CITY MANAGER’S REPORT

Week ending May 9, 2008

 

2007 CAFR Posted Online

The 2007 Certified Annual Financial Report (CAFR) is available and has been posted online at http://www.lawrenceks.org/finance/accounting.

 

Wilco Concert to close 900 block of New Hampshire

The Wilco concert will close most of the 900 block of New Hampshire on Wednesday, May 14. Access to the parking garage will remain open from 9th Street and the southernmost entrance on New Hampshire Street. The attached map shows more details of the street closure.

 
April Building Permit Report

April 2008 non-publicly funded building permit valuation was $15,775,122 (up from $9,515,776 in April 2007) and permit fees were $77,670 (down from $78,801 in April 2007). April 2008 numbers include permits for Wal-Mart and fourteen single family dwellings. Year-to-date permit valuation is up 28% (includes public projects) and fees are up 2% from 2007. See attached report for more details.  

 

Transit System receives JARC grant

The City was recently notified that its Job Access Reverse Commute (JARC) grant application submitted by staff to KDOT in January has been awarded.  In total the City shall receive $496,817 to be used for bus replacement. JARC funds are targeted specifically to take low to moderate income residents to and from employment.  Since the Transit System currently links low income neighborhoods to major employment centers throughout Lawrence, these funds can be used to support existing efforts. The City must now submit to the Federal Transit Administration by June, a detailed plan of how the money will be used, including the specific type and number of vehicles to be purchased to obligate the available funds to avoid them from lapsing.  To fully maximize these funds requires at minimum a 17% local match.  The transit system has funds available in its equipment reserve to cover the local match requirements. 

 

Revised SmartCode draft available online

A revised Lawrence SmartCode draft is available online at http://www.lawrenceplanning.org/TND.shtml. All of the relevant documents for this draft are dated May 7, 2008. The Planning Commission will hold a third public hearing on the Lawrence SmartCode items at its regular meeting on May 21, 2008. The meeting will take place in the City Commission chambers beginning at 6:30pm.

 

Overland Park City Council approves TIF for retail project

The Overland Park City Council recently approved the city’s first tax increment financing (TIF) project. The project improvements include demolition of the former Sun Fresh Supermarket, construction of a nearly 15,000 square-foot free-standing Walgreens, 10,000 square feet of new retail shops, an 1,800 square-foot free-standing building, complete renovation of the exterior, and total reconstruction of the parking lot with landscaping and brick pavers to update the look. See the attached Overland Park press release for more information.

 

Electronic recycling event sponsored by City and Hamm Waste Services

On Saturday, April 26, 2008, the City’s Waste Reduction & Recycling Division hosted the first Electronic Recycling Event in Lawrence. The event drew 676 vehicles, recycling 60,051 pounds of electronic materials, and was held from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the University of Kansas Lied Center parking lot. The event was co-sponsored by Hamm Waste Services. Electronic recycling was provided by Asset LifeCycle, a permitted e-waste recycling and reclamation facility in the State of Kansas.