Date: Thursday September 26
Time: 6.30 pm
Location: P&V Wines
Meeting opened at: 6.40 pm
Meeting closed at: 8.32 pm

Facilitator: Bruce Diekman
Minute taker: Bruce Diekman
Timekeeper:
Next meeting date: TBC

Acknowledgement of Country: Before we begin the meeting, I would like to acknowledge and pay respect to the traditional owners, both past and present, of the land we occupy and upon which we meet — the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. It is also upon their ancestral lands that Alfalfa House is built.

1. Attendance and Apologies

Attendance (MC): Ashton Roskill, Bruce Diekman, Kirsten Lunoe, Tom Bartels (7.15 pm), Anthony Taylor (Deputy for Steve Catt – 6.50 pm), Lauren Sims (joined MC at this meeting)

Attendance (Members): Sam Byrne, Sarah Baynes, Cameron Burgess (6.50 pm), Allie Cooke (7.20 pm), Ran de Silva (7.20 pm)

Apologies: Steve Catt (MC)

Lauren, Sarah and Sam introduced themselves to the MC and other members.

Ashton gave Anthony a detailed summary of current methods we are employing to pay outstanding supplier invoices, and payment arrangements we have negotiated with some of our bigger suppliers, after which Anthony agreed to act as a Deputy Director for Steve Catt until the AGM.

2. Approval of Agenda

That the agenda be approved (agenda approved when quorum present).

Moved: Bruce

Seconded: Ashton

Carried by consensus

3. Consent Agenda

That the consent agenda be approved – carried over to next month.

Full consent agenda

3.1. Adoption of Previous Minutes

That the minutes of the August 29 meeting be adopted.

3.2. New Members and Cancellations

That members (with membership numbers listed under 'new members') be accepted as new members.

That members (with the membership numbers listed under 'cancellations') be cancelled:

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3.3. Out-of-session Decisions/Proposals

3.4. Reports from Working Groups

3.5. Staffing (appointments and resignations)

4. Manager’s Report

The below report has been restricted due to it containing potentially sensitive information. If you are unable to view and would like access, please contact the MC: alfalfamc@googlegroups.com

No Manager's report was tabled tonight.

The Manager however had raised agenda items prior to the meeting and provided a verbal summary of other matters as follows:

Sales are up 5-10% on corresponding weeks last year.

New freezer is required for store room. Anthony Albanese's office has contacted us re: available grant up to $20k – could be used for freezer and more?

New grant for up to $30k applied for today, specifically for shop fit-outs.

Per Manager, new freezer needed by summer. Ashton – chest freezer best – Ashton to try his contacts.

Reporting: Ashton to assist Allie with key metrics; Tom to continue to do bulk of financial reporting.

5. Finance report

The below reports have been restricted due to containing sensitive information. If you are unable to view and would like access, please contact the MC: alfalfamc@googlegroups.com

Treasurer's Report Sept 19 MC meeting

Approval deferred to next meeting as not available at meeting as Treasurer had just returned from overseas. However, Tom spoke to monthly figures to date as follows, and will be able to deliver a fuller financial picture by Friday to attach to these minutes:

$10k gross profit at end of June.
Sales have improved from June.
Wages down from $26k to $20k.
Thanks to staff for managing store environment well, especially Paulo for spending wisely on a limited budget.

Discussion: How do we up the ante on in-store and general marketing executions?

Ashton spoke to this item:

More 'footfall' needed.
Need to 'execute' a more robust marketing plan – at present a bit too haphazard.
Ashton to draft plan – will involve social media and in-store execution, plus product driven calendar.
PR people, media articles needed.

6. Recruiting new MC members until the AGM

With recent resignations from Cameron Burgess and Caroline Brakewell, there are two board director (MC) positions vacant.

MOTION: That Lauren Sims (present tonight) be endorsed to fill a vacant MC position (casual vacancy).

Moved: Bruce

Seconded: Ashton

Carried by consensus

7. Contracting a new accountant

Our relationship with current accountants Sustainable Numbers has deteriorated, to the point that we need to appoint new accountants. The Manager has found a new accounting firm, Irena's Bookkeeping, that is familiar with not-for-profits and food businesses.

MOTION: That our agreement with Sustainable Numbers be terminated with the required 30 day notice; and that proposed new accountants, Irena's Bookkeeping, be contracted to replace them.

ACTION: The Manager to send letters based on Ashton's draft.

Moved: Ashton

Seconded: Tom

Carried by consensus

8. Sign up BioPak composting service?

This proposal is on hold awaiting more information from BioPak.

9. Co-op of Co-ops buying proposal

The Co-op of Co-ops proposal plans to increase the buying power of participating co-ops, including Alfalfa House, by the ability to purchase combined orders for multiple co-ops at cheaper overall rates – its current incarnation has already started to operate. Other participating co-ops with Alfalfa House (AH) in the greater Sydney region are: the Blue Mountains and Manly Food Co-ops and Flametree at Thirroul. The business model for the proposal is still to be developed, and there will be an annual fee of around $100.

Declan Schuller represented AH at the Co-op of Co-ops meeting last Monday, attended by representatives of Sydney-region co-ops, plus from further afield (Bathurst, Bega and Victoria). Anthony also attended, as did Sam in his capacity as a State Co-op organisation representative.

Bulk products such as shampoo have already been purchased – Manly Food Co-op will be responsible for invoicing.

Declan will continue to assist with strategy and execution for AH, and Paulo, our Stock Manager, also needs to be involved.

The scheme is expected to provide potential extra savings on products that are part of the scheme, in the range of 10-50%. Keys to its success will be infrastructure – transport and storage.

10. Project review

See: /wiki/spaces/MC/pages/295046

Report on Volunteer Streams progress:

Decided that 'Volunteer Teams' will be a better working title.
Final tweaking will take place by the weekend – Bruce, Tom and Lisa.
Tom to design pages on Confluence for 'Volunteer Teams'.
Draft communication to members to be resolved in coming weeks.

11. Report on AGM progress

Bruce reported that our initial preferred date, Sunday 24 November at the Camperdown Commons, was not available. It was agreed that the evening of Friday 6 December was the next best option. Tom volunteered to pay the Fair Trading late fee.

ACTION: Bruce to canvas other available venues.

12. Any other business

Update on Newtown Festival stall

Our proposed stall at the Newtown Festival in November (we had been offered a 'free space') has been cancelled, for the following reasons:

The logistics of extra stock ordering for the event would have placed too much pressure on staff.
We would have had to hire a marquee.
The expectation of the organisers for us to provide educational forums was made known to us – this was not explained when the offer was first made.
Consensus was that our publicity/outreach efforts would be better served by different means.
Regular tastings and outside store promos on Saturdays, including supplier contributions, preferred.

Recent Stocktake issues

A brief discussion on problematic 2019 stocktakes occurred. The fault lies with our POS system which is unable to provide a starting point, i.e. pre-stocktake stock on hand figure.

Ashton – ideally rolling stocktakes should be performed item by item.

Tom will contact Maurice for more detail of POSWise development that was initially promised.

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