CAPE HOPES TO LAND JOBS; CITY, CAPE COUNTY PLEDGE JOB TRAINING MONEY

Cape Girardeau city and county governments have offered a combined $50,000 for job training in an effort to land a service company that would employ about 200 people.

Both the Cape Girardeau County Commission and Cape Girardeau City Council met separately Monday and agreed to contribute $25,000 each to job training provided that the company decides to locate here.

Cape Girardeau is one of four or five cities in Missouri that are vying for the jobs, said Mitch Robinson, executive director of the Cape Girardeau Area Industrial Recruitment Association.

Robinson declined to identify the company, but said the St. Louis service firm wants to relocate some of its operations.

The jobs, on average, would pay more than $7.50 an hour. "We think it might be more than that," Robinson said.

The company has looked at five or six sites within the city of Cape Girardeau, the only city in Southeast Missouri being considered for the jobs, he said.

Robinson said the job-training money is crucial in efforts to land the company.

"The possibilities here are fantastic," said Councilman Richard Eggimann.

Mayor Al Spradling III said the council and the city staff would have to figure out how to pay for the city's share of the job-training money if the company locates here.

The company is expected to make a decision within seven to 10 days, Robinson said.

In other business, the council voted to rescind its approval of plans for the New Madrid-Henderson intersection improvements and refer the issue to the Cape Girardeau Planning and Zoning Commission.

Eggimann said the city needs to regain control of the project.'

Southeast Missouri State University had hoped to move ahead with the project so it could be constructed prior to the opening of the College of Business building in August.

But the bids came in too high. The project will be rebid with construction not expected until next summer.

Eggimann said the delay will give the city time to review design plans for the project. Design changes had been approved without any input from the Planning and Zoning Commission.

Eggimann said he was opposed all along to hurrying through the project. "I still think it should be done in a business-like manner," he said.