News
at a Glance
by
Nancy Ellegate
The HWFC
Board of Directors met on Wednesday, March 23.
Board
Issues
A new agenda
format was introduced. This format stresses dealing with immediate
concerns
first, paying strict attention to time limits, and being precise about
decisions
made and who will follow up on them. Training for new Board members was
discussed.
No formal plans were made for training after elections in April, but it
was felt
that training will probably consist of several full-day sessions. The
Board
expressed appreciation for the service of member Virginia McEwen, who
will be
leaving the Board after this meeting.
Annual
Meeting
A
portion
of the meeting was spent on preparations for the Annual General
Membership Meeting
in April.
Governance
It was decided that
the Board and Governance committee need to meet and develop a common
understanding on the role of this committee. Some Board members are
concerned
about the constant revisions of the bylaws and the initiating role that
the
committee has taken on.
Store
News
The Coop’s new
landlord is making improvements that will help with store parking.
Visit
from NOFA
On March
1, the Coop hosted a group of agricultural service professionals
participating in
a Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA) workshop on organic
practices
and marketing. A manager talked to the group and answered questions on
selling
organic produce.
Personnel
The
Personnel
committee reported that they have reached an impasse in their efforts
to classify
jobs at the Coop and devise a new salary scale. The majority of the
committee
agree, but a minority have concerns. Should pay be based on a
position’s
contribution to the Coop, or should the Coop try to pay as much as it
is able
to? Another issue is the criteria for various jobs. In addition to
criteria
such as skill, supervision needed and supervision of others, should
criteria
such as degree of dangerousness, disagreeableness or boredom be
considered?
This issue of criteria was discussed at length. Some noted that
criteria such
as boredom and disagreeableness are subjective. The need to reward
longevity
and responsibility were noted. No formal consensus was reached and no
formal
action was taken. Members of the committee noted that they did not need
an
immediate response and are still able to use the current methods for
evaluating
positions.
New
Position
The duties for a possible
administrative assistant were discussed. It was agreed to develop a job
description and post this position.
Matters
for Further Investigation
There
was discussion of possibly using a new energy source. A staff
member will look into the cost and see if it falls within an acceptable
range. Pricing
policy was discussed. A Board member asked whether the Coop might
consider expressing
its values through price. For example, we could subsidize bulk prices
by
charging more for packaged and single-use goods, look for ways to help
local
producers, or provide more for low-income shoppers. Two Board members
will work
on specific proposals in this regard. Compensation for Board members
beyond work
credit was brought up. There was a brief discussion, but a
comprehensive discussion
will wait until there is a formal proposal. One of the Board members
will look
at how this is handled at other coops and develop a proposal. There is
confusion over how to handle approval of the newly written product
manual and
the possible meat/fish referendum. The Board, Collective Management
Team and
the various committees who have been working on the issue seem to have
different ideas on how to proceed. The Board and Collective Management
Team had
a scheduled meeting the day after the Board meeting and it was decide
to try to
iron out a way of proceeding at this meeting.
Minutes
Minutes
of all meetings are available
at the Coop. Minutes of the most recent meeting are posted on the
bulletin board.
Note: News at a Glance is a summary of the meetings of
the HWFC Board of
Directors.
Upcoming
Meetings
Since
there will be Board elections in mid-April, meeting dates or times may
change
to accommodate the schedules of newly elected Board members. So, please
verify
all times, dates and locations. Currently, Board meetings take place at
6:15 pm
and are planned for Wednesday, April 27 and Tuesday, May 24. Location:
The Board
hopes to have its next meeting at the newly renovated Community Room at
the
Coop. However, please check before attending.
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