As of May 2016, one year from now, the lease for the Hillsdale Food Front store runs out, and the Food Front board and the Wardin Family owners of the building will have to decide whether to renew it.

The store has reportedly struggled since its opening more than six years ago, though a change in financial reporting may show Hillsdale Food Front is in better shape than originally thought.

The Food Front organization as a whole has been operating in crisis mode since worker dissatisfaction went public last October.

In recent weeks, Food Front has made some positive steps forward. The recent addition of Dave Hawkins of Hillsdale to the board was one of them. Hawkins understands the need to have owners more involved and to build staff morale.

Whether he can bring the remaining three members of the board along is, at best, a question mark.

The patronage numbers, as reported by Hillsdale store manager John Conlin, are improving for the Hillsdale store. (For more on these developments, see the accompanying story.) The signs in Hillsdale are promising although the improvement needs to continue.

In short, more folks in Hillsdale are beginning to understand the "added value" to having a cooperative, customer-owned grocery store here.

Without Food Front as their anchor, several businesses in the Town Center could be adrift.

Moreover, there's a real chance for building synergies between Food Front and the new OnPoint Credit Union branch, due to open in June. Both operate under the same principles of customer/owner-governance.

That said, the current Food Front board is still dominated by members who often seem disconnected from owners and defensive. They talk about the need for owner involvement but, intentionally or not, act in ways that discourage it.

Board meetings are run in a manner that is incomprehensible, much of the business is conducted in behind-closed-door executive sessions, decisions are made by consent agendas that are predetermined and hidden from members, board discussion at open sessions is often inaudible to others, time allowed for owner comment is limited and the board doesn't respond to direct questions because it has decided that it needs to speak with "one voice." In effect, the board has imposed a gag rule on its members.

Then there is the near-absolute control the board exerts on board membership. In essence, unless you have the time to collect more than 1100 signatures from owners, your access to having your name on the ballot is controlled by the board. HERE is the link to the by-laws. Scroll down to Section 6.3 and you will get the picture.

Meanwhile, three excellent candidates from Hillsdale have applied to be appointed to the board until the elections this fall. If they haven't yet been rejected formally, so far they are being left in the cold.

They are Ted Coonfield, Eamon Molloy and Jett Black-Maertz. Molloy recently put his application for appointment on hold but may run in September's board election - if, that is, the board allows him on the ballot.

Finally there is the uncertain state of Food Front's NW Thurman Street store, which is anticipating stiff competition from a new New Seasons store set to open this summer just four blocks away.

In light of all of the above, this community needs to ready a Plan B in case Food Front finds itself in an an untenable position here next May. It will take community planning and effort to ready Plan B so it can be implemented when the lease nears time for renewal.

I suggest that Hawkins, Coonfield, Molloy and Black-Maertz, along with others, start meeting to pull this contingency plan together. Members of a business development committee left over from the Hillsdale Main Street era should join them.

Certainly the owners of the building, Wardin Investments, would welcome a Hillsdale effort and, at some point, would join the discussion.

There's no reason to be tethered to larger Food Front problems, which seem to center on the Thurman store where worker dissatisfaction is leading to union organizing. The last thing we need in Hillsdale is another "player" in the mix. If workers are dissatisfied here, we should directly address their concerns. For dozens, if not hundreds, of us, Food Front workers here have become friends.

At the very least, under Plan B, the Hillsdale store should be autonomous in its operation and governance from the larger Food Front organization if it proves unsustainable. Store branding should be changed so that the store presents itself as the "Hillsdale Cooperative Grocery" with the tag line "Your Store, Your Values."

Face it: "Food Front" is a meaningless throw-away name.

Member/owners, and yes, the press, Hillsdale leaders, like those mentioned above and others, should be in charge and involve the community actively in promoting and supporting the Hillsdale store.

Portland has other neighborhood grocery cooperatives that can serve as a model.

Yes, some complex legal issues may need to be addressed, but Hillsdale has never had a shortage of attorneys willing to provide assistance pro bono. They've done it before and I'm certain they will do it again.

If financing is needed, it can be found - through expanded and enhanced ownership, a possible temporary franchise or rental agreement with Food Front, and/or a low-interest loan from OnPoint, which has its own stake in Food Front's success.

As noted at the outset, I hope none of the above is necessary, but it is better to be prepared than to be surprised if Food Front next year decides to shutter the Hillsdale store.

Finally this editor/publisher would be happy to help lay the groundwork for a Plan B. I'm sure many of the 800 readers of The Hillsdale News would also join the effort.

As always, your comments are invited.

Rick Seifert
Editor

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