LeRoy  Farmers’ Market Meeting  Tuesday, March 3rd  2009 LeRoy Township Hall
  In Attendance:                                                         Absent:
*Brian Cool, Chair                                                      *Betty Strunk, Clerk   
*Joyce Richardson, Co-chair and Treasurer                  *Mark Baker  
*Karen Cool                                                               *Amy Jo Prater, Events coordinator 
*Dave Fisher       
*Julie Keefer         
Betsy Erickson
Runo Lorentzon
Tammy Stoner
Mark Dean                                                              * denotes committee member

 

     Brian Called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m.

 

     Addition to agenda was, add cookbook sub-committee to New Business. Joyce made a motion to approve the agenda with the addition, Dave supported, motion carried.

 

     Joyce read aloud the minutes from the January 28th  meeting.  Julie made a motion to approve the
minutes with a correction, Joyce supported, motion carried.  The Correction was that it was not Dave who had made the motion to appoint the LQL as a sub-committee of the LeRoy Farmers Market Committee, it was Amy Jo who had made the motion and Karen had supported it.
     Dave was wondering if since we are a committee under the village council, what are the rules of order we are supposed to be operating by.  Is it Robert’s rule of Order?  Julie said that if the village works under those rules, then shouldn’t we also?

 

     Joyce gave the treasurers report.  As of March 3rd we have in the bank $3251.90.  Joyce also
submitted a summary of last years financial activities.

 

     Mark Dean reported on the progress of the Building Sub-committee.  Mark had talked to Howard who said he has some board-n-baton for siding.  Amy Jo has some other materials.  Tammy Stoner submitted a Generous list of various materials she would like to donate to the project.  Brian has some tar paper and other materials to donate. 
     Brian will talk to Gary Edstrom to see when we can break ground.

 

     Julie stated that the LQL is changing it’s name to Area Quality of  Life Committee.  She also outlined the plan they have to become an independent citizens group, not part of a governmental entity. 
     Dave made a motion to dissolve the sub-committee, Karen supported, motion carried.

 

     Discussion by Brian and Joyce on the Website Creation Sub-committee focused mostly on the newsletter.  The newsletter will be posted on the website as well as handed out at the market.  A long discussion then followed about whether to make it a consistent eight pages long and to publish it once monthly, six issues yearly.  Opinions varied but it was determined to let Amanda Sutherland have a large say in the matter of these suggested changes as it would be her job (just as it was last year) to physically produce the finished product.
     Webmaster Chris Gaidica will donate the web space, and his skills in building the website as we wish, and he will teach us how to maintain updates from that point on.

 

     Howard was not present to remark on his progress with a lunch wagon for the upcoming season.
 
     Dave brought to our attention a possible mistake we may have made at a previous meeting. If we are to operate by the full Roberts Rules of Order instead of some other system, then we wrongly took up a vote to reinstate the music last year.  The correct procedure would have been for someone who had voted against keeping music at the market at the previous meeting to re-address the issue with a motion to allow it, before we could vote on the matter again. 
     Discussion followed.  The original vote was essentially an attempt to keep our Amish vendors.  This was in keeping with the Market’s mission.  The only music the Amish recognize is hymns (vocal only).  Put in the position of having to choose, the Market Committee took the view that the large contribution from the Amish community was more important to the market than the music. 
     It was pointed out by several people that the Amish had, for whatever reason, decided by the time of the second vote that they would not be selling at the market anyway. 
     Where we go from here is to inquire if we did make a procedural mistake and what, if anything, we need to do to fix it.  At the least, we will have to adopt rules of order. Brian will look into this matter.  
 

    Brian pointed out that we should add a better description to our bylaws of when and how we are supposed to elect committee member positions. 
 
     Brian presented the SNAP program, time and dates for training.  Discussion followed.
The plan is, to assume that Brian and Joyce will be attending the training, until more information on the program can be gathered.  We want to know a little more up front about the program before we commit to it. 
     Dave made a motion for the Market to pay milage for whoever drives to the Kent county training location.  Julie seconded, motion carried.  Joyce said she would drive.

 

     Julie and Brian went to  the Chamber of Commerce meeting.   Their dues are $35.00 dollars.  This would allow us the opportunity to be linked thru the internet to them.  Tabled till next meeting.

 

     Betsy and Runo will have a farm tour at their place this season.  Date will be announced at a future meeting.

 

     Joyce & Brian went over the venders we have agreements with and will visit during the coming year.
 
     Julie made a motion that the cookbook be overseen by a subcommittee -  Taken on by Karen
Cool & Tasha VanDusen.  Joyce supported motion carried.

 

    Next meeting date; April 7th, at 6:30 PM.

 

    At 8.25 PM Julie made a motion to adjourn the meeting, Joyce supported,  motion carried.