CITY MANAGER’S REPORT
August building permits report
The Development Services Division issued 204 permits with total construction value of $5,052,532 in August 2009, which compares to 207 permits valued at $13,368,498 in August of 2008. Fees were $48,705.20 compared to $77,247.19 last year. Fifteen permits were issued for new single-family dwellings, compared to 10 single-family and six duplexes in July last year. Please see the attached memo, summary and report for more information.
Public meeting scheduled for Iowa Street area watermain replacement project
Department of Utilities staff and BG Consultants will be conducting an informational meeting on Wednesday September 23, 2009 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. in the Cafeteria at West Junior High School, 2700 Harvard Rd. The meeting is for property owners and residents interested in the upcoming water distribution main construction project. The project is part of the yearly watermain replacement program and generally involves the replacement of existing water distribution mains along sections of Iowa Street between 9th & University Drive, University Drive, Yale Road, Orchard Lane and Westdale Road (map attached). The project is scheduled to be advertised for bids early October with construction taking place through the first of the year. Area property owners and neighborhood associations were mailed a notice of the meeting.
Bowersock Dam maintenance project received permits/approvals
The Department of Public Works has received the requested permits/approvals from the US Army Corps of Engineers and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) regarding the Bowersock Dam Maintenance Project. In addition a letter has been sent to the Kansas Department of Transportation requesting a monetary participation of $250,000 (approximately 10%) in the maintenance project. The contractor is currently in the process of selecting a geotechnical firm and exploratory drilling is scheduled to take place in the next two to three weeks.
Transit maintenance facility RFP issued by University of Kansas
The University of Kansas has issued a Request for Proposals for a Joint Maintenance Facility for Transit operations. Responses to the RFP are due October 5. It is envisioned that the City would be involved in the University’s deliberations. As previously discussed, a joint maintenance facility is a key component of the coordination activities now underway between the City and KU.
City submits TIGER grant application for 31st Street extension project
The city has submitted the attached application for a TIGER (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery) grant in the amount of $19.25 million to complete the extension of 31st Street from Haskell Avenue to Douglas County Route 1057 / E 1900 Road.
Complete Count Committee prepares for 2010 Census
Lawrence and Douglas County have formed a Complete Count Committee, co-chaired by Sue Hack (city appointee) and Ken Grotewiel (county appointee), to identify and address barriers to a complete census count, as well as identifying how to promote the complete count among the citizens of Douglas County during the 2010 Census. Accurate census counts help ensure that Lawrence and Douglas County are properly represented and eligible for federal programs. City staff members including Communications Manager Megan Gilliland and former Communications Manager Lisa Patterson have been working with the committee, which met with the US Census Bureau representative serving our region and had a meeting with some identified stakeholders in the community. The committee has identified groups and individuals whose participation in the committee is desired, and will have meetings on October 20 at 9:00 a.m. for the new members and at 10:00 a.m. for returning members. The meetings will be held in the City Commission Room.
New coordinated transit website posts encouraging numbers for August
The web site lawrencetransit.org was re-launched on August 6, 2009 to reflect the coordinated efforts between the city and The University of Kansas. During August, there were 7,117 visitors to the site. Pages were viewed 60,523 times. Of those visits, 13.23% were generated by direct traffic; 69.89% were generated by referring sites; and 16.88% were generated by search engines. Of the nearly 70% of traffic that came from referring sites, the top referring site was KU on Wheels, kuonwheels.ku.edu. Coordinated transit service began on Monday, August 17. The highest number of page views during the month was 9,362 on Thursday, August 20. Egov Coordinator Eric Gruber and Public Relations Specialist Emily Lubliner worked to develop the new coordinated web site.
The top 10 visited pages on lawrencetransit.org in August were:
Online Utility Billing requests see jump in usage
As of August 2009, Utility Billing requests for services through online forms have surpassed the total of online Utility Billing requests for all of 2008. The Utility Billing division of the Finance Department takes requests online for residents to establish, transfer and stop water and trash services (though numbers below are only for water services). The breakdown of requests for 2009 against 2008 totals is as follows:
|
|
As highlighted above, city staff handled 467 more requests through the online forms during Utility Billing’s summer rush than in 2008. In addition, the office took 648 fewer phone calls in July 2009, with 8,100 calls in contrast to July 2008’s total of 8,748 total calls. The increased numbers coincide with recent changes to usability enhancements as reported in June. The online forms were rewritten to be user friendly and graphic elements were introduced with the goal of reducing phone calls to the Utility Billing office after the forms were submitted.
Parks & Recreation Department hosts historical graveyard tour
The Parks and Recreation Department hosted an evening Graveyard Walk on Friday, August 21st at the Oak Hill Cemetery. Local historian Katie Armitage led the group to nine grave sites of victims of the Raid. Re-enactors were present at the Speer's family marker to tell the history of the family (see photos). The tour filled to capacity with a waiting list.
City events focus on energy efficiency and conservation
The City’s Waste Reduction and Recycling Division hosted the 9th Annual Lawrence Energy Conservation Fair and Sustainable Homes Tour on Saturday, September 12th. Approximately 600 attendees visited fifty-three exhibitors at the Energy Fair. Exhibitors included local builders, architects, engineers, insulation contractors, government agencies, home energy efficiency specialists and alternative fuel vehicle representatives. The Tour showcased seven buildings which featured ground source heat pumps, solar panels, structural insulated panels, passive solar design and use of efficient methods and sustainable materials. See attached report and photos.