Sikeston wards proposals to get last hearing Monday

SIKESTON, Mo. -- The Sikeston City Council is expected to take final action on designating wards at Monday's council meeting, following a second public hearing on the matter at 5 p.m.

The first reading for each of the four options was completed Thursday at a special council meeting to ready the ordinance for action at Monday's meeting.

At Thursday's public hearing, Doug Friend, city manager, presented a staff report on the comments gathered on the four options selected by council at its June 3 meeting.

Information on the proposed wards was presented to the public by displays at area banks and in the media.

Boxes for collecting comments next to the bank displays were collected Wednesday. Several e-mailed comments, including some from former charter commissioners, asked for an amended Council Option 2 in which the Fairfield Subdivision is placed in Ward 1 instead of Ward 2 where it now appears for that option.

The Fairfield Subdivision is east of U.S. 61 near the kindergarten center. The change was requested on the grounds that citizens living in the Fairfield Subdivision have more in common with the neighborhoods in Ward 1 than those in Ward 2. The subdivision is also separated from the rest of Ward 2 by non-residential land.

Sue Rogers, council member, said she has received verbal public comment that indicates some residents are not happy with the proposed wards. "They're just not pleased with it at all," said Rogers.

She said a resident of Lake Street south of Tanner Street, which would be Ward 2, also objected to the Fairfield Subdivision being included in Ward 2 instead of Ward 1 "with the other rich folk."

City staff members said that while the numbers shown for what has become Option 2 were correct, the map had an error later corrected on the versions given to the public.