News at a Glance

by Nancy Ellegate

The HWFC Board of Directors met on Wednesday, February 23.

Living Wage

The planned distribution of $12,000 among Coop staff to insure a living wage was discussed. The Board approved the details and the increase was to be effective for the next pay period.

Finance

There is some uneasiness among Board members about the Coop’s net income. It was noted that this money could be used in a number of ways: reducing prices, more educational programs, etc. However, given plans for a possible move, it was felt that these sums should be saved for the time being.

The Finance committee explained the concept of “patronage refunds” — briefly, refunds to members of a cooperative based on expenditure — and asked whether this might be something the Coop would want to consider. Pros and cons were discussed and the Board authorized the committee to investigate this possibility further.

Community Room

The Collective Management Team will be asked to have things moved out of the Community Room by mid-March so that renovations can begin.

Possibly Stocking Fish or Meat

The Collective Management Team has been looking at logistical aspects of possibly stocking fish or meat if the membership decides to do so. One issue to consider is whether the Coop’s deli would remain vegetarian. Several proposals on a possible referendum on the fish/meat issue were mentioned.

The Board should have comments and recommendations from the staff later in March and further plans can be made on how to proceed at that point.

Governance

The Governance committee presented several proposed changes to the bylaws. These were discussed and will be put to the membership for a vote. Possible dates for the meeting were discussed. The committee will prepare for the meeting and send out notices to members.

Meeting Continued

After three hours, the full agenda had not been concluded. It was decided that the Board would adjourn the meeting and take up the remaining items at a meeting held on March 9.

Minutes

Minutes of all meetings are available at the Coop. Minutes of the most recent meeting are posted on the bulletin board.

Upcoming Meetings

Board meetings held at the First Unitarian Universalist Society of Albany, Channing Hall, 405 Washington Ave. at 6:15 pm. Meetings are planned for Wednesday, April 27 and Tuesday, May 24. Anyone planning to attend should confirm date, time and location. Please note that the above meetings will be the first held after Board elections in April. Sometimes dates and times are changed to accommodate new members, so confirming these is especially important at this time of the year.

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