During a meeting on July 24, 2024, members of the OPA Environment & Natural Assets Committee (ENAC) trashed the Board of Directors, the General Manager, the Director of Public Works, and perhaps a few others.

The ENAC is off the rails.

The board should consider eliminating the committee or removing all members and starting from scratch. ENAC is an advisory committee. Why is an advisory committee dealing directly with Public Works, with County and/or Maryland officials, with the General Manager, with nearby landowners?

It is a Board of Directors Advisory Committee, not an advisory committee to Public Works, the General Manager, or any other entity or individual. Their point of contact with the board they are appointed to advise is board liaison Jeff Heavner. Any committee also has every opportunity to request to make a presentation to the board during a board meeting, as often happened in the past. Not so recently.

Here are some highlights from opening comments by Committee Chair Tim Peck:

• Peck talked about the "Frustration, disappointment, and disillusionment" of committee members.

• Peck said, "As the committee chair, I am highly concerned about the morale" of the committee members ... He said he's concerned that they can effectively perform "their assigned mission."

• Peck said committee members see "dysfunction and disrespect" in OPA's response to committee actions and inquiries.

• Peck said there needs to be a change in the "governance process, otherwise, this committee becomes obsolete."

• On geese crossing signs, Peck said five signs were removed by OPA administration.

• Peck said committee members did extensive research on the effectiveness of the signs and put in a lot of work and family members also assisted.

• Said Public Works removed signs with no notice to the committee. They asked OPA admin to restore the signs, but were "declined by Ocean Pines."

• Said later inquiries to info@oceanpines told them signs were removed because they were not on OPA property, and were going to be repurposed elsewhere.

•Said: "These efforts conflict with original efforts by committee members to obtain the signs" and getting permission from the property owners to place the signs.

• Said OPA is "dismantling" a previously approved project that the committee organized and executed.

Here are some additional meeting highlights after the chair's opening comment:

• Committee members talked to MDSHA, Worcester County Public Works and others, and "all of these offices ... granted verbal permission to place these signs off the shoulder" of the roadways.

• One committee member said after they initially turned in their findings and didn't hear anything, they were pleasantly surprised to hear that "John Viola had ordered eight signs. We were happy about that."

• Another committee member said he saw a random person just stop and pick up one of the signs.

• Another committee member said: "So frustrated ... irritated."

• Another committee member said they also advised the Board on egg addling but were told no. We are an advisory committee ... we're the people with the environmental knowledge ... [but] the Board, in their infinite wisdom, decided we don't have a goose problem ... why have a committee?" (Note: There is no record of the board saying there is no goose problem. The speaker provided no reference for the comment.)

• Chair: "There's a communication breakdown, either with Viola and how he responds to any kind of request that comes from the committee, but also how the Board ... pays attention to these things."

• Another committee member said: "It feels like an antagonistic relationship ... why are we here?"

• Another committee member said: "That's been especially true of Public Works." Said they've had a "contentious relationship" because "what we're suggesting means more work for them."

• Another committee member said: "The direction coming from management isn't strong enough" ... said management is "lukewarm" on their ideas.

• Peck said: "a serious breakdown in communication ... we can't operate" ... said the administration "doesn't like advisory committees."

• Peck said: "Give us some respect" ... "It's really sad. There are some pretty highly paid people in Ocean Pines [and] they need to act like a highly paid executive." (Note: Another obviously swipe at the GM)

• Another committee member said: "the disrespect is just palpable at this point."

• A committee member attending remotely asked if the election will shake up the Board and help things. A female committee member responded, "I don't think so, I think it's John Viola." (Note: Yet another attack on the GM.)

• Chair: "It's a pattern with the Board and the administration" ... said the election could help but, "there's a longer-term problem," meaning the GM.

• Patty Gamby, from the committee, later talked about some sediment issues. (Note: Apparently something about dredging the very upper end of Manklin Creek.)

• Peck said: "One thing about contacting Josh Davis: He is very, very careful about communication with committees." (Note: A sarcastic remark?)

• Peck said the GM at the last Board meeting noted the comments on OceanPinesForum.com about tree removal and said he found it educational (one committee member snickered at that).

• Peck said the committee requested to be informed on the final policy on trees and would like to be consulted on the review of the policy, "but we have little expectation that will happen, given the history of committee experience."

• Jeff Heavner, in public comments at the end, said "John Viola has committed to engage CPI to make sure that any new homes built will adhere to our guidelines" (about trees).

Below is the video of the committee meeting. Take a look for yourself.