Operational Overview

OTRP was formed in 1994 to provide property and casualty support.

OTRP is formed under Ohio Revised Code Section 2744.081. OTRP is governed by by-laws which were last amended in 2007

In all cases the voting trustee is the Executive Director of the transit. Alternates are normally selected by the Member from Risk Management and Finance. For all positions, the Transit Board must pass a resolution designating their voting member and alternates. A Sample of this resolution can be found here.

Each member of OTRP may designate a voting trustee and multiple alternates to serve in their absence. Members must be present to vote and cannot vote remotely unless allowed by Ohio Law. If multiple trustees are present from the same entity one individual should be identified to vote for that member during that meeting.

The Board Elects five positions: President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary and the CEO as non-voting Assistant Treasurer. Elections occur at the first regular meeting and once the vote occurs their term immediately begins. Vacancies shall be filled by the Board. To view the past and present nominating committee and officers click here. The duties of each position are outlined by the by-laws.

The President of the OTRP Board may create committees of which the President of the Board appoints the Chair and Members. Currently OTRP has two committees, the Nominating Committee and the CEO Review and Contract Committee. OTRP occasionally fills other committees such as Governance if the need dictates.

The OTRP Board of Trustees has adopted a wide range of Board Policies which control the operation of OTRP. All policies are located with Govenda under OTRP Documents.

OTRP grants the authority to the CEO to hire staff at will within budgetary authority. Job Descriptions are routinely reviewed and disclosed yearly through the budget document. Staffing and success are outlined through the 10 year Staffing Plan.

Regular Board Meetings occur in March, June, September and November. All other meetings are to be called a “Special Session”. September is traditionally an overnight Strategic Planning Meeting.

Board Packets are delivered through Govenda an on-line Portal and are published one week before the meeting. Any changes made after that time are noted in the agenda under “Errata”.

OTRP Participates in OPTA as a vendor along with APTA. OTRP also budgets funds to support a small amount of funds for safety and other visible efforts. No fund raising or other entertainment activities are sponsored by OTRP.

OTRP participates in the Nationwide Association of Risk Pools. We participate in Recognition, a self-audit program for pool operations and best practices.. AGRiP also offers in person and on-line training programs for staff and conferences for Pool Trustees and Staff. Click here to access the AGRiP site.

OTRP pays for trustees' attendance at AGRiP and occasionally other travel opportunities. The OTRP Board has not funded mileage to and from Board Meetings. All overnight travel is covered. Click here for the Travel Policy.

OTRP is required by statute to file a fiscal audit yearly. Our auditor is obtained through an RFP issued by the Ohio AOS and an independent company is retained through this process. Click here for our latest audit.

OTRP creates and publishes an Annual Report for Marketing Purposes. This document can be found on our website.

OTRP can provide limited contract legal assistance to members, especially in the area of Risk Management or items that could lead to litigation in the future. Any member wishing to utilize this service should contact the OTRP CEO for these resources.

OTRP holds contracts to allow staff a portion of their time to manage separate organizations. Staff impacted tracks their time through software and management reports are given quarterly.

OTRP retains services under contract. RFP’s are filed periodically and the Board approves all services. The CEO has some contracting authority under the CEO contracting policy.

The Group-Retrospective-Rating Program is a performance based incentive program in which BCW certified sponsors create groups of employers who manage safety and claims to achieve lower premiums. Members continue to pay their own individual premiums and have the opportunity to receive retrospective premium adjustments based upon the combined performance of the group. Any OTRP member who is fully insured for Workers Compensation may voluntarily join the OTRP Retro Rebate group. The group shares a group administrator and claims administrator. Rebates are calculated and received directly from the Bureau of Workers Compensation.

OTRP invoicing occurs in various methods please click here to see the complete details.

OTRP does not allow for the assumption of the liability of another entity or person through a contract without endorsement from the OTRP Board of Trustees. We strongly recommend all contracts be sent to OTRP for review of these provisions. Generic language is available.

