City Commission Strategic Goals and Priorities

City of Lawrence, Kansas

Economic Development:  Promoting the economic development of Lawrence to provide varied work and business opportunities.

Key Objectives:

· Identify industrial sites and a process to develop them.

· Use the Southeast Area Plan to create an employment zone.

· Move toward acquisition of the Farmland property.

Other Objectives:

· Expand the tax base through growth of existing and new businesses.

· Develop incentives in addition to tax abatements (add to our “tool box”).

· Identify sources of funding for a dedicated economic development fund.

· Develop a common understanding of what economic development is.

· Have a city staff person focused solely on economic development.

Planned Growth: Encouraging growth that protects our environment, neighborhoods, and cultural features while benefiting all of our citizens.

          Key Objectives:

· Conclude the successful adoption of rural development standards.

· Resolve the public improvement financing method.

· Agree to stay within service level I in the urban growth area; be proactive about where growth will be and avoid spot zoning.

· Amend codes to allow for traditional neighborhood development (TND).

Other Objectives:

· Initiate a community visioning process to encourage community building.

· Ensure that the city leads the development process; create a new model for this.

· Expand meetings with the county, the school district, and KU.

· Work on more cooperative projects with the county and develop a model for growth.

· Initiate a discussion within the community about a new model of growth and its comprehensive plans.  Educate the community about the differences.

Community Building:  Creating social capital and celebrating our heritage.

          Key Objectives:

· Get the Carnegie Library building active.

· Encourage the viability of the Farmers Market, including improving the facilities.

Other Objectives:

· Have more events downtown.

· Ensure the accountability of the police department.

· Determine what we want to do about the Library expansion and how much it will cost.

· Encourage KU and Haskell to be more a part of the community and the community more a part of KU and Haskell (e.g., Homecoming Parade downtown, more partnerships).

· Develop a comprehensive plan for services to the homeless.

· Secure adequate funding for after-school programs.

· Keep the focus on Lawrence for the BKHA.

Environmental Issues:  Integrating the environment into our decisions as we work towards a sustainable city.

          Key Objective:

· Move toward a watershed stormwater policy.

Other Objectives:

· Evaluate and adopt an energy code.

· Adopt an environmental chapter for Horizon 2020.

· Require LEED standards for public buildings.

· Continue community connectivity through bike paths, trails, and rail to trails.

· Encourage neighborhood planning that emphasizes non-automobile access to schools and shopping.

· Transition to pesticide-free parks and buildings.

Neighborhood Quality:  Improving the livability of all Lawrence neighborhoods.

          Key Objectives:

· Institutionalize area planning.

· Develop affordable housing through the Land Trust.

Other Objectives:

· Coordinate with the school district regarding school sites and future uses of schools.

· Find ways to lessen the impact of student housing on neighborhoods.

· Explore private/public partnerships to provide affordable housing.

· Identify key pedestrian routes and enforce snow removal of them.

· Bring in the Neighborhood Re-investment Corporation (NRC).

· Inventory sidewalks in neighborhoods and bring them up to standard.

Downtown Development:  Protecting the integrity of downtown while maintaining it as a unique community resource.

          Key Objectives:

· Ensure that the downtown is clean and inviting (e.g., identify trees that will keep downtown cleaner).

· Redevelop the library as an anchor for multi-use development for downtown.

· Study the topic of alcohol issues and sidewalk dining.

Other Objectives:

· Implement “adopt a planter” program.

· Work with a KU class to develop a new downtown design in order to freshen the look of downtown.

· Consider creative responses to barriers related to the Harris project.

Transportation:  Improving access for all citizens.

          Key Objective:

· Build community consensus for a regional transportation plan that includes resolution of the SLT, Highway 59, and Eastern By-pass.

Other Objectives:

· Continue work on street development standards, including alternatives to street widths.

· Bring the “T” and KU on Wheels into better alignment.

· Initiate a commuter bus service to Johnson County.

· Investigate the possibility of a pedestrian bridge across the Kansas River.

· Create a plan to increase funding for KDOT projects that benefit the community.

· Continue to educate the community about access management.  Develop consensus and policies.

· Model bio-diesel and other renewable sources in the city’s transportation equipment.

· Integrate the bike plan into the Capital Improvements Plan (CIP).

· Work toward the central coordination of all street lights.

Service Delivery:  Provide excellent city services consistent with resources available.

          Key Objectives:

· Streamline the process of working with the Business Retention Task Force, so that there is coordination among departments and the process is clear and consistent.

· Adopt a performance management system.

· Implement new building codes.

Other Objectives:

· Purchase project management software for the planning department.

· Improve the CIP process – set priorities and integrate the plan with goals.

· Integrate fire station operations into the budget.

· Explore the possibility of increased staff support or salary for city commissioners.