Mr. Steve Rubin from Stark Enterprises pointed out at the meeting that there are 15 different stores in various stages of negotiation. Some have signed, others have given a letter of intent and are still negotiating the lease agreement, and still others have expressed an interest.

Mr. Steve Rubin specifically said they plan on closing on the entire property by the March date as opposed to only 1/2 of the site as called for in the original contract. The only "wiggle room" he talked about was in response to a home owner who has signed an option to sell her property to Stark Enterprises in which the expiration date is in June. The original contract for the Portage Crossing property does call for 2 six month extensions, if approved by City Council, but the impression left by Mr. Rubin was those should not be needed.

Mr. Rubin made it VERY clear that the contracts between Stark Enterprises and the potential stores were a matter of confidentiality imposed by the store owners.

Understandable, Don. Perhaps it was the City & developer's enthusiasm for the project that lead to their initial plans to "announce" the initial tenants this fall? Welcome to the real world, eh?

The City exists to provide services for the public, not to provide employment. Why should $200,000 of my (and YOUR) tax dollars be spent to do a job when it can be done for $34,000? Budget years coincide with the yearly change in the calendar, and that is when major financial changes are made. The cleaning job is an internal service that does not directly benefit the citizens. Would you rather not have your garbage picked up?

Fair value for the dollar tendered should be the "bottom line", Don. I believe an article in the Falls News stated that the contracted services, time-wise, would be only half that of the current in-house services provided. Time will tell, I'd guess, as to whether or not the level of service has been halved. Um, Don? My City-provided garbage service is funded by a user fee; I wonder if the City is making any "profit" from it like it does from our Electric Utility folk?

Your figures are glaringly exaggerated and, in some instances, outright wrong, Don...at least by what I've read and been told by City officials. The more detailed Falls News article I referenced reported costs only 2-3 times more for in house vs contracted right along with the hourly service provided by each. Our Electric Utility has definitely been reported as "making a profit" and said profit in the past was, indeed, shifted into the General Fund to help pay for some of the luxuries such as leaf pick-up.