March 2021 Board Meeting Minutes

EVER'MAN COOPERATIVE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Board Meeting Minutes March 29, 2021 6:00 pm - Online meeting I.

ADMINISTRATIVE Dave DeBlander called the meeting to order at 6:03 PM. There were enough members for a quorum.

Board members present: Larry Adams, Dave DeBlander, Lynn Jackson, Tara Jones, Jena Melançon, Kelly Oden, Eric Schneider, and Dr. Sandra “Sandy” Winborne; Thane Joyal of Columinate, Ever’man General Manager William Rolf, and staff members Matt & Joy were also present as was member Hugh Ed. Peter Moughey attended for the Open Forum.

Tara read the Ends Statement.

William had the following correction to the GM Comments in the February minutes: Originally written: Good news for January: We are “flat” on cash flow for P & L. Capital expenses still need to be made so we are still in a negative position.

Edited to correct to: The P & L is flat. Cash flow is still negative due to capital expenses.

Lynn moved to accept the January minutes as corrected. Sandy seconded this motion.

The motion carried unanimously.

II. OPEN FORUM Hugh Ed expressed concern about the outdoor display cabinet being open, and the monthly schedule lacking the Nine Mile address. He also asked and received an update on flash sale & the current employee COVID cases.

Peter Moughey joined to share his vision on tackling food deserts in Pensacola with particular focus on healthy options & kids in schools. His board of 20 is divided into four committees (Demand, Supply, Logistics, and Tech) and has set a two-part goal, filling 500 boxes a month with healthy options and running a backpack program in the 32501 area. He is approaching Ever’man to see how we can partner to make a difference in the community. The board & William explored the topic with our guest, providing effective models from other communities and potential suggestions for moving forward.

Eric suggested we set up a committee to investigate this.

III. GM REPORT GM Comments As seen in the report, sales are still negative. The weekend activities included family activities and the event was well attended.

William updated the board on recent bridge news, Skanska litigation, our tax refund, and an employee retention tax credit.

We were $50 K down on the P & L in February. February was a shorter month. Reports for March will take longer to produce due to the annual timing challenges (e.g., inventory & end-of-year).

B-1 Staff Treatment Dave moved to approve B-1. unanimously.

Tara seconded this motion.

The motion carried

Dave complimented William on the staff survey results. The board discussed the survey, the importance of staff education (e.g., masks, the role of the board), the importance of the circle of trust, and ways to connect with employees. Eric pointed out the discrepancy between how questions on the board were asked vs how the questions should have been asked to better reflect the board role.

IV. BOARD SELF MONITORING D7: Governance Investment: All roles are understood. There was no discussion.

Committee Reports: Committees did not meet.

Discussion segued into an examination of the unfinished education room at the Nine Mile store.

Treasurer Report of Board Budget: The Treasurer gave an overview of the past fiscal year’s budget, of which only 33.48% was used. No one had questions or concerns.

V. BOARD VISIONARY TIME Dave, Sandy, Joy, and William volunteered to be on the food desert committee.

The board discussed asset protection and the reputation of Ever’man in the community.

William agreed to provide the co-op’s current policy on educational center usage and together, with Thane’s help, the group discussed the need to review the guidelines.

Possible edits include, but are not limited to: policies regarding the co-op’s reputation, language used in event descriptions, a clarification of the type of events not allowed (i.e., nothing political or giving the appearance of supporting political agendas), the need for

disclosures on materials, guidelines regarding the use of the Ever’man name in emails and promotional information, and consequences for noncompliance.

Jena suggested members be reminded of the policy through a small feature in the newsletter.

VI. ADJOURNMENT Sandy motioned to adjourn, and Tara seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously.

The board is grateful to Thane for use of her Zoom account. The meeting adjourned at 7:49 PM. Respectfully submitted,

Jena Melançon Secretary for the Ever’man Cooperative Board of Directors