Mark Thorne, Board President
November 5, 2024, Board Meeting Recap
November is here and with it, the General Election, upcoming holidays, the beginning of Tasteful Thursdays at the Co-op, and an occasional show flurry!
The Moscow Food Co-op Board of Directors held their November Board meeting on Tuesday the 5th at the 1912 Center from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. Present were eight of our nine Board members, our General Manager and Co-op staff, our meeting facilitator, and one Co-op owner.
The General Manager presented her monitoring report for the B8 Policy covering Board logistical support. This policy ensures that the Board will have administrative staff assistance to support its governance and communication activities. The policy also ensures the Board will have access to updated policy and bylaws, that Board documents will be adequately archived, and that notices be provided to owners regarding Board actions, activities, events, and meetings. Data for this policy clearly indicated policy compliance and the Board voted unanimously to accept the monitoring report as such. Additional details from the November meeting 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 C8 Board Governance Investment policy which requires that the Board’s annual budget be presented to owners at a regularly scheduled Board meeting prior to the first of December of each year. The policy also ensures that there will be adequate resources to carry out Board duties specified in policy and bylaws, and that costs will be prudently incurred. The policy also states there will be reimbursement available, if needed, for Board members to attend Board meetings or retreats. After reviewing and discussing the policy monitoring report, we voted to accept compliance with the policy.
In other business, the Board voted to approve the 2025 Board budget, which covers expenses for the annual meeting and report, consulting fees, insurance, the annual election, retreats, trainings, Board participating owner discounts, and some general expenses. In addition, the Board approved the patronage dividend for 2025 to be at 20%, which is consistent with the patronage dividend paid out in 2024. We also decided to move the monthly Board meeting venue to the Moscow Chamber of Commerce, but still retain the first Tuesday of the month meeting schedule.
For our Study and Engagement Series, Julian Matthews of the Nimiipuu tribe and administrative assistant, Maria Elizarraras, talked about their focus on protecting the environment that has supported their people for thousands of years. In 1855, the Tribe signed a treaty with the U.S. Government whereby the Tribe retained fishing, hunting, and gathering rites in exchange for giving up millions of acres of Tribal land to the Federal Government. The Tribe has been concerned, vocal, and active regarding the loss of salmon and steelhead due to dams on the Snake River and how the loss of these fish has violated the Treaty of 1855 as well as the U.S. Endangered Species Act. The Tribe is also working on issues related to wolf and bison reintroduction and grizzly protection. In addition, the Tribe has been working to engage young tribal members to learn tribal knowledge and history, like canoe building, paddling, and tribal arts, and to provide mentoring programs geared to help young members get into and succeed in colleges and universities. The Nimiipuu are clearly committed to protecting the environment and their culture for future generations, and to empower Tribal members on effecting change. More information can be found on their website at https://www.nimiipuuprotecting.org/home-original.
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 December 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 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.