GAMBLING TOPIC AT SCOTT CITY CLOSED MEETING

SCOTT CITY -- The Scott City Council gathered for an unannounced meeting Monday night and, without news media present, discussed its plan of action regarding riverboat gambling.

Scott City Mayor Larry Forhan said Tuesday the result of the meeting was a decision to put forth a city ordinance at the next regular council meeting that, if passed, would allow voters to decide whether or not they want riverboat gambling in Scott City. The council is scheduled to meet in regular session on Monday.

Though the news media were not notified, the council called the "emergency" meeting Monday to act on a liquor license, according to Forhan.

It was, said Forhan, "for the purpose of having a public hearing on a bar in town -- I think it was called Rocs' -- which evidently had not renewed their liquor license. They just forgot. Instead of putting them out of business, a special meeting was called."

At the close of the public hearing -- which had not been advertised in local newspapers -- Forhan said "a couple of the council members wanted to close the meeting. They had invited some members of the (Southeast Missouri Regional Port Authority) to sit in on the closed session to discuss city business."

There was no immediate indication on which Scott City Council members were present or which port authority members.

The Missouri's Open Meetings Law requires proper public notification before governing bodies can convene.

The topic of the closed session was riverboat gambling.

Last November, Scott County voters rejected riverboat gambling, while voters in Scott City precincts supported the measure. The issue may be resubmitted to county voters later this year.

But with the Scott City Council's decision Monday, the city would be moving ahead. If the ordinance is passed by the council and the measure is passed by local voters, the city will then attempt a "friendly annexation" of the land east of the city along Highway K to the port.

Officials in Scott City have discussed in the past the possibility of annexing at least a part of the port authority, where Casino Magic, a riverboat gambling company, has an option to least about 25 acres.

Cape Girardeau County Presiding Commissioner Gene Huckstep previously has said he has serious reservations about having a gambling boat at the port and fears it would limit the port's potential to attract other types of industries.

He also opposes annexation of the port authority by any city, be it Scott City or Cape Girardeau.

During the campaign last fall, officials of Casino Magic projected additional tax revenue for Scott County of $2 million, most of which would go to Scott City if the election were confined to the city.

Huckstep has said Cape Girardeau County would likely take legal action to prevent annexation of the port by Scott City.

The Southeast Missouri Regional Port Authority is jointly owned by Cape Girardeau and Scott counties and has land in both counties. The proposed site of the gambling boat is in Scott County.