City Council - Regular Meeting

I'll see you. All right, welcome. It is 5:00 on Tuesday, January 20th, 2026. This is a regular meeting of the city council of the city of Cape Gerardo. Thank you all for being here. We will begin tonight's meeting as always with the invocation tonight uh that is by the Reverend Geneva Allen Patterson of St. James Church here in Cape Gerardo. And we will follow that with the pledge of allegiance. So if you

all can please rise and join us.

I thank and praise God for this opportunity. when the Reverend Zack Strong was supposed to do it tonight, I said evidently, I don't know because of MLK or what that [laughter] he could not be here and asked them to contact me to see if I would pray tonight. So, this is the honor. I thank God for this honor to be here to do this tonight. Let us bow our heads. God of our weary years, God of our silent tears, God who has brought us thus far on our way. God, you're the God who planted in the late Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and hopefully you have planted this in each of us tonight that injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere, Lord. So we come tonight with gratitude for you being a God of love, a love that is with us even in this very room tonight. Lord, we thank you for the recognition events in Cape Gerata and even closing the doors of some of the departments of the city so that we could honor the drum major of justice, Martin Luther King, Jr. We thank you tonight, Lord, for these your servants. Our mayor, our city manager, the city council elected members, uh the city employees, the staff who are here in all capacities, and then the citizens like myself who are here, and even the media, our KFVS staff and all who are here tonight. We thank you that we are all here for the good Lord of our community of Cape

Gerard, Missouri. So as we gather tonight, may we reflect your justice, Lord, your love, and your mercy in this meeting. from the time of what we're doing now in this invocation to you even as we do the pledge of allegiance as we embrace the emergency operations director's presentation that will be tonight Lord as we listen to any advisory applicants that will be appearing tonight as we listen to reports Lord even as the roll call is conducted and the asent consent agenda is presented, dear Lord. And as the bills come forth, especially the one discussing and appropriating the funds for our fire department, dear Lord, and even as we all have the happiest moment probably here as we have the motion for adjournment. So Lord, as we roll into this meeting tonight, bind us together, Lord. Bind us together, Lord. bind us together. We citizens of Cape Gerard, bind us together in love. And we all said,

"Amen."

To the flag of the United States of America and to the stands, one nation, indivisible, and justice [groaning] for all. Thank you, Reverend. So, we will begin tonight with a uh in our study session. Um, and we do have an item um to discuss during that session. It is uh regarding the joint emergency operations center and we have uh Sam H. Hearnden here tonight from the Cape County Emergency uh management center. He's the director. Thank you for being here, Mr. H. Hearnden. Uh thank you for having me this evening. Um what we have proposed and been working on for the last 6 months uh is a joint memorandum of understanding for uh the city of Cape City of Jackson Simo University in Cape Troto County to unify um their emergency operations centers in the event of a disaster uh or major event so that we uh can better serve the citizens of each community uh and the county as a whole. Um when we started working on this, we had found that we were very deficient um if we stood alone. Um but if we all worked together, uh we would be able to uh serve this community a lot better. Um it would give uh the cities opportunities to continue operating um with all of their staff as well as the county instead of each uh entity tying up their own staff with that disaster and not being able to continue with daily government operations. Um, this will also allow uh public service uh as far as police departments, fire departments to keep as much of their staff um working uh on the disaster or back to daily operations without tying up uh a lot of their staff in their operation centers. Uh in thisou

um it it addresses um how we activate the operation centers. Um we have it broke down into four levels uh which was agreed upon by uh all of the the four emergency management directors um for SEMA University, Cape County, uh the city of Cape and the city of Jackson. Um it also addresses where that operation center will be. Uh currently the primary operations center will be the new county emergency operations center with our secondary um being the one uh at Cape Fire Station 3 uh in case um one was damaged, we do have a backup plan there as well. And it's also gives us the opportunity to share our personnel. Um something we found we were very deficient is is is if one entity tried to run an operation center on their own for a large period, we couldn't do it. We couldn't staff our own. um if we had to go more than probably 12 to 14 hours, um staff would get fatigued, uh need to go home, uh things like that. But if we can share our resources, we can continue those operational periods and allow people to go home, tend to their families, um get rest, uh tend to their normal daily duties as well. Um so that was the big driving force uh was giving us the opportunity to continue um operational periods without having to um keep people working uh 24 48 hour stretches uh if need be depending on the disaster. Um it also outlines in here um required trainings to make sure that all personnel working in the operation center um at least have minimum training to understand what they're doing to better support um those folks that are out doing search and rescue um helping out in the community um during a disaster. So it it it helps us make sure that we have trained people um to better serve those that are helping out in our

