CITY MANAGER’S REPORT
Week ending January 21, 2017
Sidewalk Repair Program Update
In October 2016, the City Commission directed the City Manager to develop a sidewalk hazard repair program based on recommendations from the Pedestrian – Bicycle Task Force. The general direction was that the City would actively inspect all public sidewalks for hazards annually against specific criteria (that was also to be determined) and notify the adjacent property owner of the defect and require them to facilitate the necessary repair(s).
Staff has created an internal working group of City employees that have or will have an active role in the facilitation of this program once adopted by the City. An external stakeholders group was also created for the purpose of input and evaluation as we develop the policy and guidelines related to this program.
To date, staff has held several meetings with both groups or portions of both groups to gather input on how this program should look and begun to develop clear policies and guidelines. Staff also met with the Lawrence Association of Neighborhoods on January 5, 2017 to outline the goals of this program and to receive input.
Staff developed a plan that divides the City into eight (8) geographic areas and has approximately the same amount of sidewalks. We believe this would be a manageable amount of sidewalk to inspect and repair in a single year. City crews will begin inspection of the first area in January 2017.
Staff will continue to develop the policy and guidelines and plan to provide another update in early March 2017 to the City Commission.
Utility Billing iPad Giveaway
The Utility Billing Division is preparing for the launch of a new payment portal for customers in 2017. In preparation for the portal, the division is working to encourage current customers to ensure contact information is updated. To assist and encourage customers to update their information and sign the waiver for electronic communication, the vendor for the payment portal (Paymentus) donated an iPad to the city to give away to any household with updated contact information before January 15. The city has developed a strong communication plan to promote this give away and reach out to residents. A robust social media plan, an insert in the monthly Utility Bill and e-mail communication plan have been ongoing since mid-December ahead of the January 15 deadline. The next efforts to communicate the migration to the new payment portal will begin at the beginning of February with another insert in utility bills and additional communications planned for the month of February. The new payment portal offers many benefits to customers including removal of the $3.25 credit card processing fee through Paymentus, an increase in the cap placed on credit card transactions (from $200 per transaction to $2,4000 per transaction), electronic sign-up for Auto Pay online, and the ability for customers to pay for utility bills by e-Check online.
November 2016 Financial Reports
The monthly financial reports include a summary of ALL funds. A cover memo for the financial report includes revenue and expenditure highlights for November. The Finance monthly reports can be found here: https://www.lawrenceks.org/finance/accounting/reports
December 2016 Sales Tax Reports
Monthly sales tax reports can be found here: https://www.lawrenceks.org/finance/accounting/sales-tax
State of Transportation Report
The first annual State of Transportation Report was developed to collect and track information about transportation infrastructure and modes of transportation within Douglas County including automobiles, transit, bicycles, pedestrians, rail, and air. The report provides data that can be tracked over time and will be reported yearly. This report begins the MPO staff’s work on the Transportation 2040 Update. Please visit https://lawrenceks.org/mpo/t2040-update to sign up to receive updates about transportation planning in Lawrence and Douglas County.
Common Ground Community Gardening Program Annual Report
Attached, please find the Common Ground Community Gardening Program Annual Report.
KPERS hikes will hit City and County budgets
Attached is an article from City Code Financial regarding KPERS.
December Update for the 2017 Junior Olympics
Attached is an update provided by Bob Sanner, Lawrence Sports Corporation, on the 2017 Junior Olympics.
City announces parking study stakeholder issue meetings.
The Lawrence City Commission authorized a consultant-led study of the parking system serving downtown, east Lawrence and the neighborhoods surrounding the University of Kansas. Background information and the detailed project plan are available on the November 15th agenda report. The consultants are evaluating the comprehensive parking system serving the study area, including metering, enforcement and overtime parking, neighborhood parking issues, utilization and demand analysis, parking system finances, development code requirements related to parking, public transit’s support of parking and capital assets. The study will inform a strategic parking plan which is expected to guide the operation and development of the parking system for the next 5 to 10 years.
Public input is important to the success of the study and the development of a parking plan that addresses the community’s needs. Please see the attached announcement of stakeholder engagement meetings planned for the parking study. A map detailing the study area is also attached.
The consultants will facilitate each meeting and City staff will also be on hand. The meetings will focus on parking issues specific to each stakeholder group listed on the announcement. The consultants will also facilitate a City Commission work session on this topic. That meeting is scheduled on February 14th and public comment is encouraged. An upcoming Lawrence Listens survey is also planned as part of the public engagement process.
Future Agenda Items
Attached, please find a summary of future agenda items.
Future Work Session Items
Attached, please find a summary of future work session items.