Vision needed for Ocean Pines
Commentary by Joe Reynolds

Is former OPA Board member Tom Sandusky a seer or just another board-basher venting an emotional tirade? The question arises after his recent commentary in The Courier and OceanPinesForum.com about the Board of Directors and the resignation of OPA General Manager Dave Ferguson.

Sandusky is no seer. Informed members of the community will recognize Sandusky’s commentary as an emotional rant based on his own politically motivated views.  Irrational emotion surfaced in his first paragraph when he referred to “our beloved Home Owners Association.” OPA, Inc. may be many things to many people, but one suspects few view it as “beloved.”

Sandusky’s commentary is filled with misinformation and half-truths passed off as facts to bolster his opinion that the board is responsible for Ferguson’s resignation. The uninformed may take his words as gospel, and thus his board-bashing does a great disservice to the community. He charges the board with “micro-management,” a term heard much around Ocean Pines lately. Community leader Bill Rakow brought a less emotional observation to the micro-management charge when he observed that the board has no choice but to micro-manage or fire a manager who fails to implement board policy. The general manager is not the dog, rather the tail, and the tail does not wag the dog.

There is no question Dave Ferguson did a credible job since his arrival in 1999. Sandusky, however, promotes what some are calling the “Big Lie” -- saying Ferguson reduced losses at the Yacht Club from the $300,000 range to near break-even. In the foggy world of OPA financial reporting, Sandusky is correct. A reality check, however, reveals much of the loss reduction came from changes in accounting procedures, not true dollar loss reductions. The true dollar loss reduction is probably closer to $100,000 according to OPA Board member Mark Venit. Even this would certainly represent good progress, but why try to fool lot owners with politically motivated exaggeration?

Board creation of an Accounting Task Force is cited by Sandusky as a major contributor to Ferguson’s resignation. Sandusky sees this board action as “yet another ‘we don't trust you, and you're incompetent’ motion.” Sandusky fails to mention proven employee theft in at least one OPA department.

Addressing financial oversight, former Budget & Finance Committee member and CPA Gene Ringsdorf said, “Tom should take note of the growing number of professional organizations which are calling for nonprofit organizations like OPA to establish permanent independent audit committees to review their organizations' accounting and internal controls. Nonprofits - and OPA - are not immune to financial irregularities.”

Ringsdorf also said, “It is the general lack of understanding among lot owners that allows OPA to make misleading comments in its financial reports with the expectation they will not be challenged.” One of the tasks for the Accounting Task Force so vehemently opposed by Sandusky and Ferguson is to make OPA’s financial reporting more transparent to lot owners.

Sandusky also derides board budget decisions on golf. He believes Ferguson had things under control in his original budget and wrote, “The board first approved the general manager’s proposed 2006-2007 golf budget even though it projected a loss of $30,000.” What Sandusky does not mention is Ferguson’s projection was smoke and mirrors, shrouding a more likely loss of over $100,000. Heather Cook correctly wanted a more realistic golf budget but it was not to be, dying an agonizing death on the political altar of golf politics.

Another Sandusky rant was about recent board decisions on marketing OPA amenities. He wrote, “I believe it's doubtful we can further market our Yacht Club and golf amenities within a homeowners association that already knows about them.”  This is defeatism at its best, and a call for continued mediocrity. Ocean Pines can be better, much better, but not until people begin questioning blind allegiance to a status quo supported by Sandusky and promising continued mediocrity.

Where is the Martin Luther King of Ocean Pines with a vision of the Promised Land? Certainly the Promised Land is not the status quo of failing infrastructure and increased assessments to offset amenity losses. It could be a Promised Land of profitable amenities reducing the assessment burden.

We are sitting on top of a gold mine but no OPA Board or General Manager has yet figured out a way to extract the ore. It will take long-range vision but OPA Boards tend to be myopic.