[these minutes will be reviewed and approved at the April 26, 2012 General Meeting]

GM Notes 3 15 12 [taken by Kathryn Z]

-Orientation for new folks- Lawrence
Committee updates

-Website update – Maggie- staging server is up which allows for more behind the scenes updates. They are working on content strategies, and new navigation tools

-Finance- 29 donors to loan program which ends at end March. Getting invoice payments systems in order, cashier cash –out is working nicely. Will be ready to start paying some capital expenses soon

-Education- Rachel reported that they have filmed 2 cooking videos, cookbook for member recipes on the website in process. Working on organizing a “library” space at store

-Membership- 843 now, 43 in March. Pace continues strongly. Coupon this month is for LuvTea for new members. The work-tracking systems need some help.

-Marketing/Branding-Lots has happened with signage, etc.

-Governance-Permitting is ongoing. They have 1 new member working on this.     Discussion & research about WIC is ongoing

-OPS- Many receiving shift personnel have been “no-shows” and this is causing     problems. Store organization ongoing.

-Design/Build – designing a walk in cooler for the back of the office space that can be broken down when needed. It will be very necessary as weather gets warmer to extend the shelf  life of the produce .

Merch- working on getting POS items in computer so check out can start to scan items. Repackaged bulk coming soon.

-Beautification of exterior/interior. A member is interested in working on this. Concerns need to be addresses about permits, proximity to food, drainage, expense. Informal vote said folks were interested

Work requirement-Has kicked in . Phone bank on 3/26 will make calls to folks who haven’t yet signed up for shifts

Visioning exercise- Pablo showed some visuals about how the spaces will look as we expand into the office and former laundry space. Discussion opened about whether we want a lot of bulk bins or some other setup. It was decided we need a committee to examine the parameters of being a mostly bulk or partial bulk set-up. It needs lots more discussion.

Printer- Someone has a printer/scanner/fax machine to donate Doug Informed us.

Board Meeting_ DK, Gizelle, Amanda, Doug, Christina made quorum. Nothing to ratify.

Meeting adjourned

Next GM dates: 4/26, 5/22, 6/18, 7/17. All here at the So Oxford space 138 So Oxford St.

Agenda  
The Greene Hill Food Co-op General Meeting
Thursday, April 26, 2012, 7:00PM-9:00PM
138 South Oxford Street (between Fulton St and Atlantic Ave)

Each attending Co-op member may participate equally in discussions, and contribute equally to the decision-making process.

NEW TO THE CO-OP? (15 minutes) 7:00PM-7:15PM

We will be holding a new members’ info session from 7:00-7:15 before the General Meeting.  Have all your questions answered before we dive into the big topics at our General Meeting. Learn about the Co-op’s history, ask questions about our process and progress, and find out about our future plans.

INTRODUCTION (5 minutes) 7:15PM-7:20PM

• Meeting Orientation (1 min.) Welcome and explanation of what/who the Co-op is
• Review of previous meeting’s activities (2 min.) Approval of meeting minutes from previous meeting (please read beforehand online)
• Facilitator & Secretary Choice and/or Approval (1 min.) Facilitator will conduct meeting fairly and impartially, ensure that any meeting rules are followed, and will keep meeting to agenda. Secretary will take meeting minutes, act as timekeeper, and assist with meeting facilitation as needed. The minutes will later be available to all on the Website.
• Presentation of Main Agenda and pending agenda queue (1 min.) Main agenda is prepared by the Steering Committee, based on member submissions, and published to members in advance of meeting.

COMMITTEE REPORTS (15 minutes) 7:20-7:35PM

Committees will make brief reports with the aim of including members/potential members in our process. Classifieds: committees will describe specific tasks and ongoing projects that need member help and participation.

