Mark Thorne, Board President
August 6, 2024, Board Meeting Recap
It’s August and classes at University of Idaho and Washington State University are ready to begin. This means that students are back in our communities and the college town energy is here
once again! Go Vandals and Cougars!
The Moscow Food Co-op Board of Directors held their August Board meeting on Tuesday the 6th at the 1912 Center from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. Present were seven of our nine Board members, our General Manager and Co-op staff.
The General Manager presented her monitoring report for the B7 Communication with the Board policy, which requires the Board to be appropriately informed on issues and data pertaining to each of her monthly monitoring reports, and any other pertinent information that could affect the Co-op. As Board President, I am very appreciative of the GM’s in-depth policy monitoring reports and her openness and transparency on Co-op related issues. Her feedback to the Board is invaluable for the Board to do its job and for the resilience of the Co-op. A motion was made and approved that we accept the B7 monitoring report with the finding of compliance with all components of the policy. Additional details can be found in the General Manager’s FYI report on the Meetings and Minutes page of the Co-op’s webpage.
The Board also reviewed its C5 policy covering Directors’ Code of Conduct. The policy states that Board members act in good faith for the interests of the entire Co-op, that we disclose any conflict of interest with the Co-op, that individual Board members do not have authority over Co-op staff or management personnel, and that we always act with one voice when interacting with the public. This policy is critical for the Board to maintain good relations with Co-op owners and staff. After reviewing the policy, a motion was made and passed that we were in compliance with the policy.
In other business, the Board voted to send two policies, C2 and B9 to the Policy and Bylaw committee for edits approved by Board vote. The Board also approved changes to the charter for the committee that works on elections, annual meetings, and other owner communication opportunities. Furthermore, the Board voted to simplify the name from the Elections and Board Owner Communications Committee (EBOCC) to the Communications and Elections committee (C & E). The name change was a welcome relief for many of us!
For our Study and Engagement Series, Hayley Noble and Kaitlynn Anderson spoke to the Board about the work of the Latah County Historical Society (LCHS). The LCHS is in Moscow with collections in the McConnell Mansion and the Centennial Annex. The LCHS is a non-profit organization that works with many other partners to preserve the shared history of Latah County. The origins of LCHS date back to 1886 and it is the official repository for Latah County for documents, photos, and other records. In addition, LCHS is involved in educational programs for schools and towns and hosts an annual ice cream social for the community. The importance of LCHS cannot be overstated, yet funding remains a big issue. The McConnell Mansion needs maintenance and grants are necessary to fund the repairs. The Moscow Food Co-op has supported LCHS as a recipient of funds from the “Change for Good” program; however, please support or contribute to this organization if you cab. More information can be found on the Latah County Historical Society website at https://www.latahcountyhistoricalsociety.org/.
Our Study and Engagement Series helps Board and staff members become better informed about issues and activities that affect our community. One of the Seven Cooperative Principles states that we have “Concern for Community,” and listening to people describe issues of concern in our community is directly tied to our Ends.
The next Board meeting is scheduled for September 3, 2024, in the Fiske Room at the 1912 Center (412 E 3rd St, Moscow, ID). The meeting will run from 6:00 to 8:00 pm. Current Co-op Owners can attend in person or via Zoom. To attend via Zoom, contact the Administrative Assistant at boardadmin@moscowfood.coop for more information and to RSVP.
Further information about our Board meetings is at https://www.moscowfood.coop/board-meetings.
Sincerely,
Mark Thorne, Board President
Moscow Food Co-op Ends Policy
The Moscow Food Co-op is at the heart of a thriving, healthy, and inclusive community where:
1. We embody and embrace cooperative principles and values.
2. All community members have local access to environmentally friendly, socially responsible, and healthful choices.