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

City of Lake Ozark Awarded $300,000 Community Development Block Grant for Demolition Project: Lake Ozark, MO — The City of Lake Ozark has been named the recipient of a $300,000 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) from the Missouri Department of Economic Development to support a $433,030 building demolition project focused on improving safety and redevelopment opportunities in the Bagnell Dam Strip area. The remaining $133,030 required to complete the project will be provided to the City by the property owner, Reese Development. As a result of the grant award, 23 structures on and around the historic Bagnell Dam Strip will be demolished. All properties included in the project are owned by Reese Development. Among the structures slated for demolition is the former Shoreland Motel located on the Bagnell Dam Strip. Additional buildings included in the project consist of a series of residential and commercial structures located along Carls Drive, Ballenger Road, Thornsberry Road, Beach Drive, and School Road. These structures were determined eligible for CDBG funding due to their advanced state of blight and lack of structural safety, in accordance with adopted building codes. Several of the buildings contain asbestos and other environmental contaminants, and all have been formally certified by the City as dangerous buildings. Buildings were prioritized based on safety concerns, structural deterioration, and overall risk to the public. To qualify for the grant, each structure was required to have been vacant for an extended period of time. Demolition work associated with this project is expected to commence in 2026. “We are proud to partner with the City of Lake Ozark and the Missouri Department of Economic Development to continue the momentum of the last two years on the historic Bagnell Dam Strip,” stated Peter Colovos, Chief Operating Officer of Reese Development. “Brick by brick and block by block we are committed to redeveloping this jewel of the Midwest,” he added. Reese Development has invested more than $600,000 over the last two years in cleaning up the Strip and demolishing dilapidated structures. City Administrator Harrison Fry expressed appreciation for the state’s support:“We are grateful to the State of Missouri for recognizing the opportunity to breathe new life into the Bagnell Dam Strip corridor. This project begins by removing long-standing, dilapidated structures so that safe, meaningful redevelopment can move forward. I would also like to thank Reese Development for their cooperation and commitment to property revitalization, as well as grant writer Tonya Raines for preparing a successful application that made this project possible.” For more information, please contact the City of Lake Ozark.

TEST TW WEATHER

Posted on , by dan

Electronic meeting decision tabled

A move to establish guidelines for holding City of Lake Ozark meetings by electronic means has been tabled.

The ordinance was originally scheduled for further discussion at the regular meeting May 25, but aldermen decided to delay a decision so they can discuss the particulars and potential impact at a workshop at a later date and give the public more time to provide input. The ordinance was originally scheduled for consideration May 11, but aldermen tabled a decision until the May 25 board meeting to give the public time to comment.

The impact of COVID-19 last year led to adoption of an ordinance allowing for virtual meetings so board members and staff could attend via Zoom. That authorization expired March 31, and City Administrator Dave Van Dee told the board of aldermen during a September workshop that the board should revisit the issue in light of ongoing COVID-19 concerns.

He raised two points during the workshop which the board discussed at its most recent meeting:

•Under what circumstances should the use of the electronic format rather than in-person attendance be allowed.

•The city has a rule that if a board or commission member (other than the board of aldermen) misses three or more meetings they can be removed. Van Dee asked if one of those members attends three or more meetings only by electronic means, can they be removed.

 

Board discussion

Alderman Matt Wright noted that discussion at the April workshop included the importance of attending meetings in person.

“We talked a little bit about using it (the Zoom meetings) as a crutch vs. a way of life that if you’re elected you should make an effort to be here,” he said. “Obviously, things do come up like vacations and hardships, but people want to see you in person sitting up here, though maybe not every single meeting. You seem less available if you aren’t here.”

“I don’t see any way around not having an ordinance because of COVID. It’s a new world we live in now,” Mayor Dennis Newberry offered. “But I don’t like it being used for other purposes and then we all become lazy and sit at home on your laptops.”

Alderman Dennis Klautzer agreed.

“I think part of our responsibility as an elected official is to be present,” he said.

“We all have schedules that take us away from what we have to do sometimes, but 20 meetings a year and you can’t be here? That doesn’t seem right.”

The board continues to seek input from the community regarding the use of electronic means to allow board members and city commission members to attend meetings electronically, for example Zoom.

 

Other business

•The board approved the appointment of Robert Elliott to the Budget Committee, filling the position vacated when Chris Wagner resigned.