community. Uh it also puts in here um who's required to open the EOC uh and then the chain of command of events uh in a disaster to make sure that all community uh members are taken care of. Um Chief Morris did an excellent job helping out um with getting this put together, making sure the language uh supported what was best for the citizens of Cape uh as well as the citizens uh of the rest of the county. Um, so, uh, kudos to him for his his work and in helping get this put together to make sure, uh, we were doing things correctly, uh, to benefit everyone. Um, as far as the other agencies, this has already been approved by uh, Cape County, uh, the city of Jackson and Simo University. So, you're our last stop uh, in getting this uh,ou put in place. So, is there any questions or comments?

Yeah, I'll start. Can you just um line out a little bit the process, how long you guys have been working on this and and um Sure. Obviously

uh so we started on this uh shortly after um the Delta tornado back on in April of last year. Um we had started kind of discussing it beforehand, but nothing formally was put together. When the Delta tornado hit, uh we had several folks uh from from different agencies, some from City of Cape, some from the county, and some from the city of Jackson. uh at the operation center. Um we were able to help each other with resources uh to kind of help that response down in Delta and uh watch out for the citizens of Cape when that looked like it was going to come through the city of Cape. Uh and at that time we kind of made the decision that we couldn't handle it alone. Uh we needed each other cuz if it would have hit the city of Cape, nobody would have had the resources to stand on their own uh to help the citizens. So, uh, we started putting it together then, um, started putting things in writing over the summer. Um, and we've we've put through a few drafts to make sure that all the language was correct, sent it to, uh, all the entities to make sure that their legal staff could look at it, um, to get the document we have now.

And you, just a quick followup, um, you kind of touched on it. I was just going to ask regarding last spring and and the Delta tornado and um if if this had been in place then, how might things um have looked differently?

Uh we would have been able to get resources here quicker. Um especially if we need to bring in state resources that would all come through my office. uh and instead of having uh the city of Cape looking for their resources, city of Jackson, each entity looking on their own, we would all be in the same room making the same decisions on what we need to bring in so we can get resources here quicker. Uh we would be able to communicate with the unified command out in the field uh to make sure we were helping them and supporting them in anything that they needed. uh and it would have helped us um putting together better donations management, volunteer management to get help and donations to the citizens that need them quicker. Uh instead of all that just kind of going wherever uh and having mixed messaging on how to get the help that they need, we'd be able to get that one unified message uh out to everyone.

Okay.

Yes. Mr. uh Mr. Mr. H. Hearnden is would would this EOC be similar to like the jock or the SEMA that's set up like an at Skeleton, the National Guard, how they have essential elements um for when you know let's say the new mattered NMSSC hit. So they would obviously we would be beyond our local capabilities and and SEMA or guard would have to come in. Would it be something that they could just uh fill into have the same kind of template that they have there? Sure. So, uh in the document it outlines that all entities in the county need to operate under emergency support functions model which is the same as the state um at our operation center. The state does have a table there. So, in the event we have a disaster and we need them, they've already got a seat at the table. They've got a phone line dedicated to them to where they can go ahead and help us secure resources quicker. Um, and we'll still have to input it through our processes online, but it will give us opportunities to get them in faster and get resources here, uh, and give them a seat at the table to help make decisions.

