City Commissioner Board and Commission assignments & designations

Updated 11/2017

City Commissioners serve the City on several City boards or related boards.  In some cases, Commissioner service is by virtue of the office held, in other cases it is by separate appointment or direction of the Commission.

Horizon 2020 Steering Committee:

Established by Joint City Resolution No. 7045/County Resolution No. 13-28, the Horizon 2020 Steering Committee will have the primary focus to guide the process for amending Horizon 2020, the Comprehensive Plan for the City of Lawrence and unincorporated Douglas County. The Committee will be charged with overseeing and guiding the process, including public education and issue identification, prioritization of issues to submit to the Lawrence-Douglas County Metropolitan Planning Commission and the Governing Bodies of the City and County for review, and for reviewing the draft and final plan product. The Committee shall remain intact until the plan update is complete and shall work to complete its charge by April 1, 2015. Commissioner Amyx is the Co–Chair of the Committee along with County Commissioner Thellman.

Dwayne Peaslee Technical Training Center

The City has an appointment to the Board of Directors of the Peaslee Center.   Commissioner Amyx is the City’s appointee.

The EDC of Lawrence – Douglas County (Economic Development Corporation):

Is the successor entity to DCDI (Douglas County Development, Inc.)   DCDI was the board, with a number of local business owners and business representatives, involved in some aspects of East Hills Business Park development, including purchase of some of the developed lots and the construction and sale of a speculative building.    DCDI recently was re-named as the EDC to better align its mission with common economic development usage. The Chamber of Commerce CEO serves the head of the EDC.  The City Manager and one City Commissioner serves as ex-officio members to the EDC.   The EDC meets on an as- needed-basis.   Mayor Soden is the City Commissioner Representative.

Bioscience and Technology Business Center (BTBC):

Per the By-laws, the Commission adopts a resolution to designate a City Commissioner to serve on the Board of Directors.  Resolution No. 7193 designates Lisa Larsen as the City Commission representative.

Destination Management Inc. (DMI):

Is a separate not-for-profit entity established as the governing board for funding coordination of county historical societies. The incorporation articles designate the City Manager (or staff designee) and one City Commissioner as City of Lawrence Board of Directors members.  Vice-Mayor Boley is the City Commission representative.

eXplore Lawrence Board:

Established by Resolution No. 7142, the purpose of the Governing Board is to provide operational, personnel, and financial oversight of the operations of the Convention and Visitors Bureau for the City of Lawrence.   Membership consists of individuals from full-service hotels, a limited service hotel, cultural industry, local university or educational institution, sports and/or recreational industry, service/event management industry, and City Commission.  Lisa Larsen serves as the City Commission Representative.

Lawrence-Douglas County Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) Policy Board:

The MPO is the official Governor-designated entity to provide regional transportation planning and programming services for the Lawrence-Douglas County Metropolitan Planning Area (i.e., all of Douglas County). The MPO is charged under federal law and regulation with developing a regional multimodal (transit, bicycling, walking, automobile, carpool, etc.) transportation plan that provides for the safe and efficient movement of people and goods.

The MPO discusses transportation planning and related planning issues (e.g., land use, environmental, economic development, etc.) on a regional scale and makes transportation planning decisions and sets transportation planning policies for the entirety of Douglas County. The MPO performs its mission through the development of four related documents—the Metropolitan Transportation Plan, the Transportation Improvement Program, the Unified Planning Work Program, and the Public Participation Plan.

The MPO planning process is called the 3 C (Continuing, Comprehensive, Cooperative) process. It is a continuing process that does not end when a new transportation plan is approved. The MPO produces a new transportation plan at least once every five years, a new Transportation Improvement Program every four years, a new Unified Planning Work Program annually, and a new Public Participation Plan as needed. The MPO process is comprehensive in that it views transportation system planning as one part of a larger planning process where various types of planning (transportation, land use, environmental, economic, etc.) work together to improve the quality of life for all people in the region.  MPO activities are also part of a cooperative process involving several different government agencies and an ample amount of public review.

The MPO designation agreement and by-laws dictate that two city commissioners serve on the seven-member MPO Policy Board.  The City Commission MPO representatives are selected at a regular city commission meeting.   Commissioner Larsen and Commissioner Herbert are the City Commission representatives.

Criminal Justice Coordinating Council

The CJCC was established by the Board of County Commissioners of Douglas County on March 9, 2016.  The purpose of the CJCC is to provide a working forum to support communications and collaborative coordination between and among key criminal justice system officials, advisory bodies, agencies, departments, and community leaders to promote public health, public safety, and an effective, fair and efficient criminal justice system in our community.  Mayor Soden is the City Commission Representative.