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Jared Wallick, Chief.

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Thank you, Mayor.

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Mayor and council, so this is

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our annual presentation, just

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kind of talk a little bit about

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some of the goings on

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in the fire department and

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some of the things that are
happening.

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Um, typical to the to the

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other years, we're going to

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talk about calls, we're going to talk
about kind of the general

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um generalities of of what goes on
over there.

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So as you remember in Dakota
ordinances,

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uh the fire department is established
to prevent and

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extinguish fires, protect lives and
property against fires,

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to promote fire prevention and fire
safety.

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A lot of fire stuff, right?

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Uh then there's a caveat at the end.

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And to answer all emergency calls for
which there is no other

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established agency.

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So that is kind of the the thing that
drives the fire department

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is is that last statement because

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in reality, when people don't know
who to call, uh they call

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us to try to help solve a problem.

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And so we take that very seriously.
We are very service-oriented.

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Uh we go above and beyond to make
sure that we try to solve people's

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problems on a daily basis.

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Um, our mission statement, I'm not
going to read all of these.

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I just I include them all in in most
of the presentations that

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we do, um because it does drive what
we do.

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There are times, one of the things
that you'll see in there is um

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utilizing the highest professional
standard and actually our people

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even come back and they quote our
mission statement when we're talking

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about different projects and
different pieces of equipment.

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Different things that we're looking
at adding to the department.

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And they'll use that because the
highest professional standard is

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a high standard. Right?

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Uh it's not just the minimums. And
our people believe that

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and our people bring that up up to us
repeatedly.

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And so one of the things that we have
is our vision statement is

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we provide connected care through
consistent service.

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And I'm a firm believer that uh a
trust relationship is required

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of your city in order for our people
to provide the services

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that we provide.

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We're going into people's homes in a
day that they're very vulnerable.

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And so they have to trust 100% that
those people coming through

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the door are the ones that are going
to help not only solve their

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problems, but they're going to treat
them with respect and dignity.

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And I think our people do an
excellent job and they display

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this daily.

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Um, our value statement is the same
as as the city's. Uh the

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council adopted these a number of
years ago and and we've

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maintained those as well. Uh we
define them for our people and

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make sure that they understand uh
what we're expecting out of them.

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So our organization, uh the

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chart that we use to kind of take a
look at it.

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Uh we are currently staffed. We have
uh my position, I have an

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assistant chief position who
basically is the assistant chief of
operations,

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he runs that that division.

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Uh he was new to this uh position in
March. He has done an excellent

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job. Uh his focus or his drive to run
operations is through

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training.

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And so he's doing an excellent job to
provide a consistent platform

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for training.

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And that's a big deal in the fire
service.

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We have three different crews and a
lot of times three different

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crews will do things slightly
different.

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Consistency is a big one for me,
that's one of my major values.

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I want to make sure that it doesn't
matter whether it's A-shift that's

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on duty, B-shift or C-shift, doesn't
matter. Uh when we come

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through the door, the way we tackle
things, the way we handle things

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is consistent. Okay?

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Uh and we are staffed, so with a fire
chief and assistant chief,

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and then we have a fire marshall.

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Currently the fire marshall is
assigned to shift work. Uh we've

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been running a little bit short of
paramedics and engineers.

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Uh our fire marshall is both of
those.

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And so he has been reassigned to
shift uh in the short term.

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We're a little bit unsure, a little
unclear as to when that's going to

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change. Uh but he has been working
shift work.

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Uh then we have three shifts and our
three shifts, A, B, and C.

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Uh one, one is staffed at eight
people. So there's a captain

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and seven firefighters.

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The other two shifts, A and B, have a
captain and six firefighters.

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Um, years of service, you I'd pass
this out in uh in the um

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handouts that I'd sent out last week.
Uh so you can kind of look

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through that.

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Uh there are uh quite a list of
people, right? We have 27 total

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staff, that includes our two office
staff.

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Um varying in ranges from almost zero
uh experience up to uh

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Mike Browning currently has 17

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0.9 years.

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Mike Browning is actually

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looking at retiring. I'll talk

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about that in just a, just a minute
here.

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but, um, once he retires,

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uh, I'll be the next one in line on
the seniority list.

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with a little over 15 years.

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And so, we are a young department,

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which has shifted over the years.

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Uh, but a very good department.

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Uh, we do have one, uh, volunteer,

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our Chaplin, Chaplin Bow Church.

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He's been with us for a number of
years.

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Uh, does a great job. Uh, that's

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a picture of Bow up there in the

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center, working on one of our fires.

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He, he comes out and helps do rehab.

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He's very involved in our department.

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I couldn't ask for a better person
to, to be in that position.

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Uh, nearly every Friday he spends

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the entire day with crews and goes on
calls and

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kind of helps, helps him out.

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So it's a, it's a wonderful thing
that, that we have there.

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So you can see our average years of

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service have trended downward.

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Uh, you know, the, the interesting
part is every year we have 27

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people basically adding another 27

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years to the, to the program.

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But over time, you can see as that's
trended down,

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uh, to the, to last year where we
were at one of our lowest levels of,

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of our average years of service.

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And our total years of service have
done the same thing,

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they follow that obviously.

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Um, but with the turnover that we've
experienced, like I said,

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we're a very young department.

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In 2025, 2026,

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uh, in that fiscal year we hired 13
employees.

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Uh, that's the largest number of
employees that I've hired

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in one given year.

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I have currently 52% of my staff has
less than three years of experience.

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Last year, it was 52%.

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The year before that, it was 63%.

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So we're starting to trend in a
little different direction.

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I think some things that we've done,

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the new paramedic class that's in
position right now,

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that we're going to start with nine
people.

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Uh, coming up, we're, we're waiting
on a date yet because the

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accreditation has slowed the, the
process down.

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We're hoping in the next week or two
this class will actually get

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off the ground.

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Uh, if not, as soon as it gets
started, it'll, it'll move forward.

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I believe that that is going to help
us significantly because we're

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putting a large number of people
through that program

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at the same time.

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Which gives them the benefit of being
able to work with other people on

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their shift who are doing the same
thing.

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It's a difficult thing to do,

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there's a lot of ride time, a lot of
clinical time,

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uh, not to mention a, a pretty
difficult class that goes along with
that.

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And so the internal support that
they'll have by working with one

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another, by working with the other
staff that are currently there,

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I think we'll really, um, bond those
people together.

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Can, can I interrupt and ask a
question?

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So you said 52% have fewer than three
years of service.

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Does that mean they're brand new,
three years altogether, or they

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came from somewhere else but only
three years with Newton?

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So it's a little bit of a mix.

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Uh, the majority of those are coming
in with zero experience.

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Um, we have a handful that have come
from other volunteer departments,

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this is their first full-time
position.

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but the majority are coming in with
zero experience.

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One of the things I tell them when,
when they come here is,

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we are a busy department for a single
station unit with the

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staffing level that we have, we run a
lot of calls.

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3600 calls keeps them, keeps them
hopping all day long.

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And I tell them that literally in two
years of experience, they're

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going to get five years of experience
on some other departments.

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I would say the average for a, uh,
uh, fire station is roughly 1500

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to 1700 calls per year.

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So we're running more than double
that amount.

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So they are getting, they're getting
good experience.

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And I believe that, um, it's a
challenge, right?

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It is, it is challenging for them.

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26, 27, we will have an upcoming
retirement, uh, one of our

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firefighters, uh, Mike Browning will
retire in October,

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we believe at this point.

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Um, and so he'll retire with 18 years
of experience.

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So kind of looking at our district
where the brown center in the section

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or brown center in the middle of the
county.

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Uh, that denotes the City of Newton
and the the, um, City of Lambs Grove,

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which we contract for fire
protection.

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And then it's also the Newton rural
benefited fire district.

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City of Newton itself has about 11,
12 square miles.

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The rural benefited fire district is
about 53 square miles.

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Uh, population, Newton is just over
15,000.

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the rest of our district outside of
the city is about another 5,000.

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So we're just over 20,000 for a total
population that we cover within
within the county.

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And then you can see all the other
different colors that are out there
are all the different departments
that are within the county itself.

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I supposed to say 25, 26. I don't
know how that got that got left from
before.

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Um, but we ended up with 3,569 calls.

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As it's been in the past, um, the
majority of the calls that we respond
to are EMS calls.

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So you can see 3,065 calls were EMS.

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Uh, 504 were actual fire responses.

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Pretty, go ahead. Sorry.

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When you say 3,065 are EMS, do those
include transfers in those calls?

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It does, yes.

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Each transfer is is its own call.

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Yes, that's correct.

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These are all of our responses that
we do.

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Thank you.

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Mhm.

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So that one year call volume, 3,569,
9.778 calls per 24-hour shift.

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Um, this is where we've seen a
significant change over the years.

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Uh, when I came here in 2011, uh,
that was down around 2,000 calls.

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And so, um, significantly different
than what we're seeing today.

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This is about one call every two
hours and 45 minutes.

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Average call length, uh, in town's
about an hour

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by the time they go to the call, take
care of the patient, transport to the
hospital, restock, do all the things
that they need to do.

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It's it's a little over an hour.

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Um, you have reports to do.

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We have lots of other stuff that's
going on.

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We have inspections, we have, um,
training, we have hydrant testing,

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there's there's a wide variety of
things that we that we have outside
of that.

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Five-year call volume. Oh, sorry.

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So, I guess to go off of your
question,

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when you we said those include
transport numbers,

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what number of those are specifically
transport numbers?

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I I think I'll I'll have that in a
second.

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Oh, okay, coming up.

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Coming up.

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Sorry.

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No, that's okay. Good question.

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Lot of numbers.

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Yeah, it is a lot of numbers.

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Um, so our five-year call volume, uh,
still continues to rise.

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You can see it lags behind and that's
just because that over time

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the call volume went up, uh, fairly
rapidly, um, and it's kind of
plateauing out.

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So we're seeing it kind of plateau
out around the the 3,600 mark.

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And again, I go back to the to the
2,000 numbers, that was one call
every four hours and 18 minutes.

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It's about an 80% increase in calls
over that time period.

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Which is a significant number
considering staffing levels are

233
00:12:43,846 --> 00:12:49,747
relatively close to what they were at
the time that I came here in 2011.

234
00:12:51,214 --> 00:12:55,825
So you can kind of see the the chart
of see the the chart of of the calls
and kind of how that's increased over
time.

235
00:12:55,892 --> 00:12:59,627
This only goes back to 2016,
obviously then, you know, it's just

236
00:12:59,694 --> 00:13:02,472
down pretty drastically from there.

237
00:13:03,190 --> 00:13:08,602
So when we look at the call
disbursement within our within our,
um, our area,

238
00:13:08,669 --> 00:13:12,142
you can see it's concentrated over
the the Newton area.

239
00:13:12,209 --> 00:13:13,689
Which you would expect, right?

240
00:13:15,196 --> 00:13:18,961
Um, fire calls, uh, have gone up a
little bit.

241
00:13:19,028 --> 00:13:24,919
Uh, we're seeing more, um, false
alarms. That's one of the things
we're seeing.

242
00:13:24,986 --> 00:13:28,499
One of the things that I would say is
adding to that is

243
00:13:28,566 --> 00:13:31,123
many people now have fire alarms in
their homes.

244
00:13:31,483 --> 00:13:34,007
Um, so lots of systems that are being
monitored,

245
00:13:34,074 --> 00:13:36,532
uh, by an independent agency

246
00:13:36,882 --> 00:13:40,414
and and so that's increasing, um,
some call volume there.

247
00:13:42,570 --> 00:13:46,941
The fire run concentration again,
pretty concentrated around the the
Newton area.

248
00:13:47,008 --> 00:13:49,596
If you zoom in a little tighter to
the Newton space,

249
00:13:49,663 --> 00:13:53,780
uh, you'll start to see some hotspots
that show up in different locations.

250
00:13:53,847 --> 00:13:56,631
And a lot of those actually parallel
up to some of the the

251
00:13:56,698 --> 00:13:59,546
fire alarm responses that we're
talking about.

252
00:14:00,823 --> 00:14:04,898
EMS calls, you can see the EMS calls,
uh, again,

253
00:14:04,965 --> 00:14:09,116
we saw it go up, uh, around that
COVID time is when we started to

254
00:14:09,183 --> 00:14:11,960
see calls drop.

255
00:14:12,719 --> 00:14:16,212
Uh, and that was more I think about
fear of actually

256
00:14:16,491 --> 00:14:20,463
you know, we we told people that, uh,
we can take you to the hospital.

257
00:14:20,530 --> 00:14:22,828
There is COVID there.

258
00:14:22,918 --> 00:14:25,912
You can, you know, you will be
exposed to it if you if you go

259
00:14:25,979 --> 00:14:27,130
there.

260
00:14:27,197 --> 00:14:30,183
That was a sentiment that we heard
from people.

261
00:14:31,171 --> 00:14:35,802
Um, and so we saw people really
saying yes, I I would just as soon,

262
00:14:35,869 --> 00:14:39,305
you know, stay at home.

263
00:14:39,435 --> 00:14:42,967
Which also led to other problems
because we saw a lot of the calls

264
00:14:43,034 --> 00:14:45,216
that we were getting then become more
severe.

265
00:14:45,283 --> 00:14:47,239
People were waiting longer

266
00:14:47,418 --> 00:14:49,434
um, to call because they were they
were somewhat afraid of the

267
00:14:49,501 --> 00:14:50,841
healthcare system.

268
00:14:50,908 --> 00:14:52,239
Whoops, sorry.

269
00:14:53,746 --> 00:14:56,989
On the bottom, the green graph that
you see is actually our

270
00:14:57,056 --> 00:14:59,005
our transports, the the

271
00:14:59,654 --> 00:15:00,585
facility transfers,

272
00:15:00,652 --> 00:15:03,419
the ones that we do to other
facilities.

273
00:15:03,486 --> 00:15:05,425
So facility to facility.

274
00:15:05,492 --> 00:15:11,592
You can see the numbers were much
higher back in the late uh 2010s.

275
00:15:11,659 --> 00:15:17,218
Uh, you can see we're up around that
817 number for for transfers.

276
00:15:17,537 --> 00:15:20,841
Uh, they've come down some since
then.

277
00:15:22,188 --> 00:15:24,506
Um and it's it's a cyclical thing,

278
00:15:24,573 --> 00:15:26,519
right? It it goes up, it goes down.

279
00:15:26,599 --> 00:15:28,675
Uh, it changes over time.

280
00:15:30,641 --> 00:15:34,203
As we've talked before, you know, one
of the things that we see,

281
00:15:34,852 --> 00:15:37,080
Um, we just ran numbers here
recently,

282
00:15:37,147 --> 00:15:40,660
the, the the number of calls is
roughly

283
00:15:42,966 --> 00:15:44,892
um, 25%.

284
00:15:45,401 --> 00:15:49,166
The, the amount of revenue that the
transfers bring in is about, oh,

285
00:15:49,233 --> 00:15:53,824
35 to 40%.

286
00:15:54,253 --> 00:15:56,252
With the numbers down a little bit,
those numbers have kind of

287
00:15:56,319 --> 00:15:58,364
dropped down a little bit as well.

288
00:15:58,814 --> 00:16:01,468
Uh, but still a significant portion
of revenue.

289
00:16:03,963 --> 00:16:07,080
EMS run concentration similar to what
you saw in fire.

290
00:16:07,147 --> 00:16:11,241
Uh, quite a bit of concentration
right within the community.

291
00:16:11,308 --> 00:16:14,235
The difference here is when we zoom
in, uh, it's

292
00:16:14,302 --> 00:16:16,770
it's not pocketed quite as much.

293
00:16:16,837 --> 00:16:21,547
But you're talking about 3,600 calls
versus 500 calls.

294
00:16:21,687 --> 00:16:23,416
Um, so that's why you see that
concentration,

295
00:16:23,483 --> 00:16:26,208
it's more red right over the entire
city.

296
00:16:27,376 --> 00:16:29,841
So we break down our responses.

297
00:16:29,930 --> 00:16:32,119
Um, every year we take a look kind of
at these.

298
00:16:32,186 --> 00:16:38,326
You know, the the biggest single item
that we see is miscellaneous medical.

299
00:16:38,393 --> 00:16:43,273
So these are medical reasons why
people call and want to go to the
hospital.

300
00:16:43,543 --> 00:16:46,530
Um, that's our single biggest
portion.

301
00:16:46,597 --> 00:16:50,791
The inner facility transfers then
typically are the are the next.

302
00:16:50,858 --> 00:16:55,139
And so you see that's about 20%
roughly, 19% of of what we do.

303
00:16:55,658 --> 00:16:58,562
When we look at the reasons for why
they call,

304
00:16:58,842 --> 00:17:01,170
uh, falls are still probably the
leading category

305
00:17:01,237 --> 00:17:04,051
outside of the miscellaneous medical.

306
00:17:04,859 --> 00:17:07,357
Falls are a big, a big thing that we
see.

307
00:17:07,424 --> 00:17:10,750
Roughly 30% of the calls uh that we
receive are for patients

308
00:17:10,817 --> 00:17:14,340
who don't end up being transported.

309
00:17:15,388 --> 00:17:17,387
And that number, we've seen that rise
up a little bit

310
00:17:17,454 --> 00:17:20,241
over the last couple of years.

311
00:17:20,308 --> 00:17:21,978
Um, I think we're seeing people
staying in their homes

312
00:17:22,045 --> 00:17:23,973
as long as they possibly can,

313
00:17:24,040 --> 00:17:26,396
and I applaud them for that.

314
00:17:26,745 --> 00:17:28,165
Uh, but it becomes difficult.

315
00:17:28,232 --> 00:17:34,619
And so we end up, we end up going on
a lot of um, helping people up.

316
00:17:34,729 --> 00:17:38,471
Um, and so those falls account for a
pretty large segment of that.

317
00:17:39,539 --> 00:17:44,649
So you see in our um in our transport
versus no transport.

318
00:17:44,898 --> 00:17:50,939
Um, you know, we, we end up
transporting the vast majority of
people.

319
00:17:51,006 --> 00:17:57,296
Uh, this one's shows 77%, 23% that
were, were not transporting.

320
00:17:57,363 --> 00:18:00,200
I would say those numbers change
month to month,

321
00:18:00,267 --> 00:18:03,999
but over the, over the period, that's
what we saw.

322
00:18:04,528 --> 00:18:07,785
We also see different days of the
week having different call volumes.

323
00:18:07,852 --> 00:18:12,435
With um, higher higher numbers on
weekends.

324
00:18:12,502 --> 00:18:16,135
Um, really this goes hand-in-hand
with when people are at home.

325
00:18:17,163 --> 00:18:19,830
Uh, that's the significant times that
we see it.

326
00:18:19,897 --> 00:18:24,767
So, during the day, um, our call
volume is higher than at night.

327
00:18:25,136 --> 00:18:28,443
Um, but we don't see enough of a
change in either of those

328
00:18:28,510 --> 00:18:31,723
to really change a staffing model.

329
00:18:32,242 --> 00:18:35,828
So, if, you know, if we had specific
times and and and days

330
00:18:35,895 --> 00:18:40,518
where we could establish a distinct
pattern,

331
00:18:40,585 --> 00:18:44,926
we could talk about changing our
staffing model to try to cover that.

332
00:18:45,126 --> 00:18:48,402
But in this case, we don't see it
drop low enough where we could start

333
00:18:48,469 --> 00:18:51,795
shunting more of the people towards
the times where we're seeing

334
00:18:51,862 --> 00:18:56,732
more calls. There's just not that
much change.

335
00:18:57,052 --> 00:19:01,845
If you look at those numbers, um,
we're not talking about variances of

336
00:19:01,912 --> 00:19:04,769
like there's not, there's not 2,000
of the calls happen in this band

337
00:19:04,836 --> 00:19:09,187
and it, and then there's only 1,000
here.

338
00:19:09,317 --> 00:19:14,127
It's pretty, it's a pretty distinct
average over the entire amount.

339
00:19:14,726 --> 00:19:19,267
And then our inter-facility transfers
again, the times increase over the
day.

340
00:19:21,851 --> 00:19:25,175
Pati-patients by age group, um,
again, obviously,

341
00:19:25,354 --> 00:19:29,938
uh, as we age, we tend to use these
types of services more.

