Co-op Market

Grocery & Deli

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Monday - Saturday: 8am - 8pm
Sunday: 9am - 7pm

526 Gaffney Road
Fairbanks, AK 99701
907.457.1023

Hey, Owners! It’s time to vote!

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What? Are you sick of all the election rhetoric already? Think your vote doesn’t count?

Well, at the co-op, it does. In fact, we need votes from at least 10% of our Owners for our election to be valid. That means we need at least 327 votes this year.

What are you voting for? We have four open seats on our nine-member board of directors. This year we have five candidates for those four seats. Our directors serve three years.

Having a knowledgeable, strong board is critical to the continued health and success of your co-op. Board members serve as stewards, ensuring that the co-op is legally and financially sound. They represent you, their fellow Owners, in a democratic process, making sure your values are reflected in long-range goals and decisions

How can you vote? There are several options.

  • If you have an email address on file with us, we have sent you an invitation to vote on-line using My Direct Vote from Survey and Ballot Systems. The on-line election process is very easy, and the ballot includes profiles of each of our candidates.

Note: The emails went out at 8:30 a.m. today (9/22). If you didn’t receive an email, please check your spam folder. The email is titled “Important: Login Info for Co-op Market Board Election,” and it was sent by Kristin Summerlin at Co-op Market from noreply@directvote.net. (If you didn’t receive a ballot and want to vote on-line, please email marketing@coopmarket.org with your name, Owner number and correct email address. We’ll send another copy of the invitation to you.)

  • We are mailing candidate profiles and paper ballots to Owners who don’t have emails on file. You can vote and return your ballot by mail or drop it off at the ballot box at Customer Service.
  • And of course candidate profiles and paper ballots are available in the store.

Voting continues until 5 p.m. October 20th, and results will be announced that night at our Annual Meeting. As in years past, the Annual Meeting will be held at Birch Hill Recreation Center, with doors opening at 5:30 p.m. and a light soup supper provided by our Deli, followed by a short business meeting and door prizes.

Last year, nearly 14% of you voted. Let’s see if we can get that number up even higher this year!

It’s Time to Vote: Board Elections and Amended Bylaws

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election poster 2015COOPERATIVE PRINCIPLE #2: DEMOCRATIC MEMBER CONTROL. Cooperatives are democratic organizations controlled by their members, who actively participate in setting their policies and making decisions.

Every year, our Owners help shape the future of our co-op by voting for a Board of Directors. In 2015, we have five open seats on our nine-member board. The ballot also includes Owner confirmation of one director who was appointed by the board to fill a vacancy.

This year, Owners also have the opportunity to approve amendments to our bylaws, which have not been updated since they were adopted in 2011. Bylaws are the written rules that govern our co-op. They are a legal document that sets forth the structure of the board and co-op, determines the rights of our Owners and the procedures for exercising those rights. Bylaws guide our board in conducting business, ensure fairness and provide legal protections.

You can view both the amended bylaws and the original version adopted in 2011 by clicking here.

Voting is your right and your responsibility as an Owner of Co-op Market.

Last year we offered our Owners the option to vote on-line for the first time. Electronic voting was a great success, so we’re doing it again this year. If we have a valid email address on file for you, you should receive a link to the on-line ballot via email. Click here for helpful suggestions on how to vote electronically.

If we don’t have your email address, we will send a paper ballot via the USPS. Paper ballots are also available in the store, or click here to print your own copy.

(BTW: You can help us leave trees in the ground, reduce paper waste and save money on postage by making sure your email address is current. We’ve provided a space on the paper ballot for an update.)

The deadline for voting is 5 p.m. October 15. Election results will be announced that night at our Annual Meeting at Birch Hill Recreation Area.

We must have ballots from a minimum of 10% of our Owners for the election to be valid, so your vote is very important! (Each Owner number gets one vote: Please confer with others who share your Ownership before voting.)

