Memorandum

City of Lawrence

Department of Legal Services

TO:	David L. Corliss, City Manager Toni Ramirez Wheeler, Director of Legal Services
FROM:	R. Scott Wagner, Management Analyst
CC:	Cynthia Boecker, Assistant City Manager Diane Stoddard, Assistant City Manager Jonathan Douglass, Assistant to the City Manager
Date:	December 18, 2007
RE:	Update on Burroughs Creek Property Acquisition

On November 7, 2007, the City submitted an application to KDOT under the Transportation Enhancement (TE) Program to fund construction of the Burroughs Creek Trail.  A copy of the application can be found online at: http://www.lawrencepublicworks.org/pdf/burroughs_creek_rail_trail_application.pdf

On October 1, City Legal and Utilities staff met with members of the law office of Foth and Orrick of Overland Park and Dan Watkins of Lawrence, to discuss property acquisition along the rail corridor north of 23^rd Street (see attached exhibit).  Resolution 6745, adopted by the City Commission on October 18, 2007 contained assurances that the City would have title or easements along the rail corridor prior to a project letting.  

Property acquisition for this project will begin within the next few weeks.  The first phase will involve the above attorneys contacting adjacent landowners - informing them of the City’s project, and property acquisition process, which will include appraising the interests to be acquired.  Property acquisition costs will come from the Utilities Department as the City has major sanitary sewer infrastructure, including transmission mains to the Kaw Wastewater Treatment Plant, within the former rail corridor.