NO REASON TO HOLD UP NATURE CENTER PROJECT

Cape Girardeau County and the Missouri Department of Conservation are about to embark upon construction of a nature center in Cape Girardeau County North Park.

The Cape Girardeau County Commission and conservation department have discussed the project for a couple of years. The nature center, which would incorporate exhibits and nature trails, would be a good addition to the park, which includes an area of undeveloped forests covering rolling hills that could benefit from some nice trails.

The center would compliment the department's regional headquarters building, which was built in the park under a previous arrangement between the county and conservation department. The nature center is envisioned as a learning facility. It would be of particular benefit to young visitors and provide a fun place for teachers to take their students to learn about Missouri's outdoors.

The county has agreed to issue bonds to generate up to $5 million for the $6.7 million development. The rest of the money is to come from donations through the conservation department's fund-raising foundation.

Details of the project have been worked out to both the county's and department's satisfaction, but now the county wants something in writing.

The county commission has received seven bonding proposals from five financial institutions but, in the interest of good business, doesn't want to accept a proposal without a financial commitment in writing from the state. The state, on the other hand, is prohibited by the Missouri Constitution from pledging uncollected state tax revenue, so it can't enter into such an agreement.

The state can, however, enter into a lease-purchase agreement just as it has done successfully for construction of state prisons and mental-health facilities. Under that approach, the department can agree to include funding for lease payments in its annual appropriation proposal.

Presiding commissioner Gerald Jones said he doesn't expect getting an agreement in writing to hold up the project. If the department can agree to that approach, it would be in the best interest of those who will use the nature center and the county to accept such an arrangement so that work on the center can get under way next year.

Lease-purchase agreements have worked without failure for other state projects, and there is no reason to believe the county would be caught holding the bag in this instance.