Funds for Osage maintenance causes council contention

Cape Girardeau City Council members were presented with the first reading of an ordinance that could allocate the city's remaining American Rescue Plan Act funds, a point of contention among the council for several months. Contention that did not entirely dissipate at Monday's meeting.

The debate over how to spend the city's $1.4 million in remaining funds took center stage at the Aug. 15 council meeting, highlighting schisms between how members believe the federal funds should be spent.

Councilman Robbie Guard, in an interview prior to Monday's council meeting, called the current proposal slate a "middle ground" for the council. The proposed allocations were put together by city manager Kenneth Haskin by, primarily, evaluating requests from department heads.

A bill-pay kiosk at the Shawnee Park Center, funds for demolitions of condemned buildings, replacement of a Cape Girardeau Fire Department marine unit and painting for the exterior of the Osage Centre are among the proposals on the list.

Councilwoman Shannon Truxel has been outspoken about using the funds to address social issues that "plague" Cape Girardeau. Truxel said in an email Monday afternoon that she agreed with a majority of the proposed allocations, many of which she mentioned in previous comments.

"I cannot support the requested $100,000 for painting the exterior of the Osage Centre, as I find no direct impact on improving quality of life," Truxel said in the email.

"It is easy to simply say all funds should go to public safety since we all want a safer community," Truxel added. "I would like to see council members have the hard conversations regarding the social issues that really do plague our community."

At the meeting, department heads were asked to give specific information about proposals. Doug Gannon, director of Parks and Recreation, said the painting would include a preventative expense and would also include caulking and sealant renovations as well. Gannon said the maintenance was performed when customer services was added at Osage, the proposal would be used to maintain the remaining exterior portions of the building. No significant maintenance has been performed since the Centre was finished in 1997, he said.

"This would give us an opportunity to repaint the building, get some cosmetic things done, ensure the structural integrity of the building for many years," Gannon said.

He said the funding has not been in Parks and Rec's budget to paint the exterior and make other improvements. Truxel was not swayed.

Her opposition to the Osage Centre proposal provoked a majority of the discussion among council members. Truxel motioned to amend the list to exclude the Osage Centre, which was not supported with a second motion. She then motioned to amend the list to use the $100,000 for renovations to be added to the demolition funds on the list increasing the total allocation to $261,800. A move seconded by Mayor Stacy Kinder for discussion purposes, Kinder said.

Truxel argued the money would do more to improve the quality of life for Cape Girardeau residents in the demolition fund. City planner Ryan Shrimplin, at a previous point in the meeting, said that around 30 to 40 properties were condemned in Cape Girardeau, and each demolition costs around $6,000 to $8,000.

"If I can't have support for setting aside that $100,000 for other issues then I completely support increasing our condemnation fund," Truxel said.

Guard and Councilman Nate Thomas spoke in opposition to Truxel, arguing in favor of the Osage painting proposal, saying it would be a preventative measure.

"I look at this as an opportunity to take care of a structure that we have millions of dollars put into," Guard said.

Truxel claimed there was no funding for demolitions aside from $125,000, which had been appropriated previously, a statement finance director Dustin Ziebold called false. Ziebold said the city had anywhere from $50,000 to $80,000 for demolitions per year but that it wasn't enough to do everything needed.

"Then, another reason why we should bolster the fund," Truxel said.

By the end of the discussion, Truxel gave an ultimatum, she would vote against the list if the Osage allocation was in it, a statement Guard scoffed at. She was the sole vote in favor of her amendment and against the list, which will be added to the next meeting's agenda for a second and third reading, per City Council procedures.

Police

The largest recipient for the funding if the list is approved will be the Cape Girardeau Police Department. The department put in a request for ARPA funds at the beginning of the month. Most of its request were listed among the appropriations, including $250,000 to expand ShotSpotter coverage — which uses sensor technology to pinpoint the location of alleged gunfire — and $231,600 for cameras that automatically recognize license plates.

"I hope that this is a catalyst for us to discuss more that we can be doing for our police and our crime prevention," Guard said of the allocations prior to the meeting.

Guard said he was pleased to see police getting money, but he doubled down on previous statements saying he would be happy with all of the remaining ARPA funds going to public safety.

Ward 4's representative acknowledged crime as a whole being down in Cape Girardeau, citing statistics from Chief Wes Blair presented at the first council meeting in September, but said he'd like to see more done.

"I know crime is down 8%, the residents that I talk to, they want crime down 48%," Guard said at the meeting.

He was particularly concerned about shots fired incidents, he said.

"I believe we are one incident away from being a national storyline," Guard said Monday morning.

Shots fired incidents are up from 52 in the first six months of 2021 to 54 during the same period in 2022, according to Blair's mid-year report. During Blair's presentation Sept. 6, he indicated ShotSpotter being able to detect gunfire without a 911 call had played a part in the uptick. Subjects hit also rose from four in 2021 to six in 2022.