VOTERS IN WARDS 2, 6 GO TO PRIMARY POLLS TUESDAY: WARD 6

The three candidates for Tuesday's primary election in Ward 6 say the concerns of their west-end ward largely are the same issues of interest to residents throughout the city.

Below are the three candidates' views on trash service, riverboat gambling, building code enforcement and public housing, economic development, and crime.

Dennis Dobson, 51, of 157 Pebble Lane was the first person to file for election in Ward 6. He is the technical manager at Lone Star Cement plant in Cape Girardeau.

He's a member of the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce and the Cape Breakfast Optimist Club.

Jay B. Knudtson, 30, of 1126 Cyprus Court is an assistant vice president at Boatmen's National Bank.

He is a member of the Cape Girardeau Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce, Colonial Cape Foundation, Southeast Missouri Homebuilders Association, the American Cancer Society and the Cape Girardeau Lions Club.

Richard L. "Butch" Eggimann of 235 Hillview is a local businessman.

He is a former elementary school principal and superintendent at the Kelso School District, and has worked in construction and real estate. He's a member of St. Vincent de Paul Parish.

Solid Waste Service

Dobson said he supports examining bids by private contractors interested in hauling the city's trash.

"We also should look at what level of service people want," he said. "The people should have the right to be heard."

Knudtson also commended the city council for taking a look at the issue of private trash service.

"I do believe trash service is a city service that should be run by the city," he said. "But if by analyzing the pros and cons we find that it is beneficial, we need to accept that and move forward quickly."

Eggimann said dissatisfaction with the city's trash service was one of the primary reasons voters in 1992 opted for a ward type of council representation.

"My suggestion would be to maybe pick up recyclables one or two times a month, instead of every week," he said. "We might want to try it in one ward to test it out first."

Riverboat Gambling

Knudtson said riverboat gambling revenues need to be used so they have an "immediate impact" in the community.

"It may be controversial, but I feel if we can fund necessary improvements to schools via a portion of revenues from gaming, everyone would benefit," he said.

Eggimann said he voted against riverboat gambling in Cape Girardeau, while his wife supported it -- something he guessed was common.

But now it's time to "get on with it," he said, and ensure benefits are derived from the boat.

"It's important to have the downtown area involved," Eggimann said. "I think the Lady Luck proposal wouldn't help the downtown, and those downtown people need to come out with something positive."

Eggimann said the city's share of gambling revenue ought to be spent on street repairs. He also would consider earmarking revenues to citizens in the form of tax rebates.

Dobson said he wants to see the city take a close look at the issue of safety for any riverboat operation in Cape Girardeau.

"We're on the outside of the bend so if a tow should break through, the riverboat could be right in its path," he said.

Dobson said the city should consider riverboat gambling revenue as only a temporary source of income and use it for infrastructure improvements.

Housing Issues

Eggimann said a proliferation of new building codes in Cape Girardeau has increased the cost of building in the city to the extend that development has been curtailed.

He said he's opposed to the addition of building codes that apply to existing properties.

"The main people that would be hurt by a property maintenance code, particularly if you got into a occupancy permit situation, would be low-income people," Eggimann said. "They can't afford the things that need to be done."

Eggimann said public housing also should be considered by the council.

Dobson said the Building Officials and Code Administrators (BOCA) code is fine for new construction, but is much too restrictive for existing homes.

"The city needs a minimum standard that says a house is safe," he said. "But it should be a minimum code, not a maximum code like BOCA."

Dobson said he supports efforts to secure low-income housing in Cape Girardeau, but he's opposed to any program that would be "set up as welfare."

As a loan officer at a bank, Knudtson said he's familiar with a number of programs that can foster private development of housing for low-income tenants through subsidized financing for the developer.

"It is my belief that Cape Girardeau is no place for government-run housing," he said. "What we need to do is call upon the lending institutions, contractors, and citizens of Cape to implement incentives to utilize government sponsored programs that already exist."

Knudtson said the city needs to have more consistent and "rational" application of existing building codes before it adopts a new standard for existing property.

Economic Development

Dobson said he believes the city and Chamber of Commerce are doing a good job of letting potential industry that Cape Girardeau is a good city in which to live and work.

"We have good services, streets, sewers," he said. "We need to maintain what we have so we can continue to attract industry."

Knudtson said one of the most consistent themes he's heard by Ward 6 residents is the importance of maintaining the existing city infrastructure before investing in new development.

"I think we need to make sure we've done the best we can to bring existing sewers and streets up to standards before we spend money on new, speculative ventures."

Eggimann said riverboat gambling should be a boost to economic development, particularly in the downtown area.

Crime

Knudtson said he's happy five new officers were added this year to the city's police department. But he criticized the state courts for its light hand with criminals.

"I think we need to make people responsible for their actions," Knudtson said. "When people talk about `three strikes and your out' in tough sentencing, I think that's two too many."

Eggimann said he's "proud" that the city now has 65 full-time police officers.

"That's the highest we've ever had, and that's good news," he said. "I think they're doing a good job."

Eggimann said he would like to see the police department work with community groups and social agencies to concentrate on crime prevention.

Dobson also lauded the hiring of additional officers. But, like Knudtson, he questioned the effectiveness of additional officers when a state courts system that appears too lenient.

"The problem is the courts are too much of a revolving door sometimes," he said. "The police can make the arrests, but it's tough to keep them in."