Fiscal Note
No additional appropriation required.
Title
Updating File No. 38465 regarding the Healthy Retail Access Program to authorize a one-time increase in the maximum award amount for a grocery store project that has been selected by the Food Policy Council.
Body
WHEREAS, On June 19, 2015 Common Council adopted RES-15-00521 to create the Healthy Retail Access Program and authorized the Madison Food Policy Council to make awards through this program of up to $100,000; and
WHEREAS, Since that resolution was adopted, the Healthy Retail Access Program Fund has grown to $300,000 in annual appropriations within the Capital Budget; and
WHEREAS, The Madison Food Policy Council has accepted an application from Luna’s Groceries LLC to start a small grocery store, which will provide affordable, healthy, and culturally relevant food products to residents of the Allied Dunn’s Marsh Neighborhood in the amount of $157,735 and on March 7, 2018 the Food Policy Council approved a tentative award; and
WHEREAS, The Allied Dunn’s Marsh Neighborhood has struggled with affordable, convenient access to healthy food since the closing of Cub Foods in 2009 and the subsequent closing of Walgreen’s in 2014; and
WHEREAS, Luna’s Groceries LLC is an operation that will be owned and operated by members of the Allied-Dunn’s Marsh Neighborhood; the owners are working with the Allied Community Co-operative and the Allied-Dunn’s Marsh Neighborhood Association to survey community members and discern product preference; and the owners plan to hire staff from within the neighborhood; and
WHEREAS, 75% of the total cost of launching this business -- building acquisition, building renovations, equipment purchases, inventory procurement, and other costs associated with a start-up business -- is being financed by the owners; and
WHEREAS, The funds in the budget for the Healthy Retail Access Program currently total $812,604, clearly illustrating that there is more than adequate funding to suppo...
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