MEMBERS RATE CHAMBER BIT LOWER AFTER EXCELLENT RATING OF LAST YEAR

The overall rating of the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce dropped in 1999.

"Overall, the numbers are good," said John Mehner, president and chief executive officer of the chamber. "But 1998 was the best rating year we've had."

The rating is based on the chamber's annual "Three-Minute Survey" of members. Results were presented to the chamber board Tuesday.

Of those responding, 40 percent of members rated the chamber excellent, 55 percent rated it good, 4 percent rated it fair and 1 percent rated it poor. The 1998 ratings were 47 percent excellent, 50 percent good and 3 percent fair.

"1998 was a phenomenal year," said Mehner. Included in the year's economic news were expansion announcements by Procter & Gamble Paper Products and BioKyowa Inc.

"The survey results tells us, however, that we have some room for improvement," said Mehner.

Keeping businesses in Cape Girardeau and business expansions are among priorities of chamber members, the survey showed. Other priorities are economic development, recruiting industries to the area and education.

"This is no surprise," said Mehner. "Economic development and business retention have been at the top of our list year after year along with economic development and recruiting new industry.

Third on the list this year was education followed by a single category of infrastructure, streets, sewers and utilities.

Also high on the list was availability of competent workers.

Workforce issues have consistently moved up the range of priorities since the chamber started its survey six years ago.

"It's good to have low unemployment," said Mehner. "It presents opportunities to better train the workers we have and to work toward increasing the present workforce."

Latest statistics reveal the Cape Girardeau workforce is at about 35,700 people with more than 35,000 of them with jobs, for an unemployment rate of 1.8 percent. Workers also have jobs in two adjoining counties: Perry County, with a 1.2 percent unemployment rate, and Bollinger County, with a 2.6 percent unemployment rate.

Cape Girardeau experienced one factory closing in 1999: the Florsheim Shoe plant, which eliminated 300 jobs when it closed last month.

Members also rated the chamber on its performance on other issues. One of the highest ratings came on membership. Eighty-seven percent rated it excellent to good. Another high rating came in business services. The chamber received an excellent rating from 45 percent of the respondents and a good rating from 44 percent.

Members also were asked to tell what their friends, relatives and co-workers have been talking about the past year. People were most interested in education, said Mehner. Also high on the list of things people were talking about were jobs and transportation issues.

Members rated a list of 14 issues provided by the chamber. Those results by priority:

1. Business retention and expansion.

2. Economic development, recruiting new industry

3. Education (K-12).

4. Infrastructure: streets, sewers, utilities.

5. Availability of competent workers.

6. Crime issues.

7. Health care (affordability and quality).

8. Transportation, including airport.

9. Higher education.

10. Downtown vitality.

Local talk-about Issues:

1. Education (K-12) and higher education.

2. Jobs and availability of workers.

3. Transportation.

Survey results on other issues:

* Business services: 45 percent, excellent; 44 percent, good; 4 percent, fair.

* Community-based economic development: 21 percent, excellent; 60 percent, good; 9 percent, fair.

* Governmental affairs:16 percent, excellent; 51 percent, good; 20 percent, fair.

* Leadership roles: 27 percent, excellent; 51 percent, good; 15 percent, fair.

* Newsletter, communications: 36 percent, excellent; 46 percent, good; 12 percent, fair.

* Membership directory: 39 percent, excellent, 48 percent, good; 8 percent fair.