Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
a <br />across the two groups, he said, was that the incorporated group wanted to increase <br />customer traffic at the market. Finally, the incorporated group said that its members <br />would likely continue to be involved in a unified market, but the unincorporated group <br />said that most of its members are not expected to continue if the two groups merged. <br />Based on this discussion, the meeting attendees then identified five key challenges to be <br />address if the two groups were to attempt unification: <br />1. Repairing interpersonal relationships (e.g., rebuilding trust) <br />2. Establishing a board that functions well (e.g., leadership) <br />3. Unifying the two groups' philosophies <br />4. Getting support for unification from the memberships of the two groups <br />5. Establishing consensus on how the market would be run (bylaws and other rules). <br />The unincorporated group representatives said that it could not work with the <br />incorporated group toward a unified market, because the members of the unincorporated <br />group viewed the incorporated group as lacking ethics and trustworthiness. <br />Representatives from the incorporated group said that it would not be easy to overcome <br />this, but they were willing to try. <br />The meeting attendees then tried to clarify how the two philosophies and/or expectations <br />about operating the market differ. One meeting participant from the incorporated group <br />suggested, "It all comes down to governance and transparency." He explained that as a <br />member of the unincorporated group, he was dissatisfied that one person could <br />simultaneously serve as board member, market manager, and treasurer. He said that the <br />methods used for involving the members in decision making were dissatisfying to him, <br />and that he and others experienced too much uncertainty with respect to decision-making <br />and fiscal management. He also had concerns about the process that was used for <br />reviewing and accepting membership applications. He asked the members of the <br />unincorporated group to explain how they would be organizing themselves to meet the <br />anticipated guidelines for the Public Market House. <br />The unincorporated group members said that they envision a separation across the roles <br />of market manager and Board treasurer. The Board would be composed of 5-9 people. <br />The market manager would be a member of the Board. One person might hold the <br />secretary/treasurer position. The market manager would not "subservient" to the Board, <br />but instead would be a member of a team along with other Board members. The Board <br />would be partially self-appointing and partially elected by the membership. In response <br />to a question from the incorporated group, Ms. Blythe said that she might serve as the <br />market manager and on the Board. The incorporated group then acknowledged that the <br />differences in the expected organizational structure would be irreconcilable with the <br />values of the incorporated group. Representatives from both groups now were in <br />consensus that the two groups would not unify. <br />The meeting attendees noted that there would be challenges to separating, especially the <br />challenge of ensuring a positive co-existence and complementing each other. The <br />Dispute Settlement Center of Orange County, Carrboro NC 3 <br />