As the year comes to an end, I wanted to take a minute to thank the brave men and women of the Nixa Police Department. These daily heroes work year-round to keep Nixa safe, but especially during the holiday season, they show how much they truly mean to our community.
Our police department is constantly involved around town - whether that is stopping to help a motorist, sharing a conversation during a "Coffee with a Cop" event, attending a DARE graduation, or teaching at our yearly Citizens Police Academy. All of these events allow officers to engage with residents in positive ways.
Nixa Police have taken it a step farther this holiday season, giving back their personal time and money to those less fortunate. Partnering with Least of These, officers took part in the "Shop with a Hero" event, which paired kids from impoverished families with emergency responders for a night of holiday shopping. The department also held a "No-Shave November" fundraiser, using the money they donated to pay for layaway items at the Nixa Walmart.
This hard work and commitment does not go unnoticed - as evident by the outpouring of food the community has provided the department over the holidays. It also shows in grants they have received - from the Nixa Community Foundation for community outreach and the recent $160,000 grant from the Department of Justice for new crime-tracking software which will enhance our information sharing with other area departments.
Public safety is the key responsibility of local government, and Nixa is blessed with the most dedicated, professional and community-oriented police department in the region. I hope everyone will take an opportunity to thank those that serve and protect us every day.
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Santa brought Nixa new park land for Christmas!
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Nixa Parks & Recreation has received a donation of 50.98 acres from Eoff Family Farms, LLC. The donated land is to be used for a new city park to be named: Eoff Family Century Farm Park.
This scenic piece of land sits along AA-highway and includes pastures, hills, forest, and river frontage along the James River. Brothers Stephen and DuWayne Eoff have donate the land from their grandfather's century farm in order to preserve their family history, rather than see it developed for other purposes.
Parks Director Matt Crouse says he looks forward to beginning the master planning of the site. "Our goal in designing this new park will be to preserve the rich heritage and history of the property, while also providing a place for the community to enjoy," says Crouse.
"It's very exciting for our department to receive such a wonderful donation of land to provide more recreational opportunities for our community. We can now begin the process of master planning the site for development to provide some of the key amenities our community has been looking for. The property has an amazing history that we look forward to sharing with the community when the park opens. We are very thankful for the generosity of the Eoff Family in making this donation to the Nixa community," says Crouse.
A full list of improvements and amenities has yet to be determined and will become available once the master plan for the site is complete.
On Dec. 29th, 2017, Nixa City Council authorized Mayor Brian Steele to sign documents related to the acceptance of the land donation.
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City Administrator Search Update
City Council have hired an executive search firm to develop a profile of the ideal candidate for our city's next administrator. We anticipate the firm,
Strategic Government Resources (SGR), will post the job opening by mid-January and begin marketing to attract applications from across the nation. Once the application period closes, the search committee (Mayor and 3 Councilpersons) will select semi-finalists for initial interviews and select 4 to 6 finalists for the full Council to interview.
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Want to run for city council?
There are two city council seats up for election on April 3rd. If you are interested in running for a council seat, call City Hall at 725-3785 and ask to speak with Cindy or Elizabeth by 4:30pm on January 16, 2018.
The two seats up for election are: One seat in District I and one seat in District II.
Nixa voting district map
The City of Nixa has 6 council representatives, two for each of the three districts. Council representatives serve alternating 3-year terms. This means each April, two council representatives are elected. The Mayor also serves 3-year terms. The Mayor was reelected in 2017, meaning the next mayoral election will be in April 2020.
CANDIDATE REQUIREMENTS:
* Citizens wanting to run for Council Member shall be a citizen of the United States and a resident of the City of Nixa for one (1) year at the time of filing for office. A person must be a resident of the District for which the person is seeking office at the time of filing for office and must be registered to vote in the District and must remain a resident of the District during the time of service as an elected official of the City of Nixa. No Council Member shall hold any other City office or City employment during the term for which he or she was elected to the Council, and no former Council Member shall hold any compensated appointive City office or City employment until one (1) year after the expiration of the term for which the Council Member was elected.
