VISION 2000 SURVEY SEES ROADS, GROWTH AS BIGGEST CONCERNS

A Vision 2000 community attitude survey revealed that Cape Girardeau residents have strong opinions about industrial growth, traffic flow, street planning, health care, taxes and education.

When it comes to the needs of Cape Girardeau citizens, 31 percent of those responding rated recreation and leisure activities highest followed by community business, 21 percent, and housing, 13 percent.

Answers concerning how well institutions meet citizens' needs revealed the Show Me Center and Southeast Missouri State ranked highest. City government and the Regional Commerce and Growth Association received the lowest ratings.

Fire protection and park maintenance were the highest rated city services, city services that received fair to poor marks from more than half those polled included building inspection, planning and street maintenance.

The opinions were expressed in a questionnaire that was returned by 30 percent of the registered voters polled by mail in October.

The Vision 2000 project coordinator, Jeff Krantz, said the survey's findings will go to the city council.

"Overall I thought it was a positive survey," Krantz said. "It shows the citizens of Cape are not complacent. They seek continued improvement in the city and quality of their lives."

Of those polled 46 percent were men and 55 percent women. The age group showing the greatest participation was 35 to 44. The age group with the lowest participation was 18 to 24.

The survey was sent to every 12th registered voter, which comes to 1,548 Cape Girardeau residents. Of that, 463 responded. An additional 48 responded to phase II of the same survey that was printed in the Southeast Missourian. That survey contained just 13 questions.

While 68 percent of those responding to the survey thought residential growth was "about right," only 33 percent thought the city's industrial growth was where it should be.

Some 64 percent felt retail growth was in good shape and that the quality of businesses in Cape Girardeau fared well when compared to other cities.

Almost 70 percent thought the city's relations with the university were critical for future economic development.

When asked about the importance of several issues, deteriorated property controls and traffic flow were cited by 58 percent of respondents. Solid waste disposal and recycling ranked just behind.

On a question concerning the most important future projects, 55 percent said major street connections merited attention in the near future. Widening Broadway and Independence became a close second with 53 percent listing that project as one of the most important. Connections to the new Highway 74 bridge and a regional solid waste facility followed at 45 and 42 percent respectively.

The Vision 2000 committee will hold hearings this month on the proposed transportation tax, which would affect several road projects.

Respondents were unwilling to support a 10-cent levy per $100 assessed value. However, support for a police tax went down by a narrow 52-48 margin. The fire department tax was defeated 60-40. This despite the fact that the fire department received an excellent rating from 34 percent of those responding.

The level of support for either a police or fire department tax levy was also asked of newspaper respondents. Support for the police levy was 44 percent with newspaper respondents compared to 48 percent for those who responded by mail.

When asked about whether more general practice physicians were needed in Cape Girardeau, more than 78 percent said they agreed. Only 9 percent said they disagreed.

Eighty-five percent agreed that both Southeast and St. Francis hospitals should cooperate more effectively. The survey would also indicate those who responded feel the cost of health care in Cape Girardeau is too high.

When asked a series of questions about the opportunities for different gender and ethnic groups, the majority of men thought women had "excellent" chances in the work force. The majority of women reflected a fair to poor range in terms of economic opportunities.

Generally black respondents thought black women have fewer opportunities than white women. The majority of women felt men have excellent economic opportunities.

WHAT THEY SAID

Some 15 percent of respondents thought the city's quality of life was excellent, 70 percent thought it was good, and 15 said it was fair.

More than half, 53 percent, of the respondents said they lacked confidence in the current city school system.

Seventy-four percent said the city library merited "extremely high" marks for the services it provides.

Sixty-six percent said they would like to see a community calendar established.