Friction between grant writer, commissioner on display at meeting

A disagreement between Presiding Commissioner Gerald Jones and a grant writer turned emotional before the start of Monday's Cape Girardeau County Commission meeting.

However, the situation was resolved shortly after the meeting concluded, when Jones apologized to Regina Tucker, who is helping write the grant for $75,000 funding for Melaina's Magical Playland, a proposed all-accessible playground.

Since last year, Andrea Cunningham and others have asked various groups, including the county commission, for money to fund an all-accessible playground at its proposed site at Cape County Park North. Named in memory of Cunningham's daughter, Melaina, who died from complications from pneumonia in March 2009, the playground would have equipment for people of all abilities and ages. Other options could include all-accessible restrooms and handicapped parking spaces.

Melaina had suffered from nemaline myopathy, a condition that causes low muscle tone.

During its Nov. 19 meeting the county commissioners approved $150,000 to fund the park but stopped short of endorsing an application for a $75,000 grant from the National Park Service's Land and Water Conversation Fund. Jones said signing off on the resolution of support could require the county to abide by rules and regulations of the Land and Water Conservation Fund for its entire 310 acres of parks in the county.

Since the commission voted during the November meeting to strike certain wording from the resolution of support, Jones said he was surprised to discover the original letter was submitted for the commissioners' approval Monday.

Tucker appeared before Jones, who asked why she submitted the letter that was created before the November meeting.

"I said we won't prostitute ourselves for $75,000," Jones told a teary-eyed Tucker. "I am not going to do it."

Tucker responded that she would study the matter further.

Shortly afterward Tucker left the commission chambers.

After the meeting, Tucker said she had mistakenly printed off the original letter for the commissioners' approval. The commissioners will vote on the revised letter during its meeting Thursday.

__In other action__

The commission approved Metro Title of Cape Girardeau as the company that will look up liens by computer or other methods on properties subject to the county's annual tax sale. Each year several properties owned by those not paying real estate taxes for at least two years are auctioned off inside the County Administrative Building.

Metro Title's bid was $23 for each of the parcels it will look up during the tax sale.

bblackwell@semissourian.com

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