2013 Annual Report Summary

In 2013 the City Council developed a multi-year improvement plan for the City, including five objectives with numerous strategies for each.  We’ve been tracking data and progress in areas related to each objective below.

[Download the 2013 Annual Report Summary]

• Enhance Our Regional Position in Economic Development
• Improve Safety and Health of Employees and Citizens
• Keep Fiscal Discipline Visible
• Improve Neighborhoods
• Streamline Citizen and Business Interaction with the City

Enhance Our Regional Position in Economic Development

Establish the Business Park

• Awarded Community Development Block Grant for $700,000 for infrastructure in the park.
• Water main installed from Baldwin Street to Veterans Memorial Drive.

Entrepreneurial Development and Support

• Worked with Southeast Missouri State University to bring city input to their entrepreneurship development efforts through the Community Development Block Grant application to rehabilitate 612 Broadway for their Creative Labs and Industries Incubator.
• City Manager Scott Meyer was appointed to the Missouri Innovation Corporation (MIC) Board of Directors in October. MIC will work to expand services to innovators and entrepreneurs in southeast Missouri.

Transportation Improvements

• City leadership continued participation in the Transamerica Corridor Interstate 66 study.
• Southeast Metropolitan Planning Organization was made official by both governors of Missouri and Illinois. The group of planners, officials and technical specialists adopted a work plan in 2013 that will empower the multi-agency group to plan for transportation needs in the region.
• New City/MODOT Lexington Roundabout at Route W improved traffic flow.
• Public input sessions for William Street Corridor Improvement Project occurred online and off.
• New pedestrian bridge expanded our trail network.

Downtown Improvements

• Many crosswalks were replaced.
• Progress toward a Community Improvement District continued developing.
• Downtown parking increased 104 spots since Broadway Corridor removed north side parking.

Tourism & Recreation

• 1,000 Special Olympians and their families stayed in our city for the fourth and final year of State games in Cape Girardeau.
• CVB instrumental in securing funding trail expansion to Cape from St. Louis.
• Cape Girardeau wins Best Overnight Stay in Great Race.
• Missouri Flag Centennial Celebration
• 3^rd Annual Electric Vehicle Conversion Convention, which attracts international attention, sponsored by EVTV Motor Verks.

 

Improve Safety and Health of Employees and Citizens

Emergency Preparation, Warning & Information

• Five new emergency sirens in the City funded by the casino plus $78,000 granted to Cape Girardeau County, Scott City and the City of Jackson to fund up to 18 additional sirens in smaller neighboring communities.
• Approved by FEMA to use IPAWS emergency alert system granting access to smartphones, weather radios, commercial media, Google Alerts and other outlets in the event of an emergency.
• ALICE Training (active killer response) for City staff and the general public.

  

• Enrolled in state/regional WebEOC system to share information and resources among agencies in an emergency.
• Fire Department attracted national attention and visitors for their fitness training.

Expanding Public Safety Resources

• Added two school resource officers in conjunction with public school cooperative funding.
• Retained three previously grant-funded firefighter positions after the grant expired
• Staff and consultant reviewed Police Department facility needs, locations and funding options to replace aging law enforcement and jail facility.
• Southeast Coalition for Roadway Safety awarded a grant to Cape Girardeau and other area cities to decrease the number of fatal and disabling vehicular accidents in Southeast Missouri.
• Increased enforcement efforts for alcohol violations.
• Partnered with LeadsOnline to fight crime using technology and innovation.
• Secured funding for electronic ticketing program to reduce officers’ time in issuing tickets and increase patrol time. New system will also make Municipal Court more efficient.

Keep Fiscal Discipline Visible

Good Stewardship of Resources

• City Council and staff are working to develop general goals for the next decade to help the City arrive at funding strategies for upcoming tax issues. Areas include ongoing costs, capital needs, expansion of service.
• Fleet Team reviewed and reduced fleet pool for all city departments; continues to look at strategies to reduce further.
• Parks and Recreation Department established rate of return index for each park facility and program and set goals for each to be more self-sustaining.
• Reduced sewer flat rates by $1 per month saving approximately $200,000 annually for City residents and businesses.  This reduction was possible even after the City had not increased sewer rates as much as allowed by voter approval.
• Compensation Team: An employee group developing a draft proposal and desired direction. The City Manager is working with Council to work on strategies to move City in that direction.

Improve Neighborhoods

• Endangered Building List announced.
• Residential Rental Licensing registration deadline in April 2013 has empowered renters, property managers and the City to manage housing issues.
• Hired new Assistant City Manager and Director of Development Services, Molly Hood.
• In effect: new Nuisance Ordinance developed from public input and expert panel.
• Dog Town opened in November.
• Revitalized Keep Cape Beautiful Committee from the previous Keep Southeast Missouri Beautiful Committee, and established quarterly Beautification Awards
• Continued with Minimum Property Standards Enforcement, resulting in demolition of Plaza Galleria building and exterior renovation of the Esquire Theatre on Broadway and the Wiggery Building on Main Street.
• Public Works established Clean Sweep Program to clean up public areas in targeted neighborhoods.

Streamline Citizen and Business Interaction with the City

• Option to pay court fees online added.
• New social media such as the Police Department on Twitter: cityofcape.org/news
• Launched Munis software transition, which will be a two-year process.
• Created new a new Citizen Services Department with our own City Clerk Gayle Conrad as the new director.