CITY MANAGER’S REPORT
Week ending February 25, 2017
City Attorney appointed as member of the League of Kansas Municipalities Governing Body
Toni Wheeler, the City Attorney, was appointed to the Governing Body of the League of Kansas Municipalities on January 26 at its regularly scheduled board meeting. The League is an organization that works to strengthen and advocate for the interests of the cities of Kansas to advance the general welfare and promote the quality of life within Kansas communities. Ms. Wheeler was nominated and selected to join the governing body for a three year term serving as one of the twelve elected directors.
Upcoming Street events – March – May 2017
Attached, please find information on upcoming street events.
North Lawrence Speed Humps Update
Attached is an update regarding the installation of speed humps in North Lawrence.
Sidewalk Program Status Update
Attached is an update on the development of the Sidewalk Maintenance Policy and Program.
Pavement Management Program Update & 2017 Comprehensive Street Maintenance Program
Attached, please find updates on the Pavement Management Program and the 2017 Comprehensive Street Maintenance Program.
Homesharing/Short-Term Rental Report:
The attached report provides an overview of the sharing economy, specifically homesharing (also referred to as short-term rentals). It highlights some major benefits and concerns of homesharing and what other cities are doing to address short-term rentals. Finally, it explains the current regulations and provides next steps.
Parks & Recreation Employee Receives Distinguished New Professional Award
Gayle Sigurdson, Recreation Programmer with Parks & Recreation, was recently awarded with the Distinguished New Professional Award from the membership of the Kansas Recreation and Parks Association. See attached for more information.
Department of Utilities to Publish Annual Update to Standards and Details
The Department of Utilities has recently completed its annual review of its construction material specifications, design criteria, and standard details for watermains and sanitary sewers. Notable changes include the following:
Several other minor modifications have been made to various sections in order to correct identified omissions and errors noted in the previous publication as well as to update materials identified to reflect current manufacturers. The minor modifications do not alter the existing material requirements nor do they pose an impact to material or development costs.
A complete summary of modifications is attached and updated documents will be posted to the Department of Utilities website at http://www.lawrenceks.org/utilities/technical_resources, and is available for general public access. Consulting engineers and contractors will be notified of the update via direct mailing announcement.
Sustainable Rivers Project for the Kansas River
The City of Lawrence was contacted by the Nature Conservancy regarding becoming a stakeholder in the Sustainable Rivers Project for the Kansas River. The Project aims at balancing the aquatic health of the river with human demands for water supply, dams, and other activities such as flood protection and wildlife and recreation. The Project includes partnership with the U.S. Corps of Engineers. Other stakeholders, such as the Bowersock Mills and Power Company, are also involved. Being a stakeholder has no financial impact to the City. The City Manager submitted this letter indicating the City of Lawrence will participate as a stakeholder.
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.