September 7–13, 2026
Apple Valley's City Council wrapped up a busy week, officially opening Kelley Park, locking in school safety contracts, and greenlighting road work, while a quiet federal slate moves toward future House votes.
At Kelley Park. The council adopted several measures tied to the park's grand opening celebration, and they're now in effect. Certain roads near Kelley Park closed and parking was restricted for the festival day. Bogart's Entertainment Center received a one-time permit to serve alcohol at the event. And the splash pad inside the park got a corporate sponsor: Uponor's GF Building Flow Solutions brand will have its name on the facility, with the company helping fund it so the city doesn't have to pull from tax dollars for that cost.
Around the neighborhood. Street and drainage repairs in the Valleywood neighborhood are wrapping up. The council approved final payment to the contractor for that paving and storm drain work, which is now adopted by the council. Separately, the city also hired a traffic consulting firm, TC2, to study how Apple Valley's roads and bus routes should look by 2050. That work feeds into the city's long-range plan and could shape where new bike lanes, bus routes, or street improvements show up over the next few decades.
In the schools. Apple Valley's agreement with Independent School District 196 (the district serving much of Apple Valley and surrounding communities) to place uniformed police officers inside school buildings is now adopted by the council, covering the 2026 through 2028 school years.
City workforce. The council approved two items affecting city employees: health insurance coverage for 2027 was set, and a contract with Trembath Training, LLC, gives city staff access to fitness classes and coaching. Both are adopted by the council and take effect for the coming year.
At the federal level. Congress signed three bills into law Friday, September 11. One (HR 5366) extends tax deductions for people who suffered losses in federally declared disasters through 2027 and lets wildfire survivors receive relief payments without owing federal income tax on them. If you or someone you know was affected by a declared disaster between late 2019 and early 2027, that deduction is now larger. A second bill (HR 2069) requires federal agencies to post a type of contract called "other transaction agreements" on USAspending.gov, making a previously hidden category of federal spending visible to the public. Several other federal bills this week dealt with matters outside Apple Valley, including a memorial deadline extension and a land parcel in Paducah, Kentucky.
Coming up next week:
Federal farm security drill. HR 9394 requires the Department of Homeland Security to run a large-scale preparedness exercise involving federal, state, local, and private partners to practice responding to biological attacks on food and farming systems. It cleared committee and is headed for a full House floor vote, though no firm date is set for that vote.
CBP shelter dog support program. HR 9327 would create a three-year pilot program for U.S. Customs and Border Protection to adopt dogs from local animal shelters and train them as support animals for officers dealing with grief and trauma. The bill cleared committee and awaits a House floor vote.
Government publishing update. HR 9342 locks in free public access to federal documents through libraries and online while giving the Government Publishing Office new tools to digitize records and speed up online publication. It cleared committee and is awaiting a floor vote.
See what's up for a vote now · Find your representatives