* Citizens wanting to run for Mayor shall have been a resident of the City of Nixa one (1) year at the time of filing for office and a registered voter and shall remain a resident and registered voter of the City of Nixa. The Mayor shall not hold any other City office or City employment during the term for which the Mayor was elected, and no former Mayor shall hold any compensated appointive City office or City employment until one (1) year after the expiration of the term for which the Mayor was elected.
* City Hall is open 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. We will be closed December 22, 2017 at noon., December 25, 2017, January 1, 2018 and January 15, 2018. If you have any questions call 725-3785 and ask for Cindy or Elizabeth.
* All candidates must have all City taxes or municipal user fees paid by the last day of filing a declaration of candidacy for office.
* No person shall qualify as a candidate for elective public office in the state of Missouri who has been convicted of or pled guilty or found guilty to a felony or misdemeanor under the federal laws of the United State of America. No person shall qualify as a candidate for elective public office in the state of Missouri who has been convicted of or found guilty or pled guilty to a felony under the laws of the state of Missouri.
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Remember to vote on April 3rd
On April 3rd, 2018, Nixa voters will decide the following ballot issue regarding a USE TAX. This is the language you will see on the ballot:
Shall the City of Nixa, Missouri be authorized to impose a local use tax at the same rate as the total local sales tax rate provided that if the local sales tax rate is reduced or raised by voter approval, the local use tax rate shall also be reduced or raised by the same action? Yes or No
What is a USE TAX?
The local use tax is applied, in lieu of the local sales tax, on transactions that individuals and businesses conduct with out-of-state vendors, including catalog and direct market sales.
Do we want out-of-state vendors such as catalog, direct market, and some online retailers to collect the same taxes as Nixa businesses?
- If approved, the USE TAX means the city would begin to collect it's 1.5% portion of the local sales tax from some online retailers and other places where it is not currently enforced.
- You will never pay both a sales tax and the use tax. It is one or the other, depending on the type of purchase. And the USE TAX rate will always be the same as the sales tax rate (currently 1.5%). It goes up or down with the sales tax.
- If approved, a USE TAX will close a loophole that allows those who buy outside Missouri to avoid paying sales tax. Passage would require them to pay the same tax as everyone else.
- If the USE TAX is NOT passed, Nixa businesses will continue to collect sales tax while online stores won't.
- Passage of a USE TAX does not mean that all online retailers would begin to collect the use tax in lieu of sales tax. Enforcement is determined by the federal and state governments.
How will the money be spent?
- The State of Missouri estimates Nixa would collect an additional $95,000/year if this USE TAX is approved by voters.
- $95,000 is equivalent to:
- Personnel expenses for 2 Police Officers
- or new sidewalks for 7 city blocks
- or asphalt street overlay for 1.08 miles of city roads.
- 2/3 of the money would go into the city's general fund, of which, the Police Department is currently our largest expense. The Police Department needs to grow to keep pace with the city's growth.
- 1/3 of the money would go into the city's street fund. The city is trying to add more sidewalks and each year we have more streets to resurface.
Why is this on the ballot?
- Approval would close a loophole that allows out-of-state vendors to not collect local sales tax.
- Nixa City Council have been looking for ways to support our local businesses.
- Nixa businesses collect local sales tax which helps pay our Police, streets, sidewalks, etc.
- Nixa businesses compete against online stores.
- Online retailers do NOT currently collect local sales tax. When Nixa residents order goods from online stores, the items are shipped using Nixa streets, and if a package is stolen from a porch, our police must investigate. They USE our services, but they are not currently contributing to pay for those services.
- The City of Nixa continues to grow and needs to pay for more Police, streets, sidewalks etc. to keep up with that population growth.
- Even though our population is growing, the amount people spend at Nixa businesses is not growing at the same pace.
- Nixa residents are shopping more from online stores which do not contribute sales tax to pay for city services.
- We can't promise that passage of the USE TAX would keep us from having to make cuts to services, but it would certainly help us lessen any necessary cuts from the 2019 budget.
Current Nixa Sales Tax:
- Sales Tax: Currently 7.475% This ballot issue will NOT increase the sales tax rate.
- Of this, the state tax is 4.225%, the county tax is 1.5%, the county 911 tax is .25% and the City of Nixa tax is 1.5%
- The City of Nixa receives 0.5% for streets and sidewalks, and 1.0% for City General (police, parks, court, planning & development, communications, finance, human resources, and administration.)
