Newton City Council to Consider Contract for Cardinal Pond Parking

A Pella company has submitted a low bid to install ADA-accessible parking and a fishing dock at the popular community amenity.

Apr. 5, 2026 at 2:53pm

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Newton's City Council will consider a $34,380 bid from TK Concrete in Pella to install ADA-accessible parking spaces and additional gravel parking at Cardinal Pond, a popular community amenity in northeast Newton. The city is also using a $125,000 grant from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources to add an ADA-accessible fishing pier at the pond.

Why it matters

Cardinal Pond has become a well-used community space, and the city has received consistent feedback from residents about the need for more parking. These improvements will make the pond more accessible to all members of the community.

The details

The parking and fishing dock project will include ADA-compliant parking spaces as well as additional gravel parking. The fishing dock will be a prefabricated aluminum structure installed with the grant funds. Once the parking and dock are complete, the city plans to work on adding trails around the entire pond.

  • The Newton City Council will consider the $34,380 bid from TK Concrete at their meeting on Monday, April 7, 2026.
  • The $125,000 grant from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources will fund the installation of the ADA-accessible fishing pier.

The players

TK Concrete

A construction company based in Pella, Iowa that submitted the low bid for the Cardinal Pond parking improvements project.

Erin Chambers

The Newton Community Development Director overseeing the Cardinal Pond project.

Iowa Department of Natural Resources

The state agency that provided a $125,000 grant to fund the installation of an ADA-accessible fishing pier at Cardinal Pond.

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What they’re saying

“It's an ADA accessible fishing pier. A prefabricated aluminum fishing pier that we will install at Cardinal Pond. And then, with whatever money is left over, we will start working on trails. Eventually, the long term plan is to have trails completely around Cardinal Pond.”

— Erin Chambers, Newton Community Development Director

What’s next

If the Newton City Council approves the bid from TK Concrete, the parking and fishing dock improvements at Cardinal Pond are expected to be completed by the end of the summer.

The takeaway

These infrastructure upgrades at Cardinal Pond will make the popular community amenity more accessible to all residents, furthering Newton's commitment to inclusive public spaces and outdoor recreation.