Power-plant talks need to be open, accessible

There are two important issues that relate to the proposed Kinder Morgan Power Co. plant in Cape Girardeau County that are of obvious interest to taxpayers and residents of the area around Crump, Mo., where the plant would be located. One is payments Kinder Morgan would make in lieu of taxes over a 15-year period, and the other is concern folks have about noise, pollution and well water.

In addition, there is a third issue that should be of concern to everyone: The secrecy in which negotiations are currently being conducted regarding the sizable payments to taxing entities in the county.

The Kinder Morgan plant would be subject to $16.5 million in taxes over 15 years if the plant were to be added to the county's tax rolls as soon as it is constructed. But Kinder Morgan wants the county to finance the $300 million plant with bonds. Kinder Morgan would pay off those bonds over a 15-year period. During that period, it would make in-lieu-of-tax payments to various taxing entities in the county totaling $13.5 million.

The payments, of course, are good news for those taxing entities, which include the Delta School District, the Whitewater Fire District, the county health department and senior centers.

The biggest beneficiary would be the school district, which has a $2.3 million annual budget and serves 315 students. Discussions so far between the district and Kinder Morgan officials indicate the company is willing to donate $9.42 million to the district over 15 years. The money would be paid to the district's foundation, which means the district's state funding wouldn't be affected.

The Whitewater Fire District currently operates on about $30,000 a year. With payments from the power plant, the fire district would be able to afford better firefighting equipment and more money for other operations.

It's hard to see a down side to the payment plan Kinder Morgan has outlined. But there are other questions. The state still must decide if the proposed plant meets pollution standards. And there is one big question in the wake of a series of recent meetings between county commissioners and the Delta district and the fire district: Why are the meetings held in secret behind closed doors?

Fortunately, the officials involved have been willing to discuss the talks after the fact. But it would be better to publicize the meetings in advance and let the public observe and participate in the discussions. With the questions and concerns that already exist, every effort should be made to include the public, not shut it out.

Finally, some residents near the proposed plant are still wondering why the county commission hasn't held a promised meeting to discuss details of the project. Again, in the interest of openness, it seems like a good idea to have such a meeting.