Cape Development At the Council meeting last nigh…

At the Council meeting last night, Thomas Wiesner, our Engineering Technician, was honored for his 37 years of service to the citizens of Cape Girardeau - and 47 years in combined public service. Tom announced his retiement later this month. Originally from the Columbia, MO area, Tom relocated to Cape Girardeau in 1980. He was attending college in Kirksville when his father’s friend, Gene Rhodes, offered him an assistant manager position at the Rhodes on North Kingshighway. Tom transferred to SEMO University to finish his degree in Industrial Technology, with an emphasis in Electronics. Tom began his career with the City of Cape Girardeau in June of 1984. He was a Fleet Mechanic at Public Works for 4 years before transferring to Engineering in 1998 as a Survey Linesman. The remainder of his career was in the Engineering Division, receiving promotion to Draftsman in 1990, Technical Assistant in 1998, and Engineering Technician in 2005. Tom has devoted 37 years to the City. Prior to joining the City, Tom served in the Army from 1974 to 1977. He was trained as a diesel mechanic, which led to his initial position with the city as Fleet Mechanic. He then joined the Army National Guard, with which he traveled to Honduras to build roads for farmers to transport their crops. Later, he served in the Navy Reserve here in Cape Girardeau, in the building that previously occupied the current police station site. Including his military service and employment with the city, Tom has dedicated 47 years of service to the public sector. In the Engineering Division, Tom obtained traffic counts and assisted in design of capital improvement projects, managed the construction of private development such as subdivisions and main extensions, and assisted the public. He reviewed infrastructure plans to verify compliance with the city’s standards and specifications. He coordinated with the Department of Natural Resources to obtain permits for water main and sanitary sewer main extensions. He coordinated with private utility companies when the City received petitions for vacations of easements and rights-of-way. During and after construction, Tom confirmed public improvements were constructed within easements and rights-of-way to ensure the city’s ability to maintain the improvements. Tom’s extensive knowledge of the sanitary sewer districts in the City will be greatly missed! Many plumbing contractors have commented how Tom provides locations of sanitary sewer wyes and he is often within inches of the actual field location. In his retirement, Tom intends to volunteer at St. Francis Hospital, fish, and spend time with his sons Alex and Nick, who both still live here in Cape Girardeau. Tom, thank you for your years of public service to the City and military. Enjoy your retirement! Learn More