Special district keeping roads cleared

When it comes to snow removal, the residents on Kage and Hopper roads think they have it made, tucked inside the Cape Special Road District.

"They do a super job," said Allen Taylor, who lives on Kage. "This road is clear before most of the city roads are."

While Cape Girardeau city crews hit mainly the commercial areas first -- because they are the most traveled -- the Cape Special Road District is in charge of 102 miles of mostly rural roads, 11 miles of which are within the city limits of Cape Girardeau.

And among the first roads that are cleared are Kage and Hopper.

"Wednesday night, my son was praying he wouldn't have school the next day," Taylor said. "That evening, he said, 'Dad, we're going. The street is black.'"

There wasn't school the next day, partly because of poor road conditions in other parts of the Cape Girardeau School District.

Ralph Phillips, the road district's chief engineer, who manages the operation with the help of a three-member board, said the district mixes cinder from Southeast Missouri State University's power plant with crushed limestone and spreads it on the roads to help provide traction.

"I think they do a pretty good job," said Brenda Foist, who lives on Kage Road. "They seem to keep it cleared up pretty good."

The Cape Special Road District is a tax-supported operation which has been maintaining rural Cape Girardeau roads since 1912. It covers about a fourth of the county -- the southeast portion from the Mississippi River west to Highway 25. It extends from Egypt Mills on the north to the Scott County line on the south. Residents in the district pay a road and bridge tax of 26.81 cents per $100 assessed valuation. The road district gets 80 percent of that tax, or roughly $1 million, while the county gets 20 percent.

Most of the district's funding comes from the road and bridge tax. About $30,000 comes from a business surcharge.

The district spends about $224,000 every year on materials for road maintenance. Its annual payroll is $366,000 for 11 employees. The rest goes toward employee benefits, equipment, contracting work and equipment rental, fuel, equipment upkeep, utilities, office expenses and miscellaneous expenses.

The city has taken over the maintenance of some of the district's miles as the city limits have expanded and some of the roads have been improved. The district does maintain some important city arteries, however, such as Kage, Hopper, Old Sprigg Street and parts of Perryville, Cape Rock Drive and Silver Springs.

Paving gravel roads

The main purpose of the district is to maintain roads, but workers have been involved for a number of years in paving gravel roads. All but about 12 roads within the district have been paved, said Phillips. The roads are paved with the road tax money, and the residents are not assessed special tax bills, as is often the case when city governments paves roads.

"That's why it takes a long time to do," Phillips said. "We try to do a little every year and do the work with our own people."

The district's three board members are elected and serve staggered, three-year terms. The board makes the financial decisions and sets priorities for the district. Currently, Rock Wilferth, Dr. John Holcombe and Jon Kasten serve on the board. Holcombe is running unopposed in the upcoming election.

bmiller@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 127