PFC Board of Directors Meeting
Minutes for May 17, 2004

Attendance
Board Members: John Austin; Larry Horvath; Arun Mathur; Pete Schermerhorn; Howard Shapiro; Duane Thomas; Laurie White; Carol Collins, PFC General Manager

Heather Frayer, Board President, Kalamazoo People’s Food Co-op, and her daughter Haniya
Tish Shapiro, PFC Member/Owner
Laura Meisler, PFC Outreach & Education Manager

Call to order
7:30pm by Duane

Consent Agenda
minutes and web minutes of the 4/19/04 meeting; GM monitoring L.4.9 Financial Conditions & Activities (including 1st quarter financial reports); Board self-monitoring report G.4 Officers’ Roles (Arun); and Bank One line of credit resolution*.  All Directors having reviewed and understood these materials, the consent agenda was approved.

*This resolution authorizes Carol to draw on an approved line of credit on behalf of PFC, to cover typical, expected dips in retail cash flow, usually twice a year.  It is similar to other lines of credit PFC has established in the past.

Volunteer Discount Program
Carol referred to articles she provided to the Board from Cooperative Grocer on volunteer discounts.  There are liability and insurance concerns with having volunteers working in the store, and there may be concerns relating to labor laws.  Larry pointed out that volunteering promotes member identification with the Co-op.  The Board will review current practice and carefully consider avenues for Member participation and means for encouraging and showing appreciation to volunteers at the June meeting.

The Board approved a one-time use of the Member database to review volunteer hours v. sales, deriving cumulative data only, not information specific to individual Members.

Ends Cost & Monitoring
The Board agreed that the cost component of the global Ends policy should stand as written in the current draft – Health and wellbeing for Members and the community for a cost justified by the results – and that the cost component of the sub-global policies should be expressed through prioritization.  Priorities will be set at the June meeting, along with clarification of what those priorities mean.

Ends policies will be monitored yearly through internal report by the GM, with a preliminary six-month report in the first year.  No monitoring report will be required for the global Ends policy as the lower level policies completely define the Board’s intention in the global.

Planning the Board’s course
Duane proposed four areas for focus of Board attention in the coming year: 1) completion of Ends policies, 2) improving Member linkage, 3) establishing means for Director support and training and, 4) exploration of equity and fundraising. The Board approved this agenda.  Duane will circulate proposed charters for task forces to accomplish Board goals over the next twelve months.

Next Meeting
Monday, June 14, 2004, 7:30pm at Menlo Innovations (212 N. 4th Ave).

Adjournment
by acclamation at 9:30.