THANK YOU FOR INVESTING IN OUR COMMUNITY-OWNED GROCERY STORE – AND FOR HELPING GUIDE IT!

How to Vote for Your Board of Directors Electronically

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This year we’re again offering electronic voting through DirectVote by Survey & Ballot Systems. Every Owner with a current email address on file should receive an email invitation to vote on-line.

Voting electronically makes voting and tabulating the results a lot easier, but it does require some ability to be “tech savvy.”

So, to help you we, we offer these words of advice.

1. WAIT – If we have your current email address, you will receive an email directly from DirectVote by Survey Ballot Systems on September 14th.

2. PREPARE – Your internet server might think the email is spam. To avoid this, add noreply@directvote.net to your approved email list (whitelist).

3. CHECK YOUR SPAM – If you don’t receive an invitation email by noon, please check your spam folder. Look for this email header: “Important: Login Information for Co-op Market Board Election.”

4. COPY AND PASTE – DirectVote will send you a username, password and URL address to use when voting. The URL may or may not appear as a clickable hyperlink depending on your email service. If it isn’t clickable, simply copy and paste the address into your browser address bar.

5. WATCH FOR POP-UP BLOCKERS – You can read about each candidate before voting, but you will have to click a button on the ballot to do this. The candidate biographies will pop up. Some browsers don’t allow pop-ups, so you will need to disable the pop-up blocker for this ballot.

6. READ ALL THE INSTRUCTIONS – Be sure to read everything on each screen of the ballot so that you do not miss important instructions. This will help prevent frustration and problems.

7. SUBMIT your ballot. Your vote will not be complete until you hit the “submit” button on the ballot confirmation page.

If electronic voting is troublesome or if you don’t get the invitation email, please send an email to Kristin Summerlin, Marketing and Owner Services Manager, at ksummerlin@coopmarket.org. She will also be able to help you if your email address has changed.

We will mail paper ballots to Owners with no email address on file. We will also offer paper ballots at the check-out registers. You will need to have your Owner number to vote. If you don’t know your number, ask a cashier to look it up for you. Remember that there is only one vote per Owner number, even if several people in your household use that number.

Thank you for helping us save trees by voting on-line! And thank you for participating in the democratic management of your co-op.

 

Help Shape the Future: Join Our Board of Directors

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You own a grocery store! Have you ever thought about it that way? You took a leap of faith and invested your money in Co-op Market Grocery & Deli. You built a vibrant new retail food co-op, the first one in Alaska.

As a Member-Owner, you can do more to ensure our success than just shop with us. You can help shape the future of Co-op Market and make sure we remain true to our values and mission as we continue to grow. You can serve on our Board of Directors.

Co-ops are not just businesses: They are democratic organizations governed by an elected Board of Directors made up of Member-Owners. Our nine-member board is the legal steward of the Co-op and fulfills the obligations of running a business. The board provides leadership, vision and guidance. It oversees wise use of Co-op resources and sets long-range goals.

Cooperatives are based on the values of self-help, self-responsibility, democracy, equality, equity and solidarity. In the tradition of their founders, cooperative members believe in the ethical values of honesty, openness, social responsibility and caring for others. (Find out more about cooperative values and principles here.)

This year the board will be finalizing its board policies and Ends Statement and will begin to work with our General Manager to clarify our plan for growth and expansion.

Do you believe in the cooperative values and principles? Are you passionate about bringing good healthy food to the community? Do you want to help create a flourishing local economy with a real focus on sustainability? Do you have a background in business or volunteer organizations and relevant life experiences to share? You’re an ideal candidate!

Here are some things you need to know.

The Board of Directors

  • oversees the Co-op’s financial condition.
  • connects to our owners.
  • shapes our Co-op’s vision and works closely with our General Manager to set long-term strategies.

The Co-op Market board operates under the Carver Policy Governance Model.

