CITY MANAGER’S REPORT

Week ending August 12, 2011

Public Works mid-year Street Division update

Last week’s City Manager’s Report provided an update on various street maintenance projects under way, but the attached mid-year report provides an outline of the full breadth of activities by the Street Division (40 employees divided into asphalt, concrete, levee/sweeping/alleys, and stormwater crews) this year, along with photos of their work.

First hybrid buses in Kansas hit the streets of Lawrence

The T has gone green. The City of Lawrence recently expanded its fleet to include the first hybrid buses to operate in Kansas. Three 40-foot hybrid buses have rolled onto the streets of Lawrence (see photo). The hybrid buses are much quieter, produce about 90-percent fewer emissions and use 50-percent less fuel than the diesel buses they replaced.  The purchase of these buses was possible in large part to $1.8 million in federal stimulus funds received through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). They will replace three of the oldest buses in the Lawrence transit fleet, which have been in operation since 2001 and have exhausted their life expectancy. The hybrid buses will be used primarily on Route 11, operated jointly by the city and the university, which serves downtown, campus, and 31st and Iowa. The new buses feature “low floors,” which means that passengers only need to take one step up to board the bus. It also means that riders using wheelchairs can board by a ramp at the front door, rather than on a lift at the rear of the bus. The university’s fleet includes low-floor buses, but these will be the first vehicles in the city’s fleet to offer this feature. Bike racks will also be available on the buses.

July building permits report

The Building Safety Division issued 155 building permits in July (compared to 239 in July 2010), with total construction for the month valued at $3,026,379 (compared to $12,051,187 in July 2010).  Total permit fees assessed for the month were $30,856 (compared to $82,301 in July 2010). Staff issued three permits for new residential construction in July, all single-family dwellings. Permits were issued for 18 new residential projects in July last year, including 13 single-family dwellings and five apartment buildings with 96 dwelling units. The highest valued project for the month is for the construction of a Vitamin Cottage/Natural Grocers store at 1301 W 23rd Street, valued at $950,000. Please see the attached memo, building permits report, and summary report, for more information.