Wow, we are already in the middle of March! It is hard to believe that we will soon be in Columbus for the spring legislative meetings. I will attempt to recap the sessions that we have had in the past month.

On February 16^th several members of the legislative committee meet with State Repersentivies Steve Arndt and Dick Stein to discuss our Boards position on  House Bill 211, the Home Inspection Bill. The meetings went well, and we were able to get the commitment of support from both of the Representatives on the bill. I am happy to report that the House Economic Development, Commerce, and Labor Committee reported out to the full house, HB211 which creates the Ohio Home Inspector Board and requires licensure of home inspectors. We will continue report on the progress on the bill as it works its way through the House. If passed by the full House it will then move to the Senate.

On Febuary 19^th I had a luncheon meeting with Ed Dolinsky,Kristine Burdick, and Jeff Russell. Also attending from our Board was Steve Mack and DJ Swearingen. They are on the NORMALS Board of Governors and wanted to inform us of the changes at NORMALS. CHRIS MLS has merged with NORMALS, and they now are looking to see if they could become our MLS provider. We told them we would report to our Directors and follow up if we wanted any further information.

Our Professional Standards training class was held on  February 21^st at our Board Office. We had excellent attendance at this training.

On February 23^rd I attended an RPAC Programs Task Force Meeting for the Ohio REALTORS in Columbus. The purpose of the RPAC Task Force would be to review:  Ohio REALTORS per member goal and its effect on the Local Board Entitlement Program, Recognition Levels, and all RPAC State Awards programs (100% of Goal and Category Awards). It has been many years since the Per Member Goal, Recognition Levels and the RPAC Awards have been reviewed.  There have been many changes in Ohio’s Local Boards/Associations that necessitate a review of these issues.  Also, with changes in NAR’s calculation of percent participation by state associations, leadership believes serious consideration needs to be given to changing our per member RPAC goals.

The group had Discussion on the following topics;

• Currently, the Ohio per member goal is $10 per member
• NAR does not recognize PAC participation until a member contributes $15

This creates a Conflict because a board could have full member participation according to Ohio but not NAR minimums. By not suggesting a minimum contribution that is recognized by NAR as participating, Ohio does not get credit for those opting only to give $10.

Some other items for consideration:

• Should Ohio increase the per member amount to $15, bringing our minimum contribution in line with what NAR recognizes as participation?
• Would raising the per member share to $15 increase Ohio’s overall participation rating?
• Increasing the per member amount will impact how board entitlement dollars are calculated

I attended the 2018 Presidents Circle Conference from March 1^st thru March 4. The President’s Circle is a group of REALTORS who contribute directly to REALTOR-friendly candidates at the federal level. Political Action Committees, like RPAC, can only legally contribute $10,000 per election cycle to a congressional candidate. The President’s Circle Program supports REALTOR Champions—members of Congress who have made significant achievements in advancing the REALTOR public policy agenda. The President’s Circle Program allows REALTORS to contribute beyond RPAC dollars and increase the strength of the REALTOR's voice on Capitol Hill.   This is an annual event and Ohio had 25 members who were President Circle members in 2017.

On March 7^th we held training for RPR at the Board office in three sessions, and we received great reviews on this program.

On the 14^th we held New Member training for agents that have recently joined our Board.  We have sent out invitations to our State officials for our dinner in Columbus scheduled for April 10^th at Tony’s at the corner of Beck and High Streets.

Respectfully submitted,

David W Freitag RCE, CEO 

 Fran Hartenfield, Board member of Fish and Loaves in Bellevue, OH graciously receives a donation from the Firelands Association of REALTORS Charitable Trust.  Each of our five counties allocates  money for charities of their choice within their county.

The Lake Erie Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization established in 2016 to sustain and protect the waters of Lake Erie. The Lake Erie Foundation is the result of the combining of two organizations, the Lake Erie Waterkeeper and Lake Erie Improvement Association, that advocated for Lake Erie protection and improvements for many years. Leaders of these pioneering organizations recognized that a combined long-term sustainable effort would be more effective in protecting the entire lake. Our mission is to “create and maintain a healthy Lake Erie now and forever as defined by drinkable water, recreational contact, and edible fish.” 

Len Partin, Broker for Jack Bradley Realty in Port Clinton is a member of the Lake Erie Foundation Board.  They are looking for additional members who believe that sustaining and maintaining the beauty of Lake Erie is important.  For more information on joining this important group, please This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to contact Jeanette Polacholski, Membership Director.