To be eligible, candidates

  • must be Member-Owners of Co-op Market Grocery & Deli in good standing.
  • cannot be a Co-op Market employee.
  • must know how to focus, communicate clearly, and understand strategic thinking.
  • should have prior experience making decisions in a group setting.
  • must be able to undertake fiduciary responsibility on behalf of the Co-op and its owners.

Directors serve for a two-year term. For 2014/2015, four of the nine board seats are up for election.

The board meets monthly. Directors commit to an average of 4 to 8 hours of service per month, depending on committee and project workload. They also commit to attend yearly national cooperative training and conferences.

Applications are available here, or you can get a paper copy at the customer service desk. Completed applications, along with a current digital photograph, are due by September 5, 2014. (Your photograph should be a headshot only and in .jpg format.) All Member-Owners will receive candidate bios, photos and a ballot. On-line and paper ballot voting will begin on September 25. Winning candidates will be announced at our annual meeting on October 23.

For more information, please contact Board Chairman Robert Leach at board@coopmarket.org.

Annual Meeting minutes August 29, 2009

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FCCM First Annual Meeting 8-29-09

Our First Annual Meeting was held at Pioneer Park’s Civic Center in the theater.

It began with Rep. David Guttenberg from the 26th Alaska State Legislature presenting an Honorarium to David L. Lacey who founded the FCCM. Dave’s son, Vaughan, was there to accept the honor.

Cora Kelley made a power point presentation of the Co-op’s founding and goals for the health of our local community and the environment.

The Agenda was presented and Cora made a motion for approval. Hans seconded. The motion was approved.

Mary Christensen announced that we now have 1,005 members. Since 136 were present, we had a quorum.

Present on stage were Hans Geier, Rich Seifert, Mary Christensen, Sharon Alden, Helen McLean, Cora Kelley, Mike Emers, Morgan Macchione, Rand Petersen, Rob Leach, and Lela Ryterski. Each person introduced themselves to the audience (general membership).

Rob, as the Interim Chairperson, reported on what the Co-op had been doing to develop a business plan and connect with local producers.

TREASURER’S REPORT: Sharon reported that since our founding we had collected $37,000. Of that $10,000 went to the feasibility study, $2,800 was advertising, $1,600 for printing, and costs of goods was $1,800. We presently have $20,520 in the bank.

COMMUNICATIONS/OUTREACH: Mary reported that we’ve worked hard to have a successful Harvest Fair/First Annual Meeting which serves as a kick-off for a membership drive to realize 500 full members by November.

OPERATIONS COMMITTEE: Mary made an appeal for members to join this committee outlining its duties (i.e.: securing equipment, insurance, employees, etc.)

PRODUCTS/VENDORS COMMITTEE: Lela gave a synopsis of what had been occurring: finding vendors, developing criteria for products.

FINANCE COMMITTEE: Hans gave a synopsis: We’ve connected with a co-op bank.

STORE DESIGN: Rob reported we’re considering a section of the old Foodland Building.

BUSINESS PLAN: Rob explained how all these committees together will develop the business plan.

ADOPT BYLAWS: The copy of the Bylaws that was sent out to the membership had not yet been looked over by a lawyer. Two days prior to this meeting the core Board Members met to approve and update the editing done by the lawyer. Copies of this new edition were available at the door. Rob was at the podium to act as parlaimentarian.

Dan Hancock moved to substitute the old bylaws with this new edition. Mary Stech seconded. Rich Seifert didn’t want to approve without reading the corrections. Rob went over the basic changes. It was voted on, and the substitution passed.

Ben Birtles made a motion to adopt the new bylaws. Bett Schaffhauser seconded the motion. Discussion ensued. There were questions about founding members verses regular membership, and how often the Board meets. There was a call for a vote, and the Bylaws were adoped.

ELECTION OF NINE BOARD MEMBERS: As we opened the floor to address the election, a member made a motion to amend the Bylaws to include eleven Board members instead of nine. However, since we just voted on the Bylaws, this concern would have to be addressed at the next meeting of the membership. We moved on to the election.

