(To sign up for ElDo Buzz, see below.)

OFFICE HOURS

Monday-Friday
8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Administration offices are located in City Hall. These offices include the City Manager and City Clerk. A wide variety of city business can be conducted at City Hall. A partial listing includes the following:

• Pay City real estate and personal taxes
• Pay Utility bills (except natural gas)
• Make Utility deposits
• Purchase dog licenses
• Purchase merchant licenses
• Pay rural fire dues
• Purchase golf season passes, trail fees and cart shed rental
• Purchase garage sale permits
• Purchase cemetery lots
• Purchase building permits (for technical questions, call 876-5376)
• Planning & Zoning information/applications

There is a drive up window for utility payments only (see utility billing page for specific policies and rates). There is also an after hours drop box for utility payments on the east side of the building.

Copies of ordinances and other official records of the City are available at this location. The City Clerk is the official custodian of these records. All requests to view or obtain copies must be directed to the City Clerk. Copies will be subject to established charges.

If you would like to receive text, email and/or voice messages regarding Job Postings, Severe Weather Warnings for Cedar or Vernon County, Bulky Trash, Leaf Pick Up, Recycling or General Announcements, Sign-Up Here. 

---

El Dorado Springs maintains a municipal airport. It is located less than two miles southeast of town, off of Highway 32, on Airport Road. The airport is operated by a resident Fixed Based Operator.

Runway 04-22 is 3,400 feet long and has a hard surface. It is in excellent shape. Runway 18-36 is 2,600 feet long with turf. The airport has one lighted runway (04-22). The lights are radio controlled for night operation.

There are 3 tie-downs available on the apron. Aviation fuel is available. There are 16 + hangar spaces. All of them are occupied at this time.

For more information, contact Jerry Shilt, FBO at 417-876-4370.

Residential and Commercial construction in El Dorado Springs is regulated by the State of Missouri. The City of El Dorado Springs, a political subdivision of the state, has adopted building codes consistent with the regulations of state law.

Building codes did not originate in the United States in the last century. Building codes have been around much longer, thousands of years in fact. The first written evidence of building codes is found in the code of Hammurabi. Hammurabi was King of the Babylonian Empire when the code was written in 2200 B.C. There were general references to proper construction techniques and penalties assessed if a building was constructed improperly. Hammurabi’s code said that if a builder builds a house and does not make its construction firm, and the house collapses causing the death of the owner, that the builder shall be put to death.

Modern building codes do not contain a death penalty for faulty workmanship. However, the underlying concern – public safety – is still the primary purpose behind today’s building codes. Building codes regulate structural, fire safety, electrical, plumbing and mechanical systems. Building codes are designed to protect structures from collapse, to slow down a fires progress so people have more time to get out, to minimize damage during storms, floods, fires and earthquakes. Construction that follows code restrictions can preserve life, prevent and minimize property damage and lower insurance costs.

The building codes are a complex set of guidelines that have been developed over many years of testing by architects, engineers and industry standards boards. There are approximately 70 different standards boards that have contributed to the development of the International Building Code 2006 that the City of El Dorado Springs has adopted. Some of the ones you might recognize include ASTM – American Society for Testing and Materials, ANSI – American National Standards Institute, NFPA – National Fire Protection Association and UL – Underwriters Laboratories. These and the other organizations test individual materials and combinations of materials for a wide variety of performance criteria. For example, lumber is tested using various loading factors to determine how wide a span, without support, a floor truss can extend without sagging in the middle. Another example might be fire resistance rating. Certain areas of buildings may be required to have a 2 hour or 3 hour fire wall separation. This is done to keep fire from spreading throughout a building too rapidly. A 3 hour fire wall resists fire longer than a 2 hour fire wall, thereby slowing the spread of fire. This allows people more time to escape and may allow the fire to be suppressed before extensive damage is done.

These standards boards and the testing they perform are complex and difficult to understand. They do however have some practical results that we can recognize. One example that most any homeowner must deal with is how many layers of shingles can be put on before being required to remove the old ones. The building code allows two layers of shingles but not a third. This is done because of weight considerations. When a roof support system is designed it must take into account several factors. These factors include the weight of the roof itself or dead load, any weight in storage areas or living areas of the attic or live load, snow load and wind load. These guidelines apply to houses that are well maintained and structurally intact. Houses that are in poor repair with structural problems may not even support two layers of shingles. Commercial buildings that have flat roofs and walls extending above the roof trap snow and are even more complicated.

