JACKSON - The Cape Girardeau County Commission will delay action on a proposed zoning ordinance until after the November general election, Presiding Commissioner Gene Huckstep said Monday.

The commission had hoped to have the ordinance approved and in effect by this time. But earlier this year, a group of citizens waged a petition drive because they did not like certain provisions of the ordinance.

The petition drive will put a question before voters in November, asking whether Cape County should have planning and zoning.

Under state law, since voters approved county planning in 1972, the county commission has the authority to enact a zoning ordinance without going back to a vote of the people.

But Huckstep said there is no reason to enact an ordinance until after an election.

"We want to get the true facts out on this issue and then let the people decide," declared Huckstep.

When voters go to the polls on the question, they will not be voting on this specific plan, but rather on the concept of planning and zoning.

If the question is defeated, Huckstep said it could result in the present planning commission being abolished and all planning, subdivision, and other regulations being eliminated until such time as voters approved planning again.

Even some of the supporters of the petition drive have stressed they do not want to abolish all of the regulations on development in the unincorporated areas of Cape County. They have said they have concerns with parts of the proposed zoning ordinance.

Under state law, however, the only way voters can keep the zoning ordinance from being implemented, is by voting out the whole system.

County Clerk Rodney Miller explained that around the first of May enough petitions were submitted to his office to put the issue to voters. The petitions specifically called for a November vote.

After the planning commission prepared the proposed ordinance and conducted a public hearing in each of the county's 10 townships, it submitted a proposed ordinance to the county commission in April.

Huckstep said he has read the ordinance several times to become familiar with it and hopes the entire commission can meet soon with J. Fred Waltz, attorney for the planning commission, to address some of the concerns about the plan that have been raised.

"We plan to do some heavy discussion with Mr. Waltz on this thing so we have a clear understanding of it," said Huckstep.

In August, Huckstep said, an effort will begin to inform voters about what zoning involves.

He believes the best way to get voters to vote yes in November is to help them understand what the ordinance will do.

"They will be voting on it in principle, but if it passes, they will know what we are going to implement," noted Huckstep. "We look forward to having a true and accurate discussion on the issues."

Huckstep said he believes some of the opposition that made the petition effort successful is because many people did not fully understand the proposed ordinance.

"There has been a lot of false information out about this and there are a lot of mistaken impressions we look forward to clearing up," said Huckstep. "I think all three of us on the county commission agree that we want to get the true facts out and then let the people decide.

"We want to give the people good, accurate information to help them formulate an opinion when they go to the polls," stressed the presiding commissioner.

Huckstep said he had anticipated this being a difficult issue because planning and zoning is always a sensitive concept.

"People who don't like it, hate it because they don't want someone telling them what they want to do," said Huckstep, adding that many who oppose zoning for that reason want it in force when their neighbor undertakes some kind of development they disagree with.

If voters approve the issue in November, Huckstep predicted the commission would implement the zoning plan almost immediately.

"If it doesn't pass, I don't know what will happen," added Huckstep. "We have not discussed that possibility, but probably will soon."

Huckstep said there will be parts of the plan people oppose and there are always some areas that will need changing from time to time. He stressed the ordinance has provisions to make changes when the need arises.