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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 dan

Free recycling for LO residents to continue

City of Lake Ozark residents will continue to get free recycling at Laclede Industries’ Waste Watchers.

The board of aldermen has authorized a donation of $5,000 to Laclede Industries of Lebanon to subsidize the recycling center on Valley Road so Lake Ozark residents can take qualifying recyclables for free. 

Only weeks after the 2020 agreement was approved, Waste Watchers fell victim to COVID-19 and was forced to close until later in the spring. But the demand didn’t diminish, and the recycling center is back in business thanks in part to the city’s support.

The new contract is effective April 1, 2021, through March 31, 2022. Laclede County, home county of Laclede Industries, has a similar agreement for free recycling.

Note: The free service is only for City of Lake Ozark residents. Proof of residency is required. 

 

Non-residents welcome

Non-residents can use the facility as well but will pay a small fee as follows:

​•$3 per 13-gallon bag of paper/plastic/tin.

​•Punch cards are available on site: A $10 card buys 10 13-gallon bags; a $25 card buys 10 30-gallon bags.

Waste Watchers is currently accepting cardboard and aluminum cans for free.

Here’s what’s accepted:

•Plastic

Items must be clean and sorted.

Accepting Number 1, Number 2 natural, Number 2 colored.

•Cardboard

Waste Watchers accepts corrugated cardboard. Items must be clean and broken down. 

Waste Watchers offers convenient trailers for cardboard recycling to businesses for a monthly fee. 

•Paper

All items must be sorted: Newspaper​, magazine paper and black and white

Tin and Aluminum

All items must be rinsed well. Remove labels. 

•Waste Watchers does not pay for aluminum cans. 

•Waste Watchers does not accept colored paper of any kind. No paper bags, wrapping paper, tissue paper, construction paper, carbon copies, etc. 

​

Hours

Waste Watchers, 43 Valley Road, is open from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. every Tuesday, weather permitting. In order to qualify for free service, City of Lake Ozark residents must bring a current utility bill showing they are Lake Ozark residents, or a card that is available from City Hall, 3162 Bagnell Dam Blvd.

For more information, call 417-588-3242; or go online to https://www.lacledeindustries.com/recycling.

 

Expanded recycling?

Alderman Dennis Klautzer asked if the city has considered expanding its trash service to include recycling. He said the current recycling regulations are somewhat restrictive.

Mayor Gerry Murawski, who serves on the Laclede Industries Board of Directors, said the cost of adding recycling would be prohibitive to residents. China, once a major paid recipient of U.S. recycling materials, has changed its policies. That makes finding a reliable source challenging and costly, Murawski explained.

“I just wish we had better solution,” Klautzer offered. ‘It’s important, and I don’t feel we’re filling the need. It’s a difficult, difficult situation not only for us but other cities as well.”

 

 

 

 

 

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