As Lake Ozark continues to grow at a fast pace how do we provide the infrastructure that is needed to satisfy our diverse makeup of residents, retirees, business owners and tourists? We have 90 miles of roads to maintain, only 2000 residents to pay for our roads and millions of annual visitors using our roads and infrastructure. I ask you, does that seem equitable? Speaking with city administrators David Mitchem and Harrison Fry who have always been open minded to my thoughts I am prepared to make another unorthodox decision for Lake Ozark.
After a year as your Mayor and much consideration I am announcing the creation of a new committee to assist the City of Lake Ozark with our infrastructure needs. While roads will be the newly created committees primary focus the committees initiatives will overlap into all areas of city infrastructure. Roads and rights of way have other city utilities within them therefore a good understanding of all Lake Ozark’s infrastructure will be important.
Yet to be named the new committee will be made up of the following founding members:
• Michelle Zollmann Committee Chairperson
• David Ridgely
• Mike Allen
• Dan Gier
• Cody Davidson
• Sherry Jackson
Over the next few weeks these committee members will be meeting to formalize meeting dates, elect a Co Chair, make suggestions for the committee name, establish goals and a committee mission statement. Using an old adage “On time, On Task & On Budget” I hope that we can live up to this and deliver the 1 million dollar MINIMUM annual capital improvement budget I am seeking for our roads that is currently a mere $50k. When you hired me as your Mayor I pledged to be an extension of your voice. I need your voices to influence public awareness on our roads initiatives. Through public private partnerships and well planned city budgeting we will be successful in finding the money!
As we continue to make adjustments at City Hall I want to thank you for your patience and your continued support & engagement.
Thank you,
Mayor Newberry