- If the USE TAX is approved, the City of Nixa would begin to collect its 1.5% portion of the local sales tax from some places where it is not currently enforced, such as large online retailers.
Other cities have voted on this issue:
- For example: Springfield, Fremont Hills, Aurora, Willard, Mt. Vernon, and over 100 other Missouri cities have already passed a USE TAX to ensure that out-of-state vendors collect the same tax rate as their local businesses.
Both the City of Ozark and the City of Nixa are asking their voters at the same time whether to establish a USE TAX because both our cities are affected by the same issues.
QUESTIONS? Nixa Public Information Officer, Drew Douglas: ddouglas@nixa.com 417-725-3785
PAID FOR BY:
CITY OF NIXA
PO BOX 395
NIXA, MO 65714
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The Baffler
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This perplexing puzzle will keep you bewildered, befuddled, and bemused.
Q:
What is in seasons, seconds, centuries, and minutes, but not in decades, years or days?
The answer to The Baffler is at the bottom of the newsletter.
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Seniors, come join us for The Update at the Nixa Senior Center
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. These events give those who may not have access to the city's electronic communications an opportunity to meet and interact with the city's leadership, voice their concerns, and stay informed!
For 2018, The Update is moving to the last Wednesday of each month.
UPCOMING DATES:
January 31
February 28
March 28
Anyone can enjoy lunch at the Nixa Senior Center with a suggested donation of $6. Learn more at the
Nixa Senior Center website.
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Indoor Garage Sale
The Indoor Garage Sale will take place inside The X Center on Saturday, February 24th from 7:00 am to 2:30 pm. Entrance is FREE to the public. Registration for booth spaces begins December 1st. Space is limited-please register early! A 10x10 space is $20 and a 10x15 space is $30. Tables are available for $5 per table. The X Center reserves the right to refuse any item inappropriate for sale in this event. No concession items allowed.
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Art Classes
Intro to Art
will be held on Tuesdays from January 16th through February 20th.
Studio Art will be held on Thursdays from January 18th through February 22nd
Times:
Intro to Art (PK-2nd): 6:15 pm to 7:00 pm
Intro to Art (3rd-6th): 7:15 pm to 8:00 pm
Studio 2D: 6:15 pm to 7:00 pm
Studio 3D: 7:15 pm to 8:00 pm
Location: The X Center
Cost: Members $30, Nixa Residents $35, Non-Residents $40
Registration ends January 10th.
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Recreational Volleyball
Games begin March 20th/21st - April 17th/18th
(3rd/4th Grade plays Mondays; 5th/6th Grade plays Tuesdays)
Location: The X Center
Cost: Members $40, Residents $45, Non-Residents $53
Open To: Girls in 3rd - 6th Grade
Registration ends February 14th
*Late registration from February 15th - 18th, with a $10 additional late fee.
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Recreational Flag Football
Recreational Flag Football is designed as an introduction to the sport, to build on skills, and to foster an interest in football. Participants will learn the basic skills and concepts of the game. Games begin Saturday, March 17th with the six-week season ending April 28th. Games will be played at Rotary Park. The program is open to boys and girls 3rd-6th grade. Registration ends on
February 14th. The fees for the program are as follows: Members $40, Nixa Residents $45, Non-Residents $53. *Late registration from February 15th - 18th, with a $10 additional late fee.
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Spring Recreational Soccer
Registration for Spring Recreational Soccer ends February 7th. The program is open to boys and girls ages 3 years old (must be 3 by March 17th) to 8th grade. Games will be played on Saturdays at McCauley Park. The season will run from Saturday, March 17th - April 28th. The fees for the program are as follows: Members $40, Nixa Residents $45, Non-Residents $53. *Late registration from February 8th - 11th, with a $10 additional late fee.
Visit
Nixaparks.com
for more info.
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Need a job?
The City of Nixa has job openings for various city departments!
Visit
the
JOBS
section of our website or you can call our Human Resources department at 417-725-3785.
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Father Daughter Dance
Join Nixa Parks and Recreation for the annual Father Daughter Dance! The dance is sponsored by Mac Dental and will take place on Friday, February 2nd from 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm. Dance the night away while enjoying light refreshments, activities, and a picture to remember the evening! Pre-registration will end on February 1st: Members $25, Nixa Residents $30, Non-Residents $35. Day of Registration will begin on February 2nd:
Members $30, Nixa Residents $35, Non-Residents $40. The registration fee includes admission for Dad and one daughter. Each additional child is $10.