Fantastic. One other, and that is, are you familiar with the Southeast Healthcare Coalition? Yes. What we do here? Okay. So, they'll they'll be able to correct. So, they have seat they have a seat at the table as well. So, they're uh in our mass care function. Uh, they're one of the pieces that we bring in to help us in the mass care and public health uh both. Thank you. Yes. Any other questions, council? So, you you'd mentioned required trainings for the staff, correct? Yes. Yes. So, where are we at on that? And and what's that look like moving?

So, so how that works uh is we put together um shortly a uh after Christmas, we sent out to the uh other EMDs and agreed upon um the required trainings in that timeline. So we've uh of benchmarks that we want to see and it will be up to um the emergency management director over that entity. Um so Chief Morris would be the one to make sure that the correct people for the city of Cape um get the training that they need uh and help uh communicate that back to us and then when we start doing joint trainings um later on this year making sure the right people are invited uh that need to come into those.

Okay. Thank you. You know, I'll just I'll just say um having been on the city council, I have [snorts] learned that there is a massive amount of training and preparation that goes on for emergency management involving dozens and dozens of different organizations, right? Um and this is this is primarily just um more of a helping with the organization, right? Correct. In the midst of

Correct. It's helping us make sure that we're providing the best service for the communities. Um, instead of each entity operating in its own silo trying to get resources and fighting against each other, now we're all working together for the same common goal. Uh, it also allows us to share personnel. So, if the city of Cape's public works director is there, for instance, they would be able to help us uh kind of manage public works for for other entities. so they could either get rest or uh make sure that their uh operations are working correctly before they come in and do a period. So it just allows us to share our resources and our personnel um to better serve the community. Okay.

Y is the foot or the staff not the footprint the staff is it is it uh using staff that's already employed or is this new jobs and how big is that? So this is all people that are already employed. Um so it would bring in people that that all these entities already employ. Uh some of them are volunteers, some of them are outside organizations, healthcare coalitions, uh public health, um Red Cross, they all have uh positions in those functions and they would all come in as well and we'd work together.

What's the frequency of your do you have like an annual big annual drill simulation uh that you put all these place all these uh seats at the table? Currently, not now, but with this new model that is slated for close to the end of the year uh in quarter 4, we'd like to get everybody together. Uh currently, we have each entity has been working on their own individually and bringing these people in and having different meetings and now we would just be able to have the one training and make sure everybody's working together. So, is would the city manager and the mayor would they be part of that integration? Uh yes. Yep. They'll be there. Thank you.

Okay. Well, and I think the plan is at the our next meeting to to take this up and and have uh the the actual agreement, you know, to to verify and discuss. So, all right. Thank you very much. Appreciate the background.

All right. We don't have any uh presentations. Um council, any communications or reports? Yeah, I' I'd like to give a shout out um to the warming center at Grace United Methodist Church. Um it's volunteers from a number of different organizations have been manning that. We've had a lot of cold weather. We're going to have cold weather this week. Um they're serving anywhere from 20 to 25 people a night uh when it gets down and cold and they get a they get dinner and they get a breakfast and um Cape Gerardo is a caring community and uh I think that's that that shows it and I just applaud all their efforts.

So I just want to get that out there. Yeah, thank you for mentioning that. that has been a topic that we've been talking about for several years and um a number of churches and and other nonprofit organizations are contributing to that and there's a lot of um good organization that's happening with volunteers and with donations and and all of that. So um

I'd like to uh I'd like to put Tamika on the spot here as a park and Rex liaison from the council. I get get to keep a pulse on what all they're doing. And at the last meeting, Porch Initiative presented the park and Rex department a $5,000 check. And Tamika has founded kind of the chairperson for that porch initiative. They've done a lot of amazing things. Would you tell everyone [laughter] where that money came from and and and why did you give it to Park and Rex? Oh um well thank you. Um uh the porch initiative uh focus is housing education and wellness. Um housing been our uh one of our biggest components. Um I would have to say 90% of our funding is private donors not public dollars but we are working on strategic partnerships to enhance and leverage that. Um, since my tenure, I think Dan asked me, I've been with Porch 5 years. Um, the first thing the city of Cape has done for us is help house us and have different community members come in and we've partnered to volunteer being involved in family activities, um, youth activities in the summer, and it's just been a great partnership that has expanded. And the Kate Parks and Wreck is bar none. they show up and bring a a army of people to help um and they uh supported us in many ways and we receive donations and we don't just help it out with housing, we help out in our community in general. So, we use those funds. We have done it maybe the last three or four years um to support uh the city of Cape Parks and Recck. So, thank you. Um um and I'm glad we've been able to do that. And so, um, I'm just happy to say that a lot of work we've done by

