Tuesday, 03 January 2012 17:20

By 12th Moon,
Council President

miraposa coop Meeting in The Space, Council held its Dec. 13 meeting with all Council members present. Receiving the monthly General Manager's (GM) Report as our first item of business, we learned that AFCU and GreenStar staff will be working together to spread the good word about the cooperative way of doing business and helping your community during 2012, deemed the International Year of Cooperatives by the United Nations. Brandon Kane, our GM, also reported that staff at both stores have handled an immense amount of seasonal business and that sales at and membership in our Co-op continue to grow. We learned of physical improvements at Oasis and the West-End's outside storage area, as well as forthcoming new entrance doors at the West-End store. Brandon reported that The Space is being utilized for many community arts and entertainment events, various meetings and this winter's Ithaca Farmers Market during the months of January and February.

Next, Alexis Alexander, Membership Manager, and Asha Sanaker, Finance Manager, provided Council with a report concerning the recent Focus Group Dinners held with members to invite feedback regarding possible changes to our membership equity contributions. Two dinners were conducted with a total of 20 randomly selected GreenStar members to openly discuss their feelings and impressions regarding possible changes to our equity contribution or time frame, as well as to discuss other Co-op plans for the future. The five-page report was very informative and warrants continuing these dinners to gather more of our members' ideas and impressions about the Co-op's direction and development.

Council Approves 2012 Budget; Appoints Two New Members

Thursday, 01 December 2011 18:22

By 12th Moon,  
Council President

Eric12Moon Council met in The Space on Election Day, Nov. 8, for our regular meeting. We moved quickly into our monthly report from General Manager (GM) Brandon Kane. During Brandon's report we heard that Oasis will be getting some additional equipment to add space for grab-and-go Deli foods between Thanksgiving and Christmas. There was concern expressed for the continuing congestion in our West-End store parking lot, where signs were recently added directing traffic flow to help make the lot safer for our shoppers. Brandon also reported that our efforts to accept donations at the registers in our stores yielded over $4,400 for victims of the Southern Tier flooding this October.

This fall has been especially busy with all of the events in October — a Member Forum, the Fall Membership Meeting, an All Staff Meeting, the GreenStar Community Projects Food Justice Summit, the Annual Kids' Halloween Party and a lecture and workshop by Michael Shuman of BALLE (Business Alliance for Local Living Economies), co-sponsored by GreenStar and Local First Ithaca. With all that behind us, we now move into the holiday season.

Council

Next Council Meeting

Tuesday, June 11, 6:30 - 9:30 pm

The Space @ GreenStar,  700 W. Buffalo St., Ithaca

Members always welcome!

Possible Agenda Items:

Report Back on GM's  1st Quarter Financial Report
Seat Remaining New Council Members, Farewell to Departing Members
Hold Council Officer Elections
Review Policy C.6 Officers
Proposed Amendments to  OPP Grievance Procedure

NOTE: Agenda is tentative and subject to change. To confirm items, see actual agenda posted here and at the stores six days before the meeting.

Collegetown Store Thwarted by Zoning Board Decision

By Dan Hoffman,
 Council Member

GreenStar's plans to open a third store, in Collegetown, hit a big bump last month, when the City's Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) denied a set of variances sought by the property's owners, throwing the future of their project into limbo. The new store won approval from the Co-op's Membership last year, but the lease for the space was contingent upon the developer's securing the variances by March.

The Co-op's serious exploration of the idea of a new store in Collegetown began in 2011, when Josh Lower — who, with his father, Bill, own...
Read more...