The Rundown – City extends KemperSports’ management of golf course

Published on March 25, 2026

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The Rundown is prepared by the City of Newton Communications Office to summarize the City Commission action and does not represent official Commission minutes.

7 p.m. March 24, 2026, Newton City Commission meeting

At Tuesday’s meeting, the City Commission extended the City’s contract with KemperSports to manage Sand Creek Station Golf Course through at least 2032.

Under the agreement, the City provides guidance and support while Kemper manages staffing, business strategy and marketing, and day-to-day operations. Kemper has managed the course since its opening in 2006. The course is consistently ranked among the best public courses in the nation and has earned a record number of awards for customer loyalty.

The contract includes a fixed management fee of $106,408.68 in 2027 with an annual 3% increase, plus an incentive fee of 5% of gross receipts that exceed $2.2 million.

In 2025, Sand Creek Station brought in its second-highest revenue ever, at just over $2 million, and had 36,646 rounds played.

Sand Creek Station General Manager Dustin Housh and KemperSports Regional Operations Executive TJ Wydner thanked the Commission for the continued opportunity and strong partnership from the community in supporting the course.

Housing Needs

The Commission reviewed its policy and processes for Reinvestment Housing Incentive Districts and got a preview of the new housing needs assessment. An RHID is a tool for communities to encourage new housing development by making construction more affordable for developers. It works by capturing the newly generated property tax revenue from the project to reimburse the developer for eligible construction costs. It allocates only the new tax revenues; no existing tax dollars are used.

The preliminary draft of the new housing study indicates a need for between 588 and 942 new housing units in Newton over the next 10 years. That includes a high need for more affordable housing. 65% of the need for owner-occupied housing is for homes under $300,000, and 40% of the need for rental housing is for units under $650 a month.

The Commission will review the full housing needs assessment along with a draft of the new comprehensive plan later this year.

In other action, the City Commission:

  1. Reviewed results of the 2025 Community Survey.
  2. Received an update on the recently completed water/sewer master plan. The purpose of the plan is to address any current deficiencies and plan for future growth as it relates to water and sewer systems.
  3. Approved a request to close Athletic Park Circle on May 2 for the Hope Women’s Center 5K.
  4. Approved agreements to provide building inspection services for North Newton and Walton.
  5. Approved a resolution to apply for a Community Development Block Grant for improvements at Themian Park.

For more information, please contact Director of Communications Erin McDaniel at 316-284-6055 or emcdaniel@newtonkansas.com.

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