FEW AT MEETING ON WATER PROPOSAL; IMPROVEMENTS PLAN ON NOV. 5 BALLOT

They had charts. They had leaflets. They had diagrams.

And only one person showed up to see them.

City officials expected a crowd for Thursday's informational open house on Cape Girardeau's water system. The mayor and several department heads waited in the City Council chambers to answer questions about two related issues on the Nov. 5 ballot.

The first asks whether the city should issue $26.5 million in bonds to finance water system improvements. The second asks whether the bonds should be paid off with a new, quarter-cent sales tax.

City Manager Michael Miller attributed the low attendance to good education on the part of the city and local media.

"People consider water a basic service," he said. "I think they already understand what is at stake. There's an outside chance that they don't care, but I doubt that."

City employees also have talked to nearly 40 organizations about the issues over the past month, reaching more than 1,000 voters with their message.

Miller said Thursday's meeting was scheduled in part to show voters why they should consider the bond issue and the sales-tax issue as a package. If they vote for one, they should vote for the other.

But questions have arisen about what would happen if voters say yes to the bond issue but no to the sales tax. The ballot language on the bond issue allows the City Council to raise money to pay off the bonds, even if the sales tax doesn't pass.

Because of the language, water customers could be stuck with a 59 percent water bill increase to pay off the bonds. The increase would generate about the same amount as a quarter-cent sales tax.

Miller said the language wasn't meant to give the council the ultimate say over water rate increases.

"I would never expect the council to proceed without some kind of direction from the public," he said. "The bonds just won't sell unless the bondholders know there is going to be a revenue source to back them."

The assurance that the City Council can raise money even without a voter-approved sales tax also means a better interest rate for the city, water system manager Tom Taggart said.

He compared it to a car loan -- because the car is there for collateral, there is a better rate of interest. On credit cards, where there is no collateral or assurance the debt can be paid, interest rates are high.

Taggart said voters should remember that water system problems won't go away if they vote down the two issues.

"A shortage still will occur," he said. "We would have to look at other options and probably try to bring it back to the people. But that's a decision the council would have to make."

If the issues pass, the sales tax will be collected starting April 1, 1997.

The city started talking about system improvements in the spring, after a study revealed Cape Girardeau's current system may be at maximum production within the next two years. That depends on whether the city's growth rate continues the upward bolt started in 1993.

Water usage was steady in the city from 1985 to 1991, averaging around 4 million gallons a day. Now the average is around 5 million gallons a day.

The city can't produce more than 7.3 million gallons a day. Last year, citizens broke a usage record on one summer day, hitting 6.84 gallons. Taggart believes usage will exceed production capacity sometime in the next two years.

If the bond issue and sales tax are approved, the money will be used to expand Water Plant No. 1 on Cape Rock Drive, increasing the amount and quality of water available each hour. Other funds would be used to expand the distribution system.

The entire plan will take 20 years to implement, officials estimate.

Voters interested in the issues can attend an open house at Water Plant No. 1 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday. Another informational open house is scheduled at City Hall from 5-8 p.m. Tuesday.