COUNCIL REJECTS TOURISM BUREAU REQUEST

Saying he didn't want the city's tourism fund depleted further, Councilman Al Spradling III Monday spurned a Convention and Visitors Advisory Board request for additional money.

At Monday's Cape Girardeau City Council meeting, the CVB board asked that an additional $50,000 be set aside for a "contingency fund" to help finance various events and activities throughout the year.

The additional money would be used for such things as the SEMO District Fair, Aviation Days, and other tourism and economic development projects.

But Spradling said the CVB ought to be able to earmark the money from the bureau's $300,000 annual budget. He said it was "inappropriate" for the board to ask for the additional funds now.

"This matter has been before the Convention and Visitors Bureau for some time," Spradling said. "We just approved their budget back in July, and they knew about it then.

"I feel that the budget is sufficient as it is, and they can realign their expenditures to reflect the (contingency fund)."

The council subsequently rejected the funding request by a vote of 4-2. Mayor Gene Rhodes and Councilmen Doug Richards and Melvin Kasten voted with Spradling against the measure, while members Melvin Gateley and Mary Wulfers supported the contingency fund.

The city's tourism and economic development fund, which is financed with a quarter-cent sales tax on motels and restaurants, currently has a reserve of about $450,000. The money is used to make debt payments on the Show Me Center, fund the CVB and finance other tourism and economic development items.

The reserve is expected to grow as more of the Show Me Center debt is paid, and the city last year asked the CVB board to consider about 30 proposals for use of the excess funds.

The board recommended that the excess money could be best used to fund a sports and recreation complex, which would include soccer and softball fields.

Spradling said he supports the sports complex and is concerned that too much of the reserve funds already are being spent elsewhere. Earlier this month, the council said the city's $50,000 annual contribution to a new countywide economic development group likely will have to come from the tourism fund.

"I'm opposed to reducing the money that's available," Spradling said. "I think the project being proposed at the present time, which was prioritized by the advisory board, is an important project for the city.

"I think there's enough fat in the CVB budget to cut out sufficient projects and have enough money for their contingency fund."

Several CVB board members attended the council's study session Monday, but none discussed the issue at length. Spradling's comments came during the regular meeting, after the board members had left.

In other business, the council agreed to research the city's housing market, particularly the availability of rental units.

City Manager J. Ronald Fischer said a glut in rental units and apartments two or three years ago apparently has reversed itself and there now is a shortage of vacancies.

Richards said the shortage might be compounded by the 40 to 60 homeowners who will be displaced with the construction of a new Mississippi River bridge route through the city's south side.

Debra Willis of 418 Themis asked that the council adopt a minimum property maintenance code and consider the establishment of a housing authority to regulate rent and conditions at rental properties.

Fischer said a housing authority probably would be restricted to regulating public housing and would have little control over privately owned units.

But Richards said that a shortage of available housing particularly $40,000 to $60,000 homes like many along the proposed bridge route might justify another look at public housing.

"Maybe it's time that a housing authority could really serve a purpose, potentially, in terms of simply studying the availability of housing," he said. "One of the concerns I hear from people in the community ... it's very difficult to find housing in the $50,000 to $90,000 range, and maybe even lower in the $40,000 range.

"It seems there's a real gap between $30,000 to $50,000 homes and the $100,000 to $150,000 homes that are being built now. I think we're going to be in a real crunch."

Wulfers said she was surprised there might be a shortage of rental units when only two years ago developers stopped building them because of mass vacancies. Census figures from 1990 also show a large percentage of vacant rental units.

"First we need to find out if we have a problem," Wulfers said. "There seems to be conflicting information from reputable sources."

Fischer said if there is a shortage of apartments, it's not likely to last long. "If that's the case, I'll guarantee you the private sector will start building again," he said.

But the city manager did question whether there are adequate properties available for low-income renters. He also said the city's Board of Appeals is "very interested" in a minimum property maintenance code.

Fischer suggested the council wait for the recommendation of the Board of Appeals before studying the matter further. "Wait for that process, and you might have a good chance of getting something done in that direction," he said.