CHAMBER SURVEYS MEMBERS ON PRIORITIES

Keeping businesses in Cape Girardeau and business expansions are priorities of Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce members, a survey by the group said.

Other priorities are economic development and recruiting industries to the area.

The priorities were established during the chamber's annual "Three-minute Survey."

"This is no surprise," said John Mehner, chamber president and chief executive officer. "Obviously, economic development and business retention are going to be at the top. They always are."

Mehner also anticipated that work-force issues would be high on the list. They were third.

"It's good to have low unemployment," said Mehner. "It presents opportunities to better train the workers we have and to work toward increasing the present work-force."

The work-force issue has consistently moved up the range of priorities since the chamber started its survey five years ago.

Latest statistics reveal about 34,300 workers in Cape Girardeau County with more than 33,000 with jobs, for an unemployment rate of 3.8 percent. Those workers also have jobs in two adjoining counties -- Perry County, with a 2.9 percent unemployment rate, and Bollinger County, with a 3.9 percent unemployment rate.

The chamber continues to work in this area, said Mehner. The chamber has been partnering with the Southeast Missouri Regional Training Group and urges members to get more involved with that organization.

Education and health care round out the top five issues in the survey.

"We look at the results of these surveys two ways," said Mehner, "We use the results to build our priorities and formulate our business plan for the coming year, and it gives every chamber member an opportunity to provide input on what directions we take."

More than 350 of the more than 1,100 surveys mailed were returned.

Members also rated the chamber's performance on a number of items in the survey.

More than 95 percent of those casting ballots believed the chamber's overall rating ranked good to excellent. Forty-seven percent rated it excellent and 50 percent good.

One of the highest ratings came in business services. The chamber received an excellent rating from 53 percent of the votes and a good rating form 43 percent.

Members were also asked to tell what their friends, relatives and co-workers have been talking about the past year.

"There was no clear-cut topic this year," said Mehner. A year ago people were most interested in the public schools and building programs. This year they were talking about a number of things -- education, availability of qualified workers, health care, crime issues and the River Campus.

Members rated a list of 15 issues provided by the chamber.

Chamber survey results

Members rated a list of 15 issues provided by the chamber.

Survey results

Issues by priority

1. Business retention and expansion

2. Economic development, recruiting new industry

3. Availability of competent workers

4. Education, K-12

5. Health care (affordability and quality).

6. Crime issues

7. Infrastructure: streets, sewers, utilities

8. Growth: population, annexation

9. Transportation, including airport

10. Higher education

11. Governmental: legislative affairs, local, state, national

12, Downtown vitality.

13. Housing: diversity, affordability

14. Welfare to Work issues

15. Vision 2020.

Local Talk-About Issues

1. Education

2. Availability of workers

3. Health-care costs

4. Crime issues

5. River Campus

6. City of Cape Girardeau

7. Transportation

8. Hospital merger

9. Economic development

10. Affordable housing

Chamber Performances

Overall rating of chamber: 47 percent, excellent; 50 percent, good; 3 percent, fair.

Business services: 53 percent, excellent; 39 percent, good; 7 percent, fair; 1 percent, poor.

Community-based economic development: 35 percent, excellent; 50 percent, good; 13 percent, fair; 2 percent, poor.

Governmental affairs: 26 percent, excellent; 50 percent, good; 23 percent, fair; 1 percent, poor.

Leadership roles: 39 percent, excellent; 44 percent, good, 15 percent, fair; 2 percent, poor.

Newsletter, communications: 40 percent, excellent; 48 percent, good; 12 percent, fair.