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Greetings Ozark Residents -
This will be my last letter in the monthly newsletter as my last term as Mayor ends this month. The upcoming municipal election on April 6 will determine a new mayor for the next two years. There are several good candidates. Be sure to vote!!
It has been both an honor and pleasure to serve Ozark as Mayor for the last six years. Several of the key accomplishments during that period have been:
- Passage of the transportation sales tax
- Completion of the 5 lane improvement of South Street and the current 5 lane improvement project being done on Jackson Street. These were made possible by the passage of the transportation sales tax as a cost share project with MoDOT. The Jackson Street project also had significant additional assistance from the Ozark School District to facilitate the two sidewalk/trail underpasses.
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- Completion of the new Riverside Bridge. This was another cost share project with MoDot but with additional partners of Christian County and the Ozark Special Road District. Without the transportation sales tax, this would not have been possible.
- Partnering with Christian County and the City of Nixa in the formation of the Christian County Business Development Corporation (aka Show Me Christian County). In its three years of existence, SMCC has made great strides in facilitating economic growth in Ozark and all of Christian County.
- Purchase of the Garrison Springs property as an addition to our already great but constantly improving parks and trail systems.
If it were not for Ozark's entire city leadership team working toward these goals, these significant accomplishments would have never come into being. Next time you see one of our city staff or aldermen, please tell them thanks!
Another project which will soon be completed is the replacement of some very old and failing water and sewer lines in the downtown area. Many of the streets in that area are pretty well mangled from all the cuts made in the existing pavement. This was necessary to access the old pipes and replace them. This will soon be replaced with all new asphalt paving and striping. It will look and feel great very soon.
And I can't sign off without thanking the entire community of businesses, churches, organizations and individuals for being so patient with the Covid-19 emergency orders and mask mandate. This was a very difficult time for all of us and I thank you for helping us through it. It should be over soon.
Ozark is the greatest community in the state and am looking forward to continuing serving it as one of your Ward 2 Aldermen.
Have a safe and fun spring and summer.
Rick Gardner
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City of Ozark acquires Garrison Spring garden and park |
The City of Ozark is excited to announce the acquisition of Garrison Spring garden and park after city officials and other figures vital to the agreement signed official closing documents.
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This announcement comes after months of discussion and securing grants to acquire the property which will remain open to the public as stated in the lease agreement with the Missouri Department of Conservation announced in 2020.
The City of Ozark entered this agreement with the Missouri Department of Conservation, stating the department will provide funds up to 75% of the appraised value for the purchase of the land, and these funds were used to match the $184,000 grant awarded to the city by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service Community Forest Program, not to exceed 50 percent.
Garrison Spring is located against a backdrop of beautiful trees, a cave, various types of flowers, and three springs. It has been well loved by the community and well maintained for over 25 years, and will continue to be for decades to come.
The City of Ozark would like to thank Mary Lou Braswell and Ernest Braswell for allowing the public to have a peaceful, quiet place to retreat to.
“The City is honored to acquire this land and assume the responsibility of providing such a peaceful place to our residents and visitors,” said Samantha Payne, Deputy City Administrator. Payne previously held the title of Parks and Recreation Director prior to her promotion and has been directly involved in the acquisition of Garrison Spring.
Currently, Garrison Spring is open to the public but is undergoing maintenance. While the City encourages the public to see the beauty of Garrison Spring, we ask that in an effort to not disrupt this maintenance, visitors are conscientious regarding heavy foot traffic in the area.
