Mark Thorne, Board President
Happy and hopeful 2024!
The Moscow Food Co-op Board of Directors held their first meeting of 2024 on January 9 th at the
1912 Center from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. Present were eight of nine Board members, our General
Manager and Co-op staff, and a Co-op owner via Zoom. The Board reviewed the General
Manager’s B6 Staff Treatment and Compensation monitoring report. The report consisted of
results from surveys given to staff during 2023 as well as a compensation report for salary ranges
for all Co-op pay groups. It was encouraging to see survey results that indicate staff feel they
work in a safe, fair, and equitable environment, and that Co-op employee compensation is
comparable to or exceeds wages offered by similar businesses in our area. In addition to
favorable wage scales, it was also noted that all staff have received a cost-of-living increase to
offset inflationary costs. All reports were encouraging and accepted in compliance with their
respective sub-policy. The Board appreciates all employees of the Co-op and unanimously
supports fair treatment and compensation for their great work.
The Board also monitored its Global D policy which simply states that “The Board’s sole point
of delegation for the operations of the Cooperative shall be the General Manager (GM).” This
policy is key to the relationship between the Board and the General Manager and says that the
General Manager is the only person the Board hires, monitors, empowers and holds accountable
for overseeing and managing the Co-op. An example of a clear violation of this policy would be
for the Board, or any individual Director, to attempt to manage or direct any Co-op staff member
in any way. The Board fully understands this directive and found itself in compliance with the
policy since the policy was last monitored. This does not, however, preclude a Board member
from working with staff on Board-related issues such as the Annual Meeting or elections.
The Board approved clarifying language made by the Policy and Bylaw Committee to Policy C6,
which covers the role of Board Officers, and motioned to have Policy and Bylaw review the
appointment language in Policy C9. The Elections and Board Owner Communication Committee
reported potential plans for the 2024 Annual Meeting and plans for an in-store event for Owners
to engage with the Board and candidates for the upcoming election. The Board approved the
slate of candidates for the 2024 Board Election, which only included incumbents Trish Hartzel
and Mark Thorne as no other owners submitted applications. The General Manager’s FYI report
was very informative and showed that the 2023 customer count was up compared to the past two
years, and that two new espresso machines have been installed, one at the main store and one at
the campus store! Coffee is a major and essential food group!
For our Study and Engagement Series, we heard from Darrell Keim, Executive Director of the
Latah Recovery Center. The Center’s mission is to work with people in recovery from addiction
and behavioral health disorders and uses peer-to-peer interaction and evidence-based practices.
The Center provides coaching, recovery referrals, work on life skills, support groups for people
reentering communities after being in jail, crisis center partnering to give 24/365 help, and harm
reduction practices including HIV and HCV testing, safe syringe exchange, naloxone, condoms,
and referral resources. The Center is also working with Oxford House to provide a men’s sober
house and is in the planning process for a women’s house. It was encouraging to hear Darrell talk
about the dedicated people of the Recovery Center who are genuinely committed to community
health by providing much-needed services to people who have struggled. The Co-op is
participating in this great effort by hosting a Care Box at the main store, which will have free
Narcan (naloxone), which is critical for surviving opioid overdoses. A second Care Box is
located at the University of Idaho Campus Christian Center. The Latah Recovery Center is now a
Dime in Time recipient at the Moscow Food Co-op, and you can find out more information, or
make donations, online at their website, https://latahrecoverycenter.org/. The Recovery Center
has helped hundreds of people and is an invaluable component of our community.
Our Study and Engagement Series is a way in which the Board and staff 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 aspects of
concern in our community is directly tied to our Ends.
The next Board meeting is scheduled for February 6, 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.