City of Cape Girardeau

All meetings of the Council are open to the public in accordance with the State Open Meetings Law.  A closed or executive session may be held to discuss legal actions, causes of legal action or litigation, leasing, purchasing or sale of real estate, hiring, firing, disciplining, promotion of personnel, or employee labor relations. 

Study & Regular Session

Meetings are held the first and third Monday of each month in the City Council Chambers at City Hall, with the Study Session starting at 5 p.m. and the Regular Session immediately following. The study session is for discussing items on the agenda, Council communications, and other City business. Meeting agendas are posted by the end of the week prior to each meeting. View the City of Cape Girardeau's service schedule, observed holidays, and City Council meeting dates at cityofcape.org/holidays.

Special Session

The Mayor, upon his/her own motion, may, or at the request of three members of the Council, call a special meeting of the Council for a time not earlier than three hours after notice is given to all members of the Council then in the City. Special meetings of the Council may also be held at any time by consent of all members of the Council, and such consent may be given prior to or during the special meeting. No action by the Council shall have legal effect unless the motion for the action and the vote by which it is disposed of take place at proceedings open to the public. 


Order of Business 
The Mayor, or in his/her absence the Mayor Pro Tempore, shall take chair at the hour appointed for the Council meeting and call the meeting to order. The business of the Council is normally taken up for consideration and disposition in the following order:

1. Call to Order (Mayor)

2. Roll Call (City Clerk or Deputy)

3. Adoption of the Agenda

4. Public Hearings (if needed)

5. Consent Agenda

a) Approval of Minutes of Previous Meeting or Meetings

b) Ordinances (second and third readings of bills previously heard by the Council)

c) Resolutions

d) Motions

6. Items Removed from Consent Agenda (per request to discuss and to act on an individual item)

7. New Ordinances

8. Appointments to Advisory Boards (if needed)

9. Other Business (if needed)

10. Appearances Regarding Items Not Listed on Agenda (registration prior to meeting required)

What is the Consent Agenda?
Consent Agenda is a meeting method to make meetings more efficient and meaningful to the members of the audience. All matters listed within the Consent Agenda have been distributed to each member of the governing board for reading and study, are considered to be routine, and will be enacted by one motion of the council with no separate discussion. Staff recommends approval of the Consent Agenda. If separate discussion is desired, that item may be removed from the Consent Agenda and placed on the Regular Agenda by request of a member of the City Council.

New Ordinances
Ordinances are typically read and discussed once at their first Council meeting and then return to the next meeting on the "Consent Agenda" for the second and third readings​ and final approval.