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Historic Riverside Bridge Raisin'! |
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The Historic Riverside Bridge is finally back home! --- March 30th, 2021 marked the Historic Riverside Bridge Raisin' event where the century-old Historic Riverside Bridge was welcomed back to its rightful spot here in Ozark thanks to numerous community leaders and members including 'Save Riverside Bridge in Ozark MO' Facebook group and founder Kris Dyer, as well as collaborative efforts between the City of Ozark, Finley Farms, Christian County Commission, Ozark Special Road District, Senator Roy Blunt and Congressman Billy Long. Speakers at the event included Megan Stack from Finley Farms and Ozark City Administrator Steve Childers. The City of Ozark congratulates all involved for this monumental achievement in Ozark history! |
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City of Ozark Pays off Downtown Property
After 13 years and a remarkably different market environment, the City of Ozark can officially announce it has paid off downtown property purchased in 2004. “I am proud to finally be at this point," says City Administrator Steve Childers. "It is extremely satisfying to know we not only successfully navigated the hardships, hurdles, and challenges inherited by the economic crash of 2008 but that we found a way to keep the grand vision for a new central business district neighborhood alive. The City has now paid in full the debt on this area and can once again move forward with the implementation of a redevelopment plan that will enhance the heart of our community for decades to come.”
The LCRA (Land Clearance for Redevelopment Authority) was approved by the voters in 2003. The LCRA was officially established in 2004 and created an area in the Ozark Central Business District known as the Finley River Redevelopment District.
In 2005 the City engaged the services of planning/development firm Haggerman New Urbanism to complete a master plan for the area which was completed in 2006. This plan included significant public engagement and input allowing the citizens to establish, through visual preference surveys, a high level of aesthetic guidelines for future development. However, as the developer was working to secure new commercial users and financing for the project, our Country was faced with the worst economic crises in decades and like thousands of similar projects throughout the country, development plans had to be shelved.
In Mid 2008 the City decided to keep the vision of revitalizing the FRND area alive and acquired the developer’s property. In 2015, seven years after acquiring the property from the developer, the City refinanced consolidating several loans into a single loan with Springfield First Community Bank. In just six (6) years the City has worked with the LCRA and Public Funding Corporation (PFC) to pay off this debt and completed water main improvements, surveys, and now will get an appraisal for the property so that it can be marketed through a “Request for Proposal.” Most recently, in 2019, the Redevelopment Plan was updated and approved to modify the future land use map and therefore move forward with development of the Finley River Neighborhood District.
“Although the final development may vary a bit from what the original land use plan was, we intend to keep the site as a mixed-use development with a higher density which shall support commercial retail, office, high-density residential apartments and lofts, as well as the possibility of future government facilities," Childers says. "Certainly the original high aesthetic standards for the development will remain as we work with developers to not only identify the highest and best use but something we can all be proud of.”
The City is excited about the future of the property and is grateful to its residents for their continued support of community development.
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APRIL 5, 2021
Board of Aldermen Meeting
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
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APRIL 19, 2021
Board of Aldermen Meeting
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
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APRIL 26, 2021
Planning and Zoning Meeting
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
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APRIL 6, 2021
Ozark Municipal Election
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Check out even more April Holiday's to celebrate while #maskingup and staying safe by clicking here.
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APRIL 1st, 2021
April Fools Day
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APRIL 10th, 2021
National Siblings Day
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APRIL 7th, 2021
World Health Day
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APRIL 16th, 2021
National Librarian Day
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APRIL 20th, 2021
Chinese Language Day
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APRIL 28th, 2021
International Guide Dog Day
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APRIL 22nd, 2021
Earth Day
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APRIL 30th, 2021
Honesty Day
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Let us know how you're celebrating these holidays by tagging us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook! |
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Community News and Events |
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2nd Annual Finley River Night Light 5K
April 10, 2021
7:00 PM - 10:00 PM
1530 W. Jackson (The OC)
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Community Blood Drive
Ozark Community Center
Monday, April 26
9:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Enter Code OZARKCC when registering through the link below:
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Meet the 'Ozark Trash Bashers' |
Working together as an organized group to help clean up Ozark streets, we interviewed Brooke Street, creator of the 'Ozark Trash Bashers,' about the groups origin and support from the community. Click the link at the bottom to join the Facebook group!
1. When did the group begin?
The group began on March 7, 2021.
2. How often do you clean up the streets of Ozark?
We are trying to do 2-3 scheduled Trash Meets a week, but the great part about this initiative is that anyone can pick up trash when it is convenient for them. I'm working with individuals to provide them with trash bags and vests so they can pick up trash after work or for a few hours on the weekend. We realize people are busy so we are trying to be flexible. At the end of the day, we just want to see our city clean and will do what it takes to get there.
