Cobb Hill Governance

Community Meeting

Monthly Community Meetings provide an opportunity for us to meet, check-in and make important decisions together. Monthly meetings are where our vision for the future is developed, and where our commitment to each other and to the community is strengthened. Attendance at community meeting is expected, but not required, of all members (and renters, if any). Decisions are made by consensus. We usually meet for half a day.

The Committee Structure

Most of the work at Cobb Hill is done under the umbrella of one of the standing committees. Standing Committees are charged with ongoing responsibility for a specific aspect of Cobb Hill life. They generally meet on a monthly basis. These committees have a chair or cochairs, provide notice and agendas in advance of meetings and minutes following. Membership in all committees is open to Cobb Hill residents and renters. Some attend meetings on a consistent basis and participate in ongoing committee work; others attend only when drawn by specific agenda items. We are using policy governance as a way of entrusting committees to make decisions within a set of limits and their budget.

Standing Committees:

Land Use: Oversees Cobb Hill enterprises, manages the farm as a unified whole according to the sustainability principle of Cobb Hill, promotes the productive capacity of the agricultural land and buildings.

Forestry: Practices stewardship of Cobb Hill’s 270 acres of woodlands in a manner that promotes forest health, diversity, and sustainability.

CHops (Cobb Hill operating systems): Maintains community systems (water, septic, and heating), roads and paths; promotes ways to reduce Cobb Hill’s environmental footprint.

Landscape: Maintains the community’s flowerbeds, shrubs and trees in the central common area.

Membership: Serves as the contact point for people wanting to visit and learn more about Cobb Hill, creates and maintains a waiting list for home ownership, is active in the process of sales and rentals.

Finance and Legal: Facilitates the development of the annual community budget, provides financial and legal planning for the community.

Ad hoc committees: In addition to standing committees, ad hoc committees can be formed to address time-limited needs.

Kid and Kaboodle: Supports the children as valued and respected members of our community, encourages unity amongst the various ages, explores ways for children to participate in a number of regular activities and special events.

Community Well-being: Facilitates community vision process, addresses needs that are unmet by other committees.

Community Business Team: Helps keep track of topics brought up during our meetings that may not be fully resolved (“barn hook” items), assists people in finding a good process for moving items forward, helps keep our general Cobb Hill business items on track.

Farm-Enterprise Liaison Team (FELT): Serves as a liaison between owners of farm-based enterprises and the general community to ensure healthy communication, help facilitate discussions about tricky topics such as finances, employer-employee relations, business practices, agreements, sustainability.