Cape area hoping to become 'urbanized'

In 1991, the U.S. Census Bureau announced 33 new urbanized areas, a population-based designation that allowed those growing cities strong voices in local transportation decisions and planning.

The greater Cape Girardeau area wasn't among them, although its leaders hoped it would be.

Ten years later, those hopes have been rekindled as government leaders in Cape Girardeau and neighboring Jackson and Scott City hope the region has grown enough to warrant the designation. Census officials say they plan to announce the designations in March.

A committee has been formed that includes officials from Jackson, Cape Girardeau, Cape Girardeau County, Scott City and Scott County. The committee is laying the groundwork in case the area gets urbanized-area designation.

The main goal is formation of an agency -- called a metropolitan planning organization, or MPO -- that would largely control transportation projects and planning in the urbanized area. Officials hope the group would also carry enough clout to bring more transportation money to the area.

"An MPO would give these communities more direct control over what transportation planning and work gets done," said Cape Girardeau public works director Doug Leslie, chairman of the committee.

An MPO would have authority to review and approve projects that are funded by the state and federal government, Leslie said. The Missouri Department of Transportation is the ruling authority on which projects get done and how in areas where there are no MPOs, he said. The only local input comes from the Southeast Missouri Transportation Advisory Committee, which offers suggestions.

"MoDOT would have to submit any plans to the MPO for review and approval," Leslie said. "Right now, MoDOT is not required by law to submit their plans."

In addition to regulatory powers, the MPO also would be responsible for some long-range planning of projects within the boundaries of the urbanized area, which is also set by the census, Leslie said.

"The group could initiate plans, not just respond to them," he said.

If the region achieves the designation, the governor could permit an MPO to be formed.

Cape Girardeau Mayor Al Spradling III, who is on the committee looking at forming an MPO, said he hasn't always agreed with MoDOT's decisions on local transportation planning.

"I sometimes feel that MoDOT doesn't listen to some of our thoughts as to how these projects ought to be done," Spradling said. "Or, when they do listen, they say, 'Sorry, we're not going to do what you want anyway.'"

Jackson Mayor Paul Sander agreed.

"We'd certainly have a bigger stick," Sander said. "Speaking for Jackson, I don't think we've gotten our fair share until recently. This designation and the MPO would make sure that doesn't change."

Transportation department officials did not return phone calls.

Prerequisite for MPO

The census designation is a prerequisite for MPO status. The bureau first began to classify urbanized areas for the 1950 census to better separate urban and rural territory, population and housing near large cities. An urbanized area is comprised of one or more cities and the adjacent surrounding territory, which together have at least 50,000 people.

In 1991, no designation was awarded the region because the population of Cape Girardeau, Jackson and Scott City totaled 48,023.

Outlying areas, often called the urban fringe, of the contiguous cities must have a density of 1,000 people per square mile, according to census official Ryan Short. That's what the Census Bureau is trying to determine, he said.

"When we get that figured out, we'll release the new urban areas," Short said. "But it won't be before late March."

Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce president John Mehner said he is confident the numbers are there. "I think we'll get it, and when we do, that will be a big step in getting a lot more say in what happens around here for state and federal highways," Mehner said. "Right now, MoDOT is telling us what our priorities are."

Alex Taft, executive director of the Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations in Washington, D.C., said there are 341 MPOs in the United States. He said MPOs generally have two boards: a policy board, usually of mayors, county commissioners or other government leaders; and a technical board including public works personnel, state highway planners and possibly others with transportation ties.

"The concept is that there should be local decision-making on transportation issues where the problems can be complex," Taft said. "Before MPOs, it was the feds and the state that were doing all the planning and constructing with no local input."

Cape Girardeau city manager Michael Miller said it is a matter of having some say in what goes on in the community.

"It's really more of a feeling that you're part of the decision-making process as opposed to just an observer," he said.

smoyers@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 137