Newton – Week of June 29 2025

Commission Reviews City Building Code

County Approves $320,000 Emergency Radio Purchase in Sole-Source Deal

Commission Overturns Historic Board, Approves Demolition of Blighted Home

Receding Floods Reveal “Escalating” Damage to County Roads

Library Reports Doubled Patronage, Announces Social-Worker Partnership

citizen journal is looking for a local editor in Newton!

1. Commission Reviews City Building Code

NEWTON - Newton is poised to adopt a new slate of building codes, a move that will align the city more closely with Wichita and other regional partners. During a discussion item, city staff presented sweeping updates to the International Building Code, International Mechanical Code, and International Existing Building Code. Commissioners raised questions about the potential unintended consequences of the changes, seeking to understand the impact on development, safety, and costs for homeowners and builders. The new codes address modern challenges, such as the hazards associated with lithium-ion batteries, and the adoption of an Existing Building Code is expected to provide more flexibility for renovating older structures, particularly downtown. Staff will bring the codes back for a formal vote after providing commissioners with more detailed context on the specific local amendments.

2. County Approves $320,000 Emergency Radio Purchase in Sole-Source Deal

HARVEY COUNTY - The Harvey County Commission unanimously approved the $320,000 purchase of 100 new portable radios for its emergency-services departments, waiving the standard purchasing policy to secure a sole-source deal. Don Gruver, Director of Emergency Communications, explained that many of the county’s current radios are obsolete, no longer serviced by Motorola, and cost $650 apiece to repair. A quote to replace just 91 radios with Motorola’s newest models came in at a staggering $676,000. Through a contact, Gruver located a Colorado dealer with 100 brand-new, slightly older-model radios available for $3,200 each, a significant savings from the recent price of $5,300 for the same model. The purchase, funded by a combination of federal CARES money (2020 COVID stimulus) and general-fund reserves, will equip the detention center, parks department, and sheriff’s office, with older radios being passed down to other agencies.

3. Commission Overturns Historic Board, Approves Demolition of Blighted Home

NEWTON - In a move that prioritized the removal of a dilapidated structure over historical preservation, the Newton City Commission voted to allow the demolition of a house at 309 East Fifth Street. The decision overturned a previous denial by the city’s Historic Preservation Commission. A representative for the property owner, Freddie Mac, argued that the home was structurally failing, contained asbestos, and that restoration costs were estimated at an unsupportable $320,000, compared to $60,000 for demolition. Commissioners weighed the loss of a historic resource against the property’s unsafe condition and the federal mortgage corporation’s internal policy preventing it from selling the hazardous property as-is. The final vote allows the applicant to proceed with obtaining a demolition permit after a 30-day review period by the state historic preservation office.

4. Receding Floods Reveal “Escalating” Damage to County Roads

HARVEY COUNTY - As recent floodwaters recede, Harvey County’s Road and Bridge Department is discovering significant damage to local infrastructure. Supervisor Jim Meier told commissioners that the power of the water is creating dangerous situations overnight. In one dramatic example, a road west of town on Northwest 12th Street had a one-foot-deep depression at a bridge abutment one afternoon; by the next morning, the entire road at the end of the bridge was gone. The department is assessing the widespread damage, which includes culverts that need replacement and large amounts of debris collecting against bridges.

5. Library Reports Doubled Patronage, Announces Social-Worker Partnership

NEWTON - Newton’s new public library has seen a dramatic surge in use, with the number of people coming through the doors nearly doubling in its first nine months compared with the previous year. In a budget presentation to the City Commission, Library Director Cari Cusick reported that book circulation is up 18 percent and attendance at children’s programs has jumped 48 percent. The library is also becoming a hub for regional meetings. Cusick announced an innovative new partnership with the United Way and NMC Health to hire a community-based social worker who will be based at the library part-time to assist patrons with needs beyond the library’s scope. The proposed 2026 budget includes a 5 percent increase in tax-levy dollars to maintain services and support staff.

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2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjahyYsx0sU
3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgxGFGkEarY
4. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjahyYsx0sU
5. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgxGFGkEarY

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