Cape Girardeau city manager explains wastewater issues at Chamber of Commerce event

Cape Girardeau's city manager told local business leaders at the Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce's First Friday coffee the city will build a new wastewater treatment plant, but the upcoming vote will determine if how much residents will pay.

"We're going to have it," Meyer said. "Vote yes and pay less. Vote no and pay more."

The city is asking voters in the April election to approve a 20-year extension of a quarter-cent sales tax and a $72 million bond issue to finance construction of the new plant to help the city comply with government regulations.

In 2006 the Missouri Department of Natural Resources decided to no longer allow wastewater treatment facilities to divert excess rainwater into rivers and streams. Because heavy rainfalls result in large amounts of excess water for the facility, the city began planning how to accommodate the new regulation.

While the original intent was to expand the existing facility, he said, sinkholes around the plant would have made it a poor site for additional construction and difficult to secure bonds.

Meyer said paying for the plant would result in an average monthly increase of about $23 for sewer customers. While he knows this isn't welcome news to residents, he said the city worked hard to keep the cost as low as possible.

"This is the most efficient, most effective way to pay with the lowest impact to rates," he said. "We hate it. We're citizens, too, and we don't want to raise rates."

Meyer said he has looked at the sewer rates from other areas, and the proposed increase to customers is still lower than what is paid in cities of comparable size that have built a facility to comply with regulations.

Earlier last week the chamber and Old Town Cape endorsed both the sales tax extension and the bond issue.

Old Town Cape executive director Marla Mills said after much consideration and listening to the city's presentation, the board decided to endorse the measures.

"It's not really an option. We have to do it," she said. "It's not something that would be nice to do, it's something that has to be done."

The new plant would have a design capacity of 11 million gallons a day, an increase over the current 7 million gallon capacity. Mills said the new size allows for continued growth and development.

Real estate agent Tom Meyer attended Friday's program at the Show Me Center and said the new plant will be a good addition to the city's infrastructure, something that is a concern when attracting new residents and businesses.

"It shows the city is proactive and is advancing. Those are important for growth," he said. "People look at these things. It's a big plus."

Audience members didn't ask Meyer many questions about the upcoming ballot issues, but chamber president and CEO John Mehner said he has talked with people that are concerned with odors associated with the plant. Meyer said the process and tanks that will be used at the plant shouldn't produce any smells.

"If they are built right and designed right, there won't be an odor," Meyer said.

Others were concerned with plans for the existing plant. Meyer said while there weren't any definite uses yet, fire departments and law enforcement agencies have expressed interest in using it as a training ground.

cbartholomew@semissourian.com

243-8600

Pertinent address:

1333 N. Sprigg St., Cape Girardeau, MO