October 11, 2013 The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch Page 43 The Dispatch Forever In Memory Of Our Founder, Dick Lohmeyer (May 25, 1927-May 5, 2005) The Dispatch, Serving Greater Ocean City Since 1984, Is Published By Maryland Coast Dispatch Inc. Weekly On Friday Mornings MAILING ADDRESS: P.O. Box 467 Berlin, Md. 21811 PHYSICAL ADDRESS: 10012 Old Ocean City Blvd. Berlin, Md. 21811 PHONE: 410-641-4561 FAX: 410-641-0966 WEBSITES: www.mdcoastdispatch.com www.facebook.com/thedispatchoc J. STEVEN GREEN Publisher/Editor editor@mdcoastdispatch.com HOW WE SEE IT Between The Lines By Publisher/Editor Steve Green Ocean City Councilman Brent Ashley was forceful this week in his questioning of City Manager David Recor over a perceived blunder at the hands of city staff. At issue is whether the city erred when it let a deadline pass involving the town’s advertising agency contract. It was reported that the city had to decide within 180 days of the contract expiring whether it was looking to test the market and see what other advertising agencies could do for the city and more specifically how much it would cost. The former council had decided to last year extend the contract for a year with the understanding the city would embark on a Request For Proposal process this year. As a result of the notice period passing, the contract automatically renewed for another year with the current vendor, MGH Advertising. Therein lies at least part of the rub. Does a former council’s position and vote carry over after an election? It’s unknown if the current council felt the same way because it was not broached publicly. While that’s an unknown, what is clear is someone within the city let this deadline pass without any council discussion, and all indications are it was an oversight. Ashley found that to be inexcusable this week, and he has a point. Ashley clearly was frustrated with the city manager and his complaints ring familiar. One of the major reasons the former council majority cited continuously for removing former City Manager Dennis Dare in September of 2011 was because he was unwilling to carry out policies dictated and work with the majority and the “new direction” it wanted to take the city. On some level, right or wrong, Ashley seemed to be indicating Recor intentionally did not follow up on a matter he recently addressed. “This is what I was talking about at the last meeting and everyone seemed confused. Is everyone clear now?,” Ashley asked. “My question is, at what point was it decided not to do the RFP and who decided it?” Recor responded no decision was made at all on the matter, and he simply claimed responsibility and did not offer any insight as to why it went down the way it did. Ashley did not accept that, giving the city manager a verbal tongue lashing. He was clearly frustrated by the fact a recent discussion point was not followed up on as well as the fact an official council vote was held on this specific point last year. “You have a valid motion, a second, and a majority vote to do this and it never happened. We set policy up here, and we pay salaries for professional people to follow the directive of the council,” said Ashley, who voted for Recor to be the next city manager during the search process last year. “You know what, Mr. Recor, we just had a case a couple of weeks ago with a parking lot where the lease wasn’t paid for two years and nobody knew it. Who is watching the store here? It is not up to me as a council member. When a motion is made to move forward with a majority vote, it is up to you to make sure that happens. So, now we don’t have a RFP, it’s too late to do it again. Is there anything else we should be checking here before it slips through the cracks?” Should elected officials sleep during meetings? The obvious answer is no, but it happens during most Worcester County Commission meetings with one commissioner in particular known for falling asleep during the typically brief gatherings. It’s been happening for years in various severities. During a recent meeting, a new low was achieved, however, with the commissioner in question turning his chair away from the speakers and falling into a deep sleep while commission members heard various business matters. At least one photo of the long-time commissioner asleep in his chair with mouth agape has been circulating through electronic channels this week. There he was in a deep sleep while business was being handled around him. To quote my favorite ESPN football segment, “C’MON MAN.” Mistakes Made, Lessons Learned? A mistake was made last month at City Hall when a citizen was ejected from Mayor and Council chambers for being disruptive to a