CAMDEN COUNTY, Mo. — Greg Hasty defeated Presiding Commissioner Kris Franken in the August primaries. Now after the general election, as he approaches his installation in January, Hasty speaks of his ambitious plans for the Lake area.
Hasty ran for the position of Camden County Presiding Commissioner with the stated philosophy of “working towards an expanding economy which recreates the type of environment at the Lake that allows for good infrastructure, business growth, employment and a wonderful lifestyle offering citizens low taxes and great public services.”
Hasty defeated outgoing Camden County Presiding Commissioner Kris Franken 4,421 to 3,105 in the April 2014 elections. In the Tuesday, Nov. 4 midterm elections Hasty received 8,547 votes.
Hasty’s family is woven extensively into the Lake tapestry, having been a part of the community since the 1800’s. Over the past 40 years, he has built a successful surveying business, GW Hasty and Company. He also served as the President of the Lake West Chamber of Commerce and he is a licensed Real Estate Broker, where for more than 25 years he has acquired, developed and sold property for clients. Through this he says he has gained experience dealing with all aspects of business including interpersonal skills, finances, property and infrastructure.
Planning and Zoning Problems
These acquired skills will be put to the test as he is faced with a tumultuous planning and zoning environment in Camden County. The Lake area is growing, and with that growth there has been a unique struggle to find a balance between an inviting and opportunistic environment for new and expanding businesses and preserving the safety and tranquility of families and/or residents who have spent their life savings to purchase a cherished retirement home or vacation retreat.
Early in 2014, P&Z Administrator Don Hathaway resigned his position, citing a toxic work environment. In June, the county commission agreed to hire Kim Willey to replace Hathaway.
“It appears the new Planning and Zoning Administrator Kim Willey is doing a great job,” Hasty said. “Things are better since she came on board, and the climate has calmed down tremendously.
“The main problem is that the Camden County Land Use Code was pulled off the Internet from Franklin County and plugged into Camden County with no correlation between the county master plan and the code. There are large parts that just don’t work well for us as an area that encompasses a large body of water that is a tourist and retirement destination. The code needs to be related to the master plan of what the citizens of this county want our county to look like in the future, and that means we need to revisit the county master plan adopted in 2012.”
Hasty cited one example of incorrect planning where the future land use map indicates Highway 5 from Camdenton to Sunrise Beach as being a “suburban corridor.” The definition of suburban corridor is a single family residential community. “That is not based on the fact of what is going to happen along that corridor. The best use of highway frontage is commercial development,” Hasty said.
Seeking A Fix
Hasty would like to see a citizen committee formed to review all aspects of the master plan and land use code for the purpose of making them unite into something that functions for the Lake area, with a key component being enforcement. “There has been resistance when attempts have been made to strengthen regulations and enforce the code, and that is partly because the code is not functioning properly for our area,” he noted.
Vibrant Economy For Road Problems
Hasty also campaigned on the promises to work towards fixing roads and creating a vibrant, stable economy in Camden County. He says he intends to keep that promise, but that funding for roads can only come from a strong local economy.
“The roads are in their worst shape in 20 years,” he said. “Since the economic collapse, the county has not had the funds to do anything with the roads, and they are deteriorating. We need to get back on track to maintaining, repairing and expanding our road system, but in order to do that we need a vibrant economy to pay for these improvements.”
He continued, “The Lake area has survived as a retirement and tourist destination for a long time and we are starting to build in other things so that we are not so reliant on tourism and the retirement population. Every time there has been a recession we are more deeply impacted than other regions because we do not have a diverse economy to draw from. I want us to thrive, not just survive. In order to do that, the commission needs to take the lead in working with other municipal leaders, agencies and the state, to build a diverse and vibrant lake area economy.”
Undeveloped Assets
Hasty believes the region is rich in undeveloped assets. “Camden County is within 50 miles of the population centers of the United States, there are miles of Burlington Railroad line close by, and our county is within nine miles of Interstate 44, which is a central artery for truck shipping traffic. Add these assets to an abundance of clean underground water and a beautiful Lake of the Ozarks retirement and tourist destination, and we have great economic potential,” he said.
“It is not my intent just to sit and fix a busted budget. I will take aggressive actions to make Camden County a viable place for our children and our grandchildren to live, so that they can stay here and enjoy quality employment and lifestyle.”
Sewer or Septic?
The tourism industry at the Lake of the Ozarks infuses millions of dollars into the local and state economy. A central sewer system constructed to replace outdated and leaching septic systems has been a frequent topic of discussion and activity, not only for the sustenance of the tourism industry, but also for the continued availability of clean drinking water, protecting citizens from government agency regulations and fines, and the need to produce the infrastructure required for new business development. Many local municipalities have sewer or are in the process of developing sewer infrastructure.
But Hasty says the best answer for many residents is to purchase new private septic systems—at a cost of $15,000 to $20,000—rather than hooking into a central system and sharing the cost with their neighbors.
He argues, “Installing a central sewer system in outlying areas is not financially feasible. High sewer rates will create an unnecessary burden on the people. With that said, we also need to ensure there are strict septic tank regulations and oversight to protect the watershed.”
The Transition
Hasty is currently working towards transitioning into the position of presiding commissioner. Two of his sons, Aaron and Chris, are ready to take over the surveying company when he moves into his official capacity at the courthouse in January. He said he would love to sit in on meetings and have opportunities to give opinions to help form direction on issues that will face the county during his upcoming term in office.
“To sum it up, I care about the county and our citizens,” Hasty said. “My family has been here a long time and I plan for us to be here for a long time to come. I want to see this region offer a clean environment with a sustainable, vibrant economy. This is my passion, and I am willing to work with anyone who is willing to think on a larger scale about what is possible, instead of getting by with what we have.”
