Biking Across Kansas
A friendly reminder to all that the 2023 Biking Across Kansas annual ride will arrive in Newton as one of their overnight stops next week on the 13th! We remind drivers to be aware that there will be extra cyclists in the community during the next week, and please help us give our warmest welcome to those participating and supporting the ride!
|
Engineering & Project Updates
-
Newton Public Library: Phase 1 steel decking is 25% complete and phase 2 steel erection is 30% complete. Rain slowed down progress a little this week.
-
Stormwater Wetlands Park: Grading and parking lot improvements are complete. Fencing, signage, etc. still remain.
- Staff submitted an intent to apply for a Safe Streets & Roads for All (SS4A) grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation.
- Staff met with Harvey County Fair Board organizers to coordinate City services for the upcoming Harvey County Free Fair in August. This year’s parade will be held on W. First Street from Beverly to Grandview and into Athletic Park on Aug. 4, assuming City Commission approval.
- Planning Commission is scheduled to meet on June 5 with the following items on the agenda:
- Final Plat for Sand Creek Station 5th Addition;
- Preliminary Plat for Claassen 2nd Addition;
- Special Use Permit (SUP) for 908 Trinity Drive.
-
QuikTrip: Last week, QT pulled their building permit and this week paid permitting fees. Their contractor, Dondlinger Construction, will begin work on the site at First and Spencer to demolish the old CJ’s Pancake House building soon.
Police
 We are very pleased to announce that Officer Austin Sontag and K-9 Kilo recently completed 12+ weeks of intense training and certification. The program is based on the world-renowned North Rhine-Westphalia State Police School for Service Dog Handlers. This program has evolved over the last 90 years to what is commonly known today as the Utah POST/PSP Certification. The program is physically and mentally demanding, with each day beginning with a run with the dog and multiple written tests and term papers. Along with the obvious drug odor work and all disciplines in patrol work, Officer Sontag learned K-9 psychology, first aid, case law and a multitude of other topics. The training was held in the Wichita area, including several days of training in the Newton and Harvey County area. The instructors were from the Sedgwick County Sheriff's Office and the Kansas Highway Patrol.
Officer Sontag and K-9 Kilo received grades of almost all 2's in all disciplines. The grading system is on a scale from 1-6, with 1 being perfect. The grading is very tough, and both the handler and dog are graded and scrutinized on their skills and ability to work together, and very few 1's are ever earned. We are excited to get both of them back on the street in our community.
Parks & Cemeteries
This week our teams:
- Mowed, edged and weed-eated parks.
- Replaced a pump on the fountain at Depot Park.
- Provided customer service at the cemetery on Memorial Day;
- Picked up flags at the cemetery;
- Staffed four services at the cemetery;
- Did the weekly maintenance at the splash park;
- Placed enzyme blocks in the ponds at Springlake to reduce the amount of algae.
Street & Sanitation
This week, our crews:
- Took down the American flags after Memorial Day;
- Completed hooking up the battery backup system for 12th & Main traffic signals;
- Worked to complete week five of the annual slurry seal projects;
- Swept streets in Maintenance Area 2;
- Made water utility repairs at 302 SW Second St.;
- Patched asphalt and repaired curb and gutters in Maintenance Area 6;
- Continued pavement marking work throughout town;
-
Bulky Item Tagging Program: From May 22–26, inspectors tagged four locations. Three were charged the $20 fee, and one scheduled a pickup and was charged the $10 fee.
Water/Wastewater
This week, our team:
- Responded to eight after-hours calls;
- Lead and Copper Rule task updates:
- We have received a total of 2,219 surveys to date.
- Staff helped with 15 customer plumbing surveys.
- We excavated 11 service lines to verify pipe material.
- Called in 18 utility locates.
- Installed six new water services at various new build locations throughout town.
- Mission Water Plant & Wastewater Treatment Plant staff did a lot of groundwork, mowing and trimming.
- Mission staff worked on removing potential pollution issues at the Sedgwick Booster Station and prepping it for a rebuild.
- Wastewater Treatment Plant crews:
- Installed a rebuilt mixer in the basin;
- Dealt with a broken drain valve on the bio basin – We will need to call a contractor in for help to repair since the equipment needed to repair is larger than the City owns.
- Thursday morning arrived to find drum screen #1 had thrown a tire overnight, so it is out of service while they repair it.
Yard of the Year
There’s still time to nominate for the 2023 Yard of the year! If you’ve seen a great-looking yard in Newton, nominate it at www.newtonkansas.com/yard through June 16. Yards will be judged based on appearance, creativity and overall condition, with extra points for landscapes that require less water.
Upcoming Events & Reminders
See all of the upcoming events at our Community Events listing on Choose-Newton.com.
Upcoming Meetings:
- 7:30 a.m. June 8 – City Commission agenda review
- 7 p.m. June 13 – City Commission meeting
- 12 p.m. June 15 – City Commission budget work session
- 7:30 a.m. June 22 – City Commission agenda review
- 7 p.m. June 27 – City Commission meeting
- July 4 – City offices closed for Independence Day
|
