CITY MANAGER’S REPORT
Training Session Scheduled for International Residential Code
The City will be providing a training session on the International Residential Code on December 5, 2007. Last week the attached letter and registration form were mailed to all licensed contractors. The Lawrence Homebuilders have partnered in the training and are providing $2,000 toward the event.
Farmland Industries Redevelopment Plan Draft
Draft 2 of the Farmland Industries Redevelopment Plan has been posted on the Planning and Development Services website at http://www.lawrenceplanning.org/draftplans.shtml. The Plan is scheduled for public hearing at the Lawrence-Douglas County Planning Commission Meeting on November 28, 2007.
Updated Construction Specifications Posted Online
We have completed an update to the City Construction specifications. Dena Mezger, Assistant Public Works Director, has spent several months reviewing the construction specifications for Public Works projects, and with input from contractors, consultants, and KDOT, has revised the specifications. The new specifications can be viewed online at http://www.lawrencepublicworks.org/technical_spec.shtml.
Integrated Pest Management Grant Request Declined
The Parks & Recreation Department submitted a grant proposal to Kansas State University for $8,000 to assist in the development of an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) policy for the City of Lawrence. Unfortunately, we were not successful, and will not be funded in 2007-2008. It appears that one of the primary reasons for rejecting the request was that the committee did not feel this objective could be completed in one calendar year. Even though this loss of funding was a small setback, it will not dramatically change the department’s plans to develop a pesticide reduction policy that can be allied to all city parks. Staff members have been assigned to research and develop this policy over the winter, and anticipate its completion in 5-6 months. As sections of the plan are written and developed the department will work with a committee of interested citizens to fine-tune the policy and ultimately bring it to the City Commission for approval.
Fall 2007 Alcohol Awareness Campaign Conducted by the Police Department
During the month of September the Lawrence Police Department conducted or participated in several events focused on reducing the flow of alcohol to minors. Please see the attached report on these efforts.
Halloween Paint In Held Downtown
The 36th Annual Lawrence Parks and Recreation Halloween Paint In was held Saturday, October 20, in Downtown Lawrence. There were 35 painters this year. The Lawrence Breakfast Optimists have been sponsoring this event for 36 years. This is the first year that Downtown Lawrence, Inc. has sponsored this event along with Jock Nitch Sporting Goods Store. These sponsorships allow children and adults of Lawrence to paint Halloween murals on downtown merchants’ windows to decorate for Halloween at no cost. Please see the attached photos of the event.
Demonstration Garden Developed at Prairie Park Nature Center
With the help of Vinland Valley Nursery, the Parks and Recreation Department is developing a “demonstration garden” at the Prairie Park Nature Center to help educate the public on sustainable landscaping. This project extends our work to reduce pesticide and herbicide use in city parks by promoting public education on sustainability practices in residential landscaping, emphasizing the use of organic/biological chemical alternatives, water conservation, peaceful coexistence with wildlife and other eco-friendly practices that will take environmental awareness to the large scale level of our city's neighborhoods. Please see the attached memo for photos and more information.
Transit Administrator Discusses Transportation and Aging in Planning Magazine
Attached is a story from “Planning” magazine published by the American Planning Association (APA) that will be distributed in November. Transit Administrator Cliff Galante was interviewed for this story about “Growing Old in a Car-centric World.” In the article Cliff discusses our recent double-digit growth in paratransit ridership and how that has presented challenges by outpacing our available resources.
Update on Public Works Projects
Planning Internship Featured in Kansas Preservation Newsletter
Former Planning Intern Laura Waggoner was recently featured in an issue of the Kansas State Historic Society newsletter. The article discusses Laura’s experiences with historic preservation in Lawrence.