SCOTT CITY ASKS TO TALK WITH CAPE ON PROPOSAL

SCOTT CITY -- Scott City Mayor Larry Forhan all but shot down a pitch by Cape Girardeau city officials dealing with a possible water supply project to serve the Nash Road Industrial Park and the Cape Girardeau County Municipal airport.

Cape Girardeau Assistant City Manager Al Stoverink shared a long-range plan with the Scott City Council, detailing a fire-flow water supply via a water main or a water tower at the airport, and a functional, potable water supply for the Nash Road industries.

"We are here tonight only to ask your people to sit down with our people to discuss long-range goals of both of our cities," Stoverink told the council. "In the end, we could end up saving both our cities a lot of money on down the road."

Stoverink outlined three potential plans to supply both the airport and the Nash Road Industrial Park, which in the long run could possibly serve as a backup water source or a fire flow for Scott City.

At first, Stoverink's pitch met dead silence from the council members. Then Forhan spoke up:

"We'd be glad to take this under advisement, but at this point I believe it would be a waste of our people's time to get involved with this," the mayor said. "We are operating under a very limited budget and even in the long run something more important may come up in the city itself, which would require the financial commitment this kind of project would dominate."

"But we might be able to save you a lot of money in the long run," Stoverink stressed. "We're not looking for any commitment or investment; all we ask is that you meet with us."

The mayor countered: "I'm not so sure even if there will be a benefit to meeting with you. I see no benefit to Scott City and no reason to do anything at all."

Ward 2 Councilman John Rogers Jr. said, "It looks to me as though only Cape Girardeau would benefit from such an arrangement.

"You will dictate where and when the meeting is held, and then you hook up the water main so that your industrial park can surpass ours.

"The only time we ever hear from Cape Girardeau is when they need something from us," Rogers said.

"But having a need motivates people to do things," Stoverink said. "Sure, that's why we're here, but we wouldn't have come if we didn't think that there was a benefit to you."

Ward 1 Councilwoman Ladonna Phelps said, "I don't see how it could hurt to just meet and talk and get something going. But you've got to be able to tell us why this would be good for us, so that we can tell our constituents."

In the end, the council promised to contact Cape Girardeau city officials within the next month or two with their decision on whether or not to proceed with the talks.

"Don't call us, we'll call you," Forhan told Stoverink.

In other business, Ward 1 residents will be allowed to have an extended time period in which to have bulky items picked up by the garbage trucks.

Also, Scott County Assistant Prosecutor Bob Gowen was named by the council to assist Scott City Attorney Francis Siebert in municipal court cases.