Nominations from the floor were accepted. Lela nominated Vaughan Skylark. There was a move for nominations to be closed. It was seconded. All were in favor. Votes were placed into a closed box on the stage.

MEMBERSHIP FEES: $200 was proposed for full membership. Discussion ensued about the amount, and concern that time payments would be untimely for funding our project. The criteria for payments was left for the Board to decide. A motion called for a vote. It was seconded. A vote passed the $200 membership fee.

The floor was opened to Members’ Comments: there were none.

Mary announced the potluck.

Cora moved to adjourn. It was seconded. All consented. The meeting was adjourned at 5:00 p.m.

First Annual HARVEST FAIR and Business Meeting

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First Annual HARVEST FAIR

Celebrating our Accomplishments….Appreciating our Members

Saturday, August 29, 2009 – Noon to 8 pm – Pioneer Park Civic Center

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

A word about DOOR PRIZES! There will be drawings throughout the day!

Noon – Doors Open – Enjoy browsing among the many vendor tables and check out what is planned for children to do.

12:15 pm – Laura Vines – Traditional Folk Music – Exhibit Hall

1:00 Tundra Caravan Dance Troupe – Exhibit Hall

1:15 “Musical Rumours” – a vocal Jazz Group – Exhibit Hall

1:30 – Modern Dance Piece – “Finding Balance” – Exhibit Hall

Choreographer: Krista Katalenich in collaboration with Felix Bambury Webbe
Music: Med sud i eyrum by Sigur Ros

1:35 – Jean McDermott – Fiddle – Exhibit Hall

1:55 – Alaskan Amy – Hoop Dancer – Exhibit Hall

2:00 – Project Cuba Alaska demonstrating Rueda de Casino – Exhibit Hall

2:15 Project Cuba Alaska – performing “Gaga”, a high energy Afro –Haitian Celebration dance – Exhibit Hall

2:30 Power Point presentation: “The Spark of a Dream” – a tribute to Dave Lacey, and including a report on FCCM’s progress – Civic Center Theatre

3:00 Business Meeting and Elections – Civic Center Theatre

Tentative Agenda for business meeting: (This is subject to change)

1. Announcements and Introductions

2. Call to Order

3. Review and Approval of Agenda

4. President’s Report

5. Officer’s Report

6. Committee Reports

7. Presentation of Board of Directors

8. Election of Board of Directors

9. Vote to on DRAFT Bylaws and Membership Fee Structure.

ALSO at 3 PM Special Activities for Children – in the Exhibit Hall

3 pm – Hoop Playshop with Hoop Dance Ananda – Exhibit Hall

5:00 Pot Luck (Please bring a side dish) Volunteers with FCCM are planning to provide meat dishes

6:00 Live music by Steve Brown & the Bailers – Exhibit Hall

7:00 Music Jam – Bring your instrument – Exhibit Hall

Please come to this family-oriented celebration where you will enjoy the many vendor booths, exhibits featuring local crafts, farmers, musicians, dancers, artists, and food.

Thank you to all who have made this event possible!


Annual membership meeting scheduled

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The Fairbanks Community Cooperative Market will be holding its 1st annual member meeting on Saturday, August 29th. This is an opportunity for members — the collective owners of the co-op — and other interested people from the community to give important feedback and input on the status of the co-op and where we’d like to see the co-op moving in the coming year! The agenda will include a presentation on our progress and reports from committees, a financial report, and an election for a new board of directors.

We also feel this is cause for a great celebration, so we are having a Family Harvest Fair the same day. We are envisioning lots of music, food, and fun! Plan on seeing booths with producers of locally grown and produced products to sample. There will be games and entertainment for the children and we will sum up the evening with live music and dancing. We hope you can join us. Please come back to the blog for more information.

Store Hours

  • Monday-Saturday: 8am – 8pm
  • Sunday: 9am – 7pm

 

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Location

526 Gaffney Road
Fairbanks, AK 99701

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