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3. What made you start the group?
Over the past several months I had noticed the amount of trash that was accumulating off Highway 65 and around Ozark. This really bothered me as it did not represent our city well and I kept thinking to myself, "One day I'm going to pick up the trash." I then saw a post in a Facebook group where someone else made a comment about this same issue and several people expressed similar feelings. This was the motivation I needed to start taking action. I volunteered to this Facebook group to reach out to The City of Ozark and to MoDOT to see what could be done about the trash. I was able to connect with both the City of Ozark and MoDOT and received their full support, including providing vests and trash bags, in addition to picking up the actual trash bags after pick up events. I knew other people were interested in the clean-up efforts so I started the Facebook group Ozark Trash Bashers. Within 2 weeks we had over 200 members and had held 2 Trash pick-up events (Trash Meets). The outpouring of support has been overwhelming. We have businesses offering to donate gloves, hand sanitizer, and dumpsters. It's amazing to see our community coming together for a common goal. The citizens of Ozark truly love our city.
Thank you to Ozark's local Lowe's and Hardhat Gear for donating Safety vests and trash bags!
Check out the numbers:
Two Trash Meets were held along Highway 65 March 26-27, with an approximate total of 95 filled trash bags. Specific and impressive statistics of trash bags filled from the weekend include:
- 15 bags in the Northbound lane of Highway 65 in front of Rib Crib and Ozark Chevrolet.
- 40 bags on the Northbound lane of Highway 65 starting at the on ramp at CC and down to the Christian County line.
- 40 bags on the Southbound lane of Highway 65 starting around the Christian County line up to CC and on the offramp.
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A Message From Public Works |
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Last month, in Part II of our “Paving Project Selection” Public Works update, we continued to discuss all the infrastructure repairs and upgrades that must be done to prepare neighborhoods for asphalt overlays. If you have driven downtown recently, you will no doubt have noticed that we have been in full on construction mode. Over the last year, the City has installed over eight thousand feet (8,000’) of water main, three hundred feet (300’) of sanitary sewer main and rehabilitated over two thousand feet (2000’) of vitrified clay pipe (VCP). This is part of an enormous effort to replace and repair the aging infrastructure located within our Central Business District. On Thursday the 18th of March, we made the final water main tie-in at the intersection of Walnut St. and 2nd Ave. The infrastructure is now live and serving the Downtown with increased flows, drastically improved fire protection and improved sanitary sewer collection.
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Our City leadership and staff are extremely excited about this first phase being completed, however there is really no time to celebrate. Once again, this massive undertaking was just Phase I. All the subsurface work was completed to set the stage for this year’s downtown paving project. We have much more work ahead of us, and some considerable cleanup to do as well. Please know that Public Works has identified the problematic areas and potholes within the downtown that need some immediate repairs. We know they are numerous, and we will do our best to stay on top of them. Public Works will continue to patch these areas for the coming months. Nevertheless, because most of the asphalt will be torn out and replaced this summer and fall, we will not be investing a significant amount of money and resources in those areas where we recently replaced the infrastructure. Those funds will be saved for what we like to refer to as “the icing on the cake.” Phase II will provide an asphalt overlay and streetscape improvements that will significantly improve the downtown for both vehicular travel and pedestrian activities.
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You know what is truly amazing is that this massive undertaking all started with citizen involvement. When surveying the public prior to the approval of the 2017 Transportation Sales Tax, roadway and pedestrian improvements in our Historic Downtown were at the top of the list. The City wholeheartedly agreed, as we recognize that the downtown as the heart and soul of Ozark. This has taken years of planning, engineering, and preparation for this Downtown Project. Your input and votes allowed this project to take shape, and we will soon see the results!
