Newton’s Stormwater Utility rate will go up by $1.25 per equivalent residential unit, effective July 1, after the city council unanimously adopted a $1.00 increase during their regular meeting Monday night. A 25-cent increase was already scheduled to take effect. Newton Public Works Director Joe Grife says the additional one-dollar increase will generate another 140-thousand dollars in revenue per year. 

“Our single-family homes, that’s $1.25 extra per month on their utility bill. Our exempt and commercial properties will see an average of $7.50 more a month. Our industrial properties will see an average increase of $86.25 a month.”

Grife says exempt properties include schools and churches.

The Newton City Council on Monday also approved the purchase of a pre-cast flushable toilet restroom for Harmony Park and a Fishing Pier Dock System for Cardinal Pond. Harmony Park is downtown and has Newton’s new Splash Pad, while Cardinal Pond is in the Arbor Estates subdivision in northeast Newton. The City has received a REAP Grant from the Iowa DNR and a Community Betterment Grant from Prairie Meadows for improvements to Cardinal Pond, including a fishing pier/dock.