MAIN AGENDA (60 minutes) 7:35-8:35PM

• We’re working hard and squirreling away hours. Membership will give an update on when members can expect to be able to draw on those hours. (Nick, 10 minutes)
• Calling all mural artists! Our gorgeous new awning is up in front, and planters are in the works, but our brick wall facing Fulton could still use some love. Come share your ideas. (DK and Oona, 10 minutes)

• Membership Relief Council has two proposals: 1) disability accommodation and 2) leave pertaining to an illness (Nick, 20 minutes)
• Update on WIC (the Women, Infants, and Children program of the USDA) Learn about why the co-op can’t accept WIC vouchers right now and our commitment to revisit. (10 minutes)

• We’re forming an HR committee It’s time to start thinking about hiring a General Manager. Do you have HR expertise? Please consider joining this committee as your work shift. (Giselle, 10 minutes)

OPEN FORUM (10 minutes) 8:40PM-8:50PM

Brief comments from any member of the meeting on topics not on the Main Agenda.  Items that will require more time to discuss should be submitted as future agenda items.

CLOSING (5 minutes) 8:50PM-8:55PM

Next Meeting Arrangements (5 min.)

a. Time and location of next General Meeting

b. Propose items for next meeting’s agenda by submitting items to the Steering Committee at info@greenehillfoodcoop.com. Also, contact Steering Committee to be a future facilitator and secretary.

Each attending Co-op member may participate equally in discussions, and contribute equally to the decision-making process.

NEW TO THE CO-OP? (15 minutes) 7:00PM-7:15PM
We will be holding a new members’ info session from 7:00-7:15 before the General Meeting.  Have all your questions answered before we dive into the big topics at our General Meeting. Learn about the Co-op’s history, ask questions about our process and progress, and find out about our future plans.

INTRODUCTION (5 minutes) 7:15PM-7:20PM

• Meeting Orientation (1 min.) Welcome and explanation of what/who the Co-op is
• Review of previous meeting’s activities (2 min.) Approval of meeting minutes from previous meeting (please read beforehand online)
• Facilitator & Secretary Choice and/or Approval (1 min.) Facilitator will conduct meeting fairly and impartially, ensure that any meeting rules are followed, and will keep meeting to agenda. Secretary will take meeting minutes, act as timekeeper, and assist with meeting facilitation as needed. The minutes will later be available to all on the Website.
• Presentation of Main Agenda and pending agenda queue (1 min.) Main agenda is prepared by the Steering Committee, based on member submissions, and published to members in advance of meeting.

COMMITTEE REPORTS (15 minutes) 7:20-7:35PM

In Attendance: Topiary, Libby, Susannah, Charles, Nathan, Nomsa, Phil (IT), DK (Branding), Stephanie (IT), Geoffrey

Delineation between IT and Website committees
Updates and Staging: Topiary can update the css but we need ftp access and read/write privs on the server to update and install plugins. Phil prefers our version control software in lieu of ftp. It was decided that Phil will train Topiary and others in the use of the versioning system (Nomsa has worked with subversion but will get a refresher). In addition, Phil will set up our staging server on which we can use ftp because it has no risk of corrupting our production server. Once testing is done, then subversion to the production website. Libby will ask her friend for help and supply a script for copying current website to staging for testing.

Backups: Everything is backed up right now. This is not ideal. Can use plugin to email backups to a location. Backup buddy. (Was Nathan or Charles looking into this?)

Branding control of the website: A user experience person could be the intermediary who can represent the user experience in discussions with Branding and Website as we try to improve the technology of our website.

Site Organization: Meeting on Monday between Branding and Website will focus on identifying audiences and their related content and devising a logical plan for navigation on the site. One audience is committee members–Need a part of the site to store internal committee documents that we can send new committee members to so they can get up to speed. We need an updated style guide from Branding.

