Public opinions abound regarding the feasibility, cost and scope of a conference center in Jefferson City.
Residents now may mark their calendars for opportunities to voice those opinions.
The first of three scheduled public hearings will be held in connection with Monday's City Council meeting; individual comments will be limited in both length and scope.
The 6 p.m. hearing will begin the council meeting. Each speaker will be limited to three minutes and the comment period will end after 45 minutes.
Speakers are asked to confine comments to:
• Reasons for favoring one proposal, including location, over the other.
• Facilities to be included in a conference center.
• Amount of city subsidy, if any, beyond the city's $9 million commitment, from the lodging tax, for construction.
• Providing city-financed parking at either location.
A second hearing will be held at noon Thursday, followed by another at 5:30 p.m., Sept., 23. Both will be held at City Hall; individual comments will be limited to five minutes, with no limit on the duration of the hearings.
Speakers are asked to sign up in advance by contacting the city clerk at 573-634-6311.
People also may mail or email comments to the city administrator at 320 E. McCarty, Jefferson City, MO 65101 or at the city's website at: http://www.jeffcitymo.org/Forms/confcenterform.asp. A summary is requested for written comments that exceed five pages.
A conference center has been a topic of much discussion for decades.
The City Council now has two proposals on the table, although neither precisely matches the city's vision outlined in its request for proposals.
Does the council select the proposal advanced by Farmer Development of Jefferson City, another from Hannibal-based Ehrhardt Hospitality Group, or neither?
Skeptics may be tempted to skip the public hearings, rationalizing council members already have made their decisions.
We believe such a sentiment is both an incorrect assumption and a lame excuse.
If you have something to say, this is your opportunity to say it to the people you elected to make the decision.