342
00:19:30,005 --> 00:19:31,714
And so it's not a, it's not something
that is

343
00:19:31,781 --> 00:19:34,399
too shocking to see where that is.

344
00:19:34,466 --> 00:19:36,704
And it's a pretty even split as far
as gender of the patients

345
00:19:36,771 --> 00:19:39,805
that we serve as well.

346
00:19:40,972 --> 00:19:45,277
Now a couple of things that we've
noticed, uh, are overlapping calls.

347
00:19:45,344 --> 00:19:47,682
Uh, last year we showed a total of
592 calls that had

348
00:19:47,749 --> 00:19:53,008
two overlaps going on at the same
time.

349
00:19:53,208 --> 00:19:55,666
And so that means we've got an
ambulance out on a call,

350
00:19:55,733 --> 00:19:58,976
uh, we then get a second ambulance
call.

351
00:19:59,076 --> 00:20:00,007
uh,

352
00:20:00,074 --> 00:20:02,102
that would be an overlapping call.

353
00:20:02,169 --> 00:20:07,472
Or the same if we're out on a fire,
and we end up with an ambulance call,

354
00:20:07,539 --> 00:20:08,372
that's an overlapping call.

355
00:20:08,439 --> 00:20:14,419
And so we keep track of these because
uh this is where our resources
sometimes

356
00:20:14,486 --> 00:20:15,507
tend to get thin.

357
00:20:15,574 --> 00:20:21,365
Um, and what we're doing is we're
running the same report year over
year

358
00:20:21,432 --> 00:20:24,289
just to take a look at where we're
at. And what we're finding is the
numbers

359
00:20:24,356 --> 00:20:25,189
are relatively close.

360
00:20:25,256 --> 00:20:26,089
Okay?

361
00:20:26,156 --> 00:20:28,257
So from last year to this year,

362
00:20:28,324 --> 00:20:30,653
total number of calls is not a whole
lot different.

363
00:20:30,720 --> 00:20:35,470
Last year I believe the number of
calls we were at 3644 calls.

364
00:20:35,630 --> 00:20:39,694
Uh this year we're at 3569, I think
was the number.

365
00:20:39,761 --> 00:20:44,664
Um, so not a lot of difference and
we're seeing those numbers over that
first

366
00:20:44,731 --> 00:20:46,061
six months. Um,

367
00:20:47,056 --> 00:20:49,282
matching what we saw last year.

368
00:20:49,821 --> 00:20:54,155
The reason I only have half of a year
this year that we're looking at for
26.

369
00:20:54,222 --> 00:21:01,208
They changed our um reporting system,
we went from the National Fire
Incident reporting system, now we're
in the National Emergency Incident or
National Emergency Response Incident
system.

370
00:21:07,774 --> 00:21:11,001
They changed the the system and
they're not compatible.

371
00:21:11,068 --> 00:21:14,850
So it's really hard to get
information out of the system right
now.

372
00:21:15,089 --> 00:21:19,231
Uh in fact, Nirus, which is the
acronym for the new system.

373
00:21:20,169 --> 00:21:24,872
They don't they still don't have the
overlapping calls report that we need

374
00:21:24,939 --> 00:21:25,772
in order to run this.

375
00:21:25,839 --> 00:21:28,995
And so that's why you're only seeing
six months of data from last year.

376
00:21:29,883 --> 00:21:33,486
Um, we had occurrences with four
overlapping calls.

377
00:21:33,576 --> 00:21:37,152
Uh you again can see the numbers are
relatively close.

378
00:21:37,219 --> 00:21:40,781
And we did have some with five or
more overlaps.

379
00:21:41,220 --> 00:21:47,967
In some ways it's not overly shocking
because uh if we take a transfer to
Iowa City,

380
00:21:48,196 --> 00:21:51,140
that can be a four-hour transfer.

381
00:21:51,220 --> 00:21:55,022
So for four hours, I have an
ambulance um in transit.

382
00:21:56,130 --> 00:21:58,336
A lot can happen here in four hours.

383
00:21:59,184 --> 00:22:00,514
Um,

384
00:22:00,701 --> 00:22:07,687
I think there's been times where
we've had tours going on where um we
had everybody in the station when the
tour started, by the time it was
over, it was me.

385
00:22:10,780 --> 00:22:13,388
Yeah, it happened last year within a
30-minute span.

386
00:22:13,455 --> 00:22:14,288
Yeah.

387
00:22:14,355 --> 00:22:15,188
All three went out.

388
00:22:15,255 --> 00:22:16,506
Right.

389
00:22:16,573 --> 00:22:18,332
And for some reason we see that

390
00:22:18,399 --> 00:22:22,720
we see that happen, well, you can see
how many times that happens um in a
year.

391
00:22:23,119 --> 00:22:30,105
I will say that over the last couple
of years, we've seen more incidents
where we are bringing in outside
resources to cover calls.

392
00:22:31,183 --> 00:22:32,513
Um,

393
00:22:32,600 --> 00:22:33,930
just last week.

394
00:22:34,137 --> 00:22:41,123
Uh we had a an incident south of town
and it it basically took up all of
our resources, while we were out on
that particular call, we had two
emergency calls in town.

395
00:22:47,101 --> 00:22:52,560
And we had to distribute um other
cities to come in and help take that
call volume.

396
00:22:52,999 --> 00:22:59,984
Um, so we're seeing that happen,
feels like a little bit more, the
numbers are showing that it's about
the same, um but we are we are having
that happen.

397
00:23:03,467 --> 00:23:09,655
So if you get that call that says,
hey, why was there a Kofax ambulance
in town taking a an EMS call,

398
00:23:10,164 --> 00:23:12,978
it's typically because all of our
other units are out.

399
00:23:13,467 --> 00:23:14,797
So.

400
00:23:16,331 --> 00:23:23,317
All combined if you take in totals
those those up, so if you take 592
times two, 139 times three, that
totals roughly 50% of our calls.

401
00:23:29,285 --> 00:23:36,271
So we compare ourselves to the
national standard and take a look
kind of at the times um and what
we're doing is we're looking at 911
calls within the community.

402
00:23:37,389 --> 00:23:44,374
So, uh from the time the units
notified until it's in route, um 3.34
minutes.

403
00:23:45,163 --> 00:23:51,829
Uh this number is actually down from
last year, um it's down 27 seconds
from where we were.

404
00:23:51,949 --> 00:23:55,651
It's something that we watch, it's
something that we watch, it's
something that we're measuring and it
does come down.

405
00:23:56,041 --> 00:23:59,354
The national standard for that is
less than a minute.

406
00:24:00,292 --> 00:24:02,031
Less than a minute is a short amount
of time, right?

407
00:24:02,098 --> 00:24:07,907
Like we want people on ambulances as
quickly as possible and going out and
helping the public.

408
00:24:08,196 --> 00:24:13,528
Part of the reason why we're seeing a
higher number is because we are doing
other things, right?

409
00:24:13,595 --> 00:24:20,581
We are doing training, we are doing
inspections, we are doing testing,
we're doing lots of other things that
um slow down that that immediate
response.

410
00:24:24,673 --> 00:24:27,916
And so we are off on that number.

411
00:24:28,365 --> 00:24:35,351
Our in route to on scene time, this
is basically travel time from station
to the um to where we're going.

412
00:24:36,429 --> 00:24:41,698
Uh 4.86 minutes, uh we're a little
higher than than last year.

413
00:24:41,987 --> 00:24:44,113
Uh the standard is four minutes.

414
00:24:44,183 --> 00:24:47,875
Now, the standard is actually to put
a BLS ambulance on scene.

415
00:24:48,175 --> 00:24:50,750
BLS ambulance is two EMTs.

416
00:24:51,458 --> 00:24:58,444
Uh we are typically putting uh for
anything that is dispatched with a um
with a reason that is con

417
00:25:00,190 --> 00:25:02,249
considered an ALS type call,

418
00:25:02,316 --> 00:25:05,752
difficulty breathing, cardiac issues
or those.

419
00:25:05,819 --> 00:25:09,272
Uh, they want ALS on scene within
eight minutes.

420
00:25:09,482 --> 00:25:12,685
We're putting ALS on scene in that
same time frame.

421
00:25:13,044 --> 00:25:15,263
And so that we believe that this is
still a good number.

422
00:25:15,330 --> 00:25:17,019
It's a good response time.

423
00:25:17,086 --> 00:25:19,744
Uh, we're putting the right people on
the scene in the times

424
00:25:19,811 --> 00:25:21,427
that they need to be there.

425
00:25:22,156 --> 00:25:24,175
Once arrived on scene to left scene,

426
00:25:24,242 --> 00:25:27,039
uh, the national average they're
targeting 15 minutes,

427
00:25:27,106 --> 00:25:29,045
90% of the time.

428
00:25:29,112 --> 00:25:32,744
Uh, we're at 19.4 minutes, 4 8
minutes.

429
00:25:33,473 --> 00:25:35,648
uh, which was an increase from last
year.

430
00:25:35,938 --> 00:25:39,733
Uh, we believe that it's because
they're they're doing more on scene,

431
00:25:39,800 --> 00:25:42,008
getting the patient ready to go to
the hospital.

432
00:25:42,075 --> 00:25:47,105
And so it's a we we believe that it's
a good number, um,

433
00:25:47,524 --> 00:25:51,317
and it still shows that they're
they're getting close to those.

434
00:25:51,995 --> 00:25:54,413
Is that due to some of the nature of
the calls you have?

435
00:25:54,480 --> 00:25:57,853
Like you've got a lot of falls, a lot
of falls, a lot of things that
miscellaneous that maybe...

436
00:25:59,330 --> 00:26:01,948
It's like 30% of people don't come to
the hospital, so

437
00:26:02,015 --> 00:26:05,338
Correct. Those you probably do take a
little longer with because you can,
right?

438
00:26:05,428 --> 00:26:08,584
Right. Because we spend time making
sure, you know, it's it's common

439
00:26:08,651 --> 00:26:13,125
for them to, you know, they'll ask if
they can help them with some vitals.

440
00:26:13,192 --> 00:26:17,054
Can we can we check you out just make
sure that you're doing okay and

441
00:26:17,424 --> 00:26:21,578
And so they do spend time with them
and they do try to help them to
identify the things that are

442
00:26:21,645 --> 00:26:24,659
potentially causing false, right?

443
00:26:24,908 --> 00:26:26,695
So, yes, that's possible.

444
00:26:27,912 --> 00:26:31,698
And then from the time they leave the
scene to the destination, so
basically going from

445
00:26:31,765 --> 00:26:34,739
from the response to the to the
hospital.

446
00:26:34,968 --> 00:26:37,945
Uh, the goal is four minutes, 90% of
the time.

447
00:26:38,012 --> 00:26:40,517
We're about seven seven and a half
minutes.

448
00:26:41,136 --> 00:26:45,030
Um, again, that's just a product of
of um traveling

449
00:26:45,097 --> 00:26:50,656
from the from the home to the to the
ER.

450
00:26:50,796 --> 00:26:54,379
Um, there's not a lot you can do to
to change that time.

451
00:26:55,676 --> 00:26:58,860
Uh, one thing that can skew those
numbers, um,

452
00:26:59,199 --> 00:27:02,006
if we included information about the
transfers.

453
00:27:02,073 --> 00:27:05,080
Obviously, those numbers are vastly
different.

454
00:27:05,147 --> 00:27:08,603
Um, there are times where they'll
call for a transfer, uh,

455
00:27:08,670 --> 00:27:11,846
it may not go out for 30 minutes to
an hour.

456
00:27:11,913 --> 00:27:15,047
It just depends on whether the
patient is ready to go or not.

457
00:27:15,476 --> 00:27:17,881
And so those are not included in
that.

458
00:27:19,617 --> 00:27:22,215
Fire Marshall's office, our fire
Marshall investigated

459
00:27:22,282 --> 00:27:24,517
36 fires last year.

460
00:27:24,847 --> 00:27:31,227
Uh, I would say that that's a it's
not a completely accurate number.

461
00:27:31,294 --> 00:27:36,127
Um, all of the fires that we go to,
uh, we try to, um, come up with a a
cause

462
00:27:36,194 --> 00:27:38,739
determination, right?

463
00:27:39,248 --> 00:27:42,214
Um, there are certain ones that we
have to investigate,

464
00:27:42,281 --> 00:27:44,736
uh, larger losses and so on.

465
00:27:44,856 --> 00:27:48,040
Those are the ones that will, um,
spend more time on.

466
00:27:48,389 --> 00:27:50,607
Uh, we didn't have any deaths last
year. We did have four

467
00:27:50,674 --> 00:27:52,760
civilian injuries last year.

468
00:27:53,229 --> 00:27:56,662
Um, and we responded to 147 false
alarms.

469
00:27:58,079 --> 00:27:59,410
Oops.

470
00:27:59,536 --> 00:28:03,701
Fire Prevention office every year,
um, we send cruise out into the
schools in October.

471
00:28:03,768 --> 00:28:06,083
They're planning on doing that again.

472
00:28:06,472 --> 00:28:10,893
um, and spend time teaching fire
prevention to our third graders.

473
00:28:13,498 --> 00:28:16,934
So a little bit on the business side
of the fire department, um,

474
00:28:17,001 --> 00:28:19,998
we we track our numbers over the
years, we keep an eye kind of on

475
00:28:20,065 --> 00:28:22,659
on what things are looking like and
what the trends are doing.

476
00:28:23,438 --> 00:28:29,888
Um, our revenues have increased, you
know, we've we've we've increased
revenue just about every year, it

477
00:28:29,955 --> 00:28:34,465
it'll oscillate up and down a little
bit, but our trend line is positive.

478
00:28:34,725 --> 00:28:39,565
By far our biggest revenue is is our
ambulance revenue.

479
00:28:39,914 --> 00:28:44,066
Uh, you remember three years ago, we
started with our billing company.

480
00:28:44,395 --> 00:28:47,262
Um, our billing company has done a
good job to help us

481
00:28:47,329 --> 00:28:49,834
uh get as much revenue as possible.

482
00:28:50,393 --> 00:28:53,148
Uh, 1.24 million last year.

483
00:28:53,557 --> 00:28:56,793
Uh, the second biggest piece is our
ground emergency medical

484
00:28:56,860 --> 00:29:00,503
transport, which is also an ambulance
function.

485
00:29:01,022 --> 00:29:05,435
Uh, the ambulance function that pulls
in about $370,000,

486
00:29:05,502 --> 00:29:08,786
so that's a significant portion of
our revenue just right there.

487
00:29:09,584 --> 00:29:13,579
The other piece that's a big one is
the 169,000, that's our

488
00:29:13,646 --> 00:29:16,663
contract fire perfect protection.

489
00:29:16,730 --> 00:29:19,527
Um, so that would be the city of
Lambs Grove. We have a contract

490
00:29:19,594 --> 00:29:22,737
with them and then also the Newton
Row benefited fire district.

491
00:29:25,033 --> 00:29:28,289
So you can see how our ambulance
revenue, uh, the first year that

492
00:29:28,356 --> 00:29:30,831
they came online with our billing
company.

493
00:29:32,228 --> 00:29:35,561
Um, it went way down, um, and that
had to do with timing.

494
00:29:36,539 --> 00:29:40,524
Um, the next year they came back up
closer to where we were prior to.

495
00:29:40,591 --> 00:29:43,129
You can see this year, I believe that
this is more of a

496
00:29:43,196 --> 00:29:44,556
full implementation

497
00:29:44,623 --> 00:29:49,912
and that we're I think we're doing
well with our with our recovery.

498
00:29:51,220 --> 00:29:54,186
Again, we talked about the ambulance
calls, uh, number of transfers

499
00:29:54,253 --> 00:29:56,379
and so on in the previous slide.

500
00:29:57,158 --> 00:29:59,424
So other items that you see I'm
doing, you know, I've

501
00:29:59,491 --> 00:30:01,190
ferences a few times training.

502
00:30:01,257 --> 00:30:03,326
Um, every day is a training day.

503
00:30:03,393 --> 00:30:05,801
I think our captains are committed
and they do a

504
00:30:05,868 --> 00:30:07,847
really good job of of training our
people.

505
00:30:07,914 --> 00:30:10,688
and they spend a lot of time doing
that.

506
00:30:10,948 --> 00:30:12,926
Uh we do some hydrant testing.

507
00:30:12,993 --> 00:30:14,663
Those numbers are probably down
compared to

508
00:30:14,730 --> 00:30:16,576
previous years.

509
00:30:16,796 --> 00:30:20,329
Um, but but we still do that every
year.

510
00:30:20,468 --> 00:30:21,499
Our host testing.

511
00:30:21,566 --> 00:30:23,595
We pull all the hose off, fill it
full of water,

512
00:30:23,662 --> 00:30:25,142
pressure test it,

513
00:30:25,209 --> 00:30:26,858
drain it all out, put it all back on,

514
00:30:26,925 --> 00:30:28,602
that happens every year.

515
00:30:28,771 --> 00:30:30,900
And then again with our ladder
testing.

516
00:30:30,967 --> 00:30:32,806
This year was actually a year where
we hired a

517
00:30:32,873 --> 00:30:35,640
contractor. Every five years we bring
them in to

518
00:30:35,707 --> 00:30:38,185
actually do a third-party basically
inspection

519
00:30:38,252 --> 00:30:40,411
and testing.

520
00:30:40,478 --> 00:30:42,387
Uh, it makes sure that we're not
missing

521
00:30:42,454 --> 00:30:44,123
something as we do our own testing.

522
00:30:44,190 --> 00:30:46,139
But every so four years we test,
fifth year

523
00:30:46,206 --> 00:30:49,899
they come in and and help us test.

524
00:30:50,597 --> 00:30:52,736
Uh, I just received this um email
last week

525
00:30:52,803 --> 00:30:54,938
on Friday.

526
00:30:55,038 --> 00:30:57,147
Uh, this is our new Pierce apparatus
is now

527
00:30:57,214 --> 00:30:59,080
in production.

528
00:30:59,509 --> 00:31:02,363
And so we finally have something to
show.

529
00:31:02,533 --> 00:31:04,827
Uh, this will be our new tower
ladder.

530
00:31:04,894 --> 00:31:06,144
Almost done.

531
00:31:06,211 --> 00:31:08,140
And so you can see there they've got
the cab

532
00:31:08,207 --> 00:31:09,987
assembled.

533
00:31:10,054 --> 00:31:11,653
It doesn't have a roof yet, but

534
00:31:11,720 --> 00:31:13,629
there is a engine tunnel, there is

535
00:31:13,696 --> 00:31:17,618
kind of some front end work that's
being done.

536
00:31:17,718 --> 00:31:20,462
So it's exciting to actually see that
in play.

537
00:31:20,552 --> 00:31:22,880
Uh, by the sales estimate, uh, they
say that

538
00:31:22,947 --> 00:31:27,262
this will take roughly nine weeks to
build.

539
00:31:27,329 --> 00:31:29,916
So we've been waiting almost four
years

540
00:31:29,983 --> 00:31:32,408
and it'll take them nine weeks to
build it.

541
00:31:33,276 --> 00:31:35,385
So I don't have any current pictures.

542
00:31:35,452 --> 00:31:37,241
We have an ambulance that was due. We
thought

543
00:31:37,308 --> 00:31:39,145
we were getting it in July.

544
00:31:39,464 --> 00:31:41,443
Um, they had a slow down in
production and it

545
00:31:41,510 --> 00:31:43,758
looks like that's going to be
somewhere between

546
00:31:43,825 --> 00:31:45,562
October and December.

547
00:31:46,011 --> 00:31:47,930
So we have an ambulance that's also
being built

548
00:31:47,997 --> 00:31:49,327
at this time.

549
00:31:52,058 --> 00:31:53,389
Okay.

550
00:31:54,314 --> 00:31:56,981
With that, obviously lots of co or
lots of numbers,

551
00:31:57,048 --> 00:31:58,758
lots of things again. Um,

552
00:31:58,825 --> 00:32:00,850
but I'll open it up for questions.

553
00:32:01,359 --> 00:32:02,849
Uh, I'll start unless somebody else
has a

554
00:32:02,916 --> 00:32:03,997
question.

