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R C Edition OCEAN PINES • WEST OCEAN CITY • BERLIN MD
October 1, 2025
THE PEOPLE’S PAPER
Volume 2, Issue 18
Ocean Pines board eliminates committees amid fierce resident backlash By Sherrie Clifford ROC Edition Publisher The Ocean Pines Association Board of Directors voted Sept. 20 to eliminate nearly all of the community’s advisory committees, a move that drew sharp criticism from residents and raised alarms about transparency, oversight and the future of homeowner involvement. The Saturday morning board meeting began like any other but quickly turned into a rare show of emotion and dissent. The meeting room, normally half-full, was packed to capacity. Extra chairs were brought in and still it was standing room only. By the time public comments opened, 14 residents were lined up to speak, most expressing anger and disbelief that their years of volunteer service had been ended with little more than an email. The agenda included a motion by Director Jeff Heavner to terminate standing committees, followed by a first reading to repeal the resolutions that created them. For many, the abruptness of the action and the lack of prior notice, discussion or respect for volunteers was as troubling as the outcome itself. Of particular concern was the elimination of the By-laws and Resolutions Committee, which has long overseen updates to governing documents. Keith Kaiser of Ocean Pines, a six-year member of the By-laws Committee, warned that eliminating committees would undo decades of
best practices. He stressed that while both board and committee members are volunteers, only directors receive free amenities, while committee members work without compensation. To throw away the committee system, he argued, was to discard the institutional knowledge built through years of experience and legal precedent, leaving future boards to “make it up as you go along.” Gary Miller of Ocean Pines, chair of the Aquatics Committee and a member of the Strategic Planning Committee, said the move ignored years of contributions that made Ocean Pines stronger. Miller pointed to successful initiatives like the community kickoff event that grew directly out of See ELIMINATES page 2
ROC Edition • Sherrie Clifford, Publisher
Ocean Pines Association Board of Directors sparks strong community opposition by voting to terminate most advisory committees, prompting concerns over diminshed transparency and resident participation.
Ocean Pines to relocate helicopter pad for safer medevac operations By Sherrie Clifford ROC Edition Publisher Ocean Pines officials are preparing to move and enlarge the community’s helicopter landing pad, a step aimed at improving safety for modern medevac aircraft that are larger and heavier than those in use when the pad was first built. The current pad, located at the South Side Fire Station, has a
diameter of about 25 feet. Fire officials said that while helicopters are still able to use the site, the limited space has at times required pilots to reposition or attempt a second landing when the skids did not line up evenly. That margin of error has raised concerns as Maryland State Police and other agencies now fly helicopters capable of carrying a four-person crew, a patient and often an additional provider.
At the Ocean Pines Association Board of Directors meeting on Sept. 20, General Manager John Viola outlined plans to shift the pad roughly 20 yards from its current location and build a wider replacement. The cost is projected at $10,000 to $15,000 and the Ocean Pines Volunteer Fire Department will pursue grant funding to offset expenses.
See HELICOPTER page 3