Main Street to get $300,000 resurfacing near casino

Did it really need it or did the new Isle of Capri casino prompt it? Both, says assistant city manager Kelly Green.

The Cape Girardeau City Council on Monday night authorized a roughly $300,000 contract to resurface Main Street, from Broadway north almost to the front door of the still-under-construction casino.

"It was expedited because of the casino," said Green, also the city director of development services. "But we were always looking at making improvements at that section of Main Street."

The resolution approved by the council Monday night calls for the resurfacing of the existing pavement on Main Street for about 1,800 lineal feet. The work, to be done by Nip Kelley Equipment Co. Inc., consists of removing 2 inches off the existing pavement and adding a new surface of compacted, hot mix asphalt.

The work will be paid for out of the 2010 voter-approved Transportation Trust Fund IV and also includes a repair of inlets, street patching, additional drainage facilities, sidewalks, curb and gutter replacements and re-striping, according to a city report Green prepared. City officials had planned for decorative street lighting, but because of budget constraints, that portion of the project is not included in the Kelley contract.

While Isle's new casino was a factor, Green said that the stretch of Main Street needs improving now especially because of the work recently done to Broadway to the south and the work currently being done to Big Bend Road to the north.

"This project will fill in that gap," Green said.

According to the standard agreement form between the city and Kelley, the work will be substantially done by Nov. 1, a date Green said was set to coincide with the casino's opening. The project's completion date is Feb. 1.

"Primarily because of the casino, we don't want that road closed down when the casino opens," she said.

In other business, the council postponed its vote on the controversial urban deer hunting ordinance. The archery deer hunting program had passed on a split vote at the council's June 18 meeting and was to face a final vote Monday night. But because Councilman Trent Summers was absent, four of the members believed the final vote should wait for him.

Kathy Swan and Loretta Schneider, who oppose allowing hunting in the city limits, voted against the motion to postpone the vote until July 16. Swan said she recognized a need to postpone when the council lacks a quorum. But Swan said it "goes against good government" to change the agenda when only one member is absent. Without Summers' vote, the deer program would have failed 3-3.

Mayor Harry Rediger, who also opposes the deer hunt, voted to postpone the vote, calling it an "unusual situation," adding that it wouldn't be right to vote on the issue without the full council present.

smoyers@semissourian.com

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401 Independence St., Cape Girardeau, MO