Mayor Kinder addresses promises kept, ongoing staff challenges in message to Cape chamber

Cape Girardeau Mayor Stacy Kinder, in her first such formal remarks since taking the mayoralty in April, offered a 2022 "state of the city" address to attendees of Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce's First Friday Coffee at Century Casino Cape Girardeau.

"When we discuss the state of our city, we're focusing on quality of life that we as a community expect," Kinder said, noting issues of infrastructure, street repair, public safety and the overall local economy.

Infrastructure issues "always loom large," Kinder said.

"The city has been told in the past it needs to spend $50 million on roads and $10 million on sewer and water lines in order to get those systems up to good status," she added, noting such efforts will take a number of years to accomplish.

Kinder noted voter-approved Transportation Trust Fund 6 (TTF6), OK'd in June 2020, will bring $10 million for specific street projects — including West End Boulevard, Lexington Avenue, Route K school corridor, College Street extension and Sprigg Street, plus $13 million additionally for other paving, sidewalks and street repair.

"Rome wasn't built in a day and Cape streets won't be built in a day but the city does have a long-term plan," Kinder said in her nearly 13-minute message.

Staffing challenges

Kinder said the city continues to struggle to fill available municipal positions.

• Public Works: 14 vacancies out of 73 allocated by budget. "With this staffing shortage, we're seeing work simply taking longer to accomplish," Kinder said.
• Police: 18 vacancies in commissioned police officer roles out of 86 budgeted.
• Jailers: 11 vacancies with two potential applicants.

Recruitment and retention

"Late last year, we directed money to offer three-year stipends with the goal of attracting and retaining new officers (and) in this year's budget, we are using the full amount of projected use-tax revenue — as promised to voters — to contribute to a new pay plan for all employees," Kinder told First Friday Coffee attendees, an action she said would result in more competitive wages for "those doing the hard work of ensuring a high quality of life here in Cape."

Kinder said $3 million of American Rescue Plan Act money soon will be directed to the city's employee pension plan.

SAPA critique

Kinder commented on "negative effects" of the Second Amendment Preservation Act (SAPA), enacted by Missouri's General Assembly last year.

SAPA "threatens to fine law enforcement officers up to $1,000 and up to year in jail if they enforce federal (gun) laws in Missouri," Kinder said, adding the measure makes it more difficult for Cape Girardeau police to cooperate with federal agents and solve cases.

Outlook

Kinder said "new economic forces" are in play that will impact Cape Girardeau.

"How Cape Girardeau adjusts to post-COVID realities like worker shortages, new economies, changes to lifestyle priorities as well as soaring costs of energy, goods and services will be the challenge of this administration and of our community," she concluded.