City council green-lights upgrades for fire stations

Agreements approved Monday night by the Cape Girardeau City Council gave the go-ahead for some fire station projects and granted more time for a bridge project.

In August, the city began seeking requests for qualifications for architectural and engineering design firms for the fire-station projects.

Nine firms responded and were evaluated by city staff. St. Louis firm JEMA ultimately was recommended by the group.

The planned improvements would occur at stations 1 and 2, said city manager Scott Meyer.

They are among the projects city officials pledged would be completed with the 2014 renewal of the quarter-cent fire sales tax that is divided into ongoing and renewable portions.

At Station 1 on South Sprigg Street, the south wall will be removed to add a bay that will increase storage space.

A workout room for on-duty firefighters will be added, as well as security components to the lobby and front reception area. The kitchen, shower and restroom areas will be updated, and the open living quarters will receive partitions to help create more privacy and personal space at each bunk.

Station 2 on South Mount Auburn Road houses a ladder truck and the truck that responds to calls at the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport.

It also is the station where firetrucks are taken for maintenance and repairs.

Sometimes that means the station's trucks have to be parked outside to make room for those being brought in for repairs. Assistant fire chief Mark Hasheider has said weather can take a toll on equipment that has to be parked outside.

To solve that problem, Station 2 will receive an additional mechanical bay and storage annex.

Another problem the city is hoping to solve soon deals with the sinkhole-riddled portion of South Sprigg Street.

The area around the South Sprigg bridge has been closed since 2013 after a large sinkhole collapsed part of the nearby street, and another sinkhole formed near the base of the bridge.

Last year, the city entered into an emergency relief fund agreement with the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission for building the bridge and part of the roadway. Since then, the city has been forced to wait for an act of Congress to receive the money.

Rather than continue waiting, the city recently was approved for a low-interest loan with the Missouri Transportation Finance Commission for the project.

Still, the congressional delay set the city behind on the project, which is why the council is considering the supplemental agreement with the state highways and transportation commission.

The agreement approved by council grants an extension, Meyer said, with a new deadline of Sept. 30 to begin the project.

"I think we'll hit this one," he said of the extended deadline.

The council's final ordinance of the night amends the city's residential rental licensing ordinance. Approved by the council in October 2012, the latest ordinance seeks to include revisions recently identified by staff to make the measure more effective.

As Meyer said, the ordinance makes some changes specifying certain terms and details.

The measure does not include any fee increases, he added.

Among the revisions are additional definitions for the terms "emergency escape and rescue opening" and "rent or lease"; an update on allowed occupancy per unit; and an additional requirement for a compliance inspection before a utility service is reconnected, if the utility has been disconnected for more than 10 days.

Initial approval to the ordinance was granted by the council Monday, with the final reading to be held at the Nov. 16 meeting.

srinehart@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3641

Pertinent address:

401 Independence St. Cape Girardeau, Mo.

1 S. Sprigg St., Cape Girardeau, Mo.

378 S. Mount Auburn Road, Cape Girardeau, Mo.