City leaders: Cape looks to maintain existing infrastructure

Cape Girardeau city government increasingly is focused on maintaining existing infrastructure, city officials said Tuesday.

“You are going to see us take care of what we’ve got,” Ward 5 Councilman Bob Fox said at strategic planning meeting at the Osage Centre.

Seven residents, along with Fox, Mayor Harry Rediger and city staff members, attended the gathering. It was the fifth of six ward-based public meetings.

The Ward 6 session Thursday will be the final meeting. It will be at 6 p.m. at the Lutheran Home.

Resident Harry Kiefer told city officials it is “very nice to have the facade,” but municipal government needs to focus on maintaining existing infrastructure.

Fox said he agrees with that philosophy.

The city has five priorities that were established about five years ago, deputy city manager Molly Hood said.

The priorities: enhance the city’s regional position in economic development, improve safety and health of employees and the community, keep fiscal discipline visible, improve neighborhoods and streamline resident and business interaction.

Kiefer said, “My perception is that economic development drives the train.”

But Hood and city manager Scott Meyer said city staff does not prioritize one objective over another.

“There is a lot of crossover in these five objectives,” Hood said.

Meyer said the council has made public safety a major priority, which has been reflected in construction of a new police station and a new fire station.

“We have spent a lot of our funds there,” he said.

Rediger said, “Improving public safety crosses over to improving neighborhoods.”

Kiefer said city officials need to fix the many pothole-strewn streets and not just arterial routes such as Lexington Avenue.

Resident Doug Austin said he believes city officials are focused properly on safety and infrastructure and how to pay for them.

Austin voiced concern about growing erosion along Cape LaCroix Creek. The erosion has brought the creek closer to the adjacent walking trail. The city needs to take steps to preserve the trail, he said.

City staff said there are plans to relocate some parts of the trail farther away from the creek bank.

Kevin Govero said the city’s transportation sales tax has paid dividends in improving Cape Girardeau streets and building new ones.

“I think we are moving in the right direction,” he said.

Rediger said, “We have put over $100 million into streets since 1995.”

At the end of the meeting, Kiefer said public meetings are invaluable. But he wondered how the city could communicate with more people.

Meyer said a survey might be conducted to gather more public input.

Several city council members led by Ward 4 Councilman Robbie Guard suggested at Monday’s council meeting the city needs to survey residents on strategic planning issues and not rely solely on public meetings that have drawn few people.

mbliss@semissourian.com

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