Website content: Buddy press allows for blogs for each committee and members can comment on posts and interact with one another. This is a plugin for WordPress that we would like to test on the staging server. We need to be aware of duplication between plugins and software, i.e. IT working on an intranet that may duplicate committee functionality that we are talking about for the front end. Open atrium is an option for collaboration. For committees, we can also use and existing website that creates wikis and is wrapped to look like our site. This gives us consistency in functionality and saves us setup time. Possibilities include get satisfaction and Openatrium. Nathan to set up a test on use response and open atrium. Phil to setup a website committee instance for us to play with.

Ticketing System: Co human uses email to send tickets and status back and forth. We should start using that in our committee ASAP to assess. Nathan to set that up for website (note: this is done and we are using it).

Food blog: Savannah set up an unpublished page with the static copy to test. Check it out. The goal of this page is to be an intro to our food philosophy and also have the food blog visible. The two may not work together and we may design a different page option that can accommodate what we need for the food page, including recipes.
Maybe recipe blog needs to be separate from the food page.

Other Content: Need the home page to push forward the fresh content and lead people further into the site. Ops wants a wiki for store jobs. Need breaking news section. Libby to look at page width issue (sidebars drop below page when the window is narrowed).

Website Committee Functions
Code and Tech: Libby, Charles
User Experience: (functionality development) Nomsa, Topiary?
Content Mgmt: Geoff, Susannah
Social media and analytics: Nathan

Phil to email entire site to Topiary and libby and they will set up a training session on versioning.

GC to send out meeting minutes and to brainstorm layout for Monday’s meeting with branding.

Education Committee Meeting Minutes
January 28th

Attendees
Esther, Rachel, Anat, Miho, Ari, Gray, Geoff (Absent: Amanda, Julie, Mandy)

Mission Statement
The mission of the Education Committee is to reach out to the Greene Hill community by creating educational programs for children and adults that teach practical food purchasing and preparation skills through online video and community gatherings.

Possible Programs
Adult Ed
Kids Ed
Cooking classes
Video program
Visiting chef program
Internship progam

Discussion
What are the possibilities for growing basic items like herbs and tomatoes in containers around the store? We should ask for a few feet near the windows of the additional spaces as they are built out. Growing lamps are an alternative as well.

Can we use pedestrian area for teaching—Esther to look into permit requirements.

What are the plans for the additional spaces at the store? Are we able to build a small kitchen? If we make a space for daycare maybe we can have that space with an oven so it doubles as educational space.

Anat to reach out to Park Slop to see what educational programs they have. Maybe we can do things together and/or use their space.

Geoff to reach out to internship program for more info. May use intern to set up an educational program like the triangle use.

Partnership opportunities
There is a CSA in the school on Irving Place each week. Opportunities for partnership?

PS11 has cook shop.

Brooklyn flea market—food demonstrations? Invite guests each week. Miho to check in with Outreach re tabling at the flea.

Get chefs from local restaurants.

Adopt a farmbox program.

Organize trips to farms during the summer.

Rachel to propose a kids education program for six months.

Website
Database on the website for cooking classes. Invite chefs to show us how to do specific tasks. Database can also include recipes. Solicit recipes from members.

Recommended reading list on the website.

Videos: Geoff to Ask about release requirements for videos. Miho is making miso Feb 12th. She will have her husband video it. Will need to borrow a tripod.

Recipe book: Perhaps have a recipe book culled from Member submissions. Can sell for small amount and use money to fund education programs. Linco printing makes books and can be used for the cookbook.

Gray to look into setting up a food library in coop. Maybe people can borrow books. Ask members to donate books. Can eventually ahve a book club. Geoff to send Pablo’s email address to Gray to discuss shelving and other space requests.

In-store education
Gray suggested adding information about suppliers to the shelves. Also, giving people an opportunity to rate products in the store. Gray to reach out to branding to see about options for both of these.

Will Merch. have small plants available for people to purchase i.e. basil, tomato plants, etc.?

Each attending Co-op member may participate equally in discussions, and contribute equally to the decision-making process.

