Mark Thorne, Board President
I’m not sure if Moscow Marmot predicted an early spring, but I am sure spring will arrive at some point. The robins are back, so we can go with that!
The Moscow Food Co-op Board of Directors held their February Board meeting on Tuesday the 6th 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. No Co-op owners were present in person or via Zoom.
The Board heard from the General Manager regarding December sales and January product availability issues. Winter storms in January shut down I-84 through the Columbia Gorge and caused delayed shipments for over a week and empty shelves in the store. Furthermore, a nationwide trucker strike resulted in further product shortages. However, when supplies arrived, the Co-op staff did a stellar job of getting boxes unloaded and products on the shelves. Nice work everyone! See details in the General Manager’s FYI.
The General Manager also presented a well-written and concise document for staff to use when explaining the benefits, definition, rights, and responsibilities of being a Co-op Owner. This should help clear up confusion around what it means to be a Co-op Owner.
The Board also monitored its D1 and D2 policies. These are policies that define the relationship between the Board and the General Manager regarding Board authorizations and criteria to be used to evaluate the performance of the Co-op. We all agreed the Board has spoken with one voice through motions and has properly relied on the monitoring reports of the Ends (A policy) and Executive Limitations (B policies) for evaluating performance and accountability. After a brief discussion, we found ourselves in compliance with these policies. In addition, we reviewed our Policy Governance model by looking at the interrelatedness of the basic components, which are the Owners, Board, General Manager, and Ends. It is good to remind ourselves that by properly monitoring our policies, we are working to meet the needs of the Owners.
In other business, the Board heard from the Elections and Board Owner Communication
Committee regarding progress on planning the 2024 Annual Meeting and an in-store event for
Owners to engage with the Board and candidates for the upcoming election. We also had a very
good discussion regarding chapters from the book, “13 Ways to Kill Your Community”, which
we have been reading as a group activity. The author presents some very good insights into
keeping a community viable and thriving.
For our Study and Engagement Series, we heard from Josh Larson of Sojourners Alliance in
Moscow. Sojourners Alliance is a non-profit organization that is working to confront the issues
of being unhoused, hungry, and in poverty. Josh described the housing programs they offer
which include transitional housing, motel vouchers for short-term relief, unhoused prevention
aid, financial support to cover deposits and first month’s rent to facilitate rapid rehousing, and
support for permanent housing for those with disabilities. Josh also indicated that funding, which
has come from fundraisers, donations, and grants, needs to increase to cover increasing demands.
Josh also pointed out that there has been great support from people in our communities to address
these problems. Sojourners Alliance will be 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://www.sojournersalliance.org/. Please consider financial support if you are able!
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 March 5, 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.