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City Receives Blue Shield Designation: The City of Lake Ozark and Lake Ozark Police Department are honored to have been named a Missouri Blue Shield City by Missouri Department of Public Safety.Of this designation for our agency and community, Police Chief James Boren says "I'm honored to accept this Blue Shield City designation, which reflects the outstanding work of our Board of Aldermen, city staff, and police department working in partnership. This recognition from Governor Kehoe and the Missouri Department of Public Safety validates what I've observed throughout my 20-year career here—our community's growing commitment to public safety. During my tenure as chief, I've seen firsthand how the dedication of our officers, combined with incredible community support, creates the foundation for this kind of recognition. This achievement belongs to everyone who has contributed to making our city safer."The Missouri Blue Shield Program, created by Governor Kehoe in January 2025 through Executive Order 25-03, recognizes local governments that make significant efforts to reduce crime, foster law enforcement collaboration, and build strong community partnerships for public safety. “Public safety is the foundation of a thriving community and state. It affects everything from families feeling secure to businesses having the confidence to invest and grow,” said Governor Kehoe. “We designed the Missouri Blue Shield Program to recognize communities that go above and beyond in creating a place where people want to live, work, and build their futures. A Missouri Blue Shield designation is a testament to the hard work and dedication of local governments across Missouri who are leading the way in making public safety a priority.”“The Department of Public Safety is proud to work alongside communities like Lake Ozark, that have shown exceptional dedication to enhancing public safety,” said Mark James, Director of the Missouri Department of Public Safety (DPS). “This program is about fostering collaboration between local law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve. Our goal is to support these efforts, providing resources and guidance to help communities build sustainable, long-term solutions for crime reduction and public safety.”Communities are eligible for a Missouri Blue Shield designation based on their dedication to reducing crime, making substantial investments in public safety, and developing strong collaboration with law enforcement agencies and community stakeholders. Each participating community’s commitment will be reviewed annually to ensure continued alignment with the program’s goals. Communities that earn a Missouri Blue Shield designation will receive grant funding for law enforcement training and equipment as part of Governor Kehoe’s Recommended Budget for the State Fiscal Year 2026. Communities will also be featured on Governor Kehoe’s social media pages as well as the DPS website to highlight their participation in the program. The City of Lake Ozark earned a Missouri Blue Shield designation due to its exceptional commitment to public safety. Through officer recruitment and retention efforts, introduction of our K9 program, increased funding to public safety, and an enhanced approach to community policing, we have demonstrated a strong and ongoing commitment to protecting our residents and visitors.

TEST TW WEATHER

Posted on by harrison

Bagnell Dam Boulevard: Phase One Complete

Residents, business owners, and visitors alike are now enjoying a freshly resurfaced Bagnell Dam Blvd from School Road to the MM Overpass due to the City’s renewed focus on street improvements and infrastructure maintenance.

In 2023, the Lake Ozark Board of Aldermen identified this distressed portion of roadway as the first of several road improvements to occur in the City over the next several months.  Where there was very recently crumbling road surface and abundant potholes, there is once again a smooth, consistent driving surface over the Camden County portion of Bagnell Dam Boulevard.

City leadership has been pleased with the outcome of the project and thankful to Capital Paving for the quality of work provided. Primarily, work on this project occurred during night hours so as to have minimal impact on traffic within our community.  This approach to work led to a smooth and efficient process throughout the project. The project improvements were designed and construction managed by Alpha Engineering.

A second phase of improvements is planned for the end of summer or early fall that will continue the repairs from School Road to  the city limit line near Bagnell Dam. In addition to these improvements, residents on Lighthouse Road will have a rebuilt road surface by year-end as well, with the road to be widened and fully reconstructed from Highway W to the Eagle Crest intersection.  This will include installation of curb and gutter systems for the new roadway.  Construction bidding is currently underway.

Mayor Dennis Newberry states that “weeks before becoming Mayor I reviewed our city budget and identified items I felt the City of Lake Ozark was spending money on that was not in the best interest of taxpayers. I acted on those items, cut costs and diverted revenues without asking residents or businesses for any new taxes. I knew we would need a lot of money to fix our streets and I was determined to make that happen. “

In the past three years, the City has been able to increase funding of road improvements from $25,000 annually to now include larger scale projects like those currently underway.  The first phase of Bagnell Dam Boulevard was budgeted at $940,000, with final project costs coming in just over $600,000.  The Lighthouse Road project is budgeted at $1.3 million.  These two projects, and a water main extension on Overlook Road, were paid for by a debt issuance in 2023 that will be repaid over the next ten years.

While there is still much progress to be made on road improvements in Lake Ozark, this work is made possible by voter-approved revisions to our tax distribution, projects identified by Public Works leadership and the Board of Aldermen, and a citizen-led road committee formed to explore funding means.  For more information on future projects, visit the 2024-2026 Capital Improvement Plan at https://cdn.townweb.com/cityoflakeozark.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Capital-Improvements-Plan-Lake-Ozark-2023.pdf