Cape County Commission confirms bridge costs, TIF certification

The Cape Girardeau County commissioners meeting for Monday, March 3, lasted just a few minutes, but accomplished several items on its agenda.

Their first item of business was to discuss certification of an economic activity tax base for the North Middle/Broadway Redevelopment Area in the heart of the City of Cape Girardeau.

“The TIFs (tax increment financing) that are in effect in City of Cape (Girardeau) have to be certified by the county as well. As a result, once that ordinance goes in place and it’s passed within the city that year, the year before is considered to be the base,” County Auditor Pete Frazier explained.

The sales tax activity in a base year is used as a reference for each year afterward. The redevelopment area has two taxes that should be assessed on it, Frazier said: the general tax and Prop 1 tax. The commissioners accepted this certification.

Bridge costs confirmed

The commissioners also approved a change order for a bridge replacement on County Road 436.

“We’re having to change the height of the footing elevations, and we’re also going to be changing from asphalt to concrete on the approaches,” Associate County Commissioner Stephen Daume said.

This costs $54,469.44, with the county responsible for $10,893.89 of that. Funds would come from the county’s Highway Department. Daume said the Missouri Department of Transportation had already approved of the construction.

KeyTrak on track

County Sheriff Ruth Ann Dickerson presented to the commission about approving the KeyTrak key management system for the new jail.

“KeyTrak is the current system that we have in our current facility, so we would like to remain unified with that system,” she said.

The system helps keep track of keys to be used around the jail. Now that her office knows the number of keys needed, she said the KeyTrak system would cost $52,750.25. This money would come from the funds used to furnish the new jail, and the commissioners gave their approval.