City may spend extra park tax money on Cape Splash, skate park, other projects

Cape Girardeau's parks and recreation director has proposed spending about $3.9 million in additional sales tax money on eight parks-improvement projects.

They include improvements to the Lazy River island at Cape Splash, development of a skate park at Arena Park, restrooms at Capaha Park and major improvements to athletic fields at Shawnee Park.

The available funding would come from the city's parks and stormwater sales tax, approved by voters in April 2008, city staff said.

Parks and Recreation director Julia Thompson said the added tax money is the result of cost savings on current projects, conservative fiscal estimates and higher-than-expected collections. She said some of the proposed projects have been on the drawing board for years. The Parks and Recreation advisory board has recommended the city proceed with the proposals.

Benefits include improved tourism, lower maintenance costs and operational efficiencies, she said.

Mary Milam and her daughter, Emma, make their way around the lazy river Sunday at Cape Splash in Cape Girardeau.Glenn Landberg

"We have some projects that are ready to go," she told the council during a study session last week.

Mayor Harry Rediger welcomed the spending opportunity.

"It certainly is exciting that we can do some significant projects at the end," he said.

But the Cape Girardeau City Council has not signed off on the proposed projects. Some council members have questioned spending all of the money on park projects, suggesting some of the money should go to stormwater projects.

Cape Girardeau city manager Scott Meyer has promised staff will look at possible stormwater projects.

But Rediger said the added tax money is not enough to fund major stormwater projects that could cost millions of dollars.

Rediger said the council could approve the parks projects in August, although the list could be tweaked to add a small stormwater project.

Thompson said the proposed projects are "the ones that would provide the biggest return on investment." She added, "It is not all of our needs."

But Ward 6 Councilman Wayne Bowen said, "I am disappointed that there are no stormwater projects on the list."

Bowen said there have been "a lot of recent complaints" from residents about stormwater problems in the city.

The councilman questioned the need for building a skate park at a time when some residents' homes have been flooded with stormwater during heavy rains.

Ward 4 Councilman Robbie Guard said he likes the park projects, but added the council needs to see a list of possible stormwater improvements before it can decide which projects should be funded.

Voters in 2008 approved a half-cent sales tax that included a three-eighth-cent tax that expires Sept. 30, 2018, and a one-eighth-cent, permanent tax earmarked for parks and stormwater operations.

City officials expect to ask voters to extend the three-eighth-cent sales tax in 2018.

Meanwhile, Thompson said there are ready-to-proceed projects such as Cape Splash improvements, which would cost an estimated $750,000.

The water park, which opened in 2010, has a grassy island that is difficult to access for mowing.

"Right now, it is completely unusable space," Thompson said.

The proposed project would transform the island by adding a pavilion and a ship that squirts water. She said it would eliminate the mowing problem and increase daily capacity at Cape Splash by 100 to 200 people.

The most expensive project calls for improvements to the Shawnee Park sports complex at more than $1.8 million. Plans call for making improvements in two phases, Thompson said.

Thompson said the first phase, estimated to cost $899,000, would provide needed improvements to the softball/baseball fields.

"They will drain better and look better," she said.

As a result, the city will end up having to do less maintenance on the heavily-used fields.

The second phase, estimated to cost $960,000, would include lighting of several fields used for soccer and youth-tackle football, paving improvements for the park drive and parking lot, paving of a gravel lot near the Shawnee Park Center, and renovation and improvements to restroom/concession facilities that serve the park's soccer fields.

Capaha Park improvements would cost an estimated $480,000,

Thompson said Capaha Park improvements include construction of restrooms and a splash pad as well as providing parking and improved access to the park's amphitheater.

As for the $300,000 skate park, Thompson proposed spending $200,000 in tax money on the project, with private donations expected to pay the remainder of the cost.

Finance director John Richbourg said the sales tax is expected to have generated more than $37.3 million over 10 years, ending in 2018.

Coupled with interest earned, grants and other contributions, the city will have received about $38.9 million over that period to fund park and stormwater improvement projects, Richbourg estimated.

Most of that money has funded park projects, he said. In all, the city budgeted $3 million for stormwater projects, later increasing that to $4.8 million, he said.

A number of stormwater projects have been completed, including repairs to the Merriwether Street drainage tunnel and stormwater studies. In addition, the city has budgeted $1.6 million for upcoming floodwall repairs.

To date, the city has spent or budgeted more than $25.8 million in parks and stormwater sales tax revenue for parks projects, Richbourg said. That total could climb to nearly $30 million by 2018 if the council approves the additional parks projects.

mbliss@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3641

Pertinent address:

401 Independence St., Cape Girardeau, Mo.

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Proposed Cape Girardeau parks projects

Tara Landewee does arm curls during her workout at the Osage Centre on Thursday in Cape Girardeau. The city may use extra park sales-tax money for gym lighting improvements and fitness equipment at Osage Centre.LAURA SIMON ~ lsimon@semissourian.com

• Shawnee Park sports complex field/facilities improvements, $1.8 million
• Cape Splash Lazy River island improvements, $750,000
• Capaha Park restrooms/other upgrades, $480,000
• Arena Park skate park, $200,000
• Central Municipal Pool pump improvements, $150,000
• Osage Centre drainage, gym lighting improvements and fitness equipment, $107,000
• Shawnee Park Center generator, $100,000
• Arena Park 4-H Exhibit Hall parking lot, $100,000

Source: city of Cape Girardeau