Check out even more February Holiday's to celebrate while #maskingup and staying safe by clicking here.

As we receive information from the Department of Health and Senior Services, we will update further information on opening of other tiers. We encourage the public to fill out this survey, to be put on a waiting list for the COVID-19 vaccine. Once the vaccine is made available for your tier, the Christian County Health Department will use your information from your completed survey to contact you with further instructions on how to schedule an appointment to receive your vaccination.

Ozark History Lovers -

Our community has just received an "updated" gift from longtime Ozark photo historian Dr. Bruce Pegram. As many of you know, Bruce is now retired but was formerly the physician at St. John's Ozark Clinic (now Mercy Clinic). For many years Bruce has been collecting old photographs and postcards about Ozark and Christian County and making those images available to various offices around town, the Christian County Library and the Christian County Museum. You've probably seen some of them.

His "updated" catalog of images now includes the inscriptions written on the back of the photos which he had not had available before. This collection now includes over 450 images (photos and inscriptions) that are mostly from 1900 to 1910. One of my favorites, the Frisco Bus crossing the Finley River with the mill and covered bridge in the background, is attached along with the inscription that was on the back of the photo. There are also many others such as views around the Ozark Square, Garrison Springs, Ozark Power and Light Company, floods and Smallin Cave.

Dr. Pegram's desire is to get these photos into as many hands as possible to preserve their memory and for everyone's personal enjoyment. It is my understanding that the Christian County Library, Christian County Museum and Ozark's Public Information Officer already have copies. However, if you would like your own personal copy, Bruce would like for you to have it. Just drop off an empty 16GB flash drive for me at City Hall and I will make you a copy for you to pick up at a later date.

Enjoy!

Public Works would like to thank the citizens of Ozark for another great year of paving and sidewalk projects. The 2017 Transportation Sales Tax has proven to be a remarkable catalyst for identifying and completing local street improvement and sidewalk projects. The City also recognizes that with progress, comes some logistical difficulties and adverse effects. To put it bluntly, these projects sure can cause some traffic headaches, and we would like to thank you for your patience as we continue to construct these improvements.

We often are asked, “How do you select which streets to resurface or reconstruct?" This is a great question, and one which requires some explanation. The City of Ozark now uses a formula known as a pavement condition index or PCI. PCI is a numerical rating of the pavement condition based on the type and severity of distresses observed on the pavement surface. The PCI value of the pavement condition is represented by a numerical index between 0 and 100, where 0 is the worst possible condition and 100 is the best possible condition. This methodology allows us to implement data-driven decisions. Many of the initial projects that the City was able to complete following the approval of the transportation sales tax, were streets that were in failing condition (low ranking on the PCI), however the infrastructure (water, sewer, storm pipe, etc.) was not in need of major repairs. Neighborhoods that seemed relatively new (Waterford, Apple Creek, Kali Springs, etc.) received repairs while other neighborhoods seemed to be overlooked.

Unfortunately, when these “newer” subdivisions were developed, the City did not require the appropriate geotechnical reports and grading standards. Please do not take this as the current staff pointing fingers at previous administrations. This is just a fact. As the City has grown, we have inherited several maintenance issues that were simply a result of not having the proper design standards established prior to these subdivisions being developed. To put it candidly, the City grew too fast and developments were not built to the appropriate specifications. As a result of these challenges, the City has since developed and approved much more stringent design standards in an effort to mitigate future maintenance issues.

But it is not just about what we can observe on the surface of the roads. One of the primary variables that Public Works also uses to determine when streets are eligible for improvements is related to the condition of the infrastructure that is located beneath the pavement. Within our older neighborhoods there is aging and antiquated water, sewer, and storm drainage systems. All these systems must be repaired and/or replaced prior to spending any funds for pavement improvements. This is why you may have noticed so much infrastructure work being completed across the City within the older neighborhoods. In order for us to prepare for future paving projects, we must first construct the necessary infrastructure improvements.

In the March Newsletter, PW will discuss some multi-phase projects that we have recently completed. Then we will talk specifically about the neighborhood of Eastland Heights, which is in the midst of a multi-year project that is scheduled to be completed in 2021 – see map below.

Please know that City Staff has a mission statement that we strive to adhere to: “Make Ozark Better Every Day." We understand that certain projects can provoke questions, however our methodology is designed to ensure that the citizens see the largest return on their investment.  Join us next month when we discuss all the work that is being done to prepare for the 2021 paving season and we outline some exciting future transportation improvement projects.

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