Minutes
Ohio HBPA Board Meeting
11:00 am, Thursday, February 28th, 2019
Cornerstone Event Center, Grove City, OH
Members Present:
President Joe Poole Directors: Doug Cowans, Jeff Jarvis, Mark Kuntz, Dick McCall, Robin Schuster, Mike Rone, John Royer, Kristi Tumblin and Kim Williams
Members Unable to Attend: Susan Anderson and Bobby Cline
Others Present:
Executive Director Dave Basler
Call to Order/ Approval of Minutes:
President Poole called the meeting to order. After review President Poole moved and Director Royer seconded a motion to approve the minutes of the January 10th, 2019 Ohio HBPA board of directors meeting. Motion passed.
President Poole moved and Director Schuster seconded a motion to approve the minutes of the January 24th, 2019 Ohio HBPA board of directors conference call. Motion passed.
Director Royer moved and President Poole seconded a motion to approve the minutes of the January 30th, 2019 Ohio HBPA board of directors conference call. Motion passed.
President’s Report:
President Poole discussed concerns he had about an email sent from a board member to other board members following the board conference call on January 30th, 2019.
Executive Director’s Report:
The executive director updated the board regarding negotiations with Belterra Park management on revising the track contract. Extensive discussion was held regarding the stabling and training portion of the proposed contract as well as overall strategy on the negotiations.
Director Jarvis moved and Director Williams seconded a motion setting a deadline for reaching a stabling and training agreement for 2019 at Belterra Park no later than March 15, 2019. If an agreement is not reached by that date the Ohio HBPA will do what is needed to enforce the training provisions provided in the current track contract. Motion passed.
The executive director updated the board that the move from the previous main office location of the HBPA to the current location at 3860 Broadway, Grove City, Ohio had been completed the previous Friday and that phone and internet services had been successfully installed at the new location earlier in the week.
Basler updated the board on the recent RMTC board meeting he had attended representing both the Ohio and National HBPA’s as chairman of the Medication and Model Rules Committees for that group, stating that the RMTC board had approved funding two significant research projects one involving trying to develop new testing methods to detect EP) which was being completed at the University of California-Davis and the other involving detection methods for Liposomal Bupivacaine a medication which has been shown to have lasting numbing effects but is only detectable in the bloodstream for a limited period.
New Business:
Purses and Wagering
Basler updated the board on the current status of the purse accounts at all three Ohio thoroughbred tracks and discussion was held regarding the numbers.
Basler went through handouts provided to the board showing VLT revenues for the state’s seven commercial racetracks detailing that Thistledown net win in January 2019 was up over 7% from the previous January with the 2019 net win figure coming in at $9,682,035. Despite the year over year increase January marked the first month that the track had not exceeded $10,000,000 in VLT net win in the past year. Mahoning Valley had a VLT net win of $9,411,186 for January 2019 up over 6% from the previous January. Belterra Park had a VLT net win of $6,050,740 in January 2019 up over 5% from the previous January breaking a string of three straight months when the tracks VLT
net win had declined on a year over year basis.
Benevolence, Policies and Organization
Director Royer who also serves as a Director for the OTBO passed out a two page handout from that organization detailing a proposed change to the date a mare must reside in the state in order to produce an Ohio registered foal.
Discussion was held regarding a recent Thoroughbred Advisory Board meeting when a different rule proposal had been passed by the Advisory Board with Basler stating that OSRC executive Director Bill Crawford was scheduling another Thoroughbred Advisory Board meeting to discuss this issue as he had been informed by the OTBO that the proposal passed by the Advisory Board was not the proposal the OTBO wished to advance.
Royer described the current proposal and said the OTBO would get the exact language for the proposed rule change to the Ohio HBPA prior to the next Thoroughbred Advisory Board meeting. Discussion was held regarding holding a conference call of the board to discuss the revised proposal language once it is received.
Director Jarvis moved and Director Williams seconded a motion that the Ohio HBPA supports the growth of the agricultural industry and of all equine activities in Ohio. Motion passed.
The executive director provided the board with a handout with potential language for a Euthanasia Guidelines policy for the Ohio HBPA. Following discussion the board agreed that the executive director keep the proposed language on hand for any occasion when the organization is asked about their policy involving euthanasia.
Discussion was held regarding the Ohio HBPA field office managers at each track. No motions were made.
Budget and Finance
President Poole moved and Director Rone seconded a motion for the board to enter executive session.
During the executive session Director Schuster moved and Director Rone seconded a motion that executive director Dave Basler be paid a $10,000 performance bonus for the year 2018. Motion passed.
The executive session was concluded and the board called the executive director back into the meeting and informed him of the previous motion. Basler thanked the board and stated that he appreciated their continued support.
Director Kuntz provided a handout packet from the Daily Racing Form involving advertising opportunities to promote Ohio racings biggest days which detailed that as part of the package the Form would provide free past performances to that days card to all of their customers as well as high profile placement of the event on DRF and email blasts to a 60,000 base of active core players across the country.
Director Jarvis updated the board on the renovation of the trailer purchased to be used as the medical trailer at Belterra Park stating that the renovations should be completed in the next several weeks.
President Poole moved and Director Williams seconded a motion that Director Jarvis be authorized to give the trailers previously used as medical trailers at Belterra Park to whomever he can find to move them off the grounds without charge to the Ohio HBPA. Motion passed.
Discussion was held regarding the THHF moving to the new HBPA main office location. Director Jarvis moved and Director Tumblin seconded a motion that the executive director be authorized to enter into a month to month rental agreement with the THHF charging the THHF a $1,000 per month and one third of the utility bills at the new office location to share that office space. Motion passed.
Following discussion of the chaplaincy program at Belterra, Director Jarvis moved and Director Rone seconded a motion that the Ohio HBPA make a $12,000 contribution from the Industry Initiative Fund to the Race Track Chaplaincy of America to support the chaplaincy program at Belterra Park for the 2019 racing season. Motion passed.
Discussion was held regarding the date of the next Ohio HBPA board of directors meeting with the board setting the date for Thursday, April 18th beginning at 11am at the HBPA main office location at 3860 Broadway, Grove City, Ohio.
Adjournment:
President Poole moved and Director Rone seconded a motion to adjourn. Motion passed.