July 24, 2019
Nixa News | August 2019 Edition
In this month's edition you can read about...

  • How to apply to serve on City Council
  • How you can help keep your drinking water clean
  • Honoring our Purple Heart Veterans
  • How your kids can win fun prizes at Nixa's National Night Out
  • Upcoming events
  • A letter from the Mayor
  • And more!

As always, you can find much more information at Nixa.com and engage with us on our official social media pages on Facebook, Twitter, and Nextdoor.
After taking last month off, I was looking through my calendar to see what I might have done as Mayor over the last couple of months that would be interesting to our residents. I looked back into May and realized I had not written anything about one of the most amazing meetings I have had the honor to host and attend in my time as Nixa Mayor.
 
Many of you may have seen Wayne Glenn's recent Facebook post regarding "Nixa born" billionaire William "Bill" Austin. If you did not, please take a moment to check it out (I may steal some history from him below). It includes lots of great history and pictures regarding Mr. Austin and his family's time in the Nixa community.
 
Bill Austin was born near Nixa in 1942 to James "Dutch" Austin (1915-1983) and Zola Willoughby Austin (1919-1998).  At around the age of 5 he moved with his family to Oregon. At the age of 19 Mr. Austin left home and moved to Minnesota to attend college with the dream of becoming a Missionary doctor. Within a matter of months, he had dropped his dream of becoming a doctor and opened a hearing instruments shop. He went on to build what would become the nation’s largest supplier of hearing solutions, with manufacturing operations in 26 countries around the globe. Through donations and the work of volunteers - including Mr. Austin himself who personally spends 200 days a year traveling around the world to fit individuals with hearing aids - his nonprofit organization delivers more than 50,000 free hearing aids each year (many of them to children) through mission trips in the U.S. and to countries around the world. 
 
So, how does Mr. Austin's story lead to my letter today? On May 18th, I asked Sam Hamra (owner of Hamra Enterprises and former Nixa City Attorney) to attend Sucker Day's as my guest. That day, Sam told me the story of how he had met Mr. Austin. The two men found out that they both had a common link to Nixa, and Sam invited Mr. Austin to visit Nixa with him in the future. Later that same evening, Sam called me and told me that Mr. Austin had agreed to visit Nixa the next day on his way to a mission trip in Mexico. Sam said Mr. Austin would like to meet with local leaders and tour property his family still owns in Nixa. 
 
I hastily contacted leaders throughout the Nixa community and was able to gather a group of 10 to meet with Mr. Austin and his wife Tani that Sunday at Morning Day Café. During the meeting, Mr. Austin told us about his family's history in Nixa, his life, his career and his true calling. He provided a testimony of how God had changed his life and directed him on a path to change the lives of hundreds of thousands of people around the world by providing them with the gift of hearing through his philanthropic work. Following the meeting, Mr. Hamra drove Mr. Austin to his ten-acre family plot and to his family’s cemetery. He took pictures of his father and mother’s tombstones and decided he would redo these tombstones so that he could add the date of his mother’s death. 
 
It was a truly inspirational experience to be able to meet a man who is not only so successful, but also so generous to people around the world.  I hope Mr. Austin will accept a future invitation to return and once again be a part our Nixa family.


Sincerely,
Mayor Steele
Bill Austin pictured with Mayor Steel at Morning Day Cafe
Our meeting with Bill and Tani Austin in Downtown Nixa.
Bill Austin
Bill Austin
The Baffler
This perplexing puzzle will keep you bewildered, befuddled, and bemused.

Q: Flat as a leaf, round as a ring; has two eyes, can't see a thing. What is it?

The answer to The Baffler is at the bottom of the newsletter.
Councilman Jimmy Ledbetter resigns, candidates sought to fill open council seat
Jimmy Ledbetter
The City of Nixa is seeking candidates to fill a vacancy on its city council following the resignation of District 1 Councilman Jimmy Ledbetter.

Ledbetter’s resignation is effective following the July 22 council meeting.

Ledbetter, a business intelligence engineering manager for a local banking software company, is relocating to the Oviedo, Florida area with his family.

“This has been a very difficult decision for us,” says Ledbetter. “My family and I love this area. We are very proud of everything that we have been a part of. When my council position opened, I was so pleased that you gave me the opportunity to represent you.” Ledbetter says his time on council provided an in-depth education about how the city government operates. Ledbetter says he is especially proud to have worked with the city’s partner agencies to maintain strong relationships across the community, and he is excited to see the progress of downtown revitalization efforts. Ledbetter says, “I can’t wait to see what is next for Nixa.”

