COUNCIL OK's GROUP TO SEEK DONATIONS AT INTERSECTION

Despite concerns about traffic and the possibility of opening the floodgates for similar requests, the Cape Girardeau City Council granted permission to a youth basketball team wanting to collect donations Saturday at two busy intersections.

The council voted 5-1 Monday night to give permission to the JAYS Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) boys basketball team to collect donations Saturday morning at the intersections of William and Kingshighway and Broadway and Kingshighway.

Mayor Al Spradling III was absent from the meeting.

The basketball team is trying to raise $13,000 for a trip to Orlando, Fla., to play in a national tournament. Youths from Cape Girardeau, Caruthersville, Sikeston and Southern Illinois play on the traveling team, which is co-sponsored by Greater Dimension Church.

Other fund-raising activities have been planned but the group hoped a collection effort would help raise a lot of money quickly, said Beverly Delph, whose son plays on the team.

"We want to show these boys the rewards of their hard work," she said. The team is scheduled to leave July 29 for Florida and return Aug. 6.

The team consists primarily of 12-, 13- and 14-year-old boys who live in the target neighborhoods of the Weed and Seed program, which is designed to eliminate drug problems and crime in neighborhoods and offers alternative activities for youth.

"They've worked hard for this and we want to reward them by helping them get to Florida," Delph said. Her husband, Tommy, is an assistant coach for the team.

The council has denied similar requests in the past because of concerns over traffic at busy intersections. Councilman Hugh White said he would like the council to establish some sort of written criteria so that future requests can be judged based on a standard and not past tradition.

Mayor Pro Tem Richard "Butch" Eggimann opposed the request because it doesn't affect a lot of people like other programs that have been granted permission to solicit donations on city streets. YELL, a literacy program, and the Knights of Columbus Tootsie Roll drive are the only other programs that are routinely granted permission to collect donations.

"We're on shaky ground," Eggimann said. "You can't let one and turn down everybody else that asks. After you do this we could have every Saturday a different group asking for money. We'll be besieged by requests."

Many of the requests that come to the police department don't always make it to the council, said Police Capt. Steve Strong. Most requests are for soliciting donations "at the highest traffic times because they encounter the most people," he said. But that also means that safety is a concern.

Frank Stoffregen, originally opposed the idea, saying his greatest fear would be that a child would be hurt if the council granted such a request at a busy intersection. Even with adult supervision, a child could easily stray into traffic, he said.

Councilman Jay Purcell amended the original motion granting the JAYS permission to reflect that only adults would venture into stopped traffic to seek donations.

CAPE GIRARDEAU COUNCIL AGENDA

Monday, July 3 at 7:30 p.m., City Hall, 401 Independence St., Study session at 5 p.m.

Public hearings

• Held public hearing regarding the necessity to improve various streets known as the 2000-1 4-inch asphaltic pavement program of the Transportation Trust Fund.
• Held public hearing regarding the request of P. David and Noretta Blattner and J. Mark and Danette M. Ketcher to rezone 601 Hazel St. and 2734 Hawthorne Road from R-1, single-family residential district, to R-3, two-family residential district.
• Held public hearing regarding the request of First Assembly of God for a special-use permit for church facilities, Cape Girardeau Public School and Missouri Preschool Project at 1000 Ranney Ave. in an R-2, single-family residential district.

Consent ordinances

(Second and third readings)

• Approved ordinance electing a change in the Missouri Local Government Employees' Retirement System to adopt the LT-8(65) plan.
• Approved the record plat of Cabin Fever Subdivision.
• Approved ordinance levying a special assessment for the construction of a water main system to serve Twin Lakes Subdivision and authorizing the issuance of special tax bills therefor.
• Approved ordinance accepting a drainage easement for a stormwater detention basin from Gail J. Ochs for Wyandotte Acres Subdivision.
• Approved ordinance amending Schedule F of Section 26-247 of the city code establishing no parking on Hopper Road.
• Approved the record plat of Stoffregen Subdivision.

New ordinances

(First reading)

• Approved ordinance annexing land upon request of Deer Creek Christian Academy, Inc.
• Approved ordinance amending Chapter 30 of Code of Ordinances by changing the zoning of 2039 state Route W, from R-1 to C-1.
• Approved ordinance accepting a water utility and access easement from Greater Cape Girardeau Area Benevolent Association on Rambler Road right of way in the Nash Road Industrial Park.
• Approved the record plat of Hazelwood Subdivision.
• Approved ordinance amending Schedule A of Section 26-228 of City Code establishing speed limits on Route AB (Nash Road).
• Approved an ingress-egress easement for William R. and Kathryn F. Swan as an approved place for residential development purposes, said easement being located in Ashland Hills Estates Second Subdivision.
• Approved ordinance amending Chapter 30 of Code of Ordinances by changing the zoning of 601 Hazel St. and 2734 Hawthorne Road from R-1 to R-3.
• Approved ordinance granting a special-use permit to First Assembly of God for operating church facilities, Cape Girardeau Public School Alternative and Missouri Preschool Project at 1000 Ranney Ave.

Resolutions (Reading and passage)

• Passed resolution authorizing the city manager to execute a memorandum of understanding concerning 49 U.S. Code Section 5311 transit funding allocation with Southeast Missouri State University.
• Passed resolution authorizing the city manager to execute an agreement with N.B. West Contracting Co. Inc. for the 2000-1 slurry seal program.
• Passed resolution authorizing the city manager to execute an agreement with Fronabarger Concreters Inc. for the Hopper Road extension, phase I.
• Passed resolution authorizing the city manager to execute license and indemnity agreement with Albertsons Inc. for construction and maintenance of certain improvements on city-owned right of way for streets and public utilities and on a part of the Cape La Croix Creek/Walker Branch flood-control project right of way.

Other

• Appointed Greg Petrowich to the Cable Television Citizens Commission.
• Granted approval of a temporary 5 percent beer by-the-drink license for the Muscular Dystrophy Association for an event to be held at the A.C. Brase Arena Building July 14-15.
• Granted an out-of-district sewer connection to Deer Creek Christian Academy, connecting to Sewer District 14-1-F-4.
• Allowed Tommy Delph and the JAYS Amateur Athletic Union boys basketball team to solicit donations on city streets, with requirement that adults actually walk into stopped traffic.
• Accepted into the city's system a water main extension to serve the Cape Girardeau Industrial Park along Rambler Road.