Work session next time will give you an opportunity to get knee deep in the budget – your budget.  Your request was to present the same budget; present a base budget that does not require a tax increase and then increments of one cent and two cent.

Reminder of the retreat of June 26-27, Friday and Saturday.  Focus on Hampton Road on Friday.  Saturday will focus on the work plan for 2010-11.

DV what is it about this market that makes you think you will be able to compete where others have left.

Ms. W – Dallas is a very competitive grocery market; are a niche type of store.  Make prices anywhere from 25-50% lower than grocery stores.  85% of the items in the store are the private select brand.

DV how many stores in dfw

Ms. W 32 in 2010, then 8 to 10 in the years following

CW how many are ground up

Ms. W 60% are ground up; ALDI is a cash company and is able to close on properties; 7 are under construction,

CW are online stores currently located within 3 miles of national store

Ms. W many of our stores are across the street or within the same block of national stores or big box outlets.

SR where are the other stores in DFW

Ms. W in the Target store at 20; Hampton at iLlinois, Duncanville, plano, Mansfield, allen, Lewisville, fort worth

SR glad to see you going into that center; distressed property and a plague upon Hampton road; competing based on private label and price – offer economy competion;

Ms. W a lot of big boxes locally

CS since store is retrofit; what will be done with the additional space

Ms. W will market it for someone who will be a nice line up for that center

CS footprint will be 17,000

Ms. W will be a little bit larger

CS do you have any idea of what type of retailer you are looking at going in that location

Ms. W not at this point – interested now in working through the contracts with the seller.  Will be selective in who they ask

CS number of employees for the locations

Ms. W will have 15 to 20 employees; full time starts at 20 hours with full benefits.

CS what is commitment to community in terms of chamber involvement

Ms. W as of yet have not joined the chambers because

BW meat products are Cargill

Ms. W they are Tyson and primarily private label

BW review the cosmetic changes for the center

Ms. W the remaining shopping center – will have to paint, stucco, the façade to cover the aggregate.  Green awning will be painted or will go away.

PL will you charge for the buggy

Ms. W essentially a rental system.  A quarter to get the cart and will get your quarter back when you return it.

$93,677 is the amount we are eligible for this year.

CW do we have any projects that this money will help?

TJ two streets in that area Hubert and Stony Creek.  With that amount, could do the majority of one or the other. 

CW couldn’t do all of either one or all of both.

TJ cannot do all of either one.  If do decide to do one of the streets would wait until next summer when we put all the asphalt residential streets together.  Put the CDBG funds together along with the others and do them then.

CW what’s the penalty if you think you have a use.  Before the money is awarded, you don’t have a use – is there a penalty.

LS the money is a reimbursement grant.

PL is there a certain time you have to use it by.

LS have to have spent or committed the money before the application the next year.

CW why wouldn’t we go ahead and do this.

JB to keep the system open, will ask the public at a town hall meeting next week, get their thoughts and then share them with you.  Last time, we go suggestions that turned out to not be eligible. 

Bw adjourned the Work Session at 6:56 p.m.