Week ending August 18, 2018
Jayhawk Watershed Report Follow-up:
During the August 14, 2018 City Commission meeting, questions were presented to the City Commission regarding the Jayhawk Watershed Report that was presented on the August 7, 2018 City Manager’s Report. Please see attached for more information.
Downtown Overhead Canopy and Sidewalk Rehabilitation, in alley west of the 800 block of Massachusetts Street Update:
After reviewing Charter Ordinance No. 45, it was determined that the process for reviewing bids was not completed correctly. Therefore, the project to remove the canopy and rehabilitate the storm sewer and sidewalk has been cancelled at this time. The project will be re-bid and completed in the next several months (possible in Spring 2019).
Lawrence Municipal Airport Skydiving information posted on website
The skydiving regulations, application and waiver and landing area information has been posted to the City’s website at https://lawrenceks.org/airport/. These regulations were approved by the City Commission in early 2018.
July 2018 Utility Billing Report
Attached is the July 2018 Utility Billing Report
July 2018 Sales Tax Report
The July 2018 Sales Tax Report has been posted on the Finance Department’s site, https://lawrenceks.org/finance/accounting/sales-tax/. The July report show year-to-date sales tax revenues saw a 1.6% increase over the same period in 2017. June 2018 saw a 0.34% increase over the same month in 2017.
Kansas River Volunteer Cleanup Conducted
United By Blue, along with the Sunflower Outdoor and Bike Shop and LPRD, hosted a cleanup of the Kansas River. Volunteer collected waste and recyclables along the river. See attached for more information
Delaware Street Commons and East Lawrence named Best Neighborhoods in Kansas by The Journal
Wichita, Kansas – The Kansas Leadership Center (KLC)’s quarterly publication, The Journal, has released its list of the Best Neighborhoods in Kansas for 2018. Lawrence received the most recognition of any community: Delaware Street Commons and East Lawrence made the “Best Neighborhood” list and Sunset Hill and Old West Lawrence received honorable mention.
“There are hundreds of very good neighborhoods across the state of Kansas that provide comfortable housing, wonderful neighbors, pleasant amenities and opportunities to connect. But the best neighborhoods in Kansas have high aspirations. They invest in building and maintaining community to the highest degree possible,” said Chris Green, managing editor of The Journal.
After evaluating several dozen submissions from neighborhood residents across the state, a team of five outside judges identified 10 neighborhoods they thought deserved recognition. The four places named the Best Neighborhoods in Kansas for 2018 are: Delaware Street Commons in Lawrence; East Lawrence; Rosedale in Kansas City; and College Hill in Topeka. In addition, six neighborhoods received honorable mentions. They are: Neighbors Who Care in Kansas City, Kansas; Sunset Hill in Lawrence; Old West Lawrence; College Hill and Delano in Wichita; and Mill Creek Farms in Olathe.
“From our perspective, great neighborhoods are more than the sum of their property values or the test scores of the nearest elementary school. These places have a distinct look and style. They honor history, but they aren’t trapped by it. They comfort residents, sure. But they also challenge them,” said Green.
With a history that only spans 11 years, Delaware Street Commons stands out because of the innovative ways it cultivates community. It’s the first cohousing community in Kansas — designed, built and financed by the people who live in it. Residents share a common gathering house, parking, trash and recycling, and a potluck dinner every Sunday evening.
Known for its quirky, unique aesthetic and personality, East Lawrence is both a deeply historic, working-class neighborhood and one experiencing reinvention. Development changes in the community are prompting increasing debates, but residents have important values they plan to speak out for, as they almost always have.
“This is the first time The Journal has sought out submissions and recognized the Best Neighborhoods in Kansas,” said Green. “In the future, we hope the opportunity to be on this list will inspire a wider range of participation and perhaps even the creation of new neighborhood identities.”
The Journal is a print and online magazine published four times a year by the Kansas Leadership Center since 2013. It reaches more than 7,000 readers with each issue, the vast majority of whom are past participants in KLC leadership trainings.
Read the full story on the Best Neighborhood’s in Kansas at https://klcjr.nl/bestneighborhoods18.
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.