CITY COUNCIL EYES INCREASE IN TRASH FEES

For the second time in less than two years, the Cape Girardeau City Council will consider the unpopular act of raising citizens trash fees.

In June 1992, a split council approved a $1.64 per month trash-fee hike that took effect in August 1992. The council's action prompted citizen reproach and calls for privitization of solid waste services.

On Monday, the council will consider a $1.46 hike, which would bring the monthly trash fee to $12 per household.

John Richbourg, the city's finance director, said in a letter to council members that solid waste operations are more costly now due to a hike in trash disposal costs, the expense of closing the city's landfill and higher dues assessed by the Region R Solid Waste Management District.

"The city's current residential solid waste rate of $10.54 ... will not be enough to cover these costs," Richbourg said.

The city staff recommended the council approve the 13.8 percent rate increase.

Most of the $1.46 hike will go toward landfill closure costs (66 cents) and other increased operating costs (61 cents).

Trash hauling and disposal is expected to cost an additional 12 cents per customer each month, and the increased solid waste district dues will cost another 7 cents, Richbourg said.

"This increase will allow the city to maintain the $12 rate for the next 18 months unless additional unforeseen costs are required to be paid by the city," the finance director added. "After that time, the residential rates will be adjusted on an annual basis during the budgeting process."

The city administration also has recommended that the tipping fee at the city's transfer station be increased from $30 to $33.

"Of this recommended increase, $2.27 is the result of the new landfill disposal contract," Richbourg said. "This increase will allow the city to maintain the $33 rate through December 1994, when the landfill disposal costs will increase per our current contract."

When trash fees were raised in 1992, the majority of council members said cost increases associated with state and federal mandates made the fee increase necessary, without which the city would be forced to subsidize the service with general tax revenue.

At that time, the monthly trash free was increased from $8.90 to $10.54.

In other business, the council will consider reappointing Municipal Judge Edward E. Calvin to a third five-year term.

Council members also will consider Calvin's request to increase the municipal judge's annual salary to $52,000.

In a letter to City Manager J. Ronald Fischer, Calvin said his case load has more than doubled since he was appointed in 1983.

Court time has increased from three or four hours weekly to 17 hours, and Calvin said he devotes another 15 hours weekly to "miscellaneous court matters."

To handle the growing case load, a second law day was added to Calvin's docket. With a base salary of about $50,000, the additional court time was compensated with a $11,700 grant from the Community Traffic Safety Committee.

"These programs have been very helpful in adding additional court sessions to relieve the backlog in handling traffic cases," Calvin said.

But 1994 will be the last year that the Community Traffic Safety Committee will subsidize the court, he added.

"In my opinion, it will not be possible to eliminate the Thursday Court sessions," Calvin said.

"Since I cannot see any way to eliminate any of the time presently being taken to conduct the municipal court, and I am confident that I am going to have to increase the hours, I am hereby requesting that for the new term, the salary of the municipal judge be set at the single sum of $2,000 bi-weekly."

The new salary would compute to $28-$33 per hour, Calvin said.

"The position is referred to as a part-time judge, but it truly consumes as much time as the full-time state judges," he said.

Other agenda items for Monday's council meeting include:

-- A request by Bible Missionary Baptist Church for a special use permit to build a parsonage aside a church at 2885 Hopper Road in a single-family residential zone.

The planning and zoning commission recommended approval of the request.

-- Consideration of a six-month extension of TCI-Cablevision of Missouri's cable television franchise with the city while contract negotiations continue.

-- Appointment of a council member to represent the city on the Cape Girardeau Area Industrial Recruitment Association Board of Directors.

The current council representative is Mayor Gene Rhodes whose term expires Dec. 31.

-- A request by Pauline L. Suttles for a special use permit to place a mobile home at 1015 N. Spanish in a single-family residential district.

Bratton said the mobile home would replace a flood-damaged home on the lot. The planning and zoning commission recommended the request be denied.