Leadership Cape presents proposals

Ideas generated through the Leadership Cape Program have resulted in the creation of a community calendar, a skateboard park and a volunteer center in Cape Girardeau.

Other visions are still on the drawing board, like Tim Arbeiter's group proposal from a few years back to create a riverfront amphitheater.

"That's the great thing about Leadership Cape," said Arbeiter, the Cape Chamber of Commerce vice president of community development. "You get to dream a little, play a little and, in some reality, some day it may come true."

After seven months of training, the Leadership Cape Class of 2007 presented its proposals to improve the city during First Friday Coffee at the Show Me Center on Friday.

The four groups, led by volunteers serving on the Leadership Development Committee through the chamber, not only introduced their ideas to the audience of about 200 business leaders, but they showed how the projects could be funded.

Two of the presentations went hand-in-hand: to develop more bicycle trails throughout the city and to create a bicycle rental program. The other two initiatives would encourage the community to buy goods locally and to educate people about the area's history.

The bicycle trail would complete the Cape La Croix trail by making sections of Sprigg Street, Lexington Avenue, Cape Rock Drive, Hopper Drive, East Rodney Drive and Independence Street bicycle friendly.

"Many of the streets are wide enough in Cape, we just don't have the proper signage," said Eric Redinger, a group presenter, who rode his bike to the podium.

The group's plan would cost $34,000 dollars, require no construction and be funded through the Missouri Department of Transportation and Cape Girardeau's Transportation Trust Fund.

Redinger, who works at Southeast Missouri State University, said he's been hit by a vehicle while riding his bike more than once, and these accidents happen mostly because drivers are not aware of the bikers due to a lack of street signs and bicycle lanes.

Coincidentally, another group suggested a community bicycle rental program that could be supported by sponsors or fund-raisers. The group interviewed 300 area residents to see if they'd rent a bicycle for a $3 to $5 fee. Thirty percent responded that they'd rent more than five times a year. That would cover the purchase of the bicycles, helmets and the maintenance contract fee.

Additionally, the group found out a new water main will soon be put in on Main Street, so they approached the city to suggest a wider sidewalk to accommodate a bicycle trail when the concrete is replaced.

"The city has been very supportive," said Jay Purcell of the Cape Girardeau County Commission, who spoke for the group. "All of us just need to get together and let them know how important these sidewalks are."

Dennis Van Asche from Saint Francis Medical Center presented his group's plan to create CDs and books to highlight the history of Cape Girardeau and assist people through a self-guided tour. The outlay of the program would be $6,400. A $10 deposit could be placed on a CD player and the books with the CD would cost $15, which, Van Asche said, would actually create a profit that could be put into Old Town Cape.

The final group wanted to start a public awareness campaign, for a minimal cost, that would encourage residents to spend money at local businesses rather than outside of the city. This way residents "invest in their community" through sales tax, said group presenter Rob Stephens, who works at Servpro of Cape Girardeau and Scott County.

He said if the entire population of Cape Girardeau spends $100 outside of the community during the year, $118,534 in sales tax revenue is lost.

For the most part, when a person buys goods through the Internet instead of within their community, a local sales tax is not collected, Stephens said.

"We can't wait to see some of these presentations come to fruition," said Gary Howard with the First State Community Bank in Cape Girardeau, who was also part of the last group.

tkrakowiak@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 137