555
00:32:04,064 --> 00:32:05,903
Um, so I have a question, and this
one probably

556
00:32:05,970 --> 00:32:08,026
hits home this time of year.

557
00:32:08,255 --> 00:32:10,773
Um, but a few years ago, uh, we can
recall,

558
00:32:10,840 --> 00:32:12,949
uh, what my nieces had go through at
the Perry

559
00:32:13,016 --> 00:32:14,982
school district.

560
00:32:15,082 --> 00:32:17,300
So, um, just general question for
Chief

561
00:32:17,367 --> 00:32:19,682
Wellick and or maybe Chief Perdest.

562
00:32:19,842 --> 00:32:21,871
What what sort of partnership and or

563
00:32:21,938 --> 00:32:24,535
uh outreach do we do at the school to
align

564
00:32:24,602 --> 00:32:27,270
ourselves on emergency response,
should there be

565
00:32:27,337 --> 00:32:29,825
an active shooter or uh fatality or
some sort of

566
00:32:29,892 --> 00:32:32,559
incident at our schools and and how
often do we

567
00:32:32,626 --> 00:32:36,917
do walk-throughs of those school
buildings?

568
00:32:38,085 --> 00:32:39,225
So I can speak for the uh,

569
00:32:39,292 --> 00:32:40,243
Please.

570
00:32:40,310 --> 00:32:41,658
the fire department side.

571
00:32:42,666 --> 00:32:45,131
What month was that Rob, we did the
training?

572
00:32:46,328 --> 00:32:47,745
out at Community Heights?

573
00:32:48,364 --> 00:32:50,972
Was that in May?

574
00:32:51,039 --> 00:32:51,872
Mhm.

575
00:32:51,939 --> 00:32:54,596
Yeah, in May we had a um response
training that

576
00:32:54,663 --> 00:32:55,496
Okay.

577
00:32:55,563 --> 00:32:57,718
was brought in.

578
00:32:59,115 --> 00:33:00,974
We had most of the department was out

579
00:33:01,041 --> 00:33:03,020
there for because it was three days
worth of

580
00:33:03,087 --> 00:33:04,337
training.

581
00:33:04,404 --> 00:33:06,393
Uh, most of the department was out
there

582
00:33:06,460 --> 00:33:08,047
for at least one of those days.

583
00:33:08,287 --> 00:33:10,744
Um, so we do some response type
training that

584
00:33:10,811 --> 00:33:12,907
goes along with that.

585
00:33:13,326 --> 00:33:15,405
Uh, we just opened a school, uh,
Aurora

586
00:33:15,472 --> 00:33:17,388
Heights just opened.

587
00:33:17,638 --> 00:33:19,547
Uh, it was right down to the wire to
get it

588
00:33:19,614 --> 00:33:20,904
opened up.

589
00:33:20,971 --> 00:33:23,359
Uh, some of the major concerns that
were on

590
00:33:23,426 --> 00:33:26,383
the table towards the end were
security.

591
00:33:26,450 --> 00:33:27,351
Yep.

592
00:33:27,418 --> 00:33:29,935
Um, and again, that's led both
through um the

593
00:33:30,002 --> 00:33:32,321
police and fire departments here in

594
00:33:32,388 --> 00:33:33,718
Newton.

595
00:33:34,274 --> 00:33:35,325
So,

596
00:33:35,392 --> 00:33:37,879
Um, I would let Rob talk about more
of our Chief

597
00:33:37,946 --> 00:33:40,724
Perdest talk more about the the
actual response

598
00:33:40,791 --> 00:33:43,049
for like the question specifically
you are,

599
00:33:43,116 --> 00:33:44,802
were asking.

600
00:33:44,892 --> 00:33:46,721
Yeah, and then maybe with that, um,
on a lighter

601
00:33:46,788 --> 00:33:48,338
note, um,

602
00:33:48,405 --> 00:33:50,354
what's the frequency you you
mentioned the uh

603
00:33:50,421 --> 00:33:52,200
the hydrant testing?

604
00:33:52,267 --> 00:33:53,498
Is it an annual,

605
00:33:53,565 --> 00:33:55,633
Um, just thinking of a couple of
hydrants that

606
00:33:55,700 --> 00:33:57,716
I know of around town that have
spotted, um,

607
00:33:57,916 --> 00:34:00,972
that are either like partially
submerged or,

608
00:34:01,039 --> 00:34:03,088
you know, the landlords or whatever
land owners

609
00:34:03,155 --> 00:34:05,643
have taken upon themselves to maybe
not

610
00:34:05,710 --> 00:34:08,534
care so much about that particular
hydrant. So,

611
00:34:08,624 --> 00:34:10,623
how frequently do all of the hydrants
get tested,

612
00:34:10,690 --> 00:34:12,220
I guess is the question.

613
00:34:12,287 --> 00:34:14,315
So the hydrants in the past were
supposed to be

614
00:34:14,382 --> 00:34:15,493
tested every three years.

615
00:34:15,560 --> 00:34:16,621
Okay.

616
00:34:16,688 --> 00:34:19,275
Um, so we had the city divided into
three

617
00:34:19,342 --> 00:34:20,909
separate districts.

618
00:34:20,979 --> 00:34:23,237
One of the things that's currently
being done is

619
00:34:23,304 --> 00:34:25,782
they're doing a flow model.

620
00:34:25,849 --> 00:34:26,682
Mhm.

621
00:34:26,749 --> 00:34:29,095
They're modeling the flows that are
in town.

622
00:34:29,314 --> 00:34:31,512
One of the interesting things that
they found

623
00:34:31,579 --> 00:34:33,359
during that was, uh, by testing

624
00:34:33,426 --> 00:34:36,450
what was it Jody, 12 hydrants?

625
00:34:37,263 --> 00:34:38,096
15?

626
00:34:38,163 --> 00:34:38,997
Yeah, 15.

627
00:34:39,064 --> 00:34:41,063
They they actually identified issues

628
00:34:41,130 --> 00:34:42,790
within the system that were adjacent
to

629
00:34:42,857 --> 00:34:44,972
the actual flow areas.

630
00:34:45,551 --> 00:34:47,410
And so, part of, um, we do what's
called an

631
00:34:47,477 --> 00:34:49,713
ISO inspection.

632
00:34:50,052 --> 00:34:52,141
Uh, every every three to eight years,
they come

633
00:34:52,208 --> 00:34:54,396
in and assess basically what the what
the

634
00:34:54,463 --> 00:34:59,014
department is doing and the water
system and

635
00:34:59,439 --> 00:35:00,986
dispatch center and so on.

636
00:35:01,515 --> 00:35:04,821
Uh, those those things are all
combined

637
00:35:04,888 --> 00:35:07,825
to come up with a fire suppression
rating system.

638
00:35:07,892 --> 00:35:10,596
So, um,

639
00:35:12,393 --> 00:35:15,320
There's a push to go to more computer
modeling

640
00:35:15,387 --> 00:35:18,191
instead of actual flow testing.

641
00:35:18,258 --> 00:35:19,091
Okay.

642
00:35:19,158 --> 00:35:21,988
So, they do flow, they flow the
hydrants every year

643
00:35:22,055 --> 00:35:24,520
to flush things out.

644
00:35:24,620 --> 00:35:27,547
When we try to do our hydrant
testing, we also end up

645
00:35:27,614 --> 00:35:31,346
turning up a lot of debris within the
system.

646
00:35:31,456 --> 00:35:34,862
And so there's some question as to
whether or not it's advantageous to
do that

647
00:35:34,929 --> 00:35:38,514
or if it's better to computer model
and spot check.

648
00:35:38,581 --> 00:35:39,414
Sure.

649
00:35:39,481 --> 00:35:43,805
So we're in kind of a, would you call
it a transition stage,

650
00:35:44,209 --> 00:35:45,042
phase?

651
00:35:45,109 --> 00:35:45,942
Right.

652
00:35:46,009 --> 00:35:47,880
Um, where we're we're looking at
doing that.

653
00:35:47,947 --> 00:35:51,573
And then also does the fire
department paint said hydrants

654
00:35:51,640 --> 00:35:55,265
or how does a hydrant that needs
paint or needs attention,

655
00:35:55,332 --> 00:35:58,698
you know, how do residents get a hold
of or what happens then?

656
00:35:58,765 --> 00:36:01,453
If it needs, you know, painted or,
you know,

657
00:36:01,520 --> 00:36:03,549
I've seen some silver ones around
town and it's like,

658
00:36:03,616 --> 00:36:05,854
wow, I don't know that that's been
tested or painted recently.

659
00:36:05,921 --> 00:36:08,539
So, you know, people ask me those
questions and I,

660
00:36:08,606 --> 00:36:10,102
I don't know, it's a.

661
00:36:10,192 --> 00:36:11,982
Yeah, we we do not paint hydrants.

662
00:36:12,049 --> 00:36:12,882
Okay.

663
00:36:12,949 --> 00:36:14,481
That would be done through the
utilities department.

664
00:36:14,548 --> 00:36:15,879
Okay.

665
00:36:15,981 --> 00:36:16,814
Got you.

666
00:36:16,881 --> 00:36:18,211
That's great.

667
00:36:19,768 --> 00:36:20,875
Um, that's all for now.

668
00:36:20,942 --> 00:36:21,775
Thank you.

669
00:36:21,842 --> 00:36:22,995
Yeah, you're welcome.

670
00:36:23,062 --> 00:36:24,559
Any other questions for chief?

671
00:36:24,626 --> 00:36:25,459
I understand.

672
00:36:25,526 --> 00:36:26,550
Oh, go ahead.

673
00:36:26,617 --> 00:36:28,366
Yeah, just the false alarms. You had
147.

674
00:36:28,433 --> 00:36:30,632
I saw that heat map. It seemed to be
concentrated around

675
00:36:30,699 --> 00:36:32,099
a lot of industrial or commercial
business areas

676
00:36:32,166 --> 00:36:33,526
because I know what the hot spots was
right behind

677
00:36:33,593 --> 00:36:34,426
my house.

678
00:36:34,493 --> 00:36:36,245
I'm like, or right on my house. I'm
like,

679
00:36:36,312 --> 00:36:39,848
how's just false alarms, so it must
be a business close by.

680
00:36:39,915 --> 00:36:40,748
Mhm.

681
00:36:40,815 --> 00:36:43,875
So, do we have any? When those false
alarms come in,

682
00:36:43,942 --> 00:36:48,186
is there a service fee that you guys
charge for having to attend those if
they exceed so many?

683
00:36:48,253 --> 00:36:51,659
Like, hey, after three, we probably
ought to be.

684
00:36:51,726 --> 00:36:53,076
We've we've discussed that.

685
00:36:53,143 --> 00:36:53,976
Okay.

686
00:36:54,043 --> 00:36:55,307
I thought you had, but we.

687
00:36:55,374 --> 00:36:56,207
Yeah, we've talked.

688
00:36:56,274 --> 00:36:59,151
We talked about that as part of our
cost recovery program.

689
00:36:59,218 --> 00:37:00,051
Yeah, yeah.

690
00:37:00,118 --> 00:37:02,150
Um, and to this point, we haven't had
an appetite

691
00:37:02,217 --> 00:37:04,126
really to move forward with that.

692
00:37:04,193 --> 00:37:05,026
Okay.

693
00:37:05,093 --> 00:37:06,952
It does take up time. 147 is quite a
few.

694
00:37:07,019 --> 00:37:07,852
It is.

695
00:37:07,919 --> 00:37:11,188
And what's average time what's the
false arm, I mean, you look at the
service,

696
00:37:11,255 --> 00:37:15,120
you know, the call time, you've got
those national standards. They all
apply to that, right?

697
00:37:15,187 --> 00:37:16,967
So you're looking, you know, 20
minutes at least.

698
00:37:17,034 --> 00:37:19,272
And that's fire truck out,
potentially an ambulance.

699
00:37:19,339 --> 00:37:21,278
I mean, it's

700
00:37:21,345 --> 00:37:22,366
Right.

701
00:37:22,433 --> 00:37:24,441
So, I mean, there's there's some.

702
00:37:24,508 --> 00:37:27,455
As we start talking about budgets and
having enough money,

703
00:37:27,522 --> 00:37:31,248
that seems to be a place where maybe
some people are taking, I want to
say,

704
00:37:31,315 --> 00:37:33,912
taking advantage, but there's
opportunity there, right?

705
00:37:33,979 --> 00:37:34,812
Yes.

706
00:37:34,879 --> 00:37:38,028
For using our resources wisely and
maybe putting some carrot to the
stick

707
00:37:38,095 --> 00:37:40,932
kind of thing to help drive that.

708
00:37:40,999 --> 00:37:44,016
Yeah, like what we've talked about in
the past, you know, is,

709
00:37:44,083 --> 00:37:48,307
um, failure to successfully maintain
or continually

710
00:37:48,374 --> 00:37:55,011
maintain sometimes results in more
alarms.

711
00:37:55,210 --> 00:37:58,985
And so, um, I definitely think there
is some potential there for

712
00:37:59,052 --> 00:38:01,680
reducing some of those times,

713
00:38:01,747 --> 00:38:04,275
reducing some of that, those
responses,

714
00:38:04,342 --> 00:38:07,269
by having some sort of fee if you
start going

715
00:38:07,336 --> 00:38:10,163
over a certain amount. I mean, that's
a.

716
00:38:10,230 --> 00:38:11,063
Yeah.

717
00:38:11,130 --> 00:38:12,892
Cuz I'd be interested in entertaining
that.

718
00:38:12,959 --> 00:38:15,287
If it's, you know, there's always
that threshold where

719
00:38:15,354 --> 00:38:17,483
you know, we are, you're very service
oriented, so we don't

720
00:38:17,550 --> 00:38:19,219
want to be at the point to nickel and
dime people.

721
00:38:19,286 --> 00:38:20,157
We got to balance it.

722
00:38:20,224 --> 00:38:22,572
But it does come down to practical
things when we're talking about
budget

723
00:38:22,639 --> 00:38:24,528
and, you know.

724
00:38:24,595 --> 00:38:25,926
Right.

725
00:38:26,192 --> 00:38:27,523
Yep, thanks.

726
00:38:27,629 --> 00:38:30,257
So, just a follow up for that, how
many is repeat

727
00:38:30,324 --> 00:38:32,819
repeat false alarms?

728
00:38:33,647 --> 00:38:35,843
Uh, it varies from year to year.

729
00:38:36,561 --> 00:38:39,139
Um, we've had, I'm trying to think of
what the highest

730
00:38:39,206 --> 00:38:40,845
number I've seen.

731
00:38:40,912 --> 00:38:44,328
I think we've had uh, 12 from one
particular

732
00:38:44,395 --> 00:38:48,557
place in town.

733
00:38:49,555 --> 00:38:54,408
Um, you know, so having some sort of
scalable amount, you know, where,

734
00:38:54,475 --> 00:38:58,679
uh, maybe you get four free or five
free a year.

735
00:38:58,746 --> 00:38:59,579
Two.

736
00:38:59,646 --> 00:39:00,479
We have a.

737
00:39:00,546 --> 00:39:01,379
Two.

738
00:39:01,446 --> 00:39:02,619
What did I say?

739
00:39:02,686 --> 00:39:03,687
Oh, right.

740
00:39:03,754 --> 00:39:05,873
I mean, honestly, we have some that
we don't ever go out on

741
00:39:05,940 --> 00:39:08,444
false alarms too.

742
00:39:08,564 --> 00:39:11,302
Some systems are way more complex
than others.

743
00:39:11,369 --> 00:39:12,202
Yeah.

744
00:39:12,269 --> 00:39:14,091
So, I mean, there's a lot that goes
into some of those

745
00:39:14,158 --> 00:39:16,256
calculations

746
00:39:16,323 --> 00:39:17,863
because it's

747
00:39:17,930 --> 00:39:20,977
you know, I have systems that have
water for part of it,

748
00:39:21,044 --> 00:39:25,066
air that holds it back so it's not
freezing in the attic. I mean,

749
00:39:25,585 --> 00:39:27,983
There's lots of moving parts in all
of that.

750
00:39:28,050 --> 00:39:28,883
Yeah.

751
00:39:28,950 --> 00:39:30,842
I think it it is detailed. So I mean,

752
00:39:30,909 --> 00:39:33,287
you know, schools had maybe a couple.

753
00:39:33,354 --> 00:39:34,195
Yeah.

754
00:39:34,262 --> 00:39:36,780
And I know of one particular business
that you've spent a lot of time.

755
00:39:36,847 --> 00:39:38,703
You and your fire marshal spent a lot
of time this year at.

756
00:39:38,770 --> 00:39:39,603
Yeah.

757
00:39:39,670 --> 00:39:41,871
Uh, that the business just hasn't
been able to maintain whatever
they're

758
00:39:41,938 --> 00:39:43,857
supposed to be doing.

759
00:39:43,924 --> 00:39:44,757
So I mean, yeah.

760
00:39:44,824 --> 00:39:46,606
It could, you've got probably
nothing, all the way from

761
00:39:46,673 --> 00:39:48,901
businesses that don't have anything
to some that are just

762
00:39:48,968 --> 00:39:51,735
like, 'you know, this is the tenth
time I've been here' and.

763
00:39:51,802 --> 00:39:53,569
We could always do an increasing
scale.

764
00:39:53,636 --> 00:39:54,469
You know.

765
00:39:54,536 --> 00:39:55,369
An increase in.

766
00:39:55,436 --> 00:39:56,269
An increasing scale.

767
00:39:56,336 --> 00:39:57,169
Progressive scale.

768
00:39:57,236 --> 00:40:00,432
Yeah. is this and then it goes up
every time after.

769
00:40:00,572 --> 00:40:01,749
Mhm.

770
00:40:01,816 --> 00:40:02,649
Yeah.

771
00:40:02,716 --> 00:40:03,549
But that also

772
00:40:03,616 --> 00:40:04,449
speaks to

773
00:40:04,516 --> 00:40:06,265
the ports of our inspection programs,
right?

774
00:40:06,332 --> 00:40:07,423
You're gonna find some stuff.

775
00:40:07,490 --> 00:40:09,209
You're gonna advise people when you
do inspect.

776
00:40:09,276 --> 00:40:10,955
Hey, you know, you might want to look
at this because of

777
00:40:11,022 --> 00:40:13,500
This is potentially have a false
alarm.

778
00:40:13,567 --> 00:40:15,596
You know? Right. Anyway, yeah.
Thanks.

779
00:40:15,663 --> 00:40:16,594
another question.

780
00:40:16,661 --> 00:40:18,909
Speaking of the heat map, thank you
for pointing out that heat map.

781
00:40:18,976 --> 00:40:20,736
On the EMS run concentrations.

782
00:40:20,803 --> 00:40:23,530
Looks like the Department of
Corrections facility, um,

783
00:40:23,597 --> 00:40:25,785
we have to go out there for EMS.

784
00:40:25,852 --> 00:40:28,320
So is my understanding, do they not
have their own

785
00:40:28,387 --> 00:40:31,045
onsite EMS at the prison?

786
00:40:31,112 --> 00:40:35,785
They have, um, yeah, they have
medical care there. Okay.

787
00:40:35,852 --> 00:40:38,420
Uh, but there are certain things that
they can't handle. Got you.

788
00:40:38,487 --> 00:40:40,815
That need to go to a hospital. Okay.

789
00:40:40,882 --> 00:40:44,447
Um, so we do respond there a fair
amount.

790
00:40:44,514 --> 00:40:46,770
Okay. Thank you. Mhm.

791
00:40:47,668 --> 00:40:52,032
Uh, so I have some questions about
the inter facility transfers.

792
00:40:52,099 --> 00:40:54,946
Can you talk a little bit more about
exactly what that is

793
00:40:55,013 --> 00:40:58,449
and what specific ones those are
majority at the time?

794
00:40:58,516 --> 00:41:01,253
Are those Demoin runs, Iowa City
runs,

795
00:41:01,320 --> 00:41:03,509
how far out are we going with those?

796
00:41:03,576 --> 00:41:06,942
So we have a limit, we set a number,
a number of years ago,

797
00:41:07,009 --> 00:41:09,856
uh, 100 miles is our radius that will
go.

