HomeMy WebLinkAboutCouncil.Minutes.01-26-2004.SpecialProceedings of the City Council, City of Cape Girardeau, Mo.
Special Session January 26, 2004 321— .
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SPECIAL SESSION — JANUARY 26, 2004
The Cape Girardeau City Council convened in special joint session with the City of Jackson Board
of Aldermen on Monday, January 26, 2004, 7:30 p.m., at the Jackson City Hall with Cape
Girardeau Mayor Jay B. Knudtson and Jackson Mayor Paul W. Sander presiding. Cape Girardeau
City Council Members present were Evelyn Boardman, Charlie Herbst, Matt Hopkins, Jay Purcell,
Marcia Ritter and Hugh White. Jackson Board of Aldermen present were Joe Bob Baker, Larry
Cunningham, Kerry Hoffman, Barbara Lohr, Phil Penzel, Dale Rauh, David Reiminger, and
Valerie Tuschhoff.
Mayor Sander welcomed the Cape City Council to Jackson and expressed his appreciation for the
cooperation between the two cities.
Mayor Knudtson reported on the status of projects and issues for the City of Cape Girardeau that
have occurred since the last joint meeting, including the hiring of Doug Leslie as the New City
Manager, budget issues, settlement of the Drury lawsuit on the River Campus Project, construction
of the Federal Courthouse, the Marquette Plaza development, the River Walk project, the opening
of the Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge, the Bloomfield Road/Ramsey Creek project, the I-55
corridor project, the future development of Center Junction, and the East Main Street/Coker Road
project. Mr. Leslie reported further on the Silver Springs Road extension project to South
Kingshighway, which will improve traffic at Central High School and the Career and Technology
Center.
Mayor Sander reported on current projects for the City of Jackson, including the comprehensive
traffic study and the Major Street Plan, the completion of the Highway 61/Shawnee Road
intersection, the Industrial Park infrastructure improvements, street projects to be completed, water
distribution projects, sanitary sewer projects, electrical distribution projects, Highway 72
improvements, and the East Main Street extension project. He discussed the increase in building
projects for 2003 due to the devastation from the tornado in May of 2003. He thanked Mayor
Knudtson and the Cape city staff for their quick response in assisting Jackson with recovery efforts
from the tornado.
Mr. Leslie discussed the status of the proposed water system interconnection between the Cape
and Jackson water systems. No formal engineering plans have been completed, but the concept is
very feasible. On County Road 313 near Twin Lakes Subdivision, the two water systems are
within 400 feet of each other. Two other locations that could be considered for water
interconnection are the East Main/Coker Road extensions and the Klaus Park/Route K area just
south of Center Junction. With the recent ISO evaluation of Jackson, and the future ISO
evaluation of Cape, the cities may want to consider moving up the priority of this project. Jackson
City Administrator Jim Roach continued that this project could have a savings to citizens in both
cities. Following discussion, it was agreed that both cities would work together on the further
development of this project.
Scott Meyer, District Engineer for the Missouri Department of Transportation, presented a report
regarding proposed street lighting for Center Junction. He displayed a drawing of the intersection
depicting the locations of the proposed lights. MoDOT has placed funding for this project in its
safety budget for fiscal year 2007. If the cities wanted to move this project up on the calendar,
MoDOT does offer financing options to cities whereby the cities would borrow money from the
Missouri Highway Commission to construct the project, and the cities would pay interest from the
time the project is built up to the time MoDOT could pay off the balance in fiscal 2007.
Proceedings of the City Council, City of Cape Girardeau, Mo.
Special
Session January 26, 2004 322
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Following iscd ussion, it was agreed that Mr. Leslie an r. Roach wou iscuss this option with
Scott Meyer and report back to their respective councils.
Mayor Knudtson reported on the proposed ordinance the Cape City Council has developed
regarding fireworks. Mayor Sander also reported that the Jackson Board has reviewed this issue in
depth. The Board has discussed reducing the time of sale to one week prior to the 4`f' of July and
changing the age to buy, possess or discharge fireworks to 16 or 17. However, the Board is still
discussing whether to ban aerial devices or stick rockets. Cape Police Chief Steve Strong
discussed the reasons for recommending the age of 17 to purchase, possess and discharge
fireworks. The Board and Council members discussed their opinions on fireworks and the
proposed changes to the fireworks regulations. Cape City Attorney Eric Cunningham explained
that the definition of an aerial device in the Cape ordinance includes any aerial device that has a
ridged plastic or wood stick. Mayor Sander stated it is important that both cities have close to the
same ordinance. It was agreed to leave it up to both city's staffs to work out the details and
present an ordinance to their respective councils for approval.
Jackson Fire Chief Brad Golden reported that in 1998 the City of Jackson received an $88,000
grant from DNR to develop a methamphetamine lab. Since that time the city has worked closely
with the Semo Drug Task Force and Haz Mat Team and has collected over 14,000 pounds of
meth. Tomorrow the Governor and DNR will be issuing an executive order to develop an
initiative in middle schools to make students aware of the dangers of methamphetamine.
Mr. Leslie thanked the Jackson Mayor and Board of Aldermen for the opportunity to come to
Jackson for this joint meeting. Mr. Reiminger personally thanked the Cape city and staff for their
assistance in helping Jackson recover from the May tornado.
There being no further business, the Board of Aldermen adjourned upon Mr. Penzel's motion, Ms.
Tuschhoff's second, and a unanimous vote.
There being no further business, the Cape Girardeau City Council adjourned upon Mr. White's
motion, Mr. Herbst's second, and the following vote: Ayes, Boardman, Herbst, Hopkins,
Knudtson, Purcell, Ritter, White. Nays. none.
Gayle L. 'onrad, City Clerk