The Reporter covers Miller, Morgan and Camden County in Central Missouri's Lake of the Ozarks and is published once per week on Wednesdays.

Published June 25, 2025

City moves forward on Anglers Outpost request

OSAGE BEACH – Last week The Board of Aldermen finally passed the first reading of a bill for a chapter 100 for the Anglers Outpost project.

Anglers Outpost is basically a hotel that is specifically designed for fisherman (and fisherwomen) and is expected to include approximately seven total buildings that will house 42 two-bedroom, two-bathroom suites. It will also include an event venue and two retail spaces.

There are a lot of fishing tournaments at the Lake of the Ozarks but there is nowhere specifically built for the participants of those tournaments. This will take care of that, according to the developers.

In addition to the rooms, there will be garages for those staying at the hotel for them to park their vehicle and boat so it is out of the weather.

The entire project is being constructed with tournament fishers in mind.

Work began last year in clearing the site and the team expects to be open by December of this year but the entire project rests on the tax abatement.

Tax abatements are part of a “Chapter 100” and can be a complicated issue but basically it’s when a local government reduces or eliminates taxes for real estate properties. Cities and municipalities create tax abatement programs for the economic development of certain areas within their boundaries.

Another brief summary of what this is was provided to the Board members last week.

“The proposed ordinance approves a ‘Chapter 100’ Taxable Industrial Revenue Bond in connection with the Anglers Outpost project. The purpose of the bond transaction is to facilitate 15 years of partial real property tax abatement consistent with the term sheet previously approved by the Board of Aldermen (95% for years 1-10, 75% in year 11, 60% in year 12, 45% in year 13, 30% in year 14 and 15% in year 15).

“As part of the bond transaction, the City will ultimately obtain title to the proposed project, making it tax-exempt, and lease it back to the Developer for the abatement term. During this term, the Developer will make payments in lieu of taxes (PILOTs) to achieve the desired level of abatement. The industrial revenue bonds issued as part of the transaction will be sold to the Developer and are payable from lease payments made by the Developer during the abatement term. The bonds are not secured or guaranteed by the City or any other public funding source.”

Part of the deal is the development has to be successful by year 10 in order to get the final five years abatement.

All of the board members are behind this and are hoping it will bring some more business to the west side of the city.

The second reading approving this should take place at the next Board of Aldermen meeting.

In some of the other business addressed at last week’s Board of Aldermen meeting:

• Agreed to donate $7,500 out of the 2026 budget for promotion efforts to support the Major League Fishing Toyota Series Pro-Am AAA Fishing Tournament 2026 Event.

This event has taken place at the lake before and was supported by the Tri-County Lodging Association. That association was ordered dissolved by a judge. The event organizers came to the city in hopes of getting some funds to replace what the TCLA gave.

The event, which will take place in March of 2026, will be anchored at Lake of the Ozarks State Park Public Beach 2. The proposed competition dates are March 10-12, 2026, with anglers arriving as early as Friday, March 6, to begin pre-fishing.

This means that there will be a full five days of visitor activity, including accommodations, dining, fuel purchases and other local spending.

According to the event proposal from MLF, the estimated total economic impact is $1.16 million, with benefits spanning direct spending and media exposure for the city and the Lake of the Ozarks.

• Agreed to both readings of an ordinance authorizing the Mayor to sign a 30-month contract with Cintas for uniforms and floor mat rentals through an OMNIA Partners cooperative bidding agreement for a yearly not to exceed amount of $30,000.

April White, Assistant City Administrator, explained to the board in her written report on how this will save the city money.

“The City has experienced an average annual increase of 24% in uniform and mat rentals over the last three and a half years. By entering into a new OMNIA cooperative agreement with Cintas, the new annual pricing for uniform and mat rentals will lower to $25,418, which will result in a 40% savings from 2024, based on current quantities. Garment pricing will be reduced by approximately $12,800 annually and mat pricing will be reduced by approximately $4,200 annually.”

By approving both readings last week, the new prices will immediately go into effect which will start saving the city money.

• Approved the purchase of 350 tons of De Icing Salt from Central Salt LLC for $29,382.50.

Even though winter may be a long way away, the city tries to prepare ahead of time and order the salt so it is ready when it is needed.

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