CONTRACTOR LICENSE LAW TABLED BY CAPE COUNCIL

Unanswered questions about the extent of a Cape Girardeau contractor licensing law that is being considered prompted the City Council Monday night to table final approval of the measure.

At its May 6 meeting, the council approved first reading of an ordinance requiring licenses for essentially all city building-trades contractors. But Monday night several people questioned the law and how it would be enforced.

The council voted to table the measure until the city staff and members of a committee of contractors who proposed the law could review the new questions.

Council member Mary Wulfers asked whether the law, which would require contractors to carry at least $500,000 worth of liability insurance, also should require a limit on insurance deductibility.

But other council members said it would be difficult to establish limits on deductibles because insurance coverage would vary between different types of jobs.

Mayor Gene Rhodes said high-cost lower deductibles, which would be appropriate for small contractors, wouldn't be applicable to large, multimillion-dollar jobs by large companies. But a high deductible requirement could "bust" a small contractor on a small job, she said.

Council Member Al Spradling III said the deductible limit could be based on the volume of business a particular contractor does annually. But he said that was a consideration that needed to be worked out.

Council Member David Limbaugh said a requirement in the law that all contractors have at least four years experience before they can obtain a license could limit competition. He said he also was concerned that the law was drafted by a committee of experienced contractors who would have a vested interest in limiting competition.

Other contractors and council members said they didn't know how exactly the licensing requirements applied to homeowners wanting to do their own renovations or repairs or landlords performing maintenance chores on rental properties.

According to the ordinance, small projects that don't require building permits wouldn't be subject to the licensing law, but projects that require a building permit would be subject to licensing requirements.

Although the ordinance would exempt homeowners who perform their own work, several people at Monday's meeting questioned if homeowners who supervise another contractor to help with the work would have to be licensed.

Robert Komorech said members of the city inspection staff have been unable to answer several questions he's had concerning the licensing requirements. "This ordinance needs clarification before you rush ahead and approve it," he added.

Komorech said he thought the ordinance might prevent homeowners from do-it-yourself improvements or repairs at their homes.

Mayor Gene Rhodes said he thought the ordinance would increase construction costs in Cape Girardeau.

In other business, a request by Richard Comeau for a special-use permit to operate a computer software design business at 2879 Hopper Road died without a motion.

The city's Planning and Zoning Commission recommended the request be denied and several residents of Comeau's neighborhood attended the meeting to protest the request.

Comeau has operated the business out of his home for the past three years under a home-occupancy permit that only allows employees who are residents of the home.

Comeau said that his business is expanding and he needs to hire two additional employees from outside his home. But residents of the neighborhood objected to any commercial use in the residential area.