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Cape Girardeau Council To Consider Airport Studies, Sales Tax Holiday

The Cape Girardeau City Council on October 1, 2012.
Jacob McCleland
/
KRCU

The Cape Girardeau City Council will consider two ordinances related to the airport on Monday, and they will discuss reviving the back-to-school sales tax holiday in the study session.

The council passed an ordinance in 2009 to eliminate the tax holiday. According to city documents, the city would lose between $42,604 and $81,537 in revenue.

Mayor Harry Rediger wants to be consistent because he says it is tough for merchants to plan if the sales tax holiday is on-again, off-again.

“To me, this is an opportunity as we talk all tax issues to bring that small item back on the table for discussion to give the citizens and our businesses, really, an opportunity to plan back to school purchases on one weekend,” Rediger said.

The council will look at approving a wildlife hazard assessment at the airport to stay in compliance with new Federal Aviation Administration regulations. Previously, these types of assessments were only required after an animal strikes an aircraft. The FAA now requires such assessments for all airports like Cape Girardeau’s, in part due to the US Airways crash over the Hudson River.

The Council will also consider a design study for ten T-Hangars at the airport. Airport manager Bruce Loy said they are currently out of space, and new T-Hangars will provide capacity for ten additional aircraft.

“The real issue is, a lot of times when somebody comes in here and asks us if we have a hangar available, they are preparing to purchase a new plane or a used plane,” Loy said. “If we don’t have a hangar here, then that plane goes to some other airport.”

Loy says the airport charges between $125 and $165 per month in rent for each T-Hangar.

The new hangars would increase the airport’s capacity from 60 to 70 aircraft.