One of the key elements of Nixa's strategic plan is to increase community involvement and communication.

The City has worked over the last several years to increase how much, and in what ways, we reach out to the community. We have added this monthly newsletter which you are currently reading, began using social media more, created a series of events called NixaFests to meet people in the neighborhoods where they live, and started "The Update", a monthly series of presentations at the Nixa Senior Center where community leaders meet directly with residents.

 

This month we launched "Nixa NeXt", an event targeted at younger members of our community. I feel it is very important to engage that next generation in local government. When I joined City Council in 2011, I was the youngest person on council and probably the youngest person seen at a city meeting. Since then, we have brought in the next generation of leaders - both in elected positions and as city staff - for our community. Leaders like Justin Orf and Matt Barker, both of whom were under 30 when they were elected to council.

 

While I didn't get the large turnout for Nixa NeXt that I had hoped for, I do want to thank those who came to the event. We proved the point that it is hard to get young people engaged with local government, even when we offer free pizza. Those who did turn out gave some great feedback, and we are working to address some of the things they mentioned.  I am also excited for the Nixa Young Professionals group recently formed through the Nixa Chamber of Commerce. 

 

These young people are our future leaders and we want them involved in leading local business and government towards our City's future.

Sincerely,

Mayor Steele

Nixa City Council have scheduled interviews with 6 finalist candidates for our Next City Administrator. Finalists were selected after reviewing over 50 applications. Council is looking for a visionary and experienced leader who will be the perfect fit to guide our progressive, innovative, and fast-growing community into our next era of economic development and growth. City Council will interview finalists in the coming weeks and hopes to make a decision and announcement soon.

You will soon move faster through the Gregg and Northview intersection.

At the August 27 Council Meeting, council approved a contract with Hunter Chase and Associates to begin construction of a new roundabout at the intersection of Gregg Rd. and Northview Rd.

Traffic studies identified this intersection as a prime candidate for a roundabout rather than other upgrade ideas. The intersection needs an upgrade because of new construction nearby and the increased traffic it will bring to the area.

Roundabouts were an idea from the Nixa Continuing Improvement Plan (NCIP). Nixa residents decided, as part of the strategic planning process, that we should be using roundabouts to improve traffic flow in Nixa.

Work will begin in the next few weeks and once it begins, should take less than 120 days to complete.

You can now drive your golf cart on some Nixa city streets if you get a permit and follow some rules.

At the August 27 Council Meeting, council approved changes to city ordinances to allow for the use of golf carts on city streets.

Here are the new rules to keep everyone safe when golf carts are used on city streets:

You can buy a permit for your golf cart at Nixa City Hall for $15 per calendar year. You will need to provide your insurance company and policy number to get your permit.

See the official wording of the ordinances here.

Learn how to be a better recycler.

Check out the guidelines for curbside recycling.

Republic Services  provides free curbside recycling to Nixa residents. All you have to do is call Republic Services to get your bin. Check out the above link to learn what you can and can't put in the bin.

The monthly recycling charge you see on your utility bill is for the city's recycle center. Learn what you can take to the city recycle center here.

Nixa Police are showing ZERO tolerance for drunk drivers.

The Labor Day holiday is one of the deadliest holidays due to drunk drivers.

That's why the high-visibility national enforcement campaign, "Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over" runs from August 17 thru September 3.

Nixa Police are partnering with the program to show ZERO tolerance for drunk driving and our officers are actively looking to get drunk drivers off our roads.

Remember, buzzed driving is drunk driving.

Nixa Police Department DARE Officer Brent Forgey ( Pictured right with Police Chief Jimmy Liles) was recognized by the Springfield Business Journal as one of their 2018 Men of the Year. Officer Forgey serves the children of Nixa by teaching them safety and health programs. He also coordinates neighborhood watch programs among other functions. Earlier this year, Officer Forgey also earned the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Missouri DARE Officers Association. Read the SBJ article profiling Officer Forgey.

