At Tuesday’s meeting, the City Commission approved an interlocal agreement with Newton Public Schools, Newton Recreation Commission, and the Railer Foundation for improvements to Themian Park.
Themian Park, located downtown on Poplar between Seventh and Eighth Streets, is owned by the City and leased to the school district for student use. The Rec Commission also hosts some youth sports activities in the park. Last year, a volunteer group called the Railer Foundation came forward with a plan to raise private funds to improve the park with pickleball courts, basketball courts, baseball fields, an urban soccer field with artificial turf, a park shelter, and restrooms.
Per the agreement, the City will oversee bidding and construction of the planned improvements and will fund the extension of a sewer line to serve the new restroom, cover the cost of water service to the site, and construct the pad for the restroom facility. The Rec Commission will perform future maintenance of the park and improvements and will contribute an initial $100,000 toward construction of the pickleball courts.
The Railer Foundation is responsible for funding for the rest of the improvements, including the adjacent parking lot. The School District will donate property on the southeast corner of Eighth and Poplar for the parking lot and allow public use of the existing lot at Seventh and Poplar during non-school hours.
The estimated total cost of the project is about $1.8 million. Financing will run through the Public Building Commission, a partnership of the City, School District, and Rec Commission that supports maintenance and improvements at Fischer Field and other recreational facilities. The project will be built in phases, beginning with the basketball and pickleball courts.
The agreement will next be considered by the other parties and will then have to be approved by the Kansas Attorney General’s Office.
Donations to the Railer Foundation for the park project can be made online through the Newton Community Foundation or mailed to:
NCF - Themian Park Fund
400 S. Main, Ste. 100
Newton KS 67114
2024 Engineering Fees and Services
The City budget got a boost in 2024 from unusually high revenues for building permits and engineering fees, driven primarily by GAF’s roofing manufacturing facility and the Fox Ridge housing development. Building permit values in 2024, for example, were nearly $190 million, up from $44 million the year before, and brought in about $868,000 in permit fee revenue to the City. There were 119 new housing unit starts in 2024, the most in at least 10 years, 93 of which were in Fox Ridge. Engineering service fees for plan review and inspection of public infrastructure brought in an additional $491,429, another jump from less than $160,000 the previous year. $165,000 of that amount was for GAF’s fire line.
The revenue stream for permits and engineering fees fluctuates significantly depending on the number and types of developments, the timing, and the overall economy, so 2024’s level of revenue is not promised to continue in future years, but it helped the City’s General Fund maintain a healthy reserve to start 2025.
In other action, the City Commission:
- Approved plans and specifications for milling and overlay of East 12th Street from Main to Pine and set a bid date of 11 a.m. April 3.
- Rezoned properties at 810 and 820 Industrial Road to I-3 heavy industrial from the previous I-2 general industrial.
- Approved a resolution of support for Newton Masonic Lodge #142 to participate in the Kansas Community Empowerment program administered by K-State Research and Extension, a volunteer, grassroots effort to improve the quality of life in Kansas communities.
- Received the 2024 year-end financial report.
- Received 2024 year-end reports from City departments:
- Approved a request to close Athletic Park Circle on April 12 for the Hope Women’s Center 5K.
- Approved a request to close Main Street on May 3 for the Newton Car Show.
- Adopted the ordinance authorizing 2025 fireworks sales from 10 a.m.-10 p.m. June 27-July 5 and discharge from 10 a.m.-midnight July 2-5.
For more information, please contact Communications Director Erin McDaniel at 316-284-6055 or emcdaniel@newtonkansas.com.
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