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News at a GlanceNote:
News
at a Glance is a summary of the meetings of the HWFC Board
of Directors. by
Nancy Ellegate The
HWFC Board of Directors met on Friday, November 11. Selling
Meat and Fish The
Board president has asked the Product Manual committee to draft
procedures for buying
and marketing meat and fish. Second
Store The
Site subcommittee of the Strategic Planning committee met with the
developer who
has approached the Coop about a second store in Latham. The Collective
Management
Team (CMT) is working on a plan for a store considerably larger than
the Coop.
Several Board members were under the impression that a second store
would be about
the same size as the current store. Some
directors questioned whether a much larger
store would reflect the Coop’s values and pointed out that it would be
inconsistent with the size preferences expressed in the last member
survey. It
was noted that although exploring a second store was approved in the
recent
referendum, the vote was very close and there should be much
consultation on
this step. It was suggested and agreed that there be a strategic
planning retreat
on the second store. This would be a one-day event, early in the first
quarter of
2006. A member survey on the issue can be held before the retreat. Objections
to Contact from Another Member The
membership coordinator has had many complaints from members who
objected to another
member contacting them by mail to advocate a particular position during
the recent
referendum. The CMT is looking into the possibility of members opting
out of
being contacted in the future. Food
at Meetings Currently,
it is standard practice for Board members to charge food eaten at Board
meetings
to the Coop. One of the directors asked whether this was fair,
considering that
committees don’t do it and Board members are gaining work hours while
eating. The
member noted that other Coop members cannot charge food to eat while
doing their
work hours. There was extensive discussion of this. Some did not like
the idea that
Board members have extra privileges. Others noted that meetings go on
for
several hours and start at 5:30 pm, and some Board members come
directly to the
meetings from work. It was also remarked that Board members are elected
to
fulfill the roles and responsibilities of directors; while meetings are
part of
this, Board members don’t just go to meetings for work hours. There was
no
conclusive resolution, but it was decided that for the time being Board
members
may charge a modest amount of food to eat while attending Board
meetings. Nutrition
Lobbying A
Coop member has been lobbying the legislature regarding nutrition
issues and is
now requesting work credit for this. The Board discussed this and
wondered whether
this member should register as a lobbyist for the Coop. There are
specific regulations
regarding this. One of the Board members will investigate this and,
once the
legal situation is clear, the matter will be reconsidered. Education
Coordinator The
Board considered a request from the CMT to hire an education
coordinator. This person
would need strong knowledge in natural foods and would educate staff
and customers
on these issues. The request was for a part-time hourly worker.
However, the Board
felt the job description required expertise and experience beyond this.
They recommended
that the position be upgraded to a full-time person at a substantial
salary.
The CMT has been asked to redraft the job description. Orientation The
membership coordinator asked advice on waiving orientation for some new
members. This is done rarely and only for those already quite familiar
with the
Coop and its policies. After discussion, it was decided to leave the
situation
as is and allow occasional waivers. Governance The
Board thanked Governance committee members for their work on the recent
referendum, especially for the long hours spent counting ballots. The
committee
reported that they are working on an improved, quicker procedure for
counting
ballots and this should be ready soon. Executive
Session The
Board met in executive session at the end of the meeting. Minutes Minutes
of all meetings are available at the Coop. Minutes of the most recent
meeting are
posted on the bulletin board. Upcoming
Meetings The
Board has set meeting dates for meetings from January to April 2006.
Meetings will
be held on the following Tuesdays: January 24, February 28, March 28
and April
25. All meetings are held at the Coop and begin at 5:30 pm. Dates,
times and
locations can change, so anyone planning to attend a meeting is advised
to
confirm these. |
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