CITY MANAGER’S REPORT
Levee Accreditation Process Update
The attached memo outlines the actions already taken and those planned toward the accreditation of the Kansas River Levee. After Hurricane Katrina, the federal government began requiring that levees become classified as accredited; otherwise the area landward of the levees will be remapped as flood prone, which may require the purchase of flood insurance for affected properties. The Kansas River Levee currently is classified as provisionally accredited, and City staff is working with FEMA to attain accredited status.
North Lawrence Demolition and Building Permits
Earlier this year the North Lawrence Improvement Association (NLIA) expressed concern regarding the impacts of rezoning parts of North Lawrence to the RS5 District with the adoption of the Land Development Code on July 1, 2006. NLIA was concerned about the number of demolitions that have occurred and replacement of existing residences with multiple new residences. Following NLIA’s comments Planning staff began reviewing building permit activity in North Lawrence, including a review of all lot splits, lot consolidations and demolition permits in residential zoning districts since the effective date of the Development Code and has looked back at least five years to review residential development in the floodplain areas of North Lawrence. The attached memo is a report of staff’s review of these issues.
Southeast Area Plan and Farmland Industries Redevelopment Plan Drafts Prepared
A draft Southeast Area Plan has been posted on the Planning and Development Services website. A public meeting to discuss the plan is scheduled for Thursday, October 11th from 7:00pm-8:00pm at the East Lawrence Recreation Center. Planning staff has also produced the attached draft Farmland Industries Redevelopment Plan and posted it to the department website.
Streamlined Sales Tax Project
Budget Manager Casey Liebst and Management Analyst Heidi Nelson recently attended a meeting in Kansas City regarding the Streamlined Sales Tax Project (SSTP). SSTP is an effort to simplify and modernize sales and use tax collection and administration whose proposals include tax law simplifications, more efficient administrative procedures, and emerging technologies to substantially reduce the burden of tax collection. Staff is drafting language regarding SSTP for inclusion on the City’s federal legislative issues statement. Please see the attached report for more information on SSTP.
City of Lawrence 153rd Birthday Celebration
Please see attached photos from the City of Lawrence 153rd Birthday Celebration and the Gaslight Gang (well renowned Jazz band from Lawrence) 45th Reunion at South Park Gazebo on Sunday, September 16. This was also the 90th birthday of Clyde Bysom, who plays saxophone for the Gaslight Gang and also plays with the Lawrence City Band. Both high school bands from LHS and Free State played pieces with the Gaslight Gang and the Lawrence City Band.