Annual Meeting Minutes 2017

Mountain Community Co-Op Board of Directors Meeting September 11th, 2017 Note: Items in bold are approved motions. Items underlined require action. Call of Order: 6:36

Membership Attending: Patricia Davis, Margaret Franich, Debra Grant, Mike Kilt, Naomi Lindsey, Lucy Fountain, Sean Fountain, Lisa Wagner, Louise Carson, Seth Quinn, Lori Markeson, Beth Neuhalfen, Linda Cox, Kay Kadoun, Clare Duncan McCahill, Jane Henderson Welcome: Clare welcomed all the members and thanked the church for allowing us to have our meeting at their location. Clare reviewed the agenda.

Approval of Annual Agenda: Beth motioned to approve agenda. Lori seconds. All in favor. Approval of Last Annual Minutes: Linda motioned to approve minutes. KC seconds. All in favor. Approval of September Minutes: KC motioned to approve minutes. Linda seconds. All in Favor. Financial Report: (Beth)

 Thank you’s went out to Tanya Dow (paid bookkeeper), Linda Rapozo and Ann Sophie Montgomery (our WMO bookkeeper). They all did an amazing job keeping all the numbers in order. Their efforts help the board plan MCC’s future. A special thanks to Betsy Harris for guiding us with her wealth of knowledge and expertise regarding MCC and our finances.

 Profits year to day 2017 are $10,000 compared to $4,000 year to date 2016.

 Our savings of $20,000 is adequate to cover all anticipated expenses based on the current set asides. All accounts payable are current. The board continues to monitor expenses and adjust set aside amounts as needed.

 The results of 2017 YTD include consistent increase of monthly sales income from $10,000 in January to %15,000 in September. The cost of goods purchased YTD 20017 shows a reduction of 12% compared with YTD 2016. As our new store manager, Sean Fountain has met and exceeded the challenge of covering the expenses of his position, through increased sales and effective management of resources. Congratulations and thank you Sean! Store Report Highlights 2017: (Laura/Clare)

 Store manager in place and beer/wine license secured.

 Sean reports that in the last 6 months, MCC has seen increased sales. Some is due to the positive changes we have made at the store, both physically and digitally. Sean has rearranged and changed the kind and quality of products that we carry. Sean has been trying his best to weed out that which does not sell from the products that are more popular. General cleanliness of the store has also been a priority.

 We have improved the website, allowing us to be contacted more easily and showcase some of our products and services. We are also working hard to be responsive to activity on our Facebook page and have stared an Instagram account in order to increase visibility.

 Some plans for the upcoming year include an online ordering system for the produce shares, continual evaluation of products for both popularity and fitness to the MCC mission, and focus on promoting MCC within the Eatonville community and beyond.

 Sean thanks everyone for the support and compliments he has received since becoming SM. It means a great deal to him. In the coming year, if you feel that what we are doing and where we are going is good, please use that positive energy and take it out into the community. You are our best cheerleaders that MCC has, and the words that come from your mouths mean more than any advertisement.

Committee Report:

 Facilities: (Beth)

~105 Carter Street building (current retail space): Facility improvements include efficient LED light replacements, the new produce cooler and freezer. The Future priorities include a new roof with a possible open area extension for the roof over the current produce tent, new doors, and exterior paint. Bids are pending for the roof project at this time with active fundraising for the “Raise the Roof Campaign.”

~128 Washington Avenue building (current Black Star Feed): Business is currently for sale by Margaret Franich.

 Outreach and Education: (Lori)

~ Jane stated that we need more WMO’s to help with Outreach. Lori started orientation for MCC members and we continue to work with the Eatonville Family Agency.

 WMO Report: (KC)

~Big thank you for everyone who has stepped up to the plates with all of the events, produce shares and overall help to keep MCC moving in the right direction.

 “Raise the Roof Campaign:” (Beth, Linda, Lori)

~The total raised to date is approximately $6,500 including an anonymous generous cash donation of $2,000.

~Bake Sale: In nine bake sales on Saturday mornings to date have raised $200 to $250 each day. Thank you to all the generous bakers for the delicious items and flowers donated filling the table each Saturday. We are looking forward to more ideas and help for these Saturday morning events.

~Rummage Sale: Raised $1,200 total. The rummage sale is always a great community experience with a great turnout. Thank you.

~Dinner/Dance: This event on Saturday, September 30th, included spaghetti and garlic bread with an antipasto salad bar, coffee, tea and water bar with herbs and citrus. It also included a table full of scrumptious donated desserts. Live music with dancing and a silent auction rounded out the event raising approximately $700. Thank you to all who attended helped and donated to the event. We need more ideas for MCC sponsored events.

New Business:

 Future Vision Brainstorm: All member participation: ~Ideas that were expressed:

o Farm to Table Dinners as fundraisers, online bulk produce shares/orders, crowd-sourced produce, bulk pricing (better with more people), cookie bake/swap/sell Xmas for bake sale on Saturday’s, work day at each of our farmers (spring prep, summer planting, harvest, fall), progressive dinner home to home, favorite healing tip swap, salve making, gift baskets, work day for garden ideas for the grounds of MCC, mountain traveler’s basket, “Harvest Party” with a cider press, potlatch (invite community), move MCC to front property and rent the back, “grab and go” food at MCC, choice produce shares, website prepay, delivery, sell ice cream on the street in front, spring health fair, event for 4th of July, art festival, have a future funds account, sandwich bar, juice bar, pizza bar, provide timelines for events and advertise in the Dispatch and News Tribune, Christmas Swag event where people make one for themselves and make another to donate, new store front, grant writer needed, pumpkin patch/flower garden to harvest and sell, produce costumes dancing on the corner, feed store, organic grow store, education on organic grow, crafter fair with lunch by MCC, table at the Ohop Grange Bazaar, add “Food” to MCC’s name, Packages of tickets to give to members to sell, mural on the back of the building, walk in cooler, concrete floor for produce share area and topics for the community education can be how to organically grow, make a compost, build healthy soil and recipes for using vegetables.

o Louise wanted to announce the free showing of “The Babushkas of Chernobyl.” Louise asked that MCC would part sponsor for this event. MCC agreed.

 BOD Nominations: o Clare was nominated by Lori, Linda seconds o Laura was nominated by Lori, Beth seconds o Linda Rapozo was nominated by Beth, KC seconds o Kevin Dorsey was nominated by Beth, Linda seconds o Naomi was nominated by Linda, KC seconds o Jane motioned for all slated, KC seconds. All in favor Adjournment: 8:06