Memorandum
City of Lawrence
City Manager’s Office
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TO: |
David L. Corliss, City Manager
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FROM: |
Jonathan Douglass, Assistant to the City Manager
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CC: |
Frank Reeb, Director of Administrative Services/City Clerk Ron Olin, Chief of Police Mark Bradford, Fire Medical Chief Charles Soules, Director of Public Works Scott McCullough, Director of Planning and Development Services
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DATE: |
March 26, 2009
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RE: |
Tour of Lawrence
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The city has received the attached request from the Lawrence Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) for city approvals and support for the 2009 Tour of Lawrence bicycle event, including a $5,000 contribution from the Transient Guest Tax Reserve Fund. The event has two components, a downtown criterium on Saturday, July 4 and a campus course (including some surrounding neighborhoods) to be raced on Sunday, July 5. Staff from the Police Department, Fire Medical Department and City Manager’s Office has been meeting with the event organizers to review preliminary plans for the event. Staff has mailed notification of the meeting to properties located along the race routes. The various components of this request for approval/support follow:
Monetary support
The CVB has requested a $5,000 allocation from the Transient Guest Tax Reserve Fund in support of the event. The request submitted by the CVB contains a breakdown of how these funds would be used.
Temporary Use of Right-of-Way Permit
The CVB has submitted a temporary use of right-of-way permit for the use of various city streets for both the downtown criterium and KU course. The downtown streets would be closed on Saturday, July 4, from noon to 10:30 p.m., and the city streets on the campus course would be closed on Sunday, July 5, from 6:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. The downtown streets would be completely closed to vehicular traffic and parking. Parking would be prohibited on the campus course, but course marshals would control vehicular traffic to allow safe access to properties along the course throughout the day on Sunday. These streets will be controlled but not completely closed (see the proposed traffic control plan sketches provided by the CVB). For more details on the management of parking and traffic, please see the following section on “Parking issues.”
Parking issues
For the downtown course, the CVB would place “no parking” stickers on meters and signs in planters and affected parking lots inside the course area on Friday, July 3, with the parking prohibition effective starting 10:30 a.m. Saturday, July 4. The CVB suggests using stickers and signs rather than bagging the meters to avoid prematurely giving the impression that parking is prohibited. Lot 4 on the west side of the 800 block of New Hampshire would be closed and reserved for participant parking but no actual enforcement (i.e. towing) is planned. Vehicles would be able to leave the parking lot by crossing New Hampshire and exiting via the alley or Rhode Island Street. Access to the New Hampshire Street Garage would be closed from New Hampshire Street beginning at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, but vehicles will be able to enter and leave the garage throughout the event (with law enforcement control) via the 9th Street exit.
For the KU route, the CVB requests that all streets along the route be marked “no parking” with the staked signs often used by the Police Department. These signs would be provided by the Police Department at an approximate cost to be determined and would be placed by CVB staff. Race officials would control the flow and direction of vehicular traffic so that no streets are completely closed throughout the day on Sunday, July 5.
Special Event Permit
Organizers of the Tour of Lawrence have indicated that the Eldridge Hotel will be submitting a Special Event Permit application for a live music event on the vacant lot immediately to the south of the hotel. This application has not been received at this time, but will be processed and presented to the City Commission for approval at a later date.
Temporary sale, possession and consumption of alcohol
The CVB has requested a permit for the temporary sale, possession and consumption of alcohol in certain areas downtown (see yellow portions of attached map). Director of Administrative Services/City Clerk Frank Reeb has prepared the attached memo regarding this portion of the request. Because the proposed area is within 400 feet of two churches, city code requires that the churches be given 30 days notice that a public hearing will be held regarding the request. Staff has tentatively scheduled the public hearing for May 12, 2009 and has prepared notice to be published and sent to the churches.
Police services
The CVB has requested traffic control services from the Police Department during both the downtown and KU portions of the event. Sergeant Michael Monroe has been working with the CVB on traffic control plans. KU Police will be responsible for traffic control for the on-campus portions of the course. The Police Department can support this event, but because the downtown criterium event is on July 4, it should be recognized that their resources will already be taxed by other holiday events.
Lawrence Police Department, CVB, and KU Police Department staff will be meeting together late this week to further develop traffic control plans, and the Police Department should have an estimated cost for their services available at the 03/31/09 City Commission meeting.
Transporting fencing from Kansas Speedway
The CVB has requested city assistance in transporting fencing from the Kansas Speedway to Lawrence and back. The fencing would be used to separate portions of the races from spectators and traffic for safety reasons. City staff would drive a city flat bed truck to the Speedway on Friday, July 3 to pick up the fencing. Speedway and CVB staff would load and unload the fencing from the truck. On the morning of Saturday, July 4, staff would drive the truck to the locations along the course where fence will be unloaded. Staff would then park the truck at a nearby location, perhaps just east of 9th and New Hampshire. At the conclusion of the criterium on Saturday evening, CVB staff will break down the fencing and load it back on the truck, not requiring any city staff support. On Monday city staff would drive the truck back to the Speedway to return the fencing. The approximate cost of the equipment and staff time associated with this request is $598.
Fire Medical services
The CVB will be providing some medical assistance for the event participants, and has requested the presence of standby emergency medical units at the events at levels determined appropriate by the Fire Medical Department. For the downtown criterium, the Fire Medical Department plans to staff a commander and 3 teams of 2 personnel (7 total). The vehicles will consist of 2 medic units and a mobile medical gator. The estimate of cost is $2,078.42. Since the July 5th campus race is more spread out with increased opportunities for accidents, the department plans to staff a commander and 4 teams of 2 personnel (9 total). The cost estimate is $2,623.08, for a total of $4,701.50
Trash services
The CVB has requested placement of an additional 14 trash barrels downtown during the criterium. The Parks and Recreation will determine if they can accommodate this request by moving existing trash barrels from city parks, or whether extras should be purchased. CVB staff or volunteers will be responsible for emptying these trash barrels as needed into a city dumpster to be placed in Lot 4. The approximate value of the use of the dumpster is $100.
Miscellaneous city services
The CVB has requested a number of other items of support from the city. These items can be accommodated by the Public Works Department.
Cost Summary
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Estimated Value of City Services and Support |
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Guest Tax Reserve Fund Allocation |
$5,000 |
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Temporary Use of Right-of-Way Permit |
$10 |
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“No Parking” Signs from Police Department |
TBD |
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Special Event Permit |
$100 |
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Temporary Sale, Possession, and Consumption Permit |
$25 |
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Publication of Notice and Ordinance Related to Alcohol |
$150 |
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Police Services |
TBD |
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Transporting Fencing from Kansas Speedway |
$598 |
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Fire Medical Services |
$4,702 |
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Trash Services |
$100+ |
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Saw Horse Barricades |
$200 |
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Street Sweeping |
$680 |
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Patching and Minor Street Maintenance |
$1,068 |
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Removal of Traffic Control Circles |
$464 |
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Removal of Pedestrian Crossing Signs |
$20 |
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TOTAL |
$13,117+ |
ACTIONS: Approve allocation of $5,000 from the Guest Tax Reserve Fund to the CVB in support of the Tour of Lawrence, if appropriate.
Approve temporary use of right-of-way permit for the use of various city streets on July 4-5, 2009 for the Tour of Lawrence, pending receipt of proof of insurance, if appropriate.
Approve the donation of various city services in support of the Tour of Lawrence, if appropriate.