Council gives SEMO time to raise funds

The Cape Girardeau City Council has given Southeast Missouri State University a two-year extension to raise its portion of River Campus Project funds after university president Ken Dobbins said the university would have raised its money already if not for a lawsuit that has held things up for two years.

Dobbins appeared before the council at Monday night's meeting to speak on a proposed revision to an ordinance that said that if the state and university had not raised its funds for the campus project by Dec. 31, money raised from the voter-approved tax would go toward paying off the Show Me Center bonds.

Dobbins told the council that the university has raised more than half of the money it will put towards the $35.6 million project -- including a $250,000 and $200,000 donation within the past week.

Dobbins said that the university would have already raised its money if not for a lawsuit filed by Cape Girardeau businessman Jim Drury.

Extension opposed

Drury brought the lawsuit challenging the city's participation in the River Campus project, stalling the project for the past two years.

Drury and his lawyer, Sam Drusch, appeared at the meeting. Only Drusch spoke, and then only to say they opposed the extension.

The council voted 6-1 to approve the extension with councilman Frank Stoffregen voting in opposition. Stoffregen argued that the voters approved the tax based on information that if the money had not been raised by Dec. 31, it would pay off Show Me Center bonds.

Extending the tax goes against the voters, he said, adding that he believes that the university project would happen regardless of city participation.

"We told voters it was going to be this way on this date," he said. "We even sent out information telling them that."

But Mayor Al Spradling III said that voters voted for the project without knowing that it would be tied up in court.

"I don't know that there's anything we can do to satisfy Mr. Drury," he said. "We didn't delay this and the university didn't delay this."

City manager Michael Miller agreed.

"It wasn't our plan to be in court for two years," Miller said. "Voters said they approved the issue and to take that away would take away their vote. I believe the citizens of this town can accept us looking at these changed circumstances and being practical."

Spradling said he believes the intent of Drury is to stall the project, but Drusch said after the meeting they want to defeat it.

"This is just another way to skin a cat," Drusch said. "They know what that original ordinance said."

The university will now have until Dec. 31, 2003, to raise its portion.

smoyers@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 137