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Pickleball
Starting January 16th, Pickleball will be at The X Center! Pickleball will be held on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm in the
gymnasium. Grab your friends and come join in on the fun!
What is Pickleball? Here's a short video about the nations fastest-growing sport .
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City Hall Renovation
City Hall is now under renovation. The main entrance closed for construction beginning Wednesday, October 31st. During construction, visitors to City Hall should go to the first doors to the west of the main entrance. The renovations will make more effective use of the space inside city hall and create a single welcome desk area at the entrance where visitors will be able to get assistance, instead of having to visit different areas of the building for different issues. We anticipate the renovated main entrance to City Hall to reopen in February.
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Nixa Police awarded $160,000 grant to improve crime reporting
Thanks to a grant written by the Springfield Police Department, the Nixa Police Department has been awarded grant funding to create better coordination with area agencies and upgrade crime reporting.
A key weakness in the computers and records management systems currently being used by Nixa Police Department is that information about crimes and suspects is not easily shared across jurisdictions. Right now, NPD computers don't talk to SPD computers or Greene County Sheriff's Office computers, even though bad guys tend to commit crimes in both cities. The fact that the systems are separate means Nixa Police don't always know that a crime which just occurred in Nixa fits a pattern of crimes occurring in Springfield. If we had easier access to that knowledge, it could help us narrow down suspects or even solve cases faster.
Another issue faced by the Nixa Police Department is that for many years, the FBI's uniform crime reporting (UCR) system has been used to track crime. However, in the UCR system, when officers write reports about an incident in which multiple crimes are committed, only the worst offense is reported as a crime statistic. This means it is difficult for our department to analyze all our crime data. Now, police departments across the country are required to transition to a more thorough reporting system, the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) by January 1, 2021. Until now, Nixa has been among other agencies across the Ozarks unable to make the NIBRS transition due to the cost of new software, equipment, and retraining of officers to use the system.
Thanks to a grant applied for by SPD (in cooperation with NPD and GCSO as sub-grantees), Nixa Police Department will be able to solve both issues (inter-agency information sharing, and becoming NIBRS compliant) at the same time. The U.S. Department of Justice awarded a total grant of $411,772. Of that total amount, the largest portion, $159,697 is for NPD, with $156,762 for SPD, and $95,313 for the GCSO.
This grant funding gives Nixa PD a unique opportunity to transition to the same record management system currently used by SPD and the GCSO, called NICHE. While Springfield and Greene County will use their grant funding to upgrade their NICHE systems to become NIBRS-compliant, Nixa PD will transition directly to a NIBRS-compliant NICHE system. This means Nixa gets a kind of double upgrade. We will have more thorough reporting AND greater information sharing with area departments. In the near future, more area departments may join the Springfield area NICHE system so law enforcement can more easily share and analyze criminal data across jurisdictions. That information sharing will enhance our agencies ability to see trends, adjust crime prevention strategies, improve investigations, and solve crimes.
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Don't forget to renew your dog's tags
Nixa requires all dogs within the city limits to be licensed through City Hall. The license must be renewed each year in January, and owners must show proof of current rabies vaccination.
If your dog ever gets lost or picked up by Animal Control, having up-to-date dog tags will help us reunite you with your four-legged friend.
The annual dog tag fee is $2 for a spayed or neutered dog, and $3 if they are not.
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Nixa Police Officer of the Year
Each year the Police Department administrative staff selects an officer they feel best represents the department and the City of Nixa by naming them Officer of the Year. Several factors are considered such as work ethic, service, dedication, professionalism and integrity. Performance statistics are also considered.
This year's Officer of the Year exceeded expectations in all these areas. Officer Hilburn is extremely proactive and
shows dedication to the Nixa community and this department.
One of his co-workers recently said, "His work ethic is contagious and keeps all of those around him motivated to do more." His fellow officers consider him to be a man of integrity.
Officer Hilburn always deals with members of the public, as well as his coworkers, in the utmost professional manner. Although Officer Hilburn joined NPD in 2016, he is one of the most eager-to-learn officers I have ever met, yet he remains humble as he becomes a more seasoned officer.
