Cape Girardeau city officials tonight will study a five-year capital improvements plan that was scaled back to reflect reduced revenue.
The special city council study session will begin at 5 p.m. at City Hall.
The city would spend nearly $22.6 million on capital projects over the next five years under the proposed plan.
Last year's five-year plan had a budget of $37.3 million but was amended this year to reflect reduced revenue estimates and the exclusion of any projects that require voter approval.
Many of the projects included in last year's capital improvements plan have been delayed due to flat tax revenues this year.
Tonight's meeting also is expected to include preliminary discussion of possible changes in the budget process to give city council members a clearer representation of revenue and expenses in each municipal department and program.
The budgeting changes were suggested by Councilman David Barklage, who complained that government frequently fails to review programs once they're in place. Other council members have said time constraints often inhibit close council scrutiny of the budget.
Assistant City Manager Al Stoverink said last week that subsequent budget meetings likely will be held during the next couple of months prior to drafting the proposed budget for fiscal year 1992-1993, which begins in October.
The proposed five-year capital improvements plan covers 43 projects, down from 56 in last year's proposal. Capital improvements are divided into four categories: transportation; environment; recreation and leisure; and community development.
The transportation and environment categories contain 18 projects each.
The plan includes $14.5 million for environmental projects. The most significant projects are the Army Corps of Engineers' flood-control project on Cape LaCroix Creek and Walker Branch and a plan to separate combined storm and sanitary sewers in the area of College and Henderson streets.
More than half ($7.5 million) of the cost of the environmental projects would be financed with Public Facilities Authority (PFA) bonds.
Revenue bonds also would finance the plurality of all projects included in the overall capital improvements program. Of the total budget, $8.4 million would be financed with the bonds.
A capital improvements sales tax approved by voters to fund the city's share of the Cape LaCroix Creek-Walker Branch flood-control project is expected to generate $5.6 million for that project in the next five years.
Special assessments will be used to finance much of the street and lateral sewer projects in the plan.
Transportation projects total $7 million. Several small improvement projects are proposed in the recreation category along with a proposal to pay half the cost $65,000 over the next two years to replace the bubble over Central Pool.
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