NEWTON, Kan. — Newton residents are invited to share their thoughts about the future of the community at public events next week.
The first visioning sessions for the City of Newton’s new comprehensive plan, Newton Next, are set for Oct. 7-8.
The goal of these meetings is to create community priorities that will guide public officials when making decisions on issues such as infrastructure, zoning, public safety, transportation, economic development and housing, as well as quality-of-life issues like parks and recreation, technology, and beautification.
“We truly want and need a diverse set of people attending these meetings,” City Manager Daniela Rivas said. “This is your process. If you want a voice in where our community is headed over the next 10-20 years, this is your chance to be heard.”
First, leaders from the Newton Area Planning Commission and City Commission will meet on Tuesday to begin creating a community vision and focus areas for the project. Tuesday evening, the volunteer Community Voices Team will review the leadership team’s feedback and contribute their own ideas.
Community members are then invited to attend one of two public events on Wednesday:
- Planning & Pizza Community Pop-up – 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 8 at Back Alley Pizza, 125 W. Sixth St. Don’t have a lot of time to spare? Come and share your input through a quick, informal conversation over the lunch hour.
- Community Open House – 6-8 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 8 at Fire/EMS Station 3, 2520 S. Kansas. A come-and-go event to share your thoughts on Newton’s needs, wants, and challenges and see the ideas that City leadership and the Community Voices Team shared.
The feedback shared in these sessions will be used to draft a community vision and guiding principles that will be used to set specific goals and objectives in the comprehensive plan. Additional in-person and virtual community meetings are planned for early February.
More information about the planning process is at NewtonNextPlan.com.
