Commissioners approve Agri-Ready County designation
The Ozark County Commissioners approved the Agri-Ready County designation and spoke about the new striping for the parking spaces during recent meetings.
Representatives from Missouri Farmers Care presented a sign that recognized Ozark County for the new designation of an Agri-Ready County.
“It’s a partnership to really try and spread and advance agriculture in the counties,” said MFC Outreach Specialist Karson Calvin.
Through the program the county hopes to advance the county as a prime location for agriculture expansion and enhance workforce readiness for agricultural careers.
“We’re excited about this,” said Presiding Commissioner Terry Newton. “Also, when we fill out all those grant applications for SCOCOG and the other corporations it gives us an extra box to check on something that we are part of or doing, so it gives us extra points in certain grant applications.”
Ozark County is the 74th Missouri County to be approved for the designation.
Other news
The commissioners are also proposing that newly-elected Eastern District Commissioner Jim Britt replace retiring commissioner Gary Collins on the Ozark Action board. Collins has been a member of the board for several years.
The county received a testing deposit from the use tax of $1.58. According to Newton, the first actual deposit should appear in September.
The new striping was recently completed and parking now includes two handicap parking spots at the handicap entrance of the courthouse instead of the previous one spot. New handicap parking signs will be in soon.
Signs
The county will be sent four or five more signs for the Agri-Ready County designation. Newton said the commissioners hope to place the large signs at county lines including CC Highway near Dora, Highway 160 going east and west, Highway 5 going south and north and J Highway going south. Newton said the county must get approval from Missouri Department of Transportation and marked for placement before they can place the signs on the highway right of ways. He said the county is still waiting on approval to place the Purple Heart county signs that were given to the county earlier this year. Newton said they are hoping that MoDOT will allow the county to put more than one sign on a post.
New signs will be placed at both ends of County Road 513 letting residents know where the Ozark County Recycling Center is located. The signs are white and red and should be easier to see than the current small yellow sign at the west entrance to County Road 513.