CITY ADMINISTRATOR S WEEKLY REPORT

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1 Page 1 of 8 National Youth Traffic Safety Month a reminder to teens: Safe driving doesn't take the summer off As the school year winds down, young people across America are looking forward to the summer. But as teens prepare for proms, graduations, vacations, and road trips, it's important to keep safety in mind. The sad fact is, traffic crashes are the leading cause of death for teenagers in America. And new analysis from NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) reveals that the deadliest days of the year for teens aged 15 to 19 are in the summer months of May, June, July, and August. During these four months, nearly twice as many teens died on the roads each day when compared to the rest of the year. These are sobering statistics. And they serve as a critical reminder to young people: safe driving doesn't take the summer off IOWA SPEEDWAY TRAFFIC INFORMATION Law enforcement and Speedway officials are preparing for the 2012 race season at the Iowa Speedway in Newton and are asking Iowans and visiting race fans to do the same! Ten races have been scheduled this year. Attendance numbers will vary for each race, but organizers anticipate 17,000 50,000 fans will attend on race day. The Iowa State Patrol, Iowa Department of Transportation, Newton Police Department, Jasper County Sheriff s Office and Iowa Speedway Officials are working in conjunction with a private traffic control company, to erect signs and cones which will clearly mark travel routes for fans attending the race. Officers will be working intersections along the route to ensure traffic moves in a safe and efficient manner. Motorists traveling to and from the speedway are reminded to expect slow traffic and possible delays, obey all traffic laws, pay attention to flashing lights and signs; and always follow officers directions. Motorists should avoid stopping on the traveled portion to ask questions unless it is an emergency. The key to safe and efficient traffic flow, with minimal delays will be a cooperative effort between the motoring public, law enforcement and speedway staff.

2 Page 2 of 8 Designated Travel Routes All Race Traffic on Interstate 80: Take Interstate 80 to exit 168. Take exit 168 to Speedway Drive and turn south. Continue south on Speedway Drive and staff will direct you to the appropriate parking lot. Traffic will not be allowed to turn onto Rusty Wallace Drive from this interchange. Rusty Wallace Drive has been designated as an emergency route and will only be utilized for emergencies and to relieve traffic congestion. When exiting the Speedway use the same route. Newton Club Members and Suite Owners: Take Interstate 80 to exit 168 or exit 164. If arriving from the west you are encouraged to utilize exit 164. Exit south onto U.S. 14. Continue traveling south on U.S. 14 approximately 3.6 miles. Turn east on South 60 th Avenue. Continue east 2¼ miles and turn north on County Road S-74. Continue north 3.6 miles. Turn east on Rusty Wallace Drive, signs and staff will direct you to parking from here. When exiting the Speedway use the same route. Travel Tips for Race Fans Buckle up for safety Allow plenty of travel time Plan on arriving early Be prepared for slow or stopped traffic Obey all traffic laws and follow signs, cones and signals Be patient Be courteous Do not stop to ask directions, officers and staff will direct you Follow directions of officers and parking staff Be cautious and watch for pedestrians Drink responsibly and always have a designated driver With a traffic increase of this magnitude some delays are possible near the Speedway. Highways most likely to be affected are Interstate 80 near Newton at the 164 and 168 mile-markers and U.S. 14 south of Newton.

3 Page 3 of 8 Officials expect traffic to be heaviest approximately two hours before and after each race. East and west bound exit ramps at the 168 interchange may be closed after the race. Also, southbound traffic on Iowa Speedway Drive at S 13 th Ave E may be closed after the race to allow for safe and efficient egress. Law enforcement and Iowa Speedway Officials are sensitive to the needs of local businesses and residents. To avoid congested roadways and possible delays, Jasper County residents are encouraged to use alternate routes during peak traffic periods. Family members picking up Speedway employees or spectators are asked to come early before the race ends so as not to get caught in the egress traffic Race Schedule May 19 Graham Tire 150 NASCAR K&N Pro Series May 20 Pioneer Hi-Bred 250 NASCAR Nationwide Series June 22 Casey's General Stores USAC Challenge, USAC Racing Series June 23- Iowa Corn Indy 250 IZOD IndyCar Series July 13 ARCA Series Race & NASCAR Camping World Truck Series practice July 14 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series August 3 K&N Pro Series August 4 NASCAR Nationwide Series September 14 ASA Midwest Tour September 15 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series

4 Page 4 of 8 Street Pothole Repairs Public Works employees are repairing potholes in streets. The asphalt patching machine purchased in 2010 has seen a lot of use during the past few years. This quick and durable fix to our streets has allowed crews to cover a large area in the City and prolong the pavement life by patching small potholes before they get big. Reconstruction and Repair of Storm Intakes Public Works employees continue to repair and reconstruct storm intakes. The warm spring has allowed crews to get an early start this year. Inspections of storm intakes are done annually and during the past few years we have noticed an increase in the number of intakes needing repair or reconstruction. Many of the existing intakes consist of brick and mortar. The mortar is beginning to fail due to its age. Last year crews reconstructed over 30 storm intakes. So far this year, crews have reconstructed 8 storm intakes.

