Nixa News | November 2019 Edition
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In this month's edition you can read about...
- Councilman Dingus resigns, Jarad Giddens appointed to council
- Upcoming events
- New businesses now open in Nixa
- A letter from the Mayor
- And more!
As always, you can find much more information at Nixa.com and engage with us on our official social media pages on Facebook, Twitter, and Nextdoor.
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Two things I can count on every fall; there will be way too many things with "Pumpkin Spice" in them, and the City of Nixa will be putting together its comprehensive budget for the next year. This year is no exception. I have not had one thing that includes Pumpkin Spice. Oh, and council has been working hard with city staff to plan our expenditures for 2020.
Luckily, Nixa has an incredible team in place to design these budgets. Donna Swatzell, the city's long-time Director of Finance, and her team work throughout the year to make sure all of the municipal government's finances are in strict order. This hard work has been rewarded with the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting for our comprehensive annual financial reports (CAFR) by the Government Finance Officers Association each of the last 3 years.
This annual budget is the best way for council to express its priorities. Our current council is dedicated to using the resources at our disposal to meet the objectives set out in the Nixa Continuing Improvement Planning (NCIP) long term strategic plan. These objectives are:
- The City of Nixa will improve services and infrastructure to maintain exceptional quality.
- Commercial, retail, service, and industrial business in Nixa will increase annually.
- The City of Nixa will lead efforts to enhance the quality of life for our community.
One the changes I have brought as Mayor that I am most proud of is a move away from Council reviewing each specific item in the budget to a more metrics based approach. As defined in our Home Rule Charter, the city council and mayor should be seen like the board of directors and chairman of a corporation. We are not involved in the day to day operations of the city, so we should not be attempting to budget to that level.
When I first joined council we would spend hours reviewing each line item of a 7+ million dollar budget, but now council sets a series of goals and target metrics for each department, then lets the leaders of those departments and the city administrator determine how to meet those with the money available. This has allowed us to cut the ratio of operational expenses vs. revenue from over 90% in 2013 to less than 85% each year between 2014 and 2018. It has also allowed us to balance the city's budget without pulling from our long-term reserves - even allowing us to save funds for future priorities like additional park projects and economic development.
If you have any questions or would like to know more about the City's budget, please contact myself or one of your Council members. Or you can just come out and join us at one of this year's remaining Council meetings!
- November 12 - Budget Discussions for Enterprise Funds
- November 25 - City-wide Budget Draft and Final Budget Discussions
- December 16 - Resolution to Adopt Five-Year Capital Plan & Ordinance to Adopt 2020 Budget
Sincerely,
Mayor Steele
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This perplexing puzzle will keep you bewildered, befuddled, and bemused.
Q:
When does Christmas come before Thanksgiving?
The answer to The Baffler is at the bottom of the newsletter.
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Kendal Dingus resigns from council, Jarad Giddens appointed to serve District 1
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Due to family illness, Kendal Dingus resigned his seat on city council and Jarad Giddens has been appointed to represent District 1 for the remainder of the term, which will end following the April election.
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Now Open for Business in Nixa
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Shop local! The following brick and mortar businesses have received new Nixa business licenses.
- Advanced Therapeutic Massage - 611 A1 W. Mt. Vernon St. (massage therapy)
- The Chili Bowl - 210 E. Mt. Vernon St. (restaurant/café)
- Miller Woodworks - 1202 N. Eaglecrest (cabinet manufacturing)
Thinking about opening a business in Nixa?
Call City Hall at 417-725-3785 to talk to us about your idea.
We would be thrilled to assist you through the process.
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Roadwork Ahead! Sign up for traffic alerts.
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Sign up for traffic alerts so you won't get caught by surprise by any road closures or other traffic impacts.
Be sure to follow the City of Nixa's official social media accounts too!
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Lt. Jason Fleetwood is the Commander over the Nixa Police Department's Operations Division. During 2019 Lt. Fleetwood has done a great job managing our 38% increase in calls for service over last year. Lt. Fleetwood and his staff have seen an 18% decrease in motor vehicle crashes and a 20% decrease in DWI offenses in Nixa year-over-year. The Nixa police Department was also ranked number 20 on the list of the safest cities in Missouri this year, thanks in no small part to his leadership of the officers on patrol. Lt. Fleetwood has also assisted our recruitment efforts by implementing a new pay structure and other changes to help the Nixa Police Department retain and attract the best personnel. Jason is highly respected within the department. He has a strong work ethic and is always looking for ways to improve efficiency and effectiveness. Thank you Lt. Fleetwood for your service!
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Nov. 9: Veteran's Day Ceremony
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The City of Nixa will host a Veteran’s Day Ceremony to be held at The X Center on Saturday, November 9th at 9:00 am, in partnership with the Nixa American Legion Post 434.
The ceremony will be followed by coffee and treats. Come and bring a friend as we honor all who served.
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Nov. 30: Shop Small Saturday
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Support our local Nixa businesses on #ShopSmallSaturday and every day!
Spending dollars in our community helps keep local businesses running and shows how much support other businesses can expect if they were to open up here.
Visit
nixachamber.com for more information on how you can find great deals while shopping local!
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Dec. 7: Mayor's Tree Lighting
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Join Mayor Brian Steele downtown for the Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony which will be part of the Downtown Revitalization Committee's "Caroling at the Crossroads" event on Saturday, December 7th. More details coming soon.
