1995 PROJECTS PROGRESS: JACKSON, CHAFFEE, SCOTT CITY AWAIT IMPROVEMENTS

Building projects highlight 1995 improvements in two area towns while a gambling boat is expected to spur growth in a third.

At Jackson, a middle school will be almost compete by April and a water tower is planned for the fall.

At Chaffee, a high school addition is being built while construction is under way on a business in the industrial park.

Scott City expects unprecedented growth if and when Lady Luck receives a license to place a gambling riverboat in the city limits this year.

Jackson is the second-fastest growing community between St. Louis and Memphis, said Jackson Mayor Paul Sander. The reasons for the community's growth are many, he said. "One of the biggest reasons is the reputation and integrity of the local school system," he said.

The new middle school, costing approximately $4.75 million, is being built for about 600 students in sixth and seventh grades. In the new complex will be 26 regular classrooms, about 10 labs and rooms devoted to specific studies, special-education areas, a library, gym, cafeteria, kitchen and offices.

The building is expected to go into service at the beginning of the next school year. By taking one grade out of both West Lane Elementary and R.O. Hawkins Junior High School, the school will relieve overcrowding in those two buildings.

The bidding process for Jackson's water tower, which will be capable of holding 350,000 gallons, has begun, Sander said. The city has been budgeting several years for the $500,000 improvement.

The tower will be built near Interstate 55 and increase water pressure in the eastern part of Jackson. With no holdups, the tower is expected to be completed by late summer or early fall, Sander said.

Jackson will move into a new city hall probably by fall. The building at Court and Main streets is being rented to Boatmen's Bank, which will move into a new building later this year, freeing the space for city offices.

Sander said the city hall will be an improvement for both city workers and people who use it for paying bills and getting information. He expects the building will serve the town for at least as long as the present city hall has -- since 1961.

Chaffee projects under way

Some outside walls of the Chaffee High School addition have been built. The addition will contain 14,051 square feet and will cost approximately $800,000, Financing comes from a 10-year lease-purchase plan for $725,000 and the remaining amount from current revenue.

The school district expects to open the addition at the beginning of the next school year. The addition will provide space for industrial arts, home economics, band, computers and offices.

Construction work on a new MFA farm fertilizer and supply facility is in its fourth week at Chaffee Industrial Park. Local MFA manager Ken Schlitt hopes to have the $500,000-plus facility completed by this spring.

A state-of-the-art facility is being constructed to handle farm fertilizers and nutrients, Schlitt said. The facility will exceed current environmental regulations pertaining to accidental spills, he said.

Chaffee Mayor Ron Moyers said the city would like to continue with street improvements in 1995. An asphalt overlay was completed on most streets over the past few years.

It is time to concentrate on concrete streets and sidewalks that need repair, Moyers said. Some curbs and manholes in the housing authority project need attention, said Moyers, who expects those to be handled over time.

Moyers said he expects the city to give attention to sewer lines in 1995. He said some superficial problems have been taken care of through the years, "but the city hasn't dug down to handle some of the real problems resulting from its old lines."

Moyers said the council may consider budgeting specific amounts in future years to fix some sewers.

The Chaffee Park Board has proposed a 27-cent increase in city property taxes to pay for park improvements. The proposal is on the April 4 ballot.

Scott City awaits riverboat

"If everything goes right, we'll have a riverboat by the end of the year," said Scott City Councilman John Rogers, chairman of the city's gambling committee.

That will mean a lot to Scott City, he said, particularly in funding improvements to streets and water and sewer projects. He estimated that about 90 percent of the streets need repairs, which may start with an overlay project.

With growth from a riverboat, the city would need another well and more sewer lines, Rogers said. Much of the increased revenue already has been earmarked for various projects, but it could eventually mean lower property taxes, he said.

With approval of a gambling license for Lady Luck, a foundation established to promote community projects would receive $100,000, Rogers said. Rogers is one of six people who will direct how that money would be spent.

John Saxton, Scott City administrator, said he is working to improve the personnel system, which will include city salary increases competitive with area towns.