CAPE GETS $500,000 DISASTER GRANT

A $500,000 federal grant should help the city of Cape Girardeau launch a number of disaster mitigation projects over the next two years.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency in June included the city in Project Impact, a program intended to make communities more disaster resistant.

The city recently completed the formalities required to accept the half-million grant, which has already been allocated.

The money will be available as soon as the city starts working on projects.

The city must contribute a minimum of 25 percent of the grant, in this case $166,667, to receive the money. However, the city plans to allocate even more for disaster mitigation efforts.

Assistant City Manager Walter Denton said the money is available in the city budget for such efforts.

Local committees, which include members of the city staff, local businesses and community organizations, have developed a list of projects to reduce the effects of natural disasters in Cape Girardeau.

The projects will cost an estimated $1,433,358. Of that, $500,000 will come from the Project Impact grant, $241,130 from the city -- most of which will be in the form of in-kind services, $485,839 from other state and federal grants, and $204,000 from other sources, including business interests.

Of the 14 projects identified, seven will be funded in part through the Project Impact grant.

Denton said the idea beyond the project is to create a partnership between local government, business and the community in general.

"With the Project Impact initiative, we are able to get representatives from the business sector, the public sector and non-profit groups together to decide what is needed in our community to make it more disaster resistant," Denton said.

Work on at least two of the projects -- installation of a water tank seismic protection system and a generator at the waste water treatment plant -- should start within the next six months, Denton said.

Engineering and design studies and other preliminary work needs to be completed, to varying degrees, on the other projects.

"A lot of people looked at these projects, asked questions and deliberated on them to decide if these are the things we should look at first," Denton said.

The projects to be partially funded with the Project Impact grant:

-- Water storage tank seismic protection. Sensors will detect ruptures in the water distribution system and activate a valve to isolate storage tanks to prevent the loss of treated water. Cost: $110,000, Project Impact; $50,000, city.

-- Emergency standby generator at the wastewater treatment plant. A 1,100 kilowatt, diesel powered generator will be installed to operate all the essential electrical systems at the plant in the event of a power outage. Cost: $187,00, Project Impact; $62,500, city.

-- Flood monitoring warning system for Walker and Cape LaCroix Creeks. Sensors will be placed at strategic points along each stream and in the watershed. Readings will be transmitted every few minutes to a central computer for analysis. Cost: $20,000, Project Impact; $20,000 city.

-- Public information and education. A plan to raise public awareness and promote individual disaster preparedness will be developed and implemented. Cost: $56,300, Project Impact; $11,060 city; $4,500, contributions from local businesses and other sources.

-- Apply for Community Ratings System. City property owners will become eligible for reduced rates under the National Flood Insurance Program. Cost: $4,500, Project Impact; $500, city.

-- Flood inundation study. Detailed digital maps of flood prone areas of the Cape LaCroix Creek, Ramsey Branch and Sloan Creek watersheds will be made. $71,700, Project Impact; $800, city; $47,500, state stormwater grant.

-- All hazard mitigation plan implementation. The plan is still under development, funded by a $50,000 grant from the State Emergency Management Agency, and should be completed in 1999. Identified projects will be developed. Cost: $50,000, Project impact; $16,666, city.