798
00:41:09,923 --> 00:41:13,748
So we don't go to Rochester or we
don't go to Kansas City.

799
00:41:13,815 --> 00:41:15,871
Uh, we stay within 100 miles.

800
00:41:17,368 --> 00:41:22,817
Historically, that's been split
between Demoin and Iowa City.

801
00:41:23,036 --> 00:41:26,402
Uh, over the past since COVID
started,

802
00:41:26,469 --> 00:41:30,312
bed space has become very difficult
to come by.

803
00:41:30,810 --> 00:41:35,673
Uh, we're seeing more to Waterloo,
that's right at 100 miles for us.

804
00:41:35,740 --> 00:41:38,255
Uh, Cedar Rapids, Ames,

805
00:41:38,575 --> 00:41:42,949
um, all of the Demoin area hospitals.

806
00:41:43,016 --> 00:41:47,859
Used to just be the majority went to
Mercy or Unity Point.

807
00:41:47,926 --> 00:41:50,760
That was kind of the program.

808
00:41:50,880 --> 00:41:55,244
Um, now we're seeing them spread out
a little bit more just because of

809
00:41:55,311 --> 00:41:57,896
need for bed space.

810
00:41:58,385 --> 00:42:02,456
Uh, about 85% of our calls go to the
Demoin area.

811
00:42:02,666 --> 00:42:07,718
Uh, roughly 10% go to Iowa City

812
00:42:07,785 --> 00:42:11,159
and then about 5% go to other areas.

813
00:42:11,717 --> 00:42:14,475
Um, but that's a fairly small number.

814
00:42:14,542 --> 00:42:20,899
Okay. And then can you just give a
breakdown of what shifts are what?

815
00:42:21,577 --> 00:42:23,586
Um, like what's the morning shift,
what's the afternoon shift,

816
00:42:23,653 --> 00:42:25,343
like how does that?

817
00:42:25,410 --> 00:42:26,430
You mean like what goes on in a
normal?

818
00:42:26,497 --> 00:42:29,674
No, like what are what's the times of
the shifts?

819
00:42:29,741 --> 00:42:32,309
So our shifts are 24 hours in length.

820
00:42:32,376 --> 00:42:34,265
So they start at 7:30 in the morning,

821
00:42:34,332 --> 00:42:37,658
and then at 7:30 the next morning
that shift is done,

822
00:42:37,725 --> 00:42:40,160
the next crew comes on.

823
00:42:40,230 --> 00:42:42,475
So they start at 7:00 in the morning

824
00:42:42,904 --> 00:42:45,708
And then 7:30, yep, 7:30 to 7:30.

825
00:42:45,928 --> 00:42:49,035
So is it possible then that some of
these transfers that I'm looking at,

826
00:42:49,102 --> 00:42:53,323
168 of them took place between 9:00
p.m. and 6:00 a.m.?

827
00:42:54,700 --> 00:42:58,216
Um, so we have people that

828
00:42:58,283 --> 00:43:02,894
have been awake for quite a long
time, correct?

829
00:43:03,902 --> 00:43:09,393
Um, and just trying to wrap my head
around is

830
00:43:09,460 --> 00:43:16,446
is that something that's worth the
revenue?

831
00:43:16,775 --> 00:43:18,694
And maybe this isn't a conversation
for it's pre-tape.

832
00:43:18,761 --> 00:43:20,318
No, it's a perfect time.

833
00:43:20,907 --> 00:43:23,664
You know, you you you've raised some,
I mean, you talked about,

834
00:43:23,731 --> 00:43:27,384
you know, we have a lot of new
people. Yep.

835
00:43:28,292 --> 00:43:31,748
So, we're hiring new people in that
they

836
00:43:31,815 --> 00:43:36,725
the good news is they get a lot of
experience. Mhm.

837
00:43:37,753 --> 00:43:40,929
Flip side of that is that they're
doing 3,000 calls instead of

838
00:43:40,996 --> 00:43:43,541
1,500 calls.

839
00:43:44,499 --> 00:43:47,802
And they're getting paid less than
what the Metro pays.

840
00:43:48,261 --> 00:43:51,807
So we have some that leave early, go
to the Metro, work

841
00:43:51,874 --> 00:43:55,128
half as much for more money.

842
00:43:55,287 --> 00:43:57,932
When they're working twice as hard
for more work here.

843
00:43:58,082 --> 00:44:00,157
Potentially, right?

844
00:44:00,806 --> 00:44:03,683
Um, and then the length of

845
00:44:03,750 --> 00:44:07,675
if someone's doing an if we're doing
a transport

846
00:44:07,742 --> 00:44:09,970
at 9:00 p.m. or 9:00 p.m. to 6:00
a.m.

847
00:44:10,037 --> 00:44:13,962
Even if you take out the 9:00 p.m.
one, you know,

848
00:44:14,029 --> 00:44:19,551
you still got a lot of transports
that are happening in those wee hours

849
00:44:19,618 --> 00:44:24,947
of people that have been potentially
awake for a long time. Right.

850
00:44:25,546 --> 00:44:28,034
Um, so some of the things we do to
manage that.

851
00:44:28,101 --> 00:44:29,600
Yeah, I'd like to know where we're
going.

852
00:44:29,667 --> 00:44:34,021
So, uh, in the past two years, we've
implemented time frames where

853
00:44:34,088 --> 00:44:39,467
we do non-emergent we don't do the
non-emergent transfers overnight.

854
00:44:39,976 --> 00:44:43,502
So non-emergent means, uh, they're
maybe just going to another hospital

855
00:44:43,569 --> 00:44:46,895
because they don't have the services
here.

856
00:44:46,962 --> 00:44:52,763
Uh, they're going up for an
evaluation tomorrow at Mercy and
Demoin, for example.

857
00:44:52,830 --> 00:44:57,281
We would delay that until the next
day.

858
00:44:58,110 --> 00:45:04,247
And what we do then is there are
emergent calls that need to go right.

859
00:45:04,579 --> 00:45:06,028
now, like somebody's having a heart
attack

860
00:45:06,095 --> 00:45:08,434
and they need to go to the cath lab
in Demoin.

861
00:45:08,501 --> 00:45:10,586
Um, we take those.

862
00:45:10,776 --> 00:45:14,980
Uh, but those that's paired down some
of the the calls.

863
00:45:15,047 --> 00:45:18,204
So you saw how our numbers have come
down over the last few years.

864
00:45:18,271 --> 00:45:21,108
Part of that probably has to do with
that because some of them

865
00:45:21,175 --> 00:45:25,097
they want to clear out of the
hospital regardless.

866
00:45:25,276 --> 00:45:28,849
And so they'll work to try to find
somebody else to take those.

867
00:45:29,658 --> 00:45:32,954
Um, we keep a close eye on our people
during the day.

868
00:45:33,021 --> 00:45:36,457
So we know the captains know how many
calls they've been on,

869
00:45:36,524 --> 00:45:39,251
how many runs they've done and so on.

870
00:45:39,318 --> 00:45:41,876
Uh, we've had instances where the
captain has said, look,

871
00:45:41,943 --> 00:45:44,700
we are not going out of town
overnight.

872
00:45:44,767 --> 00:45:48,133
Because everybody's been on multiple
calls throughout the day.

873
00:45:48,200 --> 00:45:52,092
Nobody has had any any rest or any
downtime.

874
00:45:52,262 --> 00:45:54,343
and they need some sleep, right?

875
00:45:54,410 --> 00:45:57,118
Yeah. Cuz those, those do happen.

876
00:45:57,185 --> 00:46:02,624
We rely on our supervisors to keep a
pulse on on what's happening.

877
00:46:02,993 --> 00:46:06,199
And so, um, all of those things
combined have

878
00:46:06,266 --> 00:46:10,840
I think changed a little bit of of
what that looks like.

879
00:46:10,907 --> 00:46:16,615
Um, but quite honestly, you know,
these people are still our citizens.

880
00:46:17,014 --> 00:46:21,136
right? And they need definitive care
that they can't get here.

881
00:46:21,406 --> 00:46:23,833
So it is an important thing that
we're doing for them

882
00:46:23,900 --> 00:46:27,244
to get them where they can get the
definitive care.

883
00:46:27,373 --> 00:46:29,841
Uh, what we're doing is we're trying
to we're trying to manage that risk

884
00:46:29,908 --> 00:46:33,674
a little bit better,

885
00:46:33,741 --> 00:46:35,879
uh, to keep to keep us from going
past that point

886
00:46:35,946 --> 00:46:38,451
where somebody gets hurt.

887
00:46:39,349 --> 00:46:40,679
I don't know if that answers your
question.

888
00:46:40,746 --> 00:46:42,852
Yeah, I guess, yeah, I just get

889
00:46:44,379 --> 00:46:46,704
My concern is that, you know, we get

890
00:46:47,303 --> 00:46:50,479
paramedics, EMTs, all this

891
00:46:50,546 --> 00:46:55,027
leaving to do something at 4:00 in
the morning.

892
00:46:55,367 --> 00:46:57,555
And they've I don't know, are they I
I don't know enough about fire

893
00:46:57,622 --> 00:47:01,823
service or how this shift works, like

894
00:47:02,003 --> 00:47:05,040
When are they sleeping? Are they
expected to be up for that amount

895
00:47:05,107 --> 00:47:08,111
of time? Or what does that look like?

896
00:47:08,260 --> 00:47:13,759
So, we typically try to end our day
somewhere around 4 or 5 o'clock.

897
00:47:14,158 --> 00:47:19,478
Um, and we try not to schedule any
any major events at night.

898
00:47:20,037 --> 00:47:24,470
Um, I've had people here who go to
bed at 7:00 at night

899
00:47:24,537 --> 00:47:30,425
to try to get some rest, um, in case
they have calls overnight.

900
00:47:30,635 --> 00:47:32,823
Everybody manages their sleep
differently.

901
00:47:32,890 --> 00:47:33,831
Okay.

902
00:47:33,898 --> 00:47:36,935
And so, um, there are days, uh,

903
00:47:37,002 --> 00:47:40,608
I think the highest number outside of
disasters,

904
00:47:40,675 --> 00:47:46,353
the highest number of calls that I've
seen are 26 during a 24-hour period.

905
00:47:46,662 --> 00:47:49,839
That's a lot of calls and when you
come in in the morning, you see the

906
00:47:49,906 --> 00:47:53,069
people that are going out pretty
tired.

907
00:47:53,169 --> 00:47:56,043
because it's just it it's a lot to
do.

908
00:47:56,493 --> 00:48:02,703
Um, but there are also days where we
may run only six calls or four calls.

909
00:48:02,770 --> 00:48:07,204
I will tell you in uh 2011 when I
started here,

910
00:48:07,271 --> 00:48:11,532
we, I would say a handful of times a
year, we didn't turn a wheel.

911
00:48:12,350 --> 00:48:18,408
Um, I can't remember the last time
we've not turned a wheel for EMS.

912
00:48:18,817 --> 00:48:19,898
Well, that's a good one.

913
00:48:19,965 --> 00:48:23,987
We continue, we continue, that
continues to turn.

914
00:48:24,077 --> 00:48:27,629
Right? I mean, it it just is it is
what it is.

915
00:48:28,288 --> 00:48:33,490
Um, but I think the again, it's
trying to do the things we can

916
00:48:33,557 --> 00:48:39,974
to manage the risk that goes along
with that. Okay.

917
00:48:40,783 --> 00:48:44,847
Chief, on a follow-up note, if we
choose at some point

918
00:48:44,914 --> 00:48:48,357
not to do these transfers out of the
city,

919
00:48:48,427 --> 00:48:51,910
who would then be available to do
those?

920
00:48:52,000 --> 00:48:54,545
Because you mentioned the service to
our our citizens.

921
00:48:54,794 --> 00:48:55,705
Right.

922
00:48:55,772 --> 00:49:00,812
Um, so there are private ambulances
that do uh, transfers.

923
00:49:01,081 --> 00:49:03,998
Um, so there's one of those that's
uh, come into Grenell and is doing

924
00:49:04,065 --> 00:49:07,648
some of that now.

925
00:49:08,037 --> 00:49:11,403
Uh, Mercy does have some ambulances,
but Mercy has very limited staffing

926
00:49:11,470 --> 00:49:14,307
in the overnight hours

927
00:49:14,374 --> 00:49:16,680
and limited availability for for that
work.

928
00:49:19,662 --> 00:49:23,284
My understanding is the the GEMTs,
um,

929
00:49:23,883 --> 00:49:26,541
There's a fine balance here because
they do generate revenue.

930
00:49:26,608 --> 00:49:29,145
probably more revenue than the
regular ambulance

931
00:49:29,212 --> 00:49:32,578
because we're not they're they pay
better, I would assume.

932
00:49:32,645 --> 00:49:35,712
So there's a certain amount of those
that for revenue stream help us

933
00:49:35,779 --> 00:49:37,009
to have that.

934
00:49:37,076 --> 00:49:39,474
But too many of them, then you're
you're shorting your staff.

935
00:49:39,541 --> 00:49:42,825
So there is a juggling match there, I
assume to to keep that level.

936
00:49:43,244 --> 00:49:45,402
Uh, I assume you wouldn't want to
recommend we get rid of them

937
00:49:45,469 --> 00:49:48,207
all together

938
00:49:48,274 --> 00:49:49,564
because I think we would have a
pretty big revenue shortfall

939
00:49:49,631 --> 00:49:50,961
at that point then.

940
00:49:51,108 --> 00:49:52,378
Right. Yeah.

941
00:49:52,445 --> 00:49:53,705
So,

942
00:49:53,772 --> 00:49:55,791
And also, if it's your loved one
sitting in the hospital

943
00:49:55,858 --> 00:49:56,749
waiting for a transfer,

944
00:49:56,816 --> 00:49:57,737
Yeah.

945
00:49:57,804 --> 00:50:00,130
in a rural hospital in in Iowa.

946
00:50:00,449 --> 00:50:02,844
and we provide this service, you're
going to be a lot happier.

947
00:50:03,300 --> 00:50:05,728
with the amount of time that it takes
to get that transfer

948
00:50:05,795 --> 00:50:07,804
than if we didn't have it.

949
00:50:07,871 --> 00:50:12,085
Well, I said benefited for a
transfer. It was middle of the
afternoon.

950
00:50:12,152 --> 00:50:13,193
They got there pretty quick.

951
00:50:13,260 --> 00:50:14,101
that's always the case. I mean

952
00:50:14,168 --> 00:50:15,001
No, no.

953
00:50:15,068 --> 00:50:17,197
It was overnight once. Sometimes you
don't have a choice but uh

954
00:50:17,264 --> 00:50:18,960
Yeah, yeah.

955
00:50:19,070 --> 00:50:21,109
And terrible things happened the
middle of the night.

956
00:50:21,176 --> 00:50:23,451
[laughter]
Frequently. Yeah.

957
00:50:23,521 --> 00:50:24,452
So, yeah.

958
00:50:24,519 --> 00:50:26,448
Any other questions for Chief
Wellick?

959
00:50:26,515 --> 00:50:31,039
Chief, I would I would be remiss if I
did not ask you to talk

960
00:50:31,106 --> 00:50:35,430
a little bit about your 9/11
celebration this week or not.

961
00:50:35,497 --> 00:50:38,890
Yeah, so our 9/11 service is just 25
years.

962
00:50:39,279 --> 00:50:40,609
Um

963
00:50:40,866 --> 00:50:44,611
What's interesting for me is, uh,
I've been in the fire service

964
00:50:44,678 --> 00:50:46,724
that's going on 35 years for me.

965
00:50:47,383 --> 00:50:48,720
And, um,

966
00:50:50,796 --> 00:50:55,140
I got a lot of laughs, uh, a few
weeks ago we were talking about

967
00:50:55,207 --> 00:50:59,700
kids and and I said that my youngest
had just turned 30.

968
00:50:59,767 --> 00:51:02,874
And the majority of the people in my
department are less than

969
00:51:02,941 --> 00:51:04,767
30 years old.

970
00:51:04,837 --> 00:51:05,758
Um,

971
00:51:05,825 --> 00:51:09,560
Many of the people that are providing
service here today

972
00:51:09,627 --> 00:51:12,405
are not alive when 9/11 happened.

973
00:51:12,472 --> 00:51:13,582
Um,

974
00:51:13,649 --> 00:51:16,906
So, it's a big year. 25 years is a
long time.

975
00:51:16,973 --> 00:51:21,396
Uh, you know, our we vowed to never
forget.

976
00:51:21,463 --> 00:51:24,031
You know, we have it on our trucks on
our our emblems that are on

977
00:51:24,098 --> 00:51:26,326
the side of the truck and

978
00:51:26,393 --> 00:51:29,779
Um, you know, we continue to to honor
those.

979
00:51:29,846 --> 00:51:33,113
Uh, it will be a nice service this
year. The American Legion

980
00:51:33,180 --> 00:51:34,310
has offered to be a part of it again.

981
00:51:34,377 --> 00:51:37,204
So, they're going to offer the 21-gun
salute as part of the

982
00:51:37,271 --> 00:51:38,801
the ceremony.

983
00:51:38,868 --> 00:51:43,791
They did that same thing and for the
15 year and the uh 20 year.

984
00:51:43,858 --> 00:51:46,605
And so, uh, that'll be exciting to
see.

985
00:51:46,672 --> 00:51:50,657
Uh, it'll be the similar program to
what you've seen in the past.

986
00:51:50,724 --> 00:51:52,473
That September 11th at what time?

987
00:51:52,540 --> 00:51:55,105
It's on September 11th at 5:30 p.m.

988
00:51:57,520 --> 00:51:58,957
Any other questions?

989
00:51:59,875 --> 00:52:01,555
[cough] Thank you, Chief.

990
00:52:01,622 --> 00:52:03,768
Yes, thank you.

991
00:52:05,145 --> 00:52:08,042
Item number 31 this evening, we are
blessed with another

992
00:52:08,109 --> 00:52:09,546
staff report.

993
00:52:09,616 --> 00:52:13,531
This is the library annual report, so
we would ask Ms.

994
00:52:13,598 --> 00:52:15,407
Nicole Terry to come forward, please.

995
00:52:15,474 --> 00:52:16,307
[cough]

996
00:52:22,739 --> 00:52:25,613
Hello, Nicole Terry, library
director.

997
00:52:26,272 --> 00:52:29,199
So, we will dive right in and
hopefully try to get out before

998
00:52:29,266 --> 00:52:30,596
the next wave of the storm hits.

999
00:52:31,062 --> 00:52:34,288
Um, so I'm not going to read through
all of our strategic plan,

1000
00:52:34,355 --> 00:52:35,586
but we did adopt it just last year.

1001
00:52:35,653 --> 00:52:38,280
This year, we're highly focused on
the incident and emergency

1002
00:52:38,347 --> 00:52:39,368
response planning.

1003
00:52:39,435 --> 00:52:42,871
Um, we have some money through the
CIP that we're putting into

1004
00:52:42,938 --> 00:52:44,535
all of that for security,

1005
00:52:44,635 --> 00:52:47,561
um, changing locks, changing our
panel if we can, and those

1006
00:52:47,628 --> 00:52:49,158
sort of things.

1007
00:52:49,225 --> 00:52:52,049
So that's what we're hitting on hard
this year.

1008
00:52:54,315 --> 00:52:57,242
Library staffing, we have five
library board trustees. They are

1009
00:52:57,309 --> 00:52:59,537
voluntary, but they are a governing
board,

1010
00:52:59,604 --> 00:53:02,032
and I like to include them in there
so you can see altogether who's

1011
00:53:02,099 --> 00:53:03,576
running the library.

1012
00:53:03,796 --> 00:53:07,222
We have four full-time staff with
three librarians.

1013
00:53:07,289 --> 00:53:10,315
Um, the three librarians are myself,
the public services librarian

1014
00:53:10,382 --> 00:53:11,683
and the youth services librarian.

1015
00:53:11,750 --> 00:53:16,004
We do all of the collection, the
programming, um, managing of the IT,

1016
00:53:16,071 --> 00:53:19,397
um, a lot of those facets of the
library.

