CITY MANAGER’S REPORT

Week ending June 14, 2013

 

 

Clinton Lake Development

The State of Kansas, with the Kansas Department of Commerce and the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism, has issued a Request for Proposals for Clinton Lake resort development.  The deadline for submission of proposals is July 17, 2013.   A Pre-Proposal conference is planned for July 2, 2013, 8:30 AM at the Corps Office, 872 N. 1402 Road.

 

According to the RFP, the State is seeking a developer to design, construct, finance, and operate a quality lake resort/conference center on a site under the jurisdiction of Wildlife & Parks.   Development proposals should anticipate the construction of lodging facilities, as well as quality resort amenities as required to make such a project successful.  The resort would be operated as a private concession under a long-term lease agreement and developed with private funding.

 

Storm Shelter Report

Staff has prepared the attached memo and supplementary materials in response to a City Commissioner request for more information regarding building code requirements for storm shelters in schools and other structures. The currently adopted building codes do not require that storm shelters be provided for any building or occupancy; however, if provided the design and construction must comply with certain standards. There are a number of potential ramifications to consider regarding the adoption of local code requirements for storm shelters.  

 

May Building Permits Report

The Building Safety Division issued 198 building permits in May, with total construction for the month valued at $16,097,946. Total permit fees assessed for the month were $54,781.90.  Permits were issued for 15 new residential projects, all for new single-family dwellings. Please see the attached memo, report, and summary report for more information.   

 

Oread Neighborhood Parking Study

This spring, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) selected the City of Lawrence for a Building Blocks for Sustainable Communities technical assistance award. An audit of parking utilization, a stakeholder workshop, and a public meeting helped city, university, and neighborhood stakeholders better understand the parking issues in the Oread Neighborhood, as well as identify strategies for meeting parking and transportation needs in the neighborhood. The results of this exercise will be placed on a future City Commission Meeting agenda for discussion. Please see the attached memo for more information. 

 

Iowa Street Construction Update

Progress on the Iowa Street reconstruction project remains on schedule. Both south and north bound lanes from Irving Hill Rd to the intersection at 15th St are now complete. Completion of the intersection is scheduled to be complete by August 15, 2013. The overall project completion date is November 16, 2013. Please see the attached memo for more information and photos of the project.

 

Common Ground Program Sign Installed

The Parks and Recreation Department recently installed a sign at the Common Ground site on Highway 24/40 near Teepee Junction. Please see the attached report for more information and photos.

 

Arbor Day in Tree City USA

Last month, students at Kennedy Elementary held a ceremony celebrating Arbor Day and Lawrence’s 35th consecutive recognition as a “Tree City USA” by the National Arbor Day Foundation. Please see the attached report for more information and photos.

 

Volunteers Assist with Downtown Planting

Several individuals and groups weathered rain and temperature-related cancellations but still contributed the equivalent of around $1,000 of labor to plant flowers in city parks and downtown. Please see the attached report for more information and photos.