Cape council approves higher park fees, utility bills for 2009

After reminding those present that the city of Cape Girardeau will continue to support the sales tax holiday despite a loss of the revenue, the city council unanimously approved the first reading of the 2009 budget.

The city will run with three fewer full-time employees and charge a total of 3.47 percent more for city-provided utilities such as water, sewer and refuse pickup.

Admission and registration rates for parks and recreation services will also go up beginning Jan. 1. Those increases range from 25 cents more for aquatics to between $5 and $25 for recreation league team registration.

The board will hold a final public hearing and budget vote on June 16.

The city council also honored master firefighter Harry Schumer for his heroism April 24, when he rescued a St. Louis man from an overturned truck on Interstate 55. Schumer was off duty at the time.

pmcnichol@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 127

Other action at Monday's meeting:

Consent ordinances, second and third readings

• Authorized the acquisition of property for the improvement of the Mount Auburn Road/Hopper Road intersection.
• Authorized the acquisition of property for the construction of a trail between the Cape LaCroix Trail and the Conservation Campus Nature Trail in North County Park.
• Approved the record plat of Ashland Court Sixth Addition.
• Established utility rates for the city of Cape Girardeau by amending Chapter 22 relating to solid waste fees and Chapter 29 of the city code relating to water rates and sewer service charges.

Consent ordinances, first readings

• Rezoned 721 Sunset Blvd. from Residential-2 to Commercial-1.
• Rezoned 723 Sunset Blvd. from Residential-2 to Commercial-1.
• Rezoned 265 Notre Dame Drive from Residential-1 to Residential-4.
• Rezoned 824 S. Kingshighway from M-2 to C-2 and granted a special-use permit to Morrill Development Company for constructing, maintaining and operating mini warehouse units for storage at this address.
• Authorized application to the Missouri Department of Transportation for the Safe Routes to School Grant Program and execution of all necessary grant documents.
• Prohibited selling or soliciting on public streets, rights-of-way, intersections, medians or sidewalks (see related story on Page 1A).
• Authorized acquisition of property for the improvement of Mount Auburn Road between Independence Street and North Kingshighway.
• Authorized a project partnership agreement with the Department of the Army for reconstruction of the Mississippi River Flood Protection System.
• Accepted a quitclaim deed and assignment of easements from the Main Street Levee Improvement District for the transfer of the Mississippi River Flood Protection System to the city of Cape Girardeau.
• Accepted a quitclaim deed and assignment of easements from the North Main Street Levee Improvement District for the transfer of the Mississippi River Flood Protection System, in the city of Cape Girardeau.

Resolutions

n Authorized the pursuit of funding through the community development block grant program for a Rural Affordable Housing Grant for housing development and rehabilitation.

• Set a public hearing for the annexation request by Hanover Lutheran Church.
• Authorized an agreement with Fronabarger Concreters Inc. for the Independence Street improvement project.
• Authorized an agreement with Jokerst Inc. for the Fountain Street sewer improvement project.
• Authorized an agreement with ASA Asphalt Inc. for the Morgan Oak Street overlay project.

Other

• Scrapped all bids for the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport's Mid-States hangar renovation. City engineer Kelly Green said the move was necessary after one bidder included an addendum which, while a good idea and more economical for the city, was not fair to the other bidders.