Phoenix Earth Food Cooperative
Board Minutes
January 27, 2016

Present: Leah Foley – Staff. Helen Eldon – Staff, Sean Fitzgerald – General Manager. Tom Fine, Anita Levin, Hermann Von Grafenstein, Sandor Halasz, Adrienne Armstrong, Tiffany Hubbell, Caitlin Cousino, Alyx Kendzierski

Absent: Shelly Boraby

  1. Meeting Called to Order: 6:43 PM at the Toledo-Lucas County Main Library
  2. Minutes - MSC to approve minutes of last Board meeting as amended, unanimously.
  3. Review of Action Items:
    1. Anita Levin – has not reached Mark Mockensturm re: accounting questions
    2. Shelly Boraby – was absent but Sandor reported that he gave her the member lists
    3. Shelly Boraby – was absent and did not report on Phone Tree
    4. Hermann & Adrienne sent out list of possible partnerships.
  4. General Manager Report – Sean Fitzgerald reported orally. Some staff changes occurring: Rob left as Bulk Manager, Jackie taking over Bulk, Orlando hired for some of Rob’s hours. Coolers need repair and maintenance. Water tanks need repair. Looking for member assistance in these areas. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday are weakest sales days. Staff will work on publicizing specials for those days, including prominent signs to alert staff of discounts before the start of a transaction. Increasing social media exposure.
  5. Jackson Loan Update – Scott Ciolek by phone informed Board that the Estate has been reopened which could permit the estate to intervene and reopen the claim. Still is a question is assignment can be ordered and allowed for the estate. Estate attorney made an offer. We can
    1. Accept the offer
    2. Make a counter-offer
    3. Do nothing
    Uncharted territory since the estate hasn’t been paid in 15 years and we don’t know about the money that was mistakenly paid to the heirs.

    Certainty requires settlement. Discussion ensued concerning the fiscal realities of the Coop, reiterating our belief that the assignment was invalid and the relatives received $30,000 of the $38,000 we owed. MSC unanimously to direct the executive committee to draft an offer not to exceed profit from 2015.

  6. Financials – Tom Fine reviewed the financial reports as distributed. A $2000 profit for 2015 despite declining sales as opposed to a $13,000 loss in 2014. Payroll costs were also down in 2015. Must improve sales figures.
  7. Outreach – Adrienne – was postponed due to the late hour.
  8. Meeting was adjourned at 8 pm as the library was closing.
    Next meeting 2/24/16

Respectfully submitted,

Anita Levin, Secretary