Minutes printed here are edited - La Montanita Co-op Food Market

Minutes printed here are edited.
For the full version, contact the Board of Directors at

Directors Present:
George Schroeder, Kevin Keene, Cheryl Plum, Tracy Brown, Marshall Kovitz, and Harwood.

Others Present:
Robyn Seydel, Jim Mackenzie, Clarke Conde, and Pat Janney.

Minutes:
George Schroeder.

Approval of Minutes:

The Board unanimously approved adoption of the following minutes as printed:

• April 12, 2000 _ Executive Session.

• May 30, 2000 _ Executive Session (Harwood abstaining).

• June 20, 2000 _ Executive Session.

• June 20, 2000 _ Open Session.

• June 28, 2000 _ Executive Session.

Board Election:

Action:
Plum and Brown will meet November 16 at 3 p.m. to validate and count ballots. Keene and volunteer(s) to finish exercise starting at 3 p.m., Nov. 17 and to report at next regular meeting.

Patronage Refund:

Proposal:
Schroeder proposed that the Board not declare a Patronage Refund due to the current financial condition.

Discussion:
How can board and management prepare for member concerns?
Must communicate with members.
Should communicate in addition to article in Co-op Connection. Should post a copy of the letter from the board in the stores. Additionally, a letter should be mailed to each member in lieu of a patronage refund check.

Action:
Seydel and Keene will email a draft letter to all Board members. Once seen and commented on by Directors, the letter will be mailed to every member by first week of December in lieu of refund check.

Vote:
The proposal not to declare a patronage refund was voted upon and passed unanimously.

Management Report:

A report was distributed to Directors by the Interim Management Team prior to the meeting.

Discussion:
Trimming governance and administrative costs may be a strategy to stay on budget.

Schroeder thanked I-team for clarity and brevity of financial aspects of report.

La Montanita is up-to-date in its CoCoFist data and participated in a CoCoFist survey.

Brown made a request to the I-team to participate in the CGIN survey, i.e. Walden Co-op.