LICENSING ISSUE GOES TO COUNCIL; GROUP WILL PRESENT CONTRACTOR PROPOSAL

A committee that recommended Cape Girardeau adopt a law requiring licensing for essentially all city building-trades contractors met this week to draft amendments to the measure, which was tabled last month by the City Council.

At its May 6 meeting, the council approved first reading of the measure, but then tabled the ordinance May 20 after several people questioned the regulations and how they would be enforced.

Only plumbers and gas fitters are required to be licensed with the city. The new law would require that all building contractors, electricians and mechanical installers have at least four years practical experience and take a written exam to test their skills. The law also would require contractors to carry at least $500,000 of liability insurance.

At their May 20 meeting, council members questioned the insurance requirement, and the four-year experience provision.

Some part-time contractors also said they didn't know how the licensing requirements would apply to homeowners wanting to do their own renovations or repairs, or landlords performing maintenance chores on rental properties.

Assistant City Manager Al Stoverink said Thursday that the licensing committee has ironed out the concerns.

"They've got a couple of changes they're going to recommend to the council," Stoverink said. "Hopefully, we've come up with some changes here that will make this generally acceptable to everyone involved.

"I think the committee's come up with a good proposal."

Stoverink said the committee will present its amended proposal to the council during a study session Monday at 5 p.m. He said the city staff will draft an ordinance for the council's consideration in July.

"The committee spent close to four hours meeting Monday evening," Stoverink said. "They went through all the issues that have been raised, and the two changes they're recommending are significant."

Rick Essner, director of environmental services at St. Francis Medical Center, chaired the committee. He declined Thursday to discuss the details of the changes.

"Generally, we did go through and address every concern we heard at that meeting," he said. "I think, overall, it's a pretty good plan."

Stoverink said the committee decided it was important for members to personally present the proposal to the City Council.

"They feel that in the past they haven't had the opportunity to present full discussion to the council," he said.

Essner said that two of the smaller, part-time contractors who had voiced concerns at the May 20 council meeting also attended Monday's committee meeting.

He said he thought the contractors were satisfied with the final proposals.

The licensing changes were part of a four- to five-year study of the city's building codes and inspections division, which culminated this year in adoption of the 1990 Building Officials and Code Administrators building codes.

At a special council meeting April 26, building-trades representatives were invited to voice concerns about the city's inspection department, and several of them said they favored licensing requirements for all contractors.