1017
00:53:19,464 --> 00:53:22,690
And then our administrative assistant
who does a lot of the

1018
00:53:22,757 --> 00:53:23,788
acquisitions, interlibrary loan,

1019
00:53:23,855 --> 00:53:27,281
um, and then all of those
administrative, uh, duties like

1020
00:53:27,348 --> 00:53:29,426
they have in every other department.

1021
00:53:29,493 --> 00:53:33,069
Then we have nine part-time staff,
including one cataloger,

1022
00:53:33,136 --> 00:53:34,067
two information assistants,

1023
00:53:34,134 --> 00:53:38,026
four library assistants and two
pages.

1024
00:53:38,156 --> 00:53:42,250
So our bottom left-hand corner is us
getting, um, training on

1025
00:53:42,317 --> 00:53:43,348
CPR and stop the bleed

1026
00:53:43,415 --> 00:53:46,941
over at the Jasper County offices.

1027
00:53:47,008 --> 00:53:50,035
and then we took a photo with our
Halloween booth that is going

1028
00:53:50,102 --> 00:53:51,232
to be coming back at the end

1029
00:53:51,299 --> 00:53:52,629
of September.

1030
00:53:52,696 --> 00:53:55,491
So, that'll be coming up very soon.

1031
00:53:57,756 --> 00:54:02,050
Uh, we had 895 new library cards
users this year.

1032
00:54:02,117 --> 00:54:04,243
It's about double our normal.

1033
00:54:04,453 --> 00:54:07,200
So we usually have about 400, but
we're seeing an uptrend

1034
00:54:07,267 --> 00:54:08,298
in a lot of our numbers

1035
00:54:08,365 --> 00:54:10,812
across the board and I'll dive into
those in a little bit.

1036
00:54:10,879 --> 00:54:15,164
Um, we have 12,464 total card
holders.

1037
00:54:15,231 --> 00:54:18,676
And then we just debuted our new
design on September 1st for National

1038
00:54:18,743 --> 00:54:20,540
Library Card Signup month.

1039
00:54:20,620 --> 00:54:22,968
Um, that's the lower left-hand
corner, and then we still have

1040
00:54:23,035 --> 00:54:23,868
Grogu

1041
00:54:23,935 --> 00:54:27,627
on our other library cards that you
can get as well.

1042
00:54:27,697 --> 00:54:30,701
Um, both of them have the wallet and
the key card.

1043
00:54:30,821 --> 00:54:34,247
Uh, this month if you come in to get
a new library card, like you

1044
00:54:34,314 --> 00:54:36,412
haven't had one before at the
library.

1045
00:54:36,479 --> 00:54:39,197
You can enter in to win Booknooks or
some Legos.

1046
00:54:39,264 --> 00:54:42,231
Uh, we bought some for those people
getting cards or you, if

1047
00:54:42,298 --> 00:54:44,895
you already have a card, you can
refer someone.

1048
00:54:44,962 --> 00:54:47,520
And if they come in and say, hey,
Nicole Terry came told me to come

1049
00:54:47,587 --> 00:54:48,618
get a card,

1050
00:54:48,685 --> 00:54:51,991
then that person's name will go in
for a drawing as well.

1051
00:54:52,058 --> 00:54:54,905
So, um, a couple things to get some
people in and interested

1052
00:54:54,972 --> 00:54:56,302
and we'll be posting about it.

1053
00:54:56,369 --> 00:54:59,296
We also have spotlights of avid
library users up on our Facebook

1054
00:54:59,363 --> 00:55:01,192
page who are talking about why they

1055
00:55:01,259 --> 00:55:03,088
um, cherish and use their

1056
00:55:03,155 --> 00:55:06,039
library. So if you're interested,
check that out.

1057
00:55:07,427 --> 00:55:09,156
Who can get a library card?

1058
00:55:09,223 --> 00:55:13,108
So at our library, anyone can
throughout the whole state of Iowa.

1059
00:55:13,175 --> 00:55:16,112
However, we do prioritize our Newton
residents,

1060
00:55:16,179 --> 00:55:19,794
so we have 8,127 Newton residents.

1061
00:55:19,861 --> 00:55:22,579
We have just over 2,000 rural
residents

1062
00:55:22,646 --> 00:55:24,615
and we have an agreement with the
Jasper County

1063
00:55:24,682 --> 00:55:27,110
Board of supervisors to provide
library services to them

1064
00:55:27,177 --> 00:55:28,906
along with all the other libraries in
the county

1065
00:55:28,973 --> 00:55:30,303
who do the same thing.

1066
00:55:30,520 --> 00:55:32,898
We have 99 Lambs Grove residents,

1067
00:55:32,965 --> 00:55:36,700
we have a 28E with Lambs Grove to
provide those services.

1068
00:55:36,767 --> 00:55:39,275
And then just two years ago, the
board opened it up

1069
00:55:39,342 --> 00:55:42,069
that all teachers in Jasper County
can get a library card

1070
00:55:42,136 --> 00:55:44,075
because we know a lot of school
libraries are closing

1071
00:55:44,142 --> 00:55:46,071
or they have limited items,

1072
00:55:46,138 --> 00:55:48,366
so we're opening that to all teachers
in Jasper County

1073
00:55:48,433 --> 00:55:50,362
to come and check out as many items
as they want

1074
00:55:50,429 --> 00:55:53,044
for their classroom or professional
development.

1075
00:55:53,533 --> 00:55:56,051
And then we have about a thousand
residents that are

1076
00:55:56,118 --> 00:55:58,745
in cities throughout the state of
Iowa,

1077
00:55:58,812 --> 00:56:01,240
so if you live in Baxter, you can get
a card through Newton,

1078
00:56:01,307 --> 00:56:03,635
but you have a different level of
service,

1079
00:56:03,702 --> 00:56:05,931
so you're not getting the same
services as Newton residents

1080
00:56:05,998 --> 00:56:08,426
and we get a percentage of that
reimbursed through the state

1081
00:56:08,493 --> 00:56:11,337
because we offer it to your other
services.

1082
00:56:11,586 --> 00:56:14,603
So open access can come in and attend
a program.

1083
00:56:14,670 --> 00:56:17,308
They can check out books, but they
can't use Libby,

1084
00:56:17,375 --> 00:56:19,204
they have to go through their own
library for that,

1085
00:56:19,271 --> 00:56:21,387
they can't place holds or request
materials.

1086
00:56:21,496 --> 00:56:24,700
So that's some of those levels of
services that differentiate.

1087
00:56:25,049 --> 00:56:27,387
Um and then this last year we also
did

1088
00:56:27,454 --> 00:56:29,483
um change our programming to where
you had to have

1089
00:56:29,550 --> 00:56:31,898
a library card to get first dibs.

1090
00:56:31,965 --> 00:56:34,872
Um a lot of our programming gets
filled up right away

1091
00:56:34,939 --> 00:56:36,968
and we were noticing we were having
people from Demoin,

1092
00:56:37,035 --> 00:56:40,760
Pella, um sign up and come and they
didn't have library cards

1093
00:56:40,827 --> 00:56:42,856
and we really wanted to prioritize if
you have

1094
00:56:42,923 --> 00:56:44,053
a library card, you get first dibs,
so

1095
00:56:44,120 --> 00:56:46,785
um it helped our numbers a little
bit.

1096
00:56:46,965 --> 00:56:48,943
Um and trying to prioritize those who
pay more

1097
00:56:49,010 --> 00:56:52,314
for the services should get more of
the services.

1098
00:56:54,030 --> 00:56:56,229
Physical circulation, um I always put
the last couple years

1099
00:56:56,296 --> 00:56:58,501
so we can kind of see the trend.

1100
00:56:58,711 --> 00:57:01,418
Um we are almost double what we were
in 2021,

1101
00:57:01,485 --> 00:57:04,831
which is coming off the tail end of
COVID.

1102
00:57:04,898 --> 00:57:07,107
Uh we used to average about 115,000
physical

1103
00:57:07,174 --> 00:57:10,350
circulations back pre-COVID.

1104
00:57:10,417 --> 00:57:13,394
And so this is the first year we've
broken over 100 again,

1105
00:57:13,461 --> 00:57:17,825
um and I believe that the last time
we hit that was 2018.

1106
00:57:17,892 --> 00:57:21,268
So about we're up 10% in circulation
altogether.

1107
00:57:21,335 --> 00:57:23,773
Kits and games are exploding, um so
we're seeing

1108
00:57:23,840 --> 00:57:25,250
a lot of those go out.

1109
00:57:25,317 --> 00:57:28,463
And um RSBP talked earlier, a lot of
their volunteers

1110
00:57:28,530 --> 00:57:30,858
help us count those kits and games,
so every kit

1111
00:57:30,925 --> 00:57:33,852
that comes back and game we check for
all the pieces,

1112
00:57:33,919 --> 00:57:35,848
make sure everything's there, so when
it goes to the next

1113
00:57:35,915 --> 00:57:38,243
resident, um they can play the game
or do the stem

1114
00:57:38,310 --> 00:57:40,199
appropriately.

1115
00:57:40,266 --> 00:57:42,834
So they are a lifesaver in that
because it's a very tedious

1116
00:57:42,901 --> 00:57:45,596
um task.

1117
00:57:47,621 --> 00:57:50,119
Digital circulation, uh continues to
go up,

1118
00:57:50,186 --> 00:57:52,005
we've seen 17% increase.

1119
00:57:52,072 --> 00:57:54,311
Um audiobooks are continuing to
explode,

1120
00:57:54,378 --> 00:57:57,075
it's our number one requested format.

1121
00:57:57,142 --> 00:58:00,398
Magazines, you can download anytime
as many as you want,

1122
00:58:00,465 --> 00:58:02,794
everyone can download the same
magazine at once,

1123
00:58:02,861 --> 00:58:04,889
but all those other formats we're
limited to say,

1124
00:58:04,956 --> 00:58:07,284
um a limit 12 months of the new James
Patterson

1125
00:58:07,351 --> 00:58:09,779
or we can only have 100 checkouts of
it before we have

1126
00:58:09,846 --> 00:58:12,571
to buy it again.

1127
00:58:12,790 --> 00:58:15,767
Uh audiobooks are also the most
expensive on the digital format,

1128
00:58:15,834 --> 00:58:17,763
so they're averaging about $100 a pop
and when you're only

1129
00:58:17,830 --> 00:58:21,156
getting a limited amount of
checkouts, we just can't keep

1130
00:58:21,223 --> 00:58:23,831
up with the demand.

1131
00:58:23,898 --> 00:58:26,445
So we have a limited budget that we
spend on it and we

1132
00:58:26,512 --> 00:58:30,794
prioritize the holds um on those
items.

1133
00:58:30,894 --> 00:58:33,232
So like yester year, right now it's
24 holds,

1134
00:58:33,299 --> 00:58:36,422
we bought a copy of that, we actually
have two copies of it.

1135
00:58:36,971 --> 00:58:39,719
Um but just to kind of go over some
of those numbers in 2020,

1136
00:58:39,786 --> 00:58:42,213
this last year, 2026, Libby had 284
new users

1137
00:58:42,280 --> 00:58:46,305
out of the Newton card holders and we
had 6,448 unique

1138
00:58:46,372 --> 00:58:51,724
Newton card holders downloading.

1139
00:58:51,791 --> 00:58:54,289
Um so that's just our town and then
if you to uh separate

1140
00:58:54,356 --> 00:58:57,283
that out across the whole state,
you're going up to

1141
00:58:57,350 --> 00:59:00,876
against all those residents
downloading.

1142
00:59:00,943 --> 00:59:02,971
So right now the average weight time
is about 50 days

1143
00:59:03,038 --> 00:59:06,564
for those hot titles, like yester
year,

1144
00:59:06,631 --> 00:59:10,353
um but you can place 10 holds at a
time and they'll come in.

1145
00:59:11,351 --> 00:59:12,184
[cough]

1146
00:59:13,068 --> 00:59:16,145
Uh and so right now with Newton card
holders alone, we have uh

1147
00:59:16,212 --> 00:59:21,354
1,231 holds on audiobooks and 669 on
ebooks.

1148
00:59:21,421 --> 00:59:24,128
So there's no way that we can
actually keep up with the demand,

1149
00:59:24,195 --> 00:59:26,623
but we are putting money into that
each year to make sure

1150
00:59:26,690 --> 00:59:29,118
that we are getting um books to our
patrons in a timely

1151
00:59:29,185 --> 00:59:31,580
manner as much as we can.

1152
00:59:31,890 --> 00:59:34,667
And the digital accounts for 25% of
our circulation.

1153
00:59:34,734 --> 00:59:37,002
And if you haven't heard of Dungeon
Crawler Carl,

1154
00:59:37,069 --> 00:59:39,088
he's huge, he's everywhere.

1155
00:59:39,155 --> 00:59:41,593
Um we've bought two copies um for the
library of hard cover

1156
00:59:41,660 --> 00:59:44,188
and paperback because they came out
in paperback first

1157
00:59:44,255 --> 00:59:47,229
and then now hard cover.

1158
00:59:47,408 --> 00:59:49,976
Um I wanted to say something else
about that, but I'm

1159
00:59:50,043 --> 00:59:53,037
forgetting it at the moment, so we
will move on.

1160
00:59:53,167 --> 00:59:54,846
Oh, that's what I want to mention.

1161
00:59:54,913 --> 00:59:57,760
Most of the time, if you put a hold
on a digital copy,

1162
00:59:57,827 --> 00:59:59,556
um you might have that 50-day weight,

1163
00:59:59,623 --> 01:00:02,481
the book is generally on the shelf
and the

1164
01:00:02,548 --> 01:00:03,509
library.

1165
01:00:03,576 --> 01:00:08,569
So, um, I know people want to read on
their tablet on the go, listen in
their car.

1166
01:00:08,636 --> 01:00:10,934
But if you're really antsy to get a
title

1167
01:00:11,001 --> 01:00:13,160
and you don't want to wait those 50
days,

1168
01:00:13,227 --> 01:00:15,455
there's a good chance you can call
the library and get the book within a
week.

1169
01:00:15,522 --> 01:00:19,198
Um, because they're just on the shelf
and people are reading them

1170
01:00:19,265 --> 01:00:22,927
and returning them quickly and you're
not fighting against the whole state
to get that item.

1171
01:00:24,002 --> 01:00:29,221
Collection size right now, we have
81,315 barcoded items.

1172
01:00:29,561 --> 01:00:35,851
On an average year, we're getting in
about 4500 items, we're deleting 4500
items.

1173
01:00:35,918 --> 01:00:37,378
We have a limited amount of space,

1174
01:00:37,445 --> 01:00:40,501
so every item that comes in another
item has to go.

1175
01:00:40,568 --> 01:00:43,665
Um, and so you'll see us, uh, having
books for sale,

1176
01:00:43,732 --> 01:00:47,355
um, we try to sell them all so they
don't end up in the landfill, but

1177
01:00:47,574 --> 01:00:50,411
On average, we're ordering quite a
bit every day.

1178
01:00:50,478 --> 01:00:54,513
uh, Phillis and I are putting in
orders on through our vendor on the
daily,

1179
01:00:54,580 --> 01:00:56,978
and we're cataloging each day so that
number is in flux.

1180
01:00:57,045 --> 01:00:58,834
It's constantly increasing,
decreasing

1181
01:00:58,901 --> 01:01:00,887
depending on what we're putting into
the collection.

1182
01:01:01,127 --> 01:01:05,680
Digital collection size is the same.
We're adding stuff all the time
across the state.

1183
01:01:05,747 --> 01:01:11,049
Um, I just purchased this last two
months for the state for their adult
fiction titles.

1184
01:01:11,116 --> 01:01:15,640
Um, my budget was $5,000, that only
gets you about 50 items.

1185
01:01:15,707 --> 01:01:16,588
for the whole state.

1186
01:01:16,655 --> 01:01:20,041
And then they have another budget to
buy, you know, 50 copies of the book.

1187
01:01:20,108 --> 01:01:21,855
I was just picking the titles.

1188
01:01:22,114 --> 01:01:26,568
So, um, in our collection we added
116 this last year with our funds

1189
01:01:26,635 --> 01:01:30,310
and we discarded 52 because they
reached their amount of circulations

1190
01:01:30,377 --> 01:01:32,792
or timeframe that they would be up
for circulation.

1191
01:01:32,972 --> 01:01:36,029
Um, I do get a report every time one
of our titles is expiring

1192
01:01:36,096 --> 01:01:39,060
so I can choose to buy it again if it
still has holds.

1193
01:01:39,259 --> 01:01:41,468
And our titles that we do buy and
say,

1194
01:01:41,535 --> 01:01:44,452
we buy yester year in six months, no
one else wants to read it,

1195
01:01:44,519 --> 01:01:46,564
I can open it to the state to then
use.

1196
01:01:46,664 --> 01:01:49,990
Um, so that way we're getting the
full use of our money throughout the
state

1197
01:01:50,057 --> 01:01:51,814
and our our users.

1198
01:01:52,073 --> 01:01:57,612
Um, our library card has access to
254,062 free items.

1199
01:01:57,861 --> 01:02:00,147
So when people say I can't find
anything to read on Libby.

1200
01:02:00,396 --> 01:02:02,395
I want to say you're not looking hard
enough.

1201
01:02:02,462 --> 01:02:05,648
There's a lot of titles to down
there. There's a lot of items in the
library.

1202
01:02:05,715 --> 01:02:09,328
There's always something to read
while you wait for your hold to come
in.

1203
01:02:11,065 --> 01:02:13,692
Library interactions. So I break it
down into door count.

1204
01:02:13,759 --> 01:02:18,413
But interactions, you know, we are
happening on our website, um, through
Facebook.

1205
01:02:18,480 --> 01:02:20,126
We're getting lots of questions.

1206
01:02:20,515 --> 01:02:26,486
So, um, we had 68,000 people come in
this last year, 21% increase in our
door count.

1207
01:02:26,553 --> 01:02:31,346
Um, our meeting room uses were at
4086, 261 for the conference room.

1208
01:02:31,413 --> 01:02:37,790
9,000 internet station sessions, and
then 7,753 Wi-Fi logins.

1209
01:02:38,339 --> 01:02:41,433
So with those interactions, you have
people coming in to read the
newspaper.

1210
01:02:41,503 --> 01:02:46,965
A lot of people coming in to just
print really fast off their phone and
do mobile printing, um,

1211
01:02:47,032 --> 01:02:50,228
we have job help. So on that, what is
it?

1212
01:02:50,295 --> 01:02:54,869
We had 50 hours in last year, or 500
hours since we've started it.

1213
01:02:54,936 --> 01:02:59,190
um, of people coming in and doing
one-on-one sign ups with Becca to get

1214
01:02:59,257 --> 01:03:02,919
help making a resume, applying for a
job, that sort of thing.

1215
01:03:03,319 --> 01:03:05,208
Um, so there's a lot going on at the
library.

1216
01:03:05,275 --> 01:03:10,364
Door count is just one of those
markers that we use to kind of see
what we're averaging.

1217
01:03:12,909 --> 01:03:17,193
Information statistics, uh, we have
just a few databases left.

1218
01:03:17,260 --> 01:03:21,624
Um, our two that we did have were
ancestry.com and I will legal forms.

1219
01:03:21,691 --> 01:03:26,993
Ancestry is really pushing their use
for users to use at home because you
can save your tree,

1220
01:03:27,060 --> 01:03:31,072
you can message your family members,
you can continue to grow that tree.

1221
01:03:31,232 --> 01:03:33,949
When you use it in the library, you
can't save anything.

1222
01:03:34,016 --> 01:03:37,203
So you can only look things up, save
them by printing them, um,

1223
01:03:37,270 --> 01:03:38,660
and continue to build it in paper.

1224
01:03:38,727 --> 01:03:44,288
So we just see a huge decline, um, in
the use of way of the way ancestry is
being used.

1225
01:03:44,355 --> 01:03:48,637
I will legal forms, we keep because
it's a good starting point for legal
questions.

1226
01:03:48,916 --> 01:03:52,678
Um, and then we have our digital
archive which is all of our
yearbooks.

