STOVERINK CONTRIBUTION TO CITY WAS CONSIDERABLE

Al Stoverink leaves his job as assistant city manager later this month to become physical plant director at Southeast Missouri State University. The university's gain is the city's loss. Stoverink has shown himself to be a conscientious and industrious public servant, and his contributions to the municipal government have been considerable.

Stoverink comes to his new post well-prepared, having honed management skills in a variety of positions. He served as an assistant to the city manager in Mexico, Mo., before taking the job of city administrator in Perryville. In taking the job as finance director for Cape Girardeau in 1985, Stoverink set about restructuring the municipal accounting system and helping it toward automation. His eventual transition to assistant city manager put him in the thick of all aspects of municipal operation. Whether the topic was sewers or streets or solid waste disposal or the municipal water system, Stoverink showed an exceptional grasp for understanding the city and its infrastructure.

(We have not been without disagreement with Stoverink over the years. His stewardship of the BOCA building code issue disappointed us. Still, his style in addressing such matters of civic concern has always been principled, and he never shied away from arguing his side of an issue.)

In moving to the university, he takes on a considerable undertaking. In his new job, Stoverink will oversee 400 acres of property and two million square feet of space in 70 buildings. He has 145 employees in his charge. However, he also has the challenge of a state government seldom attuned to providing funds for maintenance of its buildings; as a fiscal watchdog, Stoverink's abilities will be tested.

In a sense, Stoverink did his job with the city too well. In putting together a crack finance department and updating the way it is managed, Stoverink has his departure pose the question of whether a replacement is necessary at City Hall. City Manager J. Ronald Fischer and his staff will be looking into that in the coming weeks.

In the meantime, it bears noting that Al Stoverink added a great deal during his tenure with city government. We commend him for his service to Cape Girardeau and wish him well in his new endeavor at the university.