Cape council OKs construction projects for fire department, Cape Splash

The Cape Girardeau City Council awarded construction contracts for fire and water projects Monday night that total more than $3.5 million.

But deputy city manager Molly Hood said there is not enough fire sales-tax money available to cover the total price of the fire department projects.

Hood said the staff will look at ways to cut costs or find additional revenue to pay for the work.

Council members quickly approved the contracts with little public discussion as part of a list of consent agenda items that were authorized in a single motion.

The council voted to hire Penzel Construction Co. of Jackson to construct an annex building next to fire station 2 on Mount Auburn Road at a cost of more than $1.25 million. The four-bay annex will include vehicle maintenance space.

Council members agreed to hire Kiefner Brothers Inc. for the other two fire department projects: interior renovation and construction of an addition to Fire Station 1 on South Sprigg Street and interior renovation of Fire Station 2.

Those two projects combined would cost more than $1.4 million.

In all, the city has about $2 million in fire sales-tax revenue available to fund the three fire department projects.

The three projects total more than $2.6 million.

Hood said the addition to Fire Station 1, which would include space to store firefighter turnout gear, may be scaled back to bring it within budget.

She told the council city staff will look at how to bring the projects within budget over the next 45 to 60 days.

As for the water project, the council updated a contract with KCI Construction Company Inc. for improvements to Cape Splash water park.

The new contract totals more than $724,000 for improvements to the Cape Splash water park "island," which includes construction of a pavilion, a pirate-ship water feature and bollards.

The original contract, which totaled less than $252,000, included concrete decking, two bridges with ramps for handicapped accessibility and three shade-umbrella structures.

The additional improvements will add nearly $473,000 to the cost, parks and recreation director Julia Thompson said.

In an agenda letter to the council, Thompson wrote the water-park improvements would provide "new and exciting elements" that will complement the water slides.

"Annual facility positive cash flow has, on average, exceeded $150,000, and this trend is expected to continue," Thompson wrote.

"The Phase 2 addition in 2017 will result in additional capacity and revenue, providing a greater attraction for citizens and visitors to Cape Girardeau," she wrote.

mbliss@semissourian.com

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401 Independence St., Cape Girardeau, Mo.