A business with 300 owners ?! Got any best practices for this ?

We have been trying to start a food co-op here for about 2 years. The USDA paid a guy to head up the effort but it turned out that he was the biggest obstacle because he was getting paid to do almost nothing and if the co-op actually opened he would have to work his ass off. Well his grant ran out and he is gone.

He was a bottleneck who sabotaged the whole effort by making the plan increasingly grand and expensive. Now, with legal structure in place and $11,000 in the bank, me and 7 others have taken over. It is quite the herd of cats and my experience ere on DU has prepared me somewhat but I want to put rules in place that will prevent further bottlenecks from forming. These are a few of the proposed rules going forward:

1. No one can propose an idea that THEY would not be part of. In other words, no one can say at a meeting "someone should do ______" unless they are the 'someone.' The goal with this is to avoid having the group divide into do-ers and do-nothing critics.

2. Everyone will be asked what they want the co-op to be and what they will buy from it. This is to ensure that we aren't just guessing and that we deliver a satisfying entity to those who buy in.

3. Meeting will be limited to one hour and will stick to the agenda. Side discussion will be welcomed before or after the meetings.

I think we need a clear central vision which will empower everyone to make their contribution and ensure that it is meaningful and advances the project.

I am looking for other Best Practices or rules to avoid endless discussions and planning and very little action. What has worked for you or for groups you have been part of ?