COUNCIL SUPPORTS HARMONY PARK

Supporters of Harmony Park made a splash on Sept. 6 when they packed the council chambers and demanded the city provide its fair share to the proposal, which ultimately resulted in an amended motion and a unanimous vote in favor of the updated design and construction of the park project.

Many residents who attended the city council meeting criticized the proposed contribution from the city, which equated to $150,000. The contribution was $75,000 less than the $225,000 listed in the City of Newton’s most recent capital improvement plan. About $369,850 in private donations has already been raised.

Currently, the project is estimated to cost about $625,000.

Maintenance costs for the park are currently estimated at $20,600 per year. With the supporters and stakeholders of Harmony Park confident they can raise their private donations to $400,000 with council’s support, they questioned why the city would decrease its portion. Many even requested an amendment.

Coupled with the rumors of city council potentially not approving the construction of the park, which supporters say negatively impacted fundraising, the group rallied around a number of speakers. Emily Thomason, of Newton Main Street’s economic vitality committee, was disappointed in the animosity from council.

Especially when Thomason and other Main Street volunteers provided what they believed was overwhelming evidence of community support for the project.

“I cannot imagine the aggravation my fellow committee must feel for all the hard work and time they put into this project for our community, to be pushed aside again and again for unknown reasons to us,” Thomason said. “I also feel betrayed by my local city government.”

Other residents, committee members and donors argued in favor of Harmony Park, urging city council to approve the project.

Jonathan Van Hemert, a member of the original splash pad committee, said the project has evolved from its initial concept. Updated designs show Harmony Park has a water spray feature, a shelter and visitor center, designated parking for food trucks and public restrooms, among other amenities.

However, those changes in designs have significantly increased the construction costs. Van Hemert acknowledged this but volunteers maintained they would raise $400,000 and the city would provide $225,000. Reducing the city’s portion of the project was “disheartening,” Van Hemert said.

“We’ve been doing this for a while and the committee has done a great job of raising almost $400,000,” he said. “If that doesn’t speak to what your community wants, what your city wants, I’m not sure what speaks more than that. That’s a lot of money for them to raise and just hand over to the city.”

Jacob Parsons, of The Dental Practice, referred to a letter to the editor published in the Newton News that had been signed by roughly 90 people. The letter stated the location of the park at the vacant city-owned lot at 224 W. Third St. N. is an ideal location that could boost traffic to downtown and Legacy Plaza.

By having an amenity like Harmony Park in Newton, the letter stated young families, seasoned native and food and beer tourists from surrounding areas will bring their families and get to know Newton; families would also be less incentivized to take their entertainment dollars elsewhere.

“City council members, please listen to our voices,” Parsons said. “Many of the individuals behind have called Newton home for their entire lives. Others such as myself moved to this area filled with hope of growing and being a part of this community and helping it reach its full potential.”

Laurie Moffitt, chairperson of Newton Main Street’s promotions/organization committee, said her passion is to hold events in the downtown district that bring the community together. She sees Harmony Park becoming a gathering space for downtown events like the farmers market and craft fairs.

“There would be seating places for families to come and gather and allow their kids to place on the musical sculptures,” Moffitt said. “We need people to have a reason to come downtown, to shop local, to support local businesses. Having Harmony Park would be one more reason for families to meet up downtown.”

Rep. Jon Dunwell, who is also a member of Main Street’s economic vitality committee, suggested the council and the committee leading the charge on the project share a common passion, but perhaps they are approaching it from different directions. Ultimately, they all believe Newton is worthy of investment.

“I think about some of the plans you have laid out and you have worked with the state on — there’s about $14.7 million,” Dunwell said, noting $14.1 million is for the reinvestment district and more than $600,000 for housing projects. “… The state believes, like you do, that Newton is worthy of tremendous investment.”

Harmony Park is one more step to bridging the gap between Legacy Plaza but downtown Newton. Dunwell later told Newton News no matter how much the volunteers raise or how much the city contributes, Harmony Park needs a public-private partnership. It is a project that needs the city’s expertise.