Residents of District 1 may submit a letter of interest by 4:30pm on Friday August 9th addressed to the City Clerk, Cindy Robbins, expressing their desire to be considered for appointment to represent the district. Mayor Brian Steele will review the letters of interest and select a candidate for recommendation to council. Council will vote to fill the seat at the August 12th council meeting. Candidates will be invited to attend that meeting to address council regarding their desire to serve, prior to the vote.

The person appointed to the seat will serve as a member of city council representing District 1 until the end of Mr. Ledbetter’s current term, which expires following the April 7, 2020 municipal election.

(District 1 includes the northern area of the city.)

Letters of interest should be mailed to:

Cindy Robbins, City Clerk
P.O. Box 395
Nixa, MO 65714
Working For You
Roadwork Ahead! Sign up for traffic alerts.
Swift911 app traffic alerts
MoDOT projects will be getting underway soon to make improvements to Highway 160 and Highway 14 through Nixa. Once MoDOT sets construction schedules, we will share that information with you. Be sure to sign up for traffic alerts so you won't get caught by surprise by any road closures or other traffic impacts.



Be sure to follow the City of Nixa's official social media accounts too, as we'll keep those updated with information about any projects anticipated to impact traffic around Nixa.
Nixa Wastewater Treatment Plant receives clean bill of health from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources
The Nixa wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) was recently inspected and audited for the first time in a number of years by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MoDNR). MoDNR is the primary enforcement agency for the Clean Water Act under the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Nixa passed the inspection and audit report with flying colors.

“Though I expected a good report, I never expect this level of exceptional compliance in today’s atmosphere of highly detailed regulations,” says Doug Colvin, Director of Nixa Utilities and Public Works. "Though we have historically operated a high-quality operation, it is not unusual for an inspection report to include at least something minor; something such as a procedural recommendation or a comment that isn’t necessarily a violation warranting a citation. This time, there wasn't any such minor comment or area for improvement noted."

Nixa is known at the DNR and to peers across the state for our extremely high level of service at the WWTP. All personnel are highly trained and dedicated to their task. They take clean water seriously for the benefit of everyone, not just our residents.

Josh Youngblood, who oversees the WWTP, and his crew do a fantastic job behind the scenes where citizens don’t regularly see what takes place. On a daily basis, these people treat the waste of the entire community so the water we put back into the Finley Creek is cleaner than the water running through it.
Keep your drinking water clean.
Help keep our drinking water clean
Reminder for Nixa Utilities water customers with in-ground sprinkler systems, fire protection systems, and other installations which use backflow devices:

Backflow protection device tests were due by July 1st.

Why is this important?

Backflow devices protect our drinking water system from being contaminated by dirty water, stagnant water, or water with chemicals or other harmful substances in it.

You may contact the City of Nixa Water Quality Office at 417-725-2353 to check if your backflow device test was already turned in for this year, or to learn more information about how you can have your system tested by a State Certified backflow tester to help protect our drinking water.

This annual test is required by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources and by City ordinance.
Nixa's credit and bond ratings upgraded
The City of Nixa's credit and bond ratings were recently upgraded after a review by Moody's Investor Service.

The upgrade in credit rating reflects the overall financial health of the municipal government. Better credit and bond ratings mean more opportunity for lower interest rates as the city pays its debts, saving tax-payer dollars and further-improving the organization's financial health.

According to press releases from Moody's, they upgraded the city's issuer rating to Aa2 from Aa3 on July 18, 2019. At the same time, Moody's upgraded the city's lease appropriation debt rating to Aa3 from A1. Furthermore, Moody's upgraded the City of Nixa's Waterworks and Sewer System Revenue Bonds to Aa2 from A1.
Parks Program Guide
Exceptional City Staff
Employee Spotlight
Debbie Snider and Monica Parr are the staff for the Nixa Municipal Court. Together, the court team provides excellent customer service to the citizens of Nixa.

Debbie Snider joined the City of Nixa Municipal Court staff in July 2011. Debbie is the court administrator and when she isn't helping customers or managing case information, she assists the judge with court.

Monica Parr joined the City in March of 2013. Monica is the court clerk. She handles data entry and creates court files when she isn't assisting the public.

