SOLID WASTE GROUP TO MAKE PROPOSAL BEFORE CITY COUNCIL

The Cape Girardeau solid waste task force, one member shy of the original group, will make a proposal to the city council during Monday night's study session.

Sarah Holt, who was a member of the original solid waste task force, resigned her position on May 23.

"I decided I needed to resign because I just didn't have enough time to devote to all the commitments I had made in the community," said Holt. "It seemed frustrating at times because there were meetings where we didn't seem to know exactly what we were charged to accomplish.

"It was taking a long time to get things done," she added. "But that had nothing to do with my resignation from the task force."

Cape Mayor Al Spradling III said that the recommendation by the solid waste task force should be one of the more critical items on the agenda.

"It's tremendously important," said Spradling, who has argued in past meetings in favor of the city staff's recommendation to raise monthly residential trash fees from $10.54 to $12.13 to reflect increased solid waste costs.

Spradling reasoned that if the solid waste task force would recommend changing to volume-based billing, the city would not lose money amid the transition period if it opted for a fee hike immediately.

"I think this is one of those cases where it's best to just bite the bullet," said Sradling at an informal study session with the city council recently.

City Finance Director John Richbourg has said that the city's solid waste fund is operating at $14,000 a month deficit while waiting to switch to a new system such as volume-based billing. "We're going to have to find some place to allocate funds in order to keep from operating at a deficit," said Spradling.

Other provisions of the budget ordinance are to increase the transfer station tipping fee to $34.50 per ton, the commercial solid waste collection fees by 15 percent, and at mid-year, water consumption fees by 5 percent.

"There was a meeting of the solid waste task force (June 15)," said Spradling. "They went through the entire aspect of volume-based billing. They should have a proposal that the city council will hopefully be able to act on."

In other business :

-- The city staff is recommending that the council choose Capital Bank as the city depository and pass a resolution authorizing the city manager to enter into a banking services contract with Capital Bank.

The proposed banking services contract will have an initial contract period through July 1, 1996, with three automatic renewal options.

-- The police department is recommending that a stop sign be placed on Rand Street at Green Acres, on the southeast corner facing South.

-- The city council will consider a resolution authorizing the city manager to enter into an agreement with Smith and Company for South Sprigg Street grade change improvements.

-- The city council will consider a resolution authorizing application to the Missouri Highway and Transportation Department for surface transportation program enhancement funds for the Mt. Tabor Trail Section, Phase I, of the Bloomfield Road historical trail.

-- Yet another resolution to be considered is the authorization to execute a contract with R. L. Person Construction Inc., for construction of a fire protection water main at the Cape Girardeau Municipal Airport.