Looking ahead to 2014 projects in Cape Girardeau

The year 2013 is rapidly coming to a close and this would be a good time to look into 2014 and comment on some of the plans and strategies for the year ahead. We have had, in my opinion, a very successful 2013 and have set the stage for 2014 to be an exciting year.

We have a number of job-creating economic development projects and prospects I anticipate will be finalized and announced in 2014. Economic development and job creation is the major focus with Magnet and also high on my priority list. Our current and future prospects involve new corporations and current businesses looking to expand their operations.

We have completed many of the original projects scheduled with the first eight months of receipts from the casino operation. The balance will be completed in the spring. We will be analyzing, at budget time, projects from these funds for fiscal year 2014-2015. Those projects will be prioritized and will come from our unfunded capital needs budget.

Also, the Riverfront Fund will activate in 2014 and aid in funding capital needs in downtown Cape.

We will be opening our new waste water treatment plant in June. Our future unfunded major infrastructure needs include a police station, transfer station and city hall.

Transportation Trust Fund projects that should move ahead in 2014 include the next phases of Bloomfield and Veterans Memorial, the Walnut Street and South West End Boulevard project and planning and design of the Independence Street and Gordonville Road intersection lighting improvements. We also will begin planning priority projects for TTF-5. We have made more than $80 million in new or improved street projects through TTF since 1995. I thank our citizens who have recognized the need and supported all four TTF votes since 1995.

We will continue to develop plans for a new police station during 2014. Many issues come into play here, including size, cost, jail and location. I am hopeful we will answer all these questions in 2014 and be able to move ahead with the design/build phase of the project.

I don't have to reinforce anymore my passion for city beautification. I have written about it on numerous occasions. I am encouraged by our city's Clean Sweep program, the expansion of our April Parks Day into a citywide clean up time, and the general awareness of the importance of beautification to our city.

We will continue to investigate strategies that will improve our efficiency of delivering governmental services to our citizens. These efforts as brought forth by our departmental staffs, the Go Green Committee and others should begin to have a positive effect on reducing operating costs and improving customer service.

Finally, our landlord-tenant ordinance and our recently-enacted enhanced nuisance ordinance should have major positive effects in 2014 toward continuing to improve our quality of life in Cape Girardeau.

I wish all of our citizens a very blessed and merry Christmas and a happy and productive new year.

Harry E. Rediger is the mayor of Cape Girardeau.