NEWTON, Kan. — At the Newton City Commission meeting Tuesday, the City Commission approved the 2025 dates of fireworks sales for 10 a.m.-10 p.m. June 27-July 5 and discharge for 10 a.m.-midnight July 2-5.

The decision followed a few weeks of active discussion and community feedback about the permitted days of fireworks. An online poll over the weekend on the City’s website generated 1,448 responses to the question, “How many days do you think fireworks should be allowed in Newton?” 65.4% of respondents said four days, and 34.6% said eight days.

Commissioners said the emails and phone calls they received roughly followed that same pattern of favoring a shorter timeframe. Fireworks vendors advocated for more days, saying their businesses’ revenues would be down if customers could buy fireworks but not light them off.

Commissioners said they sought to balance the competing interests of the business owners and community residents by allowing sales for the full state-permitted timeframe of nine days and allowing discharge for just four days.

In other action, the City Commission:

1. Approved a five-month lease agreement with Beran Concrete for $6,000 per month for two industrial lots at Southeast Ninth and Industrial Drive for a temporary concrete batch plant. The lease is contingent upon approved rezoning of the property from I-2 industrial to I-3 heavy industrial, which the City Commission will consider on Feb. 25.
2. Awarded a contract for paving Hillside Road from East First to Southeast 12th to Pearson Construction for $2,901,115.50. The street will serve GAF’s new manufacturing facility and other upcoming industrial developments.
3. Received year-end reports from the Meridian Center and Sand Creek Station Golf Course.
4. Received year-end reports from City-funded agencies: Health Ministries Clinic, Newton Area Chamber of Commerce, Harvey County Economic Development, and Newton Senior Center.
5. Appointed Debra Voth and Mary Lee McDonald to the Warkentin House Board.
6. Approved a request to close Oak Street and the 100 blocks of Fifth and Sixth Streets on April 27 for Newton Open Streets.
7. Updated a ground lease with L3Harris Technologies for an already existing Automatic Dependent Surveillance–Broadcast (ADS-B) radio station site at the Newton City/County Airport.
8. Reassigned Midwest Electric Transformers’ ground lease at Newton City/County Airport to Midwest’s affiliate, Bumblebee LLC.