OCEAN PINES – Proposed revisions to the association’s candidate verification process passed on second reading this week.
On Wednesday, the Ocean Pines Association Board of Directors voted unanimously to approve on second reading amendments to Resolution M-09, which relates to the Search Committee and board candidate applications.
While amendments were initially introduced in January, the board last month elected to postpone the second reading after board members voiced their opposition to a revision allowing the association secretary to grant additional time to correct or complete candidate applications.
“These revisions have undergone two prior readings by the Board and discussion by the Board of the language changes noted,” Association President Colette Horn wrote in her motion. “Following the second review and discussion of this language by the Board, the document was reviewed by the Bylaws and Resolutions Advisory Committee.”
In January, Horn presented the board with proposed revisions to Resolution M-09, Section 8, which outlines the candidate search responsibilities of the association secretary.
The amendments would require the secretary to use Worcester County land records or State Department of Assessments and Taxation records to verify a candidate’s property ownership. The revision would also require the secretary to include their reason for rejecting an application when notifying applicants of their acceptance or rejection of a candidate application.
The proposed amendments also allowed the secretary to grant an extension to the due date of the candidate application should any additional information be required. That language, however, has since been struck from the proposed revisions.
“I don’t think we can give the secretary the authority to extend the due date,” Director Larry Perrone said last month. “I think when these applications come in, if there’s a question, it should be addressed directly. The due date is the due date. If we take that position, I think it opens us up for a complaint being made if someone decides to put their application in too late.”
In Wednesday’s meeting, Director Doug Parks noted Resolution M-09 mentioned the term “owner of record,” the definition of which is the subject of proposed bylaw changes.
“If [it] gets approved, we’re going to have some homework to do in the backend to reupdate this particular resolution to reflect that,” he added.
With no further discussion, the board voted unanimously to approve revisions to Resolution M-09 on second reading. The board this week also voted to amend the attachment election information and candidate application form for Resolution M-09.
“Board discussions of the candidate qualifications the Bylaws and Resolutions Advisory Committee emphasized the benefits of gathering information about candidate characteristics that are distinct from qualifications that would also be of interest to voters,” Horn wrote in her motion. “This proposed form provides for gathering information about both candidate qualifications and candidate characteristics.”
The second reading of revisions to Resolution M-09 comes months after a Worcester County Circuit Court judge ruled 2021 board candidate Rick Farr an eligible Ocean Pines homeowner.
Farr was disqualified during the election process last year after an anonymous tip raised questions about his status as a homeowner of the address listed on his candidate application.
