CITY OKs HUMAN RELATIONS PANEL IDEA

What began as an advisory board for the police department has now evolved into a broader concept encompassing more than just police business.

The Cape Girardeau City Council Monday gave Micheal Miller, the city manager, permission to begin the process of setting up a Human Relations Commission. The board is in response to an incident on Good Hope Street on June 11 involving a melee in which eight police officers were attacked.

"The reason to have a human relations commission is to build diversity in the whole community," Miller said. "The idea did come about as a result of the incident June 11. But it is not meant to solve all of the problems based on that incident. It is aimed at building diversity on a positive basis."

The commission would be an advisory board for people to go and speak about issues that concern them. The board will not be limited to hearing complaints of racism, but also will hear other concerns such as gender issues.

The idea is to provide a less formal place where people can go and be comfortable because sometimes the open microphone at the city council meetings can be intimidating.

"It is frightening for people to come and stand at that microphone," Miller said.

The council unanimously endorsed the concept, but there were some reservations about the idea.

"It does denote the idea of being positive and proactive," said Councilman Melvin Gateley. "But my concern was that this is not the role of government. I believe in my heart that this begins in the home and the churches."

Councilman Frank Stoffregen also had some concerns because he thought the board would be nothing more than a symbolic gesture.

"It still has all of the earmarks of a touchy, touchy feel good thing," Stoffregen said.

Transfer Station Improvements

The city council gave final approval to a measure improving the facilities at the city's transfer station by buying new technology that will help the system become more efficient.

The plan has a $346,500 price tag. The station already has $55,000 set aside for the project and the council authorized a $291,000 appropriation from the Solid Waste Fund.

Currently the transfer station uses a system of hydraulic rams to crush trash into steel containers that are specially designed to withstand the pressure of the rams. The containers are loaded onto trucks and driven to the landfill in Dexter. But the trucks can only haul about 15 to 16 tons of trash.

Under the new system, the trash will be pushed into trailers that can hold about 22 to 25 tons of trash. This will save money because each load regardless of size cots $98.18 to dump at the landfill. Less trips means more savings.

"The old system is very maintenance intensive," said Al Spradling III, mayor of Cape Girardeau. "We will be saving $20,000 in just maintenance costs alone."

New Appointments

The city council named Glenn Smallwood Jr. to the Planning and Zoning Commission. Smallwood works for AmerenUE as a business development executive. He returned to Cape Girardeau in 1995 and prior to that he lived in Mexico, Mo. where he served on that planning and zoning board from 1991 to 1995.

The council also appointed Diedre Knorpp to fill a vacancy on the library board. Knorpp is a franchise manager for Mail Boxes Etc. at both the Cape Girardeau and Sikeston locations.

Property Taxes

The council passed the property tax renewal for the city tax levy.

The rate is the same as last year --- $.65 per $100 of assessed value. The assessed value of residential property is 19 percent of the actual value.

But just because the rate stays the same does not mean that the tax bill will go down or even stay the same. John Richbourg, Cape Girardeau Finance Director, said the property values have increased with the rate of inflation and because the city is limited to how much it can tax, the rates have stayed the same. But the actual bills may be higher.

In total, residents pay about $4.64 per $100 of assessed value in property taxes. The other taxes are for the county, the state and the school districts.

The city tax will be used for the library, debt service, public health and the general revenue fund. About $2 million of the city's $34 million budget comes from property taxes.

New Housing

The council gave its consent to rezone the northeast corner of Bertling and Sprigg Streets. The land is about 11 acres where Place Collegiate Properties is planning to build an eight-building and 360-room apartment complex for student housing.

Spradling said he liked the idea because the company has a history of being well run and as Southeast Missouri State University expands, there will be a need for more housing. He said that since the company is private, the city will benefit.

"The university doesn't pay property taxes," Spradling said. "Because this is a private company, they will be paying property taxes. I see this as a positive for the community."

Cape Girardeau City Council

Agenda, Monday, Aug. 2, 199

City Hall

Consent Ordinances

(Second and third readings)

-- Approved an ordinance authorizing the acquisition of property for the widening of Hopper Road between Kage Road and Interstate 55 and the construction of a portion of Vantage Drive.

-- Approved an ordinance authorizing the acquisition of property for the extension of Hopper Road between Mount Auburn and Kage roads.

-- Approved an ordinance accepting a permanent sewer easement from J.B. Properties, Inc. for sanitary sewer improvements in Hillcrest Place Subdivision.

-- Approved an ordinance amending a section of the City Code by placing a stop sign on Randol Drive.

-- Approved an ordinance declaring it necessary to improve that part of Walnut Street from Kingshighway to Commercial Street.

-- Approved an ordinance appropriating funds for public works.

-- Approved an ordinance authorizing the mayor to execute general warranty deeds to D&D Cape Investments, L.P. and Earl H. Norman, trustee, pursuant to agreements for the exchange of property for the Mount Auburn Road extension project.

-- Approved an ordinance approving the record plat of Joe Kluesner Subdivision.

-- Approved an ordinance approving the record plat of Aspen Park Townhouses Phase III Subdivision.

New Ordinances

(First reading)

-- Approved an ordinance approving the transfer of the cable communications franchise.

-- Approved an ordinance accepting a general warranty deed from Cape Girardeau Sand Co. Inc. for the Cape Rock Water Treatment Plant expansion project, alluvial well field.

-- Approved an ordinance amending the boundaries of Ward 4 to include three lots in Lynwood Hills Estates.

-- Approved an ordinance amending the boundaries of lateral sewer district No. 14-1-G, a subdivision of trunk sewer district No. 14-1.

-- Approved an ordinance providing for the levying of the annual city revenue tax; library fund tax; public health tax; debt service fund tax; Special Business District No.2 tax; for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2000.

-- Approved an ordinance accepting a permanent sewer easement from J.B. Properties, Inc. for sanitary sewer improvements in Hillcrest Place Subdivision.

-- Approved an ordinance changing the zoning of 802, 806 and 814 William St. from C-1 and C-2 to C-2.

-- Approved an ordinance changing the zoning of the northeast corner of Bertling and North Sprigg streets from R-1 to R-4.

-- Approved an ordinance granting a special-use permit to Cape Girardeau Schools and Place Acquisition, L.L.C., for purposes of constructing, maintaining and operating a community unit plan at the northeast corner of Bertling and North Sprigg streets.

Resolutions

(Reading and passage)

-- Approved a resolution approving the transfer of the cable communications system.

-- Approved a resolution authorizing the city manager to execute a housing agreement with the Humane Society of Southeast Missouri.

-- Approved a resolution authorizing the city manager to execute an agreement with N.B. West Contracting Co. Inc. for the 1999 slurry seal program.

-- Approved a resolution authorizing the city manager to execute an addendum to an engineering services contract with Koehler Engineering and Land Surveying, Inc. for the Silver Springs Road project.

Other

-- Approved a motion accepting into the city's system the sanitary sewer extension to serve the Rhodes 101 Stop Convience Store at 1610 N. Kingshighway.

-- Approved a motion accepting into the city's system the sanitary sewer extension to serve the Rhodes 101 Stop Convience Store at 1610 N. Kingshighway.

-- Approved a motion accepting the improvements to the West Side Relief Sewer portion of the sanitary sewer improvement program, Phase 1, and authorizing final payment to Dutch Enterprises, Inc.

-- Approved a motion to approve the improvement plans for the construction of sanitary sewers to serve Rosbrook Apartments contingent upon payment of the estimated inspection fees.