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The Rundown is prepared by the City of Newton Communications Office to summarize the City Commission action and does not represent official Commission minutes.
Oct. 10, 2023 Newton City Commission meeting
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At Tuesday night’s meeting, the City Commission tabled an application for a Special Use Permit for an Airbnb host home at 2302 Paddington Ave.
Last month, the Newton Planning Commission had approved the permit with a limit of four vehicles maximum, and the term of the permit to be renewed annually unless neighborhood complaints required that staff bring the issue back to the Planning Commission for review.
City Commissioners expressed concern about whether the property would function primarily as an owner-occupied bed-and-breakfast or an Airbnb-style short-term rental, and whether it could cause problems in the neighborhood with excessive use. Members of the Stratford Place Homeowners Association had spoken against the permit at the Planning Commission’s public hearing.
The City Commission voted to table the issue until the Oct. 24 meeting to receive more information about the applicant’s intentions and possible City regulations for Airbnb properties.
The Commission paid tribute to City Manager Kelly McElroy, whose last day with the City is this Friday. Vice Mayor Rod Kreie, who was leading the meeting in the mayor’s absence, praised Kelly’s knowledge, communication skills, and ability to build meaningful relationships.
“Newton has been blessed to have her as the head cheerleader and promotor of all things Newton,” Kreie said. “While we’ll miss Kelly deeply, it’s a tribute to her leadership for her to be able to leave knowing that our City is in such good hands with staff that she helped develop into a very cohesive, knowledgeable, transparent, fun, interesting group of dedicated, service-oriented people.”
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- Received a petition to vacate the alley north of the 500 block of North Plum, where Plum Street Cottage has established a patio for outdoor seating. A public hearing was set for the Nov. 14 Commission meeting.
- Approved the final plat for a narrow piece of property on Cottonwood Hills Drive between Lazy Creek Drive and Cory Road. The property owners intend to build a storage building on the land, which is adjacent to their residence.
- Authorized improvements to the Southwest 24th Street bridge over Sand Creek.
- Approved a contract with Health Ministries Clinic to formalize the City’s annual budget allocation. Since 2012, the City has provided funding to the clinic to be used as leverage for its federal grant funding. The clinic is a nonprofit Federally Qualified Health Center and provides a range of healthcare services on a sliding scale.
For more information, please contact Communications Director Erin McDaniel at 316-284-6055 or emcdaniel@newtonkansas.com.
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