As Cape Girardeau city leaders prepare for the future, public safety seems to be the biggest concern.

Although a new police station has been one of the most discussed needs in public safety, at the Cape Girardeau City Council's annual retreat, it was pointed out that fire departments are suffering a shortage of basic needs as well.

Mayor Harry Rediger said at the beginning of the retreat that public safety is among the city's top concerns, and that sentiment was echoed by several council members and city staffers throughout the day. City manager Scott Meyer said it could not be stressed enough how important it is to communicate to voters the need to renew the one-eighth-cent portion of the fire tax that is vital to funding equipment replacement and upgrades.

"Safety is a top priority," Meyer said. "If you don't have safety, you don't have anything."

He provided the council with history of the fire tax and basic needs its funds provided, such as police and fire vehicles and safety gear. But the future of the tax is aimed at maintaining those needs and the current level of service, he said.

The biggest item on the list of things to be funded by the fire tax is replacing a fire station on Kurre Lane, which is one of the city's smallest. But according to information from city staff, the station responds to just as many -- if not more -- calls than larger stations. About $5 million is budgeted to build a new station.

Council members discussed how much money from the fire tax could be allocated for the police department and possibly go toward a new police station, the cost of which has been estimated at about $13 million, although Meyer said it could be done at a lower price. An official decision was not made, but council members discussed how to divide the tax fairly.

Councilman Mark Lanzotti expressed concern about divvying the funds before knowing for certain whether a quality fire station could be built with $5 million.

"Is $5 million a Cadillac or a tin shed with a garage door opener?" he said.

Fire chief Rick Ennis and police chief Wes Blair were asked to weigh in on the discussion. Ennis said he believed a quality station could be built with that money, since another station was built for $3.5 million about 10 years ago.

He also said he and the department support the taxes approved by the council because they understand how they affect the budget, but said many in his department were experiencing frustration over the fire tax.

"Think of my people when you say, 'Let's take a one-eighth-cent tax -- the smallest we have -- and take 50 percent or 40 percent and give it to the police station,'" Ennis said. "I'm not denying [the police department] needs help, but the tax is split because we both are conveniently public service."

Ennis pointed out safety impacts every department, so it might be worth the council's time to consider whether funds could be taken from a larger tax, such as the parks tax, to use for some police department needs.

Blair said he understood and appreciated the fire chief's point and that he and the rest of the police department would support the council's decision "whether we get 50 percent of that tax or 5 percent." He also said the department was making every effort to be more resourceful and is looking into grant possibilities to help pay for department needs.

The Greater Cape Girardeau Business Park also was a hot topic at the retreat. Pepsi MidAmerica recently was announced as the park's first tenant, and a $3.1 million customer service center could be open as soon as next summer.

As the city works to entice more tenants, staff provided council members with a conceptual layout that divides the property into parcels, the largest being 21.5 acres and the smallest 2.75 acres. Although that layout is subject to change as more tenants come forward, it sparked a conversation about creating policies before renting or selling property.

Councilman Wayne Bowen said it was important to set policies to discourage "microparcels." Other areas failed to set the guidelines early and ran into problems when businesses that didn't fit the model rented or purchased 1 acre or smaller of land.

Meyer also said they wanted to make it clear to those interested in the business park that the city only wants to attract businesses that will create new jobs, not take them away from other areas.

srinehart@semissourian.com

388-3641

Pertinent address:

Cape Girardeau, Mo.