people that have invested in our community, whether you donate $5 or $50,000, it pours back into the residential as well as the city of Cape. Um, getting families involved. And so, and Scott and Doug, I don't know if uh Scott is here, but Doug, he he leads that department, but he got a team of a great troopers. And I thank you for you and your department for working with us to leverage our resources. And thank you. Thank you.

Okay. I was just going to mention um I got to I had the honor of attending uh the 41st annual Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial breakfast yesterday morning. There was also a very successful lunchon happening and uh many other activities going on for the uh the federal holiday. Um and uh Simo, I know tomorrow night, Wednesday night, is having their annual memorial dinner as well. And so, um, just wanted to thank everyone in the community who's been participating in that and and, uh, helping helping put that on. Any other comments? Oh, I'm sorry. If I just want to add, we got St. James. They've been a big pillar of, uh, um, and I attended the uh, church event on Saturday, a Sunday, had a full house. I mean, just bringing everybody together. Um, appreciate all the work that you all doing to bring everybody together. So, just want to piggy back off what the mayor said.

All right. Next, we have several items for discussion. First, I'll ask if there is anyone in the audience who wishes to appear as an advisory board applicant. If so, you may come forward to the podium. All right. Seeing none, uh we will next move to the planning and zoning commission report. Mr. [clears throat] Martin.

Good afternoon everybody or evening I should say. Um before I [clears throat] give the report I just want to say uh thank you guys for all your support. Um and just the community in general um that has kind of wrapped their arms around our family. We've been going through a hard time. I left some prayer cards up there for you guys. If I didn't give you enough, I've got plenty more. Trust me. So a lot more where those came from. So thank you. Um and uh also um maybe unfortunately um Scott Blank, our chair of the planning and zoning commission, his his term has has reached its end and you guys are stuck with me as the new chair for a while now. So you get to see me a lot more. [laughter]

Um our uh last uh planning and zoning commission meeting on January the 14th, 2026, we only had two items. Um first item was uh 110 South Broadview Street exception. Um this is a request for approval of the reduced parking lot interior landscaping percentage. Um this mo motion passed with a vote of eight eight to nothing. Any questions there or anything about that property? Okay. Um and uh the next item was just um blanks second subdivision record plat. Um this plat re resubdivides several tracks to create two new lots. Um this is down by the river um across from Bystate. It's uh the motion was to recommend approval passing with a vote in favor of six to nothing with two ab two abstaining their votes. So pretty pretty simple stuff. So any any questions from you guys? Anything I can answer?

No. Thank you very much. All right. Appreciate you guys. Have a good evening. Okay. And next we will have our consent agenda reviewed. Dr. Haskin. Thank you, Mayor. Um, mayor, I think we are are um on the D1 and D2. These are just uh first and second readings and uh that simply concludes the review. Mayor, that's it. Not much to talk about. Okay. All right. We'll move into regular session uh with the call to order and begin with the roll call vote. Ms. Davis. Mr. Bliss here. Mr. Control here. Mr. Johnson here. Mayor Kinder here. Mr. Preston here. Miss Randall here. Mr. Thomas here.

All right. Thank you, council. We have an agenda before us. Is there a motion to approve the agenda? Second. Any discussion? All in favor of adoption of the agenda, please say I. Anyone opposed? The agenda is adopted. We don't have any public hearings tonight. We have a consent agenda, a brief one. Mr. Young, would you please read that? Bill 263, an ordinance appropriating funds for the purchase of fire apparatus. Bill 263, an ordinance appropriating funds for the purchase of a fire apparatus. All right. I think that is the shortest consent agenda I've ever experienced in eight years on the city council. Nice. Um council, uh is there a motion to approve the consent agenda? So moved. Second.

