The Newton City Council will be asked tonight to approve a waste water pump site by Iowa Speedway, as the location for the new city dog kennel. Newton City officials have been looking for a suitable, city owned site for the new $84,831 eight-stall commercial dog kennel since last October, when Parkview Animal Hospital terminated a longstanding animal control contract with the city. At the December 16th City Council meeting, council members voiced strong support for placing the kennel at the South Central Pump Station southeast of the speedway. But Iowa Speedway’s Senior Director of Operations, Tyler Clement, voiced concerns about dogs being discomforted by noises created from state training on their property.

Newton Police Chief Rob Burdess says the South Central Pump Station has existing utility infrastructure on-site, making it a lower cost option than the other 15 plus city owned sites surveyed. He adds his staff is ready to man the kennel once it’s in place.

“Our staff has been preparing for this facility. My Community Service Officers are the primary animal control workers. They have been involved in training over the past few months to get some certifications to help them run the facility and have the most efficient operations we can have.”

If the site is approved at tonight’s 6:30 p.m. Newton City Council meeting at City Hall, Police Chief Burdess says the target date for animal control housing operations to begin at the South Central Pump Station would be this June or July.