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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.

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Posted on by dan

Lake Ozark joins NextSite to recruit business

The City of Lake Ozark has endorsed a plan that could help the community market itself to potential new businesses and industries.

The board of aldermen recently signed off on an agreement with NextSite through the Lake of the Ozarks Regional Economic Development Council (LOREDC) to provide analytical data and business recruitment. NextSite is a commercial development advisory firm specializing in identifying and connecting opportunities to developers, tenant reps and end-users to affect positive change in communities across the U.S.

LOREDC and Ameren Missouri have been working for several months to secure an agreement with NextSite so communities in the lake area – including Lake Ozark – can have access to data and services that could help in business recruitment. Now, the various lake communities are being asked to support the project with financial support of $2,850 each.

If the NextSite marketing program is the direct cause of a project for any of the cities, the cities will provide a Success Fee that would be determined as part of the specific agreement with the city.

Total cost of the NextSite services is $30,000 a year for three years, and LOREDC has agreed to pay the first $10,000 each year. 

The cities of Lake Ozark, Osage Beach, Camdenton, Eldon, Laurie, Sunrise Beach and Versailles are being asked to participate over the next three years.

Assistant City Administrator Harrison Fry explained that NextSite gathers shopping data based on cell tower use, by mapping customer shopping habits and other types of customer information to develop recruiting plans.

Alderman Dennis Klautzer said he sees NextStep as a headhunter company for businesses. 

“This is getting more and more common in the business world, finding businesses for communities,” he noted.

 

Benefits 

•At least one on-site meeting with a NextSite staff member to discuss the city’s goals and available development sites and available buildings suitable for commercial, office or institutional tenants.

•Access to the full LOREDC study data and each city’s data.

•The opportunity to have special business segment, district or site studies conducted by NextSite.

•The city’s properties and sites will be included in NextSite’s full national marketing program including the trade show schedule and targeted marketing programs aimed at suitable commercial, office and institutional users.

•The city and LOREDC will receive status reports from NextSite on a regular basis recapping the marketing activity that is included on the city’s sites.

Once NextSite completes the market analysis phase, identifies realistic opportunity targets and creates the marketing overview for Lake of the Ozarks market, it begins the proactive recruitment of developers, tenant reps and retailers. Using its extensive contact database and relationships throughout the commercial real estate and retail industry, NextSite connects the opportunities to decision makers with the goal of generating interest that results in market drives from these real estate professionals.

According to NextSite, the company has connected and supported more than 20 million square feet of commercial development projects resulting in more than $4.1 billion in capital investment.

 

The cost

NextSite will provide research, marketing and recruitment services for participating communities in the lake area. A development that is considered procured by NextSite when the retailer/restaurant opens for business at which time fees are due from the city to NextSite.

The fee structure is as follows:

•Restaurants — $4,500 per location

•Single or multi-tenant development of less than 10,000 square feet — $7,500 per development

•Multi-tenant development or single tenant retailer between 10,001—and 50,000 square feet — $15,000.

•Multi-tenant development or single tenant retailer between 50,001 and 100,000 square feet — $20,000 per development.

Development or single tenant retailer of 100,000 square feet — $30,000 per location.

Multi-family, single-family, townhomes, senior housing development, hotel, movie theater or hospital — $25,000 per location if the developer is introduced to the market by NextSite.