$63M in capital improvements expected in next fiscal year

The City of Cape Girardeau has more than $63 million in capital improvements planned for next fiscal year, according to a recent update of the program list extending through 2028.

Cape Girardeau City Council members voted unanimously to adoption of the 2023-28 Capital Improvements plan at their meeting Monday, March 20. Councilwoman Shannon Truxel was absent from the meeting.

The program is an annual review of the capital needs of the city broken down by project and department, as well as the various revenue sources for the improvements. It must be adopted prior to April 1 each year, according to the city charter.

The program estimates nearly $250 million in improvements will be made in the next decade. However, around $88 million of those improvements are labeled as "contingent" on identifying funding sources.

The projects are broken down by recurring grant/revenue projects, tax initiative projects and fleet requests.

Grant/revenue projects

Improvements to the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport comprise the bulk of the grant/revenue projects in the next year — more than $18 million of the $27 million. The new terminal and T-hangars construction will cost nearly $15 million combined, with around two-thirds of the funding coming from a portion of the city's Coronavirus Aide, Relief and Economic Securities Act funds — a $2.2 trillion federal stimulus package passed at the beginning of the pandemic — and the rest covered by the Capital Improvements Sales Tax (CIST).

Public Works is the next highest on the list with more than $7.5 million in projects. The majority is from cured-in-place pipe repairs and upgrades to the Influent Pump Station.

Tax initiative projects

Four voter-approved tax initiatives will pay for around $27 million in improvements in the next fiscal year.

Nearly half — around $13.3 million — of all tax initiative projects will be street renovations paid for by both the fifth and sixth iterations of the Transportation Trust Fund. Upgrades to both Independence and South Sprigg streets are the largest projects on the docket. They will cost more than $7.5 million combined.

CIST will fund $3.25 million in improvements. The bulk of the dollars will go toward modifying the filter gallery piping at the Cape Rock Water Treatment Facility.

Phase 2 of the Parks, Recreation and Stormwater tax comprises around $9.9 million in upgrades. The largest project is the $6 million allocated to erecting a permanent structure at the Central Municipal Pool. The project is shared with Cape Girardeau Public Schools. Council members approved Penzel Construction as the contractor for the endeavor in November.

The Public Safety Trust Fund will pay for around $770,000 in various upgrades to equipment and the fire stations for the Cape Girardeau Fire Department.

Fleet requests

More than $8.4 million in fleet requests are spread across numerous departments with Public Works, Fire and Parks and Recreation comprising the top three.