City of Cape accomplishments from 2024

It’s always wise to look back at the work and progress of the past, to help determine how to best move forward. It is also important for the public to know what and how the City of Cape Girardeau accomplishes with its annual budget. With all that in mind, I’ve asked our city administrators to share some of the 2024 highlights and accomplishments seen in their respective departments, and that very abbreviated list is what follows — all in service to the citizens of Cape Girardeau:

Public Works

Wastewater Treatment Plant

• Produced 688 tons of fertilizer as part of the City’s biosolids program

• Treated 2 billion gallons of wastewater (averaged 5.4 million gallons every day)

• Serviced and maintained the City’s 32 lift stations

• Got the Influent Pump Station Mechanical Screen project under contract

Water Treatment Plant and Distribution

• Produced 2.2 billion gallons of potable water

• Repaired 54 water main breaks

• Rehabbed the Cape County Park and College Tanks, and repaired a leak on Gordonville Tank

• Along with the City Engineering Department, worked with design consultants for the Hydrated Lime System and Filter Gallery Piping Modifications projects, got them out for bid, and began construction

Sewer Line Maintenance

• Inspected 1,246 manholes

• Responded to 47 sewer calls/complaints

• Repaired 22 sanitary sewer mains

Streets

• Picked up 1,100 tons of leaves utilizing 1,856 man hours

• Plowed 1,955 miles of streets using 288 man hours for three snow events

• Picked up 259 tons of limbs, spent 765 man hours on storm damage

• Spent 2,192 man hours patching potholes

• Used 3,064 man hours for mowing, brush clearing, and trimming/grading alleys

Solid Waste

• Picked up 8,521 tons of solid waste, and processed 45,134 tons at the Transfer Station

• Picked up 1,864 tons of recycling on routes and in the recycling center, and processed 1,993 tons of recycling at the Transfer Station

• Performed 2,236 special Wednesday pickups

Fleet

• Processed 238,007 gallons of fuel through the City’s fueling island

• Worked through 5,699 work orders using 10,052 man hours

• Purchased 22 vehicles/pieces of equipment

Stormwater/Floodwall

• Closed out the Inflow & Infiltration Cured-in-Place-Pipe Project

• Managed the Manhole Rehab Project

• Repaired 31 stormwater intakes, lids and pipes, and built 30 new lids

• Spent 936 man hours manning the two downtown stormwater pump stations due to the Mississippi River being above flood stage

Engineering

• Work on Lexington Avenue from Big Bend Road to Cape Rock Drive is complete, and work will continue from Sherwood Drive to Carolina Lane

• The South Sprigg Street project is designed and under construction contract

• Design for the North Sprigg Street project was completed

• Intersection construction at Minnesota and Route 74 was completed and will soon open

Development

Issued 20 demolition permits

• Completed the demolition of 4 properties

• Provided critical support in facilitating the demolition of the remaining 16

• Transitioned 12 condemned properties to redevelopment status

• Processed 130 new Business License applications

• Processed 99 new residential home permits

Cape Girardeau Regional Airport

• The new terminal opened in August

• New flights to Chicago O’Hare International Airport began Oct. 1 with Contour Airlines

• In-line agreements with American, United and Alaska airlines were put in place with these new flights to and from O’Hare

• The Taxiway D reconstruction project began, aided by a $2.4 million FAA grant

• Enplanements (bookings) are up 28% and fuel sales are up 23% over 2023

• Construction of 20 new T-Hangars was completed

• The U.S. Aviation Academy agreed in terms to expand and move operations into the old terminal building

Parks and Recreation

• Renovation of Ranney Park was completed, including a new playground, park benches, restroom, accessible parking and renovated shelter

• Partnered with Southeast Missouri State and the Cape Catfish for the addition of a restroom facility on the plaza and a new outfield fence at Capaha Field

• Hosted the Babe Ruth World Series for a second year in a row at Capaha Field

• Opened Walker Park to the public, which included removing two old houses, clearing trees and brush and establishing a gravel parking area for visitors

• Moved Visit Cape into the Osage Centre and have nearly completed renovation of the facility to also serve as the Cape Girardeau Visitor Center

• Accepted a bid on the Youth Outdoor Sports Complex project at the Shawnee Complex

• In partnership with SEMO, a cross country/community walking course in Osage Park was created, and the course hosted the MSHSAA District Meet for Classes 4 and 5 and a large SEMO Invitational Meet

• Completed construction and opened the Cape Aquatic Center

• Completed the preliminary plans for widening and overlay improvements to the Cape LaCroix Recreation Trail, from Bloomfield Road to Shawnee Park

• Hosted 27 leagues, 43 camps/classes and 103 events/programs

Administration

• Since 2022 there has been an average 18% increase in the wages of city employees

• The Human Resources Department has helped facilitate vast improvements in the City’s ability to attract and hire new staff across all departments — in 2024 the City received more than 3,000 applications for City positions

• Continued conservative budgeting resulted in the City’s ability to adequately reserve funds for emergencies and increase the general fund balance

• The Finance Department challenged further operating efficiencies in each department

Fire Department

• Received a regional Assistance to Firefighters Grant for $94,452.39, which allowed for replacement of the Cape FD’s entire 5-inch diameter supply hose inventory

• The Captain/Training Officer position was added, with the following responsibilities: training new recruits as they navigate their probationary period; teaching Medical First Responder (MFR) and Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) training to Fire Cadets who are hired without their medical certification; and coordinating and executing the Annual Training Plan to the entire department.

• One firefighter EMT obtained their paramedic certification; four firefighters began EMT training; and two firefighter EMTs began paramedic training.

• A $122,000 grant project was secured to provided a new brush firefighting vehicle, replacing the brush truck from 1987.

Police Department

• All new body-worn cameras and in-car computers were obtained for all officers.

• Three new K-9 dogs joined the Cape PD: K9 Ella is a firearms and ammunition detection dog, the first of her kind in the region; K9 Gaston and K9 Nerro also joined the ranks to assist in narcotics, tracking and apprehension cases.

• Two co-responders started with the City full time and are used almost daily to deal with individuals suffering from a mental health crisis.

• 2024 saw major improvements in department vacancies: Officers: in July there were 17 openings, but that number is now down to four; communications (dispatch): one vacancy, with one currently in process; abatement: there are currently two full-time openings; jailers: there are currently seven full-time openings.

• There were 37,486 calls for service, and 5,932 cases, which is all several times more than surrounding departments in our region.

• Cape PD officers worked 135 DWI cases within city limits.

It’s very important to consider that all of this comes from the support of the community in various tax initiatives and approved budgets and requires the work of hundreds of City of Cape employees — with a very diverse skill set and a lot of hard work — to get these things accomplished on behalf of our citizens.

In all this, the hiring and staffing is crucial — facilities, equipment, and plans can be provided, but without the right people doing all these jobs, the community doesn’t benefit. To all our city staff and administrators, I want to send a big thank you on behalf of the City Council for a job well done in 2024! There have been so many things going on in Cape this past year, and the municipal government that supports it all can’t accomplish a single thing without everyone doing their part, with a mission for great customer service to the public.

Stacy Kinder is mayor of Cape Girardeau.