NEW TO THE CO-OP? (15 minutes) 7:00PM-7:15PM
We will be holding a new members’ info session from 7:00-7:15 before the General Meeting.  Have all your questions answered before we dive into the big topics at our General Meeting. Learn about the Co-op’s history, ask questions about our process and progress, and find out about our future plans.

INTRODUCTION (5 minutes) 7:15PM-7:20PM

• Meeting Orientation (1 min.) Welcome and explanation of what/who the Co-op is
• Review of previous meeting’s activities (2 min.) Approval of meeting minutes from previous meeting (please read beforehand online)
• Facilitator & Secretary Choice and/or Approval (1 min.) Facilitator will conduct meeting fairly and impartially, ensure that any meeting rules are followed, and will keep meeting to agenda. Secretary will take meeting minutes, act as timekeeper, and assist with meeting facilitation as needed. The minutes will later be available to all on the Website.
• Presentation of Main Agenda and pending agenda queue (1 min.) Main agenda is prepared by the Steering Committee, based on member submissions, and published to members in advance of meeting.

COMMITTEE REPORTS (15 minutes) 7:20-7:35PM

Each attending Co-op member may participate equally in discussions, and contribute equally to the decision-making process.

NEW TO THE CO-OP? (15 minutes) 7:00PM-7:15PM
We will be holding a new members’ info session from 7:00-7:15 before the General Meeting.  Have all your questions answered before we dive into the big topics at our General Meeting. Learn about the Co-op’s history, ask questions about our process and progress, and find out about our future plans.

INTRODUCTION (5 minutes) 7:15PM-7:20PM

• Meeting Orientation (1 min.) Welcome and explanation of what/who the Co-op is
• Review of previous meeting’s activities (2 min.) Approval of meeting minutes from previous meeting (please read beforehand online)
• Facilitator & Secretary Choice and/or Approval (1 min.) Facilitator will conduct meeting fairly and impartially, ensure that any meeting rules are followed, and will keep meeting to agenda. Secretary will take meeting minutes, act as timekeeper, and assist with meeting facilitation as needed. The minutes will later be available to all on the Website.
• Presentation of Main Agenda and pending agenda queue (1 min.) Main agenda is prepared by the Steering Committee, based on member submissions, and published to members in advance of meeting.

COMMITTEE REPORTS (15 minutes) 7:20-7:35PM

Meeting Agenda 2011 11 22
Agenda
The Greene Hill Food Co-op General Meeting
Tuesday November 22, 2011, 7:00PM-9:00PM
138 South Oxford Street (between Fulton St and Atlantic Ave);
Studio G

Each attending Co-op member may participate equally in discussions, and contribute equally to the decision-making process.

NEW TO THE CO-OP? (15 minutes) 7:00PM-7:15PM
We will be holding a new members’ info session from 7:00-7:15 before the General Meeting. Have all your questions answered before we dive into the big topics at our General Meeting. Learn about the Co-op’s history, ask questions about our process and progress, and find out about our future plans.

INTRODUCTION (5 minutes) 7:15PM-7:20PM
Meeting Orientation (1 min.) Welcome and explanation of what/who the Co-op is
Review of previous meeting’s activities (2 min.) Approval of meeting minutes from previous meeting (please read beforehand online)
Facilitator & Secretary Choice and/or Approval (1 min.) Facilitator will conduct meeting fairly and impartially, ensure that any meeting rules are followed, and will keep meeting to agenda. Secretary will take meeting minutes, act as timekeeper, and assist with meeting facilitation as needed. The minutes will later be available to all on the Website.
Presentation of Main Agenda and pending agenda queue (1 min.) Main agenda is prepared by the Steering Committee, based on member submissions, and published to members in advance of meeting.
COMMITTEE REPORTS (15 minutes) 7:20-7:35PM
Committees will make brief reports with the aim of including members/potential members in our process. Classifieds: committees will describe specific tasks and ongoing projects that need member help and participation.

