Cape County Commission faces long agenda for first 2009 meeting

Though the Cape Girardeau County Commission won't vote on the issue until its first meeting of 2009 on Monday, the general feeling is that incoming 1st District Commissioner Paul Koeper will assume responsibility for road and bridge decisions. Whether he will take on other duties is up for discussion, according to Koeper, Presiding Commissioner Gerald Jones and 2nd District Commissioner Jay Purcell.

Until May, Purcell had been responsible for overseeing buildings and grounds, parks and information technology departments. Those duties were reassigned to then-commissioner Larry Bock.

Commissioner duties are just one of a host of long-range topics on the agenda. Koeper asked for the commission to discuss revising the county's road-paving policy and the possibility of pausing the chip-and-seal paving program. Koeper said he wants to see how the first round of chip-and-seal paving performs during the winter's cycle of freezing and thawing.

He would also like to see county roads categorized in a way similar the Missouri Department of Transportation's categories, to determine first-, second- and third-tier roads.

The commissioners will also review advisory board appointments, including 12 applicants for five vacancies on the mental health mill tax board and four openings on the road and bridge advisory board. Three road and bridge volunteers, Ken Spooler, George Miller and Ken Evans, indicated they would like to be reappointed, while Glenn Birk has resigned.

The commissioners will review county bills and consider which office space to assign to Koeper. His predecessor, Larry Bock, did not maintain office space during his 16 years in office, but Koeper said he plans to be in the county building for at least part of every weekday.

Other discussion topics Koeper suggested for Monday's agenda are long-term growth plans for the county and town hall meetings.

The Cape Girardeau County Commission meets at 9 a.m. Monday in the third floor chambers of the county administrative building, 1 Barton Square in Jackson.

pmcnichol@semissourian.com

388-3646