CITY MANAGER’S REPORT

Week ending September 9, 2011

Moody’s Investors Service Visit:

Mayor Cromwell, City Manager David Corliss, Finance Director Ed Mullins and other city staff supported a visit on Monday September 12 of two analyst’s from Moody’s Investors Service.  The City provided an overview of current community and city issues, including city priorities, economic development efforts and 2012 budget issues.  Moody’s recent reaffirmed the City’s general obligation bond rating of Aa1.  Moody’s provided the attached Rating Methodology and Investors Service Newsletter.

Bike MS coming to Lawrence

Bike MS will be coming to Lawrence on Saturday and Sunday, September 17-18. An estimated 2,500 riders will be coming from two directions, trickling into town throughout the day on Saturday from both Topeka and Olathe. Massachusetts St at South Park, and North Park St north of Massachusetts St, will be closed from 5:00 a.m. Saturday until noon on Sunday for the cyclists’ village. Bicycles will be stored in the Community Building parking lot and riders will stay overnight in South Park and area hotels. On Sunday morning bicyclists will start leaving South Park around 7:00 a.m. on the same routes they came in.

The Lawrence Convention and Visitors Bureau reports that 16 Lawrence hotels are booked solid on this non-football game Saturday due to the Bike MS event. Three private shuttle busses will be transporting riders between the hotels and the cyclists’ village. Numerous city departments have been involved in the planning and support of this event, including Parks and Recreation, Public Works, Utilities and the Police Department.

Kansas Forest Service assessment of forest resources

The Kansas Forest Service recently notified the city of a project they have undertaken to assess forest resources along the I-70 corridor, including in Lawrence and Douglas County. The Kansas Forest Service has requested technical assistance from the Planning Division with mapping and other activities. The project will benefit the city by producing data and public outreach materials that will increase public awareness concerning the importance of woodlands, a goal of the comprehensive plan’s environment chapter. Please see attached memo for more information.

Quantrill’s raid graveyard tour

On the anniversary night of Quantrill’s Raid, Friday August 19, the Lawrence Parks and Recreation Department hosted their annual Graveyard Tour. Local Historian Katie Armitage led the group to 10 different gravesites, the victims of the raid. Four actors portrayed four of those people - J.G. Haskell, Mary Carpenter Rankin and John and Elizabeth Speer - who came to life to tell their story. Enrollment for the tour was at capacity.