COUNCIL APPROVES ELECTION ON APRIL 5

The Cape Girardeau City Council voted Wednesday to place on the April 5 ballot two measures that would fund nearly $19 million in sewer improvements.

Voters will decide whether to fund the sewer work by extending an existing quarter-cent capital improvements tax through the year 2020.

At a special meeting Wednesday, council members opted to hold off placing the tax issue on the November ballot.

"I certainly applaud the idea of it," said Councilman Melvin Gateley. "If there's anything the city needs to do it's have good infrastructure.

"But I have reservations about putting it on the ballot Nov. 2."

Councilman David Limbaugh said that if the city wants the measure to pass, the council shouldn't be hasty in placing it before the voters.

"I realize this is just an extension of an existing tax, but there's really a negative mood about any taxes right now," Limbaugh said.

Also on the April 5 ballot will be the election of council representatives from three of the city's six new wards, and election of a new mayor.

Council members have said they expect a high voter turnout in the April election. Also, by placing the sewer bond issue on the April ballot, the measure won't compete with a school-bond issue in November.

The other ballot issue in November is a vote on riverboat gambling in Cape Girardeau.

"Let the school election be clean, as well as riverboat gambling regardless of whether you're pro or con," said Gateley, an outspoken opponent of riverboat gambling.

Rhodes added: "I think we're much better off this way because now we're not interfering with the school election."

Gateley made a motion to amend the prepared ordinance calling for a November election, changing the election date to April 5. Limbaugh questioned whether the matter needed to be decided at all on Wednesday.

But Councilman Mary Wulfers urged the council to set the date. "We've been putting this off since before I've been on the council," said Wulfers, who was elected in 1990. "I don't think we should wait."

The council unanimously approved the amended ordinance.

The issue will appear on the April ballot in the form of two questions: whether to issue $25 million in sewer revenue bonds; and whether to extend the quarter-cent capital improvements sales tax through 2020 to finance the bonds.

As Wulfers alluded, the issue would be the first opportunity for the city to address a perennial problem with combined sanitary and storm sewers in the older sections of town.

For years, residents of Cape Girardeau's older neighborhoods have asked City Hall to repair or replace their outdated sewers which often back up and flood during heavy rains.

The issue was prominent during the 1990 city council election campaign, when several candidates pledged to work to correct the sewer problems.

Finally in 1991, the city completed an $80,000, 20-year sewer master plan, which proposed specific projects totalling about $19 million to complete segregation of all the city's combined sewers and make other needed sewer improvements.

The election issue in April is the first time the city has devised a funding mechanism to make the repairs proposed in the sewer master plan.

Assistant City Manager Al Stoverink said that by extending the existing quarter-cent capital improvements sales tax now used to finance the share of the city's costs for its flood-control project the city can finance the bonds to pay for the sewer improvements at no additional cost to taxpayers.

Included in the sales tax measure would be money for sewer relief lines to alleviate surcharging in parts of town and completion of the trunk sewer system within the existing city limits.

In other business at Wednesday's special meeting, the council approved a liquor license for The Runway Restaurant and Lounge at the Cape Girardeau Municipal Airport. A grand opening and open house at the recently renovated terminal building is slated for Oct. 2.

The council also had to amend an ordinance it passed at its Aug. 16 meeting that set the city's property tax rate. Although the overall rate will remain at 62 cents per $100 of assessed valuation, an increase of 2 cents, the way the money is allocated will be changed.

The Missouri auditor's office authorized that the city can set a rate of 32 cents for the general fund, as opposed to the 33 cents that was proposed. But the auditor's office will allow the city to assess an additional penny in the health fund, increasing the rate from 4 to 5 cents. The library district tax rate also will increase a penny this year.