Why does the new water tower have a Cox Health logo on one side?
In 2014 the City began a major water system upgrade to improve aspects of all three of its water plains (North, Central, and South). The approximate $12-Million dollar upgrade, still underway, will not only bring our system into compliance with new DNR standards but also improve fire protection, water pressure, water flow, service reliability, and reduce long-term maintenance costs.
When making such a significant system upgrade one of the most important components to maximizing benefits is finding the optimal location for the new wells and water towers. The property owned by Cox Hospitals on 17
th
Street (behind Wal-Greens) was chosen by our engineers because it was at an optimal elevation, was easily accessible, and would provide the best level of improvement to the southern water plane.
Cox Hospitals purchased this property over a decade ago with the intentions of building a new facility, which is still in their long-range plans. However, the changing climate of the health care industry has required Cox Hospitals to focus first in implement investments within the City of Ozark by opening their new Urgent Care Facility on the north side of town and a new Pediatrics Clinic on the South side of town.
The City of Ozark recognizes the value of having Cox Hospitals as a community partner and when Cox Hospitals requested to have their logo on the tower during the real estate negotiations, the City of Ozark agreed. By placing the Cox logo on one side of the tower and the City of Ozark logo on the other, the intended message from the City of Ozark was that “partnerships” are sometimes key when working to achieve community projects.
If you have any other questions about the decision to share space on the tower please let me know as I am happy to talk with any of our citizens that are curious about projects going on throughout the City of Ozark
.
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Steve Childers, City Administrator
