CITY MANAGER’S REPORT
Report on in-house engineering
The attached memo contains a report on staff’s efforts to increase, when appropriate, internal engineering rather than contracting with outside consultants. The report contains information on projects completed with City staff rather than outside firms, and a list of the Public Works Department’s engineering contracts for the past three years.
HUD funding
The City has received notification of the 2007 CDBG/HOME allocation. The CDBG allocation is $828,822 which is an increase of $11,841 over the 2006 allocation. The HOME allocation is $643,923 which is a $1,771 decrease from 2006. Since the all time high CDBG allocation of $1,125,000 in 2001, the City’s allocation has decreased 29% or $196,178. Since the HOME allocation of $770,171 in 2004, the City’s allocation has decreased 17% or $126,248. The 2004 HOME allocation included American Dream Downpayment Initiative (ADDI) funds ($50,174), for which the City is no longer eligible because the formula changed in 2005 excluding participation from communities with less than 150,000 population. Overall, these federal funds received by the City have decreased 15% or $265,255 since 2001. Staff has not seen a corresponding decrease in need or the number or dollar amount of applications from agencies for CDBG and HOME funding.
Transit Administrator appointed to State transportation planning group
Transit Administrator Cliff Galante has been asked by Deb Miller, Secretary of the Kansas Department of Transportation, to serve on the Metropolitan Topical Working Group for the Kansas Long Range Transportation Plan. The purpose of the group is to assist KDOT in seeking new ideas and approaches for a future transportation program in Kansas. See attached letter for more information.
KDOT STEP Achievement Award
On Wednesday, March 14, 2007, the Kansas Department of Transportation, Bureau of Traffic Safety, presented the Lawrence Police Department Traffic Unit with an Outstanding Achievement award. According to Sergeant Randy Roberts, the award is for the Traffic Unit’s enforcement efforts during the 2006 Click It or Ticket campaign. The campaign is one of the events the Lawrence Police Department participates in through the Specialized Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP) grant. The STEP grant reimburses all overtime incurred during the enforcement campaigns for the year. All enforcement during these campaigns is mandated overtime hours only.
The Click It or Ticket campaign was conducted from May 7 through June 3, 2006. The Traffic Unit performed 106 hours of enforcement during this campaign. Sixty (60) hours were utilized on a saturation patrol, and the remaining forty-six (46) hours were on a random day-to-day basis. During this campaign, the Traffic Unit issued 234 citations including 119 speeding, 54 seatbelt, 27 child restraint, 34 HMV’s (all other traffic infractions), and 1 DUI arrest. The Traffic Unit is currently participating in the 2007 STEP grant program.