Cape Girardeau City Council appoints SEMO grad to Historic Preservation Commission

Cape Girardeau City Council members appointed Aaron Modrow to the city's Historic Preservation Commission at their meeting Monday, June 5.

Modrow is a Southeast Missouri State University graduate and works at Mac Con Co., a construction and maintenance company.

In other action, council members conducted several public hearings, approved ordinances through a consent agenda and read ordinances for the first time.

Public hearings

The officials presided over four public hearings. The only hearing generating any public comment regarded a special-use permit for property at 603 N. Henderson Ave. The potential property owner, Ben Traxel, told council members he intends to construct a boutique hotel -- seven guest rooms -- on the property, which houses the historic Himmelberger House. Other public hearings focused on the city's coming fiscal year budget and requests to vacate a 16-foot-wide alley in Block 5 of West End Place 2nd and a 10-foot easement in Lot 2 of a minor subdivision of Lot B of Cape West Crossings, Phase II.

Consent agenda

Items on the consent agenda have previously been before council members, and the group approves them as one lot.

Approved Monday were several ordinances:

• vacating the city's interest in utility easements at 2409 Brister Hill Road and 5808 Dalhousie Drive;
• authorizing the city manager to execute a Transportation Planning Consolidated Grant Agreement with Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission for Southeast Metropolitan Planning Organization expenses; license and indemnity agreement to place certain improvements on the city right of way of Vantage Drive; performance guarantee agreement with Meyr Properties for public sidewalk and/or street light improvements in Baldwin Creek Subdivision, Rock Gardens Subdivision and Touchdown Ridge Subdivision;
• appropriating future casino revenues up to $10.2 million for payments to SEMO for construction of a dual role, multiuse comprehensive development (reconstruction of the football/soccer stadium and associated athletic and academic facilities);
• authorizing final payment to D&S Sign Company Inc. for a digital/illumination sign at Shawnee Park and Lappe Cement Finishing Inc. for the city's 2022 concrete street repair project.

New ordinances

Council members read for the first time a number of ordinances:

• adopting the coming fiscal year's municipal budget;
• establishing utility rates for the city (5% increase in water and sewer rates and a slight increase in fees associated with utility connections);
• vacating the city's interest in a portion of an alley between South Park Avenue and South West End Boulevard (while retaining utility easements) and an easement located at 433 and 461 Cape West Crossings;
• accepting utility easements from Vernon E. Rhodes Family Partners LLC for property located at 2110 Southern Expressway;
• granting a special-use permit to Tenmile Management LLC to construct and operate a boutique hotel at 603 N. Henderson Ave.;
• approving the record plat of Hunter's Place Third Subdivision, Deer Creek Road Subdivision, Veterans Point Subdivision and Baldwin Creek Subdivision.