Jackson aldermen consider financial contributions to new community college

Former Cape Girardeau Career and Technology Center director Rich Payne pleaded his case to the Jackson Board of Aldermen during its study session Monday night, requesting help funding a new two-year technical community college in the Cape Girardeau area in the future.

Payne said he is currently in the third step toward making the college a possibility. It is a three-prong needs analysis which would determine whether the community wants and needs the college, and whether the college will be financially viable over time.

"As we move forward with that, if we can do that and if your group wants to be involved with that financially," Payne said. "I think what that does for us is send a very clear message to Jefferson City that we want this."

Payne told the aldermen he has gained contributions toward the college, called Great River Community College as of now, from three entities.

"Presently, Perry County has contributed $10,000, the City of Perryville has contributed $10,000, the Industrial Development Authority of Cape Girardeau County has contributed $30,000 as a match," Payne said. "I'm continuing to work with others. The price tag on that needs analysis is $98,375, to be exact, is what it costs."

The first step of the process, according to Payne, was to work with the Cape Girardeau, Jackson and Perryville school district and have them commit to being involved in the creation of what would be the 13th community college in the state by eventually pushing for a property tax to help pay for it. The next step was to send a letter of intent to the Missouri Coordinating Board of Higher Education (CBHE), which was accepted by the board on Dec. 8.

Jackson Mayor Dwain Hahs seemed supportive of Payne's idea of a technical college in the region.

"There was a study commissioned that compared our region to six other regions," Hahs said, "some in Missouri, southern Kentucky, some in Arkansas and how we were doing over the last 20 years. Basically, we were behind in job growth. Do we have job growth? Yes, but we didn't grow as fast as those other communities. The number one difference between our community of the Cape Girardeau region and those is a tech school, local."

If everything goes according to plan, Payne said he is hopeful for his proposed property tax, which would be ten cents for every $100, to be on the ballot by April 2022.

"We're a long way from having it done," Payne said, "but at the same time it's a passion of mine. So, I'm gonna stay on this path, and the beauty about being a retiree and in this particular role, is I don't have any bureaucracy kind of holding me back right now."

Other study session items discussed by the aldermen Monday night included:

• Abandonment of a portion of an access and parking easement in Skinny's subdivision.
• Whether or not to allow a driveway constructed in the public right of way of S. Georgia St.
• Repeal of on-street parking along N. Missouri St.
• Installation of additional street lights in the Indian Hills subdivision.
• Phase two of the Williams Creek sanitary sewer extension project.
• Restoration of the Jackson mural.

Earlier on Monday evening, during the board's business meeting, the aldermen:

• Approved the 2021 City of Jackson solid waste, sewer, water and electric utility service rate schedule.
• Passed a bill approving the 2021 City of Jackson annual budget.
• Passed a bill approving the 2021 City of Jackson employee compensation plan.
• Approved the donation of four light standards to Cape Girardeau County to light a new parking lot at 211 N. Missouri St. in Jackson.
• Approved the extension of a contract with the Cape Girardeau Area MAGNET, per existing terms.
• Approved the appointment of Jackson Mayor Dwain Hahs to serve as the city's representative on the Cape Girardeau MAGNET Board of Directors for a one-year term beginning January, 2021.
• Approved a contract extension with Metro-Ag Waste Injection Systems, Inc., of Breese, Illinois, per existing terms.
• Approved support of a grant application to the Missouri Department of Transportation's Transportation Alternatives Program relative to the W. Mary St. sidewalk connection project.
• Passed a bill accepting a general warranty deed for the donation of 1.44 acres of real estate at Brookside Park by Robert and Cynthia Lichtenegger, trustees of the Robert L. Lichtenegger and Cynthia D. Lichtenegger Revocable Trust.