Council sets Aug. 4 election for transportation tax

The Cape Girardeau City Council approved Monday night first readings for ordinances setting the election for the renewal of a transportation tax and adjusting court fees dedicated to domestic violence shelters.

Preparing for the fifth installment of the Transportation Trust Fund has been a top priority for the council since the existing TTF 4 is set to expire at the end of the year.

The ordinance approved by the council sets the election in the city on the renewal question Aug. 4. There are eight projects on the list, though much of council's focus has been on how much money to allocate to projects versus general maintenance. Mayor Harry Rediger recently said he was in favor of dedicating 40 percent to 50 percent of the TTF 5 funds -- conservatively estimated to be about $22.5 million over its five-year lifespan -- to maintenance, which would include repairs to streets and sidewalks.

Councilman Wayne Bowen has questioned whether 40 percent would be enough and mentioned again at the meeting he encouraged council to consider moving closer to 50 percent. Still, he said "discussions have been positive," when it comes to TTF. Rediger pointed out those discussions are far from over.

"We haven't quite got everything finalized for TTF 5, but we will do that shortly," he said. City staff has given the council plenty to consider besides the issue of maintenance funds, noting details could be adjusted for some of the more-expensive projects on the list to bring down costs while extending the life of the streets in question.

Approving the ordinance increasing the surcharge assessed by the municipal court to benefit the Safe House For Women was another move council members said they considered in the best interest of the city's future. As of August, cities and counties with a shelter may collect up to $4 per case, up from the $2 allowed in the past. State statute provides for the surcharge to be applied to criminal cases, including violations of any county or municipal ordinance, but is not charged when the case or defendant has been dismissed by the court.

If the council grants final approval to the increase, total court costs in Cape Girardeau would be $31.50.

Representatives, who also will go to other cities and counties in the service area with the request, said any additional funds would go to services such as temporary childcare for employment-seeking mothers, help with prescription drug costs and expansion of case management and court advocacy programs.

Many remaining items on the agenda related to traffic, specifically stop signs and traffic signals. The council gave initial approval to an ordinance establishing stop signs at the Sprigg and Morgan Oak streets intersection, which no longer sees enough traffic to warrant a traffic signal, staff studies have shown.

The ordinance also established stop signs at the Spanish and Morgan Oak streets intersection, which already have been installed.

Determining a traffic signal no longer was necessary at the Sprigg and Morgan Oak intersection was the result of a recent evaluation by city staff. Staff wanted to be certain each was necessary before outfitting them with battery backup systems. Similar evaluations also led the staff to discover several flashing-light intersections included in the city code that no longer exist because the intersections have been outfitted with stop signs or traffic lights. Another ordinance given first-round approval amends the city code by repealing the flashing-light signals at eight intersections, including four on Sprigg Street.

srinehart@semissourian.com

388-3641

Pertinent address:

401 Independence St., Cape Girardeau, Mo.

Sprigg Street and Morgan Oak Street, Cape Girardeau, Mo.

Morgan Oak Street and Spanish Street, Cape Girardeau, Mo.