Local news- Press Release
City of Newton Kansas - City Manager s Update June 3 2022 03 June 2022 ( news )
City of Newton , state Kansas ( By Press Release office)
Jun 03,2022
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Newton150 Summer Bash
Join us downtown for a community block party to celebrate Newton ' s Sesquicentennial this Saturday , June 4 from 4 to 10 p . m . ! The events of the day begin with a ribbon - cutting at the new downtown Newton historical mural at 4 p . m . We ' ll have a street dance with live music from
The Astronauts
and Wheat State Revival , food trucks , beer garden , Ferris wheel , bounce houses and more!
Attendance is free! Please check our
event page
for the latest schedules . We hope you will join us!
Building , Engineering & Project Updates
First Street Water Tank: The contractor is excavating material , placing rock , and building footings for the first of the two new water tanks . There is much more contaminated material than anticipated from pre - bid initial testing; special waste disposal costs are significantly higher per ton , so engineers are looking for disposal options .
The K - 15 ( Main Street ) KDOT - funded
City Connecting Link Improvement Program ( CCLIP )
project is out to bid , with bids due on June 21 .
Sand Creek Station
4th Addition ( residential housing ) water and sewer project is out to bid , with bids due June 21 . Street paving bids will be issued soon .
Boyd Street water line extension is out to bid , with bids due June 7 .
We received two applications prior to the deadline this week for the Environmental Sciences Scholarship , which the City offers to meet one of the requirements of our stormwater management plan and permit . Applicants will be reviewed , ranked , and a winner selected by Monday .
Park and Cemetery
This week our Parks and Cemetery team worked to check parks for the summer season , picked up litter , cleaned restrooms , trimmed and edged downtown parks in preparation for the 150
th
bash on Saturday . They did some work at the splash pad , sprayed weeds at the roundabouts and planting beds , and pulled weeds at other locations in parks around town , in addition to dumping trash , assembling and distributing new trash cans , picking up and chipping downed limbs in parks and the cemetery after last week’s storms . They also removed two cedar trees at Restlawn Cemetery , repaired mile marker signage along the bike path , and repaired and replaced boards on picnic tables for the 150
th
celebration . Thanks to our crews who work so tirelessly to keep Newton looking clean and crisp!
Sales Tax
May 2022 sales tax receipts are up 3 . 06% over May 2021 . Year - to - date receipts are up a cumulative total of 8 . 5% over the same time period in 2021 .
Sanitation
We continue working on replacing lids on the former recycling containers , converting them to trach receptacles . The inclement weather continues to delay completion of this project , but we continue to press onward as weather allows .
Bulky Item Tagging Program
May 23 - 27 , 16 locations were tagged for having junk at the curb . Six residents were charged the $20 fee; nine were charged the regular $10 fee after calling for a scheduled pickup; and one was sent to environmental control for follow - up . Customers interested in scheduling a pickup may do so
online
, by downloading the Newton Connect app on
Google Play
or the
App Store
, or by calling the Utility Billing office at 316 - 284 - 6007 .
Street
Our teams were delayed on many projects due to the rain this week . Slurry seal work scheduled for early in the week continued Thursday and Friday; we are working diligently to catch up . Crews worked during the storms to place traffic cones at several locations around town to divert traffic because of high water; cleaned priority storm sewer intakes; cleaned the flower beds at the Service Center and hauled in additional dirt; hauled street materials and made pot hole repairs on K - 15 and along South Spencer; repaired curb and gutter in Maintenance Area 4; worked on several utility cuts in the 500 Main parking lot after IdeaTek ( fiber ) underground work; worked to backfill a sewer repair hole behind Anderson’s Book Store ( the alley is closed during this repair ) ; placed hot asphalt patches in the 100 W . Fifth block; and packed a large pothole on N . Main Street . We continue to work on the new Newton Flag wayfinding signs , and planned for barricades , crowd control fencing , and cleanup for the 150
th
Birthday Bash on Saturday . We are pleased to note that we interviewed and hired a seasonal employee , and we are now full for the season! Thanks to our team for their diligent work , even in the face of all of the recent rains!
Water and Wastewater
We worked to make a repair to a sewer in the 600 block of N . Main , installing a new clean - out; repaired a lead in the 1200 block of Anderson; repaired and rebuilt the fire hydrant at the corner of Kansas Avenue and Country Club Drive; replaced a setter in the 700 block of East Fifth; trimmed trees and repaired air leaks on valves in the pump buildings; and completed well testing and sample collection at the Mission Water Treatment Plant . We continued to be challenged with high flow at the Wastewater Treatment Plant , putting the entire plant into manual operation including the wet weather overflow for a short time .
2022 Yard of The Year Contest
Reminder: There’s still time to nominate a fantastic yard in Newton for the Yard of the Year! Nominate your favorite yards at
www . newtonkansas . com/yard
through June 10 . Yards will be judged based on appearance , creativity and overall condition , with extra points for landscapes that require less water . To be eligible , nominees shall not have violated any City of Newton Uniform Code Regulations within the past year . The winners will be honored at a City Commission meeting and will receive a gift certificate and a yard sign to display .
Upcoming Meetings
4 - 10 pm June 4 – Newton150 Summer Bash
7:30 am June 9 – City Commission agenda review
7 pm June 14 – City Commission meeting
8 am June 21 – City Commission budget work session
7:30 am June 23 – City Commission agenda review
7 pm June 28 – City Commission meeting
Kelly McElroy
City Manager
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