Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors

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 dan

City launches new and improved website

The City of Lake Ozark has a new, user friendly website designed to provide residents and visitors with current, accurate information about the community.

The city initiated an in-house website in December 2019 that began to give viewers better access to city government and details about on-going projects and events. In early January 2020, the city became more proactive in communicating its story to the public by posting stories and photos about life in Lake Ozark on its website and Facebook page, and by sending those stories to local media.

“For the last few years, we’ve wanted to make Lake Ozark city government more transparent and available to not only our residents but the public in general,” City Administrator Dave Van Dee said. “Lake Ozark is a fast-growing community with new residents choosing to live here and with existing businesses expanding and new businesses opening. Developing a website was a natural part of the process.”

After the in-house website was created, city officials wanted to expand the city’s presence with a municipally driven website so residents and visitors could become even better informed. In late 2020, the board of aldermen joined with TownWeb, a nationally known website developer focused on creating interactive websites for municipalities.

The new website – with same URL www.cityoflakeozark.net – was launched in March. City staff was trained and after a brief transition period the website is active with a menu of options.

“As the city continues to build on being a customer-focused organization, we saw the opportunity to rebuild our website so that it can be a user-friendly tool for folks to access information,” Assistant City Administrator and Community Development Director Harrison Fry explained. “With some of its new capabilities, we have been able to increase transparency about our operations by making more information immediately available to the public. Where we once had a website that was difficult to manage and navigate, we now have a cutting-edge platform for two-way communication with the public.”

These include:

•Easy online utility and court fee payment system.

•The ability to subscribe to current News and Notices and Emergency Alerts.

•The ability to subscribe to Agendas and Minutes for the various boards and commissions.

•An archive of board, commission and committee agendas and minutes.

•Various city reports and forms.

•A current calendar of not only city-related meetings but also events that impact the city.

•A scrolling gallery of photos of current events and scenes reflecting the City of Lake Ozark.

•A permanent gallery of photos from recent events, activities and scenery.

•A Frequently Asked Questions option.

•A How Do I… option regarding a long list of ways to connect to the city.

•Contact information for city staff.

Please check out the website, again at www.cityoflakeozark.net.

Email publicinfo@cityoflakeozark.net or HFry@cityoflakeozark.net.