A breakneak schedule of water bond issue presentations began at H.R.H. Dumplin's Tuesday night.

In an effort to educate the public about the need to increase Cape Girardeau's clean water supply, city staff will speak to almost 40 groups in the next month. The first was the West End Merchants Association.

On Nov. 5, Cape Girardeau voters will decide whether to pass a $26.5 million bond issue. They also will decide whether to pass a quarter-cent sales tax to pay the debt service.

It's a necessary investment, water system manager Tom Taggart said Wednesday. If something isn't done to address the problem, the city simply will run out of water.

If the measures pass, the city will drill more wells and expand one of the two water plants within the next five years. The plan is to increase capacity at the Cape Rock Water Plant over a maximum of 20 years. Eventually, that plant would produce 10 million gallons per day.

The plant currently produces 4.5 MGD, while the Ramsey Branch Plant produces 2.8 MGD. Citizens already have used 94 percent of total capacity in one day, and Taggart said a water shortage will begin sometime in the next two years.

But citizens aren't ready to accept the city's plant without question, as the West End Merchants Association meeting proved. Taggart said he hoped the 30-plus similar meetings will educate all voters.

The merchants at the meeting saw a slide show featuring several graphs charting water usage and several photos illustrating the city's growth.

At the end of the presentation, there was a question-and-answer session.

Association Vice President Bob Hoppmann asked about using the proposed Bollinger Lake as a source. The idea of building a large, recreational lake for the area has been discussed for years.

The problem with using the lake is that no plans for it have been finalized, Taggart said.

"We have talked to the people involved, and there isn't any problem with using a lake to get water," he said. "The problem is the timing. They are looking at a seven- or eight-year horizon on that. We will be out of water long before then."

Schnucks manager Dennis Marchi expressed concern about financing the improvements with a sales tax. He said the increase may start driving business outside the city limits.

City Planner Kent Bratton confirmed that passage of the measure would put Cape Girardeau's sales tax higher than some nearby communities. It would be a quarter-cent higher than Sikeston's.

Hoppmann said he would support the bond issue anyway.

"It seems to be necessary," he said. "Nobody wants their taxes going up, but you can't just not have water."

The question now is if issue promoters can convince a majority of the voters. Association President Randy Holdman said that may be a problem.

"I supported everything that Tom said, but the problem is the public's perception," he said. "We just had a half-cent sales tax passed last year, they're talking about a school bond issue in the spring, and people on fixed incomes can put all that together."

Meetings on the proposed water bond issue

Thursday, Sept. 26

4 p.m. -- Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce *

6:30 p.m. -- Kiwanis Club at Holiday Inn

Monday, Sept. 30

7 a.m. -- Cape Girardeau Police Department

Noon -- Rotary Club at Holiday Inn

1:15 p.m. -- Fire Station One

3 p.m. -- City Council Chambers

3 p.m. -- Cape Girardeau Police Department

Tuesday, Oct. 1

1:15 p.m. -- Fire Station One

Wednesday, Oct. 2

10 a.m. -- City Council Chambers

1:15 p.m. -- A.C. Brase Arena Building

Thursday, Oct. 3

8 a.m. -- A.C. Brase Arena Building

6:30 p.m. -- American Business Women's Association at Drury Lodge

Monday, Oct. 7

2 p.m. -- AARP at Grace United Methodist Church

Tuesday, Oct. 8

6 p.m. -- SEMO Homebuilders at Port Cape

8 p.m. -- Zonta Club at the Holiday Inn

Wednesday, Oct. 9

6 p.m. -- Planning and Zoning Commission at the Council Chambers

7:30 p.m. -- Doctors Park *

Thursday, Oct. 10

6 p.m. -- Evening Optimists at Port Cape

Cape Girardeau Legal Secretaries Association *

Friday, Oct. 11

4 p.m. -- Water Plant Open House

Monday, Oct. 14

6 p.m. -- County Bar Young Lawyers at Lowes & Drusch

7 p.m. -- Jaycees at Port Cape

Tuesday, Oct. 15

Noon -- Area Engineers at Holiday Inn

Thursday, Oct. 17

Noon -- Cape West Rotary at Holiday Inn

7 p.m. -- League of Women Voters Forum at Cape Girardeau Public Library

Monday, Oct. 21

6:30 a.m. -- Breakfast Optimists at Drury Lodge

Tuesday, Oct. 22

Noon -- Board of Realtors at Drury Lodge

2 p.m. -- Chateau Girardeau

5:30 p.m. -- Downtown Merchants Association *

Wednesday, Oct. 23

7 a.m. -- Vision 2000

10:45 a.m. -- Cape Senior Center

Noon -- Lions Club at Holiday Inn

Thursday, Oct. 24

10 a.m. -- KZIM, Talk of Cape

5 p.m. -- Public information meeting at City Council Chambers

Saturday, Oct. 26

10 a.m. -- Water Plant Open House

Tuesday, Oct. 29

5 p.m. -- Public information meeting at City Council Chambers

Friday, Nov. 1

7:30 a.m. -- First Friday Coffee *

* = place or time hasn't been confirmed