2/16/01 (email from Adriane Dellorco to the OSAP board)

To the OSAP clan,
Here's some updates on CDS after hearing a presentation from Marriott (all the potential dining management providers for next year have been doing these lately) and having a meeting with Michele Gross.

INSURANCE
The Marriott dudes (Jensen wasn't there) told us after me asking about their liability insurance requirements that they have adopted a new sliding scale for insurance requirements based on how much volume is purchased. This could potentially work in our favor. At the meeting with Michele, she called Dave Jensen to ask him about this new system, and he didn't know anything about it. She told him to find out about it. Michele also said that if we still have to have the $3 million insurance, whether it's $1000 or $1200 extra for OSAP, they'll pay it. It was understood that OSAP would overcharge them in order to compensate for the insurance.

CDS HASN'T PAID OSAP YET
If Iris billed Marriott (who buys all the food), then it is possible that Marriott might be holding out on OSAP because there's is a real possibility that marriott won't be here next year. Michele said that she'll pay for it now if that's what's going on. Iris, I suggest that you call Michele about it.

REQUEST FOR BID PROPOSAL
In this document that tells what the college wants in any potential service provider, Michele wrote that potential companies should share their ideas about including local and organic food, but there is no requirement about it. There is a requirement that they serve no genetically modified foods, however. Michele has related to every potential firm that local organic food is very much in demand at Oberlin.

CDS BUYS LOCAL
Some organic Ohio dairymen contacted Dave about selling organically certified dairy to CDS, and has the $3 million insurance. They just started selling their milk and cheese in the de cafe this week. They are called Family Fresh and are interested finding other growers to buy from and sell produce to the college. Michele just found out about this today from Dave. She's totally committed to OSAP and would give preference to buying distributed produce from us and will talk more to Dave about what's happening with Family Fresh. Since local foods didn't really happen this year, if Mariott is here to stay, Jensen wants local foods in to save face after not getting any this year.

LOCAL FOODS NEXT FALL
Due to the fact that dining management might be changing hands this summer, it is a little precarious to tell growers to start planting more to sell to CDS. Michele says OSAP can have a guaranteed market and should plan to plant more, but not other growers just yet. I'm going to pitch it to the other growers that this year, selling to CDS will be an opportunity to sell bumper crops, but not to go out of the way to plant especially for CDS.
Whoo wee, now that I have carpal tunnel syndrome, there's the update! I'm sure there will be even more after tomorrow's meeting.
Take care yall,
Adriane