Gun Task Force to present recommendations to Cape Council on Tuesday

Cape Girardeau's Gun Violence Task Force will present a list of recommendations to the City Council on Tuesday, Jan. 21, at City Hall.

The committee held its last meeting Thursday, Dec. 5, as members compiled their first draft of recommendations. While the final list is not available in the agenda, the first draft included maximizing resources available to law enforcement and improving recruitment, retention and enrollment.

The task force included in the recommendations to encourage and grow efforts in maintaining safe neighborhoods and rental properties. The task force agreed at the meeting that bringing attention to issues and hurdles in the juvenile justice system would also be part of the recommendations.

"We believe this should be one of your highest priority advocacy issues for the City of Cape Girardeau," Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce president Rob Gilligan said at the Dec. 5 meeting.

The council will also vote on adopting a Community Development Block Grant Program Citizen Participation Plan. According to the agenda report, the developed plan complies with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) regulations that govern the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program.

The City of Cape Girardeau's website states the program is a resource that would enable the city to address issues such as affordable housing, infrastructure improvements, economic development and public services. The report states that public input on the Citizen Participation Plan (CPP) was "solicited through a 30-day public comment period," Dec. 15, 2024, to Jan. 15, 2025.

"The CPP outlines the City’s procedures for engaging residents, community organizations, and other stakeholders in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the CDBG program," the report states.

To see the drafted plan, visit this website.