CITY MANAGER’S REPORT

Week ending June 18, 2010

 

 

Public notification for Planning related items

Planning and Legal staff have completed a memo summarizing public notification for Planning related items such as zoning map amendments, site plan applications, text amendments, etc., and submitted the same to the Planning Commission for a discussion on the matter. All minimum statutory requirements are met and, in most cases, additional notification is provided above and beyond the minimum requirements. The Planning Commission discussed the memo on May 24th and determined that no notification changes are needed at this time for planning items.

 

Sales tax web page updated

The city has updated the sales tax web page (http://www.lawrenceks.org/sales_tax) to include information from the Kansas Department of Revenue that lists all taxing districts in Kansas. Numerous municipalities have chosen to use special taxing districts, including Transportation Development Districts (TDD), STAR Bonds or Community Improvement Districts (CID), which are all listed (see attached). The information is updated by the Department of Revenue every three months.  The information has been updated to show the State of Kansas sales tax increase which will become effective July 1, 2010.

 

Rotary Arboretum sign dedicated; youth volunteers spruce up parks

A new sign at the Rotary Arboretum, 5100 W. 27th St., was dedicated Tuesday, June 8. The sign was funded by a partnership of the three local Rotary clubs and the city. On hand for the dedication were 80 volunteers from the Rotary Youth Leadership Academy who spent the day mulching landscape beds, planting flowers and painting benches and trash barrels. Please see the attached report for photos and more information.

 

Affordable housing project successfully completes NSP monitoring

An initial monitoring of the Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) Rhode Island Roost Project, 1110-14-18 Rhode Island, was recently conducted by the State of Kansas Department of Commerce and Planning and Development Services staff.  This project is a joint project between the City of Lawrence, Douglas County, and Tenants to Homeowners, Inc.  The project is a five unit new construction of affordable rental units on land owned by the County and constructed and subsequently managed by TTH.  The project was monitored in several areas including:  Program Progress, National Objective, Financial Management, Environmental Review, Procurement, Labor Standards, Equal Opportunity, Verification of Abandonment, Verification of Vacancy, Verification of Compliance with Tenant Protection Act, Property Disposition, Tenant Lease, and Quarterly Status Reports.  The project completion date is September 30, 2013 and with 75% of the project complete, no problems are anticipated with timely completing the project.  KDOCH identified no findings or concerns as a result of the monitoring.