By Kelly McElroy, Newton City Manager

March 3, 2023

Employee Appreciation

This week, City staff celebrated all our employees with landmark work anniversaries at our annual Employee Appreciation Breakfast. We are so proud and grateful for our outstanding staff and their dedication to public service!

Environmental Sciences Scholarship

Applications are now being accepted for the City’s 2023 Environmental Sciences Scholarship. This scholarship was established to provide financial assistance to students enrolled in or who will enroll in a post-secondary program in environmental sciences, biology, environmental engineering, or related field fall of 2023. Preference will be given to residents of Newton or graduates of Newton High School or a surrounding area high school.

Applications are available online at www.newtonkansas.com/scholarship and are due March 28, 2023.

Development, Engineering & Code Enforcement

• This week, staff reviewed and approved building permits for 12 new residential homes on Casey Drive at Sand Creek Station ranging in valuation of $220,000 to $260,000.
• Staff is reviewing plans and working through engineering issues on several projects, including Full Vision’s expansion and QuikTrip.
• Residential development civil inspections continue for The Enclave Addition paving, Autumn Glen 3rd Addition sidewalks & cleanup, etc.

Parks & Cemetery

This week our team:

• Trimmed trees in Athletic Park.
• Removed foreign growth in cedar trees at Centennial Park.
• Raked the rock roads in the cemetery to prepare for adding more rock.
• Worked with Street Division on a drainage issue at the cemetery and a trip hazard at Centennial.
• Removed brush on the south side of the fence at the large dog park to make it easier to mow behind.

Sand Creek Station Golf Course

The USGA will visit Newton on April 18 for consideration of hosting another championship at Sand Creek Station. This is very exciting to make it to the final stage for the selection process!

We’re off to an incredible jumpstart financially this year. February revenues will more than double budgeted revenues.

Street & Sanitation

This week our team:

• Installed the “No Parking” signs on Pine Street from Seventh Street to the south 140 feet as recently approved by the City Commission.
• Took grade shots for drainage issue resolution at Greenwood Cemetery.
• Street sweeping: Completed Maintenance Area 2 and moved to Maintenance Area 3. Staff is scheduled to sweep downtown business district tomorrow morning. The operator comes in at 3 a.m. to complete that job, so as not to disrupt business owners/patrons.
• Completed curb & gutter repairs in Maintenance Area 5.
• Milling the edges of streets that are scheduled for slurry seal in 2023.
• Bulky Item Tagging Program from Feb. 20-24: Inspectors tagged 12 locations. Seven didn’t contact the City after tagging/notification and were charged the $20 fee; five did contact the City and were charged the regular $10 fee.

Water/Wastewater

"Get the Lead Out" program updates: Staff completed 524 visual field surveys related to prior maintenance activities to confirm the material used for at least the public side of the meter service. Staff assisted 14 customers at their homes to complete their survey. As of right now, they are scheduled out to help customers into next week. So far, staff has received 304 completed or partially completed surveys: 233 electronically and 71 hard copy. This week, our team: Responded to six after-hours calls. Dealt with generator issues at the Sedgwick Booster Station and Mission Water Plant. Sedgwick was a reset issue we are keeping an eye on. Mission was a battery issue, which required changing out two of the four batteries. Worked with Engineering staff on the Full Vision project pertaining to some water lines and valve locations. Began changing out meters this week as part of our annual replacement program. We are a couple years behind due to supply chain issues. Water/Wastewater is still down six staff members.

Upcoming Meetings & Reminders

• 7:30 a.m. March 9 – City Commission agenda review
• 5:30 p.m. March 14 – City Commission work session
• 7 p.m. March 14 – City Commission meeting
• 7:30 p.m. March 23 – City Commission agenda review
• 7 p.m. March 28 – City Commission meeting