Minutes
Ohio HBPA Board Meeting
11:00 am, Friday, September 14, 2018
Sanese Center, Columbus, OH
Members Present:
President Joe Poole Directors: Susan Anderson, Bobby Cline, Doug Cowans, Mark Doering (alternate), Jeff Jarvis, Mark Kuntz, Mike Rone, Robin Schuster, Kristy Tumblin and Kim Williams
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 Cline seconded a motion to approve the minutes of the July 16, 2018 meeting of the OHBPA board of directors. Motion passed.
Special Order of Business
The executive director let a discussion involving the potential of sports betting legislation in the state informing the board that he and OHBPA lobbyist Tom Pappas were amongst those invited to a private meeting of interested parties in potential sports betting legislation to be held October 9th by Senator Eklund.
Extensive discussion was held regarding Pappas contracting with a conglomerate of MLB, NBA and PGA to represent those entities in sports betting legislation in the state. Basler provided a letter detailed that engagement which Pappas had written to pass along to the board.
Director Williams moved and Director Cline seconded a motion that the Ohio HBPA waive the conflict of interest and allow Ohio HBPA lobbyist Tom Pappas to represent both the sports leagues and the Ohio HBPA in potential sports betting legislation in Ohio. Motion passed.
Executive Director’s Report:
The executive director introduced Susan Anderson as a new board member and Kim Williams as a returning board member to the group as a result of the recent Ohio HBPA elections.
Extensive discussion was held regarding upcoming negotiations with Belterra park management on revising the track contract and a new VLT revenue sharing agreement.
The board decided to allow the executive director to be the Ohio HBPA negotiator on those contracts.
Director Williams moved and Director Jarvis seconded a motion that the executive director do a markup of the current track contract with his suggested changes and/or comments to be emailed to all board members for their comments and suggestions. Motion passed.
Director Jarvis moved and Director Williams seconded a motion that the executive director not enter into contract negotiations with Belterra Park until the mark up and subsequent comments from the previous motion had been received by the executive director. Motion passed.
Basler detailed a filing issue with the companies 941 tax returns in 2017 which has led to payments being due to the IRS. Director Williams moved and President Poole seconded a motion to make the necessary payments to the IRS which resulted from the 941 filing issues. Motion passed.
The executive director provided the board with an update on the recent RMTC board meeting he had attended on behalf and at the expense of the National HBPA.
Basler discussed an August hearing held by the Ohio State Racing Commission on potential Out of Competition testing regulations in the state. Basler stated that he testified before the commission the Ohio HBPA’s long standing position that any out of competition testing in the state should be restricted to those substances which should never be in a horse and which can’t be found in post racing testing.
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 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 August 2018 was up over 14% from the previous August with the 2018 net win figure coming in at $11,002,108 marking the seventh straight month that the net win at the track had exceeded $10,000,000. Mahoning Valley had a VLT net win of $10,198,495 for august 2018 up over 13% from the previous August and Belterra Park had a VLT net win of $7,221,338 in August 2018 up over 5% from the previous year’s net win figure.
Discussion was held regarding the 2019 Ohio Thoroughbred Fund and its budget including an upcoming October meeting of the Thoroughbred Advisory Board.
Director Williams detailed that he thought there needed to be changes to the program going forward and gave some of his ideas with many other board members expressing various thoughts about the program.
Director Cline moved and President Poole seconded a motion that the Ohio HBPA recommend to the thoroughbred advisory board that a rule be in put in place whereby any Ohio-bred race in the book can’t be closed prior to the closing of entries for all other races that day. Motion passed.
Benevolence, Policies and Organization
The executive director detailed to the board that per section 3.11 (c) of the Ohio HBPA code of regulations it was clear that it was this boards responsibility to fill the two vacant owner only seats on the board but that the procedures to do that were up to the board’s discretion.
Director Jarvis moved and Director Tumblin seconded a motion that candidates for the vacant owner only positions be nominated at this meeting with the executive director then sending out the regular packets to the nominated candidates who would then have until October 15, 2018 to submit their completed packets to the executive director at the Ohio HBPA’s main office with the election by the board to take place at the next Ohio HBPA board meeting. Motion passed.
President Poole nominated Dick McCall as a candidate Director Cline seconded.
