COUNCIL DISPUTE RENEWED; ROAD PANEL OK, BUT WHO WILL LEAD?

A year-old city dispute resurfaced Monday when the Cape Girardeau City Council approved city membership in the Southeast Missouri Coalition for Better Highways but snubbed Mayor Gene Rhodes' appeal to represent the council in the group.

The highway group consists of representatives of Southeast Missouri cities who are lobbying the state for several highway projects in the area.

The group, which Rhodes helped form, formerly was called the Tri-County Coalition for Highway Development. Last October the group named an extension of Nash Road between Cape Girardeau and Scott City as the area's top highway priority.

The City Council Monday night voted to name Councilman Al Spradling III as the city's representative in the coalition because of Rhodes' property holdings along Nash Road.

The council voted 5-2 in favor of a motion to join the group with Spradling as its voting representative. Rhodes and Councilman Hugh White voted against the measure.

Council member Mary Wulfers said she supported the motion because of the perception that Rhodes would have a conflict of interest by lobbying the state for completion of the Nash Road project.

"I'm going to vote for (the motion), not as an affront to you," she told Rhodes, "but, with the fact that you do own property down there, there's a perception of a conflict of interest.

"We've brought that issue up in the past and don't really want to have to confront it again."

But Rhodes said that as mayor he should represent the city in the group. He said past council criticism of his actions on the Tri-County Coalition for Highway Development were unwarranted.

Last year the council assailed Rhodes for changing a list of Cape Girardeau's highway priorities several times without the council's consent. The list was included in a presentation the coalition made to the Missouri Highway and Transportation Commission along with three priority highway projects for the region.

Council members said Rhodes ignored their recommendation to designate an interchange at Hopper Road and Interstate 55 as the city's top highway priority. Rhodes instead told the city clerk to alter the list and put the Nash Road extension to the Southeast Missouri Regional Port as the city's top priority.

Rhodes Monday denied any previous wrongdoing or misrepresentation and contended that he should continue to be a voting member of the coalition, representing the city's interests.

Walt Wildman, executive director of the Regional Commerce and Growth Association and one of the coalition's founders, said, regardless of who the council's voting representative is, Mayor Rhodes would still participate in the group.

But Rhodes said he wouldn't attend the coalition meetings if he wasn't a voting member. "Well, I just won't be there," he said. "If I don't have a vote, why would I be there?"

Councilman David Limbaugh said that no voting member of the group would be authorized to take action without the entire council's consent anyway.

"No matter who we appoint, they can't vote on anything the council doesn't approve," Limbaugh said. "That's the law."

Rhodes also praised the group for its unprecedented cooperation among area cities. He contended he's made great strides to dispel "derogatory remarks" and criticism that representatives of other cities in the group have levied against Cape Girardeau. "I just think it's something the mayor should be involved in."

Wulfers said the council realizes that the coalition is important and necessary for the area.

"I don't think that anyone is knocking the fact that it's an important group," said Wulfers. "What we're simply trying to do is determine who will be the voting representative of the council."

"Isn't the mayor the official representative of the city," Rhodes responded.

But Councilman David Barklage said other council members serve as liaisons to city boards and community organizations. He said all the council members share such responsibilities.

In other business, the council:

Directed the staff to draft an ordinance naming May Greene Garden a city park

20Approved a $4,300 payment to the I-66 Project Inc. for lobbying expenses. I-66 is a local corporation that's working to establish a coast-to-coast interstate that would cross Southeast Missouri.

Approved an amendment to the city's dangerous property law that will allow the city to charge demolition costs for unsafe buildings directly to the property owner.

Directed staff to prepare a final draft of a construction-trades licensing law for consideration at the next council meeting, Oct. 21.

Accepted right of way from the Chamber of Commerce that will allow the city to complete a Main Street realignment project at the site of the old Florsheim shoe factory, which was demolished last year.

Approved a resolution supporting regulation and competition in cable television.

Approved a lease agreement with WEB Aero Inc., an aircraft repair and refurbishing station that wants to rent a building at the Cape Girardeau Municipal Airport.