COUNCIL TALKS BUDGET, INCLUDING WATER, WASTE

The Cape Girardeau City Council unveiled the city's budget Monday night, and with it an increase in water and solid waste fees.

The council will not vote for the budget until later this month. By law, the council is required to have hearings on the budget to get the citizens involved.

Under the proposed budget, there will be a 2 percent hike in the water charges and a 2.3 percent increase in the solid waste fee.

This means that the average combined charges for residential water use and solid waste bills will go up from $28.59 to $29.20.

Councilman Richard Eggimann said he normally does not support fee increases, but because the operating costs for both agencies are going up, he supported the proposal.

"It is logical, and it won't hurt us too bad," Eggimann said.

Mayor Al Spradling III said the solid waste fee is going up to offset the cost of keeping the transfer station open on Saturdays.

The city also will use the extra money to grind tree limb waste into mulch that will be given away to residents.

The idea is to keep yard debris out of the land fills. Currently the city mulches once a year. The fee increases will allow the city to do it twice a year.

Spradling said the water fee is going up to pay for increases in the cost of providing the water service and to beef up the reserve fund.

The city has an agreement to keep 15 percent of the budget in reserve for emergency situations. But the water fund is below that 15 percent mark. Spradling said the fee increase will bring the reserve fund up to about 10 percent and should eventually reach the needed 15 percent.

"It's no different than a household budget where you would like to have a little set aside," said John Richbourg, Cape Girardeau finance director.

The solid waste fund already has the 15 percent reserve requirement.

The council also set into motion an agreement with Kelley transportation for the city's coupon subsidy for the transportation services.

Spradling said it is necessary to get the contract settled so that the city will have access to the services.

"If we don't have anyone providing the services, then everybody loses," Spradling said.

Agenda

Cape Girardeau City Council

Monday, June 7

Consent ordinances

(Second and third readings)

-- Approved an ordinance authorizing the city to lease to First National Bank of the Mid-South certain real estate owned by the city and approving a lease purchase agreement in connection with financing cots of capital improvements for the city.

-- Approved an ordinance vacating the city's interest in a sanitary sewer main easement at 1105 West Mount Drive.

-- Approved an ordinance vacating city's interest in storm drainage easement at 2320 Arabian Drive.

-- Approved an ordinance accepting a permanent easement from Danny F. and Tammy R. Lynn for the Twin Lakes Water Project.

-- Approved an ordinance amending City Code establishing no parking on Lynwood Hills Drive.

-- Approved an ordinance amending City Code relating to motor vehicle bumper requirements.

-- Approved an ordinance amending City Code relating to motor vehicle vision reducing material.

-- Approved an ordinance amending City Code relating to the definition of farm tractor and motor vehicle.

-- Approved an ordinance accepting quit claim deed from Board of Regents of Southeast Missouri State University for Henderson and New Madrid intersection right-of-way.

New ordinances

(First reading)

-- Approved an ordinance amending City Code relating to water rates.

-- Approved an ordinance amending City Code relating to residential solid waste collection fees.

-- Approved an ordinance adopting annual operating budget for fiscal year beginning July 1.

-- Approved an ordinance granting special use permit to George E. Bockhorst Jr. and Patricia A. Bockhorst for construction of a storage complex in 1600 block of Kingsway Drive.

-- Approved an ordinance granting special use permit to Cape Girardeau Schools for construction of a cafeteria and classrooms at Charles Clippard Elementary School.

-- Approved an ordinance granting special use permit to Cape Girardeau Schools for construction of cafeteria and classrooms at Alma Schrader Elementary School.

-- Approved an ordinance to rezone a 10.766-acre tract in the 1800 block of North Kingshighway from general business district and single family residential district to a general business district.

-- Approved an ordinance vacating city's interest in a 10 foot utility easement running under a house at 412 McKenna St. on lots 5 and 6 of Cape Meadows Subdivision.

-- Approved an ordinance vacating city's interest in a 10-foot utility easement running under a duplex at 2723-2725 Themis St.

-- Approved an ordinance authorizing city manager to execute a contract with Kelley Transportation In. for subsidized transportation coupon services.

-- Approved record plat of Cedar Ridge 2nd Subdivision.

-- Approved approve the right-of-way dedication plat for Armstrong Subdivision.

-- Approved an ordinance to establish the boundaries of lateral sewer district No. 16-E, subdivision of Trunk Sewer District 16, approving plans and authorizing construction of a system of sanitary lateral sewers.

-- Approved a record plat for Pindwood Place II Subdivision.

Resolutions

-- Approved a resolution authorizing city manager to enter an agreement with Strickland Engineering for Project Impact Wastewater Plant generator.

-- Approved a resolution authorizing city manager to enter an agreement with William A. Greene & Associations Inc. for engineering services for Solid Waste Transfer Station.

-- Approved a resolution authorizing release of lien -- Locust, Maple Neighborhood Restoration Project.

-- Approved a resolution authorizing city manager to execute a memorandum of understanding with Southeast Missouri State University concerning transit funding allocation.

-- Approved a resolution authorizing city manager to execute an agreement for the 1999 4-inch pavement program as part of Transportation Trust Fund Program.

-- Approved a resolution authorizing city manager to execute an agreement with Apex Paving Co. for 99-1 street overlay program, part of Transportation Trust Fund Program.

-- Approved a resolution authorizing city manager to execute authorization No. 12 to the Master Services Agreement with Burns & McDonnell Engineering Co. Inc. for potable water treatment system.

Other

-- Accepted improvement plans for a sanitary sewer to serve Rhodes 101.

-- Approved the preliminary plat of Armstrong Subdivision.

-- Approved plans for street, storm sewer and stormwater detention construction of Armstrong Subdivision.

-- Approved plans for improvements in LaCroix Meadows Business Park Phase II.

-- Approved plans for extension of Koch Street from Brink Street south for an approximate distance of 100 feet to serve new Cornerstone Church under construction.