COUNCIL KEEPS TAXI PROGRAM STATUS QUO

The elderly and disabled don't have to worry about cuts in Cape Girardeau's taxi coupon program.

Despite a rate increase by Kelley Transportation Co., elderly and disabled program participants still may buy 16 rides a month for $1 each. The cost is $2 each to the general public.

The City Council resolved the issue, along with others, at its regular meeting Monday.

Questions about the program's future arose after the May 6 meeting, when councilmen discovered that the city would have to pay an extra $35,000 to maintain the program after Kelley's price increase.

That amount is part of a required 50 percent city match to funds available through a state transportation grant. The city's current total share in the program is $80,620, which will go to $118,375 after the fiscal year begins July 1.

Whatever grant funds the city doesn't use, Southeast Missouri State University is allowed to access for its student transportation system. The university has to come up with matching funds, too.

Councilman Melvin Gateley said he was opposed to cutting the program even though keeping the same level of service will require taking money from another budget item.

"To maintain it at the same level will be a good move for us," Gateley said. "We are already taking them down a bag on the trash, so we don't want to take their taxi tickets."

In other action, councilmen voted to approve a reduction in the amount of trash accepted for the $12.13 monthly fee, beginning July 1.

Currently, the city accepts three containers of trash and unlimited amounts of recyclables for the fee. Under a program designed to encourage more recycling, only two containers of trash will be accepted along with unlimited recyclables.

Additional bags or containers marked with stickers, to be made available for $1 each at City Hall and in area stores, will be accepted.

The spring cleanup collection and the fall leaf collection will continue.

Gateley moved to amend the ordinance to include "comprehensive awareness education" during the rest of May and in June to let the public know why the change was made and why recycling is important.

Jasmine Street resident Dale Pingel attended Monday's meeting to discuss his street's involvement in the city's Transportation Trust Fund.

Jasmine, a gravel road, was listed in several city documents as being under consideration for paving. However, because the fund only applies to paving streets in existence at the time of the trust fund election in August 1995, there is a question of whether Jasmine qualifies.

The city believes the road may be just an undedicated path and never was the subject of a resolution making it a street.

"It is our contention that Jasmine is a street, it has been a street for years and it should be given the same status as Magnolia and Dixie," Pingel said. "On the city maps it is a street."

The Council will consider the issue again at its next regular meeting June 3.