1227
01:03:52,808 --> 01:03:55,512
And then we have our digital
newspapers,

1228
01:03:55,579 --> 01:03:57,731
which is everything of the Newton
Daily News

1229
01:03:57,798 --> 01:04:02,541
and also now the Kellogg newspapers,
um, up to 2013.

1230
01:04:02,608 --> 01:04:05,136
So we have the 1950s off being
digitized right now.

1231
01:04:05,203 --> 01:04:08,619
We realized we missed a few when we
went up to 1975.

1232
01:04:08,686 --> 01:04:13,060
So we have up to 2013, working on the
1950s right now.

1233
01:04:13,127 --> 01:04:16,413
Um, and our microfilm computer
actually just crashed

1234
01:04:16,480 --> 01:04:18,599
and I'm waiting to fix it here in the
next week,

1235
01:04:18,666 --> 01:04:21,084
so it's really nice that we have it
available online.

1236
01:04:21,151 --> 01:04:23,738
So when people are coming in to get
the microfilm, we're like,

1237
01:04:23,805 --> 01:04:24,646
did you know you can go online?

1238
01:04:24,713 --> 01:04:29,394
You can search by family name instead
of scrolling through 10 microfilm
reels.

1239
01:04:29,553 --> 01:04:31,423
So the use of that is really
increasing.

1240
01:04:31,490 --> 01:04:35,464
We're seeing a lot of increase of
people from overseas doing their
family research as well.

1241
01:04:35,531 --> 01:04:39,184
and bringing them to Newton for our
newspaper articles. So it's kind of
interesting.

1242
01:04:39,733 --> 01:04:40,581
[cough]

1243
01:04:41,799 --> 01:04:45,993
Um, reference transactions and this
last year we had almost 25,000
questions

1244
01:04:46,060 --> 01:04:47,670
answered at the desk.

1245
01:04:47,737 --> 01:04:50,604
And that ranges anywhere from like,
how do I apply for this job?

1246
01:04:50,671 --> 01:04:54,057
How do I print my Amazon, um, return
label

1247
01:04:54,124 --> 01:04:56,152
to more in-depth genealogy questions

1248
01:04:56,219 --> 01:04:58,967
or just something as simple of like,
do you have this book?

1249
01:04:59,034 --> 01:05:00,683
Can you get it for me?

1250
01:05:00,750 --> 01:05:02,080
So, uh, huge

1251
01:05:02,610 --> 01:05:04,200
across the board of questions,

1252
01:05:04,267 --> 01:05:05,557
um that we see each day,

1253
01:05:05,624 --> 01:05:06,585
tech help.

1254
01:05:06,652 --> 01:05:08,691
A lot of Libby questions,

1255
01:05:08,758 --> 01:05:10,158
a lot of how do I use my phone?

1256
01:05:10,225 --> 01:05:12,563
There's a big disconnect

1257
01:05:12,630 --> 01:05:15,477
between um people coming in

1258
01:05:15,544 --> 01:05:16,814
and just saying,

1259
01:05:16,881 --> 01:05:19,419
"Here, I don't know how to use it,

1260
01:05:19,486 --> 01:05:21,675
you fix it for me."

1261
01:05:21,742 --> 01:05:26,495
And we're like, um, we don't know how
to use your phone either.

1262
01:05:26,562 --> 01:05:29,808
They are tailored to each individual
person.

1263
01:05:29,875 --> 01:05:35,227
Uh, but we try to help them as much
as we can, while still respecting

1264
01:05:35,294 --> 01:05:40,985
privacy and the need of all the other
patrons that are at the desk.

1265
01:05:41,052 --> 01:05:44,855
And then we did 266 notary stamps
over the last year.

1266
01:05:47,769 --> 01:05:50,306
And so, just kind of putting in that
graph to show you

1267
01:05:50,373 --> 01:05:52,811
that everything's trending up or
staying similar.

1268
01:05:52,878 --> 01:05:55,346
Um, we're not really having anything
that's going down.

1269
01:05:55,413 --> 01:05:57,991
If we do have a service that's going
down like ancestry.com,

1270
01:05:58,058 --> 01:06:02,621
we really evaluate and make sure that
we don't need it or we try

1271
01:06:02,688 --> 01:06:05,802
to advertise it more to make sure
that people who need it are accessing
it.

1272
01:06:07,998 --> 01:06:10,695
Children programs and events, so over
the last from July 1st,

1273
01:06:10,762 --> 01:06:14,647
2025 to June 30th, 2026, we had 369
programs for children,

1274
01:06:14,714 --> 01:06:19,427
um with 17,956 attendees.

1275
01:06:19,494 --> 01:06:21,972
So all these pictures are from over
this summer

1276
01:06:22,039 --> 01:06:24,605
of our summer reading program.

1277
01:06:24,672 --> 01:06:27,760
Um, I have like a couple pictures
with the same staff.

1278
01:06:27,827 --> 01:06:30,535
We just have some photographic babies
in there.

1279
01:06:30,602 --> 01:06:32,291
And then we had Pete the Cat at the
kickoff.

1280
01:06:32,358 --> 01:06:34,367
Lots of snakes, lots of bats, lots of
reptiles.

1281
01:06:34,434 --> 01:06:36,662
I don't know why people love those,

1282
01:06:36,729 --> 01:06:39,646
but um they're always a big bringer
in for the kids.

1283
01:06:39,713 --> 01:06:41,070
So,

1284
01:06:41,969 --> 01:06:44,367
Summer reading program, we had 809
children registered

1285
01:06:44,434 --> 01:06:46,882
this last summer, 415 complete,

1286
01:06:46,949 --> 01:06:49,736
so that's over half, which I think is
a great statistic.

1287
01:06:49,803 --> 01:06:52,550
We're keeping them involved
throughout the summer,

1288
01:06:52,617 --> 01:06:55,843
and they read 124,000 minutes or
2,080 hours

1289
01:06:55,910 --> 01:06:59,316
just in those eight weeks of summer
alone.

1290
01:06:59,383 --> 01:07:02,500
So we still have kids coming in that
whole month of August,

1291
01:07:02,567 --> 01:07:07,337
but this is just those eight weeks
that we're tracking their use and
reading.

1292
01:07:07,477 --> 01:07:11,149
Um, 583 attended story times in June
and July.

1293
01:07:11,289 --> 01:07:16,661
Um, 3,294 children attended the
special programs in June and July.

1294
01:07:16,728 --> 01:07:20,783
650 at the kickoff, which was
sponsored by Van Hemmert Family
Dentistry.

1295
01:07:20,850 --> 01:07:23,248
And then the Mermaids and Moana,
which we partner with

1296
01:07:23,315 --> 01:07:25,074
the Parks Department to have.

1297
01:07:25,141 --> 01:07:29,385
And that is our highest attendee
event every year with 620 kids.

1298
01:07:29,452 --> 01:07:30,743
So.

1299
01:07:30,810 --> 01:07:34,245
That one the last day our phone is
ringing off the hook

1300
01:07:34,312 --> 01:07:38,165
with people trying to find tickets
and it's uh it's crazy.

1301
01:07:39,143 --> 01:07:42,578
Uh, we do have year-round children's
programs though, so we have

1302
01:07:42,645 --> 01:07:44,904
Monday baby storytime, Tuesday
toddler and twos.

1303
01:07:44,971 --> 01:07:46,461
Thursday preschool storytime.

1304
01:07:46,528 --> 01:07:48,417
Our story times are exploding.

1305
01:07:48,484 --> 01:07:52,339
We used to have about six kids at
each one on average, now we're having
20.

1306
01:07:52,406 --> 01:07:55,722
So we're having to increase our
crafts, we're having volunteers help
us out.

1307
01:07:55,789 --> 01:07:57,079
When P is gone,

1308
01:07:57,146 --> 01:07:59,973
some of the moms have taken it up on
themselves to lead

1309
01:08:00,040 --> 01:08:02,358
a story time because they find it as
a networking social group

1310
01:08:02,425 --> 01:08:03,965
to support one another.

1311
01:08:04,032 --> 01:08:06,121
So we always make sure we have a
couple books out

1312
01:08:06,188 --> 01:08:07,877
and the scarves or the balls

1313
01:08:07,944 --> 01:08:09,414
so the moms can read

1314
01:08:09,481 --> 01:08:11,749
and do the same story time if P
happens to be sick

1315
01:08:11,816 --> 01:08:14,800
or is out on for something.

1316
01:08:14,890 --> 01:08:18,496
Um, she also does a lot of outreach,
so she goes out to the Y daycare,

1317
01:08:18,563 --> 01:08:21,120
all the daycares in the city, she
goes to the schools

1318
01:08:21,187 --> 01:08:23,505
and helps the teachers and do story
times there.

1319
01:08:23,572 --> 01:08:26,150
Um, she's been going out to the
County Conservation building

1320
01:08:26,217 --> 01:08:29,443
to do story times and partnering with
programs there, which is great.

1321
01:08:29,510 --> 01:08:32,208
Um, and then of course we have a lot
of people come into

1322
01:08:32,275 --> 01:08:34,723
our story times to do guest sponsors.

1323
01:08:34,790 --> 01:08:37,238
So we've had advantage Credit Union.

1324
01:08:37,305 --> 01:08:39,912
Um, a lot of the dentists in the
area, and then we've had

1325
01:08:39,979 --> 01:08:42,168
this last week we had the fire
department out.

1326
01:08:42,235 --> 01:08:46,040
We expected 50 kids. I think we had
150 kids.

1327
01:08:46,107 --> 01:08:48,624
So it was a big showing and we're
looking forward to October

1328
01:08:48,691 --> 01:08:51,166
when they come back again.

1329
01:08:52,833 --> 01:08:56,658
Some more programs that we have is of
course the story walk that

1330
01:08:56,725 --> 01:08:58,275
we switch out every month to keep it
interesting.

1331
01:08:58,342 --> 01:09:01,905
Um, we also have the 1,000 books
before kindergarten program.

1332
01:09:02,014 --> 01:09:06,149
So we have 403 enrolled right now,
156 total finishers.

1333
01:09:06,216 --> 01:09:10,131
So 156,000 books read by those
finishers.

1334
01:09:10,198 --> 01:09:14,861
However, we have a lot that fall out
after 500, 700.

1335
01:09:14,928 --> 01:09:17,695
So you could probably double that
number and that's how many

1336
01:09:17,762 --> 01:09:19,981
books the kids are reading in Newton
right now.

1337
01:09:20,048 --> 01:09:23,184
And that's my little guy finishing
his 1,000 books.

1338
01:09:23,251 --> 01:09:24,641
So. [laughter] Good job.

1339
01:09:24,708 --> 01:09:27,595
Um, and then we did the summer snack
for kids, RSVP was

1340
01:09:27,662 --> 01:09:29,402
a huge help, we had a couple other
volunteers as well.

1341
01:09:29,469 --> 01:09:33,643
To hand out those daily all through
June, July and August.

1342
01:09:33,710 --> 01:09:38,373
822, 940 in July and then August, it
did taper off a little bit.

1343
01:09:38,440 --> 01:09:41,567
We did put a sign up at the Splashpad
and that brought in a lot

1344
01:09:41,634 --> 01:09:44,032
of new people that wouldn't normally
come in.

1345
01:09:44,099 --> 01:09:47,415
And we were lenient if they're just
coming in for the snack,

1346
01:09:47,482 --> 01:09:49,820
they could dip in in their wet
swimsuits and run

1347
01:09:49,887 --> 01:09:52,585
right back out with their snack.

1348
01:09:52,652 --> 01:09:56,184
So, um it was great to see a lot of
happy kids over the summer.

1349
01:09:57,432 --> 01:10:00,019
And then I always just like to show
pictures of our

1350
01:10:00,086 --> 01:10:01,265
children's area because everyone
always thinks libraries are

1351
01:10:01,332 --> 01:10:02,642
quiet. You have to be quiet.

1352
01:10:02,709 --> 01:10:03,760
We're going to shush you.

1353
01:10:03,827 --> 01:10:06,434
Um, if you're screaming, yes, we're
gonna shush you.

1354
01:10:06,501 --> 01:10:09,778
But we also want you to come in and
enjoy our children's area.

1355
01:10:09,845 --> 01:10:13,198
So we invested a lot of time in that,
making it a place where on a day

1356
01:10:13,265 --> 01:10:15,626
that it's 98, you want to get out of
the house, where do you go?

1357
01:10:15,693 --> 01:10:17,699
Go to the library with air
conditioning where there's

1358
01:10:17,766 --> 01:10:19,069
new toys for your kids to play with.

1359
01:10:19,136 --> 01:10:21,953
You can check out a couple books,
attend a story time.

1360
01:10:22,020 --> 01:10:24,185
Same thing in winter, if you want to
get out, it's super cold but you

1361
01:10:24,252 --> 01:10:25,985
don't want to go to the metro.

1362
01:10:26,052 --> 01:10:28,969
Come into the library, play with our
LEGO table, our trains,

1363
01:10:29,036 --> 01:10:32,452
um, jumbo magnetiles, we have
dinosaurs that you can build.

1364
01:10:32,519 --> 01:10:36,094
So there's a lot of stuff over there
that we keep rotating out to keep

1365
01:10:36,161 --> 01:10:37,531
things fresh and keep kids
entertained.

1366
01:10:38,257 --> 01:10:39,090
[cough]

1367
01:10:40,812 --> 01:10:42,212
Adult programs and events.

1368
01:10:42,279 --> 01:10:46,144
Um, we had 167 programs this year,
averaging about three per week.

1369
01:10:46,211 --> 01:10:50,166
966 uh in the winter reading program
and

1370
01:10:50,233 --> 01:10:54,028
1500, um, a little bit over 1500 in
summer reading program.

1371
01:10:54,095 --> 01:10:56,483
That was another record summer
number.

1372
01:10:56,550 --> 01:11:01,812
Um, she had 9,924 people attend
programs over the

1373
01:11:01,879 --> 01:11:03,449
last year. So big numbers.

1374
01:11:03,705 --> 01:11:06,283
Um, we have a lot of painting
classes, a lot of plant swaps.

1375
01:11:06,350 --> 01:11:09,347
We do a lot of partnerships with the
plant dealer.

1376
01:11:09,494 --> 01:11:12,936
We have our tiny art show coming up
in October.

1377
01:11:13,003 --> 01:11:15,764
And so this time we did a Halloween
themed one.

1378
01:11:15,831 --> 01:11:19,596
So they all have spooky um themes
going along with the artwork.

1379
01:11:19,663 --> 01:11:22,101
And you can buy those and all the
money is going to be donated to
Lucy's

1380
01:11:22,168 --> 01:11:25,993
Pet Pantry for um the art that's
purchased.

1381
01:11:28,325 --> 01:11:31,212
Uh, Becca made this infographic to
show off her amazing work.

1382
01:11:31,279 --> 01:11:36,352
So, um, like I said, 167 programs
this last year, over 9,000 attending.

1383
01:11:36,539 --> 01:11:39,625
Um, her mystery bags and craft kits
which are huge.

1384
01:11:39,692 --> 01:11:41,861
They go out. We have 50 about each
month.

1385
01:11:41,928 --> 01:11:43,557
People will bring us at when it opens
at nine,

1386
01:11:43,624 --> 01:11:46,382
by usually about 10:30 it's filled.

1387
01:11:46,449 --> 01:11:51,042
Um, and so, um, it's a great craft
kit, but it's also getting our books
out.

1388
01:11:51,109 --> 01:11:54,725
So we have over 1600 books that have
gone out in those mystery bags.

1389
01:11:54,792 --> 01:11:57,529
They are patrons that just ask us for
recommendations now

1390
01:11:57,596 --> 01:11:59,844
because they liked the books they got
in the mystery bags.

1391
01:11:59,911 --> 01:12:02,090
And now they've been alerted to
another service

1392
01:12:02,157 --> 01:12:05,004
that we offer is recommending books,
of course.

1393
01:12:05,380 --> 01:12:08,008
Um, and so we partner a lot with uh
businesses and so she's had

1394
01:12:08,075 --> 01:12:12,389
21 different program partnerships.

1395
01:12:12,456 --> 01:12:16,510
Um, 80 plus hours of resume, job
application and career assistance.

1396
01:12:16,957 --> 01:12:19,484
Um, so it's a great infographic to
give out and hand out

1397
01:12:19,551 --> 01:12:22,608
to people that don't know what
programs we're offering.

1398
01:12:24,042 --> 01:12:28,496
This year we added new mobile
shelving that was funded by the
library foundation.

1399
01:12:28,563 --> 01:12:33,695
So on that first picture in the top
left, uh, you'll see the boxes coming
in.

1400
01:12:33,762 --> 01:12:35,851
And then I didn't put a picture of
the shelves.

1401
01:12:35,918 --> 01:12:37,408
They look pretty similar, they're
just on wheels.

1402
01:12:37,475 --> 01:12:39,394
So we can move them out of the way

1403
01:12:39,461 --> 01:12:42,188
and we can use that whole center area
now for a program.

1404
01:12:42,255 --> 01:12:44,653
So we've had the magician during
Newton Fest.

1405
01:12:44,720 --> 01:12:46,929
We've had um a baby story time over
there with the umbrella

1406
01:12:46,996 --> 01:12:49,803
that was in a previous picture.

1407
01:12:49,870 --> 01:12:53,116
And then this last week we had Ghost
Towns of Jasper County.

1408
01:12:53,183 --> 01:12:54,753
We had 240 people come.

1409
01:12:54,820 --> 01:12:59,543
We pulled every chair in the entire
library into that middle area.

1410
01:12:59,610 --> 01:13:03,395
Um, we still did have lanes to get
through. You can't see it too well,

1411
01:13:03,462 --> 01:13:06,629
but we did have make sure that you
could get out if there's an
emergency.

1412
01:13:06,696 --> 01:13:09,413
Um, so that was quite a showing.

1413
01:13:09,480 --> 01:13:12,676
We did have a dip in programming, um,
about two years ago in adult,

1414
01:13:12,743 --> 01:13:14,942
and I think it's because we maxed out
our space.

1415
01:13:15,009 --> 01:13:17,866
Same with our children, we are
hearing a lot from people that

1416
01:13:17,933 --> 01:13:20,321
I don't want to come, it's too
crowded, it gets too hot in that
room.

1417
01:13:20,388 --> 01:13:22,656
You know, I don't want to bring my
kids to the bug show because

1418
01:13:22,723 --> 01:13:24,353
there's just too many people.

1419
01:13:24,420 --> 01:13:26,408
We can't see it and experience it
like we want.

1420
01:13:26,475 --> 01:13:28,943
So we took that to heart. We got some
mobile shelving and we

1421
01:13:29,010 --> 01:13:31,788
and we opened up that bigger space.

1422
01:13:31,855 --> 01:13:34,282
So now we have smaller programs in
the meeting room

1423
01:13:34,349 --> 01:13:39,073
and we put the bigger ones into the
um main area of the library.

1424
01:13:39,140 --> 01:13:41,218
And we haven't had any complaints. We
advertise

1425
01:13:41,285 --> 01:13:42,616
when it's going to be there, it's
going to be loud,

1426
01:13:42,683 --> 01:13:43,516
there's going to be music events.

1427
01:13:43,583 --> 01:13:45,761
Um, everyone really enjoys it.

1428
01:13:45,828 --> 01:13:49,005
And I think we've had we've had
record numbers of attendance

1429
01:13:49,072 --> 01:13:51,001
because people know that there's a
little bit more space now

1430
01:13:51,068 --> 01:13:53,476
to that you can breathe and it's
cooler.

1431
01:13:55,828 --> 01:13:57,986
So some of our popular programs are
of course the swaps,

1432
01:13:58,053 --> 01:13:59,244
we do the book swap, plants.

1433
01:13:59,311 --> 01:14:02,877
We're doing another toy swap in
November.

1434
01:14:03,173 --> 01:14:05,192
Um, and then we did a puzzle sale.

1435
01:14:05,259 --> 01:14:09,523
A lot of paint classes, a lot of
plant classes with the plant dealer.

1436
01:14:09,590 --> 01:14:11,160
And then those mystery bags

1437
01:14:11,227 --> 01:14:13,655
and then the one that brings a lot of
people is the

1438
01:14:13,722 --> 01:14:15,341
as the historical speakers.