MAIN AGENDA (70 minutes) 7:35-8:45PM

1) Food presentation + snacks. 10 min

2) World premier of our orientation video. 5 min

3) Membership Relief Council will make recommendations about a general leave policy. 15 min

4) Operations will explain the factors that influence our store opening date. 10 min

5) Membership will propose amending the work shift start date. 10 min

6) Discuss proposed revisions to our stated Guiding Principles. 20 min

OPEN FORUM (5 minutes) 8:40PM-8:45PM
Brief comments from any member of the meeting on topics not on the Main Agenda. Items that will require more time to discuss should be submitted as future agenda items.

CLOSING (15 minutes) 8:45PM-9:00PM

The Board of Directors votes on all action taken by the General Meeting (5 min.)
-Approval of address change.

Next Meeting Arrangements (5 min.)
a. Time and location of next General Meeting
b. Propose items for next meeting’s agenda by submitting items to the Steering Committee at info@greenehillfoodcoop.com. Also, contact Steering Committee to be a future facilitator and secretary.

Meeting Reflection & Feedback (5 min.) An opportunity to discuss how the meeting went, not to revisit the content of the meeting agenda items

Meeting Agenda 2011 10 22
Agenda
The Greene Hill Food Co-op General Meeting
Tuesday September 22, 2011, 7:00PM-9:00PM
138 South Oxford Street (between Fulton St and Atlantic Ave);
Studio G

Each attending Co-op member may participate equally in discussions, and contribute equally to the decision-making process.

NEW TO THE CO-OP? (15 minutes) 7:00PM-7:15PM
We will be holding a new members’ info session from 7:00-7:15 before the General Meeting. Have all your questions answered before we dive into the big topics at our General Meeting. Learn about the Co-op’s history, ask questions about our process and progress, and find out about our future plans.

INTRODUCTION (5 minutes) 7:15PM-7:20PM
Meeting Orientation (1 min.) Welcome and explanation of what/who the Co-op is
Review of previous meeting’s activities (2 min.) Approval of meeting minutes from previous meeting (please read beforehand online)
Facilitator & Secretary Choice and/or Approval (1 min.) Facilitator will conduct meeting fairly and impartially, ensure that any meeting rules are followed, and will keep meeting to agenda. Secretary will take meeting minutes, act as timekeeper, and assist with meeting facilitation as needed. The minutes will later be available to all on the Website.
Presentation of Main Agenda and pending agenda queue (1 min.) Main agenda is prepared by the Steering Committee, based on member submissions, and published to members in advance of meeting.
COMMITTEE REPORTS (20 minutes) 7:20-7:40PM
Committees will make brief reports with the aim of including members/potential members in our process. Classifieds: committees will describe specific tasks and ongoing projects that need member help and participation.

MAIN AGENDA (50 minutes) 7:40-8:30PM
Item #1 Who? – What is organic any way? with food to taste! (10 minutes) 7:50PM – 8:00PM

Item #2 April – Our Buying Principle 10 minutes

Item #3 Pablo – Survey results 10 min

Item #4 Jeff – Update on construction 10 min

Item #5 Doug – update on loan 10 min

Item #6 Nick – Getting ready to open; workshifts 20 min

Item #7 Amanda/Giselle – Board elections 10 min

OPEN FORUM (10 minutes) 8:30PM-8:40PM
Brief comments from any member of the meeting on topics not on the Main Agenda. Items that will require more time to discuss should be submitted as future agenda items.

CLOSING (20 minutes) 8:40PM-9:00PM

The Board of Directors votes on all action taken by the General Meeting (10 min.)

Next Meeting Arrangements (3 min.)
a. Time and location of next General Meeting
b. Propose items for next meeting’s agenda by submitting items to the Steering Committee at info@greenehillfoodcoop.com. Also, contact Steering Committee to be a future facilitator and secretary.

Meeting Reflection & Feedback (7 min.) An opportunity to discuss how the meeting went, not to revisit the content of the meeting agenda items