February 2021
COMMITTEE CORNER by Stephanie Conde Anti-Racism Committee (ARC) ∙ Subcommittees continue planning. ∙ Requested Board of Directors (BOD) approve plan for rolling out 21-day Anti-Racism Challenge for staff and Member-Owners (MOs). Plan includes measurable outcomes (pre- and post-assessment), gift cards as incentives, and essays. Communications Committee (CC) ∙ Committees that develop manual changes, elections, and other RMM business are asked to plan, write and request collaboration on newsletter submissions in time for readers to receive advance notice so they can develop interest, attend trainings, think of questions and participate in meetings. · Submit finished articles by 25th of each month. For blurbs (short notices, boxed announcements), email info, meeting dates, etc., before the 25th of the month preceding publication. Please schedule Honest Slate interview-based article requests by the 10th of each month. Next deadlines: interview requests due Feb. 10; March copy due Feb. 25. ∙ Submit questions, ideas, and recommendations to: honestslate@honestweight.coop Environment Committee (EC) ∙ Environment/Sustainability Manual proposal unanimously approved at January BOD meeting to guide HWFC environmental sustainability efforts and possibly house past record of accomplishments. Will present to membership at January Membership Meeting (MM). Will engage other Co-op stakeholders (staff, management) in development process. ∙ Solar enrollments more than doubled recently; HWFC earned a $5,000 incentive check. ∙ Transition from Direct Energy account to variable National Grid supply became effective Nov. 4. In two subsequent monthly billing periods, HWFC saved approx. $2,150. In contact with provider of demand response services and energy efficiency technology about energy management system to mon-
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Honest Slate
HWFC Meeting Summaries
FeBruary 2O21 itor daytime energy load. Shared generator tier status details with CCO. ∙ Paused zero waste presentation work to prepare manual proposal. Zero Waste team will reconvene in early February to consider breaking presentation into separate modules. Elections & Nominations Committee (ENC) ∙ Reviewed BOD work plan input. Updated and resubmitted for BOD approval. ∙ Survey Monkey was previously chosen for electronic voting quickly out of necessity. May task a subcommittee to explore electronic voting options (requested BOD guidance on whether subcommittee or separate ad-hoc should do this). ∙ Finalized assignments for Jan. 31 MM: voting instructions, electronic ballot preparation, testing; and in-person vote counting procedures considering COVID rates. ∙ Developing Nomination and Voting Manual (2017) update for review at March ENC meeting. ∙ ENC procedure handbook: Most documents are in electronic form, but more urgent tasks items have taken precedence. Considered new approaches e.g. using videos to instruct on procedures. Will redistribute sections list and plan completion at next meeting. ∙ Lieta will step down from ENC at the end of January but agreed to be available as consultant. Nutrition and Education Committee (NEC) ∙ Planning Seafood standards updates. Hope to meet with management soon for feedback. ∙ Prioritized finalizing Meat Chart as required by Food and Product Manual (FPM). Hope to meet with management to finalize format to be consumer friendly and easy to update. ∙ Food for Thought article containing extensive analysis of milk will be published in Feb. Honest Slate. Personnel Committee (PC) ∙ Revisions to Employee Manual continue.
This article provides a summary of preliminary committee reports submitted to the Board of Directors for their Feb. 2, 2021, Board meeting. See Board meeting packet for details. Full Board-approved committee reports are posted on HWFC’s website. To find out more about Honest Weight Food Co-op committees, visit https://www.honestweight.coop/page/ committees-of-the-board-14.html.
Sales and Fiscal Performance (for 6 mos. ending Dec. 31, 2020) ∙ Ordinary Income increased $68,027 or 24% to $353,813 vs. $285,786 last year ($15,879 over budgeted amount of $337,933). ∙ Net Income increased $136,065 from $58,980 to $195,045 ($8,807 over budgeted $186,238). ∙ EBITDA decreased by $56,807 to $535,741 v. $592,548 last year (over budgeted $508,774 by $26,966). ∙ Total Expenses were down $103,644 or 2.93% from $3,540,271 to $3,436,628 (under budgeted $3,673,415 by $236,787 or 6.5%). ∙ Costs of Goods were up $283,254 or 3.4% at $8,567,244 vs. $8,283,990 last year (under budgeted $8,684,069 by $116,825 or 1.3%). ∙ Overall Gross Profit was down $71,317 or 1.2% at $5,700,715 vs. $5,772,032 last year (under budgeted $5,821,741 by $121,027 or 2.1%). Gross Margin was 40% vs. 41% last year (under budgeted 40%). Governance Review Council (GRC) ∙ Reviewed January BOD meeting decisions. ∙ Discussed GRC’s January MM presentation. ∙ Practiced using Zoom. Honest Arts Committee (HAC) ∙ Jurying submissions completed for virtual “Black Lives Matter” exhibit (to run through Mar. 2021). ∙ Reviewed BOD’s request for 2021 work plan clarification and submitted update for approval. ∙ Call for Art to go out in Feb. 2021 for virtual “Feast or Famine” exhibit. Bylaws Panel (BLP) Discussed and reviewed January MM slide presentation content, format, and anticipated meeting mechanics.
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Honest Weight Food Co-op • 100 Watervliet Ave. Albany, NY 12206 • 518-482-2667 • https://www.honestweight.coop/ • honestslate@honestweight.coop
