OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE PARK SLOPE FOOD COOP Established 1973 Volume OO, Number 14 September 8, 2020 August General Meeting New Directions for the Old Stone House Approves Temporary Markup Increase By Christopher Cox t the fourth General Meeting conduct- Aed via video, members voted in favor of a temporary increase in the standard mark- up applied to all products sold at the Coop, responding to the sharp drop in overall reve- nue during the pandemic. The meeting, held at 7:15 p.m. on August 25, was attended by 451 member-owners. They voted 368 to 63 to PHOTOS BY CAROLINE MARDOK increase the markup from 21 to 25 percent, though individual members will be able to opt By Frank Haberle out of the price increase. ong before there was a Park Slope Food Coop (or a Park Receiving Coordinator Margie Lempert, LSlope neighborhood, or for that matter, any “Slope” at all) who presented the plan for the increase along there was the Old Stone House. In 1699, Dutch settlers built with General Coordinator Joseph Szladek, a little stone farmhouse by a marsh, on land that had been argued that the increase could be implement- occupied and used by the Lenape tribe for thousands of years. ed immediately, which would help reduce the In August 1776, during the Battle of Long Island, a key battle in Coop’s losses, currently averaging $85,000 a ILLUSTRATION BY CATY BARTHOLOMEW the American Revolutionary War, this small building became week. Unlike other strategies to limit losses, the focal point of the battle, changing hands between the such as reintroducing member labor, or poten- costs this year—mostly due to the suspension British and the Americans several times, as the Continental tial ways of raising revenue, such as increas- of member labor, which required the hiring of army slipped over the Gowanus. Later, the building became ing the number of shoppers allowed inside at dozens of new paid employees. According to the clubhouse of the original Brooklyn Dodgers; was buried as one time, an increase in the markup wouldn’t Holtz, with the approximately $4 million in part of the re-grading of the current neighborhood; and was need to be reversed if a second wave of Covid- cash the Coop now has on hand, “We’ll be out then reconstructed, along with the surrounding Washington 19 hits New York City. “It’s a pandemic-proof of money by around May 1.” Park, as a WPA project during the 1930s. idea,” Lempert said. Margie Lempert, who also serves as the The Old Stone House (OSH) and the park, located between Also discussed during the meeting was the Coop’s meat buyer, presented the case for Third and Fourth Streets and Fourth and Fifth Avenues, have possible return of member labor on a volun- increasing the markup. She began by noting evolved, like the neighborhood itself, over the last thirty tary basis. During the General Coordinators’ that of the $85,000 the Coop is losing weekly, years, to meet the needs and interests of a diverse communi- reports, Ann Herpel presented a plan for a approximately $68,000 is the result of reduced ty. Before the Covid-19 crisis closed its doors, children from phased return of certain work slots, starting on sales. (In previous years, the Coop had a mod- surrounding schools visited the old building to learn about September 21, and beginning with those that est weekly profit.) Lempert forecasted that both the battle and the Revolution. Upstairs, people of all could be done outdoors. Members would get increasing the markup to 25 percent, and ages gathered for small concerts and readings, community FTOP credit for any shifts they worked. Later slightly increasing sales volume by expand- meetings, and crafting classes. Summer months saw daytime in the meeting, Rachel Porter, a member of the ing the hours the Coop is open, and allowing soccer games and evening concerts, as well as movies and Loans Committee, spoke about her proposal more people in the store, would cut that loss to plays on the west side of the park. On the east side of the (which was on the agenda), to return to almost $34,000 a week. “Reducing our loss in this way park, children and parents played and relaxed on the beau- all member labor immediately. extends our financial runway into late spring tifully sculpted playground. All around the park’s perimeter 2022,” she said. “By this time, the pandemic are magnificent plantings and gardens, Temporary Markup Increase should be over. “ the product of a 15-year permaculture The debate over increasing prices to keep Lempert and Szladek’s proposal comes with project that returned native plants and the Coop solvent for a longer period of time a sunset clause: the markup will revert to 21 trees to a place where they flourished was occasionally heated, as one group argued percent when full member labor returns, or long before European settlers. for the financial necessity of the move, while when the Coop has begun breaking even on a As a non-profit organization, OSH finds others saw in the price increase an abandon- weekly basis. Members will also have the right ways to best serve the current educational, ment of the Coop’s commitment to affordabil- to opt out of the price increase, no questions cultural, and social needs of the commu- ity—a concern only heightened by the rise in asked, by notifying the member office. All EBT nity, while also paying tribute to the full unemployment and other economic hardships recipients among the membership will auto- and complete history of the place where it during the pandemic. matically pay the lower markup rate. stands. “People in the community see OSH As a prelude to the discussion, members Lempert concluded by calling an increased as a small building dedicated solely to were given insight into just how dire the Coop’s markup the “most reliable approach we have. commemorating its role in the Revolution, finances have become. Joe Holtz, the Coop’s Right away, we get a benefit from introducing but they don’t necessarily know that we are a conservancy, caring general manager and treasurer, presented a a markup. We can introduce it quickly without for the surrounding Washington Park and JJ Byrne playground. preliminary financial statement that showed a additional labor being required.” The average We have a range of offerings, designed to bring the community decline in total sales of more than $6 million, bill, Szladek added, would still be considerably together,” said Kim Maier, Executive Director for the last sixteen and more than $550,000 in additional labor CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Read the Gazette while you’re standing on line OR online at www.foodcoop.com 2 September 8, 2020 Park Slope Food Coop, Brooklyn, NY August GM Member Christina Chala argued The final vote was lopsided, with 86 quickly as possible. “Our culture of CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 that the membership shouldn’t con- percent voting in favor of the increase. cooperation,” she said, “is eroded sider raising prices during this crisis. “I (The new markup is planned to go into without member labor.” She contin- cheaper than Whole Foods or Fresh think this is really out of touch for the effect on October 5, as long as the opt- ued,“It is fundamental to our model. Direct. (A $100 spend at the Coop Coop,” she said. The opt-out system out system is working by then.) We are not the Park Slope Food Coop would now cost $103.30.) put an additional burden on already without member labor. Our mission Most of the comments that followed stressed people, she continued, argu- The Return of Volunteer statement specifies member labor the presentation were in support of the ing that the Coop should be making it Member Labor in its first sentence.” She noted that proposal. Jan Fogel, who is retired from easier for its members at this moment, The final 45 minutes of the general the General Coordinator’s plan to member labor, praised the inclusion of not more difficult. Chala argued that meeting was devoted to the question wait until January, or later, to phase the ability to opt out. “I hope the Coop there were other ways to increase rev- of restarting the member-labor pro- in some work slots, such as those in decides to do this,” she said, “because enue and cut weekly losses. gram on a voluntary basis. In Herpel’s the basement requiring close contact we should save the Coop.” Elizabeth Chala was joined in her dissent presentation at the beginning of the in a confined space, would move too Eakin, a squad leader on the Receiv- by Joe Holtz, who argued that raising meeting, she noted that the transition slowly. It was a route, she argued, to ing Committee, asked whether mem- prices, while the unemployment rate to paid labor had achieved its prima- making the Park Slope Food Coop bers’ privacy would be protected if they is so high, was wrong. Chala and Holtz ry goal of reducing infections. There the “fancy food coop.” opted out, and Lempert and Szladek both thought that the price increase has been no known case of Covid-19 Comments on Porter’s presenta- assured her that it would. Checkout went against the spirit of cooperation, among the paid staff at the Coop. She tion were passionate, both for and workers, for example, wouldn’t know which promised low prices in return for also cited a survey of the member- against.