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Page Brothers Presented Key To The City: On December 10th, 2024, during the City of Lake Ozark's Board of Aldermen meeting, Mayor Newberry presented keys to the city to two of Lake Ozark's most influential business leaders. Joe and Mike Page, surrounded by dozens of friends, family, and community members, received this honor in recognition of their nearly five-decade investment in Lake Ozark and their unwavering commitment to its growth and development. The Page brothers' journey began in 1976 when they founded the Leather Man on the Historic Bagnell Dam Strip. Joe, having moved to the lake immediately after graduating from Truman State University, established roots in the community, with Mike following as a permanent resident the following decade. Over the years, their entrepreneurial spirit led them to establish and acquire numerous businesses along the Strip. Today, they continue to own and operate several landmark establishments including Leatherman, Dogpatch, Dogpatch Arcade, and Summer USA, while their past ventures included popular spots like Disco Inferno, Grandma's Candy Kitchen, and Good Time Charlie's. As founding members of the Bagnell Dam Strip Association, both brothers have been instrumental in creating and supporting special events that have become staples of the community. Mike's contributions earned him the Lake of the Ozarks Convention and Visitor Bureau's Partner in Tourism Award and the Lake Area Chamber of Commerce Distinguished Citizen recognition. Joe served on the Lake Ozark Board of Aldermen from 1983 to 1985, first filling a vacancy before winning re-election. He notably became both the first and last paying customer on the Community Bridge, while Mike served on its Board of Directors for several years. "Though a small gesture compared to the impact of their decades of investment and service in our community, we are gracious to present this award to the Page Brothers with all of their supporters present tonight," Mayor Newberry stated. "While we enjoy celebrating the rich history of your impact on our community, we are even more excited to see the future of our city that was made possible by your ongoing contributions and leadership." Pictured, left to right: Ward II Alderman Johnnie Franzeskos, Ward I Alderman Pat Thompson, Ward III Alderman David Ridgely, Mayor Dennis Newberry, Joe Page, Mike Page, Ward III Alderman Carol Denny, Ward I Alderman Judy Neels, and City Administrator Harrison Fry

TEST TW WEATHER

Posted on by dan

City working on plan to fix trash issues on The Strip

A long-standing trash issue on The Strip in Lake Ozark could have a solution in the works.

City officials are working with Lake of the Ozarks Solid Waste Management District T officials to figure out a way to get trash receptacles out of public view, and to get overflowing trash off The Strip. The number of trash dumpsters is inadequate to handle the volume of trash created by businesses as The Strip has welcomed near-record numbers of visitors, and the topography of the narrow Strip most often prohibits trash dumpsters from being placed behind businesses.

Paramount to moving forward with any plan is extending the current contract with Green For Life Environmental, Inc. (GFL), which expires February 2022. GFL recently bought out WCA, the city’s long-time refuse company. The city administrator or his designee has been authorized by the board of aldermen to negotiate a new contract.

This isn’t the first time trash and sanitation concerns have been on the table for the board of aldermen.

Board minutes from June and August 2008 show that aldermen discussed trash left on public property as a violation of the city’s nuisance ordinance. A committee was formed by then-mayor Johnnie Franzeskos to consider solutions to removing trash containers from the city’s right of way and out of the public’s view. 

At the Oct. 13, 2020, board meeting then-mayor Gerry Murawski noted he was in talks with the District T staff to develop a glass recycling program for restaurants on The Strip. He was voted out of office six months later before he was able to move forward with a plan.

 

Proposed plan

Any overall sanitation plan would have to be approved by the board of aldermen.

A committee has been formed to review the existing sanitation system which is managed by GFL. The focus of the committee is to make recommendations for improvements such as aesthetics, recycling where practical, cost savings opportunities and available grants to offset improvement costs.

Estimated setup cost could be as much as $67,250, with the city’s investment estimated at $49,000. Under the proposal, the city would begin billing for commercial accounts. Currently, the city only bills for residential accounts and commercial businesses work directly with GFL/WCA.

When the current contract expires in 2022, city officials anticipate a significant increase in trash pickup costs from the sanitation company due to increased steel and fuel costs.

According to the sanitation plan, developed by Derrick Standley, regional director of the Lake of the Ozarks Solid Waste Management District T, extending the current contract for another year gives the city time to develop the proposed plan.

He said the city’s sanitation plan was developed to handle about five million visitors each year, and that has grown to more than 10 million by some estimates. 

 

Highlights include

•City to take control of billing for commercial customers. 

This action could result in consolidation of trash containers; increase appearance; combined with recycling will lower the cost of enclosures and concrete pads; generate revenue that could pay for the cost of enclosures and concreter pads.

•Construct concrete pads and enclosures for trash receptacles. 

Pads and enclosures would allow for greater aesthetics as well as creation of several additional parking spaces in key tourist areas. The cost of adding these in three key areas on Bagnell Dam Blvd. is about $50,000. That cost would be absorbed by revenue generated because of the city taking over billing services and the overall reduced cost of basic services.

•Implement expanded commercial recycling.

Create a voluntary expanded recycling program for local businesses. About 85 percent of the weight of all trash material generated is considered recoverable (recyclable). By separating the collection of recyclables from the existing waste contract with the city, the Solid Waste Management Region will be able to set up recycling within each business on a voluntary basis. Each participating business would be provided containers for glass, corrugated cardboard, and aluminum recycling.

The recyclable material would be taken to the Laclede Industries Recycling Center where they would be processed and transported for recycling. This service will reduce the amount of waste produced and ultimately control sanitation costs on a long-term basis, according to the plan.