'Sensitive' letter about Aquatics facility closed to public; board postpones decision on location

A Jackson contractor has submitted a "letter of interest" as a possible partner for an indoor aquatics center, but Cape Girardeau city officials have declined to disclose the proposal and opted to discuss the matter in a closed session Wednesday.

Penzel Construction Co. was one of three entities to submit a letter of interest. The other two letters came from the Cape Girardeau School District and the City of Cape Girardeau.

Both the school district and the city have expressed interest in partnering on the project. Both local governments provided the Southeast Missourian with copies of their letters.

But Cape Girardeau parks and recreation director Julia Jones and other city officials declined to publicly reveal the proposal from Penzel Construction.

A joint city/school district planning committee held a closed-door session Wednesday to discuss the letters of interest. Jones said the committee met behind closed doors because of the "sensitivity" surrounding the Penzel letter.

They did not cite any specific provision of Missouri's Sunshine Law in voting to go into closed session, an action attorney Jean Maneke said did not comply with the law.

Maneke, who advises the Missouri Press Association, told the Southeast Missourian "sensitivity" is not a legal reason for a closed meeting. There could be matters of discussion, however, that could cause the meeting to be closed to the public, such as negotiations over the purchase of property and other provisions.

A six-member committee of city and school representatives have spent months working with consultants in an effort to develop final recommendations on both location and scope of such a project.

The project is the cornerstone of a tax initiative approved by Cape Girardeau voters in April.

Voters extended a parks/stormwater sales tax. As part of the initiative, the City Council pledged to spend $6 million of the tax money to construct an indoor aquatic center to replace the aging Central Municipal Pool.

Voters were told site, size and design aspects still had to be finalized, and the eventual project could involve a partnership with other entities such as the school district.

Committee members met Wednesday in open session at Jefferson Elementary School before voting to go into closed session. Committee members later adjourned the meeting without deciding on a site for the project.

Cape Girardeau city officials previously have said letters of interest could help determine the location for the aquatic project.

Cape Girardeau city manager Scott Meyer said after the meeting the city did not have to disclose the contents of the letter because it involved a private party and could be considered part of a negotiation.

Phil Penzel, construction company owner, did not return messages left by the Southeast Missourian seeking comment on the letter.

The letter from the school district said the school board has committed to spending $4 million to help build the facility if voters approve a bond issue next year.

School officials also pledged to pay some of the annual operating costs as it currently is doing in operating Central Municipal Pool.

The city pays about 60 percent of the operating costs, with the school district paying the other 40 percent.

The city and school district have shared operating costs for over 40 years, according to the letter. "Last year, our portion was approximately $69,000," school officials said.

"We are extremely excited about the opportunity to build something that will better serve our students and the citizens of Cape Girardeau. We truly hope this long-standing partnership will persist," the letter stated.

Members of the advisory committee last week narrowed the list of possible sites to three: a tract at Highway 74 and South West End Boulevard bordering Jefferson Elementary School, one near the Cape Girardeau SportsPlex and another near the Osage Centre.

But school officials have made it clear they want the facility built near a school.

Cape Girardeau schools superintendent Neil Glass told fellow committee members Wednesday in open session he would not support the Osage Centre site.

During that session, consultants on a conference call discussed a submitted concept design featuring a 50-meter competition pool and a much smaller leisure pool.

Consultant David Sprague of Denver said the proposed 36,390-square-foot facility would cost an estimated $18 million.

Jones, the parks director, said that far exceeds the budget. "Right now, we only have $10 million," she said.

But Glass suggested the project cost could be trimmed if the school district ends up building a new, 11,000-square-foot gymnasium/cafeteria addition to Jefferson School. That facility could be connected to a new aquatic center and double as space for concessions and other operations associated with a new center, he said.

Jones said there also could be cost savings if the indoor facility is built adjacent to the Osage Centre.

mbliss@semissourian.com

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