Former council member Noreen Otto requested an amendment to the resolution and said she is concerned about the resource that could be squandered if Newton does not continue to move forward. That resource, she said, is a room full of highly engaged, highly motivated citizens.

“To further a public-private partnership to the tune of $400,000 is incredible. In my time in Newton it’s probably one of the most successful projects that I’ve seen undertaken,” Otto said. “So my fear is the chilling effect that could resolve if we continue to delay this project … I’m very concerned about the long-term impact.”

Collin Barnes, of Newton, argued a place like Harmony Park will benefit kids in the community and give them something to do.

“As a teacher here in the district, I work with a 127 different students every single day and I talk with a lot of the teachers here. And one of the common things I hear is that a lot of these kids need places to go after school,” Barnes said. “…They just need a place to go and hang out.”

Lori Lauterbach has been a Newton resident for the past 20 years. Her kids were born and raised in the town. One thing Lauterbach learned as a mother was if she told her kids she was going to do something, then she had better do it. The same can be applied to the city giving its full portion to the project.

“Your word is who you are,” Lauterbach said.

Newton City Council members would eventually approve a $225,000 contribution, solidifying Harmony Park’s future. But it wasn’t without discussion.

Council member Evelyn George was unsure why the city’s portion was even reduced in the first place, and she later argued it was implied or understood that the city would supply the $225,000 to a splash pad. Although council member Randy Ervin would say it was not officially approved, per se.

Council member Vicki Wade was upset people were assuming city council members are inserting personal opinions into the project and by others making up stories from people who do not want to see the money spent in this way. She also loved that people came to council wanting to share their support.

“But there are people in the community who do not support it, and it’s not necessarily that they don’t want a splash pad,” Wade said. “They’re concerned about the money being spent on something like this when they go to, for example, Maytag Park and see the condition of the restrooms.”

Even so Wade recognized the city’s CIP did “earmark” $225,000 to the project. Council member Melissa Dalton maintained she had not heard from one person against the project. Of note, there was no one who spoke against the project during the city council meeting, either.

Speaking from a prepared statement, council member Mark Hallam said he was humbled by the scope of what volunteers have done. As someone who is active in community service, he applaud their efforts. He not only likes the project, he loves it. He also understood why the committee desired the $225,000.

Ervin, the council member who has been openly against the project, said unlike Dalton he has received comments from people who do not approve of Harmony Park. Ervin did relent and gave credit to the committee’s passion. Still, Ervin wants a more 24/7 park, suggesting the water features will be seasonal.

Although he has shared his concerns and issues with the project in the past, Ervin was complimentary of the park and the volunteers.

“You have a beautiful idea with food trucks, as well as water features. So you, to me, you service both people. I do like the idea of having farmers market,” Ervin said. “…You’ve rode the game well and you went out and promoted this. And I do think in the long run it would be good for the city.”

Commenting on the amount of people who showed up to the meeting, council member Craig Trotter thanked everyone for sharing their thoughts. This is what the process is all about, he said. But in the future, Trotter hoped there would be better communication from both sides.

Upon the 6-0 vote approving the resolution, Newton Mayor Mike Hansen revealed he wanted to see the project happen. But he knew if he brought it up to a vote sooner than this most recent meeting, the chances of Harmony Park failing were “pretty good.”

Hansen added, “If I want to see something happen in our community, I work with the decision makers in order to move that agenda item forward. And that’s the reason you saw it on the agenda tonight. Because I believed through all of my conversations that we had an opportunity to move this forward in some form.”

The mayor also commended his council members, who are tasked with difficult decisions and deserve time to work through them. But he also informed people of the challenges moving forward. Inflation has increased the costs of everything. Harmony Park may not be immune to those difficulties.

Newton Main Street Executive Director Erin Yeager told Newton News she was shocked by the turnout but is overall excited by the result.

“We’re grateful that the council members see the passion from the community, of what truly they wanted — not just our committee wanting it, but the community,” Yeager said. “It’s a long-term goal for Main Street to have the vitality in the downtown, because it is the heartbeat of your community.”

Contact Christopher Braunschweig at 641-792-3121 ext. 560 or cbraunschweig@newtondailynews.com