Republic issues annual state of the city report

Officials note accomplishments, what’s to come
 
The city of Republic has issued their annual state of the city report in which city officials update citizens about the goings on in the city over the past year.
In the report, heads of departments detailed what they’ve accomplished and what they have to look forward to in the coming year.

Highlights
The city accomplished numerous projects in the past year; one they identified as being the biggest and most involved was the overhaul of the wastewater treatment plant. The city identified this project as taking up the largest share of money from their capital budget. This year is expected to be the last year of construction on the project with an expected expenditure totaling $30,545,695 making up over 60 percent of the city’s capital budget which sits at $50,026,705. The new wastewater treatment plant is expected to go online in the fall of this year. The project has been funded through a combination of debt advances, cash reserves, operating surpluses, grants and reimbursements, according to the report.
Another significant project the city began this year was the expansion of J.R. Martin Park, Hines Street, as outlined by Director of Parks and Recreation Kris Parks, in his report. “The Loop” as the expansion is being called, is scheduled to fully open in June 2026. In the report, Parks recognizes The Loop as the most significant investment in the park to date and states that it will expand park usage, strengthen infrastructure for the city’s large-scale events, improve space, flow and accessibility and allow for new programs, festivals and community events.
 “The opening of The Loop will mark a new chapter for J.R. Martin Park and for the department, creating spaces for expanded programming, more events, and memorable experiences for the community,” said Parks.
At the end of 2025, Republic also brought on a new city administrator, Colten Harris, with Lisa Addington acting as interim administrator while the city was on the search.

Community development action
The Republic area welcomed a host of new businesses this year with the city issuing 14 new commercial building permits, according to the report of Karen Haynes, director of the Community Development department. She listed a few notable projects that were completed in 2026 including 7 Brew, Republic Intermediate School, Sherwin Williams, Huey Magoo’s and the new Republic City Hall.
Haynes also identified some 2026 projects that are on their way for the new year. In 2026, the city plans to welcome Access Dental, Arvest Bank and a Walmart Pharmacy Fill Center. Also listed is the new Republic Library, which has already opened on Feb. 2.

Public safety
In the public safety report, Republic Fire Chief Duane Compton made known the department’s achievements last year and what they hope to accomplish in the year to come. Compton said, in 2025, the fire department secured 300 Roth identification tags for child car seats, expanding the program from there to provide a total of 400 tags for local families.
In 2025, the fire department visited 500 residences as part of their annual smoke detector and battery canvassing program. The department also improved its reporting system by moving to the new, federal NERIS platform.  
The Republic Fire Department also reported that they responded to 1,233 emergency incidents in 2025.
In the future, the department is looking to continue to grow its workforce and replace its fleet.
 

Republic Police Department
Republic Chief of Police Brian Sells also delivered a report detailing the advances in the department in the past year. One thing he identified as a highlight is the implementation of the department’s “weekly watch” program on their Facebook page. This report is posted each week detailing departmental calls and arrests.
The department also implemented GPS technology on all mobile radios, allowing the dispatch center to track locations on a digital map.
Looking at 2026, the Republic Police Department plans to purchase six new trucks complete with emergency equipment. This will allow officers to tow trailers and other large equipment. They also look to develop an incident data dashboard to be published on the city’s website.
The police department responded to 23,536 total incidents in 2025.