PORT TONNAGE SETS RECORD BUT NOT WHAT HAD BEEN HOPED FOR

SCOTT CITY -- The Southeast Missouri Regional Port Authority set a record for tonnage last year, but it was far under the 50,000 tons Executive Director Allan Maki had projected.

In a report to the monthly meeting of the executive board Monday, Maki said total tonnage passing through the port in 1990 was 28,345, which was an increase over the previous high of 27,400 in 1989.

"We set a new record, but it was not by as much as we would have liked," said Maki. "Although we are moving in the right direction, it is not what we would have liked for it to have been."

Maki explained there were two reasons for the slower increase. First, since most of what moves through the port authority now is fertilizer, the very wet spring slowed that down. He noted that the wet weather cost the port 15,000 to 20,000 tons.

A second reason was the inability of the port to acquire title to land it has been leasing from West Lake Quarry. The board is in the process of legal condemnation proceedings against West Lake and hoping to resolve the matter in the next few months.

Maki also reported that he had received a letter from Jack Hines, the newly-appointed director of the waterways division of the Missouri Highway and Transportation Department, advising him that the port's aid funding grant would be cut by 10 percent.

Instead of receiving $49,095 during the present fiscal year that ends June 30, the port will get $45,615.

Hines indicated that the reduction was because of across-the-board cuts amounting to about 10 percent for most state agencies because of tight funds.

Maki, however, recommended to the board that it not sign a new port aid agreement sent by Hines calling for a lower grant because he said it was not necessary. The grant agreement signed for the higher amount last summer stipulates that the state will withhold money if enough revenue does not come in.

"They don't have to pay us what they don't have any way," said Maki. "We have already agreed to that."

Maki expressed dismay that ports received the letter without a phone call or a letter of explanation from the new waterways director. He pointed out that all port directors in the state were recommending to their boards that they not sign the revised agreement because it was unnecessary. Maki said those directors did not like the approach used either.

"He (Hines) has succeeded in his first month on the job in upsetting all port authority directors in the state," said Maki.

"It seems to me the agreement we have in place covers the cuts," agreed Commissioner Mysie Keene of Jackson.

But Commissioners Hence Winchester of Sikeston and Jim Limbaugh of Cape Girardeau urged Maki not to get into an adversarial relationship with the new waterways director. They suggested that Maki discuss his concern with Hines when he comes to Scott City on Thursday to tour the port.

Discussing the port authority's budget for the first half of this fiscal year, Maki said 57 percent of projected revenues have come in and expenses are running about 48 percent of what was anticipated.

Vice Chairman Peter Kinder and Maki also explained that during 1990, for the first time in several years, the Cape and Scott county commissions did not provide an operating subsidy.

In most years the counties had given $10,000 each, although Scott County had cut back to $5,000 in recent years. Maki explained that last spring he had discussed the subsidy with the two commissions and they generally agreed that if the port had financial difficulty or had a special project to fund they would provide assistance.

"Last year went by and we did not ask for any money," said Maki.

Kinder said Cape County Presiding Commissioner Gene Huckstep called him at the end of December to see if the port was requesting the $10,000 subsidy for 1990. Huckstep told Kinder he would be willing to give the same amount as the Scott County Commission.