Hearing key to county taking over van service

JACKSON, Mo. -- Some public hearings reflect little more than bureaucratic red tape, essential only as a routine step to landing federal funding.

That's the case with a scheduled public hearing involving the Cape Gir-ardeau County Transit Authority.

The authority has scheduled a hearing for 7 p.m. Dec. 18 in the county's Administrative Building in Jackson. But it won't be held unless people want to testify and they make a request to do so at least three days in advance of the hearing.

"That is standard operating procedure," said Doug Richards, chairman of the five-member authority.

Anyone wishing to testify can contact the county commission office at 243-1052.

The authority plans to steer the operations of a tax-funded van service based in Jackson when the new year rolls around. The authority is taking over operation of the private, not-for-profit Cape County Transit Inc., which is funded partly with federal money distributed through the Missouri Department of Transportation. But it can't take over Cape County Transit and use the existing service's federal money without MoDOT's approval.

Cape County Transit's vans were purchased with federal money, and Richards said the authority can't take over the equipment without state approval. And that can't happen without a scheduled public hearing.

The merger will give the authority control over $109,000 remaining in Cape County Transit Inc.'s current fiscal budget, including $54,500 in federal operating money.

Public hearings are required anytime federal funding is involved, said Shirley Tarwater, a MoDOT transit specialist in Jefferson City, Mo.

Government funding policies gave Cape County Transit Inc. little choice but to merge with the county commission-created authority. Tarwater said MoDOT gives funding priority to public entities.

As such, the transit authority would have gotten future federal funding.

"We would not have funded both of them." she said.

The transit authority plans to take over operation of the van service on Jan. 1. Richards said the authority will retain existing employees.

mbliss@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 123