CVB WANTS BACK-TAX REVENUES FOR SPECIAL PROJECTS

Cape Girardeau's Convention and Visitors Bureau advisory commission wants to set aside back-tax revenues into a special projects fund.

The advisory commission voted Wednesday to ask the City Council to allow it to set aside the approximately $36,000 in back restaurant taxes collected from businesses that had not been collecting the 1 percent tax.

Shirley Talley, vice chairwoman of the advisory commission, originally suggested recommending that the funds be used as seed money to help develop an RV park in flood buyout property in the Red Star district.

But she amended her suggestion after other board members suggested studying other options for using the funds.

City Manager Michael Miller, who attended Wednesday's meeting as part of the annual visit he makes to all of the city's advisory boards, said the council will have the final say on how the money is used. But if the money is spent rather than set aside as requested, it will be spent on a CVB project not put into the city's general fund.

Miller suggested setting up the special projects fund.

Mary Miller, CVB director, said the agency didn't have any particular fund for additional revenue because, "We've never had this problem before."

The city manager's office is studying the RV park proposal, forwarded last year. The staff is awaiting cost estimates.

Gary Bunting, CVB chairman, said the RV park would give the CVB a more visible role in the city "and clean up a real mess down there."

Board member Dan Drury pointed out that spending the back tax revenue might not sit well with voters who are being asked to expand the city's current hotel/motel/restaurant tax.

The tax was originally levied to pay off the construction of the Show Me Center and fund operations of the CVB. It is now earmarked to also help pay for construction of the Shawnee Park Sports Complex and Osage Community Centre.

Taxpayers might wonder why the additional revenue isn't just applied toward one of the construction debts, Drury said.

David Ross, board member and director of the Show Me Center, suggested the board might also solicit input from the public on how the revenue might be used.

In other action, Mary Miller told board members she is compiling a report on the CVB's Paddlewheelers. The Paddlewheelers are workers who help serve as tour guides or greet visitors at riverboat dockings, Riverfest and other events.

Last month, board members raised the possibility of eliminating salaries for the Paddlewheelers and instead going to an all-volunteer group.

Talley said she would like the report to include data on how many Paddlewheelers now work for the city, what they do and how many hours they put in.

Bunting asked for information on how the approximately $11,000 paid annually to Paddlewheelers is divided up and paid out. He also suggested looking for ways to recruit more volunteers to serve as Paddlewheelers.

Mary Miller also reported that a previous suggestion to put a barrel of rocks on the riverfront for visitors might not be a viable idea.

She told board members the city's legal staff had advised against providing the rocks, which were to be used for visitors who wanted to skip stones on the Mississippi River.

"If you listen to lawyers, you won't get out of bed in the morning," said Drury.

He jokingly suggested setting up buoys as targets. Bunting suggested making it a Riverfest event.