This dynamic duo are what sets Nixa's Municipal Court apart from other courts in the region. Not only do Monica and Debbie provide a professional atmosphere; the public can expect accurate, top-notch service with a positive attitude.

The Nixa Municipal Court participated in the pilot program for Show-Me Courts, and Debbie and Monica were key to providing feedback prior to the wider launch of the program. Both Monica and Debbie attend yearly training in order to keep up on the ever-changing court procedures.
Debbie Snider
Above: Debbie Snider
Below: Monica Parr
Monica Parr
Detective Jon Huff retires from Nixa Police Department
Detective Jon Huff
Jon Huff, a 17 year veteran of the Nixa Police Department, rode off into the sunset as he retired last week. He was a patrol officer for a number of years, but ultimately served as a detective for the majority of his career.

Jon is very experienced and has specialized skill and training in crime scene investigation, voice stress analysis and forensics. Throughout his career, he was the lead investigator on several of our most serious cases and was instrumental in the successful prosecution of those offenders. His work even led to the capture of a suspect featured on America’s Most Wanted.

Jon was known for his sense of humor and his straight forward approach to his work. Those who got to work with Jon learned he was a cool character who was not easily shaken. Jon is known for grilling great burgers, and is an avid fisherman and NASCAR fan. Jon will be greatly missed. We wish him the best of luck as he starts a new chapter in his life, and maybe we can get him back every once in a while to cook us some burgers.

Thank you, Detective Huff, for your service and congratulations on your retirement!
Lending our expertise to other area cities
The City of Nixa's stormwater coordinator, Danny Newell, has been sharing expertise with and assisting the City of Bolivar as they develop their stormwater management plan.

Danny worked extremely hard to develop Nixa's stormwater management plan in 2017 and says he would have loved to have had someone to learn from along the way, so now he's sharing his hard-earned knowledge and experience to help other area cities.

This is just another example of the tremendously talented staff of the City of Nixa working not only to provide excellent services to our community, but to help other communities around Missouri.
City Events
Bill Austin pictured with Mayor Steel at Morning Day Cafe
August 6: Purple Heart Day Ceremony
August 7th marks Purple Heart Day, when as a nation, we pause to remember and honor those who were wounded or killed in the service of our nation.

In Nixa, we will be holding a Purple Heart Day Ceremony on Tuesday, August 6th at 5:30pm in front of the veterans memorial at The X Center immediately prior to Nixa National Night Out.
August 6: National Night Out
You're invited to Nixa's biggest pool party! The Nixa Police Department will be hosting it's National Night Out event on August 6 th , 2019 at The X Center pool from 6pm to 8pm. National Night Out is an evening to hang out with your community and first responders as we enjoy family fun, games, swimming, food, prizes, and more! The event is FREE!

Your kiddos can win fun prizes, and we'll even be giving away a couple of bicycles donated by Academy Sports!

3 Easy Steps to Win an Awesome Prize at Nixa National Night Out!

Step 1: Take a selfie of yourself posing with the people you're bringing to Nixa's National Night Out.

Step 2: Post your selfie to the Nixa Police Facebook page and use #NixaNNO.

Step 3: Show up at the Nixa Police Department's National Night Out event on August 6th, 2019 at The X Center pool from 6pm to 8pm to claim your choice of prize!
How to win prizes at Nixa National Night Out
Movies in the Park 2019
August 10: Movies in the Park
The Movies in the Park series is presented by the Massengale Group. All movies are held at McCauley Park, begin at dusk, and all movies are FREE! Please bring lawn chairs or blankets. Concessions will be available for purchase. All movies are dependent on weather. No smoking and no alcohol.

August 10th:  Bumblebee
September 21st:  Mary Poppins Returns
The Update is a great way to learn more about what's happening in Nixa and have your questions answered while enjoying lunch. Each month, we bring a different guest speaker from Nixa local government. These events give senior citizens an opportunity to meet and interact with the city's leadership, voice their concerns, and stay informed!

2019 DATES: July 24, August 28, September 25, October 30, November 27, December 31.

Anyone can enjoy lunch at the Nixa Senior Center. A suggested donation covers the cost of lunch: $3.50 for those 60+ and $6.00 for those under 60. Learn more about the Nixa Senior Center at the   Nixa Senior Center   website.
Parks Programs
Art Classes
Art Classes
Art Classes are open to ages 3 years old to 8th grade. The fee per session is as follows: Members $30, Nixa Residents $35, Non-Residents $40. All supplies will be provided; make sure to wear clothes that can get dirty! A project list is available for each session on the registration form.

