Cape city officials want more residents to take part in local government

Cape Girardeau officials have proposed establishing a "citizens leadership" program to encourage more city residents to get involved in city government.

At a council retreat late last month, council members and city staff said they want more residents to apply for advisory boards and run for council seats.

Mayor Bob Fox said Thursday the city should consider establishing a leadership program patterned after the Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce's leadership program, but focused solely on city government.

He also suggested changing the council meeting format. He proposed holding the study session and regular session back to back rather than allow for an hour or more break between the two sessions.

Fox said such an arrangement might lead to greater public attendance.

Fox also said he wants to televise study sessions where much of discussion by council members' on city issues takes place. Regular meetings have been televised for years, but study sessions have not been broadcast.

Televising study sessions could lead to more interest in city government on the part of residents, he said.

Fox said the issue came up at the retreat because "we were just concerned about not getting people to run for office."

In the recent April election, there was only a single contested council race and in the race for mayor, Fox was unopposed.

The council on Monday is expected to fill the Ward 5 council seat, which was vacated when Fox was elected mayor.

Only three people applied for the temporary position. One of them, Kyle Schott, regional director of Catholic Charities of Southern Missouri, has withdrawn his application, Fox said.

As a result, council members will choose from among two candidates for the seat -- Ryan Essex and Eric "Red" Redinger.

The appointee will serve on the council until a special election is held later this year. The candidate filing period opened April 24 and will end May 22. So far, only Essex has picked up a nominating petition indicating an interest in running for the council seat, deputy city clerk Bruce Taylor said.

The winner of the special election in August or November will serve out the remainder of the unexpired term.

Fox said establishing a citizens academy might get residents "more interested in what goes on in the city."

Council members said during the retreat residents may not realize there are openings on city boards.

Those appointed to city boards often come from just a few council wards, city manager Scott Meyer said. The city has 40 Ward 4 residents who are serving or have applied for positions on city boards. By comparison, there are 16 from Ward 6, 12 each from wards 1 and 5; five from Ward 3; and four from Ward 2, according to city records.

On some of the major city boards, there are no members from three or more wards, records show.

Meyer suggested the city may need to find ways to reach out to residents in some of the wards where few people are involved with city boards. "Maybe we need to do some more targeted recruiting," he said.

Newly elected Ward 1 Councilman Daniel Presson said some people's work schedules make it difficult for them to serve on advisory boards.

Ward 2 Councilwoman Shelly Moore, who represents the city's south-side neighborhood, said finding ways to bring new people on the boards would provide "a fresh perspective" on city operations.

Ward 4 Councilman Robbie Guard said he wants the public to have a better understanding of city government. "The more people we can get who are passionate about the city, the better off the city will be," he said.

mbliss@semissourian.coms

(573) 388-3641.