Cape County associate commissioner to run again

This story has been edited to correct the month for next year's county office election.

The last few years have been busy ones for Cape Girardeau County.

From snow storms and tornadoes to making plans for a new courthouse, county commissioners have been juggling quite a few projects.

Associate Commissioner Paul Koeper said he just wants to see the projects through. That's why he's decided to run for re-election in 2016. The primary is held in August.

The Republican incumbent and 1st District Commissioner has held the position since 2009. With another four-year term, Koeper said he can continue to lay the groundwork for projects he's helped foster with other county employees.

He said he considers himself just one part of the team that has helped shape the county over the years, but he takes advantage of any opportunity to lend his expertise and help others with projects. He has more than 30 years in the construction industry and said that comes in handy for many county projects.

Koeper helps prepare bid documents and has overseen projects such as roof replacement for both county courthouses and updates to parts of the county jail. He also works closely with the county highway department.

His goal in working with the department, he said, was to help employees become more involved in the work they do. As employees become more responsible in taking on additional roles -- laying asphalt, for example -- the county has more options to work efficiently. It can determine whether it's more feasible to let contractors do a job or county crews.

"I'm really happy to see the highway employees took the challenge, and they did an excellent job," Koeper said.

The work of the highway department is especially important this time of year, as everyone starts gearing up for winter weather. The county is no stranger to snow and ice storms, and it requires long hours from the highway department to keep roads clear.

Recently, Koeper said the county has decided to use more salt into its road-clearing efforts, rather than cinders, and built a new salt storage facility to house it.

"This year we bought, I think, about 300 tons of salt, which isn't a lot," he said. "But you've got to remember, we've got some 200-plus miles of paved roads and bridges, and we try to keep most of the intersections as safe as we can, and sometimes ice is hard to deal with. This last year, the ice was very tough."

Southeast Missouri weather can be unpredictable, and winter storms are only one part of the equation. The northern part of the county was hit by a tornado in 2012. An EF2 tornado left homes and buildings damaged, along with the Oak Ridge School District campus.

This prompted county interest in boosting its number of outdoor warning sirens. Last year, an 18 additional sirens went live in small, rural communities such as Oak Ridge, Daisy and Delta. Koeper credited the support of local businesses and electric co-ops as the key to making that project successful.

Looking to the future, Koeper said some of the biggest issues facing the county are crowded courtrooms and courthouse security. He said the county is in "dire need" of additional space and security, although it is working to address both concerns.

The 1 percent use tax approved earlier this year by voters will help fund the construction of a new courthouse in Jackson. County officials expect use tax collections will need to continue for at least a year, and possibly 18 months, before they can begin considering bonding options and making definite plans for the facility.

The approval of a funding source for a new courthouse started a process that's been years in the making for Cape Girardeau County, and Koeper said he'd like to see it through.

"That's one thing that I would really like to be here, work here another four years to help see that project get through to the end," he said. "Which, it could happen, because the use tax as passed by the voters was to be used for that project, and we hope we could see some movement on that in the year 2018 or 2019."

Besides serving as associate commissioner, Koeper also is a member of the County Commissioners Association of Missouri, serving as president in 2014; member of the Missouri Judicial Finance Commission, a Missouri Supreme Court-appointed role; chairman of the Missouri Association of Counties Trust Board; and is involved in the statewide Local Public Agency Program, selected last year to serve on its advisory committee.

srinehart@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3641

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