El Dorado Springs maintains a building code officer on a part-time basis to inspect construction projects. Architectural plans are reviewed by a licensed architect on a contract basis. Building permits are available at City Hall once approved by the building code officer. In a typical year, the City will issue approximately 230-250 building permits.

In closing, building codes serve a vital function – preserving life. Some people view them as nuisance and a hindrance to them at the time of building. But, ask yourself if you feel better knowing the buildings you shop in and the schools your children attend have the proper fire walls, sufficient exits, emergency exit lighting and all the other safeguards required by the building code. Remember the building codes only set forth the minimum requirements. Builders can build in excess of the minimum requirements if they choose.

For more information, contact building code officer Aaron Smith, at 417-876-5376.

The El Dorado Springs Municipal Court handles municipal ordinance violations. These are violations of the ordinances adopted by the City Council.

Municipal Violations citations are serious matters and should not be ignored.  Failure to appear in municipal court will result in an arrest warrant being issued in addition to the original offense.

Municipal Court is in session the first and third Tuesdays of each month.  Court convenes at 135 W. Spring Street at 5:00 p.m.  The Municipal Court Clerk is usually at the court room by 4:00 p.m. on court nights to take payments and handle court business.  All payments must be made in cash or money orders, no personal checks will be accepted.

The Court Clerk is available Monday-Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at 405 W. Oak to conduct court business.

Greg Beydler
Municipal Judge

Jada Tittle
Court Clerk
876-4821

Bryan Breckenridge
City Prosecutor
417-667-5076

The El Dorado Springs Street Department has a wide range of duties. They are responsible for the maintenance of 42 miles of streets. There are approximately 16 miles of hot mix asphalt and 26 miles of chip and seal. Hot mix overlays are done by outside contractors because of the need for specialized equipment. The City Street Department maintains the asphalt and puts down the chip and seal itself.

The Street Department performs snow removal activities when needed. The department has three snow plows that attach to dump trucks and a motor grader to perform plowing duties. There are also two salt spreaders that set in the back of a pickup bed to distribute a salt, sand and chips mixture to melt snow and ice and improve traction. When the precipitation is ice, it is almost impossible to plow. Salt can be applied to ice, but is ineffective when the temperature drops below 20°. It takes approximately 24 tons of the salt mix to make one pass around the city streets.

Other duties include maintaining the water drainage ditches and culvert tubes. If someone wants to add a driveway, the property owner can buy the culvert tube and the City will install them for residential property. The Street Department also maintains all the traffic control and informational signs except those on State Highways.

Additionally, the Street Department performs maintenance at the airport, maintains a burn pile and a compost pile near the dog pound. The burn pile accepts only tree limbs or vegetative growth. Lumber and other man made products are illegal. The compost pile accepts leaves and grass clippings. The public can take composted material for their gardens or flower beds. Finally, the Street Department oversees the taxi program and operates a shop where maintenance is performed on city vehicles and equipment.

Brian Koger
Street Superintendent
876-5376

El Dorado Springs maintains and operates a taxi service for the benefit of residents.  The taxi program is made possible by a grant from the Missouri Department of Transportation.  The grant pays for approximately one-half of the operating costs of the program.  The City of El Dorado Springs pays for the balance of the operating costs from the General Fund.

Citizens may call the taxi number (876-6576) between the hours of 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday.  The taxi does not run a fixed route.  The taxi will respond to calls as they are received.  

Taxi fees are as follows:

• $1.00 each way if the pick-up point and the drop-off point are within the city limits.




• $2.00 each way if one or both of the pick-up and drop-off points are out of the city limits.




• The taxi will only go 2 miles outside the city limits.

Please be aware that the taxi driver does take a lunch break at 12:00 noon to 1:00 p.m.  Calls placed just before noon or during the lunch hour will have to wait accordingly.  Also, the taxi driver is not a personal delivery person and will not assist in carrying groceries or other personal items.

The taxi is equipped with a manual ramp.

To schedule a ride, call 876-6576.

Riders on the taxi must comply with guidelines to ensure the safety of the driver and other passengers.  To view the general guidelines, Click here . . ..

Passengers with disabilities may request modifications to current service procedures to access the service.  To make a request, please call 417-876-2521 or email eldocclerk@centurytel.net.  Please submit requests at least the day before the trip.

The City of El Dorado Springs operates its transit program without regard to race, color, or national origin, in accordance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. For more information,  Click here . . ..  If you feel you have been discriminated against on the basis of race, color, or national origin by the City of El Dorado Springs transit service, you may print and fill out our complaint form by  Clicking here . . ..

If you have a complaint about the accessibility of our transit system or service, you may print and fill out our ADA complaint form by  Clicking here . . ..