COUNCIL OKs NASH ROAD SPUR

The Cape Girardeau City Council took five minutes to approve the extension of a rail spur in the Nash Road Industrial Park.

The council met for a special session at noon Monday to approve a resolution agreement with BioKyowa for its rail spur expansion project and to pass an ordinance accepting temporary and permanent easements for right of way needed in the construction. The ordinance will take effect in 10 days.

The council met to grant its approval so the projects could continue, said Mayor Al Spradling III.

The rail spur extension project began in 1997 when BioKyowa announced a major expansion. The city was asked to help with grant funding to extend the rail spur in the industrial park. The spur will serve the expansion of the plant's animal-food and new human-food additive divisions.

The city was awarded a $445,300 grant from the Community Development Block Program for the industrial park infrastructure. Of the grant amount, $421,800 was to be devoted to construction and $23,500 used for engineering inspection.

During the course of the project, the company made several design changes that affected the alignment of the rail spur, said Kent Bratton, planning services director. Those changes held the project up until final plant construction designs were approved.

Bratton explained the project's history in a memo to the council. With the company's final plans, the rail spur project can proceed.

Because the city's engineering bids for the project were 3 years old by the time final plans were submitted in July, BioKyowa agreed to have the project bid to determine a true cost. If the project does not proceed as planned, BioKyowa will pay the bidding costs.

Bids were awarded in July for a segment of the rail spur construction. Am-Rail Co. bid $618,722 for the work. Bids ranged from $618,722 to $926,647. Engineer's estimates were $601,300.

Holding a special council meeting was necessary for the city to "do everything we can to expedite the project," Bratton said in the memo.

The council also authorized an application with the Environmental Protection Agency for a loan under the Federal Water Pollution Control Act.

The application would amend an agreement for the city's flood-control projects. The agreement, made when Gene Rhodes was mayor, would be updated to show Spradling had become mayor.