In Major Shakeup, Sunrise Beach Staff & Board Members Resign, City Cancels Contract With Attorney

SUNRISE BEACH, Mo. — There’s political turmoil in the Village of Sunrise Beach, on the Lake of the Ozarks west side. Multiple staff members and board members have resigned, and the village canceled its contract with its long-time attorney.

In a special meeting on Friday, July 29 it was announced Sunrise Beach Clerk Jeni Nelson had resigned. The board approved Nelson’s resignation at the meeting. Nelson has worked in the clerk position since 2009. According to Sunrise Beach Board Chairman Susan Schneider, the reason Nelson was leaving was because she felt under-appreciated. “As the new board chairman, I started asking a lot of questions so that I could learn what was going on,” Schneider said. “I wanted us to work as a team and for her to be my right-hand man. We hired a city manager and I think she may have felt that was her job.”

In a separate interview, Nelson said that was a not a correct statement.

The newly hired City Manager, Steve Roth, will step into position on Monday, August 21. Roth formerly worked as the city manager for the city of Pacific, Mo.

Williams no longer village attorney

The board also approved terminating the contract with Williams Law Firm, Sunrise Beach Village Attorney Greg Williams, and Sunrise Beach Prosecuting Attorney Zane Williams. Williams has worked as the village attorney since 1988. When asked for comment, Greg Williams stated, “It has been a pleasure to be of service to the people of Sunrise Beach.”

According to Schneider, the board had been in discussion and agreement the legal fees charged by the Williams Law Firm were too high for a village of their size. “We needed something more economical,” Schneider said. “Williams did a good job, but we had to look at the expenses we were incurring.”

New city attorney

The board also approved signing a contract with Nathan Nickolaus for the village attorney position. According to Schneider, the decision to hire Nickolaus was made after requesting statements of qualifications from multiple firms, with no other firms submitting an application.

New prosecuting attorney

The board also approved signing a contract with Todd Smith for the position of village prosecuting attorney. Nickolaus and Smith are with the Lauber Law Firm in Jefferson City, Mo.

Public works clerk resigns

On Monday, July 31, Sunrise Beach Public Works Clerk Ronda Stehle submitted her letter of resignation. She plans to work with her husband in their family business.

Deputy clerk resigns

Sunrise Beach Deputy Clerk Debbie Thompson has expressed her intent to resign. According to Schneider, the village is in the process of searching for a qualified clerk. The open position was placed on missourijobs.com. Thompson’s plans are to work with her husband in their family business.

Board member resigns

The board also accepted the resignation of Sunrise Beach Board Member Gerald Jasper, who resigned in June. Jasper was reelected in Spring 2023. The village is looking for someone to fill the rest of Jasper’s two-year term, which ends April 2025. The applicant must live in the Sunrise Beach village limits. Interested persons may contact city hall at 573-374-8782.

“We have a list of goals we want to accomplish in the two years we have this term,” Schneider said. “We want to move forward in a positive way. We are looking at new city hall options and we want someone who wants to make Sunrise Beach a better place to live and work.”

Board member Rusty Ehlers resigns

Signs of disunity surfaced in board member campaigns during the April 2023 election. Social media was littered with accusations against former board members citing illegal real estate dealings pertaining to the potential purchase of a new city hall, a lack of transparency by the village, and more. Board member Rusty Ehlers resigned after the two newly elected board members were sworn into office.

Current board members include Chairman Susan Schneider, Gregory Gordon, Steve Barthol and Steve Carter.

The next meeting of the Sunrise Beach Board of Trustees is scheduled at 6 p.m. on Monday, August 14 at the Sunrise Beach City Hall. The board meetings are available live on You Tube by going to https://www.youtube.com/@VillageofSunriseBeachMissouri