5 Page 5 of 8 Newton's Future: A Comprehensive Plan Progress continues to be made on Newton's Future: A Comprehensive Plan. In recent weeks, the steering committee has met twice and worked with staff to identify some themes that emerged from the intensive public input process that occurred late last year and earlier this year. These themes will be represented in a Community Vision and will guide recommendations and action steps articulated in the plan. The City's consultant, StanTec, is currently underway with drafting the text of the various chapters of the plan and compiling the associated maps and tables. In conjunction with the efforts of staff and the steering committee, a draft should be complete in the next month. Community Gardens Spring is here! This year both the Jasper County Conservation Board and Big Brothers/Big Sisters are putting their green thumbs to the test. These organizations are sponsoring community garden sites- one located at the Public Works Building (1700 North 4th Avenue West) and another located at 114 N 2nd Avenue E (across from the Jasper Co. Annex). Spring preparation work has been done, including the installation of raised beds, and some early season plants have been put into the ground.

6 Page 6 of 8 Red Pride Service Day Wednesday, May 2nd, was Red Pride Service Day. Newton High School students, wearing bright red t-shirts, were out and about working on a number of projects to improve the community. Of the 41 student projects, several involved the City. These included painting the lower portion of the black poles and planting flower beds in the downtown area, planting trees in Maytag Park, doing landscape removal at the Fire Station, picking up trash along the bike trail in Agnes Patterson Park, and weeding and picking up trash at the Community Rain Garden on West 3 rd Street North. The efforts of the students and the community partners made a big difference in sprucing up Newton. May is National Preservation Month Citizens in Newton will join thousands of individuals across the country to celebrate National Preservation Month this May. Discover America s Hidden Gems is the theme of the month-long celebration sponsored by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Since the National Trust for Historic Preservation created Preservation Week in 1971 to spotlight grassroots preservation efforts in America, it has grown into an annual celebration observed by small towns and big cities. Here in Newton, Preservation Month 2012 will be will be celebrated by the Newton Historic Preservation Commission through several public events. Mark your calendars for these interesting opportunities: Preserving Our Downtown- Benefits, Tax Credits, and More Tuesday, May 15, 2012 at 5:00 pm, Uncle Nancy s Coffee House & Eatery Learn about the Newton Historic Preservation Commission s efforts to inventory buildings in the Downtown as part of their recent grant work. In addition, find out the economic benefits of historic preservation for downtown property owners. Presentation by Alexa McDowell, Architectural Historian and Preservation Professional

7 Page 7 of 8 Maytag Homes Walking Tour Saturday, May 19, 2012 at 9:00 am, Corner of S 3 rd Avenue W and W 4 th Street S Join Dr. Tom Hoover on a walking tour of the Maytag homes located in Southwest Newton. The tour will serve as a history lesson about the homes and lives of the Maytag families from Rain date: Sunday, May 20 th at 2:00 pm. Historic Newton Churches Walking Tour Saturday, May 26, 2012 at 9:00 am at First United Methodist Church, 219 N 2 nd Ave E Larry Hurto, Newton Historic Preservation Commissioner, will lead a walking tour of ten historic churches and sites near the Newton Downtown. The discussion during the tour will highlight the role churches have played in Newton s history. Rain date: Sunday, May 27 th at 2:00 pm Monthly Construction Report NEW RESIDENTIAL RESIDENITAL RESIDENTIAL NEW NON-RESIDENTIAL NON-RESIDENITAL TOTAL DWELLINGS REMODELING GARAGES/SHEDS STRUCTURES REMODELING TOTAL PERMITS No. VALUATIONS No. VALUATION No. VALUATION No. VALUATION No. VALUATION No. VALUATION JANUARY 0 $0 0 $0 0 $0 0 $0 3 $81,500 3 $81,500 FEBRUARY 0 $0 3 $50,875 0 $0 0 $0 2 $17,000 5 $67,875 MARCH 0 $0 3 $54,300 3 $48,500 0 $0 0 $0 6 $102,800 APRIL 0 $0 6 $24,536 1 $1,800 0 $0 4 $8, $34,836 T OT AL 0 $0 12 $129,711 4 $50,300 0 $0 9 $107, $287,011

8 Page 8 of 8 Website Statistics Update Since we launched our website on 04/20/2012 we have had 2321 visits. Listed below are some of the locations individuals are viewing from: New York Chicago Boston London San Francisco San Jose Paris Honolulu Amsterdam Dhaka Barcelona Sarajevo