to point out that volunteers from organizations such as the garden club make Ocean Pines an enviable place to live.  He said that without the participation in community activities we become just a place to come to in order to sleep

In response to a question about the OPA providing funds for the “STOP” group to get their message out, the board members said the information provided about the space needs, required public hearings and the disbursement of necessary information about the referendum, including the rationale behind the board recommendation, was required by the OPA By-laws.  That is why it was placed in the budget.  The board is not authorized to fund a second viewpoint.

When queried about OPA influence in the county seat Mr. Stachurski said we have certain expectations with reference to our two commissioners that depend on their doing their job in representing our needs.  In addition, the OPA board runs a roster to ensure one of the board members is present at the commissioner’s meetings. He went on to say that when our two commissioners do not agree it makes getting four votes almost impossible on any subject.

Mr. Stachurski went on to say he had recently met with the new mayor of Berlin and had talked to Mayor Mathias of Ocean City to explore the possibility of a “northern coalition” on certain issues in order to increase the influence in Snow Hill.  Mr. Carey added that OPA influence had increased significantly in the last five years and was quantum leaps ahead of the situation 20 years ago.

The question was raised about the next step if the referendum fails.  Mr. Stachurski claimed that a NO vote was more than just a vote against this specific project; it was a NO vote to providing space for activities.  He said, “Do we provide space for activities is the real question.”

Mr. Stachurski ended the segment by referring to the Community Hall where the press conference was being held as “The Money Pit,” a reference to the movie of several years ago. He told the group the building had cost $200,000 in maintenance and heater replacement last year, the new roof is estimated to cost $250,000 to $300,000 and this will all hinge on the intrusive inspection the board has called for this year.  If the county would require the building to be immediately brought up to code, the cost would be $900,000