At the July 23 City Council Meeting, Mayor Brian Steele recognized three employees with service awards. Finance Director Donna Swatzell ( Pictured right with Mayor Steele) has served the city 15 years. Will Liniger and Emily Prier were each recognized for 5 years of service in the Street Department.

On Labor Day, the pool will go to the dogs! To celebrate the end of the pool season, the Aquatics Center will hold its annual Doggie Dive In. The 

Doggie Dive In will be September 3rd, from 3:30 pm - 5:00 pm. Dogs are free and people are $2 each.

The Movies in the Park series is presented by the Massengale Group. All movies begin at dusk and all movies are FREE! Please bring lawn chairs or blankets. Concessions will be available for purchase. All movies are dependent on weather. No smoking and no alcohol.



September 22nd: Coco

Got old electronics you need to get rid of?

The City of Nixa is partnering with Complete Electronics Recycling to host an electronics recycling collection event on Saturday, October 13 from 9am - 12pm at 1111 W. Kathryn St.

The event is open to all residents, businesses, churches, schools and organizations in Nixa and the surrounding area.

PCs, laptops, cell phones, kitchen appliances, and lots of other electronic equipment will be accepted free of charge except for Televisions and CRT Monitors ($20 fee applies). A more detailed list of recyclable items can be found at  RecyclingMore.com/items-accepted/

The following items will NOT be accepted at the event, but can be recycled at the Complete Electronics Recycling facility located at 2935 W. Chestnut Expressway in Springfield during normal business hours (9am - 5pm Mon-Sat).

- Alkaline batteries (AA, AAA, C, D, hearing aid, etc.)

- Fluorescent / CFL / HID Lamps

- Appliances w/ Freon (Dehumidifiers / Refrigerators / Air Conditioners)

- Large Appliances (Washers / Dryers / Dishwasher / Hot Water Heater / Water Softeners / etc.)

For more information about this event, please contact Tim Andrews at 417-864-4415 or [email protected]

Dates:

Saturday, Sept. 29, 6pm - 7pm

Saturday, Oct. 13, 6pm - 7pm

Saturday, Nov. 3, 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm        

Location: McCauley Park (Beneath the Willow Tree)

Cost: FREE

This class is open to all community members and all fitness levels. Bring your towel, mat, and water and come ready to relax in an outdoor setting to be guided through a 60-minute yoga session by a certified yoga instructor.

Spooktacular is presented by Mac Dental!

Join Nixa Parks, Nixa Police, Nixa Fire District, and local businesses for the annual Halloween Spooktacular. The event will be held on Friday, October 26th from 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm.

Please bring a canned food item for donation. Wear your costumes and Trick-or-Trick at The X Center. In addition to candy, there will be lots of fun activities, including laser tag, inflatables, crazy hair, and more!

Call 725-5486 to reserve a booth space for your business.

Registration for Winter Recreational Basketball will end October 3rd. The program is open to boys and girls ages 3 years old (must be 3 by November 4th) to 6th grade.

Games will be played on Saturdays. The season will run from Saturday, November 3rd to December 15th.

The fees for the program are as follows: Members $40, Nixa Residents $45, Non-Residents $53. *Late registration from October 4th - October 7th, with a $10 additional late fee.

For the latest info on all the events happening at Nixa Parks and The X Center, follow this  link to the Nixa Parks Newsletter  and   NixaParks.com

The Christian County Library opened its brand new Nixa Branch a few months ago. It's located at 208 McCroskey St. Be sure to stop by to check it out!

You can also visit the Christian County Library website.

Sign up here for more frequent e-mail notifications. You can select to only receive notifications for the topics you're interested in.

Get emergency alerts on your phone by downloading the Swift 911 Public app.

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.

You can learn more about what it's like to work for the City of Nixa when you  check out our page on LinkedIn .

The solution to your scalp scratchin'.

Q: What's the difference between a well dressed man on a bicycle and a poorly dressed man on a unicycle?

A: Attire.