Impact fee to be on Ozark's April 4 ballot

The April 4 election in Ozark will include two measures to address the city's growth development impact fees and water storage needs.

The development impact fees cover residential, commercial and industrial construction. The fee schedule fills one ballot page and includes proposed increases from $200 to $300 for single family homes, apartments, townhouses, duplexes, patio homes and condominiums.

Businesses are divided into 12 categories, including retail, offices, restaurants, churches, child care facilities, theaters and entertainment, manufacturing, car washes, hotels/motels/boarding houses, hospitals and residential care facilities.

Fees for most retail businesses per bathroom will increase from $500 to $750. All fees would help finance sewage system expansion. Fees for water services include raising the fee for an 8-inch residential meter from $50 to $100 to raising the fee for a 2-inch meter from $1,000 to $2,000. Whoever applies for a building permit will be required to pay the increased fees, according to David Brock, director of Public Works for the city of Ozark.

Voters are also asked to approve a $1.34 million bond issue to improve the water system by building an additional well, refurbishing two wells and building a 500,000-gallon water tower.

The additional water tower will increase the city's storage capacity from 725,000 gallons to 1,225,000 gallons, according to a city news release.

"This substantial increase in water capacity will not completely solve the water needs of our fast-growing city, but it is a very important first step," the release stated. Ozark has several wells more than 30 years old and one that is 50 years old.

The Missouri Department of Natural Resources recommends at least 24 hours worth of water in storage in the event that the water system goes down and for fighting fires. Ozark's water storage capacity is now less than eight hours, which could be a problem if there was a prolonged power outage or a severe fire. The project would be financed by revenue bonds and would not require a water or sewer rate increase. Passage of the bonds requires a simple majority.

The design for the well and tower are in the advanced stages and the city has investigated several sites.

"We counted all the lots in platted subdivisions yet to be developed and it would be difficult to justify new subdivisions and new development coming in because we don't have the facilities to let the existing lots all develop," Brock said.

Under the best case scenario, construction of a new well and storage tower would probably not begin until spring 2001, according to Brock. In the meantime, Brock said, the city plans to refurbish an old well that it purchased in 1989. It is located in the Twin Acres Subdivision, and it now has a low capacity, but with work, that well could be added to the control system.

Water demand has especially grown in the northern part of the city, where most of the residential growth has occurred. The northern water system used an average of 476,000 gallons per day in 1998. In 1999, usage increased to an average 742,000 gallons a day.