CITY MANAGER’S REPORT
Week ending September 3, 2010
Lawrence named a ‘most livable city’ by MSN.com
Late last week, MSN.com came out with their 2010 MSN Real Estate Most Livable Bargain Markets survey. Lawrence ranked high on their list along with several other college towns around the country. The article can be viewed online at http://realestate.msn.com/slideshow.aspx?cp-documentid=25351136. [Note: The survey shows Lawrence’s population as 115,000, which is incorrect. Our latest Census figures show a population of 92,048. Megan Gilliland, communications manager, is working with the editors to correct the overage.]
Lawrence named a top triathlete town
Lawrence has been named a “Top Tri Town” by triathlete.com. See attached article.
Solid Waste Division demos semi-automated trucks
The Solid Waste Division has recently looked at semi-automated equipment from Elliott and Downing. The Units are low entry cab trucks with 1 yard buckets on each side of the body that can load 4-90 gallon containers at one time into a 3 yard hopper in the center of the Unit. See attached report for more information and photos.
Deterioration of alleyway causes closure
Last week city crews were in the process of investigating an issue near the area of the alley between 12th and 13th, from Louisiana to Ohio, when they discovered an issue with the alley at the SE corner near 12th Street concerning embankment deterioration caused by a private property issue. The deterioration has caused the alley to become undermined, creating a hazardous situation. On Friday, August 27 the City of Lawrence closed that portion of the alley until a solution could be determined. City crews immediately begin an investigation and survey of the area to determine the cause and possible solutions.
Public Works is scheduled to meet with the adjacent property owner on Friday, September 3 to discuss the issue and work out a solution that will involve action(s) by the property owner and the city. Once a solution and an agreement have been reached the city will proceed to make corrective actions. It is anticipated that the alley could remain closed for up to two months depending on the amount of work necessary to make the corrections.
Game day football bus service returns to downtown
For the last two years the City has provided bus service between downtown and Memorial Stadium for KU football games. Due to regulatory and service changes, the Transit division is able to utilize an existing route to provide the service rather than contracting with an outside vendor. Downtown to Memorial Stadium service will be available for all six home-game Saturdays and for the evening KU/K-State game on October 14. Parking in the New Hampshire Street Parking Garage, 900 block of New Hampshire, and on the lower level and ramps of the Riverfront Parking Garage, 600 block of New Hampshire, will be free for weekend game days. For the October 14, KU/K-State game, parking in the downtown parking garages will be free after 4:00 p.m. The service to and from Memorial Stadium is $1 for all passengers. The service will run two hours prior to kick-off and one hour after the game or when no additional post-game passengers are present. See the attached memo for additional information.
City Hall anniversary celebration
On Tuesday, August 24 a celebration of the 30th anniversary of City Hall was held, and coincidentally, 30 former Mayors and Commissioners were in attendance. The attached photo of the former and current elected officials was taken at the reception.
Building permits report
There were 251 permits issued in August, compared to 204 permits issued in August 2009. Permit valuation was $4,615,227 compared to $5,052,532 last year. Fees were $37,532.85 for August versus $48,705.20 a year ago. Permits were issued for nine new single-family dwellings last month. This compares to 15 permits issued for new single-family dwellings in July last year. Please see the attached memo, summary, and full report for more information.
City healthcare plan approved for Early Retiree Reinsurance Program
On Tuesday, August 31 the Human Resources Division received word that the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) has approved the City of Lawrence Healthcare Plan for participation in the Early Retiree Reinsurance Program (ERRP). The City’s healthcare plan is one of only 22 initial approvals granted for the state of Kansas. The participation in the program will allow the City of Lawrence Healthcare Plan to receive between $150,000-$300,000 annually in qualifying reimbursements for the duration of the program, which is scheduled to end January 1, 2014. Michelle Spreer, Benefits Specialist, coordinated completion of the application which she submitted the same day HHS opened the application window.
South Park playground refurbished with recycled rubber surface
Lawrence Parks and Recreation Department District #2 staff recently transformed the center playground area surface in South Park from woodchips to a rubber material created from recycled tires. The project was funded through a matching grant from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, Bureau of Waste Management in an effort to conserve landfill space and reduce the need for new solid waste facilities. Please see the attached report for more information and photos.
Metropolitan Energy Center/Clean Cities Coalition grant application
The Metropolitan Energy Center (MEC) and Kansas City Regional Clean Cities Coalition (KCRCCC) funding opportunity for the Midwest Region Alternative Fuels Project has proven to be too restrictive for participation. The City Commission on August 17 had authorized application of funding for plug-in and hybrid vehicles as well as an electric charging station. The funding being offered for cost-shared projects that expand the use of alternative fueled and advanced technology vehicles required certification and commercialization of these vehicles. The vehicles that met the criteria of the grant were not vehicles that fit the needs of the City, County or KU. Staff attempted to identify current needs within the fleets and areas of research that were applicable to future fleet and community sustainability. Staff believes the information gained from the research will better position staff for future opportunities. Our current plan is to continue to collaborate with KU, the County, and Westar as electric vehicle technologies progress, and as funding opportunities arise.
Sustainability Coordinator presents at Leadership Kansas
Sustainability Coordinator Eileen Horn participated in an Energy Panel presentation to the Leadership Kansas Class of 2010. Fellow panelists included Jim Ludwig, Westar Executive VP, and Rep. Carl Holmes, Chair of Energy and Utilities committee. Eileen presented an update on the City’s energy management approach, as informed by the Climate Protection Plan targets and timelines. Eileen highlighted the partnership with Westar’s Smartstar smart grid pilot project, and how this data will help the City to establish and reach our energy management goals.
Officials attend T-WORKS briefing
City Commissioners Rob Chestnut and Mike Dever, Public Works Director Chuck Soules, City Engineer Shoeb Uddin, and City Manager Dave Corliss attended the KDOT T-Works briefing session in Olathe on September 1. The briefing (see attached) highlighted the new T-WORKS legislation approved by the 2010 Kansas legislature. KDOT advises that they plan for October local consultation regional meetings to further discuss possible project selection decisions KDOT will make in 2011. As expected, there are significantly more qualified projects than available funding. Staff is preparing additional information on this topic for eventual Commission direction to prepare for the October meetings with KDOT officials.
Follow Up to Parks and Recreation Facility Rental Policy
In May the City Commission requested that staff and the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board review current facility rental policies to distinguish rental types (Community Use and Commercial Use) and provided provisions for each. In review of existing policies, staff realized the current practices reflect a mix of policy and internal procedures. The policies and procedures were streamlined and divided into policy and operational pieces. The Parks and Recreation Board reviewed the policy recommendations and provided feedback for additional revisions. Staff has finalized the revisions to the policy as recommended by the Board and have been using these policies to assist in review of facility rentals. Attached is a staff memo regarding the changes to the facility rental policy as well as the revised policy.