A joint committee of Cape Girardeau and Jackson officials came away from an hour-long meeting Tuesday with a desire to develop 5-, 10- and 20-year annexation plans to accommodate growth of both cities.

It was the first meeting of the committee, which wants to develop a map that outlines possible future boundaries for the two cities. The committee is scheduled to meet again at 3 p.m. June 23 at the Jackson City Hall.

The Cape Girardeau City Council and the Jackson Board of Aldermen met jointly in January to discuss a need for cooperation. The eight-member committee was established at that meeting.

Tuesday's meeting was held at Cape Girardeau's Osage Community Centre.

Committee members said Interstate 55 serves as a boundary between the two cities from Highway 61 on the north. South of the I-55-Highway 61 interchange future boundaries for the two cities are less clear, they said.

Jackson Mayor Paul Sander said the committee is not trying "to jam annexation down anybody's throat."

Both Sander and Cape Girardeau Mayor Al Spradling III said their cities will look at voluntary annexations, and they don't plan to force annexation upon outlying areas.

Spradling said cities have to provide municipal services within three years to any area they annex. The restriction effectively limits how quickly cities can expand.

In addition to Spradling, Cape Girardeau is represented on the committee by Councilman Richard Eggimann, Planning and Zoning Commission chairman R.J. McKinney and city planner Kent Bratton.

Jackson is represented by Sander, Alderman Kerry Hoffman, Rodney Bollinger of the public works office and Bernard Proffer of the Jackson Planning and Zoning Commission.

Sander said construction of a Jackson elementary school along Highway 25 would lead to new residential growth in the area of Highway 25 and Route K at Gordonville. He said Highway 25 offers a natural corridor for the southward expansion of Jackson's city limits.

Cape Girardeau looks to expand west of Interstate 55 in an area between Bloomfield Road and the south side of Route K. The area includes the new Notre Dame High School.

Another area of expected growth for Cape Girardeau is along Route W, Spradling said.

"I think we are primed for expansion and growth," said Spradling.

Hoffman said Jackson also expects to see major growth. "This is just the start."

Jackson hopes to persuade the Missouri Department of Transportation to build an interchange that would link an expanded East Main Street to I-55. That could spur growth on the city's east side, Jackson officials said.

That road could tie in with Cape Girardeau's long-range plans for a northern road east of I-55 that generally would follow the path of county roads 618 and 638, Bratton said.

If that occurred, Sprigg Street likely would be extended north to connect with such a road, Bratton said.

Spradling said it is important for coordinated planning for both cities so that residential areas don't end up being built next to future industrial tracts.

Future expansion won't change school district boundaries. As the cities grow, more students in the expanding city limits of Cape Girardeau could find themselves in the Jackson School District, Sander said. Students in expanding areas of Jackson could find themselves in the Cape Girardeau School District.