Cape Girardeau City Council members defended their decision Monday to hire a second consultant to plan for a new, indoor aquatic center.

Ward 1 Councilman Daniel Presson said “people get tired” of hearing about the city hiring consultants.

Ward 5 Councilman Ryan Essex agreed there is “consultant fatigue” on the part of many residents.

But Essex, Presson and other council members said the city staff doesn’t have the expertise needed to plan for an aquatic center and work out estimated costs.

City manager Scott Meyer told the council it is important to properly plan for a facility that could cost as much as $1 million a year to operate.

Essex said it is important to hire a consultant “who can bring this (project) across the finish line.”

Mayor Bob Fox called it a “wise use of tax dollars.”

Following the discussion, the council voted unanimously to hire St. Louis-based Counsilman-Hunsaker, an aquatic design and consulting firm.

The contract calls for the firm to be paid $25,750 for the planning work.

Meyer wrote in an agenda report to the council the consulting agreement will provide for a “phased approach.”

Once the council and the Cape Girardeau School Board approve a recommended plan, the contract could be “modified” to allow Counsilman-Hunsaker to draw up construction documents, Meyer wrote.

This will be the second consultant hired since October for the project.

Counsilman-Hunsaker was a “close second choice” last year, according to Meyer. At that time, the city hired Colorado-based Ohlson Lavoie Collaborative to handle the initial planning. The city paid that firm nearly $31,000.

The focus, this time, will be on developing construction and operational cost estimates for various design priorities, according to those involved in the planning process.

Meyer told the council the two consulting contracts combined total around the $55,000 city officials initially expected to pay for the first consulting contract.

Meyer said Ohlson Lavoie evaluated possible sites “on a grand scale.”

City and school officials decided to construct the aquatic center near Jefferson Elementary School.

An advisory committee will work with the newest consultant on the project.

The board, after looking at estimated costs, will make a recommendation to the City Council and the school board on the size and scope of an aquatic center.

The city and school district have committed $10 million toward the project, with $6 million coming from a city parks tax and $4 million from a school bond issue.

But city and school officials and committee members have said that is not enough to build an adequate facility.

Meyer estimated the project could cost about $15 million.

Medical marijuana

In other action, the council gave final approval to medical-marijuana zoning regulations that will allow dispensaries to be located as close as 500 feet from schools, day cares and churches. The measure was approved unanimously by the five council members in attendance.

Ward 4 Councilman Robbie Guard was absent, and the Ward 3 council seat is vacant with the departure of Victor Gunn.

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