Each year OTRP retains a fully qualified actuary to provide both a “rate” and “reserve” study. The reserve study is performed during the first quarter to review the reserves OTRP holds on-account at fiscal year end. The rate study provides us with rates and target amounts to fund our yearly loss funds. This meets our requirements under 2744.081

OTRP keeps an online Underwriting Database that is maintained by each member. The database stores all Vehicle and Commercial information and property values. Property data should be kept up to date in real time. The underwriting database also features a one page renewal form in which data is gathered.

Once a year in June, renewal data gathering is open and available for members to complete. Data must be submitted by July 15th. The form is located in the OTRP Underwriting Database located on our website.

OTRP, in cooperation with our contracted broker, has the ability to place most other coverages a member desires that are not a normal part of the pool coverages. Coverages currently placed include, Assault & Battery, High Hazard Flood, Law Enforcement Liability, and Rail Liability. Please contact underwriting for a quote.

Each OTRP's member contribution % to the annual budget is determined by the Pool Contribution Factors (PCF). The PCF considers 7 factors for each member: Loss History, Total Miles, Total Property Values, Net Operating Expenses, Service Area Population, # of Vehicles, and Full-Time Equivalent Employee.

Each member is able to determine and select what Liability Deductible fits best for them. OTRP can help members facilitate this decision by performing a Deductible Analysis that considers that member's Loss History and what their Pool Contribution would be at various deductible levels.

OTRP's Coverage and Fiscal Year starts on December 1st. We begin collecting underwriting data for our members in June, present a Draft Budget at our Strategic Planning Retreat in September, and approve the final budget in November of each year.

The OTRP Balance Sheet is presented to the Board for review at the quarterly Board Meetings. Members are able to review their individual GRF Balances and overall assets and liabilities of the Pool.

The OTRP Profit and Loss by loss year is presented to the Board for review at the quarterly Board Meetings. Board members are able to review claims activity and overall pool costs and revenues. The Profit and Loss by loss year also shows which loss years are closed and if a loss year is having favorable or unfavorable claim development compared to actuarial estimates.

Special Assessments to fund liabilities within individual loss years will be determined by the OTRP Board when liabilities for claims exceed reserves. Any Special Assessment will only apply to those Members who were Members during the loss year for which the Special Assessment is required. In the event the OTRP Board of Trustees approves a Special Assessment, a Member may direct the payment of the Special Assessment invoice from its Shock Loss Fund account.

Each member is required to maintain a balance in OTRP’s Shock Loss Fund investment account equal to that Member’s total contribution to OTRP for the budgeted year. All interest earned in the Shock Loss Fund is deposited into the fund and allocated to each member based on their percentage of ownership. Members may make contributions above their required balance, up to 400% of the required balance. Any excess balance is returned to the member’s GRF account. If a member’s balance is less than its required balance, they are required to deposit additional funds according to the Shock Loss policy, available for review here.

Surplus equity is returned to the member transits after all known claims have been settled and the Board approves to close the loss year. The remaining loss reserves are distributed to members’ GRF funds based on their pooled contribution factor (PCF). See the “Return of Surplus” policy here.

Each member transit has a General Reserve Fund (GRF) established with OTRP. The GRF holds the return of surplus loss funds from closed loss years, as well as returns of excess Shock Loss funds. Member transits can use these GRF funds at any time to pay invoices or withdraw these funds in January of each year. See the “Return of Surplus” policy here.

OTRP Investment funds are held by a financial institution “in custody”. OTRP then retains a vendor to direct trades within our Board Approved Cash and Investment Policy which is reviewed each and every year. Once a year, the OTRP Board does a market comparison and detailed presentation as to the status of the funds and recommendations to the policy. Overview reports are presented quarterly at the regular meetings.

Between regular Board Meetings, a report of all transactions is sent to the treasurer for a review. They will then report on activity at the next regular Board Meeting.