1439
01:14:15,408 --> 01:14:17,347
So we always have a few of those
planned and we have more

1440
01:14:17,414 --> 01:14:19,333
coming up throughout the year.

1441
01:14:22,194 --> 01:14:24,423
Um, I always put this slide in of how
stellar's our programming.

1442
01:14:24,490 --> 01:14:27,427
So compared with the other libraries
in the state of Iowa

1443
01:14:27,494 --> 01:14:30,271
with a population of 10,000 to
25,000,

1444
01:14:30,338 --> 01:14:34,113
we're number one in kids age 6 to 11
program attendance.

1445
01:14:34,180 --> 01:14:37,047
Number two in programming attendance
geared towards adults.

1446
01:14:37,114 --> 01:14:39,901
And number five in total program
attendance.

1447
01:14:39,968 --> 01:14:42,696
So some of those libraries that were
competing against

1448
01:14:42,763 --> 01:14:46,188
are Altoona, Coralville, Grimes,
Indianola, Johnston,

1449
01:14:46,255 --> 01:14:49,182
North Liberty, Pleasant Hill and
Waukee.

1450
01:14:49,249 --> 01:14:51,877
And so to beat them out in program
attendance, I think

1451
01:14:51,944 --> 01:14:54,172
speaks volumes of what our staff is
doing.

1452
01:14:54,239 --> 01:14:58,843
And really tailoring the interests of
our community to get people to come
in.

1453
01:15:00,926 --> 01:15:03,919
And I just put in another graph to
show you, it just keeps going up

1454
01:15:03,986 --> 01:15:06,912
and like I said, we had that little
dip in adult programming,

1455
01:15:06,979 --> 01:15:10,329
and I think it just came down to um,
the limited space that we had,

1456
01:15:10,396 --> 01:15:11,783
and now that we've opened it up,

1457
01:15:11,850 --> 01:15:13,989
we're going to keep going right back
up.

1458
01:15:16,524 --> 01:15:18,124
And then of course, we always have
more.

1459
01:15:18,191 --> 01:15:19,846
We're not just programs, we're not
just books.

1460
01:15:19,913 --> 01:15:23,245
Um, we have board games for all ages,
we're continually adding ones.

1461
01:15:23,312 --> 01:15:25,497
Um, we're working with Kraken's Crate
to kind of keep on top of

1462
01:15:25,564 --> 01:15:26,884
the new fads.

1463
01:15:26,951 --> 01:15:29,854
Um, and make sure that we have a good
collection rotating

1464
01:15:29,921 --> 01:15:31,796
in and out.

1465
01:15:31,863 --> 01:15:34,756
Stem kits, we're always adding a few
of those each year.

1466
01:15:34,823 --> 01:15:38,824
They are kind of expensive, so um we
only add a handful each year to

1467
01:15:38,891 --> 01:15:42,812
make sure um, we're getting a fresh
um, supply.

1468
01:15:42,879 --> 01:15:45,652
And then we have the photo and video
digitisation station

1469
01:15:45,719 --> 01:15:49,480
where you can um, turn those old
Kodachrome, um, Polaroids,

1470
01:15:49,547 --> 01:15:52,530
you know, the little tiny ones, and
digitise those to keep your

1471
01:15:52,597 --> 01:15:55,384
families, um, memories alive.

1472
01:15:55,451 --> 01:15:57,306
And we show you how to do it. After
that, you can come in

1473
01:15:57,373 --> 01:15:59,462
anytime and get the items at the desk
and just

1474
01:15:59,529 --> 01:16:02,881
go over and sit and um, convert DVDs
to digital,

1475
01:16:02,948 --> 01:16:06,724
VHS to digital, all of those formats.

1476
01:16:07,004 --> 01:16:09,487
We have laminating. We just purchased
a new laminator.

1477
01:16:09,554 --> 01:16:11,759
Old one was like 20 years old,

1478
01:16:11,826 --> 01:16:13,741
and underneath of it, you can see all
of those die cuts and

1479
01:16:13,808 --> 01:16:14,922
accu cuts that you can check out.

1480
01:16:14,989 --> 01:16:17,563
We have about four different
alphabets,

1481
01:16:17,630 --> 01:16:20,763
so teachers, we have any design that
you want.

1482
01:16:20,830 --> 01:16:22,914
Um, that you want to cut out to make
a bulletin board or

1483
01:16:22,981 --> 01:16:25,989
hand out a bookmark. We have
everything.

1484
01:16:26,458 --> 01:16:29,714
Um, and then we also have a blood
pressure cuff and radon detectors.

1485
01:16:29,781 --> 01:16:31,766
So I looked those up the other day.
They've gone out to

1486
01:16:31,833 --> 01:16:33,203
46 homes already.

1487
01:16:33,270 --> 01:16:35,455
We have five. We can't even keep them
in.

1488
01:16:35,522 --> 01:16:38,365
There's usually a list of five to
eight people waiting to get them.

1489
01:16:38,432 --> 01:16:40,287
They go out for three weeks because
you want to have a

1490
01:16:40,354 --> 01:16:44,119
long reading in your home of what
your radon level is.

1491
01:16:44,186 --> 01:16:46,051
because I just put mine in my new
home

1492
01:16:46,118 --> 01:16:48,462
and it was reading at like 26

1493
01:16:48,529 --> 01:16:51,273
and I panicked and now it's come down
a lot.

1494
01:16:51,340 --> 01:16:53,783
Um, and so we still might have to be
have follow up on if

1495
01:16:53,850 --> 01:16:55,929
we need to have our house checked
out, but

1496
01:16:55,996 --> 01:16:58,151
It's saving a lot of people a lot of
money

1497
01:16:58,218 --> 01:17:00,831
instead of calling a professional
right off the bat, you can check

1498
01:17:00,898 --> 01:17:03,077
these out and see if you need to
enlist a professional.

1499
01:17:03,144 --> 01:17:05,747
And we hand out information from the
State Health Department to

1500
01:17:05,814 --> 01:17:09,251
follow up on those professionals or
get a reading.

1501
01:17:11,197 --> 01:17:13,012
Uh, we always want to do a shout out
to our friends,

1502
01:17:13,079 --> 01:17:14,609
um, of the Newton Public Library

1503
01:17:14,676 --> 01:17:16,970
so they ran run the little library or
little friends,

1504
01:17:17,037 --> 01:17:21,073
aka Imagination Library from Dolly
Parton.

1505
01:17:21,373 --> 01:17:23,916
Um, they have 950 enrolled right now.

1506
01:17:23,983 --> 01:17:26,417
They've been here for five years now,
so they've reached their

1507
01:17:26,484 --> 01:17:27,950
first graduating class

1508
01:17:28,017 --> 01:17:30,849
and have had over 900 graduates.

1509
01:17:31,149 --> 01:17:33,762
So, um, they've been here a whole
full cycle.

1510
01:17:33,829 --> 01:17:36,872
Um, they've had a good turnout of it.

1511
01:17:36,939 --> 01:17:39,702
Um, and so they are looking for
donations with Dolly's passing,

1512
01:17:39,769 --> 01:17:43,175
just trying to keep it going for all
those kids.

1513
01:17:43,242 --> 01:17:45,666
Um, the books come to them for free,
but the friends pay,

1514
01:17:45,733 --> 01:17:48,666
uh, the organization pays the postage
to mail those out

1515
01:17:48,733 --> 01:17:50,436
to the kids.

1516
01:17:50,503 --> 01:17:52,578
So that's where they look for
donations to keep it going

1517
01:17:52,645 --> 01:17:54,425
as for the postage.

1518
01:17:54,875 --> 01:17:57,059
Adventure passes. The friends have
purchased another one.

1519
01:17:57,126 --> 01:17:59,380
Right now we have two to Blank Park
Zoo,

1520
01:17:59,447 --> 01:18:02,634
you have the Science Center, the
Botanical Gardens.

1521
01:18:02,701 --> 01:18:04,745
I believe we bought a third Zoo one.

1522
01:18:04,812 --> 01:18:07,127
So in the summer when we have like a
really heavy use, um,

1523
01:18:07,194 --> 01:18:10,940
three families can be going multiple
times a week to the zoo.

1524
01:18:11,629 --> 01:18:13,743
And then we have our first grade
tours that they fund and those

1525
01:18:13,810 --> 01:18:14,991
will be coming up in October.

1526
01:18:15,058 --> 01:18:17,721
And RSVP also helps, um, to lead
those with some volunteers

1527
01:18:17,788 --> 01:18:21,724
for the day as we have a lot of kids
come through.

1528
01:18:23,441 --> 01:18:26,962
And then our Library Foundation funds
all of our programming.

1529
01:18:27,029 --> 01:18:29,902
So all those programs that we have
for the craft kits, um,

1530
01:18:29,969 --> 01:18:33,475
the supplies needed for the storytime
crafts,

1531
01:18:33,542 --> 01:18:36,066
um, those historical speakers or the
plant dealer coming in,

1532
01:18:36,133 --> 01:18:38,645
the foundation funds all of that.

1533
01:18:38,712 --> 01:18:41,575
So they are a huge saver, um, um, and
getting us to allow us

1534
01:18:41,642 --> 01:18:47,244
to buy such, um, great presenters to
come in.

1535
01:18:47,514 --> 01:18:49,648
And then they also are funding our
Wonderbooks.

1536
01:18:49,715 --> 01:18:52,508
So they gave us 3,000 this year to
replenish our Wonderbook collection.

1537
01:18:52,575 --> 01:18:54,780
It's a book that reads you the audio
book while you follow

1538
01:18:54,847 --> 01:18:56,947
along in the physical book.

1539
01:18:57,014 --> 01:18:59,378
So there's a lot of learning aspects
for that. And then at the

1540
01:18:59,445 --> 01:19:01,494
end, it can ask you questions about
the book.

1541
01:19:01,561 --> 01:19:04,554
So, um, you can have your kid answer
those and listen to

1542
01:19:04,621 --> 01:19:06,965
tidbits on the non-fiction book.
It'll give you more history--

1543
01:19:07,032 --> 01:19:09,874
uh, not historical, but more
information.

1544
01:19:10,323 --> 01:19:12,767
Uh, and then we, they funded the
Spring Break movie this last year,

1545
01:19:12,834 --> 01:19:16,725
which had 326 attendees over two
showings.

1546
01:19:16,792 --> 01:19:20,025
And of course, they've digitised all
of our newspapers up to 2013

1547
01:19:20,092 --> 01:19:22,819
and the Kellogg newspapers that were
donated recently.

1548
01:19:22,886 --> 01:19:25,511
So those will all be available soon.

1549
01:19:28,045 --> 01:19:30,509
Um, and then I just want to end on
uh, one of our slides that

1550
01:19:30,576 --> 01:19:31,916
I added this year is that

1551
01:19:31,983 --> 01:19:34,417
libraries will get you through times
of no money better than

1552
01:19:34,484 --> 01:19:37,106
money will get you through times of
no libraries.

1553
01:19:37,173 --> 01:19:39,637
Libraries are known to extend your
dollar of every tax dollar spent

1554
01:19:39,704 --> 01:19:41,603
in the community.

1555
01:19:41,670 --> 01:19:47,696
So, Newton residents paid $47.43 for
library services in FY25.

1556
01:19:47,763 --> 01:19:49,519
Um, what that would get you if you
went to the store,

1557
01:19:49,586 --> 01:19:52,952
Barnes & Noble, is two adult fiction
books.

1558
01:19:53,019 --> 01:19:55,373
one and a half adult non-fiction, 2.5
teen books, or

1559
01:19:55,440 --> 01:19:58,566
2.5 children's picture books.

1560
01:19:58,633 --> 01:20:00,529
That's all it would get you for

1561
01:20:00,646 --> 01:20:02,016
a whole year for your family.

1562
01:20:02,083 --> 01:20:06,258
But you can go to the library and you
can turn that $47 into

1563
01:20:06,325 --> 01:20:07,914
thousands of savings.

1564
01:20:07,981 --> 01:20:11,258
So the bottom right is my um, slip
from today.

1565
01:20:11,325 --> 01:20:15,419
checked out one teen book and I've
saved $5,000 just by checking out
books

1566
01:20:15,486 --> 01:20:16,517
from the library.

1567
01:20:16,584 --> 01:20:18,393
and those are all children's books.

1568
01:20:18,460 --> 01:20:20,529
I'm a big Libby user for myself.

1569
01:20:20,596 --> 01:20:23,163
So that's just children's books for
my little guy.

1570
01:20:23,230 --> 01:20:27,255
And then we had another staff member
who on average reads one book a
month,

1571
01:20:27,322 --> 01:20:31,666
has one or two checkouts a month,
which is kind of a normal Newton
resident user

1572
01:20:31,733 --> 01:20:35,735
and she's still saved $1,200 by using
her library card.

1573
01:20:36,064 --> 01:20:39,241
So, looking at what you pay for
library services as a Newton
resident,

1574
01:20:39,308 --> 01:20:42,624
and what you can get out of it is a
huge cost savings,

1575
01:20:42,691 --> 01:20:46,726
especially when you look at that
number and say, that doesn't include
Libby.

1576
01:20:46,793 --> 01:20:49,650
So all those books I listen to, that
number doesn't go into that, that's
only

1577
01:20:49,717 --> 01:20:51,486
physical checkouts.

1578
01:20:51,553 --> 01:20:55,248
And then it doesn't include the
programs we have, the job assistance
we provide,

1579
01:20:55,315 --> 01:21:00,198
all the staff assisting patrons,
printing, applying for jobs, just
doing the normal

1580
01:21:00,265 --> 01:21:02,394
day-to-day stuff on the computers.

1581
01:21:02,461 --> 01:21:05,258
internet, printing, technology, and
then also heating and cooling.

1582
01:21:05,325 --> 01:21:08,431
We have residents who come in to
enjoy the air conditioning in the
heat

1583
01:21:08,498 --> 01:21:12,833
in the very hot months and the very
cold months so they can save on their

1584
01:21:12,900 --> 01:21:14,140
um expenses at home.

1585
01:21:14,207 --> 01:21:18,508
So all that is wrapped into that $47
that Newton residents pay for a year.

1586
01:21:19,506 --> 01:21:21,692
So, with that,

1587
01:21:21,941 --> 01:21:25,946
um, I want to say thank you on behalf
of myself and the library board.

1588
01:21:26,013 --> 01:21:28,920
um, and then leave you with a
beautiful picture of the blue roof.

1589
01:21:28,987 --> 01:21:29,835
[laughter]

1590
01:21:31,562 --> 01:21:33,119
So, any questions?

1591
01:21:33,338 --> 01:21:35,414
Any questions or comments for Nicole?

1592
01:21:35,613 --> 01:21:38,540
No questions. Uh, thank you for what
you do and certainly the rest of the

1593
01:21:38,607 --> 01:21:41,185
library staff and all the volunteers,
um.

1594
01:21:41,252 --> 01:21:44,448
What an excellent facility. Uh,
again, it was just a no-brainer.

1595
01:21:44,515 --> 01:21:49,069
Um, one of the main reasons why I
chose Newton nearly ten full years
ago.

1596
01:21:49,136 --> 01:21:52,512
Um, because it's like, yeah, it
helped us get connected and utilize
the library.

1597
01:21:52,579 --> 01:21:53,670
Um, uh,

1598
01:21:53,737 --> 01:21:56,933
and have our daughter enjoy all of
the things and all of the programs.

1599
01:21:57,000 --> 01:21:59,677
and as uh, Karen and I continue to
age,

1600
01:21:59,744 --> 01:22:03,629
undoubtedly, we will uh, continue to
use the library and and hopefully
someday,

1601
01:22:03,696 --> 01:22:06,494
Lord Willing, be able to volunteer a
little bit more around there.

1602
01:22:06,561 --> 01:22:07,412
So, thanks for everything.

1603
01:22:07,479 --> 01:22:12,711
I don't know how people are bored in
this town, uh, with the library, uh,
as

1604
01:22:12,778 --> 01:22:16,803
probably the pinnacle of activities
year round that are available.

1605
01:22:16,870 --> 01:22:18,200
Right? So, thank you.

1606
01:22:19,864 --> 01:22:23,679
clearly there's a lot of people who
use it already, but I wish every
resident in this

1607
01:22:23,746 --> 01:22:27,232
town knew exactly what you could do
at the library.

1608
01:22:27,299 --> 01:22:31,203
Because I don't think a lot of them
do or or realize what you provide and
what

1609
01:22:31,270 --> 01:22:35,851
you offer and the amount of things
that you have that that you can do
there.

1610
01:22:39,534 --> 01:22:43,119
Uh, yeah, so I was not like an avid
reader or anything like that.

1611
01:22:43,186 --> 01:22:46,802
My wife was always the one that was
always doing the stuff.

1612
01:22:46,869 --> 01:22:50,953
But this over the last like year,
year and a half, like, I've trained
myself

1613
01:22:51,020 --> 01:22:52,979
to start using the library more.

1614
01:22:53,046 --> 01:22:55,674
and um, yeah, it's phenomenal.

1615
01:22:55,741 --> 01:22:58,086
Like, you guys do incredible.

1616
01:22:58,166 --> 01:23:03,618
People who maybe don't know that much
about the library need to do some
more

1617
01:23:03,685 --> 01:23:06,651
looking at the library because of how
fantastic it is.

1618
01:23:06,718 --> 01:23:09,805
and everybody there that does an
awesome job.

1619
01:23:09,872 --> 01:23:10,705
[laughter]

1620
01:23:11,329 --> 01:23:13,937
How do we go about setting up story
time with Jeff?

1621
01:23:14,004 --> 01:23:16,419
[laughter] Oh, I know it's free! Bro,
that is fun.

1622
01:23:16,559 --> 01:23:18,315
I saw that. Yes!

1623
01:23:18,624 --> 01:23:20,241
I have a blast doing that.

1624
01:23:20,321 --> 01:23:23,517
I was like, Jeff has gotten
compliments from the U services
librarian that he

1625
01:23:23,584 --> 01:23:25,381
is a great story time leader.

1626
01:23:25,949 --> 01:23:26,900
Yeah, I have a good time.

1627
01:23:26,967 --> 01:23:31,329
We're like mentally the same age and
we just connect a lot.

1628
01:23:36,348 --> 01:23:38,088
Thanks Nicole, nice job.

1629
01:23:38,155 --> 01:23:38,988
[paper shuffling]

1630
01:23:39,632 --> 01:23:41,970
So, now we will roll into

1631
01:23:42,037 --> 01:23:44,006
[sound]

1632
01:23:44,073 --> 01:23:48,184
item number 32 for this evening,

1633
01:23:48,334 --> 01:23:50,400
which is Mayor and Council comments.

1634
01:23:51,208 --> 01:23:53,274
Council, we will start with you this
evening.

1635
01:23:53,573 --> 01:23:56,338
[rustling paper]

1636
01:23:58,104 --> 01:24:00,442
I mean, hey, I will throw it out
there.

1637
01:24:00,509 --> 01:24:05,452
Uh, I am to talk a little bit more
about the library. You know, we had
the passing

1638
01:24:05,519 --> 01:24:07,236
of of Miss Miss Dolly Parton.

1639
01:24:07,545 --> 01:24:10,981
And uh, I have two children, uh,

1640
01:24:11,048 --> 01:24:16,128
my first was uh, my oldest boy was
four and a half when we moved here.

1641
01:24:16,397 --> 01:24:22,737
Um, and so, uh, the town that I lived
in had the Dolly Parton Library, uh,
where

1642
01:24:22,804 --> 01:24:23,805
they sent you books every month.

1643
01:24:23,872 --> 01:24:26,260
And I thought, oh my gosh, this is
awesome.

1644
01:24:26,327 --> 01:24:28,043
Like, it was so cool.

1645
01:24:28,263 --> 01:24:30,641
Um, and then at the time Newton did
not have that.

1646
01:24:30,708 --> 01:24:34,460
Luckily I had all the all the books
from the first kids. So, I was fine.

1647
01:24:35,249 --> 01:24:42,085
Um, just, you know, with that, uh,
you know, with that, uh, you know,
her passing and what before that

1648
01:24:43,512 --> 01:24:46,838
vision of providing all those books
to kids and now being able to offer

1649
01:24:46,905 --> 01:24:49,280
those in Newton is just excellent.

