Past, present and future

Eight years ago, a new mayor and city council faced some serious issues.

Cape Girardeau streets were in horrible shape, and there was no money available to maintain them.

The city's infrastructure needed help. The city had outdated sewer and waterworks systems.

Animosity between members on the council further complicated matters. Meetings would drag on for hours as the council debated and argued.

But the tide eventually turned.

Under the leadership of then-mayor Al Spradling III, the council meetings became more efficient and civil. The council members, though still having their differences, managed to work for common goals.

And as a result, the city of Cape Girardeau had perhaps its most productive eight years.

The city developed a major street improvement plan paid for by two voter-approved Transportation Trust Funds. And, with other voter-approved taxes, major improvements were made to the water and sewer systems.

Eight years later, a new mayor and three new council members want to keep the momentum going, but they -- like the council did eight years ago -- have some serious issues to address.

As the previous council showed, camaraderie is perhaps the most important element of the city's governing body. And how they get along will have an impact on what direction the city moves from here.

The past

Spradling, who was a council member before he was elected mayor, remembers the lack of cooperation on the council.

"The goals I had set out for the council were more cooperation, more peace and more harmony," Spradling said. "My goal, initially, was to solidify the council. I think that what the council accomplished is what I'm most proud of. I don't pretend to take credit. There wasn't any magic involved. It's just the way of approaching things that changed. We had our differences, no question. But we worked well to bring the city together."

The most visible, positive results that came from the friendlier council were the two voter-approved Transportation Trust Funds, which enabled the city to take on a massive street-improvement project.

"That was one of the reasons I ran for the city council," said former councilman Butch Eggimann, who just completed the second of two terms. "The streets were not in good condition when I came aboard. I think we got a tremendous amount of needs fulfilled."

Also under Spradling's watch, the city, among other things, built a multipurpose recreational facility, a new soccer park and a walking trail.

The list of the last council's accomplishments is a long and impressive one, but the council wasn't perfect.

The River Campus issue is a problem that remains largely unsolved. Though voters approved a motel tax hike and an extension of a restaurant tax in 1998 to go to a new performing arts campus on the bank of the Mississippi River, they did not approve a corresponding city bond issue. The city and university then sought state bonds which led to the first of two lawsuits filed by area businessman Jim Drury. The state Supreme Court ruled in favor of the city on the first lawsuit. The city, in December 2001, also extended a deadline, which led to Drury's second lawsuit. That lawsuit is still pending and holding up the building process.

"I wish that issue would've been resolved before we got out," Spradling said.

And one more major problem has yet to be tied down.

The city, much like it was eight to 10 years ago, finds itself in somewhat of a budget crisis. Ten years ago, the city was forced to lay off some city employees because it couldn't make ends meet.

The city hasn't reached that point yet, but it will have to do something soon.

Spradling points to the fact that some companies such as Lowe's and Wal-Mart are building stores in other nearby towns and that is taking some of the sales tax away from Cape Girardeau.

Plus, he points to the economy, which is slow nationwide.

"I think these are cyclical problems," Spradling said. "We had a slowed-down economy in '92, too."

The present

Now, the players are different, but the situation is somewhat similar.

Mayor Jay Knudtson and new council members Marcia Ritter, Evelyn Boardman and Charlie Herbst -- along with incumbents Matthew Hopkins and Jay Purcell -- aren't worried about poor infrastructure. Instead, there are city departments operating with old equipment and undermanned staffs. Many city employees have not received raises for three years. All this while the city is spending more money than it generates.

"One of the things that has happened recently is that our sales tax revenue has not grown as we have liked," Hopkins said. "But the city services have expanded mile-wise. And the demands for services have gone up considerably."

As a result, the city is looking at ways to generate more revenue.

"I think it's inevitable," said Herbst. "And I think all the candidates have pretty much said that from the forefront."

Herbst said that if he's elected to a second term his biggest goal would be to "leave a council with a balanced budget and ample reserves."

Knudtson considers the budget problem the biggest issue facing the city right now, but there's also the River Campus problem hanging over the city.

Knudtson believes he can facilitate a compromise with Drury.

"I think Mr. Drury has the funds available to tie up the project indefinitely," Knudtson said. "But I believe that cooler heads will prevail. I have had some very productive dialogue with Mr. Drury."

It's still too early into the new council's tenure for members to provide specific solutions to some of these broad problems.

But the details will begin emerge once the council develops camaraderie and digs deeper into the problems. To that end, incumbents and newcomers are optimistic.

"I think it's very important that we have goals that are compatible," Ritter said. "As part of our orientation, we were going through and seeing various departments, and I feel the four new members are very committed. And the interaction with the incumbents as well as the city staff has been positive to this point. And I do believe, in being around Jay Knudtson, that he is very comfortable with people disagreeing with him as long as they're civil."

Added Herbst, "We've all had good conversation already. The other new candidates support a lot of the same ideas I have."

The future

The personality of this council is different than the last eight years, beginning with the mayor.

Spradling did not seek the spotlight, although he made himself available.

Knudtson said he wants to be seen and wants the people to know their mayor and the issues.

"I believe we need to do a better job of raising the level of awareness the citizens have with the mayor and city council," Knudtson said. "We're going to be extremely visible. I want us to do whatever we have to do so four years from now, people will recognize their council. That doesn't exist today."

Knudtson said he wants there to be more dialogue at the council meetings, even if it means less discussion in the study sessions which take place two hours prior to the meetings. The study sessions, though open to the public, are not televised on the cable access channel.

Public awareness is a recurring theme among the new council members and that could end up being what sets this council apart from others in the past.

Public feedback and communication is especially important to Ritter, who based much of her campaign on that issue and was just appointed to the city's public awareness committee.

"I think it's very important," Ritter said. "I found, going door-to-door, that citizens don't know their existing city council member."

Hopkins, who has been on the council for the last two years, has been impressed with the new members so far.

"With the new people, it appears to me that all of them ran for purely community service reasons," he said. "There are no hidden agendas. I think we've got a progressive-thinking council who can really get some things accomplished in the next few years."

bmiller@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 127