CITY SEEKS REMEDY TO FRANKLIN TRAFFIC; COUNCIL AWARDS TWIN LAKES SEWER LINE CONTRACT

Cape Girardeau police will meet with residents to try to find a solution to their concerns about traffic in the neighborhood around Franklin Elementary School.

Several residents of the Sunset neighborhood aired their concerns about traffic along Themis Street posing a danger to children in the neighborhood at Monday night's Cape Girardeau City Council meeting.

The City Council also approved awarding of a contract for construction of a sanitary sewer line to serve the Twin Lakes subdivision.

Residents of the Sunset neighborhood had petitioned the city to place four-way stops at the intersections of Themis and Keller and Themis and Louisiana. Two-way stops exist at those intersections.

Enos and Janet Criddle and their neighbors feel motorists use Themis as a through-street and drive too fast through the neighborhood.

The four-way stops would slow traffic and prevent the possibility of a motorist hitting a child.

Traffic studies conducted by the police department indicate an average speed of 24 mph on Themis. The engineering department's study showed an average speed of 26.8 mph.

Traffic counts indicate that an average of 1,484 vehicles travel Themis daily, 1,140 travel Louisiana and 575 travel Keller.

The report indicates that the four-way stops aren't warranted by either the traffic count or motorists' speed, said city engineer Mark Lester and Police Chief Rick Hetzel.

The report does point out that parked vehicles, trees and utility poles "somewhat obstruct motorists' field of vision" on Themis Street approaching the intersections.

But residents argue that because Franklin School is so close, along with nearby Central High School and Central Junior High, additional safety measures are needed.

"According to the formula, the stop signs are not needed," said Janet Criddle. But, she said, "you have to consider the area, with the elementary school right there."

"If someone has a better idea than these four-way stop signs, I'm all for it," she said.

Councilman Melvin Gateley made the motion that city staff meet with residents to try to find a solution to their concerns. The council unanimously approved the motion.

Hetzel said he will set up a meeting with residents.

In other action, the council awarded a $924,507.15 contract to R and K Excavation Inc. of Crystal City for construction of a sanitary sewer line to serve the Twin Lakes subdivision.

Lester said the work should start within the next month. The contract allows R and K 240 calendar days to complete the project.

The contractor will install approximately 15,800 feet of 8-inch sewer line and 6,200 feet of 15-inch line. A small lift station will also have to built, Lester said.

Council members also approved on first reading a new franchise agreement with TCI Cablevision of Missouri. The agreement would require upgrading the entire system for digital compression technology.

The new technology would allow adding 36 channels to the cable lineup, said Tom Cantrell of TCI. Approximately a third of those channels would be specialty channels such as The History Channel; another third would be pay-per-view and the final third would be premium channels.

Getting the additional channels would cost customers another $10 per month, plus fees for the necessary cable converter box and remote control, he said.

Mayor Al Spradling III took a few minutes to talk football at the end of Monday night's meeting.

Spradling, whose red Jackson sweatshirt was conspicuously absent after Cape Central's loss to Jackson High School last month, said nobody sent him a sweatshirt.

Spradling and Jackson Mayor Paul Sander had a friendly wager in which the losing mayor would wear the winning team's sweatshirt at the council meeting following the game.

"Jackson, as usual, failed to come up with the goods," Spradling said.

He said the sweatshirt he got after last year's loss to Jackson was "accidentally on purpose" destroyed by Cape football players.

However, Spradling said, he will honor the wager and wear the Jackson sweatshirt to a City Council meeting as soon as one is delivered.

CAPE GIRARDEAU CITY COUNCIL

Monday, Nov. 3

Cape Girardeau City Hall

Public hearings

-- Held a public hearing on the request of Meyer Realty and Mary Ewing-Crafton for a special use permit for an addition to the day care at 833 N. Spanish in an R-2 single family residential district.

-- Held a public hearing on the request of Money Time Check Cashers, Inc., for a special use permit for storage use at 155 S. Park Ave. in an R-3 two-family residential district.

-- Held a public hearing on an amendment of the subdivision regulations regarding utility easements, street lights and right-of-way and pavement widths for low-density residential development.

-- Held a public hearing to consider the application of TCI Cablevision of Missouri, Inc., for a newly amended franchise agreement for operation of a cable television system in the city.

Consent ordinances

-- Approved an ordinance accepting a general warranty deed from L.R. Roper Jr., trustee of the L.R. Roper Jr. voluntary trust for right-of-way for the detention reservoir portion of the Cape LaCroix/Walker Branch flood control project. Second and third readings.

-- Approved an ordinance accepting permanent easement and temporary construction easements for the sanitary sewer improvement program, Phase 1, West Side Relief Sewer. Second and third readings.

-- Approved an ordinance accepting deeds from various property owners for the 1995 flood buyout program. Second and third readings.

New ordinances

-- Approved an ordinance granting a special use permit to Meyer Realty and Mary Ewing-Crafton for purpose of constructing, maintaining and operating an addition to the day care center at 833 N. Spanish. First reading.

-- Approved an ordinance granting a special use permit to Money Time Check Cashers, Inc., for maintaining and operating a storage use at 155 S. Park Ave. First reading.

-- Approved an ordinance amending the city code regarding subdivision regulations. First reading.

-- Approved an ordinance authorizing the City Manager to execute a cable communications franchise agreement with TCI Cablevision of Missouri, Inc. First reading.

-- Approved an ordinance amending the city code establish speed limits on Missouri Route 74/Shawnee Parkway. First reading.

-- Approved an ordinance amending the city code by placing a stop sign on Siemers Drive at Missouri Route 74/Shawnee Parkway , and on the I-55 exit ramps at Missouri Route 74/Shawnee Parkway. First reading.

-- Approved an ordinance amending the city code by placing yield signs on Siemers Drive, Missouri Route 74/Shawnee Parkway and Silver Springs Road. First reading.

-- Approved an ordinance amending the issuance of special tax bills for the demolition of dangerous buildings. First reading.

-- Approved an ordinance accepting a permanent easement for Darel and Betty Roberts for the street overlay program, new Madrid Street from Clark Street to Perry Avenue. First reading.

-- Approved an ordinance accepting a water line easement from P. David and Jerrie L. Reid Gerlach for a water line to serve Lynwood Hills Subdivision. First reading.

-- Approved an ordinance amending the boundaries of Ward 4 to include property of Cape Girardeau County Commission, Bruce S. Watkins, P. David and Jerrie Lynn Gerlach and Summit Enterprises, L.L.C. First reading.