Minutes, March 19, 2013 Phone Meeting

[James Murphy]

 

 

MINUTES, COOPERATIVE MAINE PHONE MTG, 3/19/13 

 

Present:  Betsy, Larry (facilitator), Rob Lahren, Brad Sherwood, Jim Murphy (scribe).

 

Treasury:  $724.78 in credit union.  Other minor transactions listed on agenda.

 

HOPE Festival:  April 27.  Volunteers still needed.  Plan to meet at end for annual face-to-face.

DOT ("Do One Thing" for Sustainability) theme.  Details to be finalized at next phone meeting.  See below about inviting health care cooperative folks.

 

Barrells Community Market:  Located in downtown Waterville, intending to convert to co-op.  Jim to get update from Asst. Manager Melissa Hackett for next meeting.

 

Data Commons:  Principals reportedly wish to trial it with ME as test site.  Goal is a national co-op directory, an open-source, user-editable database.  Phone meeting June 14.  Paul willing to be in on call.  Anyone else?

 

Health Care Co-op:  Brad talked with some of the principals before they received their charter.  Plan is for a consumer-directed, but not consumer-owned org. with accent on preventive care.  Two have experience with low-income clientele (Bob Hillman, Mike Gendreau).  They are rigid about 51% subscribers on the Board, no more & no less.  Who is actually on the Board is unknown at this point.  The org is using the same charter as the former BC/BS of Maine -- same enabling laws still in place.  Will market their plans through the Exchange and also other orgs such as MOFGA.   "Maineoptions.org"  supposedly has current info about the org and their progress.

Larry mentioned need for two things:  Present them with a co-op model, and ID someone to be a watchdog.  Betsy suggested inviting them to our gathering at the HOPE Fest.  Or that we schedule a meeting with them.  They were scheduled to attend the Mar 27 meeting of the Waldo County Growers.  David Shipman of FEDCO is also interested in their project.  Perhaps someone could find out whether any of the other 10-20 states setting these up are actually using a co-op model, that we can point them to?

 

CGCF:  Our application is available, Paul to submit/Larry to verify with Paul that he can do it while on vacation. 

 

Announcements:  March 30, Annual Mud Season Dinner of FOOD for MAINE'S FUTURE,

11-2pm at Troy Howard Middle School (oldest school garden in ME).  Jim Gerritson will receive the Jim Cook Award, plus tours of the school's award-winning garden & awesome greenhouse.

 

Also, a call for details to Tricia Cook (Western Mtns. Alliance) was unable to elicit more info about buying clubs or other programs with state-wide Cooperative Ext. participation.  Likewise, no further details from Cooperative Extension. 

 

Respectfully submitted,

Jim Murphy