Registration begins June 24th and ends August 16th.

Intro to Art (Tuesdays): August 20th - September 24th. PK - 2nd at 6:15 pm to 7:00 pm. 3rd-6th at 7:15 pm to 8:00 pm.

Studio Art (Thursdays; 1st - 8th Grade): August 22nd - September 26th. Studio 2D at 6:15 pm to 7:00 pm. Studio 3D at 7:15 pm to 8:00 pm.
Tennis Lessons
The non-contact sport of tennis is great for health and fitness. Tennis develops hand-eye coordination, balance, and body coordination. The sport nurtures work ethic and discipline all while teaching players responsibility and sportsmanship. Participants must register for each session individually. All classes meet once per week with make ups being scheduled as time and weather permits.
 
Open To: Ages 5 years old and older; beginner and intermediate classes available.

Registration: Ends Thursday August 8.
 
Summer Session 3: August 13th - September 17th;  Fees: $55 per session.
 
Beginner Level:
Tuesday 5 - 6 pm; ages 5 - 11
Tuesday 6 - 7 pm; ages 12 to Adult
 
Intermediate Level:
Thursday 5 - 6 pm; ages 6 - 11
Thursday 6 - 7 pm; age 12 to Adult
Fall Recreational Volleyball
Recreational Volleyball is geared towards introducing and fostering girls 3rd through 6th grade an interest in volleyball. Emphasis is on learning the game and having fun.

Season Dates:  September 16th/17th - October 14th/15th. 3rd/4th grade plays on Monday evenings; 5th/6th grade plays on Tuesday evenings. The season ending tournament will be held on Saturday, October 19th. 

Open To:  The program is open to girls in 3rd - 6th grade.

Location:  Games will be played and practices will be held at The X Center.

Fees:  Members $40, Nixa Residents $45, Non-Residents $53.

Registration:  June 10th - August 14th. *Late registration August 15th - 18th with a $10 additional late fee.
Fall Recreational Soccer
Recreational Soccer is geared towards introducing and fostering interest in soccer. Emphasis is on learning the game and having fun. The league is open to boys and girls; it is comprised of 4 different divisions, 3&4 years old, 5 years old and Kindergarten, 1st/2nd grade, 3rd-5th grade, and 6th – 8th grade. Games for every division are on Saturday morning/afternoons.

Season Dates : September 14th - October 19th.

Open To:  Boys and girls ages 3 years old (must be 3 by September 14th) to 8th grade.

Location:  Games will be played on Saturdays at McCauley Park and practices are held at Rotary Park.

Fees:  Members $40, Nixa Residents $45, Non-Residents $53.

Registration:  June 10th - August 14th. *Late registration from August 15th - 18th with an additional $10 late fee.
More Nixa Parks Events, Programs, & Sports Leagues
For the latest info on all the events happening at Nixa Parks and The X Center, follow the link to NixaParks.com
At the Nixa Branch Library this Month
The Nixa Branch Library is located at 208 N. McCroskey.
Library - Eric Shanower event
August 16: Cartoonist Eric Shanower
The Christian County Library Nixa Branch is hosting Award-winning, New York Times best-selling cartoonist Eric Shanower on August 16, 4:30-6:00pm in an event for all ages.  Shanower will give an overview of his career and demonstrate the art of drawing comics. This is a Library Con 2019 event, a fun and geeky annual event hosted by Springfield-Greene County Library, partnered with Christian County Library. No registration required.
Call (417)724-6100 for more information.  
FYI: For Your Information
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Now Hiring!
The City of Nixa has job openings for various city departments!

Visit the  jobs section of our website   or you can call our Human Resources department at 417-725-3785.

You can learn more about what it's like to work for the City of Nixa when you  check out our page on LinkedIn .
Follow us on Facebook , Nextdoor, Twitter !
CITY CONTACT NUMBERS:

City Hall: 725-3785
Police: 725-2510
911 Non-emergency and Animal Control: 582-1030
Nixa Utilities and report an outage: 725-3229
Public Works: 725-2353
Parks: 725-5486
The Baffler Answer
The solution to your scalp scratchin'.

Q: Flat as a leaf, round as a ring; has two eyes, can't see a thing. What is it?

A: A button.
Nixa City Hall | 417-725-3785 | CityHall@Nixa.com | Nixa.com