Any discussion? All in favor then of the consent agenda, please say I. I. Anyone opposed? That agenda carries. Thank you. Nothing removed from the consent agenda tonight. We have several new ordinances tonight. As always, uh we'll have a staff person come up and and talk about the bill and then at that point, if there's anyone in the audience who wishes to comment or uh on the on the issue, you may do so then before the council takes it up. So, first we have bill 2604, an ordinance annexing land adjacent to the Cape Gerardo Regional Airport into the city limits of the city of Cape Gardo, Missouri. This the first reading, Mr. Shrimplin. And tonight's airport night.

Good evening. Everything's Everything's airport tonight. So, Yep. It's all airport. Yep. Uh, so the city recently acquired two tracks of land adjacent to one of the runways at the airport uh for the purpose of installing a perimeter security fence. Um, so at the last meeting, you had the public hearing on the annexation and zoning of of those tracks. And so tonight we have the ordinances. Uh this first one actually annexs those tracks into the city limits. All right. Thank you. Anyone in the audience wishing to comment? All right. Seeing none, then council, is there a motion to approve bill 2604? So moved. Second.

Any Okay. Discussion. All right. Hearing none, then uh all in favor of bill 2604, please say I. I. Anyone opposed? That motion carries. Thanks. Bill 2605 is an ordinance amending chapter 30 of the code of ordinances of the city of Cape Gardo, Missouri by zoning newly annexed property adjacent to the Cape Gardo Regional Airport as A1 airport District. This is the first reading, Mr. Shrimplin. Uh, and this ordinance assigns a zoning district to the property since it's coming into the city. Uh, the A1 airport district is the district for the airport. So, okay. Anyone have a comment there? All right. Hearing none, council, is there a motion to approve bill 2605? So move.

Second. Any further discussion? All right. All in favor then of bill 2605. Please say I. Anyone opposed? That motion carries. Bill 2606 is an ordinance extending the boundaries of W 2 to include property newly annexed into the city limits of the city of Cape Toronto, Missouri. It's the first reading. So when we annex land, we also have to put it within a city ward. And so this area is w 2. So this would be brought into word two. Okay. Not yet. We haven't voted. Uh anyone in the audience wishing to comment? All right. Then council, is there a motion to approve bill 2606? So move. Second. [laughter]

Uh any discussion? Yes. Congratulations, Miss Randle. [laughter] Well done. Uh all in favor then of bill 2606, please say I. I. Anyone opposed? That motion carries. And then lastly, we have bill 2607, an ordinance authorizing the city manager to execute a grant agreement with the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission to fund air service promotion and marketing at the Cape Gerardo Regional Airport. This is the first reading. Mr. Stewart, he could have just stayed up here. He was on, you know. Uh, you made [snorts] it.

Good evening, everyone. Um, yeah. So, this is our annual one of our annual MODOT grants that we apply for every year. um that goes towards our marketing of of the airport and what we offer everyone. Um so it's this year it's for 121,000 and the city coverage is 13,000 uh what is it? $13,400%. Yeah, it's basically 10% of 131 the way they work it out, but 121 is what we can get from MODOK for this for an annual grant. That's great. Is there anyone in the audience wishing to comment? All right, council. Is there a motion to approve bill 2607? So moved. Second it. All right. Any further discussion?

Any marketing for these new flights is is positive. So that that'll be excellent, especially when we start flying to Pensacola. Y um All right. Hearing no other discussion. All in favor of bill 2607, please say I. I. Anyone opposed? That motion carries. We did not have any appointments to make tonight. Um and there were no appearances pre-registered um to speak tonight. Is there then a motion to adjurnn? Second. All right. Any further discussion? Hearing none. All in favor of adjournment, please say I. I. I. Anyone opposed?

All right. We are adjourned. Thank you all for your presence tonight. Hey there. [laughter] Just you. Just you. [laughter] Yeah, he down there.