Cape County officials meet with concerned community members at Klaus Park

Around 30 people gathered just after noon Wednesday, Nov. 16, under Shelter 31 at Klaus Park in Jackson at the first of two meetings held there that day. Attendees were there to hear about the Cape Girardeau County Commission's decision to the build the county's Emergency Operations Center in an open field of the park and voice their concerns.

Matt Smith, the organizer of the event, gave a prepared statement to open the meeting.

Smith is a coach for the local youth mountain biking team the SEMO Mudcats. He estimated that in 2022 his team combined had spent more than 800 hours in Klaus Park.

In his statement, Smith said he was concerned that putting a building in the open field would not only limit his team's ability to practice but limit the community's ability to enjoy the space.

Smith also said the construction in the field would limit the park's ability to host events and bring tourism to the county. The Mudcats coach said he has been talking to the Missouri Interscholastic Cycling League to possibly host a race at Klaus Park. Smith said that event could bring up to 1,000 people to Cape Girardeau County.

Placing the building in the open field would make it impossible to host that race, Smith said.

"That space cannot be replaced," he said.

After he finished, Smith turned the mic over to Charlie Herbst, associate county commissioner, who was present at the meeting along with fellow Associate Commissioner Paul Koeper and county parks superintendent Bryan Sander. Herbst said Presiding Commissioner Clint Tracy was unable to attend, in part because of the short notice of the meeting.

Herbst gave a prepared statement of his own, outlining the county's voter-approved obligations and how funding for the $5 million EOC was awarded as a part of the American Rescue Plan Act.

Herbst and Koeper both said that the field in Klaus Park was the only real location for the building, citing a lack of available, county-owned land. Herbst said the proximity to Interstate 55 and major utilities made it the ideal location.

The center would be a 7,000-square-foot building that will house two to three county employees and all of the county's federal emergency management equipment. In total, the building and parking lot would take up one-third of an acre with other improvements, including shelter and bathroom renovations and construction of a playground, taking up around another two-thirds of an acre, Herbst said.

The associate commissioner said the project could be moved far to one side or another of the field to try and preserve as much green space as possible.

The project was marketed as being minimally invasive by the associate commissioners. Herbst and Koeper said the building will fit aesthetically with the surroundings, be no more than 20 feet tall and put all utilities underground. Koeper said the project would even be conducive to viewing the Fourth of July fireworks display, one of the most popular events at the park.

Koeper said the plan is to put the project out for bid in early 2023 and it could be around a year to 15 months for the construction to be completed, pending material delays.

"This is a great group and I'm happy you're doing what you're doing, but we have to look out for the other 70,000 people in this county," Koeper said.

Koeper and Herbst fielded numerous questions and listened to comments from those in attendance during the latter half of the meeting. The conversation was contentious at times but never became outright hostile.

Sander also provided brief comments at the meeting. He said the feedback he often hears about Klaus Park is that there is no playground there, something he said those in attendance may not use in the future, but other patrons would.

Attendees said the project would change the park and would limit its most popular uses, running and trail riding. Some suggested building the EOC at Cape County Park South. Herbst responded that notes were being taken at the meeting and feedback would be brought before the parks advisory board and commission board.

Smith said several community members would be meeting regularly moving forward to discuss the issue.