Communication efforts with homeowners on county sewer issues

The Cape Girardeau County Reorganized Common Sewer District held an informational public meeting on July 29 at the Fruitland Community Church. The district is working on a feasibility study to evaluate the cost of eliminating 20 small existing wastewater treatment systems and consolidating treatment at one new plant. The project also would provide sewers to unsewered areas and subdivisions around Fruitland, including Sunrise Estates, Whispering Heights 1 and 2, Greenbrier Meadows, Meadow Manor and North Lake Estates.

As the district board president, I received pointed criticism regarding our lack of communication with some homeowners in the affected area. While I accept full responsibility for not doing a better job on this, I do insist that any failure on the district's part was entirely unintentional. It is our goal to keep the public fully aware of the district's activities and plans. We value citizen input and support.

In an attempt to address these complaints, I offer the following. You can go to our website, capegirctysewer.wix.com/capecty, for more information and a project area map. The district's monthly meetings are open to the public. They are held in our office at 113 W. Main St., Suite 6, in Jackson at 6:30 p.m. on the third Tuesday of each month. We will be happy to put you on our email list and provide meeting notices, meeting minutes and other materials. The board operates under Missouri's Sunshine Law.

While we have been working for approximately five years with the owners and operators of the existing wastewater systems in the district, our planning for a centralized system is only months old. I am available to meet with homeowners and homeowners' associations that could be affected by our project that is now in the planning phase. Please do not hesitate to contact the board at CGCRCSD@yahoo.com.

Joe Tousignant is president of the Cape Girardeau County Reorganized Common Sewer District.