As a matter of fact, I have had the opportunity, while sitting in my office, to hear him on many occasions ask other officers and supervisors for advice on how he can continue to improve and grow as an officer.
On top of all this, Officer Hilburn was among the top 3 officers in every statistical category we look at. This level of consistent high performance is something I have never seen in my time as Chief.
Not only did Officer Hilburn take the highest number of calls for service this year (2236), he also earned recognition as DWI Enforcement Officer Of The Year and Drug Enforcement Officer Of The Year.
Thank you Officer Hilburn for your excellent service to this department and the Nixa community.
- Jimmy Liles, Nixa Chief of Police
2017 Nixa Police Department Employee Recognitions:
Employee of the Year Award: Josh Gibson
Supervisor of the Year Award: Jason Fleetwood
Peer Award: Frank Donohue
Top Gun Award: Thadeus McVeigh
DWI Enforcement Officer of the Year Award: Ronald Hilburn
Drug Enforcement Officer of the Year Award: Ronald Hilburn
Officer of the Year Award: Ronald Hilburn
Award of Appreciation from the Nixa Police Officers Association for Nixa Police Chief Jimmy Liles
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Graduating from Apprentice to Journeyman
Congratulations to Chris Huett and James "Scuba" Highfill on graduating from apprentice linemen to journeyman linemen! These guys have worked hard over the last four years to achieve this career advancement. The Missouri Public Utility Alliance lineman school program includes taking monthly tests, training in different parts of the state, and final exams... which they both passed in December! The program also included a lot of on-the-job training with the Nixa Utilities electric department (such as working through all-night rain storms to restore power). We appreciate all their hard work in serving the customers of Nixa Utilities!
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Helping from the Heart
Nixa city employees contribute from their payroll and hold fundraisers during the year to raise money for Helping From The Heart. This organization, managed by staff, adopts six families for the holidays each year, through Least of These Food Pantry. Helping From The Heart uses it's funds and other donations to provide those six families with meals and gifts from their children's wish lists. Extra items are donated to Least of These.
It's city staff's way of giving back to the community.
This year, Helping from the Heart had a huge help in the form of an anonymous $1,000 donation which helped us purchase 8 bicycles! The Dollar General store at 104 S. Ridgecrest also collected a mountain of toy donations from their customers while the other two Dollar General stores in Nixa collected non-perishable food items. Thank you, Nixa, for pitching in as Helping from the Heart worked to make the season bright for some families in need.
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Get one of these Nixa travel tumblers for $15
Anyone can come by Nixa City Hall during business hours to purchase one of these stainless steel travel mugs for $15. While you're here, you can also pick up a free refrigerator magnet with the important city contact numbers on it!
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Sign up for text alerts and e-notifications
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Did you know you can sign up for more timely alerts than just this monthly newsletter? Visit
https://www.nixa.com/how-do-i/sign-up-to-notifications
to select which types of city information you'd like to get e-mail notifications about. There are 10 categories, from parks or city hall calendar updates, to items open for bid, job postings, and emergency information.
Also, you can sign up to get text alerts by downloading the Swift 911 app on your phone! Select which categories of alerts you'd like to receive immediately on your phone. In emergencies, this allows the county get potentially life-saving information direct to your phone. You can also let law enforcement and first responders know ahead of time if you have special health concerns by completing the personal contact information in the app. This helps Christian County dispatch put your health information into the data first responders see when they come to your home to help during an emergency.
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Follow us on social media!
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Remember to "Like" and "Follow"
the City's Facebook page
. We are working hard to give you lots of updates on Facebook, as well as on Twitter and Nextdoor.
If you have any questions about what's happening at the city, please reach out to us either by email, phone,
Facebook,
Twitter, or
Nextdoor.
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City Contact Numbers:
City Hall: 725-3785
Police: 725-2510
911 Non-emergency and Animal Control: 582-1030
Utilities and report an outage: 725-3229
Public Works: 725-2353
Parks: 725-5486
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The Baffler - Answer
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The solution to your scalp scratchin'...
Q: What is in seasons, seconds, centuries, and minutes, but not in decades, years or days?
A: The letter "N"
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