16 express interest in building committee

A citizens advisory committee for Cape Girardeau County facilities consolidation should be complete after the start of the new year.

As of Friday, 16 people had indicated an interest in serving on the committee by applying with the county commission's secretary. Presiding Commissioner Clint Tracy said the committee will be expected to operate much like the county's other appointed boards, meaning the committee will appoint members to serve for a certain period, will elect a chair and vice chair and be assigned goals.

For now, Tracy said the committee's main goals will be to give opinions and gather input from other county residents about how the county should consolidate facilities into several rehabilitated buildings and a new courthouse that could be built on the square in uptown Jackson. The county currently runs courthouses in Cape Girardeau and Jackson. Administration is based in Jackson, but several offices, including those of the clerk and assessor, have offices in both cities.

An architect in November presented three options for facilities consolidation to the commission.

The options were:

* Building a three-story courthouse; renovating the old Jackson courthouse to hold the commission, county clerk and public defender offices; and renovating the administration building to hold remaining county administrative offices.

* Moving most county operations into a new four-story courthouse; replacing the administration building with a two-level parking garage; and placing emergency operations center, public administrator and public defender offices in the old courthouse.

* Moving the county administration building and courthouse operations into a new courthouse and including a parking garage at the southwest corner of the current jail, causing a reroute of U.S. 61; and remodeling the old courthouse into a drug court, public defender and administrator offices and building support.

The commission began seeking people for the committee in late November.

The county has not devised how to pay for the consolidation, and Tracy said it would be up to committee members whether they want to pitch ideas related to funding. The committee's initial main focus, he said, should be becoming educated on the county's needs and obstacles when it comes to facilities by talking to county officeholders and studying the proposals, then using that knowledge to come up with a recommendation.

The proposals outline the county's facilities options through 2030.

Associate Commissioner Charlie Herbst said he expects that most, if not all, of the people who have signed up for the committee will end up serving -- if even on subcommittees -- possibly to look at issues such as funding.

"I'm ecstatic that all are interested," Herbst said. "Lots of folks have lots of opinions when it comes to things we do, but they don't want to jump in and be involved."

Herbst said he hopes a tour of facilities can be held for the committee so issues outlined in the study can be clear to members.

eragan@semissourian.com

388-3627

Pertinent address:

1 Barton Square, Jackson, MO