Meals minutes: 2005-02-01

Minutes:

[[Meals]] [[Meeting]] 2/1/05

Present: Amy N., Katie, Kathy B., Rachel, Jim Sweeton, Lisa, Deb, Tammy, Heather & Divya (all too briefly), Pam

Agreed: Starting March 1, head cooks must submit receipts for reimbursement by the 1st of the month. If they have not submitted a receipt, they will be paid a flat fee of $50.

Agenda:

- Billing Check In - Rachel & Kathy
What happens if a head cook does not have receipts? - Rachel
- Healthy menu options - brainstorm and suggestions
Continued Discussion & Improvements - Dr. Deb
- Poll on talk: update + Kelly Clark interested in polling parents & kids person to
person - Pam
- The picky fridge - how is it working? Continued Discussion & Improvements
What is it? Who is it for? How is it being used?
-Suggestion Box Feedback On Common [[Meals]] - Amy

If there is time:

Labor structure of meal prep - exploring alternatives to the current set up for the next work cycle?
current suggestions of other options :
**team cooking (rather then head & assit, perhaps co-cooks)
**gonzo head cook [[title]] (needing more then 4 hrs per meal)
**mini head cook [[title]] (needing less then 3 hrs per meal - ala meetings)
Discussion & brain storming - pro's and con's of different options ... Willie

Billing Check-In

Books are being transferred to Kathy B. who is being trained. Rachel is ready for a break.

What to do if head cooks don...™t have receipts, or don...™t turn them in by the end of the month? We want to bill for all meals for a month at the end of the month ... but need receipts from cooks to do it. Rachel is tiring of having to chase people down for this. If it...™s a meal or two that gets carried over to the next month, it...™s not a big deal, but we have not received receipts for 5 meals in January despite multiple reminders.

It would help one cook if forms were more readily available. Will try to keep them in the notebook, maybe on the fridge.

Had agreed at 10/14 meeting that cooks had 1 month to turn in receipts and would not be reimbursed after that point. But this was never publicized and does not work well with our priority of quick reimbursement to cooks (requiring timely payment by diners).

Head cooks need to turn in receipts. It...™s part of the job. If a person can...™t manage that part of the job, perhaps head cook is not an appropriate job ... maybe assistant would be better.

What about requiring cooks to turn in receipts by 1st of the month or no reimbursement? What about if I forget? What about people who cook at the end of the month? Rachel will continue to send out occasional reminders. She can also check in with cooks who cooked during the last few days of the month if they haven...™t turned in their receipts. But too much of the burden is falling on Rachel...™s shoulders instead of head cooks taking responsibility for getting reimbursed. What about a flat fee if no receipt, rather than no payment? That would make it less financially painful, but would still discourage people from not turning their receipts in.

Agreed: Starting March 1, head cooks who wish to reimbursed for meals will need to submit their receipts by the 1st day of the next month. So, if you cook in February, the due date is March 1; if you cook in March, the due date is April 1 and so on. If a head cook has not submitted a receipt by the 1st, they will be paid a flat fee of $50 for the meal. They cannot make up the difference by turning a receipt in later ... it has to be in by the 1st.

Pam has started a poll about the meals program. Results of poll so far:

Everyone who has responded so far participates in meals.
Most frequent criteria ... quality of cook, specific menu item, day/date with bits of all others.
If you could change 1 thing (sample ... not all comments): diners more considerate about portions, no veggie cooks should write that they won...™t cook meat ... their assistants can, (many) better advance notice of menus. Nothing ... it...™s wonderful. I...™m quite happy with it. More organic meals, indicate if meat is organic. No frozen or canned veggies.
Small fridge: Many no use/cream only/left blank. Only if there is bread. Use it for many things. We only use it for meals ... that...™s what it is for. Doesn...™t work well for my picky eater. Kids seem to eat the food at other times and it...™s not there at dinner.

More comments to be summarized and shared in the future.

Kelly is also interested in similar issues (kid stuff). Pam and Kelly could work together on this.

Deb ... Healthy Food discussion

New food pyramid

The base is now daily exercise and weight control.
Whole grains & plant oils next level
Vegetables in abundance/ fruit 2-3 servings
Nuts & legumes
Fish, poultry & eggs (Deb recommends limiting fish with contamination issues such as tuna).
Dairy & calcium (or calcium supplement)
Red meat, butter and white flour/sweets
Organic/hormone/antibiotic free meat and dairy is important ... more important than getting organic produce. Concerns about cost.

Running out of time. We asked Deb to submit/post pyramid, and post a summarized list of pointers.