SOUTH SIDE AREA TACKLES ITS PROBLEMS

One of the best ways to achieve improvement is when the impetus comes from within. This premise works with people, businesses and neighborhoods. After all, those most involved are the ones with the greatest insight and appreciation of the problems. Solutions are more likely to be pragmatic.

Such is the case with a cleanup that targets Cape Girardeau's south side. The area is bounded by William Street on the north, the Southern Expressway on the south, the Mississippi River on the east and South West End Boulevard on the west.

Cleanup efforts are building on the foundation of a walking survey taken in the neighborhood this past July. The top five concerns listed in that survey: trash, overgrown yards, junk, abandoned houses and poorly maintained property.

Neighbors are receiving a boost from City Councilmen Melvin Gately and Tom Neumeyer, who were hosts for a recent neighborhood meeting at May Greene Elementary School. Both represent the city's southern wards. They plan to bring the top five suggestions made by residents before the entire City Council.

The city has a number of rules and regulations already in place to enforce general cleanup issues, including property maintenance standards. But a top concern of neighbors is that existing property maintenance ordinances haven't been equally enforced. This certainly is an issue that goes beyond a single neighborhood. A closer look at this entire process may be beneficial to the entire city.

South side residents would like to see the city put more teeth into the enforcement component of property maintenance.

Other top concerns:

-- Holding tenants responsible for maintaining property and paying rent.

-- Condemning run-down property or require the own to bring it up to code.

-- Controlling noise on the streets.

-- More drug enforcement.

All are certainly legitimate concerns.

A number of groups are working closely with this effort to clean up the city's South Side, including the May Greene Community Pride Group, the Haarig Area Development Association, the Downtown Merchants Association and the Downtown Neighborhood Association. This kind of community support can only help spur this project along.

There are many wonderful people and houses in the city's South Side. This revitalization effort will focus attention both on the positive aspects of the neighborhoods and the work that needs to be done in the city's south side. That kind of awareness will benefit everyone.