Mark Thorne, Board President
September 3, 2024, Board Meeting Recap
The Moscow Food Co-op Board of Directors held their September Board meeting on Tuesday the 3rd at the 1912 Center from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. Present were six of our nine Board members, our General Manager and Co-op staff, and two Co-op owners.
The General Manager presented her monitoring report for the B1 Financial Conditions policy, which covered fiscal information for the second quarter, April through June, of 2024. The monitoring report for sales growth (B1.1) showed flat sales through the quarter, largely due the loss of a wholesale local meat account. However, all other monitoring reports, including net income (B1.2), adequate ability to meet cash needs (B1.3), debt to equity ratio (B1.4), growth of ownership and equity payments to owners (B1.5), being current on all loans (B1.6), and B1.7 through B1.12, were determined to be in good shape. The overall monitoring report was accepted as in compliance with the policy, with the recognition that B1.1 was out of compliance. The sales growth target for each quarter is 3%, so efforts are underway to find new sales options. Concerns over the impact of inflation and the uncertainty of the upcoming election were discussed. 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 reviewed its C6 policy covering definitions, responsibilities, and limitations of Board officers. The policy states that the Board shall elect officers to help accomplish the Board’s job. The policy covers the responsibilities as well as restrictions of each officer position, President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer. After reviewing the policy, we concluded the Board officers were doing the work they are tasked with, and a motion was made and passed that we were in compliance with the policy. Additional discussion included ideas for Board leadership perpetuation so that new officers are better informed of the leadership roles when they are first elected.
In other business, Director Ken Hart stepped back as chair of the Policy and Bylaw committee due to family time constraints, but he will remain on the committee. Director David Nelson was appointed chair in Ken’s place. Directors Priscilla Schmidt and Stephen Barbuto reported on the previous year’s nominations and elections processes and what changes and issues are being addressed for the upcoming election. It was reported that the election cycle schedule will change, so if you plan on running for a Board seat in the next election, look for the new information when it is released.
For our Study and Engagement Series, Kylee Britzman and Connie Brumm from the Moscow League of Women Voters (LWV) spoke to the Board about their role to encourage active and informed participation in government. Kylee described the history and activities of the LWV and their role in providing unbiased information and advocacy for policies of interest. Connie led us in a hands-on exercise to help us understand how the version of rank choice voting that is on the Idaho ballot as Proposition 1 will work. It was very helpful and fun! They also provided information on the upcoming LWV candidate forums for Latah County candidates on October 7, and Idaho legislative candidates on October 8. Both forums will be held at the Latah County Fairgrounds starting at 7:00 p.m. each night. More information can be found on the Latah County Historical Society website at https://my.lwv.org/idaho/moscow/about.
.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 October 1, 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 Board's 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.