We have much to look back on in 2025 and be grateful for! Thank you to our Ocean Park neighbors for all that you contribute to our neighborhood: your wonderful friendliness and willingness to help and come together, your passion to improve our community and your imagination for what more we could do together! Looking forward to 2026 and all that it brings knowing this is a great place to live!

Upcoming events:

• Social Committee Meeting on Monday, January 5th at OPVRS at 6 pm (CHILI COOKOFF PLANNING!)
• General Membership Meeting on January 8th at OPVRS at 7pm.
• CHILI COOKOFF! Thursday, February 5th 5-8 pm at OPVRS.

A Year in Review!!

We had so many delicious cookies for our refreshments on Thursday! Thank you to Kristie Weaver and Lauren Harrington for providing the treats that we enjoyed at the meeting and got to take some home too!

The meeting also included some food for thought about 2026 Fireworks date which will have to take into account many factors especially cost. Jill Doczi, Fireworks Chair, gave an update. Sharing a barge and staffing with the city brings those costs down but limits choices. There are many hoops to jump through: City of Virginia Beach Fire Marshal, Homeland Security, U.S. Coast Guard etc. all must approve and issue permits.

At the meeting we also had the first look at the 2026 Draft Budget presented by Treasurer Shane Abell. Parlimentarian Ashley MacLeod led further discussion of the proposed bylaws changes. More to follow on all those topics!

Come have some holiday cookies! A short business meeting on Thursday, December 4th at the Chesapeake Bay Foundation Brock Center 7-8 pm. Join us also on ZOOM!

On the agenda:

• Fireworks Update and Planning for next year
• Bylaws Update
• 2026 Budget first look
• 4 more days to donate for gift cards for children in the CASA program!

Minutes from November Meeting:

From our Parliamentarian Ashley MacLeod:

Why are the OPCL Bylaws Are Being Updated? 

At the September 2024 OPCL meeting, Michael Wagner-Diggs, MBA, PRP, served as Parliamentarian to assist with rules of order and interpretation of the existing bylaws. Following his review, he strongly recommended that the OPCL Bylaws undergo a comprehensive revision.

While the immediate priority prompting this update was to clarify the number of votes per member and to define membership categories and eligibility, it is considered best practice to review the entire bylaws document whenever any amendments are proposed.

Because changes to the bylaws require a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote for approval, rather than a simple majority, conducting a full review ensures efficiency, consistency, and alignment with current governance and operational needs.

After review, most of the recommended edits or updates are wording or language changes (about 16) allowing for clearer understanding.   Approximately 11 edits or additions would change policy or process.   The key below has been created to assist members in easily identifying the edits themselves, the explanation of and type of changes.  

Timeline

• Bylaws Proposed changes presented at regular monthly meeting Nov. 6 at CBF Brock Center
• First Review/ Information Meeting Nov. 24 at OPVRS
  Second Review Meeting Dec. 2 at OPVRS 6-7 pm.
• Update at regular monthly General Membership Meeting Dec. 4 at CBF Brock Center
• No confirmed date for General Membership vote

At the November 6 Membership meeting we had an informative talk from Officer Schoenbach on the new technologies used to help their efforts to find and hold law breakers responsible and many updates from President Danny Murphy.

Plans are moving forward for the sidewalks on Shore Drive. Update from Councilman Joash Schulman: “After generations of being de-prioritized, Shore Drive will have continuous ADA-compliant sidewalks and curb ramps installed on both sides of the street between Marlin Bay Drive and the Lesner Bridge. Construction will begin late 2025 and be complete by Fall 2026.”

Come on by and have a cookie and a drink while you get the latest updates! On the agenda we have a report from Officer Schoenbach and the latest news about projects in the neighborhood. Also on the agenda: vote on recommendation to fund the security at LBR in next year’s City Budget, the election of treasurer, report on Fall Fest and an update on recommended changes to the bylaws.

More on the bylaws: This fall, the OPCL BOD conducted a comprehensive review of our bylaws to ensure they reflect current neighborhood needs. Our parliamentarian provided strategic guidance on opportunities to enhance the bylaws, including improvements to business operations. We will review proposed changes and allow for member feedback before posting a final version on the website for membership review a month prior to any formal vote. Bylaws require 2/3 of the membership to approve.

Join us on ZOOM: LINK to the meeting.