Area councils hear details on transport plan

Members of city councils in Cape Girardeau, Jackson and Scott City took turns Tuesday listening to details of a plan that would unite them in securing about $90,000 annually in federal grants for roads, aviation projects and mass transit.

However, only Cape Girardeau's council voted for a resolution in support of forming the Greater Cape Girardeau Metropolitan Planning Organization. The other cities' councils chose to discuss the issue further.

A resolution backed by local governments is a first step in seeking the federal designation, said Mitch Robinson, executive director of the Cape Girardeau Area Industrial Recruitment Association. Robinson made separate presentations to council members in the three cities Tuesday.

The proposed planning group would involve Cape Girardeau, Jackson and Scott City, as well as Cape Girardeau County, which already has given its support.

The Cape Girardeau City Council voted 5-0 for a resolution supporting creation of an MPO. Council members Charlie Herbst and Marcia Ritter were absent Tuesday.

Cape Girardeau city manager Doug Leslie said creation of an MPO could allow local governments to secure federal grants to pay for planning for various transportation projects.

"This affects every facet of transportation including the airport and public transit," he said. "It lets us control our destiny to a greater extent."

Councilman Jay Purcell said creation of an MPO -- only the seventh in the state of Missouri -- could help attract new industry to the area. Some businesses, he said, look to locate in areas of the nation that have MPOs.

The discussion before the Jackson Board of Aldermen was basically one-sided, with Robinson explaining the benefits of an MPO.

Alderman Dale Rauh asked if the city of Jackson would have to pull out of the SEMO Regional Planning Commission. Robinson said yes, but only from the transportation committee.

Alderman Larry Cunningham asked who would name a director. A director would be appointed by the MPO committee, Robinson said, which would consist of nominees from Scott City, Cape Girardeau, Cape Girardeau County and Jackson.

Jackson's board agreed to take up the issue at its meeting next week.

At its Tuesday meeting, the Scott City Council unanimously decided to table a decision on the Cape Metropolitan Organization until its next meeting Sept. 20.

The council is waiting to find out more information about the voting structure of the MPO and how well Scott City would be represented before making a final decision.

"I don't think it will hurt us no matter what, but I'd like to hear about this before we vote on it," Scott City Mayor Tim Porch said.

Scott City's council has been trying to address problems with the Interstate 55 intersection.

"With the current situation, we've had the interchange on the to-do list for many years and it's never been done," Porch said.

Setting up the MPO depends on securing approval from the U.S. Census Bureau, which first must declare the region an urbanized area.

The three cities had a combined population of 51,887 in the 2000 census, more than the 50,000 total population needed. But the Census Bureau concluded in 2002 that despite the population total, the area didn't have sufficient density of 500 people per square mile to warrant the urbanized area designation needed to set up a MPO.

But Robinson said industrial recruitment association consultant Lonnie Haefner of St. Louis has discovered that a number of other areas of the nation with similar demographic issues have secured MPOs.

Missouri Department of Transportation officials estimated in 2001 that a Cape Girardeau MPO could receive about $90,000 annually in federal money for staff and other operating expenses. That money would have to be matched with about $18,000 from participating local governments.

Robinson has said a local MPO would qualify for a similar operating budget today.

Staff writers Kathryn Alfisi, Mark Bliss and Bob Miller contributed to this report