PANEL AGAINST EMERGENCY OFFICES' MERGER

JACKSON -- A city committee formed to study whether the Jackson and Cape Girardeau County emergency preparedness offices could be combined probably will recommend against it, city administrator Steve Wilson said Monday.

Wilson told the Jackson Board of Aldermen that the committee is leaning toward advising that the two entities continue to maintain independent emergency operations centers. But, he said, they should investigate jointly forming a mobile communications center.

Drawbacks to combining the two operations include the limited size of the county facility and the fact that the city already has its own communications equipment, Wilson said.

The lack of a central dispatch system also makes combining the two operations problematic at this time, Wilson and Alderman Dave Hitt said.

Hitt and Jackson Fire Chief Brad Golden also serve on the committee. Hitt is the director of emergency operations for the county, and Golden is the city's emergency preparedness coordinator.

Hitt said the county communications van, a former bread truck, is old and hardly up to the job of handling a disaster. "It will go 50 mph, but I wouldn't bet it will go 50 miles," he said.

Alderman Jack Piepenbrok said he still feels strongly that the two operations need to be combined so there is a single contact person in case of a disaster. Hitt said that person is Presiding Commissioner Gerald Jones.

In other business the board was told that Holigan Homes has 40 days to appeal a court's June 19 decision preventing the builder from operating a model home in a residential neighborhood. City attorney David Beeson said he has been informed by the company's attorney that an appeal will be made.

Jackson Board of Aldermen Agenda

7:30 p.m. Monday, July 6

Jackson City Hall

Public hearing

-- Held hearing to consider the rezoning of property addressed as 480 W. Jackson Trail from R-1 (single family residential) to C-2 (general commercial) as submitted by Chris Weiss.

-- Approved Pay Request #1 to KAJACS Contractors, Inc., in the amount of $36,619.96 under the Phase VI Water Project (Jackson Trail to Grandview Acres) Contract.

Action items

Power and Light Committee

-- Approved an ordinance relative to the lease of property located at 198 Oak Hill Road.

Street Committee

-- Approved a license application for original package liquor license for Schweigert Brothers Inc., dba Stogies Texaco, at 304 E. Jackson Blvd.

-- Confirmed the issuance of a Minute Entry and Finding of Facts and Conclusions relative to Holigan Homes Missouri, Ltd.

-- Tabled a motion to approve the preliminary plat of Walton Subdivision as submitted by Wal-Mart Stores, East, Inc. The board has not had time to examine the plat in a study session.

-- Set a public hearing for 7:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 3, to consider the application for a special use permit for the establishment of a day care facility in a C-2 district at 974 W. Independence St. as submitted by Michael Lackamp.

-- Set a public hearing for 7:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 3, to consider amendments to the zoning and land subdivision regulations of the city of Jackson in order to provide zoning subdivision regulations relative to condominiums and condominium subdivisions.

-- Authorized closure of a portion of South High Street on Thursday, July 9, between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m. The street will be closed for a promotion by KFVS-TV.

-- Tabled a bill proposing an ordinance renaming a street known as Oak Forest Drive in Oak Forest Third Subdivision to Lacey Street. The street is being renamed.