Week ending December 15, 2018
On May 1, 2018, the Kansas Department of Revenue brought to Finance staff’s attention that Utility Billing has not been collecting or remitting the TDD sales tax on water sales from 18 accounts that fell in the TDD special tax districts. In the process of reviewing the sales tax situation, Finance staff discovered that sales tax was being collected and remitted incorrectly on poly carts and yard waste carts for solid waste services. All identified sales tax issues have been resolved going forward, and the appropriate sales tax will be collected and remitted. The over-collected taxes on the poly-carts is in the hands of the State of Kansas. Please see the attached report for more information.
Update on Lawrence Transit Transfer Hub Location Discussions
The City Commission received a consultant report regarding the location of the future public transit bus transfer facility at its June 19, 2018 meeting. The consultant recommended two finalist sites in their presentation: the current location in the 700 block of Vermont Street and a site along Stewart Avenue between 19th and 20th streets. The Commission was interested in a third option that was considered in the study but was not advanced as a finalist candidate site. That site is located along the south side of Bob Billings Parkway between Iowa Street and Crestline Drive. City staff was directed to discuss with University leadership the possibility of locating the transfer hub at this site. University administration recently notified City staff of its preference for the location along Bob Billings Parkway. City staff will engage University staff in preliminary discussions about the site and will bring the issue to the Commission for a final decision the location. Please see the attached letter for reference.
Follow Up Regarding Utility Billing Refunds
At a recent City Commission meeting, public comment was given about the City’s practices for refunding utility billing deposits. See attached for more information.
November 2018 Utility Billing Report
Attached is the monthly Utility Billing Report for November.
Update on Queens Road Next Steps
Attached is an update on the schedule and next steps for the Queens Road construction/assessment.
19th and Iowa Streets Signal Timing
Attached is an update in response to a request from Mayor Boley to review the signal timing at the intersection of 19th and Iowa Streets.
City Boundary Description
Per KSA 12-517, “before the last day of December in any year in which any territory has been added to or excluded from any city, the governing body of such city shall declare by resolution the entire boundary of the city.” The City did not annex or de-annex any property in 2018, so no action is required by the Commission. See attached for more information.
Fleet Manager, Robert Aaron, becomes Certified Public Fleet Professional (CPFP) through the American Public Works Association
Robert Aaron, Fleet Manager for the City of Lawrence since 2014, achieved certification as a CPFP in November 2018. This is a significant accomplishment attained by only those who have demonstrated knowledge of operations and experience in the fleet management field. See attached for more information.
Former Farmland Property Update
The City has been pursuing changes to the long-term environmental remediation project at the former Farmland Nitrogen Fertilizer Plant. See attached for more information.
Update on Audit of Lawrence Sports Corp Junior Olympic Expenses
Earlier this year, former Finance Director Bryan Kidney began an audit of the expenses paid by the City related to the Junior Olympics (JO) pursuant to an agreement between the City and Lawrence Sports Corporation (LSC). The audit was limited in scope to the expenses outlined in the agreement between the City and LSC.
Letters were sent to nine vendors asking them to confirm payment (see attached). All nine letters have been returned and all but one vendor confirmed they were paid in full. KU Athletics, Inc. indicated that they have been paid by the City for a portion of their expenses related to the Junior Olympics. However, their letter also indicated they have not been paid in full for their JO expenses. In fact, the letter indicates they are owed approximately $78,000 for rental and event expenses.
The City did not have an agreement with KU Athletics, Inc. regarding the Junior Olympics. Therefore, it is our position that any outstanding expenses owed to KU Athletics, Inc. are not the responsibility of the City, but of Lawrence Sports Corporation. A letter to that effect, which is attached, was recently mailed to Kansas Athletics.
Update on Master Plans per Vice-Mayor request
Staff is compiling a list of master plans to date and will post them as soon as they are available. Obviously, the complexity and number of plans dictate that we collectively decide which ones you wish to take on first. Some of the plans may only require a cursory review while others may require a more extensive presentation. List of Master Plans - Added 12/18/18
Follow Up Information on Residency Requirements for City Employees
At a recent meeting of the City Commission, a request was made for information about residency requirements for City employees. Staff has reviewed historical documents, policies in our market cities, and some academic research on this issue and provided the attached report.
Employee Performance Appraisal Follow Up Information
During discussion of employee longevity at a recent City Commission meeting, the Commission requested information on the ability of employees to earn a performance factor rating of “outstanding” on their performance appraisal. Staff reviewed all 7,784 performance factor scores of the 556 employees in the primary pay plan for 2017. Overall, there were 927 ratings of “outstanding” and there were ratings of “outstanding” given in every one of the fourteen performance factor ratings. The majority of ratings were “commendable” or “effective”. Only 78 ratings of “needs improvement” were given and only 20 ratings of “unacceptable” were given.
Affordable Housing Article
Attached is an article from SLATE regarding affordable housing in Minneapolis.
Economic Impact of Tourism in Douglas County
Attached is information regarding the Economic Impact of Tourism in Douglas County for Calendar Year 2017, provided by Tourism Economics.
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.