President Poole nominated Nancy Lavrich as a candidate Director Tumblin seconded.
President Poole nominated Larry Eilers as a candidate Director Tumblin seconded.
President Poole nominated George Sikura as a candidate Director Cline seconded.
Director Williams nominated Gary Falter as a candidate President Poole seconded.
Director Williams nominated John Royer as a candidate President Poole seconded.
Elections were held for Ohio HBPA officers for a 2-year term from September 2018 to September 2020.
Director Schuster nominated Joe Poole for President with Director Cline seconding. There were no other nominations for President.
President Poole nominated Director Rone for Vice President at Thistledown with Director Cline seconding.
There were no other nominations for Vice President at Thistledown.
President Poole nominated Director Schuster for Vice President at Mahoning Valley with Director Cline seconding.
There were no other nominations for Vice President at Mahoning Valley.
Director Tumblin nominated Director Cline for Vice President at Belterra Park with Director Rone seconding.
Director Cowans nominated Director Jarvis for Vice president at Belterra Park with Director Williams seconding.
A written ballot was conducted for vice president at Belterra Park which resulted in a 5 to 5 tie. Per the Ohio HBPA code of regulations the members then vote on the vice president at the next horsemen’s meeting at the track which was then scheduled for September 28.
The board established the following committees which will serve for the next two years.
Chapter Committees
Belterra Park- Susan Anderson, Doug Cowans, Mark Kuntz, Bobby Cline, Jeff Jarvis
Thistledown- Mark Doering, Kristi Tumblin, Robin Schuster, Mike Rone, Don Radcliff
Mahoning Valley-Kristi Tumblin, Mark Doering, Robin Schuster, Mike Rone, Bobby Cline
Benevolence Committee
Belterra Park; Directors Anderson, Cowans and Cline
Thistledown; Directors Rone, Schuster and Tumblin
Mahoning Valley; Directors Schuster, Rone and Tumblin
Benevolence, Policies and Organization Committee President Poole, Directors Cline and Schuster
Purse and Wagering Committee Directors Jarvis, Kuntz and Williams
Government and External Affairs Committee President Poole, Directors Rone and Williams
Budget and Finance Committee Directors Jarvis, Williams and Kuntz
Pac Committee President Poole, Directors Jarvis and Williams
Government and External Affairs
Discussion was held regarding the need to get additional members who are willing to become active in the Ohio Farm Bureau and can be added to the Ohio HBPA membership list.
Budget and Finance
The executive director informed the board that he had been in contact with both the racing commission and Belterra Park officials and anticipated that the Belterra park escrow account funds would be transferred to the Ohio HBPA within the next week.
Following discussion Director Jarvis moved and Director Rone seconded a motion that the escrow funds from Belterra Park be handled in a manner consistent with how similar funds are handled by contract at both Mahoning Valley Race Course and Thistledown. Motion passed.
The executive director updated the board on the movement of the Ohio HBPA Industry Initiative fund monies to an interest bearing account at Fifth Third Bank with the ability to make transfers back to the Industry Initiative Fund checking account on the same day.
Discussion was held regarding an RFP for a joint Ohio Racing Economic Impact sturdy with the OHHA. The proposal had gone out to a number of consulting and accounting/auditing firms who do economic impact studies and the executive director was waiting to receive bids back at which time he would bring them back to the board to discuss the possibility of having the study done.
Director Schuster moved and President Poole seconded a motion to make a $750 donation from the Industry Initiative Fund to the Mahoning Valley Race Course Food Bank run by Chaplain Smith. Motion passed.
Discussion was held regarding a letter from the OTBO requesting funds from the Ohio HBPA to pay for their upcoming mixed sale and operations.
Director Rone moved and Director Schuster seconded a motion to make a $25,000 contribution to the OTBO from the Industry Initiative Fund. Motion passed.
Discussion was held regarding the location and date for the next Ohio HBPA board meeting as the Sanese Center was closing and wouldn’t be available for future meetings.
It was decided that the next meeting would be held on November 15, 2018 beginning at 11am at the Cornerstone Meeting and Event Center located at 1604 Gateway Circle in Grove City, Ohio.
Adjournment:
Director Cowans moved and President Poole seconded a motion to adjourn. Motion passed.