MINUTES of Tele-Conferences

Board of Directors Meeting

Saturday, Oct. 11, 2003

Present: Sheri Pittman, Tong Lee, Tim Boggan, Robert Mayer, Barney D. Reed, Hank McCoullum, and Jimmy McClure. Absent: Jiing Wang, George Brathwaite, Bob Fox, Eric Owens, Todd Sweeris, and Tawny Banh.

With the help of documents provided by USATT Pro Bono lawyer Dennis Taylor, Esq., the Board discussed only one issue:  Who owns the table tennis tables – the City of San Diego or USATT?  The 10 tables were purchased for a table tennis program funded jointly and equally by the City of San Diego and USATT.  The program was approved by the City of San Diego Parks & Recreation Department (CSDPRD) and was administered by Clark Mitchell of the San Diego Table Tennis Association (SDTTA) on behalf of CSDPRD and by Barney Reed of USATT for the benefit of the Balboa Park Activity Center, the site of SDTTA’s activities.

The dispute centered on two opposing arguments.  The City of San Diego claimed ownership of the tables because they were purchased under its name and paid for by the matching funds that it controlled.  In addition, it argued that it has a written policy that materials left over after any of its programs belonged to the City.  On the other hand, Barney D. Reed claimed that the tables belonged to USATT, based on a letter written by former USATT Executive Director Dwight Johnson appointing him as the steward of the grant.  Furthermore, he claimed that after the program was completed in May 2002, he was given control and implied ownership of the tables, and had placed six of the tables for the benefit of a coaching program at the Jacobs Community Center at Qualcomm, Inc. 

While cognizant of Barney’s attempts to do what he felt was best for table tennis, and while agreeable to his desire to address the San Diego TTA with his reasons for delaying the return of the tables, the Board, after consideration of the facts of the case and the written opinion of pro bono counsel, unhesitatingly voted that they must be returned. The City had purchased and paid for the tables, the Matching Fund Project was clearly to benefit the Balboa Park Activity Center, and therefore the tables were not Barney’s to do with as he pleased.

USATT Executive Director Doru Gheorghe was instructed to write a letter to the City of San Diego and the SDTTA indicating our resolution of the issue—which was:

MOTION: Moved that the USATT acknowledge that the tables belong to the City of San Diego and are to be returned to the Balboa Park Activity Center, into the custody of the San Diego TTA.

Proposed by Barney D. Reed; seconded by Robert Mayer.

Passed: 7-0-0.

Adjournment.

Secretary Tim Boggan