degree that resulted in police intervention. The situation was the result of boiling tensions between the council majority and a small group of citizens insistent on questioning the elected officials’ decision making and doing so often in a disrespectful, badgering and immature fashion. All elected officials must have thick skin as well as the confidence to stand up against opposition. While it’s true the citizen in question may have been unruly and disruptive, she clearly did not deserve to be escorted out of the meeting by a police officer. That’s setting a disturbing precedent that will require consistency by council leadership. What complicates the particular issue is the interpretations of exactly what happened. Council President Lloyd Martin was essentially accused of lying this week by his political foes, and there at a minimum is a disagreement over what led the police officer to approach citizen Ellie Diegelmann and talk with her outside the room. When she returned to the room, she apparently did what the police officer advised her not to do – wave papers in the air and clap in a disruptive fashion – and was subsequently ejected from the meeting. This situation was poorly handled from the start. The punishment surely did not fit the crime in this particular case, but the important message here is two-fold. One, citizens need to act in a professional fashion and treat all elected and appointed officials with a certain level of respect. That’s not too much to ask, and it does not take the most articulate among us to make their points without insulting and impugning another’s character. Secondly, the council needs to understand it’s going to be criticized. In fact, there will be many more who bash the council than praise it. That’s just the fact of life in public office, perhaps the most thankless role in society today. However, that doesn’t mean government meetings should be allowed to get disorderly and raucous. There are lengthy precedents the city could explore to how to deal with public comments, and that notion has been tinkered with over the last year. No matter how the government handles public comments, those speaking need to be lucid and responsible with their statements and respectful with their actions. That goes for the citizens and the elected officials. Although the situation was mishandled, it would be wise for all involved to take a step back and realize cooler heads is best for all. NEWS DEPARTMENT SHAWN J. SOPER News Editor Sports Editor ssoper@mdcoastdispatch.com JOANNE SHRINER Staff Writer joanne@mdcoastdispatch.com TRAVIS BROWN Staff Writer travis@mdcoastdispatch.com SALES DEPARTMENT TERRI FRENCH Account Executive Entertainment Editor terri@mdcoastdispatch.com JEANETTE DESKIEWICZ Account Executive jeanette@mdcoastdispatch.com MANETTE CRAMER Account Executive manette@mdcoastdispatch.com ART DEPARTMENT CINDY WARD Art Director art@mdcoastdispatch.com JENNIFER T. O’BRIEN Graphic Artist COLE GIBSON Graphic Artist Webmaster BUSINESS OFFICE PAMELA GREEN Bookkeeper Classifieds Manager classifieds@mdcoastdispatch.com LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Common Core Concerns Editor: Will the federal government have access to your child’s personal data? Yes. The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) assessments will provide the federal government access to student level information on your children. Student level means information would be tied directly to a specific child. The federal, “Race to the Top (RTTT) Assessment Program” awarded a $169 million grant to the “Partnership for the Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers” (PARCC) to develop tests aligned to the CCSS. Maryland has an agreement with PARCC. The Cooperative Agreement between U.S. Dept. of Education and PARCC offers some troubling terms: Page 3 Item 5 reads … “including, but not limited to working with the Department of Education to develop a strategy to make student level data that results from the assessment system (PARCC) available on an ongoing basis for research, …” Page 10 Item 6 reads, “The Grantee (PARCC), must provide SEE PAGE 44 The Maryland Coast Dispatch (USPS #015125) is an official and legal newspaper for Worcester County. Periodical postage paid at Berlin, Maryland, and additional mailing offices.. The Maryland Coast Dispatch, 10012 Old Ocean City Blvd., Berlin, Md. 21811, is published weekly on Friday mornings, 52 weeks a year. Subscription rates are $75 per year, $55 for six months. POSTMASTER: Please send change of address to Maryland Coast Dispatch, P.O. Box 467, Berlin, Maryland 21811. Maryland Coast Dispatch offices are located at Route 346 and Graham Avenue, Berlin, Maryland.