UKIAH NATURAL FOODS
(A.K.A. THE HOMESTEAD EXCHANGE)
MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The regular meeting of the Ukiah Natural Foods Board of Directors was
convened on Monday, November 12, 2007, 6 PM, at the NCO Meeting Room,
481 South State St, Ukiah CA.
Call to Order
President Terry Nieves called the meeting to order at 6:05 pm.
Board Members
Ross Beck, Secretary (absent)
Adam Gaska
George Gibbs, Treasurer
Dan Hamburg, Vice President
Jacquie Lee,
MaryLou Leonard
Terry Nieves, President
Don Sanderson
Joe Wildman
Staff
Lori Rosenberg, Libby Uhuru
Member-Owners
Michael Goven
INTRODUCTIONS
None.
MEMBER COMMENTS
None.
APPROVAL OF AGENDA AND MINUTES
Agenda Approval
Lori requested Action Item 4.2, purchase of refrigeration equipment,
be added to the agenda.
M/S/C (Hamburg, Lee) to approve the 11/12/07 agenda with the addition
of Action Item 4.2.
Approval of the 10/08/07 minutes
M/S/C (Gibbs, Hamburg) to approve the minutes from the October
8, 2007 board meeting.
SECRETARY’S ANNOUNCEMENTS
None.
GENERAL MANAGER’S REPORT
Monthly Activity
Lori sent out her report electronically. The following items were discussed:
• October sales were the highest ever, almost a million. Sales were
up 18% from October 2006.
• The latest developments on the remodel concern the store’s
proximity to the airport. The store is in a B2 zone, meaning we must apply
for a special land use permit before commencing with the remodel. Store
management is working on this issue with Sutti & Assoc., and Charlie
Stump of the county planning department.
• The parking lot calculations are finished and it was determined
parking issues will not be a problem in the remodeling plans.
• It was pointed out by Don that the recent customer survey was
not entirely random, and therefore would not yield accurate “scientific”
results. It was determined that the survey was supposed to provide a “snapshot”
of customers’ opinions, not hard evidence or fact; the survey is
opinion-based but credible.
ACTION ITEMS
Proposed Board Resolution (see Proposed Resolutions October 7,
2007)
Joe wrote up the discussion re. Don’s Proposal from the October
meeting. The following topics were discussed before the resolution was
voted on:
• This resolution would demonstrate a common mindset and vision
for the board regarding issues of localization and the goal of “greening”
the store.
• The resolution could provide the board with the opportunity to
take the lead in these areas, and provide a forum to start discussion
in the community.
• It was argued that this proposal has no substance behind it; some
concrete action should be taken to promote localization instead of just
passing resolutions. The Co-op needs to put action behind the words.
• Is the Co-op the proper forum for the creation of a community
localization plan? Members may be unhappy if the store makes big changes
the membership is not ready for.
M/S/C (Sanderson, Gaska) to approve the Board Resolution from the October,
2007 meeting, with 1 No vote (Gibbs) and 1 abstention (Leonard).
Approval for purchase of new drink cooler.
Lori wants board approval to purchase a new drink cooler to replace two
being taken back by the distributor. The cooler will cost $6113.70 including
labor. Lori requests the board grant approval for the purchase of equipment
up to $7000.
M/S/C (Wildman, Gaska) to approve the purchase of a new drink cooler.
BOARD COMMITTEE REPORTS
Board Education/Outreach & Membership
The committee met and reported on the following:
• Tom Palley will be honored at the next Member Gathering; he is
retiring and will be presented with a “thank you” gift, a
bowl from Hoyman-Browe Ceramics. Tom will give a short talk at the gathering.
Donations & Grants
The committee hasn’t met and needs to schedule a meeting
soon. The next meeting is tentatively scheduled for December 17 at 12
o’clock at the Co-op.
Elections & Nominations
Joe will schedule a meeting for November. Jacquie, Dan and Ross
will be up for reelection in 2008.
Finance
The committee met in November and reported on the following:
• The accounting review from Robertson & Cahill was looked at
again; one recommendation in the review was to set up a second set of
books with an accountant. It was determined that this was not necessary
now and would also be very expensive to carry out.
• Several of our bank accounts currently exceed FDIC limits. The
Co-op currently has 10 bank accounts and is well diversified.
Governance
None.
Human Resources
The committee met last week. The discussion will occur during
Closed Session.
Local Food Security
The committee reported on the following:
• A member of GULP has come up with a list of local organizations
interested in localization issues. Don has proposed a “symposium”
of interested parties to discuss issues and gauge interest.
• The college program will not be ready to apply for grant money
through the Co-op’s Community Grant program in 2008.
NEW BUSINESS
Board Management of own budget and hiring a part time clerical person
to assist the board in various functions
After speaking with Susan Grelock, Don requests these two proposals not
be considered by the board at this time.
DIRECTOR COMMUNICATIONS
Director Reports
None.
Board Agenda
None.
MEMBER COMMENTS
None.
CLOSED SESSION
M/S/C (Wildman, Gaska) to hold a closed session re. personnel issues.
The meeting was adjourned to closed session at 7:30. The next regularly
scheduled board meeting will be December 10, 2007, at 6 p.m. at the NCO
meeting room.
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