Board of Directors
MEETING MINUTES
March 23, 2022 - 5:30 pm
Hosted by EFC Community Room, 1341 W. 26th
Attending: President - Shari Gross, Vice President - Alison Kaminski, Secretary - Kevin Schaaf, Treasurer - Michael Barron , Directors: Derek Golembeski, Joelyn Bush, Liz Bugbee, Amanda Gates, Chauncey Dumbuya Brown
Staff Personnel: General Manager- LeAnna Nieratko
Guests: None
President, Shari Gross welcomed everyone and called the meeting to order.
Comments: There were no attending Member/Owners or guests.
AGENDA:
Shari Gross called the meeting to order at 5:30
Review of Last Month’s Minutes; K. Schaaf
Motion was made by Derek Golembeski to accept February 2022 Minutes as written. Amanda Gates seconded. All were in favor. Motion passed.
Treasurer Report; M. Barron
No Treasurer’s Report was given. Michael Barron stated that a Finance Committee meeting will be scheduled in the coming weeks.
CEO/GM Reporting; L. Nieratko
Sales for February were up 8% to last year at $396,966.
● 19 new member owners
● Cash balance remained above 10 days
LeAnna informed the board that there is still work being done to classify expenses properly due to the opening of the downtown store - making sure expenses are allocated to the correct store (26th St. vs. Downtown).
LeAnna and Vivian have been selected to speak at the Consumer Cooperative Management Association (CCMA) conference in Sioux Falls, SD, which is being held June 9 - 11, 2022. LeAnna shared that one or two board members may be able to attend, as well. Chauncey expressed interest in possibly attending.
Joelyn asked about a recent social media post regarding food accessibility and the implication that the co-op is expensive and therefore not truly addressing the needs of the downtown community. LeAnna and Shari both commented that the co-op is not the co-op of old - there have been changes implemented and planned (changing the food statement, etc.) to make the co-op more accessible to everyone.
LeAnna informed the board that she is working on a plan, potentially with EDDC involvement, that would allow the downtown store to accept Gannon Gold Cards. The main issue is the fee that Gannon charges. We may need EDDC help in order to make accepting Gold Cards viable.
LeAnna gave a brief update on co-op staff, and said that the staff at both stores are doing great. FYIs & Notable News
● Featured on Giving you the Business:
https://www.erienewsnow.com/story/45972440/a-look-inside-the-erie-food-coop-Giving-you-t he-business
● Featured on the front page of the Erie Times Newspaper:
https://www.goerie.com/story/news/local/2022/03/03/erie-food-co-op-2nd-location-flagship city-public-market-gordons-luminary-distilling/9228753002/
Events:
● The Downtown location opened to a packed house and a ribbon cutting on 3/15 at noon ● On 3/17 the Erie Housing Authority brought a shuttle of tenants to see the Downtown store for the first time - many new members joined that day and a lot of positive feedback was given. ● A formal submission was drafted for a 200k HFFI grant on 3/22.
● Chad is soliciting for quotes for the parking lot project ASAP for 26th street.
Policy Reporting; L. Nieratko
B4 - Member’s Rights and Responsibilities
LeAnna reported that we are fully in compliance with Policy B4 - Member’s Rights and Responsibilities. A brief discussion was held regarding equity refunds in a situation where a net loss would occur during any reporting period. This has never been an issue in the past, and it was decided that in the unlikely event that it would occur in the future, the board would determine how to proceed at that time.
Motion was made by Chauncey Dumbuya to accept the GMs Reporting and compliance with Policy B4 - Member’s Rights & Responsibilities. Derek Golembeski seconded. All were in favor. Motion passed.
Board Policy Evaluation; K. Schaaf
C2 - The Board’s Job
C5 - Directors Code of Conduct
All board members stated compliance with both policies. No further discussion was held on the topic.
Motion was made by Derek Golembeski to accept the Board Policy evaluation of Policies C2 and C5. Amanda Gates seconded. All were in favor. Motion passed.
**New Business:**
Shari passed out Board Code of Conduct Agreement forms to be signed, then collected them from those in attendance.
The board presented LeAnna with a gift for all of her effort in making the downtown store become a reality and for a successful opening. Discussion was held around the idea of having a celebration for the entire staff of both stores, as well, for all of their recent efforts. The idea of a roller skating party was agreed upon. Amanda said she would contact the owner of Presque Isle Skating and Events to see
what days might be possible. LeAnna said that she would provide a volunteer from co-op staff to help coordinate with the board.
Discussion was held regarding continuing to hold meetings in-person. It was agreed that the board will continue to meet in-person as long as conditions stay the same (or improve).
Committee Reports
No committee reports were presented.
Closure:
Next board meeting is April 27, 2022 at 5:30pm.
Next PG reviews:
○ CEO/GM - B7 - Communication to the Board
○ Board C3 - Agenda Planning & C4- Board Meetings
Adjourn meeting
Joelyn Bush motioned to adjourn the meeting. Amanda Gates seconded the motion. Meeting adjourned.
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Minutes respectfully submitted by, Kevin Schaff