PCC Board of Trustees report, April 2016

Proposed PCC bylaws: key revisions

Member initiatives: For a member to bring an item of business before the membership for a vote, PCC’s current bylaws require the physical signatures of 3 percent of active members (about 1,710). As membership increases, so does the number of signatures required. To reduce the burden of signature gathering, the proposed bylaws lower the requirement to 2 percent. The current bylaws also require votes of 5 percent of active members to act on a member initiative. The proposed bylaws reduce that requirement to 3 percent.

Notice of meetings: PCC members are notified of member meetings primarily through the Sound Consumer. The proposed bylaws would allow PCC the additional flexibility of announcing meetings through electronic notification or on the PCC website.

Quorum for member meetings: Currently 3 percent of active members must participate in the transaction of business at member meetings, the majority of which involve annual elections, for meeting outcomes to be valid. As PCC’s membership has increased, it has become increasingly difficult to reach quorum. The proposed bylaws would allow the transaction of routine business at member meetings to take place without a required minimum number of members participating at the meeting.

Number of board of trustees: Currently PCC’s board is comprised of nine member-elected trustees. PCC’s Articles of Incorporation allow for an increase or decrease in the number of board seats. The proposed bylaws stipulate that the board of trustees will continue to consist of nine trustees elected by members. They also provide for up to two additional trustees who could be appointed by the board to serve for one-year terms, with voting privileges. This would give PCC the flexibility, if needed, to utilize the service of members who may be unable to commit to a full three-year term, or who have specific knowledge and expertise not otherwise available from elected trustees.

Voting for the election of trustees: This revised provision follows an increasing trend in good governance practices by providing that in uncontested elections each trustee will be elected by majority vote. A majority vote means that the number of votes cast “for” a trustee must exceed the number of votes cast “against” that trustee. If a candidate does not receive a majority vote, then he or she would not be elected as a trustee. If a candidate is not elected, the board may appoint a trustee to that seat until the next election, at which time that appointed trustee will stand for a majority vote by the members. This provision does not change the plurality voting established in the existing bylaws and currently used by PCC in contested elections. If there are more candidates on the ballot than open seats, those candidates with the most votes are elected.

Bylaws questions or comments?

Visit with a board member at one of these bylaws feedback meetings. No RSVP required:

Wednesday, April 6, between 6 and 8 p.m.
West Seattle classroom

Saturday, April 9, between 9 and 11 a.m.
Issaquah classroom

Tuesday, May 3, between 6 and 8 p.m.
Greenlake Village classroom

A former board member’s thoughts on the bylaws proposal

This is a much needed update of the bylaws. Having chaired the Task Force when the articles and bylaws were updated in 2005, I am well aware of the work it takes to do a full bylaws review. Clearly the board of trustees has invested a lot of time and effort to bring the bylaws in line with the current needs of the co-op. Please vote yes to support these changes.

— Mary Simon, PCC Trustee 2002-2005, Board chair 2005

Board report

The agenda for the March board meeting, which occurred after this paper went to press, was slated to include a report on the 2015 financial audit.

There is no board meeting scheduled in April.

Meet the candidates

The election dates are April 13 through May 23. Voting is by mail and in all stores.

You will receive your Election Guide in the mail with your home delivered May Sound Consumer. Ballots also will be available in stores after April 13.

Meet the candidates on Saturday, April 16 at PCC Edmonds, from 10 a.m. to noon.