MEETING MINUTES

Name of committee:  PRODUCT POLICY GUIDELINE

Date of meeting:  October 30, 2006 (Organizational Meeting)

Members Present:  Janet Welch (Board), Deb Shortess (Staff), Cindy Wolpin, Beth Lorber, Julie Jaman, Doreen Snyder, Phil Dinsmore, John Barr, Joanne Tyler, Joe Breskin, Bobby Jenusitis

Discussion:
Various people provided background with respect to the current situation where policies have been adopted under Policy Governance which don't necessarily reflect the governing documents (e.g. mission statement, Coop Principles, Product Selection Criteria, etc) which preceded Policy Governance.  We clarified that the policies within Policy Governance are the mechanism by which the Board sets the long range course of the store.  The essence of our work will be to carry the concepts in the Product Selection Criteria document forward by updating and incorporating them into policy language.  The structure and function of Policy Governance was reviewed because the draft policies produced by the committee need to reflect the language of policy governance.  It was recognized that our recommendations may have impacts on other parts of  policy governance.

We recalled that, at the October Board meeting, the Board requested that the committee present a draft charter for its work to the Board.  We developed a draft charter and compiled its essential elements as well as an output list which will be wordsmithed by Joe, Julie, and John.  The group directed Joe to present the draft charter to the board during the member comments period of the Nov 7 Board Meeting.  

Access to information to be used by the committee will be provided in a couple of ways.  Janet will email the governing documents and a pre-existing draft of changes to policy B8 to everybody and Joe will create a place on his website to post helpful documents such as relevant policies from other coops.  (refer to breskin.com/coop)

Joe was chosen to be the chair for 2006.  The group hopes that our work will be complete by the first of the year.

The committee will meet at the Uptown Fire Hall (confirm this) on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of the month.  Meetings will be posted in the store and the committee will maintain an open door policy, welcoming all input from coop members, while requiring a minimum two month commitment from people who want to serve on the committee.

Board action:  
The committee requests that the board review and approve its charter at the December board meeting.

Date of the next meeting: Wednesday, Nov 15.  The discussion will be a brainstorming of elements that need to be included in the policy.

Submitted by:  Janet Welch, Board Liaison