commentary by Joe Reynolds

Anyone arriving at the OPA Administration building on Saturday 6/25/2016 for the Board of Directors meeting or the popular Farmers Market saw a truck belonging to OPA board member Bill Cordwell parked on OPA commonly-owned property at the Administration Building with signs promoting board candidates George Simon and Pat Supik.

If this is not a clear violation of the intent of election sign rules, what the heck is? The current OPA board majority, with Cordwell as a card-carrying member, may wish to see candidates elected who will continue to support their policies, but this ongoing ignoring or bending of the rules must end.

Some will view all this sign business as unimportant. However, it is symptomatic of a very real battle being waged for control of the the Ocean Pines Association, a battle that will impact you and your pocket book for years to come. This election matters, perhaps more than any in a decade.

Both the board as an entity and the two candidates should publicly disavow this impropriety by Cordwell. Cordwell's comments in local papers of late, as well as his threat against a fellow board member, make one wonder why any candidate would want his support, or why any association member would consider his advice as to what candidates to support.

At the OPA Board of Directors meeting on 6/25/2016, Cordwell also expressed support of a Candidate Search Committee recommendation to have the Board of Directors do criminal background checks on all OPA Board of Director candidates, and then have the sitting board decide if each candidate was qualified to run for the board. Cordwell made some vague reference to one or more past board members with backgrounds he apparently deems should have precluded them serving as board members.

After the meeting a chairman of one committee even brought up the issue of criminal background checks for committee members.

While Cordwell was promoting his support for Supik and Simon on OPA property outside the board meeting, during the meeting he also railed against a proposal by Jack Collins to bring transparency to the vote counting process. Collins, as a part of the discussion, asked that the board suspend the rules to allow the chairman of the Bylaws & Resolutions Committee to address the board on that issue.

Cheryl Jacobs, presiding over the meeting, refused Collins' request. Her refusal marks perhaps the first time in about 30 years, maybe more, that the board refused to suspend the rules to allow a committee member to address something related to the committee and a motion on the floor. Interestingly, Jacobs may not even have the authority to make such a unilateral refusal, however no other board member even questioned her decision.

Past OPA president Bill Zawacki says a suspension of the rules requires a motion, second, and vote. Jacobs decided unilaterally. Again, however, neither Collins or any board member questioned her unilateral decision.

While Cordwell has thus far been the only sitting board member to express public support for criminal background checks (others expressed no opposition or support), if Cordwell can help elect certain candidates sympathetic to his views, maybe a future board will decide to also investigate each association member's criminal background to see who should have the right to vote. Nothing is surprising in OPA-land. Remember the board motion about 10 years ago to put together a committee to offer counsel to association members with internal family issues? Sometimes you really can't make this stuff up.

If you want to put an end to this "iron curtain" descending over what remains of transparency in the management of OPA and the prospect of criminally investigating board candidates and committee candidates, think twice before you cast any vote based on Cordwell's candidate support.