Mozingo budget to include rip rap

Maryville City officials presented the 2017 Mozingo budget to the Mozingo Advisory Board for approval during the August 15 meeting.

City Manager Greg McDanel proposed the inclusion of a rip rap project in the upcoming budget. His proposal would use the $15,000 in rip rap Mozingo currently has and add $30,000 of rip rap from the 2017 budget.

Due to Mozingo’s primary function as Maryville’s water supply, McDanel suggested using $75,000 from Maryville’s water and sewer budget to fix Mozingo’s shoreline, bringing the total to $120,000 for the project. Assistant City Manager Ryan Heiland is researching matching fund grants to extend the monies.

City officials plan to utilize Maryville maintenance personnel, including the addition of a full-time Mozingo maintenance employee, to prepare and complete the rip-rap project. Maintenance personnel will focus on the water intake area and south shoreline. McDanel said that although other areas look worse, this is where the city’s drinking water is drawn making it the top priority.

Maintenance staff will prepare the west side of the lake by clearing trees and creating truck-accessible roadways. Creating access will allow maintenance to apply rip rap along the west side of the lake in 2018.

Other additions to the $2,281,857 budget include improving and extending the driving range at Mozingo and hiring additional staff. New hires will include a full-time maintenance position, part-time golf professional, full-time event coordinator, full-time recreation coordinator and part-time assistant event coordinator.

The event coordinator will handle Mozingo events including the fourth of July celebration and haunted campground. The recreation coordinator will work with Northwest and other town entities to create recreational programs and packages. Such offerings could include adventures at the Mozingo Outdoor Education Recreation Area (MOERA). A wedding package might include kayaking for the wedding entourage with the wedding and reception held later at the conference center.

The budget included $65,000 for marketing the new conference center and the Watson 9 course.

Mozingo Lake patrol will install marker signs around the lake to help locate individuals during emergencies.

Heiland spoke of a possible partnership with the National Guard. If the on-site silo is to be demolished, the National Guard would volunteer its engineering division to do the work. This would allow the engineers to gain experience in major demolition and help the city financially.