Downtown district hires Old Town Cape as coordinator

Two downtown Cape Girardeau advocates soon will work together to provide enhanced services for the area.

The Downtown Cape Girardeau Community Improvement District's board of directors met Tuesday and approved a resolution to enter into a contract with Old Town Cape for management and direct services.

Goals of the district are to grow or enhance safety, beautification and other downtown needs, but it was determined an outside entity was needed to help administer the tasks. A request for qualifications seeking entities interested in executing and administering the tasks outlined in the district's five-year plan was issued in April.

Board chairman Jon K. Rust -- also publisher of the Southeast Missourian and co-president of Rust Communications -- said Old Town Cape's response was identified as the strongest, citing institutional knowledge and familiarity with the district as two of its biggest strengths. Board members spent subsequent meetings discussing the group's relevant experience and determining contract details.

A total of $25,500 will be paid to Old Town Cape in installments on a quarterly basis beginning Aug. 1. Of that, $15,750 is designated for management fees and $9,750 for direct services and planning fees.

The community improvement district expects a half-cent sales tax levied within its boundaries to generate about $175,000 a year for the district. The five-year plan calls for half the funds to be dedicated to services promoting cleanliness and attractiveness in the district, 20 percent goes toward safety measures, 20 percent to promoting vibrancy and 10 percent for professional needs, such as legal requirements and financial reporting.

Per the one-year contract, Old Town Cape would locate vendors and negotiate and approve contracts. Copies of all vendor contracts will be provided, and regular reports should be made to the district.

Another responsibility is to ensure city services are not reduced within the CID boundaries.

"Old Town Cape, being our agent, will also make sure that the level of services provided by the city in the district are not reduced," Rust said. "So none of these funds are meant to supplement others; they are meant to enhance and increase the amount of services that are being provided."

Representing Old Town Cape at Tuesday's meeting was Marla Mills and Stephen Hoffman. Mills said it has handed the contract to an attorney for review, and board members and the executive committee should have an opportunity to discuss it in an upcoming meeting.

"I think that it fits well with what we already do," she said to the board members. "I agree with you that you'll get the most for your dollar for having us administer that."

The timeline for administering services tentatively has been set for Sept. 1. The agreement reached Tuesday and the pending signing of the contract marks an achievement that's been about five years in the making, said Mills and Hoffman. It took supportive downtown business owners and residents years of preparation before getting city approval to form a CID and voter approval to levy the sales tax.

"It is exciting," Hoffman said. "This is the culmination of many years of labor and thinking, and it's pretty exciting we're at that point."

srinehart@semissourian.com

388-3641

Pertinent address:

Cape Girardeau, Mo.