ReNew Newton proposes tourism wayfinding signs

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By ANDY KARR NDN Staff Writer

ReNew Newton representatives unveiled to Newton City Council a plan to add informational signs around the city to promote tourism and create interest in the city. Alan Halferty from ReNew Newton unveiled the plan at Monday evening’s council meeting. The plan would place wayfinding signs at various locations throughout the community to direct visitors and tourists to points of interest. Developed by Art a la Carte, the posts feature colorful images and arrows directing visitors to public places like parks, the courthouse, or tourism-related places like the downtown area, wineries and the speedway. Poles could be lighted or left unlighted if placed in an area that already is well lit. Halferty estimated that a standard electrically-lit wayfinding sign would cost about $2,200. A solar powered version would be roughly double that cost. Incorporating existing poles and lighting could decrease the cost for some of the signs. Council member Jean Morgan asked what costs could run for signs not needing lighting. “The costs that we have are for electrical and solar, so I really can’t tell you what those are, but they would be less,” Halferty said, “Obviously there is a minimum point you reach for materials and design and manufacturing but it would be less.” Using Halferty’s estimates, council member Jon Ewing figured a rough cost for 20 wayfinding poles, 10 with power and 10 without power. He calculated the cost to be about $37,000. “It’s a chunk of change,” he said. “It is a chunk of change, but it’s also an investment in our community,” Halferty said. “Not everybody knows Newton like the back of their hand. People come in off the interstate — they struggle to find the high school sometimes. They struggle to find Maytag Park. They struggle to find the Y.” A model of a wayfinding sign is on display in the city hall lobby. Also last night, council authorized a contract to bring Simon Estes to town for the Newton sesquicentennial celebration Aug. 2. Annette West, director of the Greater Newton Area Chamber of Commerce, said that tickets could go on sale as soon as Wednesday and would cost $30. The performance will take place in the Newton Senior High School Center for Performance. West provided council with a schedule of events for the celebration, which would run from Aug. 2 through Aug. 5. Highlights include the Estes concert on Aug. 2, a possible comedian at DMACC later that evening, a concert and fireworks at the Iowa Speedway on Aug. 4 and a communitywide church service and picnic at Maytag Park on Aug. 5. Many of the events are still in the planning stages. Council also: • Approved a two-year collective bargaining agreement with the Public Professional and Maintenance Employees Local 2003, which includes wage increases of 3.15 percent in the first year and 3.2 percent in the second year. • Accepted fencing work around the Newton Municipal Airport. • Set up a permit structure for food and street vendors during the sesquicentennial.