Minutes
Ohio HBPA Board Meeting
11AM, Wednesday, April 14, 2008
Sanese Center, Columbus, OH

Members Present:
President Jim Yaegel, Directors Betty Alexander, Randy Blevins, Jeff Jarvis, Bob Reeves, and Joe Weir

Members Unable to Attend:
Directors John Bourke, Mark Doering, Larry Eilers, Tim Hamm, Alan White and Rich Zielinski

Others Present:
Executive Director Dave Basler, OTBO Executive Director Gayle Babst, Tom Pappas

Call To Order/ Approval of Minutes:
President Yaegel called the meeting to order. Director Weir moved and Director Alexander seconded a motion to approve the minutes of the March 6, 2008 Board Meeting, the March 14, 2008 Board Conference Call and the March 18, 2008 Board Conference Call. Motion passed.

Special Orders of Business:
Discussion was held on the upcoming 2008 Ohio HBPA election. The executive director presented his drafts of election materials to the Board. Director Jarvis moved and Director Weir seconded a motion to accept the election materials for use as presented as well as to name Director Blevins, Director Alexander and Director Reeves to the nominating committee for the 2008 election. Motion passed.

Discussion was held regarding the 2008 Thistledown Racing Dates Agreement. The executive director informed the Board that he had a signed 2-party agreement with Thistledown regarding 2008 racing dates and that a 9-party agreement based on the same terms was still being worked on but at this time it appears that both Lebanon and Raceway Park were unwilling to sign a 9-party agreement despite giving their words on the record at the previous months Ohio State Racing Commission meeting that they would do so.

President's Report:
President Yaegel called for an executive session. President Yaegel moved and Director Jarvis seconded a motion that the executive director be paid a performance bonus for his acheivments during his first 13 months of service as well as a 4% salary increase. Motion passed.

Executive Director's Report:
 Basler gave an update on the recent National HBPA executive committee meeting held in conjunction with the ARCI yearly Board meeting in Austin, Texas in March.

Basler stated that the main accomplishment for the HBPA out of these meetings was that the ARCI had agreed to allow the National HBPA a seat at the table during the model rules implementation process and that this should allow our group to prevent poorly crafted rules from being adopted in the first place rather than having to fight them after the fact as was the case with the safety reins rule. Basler informed the Board as part of this process that the National HBPA had formed a model rules committee which Basler has been asked to join.

Basler gave an update on the purse accounts at each of the states tracks stating that Beulah Park’s purse account was in the best shape it had been in for several years due to a combination of three factors, higher host fees, the number of cancelled cards at the track during the current meeting and the move by Beulah Park to day and night simulcasting which began in January. Basler stated that it was his intention to speak with Beulah Park management about an across the board purse increase for the fall meeting at the track.

Basler stated that Thistledown would start its upcoming meeting with approximately $1.7 million in its purse account, an increase of over $400,000 from the same time last year. Basler stated this surplus should allow Thistledown to maintain its proposed purse structure throughout the meeting.

Basler stated that the River Downs purse account began the meeting with approximately $1.1 million approximately $450,000 short of last year. Basler stated that given the shortfall as well as the fact that wagering at River is down over 20% during the current year, he expected the track would likely make a purse cut during the meeting.

Basler and lobbyist Tom Pappas reported that they had conducted an interview with a legal firm based in Columbus the previous Friday in the search for new legal counsel for the organization. Basler reported that he expected to have a firm selected prior to the next Board meeting in June and that he would seek Board approval to hire said firm at that time.

New Business:

Purses and Wagering
Director Reeves gave a report on the Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Group negotiations with the major ADW companies. Reeves also detailed the actions taken by the horsemen’s group in Texas regarding not allowing Lone Star Park to send their signal to any ADW companies because none currently had a licensing agreement with the THG.

Director Blevins moved and Director Alexander seconded a motion that the executive director shall draft a letter to be sent to each of our tracks stating that the Ohio HBPA would grant its approval to send their signal to any ADW only after the ADW enters into a licensing agreement with the THG. If any ADW does not enter into such an agreement the Ohio HBPA will withhold its consent for any track to send to said ADW following the expiration of our current approvals regarding ADW’s. Motion passed.

Government and External Affairs
The executive director gave an update on the official launch of the Ohio Equine Industry Coalition which occurred at the beginning of April.

Benevolence, Policies and Organization
Following discussion regarding the Ohio Statute regarding thoroughbred racing Director Reeves moved and Director Alexander seconded a motion to allow Director Jarvis at his own expense to redraft section 3769 of the ORC and to bring the redraft back to the Board of Directors for approval. This approval shall be contingent upon Director Jarvis running for reelection to the Ohio HBPA Board in 2008. Director Jarvis shall head a committee to redraft section 3769 of the ORC. Motion passed.

Director Jarvis moved and Director Blevins seconded a motion that the executive director draft a letter to the OSRC proposing a rule change regarding Total Carbon Dioxide testing in the state. Motion passed.

At the request of the executive director, Director Jarvis moved and Director Weir seconded a motion that Section 7.4 (b) 2 of the Code of Regulations be changed to read:
“An envelope, marked only with voting instructions, capable of being sealed.” Motion passed.

Director Jarvis described a problem with the medical trailer at River Downs which had caused water damage to the inside of the trailer. Jarvis, at his own expense, has repaired the flooring of the trailer but stated changes needed to be made to the outside of the trailer or the problem would occur again in the future.

Director Reeves moved and Director Blevins seconded a motion that the field office at River Downs be authorized to obtain estimates for siding and gutter work on the medical trailer and to have the work completed at a cost not to exceed $5,000. Motion passed.

Adjournment:
President Yaegel moved and Director Blevins seconded a motion to adjourn. Motion passed.