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Video: Code of Conduct

The OPA Board of directors finally passed a Code of Conduct for Board members. This has been a pet project of President Glenn Duffy, although he insists his efforts were at the direction of the board. Unfortunately, lot owners may never know, since the board, likely in violation of the Maryland Homeowners Association Act, improperly did whatever it did during a closed meeting.

Duffy wrote a Code and it came up for discussion last month. Director George Coleburn drilled so many holes in the document that Duffy withdrew the motion -- even though he did not make the motion. What happened was that Duffy, as chair, asked for a motion from another member. Dan Stachurski made the motion.

At any rate, Duffy withdrew the motion and asked Coleburn to provide the board with suggested wording. That wording was on the agenda for the 12/21/2005 meeting, but Coleburn was not at the meeting. Mark Venit also had to leave the meeting early before discussion of the Code.

Interestingly, the agenda item was not attributed to any director, apparently in violation of board policy regarding agenda items.

After much discussion and substantive changes to Coleburn's words, the motion passed. Director Janet Kelley made a valiant, yet doomed from the start, effort to have the motion tabled until all directors were present.

As a part of the "Code," if a director so much as wears a campaign pin for a board candidate to a meeting, the director can be brought up on charges and removed from office.

Coleburn's version sought to prevent a board member from taking a job with OPA for two years after leaving office. Dan Stachurski's successful change in the wording would leave the duration at two years, or if approved by the board. This amidst rumors Stachurski may want Dave Ferguson's job as General Manager.