1650
01:24:49,819 --> 01:24:51,586
one of my favorites.

1651
01:24:54,639 --> 01:24:55,980
Yeah, so, uh,

1652
01:24:56,047 --> 01:24:59,949
I haven't got- hadn't had a chance to
drive by, but the splash pad.

1653
01:25:00,381 --> 01:25:02,077
restrooms in. Looks nice.

1654
01:25:02,207 --> 01:25:06,209
Glad it's there. We got a little bit
of time left, I saw some people still
there.

1655
01:25:06,299 --> 01:25:09,645
Uh, as I drove through, didn't see
didn't see didn't look that close to
the restroom.

1656
01:25:09,712 --> 01:25:14,754
Um, so in two weeks we've got our
budget, our goal setting coming up.

1657
01:25:14,821 --> 01:25:17,020
So a couple of things I wanted to
kind of throw out there.

1658
01:25:17,087 --> 01:25:20,310
If you haven't had a chance to drive
by and look at some of these things.

1659
01:25:20,600 --> 01:25:21,700
So I know there's a long list of
things.

1660
01:25:21,767 --> 01:25:23,098
But a couple I want to bring to your
attention.

1661
01:25:23,174 --> 01:25:27,309
So, uh, the sidewalk on the 12th
street, so it comes from Sacred Heart
Church.

1662
01:25:27,376 --> 01:25:30,812
That's one of the projects is looking
at, how do we put a sidewalk along
there?

1663
01:25:30,879 --> 01:25:33,486
We've had multiple incidents of
people in electric scooters.

1664
01:25:33,553 --> 01:25:36,351
And chairs going down through that
road.

1665
01:25:36,418 --> 01:25:39,285
So drive by and take a look and see
what.

1666
01:25:39,352 --> 01:25:41,730
We've got there. There's a big vacant
spot. We don't have any sidewalk.

1667
01:25:41,797 --> 01:25:44,304
You can look at how narrow the street
is, amount of traffic.

1668
01:25:44,371 --> 01:25:47,338
Uh, the other road I guess what have
you look at is drive the.

1669
01:25:47,405 --> 01:25:51,746
Gravel road that goes out to our
waste treatment facility.

1670
01:25:52,675 --> 01:25:56,530
If you haven't been, I know we go out
there, but drive on it. Take a look
at it. Look at it really well.

1671
01:25:56,597 --> 01:26:00,948
It's an old road that we've used
millions and millions of miles
probably over the years.

1672
01:26:01,347 --> 01:26:02,657
Never had any service.

1673
01:26:02,724 --> 01:26:05,781
And if we have a goal of looking at,
I know we have one separate project.

1674
01:26:05,848 --> 01:26:08,924
To look at putting some money aside
to just pave gravel roads in general.

1675
01:26:08,991 --> 01:26:12,557
I would put that as a high priority
because of the use that our city uses
it.

1676
01:26:12,624 --> 01:26:15,970
And the other one I'd like to
highlight is, I know we've had folks
come in here.

1677
01:26:16,037 --> 01:26:19,204
Um, Mr. Farver talking about the
gravel road.

1678
01:26:19,271 --> 01:26:22,687
I think it's 8th, 7th Street hooks up
to 8th Avenue, right there.

1679
01:26:22,754 --> 01:26:25,291
Near the bottom over where the
Baptist church is. We get a lot of
rocks there.

1680
01:26:25,358 --> 01:26:29,772
I'm encourage you to drive up that
lane and look at it.

1681
01:26:29,839 --> 01:26:31,249
Look at that road.

1682
01:26:31,316 --> 01:26:34,273
Uh, as you drive up there, notice
that where the gravel ends.

1683
01:26:34,340 --> 01:26:36,319
There's the curb valve.

1684
01:26:36,386 --> 01:26:38,275
There is all sorts of stuff this rose
very small.

1685
01:26:38,342 --> 01:26:40,570
There's lots of opportunity for
improvement there.

1686
01:26:40,637 --> 01:26:43,335
Those are three I just want to
highlight that I think you get a
chance.

1687
01:26:43,402 --> 01:26:46,229
It's worth going and physically
seeing and looking at them.

1688
01:26:46,296 --> 01:26:50,757
And I think they're going to be a
high priority for me. So, anyway.

1689
01:26:51,745 --> 01:26:53,215
Good points. Thanks Stacy.

1690
01:26:53,282 --> 01:26:54,115
Mr. Hallum.

1691
01:26:54,182 --> 01:26:56,293
Nothing for the good of the order
this evening.

1692
01:26:57,162 --> 01:26:58,748
Mr. Stoman. Same.

1693
01:26:58,848 --> 01:27:00,039
Mr. Rolls. Okay.

1694
01:27:00,106 --> 01:27:03,711
Um, yeah, fire department, amazing,
library, amazing.

1695
01:27:03,778 --> 01:27:07,194
I just I'm just kind of in awe of all
the things that you guys do.

1696
01:27:07,261 --> 01:27:11,732
And how well you present what you do
to us.

1697
01:27:11,872 --> 01:27:16,173
Um, I was going to give a little
update. I know last time I was at
home, um,

1698
01:27:17,121 --> 01:27:21,013
Listening and and speaking over the
phone. But, um,

1699
01:27:21,283 --> 01:27:24,848
So I did have some skin cancer, some
melanoma on my face.

1700
01:27:24,915 --> 01:27:27,842
Um, you'll be happy to know, I hope
you know as I am that.

1701
01:27:27,909 --> 01:27:30,467
Um, they got all of the cancer out.

1702
01:27:30,534 --> 01:27:35,557
And uh they had to do a skin graph to
um cover the the wound on my face.

1703
01:27:35,624 --> 01:27:37,642
So that, but that should be healing.

1704
01:27:37,709 --> 01:27:39,449
I don't have to go back to any
surgeons or doctors.

1705
01:27:39,516 --> 01:27:41,145
For like three months.

1706
01:27:41,212 --> 01:27:43,620
So, it was kind of a scary thing, but

1707
01:27:43,687 --> 01:27:46,255
Since I, since I said something about
it at the last meeting.

1708
01:27:46,322 --> 01:27:48,440
I thought I'd just give you all an
update and um, so.

1709
01:27:48,507 --> 01:27:50,942
Everything's going well with that.

1710
01:27:51,521 --> 01:27:52,841
Good. Very good here.

1711
01:27:52,908 --> 01:27:54,239
Mr. Mills.

1712
01:27:54,306 --> 01:27:56,651
No further questions or comments.
Thank you.

1713
01:27:57,040 --> 01:27:59,964
Well, I've got a few things tonight I
want to touch base on.

1714
01:28:00,204 --> 01:28:03,709
Um, first of all, this morning I had
an opportunity to teach.

1715
01:28:03,776 --> 01:28:06,434
Uh, three classes at West Academy.

1716
01:28:06,501 --> 01:28:09,009
Um, and it was interesting because
they had asked me to talk about
local.

1717
01:28:09,076 --> 01:28:14,308
Politics and how the structure of
city government works in Newton.

1718
01:28:14,375 --> 01:28:19,098
Uh, but it was really neat to sit
down and those kids were so
attentive.

1719
01:28:19,165 --> 01:28:21,753
And had so many good questions about
why do we have a fire department?

1720
01:28:21,820 --> 01:28:24,367
How does the fire department work?

1721
01:28:24,434 --> 01:28:28,566
How does the city government as a
whole work?

1722
01:28:29,125 --> 01:28:31,762
Uh, they had a lot of questions when
I asked them to try to explain.

1723
01:28:31,829 --> 01:28:34,397
Economic development. They had no
idea.

1724
01:28:34,464 --> 01:28:37,132
Uh, but we talked about HR and we
talked about how all that flows up.

1725
01:28:37,199 --> 01:28:41,333
To our directors and then from our
directors to our city administrator.

1726
01:28:41,400 --> 01:28:44,317
And then to the role and the
responsibilities of the mayor.

1727
01:28:44,384 --> 01:28:46,333
And the city council.

1728
01:28:46,400 --> 01:28:50,671
And ultimately explained to them that
our bosses was them as citizens.

1729
01:28:50,761 --> 01:28:53,848
Uh, but it was incredible to just sit
and talk with the kids.

1730
01:28:53,915 --> 01:28:55,634
At West Academy again today.

1731
01:28:55,701 --> 01:28:58,698
They are really uh, some great kids
and I know sometimes.

1732
01:28:58,765 --> 01:29:04,336
Uh, West gets a little stigma to them
because it's not the normal high
school.

1733
01:29:04,403 --> 01:29:08,049
But I tell you what, those kids today
was very attentive.

1734
01:29:08,116 --> 01:29:11,612
Had great questions and really looked
forward to becoming voters.

1735
01:29:11,679 --> 01:29:15,271
Voting members of our community.

1736
01:29:16,120 --> 01:29:18,644
I have some positive news to pass
along tonight.

1737
01:29:19,253 --> 01:29:23,567
Uh, spoke with uh the executives
today.

1738
01:29:23,634 --> 01:29:27,918
Uh, there is a small group out of
what's literally a mom and pop.

1739
01:29:27,985 --> 01:29:31,192
Organization out of South Dakota.

1740
01:29:31,259 --> 01:29:34,802
That has gleefully purchased KCOB.

1741
01:29:35,051 --> 01:29:41,199
Shall KCOB AM FM and our FM station
as well.

1742
01:29:41,448 --> 01:29:44,704
Uh, the goal is by October 1st, and
but sometime in October.

1743
01:29:44,771 --> 01:29:46,910
That should go live again.

1744
01:29:46,977 --> 01:29:50,021
Which is phenomenal news for the city
of Newton.

1745
01:29:50,260 --> 01:29:53,427
Uh, to have local news, to have local
sports.

1746
01:29:53,494 --> 01:29:56,570
I think we're probably too late for
this year's football season.

1747
01:29:56,637 --> 01:29:59,249
But hopefully basketball, baseball,
next year's football.

1748
01:29:59,316 --> 01:30:01,205
back on KCOB where it belongs.

1749
01:30:01,272 --> 01:30:02,951
Also, we'll highlight.

1750
01:30:03,018 --> 01:30:07,821
I know that I've uh uh spoken to them
quite a bit extensively.

1751
01:30:07,888 --> 01:30:10,286
to say, hey, the city supports this,

1752
01:30:10,353 --> 01:30:12,871
and anything we can do, whether it's
our get to know Newton

1753
01:30:12,938 --> 01:30:15,263
program with Craig Armstrong,

1754
01:30:15,383 --> 01:30:18,899
whether it's one-on-one discussions
with the mayor or the city council.

1755
01:30:18,966 --> 01:30:22,172
Whatever we can do to promote local
news back on the radio,

1756
01:30:22,239 --> 01:30:24,634
but that's fantastic news for the
city.

1757
01:30:25,632 --> 01:30:27,731
Hopefully you'll hear more about
that.

1758
01:30:27,798 --> 01:30:29,567
We spoke briefly about Bucky's
earlier.

1759
01:30:29,634 --> 01:30:32,283
Uh we did throw a group together. We
are pursuing Bucky's

1760
01:30:32,350 --> 01:30:36,421
along with 100 cities within 100
miles of Demoin.

1761
01:30:37,029 --> 01:30:40,994
Uh in the initial talks with Bucky's,
we are farther

1762
01:30:41,061 --> 01:30:42,897
east than they would like to be.

1763
01:30:43,257 --> 01:30:47,750
They would really like to be on that
3580 combination corridor.

1764
01:30:47,817 --> 01:30:49,597
Uh between the East and West
Mixmaster.

1765
01:30:49,664 --> 01:30:51,852
That's where they would really like
to be.

1766
01:30:51,919 --> 01:30:54,397
Uh but um, we're not giving up.

1767
01:30:54,464 --> 01:30:57,498
We're still staying in there, having
some discussions.

1768
01:30:57,647 --> 01:31:01,947
Uh again, thanks to the people that
dropped their schedule, Craig
Armstrong,

1769
01:31:02,014 --> 01:31:07,228
uh, and actually uh Tom from uh
Project Fastpitch joined us.

1770
01:31:07,418 --> 01:31:11,114
Um along with the NASCAR
representatives. And NASCAR

1771
01:31:11,181 --> 01:31:14,264
also made calls, uh on our behalf on
this project.

1772
01:31:14,344 --> 01:31:16,492
So, it was it was nice to see a true
partnership

1773
01:31:16,559 --> 01:31:17,910
come together of that.

1774
01:31:17,977 --> 01:31:20,475
I know Frank was there again with
NDC,

1775
01:31:20,581 --> 01:31:24,243
uh, and our city was well, well
represented, so that's good to know.

1776
01:31:25,990 --> 01:31:31,369
Matt and I, uh, last week, had an
opportunity to go out to Newcore
Rebar.

1777
01:31:31,439 --> 01:31:34,226
Which if you've not been out there,
what an awesome addition to

1778
01:31:34,293 --> 01:31:36,099
our community.

1779
01:31:36,439 --> 01:31:39,306
Um, I think Matt and I were both
shocked at the efficiency

1780
01:31:39,373 --> 01:31:41,977
and the safety of their programs.

1781
01:31:42,307 --> 01:31:46,243
Uh, but also they're one of the few
companies again that somebody

1782
01:31:46,310 --> 01:31:51,133
can graduate in May and go to work in
June, and they have some openings.

1783
01:31:51,200 --> 01:31:53,841
And over the long course, uh, the pay
is pretty good,

1784
01:31:53,908 --> 01:31:58,228
but they also talked about an
incentive program that they have

1785
01:31:58,295 --> 01:32:02,166
that could be up to as much as 50%
additional salary.

1786
01:32:02,246 --> 01:32:05,333
So, uh, somebody 18, 19 years old
that doesn't want to go to college,

1787
01:32:05,400 --> 01:32:07,608
doesn't want to go to trade school,

1788
01:32:07,675 --> 01:32:11,141
it's nice to have that local option
where somebody can go to work.

1789
01:32:11,208 --> 01:32:13,820
Uh, several people, uh, worked there
with uh, people that,

1790
01:32:13,887 --> 01:32:18,197
I mean, Lisa Fraser has a couple
children working there.

1791
01:32:18,264 --> 01:32:21,370
Uh, Hasdorfer has a child there.

1792
01:32:21,437 --> 01:32:23,765
I mean, there's a lot of Newton
connections, and Jasper

1793
01:32:23,832 --> 01:32:25,562
County connections there,

1794
01:32:25,629 --> 01:32:29,175
but what a great tour and uh it was
pretty fascinating, I thought,

1795
01:32:29,242 --> 01:32:31,557
to just see the things they do.

1796
01:32:32,555 --> 01:32:35,639
Don't forget this Thursday night is a
red and black bach party.

1797
01:32:35,828 --> 01:32:37,867
Downtown Newton couldn't be prouder
of that.

1798
01:32:37,934 --> 01:32:40,282
We'll have uh the parade going on, it
looks like it goes from

1799
01:32:40,349 --> 01:32:42,507
DMac up to the square.

1800
01:32:42,574 --> 01:32:45,731
And then we'll have the Pep Rally,
uh, up on the square,

1801
01:32:45,798 --> 01:32:48,492
I believe the parade starts at 6
o'clock.

1802
01:32:48,942 --> 01:32:51,848
Something else new that I know we've
talked earlier about some

1803
01:32:51,915 --> 01:32:52,788
new activities that's coming down the
line.

1804
01:32:52,855 --> 01:32:55,715
I can't talk about this one enough.

1805
01:32:55,782 --> 01:32:58,709
It's the and I make sure I get this
title right,

1806
01:32:58,776 --> 01:33:00,964
Landmark Arts Festival.

1807
01:33:01,031 --> 01:33:01,968
Oh yes, yes.

1808
01:33:02,035 --> 01:33:04,696
Wow. I mean, if you've seen the
layout of the vendors

1809
01:33:04,763 --> 01:33:05,711
that they have for this.

1810
01:33:05,778 --> 01:33:08,375
This is the first year for this
event.

1811
01:33:08,442 --> 01:33:11,608
But I tell you what, uh, Rachel
Brayfart and some of the other

1812
01:33:11,675 --> 01:33:13,901
people that's really been working on
this project.

1813
01:33:14,400 --> 01:33:16,715
Um, it it's an amazing day.

1814
01:33:16,895 --> 01:33:20,231
And for them to bring something like
that to Newton, Iowa, I I highly

1815
01:33:20,298 --> 01:33:22,660
suggest you put that on your calendar
and try to make a visit

1816
01:33:22,727 --> 01:33:25,357
because it's it's pretty cool event.

1817
01:33:25,424 --> 01:33:26,625
And it's when?

1818
01:33:26,692 --> 01:33:28,521
19 September 19th.

1819
01:33:28,588 --> 01:33:29,579
September 19th.

1820
01:33:29,646 --> 01:33:30,547
on a Saturday.

1821
01:33:30,614 --> 01:33:31,967
All day on the DMACC campus.

1822
01:33:32,034 --> 01:33:34,636
And if you go on their Facebook site,
they actually have a vendor list

1823
01:33:34,703 --> 01:33:36,110
already that kind of blew me away.

1824
01:33:36,177 --> 01:33:39,282
It's big and they've got a map on
where the vendors are. They

1825
01:33:39,349 --> 01:33:41,621
tried to get every art that they
could think of.

1826
01:33:41,688 --> 01:33:45,500
So some of it'll be visual art, some
of it will be musical arts,

1827
01:33:45,567 --> 01:33:47,416
Some of it will be food arts.

1828
01:33:47,483 --> 01:33:50,404
Uh, but they tried to get all kinds
of glass blowing,

1829
01:33:50,471 --> 01:33:54,372
uh, different arts are represented at
this at this, so

1830
01:33:54,439 --> 01:33:56,791
Uh, what a what a highlight for our
community.

1831
01:33:56,858 --> 01:33:58,760
We should absolutely be all over
this.

1832
01:34:00,416 --> 01:34:04,551
With that, as always, uh it's a lot
of fun.

1833
01:34:04,618 --> 01:34:06,770
being in the city of Newton right
now. We have a lot of exciting

1834
01:34:06,837 --> 01:34:08,184
things going on.

1835
01:34:08,251 --> 01:34:12,127
So, uh, thanks for everybody you do.
Thanks again for our staff.

1836
01:34:13,021 --> 01:34:16,823
Uh, we are wrapping up the open part
of this meeting.

1837
01:34:18,919 --> 01:34:21,723
So as always, go cards and God bless
Newton.

1838
01:34:21,803 --> 01:34:25,140
Do I have a motion to go into a
closed session?

1839
01:34:25,207 --> 01:34:26,228
So moved.

1840
01:34:26,295 --> 01:34:27,375
Second.

1841
01:34:27,442 --> 01:34:30,645
All those in favor? Oh no, we'd
better take a roll call.

1842
01:34:31,273 --> 01:34:32,106
Mills.

1843
01:34:32,173 --> 01:34:33,006
Aye, here.

1844
01:34:33,073 --> 01:34:33,906
Wolshue.

1845
01:34:33,973 --> 01:34:34,913
Aye.

1846
01:34:34,980 --> 01:34:35,942
Roth.

1847
01:34:36,009 --> 01:34:36,842
Aye.

1848
01:34:36,909 --> 01:34:37,742
Dalton.

1849
01:34:37,809 --> 01:34:38,642
Aye.

1850
01:34:38,709 --> 01:34:39,542
Hallen.

1851
01:34:39,609 --> 01:34:40,442
Aye.

1852
01:34:40,509 --> 01:34:41,342
Zimmer.

1853
01:34:41,409 --> 01:34:42,242
Aye.

1854
01:34:42,309 --> 01:34:45,984
And finally, Mr. Attorney, do we have
the request and authority

1855
01:34:46,051 --> 01:34:49,118
to go into close session?

1856
01:34:49,185 --> 01:34:53,949
Yes, pursuant to Iowa Code chapter
21.5.1, you have a

1857
01:34:54,016 --> 01:34:57,880
written authorization to go into
close session.

1858
01:34:57,947 --> 01:35:01,529
Okay, with that at 9:08, we will
resume.

1859
01:35:02,482 --> 01:35:03,401
Thank you everybody.