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Dec. 8: Nixa Christmas Parade
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On Sunday, December 8th, Nixa will hold its annual 65th Christmas Parade! This year’s theme is ‘An Old-Fashioned Christmas’.
The parade will start at 2:00 pm. Leaving from The X Center, the parade will travel west on North St., turn right on to Main (north) to Aven and turn left (west), take Aven to Fort St. (south), south on Fort St. to Wasson (west), west on Wasson to McCroskey (north), north on McCroskey to Lorene (East), east on Lorene to Main St. (north), north on Main St. to Short St. (east), East on Short St., to Frank (south), South on Frank to Kyle (East), East on Kyle to the back driveway of the Nixa Jr. High.
Parade participants:
registration will end on Monday, December 2nd.
Call 417.725.5486 to register for the parade.
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The Update is a great way to learn more about what's happening in Nixa and have your questions answered while enjoying lunch. Each month, we bring a different guest speaker from Nixa local government. These events give senior citizens an opportunity to meet and interact with the city's leadership, voice their concerns, and stay informed!
2019 DATES: September 25, October 30, November 27, December 31.
Anyone can enjoy lunch at the Nixa Senior Center. The cost of lunch is $3.50 for those 60+ and $6.00 for those under 60. Learn more about the Nixa Senior Center at the
Nixa Senior Center
website.
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Write to Santa, c/o Nixa Parks and Recreation,
P.O. Box 395, Nixa, MO 65714
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Please include an important event or accomplishment for 2019, a wish list, mailing address, email address, parent first and last name, and phone number.
In order to receive your letter from Santa, he must receive yours no later than December 11th, 2019.
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When Nixa is out of school--come hang out at The X Center! Kid’s Day Off is open to ages 5 years old - 6th grade. Registration is ongoing and open until maximum capacity is reached.
Dates include: November 5th and November 27th. Each Kid’s Day Off will be held from 6:30 am to 6:30 pm.
Please send a sack lunch and two snacks each day!
Fees for the program are as follows (per day): Members $15, Nixa Residents $20, Non-Residents $25.
Register by visiting nixaparks.com, calling 417.725.5486, or come by The X Center located at 701 N. Taylor Way.
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While Nixa is out of school for Winter Break—join us, at The X Center, for a camp full of fun and awesome activities.
Registration begins October 28th and ends December 19th.
Camp will be held Monday - Friday, December 20th - January 3rd (with the exception of December 25th and January 1st), from 6:30 am to 6:30 pm.
The program is open to ages 5 years old to 6th grade.
The fees for the program are as follows (per day): Members $15, Nixa Residents $20, Non-Residents $25.
Please send a sack lunch and two snacks each day.
Register by visiting nixaparks.com, calling 417.725.5486, or come by The X Center located at 701 N. Taylor Way.
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Recreational Basketball is geared towards introducing and fostering interest in basketball. Emphasis is on learning the game and having fun.
Season Dates:
Saturday, January 11th, 2020 - February 15th, 2020.
Open To:
Boys and girls ages 3 years old (must be 3 by January 11th) to 6th grade.
Location:
Games are played at The X Center and Nixa Public Schools.
Fees:
Members $40, Nixa Residents $45, Non-Residents $53.
Registration:
Ends December 4th. *Late registration from December 5th - December 8th with a $10 additional late fee.
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More Nixa Parks Events, Programs, & Sports Leagues
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For the latest info on all the events happening at Nixa Parks and The X Center, follow the link to
NixaParks.com
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At the Nixa Branch Library this Month
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The Nixa Branch Library is located at 208 N. McCroskey.
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Nov. 2: Antique Appraisal Fair
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The Christian County Library is hosting an antique appraisal fair on Saturday, November 2, from 9am-1pm at the Ozark Branch. The event will feature local appraisers specializing in silver, glassware, art, toys, furniture, jewelry, and general antiques. No firearms please.
Tickets: $5 per item appraised. Purchase tickets at the door or at a Christian County Library branch.
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The Christian County Library has partnered with the Ozarks Technical Community College Richwood Valley campus to host a traveling WWI exhibit in the student atrium of the OTC Richwood Valley campus.
The display can be viewed now through November 11th.
Monday - Thursday: 7:30am-7:30pm
Friday: 7:30am-4:30pm
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FYI: For Your Information
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Sign Up for Text Alerts and
E-Notifications
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Get emergency alerts on your phone by downloading the Swift 911 Public app. Subscribe to the "Nixa City News" alerts category and any other categories you'd like to receive text alerts about.
Sign up here for e-mail notifications from the City of Nixa. You may select which categories of e-notifications you will receive, so you only get emails on the topics you're interested in. From bids, to calendar events, to press releases, you can get an alert as soon as the information is released so you don't have to wait for the monthly newsletter.
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The City of Nixa has job openings for various city departments!
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CITY CONTACT NUMBERS:
City Hall: 725-3785
Police: 725-2510
911 Non-emergency and Animal Control: 582-1030
Nixa Utilities and report an outage: 725-3229
Public Works: 725-2353
Parks: 725-5486
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The solution to your scalp scratchin'.
Q: When does Christmas come before Thanksgiving?
A:
In the dictionary.
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Nixa City Hall | 417-725-3785 | CityHall@Nixa.com | Nixa.com
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