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City and county discuss East First Street design; county defers decision and schedules work session
Summary
City of Newton sought county approval to share design costs for East First Street improvements; commissioners asked for more information and scheduled a work session for March 19 to review Road & Bridge priorities and the proposed two‑phase design.
City of Newton staff asked Harvey County commissioners on March 11 to approve participation in design work for East First Street Phase 2 so the county and city can coordinate a two-phase roadway improvement project.
Suzanne Loomis, representing the city, described a plan that splits the corridor into two phases and said design economies of scale would save roughly $50,000 if the city and county proceed together. The city’s review committee selected Garver Engineering to provide engineering and geotechnical services; the Phase 1 design estimate provided to the commission for the combined project was $287,550 (phase costs were shown separately in packet materials).
Commissioner questions and next steps Commissioners asked for clarifications about cost caps, right-of-way acquisition, property impacts (including concerns about trees and noise attenuation near Hillside), and how construction would be funded and bonded. Road & Bridge Superintendent Jim Meyer joined the discussion and said such improvements will likely be required over the coming years as the area develops; he warned county funds are already strained and that long-range capital planning would identify priorities.
Action taken The commission did not vote to commit funds at the March 11 meeting. Commissioners scheduled a work session for March 19 at 9:30 a.m. (after a department-head meeting) to review Road & Bridge priorities and to hear a more detailed presentation on this project before any funding decision. City staff will present again at the March 19 discussion and the Newton City Commission was scheduled to consider the agreement the same evening.
Why it matters East First Street improvements would affect planned commercial development along the corridor and could require right-of-way purchases and bonding. Commissioners emphasized needing a clearer map of county priorities, cost controls (a suggested not-to-exceed cap), and the sequence of improvements before approving any design funding commitment.
