Memorandum

City of Lawrence

City Manager’s Office

TO:	David L. Corliss, City Manager
FROM:	Jonathan Douglass, Assistant to the City Manager/City Clerk
CC:	Tarik Khatib, Chief of Police Teri Pierce, Parking and Animal Control Manager
DATE:	May 5, 2011
RE:	Lawrence GiveBack Proposal for a Free Parking Day Downtown

The city has received the attached letter from Constance Wolfe with the Lawrence GiveBack program, requesting that on Tuesday, June 14, the city not enforce overtime parking on Massachusetts Street from 6^th Street to 11^th Street, and the 100 blocks of the numbered streets intersecting that section of Massachusetts Street. Lawrence GiveBack would put signs on all meters (including 15 minute meters) indicating that parking is compliments of the GiveBack program that day. GiveBack would promote the event inviting people to come downtown for free parking and enjoy double points/charitable donations with the GiveBack cards at participating merchants.

During this time, parking control officers would enforce overtime violations in other areas of downtown, as well as issue citations for other violations such as expired registration tags. They could likely complete some meter maintenance and other projects as well. Lawrence GiveBack has offered to reimburse the city for the lost revenue, which would be in the form of meter revenue and overtime violations. It is estimated that the total revenue loss would be about $2,500. Staff suggests that rather than reimburse the city, the organization use that money to bolster their charitable efforts.  

Lawrence GiveBack has been in contact with, and has provided letters of support from, both the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce and Downtown Lawrence, Inc.

ACTION:       Approve free parking on Massachusetts Street from 6^th Street to 11^th Street and on the 100 blocks of East and West 7^th, 8^th, 9^th, 10^th, and 11^th streets on Tuesday, June 14 for a Lawrence GiveBack event.