Commissioner speaks at park board meeting

In a meeting Monday, Cape Girardeau County Presiding Commissioner Gerald Jones tried to smooth over anger among some members of the county's park advisory board about a decision to sell a piece of County Park North.

Jones appeared before the Board of Park Commissioners, the formal name of the seven-member board, for the first time in his new role as supervising commissioner for parks. He said he wanted to provide details of the proposed sale and calm the controversy surrounding the sale. At the end, several park board members said they were satisfied that they are getting more information and a chance to examine the deal in detail.

Others, however, didn't seem as ready to accept Jones' explanations.

The meeting Monday, Jones said, was an attempt to end the fighting over the land. "This was to try to put a stop to the controversy," Jones said. "I've got 2 1/2 years left in office and I want it peaceful and productive. And one way or another, it will be."

The three-member county commission voted 2-1 in an April 3 closed session to accept a $300,000 offer from Midamerica Hotels for a 70-foot-wide strip of County Park North adjacent to other land owned by the company. The parcel, 1.24 acres in all, is on the west edge of the park.

The land deal is one of several major disagreements among the three county commissioners. Jones and Associate Commissioner Larry Bock voted to sell the land; Associate Commissioner Jay Purcell voted against it. Purcell has said he opposed the deal because the park commissioners, a county advisory board, had not considered the issue in a formal meeting and given its approval.

On Monday, some of the first questions for Jones dealt with his view of the park board's role. "My understanding is that the commission said our input was not needed," member R.J. McKinney said.

That's not true, Jones said, adding that he values the park board and its work. He asked them to refrain from additional questions while he explained his point of view. "I hope you are not trying to pick a fight," Jones said. "I am going to address everything before you get your panties in a whirl."

Jones later apologized for the remark.

The deal is not finished, Jones said. Despite the vote, Jones said the county was going to heed advice from John Lichtenegger, a Jackson attorney retained by the county to study the land sale, to look harder at the price offered and the value of the property. The county needs to obtain its own appraisal of the property, he said, and work is still underway to make certain the county is not restricted in any way on selling the land.

The land deal has a three-year history, Jones said. The county was first approached by Dan Drury and Bob Hahn of Midamerica Hotels with a proposal that the company purchase 2.3 acres and swap it for the land. Jones said the 2.3 acres wasn't worth having as park land and he asked for the money that would be spent on it instead.

The deal lapsed into dormancy before consideration was renewed earlier this year, he said.

In the meeting with the board, Jones said commissioners thought they had clearance from the park board to sell the land because Purcell had discussed it with all the members in small groups and reported that only one member was opposed.

Jones also told the board that Purcell voted against the land sale because Jones and Bock declined to agree during the meeting to spend $150,000 on a new playground. Discussions of how to use the money belonged in open meetings, Jones said he told Purcell.

But Purcell provided an e-mail, sent the day of the meeting to Donna Oldham, the commission's administrative assistant, restating his opposition based on the need for park board review. And he disputed Jones statement that it was Purcell's idea to meet with individual members to avoid having a posted meeting for the discussion.

"This is damage control, pure and simple," Purcell said. "All this does is reinforce the notion that we need an accurate and undisputed record of what happens at the commission."

Any money realized from the sale of park land will be used only for parks expansion and improvement, Jones said. "I have got every intention of using every penny of that money, if it ever happens, for the park."

McKinney challenged the value placed on the land by an appraiser hired by Midamerica. The price, $300,000, is too low, he said. Appraisals are based on comparable land sales and no sales of land along U.S. 61 near Center Junction have taken place in recent years, he said.

"It is just one or two men's opinion about what it is worth," McKinney said.

McKinney declined to speak after the hearing except to say he is not happy with the deal.

Jones repeatedly said the deal was not complete and he welcomed park board discussions.

Several members said that is what they were seeking. "Things are a lot clearer now and I feel at ease," Nadine Davis said.

rkeller@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 126

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