COUNCIL WRANGLES ON GAMBLING

The first public wrangling over how to pick a riverboat gambling vendor occurred Tuesday night during a joint meeting of the Cape Girardeau City Council and the Airport Advisory Board.

Mayor Gene Rhodes recommended appointing a seven-person committee to establish a format for companies that want to make a bid to the city. Then Rhodes named seven people he would like to see on the committee.

City voters approved riverboat gambling on Nov. 2. Now the city council will entertain bids from gambling companies before deciding on one.

Rhodes said he is trying to expedite the decision-making process so that the council makes the decision before the ward elections coming in the spring.

His suggestion was met with resistance up and down the council.

Councilman David Limbaugh objected to bypassing the usual method for constituting a committee, which is to open it up for applications.

But Limbaugh, who said he will abstain when the decision is made because of a conflict of interest within his law firm, also said the council should retain as much authority as possible in this case.

"I'm afraid to delegate something like this that is so potentially important."

Councilman Al Spradling Jr. concurred. "I think the decision should be kept uniquely by the council."

"... I would be more in favor of staying within the council and the staff."

He added, "We all need to stay totally informed on the issues."

But Spradling agreed with Rhodes that the council should move quickly.

"I would suggest this be a relatively short period of time to maximize the opportunity that exists," Spradling said.

He said he would like to see a decision on a riverboat company made by March 1.

Rhodes is seeking an even faster process. "I'd like the committee to report back by the second meeting in December," he said.

City Manager J. Ronald Fischer advised a more cautious approach. "We're talking about a sizable investment and a very important thing for this community."

Acting too hastily, Fischer said, "would be a mistake."

Councilman Melvin Gateley, one of the leaders of the gambling opposition during the recent election campaign, objected to the whole discussion since riverboat gambling wasn't on the agenda.

Asked by Gateley for a procedural ruling, City Attorney Warren Wells answered, "The council makes its own agenda."

Councilman Mary Wulfers, also a gambling opponent, had left the meeting prior to the discussion.

Without voting, the council agreed to take up the issue at its next meeting on Monday night.

Rhodes' nominees for the committee were D. Mitch Robinson, executive director of the Cape Girardeau Area Industrial Recruiting Office; Walt Wildman of the Regional Commerce and Growth Association; Dennis Vollink, a member of the Planning and Zoning Commission; Evelyn Boardman, a downtown businesswoman and employee of the Boyd Gaming Corp.; Councilman Gateley; and William H. Walker, chairman of the Airport Advisory Board.

In other business, the council voted to ask the Federal Communications Commission for permission to regulate basic cable television rates. The rates have been frozen until Nov. 15.