Finally, our newsletter has allowed us to discuss several amazing projects, but we also know that our progress comes at a price. There are associated negative impacts that go hand-in-hand with infrastructure and transportation improvements. We thank you for your patience and we respectfully request that you please drive with caution, follow the construction signage, and remember to slow down when driving through any work zones. Our number one goal throughout this entire project is to make sure that all our citizens, staff, and contractors make it home safely at the end of each shift.
So, here we go Ozark: Another summer of progress! These are exciting times for our growing community. Together we are Making Ozark Better Every Day!
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Snapshot with Public Works!
Check out the photos below of the current Jackson Street Widening project!
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Kids Day Off
April 2nd and 5th
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Now hiring Camp Counselors! |
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OTRA - Butterfly Palace
April 13th
Register at The OC Front Desk or by calling
581-7002 ext. 2004
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Babysitting 101 and Child and Infant CPR
Saturday April 17th
For more information call The OC at
581-7002 ext. 2005
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Lifeguard Open Interviews
April 17, 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
April 19, 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM
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Happy National Librarian Day from Christian County Library! |
National Librarian Day is a special time of the year to celebrate the important role libraries and library staff that have in our communities. Over the years libraries have changed from a place that houses books to a center of community growth, literacy, entertainment, technology, events, and lifelong learning. At the Christian County Library, dedicated staff is always ready and happy to help our community. So, stop by and visit with us you might be surprised just how powerful that library card can be! |
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Christian County Business Development Corporation |
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Ozark has a lot to celebrate, whether you’re here for a weekend or a lifetime. Residents love Ozark’s great quality of life and hometown charm, while visitors enjoy its unique shopping, dining, and friendly atmosphere. However, before we had paved streets, recreational facilities, excellent schools, and a growing population, we had the river. Ozark got its start as a community due to the Finley River and the historic mill, and has grown around the river ever since. Proximity to the beauty and tranquility of nature has been part of our community DNA from the very beginning.
In keeping with our roots, I was thrilled to see the news of the City of Ozark’s acquisition of Garrison Springs. A small pocket of flowing water and untouched nature, Garrison Springs is a local treasure and hidden gem that connects visitors to the beauty of the Ozarks. Our community owes a debt of gratitude to Mary Lou and Ernest Braswell for allowing visitors to enjoy the tranquility of the springs over the years. Now, official ownership will allow Ozark to ensure the preservation of Garrison Springs’ natural beauty for generations to come.
Additionally, the timing couldn’t be better. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, participation in outdoor recreation has grown significantly nationwide. The Outdoor Industry Association reports a 16.3% increase in hiking in 2020 over 2019, an addition of 8.1 million Americans getting outdoors. Camping participation grew 28%, with 7.9 million additional participants in 2020. Freshwater fishing grew 8.6 percent, adding more than 3.4 million participants. In our state, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Economic Analysis estimates that more than 92,500 Missourians were employed by the outdoor recreation industry in 2019 (numbers still being calculated for 2020).
Outdoor recreation and opportunities to connect with nature are vital to our city, our state, and our economy. Parks, trails, and outdoor amenities play a huge role in overall quality of life and contribute to residents’ engagement with their community. Additionally, Ozark is uniquely positioned to take advantage of opportunities for ecotourism and outdoor recreation. To that end, I commend our
City staff for their hard work to take advantage of grants and partnerships that help get more Ozark residents outside. Projects like an inclusive and accessible playground or the Chadwick Flyer trail system bring intrinsic value to our community while returning us to our outdoor roots.
As our community grows, we know remote work and automation are on the horizon. Students
in Ozark Schools today will graduate into a world that will allow them to work from anywhere if they so choose. However, specific slices of nature like the Finley River, Garrison Springs, and our caves and parks and greenways can only be found in Ozark. It’s important for us to do what we can to preserve,
celebrate, and respect the nature that makes our community so unique.
If it’s been a little while since you’ve gotten outside, I encourage you to lace up some tennis shoes or hiking boots and explore your own community this week. We live in a beautiful place - let’s enjoy it!
To contact Show Me Christian County with questions or economic development opportunities, please
Anna Evans │ Vice President - Business Retention & Expansion
Show Me Christian County Economic Development
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