CITY MANAGER’S REPORT

Week ending March 7, 2008

Sales Tax Distributions Monitored

The City of Lawrence has recently received its February sales tax distribution.  The distribution is primarily the result of December retail sales.  The amount budgeted in 2008 for total city sales tax revenue (city, county, and use taxes) equals $22,675,298. 

In order to estimate monthly sales tax revenues, a trend analysis of previous collections is used.  This projection reflects actual 2007 revenue versus 2008 budget amount which only included partial 2007 actuals.   Using this analysis, a projection of 2008 sales tax revenue was $22,602,146 or $73,152 less than the amount budgeted.  

Actual distributions in January and February (reflecting November and December sales) total $3,899,932 million.   Projections based on the trend analysis anticipated $3,955,238 for January and February collections.  As a result, the actual distributions for the two months are $55,306 less than the amount projected.  A spreadsheet showing total monthly sales tax distributions since 2001 is attached.

Because of the variance in monthly sales tax distributions related to the collection and processing of sales tax returns, it is difficult to determine if a trend has developed after only two months of distributions.  It is recommended that the distributions be evaluated on a quarterly basis.  This should result in a more reliable analysis because the variances due to collection and processing issues will have less of an impact.

K-10 & Farmer’s Turnpike Plan Underway

The Planning Division has begun work on a K-10 & Farmer’s Turnpike plan. This plan will make progress towards the established goal of planning for employment centers and industrial uses. It will also define transitional and other appropriate uses for the area and will outline policies that will guide growth in the area. Please see the attached staff memo for more details, including a map of the area and a project timeline.

Sales Tax for Transit Passed in St. Joseph

On February 5 voters in St. Joseph, Missouri passed a 0.225% sales tax increase for public transit that will generate approximately $2.3M in FY09. This sales tax was approved by 71% of voters, and will bring the total sales tax dedicated to transit to 3/8 cent (0.375%) and the total sales tax rate in St. Joseph to 7.765% (4.225% State, 1.1% County, 2.44% City). Please see the attached memo for more information.

Lawrence to Host Stop on All-Kansas Air Tour

The All-Kansas Air Tour is an event sponsored by KDOT during which pilots fly from city to city stopping for various activities. On Saturday, April 5, the tour will make an overnight stop in Lawrence. Events associated with the tour will include a dinner, a KU aerospace exhibit, vintage aircraft displays and drawings for free airplane rides for the public. More detailed information will be released to the public closer to the event date.

Traffic Signal Upgrades

The Traffic Engineering Division has recently upgraded signals at the intersection of 25^th and Iowa (see attached photos). The upgrades included new signal poles, replacement of all signals and new left turn signals for north and south bound traffic which will be activated after the mill and overlay project scheduled for summer 2008. The new lights are also part of the ongoing program to upgrade incandescent traffic signals to more energy efficient LEDs (light emitting diodes).

City Utilizing Bio-Fuels

With the recent opening of an E-85 bio-fuel provider in Lawrence, a number of city vehicles will begin utilizing this ethanol based fuel. At the present prices of E-85 vs. gasoline, even accounting for the lower mileage achieved with E-85, the use of E-85 is cost effective for the 22 city vehicles capable of using it. The Central Maintenance Garage will be tracking and analyzing price differences and vehicle performance to continuously evaluate the effectiveness of using E-85 in the city fleet.

23^rd Street Bridge Replacement Plans

In the summer of 2007 the Kansas Department of Transportation informed the city that they were going to begin the development of plans for the replacement of the 23^rd Street Bridge. City and county staff were included in preliminary discussions with KDOT in the development of the scope of services with the selected consultant HNTB. The project includes the replacement of the bridge and limited pavement to tie new elevations into the street. This project has only been approved for design. There are no identified funds for construction; however, should a new Transportation Bill be approved this project could potentially be ready in 2010/2011. Please see the attached memo and map for more details.

City of Lawrence Joins Kansas One-Call

The City of Lawrence has joined Kansas One-Call to process all calls for locating city-owned water, sewer, storm water, traffic signal, and fiber optic lines. Calls to 1-800-DIG-SAFE (800-344-7233) now locate private and public utilities. Prior to this, customers needed to call at least three phone numbers to be assured that underground utilities and infrastructure were being located. This led to a concern that customers may not notify the Public Works and Utilities Departments, which put City property at risk of damage. The City’s participation with Kansas One-call now reduces customer digging notifications to one phone call. The Utilities Department will receive all notifications and forward any to Public Works as necessary.

Currently Kansas One-Call receives approximately 10,000 requests for locates per year in the Lawrence area. In previous years, the city has received approximately 3,000 requests. The difference means excavation occurred without locating city infrastructure and creating the possibility of damage and possible service outages. Emergency calls related to broken lines can be expensive and create property damage, environmental degradation, and impact to public safety.

City participation in Kansas One-Call provides more customer convenience, improved reliability, and better protection of the City’s infrastructure. Annual cost to participate is approximately $5,500. For more information about Kansas One-Call, please visit their web site at www.kansasonecall.com

13^th Street & Oregon LOMR Approved

The City of Lawrence received on January 28, 2008 the approved Letter of Map Revision for capitol improvements associated with the 13^th & Oregon Project (Burroughs Creek). The stormwater improvement project narrowed the floodplain along Burroughs Creek from 15^th Street to Haskell Avenue. Homes that were removed from the floodplain will no longer have to purchase mandatory flood insurance.

Kasold Reconstruction Receives APWA Award

The Kansas Chapter of the American Public Works Association has honored the Kasold Reconstruction project (Bob Billings Parkway to 22^nd Terrace) with their Transportation Award in the $2 million - $10 million category.