Ohio HBPA Board Meeting
11:00 am, July 18, 2017
Sanese Center, Columbus, OH
Members Present:
President: Joe Poole Directors: Randy Blevins, Bobby Cline, Doug Cowans, Mark Doering, Mark Kuntz, Mike Rone, Bruce Ryan, Kristina Tumblin
Members Unable to Attend:
Jeff Jarvis, Robin Schuster
Others Present:
Executive Director Dave Basler, OTBO President Tom McCann, OTBO Executive Director John Engelhardt
Call To Order/ Approval of Minutes:
President Poole called the meeting to order. After review Director Blevins moved and Director Doering seconded a motion to approve the minutes of the May 16, 2017 meeting of the OHBPA board of directors. Motion passed.
President’s Report
President Poole led a discussion of possible recommendations the Ohio HBPA might make to the THHF board of trustees regarding the THHF Retirement Assistance Program. No motions were made.
Executive Director’s Report:
The executive director updated the board on a medication hearing held by the Ohio State Racing Commission. Basler stated that he testified at the hearing regarding the so called “National Uniform Medication Policy” and its 4 parts.
Stating that there were no issues with one part for Ohio that being lab accreditation as the ODA which does all testing for Ohio’s 7 commercial racetracks had already received lab accreditation.
Basler stated that he informed the commission if they were inclined to entertain the “third party lasix administration” portion of NUMP that the Ohio HBPA would strongly recommend that it be done like it is in Indiana, Minnesota and several other states where the trainer’s practicing vet still administers the lasix while security follows the vets to insure nothing else is being administered at lasix time.
Basler stated that the Multiple Medication Violation portion of NUMP was riddled with errors when it was passed over three years ago but in December 2016 numerous changes were adopted to the model rule by the ARCI which corrected many of the issues. With some minor changes Basler told the OSRC that the Ohio HBPA could likely accept the MMV rule being adopted in Ohio.
Basler gave lengthy testimony about the Controlled Therapeutic Medication schedule and several of the problems in had caused horsemen due to thresholds not being based on published research and later changed when research was done.
The executive director informed the board that the OSRC would likely hold at least one more open hearing on its medication policy before considering any changes.
Basler provided the board a copy of a letter he had sent to the OSRC at Chairman Schmitz’s requests recapping his testimony during the medication hearing.
Discussion was held on progress being made at both Belterra Park and Thistledown based upon Ohio HBPA discussions with management. At Belterra Park a major improvement which has been put in place by management at the request of the HBPA was the removal of employee parking from the lot used by horsemen and horse racing patrons. This change more than doubled the size of the lot for horsemen and horse racing patrons and has been very well received by our members.
At Thistledown a paving project was completed on the day of the meeting paving both the road that runs along the race track leading up to the HBPA office and the road that splits off from that road and runs behind barn 26 and is where many trailers are parked. Both of these roads had been riddled with many potholes and the patching jobs done previously only lasted for a few weeks.
Basler gave the board a recap of the National HBPA executive committee meetings that he and President Poole had attended on behalf of the Ohio HBPA in Louisville a few weeks earlier.
New Business:
Purses and Wagering
Basler updated the board on the current status of the purse accounts at all three of the states thoroughbred tracks.
The executive director provided handouts detailing VLT results at each of Ohio’s seven commercial race tracks and discussion was held regarding those numbers with Mahoning Valley Race Course showing a strong 20% year over year increase in net win for the month of June while Belterra Park’s net win was up 6% from the previous June and Thistledown showed a 4% net win increase year over year.
Benevolence, Policies and Organization
Basler informed the board that the Ohio HBPA’s new website was in the final stages of development by Mannix Marketing after receiving input from the HBPA committee on various design and content aspects.
Basler told the board the new site is expected to be up and running live in approximately 2 weeks.
Budget and Finance
OTBO President Tom McCann and executive director John Engelhardt presented the board with a multi page handout which detailed the first half expenses and activities of the organization accounting for the Ohio HBPA’s $50,000 contribution to the organization this year as well as laying out a schedule for a proposed Ohio Thoroughbred Fall sale in 2017.
Director Doering moved and Director Blevins seconded a motion to enter executive session.
During the executive session discussion was held on applications received for the field office manager job at Thistledown. Discussion was also held regarding what the executive director was authorized to offer a potential field office manager.
The board selected Directors Tumblin, Schuster, Rone and Doering along with the executive director to conduct interviews with potential candidates for the field office manager position.
A personal benevolence request was not acted on by the board due to the death of the individual making the request.
Discussion was held regarding the potential need for a new ice machine at Thistledown. The board authorized Director Jarvis to get quotes for a new machine similar in size to the current machine in question on behalf of the Ohio HBPA.
Discussion was held regarding the date for the next Ohio HBPA board of directors meeting with the directors selecting Tuesday, September 19th as the date for the next meeting.
Adjournment:
Director Blevins moved and Director Doering seconded a motion to adjourn. Motion passed.